text:
Title: A Perfect Pleasure
Authors: Analine and Sariagray
Characters/Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: assume the whole series
Warnings: Some mild sexual concepts. Language. Also, smoking!Ianto and some smoking!Jack.
Disclaimer: We do not own Torchwood. We do not make money off of Torchwood. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: Jack had spent the better part of an hour absently tapping the corner of the rectangular box against the top of his desk before slipping the parcel into Ianto's coat pocket. It was a perfect fit.
Author's Note: This was co-written with the lovely Sariagray over on LiveJournal. :) This was supposed to be a relatively short, smoking-centric piece, because we like the idea of Ianto smoking SO MUCH, but then Ianto started talking and Jack started thinking and we couldn't shut them up, really.
A Perfect Pleasure
"A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?"
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Jack had spent the better part of an hour absently tapping the corner of the rectangular box against the top of his desk before slipping the parcel into Ianto's coat pocket. It was a perfect fit.
Now, he waits.
There are twenty cigarettes per pack. It isn't simply memory that brings this fact to mind; it says so right on the box. Twenty cigarettes and suddenly the only thing on Jack's mind is whether Ianto will smoke as many as possible at once or draw them out, long and slow, one cigarette a night for twenty days.
Twenty days.
"Where are they?" he had caught Ianto muttering last night as he frantically searched through kitchen drawers.
Ianto had looked beyond disheveled in the dim glow of the track lighting; he hadn't even bothered to turn on the overhead lamp. His hair was mussed to the point of distraction; it looked as though he had been pulling at it for hours. There was a long tear down the side of his dress shirt and he had rolled up the sleeves in haste – the right was situated just above his elbow, while the left hung mid-forearm. His tie was missing.
It was only curiosity that had stayed Jack's eager hands and mouth.
"Where'd what go?" He leaned against the counter, raised an eyebrow.
Ianto's head jolted around to face the (admittedly welcome) intruder, his eyes startled.
"Jesus, Jack! Ever heard of knocking?"
Jack watched, intrigued, as Ianto let a long breath, watched him run a hand over his head, anxiously, and lean back against the kitchen sink, hands on his hips. Ianto was adorable when he was exasperated like this, but of course, that was hardly the point.
He tried for his most charming smile. "Why would I knock when you were so kind as to give me a key?"
Ianto rolled his eyes, but Jack just grinned back at him.
"Right, so you walk in here unannounced in the middle of the night, and somehow it's my fault?"
Ianto was smiling now though, just a little, which Jack took as a good sign.
"I just thought I'd stop by, make sure you were okay," Jack offered, carefully. "That was a pretty nasty fight out there. You left before Owen could examine you, too."
"I'm fine," Ianto said quickly. "Just need..."
Jack raised his eyebrows, watching Ianto's attention shift to the last drawer he'd been looking in before Jack interrupted him.
"Just need...what?"
Ianto sighed, and fixed Jack with a long look. "A shower, okay?"
"Think you'll find the soap in your kitchen?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, it seemed like you were looking for something, is all..."
Ianto shook his head. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Jack just raised his eyebrows, waiting.
A few beats passed before Ianto met Jack's eyes again.
"I was looking for my cigarettes, okay?"
Jack blinked. "Since when do you smoke?"
"I don't," Ianto smirked, shrugging. "Well, I haven't for awhile, anyway. But I thought…." He glanced back at the drawer, distracted again, "that I had an emergency pack somewhere in here."
Jack offered to help and, as frequently happened when Jack volunteered his assistance, Ianto soon forgot that he had been searching for anything.
And so a pack of cigarettes in its perfect cellophane wrapping has found its way into Ianto's coat pocket. It is a small concession to make, this acceptance of a vice, but Jack intends to do it with as much style as he can muster.
Jack smirks to himself as he thinks about the purple and white box. He isn't being completely altruistic, of course. There is something so intriguing about the sight of Ianto's long fingers delicately balancing a cigarette, languidly drawing it to pursed lips, eyes closed against the writhing smoke.
He can hear the familiar rustling noises of Tosh tidying her papers, the definitive metal-on-metal clang of Owen's implements being tossed carelessly away, and Gwen's not-so-subtle cough of boredom. All of the usual signals. He glances at the clock and smiles. And he waits.
"It seems that someone seems to think I've taken up smoking again," Ianto says, his voice deliberate and calm, back propped up against Jack's office door.
It's officially after-hours now, and Jack couldn't be happier to see him, even if he is a little surprised.
Ianto smirks, and Jack can't help but chuckle.
He'd underestimated Ianto, clearly. It wouldn't be the first time though, so he's not sure why he's surprised to see Ianto striding over to his desk, jacket in one hand, and a suspicious looking package in the other. So much for surprises.
"So I guess you figured out those were from me?" Jack says, folding his arms a little defiantly over his desk, papers shifting guiltily underneath his shirtsleeves, reminding him of what it was that he was supposed to have been doing all day today, instead of what he actually had been doing.
It's been so long since he'd last bought cigarettes though; he'd been a bit taken aback by the vast array of choices. The fact that it had taken him half the day to make his decision was hardly his fault.
Ianto taps the edge of the package on Jack's desk impatiently.
"You're the only person I know who would actually encourage someone to smoke in this day and age, Jack."
"What? We all have our vices right?"
Ianto lets out an undignified snort. "Some of us more than others."
"I'm not saying I want you to start chain-smoking or anything..." Jack briefly considers this image, and then stops, because honestly, that might be kind of well, nice. "I just wanted you to have some on hand," he finishes.
Ianto is silent, watching Jack with what looks a lot like amused interest. It's nearly impossible to tell what he's really thinking.
"For emergencies, you know?" Jack offers, tentatively.
"Right," Ianto says, nodding. "Sure."
He's staring at Jack pointedly.
"What?" Jack says, squirming a little in his chair.
Ianto narrows his eyes. "You're sure there isn't some other reason you bought these?"
For a split second, Jack freezes. It is hardly noticeable, and then his face breaks out into a grin that is quickly suppressed into a mask of innocence.
"Another reason?" he asks, all over-exaggerated naivety.
Ianto shakes his head slightly, but it's more indulgent than rueful. "Right. Well then." He lays his jacket on a chair and leans over the desk slightly; Jack's breath catches in his throat, but he's good at masking.
Ianto fondles the pack absently. Jack watches with intent, gulps, as Ianto carefully unravels the cellophane wrapping. He lifts open the lid, tugs away the foil, and deliberately pulls free a cigarette. Rolling it gently between his fingers, he fixes Jack with another pointed look.
"Stopping by tonight?" he asks, eyebrow cocked and a knowing smirk firmly in place.
Jack breathes, nods slowly, then grins. "Yeah. I just might."
As if he might have gone anywhere else.
Ianto's smirk transforms into something more like a smile and he nods as though a matter of great import has been officially decided.
With that, he straightens, adjusts his tie, and grabs his jacket. He shoots Jack one final look, a promise, and walks out. He is halfway to the door when he turns around and frowns.
"But finish that paperwork, first."
Jack finishes his paperwork in record time. Well, he supposes finishing might not be the right word, but... There were, of course, things that could wait until tomorrow and things that definitely, definitely could not.
As he drives over to Ianto's flat, he honestly has no idea what to expect. He's used to having the upper hand, but with Ianto, that sort of thing just doesn't seem to apply.
Ianto is confident and vulnerable and everything that Jack knows he is too, somewhere deep down, all at the same time. It's utterly mysterious, and utterly fascinating. He couldn't resist even if he wanted to. And the thought of Ianto's perfect exterior, his squeaky clean image being invaded by something as simple as a cigarette-and Jack can see it, pursed between his lips, can see Ianto's fingers rising to his lips as he inhales, and the smoke curling around his mouth, dancing in the air between them... Add all that and, well, Jack really can't resist..
He drives faster, speeds around corners, breezes past houses, whole neighborhoods, until finally he's in front of Ianto's flat.
His heart is thumping hard in his chest. He feels a little silly, really - it's not like they haven't done this a hundred times before. It's not like Ianto hasn't given him that same look, the one he'd given him back in his office, the one that promised so much, with so little, on so many nights, just like tonight. This is different though, this is something new.
And Jack can't wait.
He opens the door and steps over the threshold just in time to watch Ianto strike a match. It flares brightly for a moment before Ianto cups his hand around the flame, bringing it to the cigarette dangling between his lips. He shakes it out with a solitary, deft movement and drops it into a clean crystal ashtray.
"I thought you'd have a lighter. Maybe a nice old Ronson," Jack observes by way of greeting as he hangs up his greatcoat.
"A Dunhill," Ianto smiles and takes an emphatic draw on his cigarette. "Silver Rollagas. Lisa confiscated it years ago. I haven't yet figured out what she did with it."
Jack eyes him warily and drops into the comfortable armchair by the window. Ianto's face now in profile, he watches the blue grey smoke float up toward the ceiling. It's dim in the living room, dark enough to set off the bright orange embers at the tip of the cigarette. Jack reluctantly tears his eyes away for a moment to nod at the sparkling ashtray.
"She didn't take that?" he asks.
Ianto smiles contritely. "It had been repurposed as a votive holder."
There's a fondness to Ianto's voice, and less pain, so Jack allows himself to laugh. "Did you have a cigarette case, too?"
"Yeah," Ianto nods and brings the cigarette back to his lips.
He squints slightly when the smoke gets close to his face, Jack notes, and he never quite fully closes his eyes – it sharply defines his cheekbones, as if they needed it. As Ianto inhales, the tip glows brighter. Slowly, he removes the cigarette from puckered lips and leans over to give a sharp flick to knock the ashes into their receptacle.
"A 1930s Felinore," he elaborates, jolting Jack from his musings. "I had to sell it when…."
Jack nods when he catches Ianto glance at the cigarette resting between his fingers. His expression is soft, maybe a little melancholy, and Jack wonders if perhaps buying the pack had been a bad idea.
"Never mind," Ianto says, but the darkness in his eyes passes after a long moment, replaced with something lighter, still introspective, but less melancholy - nostalgic, maybe.
Jack just watches Ianto, watches his fingers, his lips, the rise and fall of his chest, the smoke billowing out, dissolving.
"Thanks for these," Ianto says after another long moment. He meets Jack's eyes as he taps the packet with his finger.
Jack just nods, not really sure what Ianto wants, what he wants him to say.
"Lisa didn't like me smoking," Ianto says, taking a slow drag and exhaling into the space between them. "Obviously." He pauses, shaking his head, and then fixes Jack with a long look. "She didn't like a lot of things about me."
Jack blinks, considering this. "Really? I thought you were..."
"Oh, we were," Ianto says, but his smile is soft, sad in a way that Jack's not used to. "We were fine. She was great." He pauses. "Sometimes I just wonder if we would have lasted, is all. You know what they say, people don't really change, right?"
Jack just nods. Doesn't he know it. He shifts a little in his chair. "Yeah."
"She used to say I never talked to her."
Ianto gives him a sideways smile, a little sheepish, and Jack smiles back at him. "I've definitely heard that one before."
Ianto chuckles, then taps out his ash into the ashtray, his fingers moving with deliberate precision.
"Did you though? Talk to her?" Jack asks, curious.
"No, of course I didn't," Ianto says, as if it should be obvious.
"Still, there are worse things, right?" he offers.
A shadow passes over Ianto's face for a second, almost imperceptible in the dark room, and Jack wonders for the second time tonight if he's made a mistake here.
A second later, Ianto is shaking his head, mask slipping back into place. "I don't know why I'm talking about this. You didn't come over to hear about Lisa, after all."
Then Ianto smiles, a bit self-deprecating, as he finishes off the end of his cigarette, snubbing it out into the ashtray and letting out a long plume of smoke in front of him that lingers in the air, hovering between them like a ghost.
Jack watches it dissipate in the air, though it never clears completely; the room is hazy. Ianto rises and crosses the room to open the window. Jack watches this, too, and, since Ianto is close, reaches out to grab his wrist.
"You have no idea," he says softly, somewhere between a question and a statement.
Ianto frowns at him, then nods. He unlatches the lock and pushes the frame upwards. A cool draft wafts in and seems to sweep away the smoke. It apparently takes the memories, too, because Ianto sits back down and smiles slightly as he picks up the pack again.
"Why Silk Cuts?" he asks after a moment of silence.
Jack grins and shrugs. "The package looked nice. Distinguished." Not that this had anything to do with the selection, but Jack isn't about to admit that.
Ianto shakes his head, and there is affection in his eyes. He opens the pack again, fiddles with the cigarettes (Jack is sure he's lining them up symmetrically, but he can't tell from this angle), and finally pulls one out.
He puts it to his lips as he fixes his eyes on Jack. With deliberate movements, he removes a match and strikes it against the box. The flame casts a strange glow on his face, and his eyes seem to spark. He lights his cigarette with a fluid grace, shakes the match out again, and leans back on the sofa.
He has kept his eyes on Jack the whole time. It isn't scrutiny, but the role reversal makes him shift uncomfortably, like he needs to find something to do with his hands. It's hardly unwanted attention, though, and so Jack smiles.
"Why'd you start?" he asks, his fingers tugging at a loose thread on the arm of the chair.
Ianto's eyes go a little wide at the question, and he dips his head slightly. Jack senses his mood, knows he will be indulged tonight, so he plans to take full advantage.
"My father," Ianto says, and like always, there's a hint of sarcasm in his tone, barely noticeable, but Jack has always picked up on it.
He recognizes it, identifies with it, maybe. That need to distance yourself from something so close you know you can't really escape it, save for drowning it in irony.
"He smoked?"
"Oh yeah," Ianto says, raising his eyebrows, eyes flashing a little. "Like a bloody chimney."
Jack watches Ianto shrug, exhaling smoke through his nose a bit defiantly.
"I thought I hated him," Ianto says. "Cigarettes were about the only thing worth stealing from him."
"Did he ever catch you?"
Ianto doesn't say anything for a minute, and Jack just stares at the smoke as it hovers in the air in front of Ianto's face, before drifting out through the window into the darkness.
Jack's not so sure anymore what his intention was, coming here, but watching Ianto now, his slow deliberation, his careful execution of words, he wonders if he didn't give Ianto those cigarettes as a sort of peace offering, as an opening, an invitation, for Ianto to do with as the moment struck him. Jack wasn't the type of man who pried, especially with someone who kept himself wrapped as tightly as Ianto usually did, but he wondered now if that innocent little package hadn't been a different sort of proposition than he'd planned on at first.
"All the time," Ianto says finally. "I think I wanted him to."
Jack nods."How old were you?"
"The first time?" he asks, exhaling slowly.
Then, unexpectedly, he toes off his socks with dexterity, and Jack is briefly distracted by Ianto's extremities wiggling free from their constraints, just hanging out there between them, reminding Jack that they really, really need to do this more often. And not just because of the obvious allure of naked appendages. Jack likes this version of Ianto a lot, all bare feet and relaxation, trusting him with his secrets.
"I guess I was about twelve?" Ianto says, freeing Jack from his reverie."What?" he asks, curiously, his eyes trying to follow Jack's gaze, and failing when Jack catches him halfway.
"Nothing," Jack says, shaking his head, smiling. "Go on, please. I'm intrigued."
Ianto smiles, nods, bows his head a little. He gestures with the cigarette slightly, as though it were conducting an orchestra, and it dawns on Jack that the cigarette shoulders his burden, freeing him from his masks and trappings. It is as though the flame feeds on insecurity and worry rather than oxygen.
"I had stolen a cigarette from his pack. He must've counted them, because he barged into my room when I was halfway through smoking it." Ianto's voice is quiet and his eyes a little distant, but his face is relatively relaxed. He flicks his cigarette into the ashtray absently and almost misses. "And he sat down on my bed, handed me an unopened pack, and told me to smoke the whole thing."
Jack raises an eyebrow and Ianto takes the opportunity to tuck his feet underneath him. He looks comfortable, completely at ease for a split second, and Jack wishes that he had a camera; he wouldn't even mind the scowl it would put on Ianto's face if he could just capture this moment. Just one picture.
"Well," Ianto continues and takes a luxurious drag that is contradicted by the flint-and-steel of his eyes, "I smoked the whole fucking thing. It –" He cuts himself off, gulps, closes his eyes. "It just made him angrier. I'd wasted his whole pack, after all."
When he opens his eyes again, he looks so hurt that Jack's heart stops. He rises from the armchair, crosses over to Ianto, and gently plucks the cigarette from between his fingers. Ianto stares at him, his brows furrowed in confusion, and Jack wants to laugh. Instead, he raises the cigarette to his lips and pulls on it for a moment. His eyes flicker closed in something like pleasure; he'd forgotten just how good it could feel, especially without the guilt and worry.
Ianto's face lightens with the ghost of a smile and Jack sits next to him, close and almost protectively. When Ianto reaches to take back the cigarette, Jack shakes his head.
"Mine," he proclaims with a playful growl and nods suggestively toward the pack with a grin.
"They were yours," Ianto corrects, a small smirk creeping onto his face. "Until you gave them to me. You can keep that one though," Ianto says, gesturing to Jack's hand, and reaching for the pack. "More where that came from, right?"
Jack watches the smile on Ianto's face brighten into something more like himself again.
"Nah," Jack says. "It's more fun watching you."
Ianto's smile softens a little. "Is that so?" he says, and their fingers brush together lightly as Ianto takes back his cigarette from Jack, and brings it to his lips, inhaling deeply.
"Yeah," Jack says, and watches Ianto close his eyes, with something like reverence for those soft eyelids, those dark lashes against Ianto's smooth, pale skin. "It is."
"I know that's why you bought these," Ianto says after a moment, lips pursed just so, cigarette balanced delicately between them. "You wanted to watch me."
"I did," Jack admits, shifting so that he's facing Ianto on the couch, one arm thrown back over the back of the upholstery, close to Ianto's shoulder, but not quite touching. "But now, I kind of want to hear more about your father."
Ianto shrugs, a little defensively, and Jack touches his fingers to the shoulder closest to him, lightly. Ianto suddenly looks so young. Too young, Jack thinks, watching the tension in his hands, his fingers as he raises them to his lips.
"What do you want me to say?" Ianto says, a plume of smoke escaping from his lips in a rush. "That I hated him and he hated me and then he died before I had a chance to show him who I really was?"
"So you didn't just think you hated him?"
"What does it matter?" Ianto says, cigarette forgotten, ash collecting on the end as it lies slack between his fingers. "I was a kid."
"And then he was gone."
"Yeah," Ianto says quietly, and then a second later, he curses under his breath, as the ash falls from his cigarette to the floor, just missing the couch, and he scrambles for the ashtray.
Jack raises an eyebrow as Ianto leans his cigarette against the crystal edge and brushes away the ash until it disappears, a barely noticeable grey smudge.
"This," he mutters as he picks the cigarette back up and puts it to his lips, a little flustered, "is why I don't smoke indoors."
"Doesn't seem to have stopped you," Jack points out, smiling.
Ianto nods and leans a little into Jack. "I make occasional allowances. What was I saying?"
"You were talking about your father," he answers and rests his hand lightly, comfortingly, on Ianto's arm.
"Right," Ianto takes another drag, flicks it with careful attention into the ashtray, and sighs. "Why do I feel like I'm talking to Freud?"
Jack raises his hand to his chest in mock offence and gives a little gasp. "Freud? I'm far more attractive and I don't have a ridiculous accent."
"Don't you?" There's a twinkle in Ianto's eyes, a smirk on his lips, and Jack laughs.
"Besides," he continues, "if I were Freud, I'd be asking you about your mother."
"Point. And there isn't much to say about him. He worked, came home, drank. That was all his life ever was and I think I hated him for that the most. Family was just part of the daily monotony for him."
Jack nods at this in understanding; he's seen enough men fall into that trap. Hell, he's almost been there himself. It was a learned behavior, he figures, though Ianto didn't seem to be going that route. He watches as Ianto seems to ponder the pattern of undulating smoke against the faint moonlight coming through the window. It seems bluer, somehow. Jack considers that Ianto'd make a good father, if a little terrified, but what does he know?
"Do you want kids?" Jack asks, as though children were as simple as a cup of coffee.
The cigarette stutters to a halt halfway to Ianto's mouth. He is frozen in place, eyes blinking rapidly at Jack. Ianto's mouth is open a little, and Jack wants to kiss him more than anything, but he'd asked a question and it would be rude not to wait for an answer.
"I, ah..." Ianto hedges, eyes darting to the floor, and then back at Jack.
He brings the cigarette to his lips eventually though, and then sighs. "I don't know."
Jack smiles a little. "It's okay not to know, you're young."
Ianto shakes his head. "I wish everyone felt that way."
"Who else is asking?"
Ianto shrugs. "Anyone, everyone? Lisa used to bring it up, sometimes. I don't think she knew what she wanted either though."
"It's been my experience," Jack says carefully, "that it's the sort of thing that will happen if it's meant to happen, whether you want it to, or not."
Ianto just stares at Jack, but doesn't say anything, just takes another drag of his cigarette, allowing the silence to grow heavy around them.
"It's not like I think I'm going to end up like him, or anything," Ianto says finally. "But I look at Rhi's kids - my sister, Rhiannon - and they're great, but... I don't know. She didn't..." He pauses. "She didn't decide to have them, you know? They just happened.
"And I don't mean they were mistakes, or surprises, I just mean that she never thought about it. It was just get married, then have kids, you know? I think it was like that for my parents too, and that's how my sister and I ended up here."
"That works for a lot of people," Jack says. "But it doesn't have to be like that for you."
Ianto just nods, unconvincingly.
"And just for the record, I think you'd make a great father someday," Jack says, watching Ianto exhale slowly, and tap his ash out in the ashtray.
"Yeah, well, who knows if I'd be able to find out even if I wanted to, right?" Ianto says darkly, shaking his head.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I'm not really in the right line of work for-"
"No," Jack says, his heart racing, as he leans over, and takes the nearly-finished cigarette from Ianto's hand, and crushes it into the ashtray.
He's not even sure why he does it-maybe he wants Ianto's full attention, or maybe it's something else altogether.
Ianto's eyes are filled with surprise as he stares at him, waiting.
"This…I'm not letting it destroy your life," Jack grumbles and runs a hand through his hair.
"You bought them for me." Ianto's voice is gentle, if a little confused, and he leans back slowly, his eyes never leaving Jack.
"Not the cigarettes. Me. Torchwood. All of it. Quit. Please, quit." Jack's eyes look a little wild, uncertain and glassy.
Ianto's face tightens, contorts in some combination of fear and anger. "I won't." He spits the words out like they're bitter and Jack sighs.
"I could fire you," he threatens, though it's half-hearted at best. "Make you forget the past few years, Weevils, the rift, me."
"And you don't think I'd come back?" Ianto asks, his voice suddenly soft the way it always gets when Jack gets into a particularly weighty guilt trip.
"Could send you really, really far away." Jack leans against Ianto, the panic in his eyes receding, and nudges his forehead with his nose.
"And who'd make your coffee? Owen?"
Jack just snorts at that and watches as the muscles in Ianto's face relax and then constrict again. It's a familiar reaction and Jack welcomes it, yearns for it, really. He kisses Ianto's temple softly and then sits up straight.
"Sorry," he mumbles and rubs at his eyes.
"Mind telling me what that was all about? What's going on?"
Without preamble, Jack grabs the pack of cigarettes and matches and hands them to Ianto. His motions are jerky, and Ianto frowns, but takes them anyway. He raises an eyebrow in question and Jack gestures rapidly at the pack.
"Have one," he insists and Ianto nods a bit cagily.
He pulls one out gradually and taps the filtered end against the box, more out of habit than practicality. He brings it to his lips where it rests, slightly off-center and at an angle. Tugging out a match, he swipes it quickly against the box and brings the flame close. The scent of sulfur permeates the air; it's a bit like damnation. Jack watches closely as Ianto watches him.
Ianto inhales rapturously, and it seems to instill a measure of confidence. "Well?" he asks, all quiet patience.
"I said I was sorry," Jack says, softly.
And Ianto just stares at him, waiting, as if he's trying to get inside his head, his heart, and Jack honestly isn't sure if he wants him to succeed or not. He has no idea why he said any of that, why Ianto is sitting here staring at him like he's some puzzle that needs to be figured out all of the sudden. It feels wrong, it's frustrating, and honestly, it's more human than anything Jack's felt in a long, long time.
"Talk to me, Jack," Ianto says, fiddling with the pack of matches between his fingers. He lifts his head, watching Jack expectantly.
"What do you want me to say?"
Ianto stares at him for a long moment, so long that Jack almost opens his mouth, almost tries to change the subject, even though he's pretty sure that particular trick doesn't work on Ianto anymore.
"You..." Ianto pauses, swallows, hands the pack back to Jack and looks him square in the eye.
The movement is jarring, and Jack stares down at the packet in his hands, feeling a little foolish.
"You bought me these," Ianto says, sharply, gesturing to the pack in Jack's hands. "Why?"
"You know why," Jack says, but his voice isn't as sure as it should be, as he wants it to be.
"No, I really don't."
"Well, neither do I," Jack snaps. "Maybe it was a mistake."
"Yeah? Why?" Ianto asks, and his voice is calm enough, just a simple question, but his eyes are all over the place. Angry, hurt, scared-Jack can see it all, but he still has no idea what to say.
Ianto takes a long, deliberate drag from his cigarette. His eyes flicker from the smoke, to the window, back to Jack's face. Waiting.
"I don't know," Jack says honestly.
"Okay, fine," Ianto says. He leans into towards Jack, eyes flashing.
"I disagree, okay?" Ianto continues, and there's a slight tremor in his voice-Jack feels it in the pit of his stomach, knows that suddenly this isn't just about a pack of cigarettes. "If I'm allowed to have a say in it, of course."
"Because from where I'm sitting it wasn't a mistake," Ianto says. "I asked for this. I wanted this." He brings the cigarette to his lips, tips his head back and inhales, slowly. "I came to you. Remember?"
Jack allows himself a tiny smile. "You bet I remember."
Jack watches Ianto squeeze his eyes closed tight, as if he's trying to keep his composure.
"And if you..." he swallows, lets out a breath, "if you fire me, or retcon me, I meant it when I said I'll come back. It won't work."
"I know," Jack says, softly. "Trust me, I know."
Ianto nods, but he looks so tired, worn out and well-used. "Why suggest it, then?"
"I just want you safe."
Jack isn't looking at him, though. Instead, he's staring out of the window. He can see the moon out of the corner of his eye. It hovers just to the left of the heavy blue curtain and it is much easier to speak to.
"From?" Ianto watches intently, glances out the window at the moon, and sighs. He stares at his cigarette, cross-eyed, for a moment.
"Torchwood," Jack shrugs. "Aliens. Death."
"Sending me away won't keep me safe from any of those things."
"Me," Jack says, barely a whisper, and turns back to look at Ianto like it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do. "Safe from me."
Ianto stares at him for a moment and holds out his hand. "Hi. I don't think we've met. Ianto Jones. My girlfriend was a partially-converted cyberwoman for months."
Jack blinks once, twice, then gives a nervous chuckle.
"Besides," Ianto continues, perhaps a bit too brightly, "little late to worry about keeping me safe from you now, don't you think?"
The air in the room is growing cold, Jack notices. The window has been open for a while now and the temperature outside has dropped drastically. The curtain shifts. He shivers slightly, glances around the flat for a throw and even contemplates getting his coat. His muscles twitch in anticipation of standing up but it dawns on him that it may not be the best option right now. Instead, he frowns at Ianto in confusion. And maybe he's a little hurt, too.
"What'd you mean?"
He tries to make his voice as casual as possible, but it sounds a slight too desperate and far too defensive even to his own ears. The silence seems to drag on and Jack can feel his stomach plummet and he absolutely hates it because none of this was ever, ever supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to – but it's well beyond speculation now and he's utterly helpless. Ianto looks uncomfortable; he's fiddling with his cigarette like it's the most interesting thing in the room. Maybe it is, and that's the problem.
Jack stands, despite his better judgment, and mentally damns his insecurities for forcing his mouth open. Damns his emotions for giving him the insecurities in the first place. He doesn't look, but he can almost hear Ianto go completely still behind him.
"Jack," Ianto says eventually, and his voice sounds strange, strained and wrung out, and Jack's hanging on his every word-he can't help it, even though he hates that it matters this much, part of him hates that he's even here.
Part of him just wants to go, too, wants to grab his coat and walk out, wants to stop thinking about cigarettes, and Ianto's father, and what kind of father Ianto would make if he hadn't taken it all away from him already, and just... Dammit, Jack thinks. He wants more than anything to run away from this, but he can't. His feet feel as if they're rooted to the floorboards.
He can't go anywhere when Ianto is looking at him like that.
Ianto is sitting up, leaning forward, staring up at Jack.
"I just meant," Ianto says quietly, deliberately calm, an odd contrast to the emotions Jack can see flickering in his eyes, just below the surface.. "I've made my choice. That's what I meant."
Jack forces a smile. "That makes me feel a lot better, thanks."
"And of course I don't need to be kept safe from you," Ianto says quickly, as if this should be obvious. "That's ridiculous."
Jack searches his face for some doubt hidden there, some deep-seated resentment, anything. He's not sure what to think when he comes up completely empty.
"I'm dangerous," Jack says, finally, in what feels like some kind of last ditch effort at full disclosure. "It would be in your best interests to remember that. I'm not like you."
Ianto looks hurt for a second, and then masks it with a laugh. He brings the forgotten cigarette to his lips, and inhales deeply.
"I'm not afraid of you, Jack." He fixes Jack with a stare that could set ice crystals on the windows of the hot house in seconds. "It would be in your best interests to remember that."
"I'm also," Ianto says, exhaling smoke through his nose, and looking up at Jack, "not afraid of dying. In that sense, you might say we are alike."
And suddenly Jack is barely listening. He's angry. Angry at Ianto for talking about death like it's nothing, like he could possibly, possibly understand what it feels like, knowing that every last person, everyone you know, everyone you love, that they're all going to die, and that you're going to have to watch them, maybe even be responsible for-
"You don't understand," Jack says, still lost inside his head. "I've watched so many people die."
"You're right. I don't understand," Ianto says, sounding as defeated and as frustrated as Jack feels. "But neither do you."
Jack opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again, and then gives up the exercise entirely. It hangs partially open, suspended, and he stares at Ianto as though seeing him for the first time. Ianto takes another drag of his cigarette and a calm expression slips effortlessly over his features. It frightens Jack more than anything else he's seen Ianto do that night.
"Yes?" Ianto asks and the words are poised, graceful.
There is a thundering silence as Jack searches for words.
"Maybe you're right," he says, finally. "Maybe I don't understand. There's a whole lot about you I don't think I'll ever understand." He pauses, watches Ianto intently as he flicks his cigarette into the ashtray, and softly sighs. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."
"To understand you."
Ianto smiles at him as if Jack were a toddler who had just figured out that the square peg fits in the square hole. It's patronizing and a bit ridiculous and Jack cherishes it. For once, he feels as though he's done something right; he can barely resist the urge to cheer.
The curtains twitch and swish as a breeze flutters through the window; Ianto's smile softens and his eyes lose their condescending edge.
Jack leans over and carefully pries the half-finished cigarette from between Ianto's fingers. He rests it between his own fingers and cups Ianto's chin with his free hand. His gaze flits across Ianto's face until they rest on his eyes.
It sounds like a plea trying to disguise itself as an admonishment. Smiling and without looking, Jack rests the cigarette in the ashtray. He tries not to laugh when Ianto's eyes slide to the table.
He tries to stop himself from pressing his lips to Ianto's forehead, too, knows the confused expression it will bring to Ianto's eyes, and more than that, he knows that not everything can be fixed like this, but part of him is yearning for contact, for this connection. He does it anyway.
He feels Ianto's eyes flutter closed, feels him suck a quick breath into his lungs and hold it, silently.
"I'm sorry," Jack breathes against Ianto's lips, against his nose. Their faces are too close; their foreheads keep bumping together with every breath. "I'm sorry that I don't understand. I should."
He brings his other hand to Ianto's neck to steady him, and instead of flinching, like Jack had been afraid he might, Ianto leans into his touch a little, and releases the breath he's been holding. Jack can feel his shoulders depress a little as he releases the air, and then rise up again as he inhales, slowly.
Carefully, Ianto places his hand over Jack's where it's resting against his neck. Jack closes his eyes. The warmth and weight of Ianto's hand is distracting, almost soothing.
"I want to," Jack says earnestly. "I want-"
"Jack," Ianto says, and it's less of a plea this time, and definitely not an admonishment. "It's okay," he says, and when he speaks, he rubs his thumb over the outside of Jack's wrist, and it's like they're caught up in some kind of rhythm that Jack can't hear but can feel from somewhere deep inside of him, pulling them along, some sort of current underneath all of this.
"I want you to understand, too," Jack says softly."I know," Ianto says, and Jack isn't sure what this particular intonation of Ianto's voice is suggesting, but there's authority there, and when Ianto says, "I do understand," Jack almost believes him.
"I just want…" Jack says, and then stops, because this current is pulling him under, and because he really doesn't know the right words to use to finish that thought, which is so stupid, so completely unforgiveable, really, but-
"I know," Ianto says again, and then, softer, "Me, too," as he presses a firm kiss to Jack's lips.
The cigarette resting in the ashtray billows smoke for a moment before it puts itself out, some mechanism designed to keep houses from burning to the ground. It gives off a last huff, a brief flash, and ceases to burn.
They don't notice, though, or if they do, they don't care. The feel of Ianto's lips against his own sends Jack reeling with a desire that transcends taking him to bed (although there is that, too; there is always that).
He cups Ianto's cheek and then his hand travels to the back of his head. He won't relinquish those lips, the addition of smoke combining with more familiar flavors; it's like a missing ingredient and it feels strangely perfect.
Leaning Ianto back so that his head lays against the armrest doesn't take much effort and, though their legs are at awkward angles, it's comfortable to be just like this, slotted together. It's far less domineering than it is protective and for once neither of them attempt to assert control. They kiss softly, languidly, as though they have all of the time in the world. As if there wasn't the risk that Ianto might never see next week or that Jack wouldn't get called away tomorrow for months. They kiss as though they lead completely ordinary, normal lives.
A breeze blows through the room and the cigarette rolls a little to the left, then back again. Ianto's hands cup the sides of Jack's face, grounding him, as their lips slide together.
Jack's body feels light. Even all tangled up with Ianto's ankles and elbows, with his shoulder wedged into the corner of the couch like this, he feels almost weightless, and if he's not careful, he thinks he might actually laugh, right into Ianto's mouth, right into this kiss, just at the sheer impossibility of it all. That someone can still make him this happy to be in his own skin, that even for a moment, he could feel so unburdened, despite the fact that he knows all those things are still there, all the things that will ruin this, someday... He knows that they haven't gone anywhere, but right now it doesn't matter.
The strange weight of their conversation before, Ianto's lips pursed tight around cigarette after cigarette, blue-grey strands of smoke curling up and out of the open window. It all fades away, blends into this moment, this kiss.
He doesn't deepen the kiss, doesn't have to, because Ianto is right there, and his lips clearly aren't going anywhere. Just for a second, Jack allows himself to think back... Past decades and decades of memories, before Torchwood, and the Doctor, before any of this. To a time when life got shorter every day, not longer.
It's a sort of innocence, a sort of blind trust, he supposes, to be able to lose yourself in something so completely. To allow something like this, even for a moment, to be the most important thing.
There's a certain clarity in it too, Jack thinks, remembering a first kiss, several lifetimes ago, rain streaming down his face, huge wet beads of water-the storm had caught them by surprise. He still remembers her smile. The remarkable, unfamiliar softness of her lips.
Ianto shifts under him, and the memory is gone in a flash. There's a brief break in contact, as Ianto moves a shoulder, a knee, before their lips slide together again.
He doesn't feel the cold, hasn't for a while, and Jack is fairly certain that Ianto doesn't either. A naked foot tangles with his own, shod in thick, solid leather, and he actually does laugh. It's a soft chuckle, sweet and affectionate, but Ianto still pulls back slightly, a playful frown on his face.
Jack grins at him, genuinely pleased with…everything.
"I remember a time when you weren't so forward," he announces, a touch of nostalgia in his voice.
Ianto snorts derisively, but his eyes gleam. "And I remember a time you weren't so sappy." He stretches his neck slightly, as much as Jack's proximity will let him. "And if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather not have to explain to Owen why I have a sudden stiff neck. You know how he gets."
With a nod, Jack shifts over and sits up, right on Ianto's legs.
"That's helpful," he mutters sarcastically, and Jack laughs.
And maybe it isn't quite how he had expected (or even wanted) the evening to go, but it would be a lie to claim that he isn't pleasantly surprised and happier for it. If that doesn't sum up his relationship with Ianto, he has no idea what does. He freezes suddenly, a strange portrait of distant eyes and smiling lips, as the realization hits him.
"What is it?"
The low voice, full of concern, and perhaps a good dose of apprehension, interrupts his thoughts and he turns, startled, to the source.
Jack leans forward a little, presumably to place a placating kiss somewhere in the vicinity of Ianto's face, and he's greeted by Ianto's finger instead, raised in front of him in protest.
"I'll take what's on your mind this time, instead, okay?" Ianto says, and his voice is light, but his eyes are still dark with apprehension. Jack knows that look well, and for once, he thinks maybe he'll just tell Ianto the truth.
Jack's heart does a quick jump as he takes Ianto's hand in his, ignoring Ianto's eyes as they widen a little in surprise.
"Honestly? I was thinking about how happy I am when I'm here with you," Jack says lightly, surprised by how easily the words roll off his tongue.
Ianto looks a little shocked at first, but quickly schools his face into a smirk. "I see the new, sappy Jack Harkness hasn't left yet."
"Nope," is all Jack says, and even though there are about a hundred other things he could - should - say, instead he just stares at Ianto, at the features of his face, the curve of his cheekbones, the shape of his eyes, and turns his palm over in his hand, feeling the hair on his arms rush up to attention. "Not yet."
"Good," Ianto says quickly, before his free hand comes up to wrap around Jack's chin, and to Jack's startled look of confusion, he just says, softly, "Because I don't think I want him to."
His face is so close that his warm breath falls against Jack's chin and lips, just a hint of the cigarettes lying forgotten on the table lingering in the space between them.
His eyes are open, not hiding a thing, as he presses his lips to Jack's. It's just a quick press of contact; Ianto pulls away before Jack manages to part his lips, even.
Jack just stares at him, waiting. Wondering, as always, what's coming next.
Ianto shifts his legs under him a little, and Jack shivers.
"Stay," Ianto says, leaning in close, and the words seem to float off his lips, lingering between them for a moment.
Jack doesn't say anything, just nods, his eyes never leaving Ianto's face as he twists his legs around for a second so that he can wrench off his boots and socks, dropping everything to the floor in front of the couch with a satisfying smack of leather against wood.
"That's better," he says, and tucks his feet up and under Ianto's thighs.
He leans his head back against the couch and flashes Ianto an indulgent smile. When he sees a mirror image of that smile reflected on Ianto's face, he feels a rush of warmth wash over him, despite the draft from the still-open window behind them.
"Now, where were we?" he asks, though he's pretty sure he already knows.


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Yes, You
Time to get creative with student assignments.
With Tackk you can have your students interpret and analyze the meanings of images, evaluate images, use images effectively, determine the nature and extent of the visual materials needed. In other words you will help to develop your students' visual literacy, a real need in today's visual, digital world.
Sign up for CeTEAL's 3 in 30 Visual Literacy and explore the possibilities for your students. http://www.coastal.edu/ceteal/

subset: commoncrawl


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Comic Superheroes Artwork: Superman
- November 7, 2011
- Inspiration
- 5
Probably one of the facinating and well-known superheroes around the world is Superman. The iconic red "S" on a yellow background from his chest can't be easily forgotten. I've searched the web and created this huge collection of Superman's images.
The story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent. He become a jurnalist for Daily Planet and had an affair with Lois Lane. His greatest enemy Lex Luthor.
Below will see some amazing artworks that represent this iconic superhero. If you'd like to see the artist behind the artwork just click the image. And don't forget than on the summer 2013 a new movie, The Man of Steel, will appear. Stay tuned!
You may also like the following comics artwork inspiration articles:
Comic Superheroes Artwork: Superman
Did I missed a great Superman artwork? Please share with us in the comments below.


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Leisure and business travellers will find the modest accommodation at this hotel well-suited to their needs, providing comfort and convenience. A lobby, air conditioning, hotel safe, currency exchange facility, shopping arcade, restaurant, conference facilities and room and laundry services all feature. Additionally, parking facilities are available to guests arriving by car.
Strategically located in the heart of Manila, the hotel is in close proximity to all things exciting. The hotel is a daily witness to Manila's gorgeous sunsets. It also offers easy access to the hottest nightlife spots in the city. Malate and Ermita are a short distance away. Robinson Shopping Centre, the World Trade Centre and the Philippine International Convention Centre can also be found in the vicinity. Ninoy Aquino International Airport is just 12 km away.
The hotel offers its guests warm, comfortable rooms, each spacious and accommodating with a dining area and kitchenette. The superior and deluxe guest rooms, as well as the executive, corporate and family suites, all come with the basic amenities and features needed for guests to feel truly at home. An en suite bathroom, hairdryer, direct dial telephone, satellite/cable TV, minibar, individually regulated air conditioning and a safe all come as standard.
The hotel offers a gym centre, an outdoor swimming pool, a sauna and a tour desk.
The Old Swiss Inn is a rustic Switzerland-themed restaurant, famous for serving authentic Swiss and European cuisine since the 1940s.
Room Facilities:
Direct dial telephone
Satellite cable TV
Individual airconditioned


text:
Status: Closed
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
University Auto Recyclers of Pensacola Florida has the largest selection of quality used car and truck parts in the Gulf Coast. Our local salvage yards specialize in warrantied late model vehicle parts. We offer the largest computerized auto parts inventory in the Florida panhandle and south Alabama! From front ends to rear ends and everything in between, we have what you need! We have...
One of the largest inventories in the area
Be the first AL.com user to add photos or videos of University Auto Recyclers
University Auto Recyclers can be found at Welka Rd 590. The following is offered: Automotive Manufacturing. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Flomaton there are 1 other Automotive Manufacturing. An overview can be found here.


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Willowbank School visit
FameLab NSW and Australian finals
Article: British Council
Three Minute Thesis University of Sydney finals
The Conversation
Article: City spiders are getting bigger
CrookED science
Visiting scientist for the CrookED science program. I visited Our Lady of Mt Carmel Primary School in 2015 to show the year 1's some spiders and tell them about the interesting things living in their gardens.
CSIRO scientists in Schools program
Visiting scientist for Camdenville Public School and Crown St Public School. Giving presentations to years 1 & 2 and conducting a school biodiversity survey at Crown St Public school.
Other talks
- Australian Plants Society public presentation (2015) "Spiders in cities"
- Year 10 work experience day presentation, Ku-Ring-Gai council (2014) "Life as an Ecologist"
- Research bites presentation, The University of Sydney (2014) "The effects of urbanisation on wildlife"
- Western Australian Apiarists Society Presentation (2010) "Problems facing the Honeybee, Research on Western Australian Bees"


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The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Copyrights
Protect your creations...
This is the only pocket-sized guide to the ever-changing, all-important world of copyrights. Written by attorneys who specialize in the field, this slim volume shows writers, composers, web masters, and other content creators what to do and what not to do in order to protect their work from plagiarism and theft. With sample documents and a helpful Internet and government resource guide, The Pocket Idiot s Guide to Copyrights covers everything from the current copyright laws to the most effective way to file. Complex laws explained in layman s language Complete Internet and government resource guide Sample government filing documents Expert, up-to-date advice from attorneys
Please visit Help Page for Questions
regarding ISBN / ISBN-10 / ISBN10, ISBN-13 / ISBN13, EAN / EAN-13, and Amazon
Home | ISBN Directory | Affiliate
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Copyright © 2003-2014 AllDiscountBooks.net All rights reserved.


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GAO Report Questions COOL Costs Estimated by USDA
WASHINGTON - A report by the General Accounting Office released this week suggests that the USDA's estimates of the cost of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) are "questionable and not well supported."
WASHINGTON - A report by the General Accounting Office released this week suggests that the USDA's estimates of the cost of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) are "questionable and not well supported."
The Food Marketing Institute and National Grocers Association have said the report underestimates the investment such a change would require of the food-distribution industry.
Senators Tom Daschle, D-S.D., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., released the report, saying they will co-sponsor an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that instructs Senate conferees to accept no funding limits on COOL implementation, according to a news release from Enzi.
The House of Representatives passed an ag funding bill in July that prohibited the use of USDA funds for implementing mandatory country of origin labeling.
"We will not stand by waiting for COOL funding to be stripped from the conference report," said Enzi.
"The GAO found an inflated USDA cost estimate that has been used as justification to delay COOL, no documentation from USDA to defend its exaggerated costs, and a host of trade partners who already have a COOL program," said Johnson. "The USDA should change its record-keeping cost estimate and provide the public with balanced and defensible information about the true costs and benefits associated with COOL," he added.
Johnson was the author of the original COOL legislation included in the 2002 farm bill. "Congress passed COOL and the President signed it into law," Johnson said. "The USDA should stop dragging their feet, follow congressional intent and implement this law."
Johnson and Daschle requested the GAO study last year. USDA has claimed COOL will cost $1.9 billion to implement. The GAO found "USDA used assumptions that are questionable and not well supported in developing its $1.9 billion estimate."


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David Finkelstein Sarasota
Sarasota Attorney with Diverse Experience
About David Finkelstein Sarasota
As an attorney in Sarasota, Florida, David Finkelstein dedicates his career to serving the varied needs of his community. He maintains a diverse clientele, including small businesses and individuals, which he represents in such matters as tax litigation, international trusts, and immigration for business owners. David Finkelstein comes to his Sarasota practice backed by experience as counsel to such high-profile clients as Bank of America, then known as NationsBank, and Blaine Trump of the famed Trump family.
David Finkelstein represented these clients as an attorney with Florida's Holland & Knight law firm, where he collaborated with his mentor Warren Goodrich. He was part of the team led by Mr. Goodrich that secured a remuneration for Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, in recompense for infringment of his patent for the laser. Mr. Finkelstein joined Holland & Knight following service with the Texas firm of Fulbright and Jaworski, then the nation's fourth-largest law firm. He joined this firm after a highly selective clerkship with them while studying toward his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to this law degree, he has earned real estate and certified public accountant (CPA) licenses.


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The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a patriotic think tank which defends all things American.
The roots of the CEI can be traced back all the way to the Founding Fathers, who were the champions of true freedom and... well, you know where this is going. Anyway, the CEI is now the proud sponsor of several other patriotic think tanks, including the Center for Private
Conservatives Conservation and the Cooler Heads Coalition.[3] And Michelle Malkin used to be a proud member of the CEI. God Bless America!
Using the power of Sound Science, the CEI have discovered several patriotic truths:[4]
- Dioxin is good for you!
- Tobacco is good for you!
- Naturally-occurring chemicals are just as dangerous as industrial chemicals!
- Global warming is a myth![5]
- ↑ Steven Poole. 2006. Global warming and friendly gases. Unspeak.
- ↑ Ali. 2008. CEI: Fixing Climate Change Will Cause `Death On A Massive Scale' In The Developing World. Think Progress.
- ↑ Competitive Enterprise Institute. SourceWatch.
- ↑ ibid.
- ↑ Global Warming FAQ by the CEI.


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CUL's Page
Up Next! Yuzuki Yukari
Who else was released the same day as CUL? None other than Yuzuki Yukari, our cute purple bunny VOICEROID/VOCALOID from AHS.
For the model... I found quite a few good ones that I do like.
And before anyone asks, I'm not using Kio Yukari. Because it's a purchase only model. Lucky though, there are some good alternatives to the Kio Yukari. I really like Kuma's Yukari model. :)
Common Negatives
This is going to be a little difficult in coming up/fishing some comments for Yukari. I feel like she's relatively accepted and well-liked. I like her voice, that's for one thing. But something I noticed was that whenever a new VOCALOID comes up, they're sometimes compared to Yukari. And then there's the usual "generic" comment, whenever the new VOCALOID is compared to Yukari too.
- "Generic" Of course, if this wasn't said, then tell me, then I won't use it.
- "Too mature" Would this be one?
- "Copied Miku Append" I miiiiiiight have seen this one somewhere. A bit fuzzy right now though.
- "Who's Yukari?"
DA Contributions
- "What have they done to Twilight Sparkle?!" ... are you serious?
- "A VOCALOID for Bronies?" I'm really, really surprised... - CrystaltheCool
- "Can't understand her"
- "Sounds like everyone else"
- "Choppy"
- "Doesn't sound smooth"- Paradi-Len-Kagamine
- "Too breathy"
- "Can't hold a note"
- "Sounds like a guy"
- "Dress is too short!"
- "Too much purple!" - MissMeikaKuna
- "Too moe"
- "Stole MAYU's plush!"
- "What's with the hoodie?" - LegolasGimli
- "IA wannabe"
- "Luka wannabe"
- "IA's twin"
- "Rabbit VOCALOID? REALLY?"
- "Not another Animaloid..."
- "Gakupo and Luka's love child?"
- "Her voice is weird"
- "I thought she was a VOICEROID?" - RoseXinh
- "Sounds like Luka"
- "Stay away from IA"
- "Sounds like IA"
- "Looks like Luka"
- "Just another V3" (Might Cut)
- "Gasai Yuno!"
- "Doesn't look 18" - Lilykwiat
- "Gakupo is the only purple VOCALOID!"
- "Better off as a VOICEROID"
- "Sounds like GUMI"
- "GUMI wannabe"
- "She stole GUMI's hairstyle" - digorylarynith
Witnesses? Deadline
What have you seen or heard about Yuzuki Yukari? As I said before, I can't really see Yukari be hated or anything... so I couldn't remember some or couldn't think of any that would be used against her?
The deadline MIGHT be July 11th? Give or take. Taking a week break.


text: May is a video game character from the Guilty Gear fighting game series. She is a young, cute, and spunky member of the Jellyfish Air Pirates, and is utterly dedicated to Johnny, the leader of the pirates and the man who raised her after she was orphaned. She entered the first tournament in order to bail Johnny out of prison, and fights in later games for his benefit. She fights with a massive ship's anchor, which she is able to swing with ease. May is Japanese, but she has been kept in the dark about her heritage for her own safety. (In fact, if Justice defeats May in the GGXX arcade mode, Justice will point out that she is disgusted by the fact there are still Japanese people walking the Earth.) May has an irrational fear of bald people and can sense them from a distance.


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Jen's Fried Chicken
READY IN: 45mins
Recipe by Dienia B.
This comes from my daughter in-law's southern heritage because she came from the south. It's very juicy and tasty.
Top Review by jjfarrell1
I absolutely love this recipe!!! Thanks Di!
See Discussion:3 Reviews
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 cut up whole chicken (James prefers legs)
- 4 cups flour
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 1⁄2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- oil (for frying)
Directions See How It's Made
- Mix eggs and milk in small container.
- Mix flour, salt and pepper in large container.
- Roll and press chicken in flour.
- Submerge in egg mixture.
- Repeat in flour.
- Gently add to HOT oil. (will bubble up, so use caution) (Keep oil at a constant temperature. Cook on 5/6 on an electric stove.).
- Cook till brown on first side, flip over and repeat.
- Cook each side for another 10 minutes or so or till done.
- Place on a paper towel lined plate and cover with another paper towel to keep heat inches.


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Question: What is the formula used to determine the number of
What is the formula used to determine the number of units to be produced?
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View Solution:
Answer to relevant QuestionsWhat is the formula used to determine the amount of direct materials to be purchased? How is benchmarking beneficial? Yoder Company manufactures luggage sets. Yoder sells its luggage sets to department stores. Yoder expects to sell 1,500 luggage sets for $ 175 each in January, and 1,750 luggage sets for $ 175 each in February. All sales are ...Yoder has $ 12,500 in cash on hand on January 1. Refer to Short Exercises S22- 3, S22- 9, and S22- 10 for sales, cash receipts, and cash payment information. Assume direct labor costs and manufacturing costs are paid in the ...Refer to the Grippers cash collections from customers budget that you prepared in Short Exercise S22- 17. Now assume that Grippers' sales are collected as follows: 60% in the month of the sale 30% in the month after the ...
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Soy Food Market in the US 2015-2019
|TechNavio (Infiniti Research Ltd.)
|英文 60 Pages
Technavios research analyst predicts the soy market in the US to reach a market value of around USD 17 billion by the end of 2019. The efficient production and bulk transportation of soybeans are the primary drivers of the growth of this market. Moreover, soy is one of the most economically produced grain in the US. Soy protein ingredient is one of the most efficient protein ingredient catering to a variety of food products such as meat, cereals and baked goods.
The rising trend of a fiber rich diet in the US is also expected to contribute to the market growth. The rise in obesity has led to a shift towards healthy snacks in the region. Soy products are a cost effective protein and act as a perfect substitute. Vendors in the market have started developing healthy soy based products. According to a survey by the US Soybean Board, around 75% of the consumers perceive soy food as healthy.
Technavios analysts expect the soy oil segment to dominate the soy market in the US and reach a market value of USD 8 billion by the end of 2019. The rising demand is attributed to the increased use of soybean oil as a vegetable oil. The nutritional benefits of this oil are also one of the main factors for the increasing popularity. It is low in saturated fat and is a primary source of omega three fatty acids and Vitamin E.
The soy market in the US is highly concentrated due to the presence of leading vendors operating in the US market. With the rising competition, manufacturers are developing new protein products to meet the increasing demand for tastier and healthier protein food among the customers. The market is expected to witness intense competition during the forecast period, with several product launches, price wars, mergers and acquisition to be drivers for many key companies.
The leading vendors in the market are -
Other prominent vendors in the market include Blue Diamond Growers, Chilliman, Dean Foods, Eden Foods, EL Burrito, Harvest Innovations, Living Harvest, Panos Brands, Pinnacle, Stremick's Heritage Foods, Scoular, and Tofurky.


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Sebastian Vettel has admitted that he needed to get past Lewis Hamilton on track if he was to have had a chance to challenging for British GP victory.
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Whilst acknowledging that his tardy second pit-stop had played a large part in handing Fernando Alonso the British Grand Prix initiative, Sebastian Vettel also pointed to Lewis Hamilton's spirited defence of second place as a factor in denying him a seventh win of the season.
After qualifying, many were writing off McLaren's chances of being competitive at its home event, but Hamilton, in particular, refused to simply lie down and collect whatever points came his way. Vaulting almost immediately from tenth to fifth, he gradually became more of a factor, passing Alonso on the road in the early stages, and then forcing the three podium finishers to retake him in an effort to move up the order. Only an instruction to monitor his fuel consumption slowed Hamilton in the closing stages, but he still managed to finish fourth after fending off Felipe Massa at the final turn.
"I lost a lot to Fernando behind Lewis," Vettel admitted, "I couldn't get past initially, and it gets more difficult. I lost the front tyres right behind him as I was so close, and it wasn't easy to attack. I had one chance into Copse, but I think, in hindsight, my exit [from Woodcote] was too good.
"I thought it was the only place where I could try something but, on that lap, I think I had too good an exit, got off the corner very well and was too close. I was sitting behind and, in the right kink where the old pit building is, you cannot do anything. I was too close to use my momentum later on, as I had to lift and I don't think there was much left. We don't see the front wing, but it was very close...."
Despite that, Vettel also admitted that Ferrari had been a worthy adversary on a circuit where the Prancing Horse had not been expected to excel.
"You have to accept Ferrari beat us fair and square today," he maintained, "It was not only in this race, as I think there has been a certain trend over the last couple of races. They have been very strong on race day, and generally improving their car, so it shows us we need to keep on working very hard and keep pushing very hard so it is the other way around again."
The German found himself involved in another slice of Silverstone controversy at the very end of the race, as he rebuffed team-mate Mark Webber's advances on second place. The fact that the Australian was being told to hold station added another dimension to their battle, which took place some 17secs behind the fleeing Alonso and was brought on by rapidly fading tyres.
"Once we got [Hamilton] at the [third and final pit-] stop, I had to do a longer stint at the end," the reigning world champion revealed, "Mark was closing in in the last three or four laps, and he was quicker, but we could stay ahead. He was in a similar position with tyres, so it's not as if only I was struggling, but, towards the end, I just tried to get the car to the chequered flag because there was no chance of catching up 15 seconds in 15 laps. I was quite isolated at the end, then I lost quite a lot in the last two laps compared to Mark.
"Obviously, we were racing each other, [and] I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but, from a team point of view, if you have the cars quite isolated in second and third, [when] the first car is away [and] the fourth car is pretty far away as well, there's no point in racing and trying to do something stupid because the points for the team are the same.
"Clearly, you could see he was quicker at that stage but, if I wasn't racing, I would just wave him past. The last thing you want is to do something bad for the team. If it would be the other way round, of course, I would like to overtake Mark at that stage, but there's no point trying to do something stupid, especially from a team point of view, so I don't see why there is a big fuss really.
"I think we were racing - it was not a scheduled 'I move right, you move left, I move left, you move right, I brake here, you brake there'. As Mark said, he stayed flat out and tried to race me, as hard as he could, didn't find his way past. To me, at this stage, it's quite amusing."
The German also shrugged off suggestions that the early weekend controversy over concessions made in the wake of the ban on blown diffusers had had any effect on the result.
"I think it's hard to measure for us, firstly from a data point of view and also from a feeling point of view, because this is a different track compared to the tracks we've been to previously," he noted, "To really find out, you have to test one thing against another, but I think, as Fernando said, it didn't make a massive difference in terms of driving or driving style. I didn't have to change anything, so I don't think the influence was huge."


text: Húlrand (Plateau of Demons, Land of the Balrogs) is a flaming, plateau near Udûn that is home of the deadly Balrogs. Durin's Bane survived by living in the plateau over a thousand years then leaved Mordor into Moria in TA 1309, the year when Angmar was still on the assault to destroy Arnor. Balrogs weren't killed, they survived by escaping to Mordor that way Melkor can save then


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Would like to know any successess detecting a Sonicwall NSA2400 and if so, what settings were used.
18 Replies
Feb 4, 2009 at 7:24 UTC
Computer Age Electronics is an IT service provider.
Here's a link to a SonicWALL article on how to set up SNMP for both standard and enchanced sonicwall OS.
You'll need to logon to your my.sonicwall.com account to view. If you trouble getting to the article, let me know.
In a nutshell, you must enable and configure SNMP, delete device in spiceworks and rescan.
Feb 4, 2009 at 7:37 UTC
Thanks Jeffrey
Will look into it when I get two secs to rub together.
Much appreciated.
Kind regards
Feb 8, 2009 at 10:24 UTC
Thank you for the information. This process works fine for a SonicWall TZ-180 standard OS 18.104.22.168
Feb 10, 2009 at 2:03 UTC
I've performed the steps listed in the document, up to step 3 "Configure the SNMP monitoring software", since this is what Spiceworks is. I've deleted my manually added NSA2400 from Spiceworks, but when I re-scanned Spiceworks did not find it.
Any thoughts?
Feb 11, 2009 at 7:41 UTC
Is your SW finding other SNMP devices?
I had issues until I deleted the SNMP account and recreated it, my own fault as I changed the name of the account but couldn't change the password. That's what happens for changing the Community Name on the fly.
I added a new scan range to SW which consistes of just the one IP address I want to rescan, I simply change the IP when needed. This way I can delete devices and rescan with out it taking a long time. Oh, I also turned off the incremental scan when I was doing this, made a difference too.
Feb 11, 2009 at 11:23 UTC
Thank you Limey! It works!
David, I've just set this up on my NSA2400, here is what you do:
Follow the steps in the above article up to step 3 "Configure the SNMP monitoring software". Do not do step 3.
Note: When you enable SNMP on Sonicwall do not change the community name (it will be public by default. If you do, you'll have to change it in Spiceworks as well. SW will assume it is public by default)
In Spiceworks to to Settings --> Network Scan
Put a check mark in Skip field for your current IP range and then add a new "range" with only the IP of your SonicWALL.
Select None for Windows login and then enter the SSH login info for your SonicWALL. (I hope you are logging into your SonicWALL through SSH. If you do not, you'll need to enable SSH management on your LAN interface to make this work).
Start the scan. It will last <1min and will find your SonicWALL.
Good Luck!
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:01 UTC
Unfortunately I don't know anything about SSH access to my NSA 240... I have it enabled, but how do I determine what the Username/PW is for that to enter in to spiceworks?
Apr 15, 2009 at 4:12 UTC
I found that snmp access worked better than ssh - the ssh settings you want however are the ones you use to log into the sonicwall web interface (or one of the local users on the box)
Using snmp I now have full info with bandwidth out of our NSA240
good luck
Aug 3, 2009 at 8:29 UTC
Finally got my NSA240 in SpiceWorks. Had to actually delete it from SpiceWorks, then rescan. Did the same for my Cisco 1841. Finally getting the network to show right!
Feb 28, 2011 at 12:50 UTC
PROFITS GCV is an IT service provider.
thx, will see if it works on my T-200
Apr 22, 2013 at 9:01 UTC
Worked like a champ for me!
Oct 17, 2014 at 2:53 UTC
Here's a link to a SonicWALL article on how to set up SNMP for both standard and enchanced sonicwall OS.
You'll need to logon to your my.sonicwall.com account to view. If you trouble getting to the article, let me know.
In a nutshell, you must enable and configure SNMP, delete device in spiceworks and rescan.
Unfortunately, our consulting company (who has been around our company/network much longer than I have) has our SonicWALL registered to their account which I don't have access to.
Does anyone happen to have a version of the instructions such that I don't have to log in? Perhaps a more up to date version would be good to (if necessary) since this thread is 5 years old.
Jan 27, 2015 at 1:19 UTC
Jan 28, 2015 at 5:56 UTC
That link is broken for me
Feb 2, 2015 at 12:25 UTC
Link is broken :(
Apr 21, 2015 at 9:52 UTC
Link is broken :(
May 2, 2015 at 1:28 UTC
1st Post
I know this forum is old, but thank you, all of you! It was driving me insane not being able to have all my devices in one place, and now I can finally monitor our NSA 240, following the steps here exactly, and skipping #3 like @AK-47 said!
Dec 7, 2015 at 5:44 UTC
If you are running firmware 5.9 and above, we had some issues with these. This link helped, but we eventually had to add it using the WAN IP (even though the firewall settings were the same as the other routers)
This discussion has been inactive for over a year.
You may get a better answer to your question by starting a new discussion.


text:
Luigi's Mansion: Night of the Shroomsquatch is a Luigi's Mansion game made by ElectricMayhem for the 3DSNES. It is the third Luigi's Mansion game, after Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
Luigi is resting at his home when Mario comes in and tells him something horrible has happened. Luigi steps outside and sees a giant ghost octopus has risen up out of the ground and is destroying the Kingdom. Luigi and Mario must go through and evacuate the kingdom, going through burning buildings and underground tunnels. Afterward, E. Gadd gives Luigi his Poltergust 4000, and Luigi fights the giant octopus. After going through and sucking in the tips of all the tentacles, weakening the ghost, Luigi must jump on top of it and suck in all the tiny Boos floating around it. Finally, Luigi jumps back down to the ground, puts the Poltergust on "Reverse", and begins shooting the Octopus ghost with Boos until it finally dies and fades away. Peach tells Luigi and Mario that there is an infection going on, turning all citizens into flying intangible spirits called "Shroombies". Luigi and Mario set out to find the ancient Shroomsquatch, a giant ape-like creature living in the forest whose magic fur can cure any disease.


text:
Finding the Perfect Ceiling Mounted Light
A standard ceiling light is mounted flush with the ceiling and is distinct from a pendant or chandelier because it is not a hanging light. It also tends to be more affordable than a hanging light and offers more understated designs whilst still coming in a range of aesthetically pleasing options. Ceiling lights are popular in lounges and bedrooms because they offer an even distribution of light that creates a relaxing atmosphere.
Eurolux offers a broad range of ceiling light designs in various sizes, materials and colours. Simply request a quote or contact your nearest Eurolux lighting supplier to purchase one of the lighting options below.


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Boyd Crystal Art Glass co. produced this embossed Pickle Dish. This dish has a hobnail type edge, a Native American embossed on the bottom and "Loves Request Is Pickles" around the edge. It is about 9" long, 5" wide and 1½" deep and in mint condition. The underside of the bottom is signed with a "B" in a diamond with lines, the mark of Boyd Art Glass Company.
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text:
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The University of Pennsylvania women's golf team took fourth out of 17 teams at the Rutgers Invitational, which took place Friday and Saturday at the Rutgers University Golf Course.
Penn shot 321-316--637 which put the Quakersbehind only LIU-Brooklyn (608), host Rutgers (609), and Saint Francis, Pa. (620). The only other Ivy League team in the field, Dartmouth, shot 651 and tied for 13th.
Freshman Michelle Yom was Penn's low scorer on both Friday and Saturday, shooting 75-77--152 overall to finish tied for sixth in a field of 90 golfers. Erin Lo (81-79--160) was second among Penn players, t-26th overall, while Sophia Chen (83-80--163) was third among Penn players and t-41st overall.
Isabella Rahm (85-80--165) scored on Saturday for the Quakers and tied for 49th overall, while Marissa Kay (82-84--166) scored for Penn on Friday and tied for 53rd overall.
Anna Kim (St. John's) and Cristina Felip (LIU-Brooklyn) shared medalist honors, as both shot 2-over-par 144 for the tournament.
Penn will be back in action next Saturday and Sunday at the Princeton Invitational, a 36-hole event.
Download: 3 - Rutgers Invitational.pdf


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Jim Lewis - email@example.com - Western NC - People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plumb full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone. Uncle Dave Macon, old-time country musician
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MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The Brexit vote gives Britain a golden opportunity to forge a new role for itself as the guardian of global free trade, Prime Minister Theresa May's pro-Brexit trade minister said on Thursday.
The future trading terms of the world's fifth largest economy were thrown into question by the June 23 Brexit vote, though May's government has tried to reassure businesses that it will get the right trading deals for Britain.
In a speech to business leaders in the northern English city of Manchester, Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox said Brexit was an opportunity to forge a new free trade consensus "as a newly independent WTO member outside the EU".
"The UK has a golden opportunity to forge a new role for ourselves in the world, one which puts the British people first," said Fox, who is likely to play a key role in Britain's Brexit negotiations.
"This is potentially the beginning of what I might call the post-geography trading world," he said. "We stand on the verge of an unprecedented ability to liberate global trade for the benefit of our whole planet."
But Fox also cautioned that his optimistic picture for a global free trade was being "darkened by the shadows of protectionism and retrenchment" that boded badly for the future.
The trade minister, who favors a so-called 'hard Brexit' or a clean break with the EU and its single market, also said it was in both Britain's and the EU's interests for their post-Brexit trading environment to be at least as free as it is now.
"Protectionism never actually helps anybody at all and as we move into a post-Brexit arena we want it to be as free and as open as possible," he said.
"It is in everybody's interests that as we move forward we have at least as free a trading environment as we have today," he said.
Fox, who was criticized earlier this month for saying Britain has become "too lazy and too fat", said Britain had fallen behind in the global trade race because not enough British businesses export.
He said Britain would seek bespoke multi-lateral and bilateral trade arrangements after Brexit rather than fall back on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Fox said Britain would take part in WTO efforts to reduce red tape across borders, phase out distortive export subsidies, and scrap trillions of dollars' worth of tariffs.
"However, where progress has stalled at the multi-lateral level, the UK must be ready to look to more bespoke plurilateral and bilateral arrangements," he added.
In an interview with The Spectator magazine, Fox said that after Britain, the EU's second largest economy, leaves the bloc, Berlin will lose a key ally in enforcing "economic rigour" and could end up paying for other EU nations.
"If I were a German politician I would be worried that, without Britain, Germany has the potential to become the greatest ATM in global history," he said.
"The architecture is beginning to peel away," Fox said of the EU. "It's going to sacrifice at least one generation of young Europeans on the altar of the single currency, and you can only rip out the social fabric from so much of Europe before it starts imploding."
Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Ralph Boulton; Additional reporting by Costas Pitas, Estelle Shirbon, Michael Holden and Helen Reid in London; editing by


text:
Vector fantasy illustration of a pirate zombie mermaid wearing a arm brace with a hook and spiked ball weapon attached to it (EPS #125035). This royalty-free stock vector clip art image is available for download in a package that includes an EPS vector file and a high-resolution 300-dpi JPEG at 3000x3000 pixels.
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