3 inch mattress topper full size
Giant zucchini
2023.06.07 21:29 PeepShowZootSuits Giant zucchini
I should have known better, but checked on my plant a bit late after seeing the first one growing. It was 14 inches and 3 pounds lol I also took a normal sized one and another is growing. My question is - Will this have put too much strain on the plant with this early fruit growing so big, and will it put out new fruits at a slower rate you think?
submitted by PeepShowZootSuits to Allotment [link] [comments]
2023.06.07 21:27 RetiredSwimmer99 I (24M) am not a huge fan of my first job out of school. When should I look for a new job?
In 2021 I graduated with my BS in Industrial Engineering, and stayed at my college for another year to get a MS in Business Analytics and graduated in Dec 2022. When I was looking for jobs, I was hoping to be doing stuff using Python, R, SQL, Excel, etc. to do work in a Data Analytics related field, as these are the tools & such I had learned/enjoyed through school and internships.
I started my first full time job as a Data Analyst in March of this year, working in a government adjacent entity in Washington DC. I was excited at first, but the excitement is starting to drain. I have not really gotten the chance to use any of the technical skills I learned in school/internships at my first job. Instead I’ve had to dedicate my time to learning these ancient softwares used by the government that I find very difficult and complicated. I know always willing to learn is an important part of any job, but I feel like I was given a “hard reset” in a sense that I was not expecting.
It also doesn’t help that there are almost no other recent grad age employees where I work and my team is not very social, so I have not made any friend-like connections at work. Everyone I work with is friendly but it is not a very social environment.
Also maybe I’m wrong but I do feel a bit under compensated for my field. I understand that government jobs do not pay as much, but I was expecting to start in the $75-$85k range. I currently make $65k. Some of the benefits here are ok, but I still think it would be better at a decent mid-large size private company.
What should I do? I’m only 3 months into my first real job so I don’t think finding a new job immediately is on the cards yet since I haven’t done a whole lot of work yet. I was thinking I would at least stick out this job until the end of the year before starting to look again.
submitted by RetiredSwimmer99 to careerguidance [link] [comments]
I started my first full time job as a Data Analyst in March of this year, working in a government adjacent entity in Washington DC. I was excited at first, but the excitement is starting to drain. I have not really gotten the chance to use any of the technical skills I learned in school/internships at my first job. Instead I’ve had to dedicate my time to learning these ancient softwares used by the government that I find very difficult and complicated. I know always willing to learn is an important part of any job, but I feel like I was given a “hard reset” in a sense that I was not expecting.
It also doesn’t help that there are almost no other recent grad age employees where I work and my team is not very social, so I have not made any friend-like connections at work. Everyone I work with is friendly but it is not a very social environment.
Also maybe I’m wrong but I do feel a bit under compensated for my field. I understand that government jobs do not pay as much, but I was expecting to start in the $75-$85k range. I currently make $65k. Some of the benefits here are ok, but I still think it would be better at a decent mid-large size private company.
What should I do? I’m only 3 months into my first real job so I don’t think finding a new job immediately is on the cards yet since I haven’t done a whole lot of work yet. I was thinking I would at least stick out this job until the end of the year before starting to look again.
2023.06.07 21:24 sheewhirl 6’9” x 37” Leather Pull Out Couch
Couch pulls out to full sized mattress. Comes with comforter, duvet, and sheets. Great condition just can’t get it upstairs! Smoke free pet free home.
Must go ASAP. $250 OBO
Located in DuPont Circle, Washington DC -
Relatively heavy - will need two people to carry, pickup truck with strap system or U-Haul.
Venmo or cash accepted. No Zelle. Payment when picked up.
Dimensions: 6’9” x 37”
https://imgur.com/gallery/fNX38pG
submitted by sheewhirl to DCdump [link] [comments]
Must go ASAP. $250 OBO
Located in DuPont Circle, Washington DC -
Relatively heavy - will need two people to carry, pickup truck with strap system or U-Haul.
Venmo or cash accepted. No Zelle. Payment when picked up.
Dimensions: 6’9” x 37”
https://imgur.com/gallery/fNX38pG
2023.06.07 21:24 Sylver713 Hunger Games : A new Generation (119th Hunger Games, part 2)
Day 1:
Few of the tributes got much sleep that night. The parties all throughout the Capitol did not end until dawn, and the noise could be heard in the accommodation building. Vannery and Carton ate breakfast slowly, like zombies. They were subsequently taken to the holding rooms. Organza wished Carton good luck before accompanying Vannery in her cell. She kept trying to reassure her as she put on her beige shorts and t-shirt. The young girl attached her hair with a purple ribbon that had been provided and climbed into the glass tube. Organza hugged her one last time, feeling her tears soaking her shoulder.
It was Platonia Travers who accompanied Carton. She muttered to herself about the outfit choice for this year. She tried to be cold to the boy, but she accepted to help him tie the purple ribbon to his wrist. He gave her a sad smile : “I probably won’t come back, but it’s nice to know that everyone in the Capitol isn’t heartless.” Platonia stood, mute, as the boy’s platform started to rise. She couldn’t keep the tears in this time.
A few cells over, the atmosphere was as morose. Alexandra had finally deigned to discuss their strategy with Delta. She accepted his plan of staying on the sidelines while he ran to the cornucopia. Still, he looked at her suspiciously and hounded her about working together for the whole breakfast. Halifax gave Delta one last pill to combat the morphling withdrawal, assuring him that the only symptoms he would experience were a mild headache and maybe some stiffness. He subsequently accompanied him to his holding room while Sean Callahan went with Alexandra.
Halifax took advantage of being alone with his mentee : “You shouldn’t trust her. I know these kinds of girls. They look harmless, but they’ll stab you in the back as soon as you let down your guard.”
“But-but…”
“You like her, huh ? Too bad, she doesn’t. So, man up and move on !”
Delta did not know what else to say. He climbed into the glass tube in silence, his brows forming a single black line over his dark eyes.
In the next holding room, another conversation was happening. “You don’t plan on allying with Delta, do you ?” asked Sean Callahan. Alexandra looked away coyly. “ I have other plans… With Angelo, we have an agreement.”
The mentor sighed, but he did not criticize the girl. He just told her to be prudent. You couldn’t trust careers. Alexandra nodded then flinched as the glass tube started descending from the ceiling.
The first thing she noticed as she rose into the arena was the noise. She hadn’t even emerged that she could hear a cacophony of bird songs. It was almost deafening, and she covered her ears before protecting her eyes from the sunlight.
The racket made Delta’s headache intensify. He first looked to his sides ; Hattie (3) cowered on the left while Angelo (2), on the right, was focusing on the cornucopia. This year, it had been made out of a thin weave of golden metal, almost like a very shiny basket. After this zoom on the cornucopia, the cameras started moving around to show off the arena. The tributes stood in the clearing of a dense rainforest. The terrain was relatively flat, with a few creeks and an explosion of colorful flowers. The main attraction of it was the birds, however, as thousands of them fluttered about, sang, and screamed.
As Carton looked around for his allies, Head Gamemaker Vishwa welcomed the tributes and wished the odds to be ever in their favor before starting the 30 seconds countdown. With Borea (5) and the girl from 10 to his sides, he didn’t feel safe. He finally found what he was looking for, but he didn’t like that his allies were so spread out. He made eye contact with Rivage and Vannery but was unable to see Sardine, who stood on the opposite side of the cornucopia.
Vannery caught sight of her district partner, as well as Sardine. She gave them a small wave, but made the mistake of looking to her left, where Perfecto (1) was sneering at her. Georges (N), on the other side, was just as intimidating. Instead, she looked straight ahead. As the countdown reached ten, she spotted a coil of rope on the outside of the cornucopia.
Delta had been pondering, unsure if it was worth entering the bloodbath. Alexandra, who happened to be just two podiums over, winked at him. She then pointed to the cornucopia. He understood. At that moment, the countdown reached zero. He sprinted to the center of the clearing, expecting her to follow, but she stayed on her podium.
On later replays, it was shown that Alexandra was winking at Angelo and not her district partner. As the boy from 2 sprinted forth to the cornucopia, the girl waited for a few seconds. She moved only when most of the other tributes were too occupied and grabbed a knife as well as a small bag of food. Angelo acted like he helped the other career tributes in order to pick up weapons and supplies, but as soon as they were occupied, he joined Alexandra. The pair was actually one of the first to leave the clearing, not counting Circuit (3) and the pair from 10 who had run away immediately.
When Vannery realized that she was running side to side with Perfecto (1), she immediately changed course and ran to Carton. She had to give up on the rope but managed to pick a water bottle off of the corpse of the boy from 9, who had just been stabbed by Glare (9).
If the career pack didn’t notice the disappearance of one of theirs, it wasn’t the case for Delta. When he saw his district partner escape with Angelo, he became enraged. He tried to exit the cornucopia. Fraxen then attacked him to try and steal his backpack. Delta threw him to the ground and punched him so hard it broke his neck. Now he had lost trace of Alexandra. As the fighting started to die down, he ran in a random direction.
Carton had dodged one of Glare’s knives and grabbed a bag of food and an unwieldy lance before Vannery and Rivage joined him. The trio heard Sardine scream from the other side of the cornucopia. Carton wanted to go and help her, but a second gargled wail convinced him that they couldn’t do anything else, especially since Proserpina (2) had now retrieved her axe from Sardine’s chest. As they left, they could hear the crunching of Ora’s neck (12) at the hands of Georges (N).
Meanwhile, Alexandra and Angelo were already far away, giggling at each other. It was only after Perfecto had stabbed Hattie (3) to death that the career pack noticed Angelo’s absence, but they didn’t seem bothered by it.
Delta was halfway to the perimeter when the five bloodbath cannons sounded. He was still seething, and the running helped him calm down. Eventually, he collapsed on the side of and old mossy tree, out of breath. Once he was a little better, he explored his surroundings. The big tree had a hole in his roots where Delta could fit, although it was a squeeze. He decided to stay there for now and used moss to hide himself. He also put some in his ears, which helped with his headache.
Carton, Rivage and Vannery had been running in the opposite direction. They wanted to put the most distance between themselves and the other tributes. They stopped long after the bloodbath cannons had sounded. They set up camp a few hundred feet away from the Northern part of the perimeter, next to a creek. Carton helped Rivage to take inventory. He had the lance, Rivage had gotten a trident, and between the three of them they had enough food to last two days at most. The bottle Vannery had taken was only half full, but the water of the creek was clear and drinkable.
The trio decided to stay put. Vannery and Carton would work on a shelter while Rivage fished for their dinner, as they had agreed to during training. In the early afternoon, they heard hurried footsteps coming their way. The boys readied their weapon, protecting Vannery between the two of us. Circuit (3) came running into their little encampment, which took him by surprise. He skidded to a halt and turned around as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving the trio dumbfounded.
Angelo and Alexandra had quite enough supplies to last a while. He held a sword in his hand and an “emergency axe” strapped to his back, while Alexandra held two knives. At first, they wanted to get away from the careers, but Alexandra eventually convinced Angelo to follow them from afar. They weren’t really hard to track, their bickering could be heard over the constant chatter of the birds. The noise also covered them. Proserpina, Glare and Perfecto were circling around the central clearing, slowly moving away from it. In the late afternoon, they discovered Forger (12) who was lying unconscious. He had received a deep wound during the bloodbath and was now at the mercy of the other tributes. Proserpina killed him.
The subsequent cannon surprised Vannery. She had climbed on top of a tree to get a view of the arena, and the sudden sound almost made her loose her grip. She didn’t fall, but while reaching her hand for a hold, she grabbed something warm and spherical. It crumbled and a viscous liquid dripped onto her finger. She looked up. She had inadvertently grabbed an egg from a nest. She was silent a moment, and a bright purple starling looked at her. “Oh no !” she whispered to herself. The bird screamed louder than she thought possible. Then it attacked.
All the birds in a radius of 50 feet coalesced into a multicolored tornado. Vannery fell to the ground, fortunately not hurting herself on the way down, and a feathery mass started clawing and pecking at her. They also attacked Carton and Rivage, who had been chilling at a distance. They batted the volatiles away, trying not to get scratched. Vannery managed to get up and run to the makeshift tent they had built. She picked up Carton’s lance and swung it, hitting some of the birds. She swung a second time and hit the metallic water bottle with a resounding CLANG! It seemed to stun the birds, but Vannery was too busy keeping them out of her face. Carton, however, noticed their reaction to the noise. He shouted loudly and flailed his arms : “Make noise ! They don’t like noise !”. Just his screaming was enough though. Eventually, the three tributes managed to drive the mutts out by hitting their weapons against rocks and the water bottle and screaming as loud as they could.
Delta also had an encounter with some angry birds. Those were red, with a long curvy beak and fearsome talons, but he managed to kill them all with a big branch he used as a bat. He then ate them, cooked over a small fire. Argus berated him for building a fire that could alert the other tributes to his location. However, the “Aviary Jungle” as it had been baptized by Urania Whimsiwick herself, was way too dense for anyone to see the smoke.
As the sun started to set, Delta squeezed himself back into his root hole, being careful to camouflage himself with moss. He held his branch in front of him just in case. An hour later, two cannons sounded in quick succession. They belonged to the pair from 10, who had had the great idea of making an omelet. The flock did not appreciate that…
When the sun started to set, Angelo suggested he and Alexandra find a place to sleep, preferably away from the career pack. She agreed, so they stopped following. They looked for a safe spot in the light of the dusk, eventually settling on the middle of a tight thicket. It was complicated to get inside, but the small space was comfortable, and the pair even had a view of the darkening sky. They ate some food then laid down, hand in hand. “Your district partner doesn’t seem to mind that you ditched her” joked Alexandra.
“I don’t think she cares. Maybe they believe I’m dead. But they’re not looking for us at least.”
“I think Delta is, though. You should have seen his face when he saw us. I almost feel bad about leading him on.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get rid of him if he isn’t dead yet.”
“I’m sure he’s feeling the same thing”, responded Alexandra before going to sleep. Angelo kept the first watch.
In another section of the arena, Carton took the first watch. He had spent the remaining hours of daylight cleaning his wounds, along with Rivage and Vannery. The two of them slept, hoping to feel better the next day.
A little before midnight, Rivage awoke. He came to sit next to Carton, and the boys talked about their families, their school. Suddenly, a cannon sounded. It belonged to Ulma (7), who had stumbled upon Quinoa’s (9) camp by accident. The younger girl had not hesitated to stab a pointy branch in Ulma’s throat. This cannon prompted Carton to go to sleep, Rivage taking second watch.
At midnight, the hymn of Panem resounded in the arena and the portraits of the 9 fallen appeared in the sky : Hattie (3), Sardine (4), Fraxen and Ulma (7), the boy (9), both (10), Ora and Forger (12). This left 17 tributes after an eventful and interesting day.
Day 2:
Delta didn’t sleep much that night. The uncomfortable position coupled with a strong headache meant that he was up before the sunrise. As the first hints of blue appeared to the east, Delta got up. He needed to occupy his mind. The moss had stuck to his clothes, and he decided to take advantage of it. He caked his face and hands in mud and used it to stick more moss to his clothes. Urania commented that he looked like a green Orang-utang, which prompted laughter in the Capitol. Once he was fully camouflaged, he started roaming the arena. Stealthily at first, but as the sun rose and the birds started their cacophony as well, he allowed himself to move a little faster.
Alexandra and her district partner had spent a restful night. As she awoke, she was surprised to be cuddling with Angelo. Her rousing awakened him, and he turned around to look at her, puzzled. “I guess you’re the little spoon”, she joked. They ate cereal bars in awkward silence. Soon, the voices of the career pack walking in their direction prompted the pair to hide. Proserpina and Perfecto were loudly arguing about someone stealing their water bottles. Unbeknownst to them, it had been Glare who had hidden them in her own bag.
As they moved away from her, Alexandra suggested they follow the trio like the day before. Angelo thought it was a safe strategy as long as they kept their distances. They made their way out of the thorny thicket and followed. A few minutes later, a scream warned them that something was going on. It was Glare (1). She’d walked into a trap laid by Georges the day before and was now hanging upside down from a rope. Perfecto started to help her, but the stolen bottles fell from her bag, along with a few hidden knives and more food. Instead of killing her, as Perfecto wanted to do, Proserpina convinced him to leave her there. She screamed and screamed. Proserpina and Perfecto left her there wiggling. Before Alexandra and Angelo could arrive, the thin rope holding up Glare by the ankle snapped. She fell headfirst on the ground and her cannon sounded. Alexandra winced, but Angelo told her that it was better this way, since you could survive for many hours hanging this way. Then another cannon sounded.
Delta had been unsuccessful for a few hours. He had avoided a couple of poorly made traps and fought off a flock of tiny yellow canaries but had been unable to find another tribute. Eventually, he decided to change tactics. He found a path that clearly looked like it was in use and hid in proximity. His ambush eventually worked. Lavandine (11) walked past him, clutching a meagre stick in her pale hands. She didn’t even notice him getting up and following her, his branch raised. Many viewers thought it looked cartoonish, the tiny girl, followed by a big man with a club, not noticing anything. Glare’s cannon gave him the signal he expected, and he swung at her head. Lavandine flew and crashed into a patch of ferns. Her head was bloody, but she was still alive. Delta walked up to her in order to finish what he had started. The cameras cut to another group of tributes.
For the whole morning, Vannery, Rivage and Carton had been staying put. They foraged, fished, and built rudimentary spears just in case. Vannery climbed trees, very carefully in order not to disturb any more birds, so she could spot any tributes. Eventually she did, a little after midday. The pair from district 5 was heading their way. They were armed.
Vannery transmitted the information to the boys, who debated leaving or fighting. “Let’s fight !” said Vannery. There were 3 of them against 2, and they had weapons. Carton had his lance, Rivage his trident, and her… a spear and a rock would do the trick. So, they waited for what felt like a century. As soon as Borea and Zapp entered their field of vision, they attacked. The pair was surprised, but not enough to let themselves be killed that easily. Borea shouted at Zapp to run while she fended of Rivage’s trident with her sword. She had wrapped metal coil all around her arms, as she had seen on one of the older games. They clashed for an instant, enough time for her to disarm him, and then she ran too. On the way, she threw an egg she’d hidden in her pocket to the group. A flock of angry sparrows was the distraction the pair from 5 needed to escape.
Proserpina and Perfecto seemed to have made up a little and were now actively hunting. Still, they weren’t aware of the couple _ the “double A couple” as they were now called in the Capitol _ following them from afar. They dared not speak, but the looks they shared meant a lot more. They say love makes you blind, and maybe that’s why Alexandra didn’t see the orange and turquoise pheasant she walked on. It screamed and ran away, catching the attention of Proserpina. She turned around and shouted, “I knew it !” before charging at Angelo and her ally. Her first axe hit a tree a few inches above Alexandra’s head. She was hesitant to fight a career, but Angelo had already jumped into the fray and was now battling his district partner. So, she ran at Perfecto, who was lagging behind. He quickly turned around and sprinted when Proserpina’s cannon sounded. Angelo had managed to stab her in the gut. The look of betrayal was still printed on her face as the hovercraft claw took her away.
The pair was unsure if they needed to pursue the boy from 1, as Angelo assured that he was an “ego-inflated wimp” . Instead, they rifled through the bag Proserpina had dropped and decided to rest a little. They could have stayed there longer if it hadn’t been for the fire…
After getting rid of the birds, the trio decided to keep following Zapp and Borea (5) in order to get their supplies. Vannery managed to track them thanks to their footprints and the trail of broken branches. They found them quite quickly. Indeed, the gamemakers had decided to trigger a forest fire in order to move the tributes around a little. This explained why they had seen so many birds flying away. The pair from 5, however, had found themselves cornered on three sides by the flames, and the last side was where Carton and his allies arrived from.
Rivage thrusted his trident straight into Borea’s back, sounding her cannon. Carton’s lance, however, flew past Zapp and into the fiery inferno. The boy from 4 barely had the time to pick up his trident before a tree fell, smashing into the boy from 5 and sounding his cannon. As other trees started to creak and groan, Vannery led the boys back to the creek, where she believed the water would keep them safe.
Delta ran as soon as he smelled smoke. He ended up in a small clearing in the Southern part of the arena. As the grass quickly burned, he jumped into the flames. Many viewers gasped, thinking he had just killed himself, but he just ran a few seconds then stopped. Argus explained that the fire had been controlled in a way that it burned quickly and extinguished itself just as fast. From his spot of scorched earth, Delta was safe for now. From the sky descended a small silver parachute bearing the number 6. It contained a water bottle and some aspirin. Delta was the only one to use this strategy successfully. A few minutes after him, Circuit (3), who was shorter and weaker, tried. He fell face first into the fire and did not get up, his cannon sounding a few moments later.
Angelo and Alexandra were some of the closest to the central clearing, so it was after the three cannons that the fire reached them. They ran. Angelo was practically flying but the fire was catching up to Alexandra. Another tree cracked. It crashed onto the girl, pinning her legs to the ground. Thankfully, it was a much younger tree, and it did not cause her much more damage. For an instant, Alexandra thought the boy from 2 would just keep running. That he would be glad to get rid of yet another opponent. But he turned around. He used his axe as a lever, bending it in the process, to get the girl free. Then he picked her up onto his back and ran again. Angelo was not a very muscular tribute, but he proved to be quite a strong one.
Neither Carton, nor his allies had suffered any injury thanks to Vannery’s quick thinking. The creek was wide enough to protect them from the flames, and they avoided any falling branch. Quinoa (9) had had the same idea. She internally debated reaching the small group, but eventually decided not to. In the late afternoon, it started to rain, revealing that many of the trees and plants of the forest were actually fireproof. It was much sparser now, but the rain cleaned off the soot and, soon enough, the forest was green again.
Rivage, Vannery and Carton huddled together. They stayed that way for the whole evening, until Carton took the first watch while the other two went to sleep.
Delta was almost unharmed too, apart from a few minor burns on his ankles. The aspirin had taken effect, and for once in a long time, he felt totally clear headed. He hoped his district partner had died today.
The fire had changed the landscape quite a lot. What used to be a lush jungle was now less green. The ground was visible in most places, and the humidity levels had gone down. The sky was more visible. It also meant that the traps set by Georges and Odette (N) on the first day were either destroyed or very conspicuous. The boy from 6 avoided them all.
Delta found a pond where he cleaned himself from the soot and the half-charred moss. The fresh water also soothed his burns. He ended up settling close by, between two fallen trees.
Angelo and Alexandra, however, had suffered many burns. Fortunately, as they were setting camp and trying to remove their singed clothes, a silver parachute descended over them. It contained two containers of oil, as well as a blanket and a note from Angelo’s mentors, which he did not show to Alexandra. It would later be revealed that it scolded him for keeping his plan of betraying the career pack secret. The oil was perfumed and designed to almost instantly heal burns. It worked a charm. As the massaging continued, the two tributes started to get more and more steamy. They were intimate that night.
While they were busy, the portraits of the fallen appeared in the sky. The second day of the games had seen the loss of Glare (1), Proserpina (2), Circuit (3), Borea and Zapp (5), and Lavandine (11). This left only 11 tributes for the third day, with better odds now that a few strong tributes were gone.
Day 3:
On the morning of the third day, an announcement was made by Head Gamemaker Vishwa. She informed the tributes that a feast would be held at noon, three hours from now. The 11 surviving boys and girls would find supplies they desperately needed there. She then wished everyone a glorious day and the dampened sound of the birdsongs came back in full force.
The announcement awoke Delta, but he decided not to go to the Feast. He still had food and a source of water nearby, as well as his heavy branch. A real weapon would have been nice, but he didn’t feel safe going to the central clearing. Instead, he decided to just sleep more. He only woke up again when the first cannon sounded.
As for the couple, they were lost in bliss. Their show from the previous night had to be censored, although it was available for those who had enough “connections”. Let’s just say that it was quite memorable, and cemented Angelo and Alexandra’s place as favorites. They got ready after a long cuddling session, grabbing their bags and their weapons and heading to the cornucopia. They arrived with minutes to spare. Actually, they were the last tributes to arrive.
Vannery had been the first on site, scouting for other tributes. Once she had been sure the coast was clear, she had signaled to Rivage and Carton that they could come. They hid in the bushes nearby; this area having been spared from the fires. Little by little, other tributes started to arrive. Kumquat (11) hid behind a tree, Perfecto (1) stood in the open, Odette and Georges (N) huddled together.
As Quinoa (9) and the “Double A couple” finally arrived, the cornucopia started receding into the ground. It reappeared at once, and a bell rang.
Vannery stayed behind. She watched all the tributes run to the center where laid 8 numbered bags, including Carton and Rivage. The fighting raged in the cornucopia. Her allies attacked Alexandra and Angelo, as Kumquat escaped with his bag. Quinoa (9) almost got out, but Perfecto (1) caught her by the ponytail and stabbed her in the throat, sounding her cannon. He then picked up her bag in addition to his.
Alexandra and Angelo fought side to side, covering each other. She scared Odette (N) away, while he pushed back against Rivage. The boy from 4 tried to hit Alexandra again, but her ally caught the trident and almost tore it out of Rivage’s hands. Instead of trying again, he attacked Georges. The trident hit him in the back and sounded his cannon a few seconds later. Angelo took advantage of this distraction to slash at Carton with his sword, causing the boy from 8 to bleed out.
Vannery screamed and ran out of her hiding place, almost colliding with Odette (N) on the way. Rivage grabbed the district 4 and district 8 bags in one hand, and Vannery’s arm in the other, and they ran away together. The young girl cried and struggled to keep up the pace. She wanted to go back, but Carton’s cannon sounded, ruining her hopes.
Angelo and Alexandra were the last tributes to get their bags. One of Perfecto’s knives punctured Alexandra’s. The pair turned back, giving Kumquat (11) enough time to flee. They chased Perfecto into the woods. He was quick, however, and they had a hard time gaining on him.
The following hours were very quiet, boring, even, so Urania and Argus invited a few guests to discuss the bloodbath and the tributes’ different strategies. It was only in the late afternoon that Delta deigned getting up. He was well rested. He ate what remained of his food and started camouflaging himself once again in order to hunt. The tributes were now very spread out, however, and it appeared that Delta was in an area devoid of them. He walked until it got too dark to continue, before letting out a scream of rage. His sudden outburst scared some resting birds. They flew away and hit Kumquat (11) square in the face as he was in the process of climbing up one of the taller trees. The surprise caused him to lose his grip and he fell to his death a few feet away from Delta, his Feast bag laying next to him. Suddenly, Delta laughed and thanked the birds. He emptied the contents of the bag, glad to find some fresh food and water. He settled right there for the night.
Angelo and Alexandra eventually gave up on hunting Perfecto. Every time they thought they heard him; it turned out to be another bird. He was nowhere to be found. The pair settled down near a creek, right where Carton and his allies had camped earlier, in order to clean themselves. It was another spectacle to behold. The couple played in the fresh water, wearing only their underwear, and at one point, Alexandra winked at one of the cameras. This resulted in the appearance of a sponsor gift a few seconds later. She caught it and opened it discreetly once she was dressed again. She checked that Angelo was busy with the campfire before peeking inside. There was a water bottle and a tiny, sheathed stiletto knife, about two inches long. There was also a note that said : “You will only get one chance” – S. She acted nonchalant, thanked her sponsor for the water, and hid the knife in her sock. She took the first watch, jumping when a cannon sounded.
Since they had come back from the Feast, Vannery felt that Rivage was acting strange. He kept pacing and muttering to himself and seemed unhappy even though they had received enough supplies to last five more days in the arena at least. They found another place to sleep, Vannery built a new shelter. As she was about to go to sleep, Rivage approached her, trident in hand. He didn’t speak, so she asked him what he wanted. “I’m sorr-“ he started. Vannery interrupted him : “Behind you !”.
He spun around and threw his trident. It caught Perfecto in the head, sounding his cannon before he had hit the ground. He had been sneaking up behind Rivage with a knife in both hands, but Vannery had a keen eye. Rivage seemed to deflate. He cleaned up his weapon and went to sleep. Vannery tried to ask him what he wanted to tell her, but he didn’t answer. Instead, she took the first watch.
At midnight, five portraits appeared in the sky : Perfecto (1), Carton (8), Quinoa (9), Kumquat (11) and Georges (N). The six remaining tributes were spread out around the arena : Rivage and Vannery to the East, Angelo and Alexandra to the North, Odette (N) in the South and Delta to the West.
Day 4:
The sound of a cannon startled Delta out of his slumber. He was feeling well rested and decided to head to the cornucopia with just his branch and a knife he had taken from Kumquat. With only 5 remaining tributes, he knew that the showdown was about to take place and was about as excited as the viewers in the Capitol for it to happen. On the way, he stumbled upon a suspicious mound of leaves. He almost let it be, until he saw two feet poking out of it. As he bent down to look at it, a sharp pain entered his shoulder blade. By pure reflex, he swung his club backwards, hitting a barefoot Odette (N) in the forehead. She stumbled backwards, clutching her knife, and tripped on a rock. Delta jumped onto her, planting his knee in her stomach, and stabbed her with her own knife. He added it to his “collection”.
The atmosphere between Alexandra and Angelo had been quite tense since they’d woken up. They hadn’t slept so well. When the first cannon sounded, they set out to get to the cornucopia, and by the time the second cannon echoed throughout the arena, they were in position. “We’ll fight together, right ?” asked Alexandra. Angelo nodded solemnly : “Until there’s no one else. I’m so glad I got to meet you.”
“Me too… Too bad one of us will have to die.”
As she said those words, a twig cracked in a nearby bush.
The first cannon had shocked the viewers quite a bit. As Rivage finished his watch, he looked at Vannery, asleep next to him. He murmured “I’m sorry”, so low that it had to be subtitled. Then he plunged his trident in her throat. Before leaving, Rivage let out the longest sigh of relief.
Alexandra climbed onto the cornucopia, hiding herself, a length of rope held tight between her hands. She waited as Rivage entered the clearing. He was focused on Angelo. Delta appeared a few seconds later, on the other side of the cornucopia. He walked under it, oblivious to the girl awaiting him. As Angelo charged Rivage with his sword, Alexandra lowered the rope. Delta let out a choked growl as she pulled. He was much stronger, however. With one labored step, he yanked her off the roof. The rope was still around his neck, but his hands were now around Alexandra’s. Nevertheless, she held on to the rope, using it to hold him at bay. Just before she fell unconscious, she kicked him in the groin. She let out a few coughs, before grabbing the two ends of the rope again and pulling Delta against one of the steel columns of the cornucopia. Delta tried to stab her, but she was behind him, and he was quickly loosing consciousness. With one last brutal pull, the rope crushed his windpipe.
Alexandra watched Angelo dispose of Rivage with one final feint of his sword, and his cannon sounded at the same time as Delta’s.
Silence fell on the clearing. Even the birds had shut up. The couple was breathing heavily. They hugged tight. Something glinted in Alexandra’s hand. She almost reached Angelo’s neck when he gripped her wrist. He smiled, but his eyes were full of sorrow. “I had to try at least !” she half-laughed, half-whimpered. He sat her down and hugged her once again. She told him that he deserved to win. That he was a good man. He took his swords and gently stabbed Alexandra in the heart. She barely cried as he looked into her eyes. A cannon sounded. The last one. Jahani Vishwa announced Angelo Clearfell, of district 2, as the victor of the 119th Hunger Games. He had to be forcefully removed form Alexandra’s corpse in order to be retrieved.
Aftermath:
The games took an immense toll on Angelo, who was unable to speak for more than a month. Even when he had gotten the use of his words back, he fell into a lengthy depression. His interview with Urania Whimsiwick and Argus Brown had to be cut short as soon as they mentioned Alexandra.
After that, he remained alone in his home of the Victor’s village. He received no guests and did not act as a mentor the following years. The other victors of his district described him as “disillusioned” and “a killjoy”. The situation stayed the same until his disappearance two years later.
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Few of the tributes got much sleep that night. The parties all throughout the Capitol did not end until dawn, and the noise could be heard in the accommodation building. Vannery and Carton ate breakfast slowly, like zombies. They were subsequently taken to the holding rooms. Organza wished Carton good luck before accompanying Vannery in her cell. She kept trying to reassure her as she put on her beige shorts and t-shirt. The young girl attached her hair with a purple ribbon that had been provided and climbed into the glass tube. Organza hugged her one last time, feeling her tears soaking her shoulder.
It was Platonia Travers who accompanied Carton. She muttered to herself about the outfit choice for this year. She tried to be cold to the boy, but she accepted to help him tie the purple ribbon to his wrist. He gave her a sad smile : “I probably won’t come back, but it’s nice to know that everyone in the Capitol isn’t heartless.” Platonia stood, mute, as the boy’s platform started to rise. She couldn’t keep the tears in this time.
A few cells over, the atmosphere was as morose. Alexandra had finally deigned to discuss their strategy with Delta. She accepted his plan of staying on the sidelines while he ran to the cornucopia. Still, he looked at her suspiciously and hounded her about working together for the whole breakfast. Halifax gave Delta one last pill to combat the morphling withdrawal, assuring him that the only symptoms he would experience were a mild headache and maybe some stiffness. He subsequently accompanied him to his holding room while Sean Callahan went with Alexandra.
Halifax took advantage of being alone with his mentee : “You shouldn’t trust her. I know these kinds of girls. They look harmless, but they’ll stab you in the back as soon as you let down your guard.”
“But-but…”
“You like her, huh ? Too bad, she doesn’t. So, man up and move on !”
Delta did not know what else to say. He climbed into the glass tube in silence, his brows forming a single black line over his dark eyes.
In the next holding room, another conversation was happening. “You don’t plan on allying with Delta, do you ?” asked Sean Callahan. Alexandra looked away coyly. “ I have other plans… With Angelo, we have an agreement.”
The mentor sighed, but he did not criticize the girl. He just told her to be prudent. You couldn’t trust careers. Alexandra nodded then flinched as the glass tube started descending from the ceiling.
The first thing she noticed as she rose into the arena was the noise. She hadn’t even emerged that she could hear a cacophony of bird songs. It was almost deafening, and she covered her ears before protecting her eyes from the sunlight.
The racket made Delta’s headache intensify. He first looked to his sides ; Hattie (3) cowered on the left while Angelo (2), on the right, was focusing on the cornucopia. This year, it had been made out of a thin weave of golden metal, almost like a very shiny basket. After this zoom on the cornucopia, the cameras started moving around to show off the arena. The tributes stood in the clearing of a dense rainforest. The terrain was relatively flat, with a few creeks and an explosion of colorful flowers. The main attraction of it was the birds, however, as thousands of them fluttered about, sang, and screamed.
As Carton looked around for his allies, Head Gamemaker Vishwa welcomed the tributes and wished the odds to be ever in their favor before starting the 30 seconds countdown. With Borea (5) and the girl from 10 to his sides, he didn’t feel safe. He finally found what he was looking for, but he didn’t like that his allies were so spread out. He made eye contact with Rivage and Vannery but was unable to see Sardine, who stood on the opposite side of the cornucopia.
Vannery caught sight of her district partner, as well as Sardine. She gave them a small wave, but made the mistake of looking to her left, where Perfecto (1) was sneering at her. Georges (N), on the other side, was just as intimidating. Instead, she looked straight ahead. As the countdown reached ten, she spotted a coil of rope on the outside of the cornucopia.
Delta had been pondering, unsure if it was worth entering the bloodbath. Alexandra, who happened to be just two podiums over, winked at him. She then pointed to the cornucopia. He understood. At that moment, the countdown reached zero. He sprinted to the center of the clearing, expecting her to follow, but she stayed on her podium.
On later replays, it was shown that Alexandra was winking at Angelo and not her district partner. As the boy from 2 sprinted forth to the cornucopia, the girl waited for a few seconds. She moved only when most of the other tributes were too occupied and grabbed a knife as well as a small bag of food. Angelo acted like he helped the other career tributes in order to pick up weapons and supplies, but as soon as they were occupied, he joined Alexandra. The pair was actually one of the first to leave the clearing, not counting Circuit (3) and the pair from 10 who had run away immediately.
When Vannery realized that she was running side to side with Perfecto (1), she immediately changed course and ran to Carton. She had to give up on the rope but managed to pick a water bottle off of the corpse of the boy from 9, who had just been stabbed by Glare (9).
If the career pack didn’t notice the disappearance of one of theirs, it wasn’t the case for Delta. When he saw his district partner escape with Angelo, he became enraged. He tried to exit the cornucopia. Fraxen then attacked him to try and steal his backpack. Delta threw him to the ground and punched him so hard it broke his neck. Now he had lost trace of Alexandra. As the fighting started to die down, he ran in a random direction.
Carton had dodged one of Glare’s knives and grabbed a bag of food and an unwieldy lance before Vannery and Rivage joined him. The trio heard Sardine scream from the other side of the cornucopia. Carton wanted to go and help her, but a second gargled wail convinced him that they couldn’t do anything else, especially since Proserpina (2) had now retrieved her axe from Sardine’s chest. As they left, they could hear the crunching of Ora’s neck (12) at the hands of Georges (N).
Meanwhile, Alexandra and Angelo were already far away, giggling at each other. It was only after Perfecto had stabbed Hattie (3) to death that the career pack noticed Angelo’s absence, but they didn’t seem bothered by it.
Delta was halfway to the perimeter when the five bloodbath cannons sounded. He was still seething, and the running helped him calm down. Eventually, he collapsed on the side of and old mossy tree, out of breath. Once he was a little better, he explored his surroundings. The big tree had a hole in his roots where Delta could fit, although it was a squeeze. He decided to stay there for now and used moss to hide himself. He also put some in his ears, which helped with his headache.
Carton, Rivage and Vannery had been running in the opposite direction. They wanted to put the most distance between themselves and the other tributes. They stopped long after the bloodbath cannons had sounded. They set up camp a few hundred feet away from the Northern part of the perimeter, next to a creek. Carton helped Rivage to take inventory. He had the lance, Rivage had gotten a trident, and between the three of them they had enough food to last two days at most. The bottle Vannery had taken was only half full, but the water of the creek was clear and drinkable.
The trio decided to stay put. Vannery and Carton would work on a shelter while Rivage fished for their dinner, as they had agreed to during training. In the early afternoon, they heard hurried footsteps coming their way. The boys readied their weapon, protecting Vannery between the two of us. Circuit (3) came running into their little encampment, which took him by surprise. He skidded to a halt and turned around as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving the trio dumbfounded.
Angelo and Alexandra had quite enough supplies to last a while. He held a sword in his hand and an “emergency axe” strapped to his back, while Alexandra held two knives. At first, they wanted to get away from the careers, but Alexandra eventually convinced Angelo to follow them from afar. They weren’t really hard to track, their bickering could be heard over the constant chatter of the birds. The noise also covered them. Proserpina, Glare and Perfecto were circling around the central clearing, slowly moving away from it. In the late afternoon, they discovered Forger (12) who was lying unconscious. He had received a deep wound during the bloodbath and was now at the mercy of the other tributes. Proserpina killed him.
The subsequent cannon surprised Vannery. She had climbed on top of a tree to get a view of the arena, and the sudden sound almost made her loose her grip. She didn’t fall, but while reaching her hand for a hold, she grabbed something warm and spherical. It crumbled and a viscous liquid dripped onto her finger. She looked up. She had inadvertently grabbed an egg from a nest. She was silent a moment, and a bright purple starling looked at her. “Oh no !” she whispered to herself. The bird screamed louder than she thought possible. Then it attacked.
All the birds in a radius of 50 feet coalesced into a multicolored tornado. Vannery fell to the ground, fortunately not hurting herself on the way down, and a feathery mass started clawing and pecking at her. They also attacked Carton and Rivage, who had been chilling at a distance. They batted the volatiles away, trying not to get scratched. Vannery managed to get up and run to the makeshift tent they had built. She picked up Carton’s lance and swung it, hitting some of the birds. She swung a second time and hit the metallic water bottle with a resounding CLANG! It seemed to stun the birds, but Vannery was too busy keeping them out of her face. Carton, however, noticed their reaction to the noise. He shouted loudly and flailed his arms : “Make noise ! They don’t like noise !”. Just his screaming was enough though. Eventually, the three tributes managed to drive the mutts out by hitting their weapons against rocks and the water bottle and screaming as loud as they could.
Delta also had an encounter with some angry birds. Those were red, with a long curvy beak and fearsome talons, but he managed to kill them all with a big branch he used as a bat. He then ate them, cooked over a small fire. Argus berated him for building a fire that could alert the other tributes to his location. However, the “Aviary Jungle” as it had been baptized by Urania Whimsiwick herself, was way too dense for anyone to see the smoke.
As the sun started to set, Delta squeezed himself back into his root hole, being careful to camouflage himself with moss. He held his branch in front of him just in case. An hour later, two cannons sounded in quick succession. They belonged to the pair from 10, who had had the great idea of making an omelet. The flock did not appreciate that…
When the sun started to set, Angelo suggested he and Alexandra find a place to sleep, preferably away from the career pack. She agreed, so they stopped following. They looked for a safe spot in the light of the dusk, eventually settling on the middle of a tight thicket. It was complicated to get inside, but the small space was comfortable, and the pair even had a view of the darkening sky. They ate some food then laid down, hand in hand. “Your district partner doesn’t seem to mind that you ditched her” joked Alexandra.
“I don’t think she cares. Maybe they believe I’m dead. But they’re not looking for us at least.”
“I think Delta is, though. You should have seen his face when he saw us. I almost feel bad about leading him on.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get rid of him if he isn’t dead yet.”
“I’m sure he’s feeling the same thing”, responded Alexandra before going to sleep. Angelo kept the first watch.
In another section of the arena, Carton took the first watch. He had spent the remaining hours of daylight cleaning his wounds, along with Rivage and Vannery. The two of them slept, hoping to feel better the next day.
A little before midnight, Rivage awoke. He came to sit next to Carton, and the boys talked about their families, their school. Suddenly, a cannon sounded. It belonged to Ulma (7), who had stumbled upon Quinoa’s (9) camp by accident. The younger girl had not hesitated to stab a pointy branch in Ulma’s throat. This cannon prompted Carton to go to sleep, Rivage taking second watch.
At midnight, the hymn of Panem resounded in the arena and the portraits of the 9 fallen appeared in the sky : Hattie (3), Sardine (4), Fraxen and Ulma (7), the boy (9), both (10), Ora and Forger (12). This left 17 tributes after an eventful and interesting day.
Day 2:
Delta didn’t sleep much that night. The uncomfortable position coupled with a strong headache meant that he was up before the sunrise. As the first hints of blue appeared to the east, Delta got up. He needed to occupy his mind. The moss had stuck to his clothes, and he decided to take advantage of it. He caked his face and hands in mud and used it to stick more moss to his clothes. Urania commented that he looked like a green Orang-utang, which prompted laughter in the Capitol. Once he was fully camouflaged, he started roaming the arena. Stealthily at first, but as the sun rose and the birds started their cacophony as well, he allowed himself to move a little faster.
Alexandra and her district partner had spent a restful night. As she awoke, she was surprised to be cuddling with Angelo. Her rousing awakened him, and he turned around to look at her, puzzled. “I guess you’re the little spoon”, she joked. They ate cereal bars in awkward silence. Soon, the voices of the career pack walking in their direction prompted the pair to hide. Proserpina and Perfecto were loudly arguing about someone stealing their water bottles. Unbeknownst to them, it had been Glare who had hidden them in her own bag.
As they moved away from her, Alexandra suggested they follow the trio like the day before. Angelo thought it was a safe strategy as long as they kept their distances. They made their way out of the thorny thicket and followed. A few minutes later, a scream warned them that something was going on. It was Glare (1). She’d walked into a trap laid by Georges the day before and was now hanging upside down from a rope. Perfecto started to help her, but the stolen bottles fell from her bag, along with a few hidden knives and more food. Instead of killing her, as Perfecto wanted to do, Proserpina convinced him to leave her there. She screamed and screamed. Proserpina and Perfecto left her there wiggling. Before Alexandra and Angelo could arrive, the thin rope holding up Glare by the ankle snapped. She fell headfirst on the ground and her cannon sounded. Alexandra winced, but Angelo told her that it was better this way, since you could survive for many hours hanging this way. Then another cannon sounded.
Delta had been unsuccessful for a few hours. He had avoided a couple of poorly made traps and fought off a flock of tiny yellow canaries but had been unable to find another tribute. Eventually, he decided to change tactics. He found a path that clearly looked like it was in use and hid in proximity. His ambush eventually worked. Lavandine (11) walked past him, clutching a meagre stick in her pale hands. She didn’t even notice him getting up and following her, his branch raised. Many viewers thought it looked cartoonish, the tiny girl, followed by a big man with a club, not noticing anything. Glare’s cannon gave him the signal he expected, and he swung at her head. Lavandine flew and crashed into a patch of ferns. Her head was bloody, but she was still alive. Delta walked up to her in order to finish what he had started. The cameras cut to another group of tributes.
For the whole morning, Vannery, Rivage and Carton had been staying put. They foraged, fished, and built rudimentary spears just in case. Vannery climbed trees, very carefully in order not to disturb any more birds, so she could spot any tributes. Eventually she did, a little after midday. The pair from district 5 was heading their way. They were armed.
Vannery transmitted the information to the boys, who debated leaving or fighting. “Let’s fight !” said Vannery. There were 3 of them against 2, and they had weapons. Carton had his lance, Rivage his trident, and her… a spear and a rock would do the trick. So, they waited for what felt like a century. As soon as Borea and Zapp entered their field of vision, they attacked. The pair was surprised, but not enough to let themselves be killed that easily. Borea shouted at Zapp to run while she fended of Rivage’s trident with her sword. She had wrapped metal coil all around her arms, as she had seen on one of the older games. They clashed for an instant, enough time for her to disarm him, and then she ran too. On the way, she threw an egg she’d hidden in her pocket to the group. A flock of angry sparrows was the distraction the pair from 5 needed to escape.
Proserpina and Perfecto seemed to have made up a little and were now actively hunting. Still, they weren’t aware of the couple _ the “double A couple” as they were now called in the Capitol _ following them from afar. They dared not speak, but the looks they shared meant a lot more. They say love makes you blind, and maybe that’s why Alexandra didn’t see the orange and turquoise pheasant she walked on. It screamed and ran away, catching the attention of Proserpina. She turned around and shouted, “I knew it !” before charging at Angelo and her ally. Her first axe hit a tree a few inches above Alexandra’s head. She was hesitant to fight a career, but Angelo had already jumped into the fray and was now battling his district partner. So, she ran at Perfecto, who was lagging behind. He quickly turned around and sprinted when Proserpina’s cannon sounded. Angelo had managed to stab her in the gut. The look of betrayal was still printed on her face as the hovercraft claw took her away.
The pair was unsure if they needed to pursue the boy from 1, as Angelo assured that he was an “ego-inflated wimp” . Instead, they rifled through the bag Proserpina had dropped and decided to rest a little. They could have stayed there longer if it hadn’t been for the fire…
After getting rid of the birds, the trio decided to keep following Zapp and Borea (5) in order to get their supplies. Vannery managed to track them thanks to their footprints and the trail of broken branches. They found them quite quickly. Indeed, the gamemakers had decided to trigger a forest fire in order to move the tributes around a little. This explained why they had seen so many birds flying away. The pair from 5, however, had found themselves cornered on three sides by the flames, and the last side was where Carton and his allies arrived from.
Rivage thrusted his trident straight into Borea’s back, sounding her cannon. Carton’s lance, however, flew past Zapp and into the fiery inferno. The boy from 4 barely had the time to pick up his trident before a tree fell, smashing into the boy from 5 and sounding his cannon. As other trees started to creak and groan, Vannery led the boys back to the creek, where she believed the water would keep them safe.
Delta ran as soon as he smelled smoke. He ended up in a small clearing in the Southern part of the arena. As the grass quickly burned, he jumped into the flames. Many viewers gasped, thinking he had just killed himself, but he just ran a few seconds then stopped. Argus explained that the fire had been controlled in a way that it burned quickly and extinguished itself just as fast. From his spot of scorched earth, Delta was safe for now. From the sky descended a small silver parachute bearing the number 6. It contained a water bottle and some aspirin. Delta was the only one to use this strategy successfully. A few minutes after him, Circuit (3), who was shorter and weaker, tried. He fell face first into the fire and did not get up, his cannon sounding a few moments later.
Angelo and Alexandra were some of the closest to the central clearing, so it was after the three cannons that the fire reached them. They ran. Angelo was practically flying but the fire was catching up to Alexandra. Another tree cracked. It crashed onto the girl, pinning her legs to the ground. Thankfully, it was a much younger tree, and it did not cause her much more damage. For an instant, Alexandra thought the boy from 2 would just keep running. That he would be glad to get rid of yet another opponent. But he turned around. He used his axe as a lever, bending it in the process, to get the girl free. Then he picked her up onto his back and ran again. Angelo was not a very muscular tribute, but he proved to be quite a strong one.
Neither Carton, nor his allies had suffered any injury thanks to Vannery’s quick thinking. The creek was wide enough to protect them from the flames, and they avoided any falling branch. Quinoa (9) had had the same idea. She internally debated reaching the small group, but eventually decided not to. In the late afternoon, it started to rain, revealing that many of the trees and plants of the forest were actually fireproof. It was much sparser now, but the rain cleaned off the soot and, soon enough, the forest was green again.
Rivage, Vannery and Carton huddled together. They stayed that way for the whole evening, until Carton took the first watch while the other two went to sleep.
Delta was almost unharmed too, apart from a few minor burns on his ankles. The aspirin had taken effect, and for once in a long time, he felt totally clear headed. He hoped his district partner had died today.
The fire had changed the landscape quite a lot. What used to be a lush jungle was now less green. The ground was visible in most places, and the humidity levels had gone down. The sky was more visible. It also meant that the traps set by Georges and Odette (N) on the first day were either destroyed or very conspicuous. The boy from 6 avoided them all.
Delta found a pond where he cleaned himself from the soot and the half-charred moss. The fresh water also soothed his burns. He ended up settling close by, between two fallen trees.
Angelo and Alexandra, however, had suffered many burns. Fortunately, as they were setting camp and trying to remove their singed clothes, a silver parachute descended over them. It contained two containers of oil, as well as a blanket and a note from Angelo’s mentors, which he did not show to Alexandra. It would later be revealed that it scolded him for keeping his plan of betraying the career pack secret. The oil was perfumed and designed to almost instantly heal burns. It worked a charm. As the massaging continued, the two tributes started to get more and more steamy. They were intimate that night.
While they were busy, the portraits of the fallen appeared in the sky. The second day of the games had seen the loss of Glare (1), Proserpina (2), Circuit (3), Borea and Zapp (5), and Lavandine (11). This left only 11 tributes for the third day, with better odds now that a few strong tributes were gone.
Day 3:
On the morning of the third day, an announcement was made by Head Gamemaker Vishwa. She informed the tributes that a feast would be held at noon, three hours from now. The 11 surviving boys and girls would find supplies they desperately needed there. She then wished everyone a glorious day and the dampened sound of the birdsongs came back in full force.
The announcement awoke Delta, but he decided not to go to the Feast. He still had food and a source of water nearby, as well as his heavy branch. A real weapon would have been nice, but he didn’t feel safe going to the central clearing. Instead, he decided to just sleep more. He only woke up again when the first cannon sounded.
As for the couple, they were lost in bliss. Their show from the previous night had to be censored, although it was available for those who had enough “connections”. Let’s just say that it was quite memorable, and cemented Angelo and Alexandra’s place as favorites. They got ready after a long cuddling session, grabbing their bags and their weapons and heading to the cornucopia. They arrived with minutes to spare. Actually, they were the last tributes to arrive.
Vannery had been the first on site, scouting for other tributes. Once she had been sure the coast was clear, she had signaled to Rivage and Carton that they could come. They hid in the bushes nearby; this area having been spared from the fires. Little by little, other tributes started to arrive. Kumquat (11) hid behind a tree, Perfecto (1) stood in the open, Odette and Georges (N) huddled together.
As Quinoa (9) and the “Double A couple” finally arrived, the cornucopia started receding into the ground. It reappeared at once, and a bell rang.
Vannery stayed behind. She watched all the tributes run to the center where laid 8 numbered bags, including Carton and Rivage. The fighting raged in the cornucopia. Her allies attacked Alexandra and Angelo, as Kumquat escaped with his bag. Quinoa (9) almost got out, but Perfecto (1) caught her by the ponytail and stabbed her in the throat, sounding her cannon. He then picked up her bag in addition to his.
Alexandra and Angelo fought side to side, covering each other. She scared Odette (N) away, while he pushed back against Rivage. The boy from 4 tried to hit Alexandra again, but her ally caught the trident and almost tore it out of Rivage’s hands. Instead of trying again, he attacked Georges. The trident hit him in the back and sounded his cannon a few seconds later. Angelo took advantage of this distraction to slash at Carton with his sword, causing the boy from 8 to bleed out.
Vannery screamed and ran out of her hiding place, almost colliding with Odette (N) on the way. Rivage grabbed the district 4 and district 8 bags in one hand, and Vannery’s arm in the other, and they ran away together. The young girl cried and struggled to keep up the pace. She wanted to go back, but Carton’s cannon sounded, ruining her hopes.
Angelo and Alexandra were the last tributes to get their bags. One of Perfecto’s knives punctured Alexandra’s. The pair turned back, giving Kumquat (11) enough time to flee. They chased Perfecto into the woods. He was quick, however, and they had a hard time gaining on him.
The following hours were very quiet, boring, even, so Urania and Argus invited a few guests to discuss the bloodbath and the tributes’ different strategies. It was only in the late afternoon that Delta deigned getting up. He was well rested. He ate what remained of his food and started camouflaging himself once again in order to hunt. The tributes were now very spread out, however, and it appeared that Delta was in an area devoid of them. He walked until it got too dark to continue, before letting out a scream of rage. His sudden outburst scared some resting birds. They flew away and hit Kumquat (11) square in the face as he was in the process of climbing up one of the taller trees. The surprise caused him to lose his grip and he fell to his death a few feet away from Delta, his Feast bag laying next to him. Suddenly, Delta laughed and thanked the birds. He emptied the contents of the bag, glad to find some fresh food and water. He settled right there for the night.
Angelo and Alexandra eventually gave up on hunting Perfecto. Every time they thought they heard him; it turned out to be another bird. He was nowhere to be found. The pair settled down near a creek, right where Carton and his allies had camped earlier, in order to clean themselves. It was another spectacle to behold. The couple played in the fresh water, wearing only their underwear, and at one point, Alexandra winked at one of the cameras. This resulted in the appearance of a sponsor gift a few seconds later. She caught it and opened it discreetly once she was dressed again. She checked that Angelo was busy with the campfire before peeking inside. There was a water bottle and a tiny, sheathed stiletto knife, about two inches long. There was also a note that said : “You will only get one chance” – S. She acted nonchalant, thanked her sponsor for the water, and hid the knife in her sock. She took the first watch, jumping when a cannon sounded.
Since they had come back from the Feast, Vannery felt that Rivage was acting strange. He kept pacing and muttering to himself and seemed unhappy even though they had received enough supplies to last five more days in the arena at least. They found another place to sleep, Vannery built a new shelter. As she was about to go to sleep, Rivage approached her, trident in hand. He didn’t speak, so she asked him what he wanted. “I’m sorr-“ he started. Vannery interrupted him : “Behind you !”.
He spun around and threw his trident. It caught Perfecto in the head, sounding his cannon before he had hit the ground. He had been sneaking up behind Rivage with a knife in both hands, but Vannery had a keen eye. Rivage seemed to deflate. He cleaned up his weapon and went to sleep. Vannery tried to ask him what he wanted to tell her, but he didn’t answer. Instead, she took the first watch.
At midnight, five portraits appeared in the sky : Perfecto (1), Carton (8), Quinoa (9), Kumquat (11) and Georges (N). The six remaining tributes were spread out around the arena : Rivage and Vannery to the East, Angelo and Alexandra to the North, Odette (N) in the South and Delta to the West.
Day 4:
The sound of a cannon startled Delta out of his slumber. He was feeling well rested and decided to head to the cornucopia with just his branch and a knife he had taken from Kumquat. With only 5 remaining tributes, he knew that the showdown was about to take place and was about as excited as the viewers in the Capitol for it to happen. On the way, he stumbled upon a suspicious mound of leaves. He almost let it be, until he saw two feet poking out of it. As he bent down to look at it, a sharp pain entered his shoulder blade. By pure reflex, he swung his club backwards, hitting a barefoot Odette (N) in the forehead. She stumbled backwards, clutching her knife, and tripped on a rock. Delta jumped onto her, planting his knee in her stomach, and stabbed her with her own knife. He added it to his “collection”.
The atmosphere between Alexandra and Angelo had been quite tense since they’d woken up. They hadn’t slept so well. When the first cannon sounded, they set out to get to the cornucopia, and by the time the second cannon echoed throughout the arena, they were in position. “We’ll fight together, right ?” asked Alexandra. Angelo nodded solemnly : “Until there’s no one else. I’m so glad I got to meet you.”
“Me too… Too bad one of us will have to die.”
As she said those words, a twig cracked in a nearby bush.
The first cannon had shocked the viewers quite a bit. As Rivage finished his watch, he looked at Vannery, asleep next to him. He murmured “I’m sorry”, so low that it had to be subtitled. Then he plunged his trident in her throat. Before leaving, Rivage let out the longest sigh of relief.
Alexandra climbed onto the cornucopia, hiding herself, a length of rope held tight between her hands. She waited as Rivage entered the clearing. He was focused on Angelo. Delta appeared a few seconds later, on the other side of the cornucopia. He walked under it, oblivious to the girl awaiting him. As Angelo charged Rivage with his sword, Alexandra lowered the rope. Delta let out a choked growl as she pulled. He was much stronger, however. With one labored step, he yanked her off the roof. The rope was still around his neck, but his hands were now around Alexandra’s. Nevertheless, she held on to the rope, using it to hold him at bay. Just before she fell unconscious, she kicked him in the groin. She let out a few coughs, before grabbing the two ends of the rope again and pulling Delta against one of the steel columns of the cornucopia. Delta tried to stab her, but she was behind him, and he was quickly loosing consciousness. With one last brutal pull, the rope crushed his windpipe.
Alexandra watched Angelo dispose of Rivage with one final feint of his sword, and his cannon sounded at the same time as Delta’s.
Silence fell on the clearing. Even the birds had shut up. The couple was breathing heavily. They hugged tight. Something glinted in Alexandra’s hand. She almost reached Angelo’s neck when he gripped her wrist. He smiled, but his eyes were full of sorrow. “I had to try at least !” she half-laughed, half-whimpered. He sat her down and hugged her once again. She told him that he deserved to win. That he was a good man. He took his swords and gently stabbed Alexandra in the heart. She barely cried as he looked into her eyes. A cannon sounded. The last one. Jahani Vishwa announced Angelo Clearfell, of district 2, as the victor of the 119th Hunger Games. He had to be forcefully removed form Alexandra’s corpse in order to be retrieved.
Aftermath:
The games took an immense toll on Angelo, who was unable to speak for more than a month. Even when he had gotten the use of his words back, he fell into a lengthy depression. His interview with Urania Whimsiwick and Argus Brown had to be cut short as soon as they mentioned Alexandra.
After that, he remained alone in his home of the Victor’s village. He received no guests and did not act as a mentor the following years. The other victors of his district described him as “disillusioned” and “a killjoy”. The situation stayed the same until his disappearance two years later.
2023.06.07 21:22 RetroSharka Breep-Breep! The amount of hype radiating from this magazine and demo disc is off the charts.
 | submitted by RetroSharka to psx [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 21:16 DouglasCole I Died in Felltower ... here's the next victim
https://gamingballistic.com/2023/06/07/a-worthy-knight-felltower-character-build/
My character died in Felltower...so here's a replacement.
Opinions on yes/no are my own, but phrased as objective statements because I was feeling cheeky.
I’m looking to hit stuff really hard in the face.
After out colossal frack-up and TPK with Felltower, we’re gearing up for a “felltower adjacent” game, and while many of my brethren are looking at clerics, wizards, and maybe even a martial artist … again, I’mma gonna hit stuff hard in the face.
So, I’m going to avoid the Holy Warrior route I took last time. Good character, but I feel like we need someone who does tremendous damage. “One shot, one kill” sort of output.
On the other hand, I do love me some shields. So let’s look at the options.
I wound up starting with the 187 point Master Strong DelveKnight, throwing on half-ogre, and going to town from there, as it were.
So: Thor Hálfskepna (half-beast, which also translates to demigod in Icelandic, so…)
Someone steps into Reach 2, they’re looking at 3d+8 cut or 2d+5 imp; that imp attack could easily be vitals giving up to 36 injury. On a cleave, it’s more like 27 injury, which ought to make an impression.
At Reach 1 I lose the imp, but retain the cut. If I fast-draw my long knife (14), I still have a 3d cut swing attack … hmm. That may need the Weapon Master bonus, but I think strict rules say no (it’s Shortsword not Broadsword). Still, 3d cut is as hard as a regular joe hits at ST 15 with an axe (2d+3)…
And I can keep that 3d in close combat.
His defenses are good: Block-15, or 16 with a retreat against missiles or big stuff. Parry 14 core, +2 for shield, +1 with a retreat, for Parry-17 if I’m willing to fade. Weapon Master (Knightly) definitely lowers my repeated Parry penalty to -2; since Shield is included in Knightly weapons, if Vic allows multiple blocks, it’s -3 each for that, which could be important.
Also, his DR isn’t bad (6/4 on the body, 8 on the head, and 3 elsewhere except for DR 1 on the eyes), and in combat he’s at None for encumbrance, so while his Step is still 1, his Move is 7. Finally I’m quick. A respectable Dodge 11 also.
So Thor here is formidable. Don’t ask him to calculate the tip at dinner, though.
submitted by DouglasCole to gurps [link] [comments]
My character died in Felltower...so here's a replacement.
Opinions on yes/no are my own, but phrased as objective statements because I was feeling cheeky.
A Worthy Knight (Felltower Character Build)
When I sit down to use precious time to play an RPG rather than stress out over my RPG business, I am not looking to drag in a stack of rulebooks and play a complicated character.I’m looking to hit stuff really hard in the face.
After out colossal frack-up and TPK with Felltower, we’re gearing up for a “felltower adjacent” game, and while many of my brethren are looking at clerics, wizards, and maybe even a martial artist … again, I’mma gonna hit stuff hard in the face.
So, I’m going to avoid the Holy Warrior route I took last time. Good character, but I feel like we need someone who does tremendous damage. “One shot, one kill” sort of output.
On the other hand, I do love me some shields. So let’s look at the options.
Shield-and…
If we’re looking at a one-handed weapon, let’s see the options.- Mace has the best boost to swing damage (and what else is there, really?) but cutting is really the answer to almost every problem here.
- Axe/Throwing Axe is sw+2, which cutting effectively makes (1.5×sw)+3. So the old shield-and-axe guy isn’t too bad. If I can dump enough into ST to get (striking) ST 17, with Weapon Master we’re looking at a constant damage output of 3d+1+6, for 3d+7 cut. I can also throw the thing; or I can festoon myself with hatchets and “only” do swing, but it’s 3d-1 cut out to -6 penalty, which is respectable. So axe is an old fave for a reason. Dwarven is +4; Fine is +9 CF; so x14 cost on a $50 weapon is $700, which means I will need a bit of points-for-cash, but that’s what knights do.
- Ah, a longsword in one hand. Interesting. VERY expensive, though. I don’t have to worry about the Parry score, but Reach 2 with thrust isn’t bad.
- Of course, with a bastard sword (and the errata 0U out, I think) Reach 2 sw+1 is even better, and Reach 2 thrust for when you need to stab the eye. A Wait, with a thrust to the eye or vitals at Reach 2, then step to Reach 1 (or don’t) and cut to the leg as a Rapid Strike at only -3 is going to be pretty amazing. Actually, bastard sword has a much easier time with eyes, vitals, and such. ST 17 puts me at 1.5×ST for both weapons, but that doesn’t really matter. No dagger or double-daggers here. So I lose a point of damage on the axe, but pick up reach. And the weapons are much more expensive. Still: 3d+6 cut to Reach 2? Also, has the advantage that I can use a seax (long knife) at Skill-2 to get Reach C when I need it. 3d-2 cut is a heck of a close-range equalizer. Also, if I set aside 30 points for Weapon Master (knightly weapons), “anything used with Broadsword” skill counts, so that quickly becomes 3d+4 cut in close combat. AND better rapid strikes.
- Flail is always worth considering, because while it’s basically mace-on-a-chain, it’s inexpensive, you can dwarven it to parry with, and the huge defensive penalties (-4 to parry, -2 to block, and fencing weapons need not apply to parry at all). It’s one of those things where “flail to the head” is such a bell-ringer, it might be worth considering putting some points in there, because those Parry/Block penalties are the equivalent of always throwing a -8 or -4 to skill Deceptive attack on nearly every blow. That’s a lot of defensive mitigation. Worth thinking about.
- Spear is the only one-handed weapon that really remains here. But it’s thrust-only and a regular spear is not even a bit better than a bastard sword. Same Reach and impaling damage, 0U parry that is NOT errata. heavy spear is at least thr+4 imp, but then again loses out on swing damage, which is just stupid if you have weapon master. It also lacks not just C, but 1 as well, and we got an object lesson in “don’t let the bad guys into C” in the last fight.
Two-Handed Weapons
A much shorter list.- We start with the polearms. The dueling halberd and glaive for a presumably high-ST character is “halberd.” The glaive is for getting the cool swing cut with low ST: naginata. The only other competitor will be the full-size Ditka (regular halberd), which does add +4 to the swing damage over the bastard sword for 3d+10 cut as a primary mode. The thrust mode gives you Reach 1 … but you’ll need an entirely new skill for in close. Still, a Reach 2 alpha strike, then step BACK to Reach 3 for a second shot – including a 3d+9 impaling attack, is brutal. That threatens a HP 12 person with a KO even through significant armor: 50% of the time you can punch through DR 13 (!) and still have enough injury left over to bring a fit, strong human to KO status. That’s a lot, but you need a lot to give up your block. Also, it IS really long, and in tight situations where you’re dealing with the equivalent of Bulk penalties, a halberd is -6 (2x Reach being a good measure).
- Even in two hands, the spears don’t add enough. If you use them with Staff skill … you still don’t get the +2 Parry (which is wrong, but the rules). Not worth giving up shield and swing damage. A sucker’s play unless you have a formation of them. Maybe even then.
- Great Axe doesn’t give you anything over a a dueling halberd. Long axe is lower ST but same deal. The rest of those are for folks who can’t switch a dueling halberd around to the other side (you get sw+4 cut, sw+3 imp in one weapon). Only the warhammer does a bit more imp damage, but you’re giving up versatility against things that resist imp.
- Bastard sword in two hands gives up block in exchange for a point more damage in either mode; if you could pull half-swording, you’d allow the +2 Parry (that’s what my golem-armor swordsman from Nordlond Bestiary does), but at lower damage, and thrust-only for cut (tip slash) and stab, but with extra precision on targeting chinks. Not enough to make it stand on its own, but combined with all of the other coolness with this, it’s yet another “all in favor.”
Knightly Requirements
That brings me to what I need.- Weapon Master (Knightly Weapons) for 30 points. That’s a chunk of change right there.
- ST and Striking ST equal to 17. ST 15 and Striking ST 2 looks like the right “out of the gate” play, assuming I can’t eke out ST 17 right away. I might be able to, but the 250-point template would eat up all of my discretionary points with ST +3 and Weapon Master (Knightly) right there. I will probably build up from Delvers to Grow though, so we’ll see. That will mean I give up standard knightly stuff elsewhere.
- I’m going to only need Broadsword and Shield in terms of primary skills. Again, with the core template I can probably throw down Broadsword-20 and Shield-16. That’s a respectable Block with a DB 2 shield (14), though not super-spectacular.
- I did not have a ranged weapon last time. That was not excellent. The right one here might either be crossbow (because of Acc 4 and 1d+6 imp) or throwing axe (3d-1 cut, but only Acc 1 and much shorter range). An atlatl with a javelin is pretty cool (3d imp to 30 yards)…but a plain-old heavy sling goes to 45 yards, will do 3d+1 cr. I can use a heavy sling in one hand with ST 12+, and that’s just cost of entry. It’s respectable damage and inexpensive to own and arm.
- I will need a close-combat weapon, but a seax defaulting to Broadsword-2 gives an 18 in CC, which is plenty good delivering WM-boosted swing cutting damage.
- I need to stay in the fight too, but armor is expensive. I may emphasize mobility on this one until I can afford a big score of protection. Speed and Move.
- Oh, I kinda wanted to play up the half-orc thing too, as a joke with Peter about “orc-orc-orc.” On the other hand, a half-ogre Knight walks out of the gate at ST 18 … which is tempting.
- Born War-Leader is on the template. Based on how we have been playing … only Tactics really gets frequent use. And it’s got Born War-Leader 2 on the template. I feel like I might be able to use 5 or 10 of those points elsewhere, and more efficiently. Like Striking ST 2.
Let’s Get Delving
📷So now we need to fire up GSC and Delvers to Grow.I wound up starting with the 187 point Master Strong DelveKnight, throwing on half-ogre, and going to town from there, as it were.
So: Thor Hálfskepna (half-beast, which also translates to demigod in Icelandic, so…)
- That had me at my target ST 17 right out of the gate, so victory there.
- I upgraded the minimalist Weapon Master to (Knightly Weapons), meeting that requirement.
- I tossed in Striking ST 2 because I’m allowed to; ST 17/Striking ST 19 is brutal, and base thswing of 2d-1 and 3d+1 means weapon master now gives +4 to thrusting stuff. Still +6 to swing.
- 58-lb basic lift isn’t anything to whine about.
- My main sword skills in one hand are at 20 thanks to weapon bond; 3d+8 cutting in one hand ain’t all bad. Shield 16 and Enhanced Block 1 results in Block 15, which is nice.
- I may have overdid the DR here; I gave heavy mail on the torso, heavy leather sleeves and legs, heavy leather boots, segmented plate helm. I think I’d do better with about 10 lbs less weight. Let’s try for regular mail, light leather sleeves and legs. Yah, there we go. Still respectable DR but down to no encumbrance, Move 7. I think I still have $500 left over for “stuff I forgot,” or maybe a single point to drop somewhere that I ooped on.
- Oh, I need a seax. Heh. And a sling; the heavy sling is cool, but at 1 lb per stone I think I’ll pass. 10 lead stones, though? That’s cool…3d pi to 100 yards. My skill isn’t that good, but I can drop points there.
Someone steps into Reach 2, they’re looking at 3d+8 cut or 2d+5 imp; that imp attack could easily be vitals giving up to 36 injury. On a cleave, it’s more like 27 injury, which ought to make an impression.
At Reach 1 I lose the imp, but retain the cut. If I fast-draw my long knife (14), I still have a 3d cut swing attack … hmm. That may need the Weapon Master bonus, but I think strict rules say no (it’s Shortsword not Broadsword). Still, 3d cut is as hard as a regular joe hits at ST 15 with an axe (2d+3)…
And I can keep that 3d in close combat.
His defenses are good: Block-15, or 16 with a retreat against missiles or big stuff. Parry 14 core, +2 for shield, +1 with a retreat, for Parry-17 if I’m willing to fade. Weapon Master (Knightly) definitely lowers my repeated Parry penalty to -2; since Shield is included in Knightly weapons, if Vic allows multiple blocks, it’s -3 each for that, which could be important.
Also, his DR isn’t bad (6/4 on the body, 8 on the head, and 3 elsewhere except for DR 1 on the eyes), and in combat he’s at None for encumbrance, so while his Step is still 1, his Move is 7. Finally I’m quick. A respectable Dodge 11 also.
So Thor here is formidable. Don’t ask him to calculate the tip at dinner, though.
Human Instead?
The half-ogre template carries a lot of weight in the build, and Felltower doesn’t allow them. So if I have to get rid of that, I can still get most of what I want, but need to nix Striking ST 2, the half-ogre disads, boost IQ back to 10, etc. I still need all five quirk points for cash, but I’m also Move 7 still.2023.06.07 21:15 Maxton1811 Perfectly Wrong 3
Previous
Terrified as I was of the alien soldiers currently approaching my craft, still I couldn’t bring myself to stop staring at them. Aliens. Real… Aliens… Finally getting a good look at the approaching group, my eyes and brain raced in conjunction to catalogue their features. As a child, it'd always been my dream to explore the stars and make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. However, as I grew to learn more and more about the physics of space travel, I'd ultimately realized that my dream was essentially impossible. We weren't anywhere close to the level of technology necessary to properly explore even our own galactic zip code, let alone faraway systems. In the end I resolved that if I couldn't experience that myself, I wanted to make sure that eventually someone could, even if that someone wouldn't be born for another 1000 years. Looking back on it from the window of my exploration vessel, maybe I'd been just a tad pessimistic about that number...
Unfortunately, the old sci-fi trope of alien animal groups resembling those on Earth didn’t seem to hold true here. These people, whoever they were, definitely wouldn’t fit well with any of our categories. Small, icy-blue scales shaped like flat pebbles adorned their necks. Their arms, by contrast, were decorated by what appeared to be white feathers—vestigial wings, perhaps. While the specimens on either side of the scientist were concealed largely by body armor and helmets, the one between them provided a much more detailed view of their anatomy. Slight lumps of fat on the chest area suggested mammary glands of some description—yet another middle finger to my understanding of evolutionary biology, but at least a helpful middle finger, given that it pointed me toward this alien’s sex. Atop her head, a crest of similarly-pristine feathers stretched down like human hair, concealing one of her (presumably two) ears which resembled in passing those of a fantasy elf, but curvier and with two prongs at the top instead of one.
Just a few paces shy of my vessel’s door, the trio halted in place. It looked like the scientist was trying to persuade the two soldiers of something. Both of them seemed rather hesitant to follow her orders, but after a brief exchange of what I could best describe as organized birdsong, the pair reluctantly stepped aside and allowed the researcher to continue her approach unaccompanied.
Switching my gaze over to one of the ship’s cameras for a better view on this approaching stranger, a sudden wave of panicked realization washed over me. I am first contact… Shit… How do you even greet an alien? Smiling was definitely a no-go. Even back on Earth, most animals would see that as a threat. With my luck, they’d probably mistake it for me having some sort of predatory nature and just gun me down then and there. That being said, waving may not be the best play either. I didn’t know if these guys had sharp talons, but startling them seemed like a pretty bad first test of that. Still, what gestures in the animal kingdom are universally non-threatening? Sifting through my slowly-defrosting memory, I recalled at one point learning about the habits of gorillas and how to survive meeting one in the wild (I found weird things on the web growing up). In social animals, lowering one's self is usually a gesture of submission. So, with little time to ponder anything else, I turned toward the door of my ship and offered a cordial kneel as the door was pried open by some sort of mechanical lever (probably hydraulic for the sheer strength) to allow inside a real, in-the-flesh alien.
For whatever it was worth, she didn't seem displeased by my gesture of surrender. More... Confused than anything, in fact. "Torakeetreet?" The nonsense noise hung around me like some form of inquiry, but naturally I hadn't the foggiest fucking clue what it meant, so instead I elected to remain silent. Approaching me with visible trepidation, the alien repeated its 'question' to me, but again I couldn't risk responding in a way that would displease her. With my eyes cast downward, I saw that she wasn't wearing shoes, but instead left on display her four-toed talons that looked like they could easily slash an artery if swung right.
"Dadarakan... Tereet." The sudden sensation of a warm, fingerlike appendage pressing my chin upward by its foreclaw sent my danger-detecting instincts into overdrive. Disregarding entirely the claws' bluntness and gentle movement, I recoiled away from its owner with a short burst of backward movement. Naturally, being part of the graceful primate lineage and a member their most intelligent species by far, I was easily able to evade this danger by elegantly falling flat on my ass and in a stroke of brilliance slamming my spine against the steel wall behind me. This scientist seemed every bit as frazzled as I was with the encounter, having herself collided with the shuttle door in the midst of our mutual confusion. A light hiccuping noise emanated from the alien’s throat as she too toppled over onto the ground.
Somewhat assured by this interaction that my life was not, in fact, about to end, I slowly eased myself upright and with gentle, telegraphed steps approached the mysterious alien woman. Noting my sudden advance upon her prone form, the stranger observed me first with eyes full of fear, followed shortly thereafter by curiosity when I knelt down once more to offer her a hand up. To my surprise, no further coaxing was required to convince this mysterious creature. Carefully wrapping her claws around my outstretched hand, the alien allowed me to help her to her ‘feet’. From outside the ship, I hadn’t actually noticed how tall she was beyond ‘vaguely human-sized’. Now, inside the ship and stood before her, it became rather apparent to me that this bird/lizard lady, despite being at least thirty centimeters (a foot) shorter than the guards outside, still had a few centimeters on me. Evolving in lower gravity’ll do that to you I guess…
“Hello,” I breathed anxiously, shaking her talon up and down with my friendliest close-lipped smile before slowly relinquishing it back to the alien, whose look of absolute fascination identified her as a scientist at heart. Pointing to myself for emphasis, I continued. “I am a Human… Hu-man…”
Swishing her head feathers in a gesture perhaps similar in meaning to cocking one’s head, the researcher parted her lips and in a sweet, singsong voice spoke. “Hu-man.“
“Yes!” I pumped my fist triumphantly, nodding my head up and down in frantic affirmation of her attempt to pronounce a human word. This alien researcher seemed at least open to communicating with me, so that was definitely a good sign. This being said, I was beginning to understand why universal translators were such integral sci-fi tech. Actually being able to understand each other would take awhile unless I found some way to expedite the process.
Replicating the gesture she’d just seen me perform seconds prior, the alien scientist pointed a claw to her own chest and with it held there spoke a single foreign word which I presumed to be her name. “Vavi..."
submitted by Maxton1811 to HFY [link] [comments]
Terrified as I was of the alien soldiers currently approaching my craft, still I couldn’t bring myself to stop staring at them. Aliens. Real… Aliens… Finally getting a good look at the approaching group, my eyes and brain raced in conjunction to catalogue their features. As a child, it'd always been my dream to explore the stars and make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. However, as I grew to learn more and more about the physics of space travel, I'd ultimately realized that my dream was essentially impossible. We weren't anywhere close to the level of technology necessary to properly explore even our own galactic zip code, let alone faraway systems. In the end I resolved that if I couldn't experience that myself, I wanted to make sure that eventually someone could, even if that someone wouldn't be born for another 1000 years. Looking back on it from the window of my exploration vessel, maybe I'd been just a tad pessimistic about that number...
Unfortunately, the old sci-fi trope of alien animal groups resembling those on Earth didn’t seem to hold true here. These people, whoever they were, definitely wouldn’t fit well with any of our categories. Small, icy-blue scales shaped like flat pebbles adorned their necks. Their arms, by contrast, were decorated by what appeared to be white feathers—vestigial wings, perhaps. While the specimens on either side of the scientist were concealed largely by body armor and helmets, the one between them provided a much more detailed view of their anatomy. Slight lumps of fat on the chest area suggested mammary glands of some description—yet another middle finger to my understanding of evolutionary biology, but at least a helpful middle finger, given that it pointed me toward this alien’s sex. Atop her head, a crest of similarly-pristine feathers stretched down like human hair, concealing one of her (presumably two) ears which resembled in passing those of a fantasy elf, but curvier and with two prongs at the top instead of one.
Just a few paces shy of my vessel’s door, the trio halted in place. It looked like the scientist was trying to persuade the two soldiers of something. Both of them seemed rather hesitant to follow her orders, but after a brief exchange of what I could best describe as organized birdsong, the pair reluctantly stepped aside and allowed the researcher to continue her approach unaccompanied.
Switching my gaze over to one of the ship’s cameras for a better view on this approaching stranger, a sudden wave of panicked realization washed over me. I am first contact… Shit… How do you even greet an alien? Smiling was definitely a no-go. Even back on Earth, most animals would see that as a threat. With my luck, they’d probably mistake it for me having some sort of predatory nature and just gun me down then and there. That being said, waving may not be the best play either. I didn’t know if these guys had sharp talons, but startling them seemed like a pretty bad first test of that. Still, what gestures in the animal kingdom are universally non-threatening? Sifting through my slowly-defrosting memory, I recalled at one point learning about the habits of gorillas and how to survive meeting one in the wild (I found weird things on the web growing up). In social animals, lowering one's self is usually a gesture of submission. So, with little time to ponder anything else, I turned toward the door of my ship and offered a cordial kneel as the door was pried open by some sort of mechanical lever (probably hydraulic for the sheer strength) to allow inside a real, in-the-flesh alien.
For whatever it was worth, she didn't seem displeased by my gesture of surrender. More... Confused than anything, in fact. "Torakeetreet?" The nonsense noise hung around me like some form of inquiry, but naturally I hadn't the foggiest fucking clue what it meant, so instead I elected to remain silent. Approaching me with visible trepidation, the alien repeated its 'question' to me, but again I couldn't risk responding in a way that would displease her. With my eyes cast downward, I saw that she wasn't wearing shoes, but instead left on display her four-toed talons that looked like they could easily slash an artery if swung right.
"Dadarakan... Tereet." The sudden sensation of a warm, fingerlike appendage pressing my chin upward by its foreclaw sent my danger-detecting instincts into overdrive. Disregarding entirely the claws' bluntness and gentle movement, I recoiled away from its owner with a short burst of backward movement. Naturally, being part of the graceful primate lineage and a member their most intelligent species by far, I was easily able to evade this danger by elegantly falling flat on my ass and in a stroke of brilliance slamming my spine against the steel wall behind me. This scientist seemed every bit as frazzled as I was with the encounter, having herself collided with the shuttle door in the midst of our mutual confusion. A light hiccuping noise emanated from the alien’s throat as she too toppled over onto the ground.
Somewhat assured by this interaction that my life was not, in fact, about to end, I slowly eased myself upright and with gentle, telegraphed steps approached the mysterious alien woman. Noting my sudden advance upon her prone form, the stranger observed me first with eyes full of fear, followed shortly thereafter by curiosity when I knelt down once more to offer her a hand up. To my surprise, no further coaxing was required to convince this mysterious creature. Carefully wrapping her claws around my outstretched hand, the alien allowed me to help her to her ‘feet’. From outside the ship, I hadn’t actually noticed how tall she was beyond ‘vaguely human-sized’. Now, inside the ship and stood before her, it became rather apparent to me that this bird/lizard lady, despite being at least thirty centimeters (a foot) shorter than the guards outside, still had a few centimeters on me. Evolving in lower gravity’ll do that to you I guess…
“Hello,” I breathed anxiously, shaking her talon up and down with my friendliest close-lipped smile before slowly relinquishing it back to the alien, whose look of absolute fascination identified her as a scientist at heart. Pointing to myself for emphasis, I continued. “I am a Human… Hu-man…”
Swishing her head feathers in a gesture perhaps similar in meaning to cocking one’s head, the researcher parted her lips and in a sweet, singsong voice spoke. “Hu-man.“
“Yes!” I pumped my fist triumphantly, nodding my head up and down in frantic affirmation of her attempt to pronounce a human word. This alien researcher seemed at least open to communicating with me, so that was definitely a good sign. This being said, I was beginning to understand why universal translators were such integral sci-fi tech. Actually being able to understand each other would take awhile unless I found some way to expedite the process.
Replicating the gesture she’d just seen me perform seconds prior, the alien scientist pointed a claw to her own chest and with it held there spoke a single foreign word which I presumed to be her name. “Vavi..."
2023.06.07 21:13 _Usora Which Lenovo IdeaPad 14" should I buy?
Greetings from Finland! I have been searching for a 14" laptop for a while now. I need it for my trips to the countryside and for those times when I want to take a break from PC. My main use for the laptop is for university courses and coding JS and Python.
Which one performs better? Any tips are welcome.
IdeaPad Pro 5i 14 $862
submitted by _Usora to laptops [link] [comments]
Which one performs better? Any tips are welcome.
IdeaPad Pro 5i 14 $862
Processor - 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-13500H Processor (E-cores up to 3.50 GHz P-cores up to 4.70 GHz) Operating System - No Operating System Operating System Language - No Operating System Language Memory - 16 GB LPDDR5-5200MHz (Soldered) Solid State Drive - 1 TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 TLC Display - 14" 2.8K (2880 x 1800), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Touch, 100%sRGB, 400 nits, 120Hz, Narrow Bezel Graphic Card - Integrated Graphics Camera - 1080P FHD RGB/IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone Color - Arctic Grey Keyboard - White Backlit, Storm Grey - Nordic Wireless - Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 AX & Bluetooth® 5.1 or above Surface Treatment - Al Anodizing Stamping Palmrest - Al Battery - 4 Cell Li-Polymer 75Wh Power Cord - 100W USB-C Slim 90% PCC 3pin AC Adapter - EU Language Pack - Publication - Norwegian/Danish/Finnish/Swedish/English Warranty - 2 Year Courier or Carry-inLenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 14 2023, Ryzen7 16GB 512GB $1000
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Language: Estonian, Russian, English
Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5
Speed: 6400 MHz
Storage Capacity: 512 GB
Storage Device Type: SSD
SSD Type: M.2 PCIe 4.0x4 NVMe
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 680M
Screen Size: 14 inches
Resolution: 2880 x 1800
Screen Type: IPS
Brightness: 400 cd/m2
IPS: Yes
Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Surface: Matte
Touchscreen: No
Keyboard Layout: Scandinavian
Full Layout: No
Backlight: Yes
USB Interfaces: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C
HDMI: Yes
Headphone and Microphone Jack: Yes
RJ45: No
Battery Capacity: 56.5 Wh
Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
WiFi: 802.11ax
Bluetooth: v5.1
Smart Card Reader: No
Memory Card Reader: SD
Speakers: Yes
DVD ReadeWriter: No
Fingerprint Reader: No
Webcam: 1080p with face recognition
Weight: 1.41 kg
Dimensions: 31.22 x 22.1 x 1.59 cm
Warranty: 2 years
2023.06.07 21:11 thelittlestjune Looking for advice: Bad experience with GC
Hoping to get advice from other folks on this sub because I haven't had much experience dealing with GCs before.
Long story short, we got estimates for a project that included - 1/repairing two large concrete pads on our sidewalk that was leading to some water damage in our garage, 2/ parging our garage (we live in a really old house), 3/ shoring up a sagging (nonstructural) interior wall between our garage and basement, 4 cutting an opening and hanging a door so we can access our garage from our basement, and 5/ and getting the old windows in our basement replaced.
Back in April, we signed a contract and paid a deposit to the general contractor that provided a decent estimate and with a relatively good word of mouth reputation. I thought that it was odd that the GC sent out an estimator to do the quote and be our point of contact, but went through with it. After paying the initial deposit, the GC himself came out for a planning meeting in early May, and noted some things. Then he scheduled us to start work this week (first week of June), and said that his operations manager would be in touch with us to order the windows and door in advance of work starting. Then things started going downhill...
tl;dr - we paid for a home improvement project that had a variety of components. The day before work was going to start, we got sent a change order that threw us and caused the scope to change. Special materials were not ordered in on time and the GC has been virtually unreachable to field our concerns.
submitted by thelittlestjune to homeowners [link] [comments]
Long story short, we got estimates for a project that included - 1/repairing two large concrete pads on our sidewalk that was leading to some water damage in our garage, 2/ parging our garage (we live in a really old house), 3/ shoring up a sagging (nonstructural) interior wall between our garage and basement, 4 cutting an opening and hanging a door so we can access our garage from our basement, and 5/ and getting the old windows in our basement replaced.
Back in April, we signed a contract and paid a deposit to the general contractor that provided a decent estimate and with a relatively good word of mouth reputation. I thought that it was odd that the GC sent out an estimator to do the quote and be our point of contact, but went through with it. After paying the initial deposit, the GC himself came out for a planning meeting in early May, and noted some things. Then he scheduled us to start work this week (first week of June), and said that his operations manager would be in touch with us to order the windows and door in advance of work starting. Then things started going downhill...
- The custom windows and door were not ordered until late last week and haven't arrived, so they let us know that we'd proceed with the concrete and parging work, and schedule a future time for the door and windows. This was frustrating, because we work full time from home and were hoping that they could do the work in one shot so that we could schedule an alternate co-working space. However, I just looked at the contract and a line in it said, "A 1/3 deposit plus special ordered materials is required before any project begins".
- The worst part of all this was the fact that the day before work was going to start, the estimator sent us a change order for $2400, adding an additional cost for concrete and some electrical work and that we mentioned would be nice to have. We felt ambushed by this, and ultimately agreed to getting the additional concrete installation by forgoing a basement window replacement to get us back to cost neutral. This cost change seemed to mostly have happened because the original estimate underestimated the size/amount of concrete to repair.
- We had pointed out to the GC during the planning meeting that shoring up the bowed non-structural wall between the garage and basement wasn't a line item on the contract, but both he and the estimator assured us at the planning meeting that it would get done. However, the estimator let us know this week that they would just be patching the wall rather than fixing the bowing. I know - shame on us for not pushing them to add the line item into the contract, lesson learned. But it's felt like bad practice on their part - disorganized at best and dishonest at worst.
tl;dr - we paid for a home improvement project that had a variety of components. The day before work was going to start, we got sent a change order that threw us and caused the scope to change. Special materials were not ordered in on time and the GC has been virtually unreachable to field our concerns.
2023.06.07 21:09 Michael-Free How do you keep fitted sheets tucked under your mattress?
I recently got a new mattress that's a little taller than the old one, but both are queens. Since I've gotten this new mattress, I've had issues with the ends of the sheet not staying under the mattress. The sheet has 3-4 inches underneath when properly fitted, but this doesn't seem to change anything as when I wake up, a side has lifted up which has also started pulling the closest corner with it.
Is there anything I can do to keep the sheet from pulling up or do I need to buy new sheets?
submitted by Michael-Free to NoStupidQuestions [link] [comments]
Is there anything I can do to keep the sheet from pulling up or do I need to buy new sheets?
2023.06.07 21:08 CeltrikYT Dusk to Nightfall: A V-Rising Roleplay server
Greetings everyone!
Do you wish to be a part of a greater narrative where your character can influence the story? Then perhaps our server could be of interest to you!
We're planning seasonal storylines that will impact the broader narrative of the server, and you can join us.
We just launched our roleplay server dedicated to creating a story that involves everyone in the server. The server is full PvE, with RPG mod planned for PvP toggle, which allows you to PvP during your RP.
We do not allow castle raiding, or enemy looting to stop griefing and allowing you to focus on your RPs! We also have plenty of lore cooked up to help with the creation of your character!
We allow 5 members per clan, with additional 4 slots for Co-op if you wish to temporarily add someone to your clan.
How do I join?
Please join our Discord, introduce yourself and follow the guide that we have set up to get started on your character!
Okay, but what about server settings?
We want our players to be able to enjoy the RP that our server has to offer, so the grind has been decreased a bit to make it less tedious. We also offer server events and planned RP events to get everyone together, but lets talk about settings, eh?
9 Clan members (5 permanent members)
1 Castle heart per player, with a second one for RP (If you wish so)
Shorter day, stronger sun (1.5x)
0.3 blood drain rate for players
0.5 blood drain rate for castles
5x stack sizes
2x mob drop rates
5x craft and refinement time
Closing words
We are currently 22 members from different regions, already creating lots of fun RP. Would you like to join us?
submitted by CeltrikYT to vrising [link] [comments]
Do you wish to be a part of a greater narrative where your character can influence the story? Then perhaps our server could be of interest to you!
We're planning seasonal storylines that will impact the broader narrative of the server, and you can join us.
We just launched our roleplay server dedicated to creating a story that involves everyone in the server. The server is full PvE, with RPG mod planned for PvP toggle, which allows you to PvP during your RP.
We do not allow castle raiding, or enemy looting to stop griefing and allowing you to focus on your RPs! We also have plenty of lore cooked up to help with the creation of your character!
We allow 5 members per clan, with additional 4 slots for Co-op if you wish to temporarily add someone to your clan.
How do I join?
Please join our Discord, introduce yourself and follow the guide that we have set up to get started on your character!
Okay, but what about server settings?
We want our players to be able to enjoy the RP that our server has to offer, so the grind has been decreased a bit to make it less tedious. We also offer server events and planned RP events to get everyone together, but lets talk about settings, eh?
9 Clan members (5 permanent members)
1 Castle heart per player, with a second one for RP (If you wish so)
Shorter day, stronger sun (1.5x)
0.3 blood drain rate for players
0.5 blood drain rate for castles
5x stack sizes
2x mob drop rates
5x craft and refinement time
Closing words
We are currently 22 members from different regions, already creating lots of fun RP. Would you like to join us?
2023.06.07 21:04 StrangeMorris Reasons Casques Aren't Being Found
There are some basic reasons why nine casques still remain out there. These reasons have nothing to do with having to come up with alternative cities or outlandish theories because "groupthink" is not working. Contrary to what some seem to think, a casque won't materialize when a correct city/spot/solution is put on paper.
The reasons:
1)It is extremely difficult to locate a precise 5x6-inch patch of earth THEN dig down at least a foot-and-a-half to retrieve a casque for physical, logistical, practical, and legal reasons. Once Byron took away the option to write in a solve, the puzzles got exponentially harder. It can even be argued that he expected certain puzzles to be solved with a write-in solution since physically digging up the casque would be beyond challenging. That can only be intensified over 40 years later since many of the search areas are no doubt much more inaccessible now.
2) A casque itself could have been inadvertently destroyed or shifted through construction, covered up by cement, concrete, asphalt, etc., or have been covered by additional dirt or sod throughout the years.
3) Crucial clues in both verses and images have no doubt been destroyed, moved, altered, or taken away.
4) For every 200 theories or so, only a handful of people dig. Time, or theories on paper, don't find casques; repeated digging does.
5) As much as I love the puzzles and admire Preiss, he was an amateur puzzle maker and the puzzles are much more difficult than he anticipated even when a city is all but certain. Of the two casques dug up by searchers, each group of finders had extreme difficulty finding the casque even after solving the puzzle almost perfectly. We're still not sure how to exactly find the Chicago dig spot, it's baffling why in Cleveland he made searchers count the bricks from the other side of the planter wall, and we still can't explain why the Boston casque was exactly where it was on the baseball field. In terms of time, it took multiple digs over the course of six months to find Chicago—and that included direct help from Preiss, himself. Cleveland took 5-plus hours of digging in a contained planter the size of a kitchen table. Boston was found inadvertently using heavy construction equipment digging up large swaths of the park. None of those three finds are particularly encouraging for future finds.
That being said, if someone dug up a casque in an alternative city, that would change a lot—but that hasn't happened yet either.
So if you want to explore alternative cities, please do so, but stating that it must be done because "40 years of ideas isn't working" is just silly with everything we know.
submitted by StrangeMorris to 12keys [link] [comments]
The reasons:
1)It is extremely difficult to locate a precise 5x6-inch patch of earth THEN dig down at least a foot-and-a-half to retrieve a casque for physical, logistical, practical, and legal reasons. Once Byron took away the option to write in a solve, the puzzles got exponentially harder. It can even be argued that he expected certain puzzles to be solved with a write-in solution since physically digging up the casque would be beyond challenging. That can only be intensified over 40 years later since many of the search areas are no doubt much more inaccessible now.
2) A casque itself could have been inadvertently destroyed or shifted through construction, covered up by cement, concrete, asphalt, etc., or have been covered by additional dirt or sod throughout the years.
3) Crucial clues in both verses and images have no doubt been destroyed, moved, altered, or taken away.
4) For every 200 theories or so, only a handful of people dig. Time, or theories on paper, don't find casques; repeated digging does.
5) As much as I love the puzzles and admire Preiss, he was an amateur puzzle maker and the puzzles are much more difficult than he anticipated even when a city is all but certain. Of the two casques dug up by searchers, each group of finders had extreme difficulty finding the casque even after solving the puzzle almost perfectly. We're still not sure how to exactly find the Chicago dig spot, it's baffling why in Cleveland he made searchers count the bricks from the other side of the planter wall, and we still can't explain why the Boston casque was exactly where it was on the baseball field. In terms of time, it took multiple digs over the course of six months to find Chicago—and that included direct help from Preiss, himself. Cleveland took 5-plus hours of digging in a contained planter the size of a kitchen table. Boston was found inadvertently using heavy construction equipment digging up large swaths of the park. None of those three finds are particularly encouraging for future finds.
That being said, if someone dug up a casque in an alternative city, that would change a lot—but that hasn't happened yet either.
So if you want to explore alternative cities, please do so, but stating that it must be done because "40 years of ideas isn't working" is just silly with everything we know.
2023.06.07 20:58 TNbackroads Extremely tight V
I met a woman, older than me by a few years has a kid. Things went from fooling around one night to full on sex pretty quick. She asked if she could ride and I said sure. She was so tight, she couldn’t take me all in for quite a few minutes. She had orgasmed 3 times pretty quickly and it was still physically uncomfortable for me at that point. After a while of her riding she stretched out and it felt great. We have been having sex on a regular basis since then, so she hasn’t been tight since the first time but still tight. I don’t think of myself as hung, I am average. Not quite 7” in length and not crazy in girth either. Never been worried about the size because partners have always been satisfied and I have been told I had enough to hit the spots that need hitting so I never worried about it. Are there other women who are just this tight? She tells me I am the biggest she ever had, I told her she is still getting the short end of the stick😂. It’s just not something I had ever experienced.
submitted by TNbackroads to sex [link] [comments]
2023.06.07 20:52 RedPill_7 My biggest complaints with Hitman & Freelancer Mode
I recently posted this as a comment on a post about Unpopular Opinions regarding Hitman and I was curious how others felt. These are the things that most consistently pop into my head while playing. What do you think?
I love Hitman and I've been playing the franchise since i was a kid but it is not a perfect game. None of these are a big deal, just small complaints I've had over the years. I'm curious how many will agree with me here.
The Gun/Shooting mechanics are not that great for 2023. I know some people will say Hitman isn't a true "Shooter" but objectively speaking, shooting is a pretty substantial part of the game. Even if it's just shooting out cameras or silently picking off guards, It just feels sort of outdated and bland for such a great game. Most guns feel exactly the same outside of the little perks and a slight difference in reticle size to imply the guns accuracy. There should 10000% be a selector switch for automatic weapons. It's so annoying that I have to fire 3 rounds whenever I tap the trigger of an SMG or AR as opposed to being able to fire a single round for stealth and precision purposes as well as the "Perfect Shooter" objective.
The Weapon/Item wheel is kind of a mess. It seems simple but if you're on a long mission where you've picked up a ton of stuff, it feels like it takes 30 seconds to cycle thru and find the thing I'm looking for. There definitely should be some sorting feature or some way to have Weapons/Tools separate from things like a Hammer that have no action associated to them. Again, it feels sort of outdated and sort of tedious.
Freelancer specific: Suppliers should have a range of items they keep on them at all times. Poisons, certain tools, maybe even a bomb or certain guns. Even if you already have them at the safehouse, it would be nice to be able to run to the supplier and grab a Poison syringe that I forgot to bring with me. To avoid having multiple of that item, when you get back to the safehouse, you just lose it so you don't end up with 80 lockpicks and negate the overall items system for Freelancer. Or maybe even gain merces for repeat items or something. At this stage, the supplier is completely useless to me because my safehouse is full. Have him keep a small set of items we can go grab in a pinch.
Lastly, it would be really nice to have some more variability to the maps. Maybe 2 or 3 slightly different variations of each map to help keep things feeling fresh and help it stay a bit more challenging. Even if it's as subtle as the Night version of Morocco or the Pre and Post Update versions of New York. Have them both! Add a bit of randomness that we have to adapt to on the fly. Move items around a tiny bit, so i don't know EXACTLY where that screwdriver is on a massive map. It doesn't need to be complete chaos but I think a little variability would go a long way in a game that naturally has you play the same maps over and over and over. Mix it up a tiny bit, make it interesting.
Again, none of these are huge issues. Just a few small fixes that I think would improve the game a considerable amount.
submitted by RedPill_7 to HiTMAN [link] [comments]
I love Hitman and I've been playing the franchise since i was a kid but it is not a perfect game. None of these are a big deal, just small complaints I've had over the years. I'm curious how many will agree with me here.
The Gun/Shooting mechanics are not that great for 2023. I know some people will say Hitman isn't a true "Shooter" but objectively speaking, shooting is a pretty substantial part of the game. Even if it's just shooting out cameras or silently picking off guards, It just feels sort of outdated and bland for such a great game. Most guns feel exactly the same outside of the little perks and a slight difference in reticle size to imply the guns accuracy. There should 10000% be a selector switch for automatic weapons. It's so annoying that I have to fire 3 rounds whenever I tap the trigger of an SMG or AR as opposed to being able to fire a single round for stealth and precision purposes as well as the "Perfect Shooter" objective.
The Weapon/Item wheel is kind of a mess. It seems simple but if you're on a long mission where you've picked up a ton of stuff, it feels like it takes 30 seconds to cycle thru and find the thing I'm looking for. There definitely should be some sorting feature or some way to have Weapons/Tools separate from things like a Hammer that have no action associated to them. Again, it feels sort of outdated and sort of tedious.
Freelancer specific: Suppliers should have a range of items they keep on them at all times. Poisons, certain tools, maybe even a bomb or certain guns. Even if you already have them at the safehouse, it would be nice to be able to run to the supplier and grab a Poison syringe that I forgot to bring with me. To avoid having multiple of that item, when you get back to the safehouse, you just lose it so you don't end up with 80 lockpicks and negate the overall items system for Freelancer. Or maybe even gain merces for repeat items or something. At this stage, the supplier is completely useless to me because my safehouse is full. Have him keep a small set of items we can go grab in a pinch.
Lastly, it would be really nice to have some more variability to the maps. Maybe 2 or 3 slightly different variations of each map to help keep things feeling fresh and help it stay a bit more challenging. Even if it's as subtle as the Night version of Morocco or the Pre and Post Update versions of New York. Have them both! Add a bit of randomness that we have to adapt to on the fly. Move items around a tiny bit, so i don't know EXACTLY where that screwdriver is on a massive map. It doesn't need to be complete chaos but I think a little variability would go a long way in a game that naturally has you play the same maps over and over and over. Mix it up a tiny bit, make it interesting.
Again, none of these are huge issues. Just a few small fixes that I think would improve the game a considerable amount.
2023.06.07 20:52 rockman662022 67 [M4M] #Fresno, California - You live in the Fresno 559 areas & are looking for a man my age in Fresno Clovis Madera-to-Mariposa. I'm single, looking for a special man, age 30 & up & Single. Let's meetup in-person for fun times & summertime adventures. Maybe start a summer bromance? DM me.
67 [M4M] #Fresno, California - You live in the Fresno 559 areas & are looking for a man my age in Fresno Clovis Madera-to-Mariposa. I'm single, looking for a special man, age 30 & up & Single. Let's meetup in-person for fun times & summertime adventures. Maybe start a summer bromance? DM me.
***** This post will remain up for 3 days ****\*
If you DM me and start the conversation with idiotic abbreviations and single words like "Hey", "HMU", "Sup", "WYA", etc, then I will ignore you. It only takes a minute to type something like "Hey, I saw your post on the _________ subreddit and I am interested in you." or "Hello, I liked your selfie photo on the subreddit ____________, I might want to invite you over here to my bed for a little fun. Let's chat about that and maybe make plans to meet."
This should not be like rocket science. It's just one man and one man making a connection in-person. Eyes meet eyes, a hand in a hand, a passing glance means "I could really use a hug right now!". You can't make a real connection online; you never know who is REALLY at the other end of a chat. Years ago, Covid changed the way we look for a soulmate, a companion. Well, guess what? Covid is almost finished. There is no longer a need to hide in the corner from some virus.
I've been on Reddit for months now. I know how it works. My karma is over 1200, so I am not the kind of Redditor that gets complaints or is nasty in comments... I always endeavor to say the right thing and treat people the way I want to be treated. I'm not looking for someone to use. I've been looking for someone to meetup with for a long time, because no one believes in honesty anymore. They are looking for someone to use. I'm no bot. I'm me, and if honesty and fidelity and good times are what you look for in a man, you might want to try me on for size!
I am a versatile bottom for you when we do finally wind up in bed, it would be perfect if you were a top man for me! Either way, when it comes to making love, I just want to make my man happy, contented, satisfied and loved. I am a single W/M teddy bear 5 ft 10 inches and 269 pounds. I'm masculine. I'm passionate. I'm romantic. I'm YOURS, Baby!
I know, you have read all of my postings and it looks like I'm just looking for another quickie in some man's bed. Wrong! I post on different subreddits, as many as I can in order to have the best chance at finding someone real, truthful, brave. If I do meet someone and wind up in his bed, it will be my desire to change an NSA fling into an LTR love pact with him. Yes I do say "No" to most men because they are too flaky or there is no chance of anything except hot lust. So, sue me if I want more than just one night.
It's all about in-person for me. Sure, we will exchange PMs or have a DM chat, but just to learn about each other and see if we match before we meet in-person. It seems most Redditors just want to remain anonymous online... that is not for me. WE are not afraid of Covid, I believe it has been beat and that quarantines are a thing of the past.
Look, all I want is that you be single, with no spouse or partner or mate... I want you to be an adult with some degree of intelligence and sophistication, so I want you to be at least 30 years of age, be self-sufficient. You should be looking for someone my age, but at the same time knowing that age does not define me, because it does not. Of course, to match you need to live in the 559 areas I mentioned, not be a smoker, not have a need to get high on drugs and not have any STDs.
Do you want a special man in your life? Do you believe in honesty, fidelity and monogamy? Is one man enough for you? Then send a PM or send a DM invite to me. Maybe we can both stop looking and start having fun together!
submitted by rockman662022 to AgeGapPersonals [link] [comments]
***** This post will remain up for 3 days ****\*
If you DM me and start the conversation with idiotic abbreviations and single words like "Hey", "HMU", "Sup", "WYA", etc, then I will ignore you. It only takes a minute to type something like "Hey, I saw your post on the _________ subreddit and I am interested in you." or "Hello, I liked your selfie photo on the subreddit ____________, I might want to invite you over here to my bed for a little fun. Let's chat about that and maybe make plans to meet."
This should not be like rocket science. It's just one man and one man making a connection in-person. Eyes meet eyes, a hand in a hand, a passing glance means "I could really use a hug right now!". You can't make a real connection online; you never know who is REALLY at the other end of a chat. Years ago, Covid changed the way we look for a soulmate, a companion. Well, guess what? Covid is almost finished. There is no longer a need to hide in the corner from some virus.
I've been on Reddit for months now. I know how it works. My karma is over 1200, so I am not the kind of Redditor that gets complaints or is nasty in comments... I always endeavor to say the right thing and treat people the way I want to be treated. I'm not looking for someone to use. I've been looking for someone to meetup with for a long time, because no one believes in honesty anymore. They are looking for someone to use. I'm no bot. I'm me, and if honesty and fidelity and good times are what you look for in a man, you might want to try me on for size!
I am a versatile bottom for you when we do finally wind up in bed, it would be perfect if you were a top man for me! Either way, when it comes to making love, I just want to make my man happy, contented, satisfied and loved. I am a single W/M teddy bear 5 ft 10 inches and 269 pounds. I'm masculine. I'm passionate. I'm romantic. I'm YOURS, Baby!
I know, you have read all of my postings and it looks like I'm just looking for another quickie in some man's bed. Wrong! I post on different subreddits, as many as I can in order to have the best chance at finding someone real, truthful, brave. If I do meet someone and wind up in his bed, it will be my desire to change an NSA fling into an LTR love pact with him. Yes I do say "No" to most men because they are too flaky or there is no chance of anything except hot lust. So, sue me if I want more than just one night.
It's all about in-person for me. Sure, we will exchange PMs or have a DM chat, but just to learn about each other and see if we match before we meet in-person. It seems most Redditors just want to remain anonymous online... that is not for me. WE are not afraid of Covid, I believe it has been beat and that quarantines are a thing of the past.
Look, all I want is that you be single, with no spouse or partner or mate... I want you to be an adult with some degree of intelligence and sophistication, so I want you to be at least 30 years of age, be self-sufficient. You should be looking for someone my age, but at the same time knowing that age does not define me, because it does not. Of course, to match you need to live in the 559 areas I mentioned, not be a smoker, not have a need to get high on drugs and not have any STDs.
Do you want a special man in your life? Do you believe in honesty, fidelity and monogamy? Is one man enough for you? Then send a PM or send a DM invite to me. Maybe we can both stop looking and start having fun together!
2023.06.07 20:47 RareLingonberry5251 Sue with a no refund policy
I purchased a mattress for quite a lot of money. There was a 10-year warranty but also a no refund policy. Within 2 months the mattress had completely separated from itself, started falling apart, tearing at the seams. I hardly move in my sleep, I'm not obese, and the amount of damage should never be possible on a mattress. I informed the person I bought it from they put in for me to get a replacement. It has been 3 months and I keep getting excuses about when there should be a delivery. I finally asked if I could get my money back minus $500 (100 for each month even though I asked for a replacement three months ago) and also offered to allow the person to keep the replacement mattress to sell for full price. They said no. I am wondering if there is any possibility of me winning in court because of the no refund policy if I were to sue.
submitted by RareLingonberry5251 to legaladvice [link] [comments]
2023.06.07 20:45 thrownawaz092 I don't THINK I'm an assassin? - Chapter 3 - Stalking the streets
As day turned to dusk, the reality of the situation Mike had found himself in was starting to dawn on him. It was already established he was in monster central, and in another world, and alone, and had no idea what was going on around him, but after the initial need of not getting spotted and probably mauled was satisfied, a whole new slew of problems were arrayed before him. Where would he eat? Drink? Sleep? If he injured himself, where could he get medical supplies? Where was he going? How could he get back home?
Could he get back home?
A stiff wind blew around him and stole the heat from his body, leaving him cold in an encroaching dark. 'How do I know I can even get back?' besides knowing it existed, Mike knew nothing about magic. He was fairly certain that kobold had sent him back the first time, but by the looks of it they had also summoned him in the first place. Something else pulled him in the second time, so there was a very real chance that he wouldn't be able to do anything. 'and of course, that all comes before the fact I have no idea how to find the little lizard.' Mike ducked into an alley to avoid some kind of flying fish as he considered his situation. Hopeless as it was, finding a needle in a haystack was the only option to present itself, so he reluctantly chose his only option.
Things hit an all time low as Michael sat under a bridge that would serve as his shelter for the night. Sure, there were plenty of haunted houses to choose from, but they all ran the risk of him being found by the monsters that lived in monster city. The bridge was a solid piece of work, being composed mostly of concrete and some kind of wood, and it passed over a wide river that was pretty turbulent for its size. Mike was suprised by the lack of metal, but it seemed to be holding up well enough so he let it go.
Slinging off his backpack, Michael decided to occupy himself by taking stock of his inventory and situation. Laying everything out, he had:
The gym clothes he was wearing, just a tee shirt and shorts. They were sweaty, dirty and didn't cover much
His regular clothes, thick jeans, another tee shirt and an over shirt
His phone, which had no service and 67% battery life. 'yeah, let's turn on airplane mode and the battery saver.' it wouldn't last long, but the calculator, flashlight, stopwatch, notepad and compass tools could all be useful.
Earphones, 'ha! I downloaded all my songs and can listen to them forever if I find a charger! Suck on that Spotify elitists!'
Shoes, nothing special about them
A bag of chocolates that monsters think they're too good for
An almost empty water bottle. 'pro tip, if you're lost in the desert, conserve sweat, not water.' Remembering that bit of survival trivia, he downed the last few gulps.
His pocket knife, score! The salesman had told him this thing could withstand his own weight on the blade, and Mike had really put it through its paces to confirm that claim. It was also a swiss army knife and had several tools in it, even a firestarter! That alone tripled his chances out here.
His wallet, full of useless bills, coins and cards
A gym membership, also useless
Ankle and wrist weights, with detachable pieces of metal to change the weight. 'Should I keep these on or off?' On one hand, he would like to be as physically capable as possible for whatever was coming, and the constant work out would only help with that, but on the other, they would slow him down and tire him out. Not good without a food source. He took them off for now.
And a gym bag, which is always good to have.
The first thing Mike did was change back onto his normal clothes. They would keep him a little warmer and weren't so smelly, which would be good for werewolves that might sniff him out. Walking down to the river, it seemed clear, so he filled his bottle - he could always not drink it later - and began washing the gym clothes.
As he scrubbed his mind moved onto the situation he was in. Another world, monsters, magic and local superpowers are all established. Judging by the state of things, that being the ruins and monsters, this was probably once a thriving nation that had since been overrun and was now populated with the monsters that did so. The biggest concern that came out of that was that this clearly hadn't been a medieval society. True, just about everything was alien to him but he could recognize a TV screen or a car, this place was just as if not more advanced than earth, and they still got wiped out by monsters.
As Mike started wringing out his shorts, his introspection was interrupted when he heard voices overhead. He immediately stopped and turned his head up. It was getting dark by now and whatever was above him had a light, he couldn't understand what the two, no three voices were saying, but he didn't like the tone or the fact that the light source seemed to be getting closer to the side of the bridge. He tensed, and slowly put his sopping clothes into his bag as quietly as he could.
With a loud grunt, whoever has the light jumped over the edge of the bridge, still out of view behind a support but that was as close as he was willing to get. Mike took off as fast as he could in the opposite direction of the ravine the bridge crossed. The ones still on the bridge pulled out another light and called out to the one on the ground, who growled a response back. 'crap, crap, crap!' rang through Mike's head as he put on more speed, the sounds of pursuit not far behind. Between the weights and wet clothes, Michael was worried he might have to ditch his bag again, but it wasn't weighing him down nearly as much as the thought it should. 'just wish adrenaline would come this easy at the gym!' he was making good speed all things considered and was glad to hear his pursuer falling behind.
His hopes of escape were shattered however as one of them proved able to fly, because he heard a screech overhead and saw a silhouette giving away his position! Come on, that's not fair! He had to lose the little cheater and soon, otherwise the others could just run him down at their leisure! Mike turned, slipping on the grassy turf as he aimed to go back in the city. If the universe would just throw him a bone for once, there wouldn't be many other monsters, and he could shake these jerks.
He ducked into an alley, left onto a street before swinging behind some buildings again. Looking up he could still see that cheeky little spy plane was still on him, and from the sounds of the voices, the ones on foot were taking a direct route instead of weaving around, they were closing in. Thanking the universe for actually not putting other monsters in his way, Mike ducked into another alley and saw what he was looking for; a dumpster (he assumed) right under an open window. The only issue was the chain link fence between him and it. 'Really though, who sets up a fence right in an alley like this?' another call from above reminded him of his situation. 'right, deal with it now, ponder neighbors who probably hated each other later.' despite his dismay at the obstacle, he practically leapt over the fence, which was at least 6 feet tall. Adrenaline was one hell of a drug, but there was no way he could do that!
He mentally stored that away as well as he hopped on the dumpster and into the window, waited a couple seconds and hopped back out. He couldn't see the spy anymore which meant they couldn't see him either. He just managed to crawl down a basement window of a building on the other side of the alley before his pursuers burst into the alley as well.
Watching through the window, Michael finally got a good look at the one on foot. That was a big guy, like 8 feet tall and built like a truck kind of big. He was the one with the light in his hand, a glowing ball that floated in his palm, and it cast a rather terrifying shadow over his crocodilian face. He was a crocodile man, no other way about it. Thick tail, heavy green scales that are more yellow on the underside, whatever you're imagining is probably right. The teeth didn't look too sharp but they made up for that in size and number. Besides, if he was anything like earth crocs he had enough bite force to make gums probably work.
Mike was thanking his lucky stars he hadn't been caught when suddenly a second head popped out from behind the first, and he realized the croc had a bucket strapped to his back with something poking out of it. After a bit of chatter, a second creature slithered out of the bucket and onto the ground. It was... Strange to say the least.
The creature stood at four feet tall, and was clearly an aquatic being, being covered in fins from head to toe to tail, along with burgundy scales so small he might've mistaken them for skin. Looking at its head it was decidedly a moray, with a mouth full of sharp teeth and an eels... Tail? Body? Let's say tail, coming out of the back of its head. Or would it be a humanoid body coming out of the moray's neck? 'This thing is weird to look at! Why do you need two bodies!?' Michael mentally screamed at the merfolk. He was just getting a grip on his mental image of it when the merfolk threw a wrench into his poor brains attempt to understand it, by flying. Well ok it wasn't flying flying, but with a little hop and spreading its wing-like fins it was able to glide along while hardly touching the ground. 'well this just keeps getting less and less fair.'
A call from above, undoubtedly from their flier, probably told Mr. Crocodile that Mike was in the building that he double backed out of, because his made some growling sounds of their own before he and the merfolk entered in through the window. Mike released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding and took a look around the room he was in. It was dark in here, with only a bit of light coming from the twilight of a single window, but he could see place was almost empty, with little more than the occasional rug or bit of furniture that had been strewn about and a bit of debris by the stairs.
Seeing his way out, he ran to the stairs before noticing that there was more debris in the way than he saw in the dark. Turning on the flashlight on his phone, his hopes were dashed as he saw that the upper floor had caved in, blocking his access out. He hadn't seen the flier come down to enter the other building, so they were most likely keeping overwatch in case he tried to give them the slip, which he already kinda had, but he needed to make the same trick to work twice, and that always goes well.
Peeking out the window, Mike caught sight of what he assumed to be the flier making rounds overhead. There were only a few seconds on the far side that line of sight was broken, not enough time to run, but there were other hiding spots. Taking a chance, Mike crawled back out of the window as soon as the flier was out of sight and hopped into the confirmed dumpster. It was around now that he realized he didn't exactly have a plan, and his situation wasn't exactly improved either. 'I'm just making sure that I'm not cornered in case they find me. Yeah that's it!' now he had a plan, and his situation had improved too! Sort of, stop asking questions. A few seconds later he was out and under a shutter, and on the next loop he was out of the alley.
Turns out, it's not that easy. Mike had thought he was safe, after rounding a corner he ran until he was sure he'd lost them, only to hear more footsteps from behind. The flier must have seen him and Mr Croc was in pursuit again, at least Mike had enough of a lead he couldn't see them yet. Testing a theory, Mike found a balcony and jumped for it. Yep! Lower gravity was confirmed as he made it nearly two meters off the ground! He also undershot it and smacked his head on the underside of the balcony, eliciting a (hopefully) dignified shriek, ruining the momentous occasion. Still, he was able to hit the ground running and made for another escape.
It had not taken long for a pattern to establish, Mike would hide and lose pursuit only to be spotted by the flier as soon as he got any distance. His best bet was, somehow, to stay close, under the radar so to speak and lead them away. He wasn't sure how they always knew what direction he was in, considering how well he kept out of sight, until he saw Mr. Croc kneel down and sniff a footprint. Ahh, they were tracking him.
That might actually be a blessing in disguise, because they were moving from an abandoned looking residential area to an industrial complex that was more populated, seeing a bit of foot traffic and lights in windows. He just might be able to lose them in there. Mike had a bit of a laugh at the fact that monsters were living on a jobsite when there were some perfectly fine - ok dilapidated, but so is everything else - houses a few streets over. He snapped his attention back to the situation at hand, he was still being chased after all, and now he planned on escaping by walking through Monster City night life. 'how did I let this become my best option?' there was nothing for it though, he just had to hope he could still keep out of sight.
After a couple close calls where Mike had turned a corner only to see a wall or monsters that somehow hadn't noticed him, he got enough of a lead that he could try hiding. Finding a road with hundreds of footprints up and down it, he backtracked a few meters before diving behind a couple pipes that were sticking out of a building.
Mr. Croc showed up not long after with the eel in tow, and signed the flier to come down. He could finally see that dirty little spy plane! It was a... Moth! 3 feet tall with big black eyes, droopy antennae and some soft looking fluff on its head and body, Mike would have thought it adorable if it hadn't been snitching on him!
Being unfamiliar with monsterese, Mike had no idea what was being said, but the body language made it clear they were arguing. It actually looked like a parent scolding their children, with Mr. Croc being 8 feet tall while the others were in the 3-4 foot range. That didn't stop fire being flung both ways as the small pair clearly gave the kind of back talk that would have gotten the taste slapped out of Michael's mouth if he tried it on his dad. With someone saying something the conversation suddenly came to an end with Mr. Croc spitting on the ground and turning away. He fiddled with a latch on his chest and the bucket on his back came loose, hitting the eel on the head and soaking it, undoubtedly on purpose. With a few snide remarks the three went their ways, leaving Mike gracefully alone.
...In the middle of monster city.
Why did the universe insist on not improving the situation? 'Ok that wasn't fair universe, you're trying very hard, and I appreciate you getting me out of that.'
Karmatic retribution for his insolent thoughts hopefully averted, Mike got moving again.
.
Much to his own chagrin and with a hint of irony, Mike found himself tailing Mr Croc. Looking back it was ridiculous that nobody had noticed him running through the streets but he was found squatting under a bridge. Mr. Croc clearly had a reputation of some kind, because people seemed to avoid him like the plague. When Mike tried to backtrack he found himself relatively surrounded by monsters compared to the empty streets he was chased through, and he ended up finding sanctuary in the invisible bubble of Mr. Croc's presence, causing no end of irritation on Mike's end.
.
After nearly an hour of following, Michael's blood was boiling. Maybe because it was due to the lack of sleep, maybe it was due to being chased for hours for no reason, maybe it was due to being forced to hang around his least favourite semi-aquatic reptile. Or maybe it was because he was witnessing a mugging.
While sneaking along behind his quary, Mike did his best to hang back aways and keep an eye out for an escape route. They were still in the industrial complex, but must have been leaving the populated area, judging by the fact that fewer and fewer monsters were coming out after the crocodile had passed. Michael was just about ready to finally get away from him when he spotted someone walking in their direction, clearly having missed the memo to stay away.
The Croc was on them in a flash and the old bird -that's not an insult, she had feathers and a beak- tried to run but didn't get more than a couple steps away before the Croc had gotten a hold of her. Michael watched from the shadows as the bird lady was shaken, growled at and nearly had her head taken off by the snapping maw of an Egyptian god who had a chip on his shoulder. She was panicked, trying to run and begging, but the actual monster had her arm in a firm grip, and with his other hand he grabbed a pouch of some kind of the lady before shoving her onto the ground and walking away like nothing happened.
Michael was fuming. All that just to snatch a purse!? This thug who had chased him all throughout town, acted like he owned the place, who could probably rip Mike in half, did all that over a freaking handbag! His anger froze cold as the victim slowly picked herself up. Now that she wasn't being actively assaulted he could see she really was an old bird, with patches of feathers, wrinkles, generally frail looking, he was looking at someone's grandmother! And that crocodile... No, he would not get away with this!
.
Michael's anger had been subdued by the realization of what he was doing, now tailing the 8-foot lizard man a lot closer than before and armed with a pocket knife, one that felt a lot smaller in his hand as he realized what he was doing, he wasn't sure how to actually do this. The bastard deserved what was coming, but after cooling off Mike knew rushing in was a bad idea. Luckily this industrial complex, or whatever it was, was packed with rails, pipes, and other things so tightly there was practically a second road overhead. Mike's plan, if you could call it that, was to jump down onto the guy and take him out before he even knew what was happening.
Michael barely made a sound as he went up and over, stopping only when his target looked around. It seemed he could tell something was off, but wasn't ready to act on the feeling just yet, which wasn't the kind of opportunity that Mike was one to waste. He dropped, silent as a shadow.
The crocodile may have been 8 feet tall, built like a brick and was in a lower gravity setting, but the simple fact was that he wasn't ready for someone to suddenly land on his neck. He went down like a sack of potatoes with Mike clinging on, the tumble having left him momentarily disoriented. Still, he quickly righted himself, this needed to end fast, or it would turn into an actual fight where he would have the disadvantage. Wrapped around the monster's head Michael brought the knife to its neck and... Hesitated. Mike had been in fights before, but those were scuffles in the school yard, now he was about to kill. He knew his opponent deserved nothing less, but that seemed to fade in the face of taking a life. It was enough to take the fire out of him.
And so, instead of pushing the blade into his windpipe he only pressed it to the Crocs neck instead. "Alright listen up you big bastard," but the big bastard did not listen up, a fact made clear when a large hand grabbed and threw him off. Mike rolled as he landed and quickly got his feet back under him, knife luckily still in hand. The croc slowly stood up, cracking his neck as he did so before speaking. "Ev'uoy tsuj edam ym yad." It said with a toothy grin. Mike just glared from his crouched position. 'different language, nice to know I wasted my time!' kind of obvious in retrospect, but there's nothing for it now. Mike kept low to the ground, with a two foot difference in height he wouldn't even try to match his opponent in strength or reach, so he opted to keep low.
The Croc tensed for a moment before lunging at Mike, maw open and ready to swallow him whole. Mike lunged himself, keeping low to the ground and barely ducked under the attack and swiped at the exposed neck. He didn't expect to land the hit, but his opponent was taken off guard by his offence and didn't quite pull back fast enough, taking a superficial cut below the chin. Shock flashed in the croc's eyes and he lept back, lashing out with claws to keep Mike at bay. Unfortunately for him, Michael knew that playing fair was for suckers, and that you kick opponents when they're down, so he didn't let up. He was moving forward before the Croc had even landed, stayed below the counter and was in his guard again.
This time he didn't hesitate, and plunged his knife in the croc's side eliciting a shocked gasp from the titan and, keeping his momentum, moved just beside his opponent's shoulder before jumping just a little higher than intended and striking again. Still reeling from the first stab, the croc had only managed to make eye contact as Michael's knife sought his throat again, and this time did not stop. Michael landed on his feet as the croc sunk to his knees, blood leaking freely from his neck as he tried to stop the bleeding with his bare hands but it was already done. The crocodile was dead before he hit the ground, and Michael breathed a sigh of relief.
.
That purse wasn't the only property Mr. Croc had appropriated, as Michael found plenty of interesting things on his person. His things now, as he had no way of returning them. Despite the haul, his mind was elsewhere as he walked.
That guy did not know how to fight, probably used to just intimidating people around him. When an actual fight came he was honestly kinda sluggish, and didn't even think to use magic or the shiv that was in his pocket. Even so, that was a dumb thing to do. What was he thinking, attacking someone like that? What if he had known what he was doing!? Mike could not afford these kinds of mistakes in a survival situation, even if he did get lucky, even if he somehow got out unscathed! You just don't rely on that happening, and Michael resolved to remember that in the future.
Finding a good spot, he set the purse down in the middle of a road and retreated to a hiding place. Soon enough the bird lady passed by even slower than before, the only reason Mike got ahead of her was because she was slowly limping along. Seeing that made his hatred flare up again, but his anger faded away as with a shocked look, the bird lady found the purse, looked inside and sagged with visible relief before looking around suspiciously and continuing with just a bit more pep in her step. 'Well,' Mike thought, 'maybe that wasn't such a dumb move after all.'
____________________________________________________Author's note
Alright part 3 is out! Hope y'all enjoy.
In case anyone had missed it, large portions of Reddit will be going dark in protest of the removal of third party software on June 12th. I had originally planned to join the protest, but then I read the HFY 's official take on the matter (remaining neutral to act as an escape from stressful situations like this) and decided that's worthwhile. As such I will continue posting but otherwise will be off of Reddit in protest.
The first shall be previous and the next shall be in a week or so.
submitted by thrownawaz092 to HFY [link] [comments]
Could he get back home?
A stiff wind blew around him and stole the heat from his body, leaving him cold in an encroaching dark. 'How do I know I can even get back?' besides knowing it existed, Mike knew nothing about magic. He was fairly certain that kobold had sent him back the first time, but by the looks of it they had also summoned him in the first place. Something else pulled him in the second time, so there was a very real chance that he wouldn't be able to do anything. 'and of course, that all comes before the fact I have no idea how to find the little lizard.' Mike ducked into an alley to avoid some kind of flying fish as he considered his situation. Hopeless as it was, finding a needle in a haystack was the only option to present itself, so he reluctantly chose his only option.
Things hit an all time low as Michael sat under a bridge that would serve as his shelter for the night. Sure, there were plenty of haunted houses to choose from, but they all ran the risk of him being found by the monsters that lived in monster city. The bridge was a solid piece of work, being composed mostly of concrete and some kind of wood, and it passed over a wide river that was pretty turbulent for its size. Mike was suprised by the lack of metal, but it seemed to be holding up well enough so he let it go.
Slinging off his backpack, Michael decided to occupy himself by taking stock of his inventory and situation. Laying everything out, he had:
The gym clothes he was wearing, just a tee shirt and shorts. They were sweaty, dirty and didn't cover much
His regular clothes, thick jeans, another tee shirt and an over shirt
His phone, which had no service and 67% battery life. 'yeah, let's turn on airplane mode and the battery saver.' it wouldn't last long, but the calculator, flashlight, stopwatch, notepad and compass tools could all be useful.
Earphones, 'ha! I downloaded all my songs and can listen to them forever if I find a charger! Suck on that Spotify elitists!'
Shoes, nothing special about them
A bag of chocolates that monsters think they're too good for
An almost empty water bottle. 'pro tip, if you're lost in the desert, conserve sweat, not water.' Remembering that bit of survival trivia, he downed the last few gulps.
His pocket knife, score! The salesman had told him this thing could withstand his own weight on the blade, and Mike had really put it through its paces to confirm that claim. It was also a swiss army knife and had several tools in it, even a firestarter! That alone tripled his chances out here.
His wallet, full of useless bills, coins and cards
A gym membership, also useless
Ankle and wrist weights, with detachable pieces of metal to change the weight. 'Should I keep these on or off?' On one hand, he would like to be as physically capable as possible for whatever was coming, and the constant work out would only help with that, but on the other, they would slow him down and tire him out. Not good without a food source. He took them off for now.
And a gym bag, which is always good to have.
The first thing Mike did was change back onto his normal clothes. They would keep him a little warmer and weren't so smelly, which would be good for werewolves that might sniff him out. Walking down to the river, it seemed clear, so he filled his bottle - he could always not drink it later - and began washing the gym clothes.
As he scrubbed his mind moved onto the situation he was in. Another world, monsters, magic and local superpowers are all established. Judging by the state of things, that being the ruins and monsters, this was probably once a thriving nation that had since been overrun and was now populated with the monsters that did so. The biggest concern that came out of that was that this clearly hadn't been a medieval society. True, just about everything was alien to him but he could recognize a TV screen or a car, this place was just as if not more advanced than earth, and they still got wiped out by monsters.
As Mike started wringing out his shorts, his introspection was interrupted when he heard voices overhead. He immediately stopped and turned his head up. It was getting dark by now and whatever was above him had a light, he couldn't understand what the two, no three voices were saying, but he didn't like the tone or the fact that the light source seemed to be getting closer to the side of the bridge. He tensed, and slowly put his sopping clothes into his bag as quietly as he could.
With a loud grunt, whoever has the light jumped over the edge of the bridge, still out of view behind a support but that was as close as he was willing to get. Mike took off as fast as he could in the opposite direction of the ravine the bridge crossed. The ones still on the bridge pulled out another light and called out to the one on the ground, who growled a response back. 'crap, crap, crap!' rang through Mike's head as he put on more speed, the sounds of pursuit not far behind. Between the weights and wet clothes, Michael was worried he might have to ditch his bag again, but it wasn't weighing him down nearly as much as the thought it should. 'just wish adrenaline would come this easy at the gym!' he was making good speed all things considered and was glad to hear his pursuer falling behind.
His hopes of escape were shattered however as one of them proved able to fly, because he heard a screech overhead and saw a silhouette giving away his position! Come on, that's not fair! He had to lose the little cheater and soon, otherwise the others could just run him down at their leisure! Mike turned, slipping on the grassy turf as he aimed to go back in the city. If the universe would just throw him a bone for once, there wouldn't be many other monsters, and he could shake these jerks.
He ducked into an alley, left onto a street before swinging behind some buildings again. Looking up he could still see that cheeky little spy plane was still on him, and from the sounds of the voices, the ones on foot were taking a direct route instead of weaving around, they were closing in. Thanking the universe for actually not putting other monsters in his way, Mike ducked into another alley and saw what he was looking for; a dumpster (he assumed) right under an open window. The only issue was the chain link fence between him and it. 'Really though, who sets up a fence right in an alley like this?' another call from above reminded him of his situation. 'right, deal with it now, ponder neighbors who probably hated each other later.' despite his dismay at the obstacle, he practically leapt over the fence, which was at least 6 feet tall. Adrenaline was one hell of a drug, but there was no way he could do that!
He mentally stored that away as well as he hopped on the dumpster and into the window, waited a couple seconds and hopped back out. He couldn't see the spy anymore which meant they couldn't see him either. He just managed to crawl down a basement window of a building on the other side of the alley before his pursuers burst into the alley as well.
Watching through the window, Michael finally got a good look at the one on foot. That was a big guy, like 8 feet tall and built like a truck kind of big. He was the one with the light in his hand, a glowing ball that floated in his palm, and it cast a rather terrifying shadow over his crocodilian face. He was a crocodile man, no other way about it. Thick tail, heavy green scales that are more yellow on the underside, whatever you're imagining is probably right. The teeth didn't look too sharp but they made up for that in size and number. Besides, if he was anything like earth crocs he had enough bite force to make gums probably work.
Mike was thanking his lucky stars he hadn't been caught when suddenly a second head popped out from behind the first, and he realized the croc had a bucket strapped to his back with something poking out of it. After a bit of chatter, a second creature slithered out of the bucket and onto the ground. It was... Strange to say the least.
The creature stood at four feet tall, and was clearly an aquatic being, being covered in fins from head to toe to tail, along with burgundy scales so small he might've mistaken them for skin. Looking at its head it was decidedly a moray, with a mouth full of sharp teeth and an eels... Tail? Body? Let's say tail, coming out of the back of its head. Or would it be a humanoid body coming out of the moray's neck? 'This thing is weird to look at! Why do you need two bodies!?' Michael mentally screamed at the merfolk. He was just getting a grip on his mental image of it when the merfolk threw a wrench into his poor brains attempt to understand it, by flying. Well ok it wasn't flying flying, but with a little hop and spreading its wing-like fins it was able to glide along while hardly touching the ground. 'well this just keeps getting less and less fair.'
A call from above, undoubtedly from their flier, probably told Mr. Crocodile that Mike was in the building that he double backed out of, because his made some growling sounds of their own before he and the merfolk entered in through the window. Mike released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding and took a look around the room he was in. It was dark in here, with only a bit of light coming from the twilight of a single window, but he could see place was almost empty, with little more than the occasional rug or bit of furniture that had been strewn about and a bit of debris by the stairs.
Seeing his way out, he ran to the stairs before noticing that there was more debris in the way than he saw in the dark. Turning on the flashlight on his phone, his hopes were dashed as he saw that the upper floor had caved in, blocking his access out. He hadn't seen the flier come down to enter the other building, so they were most likely keeping overwatch in case he tried to give them the slip, which he already kinda had, but he needed to make the same trick to work twice, and that always goes well.
Peeking out the window, Mike caught sight of what he assumed to be the flier making rounds overhead. There were only a few seconds on the far side that line of sight was broken, not enough time to run, but there were other hiding spots. Taking a chance, Mike crawled back out of the window as soon as the flier was out of sight and hopped into the confirmed dumpster. It was around now that he realized he didn't exactly have a plan, and his situation wasn't exactly improved either. 'I'm just making sure that I'm not cornered in case they find me. Yeah that's it!' now he had a plan, and his situation had improved too! Sort of, stop asking questions. A few seconds later he was out and under a shutter, and on the next loop he was out of the alley.
Turns out, it's not that easy. Mike had thought he was safe, after rounding a corner he ran until he was sure he'd lost them, only to hear more footsteps from behind. The flier must have seen him and Mr Croc was in pursuit again, at least Mike had enough of a lead he couldn't see them yet. Testing a theory, Mike found a balcony and jumped for it. Yep! Lower gravity was confirmed as he made it nearly two meters off the ground! He also undershot it and smacked his head on the underside of the balcony, eliciting a (hopefully) dignified shriek, ruining the momentous occasion. Still, he was able to hit the ground running and made for another escape.
It had not taken long for a pattern to establish, Mike would hide and lose pursuit only to be spotted by the flier as soon as he got any distance. His best bet was, somehow, to stay close, under the radar so to speak and lead them away. He wasn't sure how they always knew what direction he was in, considering how well he kept out of sight, until he saw Mr. Croc kneel down and sniff a footprint. Ahh, they were tracking him.
That might actually be a blessing in disguise, because they were moving from an abandoned looking residential area to an industrial complex that was more populated, seeing a bit of foot traffic and lights in windows. He just might be able to lose them in there. Mike had a bit of a laugh at the fact that monsters were living on a jobsite when there were some perfectly fine - ok dilapidated, but so is everything else - houses a few streets over. He snapped his attention back to the situation at hand, he was still being chased after all, and now he planned on escaping by walking through Monster City night life. 'how did I let this become my best option?' there was nothing for it though, he just had to hope he could still keep out of sight.
After a couple close calls where Mike had turned a corner only to see a wall or monsters that somehow hadn't noticed him, he got enough of a lead that he could try hiding. Finding a road with hundreds of footprints up and down it, he backtracked a few meters before diving behind a couple pipes that were sticking out of a building.
Mr. Croc showed up not long after with the eel in tow, and signed the flier to come down. He could finally see that dirty little spy plane! It was a... Moth! 3 feet tall with big black eyes, droopy antennae and some soft looking fluff on its head and body, Mike would have thought it adorable if it hadn't been snitching on him!
Being unfamiliar with monsterese, Mike had no idea what was being said, but the body language made it clear they were arguing. It actually looked like a parent scolding their children, with Mr. Croc being 8 feet tall while the others were in the 3-4 foot range. That didn't stop fire being flung both ways as the small pair clearly gave the kind of back talk that would have gotten the taste slapped out of Michael's mouth if he tried it on his dad. With someone saying something the conversation suddenly came to an end with Mr. Croc spitting on the ground and turning away. He fiddled with a latch on his chest and the bucket on his back came loose, hitting the eel on the head and soaking it, undoubtedly on purpose. With a few snide remarks the three went their ways, leaving Mike gracefully alone.
...In the middle of monster city.
Why did the universe insist on not improving the situation? 'Ok that wasn't fair universe, you're trying very hard, and I appreciate you getting me out of that.'
Karmatic retribution for his insolent thoughts hopefully averted, Mike got moving again.
.
Much to his own chagrin and with a hint of irony, Mike found himself tailing Mr Croc. Looking back it was ridiculous that nobody had noticed him running through the streets but he was found squatting under a bridge. Mr. Croc clearly had a reputation of some kind, because people seemed to avoid him like the plague. When Mike tried to backtrack he found himself relatively surrounded by monsters compared to the empty streets he was chased through, and he ended up finding sanctuary in the invisible bubble of Mr. Croc's presence, causing no end of irritation on Mike's end.
.
After nearly an hour of following, Michael's blood was boiling. Maybe because it was due to the lack of sleep, maybe it was due to being chased for hours for no reason, maybe it was due to being forced to hang around his least favourite semi-aquatic reptile. Or maybe it was because he was witnessing a mugging.
While sneaking along behind his quary, Mike did his best to hang back aways and keep an eye out for an escape route. They were still in the industrial complex, but must have been leaving the populated area, judging by the fact that fewer and fewer monsters were coming out after the crocodile had passed. Michael was just about ready to finally get away from him when he spotted someone walking in their direction, clearly having missed the memo to stay away.
The Croc was on them in a flash and the old bird -that's not an insult, she had feathers and a beak- tried to run but didn't get more than a couple steps away before the Croc had gotten a hold of her. Michael watched from the shadows as the bird lady was shaken, growled at and nearly had her head taken off by the snapping maw of an Egyptian god who had a chip on his shoulder. She was panicked, trying to run and begging, but the actual monster had her arm in a firm grip, and with his other hand he grabbed a pouch of some kind of the lady before shoving her onto the ground and walking away like nothing happened.
Michael was fuming. All that just to snatch a purse!? This thug who had chased him all throughout town, acted like he owned the place, who could probably rip Mike in half, did all that over a freaking handbag! His anger froze cold as the victim slowly picked herself up. Now that she wasn't being actively assaulted he could see she really was an old bird, with patches of feathers, wrinkles, generally frail looking, he was looking at someone's grandmother! And that crocodile... No, he would not get away with this!
.
Michael's anger had been subdued by the realization of what he was doing, now tailing the 8-foot lizard man a lot closer than before and armed with a pocket knife, one that felt a lot smaller in his hand as he realized what he was doing, he wasn't sure how to actually do this. The bastard deserved what was coming, but after cooling off Mike knew rushing in was a bad idea. Luckily this industrial complex, or whatever it was, was packed with rails, pipes, and other things so tightly there was practically a second road overhead. Mike's plan, if you could call it that, was to jump down onto the guy and take him out before he even knew what was happening.
Michael barely made a sound as he went up and over, stopping only when his target looked around. It seemed he could tell something was off, but wasn't ready to act on the feeling just yet, which wasn't the kind of opportunity that Mike was one to waste. He dropped, silent as a shadow.
The crocodile may have been 8 feet tall, built like a brick and was in a lower gravity setting, but the simple fact was that he wasn't ready for someone to suddenly land on his neck. He went down like a sack of potatoes with Mike clinging on, the tumble having left him momentarily disoriented. Still, he quickly righted himself, this needed to end fast, or it would turn into an actual fight where he would have the disadvantage. Wrapped around the monster's head Michael brought the knife to its neck and... Hesitated. Mike had been in fights before, but those were scuffles in the school yard, now he was about to kill. He knew his opponent deserved nothing less, but that seemed to fade in the face of taking a life. It was enough to take the fire out of him.
And so, instead of pushing the blade into his windpipe he only pressed it to the Crocs neck instead. "Alright listen up you big bastard," but the big bastard did not listen up, a fact made clear when a large hand grabbed and threw him off. Mike rolled as he landed and quickly got his feet back under him, knife luckily still in hand. The croc slowly stood up, cracking his neck as he did so before speaking. "Ev'uoy tsuj edam ym yad." It said with a toothy grin. Mike just glared from his crouched position. 'different language, nice to know I wasted my time!' kind of obvious in retrospect, but there's nothing for it now. Mike kept low to the ground, with a two foot difference in height he wouldn't even try to match his opponent in strength or reach, so he opted to keep low.
The Croc tensed for a moment before lunging at Mike, maw open and ready to swallow him whole. Mike lunged himself, keeping low to the ground and barely ducked under the attack and swiped at the exposed neck. He didn't expect to land the hit, but his opponent was taken off guard by his offence and didn't quite pull back fast enough, taking a superficial cut below the chin. Shock flashed in the croc's eyes and he lept back, lashing out with claws to keep Mike at bay. Unfortunately for him, Michael knew that playing fair was for suckers, and that you kick opponents when they're down, so he didn't let up. He was moving forward before the Croc had even landed, stayed below the counter and was in his guard again.
This time he didn't hesitate, and plunged his knife in the croc's side eliciting a shocked gasp from the titan and, keeping his momentum, moved just beside his opponent's shoulder before jumping just a little higher than intended and striking again. Still reeling from the first stab, the croc had only managed to make eye contact as Michael's knife sought his throat again, and this time did not stop. Michael landed on his feet as the croc sunk to his knees, blood leaking freely from his neck as he tried to stop the bleeding with his bare hands but it was already done. The crocodile was dead before he hit the ground, and Michael breathed a sigh of relief.
.
That purse wasn't the only property Mr. Croc had appropriated, as Michael found plenty of interesting things on his person. His things now, as he had no way of returning them. Despite the haul, his mind was elsewhere as he walked.
That guy did not know how to fight, probably used to just intimidating people around him. When an actual fight came he was honestly kinda sluggish, and didn't even think to use magic or the shiv that was in his pocket. Even so, that was a dumb thing to do. What was he thinking, attacking someone like that? What if he had known what he was doing!? Mike could not afford these kinds of mistakes in a survival situation, even if he did get lucky, even if he somehow got out unscathed! You just don't rely on that happening, and Michael resolved to remember that in the future.
Finding a good spot, he set the purse down in the middle of a road and retreated to a hiding place. Soon enough the bird lady passed by even slower than before, the only reason Mike got ahead of her was because she was slowly limping along. Seeing that made his hatred flare up again, but his anger faded away as with a shocked look, the bird lady found the purse, looked inside and sagged with visible relief before looking around suspiciously and continuing with just a bit more pep in her step. 'Well,' Mike thought, 'maybe that wasn't such a dumb move after all.'
____________________________________________________Author's note
Alright part 3 is out! Hope y'all enjoy.
In case anyone had missed it, large portions of Reddit will be going dark in protest of the removal of third party software on June 12th. I had originally planned to join the protest, but then I read the HFY 's official take on the matter (remaining neutral to act as an escape from stressful situations like this) and decided that's worthwhile. As such I will continue posting but otherwise will be off of Reddit in protest.
The first shall be previous and the next shall be in a week or so.
2023.06.07 20:43 Future_Ad_3485 The Swallow and the Mad Hatter Part Eleven: A Lilac in the Bayou
Laying in bed, my hand rested on my bump. How did I end like this? Demonic and pregnant, that very statement sounding like a cheap movie title. Demy slumbered next to me, the day was ours to be had. Demy promised me a date today, and I suppose I should take it. Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, a black box waited for me. Opening the top, my breath was stolen from me. Golden lace sparrows flew over a scarlet rockabilly dress, my shaking fingers pulling it out. Holding it to my body, the measurements were exact to me. The mattress creaked as Demy sat up, the morning sun bathing his handsome features.
“Do you like it? I ordered it a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully, it will fit.” He yawned groggily, rubbing his eyes. “I also ordered new jeans for you, considering that they won’t fit eventually. Try it on.” Tugging on my snug bra, the dress fit perfectly. Loving the way the skirt floated away from me, Demy was already dressed in a simple black dress shirt and dark jeans. His casual look threw me off, a scythe charm dangled off of his wrists. Staring at him with pure bewilderment, he tugged his hair into a neat man bun. Shrugging his shoulders, he sauntered over to me. His hungry eyes devoured me.
“I like it very much.” I stammered with a fluttering heart. Wrapping his arm around the small of my waist, his lips pressed against mine passionately. Arching my body towards him, time stopped once more. Why did this keep happening! Releasing me from his spell, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I forgot to tell you that I can disguise myself. Now I look like an albino goth.” He explained playfully, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Let me fix your hair.” Brushing through it, he twisted it into a simple side braid. Kicking over my boots, he kissed my forehead while I slid on my boots. Spinning around the room, he swung me underneath him. Smothering me in kisses, he placed me on his back. Walking downstairs, we burst out onto the busy street. People smiled at us as he took every turn to an abandoned mansion. Vines had claimed the red brick, the metal porches barely hanging on.
“I bought it for us.” He proclaimed proudly, placing his hands on his hips. “I thought it was time we got a place of our own. What do you think?” Tears welled up in my eyes, my hand falling on my bump. He didn’t have to, my other hand clenching into a tight ball. Glancing up at the top window, a lone female spirit floated in her flowing nightgown. Cocking my head, shadowy hands ripped her back. Bursting through the front door, dust covered the water damaged walls. Sprinting upstairs, my fingers curled around my staff. The stairs creaked dangerously underneath my boots, a jump in the air saving me from a painful fall as the steps crumbled. Landing on the metal railing, my boots clanged against the metal with every step. A ghost was in trouble, the scene shifting around me. Demy caught up to me, the inside of the house rewinding back in time. Pristine walls with ornate wallpaper greeted me, Demy letting out a long sigh.
“We are trapped in another time bubble.” He groaned to himself, rubbing his forehead. “We know the only way out is to kill the ghost who brought us here. This bubble reeks of something else though. Can you smell the sulfur?” Sniffing the air, he wasn’t wrong. Hiding me underneath the staircase, my breath hitched at his body pressed against mine. A man with chocolate brown hair and caramel eyes landed inches from us, blood pouring from his eyes. A child’s scream snapped me from my horror filled trance, a thirteen year old girl ran by us with her long brown waves flying behind her. A shadow figure chased after her, a jagged blade sliding through her chest. Watching the ruby drops hit the floor, the worn wooden handle became stained with her blood. Dropping to the floor, her hand reached for me. The demon snapped its head towards us, rows of bloody fangs clicked together. Spinning his blade in his palm, his wrist flicked abruptly, Demy’s back caught the blade, his scythe charm glowing red hot. Pushing the knife out with his muscles, the charm grew to its full size. Ravens cawed behind him, the bracelet turning back into his top hat. Scarlet flames twisted with golden flames, the feathers floating behind me. Cocking his head back, crazed laughter burst from his lips.
“You are going to have to find me first.” He taunted cruelly, clapping his hands. “I will never let you claim my home.” Demy narrowed his eyes in his direction, the annoyance disappearing into the floor. Coming out of our hiding spot, jazz music played outside. Creeping around the corner, my flames died down for a second. A pile of bright yellow liquid coated the spot he went through, Demy crouching down to examine it.
“He is ancient.” He grumbled under his breath, his kind gaze watched me take in the information. “The brighter the sulfur the older they are.” Feeling stupid for not understanding him, the solution wasn’t obvious to me. Shifting uncomfortably, no words came to the tip of my tongue. The ghost of the girl floated over to me, tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks. Her hair floated up behind her, her quaking hands gripping her ragged nightgown. Her milky eyes met mine, surprise rounding her eyes at my outreached hand.
“We are going to get rid of him for you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can free you because of the whole murder thing. Maybe we can find your father.” I offered sincerely, her icy hands cupping mine. “We can turn on the television for you every now and then. I’ll even cook your favorite foods so you can smell them. The one thing you have to do is help me out. Can you do that?” The spirit of the father floated around the corner, his snow white hair danced wildly. Fixing his mustache, his milky eyes fell on us. Dusting off his suit, he cleared his throat. Holding out his hand, I gave it one good firm shake.
“I am Mr. Smillet and that is my daughter Milly. We would love to help you.” He introduced himself politely, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “Unfortunately, we can’t leave because of an eternal curse on the land but your idea sounds lovely. Let’s make this place a home once more.” Floating through the floor, his head popped up through the center of the hole.
“This is going to sound backwards but he is in the attic.” He chirped warmly, pulling himself out. “We will lead the way.” Walking past the photos of them, the nineteen twenties raged outside. Stopping at the attic door, they took a step back. Thanking them silently, we pushed the door open. Pressing our backs against the wall, the stairs creaked with every step. Glancing behind me, the door slammed shut behind us. The only light flickered, my heart seconds from beating out of my chest. Pop! A sea of darkness swallowed us, cold breezes lashing our cheeks. Summoning my flames, my heart sank into the pit of my stomach at his face inches from mine. Slamming my heel into his chest, he smashed into the wall. Climbing the stairs, I kicked a pile of boxes down the stairs. Spinning my scythe over my head, balls of flames whipped in his direction. Stopping them before they hit him, he raised his hand over his head. Hundreds of those damn daggers spun over his head, my metal feathers destroying them upon impact. Snapping his fingers, cold hands smashed through the floorboards. Slicing my palm on an exposed nail, Demy seemed to be dealing with his own problems. Smearing my hand on the wall, the scent was enough for me to summon my pets. Whistling sharply, the attic door rattled violently. Wet snarls echoed on the other side, my three pets taking him down to the ground. Pulling his gun from his pocket, Demy towered over the howling demon. Pressing his gun to his forehead, his finger tugged on the trigger. His bullet burst from the end, his body decaying to ash. My pets bounded up to me, their tails wagging a mile a minute. Rubbing their bellies, they melted into puddles.
“Who are good doggies!” I spoke with my dog mom’s voice, tongues licking my face left and right. The time bubble still remained, my eyes narrowing. Something felt off, a glowing orb bounced in the corner. Walking over to it cautiously, the ball of light floated into my clammy palm. Tears welled up in my eyes, the spirit was her mother. The real reason the time bubble existed was because of her, her soul purpose had been served. She stayed behind to protect them, one more thing stopping her.
“I need you to promise to take care of them.” She spoke gently, the orb floating in the air. “I can’t stay here because I dragged myself outside of the property line. I need to know that they will be okay.” Drops of light hit the floor, sobs bounced off the wall. Demy embraced me from behind, his chin resting on my head. Flashing the orb with his crooked grin, the drops of light slowed to a halt.
“We vow to give them a lovely afterlife. I was thinking we could give them the attic.” He promised sincerely, kissing the top of my head. “We can furnish the space as they wish. Then they can hang out with us downstairs. How does that sound?” Thinking for a minute, the orb floated into the sky. The time bubble glitched, a dusty attic greeting us. Pressing my palm to the splintered floor, a bright light blinded us. Covering his eyes, the light died down. Pristine floors brushed against my palm, a neat bedroom pleased me. The simple furniture would do, a picture of the girl's family hung on the wall. Running downstairs, the two spirits waited on the other side of the door. Opening the door for them, I motioned for them to go on up. Gasps of wonder bounced off the wall, my eyes scanning the scarlet walls. The hall seemed empty, my fingers tracing the one ancient mirror. Demy’s jaw dropped, my finger picking it up.
“If I can heal living things I can bring inanimate objects back to life.” I bragged with a wide grin, poking it to see if it was real. “I didn’t think I could do this well. We do have to get some furniture though. I could only manifest theirs because it had existed at one point. Do you like it?” Parting his lips to speak, a distraught woman sprinted in. One of our marks entered the hall, I put my foot out. Not seeing my foot, his face smashed onto the floor. Pressing my staff into his back, he put his hands up. The silky onyx hair contrasted the restored wooden floors, my three dogs surrounding him.
“If you move a fucking muscle you'll become dog chow.” I snapped hotly, flaming feathers hovered over him. “Tell me why you were cha-” My face dead panned at my former colleague charging at me with a haunted expression. Grabbing her by the arm, I tossed her over my head. The floor groaned in protest, the boards repairing themselves. Examining her closer, her eyes were ruby. Her lilac waves cascaded down her back, the white frilly Lolita dress hugged her petite body. A diamond collar sparkled on her neck, my eyes falling on the inky stain spreading on the white lace. Sniffing the air, I let them both go. A nasty bugger limped down the hall, a curved lilac blade quivered in his sludgy back. Demy raised his scythe, his ravens cawing behind him. Harsh winds blew our hair around, my flames roaring to life. Crouching down to their level, I yanked both of the heads up by their hair.
“If I help you, you join my army. No ifs, and or buts.” I barked sternly, the two of them nodding. “Sit back and watch the show.” Resting against the wall, her master fussed over her. Spinning my staff over my head, flaming feathers landed in the body. Demy leapt over my head, his scythe cutting into the body. The demon roared, horror rounding our eyes as it absorbed our power. Opening up its mouth, a wall of lilacs blocked its path. An idea came to mine, the flames of the burning lilacs illuminating my features.
“We need to hit it with everything we have.” I whispered so it wouldn’t hear, bewildered expressions meeting my determined grin. “You have trust in me.” Allowing my powers to build up at the top of my staff, Demy’s pure power built at the end of his scythe. Swinging our weapons at the same time, a rush of hot air blew our hair back. Taking the mirror off the wall, I held it in front of us. Let’s see how much power he could take. Demy held me by my hips in preparation for the impact. Absorbing the power as I had planned, a beam of our power slid us back a few feet. The beam hit him, the cracks beginning to form on his skin. Absorbing the doubled energy, he blasted the mirror again. The frame creaked, the beam striking the mirror once more. Demy held me down with all of his strength. The game of tennis continued until the energy decayed him into a pile of ash. Lowering the mirror, the house repaired itself. Demy huffed behind me, his arm spinning me around. Kissing me hungrily, he seemed grateful that I was alive. Crouching down to her level, Demy’s top hat absorbed his scythe and ravens.
“Where is she wounded? I won’t hurt her. I want to heal her.” I assured him kindly, the fellow demon taking a step back. “Do you mind?” Lifting up her dress, a nasty spike stuck out of her back. Ripping it out, she cussed like a sailor. Hovering my hand over the gaping wound, her muscle fused back together. Watching her skin patch itself, a nasty scar throbbed underneath my touch. Demy kicked her blade over, her trembling fingers gripping the worn leather hilt with raw terror.
“You must be Davidos Darth and Lilac Mattson. These two defected a couple of years ago.” Demy explained calmly, the petite woman embracing me graciously. “They were just hunted down by one of her sludgy monsters. The Golden Lion must be after you. The question is why.” A two year old girl peeked out from around the corner, her lilac waves grazing the floor. A white summer dress floated away from her body, her ruby eyes falling on me. A bright smile illuminated Lilac’s purple lips, the girl’s purple lips curling into a matching smile.
“Mommy!” She cried out, Lilac tossing me to the floor as she caught her daughter. “I am glad you are safe. I hid in my invisibility bubble like you told me too. Who is the pretty lady?” Crouching down to her level, I held out my hand.
“I am Scarlet Deaclon, your mother’s best friend. How do you feel about living here? Is that alright with your mother?” I inquired sweetly, her face lighting up. “I can’t have you guys running like that. I will put a protection spell on the house if it makes you feel better. Us defectors have to stick together.” Silent tears stained Lilac’s cheek, Davidos seemed seconds from crying.
“Seriously, I can’t have you guys on the street. Fight with me and we can have a miniature family.” I continued jovially, ruffling the girl’s beautiful hair. “I can also babysit if you need it.” Lilac began to sob, several fresh cuts and bruises caught my eyes.
“Why are you being so nice?” She wept softly, wiping away her tears. “I don’t deserve it. We left in s-” Putting my hand in the air, confusion mixed with sadness. Cupping her face, she quaked underneath my touch.
“She is the best reason to leave.” I comforted her kindly, my three dogs bounding up to the little girl. “Don’t worry they don’t bite. What’s her name?” Oreo, Stripes, and Darkness smothered her in love, the girl's giggles twinkled in the air. The four of them played as Davidos helped Lilac to her feet, Demy pacing back and forth. An irritated growl rumbled in his throat, a hand on his shoulder calming him down. He had to know that we needed allies, his lips brushing against the top of my head. Fishing around his pocket, a worn pocket knife sat in my palm. Cutting the blade across my palm, my eyes watched the blood pool. Drawing a powerful protection spell on the wall, the house rattled the moment I slammed my palm onto the wall. A golden dome hummed to life around the house. Mouthing a silent spell, five necklaces appeared in my palms. Golden feathers dangled off of the golden chains, no words being said as I passed them out.
“These will protect you when you leave the house.” I informed them with my real smile, dropping the necklace over the little girl’s head. “This should increase your ability to become invisible.” Clearing her throat, she stood in the attention position. Holding her head up high, Demy grinned at her proud stance.
“I am Lavender.” She introduced herself boldly, cupping my hands. “I vow to be your ally.” Chuckling softly to myself, my hand fell to my stomach absentmindedly. Hoping my kid was this awesome, hope glittered in her eyes. Demy spun me on my heels, placing my necklace over my head. Hooking his elbow in mine, he glanced back with concern.
“We are going to pick up some grub. Is pizza okay?” He asked with his crooked grin, their heads nodding. “We will be right back.” Guiding me out the door, our neighbors stared at us long and hard. Waving to them, they waved back awkwardly. Letting the moonlight bathe me, he spun me around. Holding me by the small of my waist, scarlet colored my cheeks.
“Did you see that adorable little girl? Do you think ours will be as awesome?” He mused playfully, kissing my lips feverishly. A goofy look dawned on my face, the feather necklace I made glittered on his shirt. Following my gaze, he fiddled with the magical charm.
“I would be a fool not to wear what my wife made for me.” He continued happily, his hand sliding down to my slight bump. Getting onto his knees, his lips brushed against the surface. Hugging my bump, a deeper crimson rose to my cheeks. People watched with warm smiles, the older couples holding each other tighter. Rising to his feet, he hooked his elbow in mine. Making me feel like the lead in a romance novel, pride swelled in his eyes. Walking me to the local pizza place, a warmth came over me. A shadow figure darted in the distance, the serenity leaving my mind. What the hell was that?
submitted by Future_Ad_3485 to NaturesTemper [link] [comments]
“Do you like it? I ordered it a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully, it will fit.” He yawned groggily, rubbing his eyes. “I also ordered new jeans for you, considering that they won’t fit eventually. Try it on.” Tugging on my snug bra, the dress fit perfectly. Loving the way the skirt floated away from me, Demy was already dressed in a simple black dress shirt and dark jeans. His casual look threw me off, a scythe charm dangled off of his wrists. Staring at him with pure bewilderment, he tugged his hair into a neat man bun. Shrugging his shoulders, he sauntered over to me. His hungry eyes devoured me.
“I like it very much.” I stammered with a fluttering heart. Wrapping his arm around the small of my waist, his lips pressed against mine passionately. Arching my body towards him, time stopped once more. Why did this keep happening! Releasing me from his spell, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I forgot to tell you that I can disguise myself. Now I look like an albino goth.” He explained playfully, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Let me fix your hair.” Brushing through it, he twisted it into a simple side braid. Kicking over my boots, he kissed my forehead while I slid on my boots. Spinning around the room, he swung me underneath him. Smothering me in kisses, he placed me on his back. Walking downstairs, we burst out onto the busy street. People smiled at us as he took every turn to an abandoned mansion. Vines had claimed the red brick, the metal porches barely hanging on.
“I bought it for us.” He proclaimed proudly, placing his hands on his hips. “I thought it was time we got a place of our own. What do you think?” Tears welled up in my eyes, my hand falling on my bump. He didn’t have to, my other hand clenching into a tight ball. Glancing up at the top window, a lone female spirit floated in her flowing nightgown. Cocking my head, shadowy hands ripped her back. Bursting through the front door, dust covered the water damaged walls. Sprinting upstairs, my fingers curled around my staff. The stairs creaked dangerously underneath my boots, a jump in the air saving me from a painful fall as the steps crumbled. Landing on the metal railing, my boots clanged against the metal with every step. A ghost was in trouble, the scene shifting around me. Demy caught up to me, the inside of the house rewinding back in time. Pristine walls with ornate wallpaper greeted me, Demy letting out a long sigh.
“We are trapped in another time bubble.” He groaned to himself, rubbing his forehead. “We know the only way out is to kill the ghost who brought us here. This bubble reeks of something else though. Can you smell the sulfur?” Sniffing the air, he wasn’t wrong. Hiding me underneath the staircase, my breath hitched at his body pressed against mine. A man with chocolate brown hair and caramel eyes landed inches from us, blood pouring from his eyes. A child’s scream snapped me from my horror filled trance, a thirteen year old girl ran by us with her long brown waves flying behind her. A shadow figure chased after her, a jagged blade sliding through her chest. Watching the ruby drops hit the floor, the worn wooden handle became stained with her blood. Dropping to the floor, her hand reached for me. The demon snapped its head towards us, rows of bloody fangs clicked together. Spinning his blade in his palm, his wrist flicked abruptly, Demy’s back caught the blade, his scythe charm glowing red hot. Pushing the knife out with his muscles, the charm grew to its full size. Ravens cawed behind him, the bracelet turning back into his top hat. Scarlet flames twisted with golden flames, the feathers floating behind me. Cocking his head back, crazed laughter burst from his lips.
“You are going to have to find me first.” He taunted cruelly, clapping his hands. “I will never let you claim my home.” Demy narrowed his eyes in his direction, the annoyance disappearing into the floor. Coming out of our hiding spot, jazz music played outside. Creeping around the corner, my flames died down for a second. A pile of bright yellow liquid coated the spot he went through, Demy crouching down to examine it.
“He is ancient.” He grumbled under his breath, his kind gaze watched me take in the information. “The brighter the sulfur the older they are.” Feeling stupid for not understanding him, the solution wasn’t obvious to me. Shifting uncomfortably, no words came to the tip of my tongue. The ghost of the girl floated over to me, tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks. Her hair floated up behind her, her quaking hands gripping her ragged nightgown. Her milky eyes met mine, surprise rounding her eyes at my outreached hand.
“We are going to get rid of him for you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can free you because of the whole murder thing. Maybe we can find your father.” I offered sincerely, her icy hands cupping mine. “We can turn on the television for you every now and then. I’ll even cook your favorite foods so you can smell them. The one thing you have to do is help me out. Can you do that?” The spirit of the father floated around the corner, his snow white hair danced wildly. Fixing his mustache, his milky eyes fell on us. Dusting off his suit, he cleared his throat. Holding out his hand, I gave it one good firm shake.
“I am Mr. Smillet and that is my daughter Milly. We would love to help you.” He introduced himself politely, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “Unfortunately, we can’t leave because of an eternal curse on the land but your idea sounds lovely. Let’s make this place a home once more.” Floating through the floor, his head popped up through the center of the hole.
“This is going to sound backwards but he is in the attic.” He chirped warmly, pulling himself out. “We will lead the way.” Walking past the photos of them, the nineteen twenties raged outside. Stopping at the attic door, they took a step back. Thanking them silently, we pushed the door open. Pressing our backs against the wall, the stairs creaked with every step. Glancing behind me, the door slammed shut behind us. The only light flickered, my heart seconds from beating out of my chest. Pop! A sea of darkness swallowed us, cold breezes lashing our cheeks. Summoning my flames, my heart sank into the pit of my stomach at his face inches from mine. Slamming my heel into his chest, he smashed into the wall. Climbing the stairs, I kicked a pile of boxes down the stairs. Spinning my scythe over my head, balls of flames whipped in his direction. Stopping them before they hit him, he raised his hand over his head. Hundreds of those damn daggers spun over his head, my metal feathers destroying them upon impact. Snapping his fingers, cold hands smashed through the floorboards. Slicing my palm on an exposed nail, Demy seemed to be dealing with his own problems. Smearing my hand on the wall, the scent was enough for me to summon my pets. Whistling sharply, the attic door rattled violently. Wet snarls echoed on the other side, my three pets taking him down to the ground. Pulling his gun from his pocket, Demy towered over the howling demon. Pressing his gun to his forehead, his finger tugged on the trigger. His bullet burst from the end, his body decaying to ash. My pets bounded up to me, their tails wagging a mile a minute. Rubbing their bellies, they melted into puddles.
“Who are good doggies!” I spoke with my dog mom’s voice, tongues licking my face left and right. The time bubble still remained, my eyes narrowing. Something felt off, a glowing orb bounced in the corner. Walking over to it cautiously, the ball of light floated into my clammy palm. Tears welled up in my eyes, the spirit was her mother. The real reason the time bubble existed was because of her, her soul purpose had been served. She stayed behind to protect them, one more thing stopping her.
“I need you to promise to take care of them.” She spoke gently, the orb floating in the air. “I can’t stay here because I dragged myself outside of the property line. I need to know that they will be okay.” Drops of light hit the floor, sobs bounced off the wall. Demy embraced me from behind, his chin resting on my head. Flashing the orb with his crooked grin, the drops of light slowed to a halt.
“We vow to give them a lovely afterlife. I was thinking we could give them the attic.” He promised sincerely, kissing the top of my head. “We can furnish the space as they wish. Then they can hang out with us downstairs. How does that sound?” Thinking for a minute, the orb floated into the sky. The time bubble glitched, a dusty attic greeting us. Pressing my palm to the splintered floor, a bright light blinded us. Covering his eyes, the light died down. Pristine floors brushed against my palm, a neat bedroom pleased me. The simple furniture would do, a picture of the girl's family hung on the wall. Running downstairs, the two spirits waited on the other side of the door. Opening the door for them, I motioned for them to go on up. Gasps of wonder bounced off the wall, my eyes scanning the scarlet walls. The hall seemed empty, my fingers tracing the one ancient mirror. Demy’s jaw dropped, my finger picking it up.
“If I can heal living things I can bring inanimate objects back to life.” I bragged with a wide grin, poking it to see if it was real. “I didn’t think I could do this well. We do have to get some furniture though. I could only manifest theirs because it had existed at one point. Do you like it?” Parting his lips to speak, a distraught woman sprinted in. One of our marks entered the hall, I put my foot out. Not seeing my foot, his face smashed onto the floor. Pressing my staff into his back, he put his hands up. The silky onyx hair contrasted the restored wooden floors, my three dogs surrounding him.
“If you move a fucking muscle you'll become dog chow.” I snapped hotly, flaming feathers hovered over him. “Tell me why you were cha-” My face dead panned at my former colleague charging at me with a haunted expression. Grabbing her by the arm, I tossed her over my head. The floor groaned in protest, the boards repairing themselves. Examining her closer, her eyes were ruby. Her lilac waves cascaded down her back, the white frilly Lolita dress hugged her petite body. A diamond collar sparkled on her neck, my eyes falling on the inky stain spreading on the white lace. Sniffing the air, I let them both go. A nasty bugger limped down the hall, a curved lilac blade quivered in his sludgy back. Demy raised his scythe, his ravens cawing behind him. Harsh winds blew our hair around, my flames roaring to life. Crouching down to their level, I yanked both of the heads up by their hair.
“If I help you, you join my army. No ifs, and or buts.” I barked sternly, the two of them nodding. “Sit back and watch the show.” Resting against the wall, her master fussed over her. Spinning my staff over my head, flaming feathers landed in the body. Demy leapt over my head, his scythe cutting into the body. The demon roared, horror rounding our eyes as it absorbed our power. Opening up its mouth, a wall of lilacs blocked its path. An idea came to mine, the flames of the burning lilacs illuminating my features.
“We need to hit it with everything we have.” I whispered so it wouldn’t hear, bewildered expressions meeting my determined grin. “You have trust in me.” Allowing my powers to build up at the top of my staff, Demy’s pure power built at the end of his scythe. Swinging our weapons at the same time, a rush of hot air blew our hair back. Taking the mirror off the wall, I held it in front of us. Let’s see how much power he could take. Demy held me by my hips in preparation for the impact. Absorbing the power as I had planned, a beam of our power slid us back a few feet. The beam hit him, the cracks beginning to form on his skin. Absorbing the doubled energy, he blasted the mirror again. The frame creaked, the beam striking the mirror once more. Demy held me down with all of his strength. The game of tennis continued until the energy decayed him into a pile of ash. Lowering the mirror, the house repaired itself. Demy huffed behind me, his arm spinning me around. Kissing me hungrily, he seemed grateful that I was alive. Crouching down to her level, Demy’s top hat absorbed his scythe and ravens.
“Where is she wounded? I won’t hurt her. I want to heal her.” I assured him kindly, the fellow demon taking a step back. “Do you mind?” Lifting up her dress, a nasty spike stuck out of her back. Ripping it out, she cussed like a sailor. Hovering my hand over the gaping wound, her muscle fused back together. Watching her skin patch itself, a nasty scar throbbed underneath my touch. Demy kicked her blade over, her trembling fingers gripping the worn leather hilt with raw terror.
“You must be Davidos Darth and Lilac Mattson. These two defected a couple of years ago.” Demy explained calmly, the petite woman embracing me graciously. “They were just hunted down by one of her sludgy monsters. The Golden Lion must be after you. The question is why.” A two year old girl peeked out from around the corner, her lilac waves grazing the floor. A white summer dress floated away from her body, her ruby eyes falling on me. A bright smile illuminated Lilac’s purple lips, the girl’s purple lips curling into a matching smile.
“Mommy!” She cried out, Lilac tossing me to the floor as she caught her daughter. “I am glad you are safe. I hid in my invisibility bubble like you told me too. Who is the pretty lady?” Crouching down to her level, I held out my hand.
“I am Scarlet Deaclon, your mother’s best friend. How do you feel about living here? Is that alright with your mother?” I inquired sweetly, her face lighting up. “I can’t have you guys running like that. I will put a protection spell on the house if it makes you feel better. Us defectors have to stick together.” Silent tears stained Lilac’s cheek, Davidos seemed seconds from crying.
“Seriously, I can’t have you guys on the street. Fight with me and we can have a miniature family.” I continued jovially, ruffling the girl’s beautiful hair. “I can also babysit if you need it.” Lilac began to sob, several fresh cuts and bruises caught my eyes.
“Why are you being so nice?” She wept softly, wiping away her tears. “I don’t deserve it. We left in s-” Putting my hand in the air, confusion mixed with sadness. Cupping her face, she quaked underneath my touch.
“She is the best reason to leave.” I comforted her kindly, my three dogs bounding up to the little girl. “Don’t worry they don’t bite. What’s her name?” Oreo, Stripes, and Darkness smothered her in love, the girl's giggles twinkled in the air. The four of them played as Davidos helped Lilac to her feet, Demy pacing back and forth. An irritated growl rumbled in his throat, a hand on his shoulder calming him down. He had to know that we needed allies, his lips brushing against the top of my head. Fishing around his pocket, a worn pocket knife sat in my palm. Cutting the blade across my palm, my eyes watched the blood pool. Drawing a powerful protection spell on the wall, the house rattled the moment I slammed my palm onto the wall. A golden dome hummed to life around the house. Mouthing a silent spell, five necklaces appeared in my palms. Golden feathers dangled off of the golden chains, no words being said as I passed them out.
“These will protect you when you leave the house.” I informed them with my real smile, dropping the necklace over the little girl’s head. “This should increase your ability to become invisible.” Clearing her throat, she stood in the attention position. Holding her head up high, Demy grinned at her proud stance.
“I am Lavender.” She introduced herself boldly, cupping my hands. “I vow to be your ally.” Chuckling softly to myself, my hand fell to my stomach absentmindedly. Hoping my kid was this awesome, hope glittered in her eyes. Demy spun me on my heels, placing my necklace over my head. Hooking his elbow in mine, he glanced back with concern.
“We are going to pick up some grub. Is pizza okay?” He asked with his crooked grin, their heads nodding. “We will be right back.” Guiding me out the door, our neighbors stared at us long and hard. Waving to them, they waved back awkwardly. Letting the moonlight bathe me, he spun me around. Holding me by the small of my waist, scarlet colored my cheeks.
“Did you see that adorable little girl? Do you think ours will be as awesome?” He mused playfully, kissing my lips feverishly. A goofy look dawned on my face, the feather necklace I made glittered on his shirt. Following my gaze, he fiddled with the magical charm.
“I would be a fool not to wear what my wife made for me.” He continued happily, his hand sliding down to my slight bump. Getting onto his knees, his lips brushed against the surface. Hugging my bump, a deeper crimson rose to my cheeks. People watched with warm smiles, the older couples holding each other tighter. Rising to his feet, he hooked his elbow in mine. Making me feel like the lead in a romance novel, pride swelled in his eyes. Walking me to the local pizza place, a warmth came over me. A shadow figure darted in the distance, the serenity leaving my mind. What the hell was that?
2023.06.07 20:43 cumbucketfullaworms cant function at home
hi everyone, i’ll cut right to the chase and say that i struggle the most when i’m home. i’m f18 and live with family, they often all comment on how bad my room is. i know that it’s bad and the cycle of being told how bad it is doesn’t help as many of you may relate to. i have a full sized bed but my mess has left me with about 1/4 of the bed to sleep. my bedside table is overflowing with drinks and miscellaneous crap. my floor is covered in clothes and more miscellaneous shit. my laundry basket is overflowing with dirty clothes. my hair is matted and i feel ugly. i feel stuck in a loop of this disaster that i created and i can’t clean it up on my own. my problem in that regard lies with the fact that im not comfortable with anyone coming into my mess besides someone who lives a minimum of 45 minutes away. i also work 4 days a week which isn’t a lot i suppose but that wears me out so i don’t clean before or after work. i’m just drained from even looking at my room’s mess. i have about 5 filled garbage bags to take out so i guess that’s something but it’s never enough. it’s like there’s no change at all.
thank you to anyone who even skims this, i really just need this off my chest and if you have any advice or anything, please share. thank you again <3
submitted by cumbucketfullaworms to depression [link] [comments]
thank you to anyone who even skims this, i really just need this off my chest and if you have any advice or anything, please share. thank you again <3
2023.06.07 20:41 IcarusXI Diy Hexibase v3 sub in NC
 | The sub is a dual 3 inch transmission line designed by HexiBase who is a cool 3d printing/audio/subwoofer youtuber, I just mashed it up into a wooden version and made it out of 12mm mdf. It is surprisingly good for its size, I had built it for my last car, a peugeot 208, which was much bigger and the sub was plenty for that car. Good wub-ability. I was pretty bad at making it so the dimensions aren't perfect so it definitely has room for improvement with a better made enclosure. In the miat and its much smaller cabin volume, the sub can become unbearable which is awesome. I lower it for sq but overall, it basically solves motorway journeys for me. The source is a pioneer avh8800 head unit and the amp is an old denon dca 800, the door speakers are vibe slick 6.5 inch woofers, vibe 1 inch tweeter and crossover, but I'll be upgrading the woofers to some 8 inch mids sometime. Need to sound deaden everything too to help. For now I'm happy but coilovers/lowing springs and konis will be coming soon. submitted by IcarusXI to Miata [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 20:40 Leading-Camera-6806 Words from a Veteran Aspirant of UPSC
2023 was my 4th attempt of UPSC CSE and there is 99.99 % chance that I am failing in the Prelims. The only saving grace being that I was a working aspirant.
When you are a newcomer full of energy, the thought of failing never occurs in your mind. No one enters this process thinking about failure. YouTube videos, coaching testimonials, all paint a starry-eyed world of glitz and glamour, embellishing the toppers with some sort of invincible aura. An aspirant like us hopes that some day, he too will see himself rising to the top.
No beginner seriously thinks about what they will do if they fail in consecutive attempts.
When I tell some people the importance of having a backup, the newcomers or first timers accuse me of demotivating them. They think that since I could not clear it, I am using the psychological coping mechanism of sour grapes and spreading cynicism. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Imagine this- You, a newcomer, are starting prep at the age of 21 or 22. The build up + 1st attempt takes roughly 2 years. By that time, you have crossed 23. Now you say, I will still prepare for UPSC. Great. Then you fail in another attempt. 1 more year gone. 3 years, 2 attempts. And you are back to square one at age 24. Then, with all your determination you give another attempt (3rd), you clear the pre, the mains, and then after the interview, you find that your name is nowhere in the final list. Now what ? 4 years gone. What do you have in your hand ? 4 years since your degree, where are you ? Your peers are in the private sector, earning lakhs. Some married, some with children. But some of you aspirants will still fall into the sunk cost fallacy and double down on giving another 3 attempts. By that time, you are 28 or 29. All your 20s gone down the drain.
The worst thing that happened to this exam is when the government generously granted a total of 6 attempts to aspirants (2 additional as compared to 4 earlier). They established a buffet, but even in a buffet, only a complete fool would try to consume everything.
The sheer amount of time and energy wasted by nearly 10 lakh young people of our country every year is staggering. Think about the opportunity cost, the time lost, the loss to the economy of the nation. In which other country of the world do so many people spend so much time hankering after one exam ?
Plan B is important. Even the best fighter jets still have an ejection seat and a parachute. If you are a first timer in UPSC, ignore this at your own peril.
submitted by Leading-Camera-6806 to india [link] [comments]
When you are a newcomer full of energy, the thought of failing never occurs in your mind. No one enters this process thinking about failure. YouTube videos, coaching testimonials, all paint a starry-eyed world of glitz and glamour, embellishing the toppers with some sort of invincible aura. An aspirant like us hopes that some day, he too will see himself rising to the top.
No beginner seriously thinks about what they will do if they fail in consecutive attempts.
When I tell some people the importance of having a backup, the newcomers or first timers accuse me of demotivating them. They think that since I could not clear it, I am using the psychological coping mechanism of sour grapes and spreading cynicism. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Imagine this- You, a newcomer, are starting prep at the age of 21 or 22. The build up + 1st attempt takes roughly 2 years. By that time, you have crossed 23. Now you say, I will still prepare for UPSC. Great. Then you fail in another attempt. 1 more year gone. 3 years, 2 attempts. And you are back to square one at age 24. Then, with all your determination you give another attempt (3rd), you clear the pre, the mains, and then after the interview, you find that your name is nowhere in the final list. Now what ? 4 years gone. What do you have in your hand ? 4 years since your degree, where are you ? Your peers are in the private sector, earning lakhs. Some married, some with children. But some of you aspirants will still fall into the sunk cost fallacy and double down on giving another 3 attempts. By that time, you are 28 or 29. All your 20s gone down the drain.
The worst thing that happened to this exam is when the government generously granted a total of 6 attempts to aspirants (2 additional as compared to 4 earlier). They established a buffet, but even in a buffet, only a complete fool would try to consume everything.
The sheer amount of time and energy wasted by nearly 10 lakh young people of our country every year is staggering. Think about the opportunity cost, the time lost, the loss to the economy of the nation. In which other country of the world do so many people spend so much time hankering after one exam ?
Plan B is important. Even the best fighter jets still have an ejection seat and a parachute. If you are a first timer in UPSC, ignore this at your own peril.
2023.06.07 20:36 Memisterzz [Xbox] finally organised and priced list
Full OG breakout Heiwa set (no unpainted) (xbx) - 1.2K
striker saffron breakout: astaroth bp (OG) - 300cr
striker sky blue and grey dominus: or-aise bps (OG) - 300cr each
scorer white dominus: funny book bp (OG) - 400cr
saffron aero mage - 100cr
tactician white animus rose king GP19 - 250cr
pink, forest green, cobalt and saffron ballistic - 100cr each
acrobat burnt sienna breakout crl western - 300cr
3 breakout rl esports - 100cr each
aviator breakout rl esports - 100cr
cobalt and grey breakout rlcs 200cr each
Lime cloudburst iii - 250cr
Tactician black dominus or-aise GP20 - 300cr
striker sienna Dominus RLCS - 400cr
orange Dominus RLCS - 200cr
Tactician saffron Dominus RLCS - 300cr
playmaker purple fennec RLCS 21-22 - 250cr
pink fennec RLCS X - 150cr
tactician fennec RLCS X - 200cr
5 fennec RLCS X - 100cr each
grey dominus savage - 200cr
Tactician cobalt suji GG18 - 500cr
Tactician sienna suji GG18 - 400cr
Tactician white suji GP19 - 1.2K
sienna and 2 grey fusions - 250cr each
6 Unpainted Fusions - 100cr each
4 of every macaron antenna (no tw, pink, lime or unpainted) - 80cr each
pink mage glass iii - 300cr
tactician cobalt mage glass iii - 500cr
playmaker lime ninja wheels - 150cr
2 purple ninja wheels - 150cr
FG and lime octane RLCS - 250cr each
lime and grey octane RLCS X - 250cr each
purple patriachs - 450cr
purple pyramidia - 500cr
scorer pink wrathogen - 150cr
striker saffron reapers GG19 - 700cr
43 RL Esports banners - 30cr each
silent panda - 300cr
guardian Silent panda - 300cr
tactician white troika GE18 - 500cr
sky blue show-off Dominus RLCS 21-22 - 150cr
sky blue apex - 3.3k (or purple + orange apex)
guardian white hexphase GE19 - 250cr
crimson, FG, pink and saffron unicorn toppers - 200cr each
goalkeeper drip drop - 300cr
3 LFT - 150cr each
4 damaged avatar border - 100cr each
6 crown avatar border - 50cr each
21 Fallen angel banners
sienna helios - 250cr
white helios - 1.3K
lots of spare rocket pass items/sets from all rocket passes with a mix of certs (just ask, here's a list of SOME key ones):
aviator painted mavrick gxt - 200cr
scorer unpainted mavrick gxt - 300cr
striker unpainted mavrick gxt - 500cr
overgrowth set - 2K
gold flow form, phoenix fire boosts, and phoenix fire trails - all 100cr each
many sets of dominus: nightmare fuel with lots of certs
purple striker supernova iii - 1K
striker FG and purple reticles - 100cr each
striker black and white tri-2050s - 300cr each
tactician black tri-2050s - 200cr
striker crimson super manga bolt iii - 300cr
Striker FG ved avas - 250cr
full celestial set (noteworthy certs: striker orange, tactician black) - 2K
painted generator iis (full set + seperate spares)
striker white gripstride HX (not se) - ???
striker grey, striker sienna and striker saffron madness ii - 200cr each
submitted by Memisterzz to rocket_league_trading [link] [comments]
scorer white dominus: funny book bp (OG) - 400cr
saffron aero mage - 100cr
tactician white animus rose king GP19 - 250cr
pink, forest green, cobalt and saffron ballistic - 100cr each
acrobat burnt sienna breakout crl western - 300cr
3 breakout rl esports - 100cr each
aviator breakout rl esports - 100cr
cobalt and grey breakout rlcs 200cr each
Lime cloudburst iii - 250cr
Tactician black dominus or-aise GP20 - 300cr
striker sienna Dominus RLCS - 400cr
orange Dominus RLCS - 200cr
Tactician saffron Dominus RLCS - 300cr
playmaker purple fennec RLCS 21-22 - 250cr
pink fennec RLCS X - 150cr
tactician fennec RLCS X - 200cr
5 fennec RLCS X - 100cr each
grey dominus savage - 200cr
Tactician cobalt suji GG18 - 500cr
Tactician sienna suji GG18 - 400cr
Tactician white suji GP19 - 1.2K
sienna and 2 grey fusions - 250cr each
6 Unpainted Fusions - 100cr each
4 of every macaron antenna (no tw, pink, lime or unpainted) - 80cr each
pink mage glass iii - 300cr
tactician cobalt mage glass iii - 500cr
playmaker lime ninja wheels - 150cr
2 purple ninja wheels - 150cr
FG and lime octane RLCS - 250cr each
lime and grey octane RLCS X - 250cr each
purple patriachs - 450cr
purple pyramidia - 500cr
scorer pink wrathogen - 150cr
striker saffron reapers GG19 - 700cr
43 RL Esports banners - 30cr each
silent panda - 300cr
guardian Silent panda - 300cr
tactician white troika GE18 - 500cr
sky blue show-off Dominus RLCS 21-22 - 150cr
sky blue apex - 3.3k (or purple + orange apex)
guardian white hexphase GE19 - 250cr
crimson, FG, pink and saffron unicorn toppers - 200cr each
goalkeeper drip drop - 300cr
3 LFT - 150cr each
4 damaged avatar border - 100cr each
6 crown avatar border - 50cr each
21 Fallen angel banners
sienna helios - 250cr
white helios - 1.3K
lots of spare rocket pass items/sets from all rocket passes with a mix of certs (just ask, here's a list of SOME key ones):
aviator painted mavrick gxt - 200cr
scorer unpainted mavrick gxt - 300cr
striker unpainted mavrick gxt - 500cr
overgrowth set - 2K
gold flow form, phoenix fire boosts, and phoenix fire trails - all 100cr each
many sets of dominus: nightmare fuel with lots of certs
purple striker supernova iii - 1K
striker FG and purple reticles - 100cr each
striker black and white tri-2050s - 300cr each
tactician black tri-2050s - 200cr
striker crimson super manga bolt iii - 300cr
Striker FG ved avas - 250cr
full celestial set (noteworthy certs: striker orange, tactician black) - 2K
painted generator iis (full set + seperate spares)
striker white gripstride HX (not se) - ???
striker grey, striker sienna and striker saffron madness ii - 200cr each