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wickedwitchwc · 5 years ago

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Hey guys!

So I’ve talked a little about Dinah, both here, and on AO4. But considering that I’ve just had TWO different adopters back out on her, I figured it couldn’t hurt to throw her story out on tumblr and see if there are any interested potential adopters out here. (Preferably in the Southern CA area, but I’m willing to drive a while to get her to a good home!) And if this doesn’t go anywhere, that’s fine, but I feel like I should at least try.

So Dinah turned up one day on my mom’s co-worker’s porch, essentially begging for help. There’s more to the story that for personal reasons, I’m unwilling to divulge, but the gist of it is, the person that found her suspects that she escaped some kind of shady breeder operating in the neighborhood. She couldn’t take her in, so she asked my mother, who is a devout follower of the Kitten Lady and knows what to do with little kittens took her in.

When we got her she was absolutely covered in fleas. (Check out the first gif, that shows a flea bite on her nose she had an allergic reaction to) She was severely underweight, had explosive diarrhea, and on top of all of that, she had some kind of chest cold. If we hadn’t taken her in, my mom said she might have just found a bush to crawl under and died, and I fully believe it. She was the most sickly kitten I’d ever seen, but through it all she was a little trooper, loving and grateful for being saved.

If you don’t know, fleas can be fatal to a little kitten, especially one as sick as poor Dinah was. So I started meticulously bathing and combing her, every night, picking out the fleas with the metal comb, or even picking them out with my fingers if they were more elusive. And of course being sick and weak she hated her bath time, and she would lay there in her purrito and cry. She didn’t understand why she needed to go through this over and over again, and her little cries hurt my heart. So I think on the third day we had her I put on a Markiplier video to play during her bathtime, because I figured I needed the distraction from feeling like I was torturing her, and...

She got very quiet. And once I finished I noticed she wasn’t just laying there, she was staring very intently at that video. (Second gif) Now I experimented with other stuff, and while she sort of likes that too (bird videos, Miraculous Ladybug, etc) the thing that I’ve noticed is whenever she hears Markiplier, wherever she is, she goes looking for him. One time I left my laptop running with one of his videos going, and when I came back, she was sitting in front of it. When I’m playing him on my phone, she will try and pull the device towards her. Her favorite seems to be when I’m playing him on the big TV, and she can watch until she falls asleep. She tends to cry when she’s alone, but if I leave her with the TV running some Mark videos, she tends to be pretty happy and doesn’t cry.

I don’t know what it is, but she must really just find his voice soothing. (Who can blame her?) Most of these gifs are just her watching and reacting to Mark’s videos.

These days, she’s doing a lot better. She recovered from her cold. We found a solution to her sick tummy. She’s gotten all of her shots, and we just got her spayed, (and she’s recovering beautifully.) The only thing we’re missing is the right furever home. Like I said, we had two potential adopters show interest, but they eventually backed out. I don’t know why. She’s cute. She’s loves to cuddle. She gives great back massages. (Seriously, if you lay down on your stomach she’ll climb on you an knead your shoulders.) But she also has a few needs.

She’s not a special needs kitty by any means, but she just has needs. But they’re very easy to take care of! To treat her diarrhea, the vet recommended a probiotic, and we found a good one that we like very much! I know that seems pricey, but she only needs one dose a day, and we’ve had this one pretty much since we got her two months ago. We’ve barely made a dent in it. The vet said she may eventually grow out of her need for it, or she may need to be on it for the rest of her life. We just need to carefully monitor what she eats, and how her body reacts to it.

The second thing is, she really needs to be in a home with another cat. She gets lonely very easily, and we would love to see her with a little friend, either another kitten or a tolerant adult cat.

Now, I would love for her to be adopted by another Markiplier fan, just because I know she loves him, but honestly, anyone who can meet those requirements, and demonstrate that they can handle taking care of a kitten is great. If you live in the Southern California area, or know someone looking for a great kitten in the area, let me know, send me a message, or let me know in the notes. If all you can do is reblog this note, that’s totally fine too. Any help is appreciated, and I just know she’s going to make a great companion for a loving human.

And I’ll be sure to keep everyone informed on the search for Dinah’s furever home!

#markiplier #foster kittens #kittens #fosteringsaveslives

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dougeboy · 6 years ago

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AO4: Dominion - Chapter 1

October 31, 2076: 30 days after the release of Awaken Online.

Alex Lane shifted on the cushions of the limousine, the leather letting out a soft creak as he fiddled with the black velvet mask in his hands. Silver scrollwork framed the edges of the mask, which matched a similar design embroidered on his suit. The ensemble had been custom-tailored for this evening and had undoubtedly been cobbled together by someone well-renowned – likely with an unpronounceable Italian name. When it came to clothing, the designer always seemed to be Italian.

He couldn’t help but grimace as he considered what was in store for him this evening. The rich didn’t celebrate Halloween with vacant-minded parties filled with overflowing plastic cups and scantily-clad women. Instead, they celebrated in presumptuous style. A courtly affair filled with ballgowns and overpriced, designer masks. And overlaying this fanfare was always some altruistic premise; something to make the elite feel morally superior to their less-fortunate employees and servants even as they each spent one of those lowly employee’s entire annual salary on their outfit. Tonight, they would be attending an art charity auction. The pretense was practically nauseating, even to someone like Alex who had grown up among this sort of extravagant hypocrisy.

“It won’t be as bad you’re thinking,” Alex’s father, George Lane said softly. He must have noticed his son’s grimace. “The St. Clair’s charity auction is an annual event. It can actually be rather entertaining – as far as these sorts of things go anyway.”

“You mean I’ll have the privilege of making inane small talk while wearing a mask this time?” Alex groused. This earned him a derisive snort of agreement from his father before the pair lapsed into silence once more.

The irony was that Alex always wore a mask in public – so this night would hardly be a first. He had long ago discovered that it was best to put on an act. His default nature seemed only to disturb other people. He needed to apply a thin veneer of smiles and cordial greetings to mask the hollow void that ached dully in the back of his mind. However, lately, he had found it increasingly difficult to maintain his usual composure.

Even as that thought crossed his mind, the memories of his recent encounter within Awaken Online returned with a vengeance. The Old Man’s grin loomed before him – the wrinkled smile taunting as the dark god tortured Alex, showing him his worst memories on an endless loop. Since that encounter, he had found it more and more difficult to get back into character; to be the ‘golden boy’ that his fellow students and his father’s colleagues seemed to expect.

“Ahh, finally,” his father murmured as the limo slid to a halt, a faint tremor the only sign that the vehicle had stopped. The doors soon opened, and Alex and his father stepped out.

The venue for this evening’s soiree appeared to be a museum, ornate roman columns dotting a familiar white-stone façade. The appearance eerily reminded Alex of the Crystal Reach and he forcefully tamped down on the memories of the game that threatened to resurface.

“We only need to stay for a few hours and then we can make a polite exit,” George explained, resting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I just need to make the rounds and ensure that our attendance is remembered tomorrow.”

He peered at Alex with an inquiring expression. “There is no particular business goal this evening. Just try to ingratiate yourself with some of my colleagues and their children. I assume you will be able to handle yourself?”

Alex almost detected a note of concern in his father’s voice and he was distinctly aware of the hand on his shoulder. For some reason, George’s compassion affected him more than it normally would have; than it should have. He couldn’t help but recall his own half-hearted questions about his mother a few nights ago and his father’s promise that they would visit her grave. For a moment, Alex even considered asking him to ditch this party to have a private dinner.

Yet he discarded that idea immediately. His father wouldn’t look kindly upon weakness. Alex was a Lane, after all. “I will be fine,” he answered curtly, donning his mask to cover up his expression. Perhaps tonight he should be thankful for the disguise. “This isn’t my first party.”

George didn’t appear to be entirely convinced, but he nodded before placing his own red-velvet mask over his face. With that, the pair stepped up toward the building, joining the groups of other fancifully dressed men and women that were drifting into the Museum. The pair swiped their Cores across pedestals installed near the entrance – the only evidence they needed that they had been invited to the party. Alex noted the burly, black-suited men standing near the entrance and he was certain that any uninvited guest would immediately be escorted off the premises.

As they entered the front hall, the gentle roar of hundreds of voices echoed off the stone floor. They were directed up a spiraling staircase and exited into the museum’s grand hall. The room was filled to the brim with masked individuals, replete in expensive flowing ballgowns and courtly tuxedos. With a final pat on Alex’s shoulder, his father immediately drifted off, quickly blending into the crowd.

Alex stood still for a moment, trying to decide what he should do. He had little desire to mingle and his father had indicated that he had no concrete goal for the evening – which was unusual. His father rarely entertained these parties without some sort of ulterior motive, but perhaps he simply didn’t feel like explaining himself to Alex. It wouldn’t be the first time.

As he grumbled to himself under his breath, he caught sight of a bar along the far side of the room. Perhaps a drink would quiet his nerves and drown out the memories that raged in the back of his mind. With a plan in place, he made his way over to the bar.

“What can I get for you?” the bartender asked a moment later, a young man dressed in a colorful vest that identified the serving staff.

“Gin and tonic,” Alex answered curtly, leaning against the bar. He immediately turned to survey the room, not bothering to wait to see if the bartender would card him. Alex doubted he would bother and the man would immediately regret it if he tried. A moment later, he heard the bartender set the drink down and Alex immediately took a sip, savoring the sharp wintery bite of the gin.

His attention was drawn to a nearby group seated at one of the high-tables scattered about the room. They had apparently been hitting the bar a bit too hard, their loud laughter and boisterous activity standing out from the more sober demeanor of the other guests.

“I think it’s time for another around,” one of the men declared. Alex watched with some amusement as he tried to stand, stumbling and knocking over the table’s centerpiece – a small glass container holding what appeared to be daisies to the tinkle of glass shattering.

“Ha, sorry about that,” the man apologized to one of the female guests, water having spilled onto the sleeve of her gown. “Shit,” he added as he looked at the ruined centerpiece.

“Don’t worry about the flowers. Why they picked some peasant flower for the occasion is beyond me,” his date replied dryly. “However, you may be at your limit.”

Alex heard an irritated cough from beside him and turned to find himself staring into the crimson mask of a young woman. She couldn’t be more than a few years older than him, but it was difficult to tell in her costume. She was dressed in a long red gown that left little the imagination. The fabric hugged her curves and dipped precariously low between the curves of her breasts, naturally drawing his eyes down and across her body.

“Drunken idiots,” she murmured, the corners of her lips turned down in a frown as her gaze lingered on the ruined table.

“Did you expect something different?” Alex interjected. “We like to think we’re better than the poor masses and we put on airs – but we’re still just animals. It’s Halloween, people will get drunk, wealthy or not”

This comment earned him an appraising look from the woman beside him. “Perhaps, you’re right. Although, you look a little young to be drinking yourself,” she commented, raising a delicate eyebrow.

He hesitated, taken a bit aback by her response. The voice in the back of his mind urged him to snap at her – he could do as he pleased. Yet, there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes that made him hesitated.

“You were about to respond?” the woman nudged him, a smirk lingering on her lips. “I’m sure you had a witty reply loaded and ready to go. I’m practically on the edge of my seat.” She gestured at the bar stool she was perched upon.

Alex coughed to clear his throat and to buy himself a moment. He really was feeling off this evening and somehow this woman had immediately managed to make him feel like an idiot. He couldn’t help but mentally kick himself. Lucky for him, his family was near the top of the heap, so he opted to fall back to a position of strength. “I was going to say, who do you think paid for this bar?” he answered with a raised eyebrow.

The woman feigned confusion. “Hmm, I thought this event was put on by the St. Clair family. I don’t recall that they have a blond-haired son, but perhaps their daughter dyed her hair… and had a rather extreme operation.” That smirk was still there, and Alex could feel the void in the back of his mind pulsing in irritation.

He waved a dismissive hand. “Several families contribute to the event, including the Lanes,” he said, placing emphasis on his family name. He needed to regain the upper hand here.

“Lane,” the woman murmured, tapping her crimson lips with a finger. “That name certainly sounds familiar… where have I heard it before?”

Alex gritted his teeth, but managed to maintain his composure. The woman was surely messing with him. Only the incredibly ignorant or stupid would fail to recognize his family’s name – much less antagonize him like this. “Since you seem so comfortable here, may I ask your name?”

“You can certainly ask,” the woman replied, that grating smirk making an appearance once again. “But I don’t make it a habit to give out my name to strange young men from unknown families.”

At this comment, Alex discretely tapped the Core on his wrist. If she wouldn’t tell him her name, then he would simply find out himself. A moment later, a digital interface overlaid his vision as the tech installed inside the mask came online. His father hated these sorts of events since it was so difficult to identify the other guests. He had one of his engineers design a mask that could provide a facial recognition match based on a number of available datapoints, including the person’s speech pattern, height, weight, etc. It would only take the software a few moments to place the young woman’s name and provide a summary of her background in his peripheral vision.

“Yet you seem perfectly content to chat with random men at the bar,” Alex observed, keeping up the repartee as he waited on the mask to do its job.

The woman raised a delicate eyebrow. “Now what makes you think this encounter was random,” she replied, grabbing her drink. She leaned forward until her hair tickled his face and he could feel her warm breath on his ear. “I know exactly who you are, Alex.”

With this last comment, the woman turned and began weaving her way into the crowd. As his eyes followed her retreating form, the tracking software completed its search and the overlay updated.

“I’ll be damned,” Alex murmured. “Evelyn St. Clair…” He couldn’t decide whether to be irritated or impressed, and, for once, even the insidious voice in the back of his mind was completely silent on the matter.

* * *

George Lane had only been partially telling the truth when he and Alex had entered the event. In fact, George did have a specific goal in mind for the evening and it wasn’t to bid on overpriced art. Alex’s presence did serve a purpose; disarming the other guests and explaining George’s lack of a date for the evening. He certainly could have found any number of eligible women to accompany him to the auction, but he didn’t need someone interrupting him from his objective. In short, Alex was an excuse for him to wander off on his own without raising any eyebrows.

He felt a small twinge of guilt at using his son like this, but he quickly rationalized away his concern. Alex would need to get accustomed to these sorts of events when he ultimately inherited his father’s companies. Networking and socializing were often as important (if not more important) than general business acumen or technical knowledge. George had lost track of how many times knowing the right person or being able to call in a favor at the last minute had gotten him out of a tight spot.

Shaking his head, George tried to clear his mind. He needed to get to work. He tapped at the Core on his wrist, the digital overlay built into his mask filled his vision as he scanned the crowd. He had one specific target in mind for the evening, Senator James Lipton. It only took the software a few minutes to generate a dossier on everyone around him and it soon located the senator – the man’s height, weight, and voice providing nearly a perfect match. He would need to remember to give Robert another healthy bonus for inventing this device. There seemed to be no end to his usefulness of late.

The senator was dressed in a brilliant emerald green tuxedo and matching mask and was currently surrounded by a small crowd of politicians and aides who seemed to be jockeying for favor. George couldn’t hear what they were saying at this distance, but he was certain it was insipid nonsense. With a long blink of his eye, he tagged the senator on the mask’s UI, generating a small red tag that would make it easy to track the man through the crowded room.

Now it was time for the fun part. George couldn’t simply barrel toward the senator. That would be much too obvious, and this evening required tact – especially with what was at stake. The purpose of this night was to make his encounter with the senator appear random; a happy coincidence amid a room full of masked elite.

And so he began to hunt his prey.

George deftly spun through the room, joining and leaving conversations effortlessly – but not without introducing himself and dropping a memorable joke or compliment (made easy by his helpful accessory). With each step, he moved steadily closer to the senator, keeping a watchful eye on the man. At one point, he saw him stumble – certainly understandable in a crowded room and with the way the masks limited the guests’ vision. He couldn’t help but smile as he realized how he should introduce himself.

After a few more minutes of polite conversation, George saw the moment he had been waiting for; the group around the senator had begun to dissipate and the man was now eyeing a nearby bar. George chose this moment to strike. He politely excused himself from his current group and stepped in the senator’s direction, stumbling at the last moment.

George managed to right himself just in time, placing a steadying hand on the senator’s shoulder. “My apologies. Between the masks and the dimly-lit interior, this place is a law suit waiting to happen.”

#awaken online #chapter 1 #part1 #ao4 #books #book 4 #novels #rpg lite #fantasy #preview #sneakpeak #travis bagwell

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