#I salute scalies

[aphelionsabyss]

Someone would pay for art in this style bc it's kinda like an ironic comic thing.

Anyways I'm in the business of only drawing cats and deers anthropomorphic. And I never post it because I'm not a furry artist and I don't wanna become popular from being a "furry artist." (There's nothing wrong with that tho. I just have a specific brand I wanna build)

But here's what *I* think is wrong

You gotta draw the dog face smaller. I'm only in the business of drawing cats and deer anthro in my own time but like...don't -4- don't focus on it being a super realistic dog.

The proportions should be more humany. It should essentially look more like a furry human than a dog standing on its hind-legs. Unless you're going for realism. I think this is supposed to be a Dachshund so you want the face to be boxy like that, but the mouth and the nose need to be like right together on side view. You should see the nose mostly on the front view and the mouth shouldn't be directly there it needs to do a littke ":3" type thing like real dogs. The ears need to be a little more like a diagonal square too.

Then the hands are just bad bc...they are. Lol. Practice drawing human hands if you can't do hands. For dogs and most anthropomorphic animals, either make them four fingered hands or make them paws. Which, is fairly easy to do compared to hands but comes at a cost of functioning differently. You should never try to jump into drawing paws for anthro characters before learning how hands work.

The legs need the most attention tho. They don't bend like a dog's in this art. The arms can look mostly humany, but the legs need dog the dog flare to really sell it's a dog and look correct. You're working with a double joint bending leg. Thigh to knee looking bits are gonna kinda bend forward but when you get to the feet your gonna have the anklely bit bend back and then draw the paw forward like this dog anatomy photo

Source of the photo: https://canineanatomyforbeginners.wordpress.com/skeletal-system/

But yk if you just want to generally draw a dog that walks on twos you could also just do Mr. Peanutbutter style idfk.

[lilfriezatyrant]

Little Big Secret

It was unusual, a very unusual question that you ask that one question to the ruler who considers you his property, his pet. But also as a personal servant. You can't complain though, you were neither humiliated nor treated badly ever by the obsidian horned alien. You could even see that he has different transformations. But it's still strange, because you had heard from a soldier of the Frieza army that your master must have a hideous, powerful, monstrous form...similar to that of what must have been a scaly beast.

You wonder if that titanic form was meant...? Although this does not look for you at all after a atrocious monster.

It will probably be inappropriate, but during dinner together, you take it upon yourself to ask this question...you are too curious to ignore this one.

  Hours pass, while the emperor has important meetings to attend, you have brought order to the private chambers and made a dinner for his interest: crustaceans and seafood.

On time and at the indicated time he had told you by your scouter, the tyrant appears in the dining room and even if his tail wagging was very discreet and almost overlooked...you can see how pleased he seems to be about the food served on the table. "Are you trying to bribe me? Is today a special day, my dear?" he asks in a suave tongue, taking his seat as you take a seat across from him. His salutation alone causes you to feel welcome around him, and you are in no way treated as a wild animal.

"Oh...that was just meant to be a nice gesture...I felt like cooking that," you chuckle a bit sheepishly, trying to make the lie believable, but then two piercing red glowing moons now look at you. You swallow, unable to cover your uncertainty, and the next words create a completely different scenario.

"Pet."

You look at your own plate, somewhat ashamed and scowling, trying to avoid eye contact, but then you are forced by this small mistake by some unknown power to look again at the opposite face, so far away from you...but already giving you goosebumps. His telekinetic powers...you hadn't thought of those. "Speak, my dear pet. The real reason.”

His words, though courteously packaged, radiate a direct command. A clear answer and any, further lie would not be tolerated.

"I-...I'm sorry...I'm just curious a-about a certain horrible transformation...a soldier had described it and I think...I've never seen it before.", you answer with a hesitation, your voice remains halfway normal, yet it takes on trembling features.

"A soldier then? Well well...", his mood immediately changes to an amused demeanor, indeed he is a capricious bastard...but with a certain charm, especially for a sadist. It is clear that there will be one less soldier in the army soon. "But...horrible transformation?", his chuckle gets louder, more amused and you realize that he knows exactly what you're talking about and he just wants to keep stalling you. In the next moment, he is now slowly getting up from his seat, his blood red eyes still focused on you and now coming towards you with strutting steps, echoing through the silent room. Not knowing how to react, you push yourself slightly away from the table, whereupon the chair makes a somewhat shrill noise and the tyrant places one of his cool hands on the back of your hand, holding onto the arm of the chair. "Oh? Why so scared all of a sudden? Where's the usual admiration?" he smirks crookedly, you can only utter stammering, meaningless gibberish.

"Have I already made you speechless? Yet I have not even transformed to the desired form yet, hohoho..."

Maybe you should have said if he minds...this transformation, after all you asked about it a bit rudely...but it seems to you that he doesn't mind it at all, he even wants it. As if he wants to demonstrate this transformation directly in front of you and you feel the electrifying atmosphere that gradually spreads more and more into the room. You wince briefly as he claws your hand, but only slightly injures it with his sharp nails, before he lets go of you, takes two steps back, assumes a steadfast position and tenses every muscle of his so small and yet so powerful body. "Very well my dear...I am just warning you...in this form I am hard to control...", you widen your eyes, remaining seated on your chair with your mouth open, before your instinct tells you to hide behind it then though. And then the transformed disaster takes its course. It's like a complete metamorphosis! His armor breaks instantly and on his back perches two sharp bone-like pillars connected to the natural bioarmor, his size, body proportions change immensely as balance leaves you and you witness the transformation now from the ground.

"HAAAAAAA!", 

Frieza growls, uttering powerful cries...that sound like a great effort....

His mouth takes a completely different shape, the nose quite discreet, if not completely disappeared...the purple sphere that had crowned between his horns takes a much more elongated shape, the cranium also adapts to this shape, decorated with monstrous spikes, similar to the ones now on his back. "...W-wow...", your eyes remain wide, you don't avert your gaze, only as a final shockwave emanates and blows the chair and you away, you try to hold your hands protectively in front of you to cushion the impact against the wall.... But no impact takes place...instead you are held fast by the pink giant tail that had wrapped itself around your stomach. Already quite eerily careful and slow you then feel the ground beneath you, were slowly lowered floating.

"I did not promise too much, did I?", he chuckles viciously, slyly, showing very well his now noticeable fangs, which it is best not to get too close to.

And though he does indeed look like an alien predator now...you're not afraid of him...the soldier's stories turn out not to be true at all. 

Suddenly, however, goosebumps set in all over your body as you feel something sticky and moist against your cheek and only in the next moment you see the large purple tongue move back into his oral cavity. "Hm...not the reaction I would have expected, you should be more afraid of this 'horrible' form...", he seems...disappointed, then sighs briefly, lifting your delicate chin with his deadly index finger and he smirks diabolically now, 

"But this form shall remain our big little secret, yes?", he chuckles at that, now in a much deeper voice.

"Let us continue this conversation later...I have to take care of a certain whistle-blower who is in my army.", and with these words, he takes your scouter from you, purposefully setting out to find this one soldier, as he can filter out the exact location through the device.

You feel slightly guilty about the elder soldier...but Frieza would have figured that out sooner or later himself, being the capricious beast that he is.

pic belongs to @zaphiregz​ (check that artist’s blog because her pics are divine <3) also thank you so much for @reptile--queen​ who said that writing is gorgeous (even if I am not a native English speaker) qwq and yes I finally did it, a scene! Well not a strong comforting scene but...I miss his third form so much 😭

[catboydogma]

Hey bfbdnndndndndndn just found this blog of urs XD🧡

I got a Fox prompt if that’s still alright?

Fox finds a tooka and sends Hound to find its owner, while he has to deal with the chaos the tooka causes

now / here / this / remember

one hundred pieces - anima!

send prompts 옷

notes: hello lol and thank u for the prompt! i love writing fox and love opportunities to flesh out the guard (and the various ocs populating it) a little more in my head. this was very fun and refreshing to write :)

wc: 712

“Hound.”

“Yes, sir.”

“There is a creature under my desk.”

“Uh.”

“Hound?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Find an owner for this beast so it may be vacated from the premises.”

“Sir. You mean… the owner?”

“At this point, Sergeant, any owner will do.” Fox lifted the scrawny thing up by the scruff of its neck. They inspected each other: the tooka with beady black eyes, Fox with eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. Its little clawed feet paddled in the air for a moment as Fox adjusted its grip. It wasn’t parasite-ridden, from his cursory glance, and it seemed to react favorably to Fox’s proximity: this meant it was an owned beast.

“And you’re just gonna.”

Fox didn’t move his eyes from the tooka. It favored him with the closing of one eye, then the other. Hound shuffled nervously in the background.

“I will assure that it will not be causing any further trouble,” Fox said. Tookas were like wayward sergeants like that. One needed to keep a close eye on them.

“Right. Ok. Sir.” Hound saluted, then jammed his bucket on.

GAR Frequency: Advanced Sgt. How To Spell Reconnn..o Force Hound: ohhbbhh force he found bastard Hound: how was i supposed to know bastard would go hide in the commander’s office  Hew: Is it warmer in the Commander’s office? Hew: Is our office not good enough for the bastard? Pent: Commander wouldn’t kill an unarmed man Boots: bastard Pent: good point boots. Commander wouldn’t kill an unarmed cat Boots: :/ Pent: good point boots. Ni partayli gar darasuum, bastard Hound: the commander uh Hound: said he’d make sure bastard didn’t do anything else Hound: and? Hound: that im supposed to find bastards owner Hew: Are you sure about that? Hound: what else am i gonna do, lt Pent: well …

Fox was only slightly beginning to regret his resolution to look after the beast. After tipping over seven cups, three datapads, and nearly Fox himself as it wound its way between his legs, the creature still seemed content to poke its blunt little face into every conceivable crevice in Fox’s office. It inspected the tiny, miserable window. It inspected all three of his filing cabinets with equal duration and gravitas. It inspected Fox on multiple occasions, butting the flat of its head up against his knuckles or shins, patting at his greaves with its scaly little feet, sitting before him and making various noises.

Finally—at last—it settled as Fox got up to stretch: right on his chair. He turned back around to find it already curled up in the presumably warm indentation he’d left, ears flicking back and forth and eyes half-lidded with what Fox assumed was smug satisfaction.

“You idiot,” Fox said, leaning a hip against his desk.

The tooka laid its head down on its paws and let its tail curl over its hind feet.

There was nothing else for it. He would have to evict the beast.

Several hours later, Hound poked his head through the doorway of Fox’s office to find Fox with half his ass perched on the very edge of his chair and the tooka a warm, sleeping lump behind him. It snored, just a little, in a whuffly little wheeze that Fox had found made it impossible for him to move the damn thing.

“Commander?”

“Sergeant.”

“Did, uh…”

“Sleeping,” Fox said, looking up from his datapad and letting it clunk against his desk. “Have you located someone to return it to?”

“Ye-es,” Hound said.

If he was going to try and pull one over on Fox, he should have left his helmet on.

“No tookas in the Guard barracks,” Fox said sharply.

“Not even Grizzer’s emotional support tooka?” Hound asked, holding his hands up to his face in a pleading gesture. “She gets lonely…”

“Grizzer has an entire squad of troopers to keep her company and her litter of colleagues.”

Hound didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to: the creature woke, shoved its bony little elbows in the small of Fox’s back as it stretched, and hopped off his chair. It slammed its forehead against his shin in what Fox had decided to be a gesture of commiseration, then ambled over to Hound.

“Out of the barracks,” Fox said again for emphasis.

Hound’s face lit up.

[snailmailworldwide]

TRAVELLING — IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER

Salutations paper mail lovers and longing hearts alike,

You can call me Ren from hear on out. I'm a queer, nuro-spicy, New Orleans native and I'm looking to make some new friendly connections.

My surface-level interests include: cruising, solo traveling, live entertainment, witchcraft, pets, tattoos, anime, TTRPGs, fiction novels, and hand crafts. However, don't let that stop you for contacting me if those don't sound fun to you; I adore learning about new things especially is the person writing to me had a deep passion for it. 

And if you are more of a digital mailer this is your formal invitations to please send me pictures of your furry/scaly/feathered babies. Thank you.

You can contact me anytime for further information via Tumblr @purplepirateadventures or on Discord Pumpkin#7084

[blorbfoosh]

PART III - Closure, Commencement

It was a hella busy day at the Riverton Saloon, and Polar was hard at work, servin’ out drinks and food with Nilly at her side. She expected her to have a bit of experience with mixology, but oh, Jimmy mother-loving strudel. The utter fluidity that she served and chatted up the patrons was just beautiful. It was clear she had experience. “Pols? Sidecar for Lady Marie, plain whiskey for Mista Yamado, and a ginger ale for Pluck.” The mere mention of her son’s name was enough to make Polar perk up and eye the whole establishment, before spotting that familiar, reptilian silhouette near the door, waving awkwardly. The raven-haired woman rolled her eyes with a sigh, making a mental note to question him later, before walking over to the bar counter and picking up the designated drinks before busing them to their respective owners. “H-hello, ma’am..” “Pluck. Hunny- Who exactly-? You know the Saloon’s off-limits UY16, you got SRFCM, or when I have UFM.” You’d think that a darkner the size of the guy would have more guts- But no, he flushed darker than a sapphire emerald, gingerly taking the drink and looking away, hiding his face under his hat as he took a sip. “Pluck. It’s nonalcoholic, so you’re fine. Just.. Who.” “Miss Rou. She asked you and Miss Nils to meetcha at the back.. It’s urgent, she says.” An eyebrow raised at that little quip, cornflower blue lips stretching into a grin. Polar looked outside to see a sleep-deprived badger, eyes wary and full of urgency. The raven-haired woman nodded at the badger, gently tapping Pluck on his left shoulder blade thrice. “You’re in charge now- Nia and Lu will handle the Saloon with you. You know what to do.” At this, the sandy-colored reptilian monster straightened up, and gave the lil miss his best salute, before rushing off to the counter. Polar smiled softly, before gesturing the badger- Now redhead, inside. The onyx-locked individual came into the breakroom soon after. “So, Rou, how did recon go?” “Yes, any information on Solan’s whereabouts?” Roulette looked a little ansty, taking a deep breath and beginning her tale… Oh. That was.. A lot of information to take in. Guaranteed, Polar was sure that whatever made the badger’s face look that serious would be a little grave, but- She wasn’t expecting an Aspect mess.

“..Kaycee and Solan. Jexi used Solan to experiment with her newfound slime powers- Mind control, maybe. Abnyssia Order member- Queen Lazarus, and Jexi.. Together. Juniper, Pillar of Time herself, going to the place and kicking... Oh.” Nilly laced her fingers together, bringing them to her lips and breathing on them softly.

“It’s safe to say that wherever Juni is right now, that’s where Solan is. And I.. I don’t want Kay to know what happened, not without him. Cause the slime people I encountered- They were nice, sure, but.. Whatever they were guzzling, it hooked them.”

..The slime that Vercos accidentally ingested. It was tying in, somehow.

Please, for the love of Lleu- Don’t let this turn into an infection. Please…

“Well, that’s one case closed. Somewhat. We just need to wait for the snakey boy to come home, and calm his little ferret.”

Rou, Nils, and Polar shared a knowing look at that. Boy, those two had a LOT to talk about.

———

“Dear Xi’jua- We’ll have s-so much to talk about.. And I have to [ lay it out word for word ]- She’ll be so worried- She already is out of her mind, I just know it-! Oh, stars, oh [ SPARKLES ], oh..”

In a neat little lab, somewhere.. Paced a tall anxiety noodle. Kind of. This noodle had wings! And a slimy, scaly, feathered-looking tail.. Our darling Solan, whom we haven’t seen in a while(credits to Lady Jexi here. We love you{we don’t, kinda?}for that.), is now temporarily residing with the Pillar of Time! Lucky guy bumped into her on a run- A run from a crazy, [ COMPLETELY OUT OF HER MIND ] slime lady! Since the nice hare said she knew some stuff about the body he was supposed to inhabit, he decided it was.. Safe, there.

When he told Juni all about his little predicament, she didn’t look necessarily happy. It reminded him of [ lil sprout ! ] for some reason. Gods, he missed her.. If only he could tell her everything. But he can’t. He can’t bear to face her now- And he sure as [ f### ] can’t let her see him like this!

…A ruined, soiled, pudgy, feathery mess of an Addi-ton.

Solan glanced resentfully at his reflection in the mirror. He still could taste that [ rotten ] cream... Ugh. He’s certainly staying away from that for a while. Hateful images of him being tied up, mindlessly ingesting slime, as his mind spiraled, and his body e x p a n d e d . . .

Solan couldn’t help but shiver at the thought, tapping at his belly again. Still a tad pudgy.

‘It comes with what you’ve been through. The body had to adapt quickly- And apparently, in your case, you got literal updates.’

That was what Ms. Juni said. It was normal, she reassured him. Albeit uncalled for- It was normal. In a way. She was gonna get to the bottom of this, and Solan would walk back to being his happy old self. No dragons, no suns, no fiery orange birds in his dreams.. No more sensations of eating pure [ light ].

T-they’ll get to the bottom of this.

[ Shiri.. Fei. ]

———

“Shit- Really?” Lyme’s familiar voice came out from the phone speaker, and Rou couldn’t help but laugh, nodding her head as she wiped Spritz off. “Yeah, but IMO, the weirdest part of it all was how I didn’t get a yelling after telling Pluck to grab himself a ginger ale. Rissy gal’s kinda slipping, ‘onestly.” A few sizzles could be heard from the loudspeaker and a few quiet, muffled voices in the background. “Mayb’ not, bae. Heard that- eh- Ducky o’er there, he got some gulps of that slime. He doing fine, by the way?” “..eh? Oh, Ver, yeah, he’s okay. He’s quarantined ‘n shit. Pol’s keeping a good-ass eye on him and what he eats.” “And she says she ain’t it for lovin’.”

Rou smirked, wiping her forehead and taking a deep breath.

“Well, she’s a tough bitch. I can’t blame her. She’s clearly gone through something in the past.”

“Haven’t we all? A- FOR THE LAST FUCKIN’ TIME- XENON!”

A boyish cackle could be heard in the background, with cartoony boing effects being thrown everywhere. Pft. He musta gotten into Lyme’s stashes again.. She missed that place.

“Gods- Anyway, bae- How’s that case goin’ for you ‘n Nils?”

The redhead perked up, dusting her cleaning rag and setting it aside, looking out to the ravine.

“Well- There’s a lot. There’s that gala showing, for some breakthrough or whatever, just some moneybags being fancy ‘n allat. We got into that event, thanks to Ryso and Anti’s expert coding skills- The kid has an amazing mentor. Pols got us the gigs so we don’t look outta place, Ace lent us some shit to do shit, the usual.

There's not much going on besides the fact that we gotta bring two people back. Nils has a sneaking suspicion that Areon’s adoption files are connected to this? Somehow? Cause she went sneaking around somewhere and found some files that connected em- So I guess we know now who’s the first one to get back?”

“..huh.”

“Yea- Just pretty stumped on what Reon’s gotta do with alla this. He could be an experiment, or the means of power, like what happened to Nilly.”

Ah, yeah. We love a good lab rat trope. Whereas Nilly was strapped and chained for her power to energize a whole factory- Rou was strapped and chained to an experiment table, tubes plugging into her arms, pouring that sick, white chemical into her blood-

Eugh. The redhead got sick from just thinking about it-...

God forbid she ever goes through that again. Cause he’s dead. That won’t ever happen again, ever.

Matiz will never perfect his craft- And Roulette herself made sure of that.

“..Bae? You good? You’ve been quiet.”

“Ah- No, yeah, I’m okay. Just dozed off into space, heh-”

“Take a nap. It must be pretty late there, eh? You’ve had a long day.”

“Tuck me in?”

He snorted, a quiet chuckle escaping his voicebox.

“Get your ass home then.”

..It wasn’t much. But these calls were all she had for now. And she’ll cherish them.

——— Cherish, hmm? That seems pretty heavy of a title. Let’s see how much would you choose that- over the real thing. Ruddy blue hands curled, cerulean strings dropping daintily into her Deep Blue martini, fizzing and popping softly in the alcohol. The drink glowed a sharp aquamarine, before settling. And everyone was none the wiser. A predatory glint shined in those light denim eyes, as the lady sipped quietly at her drink, listening, watching. You can always find a good tale to twist if you stay quiet after all. But alas. None of which caught her eye. Meaning that her business here was over- And it was time to make her way to the main stage. Three SOULSHARDS should be enough to pay for her drink. The star-looking darkner seemed puzzled at the currency handed to him but took it all the same. She didn’t mind the odd stares she got from the rest of the patrons. She was used to it, after all. Not every day you get to see a live Aspect in the flesh. But to her? She was sure that all she was to them was a pretty-looking blue lady. Hmp. At least she was still pretty. The woman deftly opened her parasol, twirling it absentmindedly in her hands. The worn, paved grounds of that little Meadowbrook town started to fade, being replaced with a blur of blues and purples- A light shimmer encapsulating her figure. It was all a familiar party trick to her now.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the middle of a lobby. It was certainly something- For a company that just started a few months ago. The woman smiled, pleased at her handiwork. From the outside, it seemed small and cramped- Those dripping string designs didn’t particularly help- But on the inside? It was spacious. Sleek, jade tiles covered the floor, as smooth plaster encircled the area. In the far end, a sleek, stainless steel reception waited, the Woven Hues logo standing proudly behind it. “Miss, you shouldn’t be here with-” The little lizard monster was silenced with a glare. “Where is Matiz? I have a scheduled meeting with him.” “I-I’m sorry, miss, but he isn’t-” Her eyes darkened, as she bent over the little lizard with a menacing grin. “Tell him the Lady of Strings is here. Now.” She straightened, closing her parasol and letting it hang neatly on her wrist, before flicking her irises down to the lesser. “I don’t like waiting.” She got her wish soon enough, the tall, thin form of a skeleton standing in front of a fireplace- The fire being replaced by a thick rainbow-looking liquid. Lava lamp. “Lady Fate. A pleasure.” His quiet, raspy voice crawled out his throat, scuttling around the room. His hollow, stretched face seemed to gaze straight at her- Even though he was facing away. But she knew. His eyes were all for her, anyhow. “My dear Matiz.” Her voice dipped a few octaves, becoming silky, saccharine. She seemed to glide over to the skeleton, fingers lightly tracing down his back. “You’ve been doing well lately.. So, so well.” He tensed up, white eyelights flicking down to the woman beside him. “My lady. May I ask what is the cause for your… Impromptu visit?” She let her hand fall, a small sigh exiting her lips. “Do I need a reason to visit you~?” The skeleton turned to fully face her, and she smirked. Finally. Slightly stretched, greyish bones shone dully in the dim lighting of the office, one eyelight small and bright, the other socket dripping of color. Cracks that had grown with age back in that poor Void had reverted, bringing back a light scar, stretching across his skull. Even after all of that- He was still handsome in a way. Destiny could never compare. “You know we-” “I know, I know, my dear. I just have a little tip for you. About a little piece of wood..?” Aha. That caught his attention greatly. Of course- Of course. Fate knew what the little pest did to him. The reason why fell in the first place. Tch. “Oh?”

“She’s grown up, nice and fine.. Just as you wanted her to. And~! She’s looking for you.” That serious expression broke away, being replaced with that oh so familiar smirk. If only he’d glance at her that way again. She knew he wanted to. He knew she knew. It was just more fun playing like this. “Well, let her come. I’d love to show her my final project. That because of her, I was able to complete, after all~ These years.” He gestured to the side, a dimly lit capsule full of whitish liquid- A human-looking silhouette floating numbly within the serum. It flinched a bit, making Matiz grin wider. “I’m sure she’d love to see what she became.”

[daniela--anna]

🌿Flaxseed oil (Linium tubitatissimum)

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It is particularly rich in essential fatty acids omega 3 (alpha - linoleic) more than 50%, omega 6 and omega 9, vitamin E, tocopherol, B complex vitamins, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), mineral salts, magnesium, potassium , phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, fibre, proteins.

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📚The Chest of Nature

🌿Olio di semi di lino (Linium usitatissimum)

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🌿Trova largo impiego in campo cosmetico e dermatologico in quanto è un potente antinfiammatorio, antiossidante, elasticizzante, nutriente, idratante, rigenerante, strutturante e lenitivo.

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Dona elasticità e rende la pelle compatta e tonica. Protegge il tessuto cutaneo dall'aggressione dei fattori ambientali. Aiuta a migliorare lo stato fisiologico della pelle. È altresì un ottimo anti age, aiutando a prevenire e ridurre le rughe d'espressione e stimolando il microcircolo.

🌿L'olio di semi di lino è anche un ottimo alleato della salute e bellezza dei capelli, che grazie alla elevata concentrazione di acido linoleico, svolge un'azione nutriente, idratante e ristrutturante.

Contribuisce a contrastare la formazione delle doppie punte, ripara i capelli danneggiati, secchi e sfibrati, donando vitalità alla chioma.

Riequilibra il ph del cuoio capelluto.

📚Lo Scrigno della Natura

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[delectablywaywardbeard-blog]

Pescatori a San Benedetto del Tronto, no alle nuove regole Ue

Sono già centinaia i pescatori giunti al porto di San Benedetto del Tronto (Ascoli Piceno), uno dei più importanti scali pescherecci italiani, dove oggi si apre il Villaggio Contadino di Coldiretti, per protestare contro le nuove politiche Ue che vogliono vietare la pesca a strascico e tagliare le aree di pesca, favorendo le importazioni dall’estero più pericolose per la salute come dimostra la…

[livornopress]

I Nas chiudono ristorante sugli scali Novi Lena

I Nas chiudono ristorante sugli scali Novi Lena

Livorno 27 maggio 2023 – I Nas chiudono ristorante sugli scali Novi Lena I Carabinieri del Comando Provinciale di Livorno, nell’ambito dell’intensificazione dei servizi per  alla tutela dei lavoratori e della salute pubblica, nella decorsa serata hanno eseguito un servizio coordinato a largo raggio che ha visto l’impiego di pattuglie di tutte le quattro Compagnie Carabinieri, con il…

[sparkraptor]

The Hunt (2)

The Hunt (2)

Archer tapped the console of the nearest junior archivist tech. "I need to see all comm backups involving the following keywords: Talon. Couerl. Baxu.”

He felt Harvard's microscopic shudder of amusement as he spoke, brisk and sharp. But he was unprepared when the tech, and the duty officer alike went pale.

"Sir, we. We can't do that." The Lieutenant finally said.

Archer lifted his chin. His rank and clearance  were irreproachable. "Explain."

"Special forces does a weekly purge of their keyword data at all comm locations." Morguase said in a tone that implied Archer should know that. "They take a copy of everything and burn what we have."

Archer shifted his weight, hands clasped behind his back. "Tell me, lieutenant, does that seem... proper to you?"

She looked at the others, then back at him. "Sir?"

"Do you think the Dominion would allow any of its forces, no matter how elite, to be unaccountable?" Archer snapped and they jumped.

"It was just orders, sir, Station Command said..."

"Do you understand now why I am here, Lieutenant?" Archer barked.

"Yes sir!!" They  responded quickly.

"Excellent. When was the last purge?"

The nearest tech looked up. "Fifteen minutes ago, Major. Talon 1 is still in dock. Colonel Couel did the pickup." He gestured at a status screen.

Archer felt the threads of the universe vibrate. "Thank you. You've all been exceptionally helpful and I will include that in my report to IAB when we finish investigating Pelegus Command. You will keep this meeting a secret, understood?"

They were still saluting as he turned crisply on his heel and strode out.

__

"Did you find anything else useful in there?" Archer murmured as he strode towards the lift.

"Internal docking bay security protocols." Harvard chuckled in his ear. "I'm worried tho, Archer. Major Aix Rosen is going to show up in Pelegus' logs now."

"It's ok, love." He rested a hand on the shimmering sash, feeling his Other's  warmth. "The General's been as good as his word so far, and as long as my activities ultimately benefit him, he'll keep up his end."

He could feel her silent disapproval as he entered the crowded lift.

__

In the hangar, his uniform shifted again to the black and orange coveralls of the station dock crew. Harvard had sent just enough confusing data into the station network to scramble all of the flight schedules, and the Talon ship was trapped like all the others.

"Scan of site personnel shows at least two Talon operatives in with station command. No doubt demanding priority departure." She hummed in his ear.

Archer pushed a cart of repair tools, along with his case, towards the Talon ship, and set about working on one of the malfunctioning clamps as she disengaged from him, slipping in  shadow until she located on of the tertiary airlocks.

Archer's uniform shifted again, a sleek, dark suit molding against him as he shouldered the sword case. Harvard flitted back to him, folding around his arm in a scaly sleeve.

He looked around, then pulled himself up, slipping silently into the ship.

[lordfreg]

💜us against the world💜

tags: @carl-unironic

Fandom: ROTTMNT

AU: Vampire!

Character: Donatello

Warning: Snarky comments n fluff🥰

Reader: im going with female, Yokai-human hybrid on this one because idk it’s just more interesting🥺. And you’re a Chinese dragon hybrid

                                     ୨⎯“us against the world”⎯୧

It was a cold, October day, the perfect weather for taking a stroll down your fellow neighborhood in New York City. Ah, yes, the big apple! It was home to a lot of creatures, this Y/N knew.

Y/N was a Yokai.

Well, only half of that statement is true. Her father was a human and her mother was a Yokai. In any form, Y/N was proud of her family and her Dragon side. She used cloaking magic to cover up her dragon features like her soft ears and scaly tail. The said magic emblem was a necklace in the shape of an emerald, that dangled on a silver chain.

She lived about an average life, as average of a life you can live as a mutant. Y/N was told at a young age to keep herself hidden, as much as she could anyways. She became a fan of ushankas and dresses.

October was the one month of the year that Y/N could walk around with her ears flopping free and her tail dragging on the ground and no one questioned her. That’s why Halloween was her favorite holiday.

Y/N had awesome friends that accepted her anyway she was, except she hadn’t told them that she was a dragon hybrid. Y/N was scared that they would only see her as dangerous and scary, she could manipulate fire and she has a prehensile tail. People said it would be cool to have a tail, but it was kinda hard because it kept getting stepped on every two seconds, but hey! Still cool.

Once, Y/N asked her father why she couldn’t show her true self to anyone, and her father simply replied with wise words.

“People fear what they don’t understand, sweetie.”

Y/N lived by those words, especially after her father died when she was only 14 years old. It was sad, her mother was destroyed, but did her best to care for her daughter.

But it was almost time for dinner, so she rushed back to her apartment complex with two steaming hot coffees. Being careful not to spill the coffees, Y/N bolted up the stairs and unlocked the door with her tail, no one was around anyways.

“Hello, Nomi!” Y/N chirped, setting the lattes down carefully and greeting her mother with a peck on the cheek before helping her with dinner.

                                           ────⊱⁜⊰────

Afterwards, she did the dishes to ease the burden of being a single mother with a 15 year old girl.

“Y/N, darling, I’m not feeling so well,” Her mother spoke, “I think I’m going to go to bed early.”

“Okay!” Y/N sighed, resting her gloved hand on her head and on her hip, “You rest up, I’ll handle the dishes and then I’ll take a walk.”

“Okay, dear,” Mother sighed, “Just.. be safe, please.”

“Your wish is my command!” Y/N saluted.

Her mother chuckled a bit, “You’re so silly, Y/N. Good night, dear heart.”

“Good night, Nomi.” Y/N smiled.

Soon, Y/N was finished with the dishes and took a quick shower before taking the midnight stroll. Night time was Y/N’s favorite time, there was barely anyone awake and the streets were mostly empty. That gave Y/N an excuse to let her dragon features show.

She lifted up her dress and twirled around, embracing the so-crisp-it-almost-stung autumn air, and let her ears flick back into visibility along with her tail.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, there were red, shining eyes watching over her. The owner was perched on the ledge of a building, along with three other figures hidden in the shadows.

The looming eyes were quickly covered by goggles with blue and red lenses. The goggles zoomed in on the girl frolicking around along the city streets. The watching figure switched a setting on his goggles and it showed the female’s Yokai magic.

“Found something of interest, Don?” The one with the blue bandanna nudged the purple one as they came into the moonlight.

“Not particularly,” Don said, briefly looking around the other city streets.

“Then why were you staring at Walkway street for, like, 45 seconds straight?”

(AN; I don’t actually know if there’s a real street in New York called walkway just roll with me here😰)

“B-Because,” Purple huffed, “That girl down there appears to be a Yokai, Leon.” The goggle-wearing hero spat out.

“Whatever you say, bro.” Leo smirked.

For the split second that Donnie had taken his eyes off of Y/N, she had managed to wander down into an alley following a cat.

Frantically searching for the darling— for the girl Yokai, Donnie spun his head back and forth before his youngest brother called him to action.

Y/N was being held at knifepoint being forced to give up all their valuables.

“I-I told you already sir!” Y/N pleaded, “I don’t have anything!”

“Sure you don’t,” the raggedy man hissed, “That’s what they all say,” he slurred his words.

Just then, four shadow-like figures jumped down from the building behind the female, weapons bared. Their eyes glowed red, and their fangs were visible.

The scraggly man looked shocked, almost dropping his knife before clasping it tighter and pointing it at the threatening creatures. As they lurched closer Y/N stepped backwards and let them surround her in a protective circle. She noticed the green hue of their skin in the dim street light, and the fact that they had shells. That too.

“If you touch her or us,” The red one stated, “And we’ll eat cha alive.” He grinned while leaning in close to the man, making sure to show his fangs off.

The man then screamed and ran out of the alley, dropping the knife and pushing Y/N onto the ground. The dragon hybrid fell to the ground with an “Oophf!” As she landed on her back.

The group of turtles turned to face her, each of their bandannas coming into view. Their glowing, red eyes became yellow in the light and their curious expressions were now visible.

‘Huh.’ Y/N thought, ‘Color coded ninjas. Where have I seen that before?’

“I’m so sorry, lady!” The orange one said, taking her hand and lifting Y/N onto her feet once again.

“It’s okay,” Y/N said, rubbing her back and smiling lightly, “I’m fine,”

“Oh wow,” The blue one stared in awe of Y/N’s ears, “A-Are those real?” He asked, stepping closer and poking them lightly.

“Are those real?” Y/N laughed back, poking his fangs as he stepped back in surprise.

“Yeah,” the red one said, “We’re all, erm, vampires.” He said nervously.

Y/N blinked, processing what he had just said. Then a look of bewilderment washed over her features before morphing into an excited grin.

The purple one was observing the dragon the entire time, taking in every little detail. Who knows? Maybe there’ll be a pop quiz about that one strand of hair that got hooked in the side of your mouth or what degree does her eyebrows rest at compared to the rest of your beautiful, glorious face?

“You mean, like, real vampires?!” Y/N almost jumped with joy, “But your turtles?” She almost shouted.

“Yeah,” Orange said, “Half man, half turtle, half bat!” He said, making claws and waving his arms around with every “half.”

“That would be one-third, you brainless sea sponge.” Purple said, lightly skidding the back of the poor kids head.

“One-half, one-third, who cares? Important thing is, I’m about 99.9% sure that we just made a new friend.” Blue smiled, pulling Y/N in for a side hug.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N interrupted, “But I didn’t get your names, who are you?”

“Oh!” Orange raised his hand and waved it back and forth, “Me! Me! Me first!”

“Okay, the uh, ninja in orange!” Y/N pointed, “You can go first,”

“My name’s Michelangelo, but everyone just calls me Mikey!” He smiled, “Or Mickey, or Mitch, or Mike, or Angelo, or M, or—“

“I’m Rafael, Raph for short.” He said, sweet and simple.

“You already know me, I’m Leonardo, fearless leader. Leo for short.” He winked.

“And the antisocial blob of purple in the corner is Donatello! Don-Tron why don’t you give a warm welcome to Y/N our new BYFFAE.” Leo said, scooting Y/N towards Donnie. “That means best-Yokai-friend-forever-and-ever.” Leo whispered.

He cocked a brow while looking Y/N up and down, his glaring eyes looking down on her made Y/N start to sweat.

Donnie sighed and stuck out a hand for her to shake, “Hello, Y/N. I am Donnie, formally known as Donatello Hamato.”

Y/N shook his hand which was smooth but clammy at the same time, “Wait, did just say the word ‘sigh’?” She asked, but got no reply.

He paused for a moment, not letting go of Y/N’s hand in an iron grip.

“Why aren’t you scared of us?” He questioned, leaning closer to the dragon, “You should be terrified that we might suck your blood or something.”

“Well,” Y/N inhaled sharply, “I just thought that you guys would like me since we’re both… sorta freaky.” She said sadly, thinking that they didn’t like her.

“Hey, we’re all freaks here,” Raph said, smiling. “You’re welcomed.”

“Well, now that’s settled,” Raph began, “We should get headed home, Dad’s waiting on us.”

“Yeah, I should get going too,” Y/N said, yawning. “Tonight was crazy!”

“Yeah, I’m sure all of us are tired, we had a big day, can we all just go home now?” Donnie said annoyed at first, but then descended into a desperate attempt to hide his newfound interest in this Yokai.

As Don was pushing Mikey by his shell towards Leo’s portal, Y/N came scrambling back into the alleyway with a pen and a crumpled up poster.

“What’s that?” Don asked, shoving Mikey into the portal.

“My number,” Y/N said, “So we can hang out again!” She smiled.

Donnie felt his heart skip a beat, perhaps he was having a heart attack, which would’ve been fine by him at this moment. His face was so red it felt like it was burning holes through his mask.

“Tha-Thanks,” He said as she sloppily shoved the paper into his hands.

“No problem!” Y/N said, running out of the alley, “Just make sure to call me!”

Don huffed out a laugh that was more of a sigh, astonished at fact that Y/N had given him (and his brothers) her number. To call her! And hang out!

“Hey!” Leo shouted from the other side of the portal, “Quit gawking and get squawking!” He said making chicken noises at the purple turtle.

“What are you talking about? That makes no sense.” Donnie sighed stepping into the portal.

“You make no sense,” Leon resorted in a mocking tone.

“Whatever.”

                                             ────⊱⁜⊰────

It had been a couple of months since Y/N and the turtles had met, and almost every weekend they would go out for pizza. This time all the turtles had gotten sick with the common cold, and Don was the only one left standing.

“Hello, Hello!” Y/N called out, balancing the 4 pizzas on her palms, “I’m here with your food!”

The red eyes peered from the shadows of the sewer lair, hungry growls leaving the mouths of the boys. Donnie stepped in front of Y/N protectively, stopping Mikey from lunging at Y/N and eating all the pizza.

“PIZZZZAAAAAA!!!” The orange one hissed.

“Not on my watch, Mike,” Don said through a purple medical mask, holding out his Bo-tech to stop M, “Go back to the sick cave and wait for me.”

Y/N chuckled at the sight of the sick boy’s attempt to gobble up the delicious midnight snack. Mikey slid off the staff like a snake and the others looked just a worm-ish.

“Sorry about that, Y/N,” Donnie murmured, “They’re sick, so they’re more feral than usual.”

“Understandable,” Y/N smiled, “You want me to help you get them back into bed?”

“Sure,” Don actually smiled a bit.

                                            ────⊱⁜⊰────

After the bros were safely hanging upside down, after a full meal of course, Y/N and Donnie had some time to spare.

“So,” Y/N started, looking at the hanging turtle bats, “Won’t blood rush to their brains?”

“Implying that they have brains for blood to rush too,” he laughed, “But, uh, no. You see, due to the crazy clump of biological disasters we are, our anatomy is all messed up.

We have a constant flow of blood from our hearts to the rest of our body. That fact that it doesn’t it doesn’t rush to anywhere at all makes it very easy to hang upside down.” He went on.

“Aaand, you don’t care, do you?” He said getting self conscious as he realized that his crush was looking up the entire time.

“No, no,” Y/N interrupted the bad thoughts, “Blood can’t rush to your heads because of the constant flow of blood from the heart, but look!”

Y/N pointed to the ceiling, grabbing Don’s arm and pulling him close to her to see what she was seeing, “They’re all huddled together.”

Donnie smiled fondly, “Ah, I remember when we used to do that,”

“Huddle together?”

“Yes,” he sighed, “Bats of the same family often huddle together for warmth and comfort, we used to wrap our wings around each other.”

“That’s adorable, Don,” Y/N said, still interlocking her arm with her friends’. They faced each other and kinda just stared before Donnie finally broke the awkward moment.

“Uh, you can let go now,” He mumbled almost reluctantly.

“Oh,” Y/N let go and looked away, trying desperately to brush off the moment, “My apologies.”

“Apology accepted,” the purple turtle said as he picked at the carpet.

After a few seconds of silence, Don finally spoke up about something he’s been overthinking for a long time.

“Hey Y/N?” Don looked over to the dragon with worried and pleading eyes.

“Yeah, Donnie?” Y/N faced him, trying to hide the blush from her embarrassed blush.

“Why..” He choked on his words a bit, “Why do you stay with us?”

“What do you mean?” Y/N asked concerned.

“I mean, I’m a monster and you’re,” he paused looking down at the carpet again and started picking at it, “Well, you’re not.”

“I’m not a monster,” Y/N repeated, as if she was processing the information she just heard, “You’re not either, Don. None of you.”

“Well, people don’t seem to know that.” He huffed, scrunching up his face into his usual glare.

“My entire life, I’ve been told to never reveal myself to anyone.” Y/N started, “You guys are the first people, er, turtles to accept me as I am. Even with… this whole situation.” Y/N said, waving her spread hand over her face.

“What situation?” Don asked, “The half Yokai or the cute face?”

Donnie didn’t realize what he had just said.

Y/N blanked, her cheeks when red and her ears turned up. Something, Donnie had noticed, she did when she was shocked or embarrassed.

Then it hit him like a truck.

He had called Y/N cute.

He was so shocked that he hadn’t even realized that he was holding his breath. He inhaled sharply, trying to think of a quick response to brush off  the awkward comment and bring the conversation back on track.

“Well,” Y/N said, snapping him out of his thoughts, “I think your face is cute too.”

“Why thank you,” Donnie boasted, “Wait, what?”

“Yeah,” Y/N sighed out, bringing her knees to her chest, “I’ve always thought you were handsome, but the way you focus on your work so intensely, yet your touch is delicate.”

Donatello was taken aback, was this a confession? That wasn’t supposed to happen until next week! He even had it on his calendar.

“Is this…” he paused to process, “Is this a confession?” He would blush, but you know, constant flow of blood.

“I guess it is,” Y/N looked at him with hopeful yet disappointed eyes, “It’s fine if you don’t like me back, I understand.”

“No!” He basically shouted, “No, no, no, I like you also! I mean I really, really like you. A lot.” Donnie looked away, sort of mortified.

“So, I guess we both like each other,” Y/N stated, after a few seconds after Donnie spoke.

“Yeah, I suppose,” He looked at Y/N and took a huge breath of confidence before hooking his finger under Y/N’s chin turning her to face him.

He leaned in and planted a long kiss and her lips. Y/N was shocked, but promptly kissed back, making Donnie relax into the kiss. They both pulled away, breathless, and feeling like all was well in the world.

“Wow,” Donnie was only able to mumble out.

“Agreed,” Y/N smiled.

“AWWWWWWW,” they heard from above, “That’s adorable!” Leo slurred.

“LEON!!” Donnie growled before lunging at his brother, before Leo was saved by his Don’s new girlfriend.

“It’s okay, Don,” Y/N said, patting the top of the grumbling turtle.

“Well, now that loud mouth knows, everyone’s gonna hear about it.”

“Let them talk about us,” She said, “We’ve got each other and that’s enough.”

“Us against the world.”

END💜

[augustrenfelt]

Salutations. I've been following your work casually on a few platforms on-and-off for easily a year now. I want to thank you for your efforts and let you know that you routinely produce excellent content, no matter how infrequently or inconsistently you make said content.

Any word on your next caption? Or current caption ideas you're tossing around? Are you tapped out on XCOM Vipers?

Also, your works that touch on "politicized" sexuality are my absolute favorites. My best self-analysis says it stems from the archetypal mystery woman seducing the king/lord for ulterior motives.

A hypnotically beautiful woman woos the men around her to enter higher society, only to disagree with domestic policies and bring a council of oligarchs to their knees in a circlejerk.

A low born maid ruins a dynasty of warmongering kings by turning the only male heir gay - revenge for the death of her only brother.

A hard working farm girl, die hard conservative, last of her line. She finally gives up the search for "the one" and embraces that the best partner is the one you make. (Mind control, not incest)

The Xenos occupiers of Holy Terra itself develop what are effectively Lamia out of another readily adaptable subjugated race and battle the valiant resistance on a sexual front they were utterly unprepared for. These Vipers prove wholesale effective, and would have ultimately won the conflict if produced in sufficient numbers, yet funding towards the Avatar project (also capable of fighting humanity in the same manner) took too much from the cause.

Your work touches on such wonderfully erotic content all the time and you have honestly earned my respect for it.

Anyways, I'll stop the wall of text here. Thank you for all that you have made, and have a wonderful day.

Plague of Gripes on Gelbooru

Hi, and thanks for the very kind words.

I'm certainly down for more "political" femdom captions, and I have a few in the works. As to your specific ideas, it all hinges on whatever pictures I can get. I find that starting off with an idea and then going to find a suitable picture can be pretty thankless.

Regarding the Xcom captions... the story is that I made a caption that was banned from the reddit. It was a pretty good caption I thought, and the reasoning for the ban was pretty silly. Being to old to fight online moderators I just left, and now the XCom line has no home.

But if you know of any board or forum where my "scaly" stuff would fit in, or any board or forum where any of my stuff would fit in for that matter, I'm all ears.

Yours

August Renfelt

[artinandwritin]

I JUST REMEMBERED I have another little one shot laying around. This is probably from last year? That's why it ain't comparible to my current one shots lmao. Anyways, enjoy!!

Little Gifts;

A flower.

Siri couldn't help but stare at it as it laid in her hand. It was a pearly white, with supple petals and a yellow core, nearly sparkling in the light of the setting sun.

'So, ehm, good night,' the giver, her dear friend, Gustav Larson, brought out, his cheeks flushed, his hands fidgeting. They, together with the Auxiliary Team, had just returned to the Academy after a harsh training mission. 'I'll... Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.'

A smile playing on her lips, Siri nodded, gently twirling her flower between her fingers. It was a sweet gesture. She didn't even know her friend liked flowers so much he would gift them to her.

'Thank you,' she quickly said, feeling a heat rise to her cheeks. 'Good night, Gustav...'

He saluted her, a nervous grin appearing as he spun around on his heels, rapidly making his way to Fanghook at the exit of the Academy. Siri watched for a moment as the boy laughed excitedly at his Dragon companion, clinging to his scaly neck in a clumsy hug. They soon flew away, leaving her alone with her flower.

The girl's smile brightened. She moved her hands, carefully putting the flower in her braided hair as a soft giggle left her. Oh, she was smitten.

A soft chirp over her shoulder made Siri glance up - her own Deadly Nadder, Funnet, was staring at her with her curious, wide eyes.

Siri couldn't help but laugh softly as the Dragon sniffed her hair. 'O-oh, d-don't even start! But...' She felt her heart flutter. 'He sure is sweet, isn't he...?'

Funnet cocked her head to the side, as if to judge her Rider with a simple glance - Siri shrugged in a reply, keeping her mouth shut about it as she climbed in her Dragon's saddle. Soon, the two left the Academy; the flower, however, didn't leave Siri.

@rosiethedragongeek for the tags!! Hope you enjoy some more writing <3

[imagine4000]

Dinner Glitch Cont.

[NOTE: Hey guys. I hope you’re doing well during the holidays. If you haven’t caught up yet, this is another part of the Dinner Glitch turned fanfiction writing.]

[Anyway, let’s see how our heroes deal with this dilemma. Stay safe, healthy, and in holiday spirits!]

With a flick of his fingertips, a yokai with the head of a deer appears in-between his men.

“Oh. My. Pisces...that’s just not fair.”

“I know, right—why does everything look so cool with colored flames?”

“We finally meet, Dahlia. You’ve been giving my boys here a hard time, so I thought I’d step in for a change.”

“Thanks, I feel so~ special. And you are...”

“Artio,” he salutes, “my associates, Choiros and his brother, Hydor. We’re from the Rogue Hoarders Association.”

“I’m sorry—deer-head said what?”

“I’ve heard of you guys,” Dahlia glares, “your boss collects any knickknack and living thing he can grab.”

“And look who made the list.”

“Yeah~ I don’t think so. I’d like to breathe the air when not contained in a giant, glass jar.”

“Hey, I’m only doing my job, so let’s not waste time here.”

“Let’s not.”

FWIP!

🔥FLARE/BOOM!💥

The antlers extend as it explodes her powers on impact.

FWOOM!

“Dahlia!”

TUMBLE!

Donnie swoops in as they roll behind one of the tables for cover.

“Hey, what was that for?”

“You can’t fight with this toothpick stuck to yourself.”

“Well then what do you suggest—bake them a cake that says, ‘don’t kill us’?”

“Now who’s being sarcastic,” Donnie smirks.

CREAK/CLATTER!

Their eyes widen as the table is lifted by Hydor. Thinking fast, Donnie uses his spider shell to grab multiple supplies.

“Let’s. Get. Cooking!”

FWIP-FWIP—FWIP—FWIP!

CRACK/POOF/BONK!

“Dahlia, catch!”

FWIP!

Tossing her a rolling-pin, Dahlia heads towards Choiros.

HIYAAH/WHACK!

THUMP!

“Aw yeah~ that’s how we roll.”

WHIP!

“Woah!”

KICK/POW/WHACK/FWIP!

Dahlia dodges Artio’s attacks.

“Not bad, kid. If you’re lucky—hah!...our boss might let you be my sparring partner.”

“Hup!...Sorry pal, but I’m not looking for new employment.”

FWIP-FWIP!

She backflips and snags a two pipe-bags.

SPURT—SPURT!

“Gah! You little—!”

SPLAT!

“Smile~!”

📱KA-SHACK!🤳🏼

“Hah! Hey Don, check out my new piece!”

Ping!

Sent by text, Donnie looks at his phone while preoccupied with his battle shell flinging food at the heavyweights.

“Aha~ classic. I’m totally gonna blow this up and frame it.”

SPLAT/OW!

“Donnie!”

TOSS/AHH!

TACKLE!

“Augh/Ugh...”

SNATCH!

“Oh~ no/Wait-wait—”

🌪TWIRL-TWIRL~!🌪

“WOAH-OH-OH~!”

Choiros lassos them. 

FLICK!

“AAAHHH!”

And they fly out of the kitchen.

BAM/ACK!

Donnie shields Dahlia as his shell hits the wall.

SLIDE~...THUD!

“Anyone get the license on that bus?”

“Um~ Donnie...you good?”

The purple terrapin shakes his head and snaps out of it.

“Are we winning?”

“We will...if you don’t crush me, first.”

His eyes widen and blushes, realizing he’s still holding her.

“What the heck is going on?!”

The teens stumble onto their feet when Bruce gets their attention.

“Well, it’s—”

“That is to say...”

“And why do you have my sword?”

“What sword?”

“��...”

“...O-Oh~, you mean this. Funny story...well, not funny like ‘haha’ but like—”

“Heads up!”

🔥🔥FLARE~!!

The teens leap out of the way when a flaming hand tries to squash them. The hunters charge out, and Artio notices Bruce.

“Well, well, if it ain’t the big lizard himself.”

“Artie,” Bruce snarls, “you got some nerve showin’ up on my territory!”

“And you got some nerve calling me that stupid nickname.”

SNAP!

HISS~!

Callan and Cayden take a fighting pose, but Artio has other plans.

FLARE!

“Mr. Bruce!”

“Ngh!”

The reptilian yokai are trapped in the green ring, the heat rising over their heads, forming a cage.

“Okay, full disclosure, I did not know he could do ‘that’.”

“Ya think?”

“While you scaly fiends fry yourselves, we’ll be taking our prize...oh, and that turtle kid, too.”

“Dah—wait—who?!”

“Hey, the boss might give us a bonus for a freak like him.”

“Gasp! How dare you insult someone who’s fully aware of their ironic origin!”

“Hydor, Choiros, deal with the smart-aleck. I’ve got the girl.”

GROWL!

“Oh mamma-mia!”

FWOOM!

CLANG!

Dahlia blocks Artio’s heel with the katana’s sheath and jumps back.

“Dahlia, give me the sword!”

“I-I can’t—it’s stuck!”

“Dahlia, six-o’clock!”

WHACK!

BAM!

“Dahlia!”

She doesn’t react in time and gets flung to the other side of the room with a toppled table on her back. Artio’s flamed antlers rise as he approaches.

C-Clack-Clack

Dahlia struggles to pull the sword out.

“Nice try, kid...”

She looks up to see Artio, his men holding Donatello up on his feet.

“—but that weapon won’t obey just anyone.”

🔥FLARE!🔥 

“...!”

“NOOO!”

SHATTER!

Breaking through the barrier, Bruce flares fire out of his nostrils with rage as he growls.

👊🏼KA-POW!

Cayden and Callan tackling Hydor and Choiros as Donnie escapes.

“Keep—”

FWOOM!

“Your filthy mitts—”

KICK!

“—OFF MY NIECE!”

CRASH!

Bruce sends Artio to the ceiling, forming a crater of his body.

THUMP!

Once Artio passes out, Bruce turns to Dahlia as his reptilian henchmen tie up Choiros and Hydor.

“You okay k—”

“I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WERE MY UNCLE!”

She cuts him off screaming at the top of her lungs.

“W-What...you...you knew? How—”

“How could I not?! What—were you waiting to tell me until I was an old lady?!”

“Hey, this ain’t something you wanna bring up to your own family.”

“Still, I had a right to know!”

“And I have the right to not tell you!”

“I’m older now, I can take it just fi—”

“But I can’t! I can’t let them take you too!”

Dahlia goes quiet hearing his distraught voice. Bruce sighs and sits beside her, propping his arm on one knee.

“You were just a tiny thing back then when...when your mother passed. And your dad...my little bro...he was lucky to leave the family business while he still could. If not, things would’ve been tougher raising you. But after all that...”

Bruce glares at the enemy.

“Ordered by that obsessed collector, they hunted you and your dad until that day we both lost him.”

“So~ all this time,” Donnie intervenes, “those excuses really were to come spend time with her here?”

“Brainiac finally caught on. Good for you.”

“And~ I’ll just stand over there.”

“Does...does Hueso know about this? Is that how I got my job?”

“No, no, that’s not true. It was only until your third week on the job that I came to him and spilled everything. I was just surprised he let you stay on, but made him swore to look out for you when I’m not around. Besides...my job ain’t exactly the kind you’d be proud to hear every day.”

“...Uncle Bruce.”

The yokai looks down at his niece.

“I know it’s tough...for both of us...but you’ve been there for dad before and you still are with me. That’s enough to know how much you still care.”

Dahlia pats his shoulder.

“Like I told Donnie and his brothers...I don’t care who or what you are. You’re still my uncle and I love you no matter what.”

Bruce eventually smiles and helps Dahlia up on her feet.

“How touching.”

💥💥BOOM!🔥🔥

“Ack/Ngh/Dah!”

All of a sudden, a blast of energy forces them to separate. Artio creates fiery spheres circling himself.

“Boys, hold him off!”

Callan and Cayden face-off against the deer yokai while the others take cover.

“Donnie, quick! Get this sword off me!”

“He can’t do that.”

“What?!”

“Yeah—what? Why can’t I?”

“You should know how! It’s your sword!”

“But it’s made by your dad. He infused a drop of your DNA with any weapon he might’ve created. It’s a mechanism for when you’re in danger.”

“Well, it’s clear to me that I’m in danger and need help!”

“It’ll only work if you put your full faith and trust in it.”

“So, like bonding.”

“Exactly.”

BOOM/FLARE!

They hear the commotion and see Artio freeing his henchmen.

“And if you’re gonna do it then do it now!”

“...🤨🤨 ...”

“Uh—I mean...no pressure.”

Bruce turns around, cracking his knuckles.

“Alright, purple, let’s do some damage. Think you can keep up?”

“Does an atom have negatively-charged electrons orbiting its nucleus?”

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t kill the moment and just say yes.”

“In hindsight to your question...let’s catch some game!”

FWOOM!

“FIBONACCI!”

WHAM!

Donatello surprises Hydor by turning his staff into the rocket-powered hammer, making him collide into his brother.

“Now that’s more like it!”

FWOOM/RAA!

KICK/SWING/POW/FWIP-FWIP!

While they’re holding the frontline, Dahlia stares at the weapon.

[Remember, Dahlia...the true power of a weapon channels from within the body, mind, and soul.]

“...*Exhale*...(mumbles)I hope you’re right, dad.”

Closing her eyes, Dahlia concentrates.

SNARL!

Choiros charges towards Dahlia.

POUND!

But he steps back when two duplicates of her familiar, Fable, in muscular form block his way.

POW!

Callan distracts him with a roundhouse kick.

“Your fight isss with me, rodent!”

SHAAA~

A thread of her powers begins to wrap around the habaki.

CLANG—CLANG!

Donnie swings his tech-bo to shield Artio’s attacks.

“For a big-head turtle, you sure know how to dish out in a fight.”

“Excuse me,” Donnie sarcastically retorts, “but this is Grade-A brain power here, buddy-o!”

“Then why did I just outsmart you?”

“Wait, what do you mean by—”

👊🏼💥PUNCH/GAH!

Artio throws a fist, spinning Donnie back before he shakes his head from the pain.

“Augh...okay, mocking me while off my guard. Pretty smart indeed...but I bet your insignificant mind didn’t think of this!”

C-CLACK/VRR/SHACK!

His bo turns into his multi-torture device, ready to strike.

FWIP!

🔥SLASH/FLARE!

Using his antlers, he cuts and burns half of it off.

“Oh...oh, okay...”

FLARE~

“Dah~ running away!”

Donnie dives to evade the others, eventually rolling in-between the bodyguards to where Dahlia is.

“Hey, um, remember when I said, ‘no pressure’? Well, I don’t mean to pry into your Zen-mode, but I’m feeling a lot of pressure right now and—and~ Good Galileo...”

What he sees makes him stare in awe.

SHAA~

Now shining like a thousand gems, the sword reacts with Dahlia’s powers, as she pulls the sheath.

SHWING~

C-CLANK!

“Is that...”

“Ooh~ ho-ho—this is gonna be awesome.”

BAM!

Bruce is slammed to the wall, lifted by Hydor’s iron grip.

“Hey!”

KER-POW!

“!?”

THWACK!

Not only Hydor, but Choiros is also knocked out and blown aside.

“You know the rules.”

Everyone turns to Dahlia, the sword’s appearance completely altered.

“Start throwing fists and I’ll throw you out on your keister.”

TO BE CONTINUED...

[der-papero]

Ho avuto come auto sostitutiva una auto elettrica.

Premessa. Anni fa (non so se l’hanno più rifatto) si tenne una corsa di Formula E all’EUR a Roma, e un tassista esclamò

La Formula E? La Formula 1 per i vegani!

Adesso capisco a pieno quelle parole.

Provo a stilare una differenza tra la mia bestia e questa roba senza sale.

L’accensione.

Elettrico: la accendi. Non accade nulla. Ti chiedi se sia guasta.

La mia: la accendi, fa un casino che si sente fino in fondo alla fila delle case. Infatti, la vicina del numero 11 (la simil-Chastain) passò una volta e mi disse “ma è normale che questa auto faccia tutto quel casino? Non è che ha qualche problema?” e io risposi “ASSOLUTAMENTE NO 😍”

In marcia.

Elettrico: ok l’accelerazione. Ma poi non si sente un cazzo. Sei invisibile, nessuno ti caga. Nessuno si ricorderà di te, e tornerai nella polvere.

La mia: è così incazzata che quando scali si sentono i crack dal motore, la marmitta inizia a sparare, e gli altri avventori autostradali mi sentono da un chilometro lontano, non devo manco segnalare la mia presenza. Gli amatori ti fanno un gesto di saluto militare ed accennano un RESPECT.

Al semaforo.

Elettrico: puoi solo stare fermo. Le persone passano e senti i cazzi loro, in barba alla privacy.

La mia: puoi marcare il territorio facendo incazzare la metà dei cavalli sotto al cofano, giusto per ristabilire l’ordine naturale e incontrovertibile del “animale grande mangia animale piccolo”.

L’ascolto della radio.

Elettrico: gradevole, si sentono tutti gli strumenti, anche il click della punta sul vinile.

La mia: per sentire la voce degli AC/DC devi dare fondo al volume per sovrastare il motore, col risultato che sembra di stare in una acciaieria. Se atterrasse un Boeing 747 sull’autostrada perché impegnato in un atterraggio di emergenza, lo noteresti solo una volta che senti lo schiacciamento.

Giudizio finale inoppugnabile.

Aveva ragione il tassista: l’elettrico potrà anche far bene alla salute, ma non sa di un cazz.

[rorikoa-xiv]

Where There’s Smoke

The desert sun beat down on the Silver Bazaar as Talon stepped through the town gate. Adjusting his shades, he scanned the stalls and stonework for anyone of interest. He eventually settled on a black-haired midlander waving his finger at some men in wet, raggy clothing.

"I thought you sailors were supposed to have spine! Instead, you--" The furious fellow turned to see the stranger approaching him, and let out a tired sigh. "Yes? Can I help you?"

The miqo'te shrugged. "Maybe. I'm lookin' for anyone who knows about the recent sahagin sightings."

The hyur let out a bemused chuckle. "Sahagin! Don't you talk to me about sahagin! Do you have any idea how much trouble those bedeviled beastmen have made for my master's enterprise?"

"Quite a bit, I'm guessing." Talon set his hand on his hip, and cocked his head. "Care to elaborate?"

Taking a deep breath, the man bowed his head in greeting. "Aurton, servant of master Adalymo Totolymo, owner of Totolymo Munitions. And you are?"

The miqo'te straightened his posture and patted the wand on his hip. "Scorching Talon, of the Ashen Wolves. Here to solve the fishback issue."

The servant looked to the sky and clasped his hands. "Oh, thank the Traders! You must help us retrieve our grenade cores before the saha--"

"Whoa, hold up!" the Ashen Wolf threw his hands out. "Grenade cores!? Shit, I get that you're in the gunpowder business, but enough of those things can level a damn tower if you ain't careful!"

Aurton cleared his throat. "Which is precisely why we can't well leave them in the hands of their scale-skinned thieves. My men here were sailing from Vesper Bay when they were driven from their boats at spear-point. Had to swim their way to shore."

The seeker glanced at the drenched men and thumbed his chin. "Didn't occur to you to maybe take a land route?"

"And get gutted by tolls at Horizon?" The hyur crossed his arms.

One of the sailors, a dunesfolk, shook his head and muttered something obscene. The midlander shot him a look of disdain, and he zipped his lips.

"Tch, tch, tch… you know, I've monkeyed around with a grenade core once or twice." Talon rolled his shoulders, and clapped for the black-haired man's attention. "Whatever those two-legged guppies want with 'em, they must be putting 'em someplace dry. Otherwise the things'll go inert."

The hyur gave one last menacing look to his employee, then rubbed his neck. "The boats my men were on aren't meant for deep-sea travel, actually. It's unlikely they went far with their cargo."

The lalafell perked up. "A-actually, I might know where they are!"

Aurton cocked an eyebrow. "Well… go on then. Daylight's burning."

"Was sorta hopin' there'd be a bonus for telling?" the dunesfolk said with a nervous chuckle.

The servant's mouth went agape, then twisted into a sneer. "Why, yes! The bonus is, you get to keep your godsdamn job, Babayori! Now spill it!"

"A cave! A cave!" A look of terror appeared on the little man's face. "There’s some grottoes in the desert islets off the coast! I steal away to 'em now and again to catch forty winks and I, uh… that is…"

"Ohoho, you filthy little filcher!” The hyur stomped his way toward the dunesfolk. “First you try to shake me down for my own product, then you admit to napping on the job?! Well that's it! Your sorry ass is--"

"Enough!" Talon put himself between the two. "This ain't getting us anywhere. Look… Babayori, right? Can you take me to this cave where you think the sahagin're hiding?" The lalafell nodded emphatically.

The Ashen Wolf turned back to the midlander. "Then how 'bout this: let the little dude take me to the cave, and if I find the cores, we call it a job well done." He then glanced at the small sailor. "Oh, and you keep this schmuck on the payroll."

Aurton's brow twitched. "Keep him? Pah! And just what's your interest in his job security?"

"Can't really say." The mage shrugged back. "Just feelin'... generous. Alternatively, I can leave the same way I came, and you can sort this out yourselves."

A cool breeze rolled through the bazaar. The hyur inhaled, and eyed his employee. "Thank your lucky stars, Baba… you've got a deal, miqo'te. Get going."

The sailor and the seeker began making their way to the pier. With his boss well out of earshot, the dunesfolk spoke up. "Hey… thanks again, mister Talon. My family and I owe you one."

"Ah, don't mention it." the thaumaturge said with a wide smile. "Guy was a friggin' asshole. You've got my deepest sympathies." The pair laughed boisterously as they continued down the dock.

*********************************************

The nauseous scent of fungus and rot yawned out of the pitch-black cave now looming before Talon and Babayori. Just within its mouth were the stolen boats, with their cargo nowhere to be seen.

As the miqo'te began climbing off, the dunesfolk stopped him. "H-hey, just so we're clear, you're not expecting me to go with you, right?"

The thaumaturge gave a halfway grin, and shook his head. "Wasn't countin' on it, no. You just keep the boat here for when I come back with your boss's shit." He then hopped from the boat, conjured a flame for light, and headed in.

The sailor saluted him and nodded. "Come back safe, you hear?"

Deeper within, the pyromancer had to narrow his eyes. The damp air hampered his lightsource, and the skittering of vermin filled his ears. A chill ran down his spine as some unnatural growl echoed all around him.

Hurrying his pace, he stumbled upon a trail of webbed tracks leading to a tight passageway. The mage smelled something putrid coming from the other end, but it was interlaced with the scent of smoke.

"Found you." he said, and ducked into the passage. He anxiously whispered a prayer to Azeyma, and soon found himself in a dry, dimly-lit cavern.

Rotting fish and half-eaten rats littered the ground. Pinching his nose, the Ashen Wolf slowly moved forward until something caught his eye.

Several crates lay at the far end of the room. They smelled like charcoal, and had a faint glow. Talon hurried over and began inspecting them.

Finding nothing suspect, he carefully opened one of the crates. Inside were many densely packed orbs, emanating dry heat. He plucked one out, and gazed into its orange glow with a nostalgic smile. "Bee-youtiful…"

KSSHHHICK!

The thaumaturge screamed as something cold and steely plunged into the base of his back! He fumbled to try and pull whatever it was out, but a slimy foot planted itself on his back and kicked him to the floor!

His wand fell into the dirt beside him. Gritting his teeth, he crawled toward it, but a sudden stomp on his spine held him in place.

A pair of mucus-filled voices hissed above him. "Keep thisss one alive; fear will make its flesh tassstier for brothers!" laughed one voice. "No, no!" growled another. "Sssmoothskin is wielder of fire! Burning, burning! Too dangerousss!"

Talon jerked and wriggled to escape his attacker, but to no avail. He felt the weight shift above him, and could almost sense the sharpened steel hanging above his neck.

At just that moment, the pitter-patter of footsteps could be heard from the cavern's entrance. Babayori's voice echoed out, "You let 'im go, you big ugly whoreson!" The lalafell swung his oar wildly, only for it to thud against the scaly back of a sahagin thrice his size.

The creature let out two irritated grunts, and turned to the little man. In the faint light of the lantern on his hip, the sailor could make out a towering, violet monstrosity, armed with a trident. Most frightening to him, however, were its two hideous heads.

Both of its faces twisted into scowls, and roared at Babayori. He fell to the ground in terror, and crawled back. The abomination stomped toward him, preparing another thrust of its weapon.

FFFOOSH!

An orange flash filled the room. In an instant, a whip made of flame was coiling around the creature's waist, and slithering up its body. It let out a blood-curdling howl, and turned to see Talon propped against the crates, gripping his wand.

With growing fury, the beastman took several heavy steps toward the Ashen Wolf. "These onesss will eat your entrailsss!"

Babayori watched with awe and horror as the thaumaturge pulled out a grenade core and focused on it. When the sahagin had nearly reached him, the glow from the core dimmed into nothing, and the fire-whip burned even brighter.

With a yank of the wand, the coil tightened, searing through the creature's scales before tearing it into a pile of smoking chunks.

As the scent of charred flesh filled the room, the miqo’te fell to the ground and rolled onto his back. Through harsh breaths, he beckoned, "Good… work, Baba… n-now… c'mere…"

The lalafell rushed to his side, and began inspecting him for any visible injuries.

"W-wait. First… left pocket… yellow vial. Need it…" Talon shut his eyes, and felt a bitter liquid pour into his mouth. Swallowing it all, he sat up. "Alright… better. Now, I need your help to patch my wounds, but after that, we get those crates and get moving. Two hauls should be enough."

The dunesfolk's eyes widened as he poured a canteen over a makeshift binding. "Two hauls? After all that? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

The seeker's brow twitched, and he barked back. "I'm not sticking around for that… thing's friends to show up. And I'm definitely not leaving them their plunder!"

He then lifted his shirt, and cringed as a whiskey-soaked cloth was used to bind his wounds. "Fuckin' circus freak… what in the hells were these guys doing playing with that much firepower, anyway?"

"Nothing good, I'm sure." Babayori replied as he rummaged through the thaumaturge's pack. "But at least you helped stop 'em, huh?"

"No." The pyromancer grabbed the sailor's hand when he was offered a potion. "We helped stop 'em."

[noladyme]

Chess. Chapter 5

Y/N never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. She only took what she needed, or what she felt others needed. She’d stayed out of sight for a long time, avoiding anything that could get her in to too much trouble. But for some reason Rick Flag shows up in her life, and in an instant, everything changes.

(Fair warning, this is about to get even darker. We are moving towards a much deeper connection between Chess and Rick; but I find a deep connection needs a backstory. Also; let me know if you want to be added to my tag list. I’m still new at this, but I love knowing that people are actually reading my dribble.)

TW: sexual harassment/assault, torture, sexual themes, violence

I rubbed my neck, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

“Did you just microchip me, like some animal?”, I asked. “Something like that”, Flag said, and pulled a radio from his belt. “GQ, get the crate”, he spoke into it, and walked towards the door.

Diablo went to get a t-shirt, hanging over a chair, and put it on. “They got us rigged with some dynamite shit”, he said, and started stretching his shoulders. “Big boom”, Digger said, emulating an explosion coming from his neck. “Knocked String Boys head clean of”. “Slipknot”, Diablo corrected him. “Whatever”, was the answer, as Digger went to lay down on a bench, covering his eyes with his arm; apparently preparing to take a nap.

“Welcome to the family”, Diablo said, smirked at me, and went for a set of dumbbells in his corner.

Croc had pulled a slice of what looked like day-old pizza, from his hoodies pocket, and was eating it with a terrifyingly pleased face.

Harley – motherfucking Harley Quinn – was muttering quietly to herself, before lighting up in a big smile, exclaiming: “Ants!”, and skipping away to do whatever it is psychopathic criminal overladies do, when no one is watching.

The door behind me opened, and Edwards, whose acquaintance I’d made the day before, came into the gym. Behind him, the Tweedles were dragging a large box. Edwards and Flag exchanged a few hushed words; and Flag gazed over his shoulder to meet my eyes, before looking back at his subordinate. “… hope they’re ready”, was all I could make out from their conversation; and chills ran down my spine.

They put the box on the floor in front of me. Flag bent to unlock it, and his t-shirt rode up a bit, revealing some bruises and scratches on his lower back and hip. “Get into a fight?”, I smirked. “Just a feral cat”, he answered, smiling over his shoulder. Apparently, I’d gotten in enough punches, to make him feel it even now, quite a while later.

He opened the lid. “Here’s your shit. If you want to change, there’s a bathroom through that door”, he said, nodding towards the door Harley and Digger had come through. “Just be careful; you might get an audience. Which reminds me”. He walked over to where Digger lay; and kicked at the bench, making the peeping tom fall of it. “Hey jackass! Stop being creepy, and let people shit in peace”. Digger scrambled onto his legs, and made a mock salute. “Sir, yes, sir!”, he boomed, and laid back down, muttering curses under his breath.

“Ladies don’t shit, colonel. We powder our noses”, Harleys voice came from somewhere. Looking up, I saw that she was hanging upside down from a rope, one leg intertwined with it. Twirling her ponytails, she winked at me, before blowing a large bubble with the pink gum in her mouth.

Croc had pulled out a second slice from his pocket, and was chewing away. His enjoyment of the snack was almost obscene. He nodded towards the box in front of me. “What you got in there?”, he asked. I rifled through the things, recognizing some of my own belongings. It was now I realized that none of the crew were wearing all prison garb. Diablo had a bluish varsity jacket hanging from a chair, and Deadshots sneakers were definitely not prison grade; I could tell from the high-end label on the side.

The other three were also wearing some sort of personal addition to the orange pants and tank top, provided by Belle Reve. For Croc, it was his brown velvet hoodie; and Digger had on a coat that looked like it desperately needed a washing. Harley had on a pair of striped pink and blue shorts, held up by suspenders. The shorts barely covered her ass, and showed of the many tattoos on her legs.

Taking my favorite band t-shirt out of the box, I noticed it still had some cat hair stuck to it, from my beloved babies at home. Selina, I’m trusting you to take good care of them, I thought. I put the shirt on the floor beside me, and continued to go through the box. A polaroid of me on stage, my first night at Sammy’s; my copy of Alice In Wonderland; a pair of hot pink socks, I’d knitted myself; an oversized greyish flannel shirt, I’d stolen from an ex; some makeup and black nail polish, in a black purse; and a pair of broken, furry handcuffs – Ahh, Vegas, I smiled. Finally, I pulled out a small stuffed bunny, I’d won at a travelling fair, a few weeks before I’d been taken by Hatter. I stroked its tiny face, and discretely kissed its head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Digger looking at me, sending me a friendly smirk and nod. I smiled back.

I kept searching through the box. “Looking for something?”, Flag said from behind me. “Where are my smokes?”, I sighed. “There were no cigarettes in the box when it arrived”, Flag answered me. He’d already gone through it.

A large scaly hand offered me a pack of Marlboro Lights, and looking up at Croc with a thankful smile; I took one of the cigarettes, and popped it in my mouth. “Anyone have a light?”. Diablos hand appeared in front of my face; pinky stretched. A tiny flame burned from it, taking me by surprise; and I half laughed, half guffawed, as I lit the cigarette.

“I knew you could do that!”, Harleys shrill voice sounded. Her head appeared next to mine, and she rested her chin on my shoulder. She smelled like bubblegum and cotton candy, and for a hot second I was tempted to turn my head and lick her face.

“Who the hell gave Croc access to cigarettes?”, Flag muttered to Deadshot. “You know how he gets when he runs out, and goes cold turkey!”. “You’re telling me, man. There’s still a hole in the wall between his and my cell, from when he ran his fist through it”, Deadshot smirked.

“Ooh! What’s that?”, Harley asked, and reached in to the box, revealing a false bottom. I removed the thin board of metal.

There you are!

Surrounded by the whole crew – a curious Digger having joined us – I picked up a black, cropped and hooded faux leather jacket. The pleather was undamaged still, and putting it on, I pulled up the hood, and closed the zipper. With the help of the hood and the large collar, my face disappeared into shadows. Flag looked at me, lifting his chin; staring me down. His gaze made me slightly uncomfortable – or was it stirred? – and I took off the jacket again.

A loose purple, off the shoulder crop top; and a pair of black, high waist, lycra and mesh leggings completed the outfit. Finding my favorite combat boots in the box, I only needed one thing.

I moved around rope, a crowbar, some lockpicks, and a hammer and chisel. There they were. My claws.

“Cute mittens”, Harley giggled, and grabbed for the black fingerless gloves. “Careful!”, I gasped, and quickly grasped them. Harley pouted. “What? You don’t like sharing your toys?”.

I put on the gloves, made a fist; and from my knuckles sprang 4 curved knives. Edwards and the twins quickly raised their guns at me, prepared to shot, if I tried anything. I rolled my eyes, and noticed Flag trying to hide a smile.

Picking up an old sock, I demonstrated the blades sharpness, by cutting through it. The knives went through the fabric like butter; and Harleys eyes widened. “Oh”, was all she said, after which she took a step back; and went to stand behind Deadshot. “Lady, you got some sharp nails there”, he said, and chuckled.

“You still know how to use them?”, Flag asked, not removing his eyes from the blades on my hands. I just smirked.

I went to stand by the wall. I could feel eyes on my back from my audience. I bent my knees; and then leaped. I grasped the wall with the claws, and started climbing upwards. At the top of the wall was a row of tiny windows. “Don’t do it, Y/N!”, Flag called, as I heard the soldiers cock their guns. I looked over my shoulder, winked at him; and smiled.

I quickly moved laterally on the wall. Gunshots sounded, and the wall beside me suddenly was full of holes. “Hold your fire! Hold your goddamn fire!”, Flag yelled desperately. The gunfire stopped, and I made myself reappear; hanging by my claws from the basketball hoop on the opposite wall. One of the Tweedles cocked his gun again; and everything after that happened in slow motion.

The soldier took aim at me; looking pissed. From out of nowhere, Flag jumped at him; knocking him to the ground. The gun went off; bullet narrowly missing my head – and I fell.

---

I landed on my back; the wind knocked out of me. I closed my eyes, and heard people running towards me. I felt a strong arm under my back, and a hand behind my head. “Y/N”, Flags shaking voice called out. “Come on kitten, wake up”, he whispered into my ear, his breath warm against my neck.

I opened my eyes, seeing his face inches from mine, mouth slightly opened to speak again. I suddenly noticed there were specks of green in his brown eyes.

I blinked once. “Are you gonna kiss me now?”, I asked, and smiled crookedly.

Flag let go of me, and pulled back, lips now in a thin line. He stood up, and stormed towards the shooting twin. He grabbed his collar; and slammed him against the wall. “What the fuck is your problem? Do you not know how to follow an order?”. The soldier put his hands up. “Sir, she was going awol!”. “She is an asset. Wallers asset!”. Flag punched Tweedle in the gut; making him double over. “Get this asshole out of here”, he called to Edwards and the other twin; who dragged the panting soldier out of the room, Flag following them to the door, still cursing.

Deadshot crouched in front of me, holding his hand in front of my face, a couple of fingers raised. “How many fingers am I holding up?”, he asked. “What are fingers?”, I joked; making him chuckle again.

He helped me onto my feet. “You are a hard one to kill, Chess”. “Nah”, I answered. “I can die plenty. I think my secret is, I just really don’t want to”, I said, and stretched my arms into the air, feeling my bones pop.

“Why didn’t you run? You could have made it through the window”, Diablo asked from behind Deadshot. “I wouldn’t have made it half a mile. I’m spent”, I answered. “I need energy to smile, and they’ve had me living on cat food for a month. Only just had a real meal yesterday”. “Que cabrón”, Diablo spat.

Politely refusing one of Crocs pocket-pizza slices; I went back to my box of belongings. Kneeling beside it, I quickly changed into the band t-shirt. It had been a snug fit once; but my kibble-diet had made it quite a bit looser.

Flag crouched next to me. “You good?”. He didn’t look at me, but kept his eyes on the ground. “That wasn’t supposed to happen”. I scoffed. “I’m fine. Just a few more bruises to add to the collection”. Flag exhaled. “You can keep the civilian clothes, and three items from the top layer of the box. Your combat equipment will be stored for you, until you need it”. He stood back up. “The rest will be destroyed”.

I scowled at him, and stood up, putting my hands on my hips; swaying back and forth a bit, deciding; then bent over, and started gathering the things I’d chosen. I felt his eyes on me. “Checking out the asset?”, I teased.

“Could you just for a second stop that shit? Stop flirting, and start being serious about the situation you are in!”, he growled at me. “Why? Am I getting in to your head?”, I twirled around, and pouted at him innocently.

He shook his head, and furrowed his brow, scoffing at me. “Just quit it, and do the job we brought you here to do”.

I stepped up to him, and looked him square in the face. “I’ll quit it, when you quit that good soldier bullshit”, I spat. “You had no right to go after me, and no right to keep me here”.

“I have every right”, he said calmly, staring down his nose at me. “You’re a scumbag. A criminal. The world would be better if you just disappeared”. “Oh?”, I asked; not breaking eye contact. “Tell me, what’s the difference between me and the Bat? That asshole is beating up people left and right; no badge, no warrant… He decides who he thinks is a bad guy, and drags them to the front step of Arkham, or airdrops them in to this shithole”.

I stomped away to grab the sack that had been over my head earlier. I stuffed the book, the makeup-purse, and finally the rabbit into it. I saw Deadshot and the others huddled in a corner; obviously trying to give me some space; and pretending not to be staring at the scene.

Flag stormed after me, grabbed my arm, and spun me around; holding me in place, as I struggled. “You are nothing like him. He brings down criminals. You kidnap judges, and torture them”. His face was inches from mine. “He has never stolen money from anyone”. “Maybe that’s because he is already the richest man in the goddamn country!”, I hissed at him. I looked at the squad in the corner. They didn’t seem to have heard.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”, Flag asked, and let go of my arm. I rubbed the spot he’d been holding on to. “Never mind”, I quietly answered, not wanting to get into it. The papers I’d seen in Lucius Fox’ safe, had made me put two and two together; but as I’d told Deadshot before, I really didn’t want to die – so mr. holier-than-thou Waynes secret, was safe with me. That was one wasps nest I was not putting my hand into.

Flags face had softened. “What happened with judge Kelper?”. “Your read the file”, I answered, not looking at him. “I kicked his ass”. “Before that”, he demanded. “What made you do it? If you’re not a bad guy, you must have had a reason”. I closed the box, and sat down on it. “Truth?”, I asked. He nodded.

“Kelper would show up at the club sometimes – slumming it. I knew who he was, because he was the judge at an arraignment, where I was charged with pickpocketing for the Hatter”. I folded my hands in my lap. “Someone caught you pickpocketing?”, he smirked, a slight warmth returning to his eyes. “Tetch hadn’t fed me in a couple of days. When my bloodsugar is low, and my energy is down, it’s difficult to keep up the mirage”, I admitted. “Anyway, Kelper would bring in whoever he was paying off, to further his political career, and wave money around; getting the performers to join them at their table. I was stupid enough to take some of it myself”. I winced; remembering how I’d sat on his lap, and played the part of willing participant in his little erotic adventure. Flag looked down. “I never let it go any further than a lapdance”, I said, actually worried he’d think even less of me than he already did.

“So, then what?”, he asked. I bit my lip. “Did you know he’s married? He’s got a beautiful trophy wife, and two teenage daughters, almost out of high school. Cheerleaders, blonde. Ditsy as fuck, but on their way to bright futures, due to daddys money, and mommys good looks”. “But?...”, he probed.

I sighed. “There was a girl at the club, Sarah, just turned 18; poor family, desperately trying to scrape up some money for college. One night, he invited her to join him and his friends in their limo. He said he’d give her a ride home, and maybe a recommendation for college”. Flags eyes turned cold again. I continued. “He kept calling her Stephanie, even when she tried to correct him”. I looked up at him. He was looking more and more aggravated. “She didn’t show up for work the next day, so I went to her place”. I ground my teeth together, before continuing. “Her mom told me she was in the hospital. When Sarah had refused to put out willingly, Kelper had held her down... When he was finished with her, he’d let his friends have the leftovers”.

I looked at my feet. “His youngest daughters name is Stephanie”.

I was jolted, when Flag kicked the box I was sitting on; clenching his fist, and cursing quietly. “Sorry”, he said, looking at me. I was unsure what the apology was for; the kick, or my story.

I stood up. “So, now you know. I beat that shitheads face into a pulp, clawed his skin; and made sure he’d never be able to do that to another person again”. Flag stayed quiet.

I picked up my sack of belongings, and went to face him again. “And just for the record, that last 13.000 dollars… Sarahs mom couldn’t afford the hospital bill, and became behind on the payments. They almost got kicked out of their apartment the week before I raided that safe”.

We stood there for a little while, staring each other down.

“I’m sorry that happened”, Flag said. He sighed. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the situation you’re in. You’re going to have to be a part of this team, if you want to ever get your life back”. He was almost apologetic. “I know”, I admitted. “And for the record; I am a bad guy”, I said. “A really good bad guy”. Flag smirked at me, and moved to the middle of the room. Apparently, our conversation was over.

---

“Alright people! Unfortunately, we won’t have a lot of time to get acquainted with our newest team member”, he called, grabbing the attention of the rest of the squad. “We have a new mission”. “That was fast”, Deadshot said. “Sorry, Floyd. You’re going to have to take a rest from the ball, and reacquaint yourself with your guns”, Flag answered.

“So. Here’s the brief…”.

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