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[jpttools]

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[thlayli-ra]

Stray (part 4)

Characters - CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Larry, Samoa Joe

Pairing - CM Punk/Drew McIntyre, CM Punk/Samoa Joe (past)

AU - Stray AU

Rating - Mature

Warnings - Strong language, mentions of human trafficking, imprisonment and prostitution

Words - ~3,000 words (this is a longer one, yay!)

Summary - Punk asks a 'friend' for help

The door rang at six the next morning and Punk answered it immediately, already fully dressed.

'What did you do now?' the large set man on the doorstep grumbled.

'What makes you think I did anything?' Punk asked with his hand on his chest, taking offence to the accusation.

'When you call me at 5am telling me to bring spare clothes and my tool kit, I take that as a strong sign that you've done something,' Joe replied gruffly, stepping in past Punk and up the front steps. 'So just get it over with and tell me what the hell hap-'

He stopped mid-word when he reached the top of the stairs and found the stranger sitting innocently on Punk's sofa, naked except for a poorly fitting pair of boxer briefs and a dog collar around his neck. The newcomer gaped at the sight, then quickly dumped everything onto the floor.

'Excuse me,' Joe politely said to the stranger then roughly dragged Punk to the back steps at the far end of the living area.

'Ah, you grabbed me by the fucking neck,' Punk whined as Joe slammed the door behind them to give them some privacy.

'What the hell is that?' he demanded to know.

'I believe it's what they call an adult human male,' Punk shot back sarcastically.

'Don't get smart with me, Phillip Jack!'

'Oh, we're doing the Phillip Jack thing already, are we?'

'Just tell me who the fuck he is?'

Punk shrugged his shoulders. 'Dunno.'

'Well, what's his name?'

'Dunno.'

'Then where'd he come from?'

'I found him round the back of Mrs Goldstein's house. Good thing too, if she'd found him first she'd probably have had her third stroke and-'

'Wait! Wait! WAIT!' Joe scrubbed his eyes with his fingertips. 'What do you mean you found him?'

'Last night during the storm,' Punk retorted as if that made complete sense. 'Kid was all alone and banged up so I took him back here and cleaned him up.' Joe was trying to process just what the hell was happening but Punk didn't seem to notice. 'Hey, you know sign language, right?'

'I know exactly four languages, one of which is sign language, yes,' Joe replied, not following any of this in the slightest.

'Great! Come with me!' Gripping Joe by his broad shoulders, Punk shuffled him back into the living area and over to the lounge where the stranger was sitting calmly, stroking Larry who was sleeping next to him on the couch. 'Hey, so, this here is Joe, he's sorta, kinda, well, he's my-

'Friend,' Joe cut in abruptly.

'Yeah...' Punk muttered bitterly. 'Friend.'

The stranger stared blankly at them both.

'Well?' Punk looked expectantly at Joe. 'Go on.'

Heaving a huff of frustration, Joe signed 'hi, my name is Joe. What's your name?' when Punk cuffed him on the arm.

'He can hear you alright, I just need you to translate what he's saying.'

By this time, seeing someone else using hand motions had excited the stranger and he began throwing gestures right back at the large-set man who blinked with a furrowed brow. 'That's... not ASL,' he said, at last. 'Wait, where's your globe?'

'Pfft, I don't have a fucking globe,' Punk snorted.

'Oh really? Not even that one I bought you three Christmases ago?'

Punk quickly backtracked. 'Ohhh, that globe! Yeah I still got that globe.' He rushed over to a closet at the far end of the room and took a long time digging around before he finally produced it, still in its box and sealed.

'You keep it in the back of your closet?' Joe asked coldly, accepting the box from Punk.

'Just for safe-keeping, while I'm getting my office repainted.'

'Riiiiiiight.' Ripping the box open, Joe fetched out the plastic globe and placed it on the coffee table in front of the stranger. 'Can you show us where you're from?'

On instinct, Joe had turned the globe so that North America was facing the stranger but once he placed his large fingers on the sphere, he began turning it, passing over the Atlantic Ocean until he settled it at Europe. A wobbly smile broke his lips when he pressed his fingertip to a spot and both Punk and Joe leaned in for a closer look.

'You're from England?' Punk brows shot up.

The stranger gave a vicious snarl.

'From Scotland,' Joe corrected. The cat paw bobbed wildly. 'Hold on a minute...' Joe fished out his phone and began tapping away on the screen while Punk stared down at the tiny nation pressed beneath the stranger's large digit.

'We've been to Scotland before, haven't we?'

'Yeah, few times. Back when we were starting out, we had some bouts in Glasgow.'

'That's right! You from Glasgow?' The stranger shook his fist. He then began pointing his fingers upwards. 'You're from... Up? Uptown? O-over...? Over-town?'

'Skye?' Joe put in his guess but everything received a shake of the head. The stranger then splayed his fingers, hovering them around him. 'Air?' Cat paw! Cat paw! 'Oh, Ayr! You're from Ayr?'

'How do you know all this shit?' Punk asked, his nose scrunched.

'Unlike you, I like to try and learn about the places we visit.' Joe returned to his phone, ignoring the eye roll from the tattooed man. 'Ah, now it makes sense. He's using British Sign Language.'

'Is it that different?'

Joe sighed with exasperation. 'Yeah, it is.' He turned his attention back to the stranger. 'I've pulled up the BSL alphabet. Can you spell your name out for me? Slowly?'

'You could just have gotten him to write it out,' Punk pointed out with a scoff.

'He's been with you since yesterday and you didn't think to do that.' Punk snapped his mouth shut. 'Go on.' The stranger began moving his hands. First he pointed his left index finger up and placed his right index and thumb against it, opened up like a semi-circle, clearly making the shape of a familiar letter. 'D,' Joe confirmed. Then he crooked his left index finger. 'R'. Next he placed his right index finger on the tip of his left index finger. 'E.' And finally he knitted the tops of his fingers together, palms facing. 'W,' Joe said and put the all the letters together. 'Drew? Your name is Drew?'

The dark head and cat paw bobbed excitedly. Blue eyes pricked with tears from finally hearing his own name being spoken back to him. He wasn't the only one who found himself emotionally affected by the reveal. In the corner, Punk had gone deathly quiet, his lips hanging open slightly as his mind raced.

Drew... his name is Drew...

'So, how did you get over here, Drew?' Joe asked. The Scotsman replied by swooping his fist through the air, his thump and pinkie extended. 'You flew here?' Cat paw, but then the fingers grasped the collar at his neck.

'They flew you here,' Punk answered, understanding the hidden meaning. 'They guys who held you prisoner?'

Cat paw, followed by more finger spelling. Joe read them out as they were motioned 'L. I. E. Lie, they lied to you?' Cat paw, followed by a sawing and hammer motion. 'They said it was for work?' Cat paw, then another grasp at his collar. 'But they imprisoned you instead.'

'They forced him to fight,' Punk cut in, already knowing this part of Drew's horrific recent past. 'Probably around the illegal circuits, remember them? We looked into a few before we realised how fucking dangerous they were?'

But Joe was rubbing his fingers back and forth over his lips, deep in thought. 'Drew...' the blue eyes stared back at him. 'They made you do more than fight, right?' The Scot hesitated, glancing cautiously at Punk. 'That collar around your neck. Did they make you do anything... sexual?'

Punk hitched a breath, feeling his skin turn as cold as ice. The sensation overwhelmed him when he watched Drew's beautiful eyes darken and his head sink in shame. Punk couldn't contain the snarl in his throat as he scrubbed his palm over his face. His fists were shaking and he needed an outlet for it. Now!

He slammed his fist back against the wall. Hard. Feeling the skin break as it hit unrelenting brick. Joe looked up at him, his brows lowered. Go on, say it! Like a 'cornered feral cat'. Just fucking say it!

But it was Drew who piped up, flattening his left palm and swiping his right pointed finger beneath it. Joe's attention moved back to the large hands, trying to decipher them. Drew helped him by reaching down to shake the shattered chain at his feet. It was the first time the larger man had seen it and his face gave away the shock. 'But you escaped,' he explained, bringing Punk's focus back to the room.

Drew smiled broadly, then placed his thumb against his chest, swooping it around in a figure of eight. It took Joe a while to work out the sign but when he did, a grin broke out on his usually sullen face. 'Yes, yes I see,' he replied warmly and mimicked the same gesture on his chest.

Punk watched them both with bewilderment, wondering what joke he was missing out on, when Joe beamed up at him. 'You get it, right Punker?' he asked, doing the motion again. Punk shook his head. 'That means you!'

'Me?' Punk blinked, and looked over to Drew for confirmation. The blue eyes twinkled back at him, full lips spread wide revealing two deep dimples in his bearded cheeks. He did the motion again, swirling his thumb over his chest and Punk finally understood. He was following the path of the waves and serpent on his chest tattoo, just like he had last night in the wet room.

All of a sudden, Punk lost the ability to draw in breath. Overcome with emotion, he bit down hard on his cheek to stifle any sobs. 'Y-yeah,' he stuttered, shakily bobbing his head. 'Then I found you.'

With several mysteries solved, Joe moved on to the tasks Punk had sent him for. First on the checklist was removing the metal cuff and chain from around Drew's ankle. While Joe opened his tool box, Punk went into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for them all. Larry lay flat on the couch, glaring at Joe as he placed a rod into the locking mechanism of the cuff and gave a threatening growl when Joe pulled back the mallet to strike.

'Yes, yes, I know Larry,' Joe said to the little dog. 'I promise I will be careful.' Another snarl. 'I promise! Urgh, you just had to adopt the dog that's a small furry version of you, didn't you?' he shot at Punk.

'Guess we're just the type that's nobody else wants,' Punk fired back from the kitchen.

He knew it was a cruel barb and from the corner of his eye, he saw Joe lower his arm and close his eyes, taking in a long, deep breath through his nose, the way he always did when he was trying to compose himself. Eventually he shrugged off Punk's vicious comment and moved on.

The cuff broke apart on the second strike and Drew's leg was finally free. He asked Punk to fetch the first aid kit ('under the sink, top shelf. You really should know this by now! What if you burn yourself or cut yourself with a knife in the kitchen!') then cleaned and wrapped the wounds on Drew's ankle. Once the Scot had been treated, Joe helped him into some old clothes of his. He may not have the height that Drew did, but he was large and broad so the clothes fitted much better than Punk's did.

By the time, they all sat down at the table to eat, Drew was transformed. Wearing a navy T-shirt and black shorts with his long hair pulled back in an old hair-tie that Punk had found in a drawer, he looked more... normal. Like any other guy. Well, except for the collar around his neck. Punk placed his food down in front of him and had a double-take, examining him from head to foot. He couldn't deny that he looked good. Really good!

He served Joe next then, after topping up Larry's bowl, he joined them at the table with his own stack of pancakes. Grabbing up the syrup first, he proceeded to empty almost the entire bottle onto his stack as Drew and Joe looked on in disgust.

'You never change,' Joe muttered. They soon tucked in and Joe's eyes lit up with the first taste of the warm pancakes. 'Wow, these are delicious! You've really improved your technique.'

Punk chewed his bottom lip awkwardly. 'I didn't make 'em,' he confessed. 'They're yours. I found them in the freezer box.'

'Wait, so they've been in there all this time?'

Punk never once took his eyes off the pancakes on his plate as he stuffed another bite into his mouth. 'Just... forgot they were there.'

The atmosphere dampened and they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

A short while later, Punk escorted Joe to the door. 'Thanks again for helping out,' he said, stuffing his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.

'No problem, I just...' Joe gently shoved Punk out onto his front step and closed the door behind him with a quick glance upstairs to make sure nobody was within earshot. 'Punker,' he said, sternly and the cage-fighter knew there was a lecture coming, 'listen to me. Drew is a big guy. He's taller than both of us and he's clearly really strong.'

'I know what you're getting at,' Punk sighed, 'and I've been thinking it too.'

'Good,' Joe cut in with relief. 'Cause anybody who trafficked a guy like Drew here and kept him prisoner all these years has to be dangerous.'

'You don't have to worry about me,' Punk smiled weakly out the side of his mouth.

'You know you have a habit of getting yourself into stupid shit you're not cut out for.'

Punk bristled at that and folded his arms across his chest. 'What you saying here exactly?'

'This isn't your problem to solve. Drew was trafficked here illegally by criminals - you have to call the cops.'

'Why?' Punk argued, getting defensive. 'So they can just toss him in a holding centre somewhere. He's already been imprisoned against his will for years, I can't do that to him again.'

'You don't know that!' Joe protested. 'You're not a social worker-'

'No shit,' Punk snapped back, 'because I'm actually helping the guy.'

'You can't let what happened to you cloud your judgement here,' Joe tried to reason with the cage-fighter who was getting more irate and closed off by the second. 'I get that what Chez and her family did for you was incredibly kind and selfless but there's no expectation on you to pay that forward.'

'And what if I want to!' Punk opened his arms wide. 'What if I just wanna do the right thing here?'

'This isn't some fifteen year old kid we're talking about,' Joe kept his voice calm and composed, the way he always did when they argued. Punk hated when he did that! 'The guy looks to be in his mid to late thirties. He's not even from here, he has a whole life and family back home, maybe even a wife and kids.'

'He doesn't have to stay if he doesn't want to,' Punk debated, 'but until he's ready, gets back on his feet, who gives a shit?'

'And what if those guys come looking for him?'

Punk paused, pursing his lips. 'We'll be alright. I'll keep him safe.'

Joe scrubbed his hand across his brow, no doubt feeling a stress headache taking hold. 'It's not him, I'm worried about. I'm worried about you.'

'I told you already, you don't need to-'

'But I do! I can't help it. Every damn minute of every damn day I worry about you and it drives me fucking crazy! I can't keep doing this.'

'Then why did you answer my call at 5am this morning? Why did you even come here?'

Joe heaved a long, weary sigh. 'I don't know,' he admitted. 'I really want this to work out between us, this whole 'friendship' thing, I really do, but you've got to put in the effort too. You've gotta at least try to move on.'

'You're the one who left me!' Punk was raising his voice and he couldn't help it. All the pain and hurt from the past few months was spilling out of him like water gushing through a fractured dam. 'You don't get to tell me when I'm ready to move on. Anyway, how the hell am I meant to move on when I keep finding your shit all over my house!'

He clamped his mouth shut, realising his faux-pas too late. Joe stared back at him, furious agony marring his features.

'Exactly. Your house! Your career. Your hopes, your dreams. Your life. You, you, you! That's all it's ever been about. You're so fucking selfish!'

'Yeah, well why'd you stick around so long if I was such a shitty boyfriend and an even shittier fiancé?'

Joe shrugged his shoulders in defeat. 'Good question,' he said, bitterly as he turned away. 'Least you've matured enough to admit that at last.'

Punk could have called his name, could have told him to stay and they could talk things out properly but he knew it wouldn't work. The one talent that he had was making things worse. So he let Joe walk away. Again.

Stepping back inside, he forced all the pain down deep inside him again, pushing it into the dark recesses and sealing it tight.

Right now, he had more important things to worry about than whining about how his life was falling apart at the seams. He had a blue-eyed Scot called Drew who needed him.

Who needed him to be strong.

To be continued...

Previous chapter

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[akwolfgrl]

How sweet it is to be loved by them 31

Zoro, the feared pirate hunter, demon of the east blue, was rumored to have mated to an angel. Yet Nami watched as the alpha who claimed to be his mate gnawed on the metal bars, and she just couldn't see it. The green haired alpha had dropped the cage and was now laying on the ground bleeding.

“If you want to gnaw something, how about you gnaw on my ropes! I might be able to pick the lock.” Nami shouted at the other Alpha as he continued to chew on the bars. She didn't really want his mouth anywhere near her, but she had a key, and if that didn't work, she had her lock picking kit…the angle would be awkward, but so long as she was free.

Luffy stopped and turned to her. “Good idea! Zoro, our new navigator, is so smart!”

“Navigator? Sanji will placed….in more than one way.” The second half of the sentence was muttered. This Sanji person was mentioned more than once. If Nami was sticking around, she might have been curious.

“Hello! Can we get back to getting out of the cage! And I never agreed to join you!”

“You will.” Luffy chipped before he began to chew threw the ropes holding her. Nani didn't know if that was a threat or a promise.

When the ropes fell away, Nami rubbed where the rope had burned her skin. She took her stolen key and shuffled closer towards the lock, keeping them inside the cage. She tires the key a few times, twisting and turning it in hopes of forcing it to fit.

“Shit,” Nami knew it had been a long shot, but she still had hoped for the easier route. She dug out her lock picking kit and got work. “Come on.” She muttered to herself as she worked.

She felt a body press against her. “Watcha doing?” The other alpha joslted her engh that Nami ended up dropping her lock picking tools. “Damn it!” She watched with dismay as the tools hit the ground out of her reach.

“I thought I heard the sounds of a damsel in distress only to find a bleeding marimo and a caged alpha. What happened?” A blond came in to view. His ponytail swishing as he ran to Zoro, he kneeled at the side with no regard for his fancy suit.

“Sanji!” Luffy cired out. So this was the Sanji that the other alphas mentioned.

“Luffy! What happened? Why are you and this lovely lady locked up?” The blond turned his head to look at them. Nami wondered if this was the angel people were gossiping about. It made more sense than Luffy. His earnings did match Zoros. Nami personally thought he looked a bit to put together to be a pirate. “Did you steal from or make fun of Buggy’s nose?” They as a collective, in fact, did both and more.

“Oh please, sir, let us out.” Nami batted her lashes, as he stepped closer to them, she could smell properly now. An omega like the Buggy pirates, he smelled spicy, salty, and sweet. A spoiled omega, perhaps he had money or something Nami could steal, he was a pirate after all. It's a bit posh but a pirate nonetheless. “If you could just hand me…”

“Of course, don't worry, my sweet. I'll have you out of here in no time.” The omega interpted her, Nami watched as the blond raised his leg straight above his head before slamming it straight down on the lock, breaking it clean off. He opened the cage door and held out his hand. “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” Nami took his hand to freedom, ignoring the grumbling from the green haired alpha learning against a post.

“Oi you four shouldn't be here! It's not safe, evacuate imditily!” A new voice joined them, an older man carrying a bleeding dog.

“Who are you?” Zoro asked as Sanji let Luffy out of the cage and untied him.

“I'm the mayor of this village. This is shushu, he was attacked by a pirate riding a lion. You four need to leave, it's not safe here!”

[argumentalist]

You know, I don't love the original Mobile Suit Gundam. And I didn't think the RX-78-2 Gundam was that great. But the more I build the more I appreciate this iconic design.

This is my first time building an Entry Grade kit. I guess I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this kit genuinely surprised me.

We've got a bunch of these weird double runners. A1/A2 molded together. I guess I don't understand why you wouldn't just call the whole thing the "A" runner.

The molding is fantastic on this kit. Nice, sharp details. And the gates are virtually nonexistent. According to the instructions you can pop this thing together without any tools at all - not even nippers.

I used my nippers out of habit, and a glass file here and there... But, yeah, probably not needed.

I used a gold Gundam Marker on the eyes. They were just molded in yellow plastic and I didn't think they popped enough.

Fun fact - there's no black plastic in the head. That darkness around the eyes is just a shadow created by gaps/recesses in the plastic. Some smart engineering there from Bandai.

Surprisingly good articulation here in the torso - there's a couple joints in there to allow a fantastic ab-crunch.

And I'm loving the colors in this plastic. That yellow is nice and rich.

The color separation is also very surprising in this kit. There's no stickers at all. That "v" in the crotch is a separate bit of yellow plastic poking through the red. There's High Grade kits that don't have color separation this good.

The arms and legs are honestly kind of a let-down after the rest of this build. They're very hollow with very simple joints. The articulation isn't great. And it all feels very tight and stiff.

If I understand correctly, this is what makes it the Full Weapon Set kit - the addition of effect parts for the beam sabers, the beam javelin, hyper-bazooka, and Gundam hammer. A nice little bonus considering how cheap this kit is.

I wish there was an effect part for the beam javelin - that grey plastic doesn't look great. But I guess that just means I'll have to paint it.

This is everything you get in the basic Entry Grade RX-78-2 Gundam kit. While you do get the handles for the beam sabers, there's no effects parts.

I painted the sight/lens on the beam rifle with a yellow Gundam Marker - again, it just looked too plain in the grey plastic.

While the joints are stiff and the articulation isn't great, it can still pull off some very nice poses. And the light weight combined with the stiff joints mean that it'll hold any pose just fine.

That beam javelin just doesn't look great out of the box. And due to how the handle and hands are designed you can only hold it way down at the base. I'm definitely going to have to paint it eventually... And I might modify it a bit so it can be held up on the shaft.

This is really a very surprising kit. Much, much better than I was expecting.

The build was very simple and fast. It didn't have the satisfying complexity of a Real Grade. It doesn't have the heft or weight of a Master Grade.

And it's a very simple, anime-accurate design. There isn't a lot of surface detail to panel-line or anything like that.

But it looks really good once its built. And all of that simplicity means it should be very easy to customize.

I'll happily build another Entry Grade kit. And I'm already thinking about interesting ways I could customize one...

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Whumpril 2024

-14- Urgent Care

As soon as the knife slid, Harry knew it was bad.

"Ow!" Then, "Shit!" He grabbed for the nearest tea towel and twisted it hard around the end of his finger. Adam's eyes widened with panic at Harry's sharp voice, the flurry of activity as he wrapped the wound.

"What is it?" he demanded, and his gaze scanned the scene on the worktop: chunks of white-fleshed potatoes, the glinting silvery steel of the butcher knife, the blonde-wood chopping board. Blood. Blood. Blood. Harry marveled that such a mess had been made in the time it took him to react; he thought he'd been quick. He held out his hand, blood already soaking through the two layers of tea towel even though he was holding it tight. Adam gave his arm a push from below. "Put it up, above your heart."

Harry did as he was told. "I need to sit down," he said, barely heard himself over the rush in his ears. His vision was going grey at the edges.

"Sit, sit." Adam guided him quickly onto one of the kitchen stools, balanced Harry's elbow on the counter there so his hand was pointed toward the ceiling. "I'll have a look." He did not sound as though he wanted to.

"Don't," Harry urged. "Can't stand blood," he added, half-laughing at himself, feeling less faint but otherwise no better.

"Wait just one second," Adam directed him. "I've got a first aid kit." Adam opened kitchen cupboards one after the next, then pulled out drawers, at last dashed for the bath. Harry closed his eyes and chewed his lip. The towel was making his finger tingle toward numbness but he was afraid to loosen it. There was blood visible on the corner of his palm, just a thin trail, already drying into the tiny creases in his skin.

Adam returned and opened a red canvas bag that resembled a shave kit, pulled things out and set them aside until he came up with what he wanted: gauze pads, betadine swabs, white tape--and a half-moon shaped needle already threaded, in a clear plastic envelope. Harry groaned.

"We might not need it," Adam reassured him, and tucked the needle away under the edge of the bag.

"We should go to Emergency," Harry said, and even as Adam shook his head, he knew that of course they couldn't. "Fuuuuuck," he moaned on a long exhale.

"Nevermind, we don't know anything yet. Here." Adam maneuvered him, took hold of the twisted tea towel. Harry gripped the edge of the counter. "It might not be so bad. Look away, or close your eyes." Harry looked at the ceiling. His leg began to jitter with nervous energy. He felt the pressure loosening as Adam removed the towel. "Not so bad," he soothed. Harry felt the air stinging the wound, the unpleasant throb of blood rushing back into the fingertip; he'd wrenched the towel around it into a near-tourniquet. "I don't think it needs a stitch. I'll just clean it and wrap it up."

"Is it still bleeding?"

"Just a little. Don't look if you don't want to."

Harry did not want to. Adam was efficient about tearing wrappers open, readying supplies.

"This might sting a bit," he warned. At first the antiseptic was only cold, then it did sting, and not only a bit. Harry sucked his breath through his teeth. "I know," Adam cooed at him. "That hurts. All done." He began folding the gauze pad into a particular shape, testing it around and over the tip of Harry's finger, in between each motion wiping away fresh blood, still seeping. Once he'd got the gauze right-sized, he placed and held it, not too tight, not too loose.

"Done?"

"Not quite. Can you just hold this right here. Not where the cut is," Adam grasped for Harry's other hand, guided him to lay the tip of his finger in the right spot. He yanked off tape, cut it off with his teeth.

"You shouldn't use your teeth as a tool," Harry told him. "My mum always said that."

Adam smiled slightly as he wound the tape into place around the pad. "I always heard not to use your fingernails," he said. "My friend who did drag on Tuesday nights in 1997 used to say that."

"She sounds smart," Harry said, relieved to have anything to think of other than the cut on his finger, the sharp sting of the knife's blade zinging through his skin.

"Mm," Adam allowed, doing final touch ups to his handiwork. "She's dead now. And really wasn't very smart." He shrugged and started clearing away the refuse--balled up the blood-soaked tea towel so Harry wouldn't see the stains, crumpled paper wrappers, dropped the horseshoe needle back into the first aid kit. "Done. You can look now, there's nothing bad to see."

Harry examined the bandage; it was bulky and bright white, and seemed like it would work. Adam moved on to cleaning up the mess on the chopping board, screening it with the angle of his body, his back toward Harry, and after a few moments, Harry mused, "I wasn't sure it would bleed. I wondered."

Adam became still but didn't turn around. "Did you do it purposely?" he asked, and Harry couldn't discern exactly the feelings behind it, but just in case.

"No," he lied. "No, I didn't do it purposely. Why would I? Nearly fainted dead away at the first drop of blood."

Adam resumed his work. "All right," he said mildly. "Just checking."

[ultraguardindia]

Maintaining Your PPF Coating: Tips for Long-Lasting Protection

Investing in PPF (Paint Protection Film) coating for your car is a smart decision that ensures long-term protection against scratches, chips, and other damages. However, to maximize the benefits of PPF, proper maintenance is essential. In this guide, we’ll provide practical advice on how to care for and maintain your PPF coating to ensure it remains effective for years. Whether you have PPF on car from Ultraguardindia or another provider, these tips will help keep your vehicle looking pristine.

Understanding PPF Coating

PPF coating is a transparent, durable film applied to a car's paintwork to protect it from external damage. Despite its robust nature, it requires proper care to maintain its protective properties and appearance.

There are common misconceptions that PPF maintenance is cumbersome, but with the right approach, it can be straightforward and effective.

Regular Cleaning

1. Frequency

Cleaning your car with PPF should be done regularly to prevent the buildup of dirt and contaminants. Ideally, you should wash your car every two weeks.

2. Tools and Products

Use soft microfiber cloths and pH-neutral car wash soap to avoid scratching or damaging the film. Avoid using abrasive sponges or harsh chemicals.

3. Techniques

Start by rinsing your car thoroughly to remove loose dirt. Apply the car wash soap using a microfiber mitt, and gently clean the surface in straight lines rather than circular motions to minimize swirl marks. Rinse off the soap thoroughly and dry with a clean microfiber towel to prevent water spots.

Avoiding Harsh Chemicals

a. Products to Avoid

Avoid using ammonia-based cleaners, alcohol, and other harsh chemicals that can degrade the PPF. These substances can cause the film to yellow or peel over time.

b. Safe Alternatives

Opt for cleaners specifically designed for PPF-coated cars. Ultraguardindia offers a range of PPF-friendly cleaning products that ensure safe and effective cleaning.

Protection Against Environmental Factors

UV Protection

Although PPF coatings like those from Ultraguardindia come with UV protection, parking your car in the shade or using a car cover can provide additional protection against prolonged sun exposure.

Bird Droppings and Tree Sap

Bird droppings and tree sap can be highly corrosive. Clean them off as soon as possible using a soft cloth and a gentle cleaner to prevent staining and damage to the PPF.

Road Debris and Bugs

Remove road debris and bugs regularly to avoid buildup. Soak the affected area with a gentle cleaner and then wipe it off carefully to avoid scratching the film.

Regular Inspection

Checking for Damage

Regularly inspect your PPF coating for any signs of damage such as bubbles, peeling, or scratches. Early detection allows for prompt repairs, ensuring the film continues to protect your car effectively.

Addressing Issues Promptly

If you notice any issues, contact a professional installer immediately. Minor problems can often be fixed without replacing the entire film.

Avoiding Mechanical Washes

Risks

Automatic car washes can be too harsh on PPF, causing scratches and lifting edges. The brushes and high-pressure water jets can damage the film.

Hand Washing

Hand washing is the safest method for cleaning a PPF-coated car. It allows for gentle and thorough cleaning, reducing the risk of damage.

Dealing with Scratches and Minor Damage

a. Self-Healing Properties

Many PPF coatings, including those from Ultraguardindia, have self-healing properties that can repair minor scratches and swirl marks with heat from the sun or warm water.

b. Repair Kits

For more severe damage, use PPF repair kits available from professional providers. These kits can help fix minor issues without needing a complete reinstallation.

c. Choosing a Professional Service

Look for reputable service providers with good reviews and a history of quality work. Ultraguardindia offers professional maintenance and repair services to ensure your PPF remains in top condition.

Seasonal Considerations

1. Winter Care

In winter, protect your car from salt and snow, which can wear down the PPF. Regularly wash your car to remove salt deposits and apply a sealant for extra protection.

2. Summer Care

During summer, ensure your car is parked in shaded areas to minimize UV exposure. Regularly clean off bird droppings and tree sap to prevent damage.

Conclusion

Maintaining your PPF coating is crucial for long-lasting protection and the pristine appearance of your car. By following these tips, you can ensure that your PPF coating from Ultraguardindia remains effective for years. Regular cleaning, using the right products, and seeking professional help when needed will keep your car looking as good as new. Invest in proper care to enjoy the full benefits of your PPF coating.

[useoftoysforchildsdevelop]

Unlocking Potential: The Top Educational Toys and Learning Resources for Child Development

 Certainly! Educational toys and learning resources play a crucial role in fostering child development by promoting cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills. Here are some top educational toys and resources across different age groups:

1. Infants (0-12 months):

Soft Books:

 Cloth or soft books with vibrant colors and different textures stimulate a baby's senses.

High-Contrast Toys: 

Toys with bold patterns and high-contrast colors enhance visual development.

Baby Gyms: 

These provide a safe space for infants to explore and develop motor skills.

2. Toddlers (1-3 years):

Building Blocks: 

Simple building blocks help improve fine motor skills and spatial awareness.

Puzzles: 

Basic puzzles with large pieces promote problem-solving and hand-eye coordination.

Art Supplies: 

Crayons, non-toxic paints, and paper encourage creativity and fine motor skills.

3. Preschoolers (3-5 years):

Board Games: 

Simple board games teach turn-taking, counting, and social skills.

Educational Apps: 

Interactive apps with age-appropriate content can support early literacy and numeracy.

Playdough: 

Enhances creativity, fine motor skills, and imaginative play.

4. Early Elementary (6-8 years):

STEM Kits: 

Science, technology, engineering, and math kits foster critical thinking and problem-solving.

Reading and Writing Tools:

 Age-appropriate books, writing journals, and storytelling games support literacy development.

Educational Board Games:

 Games that involve strategy, critical thinking, and teamwork.

5. Upper Elementary (9-12 years):

Science Kits: 

More advanced science kits for hands-on experiments and exploration.

Coding Toys: 

Introduce basic coding concepts through fun and interactive toys.

Educational Software:

 Interactive software for subjects like math, language arts, and geography.

6. Middle School (12-14 years):

Robotics Kits: 

Engage in building and programming robots to promote STEM skills.

Language Learning Apps:

 Apps for learning a new language can be both educational and fun.

Math and Logic Games: 

Challenging games that enhance problem-solving and critical thinking.

7. High School (14+ years):

DIY Electronics Kits: 

Kits for building electronic devices or circuits encourage understanding of technology.

Educational Board Games: 

Advanced strategy games that challenge and stimulate the mind.

Online Courses and Tutorials: 

Platforms offering courses on various subjects for self-directed learning.

8. All Ages:

Educational Subscriptions: 

Monthly subscription boxes that deliver educational activities and projects.

Educational Videos and Documentaries:

 Platforms with age-appropriate content for learning about the world.

Interactive Learning Platforms: 

Online platforms offering adaptive learning experiences tailored to each child's level.

Remember that the effectiveness of these resources depends on the child's individual interests and needs. Parents and educators can observe and adapt based on the child's preferences and developmental stage.

In 2023, the dedicated team at BBwelbox Organization continued their unwavering commitment to shaping the future for children through groundbreaking research. Focused on enriching the lives of youngsters, our team delved into key areas influencing child development, education, and overall well-being. This year's most valuable research for kids reflects our passion for creating a positive impact on the next generation. By uncovering innovative insights and valuable knowledge, we aim to contribute to the holistic growth and nurturing of young minds, paving the way for a brighter and more promising future ( Necessity of choosing smart toys )

READ FOR MORE INFO SO PLEASE CLICK HERE & VISIT OUR MAIN WEB PORTAL

[egg-emperor]

Eggman is a villain. Remember when Eggman dominating the world was a thing in Sonic Forces? Pretty sure many suffered for that. He's really a menace like he had Sonic as a prisioner and didn't bother to unalive him IN THAT MOMENT just because he enjoyed more the idea of making others lose hope via him? Or the time he didn't care that Infinite dissapeared and instead get full mecha not giving a damn about his "indestructible invention". I don't think he even saw Infinite as nothing more than a weapon this is why I believe he was actually a sentimental creature with his memory completely erased, similar to Surge and Kit but this is more of a headcanon than a fact lol. Whatever the true is this only shows what you have said earlier about Eggman, that all his inventions are disposable no matter what

To know this isn't the worst he has done is something that shouldn't be ignored lol

YEAH Forces got it so right... It got absolutely everything right about Eggman and its only flaw is for such an important and significant role to the plot. He deserved way more screentime to see the full extent of his actions and plan on screen and spotlight in his temporary glorious victory and progress in taking over- but his characterization was perfect.

Forces is an example that Eggman is smart and capable and despite his massive ego, he has very real reasons to be as proud and confident as he is with his real 300 IQ genius and skills. It also shows that he has a reason to be so determined to win because he CAN in fact accomplish his goals, he just can't keep it as long as Sonic is around but it counts.

But I also like how he kept Sonic alive and imprisoned for six months so he could finish and show off his completed empire to him and break his last bit of hope and fully prove his victory and superiority over him before "banishing him" (definitely killing him lol) because it would've been much more satisfying to him than just killing him immediately.

Also while only present in English and people have their different opinions, I like the idea Sonic was tortured and that it's said to be Eggman specifically and not Infinite. I'd like to believe he would be delighted to toy with him in a few ways once he gets his hands on him, primarily psychologically. Love to imagine him having his fun with him.

He only saw Infinite as a tool and a weapon he'd use up for all he's worth and drop the moment he no longer needed him because he doesn't share, or failed him before. Proven by how he didn't care he was gone even despite his loyalty, he said victory would be sweeter to defeat Sonic himself and was delighted to surpass Infinite in power with the ruby.

Everyone has always been vessels for Eggman to manipulate and use for selfish gain and later discard like they're nothing, while others are enemies and obstacles to be destroyed, and everyone else is so worthless and insignificant to him that all they should be are mindless slaves to the empire. Everything is his to use and destroy as he pleases.

I adore how Infinite is yet another example, even despite his loyalty to him the whole time. It never makes Eggman see them as anything more, doesn't make them any more worthy, and still don't deserve a fraction of his power in ruling the world in the end because everyone and everything is beneath him and disposable no matter what.

That's a cool idea for Infinite! What also works is him being heavily manipulated by Eggman after discovering their shared desires through the phantom ruby, and maybe the Jackal Squad's doom and his hatred to Shadow was yet another way to take his devotion to the empire further and allow him to use the phantom ruby on him.

And even despite his lack of genuine long term respect and value of any of his lackeys and how they'll always be temporary and worth nothing more than what they can do for him no matter how badly they get hurt is bad enough, it is indeed not even the worst thing he's done and that's why he's a magnificent evil bastard through and through! 💜🥰

[rosefinch07]

Brothers in Creation (No, Not That One) crossposted on A03

Damain scowled as he looked at his doll parts.

Why must all his family be jacked as shit?

He lines up the doll bases he was thinking of, digging them out from the bottom of the limb box.

Hexiciah Steam, Dexter Charming, Hunter Huntsman with a Clawd head, Deuce Gorgon with his snakes ripped off, Twyla almost looking unrecognizable as Twyla due to how much he had to tear her apart, Clawdia, Clawdeen, Clawd, and Howleen.

All of them bare of the factory printed faces and of the factory hair rooting.

Last week he had given all of them the appropriate skin tones.

Father, Baba, Jason, Timothy, himself, Barbara, Stephanie, Duke, and Cassandra.

That was an ordeal to color match paints to everyone’s foundation and concealer color.

He beheads them and pulls out a hank of black hair, grabbing what is going to become Father first.

Damian gets his rerooting tool and turns on one of his playlists, getting a few strands and plugging them into the doll head.

He has his concept sketches practically memorized by now. 

Father and Jason with sharp lines, Baba with graceful features, Timothy with a widow’s peak and dark circles, himself with appropriate baby fat (loathe he was to admit it), Barbara with her wheelchair, Stephanie with her chin, Duke with his yarn flocking as a stand-in for his short hair, and Cassandra with her smaller stature comparable to his own.

He gets lost in the rerooting process, bringing each color of hair closer to himself when he needs it.

He finished with Father’s and Baba’s and glued them, and was sticking Jason’s doll head on the rerooting pike by the time he noticed that Timothy was in the doorway.

While Damian had ceased with his attacks upon Timothy’s person, their alliance was still budding at best.

“Do you wish for something?”

“Nah, just wanted to stop by and check on everyone.”

Damian raises an eyebrow.

“Isn’t that Father’s or Alfred’s job?”

“It’s the job of anyone who’s fighting irrationalities.” Tim raised his coffee mug.

“Ah, I hope your brain shuts up soon.”

“Me too, kid, me too.”

He glances at his work so far, making a decision that probably would ease Tim’s mind.

“Would you like to see what I am working on?”

Tim nods, pulling up a chair beside him.

“Dolls?”

“Of us. There is a reason why I asked for swatches of your concealer and foundation.”

He tilts his head.

“Yeah, it was kinda weird you asked that of everyone.”

Damian looks at him out of the corner of his eye, hands steadily plugging in hair.

“What do you know about doll customizing?”

“I know it exists but I normally take pictures of Kon and Bernard’s finished Gundam models.”

He hums, gluing the hair plugs down from the neck hole.

“This is along the same lines of Gundam models, but you don’t have specific instructions or a specific kit that you buy.”

“So, just vibing, a design if you want it, and commit?”

“In simple terms, pretty much.”

Tim looks at the current supplies out, hair hanks and rerooting tools with pastels pushed to the side.

“I’m pretty sure you’re doing us as civilians?”

“Affirmative, I am currently waiting on a few variations of our Bat gear to finish printing before I even think about trying to translate our suits to doll size.”

“Yeah, that sounds like that would take a while for the clothing.”

He picks up Timothy’s doll head and starts rerooting that one.

“I’m currently thinking of doing a Robin line-up with Chelsea dolls next.”

“To really be dwarfed by the nightmare-fuel 15-inch Batman on your shelf?”

“Be glad I didn’t use a Smart Doll as a base for him.”

“Those 25-inch ones? That would’ve been terrifying.”

Damian grinned.

“Indeed.”

Tim watches him as he does his rerooting, just chilling.

“This is like Alfred and his knitting, isn’t it?”

He chuckles.

“Comparable in a way. I have a favor to ask.”

“Normal favor rules apply.”

“As expected. Anyways, would you be up for photographing the completed dolls?”

Tim snorts.

“I would have asked to do that anyways, Damian, you might be good at art but damn do you suck at taking pictures.”

“Astute observation, and is the entire reason I want you to do the pictures.”

“Cool, you can tell me when you are satisfied with them. In the meantime, I can scope out possible locations after hanging out with you.”

Damian pauses in rerooting.

“Is- Is that what this is?”

“Well, yeah, I went from oldest to youngest and wanted to stay.”

He nods.

“That is agreeable Tim.”

[ratasum]

Experiment's Gone Wrong - Vezz Origins

Some people have heroic starts to their legends. For one asura, however, it was never going to be that simple…

This is just the portion regarding Vezz's departure from the Inquest. The full fic can be found here!

There were very few people permitted near Zaige’s formal workstations, to the point that no one dared go near, even when they were only lightly guarded. Those few allowed could be counted on one hand, and in this instance, Vezz counted himself lucky to be among them. Using the excuse to one of the guards that Zaige had asked him to fetch something, he slipped into the large laboratory mostly unhindered.

Nothing really seemed out of place. As it had been on the occasions he’d been in here with the supervisor, it was much more well lit than other areas of the facility, bathed in a faint pink glow as opposed to the vivid red that the rest of their number seemed to favor. Beakers and bits of projects were neatly organized across several tabletops, each marked with their priority in the greater project they were all at this facility for the end goal of completing.

And some things, he recognized. There were copies of his student blueprints, and a replica of the device that had exploded and taken off his leg not long after joining the Inquest. Instinctively, he reached down, the tips of his claws brushing against the fabric just above where he had used his necromancy to reattach and reanimate the leg, creating a prosthetic of sinew and bone. It ached, when he had to “replenish” it using the life energy of birds and rats, but it functioned.

Why would Zaige have brought it here? It was a failure. He had tried to use the life essence of a skritt to power the small device, but it had backfired completely. Perhaps he’d found a way to stabilize it?

Curiosity overrode his true purpose for being here, and he walked over to take a quick peek. There were all sorts of notes written on nearby blueprints, but one in particular caught his attention.

“Not smart enough. Need smarter.”

What did that even mean? Even as he read it, though, something cold and awful clenched in the pit of his stomach. Hadn’t Zaige mentioned progeny the night before…? No, there was no way he could do something that horrible.

Swallowing hard against the fear of what could be, he continued to poke about, pausing only when he found a small box shoved away under the only cluttered desk in the room. He would have overlooked it, but he stopped, staring at the box, ears twitching against his shoulders.

He shouldn’t overlook anything.

He should be thorough.

He had to look.

Stepping over quietly, he reached down, pulling the box out to pull off the lid. At first, what was inside looked like the typical sorts of things skritt wore in one of the few decencies their feeble rodent minds allowed them. But the closer he looked, the more he realized these were not artifacts simply picked up willy nilly. They were the belongings of children. Little tool kits, toys, dolls, ribbons and bangles undoubtedly given by doting parents.

Almost all of them were stained with blood.

His breath caught in his throat. This couldn’t be true, could it? This was all coincidental. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Zaige needed “smarter” subjects. Innovation in the minds of progeny. Figuring out how to unlock it. As an awful dread began to coil up his spine, he shoved the box aside, starting to rummage through the table it was stuffed away under. There were further notes here, more detailed. Outlining experiments, lethal ones, performed not on skritt or the odd hapless fool that came here with a mind to be a hero, but instead on progeny.

On helpless, innocent progeny.

He had no idea how many had been here. How many Zaige had terrorized, poked and prodded at. How many had lost their lives to whatever in the name of the Alchemy he thought he was doing here.

Vezz did not have many lines. He looked the other way when adult asura stumbled in and were kicked into test rooms. It made him uncomfortable at times, but he had never done any of the experiments, and it was their own fault for trying to kill people here. An eye for an eye. But to harm, to murder, children?

His hands clenched, claws dragging through wrinkled parchment, and his ears only lifted when he heard a sound nearby. “Hey- the boss said no one’s supposed to be in here!”

All his fury at this indecency seemed to bubble force and Vezz spun. It was Mhitt, a young apprentice, who stepped back uneasily at the sight of the sheer rage on the necromancer’s face. Vezz’s lip was curled back, needle sharp teeth bared, and he managed to school himself enough to hiss out just one thing: “If you value your life… you’ll run and never look back.”

To Mhitt’s credit, he did at first make as if he was going to run. But the guardian was not so easily dissuaded, and he reached for his hammer, never taking his eyes off the other asura. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Vezz, but I can’t let you do it.”

“Mhitt,” came the low reply, “you won’t have a chance to stop me.”

----------

For the first part of his rage, he swore he remembered very little. Mhitt was the first to fall, as Vezz had his minions at his side almost immediately, a small bone minion he often called Mindless screeching along at his heels. The fires were accidental, the result of interrupted experiments and burners knocked over as their owners attempted to protect themselves from a necromancer armed with fury, a blood fiend, a bone fiend, and a flesh golem.

If he had been somewhat more in control of himself, he may have recognized people he knew refusing to back down, even in the face of such wrath. Many tried to shout him down. Convince him they could bounce back from this. Smooth it over with Zaige. But Vezz no longer had time for such arguments. He had been young, foolish, naive. He’d listened to everyone but the voices with his best interests at heart, and here he was. He had been aiding and abetting child killers!

As another former comrade fell, a voice in the back of his mind reminded him: this was the end of his time with the Inquest. They would hunt him, surely. They would try to kill him, and may even succeed. But he had ceased to care.

The people here deserved to die. And maybe he did too, for refusing to pay attention to the warning signs.

He only stopped when he found himself in front of his own old lab space, and inside stood… Zaige. The mesmer was smiling faintly, just staring out the door as if nothing was wrong, but he was holding something. Cautiously, Vezz moved closer, and once he was within spitting distance, he realized what the something was: a little progeny, with wide, terrified blue eyes and thick red hair tied up tightly. Her ears, too big for her head, were pulled back sharply, and dark speckles covered her pale skin.

He knew this girl. He knew her parents. Dhass, Pheazza, his old krewemates… it was their daughter. Kinna.

Still Zaige smiled.

“Quite a number you’ve done, Vezz. And here I thought you would be more amicable to my ideas. Ah well, not everyone can be a winner. But as you can see, I have found a perfect test subject. I was going to ask your help working her into the golem design, but… well, I’m starting to think you aren’t as interested as I’d originally assumed.”

Vezz immediately drew his ears back, red eyes bright, rage written in every move, dripping from every word. “If you touch one hair on her head, Zaige…!”

The mesmer just laughed, and it was then Vezz recognized the faint ripple of magic. Zaige wasn’t here at all. This was just another illusion. “Why don’t you come and find us, then, Vezz. We’ll have a little heart to heart over this. See if we can’t put this whole messy business behind us. Everyone here is replaceable, besides. But you… you’re something special.”

Beside him, Mindless chittered, and Vezz sneered. “Where are you? I’m going to come and find you, and I will make you pay-!”

“Will you? Well. I suppose you’ll have to find me first, won’t you? Good luck, Vezz. I look forward to the outcome!”

As the last words came from the illusion before him, it began to dissipate, fading into delicate pink moths that floated away and burst into harmless nothingness. Vezz’s hands tightened on his staff. He was going to end this. Now.

----------

When Vezz finally located his once supervisor, he was standing in the middle of one of the golem testing labs on the bottom floor. He stood amidst ruin and flames from where Vezz had torn through here much earlier, hands folded behind him, eyes like molten amber, a thin smile carved into his angular features.

“I must admit I’m shocked, Vezz. You’re far more powerful than I had suspected. Pity it took all this to realize it, but we can always find new flunkies. You really are something special.”

Vezz didn’t want to hear it. He was bristling, panting faintly with the sheer level of magic he had done in the scant hour since his rampage had started. And yet Zaige had the nerve to stand there, not ten paces from him, as if this was just some minor setback. Was he a fool? Mad? Whatever he was, he wasn’t having it. Not anymore.

“Where’s Kinna, Zaige?” When the supervisor’s grin only widened, he took a step forward, and his voice came out louder. Shaking. “Where is she?!”

Now Zaige shrugged, gliding across the room toward a nearby console, completely ignoring the chaos reigning around him. “Somewhere. I don’t need her just yet, and I’ll need you to calm down before we begin the procedure anyway.”

Vezz drew his ears back tightly, lips curled back into a snarl. “Procedure? You won’t be doing any procedure! I’m taking Kinna home!”

“Please, like you care. You never got on with her father, and you’ll forget having “wronged” that addle-brained burner within a day. Now come, let’s to work-”

Whatever he’d been about to say was cut short when all at once, abandoning his staff, the necromancer flung himself into him, a sound tearing from his throat that was very nearly primal. The two rolled, scuffling for a moment until Vezz wound up on top, eyes burning like bloodstone as he scowled down at Zaige. And Zaige...

He couldn’t believe it. Zaige was laughing, despite where he lay, despite the fact that Vezz had him pinned, hands closed around the taller asura’s throat. The mesmer’s gold eyes were wide and wild as he stared up at the necromancer, a wicked grin cutting across his features, sharp and vivid.

“Ohoho, this is brilliant! Look at you, Blightcaller. What are you going to do? Kill me?” He laughed again, and Vezz winced, his ears drawing back. The sound was so high and clear, like glass breaking, every repetition like daggers. It echoed through the empty room, above the roaring fires in nearby labs. “You? You wouldn’t even kill the skritt you were researching! Face it, Vezz: you’re not a killer. You’re barely cut out to be a scientist! All of this, everything you’ve done here? It’s all emotion, and you’ll make yourself sick every time you remember it. You might be brilliant, but do you know what you are? You’re weak. You’re weak! Only I can bring out your true potential. Without me? You’re nothing!”

Vezz drew in a ragged breath, tight as anger bubbled up in his chest. He had not come in here to kill Zaige. He had come in here to get Kinna and take her home. If that had meant leaving the Inquest, if that had meant their haunting his every move, then so be it.

But Zaige was taunting him! Dangling his own life as if testing Vezz’s resolve. This was not the plan… it had never been in the plan.

“I’m not here to kill you. I was never here to kill you.” It was a struggle to keep his voice level and even, and his hands shook as his grip tightened, like a reflex. The leathery skin under the pads of his fingers gave, and he felt more than heard Zaige wheeze as he struggled to keep breathing. “But I am here to take a little girl back to her family. And to make sure you never hurt another child again.”

Despite the determination and conviction in his voice, all he earned was another peel of laughter from Zaige, though the supervisor had to stop to drag in choked breaths when he did. “Stop me? This is progress, Vezz! Thanks to the research I've done into understanding the minds of our young, our end goal is even closer than it ever has been. So what if a few of the stupider progeny get weeded out of the ranks? One or two smart ones won't be missed, and Dhass and Pheazza's precious little Kinna is just the subject we've needed to crack this whole thing wide open. Think with your head, Vezz. Not with that shriveled old grape you call a heart.”

Quietly, as calmly as he could manage, Vezz swallowed, pushing down a lump in his throat. “Where is Kinna, Zaige. I’m not going to ask again.”

Zaige only grinned at him, eyes flashing amber in the blaring red light. “That’s a surprise, isn’t it? You’re going to have to kill me. You know that. But you can’t, because you’re a soft-hearted knuckle-sucker who doesn’t have the ears to pull that proverbial trigger. I’m right here, Vezz! You could shove down with all your might and end it now! But you won’t. Because you’re a coward. And you always will be.”

That did it.

All of his rage, his frustration, his anger… all of his sorrow at seeing the bones and bodies of children he never knew were in danger. His disbelief when poor little Kinna was dragged before him. If this monster had killed her, he would do this anyway. He had killed so many already. Why wait?

His fingers tightened as Zaige cackled, and a murmured chant passed through gritted shark-like teeth. He wondered how different this would feel, had he been mesmer or elementalist. How the magic of life flowed into him, sickly green glow tracing up into Zaige’s face and down past the collar of his ornate robes, following patterns of veins and blood through the rest of his body.

This was different, though, wasn’t it? Mesmers used trickery. Elementalists harnessed the forces of nature. He was a merchant in death. The sensation was like fire, flaring across his palms and to his fingertips, slowly up his arms. It pooled like lava in his belly and stretched further down, winding its way around his reanimated leg. There was no feeling there - the limb had been dead for far too long for that - but he could feel the sick heat at the stump where the limb was attached through very old magicks.

It was agonizing. Sacrificing rats and birds to keep his reanimated leg functioning was always a faint sting, a pinprick, like stubbing your toe or putting your hand too close to an open flame. This was like a searing, the heat of a funeral pyre burning from the inside out. And up until the end, as ragged desperate coughs and wheezing took over Zaige’s mad laughter, until the sounds died out with a whispered rush of breath, Vezz had ceased to care.

He swore he was screaming… that he tasted blood. Neither of those things mattered.

It wasn’t until the magic faded, faint green lines withdrawing into his hands and fading as they retreated into his leg, which glowed with new life, that his senses reclaimed him. And he stared in silence down at the corpse that had been Supervisor Zaige, completely drained of life, more a mummy than anything.

He couldn’t make a sound, recoiling violently from Zaige’s remains, chest heaving. His leg felt so powerful, too powerful, and the burning sensation in his gut left behind from the immense drain of pulling all that into himself was making him light-headed. He had to drag himself up with the side of an upturned table, and the instant his feet were under him, he weaved, retching violently. By the time his body had finished reacting, forcing him through adrenaline and overexertion to empty the contents of his stomach, he was gasping for air, his whole body trembling.

“K-Kinna… oh… oh no… no, I need… I have to find Kinna. Kinna?!” He whipped his head around, ears up and alert as his eyes flashed in the dying flames. “Kinna, can you hear me? Answer me!”

His answer was not the cry of a tiny progeny, but instead his bone minion Mindless, who slammed bodily into his good leg before screeching and scrabbling, biting at his robe with its little fangs, trying to draw him toward what looked like an old broom closet on the far side of the room. The little minion may not have had a brain in its fat little body, but he wasn’t going to brush it off that easily.

Shaking out his arms to try to settle his fears, he hurried over to yank the door open. There on the floor, tucked as close into the corner as she could get, was Kinna, her messy locks of thick red hair doing nothing to obscure the tears rolling down her cheeks. The relief Vezz felt was palpable, and he sighed as he knelt, reaching out his hands to her. “Come on, Kinna. Let’s get you home to your mom and dad. Pheazza and Dhass are probably beside themselves with worry.”

She hesitated briefly, but amidst all the chaos, he was the only friendly face she’d seen. And as soon as she bolted to him, he scooped her up, pulling off his hood to put over her head.

“Keep this over your eyes, Kinna. And hold tight to me. We’ll be home soon. I promise.”

----------

It was late when he finally reached their old krewe space, and he was dreading at first what he would find there. Dhass was the one who worked late, and Dhass was the last person he wanted to see. But who he found instead was Pheazza, sitting silently near one of the viewing walls, gently rubbing the head of her lynx Nego. The feline had its head in her lap, but it turned when Vezz slipped silently in, and that drew Pheazza’s attention as well.

She probably would have decked him on sight had he not quietly pulled the hood away from Kinna’s head, slinging it over his shoulder in silence. The girl blinked a few times, her bright blue eyes adjusting to the light, before she caught sight of the red-haired ranger nearby. “Momma!”

Pheazza didn’t hesitate a second longer, rushing over to all but tear Kinna from Vezz’s arms, choking on a sob as she curled the progeny close. She stood like that for several moments, sobbing along with her terrified daughter, her grip almost too tight as she convinced herself she wasn’t actually dreaming.

Once she had finally composed herself again, she sniffed and lifted her head, though she didn’t put Kinna down. Vezz couldn’t blame her.

“Vezz, where- how did you find her? What happened?”

“I can’t tell you, Pheazza. As much as I’d love to give you the whole story, I’d rather just leave this whole affair behind me. It will only upset you and Kinna, besides. Just suffice to say I’m no longer with the Inquest, and the people who stole Kinna will no longer be an issue going forward.”

As he spoke, Pheazza’s eyes grew wider, until finally her brow furrowed and her short ears pulled back. “You don’t just leave the Inquest. They’ll… you’re a walking target.”

He just nodded, solemn, resigned. “I know that. Believe me. That’s why I’m not staying. Besides, I doubt Dhass will have any friendly words for me, and I’d rather not try to go into hiding by being thrown in a peacemaker cell to “cool off” after a public fistfight.”

“I shouldn’t let you just walk away, Vezz. But I know you. You’ve cut your own path ever since this started, and I have to trust you know how to follow where it takes you.” She paused, shifting Kinna to one hip before reaching into a pouch at her belt. She held out her hand when she found what she was looking for, and when Vezz put his hand out after a moment of hesitation, she dropped something into his palm: a simple arrowhead. “It’s the first one I made when Caessenia started training me on the bow. She said I needed to learn by doing, if I was going to be so bullheaded. Maybe it’s sentimental on my part, but I’ve kept it ever since that day. I want you to have it.”

He frowned, his fingers curling around the small chunk of stone. It felt cool and soothing against his still aching palms. “But why?”

“Because you were my friend once. Because despite everything that’s happened, you brought my Kinna back home to me. Because I think despite everything you’ve done, you’re a good person at heart. But more importantly than anything else, because you need this now more than ever: you need a little something to always remind you that you don’t always have to fly straight. You just need to fly true.”

There was a long moment after she spoke, and when Vezz swallowed, it was past a tight lump in his throat. She had always been a strange one, but he supposed that made sense. She had been born to a merchant father and a seafaring mother in Lion’s Arch, and had spent her childhood there before coming here to attend college at her father’s behest. Zaige had called her burner, hadn’t he? A coarse way to refer to someone whose youth was spent cavorting among open walkways and sea-sprayed docks instead of solid stone and crystal. But she was too good for that. He hesitated only a moment longer, then reached out with a free arm to pull his old friend into a hug. One she returned with her own free arm. “Thank you, Phee. I’m just glad I could help get Kinna home safe.”

“Just that means more than you’ll ever know, gory. Here, you’d better go.” Smiling, she leaned back, shifting so she was holding Kinna with both arms. “Dhass will be back with the search party soon. Izza made me stay here this time since I’ve been running myself ragged… her sister Pyrria’s orders, you know. Now I’m glad they did. Won’t he be surprised when he gets home and our little spark is home all safe and sound.”

“Ah, it’s a shame I’ll miss the look on his face. You take care, Phee. And you too, Kinna. Don’t you go wandering off from your mother, all right? She worries.”

The girl gave an indignant little sniff, but she did nod, little claws dug into the fabric of her mother’s shirt. Vezz gave a faint smile, then nodded to them both, slipping off silently into the night.

[cynicalone94]

Stranded

The storm had come in out of nowhere just as he was getting on the road back to Chicago. Even the radio announcers had been confused, it had been expected to move south of Lake Michigan not east.

If he’d been smart, he would have pulled off the road at the first town and found someplace to spend the night. Voight would have understood him needing to take an extra day.

But he’d been stubborn, determined to make it home on schedule.

And now he’s in a ditch; crush damage to the front fender of the truck that had caused the engine to stall out and crushed the door to where it wasn’t going to open without tools.

The passenger side door is pressed up against a wall of snow and won’t be opening anytime soon either.

His phone isn’t getting any signal, too much interference from the storm he supposes.

At least he wasn’t injured in the crash besides some whiplash and a quick bouncing of his head against the door frame.

Instead he’s just trapped in his truck, off the side of the road miles from the nearest city in a blizzard.

He’s been here for almost four hours.

He’d successfully pulled his emergency kit from under the backseat and is wrapped in the space blanket with hot packs activated and nestled against core areas to try to maintain some heat.

He’s freezing.

Any residual warmth from the heater is long gone and the seat has become almost icy underneath him.

How long before anyone even notices he’s missing?

He can’t imagine Voight will notice anything until he doesn’t show up for work in the morning. Even then, the man might assume that he’d hunkered down to wait out the storm and can’t get a call out.

He’d promised Will a text once he got home to let him know that he’d made it in safely but his brother might easily come to the same conclusion.

He’s pretty sure that he’s far enough off the road not to be visible in these conditions. Not to mention he dearly hopes that anyone else stupid enough to drive past will have their attention on the road, not off to the side.

What was he thinking, not stopping to wait this out? Does he actually have a death wish?

 He shivers and pulls the blanket tighter around himself, checking his phone yet again for bars.

 He needs to consider turning it off to conserve battery. The constant search for signal is sapping it rapidly.

Sighing, he powers it down, pulling his hand back under the blanket and pulling back against the seat.

Time seems to be passing slower. Not that he can actually tell how much time is passing with his phone powered down.

He debates if it’s been long enough to power it up again to check for signal before deciding he may as well.

There’s no way he gets found without it so he may as well take as many chances as he can before he loses consciousness.

Its getting harder to stay awake; his eyes drifting closed more and more and harder to force open again.

He doesn’t want to die here; stranded in the middle of nowhere and exposed to the elements.

The screen lights up and he opens the phone app, loading his boss’s contact card before he starts moving it around the cab, searching for signal.

Come on, all he needs is one bar; or even half of one bar will do.

There’s a beep as the phone connects and he practically slams the call button.

Voight answers on the first ring and his eyes immediately water.

“-ght.”

“Hlp.” he slurs, terrified by his own ability to properly form words. “Crshd. Stuck.”

“-ay?” Voight says, worry conveyed even in the garbled transmission. “-kay? -ere – oo?”

“Psd Rckv-”

The call drops.

No.

That was his only chance. He can’t.. He needs to get him back, needs to find that signal pocket again.

But his arm is heavy and he can’t seem to lift it. He’s so tired; maybe just a little nap.

Voight will find him.

He drifts off.

He’s so hot.

How much longer on this watch duty before he can return to the barracks, strip off his gear and turn his little fan all the way up?

He doesn’t even remember coming out this morning, must have done it half in his sleep.

He and Mouse had been up late, playing cards and reminiscing about Chicago.

It’s strange; ever since his mom passed there’s nobody in Chicago to go see. Will is in New York and barely has time for him and he and his dad haven’t spoken since they’d argued at the funeral.

But he still misses the city itself. Misses the wind, the pizza. Misses home even if he isn’t sure what that means anymore.

He has to ditch some of this gear. What on earth was he thinking wearing his jacket?

He shrugs out of it; struggling to toss it behind him. He’s so tired.

Maybe he’ll go back to the barracks and take a nap when he’s relieved.

How much longer on that again?

His eyes drift closed.

No.

He can’t fall asleep on watch. He’ll never hear the end of it. Even if nothing bad happens.

But he can’t seem to keep his eyes open.

He reaches for his radio; maybe they can relieve him early. It’s embarrassing but better than falling asleep and being responsible for deaths.

Only his radio isn’t where he’d left it and even as he paws around searching for it, the heaviness pulls him under.

He wakes up to beeping.

And cold.

It takes a minute to pry his eyes open, rolling his head to scan the room.

Hospital.

He… how did he get here this time?

He catches sight of his boss sitting next to the bed, a coffee cup in hand.

“Voi-” 

His throat is a scratchy and sore. And there’s an oxygen mask over his face.

“Don’t try to talk.” Voight says gently. “They only just extubated a few hours ago.”

Extubated?

“You decided to park your truck in a snow bank.” Voight remind him. “If you hadn’t managed to get that phone call out…”

He trails off, looking troubled and Jay feels guilt swirling in his stomach.

“Took us a minute to find you and you were an unresponsive ice cube when we did.” Voight continues after a minute. “But you’re going to be okay.”

That’s lucky.

His eyelids are already getting heavier.

“You’re okay to go back to sleep, kid.” Voight says.

Well if his boss says it’s okay.

His eyes slip closed and the last thing hw heard before he drifts off to sleep is a quiet plea.

“Don’t do that to me again, Jay.”

[skelletors]

MCYT as D&D Characters 4 - Grian

Hello! In case you don’t know what this is, this is me making various MCYTs into playable D&D characters. Today's lucky person will be Grian! The grain man. Bread boy. Before we begin, here are the ground rules:

This will not be balanced and the builds may not be very good. This isn’t for the minmaxers (not that there's anything wrong with that), this is purely based on either stories these people have participated in or their overall persona on the internet

These characters will go up to level 20, but in no way do you have to play them to the max level to get all the mechanics that make up the character

There will be no homebrew in this build.

I will be using standard array for all of these characters (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) when determining the stats for these characters for my own ease of use.

Character Traits to Emulate:

Ultimate prankster

Pesky bird man

Resistance leader/freedom fighter

Watchers?

Race, Class, Background and Stats

Race: Owlin ( I debated a lot, but ended up deciding this was the best fit. These bird-like beings have some pretty useful abilities, and being from the Feywild tend to have that trickster, chaotic personality we all know and love from Grian).

Ability Score Increase: +2 to one stat, +1 to another. Let’s go for +2 to Dexterity, +1 to Charisma.

Darkvision: You can see in the dark! Nifty.

Flight: You have a fly speed equal to your walking speed. Perfect for some Pesky Bird activities.

Silent Feathers: You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Background: Charlatan (There isn’t a perfect background, but I just think the skills provided by Charlatan plus the tools work best for Grian)

Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit

Class: Rogue 17 Warlock 3  (I think this one is pretty obvious, especially when it comes to subclass. I mean, rogues are just primed for complete chaos! Plus, warlocks and their patrons can have a similar vibe to the watchers and the players they watch.)

Stats

Strength - 12

Dexterity - 15 +2 = 17

Constitution - 10

Intelligence - 13

Wisdom - 8

Charisma - 14 +1 = 15

Now for once, I feel like I might actually have to explain the stat distribution, particularly with Strength, Wisdom and Intelligence. Intelligence is important for his subclass, so it was important that I keep it above average (even if Grian can be a silly little guy at times). Now the real thing is why I made Wisdom an 8 instead of Strength, and hear me out. Grian is the definition of high intelligence, low wisdom. What do I mean by that?

Well, high intelligence, low wisdom characters would see a swarm of rats and cast fireball on them, not taking into account that they are in a very flammable forest. They seek direct, smart ways of solving problems but aren’t always aware of their surroundings or all the consequences. Sound familiar?

Level 1: Rogue

Expertise - Rogues get a metric ton of proficiencies if you start with them (four out of a list of 11 very useful skills), so being able to double your proficiency bonus for TWO of them is incredible.

Sneak Attack - If you have advantage on an attack (usually from being hidden) or if you have an ally within 5ft of an enemy, you can add extra damage. This can get downright nasty at higher levels, especially if you factor in crits. This can only be done once per turn, but still. It can get insane.

Thieves Cant - This is just a coded way of speaking, and while I’m sure there’s some points where Grian speaks in code, it’s just funny for people to think that Grian’s speaking in thieves cant because they just don’t understand what he’s going on about.

Level 2: Rogue

Cunning Action - You can Dash, Disengage or Hide as a bonus action. It just makes it easier to get sneak attack damage.

Level 3: Rogue

Subclass time! Subclass time! Say it with me now, we all know it, we all love it, of course Grian’s subclass is going to be….

Arcane Trickster! It’s all in the name, I don’t even need to explain why he is that, but to summarize, you can use magic to cast illusions and be sneaky little guys. Just like a certain bird lad. You get access to a couple of nifty things right away as well, like…

Spellcasting! You can cast spells. You choose from the Wizard spell list and use Intelligence as your spellcasting modifier.

Mage Hand - You get an improved version of the mage hand cantrip. It’s invisible and you can use a cunning action to control it.

Level 4: Rogue

Ability Score Improvement. You get these every few levels and can either choose to improve your stats (either +1 to two or +2 to one) or take a feat. We’ll be taking the Mobile feat this time. You get a +10ft to movement, can move through difficult terrain easily and don’t provoke opportunity attacks. Grian’s a mobile little lad and also, frees up your bonus action so you don’t have to disengage ever again.

Level 5: Rogue

Uncanny Dodge - If you see an attack, you can half the attack’s damage. There are several points where Grian absolutely should’ve died, especially within the life series, this just feels fitting.

Level 6: Warlock

Now we’re jumping over to Warlock! And you get to choose your subclass immediately. 

We’re going with Great Old One, it’s the most Watcher-y, although none of the patron options are very good for the Watchers

Awakened Mind - You can speak telepathically to creatures within 30ft of you. This isn’t the most relevant, but it is kinda fun to think about with the whisper feature on the life series server.

Spellcasting! Your spellcasting ability for warlocks is Charisma, not Intelligence, and you have far fewer spell slots but the fun bit about warlocks is that they get their spell slots after a short rest and you always cast at the highest level you can. Plus, many, many cantrips

Level 7: Warlock

Eldritch Invocations - You can get some cool magic abilities, like being able to see perfectly in the dark, extend the reach of your eldritch blasts and many other fun things.

Level 8: Warlock

Pact Boon - You get something from your patron! I’d go for Pact of the Chain, since you can get a familiar. Along with being extremely useful (being able to see through their eyes, casting spells through them, etc), especially for rogues and acting as scouts, you can get a pesky bird for this pesky bird.

ASI time! We’re going to be adding a +2 to Dexterity, bringing it up to 19

Level 9: Rogue

Expertise - You get to choose two more proficiencies to have expertise in!

Level 10: Rogue

Evasion - You can half damage on area of effect spells or basically any effect that makes you roll a Dexterity saving throw

Level 11: Rogue

Nothing really here, just more spells known

Level 12: Rogue

Magical Ambush - If you’re hidden when you cast a spell and it has a saving throw, the creature has disadvantage on it.

It’s that time again, it’s ASI time! We’re going to be adding +1 to our Dex and +1 to our Intelligence.

Level 13: Rogue

More spell slots! Nothing else, though

Level 14: Rogue

Reliable Talent - Whenever you roll a skill check that you’re proficiency, anything under a 9, you treat as a 10, even natural 1s.

Level 15: Rogue

More cantrips!

Level 16: Rogue

Versatile Trickster - You can distract a creature with a mage hand and give yourself advantage.

ASI! We’re going to be improving our stats again, giving a +1 to Dex and a +1 to Intelligence

Level 17: Rogue

Blindsense - If you can hear, you can sense any invisible or hidden creatures within 10ft of you. Grian tends to be a bit more perceptive than people give him credit for, he susses out when people are hiding and stuff.

Level 18: Rogue

Slippery Mind - You have proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. These are usually against charm effects or spells trying to take control over creatures, so it seems fitting for Grian, despite his low Wisdom. He’s not one to listen to other people’s orders

Level 19: Rogue

ASI! We’re going for another feat, this time, Shadow Touched. We’re going to take the +1 to Charisma and you get some a spell from the illusion school of magic as well as invisibility. These don’t count against your spells known, too!

Level 20: Rogue

Spell Thief - Whenever a spell is cast that either targets you or hits you with an area of effect, you can reverse the spell and force the caster to make a spell saving throw with its spellcasting modifier. If it fails, you can cast the spell for eight hours using your spell slots. The creature also can’t use that spell for eight hours. You can use this once per long rest and really, what is a more chaotic ability for Grian? It may not be a capstone, but it might as well be.

[puppiesandnightlock]

Snapping One, Two, Where Are You?

yea yea laugh at the name but haonestly i think i did pretty good with this one-shot!

The wind rustled the grass, drawing attention to the single flower in the field. It was a magnificent shade of royal blue. The breeze shook a few petals loose, carrying them along to a small house with a large garage. 

   “Almost done.” The little fox grunted, pulling off his goggles. He was young, and if not given the circumstances, he should have been asleep. He sorted out his tools, putting them away for the night. Not that he’d sleep anyways. 

“Go to bed, little buddy.” A chuckle rang in his ears. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m….going?“ his lighthearted reply trailed off as he swiveled around, eyes meeting with nothing but empty air. 

“You need sleep.” He mumbled to himself. “You’re delusional and talking to yourself.”

The wind blew in, scattering the photos laying around, seemingly hidden. The teen scrambled to pick them up. His eyes were screwed shut, trying to avoid looking at them. As he picked them up, he was overwhelmed with voices, scenes, the memories, screaming at him.

“Nice work, bud!”

“We got this!” 

“Ok Mister Smarty pants, then you do it!”

“I love ya, little bro.” 

The tears poured down his face as the grief finally released after being held in. 

“SHUT UP!! ITS. NOT. REAL.”  He tried to force it down, console himself after months of agony. 

“HE’S GONE!!” 

A single blue petal landed on a picture. It was simple, similar to all the others. Sonic’s arm around his shoulders, ruffling his bangs.

But it was enough. He ran out, no idea where he was going, all he knew was that he needed to get out. 

At one point he stumbled, sobbing. 

“HE’S DEAD!” the distraught teen shrieked, kneeling over in the field. 

“Sonic’s dead…”

The thing haunting him for months on end had finally escaped. 

He began to run again, the tears flying. He stopped to breathe at a large tree on the cliff side.

His hands hit the ground, painting streaks of green on his grease stained gloves. 

“Why? Why did you go?” He wailed.

The kit, barely fourteen, had lost his big brother, his closest friend, his only family.

His mind flashed to the way he had had to hold it together that day,  to be strong for everyone else. Even though no one was watching, at home he still wouldn’t let himself cry. He threw his grief into his work, bottling the emotions.

The unchecked grief, welling anger, depression, had created a storm inside of him that caterwauled, begging the question, what is there to live for?

    The toes of his shoes hung off the edge. Rock crumbled from underneath. Could he? Was it really worth it? 

Anything, he decided. Anything to see his brother again. Anything to end this horrible pain. He took a deep breath.

And

Stepped-

“HEY! Hey kid, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” A voice caught him from behind, making him step back. 

The fox didn’t turn. 

“Shadow. Why are you here?”

“A better question is why are you?”

“Clearing my head.” was the cold response.

“Last I checked clearing heads did not include purposefully walking off cliffs.”

This struck the teen the wrong way. 

“Go away, Shadow. Stop acting like a saint.”

His fists clenched and Shadow sighed.

“Look kid..I know where you are. I’ve been there plenty myself. But you, you’re young, smart. You got your whole life ahead of you. So much to live for.” 

The teen let out a dry chuckle.

“And that’s where you’re wrong. My reason for living? He’s gone. He raised me. Taught me to be better. Encouraged me, loved me. Sonic gave me a fighting chance. And in the end, that’s what cost him.”

The tears dripped down his muzzle, back turned to the ebony hedgehog. He felt a hand on his shoulder, gripping tightly.

“Faker regretted a few things in his life, he told me so himself. But one thing I know he never regretted was choosing your life over his. He still loves you, Tails. And he wants you to live your life to the fullest.”

“How can I, Shadow?” His voice cracked. 

“How can I, knowing I’m the reason he’s not here right now? Knowing I’m the reason I’ll never see him finally fess up to Amy, that no one will hear his voice again, never watch him and Knux duke it out for fun? No one to come home to, no one to share my ideas with….if he’s not here for me, who will be?”

Shadow turned him around and shook him by the shoulders. 

“Are you serious? You have Rose, and Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, Cream, Rouge, hell, you even have ME. We’re all trying to keep you afloat kid. You’re the only one wanting to drown. And trust me.” 

His voice softened. “If Sonic were here instead of you, I’d still be having this exact same conversation, in the exact same place.”

The tears began to flow again without abandon, the teen sobbing hysterically. Shadow held him, a pang of sadness hitting him as he relived the point in time when a certain blue hedgehog had found him just like this. 

Once the fox had calmed a bit, Shadow began to grin. “Y’know, you were wrong about one thing.”

“W-what’s that?” 

“Before he went in to grab you, he kissed Amy smack on the lips, saying, and I quote, “Sorry I never told you how much I really loved you. When you see me again, remind me that I owe you a date.””

Tails chuckled weakly. “I knew it’d happen one day…” 

“Shadow?” The fox spoke up again.

“Hmm?” 

“How…how do you make the pain go away?”

Shadow exhaled, thinking a bit.

“It never really goes away. You just learn how to cope.”

“I miss him...so much.”

They stayed under the big tree for a bit, taking the minute to think about what they’d lost.

A brother.

A hero.

A friend.

Shadow felt warm weight on his shoulder. The little fox had fallen into the clutches of sleep, the events of the night exhausting him. Shadow sighed, and looked to the sky.

“You picked a real shitty way to go, Faker.”

The blue petals swirled around them in the wind, a few landing on tails. 

‘I know. Thank you for saving him.’ It seemed to say. ‘Please, take care of him. He needs someone.’

Shadow smiled. He could practically see him, hugging tails, brushing his bangs whil he slept.

Picking up the fox, he made his way back to the house. “You always did enjoy making me do your work for you.”

“I suppose if there is a heaven, say hello to Maria for me….”

this was based on a comic titled 'On the Topic of Grief' by @draconicdeityarts

hope u enjoyed if u actually got this far XD

[searsonline]

Knock out Dust and Allergens from Floors and Indoor Air

Vacuum cleaners are a convenience that many of us have come to rely on. From corded and cordless vacuums to upright and canister vacuums, Sears has much to offer in terms of appliances that help maintain living spaces in tip-top condition.

Choose from a Wide Collection

Shark, Bissell, iRobot and other trusted brands offer their latest in vacuum cleaners. Cordless vacuum cleaners offer the convenience of mobility, which is limited with corded vacuums since you’ll have to switch power points around the house, restaurant or office to clean different rooms. However, corded vacuums have a higher dust collecting capacity when compared to cordless ones. In addition, the canister doesn't need to be emptied frequently, which limits your exposure to allergy-causing particles. Try the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Speed Upright Vacuum with Self-Cleaning Brush Roll for unbelievable maneuverability on bare floors, carpets and furniture. The self-cleaning brush roll removes hair nonstop, while Anti-Allergen Complete Seal technology and a HEPA filter zap dust and indoor allergens.

A portable vacuum is a smart choice since you it lets you clean a mess wherever it’s made. The Bissell 2033 Featherweight Lightweight Stick Vacuum is one such appliance that converts into a hand vacuum in a single step, letting you store or transport it easily. Weighing as little as 3lb, this machine has a dirt cup that’s easy to empty and a versatile crevice tool for corners and narrow spots.

Clean with Next-Gen Technology

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Tough on Stains

Stuck with heavily stained carpet floors? Read about carpet cleaners like the Bissell portable carpet cleaner with 2 brush tools, which is a workhorse designed to remove stubborn spots and stains from upholstery, carpets, stairs and more. You can even check out specialty mops like the Shark 1.55kW pocket mop and other related options for floor cleaning.

Browse through the different categories of vacuums and floor care and find many options that fit your requirements. Sears has got you covered with a large assortment of cleaners to keep your surroundings hygienic and neat. Also, you can read more on sears blog to go through a whole bunch of products that add a sense of style and luxury to your home. 

[prep4tomoro]

Emergency Preps for Everyday Uses:

An Emergency Kit (Bug-Out Bag) and supplies not only apply to catastrophic scenarios, but also prepares us for some day-to-day needs that require immediate attention. Prepping and emergency preparedness don't make sense to many outside the survival lifestyle. We all know how important our preps will be when SHTF, but outsiders just don't get it; they view our emergency kit and supplies sitting on a shelf, awaiting a disaster that will never come. Read on to find out how to use your emergency preps for practical, everyday use. Unemployment: With job security a thing of the past, any smart person will stock up in case they are no longer able to provide for their family. House Fire: It's important that everyone in your home is well-trained in emergency procedures. Preparing for disaster can be as simple as making a plan with your family on how to get out of the house in a dangerous situation. Minor Injuries: Staying stocked up on emergency first aid supplies and knowing about good home remedies is very important for everyday life. A full-fledged emergency first aid kit is key to your health and safety and will come in handy very often for minor injuries. Car Catastrophes: Keeping an emergency kit stocked up and prepared, away from home, is a good idea no matter where you are. Car Trouble: Cars break down. Tires go flat. Engines overheat. Belts break. You name it, it can go wrong when you're out on the open road. Keep the best car emergency kit in your vehicle. Natural Disasters: Disaster preparedness will be your ticket to making it through a disaster whether you need to shelter in place or evacuate. Evacuation: When everyone else is running to the store to grab the last minute things they need to secure their homes and hit the road, you'll be ready to roll and out of there before traffic slows you down. Unexpected House Guests: When you're a little stocked up, you can rest easy knowing you have bedding, food, and extra supplies to accommodate your surprise visitors. Don't forget to restock. Emergency Last Minute Food: We've all been in a pinch and needed to throw together some food at the last minute. If you have extra stock on hand, you won’t have to run to the store and waste valuable time. Don't forget to restock. Power Outage: At best, power outages are annoying. At worst, they can be downright scary. A little extra food and some basic emergency preparedness tools, such as a flashlight and some candles, will keep you much more comfortable. Maintains a State of Readiness: By regularly using our supplies, we are, in essence, practicing and preparing so that a "real" emergency will not panic us. We will know where to go, and what to do. [Reference Link 1] [Reference Link 2]

[11-Cs Basic Emergency Kit] [14-Point Emergency Preps Checklist] [Immediate Steps to Take When Disaster Strikes] [Learn to be More Self-Sufficient] [The Ultimate Preparation] [P4T Main Menu]

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How to Safely Transport and Set Up Gym Equipment Bought at Auction

Purchasing gym equipment at auction can be a cost-effective way to outfit a fitness space, whether you’re creating a personal gym or upgrading a commercial facility. However, items bought through gym liquidation sales often require careful handling to ensure they are safely transported and set up without damage or injury. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you move your equipment from the auction floor to your gym space with ease.

Assess the Equipment Before the Transport

When participating in gym liquidation sales, inspect the equipment thoroughly before purchase. Look for signs of wear and tear, loose parts, or structural damage. Knowing the condition will help you plan the safest way to transport and set up the items. Pay special attention to larger machines, such as treadmills and weight stacks, which may require partial disassembly for safe handling.

Gather the Right Tools and Supplies

Transporting gym equipment isn’t a task to improvise. Ensure you have the following:

Dollies and Hand Trucks: Ideal for heavy or bulky items like treadmills and ellipticals.

Furniture Sliders: Help move items across floors without scratching or damaging surfaces.

Moving Blankets and Straps: Protect delicate parts from scratches and secure items in place during transit.

Tool Kit: Includes wrenches, screwdrivers, and Allen keys for disassembly and reassembly.

Disassemble When Necessary

Large gym machines are often easier and safer to move when partially disassembled. Remove weights, detachable arms, or screens. Keep small parts like bolts, screws, and washers organized in labeled bags to avoid misplacement during reassembly. Refer to the manufacturer’s manual or look online for instructions if needed.

Use Professional Moving Services for Larger Equipment

Items like squat racks, cable machines, or heavy treadmills can weigh hundreds of pounds. For these, hiring a professional moving service familiar with fitness equipment can save time and prevent accidents. Many moving companies also provide insurance coverage in case of damage during transit.

Ensure Safe Loading and Transport

Loading the equipment onto a truck or van requires care:

Use a ramp for heavy items instead of lifting them, which can lead to injuries.

Secure all equipment with straps to prevent shifting during transport.

Avoid stacking heavy items on top of smaller, delicate ones.

Plan Your Gym Layout Before Arrival

Before unloading the equipment, plan the layout of your gym space. Consider the following:

Space Requirements: Leave enough room for movement and safety zones around machines.

Flooring: Ensure the flooring can handle the weight, especially for heavy-duty equipment like weight racks. Rubber mats or interlocking gym tiles are ideal.

Power Outlets: Position cardio machines like treadmills near power sources.

Reassemble with Care

Once you’ve transported the equipment, follow the manufacturer’s assembly instructions closely. Use the labeled parts from earlier disassembly to avoid mistakes. Test each machine after reassembly to ensure it functions properly.

Prioritize Safety During Setup

Anchor Heavy Equipment: Machines like power racks and cable systems should be anchored to the floor or walls to prevent tipping.

Inspect for Damage: Check for any dents, misalignments, or malfunctioning parts caused during transit. Replace worn-out cables, grips, or other components before use.

Regular Maintenance After Setup

After your equipment is installed, commit to regular maintenance to extend its lifespan. Clean and lubricate moving parts, tighten bolts periodically, and check for wear and tear. This is especially important for items purchased through gym liquidation sales, as they may have already seen significant use.

Final Thoughts

Buying gym equipment from gym liquidation sales can be a smart investment, but transporting and setting it up requires proper planning and attention to detail. By using the right tools, enlisting professional help for heavy items, and prioritizing safety, you can ensure your equipment remains in top condition and ready to support your fitness goals.