#duct boards

[ductusau]

Ventilation Ducts: The Unsung Hero of Indoor Air Quality

When it comes to maintaining a comfortable and healthy indoor environment, many people focus on air conditioners and heating systems. However, an essential component often overlooked is the ventilation ducts. These hidden pathways ensure that fresh, clean air circulates efficiently throughout your home or business, impacting everything from air quality to energy efficiency.

              

Why Are Ventilation Ducts Important?

Ventilation ducts act as the circulatory system of any building. They distribute conditioned air from heating and cooling units, ensuring that every room receives an even and comfortable temperature. Without proper ductwork, even the most advanced air conditioner ducted system would struggle to perform efficiently. Poorly designed or maintained ducts can lead to uneven cooling, increased energy bills, and even health concerns due to dust and mold buildup.

Common Issues with Ventilation Ducts

Over time, ventilation ducts can develop various issues that affect their performance. Some of the most common problems include:

Leaks and Gaps: Small holes or poorly connected sections can cause significant air loss, reducing efficiency and increasing energy costs.

Dust and Debris Accumulation: Over time, dust, allergens, and even mold can accumulate in the ducts, leading to poor air quality.

Improper Sizing: If ducts are too small or too large for a space, they can hinder airflow and force the air conditioner ducted system to work harder.

Blockages: Items like insulation, pests, or structural damage can obstruct airflow, preventing efficient distribution of air.

How to Maintain Your Ventilation Ducts

Regular maintenance is crucial for keeping ventilation ducts in top shape. Here are some steps you can take to ensure your ducts function efficiently:

Schedule Regular Inspections: Have a professional inspect your ductwork annually to check for leaks, blockages, or signs of wear and tear.

Clean Your Ducts Periodically: While professional cleaning isn’t needed often, removing dust and allergens every few years can improve air quality.

Seal Any Leaks: Proper sealing prevents conditioned air from escaping, which can save you money on energy bills.

Upgrade When Necessary: If your home or business has outdated ductwork, consider upgrading to modern, energy-efficient systems that enhance airflow and reduce energy consumption.

          

Testimonials: Real Experiences with Ventilation Duct Upgrades

"Our energy bills were skyrocketing, and we couldn’t figure out why. After an inspection, we found out our ducts were leaking air all over the place. Once we sealed and insulated them, we saw a dramatic decrease in our costs!" – Mark & Lisa, Homeowners

"We had constant allergies in the office. After a thorough duct cleaning, the difference was night and day! The air feels fresher, and our employees have fewer complaints about respiratory issues." – Sarah, Business Owner

FAQs About Ventilation Ducts

Q: How often should I have my ventilation ducts cleaned? A: It depends on your environment. If you have pets, allergies, or live in a dusty area, consider cleaning them every 3–5 years.

Q: Can dirty ducts affect my air conditioner ducted system? A: Absolutely. Dirty ducts can restrict airflow, making your system work harder and leading to higher energy bills and potential system failure.

Q: Are there energy-efficient duct systems available? A: Yes! Modern duct systems use better insulation and materials that reduce heat loss and improve overall efficiency.

Final Thoughts

While ventilation ducts may not be the most visible component of a home or office, their role in maintaining indoor air quality and energy efficiency is crucial. Regular maintenance and inspections ensure they function optimally, saving money and promoting healthier living and working environments. Whether you're installing a new air conditioner ducted system or maintaining an existing one, paying attention to your ventilation ducts is a step toward a more comfortable and efficient space.

[freckleslikestars]

Fred, you had a part people loved. I mean, my TV Guide interview was six paragraphs about my BOOBS and how they fit into my suit. No one bothered to ask me what I do on the show.

Sigourney Weaver as Gwen DeMarco in Galaxy Quest (1999)

[autistic-partisan]

day 1: favorite stims!

1 / 2 / 3 // 4 / 5 / 6 // 7 / 8 / 9

[luulapants]

25 ways to be a little more punk in 2025

Cut fast fashion - buy used, learn to mend and/or make your own clothes, buy fewer clothes less often so you can save up for ethically made quality

Cancel subscriptions - relearn how to pirate media, spend $10/month buying a digital album from a small artist instead of on Spotify, stream on free services since the paid ones make you watch ads anyway

Green your community - there's lots of ways to do this, like seedbombing or joining a community garden or organizing neighborhood trash pickups

Be kind - stop to give directions, check on stopped cars, smile at kids, let people cut you in line, offer to get stuff off the high shelf, hold the door, ask people if they're okay

Intervene - learn bystander intervention techniques and be prepared to use them, even if it feels awkward

Get closer to your food - grow it yourself, can and preserve it, buy from a farmstand, learn where it's from, go fishing, make it from scratch, learn a new ingredient

Use opensource software - try LibreOffice, try Reaper, learn Linux, use a free Photoshop clone. The next time an app tries to force you to pay, look to see if there's an opensource alternative

Make less trash - start a compost, be mindful of packaging, find another use for that plastic, make it a challenge for yourself!

Get involved in local politics - show up at meetings for city council, the zoning commission, the park district, school boards; fight the NIMBYs that always show up and force them to focus on the things impacting the most vulnerable folks in your community

DIY > fashion - shake off the obsession with pristine presentation that you've been taught! Cut your own hair, use homemade cosmetics, exchange mani/pedis with friends, make your own jewelry, duct tape those broken headphones!

Ditch Google - Chromium browsers (which is almost all of them) are now bloated spyware, and Google search sucks now, so why not finally make the jump to Firefox and another search like DuckDuckGo? Or put the Wikipedia app on your phone and look things up there?

Forage - learn about local edible plants and how to safely and sustainably harvest them or go find fruit trees and such accessible to the public.

Volunteer - every week tutoring at the library or once a month at the humane society or twice a year serving food at the soup kitchen, you can find something that matches your availability

Help your neighbors - which means you have to meet them first and find out how you can help (including your unhoused neighbors), like elderly or disabled folks that might need help with yardwork or who that escape artist dog belongs to or whether the police have been hassling people sleeping rough

Fix stuff - the next time something breaks (a small appliance, an electronic, a piece of furniture, etc.), see if you can figure out what's wrong with it, if there are tutorials on fixing it, or if you can order a replacement part from the manufacturer instead of trashing the whole thing

Mix up your transit - find out what's walkable, try biking instead of driving, try public transit and complain to the city if it sucks, take a train instead of a plane, start a carpool at work

Engage in the arts - go see a local play, check out an art gallery or a small museum, buy art from the farmer's market

Go to the library - to check out a book or a movie or a CD, to use the computers or the printer, to find out if they have other weird rentals like a seed library or luggage, to use meeting space, to file your taxes, to take a class, to ask question

Listen local - see what's happening at local music venues or other events where local musicians will be performing, stop for buskers, find a favorite artist, and support them

Buy local - it's less convenient than online shopping or going to a big box store that sells everything, but try buying what you can from small local shops in your area

Become unmarketable - there are a lot of ways you can disrupt your online marketing surveillance, including buying less, using decoy emails, deleting or removing permissions from apps that spy on you, checking your privacy settings, not clicking advertising links, and...

Use cash - go to the bank and take out cash instead of using your credit card or e-payment for everything! It's better on small businesses and it's untraceable

Give what you can - as capitalism churns on, normal shmucks have less and less, so think about what you can give (time, money, skills, space, stuff) and how it will make the most impact

Talk about wages - with your coworkers, with your friends, while unionizing! Stop thinking about wages as a measure of your worth and talk about whether or not the bosses are paying fairly for the labor they receive

Think about wealthflow - there are a thousand little mechanisms that corporations and billionaires use to capture wealth from the lower class: fees for transactions, interest, vendor platforms, subscriptions, and more. Start thinking about where your money goes, how and where it's getting captured and removed from our class, and where you have the ability to cut off the flow and pass cash directly to your fellow working class people

[sw5w]

Nosedive

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:16:48

[anbi-group]

AFICO Fiber Glass Duct Board 48Kg Density Size-1.2 x 1Mtr

[cowpants147]

I neeedddd more Foxes on TikTok content! Them doing their own versions of trending videos and challenges like the "dress up as something that starts with your first initial challeneg"

Allison, looking ethereal dressed like a literal Greek God, glammed to the heavens: I'm Allison, I'm dressed as Aphrodite and it's the onw year anniversary of my boyfriends death so I better be the drunkest tonight.

Renee, wearing a real leather F1 jacket/jumpsuit that Allison for some reason has in her closet with a blow up steering wheel in her hand: I'm Renee, I'm a race car driver and I think Nicky might be the drunkest.

Andrew, dressed exactly the same as normal but has a stethoscope around his neck and a piece of paper saying "Aaron" duct taped to his chest just stares into the camera for 30 seconds until it's obvious Allison will not be leaving without an answer: when Kevin starts puking I'm leaving.

Once everyone has given their answer the video enda with a pic of Nicky and Kevin passed out in a bathtub together.

Or the Trauma Dump Candy salad video which goes off the rails immediately and PSU makes them take down 3 hours after posting

"Hiiiiiii, I'm Nicky and I'm a gay teenage father of two and I brought Nerd Cluster Gummies"

"I'm Aaron and instead of going to rehab my evil doppelganger locked me in a bathroom w a blanket and a weeks worth of canned food and I brought Reeces"

"I'm Allison and my parents didn't even yell at my brother when he got expelled from boarding school for having coke in his room but I got kicked out of the house when I showed up to my deb ball with a black eye and a busted lip after playing (and winning) an exy game. They didn't even ask if I was OK. And I brought cherry flavoured Twizzlers"

"I'm Neil ans whenever I burn something while cooking I have a panic attack cause I start to think about burning my mother dead body in a ditch on the beach and I brought ... Andrew what are these called? Oh, I brought sour patch kids"

"I'm Kevin, I grew up in a cult and I brought raisins" except he's body tackled by a blonde blur before he gets a chance to dump the raisins into the bowl.

Them posting stupid shit to popular sounds:

Aaron, sat on the couch, study notes laid out around him, energy drink cans littering the place: I want to sit back and enjoy my my evening when all of a sudden ...

Camera flashes across the room to Neil just minding his own business: ... I hear this aggravating, grating voice

***

The "My Shalya" sound over clips of Neil absolutely violating people.

***

Zoom up of Kevin in full Queen Day sttess mode on the sidelines of practice with the sound "yes I'm a drama queen, but it's not by choice" playing over it and when it gets the "it's genetic" part the video zooms out to show Wymaxk next to him with the exact hand on hip, stressed look on his face

***

Renee doing the "actually I do cuss a little" sound while she's getting her gear on to spar with Andrew and when it reaches the "probably fuck" portion of the audio the clip switches to her taking Andrew downnnn. And then there's a beat drop just cause.

***

Another edit of Neil but with the "am I the drama? I don't think I'm drama" sound.

***

Upperclassmen scrolling through news articles or flipping through sports news channels rhag are reporting on them while miming along to "is this fucking play about us"

***

Some teammates, probably upperclasmen, definitely Nicky also miming along to "I'm sorry, not everybody fits in the bad bitch genre, it's a genre, not everybody fits on the he roster" while dressed in full exy uniform, with the caption "when you're coach only recruits the most traumatised bitches"

And forcing teammates to do "day in the life" "what i eat in a day as a member of the most fucked up exy team" and "ootd" videos.

Andrew (bribed with alcohol, ice cream and ten dollars) does a What I Eat in a Day as depressed mother of 3 whose forced to play stickball. There's no sound, its just the picture carousel style w block letters next to pics of his food:

Breakfast is a massive mug of hot chocolate with half a can of squirty cream and marshmallows.

Breakfast 2 is a big bowl of whatever sugary flavour cereal that's overflowing w E Numbers and almost illegal food dye you guys have in the US.

Snack 1 is a chocolate bar.

Lunch is a slice of pizza, fries and then there's a hand forcing salad onto his plate. Andrew adds a note to this pic saying "I'm allergic to green, Kevin's trying to kill me"

Snack 2 is a an energy drink and a cigarette

Dinner is a pint of ice cream

Midnight snack is just a pic of Neil which Andrew thinks is an obvious coming out without coming out vibe but everyone is immediately worried about Neil's safety and there endals up being a Reddit thread about Andrew being a cannibal.

Then they post a follow up video of Kevin reacting to this and he just watches on in despair saying "no. no. Andrew you have a nutritionist!"

[quickshipfire]

6 Fatal Fire Safety Hazards for Banks & Financial Institutions

Commercial buildings often use different fire protection methods. This may be due to the construction of the building or what types of items are in the building. Banks and financial institutions, for example, have their own requirements for fire safety systems, as well as special fire hazards unique to that type of business.

There are six main fire security risks for banks and financial institutions, which is why they need a specially designed fire protection system:

[deadghosy]

Okay so I just started reading Hazbin stuff on your blog, but they're AWESOME!! I'd like to request some Catnap!reader headcanons with the Vees if that's possible?

SURE! Thanks for the suggestion anon🦆💗

CATNAP! READER W/ THE VEES FOR A DAY

prompt: one of the Vee’s grabbed you out of now where and brought you to their tower to hang out.

You didn’t know how this flat faced person got your attention…more like grabbed your tail like a untrained child 😭

Vox grabbed your tail dragging you to the Vee’s tower as you sighed, leaving some red gas out of your mouth annoyed.

I feel like somehow you would agree to hang out with the Vee’s as long as you don’t see them in your hellish life forever.

I can imagine a picture of you and the Vee’s taking a selfie, but Velvette is on her phone, Vox is smiling at the camera, and Valentino is trying to blow a kiss at you.

Valentino was trying to cook for the other two Vee’s and you only for the kitchen to burn down as you and Velvette order take out as Vox gets the fire extinguisher. Valentino is trying not to touch the ✨pretty fire✨

I headcannon Valentino finding you attractive because if your tall frame. But also your smile as you just stand there smiling having your hands behind your back.

Imagine Valentino showing off his guns and you’re like. “Who needs guns when I can do this.” You said smiling as poppy gas slides through your teeth and knocks Valentino straight out on the ground when you smirk.

I can see the Vee’s and you going in a shopping spree and you decide to fuck with them and spend almost all their saving worth. Vox knew what you were doing so he stopped you.

I feel like the Vee’s will try to use try to get info on Alastor. But that’s mostly Vox so it would useless as you don’t anything form Alastor other than Alastor hates when you knock him out for bedtime

You literally sat there as Valentino was trying to get you to watch one of his sex tapes…you knocked him out and left the room as you grumbled.

I can imagine if it was sleepover it would chaotic as hell as Vox would be the one to fall asleep first and duct taped to the ceiling as the other snicker

For shits and giggles, Velvette will say you give off Lana Del Rey vibes as you just side eye her saying, “what tf you know about Lana Del Rey?”

You two are the best music buddies of modern genre.

Imagine a cute little headcannon where they all have secret matching bracelets and they let you have one.

Vox brought you on his channel to talk about your weird and cocky appearance. You were just on there to be clowned until you smirked letting poppy gas as the camera man fell breaking the camera.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! You dumbass cat!” “I’m dumb?” You said glancing at the man beside you as you slapped him smoothly with your tail as he had a shocked face touching his cheek.

I can see Valentino trying to get catnap! Reader to wear heels only for catnap! Reader to break them in their hands shaking their head no as they walk away again

I headcannon that the only V that catnap! Reader finds tolerable is Velvette because of her whole personality and not how she tries to bring catnap! Reader down

You definitely have that fun friend troupe with Velvette which is sweet and wholesome.

Velvette and you were hanging out on her side of the tower as she was getting you dressed in [style aesthetic]. You actually liked it as you gave her a thumbs up and grin.

I headcannon Velvette and Vox to try to make you do those dumbass TikTok dance trends with them so they could get #1 on the trending board.

I can imagine catnap! Reader ordering one of tose bug zappers to only electrocute Valentino

Velvette posted you and her doing a fashion walk as Angel was shocked seeing this on her page and shows the staff of the hotel.

The hazbin hotel gang will be like: “why tf is our resident hanging out with them?” As you are just trying to see why people even love the Vee’s.

I can headcannon that Vox forced you into a group chat with them

I can see that every time you hang out with the Vee’s, your phone gets blown up with worried text from the hazbin hotel crew. And then Vox will try to hack or get into your phone to disable your phone.

I imagine you and Vox literally shitting in each other. Like you say “why as you so short.” While he thinks of a comeback to say back to you.

I headcannon that if you and the Vee’s played uno together, you’re rigging it. Cause ain’t no one gonna win today.

At the end of the day, you left their asses as you used your red smoke on them…well idk about Vox cause that bitch has a tv head. You probably gave him a virus to circuit.

BRO WHO TF MADE THAT SMIRK FOR CATNAP?! EHH? Anyways I hope you guys liked this🦆💗

[ductusau]

Understanding Duct Flange: An Essential Component in HVAC Systems

Ductwork is the backbone of any HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system, ensuring efficient air distribution across residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. One crucial but often overlooked component in ductwork is the duct flange. This essential part plays a significant role in air sealing, structural support, and ease of installation. In this article, we’ll explore what a duct flange is, its importance, types, and how to choose the right one for your air conditioner ducting supplies.

What is a Duct Flange?

A duct flange is a structural component used to connect two sections of ducting together. It provides a secure and airtight joint, ensuring minimal air leakage and maintaining the efficiency of HVAC systems. Flanges are typically made from galvanized steel, aluminum, or stainless steel, offering durability and resistance to corrosion.

Importance of Duct Flanges in HVAC Systems

Enhanced Airflow Efficiency: Properly installed flanges help minimize air leakage, which can reduce energy consumption and improve overall HVAC performance.

Structural Stability: A duct flange reinforces the duct joints, preventing sagging and ensuring a secure fit.

Ease of Maintenance: Duct flanges allow for easy disassembly of duct sections, simplifying maintenance, repairs, and cleaning.

Compliance with Industry Standards: Many HVAC regulations require ductwork to be sealed properly, and flanges help meet these requirements.

Types of Duct Flanges

Duct flanges come in various designs, each suited for different applications and requirements. Understanding the differences can help in selecting the right one for your air conditioner ducting supplies.

1. Slip-On Flanges

Slip-on flanges are designed for easy installation and removal. They slide over the duct end and are then secured with bolts or clamps. These flanges are commonly used in applications requiring frequent access to the duct system.

2. Welded Flanges

As the name suggests, welded flanges are permanently attached to the duct using welding techniques. They offer superior strength and durability, making them ideal for industrial and high-pressure HVAC systems.

3. Angle Ring Flanges

Angle ring flanges provide robust structural support and are often used in large-scale ducting systems. They feature a circular design with bolt holes for secure fastening, ensuring minimal air leakage.

4. Pressed Flanges

Pressed flanges are lightweight yet strong, commonly used in light-duty HVAC systems. They are manufactured using a stamping process, offering a cost-effective solution for duct connections.

How to Choose the Right Duct Flange for Your Needs

When selecting a duct flange, consider the following factors:

1. Material

The choice of material depends on the environment where the ducting system is installed. For standard residential and commercial applications, galvanized steel is widely used due to its durability and resistance to rust. However, for corrosive environments, stainless steel or aluminum flanges may be preferred.

2. Size Compatibility

Ensure that the duct flange matches the size and dimensions of your ductwork. An improper fit can lead to air leakage, reducing system efficiency.

3. Sealing Efficiency

A well-sealed duct flange improves energy efficiency by preventing air leaks. Consider flanges with gasket seals or those that allow for additional sealing materials like mastic or tape.

4. Installation Method

Choose between welded, bolted, or slip-on flanges based on your installation needs. For systems requiring frequent maintenance, opt for bolted or slip-on flanges, while permanent installations may benefit from welded options.

Common Applications of Duct Flanges

Duct flanges are widely used in various HVAC applications, including:

Commercial Buildings: Ensuring efficient air distribution in office spaces, shopping malls, and restaurants.

Industrial Facilities: Supporting high-pressure ventilation systems in manufacturing plants and warehouses.

Residential HVAC Systems: Enhancing home air conditioning and heating efficiency.

Cleanrooms & Laboratories: Maintaining controlled environments with minimal air leakage.

Industry Insights: Why Proper Flange Selection Matters

According to HVAC professionals, improper duct flange selection or poor installation can lead to increased energy costs and reduced indoor air quality.

“We often encounter cases where inefficient duct connections result in energy losses of up to 30%. Using the right duct flange with proper sealing techniques can significantly reduce these losses.” – John Davis, HVAC Engineer

Conclusion

A duct flange is a small but crucial component in HVAC systems that ensures airtight connections, improves structural integrity, and enhances energy efficiency. Selecting the right flange from your air conditioner ducting supplies can significantly impact the performance and longevity of your ductwork. By considering material, size compatibility, sealing efficiency, and installation methods, you can optimize your HVAC system for better air quality and energy savings.

For HVAC professionals and building managers, investing in high-quality duct flanges is a step toward improving system performance and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Whether you’re installing a new system or upgrading an existing one, the right flange can make all the difference.

[inkskinned]

for the longest time my family used to host one of the biggest haunted houses on my block: elaborate, themed amateur haunts that pearled out along our lawn for one-night-only. spinning circus wheel-of-terrors and walkthrough alien crash-landings and spiders that arched over our driveway, leaking venom onto your feet.

we didn't have a lot of money; and honestly i don't know how we afforded what we did have. there were not going to be pneumatics or projectors or any supply over 20 dollars - and even 20 was a stretch. we were lucky, and we lived in a town that had a "swap shed", where people would drop off any banged-up-but-usable items that they wanted to get rid of. the whole year, my family would pick over someone else's discarded fans and lights and weird decorations, asking each other - what do you think? for halloween?

we would strip the motors out of rusted fans and spraypaint vases and saw broom handles in half and apply a very thick coat of cardboard and duct tape to everything. for our pirate year, i made the mistake of individually drawing woodgrain onto each strip of cardboard that made up the ship. i then gently painted and distressed the "boards" so they'd each have lichen and cracks and unusual patterns. i hid eyes in the knots and shaped skulls. you couldn't see any of it in the dark, even under our "spotlight" (someone's target-branded workshop flashlight).

i have a lot of very strange skills as a result. i know how to make a flying ghost appear both physically and in the mirror. i know how to make a witch's brew that stirs itself. i know how to burn and cut and paint until there is an iron throne you can sit on, or an alien brushing your ankles, or a hearse trundling along. i can't say we ever made it beyond our local newspapers, but we tried so hard that the town would regularly shut down our street.

i can't put any of these skills on a resume, and i haven't been able to put them to use for a while. i live in an apartment, there's no lawn for me to decorate. for years i've wanted to do an alice in wonderland theme, and have been collecting ideas like coins in a fountain. at other houses, i am transfixed by 12 foot skeletons and paper mache spooky lanterns; easily wooed by the knowledge of how much time people put in.

someone asked me once - so what was the point? and why didn't you guys charge anything to show up?

in truth, we probably needed the money. for years there, we were a 1-meal-a-day kind of a family. i was being polite earlier up in this essay: we furnished both our house and our halloweens using things left a recycling center. we live in new england and still didn't turn on the heat until the end of november, no matter how low the temperature.

every year we would collect donations for unicef and other charities. on an average year, we would collect enough to pay for our food for weeks. every year, without fail: we donated every penny.

this endeavor took months to plan and design and execute. we had to organize any volunteers and check safety and hope-for-the-best. it took at least 24 hours to set up, a week to take down. the motors and fans and lights all had to be packed tight. the cardboard would scatter, pangea in the rain and sleet. i remember picking up a plank from that pirate ship, the paint blown clear off, all my hard work completely erased. a new kind of driftwood.

if this was a poem, and not a memory, i could wrap this up prettily. i could say that these skills landed me a cool job in the haunting industry or that it taught me the value of friendship and responsibility. but i actually think it's something better, something very pretty: there wasn't ever a moral to it.

the night was a long one. yes, there were assholes, people who broke stuff. but mostly it was just kids like us in cardboard costumes, dressed as an incredibly niche kind of truck. good parents who were friendly and laughing. teenagers who slunk in at late hours, wide-eyed and secretly delighted; who asked us can i help next year? like, do y'all take volunteers, or whatever? every year more people came, and told their friends, and offered to pay. and every year we said maybe next year and meant absolutely never.

we did it because it was enough to love something, and to make that love visible. we did it because there is very rarely an excuse to have fun. i think maybe especially, for me - we did it because every year, there was one first "customer" somewhere around 3-4PM, while we were still putting on the final touches. the sun would still be up, and we were frazzled and always-running-late, and these kids saw our vision unfinished in the bright light of day.

something about their parents murmuring say thank you and telling my mom this setup is so sweet while this little kid would grin up at us, dazzled by our artistic mediocrity. the fall air and the chill and their coat-over-a-panda-princess-costume. that first phrase of the night awkwardly managed over a pair of overly-large vampire teeth: a beautiful and excited trick or treat!

[starry-agere]

Hello!! I was wondering if you had any suggestions for age regression related activities to do that don't include looking at something with a screen (phone, computer, etc)? My eyes get dry really fast so staring at these things can cause some pain. If it helps to narrow things down any, I'm a middle regressor (tween-teen) so some activities around that age work! Thank you in advance!!

hi !! here are some ideas that will hopefully work for you :)

offline activities for tween/teen agere

make friendship bracelets, loom bracelets, or kandi

do activity kits! there's tons of types, like science, painting, jewelry, and so many more. i know that michaels sells lots of these !

visit science or history museums! there's always so much to learn, and you can always bring a journal or sketchbook and write about or make drawings based on what you see

if you have a friend or family member to play with, play board games, card games, chess, or checkers!

jump rope! try learning more complex tricks for an extra challenge

bake some treats! it doesn't have to be complicated; you definitely can make something from scratch, but using a mix from the store is easy, fun, and delicious

make something out of duct tape, like a wallet! (remember when that was a thing?)

build with legos! there's so many different kinds of sets, for any kind of skill level and age. i've completed space, animal crossing and minecraft sets !

put together jigsaw puzzles !

buy coloring books or print out coloring pages! there's such a big market for adult/more detailed coloring books these days, so you're bound to find something fun to color

make origami - all you need is some origami paper, and it's tons of fun

make slime! you can even buy kits from the store to make specific kinds of slime

garden! you could plant native wildflowers outside, plant a vegetable plant or herb, or you could even just plant a flower in a pot on your windowsill. there are also gardening kits that you can buy; i've done a couple of Back to the Roots' sprouts kits, and they're really fun!

i hope that these provide some good ideas for tween + teen age regressors looking for some offline activities! have fun <3

[witchpassing]

What you’ve always gotta keep in mind, for the wellbeing of everyone involved, is that the snake ain’t people. Sure, it’s shaped like people, but that never counted for much; what you want is to look at its eyes, that glassy gloss of fear, the way they twitch n’ dart from corner to narrow corner. No human in back there; the day you let yourself forget that is the day you stop being any goddamn good at this.

And that just wouldn’t be fair to the snake, ‘cause critter’s come by to be useful, no matter how the whole setup might look. The cuffs licking heat from its wrists are to help useful happen, a box checked on a consent form spread across your kitchen counter; sure, this is all above-board and consensual, sure, it asked for this in writing just like the other two-dozen times, but the snake knows it ain’t people and it doesn’t trust itself not to fight.

Run your fingers through its hair, now, take a firm hold. Black, glossy; someone combed it out last night, looks like. The scales flecking its cheekbones, forearms, dappling the backs of its twitching, tugging wrists in their bitter metal - good coverage, good colour, too, dark-pale against the brown of the skin. It’s nice to know someone takes care of the thing, somewhere out there. Doesn’t affect your end, ‘course, but. You’re not too good for a little sentiment, here and there.

This little shudder goes through it as you settle your grip, one black nitrile hand in its hair, one on its scruff; critter knows what’s coming.

Alright, sugar. Same as always.

Nods a little nod into what slack there is. Another shudder. No thrashing.

Attagirl, a croon drawn-out over the tongue, that’s good, that’s real nice, sugar. Gonna lean you forward now. Show me those teeth.

Three-inch fangs hinge out. Venom beads, left first, then right; you figure the ducts must be grown a little asymmetrical in there, like how nobody’s tits are exactly the same size.

There we go. You gonna bite for me, sweetheart?

Rhetorical question; no waiting for an answer. You press the heel of your palm down, in. Gap closes. Fangs puncture membrane. The first dose hits the bottom corner of the jar, thin and clear and probably about enough to kill a man, and the snake’s shoulders cave in just the brokenest little sob of relief.

You loosen up your grip - with one hand, not both, critter trusts you not to take risks - and stroke the bowed-forward head with the back of a knuckle. A shudder. Another pulse of venom.

Makin’ me proud here, pretty thing.

[wenclairfamily]

"WEDNESDAY ADDAMS: ALL ALONE": Brand New Wenclair Themed Story

A grown up Wednesday Addams has always secretly wished to get away from everyone she knows. But when Wednesday is kidnapped and left in a room completely alone for hours, her mind keeps trailing back to just one special person.

Art by @emeriart (used with permission)

Links to the Full Story: Wattpad, Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net

-Or just click keep reading to see the full story immediately!

Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair. They were a duo that shouldn't have worked... but they did... and somehow their relationship resulted in marriage and two twin children - Harmony and Ana: two incredibly resourceful and talented teenage girls. Harmony, who carries both of her mother's special abilities, continues to grow and explore the world alongside the love of her life: Megan. Ana meanwhile is a very "different" type of girl without special powers, who is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, while going on adventures with her ghostly boyfriend: Gerard. However, despite how seemingly bright Wednesday's life has become now, there are still forces that exist that intend to destroy her...

"Wednesday Addams: All Alone"

Written by: "Fun But Shy Girl"

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw nothing. Just the empty blackness. I tried to piece together my last memory before I lost consciousness. I remember traveling home from that infernal teachers conference that the Nevermore Academy board claimed I had to attend; for somehow they truly believed that I, Wednesday Addams, needed to be taught something from mere bureaucrats that believe children need assistance in their emotional awareness; when clearly they need more classes pertaining to combating the evils of this world... something I must unfortunately admit I may have needed more of. I never saw the persons or persons that sneaked up behind me and knocked me out while I was stopping to get gasoline for my vehicle. Either I was still exhausted from my recent experience at the werewolf martial arts tournament, or unfortunately I have to concede that my reflexes have begun to diminish with age. Either way, somehow I was captured.

As I tried to first explore my surroundings, I found myself unable to see anything. For a moment I thought I was blind. My initial reaction was relief, due to thinking that I would never have to be subjected to the appearance of bright colors again... but then thought of how I would indeed miss the sight of blood, various shades of grey, and the look of anguish on any potential future victims I would torture. However, I quickly realized I wasn't blind. I had a thick bag placed over my head. As I began to take in my surroundings from my other senses, I realized I was tied to a metal pole. To be more specific, it was an old metal pole, as I could feel the bits of metal paint partially peeled off the metal. Although, it wouldn't seem I was tied to the metal pole. Rather, I was attached to it via many layers duct tape around my arms and wrists. I then realized I could also feel duct tape keeping my feet and lower legs bound as well, in addition to one thick strip over my mouth. I could tell it was duct tape, not just by how adhesive it felt, but by the lack of air reaching my skin. The knowledge that my skin was getting paler by the minute was a pleasant thought... however, I doubted my captors were attempting to improve my physical appearance.

The duct tape around my wrists and feet were very tight. It was becoming near impossible to feel any circulation. Movement was near impossible. I could shake my body slightly, and tap my feet, but beyond that I was being held in place. I tapped my foot for a moment to see what kind of echo I heard. The echo my ears picked up indicated I was in a very large room. It would seem my captors didn't want to hide me in a small room, or something more pleasant like a grave. But why a large room? Immensely large rooms are typically reserved for theater, public events, spectacle... and that's what this has to be. My captors didn't want my capture and seeming defeat to be a quick hit and run. If they wanted that, they would have killed me immediately. They wanted my capture and whatever came next to be a grand event. Even if there was no audience present, they wanted this all to happen on something that felt like a stage.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of an old clock ring. It's echoes were unexpectedly louder than I expected. Was I in an old clock tower? No. The sounds didn't come from all directions. The sound came from one direction. To my right. Also, the clock didn't sound ancient. It's noise was too controlled, too manufactured. It was a sound effect... coming from a speaker. Then from that very same speaker, I heard a distorted voice say, "Welcome to the end Wednesday Addams."

That distorted voice. I heard it before in the hidden laboratory I found in that cave near Nevermore Academy some time ago. The people that worked in that lab were tied to someone or some group of people who wanted me dead. The last time they attempted to do so though was through more complicated means. It looks like this time they finally went for the direct approach. I'll be sure to compliment them on this as I remove all their non-vital organs while they are strapped to my dining room table.

The distorted voice in the nearby speaker meanwhile said, "You may be wondering where you are, and who I am. You are quite the little detective, so I know you enjoy getting answers to all your questions. Well, unlike most cliché masterminds, I'm not going to give you a long monologue that exposes all of my plan. I think it be more fun to watch you die completely confused and helpless. What I will tell you is that you are in an abandoned warehouse far away from civilization. The building hasn't been used in decades, nor has the road. You are far away from the route you were on that would've taken you back to Nevermore. In short: no one knows where you are, you are far from any human beings, and you are completely and utterly alone. Now you may believe your loved ones may eventually find you... and they may... after this warehouse comes crashing down in a fiery inferno, thanks to the explosives I planted. You see, I wanted your loved ones to eventually find you. I want the news media to cover the day that outcast legend: Wednesday Addams's body was discovered."

I was right on one hand. My captors did want this to be a spectacle. However, I began to wonder again why my life hadn't been already terminated. Then as if on cue, I heard the distorted voice say, "Oh, and if you believe the police will eventually discover who I am through some type of an investigation after your demise, it will be some time before you are killed. You see I am in the midst of traveling very far away from your location right now. So when the explosives near you go off in eight hours, I'll have the perfect alibi; as I'll have witnesses that will be able to claim with perfect honesty that I was nowhere near the location of your death as it occurred. In fact, considering your famous desire to talk to no one, and your long drive you were going to have to take back to Nevermore Academy, no one will even know you're gone yet. It'll be of extreme difficulty for any investigators to know when you were kidnapped in the first place. So enjoy the final eight hours of your life Wednesday Addams; knowing that in your final day on Earth, you were completely weak and helpless."

The distorted voice finally ended their long monologue... which I might point out: they claimed wasn't going to be long when they began it. Clearly, my captor is a figure that is nothing more than an extremist bully who wishes to get away with defeating others, all in an attempt to boost their extremely fragile ego. It's a personality type I'm all too familiar with. Creating something productive and lasting for the world takes too much time for the impatient and simple minded individuals of today's world. Thus, far too many take the short cut to just destroy the works and lives of others, all in an attempt to make themselves feel more powerful in comparison. However... right now... power is unfortunately what I lack.

I immediately made attempts to rub my body against the metal pole I was attached to, tried to see if my fingers could find a way to free themselves... but there was nothing I could do. There was no way to make the appropriate amount of friction to tear apart the duct tape, no method that could be found to free myself. There was nothing I could do. I was all alone. There were no more sounds for me to hear due to the isolation I had been thrust into, no sights to see due to the very thick bag tied tightly around my head. I was completely and utterly alone.

I began to think about how my captors in some ways: put me in a scenario I've always wanted to be in. Complete and utter isolation. If they had just let my see and move my hands, and then given me my type writer: this would be the paradise that I've always desired. However... I've found myself over the years now doing some of my best writing when I'm back in my room at Nevermore Academy; the room that Enid and I have shared since we were fifteen years old. Logically, I should be a more efficient writer when working alone. However the glowing colors of Enid's side of the room began to somehow make my writing style more vivid, Enid's humming to her infernal noise she calls music began to add more nuance to my characters, and Enid's constantly interrupting me with her pestering comments and questions about my day eventually resulted in the dialogue of all my characters to contain more complexity. For so long now, I've wanted to experience this: just complete and total quiet, free of distractions and free of having my senses over stimulated... and yet all I want now is to be in that brightly colored loud room again with my wife.

With nothing for my senses to interact with, I had to do something to keep my mind sharp. I needed something to keep my brain thinking. I needed Enid, I needed to be in that room we shared... and so that's what I did. I used my imagination to put myself back there. I'm laying on the floor beside Enid now. We are both teenagers again. I want it to be this way, because this was the time when her essence was new to me. It was unfamiliar, it was confusing, it was distracting... and yet it was so alluring.

Enid is rambling on about topics I have no interest in. She wants to inform me about events at some social gathering I wish to avoid like the plague, or one of her infernal television programs she binges, or about whatever social media posts are trending online that will clearly be completely forgotten from all of human society in less than a week. I tell her how all her interests and behaviors frustrate me... and yet I cannot leave her. How can somehow so extremely different than myself seem so attractive? Then I realize... it's because Enid never tried to change who I was. Others would mock me, attack me, and ostracize me for being the clearly superior individual in the room. However, Enid's desire to pressure me to enjoy her hobbies and interests with her wasn't her way to seemingly change me. Rather, it was due to the fact that it was the only way she knew how to build a relationship with me.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of a clock making a ringing noise. No, not a clock. The sound effect of a clock on the nearby speaker. Clearly, my captors wanted me to know when each of my final hours passed with the appropriate sound effect. I once again tried to rub the duct tape attached to my wrists against the old metal pole I was stuck to... but no effect. There is nothing I can do. For the first time in my life, there is absolutely not a single action I can take.

All I can do now is return my mind to that room. As I laid on the floor beside Enid, I felt the warmth and affection of her presence. Her rainbow colored carpet, those disturbing stuffed animals, the smell of Enid's favorite perfume... once upon a time these were things I despised about that room... but now, they are things my senses miss experiencing to degrees I cannot even admit to myself. As I laid beside Enid, the most important person in my life turned to look at me as she said, "So how are you going to get out of this predicament you landed in Wednesday?"

I simply looked up as I said, "There is nothing I can do Enid. My feet and arms are bound, and most of the circulation to those parts of my body is blocked. I also have my vision obstructed, with a bag tied around my head. Despite the bag not being air tight, there is still very little air surrounding my face. Even though I'm certain I'll still live for the next seven hours, I am clearly already suffering from oxygen deprivation." My loving blonde werewolf made a happy smile as she said, "Well, don't give up Wednesday. Someone may save you. You have to hope for something good to happen!"

I quickly sat up as I looked at Enid with anger in my eyes as I said, "HOPE!? Hope doesn't accomplish anything Enid! Hope is for weak minded individuals who have decided to let others dictate all matters in the remainder of their lives. Assuming things will simply work out for you, puts most human beings in a state of complacency to do nothing to improve the trajectory of their lives. The only thing that is guaranteed to make a positive impact to one's future is building ones' skills, experience, determination, and ability to think creatively in spite of their set-backs. Why in the name of sanity Enid, do you say things that just completely differ from my world view!? How in God's name did we ever work as a couple!?"

Enid however sat up, and just looked at me with those loving eyes... those loving affectionate eyes that have controlled my heart to consistently disobey my brain... and then my wife simply said, "Wednesday... we work because our differences bring out the best in each other. Every time I pressure you to be like me, it pushes you to assert what's different about yourself... which is exactly what made me begin to become attracted to you... and it's also what I'm trying to do right now. So tell me... if Wednesday Addams isn't going to hope for things to get better, what's she going to do? Come on. You secretly have too much ego to allow yourself to appear defeated in front of me. Find a way to succeed. Look for something you hadn't found before! Show me how your way of doing things is the best way!"

I take a deep breath and put myself back where I really am. My wrists are wrapped tightly in duct tape, but my fingers are still free. I move my hands around the dusty hard floor behind me. I look for something, anything I can use. Then my finger feels something. A small screw. A small screw laying on the ground. I use my fingers to grab it. I begin to use it to rub against the duct tape. Nothing happens at first, but I continue to rub the screw against the duct tape. I suddenly hear the sound of a clock ringing on the nearby speaker. Did a whole hour pass while I was talking to Enid in my mind? No matter. I continue to rub the screw against the duct tape. Soon, I finally feel progress. A small piece of the duct tape has been ripped through... only it's the first layer of the duct tape; the first layer of what has to be ten. The rip is also no more than what has to be ten millimeters long. However, it's progress. It's something.

As I continued to rub the screw against the duct tape, I try to place my mind elsewhere. I need something else to have the rest of my senses dwell on while my three fingers continue to attempt to free myself. I put myself back in that room with Enid. We are standing before one another. She looks at me with the type of unconditional affection typically reserved for puppies. Meanwhile I cannot help but look at her with reluctant respect and acceptance that I now wish I showed her far more than I have in the past.

Enid looks at me as she simply asks, "Do you think you'll survive this?" I look back at her as I simply say, "I have cheated death more times I can count now. However, the odds of probability would seem to state that all my near death experiences would eventually lead to my demise at some point." As Enid's expression remained unchanged, she asked, "What about our daughters? Don't you want to keep living for them?"

My immediate thoughts come out of my mouth as I say, "Harmony and Ana are strong. They'd have to be, considering they grew up enduring all those horrific Disney princess movies you exposed them to at a young age. However, they are well trained in their combat skills, and already have the ability to provide for themselves adequately... with the exception to Ana at times. But if she's motivated enough, she'll be able to provide for herself at some point. Also, it is natural for children to move on from their parents. It is the natural order of things. If I died, it would only speed up the natural development of my daughters asserting their full independence."

However, Enid continued to look at me, her face unchanged as she said, "Yes, but don't you want to keep living to see what happens next to them? Don't you want to see Harmony somehow finally introduce you to your first grandchild? Don't you want to see how Ana and her boyfriend are gonna make their unusual relationship work for the next twenty years? Also... don't you want to keep living alongside me? Do you really want me to grow old without you? Think about how living day after day without you by my side would break me."

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a clock being played on the nearby speaker. Yet another hour has passed. I continue to push the screw with my three fingers against the duct tape. I can feel it starting to break more. As I do, I put myself back in that room with Enid. I look at her as I say, "Enid, basing your entire emotional state around the existence and well being of one person is weakness. You must base your character off the strength that comes within; not the person that stands beside you."

However as Enid continued look at me with those powerful attractive eyes of hers, she said, "Wednesday, I don't rely on you because I'm weak. You give me reason to be strong. I'm strong because deep down, I know you need someone strong to support you... just as you believe I need someone strong to support me. That's one of the major reasons we work... because deep down, we make ourselves stronger to help the other be stronger. Now be strong Wednesday. Be strong for yourself so you can be strong for me."

Suddenly, I found my fingers moving faster. The screw moves against the duct tape at what feels like lightning speed now. The duct tape begins to rip more. A small tear in all ten layers is starting to grow. I hear the sound of the clock again. God, do my thoughts of Enid really absorb more time than I realize? I try to rub the screw against the duct tape again, but then suddenly... I drop it. I hear the sound of the screw hitting the floor and rolling away. Desperately I try to move my fingers against the floor... but I cannot feel the screw. My one single tool of salvation... now gone.

I put myself back in my room, looking at my wife as I say, "Your motivational speech failed Enid. I lost the one tool that could save me. Now what do I do?" Enid continued to stare me down with those loving puppy dog eyes of hers as she said, "First, don't give up so fast Wednesday. Imagine what the real me is doing right now. Remember, whoever kidnapped you assumes that you're a creepy outcast with no loved ones. They don't realize that I call you every four hours we're apart. Now they obviously didn't knock you out and take you to a remote location in an instant. That alone probably took hours. So by the time mister mysterious evil guy did his long bad guy speech, I was already beginning my search for you. Also, you can probably guess that I got our girls involved too."

I reluctantly admit, "Your exasperating need to worry more than I do can be a nuisance at times... but it does raise the odds in me being found. However, only by a small margin. If I am in an abandoned building of some sort, the chances of me being found before it explodes are still extremely small." Enid however took a step closer to me as she said, "But think about it Wednesday. I'm the kind of wife that would look high and low and go to the ends of the Earth to find you if you went missing. I would give my life to save yours. So please... fight for your life, to save my heart."

I go back to the reality of where I'm sitting. I think on everything Enid has done for me before, and also think of everything she would likely do for me in the days yet to come. I think of the real Enid out there, right now, in the dark forest, running past every tree in her attempt to find me. As I think about her face, I cannot let the reaction on it when it finally finds my body be something that brings her great pain. As I hear the sound of a clock ringing again, I decide to begin flexing my wrists. They are extremely weak due to the severe lack of circulation. However, I continue to flex them. I try to stretch them. Then I try rubbing the opening of the tape against the metal pole I'm attached to. I can hear the faintest sound of a tear. It's the sound of progress.

I know another hour has passed as I hear the sound of the clock ring again. I try to rub the duct tape against the metal pole even harder and faster. I try to shake my entire body to help with the process... only to feel the side of my head hit the metal pole. I feel some blood run down the left side of my head. It is painful, but it is just a flesh wound. I can recover. I try to move my hands and wrists with more precise and controlled movements. I am finally creating a friction now that is slowly breaking the duct tape. However I know I am not making enough progress when I hear the sound of a clock ring again. I've counted the rings as I've heard them. I was told I had eight hours to live. The clock has rung seven times since the announcement of my seemingly impending doom. I only have one hour left to escape. Perhaps only one hour left to live.

I am logical and realistic when it comes to expectations. It's what has kept my mind from falling into a deep pit of despair all these years. If I was barely able to make nothing more than a partial tear on the duct tape over the course of seven hours, how much additional progress am I to still make in these last sixty minutes? I try to put myself back in my room, try to have the Enid of my mind say something to give me further reason to try harder... but I can't. The Enid I invented in my mind is gone now. Even my delusions of her cannot help me anymore.

However, I cannot stop thinking of her. I have more memories of Enid than I can count now, but for whatever reason: I think back to that first semester we both shared that special room together. I remember the night she was dressed up, ready to go meet Ajax for their first date. At the time, I tried to act like I was more interested in my writing... but deep down, I didn't want Enid to leave. Suddenly I find myself changing my memory, as I stand up and look at Enid. As Enid looks back at me with those perfect pleasing eyes of her, I say, "Enid... don't go meet Ajax. Can you... stay here with me tonight? I wish to see you show me your favorite mind numbing social media videos until my eyes bleed, I wish to hear you ramble on and on about the excruciating boring details that our peers at this institution partake in, and I wish to have your nauseating positive attitude stay in my presence for as long as possible... because there is nothing else in reality that I would endure that form of torture for, except for the unconditional love, dedication, and strength that you give me Enid Sinclair."

Enid looks at me with that wonderful smile of hers... the only smile to ever pull at the strings of my heart. It is then that I realize that I have to see her again. I have to see that smile of hers again... and I have to live in order for that smile on her face to never die. So I continued to rub the duct tape attached to my wrists against the metal pole harder than ever. However, this time as I do: I continue to look at Enid. I continue to look at that amazing inspirational smile of hers; that smile I once tried to convince myself I detested... but now I realize was the smile that made my life far superior than what it had been.

Soon I hear and feel more of the duct tape breaking. I flex my wrists as hard as I can. I haven't eaten in perhaps half a day now, my body hasn't gotten enough oxygen, and not enough circulation is reaching my arms still. But I keep flexing my wrists. I pull, and I pull, and then... the duct tape breaks. My hands are now free. I immediately pull the bag off my head. I now see the dark room I've been in for the last eight hours, but I have no time to take in any details. I rip the duct tape off my hands and arms as fast as possible. It is extremely painful, and some skin is torn off part of my left hand, resulting in blood being revealed. I can also now clearly feel some blood on the left side of my head, from when I banged it earlier. But there is no time to think of anything else.

I use my hands to rip the duct tape holding my feet and lower legs together. It doesn't rip in an instant, but I still pull hard. I am so close to complete freedom. I cannot stop now. Then finally... my legs are free. I try to stand up, and yet I immediately fall. I have lost all feeling in my legs. I am extremely frustrated, as I cannot wait for the feeling to just simply return. So I crawl towards the nearest emergency exit I can see. Completely free, and yet still feeling so helpless. However as my legs tingle, I slowly get to my feet again. I can walk once more, but the speed of which I can move is nowhere near my best. However, I picture Enid's smile one last time. I realize that I have to make it out of here alive; for Enid... for my world.

I make it to the emergency exit and push it open. Then I realize that in the end: every second counted... when I hear the sound of an explosion behind me. My captors were not exaggerating. They had planned to destroy this place with me in it. I jump as I feel the force of the explosion behind me propel me forward. My head hits a pile of leaves laying on the outdoor grass. I feel extreme levels of heat... but fortunately not on my body; but rather closely behind it. The building is indeed falling apart in an inferno... but without me in it. I survived. My captors lost.

Then suddenly I heard a familiar voice yell, "Wednesday!" I turn towards the nearby forest... and there I see her. My wife, the love of my life, my world: Enid, running towards me. She had been looking for me... and she had actually been far closer to my location that I would've ever expected. I see our daughters: Harmony and Ana trailing behind her. I see Harmony on her phone, smiling as she immediately says, "We found her! It looks like some building exploded near her, but mother is standing and seems okay!" Meanwhile I hear Ana yell, "I can't believe that soul searching spell you found hidden in the Nightshade library actually worked! Everyone thought that spell was a myth."

However, my focus quickly fades away from my daughters, and even the mystery of who kidnapped me. All of that can be focused on some other time. For now, my focus is completely on my wife. As she comes closer to me, her face and body tell a story all by themselves. Like me, she too has leaves on her head that obviously got stuck to her as she was rushing through the dense forest. The scratches and bruises on her body are clearly from falling down or hitting multiple obstacles along the way. Perhaps she even had to combat some wild animal as she moved through the woods.

However as Enid comes up to me, her eyes alone tell me how worried she had been for me for the last several hours, along with how relieved she was now that we were together again. She puts her right hand on the side of my face as she looks at me. I put my left hand on her right arm as I look back at her. Despite talking to the imagined version of Enid in my head for so many hours earlier, I find myself having no need to speak to the real version of my wife now. All of the actions we have done for each other, all the things we have chosen to experience together... have said far more than any words could.

Then, as the rest of reality temporarily became completely meaningless, I moved forward and hugged my wife. Unlike our first hug we ever shared though, this time it was I that made the first move. I felt Enid immediately hug me back as we wrapped our arms around each other. Immediate relief swept across me. Not just because I was reunited with my wife… but because I now fully understood that I had been reunited with the person that all this time had made me far stronger than I ever realized.

THE END

*The story continues next week in another Wednesday/Enid centric chapter. Don't miss it...

[catsafarithewriter]

@cymraegdragon21 oooh the plot thickens! I may have to watch this, if nothing more than to look out for more happenstance similarities 👀

@tcrmommabear it *does* have a warning for... "emotionally intense scenes"??? Which I've never seen before, so I am definitely gonna cry (tbf I cry at anything; I cried earlier today while watching Scorpian's pilot so...)

the fact that netflix is advertising pokemon concierge, which has a young adult protag called Haru (who even sounds a fair bit like TCR's Haru) is making the urge to resurface the pokemon au really tempting XD

the trailer even starts with Haru slamming a hand onto her alarm clock and grumbling about having to get up. you could transpose the audio across from tcr and you probably wouldn't even notice for the first five seconds

[whitecompri]

Can we get some Infinite and Jet As dads if it hasn’t been done already? similar to your sonic, shadow, silver and scourge as dad x reader post?

Daddy Daycare Part 2

Check Out: Daddy Daycare Hedgie Edition

Pairing: Tails x Reader; Knuckles x Reader; Jet x Reader; infinite x Reader; Espio x Reader; Vector x Reader.

Genre: Comedy

Rating: G (General)

Warnings: None

A/N: Thanks for the request! And here it is, with six characters. I decided to put them all together to fulfill all the requests, and it was a fun challenge to write for each of them. I hope you like it.

Tails

When you told Tails that he would have to take care of your daughter alone for a day, a smile immediately appeared on his face. He loved spending time with the little one and had already started mentally planning all the games and educational activities they would do together.

At that moment, Tails sat on the floor of his workshop, facing his daughter. He had placed a soft rug there, where the two of them could play in a cozier spot. Turning slightly, the fox reached for a box he had brought, opening it and pulling out some board games, puzzles, crosswords, and various other educational toys and activities he had found, eager to have fun with his little copy.

"Alright, where should we start? We got lots of options, huh?" He smiled at his daughter. The little fox grinned back, looking around at everything.

"This one, Daddy!" She pointed to the Lego box near Tails.

"Ah, great choice! Let’s start by building something cool. You can even make a plane, just like Daddy." Tails scooted closer to her, tipping the open box over, letting all the pieces spill onto the rug. Her ears perked up attentively, while her two tails wagged excitedly.

As the minutes passed, everything seemed peaceful and enjoyable. They had built castles, other structures, and even small vehicles with colorful pieces. Tails constantly encouraged his daughter’s creativity, noticing how incredibly smart she was, even at such a young age.

"Alright, sweetheart, Daddy’s gonna make us a snack, okay?" The fox got up from the rug, heading to his workshop’s counter, where he had already set aside some fruits and crackers for when they got hungry. "While I get everything ready, you can keep building. I’ll be right back to see what you’ve made."

The little one nodded at him, her attention quickly returning to the pieces in her hands, delicately fitting them together. She cast a thoughtful look at the Lego pieces, glancing around as if searching for something.

Tails was preparing the plates, slicing some fruit and placing the crackers around them. That’s when his ears twitched, shifting backward. He narrowed his eyes as he picked up on the sound of what seemed like electrical sparks. But what could it be? He had made sure not to leave anything potentially dangerous near his daughter.

Turning around, the fox observed his daughter. She was still in the same spot, facing away from him, and everything seemed normal—until he heard the sound of duct tape being stretched and saw her handling something other than a toy.

Moving closer quickly but quietly, Tails watched the scene, trying to understand what was happening. That’s when his eyes widened. His daughter was carefully wrapping duct tape around some Legos, securing them tightly to what Tails deduced was an old, broken vacuum cleaner. The structure bore an uncanny resemblance to a small motor, despite being colorful and patched together with tape.

His eyes followed the setup, noticing that the vacuum cleaner wasn’t plugged in. He felt a brief wave of relief, knowing she wasn’t in too much danger.

That relief lasted until her tiny hand reached for a small button in the middle of the Legos. The bizarre machine turned on, releasing smoke, making a ridiculous noise, and even shooting out occasional sparks onto the floor.

Tails' jaw dropped as he watched the scene, even more shocked when he realized she had built a functional portable motor out of Legos using a vacuum cleaner and duct tape—all in the few minutes he had spent preparing their snack.

"Sweetheart… what are you doing?" Tails asked quietly, taking a step closer and kneeling beside her, looking at the bizarre invention in astonishment.

"Oh, I just wanted to try making a simple project, you know? But it didn’t turn out the way I wanted…" She said thoughtfully, scratching her chin as she examined her invention.

"And how did you want it to turn out?" Tails asked hesitantly, knowing the answer would probably alarm him.

"Something simple, Daddy, just an automatic generator powered by the dust buildup inside the vacuum cleaner." She said it so naturally.

"Is… is something like that even possible?" The fox asked, stunned. His daughter just shrugged.

"That’s why I’m testing it! It might lead to something!" She said excitedly, picking up some remaining vacuum cleaner parts from the floor.

Tails' jaw practically hit the floor at that. His eyes scanned every detail of the improvised contraption, mentally analyzing how she had managed to build something like that so quickly. He grabbed a screwdriver from the table and gently poked at the motor, furrowing his brow with a mix of shock and fascination.

And as he observed her two tails swaying from side to side, mimicking a gesture he himself often did when happy, while she eagerly tried to adjust the vacuum cleaner, all he could feel was deep pride for his daughter and how much she resembled him in so many different ways.

--*--

At the end of the day, you arrived home, opening the door while carrying the day’s groceries in your free hand. Immediately, your eyes landed on Tails and your daughter, sitting at the kitchen table, their yellow fur completely messy and dirty. You let out a muffled chuckle at how they interacted—Tails and your daughter had bright, eager eyes as they excitedly tinkered with pieces and screws on the table, searching for the right tools while laughing and chatting.

"Looks like you guys are having fun. I’m glad." You smiled at them, stepping into the kitchen to place the groceries on the counter. A few seconds later, you felt a tight hug around your leg. Turning, you picked up the little one in your arms.

"We were having a blast, and I gotta admit, I’m really impressed with her skills…" Tails chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he stood up to hold your hand affectionately.

"It’s no surprise, she’s really smart—just like her dad." Tails blushed slightly under his fur before letting out a soft laugh.

"But I’m serious! She even built a motor using Lego, duct tape, and a vacuum cleaner." The fox laughed as he hugged you.

"Wow… I bet you have a lot to teach her about mechanics and all that, huh?"

"For sure! And I know she’s gonna make me even prouder—I have no doubt about it."

That’s when the little one’s big blue eyes focused on Tails.

"Daddy, I can fix the Tornado for you already." She said quietly, a mischievous little grin on her face, enjoying teasing her father even at such a young age.

"N-no, sweetheart, not yet. We don’t want any accidents happening. But who knows—when you’re a little older, I’ll teach you everything about aerodynamics and propulsion. And maybe then, you’ll even get to fly your own plane…" Tails chuckled, ruffling the yellow fur on her head.

The little one giggled, curling up closer in your arms.

"And I bet I’d fly even better than you, Daddy."

Tails’ eyes widened for a second before he laughed, crossing his arms and pretending to be offended.

"Oh yeah? Then I guess we’ll have to race in the skies when you grow up to see if that’s true, huh?" He chuckled, stroking his daughter’s ear while pulling you into another hug, already looking forward to the incredible future full of inventions she would bring along with her.

Knuckles

When you had to leave for a day and leave the little red echidna with her father, you didn’t even have to think about worrying. After all, even though Knuckles was still quite clumsy at parenting, he had great protective skills, probably developed over the years he spent—and still spends—guarding the Master Emerald. This was proven even more when he nodded vehemently with a determined look at your request, assuring that nothing would happen to your daughter.

So, Knuckles crossed his arms, paying attention to his daughter on the carpet, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the surroundings. That’s when the little one stood up, walking over to the couch, trying to climb up. Knuckles' eyes immediately widened, and he rushed to her, quickly picking her up.

"Don't climb up there! It's dangerous, you might fall..." He looked at her, alarmed. The little one just raised an eyebrow.

"Dad... It's just the couch..." She said, unimpressed, already somewhat used to his protective mannerisms.

"I’ve seen plenty of grown-ups get hurt for no reason, so I’d rather be safe than sorry. Trust your old man, I know what I’m doing!" He said, placing her back on the floor and sitting beside her. "Let’s stay on the carpet, it's safer..." He muttered, watching as his daughter sighed and reached for some sheets of paper and pencils, starting to draw.

He carefully watched every movement she made and her artistic work, and then his eyes widened again.

"Wait, stop right there... You might hurt yourself with that!" He pointed at the pencil in her hand. The little one frowned.

"Dad... The pencil looks safe..." She started to say, closing her eyes.

"I don’t care if it looks safe! If there’s even a chance you could get hurt, I’m going to prevent it!" He grabbed the pencil, examining it and testing it against his arm, pressing the tip. "Way too dangerous... And this? I’ve seen people get cut with this!" He pointed at the sheet of paper.

"It's a piece of paper, and even if I did get cut, it wouldn’t even tickle." The little one said, crossing her arms. Knuckles crossed his arms too.

"I made a vow to your mother that I would keep you safe. A paper cut means I failed!"

She just huffed, standing up again and heading toward the kitchen. Knuckles watched her go and got up to follow. She held onto the chair to sit down, and the furniture wobbled dangerously, nearly tipping over. The echidna tried to stop it, rushing toward her, but in the process, he tripped on the table leg, hitting the floor with a loud thud and a huff.

"Dad!" The little one looked at him, kneeling beside him.

"I'm fine, I've been through worse." He got up while she held his hand.

"Can you at least get me a cookie, Dad?" She asked quietly, pointing to the high cabinet.

"Of course, leave it to me, kiddo." He stretched, heading to the cabinet, grabbed the small step stool, placed it correctly, and climbed up, reaching for the cookie jar. However, at that moment, he lost his balance. He managed to land on his feet before any major disasters, but then several jars and pots came crashing down on him.

The little one momentarily closed her eyes at the loud clatter of the pots raining down on him.

"Dad..?" She approached as he stood slightly hunched, rubbing his head.

"I'm fine... Heavier things have fallen on me before..." He assured her with a smile.

"There's no point in you getting all beat up just to protect me!"

"The important thing is that you're safe, kid..." He looked at her determinedly.

"Safe from what? Getting a paper cut?!"

"What matters is that you didn’t get cut, no matter how it could have happened..." He insisted, crossing his arms. The little one just sighed. He looked at her expression, frowning. "Maybe I overdid it... But only because I will never let anything happen to you. You're my little girl, and that means no one—not a couch, not a pencil, nothing—is going to hurt you while I'm around."

"Dad..." She hugged him, already knowing he wouldn’t stop there and would continue protecting her no matter what.

--*--

By the end of the afternoon, you opened the door, walking in distractedly, but then jumped slightly at the first thing you saw. Knuckles was on the couch, covered in band-aids, holding an ice pack to his head. On the floor, your daughter sat with her arms crossed, watching TV with a smug little grin.

"Should I even ask what happened here?" You approached, sitting next to him.

"I successfully protected my daughter!" He said, giving you a thumbs-up. You raised an eyebrow, looking closely at his current state.

"I literally did nothing all day..." Your daughter said.

You covered your mouth, laughing in disbelief at what had transpired.

"Knuckles... I don’t think the house has that many dangers..." You held his hand.

"The house has far more dangers than you can imagine..." He closed his eyes as you chuckled softly.

Being overprotective was an interesting trait, but you still had to teach him some boundaries about it.

Jet

When Jet heard you say that he would have to spend the day with his little daughter, a wide grin spread across his beak as he immediately started planning all the activities and competitions he would do with her—and all the ways he would beat her at everything.

He stepped onto the grass in the backyard, carrying a skateboard under his arm, making his way toward his daughter, who was sitting down watering some flower pots.

"Hey, kiddo! Wanna have a little competition with your old man?" Jet asked excitedly, crouching next to the little green-feathered hawk. She looked up at him, surprised, before a sly smirk formed at the corner of her beak.

"You think you can beat me, Dad?" she said quietly, challenging him.

"Hah! You’re getting pretty cocky, but I’ll give you a chance to prove it. Here." He placed the skateboard on the grass. "You gotta use this one—your mom would kill me if I let you ride an Extreme Gear at your age."

"Easy peasy, I could beat you with my eyes closed and one hand behind my back." The little one laughed as she stood up.

"Oh, you think you can beat the greatest of the Babylon Rogues? Now this I gotta see!" Jet said, stretching, cracking his fingers, and grabbing the skateboard.

The two headed to the street, and Jet placed the skateboard in front of him.

"Alright then..." The hawk hopped onto the skateboard, sliding a little, doing a few rounds on the street, pulling off some curb tricks—all while keeping a smug grin on his face.

"Is that all you got, Dad? If I hadn’t learned how to skate yet, I’d still do better than that." She teased. Jet narrowed his eyes, stopping the skateboard in front of her.

"Hah! Big words for someone who still needs their mom to cut their food! Alright, hotshot, show me what you got." He huffed.

"You got it!" She grabbed the skateboard excitedly, running and hopping onto it while it was still moving. Laughing, she started skating at high speed, jumping the curb, pulling off risky tricks, and even grinding the back of the skateboard along a stair rail she found.

Jet watched it all with his beak slightly open, eyes wide in shock at his daughter’s skills. Then, she zoomed past him at high speed, making him jump. The little one made another lap before stopping the skateboard right next to him.

"What’s wrong, Dad? Too old to keep up with me?" She laughed, tucking the skateboard under her arm. Jet clenched his fists.

"You’re a cheeky one, huh? Alright, I was holding back earlier, but not this time!" He grabbed the skateboard, ready to show his true competitive spirit.

"I’ll be taking a nap on the couch while you do that. Hope we don’t have to buy medicine for your back after this—it’s probably gonna hurt. Old birds shouldn’t be playing like this." She yawned dramatically, crossing her arms.

"You little—humph! Good to know you take after me, but I’m not losing to a little hawk who doesn’t even have all her feathers yet!" He smirked, preparing to compete against his own daughter.

--*--

By late afternoon, you arrived on your street and saw Jet sitting on the curb, his face resting in his palm, looking far from pleased. His feathers were ruffled and covered in dirt. You raised an eyebrow—then spotted your daughter effortlessly gliding by on the skateboard.

"Hey, Mom! Watch this trick!" She leaped into an impressive jump with the board, landing smoothly before skating over to you. She grabbed the skateboard under her arm and ran up to hug you. "I beat Dad a bunch of times today!" she said happily, laughing.

"I-I let her win, okay?! I just didn’t wanna make the kid sad!" Jet blurted out, eyes wide. You laughed, completely understanding the situation.

"Uh-huh, sure, Dad... How about we go buy something for your aching back and those loser tears in your eyes?" She shot back with a grin.

"Oh, please! If we were using real Extreme Gear, I would’ve destroyed you! This cheap comparison doesn’t count!" He stood up, crossing his arms. "Where did this kid even learn to talk like that?" Jet turned to you.

"Gee, I wonder," you snorted, pulling him by the arm. "Come on, you two, enough competing for today."

"Hmph! We’ll settle this tomorrow! Today was just a warm-up, you hear me?!" He called out to his daughter, who only smirked at him.

Jet was ridiculously competitive, and you knew that. Maybe competing with his own daughter—who was just as skilled as he was—would finally teach him a little resilience when it came to losing. For now, you were just happy watching them interact and realizing just how much your daughter was a perfect carbon copy of her dad.

Infinite

When you told Infinite that he would have to take care of the kids alone for a day, he simply crossed his arms and scoffed.

"Hah. That’s nothing. I’m the Ultimate Mercenary—taking care of my own kids won’t be a problem..."

That day, you had no other choice. You couldn’t take them with you to stand in line at the bank, so you left them with their father. Infinite wasn’t exactly the best at this, and you were sure that some wild idea was already forming in his head at the thought of having the kids under his care for a day. But you chose to trust him this time.

Infinite entered the kids’ room, carrying the youngest pup in his arms, and found his son and daughter sitting on the soft carpet, playing with little dinosaur figurines. The jackal sat down on the floor, pulling out their mini chalkboard and grabbing a piece of chalk. He began writing something, occasionally adjusting the pup in his arms before continuing. The other two remained distracted with their game. Once he finished, he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Gather around. It’s time for your lesson..." Infinite said in a deep, hushed tone.

The little ones perked their ears up, curiosity lighting up their faces. In an instant, they were sitting in front of him, tails swaying slightly. His son's heterochromatic eyes locked onto his, while his daughter’s golden eyes focused on the board. Her brow raised at what was written there, but before she could ask, their father began.

"Alright, New Jackal Squad, today we’re learning about war tactics and how to overpower enemies through strength." He gestured with his hand, clenching his fist.

"Dad, I thought this was gonna be something fun." His son’s ears drooped in disappointment.

"Yeah, Dad, couldn’t it be about dinosaurs instead?" His daughter held up her toys.

"This is important! You’re going to be part of this world’s change! You’ll be the strongest jackals in existence—unstoppable! It’s crucial to start learning early."

"We don’t wanna be the strongest, Dad. We wanna play!" His son crossed his arms. Now, it was Infinite’s turn for his ears to droop, frustrated that he couldn’t convince them.

"Just listen to the beginning at least! It’s interesting—war tactics are fundamental, even at school, to deal with kids who try to humiliate you!" He tried to reason with them, but they just frowned at him.

"Tag!" His son suddenly turned to his sister. She immediately grinned mischievously, and the two took off running around the room, completely ignoring their father.

Infinite let out an exasperated sigh, watching them laugh and chase each other. His gaze drifted down to the youngest pup, who stirred awake in his arms, looking up at him with rare, curious heterochromatic eyes.

"Looks like you’re the only one left for me to convince, my little one..." The jackal muttered before reaching into his bag and pulling out a simple plush of a black hedgehog. He held it up to the baby. "Here, now crush it! Tear it apart with your claws!" Infinite encouraged, handing the plush over.

The little one simply cooed, a tiny grin forming as his small muzzle, growing fangs peeked out. He grabbed the toy—but instead of destroying it as his father had ordered, he just hugged it, nuzzling against it while snuggling deeper into his father’s arms.

Infinite blinked, staring wide-eyed before sighing again, rubbing his temple.

"Get Daddy!" His ears perked up as his older kids suddenly charged toward him at full speed. Before he could react, his son wrapped his arms tightly around his waist while his daughter leaped onto his neck.

For a moment, the jackal froze, completely caught off guard. Then, hesitantly, his free hand reached up to stroke his son’s black fur before doing the same for his daughter.

"What? What are you doing? Is this some kind of tactic to destabilize me?!" He huffed, clicking his tongue—but he didn’t push them away.

For a minute, he let himself melt into the warmth of his children’s embrace. His fur bristled slightly, his tail wagged before he could stop it, and though he hated to admit it, he even felt a sting of tears forming from the immense affection his kids were giving him.

Then, the two little ones pulled away, laughing, sitting cross-legged in front of him while Infinite remained stunned.

"Dad, you used to live in the desert, right? Tell us what it was like!" His son asked with a bright smile, his sister nodding eagerly.

"...Well, I suppose I could tell you a thing or two..." He said, looking at his little jackals.

Infinite didn’t dwell on it much, but deep down, he had long stopped wanting revenge or to destroy the world as he once did. In truth, he had been suppressing healthier emotions for a while—ones that started when he met you and intensified the moment he held his eldest in his arms and saw his heterochromia, mirroring his father’s own unique trait.

And now, surrounded by his children, who loved him so deeply, he knew he could never be the Infinite he used to be.

--*--

When you opened the door late in the afternoon, you stepped inside, setting your bag on the table as you searched for your little family. Walking into the kids’ room, your heart swelled with warmth.

Infinite sat on the floor, his two older children nestled against him, affectionately dozing off in his lap. In his arms, he cradled the youngest pup, rocking him gently. His usual sharp expression had softened as he focused his intense eyes on his little ones.

Approaching, you sat down beside him on the floor. Infinite flinched slightly, startled that he hadn’t noticed your arrival.

"Hey... I’ve never seen you like this with them before," you whispered to him.

"...Yeah..." He muttered simply, nodding. "Hmph. I’m just... testing a new discipline method. Yeah, that’s it." He exhaled quietly, holding the pup closer to keep him comfortable. His free hand reached for your waist, pulling you closer.

Despite what he said, it was obvious what he was truly doing.

"I’m happy to see you being your best self..." you murmured.

"Tch. Best self... Not sure if I like that term. But... at least they seem to like me this way." He gave you a small smirk.

Your eyes widened in surprise—it was the first time you had seen him smile in all your time together. And the sight of his grin, his fangs subtly showing, was enough to make you melt.

You leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before resting your forehead against his. Immediately, Infinite blushed. He was always awkward when it came to explicit displays of affection like this.

But maybe that was one of the things that made you fall for him even more.

The road ahead would be long, but at least you knew—your three little ones were the key to bringing out a side of Infinite that no one ever knew existed.

Espio

You had just left the house, leaving Espio with the responsibility of taking care of his daughter for a day. You hoped nothing would go wrong—after all, Espio was usually very focused and determined to fulfill his duties. With that in mind, you left without any major concerns.

At that moment, the purple chameleon guided his daughter to his meditation room, kneeling on the tatami mat and gesturing for her to do the same.

“Well, my child, starting today, we will begin your training to become a formidable ninja. You will learn everything you need from your father to master all the ninja arts…” he said with determination, gazing ahead at the veranda that overlooked a stylized garden full of bonsai trees. When he didn’t hear a response, he turned his head to the side, narrowing his eyes upon seeing the little girl analyzing the figure of a Shisa statue and playing with it, trying to imitate the fierce expression of the sculpted creature.

Espio let out an exasperated sigh before clearing his throat, making his daughter jump and look at him in surprise.

“As I was saying… Never mind. Your first lesson is meditation. Maintaining peace of mind is a crucial step in mastering a ninja’s camouflage…” He settled on the tatami, closed his eyes, and prepared to begin meditating, expecting her to follow suit and imitate his movements. However, suddenly, the familiar sound of creaking wood made Espio furrow his brow. He opened his eyes and glanced to the side, confused upon realizing the little one was no longer beside him.

His sharp gaze scanned the room until he spotted her tiptoeing toward the door. Espio sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before standing up.

“Freeze right there, young lady. Where do you think you’re going?” he crossed his arms. His daughter jumped slightly before coming to a complete stop, slowly turning her face toward him with a small, sheepish smile.

“I was just going to get some water, Dad…” she tried to compose herself, adjusting her posture.

Espio approached her.

“I suppose my training methods are not to your liking… Hm.” The chameleon stroked his chin, analyzing his daughter’s figure—so strikingly similar to his own. “I think I have an idea… How about we train your camouflage skills with a game of tag?”

Her eyes lit up.

“Really, Dad?! That’s way more fun than sitting on that boring tatami doing nothing!” She clenched her fists, brimming with excitement.

“Let’s see how good your skills are… If I determine that you need more training, there will be no escaping meditation.” He pointed to the tatami.

“I’ll do my best, then!” she declared, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

“I’ll count to ten. You go hide, and I’ll come find you…” He turned around, closing his eyes so he wouldn’t see where she went, only hearing her giggle and the hurried sound of her little footsteps.

Once he finished counting, Espio set out to find his daughter, scanning every corner of the house with a determined gaze. He searched through every room, checking behind the couch, under the bed, and even using a flashlight to try and reflect her camouflage and expose her location—but to no avail.

"Hmm… curious… I’ve checked every room. Where could she have hidden? I couldn’t have missed anything… Surely, I should be able to find her."

As time passed, Espio—despite being a well-trained chameleon, disciplined in maintaining composure and never succumbing to panic—began to feel a twinge of desperation. He roamed the house rapidly, growing increasingly worried. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he struggled to recall any place he had yet to check. But he had looked everywhere. So, he started going over every inch of the house again, sweeping his flashlight into every possible hiding spot—yet still, there was no sign of the little one.

--*--

You arrived home earlier than expected that day, unlocking the door and stepping inside, humming a tune. However, you froze immediately upon seeing Espio sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands.

“Espio? Are you okay?” He lifted his face to look at you, and you were surprised by the distressed expression he wore.

“I’m so sorry… I don’t know where she is… She disappeared inside the house!” He stood up, grabbing your hands. You raised an eyebrow, trying to make sense of the situation.

Suddenly, you felt a strong hug around your leg.

“Mom! I missed you!” Your daughter clung to you tightly. Espio’s eyes widened in shock, his jaw practically hitting the floor.

“What were you saying? That she disappeared?” You let out a small, amused chuckle.

“But… how?” He placed a hand on his forehead.

“Dad, I was hiding behind the living room curtain…” the little one said matter-of-factly.

Turning back around, Espio slumped onto the couch again, shoulders drooping, his elbows resting on his knees.

“Hmph… I never imagined my own daughter would be able to fool me. Impressive… but I won’t be defeated so easily.” He closed his eyes in contemplation. You chuckled, scooping up your little girl and sitting beside him.

“I bet her camouflage skills could be honed even more with your guidance, don’t you think?” You took his hand, and Espio looked at you before allowing a faint smile to form on his lips.

“You’re right… She’s still young and needs the help of an experienced ninja to refine her technique.” His determination was reignited.

It was evident that she had inherited her father’s skills, and you were certain that, with time, the two of them would become the greatest ninjas ever known.

Vector

When you told him he’d have to take care of his daughter alone for an entire day, Vector almost jumped for joy, but he held himself back, not wanting to make a scene or make you suspicious of his upcoming plans. So, he simply agreed, assuring you that he would be extremely careful with her and do everything right.

However, early in the morning, as soon as you left, Vector sat at the kitchen table with the little one, placing soda and sweets on the table. Laughing, he realized it had been a while since he’d had time alone to just be himself.

“Enjoy it, kiddo! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—we’re throwing a huge celebration today!”

The little crocodile just giggled, reaching for some chocolates and grabbing the soda bottle, opening it and pouring herself a glass.

“I love you, Daddy! Mom would never let me eat this stuff for breakfast,” she said happily, munching on her chocolate.

“Right? Just remember, we gotta clean up all the mess before Mom gets back, okay?”

She nodded, continuing to eat. Vector got up and went to the living room, returning with a portable speaker. Placing it on the table, he turned it on and cranked up one of his favorite songs. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth, chewing with satisfaction.

“This is gonna be the best party of our lives!” He leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head.

“Dad, can you grab me some chips?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the loud music.

“Leave it to me, kiddo!” He got up and opened the cabinet, pulling out a huge bag of chips. However, in the process, he accidentally knocked over a stack of expensive ceramic bowls, which crashed to the floor with a loud, shattering noise.

Both of them stared in shock at the mess.

“Those were Mom’s favorites…” the little one said, shrinking slightly in her chair.

“Relax, kiddo, I’ll fix this. She won’t even notice, and by the time she wants to use them for soup again, I’ll have already bought new ones for her.” He reassured her before quickly grabbing a broom and dustpan, sweeping up the ceramic shards.

“In the meantime, how about we move our little party to the living room? Fewer things to break over there.” He suggested, and his daughter eagerly grabbed some candy and ran to the living room, smiling.

--*--

You arrived home carrying grocery bags, pausing at the door when you heard loud music. Expected. Vector loved his music, so you didn’t think much of it. Unlocking the door, you stepped inside. The first thing that hit you was the strong smell of pizza and soda. Then, the blaring sound of the TV and the rustling of snack bags scattered everywhere.

In the middle of the couch, Vector and your daughter were sprawled out, eating pizza. Around them was a disaster zone of candy wrappers, chip bags, and crumbs covering the floor. Soda bottles were lying around, the music was still blasting, and on the TV… a horror movie—one of the most disturbing ones.

You approached them and cleared your throat. Vector jolted, nearly choking on his pizza but managing to swallow it in time.

“H-hey, you’re home early today…” he said, shrinking slightly.

“Vector… What did you do?” You spoke in a low tone—one he knew all too well, the kind that sent shivers down his spine. He quickly reached for the speaker and shut it off.

“I-I can explain…” He raised his hands in surrender, trying to weasel his way out.

“Daddy let me have ice cream for breakfast!” the little one chimed in excitedly.

Vector could only offer a sheepish smile, sweating bullets.

“You what?” You clenched your fists.

Vector immediately jumped up and ran to your side, grabbing your hands.

“I beg you! Give me a chance! I swear the house will be spotless—I’ll even scrub the ceiling if I have to! In the meantime, how about you just focus on making dinner?” He quickly guided you out of the living room, with your daughter trailing behind.

You sighed deeply, already used to his antics.

“Alright, I’ll make dinner, and you’ll clean the living room.”

Vector let out a relieved sigh, heading off to grab the broom and dustpan he had left in the kitchen earlier.

“Oh, by the way, I was thinking of making that soup tonight. Do you remember where I left those dishes I always use?” You asked, confused as you checked the cabinet and found nothing.

“Ah… You… You must’ve put them in the other cabinet…” he muttered.

“Daddy broke them earlier,” the little one casually stated.

Vector froze.

You turned abruptly, raising an eyebrow at him. But instead of getting angry, you just laughed at his completely busted expression—ratted out not once, but twice.

“WHAT?! I… ahem… Actually, it was a test! Yes, a test to see if we were prepared for household accidents! Safety first, right? Hehehe…”

“It’s fine… I bought those really cheap anyway. I’ll just get new ones tomorrow… I just really hope there aren’t any more surprises.” You chuckled.

He was clumsy and turned the house upside down regularly, but you couldn’t help but love him. Though, you were definitely going to have a serious talk with him about setting some boundaries for your daughter.