#jackpot crash course bones

[writing-after-midnight]

If you're taking prompts, can I get some Feysand fluff? or angst either one

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You

Of course! I love taking prompts and asks, send me one any time! 💖💖

Okay so this is set as an apocalypse au, and I went for the angst. It’s probably going to be relatively long? Hope you enjoy reading, and thank you for sending an ask!!

Btw I also seem to have an obsession with Rhys singing to Feyre? Sorry boiiiiiss

WRITING MASTERLIST

**********

The air chilled Rhys’ bones as he and Feyre trudged through the woods. They had both lost track of time months ago, when all power had cut out, but the shorter days indicated they were nearing winter. The backpack carrying most of their supplies weighed down on his shoulders, while Feyre scouted a few metres ahead, and his legs ached from their constant use. Since the world had gone to shit, they had both been forced to trek through dark forests and abandoned towns to survive. They had been separated from Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren days ago when a horde had passed their camp, and they hoped to make it to an old high school they had spotted on their travels to regroup. If they weren’t killed on the way there.

Feyre reached the top of a hill a few metres in front of him, and pointed. Rhys ran the last few steps, to see the school they had been looking for for days. He kissed the top of her head.

“We’re almost there, darling. When we find the others, we could set up a base there for a while.”

“Sounds like a good idea. My legs are going to fall off soon.” Feyre smiled. They stayed there for a moment, looking at the view from the top of the hill. They had both learned to enjoy the peaceful moments in this new life they had been shoved into. But they couldn’t stay there for long, so they kept moving.

He didn’t want to upset Feyre, but he was doubtful that the rest of the group all got out alive. The last glimpse he caught of his friends before the horde descended was Cassian jumping in front of Mor, holding off the first few Dead for her. It hadn’t looked good from where he stood, but the crowd of writhing bodies had forced them apart. If they ever did find each other again, how many of their group would be left?

Rhys didn’t let his fear show as they carried on in the direction of the school. Hopefully, it would be a school that hadn’t been used as a safe place while the disease was still spreading. All the ‘havens’ ended up practically being vending machines for the Dead, and quickly became overrun.

To calm himself, he took Feyre’s hand in his, and started to hum “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”. It had been the song he had sang to her all around their house before the world turned upside down. When they were waking up, when they made pancakes in the kitchen, when they were snuggled up on the sofa, enjoying each other’s presence. It always made Feyre grin, and her smile each time he sang it was imprinted into his memory. Even now, the corners of her mouth tugged up, and Rhys couldn’t help but smile too.

What felt like hours later, they reached the clearing. In front of them stood the small school. Rhys weighed up their options. The school was out of the way, and was too small to have housed a lot of people for safety, so they stood a fairly good chance of not walking in to a horde straight away. Still, they both grabbed their knives, and cautiously made their way out of the clearing.

Rhys lead them to a back door he had spotted. It must be an entrance to the kitchens, meaning they could hopefully stock up while they were here. Rhys entered first, silently placing one foot in front of the other, machete raised high. A couple of work tables had been tipped over, and a few cans were strewn across the floor, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw stacks of large industrial cans filled with food. It looked like someone had been there before them, but had left the food behind.

“Feyre,” Rhys whispered, “I think we just hit the jackpot!”

Feyre padded in and saw the cans, and her jaw dropped open. They hadn’t found proper food like this for months.Her eyes lit up.

They couldn’t help but practically run towards the food, their growling stomachs goading them to be quicker. But this momentary loss of control stopped them from seeing a long piece of wire connected to a door on their right side. Feyre caught her leg on the wire and was sent careening into the cans.

“What the –” Feyre started, but then looked up to see the door that had been connected to the wire crash open, revealing hundreds of the Dead, processing the loud noise. They turned and started to shuffle through the door.

A trap. It had been an elaborate trap, set by the last person who stayed here. Rhys didn’t know why someone would do such a thing, but he didn’t have time to contemplate before the horde started to close in. He dashed towards Feyre, hauling her up from the floor.

“Go for their heads!” Rhys roared as they circled them both.  He wished he had time to get the handgun out of his backpack. Would they get out of this alive?

Rhys didn’t stop swinging, and neither did Feyre. But when one of the Dead fell, another one took its place. More and more poured out of the door way, overwhelming them. They needed to cut a path through and get to the exit on the other side of the room.

Before he could put his plan into action, however, he saw one of the Dead break off and lurch toward an unsuspecting Feyre. No!

Rhys turned and swung his machete into the side of the Dead’s head, but didn’t realise another took its place and lunged towards him.

A sharp pain flashed through his forearm, before Rhys used his other arm to elbow the Dead off his arm and grabbed Feyre. They needed to get out. Now.

The next minute was a blur. The movement swirling around them almost putting in a trance. Swing, thud. Swing thud. The Dead were groaning all around them, the noise almost deafening. But they made it closer and closer to freedom with each sickening crunch. They shoved the last of the horde away from them and dashed for sunlight. Rhys tugged on Feyre’s hand, insisting that they keep running until they were lost in the trees.

Finally, they both collapsed on the ground, exhausted. Feyre panted, sucking in the cool air beside Rhys.

“I’m sorry I set that trap off; I should have checked.” Feyre wheezed.

“It’s alright. If you hadn’t, I would have anyway.”

An almost hysterical laugh bubbled out of her. “We survived, though! When we find the others, we’ll have to tell them.”

The laugh warmed Rhys’ heart slightly, but it didn’t outweigh the crushing weight forming over his heart. He managed to smile at Feyre, before he told her they needed to find some water and walked off.

He didn’t dare to even acknowledge his arm until he was out of sight from Feyre. Please let it be a scratch. Rhys prayed, but he knew deep down that it wouldn’t be. The Dead’s teeth had been too close to his arm.

Rhys peeled back the sleeve of his coat and stared for a moment. Blood oozed out of the punctures in his arm. Teeth punctures. Mother above. He sank to his knees, and a tear slid down his cheek. How would he be able to keep Feyre safe when he was going to die?

**********

Rhys returned to find Feyre sitting against a tree, sorting the supplies in her backpack. He plastered a smile on his face and wrapped her in a hug. He must have sat in the woods for the better part of an hour before he steeled himself to go back to Feyre. He couldn’t tell her. She would only get upset and insist they go to find a derelict hospital to find medication that worked. Nothing worked against the infection once you were bitten.

She pulled away, but Rhys held on for a moment longer, trying to ingrain the contours of her body into his mind. If he was going to die, he would remember every little thing about Feyre.

“I didn’t find any water, but I have a bit left in my bottle if you need it.” Rhys offered.

“Thank you. We should rest now, it’s almost dark. Maybe the others will still be around the woods tomorrow?”

“Good idea. There’s a tree with some branches we could sleep on down the hill. It’ll keep us off the ground.” As if Rhys needed to be careful any more. It didn’t matter to him; he only cared about Feyre now. He needed to find somewhere safe for her to live, but where was safe anymore?

They climbed up the tree’s limbs towards the ones that intersected. Rhys’ arm screamed in agony each time he pulled himself up on it, but he refused to make a sound about it.

Feyre nestled herself into Rhys’ lap, murmured a “good night” and placed a kiss on his cheek. She fell asleep in his arms immediately, but Rhys stayed up most of the night, partly from the pain in his arm, partly because he was so afraid he might go in his sleep and harm Feyre. He stared at her blonde waves, and the spattering of freckles on her cheeks. Why did the Cauldron have to be so cruel? He loved her so much, and soon, he wouldn’t be able to see her anymore. He whispered the lyrics to their song.

“Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be.” His voice cracked on the last line.

They were meant to be, so why had their time been cut so short? He wanted to grow old with her. He wanted to make her grin everyday with his singing. He wanted make sure she didn’t have to worry about surviving the hell they had been plunged into. But when he went, what would happen to her? She would be on her own if they didn’t find Cass, Mor, Az and Amren. The thought made his stomach churn.

Rhys looked up to the the stars shining in the pitch black sky through the few leaves left on the tree. It almost looked like they were twinkling for just him, waiting for him to say something. On their first date, Feyre and Rhys had looked up to the sky together and each made a wish. They had felt such a strong connection in those moments, that Rhys always looked up to the stars now and remembered that night.

“Someone, anyone… Please looked after her when I’m gone. She doesn’t deserve to be by herself.” Rhys sobbed quietly, trying his best not to wake Feyre. More tears ran down his face, and his face crumpled. “I would do anything.”

The stars only twinkled in return.

**********

The punctures in Rhys’ arm seemed to sap all the energy from him with each passing hour. Even in the freezing air, Feyre remarked how warm he felt when she woke up. He checked his arm in the morning light after not getting much sleep. It still seeped blood, and the flesh around the wound had gone from red to purple. He managed to swallow a few bites of a granola bar before giving it to Feyre, insisting he wasn’t hungry. He would only be able to keep up his facade for so long.

Feyre had pulled back to his pace for a while, the crunch of leaves under their boots the only sound in the silence of the woods. The quietness became unbearable, so Feyre started to sing their song quietly, waiting for him to join in. He could barely process his feet plodding on, one after the other, but for Feyre, he would sing.

“Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you.”

His heart cracked at those words, but he stumbled on, showing no pain to Feyre.

**********

The second night wore on, but Rhys hadn’t had one minute of decent sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of clouded eyes, ripped skin and cracked teeth flashed by. That could be his end, if he didn’t finish it before the infection changed him into a creature like that. He had seen the effects of the infection on everyone around him. He would become paralysed for the last few hours of his life.

Once again, he wept under the stars, sending as many prayers he could to the Mother. Feyre never woke; she just lay there, nestled in his arms. Would she be able to understand? He needed to stay as long as he could to help Feyre. Rhys just hoped he could hang on.

He fell into a restless doze, still humming their song.

**********

The day seemed to pass in a haze. Rhys couldn’t shake the fuzzy feeling in his head, and his legs felt leaden. The bite mark pulsed with heat and pain, and it took almost all of his energy He clung onto his backpack for dear life, hoping it would give him some semblance of stability.

He was pretty sure Feyre was starting to become suspicious. She kept at his steadily slowing pace, looking at him with concern. He couldn’t even bear to look at her. Couldn’t bear to let her see the sorrow or the growing terror in his eyes.

The daylight was beginning to fade, when Feyre stopped.

“I think we should rest.” She said, eyeing Rhys’ slouched posture. He almost sighed in relief, but he cursed himself when he remembered they had still not found anywhere safe yet for Feyre. He felt dizzy, and pressure had been building in his head for most of the day. She decided to set up a small camp, while she allocated him to get the firewood. He made it all of two steps before his vision went black around the edges and his knees felt like jelly. He fell to the ground, and didn’t have the energy to move. He knew it. This was the end.

“RHYS!” Feyre cried as she rushed towards him, dropping down next to him. Tears streamed down his face, but his throat felt dry as he whispered “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.

“What’s wrong, Rhys?!”

He couldn’t sit up or move his limbs, so he dropped his gaze towards his arm. Towards the terrifying truth they would now both have to face. Feyre reached over and gently pulled back the sleeve of his jacket. This time, he couldn’t stop the groan that rattled out of his mouth. Feyre winced at the pain she caused him.

But then she saw the bite marks on his blackened skin, rotting his arm away, and she gagged.

“Mother above! Rhys… why didn’t you tell me? Cauldron damn it!” Her voice was getting higher and higher in her hysteria. Her voice cracked as her eyes brimmed with tears.

“I wanted you safe.” Rhys replied. Numbness was spreading up his legs, and when he tried to move them, they wouldn’t budge.

“We could have found you help!”

“There’s no cure Feyre, you know that.” He rasped. It killed him to say it, but he carried on. “My gun is in my backpack.”

“No, I can’t, Rhys. You can’t make me do that!” Feyre caught on to the implication. She was sobbing now, face crunched in panic and horror.

“Please Feyre, you have to. I don’t want to turn out like one of… them. Please.”

Feyre took a few calming breaths and pushed herself up, shaking, and went over to retrieve the discarded backpack. Rhys lay still on the floor, the numb feeling snaking its way up his legs. She pulled the gun out, and dropped it on the ground between them.

He had so many things to say to her. He wanted to tell her about the way she had always made him smile after a rough day at work. The quiet evenings that they spent together, that repaired his weary soul. How he would never stop loving her, even when he passed on, to whatever came next. He couldn’t put all of his feelings into words in time, so he hoped that his eyes conveyed all of his emotion as he started to sing.

“But I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Feyre finished the last lines of the song for him, and burst into tears. She placed a long kiss on his forehead, and he savoured one of the last touches he would receive from his love. It was dark now, and Rhys could see the stars twinkling back at him. He sent up one last silent wish, and hoped that the stars were listening. Please protect her.

Feyre picked up the gun, hands shaking almost uncontrollably. It took all of Rhys’ strength and willpower to lift his arm and place his hand over hers. He gently tugged her hand to the side of his head, and lined the barrel of the gun to his temple. He had to stay calm, for her.

“I love you Feyre, and we will find each other in the next life, I promise. I will never stop loving you.”

“I love you too, Rhys. Too much to even comprehend.” Feyre sobbed. Her hand was still shaking, but she almost looked more determined. She wanted to carry out his final wish, even if it killed her.

He looked up at the stars for the last time, then focused his eyes on Feyre’s. He wanted them to be the last thing he saw.

“Good night, Feyre darling.” He whispered.

“Good night, Rhys.”

Her face crumpled as her hand steadied. He stared into her beautiful eyes as he felt her hand squeeze the trigger underneath his.

Rhys heard a loud bang, before his vision went black and he was swept into oblivion.

**********

Okayyy!! I had fun writing this (I have no idea about how it reads though hahah) and I tried my best! Hope you enjoyed, and thank you to @highladyofthesith​ for sending me the ask!💖💖

[trainwreckweather]

8&24 (hospital+ soulmate AU) stella/scully

Prompt given by the lovely @viceversawrites (thank you! 💙)

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

It's rare. They say it's like divine revelation. You feel everything, see everything. Taste, hear, know.

So many have chased the feeling to death. Scientists have tried to engineer the euphoria and intelligence in a pill for the richest of the rich.

But it's dangerous. And really, it doesn't compare.

In this day and age, it's a common folk tale. A myth. Taught in history classrooms, in literature too- oh, the sheer romance of it. Professors swoon at uninterested students snapping gum and looking bored.

They don't care about what doesn't concern them.The subject of soulmates is laughable to them.

Oh- oh it's real they say.

It's real, sure. No one will dispute that. It's happened before. Ordinary humans changed within an instant. No one knows why, or how. They don't know how a highschool dropout can communicate in every language known to man- dead and lost included, mere minutes after handing over a fast food receipt.

They're stronger, smarter, and more perceptive once they've met their soulmate. More compassionate too, it seems.

But the catch is, you have to touch the hand of your soulmate to see it all. To know.

Statistics are not in anyone's favor. You can say 'small world!’ all you want, but the population is up there, nearly 8 billion now. Take the seas into consideration, the miles separating city from rural lands, and the restless spirit of humans- it's harder than hitting the jackpot.

No one has time to go and touch the hand of every person they come across, though it's not uncommon to see small children, whimsical and hopeful glide along, giggling as they brush the hands of everyone they pass.

A children's schoolground game. There are nursery rhymes about it too, but Dana doesn't have her head in the clouds, doesn't pay any mind.

She isn't like the children and preteen girls singing and daydreaming of enlightenment and the truest, purest form of love.

She's a realist. She gets up, grooms, shoves half a bagel in her mouth, maybe burns herself with coffee on her commute to work.

People love, people marry, and she thinks she gets along just fine with the knowledge her brain holds now. She isn't interested in soulmates. It never even crosses her mind.

She thinks in numbers, hard facts, statistics. Diseases and treatments and dosages. Possible cures. The closest she's gotten to letting loose is whooping with the kids in her ward who've just gotten the best news of their lives yet. They can go home.

That's where she usually is, that's where she does her best work- The pediatric ward. She shakes all of her patients hands and (thankfully) not once did she feel any different than before.

Today is a changeup.  The ER is short staffed and her ward is quiet.

Dana reviews vitals, orders tests, transfers and medications to be administered. It's busier than she's used to but she adjusts to the fast paced rhythm like she does most things. She finds her groove and excels. Like a machine.

People feel bad for her. She doesn't date, she's buried in her work, too invested. She takes it home with her and reviews files, over and over. Tests theories, work things out in her head, this way and that. What is the best course of action for little Brian? If I proceed with this- he could have permanent nerve damage, if I risk it he may die.

Her nights are much like her days, blended and ordered and perfect. She's happy. She thinks she's happy at least. Who cares about what others see? Who cares about the ultimate human form? Who cares about love? She has everything she could ever want or need.

“Dr. Scully, ambulance is here in two. Car crash, 33 yr. old caucasian female, possible head injury.”

A nurse; his tag says Tommi. She thanks him.

Stella Gibson isn't happy about being here. Before she even pulls back the curtain, she can hear the complaints, a strained british lilt reaching her ears.

“It's barely a scratch! I'm fine. The ambulance was unnecessar-”

She enters and interrupts before things can escalate.

“Ms. Gibson! External injuries can oftentimes present in a manner that doesn't show us what's going on inside. I agree that you're probably alright. But I want to order an MRI and have you stay overnight for observation. Just to be on the safe side.”

“Stella,” she corrects with a steely gaze that leaves no room for argument. Dana nods once.

“Stella. Is that alright with you?”

Stella answers in the affirmative, but doesn't look to happy over her predicament.

She is fair haired, fair skinned and freckled, and has piercing baby blues. She's in need of stitches just above her left brow. Regardless, she's a strikingly beautiful woman, and something instinctual tells her to stay on Stella Gibson's good side.

And something primal, something she isn't used to, tells her to protect this woman at all costs.

She holds out her hand to this woman sitting upright and stiff on the hospital gurney. It's her standard practice. Doesn't think once about it, let alone twice.

Stella begins to say something in an almost sheepish tone, something about how she isn't used to driving in the U.S. - but it's cut off abruptly as soon as they make contact.

The textbooks- they don't prepare you for this. Dana is hit with a force so hard she nearly collapses- stumbles and gasps at the sensation. It's as if all of the earth's energy has funneled itself into this triage.

She feels it. Each and every atom. She can feel them feed off of each other, but it doesn't hurt. Why doesn't it hurt?

It's intense, so much so that she fears her bones will splinter, and that she'll fly apart, simply cease to exist as she was.

Dana doesn't realize what's happening, she can't make the connection. She can only feel. And see.

She sees a young towheaded toddler with unruly curls and crimson rain boots. Someone, her father, lifts her so she can pat the wet nose of a gelding. She feels the anticipation of the girl- part fear, part excitement. The same feeling is there when she views the girl on her back, no longer a girl and so sure that this is her ticket to womanhood. Only 17, but later she feels the sadness and regret. And the sting.

And the sting. Of the freezing rain pelting as her father's casket is lowered into the bitter dirt. Frozen. Frozen like her heart. Which she tries to melt with the burning of cigarette smoke and liquor and the flowing of warm blood and the heat of a quick fuck. It never quite works. Always something missing. Something to be filled.

Filled with University courses, with self confidence, with a uniform. There. Now there is purpose. Now there is wrong and right and she she stands firm on the right side of the line.

She leaves the country to get away from a Stalker, someone who she met once, fucked once, and that not even the law could get rid of. Like herpes.

She's trying to start over here in San Diego. It's different. It was her hope to permanently thaw the ice with this weather. She's working as a barista. She can barely afford her studio. Her car is wrecked. Still she's happier than she's been in a long while.

Happier now still.

As sudden as it starts, that's how it stops. The rushing in her ears is replaced with faint ringing. Dana is back now. To this room, to this body. She's shaking like a leave.

Adrenaline, her mind supplies.

Stella is wide eyed and opened mouth; their hands are clasped between them. This is when it hits her, what just happened.

“Dr. Scully?! Ms. Gibson?! Are you alright? Here, I have a chair.”  Someone is panicked and confused, but that someone is not her. It will never be her again.

She doesn't sit. She waves the nurse off as best she can. She still won't let go of Stella, can't take her eyes off of her.

That primal urge to protect is now reinforced and emphasized. She wouldn't have believed it before, if someone told her it was possible to fall in love in an instant. But really, how can can you call a lifetime an instant? She was there, she was there to see Stella's victories and her downfalls. She was right there with her, feeling what she felt, seeing all she's been through. It's incredible, the strength one person can possess. It's incredible what one can survive. She's never been so proud. She's never been so in love.

Too overwhelmed, they both start leaking tears, but they're smiling at each other, face splitting, opened mouth smiles. Dana can taste the salt on her tongue.

She laughs at the absurdity of today. If Stella had been more careful, if she was out sick, if the ward had needed her- all these ifs. Eight billion little ifs. She shakes it out of her head.

She knows things now. Not just Stella things. She could (and most likely will), cure cancer if given a quiet room and a day to herself.

But right here, right now, there are pressing matters to deal with. Such as making sure her soulmate (god, her soulmate) has nothing more than a gash and a mild concussion. After that- wow. What does one do after this?

Stella sniffs and squeezes her hand.

“I don't suppose you would mind if I asked you out to dinner...”

[ghoulangerlee]

in tru hitman fashion for jeremwood, how about a mr and mrs smith situation? where they both don't realize that their s/o is a hitman utnil they bump into each other on the field. or receive each other as potential targets... you decide

I...have never actually seen mr and mrs smith tbh. i know the gist i think but i haven’t watched it lmao. 

so uh, here’s this, at some point i wanna visit like, every single prompt you send me and turn it into a huge spiraling universe tbh. so i may come back to this, may end up writing an actual hitman au one day. the possibilities are endless 

===

Vagabond, your current mission is relies on you getting the intel from this party; I’ve gotten you on the guest list, you’ll need to blend in and scope the floor. Your target should be there tonight as well.

He’d been tailing his latest target for two months now, some mogul who’d gotten too big for his britches, too reliant on others to do his dirty work and, like most wealthy and young business minded folk, he’d pissed off the wrong people. 

Which is where he came in. 

Ryan had been a professional hitman for over a decade now, at this point, and, though it could be rewarding at times (he’d always had a thing for justice, but, in a vigilante sort of way), but by far, the worst thing about this whole situation was how much he missed his partner. 

He and Jeremy had only been together officially for eleven months, and Ryan was eager to finish this hit and head on back home, hopefully before their one year anniversary. 

They’d met through a mutual friend and gone on a date or two before deciding to make things official, and honestly? It’s been the happiest nearly year of Ryan’s life; despite the fact they both tend to work a lot (Jeremy doesn’t have the typical job, and honestly Ryan’s not sure he understands it much besides the fact Jeremy is some sort of gymnast prodigy that’s invited to speak at various seminars and demonstrations sometimes), but they make it work, both agreeing to never skip out on anniversaries or holidays or birthdays. 

Not that Ryan would ever take a hit on any of those things, because while the money’s good, he’s getting older and the need to settle down is deep in his bones and luckily, he’d been stockpiling enough from the jobs he’s taken over the years to retire semi-early and comfortably--though he hasn’t told Jeremy that quite yet. 

(Which, Jeremy thinking he works as some sort of consultant for the police, it wouldn’t make sense to retire and then admit he has enough money saved to keep them comfortable for a long time--so he’s still working on that story.) 

-

Slipping in through the front door is easy enough, the silver half-mask he’s wearing (because of course it’s some pretentious masquerade) makes it easy for him to blend in--he’s got a gun planted close to where his target’s supposed to be and his throwing knives tucked away in the inner pocket of his neat suit jacket. 

He’s hoping this’ll be simple enough, get in and end the guy and then leave, call his employer and have the money wired to several different accounts--and then he’ll be home to Jeremy by the time their anniversary comes. 

(Of course, that’s when things go to shit.) 

-

He finds his target on the second floor in one of the offices, standing by a floor to ceiling window; his posture is casual, the lights dimmed, and Ryan feels a chill run down his spine. 

“I know you’re here to kill me.” 

Ryan startles, doesn’t expect that even as he slips into the room, closing the door behind him. 

“You’re going to have to try harder than this,” He taunts, turning around as the lights come on, several other men in the room, all with guns trained on Ryan. “My men never miss.” 

Without a gun, without a way to fire back, Ryan’s essentially screwed, so, he does what he knows, bows his head and raises his hands in an i surrender motion just as his target laughs. 

“Oh how good, I’ve finally stopped the infamous hitman,” he taunts again, growing cockier by the minute. “People are offering a lot of money for your head,” he grins. “And I’ve just won the jackpot.” 

There’s movement out of the corner of his eye, one of the side doors is cracked open and the tell tell sound of a grenade rolling across the floor catches his attention--he doesn’t think, just dives back towards the door he’d come in as the explosion goes off. 

-

He comes to nearly an hour later, laying in a pile of debris, though his head is resting on something soft, something that smells familiar. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” 

His eyes shoot open and through the pain at the sudden light assaulting him, he sees Jeremy, crouched over him, wearing a suit. 

Words leave him momentarily, and he manages to stutter out Jeremy’s name--which has the other man smiling and laughing, “Hey Rye,” he murmurs fondly, cupping his cheek, “Out of all the things I expected you to do as a job, I honestly didn’t think it was this.” 

“Jeremy,” Ryan mumbles, leaning into the touch, because it’s been two long months, “How...did you get here?” he asks, still a little disorientated from the explosion. “Didn’t you have a conference to speak at?” 

Jeremy laughs quietly, “Babe, Ryan, we’ve both been telling lies about what we do,” he says teasingly. “I’m here because I have a target to take out...and I assume you did too. Possibly the same target I took out.” 

It takes a minute for the words to sink in, “You’re not mad?” 

“Nah,” Jeremy says, thumb rubbing slow circles over Ryan’s cheek, “I understand why you didn’t tell me, just like you understand why I didn’t tell you.” 

Ryan hums softly, mind going a little blank and fuzzy at being so close to Jeremy again, “I missed you.”  

Jeremy smiles softly, “Missed you too, Rye,” he whispers. “We should definitely get out of here, I’m pretty sure someone’ll be coming here soon to check on the noise.” 

-

They make their way to a helicopter on the roof and Jeremy helps him into it before getting in and piloting them away from the party. They don’t speak much, Ryan’s mind still racing after the explosion and finding out his partner is also a hitman and Jeremy too focused on making sure they don’t end up crashing. 

When Jeremy drops him off at the meeting place (”I’ve got to head to my own, you know?”), he smiles at Ryan, letting Ryan cup his face and pull him into a sweet kiss. “I’ll see you at home, dear,” Ryan whispers against his mouth before pulling away. 

When Ryan’s out of the way, Jeremy takes off and Ryan watches until he disappears far off, before heading to the single payphone attached to an old decrepit store, eager to complete his mission and get back home to Jeremy. 

[dherzogblog]

songs/17

Hey everyone. Welcome back. In a break with tradition I expanded this year’s playlist well beyond the 80 minute limit of a CD.  in addition, and let’s be honest here, I did have some extra time on my hands to listen to music in 2017. So for your listening (and reading ) pleasure I present 1 hour and 50 minutes of the good stuff from the past year. I know, I know, it’s a lot. So is this blog for anyone who actually tries to read it. I’ll promise to try and get it back under control next year, but in the meantime…. enjoy! PS- Click on the bold type below for the music, extras and surprises.

Ride with Me- The Mavericks My theme song for 2017. This year was all about travel and figuring out what I was going to when I grow up. I checked ALL the boxes on the travel end, while the latter remains a work in progress. As the year began and I found myself “unencumbered”, I literally told Noreen to keep her bags packed. A few weeks later the always dependable Mavericks echoed my thoughts with this tune singing: “I gotta go… a whole world to see. So pack your bags up baby, Come along and ride with me “. And ride we did. From Havana to The Grand Canyon, Tokyo to Tel Aviv,  Motown to Muscle Shoals and many places in between, It was trains, planes, and automobile’s across thousands of miles with Noreen and as well as some good friends. It was nothing but good times, and I was so grateful for the opportunity.

No Particular Place To Go- Chuck Berry In 1973 a concert film entitled “Let The Good Times Roll” was released. It was a document of the then popular Richard Nader Rock & Roll revival shows that filled Madison Square Garden regularly. The film featured performances by Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Fats Domino, The Shirelles, and Chuck Berry. It was an era of great popularity for the vintage rock sounds of the 50′s. American Graffiti, Happy Days, Sha Na Na, and even The Beach Boys had helped usher in a “oldies” music revival. It was “retro” and” throwback” before  anyone coined those terms. And it proved that music that was once considered disposable as well as the exclusive domain of pimply teenagers had true enduring appeal. At the time Chuck Berry was riding the wave of his somewhat regrettable “My Ding A Long” novelty single. That song, as well as the 50’s/60’s revival in general is probably what got my 12 year old self into the theater. It was incredible to watch Little Richard climb all over the stage in a frenzy, his androgynous image predating Bowie, and his frenzied stage antics providing a blue print for Prince. Then there was Bo Diddley all in black, strutting the stage with his signature guitar chugging like a freight train, and Chuck Berry duck walking the crowd into a frenzy, it all had me mesmerized. Upon seeing the film, I was so blown away I went back to see it a second time just days later. It was the only way to see it again back then. The acts were all well past their prime and were considered mere “oldies” acts at the time. Berry was not yet 50. (He wouldn’t have been old enough to play Desert Trip) For me, it was a crash course in rock history helping me understand and process almost everything I heard after.

Champagne Corolla- Justin Townes Earle More Songs About Cars And Girls. JTE covers a lot of ground on this outing. He’s 8 albums into his career, and stepping out of the long shadow of his father. 

How to Boil An Egg- Courtney Barnett One off single from Australian singer songwriter making her return to the list. More messy, jangly musings on Millenial angst. She returned later in the year with a full length album with in partnership with Kurt Vile.

On The Rock- Bash & Pop Speaking of jangly and messy, Replacement Tommy Stinson delivers one of my favorite songs of the year. Good fun.

Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas (Quiet Slang)- Beach Slang The original version of this song appeared on the songs/15 list. James Alex the band’s leader starting touring under the moniker Quiet Slang last year. This EP contains some remakes as well as covers recorded in a “Quiet Slang” setting that includes strings. I loved this song the first time around, and even more so now.

Slow Me Down- Jess Ware  This year’s model. Yet another of the UK’s seemingly endless supply of soulful female vocalists. I love a good torch ballad.

Brand New Me- Aretha Franklin and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra I’m normally suspect of these types of projects. Too gimmicky. Messing with these seminal records borders on sacrilege, But it being Lady Soul, along with some of my very favorite songs I gave a listen. Pairing classic Aretha vocals with brand new backing from London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra  these reboots seem to reach for something else. Imagine them as part of an Aretha Franklin Broadway jukebox musical or the lush soundtrack to an Aretha biopic.  And while this particular cut doesn’t have the low key swing of the original, it does have it’s own big, brassy charm. Cinematic orchestration aside, these Aretha vocals remain stone cold classics in any settings. 

At The Breaking Point- Zeshan B Remarkable debut from an Indian Muslim soul singer out of Chicago. The album, recorded in Memphis, is a mixture of obscure R&B , and retro feel originals expertly capturing a mid sixties soul vibe. Sung in three different languages , including Punjabi, the disc also features a great rendition of George Perkins Civil rights song “Cryin In The Streets”

Feeling Alive- Earl St. Clair This young man from Alabama delivers a positive and upbeat message in a modern R&B setting. Plus, I am totally down with the sentiment: “My friends say I should live a little, gotta say yes more”. From his gospel influenced singing to the fiddle heard near the end, their are echos of the deep south felt throughout.

Sweet Love- Wizkid Slinky exotic riddims from this Nigerian hip hop artist

Skin and Bone- Phil Cook I don’t know much about this guy. From north Carolina by way of Wisconsin. His previous record (this was a one off single) was mostly performed in an acoustic country blues/gospel vein. This track reminds me of a late era Sly Stone groove meeting conscious hip hop. The message is right on time, so “clap your hands”.

Birds Of A Feather, We Rock Together- Vulfpeck Vulpeck are back with all their funky, eclectic, quirky charm intact. You not be be able to get the title refrain out of your head after hearing it once. 

Brutal- the Expanders “Man say it brutal out deh”. Perfect description for the world at large in 2017. This Southern California unit specializes in rekindling the spirit of 70’s roots reggae, specifically the unique sounds of the eras classic vocal trios. This is a faithful remake of the Itals track from 1981. Original Ital Ronnie Davis died earlier this year. 

Ladies Nite- Bootsy Collins It’s ladies night in America folks. Bootsy always knows what time it is. O.G.Funk style.

My Old School- Steely Dan (Walter Becker) When I got to college in the fall of 1977, Steely Dan’s Aja was just about to hit record shops. It was an immediate smash upon being released. Prior to that release I knew their pop hits, but not the LP’s to a large degree. I really loved Aja. I was a big jazz funk fan and it had a lot of that influence. Later that school year, during the blizzard of 78, I have vivid memories of that record blasting from nearly every dorm room stereo and radio as we were cooped up for days on end. My next door neighbor in the dorm (from Worcester/“"Woostah" Mass) was a true Steely Dan fanatic. He considered Aja a bit of a sell out on their part.  He insisted I listen to the 5 albums in their catalogue that proceeded it. So I did, borrowing from his collection one LP at a time. I liked them all, especially the magnificent Katy Lied. But the song that always stayed with me was My Old School. A funky (and and not a bit bitter) anthem with a blast of horns straight from E Street topped off with an unforgettable sing a long chorus. As of this printing the Becker estate is now suing Fagen. California might fall into the sea just yet, and but no one is gong back to their old school.

Heart Of The City- Los Straitjackets In 17 years I’m not sure I’ve ever included a rock instrumental. Los Straitjackets remain the premier purveyors of that long forgotten genre. On their latest the band tackle’s the great Nick Lowe’s canon. Super rockin fun all the way through.

Jackpot- Nikki Lane Stylish Nashville rebel with a great voice, rolls the dice and comes with a twangy and rocking winner

A Little Pain- Margo Price A slice of country soul heaven from alt country’s it girl.

Living In The City- Hurray For The Riff Raff On her latest outing band leader Alynda Lee Segarra embraces her Bronx bred Hispanic roots moving ever so slightly away from the alt country sound of previous albums. This track splits the difference nicely. 

Here Comes My Girl- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers I vividly remember both the first time I saw Tom Petty perform, as well as the last time. The first was in Madison Square Garden as part of a tremendous line up at one of The No Nukes Shows headlined by Bruce Springsteen. The under card was pretty strong that night. Bonnie Raitt, Peter Tosh, and Gil Scott- Heron. I was a fan of all the acts and had seen them all play live, save Petty. I was not sure what to expect from Petty that night. At that time he had three songs garnering airplay and scratching the Top 40. There was the Byrds like “American Girl”, the AOR ready “Breakdown”, and the taught, urgent energy of  “I Need to Know”. That track had me wondering if The Heartbreakers might just be another skinny tie band. In addition there was the slight confusion because punk rocker Johnny Thunders band was also named The Heartbreakers . So I wasn’t exactly sure what I was about to see. His short dispelled any notions of a the act being new wave flash in the pan. It was clear Petty was more straight ahead rock classicist. The release of Damn The Torpedoes just a few weeks later would confirm that. Petty had arrived and was thrust onto the charts and into the big leagues. I was never a huge fan. I loved the best albums and ignored the others. I never found him a great live performer, but always left his shows happy. The songs were great and the band was top notch. Somehow despite his nuanced low key approach he became an unlikely MTV video star. He made continually great clips and they dominated the channel. Despite that, he never did promotions and contests, was rarely interviewed, and his managers did not work us nearly as much as his superstar peers. He toured regularly and always seemed to have a clip in rotation. He was the every man rock star, not bigger than life, not overly political, just writing great songs, hanging with The Wilbury’s and doing his thing. It felt like he was was always there, but he never was. A huge star, yet somehow in the shadows. Hence I rarely ever came face to face. My one memory is standing on stage at Live Aid next to him, and then Heartbreaker drummer Stan Lynch as they waited like anxious school boys to see the reunited Led Zeppelin. They could not have been more excited, anxiously awaiting the set to begin. The band hit the stage and started too play. It was a disaster, just awful. Half way through the second song Petty threw Lynch a sour look. In a flash they were gone, back to the artist compound. They could not bear to watch. I saw Petty perform for the last time just ten days before he passed. I was in the first row at The Hollywood Bowl. Early on I remarked to my wife “He doesn’t look good” (although truthfully, did he ever?). His energy seemed good, and his demeanor upbeat, but he was pasty and wan. He stumbled crossing the stage a few times, took some quiet puff of a cigarette hidden on the drum riser. And he was doing a weird thing with his mouth/lips/teeth. But honestly my reaction was not unlike running into a friend you haven’t seen in a bit where they did not look their best. Like everyone else, I was shocked when I heard the news. When all is said and done for me, it was the songs. Lyrics clear and concise, monster melodic hooks, classic influences and great production.  Petty had a chip on his shoulder for sure, but it fueled the hope, ambition, and longing in his best songs and allowed him to achieve pop perfection over and over.

Gentle On My Mind- Glen Campbell 1968. I listened to what ever WABC played on the radio. Around that time there were three sappy and saccharine pop hits that always managed to make my cynicism free, nine year old heart ache with melancholy. The country soul of “O.C Smith’s. “Little Green Apples”, the maudlin mush of Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey”, and the gorgeous,”Gentle on My Mind”. 1968 turned dark quickly with the assassination of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the simmering controversy around the Vietnam War, and a divisive presidential election. The bright sunlight of The Summer Of Love disappeared as quickly, as did this type of 60′s pop (and psychedelia for that matter). Campbell continued to write mainstream and country hits, star in his own prime tine TV series (”Hello, I’m Glen Campbell!”), and later become tabloid fodder with his drama and drug fueled marriage to country bad girl Tanya Tucker. All of this conspiring to obscure the fact that he was a truly a tremendous songwriter and performer. I was moved recently watching the heartbreaking documentary “I’ll Be Me” which chronicles his battle with Alzhiemers on his final tour. Its well worth a watch and adds to the story of this somewhat overlooked legend.

Tupelo- Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Beautiful ballad from the ex Drive By Trucker. A great album overall as well.

Transformation- Van Morrison If this sounds familiar, that’s probably the point. This track echoes back to Van’s great mid 70′s albums. It’’s smothered in enough tupelo honey, crazy love and  celtic soul to turn on your electric light and send you into the mystic. I’m gonna guess you’re all ok with that.

Midnight Rider- Allman Brothers Band  (Greg Allman) CLICK HERE for my earlier Greg Allman post (REVISED AND UPDATED)

Find Yourself- Lukas Nelson and The Promise of The Real Willie’s son and band fresh off the road deliver a promising set. This southern soul track recalls classic’s like William Bell’s “I Forgot to Be Your Lover”, and Delaney and Bonnie’s version of “Everybody Loves A Winner. That plus the pedigree gets my interest. Willie clearly raised him right.

 What Would I Do- Lizz Wright The elegant and soulful Lizz Wright delivers plenty of grace on her latest set of well chosen covers like this Ray Charles gem.

Have You Heard Anything From The Lord Today- Cody Chestnutt Elusive and genre hopping Cody Chestnutt returns with only his fifth album in over 15 years.  Better known within the industry than out, he always delivers something interesting. This time it’s a little bit of a little bit of faith.

Not Dark Yet- Shelby Lynne& Alison Moorer Two of country’s finest voices, and sisters, finally team up for an entire album. This is one of my very favorite latter day Dylan tunes, and they sing it beautifully. I was haunted by their version the very first time I heard it and have played it quite a bit since. I’ve always interpreted the lyrics to be the final reflections of someone getting ready to meet their maker. As 2017 brought some very tough days, there were times I couldn’t help thinking of it as a reflection of the state of our union and the planet. “It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there” I thought to myself once too often. Here’s to a better 2018. Here’s the whole thing on Spotify: songs/17 The Herzogs wish you and all of yours the very best. Look forward to seeing you in the new year. xo dh Los Angeles, December 2017

[mitjoisperfect]

(Guys I wrote a fic)

The Black of Blood

Jonas and Sidney just wanted to get supplies with as little drama as possible. But that's not how this world works.

Zombie Apocolypse AU.

Read on AO3

It was far too quiet in the parking lot. A single, abandoned pickup truck sat in the middle of cracked concrete. The body was starting to rust, weeds sprouting around its deflated tires and orange dust lay on its windows. It had been months and months since it had last been turned on, left in the middle of the parking lot to become part of the scenery.

In the dusty truck bed, Sidney and Jonas sat, their eyes trained not only on the supermarket in front of them but on each and every alleyway and road around them. The houses around them were spaced out and few in number. The roads were wide and filled with pot holes.

They were in the open and not safe. Not yet at least.

But there were no signs of Crawlers or Runners. No signs of the new freak mutations that had appeared over the last few weeks that they’d yet to name.

The lack of life made both Jonas and Sidney uneasy.

“I think we’re safe for now,” Sid breathed, hazel eyes focused entirely on the still doors of the building before them. At her hip was a pistol – one Dean had given her when it all started – and her hand rested on it, looking to pull it from its holster at any moment.

Jonas, on the other hand, was equipped with a measly baseball bat. Guns and bullets were now treasured items in this new world, so there was no doubt that Dean did not trust Jonas with either of these things.

Sid swung her leg over the side of the truck and jumped down onto the ground, Jonas scrambling down to follow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. His gut twisted this way and that as they approached the store. He could feel someone, something, staring into his soul. His grip tightened around his bat, just in case.

The electric, sliding doors to the supermarket had been jammed open long ago, no doubt when the first wave of Crawlers came and people started shutting themselves into their own homes, hunkering down to try and escape the worst of it.

It hadn’t helped, of course. Crawlers were strong. They broke through doors within minutes. It had been terrifying.

But there was always stuff left: canned goods and boxed foods that lasted forever and never went stale, sometimes they’d hit the jackpot and find medicines and painkillers hidden in the back.

Nevertheless, this was always their mission. Move from town to town and pillage the leftovers, scavenging like the stray dogs that prowled the streets.

Sid led the way in, broken glass crunching under her feet. She pulled the gun from her holster and held it ready, keen gaze scanning over the aisles before them. Jonas drew his bat up to his shoulder and kept close to his sister.

It seemed, however, after a few minutes of patrolling up and down between the aisles, that the only thing threatening in the store was a pigeon fluttering around above them.

“Are you sure you want to put that away?” Jonas asked as they stopped to start grabbing cans of soup off the shelves. Sid strapped the pistol back onto her hip and raised an eyebrow.

“You scared?” She asked, unzipping her bag.

“Obviously.”

“You’re such a baby. Come here, I’ve got soup for you.”

“What kind?” Jonas pulled the bag from his back.

“Lentil.”

Jonas made a face but unzipped his backpack and held it out for Sidney to start filling it up. Slowly but surely, they filled up the bags, moving away from the soup to fill up on tinned vegetables, two bottles of water and condensed milk – a sweet treat that they stared at, wide-eyed. They’d hide that from Dean and share it with the few children their little group had managed to gather up.

They crept around until they eventually came to the cash registers, placing their bags onto the conveyer belt and zipping up, happy with the outcome of their little treasure hunt.

Jonas was ready to leave and start making their way back to their hideaway and back to safety as soon as possible, yet Sidney seemed to linger. She stared at a set of double doors that no doubt lead to the back of the store, where more food might possibly be waiting for them.

“We should go check,” Sidney said, swinging her backpack over one shoulder and making her way towards the door. “There could be painkillers back there, or powdered milk or more bottled water.”

This was true: more than once they’d come across the motherlode by venturing into the back of the store even when the front was empty.

And yet there was something holding Jonas back today. Even after the success they’d had today, his stomach was still churning and he had goose bumps. It was all very bizarre. There were no problems or setbacks. There was nothing around to prevent them from getting the food like there usually was. It was just too quiet.

Sidney pressed her hand against the door, pausing for the briefest of seconds to take a deep breath, before pushing it open.

The stench of rotting food was overwhelming. There were baskets and boxes of meat and cheeses growing mould and attracting flies. The fruit had turned to mushy green piles and, as they explored deeper into the store, they realised that any signs of surviving food had diminished. There were a few cans left and they snatched them up as quickly as possible.

As they turned to leave again, to make their way through the abandoned shelves, something clattered behind them.

They turned and their hearts jumped up into their throats. Sid immediately grabbed her pistol and Jonas’ hands tightened securely around his baseball bat. Slowly, the sound of footsteps echoed around them, just light beats to begin with.

As quietly as they could, Sid grabbed Jonas and started pulling him to the door, a silent plea on her lips for him to just move.

They reached the end of the shelf to see a single figure limping around the cases of rotten meat. Just the one, head tilted to the side, one arm swinging by her side, clothes torn and stained with black blood. Her grey skin seemed to be peeling away from the rotting muscle around her ankle, the leg of her trousers having been ripped away long ago.

But there was just one.

And it didn’t know they were there.

The gunshot was loud against the dusty air of the store. It was a clean shot, right through the head and the creature was down in an instant. No pain, no screaming, just the splash of blood splattering across the hard floors.

The ground turned black and Sid stepped out from behind the shelf, gun still aimed at the corpse in front of her. She kicked it, waiting for it to move again. It didn’t. Sidney considered it to be a perfect shot.

She was just about to lower her gun when she felt Jonas’ fingers gripping at her elbow. She spun her head towards him, a snarky comment just about to pass her lips when she saw it.

The hoard.

Dozens of Runners, each one of them focused entirely on Jonas and Sidney. Without a second thought, Sidney set off a number of shots. Blood splattered across the floors, but no zombie came down with it.

Sidney had no time to aim again as the hoard came charging and Jonas started dragging her back.

The hunt was on.

Together, they bolted back through to the front of the store, Runners hot on their tail. They could see the exit, just a few aisle over, just a few more hundred yards, and then... Then what? They’d lead them back to the group? Hide out in the abandoned houses until the danger had passed? Zombies were persistent blighters, any sign of food and they would stick around for days afterwards.

Jonas doubted they’d even escape this. His legs were starting to give out and he looked to his right, expecting to see Sidney at his side and keeping up with ease. But she was gone.

He kept going. He couldn’t just pause to look around. Visions of Sidney’s mutilated body danced in his head, her flesh torn from her bones, her skull cracked and oozing blood around her head like a halo. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He had to keep running!

At the thought of Sidney’s grizzly demise, lights started to glow around his body, thick ribbons of emerald green floated around his waist and limbs. He steeled himself and a blast shot out behind him.

The crashes and groans were left behind. He glanced over his shoulder to see an entire empty aisle having tipped over onto a good number of the hoard. A few zombies peered out from the rubble.

Yes, this was good. He just had to get out of the store now! He had to sprint again to make it, try and dodge as many zombies as he could, but he was sure he could make it!

But, as he came to the cash registers again, the sight of Crawlers, on all fours and hovering around the entrance made his stomach churn.

His legs shook, his heart pounded against his chest, and his bat was slipping from his grasp. His mind went hazy and he squeezed his eyes shut. He could see the lights behind his eyelids, swirling and spinning. There was the sound of explosions somewhere in his ears.

When he opened them again, everything was dark.

Or, at least, darker than it had been.

He was curled up somewhere, dust filling his lungs. Had he blacked out?

Just above him, he could hear the clicking and groaning of the hoard, still out there and waiting for him to reappear. Somewhere in the chaos, he’d lost his baseball bat and Sidney was still nowhere to be seen.

He swallowed thickly. Maybe he could make a run for it again. He moved slowly, going towards the only source of light available. He pushed against something heavy and looked out. All around, Runners and Crawlers were scavenging what looked to be the site of a collapsed building. Glass and rubble littered the floor and Jonas suddenly remembered that he was still in the supermarket.

Somehow, the entrance of the building had caved in and Jonas was currently hiding under one of the cash registers, along with the help of a large slab of concrete.

There was a window just a few feet from where he sat. He looked around again he could make it; he could totally make it.

A sudden array of nails and snarling made him shoot right back into his hiding place. Hands clawed at the concrete slab and a large, pale eye stared at him through the cracks. The Crawler shoved against the slab, dust pouring onto the floor between them. The creature was slightly too big to get at him for now, but the slab was starting to slide. It wouldn’t be long before Jonas felt the sweet release of death.

Slowly, the Crawler inched its way in, nails getting caught on Jonas’ jeans and trying to drag him out.

Jonas was close to kicking the creature in the face when the concrete slab suddenly moved. Light blared into the hiding spot and a warmth trickled thickly over Jonas’ face. Under the slab, the Crawler was limp, head crushed.

In its place, was a hand, warm and human and Jonas didn’t even hesitate to reach out and grab it.

He was hoisted into the air and onto the shoulder of a very large man. A plastic clown mask concealed his face and his loud voice was slightly muffled because of it.

“I’ve got him!” The man cried as gunshots echoed in Jonas’ ears. Jonas blinked just once and a cloud of dust worked its way into his eyes. He shut them tight. He could feel the black blood mixing with the grime and hardening on his cheeks.

Jonas clung to the body of the man, fingers gripping into thick padded shoulders. The gunfire was deafening. There was a cry from somewhere in the distance, something strong and hard and familiar.

In an instant, Jonas was dropped from his position onto the cold, hard ground, his back hitting the concrete and he winced.

“Jonas!” There were hands on his face as he struggled to sit up, gentle hands he’d felt against his skin so many times before cupping his face to make sure he was alright. Sid! Sid was okay!

“I thought you were dead in there,” Sid’s voice was raspy in his ear as he felt something wet wipe against his face. Slowly, the mix of black blood and dust started to come away.

Then, silence reigned over the street. The scent of blood still soaked into their clothes and the heavy darkness of splatters and droplets speckled across jackets and jeans. The quiet after a battle was always deafening.

As Sid worked across Jonas’ face with water, Jonas started allowing himself to try and blink the dust away from his eyes. With each blink, he would catch a brief snapshot of the scene in front of him.

Three people stood with their backs to him and Sidney, guns strapped across their shoulders and staring out across the supermarket. The store was once big and sturdy, but now it was half crumbled, the entrance almost entirely destroyed. A single corner was still standing and from that direction, another figure appeared.

This figure wasn’t fast like a Runner, choosing instead to linger for a moment, staring at the building before strolling towards the group.

And the voice that came from it caused a chill to run down Jonas’ spine.

“Well, that was fuckin’ fun!” He said, ignoring Jonas and Sid to amble up to his group, slapping shoulders and sharing swears as they complimented themselves on a job well done. They began removing masks, giggling to themselves.

Somehow, Jonas’ eyes were suddenly clear and wide to stare at those broad shoulders he’d seen walk away from him so many times before. The man’s head turned and… Oh. Oh God, he was alive.

“Mitch?” Jonas’ voice trembled as he slowly raised to his feet. His legs felt like jelly, his heart in his throat as all four of the group in front of them seemed to still.

And Mitch finally turned.

He was still the same as he’d always been, only his hair had gotten longer, his natural roots showing under the blond Jonas was used to. The scruff on his chin that Mitch had claimed to be a beard was thicker as well. He still donned the same pair of ripped jeans as he’d always done and the same orange Converses too.

“Joey?”

Mitch took a step forward and Jonas couldn’t help but copy the action. Wordlessly, they cautiously approached each other until Jonas was able to reach out and let his fingers graze against the back of Mitch’s hand.

And there was a spark as strong and bright as lightning.

Within seconds, Mitch had collected Jonas up and pulled him to his chest, long arms wrapping tightly around the smaller boy’s form with the intent of never letting go. Jonas’ fingers gripped at Mitch’s jacket, unable to move his arms. There were tears, he knew, falling down his grubby face, but he didn’t care. Instead, he pressed his forehead against Mitch’s shoulder, letting himself bathe in the familiarity of everything Mitch.

“Thought you were fuckin’ dead or something,” Mitch breathed against his ear, not even bothering to loosen his grip.

Jonas sniffed loudly. “I tried to find you, I did. But I had no choice but to leave Sellwood. My phone smashed during the panic.”

Mitch started swearing, his voice low and growling against Jonas’ cheek and that alone sent shivers down his spine. The swearing was random and mumbled, even as Mitch pulled back slightly, releasing Jonas from his grip to cup his face. Fingers brushed against his cheeks, trying to wipe away more of the dried blood. They travelled across his jaw, the bridge of his nose, under his eyes to try and stop Jonas’ salty tears from falling.

The only time Mitch was able to shut up was when he leaned down, letting Jonas hook his arms around his neck and pressed their lips together.

The kiss was sloppy and desperate with too much teeth and tongue to be comfortable. And yet, it was electrifying, relief running through Jonas’ veins before being quickly replaced by passion. His stomach twisted as Mitch tilted his head, his fingers dug into the hair at the back of Mitch’s head as their hips bumped together. One hand ran down to the small of his back and he could feel himself being tipped backwards ever so slightly.

They were out in the open, at risk of being attacked by Runners and yet they didn’t care. If they died now, they’d die happy and content in knowing they found each other one last time.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they parted, lips shining and eyes wet.

Jonas couldn’t help but smile and Mitch did the same, arms tightening around Jonas again.

“Well, fuck me,” A voice grumbled and both Mitch and Jonas looked around to see the rest of Mitch’s crew, masks removed. Javier, Scratch, and Cliff stood in disbelief, looking none the worse for wear than when Jonas had last seen them. They looked the same as ever, albeit a bit dustier than before and hair a touch longer too.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Javier suddenly cries, throwing his hands into the air and dropping his mask. “We spent weeks hunkered down in Sellwood because Mitch didn’t want to leave! We all thought you were dead!”

Suddenly, Javier is at their side and throws his arms around the two. It wasn’t a hug, per se, but it felt like it. The group then got heavier as Scratch launched herself onto Mitch’s back, chortling very loudly in their ears. Meanwhile, Cliff had approached with a frown and simply patted Mitch on the shoulder softly.

The embrace Javier had captured them in was tight and comforting, yet as he let go, Jonas couldn’t help but something was missing.

He looked back over to where Sidney was stood, mouth open in shock and an open bottle of water still gripped between her fingers. Jonas untangled himself from the mass of limbs, managing to let go of Mitch and staggered over to his sister.

“Is this really happening?” Sidney asked. Jonas only nodded. “Of course your dumb boyfriend comes back, alive and well during the apocalypse.”

“I know,” Jonas breathed, his smile bright and feeling more ecstatic than he’d been for a long time.

“Are you going to bring them back to base?”

“I was hoping to.”

Sidney let out a loud sigh. The action caught the group’s attention and they all looked around. Mitch took it upon himself to straighten himself out and step forward.

“Got a problem, Clone?” He asked.

Slowly and carefully, Sidney closed the water bottle and made a big show of shrugging her backpack off her shoulder and sipping the bottle back in amongst the cans. She struggled with the zip for a moment before swinging the bag back into place.

She said nothing as she gestures with a finger for Mitch to come closer. Of course, Mitch takes the bait.

He’s barely three feet away from the twins when Sidney suddenly reaches out and yanks Mitch down by the front of his shirt. Mitch almost loses his balance as Sidney pulls his down so they’re glaring right at each other.

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” Sidney starts, voice low, “I don’t care if we’re in the middle of the end of the world and that we’re all supposed to protect each other for humanity’s sake. If you even think about hurting my little brother then I will make sure that you will pay dearly for it. Understand?”

Mitch sucked in a breath through his nose, eyes flickering from Sidney’s menacing gaze to where Jonas stood at her shoulder, trying to break the two apart.

“Yeah,” Mitch finally said and Sidney immediately let go.

“Oh, and it’s not me who’ll have a problem with you turning up out of the blue. That honour will go to Dean,” Sidney stepped back, letting Jonas work his way back into Mitch’s space.

“That fucker still around?” Mitch grumbled, shoulders tightening at the mere thought of the man. He relaxed slightly when Jonas took his hand.

“We have a base not far from here. It’s not much but it’s well-protected. There’s running water and a generator for electricity along with a lot of rooms so you can each have your own space,” Jonas explained, skipping over the fact that Dean was still alive and watching over the twins.

“You askin’ us back to your place, Spots?” Mitch asked. He raised an eyebrow suggestively and Jonas could see his lights again, pink and glowing brightly. It had been a while since they’d turned that colour.

“Only if you guys want to,” Jonas replied.

Mitch smirked and leaned down to press his forehead against Jonas’. He gave a small, short kiss to his lips and then pulled back to look over his shoulder.

With a nod to the rest of his gang, Mitch started following along after Jonas and Mitch. Whilst the base was a good hour’s walk away, Mitch and Jonas refused to let go of each other’s hand the entire time and thought to themselves that maybe, just maybe, their future was starting to look a little more promising.

[ultimateticklemaster]

Tribal Tickles

A looooooooooooooong overdue Art Trade for @zeroa5raven. Thanks so much for being patient, my friend! :D

Scour the jungle, find a human, capture said human, and bring it back to camp. Those were the direct orders Sans had gotten from Chief Asgore. Everyone in the tribe knew there was a young human child roaming around in their jungle, and the chief had decided to divide the responsibility of finding it among the monsters in the tribe. More often than not, however, no one would ever be able to find the human after a long day’s work of tracking and searching, and they always returned the following sundown empty-handed. The day before was Sans’ brother Papyrus’ turn to scour the jungle, and now it was his today.

Sans didn’t really care one way or another if the human was finally found and captured. He just wanted to lounge back in a tree and take a nap, but he knew the consequences of doing so if his brother or even worse, Undyne, found him slacking off on the job. Of course that didn’t stop him from doing so every so often.

Today was a different day, and Sans felt strangely motivated to actually do his job right for once and track down the wandering human. Perhaps it was because of Grillby’s promise to reward him with a large quantity of crushed tomato paste if he at least found where the human resided in the jungle.

The sudden sound of rustling caused Sans to stop in his tracks, falling completely still and expanding his senses to detect his surroundings. It didn’t take him long for his trained eyes and ears to spot movement behind the trees. Stealthily, the skeleton leaped into the nearest tree and crept along the branches, peering down through the dark green leaves at the small dirt path parallel to the one he was walking down just moments before.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the human! It was walking down the dirt path leisurely, completely oblivious to the watchful eyes that stared from above.

Chuckling softly to himself, Sans sprang skillfully and silently from tree to tree by the branches, careful not to shake loose any leaves that would give away his position. Once he was close enough, he prepared to jump.

Without a sound, he leaped over the human, twisting in the air to land on his feet, facing it. His arms stretched out as a gesture to halt the child, a grin stretching across his face. “Heya.”

The child squealed and immediately leaped away before the skeleton could wrap his arms around it. It quickly turned heel and raced down the path from the direction it came. Sans growled softly to himself in frustration before taking pursuit.

Low-hanging branches and their leaves whipped across Sans’ cheeks as he ran close behind the fleeing human, grunting with the effort to not give in to the fatigued that tugged at his bones, screaming for him to slow down. He wasn’t used to running, and even when he had to it was only for a short period of time to chase down prey that had spotted him a second too late. He began to heavily pant as he struggled to keep up with his escapee.

The human looked back at him, the look of fright etched across its face giving Sans a little more stamina to push forward. All of a sudden, the child disappeared in a blink of an eye with a squeal, and too late did Sans realize it had accidentally run over the edge of a ravine before he followed suit. A cry was forced out of him as he and the human tumbled down the steep cliff, both trying to regain balance, grab onto any roots, and skid their hands and feet against the loose rocks and dirt.

In no time they had both reached a tangle of tree branches and vines at the bottom, and with several snaps of wood and swishes of leaves they crashed through the greenery.

The human’s fall was finally broken by a rather large leaf close to the ground. It slid off the green surface and softly collapsed to the ground, panting and trembling heavily in shock. Sans, however, wasn’t so lucky. He yelped and grunted as his body weight tore through the vines, snapping a few of them on his way down. Just before he reached the ground he shot back up into the air by the vines. After a few little bounces he was reduced to subtle swaying back and forth, his limbs caught in the tangle of vines. He grunted and growled as he tugged at the thick greenery, but his restraints held fast.

Sans stopped struggling when he saw the human climb to its feet and brush itself off. It looked back at the skeleton in fright, slowly backing away, and his SOUL pulsed in alarm. “H-Hold on there, kiddo, don’t leave me hanging like this!”

The child stopped and blinked at him, seeming to try to decide what to do. It nervously brushed a little twig out of its hair before speaking. Its pitch of voice told Sans the human was a male.

“Well… You shouldn’t have been chasing me.”

Sans was a little shocked to find the human could speak. Quickly getting over the initial surprise, he chuckled and grinned. “Hey, sorry about that, but that’s kinda what we monsters do. We capture humans.”

The human narrowed his eyes at Sans. “So that means if I were to let you go you’d just capture me anyway?”

“Well… uh… yeah?” The skeleton’s grin slackened into one of sheepishness.

The human pouted and crossed his arms. “Then I see no reason why I should let you out. Maybe if I let you stay there that’ll teach you not to capture humans. Or perhaps…” His grin grew deviously, making Sans feel very uneasy, “I should find another way to teach you a lesson.”

“What are you talking about?” Sans grunted, giving his limbs a nervous tug against the vines.

“I’ll offer a deal to you,” the child bargained with a small chuckle. “If you agree not to chase me around anymore, I’ll let you go. But if you refuse, I’ll have to resort to extreme measures.”

“O-Oh, yeah? And what might that be?”

The human approached the skeleton slowly, softly humming to himself. Once he reached him, he plucked out one of the blue feathers out of his tribal head accessory. Without a word, he gave the fluffy plumes a quick swipe over his exposed rib cage.

Sans’ grin grew wide and he squeaked, tugging at his binds even more. “W-Wait, kid! D-Don’t do that!”

“Well, you wanna capture me, but at the same time I don’t want to have to keep running around,” the child reasoned. “I believe this is the only way to get you to give up your pursuit on me.” His grin grew wide as he resumed stroking Sans’ ribs with the feather.

The giggles came immediately despite Sans’ best efforts to keep them bottled up. He began squirming even harder in the vines, tugging desperately at his limbs, especially his arms. They were just so close to reaching his arms to protect them, but still so far. “E-Ehehehehehe! Hehehey! C-Cut that ohohohout!”

“Did they really have to send out someone as ticklish as you to track me down?” the human teased with a smirk. He began gently spidering his fingers down the skeleton’s spine as he kept the rhythm of the feather-brushing going.

“N-Nohohoho! Shut up, yohohou! Ahahahahehehe!” Sans protested, a light hue of blue spreading across his cheeks. He felt so humiliated!

“Aww, but listen to that laughter! You gotta admit, it’s pretty cute.” The human started stroking the feather under Sans’ arms, the vane gently yet maddeningly caressing the tips of his humerus bones.

This caused Sans to squeal loudly, the tugging on his arms intensifying. “Ahahahahahaha! Nohoho, stop ihihit! I-I’m really ticklish, okahahahay? Now knock it ohohohoff!”

“Not until you agree to stop chasing me around.”

“Nehehever!”

With a shrug, the human plucked out a second feather from Sans’ hat, using it to wiggle between each rib. Sans squeaked and giggled profusely, bouncing and bucking around a bit in his bonds. His head tossed back and forth, the last remaining feather atop his head fluttering around with each toss of his head.

“Maybe I should try to find a sweet spot,” the child spoke aloud to himself. He chuckled as he began exploring, feathering the skeleton’s collarbone and neck, rewarding snickers and yelps from the monster.

“N-Nohoho! Kkhhehehe!” Sans whimpered, tilting his head in hopes to protect his neck with each swipe of the plumes.

Deciding this wasn’t even close to what he was searching for, the human glided the feathers up and down his humerus bones. Sans trembled slightly, though barely any giggles came out of him unless the tips of the arm bones were touched. Still not he was looking for.

Glancing past the rib cage and spine, he poked and swiped against his hip bones, working down his legs and swirling in the pits of his knees.

By this point, tears began to bead in Sans’ tightly shut eye sockets, though he still hadn’t burst into harsh laughter. “G-Gihihive it a rest, kid! I’m not gonna st-stahahap searchin’ for ya!”

The child ignored his comment, deep in concentration. He glided across the fibula and tibia bones, not getting much of a reaction at all, and finally when he reached his feet he removed the small brown sandals, tossing them to the ground.

Sans jolted and grinned sharply, his breathing intensifying as unbearable anticipation crept over him. “D-Don’t you think you’ve d-done enough, kiddo? C’mon…”

Taking note at how nervous the skeleton seemed to be, the human giggled softly to himself before give the two soles an experimental swipe with the feathers.

The reaction was immediate and completely what the human was searching for. Jerking violently in his bonds, Sans squealed loudly at the initial touch, his toes curling. “A-AHAHAHA! Nohoho, don’t!”

“Jackpot,” was all the human said before beginning the merciless assault. He glided and fluttered the plumes along Sans’ soles, causing the skeleton to practically howl with laughter. His thrashing began even more vigorous, but the vines did their job in keeping his feet still.”

“GAHAHAHAHAHA! N-NOHOHO, STOP IT!” Sans laughed loudly, his toes curling and wiggling in time with his fingers, the blush on his cheeks turning a shade darker. “AHAHAHAHA! THAT REALLY T-TIHIHIHICKLES!”

The human grinned and giggled to himself as he started paying close attention to the wiggling toes, flitting the feathers between them and sawing underneath. He slightly winced at the high-pitched shriek that tore from the skeleton.

“NOT THE TOHOHOHOHOES!” Sans wailed in distress. He aimlessly flailed around in his bonds, trying desperately to free himself. The longer the torture stretched on, the less he was able to withstand. “PLEHEHEHEHEASE! I CAN’T TAHAHAHAHAKE IT! AHAHAHAHAHA!”

“I don’t think you’ve learned your lesson just yet,” the human chuckled mischievously. He dropped the feathers and started wiggling his fingers under and between the squirming phalanges mercilessly. “Tickle tickle tickle! For someone without any skin or nerves, you sure are a sensitive little thing, aren’tcha?”

Sans’ eyes flung open at the initial touch, proving to be ten times worse than the feathers, and his strength of his bucking and squirming intensified to the max. He cachinnated raucously at the gargalesis, the tears finally beginning to slide down his now bright blue cheeks. At this point, he could care less if he got that crushed tomato paste from Grillby, he just wanted the torture to stop! “O-OKAHAHAHAHAY! OKAY, OKAY, YOU WIHIHIHIN! I’LL STOP CHAHAHAHASING YOU!”

“Are you suuuuure?” the human snickered, gently prying each toe apart so he could gently scratch between them.

Sans let out a harsh squeal, his toes trembling in the effort to curl them again. “YEHEHEHEEEEES! OH, PLEASE STAHAHAHAHAP! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

With one last rough tickle to the toes, followed by a distressed wail of hysteria from the skeleton, the human finally stopped tickling. He giggled giddily to himself as he unwrapped the vines from around Sans’ limbs and torso, letting him collapse to the ground, panting heavily.

“Let’s just hope you hold true to your word, otherwise I won’t be so merciful on you next time.” The human child giggled with a playful wink before walking off.

Sans huffed, groaning in defeat, as his head fell limply to the ground. How was he going to explain to his fellow tribe mates what just happened? Well, he’d worry about that later. For now, he just wanted to rest.

[forbiddenwords]

Stranded (Chapter 2)

Written By: TheHeathenSlave Rating: M for Plane crash, injury, survival, desert island, stranded, drug usage, drinking, alcohol, awkward flirting, voyeurism, watersports, fetish, sexual tension, extreme illness, graphic, puss, wound cleaning, surgery, vomiting, oral sex, fluff, angst, romance, drug usage, assault, near death, happy ending. Fandom: Real Person Fiction (Hours Era But Modern Day)

She never thought that a trans Atlantic flight could end in perfect paradise with David Bowie. Well…almost perfect paradise.

Previous Chapter. 

When the raft was on the beach (of which she did most of the work, terrified that if she didn’t, David would open his cut even further) she fell onto the sand trying to catch her breath. David, of course, was well rested. To a point. At least more than she was. Her wrist throbbed with agony and she wanted to scream with the throbbing headache she had. Most likely it was from dehydration more than anything else. David was sitting next to her, picking seaweed out of her hair. The ridiculous long hair that she was thinking about cutting the moment she got energy. It was a nice thought but she also knew she’d never actually do that so instead she just lazily turned to look at him.

“Having fun?” She asked.

“Somewhat.” He said, “Your hair is very long.”

“Thanks?”

“Well it is nice. Well taken care of. How did you do it?”

“I guess I just didn’t cut it for…30 years.” She chuckled. It took another moment but then she was able to sit up and take in a deep breath. “Can you grab me one of the water bottles from the raft? I’m dehydrated.” He nodded and moved to the raft carefully. She could tell he was in pain but he wasn’t saying anything about it. It had to be bad. He still had what counted as a shirt on even if it was also basically ripped to shreds and barely covering him. Mostly, it was covering the wound so she couldn’t see how actually bad it was. She was going to need to get a look at it. He definitely was risking infection right now. She was too but far less than him. Maybe there was medication in some of the bags she grabbed. Painkillers, antibiotics, anything. People carried a lot of stuff with them to travel and they had a lot of luggage.

She took the bottle from him when he handed it off to her and drank from it. Still slow sips as she didn’t want to end up vomiting. That would just make things worse. David went back to the pile of stuff they’d gotten and started to sift through it. She watched him for a moment as she slowly drank. The sun was rising in the sky. Slowly, her freezing and shaking form was beginning to warm up. She wondered where they were, if they’d be found. Maybe, just maybe, they had lucked out and landed on some private island where people would be. It was possible, just not very probable. As soon as she was rested, she’d go to look. She was sure he was going to insist on joining her for that but she wasn’t sure how much she wanted him moving around.

“Find anything good?” She asked him.

“Not yet. Nothing is my color or style.” He grinned at her. She laughed and grabbed a bag to open.

“Well…I don’t know how much you want walk around here naked.”

“You have a problem with the human form?”

“Not even a little. I’m a doctor remember? However, need I explain sand in certain areas, not to mention insects, parasites, and possible things that could wiggled up your urethra?” He was wincing before she even finished that sentence. Possibly having gained and understand about what she was going to say when she started to use the word ‘wiggle’.

“Okay, point taken.” He said making a face, “Don’t say urethra like that again.”

“Like what?”

“You know what.” He insisted. She smiled and shook her head as she began to sift through the bag she had pulled onto her lap. It wasn’t easy with a broken wrist in a horrible splint that was now kind of falling apart because the bandage around it was soggy. She could hopefully direct David how to fix her up later. It wasn’t important in the moment. Mostly because she had just found what she was looking for.

“Jackpot.” She said, pulling out a bottle of pills. It was only half full but it was the best they had. At least for now. “Percocet. Find some food and you can have some.”

“I don’t think…”

“You are under supervision of a doctor, there’s not even enough here for you to get high, and trust me at most you’ll get sleepy and slightly buzzed. It has acetaminophen in it as well. You’ll want it.” She told him. He gave her a weird look, one that seemed to say he wanted to protest but wasn’t going to. Nor was he going to tell her that she was probably right. They stayed in silence for a long while as they sorted out things from each of the bags.

“Hey hey hey, look.” David said excitedly and completely out of the blue. She looked up at him from trying to figured out how they were going to open up some of the cans of food from the emergency survival kit she’d picked up from the plane. It had been part of the first aid kit. There were a few cans of food but no can opener. Other than that, she had found a few bottle of alcohol, some snack foods, some junk food, and a few candy bars. They may not have been healthy but they’d be helpful. It turned out that David was pointing to a tent. Kind of. It was a bag that held a tent. Next to it was a tackle box but there didn’t seem to be any fishing rods around. That wasn’t a huge deal. They only needed to get some strong sticks, perhaps. It would be hard to do in the ocean but maybe there’d be a stream around. They didn’t know yet. She got up and walked to him, handing the bottle of water over.

“Drink.” She told him. He muttered something that sounded like he was mocking her but started to drink from the bottle anyway. She unzipped the bag for the tent and looked inside. It would definitely take two of them to put this one up. It wasn’t small. While he rested she started to pull things out and move them far up the beach where there was more solid ground and she could actually anchor the stakes. It wasn’t long before he joined her.

“You’ll need help.”

“Yes but first of all, I’m going to need you to redo this splint.” She lifted up her arm. She’d be far less useless if her wrist was stabilized and she could work.

“Me?”

“It won’t be that hard and I’ll tell you how.” She said and started to unwrap it. Her movements gingered and slow as she winced trying to ignore the pain. He stared at her in horror and then audibly gagged when he saw how broken her wrist actually was. “Oh calm down…”

“The bone is…”

“I know.” She said, “But you are strong and can force it back into place.” She said then got up and went down to the beach. It took a bit but she managed to get a small bottle of whiskey open. After that she downed two of the percocet with the alcohol and started to binge on a bag of chips. It was the best way to keep everything down. He just stood there, watching, like she was some kind of lunatic. She headed back to him with the first aid kit in her hand and sat down.

“Are you sure I should…”

“Grab a strong branch.” She told him. “Come on, before I’m too trashed to explain this too you.” She continued to gobble down the chips until the large bag was gone. Her stomach wasn’t too happy but it was far more calm than if she had put no food in there. He came back with a thick branch and she directed the length he should snap it in two. Then she got an ace bandage from the first aid kit (she’d used gauze before).

“Uh…”

“Just shift it back into place. I’m going to scream.”

“I don’t doubt that.” He sighed and took her wrist gently. “You can’t get mad at me.”

“I’ll be more mad if you pussy out and don’t do this.”

“I’m going to blame that comment on the…various drugs you just took.” He said. She rolled her eyes and he put his hands over her feeling the bone. “On the count of three.”

“Okay.”

“One…two…” He didn’t wait for three, he did it just then and without warning. As promised she screamed bloody murder and kicked her foot into the stand. He very quickly wrapped up her wrist as she yelled at him to make sure he did it as tight as he possibly could and check her fingernails to make sure blood was still circulating. By that point she was laying on her back trying to control her breath so she wouldn’t vomit. “I fail to see how this is going to make you better with the tent construction.”

“Shut…up.” She muttered, “Just give me a moment…okay?”

“You aren’t going to…die, right?”

“Don’t be a moron.” She whispered and put a hand over her face. Everything was spinning and she knew she couldn’t throw up right now. It would be stupid and wasteful. It was possible to keep it all down. There wasn’t too much alcohol in there. Enough to take the pills and a shot more. Not nearly enough to poison her system. It was more the pills that were tumbling around in there. She needed about ten minutes for it to pass. David paced around nervously, she focused on the sounds of that and the ocean to calm her down. When she didn’t feel like she was going to puke any more she got to her feet.

“You…okay? I’m sorry I…”

“Don’t be sorry.” She said, “Really. It was going to hurt no matter who did it. I appreciate the help. We have to get this tent up. The sun is brutal and I assume the night will be freezing. We need to do this then some how start a fire. Okay? A normal one and a signal one.” He nodded still looking freaked out by all of this but they started to get to work on the tent.

It was not easy because she was mostly wasted and he had clearly never put a tent up in his life but about two hours later they had a two person tent up. It was nice. There were windows and even a divider for the different “rooms”. That was a start. Once that was done she laid down, for a very long time and passed out, more or less. She didn’t know what David went off to do and her dreams were incredibly weird thanks to the narcotics. When she finally came to, her mouth was bone dry and she was shivering. Also, she really had to pee. Fuck.

She made her way out of the tent to see David sitting near by. He had made a fire. Maybe she was wrong about her thoughts that he was useless, at least in way of survival. Not that it would be extremely hard to make a fire with the waterproof matches in the kit that they had but he knew how to build one. The tinder and fuel was all piled up exactly how it should be. Impressive. Part of her, though she admired him as an artist, also figured he wouldn’t have been able to tie his shoes by himself let alone start and maintain a fire. He was cooking some food over it. There was a stone heating on the coals and he had two of the cans open and heating up. They seemed to be soup. Chicken noodle if she had to guess. The labels had been washed off.

“Hey.” She said softly. “Sorry I um…”

“It’s understandable.” He said and picked up a bottle of water to hold out to her. He winced as he turned and she frowned but took the bottle with her good hand. Her other hand was noticeably swollen at that point but only due to the injury. The bandage was tight but still not cutting off circulation. He’d been perfect at that too. She took a few sips of water and then set the bottle down next to him in the sand.

“Have to pee.” She said, “I’ll be…” She looked down at her jeans and sighed, “Can you um…help?”

“What?”

“Look I can’t reasonably get my pants open or even down with this injury I know it’s weird but it’s either that or piss myself.” She told him. He looked her over and then nodded.

“Lets not get too far from the food or fire though.”

“Fine, not sure I can walk that far.” She said.

It was really awkward having to ask for this level of help but it was her best option, honestly. They were only going to have each other for a while, they’d have to help each other. They walked to a more grassy and brush covered area and he stepped up close to her, his hands moving to undo her pants and pulled them down for her, along with her panties.

“Usually when I’m doing this it’s not to help a woman take a piss.”

“Yeah, I figured.” She laughed nervously. Carefully she squatted down, luckily the drugs in her system made her feel a bit less self-concision about this. “You wanna watch? I mean if you are into that…”

“Maybe I am…” He grinned wickedly, “But I guess you’ll never know because I am not going to watch…this time.” He turned and then took a few steps away. Her face got hot and she blushed, she knew that’s all it could possibly be at that point. None of that really should have aroused her. Not really because she found the fetish gross, she totally could get into the whole voyeurism thing, but because this situation was so fucked and there was no reason to get horny. Plus, that was a shitty excuse for a pickup line or even some odd attempt at seduction. She watched him as she peed, which felt so amazing in that moment. When she finished she stood up carefully and somewhat pulled her panties back up, her jeans were more difficult.

“Um…”

“Need help?” He asked then turned.

“Don’t look so happy about it you…weirdo.” She said but couldn’t help but smile at this whole thing. He was very attractive and god, that voice. He sauntered back over to her and helped her with her jeans standing close and looking down into her eyes as he fastened them for her. He leaned in, getting very close like he was going to kiss her but didn’t.

“Weird is my middle name, well, one of them. If you get me drunk enough, I might tell you my others.” He whispered before stepping back and heading for the campsite. She just stood there staring at him somewhat blankly before hurrying after him. She was starving and for far more than just dinner, even if that was part of it.

Next Chapters.

[michellelewis7162]

Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

 eSports Gaming Information

Essentially, eSports is really a rivals through which gamers combat it out to the video game or even desk when using the internet video activities. These organized competitors are really taking the games planet through typhoon at the second and it was really additionally determined that in 2013 an astonishing 71.5 many thousand people tuned in to visit the computer game. Esportz Entertainment

 Worldwide in 2014, the esports photos video gaming field produce an extensive $325 many thousand, as well as a result of to the end of this particular certain year this is in fact readied to support $493 thousand, while its personal target audience concerns 225 million!

 eSports Games Available

There are really numbers of eSports activities on call to appreciate, yet there are actually a number of that have really been actually specifically well-liked among players over the last few years because of to their superior graphics as well as remarkable task participate in! Numerous of the large celebrities that you are actually incredibly most likely to locate across when exploring for eSports computer game to play are in fact Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm which is in fact a method game coming from Blizzard, Super Smash Bros Melee happening from Warner from Nintendo, Injustice: Gods Among Us stemming from Warner Brothers, Killer Instinct coming from Microsoft, as properly as finally from Activision occurs our experts would definitely claim the absolute most preferred each of these tasks as well as also is actually Call of Duty: Ghosts.

 Unless you have actually monitored among these activities at the workplace, then it can conveniently be in fact rather tough to describe what is in fact therefore superior relating to every one of all of them. When joining an eSports video game the main goal of the task is actually to often kill or even beat the a variety of other gamer as well as additionally these activities are unbelievably swift which can easily make all of them quite challenging to sustain.

 There are actually additionally a great deal of International competitors delivered to engage in too. A few of the competitors that you might possess listened to of are stemming from the activity author Vale, that manage The International Tournament which merely includes some of its really personal online video games Dota 2. Numerous various other agencies furthermore work their own competitors featuring Blizzard as properly as their competitors include eSports activities such as Starcraft.

 The charm of eSports has in fact obtained a great deal of travel over the last variety of years. What as soon as did be appeared at a pastime and likewise leisure activity for kids has found yourself being actually an absolutely sensible industry at the qualified volume. Considerably like the greats athletes of the NFL, NBA as well as also MLB, continuous hours of strategy along with competitors are going to most definitely make their mark on the gamer in addition to can easily constrain the amount of your opportunity spent performing in the showing off task.

 Popular eSport damages are actually being in fact found in the upper arm, back in addition to low spine. These are all thought about overuse accidents and typical of what one would surely experience while operating any kind of form of job in addition to keeping in one position for several hrs at a chance for a prolonged length of your opportunity. Common professional players are mosting likely to join a minimum required of 10-12 hours daily. The majority of the amount of times along with marginal rests during a possessing exciting therapy. Compound this volume of your time through weeks, months and additionally years of video games as well as it starts to get its own toll on the physique. Ache of any kind of type of kinds may quickly trigger interest in sporting activities functions. Discomfort along with online video games sportsmens may conveniently be vital taking into consideration that the ache is probably in a location of the body system that has actually to be actually made use of if you intend to join. Gamer arm soreness might dramatically restrict the quantity of humans resources a player may conveniently devote doing as well as finishing, which are actually heading to create a reduction of certainly not merely a competition but can have a disconcerting impact on the gamer's and even group's monetary jackpots too.

 Playing with the soreness is actually definitely not an ideal solution either. Through the time a esports player accident is actually powerful acceptable to come to be discovered there is actually a strong indicator the issue has in fact been developing for fairly some option Esports Network.

 eSport trauma indicators you should concentrate including the following:

 Hand ache - tingling or gratifying in the palm or perhaps fingertips, weak point in understanding tough aspect and overall ache

Reduced neck and pain in the back - pins and also needles or maybe prickling in to the legs, buttocks or footwear. General discomfort in the back that improves after sitting sizable durations.

Upper back pains - rigidness and also conventional aching near the shoulders and at the bottom of the neck.

eSport injury answers contain observing tiredness that improves your stance while playing and any distress that emerges while taking part in. The best option is to take rests while you are actually taking part in and execute degrees simply as if you were actually an expert athlete executing on the place or on a courtroom. A reliable flexing timetable is in fact required for any type of kind of specialist eSport sportsmen Esports Network.

 A bunch of people, featuring sportsmens and additionally late-night chat course tons have in fact taken a look at whether a health condition featuring the term "sports" may actually be actually utilized to describe something like internet computer game. While a great deal of players will most likely concede that somebody that joins a computer game like Halo or even Call of Duty adeptly is actually absolutely not an athlete in the specific same method that someone that plays in the NFL is a sportsmen, however, is it truly that different?

 Countless players state to have in fact been joining video recording tasks because of the reality that they were really much younger young people, a lot of beginning to interact in the extremely reasonable advantage of gaming in their very early teens. They've operated their methods up happening from staffs that are actually frequently composed of neighborhood great buddies or even people they've experienced joining online, to far better crews wishing that they'll be in fact found out via one of the greatest players as well as also be in fact given the opportunity to show by themselves. While 1000s of people across the planet play video activities in some ability, simply a tiny portion of those have the ability in addition to commitment called for to be really taken note of an expert.

 Apart arising from a couple of singular player esports names, a lot of activities that are actually used the very competitive level are really team-based. Ring of Duty, Halo, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota, Overwatch, as well as so on are really all participated in via groups of at the quite the very least 4 gamers. How a person plays as part of a staff can produce or perhaps wreck their job.

 Among the major aspects people will certainly deal is that athletes in conventional sporting activities encounter a notably far better threat of personal injury than expert gamers. While qualified athletes are actually at a more substantial danger for crashes like damaged bones, torn tendons, blasts, etc, esports aren't completely run the risk of cost-free. When you dedicate 10 hours or also additional of your opportunity examining a games display screen and also rapidly touching buttons on an operator or even pressing tricks on a computer body key-board, there is actually a threat for aspects like eye stress in addition to carpal movement if the proper actions aren't taken. While it might absolutely not be absolutely suitable to contrast these apparently slight injuries to those suffered via conventional specialist athletes, they may quickly still affect an individual both in as well as likewise out of activity and also might possibly be actually job finishing Esports Network.

 Unlike many expert sportsmens, many trained gamers additionally have various other obligations featuring university in addition to job. Gamers in the smaller esports may certainly not be often under wage, hence need to typically trust event revenues. Although going much on your own on devices like YouTube in addition to Twitch may definitely help nutritional supplement that incomes, countless expert gamers need to carry different other job past pc games. This indicates that they must know to harmonize video games alongside work and might need to have to lose hope opportunity alongside friends as well as family members to find to it they rely on quicken along with the rivals.

 Is it viable that an individual time certainly there undoubtedly will be really Little League video recording pc gaming teams or maybe that kids will claim they intend to be the complying with Walshy and even Ogre 2 instead than desiring to become in fact the observing Peyton Manning and even Michael Jordan? Recently I will certainly have pointed out no, nevertheless in addition to esports staying to obtain acknowledgment and also becoming recognized as an added trustworthy area, I am in fact not thus sure, specifically alongside colleges including the University of California in Irvine offering esports scholarships. Regardless of whether esports will certainly ever be dealt with in the exact same room as much more traditional showing off tasks, the future certainly appears intense.

 Very competitive online video games has actually been actually around a lengthy option on the COMPUTER in addition to expert Starcraft organizations or even tournaments for games like Quake and also Counter-Strike. The Xbox 360 has actually produced competitive personal computer gaming a lot more famous in the final few years with the pro-gaming console game Major League Gaming, or even MLG for brief, and also has actually begun to become in fact classified as a sport by means of lots of players. Also showing off activities updates protection, like ESPN, have actually obtained in to this brand-new fad called E-Sports (electronic featuring tasks) in addition to now deals with MLG tasks on their web site as well as also even at opportunities mentions it on Sportscenter. Is this interest confirmed? Are E-Sports actually featuring activities? The action is actually no as well as additionally on this site are actually main reason why this is actually therefore.

 Shortage of large all-natural capability space

When I took advantage of to get involved in SOCOM II, a friend of mine possessed over 2,000 hrs logged onto the task online. I possess a 2.5 K/D portion on Halo 3, however, I hardly ever join the activity and likewise do absolutely not take it extremely truly. I sense, nonetheless, that if I participated in 8 hrs a time or even additional along with the intent to take it remarkably very seriously, I may probably deal at the MLG degree Esports Network.

 This is actually surely not therefore in addition to sporting activities like hockey, baseball, baseball, likewise golf or ping pong. I produced usage of to participate in hockey as a little one yet no worry only the amount of I took part in, there is a 99.999% opportunity I are going to definitely never ever make it in to the NHL. I presume the identical can be really indicated for thousands, maybe also countless specialist sportsmens in key featuring activities. Certainly not games. You have a great possibilities of dealing with to battle in the industry of video gaming just via instruction and remaining dedicated to it.

 Maybe I can definitely never overtake TSquared yet considered that pc video gaming lugs out undoubtedly not involve physicality, the distinction in between our provider would certainly be simply dedication. The expert gaming joins internet video recording activities as his life.

 There is really no seeking integrate

In several primary sporting activities video games like the NBA, NHL, NFL, and also MLB, there are in fact minors or also educational institution quantity play. This is only how gamers produce it around the majors, they participate in via college and also after that acquire made to a team or play in the smalls, affirm themselves, as well as additionally are actually gotten in touch with. In E-Sports, there is really no smalls. You carry out not must affirm your own self to accomplish, you just pay out to enter a celebration. I may not update you the quantity of your time I have enjoyed a sports task on TELEVISION to hear a reporter condition one point along free throw lines of 'You're in the Majors, you need to have to deal with to generate that play' or maybe a single thing identical. There is really no credibility and reputation being an MLG gamer, it is actually meaningless. Any person can develop into one at anytime. Today, you may get gravely defeated if you're no exceptional, having said that it is actually due to the fact that you're accomplishing at a degree you should not be actually. There is actually a cause when big game players in MLB are actually delivered down to the minors on a rehabilitation project and even something that they control or perhaps that a gamer that could possibly control at three-way An or the AHL for hockey could take in the NHL or even MLB, it is actually a completely various degree of play Esports Network.

 E-Sports do not possess degrees of play like this (specific there is really the CAL and also CPL but it performs certainly not run the exact same technique). I presume to be actually considered a sport, MLG needs to correct this through combining a small video game where players are actually cultivated coming from to contending in the majors.

[thelostcatpodcast]

THE LOST CAT PODCAST TRANSCRIPTS: SEASON 3: EPISODE 03: RATS

SEASON 3: EPISODE 03: RATS

Episode released 26th February 2017

http://thelostcat.libsyn.com/season-3-episode-3-rats

I started finding adverts asking for cats, caliming that any unwanted or unowned cats would happily be taken from you. The numbers of strays, which I had learnt to follow quite closely, were definitely thinning.  I started hearing rumours of collections.The rumours said the adverts had been placed by Old Mary The Butcher. Old Mary supplied meat to the neighborhood, no questions asked, and none answered. I was, quite naturally, terrified. But she was not filling her freezers. She was building an army.

THE LOST CAT PODCAST SEASON 3, BY A P CLARKE, EPISODE 3: RATS

Have you ever noticed the empty buildings in your city? If you go out to the edges of your neighborhood, four or five streets away from your hight street, you will find them, unused, boarded up, too run down even for squatting. Try getting up high at sundown and watch the lights come on. Count the holes in the skyline. These empty buildings: once you notice them, they are everywhere. Now: Old Mary was amazing. Make no mistake, she was the best butcher there was. She used every part. She’d say things like: "Beef is hard because a cow is so damn big. Lamb, though, there’s lots of options." And: "The interesting thing about chickens is their very ubiquity make smaller, gamier birds more valuable." I contacted her through the advert and I asked to meet. She said "Of course, m'dear!" She was an enormous wall of a lady. She must have weighed a ton, and she never, ever stopped moving such that there was a momentum in her that had been building up for years and there was nothing I knew could stop her now. "Elephants!" she would cry, with palpable yearning. "Do you know just how big an elephant is? Oh!" She was just a lot more there than other people. She hugged me liberally when we met. "You got a cat?" "I lost a cat." "Oh don't you worry, a cat’s better used than eating. You can be assured of that. Stringy little buggers." "Can I ask you a few questions about the cats?" "Well sure, m'dear!" "Why are you after cats?" "Wheat." "Wait, what?" "Wheat. Look this is going to be a long one and I have errands. How about you come with me and i’ll explain on the way." "Sure," I said, though I noticed we were already moving as I said that. "Wheat. We can’t digest it. Central part of so much of our diet and we can’t digest it. We just don't have the enzymes for it. When our stomachs try to eat it, it actually fights back, starts to break down our digestive systems! That's a hell of a thing, ain't it? It is the basis of so much of our diet and it is indisgestible to us. It’s true you know." And it is. You can look it up. "Bloated, tired – you get that after eating wheat, and it is due to our bodies trying to deal with this monster in our stomachs." And by then we had came to a large door that she banged her fists on. "Heeyup!", she yelled. "I have been trying to cut down," I said. "I hear you," she said. The door opened onto the back of a bakers. "Hard to cut it out though, innit?" As the smell  of fresh bread from inside filled the alleyway, I said: "Yeah." The man who opened the door gave a her a huge sack  and then slammed the door shut again. "Stale," she explained, and then shoved it at me. I took a hold of it. "Next up, the grocers," she exclaimed, already striding off. We came away from the grocers with dripping sacks of vegetables, and I was happy to be carrying the bread. "Come on," she cried as she turned down an alley I didn't even know existed. "Nearly there!" She never stopped striding ahead, and she never stopped her commentary. "But there is an animal that has the right enzymes to digest wheat and that’s... OH MY GOD!" In the dimness of the dusk I could make out a mass on the paving stones – bulging and heavy, with no discernable shape. I could see legs and what was left of orange fur. "Get my bag. We hit the jackpot tonight!" She picked up the dead, putrifying body of the fox by the back feet and lifted ittowards me. "Come on, come on, open it up." I opened the bag up and leant away as far as I could as she lowered the long dead animal in. "Oh lord, if you're gonna be like that I’ll take it," and she grabbed the bag from me. "It’s lucky to get one before it’s been hollowed out." She saw my face. "Oh you big silly. Come on," and we continued on. "Do you know what animals can digest wheat?" "Cats?" I said. "Rats," she said. "Rats," I said. We walked down alley way after alley way, the streets getting narrower and darker as we went. I could barely hear traffic. "Eat about anything, rats." "So we eat the rats?" "No," she said. "We sell the enzymes!" She really was great. She was the best. "So what if all that bread didn't bloat you up before the main course? What if it made you want more? Makes sense, eh? There's a demand for that, right? And if there’s one thing a city isn’t short of, it’s rats." She was finding a use for the rats. She used every part. "But kind hard to catch them, right?" And we approached a large warehouse, utterly dark in the heavy dusk – dirty, broken, unused, boarded up and chained, barely standing. She turned and beamed. "We FARM ‘em." I looked at the building, and then at our bags of rotting food. Just above the low humming of the city around us I was sure I could hear a kind of throbbing, rustling sound coming form within, very much as if a very small noise was being made thousands and thousands of times. I sighed. "Come on. Come and help me get these bags up this ladder." I was already two rungs up when she said this. We got to the top and gathered around a skylight in the roof. I looked in, and it was entirely dark in there. There was nothing at all to see, save for the merest traces of the outline of the room below. All I got out of the skylight was a slightly musty smell and a draught of warm air. Unceremoniously, Mary chucked in the bags of bread and fox and the darkness moved. It writhed. It exploded. It bulged up towards us and the sound echoed around the tin walls and the glass of the area's warehouses. The sound of uncountable feet scrabbling. The sound of rough and dirty fur up against itself. The sound of teeth. Their movement released the smell, the smell hit me, and I passed out. I woke up halfway down the ladder. I had checked out, but my body had kept going, trying to get as far away from that smell as possible. Old Mary had a gentle but entirely unmoveable arm around me, calmly, but firmly, ushering me back up. "You don't entirely get used it, but it means the colony is healthy so I've grown to like it." "Oh good," I said, as she helped me up the rest of the way. I sat down heavily, and she produced a bottle. "Job's a good'un," she said. "Look, you've a been a great help tonight and I wanna thank you," and she passed me a cup. "Hey, do you know the one about the three-legged pig?" I took the cup, "I can't say I do?" "Oh never mind then," and she raised her cup. "Every part!" . And I cheersed her back. "Every part!" I replied. And so, sitting on top of a warehouse full of rats, about four minutes before the roof collapsed, we shared a large glass of wine.

<music starts 'Big Bald Bessy's Drum', written by A P Clarke. Performed by 76>

Let's all buy a round, let's all gather round, Big Bald Bessy's drum! Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!

Well she's bald as a football and she's only got one leg and that's as thick as a tree-trunk and her bones are filled with lead and she kicked a man to death but that was long ago they say and now she kicks for Jesus singing 'the Lord is on his way!' And she'll beat the thunder silent she'll crash the lightning black she'll beat the bastards down and then she'll beat the bastards back Her sticks are made from bones and all her drums are made from skin so: Sing, sing sing!

Let's all buy a round, let's all gather round, Big Bald Bessy's drum! Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!

Her band are all cured lunatics, criminals and scum and to a man they changed their ways when they heard Big Bessy's drum Napoleon was blown apart when he heard the bugle call and Falstaff sang the melody as he let the city fall And they don't ask for forgiveness and they don't ask for reward Damocles says 'if you please, damn your bloody sword!' Heaven's full of corpses and the grave is full of kings, so: Sing, sing sing!

Let's all buy a round, let's all gather round, Big Bald Bessy's drum! Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!

It's cold and it is dark outside, there's nothing for you there so if you're feeling lonely come inside and grab a chair the lines of politicians, and the lines of your old songs But Big Bald Bessy plays the lines the stars do move along And the angels fall from heaven the demons from below they're all still queuing up getting tickets for the show, so: step right up and move along, we've got just the thing: Sing, sing sing!

Let's all buy a round, let's all gather round, Big Bald Bessy's drum! Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna Sing Hosannah now, the Lord is gonna come!

The roof collapsed. Some combination of rotting frameworks in the walls, gnawed-through supports on the floor, and some undesigned-for weight on the celing meant the roof simply gave way and we fell in a shower of rusted iron, splintering beams and shattering glass, down in to the sea of rats. the rats parted as we fell, showing suprising sense. We landed painfully on the floor. But it was the floor: it was damp, mind, but it was not alive. When we got up, the great hall was empty, but for a few corpses caught by the collapse. "Ooh, you've got some glass in your arm," Mary said. I looked down and there was a six inch shard of old window sticking out of my forearm. "Oh," I said. Mary came over to me and yanked the glass out, then wiped it clean on her jacket. "We have to be careful with blood, round here." she said, and then threw the glass away. there was a rustling over from where the glass landed as if it was being checked, just in case. Mary ripped up some of her shirt, and wrapped it around my wound. "Right then," I said. "So where the exit?" !Well I had to block all the doors up tight, didn't I?" said Mary. "That's just sense!" "Okay," I looked around. My footsteps began to crunch. I took out my phone and turned the torch on. "I don't suppose there'd be any signal in here?" "Oh, there's signal everywhere. But what's the point? Rats'll strip a body in minutes." And she pointed past me. I pointed the torch that way, and saw bones. A mountain of bones, stretching right across the floor: bare, but not clean. But it was not the amount that got to me, it was that they were organised. At the front was a wash of tiny, delicate bones, so small they'd bend rather than break. But then the bones got bigger and bigger towards the centre of the mountain: legs and ribs gave way to hips and skulls. She said, "incredible ain't it?" and I head for the first time in her voice something approaching awe. "I've heard stories," I said. "When a colony reaches a certain size, the colony produces a leader. they start acting smarter, start planning, start being...sentient." And she laughed like an earthquake "I think you mean rat-kings: twelve rats tied by their tales in a circle at the centre of a swarm." "Yes, I think I mean that." "Look, I ain't saying people don't tie rats together. I just reckon those rats are too busy getting constantly crapped on to organise anything. No, look: you think the sea cares about the shore? But the sand is sorted, just the same. These rats aren't sentient: they're tidal. Its the sheer numbers moving round that're sorting the bones. All the way from door-mice..." she motioned from the front towards the back. " ...to dobermans." I said, "I'm fairly sure dogs don't get that big." She peered at the pile, "I've seen dogs bigger." "You seen them with thumbs?" "Well it depends what they had for dinner," she said, as she started to make her way through the bones. "Sorry to make a mess of your pile, yer little nibblers." She made her way to the far wall, "And the reason they sorted them in this pattern is...ah yes, here it is" The skulls fell away and revealed a huge steel hatch. "And what's through there?" I asked. "Well, the cats, of course." "The cats." "I never got to finish my story, did I. Well, i'm not the one that does the farming. I let the rats build up in numbers, and then I put the cats in. It's very easy to collect what's left, i've found.." She picked up a heavy control swtich. "The next warehouse over is absolutely full of cats, and this tunnel links them. Now:" She walked over to me. "For this to work, we are gonna need the rats gathered in the main chamber so..." She pulled the bandage off my arm and threw it into the centre of the room. the blood dripped from it onto the floor, as fresh blood oozed up from my wound and began running down my hand. A rumbling rose up in the space. Another blast of the smell was released. The darkness moved, and the chamber began filling with rats. They approached, and then sniffed and then ripped in to pieces the bandage, and then started towards me. More and more rats. Thousands of them. I couldn't see the floor. "Nice," she said. "I think i'd rather be in the other warehouse," I said. "Oh really? Rats only kill when they're hungry. Cats kill because they can." "Well then let's not open the hatch." "Rats is always hungry," said Mary. And the rats milled around at my feet in ever greater numbers. Waves of them, lapping at my shins. "I'd suggest standing very still. And closing your eyes. And putting your hands in your pockets. Actually, maybe under your armpits." "And what about...?" "Well try and tuck that in somewhere too, eh?" "Okay," I said. The rats began climbing me. "Now. Hold your breath." And she pulled the switch. The metal hatch clanged up and revealed the tunnel to the warehouse full of cats. All the rats stopped. I could feel them on my feet, lifting their noses in to the air. Then the smell of the rats hit the cats and a low, seismic roar of growls came from back down the tunnel. With my eyes closed, and my breath held, I could only feel the movement. It was almost entirely silent. Nothing was mewling or squeaking in anger or in fear. There was only the sound of coarse fur, and teeth in flesh. And soon the sound changed as the fur and the floor became wet. But Mary and me were left mostly untouched as the battle was raged around us. The animals swarmed, focusing solely on their prey and their threat and treating us as little more than furniture. Every so often a cat would land on my shoulders before heading back in; their claws dug in, and their wet fur wiping itself across my face as they did. Higher and higher the sea of animals rose, to my knees and, god help me, to my thighs, and I beagan swaying on my feet from the currents within it. And then the numbers tipped, the battle turned, and animals drained from me, leaving me standing, quivering, by myself. I dared to open my eyes, and all that was left was bodies. The warehouse full of tiny, slick furred bodies. The cats had all returned to their warehouse. Mary was looking around too. "Ooo, look at that! That's marvellous!" She looked at me, up and down. "Hmmm," she said. "How much of that blood, do you reckon, is yours?" I said "I am going to fall over" and then I fell over. She was holding me around the waist as we walked slowly back to the high street. For the tunnel led back to the warehouse of the cats, which had a functional staircase and a skylight allowing us, finally, unsteadily, to leave. "Am I okay?" I asked. "Ooo, you've been quite the snack, but you'll be alright." My hand reached down towards my legs and she laughed "oh, you'll be okay," she said. "Look: you've been really helpful, and I wanna thank you for the evening." "Well, it was very eventful," I said. "I'll be sure to keep you in meat for a while yet, eh? I'll get some of my special sausages over to your place." "Oh? And how do you make those?" And she laughed like an earthquake, pinched my cheek, and did not answer. As we were walking home she said "I should really tell you then one about the three-legged pig... " Well I must admit my memory got hazy after that, but if you are about after sunset, get up somewhere high and look out at the lights on the skyline and the gaps inbetween. wait a while, until it is really quiet, and listen: you never never know what you might hear.

THIS HAS BEEN THE THIRD EPISODE OF THE LOST CAT PODCAST, SEASON 3, TITLED 'RATS', WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY A P CLARKE. COPYRIGHT 2017.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

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[sunnl1ng]

jcc is gonna be real soon 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

[fl0ydzie]

am I the most fuckin fantastic freak you’ve ever seen?

[racheldrawsthis]

365 party boy

[michellelewis7162]

Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

 eSports Gaming Information

Essentially, eSports is really a rivals through which gamers combat it out to the video game or even desk when using the internet video activities. These organized competitors are really taking the games planet through typhoon at the second and it was really additionally determined that in 2013 an astonishing 71.5 many thousand people tuned in to visit the computer game. Esportz Entertainment

 Worldwide in 2014, the esports photos video gaming field produce an extensive $325 many thousand, as well as a result of to the end of this particular certain year this is in fact readied to support $493 thousand, while its personal target audience concerns 225 million!

 eSports Games Available

There are really numbers of eSports activities on call to appreciate, yet there are actually a number of that have really been actually specifically well-liked among players over the last few years because of to their superior graphics as well as remarkable task participate in! Numerous of the large celebrities that you are actually incredibly most likely to locate across when exploring for eSports computer game to play are in fact Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm which is in fact a method game coming from Blizzard, Super Smash Bros Melee happening from Warner from Nintendo, Injustice: Gods Among Us stemming from Warner Brothers, Killer Instinct coming from Microsoft, as properly as finally from Activision occurs our experts would definitely claim the absolute most preferred each of these tasks as well as also is actually Call of Duty: Ghosts.

 Unless you have actually monitored among these activities at the workplace, then it can conveniently be in fact rather tough to describe what is in fact therefore superior relating to every one of all of them. When joining an eSports video game the main goal of the task is actually to often kill or even beat the a variety of other gamer as well as additionally these activities are unbelievably swift which can easily make all of them quite challenging to sustain.

 There are actually additionally a great deal of International competitors delivered to engage in too. A few of the competitors that you might possess listened to of are stemming from the activity author Vale, that manage The International Tournament which merely includes some of its really personal online video games Dota 2. Numerous various other agencies furthermore work their own competitors featuring Blizzard as properly as their competitors include eSports activities such as Starcraft.

 The charm of eSports has in fact obtained a great deal of travel over the last variety of years. What as soon as did be appeared at a pastime and likewise leisure activity for kids has found yourself being actually an absolutely sensible industry at the qualified volume. Considerably like the greats athletes of the NFL, NBA as well as also MLB, continuous hours of strategy along with competitors are going to most definitely make their mark on the gamer in addition to can easily constrain the amount of your opportunity spent performing in the showing off task.

 Popular eSport damages are actually being in fact found in the upper arm, back in addition to low spine. These are all thought about overuse accidents and typical of what one would surely experience while operating any kind of form of job in addition to keeping in one position for several hrs at a chance for a prolonged length of your opportunity. Common professional players are mosting likely to join a minimum required of 10-12 hours daily. The majority of the amount of times along with marginal rests during a possessing exciting therapy. Compound this volume of your time through weeks, months and additionally years of video games as well as it starts to get its own toll on the physique. Ache of any kind of type of kinds may quickly trigger interest in sporting activities functions. Discomfort along with online video games sportsmens may conveniently be vital taking into consideration that the ache is probably in a location of the body system that has actually to be actually made use of if you intend to join. Gamer arm soreness might dramatically restrict the quantity of humans resources a player may conveniently devote doing as well as finishing, which are actually heading to create a reduction of certainly not merely a competition but can have a disconcerting impact on the gamer's and even group's monetary jackpots too.

 Playing with the soreness is actually definitely not an ideal solution either. Through the time a esports player accident is actually powerful acceptable to come to be discovered there is actually a strong indicator the issue has in fact been developing for fairly some option Esports Network.

 eSport trauma indicators you should concentrate including the following:

 Hand ache - tingling or gratifying in the palm or perhaps fingertips, weak point in understanding tough aspect and overall ache

Reduced neck and pain in the back - pins and also needles or maybe prickling in to the legs, buttocks or footwear. General discomfort in the back that improves after sitting sizable durations.

Upper back pains - rigidness and also conventional aching near the shoulders and at the bottom of the neck.

eSport injury answers contain observing tiredness that improves your stance while playing and any distress that emerges while taking part in. The best option is to take rests while you are actually taking part in and execute degrees simply as if you were actually an expert athlete executing on the place or on a courtroom. A reliable flexing timetable is in fact required for any type of kind of specialist eSport sportsmen Esports Network.

 A bunch of people, featuring sportsmens and additionally late-night chat course tons have in fact taken a look at whether a health condition featuring the term "sports" may actually be actually utilized to describe something like internet computer game. While a great deal of players will most likely concede that somebody that joins a computer game like Halo or even Call of Duty adeptly is actually absolutely not an athlete in the specific same method that someone that plays in the NFL is a sportsmen, however, is it truly that different?

 Countless players state to have in fact been joining video recording tasks because of the reality that they were really much younger young people, a lot of beginning to interact in the extremely reasonable advantage of gaming in their very early teens. They've operated their methods up happening from staffs that are actually frequently composed of neighborhood great buddies or even people they've experienced joining online, to far better crews wishing that they'll be in fact found out via one of the greatest players as well as also be in fact given the opportunity to show by themselves. While 1000s of people across the planet play video activities in some ability, simply a tiny portion of those have the ability in addition to commitment called for to be really taken note of an expert.

 Apart arising from a couple of singular player esports names, a lot of activities that are actually used the very competitive level are really team-based. Ring of Duty, Halo, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota, Overwatch, as well as so on are really all participated in via groups of at the quite the very least 4 gamers. How a person plays as part of a staff can produce or perhaps wreck their job.

 Among the major aspects people will certainly deal is that athletes in conventional sporting activities encounter a notably far better threat of personal injury than expert gamers. While qualified athletes are actually at a more substantial danger for crashes like damaged bones, torn tendons, blasts, etc, esports aren't completely run the risk of cost-free. When you dedicate 10 hours or also additional of your opportunity examining a games display screen and also rapidly touching buttons on an operator or even pressing tricks on a computer body key-board, there is actually a threat for aspects like eye stress in addition to carpal movement if the proper actions aren't taken. While it might absolutely not be absolutely suitable to contrast these apparently slight injuries to those suffered via conventional specialist athletes, they may quickly still affect an individual both in as well as likewise out of activity and also might possibly be actually job finishing Esports Network.

 Unlike many expert sportsmens, many trained gamers additionally have various other obligations featuring university in addition to job. Gamers in the smaller esports may certainly not be often under wage, hence need to typically trust event revenues. Although going much on your own on devices like YouTube in addition to Twitch may definitely help nutritional supplement that incomes, countless expert gamers need to carry different other job past pc games. This indicates that they must know to harmonize video games alongside work and might need to have to lose hope opportunity alongside friends as well as family members to find to it they rely on quicken along with the rivals.

 Is it viable that an individual time certainly there undoubtedly will be really Little League video recording pc gaming teams or maybe that kids will claim they intend to be the complying with Walshy and even Ogre 2 instead than desiring to become in fact the observing Peyton Manning and even Michael Jordan? Recently I will certainly have pointed out no, nevertheless in addition to esports staying to obtain acknowledgment and also becoming recognized as an added trustworthy area, I am in fact not thus sure, specifically alongside colleges including the University of California in Irvine offering esports scholarships. Regardless of whether esports will certainly ever be dealt with in the exact same room as much more traditional showing off tasks, the future certainly appears intense.

 Very competitive online video games has actually been actually around a lengthy option on the COMPUTER in addition to expert Starcraft organizations or even tournaments for games like Quake and also Counter-Strike. The Xbox 360 has actually produced competitive personal computer gaming a lot more famous in the final few years with the pro-gaming console game Major League Gaming, or even MLG for brief, and also has actually begun to become in fact classified as a sport by means of lots of players. Also showing off activities updates protection, like ESPN, have actually obtained in to this brand-new fad called E-Sports (electronic featuring tasks) in addition to now deals with MLG tasks on their web site as well as also even at opportunities mentions it on Sportscenter. Is this interest confirmed? Are E-Sports actually featuring activities? The action is actually no as well as additionally on this site are actually main reason why this is actually therefore.

 Shortage of large all-natural capability space

When I took advantage of to get involved in SOCOM II, a friend of mine possessed over 2,000 hrs logged onto the task online. I possess a 2.5 K/D portion on Halo 3, however, I hardly ever join the activity and likewise do absolutely not take it extremely truly. I sense, nonetheless, that if I participated in 8 hrs a time or even additional along with the intent to take it remarkably very seriously, I may probably deal at the MLG degree Esports Network.

 This is actually surely not therefore in addition to sporting activities like hockey, baseball, baseball, likewise golf or ping pong. I produced usage of to participate in hockey as a little one yet no worry only the amount of I took part in, there is a 99.999% opportunity I are going to definitely never ever make it in to the NHL. I presume the identical can be really indicated for thousands, maybe also countless specialist sportsmens in key featuring activities. Certainly not games. You have a great possibilities of dealing with to battle in the industry of video gaming just via instruction and remaining dedicated to it.

 Maybe I can definitely never overtake TSquared yet considered that pc video gaming lugs out undoubtedly not involve physicality, the distinction in between our provider would certainly be simply dedication. The expert gaming joins internet video recording activities as his life.

 There is really no seeking integrate

In several primary sporting activities video games like the NBA, NHL, NFL, and also MLB, there are in fact minors or also educational institution quantity play. This is only how gamers produce it around the majors, they participate in via college and also after that acquire made to a team or play in the smalls, affirm themselves, as well as additionally are actually gotten in touch with. In E-Sports, there is really no smalls. You carry out not must affirm your own self to accomplish, you just pay out to enter a celebration. I may not update you the quantity of your time I have enjoyed a sports task on TELEVISION to hear a reporter condition one point along free throw lines of 'You're in the Majors, you need to have to deal with to generate that play' or maybe a single thing identical. There is really no credibility and reputation being an MLG gamer, it is actually meaningless. Any person can develop into one at anytime. Today, you may get gravely defeated if you're no exceptional, having said that it is actually due to the fact that you're accomplishing at a degree you should not be actually. There is actually a cause when big game players in MLB are actually delivered down to the minors on a rehabilitation project and even something that they control or perhaps that a gamer that could possibly control at three-way An or the AHL for hockey could take in the NHL or even MLB, it is actually a completely various degree of play Esports Network.

 E-Sports do not possess degrees of play like this (specific there is really the CAL and also CPL but it performs certainly not run the exact same technique). I presume to be actually considered a sport, MLG needs to correct this through combining a small video game where players are actually cultivated coming from to contending in the majors.

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Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

Esports Network and also Are In Fact E-Sports In Fact Sports?eSports Quick Overview for New Athletes

 eSports Gaming Information

Essentially, eSports is really a rivals through which gamers combat it out to the video game or even desk when using the internet video activities. These organized competitors are really taking the games planet through typhoon at the second and it was really additionally determined that in 2013 an astonishing 71.5 many thousand people tuned in to visit the computer game.

 Worldwide in 2014, the esports photos video gaming field produce an extensive $325 many thousand, as well as a result of to the end of this particular certain year this is in fact readied to support $493 thousand, while its personal target audience concerns 225 million! https://www.esportznetworkpodcast.com/

 eSports Games Available

There are really numbers of eSports activities on call to appreciate, yet there are actually a number of that have really been actually specifically well-liked among players over the last few years because of to their superior graphics as well as remarkable task participate in! Numerous of the large celebrities that you are actually incredibly most likely to locate across when exploring for eSports computer game to play are in fact Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm which is in fact a method game coming from Blizzard, Super Smash Bros Melee happening from Warner from Nintendo, Injustice: Gods Among Us stemming from Warner Brothers, Killer Instinct coming from Microsoft, as properly as finally from Activision occurs our experts would definitely claim the absolute most preferred each of these tasks as well as also is actually Call of Duty: Ghosts.

 Unless you have actually monitored among these activities at the workplace, then it can conveniently be in fact rather tough to describe what is in fact therefore superior relating to every one of all of them. When joining an eSports video game the main goal of the task is actually to often kill or even beat the a variety of other gamer as well as additionally these activities are unbelievably swift which can easily make all of them quite challenging to sustain.

 There are actually additionally a great deal of International competitors delivered to engage in too. A few of the competitors that you might possess listened to of are stemming from the activity author Vale, that manage The International Tournament which merely includes some of its really personal online video games Dota 2. Numerous various other agencies furthermore work their own competitors featuring Blizzard as properly as their competitors include eSports activities such as Starcraft.

 The charm of eSports has in fact obtained a great deal of travel over the last variety of years. What as soon as did be appeared at a pastime and likewise leisure activity for kids has found yourself being actually an absolutely sensible industry at the qualified volume. Considerably like the greats athletes of the NFL, NBA as well as also MLB, continuous hours of strategy along with competitors are going to most definitely make their mark on the gamer in addition to can easily constrain the amount of your opportunity spent performing in the showing off task.

 Popular eSport damages are actually being in fact found in the upper arm, back in addition to low spine. These are all thought about overuse accidents and typical of what one would surely experience while operating any kind of form of job in addition to keeping in one position for several hrs at a chance for a prolonged length of your opportunity. Common professional players are mosting likely to join a minimum required of 10-12 hours daily. The majority of the amount of times along with marginal rests during a possessing exciting therapy. Compound this volume of your time through weeks, months and additionally years of video games as well as it starts to get its own toll on the physique. Ache of any kind of type of kinds may quickly trigger interest in sporting activities functions. Discomfort along with online video games sportsmens may conveniently be vital taking into consideration that the ache is probably in a location of the body system that has actually to be actually made use of if you intend to join. Gamer arm soreness might dramatically restrict the quantity of humans resources a player may conveniently devote doing as well as finishing, which are actually heading to create a reduction of certainly not merely a competition but can have a disconcerting impact on the gamer's and even group's monetary jackpots too.

 Playing with the soreness is actually definitely not an ideal solution either. Through the time a esports player accident is actually powerful acceptable to come to be discovered there is actually a strong indicator the issue has in fact been developing for fairly some option Esports Network.

 eSport trauma indicators you should concentrate including the following:

 Hand ache - tingling or gratifying in the palm or perhaps fingertips, weak point in understanding tough aspect and overall ache

Reduced neck and pain in the back - pins and also needles or maybe prickling in to the legs, buttocks or footwear. General discomfort in the back that improves after sitting sizable durations.

Upper back pains - rigidness and also conventional aching near the shoulders and at the bottom of the neck.

eSport injury answers contain observing tiredness that improves your stance while playing and any distress that emerges while taking part in. The best option is to take rests while you are actually taking part in and execute degrees simply as if you were actually an expert athlete executing on the place or on a courtroom. A reliable flexing timetable is in fact required for any type of kind of specialist eSport sportsmen Esports Network.

 A bunch of people, featuring sportsmens and additionally late-night chat course tons have in fact taken a look at whether a health condition featuring the term "sports" may actually be actually utilized to describe something like internet computer game. While a great deal of players will most likely concede that somebody that joins a computer game like Halo or even Call of Duty adeptly is actually absolutely not an athlete in the specific same method that someone that plays in the NFL is a sportsmen, however, is it truly that different?

 Countless players state to have in fact been joining video recording tasks because of the reality that they were really much younger young people, a lot of beginning to interact in the extremely reasonable advantage of gaming in their very early teens. They've operated their methods up happening from staffs that are actually frequently composed of neighborhood great buddies or even people they've experienced joining online, to far better crews wishing that they'll be in fact found out via one of the greatest players as well as also be in fact given the opportunity to show by themselves. While 1000s of people across the planet play video activities in some ability, simply a tiny portion of those have the ability in addition to commitment called for to be really taken note of an expert.

 Apart arising from a couple of singular player esports names, a lot of activities that are actually used the very competitive level are really team-based. Ring of Duty, Halo, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota, Overwatch, as well as so on are really all participated in via groups of at the quite the very least 4 gamers. How a person plays as part of a staff can produce or perhaps wreck their job.

 Among the major aspects people will certainly deal is that athletes in conventional sporting activities encounter a notably far better threat of personal injury than expert gamers. While qualified athletes are actually at a more substantial danger for crashes like damaged bones, torn tendons, blasts, etc, esports aren't completely run the risk of cost-free. When you dedicate 10 hours or also additional of your opportunity examining a games display screen and also rapidly touching buttons on an operator or even pressing tricks on a computer body key-board, there is actually a threat for aspects like eye stress in addition to carpal movement if the proper actions aren't taken. While it might absolutely not be absolutely suitable to contrast these apparently slight injuries to those suffered via conventional specialist athletes, they may quickly still affect an individual both in as well as likewise out of activity and also might possibly be actually job finishing Esports Network.

 Unlike many expert sportsmens, many trained gamers additionally have various other obligations featuring university in addition to job. Gamers in the smaller esports may certainly not be often under wage, hence need to typically trust event revenues. Although going much on your own on devices like YouTube in addition to Twitch may definitely help nutritional supplement that incomes, countless expert gamers need to carry different other job past pc games. This indicates that they must know to harmonize video games alongside work and might need to have to lose hope opportunity alongside friends as well as family members to find to it they rely on quicken along with the rivals.

 Is it viable that an individual time certainly there undoubtedly will be really Little League video recording pc gaming teams or maybe that kids will claim they intend to be the complying with Walshy and even Ogre 2 instead than desiring to become in fact the observing Peyton Manning and even Michael Jordan? Recently I will certainly have pointed out no, nevertheless in addition to esports staying to obtain acknowledgment and also becoming recognized as an added trustworthy area, I am in fact not thus sure, specifically alongside colleges including the University of California in Irvine offering esports scholarships. Regardless of whether esports will certainly ever be dealt with in the exact same room as much more traditional showing off tasks, the future certainly appears intense.

 Very competitive online video games has actually been actually around a lengthy option on the COMPUTER in addition to expert Starcraft organizations or even tournaments for games like Quake and also Counter-Strike. The Xbox 360 has actually produced competitive personal computer gaming a lot more famous in the final few years with the pro-gaming console game Major League Gaming, or even MLG for brief, and also has actually begun to become in fact classified as a sport by means of lots of players. Also showing off activities updates protection, like ESPN, have actually obtained in to this brand-new fad called E-Sports (electronic featuring tasks) in addition to now deals with MLG tasks on their web site as well as also even at opportunities mentions it on Sportscenter. Is this interest confirmed? Are E-Sports actually featuring activities? The action is actually no as well as additionally on this site are actually main reason why this is actually therefore.

 Shortage of large all-natural capability space

When I took advantage of to get involved in SOCOM II, a friend of mine possessed over 2,000 hrs logged onto the task online. I possess a 2.5 K/D portion on Halo 3, however, I hardly ever join the activity and likewise do absolutely not take it extremely truly. I sense, nonetheless, that if I participated in 8 hrs a time or even additional along with the intent to take it remarkably very seriously, I may probably deal at the MLG degree Esports Network.

 This is actually surely not therefore in addition to sporting activities like hockey, baseball, baseball, likewise golf or ping pong. I produced usage of to participate in hockey as a little one yet no worry only the amount of I took part in, there is a 99.999% opportunity I are going to definitely never ever make it in to the NHL. I presume the identical can be really indicated for thousands, maybe also countless specialist sportsmens in key featuring activities. Certainly not games. You have a great possibilities of dealing with to battle in the industry of video gaming just via instruction and remaining dedicated to it.

 Maybe I can definitely never overtake TSquared yet considered that pc video gaming lugs out undoubtedly not involve physicality, the distinction in between our provider would certainly be simply dedication. The expert gaming joins internet video recording activities as his life.

 There is really no seeking integrate

In several primary sporting activities video games like the NBA, NHL, NFL, and also MLB, there are in fact minors or also educational institution quantity play. This is only how gamers produce it around the majors, they participate in via college and also after that acquire made to a team or play in the smalls, affirm themselves, as well as additionally are actually gotten in touch with. In E-Sports, there is really no smalls. You carry out not must affirm your own self to accomplish, you just pay out to enter a celebration. I may not update you the quantity of your time I have enjoyed a sports task on TELEVISION to hear a reporter condition one point along free throw lines of 'You're in the Majors, you need to have to deal with to generate that play' or maybe a single thing identical. There is really no credibility and reputation being an MLG gamer, it is actually meaningless. Any person can develop into one at anytime. Today, you may get gravely defeated if you're no exceptional, having said that it is actually due to the fact that you're accomplishing at a degree you should not be actually. There is actually a cause when big game players in MLB are actually delivered down to the minors on a rehabilitation project and even something that they control or perhaps that a gamer that could possibly control at three-way An or the AHL for hockey could take in the NHL or even MLB, it is actually a completely various degree of play Esports Network.

 E-Sports do not possess degrees of play like this (specific there is really the CAL and also CPL but it performs certainly not run the exact same technique). I presume to be actually considered a sport, MLG needs to correct this through combining a small video game where players are actually cultivated coming from to contending in the majors.