#s: clover's big spike

[hollow-prior]

All MLP Characters

Simply because I'm rewatching and enjoy making lists :)

A:

Angel (Bunny)

Apple Bloom (Earth Pony)

Apple Brown Bake (Earth Pony)

Apple Bumpkin (Earth Pony)

Apple Cinnamon Crisp (Earth Pony)

Apple Frias (Earth Pony)

Apple Fritter (Earth Pony)

Applejack (Earth Pony)

Apple Rose (Earth Pony)

Applesauce (Earth Pony)

Apple Strudel (Earth Pony)

Apple Tart (Earth Pony)

B:

Babs Seed (Earth Pony)

Baked Apples (Earth Pony)

Big Macintosh (Earth Pony)

Blossomforth (Pegasus)

[Prince] Blueblood (Unicorn)

Braeburn (Earth Pony)

Bulk Biceps (Pegasus)

C:

[Princess] Cadence (Alicorn)

Caramel Apple (Earth Pony)

Carrot Cake (Earth Pony)

[Princess] Celestia (Alicorn)

Cerberus (Three-Headed Dog)

Cheerilee (Earth Pony)

Cheese Sandwich (Earth Pony)

Cloud Chaser (Pegasus)

Clover [the Clever] (Unicorn)

Coco Pommel (Earth Pony)

Crackle (Dragon)

Cranky Doodle Donkey (Donkey)

Cup Cake (Earth Pony)

D:

Daisy (Earth Pony)

Daisy Jo (Cow)

Daring Do (Pegasus)

Diamond Tiara (Earth Pony)

Discord (Draconequus)

Ditzy Doo (Pegasus)

E:

[Commander] Easy Glider (Pegasus)

F:

[Admiral] Fairy Flight (Pegasus)

Fancy Pants (Unicorn)

Featherweight (Pegasus)

Filthy Rich (Earth Pony)

[General] Firefly (Pegasus)

Flam (Unicorn)

[General] Flash (Pegasus)

Flash Sentry (Pegasus)

Fleetfoot (Pegasus)

Flim (Unicorn)

Flitter (Pegasus)

Fluttershy (Pegasus)

G:

Garble (Dragon)

Gilda (Griffon)

Golden Delicious (Earth Pony)

Granny Smith (Earth Pony)

Gummy (Alligator)

Gustave le Grand (Griffon)

H:

Harshwhinny (Earth Pony)

Hayseed Turnip Truck (Earth Pony)

Hoity Toity (Earth Pony)

[Commander] Hurricane (Pegasus)

I:

Iron Will (Minotaur)

J:

Jet Set (Unicorn)

Joe (Unicorn)

Junebug (Earth Pony)

K:

Kingpin (Unicorn)

L:

Lickety-Split (Earth Pony)

Lightning Dust (Pegasus)

Little Strongheart (Buffalo)

[Princess] Luna/Nightmare Moon (Alicorn)

M:

Matilda (Donkey)

Maud Pie (Earth Pony)

Moon Dancer (Unknown Pony)

Mooriella (Cow)

Mulia Mild (Mule)

N:

O:

Opalescence (Cat)

Owlowiscious (Owl)

P:

Peachy Pie (Earth Pony)

Peewee (Phoenix)

Pipsqueak (Earth Pony)

Philomena (Phoenix)

Photo Finish (Earth Pony)

Pinkie Pie (Earth Pony)

Prim Hemline (Earth Pony)

[Princess] Platinum (Unicorn)

Pound Cake (Pegasus)

[Chancellor] Pudding Hat (Earth Pony)

Pumpkin Cake (Unicorn)

[Colonel] Purple Dart (Pegasus)

Q:

R:

Rainbow Dash (Pegasus)

Randolph (Earth Pony)

Rapidfire (Pegasus)

Rarity (Unicorn)

Red Delicious (Earth Pony)

Red Gala (Earth Pony)

Rose (Earth Pony)

Rumble (Pegasus)

S:

Sapphire Shores (Earth Pony)

Seabreeze (Breezie)

Scootaloo (Pegasus)

Shining Armor (Unicorn)

Silver Shill (Earth Pony)

Silverspeed (Pegasus)

Silver Spoon (Earth Pony)

[Sheriff] Silverstar (Earth Pony)

Smart Cookie (Earth Pony)

Snails (Unicorn)

Snips (Unicorn)

Soarin (Pegasus)

[King] Sombra (Unicorn)

Spike (Dragon)

Spitfire (Pegasus)

Star Swirl the Bearded (Unicorn)

Stinking Rich (Earth Pony)

Sunny Daze (Earth Pony)

Suri Polomare (Earth Pony)

Sunset Shimmer (Unicorn)

Sweetie Belle (Unicorn)

T:

[Chief] Thunderhooves (Buffalo)

Thunderlane (Pegasus)

Trenderhoof (Unicorn)

Trixie (Unicorn)

[Princess] Twilight Sparkle (Unicorn -> Alicorn)

Twist (Earth Pony)

U:

Upper Crust (Unicorn)

V:

W:

[Mr.] Waddle (Earth Pony)

Winona (Dog)

X:

Y:

Z:

Zecora (Zebra)

Zipporwhill (Pegasus)

[aarcanechaoss]

General Masterlist

Ultimate Masterlist

A- Angst, F- Fluff, C- Crack, S- Smut

Bungou Stray Dogs

Atsushi Nakajima:

Looking Down A | Silence A | Monsters F | Stress Relief S | She A

Ranpo Edogawa:

Praising S | Big breasts & Ass S

Yukichi Fukuzawa:

The Enemy S |

Osamu Dazai:

The Past A

Kenji Miyazawa:

Wrong A

Fyodor Dostoevsky:

Immunity C

Chuuya Nakahara:

Taming S | Shy S

Ryunosuke Akutagawa:

Bad Luck S

Gin Akutagawa:

My good clothes C (ft Tachihara)

Ichiyo Higuchi: MASTERLIST

I’m Just Me F

Higuchi Thoughts (Koyo, Kajii, Black Lizard) F

Other:

Safe word (Dazai, Chuuya, Ranpo, Poe) S/F

Little sister (Dazai, Chuuya, Kenji) F

Murder him later (Gin x Tachihara) FC

Awkward (Higuchi, Tanizaki’s, Atsushi) F

Pregnant S/O (Chuuya, Ranpo, Atsushi) F

KOUSKE FUKUZAWA MASTERLIST

Black Clover

William Vangeance: MASTERLIST

Once Upon a Dream F

Licht the Elf King

A Sort of Thanks S w/ Fem OC

Sukehiro Yami:

Mind Bound A (ft Charlotte)

When in doubt f**k it out S

Nozel Silva:

More S (ft Dorothy)

Charlotte Roselei:

Five Months F (ft Yami)

Dorothy Unsworth:

Thrilled S (ft Nozel)

Asta:

The Luckiest F (ft Yuno, Black Bulls)

Other:

Safe word (Zora, Nozel, Jack) S/F

Just a kiss (Dorothy x Nozel) F

Y/N’s brothel past (fem, reaction) AS

Big breasts & ass (Nozel, Zora) S

Vermillion Tales (Vermillion family, Crimson Lions) AW

Congratulations (Damnatio Kira) A

Haikyuu

Shoyo Hinata:

Ghoulish A

Other:

TATSU KAGEYAMA MASTERLIST

My Hero Academia

Tomura Shigaraki:

Photograph S | Part Two S

Other:

Transparency C

YORU SHIMURA MASTERLIST

Stories not continued / Paused

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing - Black Clover

A New Life - BSD

Bungou Stray Spike - BSD x Haikyuu

Hope for All - MHA

[badbreadpuns]

Clover’s Big Spike (3/3)

Characters: m!bunny boy x f!reader Content: Rut, breeding, implied pregnancy, fluff Rating: Lemon (finally) Word count: ~1,200 A/N: Previous part here.

Clover isn’t at the volleyball game today.

You wait and wait, but your bunny friend is nowhere to be seen. The game starts off without him. Though the white team does their best, it’s not the same without their star player.

After the match, you walk over to the white team, who chat and joke among themselves despite the loss. The chinchilla girl from before spots you.

“Hey, you’re Clover’s buddy, aren’t ya?”

“Yeah. Where is he anyway?”

“Sick at home.”

“Oh no, is he okay?”

“Don’t worry about him. He always gets sick around this time of the month. Dunno why.”

That’s concerning. Time for a snack delivery.

Once you head home, you look for goodies Clover might like. During your adventure in the pantry, you find chocolate chip muffins, a jar of honey and granola bars. You place them in a basket, wrapping the food in a gingham blanket.

Where did you leave your little red hood?

An eerie quiet settles over the mound. Nothing stirs in the garden as you walk up the stone path. The curtains in the round window are drawn, preventing you from looking inside.

You knock on the door. “Clover?”

No response. You knock again.

“It’s me.”

After a moment of silence, footsteps thud behind the wood.

“P-please don’t come in…”

An odor hangs in the air, though you can’t place what it is. Musk? Whatever it is, it’s strong. Sex swims through your thoughts, heat pooling between your legs. Why are you so horny?

“I brought snacks.” You shake the basket as if he can see it.

“I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“You’re my friend. You shouldn’t be home by yourself.”

“You’re the last person I want to see right now!”

His words stab you like a knife to the chest.

The door cracks open, one of Clover’s rosy eyes peering at you. “That was harsher than I meant…”

“Why don’t you want me here? I don’t care if I get sick.”

He sighs. “I’m not sick.”

“Huh?”

Clover pushes the door, revealing himself. He’s flushed and his body is covered in sweat, as if he ran two marathons in a row. Something pink between his legs draws your attention: his dick.

“It’s rut.” He squirms under your gaze. “I go crazy with need. My friends can’t see me like this… Especially not you…”

“Why not? We all have funky biological urges.”

His body trembles and his eyes squeeze shut. “I need to breed you. Badly.”

You grow hotter, thrill crawling up your spine.

Clover runs inside and slams the door before you can respond.

“Hey! It’s okay, let me in!”

“I shouldn’t have told you that.” The sentence is almost a whisper. “You must think I’m a freak.”

“We’re friends. You can tell me anything. And, uh, that’s pretty hot?”

The door opens again, a confused bunny boy standing in the doorway. “Really?”

“I’ve never had someone come inside me before.” The heartbeat in your ears makes it hard to concentrate. “It’s exciting.”

“So you… You want me to…”

You pull Clover into a tight hug, dropping the basket and pushing him into his house. The bun squeaks, almost tumbling under your weight. After a moment of shock, he returns the embrace.

Soft lips trail down your neck, light like a butterfly’s touch. He toys with your breasts, playful but gentle. Fingers reach down and find their way into your panties, a thumb circling your bud. Moans and sighs escape you as you enjoy his wonderful hands.

Moving one hand to your butt and the other behind your knees, Clover lifts you off your feet, causing you to yelp. He carries you over to his room and plops you onto the bed. The wool blanket cushions your fall, and you sink into the softness.

Clover hops on beside you with a wide grin. Pulling him close, you place your lips on his, his touch comforting. You giggle as his whiskers brush against your cheek.

Breaking away from the kiss with a hint of guilt, you undress. Before your hands reach your bra, Clover bends down and grabs it with his teeth, freeing your breasts. Goosebumps cross your skin as it meets the chill air. He bites onto your panties, dragging them down your hips. They dangle off your foot, falling to the ground.

Clover settles on top of you, squeezing your breasts with both hands. Grinning, he pops a nipple into his mouth. Warmth caresses your body as he gently sucks, pleased whimpers slipping from your lips. Your fingers play with his hair, scratching behind his ear. His foot thumps against the mattress, shaking the bed.

He pulls back, settling himself between your legs. His rosy cock pokes your slit, as if asking to be let inside. Unsure eyes look into your own.

With a bright smile, you nod. You pet his face, trailing your hand down his cheek.

“Thank you.”

He hilts you, sighing as he pulls out and slides back in. The thrusts are strong, if a little shaky. Grabbing your hips, he quickens his pace.

Eyes squeezed shut, he’s lost in the sensation, mindlessly rutting into you. The bed shakes under his motion, and you worry it might collapse. You hold on to the mattress for dear life.

Your hand trails down to your bud, circling the sensitive spot as he pounds into you. You moan deeply as he thrusts faster, faster, until the bed frame creaks. His foot thumps harder now, the vibrations at your feet distracting you.

Sex and earth mix, giving birth to an enticing scent. Your head bobs up and down, your vision a blur.

“I’m not-” He grunts. “Going too fast, am I?”

Opening your mouth to answer, a moan comes out instead. It takes a moment for words to form.

“Keep going!”

Clover’s hips are overzealous, bucking into you like a wild animal. Under his shy personality, he’s still a beast folk. It’s in his nature to find a mate and breed.

He’s really going to make you a mom, isn’t he?

The thought is a stone thrown into a pond. Pleasure ripples through you. Crying out, you grasp onto his arm.

Clover tenses up, grabbing your shoulders and holding you close, warmth filling your entrance. He falls onto your chest, sighing happily.

You pet his head, his hair extra soft on your skin. “You did great.”

“Really?”

You smooch his forehead, which heats up under your touch. “Of course.”

Clover snuggles into your chest. “It’s warm.”

You continue to pet him, giving scratches here and there. He nuzzles into you, pulling you closer.

“I can’t wait for your belly to get bigger.”

You giggle. “Yeah, me too.”

Certainly not how you expected your day to go, but you don’t mind.

Thoughts of motherhood twirl in your mind as you slip into sleep.

It’s been a week. You hold the test with a shaking hand, eyes misty.

“Clover, come look!”

The bun boy barges into the bathroom, eager to see the results. His eyes widen like pink full moons.

Wordlessly, he wraps his arms around you, swirling you around.

You’re going to have a happy bunny family.

[chimco]

ITZY Yeji sim cc (sims 4)

Gallery ID: 63129c

SKIN DETAILS

NOSEMASK N9 https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-cc-yay-d-23478950

https://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=haw6762&logNo=221696381034&redirect=Dlog&widgetTypeCall=true&directAccess=false

SKIN N13 OVERLAY https://www.patreon.com/posts/29972995

EYEBROWS N7 https://www.patreon.com/posts/22710677

HAIRLINE G3 https://goppolsme.wixsite.com/goppolsme/single-post/2019/06/05/gift-thanks-40000-followers

MAKEUP

HIGHLIGHTER N3 https://www.patreon.com/posts/skin-n19-makeup-44501167

https://blog.naver.com/2233km/221921205205

CONTOUR BLUSH https://goppolsme.wixsite.com/goppolsme/single-post/2019/11/15/gpme-gold-glamorous-set

https://goppolsme.wixsite.com/goppolsme/single-post/2020/08/05/gpme-gold-makeup-set-cc05

SUNRISE EYES https://www.patreon.com/posts/summer-breeze-40301478

HAIR

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-hair-hairstyles-female/title/anto-sunrise-hair/id/1364878/

ACCESSOIRES

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-accessories-female-earrings/title/spike-earrings-christopher067/id/1501987/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/mmsims-3d-v3-27550505

DIOR KNIT BERET https://www.patreon.com/posts/dior-silk-blouse-42545140

https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/194463/heart-locket-sims4

http://blog.naver.com/PostThumbnailView.nhn?blogId=younzoey&logNo=220956601697&categoryNo=6&parentCategoryNo=6&from=postList

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-accessories-female-necklaces/title/gold-floral-necklace/id/1498035/

CHANEL PEARL BRACELET https://blog.naver.com/dylan_s/221858974337

BIG RIBBON HAIRBAND https://www.patreon.com/posts/rimings-puff-big-39911721

CLOTHING

https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/154693/elliesimple-short-lace-tank-sims4

https://sims4marigold.blogspot.com/2020/07/star-see-through-mini-dress.html

https://sims4marigold.blogspot.com/2020/08/p-lace-shirring-2piece-v2p-v2.html

https://sims4marigold.blogspot.com/2020/10/bear-hood-jacket.html

SHORT SLEEVED TOP https://www.patreon.com/posts/let-me-know-37912611

FRILL PAJAMA SET https://www.patreon.com/posts/rimings-frill-46108511

SILK BLOUSE https://www.patreon.com/posts/dior-silk-blouse-42545140

https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/200834/heartbreaker-skirt-sims4

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-clothing-female-teenadultelder-everyday/title/bikini-bd310/id/1504704/

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bed-ts4-fm-42740913

SHOES

https://www.patreon.com/posts/madlen-logan-38334621

ASHA PUMPS V2 https://dallasgirl79.tumblr.com/post/189945831723/asha-pumps-remake-this-is-the-first-of-many

DENIM PANTS https://www.patreon.com/posts/wait-for-me-45948800

https://www.simsdom.com/downloads/142401/elliesimple-belted-boyfriend-jeans-sims4

https://love4sims4.tumblr.com/post/620652285923590144/introducing-the-melody-ehsani-x-urban-imports-air

https://www.patreon.com/posts/madlen-taylor-38259705

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-shoes-female-teenadultelder/title/clover-strap-heeled-sandals/id/1498592/

https://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims4-shoes-female-teenadultelder/title/anisa-boot/id/1488529/

SLIDERS/PRESETS

NOSE PRESET 2 https://www.patreon.com/posts/24257514

EYE PRESETS https://www.patreon.com/posts/31896348

ARWEN CHEEK PRESET https://www.patreon.com/posts/arwen-set-24380423

ESOTROPIA AND EXOTROPIA SLIDER https://www.patreon.com/posts/slider-and-s-27605441

EYE WIDTH SLIDER https://www.patreon.com/posts/more-sliders-for-27695808

HIP/HEIGHT SLIDER https://luumiasims.com/post/174867678324/a-definitive-cas-height-slider-plus-more-height

MOUTH SCALE SLIDER https://teanmoon.tumblr.com/post/174790436162/mouth-scale-slider-by-teanmoon-teen-elder

NO EA EYELASH MOD https://escapingpotplant.tumblr.com/post/185757366250/no-ea-eyelashes-hotfix

[ft-dads-au]

Hang In There

I Take Pride in What I Am 2020 Prompt: Beginnings Pairing(s): Master Bob & Weisslogia 

A Collaboration by @mdelpin​ and @oryu404​

AO3 | FF.Net

Summary: Bob Aileron has moved rooms more times than he'd care to remember, cast aside by those who refuse to see past his eccentric exterior. Today he'll meet his new roommate, and he desperately hopes to make a friend.

November 12, 1973

Robert Aileron sat at a table at his favorite coffee shop on campus. His suitcase lay on the ground next to him, and he frowned at it in distaste, hating all the things it reminded him of. In some ways, he mused, it was a visual representation of the current state of his soul.

Battered. Torn. Ugly bits exposed for everyone to see.

Every single time he dug it out from underneath his bed, it signaled a defeat of some kind, starting when his father had sent him to that godforsaken place. The things he had endured in the name of pleasing a God that Bob was pretty sure had abandoned him a long time ago had been both painful and humiliating. Just thinking about it was enough to make him shudder.

None of them had changed a single thing inside him. All it had managed was to make him fear what new terrors would be unleashed upon him once his father realized their best efforts had done nothing to turn him into the kind of son he desired.

As soon as he was allowed to return home, Bob had started walking and never looked back, dragging that stupid suitcase through town after town, encounter after encounter, doing anything that would get him money to keep going.

He’d ended up in Magnolia, arguably one of the more liberal towns in Fiore beside Crocus, hoping that things would be different for him there.

But it turned out being more liberal didn’t mean shit, it was just more of the same. The ridicule, the threats, the attacks that he’d experienced in Clover? Happened there as well.

So Bob decided that if no one would embrace him as he was, he would just have to embrace himself. He lived on the streets most of that first summer, earning enough money in dark alleys to rent a dank room the size of a closet.

He graduated high school, made it through four years of college, and now he was in medical school, trying very hard not to dwell on the things he’d had to do to get there. Or on the fact that no matter how educated the people he met were, the way they responded to him never changed.

Which is why he was getting ready to meet yet another roommate. Each time he was forced out of his room and into another for reasons that were never quite made clear to him, the housing advisor assured him that this one would be the perfect one for him. Despite this, he’d lost track of how many times he’d switched rooms since he’d started medical school the previous year.

He’d hoped this year would be different, but this was already his third room assignment in as many months. Was it too much to ask that for once he’d find someone who could see past his little quirks? It was ridiculous in his opinion, these people were training to be doctors for fuck’s sake.

He sighed into his coffee. Whatever, he’d tried changing in the past, adapting to what some of these people’s expectations had been, but not only had it made him miserable, it hadn’t really made any difference whatsoever, so why bother?

The truth was Bob was tired, beaten down from the constant barrage of insults and rejection. Every single one had chewed off a piece of his soul, and just like his poor suitcase, he was starting to fall apart. He really wasn’t sure how much more he could take before there wouldn’t be anything left.

Besides, why should he have to change? He was fabulous just the way he was. Just a bit ahead of his time, that’s all.

He grinned for a moment, allowing that thought to seep in as he eyed his reflection in the window. That blush he’d picked out this morning matched the bright pink of his sweater perfectly, and his mascara was on point.

He didn’t always primp this much, but he figured if this guy wasn’t going to work out, he might as well know from the beginning. He studied the slip of paper where the housing advisor had scribbled down the location of his new room, Fairy Hills, as well as the name of his new roommate, Weisslogia Eucliffe.

Fairy Hills was one of the quieter dorms on campus, but he could live with that. It would be useful for studying, and he tended to go out for his other interests.

On a whim, he decided to buy some muffins to bring along as a gesture of good faith. It probably wouldn’t make any difference, but at the very least, he could stress eat them later.

Loaded up with his backpack, suitcase, and a box of muffins, he made his way to Fairy Hills, trying his hardest to ignore the tiny flame of hope in his heart that refused to be doused, no matter how many times he was rejected.

He entered the building hoping for an elevator as his room was on the third floor, and he wasn’t looking forward to lugging all his shit up the stairs. The lobby was quiet, which wasn’t all that surprising as classes were still in session. He was happy to see an elevator and immediately rode it up to his floor. He got off, looking at the numbers on the doors as he searched for his room. Bob could feel his hands getting sweatier the closer he got to room 302.

Finally arriving in front of it, he put his suitcase down and fumbled in his pocket for the key. He knocked twice before opening the door, finding the room empty, although one side was clearly occupied.

He moved to what would be his side of the room and dropped his suitcase on top of the mattress, stopping a moment to examine what he could see of his roommate’s belongings and chuckling to himself.

There were no personal belongings anywhere, no family pictures or knickknacks of any kind. Instead, textbooks and notebooks were neatly organized on the desk’s shelf, along with a dictionary. The desk itself was bare except for writing supplies. The bed was nicely made, the dirty clothes were all gathered in a hamper.

Rather than the pinups of big breasted women that he’d become accustomed to living with there were anatomy posters, one detailing the skeletal system, another the muscles, and one of the female reproductive system. This guy was serious, but Bob also had to smile at the last poster that had been meticulously pinned up. It was one he’d seen a few times at stores, showing a picture of a cat dangling from a tree branch, the words Hang in there, Baby written underneath.

He’d begun to unpack his belongings when he heard the sound of the door opening behind him. Bob turned to greet his new roommate, a smile already plastered on his lips only to freeze when he found himself face to face with the most gorgeous man he had ever laid eyes on.

Longish blond hair stood up in unruly spikes with some tendrils framing his face, bringing attention to his eyes, which were a beautiful shade of green. They reminded Bob of the ocean, and just like that great body of water, they made him want to swim in their depths.

“Oh, I completely forgot you were moving in today! Sorry about that, I would have cleaned up.”

Damn it, he had an accent too! His biggest weakness.

”I’m Weisslogia Eucliffe, nice to meet you,” Weisslogia stretched his hand out in greeting, and Bob had to resist the urge to bring it up to his lips to kiss. He forced himself to shake it instead, although the formality of the gesture amused him. This guy was definitely not from around here.

“Bob Aileron,” Bob replied, “Nice to meet you as well.”

He could see Weisslogia looking him over and waited for the inevitable moment when he would frown or look away in disgust, but it never came. In fact, Weisslogia seemed to have no reaction at all. Not to the blush, the mascara, or the bright colors of his clothing. Not even to his painted fingernails. Bob had gone out of his way to paint a picture, and the lack of response to his efforts was disconcerting. He was so confused by it that he didn’t even feel relief.

“Hey, are those muffins?” Weiss asked excitedly as his eyes moved to the box of muffins Bob had placed on his desk. “Could I have one? I was running late this morning and didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast.”

“Yeah, knock yourself out,” Bob muttered, still bewildered.

Weisslogia raised an eyebrow at the comment but shrugged it off, opening the box and moaning happily at the sight. He shoved an entire muffin into his mouth, barely stopping to remove the wrapper.

“Whoa, slow down! There’s plenty more, you’re gonna choke!” Bob watched worriedly, trying to reconcile that this man, who was quite obviously a neat freak, was also the messiest eater Bob had ever seen. Crumbs flew out of his mouth at an alarming rate and damn if the juxtaposition of the two things didn’t make him seem even more interesting. He grabbed a napkin from the box and handed it over.

Weiss gave him a crumbly grin, and Bob felt his heart skip a few beats. He finally managed to swallow the muffin and used the napkin to clean himself up, swiftly putting it in the trash.

“Do you need any help moving in?”

“Nah, I’ve got it down to a science by now,” Bob retorted as he went back to unpacking his suitcase. “So you’re not from Fiore, are you?”

“Nope, I’m from a place called Edolas, it’s an-”

“Oh yeah, that’s an island to the east of here, right?” Bob interrupted, remembering it from his geography class in high school.

“Wow, you’ve heard of it, that’s a first!” Weisslogia’s eyes sparkled at his recognition.

“I used to like maps a lot,” Bob admitted shyly, not bothering to add how he used to dream he could just take off to one of those places and start over.

Weisslogia nodded, grabbing another muffin and wolfing it down in much the same graceless way as before. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m eating all your muffins,” he apologized with his mouth full, crumbs falling into the collar of his shirt and down on the floor. “Let me make it up to you, I’ll buy you lunch tomorrow!”

Bob found himself nodding along, not the least bit sure of what to make of his new roommate, but excited at the prospect of lunch with a handsome man the following day.

He turned back to his suitcase, attempting to hide his shit-eating grin from his roommate. He’d come in expecting to be rejected, and he’d somehow come out of it with a date.

And even though he knew it wasn’t a real date, it still hinted at a genuine interest on Weisslogia’s part in being his friend, something Bob hadn’t had for a long time.

He pushed the now empty suitcase under the bed, out of sight, daring to believe that maybe he wouldn’t need it again any time soon. That perhaps for once, things would work out in his favor, and this one moment finally marked the beginning of something good in his life.

[winter-chill]

RWBY 7 - 3 “Ace Operatives” Thoughts

So thoughts...

BOO!!! they didn't work on stuff themselves.. although if it was Pietro and not just random scientists, I'll let it go :) And i'l give him props for using the Amity fights footage (i'll talk more on weapons later)

Oh, dust mines, launch site... ghiest, oh that's gonna bring back some memories

God Nora being so giddy about her stuff puts a smile on my face

and the Blake/Yang nod, the first of so many bumbleby touches this ep

They're really trying to hit hard again with Jaune and that sash, though it was a good set up for his hair cut (since I wouldn't really think of cutting it now when he's in a cold climate ideal)

Another very slight, but nice detail about having Yang be actually armless, not just fixing it while it's on her. We need more points like this, or maybe i just like the idea of it, but having those details shown off and not forgotten is nice. Also that's a beefy arm, though I swear it looks larger in the intro?

Again, having Blake have an onscreen notice of her hair leads well into why it's cut (though not showing it on screen? nor how/why her weapon's fix being gold... missed opportunity , truly)

WAIT??? Ruby got a NEW cloak? BOO, I would have thought her current one was still the original, has she been swapping it with each outfit? but, all the cuts and tears, the detail and history from her past fights, lost :(

I'll talk about the Oscar scene when it shows up, not here

Again, lovely intro to their new looks, but... could have been more. Showing them actually zip things up, buckle them in, cutting their hair themselves. Just lots of little details that would have added so much

I'll say it again, I think Yang's new glasses look weird.. too anime for the actual show style, but, I guess they 'work' ?

Also they all look to Ruby, this is her mission, her shot to call, she's back with her team (just rwby) for the first time so it's good to see them keeping the team dynamic, she was leader for a reason.

OH THIS SONG IS A BANGER!!!! also, totally a Weiss song (it said mirror)

Bunny hopping Ruby :D adorable

SUMMON SWORD SURFING!!! Finally

Blake really making the use of that ribbon, a little detail they again seem to forget about during most of 4-6 until it's necessary (running from adam in V6)

And... yep, no nonsense Yang sticking with the classics, recoil  (( I take it back, Yang's arm is the same as the intro, though I still think it somehow got bigger than when she put it on ))

And end it all on an amazing pose shot

Okay Ace ops time. Harriet, let me see what that little backpack thing do. But for serious, rolling only stops you from getting hurt on small drops, not several hundred foot... Marrow though taking a similar root to Ruby, seeming to ride it down, but he's doing some troll physics there, "stand on chair, jump off building, jump off chair at last moment, you only actually fell 2 foot"

Also, boomerang, gun? Honestly I kind of dislike the generic gun looking form, would have been cooler if it didn't change, but just had a little barrel pop out an end when he needed to shoot.

And now JN- OMG ELM YES, Loving the attitude. Oh Vine what's that on your back? you wielding an expanding throwing star (three pronged)

erm, right... JN_R

so, we got, some sick new looks, Ren's ponytail especially. Jaune's hair (i was one to hate it at first) in motion looks great, the concept art didn't do it justice. Also holding his sword on his arm..... kind of reminds me of @kumafromtaiwan's design for Jaune

"okay Jaune, you got this, it's not gonna be like Beacon all over again"

Oh, is he gonna use his shield like a plow, smashing through rocks, or maybe as a wing and glide do............................

DID JAUNE JUST FORTNITE PARACHUTE SHIELD HIS ASS TO THE GROUND?

Moving on though, yep, Hard light dust was a genius move he would have stuck in his head from Argus, and opens up the question of adding (what i'm dubbing) Shield Shield, with his V4 Nuckelavee Sword Sword, to make hard light blades.... SWORD SWORD SWORD???

a quick little peak at his shield, the emblem lighting up as he shoots a blast to bounce him from hitting the floor, that better be used later too.

And another amazing pose shot!

Oh Elm, you really need to work on your social skills. Actually maybe all the Ace ops do?

POUTY NORA!!!

and, good luck bad luck duo for the final team, this'll be fun.

NEW SCROLLS! Love them, slim and cool, and with new team icons (c'mon girls, smile for your picture)

and that detail on how Ruby zoomed, Weiss had to summon, and Yang had some energy stored up, so their aura is down a bit, but Blake is 100%

THE EARS, THEY SENSE BEES

Oh Yang, adorable goof

Oh Blake, also an dorable goof!!!

And Marrow is indeed the baby of the squad, you said it well Harriet, if a tad harsh?

Weiss no, this is a bad place for your name, but you're here to make it a better one, to fix that remember!!

Has.. has no one taught Ruby to project her aura to keep her warm, or at the others just dealing with it better? Either way, same Ruby, i hate the cold

Okay, yes, Oscar chat time

I don't know what to say, I agreed with it the whole time. Atlas is in a mess, there are good and bad times to tell people, and it's nice that Ruby has her intentions, but this may have been the same path Ozma first took, hiding things "for now" but never finding a chance to tell the truth later... they just need to keep it in mind.

And Oscar, please look after the Relic, I can already see red flags over your head the moment you took it, be that from Ironwood doing shady shit, Watts/Tyrian stealing it, or Ozpin popping back up to use it's last question.

OH, Clover, hitting a man hard with that, bringing up STRQ :/ all those fanfics of Qrow ('s semblance) being behind Summer's death, they all feel more realistic

I almost forgot, Qrow's looking snazzy too, those cross buttons, the eye/feather emblem embroidery in the sleeves. No... no necklace though?

Oh god Qrow's getting shipped with everyone this volume it seems. Good catch Clover.... I MEAN LITERAL CATCH

Halfick? Halphr... what did he say? Don't bullshit me captions, that wasn't alpha

REN!!! PAY YOUR GIRLFRIEND SOME ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!!! Jaune you dork, nice try?

Another great Bee moment, Yang too can sense a disturbance in the force.

Weiss this is great, but can you keep your emotional daddy issues and the racial discrimination of a whole people a little more separate. But it's nice to again see you trying to make some amends and distance yourself from being.. well, 'Jacques' and his actions

OOF, Marrow coming in, hitting hard, and then acting like he's.... a millennial "I'm just a teen who does research, what do I know, boomer"

this scene though. Issues and history of faunus oppression, followed by a Schnee apolagy, and a faunus using her traits to help fix the past for a new future... that's some symbolism

Oh, a jump scare, good thing about Blake's semblance there too

HARRIET YES!!!! BIG FISTS, JUST WHAT I WANTED!!! PUNCH THAT ROCK

And RW_Y right behind already running before the rumbles settled to help their girl

I LOVE THE GRIMM IN ATLAS. don't get me wrong, Deathstalkers are still top tier, but these things are awesome too

and now we get to upgrades!

Nice, so Yang has some trigger-able explosives, so she doesn't have to rely on her semblance to protect her when she's using his shotgun blasts

A subtle little thing there, Weiss being able to shoot an icle, not doing so from a glyph, but from the gun part of

Myrtenaster directly

Okay yes, this bugged me for so long. A scythe is a big weapon, the weight is in the blade as much as it is the handle, so having to turn it around all the time would be unwieldy and difficult in combat, so just a tiny upgrade like this is both smart, and amazing for Ruby to have realised she needed

Although I still don't get how shotting a bullet down the barrel, can give her swings an initial boost of speed........

Marrow really out here flying though the sky like he's on a zipline? though the buzz saw boomerang is, again, brilliant

Oh................ So the boy who cried wolf, can pause time? I erm- actually hold on, I need to figure out how that's logical......

I'm just gonna guess it's more "Harriet is moving so fast, he did this for dramatic affect XD

JN_R once again, taking a moment, a little nervous but willing and--- now they're very much not nervous, doing their thing, never first to run in, but never first to run away either.

Also, Vine has a stetchy arm semblance, and Elm has rooting feet semblance. Ye they make a good team (i ship them)

THERE'S THAT PURPLE SHIELD BLAST

And finally StormFlower is getting some love. I don't think they look different, but having those blades be used in more various ways... grapples were a great idea

and again, Nora using that spiked back of Magnahild for more than a place to stand when she launches herself, loving it!!!

Oh Jaune, being nervous dorky, Nora a little ashamed? or ready to be.. and Ren, quiet as ever (i think he's kind of looking up to Vine honestly) don't worry though, you kids did good

OH Harriet... you don't wanna be left out of the action do you :) RUBY YOU DORK! And that little back+forth was actually hilarious

Hmm, I was always wondering how a fishing rod could be a weapon.. i guess pulling a grimm in works, but what was your plan then, to punch the Ghiest?

OH MY GOD THAT ANIMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

again, what are you doing Clover? At least Qrow knows his semblance, acting all "i'm gonna look around, things could easily go wrong here"

Good luck bad luck eh? OH MY GOD Qrow don't make that face, the people are gonna ship you two even harder now!!!

And the hammer duo charging in first... ye Elm/Vine is just Atlas' Renora, and I love that dynamic

oh, weird dust draft from Ren stopping, sweat boiling on the rocks... this room is gonna be interesting, mess things up a bit? fluxuating gravity, hot and cold spots maybe??? Ah yes, dust energy... makes sense

And Marrow in the background while we hear him on the coms, just a great little look at how Vine seems to be "distant" from the moment, doing the whole, Ren style of vague-speak

Ye it is kinda empt-- oh. Also good work having not just the face move, but the whole midsection being rotated... kind of as if, the face is stuck to that one position... COINCIDENCE?

Erm, does this one seem bigger than the V4 Ghiest?

And now we see Ruby trying to act as leader, pause to think, to come up with a plan, where as the Ace (while more experienced) seem to have both a plan on how to take it out, and might also be a little to reliant on Clover, knowing his semblance will fix any little issues

Oh that trumpet, a very self-knowing victorious tune.

And again, Vine and Elm doing a whole of semblance work, shame we don't see them use their weapons a bit more here, same with Marrow though not using his semblance (whatever it is) at all.

HEY WAIT. those black parts weren't there earlier, nor did they appear on the V4 Grimm until it needed them to pull toge- oh... they stretched the limbs to force both a space to cut them, and for the grimm parts to sort of 'be revealed'

And another eye colour semblance indication. Loving the runners pose Harriet does too. She's not time-pausing fast... (I take back what I said about Marrow's semblance earlier?) but things do act slower, even while she's running quicker than we'd see as normal in that moment. It's not time-pausing, but it's very very fast. And the motion blur trail!!, just a tiny effect, but it adds so much detail

Marrow really is the child of the squad, he's the one to make a mistake, but again- kind of had to rely on Clover there.. Interesting to see how things pan out when he's inevitably killed, or trapped, or just isn't there

Little details here and there. Vine using his semblance not just to grab, but to push the grimm back. Harriet taunting it to get it's attention and then getting out before it can hit her (but late enough that it keeps it's attention on her and really slams it's fist down). Elm again sticking to her name, rooting that fist down, being basically an anchor in all her actions. And Marrow... throwing his boomerang

UGH.. that little medallion touch pisses me off somehow, it's so pretentious? but anyway, he had a good idea, pulling it out by it's mask, kinda really relying on his semblance to get between it and the ice chunk without bouncing off anything. Again, very semblance reliant group

Erm... she punched the grimm.. but i wouldn't say it's dead.. are we gonna ignore that??? IT'S GONNA RETURN LATER I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT

Vine again grabbing dust, would have loved to have seen Elm basically kick one to stick it to her feet instead of just catching (or pinning herself to a wall to catch it, as if it was too high to jump and catch)

And Harriet going in for the catch, only for....oh.. that's the first thing RWBY or JNR did this fight? (also no weird dust affects, i feel upset)

But ohhh, her semblance isn't speed. I had this same issue in last volume, that her semblance early on was supposed to be speed, and yet she uses it to fly, to separate into several for moments, and she can 'merge' with others to carry then, when like for Nora in V4 her reaction speed should have been way too slow to really be ready for when she was basically thrown at the previous ghiest

AY yep, I'm shocked if Ruby has control over her eyes, she never tried to flash them off during this whole scene... but again, after Maria's story, hiding them from people we don't fully trust is better

And another little bee moment, Yang flirting with them puns

Omg! Elm carrying Ruby, Yang and Nora dancing, love this group dynamic

Hey, it's that guy from last episode, why are we... Robyn?

huh, kinda spooky... flickering lights... Robyn, watts, or...

TYRIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why are you not wearing your coat, it's cold remember! but that entrance, reminds me again of that "Cheshire cat inspiration" people first thought of back in his V4 reveal

HIS EYES!!! So whatever he does that triggers them is still apparent, and his stinger either still uses his own venom, or it's semblance related

And that line. He's here to mix things up... either he's finally gonna kill someone and let the police find out (unlike last ep when his victim was in a building, it'll take time till that's discovered... oh wait, blood) or he's here for info maybe?

[animesavior]

"Hey, Pops? If i said i wanted to stop throwing fights altogether, what would you do?"

-          Joe “Junk Dog”, Megalo Box (Ep. 01)

The Toonami Trending Rundown for December 8-9, 2018. One of 2018’s smash hit anime titles fights its way to the better cartoon as Megalo Box makes its English Dub debut. And among other great moments, we’re introduced to Joe, the Junk Dog who has been throwing his fights for cash, but might be getting his big break to the big leagues, while Josuke and Okuyasu have to bail out Koichi from Rohan’s grasps, and we see the finale of Asta and the Black Bull’s fight with Vetto.

#MegaloBox would no doubt be the talk of the town on the night as it would make the US trends list along with Hunter x Hunter and Black Clover. Meanwhile on Tumblr, #Toonami would trend along with My Hero Academia and #JJBA. The full list including tweet counts for many shows (including a character trend in Josuke when we learn why he gets angry when people talk bad about his hair) can be seen in the list below.

This week’s feature was a game review of the critically acclaimed Red Redemption 2. It received a 9 out of 10 score.

For the holiday break, Toonami will once again opt for encore marathons, with 14 episodes of Dragon Ball Super for the Christmas Marathon on December 22 and the first 11 episodes of Boruto for the New Years Marathon on December 29 (with the regular scheduled episodes of Pop Team Epic, Gundam IBO, and Samurai Jack to fill up the night).

Sad news for Ghost in the Shell fans this week, as it has been confirmed that Toonami has lost the bid to air the new Stand Alone Complex series (titled SAC_2045) to Netflix due to high costs, who will be adding the series as a “Netflix Original.” This is especially unfortunate for those who wanted to see GITS and the new Blade Runner in the same block, as both are being made at roughly the same time, but as the old saying goes, you can’t win em all. Combined with Funimation partnering up with Hulu to give them first dibs to co-distribute new titles (Although the latter’s deal mostly involves subs, mainly as a move responding to the Funimation-Crunchyroll split), among other things, some fans have been rather restless to say the least, but Jason has assured everyone that Toonami isn’t going anywhere, that they still maintain good relationships with Funimation, Sentai, Aniplex, and Viz Media, and that plans are in place for the future. We’ll let you know what those plans are as they’re announced, and as Spike Spiegel would say: “whatever happens, happens”.

And speaking of Netflix, there have been rumors that Neflix might opt for doing a redub of the original Evangelion series when it joins the service in 2019. Fans have feared of a potential recasting of Spike Spencer, Amanda Winn Lee, and many of the franchises’ regulars, and have created a petition in hopes of having them reprise their roles if it were to be needed. If you wish, sign this petition by clicking here as well as let Netflix know.

Next week will be the final regularly scheduled Toonami for the year, so make sure to tune in or set your DVRs. Until next week, congratulations to Atlanta United on winning MLS Cup, and Stay Gold.

Legend: The shows listed are ordered based on their appearance on the schedule. Show trends are listed in bold. The number next to the listed trend represents the highest it trended on the list (not counting the promoted trend), judging only by the images placed in the rundown. For the Twitter tweet counts, the listed number of tweets are also sorely based on the highest number shown based on the images on the rundown.

United States Trends:

Toonami [#9]

#MegaloBox [#7]

#HunterXHunter [#9]

#BlackClover [#12]

Tweet Counts:

#Toonami [5,060 tweets]

Toonami [8,501 tweets]

#Boruto [2,087 tweets]

#DragonBallSuper [7,503 tweets]

#MobPsycho100 [1,292 tweets]

#MegaloBox [2,742 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [2,927 tweets]

Josuke (From JoJos Bizarre Adventure) [1,657 tweets]

#HunterXHunter [1,687 tweets]

#BlackClover [1,944 tweets]

Amr Rahmy Counts:

#MyHeroAcademia [#3 with 3,804 tweets]

#Boruto [#17 with 1,381 tweets]

#DragonBallSuper [#6 with 3,173 tweets]

#MobPsycho100 [#11 with 1,154 tweets]

#MegaloBox [#7 with 1,822 tweets]

#JoJosBizarreAdventure [#13 with 1,413 tweets]

#BlackClover [#13 with 2,383 tweets]

Tumblr Trends:

#Toonami

#My Hero Academia

#JJBA

Notes and Other Statistics:

#MegaloBox: @WhoTrendedIT reported that @mariannemiller and @BangZoom started the trend in the US.

Special thanks to @AmrRahmy, @coreymbarnes, and others I forgot to mention for spotting some of the trends on this list.

[beheadingofmakai]

Artificial

Nothing important, just a short exercise to get a feel of a character I’ll be using for a tabletop game. Keep this in mind when reading this, as it is less a nuanced story and more “the concept put into practice”. As such, not all information is readily available, and won’t be, as her development will happen through the game proper. It’s a short story about one Lisbeth Elstad, who can be best described as a “walking pharmacy”.

                                                          ---------

“One... Two of them... No peepers from inside the building itself. Regular windows, not polarized, likely bulletproofed and magic-warded, no cameras that I can see, and the surrounding buildings don’t seem to be theirs, but...”

Through the binoculars, a pair of silver eyes scouted through a remote location by the hole in a wall of an abandoned building. This wasn’t the middle of nowhere, this wasn’t some backwater hole, it was merely a less bustling part of Southern California, so the well oiled cogs of society were alive and running just four stories underneath. A werewolf in a suit, running late for his job interview, a harpy rollerblading, carefully using her wings to balance herself while her human friend, wearing a matching neon green sweatshirt, instructed her how to better use her torso to handle the shifts in weight efficiently, smiles on their faces. This wasn’t your old village or the dumps, this was the city, with all the eyes and ears that come with the package. It wasn’t an option for Lisbeth Elstad to draw attention to herself while trying to get into that building by the squalid dead end street. She was unaffiliated with any sort of law enforcement or any sort of organization whatsoever. This was a one woman war running on bread crumbs that were ambiguous and obscure at best. It was less a wild goose chase as much as it was trying to find a tsuchinoko sleeping on a bed of four leaf clovers, neatly across the pot of gold by the rainbow’s end. That was more than enough for her to deem it worth a shot.

“...This stinks. That rat lied to me through his teeth! This info has to be wrong, this place is wide open like the legs of a cheap prostitute, and no matter how much I look at it, this can’t be affiliated with them at all, not with this Olympic gold medal level of incompetence. They were pros, these guys are peanuts at best... And yet...” And yet, she had nothing else to go on. Every clue, every tip, every trail she had followed so far had gone cold. This was all she had left. If she couldn’t find anything here, then that was that, it was back to square one again. Frustrated and resolute in equal parts, the girl put away her binoculars in one of her three satchels and descended the abandoned apartment complex’s stairs. The plan was simple: Get in that building, confirm if they are affiliated with them, and take any information of value by reason or by force.

Lisbeth made her way to the dead end by using the back alleys to call less attention to herself, what with the two-headed wolf pelt poised over her shoulders and all. She romanced the idea of saying, “Oh, this? Nah, don’t worry! I’m just a model on my way to the Rafael Laurel Feral Collection! Please come to cheer on me!” if she were to catch the eye of someone, but quickly discarded this clever ploy, preferring to stick to the shadows. When she was finally in position, she once again confirmed that it was merely two sentries by the door of the so called “Clement & Sibbens Law Firm”, no doubt a front for more morally bankrupt endeavors. They were dressed with security guard outfits, sure, but it was clear simply by looking at them that they were two-bit thugs at best. After a few seconds of pondering, the girl nodded to herself and seemed to have come up with an optimal plan for infiltration. Producing a small brown glass jar and a bottle of water, Lisbeth first poured some water in the jar, and then she extended her palm over the jar. From a hole in the center of Lisbeth’s hand, a pungent dark yellow substance oozed into the jar. “First, we dilute the sulfur mustard a bit...” she muttered to herself, as she was wont to do when working with chemicals, “we stir it a bit to let them coalesce, and after some hydrogen and oxygen...” -- as she murmured, the chemicals she mentioned were injected into the brew through the hole in her hands -- “...we have a very weak variant of mustard gas, high in oxygen, diluted, and without much kick.” As her substance was complete, the girl then dipped her finger lightly into the brew and gently rubbed it against her eyelids, blinking a couple of times. Soon enough, her eyes were red, little tears trailing down her cheeks. Dragging her hand across the ground at her feet, Lisbeth then rubbed her dirty hands across her pale face and, as a finishing touch, with a pristine scalpel produced from her breast pocket, she gave herself a little cut across the cheek. Step one was almost complete! The girl removed her black, pointy hat and her elegant black dress jacket, placing it neatly on the floor on top of her two-headed wolf pelt. The result: A fragile looking girl in a white shirt and black suit pants, eyes red from crying and her face dirty and bloody. She looked like the perfect victim.

                                                         ---------

“...So, how much longer ‘till we change shifts?”

“We’ve literally been here around an hour, man.”

“This sucks, dude, bossman could at least let us bring our earbuds so we can jam out and no die of boredom, there’s nothing fun about standing here for five hours!”

“It used to be seven before we got more whiny kids like you, just tough it out and stop bit--”

“Ahhhh! Someone, please help me!”

The guards’ casual dialogue came to an abrupt end when the shrill screams of a girl flooded their ears. In this comparatively isolated dead end, two blocks away from the bustle and hustle of daily life, this was certainly not common. Their necks craned to meet the source of the voice and, sure as rain, they found it: A girl almost tripping on her own feet, desperately running, heavily panting, eyes red and face stained with tears, blood, and dirt. She looked like a waiter or receptionist, by the looks of her clothes, and was clearly a civilian. 

“Huh? Hey, what’s wrong? Are you alright, ma’am?” the more experienced guard asked, approaching her and trying to see what was it she was running from. “Stop yelling, it’s fine!”

“Th-the Veiled...! That Veiled, with big claws and fangs...! He tried to take my blood in broad daylight! Please, please, he’s coming! I escaped by sheer luck, but he’s coming, oh, lord! Please help me!” the woman hysterically explained, clinging to the guard’s broad chest like a terrified rat.

The guard immediately stood in front of her, facing the direction she came running from, hand already on his pistol. “A Vampire!? In broad daylight!? Tsk, cocky bastard... Must be a real tough one to not mind the sun! These damn Veiled, sub-human pieces of trash, you take your eyes away from them for a moment and they immediately turn on you! Hey, kid! Come here, back me up, this one’s going to be tough!”

“Wh-what’s it got to do with us, man?!” the terrified underling shot back, clearly no having any of this bee’s wax. “Let her run, his beef is with her, not with us!”

“Idiot, I couldn’t care less about the girl! If he’s hungry enough to hunt in daylight, he may just be desperate and may go after anyone! If he goes inside the office, we’re done for!” chastised the senior. The less experienced guard simply resigned himself, nodding and standing side by side with his colleague.

“S-say, mister guard...”

“Don’t talk to us, we have to focus on that damn Veiled! We drop our guard for a second he’ll-- Urk...!”

“...How come you are just security guards, and yet pack guns? Hmm, mister guard? Why, oh why, would that be?”

The older guard plummeted and began convulsing on the floor, foaming at the mouth, his neck pulsating with veins, scraping at the ground helplessly with curled fingers. Before the rookie guard could react, the girl had already begun dashing towards him. He took a wild swing, a panicked reaction more than anything, which she gracefully ducked under, grabbing him by the shoulders with both hands and hitting him in the crotch with an ascending knee, putting all of her weight behind the attack while pulling herself towards him by the shoulder to maximize this ball-busting critical to infernal heights.

“Grrkk!”

As the guard crumpled, submerged in pain and his eyes spinning, he felt a hand grasp his head from behind, smashing his face against the asphalt.

“Do not make any noise or I’ll pierce your jugular,” Lisbeth explain with a calm, neutral voice. “If you scream, talk, or move in any way that I don’t particularly like...”

Lisbeth deliberately placed her free hand in his field of vision. The pale hand with long fingers, like a piano player’s, had a distinctive feature: A hole in the palm. Then, suddenly, a stake-like spike protruded from the hole, long, thick, and deadly, a single droplet of an indigo substance dripping from the tip.

“You see this? This is my ‘syringe’. You know how it hurts like hell when a bee stings? Well, that’s because of the venom more than the sting itself. You see that dear chum over there undergoing cardiac arrest? He got nice and intimate with the venom dripping from this here syringe, and for the low, low price of your noncooperation, you can join him right this moment, so you’ll tell me and give me what I want, or you can have a hot date with Saint Peter and tell him all about how it felt like when your bodily functions all shot down one by one as your body burned from within. Alternatively, nod thrice if you wish to cooperate and walk away from this one instead.”

And thrice he nodded.

“I want to enter this building. Nod once if I can walk in, nod twice if I need a key or any sort of verification.” The guard nodded once, but Lisbeth simply sighed, not particularly convinced. “I have some nice, nice sodium thiopental on me. That’s nerdspeak for ‘truth serum’, and overdosing you on that will not only get me what I want, but also leave you with lasting neurological damage, so please, be a darling and just dispense the... Uh, spill the... Aw, shucks, what was the term... The beans! Yes, please, deposit all of the beans here, if you would”.

After some silence, he nodded twice and whispered, “the keys are on my left vest pocket. Slow day, so no one is in aside from us, a couple of more guys, and Mister Clement,” his voice cracking once or twice during the sentence.

“And how’s the building’s layout? Any basements? Three paltry floors can’t be all this delightful office has to offer, hm?”

“...Who are y--”

The guard immediately felt pressure from Lisbeth’s spike threatening to bore a hole in his jugular. “Hey, now, love, don’t answer a question with a question. Where I come from, that gets you injected with neurotoxins.”

“...It’s got a large basement, two floors, you can only get there via the elevator. This is really all I know, I just started working here two weeks ago, please, you don’t have to do this!”

“Hmmmm... Ok! I’ll be taking this key, then, now... On your feet. Slowly.”

Taking the key, Lisbeth helped the terrified man stand up, and patted him one the shoulder. “See? I told you you could walk away!” But before the guard could take one step forward, Lisbeth’s wicked thorn found purchase on his left arm.

“Wh-what!? I thought we ha--” but her hand immediately covered his mouth.

“I said you could walk away, but I didn’t specify you’d do so alive. Now, be a darling and make a nice show for me, hm?”

The guard cursed her, or at least attempted to do so, but whatever words he intended to use were lost in his pained screaming as he burst into flames almost instantly. What Lisbeth injected him with wasn’t poison or a neurotoxin, it was something far more sinister, one of the many shames of human ingenuity, a reminder that somewhere out there, a scientist once thought “what if I could make the world burn?”. Napalm, injected directly to the bloodstream. “Why in the world did you think I told you to nod in order to communicate? The moment you spoke, you spoiled our agreement, Not talking was literally the second instruction I gave you,” the blonde muttered to herself.

With deft agility, Lisbeth left the smoldering man to scream and run at his leisure as she hid back in her back alley, the slow chemical painfully, slowly burning him away like the loudest candle in the fair, prompting a group of seven men burst out of the building to pursue the burning sod not long after. As they futilely tried to put out the napalm flames, stubborn as a mule as they are, Lisbeth simply dusted off her coat and her pelt, calmly wearing them again. A black jacket with elegant gold details with matching black pants and boots, a pelt of a two-headed wolf providing a feral contrast to her elegant attire, and a pointed hat, right out of the witches’ tales. From her second satchel, Lisbeth produced her last item: A blank, featureless mask, which covered her face while still letting locks of her cream blonde hair spill in front of it.

As the men were distracted by their doomed companions, one weakly twitching as the poison devoured him from within, the other flailing wildly and making a commotion, Lisbeth calmly walked inside the building unnoticed.

“If they are speaking like that oh so openly about the Veiled, then this might be worth checking out,” a somewhat annoyed Lisbeth remarked, indulging in her habit of conversing with herself.

                                                        ---------

Carpeted floor, old metal cabinets, and steel chairs neatly lined up in front of a TV comprised the interior of the supposed Law Firm. Sure enough, this looked like an accommodating waiting room for consultations and other such licitations. The illusion would hold up pretty well if it weren’t for the rather sizable amount of armed men that stormed out of the building mere moments ago. As fun and wholesome as a man undergoing cardiac arrest next to someone burning to death can be, these are merely distractions and won’t last forever. Understanding this, Lisbeth took a good look at the building’s frame, lightly but quickly knocking on the walls to see which walls were hollow and which were firm, giving knowing nods after each tock tock and each knock knock. With a good idea of which walls were essential and which weren’t in the thankfully simply designed structure, Lisbeth took a deep breath and concentrated.

“...I say, I loathe doing this every time, but you gotta do what you gotta do... Here goes nothing. Can’t afford to skim it with all these guys packing heat” the masked girl murmured as she chatted with herself, halfheartedly laughing. One or two unsuspecting fools were one thing, but seven angry, buff men? Lisbeth shall take a rain check on that, thank you very much.

The veins in the blonde’s arm bulged as her arm was suddenly grew red and swollen, then purple and grotesque, and finally almost black and fully sickening. With some clearly pained grunting, the arm’s mass finally began to subside, and as it did, a clay-like, brick red substance came out of the hole in her hand. “Hurts like hell every damn time...”, she lamented as she spread some of it on the door frame, on the crevasse behind the reception desk, under the rug, and in a couple of other places. On each of the little mounds of clay, she stuck a little pin. Without looking back and while clutching her pained arm, Lisbeth made her way to the elevator. It was an old model with rusty binder-style curtain doors. A little plaque to the left of it read “Authorized Personnel Only”. She simply snorted and pressed the unlabeled button on the bottom of the panel, descending where, hopefully, the truth awaited her.

                                                       ---------

The stagnant air of the dark basement wasn’t the worst aspect of it at all. In stark contrast with the pristine, welcoming presentation of the first floor, this basement was putrid. Crude wooden tables, assorted bottles of alcohol, a dart board (with no bullseyes on it, tragically enough), a table of billiards, and plenty of nasty looking utensils right out of a cheap gore B-movie. For someone with a mask, Lisbeth’s expression sure screamed “disgusted and furious”. It seems no one was home, at least not on this floor, but the same couldn’t be said about the first floor anymore. Footsteps, and many of them, tumbled and stomped above Lisbeth’s head. Calmly producing a small controller-like device, Lisbeth pressed the red button with an “>:)” emblazoned on it, a symphony of explosions and screams filling the air with the harmony of a trap well set and executed. Before she could celebrate, however, an unexpected scream came from the end of the hallway, something between terror and surprise in a beautiful if somewhat grating high pitch.

“Who’s there!? Please, by all means, make a sudden move so I can melt your face off with a clear conscience!” Lisbeth yelled at the source of the scream, receiving no answer. Protruding spikes from both of her hands, she cautiously advanced towards what looked like a cell at the end of a poorly lit hallway. Inside the cell, a little girl with long, thin horns huddled to the corner, terrified, tears streaming down her face. She was very thing and no doubt ill, if her labored breathing was any indication.

“P-please... Don’t... Don’t...”

Lisbeth came to a full stop upon realizing just whose face she threatened to melt off. “Ah, no, wait, hold on, I’m not one of th--”

“Stay away! What did I do to you people!? Why are you doing this to me! I want my mom! Stay away!” snapped the child, throwing a dog’s bowl that seemed to be from where she’d been eating the last few days. The sight couldn’t be more lamentable.

“Jeez... Yeah, of course you’d be wary if I look like this...” Lisbeth muttered to herself, for once cursing her choice of attire. Before she could sulk anymore, however, a light bulb shone above her head. “Hey, hey, I’m not going to get close, I just wanna show you something nice. Look at my hand.”

“...?” the child’s curiosity was roused, and she intently looked at the black-clad girl’s hand. The distinctive glove she wore lacked fabric where the palm is, kind of like fingerless gloves except an aggregate of one hundred times more pretentious. What caught her eye, however, wasn’t the strange glove, it was the hole in the center of her palm. Before she could craft a question about it in her tiny little mouth, however, a gentle jet of cold air blew from it, and soon after, beautiful snowflakes filled the cell. “W-wow! Snow...!? I’ve never seen snow! It’s so pretty! How are you doing that?”

As she produced more snowflakes with one hand, Lisbeth slowly removed her mask with the other, a friendly smile meeting the child’s cheerful expression. “By gently blowing a controlled amount of liquid nitrogen, I can freeze the natural humidity in the air, that is, the small amount of water in the air just enough to cause it to crystallize! In this way, if I manage the output in relation to room temperature and, if applicable, altitude, I can--” but she quickly shut her own mouth when she noticed the horribly perplexed expression on the poor child’s face.

“...U-uhh...?”

“...Magic, my dear friend!”

“Wow!”

Sometimes, less is more.

“My name is Lisbeth. Lisbeth Elstad,” she kindly explained as she approached slowly, until she finally was next to the child. “I have a hypothesis that your name must be really cute, given how cute you are, so would you mind sharing it with me? For science, of course.”

“I’m Marcela Toreca!” the child answered, no longer afraid of Lisbeth.

“Hypothesis confirmed! What a nice name, you little sweetling... Say, I need to ask you a few things, but if it becomes too hard to answer, don’t sweat it, ok? I’m here to more or less dismantle the place. How... How long have you been here? Why are you here?”

Marcela’s face immediately went grim again, tears welling in her eyes. “They... They kidnapped me. Snatched me when I was on the park with mama and papa, I saw them beat them up, yelled at them over something, and I’ve been here for four days. They... They were going to sell me tomorrow, and they, they sometimes would take the branding iron there and--”

Whatever came after that, Lisbeth didn’t hear as she hugged the child close. “Tug on the pelt. Grab it with all of your might and tug on it. Try to rip it if you want. Don’t say anything else, just rip and tug.” And so the child did, gripping the wolf pelt with all the strength her little hands could muster, pulling at it. It wasn’t necessary to make her relive those events anymore. “Marcela, your skin is pretty pale, and I noticed you have trouble breathing. I’m kind of in a hurry here, so I can’t really check you thoroughly, but I have a shot that’ll help you.”

The child shook with a single, potent goosebump. “U-uh, no, I’m fi--”

“You aren’t afraid of shots, aren’t you, darling? My, my, and here I thought I’d show you some more snow tricks, but alas, they are only for brave kids!”

“Uuuh... F-fine! I ain’t afraid of no needle!”

Lisbeth couldn’t help but smile. Producing a long, thin syringe filled with a green liquid from one of her satchels, Lisbeth gently held Marcela’s wrist and extended her arm. “Ok now! Close your eyes and don’t open them no matter what, ok? It won’t take more than a minute.”

With a nod and a smile, Marcela closed her eyes. Lisbeth discreetly put away the syringe and protruded one of her hand spikes, gently pressing it against a vein on Marcela’s arm and pumping her full of vitamins, nutrients, and mild energizers. Then, after retracting her spike, Lisbeth produced a different, empty syringe from her satchel. “Ok, open your eyes now.”

“...Did I do good?”

“Now, don’t tell anyone I said this, but I’ve met plenty of kickass kids in my time, but you? Easily the kickassest... Kickassetest? You did great.”

The little horned girl couldn’t help but smile. “Miss... Are you going to get me out of here?”

Lisbeth gestured a cross with both of her index fingers. “Not if you call me ‘Miss’ again! Lis is fine, I’m not much older than you. I’ll get you out of here, but first, I need to finish my own business here. Once I’m done with that, I assure you that no one will hound you again, and I’ll take you back outside. So be good like hydrogen and stay put here until I’m done, ok?”

“No! I-I’ll help you, Lis! Th-that guy has a weird trick! He shot my dad from the front, but the bullet hit him in the back somehow! If you go in alone, he’ll kill you! I’m strong, I’ll help you!” the resolute little Marcela declared, putting up her little dukes.

“...Ah, how am I gonna say no to this? Ok, but on one condition: I have a special potion that will help you become stronger. You can come with me only, and only if you take it. Howzat sound?”

“Fine! Even if it’s another i-injection,” -- Marcela’s voice cracked -- “I’ll accompany Lis! Give it to me!”

“Hmhm! Brave little pancake, ain’tcha? Ok, here’s the potion.”

With a sudden yet gentle and careful motion, Lis’ palm cradled the petite girl’s face, a mildly sweet and ether-like odor blanketing Marcela’s nostrils. The tiny girl quickly collapsed, Lisbeth catching her and settling her down gently. “A jet of chloroform always gets the job done, doesn’t it? Sleep tight, Marcela.”

Wearing her mask once anew, the resolute girl made her way to the staircase at the end of the poorly lit corridor, making sure her footsteps would be silent, the unexplored second basement floor beckoning every violent urge in her already trembling body. Tilting her mask sideways just slightly, Lisbeth nibbled on the tip of one of her spikes, “snacking” on liquid diazepam to calm herself. “Let’s have some words, you and I, Mister Clement...”

                                                      ---------

The second floor basement was vastly different. It wasn’t luxurious by any definition, but it didn’t feel cramped, had no cells, and felt more like a little gathering spot with touches of mancave, given the plenty bookcases, billiards table, bar, and other such “classy” entertainment staples, all of which would have had an endearing air were it not for the whole Veiled trafficking. If anything, it’s correct to say this place wasn’t luxurious yet, as it was clear it was slowly but surely being furnished little by little to resemble some sort of mafia underground hangout, the kind wacky and villainous art collectors seem to always have in the movies. At the far end of the spacious basement, on an elevated section, not yet carpeted, a large leather chair with two arms barely peeking on the arm rest were Lisbeth’s goal. That had to be Clement. Controlling her breathing and making sure her footsteps were silent, the girl managed no more than three steps before a voice froze her in place.

“That’s far enough, madame. You seriously didn’t think you’d be able to sneak up on me after detonating bombs on the first floor, right?”

In a split second and with her eyes wide with shock, Lisbeth tumbled out of the way, a bullet grazing her left shoulder from behind, a little grunt escaping her lips. The chair turned around, and sitting on it was a man in his early 30s, slicked back black hair with piercing blue eyes, his exquisite white suit looked less like a legal adviser’s and more like an hedonist’s pajamas, save for the single glove he wore over his right hand, and dung beetles everywhere in the world felt a strange sense of attraction to his shit eating grin. “You made me wait quite a bit, Exter. I hope you have a good reason to have made a mess of my office without a warrant. And here I thought I had made a good network. So, who snitched on me? I bet it was Harland! I always suspected him of being an undercover rat, hah!”

“Hah, don’t lump me together with those wusses. Exter’s aren’t worth the filth stuck to the sole of my boots. I’m here on behalf of no one but myself. I just wanted to have a little chat with you, see? I need to know the legality of disfiguring someone’s face with a lead pipe, Mister Lawman, so please help me out here.”

“...Hold on, you’re not an Exter?” Clement first looked genuinely confused for a second, and then simply let out a guffaw. “Ahahah! Oh, well, slap my ass and call me Cindy! You, you’re here alone? Unaffiliated? Well, that makes things easier.” Without further ado, he pointed the gun at Lisbeth and pulled the trigger. The sound very distinctly came from the pistol, but the bullet struck Lisbeth square in the back, making her lurch forward momentarily before she collapsed with a pained wimper. “If you’re not with anyone, then I have no interest in whatever information I can get out of you.”

“Why, that’s very rude, mister Clement, heh,” the girl laughed as she slowly rose from the ground. none the worse for wear. “At least let me finish talking. I suspected you’d have one of those after a little tip I got from a certain girl, but seeing you fire it confirmed it. That right there is a Rennard DZ87 ‘Mitsuhide’, isn’t it? Also known as the ‘Backshooter’, a popular enchanted handgun.”

Clement simply scratched his head. “Huh... Hey, how come you didn’t die? People usually do when I shoot them.”

“Ballistic gelatin,” explained the girl, tapping her back. “Never go in without some preparation. Put some there when I heard you had a habit of shooting people’s backs. I got some bad news for you, sweetheart, but that gun right there is useless. All the DZ87 does is use basic portal magic to teleport the bullet at the muzzle to a portal behind whatever is on its crosshairs. It’s an effective gun if you’re fighting completely mundane people or rookies, but otherwise, it’s just a gimmicky gun for, as the more crass denizens of the streets would say, pussies.”

“You mean to tell me you carry ballistic freaking gelatin with you everywhere you go? Why not just wear kevlar?”

“Good question! Why don’t you come a little close to good ol’ Lis and find out for yourself?”

The foes locked eyes for some silent moments, and when the calm was over, the storm began. Lisbeth produced some sort of little rubbery object, akin to an uninflated balloon, and pressed it against her hand’s hole, quickly filling it with a light green liquid, and the “balloon” filled, it gradually lost elasticity until it became a perfectly sealed glass orb, full of the liquid. This whole process happened in a second, and without losing any more time, she lobbed it Clement-wards, who dodged the flung weapon.

“Throwing balls versus a pistol? You must be out of your m--!”

Clement had to call a rain check on his very important taunting, however, when he heard the glass orb shatter behind him. The liquid inside the orb, as soon as it made contact with air, burst into a noxious miasma, a toxic gas that threatened to blanket him. Rapidly reacting, Clement leaped down from his high ground, evading the toxic gas, but before he knew it, Lisbeth was already making a rush for him, spikes hungry for his veins protruding from her palms. Clement took aim, and as he was pulling the trigger, Lisbeth turned her back to him.

“What...? Idiot, you could at least try to dodge the bullet instead of giving your back to m--Urgh!”

The gun went off, but the one struck was Clement. As he double over in pain, a swift kick from Lisbeth disarmed him, and another right on the chin floored him.

“Didn’t I explain before? The DZ87 makes a portal behind whatever is in its crosshairs. No one uses Mitsuhides on real combat anymore because of how utterly simplistic, outdated, and unreliable they are. All I had to do was give my back to you while being sufficiently close to you, and the portal, still technically behind me, is generated at a fixed distance, which happens to put you between the bullet and I. Even at the apex of their popularity, Mitsuhides were a side arm, and never a main weapon. You’d use the Mitsuhide with another firearm or weapon to keep your opponent guessing. If the bullet is always going to come from behind, it becomes trivial to deal with it,” the spiked girl explained with a matter-of-fact tone, almost as if dealing with a child. “You’ve never fought anything more dangerous than the parents of the innocent Veiled whose children you’ve abducted, am I right?”

“H-hey now, please! I’m just a lawyer! No need to get-- Hey, you said you wanted info, right? I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Just please promise you won’t kill me!”

Lisbeth’s eyes were looking not at a human being, but at garbage right now. “You’re quite the honest person, are you not? Talk, before I change my mind.”

“Thank you, thank you!” Clement said almost as if worshiping her. “...Hold on, before I start, you might want to do something about that Minotaur over there. She’s looking sickly, and, well, we haven’t fed her in two days,” the host explained as he pointed behind Lisbeth, towards the elevator.

“What!? Marcela, did you wake up alre--”

As soon as she turned around, something cold and sharp like the beak of a scythe found purchase on Lisbeth’s right side, sinking deep into her. She spat blood and fumbled her feet a bit before a kick sent her barreling to the floor, fresh vermilion spilling out of her wound.

“Hey, Miss Lecture, maybe don’t take your eyes off your enemy, dumbass.”

As Lisbeth turned around, Clement dipped his left hand on some of the blood left behind by her and used it to slick his hair back again. It had to be his left hand, after all, because his right arm was currently a massive metallic sickle. Moments later, the sickle turned back into a prosthetic arm.

“A Technomancer!?”

“Yup. That ‘dee zee’... Whatever you called it pistol was just insurance. I do practice some magic of my own, I mean, you’d have to be crazy not to if you’re in this business.” Clement’s jovial explanation ceased immediately after he noticed not as much blood as he expected was flowing “Hm? I thought the wound was deeper, you’re not dead yet. Again. You’re starting to piss me off, girl.” To be fair to Clement, it is pretty frustrating when people won’t die.

Upon closer inspection, Lisbeth was indeed wounded and bleeding but the wolf pelt had not been pierced at all. It was the impact itself more than any slashing damage that harmed Lisbeth. “And once again, she saved me...” Lisbeth murmured, clutching the pelt tightly before standing up.

Clement’s assault continued, his mechanical arm changing shapes to axes and swords and sickles, trying to mince Lisbeth into a pile of flesh and agony, but she kept her body parts where they should be by evading the attacks. However, it wasn’t graceful dodging, it was more akin to a headless chicken trying not to get diced up, something Clement picked up on. It was almost as if Lisbeth was afraid. As Clement advanced on her with a sword-arm, Lisbeth put chairs and other pieces of furniture between them, obstacles that were easily cleft in twain by the Technomancer.

“...Hm? Oh... Oh! I see!” Clement declared, his eyes shining with the light of realization. “You... You are deadly afraid. You piece of shit kid. You clothes made it hard to notice, but now that I get a good look at you, not only are you just a kid, you’re trembling in your boots.”

“...Oh, please, of course my body language is going to be all weird during a life or death situation!”

“No.” boldly interrupted Clement, calling Lisbeth out on her bluff. “That’s not merely adrenaline, that’s fear. I know fear when I see it. When you abduct Veiled, you see fear. When their children are abducted, you see fear. When leave them beaten bloody as you take their children, you see fear. In your body language, demeanor, and words, I see it, girl. I see fear. You can’t fool a merchant of fear in the subject of his trade.”

“S-shut up, I’m two steps away from killing you, what the hell do you know!?” Lisbeth yelled back, losing her cool.

“I understand it, even! Girl, you dispatched my men and casually strolled in because it all went according to your plan. You’re very smart, I’ll give you that, but the moment things went off the rails, the moment things stopped going according to your plan... You panicked. The moment you saw my mechanical arm, your whole facade fell through. You expected a punk ass bitch with a gun, but you found a Technomancer instead. You do not know how to play it by ear!”

“...!” One didn’t have to look at Lisbeth’s face behind her mask to know she had been read like an open book. As if to confirm Clement’s words, Lisbeth filled two more orbs with a white powder and recklessly, or it’d be more accurate to say sloppily, threw them at his assailant. The lawyer simply snatched one of the air with his left hand, while moved out of the way of the other. As it landed on the floor, the orb shattered, causing a small explosion that left a little, short lived fire where it landed. 

“...White phosphorous, huh? It’s what they use in incendiary rounds, if I have my chemistry right. Still, a fire that little means you were very sloppy in producing it. Maybe, the quality of the things that come out of those holes in your hands depends on your focus. Pissing your pants as you are right now, you can’t even make a proper explosion, I’d wager,” Clement summarized, taking his sweet time in purpose to fully indulge in the helplessness of the girl in front him. “What kind of magic is this? I’ve never seen anything like it. You can just make things with those holes? It’s some sort of Conjuration or Alchemy, if I had to take a shot in the dark... It looks more like playing with chemicals more than any real magic. Just some artificial cheap tricks, perfect for an artificial cheap girl who has to fake her bravery! I’ll have plenty of time to see how it all works after I cut your arms off.”

Lisbeth’s response was to throw more orbs, but nothing worked against him in this chaotic state of mind. The plan had gone awry, and Lisbeth no longer knew what to do. Why? How come someone who got this far today was suddenly so inept and incompetent? Why was she suddenly a scared little nobody, when she had been oh so efficient mere minutes ago?

Well, the answer is simple.

“...Kudos to you, kid,” Clement chided, half seriously, half in jest. “It takes balls to do what you did when you are such a massive coward. That mask, that outfit, it’s all out to evoke fear, to make you look big, eh?”

“Shut up!” Lisbeth retorted, producing her spikes and lunging at Clement with a panicked leap, only to meet a metallic hammer-arm face first, her body being flung to a bookcase like a helpless rag doll as her mask clattered against the floor. As she tried to get on her feet, her body simply wouldn’t comply.

“Ahh... Ahh... Damn it, come on, stand...! Hhr...! That’s two or three ribs... Come on! Stand up! W-wait, where is my mask... Where is it...!”

“You know,” Clement continued, talking leisurely as the fight was as good as won. “I didn’t know what I expected behind that mask, but it sure as hell wasn’t an ugly ass kid with tears streaming down her face. I feel like a god damned idiot for having been tricked by you in the first place. As soon as I am done with you, I’m going to take it out on that little shit upstairs. You have only yourself to blame.”

“You...! Why do you kidnap Veiled children!? Is human trafficking that fun!? Are you really that desperate for some cash!?” the furious Lisbeth lashed out, crawling away from him, huddling against the bookcase she was flung against.

Clement simply blinked. “It’s not human trafficking, though? It’s just Veiled kids, no biggie.”

“...What?”

“Oh, come on, it’s just some garbage from the other side that shouldn’t be here in the first place! I wouldn’t do this with an actual fucking person, get real! Its just a Veiled! It’s like cattle! You take the young, and let the old make more young, and then take them again! It’s good business.”

“Good business, huh...? I see, it’s good business. Ripping children away from their parents is good business to you... So we are just good business to you, huh? Good to know, really good to know!”

“Hm? Wh--”

Clement had seen fear plenty of times, but there was something else he was very familiar with: Anger. He saw anger every time a Veiled parent would have their children taken away from them. He saw anger every time a Veiled children would get sold off to the highest bidder. He saw anger every time a helpless parent tried their hardest and was beaten to a pulp by him and his thugs. He knew anger when he saw it, and right now?

Lisbeth’s face wasn’t one of fear, not exclusively. She was afraid, for sure, but there was something far more potent that that in her lithe frame right now, causing it to shake not from fear anymore.

And that was the blistering, white, hot anger that her silver eyes exuded with naught an attempt to curb it.

Protruding her hand spikes, Lisbeth impaled herself and let out a primal scream as her veins bulged unnaturally. Not two seconds later, she less jumped and more exploded towards Clement with far more force and speed than her body type and musculature would suggest, quickly releasing a burst of liquid nitrogen to encase her right hand in a block of ice that smashed against the face of the Technomancer, his world spinning for a second. He swiped back at her, catching her with a well placed right hook, a literal hook, mind you, that should have pierced her real well. And it would have, had it not been for the ice shield Lisbeth quickly made with another burst of liquid nitrogen to intercept the hook. Clement acted fast, however, and used his regular hand to streak a punch right across the girl’s face with all of his strength. Surely, with their weight and height differences, she really should’ve felt this one, right?

Nope.

Unfazed, Lisbeth swung her left hand this time as if to respond in kind, a white phosphorous-enhanced flaming uppercut that connected squarely with his jaw, quickly followed by another meteoric downwards hammer punch from the frozen hand, making him spit blood and a molar.

“S-shit, what the hell! How the hell...!”

“I pumped myself full of steroids and painkillers, darling. You are so, as they say on less reputable streets, fucked right now!”

Clement desperately turned his arm into a blade again and lunged at her, and surprisingly, found purchase, piercing the girl... And then, she grabbed onto the arm, and pulled him closer and closer.

“...! Did you intentionally...!? Wait, wait, are you nuts?! Wait!”

“Nuts? No, just desperate and short on time. Bare your neck.”

Clement’s begging fell on empty ears as Lisbeth’s left hand, swollen and charred with the burns from her own fire punch, protruded that nasty, flesh-hungry spike that quickly found its way to the veins in his neck, injecting something that quickly paralyzed Clement and made him burn from within. Pulling herself away from the arm that was currently running her through, Lisbeth, who wobbled and struggled to walk straight, one hand pressed tightly against her wound, approached his (obviously pretentious) whiskey cabinet, poured herself a glass, and drank it in one shot.

“...Even your taste in whiskey fucking sucks,” she quipped. Getting four more glasses, she lined them up in front of the poisoned Clement, and filled each with different, strange liquids directly from her hand holes. The first one was electric blue, the next, transparent, like water, followed by a light green liquid, and last but not least, a brown, sludge-like substance.

“Alright, Clement, we’re going to play something I like to call the Apothecary's Game. The rules are simple: In front of you are four glasses. Three of them are poison, but one of them is an antidote to the poison I just injected you with.”

“...What the hell is this?” Clement snarled, unable to move but seemingly able to speak.

“I didn’t give you a full dose of the venom, just enough to disable you... For now, anyways. That dose will turn lethal, given enough time, so your clock is ticking. Now, you can try and pick one of the glasses in front of you, giving you a 25% chance of picking the right choice. Pick wrong, however, and you will have drank a full dose of another poison. The two venoms in you will react really, really badly together, and you’ll die slowly and very painfully. Here’s where it gets fun!” -- Lisbeth cheerfully announced as she fastened her mask back in place, back in-character -- “If you give me information I want, and I believe you, I’ll take away one of the duds. Give me three answers I am looking for, and you’ll only be left with the antidote! Fair, isn’t it?”

“Fair like a gun to the temple, you maniac...”

“That’s rich coming from the child kidnapper. Alright, question one: How did you get this gig rolling? I heard you once worked with one Mister Sibbens, but he doesn’t seem to be around today.”

“...I killed Sibbens.” -- it seems Clement had given up on lying, fearing the repercussions of being caught -- “We originally only took cases that involved Veiled trying to get a citizenship here on the Human World. Sibbens was very much a philanthropist in this regard, and would sometimes not even charge Veiled if they didn’t have the means...”

“And you, of course, didn’t like that very much.”

“Heh, nope, not at all. I studied law to get paid accordingly, not to run a charity, much less one for sub-human freaks. Eventually, I staged his death, pinned the blame on a Veiled, and what do you know? The Exters fully bought into it.”

Lisbeth grabbed the glass with the light green fluid and tossed it across the room. “That’s one dud down. How did you get away with it for so long?”

“I still take cases, see? Veiled cases. I defend them, I vouch for them, I get them their citizenships, and play the part of the hero. I use a system much like the ‘decimation’ of the Roman Army: Every tenth Veiled family that comes, I get my boys to abduct their kids and threaten them to keep silent or risk getting their children killed. Even if they speak out against me, I have a bunch of other Veiled that will defend me, as I got them their citizenship for cheap. Then, I sell the Veiled kids in the black market for high prices. Pretty good system that guarantees no one snitches on you and, if they do, nothing happens anyways... Well, at least until an ugly masked bitch ruined it all.”

Lisbeth, however, didn’t react at all for a few seconds, and simply tossed the glass with the blue liquid away after a short delay. “It’s always money for your type, huh? That’s all we amount to when placed in front of you and your money: Obstacles to be removed, the consequences be damned. Ripping families apart is just so fun to you, isn’t it? Bad whiskey and a tacky mancave justifies it all for you, I gather. Last question: Were you involved in what happened to the White Silhouette?”

Clement looked visibly puzzled. “White... Silhouette? As in, the extremely efficient and deadly Doppel corps? They got crushed mysteriously some time ago, didn’t they?”

Lisbeth nodded. “Were you involved?”

“Not at all, I’m not that big of a player.”

“And do you know who could have done it? Do you have any clues? Any idea of where one could begin to look for answers?”

“I’ve seriously no idea of who could’ve done that... Why do you care so much for that?”

“I’m the one making the questions, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, yeah... But really, I’ve nothing to do with that, nor do I know who could have done it.”

“...Alright.” Lisbeth sighed, grabbing the glass with the transparent liquid and tossing it. “You’ve earned it. Here’s the antidote.” And just as she said that, Lisbeth also tossed away the antidote, the glass shattering against a bookcase, staining several books with the brown sludge. 

“Wh-what the fuck!? We had a deal!”

“It wasn’t a deal, it was a game. I don’t deal with serial kidnappers, and even less with lawyers. Kindly fuck off to the afterlife, please.” As if to call the curtain on this horrible specimen, Lisbeth’s spike dug into his neck one last time, pumping him full of the venom, making Clement undergo seizures as he bled from his eyes and frothed at the mouth, an ugly end for an ugly man.

Examining the elevated section where Lisbeth first spotted Clement, the Alchemist found a computer, conveniently on and accessible. Gripping her silver cross pendant, Lisbeth pulled on its bottom to remove what seemed to be a detachable section akin to a cap, revealing a USB drive. Plugging it into the computer, Lisbeth copied and pasted everything she could find in the terminal to it. Once she was done, Lisbeth copied an executable program onto the desktop, unplugged her drive, and ran the program, bricking the computer in mere seconds.

“...Until I am done going through this data, I can’t know for sure if he lied or not, but it seems he’s unrelated, making this a waste of time for the most part. Well, at least the world is one child kidnapper down...” And as she walked one, one could swear she also said “...And one lawyer down...” under her breath.

Putting the cap on her USB drive, Lisbeth called for the elevator, feebly and barely holding herself together, the kickback from the steroids and the waning effect of the painkillers making her really feel her sustained wounds. “...Better just bear with it... If I keep injecting this stuff, I’ll really OD...”

                                                     ---------

The sky grew pink over the Clement & Sibbens Law Firm office. Bodies and rubble adorned the first floor of the building as Lisbeth emerged from the elevator with the still asleep Marcela in her arms. Carrying her away, Lisbeth noticed, much to her relief, that despite there having been a literal explosion, it seems authorities were not yet in the area. “...The fact that they’ve taken so long to come check this out means they knew this was a front. I wonder how many of the local cops are under Clement’s pockets... Well, were under his pockets. Still, I should hurry.”

As she walked away through the back alleys and away from more populated areas, Lisbeth collapsed, both her and Marcela meeting the ground, unable to go on any longer with her wounds, particularly her broken ribs and the lower left side of her torso, which had been completely run through with Clement’s blade-arm. As much as she produced morphine in her body, she had accumulated far more damage than she could handle. As she lay on the floor, bleeding out, Lisbeth couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief.

It was all so scary. It can finally end. She did her best, right? This much was enough. Time and time again, she ended up in terrifying situations, acting as if she was on top of it all where in reality all she wanted was to scream. The mask looked intimidating, but it was all to conceal her terrified expression and her crying. She couldn’t help crying during battle. These clothes were so heavy, the pelt was so asphyxiating, both physically and mentally, an eternal reminder of who she must avenge.

But none of that mattered now, right? She could go. She could finally rest. She tried her best. Oluwasanmi and the Mercury Witch would welcome her in the afterlife, after so long, right? She could almost see them, the gentle giant and the rowdy witch, arms spread open, waiting for her...

“...Bullshit...”

It was only a matter of walking to the end of the light, where Father and Mother awaited her...

“...They aren’t my parents...”

Mere footsteps away...

“They never found the fucking bodies! They aren’t dead! Until I see the bodies, I won’t--”

Of course it’s never that easy. Even cowards have their pride. Even if a coward hates every moment of it, once cornered, once pressured, they will bare their fangs. It’s not that Lisbeth has nothing to lose, it’s that she lost it all already.

Some might take that as a sign to call it quits.

But Lisbeth isn’t like that.

Lisbeth shot awake, but the blinding pain caused by her sudden movement immediately made her inch back onto the bed. Wait... Bed?

“...Where... Just where am I?”

“Well, good morning, Miss Hero.”

White sheets, a window, medical equipment, and a woman in a suit sitting on the other side of the room. This was a hospital if she ever saw one.

“How...”

“How did you get here? Well, one Miss Marcela Toreca called us from a payphone, emergency call, and told us where to find you. It seems your good deed saved your life.”

“Marcela--! Where is she!?”

“Relax. She’s in the room adjacent to this one, she’s--”

“Malnutritioned and has a case of Plonar’s Disease! If we don’t treat the gangrene on the base of her horns, she might become a vegetable or even die!”

The woman in the suit whistled and clapped. “Well, now, that’s quite the accurate diagnosis. You are correct on all accounts and she’s being treated. You’ll be delighted to know her parents were contacted and they are in there, too. They really want to thank you for saving their disappeared daughter.”

Upon hearing this, Lisbeth visibly sank into her bed. “Ah... Well, that’s good to know... But now, you... Are no nurse, are you?”

The suited woman simply giggled. “Indeed I am not. Miss ‘Lisbeth’, was it? Unless you fed Marcela a false name, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance... Now, on behalf of the California NEST of Exters, I have some questions I’d like you to answer. And please don’t try to, ah, finesse your way out of this one. I’ll tell you right now we have the whole building surrounded.”

“...It doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice, then,” Lisbeth murmured, clearly displeased.

“Whether that is your name or not is irrelevant, really, because we know something for sure, courtesy of that tattoo on the back of your hand, Miss White Silhouette.”

“...Ah.”

Just now realizing she had been stripped of all her clothes to be put in a hospital gown, that also included her gloves, and with her gloves gone, the Canis Major tattoo on the back of her left hand was fully visible. 

“A genuine article, too. So you’re the sole survivor of the White Silhouette, huh? Well, Miss Lisbeth, we can’t have an ex-Doppel just running around in Exter turf like this, you no doubt understand. Depending on your cooperation, we might be able to reach some sort of compromise. I am sure we can both benefit from this, hmhm.”

Lisbeth could only listen to this office fox flap her gums. With the damage she sustained, she knew better than anyone, better than any of these doctors, that her body would break down should she try anything. It seems the gig was finally up.

It was this encounter that brought the story of “Lisbeth Elstad” to an end and that marked the beginning of the story “Lisbeth Elstad, Exter”, a story about a coward who has decide to face everything to recover what she lost, even if all she can recover is ‘closure’.

But that story is one for another day, for another medium.

[one-lucky-clover]

Character Info

NOTE: Characters that are available for roleplay will have an icon below their info. The Girls Clover "Lady Luck" Finley

"Clover is a kindhearted, and charitable individual by nature who uses her lucky streak to give away to others. Though there's a fiery kick to her, one that craves adventure. For this reason she often goes out by night to partake in "un-lady-like" activities such as drinking, dancing, gambling, and driving automobiles."

Age-wise she's in her mid 20's

Her father is the Mayor.

An only child, sees Ruby as like the sister she never had.

Her parasol doubles as a physical weapon. That spike on the top is that long and sharp for a reason. It is almost always on her somewhere, even when she's in her flapper attire.

Her parasol also allows brief flight (ala Mary Poppins)

Loves to eat, especially sweets.

Never expect pound cake or cookies to last long with her around.

Favorite Beverage is Apple Cider (And Hard Cider).

Also a big fan of finger foods.

Extremely protective of those she cares about.

Especially Bonnie, Odette, Ruby, and Buster.

100% not afraid to fight anyone to protect them.

Works running "Good Fortune Daycare" during the day, and acts as the Bouncer/Entertainment at Ruby's at night

Sings up on stage. 

A Novice Dancer. Bonnie is helping her become a better dancer. 

Usually Bonnie performs with her.

She and Blaise were once childhood friends. Though a large gap between morals has caused them to drift apart.

Clover HATES him.

Doesn't know who her mother is. Her father doesn't like to talk about it.

While she enjoys recreational gambling, her lucky streak has caused her to get banned from a few casinos.

Do not gamble with her, that is a mistake.

Is currently dating Buster.

BATIM Fanon Wiki Page

Roleplay Icon(s):

Ruby Rabbit

"Ruby is a motherly, yet blunt bunny who is the bartender and runner of 'Ruby's.' She loves to listen to the stories of others and offer a supportive, sympathetic shoulder to lean on. During the day she assists Clover in running 'Good Fortune Daycare'."

A fabulous cook and drink mixer. She makes everything served at her bar.

Considered to be the “Mother” of the group.

Clover may be the brawn of the group, but Ruby is someone not to be trifled with either.

Clover is her dearest friend and she would do anything to protect her.

Protective in general.

Bold, Soulful singer. You’ll be surprised how big of a singer she is for how petite she is in size.

Bright and Cunning.

Roses are her favorite flower.

BATIM Fanon Wiki Page

Roleplay Icon(s):

Odette the Cat

"Odette was once Clover's beloved pet cat, turned toon by the Wicked Witch Wilda. She is affectionate, clingy, mischievous, and childish usually sticking close to Clover. She loves asking questions and letting her curiosity get the better of her."

Though her age as a toon is unknown she's considered a child.

Loves to play with the children at the daycare.

Not the best when it comes to "nap-time"

Doesn't usually help with the speakeasy, usually stays home. Tends to make a mess of things otherwise.

Enjoys Tuna and Burgers.

Hates Lemons and Cucumbers.

Clingy with Clover, will sometimes cling to her if she doesn't like someone. 

Has super sharp claws under her claws she can use as a tool or weapon.

Since she was originally a non-toon cat, she has the ability to speak with other non-toon cats.

not known at this time if this extends to other animals.

Purrs very, VERY loudly when she's happy.

Love giving people things she finds. Sometimes they're nice things. Sometimes not.

Has a very naive, optimistic view of the world.

But much, much more intelligent than she lets on.

Bonnie The Angel

"Bonnie is a sweet, compassionate, animal-adoring angel who loves to sing. The poor angel has a bad habit of falling into plights of peril and needing to be rescued. She was originally hired to be the female counterpart to Bendy before being replaced by Alice Angel. While Bonnie tries to stay optimistic, she often worries she will be forgotten about."

Can use her singing to attract animal helpers (ala a disney princess.)

Her singing also has the ability to calm others, including Clover.

Her singing is just magically potent in general.

Literally the most pure character in the group.

Naive and can be easily mislead.

The other members of the group are extremely protective of her because of this.

Is in charge of the Nursery at the daycare.

Great with animals and children.

Sweetheart, easily touched by others stories and extremely compassionate.

Somewhat of a crybaby

Very Thoughtful and often surprises others with gifts.

Honestly only the heartless beings could ever get angry at an angel like Bonnie.

Very gentle and passive, probably the only member of the group who doesn’t have any capacity to fight.

Loves baking, cooking, and cleaning.

Sometimes assists Ruby Rabbit with whatever she’s making.

Nickname is "Bon-Bon," mostly used by Clover.

Roleplay Icon(s):

The Guys

Buster the Demon

“Buster is the Older Brother of Bendy. Like his brother, he’s quite mischievous and often happens into trouble. However he’s usually not the one causing it, and often relies on his own cunning to outwit whatever situation he’s in. In fact he’s quite cocky and boastful about the things he can do. Despite this, he’s a well-intentioned goofball who loves nothing more than making others laugh.”

Is essentially the Oswald to Bendy’s Mickey

He is big on slapstick and quite hardy.

Sometimes works at the Bar as entertainment

Loves to tease and mess with his little brother, but still loves him dearly

Won’t tolerate anyone trying to pick on him.

Buster is a bruiser, his trademark weapon is a wooden mallet that he pulls out of hammerspace.

Despite this he tries to solve most of his problems by outsmarting his foes.

Definitely a mastermind when it comes to coming up with plans.

Is dating Clover.

Will happily tell you how much he loves his girlfriend.

BATIM Fanon Wiki Page

Roleplay Icon(s):

Secondary Characters

Blaise

"A Charming, Charismatic, Wealthy, Successful, and Princely guy with the voice of an... well, you know. However with his fame and fortune has come an air of superiority and privilege. There's more to this fella than his angelic looks."

Clover and he were childhood friends.

Clover absolutely hates him now. However Blaise still persists to pursue her as a suitor.

A rival to Bendy and to Buster.

He acts very “Higher than Thou.”

Mayor Finley

"Ernest Finley is the cheerful, sociable mayor of town and Clover's father. He loves keeping a presence, knowing what's best for his citizens and offering all he can to better the town he runs. Though the mayor's giving nature makes him to be a target of advantage-taking causing Clover to worry about him constantly."

Clover's Father

Clover refers to him as "Papa,""Father," or "Pops"

Loves his daughter with all his heart.

Can be cowardly in some cases, but absolutely will not tolerate anyone trying to threaten his daughter.

Loves to give rousing speeches.

Can play the piano, loves the sound of the instrument.

Approved and helped to Fund the Daycare. Is semi-aware of the speakeasy and chooses to stay out of it.

Grim Skeleton

"Grim is a foil to bendy. Whereas while bendy is a Cheerful troublemaker, Grim is simply a happy-go-lucky chap who happens upon trouble wherever he goes. Often his cartoons involve him in plights of peril, even ones where he’s completely oblivious to the dangers around him as he goes about his merry way. Oblivious is certainly one word for him, the other being a trifle spineless... despite being a literal skeleton."

Is the Donald Duck to Bendy’s Mickey in the sense that he is his Foil, and opposite.

Has a tendency to be forgetful.

And Oblivious.

Drives Bella crazy

Loves Sandwiches.

A pure gentlemen.

Absolutely in love with his darling Bella.

Bella Skeleton

"Bella is a darling. She’s always up to date on the latest trends and fashions, and loves to lavish in the splendor of the finer things in life. She likes to organize and plan things out, often being the one to help grim keep track of his daily tasks. Though at times she can be a bit prissy and picky. As well as fussy towards Grim, though he doesn’t mind. He absolutely adores her and would do anything to keep a smile on her face."

A fashionista.

Loves gossip, and advice.

Often visits the girls at the day care or even the bar just to chat about current events.

Bella is great for Intel, somehow she just finds out everything. Even before someone knows it.

Perhaps it’s really good intuition.

Hates getting dirty, always carries extra makeup and backup clothing.

Quite charmed by Grim.

Wilda Witch (Also sometimes called "Wicked Witch Wilda")

"Wilda is a cruel, bitter old witch who loves torment just about anyone. She rides around on her broom where she casts strange spells on unsuspecting victims. No one knows why she loves being so cruel, though rumors say she genuinely gets a kick out of being a pain."

Despises Clover for her lucky streak. Once used magic to steal it away from her, but after a long string of shenanigans Clover managed to get her luck back.

Also once used her magic to steal Alice’s Voice.

A rotten apple to her core.

Loves to show up at the worst times.

Responsible for essentially any "Magical Anons" This blog receives. 

Cupid the Angel

"Cupid is... well, Cupid! The angel of Love who brings peace and harmony to everyone! The chip, optimistic guys is actually Bonnie’s older brother, and a surprisingly close friend of Bendy’s as well. Mindful, experienced, and clever in his own right. Cupid is the (Almost) perfect Matchmaker!”

Canon Characters

(Note: This section is for already-existing BATIM/BINR characters from the games that are characterized or developed in ways that may go outside of what actually happens in canon. Usually are secondary characters.)

Dewey Inkwell

“Dewey is a big, quiet, and kind of imposing guy whose in charge of the Library in town. He once tried to bury Bendy in ink when he caused a ruckus at his establishment. Though after being confronted by Clover, and seeing the level of destruction caused to the Library by his outburst, he’s begun trying to managing his anger. The Inkwell might be a grumpy guy in general, but he’s hoping to get a second chance to prove he’s more than a monster.”

Very quiet by nature. It can make him seem a lot more imposing and intimidating as he’s already a big guy.

Only really gets loud when he’s angry.

Is currently seeing an Anger Management Counselor to deal with his temper after the events of “Dewey Decimated.”

Grumpy seems to be his default mood either way. 

Is secretly a big softy, he hides a lot off his feelings under a very intimidating-looking shell.

Not very good about managing his feelings. 

Not the most social guy. Spends most of his time at the Library where he feels most himself

Very passionate about reading a book preservation, as well as reading and phonetic education.

Lets Ruby and Clover bring the kids to the library to read on Wednesday for that reason.

His Tommy Ink Gun shoots both ink and feather quills.

No one knows how he even acquired something like that. Most of them assume the source wasn’t good. 

Minor Characters

Kids at the Daycare

[pharmaphorumuk]

GSK teams up with Clover on coronavirus vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to supply its vaccine adjuvant technology to Clover Biopharma, to help the Chinese biotech in its efforts to develop a vaccine against new coronavirus COVID-19.

Chengdu-based Clover has come up with a subunit vaccine based on a viral ‘spike’ protein identified via analysis of the coronavirus genome from samples taken from people who recovered from the infection.

Spike proteins used by coronaviruses to fuse with cell membranes gain entry to host cells, and they formed the basis of previous vaccines against SARS and MERS.

Clover’s vaccine – dubbed  COVID-19 S-Trimer – is produced using its mammalian cell expression platform and has been shown to be recognised by antibodies produced by multiple previously-infected coronavirus patients, according to Clover’s chief strategy officer Joshua Liang.

GSK is supplying adjuvant technology already deployed in pandemic flu vaccines and used to enhance the immune response to antigens for use in preclinical testing by Clover.

The Chinese company has the manufacturing capacity to scale up production of the S-Trimer vaccine quickly if needed, and use of adjuvants could extend the number of shots that can be produced as less vaccine protein will be needed per dose, according to GSK.

The UK drugmaker is a big producer of vaccines but isn’t developing its own candidate against COVID-19 at the moment. This is however the second deal covering the use of its adjuvant platform – earlier this month, the company donated its adjuvant technology to not-for-profit organisation Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has four work programmes related to COVID-19.

Moderna milestone

The news came as US biotech Moderna, another of the frontrunners in COVID-19 vaccine development, said it had shipped the first batch of its mRNA-1273 candidate to US National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers for human testing just 42 days after the virus genome was sequenced.

A clinical trial of the messenger RNA-based vaccine – which was manufactured by CEPI – is due to start in April in healthy volunteers, with preliminary results due in July or August. The shot is also based on the COVID-19 spike protein.

Meanwhile, the number of cases of the new coronavirus rose above 80,000 worldwide, with South Korea, Italy and Iran all experiencing a spike in cases while China – the epicentre of the outbreak – says the rate of new infections is slowing down.

The World Health Organization isn’t ready to classify the outbreak as a pandemic just yet, but says countries should be in a “state of readiness” for that happening. That decision has resulted in some criticism however, as critics claim some emergency measures won’t come into effect until a pandemic is officially declared.

The WHO is often between a rock and hard place on these issues of course, and was slammed in some quarters after it declared the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak a pandemic on the grounds that it caused panic about a virus that wasn’t as deadly as initially feared.

Zejula boost

Meanwhile, there was also good news for GSK after the FDA accepted its marketing application for PARP inhibitor Zejula (niraparib) as a single-agent maintenance therapy for women with advanced ovarian cancer who have responded to platinum-based chemotherapy.

If approved, the new indication would strengthen Zejula’s competitive position against AstraZeneca and Merck & Co’s Lynparza (olaparib), the market-leading PARP inhibitor, and help GSK recoup its $5.1 billion takeover of Zejula’s developer Tesaro last year.

The FDA is reviewing Zejula for first-line maintenance in ovarian cancer patients regardless of their tumour mutation status, while Lynparza is approved only for use in women with BRCA mutations.

The post GSK teams up with Clover on coronavirus vaccine appeared first on .

from https://pharmaphorum.com/news/gsk-teams-up-with-clover-on-coronavirus-vaccine/

[dapperhomebrew]

Bochet brew day!

A 12-quart pot was cutting it pretty close for 11.5lbs (1 gallon) of honey.  The foam was right at the brim of the pot on much of the 2-hour boil.  If I did it over again, I’d definitely use a bigger pot.

I was shooting for 3lbs of honey/gallon of must, but a gallon jug (the most convenient bulk honey unit) is 11.5lbs.  So I tried to top up the water to ~3.8 gallons, but what’re you gonna do?  I can only be so accurate with 1/2 gallon markings on the carboy.

It started at 28.9°Bx which is dang high, but I’m kind of flying by the seat of my pants on this one.  I pitched a packet of S-04, which based on what I’ve heard from other brewers will stop between 9% and 13% ABV.  That’s kind of a big spread, so I plan on giving it a taste when the gravity stabilizes.  If it’s too sweet for me, I’ll probably pitch a second strain like a tolerant wine yeast.

The nutrient additions aren’t going to be complicated.  27g total of Fermax yeast nutrient (about 4tsp) added in 9g increments on day 0, day 3, and day 6.  This is called a staggered nutrient addition (SNA).  If all the nutrients are added at the beginning, you tend to get a large temperature spike which can cause off flavors.  Spreading out the nutrient additions means you get several spikes in temperature, but they’re not as dramatic.

To condense the recipe:

11.5lbs (1 gallon) of clover honey

Top-up water to 3.8 gallons, boiled or bottled

1 packet of Safale S-04 English Ale yeast

27g (~4tsp) Fermax yeast nutrient

Heat the jug of honey in a hot water bath to make it easier to pour. A brewing bucket is perfect for this.

Pour the honey into a large pot.  Heat over low heat until it begins boiling.

Boil for 2 hours, stirring to reduce foam.  Keep a spray bottle of water on hand to prevent boil-overs. Be very careful.  Boiling honey is very hot and very sticky.  The honey will darken in color considerably, but should not burn.  P.S. Don’t make a huge sticky mess on the stove like I did.

Transfer the pot to an ice bath to chill.  Add a gallon of top-up water to the pot and stir to expedite the process.

Siphon the must to a sanitized fermenter.  Top up to 3.8 gallons.

Pitch your yeast.  I have not seen enough evidence to suggest that rehydrating yeast does much of anything on the homebrewing scale.  If it makes you feel good, do that.  As for me, I just dump the packet in.

Add 9g of the yeast nutrient and aerate the must.  I use a wine degassing rod and a 12V cordless drill, but use whatever makes you comfortable.

Degas the mead and add 9g of nutrient on the 3rd day of fermentation.  Repeat these steps on the 6th day of fermentation as well.

Past that, the recipe is basically just “wait and see.”

[badbreadpuns]

Clover’s Big Spike (1/3)

Characters: m!bunny boy x f!reader Content: Volleyball, painful meet cute, lunch date, fluff Rating: Lemon (first 2 parts are sfw) Word count: ~1,700

Paintbrush pats against canvas, smearing green on uncolored strands of grass. Today you are painting the pond near the bottom of the hill. Below, ducks float on the surface, and heads bob out of the water. Naiads play in the calm pond, and it isn’t uncommon for selkies and merfolk to visit.

These little details are what you want to bring to life in your art. You want to share the park’s tranquility, its beauty.

“How’s the painting coming along?”

You leap out of your reverie, almost splattering paint on a part of the picture that’s not supposed to be green. The voice is familiar.

“You know I get focused when I’m painting…”

His cheeky grin fades. “Sorry. Dick move.”

Alekos is the only classmate from your art class with hooves and horns. He’s your critique partner, so you two have grown close over the years. His laughter is musical. His hair and fur are delightfully dark. But you’re sure he’s already seeing someone.

You sigh, but a smile returns to your face. “I’ve completed the sketch, now I’m painting.”

The wood creaks as he sits beside you. “What a lovely shade of green.”

“Thanks, it took a few tries to find the best mix. But I’m not satisfied with the grass.”

“Have you tried a different stroke?”

“Yeah, but it still isn’t coming out right.”

“Maybe you need a break?” He scratches the bristles on his chin. “I’m going to a volleyball game, want to come?”

You had friends who played volleyball in high school, and watching them was fun. Why not?

“Sure. The paint needs to dry first.”

“Of course. See you down the hill!”

After waiting for the canvas to dry, you pack up the supplies, taking them to your car. On the walk back, you map out the park in your head, trying to remember where the court is.

Grass and stone turn into brown sand as you close in on the field. Tennis balls smack against the ground as players compete. Spectators gather around the courts, the back of Alekos’s horns standing out among the crowd.

“Sorry I took so long.”

His chuckle is low, pleasing. “Good timing.”

The players get in their positions, six on each side. One team is clad in red, the other white. Alekos pokes your side, whispering to you.

“See the bunny boy on the white team?” He points to the shortest member, a rabbit beast folk in the back row. “I’m watching this for him.”

“A buddy of yours?” He nods, turning his attention back to the court. Your eyes follow.

All the players appear to be beast folk of varying species. The most striking member is a wasp on the red team, her exoskeleton white with black stripes.

She serves, jumping then hovering in the air before smacking the ball to the white team. A bear passes it over to the rabbit, who strikes it over the net. It flies past a bat and hits the ground, earning the white team its first point. 

Players duck and dive for the ball as the match continues. The games you remember from high school weren’t as intense, but those were matches with all humans.

The bunny glances to the small crowd on the benches, smiling when he spots Alekos. His attention returns to the ball as it zips over to his side.

Alekos’s stomach announces its hunger. “Want a snack?”

You shrug. “I’m fine, thanks though.”

“More nachos for me.”

Alekos stands and walks to the concession stand, marking the sand with his hooves. You turn back to the game. The ball darts back and forth, your eyes struggling to keep up. His friend is the quickest player, running over and smacking the ball to the other team when it crosses over to his side. After he hits it, the ball flies high into the air, then falls…

Slamming into your face like a brick.

You tumble over with a thud, creating a cloud of dust. Sand enters your lungs as you writhe on the ground, leaving you in a coughing fit.

A soft, unfamiliar voice calls to you.

“Are you okay?”

A hand grabs your shoulder, pulling you up from the ground and patting away the dust on your clothes. Your eyes take a moment to open as you cough, but when they do, they like what they see: the bunny player.

“I’m sorry.” He tugs at an ear, rubbing it between his fingers. “It’s my fault the ball hit you.”

You don’t respond right away, taking a moment to examine him. He goes up to your chest, so you almost have to crouch to get a good look. His hair and furry lower half are a pastel grayish pink, a color you’ve never seen on a beast folk before. A floppy ear falls to the side of his head, the other still in his hand. His skin is light brown, like polished wood. Underneath his white shirt are toned muscles, his reward for years of playing sports.

A blush races on his cheeks as you stare at him. “A-are you hurt?”

“Oh! I’m fine.” You are, even if your face is sore.

By now, a crowd of volleyball players has formed around you two. 

“Glad you’re okay.”

“That must have hurt!”

“Thanks, guys.” You’re not used to this much attention. It’s nice.

“What’s wrong?” Alekos rushes over, nachos in hand.

The bun boy turns to him, a frown souring his cute face. “The ball hit her.”

“Your face is red. Does it hurt?”

“A little.”

“Do you need ice? There’s a cooler near the benches…”

“It’s fine.” You sit back down. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your game.”

“If you’re alright…”

The game resumes. Alekos shares his nachos as you monitor the ball. It’s a close game, but the white team wins by a point. The teammates cheer and shout, high fiving each other. As they chatter, you and Alekos head over to congratulate the team for an excellent game.

“Outstanding job!” He gives his friend a hearty pat on his shoulder, and the shorter man nearly topples over. “Oops.”

“Th-thanks.” He looks over to you, worry apparent in his rosy eyes. “I’m sorry your friend got hurt.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Must happen all the time.”

He rubs the back of his head. “Not really. We’re usually better at hitting the ball towards the net.”

The wasp woman from the red team comes over. “Great game as always.” She grins, as much as mandibles can look like one. “We’ll beat you next time!”

“Thanks, Lucky.” He brightens up, his worry wilting away. “It was a tough game.”

Tough? He made it look easy.

Her glittery eyes turn to you. “And I hope you’re okay. You slammed the ground pretty hard.”

“Hah, yeah…”

“Can I make it up to you?” He gives you puppy (bunny?) eyes, his lips in a small pout.

Alekos taps your shoulder, whispering. “Food always cheers him up.”

“There's a café nearby I've wanted to check out. Maybe we can go there?”

His eyes light up, his frown turning into a smile. “My pleasure.”

Lunch with a cute guy. Today is good.

Alekos winks. “Catch you two later.”

The scent of fresh bread greets you and your new friend as you open the door. Visitors of all sorts give the little café a bustling atmosphere. Many of the customers, and the staff, are monsters. A fluffy minotaur takes your order (you stutter out your “medium cappuccino and toast”). Clover picks out a spot outside, and you sit down.

He starts the conversation with another apology. “Sorry again about hitting you.”

“No need to worry!” A small smile returns to his face as you laugh it off.

“I’ve never seen you in the benches before. Are you a friend of Alekos?”

“Yeah, we’re in the same art class. He’s my critique partner.”

His eyes light up at that. “He always makes his class sound fun.”

“Do you go to the same college as us?”

He tilts his head. “No. But I play with some members of the volleyball team.”

That would explain why you haven’t seen him around campus. “Do you work, then?”

“I sell vegetables on Sundays.”

A harpy server brings your food on a cart. Both of you thank her, her vibrant feathers shimmering in the sunlight as she flutters off to another table. Clover digs into his sandwich, and you take a sip of your cappuccino. You eat together in pleasant silence.

Clover finishes his meal first. He wipes crumbs off his face. “Thank you for lunch.”

“Thank you for hitting me with a ball!” As you laugh, his lips curl into a small pout. You stop when he doesn’t join you. “Dumb joke, sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He plays with his ear, his eyes avoiding yours. “Um… Would you like to jog with me on Saturday?”

“Sounds fun!” You haven’t jogged since high school, but it shouldn’t be too hard to get back into it.

His gaze meets yours again, his frown fading away. “Exercise is a wonderful way to get to know someone.”

You finish your meal, and the harpy comes back with the bill. Before you pull out your wallet, Clover holds up his.

“Fine. I get to pay next time, okay?”

After he covers lunch (and gives a nice tip), you part ways. Your grin is effervescent as you head back to your car. He’s so polite, so sweet, so… Cute!! Alekos needs to introduce you to his friends more often.

Buzz buzz. Your phone vibrates, lighting up your pocket. Bringing it to your face, the bright screen shows a text from Alekos. (Speaking of!)

“How was lunch?” A goat emoji winks at you.

“Delish! Clover is so sweet.”

“Thank you for hanging out with him. He can be fragile.”

“Poor guy.” Oh yeah, you should tell him the good news. “I’m jogging with him on Saturday.”

“Looks like you two are pals already. Have fun!”

You pocket your phone and hop into your car. On the drive to the dorms, you remind yourself to dig through your closet for your old jogging jacket.

[scrumptiousnerdcollectionzi-blog]

Thee Privy Texter's chuckle Paris pal Airline to Tel Aviv '— Vu' (Warwick hit) PBS funder Scatter about Encore presentations Chortles Asian temples Peacekeeping org. Actress Ward Hgt. Bro or sis Gossip source 'Got it' Pottery oven Skin-care brand Spy org. Rams fans? Apiece Thanks Served soup RenFest waitress Man-mouse link String quartet player Big waves Genetic stuff Corn spike Peruke Brock of baseball Reuben cheese Hearty quaff Tic-tac-toe win Macho type Painter Vermeer Bit by bit Yalie Tram load Seriously loyal Swiss metropolis Greek vowels Costa — Sol Rail Kathmandu's land Christmas Bit of advice Low-fat Appointments Snake's sound Leb. neighbor Prefix with pad or port Capital of Rwanda Fabrics Unwell High card Elvis Presley's home Like sashimi 'If I — rich man …' Actor McKellen 'My word!' Grimace - See more at: http://crosswordpuzzlehelps.com/clue/Eugene-Sheffer-Crossword-Puzzle-Solutions-January-16th-2017-#sthash.5sMQz2pI.dpufVictorian __ Nil 'Lovely' Beatles ticket writer Watermelon cover Sunrise direction Marsh denizen Bay Area NFLers Colossus island 'SNL' alum Kevin Empathize Ladders partner in a kids' board game Novelist Morrison Wise guys? 'Popstar!' and 'Tiger Beat,' casually Humongous You may get a whiff of one Hit the road BBC time traveling hero __ get-out: to the utmost degree Pleistocene period Rear end in a fall? 'Gimme a few __': 'Be right there' Stridex target Vaulted church areas Maroon, as after a shipwreck Guileful Couple's word 'Little' deception Russian ruler until 1917 Tennis Hall of Famer Gibson Fawcett who played one of Charlie's Angels Sci-fi princess Supporter 'As seen on TV' record co. O'Neill's 'The Iceman __' Feeble Detox program Mgr.'s underling Concludes Treaty Cubic meter Half a picking-up tool Showy perennial Down-yielding duck Et __: and others Letter after epsilon First to walk on the moon Move it, old-style Modern: Ger. Word before a birth name Singer's syllable Looney Tunes rooster with a Southern accent Separate by percolation King's decree Sunset direction RBI and ERA Letterhead design 'All My Children' vixen Hammerhead parts 2007-'14 E! comedy talk show host Sixth sense, for short Old nuclear agcy. Apr. is in it Started to eat, with 'into' Record-setting aviator of the 1930s Opposite of stuffy, roomwise Jazz trumpeter Al Hercules types Shabbat service site Agreement to shake hands on Cybermessage Go Fish request __ Romeo: sports car Car roof accessory - See more at: http://crosswordpuzzlehelps.com/clue/La-Times-Crossword-Puzzle-Solutions-January-16th-2017-#sthash.cFgeV7wi.dpuf

Mil. morale boosters Sneakers with a Taylor Swift line Knee-slapper Words of approximation Show sorrow Bunker or Breed's 'Of course' Unable to sit still Gas meter reading Dr. Phil's benefactor Jack Horner's treat Supplied brunch for Spam catchers Fashionable shop Stadium vendor's offering Semicircular church area Bird in magic acts Activist Brockovich Word that can follow the first parts of 20- and 51-Across an Runs off to Reno, perhaps Threatening but ineffectual sort Smartphone message '___ a Lady' (Tom Jones classic) Roguish sort Young socialite, for short TV's 'Science Guy' Barbershop quartet member Obviously awed Issuing false warnings Big ___ (California coast area) Ballet about Princess Odette 'Animal House' chant Like Jekyll's alter ego Cleopatra's craft States as fact Rogen of 'Steve Jobs' Uber offering Bocelli delivery Fishhook part Ocelot features Hard to get a grip on Goat's opposite Spiff up, as a fairway Google listings, for short Stores in an oak cask, say Stranger than strange Become an ex-smoker Classico competitor Satellite television option Trident-shaped Greek letter Feel feverish Square one Act the petty thief Stop at a pit stop Word before alarm or arrest 'Hansel and Gretel' prop Pedometer unit Manage, somehow 'Let's Dance' singer David Where new products may be seen Ear cleaner Uncool sort Follows the Hippocratic oath Pouch that may contain gunpowder Tropicana Field location, familiarly Loewe's lyrical partner Slice in a Reuben Wall St. newcomer City with Roman-built spas Meg of 'The Women' Latvia's capital Diplomacy breakdowns Primal instinct Admit openly Horned zodiac symbol 'Take off, tabby!' What bookies book Model airplane wood - See more at: http://crosswordpuzzlehelps.com/clue/Usa-Today-Crossword-Puzzle-Solutions-January-16th-2017-#sthash.Xw6HiIYp.dpuf

Dove's sound 'Alas …' Exams Sign of a beaver's activity, maybe Larsson who wrote 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' Completely … with a summation of 17-, 30- and 47-Across Nut-bearing tree Pizazz Abbr. before an alias Co-ops, maybe: Abbr. Sheet on a mast Prop for a golf ball Rare occurrence on 'Jeopardy!' Table tennis Odor Eye part with the iris Stairs Ancient Peruvian Mixes Something that may be hidden behind a framed picture Walkie-talkie Play about Capote 'Ah, now it's clear' Intestinal fortitude, informally Have a mortgage, e.g. Apparatus pulled by oxen Nut popular in ice cream Somehow Like four-leaf clovers, supposedly Highly classified Poet Robert who spoke at J.F.K.'s inauguration ___ Longstocking, girl of children's literature 'Penny Dreadful' channel, for short French seasoning British ref. work Freshly painted Syringe, for short Duck-hunting attire, informally Common Core dept. Other: Sp. W.W. II foe Toy on a string Aide: Abbr. Transmitted Most-wanted groups for parties Thin but strong 'Hop to it!' Lipton products Scissor cut Falafel bread 10 things in an Olympic swimming pool Missouri river or tribe 'Goodnight' girl of song Golfer's gouge Given to crying Stomach woe Cowboy's workplace 1960s dance craze Readily accept Cushiony '___ the night before Christmas …' Inquisitive Lavish party favors Lebanese city that was once the center of Phoenician civilization Polling bias Eight: Sp. Sign of a well-worn trail Daisies and dahlias Roma's country Arrested suspect, informally One who gives tips (and gets tips?) at a country club Slippery, as winter roads Alternative to bubble wrap Grp. that includes Iraq and Qatar Sharpen, as skills 'Halt!' - See more at: http://crosswordquizanswers.co.uk/clue/New-York-Times-Crossword-Puzzle-Solutions-January-16th-2017-#sthash.4UQ1xsVB.dpuf

Lightning catchers Cheese type Hurried Border lake or canal Slow river boat ___ to the occasion Pig-out party? Mel who voiced Fudd Jan. 1 song title word Attractive male features, for many Dutch master Jan Home of poles and hides Fatal August feature Pile One of 12 lengthy things Hither and ___ Where professors take shape? Feminine pronoun Take five Stories passed on through the ages Barbecue accessory Eastwood and Black Measure in 18-Across Requires NBA strategy encouraged by Phil Jackson Village kin 'White Cliffs' city in England Emailed already With many decibels Busy Midwest hub Elegant lake swimmer Teen's facial blemishes Angelic symbols Lima's country Drags to court Sudden incursion Mark replacement Picnic side dish Falls back at the beach? Ice cube grabbers Belafonte or Lewis of entertainment Vital beat Provide with gear Former Russian rulers Aquatic slitherer They can be wild on tables Chaired 'Friends' friend Bird long extinct Kuwait noble (var.) Cable sports award 'Physician, ___ thyself' Christmas toy, sometimes Have a role to play  

[badbreadpuns]

Clover’s Big Spike (2/3)

Characters: m!bunny boy x f!reader Content: Jogging, waffles, more volleyball, fluff Rating: Lemon (this part sfw) Word count: ~1,500 A/N: First part here.

The morning is chilly but refreshing, the grass still coated with dew. Only a few people pass by as you head towards the meeting spot, some humans and others monsters. Your breath dances in the air as you walk up a hill.

Under the shifting leaves of an old willow tree is the bench. Someone already sits there, and they’re on the short side. The figure perks up, waving to you.

You wave back and hurry over. He pats the spot next to him and you can’t help but grin as you plop down. His smile is warm, like one of a lifelong friend.

The two of you chat about random little things. As he talks, the whiskers on his cheeks bob. Would they tickle if you kissed him?

He tilts his head when you stop talking. “Is something wrong?”

“No!” You chuckle sheepishly. “No, everything’s fine.”

Yap yap!

Clover leaps off the bench with an eep!, ducking behind it. His head pops up from his hiding spot, his floppy ears swaying as he looks around. You hold back laughter, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

“Not a fan of dogs?”

The source of the barking scurries by: a tiny Yorkie with a wildly wagging tail, dragging around an older woman. Yap yap! Clover flinches.

“Dogs are fine. Just not the loud ones…” He shakes his head.

“Want to jog? We can go somewhere quieter.”

The tension in his shoulders melts away and his lips curl into a small smile.

“Yes, please…”

But first comes the warm-up. You rise and stretch your legs, one after the other. Clover does his own routine from behind the bench, bending his long furry legs and waving his butt in the air. It’s difficult to focus on stretching when there’s a bun boy showing off his body. His cheeks blush, though you’re unsure if it’s because of your gaze or from the exercise.

“Ready?”

Clover nods.

Your start is slow but turns into a brisk jog. Clover keeps up with you at first, but he soon passes you. He’s not jogging anymore, but running! The bunny almost smacks into a minotaur, but dodges before the collision.

Wind flows through your hair as you attempt to catch up. You pass by walkers big and small, some with feet, others with paws, even a few with hooves. All around you is green beauty, but you barely register it as you jog.

Clover is already resting on a bench when you reach the fountain in the center of the park. You peter out as you walk over to him, almost collapsing as you take a seat.

“You’re a lot,” You stop, gasping for air. “Faster than I expected.”

“Didn’t mean to leave you behind.” He smiles sheepishly, running a hand down an ear. “It’s hard to slow down once I run.”

Sweat pours from your forehead. You’re soaked, as if someone dunked a bucket of water onto you.

“Want breakfast?” He hands you a towel, which you accept. “My treat.”

You rub the towel on your face, leaving it there for a moment. “At the café?”

“I thought we could go to my place. Is that okay?”

The towel hides your grin. “Sounds wonderful.”

You arrive at a mound. Upon closer inspection, there is a door and a round window on its side. Flowers surround the hill, making the place look like the setting of a storybook. Before the door is a welcome mat with paw prints on it. Ducking under the frame, you enter the small home.

Thankfully, the inside is roomier than it appeared. Log furniture fills the room—chairs covered in quilts, a table with short legs, and even an older-looking TV. Lanterns hanging on the walls brighten up the home. More light filters in from the window, warming the ground beneath your feet.

“Sit where you’d like.”

You sit on a chair, which creaks underneath your weight. It must be built for someone his size.

“Don’t worry about breaking it. They’re tough chairs.”

You shuffle in the seat, waiting as he rummages around in the kitchen. Grabbing the remote on the table, you turn on the TV. When the screen awakens, it's turned to a gardening show. Time passes as you learn more about how to keep plants healthy.

“Food’s ready!”

That was fast. You duck under the doorway, the scent of waffles, blueberries and coffee greeting you.

“It smells lovely.”

He chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “Thank you. It’s nice to have you here. Al’s the only one who really comes over.”

Imagining Alekos bumping his horns against the ceiling makes you giggle. “You must look forward to breakfast in the morning.”

Wooden cupboards line the wall of the small kitchen. In the middle is a round table, big enough for four or five. A tower of waffles sits on top of it, wobbling left and right, threatening to topple over if either of you breathes in its general direction.

Clover gives you a proud grin as you admire his work. “Dig in.”

Grabbing a fork, you stab at the waffles, placing a few on your plate. The blueberries sit in a cup. You pour the blueberries onto the waffles, squishing a few with your fork and smearing the juice over the tasty treat.

On Clover’s plate is a smaller tower. He takes down his foe with ease, wolfing down waffle piece after waffle piece. Halfway through the meal, Clover mumbles something with his mouth full.

“Huh?”

He swallows. “Sorry. What’s your family like?”

You tell him a little about your parents and how you are an only child.

“Were you lonely growing up?”

“Not really. I got a lot of attention from my parents.” You grin, taking a sip of coffee and thinking back on your childhood. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

“Five brothers.”

“Wow! Must have been a busy household.”

“We were a handful for our poor parents.” He laughs, looking down at his plate and pushing a blueberry around with his fork. “But I’d love to have kids of my own.”

You never thought much about having children. It’s such a distant possibility, if it even happens at all.

“You’re a gentle guy, Clover. You’d make an excellent dad.”

Clover is silent for a moment. “R-really?”

“Of course.”

His eyes mist up, and he trembles as he fights back tears. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you-”

He takes a deep breath, calming himself. “Don’t worry about it.”

An awkward silence hangs in the air before he speaks up.

“Well… The next game is on Monday, if you want to come watch us again.”

“I’d love to! I had a lot of fun last time.”

He nods. “See you there.”

Clover waves goodbye from the doorway as you walk down the stone path, past the small garden and through the wooden gate. It saddens you to leave such a lovely home; you hope you can come back soon.

Like you promised, you return to the park on Monday. As you walk to the benches, Alekos waves you over. Sitting beside him, you chat a little before the game starts.

“How’s the pond coming along?”

“I figured out how to paint the grass. Now I’m working on the water.”

“Blues are lovely to paint with.”

The players huddle together on their sides of the net. Among them is Clover, listening to his teammates as they discuss. He turns to the benches, lighting up when he spots you and Alekos. The satyr stands, shouting to his friend.

“Do your best!”

Clover nods and smiles shyly. A chinchilla girl laughs, patting him on the back.

“See? Your buddies know you’ll do great.”

Each team gets in position. The chinchilla serves with her palm, striking the ball over the net. Lucky smacks it back, but before it lands on the ground, Clover slides and spikes it. The ball flies to the other side, bouncing off the dirt. One point for the white team.

The game continues like this, players racing across the court as the ball glides back and forth. 

It’s the red team’s turn to serve. Lucky jumps and hovers, spiking the ball over the net. Clover sprints over and strikes it, but it flies into the net, bouncing off and onto the ground.

That’s the last point for the red team.

The red players shout in glee, giving each other hugs and high fives. Lucky is the happiest among them, laughing and congratulating each of her teammates.

White team’s players are quieter, but they still chat about what went well and how they can improve next time. Clover doesn’t talk much, instead looking at the ground and kicking his furry feet.

Alekos places a reassuring hand on his pal’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s always next time.”

“I know, but it’s my fault we lost.”

“Shit happens.” He gives Clover a toothy grin. “Come on, let’s get a snack.”

He perks up at the word, his nose twitching. “Sounds good.”

Alekos turns to you. “Thanks for watching him with me. See ya!”

You wave the bros off. Hopefully Clover’s team wins the next game.