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mariaxman · 5 months ago

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PIETRO MAXIMOFF X READER

Resume: you made a bet with Jean, when you’d ask Peter out he’d turn you down. Easy made 50 bucks, right! Exept he beats you to the punch..

A/N: I really love this, I love the cliché of kissing in a Ferris wheel sm AHHH:33!!

Charles Xavier’s school for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester,1974.

The summer breeze hit your skin like a bird’s feather, soft and gentle, as you stood outside of the institute. A year ago, a man from the future named Logan came and knocked on the door, claiming he needed the professor to save the world from ‘sentinels’, some anti-mutant, killer robots. You were 15 at the time, already having mastered your mutation, came along with them to give a hand. That, is when you met Peter. As requested you had to break out Magneto from the pentagon, and Logan ‘knew a guy’. He was JUST your type. Sure, he was a kleptomaniac and all, but god was he handsome, and a charming in his own very-weird-way. Though, it didn’t last long, as he went home the moment you stepped out the pentagon, Magneto in hand . You never forgot the handsome speedster, even ten whole years later. Sure, it was kind pathetic. But hey! Can you blame a gal? He was flirting with you the whole time AND WINKED AT YOU WHEN YOU EMBARKED THE JET BACK, of course you fell for him!

Charles Xavier’s school for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester, 1983

You never thought you’d ever see him again. Like, ever. But hey, fate works in a strange way. One second you were standing next to Beast as Havok wrecked shit, the next you landed surprisingly gently on the grass outside as the Institute blew up. You were dizzy and felt like you were about to blow chunks. Nevertheless, you stood back up on shaky legs and just stared at the mansion with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, not even noticing the speedster standing riiiighht next to you, staring intensely. Until he said a simple ‘hey’ and you yelped embarrassingly loud for a qualified X-woman. Atleast he laughed! Then you were kidnapped by.. what was their name? Oh well, then you escaped, fought apocalypse, Charles lost his hair, which is VERY pertinent, I know. And, well, you were back at the mansion soon enough, students were sat outside on lawn, huddled up as, mind you, it was totally broken down and needed SERIOUS repair. Which leads us to here, you and your friends(who are literally all teens which is.. yeah) went to the mall to pass time and buy new clothes after losing all of the old ones in the explosion, an activity you loved doing with Jean and Jubilee.. until now. You were browsing a store with said girls, grabbing a top, you held it infront of you.

‘’Is this cute?’’

You ask Jubilee, the top was simple in itself, a baby blue tank top with an embroidered yellow lightning bolt. It kinda reminded you of Peter..

‘’Yeah, that is really cute, BUT-‘’

Jubs says and snatches the top, putting it in your basket

‘’WHEN are you gonna make your move on Peter?!’’

The girls asks eagerly. Your cheeks immediately burn up in embarrassment

‘’make a move on him? W-what are you talking about?!’’

you chuckle nervously, looking away at the clothing racks. Jean chuckles from behind you, which startles you, just a little bit

‘’Come on now, Y/N. You definitely love him, you did since… 1973! C’mon!’’

The redhead exclaims, in the middle of the store, catching a lot more attention than your liking. Goddam telepath. You didn’t know what to say, really. You definitely wanted to date him, more than anything! But you just felt like Peter didn’t feel the same

‘’Okay, okay! Y’know what? I’ll tell him tonight, at the fair! But I bet you 50 bucks he doesn’t even like me a little bit!’’

You say as you walk to the cashier. Jean shoots Jubilee a look. ‘HE IS LITERALLY HEAD OVER HEELS FOR HER, GUESS IM WINNING 50 BUCKS’ she tells the other girl telepathically, which makes her vibrate with a giggle.

Now, at the fair, you were scared shitless. You made a promise, you gotta keep it now, huh? You’re sure Peter‘ll be sweet if he rejects you, yeah! You sigh, snapped out your thoughts when Jean and Jubilee dragged you to an attraction, giggling the whole way, which left Scott and Peter alone. The former elbows Pietro in the ribs, hard

‘’So, when are you finally gonna ask her out?’’

Scott teases, that irritated smirk on his face

‘’What? Pssfghhsss- what are you talkin’ bout?’’

the silver-haired man plays dumb, shoving his hands in the pocket of his silver jacket

‘’C’mon, dude. I know you like her— you’re literally staring her as we speak!’’

Oh, yeah, he was… it wasn’t his fault you were so gorgeous, for Christ sake! You were literally his dream girl come true, can you blame him?

‘’Okay, yeah, maybe I do like her a little. But she has great taste in music and a bitchin’ haircut! And.. pretty eyes’’

He mumbles the last part as he watched you settle in right between Jean and Jubs in the attraction, laughing your head off at something Jubilee said. God were you pretty

‘’Dude, I see the world trough a red visor and even I can see it’s definitely more than ‘liking’’’

Scott huffs, crossing his arms and looking ahead

‘’You should win her a prize, y’know, a plushie’’

The brunette shrugs. Yeah, he was right, he should

‘’Mh.. maybe I will’’

Peter grins. A few minutes later, the ride end and you stumble out with the other two, using Jubilee as support as you giggle, totally dizzy and giddy

‘’You’re not gonna throw up, are you?’’

Jubs quizzes and you shake your head no. Phew, that’d be embarrassing. You all continue walking as a group until Jean drags Scott over to the game booths. Scott grin in Peter’s direction in a ‘you go dude!’ Fashion. Jubilee catches on and lean closer to you

‘’I’m gonna go grab us a coke, okay’’

She pats your back and speed walks away before you can even turn around, leaving you with Peter. An awkward silence fall between you two until he speaks up

‘’hey, princess, want me to win you a prize? I’m pretty damn good at that game over there’’

He grins in his usual boyish manne— PRINCESS?? That was new, wow, why did that make butterfly flutter in your stomach..

You nod quickly with flushed cheeks and follow him when he grabs your hand and drags you to the booth. The game was easy, pop 10 balloons in one go and win a plushie. Easy enough. Peter walks up and pays the bored worker, who just hands him the 10 darts with a poker face. Shit job, huh. Surprisingly, he didn’t use his mutation. Which is pretty good considering the setting. He picks up a dart and shoot. POP, one balloon down. POP, two. POP. POP. POP. POP. POP. POP. POP. POP. Yay! Free plushie, considering-all-the-ones-you-had-got-Fucking-cremated! You giggle and jump on the ball of you feet as Pietro gets handed the big stuffed snow leopard plush. He turns to you and hands it over

‘’There you go, N/N’’

He grins when you hug him tightly

‘’Thank you Pietro!’’

You pull back and turn around when you hear your name, running over to Jubilee with two bottles of coke in hand. She raises an eyebrow at you then look over at Peter, giving him a proud thumbs up and a wink of approval. Which— to him — was a little perculiar, but honestly… you wouldn’t expect less from a girl name jubilation. Jean and Scott arrived back themselves a few minutes later, empty handed. Scott shrugged, his excuse being that his visor was at fault. Though Jean whispered that he just sucked ass at the games. You continued walking around the park, going on rides, when 23:00 hit. Many people left but you decided to do one more ride, the Ferris wheel. You still had an hour before it closed, so why not? You all went in the line, and when it was your turn, the teen boy there let Jubilee, Scott and Jean in a carrier, but told you to wait for the next one because the people limit was 3. So now, you were stuck, alone with Peter. Your crush for the past TEN FUCKING YEARS! Great. You took a quiet, deep breath and slipped in the carrier next to Peter, setting your plushie on the seat across from you both.

‘’Hey’’

The speedster jokes, grinning ear to ear. You smile back, resting your chin on your knees

‘’Hi’’

You look to your right when the Ferris wheel starts moving. You had the view on the lake beside the fair, where fireworks’ll be lit in a few minutes

‘’So, enjoyed your night, N/N?’’

He asks, cocking his head to the side

‘’Yeah, I loved it. Thanks for winning me a plushie too’’

You grin at him, full teeth, eyes scrunched and lit by the moonlight

‘’Hey, nothing less for my favorite friend’’

You laugh and continue talking, the wheel slowly moving your carrier up and up until it stops, right at the top. As if planned, fireworks goes off and you shoot around, smile as wide as your eyes as you stare out the glass at the colorful beam of light, reflecting on your face. But Peter’s stuck, stuck staring at you in awe. You looked absolutely gorgeous. He couldn’t look away, not that he wanted to

‘’It’s so.. Beautiful!’’

You chirp in amazement

‘’ Yeah.. gorgeous, even’’

Peter mumbled, still very much looking at you. You turn to look at him with a crooked grin and a raised eyebrow

‘’You good, dud—!’’ Peter cut you off by grabbing your cheeks and leaping foward, pressing his lips to your so gently. You froze, arms to your side until you brain fully apprehended what happened. Peter kissed you… PETER KISSED YOU!! You melt against him, arms coming up to rest your hands on his gently, smiling into the kiss. You were content, stretch that, you were ecstatic! Even when he pulled away, and.. whooped, huh. Strange way to react to your first kiss with a girl.. why did you find that cute? You laughed aloud, along with him. He swept you in a one armed hug

‘’That was the best decision I’ve made ALL NIGHT, woo’’

He chuckled and squeezed you against his lovingly, silence falling between the two of you until the end of the ride.

When you stepped out you were greeted by your three friends waiting for you, Jean grinned and looked over at Jubilee, who’s jaw dropped. You glance at Peter to find a lipstick mark over his lip. You snort and quickly join the girls while Pietro joins Scott, who’s deliberately holding back laughter, much to Peter’s confusion. As you’re walking out the fair, Jean leans in and whispers;

‘’You owe me 50 bucks’’

#pietro maximoff #quicksilver #quicksilver x reader #pietro maximoff x reader #cheesy fic #fluff #marvel #x men #jean grey #jubilee #jubilation lee #scott summers #cyclops #x men days of future past #x men apocalypse

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jhoneybees · 9 months ago

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Desire

Hi!! Here's a sweet but also savoury fic that I might write a part 2 for🤭

Tagging: @elvisalltheway101 my doll🫶

Characters:50s!Elvis X Older!reader

Warnings/triggers: 5 year age gap (A/n: The fic is set in 1955 so Elvis is 20 years old and reader is 25)

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Elvis has always had a taste for younger girls and their chatty personalities but when his head did a whole 180 after laying eyes on a matured gal like you that is more quiet and not as chatty, he learnt what his real taste is.

His family knows you from living in the apartment next door and they adore how friendly of a person you are. His mama would often praise you during family dinners to his daddy and him which usually he would get embarrassed about her rambling on about girls that could be a potential partner for him but now getting to hear about what you said during a conversation you had with his mama, he didn’t say a thing.

Even though he sees you with his mama quite often, he doesn’t know a lot about you. He knows you came from a privileged family in Texas and when you graduated highschool, you moved to Memphis when you were 22 to have a fresh start into adulthood but that’s all he really knows from what his mama told him.

He finds you very pretty and your laugh and smile are so contagious but the thing that gets him almost trembling is how mature you look in those dresses you wear, it does…something to him.

Especially when he saw you from across the road as you were walking into the building complex you two live in, wearing that red halterneck dress with cherries on it.

His bottom lip just couldn’t help but fly in between his teeth, those damn curves are something else.

He’s had quite a big crush on you ever since you moved into Lauderdale Courts and for a long time he thinks he wouldn’t have the courage to confess to you because he’s scared that you might get disgusted and shut him down or go off telling his parents to scold him for having such feelings for someone that they look so dearly as a close family member so to save himself from that humility, he’ll just watch you from afar.

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“Nah, you guys can go on without me” his friends groan in disappointment, they asked him if he wants to go to a party with him but he’s already been to 5 in the past 2 weeks, he wants a break so with another shake of the head, he bids them a farewell and turns on his heel.

He hums quietly, he thought he would be running around Memphis for the night with his buddies for a bit of a laugh but he’s a bit disappointed to find out they want to go ogling at girls at a party over at someone’s parents’ house, knowing that the adults don’t know about what their kids are doing because of them being out of town.

It just leaves him the option of just walking back home and finding something interesting to do there.

As he walks along the footpath with his hands in his pockets and head lowered down, he watches as his shoes lazily scrape along the concrete. He sighs out of boredom, he’s bored so what could he do when he gets home?

Just then when that question pops into his head, his ears perk up to the sound of a piano. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he lifts his head towards the neon lit sign noticing he’s outside of a night club. Maybe he could go and have a bit of a listen to the music? he shrugs his shoulders.

Why not?

Quietly, Elvis scans his eyes around the dimly lit bar room, seeing only a few black middle aged ladies in their best attire, smiling and laughing with each other with dainty little glasses in their hands. It’s not as busy as he thought it would be.

Then as he hears a piano play again, he looks towards the sound and his breathing comes to a halt. You’re on stage with a microphone in your hand, he didn’t know you worked as a bar singer. He gulps as he sees you in that black sparkly cocktail dress and your hair flowing down your back. Good Lord.

Elvis shakes his head and realises he might be staring too much so clearing his throat, he glances around to find a seat.

He sits at a two person table and decides to keep his head lowered, he might embarrass himself somehow, he doesn’t know how but it’s better being safe than sorry but as Elvis presses his lips together, the gravity pull of your voice through the speakers just demands him to look at you.

Is he gonna be able to look away?

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen.. The song I’ll be singing for you tonight is a song that I have always called a favourite when I was little…and it goes something like this” you chime with a soft smile.

Oh that smile.

The piano starts the song off and as the bass soon follows after, the cheerful sounds of the song fills out the room. The first word you sing makes Elvis physically melt.

“I don’t want to set the world on fire”

You smile sweetly and the older ladies there cheer you on with “That’s my girl!” and “That’s right!”

“In my heart I have but one desire”

His eyes soften.

“I’ve lost all ambition, for worldly acclaim”

Elvis brings his arms up to rest on the table, grasping his hands together and looking at his hands to try to just listen to your voice.

“I just want to be the one you love…”

Oh your sweet fluttery voice

He really can’t look away.

As you sway your hips subtly and bring your hand up to rest on the pianist's shoulder, Elvis bites down on his tongue. Gliding across the stage you walk down the steps and onto the bar floor, Elvis’ eyes darting all over you from your jaw to your hips and down to your ankles.

He lets out a stiff sigh and leans back in his chair.

“I don’t wanna set the world on fire, honey”

You sing with a giggle, taking slow and elegant steps towards the bar where the other women are, yelling and giggling at your cheeky little smile.

Elvis’ hand twitching, he sighs again while he lifts his hand to drag down the bottom half of his face.

“I love you too much” you add, making the ladies whistle playfully.

Elvis doesn’t even notice how his leg is bouncing nervously under the table, all he can think about is his heart floating across the room to the palm of your hand for you to squeeze, break, just do anything with it.

“You see…way down inside of me”

His heart pumps loudly in his ears as you turn your head and look into his eyes, walking slowly towards him.

“Darlin’ I have only one desire….and that desire is you” His heart clenching in the softest way as you give him a happy smile, realising who he is.

The small thumps from your heels make him hold his breath, sensing you walking behind his chair, a shiver drips down his spine as you place your hand on his shoulder.

Feeling you bend down over his shoulder, he lets out a small breath through his slightly parted lips.

“And I know…nobody else ain’t gonna do”

His chest almost stutters as he breathes in, your soft, sultry voice sending ticklish waves into his ears and into his brain. Feeling your warm breath lingering below his ear onto his neck, his hands adjust over the center of his pants.

“Did you like that, Presley?”

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Read Desire pt 2 here!

#elvis presley #Hope you like it lovelies!💕#elvis #elvis fans #i love him #elvis imagine #50s elvis #elvis fandom #elvis presley x reader #elvis fanfic #elvis fanfiction #Spotify

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prettyboysdontlookatexplosions · 5 days ago

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ok ok 2k25 goals intentions etc.:

daily, success threshold met at 183 days: journal, meditate, log my little habits and other countables, work out, drink 100 ounces of water, experience art, do some kind of mobility work even just a little bit of moving my butt on the foam roller, digital tidying of any kind, floss, write or work on a piece of writing even if it's not ready for writing (ykwim), no Scrolling before 10 p.m. (Intentional Posting such as this doesn't count) room re-set (a habit i had in 2023 decided i didn't need in 2024 and hugely missed once i had buried myself in a horrible pile i did not feel capable of tackling for like three months); 10k steps average for the year by 11:59 p.m. on december 31st

weekly: 5 Life Tasks Of Some Kind; try out weekly self-planning sessions although this is not a resolution because well what if i don't like it!

yearly: read 50 books; work about a thousand hours although this is not so much a "goal" as the result of me looking at my time tracking app and seeing if i can use this data to organize my life in a way that makes me feel less stressed about what is essentially my part-time job so i'm not gonna sweat the difference too much in either direction; i'm not gonna put my income goal on the internet but i do have one.

unquantified intentions: eat more vegetables/get to a place by the end of the year where i don't feel the need to resolve this again; be better about apartment tidiness maintenance tasks (an ounce of prevention...); be a more considerate and more proactive texter; keep working on showing up even when it's a little bit scary; i know i have writing as a daily goal but i'm also gonna say that an intention is to get to the end of the year feeling like i have a sense of how writing fits into my life as a regular practice instead of my historical feast or famine approach (which, to be clear, i don't think i'm ever going to be a nice normal Write Exactly 90 Minutes A Day gal.... so mostly i'm talking about avoiding the famines); keep jukeboxing; keep listening to new (generally and also to me) music; get back into/better at tarot

vibe: one other thing that came up when i was reflecting on 2024 was how much fucking time and mental energy i poured into being Totally Insane about how repulsive i am in many dimensions... this is not anything remotely new but i'm deciding now that i am over it and thus determining by executive decision that actually i am a hot fun genius and everybody awesome wants to be my friend.

#isabel 2k25

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kabillieu · 27 days ago

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When we were in Atlanta last weekend, we found ourselves in a Gorjana jewelery store. I’ve bought Gorjana jewelry for years, since before they had any in-person stores at all. They used to have these ridiculous semi-annual sales where their jewelry would go 50-75% off, but they haven’t done that in a long time, since establishing themselves as an expanding national jewelry chain. I don’t buy from them very much anymore because I’ve been trying to buy mostly fine jewelry instead of demi-fine, even though it is difficult for me to justify the price. But I’ve found that while vermeil works great for earrings and bracelets, it’s not good for rings and necklaces because the gold finish wears off so quickly.

But Gorjana came out with a fine jewelry line a while back, so I took a look at it while we were in the store, and then it occurred to me that it might be special to buy a slender little ring for my left hand ring finger. I have two beautiful diamond wedding rings, and both (BOTH!) irritate my finger if I wear them all the time. But I wear a variety of these kinds of slender little gold rings (from Catbird and Mejuri) on my other fingers all the time and they don’t bother me. And I dislike not wearing a ring on my ring finger. So I bought one for myself. Or at least technically Dominic bought it because I had gotten mugged the night before. It has the teeniest little diamonds on it. Very cute! And now I can wear my big flashy diamond eternity band when I want to be fancy and wear this little gal the rest of the time.

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contrivedchaos · 10 months ago

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I firmly believe that Carmilla would be overprotective to her girls when it came towards dating. But much to Carmilla’s dismay, the girls are both ladies magnets due to the fact they had learned how to flirt from Ozzie—meaning they are incredibly smooth with it. Sometimes the girls don’t even notice that they had flirted with someone until the person gives them their number. Another reason that the girls are ladies magnets is that they have money, looks and power—what more could a girl want in a gal?

(Emily is subtly impressed with how many women are willing to flirt with an overlords child much less Carmilla’s daughters considering that Carmilla is head overlord. Sera is a little worried but she wants the girls to have a love life so she doesn’t interfere. Carmilla just wants people to stop flirting with her daughters in front of her and in general.)

Carmilla is definitely over-protective of her girls, when they start dating. Clara and Odette can see right through most of the bullshit, though. Most people only want them for their status and money, but they probably get a kick out of it, especially the ones who think they can use them to get to their mom. Sometimes they flirt and make a genuine connection, but neither of them have been very serious yet.

If anyone tries to butter them up in front of their mom, they better be damn sure they can pull it off in one go. There's about a 50/50 chance Carmilla will kick their face through a wall if they mess it up or break their hearts. Carmilla will throw down with anyone for them.

I think Sera is still trying to process being in a relationship herself -- she had zero time for dating in Heaven, so this is all new to her. She leaves a lot of the girls' dating-related drama to Carmilla. The same with Emily. She's fascinated watching Clara and Odette, and learning how they mingle with other Sinners and navigate relationships. Maybe she'll find love one day. She's observing and learning, for now.

#hazbin hotel #carmilla carmine #carmilla hazbin hotel #sera hazbin hotel #clara hazbin hotel #odette hazbin hotel #emily hazbin hotel #ask #anon #fan theories #sera x carmilla #carmilla x sera

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solar-serpent · 7 months ago

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yourlocaltrashcan657 · 11 months ago

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Mental Hospital AU! Yandere! Attack on Titan x Female Reader. Prologue.

“Cmon Y/N! We’re going to be late for our first day at this shitty job!” Ymir said fixing her uniform.

”Ymir! That’s 50 cents in the jar.” Krista exclaimed quickly turning back to fix her makeup.

”Fine.” Ymir said only to quickly shout. “Oi! Sasha stop eating all of the food!”

”Lets go now. I’m all ready.” Y/N said grabbing her bag and slipping on her shoes.

The four girls have been friends since they were young so it was no surprise when they all moved in together at an apartment and got the same job.

Whilst walking to your new workplace Krista talked about how we should be careful about this workplace due to the accidents and how we should carry around pepper spray just in case.

That soon led to Ymir laughing and saying how Sasha would just drink it all. The four of them giggled before finally reaching the workplace.

It had a faint smell of cherry which was different from the last time you came which was to give your resume and to do an interview in which you all succeeded.

Y/N led them to a room in which they signed in and got their land yards to open locked doors around the hospital.

“We have 10 minutes to spare.. let’s just stay here like everyone else.” Krista said as she sat down on a chair.

“Which ward did you guys get?” Ymir asked as she plopped down onto the couch in the lounge room. “I got ward 6 and it’s all the way on the other side of this crappy building!”

”I think there’s a reason you got an easy ward, Ymir..” Y/N said, earning a scoff from the freckled woman.

”Yeah Ward 6 is for slightly unstable people.. I got ward 4 and I think that’s for children who need help..” Krista said before sulking at the thought of children being in a mental hospital.

”I got Ward 3! I’ll be able to see Krista every now and then so it won’t be that bad.” Sasha said making Ymir groan in annoyance.

”I got Ward 1.” Y/N said bluntly making the whole room go quiet. “What?”

”Y/N, Ward 1 is where all the crazy shi- I mean uh stuff happens.” Ymir said. “Before we applied for this crazy job, so many doctors have died just by taking care of one patient in Ward 1”

”Ymir! Stop scaring us like that!” Krista said.

”It’s true! I’ve heard that one of the guys in there is so crazy that he just stares at you and you’ll want to die!” Sasha exclaimed scared.

”Sasha! S-stop it!” Krista exclaimed. “Y/N if you ever need to swap Wards I think you can ask the boss or some higher up.”

”I’ll be alright.. I think I got placed there due to my grades and experience.” Y/N explained with a smile.

”I heard only experts work in Ward 1 so good luck with those people.” Ymir said.

*RING* *RING*

“That must be the bell for us to start working.. see you later Y/N.” Sasha said before waving goodbye and walking off with Ymir and Krista who also did the same.

I made my go Ward 1 only to be greeted by a tall, blue eyed man and a and goggled, brunette woman.

”You must be Y/N?” The tall man asked reaching out to shake her hand. “We are in charge of Ward 1.”

”Yes. I’m working in Ward 1, it’s a pleasure to meet you” Y/N said shaking his hand.

”I’m Erwin Smith and this Hange Zoe. I’ll be accompanying you for today to see how it goes.” Erwin said smiling.

”If you ever need me I’ll be in my office, pretty gal.” Hange said before smirking and walking off.

”Let’s begin, shall we?” Erwin said.

#aot x y/n #yandere erwin smith #yandere aot x reader #yandere jean kirstein #yandere aot #yandere levi ackerman #yandere shingeki no kyojin #yandere reiner #yandere levi #yandere jean #yandere erwin #yandere #yandere eren yeager #yandere armin #yandere Connie springer #Yandere Bertolt #ymir #christa lenz #sasha braus

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eretzyisrael · 1 year ago

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by Debbie Weiss

At least one-third of the 136 hostages still in the Hamas terror group’s custody in Gaza are at imminent risk of death, a disturbing report released on Tuesday found.

The report came a day after several former hostages, who were released during a temporary Israel-Hamas truce at the end of November, testified that those still in captivity in Gaza had been subjected to extreme forms of violence, including sexual assault at gunpoint and amputation.

“The testimonies from those who have been released reveal severe mental and physical abuse. This includes brutal sexual assault (men and women) mutilation, torture, starvation and dehydration, and a lack of medical care, with no access to Red Cross representatives. The worsening health of these hostages, both men and women, is alarming,” the report, released by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, stated.

The forum was established by families of the abductees who were kidnapped to Gaza during Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught across southern Israel, as well as by the families of people who went missing due to the attack.

A third of the hostages are suffering from chronic illnesses that need immediate treatment, including diabetes, Crohn’s disease, cancer, and heart and kidney disease. The hostages suffering from those diseases include young people — such as 22-year-old Omer Wenkert, who has ulcerative colitis, and 35-year-old Dolev Yehud, who suffers from kidney and thyroid diseases — and older people, Israeli Jews and Arabs alike.

A chilling testimony by Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17 — who was released after 51 days of captivity along with her mother, Chen, 49, and siblings, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9 — was screened at a rally in Tel Aviv.

“One day we moved from a house to a tunnel, suddenly a door opened, and we met six girls. We realized that there were girls who were alone. Many girls experienced severe sexual abuse, they are injured — very, very serious and complex injuries that are not being treated,” she said. “They dress their wounds themselves, or we helped them.”

In captivity in Gaza, “you live death,” she said.

“You don’t know when it will catch you and how it will look, if it will happen through torture or if they will just shoot you or even if it’ll be by the bombings from the air force,” she continued. “You’re always thinking about what death will look like.”

Goldstein-Almog’s mother, Chen, a social worker, said she saw some of the female hostages still being held in Gaza during her time there, and they had suffered weeks of isolation as well as sexual abuse.

“There were girls who spent 50 days and more alone. When they were sad, crying, their captors would stroke them and touch them. They described accounts of sexual abuse under gunpoint on a regular basis,” she said.

“Some of the girls were badly wounded and haven’t been getting proper medical care. Gunshot wounds, even lost limbs. They said they can cope with the disability but not with the manner they were constantly violated,” she added.

Chen Almog-Goldstein’s other daughter, Yam, 20, and husband Nadav were among the 1,200 people murdered by Hamas terrorists during their Oct. 7 massacre.

Eighteen-year-old Ofir Engel’s testimony, in which he described the pride with which he was shown off like a trophy, was also screened at the Tel Aviv rally.

“In Gaza we were immediately brought to a home, as if they were proud to show what they managed to catch,” said Engel, who was released after 54 days. “We were constantly told that we won’t return alive, that no one wants us in Israel, and that our families don’t care about us. Every day, they broke us a little more, and then a little more.”

Tuesday’s report, which was released to coincide with the three-month anniversary since Oct. 7, was accompanied by a letter from eight Nobel Prize laureates who urged the UN, Red Cross, and World Health Organization to advocate for the hostages’ release and to facilitate access to medical aid in the meantime.

Prof. Hagai Levine, head of the forum’s medical team, issued a stark warning: “All the hostages face immediate mortal danger. Some will not survive 100 days in captivity without proper care.”

A day earlier, Israeli media reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is aware of the exact whereabouts of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ chief in Gaza, but is refraining from carrying out a strike because the terror leader was surrounding himself with dozens of hostages as human shields.

#hostages #hamas #gaza #yahye sinwar

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nerdythebard · 2 years ago

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#57: Yang Xiao Long [RWBY]

[Art Credit: izumi_sai] ---

Let me explain:

The request to build a D&D version of everybody's favourite punny brawling bombshell, Yang Xiao Long, came from an anonymous reader as the most recent one. However, I have decided to make this a priority since the requestor mentioned they have a campaign coming and they wish to play as the iconic character from RWBY. If I'm too late, I am so sorry... but I will at least go out with a Yang! ...Eh? Eh?

Next Time: Back to our regularly scheduled program with Doctor Liao and the origins of Skynet!

Now then, let's see what we need to past this Hunter exam!

One Punch Gal: Yang is a master of hand-to-hand combat, but she's also quite proficient with her gauntlet guns, the Ember Celica, to attack enemies at a distance... with her fists.

Uno Reverse Hulk: Yang absorbs the kinetic energy from attacks directed at her (but keeps the pain) to reinforce her own attacks and protections.

One Woman Army: Early on, Yang's battle tactics were simple: walk in and own everything and everyone. As the problems in the world of RWBY evolved, so did her approach to resolving fights, but she still remains the strongest member of the team and its chief frontliner.

---

As far as we know, Yang is a human; we will, however, use the Aasimar from Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse to represent her ability to use Aura and Semblance. We get a +2 and a +1 to two abilities of our choice (Constitution and Strength respectively), speed of 30 feet, Celestial Resistance to radiant and necrotic damage, Healing Hands ability that allows us to, once per long rest, heal a number of Hit Points equal to [our proficiency bonus]d4, and the Light cantrip.

Yang is a rather famous Huntress, known for her physical prowess, so we're gonna give her the Athlete background. We gain proficiencies in Acrobatics and Athletics, one language of our choice, proficiency with land vehicles (which means we can get our Bumblebee before we get the... other Bumblebee) and the Echoes of Victory feature; whenever we arrive at a new location, there is a 50/50 chance we will find a fan of ours, who is willing to share information or provide a shelter.

ABILITY SCORES

Strength will be our primary focus; we need to be able to effectively punch anything ranging from random bar thugs to giant nightmare werewolves. Constitution will be next, the other half of being the frontliner is the ability to take a hit. Dexterity is after that, Yang learns to evade and position herself a bit later in her career; plus, we need to take care of the physical stats first.

Charisma is next, her puns may be awful but Yang herself is rather charming (and quite intimidating when she needs to be). Wisdom will be on the lower end, because she still gets a good advice every now and then, and we're dumping Intelligence.

CLASS

Level 1 - Barbarian: Let's start with a solid base. Barbarians get d12 as their Hit Dice, [12 + our Constitution modifier] initial Hit Points, proficiencies in light armour, medium armour, shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons. Yang does not wear armour, and we will not use weapons (but we still are gonna get the Ember Celica, trus me) but can grab something simple just in case. Our saving throws are Strength and Constitution, and we get to pick two class skills from the list (Intimidation and Perception).

Barbarians start with their signature ability, Rage. As a bonus action, we enter a state of furious, gaining the following benefits provided we do not wear a heavy armour:

Advantage on Strength-related checks and saving throws

A +2 bonus to damage rolls of our Strength-based melee weapon attacks

Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage

While raging we cannot cast spells or concentrate on them. Rage lasts for 1 minute or until we're knocked unconscious. It also ends if we do not attack/take damage from a hostile create for one turn.

We also gain Unarmoured Defense. When unarmoured, our AC equals [10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Constitution modifier]. We can still use a shield and gain this benefit.

Level 2 - Barbarian: We awaken our Danger Sense. If we're not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated, we gain an advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects we can see, such as traps or spells. We also learn how to make a Reckless Attack; when we attack for the first time, we can declare it reckless and gain an advantage on melee weapon attacks for that turn. Unfortunately, all enemies have an advantage on attacks made against us for that time.

Level 3 - Fighter: Time to get some technique to our fists. Multiclassing into Fighter gives us proficiencies we already have, so we can skip those. We get to choose our Fighting Style, and it's a no-brainer to grab Unarmed Fighting for Yang. We can now deal [1d6 + our Strength modifier] bludgeoning damage with our unarmed strikes. If we do not use any weapons, the die changes to 1d8. We also get Second Wind, which allows us to heal [1d10 + our Fighter level] Hit Points as a bonus action once per short or long rest.

At this level, we also gain the racial ability Celestial Revelation. As a bonus action, we can unleash our celestial energy Aura and transform for 1 minute. With the Radiant Consumption option, we emit a bright light for 10 feet and a dim light for another 10. Until the transformation ends, each creature within 10 feet of us suffers radiant damage equal to our proficiency bonus, and we can add the same amount of radiant damage to one target whenever we attack it.

Level 4 - Fighter: We get Action Surge, which allows us to once per short or long rest take an extra Action on our turn in combat.

Level 5 - Fighter: We pick our first subclass, our Martial Archetype. We will focus on the power behind Yang's punches and pick the Champion Archetype. With Improved Critical, our weapon attacks score a critical hit on either a 19 or a 20.

Level 6 - Fighter: We finally get our first Ability Score Improvement. We need to increase our Wisdom and Dexterity by 1 point each.

Level 7 - Fighter: We now get Extra Attack. We can now make two strikes during a single Attack action.

Level 8 - Fighter: Our next ASI. We can finally put two more points into Wisdom and jump classes to refine our technique.

Level 9 - Monk: Unfortunately, once again we have to pass on some multiclassing benefits. Additionally, here is where we could gain Unarmoured Defense, but the one from Barbarian's side of the build is a bit better for us. We do, however, gain access to Martial Arts. While unarmed (or wielding a monk weapon) and unarmoured we gain the following benefits:

We can use our Dexterity or Strength when using unarmed strikes and monk weapons

We can roll a d4 in place of the regular damage dice for unarmed strikes and monk weapons; that Martial Arts dice changes as we level up.

When we use the Attack action unarmed or with a monk weapon, we can use our bonus action to make another unarmed attack.

Since Yang uses the long-ranged Ember Celica, we can replace that (for now) with a set of monk darts (or, you can ask your DM for a hand-mounted small crossbows)

Level 10 - Monk: Halfway through the build and we unlock the Monk's key feature known as Ki (hah!). We gain a pool of Ki Points that we can spend in order to gain some extra features. We start with three of those:

Flurry of Blows: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action if we make the Attack action.

Patient Defense: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us take the Dodge action as a bonus action.

Step of the Wind: Spending 1 Ki Point lets us the Dash or Disengage actions as bonus actions, and it doubles your jumping distance for the turn.

We also gain Unarmoured Movement. As long as we're not wearing armour, our speed gains a +10 feet bonus.

Level 11 - Monk: We learn how to Deflect Missiles. When targeted by a projectile, we can use our Reaction to reduce the damage by [1d10 + our Dexterity modifier + our Monk level]. If we manage to reduce the damage to 0, we catch the projectile and can use the same Reaction to make a ranged (20/60) attack with it.

Here, we also pick our third subclass - our Monastic Tradition. We can now activate our Aura with Way of the Sun Soul. We can now fire off even more devastating bolts with our Ember Celica. With Radiant Sun Bolt, we gain a new way to use our Attack action: a special spell attack with the range of 30 feet, we are proficient with it and add our Dexterity modifier, the damage type is radiant and the damage die is our Martial Arts die. We can also make those attacks as our Flurry of Blows technique.

Level 12 - Monk: We finally get another ASI. Let's put two points into Dexterity to increase all the important stuff. At this level, we also learn Slow Fall - we can reduce our falling damage by [our Monk level x5]. Additionally, since we didn't get anything from multiclassing into either Monk or Fighter, I personally would allow to take the optional Quickened Healing feature, but discuss it with your DM.

Level 13 - Monk: Our Martial Arts die becomes 1d6 now. We also gain a new Ki option - Stunning Strike. When we hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, we can spend 1 Ki Point to attempt to stun it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the end of our next turn.

At this level, the Monk would've gotten the Extra Attack. Since we already have it from Fighter, we wouldn't stack it. That being said, I would allow it to evolve, since this is around the time you would get Extra Attack Upgrade as a Fighter, and we do need to make Yang more punchy. Once again, discuss it with your DM.

Level 14 - Monk: With Ki-Empowered Strikes, our punches now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities... which means you can punch ghosts now. Also, our Unarmoured Movement bonus is not +15 feet.

We also gain a subclass upgrade. With Searing Arc Strike, we can now spend 2 Ki Points as a bonus action immediately after an attack to cast Burning Hands. We can spend more Ki Points to raise the spell's level

Level 15 - Monk: Time for some strategic positioning both physically and mentally. With Evasion, we now take no damage if we succeed on an area-of-effect Dexterity saving throw (if we fail, we take half damage when we would normally take full damage). With Stillness of Mind, we can use our Action to end a charmed or frightened effect on ourselves.

Level 16 - Monk: Time for another ASI, and we're going to raise our Strength by two points to... pack more of a punch? ...Eh? Eh?

...Well, they can't all be winners.

Level 17 - Monk: With Unarmoured Movement Improvement, we can now run across liquids and vertical surfaces without losing our foothold (as long as we have enough movement).

Level 18 - Monk: Our Unarmoured Movement bonus is now +20 feet. We also explore more healing properties of our Aura with Purity of Body; we are now immune to all poison and disease.

Level 19 - Monk: Our Martial Arts die is now a 1d8. It's also time for another subclass upgrade; with Searing Sunburst, we can create an orb of light and hurl it at any point within 150 feet. Every creature within 20 feet radius has to make a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 radiant damage. While it doesn't seem like a lot, we can spend some Ki Points to increase the damage (1 Ki Point for extra 2d6 to a maximum of 3 Ki Points).

Level 20 - Monk: Our capstone is Monk 12, which gives us an ASI. While we could max out our Strength, let's put two points into Constitution for better AC and extra HP before the big final fight with Salem.

---

And that's the Goldilocks Berserker. Let's see how we did:

First of all, for someone who exclusively uses her fists, we've managed to compile quite a roster of damage-dealing. At our absolute maximum, in one turn we can punch twice as a standard attack for 1d8+4, add two more attacks with Flurry of Blows, and then use Action Surge to do that whole thing again for the maximum of 48 damage. And if that doesn't work out, we have some Ki-based Kamehameha shots and if it seems like we're getting too much damage we can easily heal.

Our unarmoured AC is 17, we have a +3 to our Initiative, 50 feet of ground speed, and the average of 181 Hit Points.

While we have a rather decent physical ability spread (18/16/18), our mental side is rather abandoned. We are also a single-purpose character: we need to punch stuff, and the few skill proficiencies we have are also geared for that.

---

And that's Ms Xiao Long. That was fun, though I did not expect to make her so similar to the previous build. Anywho, to the anonymous person who requested this - I hope it meets your expectations and your campaign turns out to be fun. Enjoy!

-Nerdy out!

#dnd #character building #fighter #dnd build #dnd character #dnd5e #wizards of the coast #team rwby #rwby yang #yang xiao long #rwby #rooster teeth #bumblebee #monk #way of the sun soul #barbarian #ember celica

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thestudentfarmer · 1 year ago

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Hello hello~

We finally had enough Egg from the gals to make a large meal so I did :)

They don't look as orangey on camera :'( but they are a nice deeper orange.

Decided since they came from our gals I wanted to save the shells for calcium for them.

To prepare it's suggested to wash your eggs well, I rinse them and then baked them at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. (I used an old peice of aluminum foil for this.)

All baked up, time to crunch em up!

All cronched! Next I'll just toss em out in the run/yard or in their feed. Doing this increases the hardness of the eggs the gals lay.

Usually bags of crushed oyster shell can be acquired at animal feed stores. (Sometimes regular pet stores carry them too just smaller bags and finer grind) usually comes in 25-50 lb sacks and last a long time for a small-to-midsized flock. I free feed it to the gals in a ceramic plate.

Tbh I bought a bag probably 3 yrs ago and still haven't gone through it all.

The eggshells are also useful for adding calcium to gardens or placed among beds to help deter pests animals. Also useful for making a calcium spray for plants. (Be sure to wash and bake/boil thoroughly for all applications and uses)

🥚🌱 Happy Homesteading 🌱🥚

9.1.2023

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echotunes · 16 days ago

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"E saber tudo, Beatrice, é perder tudo."

[transcript:

And it's the creature's turn. In this movement, it grabs Orfeu… (rolling dice) [cracking, ripping noise] It breaks his neck. He stops— he screams desperately [EEEE], and falls, dead.

And Beatrice - the barrier opens. You start to remember. How much Paranormal Exposure do you have right now? (Triz: Uh… 20.) 25 now.

You see yourself. You're not Marked yet. It's the 12th of February 2011. You see a notice in the paper - Arnaldo Fritz, a famous actor, died in a plane accident. This was the man that had been in the orphanage. You ask your mother about him. She seems to dodge the question and avoid answering. (30% Paranormal Exposure.)

The years pass, and you start to notice that Clara is hiding something. You were always very curious, and started to become old enough to notice that she was taking too many "work trips" to just be an ordinary florist. You broke into her room, and you finally found - (40% Paranormal Exposure.) You found a drawer with a moon symbol that she always kept locked. You saw where she was hiding the key for this drawer this time, and decided to open it. You found numerous confidential documents from some kind of secret organisation of paranormal hunters, Ordo Veritatis. Your mother was leading a double life as an agent. She seemed especially interested in the case of the disappearance of Arnaldo Fritz, an old mentor and friend of hers. (50% Paranormal Exposure.)

Your own mother was lying and hiding something from you your whole life. You were furious, confused. You needed to understand more. You needed to know more. The documents had a place of interest that was mysteriously marked. St. Menefreda Orphanage, the orphanage where you grew up. There were various reports about a fire that happened there on the 11th of February 2009, one day before the death of Arnaldo Fritz - one day before it'd been reported to the police. She seemed to be looking for answers, and you also wanted them. You couldn't hold yourself back, you needed to know.

You start to see the memory of you arriving at the destroyed orphanage in 2017. Completely dark, just with a bicycle and a flashlight in this city to know what was happening. Entering the orphanage, you met various orphans that had never abandoned this place, even after the fire. All of them had simple clothing, lived in the dark and were full of tattoos. And one stood out amidst them. You remember him as Leonardo Gomez. He walks in your direction with a smile.

(70%. You see tattoos of text appearing on Beatrice's hands and neck.)

"Welcome back, Lilian," he says to you. "I see you came to the orphanage seeking knowledge. Know that you've arrived in the right place."

(You see the tattoos taking over Beatrice's entire body, including her face. 80% Paranormal Exposure.)

You asked, what's going on? What happened with Arnaldo Fritz, who was your mother, what was this Order? He answers calmly, taking you to the orphanage. He says: "Gal, take Lilian to the Deconjuration Room. She needs to know."

(90%. You see Beatrice's skin becoming thin and full of text, the eyes with a whitish tone.)

You see yourself, Beatrice, tied to a tattoo chair, a room full of texts around you. There's creatures, you know now they're Existeds, that surround you, and you're tattooed with horror stories and words of fear. You felt completely connected to the Other Side. You could feel all the knowledge, all the power, all the truth of the Other Side entering your mind. One specific answer started to appear - the truth. The truth that was hidden within you. A truth so terrible, so terrifying, that it made Clara, your mother, surrender herself when she finally found you and saw what you had become. A truth so horrible that it forced your mother to give herself up to the Escriptas just to learn a ritual to be able to block this memory in your head, to be able to block this knowledge.

But… that block doesn't exist anymore. Orfeu is dead. The ritual was broken, and the door was opened. You remember everything. And to know everything, Beatrice, is to lose everything. And you know.

100% Paranormal Exposure. You no longer exist.

end transcript.]

#was not done with rewatching bits of opd yet evidently. anyway i think about this all the time it's such a cool fucking scene...#cw animal death #cw death #echo.clips #echo.transcripts #ordem paranormal #desconjuração #opd #ordem clips #video

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robertfettuccine · 7 months ago

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Killed a spider today. Felt very powerful. I had a spray bottle full of dish soap water and I was like Jason Bourne but for spiders.

Spider story:

Ok story time bc idk I think this is really funny

So I’m at a friends house and we’re talking in her basement and it’s getting late and I’m like man I should probably go but I really gotta pee I’m gonna use your bathroom before I go. So I get in to the bathroom and I turn the light on and I’m getting ready to go pee right? Like a normal person. And this roughly 50-cent piece sized black spider with super angular pointy legs comes crawling out from under the baseboards right at me. And so I’m like absolutely Not I am not gonna go pee with this spider Right Here so I exit the bathroom but I leave the lights on for spider seeing purposes.

Now my friend is absolutely terrified of spiders, like definitely it’s a pretty bad phobia. She does not do well with spiders she tends to just freeze up completely. So I’m like hey hon I gotta let you know there’s a medium sized spider in your bathroom. So she immediately gets on the piece of furniture farthest away from the floor and starts panicking. To make matters worse, she’d left her glasses upstairs and wouldn’t be able to see the spider anyway, so she’s freaking out.

Now I hate spiders just as much as the next gal (I’m pretty scared of spiders actually I won’t get within 5 feet of one if I can help it and they absolutely make my skin crawl. Nothing deserves that many legs) but I’m now thinking how can I fix this so my friend can sleep tonight. So I start looking around for dish soap or something in the basement but alas. All of a sudden this Bastard creeps himself out from under the bathroom door at Mach Jesus straight towards my friend and so I’m like hey don’t panic but spider has exited the bathroom. Naturally, she panics, so I grab the nearest cleaning supply looking item, which happens to be carpet cleaning spray, and I just hit him with it.

Carpet cleaning spray unfortunately does nothing to spiders, as I learned, other than make them wet. So this spider is now wet and annoyed and he beelines it for the really dark stained wood cabinets in the basement kitchenette. I no longer have eyes on the spider. So I just start spraying under the cabinets in the general Spider Direction, but this spray bottle sprays a nice cone shaped fine mist, not a solid line of spray, so that doesn’t do much. I finally get my friend down off of the table and standing on the floor (huge win) and we start Spider Bowling.

Spider Bowling is a game invented by Me in Today where if you know the general area where the spider is you ball up paper towels and throw them at that area until you see movement. We did this with terrible aim until we briefly flushed the spider out, but then we lost him again. About 0.5 seconds after seeing Bathroom Bastard under the cabinets, another of the exact same type of spider crawls out of the baseboards opposite the cabinetry. Enter: Baseboard Bitch.

So we’ve lost track of Bathroom Bastard under the cabinets, but we’ve got full eyes on Baseboard Bitch. Or at least I do, my friend still can’t see. Now I’m hesitant to spray this one bc the carpet cleaner doesn’t seem to be doing much, and it would just send this one back to that from whence he came. Not a fan of lack of visuals on spider. So I send my friend upstairs to go get her glasses while I keep an eye on the kitchenette for the two evil eight legged guys.

Unsurprisingly, Baseboard Bitch returns to his home under the baseboards, and I have now lost track of both the spiders. I don’t want to spray under the crack in the baseboards to get Baseboard Bitch to come out again bc what if there’s a lot more where he came from? These guys are incredibly fast for medium spiders and I am Not about to be swarmed by that many legs.

I turn my attention back to Spider Bowling under the cabinets, hoping for some sign of Bathroom Bastard, but I’m terrible at bowling. So I leave my friend downstairs on spider lookout duty and I run up to her kitchen to find a spray bottle and fill it with water and dish soap, which I Know kills spiders. As I’m screwing the lid on the spray bottle I hear very quiet screaming from the basement and run down the stairs to find Baseboard Bitch just confidently creeping his way towards my friend, now perched back on her Very Tall Chair.

From the stairs I had a perfect shot at the spider and, in what may be the coolest moment of my life, I triple-tapped his ass dead center with perfect aim and dish soaped him to death. The new spray bottle had a nice high-pressure stream of soap water, way better than the previous one’s sad mist cone. I felt so cool. Newly armed with Spider Gun, I hit Baseboard Bitch a few more times just to make sure he was dead.

We then went after Bathroom Bastard, which was much easier with the help of our Spider Gun, and he was soon vanquished as well. Now my friend can sleep in peace and I can feel cool knowing that I’m Jason Bourne for spiders.

Alas, now my skin feels spidery and I hate having hair. I was very brave though.

Bonus frantic google searches:

#zoe speaks #cw spiders

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catboytenya · 7 months ago

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Just had to tear apart Butterbean's entire bioactive enclosure and put him back on carpet (as well as completely disinfect the entire tank)

He got some type of mold/fungus that supposedly isn't harmful 99% of the time that just comes in reptisoil sometimes. But he stopped eating for months and I was worried he might be having a reaction to it.

A lot of people online were talking about how clean up crews would refuse to eat it and it would grow unchecked, as I was pulling out the soil (I saved the soil because. My Isopods and shit. I love them I don't want to throw them out. And it's harmless to them so they get to stay) I realized just how badly it had spread in the spots of the soil I couldn't see

I was originally going to just wait until his upgraded tank was set up (I'm moving him into a 50 gal instead of his 20 gal, turning his tank into a baby tank) but it's going to be SO long until I can get the new tank that I decided to just do everything tonight.

I had to throw out like half of his decor because they were all natural woods and were seriously infected with it. When I lifted one of them up to check for mold it was CRAWLING with springtails and Isopods, not to eat the mold, but to eat the wood around the mold. (Thanks guys you're a real help)

Right now the pods aren't in the best of conditions so I'm also going to buy some new enclosures for my pods when I have the chance, but Butterbean is the priority right now obviously

He's in that "why is my dirt broken" phase of being on carpet where he doesn't get why he can't dig in it

Really disappointing since he was doing so well in the bioactive enclosure until recently. And unfortunately I think the mold/fungus actually came from the PLANTS I put in, not even from the soil that supposedly it came with!

Which SUCKS because if I hadn't put the plants in I probably wouldn't have had to do all this... And his dirt wouldn't be broken!!

But I guess you live and learn?

I did miss being able to see him moving around his tank better, so I guess silver linings?

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forthesanityofstorytellers · 2 years ago

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Hedge, the PI

I may or may not have decided that I wanted to write a story where Sonic the Hedgehog is a 50s Noir PI and translated as many of the gang as I could/wanted. Also may or may not have been revisiting my love for hard-boiled black-and-white detective stories recently. 😂

WC: 5,063

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Midnight. Perfect time for a run.

Water splashed against my new red running shoes, mud turning the white stripe into a dark stain as I ran. I glanced up to see the moon through the trees, remnants of a past storm causing the stars to sparkle in the droplets against the leaves. The wind roared in my ears, hammered my overcoat, my hands and arms dragged behind my body as I sped through the forest towards the nearby town.

I sped by a green sign, almost all the words rubbed off by years of storms. The only thing left on the old decrepit sign was the word ‘valle’, and no one could remember what came before or after the word. So, ever since I’d been here, this little town had only been known as The Valle.

The space between the forest and the town was peppered with industrial buildings, half of them rusted from disuse. We had some inventor-types and investor-types move in over the recent years -- who knows where they came from -- and they all took up residence in the industrial zone or the newly-build casinos. The lights on one side flashed through the billowing smoke from the other as I ran past, mixing to create a veil of neon-lit smoke that filled the street.

Once I reached the uneven cobblestone street on the other side of developments I had to slow down, weaving between the few people still out and about at this hour. Among the thin crowd I spotted a gal with a shock of pink hair and turned down a side-street just as she spun, narrowly avoiding her sharp eyes. It’s not that I didn’t like her. She could just be a little much for me some days. I jogged my way through the still-wet back streets to a squatty 3-story building set back among the line of dirty brick-row houses that rose up on either side; my home.

From here, it looked more like a grubby hole in the forest than an office building, but home was home.

Racing up the steps to the second floor, I came up short to find someone standing directly across from my door. He stayed in the shadows, barely moving at my approach, but I knew his silhouette instantly; it was the exact same as mine.

Lanky limbs surrounded a short torso, the guy’s hands always covered in gloves and a hat to cover his head completed the enigmatic ensemble. He only ever removed said hat in front of me, and that was only because I snatched it from his head when we first met. I was never sure why he felt the need to keep his face a secret. It’s not like he was a secret agent or anything.

True to form, he pulled off his hat to reveal a head of black spiked hair, the tips stained a dark dirty red. Red eyes glared at me from a severely angled face as he stared me down over a pointed nose. “Hedge,” he greeted me, voice low and gritty. “Out for a run again?”

I crossed my arms and met his stare with a cocked smile. “Observant as ever, my weird shadow-friend.”

His frown deepened. “I told you not to call me that.”

“Shadow?”

“Friend.”

“Well, when you’re not attacking me outright you don’t act like an enemy.” I smiled as I crossed to the door, hands digging around in my pockets for a pair of keys. “What can I do for you?”

“There’s a case waiting for you behind that door,” he stated, arms crossed. “Don’t take it.”

I paused, glancing at the door. Frosted glass covered half the wood, with big blocky letters spelling out “S. T. Hedge” across the top, and “Private Eye” across the bottom. Just beyond I could see the impression of someone waiting, a slim feminine figure shifting uncomfortably as she looked around. I looked back, answer in my cheeks, but my shadow-friend was gone. Disappeared into the night.

Hm. Maybe he was a secret agent.

I shrugged. Oh well.

I pushed the door open to find a pretty figure standing in the center of my office, hands clasped together tightly as she spun to face me. Two long blonde braids swung around her shoulders, large eyes brimming with tears as she raced toward me.

“Oh Mr. Hedge!” she cried, “I’ve lost them! I’ve lost them!”

I gave her a smile and patted her hands, something meant to comfort her while also peeling her hands off my shoulders. “Calm down, sweetheart. Take a deep breath, and tell me the story.”

Swallowing a couple mouthfuls of air, she took a step back and started again.

Miss C. Abbit spun me a story of how she’s got a group of children she takes care of on her own dime. She went to check on them this morning and found all of them missing, then ran around town for the rest of the day asking everyone who would glance her direction if they’ve seen the kids. Eventually someone gave her my number and she called, but no one answered. So she came down and had been waiting in the office.

Pulling out a small notepad, I sketched out my normal fee and asked for a description. Giving me a sad smile as she began to play with the orange ribbons in her hair, she described the kids as short with large heads on top of little round bodies. I hadn’t ever seen kids like she mentioned, but it wasn’t my job to judge her descriptive abilities.

She thanked me with a little bow and hurried away, her orange dress still bright in the shadows of the hallway. “‘Don’t take it’,” I muttered my shadow’s last words and dismissed them with a wave of the hand. I had a job to do and I was gonna do it.

Tossing the pad down, it landed unevenly among the mess. I eyed my desk with a sideways frown, rifling through the odds and ends covering the top and moving a handful of gold rings hiding among broken mechanical parts. Hm. Looks like someone thought this was his desk. Again.

Digging out the phone from one side, I pulled the receiver and dialed, tapping a foot as the line rung. Once. Twice. Three times before a young-ish voice hurriedly answered, “Twin Tails Power Shop, what’s your need?”

“A good assistant would be nice. Know anyone?”

A pause. “Sorry Hedge, I got carried away with a new design and--”

“I know, I know, it’ll change the world.” I cut him off with a sigh. “Hey Miles, think you can tear yourself away from your garage long enough to do your actual job?”

My sarcasm flew over his head as he happily quipped, “sure Hedge. What’cha need?”

“Another pair of legs; we’ve got some kids to hunt down.”

---------------------------------

We met outside a small dark coffee shop halfway between the office and his garage. The kid came running up, hunched under a coat to stave off the drizzling rain. He was shorter than me by a head, his somewhat round face smudged with oil and grease while smoke left a black stain on his otherwise bright-orange hair.

“Sorry Hedge,” he apologized again. “The new engine I came up with still needs a bit of work.”

I dismissed it with a shrug -- he was always coming up with new ways to spruce up almost anything mechanical -- and began telling him the details of the case. Miles listened intently while wiping his hands and face clean with a seemingly endless supply of wipes. We tossed around ideas of how to find the kids, finally settling on the one where I’d investigate where the kids last were while Miles investigated the people around the place. We set off together, and I made sure to keep it at a slow jog so he could keep up.

We trotted our way to an old apartment building leaning over a fragile shack on the edge of town, a tattered sign at the top sloppily identifying it as ‘Station Square Suites’. An old fountain sputtered at the edge of the property surrounded by weeds and thick bushes. Miles stared up and groaned, knowing he’d be dealing with drunks and people angry about being woken up. He reluctantly jogged his way to the first-story apartments while I approached the shack.

The door squealed on its hinges as I poked it open, the dim light from the surrounding streetlamps bathing the interior in a yellow glow. A mix of mattresses and sleeping bags were scattered across the floor, interspersed with threadbare rugs and discarded jackets. A dirty handprint there, a crumpled bit of bandage in that corner, small baskets piled to one side and each with an orange bow decorating the top and sides. So, miss Abbit wasn’t lying about taking care of them, then.

Sweeping the area for clues revealed a hole in the door and a broken lock lying on the floor haloed by splinters. Spatters of a black liquid marked the floor and rug, a trail leading to the window where a foot-sized mark was left at the edge of a broken window, where bits of glass and rotted wood had fallen away from the opening.

As I bent to examine the glass, something winked at me under the rug. Tossing it back revealed a small green stone, a tiny diamond only as big as my finger. I held up to what light I had, the green surface reflecting oddly in the light. I pocketed it for later and turned back to the black liquid; A quick run of the fingers to the nose told me it stunk up a storm, though it wasn’t blood by any means.

In fact...It almost smelled like…

A shadow from the doorway blocked my light. Before I could turn I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking, suspicion creeping along my neck that the barrel was pointed at my head.

“Hands where I can see them.” I complied. “Stand up.” My knees popped as I stood. “Turn around.” I did slowly, coming face to face with a pair of angry blue eyes set into a wide face, the tips of his red hair peeking from under a white wrap wound tightly over his forehead. Similar wraps clung to his hands, the prized boxer’s hands still stained with blood from all the bare-fisted fights he had won. He blinked in surprise. “Hedge?”

I smiled. “Hiya ‘Knuckles’. Done boxing for the night?”

He frowned with a snort. “The Island closes at midnight, you know that. What are you doing here?”

“Not wasting time betting on your fights,” I answered, hands dropping into my pockets. “You?”

“Something was stolen from me. I got wind it might be here.”

A rattle in the corner drew both of our attention, Knuckles’ gun snapping to the sound. We waited for half a breath, the fighter approaching the corner first. A bundle of blankets shuffled at his approach, a powerful sneeze rocking the pile from under at least three layers down. With a quick pull, Knuckles jerked the blankets back and shouted, “Where are my gems!?”

His suspect wasn’t going to be much use; his rash action unveiled a child, matching the description Miss Abbit gave me, cowering with arms over his head. “Don’t hurt me!” he squealed, “Don’t take me away!”

I clamped a hand over Knuckle’s wrist, yanked his aim away from the kid. “Easy. I don’t think this is what you think it is.”

“How can you be sure?!” he snapped, stealing a glance at the kid.

“First, he’s just a kid. A kid I’ve been hired to find. And second, there’s this.” I held up a hand, showing Knuckles the small green stone. “Found this over by the window, close to an oil spot...and I doubt the kid is leaking oil.”

Knuckles swiped at my find, but he was too slow. The gem was back in my pocket and I was two steps out of his reach.

“Don’t fight me on this, Hedge,” he warned. “That gem belongs to a private collection of mine; someone stole a handful of those from me, and I’m gonna get them back one way or another.”

I shrugged. “And you will...after I figure out what it means for my job.”

We stared each other down before Knuckles holstered the gun and turned away with a grunt. “So I’m here for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I answered, looking back at the kid. “Help me figure this out and you can get it sooner.”

“Give me the shard as a downpayment and you got a deal.”

I snorted and shot him a glare, but took the tiny stone out and flicked it towards him. He snatched it out of the air with a grunt, peering closely at it while I bent down to get eye-level with the kid. “Don’t worry,” I said, trying to reassure him. “Miss Abbit sent me to find you.”

Her name brought an immediate turnaround. He clung to me and cried, trying desperately to talk and failing to get the words past the lump in his throat. Knuckles tried a few more times to get a story out of him, but it didn’t work any better than the first time.

A knock on the door revealed Miles standing there with a notepad and a confused look on his face. He summed up his adventures in the apartment building with short sentences, to which I suggested he elaborate on later. After we take the kid back to Miss Abbit.

I had the distinct feeling that putting all our pieces together would produce a better picture to all our puzzles.

---------------------------------

I crossed my arms as I leaned back against the wall in thought. We took the kid back to Miss Abbit’s for safe keeping; one down and too many to go. After giving a groggy and disoriented account about a small metal man that kidnapped the rest of his friends, the child had been given food, water, and a secure place to sleep. Meanwhile Knuckles and Miles were talking around each other like water down a stifled drain, reciting facts and situations they had gone over a hundred times.

The breakdown was this; Knuckles, while primarily a boxer, also specialized in collecting rare and unique rocks. Seems he could never have enough of them and kept them locked up in the arena he owned known as ‘The Island’. A few nights ago someone managed to swipe his collection, leaving only a handful behind. His own hunt led him to think the thieves might be holding up in the shack that turned out to be where the kids were holding up.

Miles’ irritated apartment-dwellers had spun him a collective story about a fire-breathing car taking the kids away in a sack. I wasn’t buying the car story, but I had seen and heard enough things on the street that I couldn’t rule out some sort of mechanized monster maliciously snatching the minors last midnight. And if I was right, there was only one place that could manufacture said monsters and be willing to kidnap kids.

I was still fuzzy on the ‘why’ though.

Shrugging it off, I cut off the useless conversation and told them my theory. The three of them fell silent, the silence continuing past the point of my musings. I finished and Knuckles drew the same conclusion I had, slapping fist against an open hand.

“Nick Ivo,” he growled. “It’s got to be.”

“But...his company makes engines and machines,” Miles said. “Why would he…?”

I shook my head, glancing out the window. “I don’t know. But I think asking him might do the trick.”

“I’m coming,” Knuckles said, standing up and slamming his fists together. “He’s not gonna get away with this.”

I shrugged. Three against one evens the odds.

---------------------------------

The threat of the sun cracked along the horizon, a pale pink staining the dark of the sky as we approached a gritty tower of a building. Smoke bellowed from three chimneys at the top, the black belched cloud joined by an oversized exhaust pipe on the side. The name “Julian and Sons” was spelled out in neon lights, flickering over the doorway like a boast.

Knuckles jabbed at the door, the wood flinging open and slamming against the wall. I glanced at the inside of the doors as we made our way inside; the doors had been left unlocked. I drew my gun and motioned for Miles to keep behind me.

The inside lobby was a mess. Our feet kicked scattered nuts and bolts across a cold metal floor, pipes along the walls spewing smoke and steam in our faces. This place looked like it had been abandoned for years before being disturbed, mechanical tracks cutting through the dust and debris on the floor accompanied by a set of huge bootprints.

“So, you’ve made your way here, Hedge!” A gritty voice boomed over hidden loudspeakers, accompanied by a hearty laugh. “I wondered when you’d make your way into my trap!!”

“What have you done with the kids, Nick!?” I called up, looking around. Knuckles’ fists went up as we clustered together, moving as a group. “Hand them over and I’ll leave without tearing the place apart.”

He laughed. “You won’t get the chance!!”

The sound of gears grating echoed around the lobby, a pair of nearby iron doors opening with a slow groan. The opening filled with hot steam, surrounding the silhouette of a giant of a machine. With a rumble the giant rolled its way into the room, domed head nearly scraping the ceiling and treads large enough to squash us if we weren’t fast enough.

“Nice robot, Nick,” I called out, keeping my gun low and ready. The thing lurched forward, raising a drill-hand twice my size and aiming it at me. I motioned over my shoulder for Miles to move around as I ducked away, the drill smashing into where I had just been. I raised my head in enough time to spot Miles sliding into the shadows and mouthed the words ‘shut-off switch’. He nodded and disappeared. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it.”

“Of course you haven’t!” he boasted, the machine whirring in time with his voice, flexing four arms with various sharp attachments for hands. “This is a creature of my own invention; the machines are the way of the future, don’t you see!?”

Another blow slammed into the ground nearby, a buzz saw activating and racing towards me. I jumped back in time to see my reflection among the blades. “I see you’ve got a hobby,” I answered, nodding for Knuckles to head left. “But why steal Knuckles’ rocks and a handful of kids?”

“I needed a workforce!” he bellowed, “And a power source.”

I hesitated, looking up at the looming giant. “The kids built this thing overnight!?”

“Of course not, you fool! But I have several more of this same model, and I need all the hands I can get to help me build. Those kids weren’t doing anything useful, so I decided to give them a job. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got other things to attend to. Have fun!”

Two more hidden drill-hands began to whirr, the arms jerking to life and swinging around. The mechanic voice stated, “Target Locked. Initiating drill sequence.”

“Let’s go!!” I screamed, dodging a strong strike. The drill broke through the floor this time, concrete bits flying into the air as I jumped onto the arm, running up the links and landing a kick square against the metal dome. It let out a shudder and flung its arm, forcing me to jump down to the floor and steady myself.

“Oh Hedge, you don’t know how much this little town needs my inventions,” his voice continued to taunt as I dodged strikes left and right. Knuckles came around the other side, the robot swinging a bladed pincher hand at him, the glow deflected with a solid punch to the wrist-like connection. “My machines will become the next greatest thing, able to handle any kind of construction single-handed! I’ll be able to find oil in half the time, build or break down any building I want with less manpower. I’ll be rich!!”

An arm wound back and struck hard, one of its blades biting deep into the floor. It whined to pull back, but it was stuck. The robot jerked, and I took the opportunity to dash up the arm again, darting right to the top this time. A small glass opening allowed me to see inside the head, where one of Knuckles’ gems rested inside a tangle of wires glowing green and red. Shoving my gun against the glass, I pulled the trigger twice.

The robot jerked and shuddered, winding down with a goran. The gears screamed, oil spraying from the joints. I thought it was over and reached down for the gem when it was yanked down into the domed head, the thing popping up and flinging me into the air. The torso turned, smoke starting to spray from its arms as it wound up for another strike. Before it got it’s chance, Knuckles appeared, winding up with a scream and landed a crippling blow against its torso. The metal bent with a deafening crunch, a panel completely twisting away from its welded section.

Nick howled over the intercom, shouting demands at his monstrosity as Knuckles began to climb the sides. I shouted about the gem at the top, distracting the thing with a few more pops of my gun. It swung wildly, steam coming from the top of its head as it began to overload. Reaching the top with a grunt, Knuckles reared back and pummeled the metal until he made a big enough hole for his hands. The giant nearly shook him off, but with a quick jerk of his shoulder the machine died with a shudder and squeal. He pulled his hand out, revealing the gem he managed to free.

“No!!!” Ivo screamed. “How could you-- Wait, what are--!”

I heard Miles’ voice over the intercom yell “Freeze! We’ve got you, Nick! Come quietly, or...wait, what’s that!?”

There was a short pop and boom, static spreading over the speakers. My heart stopped for a moment, restarting once Miles’ voice came over the speaker. “Sorry Hedge,” he said, voice stilted with coughs and hacks. “He set off some kind of smoke bomb. He...He got away.”

“That’s alright,” I called up, looking at the defeated machine. Oil was starting to pool on the floor. “You got the kids?”

“Yeah, I found them and opened the back door. I told them to get to Miss Abbit’s and stay there until we get them. I also found most of Knuckles’ gems, though I think some of them are already a part of Nick’s robots. You should see the factory back here, Hedge. It’s wild.”

“That’s fine,” Knuckles called up, already making his way past the iron doors. “I’ll find them. You guys make sure the kids are safe and sound with Miss Abbit. Don’t worry about the aftermath, Hedge. I’ll take care of it. Nick won’t get away with this.”

I nodded and headed out the doors, calling out my plan to Miles. We made an agreement that I’d start to Miss Abbit’s and he’d take a minute to study the machines. He’d meet me there after he was done. I waved a hand and left, not surprised in the least. After all, Miles was a bit of a tech junkie. If I had it I would’ve bet a couple gold rings on one of Nick’s engines winding up in the Twin Tails shop.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A quick trip to Miss Abbit’s found the kids safe and sound. She wrapped her arms around me as she cried, thanking me and Miles for rescuing them from Nick. We left after she paid us, heading back to the office while she went to cook soup for all of them.

The office was cold and quiet, the dull light of morning finally settling over the town. Miles had gone back to the garage to work on his new engine, police sirens wailing in the distance. I tossed my payment along with my hat onto the desk, the clanking of the glittering gold rings music to my ears, and ran a hand along my hair as I sat by the window. My fading reflection stared back at me, a shock of spiky blue hair sitting atop my head. Then the sun broke over the horizon, coating the street below in light and giving life to the dark buildings in our knothole of a town.

I pondered Nick’s robots. I wondered why my shadow-friend warned me away from the case. I thought about what Knuckles was likely to do once he got his fists on Nick. I considered the idea that Nick was still out there, and would likely want revenge on me for destroying his toys.

I shrugged it off, those worries being tomorrow's worries, and realized I was hungry. Stopping a moment to clean off my red running shoes, I decided to go out and nab a bit of my favorite grub; a chili dog.

---------------------------------

Epilogue

“Curse that Hedge...Curse him!” Ivo slammed two fists down on his desk and began to pace, his boots squealing in protest. “I can’t believe he defeated my latest robot. Defeated...no, he wrecked it!” He paced through his little hidden office, a space he built specifically for evasion in case anything went wrong. It was stocked to the brim with provisions, a wide path in the middle carved out with consideration for his generous girth. Hands clasped behind his back, he fumed and growled to himself as he paced past a scattering of blueprints, old plans, and a smaller model of the drill-bot that wound up being useless.

“I’ll show him,” Ivo muttered, glancing at his blueprints. His tinted goggles changed the color to a darker tone, but they held a secret; they allowed him to see the hidden ink scrawled over the blueprints.

Shuffling through them, he uncovered a floorplan of an anchient underground chamber, built right under this stupid little knothole town. He had traveled all over the world, looking for information on this chamber, and found many interesting theories but no facts. Some sounded far too mystical to be true, but some...Ah, some led him to believe an ancient power source was down there, just waiting to be used. He played with the tip of his wide bushy mustache as he considered his next move. “I’ll show that skinny runt,” he grunted. “This is not the end of Nick Ivo, inventor extraordinaire and genius beyond his time!!”

Taking his blueprint, he trotted back over to his desk and pinned it up on the wall next to a diagram of some finances. “Once I have this power source under my control,” he said, noting his habit of talking to himself and how it helped him think, “nothing will stop me from taking control of the industry, not even that runt, Hedge! And after the industry is mine, I’ll use the money and the robots to destroy this city and rebuild it in my own image; Ivotown! Yes! That’s what I’ll--”

“Talking to yourself again?”

Ivo hesitated, spinning around. He adjusted his goggles to see better, watching as a figure much like Hedge melted from the shadows. He sucked in a breath before realizing who it was.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said, recovering with a smirk. “The mysterious ‘Shadow’. What do you want?”

The slender man held out his hand. “My cut.”

Ivo grunted. “Your cut. Your cut for what? You were supposed to divert him, not lead him to me.” He waved a dismissive hand, turning away. “You get nothing.”

He startled when the Shadow appeared directly in front of him, hand still out. “I did what you asked. I wasn’t told to tie him down. I wasn’t told to hurt him. Our deal was that I’d tell him not to take the case, and I’ve done so.”

Ivo sniffed through his giant nose, mustache twitched as he turned his back on Shadow. “Our ‘deal’ was for you to throw him off the case, at which you clearly failed. You get nothing. Besides, all the emeralds are back at my factory, and likely have all been taken by the police or by that idiot boxer, Knuckles. Maybe you can get your cut from them, since I no longer have access--”

Ivo felt a shove from behind, and found himself pinned momentarily to his desk with the cold steel of a gun at the base of his neck. “Wait wait wait!” he cried, “I- I- I may have one or two left. Look in my desk!” He flailed at one of the drawers. “That one! Look in there!”

Shadow opened the drawer, springing a small flash bomb. He stumbled away, falling to the ground as his senses whirled. Ivo stood over him with a laugh, gloating. “You fool!” he crowed, “did you think you could get me like that in my own office? I’ve got traps in every nook and cranny. Now get out! Get out while I still let you out!!”

Stumbling to his feet, the mysterious Shadow fixed him with a glare. “Fine. But this isn’t the last you’ve heard from me. I will come back. And I will get what is owed me.” With that, the mysterious copy of his rival stumbled from the room and Ivo turned back to his plans.

“That little snoop and his gang are going to pay for complicating my plans,” Ivo growled, snatching a blueprint for a dragon-shaped metal monstrosity from the wall. “And I know the right machine for the job...All I’ve got to do now is build him.”

Down the dark hallways and dim rooms, Ivo’s dramatic gut-filled laugh could be heard all over his abandoned, secret office building.

#short stories #my work #sonic noir #Hedge

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