#ways to charge for stump removal

[chrisstumps05]

Stump Grinding Pricing: Hourly vs. Per Stump

[starsfic]

The Laughing God

Summary: When they were younger, Shamura was known as the Laughing God: laughing because they knew they would win. Narinder hears them laugh again as worlds collide.

In the age where the world was filled with gods, soldiers would fear if they heard laughter on the battlefield.

Narinder had once seen a full army of adults, many much older and grizzled than their foe, turn and run when laughter tinkled. It didn't matter the type of laughter, whether it be maniac and lusting for blood or gentle and delighted. Soldiers turned and ran.

Right now, Narinder wasn't focused on that. He was focused on protecting the cult- two cults, maybe from the Goat coming to their world?- from the heretics that had taken advantage of their leaders being gone. The issue was, the Lamb now left Narinder in charge when they went on crusade for a reason. His scythe flashed as he removed heretics’ heads from their shoulders.

Behind him, he knew those who were able to fight had taken up weapons. Those who couldn’t were whisking the elderly and children towards the center of the cult, where they would be safest. Narinder dared a glance back in time to hear the yellow cat- what’s their name again?- yell “TO THE LEFT!” and watch as Leshy slammed down a hammer made from a tree stump down on an unfortunate heretic’s head.

Ah. Probably should tell the Lamb that Kallamar was making weapons.

“DUCK!”

Before he could process that, someone yanked his collar back in time to avoid a knife to the face. The person who grabbed him launched forward, stabbing their own knife into the shadows of the hood. The heretic slumped forward, dead before they hit the dirt.

Narinder yanked free of their grip and turned. “Heket, I had it-” He paused at the look his sister was giving him, with wide eyes and a bit of a gape. She looked surprised to see him. He raised a brow and glanced at the outfit she wore. Instead of the traditional red and white cultist tunic, the color was purple and black. The pattern on the collar looked like spiderwebs. “You’re the other Heket.” he guessed.

She managed a nod. Before he could figure out how to respond to that, nor figure out why she looked so shocked, a roar nearly deafened him. In the distance, something shook. The heretics still alive began to laugh and cackle as the thing got closer and closer. Then it cleared the trees, revealing a giant creature. It almost looked like Leshy’s true form, except its skin was dark and scaly, dripping wet as it launched forward on clawed feet. Something from Anchordeep, he guessed.

“Head to the center,” Narinder said. He hefted up his scythe. “I got them.”

The beast roared, launching forward-

And tinkling laughter rolled over the battlefield.

Narinder and the heretics all paused. The beast paused as well, although probably more out of bafflement like Narinder was. The sound was familiar, in a way that made his heart ache, because in this world, the person who used to make that sound would never do so again. The clang of weapons being dropped made him glance back in time to watch several heretics run into the woods, just like soldiers of the old gods abandoning their masters.

Narinder wasted no time in trying to figure out if that was who he thought he was. He rushed up to the monster and slashed out with his scythe. The blade sank a deep gash in the monster’s knee. If he could cut it off, it would be crippled and make the battle go much faster.

The laughter was closer now.

And then a foot pressed on his head and he looked up in time to see a figure in a black and purple tunic launch themself towards the creature’s back. When they slammed down, they turned and Narinder’s jaw dropped.

There was one reason soldiers fled a battlefield when they heard laughter.

The Laughing God of War was there and their fate was sealed. When the laughter of war came, death followed. Except death was already here and war had just used him as a stepping stone.

Shamura, not his Shamura but close enough, smiled broadly down at him. “I got it from up here!” they called, pulling out…yarn? “You distract it!”

The creature needed distraction as it could probably feel the little creature scurrying down to its neck and was starting to thrash. Narinder shook away the shock and focused on doing what they commanded. Shamura was also the god of wisdom for a reason.

The same time as his blade sank into the knee again, the yarn wrapped around the throat.

He slammed the blade again. The makeshift garrote tightened. 

The blade sank in. The creature began to choke.

The foot fell off with a wet, meaty snap. 

The creature’s eyes rolled back as its stump began to bleed, its breathing coming to a stop as something in its neck snapped. It fell forward, stumbling both from the lack of a foot and the broken neck. Shamura dug their heels in, their eyes going wide, and Narinder scrambled back. A cloud of dust poofed up as the head slammed down.

As it cleared, Narinder found a hand in his face.

“Hey,” his sibling said. “It’s good to see you again, Narinder.”

[zegervetters-blog]

Crashed my car into another the other day. I got stuck on the tow bar of the guy I rammed, slipped of the clutch and right onto the poor sods knob...

We were standing there watching our cars entangled, not giving any sign of letting go. We both revved so hard there was an unidentified bad smell coming from my motorblock. I slipped myself underneath the man's car, from here on out called 'Baba', and started looking for ways to remove his bloody knob from my sweet child's mouth. I popped the hood of my child and tried looking for something explanatory that might get this situation 'unpickeled'. All the while Baba asked me why I didn't look, all the cars and still you hit me in front of a red light? I was just as shocked as him.

I got to a stop behind his van and saw someone crossing between Baba's car and a truck in front of him. Usually I put my gearbox in neutral and let go of the clutch in front of red lights, the unwise action of this lady crossing a busy street caught my attention and made me forget. I was stumped and couldn't believe how I suddenly kissed the rear end of this car? How was this possible? Me who prides myself in never having hit anything and driving so suave?

I wanted to stay underneath the car and wait for a miracle to unfold. Some magical intervention,untangling both of our vehicles and erasing Baba's memory of my brutal assault. I searched for a garage on google maps since the police didn't want to come over, no wounded, no aggression, 'file the collisions report.' she said.

Just across the street was a garage. They let me use their wrenches if I left my wallet as palladium. I trodded back and forth two times taking the wrong sizes. Once I finally loosened two of the bolts I realized all the others were practically unreachable. My papa came to this peculiar scene, rushed too fast to take any tools himself and Baba's daughter was there too. We stood there, all four of us watching two cars in a sort of coitus?

Eventually a lovely man from VAB came, we climbed underneath the car and undid all bolts. With sweat on our foreheads and legs on either side of the vehicle he asked me: "what d'you do for a livin, you free later?" To which he added: "wanna work for us?"

I hugged Baba goodbye and hope he doesn't press charge, I did a number on his heart, his car was fine.

The picture is me repairing my child's mouth the day after when it bit me, payback time. It reminded me of a small Adriaan Brouwer study I made six years ago, I found it!

Thanks Baba, thanks VAB man, thanks Mortsel car services and most of all thanks to my dad. 💥

[faker-aus]

Roles in THWDLM

Shadow takes on the same role as Paul. He's the guy who doesn't like musicals. He's the first to realize everyone singing constantly is weird, even by Mobius's standards. He teams up with his friends to figure out what's wrong and stop it- except, Sonic is missing. Hmm.

Rouge is Shadow's #1 ally, similar to Emma. However, rather than a romantic dynamic between the two, they're much like siblings. Just an immortal hedgehog and his older thief sister on their way to try to save the world.

Sonic and Amy are the Sam and Charlotte of this situation. Amy realizes Sonic isn't with the group, so everyone sets out to find him. He's saved the world so many times, no reason he can't do it now! Unfortunately, he's dead. He's a singing alien zombie, just like much of the town. He's already taken the Chaotix into the hivemind, and after getting his brain knocked out with a trash can lid by Knuckles, he's taking Amy down with him.

Knuckles is the brawn of the team. As long as he can stay alive, the group is safe, because he can fight the infected off the easiest without weapons. All he's gotta do is survive, and not dwell too much on the loss of his friends.

Vanilla and Silver follow the same role as each other. The day the hivemind infection broke out, Vanilla was out of the house, as Blaze took care of Cream and Marine. With insanely perfect timing, as soon as Vanilla realized the trio were on their own, Silver came in from the future in a panic, demanding to see Blaze. Vanilla and Silver agreed to make sure Blaze, Cream, and Marine were safe, and to take them into the group if they were. Unfortunately... they weren't, and soon Vanilla and Silver weren't either.

Tails and the Chaotix were working separately from each other for the same purpose- research the infection and stop it. They figured they could cover more ground if they were split up, but the Chaotix refused to leave each other, so the three would report their findings back to Tails. But when Sonic got the jump on the team, Tails was left alone to work. He realized that as the alien blood was infecting Mobian blood, the safest way to remove it would be Chaos Control- and even that proved useless. Stumped and panicking, Tails was frozen to his chair as the Chaotix broke down the door to the lab and attacked. Knuckles and Tails were in their hands, and Rouge barely made it out alive with Shadow.

Blaze and Marine had been called by the Sol Emeralds to Mobius a few days prior to the infiltration, much like how Silver's time travel called him because the past was in danger. However, whatever danger was to come hadn't showed its face yet, so the two stayed with Vanilla and Cream. Vanilla left for about an hour to get groceries, leaving Blaze in charge of taking care of both little girls. But in the time Vanilla was gone, she was forced into hiding with the group, as Blaze tried to keep everything under control. Her efforts to keep the infected away were useless, and she and Cream were infected. Marine quickly hid in the basement, locking the door behind her. When Vanilla and Silver arrived, Cream and Blaze attacked them. Now infected, they managed to coax Marine out of the basement and took her into the hivemind as well.

[emophil1981]

Lucky encounter

I loved to go to the mall way before my accident a few years ago.

I was 21 at that time, today I am 32. The car accident was a bit of my own fault. I was driving my car too fast and saw the lorry that hit me simply too late and couldn’t react in time to avoid a collision. My car was crushed between the lorry and a van. Thankfully I have no own recollection of my accident, everything just went black.

The doctors told me it was probably better that way. My arms and my left leg were crushed and intertwined with some of the metal of my car. Had I been awake, the pain would have been excruciating. My savior was an emergency doctor at the scene who had been with the military before his civilian life as an emergency doctor as I learned later. So he had seen his share of heavy wounds in the past.

He assessed the situation quickly, took charge and in a matter of one hour, he performed emergency amputations on my arms and on my left leg to get me out of the car wreck. It was a miracle, that despite the severe wounds to my three limbs I wasn’t hurt anywhere else. In the hospital they had to clean my raw amputation wounds from the scene of the accident and they decided to reamputate the wounds to avoid any infections at all. I was in an induced coma for nearly six weeks.

When I was woken up by the surgeons at first I couldn’t believe them that they had removed both of my arms right up to my shoulders and my left leg right at the hip. I didn’t have any stumps left and the doctors told me that I would probably never be able to wear any usable prosthetics. My parents were there for me but I think for them it was the hardest part, to see their only son lying in a hospital bed, maimed for the rest of his life. Disabled for the rest of his life.

But what I couldn’t tell anyone, not the surgeons or even my parents, was this weird sensation inside my head, that was telling me: finally! Finally and just by sheer luck I had achieved my ultimate dream, the dream to become a triple amputee.

I was so lucky, that the amputations they had to perform on me were exactly the ones I pretended to have, when my parents were away since I was a kid. I was always fascinated by amputees since the time when I saw that armless kid when I went to McDonald’s once in my childhood with my parents. I watched the kid, while he was eating his Big Mac by holding it perfectly between his feet and toes. I was flabbergasted how normal it seemed for him and his parents to be that he ate with his feet. The sleeves of his T Shirt were completely empty, there were no traces of any arm stumps at all. I secretly glanced at him from time to time. When he talked with his sister or his parents he even used his feet to make gestures, I was absolutely intrigued by him.

When I came home that night, I closed the door to my room and started to pretend for the first time. I was 10 years old and still playing with LEGO at that time, so I took off my socks and started to build stuff by using my feet. I became really good at it and started to learn to do more and more stuff with my feet. That continued until I was 14 or so and I found the Internet for me. By surfing the Internet and searching for amputee pictures I came across lots of pictures of triple one legged amputees and I also learned the terms devotee, wannabe and BIID. Finally I knew that I was not alone with my longing to become an amputee, but I also knew that the society wouldn’t approve or help me to fulfill my dream.

When I was 16 or 17 years old, I normally pretended to be one legged and armless. Using only my right foot I was now able to eat, drink, write, type on my phone or computer, switch channels on my remote control for my tv and I even could use the controller for my Xbox and play some video games by turning the disability settings on. In short, I was trying to live like a triple amputee. Four years later lying in the hospital my dream was at last fulfilled: I had the body I always wanted to have, I would be a triple amputee now for the rest of my life.

Some of the nurses were absolutely impressed that I started really quickly to use my right foot like a hand. The nurses told my parents how amazing they found that I accepted my new situation so fast and that I already started to use my foot to help me adapt to my new reality. Because of my extensive pretending I didn’t need much physical therapy at all. They fitted me with a state of the art electric wheelchair that had a special foot control and I didn’t even lose much time in college. A few weeks after the release from the hospital and after finishing my physical therapy programme I was back in college finishing my studies in business administration.

After my graduation I got a job at an insurance company where I still work today and in my free time I like to go to the mall and show myself to the public in all my Amputee glory. I love it when other people stare at me, the attention I get makes me sometimes feel like a celebrity and I like to show off my amputated body and my foot skills to everyone.

When I go to the mall I like to wear sweatpants and a hoodie. All my hoodies are specially altered, the sleeves are cut off and the holes are sewn shut with material from the cut off sleeves to fit my armless body just perfectly. The same is done to the left leg of my sweatpants, the pants leg is cut off and sewn shut. Normally I am barefoot but when I go to the mall I wear a white or sometimes a colored sock over my right foot. Why you ask? Because when I am having lunch or a coffee at the mall, by wearing a sock over my foot, I need to take that sock off by pulling it from my foot with my mouth, to gain access to my toes.

Lots of people are shocked when I do that right before eating something or before stirring my coffee with a spoon hold between my toes. I did that today also, I was sitting with my coffee at Starbucks, when I saw him for the first time. He looked like any regular college guy, probably in his late twenties. He wore a grey t Shirt and purple basketball shorts, his big hairy feet were sticking in two flip flop sandals and he played with them under the table. His face was clean shaven and he had high cheekbones. His hair was cut very short almost like an army haircut if you ask me. He was just sitting there, having headphones on, looking at his coffee and sipping it from time to time.

I watched him, I found it hot that he played with his feet. Then it happened. For the first time since I entered the starbucks cafe, he looked in my direction. Our eyes met and I saw something strange in his face, curiosity, lust and a smile all mixed together in that one short glance where our eyes met. Normally people don’t smile at me most of them avoid eye contact at all. That’s a first I thought, he isn’t afraid or disgusted of my body. I continued to watch him and he did it again and this time he hold eye contact and smiled at me broadly with a wide grin. I couldn’t figure it out, was he really hitting on me or was he just being nice?

When I finished my coffee, I put my sock back on on my foot with my teeth and steered my wheelchair to the exit. The guy was instantly following me. I was driving a few meters away from the entrance of the coffee shop and then I turned my chair around by pushing the foot control to its limit. He froze in front of me and did it again. He just smiled at me.

„Is it funny for you to follow me around?“ I asked him.

He froze before me and seemed a little bit shocked. He blushed.

„Mhm…no, i just saw you at Starbucks and wanted to get to now you. I think you look quite hot.“ he said to me.

I wasn’t expecting that from a good looking guy like him who could have had any woman or man. I was beginning to get turned on by the thought that I could have this good looking twentysomething kid with his adorable boy feet to play with me and have sex with.

„Are you a devotee?“ I asked him bluntly. And he just nodded, seeing that his eyes were getting a bit wet.

„Hey kiddo, no need to get upset. I know that there are guys out there who find me hot because of my rather special appearance if you like. I have no problem with that.“ I said

His broad smile came back. „What’s your name?“ I asked him. „Michael, I study at the local college and live in a dorm on campus.“ „Smart and independent, I like that in my guys.“ I laughed. He blushed again. „You are not from here, right.“ I asked. „No, just moved here with the beginning of the semester. I was at another college before.“ he answered.

„Listen Michael, my name is Tommy and I am hard as a rock right now, would you like to come with me to my place and we see where this is going between us? Because as matter of fact I glanced at you and that big hairy feet of yours the whole time in that Starbucks cafe.“ I thought I would try the direct approach with him. He blushed again, that was so sweet that he blushed all the time I thought to myself, such a big guy and so shy at the same time. He looked at his feet and then at me. „I would love to come to your place.“ he said nearly so quietly that at first I thought he didn’t say anything at all. „Alright then, follow me. I live not very far from here. We can talk some more on the way.“. He nodded and grinned again.

While we were going back to my place I got to know him a little better. He was studying to become an engineer. He also told me, that he discovered that he was gay in highschool and that he was into amputees which confused him at first but with the help of the Internet he came to terms with him being an amputee devotee. „Have you ever met an amputee before in real life Michael?“ I asked him. „No I never had the courage, but I really wanted to ask you. You only were too quick and caught me off guard first.“ he said.

„Here we are.“ I said when we reached my accessible apartment complex. We went into the lobby and up to my apartment. When I was standing before my door, I thought to myself, why not involve Michael right here on the hallway. „Michael, would you be so kind and pull my sock off real quick, it’s easier for me to grab my keys with my bare toes, you know.“ a lie, but I wanted to test him how he reacted. I stretched my sock clad foot out in front of him, and without hesitation he pulled the sock from my foot. Out of the corner of my eyes I looked at him. He was standing there, holding the sock a little bit too close to his chest and to his nose. And he took two or three deep breaths, probably deeper than normal. I knew it, I thought to myself. An amputee and a foot fetish, that footplay of him under the table in the Starbucks cafe gave him away.

I grabbed my keys out of the utility pocket on my wheelchair and opened the door to my apartment. I put the keys back in the special pocket on my wheelie and drove the chair back to its special power station right beside the door inside my apartment. „You can come in Michael, don’t stand there in the hallway.“ „Thank you, where shall I put the sock?“ he asked holding the sock still in his hands. He was such a sweet and polite young man. „Oh just put it on the sideboard there. Thanks.“ I said. I watched him from my wheelchair. He was very considerate and took his flip flops off before he entered my apartment. „You can put your sandals beside the door there.“ I pointed to the corner with my foot. He closed the door, put his sandals in the corner and the sock on the sideboard. He was nervous.

I smiled to break the ice. „So, now it’s time to get out of this baby here.“ I looked at my wheelchair while saying that. „Sorry but, can I help you with that?“ he asked a bit shy. I thought for a moment. Normally I was absolutely independent. But here was a young devotee, offering his assistance. „Oh Michael, you are so cute. Of course you can help me getting out of my wheelchair.“ I told him, still smiling. He blushed again, his cheeks red as an apple. „Ok here is how you do it. I am putting my foot in front of the chair, then you will put your one Hand around on my back and the other one onto my stomach, just above my crotch. And then when I stand up you stabilize me and help me keep my balance. Then you will walk beside me while I hop to the living room.“ Michael was nodding and looked really concentrated while he fulfilled the task I gave him. It was so sweet to see how eager he was to help me, how committed he was. I nearly felt a bit bad about seducing this devotee guy.

I stood up and he softly put his big hands on me. I noticed that he was taller than me, but I liked that. A young guy to protect me, I thought. I faked a bit that I had problems holding my balance, so that he had to grab me a bit firmer. I looked up at him and smiled when I was standing on my right bare foot firmly. „Michael my right foot is a bit sweaty, so I will take smaller hops than usual because I fear I might slip on my floor tiles in the hallway, ok?“ „Ok, I will help you with that.“ he told me. „Just walk beside me, holding and supporting me with your arm around my back ok?“ Michael did as he was told by me and I started to take smaller hops than usual to go to the living room.

When we reached the living room I went directly to my couch. I made three little hops on the spot, Michael was still holding me and than I sat carefully down. He released me. I sat there with my sweatpants and hoodie and put my foot on the couch seat as well. „Put your backpack just beside the couch.“ I said to him. He was eerily quiet. „Michael, please look at me, whatever happens tonight is fine for me. We can just sit and talk, we can watch TV, we can cuddle together, you can see my stumps if you like or we can make out. It is totally to you and how we get along ok? If nothing happens, it’s great too, ok? Please don’t feel pressured by me or the situation we are in right now.“ Michael stood there frozen for a moment. Then he started to sob. Jesus that Kid wasn’t only shy but also total emotional. „Hey, hey. Come here on the couch, stop crying please and tell me what’s on your mind.“ Michael did as he was told he sat on the couch beside me, he folded one leg under his butt the othe was dangling over the edge of the couch sweatband standing on the floor. „It’s just…I am…I am so happy, this is what I always wanted. I always wanted to be with a guy like you and I never….I never dreamed that my wish would really become true.“ „Oh Michael, you are such a sweet big boy. Come here to me and give me a good hug.“

He was leaning over on the couch, I was outstretching my right foot and put it around him on his back. It was my special hug, but he didn’t mind at all. He squeezed me in a kind of bear hug, but I liked it. We hugged for a few minutes. Then he leaned back. He blushed. „Tommy, can I…would you mind showing me…your stumps? I was fantasizing in the Starbucks the whole time what they looked like and I am really curious.“ I smiled at him, my little perky devotee frat boy I thought to myself. „Michael of course, you can have a look at them, but you need to help me undress please.“ I said. He smiled at me and nodded eagerly. He started with my hoodie, he carefully grabbed the frontside of the hoodie and pulled the hoodie over my head. To have no arms at all has it benefits. My hoodie was off in no time, I didn’t wear a t shirt and he stared in awe at my naked chest and shoulders.

He looked at my to shoulders with wide See eyes, they were pretty heavily scarred from the accident. „Do they…do they hurt you?“ he asked. I laughed „They only hurt shortly after I awoke in the hospital after my accident. It got better and today they don’t hurt at all, although they look not good. You can give them a good touch if you want to.“ I told him. When he touched them I started to twitch them both a bit. He giggled. „It feels funny when you move them. As if they have a living of their own!“ he said. I closed my eyes. „Michael it feels good if you touch them, please massage them a bit more.“ I pleaded with him. And Michael did the like and gave my stumps a good rub down. I moaned slightly while he did that.

„Would you like to see my leg stump too?“ He blushed again and bit his lower lip. „Yes.“ he said slowly. „Then pull down my sweatpants.“ Michael stopped squeezing my scarred shoulders and pulled down my trousers. I was not wearing any boxer shorts and was naked underneath the sweatpants. My half hard dick was lying on my left hip stump when Michael started to hesitantly touch the scarred hip stump. „It is so beautiful!“ Michael exclaimed when he touched the spot where my leg used to be before the accident.

I started to shiver in pure excitement closed my eyes and bit my lips. „Michael it feels so good when you touch my limbless body! Please don’t stop.“ Michael continued to touch my stump with his right hand while also massaging my chest sensuously with his left. He started to play with my left nipple. „Ahhh, Michael.“ I screamed when he pushed and rolled my nipple between his thumb and his index finger. God this kid new how to trigger a guy. My shoulder stumps were twitching uncontrollably while he played with my nipple. It was so hot.

He switched with his right hand from my leg stump to touching my dick. It’s always such a weird feeling since the accident when I feel someone’s Hand on my dick. Because I can’t touch myself anymore in that way it’s always quite odd to have a real hand on my dick again. But I enjoy this everytime so so much. Michael started slowly to pump my dick with his right hand and sped up his movements on my dick continuously. Playing with my nipples at the same time with his left. „Oh god, Michael, keep going please!“ His hand was nearly flying up and down now pumping me so hard. „Mhmmm…Michael! Rub me harder!“ I started to reach out with my right foot, I wanted to touch him, to touch his face while he was jacking me off. When I touched his left cheek, he turned his head and kissed my foot softly. Then he sucked on the big toe.

I was surprised and turned on immensely by that. Despite my foot being sweaty and smelly he licked, kissed and sniffed it. That pushed me over the edge. Michael gave my dick two more strokes and I exploded. My dick pulsated and cum was gushing out. „Oh goooood! Michael I am cuuuuummmmmiiiiing right noooow! Mhmmmmm oooooooh!“ I screamed and moaned.

My shoulder and hip stumps were twitching like hell while I squirted my huge amount of cum all over me. It hit my chin, my chest and it flowed over Michaels hand. He took his hand full of my cum in his mouth and slurped it into his mouth. Then he kissed me and I tasted my own salty cum on his lips. That was so hot, the orgasm I had was the best in months and I was so satisfied. I panted but I wanted to give Michael an orgasm as well.

He was sporting a huge tent in his shorts already. I started to fiddle with my toes and foot to get his shorts off of him. It took me a while but I succeeded at the end, with a little help from Michael who was a bit impatient. I saw that he wanted to get off as well after seeing me cum so hard all over my amputated body. He took his Shirt off himself and he was sitting in front of me in all his naked glory sporting a huge boner. He was circumcised like me. He looked down coyly on his hard dick while I started to touch his piss slit that was oozing and glistening with precum with just my big toe. I wanted to tease Michael a bit. He inhaled sharply when my big toe made contact with his slightly purple glans.

I lifted my toe again and a clear thread of precum was building between my toe and his glans. I took my toe in my mouth and licked the precum off. „You taste nice Michael.“ I put my foot back on his penis again and with my toes spread, I started to jack him off slowly. It was so nice to feel his big member against my foot twitching from time to time. His breathing became stronger. „You look so hot when you give a Footjob with your amputated body, Tommy. Please keep going!“ he told me. I was rubbing his dick with my right foot faster and faster. Then I stopped and he looked surprised. „Why…?“ he wanted to start. „Shhhh…Michael, I want to feel you inside me now. I want you to fuck me. Fuck me real hard.“ I said in response.

I leaned back and I spread my leg so that I was lying with my back against the armrest of the couch looking him longingly in the eyes. Michael was coming towards him. „You can put your hands on my shoulders if you want.“ I told him. Michael looked at my butthole that was twitching in sweet anticipation of Michaels dick. He aimed at it by holding his dick and guiding it inside my anus. I felt it sting a bit but that went as Michael was slowly pushing his huge dick inside my man pussy.

God how I loved to be fucked! Michael pushed inside and out in a steady rhythm while holding me at my shoulder stumps with his big hands. I was starting to moan and also my dick got hard again. Michael was in a mental tunnel now pounding away at my ass like crazy. „Mhmmm…fuck me yeah! Fuck me harder! Pleaaase!“ I screamed. „God you are so tight, Tommy! It feels so fucking good! Ah, ahh, ahh!“ Michael said while fucking me good. My dick was hard again as a rock while Michael fucked me thoroughly. I was leaking precum again.

Then it happened. Michael shifted his position slightly to the left, because there was no leg left, he fucked me suddenly at an odd angle and I was seeing stars, so to speak of. He was hitting my prostate so hard, that I feared my insides would actually tear. „Oh my god, that’s the spot, that’s it. Keep going Michael!“ he hit my prostate with the tip of his dick. Every single time he pushed in me. I was in heaven, that was the reason why I bottomed. I was nearly there already but I wanted to experience the orgasm in another way than usual. I wanted to cum just from being fucked. Fucked by this able bodied hunk, while he was holding on to my triple amputee body, squeezing my shoulders.

It made me feel so helpless, that I was surrendering to this young virile man. „Oh god Tommy I want to cum inside you so bad! Please let me cum inside you!“ Michael screamed. „Ah, oh, oh I am also nearly there Michael, please, oh god!“ I responded.

Michael pushed in one last time and shivered while he shot his hot sticky cum up into my male pussy. „Oh my gosh! I am cuuuuummmmmiiiinnng!“ Michael shouted. That pushed me over the edge. „Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.“ I squirted for a second time between the both of us. My sphincter was closing around his dick, practically milking Michael while he was still pounding my ass.

Michael kissed me passionately and slowed down. We were both breathing heavily and panting. „It was so hot to have been able to make love to you. I love how I can grab and squeeze your stumps, you are the hottest person I ever met. That made me so hot seeing you lie there without any arms and a left leg. I love you Tommy!“ Michael said.

Now it was my turn to blush.

„I love you too Michael.“ I whispered to him.

[ailurocide]

Question- do companions get their wings clipped, or pinioned? Not to out myself as a bird nerd but while they're both very bad things to do to a bird, one is a LOT worse than the other.

Clipping a bird's wing means cutting back the primary flight feathers on one wing. Clipping only one wing prevents the bird from properly balancing in flight, meaning it'll swerve to one side and fall to the ground if it tries, so it won't be able to maintain flight. It's technically painless (though robbing a bird of its ability to fly is still Bad, they're designed almost entirely for wing-powered flight from the ground up. You should see what the avian respiratory system looks like), and is reversible.

After molting, the flight feathers will grow back, and the bird will be capable of flight unless its wings are re-clipped. However, clipping often starts before a bird can learn to fly, and even without that the wing muscles will atrophy over time due to disuse, meaning that a bird whose been getting wing-clipped every molt will still have a significant road to recovery after the clipping stops, and may need to be trained or re-trained on the basics of flight.

Pinioning is worse. Pinioning means amputating one wing just above the wrist joint (the second joint of the wing, further from the body. usually just past this, to leave the thumb/alula/"bastard wing" intact so its feathers cover the stump), usually while the bird is still so young that its bones haven't had time to harden, usually without painkillers of any sort. This has a similar effect to clipping, but A. it's fully permanent and B. it throws off the bird's balance even when on the ground, as that's a not-insignificant amount of weight removed from just one side (if both sides are clipped/pinioned, the lack of imbalance means the bird can re-learn how to fly even with shortened wings). Doesn't effect heavier birds like waterfowl too bad iirc, but those tend to keep both feet on solid ground (or just float on water).

A pinioned felfolk would likely have some trouble with delicate balancing, especially as instinct might tell them to use their wings to aid them in balancing- which only makes things worse, since one is, of course, pinioned. One with clipped wings might struggle a bit, but the weight difference would be a lot less drastic, and it's just a matter of waiting to molt & regrow those flight feathers (molts usually happen at least once a year for most species, sometimes more often but most will at least molt in late fall, so their feathers are in good condition to keep them warm during winter)

...Sorry for the unprompted nitpicky inbox essay, but both options have significantly different implications for dear Castel and I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut about bird stuff. Still, I hope this could be helpful to you in some way!

Okay first off: please don’t apologize!! Thank you sincerely for bringing this to my attention… I always love learning new things about animals, even if they’re heartbreaking like this.

Everybody say thank you to bird nerd anon!!

After reading through this a few times and really think about it, I’m gonna alter a few things now that I’m more informed:

(I’d also like to reiterate that what the Sunguard Guild does to their companions is barbaric and not the norm for Guilds and their companions. I do not support the practice of declawing, pinioning, or wing-clipping.)

The Sunguard Guild typically pinions their companions. They have this process done to prevent their companions from leaving the Guild, and typically the head of the primary companion family, or the overall oldest companion, is in charge of ensuring that the pinioning goes well and relatively smoothly.

So most of the current Sunguard companions have a pinioned wing.

[searsage]

Axolidis: Vandel Style! +fan Exotics!

Hooly hot cross buns this took forever! Finally shes done!

We ended up with two outfits before i become sick of the time investment lol. Subsequently i got to make two of the Eliksni Exotic prosthetics i wanted haha!

*note the exotic is only the upper gauntlet of the dominant arms prosthetic, the rest is simply her being picky and wanting it to match because shes not tacky like her shell less meatbag companion's who seem to lose their sense in style every begining of a new season. Lol

Her field outfit is called the Luna shadow set! Originally sported leaves in place ofnthe fur but she lives with guardians who swear by the fur so terra seized it and put fur on it lol.

She will causually wear exotics because why not.

Some info on the two fan Eliksni exotics here! :

[Bic]Sickle sell

[Flavortext]

"In failing they will prevail…"

Traits: Sweet Dystrophy: Buffs fireteam's defense by 5% for every armour charge active, at the penalty of -5% resilience debuff to the wearer for each active tier.

*Rapid elemental final blows matching weapon type create a over shield matching class element.

[Bic]Frostman's wail

[Flavor text]

"There is no placating the fury of the bitter cold.."

Traits:

*Negative Zero: Fireteam's stasis ability final blows have increased chance drop high tier elemental wells, with a lower chance to trigger freezer burn.

*Freezer Burn: inwhich all granade energy rapidly replenishes for a set time so long as the wearer takes no damage.

Moving on!

I love her casual garb i studied the people in the tower and the Eliksni in the helm and tried to merge the two styles ! Which was super fun! And of course the best shader ! Envious touch uwu!

Dont worry of you don't see her house Sigil, she never goes without it infact Libra-8 has tattooed it on her back carapace!

I also held back on fur becuase i wanted to see if i had it in me…cries.

Anyways hope ye like 8D

[IMG=Y8J]

Relevant info for this character : 

Rescued from captivity on Nessus where she and her ketch were forced to undergo gruesome experimentations and simulations at the hands of the Vex, she a few the survivors of her ketch where eventually rescued by a fireteam or patroling guardians, unfortunately do to their long term captivity these traumatized eliksni had little knowledge of the alliance between the last city and the house of light.

This is resulted in their attempted rescue becoming alot more brutal then intended, luckily there were no casualties and the survivors were eventually transported to the last city…kicking and screeching.

While rehabilitation took some time, Axi is now stationed with her own fireteam of odd light zombies.

whilst her dominant left arm does not regrow (it was damaged too serverly, her recessive arm grows unstablly, permanently defective, and often needs to be docked bt her fireteam to prevent ingrowing, and other issues, its why she can be drawn with a stump or prosthetics. 

all in which she changes compulsively.

working on a causual outfit, face masks are a thing but not in the last city as Elksni have integrated in to the point where internal either apparatuses can be utilized for lighter more comfortable either absorption.

Thats not saying their still isn't bad blood between the two races, there definitly is and sadly Terra has knocked sevral guardians heads off who were a little too mouthy about having a eliksni on their fireteam.

Issues do arise when she is reluctant/scared to dock the malignant limb, it often ingrows/ becomes infected, and must be removed dispite her reluctance.

Situtations like this fall on Libra-8 the firearm's lead Titan to handle, and by that i mean if libra says you need to loose an arm your not leaving the room with the same amount of limbs. He will make sure of that.

Axo has learned this the hard way.

(For context: Terra is the fireteam warlock awoken, and Libra-8 is the titan fireteam leader)

Please do not use/trace/reference of/repost my art without my permission. Do not use this art unless you buy it, this is not Free to use, for rpg, oc, refs, ect DO NOT USE MY ADOPTS UNLESS YOU PURCHASE THEM!!

[very-grownup]

Recently, I had cause to contemplate a serious question. It is the sort of question to haunt you at night, one that stumps the greatest minds of our generations; possibly all generations to come.

Which Vinland Saga character is most capable of raising a true alpha warrior elementary school age child?

NULL ARNEIHD

There is nothing that says a woman can't raise an alpha child, except for centuries of effective, logical, and morally superior patriarchal societies, none of which have suffered any demise, leading to our shining mantopia of the present day. But Arnheid is not the mythical woman who can do almost as good a job as the worst man. At best, Arnheid will teach your child how to take a punch.

25) BUG-EYES

We don't know much about Bug-Eyes, except that he let himself be taken as a slave and sold to an old man who refused to call Bug-Eyes by his real name. You don't want your child learning to accept anything but being the dominant party in a capitalist relationship or in the heated realm of name supremacy. When Hunter starts kindergarten, he should know better than to quietly accept demotion to Hunter J.

24) OLMAR

Olmar is the opposite of a capable guiding light for your soft pre-pubescent offspring. He has trouble lifting a sword. He is bad at riding a horse (the monster truck of the pre-industrial age). He grows inferior facial hair. He only kills people by accident. The only reason Olmar ranks higher than Bug-Eyes is he can teach your child the importance of being born into privilege and that as long as they have money, they're guaranteed to be superior to someone.

23) THE EAR

A nickname is acceptable if it relates to a cool physical trait or skill that makes you an essential part of a badass warrior squadron.

But there's nothing cool about ears. That's a nerd's body part.

22) RAGNAR

Ragnar looks like he should be an excellent teacher of alphaness. He can grow facial hair. He's survived the Viking age long enough to grow facial hair and lose head hair (baldness is famously alpha as you shed nature's cossetting helmet). His head is shaped like a bullet (a shape that's as alpha as eagles and penises). But Vinland Saga is pre-bullet. The shape of his head is meaningless.

Also, we know what happens when Ragnar raises a child. You should want better for your little bundle of bones and testosterone.

21) THORS

Thors has so much potential to rank higher. Physically he's the pinnacle of what your child should want to achieve -- tall, bearded, able to withstand being filled with so many arrows -- but philosophically he will only fail your child, at best. If you let Thors take charge of your impressionable youngster, some serious trauma and starvation-based amnesia will be necessary to override unhelpful lessons of pacifism, equality, mercy, and how farming is more rewarding than bashing skulls together until the brains of your enemy coat your hands.

And there's always the risk those beta cuck lessons will re-emerge later in life.

20) WILLIBALD

Willibald is a good intro role model. He's opportunistic, ready to exploit others for his own benefit, and a problem drinker: all great skills for your child to develop on their road to being a true alpha warrior.

Once your child starts learning to read, if they're being taught by Big Government's Woke Academy, they need to be removed from Willibald's influence because he will give them a bible.

19) LEIF

Now, Leif may not look like a great teacher of alphaness, but consider: he's ancient, having survived many sketchy boat travels, he's a successful merchant in a time when you had to put in the work, and he's pretty successful at bartering in exchanges that treat human beings as property. If your child is a physical failure in some way, like maybe they have a vagina or glasses, they should probably learn some lessons from Leif and, since they're soft, don't tell them that's the best they can hope for.

18) PATER

Pater was a slave and through hard work he was able to get all the way up to servant who is in charge of slaves. Pater may not be able to teach your child how to be an alpha, but he does serve as an excellent example of how anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. You don't want your child to disregard that sort of thing completely; what if they need to take advantage of a grading curve one day?

17) EINAR

Einar is a slow learner. He lets family members be killed and his village be pillaged twice! He doesn't start unlocking the potential of hidden berserker rage until he's a slave. He's a powerful man and isn't going to ruin the example of his physical strength with unnecessary literacy or brains, but he never lets himself go full berserker and rip out a man's throat with his teeth. He also lets another man have the woman he likes; he doesn't even make him fight to possess her!

Einar is, at best, the substitute teacher who'll inadvertently show your child a movie The (NOT) Man thinks they're too young and soft to see.

16) FOX AND BADGER

No one wants to hear their child is less an alpha and more a second or third banana to a much cooler child. Fox and Badger can provide helpful guidance in that area and demonstrate that it's important, if you have to be part of a duo, to make up for the other's flaws. For instance, if you can't grow a decent moustache, find a man with a beard, but make sure he's shorter than you and has one of the inferior hair colours. In terms your child may understand: if they're friends with a kid who has a PS5 and they only have a PS4, they need to find a kid with a bad haircut and Nintendo Switch.

15) FLOKI

Sure, he's big and strong and a winner, but you know what Floki ultimately is? A fucking weasel bitch who thinks he's better than he is and prefers taking on people just slightly weaker than he is and engaging in backstabbing and traps.

These are all fine qualities for an aspiring alpha child, but not when your head is going to be used to teach basic geometry. If you child tries to emulate Floki, they're going to find themselves dunked on by a math teacher in high school.

Math teachers are the cucks of the teaching world.

14) KETIL

Like Pater, Ketil is a great mentor-figure if your child is an unpromising lump of human that fills you with shame and concerns about what that bitch Linda was doing while she was pregnant. Ketil is a true self-made man, in that he finds the identity of a much cooler dude and makes it his own. Wealth, security, reputation, facial hair, 50/50 on fucking out failure sons, and choice of enslaved women to fuck. Remember: it doesn't count as weakness if she sees you cry, because she's not a person.

13) THE PHANTOM HEAD OF SWEYN, KING OF DENMARK

In a way, the Phantom Head of Sweyn, King of Denmark, is an excellent guide to the world of alphadom. He's fucked enough to be riddled by so much syphilis, he's a land conquering war king, he's willing to pit his children against each other to determine which is more worthy of being his heir, and instead of showing traditional love, his children must content themselves with the real gift an alpha father can impart: not being murdered, yet. He's tenacious in his desire to continue imparting his wisdom to his younger son, as shown by being a Phantom Head haunting him for years after he's died.

He is just a hallucination of a dead man's severed head, though, and at the end of the day, if you've been raising your child with anything like real grit, they will use the Phantom Head of Sweyn, King of Denmark, as a soccer ball.

And then your child is playing soccer. Ugh.

12) SVERKEL

Sverkel is Ketil's ancient father who persists in living alone on his own patch of land, supporting himself with his own two hands and the hands of slaves, whose hands are his hands. He thinks his son is an idiot and his grandsons are idiots. He only shows begrudging affection to traditionally attractive young women and men who he views as superior to his own family members. He's basically the perfect man to entrust your young child to if you want them to grow up to be a strong, self-sufficient, emotionally closed off survivor.

Unfortunately, in our modern society, the skill of 'just not fucking dying' is only impressive when you're a billionaire or a war criminal, so your 21st century offspring will be as engaged in learning from Sverkel as they are in hearing about grandpa's time in [select age-appropriate American forever war].

11) ATLI AND TORGRIM

Like Fox and Badger, but better. Say, five better. Like Fox and Badger, Atli and Torgrim will teach your child the importance of brotherhood, teamwork, and combining power into a more deadly force. But fivebetter, because instead of a fat-one skinny-one team-up, Atli and Torgrim are true Vikings and ask "What if we were both just jacked blonde dudes with beards?"

On the route to becoming a lone wolf warrior alpha on the playground, make sure your child knows their best ally is someone exactly like them.

10) THORFINN

Entering the top ten, we finally reach series protagonist, Thorfinn. Thorfinn is in an unfortunate position. At one point in his life, he would have been, if not a great teacher, at least a great camp counselor for your child on their journey to sucking the marrow from the bones of those who fall in dodgeball. Once, Thorfinn let nothing stop him in his pursuit of climbing trees, walls, and adult men to end limb and maybe life with his knives and teeth.

Sadly, Thorfinn's life takes a dark turn, and he has cause to remember the lessons of his pacifist father. From atop a mountain of corpses, Thorfinn becomes consumed by guilt and sorrow. As an adult, Thorfinn would rather get punched in the face one hundred times than bite a single finger off a giant.

Unless you want to convince your child that Thorfinn died at sixteen in a cool Viking accident, the best lesson your child can learn with a teacher like Thorfinn is when you pick them up after their first day and whisper, loudly, while pointing in an exaggerated manner: "Don't be like THAT loser, Hunter."

9) CANUTE

Canute ranks higher than Thorfinn because his character arc is constructed in thematic contrast, to wit Canute goes from a soft, scared little baby boy with flowing blonde hair to a scarred king willing to torch entire villages for communication purposes, deny knowledge of old allies, subjugate anyone with assets he needs to strengthen his position, and poison brothers.

It's inspirational, aside from all the Jesus Canute puts in everything.

And a top tier alpha would punch his brother in the throat until he died and not use a sissy long game weapon like poison.

8) GARDAR

Now Gardar, Gardar is a real man. He's big, he has facial hair, we know he's fucked at least once, and he will go on a murder spree to get back what is his, even pushing past the point of death. The only thing you have to watch out for if your child is being taught by Gardar is that they understand murder sprees are best BEFORE enslavement, not after, and that they should never love anyone but themselves so much that it drives them to madness. Too much love for others can make you vulnerable even in your most murdery madness.

7) SWEYN, KING OF DENMARK

All the positive qualities of Sweyn's Decapitated Phantom Head, but with the benefits of a body and limbs. Even the most powerful child will not be able to use him as substitute sports equipment unless they first learn how to break kneecaps.

6) THORGIL

Thorgil is essentially a Viking marine played by peak Hulk Hogan. His muscles have muscles. His beard is blonde and luscious. He's killed many people, will kill more, and is incredibly hype about that killing. He has weird relationships with his family. I have confirmed there is at least one person out there with a workout inspired by Thorgil with the goal of becoming as jacked as Thorgil. He can swim and strategize and will never surrender. He rejects the weak control of fancy hereditary monarchy and embraces rule based on who can crush the most skulls simply by flexing their biceps (it's Thorgil). He's even good at using lesser people for murder-by-proxy.

Perhaps Thorgil's greatest flaw is that he won't be able to teach your child how to maximize their human pawn options.

And numbers. He definitely has a problem with numbers.

5) WULF

Wulf has a name that calls to all children who aspire to standing on a pile of unconscious classmates during recess. He's essentially a Viking gym teacher and Viking gym class has decapitation instead of skipping rope. He doesn't do embarrassing things like showing emotions and he's capable of understanding numbers in the only context where numbers matter (how much you need for successful slaughter of your opposition). He even looks cool. You'd play a guns and grit videogame with a player character who looks like Wulf.

He's kept from being top of the pile because he's a loyal retainer to a weaker man. That's okay, though. Your alpha child should aspire to becoming greater than even the coolest of gym teachers.

4) BJORN

You know what's better than your one cool gym teacher?

That guy, but he does drugs. Not bad drugs that make you introspective, cool drugs that make you even better at murdering. Your alpha child will need to learn one day about the benefits of performance enhancing drugs.

3) SNAKE

If there's one thing we know about alphas, is that they love selective interpretations of characters named Snake and this is another great Snake to add to the list. He's the leader of a band of mercenaries, which means he's a murder entrepreneur. He is stronger and smarter than everyone in his employ, which means he can never be truly challenged. He has a mysterious background, which adds to his cool mystique and is probably something he can impart to your child for playground reputation enhancement. He is literate but uses it to entrench himself in a position of power over others, showing that there are benefits to being able to read. If you spin it correctly, you can even use Snake's generally positive relationship with Sverkel as a way to teach your child the importance of respecting and attending to you, and only you, when you are old and infirm (you will never die or suffer any kind of negative repercussions for the way you live your life).

2) THORKELL

Thorkell is so cool and nearly the perfect teacher for your alpha child. He is easily the strongest man in the history of Vikings. He can use entire trees as battering rams. He is not slowed down or put out when he loses organs or limbs; in fact, he recognizes that injuries are badass and make you more powerful. He is a man who will impart in your child the need to constantly fight and destroy basically anyone who is willing to consider putting up a fight and to always pursue greater challenges. Probably your child's boring, non-Viking teachers have even used the word 'challenge' in some context when you've met with them and whatever they were talking about, you can bet Thorkell will help guide your aspiring muscle golem to destroying that thing. There are only two reasons Thorkell doesn't occupy the top spot on this list. One is that there's no indication he possesses dietary or exercise secrets that will help your child grow to be 8 feet tall.

1) ASKELADD

The other reason is that there's one man in Vinland Saga who has a track record of actually raising an alpha child, even if that child lost his way. Askeladd is all about tough love and killing sources of soft love. He's cunning, ruthless, and can get someone who wants to kill him to work for him for a decade. He knows how to gather important resources to be self-sufficient -- once you pillage, torch, and slaughter an entire village, their resources are your resources, after all. He's well-travelled, ambitious, and will carry a grudge forever, never hesitating to sacrifice weaklings in pursuit of his goals. His hands-off approach raised a malnourished child who hated him into the kind of boy who could run up enemies thrice his size and bite their fingers off. Imagine what Askeladd could achieve with a child eager to learn? /Your/ child won't fall into a pit of numb despair and skeletons that leads them onto the path of peace like some kind of loser.

[merge-conflict]

thread-safe: cicada killer

Finally finished my narration of the second chapter of thread-safe, included below. It's about 10 minutes long- it did not feel that way when I was making it. There are some quiet weird background audio bits like a popping and an annoying high pitched hum and I don't know how to remove those, sorry. Did my best, even recording in my closet but my apartment is full of signals.

Synopsis: Goro has brought V back to Arasaka after she ran away, to meet her engram which has been turned into an AI and charged with being Big Brother at Arasaka tower in NC.

Transcript is below the cut. You can also read the second chapter on AO3 here.

cicada killer transcript:

There are so many things I need to talk to you about, but I’d be a fool to think I’m not under observation. I guess you know that. Is that why you never said anything to me before? Is that why you never said anything to anyone?

It’s how I would do it. I get it. I wouldn’t have left if I’d known. You know that, right? I would never have left. I guess I answered my own question, didn’t I? If you wanted me to stay all you had to do was say something– and you could have. They can’t watch you all the time. That’s what you’re for, after all.

But did you know? Did you suspect?

I need you to know. I want to think you do, but you think you know a man and you don’t know him at all. I should have known, but I didn’t want to. If you hate me for that, I understand. God only knows, I’ll understand. Did you think I wouldn’t?

My first visitor– is that you? But of course not. As if I could be so lucky.

This man is dead to me. But you and I and everyone else know that the dead can be relentless. These days the dead don’t just have unfinished business, they have unfinished careers. Ah– he doesn’t know what’s so funny.

I’d tell him myself, but I can’t. They can rip out every ounce of chrome with a logic chip on it, and leave me with no left hand and some beat up vocal cords and call that the bleeding edge of medicine. I should write them some promotional material. At least they replaced my eyes. I was blind, but now–

“V–“ says the dead man, always so formal. I actually warrant a bow. Is that his guilty conscience? “It is time we talked.”

I’m not interested in a conversation with him, but you know how he is when he’s angry. Impossible to shake off. Even harder with one hand and a body that feels like it’s been patched together with glue and rubber bands. In the case that you aren’t watching, I want you to picture this ending with a little more dignity, and without me sitting down on this cot out of breath and tagged with some button speaker like a juvenile delinquent.

“Takemura.” So you are watching. So you’re here. “What is it you would like to discuss?”

That stumps him. I think he’s a little surprised by it, but shouldn’t he know better? Maybe I’m a little surprised, too. It was what he said to me, before he packed me up like cargo: I can’t help you both. Well to be honest, my dear, it doesn’t sound like he’s helped you much either.

“You are angry with me.” Soft words. Should we feel sorry for his wounded heart? “But I do not understand why you will not speak to me. Why you would tell Hanako-sama that you did not want me to know you even existed.”

“Weren’t you happier not knowing?” you ask. How can you ask that?

“It does not matter if I am happy,” he says.

“No,” you agree. “Is that all?”

It’s not all– I can see it in his hands. He’s upset, and angry, and he wants to scream at me almost as much as he wants to speak to you. I think he’d be annoyed to learn that’s what it’s like with Johnny, too. I don’t think he understands any of this, but he’s trying, I’ll give him that.

“I cannot ask your forgiveness,” he says finally. Always so diligent about laying himself down onto the chopping block, meek and willing as a lamb to accept another black mark on his soul. Even now, when he’s seen what the afterlife is like for useful tools. “I do not deserve it. If you do not wish to see me, I will not bother you again. But if you–“ Hesitation, there. What is the polite way to address a disembodied soul? “If you need my assistance, I will be here.”

“Since Hanako-sama refused to send you away, I know that’s true,” you say. Oh, I don’t think he enjoyed hearing that. “As for the rest– let me have a look at you.”

You want a look at him? Very well. Only for you. Let me get to my feet.

The dead man is not small, of course– I think he is very close to average in size, as these things go, and perfectly capable of killing me in a dozen different ways even if he’s a head shorter. But I’d nearly forgotten how sleek he is, how light on his feet he is despite the weight of all that chrome. He’s been hovering so close I think he forgot I was even here, but he’s remembering now. Last time we stood like this he had his fingers inside me, and now that we’re looking at each other face to face I can tell you he’s thinking that too.

More than a dozen different ways to kill me, and yet our dead man doesn’t resist having his hair grabbed, or the indignity of having his head wrenched back– you did want a good look, didn’t you? He’ll suffer it all, this one. What else is there to see? Two eyes, a nose, his frowning mouth. They’ve already done some reconstructive work. I doubt they’ll let him keep the scars under those bandages. One is distinguished. A few more starts to look like negligence. Vulnerability.

He was so furious when I saw him last. He had the right to be, I know that. But I will never forgive him for not telling me the moment I walked through that door. Do you understand?

“Ask me anything,” he says now. “And if it is in my power I will give it to you.”

Too late for that. Did he tell you how it went? Did any of them tell you how it went? Ah, I see he knows what I’m thinking, but do you?

“That’s very generous,” you say. You don’t know. You can’t see.

Here, I’ll show you. Watch him closely. See that in his eyes when I touch his jaw? Guilt. Desire. When I kiss him, he proves he is not made of stone. Stone doesn’t feel self-loathing. Can a dead man feel hunger? I don’t feel anything.

“Takemura,” you say. Polite. Furious. “What happened?”

He has an answer for you but doesn’t know how to give it. I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten that we’re being watched, either. What happened, my dear, is that he was angry with me. We were angry with each other. But he waited until after we’d fucked to tell me about you.

“We had… an argument,” he says. He’s looking at me again, and not you. “I did not control my temper.”

“But you did your duty,” you say. “And now you come here and tell me you will do anything within your power. Do you remember telling me that you had nothing to offer?”

He says, “Yes.”

My dear. I don’t mean to brag about being in possession of our first form, but the heart they gave me is still tender, and there is only so long I can tower over someone, even for you. This is not defeat. Do you understand? I’m only tired.

“You expect me to be grateful,” you tell him. “For hunting down a piece of me and bringing it back in your mouth. So much for your gentle touch.”

You almost understand, but as much as I’d like to see him kicked it should be for the right reasons. Here now, his limp, obliging hand to my throat, do you see? For that only, I asked and he gave.

“What good are you to me?” you say, unheeding. Stubborn. “What good are you to me if you hurt the only part of me you can reach?”

“Do you wish me to leave?” he asks. He’s not hurting me now. He doesn’t want to touch me now.

“I don’t know the answer to that question,” you say.

Is this a kindness? It feels like a knife. I want to hurt him but if you ask me I’d probably do it all again; I don’t know any other way. And if I told him to go? What would be left? You could march the corpse of Arthur Fitzgerald Jenkins through that door and I’d take him to keep my claws sharp. Anything but another white, empty room.

It’s a cruelty to bind him again, especially to me. Especially to us, but especially to me, who can touch him like this– balling his shirt in my fist like a child about to cry. You and I know what it’s like to be pulled in different directions. And it’s weakness. I don’t know how you did this alone. I don’t know.

I don’t know.

“I understand,” he says.

You say, “That may not be within your power.”

I don’t know how he responds to that. I’m tired of looking at him. I wish I could talk to you properly, and I wish I could talk to you alone, and I don’t know if that will ever happen. I don’t know if you feel what I feel but I hope you don’t.

Still. Still, I like weight of his hand on the back of my neck. His lips pressed against my hair– it’s daring. Maybe the quickest way to get him sent away is to ask him to stay.

“I wanted you to be happy,” you say. “I wanted you both to be happy.”

[spacemonkeysalsa]

God of Ambivalence

A tiefling Artificer trying to carve a new path for himself splits a large stone on a beach to discover something truly shocking: a wizard missing a hand and in need of a lot of help, and magical items. Lucky for the wizard, Elion happens to be a fount of magical items.

Pairing - OC/Gale & Shadowheart/Lae'zel but there will be more as it goes on.

Read Chapter One on Ao3

Read Chapter Three on Ao3

or read Chapter Three, below

The second time in her life that Shadowheart saw Master Faydor’s big tiefling apprentice was when he came bursting into her study carrying a mostly dead wizard in his arms. She couldn’t remember the tiefling’s name, but that hardly seemed important given the circumstances. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” the tiefling confessed. “Besides that he seems to have suffered a traumatic amputation of the right hand, and he was much worse a few minutes ago; absorbing magic seems to have tempered his condition, somewhat.”

Not to judge, but she wouldn’t have expected so thorough an explanation from the master stonemason, let alone his new apprentice. “Absorbing magic?” she repeated, rising from her study and motioning instead to the dining table near the back of her study. It wasn’t ideal for surgery, but nothing about the ruined sanctum was ideal, and it wouldn’t be for some time, at this rate. She cleared off what she could so that the tiefling could put his charge down. 

“He’s a wizard, he was trapped inside a stone. There might be someone after him, we ran into a cambion assassin on the way?” Either the tiefling was growing more confused as he spoke, or—

Shadowheart finally got a good look at her unexpected patient and froze. He’d looked worse than this a few minutes ago? That seemed like it would have been a challenge. Even a cursory examination of him told her there was little that wasn’t wrong with him. His skin was graying—that could be a lot of things—something necrotic still lingered in the air around him, but there was also a kind of acrid burning scent, something that seemed to warn her to stay back.

The stumped right hand was crudely treated. It almost looked as though he’d simply used a fire cantrip against his own ragged flesh. Her blood chilled as something else the tiefling had said rang in her mind. “Did you say he was inside a stone?”

“I split a large stone and—”

“Where?!” but she knew. Gods. To think.

“Near the old crash ruins?”

What exactly had she thought happened to the owner of the hand asking for help on the beach? She’d only known Prisia an hour. She didn’t know what her new friend was capable of. They needed each other, and Shadowheart was desperate. Her tolerance for cruelty was a lot higher back than. It had to be.

The amputation wound and its haphazard cauterization looked fresh. It had been a hundred years since the incident. The man might be a wizard but he was human. And alive. Likely, only a little changed since the day she’d stood in shock as Prisia maimed him, in a blissful, violent trance.

He must have managed some kind of status. She wasn’t sure how such a thing was possible. But, she thought she could guess the implications.

Graying skin.

“Good gods, he’s undergoing ceremorphosis. Rapidly.”

“What?!” The tiefling balked, “How can you possibly—what?! Like when a mind flayer—”

Again, the tiefling impressed her. He knew about ceremorphosis. An odd novice tradesman indeed.

“Lucky for him, many decades back now, I made it a point to learn how to remove an embedded tadpole. We can deal with whatever else is wrong with him, once I have that worm out of his skull.” She was surprised by how calm she felt. She’d only gotten the opportunity to remove tadpoles a few times in her life, usually, from the heads of infected githyanki who her wife had intercepted on their unwitting way to a ghustil. But, it was easy, once you had the chance to practice. 

She hadn’t even blinded anyone before.

“This will be easy with tools, could you—” Somehow, he’d already found them. She’d have to ask about that later. Out of all the possessions in her study, he’d zeroed in on the black leather satchel where she kept some of her more delicate instruments, as well as tonics that could help with bleeding and pain. “Thank you." She’d let it go for now, but felt him give her a double-take out of the corner of her eye, she must have given something away in a look.

The instruments she used were of her own design. In her early career, she was much more suited to inflicting pain than to execute surgical measures. Many of these silver trinkets were variations on favorites that she’d used as a torturer. She’d occasionally wondered if that part of her past somehow aided in having a steady hand now, when it came time to cut into the body for a beneficial purpose. She’d never exactly liked causing harm to others, but she’d gotten to the point where it didn’t affect her, and then she’d come out the other side again, but that physical resilience remained. 

“How can I help?” the tiefling asked, looking helplessly down at the man. 

“I’m giving him a sleeping potion, but hold him still, in case he wakes.”

The big tiefling followed instruction. Maybe Xan could ask his name when he arrived later tonight and just sort of tell her when no one was looking.

She couldn’t get him to swallow, but hopefully enough of the potion went down his throat to affect him. She could feel something dark and pulsing against her arm as she steadied herself on his chest. He felt so weak. She was worried if she forgot herself and up too much pressure downwards, she’d crack his ribs. He was emaciated—not like from long term starvation, but his body was definitely hungry and thirsty, maybe that would work in their favor as he drank more of the potion spilled in his mouth. 

“Don’t be alarmed, this part is horrible.” She warned the tiefling lightly as she coated her instrument and began to gently remove the man’s eye from his skull. It only gushed a little blood, which was quite impressive.

“Oh, Gond!”

She’d tried to warn him.

“It’s an enlargement transfiguration, something I derived from elixir of the colossus." She explained, as the eye and more importantly, its optical cords, grew and lengthened to double their size. “It’s to make it less likely that I nick anything important back there. Oh, well. This little one is going to make it quite easy,” she found the worm curled, not too deep, and barely moving. Like its host, the creature appeared to be in bad shape. Its tendrils were dipping into the pink brain matter, but its grip was weak. It let go with only the merest prodding of her needles. After that, she only had to pluck it from his head and place it in its own little jar. She’d gotten the tadpole alive this time, that was always especially satisfying.

Carefully, she shrank the extended and swollen eye back to its usual size, simultaneous with sliding it back into place. It was not going to feel good, but she could already see a bit of color returning to him, now that the tadpole’s interference was gone.

“Just like that?!” The tiefling was still holding onto the man’s shoulders.

“Don’t get any ideas, it’s usually not quite so simple, or so smooth.” She sighed and held up the bottle to look at the little tadpole, still sleepily curled around itself. The creature didn't even seem aware that it wasn’t tucked into someone’s brain any longer. Hopefully, the time it had spent inside the man’s skull hadn’t done too much permanent damage to him. The patients she’d followed up on in the past, usually mentioned lingering symptoms of memory loss and headaches, but she hadn’t known any of them to suffer anything too tragic as a result of the brain damage caused by the worm’s occupancy. “This one’s a century old. And it used to be wrapped in Netherese magic, held in status. That magic was broken a long time ago. It should have been killed, long ago. But, whatever status your wizard was in must have superseded its transformation as well as protected it from total destruction. It’s been trapped, just like him, until you split that stone and interrupted that status.”

“How do you know all that?” The tiefling's finger slipped under the fabric of the man's robes and he rubbed his man’s shoulders where he slept. It seemed an unconscious gesture.

“He was on that ship, the one that crashed. He must’ve been.” Something about that conclusion made a horrible kind of sense to her and left her feeling guiltier than she had in many decades. “I was there.” Shadowheart tried not to sound too miserable when she said it. “I could’ve…” What could she have done? Thrown herself between a Bhaalspawn’s ripping fangs and the man’s arm?

Of course, she hadn’t known that Prisia was Bhaalspawn at the time. She just thought she’d made a quite brain damaged friend, troubled from all they’d been through in the crash, and more besides, but that wasn’t her business. At the time. “That was my first brush with ceremorphosis. Being captured aboard that ship. After surviving the crash—”

“You were on that ship?” The tiefling gestured at the stark walls of the ruined sanctum, in roughly what he must have guessed was the direction of the beach. His sense of direction was quite bad. He was clearly gifted in other ways, so she tried not to hold it against him. “The one that’s in pieces and has been for a hundred years?”

“Yes, I was infected on board, with many others. It’s not the kind of thing you live through without gaining an interest in how to deal with it ever happening again.” Shadowheart tapped her tools where she’d left them on the dining table next to the man. “I’m afraid I was also present when this man lost his hand. Right after the crash.”

“A hundred years ago?” The tiefling shook his head, an unconscious gesture that indicated he thought she was full of shit. But, still, he listened, eyes falling back down onto the man.

The wizard appeared better already, though still in desperate need of her attention. His pallor was improved, but he was still filthy with whatever castoff sludge he’d presumably been cocooned inside of, preventing ceremorphosis, preventing time itself from touching him, it seemed. The magical nature of the stuff was apparent from all its features and its heavy scent. She needed to clean him up, but she also needed samples.

A ruckus from outside the door of her study interrupted the various hikes her thoughts were taking. She had a split second to guess it was Xan, finally having arrived, when the door opened and she saw she was quite wrong. It wasn’t Xan, but instead, it was her wife, Lae’zel.

Lae’zel, fresh from battle, it seemed, as she had a ghaik head dangling from her off-hand. She gripped it by the tentacles, so its upside-down face stared with wide empty orange eyes into the room beyond. Silver blood dripped down her calf and onto the floor. She wore her armor again. It had been some time since Shadowheart had seen her in it and in spite of many years of growing utterly familiar and used to one another, her heart stirred. “My love,” she sighed when their eyes met.

Shadowheart heard a thump but didn’t see the ghaik head hit the floor, she was already halfway across the room, but when she reached Lae’zel her hands were open and ready to hold her.

For the ten thousandth time, they met under conditions that precluded their desires to greet each other properly. “Is that from our plane?”

“No, we’re safe,” Lae’zel assured her, then her burning amber eyes slide to the other figures in the room. “Is your patient going to die if you spend ten seconds in my arms?”

“I don't imagine he will,” Shadowheart embraced her wife. She smelled like weave grass, but tasted like herself, a hint of the astral plane, soft as waxlight and warm as dusk.

“I thought Xan would get there before me.”

“So did I, he’s running late,” Shadowheart gestured to the unconscious wizard on the table. “Unfortunately, we may both owe this one an apology. If he lives?”

“I do not know this istik." Lae’zel seemed doubtful, but looked to Shadowheart for further explanation. “An apology is not so easily won from me. Why should I?” 

“Prisia,” Shadowheart sighed.

“Prisia?” Lae’zel looked surprised, but there was something more in her eyes, a touch of genuine concern, and… nostalgia.

“You remember the story of what Prisia did to that wizard who was stuck in the stone? What she did to his arm?” Shadowheart again gestured to the man on the table again.

“Gnawed his hand off at the wrist, like a wild beast possessed. Didn’t even eat it then, did she? Astarion told me about it,” Lae’zel’s eyes fell on the man’s severed limb, but didn’t react right away.

“I told you about it!” Shadowheart reminded her.

“Astarion tells it better—this can’t be the same istik.”

“I think he is. I was there, and you were not. I tried to forget it, but I can still vividly recall every detail of the encounter,. Shadowheart gestured to the table. “It’s him, and it looks as though… for him, it was perhaps a day ago, at most. I have no explanation for that.”

“Interesting.” To someone unfamiliar with her manner, Lae’zel might appear as though she was having a very subdued reaction to this news, but Shadowheart recognized the dance of true interest in her sparking eyes as she looked the man over. “How does his dutiful lover fit in?”

It took both of them a moment to realize that Lae’zel was referring to the tiefling.

“Oh, no,” he said, uncomfortable, his hands sliding off the man’s shoulders as he stepped away. “I found him, but I don’t even know him. Just—couldn’t let him die. I’m Elion, well met.” He added his introduction, and to Shadowheart’s surprise, he offered a bow. Did he know something of githyanki culture? Just full of surprises, the young stonemason was.

“Well met.” Lae’zel inclined her head in response, then turned back to her wife. “I hardly think we bare responsibility for the unhinged actions of a long dead friend—and to be frank, I came to trust Prisia’s judgment. Perhaps she chewed his hand off for a reason.”

“She explicitly did not," said Shadowheart.

“Chk.”

“Your friend attacked this man? That’s why he’s in this state?” Elion was looking more confused with this new information, but Shadowheart supposed that was the more reasonable response possible.

“He had this behind his eye." Shadowheart showed the tadpole to Lae’zel, where it was sleepily becoming more aware every second.

Lae’zel’s lips curled at the sight. “Shall I give it to the cats to hunt?”

“I’d like to examine it,” Elion interrupted, walking around the table.

Lae’zel took a step back, appreciating how enormous the tiefling was with a sweep of her eyes.

“You would?” Shadowheart tried to put the emphasis on ‘would’ rather than ‘you’ but somewhat lost control of her surprise in the moment. “What are you hoping to find?”

“Illithid tadpoles are a rare find, and they have unique properties on many levels. If there’s any arcane knowledge that I could personally glean… It might be helpful.” He finished, somewhat sheepish at the request.

“Helpful in the realm of stonemasonry?” Shadowheart challenged him lightly.

“I do have some education in other areas of study.” He was still being cagey, but Elion’s smokey cheeks seemed to take on a slightly maroon underhue. “Truthfully, I’m a poor stonemason, aspiring to some degree of competency. I’ve spent most of my life learning the arcane arts, and how to apply the arcane to items to enhance their intended purpose.”

“An Artificer?” Lae’zel sized him up in earnest now.

“As such.” Elion shrugged in a way that stank of false modesty, but Shadowheart resisted the urge to laugh. His shimmering, black eyes came alive as he glanced around the study, “if you’d permit it, there are actually several things within sight I’d like to examine.”

Was this actually the first time he’d been in her study, or had he been skulking around when she was out and about? Shadowheart’s set up in the ruined sanctum wasn’t ideal, but without a clear plan for how long she’d be staying, she’d tried to make it feel like home. She’d cleaned the study (the sudden addition of silver illithid blood aside) and brought several artefacts that she’d collected during her lifetime to make the place feel less like camping out in the wilderness.

It had, sort of, worked. “Later,” she wasn’t sure if she was being sincere, or just trying to put him off for now. “I think your master may be in need of your assistance, elsewhere. Lae’zel, would you condescend to assist me in tending to this strange charge?”

Lae’zel looked neither surprised, nor thrilled, at the question. “Fine.”

Dismissed, Elion looked nothing short of crestfallen. He’d get over it. Shadowheart needed her wife, needed to talk to her, and needed her reliable, endless energy. He must have realized that he was officially intruding, because he sort of nodded and shuffled off without another word.

Once he was gone, Lae’zel unfolded her arms and turned back to her wife, voice softening. “I maintain that we don’t owe this… very sticky mess, anything. Misfortune befell him, that is all. But, I’ll admit, I am curious to know what he has to say. And, I suppose it’s a small bother for such a talented cleric to keep him alive.”

“Glad you see it my way after all.”

[ahedderick]

Being Frank

   In 2016 a local man (Frank) roughly my father’s age called me and asked me to transcribe his oral history project. It was quite out-of-the-blue . . I’d known him all my life but we weren’t close at all. I ended up sitting in his kitchen with a laptop, typing frantically (and badly) for several hours while he recounted various tales from the 40s to the 60s and threw little crunchy treat across the room for his cat to pounce on. His biggest concern was the story of how he built his house. It meant a lot to him. Why none of his three children were doing this project I don’t know, they probably have troubles of their own.

I think it deserves a bit of a wider audience, tho. He started off a little rambly, but I’ll begin with this:

“The next project was after Hurricane Hazel. That took out some big timber over on the base of Wills Mountain. We decided to cut up those trees to build the barn up on the hill. That was my first real experience. My last two years in high school I was working for a bakery and I saved up enough to buy a Pioneer chainsaw, 1964. That saw is heavy! We took those logs out of the woods with horses, jumping out of the way when they rolled and trying to keep the horses moving; we didn’t know any better. That was the way we did things, then. Then we cut the center poles for that barn out of locust; that’s why it’s still standing, probably. We put those up and I was standing up on top working that chainsaw, cutting the notches for the other beams. Paul D. wanted to buy this lot where the house sits so he could build. I told my father that I wanted to build there, and that was when I first revealed that to my parents. I was twenty then. Eventually they deeded three acres to me as a gift. It was an unused piece at the time because it had grown extremely dense with wild crabapple and thorn bushes. I was so thick I had to crawl on hands on knees in and cut them. I dragged them out with three meat hooks ganged up and hooked to a log chain. That made a drag, and I pulled them down with the Oliver Klee tractor to a burn pile in the bottom. There were locust trees in here two feet or even thirty inches across, about four of them. I cut them down and pulled them away and then I had the stumps to contend with. Mallow Landscaping was coming to dig the foundation and his machine wasn’t real big because he was just starting out. So, to aid removal of the locust stumps, I went up on the Mt. Savage road near Wellersburg road goes north and bought dynamite. This guy sold dynamite out of the candy case, you just went in and put your money down! I bought dynamite* from a blind man. I came out and I was blowing the stumps. One was right here where the patio is. My uncle stopped to chat with me, and I told him “You’d better move on down because I have a charge going off!”

   Mr. Mallow came and started digging the foundation. He had a hard time, there were some bad spots. The machine was too small. I paid him for what he’d done and called an old family friend, William, who worked for Failinger. He came out with a big trackloader and finished out, did the landscaping and driveways. We found a few rocks while we were digging out! On the back portion we hit solid ledges of limestone. I needed a jackhammer. The cemetery of St. Peter and Paul’s had a jackhammer; the priest allowed me to use it, and that’s how I finished the back portion.

  After that we poured the footer. I staked it, leveled it, tried to square it . . . I’d never done this before. I poured it and Herm and old George that worked down at the farm helped me. At that time I was going to ACC and carrying 18 [credit] hours, but not married yet, so I had the time. It was like a hobby. The block I got from Mr. Athey, who hauled coal east and hauled block back from Hagerstown. It was twelve cents a block. Paul agreed to lay the foundation for me if I mixed the mud and carried it to him, again for twelve cents a block. The block laying started in the spring; we set a date back in March for a start time of the first of June. It had to be on a weekend. Everything was ready. Got down to June and we were going to start at noon. My graduation from community college was at ten that morning. I was the first male in our family to receive a college degree. A classmate of mine asked me, “Where are we going to have a party?” I had to turn down the party, kick off my shirt and tie and start mixing mud. I was thinking about the party while I was in the hot sun, mixing the mud and just a sweating away!”

I’ll post the rest tomorrow.

* ok, but this was 100% IN CHARACTER for Frank, just sayin’.

[spittingchips]

The Complete Guide to Removing Trees in Canberra: Rules, Costs, and Best Practices

Canberra, known for its stunning landscapes and green surroundings, often requires tree removal for various reasons. Whether it’s due to safety concerns, property development, or disease-infested trees, understanding the process of removing trees Canberra is essential. However, tree removal isn’t as simple as cutting down a tree; it involves legal regulations, costs, and environmental considerations. This guide will provide insights into everything you need to know about tree removal in Canberra.

Understanding the Need for Tree Removal

There are several reasons why property owners might need to remove a tree. Some trees become hazardous due to age, storm damage, or disease. Overgrown trees can obstruct driveways, damage property, or interfere with power lines. Additionally, some homeowners remove trees for aesthetic reasons or to make way for new landscaping projects. Whatever the reason, it’s important to comply with the tree removal laws in Canberra to avoid fines or legal issues.

Tree Removal Regulations in Canberra

Canberra has strict regulations regarding tree removal to preserve its green spaces. According to the ACT Tree Protection Act 2005, a significant tree cannot be removed without approval. Significant trees are those with a height of 12 meters or more, a trunk circumference of over 1.5 meters at chest height, or those classified as registered trees.

To legally proceed with removing trees in Canberra, property owners must apply for a tree removal permit from the ACT Government. The application requires a valid reason for removal, and in some cases, an arborist report may be necessary. Failing to obtain proper approval before tree removal can result in heavy fines and legal repercussions.

Hiring Professional Tree Removal Services

Since tree removal involves risks such as falling branches, property damage, and injury, hiring a professional is highly recommended. Certified arborists and tree removal experts have the necessary skills and equipment to ensure safe and efficient tree removal. Reputable tree removal services in Canberra provide services such as tree cutting, stump grinding, land clearing, and emergency tree removal.

When selecting a tree removal company, it’s important to check their credentials, insurance coverage, and customer reviews. A licensed and insured company ensures that any potential damage or accidents during the process are covered, giving homeowners peace of mind.

Cost of Tree Removal in Canberra

The cost of removing trees in Canberra varies depending on several factors, including the tree’s size, location, complexity of removal, and whether stump grinding is required. On average, tree removal costs range from $300 to $500 for small trees, while large trees can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000. Additional services such as stump removal and land clearing may come with extra charges.

To get an accurate estimate, it’s advisable to request quotes from multiple tree removal companies. This helps in comparing prices and finding the best service provider that fits your budget and requirements.

Tree Removal and Environmental Considerations

Canberra’s commitment to preserving the environment means that property owners must consider sustainable options when removing trees. Instead of discarding removed trees, consider recycling the wood for firewood, furniture, or mulch. Some tree removal services also offer replanting solutions to compensate for the removed trees and maintain the ecological balance.

Additionally, before proceeding with removing trees in Canberra, consider alternative solutions such as pruning, trimming, or disease treatment. Sometimes, proper maintenance can extend the life of a tree without needing complete removal.

Emergency Tree Removal Services in Canberra

Storms and natural disasters can cause severe tree damage, making emergency tree removal necessary. Fallen trees can block roads, damage homes, and create hazardous conditions. Many professional tree removal services in Canberra offer 24/7 emergency tree removal to quickly address such situations and restore safety.

If you encounter a fallen or dangerous tree on your property, contact a professional immediately. Avoid attempting to remove it yourself, as this can lead to injuries and further damage. Experts have specialized equipment and expertise to handle emergency removals efficiently.

Conclusion

Understanding the process of removing trees in Canberra is essential for homeowners and property developers. Adhering to local regulations, hiring professionals, and considering environmental impacts can make tree removal a smooth and legal process. Whether you need tree removal for safety, aesthetics, or development purposes, following best practices ensures minimal risks and compliance with the law. By working with experienced tree removal services, you can safely and efficiently manage tree removal while contributing to Canberra’s green environment.

[treeserviceskalamazoo]

Professional Stump Grinding Services in Kalamazoo, MI – Kalamazoo Tree Removal

What Is Stump Grinding?

After tree felling stump grinding serves as a tree removal approach that grinds remaining stumps to completion. Stump grinding operates differently from stump removal because it utilizes specific equipment to turn stumps into small wood chips while grinding below soil levels. Stump grinding produces a flat clean area which enables simple conversion of the space for various projects including landscaping.

Why Choose Kalamazoo Tree Removal for Stump Grinding in Kalamazoo, MI?

1.Experienced Professionals

Stump grinding is one of the tree care services offered by Kalamazoo Tree Removal and they have highly skilled tree care professionals who are experts in it. They have years of experience and know exactly how to perform the task without any errors and with utmost precision using the best of the equipment. They will come out and assess the property to see what’s the best way to grind the stump and actually pull it without damaging your landscape.

2.State-of-the-Art Equipment

Having the right equipment when it comes to stump grinding makes all the difference. Kalamazoo Tree Removal is equipped with state of the art stump grinders that can tackle stumps of all sizes and types. They have the machinery to be able to quickly and efficiently grind stump to small wood chips that can easily be disposed of or reused as mulch.

3.Comprehensive Stump Grinding Solutions

Kalamazoo Tree Removal does not simply grind stumps. They provide complete solutions that include:

Different Depths: Whether you, just for leveling the ground, or you want to get the stump out, they will be able to handle it.

Post-Grind Clean Up: They will finish up by cleaning up whatever wood chips they didn’t all grind down to nothing during their process.

Kalamazoo Tree Removal offers root removal options if you have stubborn roots or if you want to make sure the area is completely clear for your next landscaping project.

4.Affordable Pricing

Kalamazoo Tree Removal knows that stump grinding can come as a surprise expense and they attempt to provide the most competitive and transparent pricing you can afford. Stump grinding services are offered free of charge and you know what to expect before the work starts.

5.Eco-Friendly Practices

Kalamazoo Tree Removal is an environmentally friendly company. The company makes sure that all the wood chips and debris from the stump grinding are either recycled or used for mulch that can be reused in your yard. Kalamazoo Tree Removal promotes sustainable landscaping which helps to preserve the local environment and beautify your property.

The Benefits of Stump Grinding

Stump Grinding in Kalamazoo MI is the preferred option over leaving the stump behind or trying to remove it yourself for several reasons:

Aesthetics: Stumps can be unattractive, diminishing the look of the remainder of your yard. Eliminating this eyesore, stump grinding allows for new landscaping ideas like an area to plant grass, flowers, build a deck or patio, to name a few.

Decaying tree stump prevents Pests: A decaying tree stump can attract pests such as termites, ants, and beetles. Grinding the stump down to ground level removes a potential breeding ground for these harmful creatures and reduces the chances of infestations.

It increases Safety: As a stump of a tree is left in your yard, it is a tripping hazard, especially for children and the elderly. Stump grinding is safer and makes your yard more available for everyone.

Preparing the Ground for New Growth: Once a stump is removed, you can then plant grass, shrubs or another tree in the same location. Roots and the stump are now cleared out of the soil so new plants have better root growth.

Time Saver and Effort Saver: Trying to remove a stump yourself can be a difficult and time consuming task. Hiring Kalamazoo Tree Removal for stump grinding saves you time and prevents you from damaging your property.

Conclusion

If you are a homeowner or business owner in Kalamazoo, MI, stump grinding is an essential service for you. Kalamazoo Tree Removal is the best in stump grinding and tree care. Affordable, efficient and environmentally friendly services that help improve the look of your property without compromising its safety and functionality, their team of professionals. We want Tree Removal Kalamazoo MI to help you maintain the beauty of the outside of your home and increase it with our stump grinding in Kalamazoo, MI that doesn't look as unsightly as you might think. Contact us if you have any questions.

[elpasotreeremovals]

Expert Tree Trimming Services in El Paso, TX: Enhance Your Landscape Today!

Trees are always beautiful when they are planted in any area but when they are not well taken care of they will not look good at all. El Paso Tree Removal is the company to consult if you need quality tree trimming services in El Paso TX. They offer a full range of tree services that help to maintain your property’s safety, appearance, and utility throughout the year.

El Paso Tree Removal company has been in existence for many years and has professional arborists to ensure that your trees and landscape needs are met. For the residents of El Paso, Texas whether you are a homeowner or a business person, they offer the right service in handling trees of all sizes.

The Importance of Tree Trimming

Tree trimming is more than just an aesthetic practice—it’s a critical aspect of tree care that ensures your trees remain healthy and safe. Regular trimming provides several benefits:

Encourages Healthy Growth: Pruning gets rid of such branches hence enabling trees to use their energy in growing more branches.

Enhances Safety: These branches are dangerous to people, property and even electricity power lines if not trimmed. These hazards are however prevented by proper trimming.

Improves Tree Structure: Trimming ensures the tree gets into the right form and structure, it prevents any abnormalities on the tree and provides balance.

Increases Sunlight and Airflow: Pruning lets light and air in the inner canopy to penetrate and benefit the tree and other plants.

Comprehensive Tree Care Services

El Paso Tree Removal provides a full range of tree care solutions, ensuring your trees and landscape are well-maintained:

1. Tree Trimming and Pruning

Their tree trimming services are meant to enhance the health, safety and aesthetics of the trees. From simple pruning operations to more expansive operations like removal of a number of branches, their team employs specialist methods to execute their service very well.

2. Tree Removal

If a tree becomes dangerous or intrusive, their experts deal with safe and effective removal. They do not cause much disturbance to your property and also take care of cleaning up for you.

3. Stump Grinding and Removal

The residual stumps are often ugly and dangerous. Their stump grinding and removal services help you bring back the beauty of your landscape besides removing tripping and pest risks.

4. Emergency Tree Services

Occasionally, there may be storms or some other calamities that bring down trees or cause them to break. At El Paso Tree Removal, we understand that sometimes tree related emergencies may occur at any time of the day and this is why we offer our clients emergency services that run round the clock.

5. Tree Health Assessments

Certified arborists assess your trees for disease, pest or structural defects. They offer professional advice to improve tree health and its durability.

Why Choose El Paso Tree Removal?

Choosing the right tree care company is crucial for the safety and health of your trees. Here’s why El Paso Tree Removal stands out:

Experienced Professionals

Their staff of certified arborists and experienced technicians provides years of experience to each job.

Safety-Focused Approach

Tree trimming and removal are activities that can be dangerous. They cherish safety by employing modern tools on their site and following production standards.

Customized Services

Every property is different, and they adapt their approach to the care of your trees and the rest of your landscape.

Eco-Friendly Practices

El Paso Tree Removal is an environmentally conscious company. It uses recycled wood and avoids wastage in as many ways as possible.

Transparent Pricing

They give estimates that are broken down to the last detail and do not charge any hidden costs.

Tips for Tree Maintenance

While professional services are essential, homeowners can also take steps to maintain their trees between visits:

Inspect Trees Regularly: Search for disease, pest or damage of plants.

Water Appropriately: Give enough water especially during the dry season.

Mulch Wisely: Spread moisture control and soil temperature control mulch around the base of the trees.

Avoid Over-Trimming: The problem of over-pruning is that it can make trees less strong. Let the professional do the hard work such as what El Paso, Texas Tree Removal can do for you.

How to Get Started

If you’re ready to enhance the beauty and safety of your property, El Paso Tree Removal makes the process simple:

Schedule a Consultation: Contact their team to talk about your trees and get an estimate for tree care services in your area.

Receive a Free Estimate: It will give a clear quote, which will include the work to be done and time frame as well as the amount to be charged.

Enjoy Expert Service: Relax and let their experienced personnel take care of all the work while producing quality work.

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How to Do Stump Removal For Less

How to Do Stump Removal For Less https://ift.tt/n1ORpY5 A tree stump can take up valuable space in your garden, preventing you from making the most of your yard. In addition, it can be a breeding ground for pests and a tripping hazard. Removing a stump is an involved task, and it can also be quite expensive. Fortunately, there are a few different ways you can do it for less. A winching method offers a powerful and affordable option for removing a stump, especially when dealing with a large or stubborn one. It requires a winch, a chain or cable, and a vehicle with enough horsepower to handle the job. First, wrap the cable or chain around the base of the stump, and secure it tightly. Next, connect the other end to your vehicle’s winch and slowly apply tension to pull the stump out of the ground. Be sure to check local fire regulations and make a plan to clear the surrounding area of flammable materials before you begin. For homeowners who aren’t in a rush and don’t mind the look of a rotting stump, this is an excellent and inexpensive method. By drilling several holes into the stump, you can expose it to fungi that eat away at the wood and break it down. You can even boost the process by pouring in a chemical such as potassium nitrate, which speeds up the decay and softens the wood. This is a great option for those who are unable to use or don’t want to use chemicals, but it is important to keep in mind that the fungus can spread to other trees and gardens, so you may need to take additional precautions. Another downside is that it can take a long time for the stump to fully decompose, and it can also leave a hole in your landscape. Stumps that are located in rocky or dense soil can be more difficult to remove, and they will probably require the services of professionals. The cost of a stump removal will vary widely depending on your geographic location, and many professionals charge per stump rather than per hour. An excavation and removal method is often necessary when the stump’s roots have damaged water lines, a garden bed, or the foundation of your home. This labor-intensive technique involves digging out the stump and its root ball, and can be costly, especially when working with a large or stubborn stump. The type of tree can also influence your costs, as hardwoods are generally more expensive to remove than softwoods. The condition of the soil is also a significant factor, as loose sand or clay are easier to work with than tight, packed soil.

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Tree Removal Battle Creek: A Comprehensive Guide to Safe and Efficient Services

It can be overwhelming when you are charged with the responsibility of having to cut down a tree on your compound. It may be as a result of storm, disease or over growth of the trees, it is important that tree removal Battle Creek services are sought from professionals to help do the job in the right manner. Trees bring aesthetic and economic benefits as well as improve the environment; however, there are times when the tree becomes a threat to your property or your family.

Tree services we offer at 269 Tree Removal include safe and affordable tree removal. Our team is well capable of handling trees of any size and we ensure that we provide you the best service in the least time possible thereby not causing much inconvenience to you and your yard. If you have been looking for tree services in the area then you have come to the right place because our team of experts will help you through the entire process.

Why Tree Removal is Sometimes Necessary

Trees can do so much for us: they clean the air; offer us shade and an aesthetically pleasing view. However, there are various situations where tree removal becomes inevitable:

Safety Hazards: Some trees become too large or unhealthy, and this creates a very big danger to your property. In storms, winds or heavy gusts of wind, branches or even entire trees may fall and cause much damage. This is especially so if the tree grows close to your home, your driveway or your electricity power lines.

Disease and Decay: Trees can be affected by diseases or pests which gradually make the trees frail. Such trees are dangerous especially when they fall and therefore should be cut down to avoid infecting other plants or trees in your compound.

Construction Projects: When you are going to develop a new building or renovate your home or redesign your landscape, some trees may be obstructing the development and may need to be removed.

This is the reason why anyone having any of these problems must seek help from tree removal Battle Creek professionals in order to have them evaluate it and correct it from getting worse.

Benefits of Hiring Professional Tree Removal Services

It is not safe to try and fell a tree on your own. This is especially so because tree removal, if not well done may lead to personal injury or even damages on the compound. When you hire a professional service like 269 Tree Removal, you’re getting:

Expertise and Knowledge: The trained arborists that work with us have the knowledge required in handling tree removal services. We assess the state of the tree, diagnose the situation and decide on the most appropriate way to remove the tree, and finally, we do it professionally.

Specialized Equipment: Tree removal causes the use of large trees that require machines such as chainsaws, cranes and stump grinders. It also means that our team is well armed with all the necessary tools to ensure that the job is well done in the shortest time possible.

Safety Assurance: Tree removal is always a very dangerous process, especially if it concerns large or damaged trees. Safety of our team and your property is important to us, therefore we follow standard safety procedures and practices.

The Importance of Timely Tree Removal

In case of tree removal services, being quick is sometimes the best way of avoiding further loss. If a tree has been affected by disease or storm, then it becomes dangerous and can fall at any given time. In such circumstances, the client can call our number for emergency tree removal to handle them as soon as possible. Early removal does not only save your property but also avert accidents and possible transmission of diseases to other trees in your compound.

Tree services at 269 Tree Removal are available on time and guarantee the safety of your property while enhancing the aesthetic value. At our company, we have all the tree services that you require in the area such as; normal tree work, trimming and storm damage removal. In any case, our professionals are always ready to assist you.

How Tree Removal Works: A Step-by-Step Process

Initial Assessment: A tree removal is a complex undertaking and will involve our certified arborist survey the tree and the surrounding environment to identify the right approach to take. This comprises: hazards that may be in the vicinity of the tree, the health status of the tree, and the configuration of the property.

Tree Removal: If the tree is large and healthy enough to be taken out in one piece this will be done otherwise the tree will be cut into sections. At our company, our team employs special techniques in rigging to help in pulling branches and tree trunks to the ground.

Stump Removal: Once the tree is down, we avail ourselves for stump removal services to clear any remaining stump to give room for other developments.

Why Choose 269 Tree Removal?

At 269 Tree Removal, we pride ourselves in offering the best services in tree removal in Battle Creek. We have a team of certified arborists who have made it their duty to ensure safety and quality work is done. Having been in the industry for many years, we know the problems that are unique to Battle Creek and the neighboring regions and will always seek to address these issues.