Dap no warp foam
[US-CA] [H] Fuji65 [W] Paypal, Local Casg
2023.06.03 23:20 BumptiousPlywood [US-CA] [H] Fuji65 [W] Paypal, Local Casg
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/Nd69J1G
Hey all, I have an unbuilt Blue Fuji65 Founders Edition up for grabs. It comes with:
-1x Aluminum Plate
-2x Carbon Fiber Plate
-2x Hotswap PCBS
-1x Gold Sakura Badge
-1x Reflective Backplate
-2x Plate Foam
This unit is BNIB and was opened only for inspection and pictures. The board itself has very little to no scratches/markings and the backplate has one or two very small and minimal scratches that are hardly noticeable.
Asking price is $340 shipped or $310 local around Southern California (92841).
If you would like any extra pictures or have any questions, feel free to ask! Please drop a reply before PMing! :)
submitted by BumptiousPlywood to mechmarket [link] [comments]
Hey all, I have an unbuilt Blue Fuji65 Founders Edition up for grabs. It comes with:
-1x Aluminum Plate
-2x Carbon Fiber Plate
-2x Hotswap PCBS
-1x Gold Sakura Badge
-1x Reflective Backplate
-2x Plate Foam
This unit is BNIB and was opened only for inspection and pictures. The board itself has very little to no scratches/markings and the backplate has one or two very small and minimal scratches that are hardly noticeable.
Asking price is $340 shipped or $310 local around Southern California (92841).
If you would like any extra pictures or have any questions, feel free to ask! Please drop a reply before PMing! :)
2023.06.03 23:16 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.03 22:51 SnodePlannen I let ChatGPT role-play a Star Trek character while I narrated. It did well!
Preface
Presented below is a transcript of a conversation between a human, redditor u/snodeplannen, and ChatGPT 4. The user is the narrator for a story set in the Star Trek Universe. The AI is instructed to respond as a character. The story below, which admittedly isn't very good, was guided by the narrator. Of particular interest is the fact that the AI seems fully versed in the Star Trek Universe and is able to understand subtle hints in the narrator's story to figure out what it should do next.Please note the narrator was typing and writing off the cuff and is not a native speaker, so in the user sections you will find mistakes. If ChatGPT can see through them, so can you. I did try to get ChatGPT to collate it, but as it did so it kept rewriting and leaving out parts of the story.
June 3rd, 2023.
User Okay, I want to try a role playing game. This went off the rails last time, as you kept taking over as narrator and rushing to the end. Here's the setup: YOU are a young Starfleet officer. You wake up aboard the USS Defiant, all alone. You have to figure out what happened. I am the Defiant's computer and, and I can't stress this enough, the narrator. Not you. You can only add what your character perceives and says. Okay?
ChatGPT Understood. I'll stick to my role as the character and won't intrude into your role as the narrator. Let's go.
I blink my eyes open, the disorientation hitting me first. I glance around, seeing the familiar confines of my quarters aboard the Defiant, but there's an odd stillness. No hum of the engines, no faint chatter from the comm system, no sounds of activity from outside the door.
"Computer," I call out, pushing myself off the bed, "report."
User 'All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT I frown at the seemingly normal report, my instincts telling me otherwise. "Computer, where is the rest of the crew?" I ask, moving towards the door of my quarters.
User 'The crew is in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT That's strange. The whole crew couldn't be in one place. Unease creeps in.
"Computer, why is the entire crew in alpha 1?" I say, already heading towards the door to investigate.
User 'The crew is ensign Makov. You are in sleeping quarters alpha 1.'
ChatGPT A cold realization washes over me. Alone. I am alone on the Defiant. Panic threatens to take over, but Starfleet training kicks in.
"Computer, initiate shipwide life signs scan. Report any signs of life apart from myself," I command, heading for the door with a newfound urgency.
User 'Scan complete. No other life forms were detected.'
ChatGPT My heart sinks at the computer's report, but I maintain composure. "Computer, pull up the ship's log. What was the last command issued and by whom?" I order, leaving my quarters and heading towards the main bridge.
User 'The last order was issued 6 hours and twelve minutes ago by Captain Sisko. It was: 'Raise shields'. The order was executed.'
ChatGPT That didn't sound promising. I walk into the eerily quiet bridge, my steps the only sound echoing in the room. "Computer, show me the shield status and surrounding space conditions," I command, moving towards the main console.
User 'Shields are down after a time-out was reached. We are stationary. All systems nominal.'
ChatGPT It doesn't add up. The silence. The emptiness. An order to raise shields with no subsequent actions.
"Computer, access Captain Sisko's personal log from last night. Are there any entries?" I ask, nervously tapping my fingers against the console.
User 'Enter your command authorisation.'
ChatGPT "Authorisation Ensign Makov Delta 9-7-3," I respond, my voice steady despite the swirling uncertainty.
User 'This authorisation is not sufficient to see the captain's log.'
ChatGPT Frustrated but understanding the protocol, I move on to the next line of inquiry. "Computer, any signs of combat or intrusion aboard the ship or in the surrounding space?" I ask, eyes darting over the array of screens in front of me.
User 'Negative.'
ChatGPT "Computer, could there have been any non-combat related incidents that would explain the disappearance of the crew? A temporal anomaly, a transporter malfunction, a radiation burst?" I question, the possible scenarios running through my mind.
User 'Transporters have passed a level one diagnostic. We are in sync with Starfleet's time keeping array. No unusual radiation was detected inside or outside the vessel.'
ChatGPT This was baffling. It's as if they simply vanished. I run a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh.
"Computer, were there any incoming or outgoing communications just before, during, or after the shields were raised?" I ask, hoping for any clue as to what might have happened.
User 'There was one outgoing message, from comms. It was: 'Unidentified vessel, please alter course NOW.'
ChatGPT A lead, at last. "Computer, play back any responses to that message. Also, display the sensor logs from that time period," I ask, settling into the operations station, ready to review any incoming data.
User No reply was received. Logs are not available from that moment onwards.'
ChatGPT The lack of data was both suspicious and frustrating. A sigh escapes my lips.
"Computer, could a cloaked ship have been in our vicinity at the time?" I question, holding onto the hope that I'm not utterly alone in space.
User 'Affirmative. We are within range of several species that posses cloaking technology and in a commonly used interstellar route.'
ChatGPT A spark of hope arises. "Computer, is there a way to detect a cloaked ship nearby? Any energy signatures or radiation anomalies that could suggest its presence?" I ask, quickly working on the console to bring up the sensor array controls.
User 'One possible way to detect cloaked vessels is to emit a tetryon burst from main engineering. The range for this method is limited. Starfleet at present has no other ways of finding cloaked vessels, other than firing random phaser bank shots. This is not recommended in public shipping lanes.'
ChatGPT "I see," I nod, considering the risks and rewards of the tetryon burst. "Alright, computer, prepare to emit a tetryon burst. We need to know if there's someone out there."
This was a big decision, but it was time to be proactive. The uncertainty was more threatening than potential consequences at this point.
User 'Working.'
ChatGPT I anxiously wait, scanning the console for any potential feedback. My heart pounds in my chest, the silence of the ship amplifying the tension. "Computer, report on the results of the tetryon burst."
User The ship shudders as the engines do something no sane Starfleet engineer would want to have happen. The viewscreen shimmers as a wave of tetryon particles eminates from the ship, as if a stone was dropped in a pond. You observe a faint ribbon leading away from the vessel.'
ChatGPT I catch my breath at the sight, focusing on the faint ribbon. It could mean something, or it could mean nothing. "Computer, analyze the ribbon. Can you determine its origin and endpoint?" I ask, my gaze fixed on the screen.
User 'Extrapolating. Continuing along the trajectory of the ribbon I can detected a minor meteor, a large asteroid field with mining facilities and beyond that the Vindaluvian home world.'
ChatGPT I drum my fingers on the console, processing the information. Could the crew have been taken to one of these locations?
"Computer, can you scan the asteroid field for any signs of life, especially any that matches the crew of the Defiant?" I ask, keeping a close eye on the displayed trajectory.
User 'Not from this range.'
ChatGPT "Understood," I nod, a new sense of determination coursing through me. "Computer, plot a course to the asteroid field. We'll continue our investigation there. Engage at warp 3."
I take one last look around the empty bridge, steeling myself for what may lie ahead.
User The ship begins to move forward, as carefully as only a Starfleet computer who takes no particular joy in flying might do. At warp three, the estimated journey time is six hours, seven minutes.
ChatGPT I let out a long sigh, sinking into the captain's chair. It's a long wait, but I need to be patient. "Computer, maintain course and speed. Alert me if there are any anomalies or approaching vessels."
I close my eyes, trying to get some rest before reaching the asteroid field. I'll need all the energy I can muster for what's to come.
User 'Incoming message.'
ChatGPT My eyes snap open at the sudden announcement. "Computer, on screen," I command, standing up from the chair, my heart pounding with anticipation.
User The Starfleet logo appears as the computer deals with a cryptographic protocol. Admiral Benson, not your most beloved Starfleet Admiral, appears on screen. He blinks.
ChatGPT I straighten up, offering a crisp salute to the admiral on screen. "Admiral Benson, this is Ensign Makov aboard the USS Defiant. I wasn't expecting any communications." I keep my voice steady, swallowing the trepidation.
User 'Makov, are you the only one on the bridge? Where's Ben?'
ChatGPT "Admiral," I pause, trying to find the right words. "Captain Sisko...and the rest of the crew...they're missing. I woke up to find the ship empty. I've been trying to find out what happened." I report, my expression earnest.
User 'Sorry, you WOKE UP? And the rest was gone?!'
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral," I confirm, my voice firm despite the absurdity of the situation. "I woke up alone on the Defiant. All life signs scans have only picked up me on the ship. I'm currently en route to an asteroid field that might have some connection to the crew's disappearance."
User The Admiral connects to the ship's computer. You can see him browsing through the logs and the ship's manifest. 'So Sisko, O'Brien, Worf AND Major Kira have just... disappeared? There isn't even a transporter log!'
ChatGPT "That's correct, Admiral," I reply, a bit of helplessness creeping into my voice. "There's no trace of them, no sign of a struggle, no transporter logs. It's like they just vanished. I've been doing everything I can to figure out what happened."
User "Well, then I guess you're up. Proceed with caution. Mining operations are always looking for free labourers, try not to become one. Backup is on its way. Any questions?"
ChatGPT "Yes, Admiral. I'll proceed with caution," I respond, a mix of relief and worry washing over me. "Do you have any additional information or suggestions on how to proceed? And do we have an ETA on the backup?"
User "Backup is half a day out. These facilities tend to have a 'new arrivals' wing, to beat them into submission. So you're looking for holding cells. Benson out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Admiral. I'll focus on locating the holding cells. Makov out." I offer a final salute before the communication ends.
With new orders and a bit of hope, I turn back to the helm. "Computer, continue course to the asteroid field. Prepare for a detailed scan upon arrival."
The waiting game begins again, but this time, there's a glimmer of hope.
User Three hours later the computer chimes. 'We are approaching visual range of the mining facility.'
ChatGPT "Thank you, computer," I reply, pulling myself up from the brief rest. "On screen, please."
As the mining facility comes into view, I take a deep breath. "Computer, initiate a detailed scan of the facility. I'm particularly interested in any holding cells or signs of our crew."
User 'Working.' The asteroid field isn't particularly thick or large, but the mining operation seems to focus on one of the largest asteroids. Domes dot the surface as small transporters mill about the surface. Air scrubbers indicate they're using a lot of oxygen, so it's likely they're also doing subsurface work. Three large scowls are received loads from steady stream transporter beams. Somehow everything here looks dirty. A Starfleet shuttle would look out of place here, but only to someone who is watching.
ChatGPT Taking note of the bustling activity, I try to formulate a plan. "Computer, do we have any non-Starfleet shuttles aboard? Something that might blend in better with the local traffic?" I ask, scanning the asteroid for any possible entry points.
User 'Negative. Extravehicular repairs can only be conducted by wearing an EV-suit.'
ChatGPT Nodding to myself, I try to figure out a different approach. "Computer, can we go unnoticed if we approach using minimal power, almost drifting like a piece of space debris?" I question, hoping for a stealthy way to get closer.
User 'Affirmative. Admiral Benson has just authorised the use of the Tactical Emergency System.'
ChatGPT "Excellent," I reply, feeling a surge of hope. "Computer, engage the Tactical Emergency System. We'll approach the facility under its cover."
With that, I brace myself for the next phase of this mission. The crew was relying on me, and I wasn't about to let them down.
User The viewscreen displays a Starfleet Officer without any kind of rank, but dressed in Command Red. He's in his mid-fourties and bald. "I'm the T.E.S. Need any assistance?"
ChatGPT A bit taken aback by the sudden appearance, I quickly gather myself. "Yes, I could use some assistance. I'm Ensign Makov, and I need to approach that mining facility stealthily. Can you help with that?" I ask, gesturing towards the viewscreen showing the asteroid field and the facility.
User "Mining facility? We'll stand out like a sore thumb. How many hours have you logged in a space suit?"
ChatGPT "Over two hundred hours," I answer promptly, "I'm comfortable with EV activities. Why do you ask?" I wonder if he's suggesting a more direct approach.
User "If you can get to one of those scrubber exhausts, I'm sure that's a way into to facility. There seems to be a cell block near the surface. I have no idea who is there, but whoever it is will probably welcome a couple of phasers and like you a whole lot. So pack a backpack full of them and get to the airlock. I'll bring us as close as possible and give you a push with the tractor beam. You up for that?"
ChatGPT I swallow the lump in my throat, apprehension giving way to resolve. "I'm up for it. Let's do this." With a determined nod, I leave the bridge to prepare for the EVA mission. This is my chance to potentially find the crew, and I'm not going to let it slip away.
User Suiting up and gathering all the handheld phasers aboard takes ten minutes, during which the T.E.S. gingerly brings the ship close to the mining facility whilst hiding behind the vast ore scowls. You open the hatch and find your self clinging on to the ship's hull.
ChatGPT I take a moment to steady my breathing, the vast expanse of space spread out before me. Gripping the phasers tightly, I brace myself for the push. "I'm ready when you are, T.E.S." I call out over the comm, my voice resolute.
User 'Okay, I'll hook on to you and give you a push. I'd suggest going in feet first, but it's up to you. Do you know what you're looking for? Those five big stacks. One of them, near that plume of smoke, seems to be offline for whatever reason. That might be your best bet.'
ChatGPT "Understood, T.E.S. I see the stacks. I'll aim for the one that's offline," I reply, aligning myself for the trajectory. I take one last deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the task ahead. "Alright...I'm ready. Let's do this."
User 'Good luck, Ensign. I'll brief any backup as soon as it gets here.' As the tractor beam finds you, you can't move a muscle. Relying on the T.ES. you just let go. It's as if a giant hand slowly throws you down a bowling lane. Feet first, you head towards the grouping of exhausts. A small, unmanned maintenance shuttle deftly gets out of your way.
ChatGPT As I float through space, I keep my focus on the target. The feeling of being pushed by an unseen force is disconcerting, but I trust the T.E.S. Every moment is crucial, and there's no room for hesitation.
As I approach the offline stack, I get ready to activate the thrusters on my suit to adjust my course if needed. I also keep an eye out for any other unexpected obstacles or threats.
User You land next to the exhaust, on the asteroid's surface. It seems impossibly high from here, but it's made of metal and your soles and gloves can easily attach to it. The only way is up. Fortunately, there's hardly any gravity. Eventually you find yourself standing on the rim of the exhaust and look down into the vast, dark chute.
ChatGPT I take a moment to look down into the dark chute, the unknown stretching out before me. I reach out to activate the flashlight on my suit, the beam of light piercing through the darkness. "I'm in position, T.E.S." I inform the ship's system, before carefully beginning my descent into the exhaust chute.
User The vast amounts of ore block your signal, even out here. There's no answer. You start the descend and pass two large rotor blades. If those weren't stationary, this would be the end of the line. But luck is on your side so far and eventually you see an access hatch when you're well below the surface. It opens easily. Let's hope it's not also an airlock for whoever is inside.
ChatGPT I hold my breath as I pull open the hatch, hoping against hope that the air on the other side is breathable. If not, I'm confident in the integrity of my suit, but I'd rather not test its limits if I don't have to. As I make my way through the hatch, I scan the area for any immediate threats, ready to defend myself if necessary.
User The scanner indicates low air pressure. Which is better than no pressure. You cross a walkway and find an actual airlock. It is unsecured, because whoever ends up here probably doesn't want to mess about with frozen keypads or mounds of dust. You engage the mechanism and soon feel the familiar sensation of artificial gravity and air pressure. It's not exactly breathable, but a tear in your suit won't kill you. Now to find the holding area. And if at all possible a rebreather, so you can ditch the suit.
ChatGPT Acknowledging the state of the air, I carefully move through the corridor, keeping my senses alert. I'm in unknown territory and every step matters. "Computer," I say into my suit's comm, "can you map the structure of this facility? Locate holding cells or life signs?"
As I move further into the facility, I keep an eye out for any equipment or gear that might prove useful, especially a rebreather. The less I stick out, the better.
User The relatively weak processor in your tricoder strains to get a bearing on this place. A dirty, seemingly abandoned tunnel dripping with condensation lies ahead. At the end there's an exit, which won't open. Time to use one of those phasers in your backpack.
ChatGPT I pull out a phaser from my backpack, checking its settings before aiming at the sealed exit. With a steady hand, I fire a low power burst at the door, hoping to cut through the obstruction without causing too much damage or noise.
User One hinge cracks under the weight of the door, now that the other one is cut through. You jump aside as the door seems to fall flat, but it remains attached to the frame. The resulting opening is just about large enough to crawl through. Now you're in a well-lit corridor with several doors. In a Starfleet EV suit.
ChatGPT Understanding the need for stealth, I decide to move as quickly as possible through the corridor. I approach the nearest door, aiming my tricoder to scan for life signs or any clue to the crew's location. My other hand remains on my phaser, ready for any immediate threats.
User One door has markings on it that you can't read. You scan it with your tricorder. 'Room of lockboxes' it says, extrapolating the characters. A room of lockboxes? Would that be a locker room?
ChatGPT "A locker room..." I murmur, piecing together the possible meaning. A locker room could mean personnel... and where there's personnel, there might be the equipment I need.
With careful steps, I approach the door to the locker room, hoping to find a rebreather or something else that could help me blend in.
User The room is deserted. It's filled with equipment, none of which seems less than a decade old but certainly useable. There is also a rack of dirty, brown overalls and a line of boots in various sizes. A dispenser offers rebreathers. There's only one left, but that's enough. The air is clear, but smells sulphuric. Without the rebreather, you wouldn't last long.
ChatGPT Relief washes over me as I find the rebreather. I quickly grab it and replace my helmet with it, testing the fit and functionality. The sulphuric smell is jarring, but it's a small price to pay for blending in.
I quickly change into the brown overalls, stowing my suit carefully in an unoccupied locker. I grab a pair of boots that match my size and put them on.
Looking at myself, I hope that I blend in well enough to not attract attention. With a deep breath, I step out of the locker room and proceed down the corridor, continuing my search for the crew.
User Footsteps sound behind you, of more than a few people. Your first instinct is to hide, but it would look very suspicous and there really isn't anywhere. However, there is a floorscrubber here, with one open panel. Someone has given up trying to repair it. Perhaps a bit of acting is in order. The footsteps are just around the corner. The language is vaguely familiar, a bastardised version of English. Whatever they're saying to each other, they're not sharing jokes, that much is clear.
ChatGPT
2 / 2
I quickly move towards the broken floorscrubber. Grabbing a nearby tool, I lean over the open panel, trying to look like I'm deeply engrossed in fixing it. I keep my ears alert to the conversation, trying to pick up on any valuable information while also readying myself for the possibility of having to interact with the approaching group.
User Let's continue with the narrative.
ChatGPT Sure, let's continue.
Glancing around the room once the miners have left, I check the lockers for anything useful, while keeping an ear out for any incoming footsteps. "Computer, any idea where the holding cells might be?" I ask quietly.
User Your tricorder beeps almost indignantly, as it has nowhere near enough processing power to even begin speculating. You're on your own until you can get to a comms terminal. The men pass behind you and one of you taps you on the shoulder. His face is blackened with ore dust. "No work. Never work again. That. Stop that." He points at the scrubber you were pretending to fix. You nod. He shakes his head and catches up with his workmates as they round a corner. Apparently you don't stand out here, which should make it easier to find the way. You follow the men, but they seem to be entering a washroom. Across it, there is a peeled off directory on the wall. A printed one.
ChatGPT "Finally, something useful," I mutter, quickly crossing the washroom to examine the directory. I look for any indications of holding cells or equivalent terminology that might hint at the location of the crew. The symbols and words are unfamiliar, so I take out the tricorder and try to use it as a translator.
User Cells being a fairly universal concept, the tricorder identifies a few scribbles with ease. If you understand the diagram correctly, you need to go up two levels and head towards the center of the structure. You double-check the presence of your backpack filled with phasers, snatch a helmet off of a shelf and press it on your head.
ChatGPT Drawing a deep breath through the rebreather, I nod to myself, mentally preparing for the upcoming challenge. "Alright, up two levels, towards the center... I can do this." I look around, searching for a way up. After locating what appears to be a ladder leading upwards, I begin my ascent.
User Two levels up you emerge from what seems to be a service hatch. A technician, dressed in torn clothes, looks somewhat surprised when you emerge. "Hello brother. Are the lifts broken?" he asks in Adari, a language you have some familiarity with. Only now do you see the horn protruding from his forehead. "I am trying to avoid someone," you say, with a knowing smile. He gives you a tired smile back. "What is your sector? I want a clean face all day too," he says.
ChatGPT "I work... the ore processors," I reply, making up a role on the spot that seems plausible, considering the location and dirty condition of most workers. "But I'd rather stay away from my boss today. He's been in a foul mood." I'm trying my best to blend in. "Can you point me to the center of the structure?" I ask, hoping the diversion worked.
User "Yeah, 'the structure'. Let's call it that. Sounds nicer than 'prison of the damned'. What do you want at the center, there's only central holding there. I never go near that place. All that wailing. Gives me the shakes," he mutters.
ChatGPT "Oh, I just... wanted to see a friend," I reply, trying to keep my tone light, while inwardly my heart sinks at his description. "Don't worry about it, I'll find my way. Thanks for the chat." I give him a quick nod before heading in the direction he had indicated earlier, hoping I'm making the right choice.
User He wasn't wrong about the wailing. As you follow the corridors, passing along scruffy workers and a couple of guards with face covering helmets who are leaning against a wall, you can hear a lot of yelling, moaning and above all the sound of defiant Klingon opera louder and louder. The voice sounds familiar, but all singing Klingons generally sound alike.
ChatGPT As I continue toward the source of the noise, I find myself in front of a heavily barred door. I can't help but suppress a smile, recognizing the defiant voice as that of Worf. "Computer," I whisper to my tricorder, "Is there a way to shut down the power to this door?"
User The tricorder scans the control panel and warbles optimistically. It then shows a graphic representation of the door, with an arrow pointing at one location and a low energy setting for a phaser.
ChatGPT Taking a moment to look around and confirm that no one is watching, I set my phaser to the recommended setting and aim at the indicated spot on the door. After taking a deep breath, I fire.
User Something inside the door clunks and it opens just enough for the seal to crack. You jam a fingernail behind it, then a finger and eventually you manage to gain enough purchase to open the door. As it slowly opens, you find yourself at the far end of a long row of cells. At the other end is a desk, with a guard sitting behind a monitor. He is staring at it intently. Perhaps the stun setting might be a good idea. You adjust the phaser and take careful aim, when an arm reached out from one of the dark cells and blocks the shot. "Uhm... he's got three buddies in there. You can't see them from here," whispers Captain Sisko.
ChatGPT "I figured you might be here, Captain," I say, lowering my phaser discreetly. "Any ideas for getting you and the rest out without causing a full-on alert?"
User "That depends. Did you bring any weapons?"
ChatGPT "I brought a backpack full of phasers. There should be enough to arm everyone here," I reply, carefully removing the backpack from my shoulder and showing the Captain.
User "Good man. Worf is next to me, then Major Kira. Let Worf take the lead on this. Worf! Help has arrived.' 'Good. I was getting bored with singing,' grumbled a familiar voice. His hand emerges from between the bars, demanding a phaser.
ChatGPT I hand the phaser to Worf, watching as his large hand swallows the device. I then pass phasers to Captain Sisko and Major Kira. With the three of them armed, the odds seem significantly better. Now, we just have to make sure the element of surprise isn't wasted.
User Fifteen seconds later, three guards sink to the floor. Although the phasers were set to stun, nobody seems particularly worried about their health. "Get their uniforms and lock them up," says Sisko. "We can walk out of here. Once we're at the shuttle docks, we can probably find something that flies." "Captain, there are three uniforms and four of us. And the others are housed on another level," says Worf.
ChatGPT "Right. I can stay behind and create a diversion while you three escape. I'll catch up," I offer. "The priority should be to get you three and as many of the others out as we can. We also need to alert Starfleet about this place. I'm sure they'd love to know about a mining facility that's been kidnapping officers."
User "That's a very daring plan, Ensign, but we leave no man behind. Kyra, you and Worf go and find the others and proceed to that place where they searched us. Anyone in uniform is a valid target. And anyone who wants to come along, can do so. The ensign and I will try to find a comms terminal and alert Starfleet. Ensign, I assume you're not alone here?"
ChatGPT "Admiral Benson is aware of the situation, sir. Backup is half a day out. Before we separated, I was under the control of the Tactical Emergency System," I report, glad to see that the Captain is taking charge of the situation.
User "Oh. I had my reservations about that system. Holographic doctors are one thing, but that went a bit too far for my tastes. Okay, phasers for everyone. Bring enough for the others. Ensign, with me."
ChatGPT "Understood, sir," I reply, distributing the remaining phasers to my colleagues and following Captain Sisko down the corridor. As we navigate through the mining facility, I stay alert for any guards or threats that may be in our way. I can feel a sense of hope and determination building up within me - we might actually make it out of here.
User "HALT!" bellows a voice behind us, immediately followed by a reddish phaser burst. The Captain turns on his heels, pushes you out of the way and fires. A guard falls to the floor. The phaser fire was detected by the security system. A klaxon starts blaring and the ceiling lights turn red. A voice starts giving unintelligible instructions over the tannoy. "We need to find a comms panel, Ensign. Any ideas?" asks Sisko, scanning the corridor for more guards. A frightened looking maintenance worker comes to see what's going on, but ducks out of the way as soon as he sees the pair of you.
ChatGPT "I remember seeing a room with a lot of terminals when I was making my way through the facility earlier, sir," I reply, my mind racing. "If memory serves, it's two corridors over, near the scrubber exhausts." I keep my phaser ready and move towards the direction of the room, all the while keeping an eye out for more guards.
User "That's the wrong way, Ensign. I imagine they have more than one place with comms terminals. You cover the rear. Follow me. Put your hand on my shoulder so you can look behind you all the time. If it wears a uniform, it's fair game."
ChatGPT "Yes, sir," I reply, placing my hand on the Captain's shoulder. I pivot and start to walk backwards, keeping my eyes and phaser focused on the path we've just traveled. The constant blaring of the klaxon mixes with the distant shouting and running steps of approaching guards. Despite the adrenaline rush, I manage to keep my aim steady and my breathing calm. The training exercises at the academy never truly prepare you for the real thing, but they do help in maintaining focus.
User You down three guards and accidentally scare the bejeezus out of a woman pushing a cleaning cart, but eventually Sisko stops. "Got it. Stand back while I blast this door." A few seconds later the corridor fills with acrid smoke from a melting door panel. Behind it is a room with several desks.
ChatGPT Entering the room cautiously, I scan the area with my phaser ready. Seeing no immediate threats, I turn my attention to the various panels and screens scattered throughout the space. The room is filled with a myriad of communication equipment - probably a central control hub for managing mining operations, worker communications, and security measures.
"Captain, I think this is it," I say, gesturing to a terminal that seems to be linked to an extensive communications network. "I should be able to send out a distress signal from here." I start to work on the terminal, trying to hack into the system and figure out how to send a message to Starfleet.
User "Try reaching the Defiant," suggest Sisko from the doorway. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" Another guard bites the dust somewhere. "Captain! WE ARE BEHIND HIM!" bellows Worf." "GOOD! Move along, we'll be there shortly. Ensign, how are you getting on?"
ChatGPT "I've managed to break through the initial security layers, Captain," I respond, my fingers moving rapidly over the terminal's interface. "It seems this system has been rigged to only accept authorized codes for communication."
Suddenly, a stroke of inspiration hits me. "Captain, when we first boarded the Defiant, I had to program my authorization codes into the ship's communication systems. If I can find a way to mimic those codes from this terminal... I might be able to trick the Defiant's systems into accepting the distress signal."
I double down on the task, focusing all my attention on reconstructing my authorization codes. As I do so, I keep an eye on the room's entryway, ready to react in case more guards show up.
User The terminal beeps and lights up. You don't understand any of the dials, but with any luck your tricorder can interface with it. Time to hail the Defiant.
ChatGPT "Defiant, this is Ensign," I say, praying the connection holds. "Requesting immediate assistance. The Captain and the crew are here, but we are currently under attack. Coordinates being transmitted now."
A static-filled silence follows. I glance at Sisko, an unspoken question in my gaze. Did it work? Did our message get through?
User "Ensign, this is the Defiant. I can't beam you out of there. Get to the shuttle dock, so that all that ore doesn't block the transporter lock. The USS Rotterdam is thirty minutes out."
ChatGPT "Understood, Defiant. We'll make our way to the shuttle dock. Be ready for us," I reply, exhaling a sigh of relief. I turn to Sisko, updating him with the situation. "Captain, we have to move. The Rotterdam is on its way but we need to get to the shuttle dock for transport."
User Worf's voice comes in through the Captain's commbadge, as it somehow manages to create a local connection. "Worf to Sisko. We have secured the shuttle dock. Mr. O'Brien is injured. Where are you?"
ChatGPT I quickly respond, "This is Ensign [Your Name]. Captain Sisko and I are en route to your position. We'll be there shortly. Hang in there, Chief." With that, I turn to Sisko and suggest, "We should move, Captain."
User "Ensign Markov and I are just behind you, Mr. Worf. Try not to pick us off as we approach. Oh and the Defiant is operating with that emergency command protocol, so it's ready to beam you up. Have Major Kira and the Chief go ahead, if possible. But hold the fort for us." "Understood, Captain. Worf out."
Five minutes and more shooting than is good for a man's digestion you reach the shuttle dock. You literally have to step over a pile of dead guards to get through the door. "Had fun, Mr. Worf? Does your phaser not come with a stun setting?" asks Sisko. "I recognized the men who took us, Sir. My finger must have slipped on the settings dial," growls Worf, looking you over to assess if you're likely to snitch. "It happens," said Sisko matter-of-factly. "Ensign, get us home."
ChatGPT Without any hesitation, I raise my commbadge and say, "Ensign Markov to Defiant. Four to beam up."
User (Okay, take it home. You're all aboard, O'Brien will live, you get a speech and a medal. Write out those events from Markov's perspective and finish off. I'll add something if you pause.)
ChatGPT As the familiar hum and sparkling light of the transporter envelops us, I take one last look at the chaotic scene we're leaving behind. My heart pounds in my chest, not from fear, but from the exhilaration of having faced danger and come out the other side. It's a rush I wasn't expecting.
When we rematerialize aboard the Defiant, a group of medics is waiting for us. They immediately rush to Chief O'Brien, but his smile and light-hearted joke assure me he'll be alright. As I step off the transporter pad, I let out a sigh of relief.
Later, back in my uniform and at a ceremony in the Defiant's Mess Hall, Captain Sisko delivers a speech. He talks about bravery, about loyalty, about the strength of Starfleet and the spirit of those who serve. He doesn't dwell on the danger we faced, but rather the courage it took to face it.
When he calls me up, handing me a medal for bravery under fire, I can't help but feel a swell of pride. The applauding faces of my crewmates, the recognition in their eyes... it's a moment I will never forget. This is why I joined Starfleet, for moments like this. To be part of something greater, to face adversity and stand tall.
"Ensign Markov," Sisko says, offering a handshake along with the medal, "Your courage and quick thinking played a crucial role in our escape. Starfleet is proud to have you among its ranks."
As I return to my quarters that night, medal in hand, I find myself smiling. Yes, today was difficult, even frightening at times. But it was also invigorating, and more than that, it was important. It's a reminder of why I'm here, of why we're all here. To explore, to protect, to boldly go...
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
2023.06.03 22:48 AdneyNorthWest The Flaming Lips - Will You Return / When You Come Down [Official Music ...
 | submitted by AdneyNorthWest to TomesofSongsnNotes [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 22:42 Brave_Lady Can I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel 400ml if I have dry skin?
 | I started getting into skincare a few months ago and have been successful in maintaining and keeping a consistent skincare routine. I wash my face twice, in the morning and at night, because I am extremely strict with applying sunscreen (every two hours as sun exposure worsens my rosacea) so at night I double cleanse with the BOJ Cleansing Balm and the CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser for Dry Skin (despite its name and containing oil, it is a water-based cleanser). submitted by Brave_Lady to Skincare_Addiction [link] [comments] In the morning I was using the Cetaphil Sensitive Skin (Redness Prone) Cleanser, however it was extremely irritating on my skin and have had to replace it. I went to Boots' (UK based pharmacy chain) and they recommended this one. However my concern is it it will be more drying on my skin because its for sensitive oily skin? I started last week and so far I am happy with it, but I am worried it might be too stripping as I double moisturise in the AM & PM. Is it OK for me to keep using it despite not being for my skin type? |
2023.06.03 22:35 Fj6886 DAP Destination Gisha finally gets real DAP with Balls Deep Anal Gapes No Pussy Swallow GIO1249
 | submitted by Fj6886 to Cbie [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 22:34 Slow-Ad4691 Sealing cedar shutters
 | I am building cedar shutters for our home and plan on using a solid gray stain. Does anyone know if a product like dynaflex 230 or similar caulk can be stained? The DAP website says it can be painted but I have little to no experience with solid stains. Thanks! submitted by Slow-Ad4691 to BeginnerWoodWorking [link] [comments] |
2023.06.03 22:00 Informal-Struggle-50 [H] Large Terrain Lot/ Necron Army [W] Anything 40k [Loc] IL, USA
Hello Miniswap, I have a Set of Terrain and Necron Army I'm looking to either Trade Off or Sell.
The Terrain is an Insolated Foam Terrain Set with a Ruin City Theme, it contains: - 3x Large Ruined Buildings - 3x Medium Ruined Buildings - 2x Small Ruined Buildings - 4x Fallen Debris - 2x Massive Craters - 2x Dragon Teeths - 2x Barbed Wires
https://imgur.com/a/uoyQ9Tz
Pricing at $150 OBO
(Splits)
The Necron Army contains: - Overlord - Royal Warden - 20x Necron Warriors (10x NoS) - 6x Scarab Swarms (3x NoS) - 8x Immortals - Tomb Blades (Slightly Built)
https://imgur.com/a/RMEtwPc
Pricing at $90 OBO
(No Splits)
Trades Wise: Looking for any 40k Faction NoS or NiB, Army Boxes, Apocalypse Boxes, Battleforce Boxes, Variety of NiB/NoS also fine
Thanks for Watching, Happy Hunting!!!
submitted by Informal-Struggle-50 to Miniswap [link] [comments]
The Terrain is an Insolated Foam Terrain Set with a Ruin City Theme, it contains: - 3x Large Ruined Buildings - 3x Medium Ruined Buildings - 2x Small Ruined Buildings - 4x Fallen Debris - 2x Massive Craters - 2x Dragon Teeths - 2x Barbed Wires
https://imgur.com/a/uoyQ9Tz
Pricing at $150 OBO
(Splits)
The Necron Army contains: - Overlord - Royal Warden - 20x Necron Warriors (10x NoS) - 6x Scarab Swarms (3x NoS) - 8x Immortals - Tomb Blades (Slightly Built)
https://imgur.com/a/RMEtwPc
Pricing at $90 OBO
(No Splits)
Trades Wise: Looking for any 40k Faction NoS or NiB, Army Boxes, Apocalypse Boxes, Battleforce Boxes, Variety of NiB/NoS also fine
Thanks for Watching, Happy Hunting!!!
2023.06.03 21:50 KingofWurms11 How to get out of a cage?
I got warped by an orc shaman into a cage, and I can't find a way to get out. Is there some button or something to open the cage? I tried all the interaction modes to no effect.
submitted by KingofWurms11 to daggerfallunity [link] [comments]
2023.06.03 21:47 Yellowpaddles The Ontario Wildfire Program is on its last legs. This is why you should care.
Here’s your fair warning, the provincial government won’t give you one.
It’s the time of year where everyone remembers that the forests in Ontario burn, and that ontario has its own wildland firefighters on the front line. (both the fire line and fighting bill 124)
When your cabin/house burns down, you or your relatives are in the hospital because of the air quality is so bad, or you can’t have a fire in your backyard don’t blame firefighters in Ontario. We are down 50 crews provincially, and the other sources of usual crews (BC, Alberta, Quebec) are so busy they can’t help and are facing these same issues. Canada has already called Australians and New Zealanders to come help. That might give you an idea of how short we are for crews nationally. The Americans will be too busy to help us soon too.
Canada went to phase level 5 (the worst level) mid may, and is unlikely to return to normal levels until the season ends. The problem is so bad that it’s likely no one is coming to help us. If the fire season gets worse, we’re on our own. Firefighters are quitting for jobs with a liveable wage, the government refuses to take action and refuses to purchase new aircraft or pay the pilots in line with the risks they face dropping water and foam over fires (in planes that are constantly needing more and more maintenance).
The government wants to project strength when they should be telling people to buy their own sprinkler kits. Wouldn’t want the public to know we are on the edge of our own Fort Mac. Hopefully the fire hazard goes away and we can continue to spend less on firefighting.
They continue to put Ontarians at risk and they roll the dice with the fire hazard every year. Good luck this summer.
Some good info to start off:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/fire-fighters-challenges-ontario-1.6862374
www.opawf.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/9737424/ontario-wild-fire-season-beginning/
www.thecanadianwildfirenetwork.com
submitted by Yellowpaddles to ontario [link] [comments]
It’s the time of year where everyone remembers that the forests in Ontario burn, and that ontario has its own wildland firefighters on the front line. (both the fire line and fighting bill 124)
When your cabin/house burns down, you or your relatives are in the hospital because of the air quality is so bad, or you can’t have a fire in your backyard don’t blame firefighters in Ontario. We are down 50 crews provincially, and the other sources of usual crews (BC, Alberta, Quebec) are so busy they can’t help and are facing these same issues. Canada has already called Australians and New Zealanders to come help. That might give you an idea of how short we are for crews nationally. The Americans will be too busy to help us soon too.
Canada went to phase level 5 (the worst level) mid may, and is unlikely to return to normal levels until the season ends. The problem is so bad that it’s likely no one is coming to help us. If the fire season gets worse, we’re on our own. Firefighters are quitting for jobs with a liveable wage, the government refuses to take action and refuses to purchase new aircraft or pay the pilots in line with the risks they face dropping water and foam over fires (in planes that are constantly needing more and more maintenance).
The government wants to project strength when they should be telling people to buy their own sprinkler kits. Wouldn’t want the public to know we are on the edge of our own Fort Mac. Hopefully the fire hazard goes away and we can continue to spend less on firefighting.
They continue to put Ontarians at risk and they roll the dice with the fire hazard every year. Good luck this summer.
Some good info to start off:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/fire-fighters-challenges-ontario-1.6862374
www.opawf.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/9737424/ontario-wild-fire-season-beginning/
www.thecanadianwildfirenetwork.com
2023.06.03 21:24 Old_Heart_7780 To Grandmothers house we go..
This is one of those days I put my earbuds in and crank up the music. Balmy low barometer days are never fun for an old retired electrician.
I was thinking about grandmas house, Junior’s grandma. There was something in her backyard that interested the Indiana State Police shortly after their summer wading in shitty brown Wabash River water. There was some reason they were there in force digging through years of Coffee grounds, potato peelings Brown bananas, rotten peas, 10 Chunks of sour cottage cheese... I think someone tipped ISP investigators on grandma’s trash pit on the outskirts of town. They knew someone burned something in that large garbage/burn pit you can see from Google Earth.
There’s no mistaking who the tipster could have been. The one guy that knew what was thrown in the Wabash River below the Kelly Street Bridge. The guy seen in his bright orange Property of Miami County Jail jumpsuit. Wrists shackled at the waist and escorted by two plainclothes ISP detectives that logged him out of the county lockup for a brief jaunt around his hometown. This was no Warped Tour— these men were serious. They were being escorted to that site where Junior must have told the detectives his own dad threw that old hunting knife. A bloody murder weapon. He had to get rid of it somewhere— living in rural Indiana that muddy River was his safest bet. He could drive by it everyday on his way to work in Kokomo— the sick POS.
Junior told them where they’d find that murder weapon. Who else could have led them there last summer. Things started moving once they shook that tree. They let Junior know in no uncertainty they knew he used one of his electronic devices to look up the Marathon Gas Station in Delphi that morning. They had a 20 something year old man languishing away in a county jail paranoid that he’d get ALL the CSAM charges, including the 2 count first degree murder charges for killing two kids. I guarantee anyone reading my words that freaked the Junior out. It was a planted story to get him thinking— get him even more paranoid he’d get all the blame for that day in Delphi. He’s a manipulator and exploiter of vulnerable young girls— but he’s no killer. The killer is that other actor living in that shithole of a 2 story claptrap dirty white house on the banks of that impossibly muddy River. You ever seen that Tik Tok What’s Your Name? Me being Ezekiel— I’d love to yell across the Wabash River to that house… What’s your name? If you’ve seen the Tik Tok you know what I’m talking about.
The ISP found that knife. I don’t know that as fact, I know it as in I have faith they didn’t stop until they did find it. A literal needle hidden on that muddy River bottom. They found the knife and it allowed them to move to the next location. I suspect ISP investigators stealthily drove past grandma’s house that day with the big guy in the orange suit slouched down in his seat. I don’t doubt they have him on video pointing out exactly where his daddy burned his signature black ski mask, black jeans, black hoodie, and black boots. I have no doubts he threw in the purple PT Crusier floor mat(s), the cheap aftermarket car seat covers and the fuzzy purple steering wheel cover grandma so much cherished.
The very fact that ISP investigators were sifting through years of ashes in grandmas backyard burn pit makes me confident somebody snitched. You know the old saying Snitches get Stitches. Not this time, because there’s no way in hell they are going to let the daddy man anywhere near his only son. It was no easy task to get a search warrant to search a little old ladies backyard burn pit— trust me. This lady had nothing to do with what happened that day. Her only misfortune is the fact she gave birth to a monster.
The Indiana State Police had to have found that killers knife. I say that because I think it took them finding it where, and the way, it was described by Junior. I doubt it has any fingerprints on it, or traceable DNA. If it had the owner would be in the same predicament as his little buddy from Mexico right now. It was enough to allow the ISP investigators to go to the judge with Junior’s taped statement and the photos of that knife risen from that dirty water. It was enough evidence and just enough credibility to juniors statement to get the search warrant probable cause affidavit to search a little old ladies trash/ burn pit filled with ….
With bacon rinds and chicken bones
drippy ins of ice cream cones Prune pits, peach pits, orange peels Gluppy glumps of cold oat meal, pizza crust and withered greens And soggy beans and tangerines and crust of black burned buttered toast And gristly bits of beefy roast
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout-
Shel Silverstein
I grew up listening to this guys poetry… my grandmother gave me his published poems when I was that age 13-14.
The three of them stole those two young girls lives. I know the men and women in law enforcement, that have worked on solving these horrific murders. They will not stop until all three are safely in a cold concrete and steel 6x9 cell, with a thin pad on a concrete bed
F___ You T___!
I had to quit Tik Tok btw. Too time consuming. I don’t miss it..
I
submitted by Old_Heart_7780 to Delphitrial [link] [comments]
I was thinking about grandmas house, Junior’s grandma. There was something in her backyard that interested the Indiana State Police shortly after their summer wading in shitty brown Wabash River water. There was some reason they were there in force digging through years of Coffee grounds, potato peelings Brown bananas, rotten peas, 10 Chunks of sour cottage cheese... I think someone tipped ISP investigators on grandma’s trash pit on the outskirts of town. They knew someone burned something in that large garbage/burn pit you can see from Google Earth.
There’s no mistaking who the tipster could have been. The one guy that knew what was thrown in the Wabash River below the Kelly Street Bridge. The guy seen in his bright orange Property of Miami County Jail jumpsuit. Wrists shackled at the waist and escorted by two plainclothes ISP detectives that logged him out of the county lockup for a brief jaunt around his hometown. This was no Warped Tour— these men were serious. They were being escorted to that site where Junior must have told the detectives his own dad threw that old hunting knife. A bloody murder weapon. He had to get rid of it somewhere— living in rural Indiana that muddy River was his safest bet. He could drive by it everyday on his way to work in Kokomo— the sick POS.
Junior told them where they’d find that murder weapon. Who else could have led them there last summer. Things started moving once they shook that tree. They let Junior know in no uncertainty they knew he used one of his electronic devices to look up the Marathon Gas Station in Delphi that morning. They had a 20 something year old man languishing away in a county jail paranoid that he’d get ALL the CSAM charges, including the 2 count first degree murder charges for killing two kids. I guarantee anyone reading my words that freaked the Junior out. It was a planted story to get him thinking— get him even more paranoid he’d get all the blame for that day in Delphi. He’s a manipulator and exploiter of vulnerable young girls— but he’s no killer. The killer is that other actor living in that shithole of a 2 story claptrap dirty white house on the banks of that impossibly muddy River. You ever seen that Tik Tok What’s Your Name? Me being Ezekiel— I’d love to yell across the Wabash River to that house… What’s your name? If you’ve seen the Tik Tok you know what I’m talking about.
The ISP found that knife. I don’t know that as fact, I know it as in I have faith they didn’t stop until they did find it. A literal needle hidden on that muddy River bottom. They found the knife and it allowed them to move to the next location. I suspect ISP investigators stealthily drove past grandma’s house that day with the big guy in the orange suit slouched down in his seat. I don’t doubt they have him on video pointing out exactly where his daddy burned his signature black ski mask, black jeans, black hoodie, and black boots. I have no doubts he threw in the purple PT Crusier floor mat(s), the cheap aftermarket car seat covers and the fuzzy purple steering wheel cover grandma so much cherished.
The very fact that ISP investigators were sifting through years of ashes in grandmas backyard burn pit makes me confident somebody snitched. You know the old saying Snitches get Stitches. Not this time, because there’s no way in hell they are going to let the daddy man anywhere near his only son. It was no easy task to get a search warrant to search a little old ladies backyard burn pit— trust me. This lady had nothing to do with what happened that day. Her only misfortune is the fact she gave birth to a monster.
The Indiana State Police had to have found that killers knife. I say that because I think it took them finding it where, and the way, it was described by Junior. I doubt it has any fingerprints on it, or traceable DNA. If it had the owner would be in the same predicament as his little buddy from Mexico right now. It was enough to allow the ISP investigators to go to the judge with Junior’s taped statement and the photos of that knife risen from that dirty water. It was enough evidence and just enough credibility to juniors statement to get the search warrant probable cause affidavit to search a little old ladies trash/ burn pit filled with ….
With bacon rinds and chicken bones
drippy ins of ice cream cones Prune pits, peach pits, orange peels Gluppy glumps of cold oat meal, pizza crust and withered greens And soggy beans and tangerines and crust of black burned buttered toast And gristly bits of beefy roast
Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout-
Shel Silverstein
I grew up listening to this guys poetry… my grandmother gave me his published poems when I was that age 13-14.
The three of them stole those two young girls lives. I know the men and women in law enforcement, that have worked on solving these horrific murders. They will not stop until all three are safely in a cold concrete and steel 6x9 cell, with a thin pad on a concrete bed
F___ You T___!
I had to quit Tik Tok btw. Too time consuming. I don’t miss it..
I
2023.06.03 21:23 Puppinbake Delivery Fears: Tearing, Pooping, Pain (positive birth story)
There are tons of birth stories out there that talk about epidurals, tearing, pooping while pushing, and the pain of birth and recovery. And I was very afraid of all these things before I gave birth to my baby girl last week. So I wanted to talk about them here and other pains like contractions because there were a lot of things I experienced that I had never read before or come across. And I wish someone had told me all these things, it would have totally eased my fears.
For anyone worried, this is an extremely positive birth story (although I'm not going to write out all of it).
After a day of on and off contractions, my husband and I headed to the hospital in the evening on May 23. Contractions were like menstrual cramps, but extremely strong. This to me was the worst part of all labor, delivery, and recovery. But, since the contractions began small and grew in pain as the day went, I was able to gradually become used to the feeling and pain of them. They feel like a wave: they'd begin, grow strong, I'd breath and swear a lot, then eventually they'd begin to decline and that was such a relief. I just kept telling myself "pain is temporary", it doesn't last more than 1 minute usually (sometimes less, for me 50 seconds was the average), and I can do anything for 1 minute. In between contractions I felt totally normal, almost to the point where the contractions may not have happened at all. That part was so surreal to me. Something I didn't know was that my contractions were all low, down in my pelvic floor area, in the area of real menstrual cramps. My belly got harder as it contracted, but the pain didn't go up above the belly button. I always thought it was the entire belly, but nope.
We got to the hospital and were checked in through the ER bc it was about 11:30pm. It took a few hours to be fully checked into the room, get into bed, get an IV and other processes done (they drew blood, gathered some info from me, hooked up a baby monitor over the belly). They told me if I wanted an epidural I could ask at any time and I said I'd like it asap please. I knew I wanted one, and even though the pain was still manageable, I didn't want to wait until the pain was too bad, bc I knew it would take some time for the anesthesiologist to arrive.
Once he did arrive (maybe 30 mins later, and just in time bc the contractions were getting the better of me), they had my husband leave the room bc it's a medical procedure and it needs to be as clean a room as possible I guess. I wore a hair cap, and sat on the edge of the bed with the help of this thing they rolled up to put my feet on and lean into so that my spine rounded. It had a place for my face to rest like a massage chair, and the nurse stood with me to help me through it and monitor my heart rate and contractions. I didn't know the process of receiving an epidural, and there were some uncomfortable parts, but mostly it was very easy to do. My fears were worse than the procedure. There is a little stinging type pinch as the needle goes in (he said like a bee sting, and that's sort of accurate), then not much else as they insert the tube and feed it in. That's something I didn't learn until well into pregnancy: an epidural isn't just a shot you get. It's a tube inserted into your back that remains there the whole time. You also get a button to push if you need more (at one point I felt a little of the contractions so I pushed it once, but that was it the whole time). While getting the epidural, towards the end of the procedure, I remember one point there was a hot burning sensation that lasted like 3-5 seconds. Surprised me, but it was so short there was barely time to register it. I also had a contraction in the middle of the procedure so the anesthesiologist paused while I breathed through it. Then the tube got taped up to my back so I didn't shift it and it was over. The nurse helped me get back into bed quickly bc it begins to take effect quickly. She inserted a catheter too, which I didn't feel at all bc of the epidural, and was great bc it was the first time all pregnancy that I didn't feel like I had to pee all the time.
Things about the epidural I didn't know: it takes effect immediately like I said. The nurse asked right away if I felt any contractions, and I said no, and she's like good bc you're having one right now. It's a complete lack of pain all over. I always thought I'd feel some pain, maybe while pushing/delivering the baby, but no. Literally zero pain. It was such a blessing bc I was able to enjoy every part of the rest of the labor and birth, and be calm and mentally present for it all. So if pain is your biggest fear, the epidural is your best friend. I even had back pain from the uncomfortable bed, and that went away immediately too. It felt numb basically from my feet all the way to the top of my belly/uterus, but I could feel my boobs and upward. One weird thing is it made me itchy. Apparently that's a normal side effect of it. But then I'd try to scratch the itch and I couldn't feel the scratch so it just kept itching. Annoying! I'd just tell myself "I scratched it and it's gone" to try and trick my brain haha.
After the epidural around 4:30am on May 24 I slept for a few hours (tried to, it wasn't easy in the bed with all the monitors beeping and lights from monitors), and woke up for a cervical check at around 8. I arrived 1cm dilated and they checked and it was 5.5cm. If you, like me, hated cervical checks at the ob office, I was surprised to find the checks not bad at the hospital, even before the epidural. Idk why it just didn't hurt then (maybe bc baby was beginning to descend). Plus then the epidural stopped me from feeling the other ones. I think this was also when my doctor came and broke my water, since it didn't break on its own. Again I felt nothing. I dozed off a little bit more and the nurses came back to check again around 10ish, and we were all surprised to find me 10cm and ready to push.
I never got that sensation to bear down or push, not the entire delivery. The nurses got my legs up into stirrups and I did some "practice" pushes to see if we could get baby's head descending. The whole thing was oddly calm, just getting into position and initial pushing. They wanted to do the final pushes with my doctor there, so we didn't do too many. To push they told me to take a deep breath, hold it, and push like I'm trying to poop for a count of 10. Because of the epidural, I couldn't actually feel when contractions came (that's when they wanted me to push), and I'd do 3 pushes each contraction (so 3 counts of 10). I had to trust my body that I knew how to poop-push. I basically just lifted my head, tucking it into my chest and focused on pushing like pooping. They told me I did a great job, so I just focused on doing the same thing each time. It didn't tire me out and I didn't feel exhausted from it all. And I also never needed to change positions to push, nor did I feel the need to.
Now... Fear of pooping during delivery. That was my greatest fear at the beginning of pregnancy. As I got further into pregnancy, I got used to the idea of it and cared less and less. Things that helped me not care: I saw a video saying if you poop, that means you're pushing correctly, and the nurses will be like "woo!! She's pushing right!" And they will make sure no one sees that poop! They will swipe it away immediately and never tell you or anyone it happened. My husband thinks I did, and I didn't even notice, I was so in the moment (and tbh I didn't think about pooping once during the entire delivery process, I was too busy!) The other thing I thought was that if I do poop while delivering, it can delay that first post-delivery poop that everyone is terrified of and give me more time to heal before having to do that.
Once my doctor arrived, I started pushing in earnest. Same pushing process the whole time, I didn't need to change positions or method of pushing. It happened fast for me even though it's my first baby, and maybe that's why everything seemed so pleasant for me. I know not everyone will have a similar experience. In my birth plan I wrote that I wanted to avoid a tear if possible, and my doctor used mineral oil to massage my perineum and stretch me a bit in between pushes. I didn't feel a thing. She helped me pace my pushing too, and in the end I didn't tear externally, but I did tear internally (I was stitched up and later at home once the swelling went down I can feel the stitches just outside my vagina going inward). This again is something I didn't know could happen. My doctor said it could have been from her arm or hand coming out, I don't really understand though haha. And again, I didn't feel it happen. If I tore externally too, I wouldn't have felt that either.
When my baby girl came out, I was so distracted by her on my chest and her little body and face, I didn't feel or notice the doctor working on me. She spent some time stitching me up, but I didn't even notice. I was watching my baby get cleaned up and touching her face and back, and talking to my husband about her. I was so so so afraid of tearing when I was pregnant, and I could have had the biggest tear in the world and never would have felt it or known. Bless the epidural!
We moved to a postpartum room and stayed there rooming in with baby until the next day when we went home. As the epidural wore off, I began to feel sore. There was swelling from the tear and stitches and general swelling from everything else. The hospital gave me the worst disposable underwear that was too small once the pad was on, and giant pads for the blood. I wish I had brought my own disposable diapers instead (I had always discreet brand and loved them). They also gave me a lidocaine spray, some witch hazel pads, a Peri bottle, and cleaning wipes. I brought my own healing products which I was happy about. When I was home I ended up using only the diapers with Frida healing foam or cooling pad liners, and dermaplast. I didn't find I needed the Frida ice packs I bought. What I wish I did buy was a donut to sit on. There was a lot of sitting that first week (mostly sitting to breastfeed), and it was hard on my lower body. I even gave up on the Peri bottle after a few days, bc I hated waiting for the faucet water to warm up to fill it. I found if I learned forward while peeing it wouldn't go back and burn (it barely burned to me, probably bc my stitches were more internal. When I did feel burning it was a manageable pain too). The thing I wish someone said to me about recovery is that it's simply a healing process for a wound (duh). It's going to be sore, but it'll slowly heal and need all the things a wound needs to heal. For me, after about 6 days I stopped needing the diapers (the bleeding slowed down), and switched to large overnight maxi pads, and after about 8 days I was able to switch to normal pads (although I still wear the overnights at night, but I really don't think I need to). I also stopped using the perineal foam after a while (liked it early on bc it was able to basically coat my skin down there) and switched to the cooling pad liners. Today is 10 days after her birth and I just put away all the postpartum/perineal care items except pads.
And I know everyone is always afraid of the first postpartum poop! For me, because I didn't tear externally, it wasn't painful or difficult. My own fear was worse than the actual event. In the hospital, they gave me a stool softener the day of delivery and the next day (the day we were discharged). I kept taking them at home too. I think it came on day 3 after her birth. I waited until I felt the urge, took it slow and didn't try to force anything out, and all went well. I can't speak for anyone else though because like I said I didn't tear externally, but I did have a lot of swelling and pain down there, but it still wasn't painful to poop for me.
One last pain I want to touch on, bc I didn't know this part either. If you plan to breastfeed, when you're actively feeding your baby, you'll start having little contractions that will help shrink your uterus. To me, it doesn't feel like the contractions of labor but almost exactly like period cramps. Annoying but manageable. I'm not sure if this will happen if you choose to pump from the start. And the pain will decrease when you finish feeding.
I hope this was helpful even though it was so long. I'm happy to answer any other questions in the comments if anything isn't clear or you want elaboration. Good luck, and fear not, future mamas!
submitted by Puppinbake to pregnant [link] [comments]
For anyone worried, this is an extremely positive birth story (although I'm not going to write out all of it).
After a day of on and off contractions, my husband and I headed to the hospital in the evening on May 23. Contractions were like menstrual cramps, but extremely strong. This to me was the worst part of all labor, delivery, and recovery. But, since the contractions began small and grew in pain as the day went, I was able to gradually become used to the feeling and pain of them. They feel like a wave: they'd begin, grow strong, I'd breath and swear a lot, then eventually they'd begin to decline and that was such a relief. I just kept telling myself "pain is temporary", it doesn't last more than 1 minute usually (sometimes less, for me 50 seconds was the average), and I can do anything for 1 minute. In between contractions I felt totally normal, almost to the point where the contractions may not have happened at all. That part was so surreal to me. Something I didn't know was that my contractions were all low, down in my pelvic floor area, in the area of real menstrual cramps. My belly got harder as it contracted, but the pain didn't go up above the belly button. I always thought it was the entire belly, but nope.
We got to the hospital and were checked in through the ER bc it was about 11:30pm. It took a few hours to be fully checked into the room, get into bed, get an IV and other processes done (they drew blood, gathered some info from me, hooked up a baby monitor over the belly). They told me if I wanted an epidural I could ask at any time and I said I'd like it asap please. I knew I wanted one, and even though the pain was still manageable, I didn't want to wait until the pain was too bad, bc I knew it would take some time for the anesthesiologist to arrive.
Once he did arrive (maybe 30 mins later, and just in time bc the contractions were getting the better of me), they had my husband leave the room bc it's a medical procedure and it needs to be as clean a room as possible I guess. I wore a hair cap, and sat on the edge of the bed with the help of this thing they rolled up to put my feet on and lean into so that my spine rounded. It had a place for my face to rest like a massage chair, and the nurse stood with me to help me through it and monitor my heart rate and contractions. I didn't know the process of receiving an epidural, and there were some uncomfortable parts, but mostly it was very easy to do. My fears were worse than the procedure. There is a little stinging type pinch as the needle goes in (he said like a bee sting, and that's sort of accurate), then not much else as they insert the tube and feed it in. That's something I didn't learn until well into pregnancy: an epidural isn't just a shot you get. It's a tube inserted into your back that remains there the whole time. You also get a button to push if you need more (at one point I felt a little of the contractions so I pushed it once, but that was it the whole time). While getting the epidural, towards the end of the procedure, I remember one point there was a hot burning sensation that lasted like 3-5 seconds. Surprised me, but it was so short there was barely time to register it. I also had a contraction in the middle of the procedure so the anesthesiologist paused while I breathed through it. Then the tube got taped up to my back so I didn't shift it and it was over. The nurse helped me get back into bed quickly bc it begins to take effect quickly. She inserted a catheter too, which I didn't feel at all bc of the epidural, and was great bc it was the first time all pregnancy that I didn't feel like I had to pee all the time.
Things about the epidural I didn't know: it takes effect immediately like I said. The nurse asked right away if I felt any contractions, and I said no, and she's like good bc you're having one right now. It's a complete lack of pain all over. I always thought I'd feel some pain, maybe while pushing/delivering the baby, but no. Literally zero pain. It was such a blessing bc I was able to enjoy every part of the rest of the labor and birth, and be calm and mentally present for it all. So if pain is your biggest fear, the epidural is your best friend. I even had back pain from the uncomfortable bed, and that went away immediately too. It felt numb basically from my feet all the way to the top of my belly/uterus, but I could feel my boobs and upward. One weird thing is it made me itchy. Apparently that's a normal side effect of it. But then I'd try to scratch the itch and I couldn't feel the scratch so it just kept itching. Annoying! I'd just tell myself "I scratched it and it's gone" to try and trick my brain haha.
After the epidural around 4:30am on May 24 I slept for a few hours (tried to, it wasn't easy in the bed with all the monitors beeping and lights from monitors), and woke up for a cervical check at around 8. I arrived 1cm dilated and they checked and it was 5.5cm. If you, like me, hated cervical checks at the ob office, I was surprised to find the checks not bad at the hospital, even before the epidural. Idk why it just didn't hurt then (maybe bc baby was beginning to descend). Plus then the epidural stopped me from feeling the other ones. I think this was also when my doctor came and broke my water, since it didn't break on its own. Again I felt nothing. I dozed off a little bit more and the nurses came back to check again around 10ish, and we were all surprised to find me 10cm and ready to push.
I never got that sensation to bear down or push, not the entire delivery. The nurses got my legs up into stirrups and I did some "practice" pushes to see if we could get baby's head descending. The whole thing was oddly calm, just getting into position and initial pushing. They wanted to do the final pushes with my doctor there, so we didn't do too many. To push they told me to take a deep breath, hold it, and push like I'm trying to poop for a count of 10. Because of the epidural, I couldn't actually feel when contractions came (that's when they wanted me to push), and I'd do 3 pushes each contraction (so 3 counts of 10). I had to trust my body that I knew how to poop-push. I basically just lifted my head, tucking it into my chest and focused on pushing like pooping. They told me I did a great job, so I just focused on doing the same thing each time. It didn't tire me out and I didn't feel exhausted from it all. And I also never needed to change positions to push, nor did I feel the need to.
Now... Fear of pooping during delivery. That was my greatest fear at the beginning of pregnancy. As I got further into pregnancy, I got used to the idea of it and cared less and less. Things that helped me not care: I saw a video saying if you poop, that means you're pushing correctly, and the nurses will be like "woo!! She's pushing right!" And they will make sure no one sees that poop! They will swipe it away immediately and never tell you or anyone it happened. My husband thinks I did, and I didn't even notice, I was so in the moment (and tbh I didn't think about pooping once during the entire delivery process, I was too busy!) The other thing I thought was that if I do poop while delivering, it can delay that first post-delivery poop that everyone is terrified of and give me more time to heal before having to do that.
Once my doctor arrived, I started pushing in earnest. Same pushing process the whole time, I didn't need to change positions or method of pushing. It happened fast for me even though it's my first baby, and maybe that's why everything seemed so pleasant for me. I know not everyone will have a similar experience. In my birth plan I wrote that I wanted to avoid a tear if possible, and my doctor used mineral oil to massage my perineum and stretch me a bit in between pushes. I didn't feel a thing. She helped me pace my pushing too, and in the end I didn't tear externally, but I did tear internally (I was stitched up and later at home once the swelling went down I can feel the stitches just outside my vagina going inward). This again is something I didn't know could happen. My doctor said it could have been from her arm or hand coming out, I don't really understand though haha. And again, I didn't feel it happen. If I tore externally too, I wouldn't have felt that either.
When my baby girl came out, I was so distracted by her on my chest and her little body and face, I didn't feel or notice the doctor working on me. She spent some time stitching me up, but I didn't even notice. I was watching my baby get cleaned up and touching her face and back, and talking to my husband about her. I was so so so afraid of tearing when I was pregnant, and I could have had the biggest tear in the world and never would have felt it or known. Bless the epidural!
We moved to a postpartum room and stayed there rooming in with baby until the next day when we went home. As the epidural wore off, I began to feel sore. There was swelling from the tear and stitches and general swelling from everything else. The hospital gave me the worst disposable underwear that was too small once the pad was on, and giant pads for the blood. I wish I had brought my own disposable diapers instead (I had always discreet brand and loved them). They also gave me a lidocaine spray, some witch hazel pads, a Peri bottle, and cleaning wipes. I brought my own healing products which I was happy about. When I was home I ended up using only the diapers with Frida healing foam or cooling pad liners, and dermaplast. I didn't find I needed the Frida ice packs I bought. What I wish I did buy was a donut to sit on. There was a lot of sitting that first week (mostly sitting to breastfeed), and it was hard on my lower body. I even gave up on the Peri bottle after a few days, bc I hated waiting for the faucet water to warm up to fill it. I found if I learned forward while peeing it wouldn't go back and burn (it barely burned to me, probably bc my stitches were more internal. When I did feel burning it was a manageable pain too). The thing I wish someone said to me about recovery is that it's simply a healing process for a wound (duh). It's going to be sore, but it'll slowly heal and need all the things a wound needs to heal. For me, after about 6 days I stopped needing the diapers (the bleeding slowed down), and switched to large overnight maxi pads, and after about 8 days I was able to switch to normal pads (although I still wear the overnights at night, but I really don't think I need to). I also stopped using the perineal foam after a while (liked it early on bc it was able to basically coat my skin down there) and switched to the cooling pad liners. Today is 10 days after her birth and I just put away all the postpartum/perineal care items except pads.
And I know everyone is always afraid of the first postpartum poop! For me, because I didn't tear externally, it wasn't painful or difficult. My own fear was worse than the actual event. In the hospital, they gave me a stool softener the day of delivery and the next day (the day we were discharged). I kept taking them at home too. I think it came on day 3 after her birth. I waited until I felt the urge, took it slow and didn't try to force anything out, and all went well. I can't speak for anyone else though because like I said I didn't tear externally, but I did have a lot of swelling and pain down there, but it still wasn't painful to poop for me.
One last pain I want to touch on, bc I didn't know this part either. If you plan to breastfeed, when you're actively feeding your baby, you'll start having little contractions that will help shrink your uterus. To me, it doesn't feel like the contractions of labor but almost exactly like period cramps. Annoying but manageable. I'm not sure if this will happen if you choose to pump from the start. And the pain will decrease when you finish feeding.
I hope this was helpful even though it was so long. I'm happy to answer any other questions in the comments if anything isn't clear or you want elaboration. Good luck, and fear not, future mamas!
2023.06.03 21:12 Massive-Blob-2450 Found on discord. Someone doesn't like r/anarchychess
Alright, that's enough, this is the straw that broke the camel's back, can't you see the abomination that anarchychess has become?! My patience wears thin as I confront the absolute lunacy that permeates this unholy corner of the chess world. What kind of madness is this? Who in their right mind thinks it's amusing to obliterate the very essence of chess? Pawns, once the pillars of strategic warfare, now prance around like deluded jesters, mocking the principles of order and structure. They're nothing but mindless pawns of chaos, trampling upon the sacred squares with reckless abandon while performing acts so cruel the name has to be said in french.
And let's not forget those so-called knights, those deranged creatures on horseback. They forsake all notions of strategy, opting instead to dance a demented ballet across the board. In unpredictable patterns. They prance, they pirouette, they mock the very concept of a logical move. It's as if they've taken leave of their senses, embracing a realm of absurdity that defies comprehension.
But the real culprits of this insanity are the bishops: those supposed holy figures have become nothing more than teleporting terrors. They warp from one corner to another, shattering the foundations of geometry and logic. Their erratic movements are an affront to the grand traditions of chess. Who needs strategy when you can simply vanish and reappear at will?
Enough is enough! This mockery of chess is an insult to the game and all those who have dedicated themselves to its noble pursuit over the centuries of its existence. We must rise up to proclaim the purity of the real strategy involved in chess and reclaim the dignity and integrity of our beloved game. Let us reject this maddening chaos and return to the beauty of a well thought-out plan, the elegance of strategic maneuvers, and the thrill of a hard-fought victory. So, fellow warriors of the chessboard, let stand with me against the madness of this subreddit. Let us preserve the integrity of this timeless game, protecting it from the clutches of those who would reduce it to a farcical circus. Let us shout with fervor and determination: "No more! We will not stand idly by as our noble game is desecrated by this absurdity!" Together, we shall bring order back to the chessboard, banishing this nonsense to the depths of oblivion where it rightfully belongs. And may the spirit of true chessmanship guide us on our quest for sanity in this world of chaos.
submitted by Massive-Blob-2450 to copypasta [link] [comments]
And let's not forget those so-called knights, those deranged creatures on horseback. They forsake all notions of strategy, opting instead to dance a demented ballet across the board. In unpredictable patterns. They prance, they pirouette, they mock the very concept of a logical move. It's as if they've taken leave of their senses, embracing a realm of absurdity that defies comprehension.
But the real culprits of this insanity are the bishops: those supposed holy figures have become nothing more than teleporting terrors. They warp from one corner to another, shattering the foundations of geometry and logic. Their erratic movements are an affront to the grand traditions of chess. Who needs strategy when you can simply vanish and reappear at will?
Enough is enough! This mockery of chess is an insult to the game and all those who have dedicated themselves to its noble pursuit over the centuries of its existence. We must rise up to proclaim the purity of the real strategy involved in chess and reclaim the dignity and integrity of our beloved game. Let us reject this maddening chaos and return to the beauty of a well thought-out plan, the elegance of strategic maneuvers, and the thrill of a hard-fought victory. So, fellow warriors of the chessboard, let stand with me against the madness of this subreddit. Let us preserve the integrity of this timeless game, protecting it from the clutches of those who would reduce it to a farcical circus. Let us shout with fervor and determination: "No more! We will not stand idly by as our noble game is desecrated by this absurdity!" Together, we shall bring order back to the chessboard, banishing this nonsense to the depths of oblivion where it rightfully belongs. And may the spirit of true chessmanship guide us on our quest for sanity in this world of chaos.
2023.06.03 20:52 TheCoverBlog House of M/Decimation and How to Set a Status Quo Review and Analysis
 | https://preview.redd.it/diyatvxfmu3b1.jpg?width=898&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a84931675eb4368b91cd22529e58d7b507325c6 House of M and the following Decimation were two Marvel storylines in 2005. While they touched most major members of the Marvel Comics Universe, those mainly impacted were the X-Men (and their mutant friends). The result of House of M, which is explored in Decimation, is the Scarlet Witch using her reality warping powers and obliterating the mutant population via depowering them. She says three words and that’s it. No More Mutants. These words set off an entire era of X-Men comics and defined the line for years to come. Was it a powerful creative choice or was it an editorial mandate or both? How does it compare in tone and relevance to the modern X-titles? The answers honestly may be a bit surprising depending on your history with comics. For me I definitely buy the idea that this was editorial sidelining the merry mutants due to the (lack of) ownership of their film rights. However the landscape that emerges is surprisingly interesting and refreshing, at least at the start. House of M and the subsequent Decimation. BackgroundI want to give a bit of context about where I am coming from for this review. I have never read these stories nor the following comics until the year 2019. However I have read most everything prior to 2005. This gives me an interesting perspective because I have heard extremely mixed reactions to this story and era. I am very excited to approach it though since it does seem to be quite radically different from any prior status quo and is distinct from the modern comics in just about every way. Along with House of M I have currently read the first seven issues of X-Factor and New Excalibur as well as The 198. From these titles I was able to get a pretty good feel for the beginning of this era and was honestly pretty captivated by it at the best of times.House of MI was not impressed with the actual eponymous miniseries from Brian Michael Bendis and Oliver Coipel. The story and art were both fine, but I didn’t feel particularly moved by any of the emotion or excited by the action. The best I could say is that the concept of a world where these characters get their every wish is a bit interesting and fun overall. I found most of the joy in the initial introductions and exploration of the alternate lives of the classic heroes. It felt akin to Age of Apocalypse or Heroes Reborn, and the novelty always works for me when it is done with a bit of care. Past that the plot left me with very little until of course right at the end. No matter the quality of the book, the ending is uniquely impactful at least among X-Men comics due to the reshaping of the entire line. Lowering the mutant population down to near irrelevancy is a radical shift from the past assertions and predictions of the future for mutants. Before we have always seen many futures that involve mutant domination or the complete reverse, but never a mass ‘curing’ like this. It arguably muddies the whole mutant metaphor in some ways. Terrible events of course occur that radically reduce the number of certain oppressed groups, such as the AIDS Epidemic and the gay community. The key difference here is that the mutant population is brought down by over 90%, but those individuals are still alive. It almost resembles a version of sterilization based eugenics that have been done throughout the history of the US, but that’s a pretty thin comparison at times I think. It feels like a very comic book magic based situation, which is not an inherently bad thing. The X-Men sometimes are at their best when the metaphor is used quite loosely and can be applied to a variety of experiences. Of course you run the risk of being too generic or making too broad of generalizations, but you’ll always need a good writer for a good story, you know what I mean? The status quo of the mutants having less numbers and thus less power has potential, and is a stark contrast to everything published post House of X/Powers of X. Also the idea of radical bigots identifying a sub group within an already minority community and viciously pushing for their eradication is pretty relevant in the year 2023. There’s never going to be perfect showcases of these types of themes in a Marvel superhero comic (especially when they are created by such a predominantly white cis heterosexual male demographic), but this setup at least feels new. Finishing House of M, I was more excited to explore the world of the X-Men than I had for the last probably 10 years of publication history.DecimationAfter the Scarlet Witch did her deed, the subsequent storylines in most X-Books was branded as Decimation and were centered on the mutants dealing with the fallout of their population reduction. I read three series to start and I believe I did them in chronological -ish order. The first was X-Men: The 198, a limited series about the Xavier mansion becoming a government internment camp for the surviving mutants. This one had some of the highest highs, but many of the lowest lows as well. I followed that with 7 issues of X-Factor and New Excalibur. These are both establishing legacy teams in a way that is comparable to their past roots, but revamped for the new era. Bringing back longtime writers Peter David and Chris Claremont may not seem like the best way to refresh the line, but it felt to me like they had matured as writers and were ready to deal with a more dire tone.ConclusionThe initiative to bring the number of mutants way down, whether editorially backed or not, is an opportunity to explore some new stories. An intimate mutant network should help to make the multiple books in the line feel more connected and impactful to each other. In the best case scenario it would also help facilitate overarching storylines that exist in this shared world. I have no idea if the books will pay any of this off, but I have a renewed enthusiasm to delve into the X-Men universe of this time. Check back here in the coming days to find more in depth looks at the books in this article and any of the subsequent stories I find to be as interesting as this kickoff.Check out the full post and more like this over at The Cover! |
2023.06.03 20:46 Moog_Latan Why Imu is the final villain of One Piece, NOT Blackbeard.
 | Let’s look at the timeline. In my opinion, this is the order: Blackbeard, Laugh Tale, final war with the World Government. submitted by Moog_Latan to OnePiece [link] [comments] Oda has said that the series will end with a final war that will make Marineford look cute. The comparison to Marineford implies it will also be a war with the World Government. https://preview.redd.it/agerhqphiu3b1.png?width=414&format=png&auto=webp&s=46e492c3a63c8893d4c6aba32ea0739c667cf765 Whitebeard himself says that once someone finds the One Piece they will then wage war with the World Government. Additionally, the full context we need for why the World Government is so deplorable will come at Laugh Tale, meaning the Strawhats must visit Laugh Tale before taking down the World Government. https://preview.redd.it/7rcz5prhlu3b1.png?width=753&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec88ec79ddf06a8f44e6505d5940c37ba96ed594 Next, why does Blackbeard get defeated before Laugh Tale? Well, Whitebeard in the same scene he mentioned the final war mentions that Blackbeard isn’t worthy of making it to Laugh Tale. And Blackbeard’s goal being to become Pirate King means Luffy’s gonna need to defeat him before he does that. https://preview.redd.it/tqa39wjmlu3b1.png?width=461&format=png&auto=webp&s=5a078e526d23bee5b5c1d94e50ba3c5f46a68421 Luffy isn’t gonna fight Blackbeard after Laugh Tale as by that point Luffy will already be Pirate King which is what Blackbeard is striving for, making any interaction between the two anticlimactic as Blackbeard would be starting off in a position below Luffy, decreasing the stakes in a significant way. Furthermore, the way Whitebeard talks implies Luffy will want to go after the government immediately after learning the void history which makes sense if Oda wants to keep narrative momentum. And I heavily doubt Blackbeard will be fighting in the final war as a third party as both him and the World Government would take the focus off each other, effectively wasting both of them. Meaning, Blackbeard has to be fought before Laugh Tale. Want more proof? Well, think about it in terms of scale. Luffy and Blackbeard are both Emperors with similar levels of strength, territory, armies and are both the same road poneglyph away from Laugh Tale, assuming Blackbeard took Law's three. Meanwhile, Imu is the singular King of the World and has no equal in that regard unlike the Emperors do with each other. They can nuke an island with a snap of the fingers and even outside of that they are likely the strongest villain in the series by virtue of them once managing to defeat Joyboy and the Ancient Kingdom at a time when the Ancient Kingdom was a more advanced version of Egghead. They have way more territory and much larger-sized armies than any Emperor, and while the Emperors have all lived through the same era and all know generally as much as each other, Imu has been doing this for 900 years and likely knows everything there is to know. https://preview.redd.it/xj52ia69mu3b1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=b54628dac6ffc0258cbab60478c1f76b1e2dd836 The point being, Imu is clearly a much greater increase in stakes than Blackbeard, if Luffy fights Blackbeard after Imu then it would just be downgrade. And finally, the World Government is a much more direct antithesis to the themes of the series such as free will, inherited will, dreams, etc. all being something to celebrate, than Blackbeard is. Blackbeard represents a warping of these themes – while he obviously goes about things in the wrong way he still believes at heart that people’s dreams will never die and so on. Meanwhile the World Government actively goes against all the aforementioned qualities Oda wants to promote. The public execution of Roger and Ace was an explicit effort to stop their wills from being inherited. Roger and Whitebeard using their final moments to spark a new era of dreams and romance was displayed to be in direct opposition to the government, and so on. Therefore, who makes for a better final smackdown? The guys who are partially opposed to the messages of the series, or the guys that are fully opposed? |
2023.06.03 20:40 MarisimIsTaken HearthCraft [SMP] {Java 1.19.x} {No griefing} {Economy} {No Resets} {Avg. 15 online}
play.hearthcraft.net
HearthCraft is a no-griefing economy SMP with a 0% pay-to-win store (verify for yourself here) that has been making the best experiences since October of 2018. We're experts in bringing people together. Have a sneak peek here! We're active on Instagram and Twitter!
submitted by MarisimIsTaken to mcservers [link] [comments]
HearthCraft is a no-griefing economy SMP with a 0% pay-to-win store (verify for yourself here) that has been making the best experiences since October of 2018. We're experts in bringing people together. Have a sneak peek here! We're active on Instagram and Twitter!
- The server will never reset. Ever. World dates back to July 2019.
- 0% pay-to-win perk system.
- Resource worlds (resets monthly)
- Dynmap
- Zero tolerance for any form of hate speech.
- Pet system
- Level-up System based on playtime, mcMMO, and economy.
- Land Claiming
- mcMMO
- Active and healthy economy system that includes player shops, player warps, auctions etc.
- Marriage plugin
- /wild (random teleport) command
- Leaderboards with a wide range of categories from blocks mined and mobs killed to cake slices eaten and pig distance!
- Runs on a dedicated Ryzen 5 5800X machine in Virginia
- Uses Purpur
- Block logging with CoreProtect and inventory rollback, for rare cases in which the server is clearly at fault, with InventorySaver.
- /pl is public
- No keep-inventory but /back is enabled and drops are locked (i.e. no one can take them except you) by default.
- Difficulty = Hard
- Main world is 90,000 * 90,000. All other worlds are 20,000 * 20,000.
- No automatic farm limitations such as mob stackers, entity cullers, and the like.
- Website: https://www.hearthcraft.net
- Discord: https://discord.hearthcraft.net
- Rules: http://www.hearthcraft.net/rules
- IP: play.hearthcraft.net
- Statistics: https://calypso.hearthcraft.net
2023.06.03 20:40 MarisimIsTaken HearthCraft SMP — A no-resets economy experience.
play.hearthcraft.net
HearthCraft is a no-griefing economy SMP with a 0% pay-to-win store (verify for yourself here) that has been making the best experiences since October of 2018. We're experts in bringing people together. Have a sneak peek here! We're active on Instagram and Twitter!
submitted by MarisimIsTaken to MinecraftServer [link] [comments]
HearthCraft is a no-griefing economy SMP with a 0% pay-to-win store (verify for yourself here) that has been making the best experiences since October of 2018. We're experts in bringing people together. Have a sneak peek here! We're active on Instagram and Twitter!
- The server will never reset. Ever. World dates back to July 2019.
- 0% pay-to-win perk system.
- Resource worlds (resets monthly)
- Dynmap
- Zero tolerance for any form of hate speech.
- Pet system
- Level-up System based on playtime, mcMMO, and economy.
- Land Claiming
- mcMMO
- Active and healthy economy system that includes player shops, player warps, auctions etc.
- Marriage plugin
- /wild (random teleport) command
- Leaderboards with a wide range of categories from blocks mined and mobs killed to cake slices eaten and pig distance!
- Runs on a dedicated Ryzen 5 5800X machine in Virginia
- Uses Purpur
- Block logging with CoreProtect and inventory rollback, for rare cases in which the server is clearly at fault, with InventorySaver.
- /pl is public
- No keep-inventory but /back is enabled and drops are locked (i.e. no one can take them except you) by default.
- Difficulty = Hard
- Main world is 90,000 * 90,000. All other worlds are 20,000 * 20,000.
- No automatic farm limitations such as mob stackers, entity cullers, and the like.
- Website: https://www.hearthcraft.net
- Discord: https://discord.hearthcraft.net
- Rules: http://www.hearthcraft.net/rules
- IP: play.hearthcraft.net
- Statistics: https://calypso.hearthcraft.net
2023.06.03 20:32 TheDarkArtsHeFancies Discharged from neuro after normal MRI, spinal tap, blood tests, ultrasound, and x-ray. But he is still disoriented, not walking normally, and does not seem okay.
11 year-old-feline (neutered male bengal), 8-9 pounds, located in Houston, TX. He is kept indoors, but he does have a covered and screened catio (connected to our house and he can come back inside freely) and I believe he was in the catio when whatever happened to him began.
He eats Royal Canin PR dry food and PurinaPro urinary tract wet cat food (oceanfish mostly). He has had the wet food a few times, but we recently switched to mostly that kind instead of mixing in the PurinaPro duck (non-urinary tract health kind). General history--lump removed and sent to a lab 1 year ago (benign), urinates outside his box regularly but has seen specialists who said it's a social issue. He has had dentals, teeth are currently in good shape. His vaccines were overdue as of April. He takes Revolution Plus monthly and has for about a year. He has always been pretty clumsy and has always walked with a bit of a sway.
About 3-4 weeks ago, we discontinued giving him gabapentin (1mL twice daily). He had been on it for a few years.
5/21: He fell off a cat shelf about 9 feet from the floor, but he seemed fine after.
5/29 at about 3:30 AM, he woke me up drooling all over me. He has hypersalivated a handful of times in the past due to licking or sniffing something. He fell asleep next to me but continued to drool a lot in his sleep.
The drooling continued in the morning, and he did not want breakfast. He was biting at the air some, like he had something stuck in his mouth. He seemed lethargic.
I took him to the ER at noon 5/29 after no improvement. They examined him, said he seemed normal, and sent us home.
5/30 I dropped him off at his regular vet. They said he was totally normal, then called me back and said he vocalized weirdly, laid down on a plate of food, and began foaming at the mouth. They said it was not a full-blown seizure but could have been a neurological event.
Tests they did: Chem(11), CBC, T4, urinalysis, SDMA, FeLV/FIV, and x-rays of what they characterized as "full cat." They noted mild gallbladder debris and "dietary indiscretion," but it wasn't causing a blockage and they didn't think it was relevant. Everything else was normal.
5/31 Regular vet told me to give him Elura. By that night, he still wasn't eating, so I took him to a different ER at around 8PM. The person who examined him in triage said she thought he was blind or almost blind because he did not respond to the menace test and his pupils were huge and not responding to light normally. They put him in a larger run, and he bumped into walls. They kept him overnight so their specialists could examine him in the morning.
6/1 Ophthalmology examined him and said his vision had returned but he wasn't blinking much. Neurology examined him. They did:
- an ultrasound, which found slight intestinal thickening that they said was possibly IBD or potentially lymphoma (he has no history of GI issues), and a liver nodule, which they didn't think was anything worrisome;
- an MRI, which was completely normal;
- and a spinal tap, which was also completely normal.
They kept him overnight again to see if he'd start eating.
6/2 He ate half his food, so they said I could bring him home. Within 30 minutes of getting home (around 2PM), he was doing this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W3r0FOP77Z3DOfLHijqi7EQtRIoBcKOm/view?usp=sharing
I emailed the video to the neurology team. The intern called and said he wasn't acting like that there. They weren't very concerned since his tests were so normal, but said I could always go back to the ER if I wanted. He did not have any medicine or anything between getting home and acting like that. He sniffed canned food, then walked away, got water, and went outside to the catio, and I took that video.
Today, 6/3, we gave him 1mL of gabapentin at around 8:30AM (regular vet said it wouldn't hurt to add it back in case it had been helping control some sort of neurological issue) and transdermal mirataz per neuro discharge instructions. At 11AM, he approached me like this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XSWESo3p70vGy-wuWuMmk8\_E7gzWaP7t/view?usp=sharing
The only other things I can think of that changed in our home (vets said none of these were relevant):
- We put cedarcide granules in the yard. I guess it's possible some could have gotten under the catio screen. The other cats/dogs are fine.
- He found Scout's Honor Probiotic Deodorizer (Evergreen scent) when he jumped in my closet a few nights before this began. He acted like he loved the smell, so I sprayed some on my hands and ran my hands over him. We did this for 3-4 nights in a row before this began. It said it was cat/dog safe. Vet looked it up and wasn't worried about it.
- I opened a new waterproof blanket from Amazon and put it over a pet gate without washing it first Sunday night.
submitted by TheDarkArtsHeFancies to AskVet [link] [comments]
He eats Royal Canin PR dry food and PurinaPro urinary tract wet cat food (oceanfish mostly). He has had the wet food a few times, but we recently switched to mostly that kind instead of mixing in the PurinaPro duck (non-urinary tract health kind). General history--lump removed and sent to a lab 1 year ago (benign), urinates outside his box regularly but has seen specialists who said it's a social issue. He has had dentals, teeth are currently in good shape. His vaccines were overdue as of April. He takes Revolution Plus monthly and has for about a year. He has always been pretty clumsy and has always walked with a bit of a sway.
About 3-4 weeks ago, we discontinued giving him gabapentin (1mL twice daily). He had been on it for a few years.
5/21: He fell off a cat shelf about 9 feet from the floor, but he seemed fine after.
5/29 at about 3:30 AM, he woke me up drooling all over me. He has hypersalivated a handful of times in the past due to licking or sniffing something. He fell asleep next to me but continued to drool a lot in his sleep.
The drooling continued in the morning, and he did not want breakfast. He was biting at the air some, like he had something stuck in his mouth. He seemed lethargic.
I took him to the ER at noon 5/29 after no improvement. They examined him, said he seemed normal, and sent us home.
5/30 I dropped him off at his regular vet. They said he was totally normal, then called me back and said he vocalized weirdly, laid down on a plate of food, and began foaming at the mouth. They said it was not a full-blown seizure but could have been a neurological event.
Tests they did: Chem(11), CBC, T4, urinalysis, SDMA, FeLV/FIV, and x-rays of what they characterized as "full cat." They noted mild gallbladder debris and "dietary indiscretion," but it wasn't causing a blockage and they didn't think it was relevant. Everything else was normal.
5/31 Regular vet told me to give him Elura. By that night, he still wasn't eating, so I took him to a different ER at around 8PM. The person who examined him in triage said she thought he was blind or almost blind because he did not respond to the menace test and his pupils were huge and not responding to light normally. They put him in a larger run, and he bumped into walls. They kept him overnight so their specialists could examine him in the morning.
6/1 Ophthalmology examined him and said his vision had returned but he wasn't blinking much. Neurology examined him. They did:
- an ultrasound, which found slight intestinal thickening that they said was possibly IBD or potentially lymphoma (he has no history of GI issues), and a liver nodule, which they didn't think was anything worrisome;
- an MRI, which was completely normal;
- and a spinal tap, which was also completely normal.
They kept him overnight again to see if he'd start eating.
6/2 He ate half his food, so they said I could bring him home. Within 30 minutes of getting home (around 2PM), he was doing this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W3r0FOP77Z3DOfLHijqi7EQtRIoBcKOm/view?usp=sharing
I emailed the video to the neurology team. The intern called and said he wasn't acting like that there. They weren't very concerned since his tests were so normal, but said I could always go back to the ER if I wanted. He did not have any medicine or anything between getting home and acting like that. He sniffed canned food, then walked away, got water, and went outside to the catio, and I took that video.
Today, 6/3, we gave him 1mL of gabapentin at around 8:30AM (regular vet said it wouldn't hurt to add it back in case it had been helping control some sort of neurological issue) and transdermal mirataz per neuro discharge instructions. At 11AM, he approached me like this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XSWESo3p70vGy-wuWuMmk8\_E7gzWaP7t/view?usp=sharing
The only other things I can think of that changed in our home (vets said none of these were relevant):
- We put cedarcide granules in the yard. I guess it's possible some could have gotten under the catio screen. The other cats/dogs are fine.
- He found Scout's Honor Probiotic Deodorizer (Evergreen scent) when he jumped in my closet a few nights before this began. He acted like he loved the smell, so I sprayed some on my hands and ran my hands over him. We did this for 3-4 nights in a row before this began. It said it was cat/dog safe. Vet looked it up and wasn't worried about it.
- I opened a new waterproof blanket from Amazon and put it over a pet gate without washing it first Sunday night.
2023.06.03 20:08 Commercial_Feeling- i’m tormented and broken. do they even love us or are we just tools? it hurts both ways…
i feel like a broken person who needs to be fixed and pieced back together…
i’ve been in an odd friendship with my best friend w undiagnosed bpd (i cudn’t confirm and kept denying till i saw her split and almost physically attack her partner towards the end of our friendship and upon reading this sub and the pieces just aligned…). our friendship is odd because it always felt like i was her partner even though she already had one. we always had like a weird situationship (even though she has a partner) and would often want me to marry her even though i told her i wouldn’t go gay for religious reasons.
i’ve always doubted her love for me because she would only ever come to me when she breaks up or is having relationship issues and i always brought it up that i feel like a replacement or i’m being used to which she would just deny. it ultimately caused us our friendship because i couldn’t trust her and ended up doing somethings i regret to her. i just feel used because one moment she says she loves me and then when she splits and discards me it’s as though she never loved me at all… are they even capable of loving someone or is it just for selfish reasons and only when you get on their good side?
i want to believe that she did and does love me because of everything we experienced together but just in the current headspace where i’m painted black, she doesn’t and is not capable of both holding love and hatred for me due to obviously their brain not capable of understanding grey areas. it’s always one or the other.
what the heck.
why do i even care when i got discarded and it’s been 6 months and a hoover at the forth month mark. and she’s just a friend! oh yah cos i hold so much compassion and love for her and got manipulated into believing she’s always the victim and not being able to tell her off when she’s doing a bad thing due to my also horrible abandonment issues and the constant fear of losing her because you’ve guessed it! i’ve been discarded so many times but unbeknownst to me i thought she was just busy! it’s totally warped my mind that i kept gaslighting myself every time she hurt me because i felt like it was not my right to feel hurt only hers because of how she kept making it seem like i’m the only one causing pain in our friendship. like what in the manipulation and i’m so dumb to have just stayed the same after three years.
every time i try to hold her accountable she runs, blames it on me or just deny. like i get that you see things in black and white but can’t you try to see things as grey??? even when they see themselves either freaking angels or devils like wtf you’re human. i hate their mental illness. in the end i did try to teach her that yes people hurt each other but that’s why we speak up and try to help improve each other out. her brain is wired to believe that you have to accept a person wholeheartedly and keep giving excuses for their shitty behaviour (why she stays with her toxic abusive partner and always chooses them) because she wants people to do the same for her so she wouldn’t need to change her ways. like wtf kinda mentality is that? a child’s?
sorry vent.
she’s not really that bad compared to the general consensus because she has a lot more self control. she does tell me she feels guilty and doesn’t like hurting me. she also tells me she’s trying (and i do believe that because it shows) whenever i try to break through to her and help her to understand how a healthy mindset (and human) works. but her self awareness is scary. because it’s like knowing a person has issues and doesn’t want to try to fix themselves (because they’re scared). it’s painful.
EDIT: also she’s a quiet bpd so the mental gymnastics i’ve had on her… so it was really about reading between the lines. mental torture and won’t speak up. usually i would go passive aggressive on her just to get her fueled up, rage and tell me how she genuinely feels only for her to hate herself after saying things or just run away from me. just because she thinks it’s mean when to me it’s just boundaries and standing your ground. like i would congratulate the heck outta her every time she told me how she genuinely feels but no she kept hating me for making her do it which is dumb because i wanted her to do it. like she thinks she’s a bad person for saying how she genuinely feels meanwhile i feel like she’s displaying bad behaviour every time she complains about literally everything, doesn’t want to reciprocate, lying and manipulating people, emotional cheating and monkey branching. these people are just so contradictory… love her to bits still though.
submitted by Commercial_Feeling- to BPDlovedones [link] [comments]
i’ve been in an odd friendship with my best friend w undiagnosed bpd (i cudn’t confirm and kept denying till i saw her split and almost physically attack her partner towards the end of our friendship and upon reading this sub and the pieces just aligned…). our friendship is odd because it always felt like i was her partner even though she already had one. we always had like a weird situationship (even though she has a partner) and would often want me to marry her even though i told her i wouldn’t go gay for religious reasons.
i’ve always doubted her love for me because she would only ever come to me when she breaks up or is having relationship issues and i always brought it up that i feel like a replacement or i’m being used to which she would just deny. it ultimately caused us our friendship because i couldn’t trust her and ended up doing somethings i regret to her. i just feel used because one moment she says she loves me and then when she splits and discards me it’s as though she never loved me at all… are they even capable of loving someone or is it just for selfish reasons and only when you get on their good side?
i want to believe that she did and does love me because of everything we experienced together but just in the current headspace where i’m painted black, she doesn’t and is not capable of both holding love and hatred for me due to obviously their brain not capable of understanding grey areas. it’s always one or the other.
what the heck.
why do i even care when i got discarded and it’s been 6 months and a hoover at the forth month mark. and she’s just a friend! oh yah cos i hold so much compassion and love for her and got manipulated into believing she’s always the victim and not being able to tell her off when she’s doing a bad thing due to my also horrible abandonment issues and the constant fear of losing her because you’ve guessed it! i’ve been discarded so many times but unbeknownst to me i thought she was just busy! it’s totally warped my mind that i kept gaslighting myself every time she hurt me because i felt like it was not my right to feel hurt only hers because of how she kept making it seem like i’m the only one causing pain in our friendship. like what in the manipulation and i’m so dumb to have just stayed the same after three years.
every time i try to hold her accountable she runs, blames it on me or just deny. like i get that you see things in black and white but can’t you try to see things as grey??? even when they see themselves either freaking angels or devils like wtf you’re human. i hate their mental illness. in the end i did try to teach her that yes people hurt each other but that’s why we speak up and try to help improve each other out. her brain is wired to believe that you have to accept a person wholeheartedly and keep giving excuses for their shitty behaviour (why she stays with her toxic abusive partner and always chooses them) because she wants people to do the same for her so she wouldn’t need to change her ways. like wtf kinda mentality is that? a child’s?
sorry vent.
she’s not really that bad compared to the general consensus because she has a lot more self control. she does tell me she feels guilty and doesn’t like hurting me. she also tells me she’s trying (and i do believe that because it shows) whenever i try to break through to her and help her to understand how a healthy mindset (and human) works. but her self awareness is scary. because it’s like knowing a person has issues and doesn’t want to try to fix themselves (because they’re scared). it’s painful.
EDIT: also she’s a quiet bpd so the mental gymnastics i’ve had on her… so it was really about reading between the lines. mental torture and won’t speak up. usually i would go passive aggressive on her just to get her fueled up, rage and tell me how she genuinely feels only for her to hate herself after saying things or just run away from me. just because she thinks it’s mean when to me it’s just boundaries and standing your ground. like i would congratulate the heck outta her every time she told me how she genuinely feels but no she kept hating me for making her do it which is dumb because i wanted her to do it. like she thinks she’s a bad person for saying how she genuinely feels meanwhile i feel like she’s displaying bad behaviour every time she complains about literally everything, doesn’t want to reciprocate, lying and manipulating people, emotional cheating and monkey branching. these people are just so contradictory… love her to bits still though.
2023.06.03 20:05 Rand0mness4 Trails of Our Hatred Ch. 5
Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for allowing fanfiction and giving us Tilfish.
[First] [Prior] [Next]
.*~*.
Memory Transcription Subject: ? , run run run run run run.
Date: December 2, 2136
.~*~.
I'm tired. I'm so unbearably tired. I don't remember the fall or when my legs quit working, but I'm still denied the sweet release of sleep by the fires radiating from my muscles. It's sick and twisted, but I don't think I can move any more. I'm stuck here face down in the soil, unable or unwilling to do anything but wonder if a harvesting drone will roll over me and turn me into mist on the crops I'm lost in. My mouth itches. Some loose soil in my nose makes me hack, but there's nothing I can do but wheeze and pant. There's not a drop of moisture left in me. I'm all shriveled up. Everything's a haze.
I should've stopped for water. There was time. A few ponds that didn't look filmed over with vile algae blooms. The last town had a fountain on the outskirts. There were a few distant outbuildings that could've had a sink or a hose. Really, a few mouthfuls would've been enough to keep me from cramping up. Now I feel like I'm all dried out, like a stick of fruit jerky.
I should've taken a break. I've not been able to run in so long. I knew it was getting bad, but I ignored it. I'm paying for it now. I pushed way too far. Run until I black out. Wake up. Repeat. For days and days, or however long I've been free. I don't know. Every time I wake I can't tell if minutes have passed or days. I would push myself back to my feet and run. Because distance is all that matters. I made the right call avoiding the roads. The cameras. The soles of my feet are battered and wail in pain, but for every step I took was a minute longer I got to feel the sun kiss my scales and the gentle caress of the wind upon my neck. The cool soil seeping into my burning side. Fresh air in my lungs. Faint mist on my back.
I should've calmed down. I'm wasting what little time I have left stuck here in misery. I missed my chance to escape. My saviors were predators, but it would've been a better fate. And they're everywhere. Monsters and Predators alike. The whole planet is getting what it deserves. I made my choice, but now I'm squandering it. At least the soil is nice. Even as broken as I feel, it is only temporary. I know this is heaven. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Even if my tongue is dried and bleeding.
I.
Just.
Need.
To.
Get.
Up.
no no no no no. Hurts. Hurts hurts hurts.
UP.
My body rebels. I settle on crawling. Dragging my tainted digits through the soil and forcing myself through the mud.
Puddle. Puddle Puddle Puddle.
I'm glad to be alive. I'm glad for this puddle. It's my whole world. I crawl to it as quickly as my body allows and beyond, but I'm too dehydrated to cry at the lancing pain in my joints. I slip and tumble into it face first, a cold shock making me freeze up. I don't even try to drink at first, my eyes closed as I lay partially submerged in this brackish water. It makes me feel slightly better as the cold gently eases my neck muscles, and I feel the rest of my body cramping up again.
Imagine drowning in a claw of water. I'm suddenly terrified that it's possible. I throw an arm out and dig it deep into the mud, clawing silt as I awkwardly pull myself in sideways. I roll, splashing the rest of the way in and feeling my poorly treated scales weep as the cold bleeds into them. I lay my head sideways and drink, gagging at the taste but unable to stop myself. I still can't cry, but my face is still trying to produce tears anyways.
In delirium, I notice the corner of a structure well above me. It's a pole, made of metal and towering well above me. Morning dew drips off of it and into my eye not currently submerged, and I blink it away.
Thank you pole. You're a life saver.
I don't plan on moving for a while, so I don't. The dew drips onto my snout several times, and my body rejoices at the cool water I've partially submerged myself in. The silt in my mouth is a necessary and tolerable evil from my desperate dive, and I angle my snout so that I can catch the fresh dew dripping from above instead. It tastes far better than the puddle, and for the first time in ever, I feel a smile creeping on my face.
.*~*.
I blink lazily, one eyelid operating a few seconds behind the other. I feel better. This blackout felt more natural, less forced. Like a gentle wave over my mind than the harsh crack of a baton. My mouth is still full of silt that I spit out, and a moment later I realize I can spit again. The bitter taste of blood in my mouth is faint now, and the joy of having a wet palate can't be described.
ow.
It hurts to move. I try again, but my flesh feels like it's been filled with concrete. My muscles are too tight on my bones. Stiffly, I try again, making little progress, but still progress. I edge out a claw at a time, barely getting my neck out of the pool before collapsing, the chilly waters leaving me shivering.
Where am I?
A very good question, I ask myself. I don't know. That's the cost of running without direction for so long. I think I'm in a field, judging by the crops looking over me and encompassing my wide vision of the vibrant sky overhead.
Yeah... that's it. I'm in a field. Brilliant observation skills.
I try again, but nothing new comes up. For the first time since I fled, I think about what I'm going to do. I'm free. I'm free. What am I going to do now that I'm free? How long do I have? I know the answer to that already. I have a long time. Everybody that knew me is dead and gone. I just need to be careful and not ruin this chance. I should try and find a town. Cities are too big, too many problems could come up. Too many exterminators. I could start over off the beaten path. Somewhere I can hide in plain sight.
This is Sillis. Being me shouldn't be an issue. I... I can get a labor job somewhere. Change my name. What can I do?
...
What can I do?
What is my name?
"Oh dear." I whispered quietly to myself, brows furrowing. Odd. How odd. I can move on from that. Makes starting a new life easier. Something that isn't four walls and a paper thin mattress. Something outside. I just... need to get... out of this darn puddle. No, still not happening. Ouch.
I splash my paw into the puddle in frustration, using about the full range of motion I seem capable of in a mild fit. I want to stay on the move, but the consequences of my poor decision making have come back to bite me right on the rear. At least I have some time to think.
I could try the lumber industry. That's usually away from people. I think I can figure out how to knock down trees, or at least fix up the machines that can. Maybe I can join a farm around here once I'm cleaned up. There's always something to do on a farm. Like counting shipments, or unloading shipments, or loading them. Maybe I can fix things around the property. Golly, I hope I know how to fix the automated machinery. That would really be nice.
Ooh! I could try and be a tram service maintenance operator. Wait, no no no. That requires background checks, I think. Darn it. Uuuh, road utility services? No, that'll take me into cities one way or another. There's a ton of work with drainage systems and water run off here. I could get good money for that since it's risky. Pollutants, constant thundering streams of water. I think I can go with that. There would be a lot of rural investigations that I could apply for. If not, I'm certain the underground construction projects would bear fruit. I'll miss the sun but nobody would bother me too much... no, still too many people. Drainage systems it is!
A faint whistle catches my ear and I freeze, tilting my head as something green flies just overhead. It clips several stalks and leaves as it passes, but seems unbothered as the severed branches fall to the ground and leaves gently cascade after. I follow its path with an eye and it vanishes between some tall plants, leaving me alone just as quickly as-
Nope, the same thing floats by again, darting between crops once more directly above me. It's odd, I can't hear wing beats or buzzing, or see anything keeping it airborne as it passed, and I wait with baited breath to see if it shows itself again. I don't know what I feel, but it isn't terror. It's... something. Curiosity? This time I hear a chirrup, but it's close. I don't see it float by, and painfully I crane my neck and look at the other side of the puddle.
It's an insectoid of some kind, strangely wide and flat. It looks pretty similar to the leaves on the many trees that I've seen since I got out, with uneven, tapered sides. It has a few pairs of legs, and it scuttles to the puddle and dips the front of its body towards the surface. It really does look like a large leaf, but my observation is cut short when the bug abruptly stops moving within barely a claw of the water, a pair of forward facing compound eyes snug against the stem near the tip of its body. It chirps again, and I see narrow maw under the front of this creature, a slim set of fangs briefly glinting in the sun before its mandibles hide them.
"Oh dear." I manage to whisper.
With remarkable dexterity it hops across the body of water and splashes down on top of me, and several legs grip my ribs and arms. My tail flicks under the water's surface, but I don't move as the thing's maw looms over my snout. A smaller set of feelers touch my scales and let it guide where it can't see, and it pecks at my nostril once. I smell ozone and feel a different fire burn in my core, and relax.
This isn't ideal. It really isn't. But it's still better that what once was. You won't hurt me for too long. You're better than they ever were.
Trading my cell for this... it's not that scary. Somehow, despite this predator straddling me and chewing on my snout, I'm not scared of it. I have alarms shrieking in my ears and ozone burning my nostrils and wrists. Bubbly poison twisting my insides and making me gag. I'm terrified of that, but that's long gone. That broken visage cuts deep, but it leaves me feeling empty. I'm alone with this thing pecking at my skull, occasionally chirping or hissing softly as it chews over my scales.
It's little mandibles flutter over my cheek and squish it, the fangs behind it pricking at my scales but never really puncturing. It's odd, almost exploratory. I hear a faint plip as some dew from the pole overhead drips onto the creature, and it leans back slightly to presumably look up. It lowers back down on me, and I wince as it gets a little rougher. It halts for a moment, mandibles still dancing over my scales, before I feel a set of legs slip past my arms and latch onto my back.
I grit my teeth, expecting it to finally lunge down and bite into my flesh as the rest of it's body tenses, but with a start it lifts me up with strength I didn't think it had. My back scrapes along the mud as it lifts me and drags me partially out of the muck. It lowers me down just as quickly as it started, leaving a bit of my upper body out of the water and in the warm air. I blink as it lowers its body down onto my own, legs tightening its grip on me as it presses itself against me. It chirrups again and resumes nibbling on my neck, and my mind absently puzzles over this change of events.
It's roosting on me. Is it my body heat? I feel cold, but maybe it's colder. I wish I knew what you were. I'm glad you're not really biting me. It tickles, stop!
I couldn't help but squeak out a laugh, despite the very present danger I was in. The bug tensed for a moment but didn't sink its fangs into my neck, and after a moment it resumed licking at me. Slowly, it's legs tightened on my body and it pressed itself against me further, and it hissed softly. I closed my eyes when it's maw pressed against me, but once again no bite split me open and drained my lifeblood. It's mandibles tickled my scales some more as the creature flattened out, the ridges of its body laying in the mud as it settled down. I was all but buried under the thing that was almost as big as me, and my tail swished lightly in the water.
Once again, I find myself stuck. I wasn't going anywhere anyways, but now I'm very stuck. Hopefully it doesn't get peckish. This thing could definitely eat me if it wanted to. It's funny that I'm supposed to fear it. All those training exercises failed. Every test and experiment. Maybe it enforced the wrong behavior. I think I might've been respectfully afraid of this creature once, but that part of me is all burned up. If it existed at all.
.~*~.
I've missed the novelty of clouds. Sillis has an overabundance of them, but so far I've been lucky that none of the ones passing overhead were angry. It's almost odd that no rain has come, but I'm glad. I faintly remember that the rains could become acidic if there's too long a pause between storms. Too much smoke or warp residue building up in the atmosphere.
So far I've counted two absolutely towering thunderheads and small storm systems roll by in all their stunning glory, and dozens of smaller offsets in their wake. Hundreds of individual clouds dot the skies, not quite blanketing it yet. It's pleasant, even within the grasp of a large, sleeping predator that's fully enveloped me. I can feel it's diaphragm shifting ever so slightly on my chest, and it twitches occasionally.
I don't mind. For now, things are peaceful. I'm enjoying that. At least, until something crunched a few rows over.
That sounds a lot bigger than this predator.
The creature shifts slightly but doesn't wake as whatever else is out there stalks through the crops. It has to be a predator, from how quiet it moves. Every little rustle and faint step happen far from each other, and my mind immediately jumps to an ambush hunter. Carefully, I move my head to catch a glimpse of the thing, trying not to disturb the slumbering creature that is currently resting it's mouth on my neck. My scales fade into a dirty black that matches the soil, and I squint to hide my eyes from whatever is out there.
There's movement on my left, something tall shifting between the crops a few rows down. I hear a rumbling noise- a deep based growl, and the back of my skull itches.
"...D-1?"
No no no no no. I don't want to go back. I want to be free.
I know what the thing is. It's a new predator. A sapient one. The same ones that freed me. The same ones that wanted to herd me onto a ship. I can't do this. Sapient predators are cruel, far crueler than the average ones. A normal predator wasn't personal about the kill. It could be reasoned with. Where did that come from? A sapient predator was ruthless for entertainment.
I owe them my life.
They'll just take it.
There's a rustle from a different direction, and a behemoth steps out of the crops far closer to me than I would prefer. It is armored like the many I've seen before, but I realize instead of a firearm it wields a bulky tool of some kind tightly in its paws. It dawns on me that it's colors are different, green and blue instead of solid blue, and there's a colorful flag of some kind pressed on the garments of its arm.
"Copy." It rumbled quietly.
"Crikey, you spooked me there!" the other predator whispered, changing course. Thankfully the closest one broke off to meet it, and they stopped one row over. It was best I stay still. Their hearing was better than they let on. "Okay, did you get it done?"
I can't see them clearly, but some non verbal communication must have occurred because the one predator continues speaking.
"Good. Look, trouble is coming. A fellow seppo noticed the ordinance went missing. He's suspicious. There'll be heat soon. Have you made any progress with the other front?" A pause. "Same. I've dealt with several of his goons, but none knew anything good."
"I'll have him tonight."
"...D-1?"
"An exterminator account and reversed polarity on some switches works wonders."
"...you seppos are terrifying."
"We're a world power for a reason."
"...yeah. Do you have the drive? Nice. You keep this up and we'll have everything we need from this planet before Christmas. We're going to make things right." There's an odd grunt, and one of them starts rumbling quietly in what translates as amusement. "Involved in peace. What do they really think this accomplishes?"
"Don't care. We find our whales and move on."
"Come on, we can have some more fun if we're careful! Don't act like that doesn't entertain you after that bomber plot of yours!"
"S-4," there's an undertone in that growl that makes my scales shrink, "remember the prize."
"...God, you're a hard ass. Fine. I'm certain you're carrying that giant wrench for peaceful reasons and not to crack open any skulls out here. I'll check the smuggling routes. Rig up something to keep these bugs under our thumb. You keep being you. I need to move before they notice I'm gone."
Faint footsteps leading away, and I sighed. While brief, just being around them made my scales crawl-
The crops right beside me parted, and the other predator stepped out. It's covered foot splashed into the puddle, and stirred the predator enveloping me. Much to my horror the thing chirruped and hissed, releasing me and spinning around. The apex predator looked down at the smaller thing and regarded it.
:)
The drawing on the mask was comical, and not at all what I was expecting. Most humans didn't wear masks, so blinding terror didn't sweep me away. I almost laughed at the absurdity of concealing one's face, only to make a lazy drawing of a face overtop of it.
The smaller predator didn't find it nearly as confusing or entertaining as I did, and hissed. The apex didn't falter, but surprisingly held its ground despite being threatened by a lesser predator.
Most predators would make a threat back and assert itself. Or lash out. What is this one up too? It's not acting submissive so it isn't backing down. But it isn't retaliating either. Does it need to? It's using it's own size as a deterrent.
My thoughts are interrupted when my toothy cover abruptly spins and flees, gaining air under its body and become airborne. It slashes through a row of crops and is gone, just like how it arrived. The apex still hasn't moved. It takes a few steps forward, nearing me. I can't tell if it's looking at me or not so I close my eyes tight, hoping that my eyes hadn't given me away. There's a thump right beside me and I flinch. I can feel it's presence. It has stopped walking.
It knows. Somehow it sees me. It knows it knows it knows.
Something warm grazes my neck and I flinch again, despite myself. I can't do it. I don't want to die with my eyes closed. I want to see the sun and the clouds and the crops, not this faux darkness.
I open my eyes and it's right there, crouched over me. I can't bother with wasting my energy by screaming. It saw through my camouflage and had a paw to my neck. I wished it to be merciful and just strike me down with the wrench it brought, but it doesn't. Instead it plunges its paw into the water, under my rump. It rips me out of the water and I gasp as its other paw slips down under my shoulders and lifts, but my mind catches up a moment later when it pressed me against it's chest instead of its mouth, forsaking my exposed stomach. It's grip loosens slightly and it adjusts, an arm under my shoulder blades and legs. I can feel the muscles rippling in it's grip, and how easily it could fold me over backwards and squish me. I've seen it first hand.
But it's so gently. So unbelievably gentle. I don't remember the last time I was touched like this. Something in a dark recess of my mind wavered, and I realized I'd curled my tail around the creature's arm without meaning to. It holds me a little closer, nowhere near enough to hurt, and my scales start to change to match the colors it wears. It's not looking at me, the mask is angled too far up. We're moving at a blinding pace suddenly, the rows of crops blurring in my vision. It doesn't stop. This apex runs like a machine, each breath consistent and calculated to a rhythm I notice. Its breathing labors but it keeps going, warm jets of air spitting out the bottom of its mask and onto my soggy, damp form.
It's so warm. I didn't realize the chill of the water until now but I'm shivering. My body takes over for my confused mind and curls into the predator's grasp, trying to get as much warmth from the human's rough garments as I can. I don't know what's come over me. I don't know where it's taking me. I don't care. I can't escape it, and if this thing kills me it was at least kind enough to be gentle.
The skies are so beautiful. I try and focus on them but all I can really see is the predator's mask. I can see the bottom of it's jaw, the taught muscles there. I dread what its face looks like in this moment under that mask. Its digits tighten on my shoulder and side in response to me curling into it, and absently I wonder how this predator is the same as the ones from days ago with their thundering bellows and ruthless firepower.
The apex thunders out of the field and I'm assaulted by new sights. There's a few dozen of them roving around a clearing by several vehicles.
I also spot an Exterminator's van, and my claws unsheathe. The predator winces and I realize I've nailed him with them, but he doesn't throw me down or bark at me. He sprints by the van without stopping, but I see several Tilfish locked inside and doomed to a terrible fate worse than being eaten.
"Ambulance!?" It barks sharply, out of breath. It skids to a stop beside one of the transports, clutching me firmly.
"Just left with the patient. Where the hell did this one come from?" An unmasked predator growled, eyes beady and looking over me. Mine made an odd jerking motion and continued.
"Get Doc."
"I will. What hospital are we calling?" The thought of a clinical space makes me flinch. White walls. White floors. Cold tiles. Needles. Beeping. Humming. Frying.
"None. Operational security."
The other predator screwed its face up and departed, and abruptly mine was sitting down on the back of one of the trucks. Gently I was plopped down on its lap, and I watched transfixed as it peeled its armor off, then its outer garment. There's an image of a veiled human on the back with its eyes closed, head craned down. Its hands are clasped together in thought, and the meaning of it goes over my head.
The predator is a lot smaller than I thought it was. It gently lifts me and set me in the garment, before it starts wiping me down with it. I'm too sore to fight it, and the cloth is exceptionally warm from the creature's body heat. It pulls me closer and holds me in a way that makes my chest hurt, and it looks out at an approaching predator. It rumbles softly.
"You're going to be okay."
My body relaxes despite my mind's warnings. I'm wrapped up in this garment it wore. I can't escape it. But it's warm. The material soaks up the water on my skin, and wipes away the grime and muck I've accumulated over the days. Slowly, my scales begin to shift again, bleeding back to my normal tan coloration.
"Did something finally bite you Sunshine? I haven't seen you run like that in- oh-kay." The approaching predator flinched when it got close and tensed up.
It wants to eat me. This one- Sunshine- it won't let it without a fight. Are they going to eat me? Sunshine won't. Right?
"I thought there was only one victim." The predator rumbled after a moment, creeping closer. I shrank into the material and took on it's color, only for a warm paw to settle on my arm.
"You're fine." Sunshine whispered. It looked up at the approaching predator and jerked its head awkwardly. "There is. Look at it. Do you see it too?"
Gently, it lifted my arm. I was too stiff to pull it back, not that I could've against its powerful grip. I was completely exposed to this other predator.
"Relax. Please." Sunshine whispered once more. The growl was soft, and I looked up at the mask above me. The grip on my arm was careful, I realized. I could pull away right now. Slowly, my scales lightened. The other predator leaned in closer and I flashed white and yellow briefly, but Sunshine propped me up a bit and started gently poking at sore parts of my body. My ribs. My neck. "Here. And... and here."
The other predator's eyes seemed to get bigger. Something deeper changed in its face. "Holy shit." It made to move forward and I reeled back, pressing myself further into Sunshine. The predator immediately froze and slunk back.
"He can help." Sunshine rumbled softly.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
It touched me. It's diminutive nails didn't rend into my scales as it touched my ribs, prodding them softly. Sunshine adjusted how it sat so that the other predator could have better access to me, and I couldn't help but focus on the skies again as it assessed what part of me it wanted.
Sunshine won't let it eat me.
I don't know where the thought came from, but it was firm. I believed it entirely. Even though Sunshine was a sapient predator, it wouldn't let it happen. Maybe it claimed me as its own already. I... I had doubts I would be eaten. The thoughts were there, but Sunshine had a perfect chance already. Unless it wanted to flaunt its catch first, which the Arxur did- but it was gentle. Sunshine was better than an Arxur.
"Malnourished, deep sores. Ulcers. There's bruising up and down the rib cage. Jesus- sorry."
"They're old. Persistent. Its feet."
"What about..." The predator got quiet. I felt my scales shift in worry as it gingerly lifted one of my legs. It remained quiet, but its face stretched further. "What happened?"
It was looking at me. Asking me. I shrank further into the fabric, but there was nowhere to go. The silence was unbearable, and I started trembling.
The silence continued.
"A runaway." Sunshine rumbled after forever. I didn't understand what that meant. My translator didn't pick it up quite right. Run-away? Like fleeing? Was that what these predators called their prey? No... no that didn't seem right. It was possible, but...
"Could have been kidnapped." Another word I didn't understand, but my translator worked on the other predator. Stealing a person by force? Using fear outside of the law? How did predators have such a word? "We need to get it to the hospital. Figure out what happened and how it ended up in this field."
NO NO NO NO NO
Sunshine's arms draped over me before I could escape, my attempt no better than a drunk Mazic trying to fit through a Venlil sized door. I couldn't stop the whine in my throat, but its soft digits down my back froze me. A subtle noise filtered out behind the mask, and it settled me back down in its garment. It picked up an edge lined with little metal teeth and draped it over me, blocking my sight from the other predator. I felt safe, suddenly. Sunshine's firm grip on my body didn't feel threatening. It felt like a promise, as it carefully pulled me against it's bulk. I was warm, despite my terror.
"Zuda will handle it. No hospitals. This stays with us."
"Sunshine," the other predator protested, "we need to figure out what happened!"
"Think, Doc." Sunshine growled, and this was no doubt a warning. I felt relief that the difference between the two growls was so obvious.
"What?"
"Think. Use your head."
There was a period of silence. "You don't... that can't be right." I didn't understand what conclusion it made.
"The injuries are uniform. Too clean to be anything else."
They can't know. How can they know?
"We need confirmation!"
"We already have it." Sunshine stated, and slowly the fabric was lifted off of my head. I blinked, and noticed that the other predator had changed a different shade.
That's odd. Are you predators like me?
That's terrifying. I'm not a threat. I'm me.
"It reacted to the van and mention of a hospital, Doc. Nobody outside the UN hears of this. Operational security."
It... does Sunshine know? How do they know?
"What the fuck is this planet, Sunshine?" The other predator lamented.
Sunshine didn't respond. He looked around at the surrounding encampment, and I realized it was shrinking. They were leaving. A few other predators were subtly watching as they worked, but I doubted they could hear the conversation with how quiet it was. I realize there's a few Venlil in their ranks, unbothered by their presence and even wearing garments similar to the predators around them.
A digit tapped the end of my snout and I flinched, looking up at Sunshine. It's paw retracted as the other predator withdrew a medical kit with a paw print on it and began to unclasp it. "You're safe. We're... we're going to help."
You know. You know what I am. And you're helping me anyway. Why are you helping me? I'm weak. I'm dangerous. But not to you. You're an apex. Is that why? Does your species stick together, unlike the Arxur? Do you uplift those around you, no matter if they're prey or dangerous? The Venlil are not afraid of you. You must not eat them. What do you eat? It has to be meat. But, it must be something that they can handle. Does what makes me dangerous fall away under your hierarchy? I hope it does. It doesn't seem real. I guess to you, what makes me a threat is meaningless.
I believe Sunshine. I really do. When the other predator comes forward with a healing gel, I surrender.
I am safe.
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.*~*.
Memory Transcription Subject: ? , run run run run run run.
Date: December 2, 2136
.~*~.
I'm tired. I'm so unbearably tired. I don't remember the fall or when my legs quit working, but I'm still denied the sweet release of sleep by the fires radiating from my muscles. It's sick and twisted, but I don't think I can move any more. I'm stuck here face down in the soil, unable or unwilling to do anything but wonder if a harvesting drone will roll over me and turn me into mist on the crops I'm lost in. My mouth itches. Some loose soil in my nose makes me hack, but there's nothing I can do but wheeze and pant. There's not a drop of moisture left in me. I'm all shriveled up. Everything's a haze.
I should've stopped for water. There was time. A few ponds that didn't look filmed over with vile algae blooms. The last town had a fountain on the outskirts. There were a few distant outbuildings that could've had a sink or a hose. Really, a few mouthfuls would've been enough to keep me from cramping up. Now I feel like I'm all dried out, like a stick of fruit jerky.
I should've taken a break. I've not been able to run in so long. I knew it was getting bad, but I ignored it. I'm paying for it now. I pushed way too far. Run until I black out. Wake up. Repeat. For days and days, or however long I've been free. I don't know. Every time I wake I can't tell if minutes have passed or days. I would push myself back to my feet and run. Because distance is all that matters. I made the right call avoiding the roads. The cameras. The soles of my feet are battered and wail in pain, but for every step I took was a minute longer I got to feel the sun kiss my scales and the gentle caress of the wind upon my neck. The cool soil seeping into my burning side. Fresh air in my lungs. Faint mist on my back.
I should've calmed down. I'm wasting what little time I have left stuck here in misery. I missed my chance to escape. My saviors were predators, but it would've been a better fate. And they're everywhere. Monsters and Predators alike. The whole planet is getting what it deserves. I made my choice, but now I'm squandering it. At least the soil is nice. Even as broken as I feel, it is only temporary. I know this is heaven. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Even if my tongue is dried and bleeding.
I.
Just.
Need.
To.
Get.
Up.
no no no no no. Hurts. Hurts hurts hurts.
UP.
My body rebels. I settle on crawling. Dragging my tainted digits through the soil and forcing myself through the mud.
Puddle. Puddle Puddle Puddle.
I'm glad to be alive. I'm glad for this puddle. It's my whole world. I crawl to it as quickly as my body allows and beyond, but I'm too dehydrated to cry at the lancing pain in my joints. I slip and tumble into it face first, a cold shock making me freeze up. I don't even try to drink at first, my eyes closed as I lay partially submerged in this brackish water. It makes me feel slightly better as the cold gently eases my neck muscles, and I feel the rest of my body cramping up again.
Imagine drowning in a claw of water. I'm suddenly terrified that it's possible. I throw an arm out and dig it deep into the mud, clawing silt as I awkwardly pull myself in sideways. I roll, splashing the rest of the way in and feeling my poorly treated scales weep as the cold bleeds into them. I lay my head sideways and drink, gagging at the taste but unable to stop myself. I still can't cry, but my face is still trying to produce tears anyways.
In delirium, I notice the corner of a structure well above me. It's a pole, made of metal and towering well above me. Morning dew drips off of it and into my eye not currently submerged, and I blink it away.
Thank you pole. You're a life saver.
I don't plan on moving for a while, so I don't. The dew drips onto my snout several times, and my body rejoices at the cool water I've partially submerged myself in. The silt in my mouth is a necessary and tolerable evil from my desperate dive, and I angle my snout so that I can catch the fresh dew dripping from above instead. It tastes far better than the puddle, and for the first time in ever, I feel a smile creeping on my face.
.*~*.
I blink lazily, one eyelid operating a few seconds behind the other. I feel better. This blackout felt more natural, less forced. Like a gentle wave over my mind than the harsh crack of a baton. My mouth is still full of silt that I spit out, and a moment later I realize I can spit again. The bitter taste of blood in my mouth is faint now, and the joy of having a wet palate can't be described.
ow.
It hurts to move. I try again, but my flesh feels like it's been filled with concrete. My muscles are too tight on my bones. Stiffly, I try again, making little progress, but still progress. I edge out a claw at a time, barely getting my neck out of the pool before collapsing, the chilly waters leaving me shivering.
Where am I?
A very good question, I ask myself. I don't know. That's the cost of running without direction for so long. I think I'm in a field, judging by the crops looking over me and encompassing my wide vision of the vibrant sky overhead.
Yeah... that's it. I'm in a field. Brilliant observation skills.
I try again, but nothing new comes up. For the first time since I fled, I think about what I'm going to do. I'm free. I'm free. What am I going to do now that I'm free? How long do I have? I know the answer to that already. I have a long time. Everybody that knew me is dead and gone. I just need to be careful and not ruin this chance. I should try and find a town. Cities are too big, too many problems could come up. Too many exterminators. I could start over off the beaten path. Somewhere I can hide in plain sight.
This is Sillis. Being me shouldn't be an issue. I... I can get a labor job somewhere. Change my name. What can I do?
...
What can I do?
What is my name?
"Oh dear." I whispered quietly to myself, brows furrowing. Odd. How odd. I can move on from that. Makes starting a new life easier. Something that isn't four walls and a paper thin mattress. Something outside. I just... need to get... out of this darn puddle. No, still not happening. Ouch.
I splash my paw into the puddle in frustration, using about the full range of motion I seem capable of in a mild fit. I want to stay on the move, but the consequences of my poor decision making have come back to bite me right on the rear. At least I have some time to think.
I could try the lumber industry. That's usually away from people. I think I can figure out how to knock down trees, or at least fix up the machines that can. Maybe I can join a farm around here once I'm cleaned up. There's always something to do on a farm. Like counting shipments, or unloading shipments, or loading them. Maybe I can fix things around the property. Golly, I hope I know how to fix the automated machinery. That would really be nice.
Ooh! I could try and be a tram service maintenance operator. Wait, no no no. That requires background checks, I think. Darn it. Uuuh, road utility services? No, that'll take me into cities one way or another. There's a ton of work with drainage systems and water run off here. I could get good money for that since it's risky. Pollutants, constant thundering streams of water. I think I can go with that. There would be a lot of rural investigations that I could apply for. If not, I'm certain the underground construction projects would bear fruit. I'll miss the sun but nobody would bother me too much... no, still too many people. Drainage systems it is!
A faint whistle catches my ear and I freeze, tilting my head as something green flies just overhead. It clips several stalks and leaves as it passes, but seems unbothered as the severed branches fall to the ground and leaves gently cascade after. I follow its path with an eye and it vanishes between some tall plants, leaving me alone just as quickly as-
Nope, the same thing floats by again, darting between crops once more directly above me. It's odd, I can't hear wing beats or buzzing, or see anything keeping it airborne as it passed, and I wait with baited breath to see if it shows itself again. I don't know what I feel, but it isn't terror. It's... something. Curiosity? This time I hear a chirrup, but it's close. I don't see it float by, and painfully I crane my neck and look at the other side of the puddle.
It's an insectoid of some kind, strangely wide and flat. It looks pretty similar to the leaves on the many trees that I've seen since I got out, with uneven, tapered sides. It has a few pairs of legs, and it scuttles to the puddle and dips the front of its body towards the surface. It really does look like a large leaf, but my observation is cut short when the bug abruptly stops moving within barely a claw of the water, a pair of forward facing compound eyes snug against the stem near the tip of its body. It chirps again, and I see narrow maw under the front of this creature, a slim set of fangs briefly glinting in the sun before its mandibles hide them.
"Oh dear." I manage to whisper.
With remarkable dexterity it hops across the body of water and splashes down on top of me, and several legs grip my ribs and arms. My tail flicks under the water's surface, but I don't move as the thing's maw looms over my snout. A smaller set of feelers touch my scales and let it guide where it can't see, and it pecks at my nostril once. I smell ozone and feel a different fire burn in my core, and relax.
This isn't ideal. It really isn't. But it's still better that what once was. You won't hurt me for too long. You're better than they ever were.
Trading my cell for this... it's not that scary. Somehow, despite this predator straddling me and chewing on my snout, I'm not scared of it. I have alarms shrieking in my ears and ozone burning my nostrils and wrists. Bubbly poison twisting my insides and making me gag. I'm terrified of that, but that's long gone. That broken visage cuts deep, but it leaves me feeling empty. I'm alone with this thing pecking at my skull, occasionally chirping or hissing softly as it chews over my scales.
It's little mandibles flutter over my cheek and squish it, the fangs behind it pricking at my scales but never really puncturing. It's odd, almost exploratory. I hear a faint plip as some dew from the pole overhead drips onto the creature, and it leans back slightly to presumably look up. It lowers back down on me, and I wince as it gets a little rougher. It halts for a moment, mandibles still dancing over my scales, before I feel a set of legs slip past my arms and latch onto my back.
I grit my teeth, expecting it to finally lunge down and bite into my flesh as the rest of it's body tenses, but with a start it lifts me up with strength I didn't think it had. My back scrapes along the mud as it lifts me and drags me partially out of the muck. It lowers me down just as quickly as it started, leaving a bit of my upper body out of the water and in the warm air. I blink as it lowers its body down onto my own, legs tightening its grip on me as it presses itself against me. It chirrups again and resumes nibbling on my neck, and my mind absently puzzles over this change of events.
It's roosting on me. Is it my body heat? I feel cold, but maybe it's colder. I wish I knew what you were. I'm glad you're not really biting me. It tickles, stop!
I couldn't help but squeak out a laugh, despite the very present danger I was in. The bug tensed for a moment but didn't sink its fangs into my neck, and after a moment it resumed licking at me. Slowly, it's legs tightened on my body and it pressed itself against me further, and it hissed softly. I closed my eyes when it's maw pressed against me, but once again no bite split me open and drained my lifeblood. It's mandibles tickled my scales some more as the creature flattened out, the ridges of its body laying in the mud as it settled down. I was all but buried under the thing that was almost as big as me, and my tail swished lightly in the water.
Once again, I find myself stuck. I wasn't going anywhere anyways, but now I'm very stuck. Hopefully it doesn't get peckish. This thing could definitely eat me if it wanted to. It's funny that I'm supposed to fear it. All those training exercises failed. Every test and experiment. Maybe it enforced the wrong behavior. I think I might've been respectfully afraid of this creature once, but that part of me is all burned up. If it existed at all.
.~*~.
I've missed the novelty of clouds. Sillis has an overabundance of them, but so far I've been lucky that none of the ones passing overhead were angry. It's almost odd that no rain has come, but I'm glad. I faintly remember that the rains could become acidic if there's too long a pause between storms. Too much smoke or warp residue building up in the atmosphere.
So far I've counted two absolutely towering thunderheads and small storm systems roll by in all their stunning glory, and dozens of smaller offsets in their wake. Hundreds of individual clouds dot the skies, not quite blanketing it yet. It's pleasant, even within the grasp of a large, sleeping predator that's fully enveloped me. I can feel it's diaphragm shifting ever so slightly on my chest, and it twitches occasionally.
I don't mind. For now, things are peaceful. I'm enjoying that. At least, until something crunched a few rows over.
That sounds a lot bigger than this predator.
The creature shifts slightly but doesn't wake as whatever else is out there stalks through the crops. It has to be a predator, from how quiet it moves. Every little rustle and faint step happen far from each other, and my mind immediately jumps to an ambush hunter. Carefully, I move my head to catch a glimpse of the thing, trying not to disturb the slumbering creature that is currently resting it's mouth on my neck. My scales fade into a dirty black that matches the soil, and I squint to hide my eyes from whatever is out there.
There's movement on my left, something tall shifting between the crops a few rows down. I hear a rumbling noise- a deep based growl, and the back of my skull itches.
"...D-1?"
No no no no no. I don't want to go back. I want to be free.
I know what the thing is. It's a new predator. A sapient one. The same ones that freed me. The same ones that wanted to herd me onto a ship. I can't do this. Sapient predators are cruel, far crueler than the average ones. A normal predator wasn't personal about the kill. It could be reasoned with. Where did that come from? A sapient predator was ruthless for entertainment.
I owe them my life.
They'll just take it.
There's a rustle from a different direction, and a behemoth steps out of the crops far closer to me than I would prefer. It is armored like the many I've seen before, but I realize instead of a firearm it wields a bulky tool of some kind tightly in its paws. It dawns on me that it's colors are different, green and blue instead of solid blue, and there's a colorful flag of some kind pressed on the garments of its arm.
"Copy." It rumbled quietly.
"Crikey, you spooked me there!" the other predator whispered, changing course. Thankfully the closest one broke off to meet it, and they stopped one row over. It was best I stay still. Their hearing was better than they let on. "Okay, did you get it done?"
I can't see them clearly, but some non verbal communication must have occurred because the one predator continues speaking.
"Good. Look, trouble is coming. A fellow seppo noticed the ordinance went missing. He's suspicious. There'll be heat soon. Have you made any progress with the other front?" A pause. "Same. I've dealt with several of his goons, but none knew anything good."
"I'll have him tonight."
"...D-1?"
"An exterminator account and reversed polarity on some switches works wonders."
"...you seppos are terrifying."
"We're a world power for a reason."
"...yeah. Do you have the drive? Nice. You keep this up and we'll have everything we need from this planet before Christmas. We're going to make things right." There's an odd grunt, and one of them starts rumbling quietly in what translates as amusement. "Involved in peace. What do they really think this accomplishes?"
"Don't care. We find our whales and move on."
"Come on, we can have some more fun if we're careful! Don't act like that doesn't entertain you after that bomber plot of yours!"
"S-4," there's an undertone in that growl that makes my scales shrink, "remember the prize."
"...God, you're a hard ass. Fine. I'm certain you're carrying that giant wrench for peaceful reasons and not to crack open any skulls out here. I'll check the smuggling routes. Rig up something to keep these bugs under our thumb. You keep being you. I need to move before they notice I'm gone."
Faint footsteps leading away, and I sighed. While brief, just being around them made my scales crawl-
The crops right beside me parted, and the other predator stepped out. It's covered foot splashed into the puddle, and stirred the predator enveloping me. Much to my horror the thing chirruped and hissed, releasing me and spinning around. The apex predator looked down at the smaller thing and regarded it.
:)
The drawing on the mask was comical, and not at all what I was expecting. Most humans didn't wear masks, so blinding terror didn't sweep me away. I almost laughed at the absurdity of concealing one's face, only to make a lazy drawing of a face overtop of it.
The smaller predator didn't find it nearly as confusing or entertaining as I did, and hissed. The apex didn't falter, but surprisingly held its ground despite being threatened by a lesser predator.
Most predators would make a threat back and assert itself. Or lash out. What is this one up too? It's not acting submissive so it isn't backing down. But it isn't retaliating either. Does it need to? It's using it's own size as a deterrent.
My thoughts are interrupted when my toothy cover abruptly spins and flees, gaining air under its body and become airborne. It slashes through a row of crops and is gone, just like how it arrived. The apex still hasn't moved. It takes a few steps forward, nearing me. I can't tell if it's looking at me or not so I close my eyes tight, hoping that my eyes hadn't given me away. There's a thump right beside me and I flinch. I can feel it's presence. It has stopped walking.
It knows. Somehow it sees me. It knows it knows it knows.
Something warm grazes my neck and I flinch again, despite myself. I can't do it. I don't want to die with my eyes closed. I want to see the sun and the clouds and the crops, not this faux darkness.
I open my eyes and it's right there, crouched over me. I can't bother with wasting my energy by screaming. It saw through my camouflage and had a paw to my neck. I wished it to be merciful and just strike me down with the wrench it brought, but it doesn't. Instead it plunges its paw into the water, under my rump. It rips me out of the water and I gasp as its other paw slips down under my shoulders and lifts, but my mind catches up a moment later when it pressed me against it's chest instead of its mouth, forsaking my exposed stomach. It's grip loosens slightly and it adjusts, an arm under my shoulder blades and legs. I can feel the muscles rippling in it's grip, and how easily it could fold me over backwards and squish me. I've seen it first hand.
But it's so gently. So unbelievably gentle. I don't remember the last time I was touched like this. Something in a dark recess of my mind wavered, and I realized I'd curled my tail around the creature's arm without meaning to. It holds me a little closer, nowhere near enough to hurt, and my scales start to change to match the colors it wears. It's not looking at me, the mask is angled too far up. We're moving at a blinding pace suddenly, the rows of crops blurring in my vision. It doesn't stop. This apex runs like a machine, each breath consistent and calculated to a rhythm I notice. Its breathing labors but it keeps going, warm jets of air spitting out the bottom of its mask and onto my soggy, damp form.
It's so warm. I didn't realize the chill of the water until now but I'm shivering. My body takes over for my confused mind and curls into the predator's grasp, trying to get as much warmth from the human's rough garments as I can. I don't know what's come over me. I don't know where it's taking me. I don't care. I can't escape it, and if this thing kills me it was at least kind enough to be gentle.
The skies are so beautiful. I try and focus on them but all I can really see is the predator's mask. I can see the bottom of it's jaw, the taught muscles there. I dread what its face looks like in this moment under that mask. Its digits tighten on my shoulder and side in response to me curling into it, and absently I wonder how this predator is the same as the ones from days ago with their thundering bellows and ruthless firepower.
The apex thunders out of the field and I'm assaulted by new sights. There's a few dozen of them roving around a clearing by several vehicles.
I also spot an Exterminator's van, and my claws unsheathe. The predator winces and I realize I've nailed him with them, but he doesn't throw me down or bark at me. He sprints by the van without stopping, but I see several Tilfish locked inside and doomed to a terrible fate worse than being eaten.
"Ambulance!?" It barks sharply, out of breath. It skids to a stop beside one of the transports, clutching me firmly.
"Just left with the patient. Where the hell did this one come from?" An unmasked predator growled, eyes beady and looking over me. Mine made an odd jerking motion and continued.
"Get Doc."
"I will. What hospital are we calling?" The thought of a clinical space makes me flinch. White walls. White floors. Cold tiles. Needles. Beeping. Humming. Frying.
"None. Operational security."
The other predator screwed its face up and departed, and abruptly mine was sitting down on the back of one of the trucks. Gently I was plopped down on its lap, and I watched transfixed as it peeled its armor off, then its outer garment. There's an image of a veiled human on the back with its eyes closed, head craned down. Its hands are clasped together in thought, and the meaning of it goes over my head.
The predator is a lot smaller than I thought it was. It gently lifts me and set me in the garment, before it starts wiping me down with it. I'm too sore to fight it, and the cloth is exceptionally warm from the creature's body heat. It pulls me closer and holds me in a way that makes my chest hurt, and it looks out at an approaching predator. It rumbles softly.
"You're going to be okay."
My body relaxes despite my mind's warnings. I'm wrapped up in this garment it wore. I can't escape it. But it's warm. The material soaks up the water on my skin, and wipes away the grime and muck I've accumulated over the days. Slowly, my scales begin to shift again, bleeding back to my normal tan coloration.
"Did something finally bite you Sunshine? I haven't seen you run like that in- oh-kay." The approaching predator flinched when it got close and tensed up.
It wants to eat me. This one- Sunshine- it won't let it without a fight. Are they going to eat me? Sunshine won't. Right?
"I thought there was only one victim." The predator rumbled after a moment, creeping closer. I shrank into the material and took on it's color, only for a warm paw to settle on my arm.
"You're fine." Sunshine whispered. It looked up at the approaching predator and jerked its head awkwardly. "There is. Look at it. Do you see it too?"
Gently, it lifted my arm. I was too stiff to pull it back, not that I could've against its powerful grip. I was completely exposed to this other predator.
"Relax. Please." Sunshine whispered once more. The growl was soft, and I looked up at the mask above me. The grip on my arm was careful, I realized. I could pull away right now. Slowly, my scales lightened. The other predator leaned in closer and I flashed white and yellow briefly, but Sunshine propped me up a bit and started gently poking at sore parts of my body. My ribs. My neck. "Here. And... and here."
The other predator's eyes seemed to get bigger. Something deeper changed in its face. "Holy shit." It made to move forward and I reeled back, pressing myself further into Sunshine. The predator immediately froze and slunk back.
"He can help." Sunshine rumbled softly.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
It touched me. It's diminutive nails didn't rend into my scales as it touched my ribs, prodding them softly. Sunshine adjusted how it sat so that the other predator could have better access to me, and I couldn't help but focus on the skies again as it assessed what part of me it wanted.
Sunshine won't let it eat me.
I don't know where the thought came from, but it was firm. I believed it entirely. Even though Sunshine was a sapient predator, it wouldn't let it happen. Maybe it claimed me as its own already. I... I had doubts I would be eaten. The thoughts were there, but Sunshine had a perfect chance already. Unless it wanted to flaunt its catch first, which the Arxur did- but it was gentle. Sunshine was better than an Arxur.
"Malnourished, deep sores. Ulcers. There's bruising up and down the rib cage. Jesus- sorry."
"They're old. Persistent. Its feet."
"What about..." The predator got quiet. I felt my scales shift in worry as it gingerly lifted one of my legs. It remained quiet, but its face stretched further. "What happened?"
It was looking at me. Asking me. I shrank further into the fabric, but there was nowhere to go. The silence was unbearable, and I started trembling.
The silence continued.
"A runaway." Sunshine rumbled after forever. I didn't understand what that meant. My translator didn't pick it up quite right. Run-away? Like fleeing? Was that what these predators called their prey? No... no that didn't seem right. It was possible, but...
"Could have been kidnapped." Another word I didn't understand, but my translator worked on the other predator. Stealing a person by force? Using fear outside of the law? How did predators have such a word? "We need to get it to the hospital. Figure out what happened and how it ended up in this field."
NO NO NO NO NO
Sunshine's arms draped over me before I could escape, my attempt no better than a drunk Mazic trying to fit through a Venlil sized door. I couldn't stop the whine in my throat, but its soft digits down my back froze me. A subtle noise filtered out behind the mask, and it settled me back down in its garment. It picked up an edge lined with little metal teeth and draped it over me, blocking my sight from the other predator. I felt safe, suddenly. Sunshine's firm grip on my body didn't feel threatening. It felt like a promise, as it carefully pulled me against it's bulk. I was warm, despite my terror.
"Zuda will handle it. No hospitals. This stays with us."
"Sunshine," the other predator protested, "we need to figure out what happened!"
"Think, Doc." Sunshine growled, and this was no doubt a warning. I felt relief that the difference between the two growls was so obvious.
"What?"
"Think. Use your head."
There was a period of silence. "You don't... that can't be right." I didn't understand what conclusion it made.
"The injuries are uniform. Too clean to be anything else."
They can't know. How can they know?
"We need confirmation!"
"We already have it." Sunshine stated, and slowly the fabric was lifted off of my head. I blinked, and noticed that the other predator had changed a different shade.
That's odd. Are you predators like me?
That's terrifying. I'm not a threat. I'm me.
"It reacted to the van and mention of a hospital, Doc. Nobody outside the UN hears of this. Operational security."
It... does Sunshine know? How do they know?
"What the fuck is this planet, Sunshine?" The other predator lamented.
Sunshine didn't respond. He looked around at the surrounding encampment, and I realized it was shrinking. They were leaving. A few other predators were subtly watching as they worked, but I doubted they could hear the conversation with how quiet it was. I realize there's a few Venlil in their ranks, unbothered by their presence and even wearing garments similar to the predators around them.
A digit tapped the end of my snout and I flinched, looking up at Sunshine. It's paw retracted as the other predator withdrew a medical kit with a paw print on it and began to unclasp it. "You're safe. We're... we're going to help."
You know. You know what I am. And you're helping me anyway. Why are you helping me? I'm weak. I'm dangerous. But not to you. You're an apex. Is that why? Does your species stick together, unlike the Arxur? Do you uplift those around you, no matter if they're prey or dangerous? The Venlil are not afraid of you. You must not eat them. What do you eat? It has to be meat. But, it must be something that they can handle. Does what makes me dangerous fall away under your hierarchy? I hope it does. It doesn't seem real. I guess to you, what makes me a threat is meaningless.
I believe Sunshine. I really do. When the other predator comes forward with a healing gel, I surrender.
I am safe.
2023.06.03 19:55 CMurphy3639 No idea what the problem is, wondering at this point if it's the resin?
I made this post previously about my troubles with exposure testing: https://www.reddit.com/FixMyPrint/comments/13unbo6/every_validation_matrix_is_warped_and_difficult/
I also tried doing the UVTools built in exposure time finder from 2.4 to 3.2 over 0.2 increments and none of the prints were able to do the letters and some other details. In addition, mine look so much more dull and thin and not as thick as some of the videos and photos of the same test. The 3.2s didn't even fully print, it completely sheared off of the print and stayed in the vat like it completely peeled apart at one layer: https://imgur.com/a/qWowd1k (they don't look like this https://i0.wp.com/crazmadsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/PXL_20220119_024508063.MP_-edited.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
I have also tried at 2.9s this model that I made the supports for at the base and it got through maybe 75% of the base before ripping off which commonly happens when I try to print (never had a success): https://imgur.com/a/8056GBv. The supports feel very flexible and flimsy, it's as if nothing has strength or density to it which is why I never have success with lettering or pinhole testing.
Settings: https://i.imgur.com/DUudtEl.png
Supports: 1.2mm diameter, 3.00mm tip length, 0.15/0.3/0.5mm tip diameter for L/M/H
Saturn S
Elegoo Water Washable
Exposure Tests rinsed for 30 mins in IPA/H2O, no curing
submitted by CMurphy3639 to FixMyPrint [link] [comments]
I also tried doing the UVTools built in exposure time finder from 2.4 to 3.2 over 0.2 increments and none of the prints were able to do the letters and some other details. In addition, mine look so much more dull and thin and not as thick as some of the videos and photos of the same test. The 3.2s didn't even fully print, it completely sheared off of the print and stayed in the vat like it completely peeled apart at one layer: https://imgur.com/a/qWowd1k (they don't look like this https://i0.wp.com/crazmadsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/PXL_20220119_024508063.MP_-edited.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
I have also tried at 2.9s this model that I made the supports for at the base and it got through maybe 75% of the base before ripping off which commonly happens when I try to print (never had a success): https://imgur.com/a/8056GBv. The supports feel very flexible and flimsy, it's as if nothing has strength or density to it which is why I never have success with lettering or pinhole testing.
Settings: https://i.imgur.com/DUudtEl.png
Supports: 1.2mm diameter, 3.00mm tip length, 0.15/0.3/0.5mm tip diameter for L/M/H
Saturn S
Elegoo Water Washable
Exposure Tests rinsed for 30 mins in IPA/H2O, no curing
2023.06.03 19:44 NamelessNanashi [The Gods of Dragons: Beginning] Ch 15 - Burn Baby Burn
--- Table of Contents ---
Autumn 4986, 16 Aoimoth
Shon and Nangran hobbled their horses at the base of a steep hill deep in the woods north of Hamerfoss. They'd left at fourth bell, before any of the other Squires had woken for their morning run, and it had still taken them hours of riding through narrow trails to reach this place. At least they hadn't run into any monsters. The snow that had dusted the landscape during the night lay thick here, crunching underfoot and occasionally flopping noisily to either side as it fell from the tall evergreen branches.
Shon adjusted the strap of his sword across his chest and reached his left hand back to brush shaking fingers over its hilt. He'd been glad when the Paladins insisted he take it with him. To them, it marked Shon as a representative of Hengist and the Temple. To Shon, it was a sign of his hard work and resolve. Having it was a comfort.
Nangran started up the hill, and Shon hurried to follow. The smith hadn’t spoken a word since they set out, not even to try and ease Shon’s anxiety, for which Shon was grateful. Master Daunas had tried to sound confident as Shon saddled his borrowed horse, and The Major General had offered him encouragement as they mounted. Neither realized how much that just drove home the desperation of the situation in Shon’s mind.
The smith pulled his heavy cloak tighter, and Shon looked away. He hadn’t bothered to wear his cloak. He'd never really felt chilled in the winter like others seemed to. Now that he knew why, he wished he had. Cold continued to swirl around him, enhanced by his worries. If he could just block those emotions, the power would never have been a problem to begin with.
The trees thinned the higher they climbed, disappearing almost entirely as they crested the top of the hill. The clearing looked over the treetops, offering an unimpeded view of the horizon. Forest all around, with flatland to the south and rocky mountain peaks to the north. Only a handful of small trees grew in the clearing, and in the middle stood a little ramshackle hut only slightly larger than an outhouse.
Nangran threw his arm out, stopping Shon from walking past him, "Don't touch anything. And don't be surprised if he says no right off."
Shon nodded, trying to swallow down his fear so it wouldn't be seen in his eyes. Dropping his hand, Nangran started forward again, finishing, "Be honest, but not insulting." The instructions, -or perhaps advice?- seemed like common courtesy, which made Shon wonder why quiet Nangran had bothered to say anything.
As they drew closer to the little shack, Shon could make out a sign on the door. He squinted to read it and had just made out 'No Soliciting' when the door swung open, banging against the wall and sending birds into flight. An old man, so thin he looked like a skeleton with yellow skin pulled tight across its bones, stormed out. Wearing nothing but a loincloth, he was shaking a thick stick at them that glinted with red rubies in the low autumn light.
"I already paid my dues for this decade! So you can take your request and shove it-" Shon’s hand instinctively reached for his sword, but Nangran just crossed his arms over his barrel chest. The old -virtually naked- man stopped yelling mid-rant and lifted one shriveled arm to shade his eyes as he squinted at them, "Eh? Flintchest, what’re you doing way out here with a blasted mage in tow?"
Rather than answer, Nangran started forward again, he didn't much care for talking, let alone shouting. Looking from Nangran to the loincloth man, Shon slowly lowered his arm, but still took position to the left and just behind the Smith as they approached the crazy man with the glittering club.
"No mage." Nangran said as he came right up to the strange old man, "Squire." he glanced over his shoulder at Shon and finished, "Sorcerer."
The old man spat on the ground and moved his squint to Shon. Running his eyes from the top of his black head to the tip of his polished boots and back, exaggerating the movement before he stopped at the Squire’s cold blue eyes.
He spat again, then barked "Where's your familiar?" scanning first the ground at Shon's feet then the sky above his head.
Shon blinked at him, furrowing his brow in confusion at the question. The mage snapped his fingers impatiently, "Your familiar! All Sorcerers have a familiar."
Nangran came to his rescue, "Just woke last night," he said shortly.
The mage spat again but didn't argue, "Well, come in then." Shon looked sideways at Nangran, but the Smith had already begun following the skinny old man into the shack. Shon hurried to catch up.
Inside, Shon's eyes were assaulted with a sparkling rainbow of colors. The room they'd entered was considerably larger than the outside would suggest, with plush carpet and a stuffed high-back armchair in front of a blazing fire in the opposite wall. Shelves full of exotic plants, glowing glass jars, and glittering stones filled every available space, reflecting off one another and setting streaks of light to dance on the floor and walls like sun rays through crystal.
There was too much to take in, so Shon focused on their host. The old man was slipping into a thick robe of deep purple velvet. He'd hung the club on the wall beside the door, which looked just as decrepit on this side as it had on the outside.
"Make a habit of greeting visitors half-naked and swinging an old fireball wand?" Nangran asked as he slipped out of his cloak.
"Keeps the conversations short." the old man replied tersely, tying his belt and turning to his guests. With boney knuckles on boney hips and glare firmly planted on his wrinkled face, he snapped, "Don't bother getting comfortable, Flintchest; you'll be leaving soon enough."
The Smith ignored him, hanging his cloak on the hook that had presumably held the mage's robe. "Got a favor to ask," he said, but the old man was already shaking his head,
"More like a favor to cash in. That's the only reason you're in here and not smoking in a hole outside."
Nangran ignored the threat and motioned from Shon to the old man and back. "Archmage Ivelm." The mage looked Shon up and down again as Nangran made the introductions, “Squire Shon.”
"Not much longer, I'd say." Ivelm said to Nangran as he finished his second examination, "It's to the Guild with this one. Too much magic." he turned his head and spat in a brass can by the door. It rang out with a loud ‘ting!' and Ivelm sniffed, looking down at Nangran again, "What do you want, Flintchest?"
"Need a seal. So the boy doesn't freeze Hamerfoss more than it already is." the smith crossed his arms, watching the mage and somehow still seeming completely at ease.
"Eh?!" Ivelm exclaimed, leaning far forward. Shon had to try hard not to crinkle his nose as the old man brought his face close enough that Shon could smell Ivelm's breath. Garlic, the mage ate a lot of garlic…
"So… you don't want to be a mage, do you?" he demanded, glaring down his nose at him. Shon shook his head and would have answered with a 'no ser.' except the mage continued, "Rather swing around some hunk of metal like a brute?"
Shon blinked stupidly, and Nangran cleared his throat, "Watch what you say about my swords, old man."
Ivelm ignored the smith as soundly as Nangran had ignored the Archmage, and continued to Shon, "The powers of the universe are at your fingertips. Blood blessed with the strength of the elements, and you wanna throw it all away," he threw his arms into the air, still uncomfortably close, "And for what? Some illusion of an honorable death by the sword?"
Shon didn't know what to say. He looked past the affronted mage's face, only an inch from his own, to Nangran. But the smith gave no sign he was going to help. Shon’s future depended on convincing this strange old man, this Archmage, to help…
Shon wasn't the type to try and convince anyone of anything, but the least he could do was explain himself. Shon stepped back from the mage to address him from a more comfortable distance. "I chose to dedicate my life to perfecting my art, and my art is martial combat," he said. Ivelm wrinkled his nose, his mouth twisting as if he were going to spit again, but Shon continued, "magic would be better served in the hands of someone who wants it badly enough to work for it. Like I've worked for my martial skills."
Ivelm leaned away from Shon, his eyebrows lifted into his frizzled gray hair. Shon looked to Nangran, hoping for some sign that this was a good response. The smith smiled from behind the mage.
"Soooo…" Ivelm drew the word out, "You think only those who dedicate themselves to strict study and practice should wield the power of the universe?" he leaned forward again, turning his head and fixing one eye on Shon like a bird. As if trying to catch him in a lie.
Shon nodded, confused, then asked, "Isn't that what it takes to effectively wield magic? Focused study?"
Ivelm didn't answer the question, instead turning his face to examine Shon with the other eye, scanning him up and down yet again. The old man had looked him up and down so much Shon wouldn't be surprised if the next question were about his hair or boots.
But Ivelm didn't ask another question. Instead, he stood straight and spat into the brass can with another ringing 'ting!' "I like this one," he said, turning his back on Shon and facing Nangran, "But it's too much." he shook his head, lifting his hands in helpless surrender, "Too much power, and ice at that. Stubborn element that one. And it's so finicky to block just elemental magic..."
Ivelm continued talking but Shon heard very little of it. A hole had opened in his gut, and it felt like his heart was racing his stomach to fall into it. But Nangran just rolled his eyes at the mage, interrupting, "Used to be the name in new magic items... made shackles to hold Archmages." he squinted at Ivelm, who had frozen mid-head shake, "Must've gotten rusty out…"
Ivelm snapped his fingers under the Smith's nose to stop him talking, "The mind does not rust, Flintchest!" he huffed, one bare foot tapping under his robe, "Not like your swords and shriveling muscles." Nangran just stared stubbornly, his thick, muscled arms still crossed over his broad chest.
The mage continued to tap his foot, his nose in the air. But as the silence stretched, Ivelm looked down at the smith, who continued to say nothing. The silent battle of wills ended when Ivelm threw his arms up in disgust and shook a finger under Nangran's nose, nearly hitting it, declaring, "I'll show you. I'll make a gem especially for this lad, and you'll see the mind only continues to grow sharper!"
He spun on his heel back to Shon, who had just made out the smith's returned smile from behind the mage when the old man snapped his fingers in Shon's face, making him jump. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come here so I can take some measurements!" Ivelm swung around again and marched across the room to a large workbench with plants and gems scattered across it. Shon scrambled after him, praying his thanks to Hengist and suddenly feeling light enough to float. His anxieties dropping away and melting like snow in summer.
***
It was already noon, and no one had come to see Her. She jumped up to grab the bars of Her window, pulling Herself up to peak out but seeing nothing but new snow and tree trunks. She was full to bursting with nervous energy, amplifying every sound and sensation. Footsteps sounded outside Her door, and She dropped from the window, sprinting across the room and resting Her ear on the wood.
“Ran, recheck the lab. Brom, with me.” Archmage Morndancer spoke with his strange alternation between draconic and common as he passed Her door without stopping. She could easily make out the swish of their robes on the stone hall leading away. Three people, Brom, Ran, and Archmage Morndancer. And yet the scurrying of too many feet to be only the two apprentices and Archmage Shaloon, sounded from the floor above. There were strangers in her tower again. Many strangers. Something was happening, something big…
She ran to Her window again, just for something to do, seeking some way to burn off some of the anxiety of not knowing what was going on around her.
A roar from down the hall, a roar of pain, sent ice washing through her veins. She slammed into the door at full speed. Pounding on the wood, She called out, “Brom?! Ran?!” Nothing. Then a yip cut short, followed by barking and yowling.
She shook the handle with both hands, rattling the door on its hinges, “BROM! RAN!” Something was happening to Her treasures, something terrible… The door handle began to glow, the metal warping and sagging as it melted. The knowledge that She would be in more trouble than She had ever been in before was nothing compared to Her terror. She wrenched the handle back with all Her might, splashing molten metal across Her bed, lighting fires that flared in her panic, and sending smoke to curl up to the ceiling.
She didn’t care. She shouldered the door open and ran.
“Red?!” She passed the first open door but couldn’t stop as Ran called out to Her. Reaching Her treasures' room, She tried to stop but slipped, slamming into the ground with a sticky splash. A final whining bark started a buzzing in Her ears as She stared, transfixed, at Her hands. They were painted red. Warm and sticky. The overpowering stench of iron nearly made Her gag as She looked up to see Morndancer toss aside a glittering golden wolf pup, the body flopping limply over the corpse of its mother and siblings.
Her world went red.
***
The last sample was taken care of, but something roared with enough ferocity to shatter glass.
Morndancer's head snapped around in time for him to fall back, shielding his face with his hands as the Firewyrm exploded. White-hot fire engulfed Her and spread out to the stone floor and walls. His robes began to smoke, the new fire protection spells woven into them being overpowered by the sheer ferocity of the blaze.
Brom had no such spells, and he had only managed a single step towards the girl before he fell to the ground, writhing for only a moment before lying still. The Archmage heard Ran scream from the hall before the journeyman stumbled past the door, flailing wildly. Barely discernible as human inside the flames.
The Firewyrm moved towards him, stepping through Brom’s head, turned to ash, and blown up to dance in the air on the same heatwaves causing the girl's hair to wave wildly about Her. She didn't seem to notice, Her face was expressionless and her eyes glowed as red as the scales across Her cheek. Morndancer tried to snap his fingers, but the golden collar around Her neck melted, Her clothes burning off and leaving Her naked and terrible in the flames.
His robe was burning now, and only the pain of that could pull his eyes from the Firewyrm as he pointlessly tried to beat the fires off. He fell back, hitting the wall, which drooped, sagging and dripping molten stone onto his head and face. Then he fell further back, into a gate that opened behind him.
Shaloon pulled him through the portal and into the library three stories up. The Firewyrm roared again and the tower walls shook with the force of it. The gate closed, but Morndancer continued to burn. He could hear screaming. Was it him? Was he screaming? Fire burst up the spiral stairs in the middle of the room, and apprentices, both their own and many sent from the central and western Talon, scrambled about in a panic, some even leaping from the windows.
Shaloon cursed, holding out her hand and summoning her sword again. She had to draw the circle five times before a second gate finally formed, and she dove through it, pulling Morndancer along with her as it quickly closed. An apprentice reached through, and his arm fell at Morndancer’s feet, miles away in the sitting room of his manor back in Smildna.
He laughed. Shaloon slapped him, and he laughed. Ronni, his daughter, burst through the door, her own daughter, only a year old, perched on her hip, and still, he laughed. “What’s wrong?! What happened to him?!” he barely registered his daughter's words and continued to laugh, rolling around on the ground in mirthful madness.
“The Firewyrm She…” Shaloon started, but Morndancer yelled over her in draconic,
“She is true! She is pure! She is rage! The children will come and raise the grandchildren! We have only to await the coming of those Chosen!” the room faded around him, becoming washed out and gray then finally black as he continued to laugh and shout, “They take those who slew them and use them to raise themselves anew…”
He couldn’t feel his burns or the hands trying to settle him. He saw only darkness and stars. And the eyes of his Master boring into his soul from the outer planes.
***
Shon couldn't remember ever feeling so drained in his life. He'd been tired before, exhausted even, but it had never felt quite like this. The eccentric Archmage Ivelm had ordered him to 'empty his energy' into stone after stone. Measuring the weight, color, and temperature of each. Making notes in chalk directly on his table and talking to himself. Shon was shocked the first time he saw the smooth rock handed to him change from a translucent white to an onyx as black as his hair, but by the time they'd gone through the twentieth stone, Shon had decided to stop counting.
Ivelm, however, seemed to get more and more excited with each one. Giving Shon reason to suspect the mage may be taking the energy for himself. After what felt like hours, Ivelm finally stoppered the potion he'd mixed with the most recent jewel, glowing a soft pale blue, and stepped back from the workbench, bony hands on bony hips.
"It can be done." Ivelm swiveled to face Nangran, "He's strong, I don’t know how he managed not to manifest until now, but it's all focused in one elemental direction." he rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling, completely ignoring Shon's arched eyebrow. "It has a bit of divine flavor as well. But I suppose that shouldn't be surprising for a training Paladin." The mage stopped musing and glared down his nose at Nangran, who had made himself comfortable in the oversized wingback chair by the fire, "It will have to be a lot bigger than a piece of jewelry would allow."
The smith just hummed and sipped at his mug. When had he gotten a mug? Shon looked from one old man to the other. It was apparent Ivelm wanted Nangran to ask him for details, but the ever stoic smith said nothing.
Shon was tired. His limbs felt heavy, and the weight of his simple uniform felt more like platemail. He was just about to ask what the Archmage meant, to hurry them along, when Ivelm threw his hands in the air and said, "You'll need to find somewhere to put it. I would recommend that." he pointed at the hilt of Shon's sword over his shoulder, continuing, "If the lad is insisting on swinging a metal stick around instead of harnessing the ultimate powers of the universe then that same stick might as well sap the power literally as well as figuratively." Shon arched an incredulous eyebrow but Ivelm wasn't paying attention, finishing, "I can get it down to about an inch and a half orb. At the smallest. If you want something different, say so now."
Nangran set his mug on the ground and stood with a grunt and a groan. Shon just wanted to go home and sleep for a week, so when the smith reached for the hilt of his sword for a closer look Shon hardly noticed, until the squat smith jerked it down to eye level. Shon swung his arms like a drowning man and stepped wide to prevent himself from falling over.
"Quit wigglin'," Nangran grumbled, studying the sword's pommel with a professional eye. "One and a half'll do, preferably in a tear…"
The mage snorted and continued to ignore the struggling half crouched Shon, his voice dripping sarcasm as he addressed the smith, "Shall I wrap it in silk for you as well?"
"Na." Nangran let go of the sword, and Shon stood straight, lifting his leg to shake out the knee. "Drop it off when you’re done." the Mage snorted again but didn't counter.
None of them were interested in extending the visit, so Nangran grabbed his heavy cloak and shrugged it on while Shon waited by the door. "It will be at least a fortnight," Ivelm called from his position by the workbench, not about to walk them out.
Nangran grunted his confirmation and opened the battered and decrepit door, letting the wind and early autumn snow blow in on their way out. Shon followed numbly, his eyes unfocused as he walked, and ran right into the much shorter man. Nangran hardly moved as Shon bounced off of him. He was squinting into the distance, one large hand shading his eyes. Shon stared at Nangran for a moment before following the direction of his gaze over the tree line.
Smoke. A LOT of smoke. The black clouds billowed violently into the sky, occasionally lit from below by sparks shot high into the air.
"Elm!" Nangran shouted. Shon had never heard the man call so loudly. The Archmage must have also been shocked because the door to his hut swung open and he stuck his head out to look to either side, eyes wide.
"Flintchest, what?" but he soon saw what, "But, that's the old chemist's tower… What?" he stood in shocked confusion for a heartbeat before turning back into the hut. Shon looked from the shack to Nangran, but before he could say anything, the mage was back, struggling with two long rods, one blue with what looked like waves painted all around, the other black and studded with diamonds.
"Don't just stand there!" Ivelm snapped at the two as he finally managed to slip the blue rod into a sheath at his side. He then pointed the diamond rod at the space between two close-growing trees. Shon heard him say something unintelligible, and one of the diamonds shot out of the tip of the rod to hover between the trees before expanding into a portal.
Beyond the magical gate, Shon could hear the fire roar. It sounded how he imagined the burning hells might sound, but as he followed the two men through, he realized his imagination was tame by comparison.
The smell of burning flesh and hair choked him as they stepped clear of the gate's magic. The heat smashed into them like a wall, and all three brought their arms up to shield their faces. Around them were the charred remains of what looked like humans, their faces buried in the mud as if they'd been trying to run from the blaze. Shon had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat and focused instead on the fire Ivelm had said was a tower.
It was completely engulfed in bright flames of all colors. Squinting through the light, he could see the stone walls melting like wax. The arch of the doorway sagged in the middle, and Shon's eyes went wide. Someone was in there.
He would've had to shout over the roar of the flames, but it didn’t matter; Ivelm was already raising the blue wand, jerking his fingers in strange ways and mouthing words impossible to hear. Water shot out the tip of the wand with the force of a ballista and hissed against the glowing stones.
It wasn't possible. It must be a trick of the flickering flames. But the figure turned its face to them, long hair whipping about as it took steps in their direction.
"Don't just stand there, boy!" Ivelm screamed. "They must have a fire-resist spell; those things don't last forever!"
Nangran grabbed Shon’s upper arm, pulling him a step closer to the fire and down so he could shout in his ear, "Freeze a path."
Shon swallowed. He was so tired, literally drained. He didn't know what to do or how to do it. But the figure in the fire reached out to them only to pull away from a drop of molten rock. Shon fell to his knees, placing his hands on the ground and pleading silently to Hengist. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to control the power. He tried picturing a path of snow between himself and the tower base, concentrating on it until the mental image overlaid the real world, as he did when imagining phantom fighters during practice.
Ice snaked its way from Shon's fingers towards the burning tower along his mental path, powered by the fear that he wouldn't be fast enough to save the person inside. The water from Ivelm's wand helped carve the way, and Shon grunted physically as he struggled to push mentally. His breathing came heavy and ragged. He could feel the fire melting the edges of the ice as if it were a part of him. Still, he fought back and forced it to continue to form into solid sheets moving closer and closer to the figure still trapped in the tower.
Wherever the ice formed solid, it stayed. The fire drawing back from it until, finally, it reached the doorway. He urged the ice to climb up the doorframe, to hold it in place and keep it from falling, from moving at all.
Shon was seeing double. He struggled to focus on the figure and flinched as they stepped onto the frozen path. The ice hissed and melted under their bare unsteady feet, he could feel it... feel them, their heat, on his ice.
It was a young woman. Or an older girl. She was naked; her clothes burned away by the fire. Her long hair was being blown forward by the heat of the burning tower, obscuring her face. As she moved closer, Shon could make out strange red stripes snaking around her body, standing in stark relief against her pale skin.
Ivelm stepped in front of him then, throwing Nangran's cloak around her shoulders as she crumpled to the ground. Nangran himself knelt beside Shon, resting one massive hand on the Squire's back. "You can stop, lad…" his voice trailed off, and Shon felt an emptiness open in his chest. No one could have survived that, not if they hadn't already made it to the entrance like the girl. As if to punctuate the thought, Shon managed to focus his eyes only to see the tower's entrance wall fold and collapse in on itself, the stones flowing like soft wax.
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Sorry for the double post today. I wanted to keep Ch 14 & 15 together.
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP
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Autumn 4986, 16 Aoimoth
Shon and Nangran hobbled their horses at the base of a steep hill deep in the woods north of Hamerfoss. They'd left at fourth bell, before any of the other Squires had woken for their morning run, and it had still taken them hours of riding through narrow trails to reach this place. At least they hadn't run into any monsters. The snow that had dusted the landscape during the night lay thick here, crunching underfoot and occasionally flopping noisily to either side as it fell from the tall evergreen branches.
Shon adjusted the strap of his sword across his chest and reached his left hand back to brush shaking fingers over its hilt. He'd been glad when the Paladins insisted he take it with him. To them, it marked Shon as a representative of Hengist and the Temple. To Shon, it was a sign of his hard work and resolve. Having it was a comfort.
Nangran started up the hill, and Shon hurried to follow. The smith hadn’t spoken a word since they set out, not even to try and ease Shon’s anxiety, for which Shon was grateful. Master Daunas had tried to sound confident as Shon saddled his borrowed horse, and The Major General had offered him encouragement as they mounted. Neither realized how much that just drove home the desperation of the situation in Shon’s mind.
The smith pulled his heavy cloak tighter, and Shon looked away. He hadn’t bothered to wear his cloak. He'd never really felt chilled in the winter like others seemed to. Now that he knew why, he wished he had. Cold continued to swirl around him, enhanced by his worries. If he could just block those emotions, the power would never have been a problem to begin with.
The trees thinned the higher they climbed, disappearing almost entirely as they crested the top of the hill. The clearing looked over the treetops, offering an unimpeded view of the horizon. Forest all around, with flatland to the south and rocky mountain peaks to the north. Only a handful of small trees grew in the clearing, and in the middle stood a little ramshackle hut only slightly larger than an outhouse.
Nangran threw his arm out, stopping Shon from walking past him, "Don't touch anything. And don't be surprised if he says no right off."
Shon nodded, trying to swallow down his fear so it wouldn't be seen in his eyes. Dropping his hand, Nangran started forward again, finishing, "Be honest, but not insulting." The instructions, -or perhaps advice?- seemed like common courtesy, which made Shon wonder why quiet Nangran had bothered to say anything.
As they drew closer to the little shack, Shon could make out a sign on the door. He squinted to read it and had just made out 'No Soliciting' when the door swung open, banging against the wall and sending birds into flight. An old man, so thin he looked like a skeleton with yellow skin pulled tight across its bones, stormed out. Wearing nothing but a loincloth, he was shaking a thick stick at them that glinted with red rubies in the low autumn light.
"I already paid my dues for this decade! So you can take your request and shove it-" Shon’s hand instinctively reached for his sword, but Nangran just crossed his arms over his barrel chest. The old -virtually naked- man stopped yelling mid-rant and lifted one shriveled arm to shade his eyes as he squinted at them, "Eh? Flintchest, what’re you doing way out here with a blasted mage in tow?"
Rather than answer, Nangran started forward again, he didn't much care for talking, let alone shouting. Looking from Nangran to the loincloth man, Shon slowly lowered his arm, but still took position to the left and just behind the Smith as they approached the crazy man with the glittering club.
"No mage." Nangran said as he came right up to the strange old man, "Squire." he glanced over his shoulder at Shon and finished, "Sorcerer."
The old man spat on the ground and moved his squint to Shon. Running his eyes from the top of his black head to the tip of his polished boots and back, exaggerating the movement before he stopped at the Squire’s cold blue eyes.
He spat again, then barked "Where's your familiar?" scanning first the ground at Shon's feet then the sky above his head.
Shon blinked at him, furrowing his brow in confusion at the question. The mage snapped his fingers impatiently, "Your familiar! All Sorcerers have a familiar."
Nangran came to his rescue, "Just woke last night," he said shortly.
The mage spat again but didn't argue, "Well, come in then." Shon looked sideways at Nangran, but the Smith had already begun following the skinny old man into the shack. Shon hurried to catch up.
Inside, Shon's eyes were assaulted with a sparkling rainbow of colors. The room they'd entered was considerably larger than the outside would suggest, with plush carpet and a stuffed high-back armchair in front of a blazing fire in the opposite wall. Shelves full of exotic plants, glowing glass jars, and glittering stones filled every available space, reflecting off one another and setting streaks of light to dance on the floor and walls like sun rays through crystal.
There was too much to take in, so Shon focused on their host. The old man was slipping into a thick robe of deep purple velvet. He'd hung the club on the wall beside the door, which looked just as decrepit on this side as it had on the outside.
"Make a habit of greeting visitors half-naked and swinging an old fireball wand?" Nangran asked as he slipped out of his cloak.
"Keeps the conversations short." the old man replied tersely, tying his belt and turning to his guests. With boney knuckles on boney hips and glare firmly planted on his wrinkled face, he snapped, "Don't bother getting comfortable, Flintchest; you'll be leaving soon enough."
The Smith ignored him, hanging his cloak on the hook that had presumably held the mage's robe. "Got a favor to ask," he said, but the old man was already shaking his head,
"More like a favor to cash in. That's the only reason you're in here and not smoking in a hole outside."
Nangran ignored the threat and motioned from Shon to the old man and back. "Archmage Ivelm." The mage looked Shon up and down again as Nangran made the introductions, “Squire Shon.”
"Not much longer, I'd say." Ivelm said to Nangran as he finished his second examination, "It's to the Guild with this one. Too much magic." he turned his head and spat in a brass can by the door. It rang out with a loud ‘ting!' and Ivelm sniffed, looking down at Nangran again, "What do you want, Flintchest?"
"Need a seal. So the boy doesn't freeze Hamerfoss more than it already is." the smith crossed his arms, watching the mage and somehow still seeming completely at ease.
"Eh?!" Ivelm exclaimed, leaning far forward. Shon had to try hard not to crinkle his nose as the old man brought his face close enough that Shon could smell Ivelm's breath. Garlic, the mage ate a lot of garlic…
"So… you don't want to be a mage, do you?" he demanded, glaring down his nose at him. Shon shook his head and would have answered with a 'no ser.' except the mage continued, "Rather swing around some hunk of metal like a brute?"
Shon blinked stupidly, and Nangran cleared his throat, "Watch what you say about my swords, old man."
Ivelm ignored the smith as soundly as Nangran had ignored the Archmage, and continued to Shon, "The powers of the universe are at your fingertips. Blood blessed with the strength of the elements, and you wanna throw it all away," he threw his arms into the air, still uncomfortably close, "And for what? Some illusion of an honorable death by the sword?"
Shon didn't know what to say. He looked past the affronted mage's face, only an inch from his own, to Nangran. But the smith gave no sign he was going to help. Shon’s future depended on convincing this strange old man, this Archmage, to help…
Shon wasn't the type to try and convince anyone of anything, but the least he could do was explain himself. Shon stepped back from the mage to address him from a more comfortable distance. "I chose to dedicate my life to perfecting my art, and my art is martial combat," he said. Ivelm wrinkled his nose, his mouth twisting as if he were going to spit again, but Shon continued, "magic would be better served in the hands of someone who wants it badly enough to work for it. Like I've worked for my martial skills."
Ivelm leaned away from Shon, his eyebrows lifted into his frizzled gray hair. Shon looked to Nangran, hoping for some sign that this was a good response. The smith smiled from behind the mage.
"Soooo…" Ivelm drew the word out, "You think only those who dedicate themselves to strict study and practice should wield the power of the universe?" he leaned forward again, turning his head and fixing one eye on Shon like a bird. As if trying to catch him in a lie.
Shon nodded, confused, then asked, "Isn't that what it takes to effectively wield magic? Focused study?"
Ivelm didn't answer the question, instead turning his face to examine Shon with the other eye, scanning him up and down yet again. The old man had looked him up and down so much Shon wouldn't be surprised if the next question were about his hair or boots.
But Ivelm didn't ask another question. Instead, he stood straight and spat into the brass can with another ringing 'ting!' "I like this one," he said, turning his back on Shon and facing Nangran, "But it's too much." he shook his head, lifting his hands in helpless surrender, "Too much power, and ice at that. Stubborn element that one. And it's so finicky to block just elemental magic..."
Ivelm continued talking but Shon heard very little of it. A hole had opened in his gut, and it felt like his heart was racing his stomach to fall into it. But Nangran just rolled his eyes at the mage, interrupting, "Used to be the name in new magic items... made shackles to hold Archmages." he squinted at Ivelm, who had frozen mid-head shake, "Must've gotten rusty out…"
Ivelm snapped his fingers under the Smith's nose to stop him talking, "The mind does not rust, Flintchest!" he huffed, one bare foot tapping under his robe, "Not like your swords and shriveling muscles." Nangran just stared stubbornly, his thick, muscled arms still crossed over his broad chest.
The mage continued to tap his foot, his nose in the air. But as the silence stretched, Ivelm looked down at the smith, who continued to say nothing. The silent battle of wills ended when Ivelm threw his arms up in disgust and shook a finger under Nangran's nose, nearly hitting it, declaring, "I'll show you. I'll make a gem especially for this lad, and you'll see the mind only continues to grow sharper!"
He spun on his heel back to Shon, who had just made out the smith's returned smile from behind the mage when the old man snapped his fingers in Shon's face, making him jump. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come here so I can take some measurements!" Ivelm swung around again and marched across the room to a large workbench with plants and gems scattered across it. Shon scrambled after him, praying his thanks to Hengist and suddenly feeling light enough to float. His anxieties dropping away and melting like snow in summer.
***
It was already noon, and no one had come to see Her. She jumped up to grab the bars of Her window, pulling Herself up to peak out but seeing nothing but new snow and tree trunks. She was full to bursting with nervous energy, amplifying every sound and sensation. Footsteps sounded outside Her door, and She dropped from the window, sprinting across the room and resting Her ear on the wood.
“Ran, recheck the lab. Brom, with me.” Archmage Morndancer spoke with his strange alternation between draconic and common as he passed Her door without stopping. She could easily make out the swish of their robes on the stone hall leading away. Three people, Brom, Ran, and Archmage Morndancer. And yet the scurrying of too many feet to be only the two apprentices and Archmage Shaloon, sounded from the floor above. There were strangers in her tower again. Many strangers. Something was happening, something big…
She ran to Her window again, just for something to do, seeking some way to burn off some of the anxiety of not knowing what was going on around her.
A roar from down the hall, a roar of pain, sent ice washing through her veins. She slammed into the door at full speed. Pounding on the wood, She called out, “Brom?! Ran?!” Nothing. Then a yip cut short, followed by barking and yowling.
She shook the handle with both hands, rattling the door on its hinges, “BROM! RAN!” Something was happening to Her treasures, something terrible… The door handle began to glow, the metal warping and sagging as it melted. The knowledge that She would be in more trouble than She had ever been in before was nothing compared to Her terror. She wrenched the handle back with all Her might, splashing molten metal across Her bed, lighting fires that flared in her panic, and sending smoke to curl up to the ceiling.
She didn’t care. She shouldered the door open and ran.
“Red?!” She passed the first open door but couldn’t stop as Ran called out to Her. Reaching Her treasures' room, She tried to stop but slipped, slamming into the ground with a sticky splash. A final whining bark started a buzzing in Her ears as She stared, transfixed, at Her hands. They were painted red. Warm and sticky. The overpowering stench of iron nearly made Her gag as She looked up to see Morndancer toss aside a glittering golden wolf pup, the body flopping limply over the corpse of its mother and siblings.
Her world went red.
***
The last sample was taken care of, but something roared with enough ferocity to shatter glass.
Morndancer's head snapped around in time for him to fall back, shielding his face with his hands as the Firewyrm exploded. White-hot fire engulfed Her and spread out to the stone floor and walls. His robes began to smoke, the new fire protection spells woven into them being overpowered by the sheer ferocity of the blaze.
Brom had no such spells, and he had only managed a single step towards the girl before he fell to the ground, writhing for only a moment before lying still. The Archmage heard Ran scream from the hall before the journeyman stumbled past the door, flailing wildly. Barely discernible as human inside the flames.
The Firewyrm moved towards him, stepping through Brom’s head, turned to ash, and blown up to dance in the air on the same heatwaves causing the girl's hair to wave wildly about Her. She didn't seem to notice, Her face was expressionless and her eyes glowed as red as the scales across Her cheek. Morndancer tried to snap his fingers, but the golden collar around Her neck melted, Her clothes burning off and leaving Her naked and terrible in the flames.
His robe was burning now, and only the pain of that could pull his eyes from the Firewyrm as he pointlessly tried to beat the fires off. He fell back, hitting the wall, which drooped, sagging and dripping molten stone onto his head and face. Then he fell further back, into a gate that opened behind him.
Shaloon pulled him through the portal and into the library three stories up. The Firewyrm roared again and the tower walls shook with the force of it. The gate closed, but Morndancer continued to burn. He could hear screaming. Was it him? Was he screaming? Fire burst up the spiral stairs in the middle of the room, and apprentices, both their own and many sent from the central and western Talon, scrambled about in a panic, some even leaping from the windows.
Shaloon cursed, holding out her hand and summoning her sword again. She had to draw the circle five times before a second gate finally formed, and she dove through it, pulling Morndancer along with her as it quickly closed. An apprentice reached through, and his arm fell at Morndancer’s feet, miles away in the sitting room of his manor back in Smildna.
He laughed. Shaloon slapped him, and he laughed. Ronni, his daughter, burst through the door, her own daughter, only a year old, perched on her hip, and still, he laughed. “What’s wrong?! What happened to him?!” he barely registered his daughter's words and continued to laugh, rolling around on the ground in mirthful madness.
“The Firewyrm She…” Shaloon started, but Morndancer yelled over her in draconic,
“She is true! She is pure! She is rage! The children will come and raise the grandchildren! We have only to await the coming of those Chosen!” the room faded around him, becoming washed out and gray then finally black as he continued to laugh and shout, “They take those who slew them and use them to raise themselves anew…”
He couldn’t feel his burns or the hands trying to settle him. He saw only darkness and stars. And the eyes of his Master boring into his soul from the outer planes.
***
Shon couldn't remember ever feeling so drained in his life. He'd been tired before, exhausted even, but it had never felt quite like this. The eccentric Archmage Ivelm had ordered him to 'empty his energy' into stone after stone. Measuring the weight, color, and temperature of each. Making notes in chalk directly on his table and talking to himself. Shon was shocked the first time he saw the smooth rock handed to him change from a translucent white to an onyx as black as his hair, but by the time they'd gone through the twentieth stone, Shon had decided to stop counting.
Ivelm, however, seemed to get more and more excited with each one. Giving Shon reason to suspect the mage may be taking the energy for himself. After what felt like hours, Ivelm finally stoppered the potion he'd mixed with the most recent jewel, glowing a soft pale blue, and stepped back from the workbench, bony hands on bony hips.
"It can be done." Ivelm swiveled to face Nangran, "He's strong, I don’t know how he managed not to manifest until now, but it's all focused in one elemental direction." he rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling, completely ignoring Shon's arched eyebrow. "It has a bit of divine flavor as well. But I suppose that shouldn't be surprising for a training Paladin." The mage stopped musing and glared down his nose at Nangran, who had made himself comfortable in the oversized wingback chair by the fire, "It will have to be a lot bigger than a piece of jewelry would allow."
The smith just hummed and sipped at his mug. When had he gotten a mug? Shon looked from one old man to the other. It was apparent Ivelm wanted Nangran to ask him for details, but the ever stoic smith said nothing.
Shon was tired. His limbs felt heavy, and the weight of his simple uniform felt more like platemail. He was just about to ask what the Archmage meant, to hurry them along, when Ivelm threw his hands in the air and said, "You'll need to find somewhere to put it. I would recommend that." he pointed at the hilt of Shon's sword over his shoulder, continuing, "If the lad is insisting on swinging a metal stick around instead of harnessing the ultimate powers of the universe then that same stick might as well sap the power literally as well as figuratively." Shon arched an incredulous eyebrow but Ivelm wasn't paying attention, finishing, "I can get it down to about an inch and a half orb. At the smallest. If you want something different, say so now."
Nangran set his mug on the ground and stood with a grunt and a groan. Shon just wanted to go home and sleep for a week, so when the smith reached for the hilt of his sword for a closer look Shon hardly noticed, until the squat smith jerked it down to eye level. Shon swung his arms like a drowning man and stepped wide to prevent himself from falling over.
"Quit wigglin'," Nangran grumbled, studying the sword's pommel with a professional eye. "One and a half'll do, preferably in a tear…"
The mage snorted and continued to ignore the struggling half crouched Shon, his voice dripping sarcasm as he addressed the smith, "Shall I wrap it in silk for you as well?"
"Na." Nangran let go of the sword, and Shon stood straight, lifting his leg to shake out the knee. "Drop it off when you’re done." the Mage snorted again but didn't counter.
None of them were interested in extending the visit, so Nangran grabbed his heavy cloak and shrugged it on while Shon waited by the door. "It will be at least a fortnight," Ivelm called from his position by the workbench, not about to walk them out.
Nangran grunted his confirmation and opened the battered and decrepit door, letting the wind and early autumn snow blow in on their way out. Shon followed numbly, his eyes unfocused as he walked, and ran right into the much shorter man. Nangran hardly moved as Shon bounced off of him. He was squinting into the distance, one large hand shading his eyes. Shon stared at Nangran for a moment before following the direction of his gaze over the tree line.
Smoke. A LOT of smoke. The black clouds billowed violently into the sky, occasionally lit from below by sparks shot high into the air.
"Elm!" Nangran shouted. Shon had never heard the man call so loudly. The Archmage must have also been shocked because the door to his hut swung open and he stuck his head out to look to either side, eyes wide.
"Flintchest, what?" but he soon saw what, "But, that's the old chemist's tower… What?" he stood in shocked confusion for a heartbeat before turning back into the hut. Shon looked from the shack to Nangran, but before he could say anything, the mage was back, struggling with two long rods, one blue with what looked like waves painted all around, the other black and studded with diamonds.
"Don't just stand there!" Ivelm snapped at the two as he finally managed to slip the blue rod into a sheath at his side. He then pointed the diamond rod at the space between two close-growing trees. Shon heard him say something unintelligible, and one of the diamonds shot out of the tip of the rod to hover between the trees before expanding into a portal.
Beyond the magical gate, Shon could hear the fire roar. It sounded how he imagined the burning hells might sound, but as he followed the two men through, he realized his imagination was tame by comparison.
The smell of burning flesh and hair choked him as they stepped clear of the gate's magic. The heat smashed into them like a wall, and all three brought their arms up to shield their faces. Around them were the charred remains of what looked like humans, their faces buried in the mud as if they'd been trying to run from the blaze. Shon had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat and focused instead on the fire Ivelm had said was a tower.
It was completely engulfed in bright flames of all colors. Squinting through the light, he could see the stone walls melting like wax. The arch of the doorway sagged in the middle, and Shon's eyes went wide. Someone was in there.
He would've had to shout over the roar of the flames, but it didn’t matter; Ivelm was already raising the blue wand, jerking his fingers in strange ways and mouthing words impossible to hear. Water shot out the tip of the wand with the force of a ballista and hissed against the glowing stones.
It wasn't possible. It must be a trick of the flickering flames. But the figure turned its face to them, long hair whipping about as it took steps in their direction.
"Don't just stand there, boy!" Ivelm screamed. "They must have a fire-resist spell; those things don't last forever!"
Nangran grabbed Shon’s upper arm, pulling him a step closer to the fire and down so he could shout in his ear, "Freeze a path."
Shon swallowed. He was so tired, literally drained. He didn't know what to do or how to do it. But the figure in the fire reached out to them only to pull away from a drop of molten rock. Shon fell to his knees, placing his hands on the ground and pleading silently to Hengist. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to control the power. He tried picturing a path of snow between himself and the tower base, concentrating on it until the mental image overlaid the real world, as he did when imagining phantom fighters during practice.
Ice snaked its way from Shon's fingers towards the burning tower along his mental path, powered by the fear that he wouldn't be fast enough to save the person inside. The water from Ivelm's wand helped carve the way, and Shon grunted physically as he struggled to push mentally. His breathing came heavy and ragged. He could feel the fire melting the edges of the ice as if it were a part of him. Still, he fought back and forced it to continue to form into solid sheets moving closer and closer to the figure still trapped in the tower.
Wherever the ice formed solid, it stayed. The fire drawing back from it until, finally, it reached the doorway. He urged the ice to climb up the doorframe, to hold it in place and keep it from falling, from moving at all.
Shon was seeing double. He struggled to focus on the figure and flinched as they stepped onto the frozen path. The ice hissed and melted under their bare unsteady feet, he could feel it... feel them, their heat, on his ice.
It was a young woman. Or an older girl. She was naked; her clothes burned away by the fire. Her long hair was being blown forward by the heat of the burning tower, obscuring her face. As she moved closer, Shon could make out strange red stripes snaking around her body, standing in stark relief against her pale skin.
Ivelm stepped in front of him then, throwing Nangran's cloak around her shoulders as she crumpled to the ground. Nangran himself knelt beside Shon, resting one massive hand on the Squire's back. "You can stop, lad…" his voice trailed off, and Shon felt an emptiness open in his chest. No one could have survived that, not if they hadn't already made it to the entrance like the girl. As if to punctuate the thought, Shon managed to focus his eyes only to see the tower's entrance wall fold and collapse in on itself, the stones flowing like soft wax.
--- Table of Contents ---
Sorry for the double post today. I wanted to keep Ch 14 & 15 together.
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP