#(also 'they set up' = the rodents themselves organized)

[zooophagous]

The institute was a  prison. To be sure, they tried to make it feel more like a hospital, but if he were honest, there was considerable overlap between the nicest prisons and the meanest hospitals. That fact didn't seem to have changed in the centuries since Luther Strauss had first practiced as a physician. It was certainly a hard fact to forget in the sterile, clean, cold 'cafeteria' where meals were to be served.

His own meals had to be served by the nurse. There was protocol for the handling of blood, after all, but the nurse always seemed put out by the task. Probably because of the mice. A metal tray was set before the seated vampire at the cold metal table. It contained a meal that, since it was not the hour for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Luther referred to as "feed."

A tube of fresh human blood, no longer than a man's middle finger, and about the same width, still warm from its donor (Ursula today, according to the label. It made him chuckle to see that.) Alongside it was "Tropi-Fresh organic no sugar added 100% pure coconut water." Organic or not, the brightly colored though barely flavored juice box made a fine filler for a liquid diet. He had initially rejected his first taste of it, but it soon proved to be innofensive enough. The bulk of feed however, was alive and kicking and sat in a clear plastic pet carrier with a ventilated lid. Three large white laboratory mice, with red eyes sniffed and pawed and ducked and paced. Luther watched them with an emotionless expression. They were fun to watch, and the red eyes and the visible disgust they inspired in the human workers of the institute gave him an odd sense of comeraderie with the small creatures. But, they also smelled bad, sharp and pungent, and they were, ultimately, prey.

He reached into the little carrier and picked one up. He would start with the mice, if he could finish them quickly the room wouldn't smell as badly of them. One sat in his claws, sniffing curiously, and utterly dumb to its fate. He would eat it live, clamping the life out of it in an instant and sucking its tiny body dry like a slice of orange. His jaw clicked and widened, fangs exposed themselves fully, and he leaned his head back to dangle the condemned by the tail into his hungry maw.

"Oh God, EW. DON'T PUT THAT IN YOUR MOUTH!"

Luther paused. Troy had come to eat dinner with him. Luther instantly remembered why he usually declined company at feed. He held the creature in his fist with his thumb over its head.

"Troy. What do you want?"

"You are not seriously going to put a live mouse in your mouth. Luther that's disgusting."

"More disgusting than you eating that roadkilled raccoon?"

"That's different. I was NOT in charge of my faculties then. You are. You can't tell me you're ok with this." Troy motioned at the mice in their carriers, which gazed back up at him with empty, ruby eyes.

"Are you upset because it is unhygeinic? I am already dead. I am quite immune to plague. Believe me. I've tested it."

"That's part of it but... but come on man. Look at it. It's a living thing, it's not hurting anyone. You can't be ok with just killing it for no reason."

"I am not content to kill for no reason. I kill for a very good reason. I have to eat, Troy, and it has to come from somewhere." He was done arguing, and popped the rodent into his mouth as casually as someone might take a handful of popcorn.

There was a crunch, a brief squeal from the mouse, and a gasp from Troy. He turned his head and spit the carcass into his hand, nearly fully dessicated.

"DUDE!" Troy complained loudly. "Could you NOT do that right in front of me?!"

"You're free to leave." He shrugged, and began reaching for another mouse.

"Wait." Troy held his hand over the latch to the carrier.

"What is it?" Luther grumbled. "Herr Cunningham, you are trying my limited patience."

"Will you leave the mice alone if I get you something else?"

"I cannot subsist on mere coconut water."

"No, like something ELSE."

Luther tilted his head. "What is it you suggest?"

Around the hallowed halls of the Van Helsing Institute, Ursula made her rounds. She had witnessed Troy and Strauss on the cameras, leaving the cafeteria and the still alive mice for someone else to clean up, as usual. Men, it appeared, were all the same, living or dead.

They had broken into a nurses' closet, and then had gone into the vampire's dorm. Part of her was concerned- a vampire is a powerful manipulator, and Troy as sweet as he was, was also painfully naive. What was worse, neither of those rooms had cameras so God only knows what that monster was doing to the lad. She found herself at the dorm, predictably locked, but only huffed and pulled her key ring out. She didn't bother being polite. If they were going to break into delicate restricted medical areas, they could face the wrath of security.

"I do certainly hope you two aren't having sex right now because this door coming-"

She paused, and stared down at Strauss, and Troy, who sat on the bed together, though fully clothed.

"...Open."

"Hey Ursula." Troy said meekly, his free hand gripping his outstretched arm. He was white as a sheet. A needle was set into the large vein in the inner elbow, along with a tube- the phlebotomy supplies used to take donations. Instead of a nice sterile bag and a label however, Strauss sat daintily sipping the end of the cut tube as if it were a cocktail straw.

"What, pray tell, the HELL are you two doing?"

"Herr Cunningham invited me to dinner."

"Don't be mad Ursula I just would rather it be from me than have him hurting the mice-"

"GET THAT OUT OF YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" She yelled. "You're going to give him diseases!"

"How dare you, I properly cleaned the injection site with iodine before sticking him and used sterile equipment for the EXPRESS purpose of NOT giving him any diseases, what manner of untrained selfish oaf do you take me for-"

"STOP talking to me, if I find you feeding off of anyone else in this building WITH OR WITHOUT a tube I will stake you. Troy, we put up with the mice so we don't HAVE to do dumb shit like this, I know you're a bleeding heart but can you PLEASE stop and think before-"

"Ahem."

All three of them turned to see Artemis in the doorway behind them. "I heard yelling. I presume Ursula is upset that you left live mice in the cafeteria, Luther? You know that isn't allowed. If you can't be responsible with livestock we will not keep it on the premises. I know she must not be yelling about whatever you two are doing alone in here, because you're both rational, consenting adults who can make your own choices, right?"

She said sternly to both the vampire and her security, who both sheepishly looked away.

"Apologies, Frau Van Helsing. I will return the unused livestock to their pens."

"Thank you. Ursula?"

"I'll go fill out a form to fix the door SOMEONE broke to the nurses' station."

"Excellent. Troy?"

"I uh. I'm going to go get a bandaid I guess."

"Fine. We can all agree, then? No yelling in the supernatural creature dorms unless someone is getting mauled. I'm going back to work."

She turned with a smile and headed off down the hall.

"Someone was getting mauled." Ursula grumbled as she stormed out of the room.

Strauss sighed. "Hold still. Let me get this tube out of your arm. How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to throw up."

"That is natural for bloodletting."

"Hey... how do I taste?"

Strauss grinned. "Better than mice."

"That was kind of funny, she asked if we were... like together, ha."

"Mm. No offense Troy, you aren't quite my type."

"Yeah, same. I sort of prefer my guys less skinny and less, you know, dead anyway. Can a vampire even... you know." He waved his hand.

"Can we what?"

"Have sex?"

"Oh. Well. I am sure we can. I haven't tried."

"Wait. You just haven't bothered to check? How old are you?"

"I wasn't that interested in it alive either, from what I remember."

"And you aren't even curious if it all, like, still works? Even from like a doctor's perspective?"

"Not really, no. But, if I find someone I am interested in testing it with, I will be sure to document the proceedings for posterity." He pulled the needle free of Troy's arm. Troy flinched. The vampire pressed a cotton ball over the tiny puncture wound.

"You look better than most victims do, after being fed on by a vampire. Hold pressure there until it stops. That was nice. We should do it again some time."

"Yeah yeah. Sometime. Don't... don't get rid of the mice just yet."

#long post #writing #wayward souls

[ndostairlyrium]

Ooohboi 😂 Long post ahead! Also cw: drugs

Basically, I have this headcanon (which could possibly be canon but the info of this franchise come in bulks and I may have missed stuff lol) that clan hunters/scouts have maps of the safest routes to travel through in case they have to move quickly to a different location. And since they have to update them, they usually meet with other clans' hunters of the same geographic area at a certain time of the year. When these meetings occurr they all take notes, socialize, and gather intel on what's going on in the human communities of the surroundings. It's important to have things well organized since every clan has children and elders within their community, besides moving without a direction is just plain stupid. I don't believe all clans live isolated for then meeting each other once every 10 years. Communicating is a basic mean for survival, at the end.

Now, imagine freshma'am hunter Ankh in her 16/17s - very reckless, very idealistic, very idiotic - going on such a trip with her clan's older hunters to learn the basics of orienteering. She's a decent archer, but she's inexperienced obviously. Anxiety is over the roof, because being the olympic medal overthinker that she is, she put all the possible expectations over her shoulders, even if her mentors are very chill about it. And so she's there doing mediocre, failing, having an existential crisis overall stressful first experience outside the safety of her clan's perimeter... until all the hunters set camp for the night. Things change there: she manages to unwind and interact with everyone outside their task, and she starts to enjoy it! She's a cool kid, she's having fun, she's drinking embrium tea, she's nibbling some lunatic deathroot cookies...

The hell do her mentors knew substances would work on her like caffeine? Also, have I ever told you she's annoyingly hyperactive? Well, now you know, unfortunately. Imagine this bamboo stick with a blonde wig talking complex phylosophical concepts at the speed of light (and making no sense whatsoever ofc), hunting down hares and nocturnal rodents as if it was the easiest possible thing, and having a blast in general while the others are chilling around the campfire with the dumbest face ever. Pure entertainment for the group! Plus, she's overly self-conscious that she's intoxicated, so she's all like "will it wear down? down it will wear would will-- Have stars always been this luminous? Can we visit those old ruins we found earlier?? That would be so cool!! Am I talking right? Do my words make sense??? FERN. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND. ME? F E R N" The moment tiredness starts to kick in, she's baffled. She can't use her legs properly, her clothes are becoming increasingly heavier, and her brain pulsates on her ears. But she still have ideas, ideas she would barely remember later << So, her and her bestie and later partner Fern would end up crashing a nearby Sylvanmoot (that really was a circle of willows and nothing else). They manage to befriend the shortest tree, who could relate to the awkwardness of a young person being put on their first responsibilities. They've been a brother, a comrade, and the three talked through existential topics for hours; hugging this newfound friend was like, the bare minimum to wave goodbye. Truly a tearjerking moment, if it wasn't for the fact that they were hugging a literal tree and rubbing themselves on its bark like freaking possums. Luckily the other hunters - those that weren't intoxicated, at least - would reach the idiots in time to stop them from ending up like parmesan cheese on pasta. From that experience Ankh got a couple of scars on her brow and scalp, Fern got some on his cheeks and mandible as well, and they ended up getting matching earrings. How, you say? They'll never know. This is a story the now elders of clan Lavellan tell to every single one of Ankh's partners, to her delight <3 and this is one of the reasons she never drinks or ingest stuff that could alter her senses - it's a xase of 70% allergies, 30% pure shame.

#long post #ankh #she basically took an edible #but not of the mildest kind << #and it took me an entire afternoon to browse the flora and fauna section of the wikia back in the day #to justify both an increase of hyperactivity and hallucinations #tw: drugs #of course #and of course one of the first things deshanna says to cullen and josephine is 'let me tell you about that time ankh ridiculed herself' #it's not just a one time thing but this is the stupidest anecdote #the others always involve falling off trees and it kinda gets boring after a while <<

[creepyscritches]

So I just got two baby rats after taking a break from keeping them consistently since 2013 and it's a good opportunity to lay out the actual cost of getting new rats. They're unassumingly expensive and definitely are not an impulse buy. The only reason I could get them at such short notice is I already had a lot of the base costs covered like bedding, a few toys, and most importantly the enclosure. I'm also pretty financially stable, so the follow up costs were something I already had in place--they're expensive!

Let's break down the cost of day 1, bringing them home. The rats themselves were $25 each, but buy 1 get 1 half off, bringing the total to $37.50. However, they also needed more bedding, a hide, food, and a carrier which quickly adds up. In total, it cost $170 to bring them home w the bare minimum. If I also needed a cage, that total would have been closer to $300 for the smallest appropriate size for 2 rats.

One of the rats had an upper respiratory infection that I spotted immediately upon picking her up. Most rats are already born with the causal organism (mycoplasma) and the rest tend to pick it up from litter mates. Assume you will need a vet visit in the first week to take care of these early URIs (we went today!).

My vet charges $85 for an exotic exam--exotics are usually anything outside of standard dogs and cats, so expect exotic prices for any small pet. I scheduled their appointment the next day after bringing them home (Monday) and had them examined by today (Thursday). These appointments can't wait or else the URI may result in lifelong complications! The vet saw both but only felt the sick rat needed the full exam, so I only had one of the $85 exam fees. Since she needed antibiotics, I also had to pay for 2 prescriptions (this is where the real cost comes in). The vet total came to $210 and both rats are on a 10 day antibiotic regimen. I also picked up several types of baby food to mix the medicine in for around $8.

I also needed ledges and hammocks for their enclosure, which roughly came to $50. I need more than that, so I expect the final total to be around $150. I'll also transition them to a healthier food than they've been eating, but it's pricey as well at around $30 a bag.

So let's tally the cost of 4 days of rat ownership with a relatively stocked starting point.

Rats: $37.50

Initial supplies: $132.50

Cage accessories: $50

Baby food: $8

Vet care: $210

Total cost: $438

So the initial cost of these animals was NOT the sticker on the cage ($37.50), but a whopping $438. I also still need at least $100 more worth of cage pieces and maybe another $100 for replacement trays for their cage's shelves. I very well expect to run upwards of $600 to get them at an acceptable level of care.

ALL of these are mandatory for a healthy rat. We can't skip any of these basic care requirements. Rodents are mischaracterized as "easy low cost pets", but all of them have these huge costs just to have a basic enriching set up. My guinea pigs have the same story and so do all my past hamsters. They're a commitment both emotionally and financially and it's important to have these things lined up when you bring a little dude home!

#creepy chatter #Expensive little rodents

[pest-control0208]

Embracing Natural Solutions: A Holistic Approach to Pest Control

Pest control is a perennial concern for homeowners and businesses alike. Whether it's pesky insects invading your kitchen or rodents making a home in your attic, the instinctive reaction often involves reaching for chemical-laden sprays or setting up traps. However, there's a growing awareness of the drawbacks associated with traditional pest control methods, including their potential harm to human health, pets, and the environment. Visit: Is Obtaining Professional Pest Control Truly Essential? for more information.

Thankfully, there's a shift towards embracing natural and eco-friendly pest control solutions. These methods not only effectively manage pests but also promote a healthier living environment for all inhabitants. Let's delve into some of the reasons why more people are opting for natural pest control approaches:

Health Concerns: Traditional pest control methods often involve the use of harsh chemicals that can pose risks to human health. Exposure to these chemicals through inhalation or skin contact can lead to respiratory issues, skin irritations, and other health problems. By choosing natural alternatives, such as essential oils or plant-based repellents, homeowners can mitigate these health risks for themselves, their families, and their pets.

Environmental Impact: Chemical pesticides and rodenticides can have far-reaching consequences on the environment. They can contaminate soil and water sources, harm beneficial insects like bees and butterflies, and disrupt delicate ecosystems. Opting for natural pest control methods, such as introducing predator insects or using biological controls like nematodes, helps maintain ecological balance without causing widespread environmental damage.

Resistant Pests: Overreliance on chemical pesticides has led to the emergence of pesticide-resistant strains of pests. This poses a significant challenge for traditional pest control methods, as repeated use of the same chemicals becomes increasingly ineffective over time. Natural pest control methods, on the other hand, offer a sustainable solution by targeting pests through biological mechanisms, making it harder for them to develop resistance.

Long-Term Effectiveness: While chemical pesticides may provide immediate results, they often fail to address the root cause of pest infestations. Natural pest control approaches focus on creating unfavorable conditions for pests to thrive, such as removing food sources, sealing entry points, and maintaining proper sanitation practices. By addressing underlying factors that attract pests, natural methods offer long-term effectiveness in preventing future infestations.

Safe for Beneficial Organisms: Unlike chemical pesticides, which can indiscriminately harm both pests and beneficial organisms, natural pest control methods are more targeted and selective. For example, introducing predatory insects like ladybugs or praying mantises can help control aphids and other garden pests without harming bees or other beneficial insects essential for pollination.

Implementing natural pest control methods may require a shift in mindset and approach, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Here are some practical tips for incorporating natural pest control strategies into your home or business:

Seal Entry Points: Prevent pests from entering your property by sealing cracks, gaps, and other entry points around doors, windows, and utility openings.

Remove Food Sources: Keep kitchens, pantries, and dining areas clean and free of crumbs, spills, and food debris that attract pests. Use Essential Oils: Certain essential oils, such as peppermint, lavender, and tea tree oil, are natural repellents for pests like ants, spiders, and mosquitoes. Dilute them with water and spray them in areas where pests are likely to gather.

Introduce Natural Predators: Consider attracting or introducing natural predators like birds, bats, or beneficial insects to help control pest populations in your garden or outdoor spaces.

In conclusion, natural pest control methods offer a safe, effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical-based approaches. By embracing holistic pest management strategies, we can create healthier living environments for ourselves and future generations while preserving the delicate balance of nature.

#pest control #pest control Adelaide

[memoriae-lectoris]

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can infect just about every warm-blooded animal but can reproduce in a way that guarantees its survival only in cats. T. gondii reproduces by copying itself during the life of its host, but it’s only in cats that it undergoes sexual reproduction, producing new oocysts, or spore cells, that can go on to find new hosts. Infected cats distribute oocysts in their droppings. The oocysts are hardy little organisms that can survive for as long as a year in tough conditions. When rodents, birds, or other animals ingest the oocysts, they become infected; animals can also become infected by eating the flesh of an infected animal. Humans can ingest oocysts by eating undercooked meat or poorly washed vegetables or after handling cat litter. Once an animal is infected, the T. gondii cells are distributed through the body by the bloodstream, where they insert themselves inside muscle and brain cells. It’s a pretty nasty-sounding infection—who wants parasites setting up permanent shop in your brain?—but it’s thought to be generally benign in most people, although more on that shortly. It’s also incredibly common, infecting as much as half the world’s people—and not just where you might think. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, scientists think more than 20 percent of the population is infected—in France, it’s nearly 90 percent. 

If Dr. Torrey is right, and T. gondii infection can trigger schizophrenia, it will add a whole new meaning to the stereotypical picture of the crazy cat lady. 

#book: survival of the sickest #schizophrenia #mental health #parasite #health #toxoplasma gondii #animal

[peakbuffer3]

The Ultimate Guide To American Shorthair

In the past utilized to always keep rodents and pests away coming from food items retail stores, the American Shorthair still takes pleasure in working out her searching skill-sets on innocent insects. The new species have been disclosed to eat up to 3 million gallons of meals every day and have a fatal bite on humans. The species has just been reintroduced to the West by a group of scientists examining wild populations and some of its remains are believed to be buried in the soil or thrown out. As a brilliant, moderately energetic feline, she enjoys learning methods and challenging her cleverness with puzzles and active playthings. She takes pleasure in interacting along with little ones, particularly youthful little ones, and is very energetic in her organic world. She is not one of the typical feline, but does delight in participating in with little ones. She has a natural wish to participate in along with various other cats. She will definitely frequently jump at anyone who makes the mistake of scraping her or trying to conceal her pet cat. She’s adaptable and good-natured, which creates her the optimal household buddy. She's also easygoing and considerate. We'll watch her grow through supporting her, and she's regularly types to her good friends and her family, too. I assume that there would be some backlash. There are some individuals who think I'm being pleasant to the homeless. But that's not how this works in our society. My mommy is a quite bad individual. Although she likes attention from her individuals, featuring children, the American Shorthair does not such as being carried and is reasonably independent. She calls herself President/CEO and thinks in a culture of openness and independence. Along with this new organization, she strongly believes there is actually a location for President/CEO and that folks need to live lifestyle to their fullest and be successful. She really wants to offer each person (the new Shorthair or whatever) a chance to be successful irrespective of their own beliefs. She may buckle up in your tour on celebration, but she might like to sit along with you instead. Her face, shoulders and upper legs are the highest-positioned appearance in most guys's body systems. Her neck and shoulders are the inmost. Women along with a a little thinner upper body are assumed to see a taller and fiercer guy's physical body as properly as an also much larger male's, while males along with extra noticeable and curvaceous body systems are going to simply get a smaller and fiercer man.

She’ll receive along fine with a cat-friendly dog, but her seeking instincts may take over with pet birds and other tiny pets. Also though their personality varies coming from individual to person, the pet cat's actions reflect that she ases if and rely on humans. Some of the very most prominent pussy-cat species for the majority of humans have been those that have been bred for excessive cold, warmth, food cravings or cool in their individuals. As a working feline, American Shorthairs have a chunky, muscle shape. Their form is evocative of that of much older American pussy-cats, but it is lighter, much heavier, more slimmer, even more slender, and has actually even more round-toed shoulders than American Shorthairs. For the cat, a straight-set appeal is desirable, as he relocates from his stomach to that of a cat-horses, and may demand a somewhat decreased back. White colored shorthairs are available in sets. Their muscular legs lend themselves to the American’s dexterity and endurance. Their muscular, muscle-bound form makes them a incredibly efficient force-saver, and is easily extended. Their strong forearms and forearms stretch properly beyond their body so that they would be considered the toughest of all upper arms. The potential to crack free coming from anxiety is therefore strongly prime that also though they are taken into consideration muscular in attribute they do therefore at a quite poor rate. They have a big scalp and full face, medium-sized ears and big, broad eyes. They consume raw fruit product like fruit products of trees and veggies and don't put on fragrance like human people. They conceal their hair in a short ponytail, with a long, available braid. When the wind is rough, they look for food at night and exist down under heavy coverings until they acquire to a spot where they sleep properly and get consumed. 15 to 20 years American Shorthairs are a varied kind along with an variety of colours and patterns. More Discussion Posted Here are an diverse team featuring African Americans, Latinas, Latinas, Caribbean Asians, Jews, Filipinos and Hispanics, and a lot of others. The American shorthairs have been at the cutting edge of Eastern and other international advancement after being included in TV commercials, cartoons, movies, signboards, songs videos, Television and film commercials, and in media craft, and a lot of additional. Silver tabby is one of the most usual and well-known, however. And even though a lot of consumers will either like the shiny white tabby, or maybe discover it to be the "big bargain". You may add a attractive silver tabby to your home kitchen sink to match your fridge (it may be an after dinner treat, or a summertime shower) and get the attractive chrome-black tabby. The tabby is a extremely natural fit What produces pulls lovely though?

Your American Shorthair will certainly dropped but brushing a married couple opportunities per week gets rid of dead hair and redistributes skin layer oils to keep her coat shiny and avoid completely dry, scratchy skin layer. The brand new baby's brand new mother's will definitely be a little bit even more healthy and much less probably to receive contaminations. It is likewise the 2nd time in a week that a American shorthair, as resisted to having the original American shaft, has been included on Television. The American Shorthair is a filling and well-balanced kind. You just take the ingredients on a plate, prep them, and eat! To receive the a lot of out of the Shorthair's dish, you will definitely require a number of meals. This strategy will definitely require a number of regular dishes. The quantity of time one gets between foods is reliant on body weight (ie the volume of carbohydrates and protein you take in). I just like to utilize 8 foods per full week.

#American Shorthair cat

[fishmouth7]

Four Benefits Of Stress Washing Your Home

Still, some homeowners could choose to rent professionals. That’s because community stress washing firms are able to use their experience to recognize problems that may go unnoticed by the untrained eye. Opting to wash your own house is a alternative that eats up useful free time, plus there's the effort of masking your home's every nook and cranny with insufficient assist and tools. You'll benefit in many ways with this preventative care in addition to beauty variations. Debris-filled gutters are an excellent home for rodents, bugs, other pests, and mold – all issues that put your family’s well being at risk. We’re totally equipped and educated to clean your gutters safely. This will remove any old paint or excess debris. Not solely does this make your home look somewhat bit ugly, it could possibly additionally trigger injury by rising into the home’s floor and ruining the outside. By stress washing the outside of your home annually, you'll save some large cash on expensive residence repairs down the road. Keeping the exterior in excellent condition is equally essential. Happy Home is ready and ready to revive your home’s beauty and elegance. For all of these causes and more, many Long Island owners regularly pressure wash. We will go to your property to gauge your exterior and perform a radical assessment of the areas you specified you'd wish to be cleaned. To present the fastest turnaround, we do not require anyone to be house in your evaluation, no need to take the day off of work. House washing is more durable work than one may think. 7 Benefits To Expect From Your Janitorial Service Janitors should also be well-organized to ensure they have the right equipment when going to a job web site. Being well organized additionally helps them preserve correct stock information of cleansing provides to restock them as wanted. This steerage is indicated for buildings in group settings and is not supposed for healthcare settings or for other services where specific regulations or practices for cleansing and disinfection may apply. School cleansing companies a lot have high requirements when hiring employees who will be working around children. Our CEO, Donna, has made it her mission to ensure that Team Clean has all the time had a “people first” mentality. She actually believes that an organization is made higher by caring for its’ personal. However, for the greatest outcomes, it's necessary to make use of one of the best school cleansing providers. You will learn about the advantages of a school cleansing service on this weblog. Over our sixty years in the cleaning trade, we now have developed a wide scope of companies and procedures, in addition to specialised tools to address and resolve any cleaning downside. Our goal is that will assist you hold your business clear, sanitary, and safer for workers, visitors, prospects, and others. If you are interested in environmentally-friendly cleansing companies, we are in a position to provide these companies as well. Many less competent workplace cleansing companies perform only probably the most primary cleaning course of. A Clear Sweep The report is given to you, the home-owner, when the inspection and chimney sweeping is completed. Any points found during the sweeping might be listed out in this report, as properly as the skilled advice given to you by the chimney sweeps themselves. Using your chimney and its fire is playing with fireplace, and if there are any points within your chimney system, it might possibly put you, your beloved ones, and your house at severe risk. The Chimney Sweepers Act 1834 contained most of the wanted rules. Chimney Solutions is a trusted and skilled chimney sweep service for the larger Atlanta space. Call us for any of your chimney and fireplace needs, and we are going to ship certainly one of our highly-rated chimney professionals to offer you the most effective service available. This firm responded quickly, came out cleaned my fire and chimney. Badges, a uniform, or a vehicle which identifies the company. It may be very risky to hire a solicitor who knocks at your door to carry out chimney services. In the unlikely occasion that harm happens, you may be responsible for the injury, if the company has no legal responsibility coverage. This is because a chemical referred to as creosote builds up on the walls of your chimney and may impede the air flow or worse, cause a harmful chimney fireplace. Presently, the skilled chimney sweep has made a comeback with fireplaces getting regular use somewhat than just used for a ornament and this old profession continues to be rising at present. Chimneys started to appear in Britain around 1200, after they changed the open fireplace burning in the course of the one room house. At first there can be one heated room within the building and chimneys can be giant. Window Cleaning Ideas While you may have many trinkets and presents that you wish to show on your shelves, don’t neglect that every of these could be a mud magnet. If you may have allergies or bronchial asthma, attempt washing your sheets extra typically to see when you get any improvement in your symptoms. When cleaning your bedroom, you want to wash your bedsheets and pillowcases a minimum of as quickly as every week. If you have pets, you may want to wash your sheets extra often, such as each three or four days. How to clean drapesHere's a step-by-step guide to cleansing draperies and curtains, based on cleaning consultants. The phrases curtains and drapes are sometimes used interchangeably, and each refer to textile panels that grasp from rods and cover home windows. But what units drapes aside is that they have a lining to block gentle, and have a tendency to hang from ceiling to ground. Avoid utilizing a feather duster or dry rag to mud baseboards or window treatments, as they unfold mud round rather than gather it. Since the label says dry clear only, I’m reluctant to let you know to disregard it. Since these are used every now and then, subsequently many homeowners prefer to rent them as an alternative of buying for them. The waterless cleaner works by actually dissolving the filth in your floor. There's no want for mess and no mixing of various chemicals. Recreational Sports Facility Rsf Unfortunately, there is no law that obliges the amenities to comply with international safety tips. Several easy and simple duties should be accomplished to be able to provide a safe environment for sport practitioners. Maintenance of the equipment must at all times be done and precautions ought to be taken concerning fireplace, emergency lighting, access management, assaults, and fraud. It is extremely important to have an emergency action plan. Know how your business is doing, drive development, and encourage your staff. Review joint ISBE/IDPH guidance for faculties for extra info on COVID-19 prevention strategies for youth sports activities. We ask that you just think about turning off your ad blocker so we are ready to ship you the best expertise potential while you're right here. Clark Reservation State Park is a geologic surprise of the last ice age and a botanist's paradise. I get positive suggestions about her caring nature from several of our employees that work late. Dispose of any gear or furnishings with broken surfaces that cannot be properly disinfected. The common set of free weights has 362 instances more bacteria than a toilet seat. The average treadmill has 74 times more bacteria than a water faucet. Use our free request for quote software and get worth quotes from multiple gym cleaners in your area. Assists within the programming, planning, and implementation of quite lots of recurring and non-recu... Incumbent will prepare and bake a wide selection of pizzas from prepared ingredients. Performs tasks similar to grilling hamburgers, hot canines, sandwiches, French fries, and so on., by watching while the gadgets are cooking, turning as required; regulating temperature and eradicating when carried out. Incumbent duties might include packaging meals for off-premise consumption or serves for on premise consumption. Operates and uses bake and holding ovens, pizza makers, slicers, fryers and miscellaneous kitchen utensils. Ewg's Information To Healthy Cleaning WellnessMama.com is the end result of her hundreds of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama analysis team. Katie can also be the creator of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox. I’ve found that the lingering urine odor (especially with potty-training boys) is often hiding in the bathroom seat hinges and underneath the bolt caps on the facet of the bathroom. I take these off and totally clean them each two weeks or so. Owning a pet means dealing with fur, dander, tracked-in filth, and accidents of varied types. Keep 清潔公司 brushed to chop down on fur balls, vacuum often, and train them to make use of solely certain pieces of furniture. Most cosmetic manufacturers have eliminated borax and sodium borate from personal care merchandise as a result of they're simply absorbed by human pores and skin. If you select to make use of borax in house cleaning, use sparingly and defend yourself. Here is an inventory of frequent, environmentally secure components that you can use alone or in combination for a wealth of household applications. The overwhelming majority of cleansing tasks can be tackled with nothing greater than vinegar, baking soda, cleaning soap, and water, but different ingredients are helpful for specific jobs. The Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner – This toilet bowl cleaner is one of the greatest I have discovered available on the market. If you reside in an space with exhausting water, this works wonders on getting out these rings left in the bathroom. When it comes to cleaning the toilet, I'm a fan of use-and-toss merchandise. I don't need germ-infested sponges or rags in my cleaning closet. They have a satisfying scent without being overwhelming, making fast work of wiping down the bathroom from prime to bottom, including beneath the seat. • Add a few drops of important oil for fragrance and/or cleaning energy. Eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, tea tree, and thyme are among the essential oils thought of to be antiseptic and antibacterial. Combine 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup kosher salt in a jar. Best Methods To Clean Your Blinds Similar to roller blinds, vertical shades come in a broad range of finishes and coatings. The key benefit of vertical blinds is that they provide higher blackout solutions in comparability with rolling options. Blinds are a basic part of an workplace or home design. They add a way of creativity, vibrance, and luxury, making our houses and workplaces more conducive as we go about our day-to-day activities. Wet duster or microfiber fabric with cleaning soap and heat water and wipe both sides of each slat. Wood or faux wood blinds do not overlap so that they will remain closed. For an additional payment, our professionally educated cleansing staff can come to your St. Louis metro space residence to conduct the ultra-sonic blind and shade cleansing service. This process consists of taking down your blinds or shades, cleaning them in our cellular cleansing truck, then rehanging them once they are dry. The at-home blind cleansing course of removes the hassles of eradicating, driving and rehanging your blinds or shades. Whichever process you select, ensure to clean all areas of your workplace blinds by first closing them flat. Then you probably can wipe down both the front and the again of the window blinds. From here, it would be finest to reverse the blinds by switching the handle so the back and front surfaces are reversed from how you first wiped them. You will be able to get all the edges of your office blinds on this method. Professional Palatka Strain Washing AZ Pro Clean uses state of the art Landa pressures washers with high pressure and sizzling water. We can remover most stains, graffiti and gum from concrete, asphalt and even heavy equipment. Our state-of-the-art gear and soft wash removes moss, algae and dirt in order to restore your home’s roof. A strain wash will easily chips paint off most surfaces, so solely use a low-pressure flow of water to clean painted items such as a porch floor or painted outside furnishings. For many owners in New York, their house is their largest investment. Smart homeowners shield that funding with efficient pressure washing. Pressure washing your own home is assured to avoid wasting you money in the lengthy run. We know the precise correct quantity of strain to use to any surface. If you have by no means stress washed brick earlier than, then you could inadvertently harm your brick exteriors. A pressure washing firm, in the meantime, will know the precise kind of pressure to make use of on your brick. Pressure washing can transform the looks of a house. It’s like giving your house a makeover – but with out the high value of a building or renovation project.

#清潔公司

[orangerosebush]

I unfortunately have a very specific mental illness that makes me extraordinarily blasé about loud nature sounds (e.g. birds screeching at 5 a.m., storms, violent rustling sounds out in the trees, fisher cat cries, etc), but apoplectic at the sound of like, distinctly human disturbances (e.g. someone revving their car very loudly, etc).

#*sound of raccoon killing another raccoon in a rodent colosseum they set up in the forest near my house* well that's fine :) *sound of a #family loudly playing horrible 1950s pastiche songs about america at a cookout* I Am Going to Implode From My Ire #whenever I've lived in loud cities i've always gone like... yellow-wallpaper short style batty during the invariable 'oh it's Friday time #to party!' my neighbors loved #(also 'they set up' = the rodents themselves organized)

[adobe-outdesign]

Reviews of All Scrapped Spaceword Betas

Exactly what it says in the title. This is also for my reference, as I might redesign some of these later for funsies. 

I’m only including Pokemon that were 100% scrapped (we’re not here to argue what might have become what) and aren’t evos/pre-evos of existing Pokemon. Also, I’m using the English fan-translations for the names because I don’t speak Japanese.

Flambear/Volbear/Dynabear

Our original fire starter, and yeah, I can see why this was scrapped. For starters (heh), it looks more like a rodent that evolves into a lion than anything resembling a bear. And secondly... it doesn’t really have a clear focus, nor a memorable design. It’s just kind of a rodent-bear thing with flames tacked onto it. 

The best Pokes usually have a "catch” to them, and these guys lack that. For example, this got replaced by Cyndaquil, which has the concept of flaming spikes that form out of its back. That’s memorable. This, well, isn’t.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of focus/interesting design

Pokes to fill the void: Teddiursa and Ursaring are probably the closest in terms of being bears. Something about it also reminds me of Growlithe/Arcanine, probably because it’s a fluffy fire thing that evolves into a bigger fluffy fire thing with a mane and black markings.

Cruz/Aqua/Aquaria

This has the same problem as the Flambear line, just less extreme. It’s okay, being a little plesiosaur that evolves into a bigger plesiosaur, but it also lacks an interesting catch to it. The pearls are maybe something, but they’re not really emphasized, just kind of tacked on. Plus Dragonair kind of has the crystal neck ornaments on lock. And the horn. And the underbelly. And the water theme...

Whoops.

I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to a plesiosaur water starter in the future, but it would probably have to be completely redesigned.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of focus/interesting design; too similar to Dragonair

Pokes to fill the void: Dragonair, as mentioned above. If you want a plesiosaur, Lapras is always a thing.

Putting the rest under the cut for length.

Sunmola1/Anchorage/Grotess

This is one of the most chaotic beta evolutions out there, aside from beta Girafarig. I can see the resemblance between Sunmola1 and Anchorage to some extent--counter-shaded blue fish with two fins and a short body--but the anchor part of the evolution comes out of nowhere. Then it sporadically turns into a gulper eel, which has nothing to do with the previous two evolutions at all.

I’ve heard some people suggest that Sunmola1 basically gets dragged into the depths and turns into a deep-sea creature due to its anchor, which is a fantastic idea. However, if that’s what they were going for here it’s not really clear, and I think it could be executed much better.

Individually, Sumola1 is a little plain. Not terrible, but I think they could do something more interesting with the little head thing. Anchorage is memorable, but there’s something very un-Pokemonish about it. I think it’s just the fact that it’s basically cut in half--I keep expecting the backsprite to show its organs or something. Grotess is also a bit too plain.

It’s also worth noting that at some point, this was the evolutionary line, which is more consistent but much less interesting (save for the middle evo’s eyes, which are pretty great).

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of evolutionary consistency; some designs plain or not very fitting for Pokemon

Pokes to fill the void: Alomomola is a sunfish Pokemon. Sharpedo is a shark crossed with an object, and Grotess almost certainly became Huntail and Gorebyss.

Rinring/Bellboyant

These two... are pretty good. They have a simple catch--black cats with bells--and the designs are nicely executed and memorable.

If I had one complaint, it’s that they maybe seems a tad unfocused in the backend of things. They’re dark types, but have a bunch of “cutesy” moves, and it’s not clear why’d they be dark apart from being black cats. They seem to have a magical girl vibe (Bellboyant looks a bit like Luna from Sailor Moon, which is probably not a coincidence), which also has nothing to do with the bells or the dark theme. I do think that the designs themselves are fine though, and that if you just focused on the sound concept a hair more you’d have a pretty great Pokemon.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Not entirely sure, these definitely would’ve been popular. Might’ve just been a balancing thing, or it lost the dev popularity contest. 

Pokes to fill the void: Skitty kind of has the same vibe as Rinring. They also remind me a bit of the Meowth line, being cat Pokemon with metal attached to them. The Purrloin line takes over the “dark-type cat” aspect.

Bomseel

I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, it’s a very plain looking Pokemon. The idea of it balancing a fireball/bomb on its nose instead of a ball is clever and memorable enough... except that it’s dependent on it being on that pose. It can’t balance that 24/7, and once it stops all you’re left with is a plain sea lion with dark points.

However, it’s fire/water. The only fire/water we have right now is a legendary, so it would be sweet to have one that’s just a regular poke. So it’s not that the concept itself is bad, using a water-based animal and adding a fire type; it’s just more that the execution is lackluster. Give this guy a hook not related to the fireball and make the seal itself more interesting and I think you’d have something here.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of interesting design

Pokes to fill the void: Volcanion is our only fire/water Pokemon for now. In terms of seals/sea lions with a circus theme, Popplio is a decent enough match.

Tigrette/Electiger

Someone at Gamefreak hates tigerballs, because this line was planned for Gen 1, scrapped, then planned for Gen 2 and scrapped again. Which is strange, because while it’s not the best design it’s not bad either. It’s very very cute, and could definitely find an audience.

However, I’m not really sure what the premise is here. If it’s based on tiger clay bells, then it doesn’t really play into the bell theme much at all. And if it’s not... why is it so round? It’s not that the roundness is bad, but it would usually form the hook for this Pokemon, like it collects static electricity in its fur that makes it puff out or something. Maybe some dex descriptions would’ve made this clearer, who knows.

Also, Electiger is literally the exact same design as Tigrette, just bigger. It would either need a completely new final evolution or would need to show up as a single evo. 

While that sounds harsh, I do really like this design. Fix the evo, figure out/build on the hook of it being round or bell like, and maybe refine the markings a touch and it would be pretty perfect.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Not sure. Might’ve been too similar to Pikachu (both being yellow round electric type Pokemon with zig-zag tails, and og fat Pikachu was also very round). The need to rework the evolution also might’ve turned GameFreak off of it.

Pokes to fill the void: Spheal and Rowlet are both pleasantly round. Pikachu is cute and electric themed in a similar way. In terms of tigers, Raikou is also electric-type. The exact way the stripes are done here is also very similar to Litten.

Kurstraw/Pangshi

GameFreak. GameFreak, you are telling me that we almost had a voodoo-doll Pokemon based off of Ushi-no-Toki-Mairi that evolves into a fucking jiangshi panda?? You are killing me here.

A few interesting things to note here:

Kurstraw evolves at level 1. How? Why? No idea. It could just be a placeholder, but...

The fact that Kurstraw was set to have Curse as its signature move (then called “nail”) and that it only learned this move at level 100 makes it evolving at level 1 seem intentional.

To make things more confusing, it almost seems like (and this is speculation on my part) GameFreak’s intention was to encourage players to not evolve this thing. Stats are comparable, Kurstraw only gets its signature move if you level it up to where it can’t evolve, and Kurstraw has the better moveset (getting frigging destiny bond at lv. 16, while Pangshi gets... splash (which. makes more sense when you consider it’s called “hop” in Japan but it’s still useless). If that was what they were aiming for, then that’s a really unique mechanic that would really make this poke stand out.

Design wise, Kurstraw is... well, it’s a doll with a nail rammed through it. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not very Pokemon-ish. Meanwhile, Pangshi is maybe a little too much like a Jianshi rather than being reminiscent of one, right down to the little hat. The pose, fangs, and panda colors (which resemble Jiangshi mandarin robes) are more than enough to get the hook across.

What I really love about these two are the expressions. They are just like, so dissonantly happy. Kurstraw is literally like

and Pangshi has the dead-eyed thousand-yard stare of Espurr, except unlike Espurr it looks completely and utter deranged. It looks like if this Pokemon ended up in Mystery Dungeon, it would respond to every question with “my favorite color is blood”. Amazing.

Possible reason for being scrapped: I think these two might’ve been scrapped just because they were too scary. I mean, it’s a voodoo doll impaled on a giant nail that evolves into a literal actual corpse. The implied violence was probably just a bit much for GameFreak.

The reason I think this is, beside the fact that they have fairly solid designs, good hooks, and all of their stats and moves in place, most beta Pokemon have had their premises revisited at some point. But we’ve really never gotten a voodoo doll Pokemon since this, and we definitely haven’t gotten any jiangshi Pokemon either, which suggests the problem lied in the very concept rather than the execution.

Pokes to fill the void: People say that Kurstraw was reworked into Banette, but if anyone Pokemon resembles it to be, it would actually be Mimikyu. They both have cloth bodies with drawn-on smiley faces that resemble something cuter than them and they both want to curse you for existing.

For Pangshi... well, there’s Pancham if you’re looking for tiny pandas. If you’re after a jiangshi though, you’re out of luck.

Wolfman/Warwolf

This Pokemon has a great hook. I mean, a Pokemon that wears a pelt that transforms it into a werewolf? Hell yeah. Not to mention it might be a reference to an obscure Nordic tale about people donning wolf pelts to turn into wolves for ten days.

Design wise, it... well, Wolfman looks almost exactly like Venonat. I’m not the only one who sees this, right?

That aside, I think the idea could be played up a little more. Wolfman is fine, save for its Venonat-ishness, but Warwolf doesn’t do much for me, basically just being a larger version with claws and fangs. If the idea is that it turns into a werewolf by wearing the pelt, what if its evolution looked somewhat like a wolf? Or better yet, the actually body of the thing changes to fill the wolf skin more, so it looks like its a part of it? That would really elevate this Pokemon to a new level.

Possible reason for being scrapped: I’d guess that it’s the same problem as Kurstraw and Pangshi--too scary. I mean, that is a dead pelt of some kind, which means that it killed and skinned some kind of Pokemon, and that’s not getting into questions of what Pokemon they got that from.

It’s also worth noting that when we did finally get a werewolf Pokemon via Lycanroc, it was minus the pelt concept.

Pokes to fill the void: Lycanroc as our werewolf Pokemon. In terms of design, Venonat is very similar as noted above. And something about it really reminds me of Snorunt, being little critters with glowing eyes that wear a cloak of some kind and live in the cold (this line was ice-type).

#pokemon #pkmn #beta pokemon #pokemon gold and silver #pokemon gen 2 #outdesign posts things #god this ended up a lot longer than I intended it to #anyway I hope you enjoyed me rambling about concept art for 2k words

[duckapus]

Ducktales: The Final Secret of April McDuck

In what probably shouldn’t be a routine occurrence, Team Magic is fighting Phantom Blot and Pepper after coming across them trying to drain the portal to the magic evil kelpie golf realm, this time with May, June and Boyd helping. However, partway through something makes Webby and Pepper stop dead in their tracks, blank faced, before running off. Blot and the kids quickly decide to put aside their differences to go after their friends, but are unable to stop them as whatever force is making them leave also prompts them to fight off their pursuers and steal a helicopter.

The group is forced to stop and figure out what to do next both by that and by the fact that Sora and Riku show up, saying the same thing happened to Kairi. Thankfully, Kairi had her phone on her and Boyd is able to use that to track them.

Meanwhile, Webby, Pepper, Kairi, and a duck who looks a lot like Donald make their way into some sort of facility, where they come to their senses just in time to be at the mercy of a long missing missing, thought to be dead FOWL agent by the name of Major Synapse, who says he has big plans for them that he’s been waiting a long time to put into effect.

The heroes and Blot reach the outside of Synapse’s base, which is deep in a forest and is guarded by a pack of massive, fiercely territorial magic-eating rodents called Woozles(yes, from Winnie the Pooh. fite me) that they have to fight through. After they get past those and the lair’s security system, they find Synapse and his prisoners, with Blot being surprised that the other agent is still alive after the SHUSH raids that led to Beakley finding Webby and FOWL being presumed destroyed. As it turns out, Synapse was the head of FOWL’s deep cover division and its psychic division, possessing psychic powers of his own that were amplified by an early version of Gandra’s nanotech.

What Blot wasn’t aware of was that Synapse was also the one who came up with Project 87. Originally, it was meant to be an elite squad consisting of twelve clones of the greatest warriors they could find, all programed with psychic triggers that would give them access to various skill sets and put them under FOWL control, then adopted out as infants into normal lives so SHUSH would never find them until it was too late. Only four clones were ever made; Dapper Duck, aka January, who was based on Donald after a premonition from one of the psychic agents that Donald would one day be the greatest adventurer of all time(he’s also apparently one of Daisy’s exes and kind of a snobby jerk). Pepper and Kairi, who are February and March respectively and were both based on SHUSH agents. And of course Webby, who’s creation prompted Bradford to change the plan of Project 87 so he could use her as the heir of Scrooge McDuck and claim the Papyrus of Binding.

This prompted Synapse to leave FOWL during the raids, believing correctly that even if the organization did survive, Bradford’s obsession with McDuck and denial of his true nature would be FOWL’s eventual downfall. As a result, he wasn’t there to program May and June when they were created.

After all that is explained, Synapse once again triggers the clones’ programming, telling them to help him kill the intruders. A long, hard-fought battle ensues, the clones manage to break free of their programing with help from their friends, Synapse is taken down, and everyone goes home knowing more about themselves than when they left. Usual episode climax stuff.

#ducktales #darkwing duck #winnie the pooh #webby vanderquack #lena sabrewing #violet sabrewing #may duck #june duck #boyd gearloose #phantom blot #pepper the egghead #kingdom hearts #sora #riku #kairi #major synapse #dapper duck #woozles #it's my disney reboot multicrossover and i get to pick the references #thought it was weird they started the clone codenames with april #despite coming to self-actualization and breaking free of her creator webby's eyes do not turn blue #so much for that pattern #making dapper an actual donald clone was a no brainer #considering his origin as a donald stand-in #and kairi being a clone was a nod to how much more complicated her backstory is compared to sora and riku's #plus wanting to do more with the ducktales versions of the kh characters #pepper and boyd interacting isn't something you thought you needed #riku and violet are the only normal people in that room #now that her and blot aren't in fowl pepper dresses like a soccer mom #because she totally would

[meetthetank]

Cruciamen Chapter 12: Pest Control

Rating: Mature  Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, Other Fandom: NieR: Automata (Video Game) Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata), A2/A4 (NieR: Automata) Characters: 2B (NieR: Automata), 9S (NieR: Automata), A2 (NieR: Automata), A4 (NieR: Automata), Emil (NieR: Automata), Kainé (Nier) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, genre typical violence, On the Run, Monster of the Week, 9S is a half demon, 2B and A2 are shapeshifter Dragons, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut in the future, inaccurate depictions of medical procedures, Fantasy Biology, A2 is Nonbinary Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104214/chapters/83494138

A2 lies in their bed, blankets askew, and ponders the Elders of their home village while they stare at the wooden ceiling.

The Elders were stubborn, staunch traditionalists to the end, and severe, but they were also wise and kind. They took care of the village and led their people through good times and bad. A2 remembers how the cubs would gather around the Storyteller when she visited their classes, their eyes wide with wonder at the old legends and the old language. They remember the times where cocksure warriors would challenge a passing master and gawp at how quickly the hobbling woman would disarm them. They remember how the village men would study the intricate weaving and architecture of the old builders and seamsters for hours on end and how many failed replications would be offered to lovers as gifts.

A2 remembers how the oldest would hide how their scales and feathers fell out, or how the men’s brilliant plumage would fade. They remember how when an Elder would draw close to death they would hide themselves away from the rest of the village, but everyone would know. A2 would know too, when an Elder was about to die, even at that young age. There is an instinct to let the suffering member of their family sequester themself away, despite their pain.

A2 wonders idly, as they hold a fistful of brittle feathers, if that’s what they’re feeling.

The downy feathers beneath their hair had started to fall out a couple of days ago, right around the time the salves and bandages had stopped working. It wasn’t unusual that their down would shed every so often, typically around the summer months. At first A2 had thought it was because of the humidity of the area that threw off their body’s natural rhythms. Then the feathers had started falling out by the fistful, and they knew something was very wrong. They noticed the swelling of their wounds not long after, followed by the yellowish pus that seeped from them. They’d get exhausted from climbing a single set of stairs and couldn’t eat or drink too much too quickly, otherwise they’d vomit everything back up.

They’re falling apart again.

They should be used to this. Their first month outside their treetop village, they had almost starved before they could find a meal. Then there had been their time spent in the rotting mud of The Bog. Now they’re wasting away once more, but in a much more comfortable way. Sometimes, when the poppyseed milk A4 brings them first hits and their swollen wounds stop aching, they feel as if they could simply drift away into the abyss. It would be a gentle death, a quiet one. Yet every time they awake to the morning sun filtering into their room.

Their chest rattles and aches with each breath; even this is exhausting. Lying in bed, helpless as their wounds seep with infection and pus, their bandages become sticky and tough along with their sheets. When they shift in a vain attempt to find a comfortable position, loose scales fall from their body, leaving the raw skin exposed.

If they hadn’t been taken in by A4 and her convent, they would have died. Wild dogs would have taken them down or vultures would have picked apart their body while they lay helplessly on the ground. But now they’re condemned to waste away...

A fat rat scrambles on top of their chest after sniffing around their pus caked leg. It looks at them with beady little eyes, its whiskers twitching as it sniffs around their shirt. It waits for them to respond, and when nothing happens it begins scratching at their skin, looking for soft flesh.

A2’s hand lashes out, snagging the rodent by the head. It struggles for a moment before they plunge their claws into its neck, severing its spine instantly. The rodent goes limp in their hand as they sit up.

The convent doesn’t eat meat except on feast days, they’ve learned, and when they do they boil it. This raw rat has to be one of the most delicious things they’ve eaten in their life. Their teeth tear tiny strips of flesh and bone from the fattened rodent, its blood running down their lips and chin.

“By the Saints-”

A4 stands in their doorway, her hand over her mouth hiding a look of disgust and awe as A2 slurps down the rest of the rat.

“What?” they ask, as if they don’t have rat viscera stuck in their teeth.

She shakes her head and sets her bundle of fresh bandages and clothes. “You look like s-...” She stops herself from swearing, A2 can tell. “You look worse than yesterday.” The nun’s brows furrow as she looks the coatyl up and down, bright emerald eyes scrutinizing every stain on their sheets and clothes. “There’s more discharge than before, you’ll need to start taking medicinal baths soon if-”

“No way.” A2 grunts and takes another bite. “M’ fine. Just sore.”

A4 glares at them, but keeps her thoughts to herself. She eyes the remains of the rodent in A2’s claws. “Did you… catch that?”

“Yeah.” A2 gulps the last of the rat down their throat.

When A4 gives them a dismissive look at the same time another rat scurries past her feet, A2 leaps into action. They dive for the rodent, scooping it up in their hand and skidding across the wooden floor. A4 stumbles back with a gasp, startled by the sudden movement, but the shock is quickly surpassed by an awkward smile.

A2 struggles to their feet, grits their teeth to hide their pain, and holds out the struggling animal to her. “See?”

“That’s-” A4 stammers. “You’re very good at that.”

A2 grins, strangely proud of themself. “I am an apex predator after all.”

The nun snickers, “About as threatening as a fat house cat.”

They feel their blood run cold at the mention of those animals. The rat in their hand squirms out of their grip and scampers away, escaping into a hole in the wall. “Wh-... cats? Are there cats here?!”

She puts her hands up, quick to quell their fears, as confusing as those fears may be. “Don’t worry! We don’t have any cats here. Which… is also why there’s so many rats…”

A2 begins to remark that rats are better than cats, but a coughing fit forces them to double over. Their chest and throat tighten and they can only clutch at their neck as their body trembles with each spasm. A4 is by their side in an instant with a clean rag in hand. She forces their hand away and wipes the spit and rat blood from their face.

“That cough sounds bad…” A4 mutters while examining A2. “If the Bog Rot has spread to your internal organs-”

“I’m fine!” A2 snaps, then sighs. “It’s fine. Just ate that one rat too fast.”

“Are you sure?”

They can’t stay mad at the genuine worry in A4’s voice.

“I’m sure.”

A4 stares at A2 with those deep green eyes. She stares right through them, leaving A2 to sift through all of the repressed memories that those eyes bring back. They keep their composure aside from biting the inside of their cheek, and it seems that A4 doesn’t pick up on the small gesture. She goes back to her basket of supplies and motions for A2 to sit on the edge of their bed.

After she helps A2 change their bandages, clean their sores, and change them into clean clothes, A4 all but drags them by the arm (gently of course) out of their room. She insists that the fresh air will help every time she walks them around the Convent, and at first it did. The outside air and gentle breeze filled their lungs with renewed energy. Now, each breath of cool air makes their chest hurt and their joints ache.

A harsh gust of wind rattles the leaves of the surrounding woods and cuts through their clothes, straight down to their bones. They can smell rain in the air and the humidity clings to the inside of their throat. With each breath more heat escapes their body. They wrap their arms around themself and fail to suppress a shiver. A4 casts them a worried look but they straighten up and attempt to hide their pain. They keep their head held high, proudly looking at the path ahead. A2 is prepared to face the biting cold moisture with a steely gaze.

They’re not prepared for the soft shawl that gets wrapped around their shoulders.

A4 tugs their arm, pulling them back to face her. She pulls the grey shawl tighter and ties it snug against them. Already, shielded from the wind and mist, A2 feels warmth return to their body.

“Don’t be stubborn,” A4 says, locking eyes with the coatyl. “If you catch a cold on top of everything else, I’m going to throw you in the medicinal baths myself.”

A2 can’t help but smirk. “That’s a little violent for a nun.” They lean down, putting their face right in hers. “And what makes you think you could even pick me up, let alone throw me?”

Undeterred, A4 rolls up the sleeve of her dress and flexes her arm. The tanned skin of her arm ripples with well-toned muscle well-hidden by her clothes and a thin layer of fat. A2’s can only stare wide-eyed at the nun, mouth agape.

“I think I have a chance,” she says with a smug grin.

A2’s mind trips over itself trying to piece together a witty response from the shattered remnants of their consciousness. When that fails they opt for an intelligent response, and when that fails as well, they try a coherent one.

They cross their arms over their chest and huff. “Whatever, I’m still bigger than you.”

“You might be taller,” A4 retorts, jabbing her finger at an unmarred spot near their elbow, “but you weigh a lot less now. Probably about as much as a sack of flour, or a toddler.”

She giggles as A2 shoves her playfully, but their bright smile fades quickly the more those forest colored eyes study them. A2 almost feels how her eyes roam over their ravaged body and the weight of what she said in jest makes itself apparent.

They open their mouth to quell her anxieties, but A4 beats them to it.

“I have to ask,” she begins, wringing a fistful of her white apron, “and forgive me if this is to prying, but…”

She seems to shrink under A2’s impassive gaze.

“Why do you refuse more thorough care?” She asks, “If this illness gets to the point where-... I mean what's the purpose of letting it get this bad? I know I can’t force you to accept-”

“Why does it matter so much to you?” A2 snaps. “Why are you going out of your way to help a total stranger you picked up off the ground?”

A4 flinches but regains her stalwart expression quickly. “I’m a nun of The Order of Devoted. It’s my job to help those in need of aid, regardless of who they might be.”

Her intense gaze never leaves A2 as she waits for an answer. A proper answer. A4 will not allow them to dodge this any longer, not when they’re teetering on the point of no return.

“I hate being indebted to people.” A2 sighs and keeps their eyes forward, locked on something far, far away.

“Wh-” A4 composes herself, eager to pry into her mysterious patient’s inner workings. “How come?”

“Or people being indebted to me, for that matter,” they add. “It doesn’t sit right, you know? Getting a free meal or whatever. I gotta work it off somehow.”

A4 stares at them as if their expression might reveal their hidden self. The coatyl keeps their cool blue-grey eyes locked on the horizon.

“My sister went into a job like that. It was basically volunteering, never got paid or nothing, but it was something that had to be done, and something she’s resented for…”

A2 blinks and shakes their head. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

A4 makes the face she goes to when she’s about to launch into a lecture. Stern, furrowed brows, pursed lips, hands balled into fists. It’s cute.

She opens her mouth and the voice of an old, energetic woman comes out. Both her and A2 spin around to see Sister Margaret leaning out of the dormitory’s kitchen window, waving her arm at the pair.

“Four! I need a hand in here!” Margaret shouts.

“Coming!” A4 responds, then turns to A2 with a giggle. “Guess I’m on KP duty now.”

Even though they’ve only been here for at least half a month, A2 knows that arguing with the senior nun is pointless. They dutifully follow behind A4, wrapping the shawl tighter around their shoulders.

A4 looks over her shoulder, “You know you don’t have to come with me? You can head back to your room if you’d like.”

“What, and stare at the walls all day?” they snort. “It’s fine. I’ll sit down if I start feeling off.”

The two head into the dormitory and over to the kitchen. The scent of raw fish hits A2 the moment they walk in the doorway, their mouth watering within seconds. Ever since they entered the desert all those months ago they’ve had to eat everything but their favorite childhood food. Gazelle, antelope, field mice, and other game filled their stomach but it never tasted as good as a fresh-caught fish.

“Put a little pep in your step there, Four!” Sister Margaret shouts from the other side of a counter laden with all manner of ingredients. “There’s plenty to do and little time to do it.”

A2 can only stare as A4 puts her curly black hair in a tight bun and ties a spare kitchen apron around her waist. She dunks her hands into a basin of water and motions for A2 to do the same, which they do. The warm water soothes their aching joints for a moment. A4 hurries over to her mentor’s side, eagerly listening to the long list of tasks. A2 can’t help but be mesmerized by the way her hair bounces when she nods her head. The two women chat with each other, every so often glancing over to A2 and giggling. Whatever they’re saying, A2 can’t hear it. They're not sure if they want to.

“...Now hop to it, kiddo!” Margaret suddenly shouts, clapping her hands and sending a cloud of white powder into the air. “The Holy Day is in three days and if Mother Superior doesn’t get her Gateau de San Yonah then she’s going to make it everyone’s problem!”

“Holy day?” A2 asks, lifting an eyebrow and edging slightly closer to the basket of fish.

“Yep!” A4 perks up and smiles blindingly at them. “There’s a lot of special days that we observe throughout the year, and coming up is the Feast Day of Saint Yonah. It’s one of our more important Holy Days. Sister Abigail went to the nearest town to get enough supplies that we could make everything we need, and Sister Bernadette spent all day fishing!”

A2 takes that as an opportunity to go over and…inspect the haul. They pick up one of the fish, a sizable river trout, by its tail. Not a bad catch but it isn’t the king of the river at all. They squeeze it to gauge its muscle and fat. Again, not the worst but far from the best. Most of the trout in the basket look much the same if not smaller. There are some other species in there too; small catfish, a little bass, and a few other surface feeders. Nothing remarkable, yet…

While A4 is busy with something, they gulp down one of the smallest fish. Their throat hurts afterwards, but gods it is delicious. They want more, but if they take any more they’re going to feel terrible. It is for something special to A4 and the other nuns after all.

As A2 looks over the kitchen once more, something A4 does catches their attention. She pours a fine white powder into a bowl, followed by water and a pinch of salt. They wander over to her, craning their neck around to get a better peek at what in the world she’s doing.

“Would you like to help?” A4 asks, smiling at them.

“I would but…” A2 shrugs, “I have no idea what you’re doing.”

“You’ve never made-” A4 stops herself and looks back at A2. “...Do you cook food?”

A2 shakes their head, “Coatyls have raw diets. We don’t cook.”

“Ah. That explains the rats.”

Sister Margaret cackles, “If you’re so hellbent on paying us back, you should be our rat catcher!”

They scrunch up their face at that, not knowing if they should be offended or not. But at the same time… It’s almost the perfect job for them, at least for now.

“... Maybe,” they respond with a smirk. “Lemme think about that.”

“Anyway!” A4 shouts, bringing their attention back to their bowl of powders. “Making bread is easy. Here-”

She steps out of the way, taking A2’s hands into hers, and shoves them into the bowl before they have the chance to protest. The water and white powder on their hands makes for a… strange texture to say the least. They want to recoil away, but A4’s strong tanned hands keep theirs in place.

“Just mash your hands in there until all of the flour comes together into one ball.” She explains.

“Flour?”

“The white stuff.”

“Ah.”

They do as she says and clumsily try to bring together the flour and water, and to their surprise the strange slime does actually form this malleable… paste. The more they work with the paste the more pleasant it is to touch.

“Oh- before I forget.”

A4 suddenly rushes away, leaving a bewildered A2 wrist deep in a bowl of not-yet bread. They keep playing with their paste until she comes back carrying something covered by a thin cloth.

“Here,” she says as she unwraps her gift, revealing a loaf of honey-scented bread. “I saw you snatch a loaf the other day and try to play it off. If you like them so much you can just ask, silly.”

They blink, dumbfounded. “You… made this for me? Why?”

The nun sighs, glaring up at them. A2 can’t help but notice the way her cheeks flush red for a moment. “Because I’m being nice to you, idiot. Is that so hard to understand?”

A2 can only stare in awe as A4 sets the loaf of sweet bread down beside them with a huff, and as a strange, familiar warmth fills their chest.

“Oi!” Sister Margaret shouts, snapping A2 and A4 out of their thoughts. “If you two are going to flirt instead of work, go outside!”

The old woman waves her large wooden spoon at the two. A4 promises her mentor over and over that she’ll get back to the mountain of work ahead of her. Not once does she deny Margaret’s jab about the two of them. Somehow, that makes A2 smile.

#nier automata #nier automata fanfiction #fantasy au #A2 #A4 #a2 becomes gay gay homosexual gay #this chapter is soft by my standards

[tribbetherium]

The Late Rodentocene: 20 million years post-establishment

Ain't No Passing Craze: The Great Ecatorian Desert

The continent of Ecatoria is a lush, warm tropical region, fed and nourished by rainfall from the South Ecatorian Sea. But not all of it is drizzled with a constant supply of precipitation: west of the mid-Ecatorian mountain ranges lies an expanse of land shielded from storms and moisture, and thus is dry and arid: the Great Ecatorian Desert, the largest desert on HP-02017 in the Late Rodentocene.

It is a hot afternoon in the Ecatorian Desert, and Alpha shines scorchingly overhead. On the western horizon Beta slowly begins to set, as the two suns are now separated by half a day: the coming of spring. But while elsewhere on Ecatoria spring would be mild and rainy, here in the Ecatorian Desert the climate is scorching in the day and chilling in the night: and despite this conditions some specialized organisms are able to eke out an existence in this inhospitable land.

A dark shadow glides overhead: a predatory ratbat, scouring from the skies above for any small creature down below. Though a rodent, this flying hunter is akin to a hawk, having adapted tremendously keen eyesight to home in on any movement down below on ground level. Down below, there is nothing but an expanse of sand and dry grass for miles, punctuated only by occasional towering plants, somewhat resembling cacti but in truth are highly-derived grass. Even the plants of this seeded world have begun evolving to fit new niches, not merely a green background in a planet of animals, but themselves competitors in the evolutionary race.

The ratbat-of-prey spots movement down below and circles around to zero in on its target. However, it quickly breaks off the hunt and soars off in search for another, easier meal: its rejected quarry is far too big to tackle. A desert-dwelling descendant of the cavybaras, it is nearly the size of its ancestor and simply too large for the ratbat to carry off, and so the predator wisely departs, while the lumbering beast below briefly watches the departing figure in curiosity, gives a huffing snort of confusion, and then proceeds on its way.

The creature in question is a direct descendant of the cavybaras, that has evolved modified extensions of its lower incisors that grow outward of its mouth, forming tusks which it uses in digging for food and for self-defense. Known as the desert bumbaa (Scrofacricetus hakunae), it is one of the several species of the genus Scrofacricetus, with its other cousins having adapted to different biomes, such as the forest bumbaa (S. matatai) and the plains bumbaa (S. porcius), which thrive in other regions of Ecatoria. The desert bumbaa differes from its cousins by its larger ears and thinner, sparser coat, which helps it lose heat in the arid climate.

The desert bumbaa is an omnivore, feeding mostly on tough shrubs and cacti-analogues in the desert. However, it also greatly relishes insects, many of which nest in burrows or underneath rocks and logs, and so the bumbaa puts its tusks to great use to dig up an abundance of bugs, overturning driftwood and uprooting plants to get at its prize. And its messy eating habits attract the attention of another desert dweller, the banded meerca (Paramustelamys timonii), a small, insectivorous ferrat that has developed a bizarre, and mutualistic, relationship with the bumbaa.

While fond of feasting on bugs, the desert bumbaa itself is plagued by insects of a nastier kind: wingless, bloodsucking flies that have converged with ticks and fleas as external parasites of mammalian hosts. These bugs cause the bumbaa great discomfort, but that is when the meerca comes to the rescue: an avid insectivore, it not only feeds upon the escaping leftovers of bumbaas while they raid insect nests, but also plucks the pests off the bumbaa's thick hide, offering them relief. The bumbaas have learned to tolerate and even welcome their presence, actively seeking them out and laying down to be groomed from parasites, while the meercas follow bumbaas around to be led to insect nests which the bumbaas then dig up, allowing the tiny meercas to share access to a buffet of bugs otherwise out of their reach.

Another benefit the meercas gain from the company of their lumbering companion is protection from predators: and indeed, there is a specialized predator prowling this dessicated wasteland: the dwarf hamyena (Microcutamys minimus). Smaller than many of its other relatives across Ecatoria but no less a deadly hunter, this badger-sized predator is descended from the hammibals of ten million years prior, and specializes on small rodents- including meercas. However, a full-grown bumbaa is too much for them to handle, their sharp tusks potentially being wielded with lethal force: as such, as long as the bumbaas are around, the meercas are safe from their small but fearsome enemy.

Other rodents also thrive in the Ecatorian Desert: furbils and jerryboas, ever present throughout the planet in all their diversity, exist in numerous forms throughout the desert landscape, feeding on insects, seeds and cactus-analogues, which they chew through their tough outer skin to reach the water-rich tissues inside. Their large ears and long tails act as heat sinks to lose excess heat, while their pale fur reflects heat and camouflages them in the light-colored sandy soil.

These tiny rodents, in turn, form a major part of the diet of the desert's primary aerial hunter, the masked batzzard (Nyctaquilus aridus). With a wingspan of about four feet, this desert ratbat circles the daytime sky, seeking out small prey such as jerryboas, furbils and meercas, which it swoops down onto, pounces on with its wing claws, and dispatches with a bite from its sharp, stabbing incisors. Hooked talons on its forelimbs ensure that prey is unable to easily escape, attacking its targets with an unusual hunting strike partly like a hawk, and partly like a cat. While live bumbaas are far too big to deal with, dead ones certainly aren't off the menu, and groups of batzzards may occasionally congregate at a carcass, where, due to their normally solitary lifestyle, nearly all their social interaction takes place, such as courtship, mating and dominance posturing.

Even in this harsh, dry landscape, life on HP-02017 has found a way. A wide, diverse collection of life thrives in this barren wilderness, despite its challenges --competing, coexisting, and even cooperating with one another, to overcome the harsh and unforgiving trials of life in the Great Ecatorian Desert.

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

#speculative evolution #speculative biology #spec evo #speculative zoology #hamster's paradise

[skadventuretime]

Shadow Crowns

Welcome to Chibi!Reverb 2020! This is my piece with the incredibly skilled @drowsystar, who not only came up with this bomb-ass idea but drew incredible things for it, too. I only wish I could have written you the proper 70k fic this idea deserves.

Rating: T

Warnings: Cursing

Read: AO3

Art: Link

“Another glorious day for his majesty the shut in.” Star yanks the curtains just a bit so that a sliver of late afternoon sunlight shines directly onto Kid’s closed eyes.

The bedroom is cavernous. Stone walls and floors hold a damp chill in the air that no number of thick carpets or tapestries can really dispel, and wrought iron bookshelves line all of the room’s circular walls. They’re filled to the brim with well-cared for leather tomes of all shapes and sizes, but mostly their slightly acidic scent makes Star want to sneeze.

“Ah yes, my faithful knight, ever at my beck and call,” comes the prince’s muffled voice.

The curtains snap close and return the room to its former pitch darkness. Star feels the slippery tendrils of the prince’s shadow magic slide over his wrists, his back, his throat, a not-so-subtle reminder that his life could just as easily be snuffed out.

It was kind of hot, not gonna lie. Too bad business and pleasure don’t mix. 

“I will remind you not to disturb my slumber again,” the prince says. Star assumes he rolls over because that’s the sort of arch thing he’d say as a way to end the conversation, but he hears the muted sounds of feet hitting carpet instead. There are still no candles lit nor magelight summoned, but that’s because the crown prince is a master of shadow magic and likes to flaunt his perfect dark vision whenever he gets the chance.

“You shouldn’t be slumbering so late in the day anyway, your elevatedness.” Star inches back towards the curtains because if the prince thinks he gives up that easily, he’s got another thing coming. The sliver of daylight at the edge of the thick fabric cuts off abruptly, like the shadows were thick and solid. Whatever; his princeliness is probably just standing there to be stubborn. A little light will clear things up—

Sunlight stabs him in the eyes as the blinds fly back open. “How unusually perceptive of you,” says the prince, now across the room on an overstuffed low couch, a book cocked at an obnoxiously relaxed angle in one hand. He’s fully dressed and there’s not a trace of his night clothes; maybe that’s what all the dark was for. “What brings you here at this unusual hour? Isn’t it time for you to pester the palace guard about sparring matches again?”

Star waves his hand. “I got bored when nobody could disarm me. Hey, let’s go to the market today — there are supposed to be fireworks in the plaza after sunset.”

The prince looks up from his book with an eyebrow already bent at precisely ‘are you an idiot’ degrees. “The main plaza? In the center of the city?”

“Yup.”

“The one with traders from all over the world?”

“That’s the one.” 

“With huge crowds and unlimited rooftops for an assassin to spy from?”

“For the crown prince, you sure are pretty stupid about your own kingdom, huh?”

The book closes with a crisp smack. “For a bodyguard, you sure are an idiot. Do you really think you could keep me safe from the literal hundreds of possible angles a potential assailant could reach us from? I know father hired you on your merits as a swordsman, but he clearly didn’t give your head close enough scrutiny.”

“Come onnnn, it’ll be fine. You haven’t left this room since I was assigned to you three months ago. You need a little sun, get some fresh air.”

The prince exhales and recrosses his legs, a tell Star has learned means his patience is running thin, but in all honesty he doesn’t seem to have much to start with. “Ah yes, the shadow mage needs sunlight. Truly your minutes of education trump the years I’ve spent honing my craft.” To punctuate his words, the room fluctuates between grey scale and daylight, but each flash of the former has contorted figures that get closer in Star’s peripheral vision. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a prodigy or whatever,” Star says, blinking away the grotesque afterimages. “But seriously, you really stay in here all day?”

“It’s for my safety,” the prince replies, his voice heavy with something Star can’t quite place. “I’ve told you this before. It’s why you’re here.”

Star walks over to the window and looks down at the city below. Neat stone buildings unfold like nesting dolls from the castle’s fortified walls, on lower ground than the castle proper. Another wall encircles the central part of the city on even lower ground, and in the distance straw covered roofs make up the final, outer ring. It’s on that level that the festival is taking place this evening, far from the imposing iron and tomb-like stone of the castle. 

It’s also where, if everything goes to plan, the prince will die. 

“Exactly, it’s why I’m here. You’ve been safe so far, no one’s tried to kill you at all since I’ve been around!” 

“I never leave this wing of the castle.”

“Which is why you need this. Come on, they’re going to have all kinds of great food and entertainment and—“ Star lowers his voice, “I heard that the work of that brainiac scholar you’re always crying about will be sold there.” 

The prince stands up abruptly. “Eibon’s work will be there?”

“Yeah, that guy. Heard it from some of the organizers themselves at the pub last night.”

He hadn’t, really. Star just knows that the prince will do anything to get his hands on work by the contemporary scholar Eibon, something to do with shadow and light magic protection. It’s all above his attention span and pay grade. 

Pain seizes his chest and a snarled HURRY UP BRAT rings in his ears for a split second. Though he knows it’s invisible, Star can feel the rune etched into his soul. The only reason he’s free at all, alive even, is because his loving father saw fit to give him one last chance to redeem himself in his family’s eyes. But like any dog, Star has to be kept on a leash, and over the last few weeks these intermittent pain reminders have gotten more common. Papa dear must be getting impatient despite the regular correspondence. 

Star tunes back into the prince giving him a critical look. “Sorry, indigestion. You know me and those firecracker skewers.”

The prince curls his lip. “Naturally. All right, if there’s a chance to procure more of Eibon’s writings, then there’s nothing else to be said. Meet me here in one hour with everything you need to be stealthy but effective in a fight. I’ll weave a shadow disguise of course, but the ones I’m worried about will be able to see through it. Am I clear?”

“As a mountain spring,” Star says. He leaves before the prince can add any other fussy demands to the list and walks along the stark stone hallway towards his chambers on the other side of the prince’s. 

Well, he finally did it. It’s taken months to get to this point, but tonight’s his first real shot at completing the mission and being freed from his father’s grip. It took him weeks of painstaking deception to lie his way into the right circles to get a pulse of the city’s underground, but it was worth it to become part of the whisper network of assassins. There will be a group of shadow mage trained assassins at and around the market tonight, and he already has an ironclad alibi lined up. 

It should be a happy occasion, but instead he feels antsy, like he didn’t do enough pushups before his morning run. Whatever, it’s probably excitement, even though excitement doesn’t usually leave him with a sense of dread. 

Star splashes some water on his face from the shallow bowl next to the bath for just that use, and spends the next hour sharpening and cleaning his sword. And daggers. And throwing stars. Sharp edges are a man’s best friend, after all. 

The sun is just dipping below the horizon when the two of them set out. Because the prince is technically not allowed to leave the castle, Star has to play lookout while the prince weaves a very complicated piece of shadow magic that allows them to pass the various entry guards without detection. 

The magic feels cool and slippery on him, like he’s veiled in silk. It’s strangely intimate, too, with echoes of the prince’s soul woven through. Magic is like a sixth sense, an extra way of knowing, and Star quite frankly doesn’t want to know anything else about the man whose assassination he’s recently planned. That his magic tastes like packed snow, for example, or makes Star’s own shadow magic crackle at his fingertips eager to be unleashed.

“Stop thinking so much, it’s unbecoming,” the prince whispers from a pace behind Star. Star makes a rude gesture over his shoulder and walks a little faster; whatever else this magic does, it’s a little too close for comfort.

They have passed the most heavily staffed guard towers and just slipped past the mid-tier gate into the lower circle. The crowds are heavier here and the buildings more tightly packed, leaving plenty of narrow alleys for them to slip into should they decide they’re ready to become visible again.

“Hey, do you know where you’re going?” whispers the prince. 

Something in his tone makes Star turn around. The prince’s eyes are wide and glittering with the reflected light from the many torches lining the street. He’s looking with such rapt attention that it’s almost like-- 

“Wait, you’ve been here before, right? Like before there was a bounty on your head?”

The prince blinks and it’s like a door closes. “No, of course not. I wasn’t allowed out of the castle proper. I was just making sure you knew because you have the attention span of a small rodent and I didn’t want us straying far from the event. Remember, we’re going in, getting some scrolls, and coming out.” 

“Yes, your supreme nitpickyness.” 

Star leads them down an alley a few blocks further in so the prince can undo his magic. They’re both dressed modestly in simple cotton cloaks so they don’t attract attention, and the prince has modified his features enough to look like a bad caricature of himself. Anyone without the ability to detect shadow magic will be none the wiser. 

Most of the crowd is gathered near a huge bonfire a few streets down at one of the openings to the market square, where scores of merchants and stalls are lined up. Star can hear faint music of at least three different varieties playing, and the smell of frying fat and savory spices hangs heavy in the air. A quick scan of the buildings around the square doesn’t reveal much, but his night vision is already ruined by the bonfire and a trained assassin wouldn’t be so easy to spot, anyway.

Not that it matters, he reminds himself. The whole point is for the prince to bite it.

“So where is the scholar with Eibon’s writings?” The prince has his cowl up despite the illusions he wove and looks distinctly out of place.

“Beats me, these sorts of things are never very organized. We’ll just have to find it!” 

The prince wrinkles his nose. “Fine. But let’s be efficient. We should start from the west and comb east, with the bonfire being the center point.”

“Ugh, do you ever relax? This is a festival, lighten up, go with the flow, have some fried food.”

“I have never once in my life ‘gone with the flow.’”

“And it shows.” 

The prince throws his hands up. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. Lead on, I cannot wait to see what unnecessary trials we must endure and how much ground we recross with your barbaric method.” 

Star grins. “Now we’re talkin’!” 

He leads the prince past the bonfire and into the market proper. The music is louder here, and the merchants manning the closest stalls begin to call out to them about the superiority of their wares. 

“Now we begin looking for your fancy ink on paper.”

Star knows the exact writings aren’t here, of course, but it’s strangely fun to lead the prince around like this. He’s like a baby goat, all leg and headbutts, but also kinda cute.

“Come with me this way,” the prince says imperiously. A booth with a giant mallet and a man asking to see who is strong enough to ring the bell has caught Star’s eye though, so he says, “One sec, let me just do this real quick.” He tosses a coin to the man, rolls his shoulders, and grabs the mallet.

The bell makes a satisfying ding when the slider hits it. “That’s right, I’m amazing. Hey pri--er, hey Kid, did you see that?” Star looks around for the person he’s ostensibly body-guarding to no avail. “Hey, where are you?”

He heads back down the closest stall walkway and scans the crowd -- nothing again. He does the same for the other two closest walkways and feels something like panic burning in his chest. Did the assassins get him already? Is his job over? Why does he hate the thought of that?

“There you are, you oaf,” calls a familiar voice from behind him. Relief floods his system; the prince is safe.

“Where did you go?” Star says, rounding on him. “You’re supposed to stay by me for protection, remember?”

“You’re not doing a very good job if you can’t even keep track of your charge,” the prince replies archly. “Here.” He extends a skewer of steaming, dripping meat that smells faintly of chilies.

“Uh.” Star accepts it and looks from it to the prince and back again. “You went and got…?”

“Firecracker skewers. Didn’t you say you like them? Unlike you, I remember what people tell me.”

Oh. Oh no. The baby goat brought him meat on a stick. This wasn’t in the assassination manual. “Yeah, I uh, I do. Very tasty.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” the prince replies and holds up a skewer of his own. 

“Wait, that might be a bit--”

The prince removes the top chunk of meat with a neat bite. He chews for a moment, swallows, and then starts coughing. “Pain--water--why do you like this?”

Star dashes over to the nearest food stall and gets a huge pocket of fried dough. “Here, take a bite of this, it might help.”

The prince pulls Star’s hand closer and takes a bite without grabbing the dough for himself. “Why would you subject yourself to this?” he gasps after a few more bites of fried dough. “I mean, I suppose the after burn is somewhat pleasant, and the flavor is acceptable once you can taste again, but really, there are more elegant ways to season meat.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not up to your impeccable palette. Come on, we got scrolls to find.”

Star leads them around the western half of the market, laughing at the prince’s obvious fascination with it all. They try a few more food items and look at a few more booths before the hairs on the back of Star’s neck begin to stand up. He might not have done the kinds of hardcore training he was subjected to growing up recently, but his instincts are still on par. They’re definitely being tracked; looks like the fun is over.

“Hey, let’s look at the east side of the market,” Star says, his chest getting tighter. The east side has a few more quiet alleys the prince could be grabbed in. Better to get this over with quickly.

“Okay,” the prince says, and that simple word almost stops Star dead in his tracks. They’re having a civil conversation! The prince listened to him! The doubt in his gut twists his insides up.

They lightly browse a few stalls on the other side while Star becomes more and more conflicted. The more he thinks about it, the more he doesn’t want to kill the prince after all, consequences be damned. But what about his father? What about this thrice-damned soul window his father inflicted on him? If he can’t deal with that, he won’t be able to hide his treachery for very long anyway.

Any further deliberation is cut off by a cry of, “Scrolls! Scrolls! Get your scrolls here!”

The prince perks up and heads over immediately, making Star have to almost jog to keep up. The merchant is at the edge of the square, half wreathed in shadow, and -- oh shit, they’re walking right into an ambush aren’t they.

“You said you had some scrolls?” the prince says.

The merchant gives him an oily smile and says, “Yes, right this way, sir.” He gestures to a chest at the opening of an alley.

“I don’t think we should--” A hand comes around Star’s mouth and cuts him off. He reflexively bites down and slams his elbow back, freeing himself while his would-be captor grunts in pain. “Kid, look out!”

The prince jerks around just in time to see another man emerging from the alley behind him. With a flick of his wrist, he binds the man in coils of shadow and tries to jump away from the merchant, who has now revealed a wicked dagger.

“Don’t worry, this will all be over soon,” he croons before lunging at the prince.

Another coil of shadow stops the attack and it looks like the prince is in the process of doing something more complicated when his entire body goes rigid and the merchant snaps free.

“Another shadow mage,” gasps the prince. Star knows he could leave right now, escape himself and leave the prince to be murdered, but his heart isn’t in it anymore. It was the damn meat, he tells himself.

“I’m on it,” Star says, reaching in and down into his own shadow magic. Dark flames wreathe his blade from hilt to tip, blowing in a wind not from this plane. He focuses and sees the thin threads holding the prince in place. But before he can act on it, a third mage appears and begins preparing something nasty.

“Do something,” wheezes the prince, and if that isn’t a challenge, Star doesn’t know what is. He dives into a roll to dodge a thrown dagger and cut the first thread imprisoning the prince. This puts him in range to kick the merchant in the chest and send him flying.

“Chill out princess, I got this,” Star says with the cockiest grin he can muster. He dials up the intensity of his shadow flames and sends them in an arc to push back the two mages in the alley, and on the end of that stroke cuts the remaining threads binding the prince. “You good now, or do you still need me to do literally everything for you?”

There’s that glare that can boil ice. “I’ll take it from here, thank you.” The prince’s eyes seem to get blacker and the alleyway flickers in and out of grey scale. 

“No way, you’re not getting all the glory for this one.” Star leaps back in to punch one of the mages across the chin before the prince’s terror magic makes the others run screaming away from them.

“Well, that could have gone better,” the prince says. He sounds shaken, even though he doesn’t look like he has any big injuries.

“Yeah, I think it’s time we got back to the castle. Had enough fun for a week or so.”

“Remind me never to listen to your idea of fun ever again.”

“You say that now, your royal meat-on-a-stick-ness.”

The prince rolls his eyes and begins to reweave the invisibility illusion. “Shut up and lead us home.” 

“See now you’re talking sense, because I won’t lead us into an obvious trap.”

As they bicker on the way back to the castle, mostly in whispers and unconscious shadow magic pulses, Star’s worries about what will happen to him fade. He’s never been one for thinking too far into the future; for now, he’s got a grumpy prince and a belly full of meat, and there will be plenty of time for the rest. Later. Much, much later.

#soul eater #deathstar #reverb 2020 #madi tries words #they're idiots and i love them

[erickjegx177-blog]

exterminator near me: All the Stats, Facts, and Data You’ll Ever Need to Know

It's a wise company choice to employ a professional insect control company if you're a business decision maker. Letting the experts take care of insect control can assist protect your company's excellent credibility and also assistance supply a risk-free as well as healthy and balanced atmosphere for your team and also the public. It's additionally a good suggestion to choose a parasite control supplier that executes pest assessments regularly to fit your company as well as area needs.

Recognizing the kind of parasites that exist is the initial step in figuring out effective therapy strategies. A routine timetable offers bug technicians a far better possibility to recognize insects in their onset. A lot of pest issues can be treated immediately throughout routine examinations. Terminix Commercial uses the principles of Integrated Bug Management (IPM) to check and also help stop parasites, concentrating on surveillance-based targeted control and helping in reducing pesticide usage.

Regular examinations enable professionals to assist limit insect activity before infestations grow. Several kinds of pests can establish huge problems really quickly, so nipping brand-new parasite activity in the bud is important. With regular examinations, professionals can constantly review therapy performance and also make any essential adjustments in a timely way for the best outcomes.

Experts have the chance during routine inspections to seek problems that encourage bug task and to remedy them, where feasible, with barriers and other control techniques. By pertaining to your area typically, experts can come to be knowledgeable about issue locations as well as recognize where to concentrate their attention. The majority of adjustments that have actually occurred in the commercial atmosphere can be resolved by normal insect inspections.

Furthermore, business settings commonly have a great deal of foot traffic, along with deliveries that can possibly present new parasites. At regular examinations, experts can enlighten consumers about conditions that affect bug activity, along with actions that can be taken to aid minimize those problems. Assisting your personnel find out exactly how to avoid circumstances that bring in and also nurture parasites can be vital in aiding to manage invasions.

Regular bug examinations Visit the website additionally provide you constant chances to ask your specialist concerns or to share problems. Why give parasites additional time between check outs to set up shop in your organization or company? Get a cost-free quote from an expert pest control company that is major about staying on top of pests with routinely scheduled pest examinations.

Allow's face it, bugs as well as rodents do not belong in your home. They're disgusting, have no respect for your property, and can cause substantial tension. And yet, they attack and in many cases, with all of their friends. So what do you do if you discover your house has ended up being plagued by problem or potentially damaging insects? Some homeowner make a journey to the store to equip themselves with traps, sprays, and also various other items that guarantee outcomes.

To do away with spiders, ants, and various other bugs, we advise working with an insect control firm as well as right here are 3 factors why! Say you authorized your youngster up for baseball, would certainly you go out to purchase football equipment? No, obviously not since that would not set your baseball player up for success.

Exact insect identification is a must in order to ensure your bug issue is settled. An expert pest control expert that has been extremely trained and also certified learns about bugs and also who has a keen understanding of their biology and also actions, has the ability to not just recognize the pest yet create a treatment strategy that is efficient versus the invader you have.

Just eliminating the ants you see crawling on the counters or eliminating the roaches you find under the washing device, will not address the trouble. You need a parasite control expert to perform a detailed examination to: Identify exactly how insects are getting in Determine what's attracting them to your building Locate the resource of the trouble To highlight the value of that last bullet point, allow's have a look at termites.

Insect control services, whether for periodic invaders like earwigs and pillbugs or even more significant insects like termites and also rodents, are created to attend to the entire issue not simply deal with the signs of one. However that's where DIY parasite treatments commonly fail. Left without treatment bug troubles can lead to significant damage.

In Your Home Run Pest & Termite Control, we are a group devoted to maintaining insects out of residences in the DFW location. If you're tired of seeing pests creeping around your home or just wish to do something about it to keep your home pest cost-free, our in your area possessed bug and also termite control firm is the perfect option.

[riverizci044-blog]

14 Questions You Might Be Afraid to Ask About affordable pest control spokane

It's a smart organization decision to employ a specialist bug control business if you're an organization choice manufacturer. Letting the professionals handle bug control can help protect your company's good online reputation and assistance offer a secure and healthy and balanced environment for your team and the general public. It's likewise a good suggestion to pick an insect control provider that does pest assessments regularly to fit your organization and also place demands.

Understanding the kind of bugs that are existing is the primary step in identifying efficient therapy techniques. A regular routine offers parasite specialists a far better chance to recognize insects in their beginning. Many pest issues can be treated quickly during regular evaluations. Terminix Commercial uses the concepts of Integrated Insect Monitoring (IPM) to keep an eye on and help avoid parasites, focusing on surveillance-based targeted control and also aiding decrease pesticide use.

Normal assessments allow specialists to help limit pest task prior to infestations get larger. Lots of types of pests can develop big problems really quickly, so nipping brand-new pest task in the bud is crucial. With normal inspections, professionals can consistently evaluate therapy performance and also make any type of needed alterations in a timely way for the finest outcomes.

Professionals have the possibility throughout routine assessments to try to find conditions that motivate bug task and also to remedy them, where possible, with obstacles and also other control techniques. By coming to your location often, specialists can come to be acquainted with trouble areas and understand where to focus their focus. Most adjustments that have actually occurred in the business environment can be resolved by normal insect examinations.

Additionally, industrial settings often have a great deal of foot website traffic, along with deliveries that can possibly present new insects. At normal examinations, professionals can inform consumers about conditions that impact insect task, in addition to activities that can be taken to help reduce those conditions. Helping your personnel learn how to avoid conditions that draw in and also harbor parasites can be crucial in aiding to control problems.

Routine bug evaluations additionally provide you frequent possibilities to ask your specialist inquiries or to share problems. Why give parasites additional time in between visits to establish up store in your service or organization? Get a totally free estimate from a professional pest control company that is serious about remaining on top of parasites with on a regular basis scheduled parasite examinations.

Let's encounter it, bugs and also rats do not belong in your house. They're revolting, have no regard for your residential property, and can create substantial tension. And also yet, they invade and in many cases, with every one of their buddies. So what do you do if you find your home has come to be infested by hassle or possibly damaging insects? Some homeowner make a journey to the store to equip themselves with catches, sprays, and various other items that assure results.

To obtain rid of spiders, ants, and also various other insects, we advise hiring an insect control firm as well as here are three reasons that! Claim you signed your kid up for baseball, would you go out to buy soccer gear? No, naturally not since that would certainly not set your baseball gamer up for success.

Exact insect identification is a must in order to ensure your bug problem is solved. A specialist pest control expert that has been highly educated and accredited understands about parasites and that has a keen understanding of their biology and also behavior, has the ability to not just identify the insect however establish a therapy plan that works against the invader you have.

Simply getting rid of the ants you see creeping on the counters or eliminating the roaches you discover under the cleaning device, will certainly not solve the problem. You need an insect control expert to carry out a complete assessment to: Recognize just how pests are obtaining in Determine what's attracting them to your residential property Locate the source of the issue To show the significance of that last bullet factor, allow's take an appearance at termites.

Bug control solutions, whether for occasional intruders like earwigs and also pillbugs or more significant insects like termites as well as rodents, are Visit website created to attend to the entire trouble not just treat the symptoms of one. Regrettably that's where DIY parasite treatments usually fail. Left untreated pest issues can cause significant damage.

In The House Run Pest & Termite Control, we are a group dedicated to maintaining parasites out of residences in the DFW location. If you're tired of seeing insects creeping around your house or just want to act to keep your house pest totally free, our in your area owned bug as well as termite control business is the ideal service.