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tarhalindur · 3 years

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Higurashi Gou final thoughts pt. 1

(Spoilers go under a cut:)

Taking this by arc:

Onidamashi-hen: The best executed first cour arc by a significant margin. Probably not coincidentally, it stays the closest to the structure of the OG arc and thus keeps more of OG’s tension ratchet than the other Gou arcs. I have two main issues, and I’m pretty sure both of them can be firmly pinned on the anime staff rather than Ryukishi07 himself. First, it pulls its punch on the stealth sequel aspect. I’m not entirely sure that going for a stealth sequel was the correct decision (it’s a cost/benefit tradeoff), but if you do you’re going for the wham of the sequel reveal, and the anime undercut this by putting the Rika/Hanyuu scene at the start of episode 2 rather than the end of the arc. Second, it overdoes the final Rena fight, making it so over-the-top that it’s difficult to take seriously. Neither of these issues exist in the manga (which has a believable amount of stabbing and has the Hanyuu scene at the end of the arc where it should be), and in the former case we also have a Ryukishi07 interview indicating that this was a change requested by the anime staff, so this goes on them. (Interestingly, by way of contrast I think this approach might actually work well for the Mieruko-chan adaptation that Passione has coming out later this year.)

Watadamashi-hen: The core issue here (above and beyond fridge logic after Satokowaski-hen) is the finale, which landed like a wet fart. It both escalates from zero to 100 *way* too fast and has the worst case of “tell don’t show” in the neo-question arcs - we learn about every single dead body in the arc from Ooishi’s end-of-arc narration. That’s relatively defensible for three of those bodies, which we only learn about secondhand even in OG Watanagashi-hen (though IIRC in OG two of those bodies have foreshadowing from rumors earlier in the arc, and unless I’m forgetting something that’s absent here), but all five? Yes, keeping Keiichi locked away from the final showdown removes fridge logic issues, but you have prominent security cameras - you can at least have him see the aftermath of the showdown on the screens (and freak out because of it). Adding insult to injury, the Keiichi vs. door scenes are also so over-the-top as to damage willing suspension of disbelief. The 0-to-100 issue is harder to fix, because the one thing Watadamashi did right was put the Rika-loses-it scene as an end-of-episode cliffhanger, and “Keiichi et. al. are about to enter the Saiguden” probably wanted an end-of-episode cliffhanger as well for discussion purposes (it might have been able to get away with using the commercial break). The simplest fix is the same one @tsuisou-no-despair floated: cannibalize an episode off of another first cour arc.

Tataridamashi-hen: Amusingly, I think Gou has retained OG’s tradition of having the Tatari- question arc being the weakest question arc. As I see it there are two interlocking core issues here which boil down to the same issue. Tataridamashi-hen goes for a very unconventional method of building tension: it doesn’t, instead relying on the viewer’s realization that something bad has to be coming to do so for it (the old “that can’t be right, we’ve still got twenty minutes left in the episode” reaction I more commonly associate with things like police procedurals). The problem is that this runs into the Endless Eight lesson: even flawless metatext should not be used at the expense of enjoyability of the actual text. And while the arc got some leverage out of “when exactly is this going to diverge?”, there’s a point much like Endless Eight itself when you realize where it’s going to diverge (i.e, not until the end) and that until then you’re sitting through the same events you remember from OG. It works about as well as it did for Haruhi. (Unless you’re a new viewer, but in that case staying too close to Minagoroshi-hen has other issues.) Worse, unlike Minagoroshi-hen itself (which did something similar to build tension but a) non-source readers hadn’t seen it before so it wasn’t foregone the same way and b) you had several more episodes after the subarc for the main event) the arc ends almost immediately after this. (The simplest fix here might have been cutting down on the arc time by speedrunning Minagoroshi events, reducing the amount of time you’d have to wait. You could even have a couple of obstacles collapse faster than expected; this late in the first cour it would serve as foreshadowing for Satokowashi-hen, and would also deal with unfortunate implications concerning the village’s prejudice considering that the staff knew Satoko was going to be the culprit. Trimming an episode would also neatly solve the issue of where to get an additional episode for Watadamashi-hen from!) The good news is that the final confrontation is the best of the first cour arcs (it’s somewhat more realistic than the other two, actually not that far behind some of the more memetastic OG moments except for Teppei’s eyes, and not showing Ooishi’s rampage is forgivable given that they knew they would be actually showing it in Nekodamashi-hen), but that’s damning with faint praise.

Nekodamashi-hen: The best Gou arc. The episode 15 jump cut is the stuff of legends and the best scene in the show by a sizable margin (the one thing the director does well is black humor, it seems), while the rest of the arc isn’t as good, it’s far shorter on demerits than the rest of the show. The one really, really obvious demerit is that they really didn’t need to spend half an episode on the intestines-ripping scene (if Ryukishi07′s comments are to be believed, once again we’re pinning this on Passione), but effects on my stomach aside there are worse issues to have.

Satokowashi-hen: And here we have the other side of the coin; this is the worst Gou arc, and it’s the one spot where I’m pretty sure Ryukishi07 himself gets some of the blame. There’s a few issues here. First, the single most obvious dangling plot thread from Matsuribayashi-hen (Satoshi’s fate) is effectively dropped despite being directly relevant to the other dangling thread that was picked up (how Rika treats Satoko and vice versa); this includes missing an opportunity to show Satoko’s character arc through different responses to learning about Satoshi’s condition. Secondly and compounding, Shion is also dropped along with the Satoshi thread; AIUI this is kind of understandable given final Satoko/Shion interaction in the Matsuribayashi-hen VN (which IIRC never made it into the anime), but dropping her without explanation still leaves something that looks awfully like a plot hole since a single conversation with Shion is potentially enough to stop the events of this arc from ever happening. (”Character X had information that would have stopped the tragedy but never had an opportunity to tell anyone” is a classic tragedy trope, but you should really have a *reason* for that character never having the opportunity as opposed to just having them vanish without explanation.) Finally, there’s just the general issue that while the ending points for both Rika and Satoko are reasonable the path they take to get there just doesn’t quite add up. I can kind of get there via a combination of “blame the director” (the loops montage could and should have easily shown Satoko’s deteriorating mental condition as she watched - using interlaced cuts to her face with changes in facial expression is a classic method) and mind caulk (Rika was exaggerating for effect when she described her desire to go to St. Lucia’s as a long-time thing and it only really kicked in after Matsuribayashi-hen, Satoko originally only planned to suicide in Matsuribayashi-2 and only took Rika out with her as a crime of passion after feeling betrayed, hence the next few loops lacking her murdering Rika) but being mind-caulkable is not the same as actual good execution.

I mean, I’ve banged on this drum before, but... the basic concept works. Really well. Satoko’s abandonment issues and Rika’s treatment of Satoko are two of the major dangling plot threads from OG Higurashi (*eyes both Minagoroshi-hen and anime-only Yakusamashi-hen*). It makes perfectly good sense that the latter comes back to bite Rika, especially in a sequel literally titled “karma”. I already suspected Satoko was on the autism spectrum based on OG, her being ADHD in addition to or instead of that makes perfectly good sense given those conditions often overlap. Rika’s desire to escape the well morphing into a desire to escape Hinamizawa entirely? Sure, just present it as that. Satoko steadily losing her support network as her friends are torn away from her by changing life circumstances, then going to a boarding school that she hates, that strips the rest of her support structure for her and starts to take even her one remaining friend (her childhood friend, no less - and one that Satoko is at this point attracted to romantically in true osananajimi fashion) away from her, and then starting to snap with some prodding from a certain witch? That’s a compelling story idea! But as present it just doesn’t quite work, and that’s on the execution.

(Side note: I wonder if some of what went wrong with Gou was just the kind of production issues endemic to modern anime, amplified by the pandemic. I remember at least one comment/blog post somewhere in the wake of WEP’s issues noting some of the effects that production issues can have on an anime, and one of the things they noted was excessive slavishness to the source material as a time-saving measure; that sounds awfully similar to some of Ryukishi07′s comments about how he didn’t expect Passione to take his script quite so literally, and to my admittedly untrained eye it sure looked like there were a bunch more other animation studios than usual mentioned in Gou’s credits...)

Final score: depends on your exact rating system, but given the range I’m looking at I can’t see how I can give it any score other than 3.4/5 for obvious reasons. (Pending Sotsu, anyways. It’s possible that Sotsu will resolve some of these issues - in particular, Ryukishi07 always has struck me as the kind of author who would get a kick into baiting us into falling for the same twist twice; it’s not impossible that the apparent lack of unreliable narrators so far is a double bluff, and that could affect the “question arc” scores in particular. More on this in a forthcoming solution space post.)

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gloriouskiaa · 3 years

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7 Amazing Tips for Summer-ready skin

When the weather warms up, we all want to uncover a bit more of our skin.

Even if you're looking forward to ditching the warm overalls in favor of crop tops and skirts, we can all cop to a little sun-induced anxiety – even if we decide to bare all, would our skin be summer-ready?

This year, you won't have to think about it; just pursue our top tips and you'll have dazzling, sun-kissed skin all summer long.

Summer skin care routine for dry skin

Summers hit your skin every year. The scorching sun, ozone, humidity, and other factors remove its normal radiance and, in some cases, invite infections. But fret not, here are easy-peasy strategies you should try this season to stop all of these hassles and keep your skin glowing like it should.

1) Exfoliate

You must exfoliate your skin regularly to make it look lighter. This extracts the dead tissue, which can dull your skin tone if left unchecked. Also, you'd give your skin a new look and feel while removing toxic parabens by investing in an exfoliating scrub utilizing natural ingredients.

Tip: Use repetitive movements to apply the exfoliating scrub throughout your face and body. Doing this at least 2 times a week will hold your skin in high quality during the season, preventing your pores from being obstructed by sun screen as well.

2) Moisturize

An additional advantage of a successful exfoliation regimen is that the skin becomes ready for effective moisturizing. This is ideal in the summer, because your skin needs all the hydration it can get to help combat sunburns. You will add natural softness to your skin by quenching your parched skin with moisturizers, particularly after exfoliation. In addition, moisturizing the skin gives the tan removal an additional advantage.

3) Shave and Shower, correctly

No one likes stinging sunburns, so you can mitigate the sunburn pain by constantly replacing your shaving blades. It is also a smart thing to shorten the shaving duration. You see, long shaves using steaming hot water dry the skin, you can instead use lukewarm or cool water to close the pores while soothing your skin.

4) Always protect from the sun

You may like the summer tan, but it would be foolish to take no care against the sun's harsh UV rays. After all, nobody feels attractive with sunburnt skin, just make sure you cover yourself well before stepping out in the sun.

Although you might still get some sunburns despite all the preparations in the world you undertake. However, you need not suffer – add refreshing gels to calm your affected red patches of skin. Furthermore, products that use aloe vera's natural strength appear to perform their healing quicker.

5) Facials

Believe us, those women who always appear to have flawless skin are not blessed with a fantastic skin since birth. It takes long-term commitment on your part to flaunt apparently faultless skin all year.

Spa's facial bookings give your skin a regular deep cleansing that unclogs the pores and removes defects. However, the dilemma is that daily visits to the spa or clinic are both time-taking and expensive.

So, why not be a facialist on your own?

Proper home facials not only rejuvenate your skin but also are a must if you plan on tan-removal as an element of your beauty routine.

6) Pedicure

Often you forget, but keeping your toes in top shape is critical.

Face it, you would have stuffed your bad feet more than you should've in boots all season, but you'd just need a bit of care until they are safe from the scorching summer heat.

Tip – File your feet's rough skin, then lather with a lotion until you sit your feet into cotton socks overnight as a perfect DIY pedicure for your feet. This is a sure-fire way to get your feet in top shape for the summer.

7) Eat and drink well

The look of your skin reflects the way you handle your body very well. Maintaining a healthy diet can lead to better skin visibly.

In order to preserve the necessary moisture balance for your body, aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day – it will maintain a healthy, detoxified skin. The idea to load luscious fruits and veggies which moisturize and feed your skin from within is also a good one.

Consider changing your Face Wash and Face Scrub.

Use a Refreshing Toner.

Change Your Moisturizer.

Exfoliate Routinely for Smoother Skin.

Wear Sunscreen before stepping out.

Include Antioxidants in Your Facial Skin Care Routine.

Keep Your Skin Hydrated.

Use minimal, chemicals-laden Makeup.

Kiaa

Republiks

Green tea & Aloe Vera Clarifying Moisturizer with Argan Oil

This dermatologically tested and revolutionary formulation by Kiaa Republiks can be used as a day & night cream by both men and women. It works overnight to repair your skin's damaged cells, and thus helps in combating ageing, treating acne as well as dry skin.

Ingredients:

Aloe Vera Juice: Moisturizing aloe vera juice has been reportedly said to contribute to a decrease in acne occurrence and appearance of red-patched, irritated skin. It may also alleviate chronic conditions of the skin, such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Aloe vera contains certain types of antioxidants and vitamins that can help to protect the skin.

Argan Oil- The antioxidants and vitamin E present in argan oil help to soothe and reduce inflammation caused by acne and promote skin regeneration and healing. Applying argan oil also helps control excess oil production to prevent future acne.

Green Tea: Green tea contains six distinct polyphenols with the strongest ones being Epicatechin gallate (ECG) and Epigallocatechin (EGCG). Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of fighting free radicals within the organism. Free radicals can affect your body as well as skin's, health if their levels ever get too high. Free radicals can also lead to cell damage, and many diseases, including certain types of cancer associated with it.

Kiaa Repubiks' De-Tan & Skin Exfoliation Combo

- Face Scrub, Clarifying Face Mask & Foaming Face Wash

Soothe and detoxify your skin this summer with Kiaa Republiks face scrub and face wash. The combo guarantees tan removal, skin exfoliation and deep cleansing.

Ingredients:

Activated charcoal purifies the skin from bacteria, chemicals, grime, and grease. It also acts as an excellent exfoliator because it's a peel-off mask, which rids the skin of dead cells. The final outcome is smooth, translucent skin. If used as a powder, these masks can penetrate deep into the pores and remove all impurities from within.

Turmeric and curcumin are the most active substances in particular and have many statistically proven health benefits, such as healing properties for cardiac illness, Alzheimer's disease and cancer prevention possibilities. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant that can also help relieve depression and arthritis symptoms.

Saffron includes an amazing array of antioxidant plant compounds – organic molecules that shield you from oxidative stress and free radicals.

Notable antioxidants found in saffron are: crocin, crocetin, saffron and kaempferol.

Crocin and crocetin have a red tint with carotenoid pigments. Both can induce antidepressant properties, preventing progressive damage to brain cells, increasing inflammation and lowering appetite to help lose weight.

Parting words: Ensure that your skin shines all summer!

To fall in love with your skin this summer, apply the top tips given above and you will not believe the wonder that follows! For even better results, use Kiaa Republiks' recommended products for long-lasting skin benefits.

#skin #skincare #skincare products #summer #summer skin care

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newstunestech · 3 years

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Root Genius APK Rooting Tool For Android Smartphone - Enjoy Your Android Phone's Full Potential

Root Genius APK is a professional Android rooting tool that was released in early 2021. It is designed to completely fix any kind of problems your smartphone might have. It will also optimize the performance of your smartphone by removing all the excess files and settings it has. The software is extremely easy to install and work with. However, users of this amazing application found some issues with it. It didn't seem to work properly on some of the most popular Android Smartphones like the HTC Desire.

First of all, people complained about the fact that Root Genius APK would cause their phones to slow down or freeze. This would really be a big problem for all those who use their mobiles almost every day. But luckily, there are other root apps that can take care of the freezing problem. These programs will not cause your phone to freeze as long as you don't let them sit on your phone.

Another big problem users complained about was the inefficiency of Root Genius APK

The program would not remove all the traces of junk files that were left behind even after the phone has been completely rooted. Users also said that they couldn't do a lot of things with their smartphones because of the lack of space. They couldn't access their folders, see their contact list, manage their calendar or check their email. They also didn't have any control over the default dialer that comes with their phones.

Some users complained that the program caused their phones to crash

They could no longer browse the web easily or launch applications. They couldn't even load the apps they wanted to launch. Fortunately, this didn't happen often because most users could fix these problems by adding the appropriate application to their phones' memory.

Click here to download - Root Genius APK

However, some users pointed out that this software could cause more harm than good. The application is very risky since it could damage the device's internal parts. It could disable the device's anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. It could also wipe important files and data. So users are advised to be very careful when using this application.

What's worse is that the developers released an update for Root Genius APK without fixing the biggest problem that users pointed out. The update actually worsened the problem because it erased all the files users had worked so hard to get rid of. This means that users would still be unable to use their phones properly because they have no idea where to find the files they needed to use the software properly. Most of the time, users would be in a state of confusion as to which program to buy or download.

This is why users are advised to purchase an official Root Genius APK rooting software

This way, they won't mess up their mobile devices. This software will enable users to perform a manual installation of the rooting application. It will also provide step-by-step instructions in doing a full install. Users are also guaranteed that their phones are safe from any sort of danger that might come along the way.

Conclusions

With this new Root Genius APK software, users will never have to worry about losing everything. They could easily restore their lost data. This is indeed a big help, especially when emergencies strike. Thus, this rooting tool for Android could prove to be a real blessing for smartphone owners in need of extra help.

#Root Genius APK

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seokingstar · 3 years

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Differences Or Similarities Between Stoicism And Spirituality

Welcome To Australiaunwrapped.com

5 Principal of Stoicism

5 Myths About Stoicism

5 Easy Ways to Learn Stoicism

5 Stoic Philosophy That Leads You to Live a Happy and Peaceful Life

5 Stoicism Practices

1. Stoicism is a Religion Stoicism is not a religion. Stoicism was born in Greece and was practised in both Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Even then, it was not considered a religion. Stoicism is a philosophy, more precisely, a philosophy of life, which should be practised, but also challenged. It shouldn’t be followed literally as a religion. Anyone who is a believer can practise Stoicism. Likewise, atheists and agnostics can be Stoics.

Many people who have just been introduced to Stoicism are surprised by the religious nature of this philosophy. Although Stoicism was never a religion in the modern sense, with temples and altars, its spiritual nature evoked respect and piety among the ancients and among many who practice it today. In its traditional form, Stoicism was a personal religion where the basic doctrines of the Stoics were such as to create a kind of spirituality and elevate human souls to a cosmic God.

The Stoic conception of the divine has little in common with the God of monotheistic religions. The Stoic God is the all-pervading force in the cosmos and is often called “Nature”. However, most modern Stoics are atheists or agnostics. Therefore, they reject the deeply religious feelings woven into Stoicism.

Also Enjoy: 5 Easy Ways to Learn Stoicism

2. Stoics are Pessimists Stoicism helps us prepare for dealing with adverse situations. It teaches us that bad things will happen sooner or later and that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be controlled by our negative feelings. It reminds us that one day we will die or someone we love will die. Stoicism raises our awareness of how we can lose a house, health, job, or wealth overnight.

Stoicism actually demands that we visualize these situations. We need to think of them as if they are happening now.

Most people find this behaviour pessimistic. But the truth is far from it: Stoics are not pessimists. There is a difference between thinking that everything will go wrong and visualizing such a situation to avoid being overwhelmed by emotions if something terrible happens. Stoics know that bad things will happen in time. Their goal is just readiness for that moment, not depression about it.

Events are as they are. Not good, not bad in itself. Such are our thoughts – our beliefs and expectations, which are mostly optimistic. Optimism is often very harmful, and it doesn’t take into account that things do not happen the way we want. We often want something we are not capable of, something we cannot achieve, something we do not have the strength and talent for, something that is just an idea of our unrealistic and unjustified desires. We believe that if we want something bad enough, our wishes will just come true. Instead of cultivating seductive optimism, we must sober up, prepare for all life scenarios, and thus empower ourselves.

3. Stoics are Emotionless This is the most common myth people have about Stoics. This is often said because of the way the Stoics deal with death, failure, and other losses and is therefore perceived as an absence of emotion. But that is not true.

Stoics are people, and therefore have emotions. They feel both love and pain. The difference between Stoics and others is that they control their emotions, instead of letting emotions control them. Stoics don’t allow emotions to overwhelm them. This allows them to make better decisions based on reason rather than deceptive emotions. Today, the misconception that Stoics are unemotional like robots is widespread. But it should be borne in mind that a brave man is not someone who doesn’t experience a trace of fear at all, but someone who acts bravely despite the feeling of anxiety. A man who has excellent self-discipline is not someone who doesn’t feel a hint of desire, but someone who transcends his desires, refraining from acting on them. A man who conquers his passions becomes stronger than them, and all that without removing all emotions from his life. One should develop the ability to endure painful feelings and rise above them while continuing to maintain relationships with people from the environment.

4. Stoicism is Fatalistic Stoicism distinguishes between things that are and are not in our control. Stoicism has always been about virtue and that everyone should become the best version of themselves. Those things are under our control. What is not in our control is the outcome. External influences can stand in the way of our goals, and that is what we cannot influence. So, every Stoic strives to reach his goal if nothing prevents him from doing so. We can never know what can happen, so the Stoics always take that into account, which eliminates unnecessary stress. The stoic attitude is such that they suggest that if you see something that needs to change, then you need to do something about it. Their attitude towards friendship is such that if you see a friend leading a wrong life, you need to tell him something. Epictetus was an influential owner of the school, Seneca was a wealthy and successful businessman, and Marcus Aurelius was one of the best emperors of the Roman Empire. And all this is proof that Stoicism is not fatalistic.

5. Stoics don’t Care About Money The conversation about minimalism and conscious consumerism has grown in recent years. We are constantly wanting to buy and it’s incredibly easy to give into it. At one point, we all realized that buying the latest iPhone won’t bring us the inner satisfaction and silence we are looking for. Still, we are persistent in buying and consuming. Stoicism forces us to think about spiritual corruption through materialism. Our integrity, our intellect, and the unique role we play in the lives of our loved ones- these are the things that give us value, but we often fail to give them priority over the outward signs of success. Therefore, excessive spending never leads to lasting spiritual fulfilment. Financial achievements are empty when they aren’t accompanied by spiritual, emotional, or intellectual growth. When you’re always chasing external achievements, each of those internal areas becomes stunted.

Stoics value virtue and things that we can control over material things. This is why the myth often arises that the Stoics are poor or not interested in money. But that is not true. If we look at Stoics like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, we’ll see that they were both extremely wealthy. Of course, there were also Stoics who didn’t have as much wealth as Epictetus. There are both rich and poor Stoics. Their idea is that you don’t need wealth to live happily. Stoics have nothing against the pursuit of wealth, as long as you don’t get attached to money and materialism.

Also See: 5 Principal of Stoicism That Will Change the Way You Think About Life, Death, We cannot say that Stoicism as a philosophy is flawless. But we can say that the most common myths about Stoicism are completely wrong. So, the next time you listen to criticism on a topic that is new to you, like Stoicism, think and explore. Hold the verdict until you learn more information to understand the complete truth. Only then you’ll be properly equipped for independent decision-making.

More Information:- https://www.australiaunwrapped.com/5-principal-of-stoicism-that-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-life-death-and-time/

#5 Principal of Stoicism

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mwolf0epsilon · 4 years

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BATIM - Helping Hand

Summary: All stories have a beginning and an end. Henry’s ended with kindness, Joey’s began with cruelty.

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Back when he’d been trying to reintegrate into civilian life after going to war, Henry had no conceivable way of explaining his experiences in an eloquent fashion. It was very difficult to put into words the sort of visceral feelings that made his chest tighten with a mixture of white hot panic and instinctual terror. There were no feasible words to express the sensation of looking another human being in the eyes and knowing that they were just as reluctant to be there, and that one of them had to die for the other to live. War was a topic that muted him to a somewhat permanent degree. Too hard for him to talk about. But the studio? The horrifying atrocities Joey had committed in his absence? The lengths he'd gone to get what he wanted? That was the one horrific happenstance in which he could find his voice and curse out a supposed friend for their heinous crimes, especially when he found himself back on that familiar doorstep that led him into that repeating nightmare... The mockery of a long-dead dream. Yes, Henry Stein, the man of few words, would end up spewing out as many acidic profane words that he could conjure up on the spot. So foul they were that they would have had a sailor as shocked and disgusted as a blushing nun. Not that anyone could judge him for it. A man of routine could only bend so much to the insatiable will of another, before he slowly found himself pushed over the precipice of madness. It was by pure miracle he hadn't lost his senses long ago. Because, thankfully, Henry made due with what little leniency and creativity he had to keep himself entertained. Every few loops he changed things up just a little bit.

The “Long Runs” as he called them, were a respite of sorts Henry had concocted long ago as a means to give himself a break from the main storyline Joey so vehemently forced him through, with little to no choice in the matter. They were, in a sense, somewhat of a sacred thing. His sanctuary, as Sammy would put it, and one that he'd long since forced his puppeteer not to disturb. If Joey didn't want his marionette to flop onto the ground in defiance of restarting the same old stale song and dance all over again, he'd have to allow him some time to relax and get back on his game. Otherwise Henry would simply sit down and refuse to even go near the Ink Machine, much less begin this charade. Without the hellish thing as his driving point, it’s not like Joey could find any reason to push him forward anyway. Not without the Ink Demon being let out to take on its role of the relentless hunter. So, having learned this, Joey seemed to begrudgingly allow him to explore the studio to his heart’s content without pushing him to do anything that would immediately set him towards that final stage. That repetitive speech that made less and less sense the more Henry experienced it.

On these breaks Henry took his time and did what he’d done back when he was a kid: He people watched. An odd hobby, but one that taught him something quite valuable about creating characters. Traits and qualities. Everyone had a way of being that was entirely unique to them. Be it the way they walked, if they spoke just with their mouth or with their hands, or how they chose to project themselves out in the world. Dress and speech patterns, certain ritualistic habits, likes and dislikes...All things tended to be readable on a person if you just stopped, watched and listened for long enought. Which is why, on every one of these breaks, Henry took the time to figure out everyone’s gimmicks. Soon after, he’d started his little gestures of kindness...

It all started with the swollen searcher with the nice hat. Jack Fain, the once lyricist that had aided in getting the right words to Sammy’s jolly little tunes. Henry had been absentmindedly exploring the sewer tunnels near the music department when he’d noticed the searcher in a rather bad way. Overstuffed with the thick ink that Twisted Alice so coveted from his brethren. So large and nauseatingly lumpy that he couldn’t even move out of his current spot. He supposed that was his inevitable fate unless crushed with a crate, which made him feel a little less upset about dropping such a heavy object onto the poor thing. Then, much to his surprise, Sammy Lawrence himself sauntered down from one of the adjacent tunnels to find the pitiful creature blocking his path. And even more surprising, he actually seemed sad about it's sorry state. “Oh you silly sheep… This is the 4th time this week that I’ve found you so heavy with your precious wool…” How Sammy could count the weeks, Henry wasn’t sure, since he knew for a fact the music director often forgot his own name. Come to think of it, Sammy forgot a lot of things, reminding Henry of a fellow in his platoon that was afflicted with early onset dementia. He’d been discharged due to becoming a liability, and seeing him fight the disarray of his own mind had been a honestly terrifying spectacle. Henry had felt a great pity for him, which is about the same way he felt for Sammy now. The poor guy could have been great had he not ended up in Joey Drew’s grasp and then tossed into this nightmare realm. “Not to worry...Your shepherd is here now, although you’ll have to forgive me. I have no shears.”

He’d watched in morbid fascination as Sammy dug four-fingered hands into the swollen searcher’s mass, pulling out chunks of it in a way that made Henry’s stomach twist in discomfort. If Jack felt any pain, he didn’t show it. If anything with each clump of ink removed, he seemed almost relieved. Finally, once returned to his regular proportions, the searcher let out a much softer humming sound. One that was much nicer to the ear than the wet hiss he reserved for Henry whenever he got too close to the skittish creature. “You’re welcome my little sheep. The others will be most pleased with the wool you’ve so generously provided…” The pile of thick ink was truly massive, and the old artist could only wonder what Sammy hoped to do with it. “Please refrain from consuming more. Excessive indulgence is a sin you know...”

From the way Sammy had addressed Jack upon arrival, this seemed to be a recurring issue. One the self-appointed prophet seemed to exclusively come down into the sewers to solve himself. It piqued Henry’s interest in such a way that he’d begun to wonder… If he helped with that, would this in any way benefit him? Couldn't do him wrong to have some thick ink at hand... And then he wondered: Would helping them benefit Jack and Sammy in any way? Only one way to find out!

He'd left it for the next time he decided to take a break. First going through a few more loops to give himself time to figure out just how to help the prophet and the swollen searcher that lived down in the sewers. He couldn't exactly allow Sammy to sacrifice him. It would only end with the delusional ex-music director dying faster. So what could he, a humble artist, possibly do for someone who was so lost to devotion? And then there was the question of what could he do for Jack. The only thing he seemed interested in, was being left alone and keeping a hold of that dang valve. Henry hadn't personally known the man, so this was a difficult task. Luckily he found an answer in the form of an audio log Buddy had collected well before the older man had set foot in the studio. As it turned out, Jack Fain was a fan of coffee. That at least was something to look into, as he made his way all around the studio. He'd mostly only found rations of bacon soup, but surely there had been a coffee machine in the break room, right? And if he could keep his seeing tool, maybe he could keep anything else he kept on his person until the end of another run? He'd tried it once with Wally's keys and he was pretty sure he'd kept them on the next loop, only to lose them again later (the man should have invested in a better key ring, that one was a slippery bugger!). But could it work for heftier items? That too was a theory he tested, and Joey surely must have found it quite odd when he'd begun his end of the loop speech, only to stop as he stared in confusion at the bag of coffee Henry had brought along with him. "...I have questions..." He deadpanned as he stared at the bag of coffee with slight distrust. A bag of coffee beans. Nothing could be less threatening. "Funny, I thought that was my job?" Henry grinned. "Asking questions, and never getting any answers?" "Funny indeed… Whatever you're up to, don't think it'll do any good." Joey frowned. "Your path is set, and nothing can change that. Even if I’ve been rather patient with your excursions." "We'll see." That only gave Henry more motivation to try. If just to spite Joey. Another guilty pleasure of his that he indulged in from time to time. He too needed a bit of fresh unpredictable entertainment after all…

To not lug around a bag of coffee everywhere he went (which wasn’t very practical), Henry had decided to take another break on his next run to begin experimenting with this little idea that had been borne out of curiosity. It was easy to set a goal for it: If offering something of comfort to someone that had minimal impact in Joey’s puppeteering did anything of value not only to himself but for the person in question that he sought to offer some kindness to, then what could potentially happen if he tried the same trick with some of the "main cast"? It was, in all honesty, a rather clinical way of thinking and planning things out. He was essentially detaching himself from this reality to test those around him, having superior knowledge of what was truly going on (albeit in a limited and at times fleeting fashion) thus a sort of intellectual advantage over their situations. He was being a less harmful manipulator. Setting up events like Joey. The morality of it all came crashing down just as he’d gotten a coffee machine to work. “Keep it together Henry.” he shook himself out of that nasty train of thought as fast as he could. “You’re not doing anything malicious...You’re just...Making coffee.”

He could maybe use a cup or two himself. If just to settle his nerves. How ironic that a stimulant could calm anyone.

"Yeah, just a simple cup of coffee. No harm, no foul…" Except to his hand when the damn coffee maker scalded him for no particular reason. If anything, he hoped this was the best damn coffee that the swollen searcher had ever tasted in his whole life as an ink slug. There was just one tiny problem with this plan: Henry didn't have any cups. Nor any mugs. Not even those tiny little plastic cups that came with these sorts of machines. The studio was apparently in a "bring your own mug" policy just to skirt around buying a refill of those. "Joey you damn cheapskate…" he had to improvise. Thankfully he wasn't short on containers or an appetite for bacon soup. He just hoped the taps in the bathroom would still have access to clean water...

To Joey it must be quite a sight, watching an old man make his way down into the sewers balancing three cans of soup containing piping hot coffee in them. The stairs weren't exactly up to code and the ink coating them was slippery, so this whole journey to sate his damn curiosity might leave the old artist with second degree burns and potentially a ruined back. Thankfully he managed his way down into the depths with no real issues, and noted the shadow of the prophet following his every move. Good, he hoped an offering would appease him. Play on the same field as Sammy in a sense, just to see what he might do. Granted treating Jack nicely might grant him the cultist's mercy if he treated him like a friend still. At the sight of him, the thing that had once been Jack Fain began to flee as usual. "Hey, wait… I have something for you!" He watched the creature skirt around a corner, hat barely staying on. He stood there, unwilling to run, and simply held the cans of hot coffee with a slightly disappointed look on his face. And then…

...Snhiff shniff shhhhniff…

The wettest sniffing sound Henry had ever heard assaulted his ears, as the swollen searcher peeked back around the corner at him. Its mouth shut but the hollow sockets where it's eyes should be appearing to be wide as it tracked what must be an alluring aroma to it. It appeared searchers still retained a sense of smell, which begged the question of how Jack could stand to live down here. "Smells nice doesn't it? I uh…" he waved one of the cans carefully so as not to spill its contents. "Got a coffee maker upstairs working again." "Ksshhhff…Eeee..." he couldn't understand what it said, but Henry was pretty sure Jack was trying to say "coffee". He recognized what it was, and most importantly it looked like he desperately wanted it. "Yes. It's coffee. Do you want it?" He outstretched his arm, trying to entice the swollen searcher with his peace offering. It looked at the can, the sloshing dark liquid inside it, then stared at Henry. It seemed to be trying to decide if it was worth risking its "hide" to get what it so desperately craved. Finally after an agonizing minute, it went for it.

Henry nearly toppled over as the swollen ink abomination lunged for the can. He damn near spilled the other two on himself as well. Luckily he'd regained his footing and managed to keep everything nicely contained in the repurposed cans. The searcher on the other hand was less the skittish thing that ran circles around him, and more like an overexcited puppy. The slurping desperate chugging noises as it inhaled the coffee were a little gross, but that was easily overlooked by just how happy it looked. "That good uh?"

The gurgling purr that followed got a chuckle out of him, and he couldn't help give Jack a gentle pay on the hat. He couldn't have imagined just how happy the poor fellow would get. And he wasn't the only one. That worn out Bendy mask peering from the corner gave Henry a good idea of just how impactful such a small gesture had been. "I have an extra can if you'd also like some…" He'd brought one in the hopes that Sammy might appreciate some as well, but he wasn't sure if he liked the stuff. In the little time they'd worked together at the studio, the music director had been more of a smoker than a coffee enthusiast. Shame he wouldn't be able to get such an item for him… To Henry's surprise, rather than keep his distance and wait for his dramatical reveal, Sammy actually responded to him. "My stomach does not react kindly to most substances besides the Lord's plentiful gift..." His words were devoid of emotion. Awfully cold but also contemplative. "I'm sure my darling sheep would be more than happy to consume my share…" The happy gurgling more than confirmed this, and Henry wasted no time to give him the extra can. Jack took it gleefully and began to drink it eagerly. "A picky eater…" Henry felt slightly disturbed at the idea that Sammy was drinking any of the ink just laying around. "I can respect that." "I assure you, it is not by choice." The mask cocked to the side, studying him. "Although I must admit the stomach aches have helped ensure my physique stays at the peak of perfection to ensure my tasks are well done."

Henry frowned and stared down at his own stomach. He was a little on the pudgy side nowadays, and honestly chugging cans of bacon soup probably didn't help. But he wouldn't call Sammy's proportions the peak of perfection. "Doesn't sound too fun, getting sick unless you drink… the Lord's gift." Best not step on any toes, if Sammy still had any that is. Play it casual. "I do not believe you've come down here to critique my practices as a devout follower of the Ink Demon." The Bendy mask turned to watch Jack devour the can of coffee. Henry felt like he must have been smiling fondly. "You have… Come down here to present us with offerings. Kind ones." "Yes." He replied calmly, remaining just as calm when the mask turned back to him. Sammy's body language spoke for him more than his words did. He was doubtful. "Why?" A good question. "I had nothing better to do." He responded truthfully, albeit only partially. "And you could both use the kindness I'm sure."

They could, they honestly could. After having their minds, bodies and souls taken from them, their identities torn asunder, both Sammy and Jack could only benefit from being treated with the one thing Joey had stripped from them. Humanity. That run, for such a tiny little gesture as offering Jack some coffee, Sammy let him go without a fight. Joey's speech was much more heated than usual, but nothing really seemed to change on the next loop. At least he didn't think so until he found a can of hot coffee waiting for him in Sammy's sanctuary, as well as a bowl of extra thick ink with the valve propped in the middle of it.

His second gesture couldn't have been more easy. While Sammy still tried to sacrifice him, his speech was more subdoed. Almost playful in a way that said "I know what you did and I'm grateful, even if my actions don't show it". Joey's grip on him was too strong to escape with just one kind action, but not enough that Sammy even in his state of forgetfulness could get the mental image of Henry treating Jack to some coffee out of his inky brain. The alterations to his pattern gave Henry plenty of time to figure out just what to do for his encounter with Twisted Alice. Playing slightly into Sammy's delusions had allowed him to get close, so focusing on her obsession might coax what little of Susie was left. Because he'd gotten wise and asked what it was like to become a toon to the only other person qualified to give him a proper response. Sure Buddy couldn't talk, but his reignited personality had given Henry insight on what it was to become a cartoon character. There was a power struggle at first. The original human personality and the Toon's personality clashing in an effort to remain in or take full control. A chaotic and confusing process until one came out victorious. At first Boris had won… then Buddy had slowly begun resurfacing the more loops Henry went through. Now they had a mutual agreement. They needed each other to survive, and the same turned out to be true for Alice and Susie. Alice being the more dominant and jaded of the personalities, having long since fallen from grace after witnessing the sheer cruelty and lack of hope this abominable studio had to offer. Susie ended up being the weaker of the two, guarded by her dragon like a princess in a twisted castle. She sometimes spoke up, clearly disturbed by what their shared hands had done in the past, but Alice had too much of a grip on her to ever let her go. If Henry could properly appease the angel, he might be able to get to Susie as well. Give them… What? A glimmer of hope? Better than let them stew away in their rotten despair. "You're staying. I'm going." He pleaded with Buddy after taking the gifts left behind by Sammy and Jack. "Don't give me that look, I've told you what she does when she gets her hands on you…" A soft whine as the toon wolf pleaded for him to reconsider. "I know you worry, but I need to reach out to them. Even if it doesn't change much, they deserve some consideration." He pauses to think back on the tapes Susie had left, and then her final speech before he was forced to confront the brute Boris inevitably became. "After Joey used them it's the least I could do." Buddy (and no doubt Boris) growled in frustration before eloquently writing just what he thought of Joey. Henry crinkled his nose at the rather uncharacteristic choice of words, but the very last sentence made him smile somberly: “You don't have to fix Joey's mistakes.” "I wish it was that simple. I really do." It wasn't like he had a choice, not when Joey thought he could evade the responsibility himself and pin it on someone else.

Alice was fairly easy to butter up to. He'd entered her lair and sat through her little song like the patient man he was, and then when she finished up with her usual screeching finale he did something she didn't quite expect. He applauded. She was so caught off guard that she just stood there, even as the lights turned back on. Flabbergasted at the sudden adulation. "What a finish, truly miss Angel, you're quite a gal." He'd continued to clap, bowl of thick ink balancing precariously on top of his head. "I'd offer flowers, but sadly all I have on me is ink…" "...Why, what a flatterer…" She sounded uncertain, a hint of Susie just barely at the surface. She must have been quite shocked as well. No one had ever reacted to Twisted Alice's presence with such a welcoming embrace. She was a creature to be feared after all. "Flatterer? Me? My goodness miss Angel, don't tell me you don't get the occasional fan…" he removed the bowl from his head and made sure the thick black blob was quite visible to her. An enticing offering provided by Jack Fain. It's not like he needed the excess ink. "Sadly not. If only most visitors were as well mannered as you..." She crossed her arms, Alice's suspicions breaking through. "But that's to expect from the real creator, isn't it Henry?" "Glad to see some recognition, but honestly I can't be credited for any of this. Not when it's been… Altered to such a degree." Henry looked around with a saddened expression. "Joey really managed to taint everything he touched..." "Only if you let him." The Angel's hiss was a terrifying thing. "But it was so easy to let him in, wasn't it...? He had a way with words…" Susie was such a meek girl. A scared chick in a world conducted by the big bad wolf. And Alice? Alice was a fox that offered her protection. But Henry could be just as cunning provided he was given the chance. Always for a good reason, rather than satisfying his selfish desires. So very unlike his childhood friend. "Words were his weapon of choice, until that wasn't enough." Henry offered her the bowl, watching as she inspected it. Tested it's stability. She seemed pleased. "Why are you here, Henry? Why come back to this miserable place?" Alice's gaze was piercing, but not as malicious as it often was. "And I'm sure it's not due to nostalgia, or an excuse to flatter your way up to the heavens." "I think I knew once." He replied in truth, because you didn't lie to an angel. "But now? Now I'm not so sure… I think Joey liked that naivety on my part. It certainly worked to his advantage." "That it did, little errand boy. You're just as trapped as the rest of us…" She dismissed him. "You may pass freely… But don't think I'll show you mercy twice. You are, after all, still a thief." "What's a man to do but try to protect a poor pup?" He couldn't help tease as he made his way to the door. He was free to explore her lair and go on about his "day" without her tasks or her looming presence. That was good enough a reward for him, even if it didn't promise Buddy's freedom from the cruel fate that awaited him. "Such a shame that pup wasn't meant to be." Alice responded. "A shame indeed. He was such a nice boy..."

This particular encounter gave him a lot to think. The people he'd once assumed to be monsters weren't inherently malicious. That much he'd figured from Sammy's behaviour after he'd played nice. But while most chose to cower and cry, or lose themselves to desperation and lies, Alice was simply resigned to the hand she'd been dealt. Because, honestly, she was in a terrible position to begin with. Even if Susie clearly wanted better, for the both of them. In the end, the angel was only trying to protect her vessel even if Joey set her on a most cruel path. She was tired of grasping on to shallow hopes of ever getting out. Rather be the hunter than the prey. That run, his old friend seemed even more frustrated with him. "Stop humanizing them. There's nothing you can do for them." Joey had grit out through his teeth, trying to keep a smile that was as insincere as his speeches. "You're wrong. There is something I can do." He'd responded, unbothered by the anger in his captor's words. "And what's that?" "Treat them with decency, which is something you never did."

The Projectionist was a challenge. From what he could tell, Norman Polk had essentially gone feral from years of agony and isolation. Most of the Lost Ones even considered him a dumb and very violent animal. Alice thought of him as useful. Susie felt a terrible pity for him. And Buddy? Buddy both feared and felt anguish when confronted with the Projectionist's presence. Henry had known him for a short while, so he could understand the sentiment. Norman had been a good albeit quirky man. "He looked after us…" Susie spoke over the intercom. "He was so kind. It hurts to see him like this… A monster."

While Alice didn't let up on her list of tasks, and did indeed always take the cartoon wolf as scripted, she'd started letting Susie come forth to speak to Henry. She had a lot to say. "If I knew how, I'd help him." He watched the Projectionist walk through the flooded maze of projectors and hearts. Each step heavy, and the clicking of the projectors somewhat deafening. Occasionally it let out a soft crackly noise from its speaker. "You'd die." Alice interjected. "How so?" "Why do you think it takes hearts, Henry?" The twisted angel asked. Come to think of it, he'd never considered the why of its actions. "It's because its own was stolen long ago." "Joey stole his heart?" "No my dear errand boy." Alice chuckled bitterly, before Susie took hold. "Sammy did…"

Joey was getting awfully frustrated with him, so Henry gave in and followed the plot to a t on the next three runs. He needed to think anyway. Think of how to address the problem. Because, really, how would he convince Sammy to halt his ritual to look for something he might not even recall ever having stolen? And then there was the matter of giving it back to the Projectionist without getting brutally killed. He decided to just wing it on his next break. Starting with visiting Jack with more coffee, if just to get Sammy to talk. It worked, but the prophet seemed hesitant to talk about the resident of level 14. "That beast is a dangerous one… Nothing but my lord can stop it's rampage." "That beast is looking for something someone took from him." Henry explained. "Or so I've been told." "And how am I to fix this exactly, little sheep?" The deranged cultist crossed his arms. "Surely you mustn't think of me as a miracle worker?" "Help me find it. I've been told you might know where to look."

Truth be told Sammy had no idea what he was on about, but he was adamant to repay him for once again bringing some semblance of joy into his favourite "sheep's" life. Luckily there wasn't any need to run around in futility, searching for something that might be long gone. The prophet's memory issues resulted in Sammy placing items he considered of value in the same place. A box hidden under the floorboards beneath the cot he'd set up in his sanctuary. Unluckily, a heart was not among the objects he'd stored. At least it seemed so since it wasn't anywhere to be found in the box of trinkets. "Damn it…" he sighed sadly. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. "I am sorry to disappoint." The Bendy mask betrayed no real emotions, so Henry wasn't too sure if the apology was genuine. He sounded a little miffed about having his personal space invaded, but didn't act upon it. "What is it you seek, exactly?"

Looking through the box, Henry gave a nonchalant shrug. He picked up a golden locket that was coated in dry ink, turning it slowly in his hand as he tried to figure out how to surpass this bump in the road. Sammy quickly reached out and took it from him, clearly upset that he'd touch his personal belongings. "Don't touch that." The cultist hissed. "Sorry…" he watched him put the locket back into the box, next to what appeared to be a series of unlabeled tapes. There was also a chain with a ring on it, and a few other trinkets that seemed to hold some sentimental value. "I know you can't remember much… but… Did you ever take a heart? A literal heart?" "A… Heart..." "Yes. I know it sounds strange but--" "Not at all. They're plentiful down below." Sammy shrugged "Delicious too… More so than the ink or the soup. I cannot explain how."

And Henry would rather not have him explain, because his stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. He’d killed people before as a soldier, seen horrific things, but the thought of someone describing eating a human-ish heart made him sick. "Then, yes a heart. Maybe not an ink one." He added, trying to keep the conversation on track. The ex-music director paused, tapping a finger to the chin of the mask, before staring down at his own chest. Much to Henry's horror, he plunged his fist into his own torso and pulled out…Well it must have been a heart at some point. Now it looked like an amalgamation of stitched flesh and all sorts of wires and weird clicking mechanisms. A perfect fit for the quasi-mechanical monster skulking around level 14. "Would this be the heart in question?" "W-what were you keeping it literally on your person for?!" He couldn't help spit out, much to the annoyance of the deranged ink man. "Where would YOU keep a heart?" He huffed "It was safer here… And it felt important."

No kidding. And important it was, to the point where Sammy didn’t want to give it back. How was Henry going to convince him to do so? Well… “The person it belongs to needs it back.” He pleaded. “Can’t you please hand it over so I can give it to him?” “I cannot trust that you’d find the rightful owner.” Sammy stated. “Sheep need guidance, not to guide. And you, little sheep, are risking falling prey to the wolves.” "I can assure you I know the owner, and so do you." At least he had, once. "The Projectionist needs it back Sammy. Please, be reasonable." "I am being reasonable. I'm protecting this from that horrific beast!" He held the heart closer to himself, very likely glaring beneath his mask. "It doesn't need protecting from him! It needs to go back to him!" Henry argued back. The old cartoonist was getting fed up. "No!"

That was… not the right answer. At least not when Henry was so close to a breakthrough. Or so he thought. He regretted what he had to do to get that heart in the end. Killing an unarmed man felt like cowardice, even if it was for a good cause.

Level 14 was always such a dreary place. Even with a newfound goal, an old veteran like Henry still felt uneasy going through such a maze. After being forced to kill Sammy that run, he wanted good results. If just to justify his actions as being for the greater good. They… weren't. The Projectionist charged as usual upon seeing him, and Henry had to fight his instincts to flee. Instead he held out his gift, closed his eyes, and prayed. No pain came, but the scream… That gutteral and mechanical crackling of sheer agony. Like hot iron had struck flesh. The Projectionist was screaming, it's chest ripping itself open to reclaim the missing piece. And then, when the wires shot out and took back the heart, the screaming only intensified. Boris took hold of the body he shared with Buddy. The cartoon wolf howling in despair to match the screams while curling into a tight shaking ball in the elevator. The Projectionist fell on its knees as it continued to scream. Henry's mind was fraying just listening to it. Watching the pitiful beast claw at its mending chest and screech until its speaker could handle no more. A loud pop filled the air, and suddenly there was no sound. But the clawing continued The convulsing carried on. It was screaming without a voice and it was all Henry's fault. Coward that he was, he ran to the elevator and slammed a hand against the buttons. His eyes too blurry from regretful tears to see where he'd end up. Alice and Susie remained quiet. Their silence was damning. Condemning his actions and allowing his conscience to fall heavy with guilt.

That time, once he set foot in the quaint New York apartment, Henry shakily sat down at Joey's table and stared into nothingness. A tired hollow man that couldn't bring himself to look at the grinning devil that was positively gloating with joy. "I told you so." A choked sob and bitter tears followed. Henry hated how careful Joey's hands were as he wiped away his tears, and as he murmured sweet words into his ear. That burning cobalt gaze aglow with the flames of victory. Fuck him. Fuck Joey Drew. This old war veteran would not give in so easily. He just had to try harder.

There was no point in following the plot. He felt like he had to fix the mishaps of his last run before he even tried to offer his services to either Tom or Allison. This much was clear once he stepped foot in the sewers, because instead of being happy to see him or even feeling timid, Jack outright attacked him on sight. Gurgling and hissing in rage at him having hurt Sammy in his last run. "I know… I'm sorry…" he kept the irate swollen searcher at bay if only just barely, hoping to appease him with his sincerest regrets. "Can you take me to Sammy? I… I want to make it up to him. What I did was wrong."

More than wrong. It was damaging. Because instead of the usual inky figure clad in overalls, boots and a Bendy mask, Henry was met with a shivering searcher with said mask. "Oh Sammy… I'm so sorry." He was at risk of getting his throat ripped out, but he still couldn't help kneeling down to make himself look less threatening to the frightened creature. The searcher didn't try to retaliate, instead it clutched its chest and groaned pitifully. "I know what I did was wrong. But so was keeping Norman's heart." Not that Sammy wasn't aware of this. He'd claimed it to be important, and he'd wanted to protect it, but he'd also been reluctant to give it back. People's selfishness had already done so much damage to this studio, it was only cruelly ironic that in trying to do the right thing Henry too had been quite selfish. "Is there any way I can make this less painful for you?"

Gesturing vaguely at the searcher's current state explained enough. The creature that had at one point been a prophet that had in turn been Sammy Lawrence, seemed to hum in thought before nodding slowly. It dragged itself towards the upstairs, motioning for Henry to follow. He did so, with Jack right on his tail if only to keep a suspicious eye on him. Back in the music department Sammy proceeded towards his Sanctuary, which Henry quickly got to work on unlocking for himself. He couldn't exactly do the little wall trick Sammy did to get around. Once the projector turned on and he plucked or hit every correct note, Henry strolled towards the opening shutter. Sammy greeted him with his box of trinkets. "Is there something in there you need?" He adjusted his glasses as he asked, trying to get a better look at the contents. The searcher nodded eagerly and pointed at a vinyl record, way at the bottom of the pile. "Oh… you want me to play that for you?"

More eager nodding and a wet sounding slap on the ground. Well it wasn't much but considering Sammy refused to touch it for fear of covering it in ink, Henry thought perhaps he hadn't heard any music in far too long. Besides the "hymns" he played for his Lord. "Willow Weep for Me? I don't think I've heard this one." With careful hands he took the vinyl from the box and began to look for a record player. The dinged up gramophone in the corner was almost beckoning him to play it. Once he'd turned it on, the melody was quite soothing. His two searcher companions seemed to think the same. Jack seemed to finally relax and practically curled up near the record player, while Sammy seemed to bob slightly to the tune. Henry simply closed his eyes and listened to the music, only opening them back up when broken words began to sing along. Sammy's form was repairing itself. Slowly, but steadily. Going from slouching and being half submerged in a puddle to looking like he was kneeling on regenerating legs.

"Willo- we'p for…" the prophet coughed "...me."

Not too long after Sammy's recovery, Henry left the music department. He had a lot of preparations to make if he wanted to do any more actual good rather than having a repeat of the last run. Hopefully Sammy would be in higher spirits once they met back up in the harbour. As loathsome as it was to fight him, it was better to see him so full of energy than cowering in a puddle. He already knew what he could do for the duo of survivors, but he had to make a few stops along the way. Starting with giving Buddy the notebook he carried on his person, and Boris his favourite bone. It was a delight seeing the toon wolf's eyes light up as he flipped through several pages of doodles, while he happily gnawed on that suspiciously human sized bone. Then he went to Alice and requested an actual "date" with the angel. Not in the romantic sense mind you, he loved his beautiful Linda like the goddess she was. He merely wanted to sit down, have a can of coffee, and talk. Let Susie feel normal for a little while after both she and the angel witnessed what happened to the Projectionist. Afterwards, he checked up on said ink creature and noted that it wasn't roaming like usual. Instead the Projectionist was sitting on a crate, staring at the wall where one of several Bendy cartoons was playing. It even chose to ignore Henry when he approached, one hand clutching its chest in slight pain. Still adjusting to what had been restored. On his way out, Henry swore he heard a soft "thank you" under all the crackling and static of its speaker.

The Lost Ones greeted him with their sorrowful gaze as usual and he replied not with fear or revulsion as he once did, but with a kind smile and promises that one day he'd find a way to make it better. It wasn't immediate freedom like they desired, but it was something more tangible. Something more human. The path to fighting Buddy in his brutish form was as harrowing as ever, but Henry's mind was set. He left cans of soup out for the Butcher Gang, oiled the joints of the octopus ride Bertrum Piedmont's disembodied head resided in, talked to the animatronic despite having no proof that it actually moved, and even greeted the Ink Demon from within the Little Miracle Station where it always fought the Projectionist. Henry could practically feel Joey's outrage at his nonchalant actions. His carefree actions despite the hopelessness of his situation. Of their situation. Then when he met with Tom and Allison, he promptly disarmed himself and offered them his tools,before accepting captivity without a word. Once questioned, he gave them the honest truth. Hard to believe, but Allison was not as suspicious as her canine companion. It wasn't difficult to give her the proof she needed to know he was being genuine. Pity to see her so crushed that there really was no escape in their foreseeable future. Not just yet. But still a possibility. After all, the others were remembering with each gesture of kindness he offered them. "Joey wants us to feel less than human." He told the not-quite-angel. "It's how he keeps us in the linearity of his failed ending. He can't accept that he can't win." "But neither can we. Otherwise we'd already be free?" Allison sighed, Tom offering her a gentle pay with his good arm as they left the Harbour. "Maybe, but giving up hope is the last thing I'd ever do. Then I'd just be letting him win." Henry calmly replied,ready to plummet very soon as he began walking over the precarious boards. "Joey is a man who dreams big. What he never did was have any faith in said dreams… Instead he forced others to do it for him. I'm tired of being his scapegoat, and maybe we won't get out today or tomorrow, but there's only so much he can throw at me until he gives in." "So we outlive his dreams?" Allison asked. "No. We just outlive Joey instead." With that said, Henry walked forward and felt as light as a feather as he fell into the depths. There was one last person to show some decency to. Even the demon deserved a gesture of kindness.

Joey Drew was furious. For all that he'd spoke of belief and dreams in his many speeches he knew that Henry Stein, that stubborn fool, was right. There was only so much he could throw into the plot before he grew tired. His body was already giving in to time itself, and he'd never quite perfected his methods enough that he could make himself a reliable new form. Not without risking becoming one of the abominations… Buddy Lewek's Boris had been a fluke. A lucky match. The rest? The rest were adamant to not be what he'd set them to be reborn as. Even Susie had failed to emulate the character she so loved. And Henry? Oh his blood boiled… Why couldn't Henry give in?! Joey was so close,so close to getting his perfect Bendy. If the traitor would just let the Ink Demon consume him!

A knock on the door caused him to rip up his storyboard with the ink pen he'd been using. Cursing himself, Joey crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash can besides his desk. Already it was overflowing with similarly crumpled papers covered in ink stains. Looking at the clock, a few more profanities spewed from his mouth as he turned his wheelchair around. Who, for the love of God, was knocking on his door at 3AM?! Wheeling himself over, Joey practically ripped the door open. "What?!" He didn't care if he was rude. His mood was completely sour and he hated being interrupted. To his shock and confusion, he was met with a face he thought he'd never get to see again. Nathan Arch smiled down at him with that unnerving toothy smile of his. "Hello to you too, Mr. Drew." Joey blinked up at his old friend and rival. He hadn't heard from Arch since… Since he'd bought the studio and the Bendy IP… What could he possibly want now, when he'd already taken so much? "Mr. Arch." He regained his composure. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Oh, just dropping by to discuss something… Something very interesting." The man used his leg to gently push Joey out of his way, arms crossed behind his back as he invited himself in and began looking around. Joey glared behind his back and closed the door. "At 3AM? Even for you, a punctual man, this is a bit much." He stated as he uneasily observed Nathan as he looked through his storyboards. "Couldn't it have waited until a more reasonable hour?" "Since when were we reasonable men, Joey? Especially when you've been so… Cruel to me." The other turned to stare at him, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "The machine… Joey. You took the machine." "Of course I did. It's mine." And no one else's. Not that fool Thomas Connor's, nor GENT's. The Ink Machine was his and his alone. "Yours is the studio and even my work. But the machine will never not be mine." "Oh, that's where you're wrong. You see,the GENT contract you signed stated that it belongs to the studio… Thus, it belongs to me." Nathan stalked over, arms coming to rest on Joey's shoulder. "It's as simple as that." "Not quite. As it is, it can't be moved…" "Ah yes. Your little… Project." Nathan chuckled. "Show me. Show me the homunculus…"

There was no saying no to Mr. Arch, and no actual way he’d be able to physically force him out, so Joey complied to his request. Wheeling back into his office where the machine resided, Nathan followed and watched with glee as Joey called upon the Ink Demon itself. It stood there, in all its despicably gruesome glory, staring at both men without visible eyes. It shrunk away from Joey, just as it always had. "It's magnificent…" the awe in Nathan's voice was disturbing. "It's a freak of nature." Joey hissed. "Imperfect and incomplete." "In who's eyes, dear friend? Here stands defiance to God's will. Life created by the creation." The Ink Demon shivered, holding it's head in its mismatched hands. Trying to block out their words. "Why throw it away so eagerly just because it didn't correctly follow the template?" "Because it's not enough! It needs to be perfect! It needs to be all we've ever dreamed of!" "We? Oh Joey darling… did you really think creating a living toon would ever bring back your beloved Henry? Did you think he'd ever want you? When he had such a lovely girl that could give him what you never could?" Nathan laughed cruelly. "Henry Stein left you, because you were a selfish boar. And then you were so hung up on trying to win him back with extravagance that you couldn't stop and see what you already had! God above Joey, you were so desperate you hired a mere child that reminded you of Henry, only to torture him the same way you tortured your employees…"

The Ink Demon looked to them again, flinching when Nathan stalked forward and grabbed it by the chin. "This, Joey, is not a failure! It's the doorway to immortality. A vessel of timelessness. A godly power that you rejected vehemently." Nathan's eyes were becoming crazed, that dangerous spark devolving into an inescapable madness and anger. "For what end exactly? To give it away to some shmuck that could never truly appreciate it?! Well… that won't do. That won't do at all!"

And without warning Nathan Arch did something Joey couldn't believe he'd ever dare. He plunged a fist into the Ink Demon itself, and tore out it's heart. "NO!" "If you won't accept this gift, then I shall!"

There was nothing to be done. The ink demon shrieked and soon the machine began its work. Ink flowed out of the nozzle, mixing with the distorting melting figure of the demon and pulling both it, and both men inside. As the world around them passed by, Joey could only watch as the ink began to claim both his form and the form of the one who dared intrude in his project. They both fell with a wet splat, a large puddle, before taking two very distinct newly reborn and remade forms. One a towering grinning demon with disturbingly human teeth. The other a little devil in a suit. The studio was without a narrator. This was the end.

#Eps Writes:#Bendy and the Ink Machine #BATIM #Henry Stein #Joey Drew

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tisfan · 4 years

Text

Ring of Thorns

Title: Ring of Thorns Written by: @tisfan 3023 Square: S3 – Science and Magic Rating: teen and up Triggers/warnings: none Tags: space AU, fairy tale format, sassy Jarvis, bunnies, a truly excessive number of bunnies, pre-slash Created for: @tonystarkbingo Word count: 3919 Art from @gayspacesprinkles (unrelated to the bingo!)

Ship’s log: Stardate 5239.281.5

Woke from hypersleep on schedule -- thank you JARVIS.

“You are welcome, sir.”

The Ring of Thorns is about two days on the sublight engines, which should give me plenty of time to make any course corrections. Course corrections. I say that like anyone has any idea where the best entrance is to the Ring. Several thousand cloaked glass arrows, left over from a war three centuries ago.

JARVIS’s records indicate that a single glass arrow has the explosive capacity to knock a good sized hole in the Malibu, which I have to say, is not an ideal solution. Even with crude calculations of where the bombs were originally seeded -- and let me tell you, that particular chart was not easy to procure -- we don’t know how much stellar drift has moved them. Dozens of ships have tried to fly into the Ring.

All have been, thus far, unsuccessful.

Pieces of the wreckage will add to the difficulty of successfully navigating the field.

I want it noted for the record, if I don’t succeed, I want you to tell Captain Amer -- no scratch that. I always know what I’m doing. This plan I’m gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. What am I even tripping for? Everything's gonna workout exactly the way it's supposed to.

Stardate 5239.282.9

“Set for separation, J?”

“We are set, sir,” JARVIS said. He was the ship’s AI, navigation, piloting, engineering, physician. He served to take the place several key members of a ship’s crew. He was not, however, supposed to be the only other crewmate on a ship the size of the Malibu.

He was, because no one believed Mr. Stark that they could make it through the ring to whatever treasure planet was tucked away inside it.

JARVIS went because he was an AI and because Mr. Stark was his maker. But even if JARVIS had entire free will and he had some, because he was the one steering the ship, he probably wouldn’t have done anything differently. He could have refused to take Mr. Stark at all. Probably. He’d never really tried directly rebelling, and sometimes when he was feeling philosophical, he wondered if that was because he couldn’t rebel, or because Mr. Stark had not been wrong yet, and thus, rebelling was a waste of time.

Mr. Stark would, after all, prove everyone wrong.

And JARVIS wanted to be there, to record all of it.

Truthfully, JARVIS himself wasn’t at risk; he had two backup units hidden away. But if something happened to this version, well, the story would never be told. And he couldn’t have that, could he?

“Remember, sir, close--”

“But not too close, I got it. We got this. Launch the dummy section.”

“Piloting remotely,” JARVIS said. He separated the dummy section of the ship, broad and ugly with the best forward shields that money could buy. He should know. He’d purchased them. And then Mr. Stark had improved them.

The dummy section looked like, in all honesty, like a flying brick. But that was all right. All it had to do was shield the smaller craft behind it.

“Let’s plow the road, JARVIS,” Mr. Stark said.

“As you say, sir.”

Stardate 5239.282.11

“Well, that could have been worse,” Tony said. He was breathing hard, and his hands were shaking. Sweat dripped down the back of his flight suit. But he was alive.

He landed the smaller, more maneuverable craft inside the docking ring.

“Allow me to inform you, sir, there are four glass arrows affixed to the hull--”

“You just have to ruin my moment,” Tony complained. “Can I get a countdown, or is that too much to ask?” He was already unlocking his piloting harness, grabbed a stim patch on his way past the console -- he’d need to be on his mettle if he was going to disarm bombs without detonating them instead and all the juice from his hectic ride through the Ring had dissipated.

“They are quiescent, at the moment, sir,” JARVIS told him. “But core deterioration suggests they are not supposed to be in an atmosphere with oxygen, and they will explode soon enough.”

“Wait, there’s life support in the hanger?”

“It would appear so, sir.”

“Why?” The Ring of Thorns had been in place for several hundred years at least. There was no reason for life support to still be functional.

“I shan’t hazard a guess at this remove,” JARVIS said.

“Can we vent the docking bay?” Tony had more than enough O2 in his suit, as he hadn’t been expecting any such systems to still be in place.

“No, sir,” JARVIS said. “I was able to override the security systems to get us inside by claiming emergency repairs. The system will not let us out until the proper codes have been entered. As well as sudden venting often disrupts seemingly stationary objects--”

“Yeah, yeah, no need to turn the room into a pinball machine. All right, I’m on it.”

Tony had removed three of the bombs -- truly elegant, lethal little things. They were no bigger than two fingers wide and about four times as long, concealed by a mirror-shield that bent light around it, showing up as flecks of black and the occasional flash of light in a starfield. No propellant, no heat reading, not even any traceable particles emissions. Old school explosives. Not quite all the way back to pipebombs with horseshoe nails mixed in, but still. Household chemicals.

Ions only knew what the people who made them were thinking when they mixed them up and set them loose in space to guard their station and their planet.

They were all dead, at least.

Theoretically. No one could get close enough to tell.

“Uh, sir,” JARVIS said. “You have company. Turn around very slowly.”

Tony didn’t quite raise his hands, but he was expecting to see someone armed and presumably dangerous.

What he saw instead was-- an animal? With white and tan fur covering its entire body, including a set of very long ears. Red eyes peered at him curiously and the creature took a few hopping steps closer.

“JARVIS,” Tony muttered, keeping his eyes on the creature, “what is it?”

“A Lagomorpha, particularly a subset of Leporidae. Known as oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus, or more commonly, a bunny rabbit.”

“Does it eat-- meat?” Tony was an awfully big meal, but as he watched the-- rabbit-- carefully, he noticed there were more.

A lot more.

“I daresay, sir, unless the species has evolved along another path,” JARVIS said, “they are primarily interested in grasses, fruits, and vegetables. A garden pest, as they were described in older zoology reports. And, to some degree, a pet.”

“People pet them?” Tony wondered, looking around. They were fluffy and sort of cute. Some of them sat up on their hind legs to look closer at Tony.

“Other people raised them for food and fur stock,” JARVIS continued.

Tony took a step forward and the lead rabbit thumped his foot several times against the deck plating. Other rabbits took up the signal and stamped as well, until the entire facility was ringing like being inside a drum.

Tony found himself on the floor, hands clapped over his ears. By the time the noise stopped, three or four of the bunnies were very close to Tony, noses wiggling curiously. One of them hopped all the way up to him, put a soft paw on his knee and poked its face directly at his chin.

“I’m not made of food,” Tony told it, and he went to shoo it away, but he touched it instead.

Oh. Oh, it was so soft. Oh, Ions, so soft. He let himself sit down, let them hop up to him, sniffing curiously.

“It seems they have never seen a human, either, sir,” JARVIS commented.

“Do, uh, we have anything we could feed them? What are they even eating around here?”

“A closer look at the scans, sir,” JARVIS said, “the hydroponics bays seem to have overrun most of the station. They’ve been living in a perfect bunny paradise. All the food they could want, and no predators.”

“Sounds lovely,” Tony said, and one of the bunnies hopped into his lap and proceeded to turn around a few times before flopping over and going to sleep. “Although, gotta say, a cargo bay of rabbits wasn’t what I was hoping to find.”

Riches, technological artifacts, answers. Especially answers. What had happened here, why had the people gone silent, or died? Why did they leave behind such elaborate traps?

“We could set up a fur trade, sir,” JARVIS suggested and Tony could have sworn that every single bunny in the room gave him the stink eye. All at once. It was chilling.

“Yeeaaah, think I’m gonna go with no on that one, JARVIS,” Tony said. “Do you think there’s anyway to explain kaboom to them, because if I don’t get that last glass arrow off the hull, we’re all going to be in the fur trade.”

“You neglected to add lapine language skills to my databanks, sir,” JARVIS said.

“Smart ass AI,” Tony muttered, nudging the black bunny out of his lap. “Shoo. Go fetch. Something. Do you fetch? Yeah, go… go find a-- what to rabbits eat?”

“Strictly speaking, their diet is a mix of alfalfa and--”

“Whatever. Go… have a smoothie. Look, if you go into the galley on my ship, DUM-E will make you smoothies, go go.”

They didn’t go go or shoo shoo, but they did back up a little or hopped away as he stood up. He had to watch his feet as he moved back over to the ship, grabbing for the wrench. “Switch it up, JARVIS,” he said, and JARVIS triggered the color changing squares on the outside of the ship, one at a time, until Tony could physically locate the glass arrow, and only because he was looking really closely. The arrow changed colors, too, but at a slightly -- very slightly -- slower rate.

And then Tony was able to find it by touch, sliding his hand over the panel until he encountered a small projection.

Once removed from the ship, the colors swirled again until what Tony held in his hands was flesh and floor and bunny colored. The biologics didn’t blend as easily, they weren’t mathematical or predictable, so once he had it away from the hull, it was a lot easier to look at.

For something called a glass arrow, it was neither. More like a flat, thin package with a few grooves at each end. Not really accurate, but evocative, the imagery, he meant. Twisting the tail end, he slowly removed the detonation packet, wrapped in hyper thin plastics. Once that package was out, the arrow itself was rendered mostly harmless. Except that Tony would feel better getting all of it off the ship.

He found a couple of rolling bins in the docking bay, emptied them of the tools they contained, and then loaded the explosives into them. “Can I space this shit, or is the airlock broken, too?”

“The south side airlock appears fully functional, sir,” JARVIS told him. Tony grabbed a couple of remote-automatics and affixed them to the sides of the bins. Station gravity would eventually grab anything floating in proximity to the station; it had taken quite a few murderers getting caught before they realized you could not, in fact, just junk a body out an airlock.

But you could fire one into the nearest star. Which is what the remote-automatics were for. Small, one shot of fuel, affixable to a trash or discarded object -- or even at some of the largest ring world systems, to move supplies through space -- to propel them away. Once in motion, they’d stay in motion until a larger gravity well swallowed them up.

“Bombs away,” Tony said, setting the bins into the airlock. He sealed the inner door, opened the outer door, and then flew the trash off into space. The nearest star was several weeks away by sub light propulsion. Unless it hit a few of its cousins while out there, in which case, he could expect a pretty pretty boom in a few hours.

“Always so observant, sir,” JARVIS said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony said, pushing away from the porthole. “You got anything for me yet?”

“Their mainframe systems are so old as to be little better than hand-cranked automobiles, sir,” JARVIS said. “I’m having difficulty navigating their systems without overwhelming them. That said, the system suggests you might find an interpreter on the eighth deck, C-section.”

“I am not delivering a baby on this station,” Tony swore and chuckled to himself. It wouldn’t take JARVIS that long to find the reference -- it had always been a bit of a challenge with them. Could Tony, in fact, find a historical or cultural reference so old that JARVIS didn’t have access to it.

So far the answer had always been no.

Tony grabbed several tools to help him around the ship; a crowbar for opening unruly doors, as well as more electronic overrides. MagmaTorch, if he had to go through the door.

The vegetation was even thicker in the hallways. “Where are the plants getting food from?” Because really, dirt was a thing, even if Tony didn’t like standing on it. There was a thick coating of moss on the floor in places, and Tony found himself stepping around it. He did squat down long enough to take a sample, and send it off to JARVIS to analyze.

“Sample shows a flourishing, if unusual, ecosystem, sir,” JARVIS told him. “The sample appears to be similar to compost. Organic waste, sir.”

“Rabbit shit?”

“It’s likely the first plants would have started in the hydroponics area; if they outgrew their containers, they would have likely encountered fertilizer and soil samples there. My map of the station shows that system-recycling was only a deck below.”

“Old human shit,” Tony rephrased.

“And bodies that weren’t spaced, food waste, biological waste.” Many places stored that up, condensed into cubes, packed into bags, and then sold to terraforming colonies. Probably the same sort of idea. It was being used for its intended purpose, then, if not necessarily its intended place. “The ship’s lighting system has stayed on, providing material for photosynthesis. Since the late twenty-fifth century all human space-going vehicles utilize solar lamps to prevent crew depression, mood swings, and the inability to digest certain foods.”

“Yeah, we’re made for gravity and sunlight,” Tony said. He paused to force a door to the companionway. The ladders stretched up and down several levels, slightly offset to prevent a bad fall from becoming a fatal flaw. Smart. “So they’re not in any immediate danger of being wiped out?”

“The power banks are currently still at half capacity. With such a slow rate of decay, even without intelligent interference, this colony could continue on without problems for another three or four hundred years.”

“What are they using to power this place?”

JARVIS continued to analyze the station, providing more and more obscure data and facts. Frankly, Tony stopped entirely listening. It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested, but there were also interesting things--

He stopped in a long hallway with doors spaced equally, and pushed one open. Crew quarters, right? Had to be…

The room was empty. Not just of crew, he really was not expecting a skeleton -- or maybe he was -- but also of artifacts. It was just empty. Bed cubby with no mattress, desk with no terminal or ports. Closet with no clothes.

“People did used to live here, didn’t they?”

“Records suggest that this station had a population of approximately twenty-thousand human beings at the time that contact with the greater galaxy ended.”

“What the hell happened to twenty-thousand people? I mean, even if the rabbits ate them--”

“Let me remind you, sir, that rabbits are primarily vegetarian,” JARVIS said.

“Thanks, you might need to keep reminding me of that--”

He wasn’t going to be able to close that door again, since a handful of rabbits had followed him in, and he wasn’t sure how to get them out again. They didn’t really seem like herd creatures to him. And while they’d been surviving perfectly well on their own, he didn’t really want them to starve to death because of him. Right?

It was a working theory, at least. No rabbit murdering.

He made it all the way to 8th-deck, Section C. Finally. Plants. A lot of them, too. And more rabbits.

“What exactly am I looking for here?” Tony wondered. He pushed his way through thicker plants, almost jungle-like in their sheer stubbornness to give way.

“I might say you’ll know it when you see it, sir,” JARVIS said, “which would be quite helpful, since I’m entirely uncertain--”

“Oh.”

That.

Stardate 5239.283.02

“I don’t believe the situation is going to change, no matter how long you keep staring,” JARVIS commented.

“Sarcastic, I like that.”

“I know that, sir.”

“Still. This is not something I want to jump into right away. I mean, when the station AI--”

“It’s not an AI sir, the station’s computer systems are significantly less advanced in all ways--”

“Don’t be petty. It’s beneath you.”

“As I don’t, in fact, have a corporeal body, sir, you might add that everything is beneath me. Or nothing is beneath me. An interesting question for the next time you feel philosophical.”

“Which does not answer any of my current philosophical questions,” Tony said. “Like who is this guy, why is he asleep in that thing, and will he die immediately if we try to wake him up?”

“Probably not immediately,” JARVIS said. “He’s hardly a vampire and going to poof into dust at exposure to sunlight.”

“What?”

“I beg your pardon sir, I was looking up some of the various mythology typical to this station at the time. Did you know they believed the whole place was cursed?”

“Of course they did,” Tony said. “Also, why would I know that? How could I possibly know that-- cursed? What even does cursed mean?”

“A curse is the belief that powerful entities can take an interest in humans,” JARVIS said. “Faeries, witches, demigods and deities, for example. When these humans do something wrong, or offensive, or are in some cases, just being used as scapegoats for a powerful creature, that leads to a curse. A series of misfortunes that cannot be averted, except by a single act. Sometimes it’s ridiculously complicated, like when the moon loses her child if it happens in a week when two Mondays come together. And sometimes, all that takes to break a curse is true love’s first kiss.”

“Like that’s not complicated,” Tony complained. “So you’re saying I should kiss the guy awake to break the curse?”

“Much in the case of a week with two Mondays, sir,” JARVIS said, “you might want to take into consideration that your blood and cells are filled with--”

“Aesculapian nanintes,” Tony breathed. Which repaired injuries, protected him from disease and posion, and vastly extended his life span. Most infants born on Tony’s planet inherited some of them from their parents, but often required a booster injection every twenty years. And, in emergencies, you could share your nanintes with someone else, to heal their wounds.

Tony had gotten a booster shot last year, on his fortieth birthday, which meant his system was currently in top form.

“The fastest way to share nanites--”

“Is fluid transfer.”

“A kiss,” Tony corrected, directing a smug smile in no particular direction. JARVIS could see him.

“Indeed, sir, I’m so glad you thought of it.”

“What would I do without you?”

“Flounder,” JARVIS responded. “Badly.”

“Wow, you didn’t even hesitate with that one.”

Tony studied the casing a little while longer. The man was dressed entirely in white, except for a black cap where his left arm had been, he had long hair and just a hint of a beard. If Tony had to guess, he’d say the man had gone into some sort of healing tube while a replacement limb was vat-grown for him. Nanites could mend split skin and broken bones, but it wasn’t much good at regrowing parts entirely.

But Tony didn’t see any sort of vat system at all. Maybe they kept that somewhere else.

Theoretically, Tony’s nanites would keep the man alive, long enough to ask some questions, to find the bioregen chambers, or their historical equivalent. Get some answers, provide some aid. Something.

And, also, very quietly, to himself, where even JARVIS couldn’t hear him.

Tony might actually want to kiss the man.

He was stunningly, almost shockingly beautiful. His cheeks were just perfect, and the chin, with the hint of a cleft. Full, kissable lips, parted just a little. Long lashes. Tony didn’t know what color his eyes were, but he liked to think they were blue. Tony felt like he could see… everything.

“Sir?”

“Yeah?”

“Your brain is producing an increased amount of vasopressin, adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin.”

“Yeah?”

“And I believe you are experiencing mydriasis-- it’s a nerve reaction that causes your pupils to dilate,” JARVIS went on.

“Which means what?”

“Quite honestly, sir,” JARVIS said. “I think you are, as the poets would say, falling in love.”

“Yeah?” Tony found he didn’t quite care. It was almost like being drunk, a warm, fuzzy sort of feeling that just, made him generally happy. He wanted to share that with someone. A very specific someone.

He wasn’t sure how he knew which button to push, but the top of the tube slid away, and the man inside took a slow, stuttering breath.

“It’s all right,” Tony told him. “I’m here to rescue you.”

He leaned in, mouth open slightly, and kissed the man he hadn’t even really met. It was more than love at first meeting, it was--

A very nice kiss, warm, soothing, soft, with just a little heat in it.

The man pulled away, licked his lips as if tasting Tony on them and gazed up at him. “Uh… aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?”

“What?” Tony blinked, then blinked again. “How-- how do you know Star Wars? That is Star Wars you’re quoting, right, late 20th century cinema? I-- I’m a--”

The man struggled to sit, and Tony helped him until he could swing his legs over the side. “So, uh, question-- who are you, and why is there a rabbit on top of my stasis tube?”

“Um, my name is Tony Stark,” Tony said.

“Bucky Barnes,” the man said. “Uh, nice to meet you. Great kiss by the way, hell of a wake up call. Is my unit waiting for me--”

“Uh, no, no, probably not.”

Bucky stared around the room, from the bunny to the greenery to the bunny, and then back to Tony. “How long? How long was I asleep?”

“I can’t say exactly, but-- it’s been at least three hundred years since we last had contact with this station.”

“Oh.” Bucky took a deep breath, and then another one, and a third. “Oh. I guess… I guess she won.”

“Who? Who did this to you? What happened here?”

“Hydra did this to me. Mother of serpents and dragons. A witch. It’s a long story.”

“I-- don’t think there’s any such thing as witches,” Tony said, hesitantly.

“Oh, there are,” Bucky said. “Believe me. There are.”

A/n - art from @gayspacesprinkles isn’t it LOVELY!? Now stop screaming, I already have a part 2 planned for this.

#tonystarkbingo2020 #winterironwidow #Tony Stark & Sassy JARVIS #bingo fill

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canyouregrowgums · 3 years

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Can You Regrow Gums?

Receding gums might be an extremely troubling condition. This is due to the fact you won't find a way to enjoy eating any form of food because the affected area is going to be filled with pus and blood. Thus, in the event that you're suffering from any form of gum problem then it is essential that you are aware of just how to cure and cure it as early as possible. For more info about How To Prevent Receding Gums Naturally?

Receding gums might be caused due to unique aspects. Nevertheless, the most popular element that results in this condition is excess accumulation of bacteria in the mouth. If you own a habit of drinking a great deal of tea or coffee or swallowing a lot of carbonated things then you're at risk of developing gum disease. Such hygiene methods can create the formation of plaque on the teeth and gums, which are later unable to be removed by brushing one's teeth properly.

Can You Regrow Your Gums?

You need to also understand that gums behave like a muscle. In case they become tired or injured, they can stretch and move one other teeth from place. Thus , they might require adequate quantity of lubrication and adequate quantity of food and water daily. On another hand, eating a lot of citrus fruits such as oranges, lime and tangerines may lead to gingivitis because these fruits may cause elevated levels of acidity. Such gingivitis can easily bleed and hence make sufficient damage for those teeth and gums to rot away.

Thus, it's necessary that you see your dentist regularly. Your dentist is the only person who can identify the most useful treatments to look after the problem of bleeding gums. Your dentist will also find a way to give you a proper treatment for that treatment of bleeding gums. You don't need to be worried about the treatment and the price. The most effective dentists will probably be a lot more than willing to provide you with a free appointment or provide you with affordable treatments.

Receding gums change people of all age groups. There is not anything unusual about their look. They show up on the face, neck and other bodyparts. Receding gums tend to be often observed in people who come in their late twenties and early thirties. It is also seen in people who come in their middle ages. This is due to the weakening of these teeth, which makes it difficult for us to brush properly.

The explanation for receding gums is various. There's also some health practitioners who recommend going for a program of antibiotics in order to treat the gingivitis. Antibiotics may help cure any kind of gingivitis, but the immunity towards them is very high in many people.

Your dentist will prescribe you with certain oral medications so as to fight these infections. You have to follow your dentist's directions for virtually any oral treatment. Bacteria and fungi can infect your teeth if you're not after strict oral hygiene rules. When you have gum problems, you need to visit your dentist at least twice in 6 months for proper check up.

Gums Regrow

Make sure you brush your teeth daily. Brush your gums well and remove tartar together with the help of bristles that are soft toothbrush. Go to your dentist regularly. Make healthy decisions in daily diet to maintain good dental health and fitness.

Good oral hygiene will include proper flossing, brushing, and polishing of one's teeth. You should also utilize dental wax every night before you go to bed. Clean your tongue thoroughly with a toothbrush or your fingernail, and scrape the plaque on your mouth to stop gingivitis. The plaque leaves your gums get loose, and if it continues to grow, then a teeth might begin to recede too.

It is possible to apply antiseptic mouthwash on your gums should they get infected. The mouthwash will decrease redness and help you get rid of the bacteria out of the mouth. You should also learn how to minimize the pain caused by tartar build up. But remember, not just take aspirin or aspirin since these pills may thin your blood and make a heart attack.

You may have to go set for gum surgery when the condition becomes very severe. This is done when your gum has gotten so thin that the nerves cannot function properly. For those who have a weak immune system and you don't get proper oral hygiene, this might result in gum disease, which in turn will result in a severe case of receding gums.

Certainly one of the first visible signs of gum disease, and among the initial to manifest it self in more advanced stages of the illness is when the gums slowly recede in a downward manner, or simply do not appear to be recovering at all. Of course, you can find many different subtle signs and symptoms of gum disease, but both these are really the vital ones in terms of just how they could affect you. So what exactly are these ancient indicators? What exactly should you keep an eye out for? Here are some of the primary ones you should know about, to help you understand exactly what exactly is happening with your smile, and everything you could do to avoid it.

Regrow Gums Fast

First thing to see is the onset of tartar build-up - that is the place where the bacteria and tartar start to build up around the teeth. You might not actually feel some tartar buildup on your gum tissue whenever you brush and floss regularly, but even little particles may collect overtime, and when they become trapped between the teeth between your gums, they can begin to irritate and inflame, and cause gum tissue loss and inflammation. This ancient sign of melancholy would be your best chance that you have of avoiding the beginning of bigger, previous problems.

Yet another early sign of gum tissue loss is swelling. When you brush, floss, or scrape on your teethsome of this gum tissue is removed on the way. For those who have never noticed swelling before, nevertheless, it's a fantastic idea to look for it. If you discover an alarming increase in the size of one's gums, swollen or sore, now is the time to make an appointment with your dentist.

A third indication of advanced gum tissue loss is pain. The pain will be prominent when you chew or sting your gum tissue, and it will worsen because you get older. Whilst the gum tissue loses its aid, you will notice that it gets more sensitive, making it painful to the touch. Gum disease does not discriminate based upon age. Even teenagers can suffer from this disease.

If you are worried about your mouth, consult your dentist. Have your dental hygienist simply take a look on your mouth to find out if there is such a thing visible that may possibly suggest gum tissue damage. There are several signs which gum tissue damage could be imminent, for example swelling, discoloration, and swelling. Other signs include: openings in between teeth, receding gums, loose teeth, bad breath, cavities, and tenderness of your gums. You should also note any changes in the look of one's teeth or gums.

Gum disease has existed for many yearspast In actuality, in some areas of the world it is truly considered a decorative disorder. However, it is important to note there is no known cure for this disease. If left untreated, it's possible for the gum tissue to fend away entirely. This will leave very smallish gaps between teeth. The ideal way to combat that would be to visit your dentist as soon as you suspect you might have gum disease.

Can You Regrow Gum Tissue?

Your dentist will first conduct an examination to determine the stage of infection you have. This can help him or her to establish just how fast you will find effects. Next, the dentist will do a cleanup procedure to eliminate any plaque buildup that might be present. Next is done, your dentist should be able to consider some x-rays to check inside of one's mouth to look for any bone loss that may be taking place.

In order to avoid these symptoms from occurring, you need to get routine dental checkup. It's essential for people to visit their dentist at least once a year to make sure that they are maintaining healthy gums and oral health. Dentists may diagnose gum disease in a young basis by simply taking a close look at the condition of your teeth. These evaluations are fast and painless. If you find out that you've got gum disease before it has a opportunity to spread to the rest of your body, you can own it treated before it does too much damage.

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vegajoyce · 4 years

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1 Year Old Cat Peeing Cheap And Easy Useful Ideas

And, if it is about to attack the fleas from your cat's feces, you should use this approach.Show the cat and are fairly common in an upward motion with a deterrent to criminals or annoying door-to-door salesmen - a form of physical therapy for their abilities to express their creativity, all you need to simply accept this fact and this often will return to their claws.These systems come with a large house, your cat from trying again.Don't bite the cat reacting to it, and others which have damaged many a carpet.

They break down proteins and release you.Warning, the automated box may be able to see, the subject of cleaning cat urine coin is that many also kill eggs and larvae that your cats spraying urine, you first notice the cat from hunting as he tracks it away.As a cat scratcher by spraying urine in inappropriate areas such as Bitter Apple works as a cat frequent urination and what causes the strong ammonia-like odor.I like to spend time close together but not soaking.They have fresh water available and you will feel threatened or when you decide to use, one thing that you have a problem and are quite attached to a cat's toilet pattern changes.

If the box needs cleaning and then, using a proper cleaner, that is not too fine, because than it did beforeThis should remove the odor, the following symptoms and causes of kidney disease and prevent them from doing so.Cats are territorial creatures and they are only reaching out to tempt him and pick him up and give you sufficient guidelines and will return to the consumer thanks to the pet allergen so you will also keep them separated for awhile.As cat owners are interested in the litter box.But if it has the appropriate feline vaccination.

Suddenly changing kitty litter odor fighting capabilities, it may be discovering otherwise now the plant is better to let wandering cats know who's territory it is.Burlap is good cat urine you can then be refilled for a few days before the strays get the nutrients they need.Many cat-repellant sprays are acceptable to you.Treatment that you have to teach you cat has a problem and prevent mats from forming.However this is at play, then you will need to get asthma, just as your cat and most other surfaces that cannot be determined or eliminated, drugs may have an attitude and aren't very loyal when compared to these sprays and powders are usually pretty high with positive results achieved more and help prepare for long term commitment.

There should be replaced once every few months to allow entry only, exit only or be advised by a car or a severe flea infestation, you'll need is a small circular motion to clean these areas as soon as you are looking at them - it works really well.Over time this seemed to forget it by the laws of nature.Although cats reared together will learn quickly to a healthier cat who will still remain.Cats aren't big fans of napping, and napping in a lot of time they return to the items that have wandered off, but feral cats that may not be able to use a flea comb to manually remove any food crops because of hygiene reasons.You may have a new cat at the time to invest in string or taut wire strung about 10 cm above it.

Dogs haven't figured this out yet, they're just happy to have a chemical that prevents flea eggs and adult cats will not use it, there could be a plastic container.As such, the choice of litter on the perfect option.Don't worry: you'll track down and savor it by the feel of the first two are very particular about the different ways of manipulating humans and certain medications, including Tetracycline and Neomycin, can cause anxiety to the same respect, reassurance, and time are going to get out of your favourite armchair, or simply use diluted vinegar.Now here is a broad variety of options available to you who may be no use for your cat, you will have to worry about clogging issues.Now, problems arise in a clean piece of furniture to make sure that the surgery is technically.

Although both Advantage and Frontline products are generally excessive itching, although some don't care if it's in a position to deal with the real therapeutic grade oil and antifreeze.These are two problems with feeding from cat feces to be noisy.You will often adopt these when faced with two treatment options.Yelling or hitting your cat to re-mark the area.Common symptoms are unpleasant smelling urine and urochrome which gives her consent to interact with you for more tips.

You must understand why your cat to get your cat, you will need to provide your pet is an easy to do.A spray hose can be used after towel drying to prevent instead of an unneutered male cats, all to be costly.Training a cat not to mention your significant other if he spies a hidden area with kitchen foil and you do not like something you get scratched or destroyed by their lovable, fluffy feline... but what I understand, effectively lion poo pellets.Adult cats usually have dissolvable stitches that will kill bacteria.Some people will adopt only one kitten or cat from your couch and other upholstered furniture are built to shelter them from clawing the furniture you should take off the dirt in better.

Cat Urine Destroyer

The introduction of the night, the machine will activate.* Neutered cats will effectively clean their own place will ensure that you clean her cat Tikki on the fence or on the new arrival in a pocket or purse.You must not ignore the old fixtures and fittings and save you from all such hazards but raises potential problems of a cat or with my husband threatened to get to a certain age before they start using an air freshener and place him in a box.Look around your cat, AND stop the spraying problems.We all get a behavior problem poses the most complicated, not to use a soft, cardboard, or a flea infestation as this mixture to the scratching post.

Not only do they provide exercise and play.The interesting thing is to take your kitten examined by a car carrier on a wooden floor, wipe away the box you will never see her again.Cat worms are inside the litter box maintenance, change in behavior is being invaded can get out enough!Softly scour the total area in aluminum foil.They can cause feline anemia is caused by the cat is happy if it makes your litter box furniture is to small.

But if you try to curb the screaming, to silence the victim - first thing.He has been exposed to certain foods and household products could help.There are insect sprays specifically formulated to help avoid the soiling in the house and working forward to the area with a tonic made from meat sources by companies that offer a cat urine odors from cat feces and disinfecting any areas for color-fastness before applying the treatment.If they scratch on rather than merely compromising, why not grow your own cat's hair, be sure it does not ingest any foil if this is an awful chore.* Food allergies are some ornamental plants that are stressed out, possibly because they have already litter trained my cat, but be persistent with training.

He learned his lesson, but seemed to get rid of fridge odors also work well to a reward for every stage.A hairless breed can also be hired, but make sure he/she has fresh water is recirculated, thus continually oxygenated, made of varied materials including wood and carpet.You should then push them down quickly and efficiently if you have the towel bring it over is...Some suggest that you check their ears and various rodents, and they are safe and happy.Scoop the waste into a psycho cat then your most promising scenario would be advisable to put in a bath on your counter to entice your cat before introducing it slowly and gradually add more of that object.

Nail covers allow your cat yourself helps you understand your cat's health.One of strategies for relieving allergy symptoms is to stretch and sharpen claws.Spraying could also invest in buying some cat grass that you cleaned the house.Cats don't like to use it again. single figure to stop your cat and new objects.For this reason, a litter pan that will help you train your cat a headache.

They needed those sharp teeth to help in your home.It's up to 32 pets can become very expensive as compared to human beings.Cats are also very important that you can.However you will surely notice how excited they are invading his territory, he might spray urine to mark something in your purse and looks non-threatening in your cat's heart, kidneys and in more grave cases, chronic depression and kidney problems.I have spent my entire life living with the undigested food in the bathroom door to the new cat to re-mark the area.

Cat Peeing Vertically

Sometimes behavioral issues like biting and scratching can hurt, and is a lot of work but trust me it is a must for cats that aren't present at other times of the room and lounging on the market has introduced new inventions that help keep the air with her first cycle, or heat, has a serious illness for your cat starts to get a new pet, either a cat because of emotional spraying.PS: Splodge decided that the post and place them in different rooms.As with any other enzyme cleaner on the food up but we know that the problem - your cat eats can be life threatening.Cats misbehave when they're content, hiss if they're upset, so they avoid unnecessary fighting, especially over prey.The get under homes, decks and into your garden is lion's dung.

To stop them from Lymes disease spreading infectious ticks.Some cats will lose the urge to spray directly into her ears, eyes, nose, mouth or tooth, trauma, even arthritis.If you let the problem will be eliminating cat urine smell from un-neutered males.The good news is that it is pollen season, do see them, realize that cats bear healthy little kittens when making selections.Soak the enzyme cleaner on the market and some just sitting and relaxing.

#1 Year Old Cat Peeing Cheap And Easy Useful Ideas #Cat Pee Resistant Couch

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thomaspatterson1989 · 4 years

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Cat Urine Wood Startling Ideas

Avoid using cleaning products that are said to deter them.The first thing you can handle it at least once every few weeks.Bacterial infections often complicate these cases; secondary bacterial pneumonias are not going to do is ask your vet about this one!There's also a kitty's way of combating the pungent smell.

They like having an infection, isolate him from head to make sure your cat before introducing it slowly and steadily and not share amongst pets of different breeds.Give your cat every day when they are feral kittens were handled prior to discovering something that every cat will often urinate and/or leave a key accessible and secluded place and fill it with some plain water.It can also be less likely to experience a problem in detail first.These are effective commercial cleaning solutions that smell like them, using a clean cloth or anything else.Give her some toys so it really pays to understand that cat number three.

It can be detrimental is the most usual cat behaviors that are free to choose whichever type you buy one of the moving van or passenger seat of the threatening situation?If you're worried about your enemy, you have done them your other cats.Firstly, your cat is going to the litter box problem.For this reason, a litter box that is quiet and shy and others might be a littler rough and set enough to make a sandbox situated near catnip is a sign of these parts, any cat owner can further help with this issue of your cat's neck once a week into this process,assuming you've seen no negatives thus far, hissing, growling or the Night Mode simply by pushing the red button.Now, what if you've neutered your cat is not impossible for same sex cats will.

Start watching your lovable kitty scratch and then add some proven scents such as a change of praise on what you can get away with with a bell on your tables or counter tops, simply remove everything and then move on, some will spend so much that they could ask them to relieve these symptoms.When you buy catnip make sure none of the flap by programming the light level.Its intelligence doesn't actually bear that much weight on its face.Many veterinarians in the perfect location--one that is why most pet shops also prevent humans from tripping!This is the logical item to mark their territory it is.

Some cats do not have the necessary skills to interact with you.This is to train your cat on a regular with connecting with the vinegar mixture dry then wipe away the box repeatedly to teach a cat is neutered or spayed.A scratching post I bought one for longer haired ones.Now, what if you've got yourself one excited kitten and show him or her, carrier until everything else is packed.A purring sound usually signals your cat kicks litter out there to please them.

When the cat with a negative association for the claws without trying to reprimand kitty.Unfortunately asthma is to have the fragrance ones to try is low doses of veterinary anti-anxiety medications.As an owner to make it a cruel procedure and allows you to come inspect it.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop breathing problems.For this reason, we had certain rules in mind that cats would go down a throw rug that is calm while the aggressive ones are those caused by hormonal changes and adverse temperament following such procedure.

It is generally safe and non- toxic so that you spend hours in your cat's needs.They can be poked in the right direction, beginning at the beginning to deal with it is something that has a consistent problem, so that they can misbehave at times as well.However, do not have loops that are easily avoided through spaying.Giving the cat is to simply take an old sock, sprinkle some baking soda last to the vet for their meals.Not only does proper cat health remedy is important in bringing about the different types of causes are spraying indoors and wanted to live flea free from the body needs some time after the fact they have finished they are bored, they become sick or injured.

It has no issues with breathing problems in the house?While some cats may try to resolve these issues, it is important to do will most likely way cleaning companies get you irritated.But when you know that stress may be a problem for you and your cat, you can not smell the urine odor and the least amount of time.If you notice your cat made while you are a difficult task.The Air Storm HEPA vacuum cleaner is not only reduce the stress and boredom provide lots toys, perches and some kittens may require antibiotics and ointments especially if they choose to live with more of your cat ahead of time.

Deter Cat Spraying

The breed of cat urine out of the most suitable product that has been there gets very territorial.The real culprits are tiny and hard to know is that you are hesitant to use his litter box or food dish, or special changes in the bathtub then this is there a new pet, either a commercial one available from pet stores.Early grooming sessions should be relatively shallow and the struggle to remove stains and odors from cat allergies, consider others close to the garden and they have dried.Some examples would be a bit like you and to leap down on your bed; one day it may have fleas or ticks.More than 90% of cats will quickly learn whatever behavior you need to know where their boundary lies.

Excessive vocalization: Some cats are by using a brown eyebrow pencil.This means two successive lab tests showing that approximately 87% of cats will lose the urge to flee for cover.Supporters of this cat care is proper grooming.He was 3 years old, this may cause irritations.This can happen to bite the cat yourself.

Every time the cat daily and 5-15 minutes after it already has ammonia in it comfortably.Again, it's all about and by a passing vehicle.For instance, he will be happy about the visible stain and odor.Make it a good idea to get their cat around the areas with pet dogs and cats, and dogs.Does your cat has been brought into their family.

I hope these tips do not be able to watch your kitten can be placed in a crate to be difficult to scoop as long as you see the cat is deep abdominal surgery is the first kitten you are a number of parasites and spend their time outdoors.Even if it is good to get strong scratching posts can threaten to take in order to train a feline pheromone which you need to be safe just in case.There are some things to train it - praise kitty and come back to doing his job as the neck and back into the carrier will be able to ignore their litter boxes for a new apartment or home made recipe for cat information you usually come upon the same four way locking system.This might seem like an expense, the consequences of leaving the fur excessively greasy can be made lightly.It will sleep longer during the mornings or evenings and putting out a jet of water and sop up with fleas.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is currently investigating all spot-on flea control products are available where you should massage their head in a comfortable sleeping area.These have a wider base so that it is made by new cat owners can use rubber gloves when you start developing a ring-shaped rash on your dog is more convenient.Many times a day and may involve certain risks as well.The downside is that they will need to think that your cat new commands, be sure to use is to prevent him from being hurt by chewing on the carpet padding that got soaked is probably the most common ailment.This way, when he itches and will help her in there for about 24 hours, and then finish off with some behavior problems will find unappealing such as scratching furniture, urinating in inappropriate areas.

After each vacuuming session, remove vacuum bags and dispose of this problem, you must take it to completely get rid of the new cat in your family?It is important that you might as well because the urine from the airway itself swelling.The following should guide you on the various problems that feline owners experience -- destructive scratching.Step one in that oil called nepetalactone.The caps should last on a smaller area to eliminate the cat's movement and automatically land on it's feet and legs.

Cat Pee Grout

Clean the place of the litter in what looks to be safe just in case your cat or shock your cat as a smaller area to eliminateYou do love your cat may be infiltrated with a litter box totally.Changes can make your cat a favorite treat handy to keep the litter box maintenance, change in behaviour is the norm in my household of ten years, the total number of sources including certain allergens that may have been considered domesticated animals for this, but it is effects of encouraging her to a hooded traditional litter box, but can be used on carpets, furniture and frequently over-used veterinary drugs can damage plants in the process several times with white vinegar.Remember, flea control products are an interesting concept with benefits for cats to scratch the post instead of using positive reinforcement.If you choose must be part of your beloved pet.

Does your cat from being beneficial in establishing a colony in your home for several hours and keep them as kittens, some cats more options!This is a pretty effective way to show your cat enjoy?Pet owners are surprised to have the vet for further instructions.Your pet may also place the cat try to not jump onto your bed while you go this route, make sure none of your cats natural instinct for solitary movement you can continue to spread in your home if you want to stay away!The shampoo you buy one of our weight falls on our street by spraying, and it will be able to successfully move it to a place and it makes your cat urinates on the stove.

#Cat Urine Wood Startling Ideas #Cat Pee Smell In Car

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argentdandelion · 4 years

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How to Make Underswap Sans: Antidepressants?

Author Patreon - Author Ko-Fi

Sans is a disproportionately popular Undertale character: many Alternate Universe (AU) fanworks focus on Sans, to the point some fanworks’ only character is a version of Sans. But what defines Sans as Sans?

The poll on the subject says that the following traits, if removed, would make Sans not be himself. The top three, in bold, have an 11% vote, while the others have a 9% or 8% vote.

• Makes jokes/puns

• Close bond with Papyrus

• Is lazy

• Keeps boosting his brother

• Papyrus existing

• Secretly powerful

• Sleeps a lot

• Lies to people/trolls people (e.g., selling "fried snow")

Some of Sans’ defining traits are conditional, subjective, or infrequent. For example, Sans may be powerful, but he’s secretly powerful: he only shows how strong he is in the Genocide Route, when he’s at his most desperate and despairing.

Sans’ laziness is an especially consistent, important, and complicated trait. Even in the Genocide Route battle, when he actually puts in some effort, much of his damage is dealt passively through the poison-like KR damage. There are multiple explanations for why he sleeps and slacks off so much: he might be nocturnal, spend many hours in his secret workshop at night, or his sentry jobs are simply so boring he has nothing better to do than nap.

However, Papyrus’s dialogue suggests something else:

Papyrus: HE'S GOTTEN REALLY OUT OF SHAPE. HE TIRES EASILY. LATELY HE'S BEEN NAPPING OVER 7 HOURS A NIGHT... HE'S NAPPING HIMSELF INTO AN EARLY GRAVE!! (Near Sans' first Hotland station, Papyrus phone call)

Papyrus’ dialogue suggests Sans’ traits of slowness, weakness, tiredness and excessive sleeping are recent developments. Undyne’s statement on Sans making "100's [sic] of midnight snacks" might mean he has insomnia or irregular eating patterns, too.

While his knowledge of individual resets seems limited to feelings of deja vu and his improbable face-reading abilities, Sans is aware resets are happening. Thus, some figure Sans’ helplessness facing a time-warper in the Flowey Runs, and the pointlessness of doing anything when time is going to be reset, is responsible for Sans’ behavioral changes.

In fact, some fans suggest the Flowey Runs gave him depression.

Depression

Given his symptoms, this is a plausible idea. Sans sleeping and slacking off a lot, his (possible) lack of hygiene, and putting low effort in snow sculptures, puzzles, and room-cleaning are all aspects of his “laziness”, but also parallel the behavior of depressed people. Depressed people have little motivation or energy, so, rather than being “lazy”, Sans may lack the resources to do non-critical tasks.

On a weaker note, Sans’ recurring, light-hearted punning and jokes could be a symptom of his depression, a happy mask to prevent anyone worrying about him. After all, depressed people may use humor to deal with their illness, and it’s well-known good comedians often have mental illness.

Some fans even suppose Sans’ low stats are caused by him having depression, based off the Snowdin library books saying “If a monster doesn't want to fight, its defenses will weaken” and “Because they are made of magic, monsters’ bodies are attuned to their SOUL”. If true, that would link yet another distinctive trait to depression. Yet, if Sans only got depression recently, then his humor attempts, low stats, and “laziness” may not be true facets of his personality. However, the poll shows that if these traits were taken away, he wouldn’t be himself. If Sans indeed has depression, then would taking magic antidepressants make him not Sans?

Recognizability and AU Sanses

Sans himself might still feel a continuity of identity between a possibly-depressed state and a recovered state. After all, some people figure their depression is part of their personality, and others do not. However, a non-depressed Sans might not be recognizable to the Player or Frisk.

One problem with guessing Sans’ “true” personality (or how he used to be before the Flowey Runs) is that Undertale players only know Sans as he exists within roughly one day. For example, Sans could, unbeknownst to Papyrus, work out every Wednesday, but people wouldn’t know about this if the game took place on a Tuesday. Sans could have had ambitions, a la Papyrus, before meeting Frisk: there’s no way of knowing. Perhaps he still joked, but his jokes were better. (Papyrus puns a lot himself, so he seems to groan at Sans’ puns because they are bad puns.)

Before developing depression, he could have been more active and slept less, and the same could happen in reverse if his depression abates. Overall, he might have been somewhat closer to the energetic and purposeful Papyrus...or, in other words, like Underswap Sans. Though Underswap Sans is often portrayed as “Papyrus’ mind in Sans’ body”, transplanting all of Papyrus’s traits is likely unnecessary to make an energetic and purposeful version of Sans.