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all-mirth-no-matter · 1 year

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Time After Time | Chapter Nine

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader, Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character

Summary: You’re invited to stay the night at the Delphi camp. Despite the the way you feel after your reading, Tommy urges you not to cause trouble and to pretend like everything’s okay until you leave in the morning. Easier said than done…

Warning: language, alcohol, harassment, ethnic slur, almost smut

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Chapter Nine: Dancing in the Moonlight

We like our fun and we never fight. You can't dance and stay uptight, it's a supernatural delight. Everybody was dancin' in the moonlight. — Dancing in the Moonlight, King Harvest

You were not a light weight.

Working in a bar for many years and having learned quite a few drinking games in college, your tolerance for alcohol had grown to an impressive height.

At least, that’s what you thought.

The thing was, having traveled back a hundred years, the food and drinks were a completely different animal.

For starters, just the simple access to food was something that, even to this day, you were still getting adjusted to. For the first month, you didn’t think you’d ever go a day when the subtle ache in your stomach from hunger would subside. It felt like a permanent fixture of your daily routine at that point.

You seriously could not wait until home refrigerators became an affordable thing. Or non-mice-infested pantries.

The hunger began to ease once your friendship with Ada deepened and your job with the Shelbys became routine. You weren’t sure if Polly could instinctively sense your in-neediness, or if it was just part of her caretaker character after looking after her niece and nephews for most of their lives — but either way, Polly was always shoving a plate or cup of something in front of you when you found yourself sitting in the family kitchen or the sitting room.

You thought it was odd at first, especially at the beginning when you didn’t think she liked you at all. But eventually you came to understand, and appreciate.

That appreciation bloomed tenfold when the boys came back and you stopped going over to the Shelby house for a couple weeks. Especially on the days when you were so busy and worked at the pub for such long hours, you’d get home and realized you hadn’t had a bite to eat at all since you woke up that morning.

You didn’t let yourself have too many of those days before you got smart, thinking ahead to stash some food in the pub office to eat on a break or when you got off work.

Thankfully, the night you’d played your drinking game with Tommy had been one of those days when you’d remembered to eat.

Today, you were beginning to realize, had not been one of those days.

After you and Tommy left Madam Despoina’s caravan, Johnny Dogs led you both to a bon fire and a blur of people shoved a plate of something in your right hand and a cup of something else in your left.

Not giving a flying fuck in the world about what was in the cup, you knew it had to be alcohol and you were desperate for some kind of solace from the absolute madness that you’d just had to endure.

So you downed the cup. And an instant later, someone was refilling it and you graciously downed it again without even so much as looking at your plate.

How did they expect you to eat after everything that’d just happened? How did Tommy expect you to just hang out with these people like their leader hadn’t just mind fucked the hell out of you? How were you supposed to act normal, like nothing happened, when you couldn’t even understand how your feet were moving under your body at this very moment?

Your cup was full again. By the time you felt a pair of hands grab your waist and pull you toward a seat by the fire, it was empty.

Without even looking to see who’s hands were on you, you knew it was Tommy. You should have been over analyzing the way your body had grown so comfortable with these small touches so quickly, but your brain was fritzing too much to appreciate again.

“You need to relax,” you heard softly, the vibrate of his voice against your ear and body heat against your side made you shutter.

Someone came over to refill your glass again, but before you could raise it to your lips, Tommy relinquished the drink from your grasp. Your brow furrowed as you looked over at him, noticing him give a pointed look at the refiller before meeting your eyes.

His brow lifted at your confusion and nodded toward the still untouched plate in your other hand. “Not ‘nother sip until you eat.”

You pouted slightly, missing the way his stern expression turned into amusement by your disappointment as you started to dig into the meat.

“If you expect me to relax and be sober tonight after what just happened, you’re crazy —“

“What I expect is for you to not cause trouble, to play merry guest to our hosts so that we get out of here unscathed in the morning,” his deep low voice vibrated through you once more at his closeness, and it made you shiver again.

He mistook your body’s reaction to his voice for being cold and wrapped his arm around you, rubbing your shoulder to try and warm you up while ordering you to keep eating. His body felt like a fortress around yours, and your brain began to slow in its spiraling.

You looked up at Tommy, watching the light from the fire dance across his brilliant blues as they continued to scan your surroundings. A feeling crept up in you as you outlined the profile of his face, focusing on where sharp lines met soft curves until you felt him pull you even closer to him, the arm around you tightening.

“May we help you?”

For a moment you thought Tommy was talking to you, having been so focused on him that you hadn’t heard anyone else approach the two of you.

Your head finally turned and your eyes adjusted until they landed on the man who escorted the three of you into the camp standing in front of you. His eyes were moving between you and Tommy, lingering longer on you, which caused Tommy’s grip to tighten again.

“Just wanted to see if the lady wanted to dance,” the man replied, sounding innocent enough as he stepped aside and gestured to the group of people dancing next to the fire. Music was playing somewhere on the other side and you were surprised that you hadn’t noticed it before.

“Perhaps later,” Tommy answered for you. “After she’s had a chance to finish eating.”

The plate that was still in your hand suddenly felt heavy at his words, remembering his instructions.

You were hating that in the last couple days, you felt like your brain was constantly trying to catch up with your surroundings. Usually you prided yourself on your awareness, but ever since Tommy flew into your life it felt like you couldn’t keep up.

It didn’t help that you were at least moderately buzzed at this point.

“Dancing would be fun,” you said, mostly to yourself, once the man left.

You felt Tommy sigh as you continued to pick off another piece of the meat.

“Fine,” Tommy said, rising from his seat. You shivered at the quick removal of his body heat from your side as you looked up at him confused. He offered his hand to you, “Let’s dance.”

“Um,” you hesitated, but moved to set down your plate as you took his hand and he pulled you upright. Your eyes scanned the bon fire where the others were dancing as Tommy led you closer, his hand on your back. “I, um — I actually don’t really know how to dance.”

“Really?” He seemed genuinely surprised at your reveal, pulling you closer to him as you got to the dirt dance floor. “Well, allow me the honor of teachin’ you.”

He smiled as he faced you, taking your right hand in his and you instinctively placed your left hand on his shoulder. Your eyes continued to scan behind Tommy, trying to take in the motions of those around you to mimic as best you could. You saw Johnny Dogs spinning a woman around, both enjoying themselves to the upbeat tempo. There didn’t seem to be a pattern, but everyone looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. It eerily reminded you of dance clubs back in your time — rhythmic chaos.

“Eyes here,” Tommy’s soft voice snapped your eyes back to his, feeling his hand settle once again at the base of your back, pulling you closer to him. “The dancin’ at a gypsy camp is much different than a ballroom. You’ll find it’s quite difficult to waltz when the mud sticks to your soles.”

You chuckled at that, still feeling a little insecure as he began to move, taking a step backwards, and then forward, as your bodies began to hop to the beat. It was simple, like walking. But you couldn’t stop your eyes from watching your feet, unsure where Tommy’s lead was going to take you and paranoid that you’d step on his feet.

“Eyes, Y/N,” Tommy said again, his voice with more authority but still amused as you looked sheepishly back up at him. He chuckled, “If you watch your feet you’re bound to trip. Keep your eyes on your partner and your body will follow.”

“Tell that to your feet later,” you countered, still skeptic in his advice.

“Everyone can do the foxtrot — even me.”

Your chin nudged to the people beside you, who were dancing much wilder than you and Tommy. “And them? What dance are they doing?”

Tommy shrugged, “A variety, I suppose. Looks fun, dunnit?”

At that, Tommy pushed you outward and whipped the hand still holding yours so you’d spin back into him, your arm and his now wrapped around you as your body collided with his. You squealed in surprise, returning back to your original position. Tommy was smiling down at you as he pulled you in closer, moving your bodies faster than previous as the music quickened.

“It’s not far off from the dancing you do in the Garrison,” he reminded you. Your mouth opened to counter, a flush of embarrassment of him having watched you dance and sing when you thought you were alone in the pub, but he stopped you. “Just have fun with it. Don’t think, just feel.”

You hushed your original response and squeezed your lips together. Your eyes moved between his, “First horse steering, now dancing. What else can you teach me?”

He hummed, his cheek rising in amusement as his gaze moved lower to your lips.

Of course, Johnny Dogs chose that time to approach the two of you, dancing happily and obliviously as he shouted his greeting over the music.

“Johnny would be a much better teacher of dancing, I’m afraid you’ve exhausted my abilities,” Tommy said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. You doubted his words, but Johnny perked up at the compliment and bowed dramatically, offering his hand to you politely.

You hesitated, not wanting to leave the comfort of Tommy’s embrace. Before you could counter, Tommy was handing you off and taking a step back. You missed the warning look shared between Tommy and Johnny Dogs as the latter pulled you closer to the group.

You looked behind you as Tommy walked back toward the log you’d previously been sitting at, his hands shoving into his pockets.

Some time passed (ten minutes, an hour, you had no idea) and you were learning that Johnny Dogs was an excellent distraction from your own intrusive thoughts. That, and the drink that kept appearing in your hands. By the fourth or fifth time Johnny Dogs had you spinning with his hand over your head, you found yourself thinking less about the circumstances of where you were and why, and even less about your out-of-time dancing skills, and actually began to relax.

And though you missed the intimacy of Tommy’s dancing, you found that Johnny Dogs was wonderful company. He was a good-time-Charlie if you’d ever seen one, and kept you smiling and laughing with every hop, skip, and beat.

You were spinning again, giggling as you kept your eyes closed before your body collided into another. The person grabbed your waist, and for a moment you thought it was Tommy finally coming back to join you.

But you quickly realized that the touch wasn’t the same, and turned until you faced the man who’d asked you to dance earlier.

You still didn’t know his name, but he smiled and pulled you in closer, taking your right hand into his left and sliding his right hand around to your back. He held you like he knew you, and all your instincts told you to pull away. But you couldn’t help but hear Tommy’s voice in the back of your mind telling you to behave, play nice until morning.

“Finally let you off his leash, did’he?” The man said with a wicked grin as he pulled you closer to him.

You narrowed your eyes at the implication that you were some kind of dog, and was about to say so when he continued.

“Madam Despoina told us you were someone special,” he went on, his eyes scanning your face, “said to be on our best behavior and to leave ya be. We were placing bets on who ya were. My guess was the missing princess.”

Your brow creased at that, for a moment forgetting the creepy grip and focusing on his words. “Missing princess?”

He chuckled, “Aye. Many a royal blood ‘as come to our camp or requested the Madam’s presence. You’d be surprised how many queens and princesses I’ve seen since joining the camp. They’re never as pretty as you expect them to be. You on the other hand—“

His finger ran down the side of your face before you shrugged away, his hand still around your waist.

“I was wrong though. No way you’re the missing princess. I’ve ‘eard Russians before, and they sound nothin’ like ya.”

Russian princess? You thought, trying to filter through your rolodex of historical royals. The obvious came to mind.

“Anastasia? Really?” your voice was less humorous and more ‘are you an idiot’ sounding than you’d meant.

The infliction didn’t go unnoticed. The man’s smiling face hardened slightly and his grip around your hand tightened. You immediately regretted your tone and looked over your shoulder to where Tommy had been sitting, but the log was empty.

“He’s gone,” the man said, knowing who you were looking for. “Went to get his own fortune told, no doubt. Men will pay or do anything for an audience with the Pythia.”

It seemed the old woman carried on the tradition of her ancestors. You wondered if this man was right and tried to discretely look around the camp for him, or even Johnny Dogs. Anyone to keep you from doing something that you’d later get in trouble for.

“Come on, doll face. What, are ya not having fun with me?” he asked, his voice back to what it’d been previously. It reminded you of every guy who’d never taken no for an answer back in your day.

“I’m just tired,” you finally mustered, trying to pull away from his grip. “I want to go find my friends.”

“Tired, huh? I can find you a place to lay down—”

“I don’t think so,” your voice stronger, your resolve to behave quickly starting to crack with the way this guy wouldn’t let go of you. “Please, let go of me.”

“But you’re drunk, love. Wouldn’t want’ya to fall. That face is so pretty. The Madam wouldn’t forgive me if I let anything happen to ya.” His grip tightened enough to pull your body close against him, this time without the pretense of dancing. He lifted his hand and moved your hair behind your ear, your skin flinching at his touch as you tried to shrug away again.

You looked around to see if anyone else was noticing the harassment, but during your dance he’d managed to pull far enough from the fire where no one was paying the two of you any mind.

“I doubt she’d be happy with you pushing yourself on her guest,” you tried to bite out, still trying to maintain some kind of politeness even though you were two seconds away from kicking the guy in the balls and running.

His eyes narrowed and smile began to fall as his hand grabbed the side of your head, his fingers forcing your face to look up at him while his thumb spread harshly along your cheek. “She said you were important. That you had a gift. Know what that says to me? That you can make someone a lot of money, eh?”

“Get the fuck off me,” you finally spit, balling up the man’s shirt in your fists that were sandwiched between your bodies as you tried to push him away.

But his grip tightened as his head began to move closer to your face. You thought for sure he was going to try and force himself on you, and you were already prepping to slam your head into his face before his lips could even try and touch yours.

You didn’t get the chance to. Suddenly, the man was being pulled backwards and Tommy’s face appeared over his shoulder.

“Mind tellin’ me what you’re doing?” Tommy asked the man, surprisingly calm.

The man shoved out of his grasp and shook his shoulders. “We were just dancin’!”

You scoffed, “Yeah, and I’ll dance my foot in your ass the next time you grab me like that!”

The man growled, taking a step forward toward you before Tommy grabbed him by the collar, fist full of shirt as he pivoted himself between the two of you and pulled him closer to his face.

“Do you know who I am?”

The man tried to shove away, but Tommy’s grip was strong and moved to his throat. The creep looked between his captor and then to you, as if you could save him. As if you’d even try. He finally coughed and nodded.

“So you know what I do. I give you this chance because we are guests of Madam Despoina and we’re not here to make enemies. But I’ll promise you this, there will not be another chance. The next time you lay a finger on her, my blade goes through your fucking throat.”

Tommy let go of him, nearly shoving him to the ground in the process. While the man tried to catch his breath, Tommy reached behind him until your hand was safely in his own. He pulled you to his side, his eyes finally leaving the other man as you both walked back toward the fire.

Johnny Dogs was running your way, his eyes reading the situation as he looked behind you and began an apology.

“Save it,” Tommy spat. “Just make sure the horses are ready by dawn. We’re going to the caravan.”

Johnny nodded and you gave him an apologetic look. It wasn’t his fault that the creep had led you away. You weren’t a child and he wasn’t a baby sitter. But you doubted Tommy wasn’t thinking that way.

He brought you to another wagon similar to the one Johnny Dogs had been driving, parked along the outskirts of the campsite. There was a small fire just outside, and a rope tied from the wagon to the nearby tree.

You were about to walk in, the drunk part of your brain (who was trying to detach from the traumatic experience you’d just been a part of) eager to see what the inside of this caravan looked like, when Tommy stopped you.

His grip made you jump, pulling away from it quickly, your defensive guard still sensitive after what had just happened. Tommy held up his hands, obviously reading the situation and silently apologizing.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, his hand reaching up to gently touch your face as his eyes scanned you over.

You breathed out a humorless chuckle at his calmness, “How are you always so— god, you nearly killed that man after he tried to—“ your voice was surprisingly weak as the words died in your throat.

It wasn’t the first time a man had been grabby with you. Even before your trip to the past, working in a bar and just the everyday life of a girl who enjoyed the occasional night out with her friends. You’d had guys grab you, push themselves against you, even forcibly kiss you. Thankfully, you’d never had anything go further than that. After a time that came too close with a boy you thought was a good friend, you took some self defense classes with your girl friends and started integrating kick-boxing into your workout routine. Since then, you’d only had to use your new skills a handful of times, and luckily each time you’d been able to get away or have the man back off. Even now, in the 20th century, you’d only had to physically fight off one man at the pub, and you’d been lucky to have Harry as backup. But you knew not to let your guard down, especially when you walked the streets after dark.

What happened to you just now, well it felt much different. It wasn’t a drunkard trying to cop a feel. This man felt like he wanted to own you, control you. And you hated feeling like you couldn’t fight back, all because of whatever social standard bullshit this was supposed to be.

Suddenly, you were angry at Tommy for having put you in that position in the first place.

“It took everything for me not to slice his fuckin’ neck open the minute I saw his hands on you,” Tommy replied, his eyes revealing the silent rage behind them. “But that would have spawned a vendetta and a bullet with my name on it by the Delphi family.”

“That what Madam Despoina told you would happen?” you asked, deciding to test the creep’s theory.

Tommy’s brow creased at your query, his mouth tightened and you already knew your answer.

“I had to settle payment for our visit,” he explained evenly. “This wasn’t exactly a favor.”

Your anger evaporated as the realities of the situation came into view through your slightly more sober stupor. “How much? Whatever it was, I’ll pay you. Take it out of my paycheck, whatever you need to do.”

Tommy huffed, shaking his head before he started messing with the fire. “Drop it, Y/N—“

“I’m not a hand out, Tommy. And I’m not a doll to be played with at the will of everyone around me,” your voice was harsher than you meant it to be, obviously still affected by the days events.

It was more than that, even. Your mother, the time jump, being a woman in the 1910s — you were constantly feeling like you were at the mercy of everyone else controlling your life, your future.

Tommy stood up and cautiously approached you, still sensitive to what you’d just gone through. You suddenly felt dizzy — the alcohol, the adrenaline, the lack of food all in your system. Your knees buckled slightly like a scene out of a cheesy rom-com and Tommy caught you, pulling you against him to stabilize you.

Your body froze, for a moment feeling like it was in danger again. But you immediately recognized the familiarity of Tommy’s grip and found yourself relaxing into it, trusting his hold on you.

“You’re a strong woman,” he mused softly, lifting your head up to look at him. “I know you were holding yourself back for my sake. Next time, don’t.”

You all but growled, “You told me to behave.”

“Aye. And I behaved enough for leaving him uncut. But I’d rather face the curse of a fuckin’ angry gypsy than have someone even come close to threatening you again.”

Tommy blinked at his words, obviously surprising himself with them along with you. You didn’t know the first thing about Romani curses, but you knew enough to realize that what Tommy had just said meant something serious.

He cleared his throat, his grip still holding onto you. “I’ll find out from Johnny Dogs who he is in the mornin’. Whoever he is, he’s high enough to be given escort duties. Believe me, I’ll make sure his actions don’t go unnoticed.”

You nodded, surprisingly okay with letting him take the reigns in how to handle this situation.

“Go on now,” he nudged you toward the caravan. “The clothes we packed are inside. Change, and I’ll hang up your dress on the line so the mud dries by morning.”

At his words, you lifted up your skirt and felt the heaviness of the wet mud soaked in the fabric. You surprised yourself with how used to the dirt you’d gotten, not even noticing the weight anymore or that your socks were always just slightly damp.

You climbed up the stairs and sat at the top, leaning forward to unlace your boots and slide off your shoes and sock. He tied the laces of your boots together and hung them and your socks over the line.

You sent Tommy another look as you stood up at the top of the stairs, half worried that he’d disappear again like he had when he left you to dance.

He seemed to recognize your look and moved to the doorway. This was the first time you’d ever been taller than Tommy, and you took in the new angle of his face as your fingers itched to reach out.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere, love. Go, get dry and warm. I’ll stand guard right here where you can see me.”

Silently, you nodded as you finally entered the caravan.

Inside, an oil lamp and a few candles were lit so you could see, and you were surprised at how big the inside was. It was different than the one you’d been in to meet Madam Despoina. It was interesting how much it resembled a modern day sleeping RV — bed palette against the back wall, vanity to your right, even a small stove and fireplace to your left. You ran your hand along the wall and marveled at the beauty of the carvings and ornate decorations that lavished the space. The whole thing was absolutely beautiful and you wanted to meticulously look at every single piece of art that was this caravan.

Your foot hit the bag Tommy had packed you and you remembered what you were there for, rummaging through and grabbing the nightgown Tommy had shoved in there without you realizing. Luckily, it’d been one of the clean ones, and you sent a quick prayer to whatever god you needed to be thanking for this miracle. Even if you were in the 1910s, you’d still be mortified if you had to share a bed with a man wearing dirty clothes.

You paused, both realizing and wondering if you actually were going to be sharing this bed with Tommy tonight. On the vanity, there was an empty bowl and pitcher of water. You peeled out of your warm clothes, peeking over your shoulder to double check that the door was still closed while still being able to see Tommy’s silhouette through the stained glass. The cold air hit your skin, and you were suddenly thankful for this centuries insistence on wearing multiple layers of clothing.

You sacrificed a splash or two of water from the pitcher to give yourself a quick hand wash, focusing on the essentials at the moment — your hands, face, neck, arm pits, under your breasts, and between your legs, even swishing some in your mouth and spitting it into the unlit fireplace. You gave yourself a sniff with semi-satisfaction (not that you trusted your sense of smell at all anymore, though being out of Birmingham and in the outdoors definitely increased the aroma in the air) before finally throwing on the nightgown.

You appraised yourself in the small vanity mirror, pulling the pins out of your hair and combing it with your fingers until some of the tangles released. In the nightgown, a scene from the movie The Mummy came to mind and you felt like Evie from the boat scene, realizing that in just a few fictional years Brendan Fraser would be battling over the City of the Dead.

Shaking the frivolous thought from your head, you gathered up your clothes and finally walked back toward the door, knocking on it before opening. Tommy took them from you and secured them on the line before standing back in front of the doorway. His eyes took you in, and you suddenly felt shy, questioning the sheerness of the nightgown with the light illuminating behind you.

“Oh, you need to change too!” You realized, almost jumping as you tried to figure out where you needed to go in order for him to do that.

“Hand me the bag, I can change out here.”

Your brow creased. “It’s way too cold out here for you to do that.”

“It’s too cold for you to stand out here in just that as well,” he responded, gesturing toward you. Feeling even more exposed, you found yourself crossing your arms over your chest, as if that could hide anything.

He took off his jacket, and for the first time you noticed the shoulder holster. He hadn’t had it on the other night, which you found curious, and you were realizing that aside from the blade in his hat, this was the first time you were seeing Tommy Shelby with a weapon.

Your eyes moved with the movement of his hands as he began to unhooked his watch chain before putting it and the watch back in the pocket. He shrugged off the holster, cradling it in the bend of his arm as he started unbuttoning his vest. The motion snapped you out of your gaze as you stood there awkwardly, wondering if you should be turning away to give him his privacy when he handed the contents and his hat to you. “Hang these on the hook inside.”

You moved at his instructions, ready to make yourself busy. Before you could return to the doorway, Tommy was making his way up the steps. You noticed he’d hung up his breeches, socks, and shoes, as well as put out the fire. He stood in the doorway in nothing but his pants, shirt, and shoulder holster, waiting for permission to enter the caravan from you.

Grabbing the bag that wasn’t yours, you handed it to him and cleared your throat, trying to keep your eyes from staring too long.

In the past few months since you’d arrived in 1918, you’d been so preoccupied with surviving and trying to figure out what was going on, your love life had been the very last thing on your mind. Even before you time jumped, you’d been going through a dry spell in your dating life.

Tommy Shelby had reignited something that you hadn’t realized you’d been missing. And despite every reasonable argument you’d had with yourself since the moment you met him, you absolutely couldn’t deny your attraction to him on both an emotional and physical level.

Suffice it to say, it’d been quite a while since you’d been alone with a man in a bedroom before. And of all the things, there was no way being alone with a 1918’s gangster in his underwear was on your time travel bingo card.

You were wondering if they had the game bingo yet while Tommy rummaged through the bag, grabbing a pair of socks and handing them to you.

“These are bound to be much warmer than whatever is in your bag. First rule we learned in France durin’ the winter was to always keep our head and feet warm and dry.”

Unsure how to respond, you grabbed the socks and followed his orders again. You realized what a militant follower you were when you had no idea what to do with yourself or how to handle your own awkwardness. As you sat on the bed and put on the socks, you watched Tommy start up the fireplace easily, mumbling something about wishing he’d done it earlier. But you were already starting to feel warmer with the door shut, the thicker socks, and the extra body heat within the small space.

You were trying to convince yourself that it was safe falling asleep in this wooden box with a fire burning when Tommy’s voice grew louder.

“Right, that’ll do it,” he said when he finished, rising from the floor.

You were still seated on the edge of the bed when he turned toward you. The air grew thick with a tension you easily recognized but refused to name.

He cleared his throat, dropping his head as he looked down at his feet. “I’ll take the floor. I grabbed the extra blankets when I brought in our bags.”

Your brow creased as you looked from Tommy to the hard, wooden floor, and then behind you to the bed you still sat on. The palette was easily wide enough to fit the two of you.

“That’s silly,” you found yourself saying before you could stop yourself. Tommy paused putting together his makeshift bed and his eyes snapped to yours. You forced your heart to slow and tried to appear cool. “There’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the ground when there’s plenty of room on the mattress.”

“I didn’t want to impose,” he said cautiously, not yet moving to join you on the bed but also not continuing to make the spot on the floor.

“We’re not teenagers. I think we can control ourselves,” you chuckled, trying to convince both Tommy and yourself that this was the only reasonable option. “I can trust you, right?”

You surprised yourself with the vulnerability behind your question. Your voice must have implied the same because Tommy’s throat bobbed as he considered it.

The truth was, you did trust him. The rational part of your brain was calling you crazy, especially after what had just happened. But there was something deep in your gut that made you irrationally feel safe in Tommy’s company. You’d been alone with this man more than you had been with him in the company of others, you realized, and this was nothing different.

You’d just be laying in a bed. Alone. In your underwear.

“Yes,” Tommy answered simply, though the strength in his voice held the weight of the implication. “I’d like to still sleep closest to the door, if you don't mind.”

You shook your head, scooting backwards on the mattress until you hit the back wall.

“You sure you don’t mind?” Tommy asked as he approached the bed, throwing the blankets at the foot. “The camp may talk.”

Your brow creased. “Don’t they already think that we’re together anyway, since they only offered us the one caravan to stay in?”

Tommy shrugged, moving to sit at the edge of the bed, leaning against the wall to face you. “Perhaps. But I could have slept in the wagon we came in, or in Johnny’s caravan.”

“I guess,” you replied, leaning back against the opposite wall. “So why didn’t you?”

He breathed out of his nose before reaching to scratch his neck. “I left you alone once tonight. I’m not plannin’ to do that again, not here at least. If you weren’t comfortable with me staying inside the van, I’d spend the entire night sitting against the door. I’d still do that, if you decide to change your mind.”

You felt your face blush slightly, instinctively moved by the protectiveness of his words. A few hours ago you may have protested against needing the bodyguard-like protection, stating that you could take care of yourself just fine. But after the crazy day you’d had — the dream, the reading, the creep — you decided to give in and let him have his way without the usual color commentary.

Your pride would never let yourself admit it out loud, but in this moment, you welcomed the safety he was offering and tried to not read too much into it.

“I’m sorry again for that. I shouldn’t have left you.”

You shrugged, trying to rationalize the situation. “It’s no one’s fault. He was determined to get me alone, it would have happened regardless. I’m just glad you got there before I knocked his teeth in. Or something worse.”

You both remained silent for a beat.

“I wish you hadn’t left, though. I was enjoying dancing with you.”

He scoffed, “I saw how much fun you were having with Johnny Dogs. He’s a much better dancer than I am. You were loosening up more with him.”

You shrugged. “I would have gotten there with you, if you’d stayed. You make me nervous, sometimes.”

Tommy hummed, an amused smile pulling at the corner of his lips. “You didn’t seem nervous in the wagon.”

Your eyes met his, searching to see the exact meaning behind his words. He was talking about your move to kiss him, though he hadn’t said it outright.

“I was. You hesitated,” your voice softer than you intended, your own insecurities prevalent.

He breathed in as his eyes flashed down to your lips and then back to meet your eyes. “I’m a cautious man, Y/N.”

“And you don’t trust me,” you swallowed, your eyes dropping down to the spot beside him as Tommy’s own words from earlier that morning rang through your head.

You heard him breath in deeply through his nose before exhaling. At the feel of him pushing himself off the bed, your eyes moved back to him as you watched him walk to your side of the caravan before sitting back down.

“I’ll admit, that was an oversimplification to our current situation,” he said as he lifted his hand to your face, his eyes watching your reaction.

You hated how desperate you wanted him to say he trusted you. So much so, your brain began to scramble to find the words to tell him everything right then and there.

“Tommy,” you breathed out, your mouth ghosting against his as your body instinctively leaned forward.

“You have secrets, but no lies. I can accept that and reciprocate.”

“I don’t want secrets,” you managed to say honestly as your eyes moved between his.

“Aye. Neither do I. But until then,” his voice died as his thumb brushed across your cheek and his pointer lifted your chin the half inch it needed to line your lips up to his.

There was no hesitation this time. Tommy kissed you with purpose and depth as his hands raked through your hair to cradle your neck. You met his attention with gusto to match, your hands moving from his chest to his back as you pulled yourself closer.

When he began to pull away, your arms flexed to keep him against you. You felt his mouth smirk as it hovered over yours, your forehead still pressed against his own before your lips met his again. Your kiss demanded to know why he continued to hold himself back.

His only response was to tilt his head and open his mouth as his thumb stroked the pulse at your neck before wrapping around your waist. Without warning, he lifted you up and pulled you onto his lap, your legs instinctively wrapping around him as your hands held on to his shoulders. Your fingers found purchase in his hair as you leaned his head back to connect your lips again.

His hands raked across the expanse of your back and up your sides, his thumb ghosting against the swell of your breasts in an aching tease. On instinct, your hips rolled forward, desperate for some kind of friction to the tightly wound tension that’d been building since the minute you’d seen each other down at the Cut. Tommy’s grip tightened as he groaned at the motion, the evidence of his own enjoyment of your body against his clear as your hips moved to repeat.

A loud bang at the caravan door caused you both to jump, whipping your heads toward the noise as you gasped. For a moment, you were worried it was the man from earlier back for round two. A second knock followed by a voice calling for Tommy determined it was Johnny Dogs. You let out a relieved breath before it turned to annoyance — how did that man always manage to interrupt you both just when things were starting to get good. You huffed, still trying to slow your heart rate as your forehead met Tommy’s again.

“Jesus fuckin—“ Tommy swore as he sucked in a harsh breath between his teeth at the third loud knock.

He took your face between his hands before kissing you again. A fourth knock finally had him pulling away from you as you crawled off his lap.

“Someone’d better be dying,” he said under his breath as he ran his hand across his face and walked across the caravan toward the door. He shouted from the inside of the still closed door, “What?”

“It’s Madam Despoina,” Johnny Dogs said from the other side. “She wants a word. Now.”

>> next chapter << chapter masterlist

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#tommy shelby #thomas shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x oc #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfic #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby x oc #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #time after time #fanfic #mine

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bonefall · 3 months

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I have my own clan project and I need some quick advice. I calculated the feral cat population I chose to base the setting on, and I got back that the feral cat population is usually one tenth of the human population in the area. Instead of throwing that 15-30k cat estimate away ("THATS A LOT OF DAMAGE") I wanted to at least massively increase the amount of cats in each clan and let the cats in the city soak up the mass majority of that number. So, anywhere from 100-150 cats in a clan I decided, a HUGE leap from the 30 something in the normal clans.

The cats DO have access to large prey- one clan hunts goats by using gravity for example, but I'd love to know how I can wring out every calorie and nutrient to make this massive population viable eating-wise. I'm thinking that the massive size would encourage hunting larger and larger prey (no sweet fat of the hog in the area, but deer and caribou are here), but do you think the small prey population would still be able to support the large clans?

YOWZA you're going to start having some troubles there, but I do think it's doable if you start giving them some serious advances. I don't think this is sustainable if you're doing a canon-compliant Clan; but you can squeak by if you're using fire, traps, and domestication.

So, even above the technological level of BB, but you're dealing with a BIG number here. So anyway, here's how to REALLY maximize the amount of meat you have in an area;

Domestication You seem to be somewhere cold, but I could imagine this being HUGE for Clans that are set up in South America. Natural home of the guinea pig, a living, breathing sausage. Even without guinea pigs, you might be able to have them domesticate pigeons, goldfish, mealworms, mice, maybe even chickens if you're REALLY advanced with making your fencing. What you can't make up in livestock, you can supplement with hunting. Check out CGPGrey's video on domestication, and think about how to adjust the information for a species of cats which is very small.

Fire You need fire. That 20% to 50% increase is HUGE when you're cutting back on prey.

Traps, spears, other hunting tools, for catching larger prey You can use gravity to chase a goat or a sheep off the side of a cliff, but you don't want to rely on this too much if those are human-owned. A few going missing once in a while? That's expected. If they go missing with regularity? Those humans are going to check in. Another thing to be careful of; It's a LOT easier to do this trick with an entire herd than one individual. In fact, the deadliest wolf attacks are accidental, like this one time two accidentally fenton'd 143 sheep to their deaths. OOPS!!! Plus, it straightup doesn't work on boars. They will turn around and kill you to death. You're going to want some cats who can figure out how to set traps and handle weapons. Forget about killing boars if you don't have spears like BB!ThunderClan does.

Spread Out You might even benefit from having the Clans all be interconnected, honestly, regularly trading resources. You mentioned having your city Clan, so you could be having them plus one of the further-out Clans (maybe even have one be nomadic) be the ones who are known for food production, with some Clans supplementing their diets with imports.

There IS a group kind of like this in BB, actually; The Tribe. This is actually why they have those three "Wards" I mention-- the Cave Ward, which is the "canon" Tribe, doesn't actually produce a lot of its own food and has a lower population than the Mountain and River Wards. But, put together, they significantly outnumber the Clans of the Lake.

#Bones gives advice

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is-the-snake-video-cute · 10 months

Text

Western Hognose Shopping List

Thanks to their big, fun personalities and small size, western hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) are becoming a more and more popular choice for a first pet snake. Though they're not as easy as some other good beginner-level snakes, hoggies are absolutely doable first snakes as long as you do lots of research and plan thoroughly! These adorable little snakes average around 2 feet long for females and just over 1 foot long for males, and can live to be up to 20 years old with proper care.

Before buying your hognose snake, it is extremely important to make sure you find a snake who is well-established and eating consistently on frozen/thawed, unscented mice. Don't overlook this - hoggies can be difficult to get eating on your own!

An important note of caution: hognoses are venomous snakes. Their venom is not medically significant to humans and usually results in no more than mild swelling and itching, but this is something to be very aware of! Hognose snakes almost never bite in self-defense, but mistaken feeding bites can happen so it's important to be aware and prepared.

Enclosure setup shopping list:

It's essential to make sure your hognose snake has plenty deep substrate to dig in! You will need to set up a temperature gradient of 88-78 Fahrenheit. Hoggies are not picky about humidity, and as long as you always make sure they have access to fresh, clean water, humidity shouldn't be a concern for you.

Enclosure. Adult hognose snakes can thrive in a 40 gallon enclosure. You can get away with a 20 gallon for males since they are considerably smaller, but bigger is better! For a baby snake, you and your snake will likely have an easier time if you get them set up in a 10 gallon enclosure until they put on some size.

If your enclosure has a screen lid, don't forget the screen clips. Never bring a snake home without screen clips!

A dome heat lamp with ceramic sockets. Any big reptile brand is fine - Fluker's, Zoo Med, and Exo Terra are all trustworthy brands here. Make sure your dome lamp is rated for the wattage of bulb you will be using - 150 is usually a safe bet.

Heat bulbs. I use ceramic heat emitters for most of my hognose snakes, but some respond very well to halogen lighting and UVB. The choice of providing visible heat and UVB is yours; the only snakes I would avoid it with are snakes with melanin-reducing morphs (like albinos and toffees) because it can damage their more sensitive eyes. Arcadia makes high-quality heat sources your pet will love. The wattage you choose will depend on your enclosure size and the temperature in your home.

A thermostat to plug your heat source into. Vivarium Electronics thermostats are excellent but pricey; you can go as expensive as you like but here is a cheap one I swear by. Never use a heat source without a thermostat!

Digital thermometer/hygrometer reader with probes - Zoo Med and Exo Terra make great dual gauges. Avoid stick-on dials!

At least two identical hides, one on either side. A proper hide has three solid walls and a smallish entrance - you want your snake to feel snug and secure. Baby hognoses especially will do best with lots of extra hides.

A container to make a humidity hide. Simply cut a hole in the lid, fill with damp moss, and you're set! Providing your snake with a humid hide will help them have perfect sheds every time!

A large water bowl

(Insider tip: if you go to the grocery store and buy a pack of black plastic food storage containers, you can easily make hides, humidity hides, and a water bowl out of them! Here's my go-to option, you can easily take care of all that for one baby snake for like 5 dollars! Baby hognoses are extra tiny, so if you're buying a young baby, sugar caddies make perfect, cheap hides.)

Sphagnum moss for your humid hide

Substrate - for hognoses, I prefer aspen fiber because it holds hides well and isn't terribly dusty. Playsand/topsoil mixtures also work well. Whatever you choose, be sure to provide your snake with at least a few inches to burrow in!

Lots of clutter. Paper towel tubes are great, fun enrichment, and empty cardboard boxes are hits with lots of hoggies. They aren't big climbers, but giving them a few branches never hurts! It's very important to keep your enclosure cluttered so your snake feels safe. Crumpled balls of paper towel make for great extra clutter for small snakes.

Consider a blanket or other visual barrier to put over the enclosure to help your snake feel safe and hidden. Hognoses can be very sensitive and often benefit from a little extra privacy.

General care:

Feeding tongs.

Food for your snake. Baby hognoses can usually handle whole pinky mice. Your offered food should be about 10-15% of your snake's body weight.

A soldering iron, believe it or not! A cheap soldering iron will serve you well throughout your snake's life - you can use it to easily melt holes in bowls and containers to make hides.

And some common beginner mistakes:

Don't move your snake to a separate enclosure to feed. It's a myth that will make your snake "aggressive" - it can actually cause more mistaken feeding bites as they associate handling with being fed!

Don't worry if your snake spends most of their time hiding, especially while young. A hiding snake is a happy snake! It's very normal for hognose snakes to spend a lot of their time in their burrows.

Don't over-handle your snake, and always give them at least a week to settle in before offering food for the first time.

Never handle your snake for two days after they've eaten - that could cause a regurgitation.

Avoid heat mats as a heat source for hognose snakes. Because they need such thick substrate, the heat mat can cause dangerous hot pockets within the substrate.

And be prepared to be flexible! Hognose snakes are such wonderful, fun pets, but they certainly have a bit of a dramatic streak. Expect some hissing, puffy cheeks, and a few theatrics! These are snakes with opinions about how you should care for them, so listen to what they're telling you.

I don't know what life would be like without my pet hognose snakes! They're fun, engaging pets who will make you laugh every day, and if you do your research to get them set up properly, you're well on your way to many awesome years together.

#not a rating #hognose snakes #snake shopping lists

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theweirdhybrid · 1 year

Note

So, how does the Krang infection work in your writing 👀?

INHALES SHARPLY

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY PRESENTATION NOW SIT DOWN AND GET COMFY YOU ARE GONNA BE HERE FOR A WHILE

Okay so basically if you know the zombie infection lore of The Last Of Us then you’ve already got a good grasp of how the Krang infection works in JTOEL. BUT for those who don’t know; in TLOU the infection is fungus based, it’s specifically the Cordyceps fungus, which only takes over its hosts nervous system but leaves the brain intact. Which means the host is still fully aware of everything happening but has no control over their own body.

In JTOEL, the Krang is a parasite that attaches itself to its hosts brain, like a brain-worm parasite. But it doesn’t need to get to the brain first in order to start the infection. It can latch itself onto a host and work its way to the brain from the outside, which does leave it vulnerable to being torn or ripped off or hit with a pesticide, but it combats that by moving so quickly the host only has a few moments to even realize what’s happening. It also numbs the nerves it touches so the host has trouble moving to further limit any chance of fighting back.

This is just one of the ways it can infect, however. Because when a host is infected like this, it takes longer to turn them into a Krang. Because, oh yeah, this is how the Krang reproduce. (Note: This is now always how the Krang reproduced, but we’ll get to that later) The Krang aren’t plant or fungus based, they are in fact flesh-based creatures. They’re similar to octopi in that they’re stretchy and squishy, but they still have skeletons. Tho, said skeletons are armored.

We’re getting off track BUT the Krang primarily reproduce by mass-infecting whatever sentient/sapient organics they come in contact with and turning them into full Krang overtime. This is what they use when they first invade a planet, because it’s easier to get everybody under control this way and limit attempts at fighting back. These Krang aren’t as intelligent as the ones in charge of the hivemind/ones that can infect/reproduce, but they gain intelligence over time. At least, they gain enough to pilot suits and follow orders, but that’s about it. They’re more worker/fodder class.

Another way they reproduce is by wrapping their victims/hosts in a cocoon, like we saw with Raph and what I can assume we saw the beginning of with Donnie, Mikey and Leo. Raph’s conversion was interrupted, but that’s definitely what was happening. I have the feeling if the boys hadn’t gotten him out when they did or let him sit there for another thirty minutes, the process would’ve been fully complete and saving Raph would’ve been out of the question because that point the parasite would’ve completely overwritten who he was and his DNA.

However there is a third way they can infect. This one is used for the creatures still controlled by instincts and haven’t yet gained self-awareness as an entire species, likes dogs, cats, deer, mice, etc. The hounds we saw in the movie are prime examples of this kind of infection. This is also used as a way of starving out the population, because if you eat something infected by a Krang, you’ll be infected too.

Which brings me to Cyonardo.

Cyonardo is an example of the first type of infection, the “Rush” infection as I like to call it. Bc the Rush infection is, well, rushed, it takes the parasite longer to fully turn its host and because it doesn’t have access to the necessary proteins and materials a Cocooned infection would, the Krang it becomes isn’t as intelligent as its Cocooned brethren.

Cyonardo is one of the Rushed Krang, or at least one of the ‘recovered’ ones. By the time his brothers had managed to subdue him long enough to perform surgery (because surprise surprise, he was too far gone to bring him back the other way) he was mostly Krang, hence why they removed his leg, arm and eye. The eye was more collateral during surgery, bc that was how the parasite had gotten to his brain and they had to remove the eye to remove the worst part of the infection. They know they didn’t get ALL of it, but they got the part that would’ve kept overwriting his DNA and his sense of self and reporting back to the hivemind.

So yes, if you’re wondering, this means Cyonardo was completely conscious for everything that happened during his time as an infected. (Bringing him back also had the added bonus of learning how the Krang worked military wise.) Also, the Krang liked deploying him on the field any time his brothers or the resistance were sighted, bc they’re evil like that. This was also how the resistance managed to make a plan to capture him, haha.

Sorry I am all over the place while explaining this but in my defense I have So Many Thoughts and the ADHD makes organizing this hard so bear with me

The Krang parasite and the Cordyceps fungus are very similar in how they infect their hosts; growing in the brain and altering their physiology and taking over the nervous system. But that’s about where it stops. I might start repeating myself but just beat with me

See, the Krang parasite wasn’t always this kind of parasite. It used to be that it was a symbiotic relationship, where both the host and the parasite benefited from the relationship. That was back when the Utrom were still around, and before Krang altered the parasite to benefit himself and his goals.

When it was simply the Utrom finding and helping hosts in other species, like weak or sick members that couldn’t move on their own and moving their bodies for them while communicating with the host to know what they wanted to do, while also giving them better defense mechanisms, the Utrom were all over the universe and were a widely loved and accepted race.

And then Krang altered the chemicals and biology of the how the parasite worked, and suddenly everything went to hell. The Utrom had no idea what was going on, and were actively helping hosts remove the now dangerous parasites while trying to figure out just what went wrong. Unfortunately by this point, there were too many parasites to really stop it. So they kind of effectively got wiped out, because the Utrom WERE the parasites, they were just having their own young grow up with another species member to help keep both strong so the baby Utrom could eventually detach and become a full fledged member of society.

But Krang had seen it as an opportunity, he thought the Utrom had wasted their true potential like this. The terrifying part was that it society effectively collapsed overnight. Krang was smart, he was intelligent and he was a scientist. He knew what he was doing, and he executed his plan overnight.

There was no stopping him. This, this is why he views himself as a ‘gift’.

Tho, I will say that when the Krang got locked away for a 1000 years, the rest of the universal society rebuilt itself stronger than ever. When word the Krang had escaped reached them, they went to help Earth. The Utrom are unfortunately completely extinct by this point, the Krang biology was too evolved to change it back. (Though, there might be one still kicking 🤔)

So, TLDR; Krang Prime got greedy and completely changed his own species biology and evolutionary course to use as a bioweapon against the rest of the known universe, but then got locked away for a thousand years and the society he destroyed was like “Well that was crazy lol. Anyways”

Basically, the Krang are a bunch of parasites that shouldn’t and wouldn’t have existed if SOMEONE didn’t decide to play God. Lmao.

Any questions?

#jtoel #just this once everybody lives #rottmnt #tmnt #krang #kraang #tapered off at the end there bc my headache was getting bad #RIP

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chaoticcat32 · 1 year

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Calicheer fic bc Billy and Chrissy are both babies who deserved better.

Chrissy was a little mouse borrower who was just now moving into a new house, having to flee her previous home because of an ill-tempered human spotting her. This home wasn’t too far from her previous one, and from what she knew, there was only one human living here. It made for less crumbs and things to borrow, but it also made for less opportunities for someone to spot her, as well as less chances for someone to notice something missing.

In her opinion, one or two humans was perfect. She did like to watch them, but that didn’t mean she wanted to interact with them exactly. Humans are scary. They could catch her and crush her, drown her, do whatever horrible things they wanted to her. Yeah, she’d rather stay away.

She carried her little bag of things into the home, quickly scurrying about in order to find a place to build her new nest. Soon enough, she finds a little nook in the wall, close enough to the kitchen that she could borrow crumbs easily, yet tucked far enough away that it would be hard for the human to find her.

She opens up her bag, one that was made out of a child’s mitten that she used as a bed in her previous home. Out of it, she brings her favorite little trinkets, an extra needle if anything were to happen to the one on her waist, some string, paperclips, and the last bit of food she had saved up from her last home. The little mouse started putting everything where she wanted it, laying out her mitten bed, placing her trinkets on the other side of the little makeshift room along with her needle, the food in a little bundle underneath the mitten, and her borrowing supplies next to her bed.

It was almost day and Chrissy, along with most borrowers, was mostly nocturnal. She lay down on her little mitten bed, snuggling into the soft, familiar fabric and started to doze off, thinking about how she’d scope out and make routes to places when she woke up.

Chrissy yawned and stretched, waking from her long sleep and looking around, taking in her surroundings. It wasn’t nearly as decorated as her previous dwelling, but she could fix that in time. It made her sad to have to leave her old home but she’d rather not be killed.

The borrower got up, shaking the sleepiness off of her before slipping her trusty needle into the sash sewn into her dress. She took out some of her food, munching on a bit before putting the rest back under her mitten bed. She grabbed her borrowing bag as well as the string and paperclip, ready to start traversing the house.

She stepped outside her burrow, looking around before making her way through the wood structure in the walls, looking for little holes that might already be made, hopefully in convenient enough spots.

Turns out the borrower was pretty lucky. Either that, or another borrower had previously lived in the home and made their own holes, though she didn’t think so because it wasn’t very easy getting to them. Multiple times she had to use her string and paperclip to climb, her having bent the metal into a hook-like shape to more easily secure onto things. She found one hole behind the stove that led onto the kitchen counter, and another one closer to the fridge. Those would be extremely useful in gathering food.

Having scoped out the kitchen, she decided to explore other places in the house. There were two holes in the living room walls, one in the hallway, none in the bathroom, one in the bedroom, and one leading to an empty room that looked like the size of another bedroom. All in very convenient spots, if only it was easier to access them. She would have to fix that. She also lucked out in the fact that the human who lived here didn’t have any pets! No clawing cats or barking dogs to worry about. The only problem was the mice. She could definitely tell there were signs of mice, but generally speaking, mice and borrowers were indifferent towards one another, unless they were fighting over food.

The borrower was a bit tired from exploring, so she figured she’d gather some food in the kitchen before returning home for the day so she could sleep. She climbed through the walls, scrabbling away at the wood and drywall until she was where she knew the kitchen was. Now she just had to get up from the ground level. She hopped up onto a piece of wood, jumping to another before she couldn’t anymore. The next piece was too high up, though she could see the hole from where she was.

Chrissy took out her string and hook, swinging it around a couple times, aiming for the little hole in the wall before throwing it. Not high enough. She groaned, pulling it back in and trying again, this time throwing with all her might, letting out a little cheer when it sailed through the hole. Now for the real test. She started to tug on it, face lighting up when she managed to snag it in the side of the opening, a strong enough hold for her to climb.

She made her way up the wall, using the string to pull herself, going up and up until she reached the counter, heaving herself up onto it. She breathed heavily, just sitting for a moment as she pulled the string back up. The mouse got up, looking around and trying to spot something to eat. In the corner, she saw something that made her mouth water. It was a plate of cupcakes, plenty of crumbs littering the ground underneath them. Humans would never notice those!

She quickly scurried over, opening her back and stuffing it full of cake crumbs, enough to last her a good few days. Once her bag was full, she picked some of them up and ate them right there, squeaking happily at the taste. She was right in guessing that the pink cake meant it was strawberry flavored!

Once she’d had her fill, Chrissy made sure her bag was shut tight, then darted back to the stove, growling behind it and climbing around the wood, not having to use her hook as much because her nest was just a bit lower than the level of the countertop. She popped inside, finding all of her things right where she left them. Through her adventures of the night, she’d managed to collect some things other than food as well.

The mouse walked over to her bed, filling up her food bag before starting to pull little found things out of her borrowing bag, spreading them out so she could see. First was a stamp with a very pretty picture on it that she could use as a poster, then there was a big shiny flat disk she could use in unison with one of her other trinkets to create a table where she could eat off of, then a few buttons which she was sure she could find a use for, and an old earring she could add to her trinket collection. The stamp went up on the wall above her bed, the borrower admiring it before hopping onto the mitten, sighing happily. This would be a great home.

She spent the next few days, almost a week, out borrowing every night. She found more trinkets and things to decorate her home with, scoring big time when the human left out a bag full of things like paper scraps and shiny plastic pieces that were perfect to decorate with. She got a thimble to drink out of, some fake flowers and an abundance of other things to pretty up her nest.

She looked around it happily, loving the way it was coming along, and she’d only been here less than a week!

One odd thing she noticed was that she hadn’t run into any mice. Normally, that’d be a good thing, but she didn’t even know their territories yet or anything, so she’d assumed a run-in or two were bound to happen, especially with all the signs she’d seen. Oh well. Just count herself lucky and wait for the day it does inevitably happen.

Her life was good in this new house so far. The human was usually out during the day and sleeping at night, there were plenty of crumbs and pieces of food left out, there was no sign of any danger aside from what usually came from being a borrower, and there were plenty of things to borrow that the human wouldn’t miss.

Chrissy was just settling down, and though she didn’t know it, her next borrowing trip would end in disaster.

Billy was a naga. He was a teeny tiny, itty bitty little naga living inside a human’s house. He decided to pick this one because they didn’t seem to notice a whole lot, and they had a mouse problem. Honestly it was a win-win for both of them. They wouldn’t have to deal with pesky mice all over their home, and he got an easy meal once a week.

He slithered through the walls, forked tongue slipping in and out, smelling his surroundings. Over the past week, he could tell something wasn’t quite right. It was the usual smell of mice, but there was something… different. Another scent caught his attention, something he’d never smelled before. It was almost like a mouse, but it also had a bit of a human-like smell to it. The snake man was determined to find the source.

He followed where it went, looking for where it was the strongest. Soon enough, he caught a strong whiff, immediately twisting his body around to where it was coming from. He slithered on, tongue flicking in and out, in and out as he used it to find the source.

There. He was close. So close to the creature, closer than he’d ever been. He just had to turn this corner and… oh. Billy paused as his piercing blue eyes met another pair of paler ones of the same color. Both widened, his in shock and curiosity, hers in pure terror.

It was a little mouse girl. Someone the same size as him, no, someone even smaller than he was. He didn’t know little mouse people existed! Let alone that he’d live in the same house as one. His tongue flicked out curiously, gathering the scent in the air. He could smell fear, mouse-smell, and then there was that other thing. That not quite human-y smell that mixed with the mouse scent. It was her.

Chrissy was on the verge of having a heart attack. There she was, missing her own business, just another routine borrowing trip when a man came whipping around the corner. She yelped a bit in shock, thinking it was just another borrower, but her shock quickly morphed into terror when she saw the rest of his body.

Suddenly it all made sense. The conveniently placed holes that may have been hard for her to get to, but not if you were a snake. And then there was the next thing that made her heart sink. The mice. That was why she could see traces of mice but hadn’t seen any yet. He was… he was eating them. Of course he was, he was a snake. She didn’t even know there were little snake people, but it was just her luck to run into one, right? One who had a taste for mice.

She backed up, eyes still wide in terror. Her breathing was heavy, and she was trying to look anywhere other than those eyes. Those piercing ocean blue eyes that would surely glue her in place if she met them again. The end of his tail twitched, and her face paled when she saw the rattle on the end. So he was venomous. At least she’d be killed quickly instead of being crushed to death in his coils.

He seemed to snap out of his initial shock, starting towards her which caused her to turn and run, bolting down the wooden beam, careful not to lose her footing as she escaped her predator. She heard a surprised hiss behind her, then the sound of scales slithering against wood as he gave chase.

“Hey, wait!”

He called out but she ignored him, knowing it must be a trick. What else would a snake want with a mouse other than to eat it?

She hears a frustrated groan behind her, and tears start to leak out of her eyes as she can feel him getting closer. She tries to put on a burst of speed, but honestly she doesn’t know where she could possibly go. Anywhere she could fit he could as well, and if she went to her nest it’d only corner her.

“Leave me alone!” She shrieks, trying in a desperate attempt to reason with him.

Turns out it didn’t really matter as she felt a hand grasp her tail, the little mouse letting out a squeak as she’s stopped, trying to wriggle out but to no avail. She turns around, tears flowing from her eyes as she stared at the snake in fear. A clawed hand still grips her tail, but he doesn’t look… malicious. He looks almost curious, like he’s never seen anything like her before, and maybe he hasn’t.

“Please let me go.” She says in a small voice, but instead he slithers closer, causing the girl to shiver.

“You sound like a mouse.” He says, slowly slithering around her.

His coils wrap a loose circle around her frame, just barely touching her, but it’s enough to make her shutter. She doesn’t know what he wants, but she’s just hoping, praying, it’s not to eat her. Her pupils are shrunk down to little pinpoints as his tongue flicks out in her direction, a contemplative look on the man’s face.

“You kind of smell like a mouse. A little different though.”

“T-that’s because I’m not a mouse.” She says quietly. He looks up at her.

“I know you’re not a mouse. You’re like me, but instead of being a snake… you’re more like a mouse.”

“Yeah… I guess so. Um… does that mean you’re not going to eat me?” She asks hopefully.

“Hm… I dunno yet. I don’t wanna hurt you though.”

“But surely eating me would hurt. You know that, right?”

“I wouldn’t bite you.”

She can feel him wrap around her more, whimpering as his coils travel farther up. She tries to squirm, to push them away but they get tighter, squeezing her in warning.

“Ah, ah, ah little mouse. None of that.”

“Please…”

“I’m not gonna hurt you.”

He can repeat it as much as he wants, but there’s no way she’d believe it. He’d just told her he might eat her, and she’s pretty sure that’d hurt.

“Eating me would…”

“Not if I don’t bite you. I could just swallow you alive. Then you’d be okay.”

Her heart sinks, face pales and she tries to squirm. It’s only met with a light tightening. Nothing that would hurt, but it’s clearly a warning. ‘Don’t struggle any harder, or I’ll squeeze tighter.’ She whines in fear, looking over the snake. It really doesn’t seem like he wants to hurt her. He looks more curious than anything, and she wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she really does not want to be eaten alive.

“I- um… even if you do that, won’t I.. you know…” she trails off, not wanting to say it.

“No. You won’t get hurt, little mouse. I’m just going to keep you nice and safe. My cute little mousie.”

He smiles, and it’s almost endearing if not for the two huge fangs on display, right alongside the rest of his sharp teeth. And that’s ignoring the fact that she’s pretty sure he’s about to eat her.

She feels his tail slither up around her shoulders, and her eyes squeeze shut, tears coming out the sides of them. There’s a gentle touch on her cheeks, and she dares open her eyes, looking out at the face right in front of her. She feels his hand come up under her eye, wiping away the tears, then it moves to the next side, wiping those too.

“What are you…”

“Don’t cry, little mousie. I’m gonna keep you nice and safe.”

She looks up confused until her expression morphs into horror as she sees the jaws part above her.

“No, no, no, no!”

She squeaks in terror, squirming against the coils but it doesn’t seem to help. They just tighten up around her, not letting the borrower squirm, but not exerting enough pressure to actually hurt her.

It doesn’t matter what his tail is doing though, because his mouth is coming down around her head, enveloping her entire face, ears pinned to the top of her head and eyes squeezing shut as she’s forced into the maw. His tongue slithers around her face, licking over every inch as he lets out a pleased hum, the sound echoing around her. Her eyes open just in time to see the throat opening up, and she lets out a squeak as he swallows, sending her head down into him.

It goes on like this for a few minutes, the snake licking over every inch of what was in his mouth before swallowing and repeating the process. All the while he lets out pleased hums, clearly enjoying her flavor as he gulps her down. The muscles are tight as they massage her body, relentlessly pushing on her and sending her deeper and deeper into him. Eventually her head is forced through a tighter ring of muscle, and she can only guess the slightly roomier portion she’s being deposited into is his stomach. Only her feet remain exposed to the cold air now, and those are easily worked into his mouth and down his throat with one last swallow.

She lets out a quiet whimper as the strong internal muscles squeeze her farther into his belly, eventually her whole body being pushed inside. She lays spread out in the chamber, shivering as she hears the gurgles and groans around her, walls pressing in a bit on their new occupant. His heartbeat is fast, and his breathing is slowing down now that he’s got her all the way down.

She feels a soft pressure on the outside, squishing a bit of the stomach against her and she squeaks. His voice is clear around her as he speaks.

“You tasted even better than a mouse. Got you all to myself, gonna keep you safe.” He says, speaking directly to her.

The first comment makes her shudder, and the next part of what he says might’ve almost been sweet if he hadn’t just swallowed her alive.

She’s too afraid to say anything at the moment, and she feels him start to move, soothing off to who knows where. Probably going back home so he can just sleep, let his stomach do all the work. Oh god, she didn’t want to die. The little borrower weeps silently, feeling every little twist and turn her captor makes as he makes his way through the walls.

Eventually he stops, coiling up on top of himself, and by proxy her, causing the stomach to squish all around her, squeezing her frame.

Please… please let me out. I don’t wanna be food.” Her voice is so quiet, she wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t even hear.

Billy does hear, however, and he deflates a bit. It felt so nice getting the little mouse in his belly, loving the way she filled it up all the way, and the fact that he got to protect her in the process. It seemed she didn’t feel the same way, though.

“You’re not food… you’re safe. I’m keeping you safe. Nothin’s gonna get you.”

“You got me…” she says, voice still barely above a whisper.

He frowns, upset by her words. He didn’t… get her. He wasn’t gonna hurt her, but she didn’t seem to know that.

“No… I’m not hurting you.

“You are hurting me. I’m gonna die in here. Please don’t let me die in here…”

“You’re not gonna… I told you it was safe. I would never hurt a cute little thing like you.” He says, trying his best to comfort her.

“Then why would you eat me?”

“I told you it was to keep you safe. I wanted to keep you safe.”

“But… how is this safe?”

He sounds genuinely upset, something that wouldn’t come from a ruthless predator that just wanted a meal. It seemed that either it really was safe, or he didn’t realize he was hurting her, but he didn’t seem to want to.

“I can’t hurt you if you’re alive.”

“What?”

He sighs.

“My stomach can’t digest living things, so you’re okay. You’re not food.”

“Oh.”

They’re both silent for a bit, thinking over what the other had said. Billy feels bad for the little mousie. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings, or make her feel like she was in danger. He only wanted to protect the cute little mouse.

“I’m sorry, I only wanted to protect you.”

“…why?”

“I just- I saw you, and you were like me, but you were small, and cute. I wanted to make sure nothing could hurt you.”

“Oh.”

It’s silent for a few moments before she speaks back up again.

“What’s your name?”

Billy blinks, looking down at his belly. He didn’t expect that from her, thinking she’d still be afraid and unbelieving.

“Uhm… Billy.”

“Billy. Seems like it fits you. My name’s Chrissy.”

“Chrissy… that’s nice. Are you still afraid? I promise I’m really not gonna hurt you.”

“I’m… still nervous but… you said you weren’t gonna hurt me, and I like to see the best in people.”

Her words make Billy feel happy, the warmth of her filling his stomach and seeping into his veins, traveling throughout the rest of his body. He sighs, curling up a bit tighter with her in his belly, eyes getting a bit heavy.

“M’ not. Just gonna keep you safe. My mousie. My Chrissy.”

“Oh.” She says, voice full of surprise, not having expected that from the snake. “Um… your Chrissy?”

“Mhm. Mine. Gonna keep you safe~”

“Oh. Uhm… okay. When do you plan on letting me out?”

He grumbles sleepily a bit at that, but answers her anyway.

“M’ gonna let you out after a little nap. That okay?”

She can tell how tired he already is, and she doesn’t think he’d even be able to spit her out at this point. She looks around as best she can, feeling the folds of the stomach around her, rubbing a hand up against them. She’s startled when she hears and feels a deep rumble, clearly coming from the snake. He also seems to slump a bit, squishing Chrissy even more.

“Um… Billy?” She asks a bit worriedly.

“M’ okay. That just… feels nice.” He says with a sigh, completely blissed out.

“Oh! Okay… um, that’s nice.” She keeps it up, smiling as the rumble deepens.

“M’ gonna fall asleep.”

“That’s okay. You were gonna anyway.”

“Mhm.”

Billy settles down, happy with the warmth and weight inside of him, slowly drifting off the sleep.

Chrissy stops her rubbing, yawning herself and stretching out as best she can in the tight belly. It’s actually not so bad when she thinks about it. It’s warm and soft, the gurgles and the heartbeat creating background noise for her to listen to, helping make her sleepy. Nothing had happened to her yet, and even though she’d just met Billy, he seemed like someone she could trust. She makes herself comfortable, falling asleep within the snake.

By the time Chrissy wakes up, she immediately notices that she’s out of the stomach. She seems to have been dried off and placed in a rather large nest made up of little fabric pieces and ripped up tissues, really anything soft. This must be where Billy lives, though the snake is nowhere to be seen.

“Billy?” She calls out.

She knows she could escape, just leave but then he’s slithering through the entrance, a little bag full of food crumbs in his arms. She noticed a little bulge in his tail as well. It’s not as big as her but he clearly had something to eat.

She shakes it off, giving him a smile as she sees the crumbs.

“What’s that?” She asks.

“These are for you. I don’t know what you eat, so I got you some of whatever I could find.”

“Oh?”

She takes a look at what he has, accepting the little bag to see little bits of popcorn and a big piece of fruit. She smiles back up at him.

“These are perfect. Thank you Billy.”

He seems to smile at that, happy that he provided for his little mouse. He nods, slithering over to her, curling around her in his nest.

Chrissy starts to eat her popcorn, munching on her breakfast. It seemed Billy had already gotten his, so she just kept it up. She takes up the fruit, eating away at it, looking up at Billy as he watches her with a smile.

“You wanna try some?”

He looks a bit surprised, but takes the piece of offered popcorn, looking from it to Chrissy and back again. She nods in encouragement so he takes a little nibble, tasting the popcorn on his tongue. Not bad. He eats the rest of the piece, looking back down at Chrissy.

“Not bad, little mouse. I already had my breakfast though.” He says.

“Yeah.”

She finishes her breakfast and they talk. Talk about each other, talk about life, talk about their experiences. Chrissy sees that the snake isn’t so bad, just… lonely. She’s been alone for a long time too, and it’s actually nice to have a friend. She has a feeling this is going to be the start of something great.

#safe vore #soft vore #stranger things #stranger things vore #billy hargrove #chrissy cunningham #naga pred #borrowers

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hedgiwithapen · 8 months

Note

DHD: Flash, someone shrinks themself (+others if you want) really small by accident

Cisco stared up at his desk, and his neck protested the angle. It towered over him, looming like a set from a movie. "The cliffs of insanity," he said, knowing no one would be able to hear him but unable to resist the comment anyways. Now, he just had to figure out getting up there. It had already taken what felt like hours getting from his workroom--what was left of his work room--to the main cortext, and all the communications tech he could theoretically use. Apparently, one of the many side effects of Ray's suit blowing up was "fuck your cell phone and also your powers in particular." Messing with the vibrations of things when the vibrations were bigger than your body thought they should be was a recipe for more explosions and a headache, as it turned out. Cisco was a scientist, but had decided to shelve testing out those implications for later.

He'd thought about waiting for someone to come running- ha -at the sound of the explosion, but dismissed it. The whole reason he'd been trying to fix Ray's suit in the first place, yet another massive threat, meant Barry was, glass-half-full, just busy. Glass half empty, it mean Barry and the rest were already...Cisco didn't want to think about that. They'd all fought plenty of world-ending threats without him, they weren't dead. caught, maybe. injured... statistically speaking, probably. But not dead, not if he could do anything about it. So he'd hiked down the hall, the size of a grain of rice, and now all that stood between him and at least finding out what was going on was his desk.

"I am going to install a ladder on this thing," he said to himself, looking around. there had to be a way up. He could contact the team, tell them what he'd figured out about the villains who'd taken Ray. He sneezed

There was... a lot of dust under the desk. Something glinted, and he groaned. Using a sleeve to cover his face, he waded into the dust, retrieving the shiny thing. One of Iris's earrings, a dangly one. It wouldn't make the world's best grappling hook, but it was worth a try.

Thread was harder to come by. he kept a sewing kit in his pocket, but that had shrunk, too, uselessly. another kit was in his desk drawer, which was again, not exactly something he had access to.

"The Borrowers never have this issue," he said, again to himself. At least STAR Labs didn't have mice. Or rats. Or half-mutated roaches. Thank god for Iris's penchant for fluttery scarves and long coats, even in the spring. Yarn was even better than threat, with spiraling grooves he could grip much easier.

He'd buy her a new scarf.

The ground shook as he tossed the makeshift hook, with too steady a rhythm to be explosions or earthquakes. Cisco placed it, footsteps. Someone was in the lab. If he could just get to the top of the desk where they'd see him....

He scrambled, the yarn strand biting into his already aching hands. Near the top, one foot slipped and he yelped as he slid what felt like six feet. his toes caught in a dent he'd never noticed, and Cisco muttered a prayer for whoever had damaged his desk.

At least his computer was already on. He could type, one key at a time if he had to, set off an alarm, something.

He jumped over a loose pencil, beelining for the keyboard, and crashed.

tink

"Well now," the stranger said, peering into the upside down glass he'd slammed down over Cisco, trapping him like an insect. The glass distorted his voice, already booming from the size. Cisco could feel it in his bones, and it hurt. "So that's why we couldn't find you. Fascinating. What should we do with you?” Cisco clenched his fists, tiny as they were. So this was how Ray had felt, in Darhk’s office. No wonder he never spoke about it. The man removed his hand, but the weight of the glass was enough on its own. Where he’d held it, Cisco could see a smudge of red. “Perhaps we should keep you around? They say you know a thing or two about the multiverse. Then again, we can’t have you messing with everything. I wonder how much air you need in there? Maybe we should find out.”

#dammit hedgi day 2023 #The Flash #Cisco Ramon

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pbandjesse · 8 months

Text

What a sleepy day. I really needed it.

It was also incredibly grey. Which made me more sleepy. But like in a nice way.

I slept alright last night. I woke up when James got up and again when they were leaving for work. I only vaguely remember what was said but the hugs were nice.

I woke up for real at 9. And laid in bed until 930. When I did get up I went and made sure the mice were okay and I was thrilled when the other mouse's eyes were open. Amazing. I am hoping we can introduce more solid foods in the next week if they continue to do well.

They are crusty though. I tried washing them a few times. But they are so small!! It's hard to get them clean at all when you are trying to be gentle. I'm doing my best so they don't look so crispy.

I got washed up and dress but I didn't feel great. Just kind of icky today. Being very cold did not help. Though I do really like my new jumpsuit. I would switch sweaters multiple times today but I think the texture of fleece is my favorite right now. I felt cute in my zip up.

It wasn't raining or anything yet but I was still glad I didn't go to the market. It seemed miserable out.

I had wanted to work on my knitting but James has taken the care to work and didn't bring my yarn upstairs. It's okay. I would find other things to do to occupy my time.

I would start with picking out my fall wardrobe. Today is the first day of fall! It was funny to see the pile of clothing I deemed summer clothing, the colors all were so similar. And so when the fall clothes were all hung up they all looked so cohesive and that was really cool.

My dad called me and we talked for about an hour. Just catching up. Told dad about the mice. About James's parents. Work. Just all the stuff thats been up. He told me about how his (fake) leg fell off. I think he should start cutting off his pant legs so he has easier access if something like that happens. But I'm proud of him for continuing to work hard to be able to walk again.

My allergies started acting crazy and I was suffering a little bit on the phone. Once we got off the phone I went and took some medicine and washed my face and would very slowly start putting away the clothes I had chosen for storage.

This didn't go great. My allergies were making me weird. I felt dizzy and I couldn't focus. Then all of a sudden I lost control of my left hand?? Like I couldn't get it to work or connect with my phone. Which sounds alarming I'm sure. But my left thumb has been acting bizarre for like a month and I promise I will be asking my doctor about it next month.

I would just pile the clothing in my storage box and we will go back through there tomorrow or Monday and actually fold stuff. I just couldn't handle it today.

I would have a snack and then laid in bed with sweetp. Basically for the best of the afternoon. Just watching adventure time on TikTok and watching the storm as it started in earnest.

I did not take a nap. I just watched things and listened to the storm. I would get emotional watching stuff and cried a little. I was going through it.

When James got home they found me curled up in bed with sweetp. They would lay with me for a while. Eventually though they had to go help their dad and Stanley figure out how to get football tickets on their phones. Stanley apparently had a completely full email box and so he hasn't gotten an email on 6 months which is hilarious. So James helped with that and it was very funny.

I got up and started working on my knitting in the living room. I did 2 blue squares. I'm hoping to lay out the whole project tomorrow to get a better idea and probably start pinning it.

And James made me grilled cheese and soup. But everything tasted wrong. It was nothing James did. I think it was my allergies. But it was annoying that everything smelt like blood and metal. I had had a nose bleed earlier and it just was in my nose all day I guess. Which made my tastes all wrong. Annoying.

We spent a while on the couch. The storm started getting worse. The wind picked up a lot. I would go and take a hot bath. And watch a scary video.

And now we are just hanging out in bed. Talking about bagels. Tomorrow I have my class with BAS but for the morning I hope to clean a bit and lay out my blanket and hope that it's not as cold in here.

Sleep well tonight everyone. Be safe. I love you! Until next time!

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szif · 8 months

Text

i found a 182 l (48 gallon) aquarium at a """decent""" price so if i save up i could get it but at the same time im also thinking of just gifting away all i have and not keeping pets because im bad at maintaning them. but ALSO if i get a better/bigger aquarim and stock it properly then that means i can actually take care of it better so i wouldnt have to give away the pets maybe. but also thats a maybe so what if it doesnt work out. soo annyoing omg. if i could get access to mice i would keep a gigantic snake or if i found a reputable breeder then some sort of lizard or gecko or whatever. but i think if i can actually manage to get a proper aquarium then ill just... continue owning the fish. like i think i could manage with proper tools instead of owning it with the hungarian method (no available tools for it that make my life easier because its all western expensive stuff thats not available anywhere. lol) should i just buy a hamster guys at this point

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innocence-wont-save-you · 1 year

Text

Innocence Won't Save You: Scene Summaries

An overview of what has occurred in each scene thus far. Summaries are brief and do not capture the full details in each scene! Mostly intended to make it easier to catch up with the game.

Currently contains summaries of 7 scenes and their associated status updates.

Note: Scene 1 and 2 were written before IWSY moved to having a heavier focus on story, and instead they focus more on gameplay. I would recommend skipping both if you read the full scenes; there's nothing particularly plot relevant in either scene, and I will likely retcon details mentioned in them since I also hadn't figured out how much detail I wanted to have back then. Innocence also had a slightly different personality back then, so skipping them is for the best, in my opinion.

Scene 1

Innocence disconnects themself from their umbilical arm and exits their chamber. This is the set up for the game.

They collect some supplies at the top of their access shaft, then descend the side of their can with the help of a giant millipede.

Due to silver lizards provoking adult noots, Innocence is dumped off the back of the millipede and falls down the side of their can. They manage to halt their fall with the spears they got, and they drop down the rest of the way to the ground.

They fix up a bit of damage to their puppet before powering down for the cycle.

Scene 2

They do some foraging as they start heading towards their waste department.

They wander around the first few buildings a little bit before settling down in one of the access rooms.

While waiting for the rain to pass, they study the cherrybombs they picked up earlier in the scene.

Scene 3

Upon goading from the overseers, Innocence sticks their hands into a pile of gunk. They get a pearl out of this.

They survey the rest of their waste department from a vantage point.

They head off to the building on the right to wait out the rain.

After some more study of the cherrybombs, they make an explosive spear and a bomb.

Scene 4

They take a look through a dried up aeration array and find another pearl.

They head back down to the watery part of their biological processing facility and run into the river mice populating their waste department, as well as a pack of silver lizards.

They help guide the silver lizard hatchling back to its family, and climb up after it to take shelter.

They inspect the bubble seeds they got, and talk briefly about their creators and their fellow iterators, Moth (who they are somewhat mournful about), and Prayer and Grace (who they say they hate, but they sound tired instead). They get noticeably more morose when thinking about Des and Night, and in particular Silver.

Scene 5

They get jumpscared by the silver lizard hatchling sniffing at them when they power back on. They spend some time trying to calm it and its parent down.

They head down to the base of the aeration facility to hunt a Miros quail.

They are markedly horrified by Miros quail biology. They proceed to blow one up with their explosive spear, all while quaking in terror.

They're very grossed out by the gore attached to the beak, but take it with them anyway to the room they took shelter in in the previous scene. They also gripe about being filthy.

They share more about the iterators they know, ranking them from most to least favorite. They rank Des highest, but mention that the triplets are all very important to them. The rest go as follows: Moon, Wind, Moth and Sig (who they don't know how to rank), and Suns. Pebbles is not ranked lowest; Prayer and Grace are. (Prayer and Grace's full names are One Final Prayer and Gracious Mercy respectively.) They also mention someone called Day, who they refuse to rank.

They express guilt over how worried Des must be about them. This brings up a memory involving them and Des' first meeting.

Scene 6

They forage for some more food while looking around their waste department.

They bluntly refuse to befriend the silver lizard hatchling when their overseers spot it again.

A salamander nibbles most of the gore off the beak for them, and they clean the rest off with a rock.

They head to their heavy metal processing facility and enter the building with furnaces roaring inside. They are immediately overloaded by the sensory information, particularly the noise, and leave quickly.

They head to the effluent treatment sector to ride the rain out. They think about their place in the world as they are now, as just their puppet, and compare themself to an animal.

They notably decline to think more about scavs when asked about scav tolls.

They express obvious rage when asked about how their citizens treated them, and call themself a replacement for Day before cutting themself off. They then mourn how Day was supposed to have more time, and explicitly confirm that she and Silver are dead. Moon is also mentioned.

Scene 7

They head back to the smelting factory, but prepare by turning down their audio and heat sensitivity.

They prep the furnaces, retrieve a pipe from a broken piece of machinery, and construct their lance by heating the end of the pipe and pressing it against the base of the Miros quail beak. Due to their proximity to the hot metal, they breathe in several lungfuls of aerosolized metal particulates, poisoning themself.

Despite the pain and dizziness that causes, they attempt to push onward.

The attempts to persuade them to rest from the overseers pushes them over the edge into a panic attack, where they berate themself for struggling to figure out what to do and also how they can't stop putting themself down in Day's name.

Their overseers help ground them, but not before they've completely exhausted themself. They wearily head to the nearest building in slag processing to rest.

The overseers try to get them to name their lance, but they shoot down all attempts even though they have no energy left to be irritated at the suggestions.

An overseer offers to hug them. They accept, but this makes them wish they could be held by Day and could hold Silver, perhaps with Des and Night as well. They start to think about Moon, but cut themself off.

They question whether continuing as they are now is better than going back to their can and continuing to seethe.

Scene 8

Innocence leaves their waste department with their lance.

They harvest some blue worm grass and get jumpscared by a rain deer.

Using the worm grass as a food offering, they manage to climb into the rain deer's antlers, hitching a ride towards their memory crypts.

They briefly reminisce about Des, expressing sadness about the interactions they used to have with him.

They enter their memory crypts, browse the abandoned memorabilia momentarily, and find a pearl involving Day. This upsets them so much they resolve not to leave their memory crypts until they find more about her.

They spend a bit of time familiarizing themself more with how to use their lance, and then consider accessing some of the memory boxes for more direct information about Day.

Scene 9

Innocence runs into some lizards fighting over food. They distribute the centipede meat to them and take some of its scales.

They head towards the memory boxes and communicate briefly with the Miros vulture guarding them for authorized access.

They access the memories of two ancients: Two Clouds, Three Gentle Breezes, and Seventeen Rings, Resounding Song. Both express anger and resentment at Innocence's existence, while simultaneously holding fond memories of Day.

Innocence encounters a scavenger with a scavkit on its back. They get smacked in the face with a rock by said scav. They then take some time to think about Silver.

They find a temple that has a mural of the Void Sea, and end up taking shelter in it for the end of the cycle.

They take a look at the centipede armor plates they got and determine that they will need scavs to help them utilize the plates.

Scene 10

Innocence runs into their first scav. After a brief scare with the scav almost aggroing on their overseer, they give a pearl to the scav to get it to leave them alone.

They encounter band of four scavs at a growing tower. They watch the scavs use a simple hacksaw to saw off some rebar, which is then fashioned into a spear.

One of the overseers startles the scavs, causing one to jump off into the worm grass below. Innocence runs in to cut the worm grass off the scav, saving it. They also return the discarded hacksaw.

They then follow this band of scavs to their burrow, which goes underneath a growing tower. They take shelter above inside the growing tower.

They muse a bit about scav ingenuity regarding a drainage system for rain water.

They think about how their current status would be considered grossly improper for an iterator, but decide they don't care.

Updates once a new scene concludes!

#innocence won't save you #rain world #unparalleled innocence

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