#swing control spring collection
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SWING CONTROL PRESENTS SPRING SEASON COLLECTIONS FOR MOTHER’S DAY
-These curated ensembles provide Mother’s Day options for on-and-off the golf course-
MONTRĖAL, CA. – APRIL 23, 2024 – Swing Control, manufacturers of performance-based golf centric apparel, reveals its collections curated for the spring and for Mother’s Day. These combinations of tops and bottoms were selected for the ultimate in comfort and styling for the upcoming warmer months. “The golf…
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#FightAndGrind#SeeUOnTheNextTee#untilthenexttee#golf#Golf Equipment Reviews#golf Industry News#Golf News#golfers#ladies golf#Montreal#mother&039;s day 2024#mother&039;s day golf#mother&039;s that golf#quebec#swing control apparel#swing control spring collection#Until The Next Tee#until the next tee golf blog website#Women&039;s Golf
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TROPE-TASTIC
So I'm trying something I saw on rumble. Basically, I'm making a list of the prompts I'm using for this story challenge.
Problem is... I need 30 prompts I can work with... I've only found 19.
Anyway...
This is what I'm working on. I'd love to see others interpretations of these prompts, so feel free to use them in your own chapter or one shot stories!
If you do, please link them to keep so I can read/promote them! If you post them here, add the hash tag #AWBsesskag
Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst
Twist: Try to use as many tropes as possible
Universe: Canon
Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome
Rating: M
Description:
A few weeks have passed since Sesshomaru & his group joined the Inutachi. No one knew why Sesshomaru started following them around. Nor did they understand him seeming obsession with their naieve miko.
Prompts!
(In no particular order)
Hot Spring: Much to her mortification, kagome winds up accidentally giving the males of her group a peep show.
Swordplay: Inuyasha & Sesshomaru argue over who's "sword" is bigger & who "swings" it better.
Plum Sake: Poor Sesshomaru is at a loss when drunk Kagome comes out to play
Fairytale: Kagome wakes up from a yokai induced sleep to a kiss from Sesshomaru while the kids cheer about her bedtime stories
Sleep: Sesshomaru watches kagome sleep, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Inuyasha watches him, jealousy building with every second that passes.
Instinct: Sesshomaru protects Shippo, Sango, & Miroku in Kagomes absence
False Claim: When Kogas antics go to far, Sesshomaru steps in to set things straight once & for all.
Liar: After an argument, Inuyasha leaves to be with kikyo for the night. Leaving Sesshomaru behind to pick up the pieces of a broken miko.
Acts of Honor: Sesshomaru captures Kohaku during battle, but instead of leaving him for dead, he returns him to Sango as the brother she remembers... not Narakus puppet.
Dishonorable: Sesshomaru scolds Miroku for his unfaithful & lecherous ways, much to the Monks embarrassment.
Festoval: Sesshomaru takes pride in spoiling the pack at a yokai celebration in honor of the balance between earths power, humans, & yokai.
Stormy Eyes: Injured, but furious... Kagome not only scolds but challenges Sesshomarus mother to a dual.
Healing: When Kagome is Injured, Sesshoumaru protects & cares for her in a way only a inu should care fot their mate, causing confusing feelings for Kagome.
Revelations: Sesshomaru opens up about his upbringing. Not realizing what he's describing is manipulation & abuse. His is when kagome decides her feelings for Sesshomaru are stronger than friendship.
Shame: Sesshomaru & his mother argue over his feelings over lagome, not realizing she overhears his lack of denial when his mother accuses him of being as shameful as his father for loving a human.
Enough: After finding Sesshomaru comforting her... Inuyasha goes too far with his insults towards kagome, resulting in an all out brawl.
Penis: Anyone who wants to visit the future kagome comes from,needs to be subjugated. Kagome decides on a word she would NEVER say to the kids.
Whore: Word around Tokys is that Higurashi Kagome is an unwed, teen mother whos getting kicked out of middle school for lying about being suck to chase a gangster two timer, only to turn around & switch to his brother. Her families reputation is in ruin.
Chickens: Sesshoumaru is HIGHLY unimpressed with Kagomes friends & the boy Hojo who couldn't take no for an answer.
Submitted by @anastasiaskarsgard
Control: Kagomes power has been compromised & she can no longer control it. When her reki violently lashes out during a disagreement, she fears she's hurt Sesshomaru
Collections: Poor Jaken. Once a leader in his own right, he abandoned his people to serve the most feared yokai in Nippon. For years, things had been wonderful. But recently, his master had taken up an odd hobby. Jacken just couldn't fathom why his master kept collecting human females!
Rawr: Ah-Un are in charge of watching over the children. All seems well & the large dragon is able to eat their grass in peace. But serenity never lasts & if Ah-Un wants to get back to their lunch, they'll need to teach the yokai attempting to sneak up on the camp a lesson.
I still need 8 more prompts (minimum to hit 30. The max is 45 chapters) I figure I should add some battle scenes somewhere, lol. If you have any Prompt ideas... especially funny ones... PLEASE comment them below. 💜
#AWBsesskag#sess#kagome higurashi#lord sesshomaru#sesshomaru#sesshomaru x kagome#sesshomaru's mother#sesskag#sesskag fanfiction#sesskag fic#sesskag monthly prompt#fanfic#inuyasha fanfiction#inuyasha#rin inuyasha#shippo inuyasha#fanfiction challenge#writing prompt#fanfiction prompts#fyp#fanfiction#fypシ#fypage#tumblr fyp#sesskag fanfic#a writers blurbs#sesshome#sesshoumaru x kagome#lord sesshoumaru
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The Holidays and The Lonely Farmer
Part One
Next: Part Two
When the Farmer has been radio silent all Winter, Shane grows concerned and goes to the Farm to check on them.
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AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/52672798/chapters/133234471
Tags :
Gender Neutral Player (Stardew Valley) - Player Referred to as 'The Farmer' - Age Regression/De-Aging - Non-Sexual Age Play - Shane is Bad at Feelings (Stardew Valley) - Recovered/Recovering Shane (Stardew Valley) - sfw age regression - Age Regressor Farmer/Player - Shane Gets Therapy (Stardew Valley) - Soft Shane (Stardew Valley)
Also my first work :) Any Advice is appreciated
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The Farmer had arrived in Stardew Valley on the First of Spring three years ago and had become an integral part of the community. Throwing themselves wholeheartedly into every event, becoming close with all of the townsfolk (even those not so pleasant) and even fixed up the community centre. Something Mayor Lewis seemingly didn’t even attempt before the Farmer's heart of gold and go-lucky attitude.
Shane despite his stony exterior and general attitude had developed a soft spot for the farmer. Shane had been a mess for years but when things truly began to spiral out of control the Farmer was there to help him pick up the pieces, something he would forever be grateful for. When the Community Centre re-opened and Shane lost his job with Joja the Farmer helped him pick up an evening job in the Saloon, they helped him get sober and there’s not much else to do in the valley anyway and if he’s not gonna drink he might as well make some cash from it. The Farmer has become somewhat of a constant in Shane's life, not only his but Jas and Marnie’s also, frequenting the Ranch to give gifts to Jas and discuss the Farm with Marnie.
On the Farmer's third Winter in the Valley, they had gone silent. Nobody had seen or heard from them for the first week of Winter. When Shane brought it up in the Saloon Gus and the others brushed it off.
“There’s not much work for a Farmer in Winter, they deserve the break anyway.”
Still, unease sat in the pit of Shane's stomach.
Missing the Festival of Ice was something the Farmer hadn’t done before, but again was brushed off.
“Well, the shine of all these events has to wear off eventually, don’t worry they’ll show up.”
Shane tried to focus on polishing but the back of his mind couldn’t let it go.
Maybe they’re visiting family or friends in the city for the Winter, there’s no point causing a bother, especially for the Farmer, they do deserve the break. Shane lay in bed each night and told himself, it’s not like they’re best friends or anything. It would be weird to go knock down the door if they’re just trying to rest.
-
It’s only on the day of the Feast of the Winter Star that murmurs of concern begin amongst the others. The Farmer doesn’t come to collect their present and Shane doesn’t receive one. Mayor Lewis assures Marnie that he sent the invitation to the Farmer the same day as everyone else’s.
When the Feast ends, Shane gives both Marnie and Jas a hug and decides he’ll swing by the Farm to drop off the Farmer’s presents. Promising Marnie he would check on the farm animals also he sets off. Trudging through the thick snow to the farm and his heartbeat in his ears, Shane starts to catastrophise. At least that’s what his therapist says it is, really he’s just considering the possibilities.
The Farmer did always know what to say, that night at the pond, their first real conversation the farmer seemed to understand. It wasn’t just sadness in their eyes but an understanding Shane hadn’t seen before. Then on the cliff, the Farmer was there and wasn’t angry or upset with him but talked to him, listened and comforted. What if the Farmer didn’t just understand but related? What if the Farmer had spent all this time helping him while he neglected their problems? His boots started moving quicker in the snow.
Coming into the Farm his breath caught in his lungs. The pathing is cracked and the stone walls are practically collapsing, they don’t look like they have been maintained if not for weeks but for the entire season. The layer of snow on the front porch was thick enough to have been there for at least a week, with no sign of footsteps or shovelling. He places the Farmer's gift on the snowy steps and heads towards the Barn and Coop. Part of him knows he’s avoiding knocking in case something terrible has happened, the blood is still loud in his ears and the air is having difficulty getting to his lungs.
The Chickens don’t seem happy to see him, they squawk angrily at his touch, their food storage and water are full as well and the radiators are on. It’s clear that the Farmer hasn’t been in for a while, Shane picks up the eggs and feathers left on the floor and places them neatly into the chest at the door. He doesn’t count them for fear of knowing for sure how long it has been since the Farmer has been out. The Cows have much the same reaction to him, mooing unhappily and moving away from his touch. They have enough food and water also.
He hovers at the door of the barn, the longer he spends in here the longer it will be until he has to knock on the farmer's door. His chest is tight, and he berates himself for being selfish but still hesitates to leave the barn and move back towards the house.
From the porch, he can’t see anything inside of the house. The curtains are drawn tight enough that he can’t even see the light inside of the home. He knocks on the door. Nothing. He takes a step back and considers just heading home, maybe the Farmer isn’t in. After a couple of minutes too long he takes a deep breath and tries the handle.
-
The door creaks open loudly from disuse, Shanes's eyes have to adjust to the darkness of the house. The only light was a faint glow coming from under the door on his right. The dog Marnie gifted the farmer on their very first Spring is on the armchair in the corner and only blinks at him before drifting back to sleep. Shane places the present on the kitchen table and steps towards the door.
“Farmer… are you in there?” He says softly through the door, silence for a second and he feels his heart rate pick up. A small sniffling sound is heard, he almost couldn’t hear it over the sound of his heartbeat, “Hey, I’m coming in, okay?” Pushing the door open gently and taking a deep breath, Shane steps into the room not expecting the sight before him.
The Farmer, only lit by a soft lamp in the corner sitting in the middle of the bed clutching a soft stuffed bear that’s seen better days, a blanket draped over their shoulders and tears streaming down their face.
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Lock: the Mage of Cards - Prologue
The following is a work of fan fiction based on Sega Sammy Holding’s Sonic the Hedgehog™. by Joshua D. Tarwater and is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.* *SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS retains full rights over the Sonic the Hedgehog™ intellectual property and can terminate or take control of this work at any time.
Not all stories start from their beginnings. If it were so, then the tale of Lock, the Mage of Cards, would have begun some time before the mage first donned her distinctive purple dress. The beginning of her tale would have been found on some distant star in a past long forgotten, when a people lost their home to a great evil they would lead to this star, Lock’s home. An evil that she joined Sonic the Hedgehog in defeating when he inherited the battle of the Starfall Ancients. A battle when Lock first truly realized that her potential for magic far exceeded the beliefs of the struggling to remember who she really was Amy Rose. But while the beginning of the tale of Lock, the start of her story came after that battle, when Amy Rose sought out a means to train herself in the use of magic as part of her journey of self-refinement. And so it was in a waking nightmare that the adventures of Lock began.
The nightmare that Amy woke to was one of many sensations. Several of them were very wrong, but confusion and the darkness she woke to were at the forefront of her mind.
‘Ugh… what? What happened?’
The dazed thoughts of the girl were not particularly useful, but she could hardly collect her thoughts from the lingering trappings of sleep. A sleep Amy’s every instinct told her was not natural or welcomed. Much as she wanted to try and collect her thoughts on her instincts, her growing consciousness was growing equally distracted by the sensation of a delicate sheet of some kind against her face. She desired to pull it away, but her arms did not respond to her desires, and she grew frustrated. Turning her frustration to energy, Amy sat up as she swung her hips and waist in tandem.
‘Awah~!!’ the thought came rather than escaped as Amy discovered several problems that accompanied her upward swing. The most notable of these was her difficulty balancing as she could not extend her tail to counter her movement. ‘Eh~! Really! What’s happening!’
Under most circumstances, Amy would have voiced her frustrations and confusion, but she could not open her mouth and her voice refused to come out for even so much as a whimper. As her arms were still refusing to respond to her desires, Amy’s self-examination had to start with her unresponsive tail. Naturally, as it was unresponsive, her next choice of focus were her legs. Fortunately, at least at her hips, her legs responded, though they remained as unresponsive as her arms and tail from her knees down. Still, she could at least feel them all the way to her enclosed toes awkwardly flopping against the ground. It was not much movement however as something kept her thighs fast together, and the familiar feeling of tights against another fabric assured Amy she was likely wearing a mermaid style dress. The attire was a far cry from her usual red dress, but also the jumpstart her mind needed to remember what had happened.
‘That’s right, I was looking for a magic cloak to help me get better at using magic! The dumb thing wrapped me up, didn’t it!’
Whether she was right or not, Amy fully remembered that her current predicament began when she followed rumors of a magic cloak that could help the wearer train in magic. She was not expecting to have to battle it should she find it and was caught off guard when it engulfed her and stole her consciousness. Fully awake now though, Amy struggled to break free but found her impressive physical abilities were no match for the magical garment. Or more accurately cursed. But the potential for the garment being cursed did not spring to mind as her struggles revealed something far more chilling.
‘Eh… is my… is my tail gone…?’
It was not a question that took a lot to answer, and Amy’s adrenaline kept her panic at bay as she realized that she had indeed lost her tail, fully explaining the loss of balance she was dealing with. The absence of her tail, however, left her with a grim thought and she immediately fell onto her side. Her shoulder did not absorb the impact, the upper extreme of her ribs usually protected by the joint instead directly meeting the cold, hard surface she fell onto.
‘It’s… it’s GONE!!’ Amy’s thoughts exploded at the revelation of her missing limb, and she demonstrated impressive trunk strength as she flipped herself over and smashed her other armless side into the ground. ‘No way! They’re both gone!! So… I’m not tied up… it’s just that THIS STUPID CLOAK STOLE MY ARMS AND TAIL!!’
Shocked as Amy was, her anger overrode her situation and she struggled to rip the cloak with her legs so at least the mermaid dress form it had taken would not hamper her movements. It was futile as again the magic that the cloak was made of easily resisted her strength, and the useless state of her legs below her knees made any success meaningless.
‘It’s okay Amy,’ she tried to assure herself as she lay down on her back and stared up at the darkness beyond the cloth resting against her face. ‘You got into this mess so you can get out of it too. Even if you have to crawl like a worm to get help.’
The prospect was humiliating, but Amy had for a while forgotten why she had sought out the cloak that had transformed her into her currently helpless seeming state. Focusing solely on her physical abilities, she attempted to address her situation, only to realize the futility of any action in the dark.
‘I hope I haven’t gone blind too,’ Amy’s desperate whimper echoed within her own head, unable to escape. Very much like her as she felt a weight of some kind land on her chest and stare at her. ‘I’m really in trouble, aren’t I…?’
The terror of her situation, overwhelming as it was, did not assure the end of the pink hedgehog girl. She was, if anything, resilient and optimistic, full of more energy even in a state like this than most people could imagine exhibiting in a lifetime. Beyond that, she had sought out the transformative cloak to improve her ability to wield magic. That combination would be enough to allow her to save herself to a degree, and the evidence of her survival arrived at the home of the Rabbit family.
“Mother!” a young rabbit girl cheerfully cried out as she skipped into the living room of the Rabbit family home. She was carrying an envelope above her head and waved it enthusiastically. It’s a letter from Amy!”
“Is that so, Cream?” Vanilla the Rabbit asked with a calm demeanor as she wiped her hands on her apron and moved to intercept her excited daughter.
It had been some time since they had heard from Amy who had hurried off on some adventure or another after inviting Cream along to at least see her off. Something had happened to her on her last adventure with world famous hero and adventurer, Sonic the Hedgehog, and she was eager to share a story about a pair of lovers whose love transcended time as well as see to refining herself into a far better version of herself. Vanilla had offered to help Amy with any such refinements, but the hedgehog girl wouldn’t hear of it, claiming it was something she had to do for herself. Not one to hold back the girl who gleefully chased after Sonic and his adventures, Vanilla did not push the matter. However, the lack of communication from Amy in a fair while had made Cream start to worry, and though Vanilla was sure Amy was fine, seeing Cream beam at a letter from her best friend brought a smile to the mother rabbit’s face.
“Shall I read it Cream?” Vanilla offered as she took a seat in her favorite chair with her daughter scrambling into her lap.
“Yes please, Mother!” Cream requested excitedly as the family chao, Cheese and Chocola drifted over on curious wings.
“Very well,” Vanilla allowed herself a chuckle as she accepted the envelope from Cream and opened up. “Oh my!”
“What’s the matter Mother?” Cream asked at the surprise her mother expressed while turning through the pages of the letter.
“I’m not quite sure Cream, but it would seem that Amy forgot to actually write anything in her excitement.”
Amy Rose was an excitable girl on the cusp of being a young woman and it would be no surprise if she had managed something so silly. Cream, however, did not look convinced as Vanilla took note of the envelope the blank paper had arrived in.
“My, there isn’t even anything on the envelope. However did the delivery person know to bring it here?”
“Mother, I don’t understand,” Cream confessed her confusion as she looked back at her befuddled mother. “Our address is right on the letter, and I can recognize Amy’s handwriting from here.”
“Wha–?” Vanilla asked, growing even more confused. “I don’t believe that my eyes are going bad.”
A moment of unusual silence punctuated the confusion of the Rabbit family and Vanila could not be sure that Cream wasn’t making the whole thing up. Not wanting to upset her daughter and having a funny feeling she couldn’t quite place, she decided instead of chastising her daughter to hand her the letter. “Perhaps you can read Amy’s letter for us instead Cream.”
“Are you sure?’ Cream questioned with a worried look for her mother.
Vanilla offered Cream a reassuring smile as she assured her daughter, “Of course. It’s for you after all.”
“Okay!” Cream nodded her head and smiled brightly back at her mother before reading the letter in front of her.
~Hi Cream!~ The letter began cheerfully enough and brought an air of calm to the young rabbit that Vanilla hadn’t seen in some time.
‘Perhaps it really is best to let her work herself through it.’
“I’m so sorry I haven’t been in touch,” Cream continued reading the letter aloud, oblivious to her mother’s thoughts and concerns.
~But you wouldn’t believe the mess I’ve landed myself into this time! I mean, I’ve been in some bad spots before, but I was sure that after what happened to me on the Starfall Islands that nothing could surprise me. I was so~ wrong! I bet you’d be surprised to, but just that I wrote this letter with magic should be surprising enough.~
“Magic?” Vanilla expressed her curiosity with a tilt of her head.
“That’s what Amy says,” Cream insisted, a hint of her mother’s disbelief wedging its way into her consciousness and twisting her tone to something more forceful.
“I actually hope it works and that I’m not the only one who can see it,” Cream continued reading the letter, the words seeming a direct challenge to Vanilla’s disbelief.
~It’d be such a waste too since I get so tired using magic. It’s so funny too since I normally have so much energy, but using magic really takes it out of me right now. I’m getting better with some of the things I can use it for, but the less familiar I am with using magic the more exhausting it is and the easier I fall asleep. I’ve been falling asleep at the most inconvenient of times and I’m probably going to end up falling asleep on the floor as soon as I finish. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine. A little sleep is all I need, and it’s not like I have a choice. It’s too complicated using magic to manipulate a pen and my handwriting looks dreadful. And I tire myself out faster that way too. Ooh~! It’d be so much easier if I had my–~
“Cream, what’s the matter?” Vanilla prodded her daughter as Cream came to a trembling halt in her reading. A look of utter dread had settled onto her features and tears were welling in her eyes at whatever it was she saw on the blank paper.
“I-it’s Amy, Mother,” Cream was on the verge of crying and could barely control herself. “She lost her arms!!”
~I hope that doesn’t scare you too much Cream. I’m not sure what happened, but I really am alright. I can’t use my hammer for more than a seat right now, but that’s not a bad thing since using magic to move around is pretty tiring too and it’s better than sitting on the ground. Don’t worry though Cream, I still have my legs at least. At least I’m sure I do. I can feel this cloak pressing them together and my feet are sticking out the bottom where it parts.
~Oh right, the cloak! Everything will make a lot more sense if I explain that first.
~Well, while I was on the Starfall Islands I kind of stumbled upon the idea that I might be a lot better at magic than I would have ever guessed, so when I heard rumors of a way to train more efficiently, I ran headlong after it. I’m supposed to be trying to refine myself, yet here I am running straight into trouble as always. And it’s so much too. You see Cream, I found this really pretty purple cloak with a stary sky pattern at the bottom, but when I touched it, it wrapped me up and I blacked out. When I woke up It was wrapped around me so tight there was no sign of my arms or that it ever was a cloak rather than a dress. It’s collar totally wrapped around the bottom of my head too and covered up my mouth. I can’t say anything, and my voice isn’t coming out either.
~Actually, now that I think about it, just like my arms I don’t actually feel my mouth. Hold on, let me just check…~
“It’s alright Cream,” Vanilla found herself comforting Cream for a second time as Amy’s letter detailed her coming to the realization that despite her face being full, she seemed to lack a mouth of any kind and had no real way to check since she seemed to have been deprived of her tongue and lips in addition to any jaw functionality. Unpleasant as it was to read, Vanilla had more luck calming Cream down this time as there was no nasty spat between the mother and daughter as had happened the first time. Vanilla’s doubt and Amy’s lacking arms was too much and when she chastised her daughter Cream’s emotions and terror at Amy’s condition revealed that the girl’s emotions were anything but an act.
“But I will have to have a stern word with Amy when next she visits,” Vanilla spoke aside to her comforting of her daughter. “I have no doubt that Amy is quite overwhelmed herself by her situation, but she forgets that Cream is still so young and not at all prepared for such awful stories.”
~It’s a good thing I figured out how to use magic to feed myself. That was the scariest part of this whole adventure. I really thought I was going to die until I figured it out. But it’s not satisfying at all, and I can’t wait until I figure this all out and can enjoy one of Vanilla’s homecooked meals with you again. Even if I could actually eat though, it wouldn’t be good to visit since this silly cloak grows really dangerous giant thorns anytime anyone gets close. I feel like a little kid who can’t keep her spines down!~
“What’s wrong this time Cream?” Vanilla asked as Cream paused, her tone of voice turning confused as she read Amy’s letter.
“I don’t understand mother, doesn’t Amy use that super hair relaxer because she can’t get her spines to cooperate?” Cream asked as she looked back at Vanilla.
Vanilla donned a strained smile as she tried not to let her daughter know that her words would have stabbed Amy deep had she heard them. She could not dispute her daughter’s blunt observation however as the Rabbit family home had become home to more than one bottle of the product in question due to Amy’s frequent stays. And there was no doubt that Amy loved the product as Vanilla had caught her on more than one occasion fretting dramatically over what she would do if they ever stopped making it. She both wanted to look cute for Sonic no less not stab him by accident. The super hair relaxer made her quite confident with the idea of being held in Sonic’s arms snuggly and her silly daydreams would quickly get the better of her.
‘Still, sometimes I wonder if Amy is ashamed of being a hedgehog,’ Vanilla allowed her thoughts to wander a moment. ‘She seems to reject her own nature at every opportunity, and it couldn’t possibly be healthy for her. Perhaps there is still some of this refinement that she seeks that I can help her with after all.’
~That’s really the big problem however,~ Amy’s letter continued, ~is just that I think this cloak really was what I was looking for. Due to all the curses on it I’m completely dependent on magic for everything. Eating, moving, writing a letter, and probably a lot more I haven’t figured out yet.
~It’s just so hard sometimes. I haven’t figured out how to talk with anyone and the veil that showed up with this weird transformation doesn’t seem to let anyone see my face, though I can see them just fine. The hat that came with it isn’t much help either. It’s surprisingly alive, and I think it’s supposed to help me, but all it ever seems to do is pull me into more trouble and get itself into nothing but trouble. Maybe it’s cursed too. The weird Ring-shaped locks that are all over me are on it too. At least two of them to go with the five on me. I’m sure if I can find the keys for them, I can get free and return back to normal, but I’m actually kind of scared to go looking for them.
~The only hint I think I have to them is this weird red string coming out of the keyhole of the Ring on my chest. I think if I follow it, it might lead me to the keys, but you know, whenever I look at it twirling around me, I can’t help but think of the Red String of Fate that ties me and Sonic together. I don’t want to follow it straight to Sonic. I’m not ready to see him yet. I’m supposed to be a lot more refined when I see him, not in a pitiful state like this. So, I think I’ll continue my adventures like this for a while longer and keep getting better at magic until I can find ways around these awful curses that have taken most of my ability to use my body away from me. I’ll try to get better at writing letters too, so you don’t have to worry. Though, I’ve spotted people taking my picture, though not always before this hat goes after them, so if you look up my appearance on the net with Gemerl’s help maybe you’ll see me in this silly dress that has me feeling like a mermaid. Ooh~! I don’t care how pretty it looks, everyone is complimenting it and not me! It’s not even my style!~
“It really is pretty!” Cream breathed a wow sometime later after Vanilla had managed to contact Tails who with Gemerl’s eyes acting as a projector had a number of photos on a wall in the Rabbit family home.
Just like it had been described in Amy’s letter, a girl in a purple mermaid style dress which had its top obscured by a veil adorned the wall several times over. The stary night appearance of the bottom of her dress which flared out from just after a slit began in the dress was shared by the flats that she wore on her feet as well as the underside of the purple witch’s hat that appeared to be attacking the photographer in many of the pictures. In a few of those the purple flat cap atop the girl’s head that the veil was attached to along with a decorative gold chain and two large purple gems hanging from it like earrings was visible. But any defining features were absent save the Ring-shaped locks about her. One per foot, another dangling from the tip of the hat joined by a tiny one on the hatband, the one on her chest and two floating in the air at her sides where her arms would have once dangled. Tails wasn’t sure if he should feel sick to his stomach seeing his good friend like this or just relieved that she seemed okay regardless of her situation. Gemerl, lacking the emotional context of the horror of the scene stated its final conclusion flatly.
“Ninety-seven percent probability of being Amy Rose,” the android stated and made Tails jump.
“What? Really? How can you be sure? There isn’t anything we can use to identify her!”
“Incorrect,” Gemerl, stated. “Despite the matching appearance to her veil and dress, her tights are not opaque based on the difference in lighting per photograph.”
“Of course!” Tails exclaimed and busily set to work on his Miles Electric table. “If you account for material stretch and filter out the color range… There! You get the exact shade of pink of Amy’s fur!”
“Which can be DNA matched to within acceptable parameters for that shade combined with her height and figure to determine a 97 percent match. However, a margin of error must be accounted for as in addition to her missing appendages, she seems to have lost around an additional 17% of her body weight.”
“That’s horrible!” Cream gasped! “She’s withering away!”
“Actually, I think that’s normal for Amy,” Tails laughed and scratched at the back of head. “She’ll go on unhealthy diets at the drop of a hat and shrivel up in no time. If she has to use magic to sustain herself…”
Tails didn’t finish the thought as the word magic didn’t feel right in his mouth. “I guess I couldn’t really say,” Tails sighed. “I’m more of a tech guy and haven’t encountered magic before like Sonic has.”
“But we can’t get Mr. Sonic involved, Cream insisted. “Amy begged us not to.” Like Tails, Cream was aware of Sonic’s stories of being whisked away to worlds of magic and could not argue that he would be more help than any of them.
“I don’t believe it’s just Mr. Sonic,” Vanilla added, even as she made no attempt to hide the concern in her voice for Amy. She was not the only one who was so offput by Amy’s appearance, but she was the one who also had to speak up as the adult on Amy’s behalf. “She said she wants to refine herself, and everything in that letter implies this terrible curse she’s under is helping her do just that. It’s normal to worry for her but…”
“You’re right," Tails agreed, though he looked away and clenched his fist. “We all agreed we’d spend time doing our own thing and getting our own feet under us. It’s just…”
“But she’s Amy, Tails,“ Vanilla assured the two-tailed fox boy who was Sonic’s frequent companion. “She took the time to write Cream, to assure her that she was fine, so we know that she is.”
“Yeah…,” Tails attempted a smile as he looked at the pictures still projected by Gemerl’s eyes. Not seeing Amy’s smile in kind though was not comforting and he could only wonder where Cream found the faith in her friend to stand so resolute as she too looked at the pictures of who they all believed to be the hedgehog girl.
And they were not wrong.
Sunlight near blinded Amy as the purple witch’s hat suddenly blew off of her face where she had fallen asleep in the back of an open bed truck hauling hay.
‘I guess this is where today’s adventure begins.’ Arching her back to stretch out what muscles she had control over without magic, Amy only lingered in the hay a moment longer. Soon, she was airborne and twirling like an acrobat, or as close an approximation as possible dressed as she was, a number of the fortune cards she kept with her twirling around her. As she descended and landed on her feet, only one did not disappear and continued to swirl around her allowing her to stand at all.
Noticing the hat that was her only company stuck in a tree, Amy sighed through her nose. ‘You really are helpless.’
Disapproving as her thoughts were, Amy’s green eyes were smiling behind her veil. She had left the truck in a rather perilous stretch of a mountain path, and it would take everything she knew of magic and likely more to see herself back to safety.
‘Hee-hee,’ she laughed to herself in her thoughts. ‘I think I’m finally understanding why you’re always looking for ways to challenge yourself Sonic.
‘Just you wait Sonic! When I get out of this mess, there’s no way you’ll recognize me with how much I’ve grown. I just know you’ll regret it!’
Though her tone to herself was confident, Amy still spied a nervous glance at the red thread entwined around her in the air. The end opposite of where it emerged from the magical keyhole on her chest was what she primarily sought, and when she confirmed where it was pointing, she promptly traveled in the opposite direction, a handful of fortune cards appearing in orbit around her to help her levitate along. Her path was not in the service of helping the hat that followed her however and it had to rescue itself to chase after her. Of little surprise to Amy, it was not so sluggish in its self-rescue attempt as to not be able to send the hedgehog girl tumbling into more trouble and her next adventure. One she hoped would steer her clear of Sonic for a while longer. However, there were some events in life that were unavoidable, such as the necessity of an umbrella to stay dry in the rain.
Even in light rain making use of an umbrella was ever advisable. Most people about in the isolated mountain village that Amy found herself in did exactly that as they scurried about under the dampening gray skies. Holding an umbrella in hand was impossible for Amy as she sat on an iron bench. A lack of arms made that task unfavorably difficult.
Despite her purple attire, especially the witch’s hat upon her crown, Amy did not stick out in the least. Her invisibility was of little concern to her at that moment. Her current situation was the result of a curse born from the dress she wore. Rather, the cloak that had fused itself shut to her and did things unknown to her arms and tail. Her mouth fared no better, its position hidden behind where the cloak’s collar had completely obscured her muzzle save her nose. It was completely absent as far as she could tell due to a lack of any feeling or even a sense of tongue to feel around for it. Her lips were as absent, and her voice no longer existed. Communication and even movement were impossible for her under normal circumstances due to the curses affiliated with each of the Keyhole Rings adorning her and it was consuming her thoughts. But not fully.
Despite the curses of the Rings on her feet stealing away her use of her legs, Amy could still at least attempt to move her thighs, torso, and neck. Her situation was not hopeless however, even as that rainy morning’s attempts to move her thighs barely managed a nigh fused rubbing together of her upper legs just due to the tightness with which the cloak had fused to her. Even knowing what she should be doing, she did not give up on her physical abilities.
‘Use a little magic to try and help out on the Starfall Islands and get it into your head that you can learn to really use it,” Amy’s thoughts still took umbrage against her own actions. But her thoughts did not give credit to her desire to refine herself after the events on those untouched islands where a world ending entity once was sealed. But she did not dwell on her dissatisfaction either, instead putting every ounce of effort she could into working what leg muscles she could.
‘C’mon Amy, you may be getting better at using the same tricks you did on Ouranos, but you can’t give up on using your body either. It wouldn’t do me any good to get out of this mess and not be able to use it without magic either. If that happened, I’d be better off just staying like this.’
Her thoughts were born of a frustration that had been plaguing her for longer than she could figure out in that moment. ‘How long has it been anyway? I think I might actually be forgetting what it even felt like to have arms!’
A bit of panic settling in, Amy looked up and watched the villagers going about their morning, putting their hands and arms to any number of uses. Holding umbrellas and bicycle handles, taking hold of groceries and exchanging goods, giving handshakes and hugs. Watching a couple embrace caused a sharp pain to course through Amy’s body that she winced at with her all. Her eyes started to water, and she had to keep from sniffling so as not to compromise her ability to breathe. ‘How long has it been since I talked to anyone, no less shared a hug?’
Trying to imagine reaching out with the arms she once had to hug someone, Amy’s efforts were met with the sudden appearance of the last two of the seven Keyhole Rings that adorned her body. These two floated in the air at her sides where her arms would have been, and for a moment she stared at them in wide-eyed surprise.
‘Did they disappear? When did that happen!’
Her emotions betraying her control of what magic she had managed to learn, one of Amy’s fortune cards answered her distress and appeared from thin air, swirling around her, and causing her to jump to her feet. The motion dislodged the witch’s hat, but Amy hardly cared for that as her sudden jump required her to actively control the spell that summoned the card to keep her hovering just a few centimeters off the ground before her curse disabled feet proved useless and left her to fall. It might have been better at that moment she thought to herself though as her action combined with her unobserved state put her on a crash course with an oblivious passerby. The collision itself would have bothered her, but she could not allow it as the cloak would not either and she saw the first thorn start to grow from it that prevented her from even making physical contact with others.
Not allowing it to happen, Amy summoned another fortune card and threw herself backwards onto the bench. She miscalculated the amount of magic she needed and banged her head loudly on the backrest. Her eyes started to water as her vision blurred and her ears rang, but she still pleaded for the safety of the villager.
‘Just keep walking.’
Amy’s thoughts naturally went unheard, but the banging of her skull was an entirely different matter and the hapless passerby stopped to see what the sound was. They saw nothing, however, as Amy focused on keeping herself invisible, a spell that came to her strangely naturally. It also meant that they did not see the lethally long thorns that had grown from the cloak, more continuing to stretch out as Amy struggled to wriggle down the bench and away from the villager. Yet, she could see, even as far down as the flaring end of the cloak, more thorns stretching out of the fabric towards the threat to her isolation. Before anything terrible could happen though, with a shrug the villager continued walking and Amy sighed heavily through her nose as she watched the thorns recede back into the rest of the cloak, making their appearance seem as unlikely as the sun in the night sky.
‘That was too close.’
Sitting back up, Amy sighed again as the witch’s hat suddenly plopped itself back upon her head. Amy paid it hardly any heed though as she leaned back, even as it slid down and into her eyes. She had no control over it, and as far as she could tell it was hapless beyond its ability to always find its way back onto her head.
‘It’s not like I can just let you go either,’ Amy directed her thoughts towards the hat. ‘Two of the Keyhole Rings are on you and if I don’t get them unlocked, I won’t break all of the curses. Though, I wonder if you’re what stole my mouth or the Ring on my chest.’
Looking down at her chest, Amy’s attention did not linger on the Keyhole Ring for long. Instead, it was the red thread that emerged from it that took hold of attention. ‘The red thread of fate…’
While there were many meanings to that phrase, to a hopeless romantic like Amy it meant that on the other end was her destined lover. It was an easy belief to have considering the origin of the end that touched her was above her heart, but she could not see the other end. The string simply faded off, though she had noted that it did surely point somewhere and moved on its own. This simply reinforced her belief though that on the other end was Sonic the Hedgehog, as she had been once told by her fortune cards that the two were destined.
‘It’s only right that Sonic would hold the key to my heart,’ Amy mused and swooned at the idea of being freed by Sonic before shaking her head violently.
‘No, no, no Amy! You can’t go see Sonic like this. You’re anything but more refined. You’re just a mess right now and Sonic getting involved could be disastrous for him. You’re dealing with curses after all you dummy!’
She would have clapped her face between her hands if she still had them, but instead had to deal with her mounting frustration at her helplessness. Her helplessness and worsening loneliness.
‘Maybe I should try writing Cream again,’ Amy contemplated as she absently summoned a fortune card to take her to her feet once more. ‘I don’t know if she can even see the words I cast onto the paper but writing her helps me feel less lonely and I could use the company thinking about her brings.’
Her mind made up on her next course of action, Amy allowed her body to be pulled through the air by the fortune card that orbited her. Hearing a familiar voice though stopped her in her tracks.
“Come on boys!” The rambunctiously loud voice of Vector the Crocodile, head of the Chaotix Detective agency, ordered the ninja dressed purple chameleon and pilot hat wearing bee that accompanied him. “We can’t be getting distracted by the local specialties! We’re in the middle of a job.”
“Say’s the one stopping at every food stall in town,” the chameleon countered.
“Come on, Espio,” Vector attempted to plead and bargain as he shifted the blame. “Charmy’s been wanting to try the sweets and it’s not like I can say no to him.”
“Yeah!” Charmy chipped in excitedly. “The sweets here are really good and you’re missing out!”
“Are we not on a case?” Espio inquired with heavy exasperation.
‘The Chaotix?! Why are they here?!’
Surprised was putting it lightly at how shocked Amy was to see the detectives. They normally took on small jobs that did not see them far from their office in Central City, so appearing in a remote mountain village was anything but expected. It was to a degree that it was alarming, and Amy’s thoughts began to race.
‘They’re not looking for me, right? Would Cream or Vanilla have asked them to? No. Maybe. But I asked not to be helped. I’m supposed to be refining myself, and learning to use magic so I can find the keys to undo these locks will definitely be part of that. But if they find me and interrupt my journey. Well, no, they shouldn’t be able to, I can turn invisible via magic and even Espio shouldn’t be able to find me. But what if they are just passing through? It wouldn’t hurt to say hi, right? Augh! What are you thinking Amy! You don’t have a mouth or any arms to say hi with! And it’s not like they can see it’s you in here! You’d just confuse them if you went up to them like this! And what if they are here because Cream and Vanilla don’t think you can handle this! You’d be throwing in the towel just to say hi when you can’t! That’s one thing I can’t do! I won’t give up just because I want to actually be recognized by someone and not feel so lonely! Even if I’m really, really, lonely!’
The conflict in Amy’s head was revolving and it seemed unlikely that she could make up her mind on her own. Yet, despite the odds she did reach a decision.
‘Ooh~! What can it hurt! You can always just run away if things don’t work out!’
Her mind finally made up, Amy braced herself for anything and nodded her head with fierce determination.
‘Eh?’
As she looked up, Amy paused and took in the scene around her. The rain had long stopped, and the parting clouds revealed that the sun had moved to kiss the horizon on its way to its nightly slumber. There was no sign of the Chaotix, and the villagers were well on their way to preparing for the evening themselves.
‘Wait…,’ Amy weakly pleaded as her stomach rumbled at her, a consequence of the whole day passing and using magic to keep herself upright. ‘That’s not fair…’
Shaken by her indecision paralyzing her for an entire day, Amy tried to reach out to where she had seen Vector, Espio, and Charmy. Again, the Keyhole Rings at her sides appeared, serving as a cruel reminder of the curse that took her arms.
‘Stop it,’ Amy begged, but the Rings simply persisted until she gave up her attempt to reach to where none she knew stood. Then, they disappeared as surely as her arms and the memories of what it actually felt like to have them.
A tear fell to the ground from under Amy’s veil, followed by another and another, but no wailing to free her heart from the barbed wire pain that entangled it. The need to have her heart freed of its pain though gave her pause and Amy watched the red string that swirled in the air around her.
She knew better than to give in to that desire. Seeking Sonic was the worst possible thing she could do. If he saw her like this, it could result in the absolute worst outcome. The thoughts of the Koco whose love story she watched come to an end on the Starfall Islands and set her on her path of self-refinement flooded her mind as their reckless end very well threatened to be a foretelling of her and Sonic’s own if she did not refine herself. Yet the excessive sleep she needed to recover from using her magic, nor the dread of absorbing nutrients from her environment via magic, combined with that knowledge prevented Sonic the Hedgehog from standing across from the cursed mage in a clearing in some distant wood.
“What?” Sonic asked in surprise as the purple clad mage appeared after a flash of lightning. The ominous, almost threatening visage put Sonic on guard as the rain came thundering down.
“Is there something I can do for you?’ Sonic asked warily, rubbing the underside of his nose with his pointer finger as he felt a sneeze coming on that he was certain was warning him of danger rather than his hay fever. Especially in the violent downpour that was turning the ground quickly to mud underfoot.
Naturally, Amy could not respond, she could do nothing more than stare at Sonic as her heart absolutely screamed in anguish, paralyzing her where her orbiting fortune card kept her aloft. In the darkness brought on by the storm Sonic could not help but notice the magically alight card.
“Wait a minute,” Sonic muttered as he noticed the design on the back of the card and recognized it almost immediately.
The familiarity of the card drew Sonic to check for other familiar features. There was not much facing the nearly fully covered mage before him, but in the downpour the witch’s hat upon their crown had its brim forced down revealing the pink-furred hedgehog ears that escaped through the holes in its sides. Those ears in combination with the fortune card all but assured Sonic who was standing before him, but before he could seek clarification, he noted the red string that was pointing directly at his left pinky finger and that the mage before him had no arms. Faced with this additional information, the tone of his question changed dramatically.
“Amy?”
As her name left his lips, the curse on the veil that hid Amy’s eyes from the world failed before Sonic. Her distraught green eyes became readily visible to him, the force of the rain no longer being enough to obscure how violently she was trembling from head to toe. Only the tears that drenched her face were hidden still by the rain.
“Amy!” Sonic repeated and took a firm step forward. “What happened!”
In the next moment, too many things happened. Knowing what the cloak would do to Sonic if he approached her terrified Amy and she attempted to retreat from Sonic’s sudden approach. But her heart completely betrayed her and the reality of Sonic reaching out for her was enough to break even her absent-minded concentration and her fortune card vanished leaving her to fall backwards into the mud. Her loss of balance was all Sonic needed to forget the danger his nose was warning him about and he dashed forward to catch Amy, his world-famous sound surpassing speed leaving a boom that reverberated with the thunder. Amy could only look on in abject horror as she knew in the mud there would be no way for Sonic to stop himself from being pierced by the inevitable thorn that would greet him. Not wanting to see her own terror reflected in Sonic’s shocked eyes, she squeezed hers fast.
‘How could I?’ Amy accused herself, her heart feeling like it was being pulled in countless directions unable to resist the horror she befell upon the one she loved with every fiber of her being. ‘I knew this would happen if I kept acting without thinking! I’M SO SORRY SONIC!!’
She knew her apology would never reach Sonic, trapped inside her head as it was, and that he would never reach her. Yet, as she splashed down in the mud, she did not feel the impact or the weight from Sonic’s direction that she expected. Hearing his voice though, Amy forced her eyes open as she turned away so as not to see what she feared awaited her.
“Amy?” Sonic asked with surprise, the sword like purple thorn with the stary night at its tip just coming up short of his throat, seeking him from Amy’s chest. Amy could not fathom how Sonic had stopped, the sneeze that marked the peak of his danger sense going off and accomplishing the impossible going unheard over the rain and thunder. The confusion in Sonic’s emerald eyes though only deepening the regret, self-loathing, and fear in hers.
“Maybe instead of trying to impale me you could try telling me what this is all about?”
‘This isn’t what I wanted… this isn’t what was supposed to happen…!’
The story being told by Amy’s eyes failed to make anything clearer, instead muddying further the bizarreness of the situation for Sonic. “What is going through that head of yours Amy? Say something!”
The one demand she could not fulfill no matter how badly she wanted to. The growing concern and anger in Sonic’s eyes. The thought of him discovering her helplessness. The fact that she almost ended his life. That her heart betrayed her. It was suddenly far more than Amy could handle and a storm of fortune cards exploded around her launching her backwards and away from Sonic. Not waiting for Sonic to reorient himself and have the chance to stop her retreat, Amy dropped to the ground and another torrent of fortune cards appeared as she launched herself even higher into the air, twirling like an acrobat as she held her body straight as a pike. She refused to risk landing again and at least two dozen more fortune cards swirled into being around her, forming two rotating rings that kept her airborne and moving away from Sonic.
“Hey! You’re not getting away that easily without telling me what’s going on!”
Hearing Sonic yell angrily at her was like being hit by a towering ocean wave and being knocked out of her own body. The terror of what that could possibly mean erased any possibility of rational thought in consideration of Sonic’s actions. Seeing him ricocheting off tree branches to catch up to her only deepened her fear.
‘No! He’ll catch up in no time like this! Think Amy! There has to be a way to go fast enough to at least give you a chance to get away!’
Though too panicked to think rationally about Sonic’s reaction, Amy’s mind desperate from adrenaline and a need to travel as fast or faster than Sonic pulled her mind back to the Starfall Islands. It was where her journey to master her magic began, and in the need to go as quickly as possible to help Sonic she had developed another way to use her cards for movement.
Ceasing to use her magic to keep herself upright, Amy switched to relying on the strength she had in her torso as she summoned her Piko Piko Hammer and landed on it sidesaddle style. She did not ride the hammer to the ground though, her fortune cards raced to swirl like a wheel around her and her hammer rather than a ring orbiting her waist. The pause in the moment it took to align everything nearly gave Sonic a chance to risk the thorns once again emerging from the cloak, but then Amy was propelled forward in sound shattering burst of speed. Sonic could not begin his pursuit immediately as he first had to land and find his footing in the mud. Fortunately, the light given off by Amy’s cards pointed him in the right direction and he flew as fast as he could across the muddy ground. It was too slick though to match Amy’s magical retreat in speed and Sonic took to leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk with much greater success. To terrifying success from Amy’s perspective as her impromptu magical vehicle lacked any descent control and she was wildly drifting around trees as Sonic rapidly closed in on her. If not for the sudden cliff it would have been impossible for Amy to have gotten away.
“No~!” Sonic started to yell as he overshot Amy as she relinquished her magical chariot and started to fall. Twisting in the air to catch where she would land, Sonic was unprepared as the night sky suddenly blocked his vision. “Gah!”
It hardly took even an instant for Sonic to wrestle the witch’s hat free from his face and toss it away, but there was no sign of Amy as he scanned the forest below him. Looking back toward the hat out of desperation, Sonic was shocked to see that it too had already vanished. Shocked as he was though, he still took the time to focus on landing safely. But even from ground level there was no sign of Amy or the hat, Amy’s magic allowing for a trackless retreat.
Sonic was upset about his failure to catch Amy for several reasons, his pride as the world’s fastest hedgehog letting another hedgehog get away from him in a race among them. More important than his pride though, was his confusion and concern for Amy. In a last desperate bid to get her to explain, he screamed out her name into the storm.
He did not expect that months would pass, and that Amy of all people would become just another part of his life not to look back on. But he could not stop living his life for one regret. He could only move forward, no matter how much it hurt to have failed to have done anything. It was thus a shock when the Rabbit family contacted him desperate for his help. It was even more shocking when they were the ones who had the answers behind Amy’s actions on that stormy night so long ago now.
“That–,” Sonic began to make a remark about Amy as he pinched his brow with the hand of the same arm of which the elbow propped him up at the Rabbit family table, but a warning look from Vanilla kept his words clean, “–dummy.”
Even as clean as he kept his language, Sonic’s anger was apparent to Vanilla’s young daughter, and Cream fidgeted nervously as she risked asking the bristly hedgehog a question.
“Is it that bad Mr. Sonic?”
“Probably worse,” Sonic sighed as he glared at the collection of blank sheets of paper Cream held. They were letters written in magic that only the rabbit who was Amy’s best friend could read. To all others they were just blank sheets of paper, but this was not Sonic’s first time dealing with magic. Having faced the cursed, novice mage, Sonic could clearly sense Amy’s magic on the paper. He was angry with himself for having not figured it out that night and clicked his tongue.
“Even worse than how Amy describes the curses she has?” Cream asked, visibly shaken from the fresh imagery Amy’s writing invoked and Sonic’s anger. Sonic noticed how upset Cream was getting and offered her a smile.
“She definitely wasn’t doing good like you. Great job making it through those scary letters for me!”
“Of course!” Cream beamed at Sonic’s praise and the thumbs-up he flashed her. Vanilla was not leaning in the direction of agreement to praising Cream for nearly traumatizing herself reading the contents of the letters that Amy had been sending and how they described her experience with the curses placed upon her. Noticing the mother rabbit’s expression, Sonic pushed the discussion forward. He wanted to anyway as learning what he did since the Rabbit family asked him for help when the letters stopped coming for months made him want to once again find the pink hedgehog girl he used to not be able to shake.
“The problem is that Amy thinking these curses can help her get better at magic is too naïve. Speaking from personal experience, being cursed isn’t fun, and they only get worse the longer they hang around. I wouldn’t be in anywhere near as great of shape if not for a good friend who helped me back then.”
“Can this friend of yours help Amy, in light of you finding her first?” Vanilla asked hoping to remind Sonic why she had called him there.
“Probably,” Sonic answered Vanilla as he began scratching inside his ear with his pinky finger. He felt bad knowing he was going to have to extinguish the light that appeared in Cream’s eyes at the hope for her best friend, but he still pulled his finger free of his ear and blew on it. “Unfortunately, I can’t just get in touch with her. Amy is probably going to try to keep avoiding me too. She probably can’t shake the image of that one Koco couple she tried to help back on the Starfall Islands. She already compared one of them to herself, and she’s probably plugged me into the role of the other. She doesn’t want us to go through the same thing and wants to refine herself to do it. It’s too much for her though. These curses aren’t just hiding her from the world, they’re cutting off everything she is all so she can focus on learning magic. Even being Amy and her being able to accomplish those things only she can…”
“Then you’ll find her and help her, right Mr. Sonic!” Cream shouted, desperate to hear good news about Amy. Sonic smiled to her again and placed a hand on her head as he stood up.
“You bet,” Sonic offered a reassuring thumbs up yet again. “Amy owes me a race too, so I have to find her and prove her getting away was a stroke of pure luck.”
Pure luck was going to be something that Sonic needed if he were even to get a lead. Since his encounter no one had even seen the purple clad mage. The idea that on that night she had retreated from one polar hemisphere to the other to get away from him was unfathomable. That the amount of magic she used to accomplish the hours upon hours long feat on top of having escaped from him in the first place left her in a state of hibernation since would have been even more shocking. Yet, to Amy who had not realized how far she had traveled and how long she had slept, the season seemed the same and as far as she could tell she had simply slept a night and not for months. The absolute absence of life in the forest below the mountain cave she exited left her feeling extremely guilty.
‘I guess I was hungry, and nothing would stay where it was to become fuel for a mage.’ Summoning her trusty hammer, Amy sat on the head and began her morning routine of rubbing her thighs together. The task was performed in absent-minded habit as her thoughts were elsewhere.
‘I really messed up,’ Amy thought as she sighed, though the long sleep had left her emotions far less volatile. ‘I bet Sonic thinks I hate him after that.’
Looking at the red string that still twirled around her, Amy was not so sure. “Well, at least we still share a destiny even if he does. I wonder if an apology will be enough to at least make Sonic forget about me instead of hating me.’
Tears fell from Amy’s eyes, and she tilted her head back so they would not become like raindrops upon the cloak that bound her. The gray sky above threatened to accomplish that outcome if she failed regardless, and Amy’s brow furrowed as though she were smiling wryly.
‘Meanie,’ she thought to herself before turning her attention back to herself. ‘Well, I have to apologize no matter what. Sonic deserves to know what happened, even if that’s the end of our destiny. Even if it means he’ll never be the key to my heart so I can get free. It’s not like I remember my arms or voice anymore anyway. I doubt even unlocking the Keyhole Rings where my arms would be would bring them back. Where would they even go? They’d be crushed and that’d be worse than not having them.’
She wanted to laugh and cry both at the idea, but without her mouth or voice, she could only shed more tears as the first raindrops began to fall. Not wanting just to cry, Amy shifted her thoughts and looked down at the Keyhole Rings on her feet.
“I wonder, if that’s the case, then would undoing any of these restore any of my control over my body… It doesn’t make sense that it would. Wouldn’t it make more sense that instead I’d be able to use spells that require exerting more of my magic against my body? Like wouldn’t all of that movement last night have been easier if my ability to move, using my feet, wasn’t restricted. In other words, I need to get stronger too.’
Testing herself, Amy chose her right foot and began to try and force her magic into the Keyhole Ring. It easily resisted her attempts, seeming to grow more resistant the more magic she threw at it. She should have been forced to withdraw, but the hedgehog girl was stubborn, and Amy pushed herself to the point of exhaustion. As her magic waned, it became small enough to slip inside the Keyhole Ring.
‘EH~!’
Surprised and exhausted as she was, Amy did not want to waste the opportunity and traced around inside the keyhole attempting to fill its shape with her magic. It was like exploring a puzzle laden dungeon and Amy concentrated fiercely to see the complex structure filled. And then, to her surprise Amy accomplished it and had the shape of the key that would unlock the Keyhole Ring. But the magic was wrong, and it would not turn.
‘Phooey,’ Amy huffed as her efforts seemed to be for naught. Yet she still had the key shape and let it float up before her eyes. ‘Well, it’s the right shape, so maybe I can use it to find the actual key. If it’s a different type of magic but the same shape I just have to pick it out from the rest of the magic that fills the world. Hmm… I think I’ve passed a few places where magic seems to pool from all sorts of different sources. If I take this there maybe I can find the matching shape and trace it back from there.
‘Look at that Amy! You have a plan for the first time since you got turned into this. Right, then being able to apologize to Sonic should no longer be just a silly desire. I’ll just work my way up through each lock since I’ll need to be able to comprehend moving through space that disappears to unlock the ones at my sides. With those undone maybe I’ll have the magical dexterity to hold this silly hat down so I can trace its Keyhole Rings too! But I need to make sure I stay focused first and don’t let my heart steer me off course without thinking about it first.’
A fortune card answering her summons and letting Amy stand up as her hammer vanished, the cursed mage floated over to a nearby Ring spinning on its axis in the air.
‘Perfect!’
Having an idea of what she wanted to do thanks to tracing out the shape of the right foot Keyhole Ring, Amy grabbed the Ring with her magic and flooded the space it occupied, tracing out a complex enclosure until suddenly the Ring disappeared only to reappear closing itself into the same space as the Keyhole Ring on her chest and becoming one itself. It did not cut off the red string, which was exactly what Amy wanted, and a golden key with a Keyhole Ring as its tab floated in the air before her.
‘There! With that I won’t be able to just act on my emotions without getting paralyzed. I’ll have to think it through and come up with the right spell to free myself. And it’ll have to be rooted in an actual plan that won’t let me chase after Sonic until I’ve conquered the other six locks.
‘…
‘It’s kind of useless if I just have the key though.’
For once proving it actually had some reasonable use, the witch’s hat upon Amy’s head leapt off and gulped up the key, erasing all trace of it. Amy could easily sense it within the hat, but that did not stop the incredulous look that took over her face.
‘NO WAY!! All this time you’ve been nothing but useless and now you do something helpful! Just wait until I unlock your Keyhole Rings! Then you’ll answer to me, and I’ll get all of the head magic you’re likely locking up too!
‘Wait! What about the letters I’ve been writing to Cream? Don’t tell me the magic I’ve been using isn’t actually strong enough for her to read them! If this is your fault!
‘Oh~, never mind,’ Amy exhaled sharply through her nose as she calmed herself down. ‘It’s not like I’m ever getting out of this, so I’ll just apologize to Cream when I can find a way to talk to her without a mouth. Until then, since you seem to be able to hear me, that means you get to be my friend.’
Ducking under the floating hat, Amy straightened up and forced it back onto her head. With a nod she looked off towards the horizon as the rain began to pick up.
‘No complaints either, you got it. We’re stuck with each other because there is no way Sonic will let me use him to unlock the last lock after that awful meeting. So, no more complaints about my mouth and arms from me either. I’m already used to being without them, I just have to find a way to be happy like this too.
‘Maybe after I finally apologize to Sonic, I’ll take up traveling magic research and learn everything I can about magic. Traveling just to get better at using it is fun enough, so why not?’
Thinking about the future well beyond her current point, and even her next destined meeting with Sonic, Amy set off on the next leg of her adventure to undo the Keyhole Rings and free herself, planning to replace them with her own so as to even make her cursed form her own under her own power. It was a hopeful dream full of impossible optimism. But that was Amy Rose, and she never gave up on impossible dreams. As long as she did not hurt anyone that was. Hence why she was able to ignore the twitching of the far end of what she could see of the red string around her as it traced Sonic’s search for her, all the while, the rain coming to an end and the sun coming out.
Yet such adventures were boring and lonely themselves, and Amy’s loneliness had already compromised others already. As she had stopped writing Cream, finding ways to stem off her loneliness grew more important, and she found herself experimenting with magic while letting her playful nature keep her from being too dour about it.
~Hark ye who have stumbled upon this tomb and know that you have exposed yourself to the personal account of the life of Sorcerer Lock, the Mage of Cards…
~Pft–~ I’m sorry, that’s too much. It’s not wrong, but not entirely right, I’m going to start over.
~If you’re reading this, you are indeed reading the open diary of Lock the Mage. Except Lock isn’t really my name. It’s what people have started calling me though as my reputation has spread, and it naturally has to do with the seven Keyhole Rings that adorn or otherwise float around me. The whole Mage of Cards bit comes about because I use my fortune cards as a conduit for my magic. The thing is though, right now I’m no sorcerer or anything so grand. I’m just a cursed novice who wanted to get better at magic to help refine myself, and well, here I am on a grand adventure to do just that and lift the curses on me.
~I haven’t figured out what all of the curses are, but I have determined the best order to go about it.
~On each of my stary night slipper clad feet with matching tights are one Keyhole Ring each. The curses on these pretty much keep me from using my legs from my knees down. Undoing those Keyhole Rings, I believe will allow me to access more diverse movement magic than what I can manage with my fortune cards alone. Should I undo both I’m hoping to be able to traverse locations that aren’t technically there. That sounds weird, so let me move on to…
~The large Keyhole Rings floating at my sides about as far out as my wrists would be if I still had arms. I’ll get to that, but without the ability to travel places that aren’t there, I can’t project my magic in to map out the keyholes and track down the magic that shares the same shape. When I do though, the hope is to be able to have access to magic that is at least as good as having hands again, or way better. I’ll need it too if I’m going to deal with the next two.
~On my head are two more Keyhole Rings. Despite wearing a flat cap with a veil that no one but me can see through and big earring placed purple gems, both Keyhole Rings on my head are actually on a witch’s hat that normally sits up there too. The problem is that it’s alive and moves about freely. Without being able to hold it down I can’t map out either of those either. When I do, I’m sure I’ll be able to control it and put an end to the curses from it. I’m sure it’s messing with my head and also secretly sharing magic knowledge with me to help me along, but the first part is a problem. I can’t trust myself to go see my friends, even though all of this doesn’t mean anything if I don’t solve it myself. I can’t talk to them either and can’t be sure if even this diary will ever be readable by anyone thanks to it. But I’m so lonely not being able to have anyone see me in this get up that I’m writing it anyway and if you’re reading it, know you’re as much my companion as this awful hat! And I enjoy fortune telling, so I have no doubt someone will read this someday!
~Ahem. Moving on, the other reason I need control of the hat isn’t just for access to proper communication knowledge, but to also get back the key for the Keyhole Ring I made and cursed myself with. You see, the last Keyhole Ring of the curse from the purple cloak with the stary night pattern at its end and fused itself to me as the world’s tightest mouth and arm stealing mermaid dress doesn’t have a normal key. It rests on my chest and the red string of fate trails out of it and around me. On the other end is none other than who I love with every fiber of my being. Sonic the Hedgehog. He’s the last key, but without lifting the other curses, seeing him didn’t end well. I don’t have real person to person communication magic, I don’t have my mouth, and I don’t have any arms. All I could do was float there staring helplessly at him until he almost got himself impaled on the thorns that grow out of the cloak if anyone tries to reach out for me or gets too close. That meeting was a disaster, and I’m sure after successfully running away that the only fate left between Sonic and me has nothing to do with us being destined lovers anymore. I don’t even think we are anymore after that meeting. But before letting Sonic catch up with me or seeking him out again, I’m going to become the best mage I can and make these curses my own. Afterall, if Sonic and I are no longer destined lovers, then he can’t be the key to my heart to finally undo the last lock. I’m stuck in this armless, mouthless, cloak sealed form forever. But I have to at least apologize to Sonic before dedicating the rest of my life to becoming a great mage worthy of the name Sorcerer Lock, the Mage of Cards.
~Oh, that reminds me. It’s part of why I’m writing this. It’s not just to stave off the suffocating loneliness, but so I don’t forget. Like I said at the beginning, Lock isn’t my actual name. But all anyone sees is this get up which is so not my style. They don’t see me in it, and since my ability to communicate is pretty much gone, it’s what people have started calling me. But if you’re reading this then please, don’t call me Lock. My name is Amy Rose, so please call me Amy. I don’t want to forget my name too. I’ve already forgotten what it feels like to talk or to use my also stolen voice. I don’t even remember what it’s like having a mouth even though my face is full under the collar of the cloak like I should still have one. It’s not like my arms which I’ve also totally forgotten how to use or what it was like having any. It’s frightening that I have too because the Keyhole Rings at my side only show up if I’m using my cards when they used to always be there before just showing up when I tried to imagine using my arms. Imagining using arms isn’t the same and they don’t respond. I’m honestly scared even using my cards won’t be enough one day, so I need to get them mapped before they disappear forever. It’s not like I can give up on them like my memories of walking and using my legs. Without them I can never undo the Keyhole Rings on the hat and that means that the curse I put on me to keep me from pursuing Sonic can’t be undone either. I wouldn’t be able to apologize then and the rest of my life would be weighed down by that one regret. I can’t do that!
~Anyway, that’s where this record of my travels begins. And you’ll be joining me today as I arrive at a rather cute village isolated here in the mountains.
~Why am I here? Because even though I’ve learned that magic exists all throughout nature, spells were crafted by people, so that means curses too. I have to find a place where magic and spells pool so I can hopefully find a magic match to the shape of the one Keyhole I have mapped out. And with that, let’s go~♥~
Depending on the mountain range, one can find idyllic valleys even in the heart of seemingly perpetual blizzards. It was such a forested location that Amy found herself descending into, her brow furrowing as she noticed a tunnel allowing vehicular traffic into the hamlet hidden in the cozy hidden forest. She did not stay frustrated for long however as vehicular traffic meant modern amenities and she gleefully allowed herself to levitate into town. The sight of a ninety-centimeter-tall armless figure in a purple mermaid dress and witch’s hat with a fortune card orbiting about them floating into town easily attracted attention and it was soon known that the mage had arrived in the small community. It hardly mattered to Amy however, at least until she chose a local coffee shop to delight herself in.
“The Mage of Cards? Here?” A lady waiting in line for service at the counter asked, prompting Amy to turn invisible.
“That’s what I heard,” another lady replied. “Lock was seen here of all places. I can only imagine the trouble she’ll bring.”
~If you’re feeling bad about the response to me, it’s fine. It happens all the time. I mean, for as beautiful as this outfit looks, no one can see who’s wearing it so it’s natural to be suspicious. That, and it’s no mystery that Sonic is looking for me. I’m not sure why since it’s been months since that fateful night. Maybe Cream asked him to since I haven’t seen her since before I set out on my little trip of self-refinement. I had been writing her, but when it occurred to me that the curses on the hat probably made my letters unreadable, I stopped. Sending her blank pieces of paper because I can’t use a pen and she can’t read magic inscribed letters just seems silly. Did those envelops I dropped off even go anywhere? Either way, Sonic is looking for me, and people know. Because he isn’t sharing why beyond unfinished business in the few interview clips I’ve seen, people think I’m his enemy. It’s heartbreaking enough anytime I see him on TV or hear his voice, but thinking I might be someone Sonic sees as an enemy now…
~No! I can’t feel sorry for myself. I just need to stay focused on these curses. That and cheering myself up a little.~
The idea of trouble being brought was said in a broad sense by the lady and she was ill prepared for Amy to suddenly appear out of thin air as she looked back at the other lady she was speaking with. If Amy had her voice still, she would have laughed at the look of shocked horror on the woman’s face. Her amusement quickly turned to guilt however when both women started profusely apologizing to her. She could hardly do anything in response and did not know peace until she ordered an herbal tea by pointing at the menu with another summoned fortune care and sat outside to wait for it.
~You’re probably wondering how I’m going to eat without a mouth, and I can assure not with my nose. I’m going to use magic to extract what I need from it to keep myself going. Eating this way is one of the first things I had to learn when I was first cursed. I honestly thought I was going to die if I didn’t figure it out, and I can take from anything I want really. I like herbal tea though as herbs are very rich in magic and helps keep my magic from draining out too fast. If I use too much, I get so sleepy. I can actually sleep for months at a time it turns out if I’m not careful. When that happens, I can’t really stop myself from absorbing from everything around me just to stay alive. Which is kind of a dreadful state to be in because it means even if I wanted to waste away after what I did to Sonic my magic wouldn’t let me. It feels like an extra curse on top of all the rest. I can’t even give it away; I’ve tried but the dumb hat has stopped me. I’m trying to be friends with it, but it’s always causing me so much trouble. I swear it’s doing it on purpose. But I think an example would better help demonstrate what I mean.~
After extracting everything she could from the herbal tea and causing it to dissipate into nothing, Amy set about town in search of a demonstration of her intentions. Her search was for more than a demonstration however and she kept her magic senses on high as she drifted about town ducking into and out of alleys. Her efforts paid off eventually as she found the back door of a bakery where the quickly staling early morning, short-lived goods were being disposed of.
“Get out of there you wretch!” the employee disposing of the wasted foodstuffs yelled at a man in tattered rags who was waist deep in the trash bin in the alley. It put him in perfect position to be kicked in the side and sent rolling with the trash can. “Don’t make me call the cops!”
~It’s awful seeing how people will hurt each other when they can help each other. Maybe those baked goods are stale now, they sure smell it, but this poor man is hungry and hasn’t given up on life yet. That it’s more important to that person to throw out food that could help someone then helping them out makes me want to scream some sense into them. All I can do as I am right now though is try to help.~
From where she had again cast her invisibility spell on herself, Amy looked down the alley to where the beggar was skulking away as the bakery employee scowled after them while being sure to put a lock on the trash.
~Disgraceful.~
Her mind made up, Amy reached into herself and took hold of her own life force before turning her eyes back in the vagrant’s direction. Exactly as she expected, the hat that normally adorned her head was floating in front of her to block her line of sight to the man.
~And this is what always happens when I try. This silly hat proves itself helpful and won’t let me hurt myself, not even to help someone else. But there are other ways I can help as I’ve learned. Those baked goods may be under lock and key until the trash collectors come for them, but a simple thing like that can’t stop my magic. I’ll just extract all of the nutrients from every bit of food in there and pass it on to this poor man. I’d like to do more, but…~
Though her eyes were downcast, they still smiled as Amy successfully circumvented the hat and managed to get the vagrant a full meal.
~Sorry you didn’t get to enjoy the taste; I know just how you feel. But with a full belly you should be able to find the strength to try and improve things for yourself. Best of luck!~
The demonstration for whoever might read the open diary she magically inscribed into every reasonable surface she passed while traveling over, Amy resumed her search of town for whatever else there was she had traveled there for through the frozen mountains beyond. But she soon tired and took a seat on a bench to allow her own magic to recharge. She couldn’t help but feel that the cloak that bound her did the same as she caught a slender thorn grow from it to impale a mosquito that dared drift too near. She sighed heavily through her nose at her powerlessness, her earlier act of kindness doing little to help her feel assured of her growth as a mage. Another test soon presented itself though as an explosion rocked the edge of the town.
~What was that!~
Not realizing she was still recording her open diary, Amy summoned up several of her fortune cards, the cards pulling her back to a standing levitation. As they settled into orbit around her, she rushed off after the explosion as people either stood stunned or fled. The tendency of some people to scream in their panic however told Amy immediately what she was getting into.
“It’s Eggman! Run for your lives!”
~Eggman? Here? No, it’s probably just a stray robot. He wouldn’t bother with a place like this unless it had something that he wanted. As much as he torments gods too, I’m sure he has no way to interact with magic.~
Rounding a corner and letting her cards disperse so she could slow down, Amy set about determining what she was up against. While not the nefarious Doctor Eggman himself, what appeared was too much trouble for a town far enough removed from most to not have any Wispon users or even Wisps present to help. Waving an oversized drill of a right hand while tossing bombs with a left hand that seemed to create giant bombs that exploded into a rain of smaller bombs, the lumbering Eggman shaped mech stared down the edge of town with a glowing smile.
~Is that based on an Egg Hammer?~
The robot Amy compared the one she faced to was towering machine that shared a similar heavily armored build but typically carried a two-handed hammer. In her own days of wielding a toy hammer as her weapon of choice, she could boast about having beaten many of them at their own hammer swinging game. With no arms to swing her hammer and next to no control of her body physically, such feats were beyond the novice mage. Yet that did not seem to matter.
Not noticing Amy’s arrival, the Egg Driller opened up its left palm and presented a new bomb for the terrified townsfolk. Tossing it up into the air, it smiled brightly as the bomb exploded into a shiny set of smaller bombs ready to rain down destruction and chaos. Such did not happen however as Amy glided across the ground and positioned herself between the town and the machine, most of the fortune cards that had been orbiting her finding their way skyward and decimating the rain of bombs. That action alone earned the mage the full attention of the robot that she glared down as she sent more fortune cards to push and drag people to safety. Her efforts seemed futile however as the crowd shifted from panic to curiosity at the sight of an unexpected hero. Amy had no time to worry however as she had to focus on moving herself as the Egg Driller lunged at her with its namesake right arm. Summoning more of her fortune cards to get her moving, Amy deftly dodged the attack, but was forced to make a spiraling shield of cards to catch the follow up backhand. As the robot jumped away it launched several missiles from its backpack unit which spiraled wildly after Amy. The rocket powered speed of the missiles forced Amy to retreat rather than destroy them allowing several to crash into the ground and send debris flying with. Not risking more destruction, she took a short hop and slammed down into the ground, her cards catching her. Exploding outward away from her, the recoil sent her spiraling like a pike well into the air. This provided the room necessary for further missiles to curve up after her only to get sliced in half by a magic imbued fortune card each.
Needing to keep the Egg Driller’s attention away from the ground, Amy cast forth enough fortune cards to form two orbiting rings around her and slowing her descent to a crawl. As she slowly descended, she matched eyes with the towering robot and the next exchange began.
Dropping to a knee, the Egg Driller fired off another salvo of missiles at Amy as it summoned another giant bomb to hand. Rolling the bomb to take up where Amy could next stomp down, it set its arm to use and bored once again into the ground. This left Amy with no target and a need to dodge a spiraling salvo of explosive projectiles, a situation which became an opportunity to dance. Letting her orbiting cards pull her about through the air, Amy summoned several more to intercept the missiles while making sure to also cut the fuse of the giant bomb below her. Trapped within the greater bomb, the smaller ones within still went off and Amy braced herself for her opponent to send it flying into the air after her as it was transformed into a rather volatile spiked ball.
Ready as Amy was, it was no surprise when the deformed bomb at last jetted into the air for her, the damage on the underside allowing the internal explosions to escape and fuel it like a rocket. Amy did not back down however and cast out two fortune cards spinning like a saw blade of growing diameter to split the bomb in half. Cut as it was, the internal explosions blasted the two halves harmlessly into the mountains that surrounded the town. It was an impressive and flashy display that nearly blinded Amy to her opponent’s spectacular achievement of reaching her elevation. It was not an achievement managed by the Egg Driller under its own power though.
~EH~~~~~!!!!! Why is a guardian statue here! And why is it so big!~
The Egg Driller became a thing of all of no interest to Amy as it was crushed mercilessly in the mouth of a stone dragon, it’s drill falling to the ground below, the explosions from its remaining bombs and missiles seeming to have all of no effect on the stone beast.
~Eh-hehehehe… Right! Let’s make this a lesson about guardian statues and magic beasts. Since I’ve been looking for places where magic pools and hopefully where spells pool as well, I’ve fought quite a few. Most magical beasts aren’t too bad as I can just overpower them with an assault of magic, but guardian statues are a very different problem.~
Donning a steely look in her eyes, Amy summoned even more cards and sent them out to strike the dragon statue that closed in on her. Unlike with the bombs she had been attacking before, her cards did not even scratch the dragon, instead seeming to find resistance against an unseen barrier. Her attack proving useless, Amy was fully exposed to the jaws of the statue as they clamped down fast on her.
~The problem with guardian statues, you see, is they have magic resistance, and my magic isn’t powerful enough to penetrate it. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to beat them.~
Despite the difference in magic power between Amy’s offensive casting and the defenses of her new opponent, the magic Amy used to place cards stopping every tooth of the statue proved sufficient to keep her from becoming its second meal. Summoning more cards, she retreated backwards out of its mouth and summoned the rest of her cards back to her to increase her speed, but the statue was not caught off guard by the fierce shutting of its jaws and turned over catching Amy full on in a powerful tail whip. The blow sent the purple clad hedgehog careening into the ground and through the forest with enough force to cause a massive dust cloud to billow up. The townsfolk could only watch in terror as the stone beast roared triumphantly, afraid they would be next. But they possessed no magic and did not interest the beast. Instead, it was magic activity in the forest that drew the beast’s attention. Descending in hot pursuit of Amy, the guardian statue only did not crash into the ground by spreading its wings at the last possible second. The motion seemed to have saved it as several fortune cards flew under it, clearly missing their mark. Not spotting Amy, the dragon landed to better see through the trees, uprooting several with its weight and revealing that the floor of the forest had become a pit of dust. Immediately the massive statue sank, the friction between stone and dust preventing even its powerful wingbeats from lifting it. What it did achieve however was a parting of the trees to reveal the purple clad Mage of Cards staring it down with green glowing eyes as her fortune cards danced mercilessly through the ground deepening the pit of dust.
~You see, even with magic there are physical limitations that have to be considered. I’ve taken worse hits from Knuckles when playing around, so I’m fine after a hit like that, mostly, but this thing is too heavy to get back out and once I pull my cards out of the ground, it’ll set instantly trapping it in the ground.~
The roar that erupted from the guardian statue was not one of defeat, and it opened its mouth wide to reveal a growing light between its jaws. Amy held her ground without fear however as she was prepared, a fact the statue came to realize as the Egg Driller’s drill filled the space above its head. It tried to twist out of the way, but the drill was brought down hard, a storm of fortune cards spiraling around it to increase its speed well beyond the limits of the robot that once wielded it.
~The tricky part with guardian statues is that their magical defenses allow them to shrug off most non magical attacks, and most magical attacks don’t work either. So, the best solution is to combine the two and overload its defenses.~
Spiraling around the drill as Amy’s fortune cards were, they served as a forward drill to meet the magic resistance of the dragon. As they peeled away the drill lowered and lowered until card and drill both bore relentlessly against the beast. All the while, Amy watched on with cold, glowing eyes as the beast released another roar. This one would prove to be its last as the stone of its head cracked and splintered for only a moment before the drill shattered it into a cloud of dust, the rest of its body following suit and leaving Amy standing alone in the forest. She was not left alone for long and was soon joined by a cheering crowd of villagers whose lives she saved from two unexpected threats that day.
~I wouldn’t say this is how my adventures have been going normally. I mean, I don’t usually have people telling me how cool I am after a fight, or how intimidating and frightening I look when staring down an opponent. I mean, I guess I do look cool. and considering my figure is really shown off by this get up I bet I look a lot more mature than I feel. Being called scary though kind of hurts. I try so hard to be cute, but it really is impossible like this. I bet Rouge could pull this off way better than me. Maybe I’ll ask her for some pointers when I finally get that far along. For now, though, I need to check out the magic ruins the guardian was protecting and see if I can’t find any clues or helpful knowledge. It’d be nice to find another mage, but I feel like if there are any this cloak is a sure sign to avoid me. Who knows though, maybe when I find the first key that will change. I hope you’ll be excited when you find my next diary entry. It’s been fun talking, but for now, I need to do secret stuff. If you’re a mage too, you’ll have to do your own research. Best of luck~♥~
“I’m not a mage, and the research I have to do is figuring out where you went next,” Sonic sighed as he sat on the edge of the ruin revealing chasm that the guardian statue had emerged from. “How did you not pass out after that when just running from me had you out for months?”
“Lock left no notes on that did she?” an old man asked Sonic as he walked up with his hands clasped behind his back. He eyed the ring on Sonic’s left ring finger, oblivious to it being constructed by burning the letters sent to Cream and having the ashes sealed within the metal. He was further without knowledge of how wearing it where he did allowed Sonic to see the end of the red string that swirled around Lock tied around his left pinky. All the old man knew was that the Ring allowed Sonic to read Lock’s notes since he traveled around the small hamlet touching it to various places where the Mage of Cards had passed through.
“I’d appreciate a hint at least,” Sonic admitted his ignorance to Amy simply absorbing the released magic of her opponent to keep herself going.
“Ho, ho, ho,” the old man laughed. “When Lock arrived, we feared her you know. Your search for her and her never waiting to meet you or speaking for herself and all. But after she saved us, we realized she must have had a good reason to avoid you. Whatever it may be, we all agreed not to betray her kindness and help you should you come through. I hope you can forgive us our kindness.”
“Nothing to be done about it,” Sonic shrugged as he stood up and dusted himself off. “If she wants to lead me on an adventure, I’ll enjoy it until she slips up and I finally catch her. She can’t outrun me forever, I’m Sonic the Hedgehog after all.”
“Ho, ho, ho! Best of luck then. I just hope your unfinished business isn’t to bring her any harm.”
“Heh,” Sonic smirked. “Trust me, I’d never hurt her by choice. Even reading about her fears about her hat I can't believe she's managed to convince herself that I hate her.”
Sonic's last sentence went unheard as he was gone in a blink before saying it, speeding off hoping to stumble upon another of Amy’s diaries. As he ran, he spied a quick glance to his left hand. Whether he was checking the red string tied around his pinky and tracing into empty air and Amy at some distance or contemplating the placement of the ring he crafted with Tails aid to help him on his quest could not be said. Regardless, he allowed himself a smirk and accelerated further. The next chapter of Lock’s journal was out there somewhere waiting to be read and to take him one step closer to the errant hedgehog girl who used to chase him. The adventure was far from over for either of them.
The worsening loneliness of Lock only assured that most of the mage’s journal entries were frivolous more than they were helpful. They covered anything and everything from how she used magic to stay clean and felt like the laundry when wet to remarking on the influence of magic and spells on wildlife and geography. Not all of them were without value, and it was one that would lead more into her collecting of fortune cards that proved most valuable.
“Really, I can hardly thank you enough Lock,” a local trader clapped his hands together as his goods carrying pickup truck did not share the same fate as the scattered remnants of Eggman’s robots on the rocky mountain road he traversed. “Are you sure this is really all you want? It’s a trivial trinket I picked up because I liked the art. It doesn’t hold any value and if you just took on regular bodyguard work like this you could surely earn a fortune.
“No?” the trader asked as Lock shook her head. Looking back over his shoulder he could see a town down the road and smiled disappointedly. “Well, I can make it the rest of way myself, so I suppose it’s only fair I give this to you now.
“Take care Lock! May your journeys prove more lucrative than this one!”
~I feel so bad not being able to tell him how valuable this little trinket actually is.
~Oh, right! It’s Lock again! What’s that? Wasn’t I using another name? Hee-hee… About that, it’s kind of embarrassing. I started writing this diary so I wouldn’t forget and to stave off my loneliness, but well, I went and forgot anyway. So, if you know my actual name, please use it. I’m sure it’s better than Lock.
~Anyway, on more important matters, I finally have a lead to the first key! Some context will help though. Um, as much as I like learning about magic, I have to take my mind off of it from time to time so I can clear my head to think better. So, I’ve taken to collecting fortune cards during my travels. Not just any fortune cards as I already have a full deck, but False Arcana.
~False Arcana are kind of hard to explain, but in short, they are fortune cards that are not part of any of the existing suits. They don’t actually belong and are thus false. As a practitioner of cartomancy beyond the use of just fortune cards, I can mix them into my deck and make readings based on their inherent meanings. Adding them to my deck has also expanded my magical ability so collecting them is especially helpful. And no worries about the backs not matching my deck, as binding them to my magic by making Keyhole Rings and conquering the dungeons my mind explores when doing so fully changes them to match. It’s the Meaningless False Arcana that are much more troublesome after all.
~Unlike regular False Arcana, Meaningless False Arcana don’t even have inherent meaning of their own. They’re literally just art pieces in the fashion of fortune cards. They’re effectively useless, but some are weird and I can sense magic in them. Well, spells more accurately. And that’s what brings us back to how much this person I escorted helped me out. I probably wouldn’t have even met him, but the little trinket he had was a Meaningless False Arcana that I can sense a spell from that matches the key shape I traced out for the Keyhole Ring on my left foot! Hold on a moment while I try to bind it to my magic!
~…
~…
~… AUGH~~~~!!!!! I can’t do it! The dungeon doesn’t make any sense!~
Perhaps to the mercy of the future reader of Lock’s diary, she stopped writing as her frustration reached a head and she glared at the card she had acquired. The art it held was that of a town in some verdant land and the name of the card was simply “Valsoth.”
With a heavy sigh through her nose, Lock gave up on the card for the moment and turned her attention away from it. ‘Wait a minute… NO WAY!!’
Lock’s excitement could only be contained by her voiceless, mouthlessness as her senses detected the same magic on the card in the air. Looking around with fevered excitement as at last she found a lead to one of the Keyhole Rings of the curses and cloak that bound her, Lock summoned fortune card after fortune card absentmindedly to allow her to jump in joy as she found a hidden path deeper into the rocky mountains she currently traveled. As she calmed herself down, she took several of them and let them swirl around her until they forced her into a ball form, and she rolled down through the hidden path. It hardly seemed a sight worth noting, a hedgehog curling into a ball, but the sight of the witch’s hat that accompanied her bouncing along atop Lock’s curled form was a difficult to ignore curiosity.
~Asides from collecting cards and growing my magic, I’ve also been working on what physical abilities of mine I can. With Sonic the Hedgehog of all people chasing me, I need to be able to. As he uses his ability to curl into a ball to manipulate his speed and attack, I’ve been training to do the same. I’m definitely better at using magic to attack, but traveling by rolling and steering with my magic is faster and less magic consuming than levitating. It feels humiliating though like this so I try not to do it where people can see me. I also have to be careful when I stumble upon magic beasts.
~Like magic guardians, magic beasts are typically resistant to most physical attacks. While rolling is a good way to get away from them, it’s better to fight and eradicate them. While magic beasts are living things, most of the time, they aren’t natural and simply bring destruction to everything if left alone. I worry sometimes that being able to get rid of them has made me less sensitive to the value of life, even if destroying them is to protect life that isn’t only destructive. ‘Oh! What’s that!’
Distracted as she was by the magic beasts that lined the path she followed through the mountains as well as her Rolling Spin Attack training, Lock had not been paying attention to where she had been going. Several stone bridges had passed under her and many a matching staircase had brought her to a shallow stretch of river. Across from the bank where she levitated a sheer cliff was draped in many waterfalls, a megalithic structure carving a chasm into it.
Even if Lock had not sensed the trail of the spell for the key to the Keyhole Ring on her right foot, her curiosity would have drawn her to levitate across the water. The structure was simple, but the rocks were carved into tiers of stone creating a layered effect creating defined depth. It was as though she was floating into a columned entryway where no columns had been carved at all.
‘W~O~W!!’
The towering chasm did at last come to an end however, marked by a staircase leading up into a narrow slit in the artificial cavern wall. Making it her destination, Lock was surprised when she came across rich tapestries hanging in decoration and a stone wall that split apart as automatic doors.
“Oh?” A voice spoke from the side in what could best described as a lobby made in a megalithic structure. Turning to see who spoke, Lock laid her eyes on an aged star-nosed mole in star patterned robes. “It’s been some time since a guest arrived following a spell. I suppose it is only natural for you, a Student of Curses, however.
‘EH~!! Is this a magic school?’
“Seeing the look on your face and sensing the curses that instruct you in the ways of magic, I suppose it’s best I explain. But not here.”
Coming out from behind the stone desk he sat at, the star-nosed mole led Lock to a hidden stone door in a side wall, blatantly far removed from the wall opposite where she arrived and likely leading to the main structure. Though she looked back curiously at what lay beyond that wall, she could not ignore that she had just met someone who understood her situation, and likely far better than she herself did. Putting aside her curiosity, she followed the mole beyond the door and into the torchlit darkness beyond. As the stone door closed behind them, and they began to descend a staircase with several landings likely also holding hidden doors, the mole began his exposition.
“Forgive my presumptions, but based on your appearance and the Keyhole Rings on your person, I am not wrong in believing that you are Lock, the Mage of Cards?”
Lock was confused for a moment by the mole’s phrasing, and he moved to clarify the intent of his inquiry. “You are Lock, the Mage of Cards, correct?”
Clearly understanding, Lock nodded her confirmation of her identity.
“Ah, then it is good that I led you this way and not into the main library. You have many destinies yet tied to you young mage. It would have been detrimental to those who yet rely on you if I had inadvertently brought an end to your instructors.”
‘What?’ Lock asked, though unheard, as she came to a stop.
“Are you surprised Lock?” the mole asked without turning back to look. “This is a library built by mages for mages. To protect its contents and those who would study within its walls, a degree of anti-magic zones had to be put in place. Had you walked through one, the curses that instruct you would have come undone, and you would have been freed from them. You would, however, have reached your limits as a mage. To discard your teachers so would have been to abandon your training. We would have welcomed you to study here and perhaps you could have exceeded your limits in time, but to present that path to you without your consent would have been wrong.”
‘What part of lifting curses requires consent?’ Lock asked herself as she chased after the mole as he resumed his descent. ‘I mean, I know I’ve already turned down help already, so maybe, I guess I would have been upset. But it definitely didn’t have anything to do with getting stronger.’
Stumped by her own feelings on the curses binding her, Lock offered no further resistance as the mole led her to a small room with a few empty shelves on the wall opposite the door and a seat to the left of the entry.
“Your confusion is obvious young mage, as it should be. Your relationship with your teachers is not solely with them. There are your goals and those relationships you had before you began your journey, no less your perception of your place in the world. To be free of your teachers is not a choice you can make so casually. As such, feel free to use this chamber to think about why you have chosen this path and what your goals are. If you can come to the conclusion that you would be willing to discard your teachers, Student of Curses, then I shall allow you access to the library. You will need some time though; I have no doubt of such and will leave you to your thoughts.”
As Lock fell into the available seat in the room, the mole left, and the door again became part of a solid stone wall. Lock only stared at it for a moment before turning to her own thoughts and adorning the chamber in the writings of her diary.
~I suppose now is as good of time as any to review what I’m doing and why. It’s not actually easy to though. Most of my memories from before I was transformed by this cloak are behind a fog in my head. I’m sure that has to do with one of the curses on the living witch’s hat accompanying me, but those memories are still there. I just can’t grasp them or make out the details. It’s not like with my true name that I’ve completely forgotten, or the sensation of having arms, a tail, mouth, or even a voice that are all alien to me now. I can’t even be sure that the voice I think with is anything at all like the voice I had before my transformation. It’s been so long and combined with the curses trying to remember or even imagine it is a waste of time and energy. With the curses lifted though, it’d all come back, right?~
The hat that nested on Lock’s head took the opportunity provided to it to jump off of the mage’s head and to look at it with a faceless gaze.
~Actually, abandoning this path now would be kind of selfish. Though it’s likely given life by the curses I wear, this hat is my only friend right now. I betrayed myself to my emotions and destroyed any semblance of a relationship I had with Sonic, though the red string of fate still binds us. But he’s the only person I can clearly see from before I was cursed. I mean, it helps that I see him all the time on the TV, but even his companion, who I know is a friend I can only remember when I see him on the TV. And my other friends? I can’t see my memories of them at all past the fog. Their names and faces are all out of my reach. But I know I asked them not to help. Overcoming these curses has been part of my journey to refine myself, to grow beyond the immature girl I was who would lead Sonic and myself to the same fate as the Koco on the Starfall islands. And I nearly let the thorns this cloak grows end Sonic. To abandon all of that now and just give up would be like throwing it all in the face of my friends. I can’t do that. It’s not like me to give up either.
~It’s not like I’ve learned nothing on this journey either. I’ve definitely grown a lot stronger with magic than I’ve ever been without it. Fighting and traveling are both so effortless, even if tiring if I’m not careful. I can sustain myself without food and even feed the hungry if I’m delicate with the right spells. I’ve grown my fortune deck and figured out that the curses being conquered won’t free me but will rather grant me magic beyond what I can currently master myself. I’ve even learned how to make my own Keyhole Rings to bind magic and spells to my will. Lastly, I managed to map out the shape of the key for at least one of the Keyhole Rings binding me. It’s just figuring out this card that possesses magic that matches the key’s shape.~
Summoning the glowing key of magic she had crafted by mapping out the “dungeon” of the Keyhole Ring on her right foot, Lock stared at it for a moment before turning her attention to the Meaningless False Arcana that bore the picture of some distant town seemingly named Valsoth. It didn’t feel right, and she couldn’t quite pin down why.
~If I’m right, unlocking one curse on my feet should open up an avenue to travel in ways that I currently can’t. I’m not sure what those could be as I can already levitate, roll, ride my hammer like a broomstick, and practically fly if I expend enough of my magical strength. The risk of exhausting myself and passing out is really high if I do for too long, but it’s not like I’m wanting for ways to move.
~So, what about this card? It’s a Meaningless False Arcana, but it definitely possesses the purified spell of one of the curses on my feet. If I can figure that out, then surely, I wouldn’t have a reason to give up here and admit defeat. It’s not that giving up isn’t necessarily the more appropriate choice under the right circumstances, but I feel like if I just think about it a little longer, I can figure it out and push myself that extra bit to continue and grow into the refined version of me who can solve her own problems and not be a risk to Sonic. That almost seems silly itself though since I’m certain that after I apologize for everything we’ll part never to meet again.~
…
…
…
~NO! I can’t think like that right now because otherwise there isn’t any point to doing anything. Why give up if giving up doesn’t mean anything? At least if I push forward, I can learn and grow, maybe even help people I otherwise never could. Isn’t that what the mole was saying too? That there are still people who need my help as mage, and not the girl I was before becoming Lock? But if they’re as unreachable as the town on this card…~
Again, Lock stared at the card looking for an answer, but it offered none, not even a hint.
~As it is right now, they’re all as unreachable as the town on this card. It’s obviously where I need to go, but how do I get there if I don’t know where it is?
~Wait! Is that it?~
Summoning a card to pull her to her normal levitating, Lock scanned the chamber she had been sealed in and spotted clumps of gray grass growing through cracks in the ground. Floating over, she eyed them for a moment before attacking them with more of her cards. Cutting grass seemed like a waste of magic, but what she sought appeared as the grass easily gave, Rings scattering with their removal. Isolating one with her cards, Lock held the Valsoth card up beyond it.
~Meaningless False Arcana don’t normally have any meaning. But in its upright position this card is illustrating where I need to go. That would mean in reverse…~
Once again casting her magic through a Ring to bind the card to her magic, Lock inverted the card and changed its meaning, opening up an ethereal landscape in the form of one of the mental dungeons she had been facing as she bound other cards. Unlike when last she did, the dungeon was now coherent and the name on the card changed from Valsoth to South Vale. At his desk far above, the star-nosed mole smiled and praised Lock. “She is truly magnificent. Be it her pride or her curiosity, her attraction to unraveling the mysteries of magic is a boon too long lost from this world. Go forth than Student of Curses, face the destiny on the path before you.”
~…In reverse, the meaning of the card is where I am, and the magic of the curse is to travel where I am not. It’s not teleportation either, but literally traversing where I’m not. It’ll take a lot of magic to sustain the spell though, and I’ll be vastly weaker while maintaining it. I’ll practically be back to where I started when I was first learning. But, if I can learn spells in the land beyond this card, I’ll grow easily as I’m not ignorant now. First though… first, I conquer this card and begin making the magic of the curse my own. And I won’t fail. Not this time. Why? Because…
In the land beyond the card, join Lock as she ventures across South Vale, meeting the people and learning their tale of isolation as she seeks the key to the first Keyhole Ring binding her. Help her assist in the people’s preparation for the coming of the King of Camelot, foretold to follow the arrival of the land’s first visitor in generations. Challenge the magic beasts that have been plaguing the land and their master, the Waker of Beasts who seeks to wake magic beasts not just from the land, but the people. Master the magic of the cards, save the land, prepare for the king, and prevent the Waker of Beasts from knowing victory and bringing catastrophe to South Vale. The fate of the land lies in the hands of a mage with none. But hope is not lost for…
…
…
…
“So, where is she?” Sonic asked as he lowered his left hand away from the wall in the chamber Lock had occupied. “It’s obviously not here either.”
“Please your majesty, I understand your impatience, but Lock is only now coming into her own. To understand her magic before she herself has is an impossibility. All I can do is collect the record of her journey as written by herself.”
Sonic eyed the star-nosed mole suspiciously as he watched him weave his hands and draw the words of Lock’s diary from all over the world into volume after volume filling the shelves of the chamber. As the mole finished, he again turned his attention to Sonic.
“I must thank you as well your majesty,” the mole began. “If not for your contributions, gathering her account of her adventure would be impossible. That said, when the time comes that she overcomes her curses, surpassing her instructors, and becoming a scholar rather than a student, might it be too much to ask that you leave that ring you wear in our care? It is after all, an artifact born of Lock’s magic and legacy. It is only right that it be kept in a library dedicated to the preservation of the history of magic.”
“It means that much to you?” Sonic asked as he held up his left hand to gaze at the simple gold ring upon his left ring finger. Rubbing it with the fingers of his right hand, he spied the red string tied to his left pinky that he could not see without the ring knowing that Lock was on the unseen other end. “I’ll keep it in mind. But don’t expect a concrete answer until I know she’s safe and free of the nasty collection of curses that she’s running around wearing like a bad fashion choice.”
“Of course, your majesty,” the mole eagerly nodded. “I only ask that you consider it. We would never think to force the hand of a king here.” “Yeah, two more things,” Sonic sighed and rested his right hand on his hip as his left dangled at his side. “Enough with the majesty nonsense. The name is Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. And her name is…
To be continued [?] in an Alundra meets Sonic 3D: Flickies Island inspired action RPG that will likely never be made
Prologue of the Adventures of Lock ~ FIN
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@weatheredskies I wanted to take prompts to write little things but you get this more detailed take instead. Whoops. Written on mobile so all mistakes mine!
Thor/Peter (obvi), E, ~1400 words
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Peter isn’t entirely sure how it happened, but he isn’t complaining.
The wall of his new apartment is exposed brick, and he’s pretty sure if he was lacking in healing factor the friction against his shoulder blades would be too much. Instead, the scratch of worn bricks digging into his skin, raking down his back every time his body bounces up and down is providing a sharp, grounding contrast to the rest of what he’s feeling.
He feels light, weightless in the same way he feels at the pinnacle of a swing between two buildings — knowing his next web shot will catch him but suspended for a moment with no control.
“You are as light as a feather, Parker,” Thor remarks, just as Peter’s eyes are rolling back into his head.
Peter groans incoherently in response, his usual lack of brain to mouth filter superseded by loud thoughts of fuck, and yes, and Thor.
-
(Earlier, Peter thinks this started with his actual lack of brain to mouth filter, thirty minutes into moving boxes and furniture with Thor’s help, thinking they’d make a great moving service for little old ladies with their combined strength.
“I bet you could lift anything on earth,” Peter said, carrying a thick oak end table up the stairs behind Thor, giving him ample space to carry Peter’s mattress and box spring under each arm.
Thor had looked back and smiled widely, no protest, and Peter had missed a step on the stairs.)
-
The pace Thor sets is brutal now that they’re really doing this; the prep was achingly slow, tender almost, with Peter pressed into his new couch and squirming into the spread of Thor’s fingers while Thor laughed low and not unkind above him, calling him so eager and, embarrassingly, so sweet.
Now, the grip Thor has on Peter’s thigh’s and ass is tight and wide, his fingers spanning more skin than Peter thinks should be possible. Thor’s hips are grinding and rocking, sinfully rhythmic as his cock stretches (oh, it stretches) Peter deep and wide, each thrust leaving Peter nearly empty, his rim catching just on Thor’s blunt cockhead, the rest of him wide and wanting until the next smooth flick of Thor’s hips.
Peter’s hands feel backwards, gripping the brick behind him instinctively, as if he might fall.
“That’s no fun,” Thor says when he notices, not even breathless with his exertion. “How can I prove how easily I can hold you up if you cheat?”
-
(The brain to mouth filter had 404ed, left behind at Peter’s old apartment, drifting through the wind on I90.
“What about a bus?” Peter finds himself asking, trailing after Thor with so many boxes stacked that he can’t even see him, just hear his loud footsteps as he asends the stairs with even more boxes than Peter.
“Haven’t you lifted an entire bus?” Thor shoots over his shoulder. “I am offended.”
“Okay, a building?”
“Haven’t you—“
“Wait, no, what about the Quinjet?”
And the same cycle repeated until all of the boxes and furniture and random fragile lamps Peter had collected since his first apartment were strewn around the new place, roughly two-point-five times faster than if Peter had moved in alone as he intended before Thor randomly showed up last week and asked what was going on on Earth.
Peter, somewhat incoherently — Thor had bifrosted into the middle of the Avenger’s compound gym with Stormbringer held aloft and only a pair of flowy linen pants on — had listed out the various mission statuses of the team and that he was taking off a few days soon to move from Boston back to the city.
Fast forward to Peter standing in his new apartment surrounded things and a not-even-sweating Thor and saying: “But could you lift me?”
Thor had laughed, crossed the room and bent down to wrap one arm around Peter’s waist and lifted him easily.
Peter had squeaked, just fucking — squeaked with a little lilting gasp at the end and Thor had smiled that big wide smile again and hummed a deep, considering noise while Peter fought the urge to squirm.
“I recall you said pizza and beer were customary payment for moving,” Thor said. “It’s just that I’ve thought of something else I think would be suitable payment.”)
-
Thor spins them, pulling Peter’s hands from the wall and the grounding brick away from his back in one fluid motion.
At first, Peter thinks they’re going back to the couch, Thor’s desire to fully prove his ability to lift Peter sated.
They stop in the middle of the room, surrounded by boxes and nothing else.
“That’s better,” Thor hums, deep and gravely, the first sign besides his hard cock and enthusiastic manhandling of Peter that this was affecting him.
“Is it?”
One of Thor’s hands slides around to Peter’s lower back, splaying wide at base of his spine. The other hitches him upward, holding tight under his ass. The motion seats him fully inside Peter, his base splitting Peter’s hole wide.
“Reach back with your arms and grab my hand,” Thor says.
Peter takes a deep breath, trusting Thor not to drop him like he would when they’re fighting together, and arches his back, clasping his hands together.
It feels even more weightless than before, held up only by gravity and Thor’s hands, and a little bit by where their bodies meet around Thor’s thick length.
Peter means to ask “How?”, he really does, but what comes out instead is a strangled “hnggh” sort of noise that Thor beams at again, as if proud his showing off has rendered Peter speechless.
Peter squirms, rocks his hips, and Thor lifts him — just lifts him up with two steady hands, barely but perfectly balanced to keep Peter from falling, and then lets gravity slam Peter back down every inch of his cock.
Each thrust moves Peter’s entire body, bounces his own hard and leaking cock between the two of them, trailing slick precome across Thor’s cut abs, not enough friction but enough to leave Peter panting in minutes.
“You’re so hard for me,” Thor says admiringly, and when Peter opens his eyes against the onslaught of pleasure he catches Thor staring between them, watching Peter’s cock bounce and further down, what he can see of his own cock spreading Peter.
“Feels so good,” Peter pants, “not enough.”
“No? Proving I can lift you, just like I can lift anything else you’ve asked of me today, is not enough?”
Thor doesn’t seem to require an answer, which is good, since Peter can’t think of one as Thor walks them back over to the sofa and manhandles him over the arm.
The momentary loss of where they’ve been connected for… however long Thor has had him incoherent and split open and practically drooling is enough to pull a whine out of Peter as Thor settles back between his thighs.
“Needy little thing,” Thor says.
It manages to sound fond instead of dirty, and Peter blushes into the couch cushion when Thor softly strokes a path down his back to his ass cheeks, spreading him before sliding back in with a groan from both of them.
“Is this enough?” Thor asks, setting a new, brutal pace that slides the couch a little across the wood floor with every thrust.
In response, Peter goes up on his toes, pushing back into Thor’s pace.
“Not enough yet, is it?” Thor asks. “Not enough until you’ve come for me right on this little couch you had me carry up four flights of stairs.”
Without waiting for a response, Thor reaches between them, not faltering in his movements. He strokes at Peter’s hip before wrapping his hand around Peter’s cock, warm and wide and sliding embarrassingly easy from Peter’s slick head down to his base and back up.
Between the warm and large hand on his cock and the way Thor feels buried to the hilt inside of him, Peter comes hard, arching back and shaking with it as Thor stills behind him and comes with a long and deep groan, his mouth wet against Peter’s neck. Peter’s cock twitches valiantly at the feeling of Thor coming, and a little at the idea of making a god come.
“We should still get beer and pizza, though,” is what Peter’s fucked out brain decides to say, still slightly panting, as Thor pulls back.
Thor pats him on the back. “I knew I liked you for a reason,” he says.
So they order pizza and beer. (And maybe when Thor helps Peter click his bed frame together, after, they fuck again, too.)
#the app does not want to let me do a read more#or good paragraph spacing#i will fix next time i’m able!#thunderspider#Peter/Thor
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I just beat the first island of Sonic Frontiers. Here are my immediate thoughts:
So I finally got round to picking up Sonic Frontiers and I’ve now 100%ed Kronos Island. And even at this early stage I’ve got a lot of thoughts on it.
I think what’s really stood out to me as the best part of the experience is exploring the open zones. I don’t especially adore open world sandboxes as a genre. I love exploring in games like Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles or Elden Ring, but I’m not particularly ravenous for this genre as a general rule. It’s usually got a little too much busywork for my liking. Fortunately, so far Frontiers’ maps are pretty good. Kronos Island has a lot of Sonic-y set pieces, plenty of springs, grind rails, boost rings, that lead you to the various collectibles. And as soon as you reach the end of one, you arrive at another, where more goodies await. It lets you get into a really nice flow state. You CAN just run from point a to point b, but taking all these extra paths to nab items is more efficient and more fun. I already had high hopes for seeing Sonic in a sandbox because he’s a character designed to be inherently fun to move. This is also why Marvel’s Spider Man worked so well. Web swinging made the very act of traversal fun. And the same applies here. I barely bother with fast travel because I’m enjoying just moving around.
It’s also pretty well paced. I was able to 100% the first island in about 4 hours. By all accounts this game isn’t too long and it’s nice to play an open world game without the typical bloat. Means I could see myself comfortably replaying this at some point.
Combat’s also very snappy and it doesn’t take very long to open up all the moves to you. I’ve never really cared for previous attempts to implement combat into Sonic like in Heroes or Shadow, but this feels pretty satisfying. Enemies don’t overstay their welcome, especially if you use the combos properly and take down their health quickly. Sonic’s animations are really cool to watch as well which helps the experience. I’m tempted to crank up the difficulty now I’ve got the hang of it so I can get more out of it. And the first boss fight was a great implementation of this combat as well as being an utter visual and musical spectacle. This is already probably one of the best Sonic bosses period and it’s just the FIRST one. Can’t wait for more of these.
Speaking of, it goes without saying the soundtrack is excellent. Atmospheric without being understated and suitably varied. Also Undefeatable is already up there with the best vocal Sonic songs.
That being said, I don’t know if I’m loving everything about this game. In fact, I’m rather conflicted in a lot of ways. And my biggest problem by far, is the cyberspace levels. Put simply, they’re not very fun, because they control awfully. Handling feels too slippery, you’re not able to drift on command. The boost feels horribly nerfed, and the jump feels too floaty. And I really don’t like how the homing attack utterly kills your momentum in the air. One of the levels uses the structure of Generations’ Chemical Plant level and oh god. If there was any way to demonstrate how much worse the control is, it’s going through a level from Generations of all things. Unleashed, Colours, Generations, hell even Forces, just handled so much better. The controls work fine in the open zones, which is what they were clearly built for. But in these linear boost levels they feel off. I would complain that the S ranks and missions are way too easy but at least it means the levels are over quickly.
I’m also a little torn on the game’s aesthetic. I’m playing on PS5 but not on a 4k tv. The 60fps is very welcome and I appreciate the level of detail in the environments. But the pop in can definitely get a little distracting, probably a symptom of a rushed development (shocker a rushed Sonic game). That’s pretty minor though. I’m more bothered by the fact that I’m just not the biggest fan of setting Sonic amidst pseudo realistic environments. I just end up thinking of how Sonic 3 also had you explore a lost island, but how it gave Angel Island and its environments so much more life and colour. Or the strength of Sonic Unleashed’s vibrant art direction despite being based on real world locations. Maybe the look will grow on me. But for now it’s a bit jarring, a little too ‘Sega hire this man.’
One thing I saw a lot of people hyping up was the story. Now I haven’t read the comics so I’m not that familiar with Ian Flynn’s writing. So I didn’t quite know what to expect. Plus, I’d run or two out of context spoilers that left a bit of a bad taste in mouth, so I went in with slightly tempered expectations. So far I’m…torn but intrigued. The things I’m liking most are the sense of mystery and the character interactions. The flashbacks of the civilisation that lived here previously, what the deal is with Sage. That’s all pretty compelling and has me eager to learn more. Likewise, the conversations between Sonic and Amy were really good. The dialogue felt pretty natural and I like that there so many of them. One thing I’ve been wanting out of Sonic is a few more instances where the story can slow down a little and let the characters talk and show off their dynamic. This is actually something Sonic Colours did really well. Sonic and Tails got plenty of time to show off their relationship in that game, and it’s great to see that being applied to a game with a more dramatic, less jokey plot. I’m really excited to see these scenes with Tails and Knuckles too.
But I’m a little more mixed on the actual tone. It all feels a little too…dry and somber. Now the melancholy atmosphere was something I was actually pretty curious about pre release because it seemed new and different for the series. But in practise it feels a little…lifeless. I really like this voice cast but they all sound directed to be so much more subdued. Cindy Robinson and Roger Craig Smith are both barely doing character voices, and that’s a shame because I like their Sonic and Amy a lot. Even Mike Pollock’s Eggman sounds so muted, which is a crime. And by all accounts I shouldn’t expect much from Eggman in this game, despite him being one of my favourite characters, which is a shame.
I dunno, so far this story is reminding me a little too much of Sonic 06. Trying too hard to be dramatic and serious, by sapping everyone of personality and making everything moody and subdued. As well as overly reserved voice direction that doesn’t play to the strengths of otherwise good voice actors. Though thankfully the dialogue and plotting is MUCH better written than 06. I like when Sonic is story driven, but I also like Sonic because it’s a cartoon at heart. It’s colourful and bombastic and its characters have larger then life personalities. So far this doesn’t feel like that. It’s probably a perfect panacea to those who hated Sonic Forces’ tone (and trust me, I didn’t like that story either). But I feel like other Sonic games have done involved stories without draining all the colour like this, (I’m not the biggest Black Knight fan but that game put Sonic in a serious plot while keeping him in character much better).
Also, one minor positive and negative to wrap up. Big’s fishing was a really a cute charming side activity with lots of fun fan service. Meanwhile the mandatory mini games in Amy’s side story were finnicky and poorly explained. I hope they aren’t a regular thing.
So far then, I’m having fun with Frontiers, but my feelings are mixed. My favourite parts of it are the cool new ideas it brings to the series. The exploration, the combat, the lore. But when it tries to recapture what worked in previous games, it falters more often than not. It’s succeeding in a lot of ways Sonic typically falls short. But it’s also stumbling in ways the games usually excel.
I hate to use this because it’s such an annoying cliché, but so far I think it’s a good game, but I don’t know if I think it’s a good Sonic game.
Even so, I’m excited to see the rest.
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Here is the long-awaited Dark Deception OC of mine, Begonia and well i scrapped my DD sona so i replaced her with this oc then i was supposed to post this last year but i remastered it to make it look better so i hope you enjoy her!
Name: Begonia
Full Name: Begonia Simons
Nicknames: Beg, Beggi and Be-Be(By Agatha), Babe and Sweetie(By Cedrick), Flower Dead(By Bierce)
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Species: Demon/Plant Monster
Birthday: May 27th
Zodiac: Gemini
Height: 5'6 ft.
Voice: Dove Cameron
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation: N/A
Personality: Rash, Kind Enough, Bloodthirsty, Violent, Malvolent, Sweet, Impulsive, Finicky, Reliable, Precise
Location: Flower Park
Level: Floral Fate
Family Relatives:
Unnamed Father
Unnamed Mother
Friends/Allies: Malak, Maneater Dahlia, Murder Monkies, Agatha, Gold Watchers, Dread Duckies, Lucky the Rabbit, Penny the Chicken, Kira, Hikari, Riyeko, Ryan
Enemies: Doug Houser, Bierce
Romantic Interest: Cedrick
Abilities/Skills: Botanokinesis, Florakinesis, Hand shapeshifting
Likes: Flowers, Sweets, Cedrick, Singing, Dancing, Spring, Reading, Squirrels, Thorn Vines, Romantic Movies, Chocolate
Dislikes: Thieves, Being bothered, Bierce, Spinach, People with bad singing voices, Dark Chocolate, Regaetton Music
In-game:
The level is set into a flower park with withered flowers to start from the park entrance and she can be heard singing then onced the player entered through the gate and Begonia is sitting by the fountain holding a dahlia on her hand, expect to see the player and she seems to be unamused to see the player then suddenly the park lights went off and then she disappeared then all the gates were opened and they were 140 shards in Zone 1, and Begonia will go after the player, she will proceed to stunned the player by extended the thorny vines at the player from 7 feet and must break free before she kills the player and they were traps here, they were swinging vines, venus flytraps and some thorny stems sprout out from the ground. After collecting all 140 soul shards and the ring altar is at the center of the park, upon reaching Zone 2 in the hedge maze, Begonia appeared sitting on the tree on the right, stating to the player about taking the "Seeds" and keeping them on the sight then the player enter the hedge maze, they are 201 shards and she begin to chase the player again, Begonia will jump from tree to tree which she can drop to catch the player and the player must evade her from the tackle attack and they were traps continued the phase. After collecting all of the shards, Malak will chase the player to the center of the park. After retrieving the ring piece, the player is about to leave but was ambushed by Begonia in nightmare mode, she stated that Malak would be expecting to see the player as Malak appeared behind her that telling the player about Begonia's pet which he can show the player and Maneater Dahlia appeared while Malak and Begonia had disappear. After the boss battle, the Maneater Dahila was in defeat and throws the player over the Zone 1 then landed into the fountain then gets off from the fountain then while reaching the portal, Begonia will chase the player again attempt to catch the player but somehow was blocked by the gate which grows with glowing purple vines by Bierce allowing the Player to escape.
Deaths:
Begonia leaps on the player and then cover and prick the player to death with thorny vines.
Begonia kills the player with her venus flytrap hand.
Begonia will yanked the player to her and impaled them if not getting unstunned.
Facts:
Begonia is one of the monsters in the nightmare realm that inhabited in the abandoned flower park and had a power to control deadly plants and shapeshift her hands into venus flytraps.
She is represented as Botanophobia(Fear of Plants).
She is represented as Doug's wife who was been lefted out by her husband unlike Doug, Cedrick left her for a while at the flower park.
In her life, Begonia was a high school student and Cedrick was her childhood friend and love interest, she had some interests with flowers and she is unmercily bullied by the 3 group of girls, Cressida, Nellie and Sharon who loved to make fun of her and One day, the three group of girls stole the almanac of flowers from Begonia's bag and then Begonia and Cedrick finds it gone then they finds out about it then they tolded the teacher about it then the teacher scolded them and tell one of them to give the almanac back then Cressida wants to have her revenge, Begonia and Cedrick goes on the date in the flower park then while Begonia sats on the bench and telling her that he will go to the restroom then while waiting for Cedrick, the 3 girls confronted her then one of them pulls out a box cutter then Cedrick came back saw the three girls beating and attacking Begonia then while the two girls strangled her with vines then Cedric calls the police then Begonia was been stabbed and strangled to death and the 3 girls laugh unmercily and the police arrive as they were about to leave her corpse as one of them tries to lie to the officer but Cedrick shows the bloody box cutter to the police then the 3 girls were arrested for a murder of Begonia and Cedrick was devasted that he failed tried to save her.
After her death, Malak brought her to the nightmare world and made her into a demonic corpse plant monster and now Begonia spend her eternity in the nightmare which she will live in the flower park where she had died and was gifted with the Maneater Dahlia.
Begonia and Cedrick were reunited in the nightmare world after his death of heroin overdose and now he became a undead entity/fox hybrid then at first when she was confused by him because he is been unrecognizable until Cedrick explains everything then they now shared their tender moment together.
She was feeling unamused when the Dread Duckies were quacking so loud and surrounded her down in the sewers and yet she had an opinion in the sewers that it smells like rotten fish.
Begonia despised Bierce for stopping her from going after Doug who was going to escape and she gets really angry that Doug stole all of her "seeds".
Theme Song: Diabolical by Nyxx
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Miami: A Photographer's Paradise - Unveiling Dream Photoshoot Locations
Miami, the vibrant heart of Florida, pulsates with a contagious energy that translates beautifully into captivating photos. From sun-drenched beaches and iconic Art Deco architecture to lush gardens and pulsating street art, Miami offers a kaleidoscope of backdrops to suit every photographer's vision. Whether you're a seasoned professional or an enthusiastic hobbyist, this guide will unveil some of Miami's most captivating photoshoot locations:
Beach Bliss:
South Beach: Undeniably iconic, South Beach with its pastel lifeguard towers and sugary white sand is a must-visit. Capture the effervescent energy of Miami or a touch of retro charm, depending on your chosen location along this legendary stretch of coastline.
Haulover Beach Park: Escape the crowds and find serenity at Haulover Beach Park. This natural barrier island offers pristine white sand dunes and swaying sea oats, perfect for a touch of natural elegance in your photos.
Key Biscayne: For a secluded and luxurious feel, venture to Key Biscayne's pristine beaches. Imagine capturing the crystal-clear turquoise waters and swaying palm trees for a touch of island paradise.
Urban Jungle:
Wynwood Walls: This vibrant outdoor museum pulsates with colorful street art. The ever-changing murals create a dynamic and artistic backdrop, perfect for showcasing bold fashion or capturing a unique urban vibe.
Art Deco Gems: Miami's Art Deco architecture is a photographer's dream. The pastel colors, geometric shapes, and chrome accents of iconic buildings like The National Hotel or The Carlyle provide a touch of vintage glamour to your photos.
Brickell City Centre: This upscale open-air shopping complex offers a modern and sleek backdrop. The geometric architecture, water features, and lush landscaping create a sophisticated and contemporary urban aesthetic.
A Touch of Tranquility:
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Immerse yourselves in a sea of vibrant flora and fauna at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Lush greenery, cascading waterfalls, and unique botanical collections provide a serene and exotic backdrop for portraits or wedding photos.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens: Step back in time at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. This European-inspired estate boasts formal gardens, sculpted hedges, and grand fountains, creating an air of timeless elegance for your photos.
Venetian Pool: This historic landmark pool, fed by natural springs, offers a touch of Mediterranean charm. The turquoise water, cascading waterfalls, and architectural details create a unique and visually captivating backdrop.
Beyond the Expected: Envision Your Photoshoot at Villa Toscana Miami miami photoshoot locations:
While Miami offers a plethora of public locations for photoshoots, sometimes exclusivity and controlled settings are desired. This is where Villa Toscana Miami steps in as a premier photoshoot venue. This captivating 4-acre estate offers more than just stunning scenery:
Variety of Settings: With exquisite architecture, picturesque gardens, a captivating Venetian Laguna, and expansive outdoor spaces, Villa Toscana offers a multitude of scene options within a singular location. This eliminates the need to scout for multiple locations and simplifies logistics for your shoot.
Controlled Environment: As a private estate, Villa Toscana offers more control over the environment compared to public locations. You can manage background extras or ensure lighting consistency throughout your shoot.
Unique Props: The estate provides a variety of complimentary props you can incorporate into your photos, like vintage airplanes, antique cars, floral swings, or even pianos. These elements can add depth, whimsy, or a touch of vintage charm to your photos.
Professional Support: The experienced event staff at Villa Toscana can assist with logistics and ensure a smooth photoshoot experience.
Conclusion
Miami's vibrant energy and diverse landscapes provide a photographer's playground. With its iconic beaches, pulsating streetscapes, and tranquil gardens, Miami offers a backdrop to suit any creative vision. So grab your camera, explore the hidden gems and renowned landmarks, and capture the magic of Miami in your next photoshoot!
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Best 6Weeks6Months Java Training In Chandigarh
Among the various training programs offered by Netmax Technologies, the Best 6Weeks6Months Java Training stands out as a flagship offering, designed to provide a comprehensive and immersive learning experience in the world of Java programming language. This program caters to both beginners and experienced professionals, ensuring a seamless transition into the realm of Java development.
The curriculum is structured to provide a well-rounded understanding of Java, including:
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Java Frameworks and Technologies: Hands-on experience with popular frameworks and technologies such as Servlets, JSP, Spring, Hibernate, web services, and Java Swing for GUI development.
Project Development: Culminating in a capstone project where learners apply their acquired knowledge to develop a real-world Java application, adhering to industry best practices and coding standards.
Additionally, Netmax Technologies provides comprehensive placement assistance to its learners, leveraging its strong industry connections and partnerships with reputable companies. The institute actively collaborates with various organizations to facilitate job placements for its trained professionals, ensuring a smooth transition from learning to employment.
Conclusion
Netmax Technologies’ Best 6Weeks6Months Java Training in Chandigarh offers a comprehensive and immersive learning experience for individuals aspiring to become proficient Java developers. With its industry-relevant curriculum, hands-on learning approach, experienced trainers, flexible learning options, personalized support, and placement assistance, this program equips learners with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the dynamic field of Java programming, setting them on a path towards a rewarding career.
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Unraveling Java: A Comprehensive Exploration
Chapter 1: Unveiling Java
A Historical Perspective: Tracing Java's Origins
Relevance in Today's Tech World: Java's Enduring Significance
Chapter 2: The Building Blocks
Syntax and Structure
Demystifying Java's Syntax
Navigating Variables, Data Types, and Operators
Object-Oriented Mastery
Embracing Encapsulation, Inheritance, and Polymorphism
Unveiling Classes and Objects in Java
Harnessing Abstraction and Interfaces
Control Flow and Loops
Mastering Conditional Statements
The Art of Iteration: for, while, do-while
Chapter 3: Journey into Development
Handling Exceptions
Taming Errors and Exceptions
Embracing Try-Catch Blocks
Embracing Collections
Exploring Java's Collection Classes
Leveraging Collections and Iterators
Multithreading and Concurrency
Navigating Threads and Synchronization
Embracing Concurrent Programming in Java
Chapter 4: Advanced Java Concepts
The Power of Generics
Unleashing Generic Classes and Methods
Harnessing the Power of Generics in Java
Java I/O
Understanding Input and Output Operations
Navigating File Handling and Stream Classes
JDBC Essentials
Bridging Java Applications with Databases
Executing SQL Queries via JDBC
Chapter 5: Crafting Applications with Java
GUI Development
Creating User Interfaces with JavaFX or Swing
Mastering Design Principles and Components
Java in Web Development
Harnessing Java-based Web Frameworks (Spring, Hibernate)
Crafting Web Applications with Java
Java in Mobile Development
Diving into Android App Development with Java
Leveraging Android Studio and Java for Mobile Apps
Chapter 6: Best Practices and Insights
Crafting Clean and Efficient Java Code
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Recommended Tools and Resources for Java Developers
Conclusion: The Java Odyssey
Reflecting on Java's Impact and Versatility
Envisioning Java's Role in the Evolving Software Landscape
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Mosquito Bat with UV Light Lamp
PEST CONTROL ENGINEERED TO WORK - Electric Fly Swatter Helps You Easily Catch & Kill a Variety of Flying Insects for Safe, Dependable Indoor & Outdoor Relief | Perfect for Home, Kitchen, Bathroom, Garbage Area, Barn, Deck, Patio or Garden
BUILT-IN ELECTRIC MOSQUITO ZAPPER LAMP - Built-In Mosquito lamp, Just put it on the base and turn it on, Mosquitoes will fly to it and be killed! According to the mosquito habits, use purple light beads that can release 395mm mosquito habit wavelength, and diamond innenet with strong light transmission, can zap mosquitoes effectively.
HEAVY-DUTY HANDHELD RACKET - Cordless Device Features an Extra-Large Surface Area & Comfort-Grip Handle for Maximum Efficiency | Just Swing in the Direction of Bugs & Watch Them Bite the Dust! Great for House Flies, Mosquitoes, Gnats, Etc.
More Efficient Racquet :- Electric lamp built-in purple light beads can release 395mm attracting wavelength, just put it on the base and turn it on when sleeping
YEAR-CONVENIENCE | Put a Stop to Pesky Home Invaders, Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall!| Excellent Solution for Backyard Barbecues & Deck Parties or Indoor Problems with Black Flies, Fruit Flies & More | 1-Year Limited Warranty Included
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Java's key topics and concepts
Java Full Course,
1. Java Fundamentals: Start with the basics, including variables, data types, operators, and control flow. Understand how to write, compile, and run Java programs.
2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Java is an object-oriented language, so grasp core OOP concepts like classes, objects, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation.
3. Exception Handling: Learn how to handle exceptions using try-catch blocks to write robust and error-tolerant code.
4. Collections Framework: Explore Java's extensive collections library, including ArrayList, HashMap, HashSet, and others, for efficient data storage and manipulation.
5. Multithreading: Java provides built-in support for multithreading, enabling concurrent execution. Understand threads, synchronization, and thread safety for developing responsive applications.
6. File I/O: Learn how to read from and write to files using Java's File I/O API.
7. Java Virtual Machine (JVM): Understand how Java code is executed by the JVM, including memory management, bytecode execution, and garbage collection.
8. Java GUI Programming: Explore JavaFX and Swing for creating graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in desktop applications.
9. Web Development: Delve into Java Servlets and JavaServer Pages (JSP) for building dynamic web applications.
10. Frameworks: Familiarize yourself with popular Java frameworks like Spring (for enterprise applications) and Hibernate (for database access).
11. Build Tools: Learn to use build automation tools like Maven and Gradle to manage project dependencies and build processes efficiently.
12. Unit Testing: Practice writing unit tests using JUnit or TestNG to ensure code reliability and quality.
13. Java 8+ Features: Explore features introduced in Java 8, such as lambdas, streams, and the java.time package, for modernizing Java development.
14. Android Development: If interested in mobile app development, Java is a primary language for Android development. Learn to create Android apps.
15. Security: Understand Java security principles, secure coding practices, and how to handle vulnerabilities to write secure applications.
16. Best Practices: Follow coding best practices, design patterns, and performance optimization techniques to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.
17. IDEs and Tools: Familiarize yourself with Java IDEs like Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, or NetBeans for efficient development.
18. Community and Resources: Join the Java developer community, participate in forums, and utilize online resources and documentation for continuous learning and problem-solving.
By mastering these Java topics, you'll be well-equipped to develop a wide range of applications, from desktop software to web and mobile applications, and contribute effectively to the Java development community.
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Swing Control Introduces Its Spring Capsule Collection for Men
-Swing Control adds new pants and shorts to expand their men’s product line-up-
MONTRĖAL, CA. – MAY 25, 2023 – Swing Control, manufacturers of the performance-based golf and lifestyle apparel brand, is proud to announce that the company has expanded its men’s collection for Spring 2023. The new men’s line is designed for golfers who want the look of tailored pants or shorts but with the…
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#FightAndGrind#golflifestyle#SeeUOnTheNextTee#thenexttee#untilthenexttee#golf#Golf Equipment Reviews#golf Industry News#Golf News#golfers#swing control apparel#Until The Next Tee#until the next tee golf blog website
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14th March Photographic ramble
Well this old public house must've been converted a long time ago as it's obviously the end of a terraced row of farm cottages and when one exited it one was right onto the main road through this little hamlet which seemed to centre around Albert Bromley's farm. Proceeding towards the main village one comes across another row of terraced cottages, where at the time everyone either worked on the arm or in one of Mr Bromley's industries, where indeed I got a summer job in one such industry and operated the labelling machine in one of his companies, Pope & Haywards bottling plant in the Victoria works Staplehurst High Street, where Imet a young lad called Peter who lived in the aforementioned cottages, as did a few of the young lady's who worked there. Later on in my life, Georgie Spragg who married Janet, who's mother Olive Wood lived in one of the aforementioned cottages told me a nice little story concerning Peter. One of the young ladies who lived in the cottages was losing her somewhat racy at the time underwear from off the line behind the cottages and it must be appreciated that there were no tumble dryers in those days and everything went on the line on wash day. Olive got wind of this and told George and so a saucy plan was hatched and lots of items of racy underwear were collected from various sources and duly hung on the line. The trap was set and as sure as eggs are eggs, soon after midnight there was the swing of the garden gate and there was a dark chap collecting his latest catch but lo and behold, as the lights were switched on and to everyone's surprise, there was Peter walking his dog but without his animal but a armful of unmentionables. On searching his bedroom a drawer in his chest of drawers had quite a few matchboxes and inside each was a pair of knickers. He was most embarrassed but kept his job but had lost his position in the little community
Further on down the road we come to a corner and on this named corner stood once a farm and garden shop and it was just before a series of two bridges, one with a wooden set of gang planks to one side, as this was the flood plain of the little river and tributary of the main Kent river. The bridge was just after a nice sweeping bend, which in the summer became a regular Sunday afternoon site for some serious bathing and skinny dippiing for the young kids of the
local village. Totally segregated of course, as villagers were prone to very malicious gossip. Next we come top the railway bridge with very steep slopes up from either side and the bridge just after the famous bridge of many years ago where Dickens experienced his rail crash and had to search for his lady friend who was travelling in third class, as opposed to his first class carriage. An old friend of mine, Nick Bates was coming home from a party in the area, with his then lady friend Wink in front of his white mini pick-up and Pete Lampard standing in the back, he was going too fast and lost control as he hit the summit and shot off the side of the road, Lampard shot out the back and lost one of his front teeth and Nick lost his girlfriend of many years, as she never trusted his driving ever again. Then on the slope towards the village and our turn off right there was an impressive entrance to a farmhouse and instead of wandering off like a cloud on high, Wordsworth could've wrote his classic poem right here, as during spring there appeared every year a host of golden daffodils, just right for the picking by small boys on their bikes for Mother's Day or Easter Sunday and they had to be alert because the farmer wasn't too pleased to see them. Down to road but before the next railway bridge we take a left and go pass Dinkie Luckhurst's little farm and greyhound training establishment complete with practice track and electric hare and then up and back to the village road and going pass the entrance to what was called the local camp but in reality an ammunition dump for the Chickenden airfield nearby. At the T road we take a left and once round the sharp 90 degree left hand bend, where Lampard put his green Triumph 200 estate on the ditch on another party visit in Staplehurst, we take the next right and join the road to Craddocks Hill and go pass the entrance on the left for Chickenden Lane to Cottons, Spills Hill and Chickenden Farms, then a sharp right hand bend with a little cottage in the corner, where an old lady lived and one Caroline Munn helped get her groceries and things from the village, then we come to gradual climb up a hill and on our left pass a lowered hedge where we can see the end of the runway where an American squadron was posted in the Second World War, at the top of the hill there's a large farmhouse on the left a a path along the ridge to the village church and on the right a bungalow that housed a man ahead of his times, Ian Chardry, a swimming pool installer and maintainer and the footpath continuing onto another village church. The descent on the other side is somewhat steeper and would usually mean getting off ones bicycle to climb it.
One weekend on an early trip home from Uni, I travelled round to my father's office, only to see him getting ready to go out. I volunteered to take the Ford dropside 15cwt truck and pick up 100x 10lb trays of Careless from Stuart Pearson at Jubilee corner and went via Craddocks Hill, only to be stopped by a police road block at the bottom of the hill, on the junction. This was a serious County Police job and not the locals. I told them who I was and what I was doing but a train had been robbed of some silver bullion between Marden and Staplehurst and they were looking for a similar sizes truck and someone who wasn't local and my driving licence supposedly had a Birmingham coat of arms on it. In the end the local police turned up and verified my story and I was allowed to go my way.Nevertheless, I ventured back via the village and explained my lateness to a very impatient driver and his lorry
The T road at the bottom bisects a road joining two villages and we turn left and it's not long before we come to a nice cottage on our left and its virtually opposite another adjoining road.
This cottage became somewhat famous when a bike rider stopped the lady owner and asked for a cup of water, he broke in and after a scuffle managed to tie her up, rob her of her little money and odds and ends and scarpered. It took two days for her to be found but the police caught the traveller in Hythe and he got 5 years. How do I know this you may well ask but I have inside information. On our right as we continue onto this little hamlet we pass a hunting stables, owned by a Major Foy who must've worked in London, as he came along the lane in a grand black Austin Sheerline every day and it had enormous 12" headlamps and might've been chauffeur driven. So two majors on the same road, how about that. We now run through
Russell Jenner's farm, where a little stream runs through and under the road and where we as kids used to catch all manners of small fish. His wife initially treated us to some excellent home made lemon juice until too many started turning up. The big two storey barn in the yard used to be the venue for numerous bawdy events, with undressed ladies and all sorts of strange goings on or perhaps it was the result of an overactive mind and Bob Coram's cartoons. Who nose. Now upto the T road and we turn right and venture into a little Village, famous for it's harbour and Treacle mines. The first house on the right, adjacent to Mill lane, is where Bob lived.
One must appreciate that all this is from personal recollection of a once young chap who lived along the road and so errors and omissions must be excluded.
Happy daze
Noe just a dew questions
Former name of starting place public house
Local name of corner in the road
Name of Farm shop
River
Year of Dicken's famous train crash
Dicken's lady friends name
What colour was Nick Bates mini pick up
Which squadron was stationed in Chickenden lane
What footpath do we cross
Main road between what two villages
Cottage name
What Hunt
Name of stream or local nickname
Name three small varieties of fish caught in stream
Famous event held in barn
What have these young ladies got to do with it
Answers please on the back of a fag packet and given to Peter Fenton at your earliest convenience and the winner will be notified accordingly
Happy daze
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Original Penguin Golf Launches Spring 2023 Collections
#BeAnOriginal
Original Penguin Golf® by Munsingwear®, a division of Perry Ellis International, is pleased to announce the launch of the Spring 2023 Golf collections for men and women showcasing dynamic prints, classic styling and technically advanced fabrics.
“Original Penguin is a true modern classic brand, trusted during play and preferred after the game is over,” said Oscar Feldenkreis, CEO of Perry Ellis International. “For over 60 years, it has been a symbol for those who know how to be an original. The Spring 2023 collections reinforce our commitment to authenticity and heritage while embracing our passion for the good times.”
“For the Spring 2023 collection, we dug deep into the Munsingwear archives of the 70s and 80s and recreated several of the original prints and patterns while incorporating modern fabrications,” said Lupe Benitez, Senior Vice President of Design. “Our fabrics are superior high-gauge knits with cooling touch, dull polyester and elastane blends all utilizing ventilation, recycled yarn and eco-friendly finishes. These new designs also come with a new modern tailored fit, both sophisticated and trim yet roomy enough to swing uninhibited.” Highlights of the Men’s Spring 2023 collection include:
● New heritage polos with an enlarged Pete emblem
● Seersucker printed shorts and new hybrid board shorts
● Graphic tees inspired by Munsingwear archive illustrations
The Women’s collection is inspired by psychedelic and carefree style of the 60s and 70s. Feminine Original Penguin touches are key such as cutout details across the body on top silhouettes with semi-sheer meshes, taping and heritage piping to create pops of unexpected color. Fabrics are lux high gauge dull recycled yarns with elastane, 4-way lightweight wovens and 8-way stretch jersey. Performance and comfort details include moisture-wicking, UPF Protection, Primaloft insulation, built-in tummy control, and soft elastic gripper tape on bottoms. Highlights of the women’s collection include:
● Veronica performance polos, dresses and sun protection outerwear
● Essential Heritage color block skorts
● Abstract, geo printed and retro floral polos and skorts
Original Penguin and Pete the Penguin have left their mark on a league of legends. For over 60 years, its namesake bird-adorned apparel has been adored by the masters of leisure and sport to define an American classic. Today, the Penguin icon still stands as a symbol for those who know how to be an original.
About An Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®
In 1955, Minneapolis-based Munsingwear – an underwear and military supply company – ironically became the touchstone of suburban sport with the introduction of the first iconic golf shirt to America – an ORIGINAL PENGUIN®. Known for its unique, humorous and detail-oriented clothing, Original Penguin offers a full range of men’s and children’s clothing, accessories and fragrances. The brand continues to evolve into the sports arena with the addition of tennis and pickleball apparel. Original Penguin is a global brand with retail stores worldwide as well as two dedicated e-commerce websites:www.originalpenguin.com andwww.originalpenguin.co.uk.
About Perry Ellis International
Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor, and licensor of a broad line of high quality men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and fragrances. The company’s collection of dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress pants, casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, dresses, and men’s and women’s swimwear is available through all major levels of retail distribution. The company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands, including: Perry Ellis®, An Original Penguin by Munsingwear®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist® and Farah®. The company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel. Additional information on the company is available at www.pery.com
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Best 10 Best Door Manufacturing Companies in India
A door is a hinged or otherwise moveable barrier that permits people to go into and depart a room. The hollow made in the wall is a door or a portal. The primary and most critical purpose of a front is to hold people secure by controlling the right of entry to the doorway (exit). Usually, a panel suits into a building room. Most entrances are made of a fabric that provides the doorway job. Most entrances are held collectively by hinges, but they also can move in different methods, such as by slides or being pushed or pulled.
Many entrances have ways to lock them in order that only positive people can open them (such as with a key). People can let you know they are knocking at the door or ringing the doorbell. In a few places, like Brazil, it's common to clap from the sidewalk to let people know you're there.
Aside from letting people get in and out of a room, front also can do things like keep people from prying eyes, separate rooms with specific purposes, permit mild in and out, control air flow or air drafts so that rooms may be heated or cooled extra efficiently, lessen noise, and stop fires from spreading.
The entrance may be used for looks, symbols, and rituals. For example, getting the important thing to a wooden door can mean going from being on the outside to being internal. In addition, entrances and doorways are often used as symbols or allegories in literature and the arts to show that something is set to change.
Different kinds of entrances are used for different types. The maximum common kind is the single-leaf front, which has a single rigid panel that fills the entrances. However, this basic layout has many variations, like the double-leaf front or double front and French windows, with adjacent independent panels hinged on every aspect of the entrance.
Saloon entrances are a couple of mild, swinging doorways not unusual in bars, mainly withinside the American West. Saloon entrances, additionally known as cafe entrances, regularly have hinges that paintings in each directions. These hinges use springs to shut the doorway irrespective of the way it opens. Batwing entrances are saloon entrances that handiest move from knee stage to chest stage.
Let’s talk about the Top 10 Door Manufacturing Companies in India
NCL Door
NCL Door. Located at Malkapur, Telangana. NCL Door is one of the Best wooden door company in India. NCL Door offers a vast range of quality products such as Doors, Windows, Glazings and much more to our clients’ at most economical prices. Our entire product range is developed in compliance with predefined industrial standards and conform to international quality standards.
These products are developed at our manufacturing unit under the supervision of our experts, who possess years of experience in their respective fields.
NCL Doors are fireproof, waterproof, scratch resistant, chemical resistant and termite free.
Door Types:
Natura series
Signature series
Soft touch series
Fire rated door series
2. Greenply Wooden Doors
Greenply Wooden Doors is thought to be one of the best places in India to make wooden doors. Greenply started in 1990 and made front orders for every customer. The major things they sell are:
Green Gold entrance
The Ecotec entrance
Green entrance
Green Club entrance
Optima G SWF entrance
Greenply’s flush entrance is ideal to be a number of the best on the market. They are strong, have an excessive stage of protection, and might stand up to different climate conditions. In addition, Greenply’s approach of ensuring enough products on the market makes them stand out in the front industry. Even though it's one of India’s most famous and low cost door manufacturers, the employer is also using a sustainable farm control strategy to expand farm forestry that can meet their cloth needs.
centuryply affords firewall technology - youtube
3. CenturyPly Plywood
When looking for the best door company in India, CenturyPly Plywood comes to mind. Since its inception in 1982 in Kolkata, CenturyPly has built an amazing reputation for itself and is now called one of the most popular and best plywood door manufacturers. The major matters they sell are:
Straight entrance
Veneer entrance
Bond Doors Club Prime entrance
Melamine Door Skin
The entrance is made to match the beauty of the inside and the outside of the house. One of the main motives to apply CenturyPly Plywood is that it makes an great cloth for creating a specific entrance, each for homes and businesses.
Maxon doors | doors producer in pune, india | bangalore
4. Maxon Doors
In 2007, Maxon Doors was founded. The company makes engineered entrances that combine “beauty with strength” to fulfill the desires of today. Maxon Doors is one of the exceptional door manufacturers in India. They do this by the usage of a variety of superb machinery and tools to make the system of making entrances extra efficient.
Maxon Doors receives its raw materials from companies that care about the environment. There are videos at the company’s website that show how the different layers of timber make the entrance stronger. This is why the employer says it's going to make a long-lasting and good front for the environment. The major things Maxon Doors makes are:
Teak Wood entrance
Natural Veneer entrance
Recon Veneer Laminate Line entrance
Laminate Royal Art entrance.
5. Shree Balaji Wood Impex
Shree Balaji Wood Impex works in specific parts of the country to make decorative doors. Shree Balaji Wood Impex has been round considering the fact that 2011. It is famous for its huge variety of timber doors and window frames. Shree Balaji Wood Impex sells doorways under “GSM Doors.” They are idea to be one of the exceptional front companies in India. The employer has made changes to its plant which are good for the environment. This is a common exercise in the door industry. The employer promises to give you style and safety. The major things that Balaji Wood Impex sells are:
6. Pure Wood Doors
Pure Wood Doors is known for its custom wooden front. They have a lot of enjoy making doors for houses and resorts. Since it commenced making timber doorways in 1997, the company has grown to become one of the best in India. Pure Wood Doors makes excessive-give up doorways which are a good fee for homeowners. Customers always choose Pure Wood front when they need a strong and durable timber entrance. The major products of the company are
Contemporary Wood entrances
Solid Wood entrances
Oakwood entrances
Teak Wood
Door Beechwood
7. Mikasa Doors
Mikasa Doors is known as one of the biggest door makers in India. The company is likewise recognized for having a large selection of door accessories. Mikasa has a number of front frames to fulfill the needs of every customer. In addition, the employer makes entrances prepared to be installed, which allows save you damage while the doorways are being made and put in. Mikasa also has many laminates, paints, and veneers to pick out from, depending on how the door will be used and where it is going to be within the building.
Mikasa additionally makes many add-ons that may be used to beautify the internal of a domestic. Also, they could occasionally give you new designs that have given them a part over their competitors. These are what they promote:
Fire-resistant entrances
Doors that aren’t fireproof
Single wood entrances
Double wood entrances
Sets for special entrances
8. Mini Max plywood
Mini Max plywood is famous as one of the exceptional door companies in India. With customer pride at the heart of the business, the company is always prepared to make doorways that shape the needs of every customer. In 2003, Mini Max Plywood opened for business. They understand loads about timber due to their few years of enjoyment. This lets them provide custom designs that assist clients get the maximum for his or her money. So if a homeowner needs a sturdy, long-lasting front, they could continually anticipate this logo, whose main merchandise are:
Flush front
Moulded fashion dressmaker front
9. Supreme Industries
Supreme Industries has been located in Telangana. Supreme Industries has been around since 1942. It is called one of India’s best front manufacturers, and its superb wooden doorways are trendy. They have made plywood, timber front, and veneers, all of which are kinds of wood front merchandise. How nicely a timber product does on the market relies upon the way it’s made at the internal.
So, Supreme Industries specializes in growing superb front at each low and aggressive prices. Also, the company has an great reputation for delivering on time and being aware of customer service needs. The Supreme Effects aid team is continually ready to reply questions from customers. The major things they sell are:
Steel entrance
Cold room entrance.
10. Doormark
The principal office of Doormark is in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The company’s ability to fulfill the needs of young people has made it very famous in its field. As a brand aimed at younger human beings, the company does studies on how young people’s tastes and trends change so it could meet their desires. Doormark makes superb doorways with designs that appeal to younger people and guard the environment. Since it commenced, the employer has teamed up with numerous worldwide manufacturers to convey contemporary and modern merchandise to the marketplace. The major things they promote are:
Modern slab entrance
Traditional square front
Standard doors with a round corner
Applying Molds
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