Circular red mark on arm rash
Best Car Wash Brushes
2024.05.19 08:42 GuiltlessMaple Best Car Wash Brushes
 | submitted by GuiltlessMaple to u/GuiltlessMaple [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/6gr88fgxwb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0bbadf42b26242381d553b2bd2e8ec7c49577f8 Welcome to our comprehensive guide on Car Wash Brushes! If you're looking to keep your vehicle sparkling clean, you've come to the right place. In this article, we'll discuss various types of car wash brushes, provide insights into which brushes are best suited for different surfaces, and offer tips on how to choose the perfect brush for your needs. So, dive in and discover the world of car washing accessories! The Top 12 Best Car Wash Brushes
Reviews🔗Car Wash Mop with Extendable Long Handle and Microfiber Headhttps://preview.redd.it/gabjhg6ywb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e77cd1411daa53baadc6695d02fefeedd40f81d0 I recently came across the Oyajia Car Cleaning Washing Mop Brush, and I must say, it's been a game-changer when it comes to keeping my car spotless. The adjustable handle allows me to reach all those tricky spots without having to twist and bend over, saving my back from any unnecessary strain. The chenille microfiber brush is not only soft but also extremely absorbent, making quick work of even the toughest stains. Plus, the fact that it can be easily disassembled into a mitt for interior cleaning is a definite bonus. However, one minor drawback is that the handle might be a tad too long for some users, making it a bit unwieldy to maneuver. Overall, this mop brush has made my car washing sessions faster, easier, and more enjoyable. 🔗Professionally Detailed Auto Wash Brush Sethttps://preview.redd.it/3atlofpywb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a63a71eea9772517ab7f273c2f09aaa2c76adcf I recently got my hands on the OUTIMI 27pcs Car Detailing Brush Set, and it's been a game-changer for my weekly car cleaning routine. The kit comes with an incredible variety of brushes, from detailed bristles for intricate corners to heavy-duty scrubbers for stubborn grime. I also found the drill brush set to be particularly effective in tackling tough stains and reaching those hard-to-reach areas. The car air conditioner brush has been an unexpected hero in this set. It's made such a difference in cleaning out the vents and improving airflow. Plus, the car foam drill polishing pads have made my car look so shiny and new. The woolen polishing pad has been perfect for getting a smooth finish on my paintwork. However, there have been a few cons. Some of the smaller bristles tend to shed, which can be a bit annoying. Additionally, the storage bag could use some improvement - it's a bit flimsy and doesn't keep the brushes well-organized. Overall, I'm thrilled with the OUTIMI 27pcs Car Detailing Brush Set. It's made a noticeable difference in the appearance of my car, and I couldn't be happier. 🔗Ultra-Soft Ergonomic Detailing Brush Sethttps://preview.redd.it/b9zk6fzywb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd3c56560da3a63fb635b48bb480aa173cf072b7 I recently stumbled upon the Detail Factory Ultra-Soft Detailing Brush Set Gray while searching for a solution to clean my car's intricate details without causing scratches. As a first-time user, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was to hold and use these brushes. The ergonomic design and balanced handle made it easy to clean for extended periods without experiencing any fatigue. The Ultra-Soft Detailing Brush Set truly lived up to its name, featuring ultra-soft synthetic bristles that gently cleaned my car's interior panels without causing any damage. Its metal-free construction gave me peace of mind knowing that the bristles wouldn't inadvertently scratch my vehicle's delicate surfaces. However, the only drawback I encountered was that the brush set comes with only one brush size, which might not be ideal for those who require more variety in their detailing tools. Despite this minor inconvenience, I wholeheartedly recommend the Detail Factory Ultra-Soft Detailing Brush Set Gray for anyone seeking a high-quality, gentle solution for maintaining their car's appearance. 🔗Car Wash Brush with Spray Foam and Rotating Designhttps://preview.redd.it/quprbgazwb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2be18a575f020a9af953d330ad21239c48f1adfc I recently got my hands on the versatile Atmomo Car Pressure Washer Rotating Wash Brush. This amazing tool made my car washing experience a breeze, saving me time and energy. What impressed me most was its automatic rotation feature that doesn’t require electricity. The water flowing into the pipe creates a high-pressure driving force to power the gears and make the brush work automatically. The Atmomo Car Pressure Washer isn't just your regular car wash brush. It also comes with a detergent box that sprays foam when you need it, making cleaning even easier. You can easily adjust the hydraulic pressure too, choosing from three levels according to your cleaning needs. Its rotating design with a soft and plump brush head ensures thorough cleaning while its excellent water-absorbing capacity protects the paint. This multi-functional tool isn't just limited to car washing. It can be used to clean floors, windows, blankets, and even serve as a garden water sprinkler. Its innovative technology has made car washing hassle-free and more enjoyable. However, one downside I noticed was the brush material. It tends to shed a bit during use, which might require some extra cleanup after washing your car. Despite this minor inconvenience, I consider the Atmomo Car Pressure Washer a valuable addition to my car care routine. 🔗Car Wheel Cleaning Brush Set with Tire Brushhttps://preview.redd.it/qke0xlszwb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59a60240bece2a23f67028e7d2376d96a4cc6160 As a car enthusiast, I'm always in search of the best tools to keep my ride in pristine condition. That's why I recently came across the NIKCOSMK Wheel Brush Kit, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. This versatile kit has become an essential part of my weekly car wash routine. The Professional Wheel & Rim Clean Brush Set includes a variety of brushes perfect for tackling even the toughest grime on my wheels, tires, and rims. The soft microfiber wheel brushes are gentle on my painted, chrome, powder coated, and polished wheels, ensuring no scratches are left behind. One feature that stands out is the flexible design of the rim brush. Its ability to bend up to 360 degrees allows me to reach deep into tight spaces and thoroughly clean my wheels' faces and lips. Plus, the comfortable silicone hand grip ensures the brush never slips, even during a vigorous scrubbing session. The high-quality materials used in this kit are a testament to its durability and performance. The thick fibers of the synthetic woolie brushes hold tons of cleaning liquid and quickly remove grime from my wheels, while the metal-free construction keeps my car's paint safe from potential damage. Another aspect I appreciate about this kit is its wide range of applications. Whether I'm cleaning my car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, or even my RV, boat, or lawn mowers, the NIKCOSMK Wheel Brush Kit has been an indispensable tool. Overall, the NIKCOSMK Wheel Brush Kit has made maintaining my car's spotless appearance effortless. Its unique combination of softness, flexibility, and performance makes it a reliable choice for car wash enthusiasts like me. 🔗Fitosy Complete Car Wash Brush Set for Detailinghttps://preview.redd.it/e0hdw330xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=705d54f6ae7f17c5eb719e4b798e13c9b027c8fb I recently decided to give my car a thorough cleaning and discovered the Fitosy Car Wheel Rim Tire Brush Set. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-made and versatile this kit was. The 15-inch flexible wool bristle brush stood out for me - it can bend in any direction and reach those hard-to-clean areas on the wheels. Plus, it's made of 100% metal-free materials, ensuring no scratches on my rims. Another feature I appreciated was the sturdy and ergonomic design of the handle. It's comfortable to grip and made of durable material, making it a reliable tool for long-term use. The three different sized detailing brushes also made light work of cleaning my car's interior, tackling tight spaces and nooks with ease. However, one drawback I experienced was that the tire brush, while effective in cleaning tires, seemed a bit too stiff for use on other sensitive surfaces like car carpets or leather seats. Despite that, overall, the Fitosy Car Wheel Rim Tire Brush Set has been a game-changer for me when it comes to car detailing, making the entire process much more efficient and enjoyable. 🔗Carcarez 4-Piece Long Handle Car Wash Mop Kit for Efficient Cleaninghttps://preview.redd.it/slqmz2s0xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19d9184f1d41dc05dc21d30a49c0e4a0758b16c9 I recently got my hands on a Car Wash Brush Kit by Carcarez, and I must say, it has become an indispensable part of my car maintenance routine. The 45-inch aluminum alloy long handle provides excellent reach, making it easy to clean hard-to-reach areas of my vehicle. The kit is a 3-in-1 design, comprising a car wash mop, a replacement mop head, and a car wash squeegee. It's incredibly versatile, allowing me to tackle various car cleaning tasks efficiently. The car wash mop is made of a combination of PP and chenille microfiber, ensuring thorough cleaning without scratching my car's paint. The package includes two mops, offering extra convenience. The aluminum alloy long handle is not just sturdy, but also adjustable and swiveling, enabling me to achieve a 180-degree cleaning angle. This feature has proven to be a game changer, particularly when cleaning narrow spaces. The car drying squeegee is another notable component of the kit. It quickly and safely dries flat surfaces, whether it's glass or car paint. There's no risk of water spots either, as the squeegee leaves no marks behind. It's a handy tool that has drastically cut down the time I spend on drying my car. However, there are a couple of areas where the Carcarez Car Wash Brush Kit could improve. The mop heads, while effective, do tend to wear out relatively quickly. Additionally, although the aluminum alloy handle is strong, it can feel a bit unwieldy at times, especially for those who prefer a more lightweight design. Overall, the Carcarez Car Wash Brush Kit has been a valuable addition to my car cleaning routine. Its versatile design, long handle, and efficient cleaning tools make it a worthwhile investment for anyone seeking to keep their vehicle in pristine condition. 🔗Professional 26-Piece Car Cleaning Kithttps://preview.redd.it/uhr1za01xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11920da47c305b1f90292c62f381bed31f2053d2 I've been using this car detailing kit for a few months now, and I must say, it's the ultimate car care package. From the tiniest nooks and crannies to the toughest stains on my wheels, this kit has made my car look as good as new. The drill brush attachments are particularly impressive. They've made it incredibly easy to give every corner of my car a thorough scrubbing, making sure no grime is left behind. The long handle wheel brush and tire brush have been a game-changer for reaching those hard-to-access spots on my rims and tires. The car detailing brush set is diverse, providing different sizes for various cleaning needs. The wire brushes have been particularly useful in tackling stubborn stains on the wheels. The soft car washing tool kit, with its detachable handle and water absorption cloth covers, has made windows and dashboards feel like brand new. However, it's worth noting that the bristles on some brushes may not be as soft as expected, so be gentle while using them. All in all, this 26-piece car cleaning kit is a must-have for any car enthusiast looking to maintain their ride in top condition. 🔗Comprehensive Car Cleaning Brush Sethttps://preview.redd.it/8fqyxde1xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92d7c3b014e1c12d58660c9eeb454f8a6f749266 I recently discovered the MateAuto 12pcs Car Carpet Brush Set and it's been a game changer for keeping my car interior spotless. This set includes various brushes with different sizes and bristle materials, making it easy to clean every nook and cranny of my car. The Car Carpet Brush is particularly impressive, featuring super hard synthetic bristles that can effectively scrub away dirt and grime without causing any damage to my car rugs or floor mats. The ergonomic handle makes it comfortable to use, even for extended periods of time. I also appreciate the fact that this set includes a boar's hair brush set and a natural horsehair brush. These bristles are soft enough not to scratch the interior of my car, but strong enough to clean away dust and debris. I've found the boar's hair brushes especially helpful in reaching tight spaces like air vents and lug nuts. Additionally, the set includes air outlet brushes for quick cleaning of car vents and blinds, as well as stainless steel, brass, and nylon brushes for even more versatility. It's truly an all-in-one solution that covers many cleaning tasks, whether it be rust removal or delicate household appliances. Overall, the MateAuto 12pcs Car Carpet Brush Set has made maintaining my car's interior so much easier and more enjoyable. Its variety of brushes and applications make it a must-have tool for any car owner looking to keep their vehicle in pristine condition. 🔗Ultimate 62" Car Wash Mop and Brush Kithttps://preview.redd.it/mhg5u6w1xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a56ea6bfb1f448a04f2999946afed9cb48fadce0 In my daily life, I've been using the HORDALOR Car Wash Kit to keep my car pristine. This kit includes everything you could need for a thorough car wash, even a 62" long-handle car wash brush to clean the hard-to-reach areas on your vehicle. The non-slip handle ensures a comfortable grip while you work, and won't scratch your paint job. One feature that stood out to me was the car wash kit's scratch-free design. The combination of the car bucket and grit trap keeps dirt off your car while washing, which prevents any scratches from developing during the cleaning process. Additionally, the car washing tools are made with premium materials that are gentle on delicate surfaces. However, the packaging could be improved. The Oxford bag is convenient and space-saving, but some users might find it difficult to access the tools when needed. Overall, I'm quite impressed with the HORDALOR Car Wash Kit and would recommend it to any car enthusiast looking for a comprehensive car cleaning solution. 🔗Premium 27-Piece Car Detailing Kithttps://preview.redd.it/1lfk4092xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d30bcd8d9c8f5ee400f0c0ca9d20c74f63448fc As a dedicated car enthusiast, I've had my fair share of cleaning tools over the years. However, the TTRCB 27pcs Car Detailing Kit has truly stood out among them. With its comprehensive set of brushes and accessories, it's like having a professional car wash right in my own garage. The kit comes with an impressive array of drill brushes, car detailing brushes, wire brushes, and other tools that cater to every cleaning need imaginable. From small cracks and corners to larger areas like wheels and engine compartments, this kit has got it all covered. The drill brushes are especially handy for giving the car's exterior a thorough wash, while the car detailing brushes are perfect for tackling smaller, more intricate areas inside the vehicle. The 3 different types of wire brushes are also a welcome addition to the kit, as they offer versatile cleaning options for various surface types. The air vent brush and car dash duster work wonders on removing dust from hard-to-reach areas, while the microfiber wash mitt ensures that your car stays spotless during the washing process. However, one thing to keep in mind is that the kit does not include the drill itself. Nevertheless, this minor inconvenience is easily overlooked when considering the overall quality and value that the TTRCB 27pcs Car Detailing Kit brings to the table. In conclusion, whether you're a professional detailer or a car enthusiast looking to give your vehicle a thorough clean, the TTRCB 27pcs Car Detailing Kit is definitely worth considering. Its extensive collection of brushes and accessories ensures that no corner is left untouched, resulting in a spotless and well-maintained car every time. 🔗Perform Tool Detailing Brush Set for Auto, Boat, and Homehttps://preview.redd.it/hfqmk7s2xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14b3d9f4eee06ad80656e391e9f96fe648187829 I recently decided to give my old car a much-needed makeover and came across the Perform Tool W4992 Power Brush Detailing Kit. I was initially skeptical about its capabilities, but boy, was I in for a surprise! The kit included an array of tools such as power tool brushes, pads, towels, and various sized detailing brushes, making it easier for me to tackle every nook and cranny of my vehicle. The double-sided wash mitt, in particular, came in handy as it soaked up water quickly without scratching the paint. One of the standout features was how the 3 white soft bristle power tool brushes could easily be used with my drill or impact driver, making quick work of cleaning upholstery, leather, carpet, glass, tile, and fiberglass. The two orange medium firm pads were perfect for applying wax and polishes with extra precision. However, there were some minor drawbacks. Some of the detailing brushes felt a bit flimsy, and I had to be extra cautious while using them in tight spaces. Additionally, the lack of proper product specifications and user reviews made it difficult for me to understand the kit's compatibility with various power tools. Overall, the Perform Tool W4992 Power Brush Detailing Kit has been a game-changer in reviving my car's appearance. It offers a comprehensive set of tools to help you detail your vehicle, boat, or home effortlessly. But remember, always use caution when handling some of the smaller detailing brushes to ensure they last long. Buyer's GuideGetting a car wash can be an expensive and time-consuming process. To help maintain your vehicle's appearance and extend the life of its paint job, investing in quality car wash brushes is a practical and cost-effective solution. In this buyer's guide, we'll cover essential features, considerations, and general advice about car wash brushes to ensure you make an informed purchase. https://preview.redd.it/evgweq93xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47a2fe197a739127843b66aafb9f3dd92f29d3fc Important Features to Consider
Considerations Before Purchasing
https://preview.redd.it/uko1aeo3xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=253de9d0972c01e2da938e9771d134438fff3d6d General Advice and Usage Tips
FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/d7khw744xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4bb3e504891ac633054459b6486e8217e774d7b 1. What are car wash brushes?Car wash brushes are specially designed tools used for cleaning and detailing vehicles. They come in various shapes and sizes, with features such as stiff or soft bristles, rotating heads, and ergonomic handles to suit different needs and types of surfaces.2. How do car wash brushes differ from regular brushes?Car wash brushes are specifically made for cleaning and maintaining vehicles. They may have stiffer or softer bristles, rotating heads, and ergonomic handles compared to regular brushes to provide a more thorough and efficient cleaning experience on automotive surfaces without causing damage. https://preview.redd.it/bg7wrlf4xb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e7b7c2616e42ceeb49df59cec6bce86ec9c44d2 3. What types of car wash brushes are available in the market?There are several types of car wash brushes available, including:
4. Why should I use a car wash brush instead of a regular sponge or cloth?Car wash brushes offer a more thorough and efficient cleaning solution by providing better access to nooks and crannies, removing stubborn dirt and grime, and distributing cleaning solution evenly across the surface. This minimizes the risk of scratching and ensures a streak-free finish.5. How do I choose the right car wash brush for my needs?Consider the following factors when selecting a car wash brush:
6. How do I properly maintain and store my car wash brushes?To maintain and store your car wash brushes:
7. Can I use car wash brushes on other surfaces besides my vehicle?While car wash brushes are designed for automotive surfaces, they can also be used to clean other items such as patio furniture, boat hulls, and ATVs, provided that the brush is suitable for the material's surface.8. How often should I replace my car wash brushes?The frequency at which you should replace your car wash brushes depends on how often you use them and their condition. It is recommended to inspect the bristles periodically for signs of wear or damage – if the bristles become matted, frayed, or unevenly worn, it may be time to replace the brush.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 08:35 Heroman3003 Taking Care of Broken Birds [Part 3]
More misery bird? More misery bird. Really miserymaxxing with these fics I have going, but hey, this one is not that miserable actually! Krekos is back and ready to be dense and downcast, but maybe not quite miserable? Read and see!
Big thank you to NoP community for being great and supportive of my endeavors!
Also, obviously, big thanks to SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe and allowing fanfiction well to flow free!
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Memory transcription subject: Krekos, Krakotl Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: May 6th, 2137
I stare at the foul creature before me. Normally staring at something directly head on like that would be too predatory for me to do, but after nearly dying of bread yesterday, I didn’t feel patient enough to be gentle. The creature stared right back, though in a much more natural, prey-like way, tilting its head slightly as it looked back at me with one eye and let out a long bwok.
“Are you doing this now? Really?”, I ask, knowing full well it cannot respond.
Well, it can, if another bwok it made is any indication. Of course, translators aren’t yet advanced enough to translate non-sapient speech, but the intention behind sound is intuitively clear. It’s telling me to back off. Well, I tried the diplomatic approach at least.
Raising my wing I begin sliding the bird out of its nest, careful to keep any delicate joints out of its reach. It started clucking in upset indignation, struggling back and even trying to peck at me, but after realizing that I will not relent, it hopped out of the box and rushed out of the cattle house, revealing a single dead egg in the nesting box.
With relief, I finally pick up the last egg and head back to leave them at the house. Turns out that while Reginald didn’t forget to both lock them up yesterday and let them out today, he did neglect feeding them both times, as well as collecting the harvest. So when I was driven back here in early morning, the first thing I did was making sure they were taken care of. I can’t say the horrid birds looked in any way hungry, but the moment I poured the feeding grain for them, they attacked it with more viciousness than I’d expect of an actual predator. And yet only thirteen were present at the feeding, as the one that’s usually the target of flock’s ire remained in the cattle house yet again, Reginald leaving it to it, being unaware of its undesirable habit of trying to hatch dead eggs.
With eggs delivered, I flew my way to my usual spot atop the cattle house and could finally relax. The loner beast first made its way to feast on the scraps of the grain that other birds already all have had their fill of, so I wasn’t too concerned. Instead I tried to reflect on the morning I had so far.
Waking up at the hospital did make me momentarily panic before I remembered the precluding events. Not that I could properly panic, feeling the most starved I’ve been my whole life, and too weak to try flying out of the window. Thankfully, the breakfast they provided was actually well made with krakotl needs in mind, algae soup alongside a few slices of bread, this time without any horrid human ideas like putting eggs in there. Eggs! Turns out they put eggs in some kinds of bread! That’s how I got sick! Eggs! The thought of what I consumed even now made me queasy, and it definitely made breakfast a much less appetizing affair than it would have been without that knowledge, but back then the hunger won over the disgust.
Lena did keep her promise and came to pick me up extra early. Her being a staff member at the hospital gave her some extra privilege, I assume, hence why I was released without any forms needing to be filled out personally. She did have important business today too, which probably explained the earlyness and urgency of her driving me back to her house.
That did not mean I escaped her ire, however. While I couldn’t pinpoint anything to identify the man, as Bob was apparently a common name, that offered me bread, we did come to understanding that he was likely either unaware of the nutritional contents of it, or of extent to which the Cure-induced allergy would be affecting a krakotl. Yet, Lena seemed much angrier at me for failing to take any precautions. Turns out that was the purpose of medicinal injectors, epipens as humans call them, that were provided to me. I was supposed to have them on me in case I accidentally ingested contaminated food. Nobody told me that, I was just handed them back when I first received the necessities at the refugee camp and I had no clue what they were for. Then she also berated me for eating random food from strangers and ignoring bad flavors. Turns out that brioche bread isn’t actually bitter at all, and that was my body reacting to an allergen in it. Reaction that I unwisely elected to ignore, to further ire of my host. By the end, several new rules of my stay here were made, including not eating things I don’t know and always having at least one epipen on me. Thankfully, these rules would be ones I’d start following even without them being established, so I won’t have to concern myself with being kicked out over accidentally breaking them.
As if following the rules will be enough to make them like you.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday’s incident, I focused my attention on the flock. All birds accounted for, so at least I knew that my absence did not result in the predator coming to snatch one of them. I do not wish to insult my hosts, but Reginald is far from most attentive people in matters unrelated to his job, and I am not sure the birds were watched at all while I was out. Speaking of, my scannings of surrounding treelines revealed no sign of the predator today. Perhaps it departed to hunt elsewhere, or maybe it ventured too close to a more populated area and exterminators dealt with it.
Actually, did human exterminators work similar to Federation ones? I knew for a fact they had them, although they seemed like a market of private organizations if advertisements are anything to judge by. Still, what methods do they use? I know humans oppose fire, and do not believe in predatory taint, but surely they have measures to protect themselves? They are, by self-admission, far from the best natural predator, and I doubt Earth’s non-sapient predators would just leave humans be. Maybe I should call one of those human exterminator agencies and call them in to deal with that predator? I haven’t told Lena or Reginald about it, as I didn’t want to bother them, but it could pose a serious threat to the cattle, but maybe that’s the way I could resolve it without involving them?
I have not done nearly as much research into human culture and lifestyle as I should have, considering that I’ve lived on Earth for over half a year now, but the sheer width of the topic always overwhelmed me the moment I opened internet search app to the point where I just closed it right away.
And you expect to start studying again with that attitude? You’ll flunk out even from this primitive predator education course.
Extra loud call from the flock made me refocus my attention on them, but it was nothing. Just the loner getting pecked extra hard and lashing out against assailants, causing a small aimless stampede as all the birds ran around in circles, puffing up at one another. The assailants now looked a lot more like victims. I could understand those birds more than I could humans at least. The loner bird is clearly an odd one out. It’s the only one repeatedly trying to hatch unfertilized eggs it lays, and it seems to always avoid the rest of the flock. Humans may deny the existence of Predator Disease, but they can’t deny that prey and predator both can and will sometimes behave in unnatural ways that may threaten the herd's safety. Or pack’s, in case of humans. Birds must know on instinctual level that the loner’s behavior is unnatural and are attempting to combat the Predator Disease on instinctual level. And since that is natural, I still will not interfere in this, unless the loner bird actually becomes a threat to others or will start getting too injured. The first time I attempted to pick one of the birds up was the only time for a good reason, as I have learned their viciousness all too well.
DING-DING
The sudden loud ring startled me enough that I nearly tumbled off the roof. Who would be coming over now? Lena and Reginald have left together and shouldn’t be back until afternoon, and they’d never use the bell. That means someone must be here for them. But wouldn’t they warn anyone to not come over? Especially with their plans for today.
With nobody to answer these questions, I had no choice but to go and discover the answer myself, flying up and over the house, towards the entrance gate. The moment I passed the house roof, I already saw a familiar silhouette. It was the human child from a few days ago.
Thankfully, Lena’s insistence on me carrying an epipen at all times meant I also carried my satchel at all times too, so I didn’t have to go grabbing my holopad, and took it out. But before I could even launch the translator TTS app to type out a greeting, the child was already hopping in place with excitement.
“Mr. Krekos! Hi! I came over to visit!”, she exclaimed, showing off her teeth in an unnerving expression of human joy. I simply tried to avoid that and focused on the pad, typing out my response.
“Hello, Rosie. Why are you here?”
The question was genuine, as the child was not carrying any more of that honey substance from last time.
“I just came over to visit you! Is that okay? Are Mr. and Ms. Vince okay with it?”
Visit... me? Why? While I was confused, I did instinctively type out a reply.
“They did tell me visitors are allowed as long as there’s no trouble when I first moved in.”
And before I could type a followup message asking her why she’s here, she already let out a joyous roar and ran past me.
“Can I see the chickens?”, she asked, and not waiting for an answer, rushed past the house and towards the cattle yard.
“Wait! You’ll scare them!”, I yell after her, but of course without a translator she can’t understand me as she runs like she already knows where to go.
And indeed she has, quickly rushing up to the open field where the birds were grazing. Thankfully she didn’t start chasing them, instead just approaching the flock from a distance and swaying in place, watching them with what I assume was some sort of predatory excitement at the sight of prey. Maybe that’s where the contained hunting instinct of human children showed themselves? In chasing small birds? I was still more subdued, considering she stopped shy of causing a small stampede, but still.
“Grandpa used to take me with him! He helped watch this farm until Mr. and Ms. Vince moved in. I like chickens! I think they’re cute.”, the child told me innocently as she kept swaying and watching as the beasts grazed upon insects of the pasture.
That revelation was... interesting. I suppose it makes sense that between the original owner of this land dying in the bombings and Lena and Reginald moving in, it would be unattended. With nobody to feed and watch over those things, they would be long dead for sure. And it was Rosie’s grandfather... Speaking of. I typed out my words.
“Does your grandfather know you’re here?”
She seemed to get a weird look as she stopped her excited swaying, fiddling with her hands instead. Looks like I asked the correct question.
“...he knows I am out visiting neighbors.”
That did not answer my question. I squinted at the human child, and she dipped her head as she continued.
“...he doesn’t know I’m here specifically. Or that an alien even lives here...”, she explained, her tone suddenly more sullen.
I couldn’t help but squint at that, and it appears that my expression was readable enough that even a human could see the suspicion, as she continued.
“I’m sorry... But if I told grandpa, he’d tell me I’m forbidden from talking to you, like he forbade me from talking to hedgehog people in town... But I want to talk to you! You’re nice and you’re a space bird!”
The child was actually working around the rules established by her guardian to come see me. I don’t know if I should be glad or concerned. Clearly, the man is anti-alien in his opinions, and I’d rather that kind of man not know about how close he lives to one. At the same time, I’d rather not encourage a child for lying to their guardian in order to meet a stranger they know they aren’t allowed to interact with... So I just took the middle path with my next message.
“I see. What did you want to talk to me about then?”, TTS speaks for me.
Her stiffened body language disappears, replaced again with earlier excitement.
“I wanna know more about space! And aliens! It’s all so cool but grandpa says it’s all dangerous because mom and dad died. But it’s not! The hedgehog people were nice, and you’re nice too!”
I wasn’t sure about that logic, but my self-preservation told me I shouldn’t try convincing her to go confessing. Instead I focused more on her chosen topic.
“I am not sure I am the best person to ask about space. I am not a scientist or traveler.”
“But you’re from there! You know way more than me. I don’t even know what you are called. And there’s gotta be cool things out in space!”
I let out a sigh. I suppose it’s childlike curiosity at its finest. So unfamiliar with mundane that it is a wonder. I remember being like that about becoming a doctor.
And then you let your teacher die.
I quickly tapped on the pad.
“Okay, I can answer questions, but I may not know everything.”
The noise that came out of the girl was like a squeal of a panicked dossur as she started hopping and spinning in place.
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Krekos!” Sudden movement did cause me to recoil a bit, which in turn caused her to cease her happy flailing and adjust her little dress. “I dunno where to start though... Hm... What are you?”
...for all my trepidation about not knowing answers, I should have anticipated that the questions she asks will be rather age-appropriate and on the same level as we learn in our first school classes. At least I won’t disappoint her then.
“I am from a species called ‘krakotl’. We’re avians, as is obvious. Our home is...”dead, gone, reduced to glass and ash by our own hubris “...was Nishtal. A beautiful planet...”
Thankfully she did not question my hesitant pause. Instead she just nodded along.
“What about the hedgehog people? I already know venlil, but they’re the only ones I know name of.”
Hedgehog people in town she mentioned earlier. The only species I could think of that could be seen there would be the gojid. I have no clue what hedgehogs are, but probably some creature with visible similarity to them.
“They are called ‘gojid’, and they’re from gojid Cradle. Both of our species are... well, used to be known for our might and protecting other species of Federation.”
I am not sure if that’s something to brag about, considering... everything. But I didn’t want this child to get brought down with depressing regrets of our species. Let her know something nicer instead. She clearly lost a lot, but there’s still joy left in her. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Cool! What about other people? I wanna know more!”
And so I went on, telling her about various species, although I mostly focused on ones in this new human-led union, only mentioning kolshians and farsul beyond that. It’s weird explaining to a child what a tilfish or a harchen looks like, but thankfully my holopad isn’t just a method of communicating with implant-less children. With access to interstellar web, I could easily pull up pictures of various alien species to show to her, even if she struggled to believe that some of them were even sapient purely based off of looks. With how varied species in Federation are, and how some of us admittedly aren’t too far physiologically from our more primal ancestors.
Among other topics, she asked me to tell her interesting things, which I didn’t know much of. I told her about Venlil Prime’s tidally locked status, a rarity among habitable planets, much less homeworlds for species. I told her about the unique architecture of Mileau, designed to accommodate both species of regular size and dossur themselves. I told her about Colia medical academies, some of the most beautiful medical facilities in the galaxy.
I wish I was more well-travelled, but I just wasn’t. My whole life, I never left Nishtal until the extermination fleet took me despite my protests. That may have been what saved my life...
Not that I, of all people, deserved it...
“Hey! Stop that!”
I flinched as I heard the child yell, but quickly realized that it wasn’t directed at me. Instead, Rosie was rushing down towards the chicken flock, breaking up the fight in which the loner was being pecked by a few larger chickens. As the human child approached, the birds stopped their infighting and scattered in different directions, crowing in loud panic and discontent. On instinct, I found myself rushing towards the child, forgetting about translation entirely.
“What are you doing?! Don’t touch them!”
I didn’t want her to hurt the cattle accidentally, and I didn’t want her to get hurt by the angry birds in return. But, it seems like the moment the birds scattered, she was satisfied with her actions and turned back to me, wearing another one of her happy smiles.
“Sorry, Mr. Krekos, I just saw chickens being mean. Bad chickens.” She explained.
I was baffled. Why would she interfere like that? When I tried that back when I was just starting, that got me pecked! But with her, the birds just scattered. What if they pecked her?
I took the pad out again and started typing quickly.
“That was dangerous. Why did you do that? What if they attacked you? Why are you even interfering in their natural dynamics?”, questions flowed out of my pad with an artificial human voice.
The girl simply giggled.
“They’re chickens! They aren’t dangerous. They don’t peck that painful and I’ve been scratched worse before. And I have to stop it because bullying is wrong.”
Then she actually noticed that the one that was being attacked wandered close. She casually approached it from behind, the blind spot and just reached down and grabbed it, picking the bird up. I was ready to rush to help the bird when...
“Mwah! There, all better.”
She did a human ‘kiss’ on the back of the cattle bird’s neck before releasing it, the surprise of it causing it to rush off. I knew what kisses were, I’ve seen enough of them between Lena and Reginald, but I believed they were gestures of intimate affection, not... what was even that?
It seems Rosie noticed my confusion as she explained.
“You gotta kiss it so it heals better! That’s what mom taught me.” The child displayed that smile of hers shamelessly. With how much I was being exposed to it, it almost wasn’t unnerving anymore. Still, it was interesting to learn that kisses are seen as something that helps wounds. I guess some species do have saliva with mild antiseptic properties, wouldn’t be too out there to assume humans are the same. And if that’s the case, maybe that’s how the kissing tradition started? Exchange of protective fluid between lovers?
“I see. I did not know that.” I responded before letting my puffed feathers relax. Okay, this whole ‘watching a human child’ thing is turning out to somehow be even more stressful than I expected at first.
“Wait, Mr. Krekos, what time is it?” She suddenly asked, looking up at the sky.
“It’s nearly twelve.” I respond, holopad having a convenient clock for local time.
“Oh no! I need to be home soon! Was nice seeing you Mr. Krekos gotta go bye!”
Before I had even a chance at typing out an answer or my own goodbye, the child sprinted away and back towards the entrance. I had to take flight just to keep up, and even then she just turned around, waved her arm at me and then kept sprinting down the road after leaving the gate. I simply offered a small wave of a wing back before locking the gate again. I suppose it is hard to keep track of time without a device or clock nearby...
Well, at least I had the usual peace and quiet now. And learned a bit more about the creatures I was in charge of. I should really try to deal with my aversion to looking things up on the human internet...
Just as I was about to head back out towards the yard, I heard a loud car horn, a familiar one, getting my attention. Lena’s car. There they were, signaling me, probably having spotted me at the gate from afar. Deciding to make use of my presence here, and hoping to avoid needing to explain that I had a surprise visitor earlier, I went ahead and opened the large gate, allowing the car to enter.
Once it was parked in the usual space, the doors opened and three people came out. Lena and Reginald were both looking a bit disheveled, but their faces carried these smiles that seemed wider than ever before. And third person... Was a stranger. A human I knew of, but never actually met. As he exited the car, a large bag in one hand, he just stared at me, standing in the front yard...
“...okay, I expected many things when I was told you guys housed a refugee, but not this.”
Oh no. Oh no, he was not one of the ones that was willing to overlook an invader that partook in bombing of his planet being allowed to walk free, of course, Lena and Reginald were the weird ones like that, doesn’t mean their son won’t be... I felt the panic rising as I realized I’d need to return to the camp. Why was I upset about that? This was supposed to just have been a way to make money, but now I have a free education program. Do I need to stay? No, but... Why?! Why do I not want to leave?
“Ken, you said it’s going to be alright no matter what it is, right? Wanted us to keep it a surprise to meet a new friend?” Lena’s voice. She should have told him, that’d give me time to prepare why didn’t they give me time why.
“No, no problems, just, really surprised, that’s all... uh... hey, buddy, you okay? You’re really... trembly.”
He was approaching me, and instinct took over as I recoiled, before stuttering out my answer.
“I-I’m fine...”
...thankfully translators don’t translate voice cracks. I hope, at least...
“Hey, relax... I have no problem with you being a krakotl, I just didn’t think...” He looks over at Lena and Reginald. “Calm down... I can wear my visor if you want?”
Right. Those things humans use to hide their scary faces from us.
“I... I’m good...”
Why would it last? It almost felt good after all.
There was some emotion I struggled to read on the young human’s face, as he sighed and shook his head.
“I screwed this up, I’m sorry. Let... Let me try again.” He straightened out, and adjusted his clothing, before slowly approaching me and giving me a small smile, no teeth showing. “Hello. My name is Kenneth Vince and I'm son of Lena and Reginald Vince. I was told you’re a refugee they took in to help out. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That... snapped me out of it. Right... He was... not upset at my existence. He was just very surprised that Lena and Reginald weren’t. That’s a reasonable thing to be surprised about, considering I was surprised about it to this day. I tried to compose myself as I responded.
“My name is Krekos. I live here as... hired help with the cattle. It’s... nice to meet you?”
The smile on Kenneth’s face widens, though he still refrains from showing his teeth. Instead, he extends a hand towards me. A handshake is a human gesture that I found far from comfortable, but I didn’t want to give him a reason to change his mind on acceptability of my existence, so I took it with a wingclaw. He gently took it and held for a few seconds before letting go and sighing again, turning to his parents.
“You know, I always thought you guys would be empty nesters, but I never thought it’d be that literal.”
That got all three of them laughing, as I just tilted my head in confusion. I was fairly sure there were no empty nests in the house until after I adjusted the attic room for my own accommodations. Still, I took the laughter as a sign that the tense moment had fully passed and let my ruffled feathers slowly rest.
“Let’s head inside. Krekos, we’re having dinner, you’re welcome to join us.” Reginald said, picking up Kenneth’s bag. I tilted my head a little and he followed up with elaboration. “We will be having meat... But there’s still going to be stuff you can eat too. It’s a celebration, so I prepared a bit of everything.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Kenneth responded with embarrassment.
“None of that! Our son returned from the war, alive and a hero, and we can have a celebration. Krekos, I know you’re still... uncertain about meat so you don’t—”
“I’ll join.”
Wait, who said that? And why did they say that in my voice?
Wait, that was me. Why did I say that?
“That’s great to hear! I’ve got some nice steamed broccoli and some vegetarian fried rice as sides that you’ll enjoy!” Reginald smiled at me and I felt myself shrinking into my feathers. That the humans didn’t notice at least, proceeding into the house instead.
Well, looks like I signed my warrant. At least my bag and my epipen were on me in case something at the table triggers the allergy again. Would be rather unfortunate to have it happen two days in a row.
And that’s how, in just ten or so minutes, I found myself sitting at the dining perch, while humans took seats in chairs, all consuming chunks of roasted flesh and somehow managing to also stuff pieces of equally roasted plants in, and converse with one another. You wouldn’t be able to tell on first look, but despite their mouths being relatively small, especially for a predator, it seems they compensate for it by having those be near bottomless in both hunger and small talk.
I am not sure how I managed to shift my focus away from them consuming animal matter in front of me, however vat grown it might have been, and onto their conversation instead, but I succeeded. I suppose that was just part of me going native around predators. Soon, I’ll be the one feasting along with them before I know it, and snacking on those epipens to not die of it.
Like you could ever be on the same level as humans.
“So, Fahl? That’s where you were sent after the Battle of Earth?” Lena asked.
“Yeah. From what I heard, we got a light posting compared to guys at Sillis or Mileau. The most I had to deal with was some exterminator insurgents.”
That’s right. Since harchen participated in the Extermination Fleet, they were one of those who were occupied by humans during the war. It makes sense that there was at least some ground resistance.
“Honestly, the worst thing out there was the heat. Not the flamethrower kind, the climate. The place was so damn dry and hot. At least exterminators you could subdue or evade. Not so much with the scorching sun!”
I couldn’t resist a small chuckle at the idea of a predator being more afraid of hot weather than flamethrowers as I slowly pecked at the vegetables on my plate. Thankfully it was set far enough aside from any meat dishes that no contamination should occur, but I was still examining pieces before putting them in my mouth just in case.
Seems like reacting was a mistake though, as that brought Kenneth’s attention onto me. He finished chewing latest piece of flesh and pointed a fork at me.
“So, Krekos... Where are you from? Cradle was my guess, but I do know there were refugees from other places like Sillis too.”
That’s a weird question. Isn’t it kind of to be expected for a krakotl to be from our actual homeworld?”
“I’m from Nishtal.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Kenneth chuckled, tossing a piece of broccoli into his mouth and swallowing before continuing, “I meant, where did you live? I kind of assumed you were born there, but it’s not like Nishtal had a chance to send refugees out, and if they did, this is the last place they’d be.”
Oh... I caught concerned looks of Lena and Reginald, looking between me and Kenneth from both sides. Not only did they not make him aware that I was a krakotl, they also neglected to mention just how I came by my refugee status... Which was just a legal workaround to grant me asylum without unnecessary complications or establishing undesirable precedent. Legally, I may be a refugee, but practically... I am a defector. Lena and Reginald know that, I told them my story before. And while they were weirdly accepting, Kenneth... Fought extermination fleet here on Earth. Personally.
Still, I wasn’t about to lie. It took a few moments and gathering mental strength to steel myself, and averting my eyes, focusing on the plate of warm vegetables in front of me rather than the human’s anticipating stare before I answered.
“I did live on Nishtal. I... I came with the extermination fleet.” I responded, doing my best to avoid looking at him. I did not want to witness his reaction, for some reason the thought of seeing it weighed heavy on my mind.
“Oh.”
The response was simple, and had no followup. There was no more clinking of cutlery against plates, or chewing. The only thing hanging in the air of the kitchen was silence, weighing down on me. It dragged on and on... until it just got so unbearable I couldn’t take it.
“I-I’m full... Thank you for the meal.” I quickly said, hopping off the perch and stepping out of the kitchen, quickly making my way to the yard and taking flight.
Fresh air of the outside and rush of it as I flew up and gained speed... I missed that. I knew it’s not safe to just fly over other people’s territory, so I corrected my course into doing large sweeping circles over the cattle yard and simply let my wings carry me.
Flying away from any danger is the only thing I’m good for anyway. The only thing I ever do.
I closed my eyes. With them closed and not focusing on my angle it feels like I’m actually flying away from all the troubles. Away from humans who barely tolerate my existence, away from gojid who see me as worse than a predator, away from Earth and all its incorrigible customs, away from horrid cattle, away from constant memories...
Flying feels nice. It may be a bit harder than it was home, but it’s still possible. I heard that on Venlil Prime or Mileau it’s much harder. But here? Just an extra flap of wings for every few paces and you’re just fine, free to soar the skies...
Alone. With no one to ever share it with me again.
Slowly I let my eyes open back to the bleak reality. Greenery of surrounding pastures and woods, bright blue skies and farmhouses dotted about here and there greeted me. I lowered my gaze down, focusing on what’s below. There they were, fourteen brown and black dots spread around the enclosed portion of the farm territory. I am not sure how much time I’ve spent flying in circles and trying to forget things but my wings were feeling a tad sore. Then as I just began slow descent, in same circular motion, I noticed that one of the birds, a familiar one, was being chased by several others. Recounting the morning, I tried putting the knowledge to action, and shifted direction of descent, swooping down. To my surprise, that actually worked, as the moment I got close to the ground, the cattle birds all got much louder and scattered in all directions, including the loner. Who, at least this time, got off unharmed. I suppose such pathetic flightless creatures would fear a flying one much more than they would when I just run up to them...
Swooping at them from the sky like a predator to intimidate them into behaving... Like an arxur warden.
With the fight preemptively broken up, I flutter up to the roof of the cattle house, to my usual position and rested my wings. I didn’t see any movement from the direction of the house, so I suppose the family is still busy unpacking. Since Kenneth joined the military just before the Battle of Earth, and Lena and Reginald only moved here after their actual house in city of New York got destroyed, it’d be the first time the human is seeing what is basically his new home. There was a room set aside for him since before I even moved in, and while there is also a guest room... That one did not have a large enough window to fit through, which did not feel comfortable. So when I asked for a space with a bigger window they only had an attic to offer. They seemed uncomfortable letting me live in a tiny room with slanted roof, but I found such space more comforting than I would have a large room with a window not large enough to fit even one fully spread wing through.
I wonder if Kenneth will need as much renovation as I did? The house is built for humans, but he never lived there before. Will he need to buy a more comfortable bed? Getting a proper nesting setup in place of a bed took a bit of effort, but I figured something out. Human sheets were comfortable enough for such, and sitting perches were thankfully not that hard to get thanks to help from the refugee administration. Maybe that’s the things that Lena went to buy yesterday? Kenneth’s preferred room decor?
I looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to dim. I am not sure if it was me flying that long, or me losing track of time in my thoughts again, but the sun was beginning to set. I began my usual chores, putting out an evening meal and water for the beasts, and while they feasted, ate some myself. I was a bit hungry, having not properly finished lunch and about to skip dinner, but after the earlier conversation, I’d really rather avoid giving them the opportunity to talk to me.
After the birds had their fill, and by that I mean they emptied the tray as they always do, I let out the call, and they started funneling into the cattle house. The lonely straggler being first to go and hop into its nesting box. I bet tomorrow I will have trouble with getting her out of there again...
I took the moment to gather some eggs the birds left over course of the day, and once that was over and all of them were accounted for, I closed it up. When I flew down over to the house, there wasn’t anyone by the back door thankfully, so I just left eggs there, returned the basket, and returned to my room through the window.
Well, at least I didn’t get nearly killed today... That’s nice I guess?
I was about to check my holopad when there was a knock on the door. I approached and opened it to see... Kenneth. Standing in the doorway.
“Uh, hi, Krekos. I just, uh... Wanted to apologize again. I really wish mom and dad told me everything ahead of time... I just want you to know, I have no problems with you whatsoever, yeah? It’s just. Surprising, I guess, to hear all that. I didn’t think there were any defectors from the fleet at all... Just. Uh, please don’t worry about me?” He offered me a small smile, showing his canines before quickly correcting himself and doing a closed-lip one. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or make you feel unwelcome.”
I had to take a moment to contemplate his words. Was Lena and Reginald’s weirdness hereditary? He almost reminded me of how Reginald talked to me early on, with constant stumbling over the words, as well as constant reassurances that he is fine with me being here. Couple that with failing to avoid predatory mannerisms like eye contact and smiles like Lena tends to and you get this human. But most importantly and least understandably, there was the general fact of him and them just... welcoming me. I couldn’t understand why. I should be one sorry to them.
“N-No, it’s fine... I’m sorry for... intruding on you and your family.”
“No, no, dude, you’re fine! I mean, hell, I was considering entering one of those exchange programs before the bombings happened, and even after, well, I did my best at Fahl to be the perfect friendly soldier just there to make sure no more bombs drop on my home and not kill or conquer anyone. And then mom told me your story, and I can’t believe it... Just... If you have any issues, feel free to tell me. I’m not one of those racist pricks that are too pussy to even call themselves HF anymore because they know they’ll get their teeth knocked. I get that there aren't good or bad species, just people. And you seem like a decent guy if mom and dad’s judgment is to be trusted.” His smile widened, though it was clear from tension on his face that he had to take conscious effort to keep teeth hidden. “So, what I said earlier stands. Friends, right?”
He extends hand forward, for a second time today. I wasn’t sure if I knew this human long enough to call him a friend... Any human really. But it also seems like human definition of ‘friends’ is anyone they’re cordial and peaceful with. Which is weird. You’d think translators would properly use ‘acquaintance’ for that.
Still... We will be living in the same house now. I can’t just say no, and... I can’t come up with a reason to say no. Even him being a predator and a human is not something I could really say I object to, considering how... mundane that became to me over my time here.
So, with naught on my mind but acceptance of the situation, I extended my wing and grasped his hand with my claw. This time he actually gripped it tightly and moved it up and down, as I saw other humans do occasionally.
“Yeah... I guess that’d be for the best.” I responded, shrugging off the hesitation. Fresh start for a third time, I guess?
The human grinned, forgetting to hide his teeth entirely, but I was ready for it somehow and avoided outwardly reacting.
“Cool! Anyway, I’ll try to get some shuteye early, I couldn’t sleep on the overnight flight home. See ya!”
And with that he left. Well... That meeting went well I suppose?
I returned to my nest and picked up my holopad, returning to what I was doing. And there it was, something I awaited every day. A notification that I was messaged on mailing app. Opening the letter revealed the schedule for the study program. Which... only had one day marked on it. And a note that the rest of it will be figured out ‘as we go from there’. So it’s not a schedule, it’s just a mark for the day of the first meeting.
While a bit underwhelming, it was still exciting. It would be an all-alien class so I wouldn’t have to deal with humans’ incomprehensibility nearly as much, and it would allow me to finally return to pursuing what I actually dreamt of. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure that was precisely what I wanted after everything that happened, it was at least something for me to move towards.
...just two days until start. I wonder if there’s some required reading to prepare?
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Big thank you to NoP community for being great and supportive of my endeavors!
Also, obviously, big thanks to SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe and allowing fanfiction well to flow free!
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Date [standardized human time]: May 6th, 2137
I stare at the foul creature before me. Normally staring at something directly head on like that would be too predatory for me to do, but after nearly dying of bread yesterday, I didn’t feel patient enough to be gentle. The creature stared right back, though in a much more natural, prey-like way, tilting its head slightly as it looked back at me with one eye and let out a long bwok.
“Are you doing this now? Really?”, I ask, knowing full well it cannot respond.
Well, it can, if another bwok it made is any indication. Of course, translators aren’t yet advanced enough to translate non-sapient speech, but the intention behind sound is intuitively clear. It’s telling me to back off. Well, I tried the diplomatic approach at least.
Raising my wing I begin sliding the bird out of its nest, careful to keep any delicate joints out of its reach. It started clucking in upset indignation, struggling back and even trying to peck at me, but after realizing that I will not relent, it hopped out of the box and rushed out of the cattle house, revealing a single dead egg in the nesting box.
With relief, I finally pick up the last egg and head back to leave them at the house. Turns out that while Reginald didn’t forget to both lock them up yesterday and let them out today, he did neglect feeding them both times, as well as collecting the harvest. So when I was driven back here in early morning, the first thing I did was making sure they were taken care of. I can’t say the horrid birds looked in any way hungry, but the moment I poured the feeding grain for them, they attacked it with more viciousness than I’d expect of an actual predator. And yet only thirteen were present at the feeding, as the one that’s usually the target of flock’s ire remained in the cattle house yet again, Reginald leaving it to it, being unaware of its undesirable habit of trying to hatch dead eggs.
With eggs delivered, I flew my way to my usual spot atop the cattle house and could finally relax. The loner beast first made its way to feast on the scraps of the grain that other birds already all have had their fill of, so I wasn’t too concerned. Instead I tried to reflect on the morning I had so far.
Waking up at the hospital did make me momentarily panic before I remembered the precluding events. Not that I could properly panic, feeling the most starved I’ve been my whole life, and too weak to try flying out of the window. Thankfully, the breakfast they provided was actually well made with krakotl needs in mind, algae soup alongside a few slices of bread, this time without any horrid human ideas like putting eggs in there. Eggs! Turns out they put eggs in some kinds of bread! That’s how I got sick! Eggs! The thought of what I consumed even now made me queasy, and it definitely made breakfast a much less appetizing affair than it would have been without that knowledge, but back then the hunger won over the disgust.
Lena did keep her promise and came to pick me up extra early. Her being a staff member at the hospital gave her some extra privilege, I assume, hence why I was released without any forms needing to be filled out personally. She did have important business today too, which probably explained the earlyness and urgency of her driving me back to her house.
That did not mean I escaped her ire, however. While I couldn’t pinpoint anything to identify the man, as Bob was apparently a common name, that offered me bread, we did come to understanding that he was likely either unaware of the nutritional contents of it, or of extent to which the Cure-induced allergy would be affecting a krakotl. Yet, Lena seemed much angrier at me for failing to take any precautions. Turns out that was the purpose of medicinal injectors, epipens as humans call them, that were provided to me. I was supposed to have them on me in case I accidentally ingested contaminated food. Nobody told me that, I was just handed them back when I first received the necessities at the refugee camp and I had no clue what they were for. Then she also berated me for eating random food from strangers and ignoring bad flavors. Turns out that brioche bread isn’t actually bitter at all, and that was my body reacting to an allergen in it. Reaction that I unwisely elected to ignore, to further ire of my host. By the end, several new rules of my stay here were made, including not eating things I don’t know and always having at least one epipen on me. Thankfully, these rules would be ones I’d start following even without them being established, so I won’t have to concern myself with being kicked out over accidentally breaking them.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday’s incident, I focused my attention on the flock. All birds accounted for, so at least I knew that my absence did not result in the predator coming to snatch one of them. I do not wish to insult my hosts, but Reginald is far from most attentive people in matters unrelated to his job, and I am not sure the birds were watched at all while I was out. Speaking of, my scannings of surrounding treelines revealed no sign of the predator today. Perhaps it departed to hunt elsewhere, or maybe it ventured too close to a more populated area and exterminators dealt with it.
Actually, did human exterminators work similar to Federation ones? I knew for a fact they had them, although they seemed like a market of private organizations if advertisements are anything to judge by. Still, what methods do they use? I know humans oppose fire, and do not believe in predatory taint, but surely they have measures to protect themselves? They are, by self-admission, far from the best natural predator, and I doubt Earth’s non-sapient predators would just leave humans be. Maybe I should call one of those human exterminator agencies and call them in to deal with that predator? I haven’t told Lena or Reginald about it, as I didn’t want to bother them, but it could pose a serious threat to the cattle, but maybe that’s the way I could resolve it without involving them?
I have not done nearly as much research into human culture and lifestyle as I should have, considering that I’ve lived on Earth for over half a year now, but the sheer width of the topic always overwhelmed me the moment I opened internet search app to the point where I just closed it right away.
Extra loud call from the flock made me refocus my attention on them, but it was nothing. Just the loner getting pecked extra hard and lashing out against assailants, causing a small aimless stampede as all the birds ran around in circles, puffing up at one another. The assailants now looked a lot more like victims. I could understand those birds more than I could humans at least. The loner bird is clearly an odd one out. It’s the only one repeatedly trying to hatch unfertilized eggs it lays, and it seems to always avoid the rest of the flock. Humans may deny the existence of Predator Disease, but they can’t deny that prey and predator both can and will sometimes behave in unnatural ways that may threaten the herd's safety. Or pack’s, in case of humans. Birds must know on instinctual level that the loner’s behavior is unnatural and are attempting to combat the Predator Disease on instinctual level. And since that is natural, I still will not interfere in this, unless the loner bird actually becomes a threat to others or will start getting too injured. The first time I attempted to pick one of the birds up was the only time for a good reason, as I have learned their viciousness all too well.
DING-DING
The sudden loud ring startled me enough that I nearly tumbled off the roof. Who would be coming over now? Lena and Reginald have left together and shouldn’t be back until afternoon, and they’d never use the bell. That means someone must be here for them. But wouldn’t they warn anyone to not come over? Especially with their plans for today.
With nobody to answer these questions, I had no choice but to go and discover the answer myself, flying up and over the house, towards the entrance gate. The moment I passed the house roof, I already saw a familiar silhouette. It was the human child from a few days ago.
Thankfully, Lena’s insistence on me carrying an epipen at all times meant I also carried my satchel at all times too, so I didn’t have to go grabbing my holopad, and took it out. But before I could even launch the translator TTS app to type out a greeting, the child was already hopping in place with excitement.
“Mr. Krekos! Hi! I came over to visit!”, she exclaimed, showing off her teeth in an unnerving expression of human joy. I simply tried to avoid that and focused on the pad, typing out my response.
“Hello, Rosie. Why are you here?”
The question was genuine, as the child was not carrying any more of that honey substance from last time.
“I just came over to visit you! Is that okay? Are Mr. and Ms. Vince okay with it?”
Visit... me? Why? While I was confused, I did instinctively type out a reply.
“They did tell me visitors are allowed as long as there’s no trouble when I first moved in.”
And before I could type a followup message asking her why she’s here, she already let out a joyous roar and ran past me.
“Can I see the chickens?”, she asked, and not waiting for an answer, rushed past the house and towards the cattle yard.
“Wait! You’ll scare them!”, I yell after her, but of course without a translator she can’t understand me as she runs like she already knows where to go.
And indeed she has, quickly rushing up to the open field where the birds were grazing. Thankfully she didn’t start chasing them, instead just approaching the flock from a distance and swaying in place, watching them with what I assume was some sort of predatory excitement at the sight of prey. Maybe that’s where the contained hunting instinct of human children showed themselves? In chasing small birds? I was still more subdued, considering she stopped shy of causing a small stampede, but still.
“Grandpa used to take me with him! He helped watch this farm until Mr. and Ms. Vince moved in. I like chickens! I think they’re cute.”, the child told me innocently as she kept swaying and watching as the beasts grazed upon insects of the pasture.
That revelation was... interesting. I suppose it makes sense that between the original owner of this land dying in the bombings and Lena and Reginald moving in, it would be unattended. With nobody to feed and watch over those things, they would be long dead for sure. And it was Rosie’s grandfather... Speaking of. I typed out my words.
“Does your grandfather know you’re here?”
She seemed to get a weird look as she stopped her excited swaying, fiddling with her hands instead. Looks like I asked the correct question.
“...he knows I am out visiting neighbors.”
That did not answer my question. I squinted at the human child, and she dipped her head as she continued.
“...he doesn’t know I’m here specifically. Or that an alien even lives here...”, she explained, her tone suddenly more sullen.
I couldn’t help but squint at that, and it appears that my expression was readable enough that even a human could see the suspicion, as she continued.
“I’m sorry... But if I told grandpa, he’d tell me I’m forbidden from talking to you, like he forbade me from talking to hedgehog people in town... But I want to talk to you! You’re nice and you’re a space bird!”
The child was actually working around the rules established by her guardian to come see me. I don’t know if I should be glad or concerned. Clearly, the man is anti-alien in his opinions, and I’d rather that kind of man not know about how close he lives to one. At the same time, I’d rather not encourage a child for lying to their guardian in order to meet a stranger they know they aren’t allowed to interact with... So I just took the middle path with my next message.
“I see. What did you want to talk to me about then?”, TTS speaks for me.
Her stiffened body language disappears, replaced again with earlier excitement.
“I wanna know more about space! And aliens! It’s all so cool but grandpa says it’s all dangerous because mom and dad died. But it’s not! The hedgehog people were nice, and you’re nice too!”
I wasn’t sure about that logic, but my self-preservation told me I shouldn’t try convincing her to go confessing. Instead I focused more on her chosen topic.
“I am not sure I am the best person to ask about space. I am not a scientist or traveler.”
“But you’re from there! You know way more than me. I don’t even know what you are called. And there’s gotta be cool things out in space!”
I let out a sigh. I suppose it’s childlike curiosity at its finest. So unfamiliar with mundane that it is a wonder. I remember being like that about becoming a doctor.
I quickly tapped on the pad.
“Okay, I can answer questions, but I may not know everything.”
The noise that came out of the girl was like a squeal of a panicked dossur as she started hopping and spinning in place.
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Krekos!” Sudden movement did cause me to recoil a bit, which in turn caused her to cease her happy flailing and adjust her little dress. “I dunno where to start though... Hm... What are you?”
...for all my trepidation about not knowing answers, I should have anticipated that the questions she asks will be rather age-appropriate and on the same level as we learn in our first school classes. At least I won’t disappoint her then.
“I am from a species called ‘krakotl’. We’re avians, as is obvious. Our home is...”
Thankfully she did not question my hesitant pause. Instead she just nodded along.
“What about the hedgehog people? I already know venlil, but they’re the only ones I know name of.”
Hedgehog people in town she mentioned earlier. The only species I could think of that could be seen there would be the gojid. I have no clue what hedgehogs are, but probably some creature with visible similarity to them.
“They are called ‘gojid’, and they’re from gojid Cradle. Both of our species are... well, used to be known for our might and protecting other species of Federation.”
I am not sure if that’s something to brag about, considering... everything. But I didn’t want this child to get brought down with depressing regrets of our species. Let her know something nicer instead. She clearly lost a lot, but there’s still joy left in her. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Cool! What about other people? I wanna know more!”
And so I went on, telling her about various species, although I mostly focused on ones in this new human-led union, only mentioning kolshians and farsul beyond that. It’s weird explaining to a child what a tilfish or a harchen looks like, but thankfully my holopad isn’t just a method of communicating with implant-less children. With access to interstellar web, I could easily pull up pictures of various alien species to show to her, even if she struggled to believe that some of them were even sapient purely based off of looks. With how varied species in Federation are, and how some of us admittedly aren’t too far physiologically from our more primal ancestors.
Among other topics, she asked me to tell her interesting things, which I didn’t know much of. I told her about Venlil Prime’s tidally locked status, a rarity among habitable planets, much less homeworlds for species. I told her about the unique architecture of Mileau, designed to accommodate both species of regular size and dossur themselves. I told her about Colia medical academies, some of the most beautiful medical facilities in the galaxy.
I wish I was more well-travelled, but I just wasn’t. My whole life, I never left Nishtal until the extermination fleet took me despite my protests. That may have been what saved my life...
“Hey! Stop that!”
I flinched as I heard the child yell, but quickly realized that it wasn’t directed at me. Instead, Rosie was rushing down towards the chicken flock, breaking up the fight in which the loner was being pecked by a few larger chickens. As the human child approached, the birds stopped their infighting and scattered in different directions, crowing in loud panic and discontent. On instinct, I found myself rushing towards the child, forgetting about translation entirely.
“What are you doing?! Don’t touch them!”
I didn’t want her to hurt the cattle accidentally, and I didn’t want her to get hurt by the angry birds in return. But, it seems like the moment the birds scattered, she was satisfied with her actions and turned back to me, wearing another one of her happy smiles.
“Sorry, Mr. Krekos, I just saw chickens being mean. Bad chickens.” She explained.
I was baffled. Why would she interfere like that? When I tried that back when I was just starting, that got me pecked! But with her, the birds just scattered. What if they pecked her?
I took the pad out again and started typing quickly.
“That was dangerous. Why did you do that? What if they attacked you? Why are you even interfering in their natural dynamics?”, questions flowed out of my pad with an artificial human voice.
The girl simply giggled.
“They’re chickens! They aren’t dangerous. They don’t peck that painful and I’ve been scratched worse before. And I have to stop it because bullying is wrong.”
Then she actually noticed that the one that was being attacked wandered close. She casually approached it from behind, the blind spot and just reached down and grabbed it, picking the bird up. I was ready to rush to help the bird when...
“Mwah! There, all better.”
She did a human ‘kiss’ on the back of the cattle bird’s neck before releasing it, the surprise of it causing it to rush off. I knew what kisses were, I’ve seen enough of them between Lena and Reginald, but I believed they were gestures of intimate affection, not... what was even that?
It seems Rosie noticed my confusion as she explained.
“You gotta kiss it so it heals better! That’s what mom taught me.” The child displayed that smile of hers shamelessly. With how much I was being exposed to it, it almost wasn’t unnerving anymore. Still, it was interesting to learn that kisses are seen as something that helps wounds. I guess some species do have saliva with mild antiseptic properties, wouldn’t be too out there to assume humans are the same. And if that’s the case, maybe that’s how the kissing tradition started? Exchange of protective fluid between lovers?
“I see. I did not know that.” I responded before letting my puffed feathers relax. Okay, this whole ‘watching a human child’ thing is turning out to somehow be even more stressful than I expected at first.
“Wait, Mr. Krekos, what time is it?” She suddenly asked, looking up at the sky.
“It’s nearly twelve.” I respond, holopad having a convenient clock for local time.
“Oh no! I need to be home soon! Was nice seeing you Mr. Krekos gotta go bye!”
Before I had even a chance at typing out an answer or my own goodbye, the child sprinted away and back towards the entrance. I had to take flight just to keep up, and even then she just turned around, waved her arm at me and then kept sprinting down the road after leaving the gate. I simply offered a small wave of a wing back before locking the gate again. I suppose it is hard to keep track of time without a device or clock nearby...
Well, at least I had the usual peace and quiet now. And learned a bit more about the creatures I was in charge of. I should really try to deal with my aversion to looking things up on the human internet...
Just as I was about to head back out towards the yard, I heard a loud car horn, a familiar one, getting my attention. Lena’s car. There they were, signaling me, probably having spotted me at the gate from afar. Deciding to make use of my presence here, and hoping to avoid needing to explain that I had a surprise visitor earlier, I went ahead and opened the large gate, allowing the car to enter.
Once it was parked in the usual space, the doors opened and three people came out. Lena and Reginald were both looking a bit disheveled, but their faces carried these smiles that seemed wider than ever before. And third person... Was a stranger. A human I knew of, but never actually met. As he exited the car, a large bag in one hand, he just stared at me, standing in the front yard...
“...okay, I expected many things when I was told you guys housed a refugee, but not this.”
Oh no. Oh no, he was not one of the ones that was willing to overlook an invader that partook in bombing of his planet being allowed to walk free, of course, Lena and Reginald were the weird ones like that, doesn’t mean their son won’t be... I felt the panic rising as I realized I’d need to return to the camp. Why was I upset about that? This was supposed to just have been a way to make money, but now I have a free education program. Do I need to stay? No, but... Why?! Why do I not want to leave?
“Ken, you said it’s going to be alright no matter what it is, right? Wanted us to keep it a surprise to meet a new friend?” Lena’s voice. She should have told him, that’d give me time to prepare why didn’t they give me time why.
“No, no problems, just, really surprised, that’s all... uh... hey, buddy, you okay? You’re really... trembly.”
He was approaching me, and instinct took over as I recoiled, before stuttering out my answer.
“I-I’m fine...”
...thankfully translators don’t translate voice cracks. I hope, at least...
“Hey, relax... I have no problem with you being a krakotl, I just didn’t think...” He looks over at Lena and Reginald. “Calm down... I can wear my visor if you want?”
Right. Those things humans use to hide their scary faces from us.
“I... I’m good...”
There was some emotion I struggled to read on the young human’s face, as he sighed and shook his head.
“I screwed this up, I’m sorry. Let... Let me try again.” He straightened out, and adjusted his clothing, before slowly approaching me and giving me a small smile, no teeth showing. “Hello. My name is Kenneth Vince and I'm son of Lena and Reginald Vince. I was told you’re a refugee they took in to help out. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That... snapped me out of it. Right... He was... not upset at my existence. He was just very surprised that Lena and Reginald weren’t. That’s a reasonable thing to be surprised about, considering I was surprised about it to this day. I tried to compose myself as I responded.
“My name is Krekos. I live here as... hired help with the cattle. It’s... nice to meet you?”
The smile on Kenneth’s face widens, though he still refrains from showing his teeth. Instead, he extends a hand towards me. A handshake is a human gesture that I found far from comfortable, but I didn’t want to give him a reason to change his mind on acceptability of my existence, so I took it with a wingclaw. He gently took it and held for a few seconds before letting go and sighing again, turning to his parents.
“You know, I always thought you guys would be empty nesters, but I never thought it’d be that literal.”
That got all three of them laughing, as I just tilted my head in confusion. I was fairly sure there were no empty nests in the house until after I adjusted the attic room for my own accommodations. Still, I took the laughter as a sign that the tense moment had fully passed and let my ruffled feathers slowly rest.
“Let’s head inside. Krekos, we’re having dinner, you’re welcome to join us.” Reginald said, picking up Kenneth’s bag. I tilted my head a little and he followed up with elaboration. “We will be having meat... But there’s still going to be stuff you can eat too. It’s a celebration, so I prepared a bit of everything.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Kenneth responded with embarrassment.
“None of that! Our son returned from the war, alive and a hero, and we can have a celebration. Krekos, I know you’re still... uncertain about meat so you don’t—”
“I’ll join.”
Wait, who said that? And why did they say that in my voice?
Wait, that was me. Why did I say that?
“That’s great to hear! I’ve got some nice steamed broccoli and some vegetarian fried rice as sides that you’ll enjoy!” Reginald smiled at me and I felt myself shrinking into my feathers. That the humans didn’t notice at least, proceeding into the house instead.
Well, looks like I signed my warrant. At least my bag and my epipen were on me in case something at the table triggers the allergy again. Would be rather unfortunate to have it happen two days in a row.
And that’s how, in just ten or so minutes, I found myself sitting at the dining perch, while humans took seats in chairs, all consuming chunks of roasted flesh and somehow managing to also stuff pieces of equally roasted plants in, and converse with one another. You wouldn’t be able to tell on first look, but despite their mouths being relatively small, especially for a predator, it seems they compensate for it by having those be near bottomless in both hunger and small talk.
I am not sure how I managed to shift my focus away from them consuming animal matter in front of me, however vat grown it might have been, and onto their conversation instead, but I succeeded. I suppose that was just part of me going native around predators. Soon, I’ll be the one feasting along with them before I know it, and snacking on those epipens to not die of it.
“So, Fahl? That’s where you were sent after the Battle of Earth?” Lena asked.
“Yeah. From what I heard, we got a light posting compared to guys at Sillis or Mileau. The most I had to deal with was some exterminator insurgents.”
That’s right. Since harchen participated in the Extermination Fleet, they were one of those who were occupied by humans during the war. It makes sense that there was at least some ground resistance.
“Honestly, the worst thing out there was the heat. Not the flamethrower kind, the climate. The place was so damn dry and hot. At least exterminators you could subdue or evade. Not so much with the scorching sun!”
I couldn’t resist a small chuckle at the idea of a predator being more afraid of hot weather than flamethrowers as I slowly pecked at the vegetables on my plate. Thankfully it was set far enough aside from any meat dishes that no contamination should occur, but I was still examining pieces before putting them in my mouth just in case.
Seems like reacting was a mistake though, as that brought Kenneth’s attention onto me. He finished chewing latest piece of flesh and pointed a fork at me.
“So, Krekos... Where are you from? Cradle was my guess, but I do know there were refugees from other places like Sillis too.”
That’s a weird question. Isn’t it kind of to be expected for a krakotl to be from our actual homeworld?”
“I’m from Nishtal.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Kenneth chuckled, tossing a piece of broccoli into his mouth and swallowing before continuing, “I meant, where did you live? I kind of assumed you were born there, but it’s not like Nishtal had a chance to send refugees out, and if they did, this is the last place they’d be.”
Oh... I caught concerned looks of Lena and Reginald, looking between me and Kenneth from both sides. Not only did they not make him aware that I was a krakotl, they also neglected to mention just how I came by my refugee status... Which was just a legal workaround to grant me asylum without unnecessary complications or establishing undesirable precedent. Legally, I may be a refugee, but practically... I am a defector. Lena and Reginald know that, I told them my story before. And while they were weirdly accepting, Kenneth... Fought extermination fleet here on Earth. Personally.
Still, I wasn’t about to lie. It took a few moments and gathering mental strength to steel myself, and averting my eyes, focusing on the plate of warm vegetables in front of me rather than the human’s anticipating stare before I answered.
“I did live on Nishtal. I... I came with the extermination fleet.” I responded, doing my best to avoid looking at him. I did not want to witness his reaction, for some reason the thought of seeing it weighed heavy on my mind.
“Oh.”
The response was simple, and had no followup. There was no more clinking of cutlery against plates, or chewing. The only thing hanging in the air of the kitchen was silence, weighing down on me. It dragged on and on... until it just got so unbearable I couldn’t take it.
“I-I’m full... Thank you for the meal.” I quickly said, hopping off the perch and stepping out of the kitchen, quickly making my way to the yard and taking flight.
Fresh air of the outside and rush of it as I flew up and gained speed... I missed that. I knew it’s not safe to just fly over other people’s territory, so I corrected my course into doing large sweeping circles over the cattle yard and simply let my wings carry me.
I closed my eyes. With them closed and not focusing on my angle it feels like I’m actually flying away from all the troubles. Away from humans who barely tolerate my existence, away from gojid who see me as worse than a predator, away from Earth and all its incorrigible customs, away from horrid cattle, away from constant memories...
Flying feels nice. It may be a bit harder than it was home, but it’s still possible. I heard that on Venlil Prime or Mileau it’s much harder. But here? Just an extra flap of wings for every few paces and you’re just fine, free to soar the skies...
Slowly I let my eyes open back to the bleak reality. Greenery of surrounding pastures and woods, bright blue skies and farmhouses dotted about here and there greeted me. I lowered my gaze down, focusing on what’s below. There they were, fourteen brown and black dots spread around the enclosed portion of the farm territory. I am not sure how much time I’ve spent flying in circles and trying to forget things but my wings were feeling a tad sore. Then as I just began slow descent, in same circular motion, I noticed that one of the birds, a familiar one, was being chased by several others. Recounting the morning, I tried putting the knowledge to action, and shifted direction of descent, swooping down. To my surprise, that actually worked, as the moment I got close to the ground, the cattle birds all got much louder and scattered in all directions, including the loner. Who, at least this time, got off unharmed. I suppose such pathetic flightless creatures would fear a flying one much more than they would when I just run up to them...
With the fight preemptively broken up, I flutter up to the roof of the cattle house, to my usual position and rested my wings. I didn’t see any movement from the direction of the house, so I suppose the family is still busy unpacking. Since Kenneth joined the military just before the Battle of Earth, and Lena and Reginald only moved here after their actual house in city of New York got destroyed, it’d be the first time the human is seeing what is basically his new home. There was a room set aside for him since before I even moved in, and while there is also a guest room... That one did not have a large enough window to fit through, which did not feel comfortable. So when I asked for a space with a bigger window they only had an attic to offer. They seemed uncomfortable letting me live in a tiny room with slanted roof, but I found such space more comforting than I would have a large room with a window not large enough to fit even one fully spread wing through.
I wonder if Kenneth will need as much renovation as I did? The house is built for humans, but he never lived there before. Will he need to buy a more comfortable bed? Getting a proper nesting setup in place of a bed took a bit of effort, but I figured something out. Human sheets were comfortable enough for such, and sitting perches were thankfully not that hard to get thanks to help from the refugee administration. Maybe that’s the things that Lena went to buy yesterday? Kenneth’s preferred room decor?
I looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to dim. I am not sure if it was me flying that long, or me losing track of time in my thoughts again, but the sun was beginning to set. I began my usual chores, putting out an evening meal and water for the beasts, and while they feasted, ate some myself. I was a bit hungry, having not properly finished lunch and about to skip dinner, but after the earlier conversation, I’d really rather avoid giving them the opportunity to talk to me.
After the birds had their fill, and by that I mean they emptied the tray as they always do, I let out the call, and they started funneling into the cattle house. The lonely straggler being first to go and hop into its nesting box. I bet tomorrow I will have trouble with getting her out of there again...
I took the moment to gather some eggs the birds left over course of the day, and once that was over and all of them were accounted for, I closed it up. When I flew down over to the house, there wasn’t anyone by the back door thankfully, so I just left eggs there, returned the basket, and returned to my room through the window.
Well, at least I didn’t get nearly killed today... That’s nice I guess?
I was about to check my holopad when there was a knock on the door. I approached and opened it to see... Kenneth. Standing in the doorway.
“Uh, hi, Krekos. I just, uh... Wanted to apologize again. I really wish mom and dad told me everything ahead of time... I just want you to know, I have no problems with you whatsoever, yeah? It’s just. Surprising, I guess, to hear all that. I didn’t think there were any defectors from the fleet at all... Just. Uh, please don’t worry about me?” He offered me a small smile, showing his canines before quickly correcting himself and doing a closed-lip one. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or make you feel unwelcome.”
I had to take a moment to contemplate his words. Was Lena and Reginald’s weirdness hereditary? He almost reminded me of how Reginald talked to me early on, with constant stumbling over the words, as well as constant reassurances that he is fine with me being here. Couple that with failing to avoid predatory mannerisms like eye contact and smiles like Lena tends to and you get this human. But most importantly and least understandably, there was the general fact of him and them just... welcoming me. I couldn’t understand why. I should be one sorry to them.
“N-No, it’s fine... I’m sorry for... intruding on you and your family.”
“No, no, dude, you’re fine! I mean, hell, I was considering entering one of those exchange programs before the bombings happened, and even after, well, I did my best at Fahl to be the perfect friendly soldier just there to make sure no more bombs drop on my home and not kill or conquer anyone. And then mom told me your story, and I can’t believe it... Just... If you have any issues, feel free to tell me. I’m not one of those racist pricks that are too pussy to even call themselves HF anymore because they know they’ll get their teeth knocked. I get that there aren't good or bad species, just people. And you seem like a decent guy if mom and dad’s judgment is to be trusted.” His smile widened, though it was clear from tension on his face that he had to take conscious effort to keep teeth hidden. “So, what I said earlier stands. Friends, right?”
He extends hand forward, for a second time today. I wasn’t sure if I knew this human long enough to call him a friend... Any human really. But it also seems like human definition of ‘friends’ is anyone they’re cordial and peaceful with. Which is weird. You’d think translators would properly use ‘acquaintance’ for that.
Still... We will be living in the same house now. I can’t just say no, and... I can’t come up with a reason to say no. Even him being a predator and a human is not something I could really say I object to, considering how... mundane that became to me over my time here.
So, with naught on my mind but acceptance of the situation, I extended my wing and grasped his hand with my claw. This time he actually gripped it tightly and moved it up and down, as I saw other humans do occasionally.
“Yeah... I guess that’d be for the best.” I responded, shrugging off the hesitation. Fresh start for a third time, I guess?
The human grinned, forgetting to hide his teeth entirely, but I was ready for it somehow and avoided outwardly reacting.
“Cool! Anyway, I’ll try to get some shuteye early, I couldn’t sleep on the overnight flight home. See ya!”
And with that he left. Well... That meeting went well I suppose?
I returned to my nest and picked up my holopad, returning to what I was doing. And there it was, something I awaited every day. A notification that I was messaged on mailing app. Opening the letter revealed the schedule for the study program. Which... only had one day marked on it. And a note that the rest of it will be figured out ‘as we go from there’. So it’s not a schedule, it’s just a mark for the day of the first meeting.
While a bit underwhelming, it was still exciting. It would be an all-alien class so I wouldn’t have to deal with humans’ incomprehensibility nearly as much, and it would allow me to finally return to pursuing what I actually dreamt of. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure that was precisely what I wanted after everything that happened, it was at least something for me to move towards.
...just two days until start. I wonder if there’s some required reading to prepare?
2024.05.19 08:19 Glitch109 [Crossover Worldbuilding Idea] What if the MCU, DCEU, MonsterVerse, Resident Evil (Capcom Games), Avatar: The Last Airbender, Netflix's The Dragon Prince, Vivziepop's Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, and Live Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are set in the same universe?
Inspired by MichaeltheSpikester's idea of a shared world, decided to add my variation of it. But with extra media that I think would fit well with this shared world.
-Several dimensions that were connected to Earth-199999 are not only the Astral, Dark, Mirror, K'un-Lun, Ta Lo, Duat, etc. but also consisted of Chronobowl (DCEU), Mount Olympus (DCEU), Axis Mundi (MonsterVerse), 4 Nations (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Spirit World (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Xadia (Netflix's The Dragon Prince), Heaven & Hell (Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss), and the Kraang Dimension (TMNT).
-The Titan's origins originated from the Celestial Tiamut from the Earth's core with the cosmic energy mutating small creatures into giant monsters. It is revealed that every planet in the universe not only has its celestials but also has its own set of Titans that play a key role in the planet's ecosystem. King Ghidorah is revealed to be one of the last few members of his species who survived his planet's Emergence and the reason why he and his kind terraform worlds is to rebuild the home they lost.
-Heaven and the Kraang played a role in the development of the Human race where it is revealed that Humans have various animal DNA, thus having the dormant gene that ties them to their animal ancestor.
-Lilith would be considered the "First Scarlet Witch".
-Due to Heaven's influence, their magic created the Gods and Goddesses in the universe. Adam would eventually create the Council of Godheads, where he is good friends with Zeus from Thor: Love and Thunder (aka Jupiter, the Roman counterpart of Zeus).
-The celestial's cosmic energy not only created Hollow Earth but also created pockets from the Earth's surface that created portals that allowed access to Hollow Earth from the surface.
-Asgardians, ancient Wakanda, Eternals, and Titans banding together with humanity, ancient Atlantis, ancient Green Lanterns, Olympians, and Themsycira in the fight against Darkseid, Steppenwolf, and their forces in ancient history.
-It is revealed that Titans, such as Sehkmet, Na Kika, and an unnamed Thunderbird Titan are responsible for Bashenga's, Talokanil's, and Chafa's origins and abilities instead of the Gods and Goddesses from Thor: Love and Thunder.
-The Titans and Startouch Elves would be labeled as "low-level" gods by the Council of Godheads.
-Atlantis, Asgard, Themyscira, Heaven, and Olympus (When the Greek Gods were still around) were aware of the existence of Titans and the role they play in the Earth's ecosystem. Similar to Asgardians, Titans were responsible for many legends and myths regarding mythical creatures and gods. The relationship between them and benevolent titans would be at best mutual notably towards those like Godzilla and Mothra but otherwise would be at odds with destroyer titans like Rodan and Scylla.
-The Eternals are aware of the Titans as well. Ikaris proposed killing them since they would be affecting the Earth's population and preventing the Emergence from progressing. However, Ajak talked him out of it as they observed Godzilla's species preserving the balance of nature, keeping the population steadying, keeping the other Titans at bay, and hunting/killing giant Deviants as well.
-The Eternals once met with Mothra, who Sersi and Sprite formed a close bond with.
-The animalistic Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Khonshu, Anubis, Ammit, Tawaret, Horus, etc.) were once human-looking Gods/Goddesses before being exposed to the Kraang's Ooze, which mutated them into more animalistic creatures.
-Godzilla has a mixed relationship with the Eternals. While he approves them for keeping the Earth safe, he doesn't trust them due to their "unnatural" nature due to being from space, which is the same with King Ghidorah.
-Prior to his arrival on earth. King Ghidorah had a fearful reputation across the cosmos by civilizations, similar to that of Darkseid and Thanos.
-Both Thor and Rodan once fought each other in the past when Rodan at some point appeared in Scandinavia and terrorized the people, which prompted the Thunder God to engage. It was a long, withdrawn, and lengthy battle that eventually ended with Thor finally driving Rodan off. Like many legends and myths, this fight inspired one of those about Thor fighting a "Great Bird of Fire".
-Shazam was the first Sorcerer Supreme and taught the Ancient One magic.
-Wonder Woman and the original Shazam took part in imprisoning Ammit alongside the other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
-The radiation of Hollow Earth caused certain viruses and organisms to become more hostile when infecting their host while granting them various abilities. Examples include the T-Virus and the E-Series mold.
-Both Asgard and Mount Olympus are aware of Aaravos and his past crimes.
-The Ancient One visited both Xadia and the 4 nations once to learn more about both world's magic. The Ancient One also helped in imprisoning Aaravos.
-While Xadia is aware of dark magic, they are unaware of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu.
-King Ghidorah was without a doubt probably the only being that Darkseid and Thanos had ever developed a grudging respect. Both warlords are aware of King Ghidorah due to being just as feared by civilizations across the cosmos as they are. Despite classing Titans as "low-level" gods, the Council of Godheads also feared King Ghidorah due to his destructive nature.
-The Necrosword is made of the same metallic material used by the Exorcist Angels during their exterminations.
-Wonder Woman's presence in World War I inspired Johann Schmidt (aka Red Skull) to pursue mythology in hopes of creating weaponry for HYDRA.
-Captain America and Wonder Woman met during World War II when Steve was doing his USO Show.
-SHIELD is aware of Monarch and STAR Labs and has often collaborated with each other in the past.
-Packard is a relative of Nick Fury.
-Asgard and Krypton having had a history with one another and the former having tried to warn the latter of their inevitable doom, but were dismissed.
-Prior to Krypton's destruction. Zod and his soldiers had a run-in with Yondu and the Ravagers.
-Both SHIELD and Nick Fury were not only aware of the Titan's existence but also aware of Superman's arrival on Earth and kept close tabs on him since he was a child.
-Both Superman and Chris Redfield were Captain America fans when younger.
-After the T-Virus Incident in Raccoon City, SHIELD and Monarch helped with the clean-up.
-Bruce Wayne, William Stenz, Amanda Waller, and Chris Redfield were all targets of Project Insight.
-Alongside SHIELD, STAR Labs, B.S.A.A., and Monarch were all infiltrated by HYDRA Agents who sought their resources. They stole various technological weapons created by the Motherbox, samples of the T-Virus, and stole Titan DNA to create Titan clones.
-After the Turtles made their debut, SHIELD and Monarch kept close eye on them based on their mutation.
-After the Civil War, Amanda Waller proposed Task Force X to the government, in which Theaddeus Ross was among those who approved it while William Stenz opposed it. Abomination and Baron Zemo were among the possible candidates for Task Force X.
-Task Force X and Monarch weren't affected by the Sokovia Accords due to their connections with the government.
-After the Baker House Incident, SHIELD and Monarch not only helped clean up the situation but also got clues on the E-Series's origin. Not trusting the B.S.A.A. or Blue Umbrella, they gave the info to Chris, which led to his isolation from both organizations.
-Talokan would be considered one of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Ocean Master would later try to recruit Namor, but decides not to as he was warned by the other rulers that Namor is more dangerous than Ocean Master himself.
-Karathen is revealed to be one of the lost Titans of Earth.
-Wakanda is aware of the existence of Atlantis but their ancestors have made a treaty with each other in not interfering. After the events of Aquaman, both T'Challa and Arthur meet in secret to discuss how to unite their kingdoms together and reveal their secret to the world. While Arthur respects T'Challa, he wants to keep Atlantis a secret until the time is right.
-Katolis would be aware of various magical humans such as Original Shazam and the Ancient One.
-Clark Kent/Superman, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Billy Batson/Shazam, and Mothra are beings capable of lifting Mjolnir.
-At the Senate hearing, alongside Serizawa, Nick Fury and Calvin Swanwick (Martian Manhunter) are among those who defended the Titans while Thaddeus Ross and Amanda Waller voiced against them.
-After the Titans were released, several Titans, such as Titanus Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe all resided near Wakanda and all bonded with T'Challa/Black Panther while Titans such as Titanus Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk all resided near Talokan and bond with Namor.
-By the end of Infinity War and during the events of Endgame. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, Martian Manhunter, Joker, Lex Luthor, Black Mask, Victor Zsasz, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Bruce the Hyena, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Sebastian, Polka-Dot Man, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Javelin, Blackguard, Mongal, T.D.K., Weasel, Thinker, Billy Batson/Shazam, Billy's foster parents and siblings, Amanda Waller, Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, Adebayo Waller, Clemson Murn/Ik Nobe Llok, Goff/Sophie Song/Eek Stack Ik Ik, Casper Locke, Larry Fitzgibbon, James Gordon, Atlanna, Mera, Arthur Jr., Starro, Peacemaker, White Dragon, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, Adrianna Tomaz, Karim, Amon Tomaz, Ishmael GregoSabbac, Blue Beetle and the Reyes family, Victoria and Jenny Kord, Carapax, Madison Russell, Mark Russell, Illene Chen, Houston Brooks, Sam Coleman, Nathan Lind, Illene Andrews, Jia, Josh Valentine, Bernie Hayes, Travis Beasley/Trapper, Walter and Maia Simmons, Ren Serizawa, Alan Jonah, Godzilla, Kong, half of the known titans, Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Ethan Winters, Mia Winters, Zoe Baker, Joe Baker, Mother Miranda, Karl Heisenberg, Lady Dimitrescu, Salvatore Moreau, Donna Beneviento, The Duke, Chris's Team, the Turtles, and Baxter Stockman would be amongst the survivors of The Blip.
-Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Perry White, Martha Kent, Stephen Shin, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Katana, Killer Croc, Ling Chen, Rick Stanton, Diane Foster, Jackson Barnes, Anthony Martinez, Lauren Griffin, Rodan, other half of the known titans, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Sensei Splinter, Bebop, and Rocksteady were amongst the victims of The Blip.
-Similar to Scott Lang, Black Adam, Mothra, Khaji-Da, and the inhabitants of the 4 nations, Xadia, Heaven, and Hell would not be affected by the Blip.
-The only beings that sensed the Blip were the Avatar (Aang), The Archdragons of Xadia (Zubeia, Rex Igneous, Domina Profundis, and Sol Regem), the Seraphim (Sera and Emily), the Goetian Hierarchy (Stolas and Octavia), and the 7 Deadly Sins (Lucifer Morningstar, Asmodeus, Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Belphegor).
-The victims of the Blip weren't sent to Heaven or Hell, they were stuck in Limbo.
-During the post-Blip, due to Thanos' actions, Godzilla had a hard time in trying to keep balance of the Earth with half of the remaining titans running loose. Due to the world powers struggling, they helped fund Apex Cybernetics to stabilize their economy as well as unknowingly helping Walter process with his Mechagodzilla experiment.
-Because of Thanos, the Corto Maltese government took advantage of this by continuing their experiments with Project Starfish and the Intergang were able to operate and have full control over Kahndaq. Many crime organizations in Gotham have either been dismantled due to the disappearance of the leaders or have been absorbed into the Black Mask Crime Organization. Jaime's family and his community go through financial struggles from Kord Industries due to the effects of the Blip.
-Due to less hero activity, the I.M.P.s operated their assassination business.
-Kingpin met with Joker and Black Mask during the Blip where the 2 made mutual agreements in developing a partnership. However, this agreement was broken due to Black Mask's death.
-The Joker was on Ronan's list of targets. However, due to his powerful influence, he was forced to back down.
-Due to the effects of the Blip, the butterflies decided to start their invasion by infecting powerful humans.
-After the Village's destruction, SHIELD aids Chris in a war against B.S.A.A.
-After Doctor Fate's death, Hawkman gives the Helmet of Fate to Kamar-Taj for safekeeping so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
-The Avengers and Justice League team up and join the time heist to find the Infinity Stones. With Iron Man's and Batman's technology, they create a black and red infinity gauntlet. Hulk still snaps his fingers which brings every living being back. During the final battle with Thanos, the Justice Society, Black Adam, Godzilla, and the other Titans arrive to join in the fight.
-Victoria Kord and Walter Simmons are among the many people who also had a hatred towards Tony Stark and are joyful about his death.
-After the events of Blue Beetle, Damage Control tried to apprehend him but was forced to back down due to public support.
-Godzilla would grow hostile towards the Hex that Wanda made. Due to being composed of cosmic radiation from the celestial, Godzilla and the other Titans are revealed to be immune to magic due to their massive size as well as not being affected by the Hex's effects. However, once Wanda leaves Westview, Godzilla will leave as well.
-After Endgame, Apex Cybernetics not only seeks to eliminate Titans but also superpowered individuals as well. After the events of GvK, Damage Control cleaned up the damage and acquired their resources.
-Among the deceased that would be in Heaven based on Adam's rule: "Act selfless, Don't Steal, and Stick it to the man" would be Tony Stark/Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Peggy Carter, Ancient One, Ben Parker, May Parker, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Phil Coulson, Steve Trevor, Jonathan Kent, Chato Santana/El Diablo, Silas Stone, Rick Flag, Alberto Reyes, José Morales, Ignacio Carapax/OMAC, and Nuidis Vulko.
-Among the deceased that would be in Hell and have the potential to become Overlords are Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, TrevoThe Mandarin, Alexander Pierce, Dreykov, Xu Wenwu, Quentin Beck/Mysterio, Roman Sionis/Black Mask, Victor Zsaasz, David Kane/Black Manta, and Walter Simmons.
-Wanting to reconnect with his daughter, Mark Russell resigns his position as leader of Monarch and Bruce BanneHulk becomes the next head of Monarch due to his knowledge of Nuclear Physics.
-Both the Great Protector and Dweller-in-Darkness are revealed to be Titans who stumbled upon Ta Lo.
-In Xadia, Viren was resurrected 5 years later rather than 2 (Events of S1-3 take place in 2019-and S4-6 take place in 2024).
-Due to the effects of the Emergence and the Deviants, Godzilla would ally with the Eternals in hunting down and killing the Deviants as well as stopping the Emergence from happening.
-The Benevolent Titans have gained a reputation due to their involvement in keeping the planet safe and healthy.
-Driven by vengeance, Overlord Quentin Beck/Mysterio pays the I.M.P.s to assassinate Peter ParkeSpider-Man. However, this is during the events of No Way Home and when Doctor Strange performs the spell that erases everyone's memory of who Spider-Man is, the I.M.P.s were affected as well and called the mission off due to their amnesia.
-Maya Lopez's/Echo's Powers awaken the ancient Thunderbird Titan that lives near her hometown. She successfully bonds with the Titan.
-Ms. Marvel would not only be a Captain Marvel fan but also a Wonder Woman and Mothra fan as well.
-Riri Williams is a huge fan of both Iron Man and Cyborg which influenced her to create her own enhanced suits. While she has an intense hatred towards Apex Cybernetics after their dirty secrets were exposed, Riri started making concepts on how to build a giant-mech suit to combat hostile Titans.
-Thor recruits Wonder Woman and the Shazam family to help them stop Gorr the God Butcher. They arrive at Omnipotence City where Wonder Woman exposes the Greek Gods being the Roman counterparts with Zeus' real identity revealed to be Jupiter. After the mission, Thor gives Shazam the Thunderbolt.
-Wonder Woman then encounters Marc SpecteMoon Knight where she sees and speaks with Khonshu.
-When Doctor Strange and America Chavez arrive on Earth-838, they meet the Illuminati which not only consists of Captain Carter, Blackbolt, Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau), and Mister Fantastic but also consists of Christian Bale's Batman and Brandon Routh's Superman.
-Same with Wakanda, the U.N. held a conference on whether the Titans should be contained or killed. Director Fontaine would state that the Titan's radiation helps balance the ecosystem of the planet and propose a solution where they can imprison the Titans and drain this energy they embody to help sustain the ecosystem, thus having them alive, but tortured.
-After Shuri takes the heart-shaped herb and becomes the next Black Panther, she communicates with Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe for the first time. She convinces them to take part in the battle against Namor by battling against Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk.
-After the battle, Wakanda becomes harmonious with their Titans as they are welcomed in Wakanda and become its protectors alongside Shuri.
-After the alliance with Talokan, Aquaman visits Shuri on the same beach where she meets her nephew, T'Challa II, and warns her about her deal with Namor. Then he introduces his son, Arthur Jr., where he and T'Challa II develop a brotherly bond with each other.
-Due to the Secret Invasion, Superman was affected by the Anti-Alien Act and was forced into hiding.
-During the events of Secret Invasion, the Turtles were forced into hiding due to being confused for Skrulls.
-After the events of The Flash, Doctor Strange and Clea confront him that his actions in altering time created more incursions and recruit him to have them fixed.
-After the events of the Marvels, Monica Rambeau not only meets Binary and Beast but also meets Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl.
-After the events of Lost Kingdom, Atlantis revealed its existence to the world by joining alliances with the UN and Wakanda.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands and Shang-Chi's Ten Rings start behaving weirdly as they detect a signal from deep within Hollow Earth, signifying a war cry from ancient Titans known as the Skar King and Shimo.
-As Namor is preparing for the war against the surface by aligning themselves with Wakanda, he commands the Titans he bonded to gain strength. However, one of the Titans, Tiamat, is killed by Godzilla, and Namor is saddened when hearing the news.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands attracts the attention of Mothra, who believes that Mothra may be the key to bringing back Monica Rambaeu.
-The Avatar's (Aang) awakening was sensed by Doctor Strange.
Overall, this is my take on how this shared world would go. If you have any suggestions on how the shared world would go, feel free to reply!
Special thanks to MichaeltheSpikester for the idea!
submitted by Glitch109 to WhatIfFiction [link] [comments]
-Several dimensions that were connected to Earth-199999 are not only the Astral, Dark, Mirror, K'un-Lun, Ta Lo, Duat, etc. but also consisted of Chronobowl (DCEU), Mount Olympus (DCEU), Axis Mundi (MonsterVerse), 4 Nations (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Spirit World (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Xadia (Netflix's The Dragon Prince), Heaven & Hell (Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss), and the Kraang Dimension (TMNT).
-The Titan's origins originated from the Celestial Tiamut from the Earth's core with the cosmic energy mutating small creatures into giant monsters. It is revealed that every planet in the universe not only has its celestials but also has its own set of Titans that play a key role in the planet's ecosystem. King Ghidorah is revealed to be one of the last few members of his species who survived his planet's Emergence and the reason why he and his kind terraform worlds is to rebuild the home they lost.
-Heaven and the Kraang played a role in the development of the Human race where it is revealed that Humans have various animal DNA, thus having the dormant gene that ties them to their animal ancestor.
-Lilith would be considered the "First Scarlet Witch".
-Due to Heaven's influence, their magic created the Gods and Goddesses in the universe. Adam would eventually create the Council of Godheads, where he is good friends with Zeus from Thor: Love and Thunder (aka Jupiter, the Roman counterpart of Zeus).
-The celestial's cosmic energy not only created Hollow Earth but also created pockets from the Earth's surface that created portals that allowed access to Hollow Earth from the surface.
-Asgardians, ancient Wakanda, Eternals, and Titans banding together with humanity, ancient Atlantis, ancient Green Lanterns, Olympians, and Themsycira in the fight against Darkseid, Steppenwolf, and their forces in ancient history.
-It is revealed that Titans, such as Sehkmet, Na Kika, and an unnamed Thunderbird Titan are responsible for Bashenga's, Talokanil's, and Chafa's origins and abilities instead of the Gods and Goddesses from Thor: Love and Thunder.
-The Titans and Startouch Elves would be labeled as "low-level" gods by the Council of Godheads.
-Atlantis, Asgard, Themyscira, Heaven, and Olympus (When the Greek Gods were still around) were aware of the existence of Titans and the role they play in the Earth's ecosystem. Similar to Asgardians, Titans were responsible for many legends and myths regarding mythical creatures and gods. The relationship between them and benevolent titans would be at best mutual notably towards those like Godzilla and Mothra but otherwise would be at odds with destroyer titans like Rodan and Scylla.
-The Eternals are aware of the Titans as well. Ikaris proposed killing them since they would be affecting the Earth's population and preventing the Emergence from progressing. However, Ajak talked him out of it as they observed Godzilla's species preserving the balance of nature, keeping the population steadying, keeping the other Titans at bay, and hunting/killing giant Deviants as well.
-The Eternals once met with Mothra, who Sersi and Sprite formed a close bond with.
-The animalistic Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Khonshu, Anubis, Ammit, Tawaret, Horus, etc.) were once human-looking Gods/Goddesses before being exposed to the Kraang's Ooze, which mutated them into more animalistic creatures.
-Godzilla has a mixed relationship with the Eternals. While he approves them for keeping the Earth safe, he doesn't trust them due to their "unnatural" nature due to being from space, which is the same with King Ghidorah.
-Prior to his arrival on earth. King Ghidorah had a fearful reputation across the cosmos by civilizations, similar to that of Darkseid and Thanos.
-Both Thor and Rodan once fought each other in the past when Rodan at some point appeared in Scandinavia and terrorized the people, which prompted the Thunder God to engage. It was a long, withdrawn, and lengthy battle that eventually ended with Thor finally driving Rodan off. Like many legends and myths, this fight inspired one of those about Thor fighting a "Great Bird of Fire".
-Shazam was the first Sorcerer Supreme and taught the Ancient One magic.
-Wonder Woman and the original Shazam took part in imprisoning Ammit alongside the other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
-The radiation of Hollow Earth caused certain viruses and organisms to become more hostile when infecting their host while granting them various abilities. Examples include the T-Virus and the E-Series mold.
-Both Asgard and Mount Olympus are aware of Aaravos and his past crimes.
-The Ancient One visited both Xadia and the 4 nations once to learn more about both world's magic. The Ancient One also helped in imprisoning Aaravos.
-While Xadia is aware of dark magic, they are unaware of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu.
-King Ghidorah was without a doubt probably the only being that Darkseid and Thanos had ever developed a grudging respect. Both warlords are aware of King Ghidorah due to being just as feared by civilizations across the cosmos as they are. Despite classing Titans as "low-level" gods, the Council of Godheads also feared King Ghidorah due to his destructive nature.
-The Necrosword is made of the same metallic material used by the Exorcist Angels during their exterminations.
-Wonder Woman's presence in World War I inspired Johann Schmidt (aka Red Skull) to pursue mythology in hopes of creating weaponry for HYDRA.
-Captain America and Wonder Woman met during World War II when Steve was doing his USO Show.
-SHIELD is aware of Monarch and STAR Labs and has often collaborated with each other in the past.
-Packard is a relative of Nick Fury.
-Asgard and Krypton having had a history with one another and the former having tried to warn the latter of their inevitable doom, but were dismissed.
-Prior to Krypton's destruction. Zod and his soldiers had a run-in with Yondu and the Ravagers.
-Both SHIELD and Nick Fury were not only aware of the Titan's existence but also aware of Superman's arrival on Earth and kept close tabs on him since he was a child.
-Both Superman and Chris Redfield were Captain America fans when younger.
-After the T-Virus Incident in Raccoon City, SHIELD and Monarch helped with the clean-up.
-Bruce Wayne, William Stenz, Amanda Waller, and Chris Redfield were all targets of Project Insight.
-Alongside SHIELD, STAR Labs, B.S.A.A., and Monarch were all infiltrated by HYDRA Agents who sought their resources. They stole various technological weapons created by the Motherbox, samples of the T-Virus, and stole Titan DNA to create Titan clones.
-After the Turtles made their debut, SHIELD and Monarch kept close eye on them based on their mutation.
-After the Civil War, Amanda Waller proposed Task Force X to the government, in which Theaddeus Ross was among those who approved it while William Stenz opposed it. Abomination and Baron Zemo were among the possible candidates for Task Force X.
-Task Force X and Monarch weren't affected by the Sokovia Accords due to their connections with the government.
-After the Baker House Incident, SHIELD and Monarch not only helped clean up the situation but also got clues on the E-Series's origin. Not trusting the B.S.A.A. or Blue Umbrella, they gave the info to Chris, which led to his isolation from both organizations.
-Talokan would be considered one of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Ocean Master would later try to recruit Namor, but decides not to as he was warned by the other rulers that Namor is more dangerous than Ocean Master himself.
-Karathen is revealed to be one of the lost Titans of Earth.
-Wakanda is aware of the existence of Atlantis but their ancestors have made a treaty with each other in not interfering. After the events of Aquaman, both T'Challa and Arthur meet in secret to discuss how to unite their kingdoms together and reveal their secret to the world. While Arthur respects T'Challa, he wants to keep Atlantis a secret until the time is right.
-Katolis would be aware of various magical humans such as Original Shazam and the Ancient One.
-Clark Kent/Superman, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Billy Batson/Shazam, and Mothra are beings capable of lifting Mjolnir.
-At the Senate hearing, alongside Serizawa, Nick Fury and Calvin Swanwick (Martian Manhunter) are among those who defended the Titans while Thaddeus Ross and Amanda Waller voiced against them.
-After the Titans were released, several Titans, such as Titanus Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe all resided near Wakanda and all bonded with T'Challa/Black Panther while Titans such as Titanus Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk all resided near Talokan and bond with Namor.
-By the end of Infinity War and during the events of Endgame. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, Martian Manhunter, Joker, Lex Luthor, Black Mask, Victor Zsasz, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Bruce the Hyena, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Sebastian, Polka-Dot Man, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Javelin, Blackguard, Mongal, T.D.K., Weasel, Thinker, Billy Batson/Shazam, Billy's foster parents and siblings, Amanda Waller, Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, Adebayo Waller, Clemson Murn/Ik Nobe Llok, Goff/Sophie Song/Eek Stack Ik Ik, Casper Locke, Larry Fitzgibbon, James Gordon, Atlanna, Mera, Arthur Jr., Starro, Peacemaker, White Dragon, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, Adrianna Tomaz, Karim, Amon Tomaz, Ishmael GregoSabbac, Blue Beetle and the Reyes family, Victoria and Jenny Kord, Carapax, Madison Russell, Mark Russell, Illene Chen, Houston Brooks, Sam Coleman, Nathan Lind, Illene Andrews, Jia, Josh Valentine, Bernie Hayes, Travis Beasley/Trapper, Walter and Maia Simmons, Ren Serizawa, Alan Jonah, Godzilla, Kong, half of the known titans, Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Ethan Winters, Mia Winters, Zoe Baker, Joe Baker, Mother Miranda, Karl Heisenberg, Lady Dimitrescu, Salvatore Moreau, Donna Beneviento, The Duke, Chris's Team, the Turtles, and Baxter Stockman would be amongst the survivors of The Blip.
-Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Perry White, Martha Kent, Stephen Shin, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Katana, Killer Croc, Ling Chen, Rick Stanton, Diane Foster, Jackson Barnes, Anthony Martinez, Lauren Griffin, Rodan, other half of the known titans, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Sensei Splinter, Bebop, and Rocksteady were amongst the victims of The Blip.
-Similar to Scott Lang, Black Adam, Mothra, Khaji-Da, and the inhabitants of the 4 nations, Xadia, Heaven, and Hell would not be affected by the Blip.
-The only beings that sensed the Blip were the Avatar (Aang), The Archdragons of Xadia (Zubeia, Rex Igneous, Domina Profundis, and Sol Regem), the Seraphim (Sera and Emily), the Goetian Hierarchy (Stolas and Octavia), and the 7 Deadly Sins (Lucifer Morningstar, Asmodeus, Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Belphegor).
-The victims of the Blip weren't sent to Heaven or Hell, they were stuck in Limbo.
-During the post-Blip, due to Thanos' actions, Godzilla had a hard time in trying to keep balance of the Earth with half of the remaining titans running loose. Due to the world powers struggling, they helped fund Apex Cybernetics to stabilize their economy as well as unknowingly helping Walter process with his Mechagodzilla experiment.
-Because of Thanos, the Corto Maltese government took advantage of this by continuing their experiments with Project Starfish and the Intergang were able to operate and have full control over Kahndaq. Many crime organizations in Gotham have either been dismantled due to the disappearance of the leaders or have been absorbed into the Black Mask Crime Organization. Jaime's family and his community go through financial struggles from Kord Industries due to the effects of the Blip.
-Due to less hero activity, the I.M.P.s operated their assassination business.
-Kingpin met with Joker and Black Mask during the Blip where the 2 made mutual agreements in developing a partnership. However, this agreement was broken due to Black Mask's death.
-The Joker was on Ronan's list of targets. However, due to his powerful influence, he was forced to back down.
-Due to the effects of the Blip, the butterflies decided to start their invasion by infecting powerful humans.
-After the Village's destruction, SHIELD aids Chris in a war against B.S.A.A.
-After Doctor Fate's death, Hawkman gives the Helmet of Fate to Kamar-Taj for safekeeping so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
-The Avengers and Justice League team up and join the time heist to find the Infinity Stones. With Iron Man's and Batman's technology, they create a black and red infinity gauntlet. Hulk still snaps his fingers which brings every living being back. During the final battle with Thanos, the Justice Society, Black Adam, Godzilla, and the other Titans arrive to join in the fight.
-Victoria Kord and Walter Simmons are among the many people who also had a hatred towards Tony Stark and are joyful about his death.
-After the events of Blue Beetle, Damage Control tried to apprehend him but was forced to back down due to public support.
-Godzilla would grow hostile towards the Hex that Wanda made. Due to being composed of cosmic radiation from the celestial, Godzilla and the other Titans are revealed to be immune to magic due to their massive size as well as not being affected by the Hex's effects. However, once Wanda leaves Westview, Godzilla will leave as well.
-After Endgame, Apex Cybernetics not only seeks to eliminate Titans but also superpowered individuals as well. After the events of GvK, Damage Control cleaned up the damage and acquired their resources.
-Among the deceased that would be in Heaven based on Adam's rule: "Act selfless, Don't Steal, and Stick it to the man" would be Tony Stark/Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Peggy Carter, Ancient One, Ben Parker, May Parker, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Phil Coulson, Steve Trevor, Jonathan Kent, Chato Santana/El Diablo, Silas Stone, Rick Flag, Alberto Reyes, José Morales, Ignacio Carapax/OMAC, and Nuidis Vulko.
-Among the deceased that would be in Hell and have the potential to become Overlords are Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, TrevoThe Mandarin, Alexander Pierce, Dreykov, Xu Wenwu, Quentin Beck/Mysterio, Roman Sionis/Black Mask, Victor Zsaasz, David Kane/Black Manta, and Walter Simmons.
-Wanting to reconnect with his daughter, Mark Russell resigns his position as leader of Monarch and Bruce BanneHulk becomes the next head of Monarch due to his knowledge of Nuclear Physics.
-Both the Great Protector and Dweller-in-Darkness are revealed to be Titans who stumbled upon Ta Lo.
-In Xadia, Viren was resurrected 5 years later rather than 2 (Events of S1-3 take place in 2019-and S4-6 take place in 2024).
-Due to the effects of the Emergence and the Deviants, Godzilla would ally with the Eternals in hunting down and killing the Deviants as well as stopping the Emergence from happening.
-The Benevolent Titans have gained a reputation due to their involvement in keeping the planet safe and healthy.
-Driven by vengeance, Overlord Quentin Beck/Mysterio pays the I.M.P.s to assassinate Peter ParkeSpider-Man. However, this is during the events of No Way Home and when Doctor Strange performs the spell that erases everyone's memory of who Spider-Man is, the I.M.P.s were affected as well and called the mission off due to their amnesia.
-Maya Lopez's/Echo's Powers awaken the ancient Thunderbird Titan that lives near her hometown. She successfully bonds with the Titan.
-Ms. Marvel would not only be a Captain Marvel fan but also a Wonder Woman and Mothra fan as well.
-Riri Williams is a huge fan of both Iron Man and Cyborg which influenced her to create her own enhanced suits. While she has an intense hatred towards Apex Cybernetics after their dirty secrets were exposed, Riri started making concepts on how to build a giant-mech suit to combat hostile Titans.
-Thor recruits Wonder Woman and the Shazam family to help them stop Gorr the God Butcher. They arrive at Omnipotence City where Wonder Woman exposes the Greek Gods being the Roman counterparts with Zeus' real identity revealed to be Jupiter. After the mission, Thor gives Shazam the Thunderbolt.
-Wonder Woman then encounters Marc SpecteMoon Knight where she sees and speaks with Khonshu.
-When Doctor Strange and America Chavez arrive on Earth-838, they meet the Illuminati which not only consists of Captain Carter, Blackbolt, Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau), and Mister Fantastic but also consists of Christian Bale's Batman and Brandon Routh's Superman.
-Same with Wakanda, the U.N. held a conference on whether the Titans should be contained or killed. Director Fontaine would state that the Titan's radiation helps balance the ecosystem of the planet and propose a solution where they can imprison the Titans and drain this energy they embody to help sustain the ecosystem, thus having them alive, but tortured.
-After Shuri takes the heart-shaped herb and becomes the next Black Panther, she communicates with Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe for the first time. She convinces them to take part in the battle against Namor by battling against Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk.
-After the battle, Wakanda becomes harmonious with their Titans as they are welcomed in Wakanda and become its protectors alongside Shuri.
-After the alliance with Talokan, Aquaman visits Shuri on the same beach where she meets her nephew, T'Challa II, and warns her about her deal with Namor. Then he introduces his son, Arthur Jr., where he and T'Challa II develop a brotherly bond with each other.
-Due to the Secret Invasion, Superman was affected by the Anti-Alien Act and was forced into hiding.
-During the events of Secret Invasion, the Turtles were forced into hiding due to being confused for Skrulls.
-After the events of The Flash, Doctor Strange and Clea confront him that his actions in altering time created more incursions and recruit him to have them fixed.
-After the events of the Marvels, Monica Rambeau not only meets Binary and Beast but also meets Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl.
-After the events of Lost Kingdom, Atlantis revealed its existence to the world by joining alliances with the UN and Wakanda.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands and Shang-Chi's Ten Rings start behaving weirdly as they detect a signal from deep within Hollow Earth, signifying a war cry from ancient Titans known as the Skar King and Shimo.
-As Namor is preparing for the war against the surface by aligning themselves with Wakanda, he commands the Titans he bonded to gain strength. However, one of the Titans, Tiamat, is killed by Godzilla, and Namor is saddened when hearing the news.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands attracts the attention of Mothra, who believes that Mothra may be the key to bringing back Monica Rambaeu.
-The Avatar's (Aang) awakening was sensed by Doctor Strange.
Overall, this is my take on how this shared world would go. If you have any suggestions on how the shared world would go, feel free to reply!
Special thanks to MichaeltheSpikester for the idea!
2024.05.19 08:17 GhoulGriin Best Car Holsters
 | submitted by GhoulGriin to u/GhoulGriin [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/36va4pijsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8d71ac5f18d8fa29205f57088d4d5c238d07309 In today's fast-paced world, the need for easy and quick access to weapons has become essential. One such solution is the car holster - a fantastic accessory that keeps your gun within reach without compromising on safety. Whether you're a law enforcement officer or a gun enthusiast, our exclusive roundup of car holsters is designed to meet your unique needs and preferences, ensuring your weapon is secure and easily accessible when you need it most. The Top 7 Best Car Holsters
Reviews🔗Versatile Alien Gear Photon Holster for Hellcat Pistolhttps://preview.redd.it/ovxi45wjsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ff728f84ee6c97ad3b0e7f1408f8c825947ae5a The Alien Gear Photon Springfield Hellcat Holster in Black is a versatile, ambidextrous holster that caters to various use cases. Designed to fit almost any situation, this holster is a perfect fit for both outside and inside the waistband carry. Its optics cut makes it compatible with a wide range of optics, excluding the SRO. Being made in the USA and having a lifetime warranty, it gives shooters peace of mind knowing they're investing in a high-quality product. However, certain users have pointed out the bulky clip and claw configuration, which might require some practice and adjusting to prevent inconvenience. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Photon holster stands as a reliable, configurable choice for handgun enthusiasts in search of a modern yet practical holster solution. 🔗Durable RAM Gun Holster Holder for Secure Sidearm Storagehttps://preview.redd.it/3ykj6zdksb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ead5ac7cdf49f7ee91279943dd941440bd28ff62 I recently had the opportunity to test out the RAM Ram Gun Holster Holder. As a regular outdoor enthusiast, I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier and more comfortable when engaging in my favorite activities. This holster definitely fits the bill. The first thing that struck me about this holster was its durability. Made from marine grade aluminum with a powder coated finish, it's built to withstand even the harshest of conditions. And with stainless steel hardware, you know it's going to last. One of the most impressive features of this holster is its versatility. It can be mounted in multiple directions and positions, making it perfect for a variety of situations. Whether you're in a vehicle or on foot, this holster can accommodate your every need. However, there were a couple of drawbacks. Once you have your holster in place, it can be a bit tricky to adjust or remove. But, overall, the ease of use wasn't a deal-breaker. In conclusion, the RAM Ram Gun Holster Holder is a reliable and durable piece of equipment that is perfect for those who need their side arm within easy reach. Its versatility makes it ideal for a variety of outdoor activities, and its durable construction ensures that it will stand up to even the toughest of conditions. 🔗Adjustable Retention IWB Holster for Springfield Hellcat Red Dot Optic Cut, Blue Carbon Fiberhttps://preview.redd.it/tvb3xsnksb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5bbd2a75a382b496e3136d461a891121b4edc3b As a Springfield Hellcat owner, I've been searching for the perfect IWB holster that can provide comfort and convenience while carrying my beloved firearm. When I stumbled upon the We The People Springfield Hellcat IWB Holster, it seemed to be the perfect solution to my problem. The first thing I noticed about this holster is its durable construction. Made from Kydex, it feels sturdy and well-built, ensuring that my firearm is securely held in place. The flexibility of the material is also a plus, as it allows for a comfortable and secure fit. One of the most impressive features of this holster is the adjustable retention. This feature allows me to set the tension to my personal comfort, providing an additional level of customization to my carry experience. The holster's adjustable ride and cant also offer maximum flexibility in terms of carry options, ensuring that I can find the perfect position for my gun. Despite its many pros, the holster does have a few cons that are worth mentioning. The adjustable clip, while convenient, can be a bit challenging to maneuver at times, especially when trying to change positions on the go. Additionally, the protective sweat guard has a tendency to catch on my clothing, which can be a minor annoyance. Overall, I am quite pleased with the We The People Springfield Hellcat IWB Holster. Its durability, adjustability, and customizable features make it a worthwhile investment for any Springfield Hellcat owner looking for a comfortable and secure carry solution. While there may be a few areas for improvement, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and I would recommend this holster to anyone in the market for a reliable IWB option. 🔗Versatile Car Holster for Springfield XD 9/40 MOD2https://preview.redd.it/hiimlmilsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1c35c4dd288fe40872b89e5b7bab8efd91f1af2 The ShapeShift Core Car Pack has been a game-changer in my daily life. This versatile holster easily transforms into different carry styles - IWB, appendix carry, OWB belt slide, and OWB paddle holster. The durable polymer and Kydex construction provide a secure fit for my Springfield XD 9/40 MOD2. One of the coolest features is the bonus holster mount, which allows me to attach my ShapeShift to various surfaces, giving me plenty of options for carrying my firearm. However, I did notice that the finish could use some improvement; a more resistant material might prevent the occasional scratch. Overall, this car holster pack has made my life a lot easier and more convenient. 🔗Car Holder Mount for Ultimate Stability and Conveniencehttps://preview.redd.it/5ggvzekmsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=03773b387d2900cf020eb03c91fe86cc989dcac9 I recently had the pleasure of trying out the HHJ Phone Mount for Car, a handy little gadget that has been a game-changer on my road trips. With its super stable design, I no longer have to worry about my phone sliding or falling when I hit a bump or take a sharp turn. Not only is it easy to install, taking only five seconds to set up, but it also offers a convenient release button that makes it simple to switch between portrait and landscape mode using the 360 rotation ball joint. This phone mount really does make hands-free calling and navigation during my commutes a breeze, and I highly recommend it to fellow drivers looking for a dependable solution. 🔗Adjustable Air Vent Smartphone Stand for Hands-Free Drivinghttps://preview.redd.it/vmwb22umsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3db5c57b32eaa3844296164a9634ed3bdf92201b I recently gave the Kenu Airframe+ Car Mount a try during a long road trip. This simple yet effective device was a game-changer for me. It's designed to attach to your car's air vent, providing a sturdy and secure way to keep your phone within viewing range while driving. The first thing that stood out to me was the extendable grip. It allowed me to easily adjust the angle of my phone, ensuring that I had a clear view of my GPS navigation, hands-free calls, and music playlist. What surprised me the most was that this mount doubled as a travel stand, making it a perfect addition to my laptop bag for airport layovers or when working from a hotel room. However, there were a couple of minor cons during my experience. The mount has a universal fit, but I found that it was slightly tricky to get it to stay secure in my air vent. Also, the adjustable jaws were not as snug as I would have liked, causing my phone to jiggle a bit more than I preferred. Overall, I believe the Kenu Airframe+ Car Mount is a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for a versatile and functional car phone mount. 🔗Safariland Level III Retention Car Holster: Durable and High-Performance Carrying Solutionhttps://preview.redd.it/b8xtm1ensb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c8b25c32b76494866eb92fd133622b6aad5e5b9 The Safariland SL 7360RDS holster has been an essential part of my daily carry routine for quite some time now. I've tried several holsters in the past, but none have come close to matching the quality and performance of this one. One of the key features that stood out to me is the ALS (Automatic Locking System) retention system. It's an intuitive and easy-to-use system that provides quick and secure access to my firearm. The holster's design perfectly complements my use of red-dot optics on my firearm, and I appreciate how it specifically accommodates my choice of optics. It fits my rig perfectly, and I can easily draw my pistol without any issues. Another significant advantage of the Safariland SL 7360RDS holster is its construction. The SafariSeven material is incredibly durable and lightweight, making it a perfect choice for rugged use. It's a testament to the holster's engineering and manufacturing. However, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. The first is that the release button on the inside of the holster doesn't have any texture, which can make it tricky to press at times. The other issue is that the holster comes with a mid-ride belt loop, which sometimes puts it away from my body. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Safariland SL 7360RDS holster is a top-tier product that any shooter looking for quality and performance should consider. Its superior construction, durability, and ease of use set it apart from the competition. It's perfect for personal defense, law enforcement, and military applications. Buyer's GuideCar holsters are essential for keeping your firearms secure and easily accessible while driving. They offer a convenient storage solution that can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. This buyer's guide will help you understand the important features, considerations, and general advice when choosing a car holster.CompatibilityEnsure the holster you choose is compatible with the make and model of your firearm. Most holsters can accommodate multiple types of firearms, but it's essential to confirm compatibility before making a purchase. Check the specifications and dimensions of the holster on the manufacturer's website or product description to determine if it will fit your firearm. https://preview.redd.it/5ozmolnnsb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=355e4ae7e3c3d133346409485ba8040de1690662 MaterialsCar holsters are typically made from materials such as leather, polymer, or nylon. Leather holsters are durable and provide a snug fit for your firearm, but they can be more expensive and require occasional maintenance. Polymer and nylon holsters are lightweight and cost-effective but may not offer the same level of durability as leather.Retention SystemThe retention system is crucial for keeping your firearm secure in the holster. Some holsters use friction to hold the firearm in place, while others use clips, straps, or adjustable retention screws. Consider your personal preference and the level of security you require when choosing a holster with the appropriate retention system.ConcealmentIf you're looking for a car holster that helps conceal your firearm from others, there are options available. Some holsters have a lower profile, allowing the firearm to be tucked away more discreetly. Others have a more overt design to provide easy access in case of an emergency. https://preview.redd.it/0774ie2osb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ea40ce041d18e86c5236746fa93d9f9803b07c7 InstallationCar holsters can be installed in various locations within your vehicle, depending on the type and model. Some holsters can be mounted on the dashboard, while others can be attached to the center console or seat. Make sure the holster you choose offers a secure and convenient installation option that suits your needs.MaintenanceProper maintenance of your car holster is essential to ensure its longevity and effectiveness. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and maintaining the holster, and check for any signs of wear or damage regularly. Replace the holster if necessary to maintain its performance and safety.General Advice
https://preview.redd.it/46gthrgosb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=744c31fc9380916255f0ee17055c7b942c90b708 FAQWhat are car holsters?Car holsters are specially designed cases to securely store and hold firearms, knives, or other self-defense tools inside a vehicle. They provide easy access to the weapon while ensuring safety and protection.Are car holsters legal?The legality of car holsters varies by location and jurisdiction. Some states and countries have specific laws governing the open carry and concealed carry of firearms in vehicles. It is essential to research and comply with local laws before using a car holster. https://preview.redd.it/tpna1lyosb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8f6b98b260e42038582b79e1ef4768b5f65d962 What materials are car holsters made of?Car holsters are typically made from durable materials such as leather, nylon, or plastic. They may have additional features like straps, clips, or adjustable mounting systems to ensure a secure fit in the vehicle.How do I install a car holster?Installing a car holster requires attaching it to a secure surface within the vehicle. Most holsters come with mounting hardware and instructions. Some common installation points are the dashboard, center console, or door panel.Are there different types of car holsters?Yes, there are various types of car holsters, including ones for concealed carry, open carry, and storage of other self-defense tools like pepper spray or a stun gun. Additionally, some holsters are designed for specific firearms models or brands.How much do car holsters cost?The price of car holsters can vary widely depending on the brand, material, and specific features. Generally, they range from around $20 to $100 or more. Shopping around and comparing different options can help you find the best value for your budget.Do car holsters affect the appearance or value of my vehicle?Car holsters are designed to be discreet and not detract from the appearance of your vehicle. However, some holsters may leave minor scratches or marks upon removal. It is essential to choose a holster with a non-damaging mounting system and to follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and removal.What makes a good car holster?
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2024.05.19 08:07 Ihategunz [WTS] Uppers: Clone Correct 10.3 URGI/Sig 516/BCM BFH, Larue Triggers, FCD CNF/ABC, Safariland Holster, G19 CAA MCK, Spare Parts for BRN4/Sig/Glock/Benelli M4/AK47
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/5FQLT06
Pics and serials: https://imgur.com/a/cd1CZIJ
I accept Paypal, Venmo, Cashapp, Zelle, Apple Pay.
Bundles > Dibs.
Parts List:
Surplus Colt 13629 Keyhole upper
Daniel Defense 10.3 Barrel NSN Marked w/ DD GB and Tube
Colt C stamped BCG
Geissele 9.3" MK16 DDC
Geissele DDC ACH, NSN Marked (shade matches MK16)
Surefire 4 Prong, NSN Marked
Cosmetic Condition: Like New, minimal salt.
Asking $1199 shipped
Catch and Release, 200 rounds total.
Not fired by me but swapped in Full Auto Cut BCG from a different 516. Comes with OEM CH too.
Cosmetic Condition: Like New, minimal salt.
$869 shipped
P/W 14.5 to 16 with SF3P Warcomp
Comes with Radian Raptor CH, BCM BCG, FCD EPC.
400-500 rounds
Cosmetic Condition: low salt
$799 $769 shipped
No salt like new. Barrel nut has some marks.
$199 shipped
$105 each
1x Mounted unfired operating rod, $55 shipped
$79 $49 New
Aimpoint PRO Riser spacer:, $10 addon
Nightforce 30mm 20MOA ultramount 1.54":$249 $199
Aimpoint Micro OEM Mount: same as this one https://aimpoint.us/micro-standard-mount-for-h-1-h-2-kit/ very light salt,$69 $49 shipped
ADM 30mm Mounts, one is 1316, one is 1324 and has 3 in cant. Comes with quality McMaster high carbon content screws.
$169 $159 each
Aimpoint Pro low Mount: $49 shipped
Looks like this but with a picatinny mount https://aimpoint.us/aimpoint-30mm-top-ring-fits-qrp2-tnp-lrp-not-required-for-compm4-series/
Light salt on mount and one of the turrets due to crowded safe. Glass is clean everything else looks great.
$239 shipped
CAA MCK Microroni for G19/23/32: Mild salt, comes with flashlight. $169 shipped
Safariland 6360 ALS/SLS FOR g17/G22, Right Handed:$99 $79 shipped
1913 Adapter for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped
$99 $89 $79 shipped
Bushmaster Commercial Spec Stock: $29 shipped
Tenebraex M68-ARD, works with Aimpoint PRO: $30 light salted but no structural damage to honeycomb
Aimpoint P2 Cap OEM: free addon
Benelli M4 Mesa Tactical Stock with comfortgrip, cheek riser and newest lock washer: $119 shipped
Geissele buffer tubes: 1x ddc, 1x odg, $59 each. Light salt
A2 Stock: $39 shipped
Hera Arms CQR Gen 2 ODG kit: $99 shipped
VLTOR IMOD Stock, Standard Butt SOPMOD looking thing: one of the plugs is missing, slightly salty, $69 shipped
submitted by Ihategunz to GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]
Pics and serials: https://imgur.com/a/cd1CZIJ
I accept Paypal, Venmo, Cashapp, Zelle, Apple Pay.
Bundles > Dibs.
PM ME HERE: www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=ihategunz
Clone Correct URGI 10.3 Upper
Here i've got a clone correct URGI 10.3 in a smooth shade of DDC. All parts are unfired except for the BCG/CH and Upper receiver. Had this assembled and sitting in my closet for close to a year now, i love looking at it but it's time i sell some extras.Parts List:
Surplus Colt 13629 Keyhole upper
Daniel Defense 10.3 Barrel NSN Marked w/ DD GB and Tube
Colt C stamped BCG
Geissele 9.3" MK16 DDC
Geissele DDC ACH, NSN Marked (shade matches MK16)
Surefire 4 Prong, NSN Marked
Cosmetic Condition: Like New, minimal salt.
Asking $1199 shipped
Sig 516 Full Auto 14.5 P/W Upper
SIG 516 OEM Upper, 14.5 P/W to 16" with SF3P Warcomp.Catch and Release, 200 rounds total.
Not fired by me but swapped in Full Auto Cut BCG from a different 516. Comes with OEM CH too.
Cosmetic Condition: Like New, minimal salt.
$869 shipped
BCM BFH 14.5 P/W Upper
BCM OEM Upper with BFH ELW profile barrelP/W 14.5 to 16 with SF3P Warcomp
Comes with Radian Raptor CH, BCM BCG, FCD EPC.
400-500 rounds
Cosmetic Condition: low salt
Geissele MK16 9.3" Black
Blemula but re-nitrided so the blemula logo is barely visible.No salt like new. Barrel nut has some marks.
$199 shipped
Larue MBT2S
BNIB 2x flat (not skeleton).$105 each
FCD Crap 🦆
- 2x BNIB CNF Black, $20 each
- 4x ABC/R serrated bolt catches, $55 each. 2x center, 2x forward biased
AR15 Spare Parts
- H&R A1 Upper Stripped (Grey): Mild salt from being thrown around in parts bin, $129 shipped
- Sig 3 Prong: $29
- Odin Works Carbine length Tube + Adjustable Gas Block: $49 shipped (100ish rounds)
- Daniel Defense Mid length tube + MK12 style Pinnable gas block: $69 shipped (500ish rounds)
- Mini King Comp from Strike Industries: $49 shipped
- 1x K2 Grip BNIB ODG: $20 shipped
- BCM BCG: $149 shipped, 300 rounds
BRN4 Parts from Forsaken Build
2x BNIB Operating Rods, $59 shipped each1x Mounted unfired operating rod, $55 shipped
Mounts
Weaver Extra High 34mm Rings:Aimpoint PRO Riser spacer:, $10 addon
Nightforce 30mm 20MOA ultramount 1.54":
Aimpoint Micro OEM Mount: same as this one https://aimpoint.us/micro-standard-mount-for-h-1-h-2-kit/ very light salt,
ADM 30mm Mounts, one is 1316, one is 1324 and has 3 in cant. Comes with quality McMaster high carbon content screws.
Aimpoint Pro low Mount: $49 shipped
Looks like this but with a picatinny mount https://aimpoint.us/aimpoint-30mm-top-ring-fits-qrp2-tnp-lrp-not-required-for-compm4-series/
Sig MSR 1-6x
Sig MSR 1-6 with MountLight salt on mount and one of the turrets due to crowded safe. Glass is clean everything else looks great.
$239 shipped
Glock Stuff
Glock Sights: all takeoffs, $15 each. Tritium rear one is $30. $59 for all.CAA MCK Microroni for G19/23/32: Mild salt, comes with flashlight. $169 shipped
Safariland 6360 ALS/SLS FOR g17/G22, Right Handed:
AK Stuff
JMAC: Non-Folding Stock/Brace Mount for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped1913 Adapter for MRKT Trunnion: lnib $29 shipped
NVG Stuff
Norotos Mount + Head Mount + J arm + Infrared tag for dog leash:Random Shit
Magpul Sling Mount RSA: $24 shippedBushmaster Commercial Spec Stock: $29 shipped
Tenebraex M68-ARD, works with Aimpoint PRO: $30 light salted but no structural damage to honeycomb
Aimpoint P2 Cap OEM: free addon
Benelli M4 Mesa Tactical Stock with comfortgrip, cheek riser and newest lock washer: $119 shipped
Geissele buffer tubes: 1x ddc, 1x odg, $59 each. Light salt
A2 Stock: $39 shipped
Hera Arms CQR Gen 2 ODG kit: $99 shipped
VLTOR IMOD Stock, Standard Butt SOPMOD looking thing: one of the plugs is missing, slightly salty, $69 shipped
Patches
Also patches if you would like some: https://www.reddit.com/GunAccessoriesForSale/s/NzKFRKbgjL2024.05.19 08:06 Mantis_Shrimp47 The monster in the sand dunes turned my brother into a bird
"You gotta know that there's an art to it, Ezra," Hitch said, cutting another piece of duct tape.
The sleeves of his weather-beaten coat were shoved all the way up his arms, to stop the fabric from falling over his knuckles while he was working, and goosebumps lined his skin. He was strapping a rubber chicken to the back of his truck, over the lens of the shattered backup camera, with the legs pointing down so that they hung a couple inches above the ground. There were dents in the hood from the crash last week, and scratches along the door from scraping into a curb. The chicken, hopefully, would keep him from breaking anything else.
"You can't go cheap," Hitch said. "The cheap rubber chickens only make noise when pressure lets go. That's no good. As soon as I back up into something, I want this chicken to be screaming like it’s in the depths of hell."
“Sure thing,” I said in a monotone, leaning against the side of the truck.
There were scrambled electronic parts piled in the back of the truck, the innards of a radio, a broken computer, tangled wires, a couple loose pairs of earbuds. He found the parts in alleyways or bummed them off his friends for a couple bucks or stole them from the vacation homes that were left empty for most of the year. Then he sold them for a profit at the scrapyard. Hitch had bounced between minimum-wage jobs for a while after high school, spending a couple months as a bagger at the grocery store or as a seasonal worker at the farm two hours down the highway. He'd never stuck with it. At the very least, the scrapyard got him enough money to eat and occasionally spend a night in a motel when he got tired of sleeping in his car.
Hitch pressed the last piece of tape in place and grinned up at me. "I've got something for you, duck."
The nickname came from when I’d broken my leg as a child and waddled around in a cast until it was healed. I hated it with a burning passion, and I glared at Hitch with the ease of twenty-one years of practice. He had a duck tattoo at the base of his thumb that he’d gotten in a back-alley shop as a teenager. He said that he’d gotten it to remind him of me, and the fact that I hated the nickname was just a bonus. It was shaky-lined, with an uneven face, but he loved it anyway.
The handle stuck when Hitch tried to open the door, a consequence of the rust collecting in the crevices of the car and running down the sides like blood from a cut. The car groaned when the door finally popped open, a metal against metal screech that had me flinching away. Hitch dug through the cluttered fast food containers in the passenger-side footwell, eventually coming up with a crinkly paper bag. He waved away the flies buzzing around the opening of the bag and held it out to me.
The last time Hitch had brought me food, I’d gotten food poisoning because he’d left it out in the midday sun for two days. The donut was squished slightly, and the icing was stuck to the bag. I still ate it, grimacing at the harsh citrus flavor. Taking Hitch’s food was an instinct engraved from the days when Dad had given us a can of kidney beans for dinner and Hitch had drank the juice, leaving the beans for me.
I rarely went hungry anymore, three mostly square meals a day and granola in my pockets just in case, but habits didn’t die easy.
These days, Hitch only brought me food when he wanted my help, like when he saw a place he wanted to hit but was worried about doing it alone.
I got in the car, like I always did.
We drove past the cluster of seafood-themed restaurants with chipped paint decks, the beachfront park where there were always shifty-eyed men sitting under the slide, the single room library where all the books had been water damaged in the flood last year. The change was quick as we drove across Main Street, heading closer to the beach. The roads were freshly paved, the concrete a smooth black except where the sun had already started to pick away at it. The three-story homes lining the sides of the street were crouched on elegant stilts, with space underneath for a car or three. Most of the garages were empty, with the lights off and curtains drawn in the house. Come summer, the streets would be swarming with tourists and vacationers, but until then, most of the buildings nearest to the beach were unoccupied.
Hitch stopped as the sun started to go down at a house that was leaning precariously out towards the beach, tilted ever so slightly, the edge of its foundation buried in the shifting sand of the beach. It certainly looked deserted, with an overgrown yard and blue paint peeling off the door in sheets.
Hitch took his hammer out of the backseat, hoisting it over his shoulder. It was two feet of solid metal with rags wrapped around the head to muffle the sound of the hits. Hitch squared up, bending his knees and holding the hammer like a baseball bat. Before he could swing, though, the door creaked open on its own, the hinges squeaking. The house beyond was dark enough that I could only make out general shapes, glimpsing the curve of a sofa to the left, what was maybe the shimmer of a chandelier on the other side.
Hitch lowered his hammer, looking vaguely disappointed that he didn’t get to use it. “That’s…weird as hell.”
“Maybe the deadbolt broke, maybe they forgot to lock it, it doesn’t matter,” I hissed, checking our surroundings for other people again. “Just hurry up and get inside before someone calls the cops.”
Hitch flicked the lightswitch on the wall, and the lights flickered on. They were dim, buzzing audibly and blinking off occasionally. The walls were plastered with contrasting swatches of wallpaper and splattered with random colors. There was neon orange behind the dining table, a galaxy swirl in the kitchen, and on the ceiling there was a repeating floral pattern covered in nametag stickers. Each of the stickers was filled out with The Erlking. Chandeliers hung in every room, three or four for each, and rubber ducks sat on every table. A miniature carousel sat in the corner along with a towering model rocket.
Sand was heaped on every surface, at least a couple inches everywhere. It was piled in the corners and stuck to the walls, and it covered the floor in a thick blanket. Our hesitant steps into the house left footprints clearly outlined in the sand.
Hitch took a cursory look around and headed immediately for the TV mounted on the wall. “Look out the windows and tell me if anyone is coming.”
I shook the sand out of the blinds and pulled them open, then had to brush sand off of the window before I could see anything.
Hitch was quick, practiced at finding and appropriating the things that were worth taking. He came back to me with an armful of electronics and chandeliers, dumping it at my feet before turning to head deeper into the house again.
There was a thump, somewhere upstairs, and then footsteps, slow and deliberate. Hitch froze at the threshold of the room, then ran for the door with me just ahead of him, sand flying out from under our feet.
My hand was almost brushing the doorknob, close enough that I could see the light from the streetlamp outside streaming in through the cracks in the door. My fingers touched the wood and it gave under my touch, becoming malleable and warm. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and the door started to melt. The paint ran down in thick drops, pooling at the bottom of the door, and the wood warped like metal being welded. The soft edges of the door ran into the walls until there was no sign of an exit ever being there.
“Well, well, well,” said a cultured voice with just an edge of snooty elitism. “What do we have here?”
The man was well over eight feet tall, with long black hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a yellow raincoat with holes cut out of the hood to accommodate the deer antlers jutting upwards from his head. There was sand settled on his shoulders and hovering around his head like a halo.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hitch said, inching towards a window.
He smiled, just a little bit, and his teeth shone in the dim light. “I am the Erlking.”
Hitch nodded, and seemed about to respond. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the window. I could feel sand in the wind roaring against my back as the Erlking growled in anger, the grains scraping harshly against my cheeks.
We were almost to the window when Hitch was ripped away from me, and I came to a startled halt. The sand had formed long grasping arms that pressed Hitch against the floral wallpaper. His wrists were held tight, and as I watched, a sandy hand wrapped around his mouth and forced its way between his teeth. He gagged, and sand trickled out of the corners of his mouth.
The Erlking strolled towards him, not seeming to be in any sort of rush. “You know, I’m not very fond of your yapping.”
He made an idle gesture and the sand wrapped around my ankles, tethering me in place.
“I yap all the time,” Hitch said. “Three-time olympic yapper, that’s me. Best to just let me go now and save yourself some trouble.”
The Erlking tapped a manicured nail against Hitch’s mouth, hard enough to hurt, judging by the way he flinched away. “But why would I ever let you go when I’ve gone to this much trouble to catch you and your sister? It’s so hard, these days, to find people that no one will miss.”
Hitch struggled against the sand, trying to escape and failing. “What do you want with us, then? You just said it, we’re nobody.”
“I’m fae, dear one,” the Erlking said. “I get my power from my followers. And I think that you two will make lovely additions to my flock.”
He flicked Hitch's nose and Hitch gasped. Feathers started to form on his arms, popping out from under his skin in a spray of blood.
Hitch pushed off the wall, using his bound hands as a fulcrum, and his knees crashed into the Erlking’s stomach. The Erlking fell backwards, wheezing, and the sand around my ankles loosened.
Hitch made desperate eye contact with me as feathers shot up his neck and jerked his head towards the window. The message was obvious. Run.
The last thing I saw before crashing out the window and into freedom was Hitch’s body twisting, his arms wrenching into wings and feathers covering every inch of his skin. By the time I landed on the concrete outside, he was a small black bird, held tightly in the Erlking’s hands. The whole building was sinking into the ground, burnished-gold sand piling up over top and streaming from the windows.
Thirty years later, I saw Sam’s Supernatural Consultation and Neutralization written in neat, looping handwriting on a piece of paper taped to the door. The tape was peeling at the corners and the paper was yellowed with age, but there was obviously care put into the sign, in its perfectly centered text and looping floral designs drawn over the edges in gold marker.
I knocked, hesitantly, drawing my woolen coat closer around my shoulders. I’d bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift for myself, and I took comfort in the heavy weight of it over my shoulders.
“Coming!” someone called from within the depths of the office.
There were a couple crashes, and the sound of paper shuffling. Eventually, the door was opened by a young woman with ketchup stains on her shirt and pencils stuck through her hair.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I specialize in supernatural consultation and hunting, how may I help you today?” Sam said, customer-service pep in her voice. She stood in the doorway, solidly blocking entry into the office.
“My name is Ezra, I’m for a consultation. I emailed you but you didn’t respond?” I shifted in place, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Oh! Yeah, I lost the password for the email ages ago. Sorry for the bad welcome, I get lots of people thinking I’m crazy or pulling a prank and harassing me.”
She ushered me into the office, clearing papers off one of the chairs to make room for me to sit down. There was a collection of swords along one wall, all of them polished to perfection, several with deep knicks in the metal which indicated that they’d been used heavily.
“So what can I help you with?” Sam asked again, more sincere this time.
“Thirty years ago, my brother was turned into a bird,” I started. I’d told this story so many times that it barely felt ridiculous to say anymore. I was used to the disbelieving looks, the careful pity. But Sam just nodded along, face open and welcoming.
“I’ve almost given up on finding him, at this point,” I said. “But I saw your ad in the newspaper, and…here I am, I suppose.”
“Here you are,” Sam echoed, smiling. She pulled one of the pencils out of her hair and took a bit of paperwork off of one of her stacks, turning it over so that the blank side sat neatly in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
I told Sam everything, and she wrote it all down, pencil scratching along the paper.
The last part of the story was always the hardest to tell. “I left him there. I ran and I didn’t look back.”
I had been to dozens of detectives and investigators over the years, once the police had dropped Hitch’s case. I’d been to professional offices with smartly-dressed secretaries and met scraggly men in coffee shops. All of them had given me the same look, pity and annoyance all mixed up into a humor-the-crazy-lady soup. Sam, though, just seemed thoughtful.
Sam leaned forward and put a hand over mine, carefully, like she thought that I would pull away. “Sometimes you have to leave people behind.”
I tightened her hold on Sam’s hand and drew it towards me, like I could make Sam listen if only I squeezed tight enough. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
“Okay then. I’ll do my best to help you.” Sam agreed, finally. Then she paused, and said softly, “You know…I think I met your brother once. He might have saved my life. He’s certainly why I started in this business.”
“Really? What happened?” I asked.
This is the story that Sam told me, related to the best of my abilities:
It was a new moon, so the only illumination came from the stars gazing idly down and distant porch lights shining across the scraggly brush of the dunes. Sam’s neighbors were decent people who cared about baby turtles, so the lights were a low, unobtrusive red, and the ocean sloshed like blood. Sam walked on the beach almost every night, drawing back the gauzy pink curtains and clambering out her bedroom window. She didn’t often bother to be quiet; her mama worked the late shift and came home exhausted. As long as Sam got home before the sun, her mama would never find out that she paced the shoreline and dreamed of inhaling sand until her lungs became their own beach.
The sky was lightening. The sun would come up soon, and that meant Sam’s time on the beach was over. She needed to get back to her real life, go to her fifth grade class and stop that nonsense, as her mother would say. Her mother loved to say things like that, pushing Sam into her proper place by implication alone.
“She’s a good kid, of course, but she’s a bit…” Her mother would trail off there, usually getting a commiserating expression from whoever she was talking to. Sam always wondered how that sentence would have finished. She’s a bit strange, maybe. She’s a bit intense. She’s a bit abrasive. She’s quiet enough but when Jason tried to steal her pencil in math class, she stabbed him in the hand so hard that the lead tattooed him.
Her mother was better, for the most part. The days of her stocking up the fridge, and leaving a post-it note on the counter, and leaving for days at a time were gone. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen tile where her mother had collapsed and caved her head in, even though the bloodstains had been replaced with new tile.
“Your auntie got an abortion, you know,” her mother had said from her place on the couch, slurring her words. “Pill in the mail and then bam, no more baby.”
She had clapped her hands together to illustrate her point. Her mother jerked forward and grabbed Sam by the wrist, then, staring up at her until Sam met her eyes.
“I love you, you know? But sometimes I wonder…” She settled back onto the couch. “Yeah. I wonder.”
She’d gotten up, then, back to the kitchen. She’d been stumbling, a shambling zombie of a woman. The ground in the entryway of the kitchen was raised, ever so slightly, and her mother went down hard. Her head cracked against the tile, chin first, and she didn’t move.
Sam had been the one to call the ambulance. She had stared at the scattering of loose teeth on the ground while she waited, and considered what her life would be like with a dead mom. Not so bad, she thought, and immediately felt guilty for it.
Her mom was better, now, for the most part. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen floor where she had collapsed. There was still a matchbox hidden under her bed with the gleaming shine of her mother’s lost teeth, two canines and a molar. It was nice, having a piece of her mom to keep. Even if she left again, Sam would still have part of her.
Sam sighed, and turned away from the ocean. As she faced towards the low dunes further up the beach, she saw a sandcastle sitting nestled among them. It was such a strange sight that her eyes skipped over it at first, almost automatically, disregarding it because it was so out of place.
Sam found sandcastles out on the beach sometimes, usually half-collapsed and on the verge of being washed away by the waves, but she had never seen anything like the sandcastle in front of her. It was life-sized, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Scottish highlands, with spires shooting up above her head and carefully etched out bricks lining each side. The front wall was dominated by an arched set of double doors, twice her height, with a portcullis nestled at the top, ready to be dropped. All of it was lovingly detailed, down to the rust on the tips of the towers and the wood grain of the door. It was made out of wet, densely-packed sand, held together impossibly. It had not been there two hours ago, when she had come to the beach.
There was a bird sitting on the overhang of the door, small and black.
As soon as she took a step towards the sandcastle, the bird shook out its feathers and swooped down towards Sam, landing at her feet with a little stumble.
“Hey, kid, get out of here,” said the bird.
Sam closed her eyes, very deliberately. When she opened them, the bird was still there. Sam considered herself a very reasonable person, so she immediately drew the most logical conclusion. The bird was, she was almost certain, a demon.
“Trust me, you don’t want to run into Mr. Salty, the queen bitch himself,” the bird said.
“Mr. Salty?” Sam inquired, polite as she knew how to be. She edged to the side, trying to get a good angle to kick the bird like a soccer ball.
The bird did something similar to a wince, all its feathers fluffing up then settling back down. “Ah, don’t call him that. He’d turn you into a toad.”
The bird gestured with its head, towards the looming sand structure. “That’s his castle. He’s in there, probably scuttling along the ceiling or some shit because that’s the sort of weirdo he is.”
Sam nodded, encouraging. She pulled back her foot and lined up her shot, the way she’d seen athletes do on TV. She aimed right for its sharp beak and let loose. The bird saw it coming, its beady eyes widening, and it cawed in distress. It flapped away, avoiding her kick only to fall backward into the sand in a scramble of wings.
“What’s your fucking problem?” it squawked. “I was trying to help you!”
“I don’t need the help of a demon,” Sam yelled, trying to remember the exorcism that her mama had taught her once, because her mama believed in being prepared for anything.
“I’m not a demon,” the bird said indignantly.
It was at about that moment that Sam gave up and just decided to roll with it.
“What are you, then?” Sam asked.
The bird shuffled its clawed feet, looking about as awkward as it could, given that it didn’t really have recognizable facial expressions. “Technically I’m a familiar of the Erlking, prince of the fae, but I prefer to be called Hitch.”
“You can’t blame me for assuming, though,” Sam said. “Ravens do tend to be associated with murder.”
“Hey, excuse you,” Hitch said. “I’m a rook, not a raven. Ravens are way bigger.”
“Sure,” Sam said, not really paying attention. Her eyes had caught on the details of the sandcastle, and she was transfixed by the slow spirals of the sand, the strange beauty of it. She found herself stepping towards the great doors, lifting a hand to knock, and as she did, the sand warped in front of her eyes, heaving itself towards her with bulging slowness. The door creaked open before her, revealing a vast, empty room. Just before she stepped inside, she felt a piercing pain in her foot, and she yelped, leaping backwards.
Hitch pecked her again, really digging his beak in. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Sam glared at him, rubbing her foot. About to retort, she finally really took in the room inside the sandcastle, and her words died in her throat.
There was a body just past the threshold of the door, face down and limbs hanging limp at its sides. Long hair splayed out in a halo around its head.
“Don’t,” Hitch warned, suddenly serious. “Just leave, kid, I mean it. I’ve seen too many people go down this road and you don’t want to be one of them.”
Sam ignored him. She made her way across the beach, slipping with every step. The sand felt deeper, piling up around her feet in silent drifts. She picked up the nearest stick and poked the body with it through the door, ready to leap back if anything went wrong, staying firmly outside of the sandcastle.
This close, Sam could tell that it used to be a woman. Her head wasn’t attached to her body. It hadn’t been a clean amputation, either. Her upper body was bruised, with chunks taken out of it, and the bones in her neck hung mangled, not connected to anything.
“Well, I warned you,” Hitch said, defeated. “I did warn you.”
Sam nudged the head with the end of the stick, nudging it over so that she could see the face. Her mother stared back at her, torn to pieces, breath still wheezing from her lungs. She wasn’t blinking, just gazing forward with glazed eyes. Sweat dripped down from her hairline.
Sam screamed and dropped the stick, tripping over herself in her haste to get away.
Her mother’s eyes were wide and pleading, and she was mouthing desperate words at Sam. Her vocal cords were broken to bits, and the only sound that came out was a strained groan.
The head rolled, inching closer to Sam like a grotesque caterpillar.
Her mother gasped for air, torn lips fluttering. Finally, comprehensible words came out. “Help. Help me, daughter.”
“That’s not your mother,” Hitch said, quiet.
Sam knew that. Her mother was sleeping back at home, and anyways her mom had never asked for her help. She had an aversion to accepting charity, as she put it.
“Okay,” Sam said, shaking all over. “Okay.”
She backed away from the sandcastle, not looking away.
“Failure,” her mother hissed as she stepped away. “I never wanted a daughter like you.”
The sun came up over the horizon. The sandcastle, Hitch, and her mom all disintegrated into sand as the light hit them.
The beach, the next night, was almost exactly how I remembered it. The beams of our flashlights sent light bouncing across the dunes, illuminating the waves, and I imagined faces in the foam of the waves.
“I’ve been back here a hundred times. There’s nothing left,” I said.
Sam took the car key out of her purse and pointed it at the sand, adjusting the sword slung over her shoulder in order to do it. The key had belonged to Hitch; Sam had requested an item of his, and it was the only thing I had left. She rested the key on the sand and drew a circle around it, inscribing symbols around the borders.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “Not much, really. I’m…I guess you could say that I’m knocking.”
The key laid inert on the sand for long enough that I was just about to give up and go home, admit to myself that Hitch was dead and that I was a fool to believe that Sam could actually help me. Then a building started to take shape, flickering in and out like it was struggling to get away. With a pop of displaced air, the sandcastle settled into existence.
Sam banged on the entryway. Nothing happened. She did it again, harder, and scowled when the door still didn’t open.
“We demand entrance, under your honor,” Sam yelled. There was a hard rush of wind, and I gripped Sam’s arm to keep my balance, but the doors cracked open reluctantly.
The inside of the sandcastle consisted of one enormous hall, the roof arching up out of sight. Rafters crisscrossed from wall to wall, and a cobbled path led further into the building, but other than that, it was completely empty, except for the birds. There were thousands of them, perched on the rafters or hopping along the ground. They parted in front of Sam and I, and reformed behind us, leaving us in a small pocket of open space. They were all black-feathered, with sharp beaks and beady eyes.
The Erlking sat on a throne at the end of the hall, lounging across it with his feet up on the armrest. He watched them as they came forward, the soft caw of the birds the only sound.
“I am here to bargain for the life of my brother,” I said, with as much dignity as I could muster, before the Erlking could say anything.
The Erlking ignored her, tilting his head to look at Sam. “I remember you. I almost got you, once.”
Sam glared at him but didn’t respond.
“You want your brother,” The Erlking said to me, and he almost sounded amused. “Then go get him.”
As if by some sort of silent signal, every bird in the room took flight at once, and their cawing made me think of screams. I covered my head against the flapping of their wings, and my vision was quickly obscured by the chaotic movement of them. I found myself on my knees, just trying to escape them.
A hand met my shoulder. Sam urged me to my feet, and together we ran for the edge of the room, where the swarm was the thinnest. We pressed ourselves into the corner and the swarm spiraled tighter and tighter at the center of the room. It went on until there seemed to be no differentiation between the birds, all of them fused together into one creature.
When the chaos died down, the birds had become one mass, with wings and eyes and talons sticking out of its flesh, thrashing and chirping. Human body parts stuck out of it, bulging out from the feathers. It was hands, mostly, with a couple knees or staring eyes. The bird amalgamation had no recognizable facial features, but there was one long beak extending from the front of its head. Most of the body parts were concentrated around the beak, and they peeked out from where the beak connected with muscle, or grew from the tongue, nestled between the two crushing halves of the beak.
It turned its beak down and crawled forward, using the hands to balance. The fingers scrambled over the ground. I was afraid of centipedes as a child, and I felt that same crawling dread when it started moving.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered, which was rather disappointing, because I had been hoping that at least one of us knew what to do.
The creature turned, a lurching movement that crushed some of the hands underneath it, and started heaving itself slowly towards our corner.
“Better hurry up!” the Erlking called from his throne.
It was blocking the exit, by then. The shifting body of it had moved to block us off. It ambled towards us and I tried to sink further into the corner.
As it approached, getting close enough that I could smell the stink of it, I saw a flash of a tattoo on one of the hands. I leaned in, trying to find it again, like looking for dolphins surfacing in the ocean. And again, I caught a glimpse of a duck tattoo, the tattoo that Hitch had gotten on his hand as a teenager.
I ripped away from Sam’s death grip and ran for the monster.
I fell to my knees in front of it, wincing as I impacted the ground, and reached into the nest of hands. I could feel them tearing at my forearms and ripping into me with their sharp nails, but I kept going. I pressed further in, up to my shoulder in a writhing mass of limbs, aiming for the spot where I had last seen that tattoo.
The hands were tugging at me, wrapping around my back and hair. They were pulling together, trying to draw me completely into the mass of them. I was aware of Sam at my side, anchoring me in place and bashing any hand that got too close with her sword or the sparks that leapt from her hands with muttered words. But I didn’t think it would be enough. They were too strong, and there were too many of them.
I was up to my waist in the hands when something grabbed my palm. I felt the way it clung to me, and the calluses on its palm, and I knew that I had found my brother.
I flung herself back. The hands didn’t want to let me go, and they fought the whole way, but slowly, I made progress. I kept hold of Hitch’s hand in mine the whole time, gripping it as hard as I could. I finally broke free, Hitch with me, and Sam was immediately charging the creature, able to use her sword with much greater strength without being worried about injuring Hitch. She swung it forward, and it sliced through the wrist of one of the hands. It fell without a sound, red sand flowing out of it. It deflated until it looked like dirty laundry, just a piece of limp flesh. The creature shrieked, scuttling away enough that the door was finally accessible. The three of us ran for it, Sam and I supporting Hitch between us.
I looked back as I left and found the Erlking staring right at me.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying impossibly across the vast space between us.
The sandcastle collapsed behind us, the great walls falling in on themselves. We were out in the morning sun, the sandcastle disappearing as we watched. Hitch was on the ground in front of me, as young as he’d been thirty years ago, when he was captured. He started laughing, feathers puffing out of his mouth. He laughed until he cried and I hugged him in the way that he’d held me when I was young, in the times when my life had been defined by hunger and fear.
Hitch left, afterwards. He scratched at the pinhole scars covering his body, where feathers burst through his skin, and pulled his long sleeves down around his wrists. He didn’t know where he was going but he told me that he needed time
I had spent thirty years worth of time without him. I wanted to grab my brother by the shoulders and beg him to stay. But he flinched when I hugged him goodbye and he refused to go near sand and he stared distrustfully at the birds chirping in the trees. Hitch needed to go away and I loved him too much to stop him.
I sat out on the beach every morning. I felt the sun on my face and I waited for Hitch to come home.
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The sleeves of his weather-beaten coat were shoved all the way up his arms, to stop the fabric from falling over his knuckles while he was working, and goosebumps lined his skin. He was strapping a rubber chicken to the back of his truck, over the lens of the shattered backup camera, with the legs pointing down so that they hung a couple inches above the ground. There were dents in the hood from the crash last week, and scratches along the door from scraping into a curb. The chicken, hopefully, would keep him from breaking anything else.
"You can't go cheap," Hitch said. "The cheap rubber chickens only make noise when pressure lets go. That's no good. As soon as I back up into something, I want this chicken to be screaming like it’s in the depths of hell."
“Sure thing,” I said in a monotone, leaning against the side of the truck.
There were scrambled electronic parts piled in the back of the truck, the innards of a radio, a broken computer, tangled wires, a couple loose pairs of earbuds. He found the parts in alleyways or bummed them off his friends for a couple bucks or stole them from the vacation homes that were left empty for most of the year. Then he sold them for a profit at the scrapyard. Hitch had bounced between minimum-wage jobs for a while after high school, spending a couple months as a bagger at the grocery store or as a seasonal worker at the farm two hours down the highway. He'd never stuck with it. At the very least, the scrapyard got him enough money to eat and occasionally spend a night in a motel when he got tired of sleeping in his car.
Hitch pressed the last piece of tape in place and grinned up at me. "I've got something for you, duck."
The nickname came from when I’d broken my leg as a child and waddled around in a cast until it was healed. I hated it with a burning passion, and I glared at Hitch with the ease of twenty-one years of practice. He had a duck tattoo at the base of his thumb that he’d gotten in a back-alley shop as a teenager. He said that he’d gotten it to remind him of me, and the fact that I hated the nickname was just a bonus. It was shaky-lined, with an uneven face, but he loved it anyway.
The handle stuck when Hitch tried to open the door, a consequence of the rust collecting in the crevices of the car and running down the sides like blood from a cut. The car groaned when the door finally popped open, a metal against metal screech that had me flinching away. Hitch dug through the cluttered fast food containers in the passenger-side footwell, eventually coming up with a crinkly paper bag. He waved away the flies buzzing around the opening of the bag and held it out to me.
The last time Hitch had brought me food, I’d gotten food poisoning because he’d left it out in the midday sun for two days. The donut was squished slightly, and the icing was stuck to the bag. I still ate it, grimacing at the harsh citrus flavor. Taking Hitch’s food was an instinct engraved from the days when Dad had given us a can of kidney beans for dinner and Hitch had drank the juice, leaving the beans for me.
I rarely went hungry anymore, three mostly square meals a day and granola in my pockets just in case, but habits didn’t die easy.
These days, Hitch only brought me food when he wanted my help, like when he saw a place he wanted to hit but was worried about doing it alone.
I got in the car, like I always did.
We drove past the cluster of seafood-themed restaurants with chipped paint decks, the beachfront park where there were always shifty-eyed men sitting under the slide, the single room library where all the books had been water damaged in the flood last year. The change was quick as we drove across Main Street, heading closer to the beach. The roads were freshly paved, the concrete a smooth black except where the sun had already started to pick away at it. The three-story homes lining the sides of the street were crouched on elegant stilts, with space underneath for a car or three. Most of the garages were empty, with the lights off and curtains drawn in the house. Come summer, the streets would be swarming with tourists and vacationers, but until then, most of the buildings nearest to the beach were unoccupied.
Hitch stopped as the sun started to go down at a house that was leaning precariously out towards the beach, tilted ever so slightly, the edge of its foundation buried in the shifting sand of the beach. It certainly looked deserted, with an overgrown yard and blue paint peeling off the door in sheets.
Hitch took his hammer out of the backseat, hoisting it over his shoulder. It was two feet of solid metal with rags wrapped around the head to muffle the sound of the hits. Hitch squared up, bending his knees and holding the hammer like a baseball bat. Before he could swing, though, the door creaked open on its own, the hinges squeaking. The house beyond was dark enough that I could only make out general shapes, glimpsing the curve of a sofa to the left, what was maybe the shimmer of a chandelier on the other side.
Hitch lowered his hammer, looking vaguely disappointed that he didn’t get to use it. “That’s…weird as hell.”
“Maybe the deadbolt broke, maybe they forgot to lock it, it doesn’t matter,” I hissed, checking our surroundings for other people again. “Just hurry up and get inside before someone calls the cops.”
Hitch flicked the lightswitch on the wall, and the lights flickered on. They were dim, buzzing audibly and blinking off occasionally. The walls were plastered with contrasting swatches of wallpaper and splattered with random colors. There was neon orange behind the dining table, a galaxy swirl in the kitchen, and on the ceiling there was a repeating floral pattern covered in nametag stickers. Each of the stickers was filled out with The Erlking. Chandeliers hung in every room, three or four for each, and rubber ducks sat on every table. A miniature carousel sat in the corner along with a towering model rocket.
Sand was heaped on every surface, at least a couple inches everywhere. It was piled in the corners and stuck to the walls, and it covered the floor in a thick blanket. Our hesitant steps into the house left footprints clearly outlined in the sand.
Hitch took a cursory look around and headed immediately for the TV mounted on the wall. “Look out the windows and tell me if anyone is coming.”
I shook the sand out of the blinds and pulled them open, then had to brush sand off of the window before I could see anything.
Hitch was quick, practiced at finding and appropriating the things that were worth taking. He came back to me with an armful of electronics and chandeliers, dumping it at my feet before turning to head deeper into the house again.
There was a thump, somewhere upstairs, and then footsteps, slow and deliberate. Hitch froze at the threshold of the room, then ran for the door with me just ahead of him, sand flying out from under our feet.
My hand was almost brushing the doorknob, close enough that I could see the light from the streetlamp outside streaming in through the cracks in the door. My fingers touched the wood and it gave under my touch, becoming malleable and warm. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and the door started to melt. The paint ran down in thick drops, pooling at the bottom of the door, and the wood warped like metal being welded. The soft edges of the door ran into the walls until there was no sign of an exit ever being there.
“Well, well, well,” said a cultured voice with just an edge of snooty elitism. “What do we have here?”
The man was well over eight feet tall, with long black hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a yellow raincoat with holes cut out of the hood to accommodate the deer antlers jutting upwards from his head. There was sand settled on his shoulders and hovering around his head like a halo.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hitch said, inching towards a window.
He smiled, just a little bit, and his teeth shone in the dim light. “I am the Erlking.”
Hitch nodded, and seemed about to respond. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the window. I could feel sand in the wind roaring against my back as the Erlking growled in anger, the grains scraping harshly against my cheeks.
We were almost to the window when Hitch was ripped away from me, and I came to a startled halt. The sand had formed long grasping arms that pressed Hitch against the floral wallpaper. His wrists were held tight, and as I watched, a sandy hand wrapped around his mouth and forced its way between his teeth. He gagged, and sand trickled out of the corners of his mouth.
The Erlking strolled towards him, not seeming to be in any sort of rush. “You know, I’m not very fond of your yapping.”
He made an idle gesture and the sand wrapped around my ankles, tethering me in place.
“I yap all the time,” Hitch said. “Three-time olympic yapper, that’s me. Best to just let me go now and save yourself some trouble.”
The Erlking tapped a manicured nail against Hitch’s mouth, hard enough to hurt, judging by the way he flinched away. “But why would I ever let you go when I’ve gone to this much trouble to catch you and your sister? It’s so hard, these days, to find people that no one will miss.”
Hitch struggled against the sand, trying to escape and failing. “What do you want with us, then? You just said it, we’re nobody.”
“I’m fae, dear one,” the Erlking said. “I get my power from my followers. And I think that you two will make lovely additions to my flock.”
He flicked Hitch's nose and Hitch gasped. Feathers started to form on his arms, popping out from under his skin in a spray of blood.
Hitch pushed off the wall, using his bound hands as a fulcrum, and his knees crashed into the Erlking’s stomach. The Erlking fell backwards, wheezing, and the sand around my ankles loosened.
Hitch made desperate eye contact with me as feathers shot up his neck and jerked his head towards the window. The message was obvious. Run.
The last thing I saw before crashing out the window and into freedom was Hitch’s body twisting, his arms wrenching into wings and feathers covering every inch of his skin. By the time I landed on the concrete outside, he was a small black bird, held tightly in the Erlking’s hands. The whole building was sinking into the ground, burnished-gold sand piling up over top and streaming from the windows.
Thirty years later, I saw Sam’s Supernatural Consultation and Neutralization written in neat, looping handwriting on a piece of paper taped to the door. The tape was peeling at the corners and the paper was yellowed with age, but there was obviously care put into the sign, in its perfectly centered text and looping floral designs drawn over the edges in gold marker.
I knocked, hesitantly, drawing my woolen coat closer around my shoulders. I’d bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift for myself, and I took comfort in the heavy weight of it over my shoulders.
“Coming!” someone called from within the depths of the office.
There were a couple crashes, and the sound of paper shuffling. Eventually, the door was opened by a young woman with ketchup stains on her shirt and pencils stuck through her hair.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I specialize in supernatural consultation and hunting, how may I help you today?” Sam said, customer-service pep in her voice. She stood in the doorway, solidly blocking entry into the office.
“My name is Ezra, I’m for a consultation. I emailed you but you didn’t respond?” I shifted in place, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Oh! Yeah, I lost the password for the email ages ago. Sorry for the bad welcome, I get lots of people thinking I’m crazy or pulling a prank and harassing me.”
She ushered me into the office, clearing papers off one of the chairs to make room for me to sit down. There was a collection of swords along one wall, all of them polished to perfection, several with deep knicks in the metal which indicated that they’d been used heavily.
“So what can I help you with?” Sam asked again, more sincere this time.
“Thirty years ago, my brother was turned into a bird,” I started. I’d told this story so many times that it barely felt ridiculous to say anymore. I was used to the disbelieving looks, the careful pity. But Sam just nodded along, face open and welcoming.
“I’ve almost given up on finding him, at this point,” I said. “But I saw your ad in the newspaper, and…here I am, I suppose.”
“Here you are,” Sam echoed, smiling. She pulled one of the pencils out of her hair and took a bit of paperwork off of one of her stacks, turning it over so that the blank side sat neatly in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
I told Sam everything, and she wrote it all down, pencil scratching along the paper.
The last part of the story was always the hardest to tell. “I left him there. I ran and I didn’t look back.”
I had been to dozens of detectives and investigators over the years, once the police had dropped Hitch’s case. I’d been to professional offices with smartly-dressed secretaries and met scraggly men in coffee shops. All of them had given me the same look, pity and annoyance all mixed up into a humor-the-crazy-lady soup. Sam, though, just seemed thoughtful.
Sam leaned forward and put a hand over mine, carefully, like she thought that I would pull away. “Sometimes you have to leave people behind.”
I tightened her hold on Sam’s hand and drew it towards me, like I could make Sam listen if only I squeezed tight enough. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
“Okay then. I’ll do my best to help you.” Sam agreed, finally. Then she paused, and said softly, “You know…I think I met your brother once. He might have saved my life. He’s certainly why I started in this business.”
“Really? What happened?” I asked.
This is the story that Sam told me, related to the best of my abilities:
It was a new moon, so the only illumination came from the stars gazing idly down and distant porch lights shining across the scraggly brush of the dunes. Sam’s neighbors were decent people who cared about baby turtles, so the lights were a low, unobtrusive red, and the ocean sloshed like blood. Sam walked on the beach almost every night, drawing back the gauzy pink curtains and clambering out her bedroom window. She didn’t often bother to be quiet; her mama worked the late shift and came home exhausted. As long as Sam got home before the sun, her mama would never find out that she paced the shoreline and dreamed of inhaling sand until her lungs became their own beach.
The sky was lightening. The sun would come up soon, and that meant Sam’s time on the beach was over. She needed to get back to her real life, go to her fifth grade class and stop that nonsense, as her mother would say. Her mother loved to say things like that, pushing Sam into her proper place by implication alone.
“She’s a good kid, of course, but she’s a bit…” Her mother would trail off there, usually getting a commiserating expression from whoever she was talking to. Sam always wondered how that sentence would have finished. She’s a bit strange, maybe. She’s a bit intense. She’s a bit abrasive. She’s quiet enough but when Jason tried to steal her pencil in math class, she stabbed him in the hand so hard that the lead tattooed him.
Her mother was better, for the most part. The days of her stocking up the fridge, and leaving a post-it note on the counter, and leaving for days at a time were gone. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen tile where her mother had collapsed and caved her head in, even though the bloodstains had been replaced with new tile.
“Your auntie got an abortion, you know,” her mother had said from her place on the couch, slurring her words. “Pill in the mail and then bam, no more baby.”
She had clapped her hands together to illustrate her point. Her mother jerked forward and grabbed Sam by the wrist, then, staring up at her until Sam met her eyes.
“I love you, you know? But sometimes I wonder…” She settled back onto the couch. “Yeah. I wonder.”
She’d gotten up, then, back to the kitchen. She’d been stumbling, a shambling zombie of a woman. The ground in the entryway of the kitchen was raised, ever so slightly, and her mother went down hard. Her head cracked against the tile, chin first, and she didn’t move.
Sam had been the one to call the ambulance. She had stared at the scattering of loose teeth on the ground while she waited, and considered what her life would be like with a dead mom. Not so bad, she thought, and immediately felt guilty for it.
Her mom was better, now, for the most part. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen floor where she had collapsed. There was still a matchbox hidden under her bed with the gleaming shine of her mother’s lost teeth, two canines and a molar. It was nice, having a piece of her mom to keep. Even if she left again, Sam would still have part of her.
Sam sighed, and turned away from the ocean. As she faced towards the low dunes further up the beach, she saw a sandcastle sitting nestled among them. It was such a strange sight that her eyes skipped over it at first, almost automatically, disregarding it because it was so out of place.
Sam found sandcastles out on the beach sometimes, usually half-collapsed and on the verge of being washed away by the waves, but she had never seen anything like the sandcastle in front of her. It was life-sized, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Scottish highlands, with spires shooting up above her head and carefully etched out bricks lining each side. The front wall was dominated by an arched set of double doors, twice her height, with a portcullis nestled at the top, ready to be dropped. All of it was lovingly detailed, down to the rust on the tips of the towers and the wood grain of the door. It was made out of wet, densely-packed sand, held together impossibly. It had not been there two hours ago, when she had come to the beach.
There was a bird sitting on the overhang of the door, small and black.
As soon as she took a step towards the sandcastle, the bird shook out its feathers and swooped down towards Sam, landing at her feet with a little stumble.
“Hey, kid, get out of here,” said the bird.
Sam closed her eyes, very deliberately. When she opened them, the bird was still there. Sam considered herself a very reasonable person, so she immediately drew the most logical conclusion. The bird was, she was almost certain, a demon.
“Trust me, you don’t want to run into Mr. Salty, the queen bitch himself,” the bird said.
“Mr. Salty?” Sam inquired, polite as she knew how to be. She edged to the side, trying to get a good angle to kick the bird like a soccer ball.
The bird did something similar to a wince, all its feathers fluffing up then settling back down. “Ah, don’t call him that. He’d turn you into a toad.”
The bird gestured with its head, towards the looming sand structure. “That’s his castle. He’s in there, probably scuttling along the ceiling or some shit because that’s the sort of weirdo he is.”
Sam nodded, encouraging. She pulled back her foot and lined up her shot, the way she’d seen athletes do on TV. She aimed right for its sharp beak and let loose. The bird saw it coming, its beady eyes widening, and it cawed in distress. It flapped away, avoiding her kick only to fall backward into the sand in a scramble of wings.
“What’s your fucking problem?” it squawked. “I was trying to help you!”
“I don’t need the help of a demon,” Sam yelled, trying to remember the exorcism that her mama had taught her once, because her mama believed in being prepared for anything.
“I’m not a demon,” the bird said indignantly.
It was at about that moment that Sam gave up and just decided to roll with it.
“What are you, then?” Sam asked.
The bird shuffled its clawed feet, looking about as awkward as it could, given that it didn’t really have recognizable facial expressions. “Technically I’m a familiar of the Erlking, prince of the fae, but I prefer to be called Hitch.”
“You can’t blame me for assuming, though,” Sam said. “Ravens do tend to be associated with murder.”
“Hey, excuse you,” Hitch said. “I’m a rook, not a raven. Ravens are way bigger.”
“Sure,” Sam said, not really paying attention. Her eyes had caught on the details of the sandcastle, and she was transfixed by the slow spirals of the sand, the strange beauty of it. She found herself stepping towards the great doors, lifting a hand to knock, and as she did, the sand warped in front of her eyes, heaving itself towards her with bulging slowness. The door creaked open before her, revealing a vast, empty room. Just before she stepped inside, she felt a piercing pain in her foot, and she yelped, leaping backwards.
Hitch pecked her again, really digging his beak in. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Sam glared at him, rubbing her foot. About to retort, she finally really took in the room inside the sandcastle, and her words died in her throat.
There was a body just past the threshold of the door, face down and limbs hanging limp at its sides. Long hair splayed out in a halo around its head.
“Don’t,” Hitch warned, suddenly serious. “Just leave, kid, I mean it. I’ve seen too many people go down this road and you don’t want to be one of them.”
Sam ignored him. She made her way across the beach, slipping with every step. The sand felt deeper, piling up around her feet in silent drifts. She picked up the nearest stick and poked the body with it through the door, ready to leap back if anything went wrong, staying firmly outside of the sandcastle.
This close, Sam could tell that it used to be a woman. Her head wasn’t attached to her body. It hadn’t been a clean amputation, either. Her upper body was bruised, with chunks taken out of it, and the bones in her neck hung mangled, not connected to anything.
“Well, I warned you,” Hitch said, defeated. “I did warn you.”
Sam nudged the head with the end of the stick, nudging it over so that she could see the face. Her mother stared back at her, torn to pieces, breath still wheezing from her lungs. She wasn’t blinking, just gazing forward with glazed eyes. Sweat dripped down from her hairline.
Sam screamed and dropped the stick, tripping over herself in her haste to get away.
Her mother’s eyes were wide and pleading, and she was mouthing desperate words at Sam. Her vocal cords were broken to bits, and the only sound that came out was a strained groan.
The head rolled, inching closer to Sam like a grotesque caterpillar.
Her mother gasped for air, torn lips fluttering. Finally, comprehensible words came out. “Help. Help me, daughter.”
“That’s not your mother,” Hitch said, quiet.
Sam knew that. Her mother was sleeping back at home, and anyways her mom had never asked for her help. She had an aversion to accepting charity, as she put it.
“Okay,” Sam said, shaking all over. “Okay.”
She backed away from the sandcastle, not looking away.
“Failure,” her mother hissed as she stepped away. “I never wanted a daughter like you.”
The sun came up over the horizon. The sandcastle, Hitch, and her mom all disintegrated into sand as the light hit them.
The beach, the next night, was almost exactly how I remembered it. The beams of our flashlights sent light bouncing across the dunes, illuminating the waves, and I imagined faces in the foam of the waves.
“I’ve been back here a hundred times. There’s nothing left,” I said.
Sam took the car key out of her purse and pointed it at the sand, adjusting the sword slung over her shoulder in order to do it. The key had belonged to Hitch; Sam had requested an item of his, and it was the only thing I had left. She rested the key on the sand and drew a circle around it, inscribing symbols around the borders.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “Not much, really. I’m…I guess you could say that I’m knocking.”
The key laid inert on the sand for long enough that I was just about to give up and go home, admit to myself that Hitch was dead and that I was a fool to believe that Sam could actually help me. Then a building started to take shape, flickering in and out like it was struggling to get away. With a pop of displaced air, the sandcastle settled into existence.
Sam banged on the entryway. Nothing happened. She did it again, harder, and scowled when the door still didn’t open.
“We demand entrance, under your honor,” Sam yelled. There was a hard rush of wind, and I gripped Sam’s arm to keep my balance, but the doors cracked open reluctantly.
The inside of the sandcastle consisted of one enormous hall, the roof arching up out of sight. Rafters crisscrossed from wall to wall, and a cobbled path led further into the building, but other than that, it was completely empty, except for the birds. There were thousands of them, perched on the rafters or hopping along the ground. They parted in front of Sam and I, and reformed behind us, leaving us in a small pocket of open space. They were all black-feathered, with sharp beaks and beady eyes.
The Erlking sat on a throne at the end of the hall, lounging across it with his feet up on the armrest. He watched them as they came forward, the soft caw of the birds the only sound.
“I am here to bargain for the life of my brother,” I said, with as much dignity as I could muster, before the Erlking could say anything.
The Erlking ignored her, tilting his head to look at Sam. “I remember you. I almost got you, once.”
Sam glared at him but didn’t respond.
“You want your brother,” The Erlking said to me, and he almost sounded amused. “Then go get him.”
As if by some sort of silent signal, every bird in the room took flight at once, and their cawing made me think of screams. I covered my head against the flapping of their wings, and my vision was quickly obscured by the chaotic movement of them. I found myself on my knees, just trying to escape them.
A hand met my shoulder. Sam urged me to my feet, and together we ran for the edge of the room, where the swarm was the thinnest. We pressed ourselves into the corner and the swarm spiraled tighter and tighter at the center of the room. It went on until there seemed to be no differentiation between the birds, all of them fused together into one creature.
When the chaos died down, the birds had become one mass, with wings and eyes and talons sticking out of its flesh, thrashing and chirping. Human body parts stuck out of it, bulging out from the feathers. It was hands, mostly, with a couple knees or staring eyes. The bird amalgamation had no recognizable facial features, but there was one long beak extending from the front of its head. Most of the body parts were concentrated around the beak, and they peeked out from where the beak connected with muscle, or grew from the tongue, nestled between the two crushing halves of the beak.
It turned its beak down and crawled forward, using the hands to balance. The fingers scrambled over the ground. I was afraid of centipedes as a child, and I felt that same crawling dread when it started moving.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered, which was rather disappointing, because I had been hoping that at least one of us knew what to do.
The creature turned, a lurching movement that crushed some of the hands underneath it, and started heaving itself slowly towards our corner.
“Better hurry up!” the Erlking called from his throne.
It was blocking the exit, by then. The shifting body of it had moved to block us off. It ambled towards us and I tried to sink further into the corner.
As it approached, getting close enough that I could smell the stink of it, I saw a flash of a tattoo on one of the hands. I leaned in, trying to find it again, like looking for dolphins surfacing in the ocean. And again, I caught a glimpse of a duck tattoo, the tattoo that Hitch had gotten on his hand as a teenager.
I ripped away from Sam’s death grip and ran for the monster.
I fell to my knees in front of it, wincing as I impacted the ground, and reached into the nest of hands. I could feel them tearing at my forearms and ripping into me with their sharp nails, but I kept going. I pressed further in, up to my shoulder in a writhing mass of limbs, aiming for the spot where I had last seen that tattoo.
The hands were tugging at me, wrapping around my back and hair. They were pulling together, trying to draw me completely into the mass of them. I was aware of Sam at my side, anchoring me in place and bashing any hand that got too close with her sword or the sparks that leapt from her hands with muttered words. But I didn’t think it would be enough. They were too strong, and there were too many of them.
I was up to my waist in the hands when something grabbed my palm. I felt the way it clung to me, and the calluses on its palm, and I knew that I had found my brother.
I flung herself back. The hands didn’t want to let me go, and they fought the whole way, but slowly, I made progress. I kept hold of Hitch’s hand in mine the whole time, gripping it as hard as I could. I finally broke free, Hitch with me, and Sam was immediately charging the creature, able to use her sword with much greater strength without being worried about injuring Hitch. She swung it forward, and it sliced through the wrist of one of the hands. It fell without a sound, red sand flowing out of it. It deflated until it looked like dirty laundry, just a piece of limp flesh. The creature shrieked, scuttling away enough that the door was finally accessible. The three of us ran for it, Sam and I supporting Hitch between us.
I looked back as I left and found the Erlking staring right at me.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying impossibly across the vast space between us.
The sandcastle collapsed behind us, the great walls falling in on themselves. We were out in the morning sun, the sandcastle disappearing as we watched. Hitch was on the ground in front of me, as young as he’d been thirty years ago, when he was captured. He started laughing, feathers puffing out of his mouth. He laughed until he cried and I hugged him in the way that he’d held me when I was young, in the times when my life had been defined by hunger and fear.
Hitch left, afterwards. He scratched at the pinhole scars covering his body, where feathers burst through his skin, and pulled his long sleeves down around his wrists. He didn’t know where he was going but he told me that he needed time
I had spent thirty years worth of time without him. I wanted to grab my brother by the shoulders and beg him to stay. But he flinched when I hugged him goodbye and he refused to go near sand and he stared distrustfully at the birds chirping in the trees. Hitch needed to go away and I loved him too much to stop him.
I sat out on the beach every morning. I felt the sun on my face and I waited for Hitch to come home.
2024.05.19 07:58 ConsequenceSure3063 Best Car Duster
 | submitted by ConsequenceSure3063 to u/ConsequenceSure3063 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/zv74mi7zob1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=686d0ce11438839717e06186744f1fc2fc3218bb If you've ever struggled to keep your prized automobile clean and spotless, then you'll want to pay attention. In this article, we'll be diving into the world of car dusters, exploring the top options available on the market that could make your car-cleaning routine a breeze. From essential features to user-friendly designs, we'll help you find the perfect car duster for your needs. So, buckle up and get ready to witness what these innovative tools can do for your cherished vehicle. The Top 19 Best Car Duster
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Overall, it's a solid choice for car owners seeking a reliable, eco-friendly cleaning solution. 🔗Ultimate Car Duster Kit: Effortless Sparkle and Cleanlinesshttps://preview.redd.it/u01lkrj0pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe653e64d697a10e12300af42f10a227500bbb42 I recently got my hands on the upra Ultimate Car Duster Kit, and I must say, this is the best car duster set I've ever used. Not only does it have a sturdy build that won't fall apart or unravel over time, but it also features a special design and tight joint that prevents snagging things on or in my car. One of the things that stood out to me the most was the set's large car duster with a minimum length of 22.8 inches and a maximum length of 32.6 inches. Along with the circular one measuring 11.8 inches in diameter and 4.33 inches in length, and a mini car air vent duster with a dimension of 6.3 inches, this kit has got me covered for all my car cleaning needs. The fine material applied, high-class microfiber, makes sure I leave no lint or wax behind – something I appreciate when I want my car to look as good as new both indoors and outdoors. With its powerful dust or dirt removing performance, this car duster has saved me a significant amount of time and money and works for all vehicle types, from trucks to SUVs and even motorcycles. Now, I must say, it does require some maintenance, but it's worth the investment considering how efficient and easy to operate it is. Upra really knows how to create a top-notch product, and their Ultimate Car Duster Kit is the perfect proof of that. 🔗Original California Mini Car Duster for Dust Removalhttps://preview.redd.it/h92ft5v0pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4cb8a80f171815e9632d4879cc054c13c33338 The California Mini Duster has been a game-changer in my daily life. I've been using it for dusting both at home and in my car, and let me tell you, it's made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my interiors. One of the standout features of this product is the baked-in wax treatment. It's not just a cleaner, but also a protector for my vehicle's interior. I've noticed that after using the Mini Duster, the surfaces seem to have a nice shine, which is thanks to that special wax treatment. However, one downside I've found is that while it's great for dusting, it does tend to leave a bit of lint behind. Not a lot, but enough to notice. I've had to shake it out a few times, and I've even ended up using a small brush to get rid of the excess lint. The Mini Duster's compact size is another plus, making it perfect for on-the-go use. It fits in the palm of my hand and doesn't take up much space in my car, which is super handy. Using the Mini Duster has made me appreciate just how much dust I didn't realize was lying around. Now, I find myself using it all the time, and I can definitely say that it's been a great addition to my cleaning arsenal. 🔗Premium Wood Handle Car Duster for Interior Cleaninghttps://preview.redd.it/e6dmph81pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47dd9067635e084e04997530f3b041235bc39683 The Original California Car Duster Platinum Mini Dash Duster has been a game-changer in my life. The special paraffin wax-treated cotton strands make it super easy to lift dust off without leaving any marks behind. The attractive wood handle is not only visually appealing but also sturdy and comfortable to hold. While I enjoy using it for auto purposes, its versatility has proven to be beneficial in my home as well. However, I must mention a minor inconvenience - there was no vinyl storage bag included as mentioned. Nonetheless, it's a fantastic product worth considering for anyone seeking an effortless solution to dust removal. 🔗Soft Microfiber Car Duster for Scratch-Free Cleaninghttps://preview.redd.it/3xqxzzr1pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d2a15505c07230320c267200cbc587260dd0e52 As someone who's always on the lookout for a car duster that leaves no trace, I gave the bzczh Soft Microfiber Car Duster a try. I've been using it for a few weeks now, and I must say, it's been a game-changer. This duster is incredibly soft, making it perfect for gently removing dust from the exterior of your car without causing any damage. I'm impressed by how well it picks up even the tiniest particles, leaving my car's surface spotless. The extendable handle is really convenient, allowing me to reach those hard-to-reach spots without straining my back. And the best part? No pesky lint, pollen, or swirl marks to worry about. However, one downside I noticed is that the duster seems to lose some of its softness after a few washes. But it's not a deal-breaker, as the results are still noticeably better than what I've experienced with other dusters. In conclusion, the bzczh Soft Microfiber Car Duster definitely lives up to its name, providing a gentle yet effective solution for keeping your car's exterior dust-free. Despite the minor downside, its pros outweigh the cons, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a car duster that truly delivers. 🔗Professional Quality Car Duster for Spotless Interior Detailinghttps://preview.redd.it/xrvpc5w2pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c56e0bfc6dac8e4401ce53b05286d316aa6781ad I recently discovered the TAKAVU Interior Car Detail Duster and couldn't be happier with the result. As a car enthusiast, I've been searching for a dusting solution that not only leaves my vehicle looking incredible but also doesn't require constant maintenance. This car duster truly exceeded my expectations. Its electrostatic microfiber chenille is a game-changer, as it captures and locks away dust and debris without leaving traces of lint or residue behind. I appreciated how effortlessly it tackles various surfaces, from my car's interior to other items around the house. However, I did encounter a minor issue with the design. The duster occasionally needed some repositioning to ensure complete coverage, but it was a small price to pay for the overall results. Despite this minor inconvenience, I still highly recommend the TAKAVU Interior Car Detail Duster. Its ability to leave my car's interior spotless has saved me countless trips to the car wash, and it has become a staple in my detailing toolkit. Plus, it's an excellent gift for car lovers in your life! 🔗Car Duster with Solid Wood Handle and Soft Dusting Fibershttps://preview.redd.it/47g98o13pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91cc1649d89d43b5fdd3ffa27b1073a3ed4d7b9b I recently received the Classic Car Duster with a solid wood handle for my daily car maintenance. The long and narrow design of the duster allows me to easily access those tight and hard-to-reach areas, making it a fantastic tool for those who are particular about their car's appearance. One of the most significant features that stood out to me was the 3-inch long threads, which attract and lift dust from the vehicle's surface. I've noticed a marked improvement in the overall cleanliness and shine of my car thanks to this duster. However, it is essential to note that due to the 100% cotton construction, there may be some lint and wax residue during the initial use. But once this product breaks in, it becomes even softer and continues to perform exceptionally well for years to come. Frequent shaking before, during, and after use helps to prevent this issue. Lastly, I appreciate the durable storage cover included in the package, which ensures the duster remains in pristine condition when not in use. Overall, I highly recommend this Classic Car Duster for anyone looking to achieve that showroom finish every time. 🔗Extendable Car Duster Set with Anti-Rust Stainless Steel Brushhttps://preview.redd.it/b58dzyl3pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dd56b8fe8c26ca158b5c55eade2cf973ab96e3d Riding around in a dusty car is never fun, but with the Ride Kings Car Duster Set, it's become easier to keep your vehicle clean. This clever car duster set comes with an extendable handle, perfect for reaching areas like the roof, windshield, and hood of large vehicles. The ergonomic handle is soft and comfortable to grip, even during long cleaning sessions. One of the standout features of this car duster set is its dual-brush head. The large brush head covers a larger area and quickly removes dust, while the smaller brush is perfect for tackling those hard-to-reach spots. The set also comes with a stainless steel brush rod that's light yet strong, with a non-slip, soft foam handle for even more convenience. What's especially cool about this car duster set is its portability. The brush set can be carried in the trunk of your car for easy use during road trips. With its removable brush head, you can easily fold it and store it for optimal travel convenience. Not only is this car duster set functional, but it's also eco-friendly. Its paraffin-treated cotton thread can effectively remove dust and pollen without using water, making it ideal for those living in desert or coastal areas. One minor drawback is that the Ride Kings Car Duster Set is not suitable for wet use. But overall, with its retractable handle, flexible brush head, and gentle touch, this set is the perfect addition to any car care routine. 🔗Universal Car Duster with Extension and Rotation Featureshttps://preview.redd.it/egfr6fw3pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2fcae20c7622a79fa25057293f5f5285612ce2af A few weeks ago, I decided to try out the Triple Threat Extending and Rotating Truck and RV Duster from California Car Duster. As someone who's always on the go, I needed a versatile duster that could handle my busy lifestyle. I was curious to see if it could live up to the hype and clean my dusty SUV with ease. Right out of the box, I was impressed with the duster's aluminum handle. The extension feature made it simple to adjust the length, reaching high areas like the roof of my vehicle. The larger duster head was perfect for getting into tight spaces and hard-to-reach corners in my SUV and garage. However, I did notice a small issue with the rotating feature - it didn't spin as freely as I would have liked. And at times, the brush seemed to move dust around instead of lifting it efficiently. Still, I could see the wax-treated 100% cotton mop working its magic on lighter dust. The best part was the convenient storage bag that came with it. I could easily slip it in the back of my SUV when I needed to use it, and keeping the duster in a safe place ensured it would always be clean and ready to use when I needed it. Overall, the Triple Threat Extending and Rotating Truck and RV Duster from California Car Duster was a helpful addition to my car care routine. It made cleaning my SUV quicker and more efficient, and the extension feature and storage bag were thoughtful touches. While there were some minor drawbacks, I would still recommend this duster to anyone looking for an easy and effective way to keep their SUV or RV clean. 🔗Premium Extra Large Car Duster with Marine Varnished Wood Handlehttps://preview.redd.it/7vfzu8n4pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2ffc32844154f554b416cabe1cc4f99b7d84981 The OCM Premium Extra Large Car Duster has been a game-changer in my daily life. Its robust design, combined with its lightweight nature, makes it effortless to use. The marine varnished solid wood handle adds a touch of sophistication, while the duster's head is crafted from superb 100% cotton threads. These cotton threads are infused with a unique wax formula, which makes them gentle and perfect for cleaning delicate surfaces. However, it's essential to note that the duster may initially leave some lint and wax residue as you use it for the first few times. This is completely normal, and the residue will gradually diminish as the duster breaks in and gets softer. The duster boasts an extra-large head which significantly reduces cleaning time and ensures that your car or truck always has a shiny, showroom finish. Its durability is unmatched, and its storage cover, made of heavy gauge vinyl, ensures the duster head is protected while not in use. Overall, this OCM Premium Extra Large Car Duster is a worthwhile investment for anyone who wants a top-quality car detailing product that saves time and money. The duster's excellent performance, combined with its ease of use, makes it a no-brainer for professional detailers and enthusiasts alike. 🔗Effortless Dash Duster for Clean Vehicle Interiorshttps://preview.redd.it/uh9kx1s4pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=366a3dadb0578453dd6a6e2be6d98ed6256b17c6 I've been using the California Duster for months now, and it's been a game-changer for keeping my car's interior clean and free of dust. The paraffin wax-treated cotton mop is perfect for its intended purpose, providing an effortless and gentle dust-lifting experience without damaging my car's surfaces. One of the most notable features of the California Duster is its clever design, with a rounded shape that makes reaching even the trickiest corners and tight spaces a breeze. Not only does this help keep my dashboard looking pristine, but it also works wonders on various household surfaces, from mini blinds and shutters to appliances. However, there is one downside to the California Duster: its relatively short length. I've found myself needing to contort my arm in some positions to reach certain areas, which can be a bit uncomfortable after a while. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the California Duster for anyone looking to keep their car or home interior in tip-top shape without causing any damage. It might be a bit short for some users, but it's a small price to pay for an effective and eco-friendly product. 🔗Unique Ostrich Feather Duster for Car Cleaninghttps://preview.redd.it/rialep95pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa7f3ce79a7489b4c69b7fa9dcb982c1b20cfbdf For the past couple of weeks, I've been using the Aldwin Ostrich Feather Duster as part of my daily house cleaning routine. Let me tell you, it's like having a little army of soft, fluffy soldiers fighting against dust and grime. Each feather feels like a million tiny cleaning superheroes, gently gliding through the air, tackling every smudge and speck in their path. One of the things I love about this duster is its eco-friendliness. The feathers are sourced from farmed ostrich, ensuring no harm is done to the environment or endangered species. And the fact that the feathers are washed, deodorized, deinsectized, and fumigated before use? That's just an extra bonus. The wooden handle is a great addition, providing a sturdy connection between the feathers and the handle. It's just one of those things that makes this duster feel solid and reliable in your hand. And speaking of handling, the ostrich feathers are static-free, which means they don't leave any annoying little particles on your clothes or furniture. The best part is that this duster is reusable and washable. You can simply wash it in warm water and let it dry, and it's as good as new. It's like having a little cleaning companion that you can take anywhere, from your home to your car. However, I will say that the duster does require a bit of care when it comes to storing it. Since the feathers are delicate, it's important to hang it or place it in a vase where it won't be crushed or bent. But all in all, it's a fantastic product that's made a significant difference in my cleaning routine. 🔗Original California Car Duster for Interior Cleaninghttps://preview.redd.it/7tr6mno5pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2b091037f1574d00a4e98943649b88792f51e3e I've been using the Original California Car Duster Black Mini Duster in my car for a few weeks now, and I must say, it's a game-changer. What stands out the most is its ability to lift dust from even the toughest to reach spots, both inside and out. The baked-on wax-treated cotton strands are soft yet effective, making the cleaning process effortless. One downside I've noticed is that it can be a bit bulky for smaller vehicles, but its compact size is perfect for most cars. I also appreciate that it's lightweight and easy to use. The mini duster comes with a convenient storage bag, making it a great addition to any vehicle owner's cleaning toolkit. All in all, the Original California Car Duster Black Mini Duster has made a positive impact on my daily life. It's easy to use, effective, and best of all, it's durable and doesn't require any maintenance or replacements. Highly recommended for anyone looking to keep their car clean and dust-free. Buyer's GuideWhen it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of your car's interior, a car duster is an essential tool. It helps remove dust, dirt, and debris from your car's surfaces without causing any scratches. However, with so many different car dusters on the market, it can be challenging to know which one is right for you. Here are some important features, considerations, and advice to help you make the best choice.Materialhttps://preview.redd.it/45261a48pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bb60155d2d64389b39dcb6343228374d08ab0e0 The material of the car duster is crucial. It should be made of soft, non-abrasive, and durable material that won't damage your car's interior. Common materials include microfiber, cotton, and polyester. Microfiber is a popular choice because it's soft, gentle, and effective at picking up dirt and dust. However, it may be more expensive than other materials. Cotton and polyester are also good options, but they might not be as effective at picking up fine dust as microfiber. Size and ShapeThe size and shape of the car duster can impact its effectiveness and ease of use. Look for a duster with a head that's large enough to cover a significant area but not so large that it's difficult to maneuver. The shape should be designed to cover a wide range of surfaces, such as dashboard, console, and seats. Some car dusters come with different attachments for specific tasks, like cleaning vents or tight spaces.Handle LengthThe length of the handle can make a big difference in your comfort and reach. Consider the height of your car's interior and ensure the handle is long enough to reach all areas easily. If you have a low-slung car or need to clean high areas, look for a car duster with an adjustable handle. https://preview.redd.it/gir1a7p8pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=450b10e3b0ab25d5f7295d8d2bfe0eb150bf25fc MaintenanceA car duster should be easy to clean and maintain. Look for a duster with a removable and washable head to make cleaning simpler. Some car dusters also come with a storage bag or pouch to keep them organized when not in use.PricePrice is always an important factor when considering a product. Car dusters can range in price from budget options to high-end models. Consider how much you're willing to spend and what features are most important to you when deciding on a car duster. Remember that a higher price doesn't always guarantee better quality.Reader Reviews and Ratingshttps://preview.redd.it/4fxm55l9pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c50b823120cc07622f381f7e6eb282f1d0bf0791 Reading reviews and ratings from other buyers can help you make a more informed decision. Look for car dusters with high ratings and positive reviews. Pay attention to feedback on ease of use, durability, and effectiveness. When it comes to choosing the right car duster, it's essential to consider factors like material, size, shape, and maintenance. By doing your research and finding the best car duster for your needs, you'll be able to keep your car's interior clean and beautiful. FAQWhat is a Car Duster?A Car Duster is a tool commonly used by car enthusiasts and professionals to quickly and easily remove dust, dirt, and debris from cars. It is designed to avoid the scratches and swirls that can be caused by regular wiping or cleaning methods. https://preview.redd.it/3oqpq5t9pb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abefd10fcbf64ae101739735bd1ee0fc4103d462 How does a Car Duster work?A Car Duster typically consists of a soft, microfiber cloth that is loosely attached to a handle. When the user lightly runs the duster across the car's surface, the static electricity built up in the microfiber cloth attracts and picks up dust and dirt particles. This method helps to prevent scratching, as the cloth does not have to physically rub against the car's surface.What types of Car Dusters are available?There are several types of Car Dusters available in the market, such as: * Flat Car Dusters
Can a Car Duster be used on all car surfaces?Yes, a Car Duster can be used on most surfaces of a car, including exterior paint, windows, mirrors, and even the interior. However, it is crucial to avoid using it on delicate areas such as rubber trim or plastic parts that can get damaged by static. Always read the product instructions and test it on a small, inconspicuous area before use on any specific part of the car.How often should I use a Car Duster?The frequency of using a Car Duster depends on your personal preference and the level of dust and debris your car accumulates. However, it is generally recommended to clean your car regularly to prevent dirt buildup, protect the paint, and maintain its overall appearance. A weekly or bi-weekly maintenance routine can ensure your car stays clean and well-maintained.How do I clean and maintain my Car Duster?To clean your Car Duster, you can simply wipe it thoroughly with a damp cloth, or use a mild detergent and water solution if it's severely dirty. After cleaning, allow the duster to air dry completely to prevent any mold or mildew growth. To maintain the effectiveness of the duster, store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prolong its lifespan.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 07:57 zandariii [LFA] Can someone draw my “Red Hood-like vigilante” Dhampir-tiefling dnd character nicknamed The Tyrant?
![[LFA] Can someone draw my “Red Hood-like vigilante” Dhampir-tiefling dnd character nicknamed The Tyrant?](https://a.thumbs.redditmedia.com/kEiUAXZUMn8pKybt-mKwatTJDbJ29V0MZmVdgbr9nx0.jpg "[LFA] Can someone draw my “Red Hood-like vigilante” Dhampir-tiefling dnd character nicknamed The Tyrant?") | My character is a Dhampir-tiefling who drains souls from his victims as his food source. When he goes hungry, painful black cracks form on his skin. He is Lawful Evil, and doesn’t know that he is the favorite chosen of Asmodeus. He’s kind of a vigilante, mostly targeting bandits. I say kind of because he doesn’t do it for the people, he just does to because it’s the easiest way to hide his affliction. But people have begun dubbing him as The Tyrant, and no one knows his face. submitted by zandariii to characterdrawing [link] [comments] In order of pictures: - 1: This is the general look of him. The long white hair is a must, and I would like to see a hood over his head and holding his mask. - 2/3: This is the clothing style and aesthetic I’m imagining. - 4: He has devil wings protruding from his lower back. Black and leathery. - 5: His eyes are blood red with black in the center where our irises would be. With little black veins. - 6: He wears a mostly featureless mask that hides his identity. There is a runic marking on the forehead. - 7: This is the runic marking. - 8: He has small, kinda subtle horns that form a crown. Similar to Darth Maul or any Zabrak. Very noticeable when revealed, but could be hidden under a hood. Hope to see some stuff for him, I’m looking forward to it. |
2024.05.19 07:56 ANGRY_CENT_MAIN The Last Flash in the Night
The shuttle rocked in the rain as it approached the surface. The last bastion. The place where she awaited
You heard stories. Hell, youd been present for some, seen things that would have broken any mortals mind as it had done so many others. And while you were just a mere mortal you endured for one reason.
Love.
How ironic that they decided it must be you to take her life
"Entered through the atmosphere, we seem to be undetected" the pilot lies, you know your night and know that she probably saw you enter the system "ETA 1 hour to drop point" you don't dignify him with a response, you've barely talked to anyone sense the order
Your wargear clatters as the shuttle shakes in the wind. Special gear, that of an elite assassin, second probably only to hers in stealth and lethality. Dozens of blades and poisons so toxic you were told to leave any of the adamantite shells after an hour on the planet. Your every move planned and thought out for weeks
None of it would matter. She told you herself how this would end. Your blade, her body. How there would be no fight even if she wanted to
You recall that day, it was in all honesty the most stable you had seen her ever. It was twilight, she refused to go out in the day, the two of you were sitting on a balcony. The two of you were sewing
Purple cloth lay in your lap. Golden thread hanging from your needle. You looked over at a curse, seeing her struggle to thread her needle
"Here, let me help" you gently rech over and guide her ever shakey hands through the eye. A brief smile, almost resembling a predator baring their teeth "thank you" she whispers "what would I do without you" she leans onto your shoulder, hands working on her project
"It doesn't matter love" you wrap your arm around her, surprisingly she accepts. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter what you see"
"I saw you leaving so many times" she starts to tremble as tears form in the corners of her eyes "so many have turned away from me. Even my sisters" she grabs tightly to your arm as she quietly sobs
You hold reach over and pat her back as she sobs into you "Sanguinia doesn't. Remember when she took you out to try that wine?" You reminder her
"I didn't like any of them, I finished the tasting in minutes and ruined the whole thing" the words come in between the sobs
"And then she took you around untill she sound something you liked, remember what it was?" You reach into your bag and produce a flask, uncorking it and waving it around the sobbing slows as she looks up through her fallen hair
You gently move your arm and she pushes into you. Taking the flask you hold it to her lips "what did you find out that day?" You hold the flask away, waiting for her answer
"That I liked hot chocolate" she mumbles as you reward her with the sugary treat, you feel her start to relax as you keep giving her sips
"That's right. And your sister found that out, one that didn't leave you" you say. Getting only a unidentifiable mumble in response "and ill always have some ready for you, I promise" feeling her tense up at your words
"Did I ever tell you about promises on my home world?" You cut off whatever she was about to say "back home they used to say that there were spirits that lived on promises. And that when you made one you made them happy, and as long as you kept their promise they'd help you in little ways." Between the chocolate and story she remains quiet
"And they'd say the bigger promise you made that the more they'd help you. Maybe only once, but you would know that they did" finishing your story "and I promise to you. I will be there for you. And I will have some ready for you" she sighs and takes the flask from your hands. Turning away from you she drinks it at her own pace.
Knowing she needs to process you return to your work. Finishing the last few stitches before turning "Kassandra" seeing her turn, drawing her needle with her teeth "I've got this for you" you hold up a simple scarf, made for someone of her size
She let's you wrap it around her neck, as you explain "I know it's cold sometimes when you go out in the night. And I know you get cold often so I figured I'd make this to keep you warm" taking the end of the scarf in her hands she sees a small golden heart with your initials in it "and that's so you remember who's waiting at home for you" you say with a kiss on her check
She doesn't move for a few minutes, before offering a simple shirt, one made of cloth and not flesh. "I made this after the last one" she mumbles out, her hair hiding most of her face "I know you didn't like it much"
Brushing the hair out of her glowing purple eyes you accept the shirt lovingly, before swapping your shirt out for it, it fits perfectly "I love it dear" you look into her eyes as she ducks her head
A faint smile visible
"DROP IN 10 SECONDS" the pilots voice snaps you out of your memories as you check and make sure everything is in place
"GO FOR DROP" the voice roars our over the engines as you jump from the shuttle. Grav shoot kicking in as you aproch the ground, landing in the courtyard. Looking back as the shuttle flys off, you steel yourself and approach the doors
They open as you approach, leading you into the hall where she sits at the end. "I knew they'd send you" her voice comes with a tone of a dead woman walking "the only one I couldn't bring myself to hurt" you see angry red lines all over her body as you approach
"Did they tell you what I did? How I ripped apart Regalia? How mich flesh I flensed from her?" Her voice rises in anger st the memory
You reach her as she looks up at you. A woman with nothing left "do it" she spits, directed at the ones who sent you here "kill me and be done with it" she looks down, not able to meet your eyes "please just make it quick" you faintly make out
Your heart weaps as your dagger raises, you look down upon your love. She doesn't move, resigned to her fate. Her hair flowing down covering her face "im sorry" you whisper as your arm falls forward...
You catch a flash of purple and gold between strands of her hair
Your dagger plunges into your chest. Right through the camera that you wore, a scream comes from Kassandra as she rushes to catch your falling body "no, no, no ,No" she repeats over and over, "I was the one to die not you" she starts desperately trying to stop the bleeding but has no knowledge
"You did die here" no pain in your voice, forced back for her sake "that's what they'll belive" you cough, blood splattering on your chest, your armor pried off by her hands to reveal the shirt she made for you and...
"Is that..." a sob breaks her sentence. Seeing the flask you always wore steaming in the cool air "I made a promise didn't I?" You grin turning into a wince as pain shoots through you "you know how promises are" you take the flask reach up, determind to have her drink
Only for your limbs to disobey you, the flask falling to the floor
Check out my other works here
submitted by ANGRY_CENT_MAIN to PrimarchGFs [link] [comments]
You heard stories. Hell, youd been present for some, seen things that would have broken any mortals mind as it had done so many others. And while you were just a mere mortal you endured for one reason.
Love.
How ironic that they decided it must be you to take her life
"Entered through the atmosphere, we seem to be undetected" the pilot lies, you know your night and know that she probably saw you enter the system "ETA 1 hour to drop point" you don't dignify him with a response, you've barely talked to anyone sense the order
Your wargear clatters as the shuttle shakes in the wind. Special gear, that of an elite assassin, second probably only to hers in stealth and lethality. Dozens of blades and poisons so toxic you were told to leave any of the adamantite shells after an hour on the planet. Your every move planned and thought out for weeks
None of it would matter. She told you herself how this would end. Your blade, her body. How there would be no fight even if she wanted to
You recall that day, it was in all honesty the most stable you had seen her ever. It was twilight, she refused to go out in the day, the two of you were sitting on a balcony. The two of you were sewing
Purple cloth lay in your lap. Golden thread hanging from your needle. You looked over at a curse, seeing her struggle to thread her needle
"Here, let me help" you gently rech over and guide her ever shakey hands through the eye. A brief smile, almost resembling a predator baring their teeth "thank you" she whispers "what would I do without you" she leans onto your shoulder, hands working on her project
"It doesn't matter love" you wrap your arm around her, surprisingly she accepts. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter what you see"
"I saw you leaving so many times" she starts to tremble as tears form in the corners of her eyes "so many have turned away from me. Even my sisters" she grabs tightly to your arm as she quietly sobs
You hold reach over and pat her back as she sobs into you "Sanguinia doesn't. Remember when she took you out to try that wine?" You reminder her
"I didn't like any of them, I finished the tasting in minutes and ruined the whole thing" the words come in between the sobs
"And then she took you around untill she sound something you liked, remember what it was?" You reach into your bag and produce a flask, uncorking it and waving it around the sobbing slows as she looks up through her fallen hair
You gently move your arm and she pushes into you. Taking the flask you hold it to her lips "what did you find out that day?" You hold the flask away, waiting for her answer
"That I liked hot chocolate" she mumbles as you reward her with the sugary treat, you feel her start to relax as you keep giving her sips
"That's right. And your sister found that out, one that didn't leave you" you say. Getting only a unidentifiable mumble in response "and ill always have some ready for you, I promise" feeling her tense up at your words
"Did I ever tell you about promises on my home world?" You cut off whatever she was about to say "back home they used to say that there were spirits that lived on promises. And that when you made one you made them happy, and as long as you kept their promise they'd help you in little ways." Between the chocolate and story she remains quiet
"And they'd say the bigger promise you made that the more they'd help you. Maybe only once, but you would know that they did" finishing your story "and I promise to you. I will be there for you. And I will have some ready for you" she sighs and takes the flask from your hands. Turning away from you she drinks it at her own pace.
Knowing she needs to process you return to your work. Finishing the last few stitches before turning "Kassandra" seeing her turn, drawing her needle with her teeth "I've got this for you" you hold up a simple scarf, made for someone of her size
She let's you wrap it around her neck, as you explain "I know it's cold sometimes when you go out in the night. And I know you get cold often so I figured I'd make this to keep you warm" taking the end of the scarf in her hands she sees a small golden heart with your initials in it "and that's so you remember who's waiting at home for you" you say with a kiss on her check
She doesn't move for a few minutes, before offering a simple shirt, one made of cloth and not flesh. "I made this after the last one" she mumbles out, her hair hiding most of her face "I know you didn't like it much"
Brushing the hair out of her glowing purple eyes you accept the shirt lovingly, before swapping your shirt out for it, it fits perfectly "I love it dear" you look into her eyes as she ducks her head
A faint smile visible
"DROP IN 10 SECONDS" the pilots voice snaps you out of your memories as you check and make sure everything is in place
"GO FOR DROP" the voice roars our over the engines as you jump from the shuttle. Grav shoot kicking in as you aproch the ground, landing in the courtyard. Looking back as the shuttle flys off, you steel yourself and approach the doors
They open as you approach, leading you into the hall where she sits at the end. "I knew they'd send you" her voice comes with a tone of a dead woman walking "the only one I couldn't bring myself to hurt" you see angry red lines all over her body as you approach
"Did they tell you what I did? How I ripped apart Regalia? How mich flesh I flensed from her?" Her voice rises in anger st the memory
You reach her as she looks up at you. A woman with nothing left "do it" she spits, directed at the ones who sent you here "kill me and be done with it" she looks down, not able to meet your eyes "please just make it quick" you faintly make out
Your heart weaps as your dagger raises, you look down upon your love. She doesn't move, resigned to her fate. Her hair flowing down covering her face "im sorry" you whisper as your arm falls forward...
You catch a flash of purple and gold between strands of her hair
Your dagger plunges into your chest. Right through the camera that you wore, a scream comes from Kassandra as she rushes to catch your falling body "no, no, no ,No" she repeats over and over, "I was the one to die not you" she starts desperately trying to stop the bleeding but has no knowledge
"You did die here" no pain in your voice, forced back for her sake "that's what they'll belive" you cough, blood splattering on your chest, your armor pried off by her hands to reveal the shirt she made for you and...
"Is that..." a sob breaks her sentence. Seeing the flask you always wore steaming in the cool air "I made a promise didn't I?" You grin turning into a wince as pain shoots through you "you know how promises are" you take the flask reach up, determind to have her drink
Only for your limbs to disobey you, the flask falling to the floor
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2024.05.19 07:45 PerilousPlatypus [WP] After being exiled to Earth, you found a spouse and had a family. Earth was just invaded and your family was killed. Now you get to remind everyone why you were exiled.
The exile was expected. Inevitable.
They had handed me the means necessary for victory -- total control. Countless planets had been placed under my command. Every resource had been dedicated to my exclusive discretion. The laws of the Panesian Senate suspended save one: Dictatus Supreme.
I had refused, at first.
But eventually, I answered their call. I took on the mantle of Dictator and I waged the terrible, bloody war no one else would wage. It came at a terrible cost. To us. To them.
Mostly to them.
In the end, half the galaxy lay in ruins, with billions of lives scoured from existence. The Panesian Confederation survived and the Thrax'in Empire was no more.
I was thanked.
Then I was exiled.
Retired, as they called it. Offered a life of peace in exchange for the ocean of blood on my hands. A Dictator could not remain in the Panesian Confederation, it posed too great a risk to democracy restored after the Writ of Dictatus Supreme had ended. I understood, though I couldn't bring myself to be thankful in that moment.
But that would change. I was exiled to a wayward planet, multiple jumps away from anything remotely relevant. The planet was compatible and the local species reasonably hospitable. They were some distance from discovering hyper accelerative technologies, but there was enough to lead a reasonably happy existence.
And I did.
Eventually. It took time for the shock of the war to fade, for my nights to be filled with anything other than the seared memories of what had come before. After time, those memories were replaced by the moments I shared with my family. Warm moments of love. Quiet moments of shared peace.
They say time heals all wounds. Perhaps that's true, but I found a family does the job far better.
Until it was taken away.
The attack came suddenly. Searing red streaks of flame painted the night sky as the Thrax'in landed their expeditionary force. Their goals were simple enough: pacify the population, strip the resources of interest, and then move on.
Humanity was in no position to resist, though they made an admirable effort. There is little drones and ballistics can do against mechs with energy shields. The battle for Earth was over in a few hours. Billions were killed. My family among them.
It was there, in the ruins of my home, that I learned an important truth: A defeated enemy is not the same as an eradicated enemy. For all of my successes in the war, I had not truly won. So long as a Thrax'in lived, they would be a threat to others. Families would continue to die, and it would be my fault.
Thankfully, I knew a thing or two about fighting them. Things Humanity would benefit from. Things even an exile could do. Things that would remind the Thrax'in and everyone else, why I was exiled in the first place.
It began simply. Small. This was not a war to be won by direct confrontation. I was no longer Dictator. Thousands of planets did not await my call. Instead, I would be a cancer within. Growing and metastasizing. Devouring them from within.
Yes, it began simply.
What could be more simple than surrender?
A passing patrol, sweeping the ruins, was only to happy to take me in. They stomped close, looming over me in their mechs. I could hear the chittering between them, could smell the Thrax'in musk.
I looked up at them. A docile Human, shivering and bewildered, hands in the air. An easy target.
The Thrax'in could never resist an easy target.
One reached toward me, the mech's hand clamping down on my arm. Well, not my arm. The arm of my own mech, the bio-engineered Panesian suit of distilled mayhem I had been gifted to allow me to blend in.
Look like a Human.
Talk like a Human.
Kill like a Panesian.
Nanites flowed from my suit and onto the surface of the Thrax'in mech, infiltrating its internal systems. Data began to flow back to me, depicting the status of the local battle sphere. Numerous meat ships were gathering the remaining Humans up while extractors were beginning to drain resources. Among them were the various Thrax'in military units as well as a smattering of hot spots indicating continued Human resistance.
I stumbled along beside the mech as it ushered me toward a meat ship. By the time I reached the ship, seventy-four Thrax'in mechs were infected. Two transports. Six integrated computer systems.
When I boarded the ship, it was already mine.
The Exile had returned.
Want MOAR peril?
PerilousPlatypus
submitted by PerilousPlatypus to PerilousPlatypus [link] [comments]
They had handed me the means necessary for victory -- total control. Countless planets had been placed under my command. Every resource had been dedicated to my exclusive discretion. The laws of the Panesian Senate suspended save one: Dictatus Supreme.
I had refused, at first.
But eventually, I answered their call. I took on the mantle of Dictator and I waged the terrible, bloody war no one else would wage. It came at a terrible cost. To us. To them.
Mostly to them.
In the end, half the galaxy lay in ruins, with billions of lives scoured from existence. The Panesian Confederation survived and the Thrax'in Empire was no more.
I was thanked.
Then I was exiled.
Retired, as they called it. Offered a life of peace in exchange for the ocean of blood on my hands. A Dictator could not remain in the Panesian Confederation, it posed too great a risk to democracy restored after the Writ of Dictatus Supreme had ended. I understood, though I couldn't bring myself to be thankful in that moment.
But that would change. I was exiled to a wayward planet, multiple jumps away from anything remotely relevant. The planet was compatible and the local species reasonably hospitable. They were some distance from discovering hyper accelerative technologies, but there was enough to lead a reasonably happy existence.
And I did.
Eventually. It took time for the shock of the war to fade, for my nights to be filled with anything other than the seared memories of what had come before. After time, those memories were replaced by the moments I shared with my family. Warm moments of love. Quiet moments of shared peace.
They say time heals all wounds. Perhaps that's true, but I found a family does the job far better.
Until it was taken away.
The attack came suddenly. Searing red streaks of flame painted the night sky as the Thrax'in landed their expeditionary force. Their goals were simple enough: pacify the population, strip the resources of interest, and then move on.
Humanity was in no position to resist, though they made an admirable effort. There is little drones and ballistics can do against mechs with energy shields. The battle for Earth was over in a few hours. Billions were killed. My family among them.
It was there, in the ruins of my home, that I learned an important truth: A defeated enemy is not the same as an eradicated enemy. For all of my successes in the war, I had not truly won. So long as a Thrax'in lived, they would be a threat to others. Families would continue to die, and it would be my fault.
Thankfully, I knew a thing or two about fighting them. Things Humanity would benefit from. Things even an exile could do. Things that would remind the Thrax'in and everyone else, why I was exiled in the first place.
It began simply. Small. This was not a war to be won by direct confrontation. I was no longer Dictator. Thousands of planets did not await my call. Instead, I would be a cancer within. Growing and metastasizing. Devouring them from within.
Yes, it began simply.
What could be more simple than surrender?
A passing patrol, sweeping the ruins, was only to happy to take me in. They stomped close, looming over me in their mechs. I could hear the chittering between them, could smell the Thrax'in musk.
I looked up at them. A docile Human, shivering and bewildered, hands in the air. An easy target.
The Thrax'in could never resist an easy target.
One reached toward me, the mech's hand clamping down on my arm. Well, not my arm. The arm of my own mech, the bio-engineered Panesian suit of distilled mayhem I had been gifted to allow me to blend in.
Look like a Human.
Talk like a Human.
Kill like a Panesian.
Nanites flowed from my suit and onto the surface of the Thrax'in mech, infiltrating its internal systems. Data began to flow back to me, depicting the status of the local battle sphere. Numerous meat ships were gathering the remaining Humans up while extractors were beginning to drain resources. Among them were the various Thrax'in military units as well as a smattering of hot spots indicating continued Human resistance.
I stumbled along beside the mech as it ushered me toward a meat ship. By the time I reached the ship, seventy-four Thrax'in mechs were infected. Two transports. Six integrated computer systems.
When I boarded the ship, it was already mine.
The Exile had returned.
Want MOAR peril?
PerilousPlatypus
2024.05.19 07:40 GuiltlessMaple Best Car Compasses
 | submitted by GuiltlessMaple to u/GuiltlessMaple [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/kw3bst30mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eebc8e209771cdafca3c374e25afc201a3033cc5 Whether you're an avid adventurer, a regular road tripper or just someone who likes to be prepared for anything, a car compass can be an invaluable addition to your dashboard. Our Car Compasses roundup is here to help you navigate through the vast array of options available, guiding you towards the perfect compass for your needs. Keep reading to discover the best Car Compasses that won't leave you guessing in which direction to turn. At its core, our review compares and contrasts the functionality, design, and ease of use of various car compasses. We've evaluated each product based on its ability to perform accurately and reliably, all while staying user-friendly and visually appealing. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive information that simplifies your decision-making process, enabling you to confidently choose the ideal car compass for your vehicle. So, embark on this journey with us and let us guide you towards the perfect compass to accompany you on your every drive. The Top 11 Best Car Compasses
Reviews🔗Mini Car Ball Compass with Accurate Pointinghttps://preview.redd.it/qflclmt0mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=828b18285b6ea1070354b135acab3d38efbb01df As someone who's always on the road, I can't tell you how often I've needed a reliable compass to guide me. The KANPAS V28 Mini Automotive Dashboard Car Ball Compass has been a game-changer for me. It's no liquid leaking housing design gives me peace of mind knowing it won't fail in harsh conditions. Plus, its shockproof and waterproof features make it perfect for off-road adventures. One of the standout features of this compass is how it reads - opposite to traditional pointers which can sometimes be confusing. It's straightforward to use and even has an interesting installation process that involves tearing off double-sided tape. However, there's a special reminder with this compass: ensure you confirm the correct direction outside the car before finding a suitable location inside the car. Also, avoid iron and magnetic items in the car from affecting the ball compass reading. Despite these small caveats, the KANPAS V28 Mini Automotive Dashboard Car Ball Compass is definitely worth considering for your navigation needs. 🔗Illuminated Commander Compass with Automatic MVAhttps://preview.redd.it/9591fh21mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a3c4c87c4f653d8436d2b0f953ccb3da550a81c Bell Automotive's Illuminated Commander Compass is my go-to companion when navigating through the night. The automatic Magnetic Variation Adjustment (MVA) keeps me on track, with an easy mount on either the dash or windshield. Its light-up feature is especially useful during those late-night drives when the sun has tucked itself in for the night. While the compass is generally reliable and easy to use, I had a couple of hiccups during its installation. The suction cups that came with it didn't work quite as expected on my vehicle's vinyl dash, so I had to resort to a bit of glue to secure it properly. Additionally, the light button seemed a tad finicky and occasionally stopped working for no apparent reason. However, I appreciated the fact that I could still see the readings even when the light was off. Despite some minor issues, the overall experience with Bell Automotive's Illuminated Commander Compass has been quite positive. Its ability to keep me headed in the right direction, especially during nighttime adventures, has been a real lifesaver. If you're in the market for a reliable compass to navigate your drive, this one is definitely worth considering. Just be prepared to get creative with the installation process to ensure optimal performance in your specific vehicle. 🔗Custom Accessories Low Profile LED Compasshttps://preview.redd.it/is8x7ak1mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8d991b39bb3dbb540243aa9eeb809a35451b86d I recently purchased a Low Profile Lighted LED Compass for my car, and while I had high hopes, my experience wasn't quite as smooth as I'd hoped. The best part of this compass is undoubtedly its sleek and low-profile design; it looks far more expensive than it actually is. Plus, the lighted dial makes reading the compass at night a breeze. However, the compass's primary function - accurately pointing to the north - just doesn't seem to work for me. Regardless of where I place it in my car or what direction I'm driving, the compass consistently points to the east or northwest, which makes it practically useless. I wouldn't necessarily say that this compass is a waste of money, as it does have a cool backlit display and a compact design. But if you're looking for an actual functional compass to use while driving, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. For $8, I guess you get what you pay for, but it's disappointing that something as simple as a compass can't handle a little interference from my car's electronics. 🔗Personalized Dash Compass for Your Car Journeyshttps://preview.redd.it/6qa7yup1mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65b526c209e866f39de3e6cd272c60d1fffa7efc I recently added the Victor Products Inc Suction Cup Mini Compass to my car and it's been a game-changer for me on my roughest routes. The free-floating ball and liquid damping ensure quick settling, making navigation a breeze even when the road ahead gets bumpy. I love how the large letters make for easy reading at any angle, and the suction cup attaches easily to my windshield for quick access. The mini-size and suction cup feature make this compass incredibly portable, making it perfect for camping trips or weekend getaways. I also appreciate the sleek black color that matches my car's interior perfectly. However, I did have one issue: the compass tends to stick on one direction, which can be a bit frustrating at times. Overall, I'm happy with the Victor Products Inc Suction Cup Mini Compass and would recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable navigation tool for their car. The quick settling and easy-reading features make it stand out from the rest, despite a minor problem we encountered with the compass direction. 🔗Dashboard Compass Ball for Car or Boathttps://preview.redd.it/4nnj2272mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=385ea30f48a98b7041777d06643edee75b966554 I recently got my hands on the RINGGLO Car Compass Ball and I must say, it's been a game-changer for my navigation needs while driving. The high-quality ABS plastic material not only makes it sturdy but also gives it a sleek look that complements my car's interior perfectly. One of the things I love about this compass is its wide applicability - not just for cars, but also for boats, trucks, and caravans. Its easy-to-use design and self-adhesive mount make it incredibly convenient to install wherever you need it most. Plus, its compact size means it doesn't take up much space on your dashboard. However, there are a few cons to note as well. Firstly, the compass requires a horizontal position to ensure accurate readings, which might be challenging when driving over bumps or uneven surfaces. Secondly, it's advisable to keep the compass away from magnetic sources to maintain its accuracy, which could be inconvenient at times. In conclusion, the RINGGLO Car Compass Ball is an excellent tool for navigation, especially if you're looking for something stylish and functional. Its wide applicability and easy installation make it a valuable addition to any vehicle. Just remember to follow the guidelines provided to get the most out of this innovative compass. 🔗SOL Lensatic Compass with Flip-Up Lenshttps://preview.redd.it/yqz2krf2mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f20ee1bcf25afb720fc2049f0146160876d57da I recently had the chance to test out the Sol Lensatic Compass, and I must say, it's a game-changer when it comes to navigating on outdoor trips. The compass is incredibly lightweight, making it perfect for backpacking and hiking adventures. The lensatic design allows for precise readings, and the large, luminous directional letters make it easy to read even in low light conditions. One of the standout features of this compass is its durability. The sturdy synthetic housing provides ample protection for the compass, while also making it easy to grip and maneuver. Additionally, the included cover acts as an extra layer of protection and helps make sighting easier. However, there are a few cons to consider. The magnetic floating compass can be somewhat difficult to ensure it's pointing north due to the thick liquid inside. Additionally, the grip on the heading dial is not as effective as it could be, making it a bit challenging to rotate. Overall, the SOL Lensatic Compass is an excellent navigation tool for those who love the outdoors. Its lightweight design and precise readings make it perfect for hiking, camping, and hunting adventures. While there are a few minor drawbacks, these are easily outweighed by its many positive features. 🔗Illuminated Compass for Automobileshttps://preview.redd.it/1f5pfvt2mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f9101f2a9909ef3b63505f783b3f1ec117f84b6 I recently got the chance to try out Bell Automotive's Lighted Compass and overall, it was quite an interesting experience. The mounting options were really user-friendly with suction cups for the windshield and adhesive tape for the dashboard, making it easy to install without causing any damage. One of the standout features was its unique disc-style floating dial and liquid damping, which proved incredibly useful in quickly settling the compass over bumpy roads. The display of eight directional points was also a definite plus, although I wish there was a way to illuminate the dial for night driving without having to hold the button down continuously. However, there are a few drawbacks that I experienced. First off, the compass struggled to provide accurate readings due to interference from the vehicle's metal elements, even when used outside the car. Additionally, the adhesive tape didn't hold up well in hot weather, causing the compass to lose its positioning. In conclusion, while the Bell Automotive Lighted Compass does have some interesting features, you might want to consider its inconsistencies before making a purchase. On the other hand, if you're primarily looking for a compass to use outside your car, or you drive a vehicle with minimal metal components, this compass might prove useful. 🔗Car Compass Ball Dashboard Mount (Black)https://preview.redd.it/hmeyr353mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d1279411e54049aaaf500634c7eea3b5ebcd3c2 When I first bought the 2pcs Car Vehicle Compass Ball Dashboard Self Adhesive Mount Navigation, I was skeptical about its accuracy and usability. But after using it for a few trips, I must say it has become an essential tool for navigation. The smooth and brightly colored surface along with the automatic rotation feature make it a breeze to follow the direction. It's perfect for those who prefer a more traditional method of navigation and it certainly adds a touch of retro charm to my car. One downside is that the compass can be a little sensitive to magnetic fields, so I have to be careful about where I place it. Additionally, direct sunlight might affect its performance, so I usually keep it tucked away when I'm parked under the sun. Overall, this compass mount has greatly enhanced my driving experience with its clear readout, easy installation, and stylish design. It's a reliable and affordable tool that's a must-have for any vehicle. 🔗Durable Military Tritium Lensatic Compasshttps://preview.redd.it/dd5gsyi3mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a74ec1ddcf1c83641001a578ee54f23b7174b8a1 I recently got my hands on the Cammenga Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass Clam Pack 3HCS, and let me tell you, it's a game changer for anyone who loves spending time outdoors. As an avid camper and hiker, I've relied on GPS and other digital tools in the past, but there's just something about having a reliable, physical compass that you can trust in a pinch. This compass is built like a tank, with a sturdy metal housing that keeps it shockproof. It's also designed to withstand water, sand, and extreme temperatures, making it perfect for any adventure you can throw at it. One of my favorite features is the lens for magnification and the sighting wire for precise readings - these little details make all the difference when you're trying to navigate unfamiliar terrain. Now, let's talk about those dependable dial graduations. They have both mils and degrees for easy reading, and the mil-radians give you a high level of accuracy in your plotting and measuring. But the real star of the show is the tritium illumination, which provides you with a clear view of the compass in low light or darkness, without needing any external light sources. However, no product is perfect, and this compass does have some drawbacks. The belt clip on the carrying case is a bit flimsy, and it broke a few times during my tests. Additionally, the lens can be a bit difficult to focus, especially in low light conditions. Despite these minor issues, I wholeheartedly recommend the Cammenga Official US Military Tritium Lensatic Compass Clam Pack 3HCS to anyone who wants a reliable, accurate, and durable compass for their next outdoor adventure. Just make sure you keep an eye on that belt clip and bring along some spare batteries for your other electronic gear! 🔗Bell Suction Cup Mini Compact Car Compass - Blackhttps://preview.redd.it/vyx489u3mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=842db8e90d18a547c139fba240fe6a8e59c33672 I recently purchased the Bell Suction Cup Mini Compass and it's been an interesting addition to my vehicle. The compact design is perfect for mounting it on my windshield, and the free-floating ball and liquid damping help it settle quickly over bumpy roads. One thing I really appreciate about this compass is how easy it is to read. The large letters ensure that I can see the direction even when I'm not directly facing the compass. However, one downside is that the suction cup occasionally falls off if the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight. No big deal, though, as it's easy to reattach. Another standout feature of the Bell Suction Cup Mini Compass is its low cost. It may not be the most high-tech compass out there, but for the price, it works great. If you're looking for a simple, affordable solution to help you orient yourself while driving, this compass is definitely worth considering. 🔗Bell Automotive Digital Compass and Mirror Mounthttps://preview.redd.it/5mqps884mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da01837cb5647888ed1357b4d553304ca50360dd I recently installed the Bell Automotive 22-1-29001-8 Digital Compass on my car's existing rear view mirror, and I've found it incredibly useful for long road trips. The device provides an effortless calibration process and efficiently displays 8 directional points without taking up much space on the mirror. One of my favorite features of this compass is its ability to connect with my car's touchscreen via a display light function. This has made navigation far simpler, especially during nighttime driving. However, I have experienced some difficulties with the compass occasionally, mainly regarding its readability in bright sunlight. Another drawback worth mentioning is the compass's accuracy issues, which seem to arise more frequently when installed in certain vehicles, such as my friend's Toyota Corolla. Fortunately, in my car, the compass has been working perfectly fine and has even helped me avoid getting lost on several occasions. In summary, if you're looking for a compact and feature-rich digital compass that doesn't obstruct your view while driving, the Bell Automotive 22-1-29001-8 Digital Compass might be worth considering. Just remember to consider its readability and accuracy limitations before making a purchase decision. Buyer's GuideNone https://preview.redd.it/9bs003u4mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1b9aa8cca183183215931f6fc9101f5ae07a1e3 FAQWhat are the benefits of using a car compass?A car compass helps drivers navigate unfamiliar routes, provides an alternative to GPS systems, and offers a reliable backup navigation solution in case of GPS malfunction or power issues. https://preview.redd.it/b08tpf35mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e41bcf45c347517124e4a5a3cdc86dbaf6067264 How do car compasses work?Car compasses work by detecting the Earth's magnetic field, allowing them to determine direction accurately. They are typically mounted on the dashboard or windshield, providing easy visibility and accessible navigation information.What are the different types of car compasses?
https://preview.redd.it/2kijv1i5mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b72c35a44dbe47bce6c72c588ee562bf1b512722 Are car compasses accurate?Yes, car compasses are generally accurate if installed and used correctly. Factors that can affect accuracy include magnetic interference from other devices and improper installation, among others.How do I install a car compass?
https://preview.redd.it/lc8r3v06mb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d305526cb286db8a9b77bab4361024773e234f9 How do I maintain and store my car compass?To maintain a car compass, avoid exposing it to strong magnetic fields and store it in a secure, magnetic-free location when not in use. Regularly clean the compass with a soft, dry cloth and check for proper functionality.Can I use a car compass in conjunction with a GPS system?Yes, a car compass can be used as a backup navigation solution alongside a GPS system. Some digital compasses even offer compatibility with GPS devices, providing complementary navigation information.How do I know if I need a car compass?You may need a car compass if you frequently drive in areas with limited GPS signal, when traveling off-road or to remote locations, or to provide an extra layer of navigation security in case your GPS system fails.What features should I look for in a car compass?
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2024.05.19 07:39 haperochild Made the mistake of getting to a parking spot before someone else.
Note: If we have a "Karen/Daren" flair, lmk and I can try to go back and add it to this post. It's not AITA because I know we're not, and it's not petty revenge either, so I had to leave it unflaired.
My friends and I got together today and decided to grab a coffee in the downtown area around one friend's apartment. It was pretty busy today because a nearby college had graduation earlier in the day, and everyone was either trying to get lunch or was just wanting to walk around in their regalia. I had no problem with that.
We were trying to find a parking spot—any spot would have sufficed—and were rounding the corner near a public lot when we saw someone parked at the curb starting to pull out. We stopped, waited for them to leave, and slowly started to pull in. The exit to the public lot was right there and the traffic going the other direction was busy, so my friend who was driving didn't want to hit anyone or cause an accident. This was when we fucked up.
Someone who was coming out of the public lot had their turn signal on, but didn't cut their wheel or angle their car toward the spot (on their passenger side). They weren't even actually out of the lot, or even in the curb cut. There was no indication they had intent to park there except their turn signal, which—when turning into oncoming traffic—only meant they were turning. In lieu of any indication they were going for the spot, my friend slowly pulled forward. Immediately, the driver starts honking (not a long honk, more a lot of short honks) and both he and the woman in the passenger seat start flicking their arms toward the spot. We were already halfway into the spot with people behind us in traffic, so we parked quick to let them pass.
The driver immediately pulled up next to us in the middle of a busy street and the entire car rolled down their windows to scream at us. They were so close that we could hear them shouting even though our windows were closed. I didn't think to record until the backseat passenger flipped us off, then stuck her arm out the window to emphasize that she was flipping us off (as if we couldn't see it already). I was more worried that she was reaching toward my friend's car to throw something or try and hit the windows. They mimicked crying (which made no sense because we were just sitting there staring at them in confusion) and kept flipping us off and shouting until they drove away. The backseat passenger tried to throw her coffee at my friend's car, but did such a piss poor job of it that most of it was on the outside of THEIR car. Barely a tablespoon actually hit my friend's car. (Don't worry, I started recording the minute they pulled up.)
The coffee place we were going to was right next door so we just got out and went about our day. One of us did stay behind to make sure they could film if the family came back and tried to harass us again. Luckily, they didn't. My friend thinks that they didn't come back because I was recording what they were doing, and you can see two of their faces and what they're doing very, very clearly. I can't post it here because there's no option to post video but if I could, I would.
I've never had that happen to me before, and honestly it was kind of funny to watch someone get that upset over a parking space. It wasn't even marked or metered or anything, it was just empty parkable space. Crazy.
submitted by haperochild to CharlotteDobreYouTube [link] [comments]
My friends and I got together today and decided to grab a coffee in the downtown area around one friend's apartment. It was pretty busy today because a nearby college had graduation earlier in the day, and everyone was either trying to get lunch or was just wanting to walk around in their regalia. I had no problem with that.
We were trying to find a parking spot—any spot would have sufficed—and were rounding the corner near a public lot when we saw someone parked at the curb starting to pull out. We stopped, waited for them to leave, and slowly started to pull in. The exit to the public lot was right there and the traffic going the other direction was busy, so my friend who was driving didn't want to hit anyone or cause an accident. This was when we fucked up.
Someone who was coming out of the public lot had their turn signal on, but didn't cut their wheel or angle their car toward the spot (on their passenger side). They weren't even actually out of the lot, or even in the curb cut. There was no indication they had intent to park there except their turn signal, which—when turning into oncoming traffic—only meant they were turning. In lieu of any indication they were going for the spot, my friend slowly pulled forward. Immediately, the driver starts honking (not a long honk, more a lot of short honks) and both he and the woman in the passenger seat start flicking their arms toward the spot. We were already halfway into the spot with people behind us in traffic, so we parked quick to let them pass.
The driver immediately pulled up next to us in the middle of a busy street and the entire car rolled down their windows to scream at us. They were so close that we could hear them shouting even though our windows were closed. I didn't think to record until the backseat passenger flipped us off, then stuck her arm out the window to emphasize that she was flipping us off (as if we couldn't see it already). I was more worried that she was reaching toward my friend's car to throw something or try and hit the windows. They mimicked crying (which made no sense because we were just sitting there staring at them in confusion) and kept flipping us off and shouting until they drove away. The backseat passenger tried to throw her coffee at my friend's car, but did such a piss poor job of it that most of it was on the outside of THEIR car. Barely a tablespoon actually hit my friend's car. (Don't worry, I started recording the minute they pulled up.)
The coffee place we were going to was right next door so we just got out and went about our day. One of us did stay behind to make sure they could film if the family came back and tried to harass us again. Luckily, they didn't. My friend thinks that they didn't come back because I was recording what they were doing, and you can see two of their faces and what they're doing very, very clearly. I can't post it here because there's no option to post video but if I could, I would.
I've never had that happen to me before, and honestly it was kind of funny to watch someone get that upset over a parking space. It wasn't even marked or metered or anything, it was just empty parkable space. Crazy.
2024.05.19 07:38 Shadofortuna My dad's constant criticisms are affecting my adult life.
TW: Abuse
I'm here to vent, but I wouldn't mind some support, if possible. Things are not going well for me right now.
My dad is very much present in my life, but it's apparent to everyone that he f'd all of his kids up.
To summarize, the man was born in the middle of the Vietnam War. He spent three years of homelessness in communist Vietnam with his entire family during his childhood, and consistently reminds us of this to this very day. It's been his way of dismissing any protests my siblings have had towards the things he'd done to us - hitting us with rolled up newspapers like dogs, verbal and psychological abuse, frequent displays of intimidation - at one point, my mom had suspected sexual abuse as well.
I developed a rare soft tissue tumor in 7th grade. It broke through the skin, and I had to be rushed to the ER. He immediately blamed me because of a superstition of not eating red meat after an operation. At the time, I was severely anemic, underweight, and spent the night in the hospital getting two bags of blood infused. 3 years later, I was put in a psych ward for an eval after some remarks to a counselor. He was banned from seeing me, and blamed my mom(who we only saw on weekends) for f'ing me up. "She's doing this shit for attention," he says.
Fast forward to today. I've developed another tumor, which turned out to be cancer this time. Two weeks ago, I had a follow up with my oncologist. They have concerns about my most recent CT scan, and think it may be lung cancer. I've barely been able to get out of bed since then. My mental health is garbage, and I'm not able to do as much physical labor as I could do - especially when I'm working with an arm that is visibly missing a huge chunk of bicep muscle, swollen, and nerve damage in my hand. "Cancer is no excuse to be lazy."
I've also expressed interest in getting my MSW to become a therapist, as it's something I've unofficially been doing for everyone in my family since I was 12, and I'd make more money than I'm making now with a State job (12.50/hr). I was pushed into the state job by my dad because my film degree is garbage, like the rest of my aspirations. Now, my dad can't fathom that I get paid less for being single and childless. He's also pointed out that I've gained weight - something that's been a sore spot for me all my life - and he's only complimented me when I rapidly dropped weight from both tumors.
Thanks to all of that, I have severe anxiety attacks when SOMETHING goes wrong - it could be anything. I have such low self esteem, and possibly early stages of BD. If I had moved back closer to my dad, I'm certain I would develop an ED. I've considered offing myself many times since 5th grade, and I'm surprised I haven't done it yet. If I make it past 30, I'd be surprising my 16 year old self. Using the excuse "what will happen to my pets?" isn't inspiring my will to live like it used to.
submitted by Shadofortuna to daddyissuesclub [link] [comments]
I'm here to vent, but I wouldn't mind some support, if possible. Things are not going well for me right now.
My dad is very much present in my life, but it's apparent to everyone that he f'd all of his kids up.
To summarize, the man was born in the middle of the Vietnam War. He spent three years of homelessness in communist Vietnam with his entire family during his childhood, and consistently reminds us of this to this very day. It's been his way of dismissing any protests my siblings have had towards the things he'd done to us - hitting us with rolled up newspapers like dogs, verbal and psychological abuse, frequent displays of intimidation - at one point, my mom had suspected sexual abuse as well.
I developed a rare soft tissue tumor in 7th grade. It broke through the skin, and I had to be rushed to the ER. He immediately blamed me because of a superstition of not eating red meat after an operation. At the time, I was severely anemic, underweight, and spent the night in the hospital getting two bags of blood infused. 3 years later, I was put in a psych ward for an eval after some remarks to a counselor. He was banned from seeing me, and blamed my mom(who we only saw on weekends) for f'ing me up. "She's doing this shit for attention," he says.
Fast forward to today. I've developed another tumor, which turned out to be cancer this time. Two weeks ago, I had a follow up with my oncologist. They have concerns about my most recent CT scan, and think it may be lung cancer. I've barely been able to get out of bed since then. My mental health is garbage, and I'm not able to do as much physical labor as I could do - especially when I'm working with an arm that is visibly missing a huge chunk of bicep muscle, swollen, and nerve damage in my hand. "Cancer is no excuse to be lazy."
I've also expressed interest in getting my MSW to become a therapist, as it's something I've unofficially been doing for everyone in my family since I was 12, and I'd make more money than I'm making now with a State job (12.50/hr). I was pushed into the state job by my dad because my film degree is garbage, like the rest of my aspirations. Now, my dad can't fathom that I get paid less for being single and childless. He's also pointed out that I've gained weight - something that's been a sore spot for me all my life - and he's only complimented me when I rapidly dropped weight from both tumors.
Thanks to all of that, I have severe anxiety attacks when SOMETHING goes wrong - it could be anything. I have such low self esteem, and possibly early stages of BD. If I had moved back closer to my dad, I'm certain I would develop an ED. I've considered offing myself many times since 5th grade, and I'm surprised I haven't done it yet. If I make it past 30, I'd be surprising my 16 year old self. Using the excuse "what will happen to my pets?" isn't inspiring my will to live like it used to.
2024.05.19 07:34 No_Environment9264 Is it possible to have MCAS with history of no skin issues?
I have a multitude of symptoms that line up with MCAS and are Increasingly worsening due to airborne allergens and vestibular migraine, but I’ve never had a single skin issue apart from two medication related experiences: first was Hyoscine butylbromide (presumably a bad batch) and had my first and only severe anaphylaxis which came with severe itch and redness all over. The second was while on diazepam, got a mild burning redness on my arms which passed after 3 days.
Is it remotely possible to have even a mild case of MCAS if no regular or repeated skin problem are occuring?
submitted by No_Environment9264 to MCAS [link] [comments]
Is it remotely possible to have even a mild case of MCAS if no regular or repeated skin problem are occuring?
2024.05.19 07:33 OldManWarhammer FotD - The Seventh Orion War - Part 12 - 1330 Fleet Time
1330 Terran Front Fleet Time
On the Turinika homeworld, the first signs of unrest began to manifest like a wave, The broadcast of the most esteemed Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata, Taratanti of the roost Kazatalak, openly performing the act of Kavsa had been met with shock. The last Taratanti who had voluntarily performed Kavsa had done so in protest of the treatment of the Kulorn caste, nearly two thousand years prior. It was an ancient rite, one that signified rejection of the greatest shame. Even more shocking than the act itself was the evidence that had followed it. Visuals of species, brought into the Conclave, not as migrant workers as had been believed, but as slaves, was met with an almost immediate attempt at censorship. This attempt failed spectacularly, mostly due to those who had been tasked to censor the information not only refusing to follow the command, but openly declaring that they had been ordered to do so. A situation that was already, as the humans would say, out of hand, spiraled completely out of control. Within only twenty minutes of the ending of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata’s broadcast entire cities entered a state of absolute anarchy. Two planetary capitals were stormed and taken by the furious civilian population, demanding the location of those who had been enslaved. The Turinika Armada, which even then was in the middle of a training session meant to prepare the fleet to withstand the Terran Front’s assault, began to cease operations. Within the hour, the entire armada would be recalled to the turnika homeworld. Those who did not take to the streets simply stopped whatever work they were doing and went to their homes to be around their brood. Images of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata with his stripped wings spread wide in front of the human fleet commander were on every news fed of the Conclave, as was the sound of his thunderous voice, and the wails of despair from a turinika female that couldn’t be seen. Close ups of the human fleet commander’s face were shown, with analysts remarking on the shock, horror, and sympathy. Since the outbreak of the Seventh Orion War, the female human known as Simmons had been reported to have made several threats towards the turinika, she had quickly become seen as a warmonger, ready to take revenge against the turinika for refusing to go to war and violate their principles of pacifism. Now the images of her lunging forward to stop the violation of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata’s plumage, the agonized expression of her face, and the true reason for her threats against the turinika were rapidly reversing her image. On far flung deep core mining stations and agricultural stations, on deep space stations dedicated to material processing, and in other areas hidden from the sight of the normal turinikan population, overseers and taskmasters felt their hearts run cold at the knowledge that very soon, their part to play in the willful enslavement of another species would be known to the wider Conclave. As the data package transmitted alongside the broadcast were fully decompressed and the scale of the Conclave’s government’s involvement was revealed, the entirety of the Conclave itself was teetering on the verge of absolute pandemonium. The image of a member of the kolra species, from the look of it barely a hatchling, quickly was becoming the face of the entire incident. The picture was absolutely damning, and the sight of the image had sent any who saw it instantly into contorting and painful displays of shame. The young kolra was sprawled on it’s stomach, looking to the one taking it’s picture with eyes that had no life in them. It’s shell covered it’s back, and despite the age of the kolra it was already dulled and scuffed. The foot pressing down on the shell was unmistakably familiar to those who saw it, the clawed feet of a turinika. Within the hour, billions of winged figures stood in streets, the normally soft spoken and passive species demanding action, demanding justice, on the hundred worlds of the Turinika Conclave. The bulk of the Taratanti caste, most of whom had been left in the dark of the truth of the situation, quickly went public with their own declaration of outrage, and the eyes of the entire species turned inwards to the mountainous homeworld of their species.
Hakuri Watanabe looked down at his helmet before putting it on his bed, the stylized SEVEN seeming to stare at him. He sat down in his chair and picked up a small cloth from his buffing kit. No one knocked on his door, in fact, mostly he and the rest of his squad were left alone before a major operation. They were just given their time, time to mentally prepare. Some of his squad would go over their mission briefing, some, like him, would spend their time doing something to relax themselves. Hakuri always found that taking care of his suit calmed him considerably. Granted he could simply turn it over to the squads armorers to be tended to and they would do as good of a job as he could, but he preferred it to be done by his own hand. The symbol of a triangle was on his form fitting shirt, the symbol of his special operations command unit. He was known as a Myrmidon, but the official title of his unit was Section Three. He knew this, his superiors knew this, and as far as Hakuri knew, most of the Terran Front was aware of his unit’s existence, but past that, they knew very little about what he actually did. As far as his mother knew, Hakuri was a pencil pusher onboard the TFS Berlin, the troop mothership that all of his letters were sent from. He thought about writing her, but then again, he only liked to do that when he returned from a mission, not when he was expecting to go to one. If he tried to write her when he was waiting, he would just get anxious, and homesick. That wouldn’t do when he was dropping into a combat zone. That wouldn’t do at all. Hakuri instead started to buff his helmet, waiting for the word to come down which meant they were prepared to jump. A glance at the clock made him pause in his circular rotations. The clock said 1330. Operation Naked Sun was about to begin.
Tika was on his side, Kzia standing at the end of the medical bed that had been adjusted for his turinikan physiology. He felt cold in more ways than one. For his people, clothing was more of a decoration than a necessity, but without his protective plumage he felt the cold stabbing him through to his hollow bones. His diplomatic access was already gone, his privilege access revoked. He heard the broadcast for a preparation to jump, but he wasn’t truly listening. There was no question in his mind he had made the right decision. There was no question at all. One of the humans, a nurse, came to his side and gently laid a heavy blanket over him. The human’s hand lingered on his trembling body for a few moments before it was removed, and Tika glanced in their direction. The female was one of the ones who had responded first to the call for medical service for him, had heard what had happened and why. Tika had gotten very used to being glared at on this ship. He was hated, and he knew it. He knew he had deserved it. He was a party to the vral’s enslavement of the humans, the chua, and far too many others. When he had come to Thermopylae station, he had not even given that fact a single thought. He was born into power, being of the Taratanti. He belonged to the most powerful species and government in the entire quadrant of the galaxy. His people, while mighty, did not seek to use it. To him, they had simply been above it all. When the vral had approached him with the offer to sell captured species at first TIka had wanted to reject it out of hand, but a few had told him to go through with the sale. Such was the nature of this galaxy, or so he had believed. The weak were at the whims of the strong, and one’s place in the galaxy was determined only by the power they could wield. The turinika were not nearly the first to have taken a species and used it for slave labor, and while Tika did not approve of the deal, he had not fought it either. As he looked back to the wall, he remembered what the humans had taught him these last days. When he had arrived in Thermopylae he had assumed he would find the chua species to have been at the very least regulated to a subservient role, if not outright enslaved. Finding them sharing power was a curiosity. He had expected to be treated with all the honor and dignity that his station demanded, that the power of his government demanded. Fleet Marshal Simmons had disabused him of that, and had left him humiliated and shamed. As he had laid in the dark as Simmons had declared the Seventh Orion War, covered in his own filth, feeling as if at any moment he was going to be killed he knew true fear and horrific uncertainty for the first time in his life. He had never faced these emotions, these sensations before. He had always been in power. He had stood with the full might of the Turinika Conclave behind him. He had never known anything other than the superior position. Now, as he lay in the hospital bed, staring at the wall, he was ashamed of how arrogant, how blind, and how short sighted he had been. After he had risen from his own filth, he had desperately tried to convince his leadership of the strength of the Terran Front, how it matched or eclipsed their own. The Conclave was not the unchallenged power in the quadrant anymore. The terrans, the human and chua, had somehow defied fate. They had not fallen to the vral after ninety years of near constant conflict, and now if Tika was right they had come out of it nightmarishly stronger than before. Tika had actually begged to be heard by his superiors, and he had never come close to that once in his life. The chua homeworld however, had fully broken him. If he had not been on the Antares, had not been humbled beforehand, he knew that he would have just clapped his hands together and said that it was delightful. As the transmission from the chua homeworld had come in, and the rescue effort had begun, he could only wallow in his own shame. He had profited directly from the chua’s suffering, the human’s suffering. Again he had tried, and failed, to convince his people, and again he had failed. Being on the Antares, for him, was torture. The lights were too dim, every human and chua looked at him with nothing more than loathing and contempt, his entire worldview had been shattered from the way he viewed the galaxy to his own place in it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the shadow of Simmons standing over him, her voice cold with a lethal rage, hearing her voice echo in his mind, seeing the glint from flashes of light shining in her eyes. ‘We Know.’ echoed in his mind in his sleep, the voice of the terrifying Fleet Marshal transforming into the sound of a vengeful god demanding compliance and promising retribution. Then he had watched the humans and chua, who he knew were preparing to go to war with his people, celebrating the return of the shesvie. Once more he had expected them to be integrated into the Terran Front, but as soon as he learned Simmons offer to them, and what it had entailed, he had been called to his room to answer the latest message from his people. Once again, his people had doubled down, the knowledge of the enslavement of the humans had been suppressed, and once more Tika found himself, and his people, standing against a Terran Front that had every justification to declare war, to right the wrongs that had been done to them. All the while, he knew something else. He knew that, after everything he had seen, that his people would lose. The turinika had not been to war for nearly two thousand years. His people were not ready for what the Terran Front could do, and after seeing what they had done to the vral so far, he knew his people were not ready for what the Terran Front would do. He was afraid of the dark. Tika was absolutely terrified of it now, because now he knew the monsters were real. Simmons had shown him that, but the humans, the chua, they were not the monsters. He was. He had refused to be one any more. He had announced his intentions to his staff, who had squalled in rejection, all but three. Kzia was the first to step to his side, Kikumot and Tziki had stepped forward as well. Never, in his most nightmarish dreams, did he ever think that he would stand in front of Simmons and voluntarily have his plumage stripped from him, performing the act of Kasva. He never thought that his staff would have ever compiled and transmitted the data package they had sent. He had never thought that he would betray his people, if only to save them. Simmons had changed that, the humans had changed that. He knew the terror of the dark, he knew fear for his people’s safety, he understood the horror of war, and for the first time in his long life he could truly look back at every interaction he had had, with every species, that had asked for help in their struggle for survival against the vral and truly understand their fear and desperation. Now he lay, his plumage stripped from him, his station revoked, his status removed, surrounded by a people who despised him. He wouldn’t have it any other way now. He knew that they would listen now, if not to him, then to the civilian masses of the Conclave that would not stand for what they had done. He prayed to the Great Mother often now, shivering in the dim light, hoping that it would be enough. He had been wrong, and in his error he had sullied his own people. He had made them complicit. Even now, he did not know how they would ever be forgiven, because right now he wasn’t quite sure he could ever forgive himself. As he heard the broadcast calling out on the ship, announcing one minute to jump, he felt a hand on his side, and looked up to the human nurse. She was smiling at him. Not a smile born of malice, or anger, but a genuine smile. She patted his side lightly, then turned to walk out of the room. For not even the twentieth time since he had come onboard Thermopylae, he was mystified by these people.
The bridge of the Dhampir was thrumming with music and the vibrations of the reactor and Conrad leaned forward in his chair mount, his eyes almost feral as he looked at the empty space that was the mandeville point. He was positively chomping at the bit. Batz was positively roaring the lyrics to the song that was blaring over the ships speakers. Rev and Dev sat side by side in their mounts, throwing their hands up in time with the pounding bass beat of the sound. Towns was the only one besides Conrad that was quiet, both of them looking towards the mandeville point with complete impatience. Conrad felt like jumping from his skin. Fidget, well, fidgetted, holding his hands over his headset and listening as if he were trying to hear secret messages in the music. They were ready, their pulses were racing. The crew of the Dhampir was positively vibrating. Conrad looked to the shipboard clock, seeing 1330 displayed, and his head snapped to Fidget, waiting for the word. They were going to run, they were going to chase, they were going to hunt.
Vicky sat back, looking towards Jess and Kukat as they slept. Jess was in her chair, Kukat in her medical bed. Vicky glanced back at the block print on the paper and read it for the fifth time. She read the individual lines, one at a time, cursing their existence. After reading through the message printed she let her hand hang again. Kukat would be released from medical tomorrow, and both her and Jess still thought they would be boarding the Thumper to join the Vellacore once more. Jess had talked non-stop about her quarters on the Vellacore the past few days, how she just wanted to be back in her room. Kukat was equally excited. Only Vicky didn’t share their excitement. They didn’t know yet. They didn’t know about their battlefield promotions, they didn’t know about their reassignments, they didn’t know the days of them working together were functionally over. Vicky looked down at her hand holding the paper again, and felt like crumpling it. She had lost her crew. She had lost them not due to negligence, or time, she had lost them to fame. Kukat was to be promoted to ensign, and was to be the sensor officer on the destroyer Hadrian, Jess was getting the same promotion, her station on the cruiser Victorious. Vicky? She was the sparkling new commanding officer of a destroyer that was arriving at Thermopylae in two days, the Quarrel. She never wanted this. She had turned down promotion after promotion that would take her from the cockpit of the Thumper, away from Kukat, away from Jess. She wanted to serve in this war in her own way, as a pilot, with the two who had made her life so enjoyable. Now though, they were to be split up, and there was nothing she could do about it. These promotions hadn’t come from simple seniority, they had come from High Command, as had the orders. Tomorrow, when Kukat was released, they would be ushered into the hanger bay of the Barrowmore. They would all three be awarded the Star of Terra, then they would be reassigned. Tonight was the last night they would all be together. Vicky wanted to wake them up, she wanted to tell them, to give them a chance to process it. As she looked to Kukat and Jess she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She held up the letter again, reading the first few lines, then she felt the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. She looked away, her heart panging with sadness, and stared at the wall. The clock read 1330.
Corporal Brandy was sitting on the small rack, with Janet Shippen sitting between his legs using his thighs as armrests. They were both dressed for the first time in the last few hours, both of them staring at the clock. This close to the reactors they could feel them beginning to spool up for the trip through hyperspace. When the news of the operation had come down they had elected to spend as much time together as possible, which Brandy had enjoyed to no end, and he had made sure Janet had as well. Brandy had even taken some time to reach out to his sister Victoria, a rarity for them both, as since they were children they were often barely able to speak to each other simply due to schedules. He had even told her about Janet, and although he hadn’t gotten a response from his sister yet he already knew what she would say. Janet nestled back against him, but he could feel her body was stiff. Neither of them knew what the next few months were going to hold. Their time together might be constricted, in fact, this might be the last few moments they were together for quite awhile. Brandy’s Ghouls were specialists, ship boarders. Chances are he was going to be extremely busy, as was she. He didn’t quite know how he felt about Janet, but he did know that beyond a shadow of a doubt he didn’t want to be away from her. Judging from how she was acting, she felt the same as him, conflicted about her relationship with him, but not wanting to be apart. He knew what he needed to tell her, that he had to get up, that he had to leave. The Ghouls were going to be assembled at 1345, ready to board. Her unit was going to be prepared at the same time, to begin taking on salvage. Her hands were like clamps on his legs, and from how tense she was, he wasn’t going to get up until she was good and ready. The clock on the wall switched to 1330. He stared at the clock, feeling like the clock was mocking him, when suddenly Janet leaned up and turned. Her hands took hold of his shoulders and she threw her body against his, her lips finding his own. Her arms wrapped around her frame and he tightened his grasp on her.
Simmons spread her hands over the panel in front of her, looking at the table. Seven points connected the recently reclaimed chua space to what was former Shesvie territory, and beyond that, the heart of the Vral Empire. Her lip curled in a wicked smile, On the digital display of the table the hyperspace lanes, and more importantly, the avenues of attack her fleet was preparing to take. She held out her hand, all five fingers splayed over the lanes, envisioning the war as it stood now. The war to come. Seven hyperspace lanes, seven systems, branching out into sixteen, branching out again to another twenty. The Antares herself was going to link up with the Barraki, and was set to simply plough through the next five systems to do so. Slowly she tightened her hand into a fist as she looked along the hyperspace lanes, seeing task forces lined up and ready to jump. Drones had already been sent through. The vral had forces along the border, but nothing that could withstand what was to come. Her fleet was ready. She was ready. The Seventh Orion War was at the end of it’s first month, and had taken back six systems. The first moves of Operation Naked Sun would double that and exceed it, then double it again. She had already given her speech, her task force commanders were ready. High Command had taken it’s time making this decision, and while she had railed against the delay that didn’t matter now. All along the front, individual task forces were joined into larger fleets, ready to jump into the next system and eliminate any vral defenses, but unlike now, they simply would not wait. Naked Sun was to be a lightning strike to cut off as much of the Vral Empire as possible, to deny them their own space, to imprison them on their own worlds. Task Forces were designed around three types of vessels combinations, Lighthammer Task Forces were comprised of corvettes and fast destroyers, the fastest vessels in the fleet, meant to take systems quickly, to devastate unprotected infrastructure, and to eliminate light resistance. Simply put, they were going to swarm into vral space, determine pockets of resistance, and move on. They were going to rip entire sections of vral space from them, calling in other task groups if needed. Thunder task groups were the primary capital fleets, meant to be sent into those pockets of resistance, and neutralizing them, joining with the Lighthammer groups if needed. The cruisers, carriers, battleships, they all belonged to these task forces. Her own task force was called the Nova task force, and it comprised only the Antares and it’s sizable fleet escort. Simmons glanced up at the clock, the time was 1329. She breathed in slowly, then unbidden the thought came to her head and she looked to the report from the two habitable planets that had been scanned by the drone cutters, the information having been relayed to her almost twenty minutes prior. She was not worried about the ground campaign, in fact a reserve fleet from Thermopylae would be the ones to escort the landing ships from planet to planet that her fleet left behind in it’s wake, isolated and defenseless from the wider Vral Empire. Fleet escorting was no longer her job, protecting ground invasions were no longer her job. Simmons was positively growling now, as her only job was to take her fleet and use it to rip the vral out of the stars. Still, the thought nagged at her. On both of the planets that her fleet was set to overrun, there were Vral ships in orbit. On the first, there was evidence that the Vral had been bombarding a small area of the surface, extremely similar in size to the hole that now existed on Zvitia, the planet that even now was being integrated into the Terran Front. In the second system it showed Vral ships in orbit, but whatever they were doing during the time they had taken the scans, whatever they were covering up, they didn’t seem to have gotten to it yet. On the radiological scan of the planet a massive bloom of electromagnetic energy painted a broad region of the planet blistering white. She had sent the images back to Earth, back to High Command, but no one seemed to know what was happening. The one thing that every analyst agreed on so far that was that whatever the blooms represented, it meant nothing good. She took another long look at the radiological scan, seeing the intensity of the radiation, and her lip curled in a snarl. She couldn’t think about that right now, but orders had already been given to notify her the moment that they had taken a planet that still bore the radiation signal. The vral were being damned fastidious about it though. She pulled her thoughts away from it, looking back to the hyperspace lanes. The slow grin entered her features again. She glanced at the clock. 1330. Her hand took hold of the receiver next to her station and she pressed the transmission stud, knowing that Hazard had already opened a channel to the wider fleet.
“Commence.”
submitted by OldManWarhammer to HFY [link] [comments]
On the Turinika homeworld, the first signs of unrest began to manifest like a wave, The broadcast of the most esteemed Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata, Taratanti of the roost Kazatalak, openly performing the act of Kavsa had been met with shock. The last Taratanti who had voluntarily performed Kavsa had done so in protest of the treatment of the Kulorn caste, nearly two thousand years prior. It was an ancient rite, one that signified rejection of the greatest shame. Even more shocking than the act itself was the evidence that had followed it. Visuals of species, brought into the Conclave, not as migrant workers as had been believed, but as slaves, was met with an almost immediate attempt at censorship. This attempt failed spectacularly, mostly due to those who had been tasked to censor the information not only refusing to follow the command, but openly declaring that they had been ordered to do so. A situation that was already, as the humans would say, out of hand, spiraled completely out of control. Within only twenty minutes of the ending of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata’s broadcast entire cities entered a state of absolute anarchy. Two planetary capitals were stormed and taken by the furious civilian population, demanding the location of those who had been enslaved. The Turinika Armada, which even then was in the middle of a training session meant to prepare the fleet to withstand the Terran Front’s assault, began to cease operations. Within the hour, the entire armada would be recalled to the turnika homeworld. Those who did not take to the streets simply stopped whatever work they were doing and went to their homes to be around their brood. Images of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata with his stripped wings spread wide in front of the human fleet commander were on every news fed of the Conclave, as was the sound of his thunderous voice, and the wails of despair from a turinika female that couldn’t be seen. Close ups of the human fleet commander’s face were shown, with analysts remarking on the shock, horror, and sympathy. Since the outbreak of the Seventh Orion War, the female human known as Simmons had been reported to have made several threats towards the turinika, she had quickly become seen as a warmonger, ready to take revenge against the turinika for refusing to go to war and violate their principles of pacifism. Now the images of her lunging forward to stop the violation of Tizikikoonazikiakakiatkata’s plumage, the agonized expression of her face, and the true reason for her threats against the turinika were rapidly reversing her image. On far flung deep core mining stations and agricultural stations, on deep space stations dedicated to material processing, and in other areas hidden from the sight of the normal turinikan population, overseers and taskmasters felt their hearts run cold at the knowledge that very soon, their part to play in the willful enslavement of another species would be known to the wider Conclave. As the data package transmitted alongside the broadcast were fully decompressed and the scale of the Conclave’s government’s involvement was revealed, the entirety of the Conclave itself was teetering on the verge of absolute pandemonium. The image of a member of the kolra species, from the look of it barely a hatchling, quickly was becoming the face of the entire incident. The picture was absolutely damning, and the sight of the image had sent any who saw it instantly into contorting and painful displays of shame. The young kolra was sprawled on it’s stomach, looking to the one taking it’s picture with eyes that had no life in them. It’s shell covered it’s back, and despite the age of the kolra it was already dulled and scuffed. The foot pressing down on the shell was unmistakably familiar to those who saw it, the clawed feet of a turinika. Within the hour, billions of winged figures stood in streets, the normally soft spoken and passive species demanding action, demanding justice, on the hundred worlds of the Turinika Conclave. The bulk of the Taratanti caste, most of whom had been left in the dark of the truth of the situation, quickly went public with their own declaration of outrage, and the eyes of the entire species turned inwards to the mountainous homeworld of their species.
Hakuri Watanabe looked down at his helmet before putting it on his bed, the stylized SEVEN seeming to stare at him. He sat down in his chair and picked up a small cloth from his buffing kit. No one knocked on his door, in fact, mostly he and the rest of his squad were left alone before a major operation. They were just given their time, time to mentally prepare. Some of his squad would go over their mission briefing, some, like him, would spend their time doing something to relax themselves. Hakuri always found that taking care of his suit calmed him considerably. Granted he could simply turn it over to the squads armorers to be tended to and they would do as good of a job as he could, but he preferred it to be done by his own hand. The symbol of a triangle was on his form fitting shirt, the symbol of his special operations command unit. He was known as a Myrmidon, but the official title of his unit was Section Three. He knew this, his superiors knew this, and as far as Hakuri knew, most of the Terran Front was aware of his unit’s existence, but past that, they knew very little about what he actually did. As far as his mother knew, Hakuri was a pencil pusher onboard the TFS Berlin, the troop mothership that all of his letters were sent from. He thought about writing her, but then again, he only liked to do that when he returned from a mission, not when he was expecting to go to one. If he tried to write her when he was waiting, he would just get anxious, and homesick. That wouldn’t do when he was dropping into a combat zone. That wouldn’t do at all. Hakuri instead started to buff his helmet, waiting for the word to come down which meant they were prepared to jump. A glance at the clock made him pause in his circular rotations. The clock said 1330. Operation Naked Sun was about to begin.
Tika was on his side, Kzia standing at the end of the medical bed that had been adjusted for his turinikan physiology. He felt cold in more ways than one. For his people, clothing was more of a decoration than a necessity, but without his protective plumage he felt the cold stabbing him through to his hollow bones. His diplomatic access was already gone, his privilege access revoked. He heard the broadcast for a preparation to jump, but he wasn’t truly listening. There was no question in his mind he had made the right decision. There was no question at all. One of the humans, a nurse, came to his side and gently laid a heavy blanket over him. The human’s hand lingered on his trembling body for a few moments before it was removed, and Tika glanced in their direction. The female was one of the ones who had responded first to the call for medical service for him, had heard what had happened and why. Tika had gotten very used to being glared at on this ship. He was hated, and he knew it. He knew he had deserved it. He was a party to the vral’s enslavement of the humans, the chua, and far too many others. When he had come to Thermopylae station, he had not even given that fact a single thought. He was born into power, being of the Taratanti. He belonged to the most powerful species and government in the entire quadrant of the galaxy. His people, while mighty, did not seek to use it. To him, they had simply been above it all. When the vral had approached him with the offer to sell captured species at first TIka had wanted to reject it out of hand, but a few had told him to go through with the sale. Such was the nature of this galaxy, or so he had believed. The weak were at the whims of the strong, and one’s place in the galaxy was determined only by the power they could wield. The turinika were not nearly the first to have taken a species and used it for slave labor, and while Tika did not approve of the deal, he had not fought it either. As he looked back to the wall, he remembered what the humans had taught him these last days. When he had arrived in Thermopylae he had assumed he would find the chua species to have been at the very least regulated to a subservient role, if not outright enslaved. Finding them sharing power was a curiosity. He had expected to be treated with all the honor and dignity that his station demanded, that the power of his government demanded. Fleet Marshal Simmons had disabused him of that, and had left him humiliated and shamed. As he had laid in the dark as Simmons had declared the Seventh Orion War, covered in his own filth, feeling as if at any moment he was going to be killed he knew true fear and horrific uncertainty for the first time in his life. He had never faced these emotions, these sensations before. He had always been in power. He had stood with the full might of the Turinika Conclave behind him. He had never known anything other than the superior position. Now, as he lay in the hospital bed, staring at the wall, he was ashamed of how arrogant, how blind, and how short sighted he had been. After he had risen from his own filth, he had desperately tried to convince his leadership of the strength of the Terran Front, how it matched or eclipsed their own. The Conclave was not the unchallenged power in the quadrant anymore. The terrans, the human and chua, had somehow defied fate. They had not fallen to the vral after ninety years of near constant conflict, and now if Tika was right they had come out of it nightmarishly stronger than before. Tika had actually begged to be heard by his superiors, and he had never come close to that once in his life. The chua homeworld however, had fully broken him. If he had not been on the Antares, had not been humbled beforehand, he knew that he would have just clapped his hands together and said that it was delightful. As the transmission from the chua homeworld had come in, and the rescue effort had begun, he could only wallow in his own shame. He had profited directly from the chua’s suffering, the human’s suffering. Again he had tried, and failed, to convince his people, and again he had failed. Being on the Antares, for him, was torture. The lights were too dim, every human and chua looked at him with nothing more than loathing and contempt, his entire worldview had been shattered from the way he viewed the galaxy to his own place in it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the shadow of Simmons standing over him, her voice cold with a lethal rage, hearing her voice echo in his mind, seeing the glint from flashes of light shining in her eyes. ‘We Know.’ echoed in his mind in his sleep, the voice of the terrifying Fleet Marshal transforming into the sound of a vengeful god demanding compliance and promising retribution. Then he had watched the humans and chua, who he knew were preparing to go to war with his people, celebrating the return of the shesvie. Once more he had expected them to be integrated into the Terran Front, but as soon as he learned Simmons offer to them, and what it had entailed, he had been called to his room to answer the latest message from his people. Once again, his people had doubled down, the knowledge of the enslavement of the humans had been suppressed, and once more Tika found himself, and his people, standing against a Terran Front that had every justification to declare war, to right the wrongs that had been done to them. All the while, he knew something else. He knew that, after everything he had seen, that his people would lose. The turinika had not been to war for nearly two thousand years. His people were not ready for what the Terran Front could do, and after seeing what they had done to the vral so far, he knew his people were not ready for what the Terran Front would do. He was afraid of the dark. Tika was absolutely terrified of it now, because now he knew the monsters were real. Simmons had shown him that, but the humans, the chua, they were not the monsters. He was. He had refused to be one any more. He had announced his intentions to his staff, who had squalled in rejection, all but three. Kzia was the first to step to his side, Kikumot and Tziki had stepped forward as well. Never, in his most nightmarish dreams, did he ever think that he would stand in front of Simmons and voluntarily have his plumage stripped from him, performing the act of Kasva. He never thought that his staff would have ever compiled and transmitted the data package they had sent. He had never thought that he would betray his people, if only to save them. Simmons had changed that, the humans had changed that. He knew the terror of the dark, he knew fear for his people’s safety, he understood the horror of war, and for the first time in his long life he could truly look back at every interaction he had had, with every species, that had asked for help in their struggle for survival against the vral and truly understand their fear and desperation. Now he lay, his plumage stripped from him, his station revoked, his status removed, surrounded by a people who despised him. He wouldn’t have it any other way now. He knew that they would listen now, if not to him, then to the civilian masses of the Conclave that would not stand for what they had done. He prayed to the Great Mother often now, shivering in the dim light, hoping that it would be enough. He had been wrong, and in his error he had sullied his own people. He had made them complicit. Even now, he did not know how they would ever be forgiven, because right now he wasn’t quite sure he could ever forgive himself. As he heard the broadcast calling out on the ship, announcing one minute to jump, he felt a hand on his side, and looked up to the human nurse. She was smiling at him. Not a smile born of malice, or anger, but a genuine smile. She patted his side lightly, then turned to walk out of the room. For not even the twentieth time since he had come onboard Thermopylae, he was mystified by these people.
The bridge of the Dhampir was thrumming with music and the vibrations of the reactor and Conrad leaned forward in his chair mount, his eyes almost feral as he looked at the empty space that was the mandeville point. He was positively chomping at the bit. Batz was positively roaring the lyrics to the song that was blaring over the ships speakers. Rev and Dev sat side by side in their mounts, throwing their hands up in time with the pounding bass beat of the sound. Towns was the only one besides Conrad that was quiet, both of them looking towards the mandeville point with complete impatience. Conrad felt like jumping from his skin. Fidget, well, fidgetted, holding his hands over his headset and listening as if he were trying to hear secret messages in the music. They were ready, their pulses were racing. The crew of the Dhampir was positively vibrating. Conrad looked to the shipboard clock, seeing 1330 displayed, and his head snapped to Fidget, waiting for the word. They were going to run, they were going to chase, they were going to hunt.
Vicky sat back, looking towards Jess and Kukat as they slept. Jess was in her chair, Kukat in her medical bed. Vicky glanced back at the block print on the paper and read it for the fifth time. She read the individual lines, one at a time, cursing their existence. After reading through the message printed she let her hand hang again. Kukat would be released from medical tomorrow, and both her and Jess still thought they would be boarding the Thumper to join the Vellacore once more. Jess had talked non-stop about her quarters on the Vellacore the past few days, how she just wanted to be back in her room. Kukat was equally excited. Only Vicky didn’t share their excitement. They didn’t know yet. They didn’t know about their battlefield promotions, they didn’t know about their reassignments, they didn’t know the days of them working together were functionally over. Vicky looked down at her hand holding the paper again, and felt like crumpling it. She had lost her crew. She had lost them not due to negligence, or time, she had lost them to fame. Kukat was to be promoted to ensign, and was to be the sensor officer on the destroyer Hadrian, Jess was getting the same promotion, her station on the cruiser Victorious. Vicky? She was the sparkling new commanding officer of a destroyer that was arriving at Thermopylae in two days, the Quarrel. She never wanted this. She had turned down promotion after promotion that would take her from the cockpit of the Thumper, away from Kukat, away from Jess. She wanted to serve in this war in her own way, as a pilot, with the two who had made her life so enjoyable. Now though, they were to be split up, and there was nothing she could do about it. These promotions hadn’t come from simple seniority, they had come from High Command, as had the orders. Tomorrow, when Kukat was released, they would be ushered into the hanger bay of the Barrowmore. They would all three be awarded the Star of Terra, then they would be reassigned. Tonight was the last night they would all be together. Vicky wanted to wake them up, she wanted to tell them, to give them a chance to process it. As she looked to Kukat and Jess she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She held up the letter again, reading the first few lines, then she felt the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. She looked away, her heart panging with sadness, and stared at the wall. The clock read 1330.
Corporal Brandy was sitting on the small rack, with Janet Shippen sitting between his legs using his thighs as armrests. They were both dressed for the first time in the last few hours, both of them staring at the clock. This close to the reactors they could feel them beginning to spool up for the trip through hyperspace. When the news of the operation had come down they had elected to spend as much time together as possible, which Brandy had enjoyed to no end, and he had made sure Janet had as well. Brandy had even taken some time to reach out to his sister Victoria, a rarity for them both, as since they were children they were often barely able to speak to each other simply due to schedules. He had even told her about Janet, and although he hadn’t gotten a response from his sister yet he already knew what she would say. Janet nestled back against him, but he could feel her body was stiff. Neither of them knew what the next few months were going to hold. Their time together might be constricted, in fact, this might be the last few moments they were together for quite awhile. Brandy’s Ghouls were specialists, ship boarders. Chances are he was going to be extremely busy, as was she. He didn’t quite know how he felt about Janet, but he did know that beyond a shadow of a doubt he didn’t want to be away from her. Judging from how she was acting, she felt the same as him, conflicted about her relationship with him, but not wanting to be apart. He knew what he needed to tell her, that he had to get up, that he had to leave. The Ghouls were going to be assembled at 1345, ready to board. Her unit was going to be prepared at the same time, to begin taking on salvage. Her hands were like clamps on his legs, and from how tense she was, he wasn’t going to get up until she was good and ready. The clock on the wall switched to 1330. He stared at the clock, feeling like the clock was mocking him, when suddenly Janet leaned up and turned. Her hands took hold of his shoulders and she threw her body against his, her lips finding his own. Her arms wrapped around her frame and he tightened his grasp on her.
Simmons spread her hands over the panel in front of her, looking at the table. Seven points connected the recently reclaimed chua space to what was former Shesvie territory, and beyond that, the heart of the Vral Empire. Her lip curled in a wicked smile, On the digital display of the table the hyperspace lanes, and more importantly, the avenues of attack her fleet was preparing to take. She held out her hand, all five fingers splayed over the lanes, envisioning the war as it stood now. The war to come. Seven hyperspace lanes, seven systems, branching out into sixteen, branching out again to another twenty. The Antares herself was going to link up with the Barraki, and was set to simply plough through the next five systems to do so. Slowly she tightened her hand into a fist as she looked along the hyperspace lanes, seeing task forces lined up and ready to jump. Drones had already been sent through. The vral had forces along the border, but nothing that could withstand what was to come. Her fleet was ready. She was ready. The Seventh Orion War was at the end of it’s first month, and had taken back six systems. The first moves of Operation Naked Sun would double that and exceed it, then double it again. She had already given her speech, her task force commanders were ready. High Command had taken it’s time making this decision, and while she had railed against the delay that didn’t matter now. All along the front, individual task forces were joined into larger fleets, ready to jump into the next system and eliminate any vral defenses, but unlike now, they simply would not wait. Naked Sun was to be a lightning strike to cut off as much of the Vral Empire as possible, to deny them their own space, to imprison them on their own worlds. Task Forces were designed around three types of vessels combinations, Lighthammer Task Forces were comprised of corvettes and fast destroyers, the fastest vessels in the fleet, meant to take systems quickly, to devastate unprotected infrastructure, and to eliminate light resistance. Simply put, they were going to swarm into vral space, determine pockets of resistance, and move on. They were going to rip entire sections of vral space from them, calling in other task groups if needed. Thunder task groups were the primary capital fleets, meant to be sent into those pockets of resistance, and neutralizing them, joining with the Lighthammer groups if needed. The cruisers, carriers, battleships, they all belonged to these task forces. Her own task force was called the Nova task force, and it comprised only the Antares and it’s sizable fleet escort. Simmons glanced up at the clock, the time was 1329. She breathed in slowly, then unbidden the thought came to her head and she looked to the report from the two habitable planets that had been scanned by the drone cutters, the information having been relayed to her almost twenty minutes prior. She was not worried about the ground campaign, in fact a reserve fleet from Thermopylae would be the ones to escort the landing ships from planet to planet that her fleet left behind in it’s wake, isolated and defenseless from the wider Vral Empire. Fleet escorting was no longer her job, protecting ground invasions were no longer her job. Simmons was positively growling now, as her only job was to take her fleet and use it to rip the vral out of the stars. Still, the thought nagged at her. On both of the planets that her fleet was set to overrun, there were Vral ships in orbit. On the first, there was evidence that the Vral had been bombarding a small area of the surface, extremely similar in size to the hole that now existed on Zvitia, the planet that even now was being integrated into the Terran Front. In the second system it showed Vral ships in orbit, but whatever they were doing during the time they had taken the scans, whatever they were covering up, they didn’t seem to have gotten to it yet. On the radiological scan of the planet a massive bloom of electromagnetic energy painted a broad region of the planet blistering white. She had sent the images back to Earth, back to High Command, but no one seemed to know what was happening. The one thing that every analyst agreed on so far that was that whatever the blooms represented, it meant nothing good. She took another long look at the radiological scan, seeing the intensity of the radiation, and her lip curled in a snarl. She couldn’t think about that right now, but orders had already been given to notify her the moment that they had taken a planet that still bore the radiation signal. The vral were being damned fastidious about it though. She pulled her thoughts away from it, looking back to the hyperspace lanes. The slow grin entered her features again. She glanced at the clock. 1330. Her hand took hold of the receiver next to her station and she pressed the transmission stud, knowing that Hazard had already opened a channel to the wider fleet.
“Commence.”
2024.05.19 07:33 ColdWaterBottle03 [WTS] 2021 and 1921 Peace Dollars, MS Roman Denarius, 1921 MS63PL Morgan, 1884 O MS63DMPL Morgan, Monster Toned 1884 O MS67 Morgan, MS60 Lafayette Dollar, VAM Peace Dollars, 1884 CC MS64 Morgans, Toned Proof Franklins, Slabbed American Silver Eagles, US Type Coins, and More!!!
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Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1400.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (135.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (195.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (85.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (4200.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (500.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (550.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (515.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (200.00)
1892 O Morgan High VF (Bright) https://imgur.com/a/ku4xPq5 (55.00)
1896 Morgan Belt Buckle https://imgur.com/a/VcyvNjP (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (50.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (50.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (40.00)
1898 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/TzJgNcA (50.00)
1898 MS62PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/BycvAyH (150.00)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (900.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (500.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (500.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (1050.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (70.00)
1934 D MS62 DBL DIE OBV VAM-3 Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/ScGb7bg (350.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (250.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/ZvzTrmV (30.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/6L9ztbd (30.00)
1973 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/yqKTUSf (40.00)
1997 Proof Silver Eagle (OGP) https://imgur.com/a/kZd3qoZ (80.00)
2005 Silver Eagle First Strike MS69 https://imgur.com/a/pxRPFuS (40.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/zxzSuSv (38.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/GCkFghF (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/Yl2VsqP
2011 Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/wbiDsUC (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/X5IzVR9 (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle Early Releases Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/SV5Xj43 (40.00)
2021 Peace Dollar in OGP https://imgur.com/a/BlwZkB5 (205.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (30.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (25.00)
1892 AG Barber Half https://imgur.com/a/AFFhmVx (35.00)
1916 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/1weOxxW (50.00)
1921 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/enXOi59 (50.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (280.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (325.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (40.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (60.00)
1958 MS66 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/xPXZujb (75.00)
1960 PR65 Franklin (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/YNKqQ9G (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/gzkvg20 (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (35.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (130.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (35.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (425.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (48.00)
1x Face (1936, 1936, 1937 D, 1945) (Under Melt!) https://imgur.com/a/5G9pq7N (22.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (30.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (175.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (45.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (70.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (40.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (40.00)
1982 No P Dime (Rattler! and Haze) https://imgur.com/a/c7AQGiQ (450.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/y3i4wos
Images: https://imgur.com/a/OC0PJPN
Nickels
1938 D MS63 Buffalo Nickel (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/hunfpfF (30.00)
1942 PR63 Jefferson Nickel (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/C91dcKR (50.00)
1963 PF69 Cameo Nickel (Very Pretty Coin) https://imgur.com/a/ESByy63 (50.00)
Cents
1858 Flying Eagle Cent FR https://imgur.com/a/7uqYwO1 (12.00)
1873 Open 3 AU Details Corrosion IHC (Attractive Coin!) https://imgur.com/a/nuAw0vJ (125.00)
1937 S MS66 RD Wheat Penny https://imgur.com/a/A4wskUD (30.00)
1946-D MS67 RED Soapbox https://imgur.com/a/JCwe4i1 (145.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (350.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.
submitted by ColdWaterBottle03 to CoinSales [link] [comments]
If there is anything you are interested in, just let me know. I am always willing to hear any offer. The worst thing I will do is shoot back a counteroffer.
Payment plans are available. More details at the bottom of the post.
All non-pms are on coinsales
All Prices are USD
I am Located in the US
I prefer chat, but pms are fine
I prefer to make sales, but I am willing to entertain trades.
For any coins you may want still shots of, or possibly a video in different lighting, please let me know. I will never have an issue doing this.
I have US coins and foreign coins. Look through it all, you may find something you did not know you wanted. If you want something I do not have, let me know. I may possibly be able to obtain some, or I could already have it.
All grades are my personal opinion, except those that are professionally graded. All Coins I marked as damaged, for the most part, I am unsure if they would grade straight or not; I just wanted to be transparent about them even though they still may be straight grade.
I promise to never give anyone my password and I have 2FA enabled.
Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1400.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (135.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (195.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (85.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (4200.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (500.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (550.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (515.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (200.00)
1892 O Morgan High VF (Bright) https://imgur.com/a/ku4xPq5 (55.00)
1896 Morgan Belt Buckle https://imgur.com/a/VcyvNjP (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (50.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (50.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (40.00)
1898 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/TzJgNcA (50.00)
1898 MS62PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/BycvAyH (150.00)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (900.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (500.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (500.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (1050.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (70.00)
1934 D MS62 DBL DIE OBV VAM-3 Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/ScGb7bg (350.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (250.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/ZvzTrmV (30.00)
1972 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/6L9ztbd (30.00)
1973 S PR69DCAM Silver Ike https://imgur.com/a/yqKTUSf (40.00)
1997 Proof Silver Eagle (OGP) https://imgur.com/a/kZd3qoZ (80.00)
2005 Silver Eagle First Strike MS69 https://imgur.com/a/pxRPFuS (40.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/zxzSuSv (38.00)
2005 Silver Eagle MS69 https://imgur.com/a/GCkFghF (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/Yl2VsqP
2011 Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/wbiDsUC (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle First Strike Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/X5IzVR9 (40.00)
2013 (S) Silver Eagle Early Releases Struck at San Francisco MS69 https://imgur.com/a/SV5Xj43 (40.00)
2021 Peace Dollar in OGP https://imgur.com/a/BlwZkB5 (205.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (30.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (25.00)
1892 AG Barber Half https://imgur.com/a/AFFhmVx (35.00)
1916 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/1weOxxW (50.00)
1921 S AG Walking Liberty Half https://imgur.com/a/enXOi59 (50.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (280.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (325.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (40.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (60.00)
1958 MS66 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/xPXZujb (75.00)
1960 PR65 Franklin (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/YNKqQ9G (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/gzkvg20 (40.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (35.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (130.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (35.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (425.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (35.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (48.00)
1x Face (1936, 1936, 1937 D, 1945) (Under Melt!) https://imgur.com/a/5G9pq7N (22.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (30.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (175.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (45.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (70.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (40.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (40.00)
1982 No P Dime (Rattler! and Haze) https://imgur.com/a/c7AQGiQ (450.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/y3i4wos
Images: https://imgur.com/a/OC0PJPN
Nickels
1938 D MS63 Buffalo Nickel (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/hunfpfF (30.00)
1942 PR63 Jefferson Nickel (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/C91dcKR (50.00)
1963 PF69 Cameo Nickel (Very Pretty Coin) https://imgur.com/a/ESByy63 (50.00)
Cents
1858 Flying Eagle Cent FR https://imgur.com/a/7uqYwO1 (12.00)
1873 Open 3 AU Details Corrosion IHC (Attractive Coin!) https://imgur.com/a/nuAw0vJ (125.00)
1937 S MS66 RD Wheat Penny https://imgur.com/a/A4wskUD (30.00)
1946-D MS67 RED Soapbox https://imgur.com/a/JCwe4i1 (145.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (350.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.
2024.05.19 07:21 wood_chomper A man had been drinking molten wax from my candles.
I first started noticing that something was wrong around 3 months ago. At the time, I was working from home and would usually light a scented candle while I worked, which usually helped me relax and stay focused on my work. I would usually burn through a candle a week, but over time, the candles started to take less time to fully burn up. At first, I thought that this was because of a change in ingredients the company that made the candles used, but the problem persisted after I switched candle brands, which I once again blamed on the candle manufacturers.
I kept this belief for another week until the first incident. While getting up from my computer desk, which faces away from the candle, to take a quick bathroom break, I caught a glimpse of the lit candle. A two-inch layer of molten wax rested on another three-inch layer of solid wax, the wicks rising out at first and being somewhat visible through the molten layer, finally breaking the surface and being slowly burned away. The flames flickered as I swung the door open and walked out of the room. When I returned 10 minutes later, the molten layer was gone, and the wicks had been shortened so that the flames rested right above the solid layer of the wax. At first, I thought that the glass jar that contained the candle was leaking, but after a short inspection, I was only able to find two small drops of candle wax that had solidified right next to the candle on the bedside table. I still had 2 hours of work left to do, but I was too lost in thought and was unable to do any work for the rest of the day.
Every night before I go to sleep, I like to read for at least 30 minutes, and while reading, I usually light a candle. Around 4 days later, I had mostly forgotten about the incident and went back to using candles. Due to my naivety, it returned.
I fell asleep while reading with a candle lit on my bedside table. I woke up to loud slurping noises. As I opened my eyes, the brightness of the light I had not turned off almost blinded me. As my eyes tried to readjust to the light and focus on what was in front of me, I saw a somewhat humanoid dark gray to light blue blur that contrasted with the white paint on the walls behind it. Another gray line stretched from the shape's head to the candle on my bedside table. I could feel my heart skip five consecutive beats. I opened my mouth and tried to force out a scream for help, but the pressure I applied to my throat was way beyond what it was able to handle, leading me to only produce a light wheezing sound. I tried to sit up or to at least prop myself up, but my muscles failed me. Trying to push myself up with my arms felt impossible. As I stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared in my room, my eyes finally managed to focus, making it possible for me to see the intruder who was now staring at me. The figure was a man at least 7 feet tall, fully naked; he looked bloated; his eyes were bloodshot and looked like they would pop out of their sockets; at any point, his skin was a grayish light blue.
HIS LIPS
His lips extended from his mouth like an elephant's trunk, which had been split in half. The lips extended from the man's face to the candle; the flames had been put out. He was using his lips as a makeshift straw, slowly sucking up all the molten wax from the candle, which had fully liquified while I was asleep. I laid in bed, unable to move, unable to scream for help, staring until he emptied the jar. His lips retracted back to his face, the molten wax solidifying on their tips and cracking, flakes of wax falling off the man's lips and falling to the floor. The man grinned, staring at me. The ridges and gaps between the teeth were filled in with wax, making it impossible to make out where one tooth ended and the next one began. The man opened the door he was standing next to, but instead of walking out of the room, he stepped behind it. His face peered at me from above the door, and then once again, like he had done to drink the wax, the man puckered his lips, which stretched from his mouth and floated to me. I shook and tried to roll over away from him. I wanted to get up and run, but my fear had taken over my body. Tears flowed from my eyes. He kissed me on the cheek, leaving flakes of wax and light moisture. He retracted his lips and lowered his head behind the door.
I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, I saw the empty glass jar, which at one point contained the candle. Even though I had hoped that what had happened was a dream, it wasn't. I still had flakes of wax on my cheek, and on my bedroom floor, the wax in the jar had disappeared. I called the police, but they were unable to find anyone in my apartment; they also could not find any evidence of a break-in.
After the break-in, I started looking for a new apartment to move to, thinking that the man was tied to the building I was in, but even though I had thrown out all of my candles, I could not stomach spending another hour in my apartment, constantly looking over my shoulder or walking around with my back pressed up against the wall to not allow it to creep up on me. Thankfully, my friend Emma was able to let me stay over at her apartment while I looked for a new one for myself.
Me and Emma have been friends since we were 8, and we've been there to support each other when times get rough. This isn’t the first time I've had to stay over at her house for an extended amount of time; in fact, I have had to stay over at Emma’s as many times as she has had to stay over at my apartment, whether it was because of evictions after losing a job, breakups, or a candle wax drinking squatter. I didn't even know if it was human. I mean, sure, it looked like one, but human lips are not supposed to do what his did, and somehow it didn't have a reaction to molten wax being poured down its esophagus. I didn't tell Emma about what happened—the details at least—I just told her that a man had broken into my house and was watching me sleep. The only people I told the truth to were my therapist and the cops, and all of them disregarded what I told them as my mind making things up after a traumatic event.
For a while, I believed what they said—I mean, why wouldn’t I?—but then I started seeing him again. For a few days, I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me again like it had done during the night of the incident. For split seconds out of the corner of my eye, I would see the outline of a tall, bloated figure. At first, they were hours apart, but after a while, it became constant. He was standing in each room I passed, in every single dark corner I glanced past, and then he spoke.
“FeeD MeEeee”
It stood in the kitchen, peering over from a small gap between the fridge and the sink, where the trash can that had been knocked over onto its side usually stood. His voice was raspy, and every word that came out of his mouth was distorted as if he were gargling water, but still, I could somehow clearly make out each word he said from over 15 feet away.
“Please just leave me alone I… why are you following me?”
I shouted at the figure, the same fear that had taken over my body during the night I saw him for the first time paralyzing me, making it impossible for me to move anything other than my eyes, eyelids, and mouth.
“i’M sTarviNg, I nEEd You To FeEd ME”
It replied again. Now, stepping out from behind the fridge, he stepped directly onto a rotten banana. Its mushy brown content’s seeping out of the peel under the pressure of his decomposing foot, which was covered in scabs, and took up the same grayish light blue color as the rest of his body. He mostly looked the same; his bloodshot eyes bulged from their sockets, but now his tongue was swollen. It peeked out from between his bloated, cracked gray lips; it stared at me, waiting for an answer.
“Ok, I’ll.. I’ll feed you, but please just... leave me alone.”
I replied, the tone of my voice shifting into high-pitched squeals with every quick breath I took. He looked satisfied by my response. He somehow squeezed his bloated body back into the gap that was at least four times smaller than him. After peering over at me from above the fridge, he bent over backwards, his spine releasing a series of sickening cracks until he was fully obscured by the fridge, and then he vanished.
Still barely in control of my body, I limped over to the couch tucked away in the back corner of the living room, it took me at least 10 minutes to steady my breathing and 20 more to fully regain control of my body again but as soon as I did I ran out the house and to the nearest store, during the 15-minute walk he stared at me through dark windows and the backs of cars, peered out at me from gaps between leaves in the trees and bushes, he even followed me into the store staring at me from the middle of deserted isles before disappearing right before my eyes were able to fully catch him, once I finally got the candles I randomly picked four off of the shelves and rushed to the self checkout.
When I arrived home, I had 2 hours before Emma got off work. I didn't want to feed it while she was home, and I didn't want her to see it. I pulled out two of the candles from the black plastic bag and placed them on the kitchen table, the first a light blue candle named “Garden Rain” and the second a red candle named “Juicy Watermelon." I pulled out a lighter from one of the drawers Emma used after her stove stopped lighting on its own and lit each of the 6 wicks on the candles. As soon as I started seeing the wax melt under the heat of the burning wicks, I dropped the lighter onto the table next to the candles and ran out of the room. I could not stomach seeing that thing again; even just thinking about it made me shudder and hyperventilate. The paralyzing fear that seeing him caused me made me want to vomit.
At least 30 minutes later I started to hear it drink even though the living room and kitchen were separated by a wall, even though I had closed the door I could still hear what at first started as slurping sounds which were followed up by loud gulps, then it stopped, and once again 30 minutes later it started drinking, as the slurping started once again I heard the door to the apartment crack open, it was Emma, as she stepped through the door I saw her carrying two large brown paper bags of groceries in her hands, she was headed to the kitchen.
“Hey let me grab those for you”
I said running over to her, my voice shaking.
“Oh, thanks. Are you… okay, you look scared?”
My eyes shot wide open in a mixture of fear and surprise. I said the first thing that came to mind.
“Yeah just umm… I didn't expect you to come home so early and I got a bit spooked”
“shit sorry, I know I should have called you, work let me off early today,”
I started to turn away from her walking to the kitchen.
Trying to keep her away from the kitchen I told her to wait for me in the living room because I wanted to talk to her about something. I didn't know what I would talk to her about but that was a problem for future me to resolve, somehow it worked.
“What's that sound?”
She called out to me while walking towards the living room couch. It took me a few seconds to come up with an excuse.
“I think it’s the sink, or the pipes at least”
I opened the door to the kitchen with my eyes closed at first hesitant to look knowing what would be greeting me. slowly prying my eyes open I started to see its outline, my muscles started to lose strength as the details of the man came into my view, I felt the grocery bags start to slip from my arms, my knees buckled, face first I fell onto the kitchen floor scattering the groceries all over the floor, I mixture of a light scream and a yelp escaped from my mouth as my body made contact with the floor, Emma concerned for my safety ran into the kitchen, she didn't scream, using all of the strength and mobility I had left in my muscles I rolled over expecting to see her face drenched in terror, her body frozen still unable to move just like my body had done the first time that I saw him, but Emma looked concerned, the man was gone, she crouched down beside me.
“Oh my god are you ok? What happened?”
I looked around observing my surroundings.
“I um… I… I tripped on the little thing at the bottom of the doorframe”
I finally managed to blurt out another excuse, not being able to remember what the name of a door sill was. I started to sit up using a part of the energy that had returned to my body, pain pulsed through my chest and arms, Emma looked at me with a concerned face.
“You've been acting really weird since I got home, are you sure you're ok?”
“Yeah… I think I’m just having one of those days you know”
The confusion on Emma’s face said that she didn’t know and to be honest I didn't either, I guess my luck of pulling random excuses out of my ass ran out, Emma thought that she triggered some sort of PTSD response after barging into the house unannounced at first apologizing then trying to change the subject to stop my trembling which I was still unsuccessfully trying to hide from her.
“Did you buy candles?”
Emma asked picking the groceries apart from the garbage that spilled out the can that the man had knocked over, placing them on the table next to the now half-empty glass jars, the flames flickered above the inch or so of molten wax the man was unable to finish drinking.
“Yeah I’ve been struggling with work lately, they usually help me focus”
“Huh Interesting combination you’ve got going on here”
She looked at me and smiled slightly, I smiled back and chuckled to seem normal.
“Yeah even I don't know what I was trying to accomplish here, to be honest”
I tried to help Emma clean up the spilled groceries but she did not let me, she told me that I needed to recover like I had been in a car crash instead of having taken a little tumble. After a few seconds of silence, Emma spoke again.
“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?”
A quick jolt of stress shot through my body, in a jumbled mess of lies and fear I had forgotten what I had told Emma, I sat there in silence for a few seconds unable to come up with an excuse
“I…umm… I don’t remember, it wasn't anything serious though”
“Damn did you hit your head too?”
She said once again proudly smiling at her joke.
At this point Emma picked up the last bag of potato chips from the floor and placed it on the table, then she opened the fridge and started loading the groceries into it.
“Anyway I gotta go get back to work’’
I blurted out after a few more seconds of awkward silence.
“Alright well good luck”
I walked over into the living room and sat down in front of my workstation, which now consisted of a laptop sitting on a small foldable TV tray that had just barely enough room left on it to fit a small USB mouse.
The last thing I remember, before I fell asleep, was me mindlessly scrolling through apartment listings while Emma watched a random 90’s horror movie I’m positive only had a budget of $500.
I woke up with a light stinging pain shooting through my dry throat, and a dim hissing sound caused by thousands of water drops striking the ground outside filled the room. I pressed the spacebar on my laptop, the brightness of the screen blinding me temporarily, after taking a few seconds to let my eyes readjust I managed to make out the time, 3:45 AM. A strong smell I was unable to make out the origin of assaulted my nostrils. Lavender.
The smell hitting my nose had the same effect on me that I would expect smelling salts would have on a weightlifter right before they set a world record. Before I knew it my legs were moving on their own at an almost uncontrollable pace, fighting back against my mind which was telling them to slow down after years of being used to navigating both mine and Emma’s apartment as steadily as possible to not bother the neighbors.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity I stood before Emma’s bedroom door, a faint, yellow, pulsating light radiated from a lamp and snuck out of a small gap between the door and the doorframe, reluctantly I pushed my left hand up against the door, my right hand grasping onto the door frame for a sense of stability, once the door was fully agape I scanned the inside of the room my heart skipping a beat for every humanoid shadow cast up onto the wall by the lights from the wicks which were set ablaze and were being slowly burnt away.
I walked into Emma’s room and made my way over to her bedside table to put out the candle, as I stepped closer towards her, her face became more defined, I could finally make out her features, she was awake, but no she could not have been, even though her eyes were wide open they never blinked, she didn't even move slightly, as I moved closer I finally managed to fully make out the expression of pure terror on her face, her mouth wide agape as if she was about to release a deafening screach, but she could not have, a single drop of solidified wax dribbled out of the corner of her mouth and clung to her cheek, my eyes traced the cream colored path back towards her mouth, first up her cheek then between the corner of her mouth and finally behind her teeth, there instead of her tongue or the roof of her mouth I saw a wall of wax which had filled in the entirety of her mouth.
I fell to my knees and hunched forward supporting my body weight with my arms, I was too late, I resisted the urge to vomit and got back up onto my feet, a mixture of tears and snot slid down my face and onto my lips, shaking now I slowly started limping over towards my phone which I had left on the couch next to where I had awoken just minutes before, just minutes before my life was destroyed because of my lies if I had just told Emma what I had gone through, if I had just told her what had happened on the night of the incident which now seemed trivial, even if she thought that I was crazy, I know that she would have complied just to make me feel comfortable.
It took me at least 30 seconds of repeated attempts to stabilize my hands enough to properly dial 911. “Someone broke into my apartment and hurt my friend” was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with that would not get the operator to hang up on me thinking that this was a prank call.
I sat there in the living room for an agonizing 10 minutes, crying, my sadness slowly transformed into anger towards myself, and my mind raced thinking of all the lies I’d told, I kept thinking that if I had just told her the truth she would not have been laying there in her bed, her body bloated, “every single orifice has signs of forced penetration and has been filled with what seems to be candle wax” is what was written on her autopsy report.
For a few days I was the main suspect in Emma’s murder, but due to the almost unstoppable crying and the unresponsive state that I was in when the police arrived, mixed with the lack of evidence of me having a way to produce 30 pounds of candle wax led to me being released out of police custody, but because I was the main suspect I was not told any details about what had fully happened to Emma, for days all I had to work off of was the image of her face frozen in terror, and a short glance I caught of her bloated body as she was being carted out on a stretcher.
I recounted every single word of our last conversations over and over again until they became permanently etched into my brain.
Emma’s parents originally wanted to cremate her, as that is what she had somewhat jokingly asked for whenever the topic of funerals came up, well she had joked about wanting to have had unpopped popcorn shoved down her throat before she was sent off to “scare the shit out of the guy cremating me” but due to all the wax which would have been impossible to get out of her body they were forced to bury her.
A few days before Emma’s funeral her body disappeared.
After Emma’s death, her parents took me into their home, after reading the autopsy reports and seeing her corpse they had thrown out every single candle they owned which made their home the safest choice I had, still, this did not stop me from buying a machete and keeping it under my bed, just in case.
I was laying on the bed in their guest bedroom The day that the police informed Emma’s parents about her disappearance, the bedroom is right above the front porch of the house, at first I heard them ring the doorbell which was followed up by 3 powerful knocks on the door, for about a minute I laid there on the bed listening to muffled voices exchanging distorted words I was barely able to make out which slowly transformed into distorted weeps, curious I lifted myself up from the bed, made my way over to the window and carefully lifted the bottom panel making Shure to not make too much noise, the distorted muffled sounds started forming into coherent words “We checked the security footage but the only strange thing we could see was a 5 second time jump” one of the officers spoke in a serious and almost monotone voice “which meant that the security guard who was the only person in the building had to climb down 2 flights of stairs walk through a 40 foot long hallway and then drag her body back up stairs and out of the building in 5 seconds” Emma’s mom let out yelp “ but don’t worry ma'am that’s actually good news because we know that her corpse is still somewhere within the building and was probably brought to the wrong floor by an intern, we’ve already warned all of the staff at the hospital to keep an eye out, and we also sent 5 officers to search the hospital”
I could not believe what I was hearing, my breathing quickened, but this time instead of fear I felt anger, that fucker stole her corpse and was probably in the weird separate plane of existence he always went back to after terrorizing me, cutting off chunks of her body, melting her, and drinking her.
I closed the window Emma’s mom's cries once again turned into a muffled rumble which was only possible to make out if you knew what to look for, I took a few steps back away from the window planning to lay back down, not wanting to bother Emma’s parents. I bumped into something, not something, someone, its fleshy towering form as solid as a wall sent me tumbling forward, I knew it was him, he had returned to take me too, to stretch his swollen cracked lips, push them down my esophagus, fill my lungs and stomach with wax. But despite all of that this time I was not scared, I was angry, and I was not going to stand there in terror like I had the last time I saw him.
I fell forward onto my knees my face missing the window sill just by mere inches, I put my hands onto the floor, lifted one of my knees, and rotated 180 degrees now facing the monster, to the right of him pushed up against the wall was the bed, light from the sun reflected off of the metallic button which kept my machete in it’s sheathe, the man started to stretch his lips, they were moving towards me, waving a wiggling through the air like a snake slithering towards me.
I dove towards the bed one of my feet pushing off of the floor and the other pushing against the wall which creaked under the pressure applied to it, I flew for a few moments before slamming down onto the carpet and sliding forward, the heat generated by my skin brushing against the carpet released a sharp stinging pain throughout my body, my outstretched arm landed just a few inches short of the machete, I quickly bent my arms, pushing my body up and crawled towards the machete. my fingers wrapped around the handle I spun around, my back pushed up against the bedside table, once again facing the man, he was still facing the window but his lips faced me and were just a few feet away from me, for what felt like minutes but was most likely no longer than a second, I struggled to hook my finger under the strap securing the machete into its sheath, as the lips inched towards me the man started producing gurgling noises, he was regurgitation wax.
I finally pulled the machete out of its sheath, I swung the blade at the man's lips, the blade was not met with any resistance as it sliced through the man’s lips which landed on the carpeted floor with an audible thud, the man did not have a physical reaction to my counter-attack, his lips kept creeping towards me, once again I slashed at the lips, still no reaction, I repeated this at least 3 more times.
I wanted to kill him, I wanted to take revenge for what he had done to Emma, but fighting back was pointless. I realized that no matter how much I tried to hurt it, I could not kill him, I could not get rid of him.
My rage dissipated and a mixture of fear and sadness crept in, and soon took over my body, I screamed for help, I screamed in fear, in agony, tears streamed down my face as the man's lips finally reached my face, he wasn’t met with any resistance as his lips snuck between mine, pried my jaw open and finally started to slide down my esophagus.
I heard the cops run up the stairs, they started banging on the door asking if I was okay only to have been met with muffled screams, hot wax started to pour down inside of me, the stinging pain of the heat made me want to plunge the machete which I had dropped onto the ground next to me into my stomach to create a gaping wound that the wax would hopefully funnel out of, the texture of the man's slippery, oily lips matched with the poison like flavor of the wax caused me to start gagging, I felt my insides bulging like at any moment my intestines would have been filled to the point where they would pop, I wanted to vomit, the drain myself of the filth I was filled with, but his lips had plugged my throat not allowing anything to get out.
Hearing my muffled screams the cops started kicking the door down, the man retracted his lips, the suction aided my attempts at cleansing my insides, I got onto my hands and knees streams of molten wax pouring out of me, solidifying on the the carpet, with another loud thud the door swung open slamming into the wall, the man was gone.
That’s the last thing I remember before I passed out, but according to one of the doctors who was in the ambulance that brought me to the hospital, I was still semi-responsive during the first 10 minutes of the ride to the hospital.
Approximately 13.4 pounds of wax were removed from my body, the doctors said that I was in a critical condition and some of them did not expect me to make it.
One of the officers who was there the day the man attacked me took a report of what had happened to me, due to the unmistakable evidence of what had happened to both me and Emma, and the fact that this was the 3rd instance of me reporting something like this the police finally started investigating who this man might have been.
Around a month later I was discharged from the hospital and once again have been staying in the living room of Emma’s parent's house.
I’ve been seeing the man again, candles were not allowed in the hospital I stayed at, which means that he’s probably very hungry, he’s close to attacking me again, I know it, he wants to finish what he started and I don't know if I have the power to fight back, I’m not sure if defeating him is even possible, I’m tired.
I’ve been seeing Emma too, her bloated, reanimated corpse often appears to be standing next to the man. If I let him take me will I get to join them? I’ve tried asking but they don’t answer, they just stare, I can’t keep living in constant fear, always looking over my shoulder, I miss Emma.
submitted by wood_chomper to nosleep [link] [comments]
I kept this belief for another week until the first incident. While getting up from my computer desk, which faces away from the candle, to take a quick bathroom break, I caught a glimpse of the lit candle. A two-inch layer of molten wax rested on another three-inch layer of solid wax, the wicks rising out at first and being somewhat visible through the molten layer, finally breaking the surface and being slowly burned away. The flames flickered as I swung the door open and walked out of the room. When I returned 10 minutes later, the molten layer was gone, and the wicks had been shortened so that the flames rested right above the solid layer of the wax. At first, I thought that the glass jar that contained the candle was leaking, but after a short inspection, I was only able to find two small drops of candle wax that had solidified right next to the candle on the bedside table. I still had 2 hours of work left to do, but I was too lost in thought and was unable to do any work for the rest of the day.
Every night before I go to sleep, I like to read for at least 30 minutes, and while reading, I usually light a candle. Around 4 days later, I had mostly forgotten about the incident and went back to using candles. Due to my naivety, it returned.
I fell asleep while reading with a candle lit on my bedside table. I woke up to loud slurping noises. As I opened my eyes, the brightness of the light I had not turned off almost blinded me. As my eyes tried to readjust to the light and focus on what was in front of me, I saw a somewhat humanoid dark gray to light blue blur that contrasted with the white paint on the walls behind it. Another gray line stretched from the shape's head to the candle on my bedside table. I could feel my heart skip five consecutive beats. I opened my mouth and tried to force out a scream for help, but the pressure I applied to my throat was way beyond what it was able to handle, leading me to only produce a light wheezing sound. I tried to sit up or to at least prop myself up, but my muscles failed me. Trying to push myself up with my arms felt impossible. As I stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared in my room, my eyes finally managed to focus, making it possible for me to see the intruder who was now staring at me. The figure was a man at least 7 feet tall, fully naked; he looked bloated; his eyes were bloodshot and looked like they would pop out of their sockets; at any point, his skin was a grayish light blue.
HIS LIPS
His lips extended from his mouth like an elephant's trunk, which had been split in half. The lips extended from the man's face to the candle; the flames had been put out. He was using his lips as a makeshift straw, slowly sucking up all the molten wax from the candle, which had fully liquified while I was asleep. I laid in bed, unable to move, unable to scream for help, staring until he emptied the jar. His lips retracted back to his face, the molten wax solidifying on their tips and cracking, flakes of wax falling off the man's lips and falling to the floor. The man grinned, staring at me. The ridges and gaps between the teeth were filled in with wax, making it impossible to make out where one tooth ended and the next one began. The man opened the door he was standing next to, but instead of walking out of the room, he stepped behind it. His face peered at me from above the door, and then once again, like he had done to drink the wax, the man puckered his lips, which stretched from his mouth and floated to me. I shook and tried to roll over away from him. I wanted to get up and run, but my fear had taken over my body. Tears flowed from my eyes. He kissed me on the cheek, leaving flakes of wax and light moisture. He retracted his lips and lowered his head behind the door.
I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, I saw the empty glass jar, which at one point contained the candle. Even though I had hoped that what had happened was a dream, it wasn't. I still had flakes of wax on my cheek, and on my bedroom floor, the wax in the jar had disappeared. I called the police, but they were unable to find anyone in my apartment; they also could not find any evidence of a break-in.
After the break-in, I started looking for a new apartment to move to, thinking that the man was tied to the building I was in, but even though I had thrown out all of my candles, I could not stomach spending another hour in my apartment, constantly looking over my shoulder or walking around with my back pressed up against the wall to not allow it to creep up on me. Thankfully, my friend Emma was able to let me stay over at her apartment while I looked for a new one for myself.
Me and Emma have been friends since we were 8, and we've been there to support each other when times get rough. This isn’t the first time I've had to stay over at her house for an extended amount of time; in fact, I have had to stay over at Emma’s as many times as she has had to stay over at my apartment, whether it was because of evictions after losing a job, breakups, or a candle wax drinking squatter. I didn't even know if it was human. I mean, sure, it looked like one, but human lips are not supposed to do what his did, and somehow it didn't have a reaction to molten wax being poured down its esophagus. I didn't tell Emma about what happened—the details at least—I just told her that a man had broken into my house and was watching me sleep. The only people I told the truth to were my therapist and the cops, and all of them disregarded what I told them as my mind making things up after a traumatic event.
For a while, I believed what they said—I mean, why wouldn’t I?—but then I started seeing him again. For a few days, I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me again like it had done during the night of the incident. For split seconds out of the corner of my eye, I would see the outline of a tall, bloated figure. At first, they were hours apart, but after a while, it became constant. He was standing in each room I passed, in every single dark corner I glanced past, and then he spoke.
“FeeD MeEeee”
It stood in the kitchen, peering over from a small gap between the fridge and the sink, where the trash can that had been knocked over onto its side usually stood. His voice was raspy, and every word that came out of his mouth was distorted as if he were gargling water, but still, I could somehow clearly make out each word he said from over 15 feet away.
“Please just leave me alone I… why are you following me?”
I shouted at the figure, the same fear that had taken over my body during the night I saw him for the first time paralyzing me, making it impossible for me to move anything other than my eyes, eyelids, and mouth.
“i’M sTarviNg, I nEEd You To FeEd ME”
It replied again. Now, stepping out from behind the fridge, he stepped directly onto a rotten banana. Its mushy brown content’s seeping out of the peel under the pressure of his decomposing foot, which was covered in scabs, and took up the same grayish light blue color as the rest of his body. He mostly looked the same; his bloodshot eyes bulged from their sockets, but now his tongue was swollen. It peeked out from between his bloated, cracked gray lips; it stared at me, waiting for an answer.
“Ok, I’ll.. I’ll feed you, but please just... leave me alone.”
I replied, the tone of my voice shifting into high-pitched squeals with every quick breath I took. He looked satisfied by my response. He somehow squeezed his bloated body back into the gap that was at least four times smaller than him. After peering over at me from above the fridge, he bent over backwards, his spine releasing a series of sickening cracks until he was fully obscured by the fridge, and then he vanished.
Still barely in control of my body, I limped over to the couch tucked away in the back corner of the living room, it took me at least 10 minutes to steady my breathing and 20 more to fully regain control of my body again but as soon as I did I ran out the house and to the nearest store, during the 15-minute walk he stared at me through dark windows and the backs of cars, peered out at me from gaps between leaves in the trees and bushes, he even followed me into the store staring at me from the middle of deserted isles before disappearing right before my eyes were able to fully catch him, once I finally got the candles I randomly picked four off of the shelves and rushed to the self checkout.
When I arrived home, I had 2 hours before Emma got off work. I didn't want to feed it while she was home, and I didn't want her to see it. I pulled out two of the candles from the black plastic bag and placed them on the kitchen table, the first a light blue candle named “Garden Rain” and the second a red candle named “Juicy Watermelon." I pulled out a lighter from one of the drawers Emma used after her stove stopped lighting on its own and lit each of the 6 wicks on the candles. As soon as I started seeing the wax melt under the heat of the burning wicks, I dropped the lighter onto the table next to the candles and ran out of the room. I could not stomach seeing that thing again; even just thinking about it made me shudder and hyperventilate. The paralyzing fear that seeing him caused me made me want to vomit.
At least 30 minutes later I started to hear it drink even though the living room and kitchen were separated by a wall, even though I had closed the door I could still hear what at first started as slurping sounds which were followed up by loud gulps, then it stopped, and once again 30 minutes later it started drinking, as the slurping started once again I heard the door to the apartment crack open, it was Emma, as she stepped through the door I saw her carrying two large brown paper bags of groceries in her hands, she was headed to the kitchen.
“Hey let me grab those for you”
I said running over to her, my voice shaking.
“Oh, thanks. Are you… okay, you look scared?”
My eyes shot wide open in a mixture of fear and surprise. I said the first thing that came to mind.
“Yeah just umm… I didn't expect you to come home so early and I got a bit spooked”
“shit sorry, I know I should have called you, work let me off early today,”
I started to turn away from her walking to the kitchen.
Trying to keep her away from the kitchen I told her to wait for me in the living room because I wanted to talk to her about something. I didn't know what I would talk to her about but that was a problem for future me to resolve, somehow it worked.
“What's that sound?”
She called out to me while walking towards the living room couch. It took me a few seconds to come up with an excuse.
“I think it’s the sink, or the pipes at least”
I opened the door to the kitchen with my eyes closed at first hesitant to look knowing what would be greeting me. slowly prying my eyes open I started to see its outline, my muscles started to lose strength as the details of the man came into my view, I felt the grocery bags start to slip from my arms, my knees buckled, face first I fell onto the kitchen floor scattering the groceries all over the floor, I mixture of a light scream and a yelp escaped from my mouth as my body made contact with the floor, Emma concerned for my safety ran into the kitchen, she didn't scream, using all of the strength and mobility I had left in my muscles I rolled over expecting to see her face drenched in terror, her body frozen still unable to move just like my body had done the first time that I saw him, but Emma looked concerned, the man was gone, she crouched down beside me.
“Oh my god are you ok? What happened?”
I looked around observing my surroundings.
“I um… I… I tripped on the little thing at the bottom of the doorframe”
I finally managed to blurt out another excuse, not being able to remember what the name of a door sill was. I started to sit up using a part of the energy that had returned to my body, pain pulsed through my chest and arms, Emma looked at me with a concerned face.
“You've been acting really weird since I got home, are you sure you're ok?”
“Yeah… I think I’m just having one of those days you know”
The confusion on Emma’s face said that she didn’t know and to be honest I didn't either, I guess my luck of pulling random excuses out of my ass ran out, Emma thought that she triggered some sort of PTSD response after barging into the house unannounced at first apologizing then trying to change the subject to stop my trembling which I was still unsuccessfully trying to hide from her.
“Did you buy candles?”
Emma asked picking the groceries apart from the garbage that spilled out the can that the man had knocked over, placing them on the table next to the now half-empty glass jars, the flames flickered above the inch or so of molten wax the man was unable to finish drinking.
“Yeah I’ve been struggling with work lately, they usually help me focus”
“Huh Interesting combination you’ve got going on here”
She looked at me and smiled slightly, I smiled back and chuckled to seem normal.
“Yeah even I don't know what I was trying to accomplish here, to be honest”
I tried to help Emma clean up the spilled groceries but she did not let me, she told me that I needed to recover like I had been in a car crash instead of having taken a little tumble. After a few seconds of silence, Emma spoke again.
“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?”
A quick jolt of stress shot through my body, in a jumbled mess of lies and fear I had forgotten what I had told Emma, I sat there in silence for a few seconds unable to come up with an excuse
“I…umm… I don’t remember, it wasn't anything serious though”
“Damn did you hit your head too?”
She said once again proudly smiling at her joke.
At this point Emma picked up the last bag of potato chips from the floor and placed it on the table, then she opened the fridge and started loading the groceries into it.
“Anyway I gotta go get back to work’’
I blurted out after a few more seconds of awkward silence.
“Alright well good luck”
I walked over into the living room and sat down in front of my workstation, which now consisted of a laptop sitting on a small foldable TV tray that had just barely enough room left on it to fit a small USB mouse.
The last thing I remember, before I fell asleep, was me mindlessly scrolling through apartment listings while Emma watched a random 90’s horror movie I’m positive only had a budget of $500.
I woke up with a light stinging pain shooting through my dry throat, and a dim hissing sound caused by thousands of water drops striking the ground outside filled the room. I pressed the spacebar on my laptop, the brightness of the screen blinding me temporarily, after taking a few seconds to let my eyes readjust I managed to make out the time, 3:45 AM. A strong smell I was unable to make out the origin of assaulted my nostrils. Lavender.
The smell hitting my nose had the same effect on me that I would expect smelling salts would have on a weightlifter right before they set a world record. Before I knew it my legs were moving on their own at an almost uncontrollable pace, fighting back against my mind which was telling them to slow down after years of being used to navigating both mine and Emma’s apartment as steadily as possible to not bother the neighbors.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity I stood before Emma’s bedroom door, a faint, yellow, pulsating light radiated from a lamp and snuck out of a small gap between the door and the doorframe, reluctantly I pushed my left hand up against the door, my right hand grasping onto the door frame for a sense of stability, once the door was fully agape I scanned the inside of the room my heart skipping a beat for every humanoid shadow cast up onto the wall by the lights from the wicks which were set ablaze and were being slowly burnt away.
I walked into Emma’s room and made my way over to her bedside table to put out the candle, as I stepped closer towards her, her face became more defined, I could finally make out her features, she was awake, but no she could not have been, even though her eyes were wide open they never blinked, she didn't even move slightly, as I moved closer I finally managed to fully make out the expression of pure terror on her face, her mouth wide agape as if she was about to release a deafening screach, but she could not have, a single drop of solidified wax dribbled out of the corner of her mouth and clung to her cheek, my eyes traced the cream colored path back towards her mouth, first up her cheek then between the corner of her mouth and finally behind her teeth, there instead of her tongue or the roof of her mouth I saw a wall of wax which had filled in the entirety of her mouth.
I fell to my knees and hunched forward supporting my body weight with my arms, I was too late, I resisted the urge to vomit and got back up onto my feet, a mixture of tears and snot slid down my face and onto my lips, shaking now I slowly started limping over towards my phone which I had left on the couch next to where I had awoken just minutes before, just minutes before my life was destroyed because of my lies if I had just told Emma what I had gone through, if I had just told her what had happened on the night of the incident which now seemed trivial, even if she thought that I was crazy, I know that she would have complied just to make me feel comfortable.
It took me at least 30 seconds of repeated attempts to stabilize my hands enough to properly dial 911. “Someone broke into my apartment and hurt my friend” was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with that would not get the operator to hang up on me thinking that this was a prank call.
I sat there in the living room for an agonizing 10 minutes, crying, my sadness slowly transformed into anger towards myself, and my mind raced thinking of all the lies I’d told, I kept thinking that if I had just told her the truth she would not have been laying there in her bed, her body bloated, “every single orifice has signs of forced penetration and has been filled with what seems to be candle wax” is what was written on her autopsy report.
For a few days I was the main suspect in Emma’s murder, but due to the almost unstoppable crying and the unresponsive state that I was in when the police arrived, mixed with the lack of evidence of me having a way to produce 30 pounds of candle wax led to me being released out of police custody, but because I was the main suspect I was not told any details about what had fully happened to Emma, for days all I had to work off of was the image of her face frozen in terror, and a short glance I caught of her bloated body as she was being carted out on a stretcher.
I recounted every single word of our last conversations over and over again until they became permanently etched into my brain.
Emma’s parents originally wanted to cremate her, as that is what she had somewhat jokingly asked for whenever the topic of funerals came up, well she had joked about wanting to have had unpopped popcorn shoved down her throat before she was sent off to “scare the shit out of the guy cremating me” but due to all the wax which would have been impossible to get out of her body they were forced to bury her.
A few days before Emma’s funeral her body disappeared.
After Emma’s death, her parents took me into their home, after reading the autopsy reports and seeing her corpse they had thrown out every single candle they owned which made their home the safest choice I had, still, this did not stop me from buying a machete and keeping it under my bed, just in case.
I was laying on the bed in their guest bedroom The day that the police informed Emma’s parents about her disappearance, the bedroom is right above the front porch of the house, at first I heard them ring the doorbell which was followed up by 3 powerful knocks on the door, for about a minute I laid there on the bed listening to muffled voices exchanging distorted words I was barely able to make out which slowly transformed into distorted weeps, curious I lifted myself up from the bed, made my way over to the window and carefully lifted the bottom panel making Shure to not make too much noise, the distorted muffled sounds started forming into coherent words “We checked the security footage but the only strange thing we could see was a 5 second time jump” one of the officers spoke in a serious and almost monotone voice “which meant that the security guard who was the only person in the building had to climb down 2 flights of stairs walk through a 40 foot long hallway and then drag her body back up stairs and out of the building in 5 seconds” Emma’s mom let out yelp “ but don’t worry ma'am that’s actually good news because we know that her corpse is still somewhere within the building and was probably brought to the wrong floor by an intern, we’ve already warned all of the staff at the hospital to keep an eye out, and we also sent 5 officers to search the hospital”
I could not believe what I was hearing, my breathing quickened, but this time instead of fear I felt anger, that fucker stole her corpse and was probably in the weird separate plane of existence he always went back to after terrorizing me, cutting off chunks of her body, melting her, and drinking her.
I closed the window Emma’s mom's cries once again turned into a muffled rumble which was only possible to make out if you knew what to look for, I took a few steps back away from the window planning to lay back down, not wanting to bother Emma’s parents. I bumped into something, not something, someone, its fleshy towering form as solid as a wall sent me tumbling forward, I knew it was him, he had returned to take me too, to stretch his swollen cracked lips, push them down my esophagus, fill my lungs and stomach with wax. But despite all of that this time I was not scared, I was angry, and I was not going to stand there in terror like I had the last time I saw him.
I fell forward onto my knees my face missing the window sill just by mere inches, I put my hands onto the floor, lifted one of my knees, and rotated 180 degrees now facing the monster, to the right of him pushed up against the wall was the bed, light from the sun reflected off of the metallic button which kept my machete in it’s sheathe, the man started to stretch his lips, they were moving towards me, waving a wiggling through the air like a snake slithering towards me.
I dove towards the bed one of my feet pushing off of the floor and the other pushing against the wall which creaked under the pressure applied to it, I flew for a few moments before slamming down onto the carpet and sliding forward, the heat generated by my skin brushing against the carpet released a sharp stinging pain throughout my body, my outstretched arm landed just a few inches short of the machete, I quickly bent my arms, pushing my body up and crawled towards the machete. my fingers wrapped around the handle I spun around, my back pushed up against the bedside table, once again facing the man, he was still facing the window but his lips faced me and were just a few feet away from me, for what felt like minutes but was most likely no longer than a second, I struggled to hook my finger under the strap securing the machete into its sheath, as the lips inched towards me the man started producing gurgling noises, he was regurgitation wax.
I finally pulled the machete out of its sheath, I swung the blade at the man's lips, the blade was not met with any resistance as it sliced through the man’s lips which landed on the carpeted floor with an audible thud, the man did not have a physical reaction to my counter-attack, his lips kept creeping towards me, once again I slashed at the lips, still no reaction, I repeated this at least 3 more times.
I wanted to kill him, I wanted to take revenge for what he had done to Emma, but fighting back was pointless. I realized that no matter how much I tried to hurt it, I could not kill him, I could not get rid of him.
My rage dissipated and a mixture of fear and sadness crept in, and soon took over my body, I screamed for help, I screamed in fear, in agony, tears streamed down my face as the man's lips finally reached my face, he wasn’t met with any resistance as his lips snuck between mine, pried my jaw open and finally started to slide down my esophagus.
I heard the cops run up the stairs, they started banging on the door asking if I was okay only to have been met with muffled screams, hot wax started to pour down inside of me, the stinging pain of the heat made me want to plunge the machete which I had dropped onto the ground next to me into my stomach to create a gaping wound that the wax would hopefully funnel out of, the texture of the man's slippery, oily lips matched with the poison like flavor of the wax caused me to start gagging, I felt my insides bulging like at any moment my intestines would have been filled to the point where they would pop, I wanted to vomit, the drain myself of the filth I was filled with, but his lips had plugged my throat not allowing anything to get out.
Hearing my muffled screams the cops started kicking the door down, the man retracted his lips, the suction aided my attempts at cleansing my insides, I got onto my hands and knees streams of molten wax pouring out of me, solidifying on the the carpet, with another loud thud the door swung open slamming into the wall, the man was gone.
That’s the last thing I remember before I passed out, but according to one of the doctors who was in the ambulance that brought me to the hospital, I was still semi-responsive during the first 10 minutes of the ride to the hospital.
Approximately 13.4 pounds of wax were removed from my body, the doctors said that I was in a critical condition and some of them did not expect me to make it.
One of the officers who was there the day the man attacked me took a report of what had happened to me, due to the unmistakable evidence of what had happened to both me and Emma, and the fact that this was the 3rd instance of me reporting something like this the police finally started investigating who this man might have been.
Around a month later I was discharged from the hospital and once again have been staying in the living room of Emma’s parent's house.
I’ve been seeing the man again, candles were not allowed in the hospital I stayed at, which means that he’s probably very hungry, he’s close to attacking me again, I know it, he wants to finish what he started and I don't know if I have the power to fight back, I’m not sure if defeating him is even possible, I’m tired.
I’ve been seeing Emma too, her bloated, reanimated corpse often appears to be standing next to the man. If I let him take me will I get to join them? I’ve tried asking but they don’t answer, they just stare, I can’t keep living in constant fear, always looking over my shoulder, I miss Emma.
2024.05.19 07:20 Significant-Tower146 Best Canvas Shotgun Case
 | submitted by Significant-Tower146 to u/Significant-Tower146 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/jxm639u9ib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=528357b3be4d67d6368a58e90a28b1ab58d56047 If you're an avid shotgun enthusiast, you understand the importance of keeping your gun safe and secure. In this article, we'll be reviewing the Canvas Shotgun Case, a sleek and practical solution to all your shotgun storage needs. From its high-quality materials to its sturdy design, we'll explore what sets this case apart from the competition. So, whether you're a weekend warrior or a serious collector, get ready to discover the perfect fit for your shotgun. The Top 15 Best Canvas Shotgun Case
Reviews🔗Tough Vault Takedown Rifle & Shotgun Case by Pelicanhttps://preview.redd.it/tstjbbv9ib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6d6ef383f038e45cc16a08f7d15c94b6b417b70 I recently discovered the Pelican V700 Vault Takedown Rifle and Shotgun Case, and it's truly a game changer for transportation of your beloved firearms. As an avid hunter, I appreciate that this case provides a high level of security, offering crushproof, dustproof, and weather resistant protection. The sturdy handles ensure your rifles or shotguns can withstand even the toughest conditions on your hunting trips. One feature I particularly love is the presence of six push button latches that offer secure closure with easy-open access. This ensures your weapons are safe and secure while also making it convenient for you to access them when needed. The case also comes with specific foam designed to fit takedown firearms and related accessories, providing your gear with excellent protection during transportation. However, like any product, there are some cons as well. The case is quite bulky and heavy, making it less ideal for those looking for a lightweight solution. Additionally, cutting and shaping the foam to fit your specific equipment can be time-consuming. Overall, despite its drawbacks, I would highly recommend this gun case to anyone in need of a reliable and resilient transportation solution for their takedown firearms. 🔗Evolution Outdoor Waxed Canvas Rifle Case for 1 Scoped Rifle with Zippered Pockethttps://preview.redd.it/9u134c8aib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a224fd4ba1667cfbf97b4de44e1e8f833e8a5f4d I recently got an opportunity to use the Evolution Outdoor Rawhide Rifle Case for my shooting practice. I was really impressed with the choice of materials and craftsmanship involved in creating this piece. The waxed canvas outer shell is not just stylish but also robust enough to stand up to regular usage without showing signs of wear. One feature that caught my eye was the interior flannel lining, which not only provides a classic touch to the overall design but also offers excellent protection for my firearm. The heavy gauge foam padding and 24 oz. cotton duck canvas provide an extra layer of security and handling ease. Despite these high points, it did come with some minor drawbacks. The full-length, antique-brass zippers are reliable, but they may require some extra care during closing to prevent them from jamming. The front storage pocket could be slightly more spacious to accommodate more gear. Overall, I find the Evolution Outdoor Rawhide Rifle Case to be an excellent choice. Its classic design appeals to the vintage lover in me, while its superior build quality ensures my rifle is safe and secure, ready for action at any time. 🔗Drake Waterfowl Side-Opening Gun Casehttps://preview.redd.it/7qc6vqraib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f017e58bfe2ec96fd189fd8789c9c2f197f619b Experience the innovation of the Drake Waterfowl Side-Opening Gun Case! This ground-breaking design revolutionizes how we store and maintain our firearms. The patented side flap allows for seamless access to your gun, while its HD2 material and water-resistant nylon interior liner provide top-notch protection. The adjustable shoulder strap, outer pocket for choke tubes, and sturdy snap fastenings make it the perfect companion for keeping your firearms safe, dry, and ready for action. I've been using this case for some time now and I can't sing its praises enough. The side-flap feature is a game-changer; it made it incredibly easy to clean and dry my shotgun after a hunting trip. The interior is made of synthetic materials that don't absorb water or dirt, which is a lifesaver when your gear gets splashed with mud and water. A small drawback I've noticed is that the exterior pocket can be a bit challenging to close if you're storing choke tubes. However, I suppose this is a minor concern given the case's overall performance and quality. The durability has been impressive; I've taken this case out in all conditions and it's held up beautifully. In summary, the Drake Waterfowl Side-Opening Gun Case is a brilliant and practical solution for storing and maintaining your firearms. Its innovative design, durable construction, and water resistance make it a must-have for hunters and shooting enthusiasts alike. Despite the minor issue with the exterior pocket, I wholeheartedly recommend this case for its performance and value. 🔗Avery Floating Gun Case for Waterfowl Huntinghttps://preview.redd.it/8lw2grzaib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbd30c93a769a22e1ea2e8f76f335f713afa1566 As an avid waterfowl hunter, I can safely say that the Avery Floating 2.0 Gun Case in Max5 camo has completely changed my game. I remember one chilly morning when my shotgun took an unexpected dip in the water. Thanks to the water-resistant DuraMax material of this case, I didn't have to worry about my trusty companion being ruined by the moisture. What I especially love about this case is how it ensures protection in water with its floating design. It's like having a personal bodyguard for my precious shotgun! And let's not forget the adjustable shoulder strap which makes carrying this beast of a case incredibly comfortable. However, there are two downsides to this otherwise fantastic gun case. Firstly, it tends to run on the smaller side, causing some issues when it comes to fitting in larger shotguns with extended chokes. Secondly, even though the material is strong and reliable, it does lack a little in terms of water resistance. Overall, if you're looking for a solid and reliable gun case that will protect your shotgun from unexpected mishaps while you're out hunting, then the Avery Floating 2.0 Gun Case in Max5 camo is definitely worth considering. Just remember to check its compatibility with your specific shotgun first! 🔗Stylish Modern Sleeper Chair with Pillow and Pockethttps://preview.redd.it/4x1nubgbib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37810e6949e6249e2f660e8c7d0683aa56e47440 I recently took the Allen Ranch Canvas 52 Shotgun Case out on a hunting trip, and I must say, it surpassed my expectations. The exterior zippered pocket provides quick access to essentials like ammunition and other accessories, while the plush padded interior ensures my dear shotgun is safe from dings and scratches. The weight of 363 grams felt comfortably light in my hands, thanks to its padded handles. Despite its compact size, there was ample storage space for both my shotgun and all its necessary gear. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail in the design - it's clear that this case was crafted with serious shooters in mind. However, one minor inconvenience was that the case was a bit too tight for some of my larger hunting knives. Though this was not a deal-breaker by any means, it did require a little extra effort to fit everything in securely. Overall, the Allen Ranch Canvas 52 Shotgun Case has proven to be an invaluable addition to my hunting gear. Its superior craftsmanship, plentiful storage, and comfortable handling make it worthy of the highest praise. 🔗Durable Cotton Duck Canvas Rifle Case with Abrasion Resistancehttps://preview.redd.it/auqqjjrbib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8360348697ba39d6be97246e3af994eb941a64b3 I've been using the Allen Ranch Canvas Rifle Case for a few months now and it's been an absolute game-changer. Not only does it securely hold my hunting rifle, but the plush quilted interior provides extra protection. The cotton duck exterior fabric with abrasion resistant synthetic base is a real bonus too, especially when I'm hunting in rough terrain. It's also got a big exterior zippered pocket where I stash extra ammo, hearing protection, or whatever else I need on my hunting trips. Plus, the lockable zippers and metal D-ring ensure that my rifle stays safe and secure when not in use. Another great feature is the padded carrying handles, which make it easy and comfortable to carry. The only downside? The exterior fabric might attract more dirt and dust than other materials. But that's a small price to pay for such an otherwise fantastic rifle case. " In this review, I highlighted the safe and secure nature of the rifle case, the abundant storage, the plush quilted interior for added protection, and the convenient padded carrying handles. However, I also mentioned a minor downside to the cotton duck exterior fabric's tendency to attract more dirt and dust than other materials. Overall, I would recommend this rifle case to fellow hunters looking for a durable and protective option. 🔗Durable Waterfowl Floater Shotgun Casehttps://preview.redd.it/hkf7qeacib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cc2c5eceed671684770c2ac21727ea77cb63c30 The Browning Trapper Creek Shooting Vest is an exceptional product that provides optimal comfort and convenience for avid hunters and shooting enthusiasts. This lightweight, open-mesh vest is perfect for hot summer days, offering the perfect blend of protection, breathability, and easy access. The superior design boasts a divided pocket on each side, allowing you the flexibility of carrying shells of different sizes or using the second section for either spent shells or alternative shot sizes. One of the highlights of this vest is its compatibility with both shotguns and rifles, ensuring a wide range of applicability. The high-quality leather shoulder patch is another noteworthy feature, providing excellent protection and stability for your shooting arm. This helps to keep the gun securely mounted in position, enabling you to maintain a consistent shooting form and improve your accuracy. Furthermore, the adjustable fit ensures that you can find the perfect balance between comfort and functionality, making this vest an ideal choice for individuals of different body types. In addition to its exceptional design and user-friendly features, the Browning Trapper Creek Shooting Vest also boasts a durable construction, ensuring that it can withstand the rigors of regular use and provide long-lasting performance. The high-quality materials and impeccable craftsmanship are evident in every stitch, and you can always trust that you're getting a top-notch product when you choose this vest. The affordable price point is yet another reason to consider this versatile and practical shooting vest. For a modest investment, you can enjoy the benefits of a high-quality, well-designed vest that is perfect for both beginners and experienced shooters alike. In conclusion, the Browning Trapper Creek Shooting Vest is a must-have for anyone who is passionate about shooting sports and wants to enhance their performance and overall experience. 🔗Browning Waterfowl Floating Shotgun Case for 54" Shotgunhttps://preview.redd.it/mitmsqjcib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d03de5a610ab0f4ac67b987f368793c107dab6a7 I've had the pleasure of using the Browning Waterfowl Floater 54-inch Shotgun Case Major Brown 1419509852 over the past year and it's been a game-changer. The heavy-duty design gives me peace of mind knowing my shotgun is well protected. As someone who often finds themselves on a boat hunting for ducks, the ability to trust this case to keep my gun safe from water damage is truly comforting. One of the features that really stands out to me is the high-density closed cell foam padding. It ensures that my shotgun stays dry even if it does happen to fall into the water. The other day I accidentally dropped my case from my boat, and while my heart dropped along with it, I was relieved to see my beloved shotgun bobbing on the surface safely. Another detail I appreciate about this case is the excellent quality of workmanship. The fabric is rugged and durable, able to withstand years of use without showing signs of wear. The web handles and hanging loop make it easy to carry and store when not in use. However, there are some minor drawbacks. The detachable shoulder strap could use improvement; it tends to loosen over time and doesn't stay put as securely as I would like. Additionally, while the Browning Vintage Tan camo pattern is attractive, it might not be to everyone's taste. In conclusion, I highly recommend the Browning Waterfowl Floater 54-inch Shotgun Case Major Brown 1419509852. Its exceptional protection against water damage, high-quality construction, and stylish appearance make it an excellent choice for any serious waterfowl hunter. Despite its minor cons, this case has become an indispensable part of my hunting gear! 🔗Premium Shotgun Case for Ultimate Protection and Conveniencehttps://preview.redd.it/4ai1513dib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3caf9ec45e3a27c07a7941285ed553bd7b744ede As a gun enthusiast who constantly needs to transport my treasured shotgun, Uncle Mike's Padded Long Gun Case has been a reliable companion. The Forest Green color lends an understated elegance to its sturdy exterior. I've found that the balanced, wraparound nylon handles add a measure of comfort while carrying the case. However, it was the model's thickness that was the real standout feature. With thick padding and resilient construction, this case ensures my firearm remains secure during transportation. This superior protection is worth the small weight increase. The full-length zippers do a fantastic job of allowing the cases to open flat, making it easier to access the shotgun inside. Nevertheless, the model does have a couple of minor drawbacks. It's not the most spacious case available, leading to some snug fits for larger firearms. And despite its snag-resistant lining, the case can sometimes catch on door frames or hooks in storage, which could be a concern for those not willing to be extra cautious. Overall, Uncle Mike's Padded Long Gun Case is a product that caters to the specific needs of a gun enthusiast, striking a balance between style and practicality. It has become an essential element in my firearm arsenal, providing a level of security and protection that I can trust. 🔗Durable Floating Gun Carry Bag with Adjustable Shoulder Straphttps://preview.redd.it/qu1xi2edib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fee2a679c296f99f01bdf48cffabeae463ec3862 I had the pleasure of trying out the Rig 'Em Right Sure Shot Floating Gun Case, and I must say, it's a game-changer. The dense floatation feature was fantastic; it helped keep my gun safe and dry, even in the roughest waters. The full-length zipper was incredibly convenient, allowing me to easily access my gun when needed. The oversized zipper pulls were a nice touch as well, making it easy to open and close the case with one hand. The soft lining within the case was a nice surprise, providing extra protection for my firearm. The adjustable shoulder strap made it comfortable to carry, and the double-reinforced tip was a reliable addition that helped ensure the case would last for years. One downside I found was the storage pocket wasn't as large as I had hoped, but it still held some essentials nicely. Another minor inconvenience was that the case wasn't quite as camouflaged as I had hoped, so it might not be ideal for stealthy hunts. However, overall, I was impressed with the Rig 'Em Right Sure Shot Floating Gun Case and would highly recommend it to any gun enthusiast. 🔗Ultra-Dense Shotgun Case for Ultimate Protectionhttps://preview.redd.it/zansyfvdib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=264599e1bcad2be7c14ea7551c28379f8b5604e5 I've had the pleasure of trying Allen Company's Leadville 52" Shotgun Case in real life situations. It's not just a shotgun case; it's the perfect companion for all my shooting expeditions. The 52-inch size caters to almost all types of shotguns, and the ultra-dense, dual foam padding system makes it almost impossible to damage the precious shotgun. The Endura fabric covering is a real game-changer. It not only looks good but its easy-to-clean feature is a lifesaver. Another plus point is the lockable zippers. They offer a sense of security that is hard to ignore. The reinforced webbed carrying handles make carrying the case a breeze. However, there is one con that stood out to me quite prominently - the size is quite bulky. It can be a hassle to carry around in crowded places. Nevertheless, considering the amount of protection it provides and the convenience it offers, it's certainly worth a try. 🔗Ultra-Compact Beretta Victory Shotgun Breakdown Casehttps://preview.redd.it/5j8qv18eib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7615bbdcb98211c16bc56760b8ecb9d7bd6a96a7 I recently got my hands on the Beretta Victory Shotgun Case, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. Being the avid hunter that I am, I always dread the moment when I have to stow away my shotgun after a long day in the field. But this case? It's a piece of cake to use. The first thing I noticed was how the case has separate compartments for the stock and receiver. It's perfect for protecting your shotgun, whether you're carrying an oveunder or a side-by-side. And, it's quite the sight! The padded interior with velvet lining is like a gentle cradle for your precious gun. The thermoformed ABS plastic exterior is sturdy and secure, making sure my shotgun withstands any bump, drop, or scratch. It’s a pleasure to note, handling this case is a breeze. The durable handles make it super easy to carry to and from the range. Plus, when you open it, it lays flat on the ground, offering easy access. I also appreciate the convenience of the three separate combination locks. They add an extra layer of security, especially when I'm traveling with my shotgun. Now, no one said that hunting in the wilderness was all sunshine and roses. But this Beretta Victory Shotgun Case sure makes rough adventures a breeze. With its ultra-compact design, compatibility with shotguns up to 30 inches long, and TSA-approved status, it's a perfect companion for any hunter, no matter the terrain. As someone who's tried and tested this case, I genuinely think it's worth every penny. It's an essential accessory for any hunter looking to store their shotgun securely and with the least hassle possible. Try it out once, and I promise you, you'll never want to go back. 🔗Lakewood Padded Canvas Shotgun Case with Lockable Designhttps://preview.redd.it/g0bbaloeib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00ca6c89af2ecb5704339bd8b437f6d688d7dbaa Imagine treating your precious firearm with the care it deserves - that's what the Allen 52 Heritage Lakewood Shotgun Case brings to the table. This canvas shotgun case not only boasts a vintage-inspired appearance but also boasts modern functionality. Locking up your shotgun has never been easier thanks to the lockable design of the case. The convenience of carrying it around without any hiccups is made possible with the inclusion of a handy carry handle. The padding, a crucial feature for any case, is thick and robust in this product. This provides robust protection for your gun by keeping it snug and secure. If there was one minor downside, it could be the size of the case that might not be compact enough for certain situations. Overall, the Allen 52 Heritage Lakewood Shotgun Case is a reliable and stylish shotgun case that offers excellent protection to your firearm. Despite its minor drawback, its pros outweigh the cons, making it a perfect fit for those seeking a practical and stylish solution for their shotgun storage needs. 🔗Dense Foam Padded 52" Dual Color Shotgun Casehttps://preview.redd.it/ns5008weib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6422b25ab42b2fb422521add3a92ac2369822376 As a hunter and gun enthusiast, I recently had the chance to try out the Allen 52 Powell Shotgun Case in black and green. It's been a handy addition to my gear collection, providing both protection and convenience. The shotgun fits snugly inside the dual-colored case, which is lined with dense foam padding to absorb any impact. The 600D polyester exterior is both durable and water-resistant, ensuring my shotgun stays safe and dry. One standout feature is the large exterior pocket, perfect for storing extra ammo, cleaning supplies, or any other essential gear. The 1.5-inch webbed strap also makes it easy to tote the case around, whether I'm hiking through the woods or traveling to a shooting range. Overall, the Allen 52 Powell Shotgun Case has been a reliable companion for any hunter in need of a convenient and protective case for their shotgun. 🔗High-Quality Canvas Shotgun Case for Outdoor Tactical Gearhttps://preview.redd.it/t7yi33ifib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=553aaa73315e367976742d99d2f6d019d1c2d525 As a reviewer who's tried the Evolution Outdoor Design EVODS Mesquite Shotgun case, let me share my experience. The case has a generous length of 50 inches, which easily accommodates my long-barreled shotgun. The quality of the canvas is top-notch, providing a sense of durability. However, one drawback I faced was its narrow width and depth, making it challenging to fit in one of my ten different shotguns. Despite this hiccup, I was impressed by the case's protective features and its reasonable price. Overall, it proved to be a useful accessory in my outdoor arsenal. Buyer's GuideCanvas shotgun cases have become the go-to choice for gun enthusiasts and sportspersons due to their durability, versatility, and stylish appearance. These cases come in various sizes, designs, and features to accommodate different shotgun types, providing ample protection for your precious firearms. In this section, we will discuss the essential factors to consider when purchasing a canvas shotgun case, as well as some general advice to help you make the best choice.Size and Shapehttps://preview.redd.it/0ok5kpqfib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=228dd0c3aff0591c87def7325ee047be57a2ed44 The first factor to consider is the size and shape of your shotgun. Most canvas cases are designed to fit different types, sizes, and barrel lengths, but it's always a good idea to compare the interior dimensions of the case with your firearm's dimensions. This will ensure a comfortable and secure fit. Construction and MaterialHigh-quality canvas cases are constructed with heavy-duty materials, such as 18-ounce cotton canvas, and reinforced stitching for enhanced durability. Additionally, look for cases with a PVC coating to provide extra water resistance and UV protection, ensuring the case remains in good condition even when exposed to the elements.Locking SystemA reliable locking mechanism is crucial for keeping your shotgun safe from theft or accidental discharge. Look for cases with sturdy locks, latches, or combination locks, preferably one that can be easily secured when you're not using the case. Some high-end options may also have a built-in combination lock, ensuring your firearm stays secure during transportation. https://preview.redd.it/3qlll15gib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4cb7bd2b312403557d560450b2336e07437b970b Design and AestheticsCanvas shotgun cases come in various design options, from classic brown to stylish camouflage patterns. Consider your personal preferences and how the case will be used when choosing the design. A well-designed case not only adds a touch of style but also helps you easily identify your firearm in a crowd or storage area.Maintenance and CareCanvas shotgun cases require minimal maintenance, but it's essential to clean and maintain them properly to ensure their longevity. Always check for wear and tear, especially in high-stress areas like zippers and seams. If needed, repair or replace these components before they compromise the overall durability of the case. Additionally, store your case in a cool, dry place when not in use to prevent mold and mildew growth.Pricing and Valuehttps://preview.redd.it/y1rk1ahgib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21ff08cc6a124af25ddbb1904067965f6e55998c Canvas shotgun cases come in a range of price points, from budget-friendly options to high-end, premium cases. While it's tempting to go for the cheapest option, remember that you typically get what you pay for in terms of quality, materials, and features. Invest in a high-quality canvas case that meets your specific needs and budget to ensure long-lasting protection for your prized shotgun. FAQWhat is a Canvas Shotgun Case?A Canvas Shotgun Case is a protective covering designed to store and transport shotguns. It is typically made of durable canvas material and features padded interior to ensure the safe and secure transportation of the firearm. https://preview.redd.it/qvavqyygib1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8e2a0581af23c9fcab91f66152ad9ba5ba05cc0 What are the benefits of using a Canvas Shotgun Case?
What are the different sizes available for Canvas Shotgun Cases?Canvas Shotgun Cases come in various sizes to accommodate different shotgun lengths. Be sure to measure your shotgun before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.How do I clean my Canvas Shotgun Case?To clean your Canvas Shotgun Case, use a damp cloth and a mild detergent. Avoid using harsh chemicals, as they can damage the material. After cleaning, let the case air dry completely before storing.Are Canvas Shotgun Cases waterproof?Canvas Shotgun Cases are typically not waterproof, but they are weather-resistant. We recommend using them in dry conditions to ensure the longevity of the case.Can I leave my shotgun in the Canvas Shotgun Case for extended periods of time?While Canvas Shotgun Cases are designed to protect your firearm during transportation, they should not be used for long-term storage. The gun should be cleaned and stored in a dry environment, preferably in a gun safe or a secure locker.Can I customize my Canvas Shotgun Case?Some Canvas Shotgun Case manufacturers offer customization options, such as embroidery or color choices. Be sure to check with your preferred manufacturer for availability.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 07:16 erlienbird Seeking Hope..eczema turned impetigo, urgent care, peds, and ER visit. Hard to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Last week we went to urgent care because our babies cheeks had two main eczema spots (seemingly irritated from drool on cheeks rubbing against a sleep sack) that began to weep after trying a few at home remedies. The urgent care doc prescribed a steroid (Des) and mupirocin topical antibacterial ointment. We were applying both as directed and coming up on five days and there was some improvement especially with the antibacterial, some redness as we continued to use the steroid and yet seemingly increased eczema appearing higher on the cheek.
A rash started on baby’s torso so I called our primary care to be seen and the pediatrician changed the steroid that we were applying to the two main sites at the bottom of the cheek to hydrocortisone saying the original one prescribed was too strong and not recommended. She also advised to lubricate with some cream or Vaseline.
That night we applied the hydrocortisone to the two main sites and some eucerine baby eczema cream to the rest of his face and body.
BAM-TOTAL INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE on face and body. By midnight that night baby’s face was swollen, pimply, red, and warm. I think the colloidal oatmeal is a trigger for his skin as this whole thing really blew up after first applying Tubby Todd ointment which caused increase irritation at the two main sites on his cheeks.
I went into pediatric ER that next morning and they told us to stop the steroid and started an oral antibiotic. They suggested giving the skin a break from anything but also apply Vaseline and topical antibacterial, yet we’ve waited 24 hours after the ER visit before we applied anything else to the skin.
We do see improvement within 20 minutes of the oral antibiotic but when we applied Vaseline, the skin on his face just seems to increase in pimples and redness.
The two main sites seems like their healing but it’s hard to look at because it’s not all the great looking—like when you really bust up your skin on a fall and the yellow pus/scab begins to form. There’s an eczema rash all over his arms right now. ER docs say the body rash is unrelated—that it looks viral??
We’ve gotten a few different forms of information and instructions from urgent care, our peds clinic, and the ER. It’s so hard watching my baby in pain, to be itching his face, and the tumultuous turns for these two intense sites on his cheeks.
My last resort is hoping and praying the oral meds kick this out. We’re day 2 of 7.
All this to say, I am gluten, dairy, soy, and egg free. This rash has intensified over the last two weeks and I’m losing my strength and it’s hard to feel like this is going to end or heal and I’ll be able to see my baby’s skin clear again.
submitted by erlienbird to Mommit [link] [comments]
A rash started on baby’s torso so I called our primary care to be seen and the pediatrician changed the steroid that we were applying to the two main sites at the bottom of the cheek to hydrocortisone saying the original one prescribed was too strong and not recommended. She also advised to lubricate with some cream or Vaseline.
That night we applied the hydrocortisone to the two main sites and some eucerine baby eczema cream to the rest of his face and body.
BAM-TOTAL INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE on face and body. By midnight that night baby’s face was swollen, pimply, red, and warm. I think the colloidal oatmeal is a trigger for his skin as this whole thing really blew up after first applying Tubby Todd ointment which caused increase irritation at the two main sites on his cheeks.
I went into pediatric ER that next morning and they told us to stop the steroid and started an oral antibiotic. They suggested giving the skin a break from anything but also apply Vaseline and topical antibacterial, yet we’ve waited 24 hours after the ER visit before we applied anything else to the skin.
We do see improvement within 20 minutes of the oral antibiotic but when we applied Vaseline, the skin on his face just seems to increase in pimples and redness.
The two main sites seems like their healing but it’s hard to look at because it’s not all the great looking—like when you really bust up your skin on a fall and the yellow pus/scab begins to form. There’s an eczema rash all over his arms right now. ER docs say the body rash is unrelated—that it looks viral??
We’ve gotten a few different forms of information and instructions from urgent care, our peds clinic, and the ER. It’s so hard watching my baby in pain, to be itching his face, and the tumultuous turns for these two intense sites on his cheeks.
My last resort is hoping and praying the oral meds kick this out. We’re day 2 of 7.
All this to say, I am gluten, dairy, soy, and egg free. This rash has intensified over the last two weeks and I’m losing my strength and it’s hard to feel like this is going to end or heal and I’ll be able to see my baby’s skin clear again.
2024.05.19 07:04 Count-Daring243 Best Cantilever Scope Mount
 | submitted by Count-Daring243 to u/Count-Daring243 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/87klwydefb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b2dac7aa46aad049ce48a887be890c1593ca8af Get ready to take your shooting experience to the next level with our roundup of the top Cantilever Scope Mounts on the market! In this article, we'll showcase a variety of high-quality Cantilever Scope Mounts that are sure to impress even the most discerning shooters. From sleek designs to rock-solid construction, these mounts will give you the stability and accuracy you need to make every shot count. The Top 16 Best Cantilever Scope Mount
Reviews🔗45-Degree Offset Rail Mount for Tactical Accessorieshttps://preview.redd.it/1qv4487ffb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c185a7a883221f5e54a5d4cd463ddeb3ccc5b5c9 Imagine you're in the heat of the moment, aiming down the sights of your rifle, trying to take out a target from around the corner. This is where the NcSTAR Mount shines. Its 45-degree offset angle allows you to mount your lasers, flashlights, or red dot sights at just the right angle for a clear view down the barrel. The offset canted design of the mount adds a level of versatility that's not often found in other mounts. It eliminates interference with vertical grips, hand guards, optics, and other accessories, making it perfect for a wide range of uses. Plus, the ergonomic design gives easy access to on/off switches for your accessories, which is a game-changer when you're in the thick of it. But let's not forget the solid construction. The NcSTAR Mount is made from hard-anodized aluminum, which not only adds strength to the mount but also makes it resistant to corrosion. And the single-slotted thumb nut secures the mount to Weaver Style or Picatinny rails quickly and easily. The NcSTAR Mount isn't just a device, it's a tool that could give you the edge you need in tense situations. It's a reliable, solid piece of equipment that's easy to use and a pleasure to work with. And the reviews from other users certainly back this up - they've praised its quality, price, and performance. So, if you're looking for a reliable, dependable, and versatile mount, the NcSTAR Mount is definitely worth considering. 🔗Specialized Swat Black Computer Mount for Lightweight SWAT Tool Kithttps://preview.redd.it/gyquk4gffb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0effe1425fe61e271ba54db1690c582fb5e96928 I had the chance to try out the Granite Tool Design Scope Computer Mount, specifically made for Specialized SWAT Black bikes. When I first received it, I was intrigued by how lightweight this mount was, weighing just 15g. It certainly didn't slow me down during my rides. One of the unique features of this mount is that it's easy to install at home without needing any specialist tools. Plus, it didn't interfere with the SWAT system, which is a definite plus! However, one downside I noticed was the compatibility - it's only made for Specialized bikes with the SWAT concealed transport tool kit. Overall, the Granite Tool Design Scope Computer Mount is a good choice for those looking for a lightweight, easy-to-install mount for their computer on their Specialized bike. If you don't fit the compatibility criteria, it might not be worth it for you. 🔗Anodized Flat Dark Earth Reptilia AUS Offset Mount for Aimpoint ARCO 100-230https://preview.redd.it/qcrlfnwffb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=619f9a7f8577025b5522d34d3c7919ddedfa24be The Reptilia aus Offset MNT Acro FDE 100-230 is a sleek and durable scope mount that has made an impact in my daily shooting routine. This anodized finish, flat dark earth unit fits snugly on my beloved Aimpoint ARCO 100-230. The versatility it brings to the table makes my aim more precise and stable. One of the best aspects is the offset positioning of the mount that allows for increased accuracy and ease of use. This product surely adds value to the gear arsenal of Remington 870 users, helping them make swift and precise shots. It's not all ups though. The slightly higher price point can be a deterrent for some, but in my experience, the high quality and durability it provides justifies the investment. It's a reliable, solid piece of equipment that elevates the shooting experience in a unique way. 🔗High-Quality Finder Scope Base for Essential Series Telescopeshttps://preview.redd.it/eorn5a5gfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=96c7c951a08fd3935806188eb39f36c461f2a21c As a devoted stargazer, I found myself in need of an efficient and reliable finder scope to enhance my telescope experience. Upon trying out the Explore Scientific T-Shaped Finder Scope Base, which I affectionately refer to as the Essential Finder Base, I was truly impressed by its performance. First and foremost, the base is incredibly user-friendly. The easy-to-install design allowed me to swiftly mount the finder scope to my telescope without any hassle. The sturdy construction ensures a secure connection, providing peace of mind during my celestial adventures. One highlight that truly stands out is the compact size. With its dimensions of 50mm in length and 51mm in width, this base seamlessly fits a variety of telescope configurations. The lightweight nature, weighing just 1.29 oz, adds to its convenience. While the base performed brilliantly in most aspects, I did notice a slight inconvenience. The screws provided were decent, but I found myself wishing for a more robust solution to prevent any potential slippage. Overall, the Explore Scientific T-Shaped Finder Scope Base has been a valuable addition to my telescope setup, proving to be both functional and convenient. Despite the minor drawback, I wholeheartedly recommend this sturdy finder base to fellow enthusiasts seeking to enhance their stargazing experience. 🔗Explore Scientific Mini Scope Mount for Telescopeshttps://preview.redd.it/oek6oaigfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c7d4d7b7a6cfa846c5eda7b351dc463151d454e As a stargazing enthusiast, I recently tried the Explore Scientific Finder Scope Base and was astounded by how convenient and reliable it was. It's the perfect addition to any telescope, providing a stable base for mounting the finder scope of your choice. The highlight of this product, for me, was the ease of installation. It literally took me a few minutes to set it up, thanks to the provided mounting screws. The knurled knobs on the base really make locking the finder into place a breeze. However, it's not all smooth sailing. One inconvenience was the lack of lock washers in the box which, although not a deal-breaker, would have been a nice addition for added security. Overall, the Explore Scientific Finder Scope Base was a pleasant surprise in terms of functionality and ease. Despite a minor hiccup, it's a winner in my book for those who enjoy stargazing and want their equipment to be secure and robust. 🔗Reptilia Flat Dark Earth 34mm Mini 14 Scope Mounthttps://preview.redd.it/vm4idowgfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c15a01befbfa1f00627695155d939f46ef1f24dc I recently had the opportunity to try out the Reptilia Aus Mount, a 34mm scope mount with a Flat Dark Earth finish. This bad boy boasts an anodized finish that adds a touch of durability and style to your setup. The mount is designed for a bore height of 100-155, making it a versatile choice for various rifles. Using the Reptilia Aus Mount in my daily life has been a breeze. The sleek design fits seamlessly with my Mini 14 setup, and the secure locking mechanism ensures that the scope stays firmly in place. One thing that stood out to me was the anodized finish, which not only looks great but also provides protection against the elements. However, there were a couple of minor drawbacks. Firstly, the installation process could have been a bit easier, especially for beginners. And secondly, the price point might be a bit steep for some users. All in all, if you're looking for a high-quality scope mount with a stylish finish and great durability, the Reptilia Aus Mount is definitely worth considering. Just make sure you're comfortable with the installation process and are willing to invest in a top-tier product. 🔗Versatile 35mm Adjustable Scope Mount from Reptiliahttps://preview.redd.it/5hg8yi7hfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=583cda365fe704c8959c5c034f4e75b38137a7c8 I've had the pleasure of trying out the Reptilia AUS Mount for my 30mm diameter magnified optics, and I must say, it's an impressive piece of equipment. This 35mm Mount, with an anodized finish and compatibility with all of Reptilia's 30mm ROF line, has added a touch of elegance to my optical setup. I was particularly drawn to its custom bolt mounting system, which can be tightened using either a 5/32 hex or a flat blade driver. This feature allows the AUS Mount to sit snugly on the M1913 Picatinny rail, giving it a streamlined low-profile design. One aspect of the AUS Mount that I found truly remarkable was its machining from a single piece of billet 7075-T6 aluminum, combined with the MIL-STD Type III, Class 2, hard anodize coating. Not only does it make for a high-quality material but also adds durability to the product. However, one thing I noticed was that the AUS Mount was slightly trickier to install and remove from the M1913 Picatinny rail than I initially expected. But overall, the Reptilia AUS Mount's adjustable features and robust construction definitely make it worth considering for anyone looking to enhance their optical setup. 🔗High-Precision Equatorial Goto Mount for Astrophotography and Celestial Observationhttps://preview.redd.it/coimtcjhfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0207555e93f0325fe1136f6d9daac24ad47303e7 I've had the pleasure of getting my hands on the Vixen Sphinx SXD2 Equatorial Goto Mount with PF-L Pole Viewfinder, and I must say I'm quite impressed. The mount offers a smooth and seamless experience thanks to its precision stepper motors and micro-step motion control system. Plus, the built-in bearings and high-precision worm gears simply add to the quality of this product. However, I did notice a couple of drawbacks. The weight of the counterweights might be a bit disappointing for some, and I'd have liked to see a full cable included instead of an auto lighter one. All in all, it's a solid choice for stargazers and astrophotographers seeking accurate and reliable tracking. 🔗Unity FDE Offset Base Fast Optic Adapterhttps://preview.redd.it/qqwik11ifb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=631f1ccff586bbec34c5e4f1a809cc9dbcc62b97 After trying out Unity Tactical's FAST Offset Base FDE, I quickly found myself appreciating the versatility it offered. The offset design allowed me to keep my focus on target acquisition without obstructing my view, something I sorely needed in my day-to-day hunting. What really stood out to me was the compatibility with UNITY's LPVO mounts. It made adjusting my scope a breeze and allowed me to fine-tune my shot more easily. However, I did notice that it required UNITY-specific optic plates, which added a layer of confusion and potential compatibility issues. Despite its minor drawbacks, the UNITY FAST Offset Base FDE proved to be a reliable and effective accessory in my arsenal. It allowed me to focus on the task at hand, all while maintaining a comfortable grip on my weapon for faster and more accurate shots. 🔗Adjustable Star Adventurer GTI Mount Kit for Astrophotographyhttps://preview.redd.it/0ymoye9ifb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d52a9544e452443bfc0acbd67bd1fb19c8848677 As an astrophotography enthusiast, I had the opportunity to use the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi Mount Kit in my daily life. Right out of the box, I was impressed by its sleek and sturdy construction. The built-in illuminated polar scope made aligning the mount a breeze, while the dual position counterweight allowed me to handle low latitudes with ease. One of the standout features for me was the smartphone Wi-Fi control, which let me have full command over the device using my smartphone. However, I did encounter some minor software glitches, which required a bit of troubleshooting. The device's versatility in tracking rates caught my attention, particularly the lunar, solar, and sidereal options. This made capturing the night sky's wonders a truly effortless experience. The 11-pound payload capacity also proved to be more than sufficient for my various equipment setups. However, there were a few areas where the Star Adventurer GTi fell short. The mount's intermittent disconnecting, whether using Wi-Fi or USB, introduced some frustration. Additionally, the Dec tracking was far from ideal, which I had to address by tweaking polar alignment and dialing in PHD2 parameters. Despite these minor issues, I had a mostly positive experience with the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi Mount Kit. Its combination of features, ease of use, and reasonable price make it an impressive choice for those looking to dive into deep space, widefield, and nightscape astrophotography. 🔗Versatile Spotting Scope Clamp for Precision Viewinghttps://preview.redd.it/ojdr1jnifb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be70613f8f61c770129fd141c271e0dd53bb2b89 I recently gave the Table Clamp Mount for Spotting Scope a try, and I have to say, it's been a game-changer for my outdoor activities. This sturdy clamp works great with all popular spotting scopes, allowing me to set it up at the range in no time. Its heavy-duty construction and comfortable, ergonomic knob make it a breeze to tighten and loosen. The Enduro Series Arm, featuring an aluminum construction and multiple ball joints, provides unlimited positioning possibilities. But don't worry about scratching your expensive gear – the clamp comes equipped with a rubber pad to minimize scuffing. Plus, the standard tripod connection can be used with more than just cameras, adding even more versatility to this fantastic tool. The quick-tightening ring ensures a secure hold, giving you that extra peace of mind. In my experience, this clamp has been incredibly user-friendly and holds up well to regular use. The customer service was prompt and helpful, too, ensuring that any issues were resolved immediately. Overall, I highly recommend this Table Clamp Mount for Spotting Scope to anyone looking for a reliable and versatile mounting solution for their spotting scope or other equipment. Buyer's GuideCantilever scope mounts are crucial accessories for anyone using a rifle scope. They provide a stable and secure connection between the scope and the firearm, and they come in various designs to suit different scope styles and gun types. In this buyer's guide, we will discuss the essential features, considerations, and general advice for selecting the best cantilever scope mount for your needs. https://preview.redd.it/lr6kn7flfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b49dc8131a27fb0fb05f930c43701d1794133bc0 Important Features
Considerations
https://preview.redd.it/7dmof1rlfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b131087cb15520bfb003638a459a3448389f8af General Advice
FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/9wxmwu5mfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05a6df5a75f411bd33a269d639a293766e83ef77 What is a Cantilever Scope Mount?A Cantilever Scope Mount is a type of mount designed to secure and hold a scoped weapon or firearm steady, providing a stable platform for accurate shooting. It extends away from the rifle, allowing for optimal eye relief and compatibility with a wide range of scopes and firearm designs.Who needs a Cantilever Scope Mount?Hunters, shooters, and firearms enthusiasts who use scoped rifles or firearms, particularly those with adjustable scopes, can benefit from using a Cantilever Scope Mount. It offers increased flexibility and accuracy, making it especially useful for long-range shooting and hunting. https://preview.redd.it/iwllj8kmfb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f91a8f1ddab8fca67405be9f2c53d10996dd9ac What are the benefits of using a Cantilever Scope Mount?
What materials are Cantilever Scope Mounts typically made from?Cantilever Scope Mounts can be made from various materials, such as aluminum, steel, or polymer. Aluminum and steel options tend to be more durable and robust, while polymer options are often lighter weight and more affordable.What are the key features to consider when selecting a Cantilever Scope Mount?
Which brands offer high-quality Cantilever Scope Mounts?Some popular brands known for producing high-quality Cantilever Scope Mounts include Warne, American Defense Manufacturing (ADM), and Atlas P AccuMount. Researching customer reviews and checking product specifications can also help identify reliable and trusted brands.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 07:03 werkrheum i feel so stuck right now
TW for intimate partner violence/domestic violence
i don’t want to give too much away in here for obvious reasons, but i (F20s) and my boyfriend (M20s) live together. i have become financially dependent on him due to being stuck in a physical and mental rut. i finally feel like im becoming a person again and like i can pick myself up, but my brain is making it so damn hard.
my bf put his hands on me once and left marks on my arms, he has screamed at me multiple times, thrown things at me, destroyed our spare bedroom in a fit of rage, and more. this started around when i became physically ill, however the red flags were always there, and i feel like a dumbass for ignoring them. i’m trying so hard to break the cycle but i can’t escape angry men.
i decided recently that i will be leaving him when i can. i’m just frustrated bc it’s going to take at least a few months to get there, and i don’t want to live like this for another day. i love him, and he is so wonderful in so many ways, but there is not enough love that he could show me that would take away the pain.
it clicked when, after a year of feeling almost nothing sexually/romantically for anyone, i found myself starting to fall for my best friend (again; i had a crush on him previously). i’m frustrated because i really don’t need the emotions right now on top of everything else, but he has shown me over years that a man can be trusted… i also feel disgusted with myself for even having feelings for somebody else.
i just want to get fully back on my feet, get myself into my own space (or with a roommate lol), and let myself live again. i think he lost me mentally when he bruised me, and the tie was severed when he threw something at me with sharp tacks in it. i wish i left him sooner.
im just tired of feeling love for a man who has hurt me, while also falling for somebody wonderful. i just want to get my life together.
submitted by werkrheum to Vent [link] [comments]
i don’t want to give too much away in here for obvious reasons, but i (F20s) and my boyfriend (M20s) live together. i have become financially dependent on him due to being stuck in a physical and mental rut. i finally feel like im becoming a person again and like i can pick myself up, but my brain is making it so damn hard.
my bf put his hands on me once and left marks on my arms, he has screamed at me multiple times, thrown things at me, destroyed our spare bedroom in a fit of rage, and more. this started around when i became physically ill, however the red flags were always there, and i feel like a dumbass for ignoring them. i’m trying so hard to break the cycle but i can’t escape angry men.
i decided recently that i will be leaving him when i can. i’m just frustrated bc it’s going to take at least a few months to get there, and i don’t want to live like this for another day. i love him, and he is so wonderful in so many ways, but there is not enough love that he could show me that would take away the pain.
it clicked when, after a year of feeling almost nothing sexually/romantically for anyone, i found myself starting to fall for my best friend (again; i had a crush on him previously). i’m frustrated because i really don’t need the emotions right now on top of everything else, but he has shown me over years that a man can be trusted… i also feel disgusted with myself for even having feelings for somebody else.
i just want to get fully back on my feet, get myself into my own space (or with a roommate lol), and let myself live again. i think he lost me mentally when he bruised me, and the tie was severed when he threw something at me with sharp tacks in it. i wish i left him sooner.
im just tired of feeling love for a man who has hurt me, while also falling for somebody wonderful. i just want to get my life together.
2024.05.19 06:59 ConsequenceSure3063 Best Canted Iron Sights
 | submitted by ConsequenceSure3063 to u/ConsequenceSure3063 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/xec9wr3oeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca63f2b75ead7507d1d17074e48612e5c03037ea Are you on the lookout for Canted Iron Sights that can take your aiming experience to the next level? Look no further, as our comprehensive roundup has got you covered! With our carefully curated selection, we bring you the best options available in the market. So don't miss out on this exclusive guide that will make you an expert on choosing the perfect Canted Iron Sights for your needs. The Top 12 Best Canted Iron Sights
Reviews🔗Optimizer Ultra Sighthttps://preview.redd.it/u75olvfoeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff465ff4dbcd6fb9c6231f54baabfe02a3008379 The HHA Optimizer Ultra x Sight 5010.010 RH is a top-tier product with an advanced design that sets it apart in the AR Pistol Sights category. Its unique features include the Infinite Adjust Slotted Slide Bracket, which allows shooters to make 2nd axis and vertical adjustments with ease. By simply rolling the wheel up or down, shooters can fine-tune at 20 yards and maximize the sight tape range. The R. D. S sight tape technology, 20-80 yard tapes in single yard increments, and a tool-free Windage and Elevation Adjustment further enhance the precision and ease of use of this sight. The R. D. S tape design eliminates the need to jump from one hole to another, saving time and ensuring accurate adjustments in a smoother operation. In the US, the sight is made of durable materials with built-in shock absorbers to withstand the rigors of outdoor hunting and improve durability over time. In addition, this sight can be used in conjunction with 35-40 yard shots as a standard practice, allowing shooters to expand their target range capabilities. In general, the HHA Optimizer Ultra x Sight 5010.010 RH delivers unmatched performance for professional hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Overall, its ergonomic design, durable construction, and advanced features make it one of the most impressive sights in the category. 🔗Co Witness Pistol Sightshttps://preview.redd.it/7uj1qi0peb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd12940aabdb456bf4d272d03527689fe5097702 The Axcel Accutouch Plus Carbon Pro Sight AV-41 1 Pin. 019 RH/LH is a highly-rated single pin adjustable sight with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating and 11 reviews. It features an Accu-Click system that allows the shooter to set “clicks” at desired distances, as well as a carbon bar dovetail mount. The sight's elevation adjustment is specifically designed to stop at set distances, while a 45-degree facing sight tape aids in visibility of the yardage indicator. For additional adjustments, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd axis adjustments can be achieved without the use of shims, and the micro-adjust windage feature can be locked until manually unlocked. Included in the price is an Axcel AccuView Scope, a Fire Pin, Crosshair Insert, and an adjustable rheostat. The sight is available in either 31mm or 41mm scope diameters. Overall, this sight holds its place among the high-quality products available for use with bows, providing an accurate and customizable experience. 🔗Optimizer Ultra Sight for Precision Adjustments & Night Visionhttps://preview.redd.it/700h83bpeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ae74ee2429a101c9bf69106782d54599ae8ae45 The new HHA Optimizer Ultra sight takes the guesswork out of sighting-in, making it easier for a shooter to find the perfect range for any target. It simplifies the sight-in process and allows for fine-tuning at 20 yards maximizing the sight tape range. This improved sight design brings an extra level of adjustment that enables the shooter to make 2nd axis and vertical adjustments with ease, leading to precision accuracy from 10 to 80 yards. The optimized sight delivers a smooth yardage wheel design, eliminating clicking and squeaking noises. Overall, the HHA Optimizer Ultra is a top-rated product that provides top-tier performance and accuracy for any bowhunting enthusiast. 🔗Green Dot Sight Pistol Sights - Optic with Windage Adjustmenthttps://preview.redd.it/ksqblempeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d4d5b7797287e1d1e574a8298cee2d8425eaf64 The HHA Optimizer Sight 3000 1 Pin is an adjustable sight with a 1 5/8" sight housing, 2 feet of wrapped green fiber optic, and bubble level. It features micro adjustable windage. This sight is perfect for those who are looking for a more user-friendly option in comparison to traditional 4-pin sights. Some advantages of the HHA Optimizer Sight include its simple and straight-forward nature as well as its durability; the sight is CNC machined and made from high-quality materials, allowing it to withstand use and prolonging its lifespan. One feature that sets apart the HHA Optimizer Sight from other single-pin options on the market is its tool-free windage adjustment. This feature not only makes setup easier but also allows for on-the-fly adjustments in the field without requiring any extra tools or add-ons. However, it's important to note one minor drawback to the design, which is that it does not accept a light or lens. This might be a concern for users who normally require lens or light support in low-light conditions. Overall, the HHA Optimizer Sight 3000 is a great choice for hunters and marksmen who want a no-fuss, dependable sight that requires minimal maintenance and is easy to use. Its versatility, reliability, and ease of setup in the field make it a worthy standout in the world of optics, making it a highly recommended product. 🔗HHA Optimizer Lite x Sight 5519 .019 - Infinite Adjust Slotted Side Bracket for 20-80 Yard Accuracy and Smooth Lever Actionhttps://preview.redd.it/d6msbk3qeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79cb495d8529990a7119d125115f3d912d03a877 HHA Optimizer Lite x Sight 5519.019 is designed to provide an accurate, long-range shooting experience for archers. Featuring a new infinite Adjust Slotted Slide Bracket, it allows the shooter to make 2nd axis and vertical adjustments with ease, enhancing accuracy and precision. The 20-80 yard accuracy and smooth lever action of the sight contribute to its popularity among archers. In addition, the water-resistant tapes and leveling bubble help in better alignment and accuracy. The Optimizer Lite x Sight also features a machined aluminum pin carrier for improved durability and performance. Optional mechanical rheostat to adjust pin brightness and compatibility with Blue Burst light and Lens Kit are added benefits that contribute to the overall versatility of the sight. Archers will appreciate the lightweight construction, making it easy to carry and use during hunting sessions. A unique feature of this sight is the optional mechanical rheostat that allows the user to adjust the pin brightness, ensuring better visibility in low light conditions. This sight is compatible with Blue Burst light and Lens Kit as well, enhancing its capabilities even further. With all these features, the HHA Optimizer Lite x Sight 5519.019 is a top choice for bow hunters looking for a reliable, versatile sight for both short and long-distance shots. 🔗Trophy Ridge React Pro .19 Pin Sight Right Handedhttps://preview.redd.it/wdgg5ijqeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53330e1f9473920cbd6ed5b23fa03a4e41a871db The Trophy AS825R19 React Pro is a world-class precision, durable, and highly reliable hunting sight designed for serious hunters. This right-handed bow sight features a solid 6061-aluminum construction, no-slop tolerances for accurate shooting, and exclusive React technology for easy sight-in. With tool-less micro-adjustment, second- and third-axis leveling capabilities, a precision-installed bubble level, rheostat sight light, and a contrast glow ring, the React Pro Five-Pin Sight guarantees a perfect aim in all shooting situations. The front-mounted fiber-optic ring and rheostat light maximize pin brightness while protecting the fibers, making it easy to see through low and changing light conditions. The sight is finished with a black finish, providing a sleek and professional look. Overall, the Trophy AS825R19 React Pro is the ideal choice for hunters seeking a high-quality, easy-to-use, and reliable sight for their bow. 🔗Novac Night Sights for Pursuit Bow - Adjustable Brightness for Optimal Low Light Performancehttps://preview.redd.it/zogr2qrqeb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3c884e419712c326c82cfffa463c86ced696bf5 This single pin adjustable sight with a direct mount features an all-aluminum body and Delrin bushings for smooth and quiet movement. It comes with a low light glow indicator tape, rheostat light, and a sight level with a second and third axis adjustability. The sight works well for target practice and hunting with a quick and easy sight-in process. However, some users have mentioned issues with the elevation adjustment screws and the lack of user guides or customer support. Overall, the Escalade Sports Pursuit. 019 Sight Black Right Hand is a versatile and budget-friendly bow sight, but it may not be the best choice for advanced archers or those in search of a premium product. 🔗Apex Gear Covert 1 Pin Sighthttps://preview.redd.it/r8byo4areb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9be6e7d70a36d4a8e9d90726bbd8af2d8d648069 The Apex Gear Covert 1 Pin Sight is a compact and lightweight sight for your bow. It comes with aperture housing that includes vertical and horizontal tilt adjustments, making it easy to make precise shots. The sight also comes with micro adjustable windage and elevation for further accuracy. This sight's glow-in-the-dark shooter's ring aligns the scope housing to the peep, helping in quick target acquisition. The rear-facing, easy-to-see yardage tape location further enhances targeting capabilities. The precision-machined aluminum construction ensures durability and a long-lasting performance. Overall, it is a suitable choice for any archer in need of a reliable and accurate bow sight. 🔗Trophy Ridge React One Pro RH .019 Sight (Archery Sight)https://preview.redd.it/3dkqmznreb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=347c66dc4b91b0d783a8df8a3374d02342000d59 The React One Pro from Trophy Ridge is a high-end vertical single pin sight that allows archers to push the limits and reach up to 100 yards. Combining React Technology with all the features of a top-notch target bow sight, the Trophy Ridge React One Pro will meet your every need. The sight is easy to use and delivers year after year, hunt after hunt. You won't believe that React Technology can make your archery experience even better! . 🔗CBE Tactic Hybrid 1 Pin Sighthttps://preview.redd.it/3pvkqw7seb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d44ef822212c1f50de4775562e515c055b3c3139 The CBE Tactic Hybrid 1-Pin Bow Sight is an ultra-light, compact bow sight that won't break the bank. It offers an effective and user-friendly experience for experienced archers. The highlight of this product is the Tactic Hybrid's movable pin sight with Smart Mount's multi-positioning mountable system. Using this, users can easily adjust the various settings according to their needs. In addition, the Bow Sight features a floating pin with a rapid stop. This makes it simple to shoot from long or short distances. With its fibber management system, users can now use the sight more safely by enhancing the brightness of pins and providing better protection with 12 inches of fibber. Furthermore, the Bow Sight provides visual aid during pin adjustment. It employs laser-marked hashes to assist users in understanding their shots better and make precise changes if necessary. Lastly, the Tactic Hybrid's versatility shines in its ambidextrous design, making it convenient for both left-handed and right-handed archers. The Tactic Hybrid Sight also comes with a Rheostat Sight Light and Sight Scales, adding more value to the item while keeping its user-friendly nature intact. In terms of reviews from actual users, customers have consistently described the Bow Sight as exceptional with its "love it, " "excellent sight, " and "best sights for the money. " Although a few reviewers shared negative experiences, these concerns mainly revolved around potential durability issues and incompatibility errors. All in all, the CBE Tactic Hybrid 1-Pin Bow Sight is a cost-effective, functional, and ergonomic solution catering to various bowing needs. 🔗CBE Engage Hybrid Bow Sight: Frustration-Free Pin Adjustments and Quad-Track Stabilityhttps://preview.redd.it/r071nmkseb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3502ed2ee6db79e3d9cc2e52dd9eef1d271f64b1 The CBE Engage Hybrid Bow Sight is a high-quality product designed for archers seeking an easy-to-adjust sight with advanced features. Featuring frustration-free pin adjustment, Armed Guard Fiber Management System, and the Dovetail Mounting System, this product stands out among its competitors. The sight utilizes the Hybrid Elevation Adjustment, Hybrid Windage Adjustment, and 2Nd and 3Rd axis adjustments, making it a versatile option for experienced hunters. The four-track quad track design and ergonomic knob contribute to its stability and adjustability. Additionally, the product offers rapid drive for fast adjustments, which is convenient for hunters on the go. This product comes with Quad Track Design Utilizing Delrin Tracks and Rapid Drive for fast adjustments. It also includes 12 inches of fiber for brighter pins and the RiteLighter Pin Retention System for secure fibers. Users have given this product high ratings on usability and design, noting that the Armed Guard Fiber Management System and ergonomic knob make it easy and comfortable to set up. Some users have pointed out minor issues, such as loose housing and limited color availability, but the overall experience is positive with many users praising the sights’ versatility and accuracy. In conclusion, the CBE Engage Hybrid Bow Sight is a high-performing product tailored for experienced archers seeking both stability and adjustability in their hunting sights. 🔗Trophy Ridge Fix Series 7 Pin Sight (Black, Right-Hand)https://preview.redd.it/fa507vwseb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39f0e5b2d2b8b7f269ef017bc12296140a3e1978 The Trophy Ridge Fix Series sight offers dependable precision by delivering highly adjustable pins for increased accuracy at varying ranges. With ultra-bright. 019 fiber optic pins, these sight devices are well-suited for use in low-light situations. The rheostat light on Trophy Ridge sights guarantees custom adjustability for optimal brightness while making any necessary modification to improve your shooting conditions. The Fix sight features a 2nd axis adjustment, which amplifies your precision over extended distances. This innovative sight design offers pin adjustment controls that can be found built into the sight itself, which is incredibly convenient when making those slight modifications on the spot. The Fix Series sights come in an array of options, namely 7, 5, and 3 pins. This choice allows you to personalize your sighting capabilities to fit your hunting style and preferences. The right-hand sights offer horizontal and. 019 fiber optic yardage indicators, ensuring you can easily zero in on your target no matter the conditions. With its aluminum brackets and a high level of precision and durability, the Trophy Ridge Fix sights will serve you well during your hunting excursions. Buyer's GuideCanted Iron Sights are essential accessories for a firearm, offering precision aiming during tactical situations. When considering purchasing a Canted Iron Sight, you should take into account several factors to ensure that it meets your requirements and is compatible with your firearm.Design and Constructionhttps://preview.redd.it/dcfjjvdteb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=971caf95e98f2d441fd0d99b6001bee18c4d618c Canted Iron Sights are available in various designs and colors, including black, silver, and gold. Choose a design that complements your firearm and personal preferences. When it comes to construction, you have the option of aluminum or steel constructions. Aluminum is lighter and more corrosion-resistant, while steel is more durable and resists wear and tear. Make your decision based on the primary purpose of your firearm. Mounting OptionsCanted Iron Sights come in two primary mounting options: Picatinny rails and dovetail mounts. Picatinny rails are designed to fit a wide range of firearms, while dovetail mounts are specifically for slide-action shotguns. Ensure that your chosen Canted Iron Sight is compatible with your firearm's existing mounting system.Reticle and VisibilityThe reticle is the aiming point within the sight. It can be a simple dot or a more complex design, such as a circle, triangle, or cross-hair. Decide which reticle you prefer based on your personal preferences and the intended use of your firearm. Make sure the reticle is visible and clear enough for you to focus on target acquisition. https://preview.redd.it/2c67d9yteb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aaad20731fd8a2c8f7ec5219ac74339ac3fd840f CompatibilityBefore purchasing a Canted Iron Sight, ensure that it is compatible with your firearm. Measure the dimension of your firearm's rail and check if the mounting length of the Canted Iron Sight matches your requirements. Additionally, consider factors such as recoil and environmental conditions that may affect the sight's performance.Durability and WarrantySelect a Canted Iron Sight that is made of durable materials and offers a reasonable warranty period. Make sure the warranty covers any potential defects or issues related to the product's manufacturing and/or craftsmanship. Look for customer reviews and testimonials to see how the product has performed over time.Price and Availabilityhttps://preview.redd.it/9c2qchaueb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7138bca506d566e43cea91602dbf50a3a709c2ae Canted Iron Sights come at a range of price points, depending on their features and construction quality. Compare different models to find the best value for your budget. Ensure that the chosen product is readily available and can be easily purchased from a trustworthy retailer. ConclusionWhen choosing a Canted Iron Sight, take into account your firearm's specific requirements, design preferences, and budget constraints. By considering the factors listed above, you can make an informed decision that will enhance your firearm's performance and safety.FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/0oqzgkqueb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89c50d0ac005b3c8bab8beb81fcdae9fb375ec9c What is the purpose of canted iron sights?Canted iron sights are designed to provide a more accurate aiming point for the user, especially when using tactical shooting techniques. They help to improve overall accuracy and minimize the need for additional accessories or modifications to the gun.What types of canted iron sights are available?There are two main types of canted iron sights: front canted and rear canted. Front canted sights are mounted on the front of the slide, while rear canted sights are mounted on the rear of the weapon. Both options offer similar accuracy benefits for the user.What benefits do canted iron sights offer?Canted iron sights offer several advantages, including improved accuracy, faster target acquisition, and enhanced tactical capabilities. By providing a more natural and consistent sight alignment, users can maintain their focus on the target and perform better under pressure.What firearms are compatible with canted iron sights?Canted iron sights are compatible with a wide range of firearms, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns. The specific model and design of the firearm will determine the compatibility of the canted iron sights. Consult with the manufacturer for specific compatibility information.How do I install canted iron sights?Installing canted iron sights will vary depending on the specific model and firearm. Generally, you will need to remove any existing iron sights, attach the new canted iron sights to the appropriate location on the firearm, and then secure them in place with any necessary hardware. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper installation and safety.Do canted iron sights require any additional adjustments?Canted iron sights do require some initial adjustments to achieve proper functionality. You will need to ensure that the sight aligns properly with the bore axis and that the user's eye is properly aligned with the sight. Adjustment may include sighting in and aligning the canted sight with the user's dominant eye. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for specific adjustment guidelines.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |