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[M4F] Looking for literate fandom partners! Let's make a beautiful story
2023.05.29 05:04 PootisMaster24 [M4F] Looking for literate fandom partners! Let's make a beautiful story
Hello! If you've manage to stumble your way into this post, hopefully today will be our lucky day. I am 21 and looking for someone around my age, though I'm not too strict about it, at least on the older side, please be 18 at least. I'm looking to roleplay in a couple fandoms. Now, first off I must say I only roleplay canon characters. OCs have never quite to my liking as I find it so much more fun and interesting to play the characters that have made us fall in love with these franchises.
I roleplay through discord but am open to any other sites if you prefer them. I ask that you are literate. I like to be detailed, really paint a picture of a scene or delve deep into what our characters are thinking. I'm not asking for novella length posts (though I would LOVE if we could do that) but I do ask that you put passion into the writing, it is what makes this magical!
I give a great deal of importance to character development. I love to delve deep into what makes a character who they are, their motivation, their outlook on life, and the relationships they form with the people around them! There are a few exceptions, but most of the time romance always finds itself at the center or at least near the center of most of the stories I roleplay. I love slow burns, seeing the relationship between two characters evolve as they grow closer. Some of my other favorites tropes when writing is enemies to lovers and found family. I also love playing an ensemble cast! I love paying attention to side characters as much as main characters to the point where everyone feels like a rich character!
As for the story and plot itself, let's come up with something together! I am down to play any kind of storyline. Something original, AUs where our characters are together in a famous storyline of their own maybe? Anything goes!
Now, for OOC. I absolutely love chatting with my partners. This is a hobby! Let's enjoy it together! Talk about it, be friends! I love sharing any kind of art that inspires me or reminds me of our story, I'm a huge fan of music and will share songs that I think represent our characters. Let's not just be partners but friends as well!
Now, as for the actual fandoms here they are along with the characters I would like to play:
Star Wars: This one is perhaps the one I am craving the most. I would absolutely love to do a Han and Leia roleplay. Maybe an AU where they managed to all escape cloud city and are now being chased by the empire and Jabba, or right after return of the jedi as they rebuild the republic. I would love to focus on their early romance, their dynamic was always the best part of the movies and I wanna fully explore it. Now while this pairing is the main one I would like to do, there are a lot of other stories I'd like to explore! Hit me up and let me know what pairings you'd like to do and I'm sure we can work it out.
DC: This one has a lot of potential for really complex relationships I feel. I would love to do something like Batman and Catwoman or something more strange like Nightwing and Harley, I'm super open for any ideas you might have! Now I will say my knowledge of DC mostly extends to batman and a little of the teen titans, anything outside we can make work but it might be harder for me.
One Piece: While this is one of my favorite series of all time, I've always felt like the one thing it's been really missing since the early days is strong character development and relationships. I would love to explore any pairings that rise amongst the straw hats. My particular favorites are Usopp and Nami, Robin and Franky, Luffy and Nami, and one that I particularly would love to do is an AU where Vivi did end up going with them. I'd love to explore a romance with Luffy. Of course for a series like this we really have to humanize the characters more than they are originally, like Luffy would not be as unrealistically clueless as he is, or Nami wouldn't be as compulsively obsessed with money as she regularly is. Something a little more nuanced that allows us to develop our characters. But I think that would be a lot of fun!
If you are still here I thank you! And if you're interested send me a message! And please don't make it a simple "Hey wanna rp?" I most likely won't respond to messages like that. Let me know some of your ideas! What characters you'd like to play. Anything that's on your mind!
submitted by PootisMaster24 to Roleplay [link] [comments]
I roleplay through discord but am open to any other sites if you prefer them. I ask that you are literate. I like to be detailed, really paint a picture of a scene or delve deep into what our characters are thinking. I'm not asking for novella length posts (though I would LOVE if we could do that) but I do ask that you put passion into the writing, it is what makes this magical!
I give a great deal of importance to character development. I love to delve deep into what makes a character who they are, their motivation, their outlook on life, and the relationships they form with the people around them! There are a few exceptions, but most of the time romance always finds itself at the center or at least near the center of most of the stories I roleplay. I love slow burns, seeing the relationship between two characters evolve as they grow closer. Some of my other favorites tropes when writing is enemies to lovers and found family. I also love playing an ensemble cast! I love paying attention to side characters as much as main characters to the point where everyone feels like a rich character!
As for the story and plot itself, let's come up with something together! I am down to play any kind of storyline. Something original, AUs where our characters are together in a famous storyline of their own maybe? Anything goes!
Now, for OOC. I absolutely love chatting with my partners. This is a hobby! Let's enjoy it together! Talk about it, be friends! I love sharing any kind of art that inspires me or reminds me of our story, I'm a huge fan of music and will share songs that I think represent our characters. Let's not just be partners but friends as well!
Now, as for the actual fandoms here they are along with the characters I would like to play:
Star Wars: This one is perhaps the one I am craving the most. I would absolutely love to do a Han and Leia roleplay. Maybe an AU where they managed to all escape cloud city and are now being chased by the empire and Jabba, or right after return of the jedi as they rebuild the republic. I would love to focus on their early romance, their dynamic was always the best part of the movies and I wanna fully explore it. Now while this pairing is the main one I would like to do, there are a lot of other stories I'd like to explore! Hit me up and let me know what pairings you'd like to do and I'm sure we can work it out.
DC: This one has a lot of potential for really complex relationships I feel. I would love to do something like Batman and Catwoman or something more strange like Nightwing and Harley, I'm super open for any ideas you might have! Now I will say my knowledge of DC mostly extends to batman and a little of the teen titans, anything outside we can make work but it might be harder for me.
One Piece: While this is one of my favorite series of all time, I've always felt like the one thing it's been really missing since the early days is strong character development and relationships. I would love to explore any pairings that rise amongst the straw hats. My particular favorites are Usopp and Nami, Robin and Franky, Luffy and Nami, and one that I particularly would love to do is an AU where Vivi did end up going with them. I'd love to explore a romance with Luffy. Of course for a series like this we really have to humanize the characters more than they are originally, like Luffy would not be as unrealistically clueless as he is, or Nami wouldn't be as compulsively obsessed with money as she regularly is. Something a little more nuanced that allows us to develop our characters. But I think that would be a lot of fun!
If you are still here I thank you! And if you're interested send me a message! And please don't make it a simple "Hey wanna rp?" I most likely won't respond to messages like that. Let me know some of your ideas! What characters you'd like to play. Anything that's on your mind!
2023.05.29 05:02 Unhappy-Pollution613 Rib Pain
I’m 19F (5’7’’ and 98 lbs if that matters) and last Monday my 85 pound dog ran into me in my yard and made me face plant on the ground. I hit my chest very hard, the wind was completely knocked out of me, and I thought my heart stopped for a second.
But after the fall I immediately felt pain in the right side in my ribs. It was really painful, so I tried to do research about what a broken rib felt like and breathing problems were a good indicator and I only had pain when I took like REALLY deep breaths, but that was it. I had no bruising or swelling and the pain only consistently occurred when I would move around.
As the days went on my right side hurt, but my lower back on the right side became more and more painful, to the point I was limping. I’ve had a recurring issue on my left side on my lower back before and I even had gone to PT for it in the past, so I wasn’t too concerned and chalked it up to muscle issues.
Today, I felt less pain in my back and ribs so I was a little more active, I cleaned my house, spent time outside, went for a drive, and now my ribs hurt more than they’ve ever hurt this entire time. I can hardly move, I’m near tears, they’re tender to the touch and it does hurt to breathe.
I’m just wondering if I should be concerned and go see a doctor or if this is just me irritating a healing muscle issue and should just take a few more days
submitted by Unhappy-Pollution613 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
But after the fall I immediately felt pain in the right side in my ribs. It was really painful, so I tried to do research about what a broken rib felt like and breathing problems were a good indicator and I only had pain when I took like REALLY deep breaths, but that was it. I had no bruising or swelling and the pain only consistently occurred when I would move around.
As the days went on my right side hurt, but my lower back on the right side became more and more painful, to the point I was limping. I’ve had a recurring issue on my left side on my lower back before and I even had gone to PT for it in the past, so I wasn’t too concerned and chalked it up to muscle issues.
Today, I felt less pain in my back and ribs so I was a little more active, I cleaned my house, spent time outside, went for a drive, and now my ribs hurt more than they’ve ever hurt this entire time. I can hardly move, I’m near tears, they’re tender to the touch and it does hurt to breathe.
I’m just wondering if I should be concerned and go see a doctor or if this is just me irritating a healing muscle issue and should just take a few more days
2023.05.29 05:00 yellowumbrella Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man Shares Workout at Nearly 50 Years Old
Cliff Smith grunts as he wraps his hands around the barbell, bends his knees, and lowers his six-foot-three frame toward the floor. He tenses his entire body, exhales twice, and starts pulling 455 pounds upward. His legs shake as he stands fully upright, and then he lowers the weight, breathes deeply, and does it all over again. He does five total reps, then drops the bar and smiles. "Ain't even winded," he says. "Holla at me. "
The five reps are a personal best for Smith (better known as Method Man), who loves starting his day by chasing PRs.
On this morning, he's in a Staten Island gym pondering his next milestone birthday (he turns 50 in March) and crushing sets of deadlifts, pullups, and barbell rows. "I gotta get my roses now," he says,"because I'm almost 50 fucking years old. Damn near 50 years old, bruh. "The Grammy Award-winning rap veteran has focused creativity into a host of projects lately. He appears in Starz's drama Power Book II: Ghost (returning for the second half of its first season in December); he voiced the character Ben Urich in Marvels, a narrative-fiction podcast; and he's working on new music.
His morning workout has readied him for all that-and it's kept him from predawn video-game marathons. In 2018, Smith says, he was battling insomnia, frequently waking at 2:00 and playing NBA2K. Realizing he was "just wasting time," Smith searched for a more productive use of his early-morning hours. "So at 4:00 , I find myself in the gym working out," he says. "Two days turned into three days. Three days turned into five days, and I've been consistent ever since. " Bonus: His insomnia is gone.
Smith now weighs 219, 12 pounds less than he weighed when he first started training. He hits legs Mondays, shoulders Tuesdays, back Wednesdays, chest Thursdays, and arms Fridays. "He's a beast," says his workout partner, Joey Crespo. "Our routine has only been heavy, heavy, all year round. "
At the moment, that means gritting out three sets of seated lat pulldowns, followed by a core exercise that has him on his knees, rolling a wheel forward, challenging his abs. He finishes the session by sitting on a bench with a harness connected to his forehead, a weight hanging in front of his chest. He lowers his head to look at the ground, then flexes his neck muscles to raise his head and look straight ahead, an old-school neck exercise that few gym-goers will do. Smith does it regularly. "Regardless of how tired I get, no matter what the workout is, I at least will try it," he says between deep breaths. "I'm not going to say no to anything. "
You may not have Method Man's fancy neck-training gear or his deadlift weight. But if you have a resistance band, you can try his favorite at-home regimen.
Pushups
Do 25 to 30 reps. Aim for 5 sets.
Banded Curl
Stand on a resistance band, its ends held at your sides, your core tight. Curl up, squeezing your biceps; then lower. That's 1 rep; do 15 to Do 5 sets.
Banded Shoulder Press
Stand on a resistance band, its ends held at your shoulders, your core tight. Tighten your shoulder blades and press the band overhead. Pause, then return to the start. That's 1 rep; do 15 to Do 5 sets.
A version of this story originally appears in the November 2020 issue of Men's Health, with the title "The 6 Workout w/ Method Man".
submitted by yellowumbrella to HealthyZapper [link] [comments]
Cliff Smith grunts as he wraps his hands around the barbell, bends his knees, and lowers his six-foot-three frame toward the floor. He tenses his entire body, exhales twice, and starts pulling 455 pounds upward. His legs shake as he stands fully upright, and then he lowers the weight, breathes deeply, and does it all over again. He does five total reps, then drops the bar and smiles. "Ain't even winded," he says. "Holla at me. "
The five reps are a personal best for Smith (better known as Method Man), who loves starting his day by chasing PRs.
On this morning, he's in a Staten Island gym pondering his next milestone birthday (he turns 50 in March) and crushing sets of deadlifts, pullups, and barbell rows. "I gotta get my roses now," he says,"because I'm almost 50 fucking years old. Damn near 50 years old, bruh. "The Grammy Award-winning rap veteran has focused creativity into a host of projects lately. He appears in Starz's drama Power Book II: Ghost (returning for the second half of its first season in December); he voiced the character Ben Urich in Marvels, a narrative-fiction podcast; and he's working on new music.
His morning workout has readied him for all that-and it's kept him from predawn video-game marathons. In 2018, Smith says, he was battling insomnia, frequently waking at 2:00 and playing NBA2K. Realizing he was "just wasting time," Smith searched for a more productive use of his early-morning hours. "So at 4:00 , I find myself in the gym working out," he says. "Two days turned into three days. Three days turned into five days, and I've been consistent ever since. " Bonus: His insomnia is gone.
Smith now weighs 219, 12 pounds less than he weighed when he first started training. He hits legs Mondays, shoulders Tuesdays, back Wednesdays, chest Thursdays, and arms Fridays. "He's a beast," says his workout partner, Joey Crespo. "Our routine has only been heavy, heavy, all year round. "
At the moment, that means gritting out three sets of seated lat pulldowns, followed by a core exercise that has him on his knees, rolling a wheel forward, challenging his abs. He finishes the session by sitting on a bench with a harness connected to his forehead, a weight hanging in front of his chest. He lowers his head to look at the ground, then flexes his neck muscles to raise his head and look straight ahead, an old-school neck exercise that few gym-goers will do. Smith does it regularly. "Regardless of how tired I get, no matter what the workout is, I at least will try it," he says between deep breaths. "I'm not going to say no to anything. "
You may not have Method Man's fancy neck-training gear or his deadlift weight. But if you have a resistance band, you can try his favorite at-home regimen.
Pushups
Do 25 to 30 reps. Aim for 5 sets.
Banded Curl
Stand on a resistance band, its ends held at your sides, your core tight. Curl up, squeezing your biceps; then lower. That's 1 rep; do 15 to Do 5 sets.
Banded Shoulder Press
Stand on a resistance band, its ends held at your shoulders, your core tight. Tighten your shoulder blades and press the band overhead. Pause, then return to the start. That's 1 rep; do 15 to Do 5 sets.
A version of this story originally appears in the November 2020 issue of Men's Health, with the title "The 6 Workout w/ Method Man".
2023.05.29 04:57 That_cargirl206 Story time
I’m pretty fresh out of the closet, I’m 33 I have been married for 13 years we have 3 kids. My wife has always stated that she was Bi, however I was always terrified to come out to her thinking it would end our relationship and I would lose everything. In Oct of 21 I couldn’t keep it in any longer I had a lot of things going on in my life and I broke! And I mean BROKE!! I told my wife everything, downed a bottle of wine and tried to end my life, cause obviously it was over. To my surprise my wife stopped me, and had me committed. So while I was on my grippy sock vacay she came to visit me, and said something to the affect of you’re a moron, I’m Bi idgaf if you’re a man or woman, I love you we have three beautiful children and you’re not allowed to abandon us! So here I am in a place where I’m not allowed to wear real clothes, even though it’s cold af in there(seriously have they never heard of heat?) feeling dumb af!
I started HRT last Nov and haven’t looked back, my wife and I are still deeply in love and our children are aware that I’m trans. We have 5 up twins, they don’t really grasp it yet but you will 100% be corrected if you misgender me to my 8yo lol she doesn’t care haha she actually outs me quite often lmao.
Sometimes I feel so stupid for waiting so long to come out, I tried to when I was around 9/10 and I was met with tons of hate from my dad, saying no one wanted people like us(that’s hella cleaned up) so I knew that put me deep deep in the closet. I was thinking about it today, neither of my parents don’t want anything to with me(super right wing evangelical fucks) but if I had came out when I was younger I wouldn’t have my three beautiful children, and may not even have my wife. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t go back and change anything about my life.
I love you all, I hope you are having a wonderful journey in this crazy life. If you ever need anyone to talk to do not hesitate to pm me. Have an amazing night 🥰🥰🥰
submitted by That_cargirl206 to MtF [link] [comments]
I started HRT last Nov and haven’t looked back, my wife and I are still deeply in love and our children are aware that I’m trans. We have 5 up twins, they don’t really grasp it yet but you will 100% be corrected if you misgender me to my 8yo lol she doesn’t care haha she actually outs me quite often lmao.
Sometimes I feel so stupid for waiting so long to come out, I tried to when I was around 9/10 and I was met with tons of hate from my dad, saying no one wanted people like us(that’s hella cleaned up) so I knew that put me deep deep in the closet. I was thinking about it today, neither of my parents don’t want anything to with me(super right wing evangelical fucks) but if I had came out when I was younger I wouldn’t have my three beautiful children, and may not even have my wife. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t go back and change anything about my life.
I love you all, I hope you are having a wonderful journey in this crazy life. If you ever need anyone to talk to do not hesitate to pm me. Have an amazing night 🥰🥰🥰
2023.05.29 04:54 Daniele86 8 Piece Kiehl's Mixed Lot Skin Care Cosmetics Anti Aging-Travel Full Size Sample
 | submitted by Daniele86 to u/Daniele86 [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 04:53 Archangelus87 [WTS]Bulgarian 1990 AK74/5.45x39 Kit, Bulgarian AK Side Rail Scope Mount, RS Regulate AK-303M/AKR Combo(CA)
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/pUg2yRf
Here I have a 1990 all matching numbers Bulgarian AK74 kit in 5.45x39. Also included is an original buttstock cleaning kit. Everything is original except rivets. $1450
Bulgarian AK74 side rail scope mount. Perfect condition. $60
RS Regulate AK-303M/AKR Combo, New, never used or mounted. $200
I am active on gafs as a trusted trader. Was also active on old market but only have 1 transaction here. If you have any questions or want more pics lemme know.
submitted by Archangelus87 to ComblocMarket2 [link] [comments]
Here I have a 1990 all matching numbers Bulgarian AK74 kit in 5.45x39. Also included is an original buttstock cleaning kit. Everything is original except rivets. $1450
Bulgarian AK74 side rail scope mount. Perfect condition. $60
RS Regulate AK-303M/AKR Combo, New, never used or mounted. $200
I am active on gafs as a trusted trader. Was also active on old market but only have 1 transaction here. If you have any questions or want more pics lemme know.
2023.05.29 04:50 Decoto_Dave Vintage Vinyl...
 | 53 year old vinyl. Deep cleaned and sounds pretty damn good through all 6 sides. Not a single skip and very few "pops". Really pleased with the outcome. This was my mother's and I remember listening to it with her back then. RIP Mom...Thank you for these memories. An event/album that defined a generation and a movement... submitted by Decoto_Dave to vinyl [link] [comments] Woodstock |
2023.05.29 04:48 _agnolas Got Bitten by a 4-Month-Old Kitten - Do I Need to Take Any Action?
I was giving him treats when I got bitten just a little while ago but it wasn't deep enough to bleed but it did hurt, I can still feel the sting of the bite.
I'm not too worried about the bite itself since it wasn't deep and didn't draw much blood. However, I've heard that cat bites can sometimes lead to infections or other complications. As this is my first experience with a bite from a cat, I want to make sure I handle it correctly.
So, I have a few questions:
Should I be concerned about potential infections or complications from a 4-month-old kitten bite?
What are the signs or symptoms I should watch out for in the coming days?
Is there any immediate action I should take, such as cleaning the wound or applying any specific ointments?
When would it be necessary to seek medical attention for a cat bite?
I appreciate any insights, personal experiences, or advice you can share. Thank you in advance for your help!
submitted by _agnolas to AskVet [link] [comments]
I'm not too worried about the bite itself since it wasn't deep and didn't draw much blood. However, I've heard that cat bites can sometimes lead to infections or other complications. As this is my first experience with a bite from a cat, I want to make sure I handle it correctly.
So, I have a few questions:
Should I be concerned about potential infections or complications from a 4-month-old kitten bite?
What are the signs or symptoms I should watch out for in the coming days?
Is there any immediate action I should take, such as cleaning the wound or applying any specific ointments?
When would it be necessary to seek medical attention for a cat bite?
I appreciate any insights, personal experiences, or advice you can share. Thank you in advance for your help!
2023.05.29 04:42 sawayamarx it makes sense…
shiv: the metaphorical shiv in the backs of her brothers
Romulus: killed his brother in the origin story of Rome. here he cut deep by talking about kendall’s kids (physical struggle with kendall gave shiv a quick out, cementing she was making the right choice)
kendall: KLR. that is what he is reduced to in the final conversation between the three of them.
shiv secured the future of her child (husband ceo, can take a backseat to raise her child / break the cycle if she chooses). Edit: she also was not likely to get any position of power because she’s a woman so this was really her only choice to have some sort of real power
Tom wins ofc, but shiv really won because she gave the final vote in his favor. Makes sense that an “outside” person takes over. Close enough to the family for some evolvement but not tied to the Roy name. their weird handhold in the car says if all.
Roman obviously knew it was over since the last scene of the last episode. He gets to be like Connor (take the money and leave).
this was the best outcome for kendall because now he’s not associated with a racist organization. this will likely protect his children.
submitted by sawayamarx to SuccessionTV [link] [comments]
Romulus: killed his brother in the origin story of Rome. here he cut deep by talking about kendall’s kids (physical struggle with kendall gave shiv a quick out, cementing she was making the right choice)
kendall: KLR. that is what he is reduced to in the final conversation between the three of them.
shiv secured the future of her child (husband ceo, can take a backseat to raise her child / break the cycle if she chooses). Edit: she also was not likely to get any position of power because she’s a woman so this was really her only choice to have some sort of real power
Tom wins ofc, but shiv really won because she gave the final vote in his favor. Makes sense that an “outside” person takes over. Close enough to the family for some evolvement but not tied to the Roy name. their weird handhold in the car says if all.
Roman obviously knew it was over since the last scene of the last episode. He gets to be like Connor (take the money and leave).
this was the best outcome for kendall because now he’s not associated with a racist organization. this will likely protect his children.
2023.05.29 04:40 Pen154203 How often should I clean my ash catcher or bong?
 | I feel like I’m cleaning it after every 2-3 rips which feels real excessive. I feel like it gets muddy even after 1 rip is it okay to use after ash went in water already/ already stuck to glass? Or should I just change water and say good enough. I use epsom salt and iso to deep clean every few days. submitted by Pen154203 to weed [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 04:38 blankxlate Sweet Vengeance 6
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Memory transcription subject: Illia, Federation Communications Technician
Date [standardized human time]: October 21, 2136
Kiran and I embraced for what seemed like forever, idly sitting on the rainbow grass that colored the forest floor while huddled together in the darkness. The campfire near us was still full of life somehow, and provided a good amount of illumination throughout the campsite.
It was quite difficult to sit on my haunches upright, with nothing supporting my back. Despite that, It was well worth it and I would sympathize with her for as long as was needed. I remained alert, with my weapon still in my grip in case the human decided to return for round two. I gently massaged the girl’s back with one of my forehooves, hoping that my attempts at soothing her would ward away the trauma she had experienced.
“Illia..” Kiran sobbed into my chest, drenching the fabric of my jumpsuit. “T-thank you, thank you. I was scared that you didn't m-make it.. I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t. P-please don’t leave me.” She pleaded.
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart, don’t worry.” I replied, my voice a faint whisper. “The only thing that matters now is that you’re safe. You don’t have to worry about that.. thing anymore. It’s gone.” I consoled her, wiping the still-wet tears off of her ruffled feathers. “More importantly, are you hurt?” I checked her over, examining her lithe body from multiple angles.
She thought about that for a little while, then sat up, stretching a wing. She let out a cry of pain once it was half-way extended and brought it back down gingerly, wrapping a wing around her upper shoulder. I reached forward out of sympathy, my maternal instincts moving me to comfort her.
“Oh, Jild.. L-Let me see, honey.” I crooned. She heavily reminded me of my eldest, only daughter, and it was amusing how alike they were, despite being of different species.
I tenderly prodded the dull side of my hoof-paw against her supposed injured appendage, trailing it up towards her shoulder, which earned a startled chirp from her, followed by a slight jump away from my touch. The area of where her wing met her shoulder was bruised a deep purple, visible even beneath her feathers from where she collided with the tree. I was beyond grateful that nothing had broken, or even shattered. That would require extensive care, and we were lightyears away from the nearest hospital.
“How d-does it look, Illia? W-Will I be ok?” She sniffled, caressing her discolored limb while being mindful of its positioning. Sadness etched itself across my face, but I forced a hopeful look in Kiran’s favor. Thankfully, the bruising was the extent of her injuries, none of which were life threatening, though were still in need of urgent medical attention. The most I would be able to do would be to give her painkillers and make a sling for her.
Our best option now is to find Orsik and the rest of the crew.
“It’s.. fine, honey. Don’t you worry. I’ll get you fixed up, and you’ll feel all better, ok?” I said while rummaging through my bag for my first aid kit. I had a thorough understanding of how to dress wounds, as well as the proper medical procedures that came with it. Kiran would need her arm immobilized so that any further injury could be avoided. We’d better find help soon, I can only help her so much. I internalized.
Pulling out the kit, I took out a bottle containing the painkillers and a small, square-shaped piece of cloth, which unfolded into a much longer strand of fabric. I cautiously draped the cloth along her shoulder, positioning her arm along her abdomen much to her discomfort, and tied it off. Her arm was now fully supported, and the risk of worsening the injury had decreased. Feeling satisfied with my work, I grabbed the vial of painkillers, urging her to take one. I then grabbed one of the large bottles of water from my pack, holding it a distance away from her beak. “Drink, sweetie.” She welcomed the fluid into her mouth, tilting her head back as I poured the bottle. She eagerly chugged down the substance in record time, unmistakably parched. It had probably been a while since her last drink of water.
I leaned back and returned the now empty bottle to my bag, and observed her checking out my handiwork. Her gaze met the ground suddenly, and she froze, her eyes glossing over. I waited for her to say something, anything. Her abrupt silence was starting to worry me.
“Sweetie?” She gazed off into the distance, no doubt reliving her near-death experience. “Are you alright?” I nudged her, snapping her attention back to me. Tears began to bubble in those wide eyes of hers again; her grip on my jumpsuit tightened, and her hackles raised. She was visibly shaking.
“It.. it came out of n-nowhere. I could feel it w-watching m-me, even before I s-saw it. It.. I knew it w-was there, and th-then.. She whimpered. T-there was so m-much blood, and I-I.. Her voice was hoarse, describing her contact with the predator. “I-I was.. Was so s-scared.. I-I’ve never been more scared b-before in my life..” She choked the words out. “I didn’t know what to do, I-I couldn’t m-move.”
I lay my head gently on top of her own. “That’s just your instincts kicking in, honey.” I assured her. “Everyone has them.” I felt her rapid heartbeat slow gradually as she listened to my words. “You’re safe. Relax, my sweet.” The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile. “I am very proud of you, setting up camp all by yourself. You’ve proven to be very strong and capable out on your own.” My smile died down a bit. “I’m sorry that I didn’t come sooner, but I didn’t forget our promise.”
She released her tight grip on me, reeling back and looking at me with one eye. She swallowed. “Neither did I. I-I knew you would come, so I w-waited.” There was a pause after that, the both of us glad to be in each other's presence. “Thank you, Illia.”
I flicked my ears toward her, and my grin grew wider. “Of course. Let’s get out of here.” I stood up on my hind hooves with a grunt, stretching out my tired muscles. I extended my paw downward towards her, and she took it with her uninjured wing. I helped the virtually weightless girl to her talons, and hefted my backpack over my shoulders. My poor spine ached in protest, practically begging for a break. “Ready?” I turned my head towards her.
“Illia?” She spoke after a moment, craning her neck up towards me.
“Yes, Kiran?”
“That thing, the h-human.. Did you k-kill it? Where did it go?” A worried look crossed her avian features, waiting for my response. I wouldn’t want to worry the poor girl, but I don’t want to lie to her, either.
I inhaled sharply after a moment, inadvertently giving away the answer to Kiran even before my admission. Her brows upturned slightly with worry. My own eyes latched onto hers, and I breathed a sigh, confirming her suspicion.
“Y-you.. You didn’t kill it?! It’s still out there?! Oh, Inatala..” Her feeble legs wobbled, and I kept her from falling over. “W-why? Illia.. Y-you should have killed it when you had the chance! How is it e-even here? Did it f-follow us?!” The distraught avian squawked in alarm, and my ears flattened in response from the sudden change in pitch.
The loud krakotl girl was likely to attract unwanted attention, with how boisterous she was currently. I gently clasped a hoof-paw around her beak, attempting to silence her. “Hey! Calm down, sweetie. Deep breaths. We’re not on Nishtal, or anywhere else. Remember? There’s bound to be predators around here, so we have to be quiet.” That silenced her instantly. “Please, for both of our sakes.” I concernedly whispered. Her frantic chirping died down, and I released my paw.
I inhaled deeply, my lungs pulling in the night’s chilly air. I’d have to answer the many questions that she has bombarded me with now, lest her little heart stops.
A long breath escaped my lips. “I hesitated. I.. I couldn’t pull the trigger, knowing that I would be ending the life of a sapient, living creature. Killing is wrong, regardless of whether it’s prey or predator. I refuse to stoop down to its level.” I explained my actions. “As to how it got here, we must have picked it up somewhere around the time when we boarded the bomber ship. I had a suspicion earlier, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.” I was sorely tempted to put the murderous bastard out of its misery then and there, but it didn’t sit right with me.
She clicked silently to herself, the gears slowly turning in her head.
“I-I thought something was wrong, on the ship, with how you were staring at the door. I was w-worried..” She nervously fidgeted, her talons puncturing the surface she stood on. “Uhm, why.. W-why does the human want to k-kill me? What d-did I do?” She timidly met my gaze again, glancing up at me with watery eyes.
I snorted, raising a four-digit paw and setting it down gently on her uninjured shoulder.
“It isn’t you, Kiran. Killing is in a predator’s nature, their bloodlust drives them crazy. They can’t help it even if they tried, that’s why we can’t live in peace.” I snorted, angering myself over my own rant. “I just wish that we had finished the job.” I muttered, referring to erasing humanity from existence.
Something else was plastered on her face now, something not dissimilar to a look of betrayal. “Illia?” She gulped. “D-do.. do you have predator disease?” Her voice was unsteady, but at the same time, nothing but a faint whisper.
Those words rekindled a flame in me that I thought to be snuffed out a while ago. I snorted angrily, outraged that she would even ask me such a thing, after I had saved her life. She would be dead if I hadn’t intervened, but here she was, accusing me of being the very thing that I had saved her from.
The adrenaline in my system dissipated as I stared into her frightened eyes, and I restrained myself from throwing a fit. Kiran was young, and couldn’t comprehend that predator disease wasn’t an actual illness, but instead was a way for the Federation to retain its chokehold over its citizenry. Though, I wasn’t about to berate the girl over flawed conspiracy theories. She clearly knew nothing of the pain it caused, as naive as she was.
But I knew it well.
She was as stiff as the trees surrounding us, eyeing me expectantly. I felt a pang of sadness as I noticed that she even stepped back a few paces, away from my reach. The Federation had indoctrinated her far beyond the point of recovery with their nonsensical rhetoric. It was insane to think that one misguided accusation was all it took to break apart the bond between two people. There was no use reasoning with her, but I could try.
Is that how she saw me? A predator? That caused me more pain than any weapon could physically inflict, especially coming from her. Where did this even come from? I was nowhere close to matching the Humans’ brutality, or even the Arxurs’, and yet, she still regarded me as one of them.
I released a snort, dismissing the indirect insult. “No.” I said sternly, clearly heartbroken, as much as I tried to mask it. “Honey, we’ve known each other for quite a while. If I truly had.. ‘Predator disease’, don’t you think I would have shown signs of it by now?” I left the question in the air as Kiran attempted to make sense of my reasonable statement. “Well?”
“T-That makes sense..” Her voice cracked.
“Don’t you trust me, Kiran? Why would you ask such a thing?” My own voice wavered as my heart split down the middle, waiting for her reply. Although, I knew what it would be.
“I do.” She squawked a little while after, catching me completely off-guard. “It’s just.. I-I heard you, threatening the p-predator. Y-You were so b-brave, and instead of running the other way, you just.. held it at gunpoint, and shooed it away from me. You weren’t s-scared at all, even when it wanted to kill you.” She gulped.
“Of course I was scared. I was terrified.” I pleaded. “But I couldn’t just stand back and do nothing, not while your life was at stake. I had to be strong, whatever the cost. It would forever haunt me if I had left you to die, to save myself. I would n-never, I c-couldn’t..” I whimpered through ragged breaths, a dam of emotion bursting through my guise of strength. “I have known nothing but pain and anguish since I set hoof on this planet. I’ve already lost so much, and losing you would absolutely destroy me.” I sobbed, gasping for air. I felt embarrassed, having Kiran see me in my current state. I had tried so hard to be strong for her, but the events of this past week have finally caught up to me.
I wept, hiding my tears in the crook of my elbow. I felt a warm touch caress my upper arm, and I moved my arm away from my eyes. Looking down, Kiran had moved closer to me with a comforting smile on her face. It would seem that she had discarded the ‘sulean predator’ claim after witnessing the humiliating waterworks display in front of her.
“I believe you.” She smiled with her eyes. Relief washed through me instantly. She was the one person in the Federation who had wanted to be my friend, let alone even talk to me. Despite being on a mystery planet with a slim chance of escape, she was a light in the darkness. I hope she knows what she means to me.
I grew a smile of my own and latched onto her in another embrace, being careful not to disturb her shoulder. I snorted through my nose contentedly. “Thank you.” I sniffed. Although startled at first, she returned the hug, squeezing me tightly. While embraced, for a brief moment all of my worries had faded away, replaced by a feeling of adoration and hope. We departed from each other, our bond reinstated.
“See? I’m not foaming at the mouth, am I? Guess I’m not a predator after all.” I joked, hoping it would be well received. I gently tickled her side with my hooved manipulators, causing her to giggle.
“Ok, ok! I trust you! The little one laughed, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. Her breathing returned to a calm pace. “So. Where to now?”
“What do you mean, little one?” I inquired. “It’s pitch black out there, surely you’re not thinking of heading out now, are you? The human is still out there, and it probably isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.” Wandering through the wilderness in the dead of night wasn’t the best idea, with the looming threat of predators. We’d have to make do here, where our chances of surviving the night were slim enough as it was.
“O-Oh, yeah, you’re right. I-I’m just.. scared that it may come back.” She sheepishly admitted.
“Listen to me.” I met her frightful gaze. “I will not let that thing hurt you ever again. Not while I’m still here.” A motherly tone painted my words, although sounding a bit too harsh.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I smiled. “Is there only one tent?” I switched the subject.
“Uh, y-yeah, sorry. Is it ok if we share?” She asked while walking up to the circular formation, opening it up.
“Of course.” The exchange was awkward, but we had to make do with what little we had. I climbed inside of the tent after her after taking out my floodlight, switching it on and setting it down directly in front of the tent’s flap, facing towards the shadowy trees. That’d provide us extra security, I hoped. I set my bag down onto the tent’s floor, feeling much better now without it weighing me down.
I plopped down onto my natural state on all fours. I had been ambling on my hind hooves for most of my stay on this planet, and had forgotten the comfort of having my weight equally distributed throughout my body. The muscles in my back ached, and I slid down and rolled onto my side, being able to relax at long last. I scooted my backpack towards me, intending to use it as a makeshift pillow. I released a snort of contentment as I rested my skull on the surprisingly comfortable rucksack. , the tent floor being surprisingly comfortable. A tired yawn escaped me, and my tongue lolled out of my mouth on autopilot as I felt my eyelids droop.
As much as I had wanted to sleep, I wouldn’t be able to, not with the threat of danger still lurking in the forest. We were most vulnerable while sleeping, especially while it was still dark outside. The fire was still going and was fairly close to our tent, but I wouldn’t trust that it would completely protect us from predators. I groggily sat up from my makeshift restplace and shook myself awake, followed by a tired groan. I grasped my forehooves around the weapon that I had clumsily discarded onto the tent’s floor, checking the railgun’s ammunition. Dread hit me with the realization that I was down to a singular bolt. That didn’t make me feel entirely secure, but it was better than nothing at all.
I looked to Kiran, who was already tucked in and ready for the next day. She lay down on a blue sleeping bag, completely enveloped inside of it, except for her head. I chuckled to myself while watching the adorable child snuggle inside of the bag that was far too big for her size.
She caught me staring at her. “Illia?” She spoke, cutting out the crackling of burning wood for a moment.
“Yes, dear?” I yawned again, the tiredness taking over me became unbearable at this point.
“W-What’s the plan for tomorrow?” She asked me with an inquisitive inflection in her voice.
“Well, I would imagine that we’d try to find Orsik. That’s really the only option we have right now. That way, you can be treated by an actual doctor, and not a silly sulean.” I quipped.
“I-I don’t think you’re s-silly..” She admitted meekly.
I faced her, flattered by her comment. I smiled. “Thank you, sweetie. That is very nice of you to say.” A light in the darkness. I crawled over to her, resting on my side next to where she lay. I had my weapon at the ready with a forehoof resting on top of it. I looked down at her adoringly as she shuffled inside of her covers. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll go looking for everyone else tomorrow.”
“What about the ship? Shouldn’t we go there?” One of her blue eyes studied me.
“I came from there, it’s nothing but a smoking heap of metal now.” I yawned. “We shouldn’t move too far away, Orsik said he’ll come to us. Besides, we’re safer here than out in the dark, right?”
Kiran whimpered, not satisfied with my answer. “Remember our promise?” I asked.
Her deflated look withered away. “Y-yes, I do..” She breathed. “O-ok, only if that means that we can leave as soon as they f-find us.”
“Of course. We won’t stay here longer than is absolutely necessary. I’ll get a signal started in the morning.”
“A-Aren’t you worried about predators? What if they come while w-we’re sleeping?”
I lay my head down onto my satchel. “I am.” I admitted. “And I would prefer not to meet them anytime soon. I think it’s a great sign that we haven’t already.” I gave a dismissive snort, hoping that was the last of her questions. “They won’t bother us, at least not tonight. The floodlight should keep them away, no worries.” I reassured her.
“Oh, ok. Good night, Illia.” She chirped.
“Good night. Sweet dreams, little one.” I caressed her feathers, then committed myself to watching the tent’s opening for the rest of the night.
- - -
I awoke, cursing after realizing that I had been asleep. I didn’t expect myself to be awake for the entire duration of the night, but I was still upset with myself for giving in to my fatigue. Something could have happened, but I was glad nothing did. I was still tired, having stayed awake for most of the night watching over Kiran. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes with a forepaw. My railgun was still grasped in my other forepaw, and I brought the gun up to my hip, holstering it.
Some of my worries over the human still being out there somewhere had faltered; perhaps it lost interest after witnessing my display of superior strength? Predators preferred a challenge when hunting, but their small brains understood when the odds were not in their favor. This human in particular probably saw our small group as easy pickings, and had developed a taste for krakotl flesh. That’d explain the blood spattered all over it, almost as if it were a trophy.
I looked at Kiran, who was still sound asleep. The beautiful orange of this planet’s sun filtered in through the translucent barrier surrounding us; its angelic rays permeated throughout the tent and casted a wondrous shine onto her dull blue feathers.
I yawned, standing up on all fours and leaned into a stretch. The soreness had worn off, and I was ready for another long journey, this time with the presence of my avian friend. I had another long day of strengthening my hind legs, no doubt. I just hope that the rest of the crew were close.
I unzipped my dirty jumpsuit, checking my small cuts. They seemed to be in relatively good shape and had scabbed over, leaving a soreness behind. After confirming that the wounds weren’t infected, I zipped my uniform back up.
I gently shook the sleeping Kiran awake. “Good morning, sleepy. It’s time to head out.” I whispered softly. She stirred and sat up. “Are you hungry? I have some rations.” I reached for my pack, snatching two cans of processed vegetable bars and handed one to her. “You need to eat to keep your strength up, honey.” I dug into my own helping quite quickly, stowing away the empty can. It wasn’t the best tasting thing in the galaxy as it was made specifically for the krakotls’ sophisticated palate. “How did you sleep?” I spoke between mouthfuls. She ate hers bit by bit, to the best of her ability. I imagine it would be difficult to eat something with a beak as narrow as hers was, so I patiently waited for her to finish.
“I slept well, actually.” She faced me, full of youthful vigor. It was almost as though her self confidence had drastically improved overnight. She stretched her good wing out, and checked the sling on the other. Once she was done with her helping, she got up, brushing her manipulators through her feathers. “How about you, Illia?”
“Good! I’m glad. Me, I slept like a fawn.” I fibbed, stifling another yawn. “Oh, let me take that from you, sweetheart.” I motioned to her empty vegetable bar container. I collected the tin from her, tossing it along with the other. I reached for my bag, leaving the heavy non-essentials inside the tent. I slugged it over my shoulder once more, my spine thanking me for lightening the load. The pack’s weight felt far more manageable than it did before. I might even be able to actually walk around with it this time. I wondered.
“Are we ready to go?” I stood in front of the tent, raising a forehoof to unzip us to freedom. The krakotl girl chirped her affirmative after checking herself over, and we both exited the tent, ready for another adventure. Upon leaving, I was extremely surprised to see that I didn’t even have to reignite the fire, as it was still burning, although not as strong as yesterday. The crimson tree that Kiran had made the campfire out of was highly flammable, if I had to guess. That would explain the randomly scorched trees throughout the landscape that I saw earlier. I was relieved that none of them combusted while we were asleep.
“Alright. Let’s head this way, shall we?” I plucked some of the damp yellow moss from a neighboring tree with a spare piece of fabric in between my hooves in case it was an irritant, which was smart thinking on my behalf. I chucked the large bundle into the blaze, smothering the few flames that remained. The fire choked for a moment, then began eating away at the moss, emitting a white column of smoke that snaked towards the light orange of the morning sky.
We checked if we had everything, then started on our expedition. I wasn’t sure where we’d go first, but it would have to be relatively close to where the campfire was in case anyone was nearby. I eyed the skyline before us, the mountains in the distance were a wonderful gradient of bright reds, purples, and yellows, perfectly blending together.
I breathed in the fresh morning air. This would have been a delightful trip, were we on a civilized planet. It still was, to an extent. The native organisms of this untouched wonder of a planet were truly a sight to behold, regardless of its many dangers. From the vivid colors of the flora to the deep red sky watching overhead, everything about this world was eye-catching.
We ventured throughout the crimson woods, encircling the campsite while keeping an eye on the smoke signal so that we wouldn’t veer off-course too much. I also was wary of the tall grass and dense shrubs around us, concentrating on even the slightest noise or movement. Today was particularly windy, so my efforts were in vain. We kept to the more open areas, even if that meant making sharp detours around areas where a predator could be concealed in.
Every now and then we would stop for a break, as I had done before. Kiran fared well during our hike, if not even better than I. We stopped underneath the shade of some crimson trees for another rest after a long while. I unpacked one of our water bottles, taking a small swig before handing it to Kiran. We rationed our supplies as best as we could, but we were quickly running out of food. We would soon have to resort to checking if the local flora were edible.
The smoke signal was still in my sight, and we only had a small distance to go in order to complete our full circle. I had thought about calling out into the woods, but decided against it, as it was likely that we would attract unwanted attention. I felt extremely uncomfortable within the dark woodland, despite having a firearm in my possession.
I lay on the grassy floor on my side, attempting to cool myself off. Kiran was doing much of the same, though in a sitting posture. I lifted my head up, snorting through my nostrils to get her attention.
“Having fun?” I smirked playfully. She clicked her beak together with amusement.
“I would be, if the sun wasn’t burning into my feathers.” She squawked between pants. She rested her head against a rock that put even the brightest of rainbows to shame.
“It’s not all bad, is it? It's all about perspective; look at the positives! You have to learn to appreciate the little things in life.”
“Ok, I appreciate..” She glanced around her surroundings, looking for something of value. “I appreciate this rock, does that count?” She gestured behind her. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “It is quite the rock, isn’t it?” She giggled in response. I adored bonding with the girl, she was almost an extension of my own child, in a way.
I didn’t find it odd or strange at the time to fawn over the beauty of an inanimate object, as we both admired its various colors. “Alright, that’s enough geology for me, I think.” I stood, dusting myself off. I heard a faint snapping sound, and my eyes traveled back to the avian, who now looked absolutely petrified, a lone eye focusing on me. She looked almost as scared as she had been when the human attacked her, but this is far worse. Is she looking at me?
I tilted my head in confusion. “Honey? Y-you’re scaring me.” I chuckled nervously. “What’s wrong?” She gave no response. I suddenly felt a massive surge of anxiety wrack my brain, and my ears perked up. The same feeling that haunted me on the ship returned for a comeback, and this time, my question didn’t have to be answered. I heard shuffling a good distance away from me, and I whipped my head in that direction, following her blank stare. My ribcage tightened as I struggled to breathe. I watched the tall grass adjacent from our position, waiting for something to happen.
The first thing I saw were its horrible forward-facing eyes with slit pupils, instantly recognizing it as a predator. They both were dilated, intent on feasting on our bloody flesh. The feral predator observed me with its piercing golden orbs as it slunk closer. It stalked towards us with its head low to the ground, stray droplets of drool spilling out of its long, gaping maw of which were lined with dozens of razor-sharp teeth capable of effortlessly crushing bone.
I didn’t know what exactly I was looking at, but I knew it was there. The beast prowled out of the tall grass in short strides with its ghastly head low to the ground, drooling over our new and alien scent. The lengthy blades of grass combed over its rainbow-colored hide as it revealed itself. Both it and the grass were a near match in terms of coloration, as I strained my eyes to focus on its appearance.
As it moved further into the light, I was able to get a better glimpse of it. The creature itself was covered in skin instead of fur, which was odd. The upper body of the animal was speckled with various bright colors that mimicked the grass, only for it to darken as the pattern stretched towards its underbelly, and morphed into a full jet black where it reached its clawed feet. I had never feared death before as much as I did right now.
I snapped myself out of my terrified stupor, jumping up to my hind hooves and quickly yanking my railgun out of its holster, jabbing it towards the thing with shaky hooves. I gasped for air as my lungs felt heavy, staring down the freak of nature. My heart sank even further and nearly burst out of my chest as I saw two other predators just like the first emerge from behind it. Oh, fuck. The weapon in my hoof suddenly seemed insignificant.
My eyes widened. We have to leave, now. I grabbed Kiran without a word, pulling her along rather roughly. I dashed as fast as my legs could take me while gripping around the length of Kiran’s wing. I didn’t look back once, only focused on making it back to the tent. There was no guarantee that the fire at the campsite would dissuade them from indulging in their hunger at all, but what other option did we have? I glanced back, and was horrified to realize that the reason why they didn’t already tear us apart was because they were giving us a head start. The monstrous things were playing with their ‘food’, for fun.
I looked down to Kiran, then up to the smoke rising from the campsite. We wouldn’t make it in time. I had to make a choice. I swallowed with teary eyes. ‘’G-go.” I flicked an ear towards the campsite. “Now!” I squealed. She obeyed my order without hesitation, and fluttered over that way.
I was not at all prepared for what I was about to do, and doing so would most definitely result in my death. Weeping, I stood in place as the grayish-blue feathered girl escaped to safety.
“H-hey!” I bleated at the top of my lungs while hopping around vigorously, doing everything in my power to attract the predator’s attention towards me. “Over here!” My voice was hoarse, filled with a mixture of emotions. I hope Kiran will be able to forgive me.
All three of their large heads whipped towards me, my diversion evidently working. I holstered my weapon and turned tail, speeding the opposite way and galloping wherever my legs would take me. I leaped through twisted trees only large enough for me to fit through, and hopped over large rocks, hoping it would slow the monsters down.
Just when I thought I was clear, my hind leg unfortunately latched underneath a root peeking out of the ground, forcing me into a halt. I stopped moving instantly as my momentum ceased, and a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I yelped in distress, my upper body smacking onto the dirt with a hard thud. I whined as my weapon was flung out of its holster, landing in front of me. I crawled towards the weapon with all of my remaining strength.
The predators sauntered over, a threatening growl reverberating through the pack’s leader. I crawled towards my last chance at living, finally reaching it. I fitted my fumbling fingers around the weapon as the predator leader charged toward me while I turned around, leveling the weapon with the rainbow demon’s skull. I expelled a single and final shot as the round soared through its nose, expelling a fountain of brain matter behind it as it fell limp, a couple of feet away from me. The other two creatures were taken aback at first, but were now furious that I had dispatched their leader. I was hit with the horrific realization that I had just used the last of my ammunition.
They slowly pressed onward as I lay on my back, a hideous expression of hunger plastered on their flesh-eating faces. I shut my eyes tight, bracing for an excruciating death. Is this it? Is this how I die? At least I can rest well knowing that Kiran is safe. Please, don’t let my death be for nothing. I prayed to whatever deity was listening. Let my family I lo-
My thoughts were interrupted by a sickening crack, followed by the predator closest to me snapping its head back and toppling over, painted by its own viscous blood that spilled out of a gaping wound in its skull. It had taken a clean shot to the side of the head, dying as soon as the projectile had landed. The third predator scampered away after hearing the loud noise, staring daggers into whatever it was that ended the life of its friend. It tucked its tail between its legs in submission, hissing towards my savior before retreating back to where it came from. What on Jild just happened?
I turned my head to my side slowly, still wary of my surroundings. Right next to me was the same human whom I had spared earlier, with its signature metal pipe still strapped to its back. Its arm was outstretched towards the dead predator, with a terran-made weapon grasped in its paw. It lowered the gun down to its side, and I screamed as it began stomping towards me, intending to claim its stolen kill. “O-Oh, Jild, no! P-please, don-don’t eat me!” I cried, trying to reason with the predator. Without thinking, I mindlessly raised the spent railgun up to the thing in an attempt to shoot it, and it retaliated, wrapping its gloved fingers around my own. It effortlessly ripped the useless gun away from my grasp with a mighty paw, tossed it to the side, and wrapped its paw around my body.
My nightmares were coming true. I would be eaten alive, without remorse. I would much rather have died at the fangs of the feral predators instead of the human’s. The human would take its time, and enjoy every second of my suffering.
I was lifted up slightly with incredible strength while screaming my head off, struggling to worm away from its mighty grasp. I squirmed violently, not having enough air in me to continue screaming. The murderer held the gun’s muzzle up to my neck and uttered a single sentence with a deep, growling rumble: “Stop fucking moving.”
My translator implant belted out the meaning to me and I stupidly followed its orders. I shut up, both terrified and surprised that it could understand me or even articulate comprehensive words. I was fully expecting it to sink its fangs into me, but instead, the masked figure slipped the straps of my bag off of my shoulders, dropping me onto the ground and taking my satchel. It began to search through it diligently, tossing out what wasn’t to its liking. The human took out the last of my water supply and interestingly enough, a few of my vegetable bars. It tossed my near-empty bag back to me and slung its own massive bag around, stuffing the supplies inside.
I could only watch as it stole what little supplies I had left. For a moment, I was filled with pure, unbridled rage, replacing my fear with anger. “You m-monster!” I stood on my hind hooves, ignoring the pain burning through my right ankle and attempted to make myself appear as big as I could. “Y-you killed them!” I shouted at the emotionless predator. It had ripped my colleagues to shreds until they were unrecognizable, and it would pay. It in turn slightly tilted its mask towards me, unimpressed. I shrunk back down as its gaze fell upon me, and my ears flattened to my skull.
A low rumble came from it, which my translator picked up on as a chuckle. It was laughing. How dare you?! I snorted angrily. “You.. you’re.. Laughing? Wh-What is wrong with you?!” I yelled at the deranged predator. At that moment I wished I could go back in time and pull the trigger.
“I’m the monster. That’s funny.” It sadistically remarked. “I’m not the one who bombed an entire planet full of billions of innocent women and children.” It turned to face me fully, stalking over to me. My posture tightened as I cowered in fear; its hulking shadow loomed over me. This was the closest I had ever been to the human, or any predator, really. It could probably smell the copious amount of fear that my body was producing.
“I should kill you right fucking now.” It growled, practically spitting venom. It gripped its weapon tightly, threatening to break it. The being relented, apparently deciding against it. Wasn’t it going to eat me?
It stood there, staring down at me, unmoving. “W-why?” I whined. “Why did you.. k-kill them?!”
“You’ll have to be more specific.” It taunted me. My anger only grew.
“The.. the forest. Admit it! You killed them! I s-saw, I was there! Only a predator can do what you d-did!” I gasped, not meeting its gaze.
“Forest?” It scoffed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
What?! That made no sense.. Assuming it really didn’t know what I was referring to.. Had it not killed that group of krakotl? No, that can’t be. Is this a case of predatory deceit?
“Wh-wha..” I stammered, confused.
“If you’re referring to the ship, that was me.” It spoke of the murderous act almost as if it was proud of it, which sickened me to the core. “I enjoyed every second of watching those featherfucks gasping for air, pawing at the airlock. I’d do it again, if I could.” Its grating voice resonated through my bones.
I was enraged at the monster’s admittance of murdering the bomber ship's crew. I felt a wealth of emotions coursing through me, none of which I could openly express. I could only stand there, waiting for its next move. I heard my name being called in the distance, but absent-mindedly ignored it.
It leaned forward until I could see my own reflection in its reflective face mask.
“I’ll give you one last chance: you stay far away from your friends, especially that fucking bird, unless you want to die. If I see you again, next time I won’t hesitate to kill you.” It proclaimed with a gravelly voice. It unfolded upward, straightening its spine. It then turned, walking away with its bounty into the wilderness once again, leaving me alone and confused.
Why on Jild did it save me? That made no sense whatsoever, and went against everything I had been taught. Did it really hold back its bloodlust just to taunt me over how much it loved killing? Why didn’t it eat me while I was vulnerable?
Multiple questions flooded my mind, and I had developed a headache that was worsening by the second. Today was quite the adrenaline booster, I would need a long rest after all of this.
With the human gone, I was left to my own devices. I picked up the scattered contents of my pack, recollecting them.
I heard the rustling of leaves across from me, and I faced the source of the noise. I was spent emotionally, the constant adrenaline rushes taking its toll on me. I could do nothing but lean against a lone stump as I accepted my fate.
I had a good run.
- - -
V V V [STORY IS CONTINUED IN THE COMMENTS!!!] V V V
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submitted by blankxlate to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
Memory transcription subject: Illia, Federation Communications Technician
Date [standardized human time]: October 21, 2136
Kiran and I embraced for what seemed like forever, idly sitting on the rainbow grass that colored the forest floor while huddled together in the darkness. The campfire near us was still full of life somehow, and provided a good amount of illumination throughout the campsite.
It was quite difficult to sit on my haunches upright, with nothing supporting my back. Despite that, It was well worth it and I would sympathize with her for as long as was needed. I remained alert, with my weapon still in my grip in case the human decided to return for round two. I gently massaged the girl’s back with one of my forehooves, hoping that my attempts at soothing her would ward away the trauma she had experienced.
“Illia..” Kiran sobbed into my chest, drenching the fabric of my jumpsuit. “T-thank you, thank you. I was scared that you didn't m-make it.. I don’t know what I would do if you didn’t. P-please don’t leave me.” She pleaded.
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart, don’t worry.” I replied, my voice a faint whisper. “The only thing that matters now is that you’re safe. You don’t have to worry about that.. thing anymore. It’s gone.” I consoled her, wiping the still-wet tears off of her ruffled feathers. “More importantly, are you hurt?” I checked her over, examining her lithe body from multiple angles.
She thought about that for a little while, then sat up, stretching a wing. She let out a cry of pain once it was half-way extended and brought it back down gingerly, wrapping a wing around her upper shoulder. I reached forward out of sympathy, my maternal instincts moving me to comfort her.
“Oh, Jild.. L-Let me see, honey.” I crooned. She heavily reminded me of my eldest, only daughter, and it was amusing how alike they were, despite being of different species.
I tenderly prodded the dull side of my hoof-paw against her supposed injured appendage, trailing it up towards her shoulder, which earned a startled chirp from her, followed by a slight jump away from my touch. The area of where her wing met her shoulder was bruised a deep purple, visible even beneath her feathers from where she collided with the tree. I was beyond grateful that nothing had broken, or even shattered. That would require extensive care, and we were lightyears away from the nearest hospital.
“How d-does it look, Illia? W-Will I be ok?” She sniffled, caressing her discolored limb while being mindful of its positioning. Sadness etched itself across my face, but I forced a hopeful look in Kiran’s favor. Thankfully, the bruising was the extent of her injuries, none of which were life threatening, though were still in need of urgent medical attention. The most I would be able to do would be to give her painkillers and make a sling for her.
Our best option now is to find Orsik and the rest of the crew.
“It’s.. fine, honey. Don’t you worry. I’ll get you fixed up, and you’ll feel all better, ok?” I said while rummaging through my bag for my first aid kit. I had a thorough understanding of how to dress wounds, as well as the proper medical procedures that came with it. Kiran would need her arm immobilized so that any further injury could be avoided. We’d better find help soon, I can only help her so much. I internalized.
Pulling out the kit, I took out a bottle containing the painkillers and a small, square-shaped piece of cloth, which unfolded into a much longer strand of fabric. I cautiously draped the cloth along her shoulder, positioning her arm along her abdomen much to her discomfort, and tied it off. Her arm was now fully supported, and the risk of worsening the injury had decreased. Feeling satisfied with my work, I grabbed the vial of painkillers, urging her to take one. I then grabbed one of the large bottles of water from my pack, holding it a distance away from her beak. “Drink, sweetie.” She welcomed the fluid into her mouth, tilting her head back as I poured the bottle. She eagerly chugged down the substance in record time, unmistakably parched. It had probably been a while since her last drink of water.
I leaned back and returned the now empty bottle to my bag, and observed her checking out my handiwork. Her gaze met the ground suddenly, and she froze, her eyes glossing over. I waited for her to say something, anything. Her abrupt silence was starting to worry me.
“Sweetie?” She gazed off into the distance, no doubt reliving her near-death experience. “Are you alright?” I nudged her, snapping her attention back to me. Tears began to bubble in those wide eyes of hers again; her grip on my jumpsuit tightened, and her hackles raised. She was visibly shaking.
“It.. it came out of n-nowhere. I could feel it w-watching m-me, even before I s-saw it. It.. I knew it w-was there, and th-then.. She whimpered. T-there was so m-much blood, and I-I.. Her voice was hoarse, describing her contact with the predator. “I-I was.. Was so s-scared.. I-I’ve never been more scared b-before in my life..” She choked the words out. “I didn’t know what to do, I-I couldn’t m-move.”
I lay my head gently on top of her own. “That’s just your instincts kicking in, honey.” I assured her. “Everyone has them.” I felt her rapid heartbeat slow gradually as she listened to my words. “You’re safe. Relax, my sweet.” The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile. “I am very proud of you, setting up camp all by yourself. You’ve proven to be very strong and capable out on your own.” My smile died down a bit. “I’m sorry that I didn’t come sooner, but I didn’t forget our promise.”
She released her tight grip on me, reeling back and looking at me with one eye. She swallowed. “Neither did I. I-I knew you would come, so I w-waited.” There was a pause after that, the both of us glad to be in each other's presence. “Thank you, Illia.”
I flicked my ears toward her, and my grin grew wider. “Of course. Let’s get out of here.” I stood up on my hind hooves with a grunt, stretching out my tired muscles. I extended my paw downward towards her, and she took it with her uninjured wing. I helped the virtually weightless girl to her talons, and hefted my backpack over my shoulders. My poor spine ached in protest, practically begging for a break. “Ready?” I turned my head towards her.
“Illia?” She spoke after a moment, craning her neck up towards me.
“Yes, Kiran?”
“That thing, the h-human.. Did you k-kill it? Where did it go?” A worried look crossed her avian features, waiting for my response. I wouldn’t want to worry the poor girl, but I don’t want to lie to her, either.
I inhaled sharply after a moment, inadvertently giving away the answer to Kiran even before my admission. Her brows upturned slightly with worry. My own eyes latched onto hers, and I breathed a sigh, confirming her suspicion.
“Y-you.. You didn’t kill it?! It’s still out there?! Oh, Inatala..” Her feeble legs wobbled, and I kept her from falling over. “W-why? Illia.. Y-you should have killed it when you had the chance! How is it e-even here? Did it f-follow us?!” The distraught avian squawked in alarm, and my ears flattened in response from the sudden change in pitch.
The loud krakotl girl was likely to attract unwanted attention, with how boisterous she was currently. I gently clasped a hoof-paw around her beak, attempting to silence her. “Hey! Calm down, sweetie. Deep breaths. We’re not on Nishtal, or anywhere else. Remember? There’s bound to be predators around here, so we have to be quiet.” That silenced her instantly. “Please, for both of our sakes.” I concernedly whispered. Her frantic chirping died down, and I released my paw.
I inhaled deeply, my lungs pulling in the night’s chilly air. I’d have to answer the many questions that she has bombarded me with now, lest her little heart stops.
A long breath escaped my lips. “I hesitated. I.. I couldn’t pull the trigger, knowing that I would be ending the life of a sapient, living creature. Killing is wrong, regardless of whether it’s prey or predator. I refuse to stoop down to its level.” I explained my actions. “As to how it got here, we must have picked it up somewhere around the time when we boarded the bomber ship. I had a suspicion earlier, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.” I was sorely tempted to put the murderous bastard out of its misery then and there, but it didn’t sit right with me.
She clicked silently to herself, the gears slowly turning in her head.
“I-I thought something was wrong, on the ship, with how you were staring at the door. I was w-worried..” She nervously fidgeted, her talons puncturing the surface she stood on. “Uhm, why.. W-why does the human want to k-kill me? What d-did I do?” She timidly met my gaze again, glancing up at me with watery eyes.
I snorted, raising a four-digit paw and setting it down gently on her uninjured shoulder.
“It isn’t you, Kiran. Killing is in a predator’s nature, their bloodlust drives them crazy. They can’t help it even if they tried, that’s why we can’t live in peace.” I snorted, angering myself over my own rant. “I just wish that we had finished the job.” I muttered, referring to erasing humanity from existence.
Something else was plastered on her face now, something not dissimilar to a look of betrayal. “Illia?” She gulped. “D-do.. do you have predator disease?” Her voice was unsteady, but at the same time, nothing but a faint whisper.
Those words rekindled a flame in me that I thought to be snuffed out a while ago. I snorted angrily, outraged that she would even ask me such a thing, after I had saved her life. She would be dead if I hadn’t intervened, but here she was, accusing me of being the very thing that I had saved her from.
The adrenaline in my system dissipated as I stared into her frightened eyes, and I restrained myself from throwing a fit. Kiran was young, and couldn’t comprehend that predator disease wasn’t an actual illness, but instead was a way for the Federation to retain its chokehold over its citizenry. Though, I wasn’t about to berate the girl over flawed conspiracy theories. She clearly knew nothing of the pain it caused, as naive as she was.
But I knew it well.
She was as stiff as the trees surrounding us, eyeing me expectantly. I felt a pang of sadness as I noticed that she even stepped back a few paces, away from my reach. The Federation had indoctrinated her far beyond the point of recovery with their nonsensical rhetoric. It was insane to think that one misguided accusation was all it took to break apart the bond between two people. There was no use reasoning with her, but I could try.
Is that how she saw me? A predator? That caused me more pain than any weapon could physically inflict, especially coming from her. Where did this even come from? I was nowhere close to matching the Humans’ brutality, or even the Arxurs’, and yet, she still regarded me as one of them.
I released a snort, dismissing the indirect insult. “No.” I said sternly, clearly heartbroken, as much as I tried to mask it. “Honey, we’ve known each other for quite a while. If I truly had.. ‘Predator disease’, don’t you think I would have shown signs of it by now?” I left the question in the air as Kiran attempted to make sense of my reasonable statement. “Well?”
“T-That makes sense..” Her voice cracked.
“Don’t you trust me, Kiran? Why would you ask such a thing?” My own voice wavered as my heart split down the middle, waiting for her reply. Although, I knew what it would be.
“I do.” She squawked a little while after, catching me completely off-guard. “It’s just.. I-I heard you, threatening the p-predator. Y-You were so b-brave, and instead of running the other way, you just.. held it at gunpoint, and shooed it away from me. You weren’t s-scared at all, even when it wanted to kill you.” She gulped.
“Of course I was scared. I was terrified.” I pleaded. “But I couldn’t just stand back and do nothing, not while your life was at stake. I had to be strong, whatever the cost. It would forever haunt me if I had left you to die, to save myself. I would n-never, I c-couldn’t..” I whimpered through ragged breaths, a dam of emotion bursting through my guise of strength. “I have known nothing but pain and anguish since I set hoof on this planet. I’ve already lost so much, and losing you would absolutely destroy me.” I sobbed, gasping for air. I felt embarrassed, having Kiran see me in my current state. I had tried so hard to be strong for her, but the events of this past week have finally caught up to me.
I wept, hiding my tears in the crook of my elbow. I felt a warm touch caress my upper arm, and I moved my arm away from my eyes. Looking down, Kiran had moved closer to me with a comforting smile on her face. It would seem that she had discarded the ‘sulean predator’ claim after witnessing the humiliating waterworks display in front of her.
“I believe you.” She smiled with her eyes. Relief washed through me instantly. She was the one person in the Federation who had wanted to be my friend, let alone even talk to me. Despite being on a mystery planet with a slim chance of escape, she was a light in the darkness. I hope she knows what she means to me.
I grew a smile of my own and latched onto her in another embrace, being careful not to disturb her shoulder. I snorted through my nose contentedly. “Thank you.” I sniffed. Although startled at first, she returned the hug, squeezing me tightly. While embraced, for a brief moment all of my worries had faded away, replaced by a feeling of adoration and hope. We departed from each other, our bond reinstated.
“See? I’m not foaming at the mouth, am I? Guess I’m not a predator after all.” I joked, hoping it would be well received. I gently tickled her side with my hooved manipulators, causing her to giggle.
“Ok, ok! I trust you! The little one laughed, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. Her breathing returned to a calm pace. “So. Where to now?”
“What do you mean, little one?” I inquired. “It’s pitch black out there, surely you’re not thinking of heading out now, are you? The human is still out there, and it probably isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.” Wandering through the wilderness in the dead of night wasn’t the best idea, with the looming threat of predators. We’d have to make do here, where our chances of surviving the night were slim enough as it was.
“O-Oh, yeah, you’re right. I-I’m just.. scared that it may come back.” She sheepishly admitted.
“Listen to me.” I met her frightful gaze. “I will not let that thing hurt you ever again. Not while I’m still here.” A motherly tone painted my words, although sounding a bit too harsh.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I smiled. “Is there only one tent?” I switched the subject.
“Uh, y-yeah, sorry. Is it ok if we share?” She asked while walking up to the circular formation, opening it up.
“Of course.” The exchange was awkward, but we had to make do with what little we had. I climbed inside of the tent after her after taking out my floodlight, switching it on and setting it down directly in front of the tent’s flap, facing towards the shadowy trees. That’d provide us extra security, I hoped. I set my bag down onto the tent’s floor, feeling much better now without it weighing me down.
I plopped down onto my natural state on all fours. I had been ambling on my hind hooves for most of my stay on this planet, and had forgotten the comfort of having my weight equally distributed throughout my body. The muscles in my back ached, and I slid down and rolled onto my side, being able to relax at long last. I scooted my backpack towards me, intending to use it as a makeshift pillow. I released a snort of contentment as I rested my skull on the surprisingly comfortable rucksack. , the tent floor being surprisingly comfortable. A tired yawn escaped me, and my tongue lolled out of my mouth on autopilot as I felt my eyelids droop.
As much as I had wanted to sleep, I wouldn’t be able to, not with the threat of danger still lurking in the forest. We were most vulnerable while sleeping, especially while it was still dark outside. The fire was still going and was fairly close to our tent, but I wouldn’t trust that it would completely protect us from predators. I groggily sat up from my makeshift restplace and shook myself awake, followed by a tired groan. I grasped my forehooves around the weapon that I had clumsily discarded onto the tent’s floor, checking the railgun’s ammunition. Dread hit me with the realization that I was down to a singular bolt. That didn’t make me feel entirely secure, but it was better than nothing at all.
I looked to Kiran, who was already tucked in and ready for the next day. She lay down on a blue sleeping bag, completely enveloped inside of it, except for her head. I chuckled to myself while watching the adorable child snuggle inside of the bag that was far too big for her size.
She caught me staring at her. “Illia?” She spoke, cutting out the crackling of burning wood for a moment.
“Yes, dear?” I yawned again, the tiredness taking over me became unbearable at this point.
“W-What’s the plan for tomorrow?” She asked me with an inquisitive inflection in her voice.
“Well, I would imagine that we’d try to find Orsik. That’s really the only option we have right now. That way, you can be treated by an actual doctor, and not a silly sulean.” I quipped.
“I-I don’t think you’re s-silly..” She admitted meekly.
I faced her, flattered by her comment. I smiled. “Thank you, sweetie. That is very nice of you to say.” A light in the darkness. I crawled over to her, resting on my side next to where she lay. I had my weapon at the ready with a forehoof resting on top of it. I looked down at her adoringly as she shuffled inside of her covers. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning. We’ll go looking for everyone else tomorrow.”
“What about the ship? Shouldn’t we go there?” One of her blue eyes studied me.
“I came from there, it’s nothing but a smoking heap of metal now.” I yawned. “We shouldn’t move too far away, Orsik said he’ll come to us. Besides, we’re safer here than out in the dark, right?”
Kiran whimpered, not satisfied with my answer. “Remember our promise?” I asked.
Her deflated look withered away. “Y-yes, I do..” She breathed. “O-ok, only if that means that we can leave as soon as they f-find us.”
“Of course. We won’t stay here longer than is absolutely necessary. I’ll get a signal started in the morning.”
“A-Aren’t you worried about predators? What if they come while w-we’re sleeping?”
I lay my head down onto my satchel. “I am.” I admitted. “And I would prefer not to meet them anytime soon. I think it’s a great sign that we haven’t already.” I gave a dismissive snort, hoping that was the last of her questions. “They won’t bother us, at least not tonight. The floodlight should keep them away, no worries.” I reassured her.
“Oh, ok. Good night, Illia.” She chirped.
“Good night. Sweet dreams, little one.” I caressed her feathers, then committed myself to watching the tent’s opening for the rest of the night.
- - -
I awoke, cursing after realizing that I had been asleep. I didn’t expect myself to be awake for the entire duration of the night, but I was still upset with myself for giving in to my fatigue. Something could have happened, but I was glad nothing did. I was still tired, having stayed awake for most of the night watching over Kiran. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes with a forepaw. My railgun was still grasped in my other forepaw, and I brought the gun up to my hip, holstering it.
Some of my worries over the human still being out there somewhere had faltered; perhaps it lost interest after witnessing my display of superior strength? Predators preferred a challenge when hunting, but their small brains understood when the odds were not in their favor. This human in particular probably saw our small group as easy pickings, and had developed a taste for krakotl flesh. That’d explain the blood spattered all over it, almost as if it were a trophy.
I looked at Kiran, who was still sound asleep. The beautiful orange of this planet’s sun filtered in through the translucent barrier surrounding us; its angelic rays permeated throughout the tent and casted a wondrous shine onto her dull blue feathers.
I yawned, standing up on all fours and leaned into a stretch. The soreness had worn off, and I was ready for another long journey, this time with the presence of my avian friend. I had another long day of strengthening my hind legs, no doubt. I just hope that the rest of the crew were close.
I unzipped my dirty jumpsuit, checking my small cuts. They seemed to be in relatively good shape and had scabbed over, leaving a soreness behind. After confirming that the wounds weren’t infected, I zipped my uniform back up.
I gently shook the sleeping Kiran awake. “Good morning, sleepy. It’s time to head out.” I whispered softly. She stirred and sat up. “Are you hungry? I have some rations.” I reached for my pack, snatching two cans of processed vegetable bars and handed one to her. “You need to eat to keep your strength up, honey.” I dug into my own helping quite quickly, stowing away the empty can. It wasn’t the best tasting thing in the galaxy as it was made specifically for the krakotls’ sophisticated palate. “How did you sleep?” I spoke between mouthfuls. She ate hers bit by bit, to the best of her ability. I imagine it would be difficult to eat something with a beak as narrow as hers was, so I patiently waited for her to finish.
“I slept well, actually.” She faced me, full of youthful vigor. It was almost as though her self confidence had drastically improved overnight. She stretched her good wing out, and checked the sling on the other. Once she was done with her helping, she got up, brushing her manipulators through her feathers. “How about you, Illia?”
“Good! I’m glad. Me, I slept like a fawn.” I fibbed, stifling another yawn. “Oh, let me take that from you, sweetheart.” I motioned to her empty vegetable bar container. I collected the tin from her, tossing it along with the other. I reached for my bag, leaving the heavy non-essentials inside the tent. I slugged it over my shoulder once more, my spine thanking me for lightening the load. The pack’s weight felt far more manageable than it did before. I might even be able to actually walk around with it this time. I wondered.
“Are we ready to go?” I stood in front of the tent, raising a forehoof to unzip us to freedom. The krakotl girl chirped her affirmative after checking herself over, and we both exited the tent, ready for another adventure. Upon leaving, I was extremely surprised to see that I didn’t even have to reignite the fire, as it was still burning, although not as strong as yesterday. The crimson tree that Kiran had made the campfire out of was highly flammable, if I had to guess. That would explain the randomly scorched trees throughout the landscape that I saw earlier. I was relieved that none of them combusted while we were asleep.
“Alright. Let’s head this way, shall we?” I plucked some of the damp yellow moss from a neighboring tree with a spare piece of fabric in between my hooves in case it was an irritant, which was smart thinking on my behalf. I chucked the large bundle into the blaze, smothering the few flames that remained. The fire choked for a moment, then began eating away at the moss, emitting a white column of smoke that snaked towards the light orange of the morning sky.
We checked if we had everything, then started on our expedition. I wasn’t sure where we’d go first, but it would have to be relatively close to where the campfire was in case anyone was nearby. I eyed the skyline before us, the mountains in the distance were a wonderful gradient of bright reds, purples, and yellows, perfectly blending together.
I breathed in the fresh morning air. This would have been a delightful trip, were we on a civilized planet. It still was, to an extent. The native organisms of this untouched wonder of a planet were truly a sight to behold, regardless of its many dangers. From the vivid colors of the flora to the deep red sky watching overhead, everything about this world was eye-catching.
We ventured throughout the crimson woods, encircling the campsite while keeping an eye on the smoke signal so that we wouldn’t veer off-course too much. I also was wary of the tall grass and dense shrubs around us, concentrating on even the slightest noise or movement. Today was particularly windy, so my efforts were in vain. We kept to the more open areas, even if that meant making sharp detours around areas where a predator could be concealed in.
Every now and then we would stop for a break, as I had done before. Kiran fared well during our hike, if not even better than I. We stopped underneath the shade of some crimson trees for another rest after a long while. I unpacked one of our water bottles, taking a small swig before handing it to Kiran. We rationed our supplies as best as we could, but we were quickly running out of food. We would soon have to resort to checking if the local flora were edible.
The smoke signal was still in my sight, and we only had a small distance to go in order to complete our full circle. I had thought about calling out into the woods, but decided against it, as it was likely that we would attract unwanted attention. I felt extremely uncomfortable within the dark woodland, despite having a firearm in my possession.
I lay on the grassy floor on my side, attempting to cool myself off. Kiran was doing much of the same, though in a sitting posture. I lifted my head up, snorting through my nostrils to get her attention.
“Having fun?” I smirked playfully. She clicked her beak together with amusement.
“I would be, if the sun wasn’t burning into my feathers.” She squawked between pants. She rested her head against a rock that put even the brightest of rainbows to shame.
“It’s not all bad, is it? It's all about perspective; look at the positives! You have to learn to appreciate the little things in life.”
“Ok, I appreciate..” She glanced around her surroundings, looking for something of value. “I appreciate this rock, does that count?” She gestured behind her. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “It is quite the rock, isn’t it?” She giggled in response. I adored bonding with the girl, she was almost an extension of my own child, in a way.
I didn’t find it odd or strange at the time to fawn over the beauty of an inanimate object, as we both admired its various colors. “Alright, that’s enough geology for me, I think.” I stood, dusting myself off. I heard a faint snapping sound, and my eyes traveled back to the avian, who now looked absolutely petrified, a lone eye focusing on me. She looked almost as scared as she had been when the human attacked her, but this is far worse. Is she looking at me?
I tilted my head in confusion. “Honey? Y-you’re scaring me.” I chuckled nervously. “What’s wrong?” She gave no response. I suddenly felt a massive surge of anxiety wrack my brain, and my ears perked up. The same feeling that haunted me on the ship returned for a comeback, and this time, my question didn’t have to be answered. I heard shuffling a good distance away from me, and I whipped my head in that direction, following her blank stare. My ribcage tightened as I struggled to breathe. I watched the tall grass adjacent from our position, waiting for something to happen.
The first thing I saw were its horrible forward-facing eyes with slit pupils, instantly recognizing it as a predator. They both were dilated, intent on feasting on our bloody flesh. The feral predator observed me with its piercing golden orbs as it slunk closer. It stalked towards us with its head low to the ground, stray droplets of drool spilling out of its long, gaping maw of which were lined with dozens of razor-sharp teeth capable of effortlessly crushing bone.
I didn’t know what exactly I was looking at, but I knew it was there. The beast prowled out of the tall grass in short strides with its ghastly head low to the ground, drooling over our new and alien scent. The lengthy blades of grass combed over its rainbow-colored hide as it revealed itself. Both it and the grass were a near match in terms of coloration, as I strained my eyes to focus on its appearance.
As it moved further into the light, I was able to get a better glimpse of it. The creature itself was covered in skin instead of fur, which was odd. The upper body of the animal was speckled with various bright colors that mimicked the grass, only for it to darken as the pattern stretched towards its underbelly, and morphed into a full jet black where it reached its clawed feet. I had never feared death before as much as I did right now.
I snapped myself out of my terrified stupor, jumping up to my hind hooves and quickly yanking my railgun out of its holster, jabbing it towards the thing with shaky hooves. I gasped for air as my lungs felt heavy, staring down the freak of nature. My heart sank even further and nearly burst out of my chest as I saw two other predators just like the first emerge from behind it. Oh, fuck. The weapon in my hoof suddenly seemed insignificant.
My eyes widened. We have to leave, now. I grabbed Kiran without a word, pulling her along rather roughly. I dashed as fast as my legs could take me while gripping around the length of Kiran’s wing. I didn’t look back once, only focused on making it back to the tent. There was no guarantee that the fire at the campsite would dissuade them from indulging in their hunger at all, but what other option did we have? I glanced back, and was horrified to realize that the reason why they didn’t already tear us apart was because they were giving us a head start. The monstrous things were playing with their ‘food’, for fun.
I looked down to Kiran, then up to the smoke rising from the campsite. We wouldn’t make it in time. I had to make a choice. I swallowed with teary eyes. ‘’G-go.” I flicked an ear towards the campsite. “Now!” I squealed. She obeyed my order without hesitation, and fluttered over that way.
I was not at all prepared for what I was about to do, and doing so would most definitely result in my death. Weeping, I stood in place as the grayish-blue feathered girl escaped to safety.
“H-hey!” I bleated at the top of my lungs while hopping around vigorously, doing everything in my power to attract the predator’s attention towards me. “Over here!” My voice was hoarse, filled with a mixture of emotions. I hope Kiran will be able to forgive me.
All three of their large heads whipped towards me, my diversion evidently working. I holstered my weapon and turned tail, speeding the opposite way and galloping wherever my legs would take me. I leaped through twisted trees only large enough for me to fit through, and hopped over large rocks, hoping it would slow the monsters down.
Just when I thought I was clear, my hind leg unfortunately latched underneath a root peeking out of the ground, forcing me into a halt. I stopped moving instantly as my momentum ceased, and a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I yelped in distress, my upper body smacking onto the dirt with a hard thud. I whined as my weapon was flung out of its holster, landing in front of me. I crawled towards the weapon with all of my remaining strength.
The predators sauntered over, a threatening growl reverberating through the pack’s leader. I crawled towards my last chance at living, finally reaching it. I fitted my fumbling fingers around the weapon as the predator leader charged toward me while I turned around, leveling the weapon with the rainbow demon’s skull. I expelled a single and final shot as the round soared through its nose, expelling a fountain of brain matter behind it as it fell limp, a couple of feet away from me. The other two creatures were taken aback at first, but were now furious that I had dispatched their leader. I was hit with the horrific realization that I had just used the last of my ammunition.
They slowly pressed onward as I lay on my back, a hideous expression of hunger plastered on their flesh-eating faces. I shut my eyes tight, bracing for an excruciating death. Is this it? Is this how I die? At least I can rest well knowing that Kiran is safe. Please, don’t let my death be for nothing. I prayed to whatever deity was listening. Let my family I lo-
My thoughts were interrupted by a sickening crack, followed by the predator closest to me snapping its head back and toppling over, painted by its own viscous blood that spilled out of a gaping wound in its skull. It had taken a clean shot to the side of the head, dying as soon as the projectile had landed. The third predator scampered away after hearing the loud noise, staring daggers into whatever it was that ended the life of its friend. It tucked its tail between its legs in submission, hissing towards my savior before retreating back to where it came from. What on Jild just happened?
I turned my head to my side slowly, still wary of my surroundings. Right next to me was the same human whom I had spared earlier, with its signature metal pipe still strapped to its back. Its arm was outstretched towards the dead predator, with a terran-made weapon grasped in its paw. It lowered the gun down to its side, and I screamed as it began stomping towards me, intending to claim its stolen kill. “O-Oh, Jild, no! P-please, don-don’t eat me!” I cried, trying to reason with the predator. Without thinking, I mindlessly raised the spent railgun up to the thing in an attempt to shoot it, and it retaliated, wrapping its gloved fingers around my own. It effortlessly ripped the useless gun away from my grasp with a mighty paw, tossed it to the side, and wrapped its paw around my body.
My nightmares were coming true. I would be eaten alive, without remorse. I would much rather have died at the fangs of the feral predators instead of the human’s. The human would take its time, and enjoy every second of my suffering.
I was lifted up slightly with incredible strength while screaming my head off, struggling to worm away from its mighty grasp. I squirmed violently, not having enough air in me to continue screaming. The murderer held the gun’s muzzle up to my neck and uttered a single sentence with a deep, growling rumble: “Stop fucking moving.”
My translator implant belted out the meaning to me and I stupidly followed its orders. I shut up, both terrified and surprised that it could understand me or even articulate comprehensive words. I was fully expecting it to sink its fangs into me, but instead, the masked figure slipped the straps of my bag off of my shoulders, dropping me onto the ground and taking my satchel. It began to search through it diligently, tossing out what wasn’t to its liking. The human took out the last of my water supply and interestingly enough, a few of my vegetable bars. It tossed my near-empty bag back to me and slung its own massive bag around, stuffing the supplies inside.
I could only watch as it stole what little supplies I had left. For a moment, I was filled with pure, unbridled rage, replacing my fear with anger. “You m-monster!” I stood on my hind hooves, ignoring the pain burning through my right ankle and attempted to make myself appear as big as I could. “Y-you killed them!” I shouted at the emotionless predator. It had ripped my colleagues to shreds until they were unrecognizable, and it would pay. It in turn slightly tilted its mask towards me, unimpressed. I shrunk back down as its gaze fell upon me, and my ears flattened to my skull.
A low rumble came from it, which my translator picked up on as a chuckle. It was laughing. How dare you?! I snorted angrily. “You.. you’re.. Laughing? Wh-What is wrong with you?!” I yelled at the deranged predator. At that moment I wished I could go back in time and pull the trigger.
“I’m the monster. That’s funny.” It sadistically remarked. “I’m not the one who bombed an entire planet full of billions of innocent women and children.” It turned to face me fully, stalking over to me. My posture tightened as I cowered in fear; its hulking shadow loomed over me. This was the closest I had ever been to the human, or any predator, really. It could probably smell the copious amount of fear that my body was producing.
“I should kill you right fucking now.” It growled, practically spitting venom. It gripped its weapon tightly, threatening to break it. The being relented, apparently deciding against it. Wasn’t it going to eat me?
It stood there, staring down at me, unmoving. “W-why?” I whined. “Why did you.. k-kill them?!”
“You’ll have to be more specific.” It taunted me. My anger only grew.
“The.. the forest. Admit it! You killed them! I s-saw, I was there! Only a predator can do what you d-did!” I gasped, not meeting its gaze.
“Forest?” It scoffed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
What?! That made no sense.. Assuming it really didn’t know what I was referring to.. Had it not killed that group of krakotl? No, that can’t be. Is this a case of predatory deceit?
“Wh-wha..” I stammered, confused.
“If you’re referring to the ship, that was me.” It spoke of the murderous act almost as if it was proud of it, which sickened me to the core. “I enjoyed every second of watching those featherfucks gasping for air, pawing at the airlock. I’d do it again, if I could.” Its grating voice resonated through my bones.
I was enraged at the monster’s admittance of murdering the bomber ship's crew. I felt a wealth of emotions coursing through me, none of which I could openly express. I could only stand there, waiting for its next move. I heard my name being called in the distance, but absent-mindedly ignored it.
It leaned forward until I could see my own reflection in its reflective face mask.
“I’ll give you one last chance: you stay far away from your friends, especially that fucking bird, unless you want to die. If I see you again, next time I won’t hesitate to kill you.” It proclaimed with a gravelly voice. It unfolded upward, straightening its spine. It then turned, walking away with its bounty into the wilderness once again, leaving me alone and confused.
Why on Jild did it save me? That made no sense whatsoever, and went against everything I had been taught. Did it really hold back its bloodlust just to taunt me over how much it loved killing? Why didn’t it eat me while I was vulnerable?
Multiple questions flooded my mind, and I had developed a headache that was worsening by the second. Today was quite the adrenaline booster, I would need a long rest after all of this.
With the human gone, I was left to my own devices. I picked up the scattered contents of my pack, recollecting them.
I heard the rustling of leaves across from me, and I faced the source of the noise. I was spent emotionally, the constant adrenaline rushes taking its toll on me. I could do nothing but lean against a lone stump as I accepted my fate.
I had a good run.
- - -
V V V [STORY IS CONTINUED IN THE COMMENTS!!!] V V V
[First] [Previous] [Next]
2023.05.29 04:32 etbryan83 Diagnosis difficulties please help
Female age 40. Smoker. I do not drink or use drugs.
-I have access to all of my blood work and can promptly answer any questions you may have.
Past Medical Hx Past Medical History:
. Anxiety - no meds
. Arrhythmia- PSVT - atenolol 2x per day
. FH: migraines - no meds
. History of palpitations-Controlled with Atenolol
. Incomplete abortion (multiple)
. Morbid obesity (HC)
. OSA on CPAP
. Panic attacks - no meds
. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) - metformin
. Vitamin B 12 deficiency - biweekly injections
. Vitamin D 3 deficiency - daily D3 pill
. GERD - daily proton pump inhibitor
. Superficial blood clot in 2021 - no treatment was needed
. Dust mite allergy - daily allergy pill and nose spray
. Vertebral segmental dysfunction diagnosis with an X-ray at the chiropractor. I get small, low impact adjustments.
. 40mg prednisone. Was on 60mg but needed to drop down due to heart rate in the 140s
https://imgur.com/a/sxyWdIl
https://imgur.com/a/Q1mxEsa
https://imgur.com/a/OfY0BEJ
https://imgur.com/a/uW2z2ek
https://imgur.com/a/vO4JSAV
https://imgur.com/a/tVvqHUZ
Dear doctors of Reddit, I need you. My medical team is struggling to diagnose me. I need ideas to bring to the table, because apparently whatever I have is not very common. I am located in Minnesota and will absolutely take a recommendation on a professional to see.
Over the past few weeks I have seen 8 or 9 different doctors between the emergency room, my GP, a OBGYN, breast specialist, nurses, a PA and a dermatologist, I even saw a hematologist due to unusual blood work. No one knows what is wrong with me, how to diagnose me or how to treat me. But they all agree something is very wrong. Originally they thought Lupus and then the ER said vasculitis. When I saw my GP on Friday he asked me what I had found on google and started taking notes. I’m shit terrified.
Last year when things were bad…. but not even close to this bad I was cleaned by endocrinology. This year I was cleared by allergy. I also have a clean MRI/CT scan of my head.
My baseline of health never feels awesome. I’ve always been someone who felt “sickly” and run down. But I deal with it and don’t complain. When I have these “episodes”. Some symptoms are short lived and less bothersome than others. Unfortunately everything seems to be happening at once and I can’t function.
I am currently on 40mg of prednisone to try to control some of this while we look for answers.
-My breasts are turning purple. Blood vessels are bursting and I experience swelling and pain with this.
-vulva swelling with distended veins.
-I have problems with spikes in blood pressure and heart rate that can’t be explained and I was often told it is anxiety. It comes with a burning feeling in my chest and back. It is usually self limiting to hours and they don’t have a known trigger.
-my hands swell and turn red and purple if I get too warm or too upset.
-I don’t sweat anymore. Being hot makes me feel very sick and my face turns bright red. My skin feels like it is burning. It takes multiple ice packs and hours in front of an air conditioner to cool down to a regular temperature.
-I get stretches of unexplained chest pains. Sometimes I will feel like inside of my chest itches. Sometimes it will feel hard to breathe.
-I get stretches of unexplainable abdominal pains. Sometimes hours and sometimes weeks. I sometimes feel like the pain is generalized to a specific area like around my spleen or around my stomach. It will hurt worse if I touch the area. Sometimes it is full abdomen pain. During my last uppelower I was told there was unexplained esophagus inflammation. I have had episodes of delayed gastric emptying with vomiting during these periods.
-I get weird rashes on my arm if I go outside or get too hot. They are small round dots that turn in to open sores. They do not hurt or itch. They heal as white or purple marks. They just started last year.
-I get swelling in the left half of my face and have very limited sensation in the left cheek. With this I get what I am guessing is swelling in my tongue that causes deviation. The tongue deviation being linked to swelling is just a guess and my personal guess. Doctors have no clue(I was originally told this was anxiety)
-I get what feels like swelling in my inner ears. I feel and hear crunching and popping. Soon this pressure builds and I get feelings of being lightheaded, dizzy, smelling burning, vision changes, and cognitive decline.
-I get pain and stiffness in my neck, wrists, fingers and toes. I have numbness and tingling in my left arm with limited sensation and what feels like limited strength.
-I get lesions on the sides and back of my tongue and what feels like bumpy rashes on the roof of my mouth. This was something I noticed right before the tongue deviation started.
submitted by etbryan83 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
-I have access to all of my blood work and can promptly answer any questions you may have.
Past Medical Hx Past Medical History:
. Anxiety - no meds
. Arrhythmia- PSVT - atenolol 2x per day
. FH: migraines - no meds
. History of palpitations-Controlled with Atenolol
. Incomplete abortion (multiple)
. Morbid obesity (HC)
. OSA on CPAP
. Panic attacks - no meds
. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) - metformin
. Vitamin B 12 deficiency - biweekly injections
. Vitamin D 3 deficiency - daily D3 pill
. GERD - daily proton pump inhibitor
. Superficial blood clot in 2021 - no treatment was needed
. Dust mite allergy - daily allergy pill and nose spray
. Vertebral segmental dysfunction diagnosis with an X-ray at the chiropractor. I get small, low impact adjustments.
. 40mg prednisone. Was on 60mg but needed to drop down due to heart rate in the 140s
https://imgur.com/a/sxyWdIl
https://imgur.com/a/Q1mxEsa
https://imgur.com/a/OfY0BEJ
https://imgur.com/a/uW2z2ek
https://imgur.com/a/vO4JSAV
https://imgur.com/a/tVvqHUZ
Dear doctors of Reddit, I need you. My medical team is struggling to diagnose me. I need ideas to bring to the table, because apparently whatever I have is not very common. I am located in Minnesota and will absolutely take a recommendation on a professional to see.
Over the past few weeks I have seen 8 or 9 different doctors between the emergency room, my GP, a OBGYN, breast specialist, nurses, a PA and a dermatologist, I even saw a hematologist due to unusual blood work. No one knows what is wrong with me, how to diagnose me or how to treat me. But they all agree something is very wrong. Originally they thought Lupus and then the ER said vasculitis. When I saw my GP on Friday he asked me what I had found on google and started taking notes. I’m shit terrified.
Last year when things were bad…. but not even close to this bad I was cleaned by endocrinology. This year I was cleared by allergy. I also have a clean MRI/CT scan of my head.
My baseline of health never feels awesome. I’ve always been someone who felt “sickly” and run down. But I deal with it and don’t complain. When I have these “episodes”. Some symptoms are short lived and less bothersome than others. Unfortunately everything seems to be happening at once and I can’t function.
I am currently on 40mg of prednisone to try to control some of this while we look for answers.
-My breasts are turning purple. Blood vessels are bursting and I experience swelling and pain with this.
-vulva swelling with distended veins.
-I have problems with spikes in blood pressure and heart rate that can’t be explained and I was often told it is anxiety. It comes with a burning feeling in my chest and back. It is usually self limiting to hours and they don’t have a known trigger.
-my hands swell and turn red and purple if I get too warm or too upset.
-I don’t sweat anymore. Being hot makes me feel very sick and my face turns bright red. My skin feels like it is burning. It takes multiple ice packs and hours in front of an air conditioner to cool down to a regular temperature.
-I get stretches of unexplained chest pains. Sometimes I will feel like inside of my chest itches. Sometimes it will feel hard to breathe.
-I get stretches of unexplainable abdominal pains. Sometimes hours and sometimes weeks. I sometimes feel like the pain is generalized to a specific area like around my spleen or around my stomach. It will hurt worse if I touch the area. Sometimes it is full abdomen pain. During my last uppelower I was told there was unexplained esophagus inflammation. I have had episodes of delayed gastric emptying with vomiting during these periods.
-I get weird rashes on my arm if I go outside or get too hot. They are small round dots that turn in to open sores. They do not hurt or itch. They heal as white or purple marks. They just started last year.
-I get swelling in the left half of my face and have very limited sensation in the left cheek. With this I get what I am guessing is swelling in my tongue that causes deviation. The tongue deviation being linked to swelling is just a guess and my personal guess. Doctors have no clue(I was originally told this was anxiety)
-I get what feels like swelling in my inner ears. I feel and hear crunching and popping. Soon this pressure builds and I get feelings of being lightheaded, dizzy, smelling burning, vision changes, and cognitive decline.
-I get pain and stiffness in my neck, wrists, fingers and toes. I have numbness and tingling in my left arm with limited sensation and what feels like limited strength.
-I get lesions on the sides and back of my tongue and what feels like bumpy rashes on the roof of my mouth. This was something I noticed right before the tongue deviation started.
2023.05.29 04:32 shsithrowaway is it safe to go over scars?
is it more or less safe than to go over clean skin? is it easier to accidentally go deep? is there a point in the healing process at which it's safer (when the scab falls off, when it's turned white, whatever)?
submitted by shsithrowaway to selfharm [link] [comments]
2023.05.29 04:22 awayteamriker [WTS] Garage Sale Parts Bin Clean Out - ALG, Geissele, VLTOR, Uppers, Mags, and more
Timestamp: https://i.imgur.com/8pEpMzH.jpg
Cleaning out the parts bin and have the following available. Prices include shipping except where noted on the lower cost items. I prefer Zelle and Venmo F&F but can also do PayPal F&F.
The below items must either be bought in conjunction with something above or bought with at least one other item below or add $10 to ship.
Make an offer if you are interested in several items as a bundle.
Trades I would be interested in:
Edit: Fixed table alignment.
submitted by awayteamriker to GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]
Cleaning out the parts bin and have the following available. Prices include shipping except where noted on the lower cost items. I prefer Zelle and Venmo F&F but can also do PayPal F&F.
| Upper receiver group with Geissele 11.5 inch 5.56mm 1:7 CHF barrel (parkerized and chrome-lined, not black oxide), Geissele pinned gas block, Geissele 9.5 inch MK14 rail, and VLTOR MUR upper. Parts were all non-blem but there is some light wear and scratches from a little bit of use. Not more than 400 rounds through it. Includes Magpul MBUS sights but no BCG or charging handle. Looking for $425 on this one. More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/LyAqfLo |
|---|
| Upper receiver group with KAK 8 inch 300 Blackout 1:7 stainless steel barrel, Geissele pinned stainless steel gas block, ALG 10 inch EMR V3X rail, KAK flash can, and a Cerro forged upper. Parts were all non-blem but there is some light wear and scratches from a little bit of use. Not more than 300 rounds through it. Includes Magpul MBUS sights but no BCG or charging handle. Only ever shot subsonic and no problems cycling unsupressed. Looking for $375 on this one. More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/2R4hkEY |
| Bushnell Banner 2 3-9x40 1 inch tube scope. Supposedly this is a long eye relief scope but I had no problem using it in the typical position on a Ruger American. Only one range trip with this one to sight it in, could probably pass as new. Includes box, bikini cover and chinesium scope rings. How about $45 on this one. More photos here: https://imgur.com/a/sFXP8ib |
| 9mm AR components being sold together as a kit. KAK mag well conversion block for Colt SMG mags with last round bolt hold open, Ballistic Advantage 9mm barrel with FSB (same length as a 10.5 inch 5.56), CMMG blow back BCG from before they switched to the radial delay, KAK extra heavy extended buffer. Parts are all a little salty, probably around 600 rounds of 124 and 147 FMJ through it and never any problems feeding. How about $175 for the components. |
The below items must either be bought in conjunction with something above or bought with at least one other item below or add $10 to ship.
| ASC 32 round 9mm SMG magazine. A little salty and dirty but function fine. 7 available, looking for $12 each. |
|---|
| ASC 20 round 9mm SMG magazine. A little salty and dirty but function fine. 3 available, looking for $8 each. |
| No name milspec buffer tube with castle nut, pretty sure this came with one of my pistol braces but can't be sure. Salty. How about $8 here too. |
| Magpul grip, (SL maybe?), too skinny for my hands. Includes Magpul screw and a star washer, very lightly used. $8 again. |
| ETS Glock 43 6 round 9mm magazine. Used only once or twice. $8 |
| Magpul Scorpion magazine. Never used. I don't even have a scorpion. $8 |
Trades I would be interested in:
- Geissele MK14 13.5 inch, black, non-blemula.
- BCM QRF 12 inch, black (two of them).
Edit: Fixed table alignment.
2023.05.29 04:19 Latter_Fennel_7453 Some recent Marathon lore summaries
I don't know if this is something that people really want, or if this is technically allowed here (if not, very sorry, delete me) but I've been combing YouTube for reviews of old games I liked for some time, and Marathon oddly enough has a few recent gems. First and foremost, of course I suggest anyone with an interest in Marathon lore visit the Marathon's story master site: marathon.bungie.org
The examined life of gaming 3 years ago, 3 videos totaling roughly 70 min summarizing each of the original trilogy games https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzqQqTZGYi1b6SBlFWhgr38sPrJygI9La
Mandalore gaming (about 9 months ago) 4 videos including Pathways (the pre-marathon) totaling about 2.5 hours https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfZTtT3IEdDjQTHu3NqLjOUX65d4cDG54
Hey Blondie (4mo old, 2.5 hours, deep dive on M1) This is the most recent summary I found, and it goes deep on exclusively Marathon 1 (I sincerely hope he dives in on the sequels as well, since he did such an incredible job on the first game) https://youtu.be/3Nx4s9ZCOsk
submitted by Latter_Fennel_7453 to Marathon [link] [comments]
The examined life of gaming 3 years ago, 3 videos totaling roughly 70 min summarizing each of the original trilogy games https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzqQqTZGYi1b6SBlFWhgr38sPrJygI9La
Mandalore gaming (about 9 months ago) 4 videos including Pathways (the pre-marathon) totaling about 2.5 hours https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfZTtT3IEdDjQTHu3NqLjOUX65d4cDG54
Hey Blondie (4mo old, 2.5 hours, deep dive on M1) This is the most recent summary I found, and it goes deep on exclusively Marathon 1 (I sincerely hope he dives in on the sequels as well, since he did such an incredible job on the first game) https://youtu.be/3Nx4s9ZCOsk
2023.05.29 04:14 UnableLengthiness222 Heyo…
My mother woke me up today (I generally sleep very very late on my own, past 12pm I can’t control it :’D) and the first thing she did was check me for scars. She hadn’t checked in months but today she decided to and lo and behold, there were some spicy fresh-ish yeets. I’ve been clean for over a week, but they were kinda deep and I pick at them so they take a while to heal. I probably would’ve immediately been shipped to a psych ward if she checked literally a couple of days earlier when they looked worse. The check was already quite violating, and then her anger was worse. She called me a psychopath, called my sister and made her look at my scars (my sister and I are very close idk why my mother did that), told me i’m the worst child she could’ve asked for, etc etc. I’ve generally been having a really good week, at least, the best I’ve had in a very long time. Because of that, I promised I would try to fix my life somewhat even if I couldn’t get much help for my mental health. What my mom did today and what I know she’ll be doing for the next few weeks/months is going to demotivate me and I really don’t want her to. I’m not particularly sad, just empty. I hope I can still pull myself together for sophomore year of high school. Thank u I hope you’re all doing well.
submitted by UnableLengthiness222 to MadeOfStyrofoam [link] [comments]
2023.05.29 04:14 Prince_Day Evils of Illmire: Gecko Pit Area 2
Alright, so, I'm preparing Illmire for some friends using Five Torches Deep, and there seems to be a bit of an issue with the size of the dungeons. The book says that there should be about 7 geckos in this area, but the area is less than 15x10, and based on the fact they made them Large in the 5e conversion, they're meant to be big. Even if I made them medium creatures that occupy 5x5, there is absolutely no way 7 of them are fitting there. I could end up rolling 12 of them, too.
The game was originally meant for OSE; are the grids in OSE more than 5x5? Based on the tavern bed sizes in another map, they should be 5x5.
Can anyone with experience using this adventure help out, please? Or just illuminate me on what I'm meant to do if you're familiar with stuff like this in OSR.
Here is a picture of the area in question, with a large monster token for reference. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1072746552583520356/1112565728143487016/image.png
edit: A detail in another area confirms the map is 5x5. So now I'm very confused.
submitted by Prince_Day to osr [link] [comments]
The game was originally meant for OSE; are the grids in OSE more than 5x5? Based on the tavern bed sizes in another map, they should be 5x5.
Can anyone with experience using this adventure help out, please? Or just illuminate me on what I'm meant to do if you're familiar with stuff like this in OSR.
Here is a picture of the area in question, with a large monster token for reference. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1072746552583520356/1112565728143487016/image.png
edit: A detail in another area confirms the map is 5x5. So now I'm very confused.
2023.05.29 04:11 ThePrinceTae Why is moon knights official playlist just the kingdom hearts full sound track?
 | submitted by ThePrinceTae to MarvelStudiosPlus [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 04:10 BreadJokes [WTT][WTS] Memo - African Leather, Guerlain - L'homme Ideal Cologne, Hermes - Voyager, Nobale Cavale (Bottle)
Let me know if you have anything to trade, would be interested in GNTONIC (if anyone has it yet), GIT, Gentle Fluidity Silver or other clean and fresh fragrances with decent performance. https://imgur.com/a/AKIzZbk Some don't have full presentation, boxes are pictured. What's left from original post.
African Leather, 75ml - ~85% $115
L'homme Ideal Cologne, 100ml ~50% $55
Hermes Voyage edt, 100ml ~75% $45
Noble Cavale, 100ml ~95% $95
Payments through Paypal, F&F or pay for G&S. Shipping CONUS
Let me know if interested!
submitted by BreadJokes to fragranceswap [link] [comments]
African Leather, 75ml - ~85% $115
L'homme Ideal Cologne, 100ml ~50% $55
Hermes Voyage edt, 100ml ~75% $45
Noble Cavale, 100ml ~95% $95
Payments through Paypal, F&F or pay for G&S. Shipping CONUS
Let me know if interested!
2023.05.29 04:08 Virginia1992 Large deep pimples!
 | I keep getting these large deep nodule like pimples. They hurt like hell. I use to use acne patches but realized those were causing legit holes in my face. So now I just wash in the am and pm minimal makeup but when I go out I do attempt hiding it with makeup ..it looks terrible where I want to wear a bandaid. I use La rossy possay face wash and recently started panoxyl but only on areas that are prone to acne. I also attempted Paula’s bha and I just don’t know what to do. I’ve been cleaning them and using neosporin and keeping the areas moisturized… I added a photo of one I currently have that is ruining my life lol my makeup and general skin care hasn’t changed in years …I don’t squeeze pick nor poke 😭 submitted by Virginia1992 to SkincareAddicts [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 04:04 Secretsinthecloset 29 [M4F] Nevada/Online. Looking for Bestie/Gamerbuddy/Fellow Warrior of Light (FF)/ weeb/otaku/Soulmate. Come kill loneliness with me!
Hey everyone. First of all thank you so much for clicking on my post and taking the time to read this! I appreciate each and every one of you! This post is kind of going to be all over the place so please bear with it, I promise I'm worth it!
The pandemic has been absolutely terrible for pretty much everyone's social life, including mine. I've been yearning to find someone to connect with on an emotional level. Someone who I can talk to on a daily basis, talk about life, joke around with, have deep conversations with, all that good stuff that makes the heart fulfilled and fuzzy.
A little about me, oh boy, where do I start?
I tend to be pretty bubbly and upbeat! I've a very very caring person who loves to talk/chat. Let me know what's going on in your life, tell me about how your day went, is your co-worker Dave being an ass? I love being a supporter to someone and being a rock in their life. I'm a big conversationalist but I would love someone that also initiates conversation with me! <3
Personality wise I tend to be caring and patient. I love to listen and give advice and try to be compassionate. I don't really have an angry bone in my body and always try to see the good in things.
Stereotypical but I love watching Anime and playing video games. There is just something great about escaping in another story and another world! While I do enjoy my shonen here and there my guilty pleasure is Romance/Romcom anime/manga. I'm just a big sucker for a sweet story.
As far as gaming goes I enjoy playing League here and there but my guilty pleasure is Final Fantasy XIV! Other that that I love JRPG's like Persona and Adventure games. I'm really trying to get into Animal Crossing but my villagers suck so it's hard. D= I'm not really into shooters and stuff like that. I'm always down to play as well or learn new things so we can slay a digital dragon together!
I love love love being doted on, I don't know why. I love giving compliments and telling you that you are amazing and awesome and all that good stuff but also am a sucker for it.
Currently living in the US of A, but originally from Europe myself, I've moved here for work about 5 years ago and sometimes still have to adjust to culture shock to be quite honest!
Oh, you made it this far, thanks! <3 Well, as far as looks go, I have been described as handsome, but I also realize I'm not everyone's cup of tea. Short brown hair, blue eyes, 5'8'' decently in shape. I run a lot and am trying to get a good body going for a cosplay. I'm not shy showing what I look like so pic on request! Also, I have legitimate elf ears which surprises everyone I show them. I have also been told I have a nice voice. I'm more than happy to do voice chat or calls whenever we spend time as well!
I hope this is all a little bit telling of me, what I have to offer and all that. I really don't care too much about your age, your religion, or political view, I try to see the good in everyone and try to spread joy in someone's life as much as I can. With that said, again, I'd love for someone that is also interested in me for me as well, to want to create a bond with me. I put a lot of effort into the people I grow close to and would also love to see someone put some effort into me at least. It gets a little emotionally draining always looking out for people and always being the one to check up/initiate conversation. I'd would really prefer this to be mutual, if that makes sense.
I have a lot of love and time and companionship to give, so if any of this appealed to you, don't hesitate to send me an orange envelope! I hope to hear from you soon!
submitted by Secretsinthecloset to r4r [link] [comments]
The pandemic has been absolutely terrible for pretty much everyone's social life, including mine. I've been yearning to find someone to connect with on an emotional level. Someone who I can talk to on a daily basis, talk about life, joke around with, have deep conversations with, all that good stuff that makes the heart fulfilled and fuzzy.
A little about me, oh boy, where do I start?
I tend to be pretty bubbly and upbeat! I've a very very caring person who loves to talk/chat. Let me know what's going on in your life, tell me about how your day went, is your co-worker Dave being an ass? I love being a supporter to someone and being a rock in their life. I'm a big conversationalist but I would love someone that also initiates conversation with me! <3
Personality wise I tend to be caring and patient. I love to listen and give advice and try to be compassionate. I don't really have an angry bone in my body and always try to see the good in things.
Stereotypical but I love watching Anime and playing video games. There is just something great about escaping in another story and another world! While I do enjoy my shonen here and there my guilty pleasure is Romance/Romcom anime/manga. I'm just a big sucker for a sweet story.
As far as gaming goes I enjoy playing League here and there but my guilty pleasure is Final Fantasy XIV! Other that that I love JRPG's like Persona and Adventure games. I'm really trying to get into Animal Crossing but my villagers suck so it's hard. D= I'm not really into shooters and stuff like that. I'm always down to play as well or learn new things so we can slay a digital dragon together!
I love love love being doted on, I don't know why. I love giving compliments and telling you that you are amazing and awesome and all that good stuff but also am a sucker for it.
Currently living in the US of A, but originally from Europe myself, I've moved here for work about 5 years ago and sometimes still have to adjust to culture shock to be quite honest!
Oh, you made it this far, thanks! <3 Well, as far as looks go, I have been described as handsome, but I also realize I'm not everyone's cup of tea. Short brown hair, blue eyes, 5'8'' decently in shape. I run a lot and am trying to get a good body going for a cosplay. I'm not shy showing what I look like so pic on request! Also, I have legitimate elf ears which surprises everyone I show them. I have also been told I have a nice voice. I'm more than happy to do voice chat or calls whenever we spend time as well!
I hope this is all a little bit telling of me, what I have to offer and all that. I really don't care too much about your age, your religion, or political view, I try to see the good in everyone and try to spread joy in someone's life as much as I can. With that said, again, I'd love for someone that is also interested in me for me as well, to want to create a bond with me. I put a lot of effort into the people I grow close to and would also love to see someone put some effort into me at least. It gets a little emotionally draining always looking out for people and always being the one to check up/initiate conversation. I'd would really prefer this to be mutual, if that makes sense.
I have a lot of love and time and companionship to give, so if any of this appealed to you, don't hesitate to send me an orange envelope! I hope to hear from you soon!
2023.05.29 04:02 dafunkz07 [Store] TI9 & TI10 Cache (bulk order discounts available)
[WTS]Treasure Cache I & II 2019
- Huge Discount for bulk orders (>100$)
- Massive Discount for FULL set buyer (normal till very rare)
- Cache Seller since 2017 , steam level 200+ , my steamrep
- Have about 600+ Cache Sets available
- Accepting USDT/USDC/SOL/BNB/BTC/ETH/LTC or any famous crypto
- Accepting dota2/csgo skins or tf2 keys
- Open to offers / Price is Negotiable
- Buyers goes first
- No Joybidder / Backout buyer please
- All Cache Sets are giftable 30 days after add friend
3 simple steps to deal
- Please add BOTH my main account , 2nd acc with more ES/gothic whispecincer sensei
###WARNING### KINDLY TAKE NOTE TO ONLY ADD THIS 2 ACCOUNT (There are active scammeimpersonator trying to scam you via fake account)
- Comment on my profile (eg: Added for Cache Set 2019 - Cinder Sensei)
- Wait for 30 days to complete the deal (I may or may not require deposits depending on scale of purchase)
| ----------Treasure Cache I 2019---------- | --------Hero-------- | Quantity | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echoes of the Everblack | Abaddon | 7 | $14 |
| Allure of the Faeshade Flower | Dark Willow | 12 | $10 |
| Paean of the Ink Dragon | Grimstroke | 14 | $7 |
| Scorched Amber | Dragon Knight | 12 | $15 |
| Priest of the Proudsilver Clan | Chen | 11 | $5 |
| The Arts of Mortal Deception | Enigma | 17 | $10 |
| Poacher's Bane | Tidehunter | 14 | $7 |
| Soul of the Brightshroud | Death Prophet | 13 | $7 |
| Curse of the Creeping Vine*only via fullset purchase | Undying | 4 | $15 |
| Pursuit of the Ember Demons | Huskar | 15 | $15 |
| Appetites of the Lizard King | Slark | 14 | $18 |
| Forbidden Medicine | Dazzle | 13 | $15 |
| Riddle of the Hierophant | Oracle | 12 | $5 |
| Glimmer of the Sacred Hunt | Drow Ranger | 8 | $29 |
| Adornments of the Jade Emissary*only via fullset purchase | Earth Spirit | 5 | $24 |
| Defender of Ruin (Rare) | Disruptor | 18 | $25 |
| Gothic Whisper (Very Rare) | Phantom Assassin | 3 | $99 |
| ----------Treasure Cache II 2019---------- | --------Hero-------- | Quantity | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful | Drow Ranger | 18 | $15 |
| Tribal Pathways | Warlock | 20 | $7 |
| Directive of the Sunbound | Clockwerk | 13 | $7 |
| Souls Tyrant | Shadow Fiend | 15 | $19 |
| Endless Night | Abaddon | 12 | $7 |
| Dapper Disguise | Pudge | 15 | $15 |
| Fury of the Bloodforge | Bloodseeker | 16 | $10 |
| Automaton Antiquity | Broodmother | 16 | $5 |
| Tales of the Windward Rogue | Pangolier | 7 | $24 |
| Grim Destiny | Wraith King | 15 | $9 |
| Distinguished Expeditionary | Tusk | 17 | $10 |
| Verdant Predator | Venomancer | 14 | $7 |
| Prized Acquisitions | Batrider | 19 | $5 |
| Fowl Omen (Rare) | Necrophos | 19 | $25 |
| Cinder Sensei (Very Rare) | Ember Spirit | 6 | $99 |
| ----------Treasure Cache I 2020---------- | --------Hero-------- | Quantity | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin of the Dark Oath*only via fullset purchase | Night Stalker | 4 | $15 |
| Ravenous Abyss | Underlord | 8 | $12 |
| Apocalypse Unbound | Ancient Apparition | 9 | $12 |
| Beholden of the Banished Ones | Warlock | 8 | $7 |
| Fury of the Righteous Storm | Disruptor | 9 | $7 |
| Lineage of the Stormlords | Juggernaut | 7 | $25 |
| Silent Slayer | Silencer | 9 | $9 |
| Mindless Slaughter | Pudge | 10 | $15 |
| Heartless Hunt | Bounty Hunter | 8 | $13 |
| Herald of the Ember Eye | Grimstroke | 9 | $9 |
| Fissured Flight | Jakiro | 10 | $7 |
| Flashpoint Proselyte | Huskar | 9 | $14 |
| Signs of the Allfather | Nature's Prophet | 8 | $9 |
| Glory of the Elderflame*only via fullset purchase | Lina | 2 | $25 |
| Songs of Starfall Glen | Enchantress | 7 | $5 |
| Ancient Inheritance (Rare) | Tiny | 10 | $25 |
| Forsworn Legacy (Very Rare) | Mars | 5 | $59 |
| ----------Treasure Cache II 2020---------- | --------Hero-------- | Quantity | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution of the Infinite | Enigma | 9 | $9 |
| Beast of the Crimson Ring | Bristleback | 6 | $9 |
| Clearcut Cavalier | Timbersaw | 7 | $9 |
| The King Of Thieves | Keeper of the Light | 7 | $7 |
| Horror from the Deep | Tidehunter | 8 | $19 |
| Ire of the Ancient Gaoler | Arc Warden | 7 | $19 |
| Talons of the Endless Storm | Chaos Knight | 9 | $14 |
| Carousal of the Mystic Masquerade | Rubick | 9 | $9 |
| Crown of Calaphas | Shadow Demon | 8 | $9 |
| Wrath of the Fallen | Doom | 9 | $19 |
| Blacksail Cannoneer | Sniper | 8 | $14 |
| Secrets of the Celestial | Skywrath Mage | 8 | $9 |
| Blaze of Oblivion | Phoenix | 9 | $9 |
| Master of the Searing Path*only via fullset purchase | Ember Spirit | 1 | $19 |
| Steward of the Forbidden Chamber (Rare) | Templar Assasin | 9 | $19 |
| Claszureme Incursion (Very Rare) | Faceless Void | 4 | $59 |