Greene county daily world

I am about to start University to finish my education. I am going through a transition. I seem to be stuck in jobs with dishonest people who are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. I keep ending up with horrendous bosses and getting passed by good ones.
I got fired from my last job for doing my job. I was enforcing company policy. I was in a low position of management.
Employees would disappear for hours at a time, while the boss claimed "they are getting better". I would ask them to clock out while "handling their business". The employees of course manipulate the situation by freaking out, "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU BOTHERING ME? YOU ARE TARGETING ME!! THIS IS HARASSMENT. IS HE GONNA ASSAULT ME? HE IS WALKING TO THE BREAK AREA TO CHECK ON ME."
She left her responsibilities for others' to pick up on a daily basis. I would warn them of potential barriers to success... and then they of course happen. They left the doors to the business unlocked after hours in a highly "transients persons" area. Of course these persons came in and stole shit. No surprise there.
She has "problems holding onto good employees because they don't want to work." Her (blatantly) drug addict friend that does most of the work for her is enabled by her. If you have ever known a true addict... in and out of rehab.. doing everything they can to escape responsibility or any type of repercussions for their actions. The only surround themselves with enablers and "fixers". He is textbook addict.
The boss uses statements like, "Well I am the boss, you are not. Shut up, you obviously don't know what you are doing." Ironically, she fired me for the "way I talked to her in feedback I left". She referenced some paperwork (we have to fill it out and leave feedback everyday, which she of course has not done for MONTHS) where I left feedback. I stated a potential issue they were going to run into and said "shame on you" for allowing this to happen anyways. It affected the public they served while her personal paycheck increased.. not the company's value... but her paycheck.
Am I doomed to working with people like this forever? Is this unfortunately the world I live in? Is it me? Am I the asshole here? Or are these people the absolute low-life society-sucking dumbasses I think they are?
I just want to do my job and enjoy the incredible luxury we have of having work and being able to get paid to do it. Then I run into these folks who can't stand the thought of somebody coming into their life and revealing them for who they truly are. All I wanted to do was work and do what I was supposed to do.

0. The Cosmic Judge and the Delivery Man
Thomas Morell, stepped through the transit gate with a yawn, cradling an oversized GUPS box in his arms. The large box impeded most of his view, but as the transit gate snapped shut behind him, Thomas noted that something was clearly amiss with his destination.
Looking down, he saw that his boots were buried in black ashes. The air tasted stale and dusty. Thomas lowered the box slightly and saw that he was standing amidst desolate ruination, a landscape ravaged by an unknowable cataclysm that had devastated planet Sintash.
"Well," he muttered with airy enthusiasm rivaled only by the charisma of a drying doormat. "This is just peachy."
Like a protagonist in search of plot, Thomas slowly meandered over to a charred, half-incinerated wall which, upon close inspection, yielded the faint inscription of "12/5 Stafford Street."
Obeying the bureaucracy of his vocation, functioning mostly on autopilot mode Thomas situated the cardboard box amid the pile of blackened ashes. As if that wasn't enough, he lovingly placed it adjacent to a wide-open hole that bore an uncanny resemblance to a doorway completely devoid of a door. Satisfied at last, Thomas captured a photograph of the tragically uninspired arrangement with his wrist bracelet device.
"Package confirmed at delivery location," the omnipresent voice of his wrist companion chimed with far too much cheerfulness which seemed completely out of place in the currently apocalyptic circumstances.
Thomas exhaled tiredly as he stood amidst the debris of cities, oceans, trees, and, indeed, the now vaporized dreams of the former denizens of Sintash, all reduced to elemental carbon. His shoulders slumped. He was there simply to deliver the package and not to ask questions, he reminded himself. Whatever happened here was far too big for him to deal with. He would have to file a report about this issue when he got back and someone more important would have to deal with this mess.
“Please obtain the signature of the recipient,” the bracelet on the delivery man's wrist suddenly chimed with a feminine voice.
“Recipient is not available,” Thomas deadpanned.
“Have you tried knocking?” The merry voice of the bracelet prodded him on.
“There’s no door to knock on,” Thomas replied. “Lizz, I’m pretty sure that everyone on Sintash is dead.”
“Please knock on the door and attempt to acquire a signature,” his robotic companion insisted.
Thomas rolled his eyes, stepped through the ashes and knocked on the blackened wall. The wall wobbled ever so slightly and careened forward. Thomas jumped back just as the last remaining wall of 12/5 Stafford Street fell and shattered into dust and cracked bricks.
“There’s nobody home,” Thomas insisted. “On account that everyone on the bloody planet is bloody dead! Portal me back, you stupid AI, I'm not getting paid overtime for this shit.”
“Please remain calm,” Lizz recommended. “Allow the recipient some time to approach the door.”
A 5 minute timer flashed on the delivery man’s bracelet with an animated picture of an old person walking down a stairwell.
Thomas gritted his teeth. The way Lizz was acting was entirely his fault. Normally the AI system was highly intelligent and understood emergency situations like this, but he had used her to pass the boredom in the exactly the wrong sort of ways which was frowned upon by the Good Directorate corporation. His repeated advances and numerous attempts to go around the AI’s censorship filter had kicked the filter to the highest possible setting which in turn made Lizz stupider than a potato.
Thomas sat down on the ash covered steps and stared at the desolate landscape waiting for the timer to clear.
He spotted something ambling in the distance towards him, which made him exceptionally nervous as it approached.
The thing ambling towards Thomas could be best described as a stick figure, an impossible, vaguely person-like thing that was decidedly not human.
“Emergency situation!” Thomas yelled into the bracelet. “Gate out!”
“Please allow the recipient some time to approach the door. A signature is required for this package,” Lizz said, ignoring the rising panic in the delivery man’s voice.
At that moment, Thomas regretted using the "emergency situation" routine to portal to the Skeleton Coast of Africa for his lunch breaks.
“Fuck my life,” Thomas hissed as the freaky stick figure drew closer to him. It didn’t have a face or a head. A thin, two-dimensional pyramidal structure sat atop of the two dimensional neck. It wobbled and folded into itself akin to an infinite fractal. It had three legs, moved more like a spider and an indeterminate number of whip-like, flickering arms.
“Please do not swear,” Lizz commented. "Your behavior is unfitting that of a Good employee."
Thomas had nothing on him, nothing in the pockets of his GUPS uniform except for a pad with a digital pen. He had no weapon to fight off whatever abomination was ambling towards him through the ashes. Sintash was supposed to be a perfectly mundane delivery! It was a terraformed, perfect, manufactured world with no wars, no predators, no diseases, no parasites and definitely no whatever the hell that thing was!
Feeling dread rising in his chest Thomas tore the enormous package open, hoping that something inside would aid him.
[Thank you for buying the world-end survival kit!] A letter declared within the box.
“Yes!” Thomas growled. His eyes went lower.
[Contents: 2000 dry meals, just add water.]
Thomas reached into the box, his hand automatically pulling out a single plastic bottle containing dry powder. The stick figure abomination was almost upon him. He threw the bottle at it.
The hand of the stick figure shot through the air and grabbed the bottle with unnatural, uncanny grace. It unscrewed the cap and shook the dry contents, absorbing them with its fractal-pyramid face.
Thomas fished another bottle out and held it in front of him like a lifeline, not sure what to do next. He didn’t understand what he was even looking at. The entire stick figure was composed of… something inexplicable, akin to constantly moving ferromagnetic fluid that rapidly folded into itself. The sight made his eyes water.
“What are you?” He uttered as he watched the stick figure finish devouring the powder.
“I am Zedix̶̪̘͐̕ͅx̴̖͓͎̾̓͂į̶̍͝s̷̪̅̏s̶̬̘͛̕h̸̨͖͖͑̽̌t̴̪͉͘ą̶̹̓͂͝v̵̧͇͔̂͋i̴̛̮͆͝b̷̬̝̥̍a̴̼̮͒r̷̢̗̺͋ư̸̱̬͈̔s̸̡̝̫̗̭̋͐͗̑͆ǐ̶͇̝͝a̶̹͛͒̚h̸͙͓̓̽͋͠,” the answer came.
The end of the sentence was made from incomprehensible sounds that reverberated inside the skull of the delivery man, giving him a blinding migraine. Thomas tried not to heave, his mind unable to process the name for a few seconds.
“I’m… urhgh. I don’t think that I could repeat that,” he said finally. “I’m… going to call you Zed, if that's alright with you.”
“Ṯ̷̆h̴̨̊i̷̥̾s̴͔̈́ ̸̂͜i̸̱̾s̸̼̿ ̴̟͘a̴̢̍c̷͙͘c̷͚͐ē̶͖p̷̡̒t̵̺͛a̸̱̍b̵̢̿l̴͙̄ę̷̆,” the fractal stick figure rambled, its voice made from static and a million other voices and sounds that clashed with each other in a barely-comprehensible cacophony.
“What are you?” Thomas repeated his question, trying to put his best 'first contact' face on. “An… alien? Some kind of machine? An AI that survived? You sound… freaky. It’s… exceptionally difficult for me to understand you.”
“I am an echo of the cosmic boundary of the song of the stars,” the thing repeated in Thomas’ own voice. "Using this limited method of vibrational communication and dimenshionality, I am what your fellow multicellular kin could best describe as the observer causality event horizon paradox manifestation."
“Marginally better, even if I have no idea what any of that means,” Thomas sighed. “Although... I would prefer you not using my voice.”
“Please attempt to acquire a signature from the recipient one more time,” Lizz chimed from Thomas’ bracelet.
Thomas put the bracelet on mute mode.
“Is this better?” the stick figure asked in the overly-cheerful voice of Lizz.
“Good enough,” Thomas nodded, trying not to stare at the folding fractals that made his head hurt. “What happened here?”
“I happened,” the stick figure being replied. “The denizens of this world that called themselves the Portal Management Research Institute created a microscopic white hole, through which I stepped into this plane. I have judged the local life and found myself beset by containment barriers which disagreed with my existence. I have obliterated all organic life on this cosmic sphere as I have judged it... bothersome.”
“I… see,” Thomas rubbed his scruffy beard. “Now what? Are you going back into the white hole?”
“That is not how white holes work,” Zed said.
“So... you’re stuck here?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.
“Affirmative,” Zed affirmed. "I shall persist here until the white hole comprising my core burns away."
"How long would this take?" The delivery man asked.
"Approximately one hundred of your years," Zed replied. "Unless I vaporize an entire planet's worth of organic life daily."
“How do you know how to speak English?” The now somewhat less nervous GUPS delivery man asked.
“I have studied the remnants of your communication devices,” the stick figure replied.
“Fair enough,” Thomas nodded. “What’s your plan now?”
“I am currently judging you, human,” Zed said.
“And?” The delivery man arched an eyebrow.
“I find you acceptable,” the fractal stick figure commented.
“That’s nice,” the delivery man exhaled. “I’m Thomas.”
“I find you acceptable, Thomas,” Zed repeated. “You shall serve as my emissary across the local cosmos as I judge all that I see.”
“What do I get out of it?” Thomas asked, sensing that he’s just been inadvertently burdened with some sort of an incomprehensible mission, which would likely result in the genocide of countless inhabited worlds.
“What do you desire in exchange for serving as my emissary… Thomas?” Zed asked, the cheerful female voice which the cosmic abomination now used clashing with its grand declarations.
Ideas rushed through the head of the GUPS delivery man. Wealth, power, love, immortality? What could this cosmic, alien judge even provide him? Was he really willing to become the Silver Surfer, a herald for a Galactus-like alien abomination that could end planets with a snap of its fingers?
Thomas opened and closed his mouth struggling for words. He felt that if he screwed this up, pissed Zed off like the people in charge of Sintash, all of humanity could face extinction.

I recently joined this community to share my story hoping to hear some good advice/feedback from some genuine kind hearted people to fuel me on staying on the right track also to share and let people know that they arent the only person in this hard fight and battle against gambling. As i am still young i come from a family who basically had to struggle to make ends meet. So for me to save for a whole year working hard and then to gamble it all away in just a matter of 4months to me is just ludicrous. It all started after i took a vacation trip and came back to my hometown. When i got back i had to spend a couple more thousand on top of the money i had just spent on vacation in which i thought, what are some ways other then slaving myself at work again just to get this back? And sure enough i had the wrong friend in my ear telling me to place a bet. I think my worst thing was winning my first bet because after winning, when i would bet again and lose, i became numb and figured since i made a good amount off one bet that it would happen again and then when it didnt i began putting more and more money down and then losing that. By the way the money i was losing, i would have never in my life have risked gambling let alone spending it if i was in my right state of mind. To me losing 200$ was alot before i started gambling But after winning and losing 200$ it began to seem like a 1$ to me. And i think this is where the gambling disorder comes to play at. Its like my brain was altered. Altered me to lose a whole year of savings damn near half of my yearly salary. And currently i am grateful in this medical facility i work at they off bonus pay called incentive. I have now signed myself up to do doubles every single day working 16 hours a day up until july 15th just to attempt to make it all back in one month and hope to never make this stupid mistake ever again. I am currently down 13k and only make 35k average a year. I did the math and with me working every single day from now up june 7th until july 15th i should be able to make everything i lost gambling if not something close to it if i can just save my money and not gamble! My only advice to others out there is to never gamble. It isnt worth it. Gambling can literally be your worst nightmare as it has brought me to the lowest of the lowest point of my life currently. Not having money to barely eat daily nowadays, not having money to get up and go wherever i want and spend however much i wanted and not have to stress because i knew i had money left is driving me nuts. My whole plan for me saving all of that money for a whole year was to go to school i know that one day i will have to take responsibility in manning up and paying real bills other then just car insurance and phone bill so i was taking advantage of the grateful blessing that my mother was allowing me to still live with her without having to pick up any bills. But now i just set myself back and it feels like the world is on my shoulders. My whole motto was to work hard early on in my life so that i can chill in life later on. But now i just set myself back even more it feels like. The only part i can say is that with me losing my whole savings, is that i am not in debt with any credit cards, nor do i owe anyone money. No credit collections. So with me losing all of that money the only person i owe is me. 🙏 hoping i can turn this around i began to get worried and scared of myself because i have been doing things i would never do before i started gambling, like losing my whole paycheck and living paycheck to paycheck. This shit sucks but i know theres other possibly going thru way worst situations then i am. I pray for you if your reading this🙌. Love you.

Yinzers,
I have lived in a number of big cities in my time. Pittsburgh has, by far, the worst offenders of distracted driving. Pretty much daily on my 15 min commute with only a few stoplights someone is holding up traffic because they’re on their phone when the light turns green. Very frequently see other drivers looking down at their phone while driving these twisting roads
Pls stop
Thanks!

Hello all,
I'm looking into the prospect of running a Dragon Age tabletop game, but haven't heard good things about the system published by Green Ronin. I was wondering if anyone else had run a game set in Thedas, what system you used, and how well it worked for you.
My concern with just using Pathfinder 2E or (regrettably) 5th Edition D&D is that those systems make assumptions of a fantasy world that very much is not Thedas. I'm happy to be persuaded otherwise, though.
Notes: - The HP bloat is my biggest concern with Dragon AGE. - I do not like "narrative" games like Fate, FitD, or PbtA. - The game needs to be medium crunch, so it's digestible by other players but also has enough mechanical complexity to keep me engaged.

June 10th, 327
It’s been a bit since I’ve written here. I decided to give Augustine a looser leash and I allowed him to explore the outside world as long as he knew what he was doing.
June 11th, 327
Augustine said he had something to tell me later tonight, he’d been exploring almost every day now, the active sense of adventure that boy has honestly impresses me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A: Hey Zach
Z: Hey what’s up?
A: I wanna tell you about something I found while I was exploring the other day.
Z: Spill then.
A: Alright, so as I was playing around with my long distance teleportation spell and I ended up on the base of a large mountain range. It was strange as I couldn’t teleport all the way to the top, it was like something within the very mountain’s mineral makeup was negating my attempts to teleport up to its peak. So I decided to scale the mountain the old fashion way: climbing it. Thanks to the enhancements given to me by that project I scaled the mountain in no time, and the other side? It was like nothing the world has ever seen, the mountain range was hiding a large gulf of water, a large island placed just within the gulf, lush forest and 2 large mountains towards the center, a place that seemed untouched by time itself. It could be the perfect place to permanently hide from the Templar, after all we can only hide in this cabin for so long before they eventually find us.
I was certainly surprised at the fact that he was able to scale an entire mountain with seemingly very little effort, but what interested me more was the island he discovered. He claimed it looked “untouched” but the higher ups at the Templar claimed they have colonized nearly all the available land in this world so to have an entire island be left untouched is almost like foreign concept, something of legend.
Z: An untouched island? Not only untouched but also unheard of. The Templar said they’ve colonized all known land in this world.
A: I know! But I couldn’t see any mana towers among the trees or any humans from the peak of the mountains.
Z: Well if still untouched after all this time, chances are that they won’t find it anytime soon.
A: exactly! A place where the Templar will never reach…solemn look
Z: What's wrong Augustine? The memories and thoughts haunting you again?
A: yea, I’m sorry to constantly bother you with them but I’ve kept them contained for too long
Z: Hey, hey it’s alright. You’ve never been a bother at all, helping you deal with your issues is what friends are for.
A: I appreciate it Zach, for the longest time Elock was really the only friend I’ve ever had so it’s enlightening hearing someone else say that, to this day I still wonder where she is today and if she’s even alive! I used to have nightmares where I would meet her again just to discover that she’s-
Z: it’s alright, I’m sure she thinks about you every day too and most likely wonders the same every night.
A: Yeah I know, but it’s hard remaining optimistic in this world with the whole war between humans and keidran going on.
Z: Well to me that island sounds like a great place to start.
A: agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Augustine and I agreed to visit the island he found beyond the mountains tomorrow, he thinks it’ll be the perfect place to hide from the Templar.
June 12th, 327
Augustine said that the mountain range was incredibly far, about days worth of running in Augustine’s estimation, so teleporting there is just another thing to add to the list of things he impresses me with. While the material the mountain range is composed of prevents any magic from directly interacting with them, they don’t extend beyond that, so Augustine offered to fly us up there using a telekinetic spell.
Turns out Augustine is only used to telekinetically lifting one item, how do I know? Because he accidentally dropped me. Luckily I landed in a tree. After traversing both sides of the mountain and making it across the water, we arrived on the island at last and man Augustine wasn’t lying. It truly was beautiful, lush fruit bearing trees, 2 large mountains and not even the smallest hint of Templar interference!
We headed further inland and decided to stay at the valley between the 2 mountains with Augustine immediately getting to work and hacking away at the tree with the guard’s sword. After a few hours of work, Augustine already had a large pile of planks with me barely keeping up and Augustine teasing me about it, oh I’m sorry not everyone is a magically enhanced super soldier.
It was beginning to grow dark and we made the decision to head back to the cabin for today and continue the build some later time. Augustine made a waypoint in the cabin so getting back was easy though it had some issues as it took a while to activate. I took a rock sample from the mountains to analyze back at the cabin.
June 13th, 327
This was fascinating! The rock sample I took had incredibly unique properties never before seen! Its primary ability was “absorbing” sources of mana. I had stabbed one of our mana crystals into the rock and I observed as it broke down the crystal over the course of an hour! This explains why Augustine couldn’t teleport up the mountain. So even if the Templar did find the mountain they would never get over it, even with the most powerful mages magic.
Augustine had gone out to town again, he said it was to pick up building tools to help shore up the house we were building. He claimed he could handle it on his own and despite me wanting to protest, I let him go through with it. Unfortunately the town we went to around a week ago didn’t have a hardware store as any construction must run through Lulio first, so Augustine had to head to the neighboring town to see if he could find anything there.
~~~~~~~~~~
(Cut to Augustine’s pov)
Thoughts: “ugh cmon how hard could a hardware store be to find, it feels like I’ve been searching for hours already!”
sees sign with a hammer on it
“Gah! Finally!”
heads inside
Shopkeeper: Greetings sir! How may I assist you today?
“Uhh it’s alright I can handle it on my own, thanks for the offer though!”
Thoughts: this time the illusion should last longer as these mana crystals are fresh rather than being recharged.
grabs a large amount of nails, 2 hammers, some axes to preserve his sword, saws, sand paper, and stone blocks
Shopkeeper: Oh my sir, this is an awful load that you’ll have to carry on your own, are you sure you can handle it?
“Yes I’m sure…”
Shopkeeper: Are you sure? We have a policy that allows you to rent slaves to help you with whatever you’re working on.
“No, n-“
(Shopkeep rings a bell to send a slave to the front before Augustine could interject)
Thoughts: are you kidding me? Gahhh cmon Zack is waiting for me and I don’t wanna keep him on the line!
Female voice: coming!
Augustine: frustrated and staring at the floor
Shopkeeper: How about this one? Hard worker she is, very cooperative, very friendly.
Augustine: looks up
Elock: hello sir! How may I assist you today?
shivering
Thoughts: E- Elock?! When?! How?! I thought you worked for a farmer?! I can’t say anything, it'll reveal my identity to the worker! Okay, okay, okay just keep it calm!
“I- uh stuttering I changed my mind! She can help me, I’ll take her!”
Shopkeeper: I’m not surprised, she’s gone from owner to owner as she’s quite a hard worker, she’s worth a lot of money after being traded so many times before ending up at my place. 1000G for 7 days.
“I- yes I’ll take her”
Shopkeeper: perfect!
exits with supplies and Elock
~~~~~~~~~~
Elock looking at Augustine’s wanted poster: solemn
“Something wrong?”
Elock: oh! N-nothing! It’s just these ropes binding my hands are just a bit tight! And W-where are we heading sir? We’re outside of town at this point and I- uh-
A: chuckles a bit you’re still just as bad as ever at hiding your nervousness Elock
Elock: Ah- I- how do you know my name?!
A: unties the rope and disables illusion It’s been a while, wouldn’t you agree?
Elock in shock and on the verge of tears: I…A…trembling, mouth slightly ajar in shock
A: what? Cat got your tongue? Well I guess that’s true consid-
Elock: pounces on him AUGUSTINE! I’ve missed you so much!How have you been?!Where did you- starts talking so fast that even Augustine couldn’t keep up with what she was saying and weeping happy tears profusely on his shirt
A: slightly choking from how tight she’s hugging him it’s okay, it’s okay! I’ve missed you too. I almost thought you were gonna be de- ow ow! Stop it I was kidding!
Elock: blep I know. Not a single day went by where I didn’t think about you! And say weren't your eyes brown before?
A: I’m flattered that you still remember and well…it’s kind of a long story…but first let’s retreat to safety. teleports with Elock
~~~~~~~~~~
A: …and then I ended up here
Elock: That’s incredible! You sure had been on a wild cart ride while I was gone! I wish I could have been there.
A: It's not as glamorous as it sounds, that experiment was agony incarnate, it’s a wonder I survived! In fact I was the only one who came out alive, though the powers I got bestowed with are certainly nothing to complain about but still the effects after we’re brutal.
Elock: glad you did, the way you and Zach escaped the facility was incredible.
A: well he can tell you all about it points to cabin we’ve arrived
Zach opens door
A: Hey Zach, I’m back from my shopping spree.
Z: Augustine what took you so long? The plan was to just get the supplies and get out.
A: I know! But I got a bit off track. I found someone very special.
Elock: pokes head through the door Mrow?
A: meet Elock, remem-
Z: her! The keidran you met when you were 10?
A: yup to Elock it’s alright Elock it’s fine he won’t bite.
Elock: H- hello sir.
Z: please call me Zach. It’s a pleasure.
shakes hand
Elock: it’s a nice place you 2 have here.
A: It was by sheer luck that we found this place actually.
Z: Yeah, the blast was much larger than we’d anticipated and even if my house remained intact, they’d still come searching for me.
Elock: Well lucky you found this place when you did.
A: Are you hungry Elock? We have some steak leftovers.
Elock: oh, I am actually, thank you!
Z: say Elock…
Elock: yes?
Z: Would you mind telling us your journey? I’d love to learn.
A: Zach!
Z: Right, sorry.
Elock: No, no Augustine, it’s alright. I don’t mind in the slightest.
Life in the rainforest regions was paradise, plenty of food, clean sources of water, plenty of building materials, and a beautiful sight to wake up to everyday. My parents worked directly under the matriarch, Lektra(keidran for bolt/thunder) so me being born was almost as exciting as the coronation of the matriarch herself. Unfortunately that swiftly came to a close when Lulio decided to use our home as farmland and despite protests from Lektra, Lulio still went through with the plan. In a flash everything was pretty much destroyed. Our warriors tried to fight back but were eliminated instantly, I was about 3 when this happened and the memory still burns strong to this day.
Augustine: muttering under his breath psychotic bastard…
Elock: I know how you feel, Augustine, trust me I do.
A: I know, I’m sorry
Elock: holds his hand It's alright.
After the destruction of my people and my home, I was sent into the town and stayed in a keidran only home until my 4th birthday. Instead of pleasant accommodations like human orphan homes, all we got was a pillow and some sheets to make ourselves comfortable with, most of us slept on the hardwood floor and it was unbearable. Lulio passed a law where keidran as young as 4 would be eligible for work. After my 4th birthday I was almost immediately whisked off to work on a farm, while the job was tough, they at least gave me my own room and bed, one of their guests even took a small liking to me but tragically he died of a lung infection.
Z: I lament your journey and loss Elock, I can’t imagine how tough this was to bear all at once.
Elock: please it’s okay, you don’t have to apologize for anything. None of this is any of your wrongdoing.
Z: You said your people were killed but what about your parents? Did they survive too?
Elock: Oh right! My parents were spared as they opted to surrender peacefully and they were sold to different owners. I used to occasionally see them from time to time but after I moved I had to say a tearful goodbye to both them and Augustine. playfully pinches his cheek
Z: You’re strong for getting through that, not many could take that much.
Elock: I appreciate that.
Z: Do you have any idea where your parents are right now?
Elock: I think they’re still in the same tow- Augustine? Are you okay?
A: on the other hand gripping the table so hard that it was gonna break, eyes with a look of both confusion and rage
Elock: Augustine?
A: I- I saw them…
Elock: What do you mean?
A: They were there…in the same room.
Elock: Are you talking about the operation?
A: Y- yes…I saw them, both of them. They were in the operation too, part of the 10 keidrans selected to be in the experiment. I briefly saw them looking at me, they were scared but I couldn’t do a damn thing to help them and now they're dead! slowly growing hysterical
Elock: Augustine!
A: snaps out of his hysterics
Elock: it’s not your fault! Neither of you have to feel guilty!
A: I know, but I just wish I could have done something to help them, but I was just a powerless child.
Z: Augustine. We all wish we could have done something to stop Lulio’s plan, we all feel the same way just please don’t put all the blame on yourself.
A: I know, I'm sorry…
Elock: it’s alright…we’re all here to support you, you got hit the hardest out of all so you should be the one to be the one who receives sympathy.
A: …thanks guys, It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve heard something so comforting.
Elock: don’t worry, we’ll never leave and when we do, we’ll leave together.
A: …oh! Elock, I hate to do this but would you mind helping us with something? We found a place that could be our key to salvation.
Elock: Of course! I don’t mind in the slightest.
A: teleports all 3 of them via waypoint
~~~~~~~~~~
Elock: in awe of the island I…this is incredible! It reminds me so much of my home! And you were right! There’s no hint of Templar activity at all!
A: We were just as shocked as you are right now when we first found it. I mean like Zach said, the Templar claimed that they have settled on all available land in this world.
Elock: Well then, let’s make good use of this place, so let’s get to work!
A: I couldn't have said it better myself.
hours later, the trio had finished building a moderate sized wooden house
A: woo! Not bad for a day's work, am I right?
Elock: Mrrrr…man that was a nice workout!
Z: Tell me about it!
A: So Elock, should we tell Zach?
Elock: I think so!
Z: Tell me…what?
A: Well…on the way here, Elock and I started thinking and we were thinking of a way we could free other slaves from their captors.
Z: sigh… well at this point, I know better than to criticize your plan before even hearing it so go ahead, spill it on me.
A: Operation: torchwick
—————

1. Elock would be our messenger, using her spare time to get any other slaves on board with the plan, amassing as many as possible.
   
2. On the large hill next to the town, we plant a large amount of gray mana crystals. Where downhill wind will carry the effect down into the town
   

(Gray mana crystals were created for a special purpose, making large smokescreens on the battlefield)

1. I would then use a spell that emits a light that can’t be perceived by humans but can be seen by keidrans and basitins alike, Which would act as the signal to go for it.
   
2. The group would then head towards the light where we would then break for the mountains as fast as possible.
   

(Unfortunately the waypoint spell barely lasts for even a few days, and teleporting a large group of people via waypoint could be tough even for me)
I would then use as much of my power as possible to telekinetic lift as many refugees as possibl-
Z: Yeah…considering that you almost dropped me off the side of the mountain, I think even you would have trouble lifting a bunch of slaves.
A: hey!
Elock: Mreeheehee!
A: anyways! After we figure out a way to get everyone up there, we’ll be untouchable!
Z: huh…well from one chaotic strategist to another, it’s worth a shot.
A: Perfect! See Elock?
Elock: mew?
A: I kept the promise I made, all those years ago! when we meet again, it’ll be your freedom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also for anyone who wants to know a bit more about Elock:
Name: Elock of the rainforest leopards
Species: rainforest leopard
Languages: human, keidran
Physical characteristics: yellow fur, black nose marking, black rosettes running down back and onto tail, unusually big and poofy tail, butter yellow hair with black streaks, faint outline of heart pattern on her behind
Height: 5’4”
Age: 9 years(was 4 when she met Augustine)
Eye color: emerald green
Mental characteristics:
-Quick learner
-Eager to help
-Bad at hiding panic
-Imaginative
-Heart of gold
-Shy but slowly growing out of it
-Optimistic
Likes: adventure, rain, storytelling, being adored, helping, hugs(especially from Augustine), pouncing on people she cares about.
Dislikes: slavery, Templar(although not as intensely as most others)
Unlike most, Elock had the ability to both read and write prior to slavery, being taught by both her parents and Lektra herself. Spending most of her time reading and drawing using whatever material she could find.

First Previous Next Volume 1 Volume 2 Patreon
The Port of Meow. Tristan thought he wouldn’t be surprised by the world’s naming conventions after he’d heard terms like ‘Myana,’ and ‘Onyans,’ but this one struck him as funny. Maybe it was the lack of sleep from their conditions on the boat. Every time one of the girls said it, he laughed.
“There are so many people,” Destiny murmured as they entered the port city. “And all the buildings are so close together!”
Lara inhaled a deep breath. “Wind brings so many flavors with her. I have never smelled so many spices.” She pointed at one building, then the next, then a third. “Earth is the ruler here. Each one of these structures begins and ends with him.”
It really was incredible. The strips of buildings carried a spirit of older Chinese architecture, using a bilateral symmetry that stemmed from one focal structure into secondary components on either side—like wings on a giant bird. He was fascinated in middle school by Asian and Middle-Eastern design, and to see it dominating an entire island in a completely different world was mind-boggling.
Such an intricate, elegant city. Called the Port of Meow.
Tristan laughed.
Destiny gently touched his forehead with the back of her hand. “Tristan? Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, sorry. I’m fine. Just tired.” Her skin felt cool against his. “I guess I did laugh at a weird time, huh?”
Destiny chewed her lip. “It isn’t just that. You’re very pale.”
Lara bent her knees and looked into his face. “My sister is correct, Young Master. I would advise we find a place to rest.”
A sure hand clapped him on his shoulder. Matt was suddenly beside him, his Party at his side. “Ready to get something to eat?”
Tristan’s chest tightened, and he licked his lips. He suddenly felt very dizzy. “C-could you show us where to stay? I’m not feeling well.”
Cannoli danced to his side, her hands deep inside her [Cat Pack]. “Poor Tristan! I may have a potion! Let me look!”
“That’s sweet of you, Cannoli, but we’ll take care of him,” Destiny said, favoring Tristan with a worried glance. “If we need anything, I’ll let you know.”
“The Spider Lily’s this way.” Ravyn grabbed Matt’s arm and tugged him away from Tristan. “Don’t crowd Tristan. He looks like he’s about to faint.”
Thanks, Ravyn.
Destiny hooked her arm through Tristan’s, and Lara copied on his opposite side. They made their way through the crowds together, drawing the eyes of almost every catgirl they passed.
The port was bustling with activity. Sailors and merchants loaded boats on the multitude of docks while vendors in tents hawked last-minute travel supplies and whatever ‘San Specials’ were. In the sprawling wings on either side of the center building, there were small restaurants, shops, an armorer, and a tailor. Excited murmurs and laughter echoed from all angles, making it hard to hear one another as they fought through the throngs.
It was nothing like Venicia.
It turned out the Spider Lily was the center building. An expansive inn lit by dozens of paper lanterns, with metal gates forged by geometric patterns. Opaque windows mirrored the gates’ rectangular motif, flecked with golden embellishments and pieces of colored glass.
Ravyn led them inside. Incense burned on a polished podium, and they were greeted by a pair of young women in high-collared dresses, their dark hair tied away from their faces.
“Welcome to the Spider Lily,” the woman in red said, bowing deeply. “You are Cailu’s companions, are you not?”
Ravyn made a sound between choking and gagging.
“You could say that,” Matt replied before Tristan could say anything. He nudged Ravyn with his elbow and offered a wry smile.
“Very good. I am Ayu, and this is Nalee. Your rooms will be free for the duration of your stay,” Ayu, the woman in blue, announced, copying her companion’s bow. “There are two suites on the second floor; one for each of you.”
Tristan exchanged a confused glance with Matt.
“Just two?” Keke asked first.
“Yes, miss. You will find four beds in each suite, as well as a full-service washroom. Is this not to your liking?” Nalee tilted her head to the side. “Perhaps we can find something more suitable?”
“No, that’s perfect. Thank you very much,” Tristan said with a wave of his hand. “It’s more than enough.”
“Excellent, sir. We have stationed Kaori and Ratu on the floor as well. They will retrieve anything you require. Food, drinks, travel necessities, you need only say the word, and they will bring it to you,” Ayu continued. “Should they fail to meet your needs, Nalee and I will both see this rectified.”
“Pardon me, miss, but how will charges for these items be collected?” Ceres asked.
“Cailu has assured us that he will settle your tab,” Nalee said. “It is not yours to bear.”
Tristan heard Cannoli mutter to Keke, “We can order anything?”
Keke nodded.
Cannoli took Buttons from her shoulder and looked at him excitedly. “We can get you so many peanuts!”
Ravyn cackled. That was the laugh of a girl with dad’s metal credit card in her wallet.
“We will not cause Sir Cailu to regret this generosity,” Ceres replied with a deep bow and pointed glare at Ravyn. “It is a great kindness, and we thank you.”
“I just need some water,” Tristan said, leaning his head against Lara’s shoulder.
Destiny raised her hand. “Can we please get our key? We would like to go up now.”
“Of course, miss.” Nalee retrieved a key on a delicate chain from behind the podium and handed it to Destiny. “Please enjoy your stay.”
“Why don’t we head off to the Golden Dragon first?” Matt suggested to his Party. “We can come back and check on them after.”
Ravyn gawked. “Did you not hear what the lady just said?”
“I did. And I’m with Ceres on this one. Come on.” Matt waved his group outside.
“Baka!”
Keke laughed as they filtered through the door.
“Let us go upstairs,” Lara said, squeezing Tristan’s arm.
“Yeah. Good idea.”
Destiny and Lara guided him up the two flights to the second floor, and Tristan’s vertigo grew worse. It was like a combination of seasickness and stepping off the teacup ride at an amusement park. The world would just not stop moving.
“Hello, sir. My name is Kaori.” A green-haired girl bowed in the hallway of the second floor.
“And I’m Ratu. Just let us know if you need anything at all.” A head of short blonde hair ducked deep with her bow.
“Thank you both,” Tristan replied, unsure if he had the energy for proper introductions.
Destiny unlocked the door to their room and pushed it open. The dark hallway gave way to a room of colorful screens and vibrant tapestries. The single room was bigger than the apartment Tristan grew up in—each bed could fit three people without an issue.
As soon as they were inside, Destiny knelt to help Tristan take off his boots.
“Y-you don’t have to do that,” Tristan said, embarrassment burning into his face.
“I want to,” Destiny said, continuing to untie the laces.
Lara moved to one of the beds, turning down the blankets with expert precision. The sheets fell with perfect symmetry, the rectangles laying parallel to the headboard. She smoothed the bottom layer and stepped back, looking expectantly at Tristan.
“Girls—” he began.
“Please. Let us use all of this etiquette training.” Destiny laughed, sliding the second boot from Tristan’s foot. “We can’t let Kaori and Ratu show us up.”
“Alright,” he relented. “Just this once.”
Destiny took his hand and led him to the bed.
He stared at the freshly pressed white sheet for a long time. “Will you two join me?”
Destiny’s eyes widened, and she hissed in a tiny breath.
Lara took his hand in both of hers, her airy voice taking on a tone of concern. “Young master, your current physical state will not allow you to perform—”
“That’s not what I mean,” he cut her off, a little harsher than he meant to. “I’m sorry. What I meant was… I just want to be close to you right now.”
“Of course, Tristan,” Destiny replied softly. “Here, lie down.”
They situated him in the middle of the bed, making sure his feet were under the blankets and tucking him to the waist. Lara was the first to slide under the covers, wiggling her way to Tristan’s right side. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close until her head rested on his shoulder.
“You are very warm,” she noted.
“And you’re very soft.” Tristan chuckled. “Destiny?”
Destiny turned multiple shades of red. She held her hands tightly clasped in front of her apron, her gaze never resting on one place. “I-I’m sorry. Is this really okay?”
“Yes,” he said, holding a hand out toward her. “Please?”
Destiny nodded and lifted the covers with care. One leg pressed beneath, then the other. She shifted forward, taking Tristan’s hand and letting him guide her to his side. With a slow exhale, she relaxed against him, trapping his left thigh between her legs.
“You’re soft, too,” Destiny whispered, wrapping her tail around his ankle.
“And you’re wonderful,” Tristan murmured. “Both of you are.” He yawned and closed his eyes, already feeling the warm descent into sleep.
On a foreign island, in a stranger’s bed, Tristan felt more at home than he ever had in Nyarlea.
​
Destiny Pro Tip: I can't wait to try the food! And we can eat it in our room like a picnic! Oh! Shhh, he's sleeping.
First Previous Next Volume 1 Volume 2 Patreon
---------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading!
Advance chapters, Side Quest voting, exclusive NSFW chapters, full-res art (SFW & NSFW), WIPs, and more on Patreon!
Everyone's a Catgirl! Volume One is available now on Kindle Unlimited! Volume Two is on pre-order until September 1st!
EaC! is also available on Royal Road!
Let's hang on Discord!

Did you know that Shawshank redemption, Forrest Gump and pulp fiction all has been released on the same year? 1994 was such a great year for cinema. Add the crow, Leon, Speed, natural born killers and Mask to that list. All original. All great in their respective genre.
Now what we have? Ten MCU and DC sequals per year? Disney live action remakes? What happened?
You know what happened? We got dumb. Our brain is drown in dopamine made by stupid low effort material we consume daily on social media. And you can see that even in here. Where many bright and creative minds are lurking, waiting to express themselves. And what we get?
More than half of prompts here are about super heroes, galactic federation, vampires and werewolves. Add classic hero/villain stories and you will have maybe 95% of all the prompts.
Now I am not telling you what to like. Who am I to dare to? I know, I can just ignore prompts I don't like. I just want to say you guys can do better. You can invent your own world. Try different genres. Even find drama in everyday life. In event supposedly innocent. I just want to ask you to try new things if you can. Original ideas. New perspectives. And to read and like those which you usually don't like. Maybe give them a try. It would mean a world to any writer to see their work enjoyed by others. Give them a chance.
Have a great day.

First of all I must warn you that I hated playing Trapper avoiding playing with him whenever possible (to be honest I only gave him Prestige 03 because I want to have all the perks of the game at hand) until yesterday and so I don't know if what I did it's already a common strategy for the character, at least I've never seen a Trapper do that, anyway I already apologize in advance.
Yesterday the Hunter's Daily Ritual appeared and I thought to myself "why not?", I went with a brown addon and ended up on the red map... sorry, The Decimated Borgo/Knight's Map.
I set a trap on the pallet of the Assassin's Hut and another one outside the window, while I'm in the saga of preparing the other traps I hear a Nea scream, I drop it, I pick it up, I put my fourth charm on the hook and I go back to the hut and it's this is where the silly trick begins.
I look at the window trap and think "uh, that trap outside is too obvious, I'll put it inside" and I do, shortly after Bill gets caught in the window trap and I get one more extra charm for the my hook while having a fit of laughter, never in my life did I think such a silly strategy would work so well..
Again I stare at the trap as I open it again and think "I don't think any survivors will be so dumb as to enter the cabin through the window again, nor will I bother to move the trap". Huge. Mistake.
Bill is released, I go after someone else, when all of a sudden my favorite smoker screams, I turn around and see he's fallen into a trap... the one in the cabin... which I thought it would be a no-brainer to change her back outside the window... and I start laughing like a sick man.
Since then I started playing with the trapper more, but I still haven't had the chance to do it again, but I'm glad I did, otherwise I would never have gotten over my "prejudice" towards the character (I don't like having to use a purple addon to start with all my traps, for me that should be the usual basekit) and started buying addons, since I gave it Prestige 03 in the old system and so I didn't have any yellow, green, purple or pink addon in my inventory, just a few brown addons. 🤣

I am 27 m, and recently my mental state has deteriorated to the point of crippling my ability to do anything. I have been suicidal for years now, and depressed for as long as I can remember. One of my first memories is telling my mom I wish I was someone else at the ripe old age of 4. That all being said, up until this point I had been relatively functional. That all somewhat changed when the introduction of hallucinogenic came into my life. In 2019, a plethora of psychonaut friends of mine told me the benefits of doing lsd and mushrooms, how it would open my third eye or whatever and make me a better person. For a time I believe that it did, until it didn't. I became super paranoid, with delusions of having done something that I hadn't, of hyperfocusing on everything. I have ADHD, and I believe it made all my symptoms a thousand times worse. I get emotionally attached to people I shouldn't. I became hyper aware of every problem and addiction I had. I have a porn addiction, as well as erotic role-playing on various MMOs (sad I know). I am now simultaneously filled with profound self loathing about all this, without having the willpower to get over it. I spend every day yoyoing between manic self improvement moods and laying on the ground crying. My mind is super restless, and nothing can help. The worst thing currently going on is thati have become attached to this online friend that I rp with. She is super fun, but clearly only sees me as a casual online pal that we occasionally do spicy rp with, but I can't stop thinking about her. I know I shouldn't, that these thoughts are irrational, but I fins myself in these maladaptive delusions of our lives together. These fantasies are followed by a huge wave of self disgust, as I know I'm being a sad sack of shit living in la la land. If this has read like a fever dream, it is because that is the state of my mind rn. On paper I should be on top of the world. I'm tall, I exercise, I'm a little on the thicker side but I've dropped 30 pounds and counting. I am going to college off of the GI bill, and am acing all my classes so far. That doesn't stop the crippling pit in my stomach, the feeling that I am gross, that I deserve nothing and no one, despite wanting so deeply for someone to be intimate with. I have a lot of childhood trauma that I won't go into, but it makes irl communication with women very difficult for me, as I either wall myself off or become attached, as I have done with online friend mentioned above. I can't even type this out in a structured manner, despite me writing fiction online on a daily basis. My mind is a ruin, and nothing will help me. I talked to a VA therapist 2 days ago, and i couldn't bring myself to tell the truth. He asked me if I had suicidal thoughts and I lied through my teeth. I wish for death so badly, bur everyone sees me as this rock to look up to. I'm so tired yall, I just want to be normal, to be confident, to not fall in love with the first person to show me the slightest bit of kindness. I want to stop watching porn, to feel wanted by someone, to not feel disgusting, to have my own dreams, instead of succumbing to what I think others would approve of me doing. I want to be a singer, a poet, a martial artist, but no, I am in school for electrical engineering. I can't see myself making it out of the year at this rate. 27 club here I come.

Seeing a fair amount of “Deku as Spider-Man” fics. And while they’re fun, I’m not as familiar with Marvel comics as I am with DC. This inspired me to consider doing a fanfic where Izuku becomes his world’s version of a DC hero. I just ran into a few problems.
The reason Spider-Man works so well is due to the two characters sharing similarities. Izuku and Peter were normal boys until they got their own powers. They weren’t born with them. Not to mention the two embody the “everyman” archetype, a character the average person can relate to. This is harder to do DC comic characters, who are glorified as beyond human. Where as Marvel loves the everyman trope.
But I have considered two different hero identities for Izuku: Captain Marvel/Shazam or Flash. However, I ran into a few issues considering both of them. Captain Marvel (or Shazam as he’s called nowadays) is a boy who turns into a man. And it’s hard for imagine Izuku as a buff, tall adult. Plus if I have him attend UA, it would feel really out of place. The Flash’s super speed can be easily passed off as a quirk. However, the main problem I ran into are the rogues gallery. I wanted to transplant many of the Flash villains into the MHA world, and considering the change in setting, I’d like to come up with Japanese names for the villains. Why am worried about that? I fear I won’t be as creative with names. Coming up with names that best reflect the characters is difficult. And last thing I want to do is butcher any attempt to make a name sound authentic.
I know Green Lantern and Green Arrow fit with Deku’s color scheme, but I am not sure I could pull either off well. And I am debating if another hero fits Izuku better.

Waking up next to Stanton, our clothes were all over the floor. Blushing at last night’s activity, I checked the time. A loud scream burst from my lips, the book club was in ten minutes. Crashing to the floor, Stanton stirred awake. Panicking at the time, the floor shook as he crashed to the floor. Searching for anything to wear, he was already tugging on a black band t-shirt and ripped jeans. Fixing his hair, my hand settled on a black and white striped swing dress. Slipping my feet into my boots, he brushed my wild hair into a simple side bun. Kissing me on the forehead, he dropped a random book into my palm.
“I will hang out with the husbands to analyze their behavior. Get those hens talking about their men.” He said simply, ignoring what we did last night. “Try and drink some coffee with them. Tell them that you have a stomach sensitivity.” Focusing on the book, scarlet colored my cheeks. It was one I had written and published fifty years ago, his brows furrowing.
“You’re telling me that I have to go and sit with a bunch of women while they misinterpret what I wrote.” I groaned bitterly, wishing that he would acknowledge last night. “Whatever. At least I know the plot.” Hooking his elbow into mine, we walked across the street. The husbands welcomed him with open arms, Susie yanking me in. Pulling me into the kitchen, she slid me a cup of coffee, my stomach churning. While most vampires enjoyed it, I despised it with a burning passion. Taking a sip, the pungent taste reminded me of a bunch of pennies.
“Tell me about sleeping with him. Was it fun? My husband is so boring.” She pleaded desperately, pressing her palms together. “I also asked for you to come because you look a lot like my favorite author.” Hitting the wall, a secret shelf with every single book I wrote covered every inch of the damn space. Think of an excuse, you idiot. Stanton looked up from his own conversation outside, my lips pressing into a thin line.
“My mother wrote them.” I lied seamlessly, Susie buying into it. “She was a lovely woman.” Lie, that was a lie. My mother was a poor Irish vampire who ditched me at the ripe age of three, her next question causing me to spit my coffee out.
“When is the sound of tiny feet entering your home?” She trilled sweetly, cupping my hands. “You are the first to know that I am pregnant now. I have been trying for years. Maybe you can get pregnant soon and we can have them be best friends.” Horror hid behind my polite smile, a long squeal escaping my lips. Like hell I would go along with her sick little plan. Something felt off, my vision blurred. A purple liquid swirled on top of the coffee, my body hitting the floor. A rough darkness devoured me as coffee pooled around my head.
A yellow light swung over my head, something else feeling off. Clammy sweat drenched my skin, a fever burning my cheeks. Susie towered over me, a spike spinning in her palm. Attempting to crawl away, her heel dug into my back. Unable to move, this felt like something else. The desire to take Stanton nearly controlled my mind, the claws extended from my fingernails. Spinning another needle of the liquid in her palm, she jammed it into my leg. Extreme nausea wracked my body, the beginning of a heat cycle disabling me. Parting my lips to speak, I needed his blood to survive or that was what it felt like. Only wheezes poured from my lips, she jammed another needle into my leg. Sending me into the next stage, every touch raised an incredible amount of goosebumps. Shivering in my spot, the last time I felt this was one hundred years ago when a handsome stranger caught my eye.
“I used to be a hunter.” She bragged gleefully, sitting down on top of me. “We have to finish before the book club arrives, you fucking idiot. I meant what I said about you getting pregnant around the same time. I know the serial killer lives among us. You have to trust me with that.” My eyebrow twitched with a mixture of bewilderment and irritation, a snarl curling on my lips. All of this was too much, my knee meeting her face. Crawling onto the living room floor, my legs felt like rubber. If she hit me with another needle of that liquid I would be pregnant within the next few days. At the current level in mine, three months remained before anything had to be done about that. Stumbling out, blood poured from her nose. Struggling to my feet, my shaking fingers opened her fridge to see what I needed. The process had already begun but I could delay it for a while. Pulling out a needle full of a milky liquid, she cried out as I jammed it into my thigh.
“I am not ready for that quite yet, Miss hunter!” I shouted vehemently, fuming darkly on the stool. “How can I know that you aren’t the serial killer?” Pausing in her spot, her slender hands jammed her nose back into place. Wiping the blood out from underneath her nose, she sat down across from me. Chuckling softly to herself, her fingers drummed on the stainless steel counter top.
“They killed my sister and her family a couple of weeks ago. I have nothing to gain from this.” She informed me briskly, holding her stomach. “I am the neighborhood watch and I can’t stand that someone is slicing their way through our little piece of paradise. Revenge is in my plan but now I have to be careful.” Seeing things through her point of view, the fact that she sped up my natural reproductive cycle ticked me off.
“I figured I might kick start things for your body. The sooner you get pregnant the happier Stanley will be. I always catch him watching the families walking by with a longing look. I am only doing it because he doesn’t suck up to me which makes him my favorite stranger.” She expressed with her real smile, pointing to me. “You are a purebred vampire. Such luck should be blessed in your eyes. You can give birth without dying. I met you once when my old man came to talk to you in your jail cell. I don’t know if you don’t remember him but his name is Father Rowell.” All of my breath escaped my lungs at the mention of his name, my mind flicking through the memories of every person who had visited me. Come to think of it, a redheaded woman did accompany a priest that one time. How did I not make the connection? Laying my head on the table, several women ran in. My eyebrow twitched, the perfectly dressed woman interrupted our conversation. A sea of blonde haired women shoved me aside, a couple of them shooting daggers from their eyes. Stepping back, Susie tugged me close to her. A bout of nausea wracked me, the combination of the potion she had injected with me mixed poorly with my sudden social anxiety. Dropping a tray into my palm, her gentle touch dragged me to the four ivory walls she called her living room. A brown leather set reminded me of my cell, the tray crashing to the floor. Glass shattered everywhere, my immediate response was to run. Apologizing profusely, I bolted out the door. Ignoring their looks, I ripped off my boots. Sprinting down the street, a masked individual slammed into me. Crashing to the ground, the pavement felt cool against my face. Still weak from earlier, I couldn’t just fight them off like normal. Quivering on the pavement, a disguised voice sent chills up my spine.
“Goodnight, my dear!” The robotic voice laughed evilly, a knife slamming into my body repeatedly.” Copper poisoned my taste buds, the person whistling. A rusting van pulled up, the license plate number 568 4325 stuck into my memory while my blood pooled underneath me. Tossing me into the van, Stanton barely made it onto the street. Locking the door behind me, I leaned against the wall. Pulling out my silenced phone, my vision blurred as I turned on my location. Hiding my phone behind a dusty box, a darkness swallowed me alive.
Jerking awake once more, this trend had to stop. Groaning in pain, a yellow light swung over my head, a rough rope cut into my wrists. Struggling only made the knot tighter, the killers having to be boat owners, hunters or some sort of boy scout. Glancing around, no weapons lay around. Talk about being professional. Muffled yelling stole my attention, a filthy redhead tugged on chains against the wall. Two small children hugged her side tightly, silent tears staining their cheeks. One, a pair of worn steel toe boots came into view. Two, the other shoe appeared. Three, his masked face poked around the corner. Four, Five, Six, one of the killers were at the bottom of the stairs. Seven, he towered over me at six foot seven. Lifting up his mask, relief crashed over me at the sight of an anxious Stanton. Seconds from cutting her rope, the boss stomped down the stairs. Pulling his mask down, the boss cleared his throat.
“Cut off her fingers until she talks about how she found us.” He demanded via a thick distorted voice. “Never mind, give me the knife.” Snatching it from Stanton, he could only watch with horror as the man held my finger straight. Three red dots blinked in the corner of my eyes, the operation making sense. This asshole was running a torture to murder show, a lump forming in my throat.
“Thank you for your payment of a million dollars. We shall gut her like a deer.” He mused darkly, tracing the knife along my flat stomach. “Then I will play with the guts to please you.” A scream burst from my lips the moment the blade glided across my stomach. Fighting the urge to vomit, my steaming guts poured out onto my lap. Playing with my intestines, the money began to pour in. Choking on the blood building up in my throat, a hack sent it all over his mask. The questions were sick, a clammy sweat drenching my skin.
“We have a vampire.” He announced with wicked laughter, my heart sinking in my chest. “This is going to be fun.” Stanton held his composure, the back of the metal chair bending underneath his grip. The heat potion kicked in, one accidental touch clouding up my mind for a moment. Bending down to my level, his next words sent chills up my spine.
“The boys are coming. We have to keep him occupied for about thirty minutes.” He growled through gritted teeth, the man asking him to run the computers. Touching my shoulder one last time, the chair squealed the moment he sank down into the chair. Shoving a slender flash drive into the USB hole, he was gathering the IP addresses. Shoving my guts back in, childlike wonder brightened the killer’s tone at my wound sealing shut. Susie’s sister held her hands over her kid’s eyes, the knife sliding in and out of me. The wet noise did little to help me, the potion making my stomach churn worse than normal. The money kept pouring in, the welcome sound of chaos woke me up from my sickly state. The agents from before piled down the stairs, Stanton ripping off his mask. Cutting the rope, his touch made me jump a couple of feet into the air. Popping to my feet, every footfall echoed in the concrete cell. Assisting Susie’s sister, her arms embraced me desperately. Every emotion soaked my shoulder, another touch from Stanton resulted in a tender blush on my cheeks. Shooting me a thumbs up, his lips brushed against the top of my head. Helping the woman to her feet, Stanton scooped up the children. Bright flashes blinded me, the news crew attempting to speak to us. Climbing into a tinted SUV, the children bounced into their mother’s arm. Fishing around a bag, he held out packages of cheddar crackers. The boys accepted them graciously, the car heading towards the hospital. The door ripped open, nurses ushering the family inside. Scanning me up and down, Stanton held me by my hips. Sniffing me real quick, fear flashed on his face. Not having time, Susie smashed into me. Desperate tears flooded from her cheeks, her quaking hands cupping my face. A deep crimson painted my cheeks, a newfound respect for me glowed in her eyes.
“Thank you so much for saving them. I don’t know how I could ever thank y-” She blubbered uncontrollably, my hand raising to stop her. Smiling brightly in her direction, this reaction made it all worth it. My lips parted to speak, a nurse dragging her off before I could explain myself. Stanton dragged me back to the car, a snarl twitching on his lips. Slamming me down into my seat, the partition hummed its way up.
“Your heat is supposed to be for another year! Why do you smell like you are three months away?” He demanded hotly, the crack of my hand meeting his cheeks stunning the both of us. How dare he ask after not talking about last night! Clenching my fists into a ball, I turned my back.
“You haven’t talked about last night. We had fun and you acted like nothing happened!” I blurted out venomously, happy to have it off of my chest. “You already forced me into a marriage, and now you want me to ignore what happened last night. Fuck you. I had fun but here you are. Was it that bad? Susie sped me up so we could be pregnant around the same fucking time. Did you know she used to be a hunter? She opened right up to me. In fact she knew me.” Spinning me around to face him, an apologetic smile dimmed his features. A piece of hair fell in front of his left eye, his hands rubbing my shoulder.
“I can’t tell you why that all scares me.” He mumbled under his breath, sliding me a large emerald box. “You need to get changed into your uniform to enter the facility.” Peeling off my destroyed dress, his eyes couldn’t leave the angry scars covering my body. Flipping the box open, I pulled out a lightly armored leather number. Tugging it over my head, the onyx leather covered my arms. Hiding my bloody hands underneath the bell sleeves, the deep v-neck showed off my ample breasts. Sitting back in the seat, the A-line skirt floated away from my body. Scooting closer to me, he offered me his neck. Sinking my fangs into his tender flesh, every gulp revived my health. Curling my arms around his neck, he drank away. This time a wave of euphoria crashed over me, a long sigh pouring from my lips. Unable to stop, fright rounded my eyes the moment his hand curled around my neck. A muffled protest stopped him, an oppressive silence hung between us. The car skidded to a halt, an impressive navy marble building towered over us. Helping me out, the numb look on his face scared the shit out of me. Marching in aggressively, the way he was acting reminded me of the first time I met Father Powell. Hugging him from behind, his muscles relaxed.
“We all lose control at times.” I assured him lovingly, the tone taking over my voice for the first time. “If I can gain control, you can do it.” Cupping my trembling hands, an agent was attempting to remember the plate number. Typing it in for them with my free hand, a grateful expression met my exhausted face. My legs gave out, Stanton placing me on his back. Ignoring the jeering whispers, the rumors spread within minutes. Bursting into the interrogation room, a shaggy haired man with angry dark eyes watched him set me down in the chair across from him. An unkempt beard danced with every growl in his throat, his scarred face informing me of a rough life.
“I am not the only one in this plot. Do you remember that serial killer club on the news a couple of years ago? I am the bottom tier.” He bragged gleefully, the sweet smell of poison wafting from his mouth. “We must all die with honor.” His heart beat one last time, Stanton calling for help. Help wouldn’t come soon enough, this was a magical poison. Dragging him out of the room, I climbed into the driver’s seat. A skill I had learned the moment cars had been invented, the modern car proving far easier to drive than those things. Stanton hopped into the passenger seat, my fingers typing in an address into the GPS. Driving for too long, the brakes squealed to a halt in front of a bustling night club. Taking off his tie, the poor thing floated to the back. Roughing up his suit, he protested as I messed up his hair. Letting my hair down, a familiar face had to be spoken to. Sauntering up the door, the bouncer let us both in. Loud music worsened my migraine, a scantily clad blond guided us up to the office. Opening the door, my fingers curled around the neck of my old friend. Pinning him to the wall, his scarlet curls bounced around. Ruby eyes glowered back at me, his garish velvet suit irritating me further.
“Who are you selling your poison to, you fucking idiot?” I interrogated him intensely, Stanton yelling at me to calm down. “I know what you sold to Susie. That I can let go but sell some sort of poison to a serial killer after school club! You are playing with fire.” Cocking his brows, he slammed his knee into my chest. Every rib shattered upon impact, all the breath leaving my body. Coughing on the floor, he picked me up by my hair.
“I refuse to let a runt like you run my life. I sell my magical drugs and that is that.” He snapped hotly, my bones fusing back together. “I don’t know or care what they do with them.” Wicked laughter rumbled in my throat, the heel of my bare feet slamming into his jaw. Raw energy built around my fist, his bones shattered upon the impact of my fist. Sliding down the wall, my bruising fingers picked him up by his collar.
“I don’t care that you make drugs. That isn’t my department but when they are used for suicide I have an issue. Who ordered it!” I screamed furiously, a glob of spit landing on my face. “Just answer the fucking question. I will break every bone in your body. You still owe me for you selling me out. I fucking let you keep the reward money.” Clicking his bones back into place, he struggled to his feet. Unlocking his cabinet, he pulled out an ancient ledger. Dropping it into my palms, he sulked to his desk.
“Take it. I have to start another one anyway. I will call you if somebody uber weird pops up.” He commented kindly, pulling out a new one. “Don’t charge me, ‘kay. I provide loads of hunger suppressants for the monsters in the area. I also help monsters get pregnant faster. The poison was only meant to be sold for someone who was going to die. You know that I can see reapers as well as you can. Watch your temper with that heat potion coursing through you. Your powers are going to be a little wacky for a bit.” Mouthing a silent thanks, a triumphant grin spread cheek to cheek. Walking through the club, another discussion had to be had once we got into the car. Climbing in, dread bubbled in my gut.
“Give up why you were in prison.” I demanded sternly, leaning on the steering wheel. “Don’t lie. I can sniff that shit out.” Tears welled up in his eyes, a lump forming in his throat. Storm clouds rumbled to life, heavy raindrops crashed to the top of the vehicle.
“You weren’t my first partner.” He uttered bitterly, chewing on his lips. “I had a romantic relationship with her and she turned out to be the serial killer. The bodies piled up behind me, and I didn’t even know. We were incredibly intimate. She lied with the biggest smile on her face. I enjoyed our evening together and that you only drank from the serial killers to survive. She was what the agency calls a binge eater. Devouring person after person and I was the one to put her down. The difference was that I didn’t love her like I love you.” Covering his mouth, a further explanation needed to be heard.
“What do you mean by love me?” I asked politely, attempting not to lose my cool while pulling into a Cally’s. “Don’t lie to me. I have been through enough hell today.” Refusing to look in my direction, my hands cupped his face. Gritting his teeth, his hands cupped mine.
“I observed you for months and fell in love with the way you helped the prison when you could. I loved it when you would spend weeks buried into an inhumanly huge pile of books.” He choked out awkwardly, fresh tears flowing from his eyes. “I sound like a creepy stalker but I needed to make you my mate from the instant you met me.” Nodding my head, my lips kissed his hungrily. Scarlet colored his cheeks, his hands falling to my flat stomach.
“I love you too.” I choked out just as awkwardly, hoping not to upset him further. “Watch this book, I will be right back.” Swiping his wallet, I ran into the department store. Ignoring the bright lights and horrid smells, I paused in the baby section. Closing my eyes, the sweet sound of my mother singing an Irish lullaby soothed my nerves. Snapping awake, a tiny girl had crashed into my legs. Instead of crying out in fear, she began to giggle.
“You are so pretty.” She sang adorably, her horrified mother scooping her up and running away. Getting a couple of packages of toy cars and a beautiful bouquet of white roses, hurt dimmed my eyes at the cashier watching me in pure terror. Paying for the items, silent tears stained my cheeks. Not saying a word, I punched in the address for the hospital. Cursing to myself, we were four hours away. Setting the stuff in the back, I chose to turn on the radio to drown out the chaos in my mind. Sobbing the whole way back, this world was no different. The only thing missing was the torches that had hunted my mother down. Getting there in record time, I ditched my partner to catch up to me later. Stopping at the desk, the nurse didn’t show the same fear as the people in the store. Tucking a loose piece of caramel hair behind her ears, her gray eyes twinkling with joy.
“Thank you for bringing them in.” She returned with a genuine smile, pointing to the last room down the hall. “Visiting hours are over. Surely, they want to see their hero. I will pretend I looked the other way.” Winking in my direction, she turned her back to me. Running to their room, an exhausted Susie lay on her sister’s bed. The children perked up at me, smashing into my legs. Crouching down at their level, I presented the packages of cars. Pecking my cheeks, they ran off to go play with them. Rising to my feet, I presented her with the flowers.
“How does your sister like her coffee?” I inquired with my genuine smile, the mother’s expression softening into a gracious smile. My lips parted to speak, the woman’s head shaking. Coughing a bit, blood covered her hand. Seconds from pushing the nurse button, her raspy voice stole my attention. Stanton hovered in the door, the mother’s heart monitor going nuts. Looking closer, a bony hand rested on her shoulder. Following the arm, a reaper held her shoulder. Death had come to her, the option not working for me.
“Is there anything I can give you in return?” I begged with my palms pressed together, knowing that those kiddos needed their mother. “How about this?” Snapping my fingers, my stolen reaper’s scythe rested in my palms. Snatching it from me, the cold hand curled around my neck. Gasping for air, his yellowed skull hovered inches from my face. Biting down on my arm, he gulped down enough to figure out who I was.
“I recognize your stupid face.” A chilly voice thundered evilly, the other finger playing with my hair. “You vampires are the bane of my existence. I can’t take your souls when there's none to take. I will spare her this one time but she will have to go next time regardless of what you have.” Dropping me to the floor, he was gone. Coughing up a storm, one of the kids hit the button. A look of horror dawned on his face, his tiny body smashing into my legs. Crouching down to his level, he shivered in my arms.
“Was that a reaper?” He stuttered brokenly, my head nodding. “Will they ever hurt me?” His tight red curls tickled my face, the other twin watching from a distance. Their emerald green eyes watched me as the nurse brushed past me.
“No, they won’t.” I promised them warmly, taking him to the waiting room. “Let’s go play while they take care of your mom, ‘kay.” Susie snapped awake, picking up her other nephew. Crashing into the nearest chairs, they played with their cars. Susie rested her head on my shoulder, snores echoing in my ear. Letting her sleep, I was thankful for my current life.

Mason peered out of the blood-smeared window at the Heroin Factories that had conquered the horizon. They spewed their vomit from villainous chimneys, the ash-ridden smoke the by-product of the machinations within. The robots inside sowed and reaped the poppies, mankind now incapable of doing it themselves. In time, Mason thought, the robots will fail and with it mankind.
"Where the fuck is it?" Mason's wife, Elaine, called out.
Mason shrugged his shoulders at the ghoul that lay on the piss-stained sofa. On the carpet, he noticed a crimson turd his wife had squatted out, too lazy to add to the pile atop the blocked toilet.
Before all of this she had been beautiful. Dark tangled hair and sunspot freckles. Eyes as green as damp summer leaves. How she used to look when they fucked! The vulnerability they shared.
Before all of this they had both been teachers. Science and English. The combined imagination of opposite disciplines.
Before all of this they had two children. Elena and Walter. They had overdosed months ago. They were now tiny, rotting memorials, still in their bedrooms, five and seven, pink and blue, fairies and football. Mason and Elaine had howled for days before the skag erased the pain.
Before all of this they had lived the best kind of life. An average one. Three bedrooms. A dog. A cat. A garden. Netflix. Meals out.
Then people started being taken. Social media footage captured the abductions.
The Takers were a mixture of time and flesh; a tangle of veins, warped limbs and clockwork organs. They made a sound like that of a haunted ocean.
On the first day they only took five; the second thirty-three. And so on. They took everyone but the rotten fruit. The junkies.
Diacetylmorphine. Heroin.
It made it worse when one victim mysteriously returned. He told of a toxic, torture-wrought world where humanity was being used as slave labour to build something he could barely describe. Many died horribly forcing the Takers to keep on returning. Before he could complete his account, he was abducted once again. He was the first and last to return.
The world tried many things to defeat the Takers but all failed. Deterrence was all that remained. From that decision arose the Heroin Factories. The diacetylmorphine trespassing in the veins of the rejected was to be supplied monthly. It was a death sentence either way.
A few days into the rollout, most people forgot why they were even taking it….
"I can hear Postman Pat at the door," Elaine shouted. "Go and answer it."
Opening the door, a delivery drone hovered, holding out the monthly supply of medication. Mason's hands shook excitedly as he snatched them.
Inside, he injected the poison into Elaine's groin. She squealed and then became sleepy. Mason then shared all the doses with her. It would kill them both, but he had finally understood why everyone was given a month's worth.
It was the happiest way left to die.