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itsmyusualphannie · 5 years ago

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the demons that bring us together (3/5)

Chapter 3/5: save me (ao3) Beta: @yourfriendlyblogstalker Artist: @candanandphilnot Warnings: none for this chapter

Summary: Dan knew he should be doing his patrols of London, especially with Valentine still on the loose, but he gets sidetracked and when he goes to a downworlder cafe, he meets Phil. The warlock isn’t like most downworlders. He is kind and caring, and weirdly enough, attracted to Dan.

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~~~

“You’re back!” said Phil. His delighted tone surprised Dan, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He just offered the warlock a little wave, letting the door slip shut behind him as he stepped further into the cafe.

There were two other people in line at the counter, so Dan took a place behind them. They were mortals, as far as he could tell, so he was glad at his foresight to disable the rune on his upper arms that concealed him from their sight. It would look odd if Phil had spoken to someone who they couldn’t see. He watched Phil for a moment as the warlock moved swiftly to make drinks for the person at the front of the line, but then pulled out his phone after a moment and swiped at it to read his most recent messages. He hadn’t checked it at all while on patrol today, so he might as well catch up.

There was a message from Tyler, one of the American transfers. He and Dan, while they had only had a chance to speak at dinners and spar for a brief time together, had clicked immediately. The message was a photo of a trash bin tipped on its side next to a massive green dumpster. Us! it had as a caption. Dan replied with a simple ‘just you’ and opened his next text, which was from Louise.

Seen anything? read the message from his parabatai.

still looking, i’ll keep you updated, he replied. Well, he was looking. This wasn’t just a coffee stop. While he was here, Dan could also ask Phil if he had seen anything suspicious.

“Are you getting your usual?”

It took Dan a moment to realise that Phil was talking to him. The other two customers in front of him had apparently already gotten their drinks and left while Dan was distracted with his phone, and Phil was leaning with his elbows propped on the counter, raising an expectant eyebrow at Dan.

Dan slipped his phone into his pocket and sidled forward. “This is only the third time I’ve been here, how do I have a ‘usual’ already?”

Phil looked amused. “I just have a…sense for these things.” He wiggled his fingers and yellow-blue sparks popped demonstratively. Dan’s gaze was drawn to the motion, to Phil’s long, elegant fingers, and he was only able to look away when Phil reached to grab a cup and started making the drink. It was comfortingly familiar to see the way that Phil stretched out his hand toward a bottle of syrup halfway down the counter, lights would sparkle on his palm, and the bottle would leap through the air to land solidly in his hand. It wasn’t bizarre, as Dan had grown up with the occasional visiting warlock to help maintain the wards around the Institute, and he was well familiar with all forms of magic, but the innate dance that Phil performed with his environment and the magic sparking from his hands was something beautiful to see.

“Business been good?”

“Ah, you could say that.” Phil pressed a button on the massive coffee press and it hummed busily as it spat dark liquid into two shot glasses. “There’s a nervous air hanging around because of the shadow you mentioned. Not too many people want coffee when there’s a chance they might be eaten if they step outdoors.”

Ah, those wolves in the shop the other day had spread his warning, then. “Has anyone seen anything?”

Phil tilted his head as he cast a peculiar look toward Dan. “Not yet. Are you sure it’s around here?”

“I’m sure,” Dan said firmly. On his way here, he’d found minute traces of a demon presence on the rooftop of the marketplace just across the street. He might not be able to find it right away, but he knew it was around. It was planning something, he just didn’t know what yet. It itched, the knowledge that there was a dangerous demon lurking within a mile of him and he couldn’t find it.

A machine buzzed loudly as Phil steamed the milk for Dan’s drink. The warlock spoke loudly over it, not even bothering to dampen the sound, although Dan thought he probably could. “And you’re the only one looking?” The sound faded away, and Phil turned toward Dan, eyebrows furrowed. “Not that you’re not capable, I mean, but shouldn’t the Institute send out a few more hunters to track down a known demon?”

“Well,” said Dan, and hesitated for a moment. “Yeah. We’re just - and you probably already know this - but we’re pretty short-staffed at the moment. Anyone coming to help me would be pulling from necessary patrols in other parts of the city. I’m not technically ordered to even hunt it down, I’m doing it outside of my patrol that I still have to do.”

Phil dumped the contents of the two shot glasses into the cardboard cup on the counter. “That’s…” he started, but trailed off, shaking his head. “I get that, you know? But it’s kind of fucked up, too. That they know it’s here, posing a danger, and won’t do anything about it.”

“Yeah.” Dan waved an expressive hand. He was aware that his face had collapsed into irritation, but he couldn’t help it. He was irritated. “I’ve argued for hours with the head of the Institute about this but it’s no use. It’s frustrating that I can’t do more.”

Crossing the short distance to the counter, Phil settled a lid onto the cup and slid it across the marble to Dan. “At least you’re doing something, though,” and his eyes were so blue and so warm that Dan couldn’t tear himself from the intensity of them. “No cost.”

Dan had to blink at that. “I can’t,” he protested. “You can’t give me free drinks every time I come in here.”

“As I said, get rid of that demon and we’ll be good.”

Dan shook his head, but he took the cup and sipped from it. Fuck, it was good. He took another rebellious sip. Each swallow burned a warm path to his stomach. “I’d do that anyway.”

Phil was watching him, head cocked to the side. His mouth quirked up in a little smile. “Well,” he said. “You could always help me out in another way.”

The drink paused halfway back to Dan’s mouth. “Yeah?”

Phil gestured toward the door behind him, one that certainly led into a supply room of some sort. “I’ve been meaning to move some boxes up to the front here so I can restock but I haven’t had time. Want to help?”

“Sure,” said Dan before he could stop himself. His cup sloshed as he set it back down on the counter and cast a glance behind him at the empty coffee shop. This demon sighting really was bad for Phil’s business.

Beckoning, Phil turned and went through the door, vanishing in an instant, and Dan hesitantly followed. Stepping behind the counter felt strange, like he was invading Phil’s territory. Or, he realised as he saw the runes etched into the floor, it was just the wards that Phil had set up. The door creaked as he pushed it open, finding himself in a large storage space with tall shelves, piled boxes, and another door at the far end of the room. Phil was crouched next to an overturned crate, scratching a tabby cat between its ears. Dan could hear its purrs even from his door.

“You have a cat?”

Phil laughed. “No need to sound so surprised. Yeah, I keep her back here most of the time because she likes to chew on customers’ ankles.”

“She’s cute,” said Dan. The cat was staring at him unblinking, head tilted toward Phil’s hand as he rubbed her head. It was creepy, but somehow creepy in a cute way.

“Her name’s Tabbytha,” said Phil, laughing again at his own pun. He scritched her one last time and stood. The cat immediately leapt from her perch on the crate, winding her way between his legs. “Go catch some mice,” Phil told her, and she seemed to glare up at him before bounding over the crate and vanishing behind a row of boxes.

Dan wasn’t necessarily a cat person, as in he had never owned a cat because the Institute didn’t encourage any sort of pets, but he could see the appeal. This, he thought, probably wasn’t an ordinary cat though, not if she belonged to a warlock. He wondered if warlocks had some special breed of cat, one that was immortal.

“We can move…this,” decided Phil, and he reached impossibly high to snag an oversised box from the top of one shelf. It teetered ominously, but his hands spat blue sparks and it stabilised. He offered it to Dan, who accepted it and watched as Phil grabbed another cardboard box from a different shelf.

They made their way back to the front room, where Phil deposited his box onto the floor by the till and gestured for Dan to pile his on top of it. “There’s not that much,” he told Dan, heading back into the storage room, “I just don’t think about it and forget to do it until I’m busy with customers, and then I forget again as soon as I’m not busy.”

Dan thought Phil could probably just restock everything with his magic. Maybe not, though. Maybe there were some limits to how it could be used. It wasn’t as though Dan was any sort of expert.

It took them a few more trips before they had a neat pile of boxes behind the counter, ready to be unpacked and sorted. “That’s all,” Phil announced, staring down at them in satisfaction. Then, belying his words, he went back through the door, leaving it open behind him. Dan followed, dubious.

“Is there anything else to bring out?” he asked. The door creaked behind him, almost shutting, but not quite. His gaze found Phil immediately. “Is there anything else I can…help with?”

“Nothing else to bring out,” said the warlock, and his voice was so low that it resembled the cat’s purr from earlier. “But there is something you can help with.” He moved toward Dan, gait predatory, and Dan’s back thudded against the door as he approached. Heat was already building low in Dan’s stomach. He’d known this entire time what was going to happen, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret anything that had brought him back here, trapped in a storage room with a warlock whose gaze was slitted like his cat’s.

Phil stopped just before they collided, his chest a whisper from Dan’s. The obnoxious pink apron that he constantly wore brushed against Dan’s shirt and it rustled when he lifted a hand to trace the dark, elegant rune sloped above Dan’s eyebrow and across his temple. The pad of his thumb only brushed against Dan’s skin, but it trailed fire in its wake. “You are…intriguing,” he said, his voice was a low murmur. “I’ve never met a Shadowhunter like you.”

Dan breathed; he was too close, he could taste Phil’s words against his own lips. He could see the fine wrinkles at the corners of Phil’s eyes, the slow drag of eyelashes over the warlock’s cheekbones as he blinked. It was too much, and yet not enough. His hand moved without his permission, snagging Phil’s wrist where it hovered above the rune on Dan’s temple. “You…” he tried, but his voice failed him. His gaze flicked down to the plush of Phil’s lips and then hastily back up, but he had been caught.

“Is this - ” started Phil, voice deep and warm, but a sound from outside the storage room disrupted whatever he’d been about to say. The tinkle of the bell above the door.

Dan closed his eyes, willing the customer to leave. He didn’t want this moment stolen from him.

“Ah, fuck,” said Phil, and Dan expected him to move away, but when he opened his eyes again, it was to a furious display of blue, green, yellow, purple - every colour of every spark cascading from Phil’s fingertips. They pooled on the floor, swirling and eddying in brilliant vibrancy, and then leapt in unison to surround Dan and Phil in an ever-changing clash of lights. Phil’s hands fell from the movements he’d used to direct the lights and he gripped Dan’s waist. Dan’s arms looped around the warlock’s neck almost without his direction. If he thought he couldn’t look away from Phil before, he certainly couldn’t now, not with the reflected light of the sparks dancing in Phil’s eyes or the splashed colours across his cheekbones.

“What’s this?” he finally managed.

Phil’s mouth tugged in a smile. He was pressing ever closer to Dan, their hips aligned as his thigh slid between Dan’s legs. His mouth was a breath from Dan’s lips. “I just stopped time for a few seconds, no big deal.”

“No big deal - ” started Dan, but then Phil’s lips were on his, and the air was stolen from his lungs. His thoughts scattered, left only with the desire to be closer. His grip tightened on Phil’s shoulders and he returned the kiss with a ferocity that he didn’t even understand. The brilliant sparks around them felt like they were lighting up inside of Dan. This felt like something so much more dangerous than just a kiss.

Their bodies had melded together at that first touch, and a little thought returned to Dan’s mind as he felt the wood of the door dig into his spine when Phil pushed closer into him. It wasn’t even inconvenient, not with Phil’s mouth burning against his, but Dan moved anyway. Their lips didn’t part as he pivoted on one leg and used his leverage to flip their position. Now Phil was up against the door, legs falling apart to let Dan slide between them and press up against him, devouring his mouth with biting lips and clashing teeth. It wasn’t anything soft. Phil’s hands, still at his waist, slid careful fingers under the hem of his shirt, burning touch against his stomach. His skin jumped beneath the touch, every nerve standing on end. Heat seared beneath every movement. He felt so alive.

He wasn’t even aware that his hands had slid into Phil’s hair until the warlock groaned into his mouth. His fingers twined with the strands of hair, and he tugged a little, gratified by the sound Phil gasped between their lips. Tiny sparks spat lightning from Phil’s fingertips to the trembling skin of Dan’s stomach.

He probably never would have pulled away if the sparks around them hadn’t begun to fade. The colours blinked away, although Phil’s fingers still dipped beneath Dan’s shirt and stuttered sparks against his skin. The display of brilliant light slowly faded, the last of the sparks trailing to the floor and winking out of existence as Dan and Phil’s lips met once, twice, three more times, slower every time they collided. Dan hadn’t realised there was no sound around them but for their harsh breaths until the rush of a car driving past outside, the shuffle of a customer in the shop outside the door, and the soft pad of the cat creeping around in the storage room behind him slowly returned to his ears. He dragged his teeth once more against Phil’s lower lip and finally pulled back, letting his eyelids creep open.

The warlock looked debauched, cheeks flushed and hair tousled, though Dan was sure he looked no better. Phil’s gaze was dark as he licked his lips, fingers still spread against the muscles jumping beneath the skin of Dan’s stomach.

“Sorry,” he said, and his voice was hoarse. “Can only do that trick for a minute or so.”

“It’s a good trick,” said Dan, and then he couldn’t help it: he kissed him again. He didn’t let it last long, though, well aware that someone was impatiently waiting in the coffee shop just outside this door. He pulled away, finally, letting his hands fall from Phil’s neck. He tugged at the apron that the warlock wore, adjusting the ruffles that he’d disrupted in their movements. Phil reluctantly pulled his hands from beneath Dan’s shirt.

“Guess I should help that customer.”

“Guess so,” said Dan, but he didn’t step back, and Phil didn’t make any move to get out. Their gazes locked for a few long moments, and then Dan offered, “Why don’t you get my phone number?

Phil clearly approved, the corners of his lips tugging upwards, and he took the phone that Dan offered a moment later. It only took him a few seconds to type in his number and send a text so he would have Dan’s number. “Call me,” he said, and Dan almost couldn’t tell if it was a demand or a warning.

“I’ll text,” he said.

“Hmm,” said Phil. “Fine.” He straightened, brushing out his apron as if Dan hadn’t properly smoothed the ruffles, and then snagged the collar of Dan’s shirt for another quick kiss before pushing him back and opening the door.

“Hi!” Dan could hear Phil chirping to the customer. “Sorry for the wait, what can I get for you?” He could feel a smile pulling at his mouth and he followed the warlock back out into the coffee shop. He ignored the customer, slipping around the counter to grab the drink that he had abandoned earlier. It still burned through the cup; Phil had probably heated it up again through magical means for Dan.

“Call me!” Phil called again as Dan headed for the door to the street.

Dan tipped his drink in acknowledgement, then pulled the same move he had seen Phil use and lifted it to his lips to hide his smile. “I’ll text!” he repeated, and then he ducked through the door and was on the street, left only with his coffee and the memory of a scorching kiss in a back room.

Yeah, he’d call Phil.

~~~

Phil called him first.

Dan might have been more excited than he was, but the call lit up his phone at just before five in the morning when the furthest edges of the sky were pinking with sunrise. He was sleeping restlessly, dreams plagued with flashes of searing kisses and nightmarish demons, so he jolted wide awake when his phone buzzed on the dresser beside his bed.

His eyes barely slits against the glare of the phone screen, he only made out the caller ID as “Phil <3,” the contact name Phil had entered for himself, before swiping to answer it. His voice felt like gravel against his throat as he spoke. “Hello? Phil?”

There was silence for a long moment, enough that Dan sat up in bed, rubbing fiercely against his gritty eyes. “Hello?” he repeated.

“Dan,” said Phil, finally, but his voice was so low that Dan could barely make it out, and it was broken by static. “Dan, I - ” It cut out for a moment, and then returned louder. Dan’s heart had already plummeted to his stomach.

“Dan, that demon you were hunting…it’s here.”

The line cut.

~~~

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#phan #phanfic #phanfiction #phanfic au #shadowhunters au #warlock phil #shadowhunter dan #coffee shop au #phandom reverse bang

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archiveddvrpg · 5 years ago

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Congratulations, TILDA! You’ve been accepted for the role of CLAUDIUS. Admin Jen: Your app has left me in awe, Tilda, and I’m absolutely living for it. There’s something so unique and distinct about your portrayal, a touch of flippancy and flagrant disregard that grounds your vision of Cristian to reality in a way that I don’t think we’ve seen before. There’s no grandiosity to him, no visions of godhood or aspirations for the unreachable like we see with so many characters that have been shaped by the same corruption as him -- and that’s exactly what makes him so dangerous. He doesn’t grasp to be something he isn’t, but he harnesses all that he is. It’s raw and utterly thrilling to witness. Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

IN CHARACTER

Character | Claudius / Cristian de Luca What drew you to this character? | i think his story is super interesting and complex, he rules the roost without being the head guy, he clings to secrets that chip away at his soul. as stated in his bio, he is rotting. What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? | i. of course i would like to see the unveiling of howard zhang: how he died and who struck the final blow. relationships would unswirl from them, the lovers who made such moves also falling apart like wilting petals. alternatively, the answer to his adopted brother’s death would slowly unravel by a mysterious source who played witness or had some kind of inside information. taunting cristian to an insanity left to the ones in white jackets. but also such power plays could lead to other complex feelings, either way, i’m here to fuck him up. ii. his rise in position. it’s clear that he has the skill and charm to manipulate almost anyone, his allies are crystal clear yet teetering on the edge. one wrong move and he could find himself dead or alone despite his gifted golden tongue. he would search for such a ‘high up’ position due to his lonely experience within the orphanage. after hearing the nuns pray that he may not rot, he seeks the power and satisfaction to make them proud. of course, he has a twisted view of pride and respect, and such a move would only ever be his undoing. iii. to tame a soup. a man like cristian de luca would not let things up to simply chance and luck, he plans for the future but in the twisted of ways of an individual tortured by his past. shame covers him, a coat clinging to his skin - thick like smoke but wet like seaweed. so, he plans to petition for ownership of the current pile of ash that belongs to roman montague - to tame a soup has been broken for far too long, and he yearns to make amends, make more of a name for himself and to provide a place of his own. Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | probably, why not?

IN DEPTH

In-Character Interview:

What is your favorite place in Verona? | His favourite place? Had Cristian de Luca ever nurtured such a thing? The answer comes in moments, bright blue eyes staring into the other’s as if he were reading one’s mind rather than thinking of some popular destination he could lie about. Verona was, of course, the greatest of cities and boasted a beauty unheard off by mortals and immortals alike. No wonder the Witches had found their roost upon Verona’s bones. With a short puff of his cigarette ( white plumes of smoke drifting from his parted lips ), Cristian leaned closer with a hesitant sigh. There was nothing like a cigarette in the morning, the first one broken from a new crisp pack - if only he had been alone, then he could’ve truly savoured the moment. “The Teatro Nuovo was one of my favourites before… the renovation,” his brow quirks, as if to silently mention the dogs of the Capulets who had opened fire on such a fine establishment, drawing his breath before taking one more drag. “Till it reopens… The Library of Verona has a ring to it, and I plan to utilise the remains of To Tame a Soup - in the future.” What does your typical day look like? “I get up, I get dressed, I eat, I fuck, I sleep,” his eyes unblinking as his cigarette slowly burned from one end to the other, daring to burn his fingers that were already dirty from a misplaced ash tray. What was he meant to say? Tell the stranger everything? Ah, yes. Perhaps they expected Cristian de Luca to spill on his secrets like a mouse, like a nobody who had little to live for and less to care for. Well, your grace, I get up before rubbing my skin raw to get rid of the overwhelming stench of guilt, shame, murder and blood. Then I fuck Genevieve till the moon comes up before scrubbing my hands till they bleed again.Fuck that. What has been your biggest mistake thus far? He was unsure whether the interviewer was stupid or scheming; paranoia leaves him on edge and at most, irritated. Though calculated and calm his fingers give way, tapping furiously against the oak table as the cigarette butt comes to a halt just beyond the tips of his fingers. Dropping it into the ash tray before retreating to fondle his pockets for another cigarette, Cristian sucks on the back of his teeth and hisses as if he was burned by an actual flame. Probably killing Howard, he’d say if he was a man with a conscious. Fucking my sister-in-law, he’d add. And stop fucking anything that moves when sex isn’t going to fix the fuck up’s already made, he’d confess. Yet there is nothing that drops from his lips, only a stare that could be rivalled by Medusa herself. “Agreeing to this God awful interview so far.” What has been the most difficult task asked of you? Lips creep upwards into a smile, a small and sly smile saved for men who were like mice to a snake’s jaw. As a boy he had once tried to make it as a gunman and played with such weapons as a means to make himself better and recognisable. He still carried one, a gun hanging against his crotch like a target for any incomers whilst sat at the table with the nosey and dumb interviewer. He could hit any target; big or small, breathing or inanimate. He had a crazy aim, yet Howard had been the one who had taken joy from every shot. Every bullet seemed to make his blood pump whereas every bullet simply gave Cristian a headache. Of course, this was not the answer he’d really give but with little else coming to an already erratic mind, Cristian went with it - his fingers rolling an pre-rolled cigarette between his fore-finger and thumb. “As a boy I was asked to shoot my old teacher between the eyes because she had been fucking one of our men.. It had been tough, but I did it. You always have to do it - that’s what makes you a man. That’ s what makes you worthy.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues? As a Montagues ally, Cristian knew his place. As an emissary he knew what to say and what not to do, his free hand now captivated as he flicked the wheel on his steel lighter, exposing a small orange flame that danced before him like a stripper at one of the hideouts. Slowly, he lowered himself down to ‘s exposure and inhaled to allow the flame entrance to his cigarette and, eventually, his lungs. The intake was slow and careful; as if he had made many errors before with such a mechanism. What was the question again? Ah, the war. Cristian only thought for a moment, the several actions only amounting to the regular amount of time for anyone to think - but Cristian liked to double check, treble check. As an emissary he took a delight in the spoken language and curled tongue. “I am neither Cauplet or Montagues. I’m not really the one you should be asking. But perhaps, I shall enlighten you on one thing. the war is quite substantial on my bank.”

#accepted #accepted: claudius

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augustsaccharine-blog · 5 years ago

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Understanding Rat Problem

Table of ContentsWhat are the costs for Rats In Loft From Next DoorHow to Fix Rat ProblemExpert solutions for Rat ProblemRats Coming From Neighbours House, What Do I DoUnderstanding Rats In Loft From Next DoorCheap Solution for Environmental Health Rats Methods to resolve Rat Problem

A rat requires 60 millilitres of water a day and so if you can minimize its accessibility in your garden, you are assisting to discourage them. A rat can access your residential or commercial property through a hole as little as two-centimetres and mouse just needs a pencil's width. It therefore makes good sense to examine all the access points to your facilities.

The fact is, rodents are tenacious and it is difficult to make a home 100% rodent-proof. They are, nevertheless, also opportunists and are searching for a simple life. If you use them a residential or commercial property with easy access to all the important things they want, they will capitalize. If you make life challenging for them, they will go and take a look at one of your neighbour's homes.

My Neighbour Has Mice What Can I Do Near Me

( 43 Posts) Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 14:42:56 Publishing here for traffic. In 2015 we had mice and rats. As quickly as i understood i went next door (terraced housing) to tell them and woman next door informed me 'yes we have had them considering that we moved in 3 years ago. Your never ever that far from them in London, I have some good potpourri due to the fact that I can't stand the smell of them dying so I simply ignore it'.

Honest solutions for Reporting Rats To The Council

Eventually we got rid of them in our home - they were can be found in from next door and now all points of entry blocked off and so on. For the last 3 months the same individuals next door have grown 5 foot weeds in their front garden - it's like a mini field.

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I can't tell them what to do with their own garden and i could not care less if they have rodents in their home but can i report to the council and ask that they are told to preserve their property to stop drawing in mice and rats? I know what the rodents smell like we had it mildly in our home and when i went to speak with female next door the odor of them in her kitchen area was beyond overpowering - so i can only assume she is delighted to have them in her house.

Any suggestions? Anyone experienced comparable neighbour issue? user327854831 Sat 23-Sep-17 14:46:12 Talk With them about the garden and describe about the problems. If they won't do anything perhaps they will at least accept you applying weed killer or utilizing a strimmer on all of it then weed killer. If it's leased can you call their property owner? LoyaltyAndLobster Sat 23-Sep-17 14:46:48 Never Ever remained in the very same position but all I can suggest is that you get a cat, it will stop them from being available in.

Ways to fix Rats Council Responsibility

I saw her hubby loafing for ages recently with a pal looking at the weeds they were discussing gardening i think however absolutely nothing has actually been done so perhaps they like them or think they are flowers - no concept! Can't get a feline as we take a trip for work every week a minimum of 3 days so nobody to look after it.

GrimDamnFanjo Sat 23-Sep-17 14:57:46 We've just had this concern as balcony dwellers. NDNs got in touch with the council and they sent somebody round complimentary of charge to examine who then visited all your homes including ours. He looked for rats and provided advice. We have an electronic gadget which he said was working to deter them.

HaudYerWheeshtBawbag Sat 23-Sep-17 14:59:54 You can however the council can't implement it, we have a few renters neighbours like this and unfortunately it's simply a fight field. Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 15:09:41 oh god. You say renters - these unclean rat lovers with their pot pourri are long-term beside me.

5 action steps for Reporting Rats To The Council

All our other neighbours are lovely and everyone is ill to death of their absurd lax attitude. I in fact understand a few of individuals the other half works with and when I informed them about the rats release they weren't shocked?! Not exactly sure what to make from that LakieLady Sat 23-Sep-17 15:11:28 I'm not exactly sure if there's anything you can do about it, tbh.

They likewise put food out for the birds and foxes - I found a rat eating a half consumed tray of lasagne in their front garden a couple of weeks earlier. I have actually likewise seen one up on their bird table, delighting in a hearty meal. Like you, we obstructed up all the gain access to points (after Mrs Rat got under our cooking area flooring and used the space as a maternity unit), we also have steel mesh under the garden compost bin to stop them getting in it, our dustbin locks shut and we make sure that any food tins etc that go in the recycling are scrupulously tidy.

We have a terrier and she spends ages smelling in specific places and sometimes goes berserk attempting to get in a corner of the garage or someplace - report rats in neighbours garden. At one point, she was killing a minimum of one rat a week usually, and leaving them on the lawn, but she hasn't had one for ages now.

How to Resolve Reporting Rats To The Council

Proven tips for My Neighbour Has Mice What Can I Do

How to Resolve Rats Coming From Neighbours House

We have a corner of the garden that we leave thick for wildlife (we have a hedgehog, sloworms, a robin and a yellowhammer in house) but the pet dog isn't interested in it, so I don't believe that's a rat sanctuary. Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 15:14:21 intriguing - the home on opposite of next door have a jack Russell now and said he has actually captured a lot of rats - would love to get a pet or a feline anyhow no matter rat issue but can't at moment (environmental health rats).

DancingLedge Sat 23-Sep-17 15:22:40 As far as rats are concerned, what's the difference between a garden complete of weeds, and a garden filled with carefully tended plants? I wonder if your view of weeds is a red herring here?Stopping up every possible entry point to your house is excellent. Utilizing electronic pest deterrents, the ultrasound and electrical circuitry one inside your home, and battery ones in loft, sheds and possibly garden, will keep rodents from returning to your property.( Google electronic pest deterrents Primrose.) Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 15:25:37 the difference is 5 foot tall dense weeds offers a different level of cover than a carefully tended garden - where you can normally see something at ground level.

5 fixes for Rats Coming From Neighbours House

It's like a miniature field out there. DancingLedge Sat 23-Sep-17 15:33:39 I mean this in the gentlest way, however I think you seem to have a view of what a garden should resemble. I garden my plot thoroughly, however it's home design, and has wide spots of thoroughly tended plants and shrubs, some 5ft high, some 1-2 ft high, where you can't see the ground at all.

3 action steps for Rats Coming From Neighbours House

When one DC utilized not to be cautious enough keeping fishing bait, vermin. In previous home, open, low,' neat' garden, so might quickly see the rats running about. They were there because we had chickens, and even if you keep chicken food in metal container, chickens drop some on the ground.

It's the food source that's the tourist attraction. SisyphusHadItEasy Sat 23-Sep-17 15:37:48 It is unfortunate that the council can't enforce it. Where we live, there is a bylaw that states unkempt weeds or grasses (in excess of 45 cm high) are prohibited and the property occupant will get one warning. If the weeds are not eliminated in a specific duration (generally 7-10 days) then the council will do it and pursue the resident for the expense of remedying the concern.

Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 15:40:22 where do you live? I think that sounds dazzling. It's so infuriating needing to handle the entire thing Sheridanflamingo Sat 23-Sep-17 15:42:09 Ps we are in a suburban area in west London - one road where everyone gets pests and rodents since of one oblivious unclean home causing everyone else to join the invasions they cause.

7 action steps for Rats Coming From Neighbours House

Get thyself to Battersea, get a number of young felines, preferably females (these tend to be the finest hunters) utilize an animal caretaker to feed them once a day and voila!Cats get remarkable new house. Someone gets rewarding employmentRats need to work out RexitYou have family pets! JonSnowsWife Sat 23-Sep-17 15:45:34 I do not believe the council will do much.

#pest removal #birmingham #manchester #united kingdom #west midlands #pest control

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starfaring-princelotor · 7 years ago

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No Time Like The Present

Summary: Lotor receives a gift and finds it means more to him than he realizes.

Pairings: Lotor x F!Reader

★ Disclaimer: I do not ship Lotura and I kindly ask that this story to not be tagged as Lotura. This is a Lotor x Reader/Self-Insert OC story which is in no way related to Allura at all. Please be respectful of my chosen pairing. Thank you. ★

Warnings: N/a.

Future Sight___Historic Significance___No Time Like The Present___Thinking Ahead ___Best Friends

Lotor knew he was staring.

He knew he was unconsciously drifting his gaze from the professor to where you were sitting, directly across the hall from him. More than once he had to snap out if it by internally slapping himself, even if you didn’t once recognize the indecent gaze of his eyes lingering on your body. Your mouth. Your neck. Your shoulders. All of you. From the way your quill moved with every flick of your wrist to how those lips would mutter silently to yourself in reminder.

Lotor wondered what else your hands could do. What else that mouth could do. What else hid behind those lustrous orbs of yours. He couldn’t decide between wanting to steal a kiss from you or wanting you to take his breath away with a press of your delicate, pillowy lips upon him. His thoughts were rampant with little care for the rules he labeled as self-respect. And, damn it all, he had to control himself better.

You are not in love. You are heavily infatuated, you fool. You know the difference, now gather your wits and pay attention to the lesson at hand.

Hand. Lotor’s mind flashed an image of your hands, helplessly clinging to his back in wild lust. Were your nails long? Would you be digging them in his hot flesh while his hips grind against your body underneath him? Oh, how he wanted to feel your palm touching his chest, anywhere your curious mind desired. Are you the kind to let your fingertips explore or -

Damn. What was he? A foolish hormone-driven prepubescent again?

“Asked her out to the Yule Ball yet?”

Lotor kept his gaze glued on you and, without missing a beat, answered, “No. I do not think I will.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Shiro was watching his friend, that half-lust, half-adoration look in his eyes, “I heard Throk was going to.”

“You sure hear a lot of gossip nowadays, hm, Shiro?”

“Not my fault Allura’s mice like to hang out with me.”

He would have to hand it to Lotor, though. The man didn’t even flinch when he mentioned Throk. Was he that enthralled with you? Were his rose-colored goggles too tight on his face? Did he even notice you staring straight back at him with a small smile on your lips? No, he thinks not. He was on cloud nine and riding high in his horny thoughts.

“She will not agree to go with him.”

“Never get rid of that confidence, friend. It suits you,” Shiro grinned, containing his chuckle to not draw attention, “Since when could you tell the future?”

“I can not,” he grinned, “But chances are slim for Throk when she, no doubt, has lines of eager suitors just waiting to ask for her hand.”

Shiro was tempted to roll his eyes. What a hopeless romantic, this guy. When his grey orbs caught the black rose sticking out of his friend’s satchel, the Gryffindor prefect shook his head in mirthful amusement.

Hopeless? Maybe not. Romantic? Definitely.

Another crumpled ball folded itself into a snake, the magic from your wand bringing inanimate objects to life. Temporarily, anyways.

If anyone were to come into your room, they would see a zoo littered all over the floor. Paper animals from bears to giraffes tramped over the rug, some hiding under your bed while others sought to rip the smaller one to pieces. Ah, yes, the circle of paper life. It mattered not how noisy they were being. It could not distract you from hovering the tip of the quill over another blank parchment.

And hover it stayed.

The words were not coming to you and that was beyond frustrating. Your penmanship was fine, beautiful even, but the prose? The poetic soul? The letters meant to represent those lingering thoughts in your head were not working with you tonight. Or any previous night, for that matter. All you were doing was wasting ink and time. And yet, you kept trying, struggling to make this letter as perfect as possible for a certain white haired Slytherin.

Sighing heavily, you straighten your back and stretched your arms above you, letting your mind wander.

If there was one thing you appreciated with being Lotor’s friend, then it is that you didn’t need to be perfect. Everyone had flaws, but he showed you twice already that fixing them is what makes you a better person. Change is a good thing. Painful, but good. It was difficult keeping your eyes astray from that mirror shard. Easily one of the hardest hurdles you have ever had to do. You wanted so badly to see your mother, your father, all of you, smiling happily like before they…

“Dear Lotor,”

Dear Lotor? Was that proper for your friend? Hopefully, yes.

“Words can not express how thankful I am to have you by my side.”

You thought back to potions class, the time in the forest, even when he was guiding you to your house’s wing. A small, fond smile spread on your lips.

“Whereas I have been recklessly selfish, you have dutifully”

Dutifully? Ugh. That was not the right word! You know he wasn’t helping you out of duty. Well, not completely anyways. You hastily scratched over “dutifully” then continued writing, figuring this was a good 56th draft.

“You have kindly grounded me to see things more logically, something I have failed to do for someone sorted into the Ravenclaw house.”

Yes, yes. Keep it somewhat light with a self-burn joke. No doubt he would agree with you anyways. Probably chuckle to himself if he reads it. When he reads it. You bit your bottom lip, hesitating on the next words itching to transfer from your mind to ink. This part was always the hardest. The blank yellow tint of the paper mocked you, teased you for the cowardly trepidation gripping your chest. All this time, locked in your room, you came to one conclusion: you liked Lotor. You would consider the both of you as friends, right?

Right.

“If it is all the same to you”

Scratch that. It was too non-chalant.

“I hereby request that”

Scribbles. Too formal.

“Would it be terribly selfish if I were to ask you to attend the Yule ball with me?”

As...friends? Best friends. You felt your face warming up at those two words. Best. Friends. You really liked that.

Prince Lotor was nervous.

A rare occurrence for him, but it did happen. While he brushed off invisible lint from his shoulder, other hand folded neatly behind his back, he kept his posture straight and regal in waiting like a true gentleman. The bottom of the stairs have never felt so intimidating before. His collar suddenly felt too tight and, goodness, was that a scuff on his boots? Who dared step on his shoe without his knowing? He kept sneaking glances to his cuffed wrists, just to make sure he was presentable for the public. No, not just the public. But for you, too. Of course he was fine, handsome even, and yet…he was stiff as if he was going to face a basilisk with only his bare hands for weapons.

Green was still a horrendous color, but he will admit it complemented the black suit wonderfully.

“Prince Lotor.”

Your voice calling his name, with his proper title, drew his nebulous eyes up each carved marble step. That smile on your face suited you well and, in all honesty, was better than the elegant dress draping past your ankles. That beauty radiating from your eyes put the soft sapphire linen to shame. Little did he know, you were thinking the same when you stared in awe at the silver braid crowning his head. Did he even realize he was grinning like a fool with a soft fondness glazing over his sharp face?

“You look beautiful, my dear,” he held his hand out, which you gladly surrendered your own on top of his, “Surely, this flower will not even hold a candle to you.”

You scoffed, he chuckled, “C’mon, Casanova, give yourself some credit here. I’d say try not to attract too much attention at the hall, but that’s nearly impossible for you.”

“Oh? Go on,” Lotor tied the white silk band around your wrist delicately, ensuring the blooming corsage was centered properly, “Think women will drop to my feet and beg for a dance?”

“Ha!” you barked a laugh, “That’ll be the day. But no, it’s more like...you’re just hard to miss.”

With his height, his skin, his hair, yes, Lotor was indeed hard to miss. No doubt people would stare and, although you had no problem with speeches and crowds in a classroom, this was a different setting all together. A social gathering, not something you were accustomed to yet, especially besides someone whose mere presence demanded attention. Lotor curbed the playful banter then held his elbow out for you to take, already sensing your creeping uneasiness while his own nervousness disappeared in thin air.

“I do not suppose you have any more of that invisible ink you used in your letter, hm?” there was a hint of pride at your ingenious trick, one he almost wasn’t able to solve, “We could douse ourselves in it and run off. All those in our year will be there, I doubt they would notice two people missing.”

Besides, it’s not like this is the first time Lotor would bend the rules for you.

“And land you in trouble with the Headmaster Bob? I think not, Mr. Prince Slytherin Prefect.”

“Please,” he said with some exasperation hidden in his grin, “Just call me Lotor for tonight.”

The doors were already open and, from above, you could see the enchanted ceiling sprinkling snowflakes of all sizes. They disappeared before touching anyone’s head, but what truly caught your sight was the bright moon and the powdered tall trees displaying a winter wonderland before your very eyes. Magic was truly a special phenomenon you will never quite get used to.

“Damn, looks like we missed the ballroom dance,” you sure did not sound too heartbroken about it, “Seems like my accursed knack for being late strikes once again. Terrible.”

Lotor arched a brow and grinned down at you, “Nonsense. We will still get our dance yet, darling, though this music is not exactly suitable for it. Nor is...all this wild hopping and flailing.”

While all the students were inside, going crazy to the rock of ages blasting in the hall, Lotor led the two of you out into an isolated garden patio, complete with cement benches, neatly trimmed bushes still shimmering with green leaves, and even a soothing fountain filling the chilly air. Strange, but the cold did not seep into your bones as fast as you thought. In fact, you felt rather warm besides your friend.

A puff of fog left your mouth as you spoke, “It was getting stuffy in there. But, aah, the fresh air is nice.”

You took a deep breath just to emphasize your approval, but when you tried to release your hold from him, Lotor’s bigger hands refused to let you go. He wasn’t clasping tightly at all, more loose to let you go if you truly wanted to. Your questioning gaze and tilt of head made the Prince falter for a second, before he offered you an enchanting smile. Enchanting or mischievous, you wondered?

“I was serious about the dance,” he liked the surprised look on your face, “But if you are not of mind, it is no tragedy, my dear.”

“You know, I failed that lesson. Spectacularly, might I add.”

“Good thing I am not a teacher then, hm?”

A laugh left your mouth before you could stop it, funny bone simply tickled at the light banter. Yes, it is a good thing he was no teacher. You returned to his arms, much to his delight, and placed your free hand on his broad shoulder. Lotor tangled his fingers with yours before setting his palm properly to grip your waist. He was half tempted to squeeze, maybe try to see if you were ticklish at all, but it was your hum of thought that distracted him.

“Just don’t laugh when I step on your toes.”

“I will most certainly laugh. You know this.”

Teasing bastard, but you grinned in amusement anyways. Lotor nearly puffed up his chest, ready to lead you into the dance, but first he started...purring? No, ridiculous. He was humming a soft tune, one completely different than that leaking from the dance hall. Slowly, with the utmost care as if he was holding an ethereal moon goddess in his very arms, the Prince guided you along with his firm, lithe body.

Chest against chest, pelvis flushed together, the surrounding garden and night slowly faded away as the only thing both of you could feel was each other’s sublime presence. He was good at this and, really, now you kind of wish you paid more attention in class. Lotor expertly avoided your missteps, making it seem like you were flawlessly following his guide even though he was doing 95% of the work.

You were acutely aware that he had a smile on his face, one you have never seen him wear since you first met him crossing the threshold into Hogwarts castle.

“You are staring.”

“Can’t help it. Your freckles are distracting.”

“I get that quite often,” he flashed you an honest, handsome grin, canine glinting under the dim moon, then found his throat constricting suddenly, “You may touch them, if you wish.”

As the dance came to a slow end, you decided to take him up on that offer. His hands smoothed down to hold your waist, a way to keep you close to him in this chilly, chilly night. Couldn’t risk you getting a cold or becoming sick, right? Lotor kept still when gentle fingertips trailed up to his chin, barely skimming over his jawline, then gave the barest of flinches as you touched him. His cheeks were freezing, but your warm thumbs caressing over his freckles felt absolutely blissful.

You don’t know why, but you half expected those speckles to glow.

“Hm,” you squinted, eyes narrowed at him and, well, it put him on alert. Was it something he did? Said? Perhaps he was holding you too tight -

“...55...56…”

“...Are you,” he started, realization dawning on him, “Are you counting my freckles?”

A pinch on his cheeks, “Yes! You made me lose count. Stay still.”

But he didn’t. Lotor bellowed out a laugh, head tossing back at the ruined moment. No, not ruined. This was perfect. Not exactly what he expected, but you always did have a funny way to diffuse domestic scenarios. Leave it to you to make him swerve off his intended path. A good thing, no doubt. Always expect the unexpected. His chest was shaking while you tsk’d at him for interrupting your very important assignment.

“Come, darling,” he let out a relieved sigh, the laugh doing wonders on his hardened, infatuated soul, “Sit with me. I have something for you.”

Lotor brushed off the layer of snow from the cement bench then motioned you to take it. He did the same for his own spot before glancing up at the night sky. Beautiful. Always has been, but tonight, those star seem to be glimmering even brighter than before. Your eyes were stuck on the moon and it was in this rare, pleasant silence where the both of you came to understand how...nice it was being with each other.

“Christmas was never something I gave a second thought to because it was too...how do you say? Too sentimental, ” his hand reached into his coat, pulling out an immaculately wrapped square present, “It was not a holiday for me. Celebrating with family over a warm dinner and thoughtful, spoiled presents. Hugs and togetherness spreading cheer and good will to each other. Sickening, really.”

You would have believed him if you didn’t catch that growing smile on his lips.

“But I realize that is wrong. What it means to me does not mean the same for others. Not to you,” his thumb brushed over the shiny bow on the present before he turned and offered it to you, “There are people who had a happy family and...ahem, pardon me.”

Lotor was at a loss for words. This talk was making his heart jump in his chest, crashing into his vocal chords and messing with his brain only because it felt awkward sharing personal thoughts so...openly.

“I simply hope this gift exchange, as you say, is enough to bring back those joyful memories for you, my dear.”

My best friend. Lotor was no dunce. He could piece two and two together, especially after you shared with him the history of your broken family. He didn’t need to hear it all and, judging by how much it affected you, you weren’t going to indulge him. The only thing that mattered was that you were happy. You had a happy family and, damn it, just because his own parents were cruel and heartless doesn’t mean you should follow his chosen path of being the seasonal despondent.

You had good memories of your family, but this? Lotor’s gift? You couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop the surge of feelings making your lower lip quiver. You threw your arms around him in a crushing embrace, causing the Prince to stutter at such straightforward displays of affection. And yet, his arms wrapped around your midsection as he returned the sudden hug. This...this felt nice, especially knowing you accepted his gift.

“Thank you,” you swayed him slightly before backing off him, “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lotor. This is...it’s not the same, but…”

Lotor’s smile faltered a bit.

“But it’s much better. Way better.”

Now, he felt ridiculously proud of himself.

“I love it - “

“You did not even open it yet.”

“I know! I’m just taking in the moment! It’s important! It feels good!”

Lotor raised a silver brow and, finally, you pulled the bow and strings off the present. The wrapping came off next. The Prince found himself unconsciously holding his breath in dreadful anticipation. The book with no title laid bare for your very eyes, but you went deathly silent. Intricate etchings in the green leather dye suddenly seemed mediocre for someone like you. The symbolic tree with jade minerals carved into leaves were too dull. He knew he should have gone with emeralds. Much prettier, much shinier, much more suited for -

“Wow…” your voice was low, but full of dazed awe, “You...you made this?”

“Oh, no. I bought the journal,” he watched your fingertips gently skim over the leaves, “But those, I put in myself. I even...ah…”

The timber of his voice trailed off and you turned to look at him to see his gaze fixated on the white floor, “Yes? You even…?”

“So pushy, you are,” he chuckled, running a hand over his hair and trying to steel himself with being so open, “I have enchanted it. Do write in it tonight and see what happens.”

“You aren’t going to tell me?”

“No.”

“See, that’s just mean,” you bumped your shoulder against him lightly, playfully, “Now I can’t wait until the dance is over.”

Would you think differently of him if he said he didn’t want it to end?

“Okay, fine, keep your secrets,” you reached into your bag, “Now, before I give this to you, you have to close your eyes.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Yes, really.”

“Very well, I will humor you.”

You almost wanted to pinch that catty grin off his face, but he did obey when his lids slid close. Taking a few seconds to make sure he wouldn’t peek, you gently grabbed his hand and placed the paper wrapped orb in his palm. At least, you should have, until you noticed a certain pale scar cutting across his skin. The scar from the mirror, an unwelcome reminder of your foolish actions.

Taking a deep breath, you plopped the gift and pushed his fingers up to curl around it.

“Alright, there.”

When he opened his celestial eyes, the first thing Lotor saw was that your smile, as true as it was, had a quick flutter of sadness creeping at the edges. It disappeared before he could question you and he ultimately decided, well, perhaps it was nothing. Perhaps it was that fleeting memory of your family invading your mind again. In any case, he let it go for now, then deftly peeled apart the wrapping covering your gift.

Your leg was bouncing in anxiousness. Every crinkle of the paper was a mocking tune to the gift in his hand. This wasn’t as practical as his gift. Did he like gifts that were more useful than sentimental? Oh, stars, what if this was just going to be sitting in a storage box, hidden away for years because all it ever does is show one’s emotions and -

Lotor’s brows shot up in genuine surprise, “Is...is this blue sandstone?”

“Uh huh,” your hand came up to rub your neck nervously, “Shined it, too, until it was good and ready. Do you...like it?”

Why did you even ask that? It only made your throat tighten more in trepidation, both wanting and afraid to hear his answer.

He could not take his eyes off the orb, inner stars slowly changing to green grass and blooming flowers and sunshine all around. It was warm, so warm that he had to bring both of his hands in to cradle it lovingly. This small gem was...precious. Beautiful. He knows about these, he knows about these intimately, but he never sought to own one himself. Lotor liked to believe he is a man who knows himself both inside and out, emotions included.

But this soothing visual of spring time told him otherwise.

“I do,” he whispered, “I do like it. This is...This is truly an extraordinary gift, my dear. I will cherish it forever.”

Lotor may be a Prince, but right now he felt like a King.

You sighed in relief. Lotor took entirely too long to answer, but when he did, his words made you feel big. Wholesome. Accomplished, even. Then...then you realized what exactly this was you were feeling. You felt accepted. You didn’t feel so alone now. It was quiet, both students simply touching and admiring the gifts given by the other while the stars protected you two from above.

“Do you...want to go inside? Grab a drink?”

Lotor slowly dragged his eyes to lock with yours, a certain tenderness radiating from them in the night. It was a good look on him, one you thought, well, you wouldn’t mind seeing it more often.

“Not yet, my dear. I am...taking in the moment.”

Neither of you wanted the night to end, but alas, even youngsters had their limits. Lotor’s tie was loose, jacket hanging off the side of his chair, and top two buttons of his shirt undone. Still, he wasn’t tired, he didn’t want to sleep, not when the blue sandstone orb was still in his possession. This would easily be a treasured gift he will not share with others. Solely for him and him only. Not even Kova would have the luxury of touching this.

The navy-dyed journal on his desk began glowing a faint, soft hue. Lotor couldn't stop the surge of...joy? Happiness? Eagerness? Something. The surge of something fluttering to his face and planting a smile on his lips. He flipped it open to the first blank page and waited in suspense. He never told you what the secret was because he wasn’t quite sure if his enchantment worked in the first place.

Then, words started appearing on the parchment, words written in your handwriting.

“Dear diary,

Tonight was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

Lotor grabbed his quill, uncapped his ink bottle, then dipped it before writing right under your sentence.

“Me, too.”

#lotor x reader #congratulations!#the wizarding world now discovered #text messaging #get it #because its in a book #a text book #spacestories #also early post because duty calls tomorrow #and it will most likely be all day

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journeysintowebcomics · 6 years ago

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Worm Liveblog #91

UPDATE 91: Getting Along

Last time it was revealed the leaders of the Protectorate are in cahoots with Cauldron. Things are shady behind scenes! So what’ll happen now? Will a new arc start? Let’s find out.

Arc 15, ‘Colony’. Hmmm...let’s see, what could this be about...Skitter intends to fight back against Coil, that’s what she said at the end of the interlude two updates ago. I’m having a hard time linking that to the word ‘colony’ in any manner. Perhaps this arc will be preparations for that?

Or it could be related to the people in her territory. That’s what Skitter is doing, she’s demolishing burnt buildings with Heckpuppy and her mutant dogs. It must be quite the spectacle, seeing a dog hurtle itself towards a building like a wrecking ball and tearing it apart in one go. Also, dangerous. Pretty surprising pieces of debris and other assorted objects don’t fly everywhere. The dog is having fun, Heckpuppy is proud, and Skitter is directing her group of henchmen – employees, I mean, to start cleaning up.

There were twenty-two adults and twenty kids.

Kids as in teenagers, I suppose. Otherwise I kind of doubt kids will be of any help to move pieces of wrecked building around. At least Skitter has the common sense not to let any of the teenagers from reaching the power tools available. There shall be no minors brandishing chainsaws as long as Skitter is here!

While Sierra is tasked with keeping an eye on the group, Skitter talks with Heckpuppy. She’s doing Skitter a favor by using her dogs as the demolition crew, all four of them. As reward, there’ll be food! This was a calculated move from Skitter, hoping this will help mend fences with Heckpuppy and making rekindle the budding friendship her betrayal ruined. Iiiii’m going to be pretty skeptical about that. Heckpuppy is the kind of person that’ll hold grudges for a very long time, I say. I don’t think a friendship is possible anymore.

I’d decided on something simple, as that seemed to work best with Bitch. I imagined that she hadn’t paid a lot of attention to stuff like food as she took hold of her territory. Odds were good that she’d asked Coil for a lot of easy food she could stuff in her pockets and eat on the go. She probably wouldn’t pay much attention to stuff like seasonings or variety in courses.

Sounds like her, yup. Besides, one of the few times Heckpuppy and Skitter were on good terms was during the lunch with Greek food, ages ago. Maybe this will make a favorable comparison to those...simpler times? When was anything simple and calm in this story? Worth a try, anyway.

On the way to the Skitter Headquarters, she thinks about her relationship with her teammate so far. It’s hard to describe as anything but rocky, eh?

Her perspective toward me had zig-zagged between a kind of hesitant acceptance and hostility. We’d met, she’d attacked me. We’d gone to the bank robbery, and she’d been open and excited, only to do a one-eighty and start shouting at me after misinterpreting something I said. Two steps forward, one step back. Until I’d left the group and then been outed as an undercover operative a short while later. That had been a good solid one-hundred steps back.

The thing with her is that it really is very easy to say something you shouldn’t. From what I have read so far, seems to me the best way to deal with her is keep a couple handy rules in mind:

1: When talking about dogs, never make statements you’re not 100% sure are true.

2: Don’t get too friendly. Don’t ask personal questions. Don’t touch dangerous topics. Don’t let it show you’re walking on eggshells when talking to her.

And even then that’s no guarantee she won’t get angry with you, really.

Recovering from that breach of trust had proven far more difficult than anything that came before. Not quite impossible, though; I’d apparently proved myself in the recent past, because Bitch was making an effort on her end. She was here earlier than I’d asked, for one thing, and she hadn’t murdered me when I asked for a hand with some things I couldn’t handle with my own power.

Somehow Skitter is getting in her good graces again, hm? And it was recent. Can’t imagine what it may have been. Perhaps it was her willingness to try to rescue Grue and how she said she’d do the same for any teammate, even Heckpuppy? That’s a possibility, I think. It’s not like there were other options in the recent past, I doubt it was Skitter’s role in getting rid of the miasma, and I doubt it was Skitter kissing her.

Good to know Heckpuppy is making an effort, though! Although I still doubt they’ll be friends, this should be a step towards being good teammates. That’s as good as this can get.

Being in silence during the walk towards the headquarters gives Skitter the time to think about how to talk with her. She doesn’t want to say anything that’ll ruin everything for a few days or weeks.

Hah! She calls it her lair! Okay, lair it’ll be.

Agreeing what to eat is easy, and while Heckpuppy takes her dog to shed its ton of flesh away from the lair – and not giving Mr. Wildbow a chance to give the usual description, thankfully – Skitter studies the lackeys that are here. There are two named Barker and Biter, who, from the sound of this, have powers of some sort.

Barker and Biter gave me something of a George and Lennie vibe, with the smaller guy as the brains of the outfit, the larger one as the big oaf.

I had to google that. According to what I found, they’re the main characters of the book Of Mice and Men, also there’s a movie adaptation.

Isn’t that the guy from CSI New York? I swear that’s the main character from CSI New York. Now every time I imagine Barker I’ll picture him as the main characters from CSI New York. Delightful!

Biter’s description comes first. I’m pretty sure he modelled his appearance according to his name. No way he didn’t, this is anything but subtle.

He stood over six feet in height with a severe underbite exaggerated by a metal bear-trap style band of metal around his lower jaw. His teeth, I saw, were filed into points. His costume featured spiked knuckle-dusters and a number of leather straps and belts over his clothes. Each length of leather was studded with sharp spikes.

So...it’ll be CSI NY and a walking spiky ball. It’s fortunate these two are likely to be very minor characters and therefore won’t appear often, because I won’t be able to take them seriously at all.

Barker was an inch or two shorter than me, his hair and beard cut short enough that there was more skin than hair showing. His eyes seemed overly large for his face, with heavy lids and folds around them that made him look older than he probably was. His ‘costume’ consisted of a black sleeveless t-shirt, jeans and tattooing around his mouth. I’d seen him in something more conventional when Coil had introduced him to us, but now the only sign of his parahuman nature was the faint smoke that curled out of his mouth. Just going by his lack of bulk and short stature, I thought I might be able to take him in a no-powers fist fight.

I’m not sure what his power is. Unlike Spiky Ball over there, CSI NY didn’t model his “costume” after his namesake. I suspect it may be some sort of smoke-spewing power? The other possibility that comes to mind is fire, but...I’m not really sure.

While Heckpuppy is away, the henchmen come out to play ask Skitter about how she gets along with their boss. To put it simply:

The girl with her arm in a sling spoke up, “She acts like she’s frustrated with us. And I think we’re frustrated with her.”

It’s going pretty much like anyone would expect. They’re not fond of their boss and I doubt she’s fond of them. The friction must be constant...and if it’s not solved anytime, I think some bad stuff could happen.

At first Skitter doesn’t want to answer because any beef with their boss should be talked with her. As if that’d lead anywhere, Skitter! They’d make her angry pretty much immediately. It takes almost no prodding to get Skitter to relent, so she gives a few tips that do sound basic.

“I can, but it’s going to sound pretty damn basic. Be honest, be absolutely clear in what you’re saying. Be obedient, but be assertive. Don’t let her walk all over you or she will walk all over you. At the same time, if you think there’s something worth arguing over, be prepared to fight tooth and nail for it, because you’ll be in a weaker position if you fight over it and lose. Respect her space and her things, and remember that she’s your boss above all else.”

In my opinion, assertiveness really is the best way to deal with her. The difficult part is being assertive without getting on her bad side. There’s this very faint line between those important distinctions, and it’d be so easy to accidentally cross it.

Apparently CSI NY also isn’t happy with the kind of job they’re getting. Cleaning after the dogs? Pah! And also she’s treating those without powers with...more respect? She’s cutting them more slack than to Spiky Ball or to him. I suppose it’s precisely because they don’t have powers, but I’m not sure what’s Heckpuppy’s train of thought here.

Ah, here is CSI NY’s power.

“Whore.”

The puff of smoke that accompanied the word detonated like a small thunder-clap, mere inches from my face. I flinched, but it hadn’t been intended to harm. Only to alarm.

His namesake does fit quite well. I wonder if that’s the extent of his power or if he can do something else with it.

As expected, Skitter isn’t amused by the rather crude demonstration. She doesn’t fly into a rage or anything – outwardly – she calmly strikes and uses her baton to hit him in the chin, push him to the wall, and then poured bugs into his mouth. Unpleasant for him, and even more when the capsaicin kicks in! CSI NY can only gag and he can’t even say anything while Skitter tells him doing that kind of thing to Heckpuppy would immediately put him on her bad side, maybe permanently.

“He has,” the boy with the scars on his face spoke.

It’s official, he’ll be cleaning her dogs’ crap forever.

Heckpuppy returns right after that, silently demanding explanations as to why one of her henchmen is currently choking on the floor with bugs on her face. Once the situation was made clear, it was Spiky Ball’s turn to explain what his power is.

“I make parts of myself bigger.” He pointed to his mouth, then to the fist with the spike-studded knuckle-duster. “Open wide, swing with bigger hands.”

It’s pretty risky to bite a parahuman, I say. That’d leave him vulnerable to attack and he’d be so close anything they do would hurt a lot. Hitting hard with his fists should be a better idea, supposing he’s agile enough to dodge and counter anything the opponent tries.

Those two wouldn’t be useful at all against the Slaughterhouse Nine because their powers would be largely useless or disadvantageous against them, so of course Heckpuppy left them behind. Now that the parahuman henchmen’s basic information was said, it’s time those without powers talk about themselves.

One of them is a veterinary student and she enjoys taking care of the dogs. Points on her boss’ good side, I’d say! And then she mentions she grew up with a couple greyhounds in an apartment. Heckpuppy is tense, and I’m pretty sure it’s because she disapproves how two dogs that need a lot of exercise were kept in an apartment instead of in an open space. Hm. Maybe Skitter should change topics.

She doesn’t change topics. Thankfully, the former vet student defuses the situation by arguing the dogs were happy and they were taking good care of them. I’m relieved this didn’t get worse. Nowadays she wants to get a dog – another greyhound, and she already has her eye set on a specific dog, one Heckpuppy has in her shelter. Of course, that is if Heckpuppy gives her permission to take the dog!

Grudgingly, Bitch said, “Rather they have a proper home than stay with me.”

I could see the girl’s eyes widen in surprise. “I didn’t- um. Thank you.”

Aw, nice! This is a step in the right direction—

“If I see him in some cage in a shelter after you’ve taken him home, I’m going to track you down and dismember you,” Bitch growled.

Neeeeeevermind. But it’s nothing out of character for Heckpuppy, of course she’d make a brutal threat when a dog’s wellbeing is on the line. The former vet student accepts it, admitting if that happens she’d deserve it. A step in the right direction! Take notes, CSI NY.

Now that the social intricacies of Heckpuppy with her henchmen have been dealt with, Skitter has to deal with the intricacies with her own employees. Like Charlotte, who is jumpy and nervous to an extent Skitter is worried about. I can imagine so many reasons why she’s spooked, really. Being in this story means your life is a constant whirlwind of tension, and Charlotte’s life has been pretty bad the last few weeks, and also Skitter’s demonstrations of strength and ruthlessness are scary. Nobody can blame her for being spooked.

No time to think about this, Tattletale is coming. Is it time to discuss the strategy on how to tackle the rather difficult task of toppling over your boss? The one with a power that gives him a chance to correct course and ensure everything goes like he wants? I can see this taking two or three arcs.

I took a second to compose myself, alone in the second floor of my lair. Dealing with people, the sensitive management of Bitch and her underlings, pretending confidence where I didn’t necessarily have it, and thinking of all the little details that would help me convey the image of someone confident and powerful… it was draining. It meant standing straighter, having the answers, thinking two steps ahead and using intimidation and fear to prevent any argument or insubordination like Barker’s little stunt. It meant retaliating in excess to any slight or disrespect.

Everyone would expect all that from any supervillain worth their salt, I’d say. Besides, you know what they say: fake it until you make it. It’s draining, but it’s better than...well...looking weak and letting people walk over you. People like Skitter, who are in charge of a territory, can’t afford to be a pushover. There’s a difference between being kind and being lily-livered.

At the same time, I faced a dilemma on the opposite end of things. I wanted to help people, and I wanted to build friendships with the others. With the way Bitch sort of mandated that I go the extra mile, it was hard to be nice to her without seeming weak to others.

I think it’s fine as long as Skitter makes clear you can’t walk over her like CSI NY tried to do. She has that covered, so...yeah, she’ll be fine.

Returning downstairs for a moment, Skitter calls Heckpuppy upstairs so she can take a look at the progress she’s making on the costumes for the team, including hers. It’s a jacket, made with spider silk and therefore it’s pretty resistant. I imagine it’ll also give her some protection from things like bites from dogs! Not that the dogs would ever dare to do such a thing to her, but yeah. What’s important is that it’s sturdy. It even has panels of armor.

There are leggings, there’s the jacket – Heckpuppy gives her approval, cutting Skitter short when she was explaining the perks of the jacket. I’m kind of amused by the thought of zippers in the armpits, leaving practicality aside. Sounds kind of outlandish, I don’t remember ever seeing anything like that before!

Next! The mask.

It was, as close as I’d been able to manage, a recreation of what her power did to her dogs in the form of a mask. Except I’d made it half human and half dog.

That actually sounds pretty cool, if hard to picture! It even sounds like the kind of thing that’d be up Heckpuppy’s alley. This should help repair the friendship even more. Golly, maybe it really will be possible!

“Looks like Brutus,” she said.

I’m pretty sure that’s a positive sign. Good! It was unintentional on Skitter’s part, but I doubt she’ll correct her about this.

Skitter tries to encourage her to say if there were any changes she wanted, Heckpuppy doesn’t say any. She cuts her off rather curtly.

Her refusal was so curt it gave me pause. I couldn’t tell if she was upset or happy.

She’s wearing it. That’s as good as it gets. If she was upset, she’d be throwing it to the other side of the room. I don’t think she’s happy, but I also don’t think she dislikes any of this.

Perhaps to try to ascertain if this is an attempt to get on her good side, Heckpuppy asks if she did this stuff for the other Undersiders too. Of course she did! This leads to Heckpuppy saying she told Skitter to leave her alone, and therefore the expected reaction was that Skitter wouldn’t do it.

“Why didn’t you listen when I told you to fuck off?”

Two ways I could interpret that question. “Don’t worry about it. Look, the hamburgers will be ready soon…” I trailed off.

Better to not risk making her angry, I guess. Trying to dodge this awkward moment, Skitter turns to go downstairs, and Heckpuppy asks what she wants in exchange for all this stuff she’s making. If it’s necessary to put a price to it then perhaps saying it’s a way of saying thanks for her demolition services could work?

“You’re trying to get some favor from me.”

Well, technically she already did, the demolishing buildings part. Skitter insists this is a gift and therefore there are no strings attached, Heckpuppy doesn’t believe it.

“I don’t get many gifts.”

I shrugged. What was I supposed to say to that? I couldn’t help but feel that if I were a little more socially adroit, I’d have had a snappy answer.

And I’m pretty sure a snappy answer would be the wrong thing to say. Skitter insists these are gifts and as the person receiving it she’s free to decide if she wants to wear it or not. She’ll wear it. Acceptance! Everything about this chapter so far has been about people getting along with Heckpuppy, and it’s going well so far! I like this.

When the rest of the Undersiders arrive, they’re also taken upstairs to take a look at their costumes. It’s nothing outstanding, in terms of interest. Skitter is doing a good job making the costumes, everyone is happy about them. Regent and Imp are getting bodysuits instead. Soon Skitter has a short to-do list.

There was more to do: belts, Imp’s scarf, Tattletale’s mask and Bitch’s shirt, not to mention finishing my new mask, and my plans for different masks for our various minions.

Sierra and Charlotte are relatively accommodating, what with being Skitter’s head minions, but I have a hard time believing they’d accept to wear a mask. I suppose the rank and file would be the ones getting them? Skitter is blaming herself for not being able to protect people, after all. She’d want to provide her employees with resistant clothing, at least. I’m sure in the near future she’ll make a hundred bodysuits of many sizes, for as many of her minions as she can.

Shatterbird is still being led around! Hah! She must be seething like crazy.

There’s a brief moment of retrospection about how much they have changed in a short span of time, and then comes the topic of discussion this arc may be all about: fighting Coil. Lisa and Brian already know it, kind of, now it’s time to tell the rest.

Turns out Coil already knows he’s losing the appeal he has over Brian. Brian already has plenty of money saved, and with the current state of the city he doesn’t really need much help to stand on his own two feet. I’m a bit iffy about this all because...wouldn’t the court want to know where the money came from? I hope Brian concocted a good story for that, with proof and stuff that’ll back it up.

It’s up to Alec and Rachel to decide if they’ll help or not. Does Alec like the status quo? What’ll happen if he says he does and therefore won’t cooperate?

“That’s fine,” Lisa said. “You’d be an asshole and a prick, but we’d work around you.”

That’s quite straightforward. In other words, he’d be isolated and wouldn’t know what they’re doing or how they’d do it. Other than that, it’d be business as normal, he would be alienated only in this particular matter, I think.

While Alec isn’t particularly enthused about any of this nor feels any moral objections about, you know, having led to Dinah’s kidnapping and subsequent situation as Coil’s oracle, he accepts to help because the world’s going to end in a couple years, so whatever! Nobody likes the flippant negativity.

“Why are you guys freaking out? Because I’m calling you out on your willful blindness? The world’s gonna end, and I’m okay with that. Therefore I’m saying I’ll go along with your plan, whatever it is. Why argue with me?”

Nobody can be surprised he’s behaving like this. They know pretty well by now Alec is...a sociopath, was it? The point is that this can’t be a surprise at all.

Now that they have Alec’s support, it’s Rachel’s turn. Will she help? She will! Because she’s very unsatisfied with Coil.

Smarmy bastard conned me. Promised me I’d be left alone if I joined the group. That hasn’t happened.

No kidding, she was saddled with a territory and with a lot of people she doesn’t like at all. Pretty much the opposite of being left alone. Of course Rachel would be unsatisfied. That means everyone is joining the plan! Whatever it’ll be! What’ll it be like, Skitter?

There’s nothing concrete. All she knows is that she wants to have her territory by the end of this, because it’ll help the people in it. Freeing Dinah is the target, defeating Coil the way to do it. As to how it’ll be done...well...who knows.

“We’ve got an awfully small window,” Lisa said. “One and a half weeks, roughly, before Dinah’s power is back online. Once that happens, Coil becomes a thousand times harder to take on.

He’s already hard to take on because of his power. If he gets Dinah back, she’ll be able to tell him he’ll be betrayed and he’ll take measures to avoid that. There’s only one option: defeat Coil in the span of one week, one week and half at most.

...

This is going to be tough, to say the least.

There’s the mayoral elections, the question of whether the city gets condemned-”

“What?” I cut in.

“It’s arguably more expensive to fix the problems here than it is to abandon the city entirely. Depends on what the consensus is from the President and all the other folks in charge.”

Ah, Tattletale found out. Coil also knows, and he’s waiting for their decision. If the city is condemned then he has no more use for Brockton Bay, he’ll take his operation somewhere else and he’ll abandon any liability. Skitter and Tattletale are included among those he won’t bring. Whoops! Looks like, despite Skitter’s best efforts, he’s not considering her indispensable at all. He’s not going to let go of Dinah in any way.

Also, guess this means Grue is valuable enough to take with him? He did offer Grue more money, after all.

Things are looking pretty difficult. If Coil ever has an inkling of what they’ll be trying to do, then they’re doomed. He’ll take any measures necessary to stop it. If the city gets condemned, then Coil will get moving quickly and they’ll have even less time, so...their hope would be either for the city to not be condemned or for the decision to take longer than a week? I think Legend was saying it was going to happen – like it was a certainty. I think, not sure about it.

Well, even if it’s not condemned, there are many other factors to consider.

“That’s the gist of it. Even I don’t know what he has planned for his endgame, here. It’s looking pretty ugly, to be honest.” Lisa counted off the points on her fingers. “The Chosen will be gunning for us, Coil’s got a small army of pretty excellent, well-equipped soldiers at his disposal, he’s got some pretty fucking heavy hitters with the Travelers, the heroes are going to be going into overdrive to establish some sort of control and last but not least, he’s Coil.”

All in all, it’ll be very difficult and nobody will have a fun time. But...somehow, after Leviathan and the Slaughterhouse Nine, Coil seems easier to me. I’m not saying Coil is an easy target! Of course he’s extremely difficult to fight against and the slightest mistake will topple their plans! But, you know, Coil isn’t a worldwide threat. It just isn’t going to be the same.

This doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to this, though. I am! And it’ll be great, I’m sure of it. Can’t wait to read next chapter next time!

Next time: next update

#worm #worm liveblog #webserial #liveblog #webserial liveblog

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valuationproperty01 · 3 years ago

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What Should I Do To Look For Houses For Sale ?

Moving into a new house is one of the most exciting things you can do in life. It's a chance to start fresh and get rid of all the clutter that you've built up over your years as an adult.

But best houses for sale Hamilton also involve a lot of hard work, so make sure you're prepared for everything that comes along with buying a new place!

Have a think about what condition the house is in.

Once you've decided on your budget, the next step is to find a house that fits the bill. To do this, you will need to assess the following:

The condition of the property

Whether it has been used as a commercial property or not (and if so, how long)

How far away it is from amenities such as schools and shops

The age of houses varies massively depending on where you are looking. A new build could cost upwards of £100k while an older house might be closer to £50k or less.

It's also worth considering whether or not there's any damage before agreeing on an offer price; if there are holes in windows or roof tiles missing it could mean that there's more damage than meets the eye!

What do you want to do to your new home?

Now that you've found the perfect house, it's time to think about what you want to do with your new home. Will you renovate, or do nothing? If you plan on renovating, how big is the house? How much money do you have available for renovations? How long will you be staying in this place?

Once again, these questions are important because they can help determine what kind of renovation projects make sense for your situation. If a kitchen renovation costs more than half of what the house is worth and there's no guarantee that anyone would buy it with a new kitchen anyway, then maybe it's not worth doing at all!

Or if there's only one bathroom in a 4-bedroom ranch with two kids under five years old who are constantly running around screaming and banging toys against each other like cavemen trying to kill each other while they're playing tag outside (and sometimes inside), then maybe adding an extra bathroom would be nice.

Make sure you've got all bases covered for your new home.

When you finally find the home of your dreams, it's important to make sure that it is in good condition and will be something you can enjoy for a long time. You should have a look around the outside of the house before buying and see if there are any cracks or holes in the walls or flooring where pests like mice might be able to get inside.

Make sure that all of these items are fixed before moving into your new home so that you don't end up having to spend money on repairs later on.

You should also think about what kind of work needs doing inside when buying a house for sale . If there isn't enough room inside then maybe there could be an extension built onto it which would add more square footage while still keeping the same footprint as before (i.e., no new foundations).

Conclusion

So there we have it. You know what to look for in a house, how much you should be prepared to spend on it and where you might find the best deals for houses for sale Hamilton. We hope these tips have helped and if not, feel free to use them anyway!

Source: https://harcourtshamiltonproperty.blogspot.com/2022/12/what-should-i-do-to-look-for-houses-for-sale.html

#houses for sale Hamilton

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interestingfactsquotes · 3 years ago

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Mice in The Attic: How to Identify and How to Get Rid of These

Mice may be a real pain in the contemporary home. Since these pests love to reside inside your attic, this may be difficult for anyone to realize that they have unexpected visitors. These pests can create their homes inside the attic, which provides them with a warm, secure, and dry environment. Attic mouse infestations can have detrimental effects.

How can I tell if my attic has mice?

You can tell whether mice have moved into your attic through a few different ways. Search for potential entrances. Locate openings for their compartments or channels. These slits could penetrate the insulator. Make a list of potential mouse access points in your house that might lead them into the attic. Foundation cracks might be entry sites for rodents and people alike. Even if there may be little gaps in the roadway, they can still move due to their width. Keep an ear out for any attic sounds. Screaming, spinning, and cleaning clearly indicate presence. Whenever mice snooze at these times, this holds true throughout the whole day. You should expect to hear mice crawling about at night. Even though there may be times when you don't hear anything, mice nonetheless could be living inside your attic. Rats may reside in attics as evidenced by the scraping of little feet over the surface, and shavings left all over the attic seem to be a surefire indicator that rodents have settled within your insulation. Search for telltale indications. Be cautious when spotting mouse presence signals if someone has discovered mouse prints inside the attic. Your home is infested with mice if it has these marks. Droppings from mice are an obvious sign that they are there. Their excrement is black, approximately 1/2 an inch in length, and has pointy edges in addition to ridges. However, these might not be the only considerations you should make. Do you have a suspicion that it has been silent? Keep in mind to be extremely cautious and vigilant.

A Guide to Getting Rid of Rats in Your Attic.

Find every entry location and close it. Look over the whole interior of your home or structure for any gaps or openings that mice may utilize to enter from the ground or the roof. Openings, eave openings, rooflines, scratched door gaskets, missing stones in walls, etc. are examples of this. Examine the whole roof in addition to any vents or other tiny attic entry spots. Keep in mind that mice may fit into the smallest of spaces. You must search for Extremely Tiny apertures or holes, such as those that are no larger than 1/4 inch or large enough for your fingernail tips. Fill up these holes with a strong and suitable sealant to prevent mice from entering your house. Because rodents may nibble through some coatings, such as sprays, be certain the sealer is rodent resistant. Pruning trees and shrubs close to your property Mice can leap roughly eight feet down in addition to their propensity for climbing, which is widely known. You may basically remove the "bridge" for those rodents by cutting back on overgrown tree limbs and bushes that are near to or contacting the home. Use proper sanitation and food storage methods. That's a little bit of such an additional preventive technique, but it's nevertheless useful. You may eliminate any food resources that could entice mice by making sure your meals are properly maintained and aren't left outside in the public. Place Traps In Places With High Movement. The most important step in getting control of rats in the house attic is definitely this one. The kind (live bait, snap traps, quantity, and strategic placement of your hooks) will determine the effectiveness of your capturing operations. Setting up traps there in the right places may make a huge impact. The easiest technique to determine the potential routes taken by these rodents is to track their droppings.

Final thoughts

It's no mystery that mice in the attic can be a bothersome problem. If these little rats decide to live inside your attic, it might be a serious problem. While you may already be aware, mice will devour whatever they can get their hands on, particularly cabling, insulation, as well as other materials that might endanger the safety of your home from fire. Read the full article

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originpestmanagement · 3 years ago

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Customer Testimonials For Origin Pest Control North Lakes

Whether you're looking for pest control for your home or office, it's important to hire a professional. Origin Pest Control is a local company that uses the highest quality products to eliminate bugs and other pests. If the first treatment doesn't eliminate them, they will re-treat the area. Graham, one of the technicians, has been in the business for several years, and has knowledge about termites. During his treatment, he found a termite mud tube.

Origin Pest Control

If you are searching for a pest control company that can solve your pest problems, you should hire Origin Pest Control North Lakes. They specialize in treating indoor pests, unwanted plants, and larger visitors to your home. They've treated pests such as raccoons and foxes, which can enter your home through holes in the roof. The company will also offer a free quote online.

Gio's Pest Control

If you're looking for a pest control company in North Lakes, you've come to the right place. Gio's Pest Control is a family-owned business that's been serving this region for many years. They provide residential and commercial pest control, annual maintenance checks, and other prevention measures to keep your home and business pest-free. They're also known for their excellent customer service, which means you'll get more referrals and less work!

Conquer

When choosing an expert pest control company, you can't go wrong with Conquer Termites. Not only is this company a locally owned business, but they are also able to respond quickly to customer feedback and provide the best possible service. For a quick response, call a North Lakes pest control company today. Conquer Termites offers a free treatment for mice, flies, wasps, and ants.

Graham Horvarth

Jim's Pest Control North Lakes has a local technician who's known for providing top-notch service. Graham Horvarth is one of those rare technicians who has been practicing top-notch pest control for more than twenty years. His dedication to customer satisfaction is reflected in the quality of his work. Here are some of his customer testimonials. Read on for more! Graham Horvarth, Pest Control North Lakes

Termites

Termites can be a nuisance pest, but they don't necessarily have to be that way. They don't crawl into your pantry or burrow in the corners of your ceiling, and they don't build obvious signs of their presence. Instead, they consume wood and other structural elements of your house. Fortunately, there are many ways to kill them and get rid of them from your property. Here are a few tips.

Black house ants

Among the most common types of ants, Black house ants are a serious nuisance. These little ants build their colonies outdoors, usually in soil. They also nest inside walls, paneling, and hot water pipes. Since they like to live outdoors, pavement ants often prefer to make their nests in outdoor areas. However, they can also be found inside homes, especially in areas with moist soil and wood.

Spiders

During colder months, spiders seek out homes and buildings for warmth. They also feed on cockroaches and mosquitoes. Despite their seemingly harmless behavior, spiders can bite humans, staff, and visitors. In addition to being frightening to anyone who comes in contact with them, spiders are also extremely dangerous because they can cause allergic reactions or even death. If you find that your home is populated with spiders, you should contact a professional for pest control.

Bees

For the safest and most effective bees and pest control in North Lakes, contact a professional. Bees are a nuisance that requires professional removal. They can sting, resulting in pain and itchiness. The stings from bee stings can cause severe injuries, ranging from itchiness to inflammation. When left untreated, these insects can cause serious health issues, and may even result in death.

Possums

If you've noticed possums on your property, you may be wondering how to get rid of them. Possums can wreak havoc on a home, eating upholstery, electrical cables, and product packaging. If you're worried about possums taking up residence in your home, consider hiring a pest control service to move the critters out of the area. Fortunately, possum removal and relocation services are available through Chambers Pest Solutions.

Origin Pest Management is a family owned and operated business located on the North side of Brisbane, we specialize in general pest treatment and termite treatments.

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blackhatandfriends · 7 years ago

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I know It might be a little depressing, but do you think you could write a Black Hat x reader where Black Hat dies after a battle, and though the reader was more than devastated by this, they continue the organization, but Black Hat comes back after making a deal with the Devil. So what I'm trying to ask is that you could possibly make a one-shot about when Black Hat and the reader see each other again for the first time. Thank you so much for the amazing fanfiction you write!

BACK TO YOU (BLACK HAT X READER)

“What’s this? Where am I?”

Darkness remained the only response. Angry eyes glowed through it. Power unlike anything this place had ever seen. He raised his voice again.

“Answer me or you’ll have more than Hell to pay!!”

_____________________________________________________

You squinted at the harsh light coming through the kitchen window and quickly yanked the blinds shut. Why did that stupid bear always have to leave them open?

But he wasn’t here for you to scold him. No one was. Black Hat manor was completely still, the calmness of night still claimed a hold on the house.

You sighed. Not even this felt the same anymore.

Mindlessly you ate your breakfast. The food tasted bland, just like everything else.

Without permission your mind wandered and of course took you back to that day. Flug’s goggles appeared to have lost their reflection as he told you and proceeded to hold your screaming frame in an attempt to keep you from destroying the manor.

You denied it for a while. Other people, even you, came and went and died under someone else’s boot, but not him.

He wasn’t like that.

He was unstoppable. He’d conquered the world over and over again. He told you about it. He told you about the screams of children seeing their dead mothers and widows searching for husbands they would never see again. He told you about their futile attempts at retaliation. You’d never seen him hurt, let alone dead. No force could contain him. Nothing.

But when Flug told you how a large black demon appeared, how it broke him in half, how it dragged him into a hole in the ground where nothing could be comprehended aside pained screams….you could see in his eyes, in Demencia’s eyes, in 5.0.5’s eyes…he was gone.

You should have been there to help him. Pulling your hero’s limbs off one at a time wasn’t important. Why didn’t he send one of the others to take care of it?

Black Hat began as your mentor and in recent years you thought…something more.

“Y/n.” You scolded yourself for breaking rule 10V3.

Nothing, not even Black Hat, could change the past.

You sighed again, placing your plate in the sink and stalking upstairs. You had only a few hours before your employees would begin the day, and these quiet hours would be the most productive. Flies needed to be looked over, orders approved, and your line up for meetings today seemed like the worst yet.

When you finally emerged from your room following the incident, no one argued when you walked into the office, his office, and started giving orders. No one was that stupid. You held much more than just seniority over them.

Word of Black Hat’s death appeared to travel fast, yet some clients came in surprised to see you sitting in the office rather than Black Hat. They soon learned to deal with it. Black Hat didn’t take just anyone on his team, and not just anyone survived recruitment.

“Ugh, the list of incompetency continues.” You growled at your calendar. How Black Hat put up with these morons for so many years escaped you. If it weren’t for the money, none of them would probably leave his off- your office alive.

“L-Lord y/n.” It still sounded strange.

Your eyes snapped to meet the Doctor’s. “What is it?”

“I have some new items ready for the catalogue.” He looked down at your agenda for the day. You nodded, standing to exit with him.

“Fine.” You smiled slightly, “Did you finish your serum, or did they blow up again?”

__________________________________________________________

Black Hat cursed and looked around in the darkness. Screams could be heard far off, but something else occupied him.

There, up ahead, was an energy source like few he’d seen before. He approached it quickly. Time moved in strange ways down here, and Black Hat seemed incapable of jumping into another dimension to escape.

He approached the demon with an annoyed look plastered to his face, but discerning the figure to be that demon from the city, Black Hat repainted his expression with a wicked grin. His claws broke through the tips of his gloves and a laugh broke through the silence accompanied only by the breathing of the giant dark thing.

The breathing stopped before the laughter did.

_________________________________________________________

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you’d like to take over the world, Mr….”

“Brain.”

“Yes, Mr. Brain.” You looked down at your file just to be sure, “However one your size may wish to begin with a smaller area, and work your way out from there. Seeing the limited resources of lab mice, I am surprised you and your companion found a way to pay me for my services.”

Somewhere in the background you heard a crash followed by a “Narf!”

Both of you ignored it.

“If that is all, Mr. Brain. You may leave, but do mind Demencia-and the Doctor.” A sinister smile tugged at your lips, “She’s known to rid the manor of pests. He’s in need of subjects.”

They disappeared from the office quickly. You chuckled alongside Black Hat. Scaring clients was always a-

Wait.

You turned around quickly to see the dark figure standing in the corner, a grin both intimidating and intriguing gracing his features. Both of you examined the other. Not a piece of him was out of place.

When you didn’t say anything for a while, he decided to speak, “You have 10 seconds to explain how long I’ve been gone and why you’re in that chair, y/n.”

“3 months, Señor.” You replied immediately, knowing the price of hesitation, “I put myself in charge of organization affairs.”

He hummed a response low in his throat. “Why.” He repeated, his smile widening.

“My reasons are my own.”

“When you work for me, nothing is your own.”

“How do I even know you’re real?”

The dangerous look in his eye answered that for you. You sighed.

“I don’t know.” The words came quickly from your tongue, “I need the money. I want the money. Those three need something to do.” You pointed at the door, “Maybe because you were gone and this company was the only thing left of you for us. Maybe we care about you. Maybe I-“

He raised an eyebrow. There was no turning back, “Maybe I care about you. Maybe I care about you much more than I should.”

The laugh started softly, but grew as he approached you. The rejection stung, but assured you once more that this truly was him. He was back. All those stories he told you, all of them were true.

But when he pulled you tightly to him, almost hurting you in the process, you began to doubt.

“Well luckily for you, not even Hell and her ruler could keep me from coming back to you.” The pause lasted too long. “To all of you idiots, I mean.” He let you go quickly, pointing to the door, “Now go let the world know that Black Hat has returned.”

“Y-yessir.” You went to leave immediately, wanting Flug to confirm that your mind functioned properly before taking any action.

“Oh and y/n.” You stopped with a hand on the door, “Return quickly. I’m not patient enough to sit in this office for 3 months waiting to see you again.”

————————————————————————————

A/N: Here you go friend! I hope you enjoy! I’m sorry it isn’t exactly what you asked for. This thing kinda took on a life of it’s own at a certain point.Also, do you guys like the author’s notes at the bottom or at the top?I know I can’t get to every ask, guys, but the fact that you send them in is so wonderful to me, and I am honored that you entrust me with that. There are so many of you sending in asks, but I want you all to know that I read all of them and would answer them all if I could. I love you guys! Go and crush your heroes beneath your feet!

-Dorian

#black hat x reader #black hat #villanos #villain reader #villainous #villainous x reader #black hat and friends

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staircasttext · 4 years ago

Text

Ep 17 Transcript: She-cats Unite!

Episode 17

[intro music]

PAZ: Hi everyone, welcome back to Stairway to StarClan, a Warriors Cat reread pawdcast. I'm Paz.

JULIAN: I'm Julian.

LIZ: I'm Liz.

PAZ: And we are here today starting the third book in the series, Forest of Secrets. It's very exciting. But yeah, we had to take a break so it's been a bit since I think we all read these chapters, but there's a lot to talk about. I'm sure we will spark our memories.

LIZ: The reason we took a break was we couldn't record last time because it was 103 or something where I was. So I was in a liquid state.

PAZ: Horrible. Well, how was everyone's break period?

LIZ: It got cooler.

PAZ: That's good.

JULIAN: Yeah, I went to visit my parents and that was good.

PAZ: I read something different in between. I started reading Uglies, rereading it. Shout out to YA.

JULIAN: Hell yes.

PAZ: I'm a big fan.

JULIAN: I did look while I was home to see if we had any of the Warrior Cats books still. But I don't think I ever actually owned them. I just checked them out from the library a million times.

PAZ: Oh my gosh.

DOG: [barking]

PAZ: I was a little like, child king, then. Oh my god, my dog.

JULIAN: Oh no.

LIZ: Not a fan of Warriors.

JULIAN: It's atmospheric. We're under attack by... Just imagine this whole podcast is being recorded from Barley and Ravenpaw's barn.

PAZ: Yeah, that's right. There's probably like a UPS guy. Or she's faking it. It's probably the fish plates we ordered, Liz.

LIZ: Oh my god, unboxing audio, please.

PAZ: Okay, maybe she's done. I forget what I was even saying.

LIZ: Reading Uglies.

JULIAN: You were reading Uglies.

LIZ: And Julian was borrowing a lot of books.

PAZ: Yeah, I own a lot of Warriors. And I own most of them in hardcover.

LIZ: Wow.

PAZ: I guess that's all I ever asked for, apparently. My treasure hoard.

LIZ: Child king.

PAZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: That's so impressive, honestly.

PAZ: Yeah, I'm pretty proud of my collection. And I'm very happy to have the old covers for all of those, too, because I think they're better. I'm sorry, they're better.

JULIAN: No, they are.

LIZ: They are.

JULIAN: You're right.

PAZ: So I have an antiques collection. Yeah, I don't know. Should we get into it?

JULIAN: Yeah.

PAZ: Four chapters, technically.

LIZ: Yeah.

JULIAN: Prologue through chapter three.

PAZ: Okay, I'll just go into the summaries. So the prologue, okay. A tomcat is helping two tiny helpless kits travel through the snow to a small island in RiverClan. He takes them to the nursery and asks Graypool, a she-cat who has recently lost a kit, to help nurse them. Graypool asks Oakheart where he got the kits, and he just says he found them in the forest, where they were probably abandoned. Graypool doesn't think Oakheart is telling her the whole truth and says so, but he leaves without explaining. She is proved right when she smells the scent of an enemy clan on the kits.

Chapter one. Fireheart returns to the ThunderClan camp from hunting. It's leafbare so food is scarce. Tigerclaw shows up and says Fireheart doesn't need to go hunting again since Bluestar wants him and Graystripe to go to the gathering. They have a brief standoff about clan loyalty. Tigerclaw says he saw Fireheart let the RiverClan warrior escape from the WindClan battle, and Fireheart says he should tell Bluestar himself if he's so worried. Tigerclaw looks slightly afraid, and Fireheart wonders if Tigerclaw knows that he (Fireheart) knows he (Tigerclaw) killed Redtail. He does because Ravenpaw told him.

LIZ: Sorry, lots of he/hims here.

PAZ: Fireheart also remembers his frustration at Bluestar not believing him when he last told her this. Tigerclaw leaves. Graystripe boggles at Fireheart starting a fight with him and then apologizes for his relationship with Silverstream causing problems for Fireheart, though Fireheart says the problem has always been Tigerclaw. The two cats eat and rest in their den before the gathering, and Fireheart notices Tigerclaw, Darkstripe, and Longtail talking together. Fireheart sees that Tigerclaw is now spreading rumors about him. He decided to talk to Ravenpaw again after the gathering to ask for proof of Tigerclaw being dangerous to the clan. And Graystripe says he'll go with him.

At the gathering, Fireheart notices how tense everyone is because of the recent battle. Graystripe is eager to talk to Silverstream. Whitestorm and Tigerclaw talk to Bluestar about ThunderClan sheltering Brokentail, but she says they won't tell the other clans. Meanwhile, Graystripe has disappeared, and Fireheart listens to a group of elders from all clans talk about how bad the leafbare was back in their day. They mention Bluestar having lost kits in the past to leafbare.

The leaders make some announcements, mainly that WindClan's warriors are still strong, though they have lost an elder, and that ThunderClan has two new warriors, Dustpelt and Sandstorm. ShadowClan and RiverClan don't look very pleased. Graystripe and Fireheart get ready to leave for Ravenpaw. Fireheart has to lie to Sandstorm about hunting so she won't go with them.

Chapter two, Fireheart and Graystripe find Ravenpaw and Barley in their barn. Barley lets them eat some mice. Fireheart asks Ravenpaw to recount exactly what happened when Redtail was killed. It's painful for Ravenpaw, but he gives a detailed account. He was injured in the shoulder, and Redtail told him to hide. Redtail was fighting with a RiverClan warrior named Stonefur. Oakheart showed up and pulled Redtail off Stonefur, saying no ThunderClan cat would ever harm Stonefur.

Redtail flew at Oakheart, knocking him under a rocky overhang, and the rocks fell on both of them. Ravenpaw saw Oakheart's tail sticking out from the rocks, but Tigerclaw told him to go back to camp. He crept back to see if Redtail was okay and saw all the RiverClan warriors had fled, and saw Redtail run right into a waiting Tigerclaw, who pinned him down and killed him.

Fireheart says if they can prove the rockfall story, they can show that Tigerclaw was lying. Graystripe is skeptical, but Fireheart says Bluestar didn't believe him about Ravenpaw's story before because they didn't know about the rockfall part. They thank Ravenpaw and leave. On the way back, they meet three WindClan warriors, who are friendly, but Fireheart is still worried about Bluestar finding out where they were. They try hunting on their way back but find nothing. Tigerclaw is waiting for them when they return.

Chapter three, Tigerclaw asks where Fireheart and Graystripe have been, but doesn't believe the hunting story because he can smell that they've eaten. He takes some Bluestar, and they tell her they ate to get some energy for hunting but couldn't find anything after. She's disappointed and scolds them both because the leafbare is hard for the clan. Afterwards, Tigerclaw and Fireheart have another standoff, but Graystripe holds Fireheart back.

They go to rest in the den. Fireheart says he'll tell Sandstorm what happened later, and he falls asleep next to her. Fireheart has a dream about Spottedleaf, who shows him an unfamiliar landscape full of water. She tells him, "water can quench fire." Thanks, Spottedleaf. Graystripe wakes him up and says it's time to go hunting. Fireheart is distracted, wondering if Spottedleaf's prophecy means that ThunderClan is doomed. That's the end of our reading.

JULIAN: This is out of order, but I would love if Spottedleaf would be a little bit less cryptic.

PAZ: She is so cryptic. It just went all the way into like the common sense.

LIZ: It's like, is she like ghost Smokey the Bear now? Like in favor of controlled natural... Well, those are two different things. Like the kind of forest burning that's like to get rid of the dead like growth.

JULIAN: Oh, like a controlled burn?

LIZ: Mm-hmm. But also like, it's still fire. You do need to put it out, cats, somehow.

PAZ: Spottedleaf voice, only you can prevent forest fires.

JULIAN: Spottedleaf's forestry management tips.

PAZ: It's so funny.

JULIAN: I just like... yeah, water can quench fire. What the fuck does that mean?

LIZ: It means what it means.

PAZ: She's just giving Fireheart the crash course on being a firefighter. This is his training.

JULIAN: Oh, I am now imagining cats in little firefighter outfits.

PAZ: That's very good.

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: The little hats.

LIZ: It's the introduction of the new job, the one new job they get every 100 years.

PAZ: Oh shit.

JULIAN: I also had another note about a new job that they could come up with, which is, well, it's really difficult for them with leafbare right now. But what if they farmed some mice? What if they had a little mouse farm? I think that would be really good for them.

PAZ: Oh, you mean they like develop, like animal husbandry?

JULIAN: Mm-hmm.

LIZ: Wow.

JULIAN: I think that would be a real solution to their problems.

PAZ: Yeah, for real.

JULIAN: And another job.

LIZ: Do you think the mice that they farm will develop their own little dystopian YA society?

PAZ: We talked about this before.

LIZ: Yes, I think so, actually.

PAZ: We 100% talked about this before.

JULIAN: Oh God. Then we have to worry about like that the cats are eating sentient creatures.

LIZ: The hero of the story is called Leafnibble.

JULIAN: Aw.

LIZ: And they have to escape from the Pit, run by the Hissers or something.

PAZ: This just sounds like a Fallout game.

LIZ: Leafnibble?

PAZ: No, the Pit part. The Hissers. That's great. You should copyright that, though.

LIZ: All right. To all the people listening to this podcast, don't fucking tell anyone.

PAZ: Well, I guess... should we go back to the beginning? Where we have this beautiful prologue with two cats we don't fuck-- I guess we know Oakheart. He's dead though. So we don't really know him.

LIZ: Nah.

JULIAN: We know of him.

PAZ: So I mean, obviously, this is not current-- unless he's not dead. But I don't think so because he was crushed by rocks. Or was-- he was the one crushed by rocks, right?

JULIAN: He was the one crushed by rocks.

PAZ: It was Oakheart crushed by rocks. Tigerclaw kills Redtail.

JULIAN: Yeah, I don't know. I'm with Graypool about this. If a dude showed up and was like, don't ask where these babies came from. I found them in the woods. I would ask some more questions.

PAZ: Oakheart was ahead of the trend of kit stealing is probably what she's thinking.

LIZ: Oh my god, this is where it came from.

PAZ: You can't just do that, bro. There's a lot of like, cats losing kittens and adopting more happening. With child death.

JULIAN: Yeah, a lot of like, parenthood trauma. I'm sure that these kits will never show up again, though.

PAZ: No. Why-- just an unrelated prologue.

LIZ: I think it's very funny that the line used every time now is, well, you've recently lost a child. Would you like another one?

PAZ: Exactly.

LIZ: Like it was very sad the first time it happened, with Cloudkit. But now it's just, oh, is this-- I guess it makes sense when you're a cat who's a stray. And there's just like a high infant mortality. Right?

PAZ: Yes. Oh, it's always high.

LIZ: Just yeah.

JULIAN: Don't worry. It's some replacement babies.

PAZ: Good thing that Oakheart found some.

JULIAN: Yeah, just out in the woods.

PAZ: Out in ThunderClan woods, apparently. I don't know, I don't really have much else I can say about the prologue at this point to preserve the secrecy for Liz. So I'll just say, wow.

LIZ: I have guesses, listen.

PAZ: Oh yeah? What are they?

JULIAN: What are your guesses?

LIZ: I think it's a very sensible guess. I don't know if I should say it.

JULIAN: No, I want to hear it.

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: So my guess is that Oakheart and Bluestar had a little thing, and then those are her kits, right?

PAZ: Mm.

JULIAN: Ooh.

LIZ: Yeah.

PAZ: Why do you say that?

LIZ: Because I think in the next chapter, someone mentions that Bluestar lost her kits.

[laughter]

Now, I did go get--

JULIAN: The law of conservation of kits.

LIZ: I did go and get my degree in literature. And I've read a book or two. It took some training, but I think this is what they call foreshadowing.

PAZ: Oh, I've never heard of that.

LIZ: It's very subtle.

JULIAN: Chekhov's kits.

PAZ: Well, we'll see if your literature degree pays off.

LIZ: Also, is one of her sons Stonefur because that's also a gray cat, from what it sounds like?

PAZ: I don't know.

JULIAN: Only time will tell.

LIZ: Well, maybe Bluestar's like literally blue, and they just never mentioned it.

PAZ: I don't know. I always envisioned her as like a Russian blue cat. That might be completely wrong, but.

JULIAN: Same. You know, that common coat color among cats in the wild?

PAZ: Listen. Yellowfang-- once again, Yellowfang is a Persian cat.

LIZ: Yellowfang's fucking a pedigree show cat. She has escaped from a beauty contest.

JULIAN: How does she keep like-- Persians are so hard to groom.

PAZ: I know.

LIZ: Her secret is that every summer she goes to like, I don't know, the vet and just gets shaved and comes back.

JULIAN: She sneaks off to Twolegplace to get a lion cut.

LIZ: Fireheart voice, oh Yellowfang, what happened to you? She's just like, Oh, I shed a lot. This is a special medicine cat fashion of shedding. We know how.

JULIAN: StarClan took my fur.

LIZ: StarClan took my fur and wove a smaller kitten out of it. And that's where they come from, Fireheart.

PAZ: Oh. Fireheart nodding in understanding.

JULIAN: Chapter one is a doozy. There's a lot that happens.

PAZ: Yeah, once again, we get a lovely recap of the previous book, right at the top. Oh, my God, I was looking at Goodreads reviews. And someone was really upset that the books do that. They were like, who would ever read these out of order. It's so stupid.

LIZ: Children.

JULIAN: I mean, they came out-- yeah, children. And also like, when they came out, it had been like six months to a year since the last one had come out.

PAZ: Exactly. Oh my god.

JULIAN: And children are not known for remembering every plot detail.

LIZ: Nope.

PAZ: I was a child who read these books out of order because I just started on the second series.

JULIAN: I think I also might have read them a little bit out of order because like they weren't always available at the library all in order.

LIZ: Yeah, exactly.

JULIAN: I was gonna read what I could get.

PAZ: Different times, I guess.

JULIAN: We didn't have Overdrive back in the day. Back in the olden times, we had to wait for Harry down the street to bring the book back to the library.

PAZ: Fucking Harry.

LIZ: You think it's hard waiting on Libby for two weeks? You didn't have to wait for your best friend to finish your book and give it back. Ugh. Did you ever do the thing--

JULIAN: Bring it back covered in Cheeto dust.

PAZ: Were you gonna say something, Liz?

LIZ: Orange like Fireheart. That's not what I was gonna say. I was gonna ask if you ever did the horrible thing of like, okay, I've returned this book, and you go immediately to the librarian, like, can I renew this?

PAZ: Yeah, I probably did.

JULIAN: Yeah, I definitely did that. Well, I didn't do it that often because I was such a fast reader that I would like--

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: Oh, that is true.

JULIAN: My family literally got library cards for us as soon as we were born because the like older kids--

LIZ: Aw.

JULIAN: Well, the older kids were checking out so many books that we needed, like the 20 book limit per card.

PAZ: Oh my god.

LIZ: Aw. So cute.

PAZ: Incredible. We were really bad at returning library books. We had lots of fines.

JULIAN: Oh, no.

PAZ: It's okay.

LIZ: I used my mom's library card for such a long time. And then by the time I had to get my own, I was a teen, and it was like a very serious process. I remember getting it at the library, and my dad had to be there with his driver's license or something. I don't know why. And then I ended up not using that one for many years because eventually, a book was overdue. And I just like, I couldn't face-- I couldn't face consequences.

PAZ: That's exactly what happened.

LIZ: The consequences was that they just let you forget about it and you can keep using the same library card as an adult.

JULIAN: I know a lot of libraries are starting to either do loan forgiveness entirely or like for kid cards, they don't do fines, which I think is a good strategy because kids are, you know, they're doing their best. Oh, Chickpea wants my chips.

PAZ: It's like, you can only really-- unless you live like, in walking distance of a library, you can only get to the library if like, your parents can take you.

LIZ: And kids are kids. Like they're gonna borrow, let's say, some random book about Thanksgiving for some reason. And when they are, let's say in their 20s, they're gonna find it in another pile of books in their house.

JULIAN: Oh no.

LIZ: And have a horrible sinking feeling.

PAZ: This is all hypothetical, right?

LIZ: Hypothetically.

PAZ: Anyway, back to chapter one.

JULIAN: Back to chapter one.

PAZ: I don't know. Tigerclaw's just all up in Fireheart's business immediately.

JULIAN: Confrontation right off the bat. After a fairly non-confrontational last book, Tigerclaw is done. He's tired of being nice. And he's going to be apeshit.

PAZ: Well, he did try to like directly murder Fireheart.

JULIAN: That is true.

PAZ: He's probably a little pissed that didn't work. So he's like, I need to make this happen sooner.

LIZ: He wasn't anticipating Fireheart to be so good at flipping other cats.

JULIAN: He didn't expect the protagonist halo.

LIZ: No, no, no.

PAZ: No. That's gonna be your downfall, Tigerclaw, you fool.

LIZ: Did you miss all the times they talked about how like, beautiful and orange colored his hair is? And how his love interest is also a different shade of orange?

JULIAN: They match.

LIZ: Yeah, that's protagonist stuff.

PAZ: Wait, I thought Sandstorm was just like light yellow.

LIZ: No, she's like a light orange.

PAZ: You sure about that?

LIZ: Yes. Which I think shouldn't be, because sand is not orange.

PAZ: I am looking. Sandstorm.

LIZ: She should be like a tan cat cause that's the color of sand.

JULIAN: Yep, pale ginger she-cat.

PAZ: What?

JULIAN: Barely visible stripe of darker fur. I always assumed she was like, just sort of light brown.

LIZ: Brown. Right?

PAZ: Right? Oh my god. I've been doing wrong for half my life.

JULIAN: I thought she was one of those cats that's like kind of a light brown and then has like--

PAZ: That's what she looks like. Hold on.

JULIAN: --a darker muzzle. Yeah, this is--

PAZ: I don't think this is light orange. This official art?

JULIAN: Yeah, that just looks like shading.

PAZ: That's just a tan cat.

LIZ: I think she's tan.

PAZ: Let me find a picture.

LIZ: I just remember like the little description saying she was orange, because I thought, well, that's bullshit.

JULIAN: Well, here she is on the Rising Storm cover, and she looks basically like Tigerclaw-- or like Fireheart. This is bananas. Okay, I'm sorry. I have to kick Chickpea out. Chickpea, you can't be on the desk while I'm recording. You cannot mess up the microphone setup. This is so delicate. Chickpea, come here. C'mere. Yep. C'mere. Nope, get.

LIZ: Oh my god, there's a fuckin plane flying over my house.

[door shuts]

PAZ: Everything's out to sabotage us.

LIZ: I hate-- no more noises. No more.

JULIAN: Sorry. She was being great. And then she woke up.

PAZ: I don't-- the old art, she looks like a tan cat to me, and that's--

LIZ: She just looks like a little mountain lion in this one.

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: I don't think she should be orange.

JULIAN: Oh wait. Please look at this art in which she has eye makeup from one of the--

PAZ: Oh my god.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: One of the--

PAZ: No!

LIZ: Noooo.

JULIAN: --graphic novels.

PAZ: She has like shiny eyeshadow.

LIZ: Why does she have highlighter?

JULIAN: Like the sexy cartoon, like woman coding. She has like the purple eyeshadow.

PAZ: I'm losing it.

LIZ: Why? She's got those 2000s like thin eyebrows, too, to match.

PAZ: Yeah, oh my god. This is the most unappealing cat design I've ever seen.

JULIAN: She also-- oh my god. It makes her-- she also has eye bags, somehow.

PAZ: Yeah, I don't-- what's going on?

JULIAN: What's happening?

LIZ: Maybe they're supposed to be like stripes.

PAZ: Maybe this is like her as like an older cat?

JULIAN: Has this artist ever seen a cat?

PAZ: No, absolutely.

LIZ: No.

PAZ: The Warriors manga artist has never seen a cat, and that is fact. Okay, I'm looking in the-- I'm on the Warriors wiki, beloved by all. I'm in the alternate images section for Sandstorm. There are so many different color versions of her. There's like a tan one, which I think is right. And then there's a ginger one. Then there's this one's that's just dark brown. And then there's one that's like, tan and brown stripes. And then there's one that's white. Nobody can agree.

JULIAN: Wait, there's one that's white? Where's the white one?

PAZ: Yes.

LIZ: Maybe like the white sands of some famous beach.

JULIAN: Here is her official art from Code of the Clans. And that's just a cat.

LIZ: That's just a cat.

PAZ: Okay, I am sending you a picture of her and Fireheart. She's definitely not ginger. This is official art from the cover.

JULIAN: Yeah, that's the one that I was talking about that's on the cover of Rising Storm, and it's like--

PAZ: She's just brown.

JULIAN: She's just brown.

PAZ: That's what I always pictured her as.

LIZ: Yeah, ginger doesn't make sense. That's not--

PAZ: No, it doesn't.

LIZ: I mean, is it-- do the cats, like in their gathering of like, you know, medicine stuff, do they use ginger? Because real ginger on the outside is kind of a light tan.

PAZ: I'm very heated about this. She's not ginger. She's tan.

LIZ: She's tan. She's not orange-ginger, like a redheaded human. She's ginger like, the outside of the ginger roots.

JULIAN: Is this like a British like color differentiation?

PAZ: Oh, maybe.

JULIAN: Like how like red and orange are a little bit weird. You know, it's like a red breasted robin or whatever. Because orange as a color didn't exist.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: I'll just-- I will blame it on British people. I'm saying yes.

LIZ: Look at her little icon.

PAZ: That's tan though.

LIZ: It is tan. I prefer tan also, because otherwise it's doing like the very, like, straight cartoon thing where the couple has to look kind of like each other, just like different cisgenders. You know what I mean?

JULIAN: If she's just like a palette swap version of him, that's no good.

LIZ: I don't-- no.

PAZ: She isn't though. I think the art, the official art disproves this.

JULIAN: Yeah. I don't accept this description.

LIZ: She's the color of sand.

PAZ: I've gotten so-- what were we talking about? Tigerclaw? I got so sidetracked by this.

JULIAN: We were talking about... yeah, we were talking about the confrontation with Tigerclaw. And how Tigerclaw doesn't recognize that Fireheart has a protagonist halo.

PAZ: Yeah.

LIZ: Right.

JULIAN: It is really sweet that after that Graystripe is like you fought with Tigerclaw over me? It's like yeah, buddy, where have you been?

PAZ: Okay. I-- sorry. I'm putting another ding against Graystripe. His only concern re: Tigerclaw is that he could break up his romance with Silverstream. That is literally like how Fireheart convinces him to help. I'm so done with Graystripe. He doesn't care-- once again, he doesn't care that Tigerclaw's murdered people. He already said I don't care in the last book.

LIZ: And he knows that he did.

PAZ: The only reason he cares now is because he's like I don't want Tigerclaw to break me up with my gf.

JULIAN: Well, and I also like-- I'm like Fireheart, come on. Fireheart's like, oh, the problem's always been Tigerclaw.

PAZ: No.

JULIAN: And it's like, no, the problem-- like Tigerclaw is right here. The problem is Graystripe. Tigerclaw is being a mustache twirling villain about it, but he's not wrong.

PAZ: Yeah, I mean, he is not wrong that Fireheart did let a cat go.

LIZ: We are setting ourselves up for some division. We've already been called out for being Tigerclaw apologists.

PAZ: And what if we are? And what of it? Hashtag Tigerclaw was right.

LIZ: No!

PAZ: If you agree, tweet it.

LIZ: Controversial.

JULIAN: Paz trying to get our podcast canceled.

LIZ: Someone's gonna reply to us with a picture of the cat. Tigerclaw, this cat is a war criminal.

PAZ: Yeah, but Graystripe sucks.

LIZ: He does suck.

JULIAN: He does.

LIZ: I wish Fireheart wasn't unrequitedly in love with him.

PAZ: Yeah, Fireheart, bro, you deserve better.

JULIAN: You do.

PAZ: Onewhisker's right there.

JULIAN: Onewhisker's right there. Fucking Ravenpaw was right there.

PAZ: Yeah, I'm sure Ravenpaw and Barley would let you join in. They're chill.

JULIAN: Sandstorm is right there.

PAZ: Yeah. Sandstorm is so much better than Graystripe.

LIZ: She is great. And the color of natural ginger.

PAZ: Yeah, hold on. I'm just trying to--

LIZ: Find pictures of sand?

PAZ: Where Graystripe just like-- he's just like-- Fireheart's like, "'I don't trust them,' he murmured, flicking his ears in the direction of Tigerclaw and the others. 'I don't blame you,' meowed Graystripe. 'If Tigerclaw ever found out about Silverstream...'" That's all he has to say.

JULIAN: That's your concern, buddy?

LIZ: What about like, what if Tigerclaw kills your best friend?

PAZ: Nope.

LIZ: Also, underrated moment where they apparently used their little ears to point. I think that's very cute.

PAZ: Aw.

JULIAN: Yeah, there's a lot of like, you know, like cuddling and physical touch in these chapters, which I really like.

PAZ: They're little cats.

JULIAN: That's how cats show affection. They cuddle.

LIZ: They're little guys. Like fuck Graystripe, but.

PAZ: Yeah, I mean, that scene's basically like Graystripe being stupid. But Fireheart being like, we gotta go see Ravenpaw again.

LIZ: Do you think Tigerclaw takes a pet like no problem?

PAZ: No.

JULIAN: He takes a pet many problems.

PAZ: Yeah. You have to wear like falconing gloves if you try and pet him.

JULIAN: I think he's kind of a Chickpea style, where he takes like one pet and then he bites you.

LIZ: Tigerclaw looks exactly like Chickpea. No different.

JULIAN: I may have-- I might have adopted Tigerclaw into my home. I might be living with Tigerclaw.

PAZ: Ah, that's a great new sitcom.

LIZ: Chickenclaw.

PAZ: Chickenclaw. Should we move on to the gathering, though?

LIZ: Yes.

JULIAN: Yeah. I was a little worried when Tigerclaw and Onewhisker were talking at the gathering.

PAZ: Oh my god, I know.

JULIAN: Like uh-oh, what's being set up here?

PAZ: Better not be spreading rumors.

LIZ: He absolutely is. This is the part in the marriage of convenience political AU where he takes the new ambassador aside and is like, oh, it's so sad that you, our fine ambassador from the clan who is also not as good as ours, that you have to be married to the most shameful member of our clan. But you don't even know why. And then he walks away.

JULIAN: Perfect. Excellent. Sowing the seeds of distrust between the husbands.

PAZ: I do want to say Tigerclaw so far in this book has switched from being mean teacher to like queen bee mean girl character.

LIZ: His range.

PAZ: Who's just trying to turn the school against Fireheart and stop Fireheart from becoming prom queen.

JULIAN: Which everyone knows he deserves.

PAZ: Yeah. I did like at the gathering that we get to hear conversation between all the old cats.

LIZ: Yeah, I loved that.

PAZ: It's very cute. They're just like, back in my day, it was colder. All these kids these days.

LIZ: Fireheart gets called a soft millennial.

JULIAN: Well, and then Fireheart is like no, we're strong now, and it's like, shut up.

PAZ: I love that all the old cats are like just friends regardless of clans. They don't-- they're too old for this shit.

JULIAN: Yeah, it's really good.

LIZ: I'm just imagining a whole bunch of like elderly cats, the way they-- you know, elderly cats look, just like, huddled together.

PAZ: Exactly.

LIZ: And like meowing, because that's how they gossip.

JULIAN: With their fur all crispy.

LIZ: Some of them are just toothless.

JULIAN: Yeah.

PAZ: Aw.

JULIAN: They're just little guys.

LIZ: They are.

PAZ: I'm not really sure what else happened at the gathering, besides everyone being like, we're fine after the fight. It was sort of uneventful.

JULIAN: It is kind of sweet how Sandstorm is like, where y'all going? Can I come?

PAZ: Yeah. I hope she gets to come next time.

JULIAN: Me too. I want her to meet Ravenpaw.

PAZ: Graystripe disappears again to go be with Silverstream. I guess that also happens, of course.

JULIAN: Yeah. Shocker.

PAZ: Shocker.

LIZ: Let's have a forbidden romance meetup in the middle of literally every single clan being here. That's really smart.

PAZ: I just can't. I can't with Graystripe.

LIZ: If he was gay, it would be valid. But he's not. He's very straight. So he isn't.

PAZ: Yeah. The straight energies he has right now are-- they're powerful. And I hope he gets better soon.

JULIAN: Yeah, I would feel much differently about this if Graystripe was like a lesbian fuckboi.

PAZ: Oh, I'd be rooting for Graystripe.

JULIAN: I'd be rooting for them. But he's not. He's a guy fuckboy. And that's just not as fun a flavor.

PAZ: Just no good.

LIZ: No. I think that's everything that happens, right?

PAZ: Yeah. Then we go on to the much better friend--

LIZ: Oh, wait, wait.

PAZ: Oh, what?

LIZ: Yeah, sorry. Just to, in class discussion voice, backtrack a bit. We have to mention Bluestar losing her kits. That's--

JULIAN: Oh yes.

LIZ: I joked about it. Like not joked about it, but I did mention it before. But that's a big point here.

PAZ: Yeah, it's part of what the old cats are talking about.

LIZ: Yeah. It's not like news, but it is a reminder from the authors because they probably mentioned it like in book one or something.

PAZ: I don't think they did. I think this might be the first we hear about it.

LIZ: No?

JULIAN: I think this is the first time, yeah. The first time we hear about her having had kits.

LIZ: Oh, okay then.

JULIAN: Which yeah, that's a pretty big plot point.

LIZ: Definitely not leading anywhere.

JULIAN: Bluestar's tragic backstory, unlocked.

LIZ: We gave her enough little gifts of her favorite thing. Sardines.

PAZ: Should we... chapter two, with Ravenpaw.

JULIAN: With Ravenpaw!

PAZ: Yay.

JULIAN: I was so excited when they started setting up that we were going to get to see Ravenpaw again.

PAZ: He comes back so much more than I would have thought. Which I am not complaining about.

LIZ: No.

JULIAN: There is a moment where Fireheart is like, oh, Ravenpaw looks so like well fed and sleek.

PAZ: I know.

JULIAN: I must look like shit. It's like yeah, buddy, you probably do.

PAZ: Yeah, maybe rethink that living out in the forest thing.

LIZ: Yep. Lots of barns probably around this country like area. Lots of cats needed. There's always gonna be mice there.

PAZ: Ravenpaw and Barley are just living the life. There's so many mice. And they're all really fat, apparently. Like well-fed, as Fireheart lovingly describes.

JULIAN: I don't like that Graystripe is like, well, Ravenpaw changed his story, so he might be lying.

LIZ: No.

JULIAN: And it's like, what the fuck?

PAZ: Another point in the Graystripe sucks column. He's so insensitive.

LIZ: Why? Why is he doubting so much?

PAZ: Yeah, I think he was doubting Ravenpaw last book too. I don't-- what's your fucking deal, Graystripe?

LIZ: Like, I don't-- oh, sorry. Go ahead.

JULIAN: No, maybe just because he's lying so much all the time that he's like, well, everyone else must be also lying.

LIZ: He's like, oh, this must be normal.

PAZ: Yeah, that's how he's like justifying it to himself.

LIZ: It's because it's not like-- he didn't have any antagonism towards Ravenpaw.

JULIAN: They were friends!

LIZ: He has no reason to think he's lying. Like Ravenpaw never lied to him personally or anything.

JULIAN: And it's like, this is the hill you're going to die on? Is that Ravenpaw must be lying and thus Tigerclaw must be telling the truth? That's what you think?

LIZ: And he's also afraid of Tigerclaw. He knows that Tigerclaw's like evil.

PAZ: No, but he doesn't-- he still is not concerned that Tigerclaw has murdered people, because apparently he's not convinced on that. He only cares about Tigerclaw now because Tigerclaw might ground him and say no more dating the girl across the street. Sorry if anyone likes Graystripe. He's just--

JULIAN: Yeah, sorry to our listeners.

PAZ: His crimes, they keep coming.

JULIAN: We had a brief moment of turnaround with Bri's question, where Bri was like, well, you know, he's dating this cool lady cat.

LIZ: I think she could do better.

PAZ: She could.

JULIAN: I think she could too.

PAZ: Yeah, so the Ravenpaw stuff is very sad, because he's still like, traumatized from it, recounting his story. And I think Fireheart is nice about it, as opposed to Graystripe. At least Fireheart has some sensitivity here.

JULIAN: He does a lot of like, is there anything else you can tell us? Like sort of like gentle prodding, instead of like, Graystripe's like, I don't think any of this helps at all. Like fuck off.

LIZ: You come to my gay barn. You eat my dinner that I lovingly farmed. How dare you. Get out of my barn. Don't let the cows kick you on the way back.

PAZ: Yeah, there's like a line like-- there's like, "'what's next?' Fireheart prompted gently." And then, "'please go on,' Fireheart mewed. He hated putting Ravenpaw through this, but he had to know the truth."

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: Meanwhile, Graystripe just...

JULIAN: I don't know why he's in such a bad mood. Like, no one asked you to come. I mean, Fireheart probably did, but.

PAZ: Sandstorm would have been much better companion here.

LIZ: Yeah, wait, wait. No one asked him to come, and he said he would come, right? Wasn't that the whole thing?

JULIAN: Oh, yeah, he's like-- something about like this concerns us both, or like--

LIZ: Invites himself.

JULIAN: I want to support you or something.

PAZ: Yeah, basically.

LIZ: Invites himself on the trip. Eats your dinner. Is mean to you. Terrible.

PAZ: Aw.

LIZ: Also, I think he's like-- oh.

PAZ: Sorry. I'm just looking back. They all share tongues after that, at least.

JULIAN: Aw.

LIZ: [grumpily] Okay. They are just little guys. I'm never gonna be mad for that long.

PAZ: Poor Fireheart, with his optimism that Bluestar will believe him now.

JULIAN: I know. He's so just like, yeah, it'll be fine. It's gonna be good.

PAZ: Fireheart, the criminal justice system, it won't serve you.

LIZ: Unfortunately, your mom is just the president (derogatory).

JULIAN: Sorry, Fireheart, your mom is a girl boss. She's not gonna listen to you.

PAZ: It's terminal.

LIZ: I know my vice president keeps trying to kill children under my care, but he does agree with all my policies.

PAZ: I guess Graystripe might have a single use in this book, in finding out if Oakheart did die to a rockfall, but I have doubts on his ability to get that info.

JULIAN: Also, I do think it was kind of stupid of them not to bring any mice back.

PAZ: Well, their reasoning was like the mice would be like, too well fed, It would be suspicious, which I think is fair.

JULIAN: That is fair. But I feel like it's better to come back with too like, well fed mice than no mice at all.

PAZ: Yeah, maybe.

JULIAN: Optics-wise.

PAZ: But then the question would be like, where did you get these, as opposed to like, why didn't you bring any back?

JULIAN: That's true. Damn.

LIZ: I'm not saying they shouldn't have eaten, but.

PAZ: Yeah, I mean, Fireheart says they forgot to wash the scent off them, so I think they could have. They just--

JULIAN: They just weren't thinking.

LIZ: Sometimes you're hungry. Especially if you're just a stray cat.

JULIAN: They probably weren't thinking super well because they were hungry. Maybe that's why they make so many dumb decisions is they're all like, you know.

PAZ: That's super true.

JULIAN: I do dumb shit all the time when I'm like haven't eaten yet.

LIZ: Everyone's just hangry.

JULIAN: Yeah.

PAZ: That makes so much sense.

JULIAN: They're all-- or like, you know, you just get really stupid sometimes when you haven't eaten.

PAZ: We do see WindClan on the way back.

JULIAN: We do.

PAZ: They're very nice.

JULIAN: They're very sweet. I did not think they would be so chill about Fireheart.

PAZ: They're the chillest clan. That's just true.

JULIAN: Like Fireheart is like, oh no, we got caught on their territory. They're gonna be mad. And they're just like, hey, what's up?

PAZ: They're like hey, you rule. Thanks for helping us. Bye.

LIZ: And you know this would not be the same if they went on ThunderClan territory.

PAZ: Oh, no.

JULIAN: No.

PAZ: No, because everyone is so mean to WindClan.

LIZ: For no reason. I mean, for shitty reasons. They're very well adjusted. They're just like--

PAZ: They really are.

LIZ: Yeah. This is what happens when you don't have evil Tiger-- I don't really know where I'm going with this actually.

JULIAN: This is what happens when you have gay leadership.

PAZ: Yeah. Exactly.

JULIAN: My mind immediately made a Tallstar-Mayor Pete comparison, which we cannot do.

PAZ: No, please. Do not. Do not smear his name like that.

JULIAN: I'm so sorry. Oh, chapter three.

PAZ: Yeah, what happens? I guess just, um, Tigerclaw calling them out.

JULIAN: Which, like, you know, it does look real bad.

LIZ: Yeah, it does.

PAZ: Yeah, once again, he's not wrong.

LIZ: No.

PAZ: But he probably also knows that they're trying to get dirt on him. He probably senses it. So he is wrong in that sense. Does Bluestar know Ravenpaw's alive? I forget. I feel like--

LIZ: She does.

PAZ: Yeah, yeah. Fireheart told her. Hopefully she didn't tell Tigerclaw that.

JULIAN: Woof.

LIZ: No.

PAZ: I feel like he would have done something by now. I don't know.

JULIAN: Yeah, I think he would have. So clearly she doesn't trust him completely.

LIZ: Yeah, I'm just imagining like the farmer who lives on the farm where Barley and Ravenclaw live is just like, why is this mean cat just hanging around suddenly? Found this mean cat in my chicken coop?

PAZ: Do you think they get pets from the farmer? I hope they do.

LIZ: Yes. Maybe.

JULIAN: I hope so. Although I don't know. A lot of times, barn cats, you can't really pet them.

PAZ: Maybe one pet.

LIZ: Maybe Barley? I think Ravenclaw's-- sorry, fuck. Damn it!

PAZ: You've done that so many times.

LIZ: We need to bleep that out. That is bad language. Ravenpaw is-- listen, it's very-- unfortunately it goes right into the Warrior Cats style of naming things. That's probably--

JULIAN: It does.

LIZ: It's a possibility of something he could have become if he stayed a warrior.

JULIAN: Like it is a valid Warrior Cats name. Ugh. The next--

LIZ: Okay. Ravenpaw's probably too skittish is what I was trying to say.

JULIAN: It is also like, there's-- like at the end of their confrontation-- or like, Bluestar takes them aside and is like, don't do this again. You have to go on a hunting patrol. And Graystripe-- or Tigerclaw is like, if I were clan leader, I'd have punished you properly. Which like, whatever. Fuck off. And then like calls Fireheart a kittypet and threatens him by being like, I saw you at the WindClan battle. And then Graystripe is like don't wind Tigerclaw up anymore. And it's like, he's not whining Tigerclaw up. Tigerclaw is just cat racist to him.

PAZ: Tigerclaw already tried to murder him. There's not much more wound up he can get.

JULIAN: Like Fireheart isn't even like saying anything back. Have your friend's back for once in your life.

PAZ: Yeah, he said something like the scene in chapter one. But this one, he just, he doesn't say anything back. He like hisses a little bit. And then Fireheart is, "I didn't ask for him to hate me."

JULIAN: Yeah. Aw.

LIZ: That's very sad, actually.

JULIAN: God.

PAZ: So yeah, the Sandstorm scene was cute. And it's also very funny that Dustpelt is extremely jealous, and Fireheart is like, I do not have the energy to care. Good night. Then there's a dream, with the wonderful prophecy, as we talked about.

JULIAN: Yep. We do have another mention of Spottedleaf's sweet scent.

LIZ: Oh my God. He's not like this with Sandstorm.

JULIAN: "Spottedleaf's sweet scent filled the air around him. Her voice sounded close to his ear. 'Remember, Fireheart,' she murmured. 'Water can quench fire.'" Like okay. Where is this energy coming from?

PAZ: There's also, "Fireheart bounded after her, admiring the dapple of moonlight on her fur."

JULIAN: The fuck?

LIZ: What? At least it's her fur and not her smell again. She is like-- it sounds like she's like a tortoise shell, right?

JULIAN: Yeah.

LIZ: That kind of makes sense.

PAZ: I guess. He's admiring it, though.

JULIAN: This is why I had a crush on Spottedleaf as a kid.

PAZ: It's so funny.

LIZ: Oh, they also do touch noses, which with cats is very cute.

PAZ: Yeah, her nose is described as "her soft pink nose."

LIZ: I don't know if I like that.

JULIAN: Every time.

PAZ: It's so funny. It feels like a bit but I know it's not.

LIZ: Why does only Spottedleaf get to be the sexy cat?

PAZ: It's so noticeable because she's the only one.

LIZ: It's very weird.

JULIAN: Wait, okay, I want to know if Spottedleaf has eyeshadow.

PAZ: Oh, please go look.

LIZ: Someone's done that.

JULIAN: I don't know if she ever shows up in the graphic novels though.

PAZ: She has to be there for at least a little bit.

LIZ: Like a dream sequence, too, maybe? Again--

JULIAN: All right.

LIZ: Pink nose. Very cute on a cat. Love it.

JULIAN: Official art-- she does not have any eyeshadow.

PAZ: No!

LIZ: Oh.

JULIAN: She actually does not look even particularly sexy.

PAZ: This is inaccurate.

JULIAN: Her eyes are drawn as like fully black, like black sclera, with little white dots and it's kind of terrifying.

PAZ: Okay, maybe that's on-- maybe she got possessed by a demon. She does have like that--

JULIAN: That might be when she's in StarClan.

PAZ: She does have-- that's kind of scary. She does have big old eyelashes in this other one, though.

JULIAN: Oh, yeah, she does.

PAZ: Yeah, but I can't-- what? I think Spottedleaf should have the sexy eyeshadow more than Sandstorm.

JULIAN: Um, I'm posting an image from presumably the cover of one of the, like one of the clan guides or whatever, where it's a picture of Spottedleaf, I guess with the rest of StarClan and her-- she's so round. She's perfectly round.

PAZ: Oh my gosh. Oh, that's a perfect cat.

LIZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: She looks exactly like some of the cat pillows that Liz was showing me earlier, that are just shaved like little bop-its.

LIZ: Look at her little pink nose.

PAZ: Oh, she's so cute.

JULIAN: There's her soft pink nose.

PAZ: It's very cute there.

LIZ: Yeah. She's also just a little guy.

PAZ: Sorry, sorry. Hold on. Sorry. I--

LIZ: Uh-oh.

PAZ: I was just looking. I was just looking through Google Images.

LIZ: Uh-oh.

PAZ: Just to see what's out there.

JULIAN: Uh-oh.

PAZ: Cinderpelt vs Spottedleaf, Epic Rap Battles of Warriors Number 6.

JULIAN: Number 6?!

LIZ: What? What would they rap about?

PAZ: I don't know. I'm so scared. I can't hit play.

JULIAN: As soon as I searched Cinderpaw-- Cinderpelt vs Spottedleaf, I got lyrics.

PAZ: Oh, can you recite them please?

LIZ: Oh my good--

JULIAN: Yeah, here they are listed on Smule, for karaoke. I cannot read these aloud.

LIZ: Oh no.

JULIAN: No, I guess I have to. I am not going to rap them though.

PAZ: No.

JULIAN: "Sit yourself down and prepare to be schooled. Don't think for a second you can play me as the fool. I can say with certainty your jealousy is showing because Spotty, when you're dead and gone, the world keeps on going."

LIZ: What? They--

JULIAN: Spottedleaf. "You've been blessed with my presence since the very beginning. I've graced every dream you've had the privilege of seeing. There's no competition when it comes to you and me. But what can I say? I'm just the queen of prophecies."

LIZ: Have they met?

JULIAN: Apparently in the Epic Rap Battles of Warriors, they have.

PAZ: I don't think there's a rivalry here at all.

LIZ: I think-- I don't--

JULIAN: Oh my god. They're fighting over Fireheart?!

PAZ: What? No.

LIZ: What?

PAZ: That's your dad.

LIZ: One of them's too old for him. The other one is a baby, and it's his dad.

PAZ: Oh, this is such cursed content.

JULIAN: Oh my god. Now it gets ableist.

PAZ: Oh god.

LIZ: Oh no.

JULIAN: Sandstorm appears.

LIZ: Oh. Oh no.

JULIAN: And is apparently ableist in her rap.

LIZ: She wouldn't be.

PAZ: Don't slander her like that.

LIZ: She's very-- she's been nice. Leave her alone. Don't do this to her.

JULIAN: All right. Well, the ending of this is, "whoa, whoa, hold up. Hold up. I'm mortified that we tried to fight over a guy. It might do us some good if we put the hate aside. Yeah, screw the tom. Let's have some girl pride. All together now. She-cats unite."

LIZ: Feminism is over.

PAZ: Oh my god.

JULIAN: Um, yeah. So you can find this on Soundcloud and also YouTube and also just google Cinderpelt vs. Spottedleaf. And you too can hear--

PAZ: Good luck to anyone who actually listens to it.

JULIAN: Yeah, I can't hear this with my human ears.

PAZ: I would die.

LIZ: What year is this from?

JULIAN: 2015.

LIZ: I see.

JULIAN: Or now, not 2015. Sorry. Yep. 2015.

LIZ: Oh, I see.

JULIAN: User Blixemi. This has a million views?!

PAZ: Oh my god.

LIZ: Wow.

PAZ: What?

JULIAN: Yeah, this has 1 million views.

PAZ: This is a subculture I didn't know would be popular on Warrior Cats YouTube.

JULIAN: The most recent one is people I don't know. But two years ago they did Crowfeather versus Ashfur.

PAZ: Oh, you know those guys.

JULIAN: Yeah. Which was 600,000 views.

PAZ: Damn, people aren't bringing the same love to that.

JULIAN: Bringing the same, yeah.

PAZ: See, those are guys who would have an epic rap battle. I agree. That's some characterization right there. I don't even-- what were we talking about? Spottedleaf.

JULIAN: Spottedleaf. Epic rap battle.

PAZ: I couldn't remember how I got there. But yes, her sweet scent. I don't know, that's kind of the end of the reading. Just Fireheart wakes up, and he's like, I don't fucking understand what the hell she was talking about.

JULIAN: Yeah. Me neither, Fireheart.

PAZ: Yeah, me neither. And that's-- I don't know if I have much else to say about the reading. I think we covered a lot of it.

JULIAN: Yeah, I think we did a lot.

PAZ: A lot happened. A lot happened. We're only four chapters in.

JULIAN: Yeah, they were pretty robust chapters.

PAZ: They got a whole journey done in one chapter.

[meow]

If we don't have anything else to add, I thought-- I know we finished Fire and Ice, but I thought we could do a quick revisit to see what the Goodreads reviews have to say for it.

LIZ: Absolutely.

PAZ: I would love to know what the people think. So let me just open that up. So Fire and Ice has a overall rating of 4.38. Pretty good, I guess. I don't know. I don't use Goodreads much.

JULIAN: No, that's pretty good. I feel like most books that are pretty good tend to hover between four and five. Oh, there's also a reader Q&A section.

PAZ: Oh, yes, I was looking at that. Do you want to read that top question?

JULIAN: Yes. "What is your favorite character? Mine was Graystripe." Couldn't be us.

LIZ: 27 answers.

JULIAN: 27 answers, most of which are just a lot of people who say Ravenpaw. They're correct. Oh, here we go. "Bluestar because she's very brave. She trusts Fireheart and she is the wisest leader. I also like Yellowfang because even if she was from another clan, she dedicated the rest of her life to the ThunderClan." Yeah. Someone has commented on this to say, "Bluestar is mine too, but that's because she's flawed. She's not perfect, but that's what makes her a good leader."

LIZ: Hmm. Mm.

JULIAN: You know, debatable.

LIZ: You're allowed to have the take.

PAZ: That's one way to look at it, I guess.

JULIAN: I think someone is trying to get around the swear word filter because they've written "Fireheart: good. Spottedleaf: good. Tigerclaw: beach. Brokentail: beach."

PAZ: Got em. Okay, I'm looking at some reviews. Here's a good one. Alice Cullen rated it five stars over 12 years ago. "This book is the best ever besides Twilight."

LIZ: Aw, what year is this from?

PAZ: Over 12 years ago.

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: So I can't do math. Whenever that was. "Warning, these books are addicting!!!!!" There's like 20 exclamation marks. "Don't pick up this book without having time to read the whole series."

LIZ: I would like to point to a review in the favorite character question. So I guess an answer from someone who has a lot of-- who just says like they can't choose between a lot of characters, but their icon is I think Sans Undertale. The vibes here are pretty, pretty good.

PAZ: Hold on. There is someone RPing in these ratings.

LIZ: Yes!

JULIAN: Yes, yes, yes.

PAZ: Logan, about two years ago. "Warrior Clan group ThunderClan, leader Nightstar, deputy Silverstone."

LIZ: The natural habitat for this.

JULIAN: Y'all, I found a one star reading from Mr. Coomey, teacher. "This book is all about Fireheart, nothing else."

LIZ: Yeah.

PAZ: He's the protagonist.

LIZ: He's the main character!

JULIAN: From October 13, 2012. And then, five years later, Abby H. comments, "He is the main character..."

LIZ: Get 'em, Abby.

PAZ: I don't know. Abby is like, are you sure you're teaching right? Where's your reading comprehension?

JULIAN: Mr. Coomey? We also have a one star review from Irina, who says "come on, people. The spelling and grammar? I spotted over 76 mistakes."

LIZ: That's quite a lot.

PAZ: I don't think I did.

LIZ: I don't think these books are particularly grammatically or spelling-wise that bad.

JULIAN: Yeah, I did not particularly notice.

LIZ: No.

JULIAN: Irina, you have a future as a copy editor, I guess.

LIZ: Wait a second. Wait a second. Wait a second. "Topic. What are your thoughts on Graystripe going against the warrior code and meeting Silverstream?"

PAZ: Oh, what do the people say?

JULIAN: [gasps] Oh.

LIZ: Oh, wait, I'm gonna give you guys the link. "I feel like Graystripe should have known better than to betray his clan and go and meet Silverstream. I was honestly quite upset and mad that he made this decision."

PAZ: Yeah, I agree, Maya.

LIZ: "But I started the third book and I can't wait to see what happens next."

PAZ: Maya from 2015, come onto our podcast, and we want to hear your thoughts and predictions.

LIZ: They seem very complicated. Yeah.

JULIAN: Celeste also.

PAZ: Oh, Maya does give her predictions.

LIZ: Ooh.

JULIAN: Oh?

PAZ: "I have two possible predictions, one that Graystripe and Silverstream will leave both of their clans and live on their own. Two, Graystripe will leave ThunderClan and join RiverClan." Interesting, Maya.

LIZ: Solid predictions.

JULIAN: Celeste also says, "I didn't feel much about it one way or the other with Graystripe's meeting up with Silverstream. Other than that he put a lot of extra burden on his friend Fireheart."

PAZ: True.

JULIAN: "Who was dealing with wondering if Tigerclaw was really as dangerous as Ravenclaw was making him out to be."

LIZ: [muffled] Mm!

JULIAN: "Or that Tigerclaw was just as--"

LIZ: Mm-mm.

JULIAN: "--loyal and dependable as the majority of the clan--"

LIZ: Julian!

JULIAN: [laughing] "--and Redtail's death happened exactly as Tigerclaw said."

LIZ: Julian, you can keep talking, but I heard what you said.

JULIAN: What did I say?

LIZ: You said-- you said the thing. You said Ravenclaw.

JULIAN: Oh my god.

[laughter]

I didn't even notice.

PAZ: I'm surprised that so far two people have seemed in line with our thoughts.

JULIAN: Yeah, no, people have turned on it.

PAZ: Oh my god. Somebody went and came and commented on this thread from like, six years ago ten months ago.

Ooh.

JULIAN: I feel like the Goodreads thread seemed to have a lot of longevity.

LIZ: I hope you get notifications for it. You probably do.

JULIAN: Oh, me too.

LIZ: Just like this comment you posted in 2015. And someone just comes in and is like, actually!

JULIAN: Well, actually.

PAZ: Sorry, there is a-- I cannot parse this review. Ian rated it three stars over two years ago. "You know how you watch a TV show and the characters always wear the same clothing? Like for 10 years and they're still wearing the same clothes? And you want something to happen but circumstances always thwart out the thing you want to happen? That's what this feels like."

LIZ: I don't think so. It feels very different.

PAZ: "It's not bad. It was written for young readers and they will love this book. Me, I'm enjoying it despite the flaws." Ian, I don't know what you're talking about.

LIZ: Part of why it's so upsetting is that everyone is like growing up in a very upsetting way. One of them is just not even there anymore. He moved. Also, they do not wear clothes.

PAZ: Yeah, I don't understand what that comment meant.

LIZ: It sounds like it's about static characterization, but it isn't. Not really.

PAZ: No, I don't-- I don't know.

JULIAN: Great news.

LIZ: I mean, except for I guess Tigerclaw's still evil.

JULIAN: We got a two star review from Angela from 2019. "Dammit, Graystripe." That's it.

PAZ: Angela, yeah.

LIZ: Angela, I know you're still reading these books. Come on our podcast.

JULIAN: Oh boy, Liz Henry has shelved it-- two star review, but has shelved it "good gender politics."

PAZ: Mm. Uh.

JULIAN: I don't know about that one, Liz.

LIZ: I'd say they're below neutral.

PAZ: Cryptid rated it three stars. "'I'm a man now, Fireheart,' said Graystripe. A summary."

JULIAN: Gregory, two stars. "I didn't like this book because it wasn't pulling me in and it was very boring. Like no fights or battles, just about what went on in the different clans. I think that this book is only for people who like to be informed about their reading all the time."

LIZ: It's the whole political intrigue for kids.

PAZ: Maryann rated it four stars. "Reread 8/8/17. This is better than I remembered. Reread 1/3/20. No, Maryann, it wasn't better than you remembered."

JULIAN: Oh no! Oh no.

LIZ: Lily from 2012 gives it four stars and says, "this is a very good book. It shows teamwork and how good it is to help each other out. I liked when Fireheart and Graystripe helped get WindClan home." And then some more about teamwork.

PAZ: Yeah, me too.

LIZ: Lily, good for you.

PAZ: Here's one from Juan, rated it four stars. "I'm a simple man. I read a description of Cloudkit doing literally anything, and I start crying." Me too. He's just a little baby.

LIZ: Tiffany from 2009 marked it as to read. Her only comments are, "Oh, fire. Ice."

PAZ: Yeah, that was me at the very last episode.

LIZ: Tiffany, did you read this? I hope you did. It's still marked as to read.

PAZ: Here's Neil with four stars, about two years ago. "I do wonder why don't the clans just talk to one another? I can understand the need for territorial boundaries, but why the mistrust and secrecy? Perhaps all will be explained as the story continues."

LIZ: Perhaps.

PAZ: Perhaps. Neil, that's a great question. Why don't they just talk to each other?

JULIAN: Ooh, incisive gender politics commentary from user Drakeryn, who read this in February 2021. "Critique of Warrior Cat society. Why are all the dads such deadbeats? Mamas everywhere, fussing over their kits, carrying their kits to safety--"

PAZ: True.

JULIAN: "--being frantic over their missing kits. But the dads are conspicuously absent. At Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw's apprenticeship ceremony their mom watched them proudly. But their dad couldn't even be bothered to show up. That's cold. Do better, toms."

PAZ: Damn. Called out.

LIZ: Three star review from just like-- let me check, like 19 days ago. 20 days ago.

JULIAN: Oh my god.

LIZ: Math is very bad. This month, from Dennis, who says, "okay, it's clear my favorite cats are lovers, not fighters."

PAZ: I need to know who Dennis considers a lover.

LIZ: It doesn't say. Damn.

PAZ: Ravenpaw, obviously. I don't know, I can't think of anything else.

JULIAN: Oh, here we go. Danielle Lee, three stars, January 1, 2021. "I can't believe this is going to be my first book of 2021. Can I just say, Graystripe, you beeotch."

LIZ: Get him.

PAZ: You know, we were having a hard time finding Graystripe dislikers. I think they were all just on Goodreads.

JULIAN: They were all in the Goodreads comments.

LIZ: Goodreads reviewers, listen, if you're still there, give us an email. Come on our podcast.

PAZ: Wendy three years ago gave it 4.5 stars. She makes a-- she sure makes a comment. "It's a bit like Game of Thrones, only with cats and a middle grade audience." Exactly. It's just like Game of Thrones only with cats.

JULIAN: Just like Game of Thrones.

LIZ: There's an equivalent amount of child murder attempts, right?

JULIAN: Incredible.

PAZ: Aw, here's someone over three years ago commenting on baby Onewhisker in all caps, excited. "Oh man, before he had to toughen up, he sure was a cutie. Cloudkit, love that little atheist."

LIZ: Wait, is Cloudkit gonna be an atheist?

PAZ: I don't remember. I don't remember this. I guess so.

LIZ: I guess that makes sense if your basis of religion is just other cats who--

PAZ: Who are all racist towards you.

LIZ: Yeah. You know what? Go on, Cloudkit. I'm supporting you. This baby is an atheist. Oh, my God. Review from Lacey from 2020. "My granddaughter has been reading the series and wanted me to read them too. I finally gave in. I truly like the books."

JULIAN: Aw.

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: That's so cute.

LIZ: Good for her.

JULIAN: That's really sweet.

LIZ: Grandma book. Also, Julian, do you have to go grocery shopping soon?

JULIAN: I do need to go grocery shopping soonish.

PAZ: Well, there's some very good Goodreads comments, but Julian must grocery shop, so we should wrap it up.

JULIAN: I'm glad that we've found-- this is a deep mine.

PAZ: Yeah, we found the bastion of Graystripe dislikers, too.

LIZ: We've got to return to Goodreads.

PAZ: Yeah, we should definitely return to it once we've finished every book. I must know what the people think. Too bad I didn't think of this before.

JULIAN: Oh my god. Really incredible question here from-- let's see. A Goodreads user, six years ago. "Is StarClan the heavens?" Reagan: "Pretty much, but there isn't a king or queen."

PAZ: What?

LIZ: Is there a king or queen of heaven? Well, wait.

PAZ: I don't know.

JULIAN: There is not a king of heaven. Unless you count God.

LIZ: Do people count God?

PAZ: I don't--

JULIAN: I mean, I guess like people do talk about like the kingdom of heaven.

PAZ: That's true.

JULIAN: And like Christ the King, but like that's usually-- it's meant to be sort of a metaphor.

PAZ: Well.

JULIAN: Oh good. Sorry. Division 6 Mrs. Anima's class: "StarClan is a safe place in the clouds where the fallen kits, warriors, queens, all cats go to rest in peace. Do you understand? Sabrina, one of the grade fives of Mrs. Anima's class."

LIZ: Aw.

PAZ: Aw.

JULIAN: Thanks, Sabrina.

PAZ: Do you understand?

LIZ: It is very cute that the book is getting kids to ask these questions.

JULIAN: Important questions.

PAZ: I wish I was taught Warriors in my class.

LIZ: Man, we should talk about what we read as fifth graders or whatever because that would be very interesting. But Julian must go grocery shopping.

JULIAN: Cockblocked for my need for food.

LIZ: Aren't we all? Alright.

PAZ: Well, that's gonna do it for us this week. Thank you everyone for joining us as we start another book. Hope everyone is having the time. I don't know why I said that. As always, you can find the show @staircast on Twitter. You can send in questions and/or anecdotes to [email protected]. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and have a good week. Until next time, may StarClan light your path. Bye.

LIZ: Bye everyone.

JULIAN: Bye.

[outro music]

#ep 17 #transcript #forest of secrets ep #she cats unite

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