#How to Start Dropshipping for Free | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

twirlywhirlywriting · 2 years ago

Text

What Would I Do Without You?

I finally did it!!! This was definitely a challenge for me as a writer. I am mostly used to female submissives so this was a huge change! I hope you all like it, I worked really hard on it! Here you go, my loves, submissive John Murphy!

Title: What Would I Do Without You?

TAGS/WARNINGS: 18+ Minors DNI, Smut, Sub!Murphy x Dom!/Reader, Reader’s POV, Fem Reader, Use of Y/N, Cussing, Soft Dom, Mistress Kink, Obedience, Reassurance, Strip Tease, Kissing, Praise, Fingering, Oral (f receiving), P in V (unprotected), Orgasms, Soft Edging (literally one time), Handjob, Slight Mess, Aftercare, Mentions of Love

The first thing that I need to point out before telling you anything, is that John Murphy is mine. He is the love of my life, he is my best friend, he is my baby. He’s my submissive, my fuck toy, my good boy, just mine. I know that when you look at us, we seem like any other “power couple” who are really just giant assholes who don’t care about anyone else but each other. But really, he’s just trying to give the people what they want, and well, I can’t help myself from being protective of him and his feelings.

The only reason he is being so forceful in making everyone take off those stupid wristbands is because no one wants the fuckers who put us down here to follow us. We don’t deserve to be prisoners. We are lucky none of us are 18, otherwise we’d all be dead anyways. But they put us on this dropship without our permission. They are the ones who didn’t know if they were killing us or not. And now we have the entire Earth to ourselves. The last thing that any of us want is for those stupid assholes to follow us down and take control again, or worse, call us criminals again. We deserve this whole goddamn Earth to ourselves, we were the ones who were going to die for it if it turned out to be uninhabitable anyway.

Most people understand this and are happy to take off the damn wristband-tracker-whatever the fuck they are. If everyone on the Ark thinks we died, they won’t follow us and we will finally be free. But Clarke and her stupid boy toy followers are making things way harder than they need to be. They’re being dicks to John, my John. I can’t stand it.

“Stop it, Murphy! Everyone, you have to stop taking those off, the Ark has to know we’re alive!” Clarke screams at John over the fire. Maybe he is being a little bit intense, not letting anyone get dinner until they allow him to remove the wristband. But it’s for their own good! How can that bitch not see that?

“No one wants the Ark to know we’re alive, Clarke. We want to be free. We deserve to be free.” He retorts, then turns to everyone, “Do you want to be the Ark's prisoners again? For doing nothing? For saving their asses and getting nothing in return?” He yells, and everyone around boos at Clarke; she and Wells look like they’re about to pop their top.

She grabs a piece of meat anyways and starts eating, then glares at him. “No rules, right? Screw you, Murphy.” His eyes look like he’s ready to kill her, but I know that look. When he looks murderous, he’s really just sad, or scared, or something. Maybe angry too, maybe a bit murderous, but mostly sad. And that makes me fume.

I hand my food to John and stand up. Yanking the food back from Clarke, I step right up to her and get in her face. “You know you can’t do that shit. Chaos is good, but you’re just being fucking stupid. He’s helping people, whether you realize it or not. You, Wells, and Finn can all just go on your merry fucking way and find your own food. We’ll get your wristbands later.” She looks like she’s about to throw a punch, but Finn stops her and pulls her away. I’m still fuming, who does she think she is? Finn is right, she is a fucking princess. Wells and Clarke think they get to decide all the rules just because his Daddy and her Mommy are in charge up there. Well, they’re fucking wrong.

As I sit back down, John gives me back my food. We are both still so pissed off at the whole situation, and not just because of right now. Clarke and those stupid boys are always getting in John’s way. They truly think they can lead us! While I sit here thinking about how fucked up it is, John grabs my hand and brings it up to his lips, planting the softest kiss. I know he’s trying to calm me down, even though he’s just as mad as I am. He’s so fucking sweet. He could be ready to kill someone and when he looks at me or touches me, it is always so soft and loving. He treats me like a queen no matter how he feels.

I smile at him and when I catch his eyes, I can tell he needs a break. He is trying so hard to keep his cool in front of everyone, but I can tell the frustration of the day and that encounter is getting to him. I quickly shove the last bite of food into my mouth and lead him to our tent with his hand in mine. I’m going to take all of his thoughts and make them melt away, I know just what to do.

The second we get inside, he asks, “Am I doing something wrong?” and I shake my head and smile at him, staring into his gorgeous blue eyes. You may think he likes to take charge with the way he acts around other people, but you’d have it all wrong. He needs the release of not having to make choices. To listen to someone else for a change, have someone else be responsible for him when no one is watching.

“No baby boy, nothing wrong at all. You’re perfect.” I kiss him on the lips, then kiss both of his cheeks, and when I look into his eyes again, I can’t take it. He’s just so hot, standing there and waiting to react to my every move. I kiss him again, harder this time, moving my hands up under his shirt a little to glide my hands along his stomach and chest. He grabs me by my waist and kisses me back deeply, stifling a small moan. I know he wants me. I grin and look up to him, putting my hand on his cheek softly. “What does my good boy want, hm?”

He bites his lip and looks into my eyes, knowing just the right words to say. “I want to make you feel good, Mistress. I just want to feel you all over me. I want to feel you on my hands, my lips, my tongue, I want to please you with every part of me.” It’s hard for me to keep my composure when he says such yummy words.

“And you can have me. But not yet. Sit on the bed, for now you only get to watch.” He immediately obeys, sitting on the bed with his eyes glued to me. I slowly take off my shirt, much slower than normal, feeling his eyes look over every inch of my stomach, my ribs, my tits, my collarbone and neck, and finally my face again. With my pants, it’s the same thing. I turn around this time though, giving him a full view as I bend over and let him watch every part of my ass and legs become exposed. I peel my underwear off too, giving him just a quick peek of my pussy before standing up and turning around again.

Instead of letting him touch me like he asked for, I smirk at him, trailing my hands up my stomach and start squeezing my tits, then trailing my fingertips around my nipples until they get hard. I love watching him practically drool, watching his pants get tight, his hands grabbing onto the sheets to stop himself from leaping up and grabbing me.

I move a hand down my stomach, across my hips, parting my legs just enough to let my hand slip between them. I keep one hand squeezing my tit and sometimes pinching my nipple, letting the other hand glide along my slit, then I start to slowly rub my clit. I lean my head back and moan, wondering just how much this is killing him and enticing him to watch. After maybe a minute or so, I pull my hand back up, stare straight into his eyes, and lick the wetness off of my fingers. His face flushes, and I ask him, “What is it? Do you want a taste too?”

He stumbles over his words as though he couldn’t get them out fast enough, “Yes, Mistress, please let me taste you.” It makes me feel so warm inside when he says these things. Of course, I’ll give him what he wants. I walk towards him, put a foot up onto the bed to give him a better view, and slide a single finger inside of myself. When I pull it out, it’s glistening. It’s fucking teasing me to do this too, but I love seeing how much he wants me.

“Open.” I demand as I put my finger up to his lips, and he does so immediately. I slide my finger in his mouth, and he is happy to suck my finger clean. “Good boy, you are so patient. You get to touch me now.” I lay down onto the bed, “Whatever you want to do to start with, baby, you earned it.”

He climbs on top of me, kissing my neck oh so gently, it almost tickles. He works his way down to my chest, and as he does so, his kisses become more erratic and have more pressure. He gets to my tits, and uses his tongue to circle my nipple, using a hand to follow suit on my other nipple. I close my eyes to fully enjoy the sensations, combing my fingers through his hair as he does this.

After a little bit of this, I feel my wetness and the tingle of desire a bit too intensely. “Okay, I need you on my pussy, right now.” The end of my sentence is almost a growl, I didn’t realize how fucking wet I was until it hit me like a brick wall and I couldn’t wait a single second longer.

“Yes Mistress, of course.” He scoots back on the bed, wetting two of his fingers using my own juices, sliding one in and pumping a few times before adding the second. He starts kissing my clit, just warming me up as he continues to slowly pump his fingers in and out, just barely curling his fingers up at the last second of every thrust, only a whisper of a touch to my g-spot. Even with how soft he’s being, my breathing quickens. He’s not one to need too much direction on exactly how to please a woman. He doesn’t start off too fast, and he definitely knows where all the good spots are. Whether he’s naturally gifted, or if he’s practiced, I’ve never cared to ask. He’s all fucking mine and that’s the only thing that matters to me.

“You’re doing so good, baby, you’re such a good boy for me, that’s just right.” I coo at him, making sure every second that he knows just how good he’s making me feel.

His kisses on my clit slowly turn into kisses with tongue, and that turns into pressing his tongue into me with the tiniest of suction of his lips, letting go with a tiny pop every time. As his kisses change into this, his fingers start working faster, and the second he feels my g-spot swell, he starts fully curving them into that wonderful “come here” motion as he pumps them in and out of me. His tongue gets faster as well, consistent stimulation with suction every few seconds, it’s perfect. I grip the sheets with one hand and his hair in another, unable to control how loud or often I’m moaning. I can barely talk anymore, but I mumble out a “Good boy, just like that!”

It only takes a couple of minutes before my orgasm comes to the brink, my legs shaking and the world around me practically spinning as I hit my peak. When it calms down, I grip his hair tighter and pull him up to me in a sloppy kiss, both of us breathing heavily. “Am I making you feel good, Mistress? That was good?” He asks me, and my heart melts. He is probably the only guy in the world to make a girl cum that hard and not be full of himself about it. He wants reassurance that he’s doing things just how I like them. Fuck, I love him. He is going to be mine forever, I swear to God.

“Yes, you are doing so good, baby boy. I’m going to keep you mine forever. Understand?” I look into his eyes so that he knows that isn’t just pillow talk, that he really is mine. Forever.

He nods with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever seen, and responds with the same seriousness in his voice that I had in mine. “Yes Mistress, I’m all yours, forever. You own me.”

I give him one more kiss before switching our positions so that I’m on top of him now. “I need you to be inside me now.” I say as I slowly ease myself onto him, groaning as I feel the fullness inside of me. “It’s my turn to watch as you feel good, baby.” I say soothingly, before adding sternly, “now don’t you dare look away. I want to look into your eyes the whole time I’m making you feel good.”

He bites his lip and nods, almost immediately moaning as I start riding him, slowly at first, moving my hips up and down, then back and forth, then a mixture of them all, in a circle. I love watching the sweat slowly build in his hair, watching the muscles on his chest and abs clench as I make him feel so good. I place my hand on his chest to give me better leverage to go faster, faster, and stop right as I see he is starting to get closer to his orgasm.

Disappointment flickers in his eyes, but only for a moment, he knows I’m never going to fully deny him. He’s too beautiful and perfect to truly be mean. I lean down to give him a kiss, before whispering into his ear. “Now, you’re going to make me cum again. I’m going to stay still, and you are going to fuck me like this, exactly how I tell you to.”

“Yes Mistress, I want to make you cum on me. Please tell me what you want.” He begs and I groan quietly, he’s too fucking good.

I straighten back up and tell him to start off slow, which he does. He keeps his hands on my waist to help him gain leverage, and I trail my fingers along his chest and tell him constantly how good he’s doing, how much he’s pleasing me. I tell him to go faster, then to slow down, then to go deeper and harder, then faster, then slow again. He follows along with my words perfectly. I like to work myself up to the edge, not too fast, I want to enjoy every moment of this. But when I notice he is getting a little tired, I tell him to speed up and fuck me as hard as he can.

My nails dig into his chest as I cum, my head falling back as I moan and my legs squeeze against his sides, making it harder for him to continue fucking me but he pushes through. When I look back down at him I smile at his flushed face, “Stop, baby. You can stop. You are such a perfect fuck toy. Now it’s finally your turn.”

I start riding him again, keeping up with the quick pace and making sure I’m going all the way down, pushing all of him inside me with every hip thrust. I love watching him pant and whimper as he gets close to the edge. “Mistress, please, I-I-I’m close!” he says with urgency, and I get off of him and immediately jerk him off, keeping the pace as I watch him cum all over himself, biting my lip as I watch.

“Look at what a mess you’ve made, baby.” I tease, making him blush a little bit but he knows I’m not mad. I just love watching him make a mess everywhere, especially on himself. I quickly grab a rag and clean him up, first wiping the sweat off his brow and then cleaning up his chest.

I lay down next to him, propping myself up on my elbow. I kiss him all over his face, a million times practically, whispering in a soothing voice “You are such a good boy,” and “You did such a wonderful job,” and “It’s all over now baby, I love you so much.” and “I’ll be right here to care for you, always.” in between the kisses being peppered all over his face. He snuggles into me, and I am happy to hold him, regulating my own breathing in order to help him regulate his.

I stroke his hair, humming softly in a soothing lullaby I forgot the words to a long time ago, every once in a while kissing the top of his head. After a while, he looks up at me and asks, “Did you really mean it, that I’m yours forever? Because.. I want to be. I always want to be yours, Y/N. Always.”

I smile back at him, my heart melting all over again. “Whatever would I do without you, John? I love you.”

Please feel free to reblog!!!! Below is to keep anyone from stealing my work, but reblogs are literally the lifeblood of Tumblr and helping a post get more views, thank you 😘

All content on this post, excluding the images and characters, is the property of the blog owner and is protected by United States and international copyright laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, publish, or create derivative works from any material on this website without the express written permission of the website owner.

If you violate the terms of this copyright disclaimer, you may be liable for damages, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees.

207 notes · View notes

toothpicktiger · 5 months ago

Text

Army Painting vs Model Painting

When I (re)started my painting journey a little over a year ago at this point, I focused a lot on painting each and every model to meticulous detail. I am playing Battletech: Alpha Strike, as opposed to a game like 40k, so I thought that i can spend more time on each model since i only ever need to field around 5-10 of them at a time. Sure, it'd take me a while to get through them but i finished the 8 inner sphere mechs in the Alpha Strike Starter box within my first three months! Even with me slowly amassing a collection of gray minis calling my name, i was patient.

Everything changed when the fire nation attacked my entire collection was stolen out of the back of my car (more on that in a future post). After experiencing the generosity shown of my local community, I had to start repainting my newly rebuilt collection.

At first, I stuck to my old ways of painting just a few models to meticulous detail. I learned and refined techniques that enjoyed, and figured out how to quickly get through ones I enjoy less. Then, as I played more, ran more events, and developed the draft cube, I realized that it would really elevate my events and loaner models if they were all painted. And there's no way i'll get that completed in my lifetime at my current rate.

In only a couple weeks, i completed the equivalent of about 1 model a day. I know for some people, that seems really slow, but for me that's lightning quick. Especially considering i'm still learning how to airbrush, and using color theory and layering to try to achieve the blue that made me fall in love with this scheme.

You can see my first attempt on the panther was a bit too light of a purple, and the wolfhound is closer to the book example, but still a bit blue. While the latter is technically wrong, I really like how it looks. What else really matters? Plus it means I get to use purple primer and a purple wash, which is fun for me!

So, that's when I started to develop a method that is a balance of speed and quality. I realized I needed to learn how to become an army painter. Striking that balance of efficiency and quality and fun was the newest puzzle to tackle. I have physical hard evidence that i can paint to a high degree of quality. I don't need to prove that to anyone, let alone myself, anymore.

And here, with this scheme for a Free Rasalhauge Kavalleri Regiment from the Force Manual: Kurita book, I found a simple color scheme that uses some of my favorite colors and i can knock out quickly and to a high degree of quality on models that call for it.

Now, I think I've mostly transitioned into army painter mode for BattleTech. The most satisfying thing is completing chunks of models and making a dent into my goal of having enough painted minis that players in the events I host don't have to play with gray minis, if they're from my collection.

That being said, I am always trying to stay one step ahead of burnout. So mixing things up like Uncle Atom suggested in a recent Tabletop Minions video has been very helpful. Terrain, and large models like the Aurora Borealis DropShip from my previous post are great examples. I still get that itch to go deep on a project sometimes, and those are great outlets when there isn't a Battletech model I want to go deep on.

I do have an upcoming project in that vein that I'm pretty excited and nervous about. Stay tuned!

#battletech #alpha strike #wargaming #mini painting #painting miniatures #army painter #camospecs

21 notes · View notes

ya-zz · 2 years ago

Note

Hiii! This is a little different type of request, so if you think you don't wanna do it, or don't like it please feel free to ignore!! ♡ Yknow how characters have those little interactions between each other before a match? I would love to see you try and write some interactions like those for Ramattra with a human!reader? Perhaps he has conflicting feelings for them, likes them even, whatever you want! Sorta super inspired by some Ramattra requests you had where reader was an enemy soldier that spared him ^^

I struggled for a solid moment with these but I started having a little bit of fun with these! Hope they make you smile and meet your expectations!

Ramattra x Reader

Word count: N/A

Ramattra: You spared me all those years ago, I still cannot fathom as to why you did that.

Y/N: I could ask you the same thing.

Ramattra: I cannot say.

Y/N: Then I won’t either.

—

Y/N: Do we have to work together?

Ramattra: I can end you right where you stand.

Y/N: Pfft, like I’ll let you.

Ramattra: You let me-

Y/N: Not another word.

—

Ramattra: Null Sector needs someone like you.

Y/N: Null Sector does not need me. You need me.

Ramattra: You can have what you desire if you join me in this liberation.

Y/N: There is nothing I want, just like there is nothing left for me to lose.

Ramattra: Then join us. Help me make this world a better place for us. For you.

—

Ramattra: There is a coffee shop around here-

Y/N: You do not drink coffee, let alone consume anything.

Ramattra: I was asking you out, if you would let me finish.

Y/N: I- oh…

—

Y/N: Do you regret keeping me alive?

Ramattra: It has never crossed my mind.

Y/N: Not even once?

Ramattra: If you keep this up, I just might go back on that.

—

Y/N: The night sky is so clear here…

Ramattra: It is, isn’t it?

Y/N, tearing up: Reminds me of home…

Ramattra, chuckling: Are you crying?

Y/N: No!

—

Ramattra: When this mission is over, perhaps we can talk.

Y/N: Yes I am still mad at you for this morning, no we are not talking about it.

Ramattra: Will you please just speak nicely to me?

*Ramattra bumped into Y/N and spilt their coffee.*

—

Ramattra: I hope I do not have to save you again.

Y/N: Then let me die.

Ramattra: That is not possible.

Y/N, staring at him confused: Then- What- Huh????

—

Y/N: You do realise you are not invincible.

Ramattra: I can survive more damage than you.

—

Ramattra, watching you struggle putting on your armour: Do you require assistance?

Y/N, still struggling: I am not a child, I can do this myself.

Ramattra, chuckling and helping you: Here, we do not need you getting hurt.

Y/N, flustered: Thank you…

—

Ramattra, walking off the dropship: We have got this.

Y/N: Yeah, like old times, right?

Ramattra, interlocking his hand with yours: Just like old times.

*Pause*

Ramattra: When this is over, then we can go home.

Y/N: Home with you sounds wonderful…

—

KOFI

#overwatch #ramattra #ramattra x reader #overwatch 2 #overwatch fanfiction #reader insert #yazzfics

110 notes · View notes

fanfics4all · 2 years ago

Text

Fungi

Request: Yes / No Request: Yes / No Day 4 of Halloween fics! (This is based on a Drawlloween made by RikiSayPOOF I believe)

Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

Jasper Jordan x Fem!Reader

Word count: 1401

Warnings: A bad drug trip

Y/N: Your Name

Song: Sunset Lover by Petit Biscuit

Prompt(s):

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK!

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you!

Masterlist

If you enjoy my work, you could also show support by buying me a coffee!

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

Being on the ground was the best thing to happen to us. We were free from the Ark and I couldn’t be more excited. Being back on Earth was a million times better than being in the Skybox. I was finally able to be with my boyfriend and friends again. Jasper and Monty were a bit popular considering they made some pretty awesome alcohol. I was just another face in the crowd compared to them, but I didn’t mind.

It was currently Fall and the air was starting to get chilly. We were all in long sleeves and jackets to keep warm. Everyone was huddled up the fire a lot more than normal. I didn’t mind the cold, I mean we lived in space for years and it could get really cold up their sometimes. Since it was Fall, I wanted to explore the forest a bit. I read that the people that lived on Earth before it was destroyed for years to come, ate some stuff they found in the forest. I heard they had mushrooms that that could get you high! I really wanted to try one and see how it works, so I ran over to Jasper.

“Jas! I need you to come with me.” I said with a smile.

“Why? What’s wrong?” He asked concerned.

“Nothing’s wrong, just come on.” I said and started dragging him to the back of the dropship.

“What are we doing, baby?” He asked.

“We’re going into the forest, I wanna look for something.” I said and his eyes widened.

“You wanna leave the safety of camp just so you can look for something?” He asked and I sighed.

“We’ll still be safe, we won’t go too far.” I said and he frowned.

“Y/N, baby, I really don’t think we should…” He said and I groaned.

“Please, Jas! I promise everything will be okay.” I said with a pout. I gave him my best puppy-dog eyes and he sighed.

“Fine, no more than ten minutes.” He said and I smiled brightly.

“Deal!” I said and dragged him into the forest. We walked a bit in and I kept my eyes on the ground. That’s when I saw them. I ran over to them and dropped to my knees. I picked up the small brown mushrooms with a huge smile.

“Jas, I found them!” I said as I stood up. I turned to face him and he gave me a ‘really?’ look.

“We came out here for some mushrooms?” He asked.

“I read these can get you high.” I said and he looked at me warily.

“I think you can do them yourself, I don’t know if I trust them…” He said and I shrugged.

“Suit yourself.” I said and popped one into my mouth. My face scrunched up from the taste, but I managed to get it down.

“Come on, we’re going back before you get too high.” He said, grabbing my hand. I placed the other ones I picked into my pocket incase I needed more. We snuck back into camp and I started to feel floaty. The colors were getting brighter and everything looked beautiful. I looked over at Jasper and he looked like he was glowing.

“Whoa… you look so pretty.” I smiled. He chuckled and shook his head.

“What do you see?” He asked and I smiled.

“The colors are so bright and you’re glowing!” I giggled. He smiled at me and led me over to Monty, he was also glowing. Jasper sat us down next to him and Monty gave me a weird look.

“Why do you look high?” He asked and I just smiled.

“She had us sneak out of camp to go look for these mushrooms that get you high.” Jasper answered.

“Really? You ate some random mushroom? Are you even sure it was the right one?” He asked and I nodded.

“Yeah! All the colors are bright and you guys are glowing, that sound like a high to me.” I said and he shook his head.

“You know trips like that can turn bad, right?” He said and I just shrugged.

“How bad can something like this get? I mean it’s making everything so beautiful.” I answered and he just sighed.

An hour or so later I was still high as a kite. Anything that moved left trails behind them, and if I closed my eyes I could see colors and shapes melding together. I felt so relaxed thanks to Monty and Jasper. Their jokes were making me laugh harder than they normally would. I noticed Jasper had a smile on his face as he looked at me. I was resting my head on his shoulder and sighed with my eyes still closed.

“How you doing baby?” He asked and I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

“Goood.” I whispered and he kissed my forehead.

“Do you know how long the high lasts?” Monty asked and I shrugged.

“You don’t know?” Jasper asked with wide eyes.

“Nope.” I said, popping the p.

“That’s not good… if Clarke or Bellamy see her like this they’re gonna flip.” Monty said and I giggled.

Another hour pasted and things started getting weird. The colors were starting to melt along with whatever was around us. I felt my heart start beating faster and my breathing picking up a bit. The sounds were getting louder and I covered my ears as I closed my eyes.

“Y/N? Hey, are you okay?” Jaspered asked with a concerned tone. I shook my head and shut my eyes tighter. The colors continued to melt and everything felt so overwhelming.

“Baby, hey, look at me.” Jasper said as he pulled my hands away from my head. I shook my head again, but he gently cupped my cheek.

“Look at me, Y/N.” He said. I slowly opened my eyes and Jasper was melting. I gasped and tried to back away, but Jasper was holding me in place.

“It’s okay baby, you’re okay.” He said. I shook my head and felt tears falling down my face.

“Talk to me baby, tell me what’s wrong.” He said.

“E-Everything’s melting…” I whispered. His eyes widened and he looked over to Monty for help.

“Take her to your tent, maybe if she’s alone with just you it’ll calm her down.” He said and he nodded. Jasper helped me up and quickly led me to our tent. He sat me on our makeshift bed and held my hands in his still. Everything sounded a little quieter, but things were still melting.

“Okay, close your eyes and take a deep breath.” He whispered. I did as he asked and gripped his hands a little tighter.

“Just focus on my voice and try and relax.” He said. I nodded slowly and took another deep breath.

“You know that place up on the Ark that you love? That abandoned office you found?” He asked and I nodded.

“Picture that with your music playing in the background. No one can get to you there.” He said and I started picturing it. Everything was slowly swirling to a stop, but things in the room were still swaying slightly.

“Ha-ah-ah-ah, meet me there, Ha-ah-ah-ah, meet me there, Ah-ah, me there, Ha-ah-ah-ah, meet me there. Ha-hallelujah, oh I’m down on the beach, Ha-hallelujah, oh I’m down on the beach, Ha-ah-ah-ah hallelujah, oh, I’m down on the beach, Ha-hallelujah, oh I’m down on the beach.” Jasper sang one of my favorite songs quietly. I felt myself relaxing slowly as he sang to me. I started leaning against Jasper and he wrapped his arms around me.

“How are you feeling?” He whispered and I smiled up at him.

“Way better.” I whispered back.

“Are things still melting?” He asked and I shook my head.

“No, but the colors are still bright and leaving some trails if I move my head too fast.” I answered.

“That’s good. Maybe you should go to sleep.” He suggested and I nodded.

“That sounds like a good idea.” I agreed. He pulled me down on the bed and held me to him.

“You’re not eating anymore of those.” He said and I pouted.

“But-”

“No, I’m not watching you go through that again. This better wear off when you wake up.” He said and I sighed.

“Okay…” I mumbled. He kissed the top of my head and held me closer.

Tag list: @les-bio-lie @tashy-bear @ashwarren32 @hollie-blogs-blog1 @schisbro87 @lover-of-books-and-tea @nerdygaloresposts @teenwolfbitches28 @genius2050 @drw0301bieber @lady-of-lies @ravenmoore14 @ravenempress101 @cillianchamp @rowanthomasknapp @rachelxwayne @ready-4-fanfiction @emo-godess-loves-you @now-imagine @bruisedfists-and-splitlips @vanessa-kom-skaikru @jjmymaybank

#fanfic #prompt #halloween #the 100 #the 100 imagine #jasper jordan imagine #jasper jordan x reader #jasper x reader #jasper jordan #jasper x fem!reader #jasper jordan x fem!reader #halloween fic #drawlloween #day 4 #fungi

90 notes · View notes

genderqueerdykes · 6 months ago

Note

hey, i was wondering if you had any advice on starting a shop as a crippled artist? i'm mainly thinking of making digital designs but redbubble kind of sucks lol. although it would be cool to sell jewelry too (your jewelry inspires me a lot!), i just don't know how to go about it.

sorry for the delayed reply! thanks for sending an ask! i love your blog!

it's challenging, but worth it if you can find a niche. selling physical goods can be taxing at times, but there are some free resources. UPS and USPS give free mailing supplies in the United States. Etsy is tricky to sell on. they charge you 0.20 USD for every listing you make, every 3 months, iirc. they have better organic foot traffic so you have to do less advertising, but they also take a bigger cut out of every sale. that's why things are so obscenely expensive on there. ko-fi is good for physical goods , but you have to generate your own labels and shipping prices. eBay is really nice for selling collectables, old clothing items that are no longer wanted, video games, etc. and honestly is my favorite to use out of all of them. generates its own foot traffic as well and if its something like a video game it can auto generate most of the info for you

selling IRL is really hard. its really physically taxing because you have to lug stuff around everywhere. you need a license or permit to be able to sell things IRL anywhere most of the time, and also permission from a business, and usually they want to charge you a fee for selling on their property. i did IRL markets for a while and they weren't worth it. the organizers are generally bad at advertising, which shouldn't be your #1 concern. it only really works if the organizers do a good job of advertising

selling digital goods like art and zines is a bit easier. ko-fi makes this extremely simple. i use medibang as my image editing software currently. typesetting can be a pain, and some people may find it monotonous, but i find that bundling my writing into zines helps me focus and stay on track. i like digital zines the best. handwriting makes my hand cramp up within moments of grabbing a pen or pencil. typing is really where it's at for me. but digital arts and goods are much easier to sell by far than physical ones

redbubble and cafepress are snitches for things like royalty free art and clip art, so if you plan on selling through them, sometimes you can't even use stock fonts or they'll nuke your entire store. also they take *massive* and i mean MASSIVE cuts from every sale. dropshipping sites are difficult to work with. if you wanna make buttons, pins, shirts, etc. this is the cheapest way to do so but both of these sites absolutely gouge you. and refuse to pay out until you get absurdly high amounts of sales. its why i don't promote my cafepress much even though i like my designs. i do NOT see anything from those sales. i see under $1 from every sale.

i hope that can be of some help to you! take care of yourself, glad you stopped by! feel free to ask any more questions you may have! appreciate you and your blog!

#asks #answers #disabled #disability #actually disabled

19 notes · View notes

compareandreview · 19 days ago

Text

Planning to sell physical or digital products online and want to create a website for it in the FASTEST way?

If you're starting your e-commerce journey and feeling overwhelmed by all the platform options—don't worry, you're not alone. Two names dominate the conversation: Shopify and WordPress (with WooCommerce).

But which one is truly better for newbies, beginners, and dropshippers looking to launch fast and sell efficiently?

Let’s break it down and get straight to the point—especially if you're here to build a business, not fiddle with tech headaches.

Shopify: Built for E-Commerce from the Ground Up

Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform. That means everything from product setup to payments, themes, and shipping is purpose-built for one thing: selling online.

Why Shopify is Great for Beginners

Zero Coding Required: Just drag, drop, and start selling. Perfect for people who want results, not tutorials.

3-Day Free Trial: You can start today and be up and running in hours.

https://shopify.pxf.io/QjzmOa

Fast Setup: No plugins, no server setup, no manual installation. Just sign up and start building.

Designed for Dropshipping: Integrates easily with apps like DSers, Zendrop, CJdropshipping, and more.

Mobile-Optimized: Your store will look great on any device—without touching a line of code.

24/7 Support: Real-time help from actual people when you get stuck.

WordPress (WooCommerce): Powerful, But Not Beginner-Friendly

WordPress is an amazing platform... if you're building a blog or you’re already experienced with web development. But for e-commerce newbies, it can feel like you're building a house from scratch.

Why WordPress Might Be a Struggle for Beginners

Complex Setup: You'll need to buy hosting, install WordPress, then install WooCommerce, then configure it all manually.

Plugin Overload: Want a feature? You’ll likely need to install a plugin. And another. And another. Then update them constantly.

Security Risks: If you don’t stay on top of updates and patches, your site could be vulnerable.

Slow Support: There’s no dedicated support team—just forums or your hosting provider.

Not Built for E-commerce First: WordPress is a blogging tool at heart.

WooCommerce makes it work for selling, but it’s not seamless.

So Which One Should You Choose?

If you're:

A beginner with no coding experience,

A dropshipper who wants fast supplier integration,

Or just someone who wants to get your first product online this week, not next month...

Go with Shopify.

It’s clean, easy to use, beginner-friendly, and built to sell. You won’t waste time on tech issues—you’ll spend time building a brand.

Pro Tip: You can start with a 3-day free trial and see how easy it is. No risk, no commitment.

Manual Setup

Shopify was made for people just like you—dreamers and doers ready to launch something real.

Don’t get stuck in tech setup and plugin chaos.

#ecommerce #dropshipping #website

2 notes · View notes

slick1sstuff · 2 months ago

Text

Ever heard of “digital real estate”?

It’s the lazy way I make passive income without customer service, shipping, or crazy tech skills.

This isn’t dropshipping, Amazon FBA, or crypto.

It’s way simpler.

I spend about an hour a day uploading simple digital files… and they make me money over and over, even while I’m sleeping.

Some of these have made me $10K+ from a single upload — no joke.

If you’re a busy parent, working full-time, and ready to finally break free… this is your sign.

Want me to show you how I do it?

Comment “AP” below,

Follow this page,

And click the link in the bio to get started.

Let’s plant your first digital money tree this week.

#onlinetraining #affiliate marketing #onlinebusiness #passive income #digitalmarketing #marketingtips #ai #affiliate marketing tips #affilate marketing #affiliatemarkeingforbeginners #passiveinformoms #high ticket affiliate marketing

2 notes · View notes

nextgenhustle · 2 months ago

Text

For those who have debts and psychological pressure:

Are you racking up debts and feeling overwhelmed?

Let me tell you something: the Internet has become a real lifesaver for many people.

Dropshipping is not a dream, it is a skill that you learn and start applying without capital.

I have provided you with a free guide that explains to you how to get started step by step, without complications, even if you have no experience.

Breathe in, read it, and take your first step toward financial freedom.

Link in bio

#getoutofdebt #learnandearn #dropshippinghelp #moneyfromhome #startsmart #digitalfreedom #teenentrepreneur #freestuff

#getoutofdebt learnandearn dropshippinghelp moneyfromhome startsmart digitalfreedom teenentrepreneur freestuff #usa news #usa #british columbia #new york #make money online #follow #viralpost #viral video #i tried

2 notes · View notes

vaastu-naresh · 4 months ago

Text

How to Make Passive Income Online

In today’s digital age, making passive income online has become more accessible than ever. Passive income allows you to earn money with minimal ongoing effort after the initial setup. Whether you want to supplement your existing income or build a full-time online business, there are various ways to generate passive income. Here are some of the best methods:

1. Start a Blog

Blogging can be a great way to earn passive income by monetizing content through ads, affiliate marketing, and digital product sales.

How It Works: Write high-quality content targeting a specific niche.

Income Sources: Display ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing.

Tools Needed: A domain, hosting service (like Bluehost or SiteGround), and a content management system like WordPress.

Tip: Focus on SEO to attract organic traffic.

2. Create and Sell Online Courses

If you have expertise in a particular field, you can create and sell online courses on platforms like Udemy, Teachable, or Skillshare.

How It Works: Develop structured course content and upload it to an online learning platform.

Income Sources: One-time purchases or subscription-based access.

Tools Needed: Video recording equipment, course planning software, and an LMS (Learning Management System).

Tip: Offer free mini-courses to attract students and upsell premium content.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting other companies’ products and earning a commission for each sale generated through your referral link.

How It Works: Share affiliate links in blog posts, social media, or YouTube videos.

Income Sources: Commissions from product sales.

Tools Needed: An affiliate program like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or CJ Affiliate.

Tip: Promote products you genuinely use and trust.

4. Sell Digital Products

Selling digital products is a great way to make passive income because they require no inventory or shipping.

How It Works: Create eBooks, templates, printables, stock photos, or software and sell them online.

Income Sources: Sales through platforms like Gumroad, Etsy, or Shopify.

Tools Needed: Design software like Canva, Adobe Photoshop, or a digital marketplace.

Tip: Automate delivery using online platforms.

5. Invest in Dividend Stocks

Dividend stocks allow you to earn passive income through regular payouts from companies in which you invest.

How It Works: Buy shares in dividend-paying stocks and collect payouts.

Income Sources: Stock dividends.

Tools Needed: A brokerage account like Robinhood, Fidelity, or Vanguard.

Tip: Reinvest dividends to compound your earnings over time.

6. Create a YouTube Channel

YouTube offers multiple monetization options, making it a lucrative passive income source.

How It Works: Upload engaging videos on a topic of interest.

Income Sources: YouTube AdSense, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.

Tools Needed: A good camera, microphone, and video editing software.

Tip: Be consistent and create valuable content to grow your audience.

7. Dropshipping Business.

How It Works: Set up an online store and partner with a supplier.

Income Sources: Profit margins from product sales.

Tools Needed: Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce.

Tip: Focus on trending products with high demand.

8. Sell Stock Photos & Videos

If you’re a photographer or videographer, selling stock images and videos can be a great passive income stream.

How It Works: Upload high-quality images and videos to stock websites.

Income Sources: Royalties from stock websites like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images.

Tools Needed: A professional camera and photo editing software.

Tip: Research in-demand content to maximize earnings.

9. Write and Sell an Ebook

If you have knowledge or experience in a subject, writing an eBook can generate passive income.

How It Works: Publish an eBook and sell it on platforms like Amazon Kindle or Gumroad.

Income Sources: Royalties from book sales.

Tools Needed: Writing software like Scrivener or Microsoft Word.

Tip: Promote your book through social media and blogging.

10. Rent Out Property on Air.

If you own property, you can rent it out on Airbnb for short-term stays.

How It Works: List your property and manage bookings.

Income Sources: Rental income from guests.

Tools Needed: An Airbnb account and a well-furnished property.

Tip: Optimize your listing with high-quality photos and great customer service.

3 notes · View notes

sam-jeff · 8 months ago

Text

Break free from 9-to-5!

Discover the power of dropshipping!

No inventory needed

Low startup costs

Work from anywhere

Learn how to:

Find profitable products

Set up your online store

Drive traffic and sales

DM me to Start your journey now!

#dropshipping #ecommerce #shopify #online business #online #small business #student #etsy #side hustle #9 to 5 job

2 notes · View notes

vibestheoracle · 8 months ago

Text

10 Easiest Ways to Make Money Online in 2024

In today's world, making money online is easier than ever. You can try freelancing, start an e-commerce business, or find passive income. This guide will show you the top 10 ways to earn money online in 2024.

CLICK HER TO SEE THIS AMAZING OFFER

Key Takeaways

Discover the power of online freelancing and how to leverage popular platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.

Learn about the thriving e-commerce industry and the potential of dropshipping and print-on-demand business models.

Explore passive income streams, including affiliate marketing, blogging, and selling digital products.

Understand the benefits of virtual assistant services and online tutoring as lucrative side hustles.

Gain insights into the latest trends and emerging opportunities in the world of online earning.

Online Freelancing: Unleash Your Skills

The digital age has opened up a world of opportunities. Now, you can make money from home. Online freelancing lets you show off your skills to people all over the world.

Leveraging Platforms for Gig Work

Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are great for freelancers. They let you work in areas like digital marketing, virtual assistant services, and online tutoring. It's easy to start: just make a profile, show your work, and bid on jobs.

These sites are perfect for those who want to earn money online. They offer flexibility and reach a global audience.

Building a Freelance Portfolio

A good portfolio is key to success in freelancing. It should show your best work and skills. It proves you can do great work.

Whether you're a designer, writer, or developer, a great portfolio attracts clients. It helps you find good online freelancing jobs.

"Freelancing has given me the freedom to work on my own terms and build a career that aligns with my passions. The ability to work remotely and set my own schedule has been life-changing."

youtube

CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS AMAZING OFFER

E-Commerce: Tap into the Digital Marketplace

The rise of e-commerce has opened up many chances to sell online. You can start with dropshipping or print-on-demand with little money. These ways let you sell many products without storing them, making it easy to start and grow.

Dropshipping: A Low-Risk Approach

Dropshipping means you don't store any products. When someone buys, you buy it from a supplier and they ship it. This way, you can start a business with almost no money, only paying for what's sold.

Print-on-Demand: Customizable and Scalable

Print-on-demand lets you sell custom items without managing inventory. You design things like t-shirts and mugs, and someone else makes and ships them. It's great for creative people to share their ideas worldwide.

Conclusion

The 10 easiest ways to make money online in 2024 offer many chances. You can work online or sell things online. These options fit many skills and interests.

You can use your skills on freelance sites, sell things online, or make money while you sleep. These ways are endless. By trying these methods, you can control your money and be free in the digital world.

Starting is the first step to success. So, why not try these ten must easiest ways to make money online 2024? You can make money without working hard, sell digital stuff, or write and share content. Your future is waiting for you.

#make money online #affiliatemarketing #usa #canada #australia #germany #money #inspiration #motivation quotes #Youtube

2 notes · View notes

digitaldetoxworld · 8 months ago

Text

How To Start Drop Servicing For Free with No Upfront Costs

How To Start Drop Servicing For Free, regularly described as the digital version of a provider-based total enterprise, is a commercial enterprise model where you act as the middleman between customers and service providers. In this version, you sell a provider to a customer, but as opposed to pleasurable the provider yourself, you outsource the work to a third-party issuer. The middle concept is easy: you fee the patron more than what you pay the issuer, and the distinction is your profit. While the idea appears straightforward, successful drop servicing calls for strategic making plans, market expertise, and powerful management of relationships with each client and carrier company. This manual will delve into every factor of drop servicing, such as how it works, its blessings, capacity-demanding situations, and a way to get started.

What is Drop Servicing?

Drop servicing is a commercial enterprise version that closely mirrors dropshipping however focuses on offerings in place of physical products. In dropshipping, you promote merchandise and then have a supplier ship them directly to the purchaser, without coping with the product yourself. Drop servicing follows the identical good judgment, however, in preference to delivery products, you’re outsourcing offerings.

For example, you would possibly run a digital advertising employer, selling offerings like image layout, SEO, or content material writing. Instead of hiring a complete team to carry out these offerings, you hire freelancers or groups to do the work for you. You act as the "middleman," managing patron relationships and making sure the provider is delivered according to the patron's needs.

How to Drop Servicing Works

Here’s a breakdown of the drop servicing system:

Find Clients

The first step is to find customers who need the provider you’re presenting. This will be something from net layout, content writing, and video editing, to even criminal or consulting services. Your marketplace and promote your provider as though you’ll be the only one supplying it at once.

Take Orders

Once a client orders your provider, you get hold of the fee and particular commands on what they want. It’s your process to control expectations, clarify deliverables, and communicate timelines.

Outsource the Work

Instead of completing the carrier yourself, you locate a 3rd-birthday celebration carrier provider to meet the order. This will be a personal freelancer or a business enterprise that specializes within the career the purchaser wishes. You send them the info and pay them a part of what the client has already paid you.

Deliver the Work to the Client

After the carrier issuer completes the work, you assess it to make sure satisfactory. You then deliver the final services or products to the patron underneath your brand. The consumer sees you as the carrier provider, even though someone else did the real work.

Keep the Profit

The income margin is the distinction between what the customer paid you and what you paid the carrier issuer. Ideally, this margin is sizable enough to make the enterprise profitable.

Benefits of Drop Servicing

The drop servicing model offers numerous blessings for marketers, especially people who need to construct a commercial enterprise with restricted in advance costs and minimal information in a particular discipline.

Low Start-up Costs

One of the number one advantages of drop servicing is that you don’t need to spend money on growing a product or hiring a crew of professionals. Since you are outsourcing the paintings, your preliminary funding is confined to advertising and probably setting up an internet site. With the abundance of online freelancers, it’s fantastically clean to find low-priced carrier carriers, which maintain your begin-up fees low.

No Need for Expertise

In drop servicing, you don’t need to be a professional within the provider you are selling. Your foremost function is to manage the patron courting and make sure that the work is achieved successfully and on time. You can outsource rather technical or specialized services with the need to have the talents yourself. This opens the door to a wide range of industries and markets.

Scalability

Because you’re no longer the one doing the paintings, drop servicing is especially scalable. As your purchaser base grows, you may definitely outsource extra paintings, lease extra service vendors, and make bigger into new services. The more green you become at dealing with tasks and vendors, the less complicated it'll be to scale your business without being bogged down by using real provider shipping.

Flexibility

Drop servicing offers a excessive stage of flexibleness. Since you’re handling provider providers rather than without delay providing the provider, you could run your enterprise from everywhere in the world. This model lends itself nicely to the "virtual nomad" lifestyle, so long as you have get entry to to the internet and accurate conversation gear. Minimal Inventory Risks

Unlike traditional groups or dropshipping wherein you cope with stock, inventory issues, or shipping, drop servicing gets rid of those issues. You're selling services, so there’s no need to fear about physical merchandise, garage, or logistics.

Challenges of Drop Servicing

While drop servicing has many advantages, it’s now not without challenges. Understanding these barriers is fundamental to building a sustainable commercial enterprise. Quality Control

Since you’re outsourcing paintings to a 3rd party, preserving extremely good standards may be hard. If the provider issuer promises subpar paintings, it reflects poorly on your enterprise, even if you didn’t at once create it. You’ll need to invest time in locating reliable freelancers or businesses and make certain they can always meet your expectations. Client Management

Handling purchaser expectations, revisions, and conversations may be challenging. Clients can also have particular demands or expectations that don’t usually align with the carrier provider’s abilities. It’s up to you to bridge that gap, making sure each side is happy without straining your time or resources. Profit Margins

Depending on the carrier you are offering, earnings margins can range greatly. Some markets are more aggressive, which means that you will want to stabilize pricing to stay attractive to customers while nevertheless paying your service companies. Finding the proper balance between value, nice, and rate can be elaborate, particularly when managing worldwide freelancers. Competition

Drop servicing has received recognition, which means more competition in certain niches. To stand out, you’ll want to be recognized on niche markets, construct a sturdy emblem, or provide specific selling factors that differentiate you from others. Competition additionally drives down costs, probably reducing your earnings margins.

Steps to Get Started with Drop Servicing

If you are thinking about beginning a drop servicing enterprise, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get going: Choose a Service to Offer

The first step is to determine at the carrier you need to offer. Popular drop servicing niches consist of image design, social media management, search engine optimization offerings, net improvement, copywriting, and video modification. When deciding on your niche, keep in mind the demand for the carrier, your target market, and the way easily you could find dependable freelancers to satisfy the paintings. Identify Your Target Market

Once you've selected a provider, pick out your best customer. This might be small businesses, startups, or even individuals seeking out precise offerings. Understanding your target marketplace’s wishes, pain points, and finances is essential for advertising and marketing your services efficiently. Find Reliable Service Providers

Research and vet carrier providers carefully. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com are top-notch places to begin. Look for companies with advantageous evaluations, robust portfolios, and affordable prices. Establish clear communication channels and set expectations from the start to make certain easy operations. Set Your Pricing

Determine your pricing model by factoring in how a lot you’ll pay the provider provider and what kind of you need to rate your customers. Consider your overhead expenses, marketing prices, and favored income margins. Keep in mind that your pricing has to mirror the price you’re handing over, so ensure it’s aggressive without undercutting the first-class.

Build a Website and Market Your Services

Having an expert website is crucial for showcasing your offerings and building belief with potential clients. Your internet site needs to without a doubt define the services you provide, pricing, testimonials, and a portfolio of labor (if available).

Deliver Exceptional Client Experience

To reach drop servicing, focus on turning in an excellent consumer experience. This consists of clean conversation, assembly time limits, and ensuring the very last product meets or exceeds expectancies. Happy customers are more likely to go back for repeat commercial enterprise and refer others for your offerings.

#How to start drop servicing for free

2 notes · View notes

wolf-among-mechs · 1 year ago

Text

Clan Wolf Dropship Elysium Coreward Periphery 24 August 3049

Asuka closed down the Chatterweb function on the computer.

“Good to know that the trial of grievance is just a very roundabout way of punching out the problem with someone.” The room was sparse and mostly built for function and quite small. It wasn't a great room to have claustrophobia in. It was better than a brig at least. But not by much. It had a table currently occupied by the computer. The bed wasn't very comfortable and a bit of a mess.

“I never understood the point of making the bed anyway.” She thought to herself looking at it. The last thing of note was a nightstand next to the bed. An empty water bottle stood on it.

“Might as well go fill it up while I look for something to substitute for a candle.” She picked up the water bottle and stuck it in her pocket for now. “Sometimes I forget how big these pockets are.” She said to herself.

The last couple of days hadn't been very good. The bed was far too hard for her, the food was taking a lot to get used to and she had been captured by enemies who for some reason didn't treat her quite like a prisoner. She was free to walk the ship as long as she didn't go somewhere sensitive such as the bridge, engine room or armoury. It was like she was a passenger. But they treated her somehow with more respect than that. Like an invisible set of arbitrary rules she had no control over. To the credit of her captors, they seemed interested in telling her the rules when she was able to identify them, which was quite a bit better than similar experiences in the past. Nevertheless it was making her frustrated. They kept using words, terms and rules that were completely alien to her and yet expected her to follow and know them! So when she couldn't and didn't they got upset and talked down to her. Some of them clearly tried to start fights with her, as a matter of fact they postured like drunk mercenary hotshots at a bar trying to prove who was the toughest and roughest mechwarrior. Yet when she tried to call them on it they fell back on alien rituals and words and if she stepped out of it, then the performance had to be called off. Yet there were people here who nearly walked on eggshells around her, like they were afraid of making her angry. It just didn't make any sense to her. Thinking about it was giving her a headache.

Acknowledging that headache made it worse. There was a soft ringing noise in her ears and Her fuse and temper were growing shorter. She pinched the bridge of her nose. It had been a really long time since she felt this irritated. She needed to keep it in check before snap, lose control of herself and lash out in anger to force the world to make sense. Every act felt like she needed to reason it out with her anger, her beliefs and even sense of self. It was like attempting to move an Atlas through a swamp. She took a deep breath. It didn’t help. Sleeping wasn't going to help. Resting wasn't going to help. She needed to do something. Find a way to meditate and clear her mind. Push all the errant thoughts out of her head. She was going to need a candle or a substitute. With that in mind, she stepped out into the walkway outside her room.

“I am going to need a piece of string to act as a wick…” Asuka said to herself as she wandered The corridor between the Mechbays and the crew quarters. A sign crosses her vision pointing to the mess hall. An idea enters her mind. Cooking oil. That would be flammable enough to burn. But also not enough that it would immediately flash. She could make an oil candle of sorts. She walked in that direction.

The mess hall was empty and quiet. It was made for feeding maybe around a hundred people. As far as Asuka was concerned it followed the conventions of a normal army mess hall. A flag of a wolf with stars hung on one side, she had identified that as the emblem of Clan Wolf. It was kinda cool as far as Asuka was concerned. She had always liked the wolf imagery since she was a teenager. She even had a tattoo on one shoulder of a wolf's head. She made the mercenary company she founded have one as its emblem too! There were also some posters of people she had never seen trying to convey some sort of inspiring message.

On closer inspection the tables were marked. Something she hadn't noticed earlier during lunch. Some of them had more cushioning and were marked with some sort of starburst symbol. It looked familiar somewhere but she couldn't place it. When she had taken a seat, or attempted to, on the cushioned starburst tables the warrior Karen had confronted her. Only now did it occur that maybe she had taken a seat somewhere she wasn't allowed to sit. She surmised that the fancy tables were for warriors. As a bondswoman it wasn't her right to sit there… but she couldn't rule out that Karen was just a bitch.

There was movement inside the kitchen.

“Hey!” Asuka called out as she approached the counter. A man with long black hair tied back looked over. He had a hat to keep the hair from the food.

“Aff? Are you looking for something? Lost?” He sounded a little stressed but ultimately trying to be helpful.

“Oh no. Well actually I was looking for the kitchen.”

“Why?” The man asked.

She tried to snap to an excuse. Something to get ahead. But her mind was unfocused, scattered and in turmoil.

xxxxxxxxxx

“I doubt he will hand you cooking oil. What you are doing is a fire hazard.” Her mechtech heritage said.

“Who cares what he thinks. He is just a cook. Shove him into a locker and take what you want. He is nothing to you.” The feral wolf stirred within her.

“He is not a warrior. He may not be a target of your anger, to assault him would be a great shame upon you.” Her bushido spirit spoke calmly.

“There is a strong smell of food here. A lot of food. Some of the spices are really good. Stuff that would be good on the food. Something sticks out. It is souring the rest. Its presence causes interference” Her autistic sensor suite reported.

“The smell reminds a bit of pizza, doesn't it? Oregano or something. That'd be great by now. Something a bit greasy and just slightly overcooked would be so good right now. Do you think these deep periphery weirdos have pizza?” Her inner sphere pride distracted her.

“Lunch was pretty bad. The spices tasted like vinegar. I could only eat the rice, the sandwich and the cucumbers. I am pretty hungry.” Her autistic sensor suite had logged earlier in the day.

“But the thing you truly hunger for is a fight. Especially with the fucks who took our guns and our swords.” The feral wolf growled.

xxxxxxxxxx

The world felt a bit heavier from the thoughts swirling in her head. She felt slow and unresponsive as a mech operating with the blank setting on the neurohelmet.

“Because I was assigned to help cook dinner! You know… the whole bondsperson thing.” Asuka held up her bondcord and tried to smile.

“Really? How come you are not assigned to the mechbays? That is where warriors taken as bondsmen usually are assigned.” The man in the kitchen said.

“Uh well.” Asuka hesitated. “I do not know. I was just told to report to the kitchen.” She shrugged.

“I had not been told nor will I require extra hands. It is tomato soup tonight. There are only so many hands that can aid with it.” The cook said and moved a pot up on a desk. Asuka felt her shoulders tense up. The consistency of soup had always been difficult to keep down. Usually it just came back up again. The taste and feeling of tomatoes like that too felt vile. She would rather eat a stale military ration. She'd hate that too but at least it would stay down. She forced her shoulders back down.

“Are you alright?” The cook asked, seeing her tense up.

“I… do not like soup. Would it be possible to cook something else for myself?” Asuka frowned slightly. The cook stared at her.

“You are not assigned to the kitchen quineg?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No…Neg.” She swapped to the words they used around here.

“You are the bondswoman who had the brawl around lunch with Warrior Karen quiaff?”

“Aff.” Asuka nodded.

“If you want to hide in my kitchen I will allow you on one condition, bondswoman. The power connections for my equipment are damaged somehow and I need them fixed. Since nobody else is helping me, could you get some equipment? I will require a multimeter with probes and wire cutters. I can at least figure out the problem then.”

“Multimeter and wire cutters. Got it. I will go look around the mechbay.” Asuka said and headed out again.

++++++++

She wandered into the mechbays of the dropship. The noise of welding, cranes and drill machinery met her with an overwhelming salvo along with the fluorescent lights attached to the ceiling and the flood lights mounted in mechbays.

In the first mechbay she entered was a single technician currently fitting armour plates on a mech's legs. Changing and moving an armour slab and welding and cutting. She looked at the mech in question.

“Looks like a Thunderbolt.” She said to herself. The mechtech stopped his welding and looked back at her.

“Thunderbolt? This is a Summoner.” The mechtech folded up his welding mask.

“Sorry. I am not familiar with your mechs. I am Asuka Hoshi, Bondswoman.”

“I am Jin. Technician. I have already heard that you might be working in the mechbay with us during your time as bonded. I also saw you caused a bit of trouble with Warrior Karen.”

“I think it is more fair to say she was causing trouble for me. But yes. I was told I need to be of some use around here.”

“Aff. You do.”

The words felt sharp and pointed. Something about them pierced through her in the moment. Part of her knew that wasn't the case. Yet it sparked something inside her. A deep anger roared to life.

xxxxxxxxxx

“The fucking mechtech does not know his place. He maintains warmachines. You are a warmachine. Show him what you are made to do. Destroy him.” The feral wolf within her snarled. She could already feel her hand clench to a fist.

“He is of a different path. It intersects with your own. If he is to respect you, Asuka-dono, you must respect him.” Her bushido spirit pointed out.

“Hey wait, look. There's something strange in this mechbay. One of the gunpods is empty and hollow. That looks like a pulse laser hanging on the crane. Is it in the middle of a refit?” Her mechtech heritage was excited. It dispelled the anger she felt. Curiosity took its place. A distraction she welcomed.

xxxxxxxxxx

Asuka's nostrils flared as she narrowed her eyes at Jin. However, a distraction presented itself. The gunpod of the Summoner had a really strange design to her.

“Is this "Summoner" undergoing a refit?” She asked after a moment's thought.

“Neg. The omnipods are being changed. Warrior Sean changed his mind five minutes later so I had to tell him to make his mind up. As well as if he wants to put an autocannon there instead he should also make sure there is ammunition.” The mechtech Jin responded. He shook his head as if dealing with a rookie mistake.

“Is that why there is a large hole in the gunpod?” “Aff. Thanks to the Omnipods all we really need to do is remove what is there and put another pod inside. Maybe fit it a bit and just slot it back in, wire it and connect the ammunition system. As long as the tonnage and spacing fits you can do it pretty quick.” “So you could swap a Medium laser for a pulse laser? Or… SRM for LRM rack? How long would it take?” “Aff. As long as the weight and spacing works out. It would take about two hours maybe? The gyroscope computer realigns and balances the myomers and the chassis on its own. If you need to put on larger weapons such as gauss rifles or PPCs it will take a bit longer.”

“Owing to their much higher power demands.”

“Aff. You are from the inner sphere quiaff?”

“Correct” Asuka nodded.

“Then you have probably never seen this kind of thing before.” technician Jin leaned against the scaffolding.

“No. It is actually quite amazing that you could change the weapon loadout for an entire mech in a single day. The ones I am used to require extensive calibrations.”

“I bet. But I am pretty sure you will get the hang of it. If you can maintain mechs the old way, this should be a breeze.” Technician Jin grinned.

She felt taunted again. A heat rose in her as a result and her shoulder and hands tensed up.

xxxxxxxxxx

“He's calling you backwards.” Her inner sphere pride told her.

“All the more reason to fuck him up.” The feral wolf concurred.

“Then let us go forward instead. Show them how much you have to think on your feet in the inner sphere.” Her mechtech heritage grinned.

“Accept his challenge and win. It is the way.” The bushido spirit calmly nodded.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Probably. If nothing else it must make repairs easier. Which must be pretty useful. But I suppose in the inner sphere they know exactly what goes where regardless of what the mechwarrior thinks.” Asuka shrugged one shoulder and grinned back.

“So what? The modularity allows us to refit it for anything. Whatever the warriors want.”

“I do not doubt that, Jin. But a well drilled technician team can put a torn apart Warhammer-6R in a couple of hours. Saw them work in the stock battles on Solaris 7. Made it into a form of art.”

“But they would have to rebalance it then quiaff?”

“Indeed. But surely so would you if the pods were blown off.” Asuka smirked.

“Are you under the belief that the inner sphere technicians are superior then?” Jin crossed his arms, shooting the warrior a very slight glare.

“I would not know. How quickly do you think you could remove an armour plate and replace it?” Asuka shrugs. “Like on the side of the other leg there?

“On my own? A single armour small piece of ferro-fibrous armour like that will just take me fifteen minutes... But I could do it in maybe eight.”

“Engineer time dilation huh? Well how I about I time you, see how quick you can do it?”

“It is a bit of a waste of time to start the repair on that leg already.” Jin looked annoyed that she didn’t believe him. But there was definetly something stirring in him. It sounded like fun.

“It would however be very instructive to see a skilled technician in action and compare to what I already know quiaff?” Asuka put a hand on her hip as she looked down at the technician. He thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Aff I suppose.”

“Think you can do it in seven minutes?”

“That would be a fun challenge... Bargained well and done bondswoman. Let me try. Grab the noteputer and use the timer.” Jin grinned. Asuka looked at the work table and grabbed the noteputer.

“And… Go!” Jin worked furiously removing the armour plate with deft hands. While the workmanship of such experienced hands was impressive and the tools being used among the clans were interesting her eyes drifted to the work table. A power pack laid there on the tool table. Charged too. While Jin was busy, Asuka’s hand swiftly slipped over and grabbed the power pack and pocketed it. She could easily use it to light something. Or at least use another tool if need be. They were a dime a dozen in any mechbay, nobody would miss it.

“Done!” Jin held his arms up as the armour plate was fully attached on the Mech's foot.

“Six minutes. Thirty six point eighty-seven seconds. Impressive.” Asuka nodded appreciatively. As she was concerned it was a genuinely good time.

“Told you!” The technician pumped his arms victoriously.

“Very good. You have some very interesting tools here. I look forward to using them as well.”

“You should see the tools we use for the omnipods.” Jin grinned to Asuka.

“I am certain I will in time. Oh! By the way, Jin. The kitchen needs to borrow a multimeter with probes, wire cutters and some spare wires. Kitchen power connections are apparently broken and if they cannot repair them soon it will be rations tonight. I was asked to find some tools for it.” Asuka said, remembering why she was in the mechbay in the first place.

“Why did you only bring that up now?” Jin laughed. “That cabinet over there. The yellow one.”

“Sorry I got really lost in looking at the cool omnipod things. Thank you Jin. Much appreciated.”

“Just make sure they get the kitchen fixed so we get dinner.” Jin turned to return to his work. Quite satisfied he had shown her what he was capable of.

++++++++++++

Asuka continued through the mechbay. She passed by another work desk on wheels and had a look at it. In front of another mechbay, she stopped and looked at the mech inside it.

“Looks like an Enforcer 4R. Except bigger. And two autocannons instead of one. Bore is smaller than on the 4R though. And a missile pod underneath it. Original setup. I was going to say it looks kind of striking and cool but from underneath it almost looks like it has a giant jaw or moustache and I cannot unsee it.”

She looked at the yellow work cabinet in order to distract herself from the moustachemech.

“Let me see here… There is the multimeter. Wow, that looks more advanced than the ones in the company. Wirecutter and some wires… I think they might need some insulated gloves for working with electric stuff in a kitchen. Better safe than sorry.” She grabbed them and put them in a robust looking blue toolbox to carry them in. A few excess pieces of wire she pocketed for herself. She could use that to create a spark for ignition easily enough.

“Nobody is going to miss it.” She nodded to herself.

She walked back through the mechbay with her direction set on the kitchen. While on the way she kept an eye out for other useful items in her candlemaking endeavour. The other mechbays were filled with mechs she had seen already. In the far end a timber wolf. The same one she had trampled before. Although it had been repaired by the looks of it. It must have taken a better part of the week. In the gantry above the mechbay she could make out two people talking. It looked like Maddix, the mechwarrior who had piloted the timber wolf in the group of mechs that she fought the other day. He was talking to another she didn't recognise. The uniform suggested it was a mechtech.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Those two people up there are talking. But what about? It is the warrior Maddix and a technician. There is a clear pecking order at work here. One is higher than the other. The mechtech looks almost servile.” Captain Obvious surmised.

“Maddix is annoyed at you. He called you dezgra before. That must be bad. It sounds bad. It sounds like something you call someone you hate.” The Feral Wolf observed.

“Their discussion is not about you. Maddix has yet to see you. This must be instructions to outfit his mech.” Captain Obvious told her. She squinted to better see.

“The floodlights are causing damage to the eyes. The glare is interfering.” Her autistic sensor suite reported. Her entire vision grew out of focus and blurry for a moment by the light.

“That bastard took the other of your guns. Take it back. Tear him apart. Assert your dominance and claim it back.” The feral wolf snarled.

“By trial of grievance? That seems to be the path to do those things.” Asuka questioned her own words.

“Trials? Fuck the rules. He took YOUR GUN. Take it back.” The feral wolf countered.

“The people here appear to abide by tradition. Playing by the rules will not only give you the firearm back, but also respect. If you can walk the same walk they do. They will also learn to respect you.” The name in blood advised her.

“No. They are still human. They claim to follow these rules and ideals. But they will betray you and stab you in the back just as easily as anyone with a noble title would.” The Feral wolf snarled again.

“The Chatterweb has been the most telling. The warrior Rose seemed to be in disbelief that Karen would turn on you if adopted. They seemed excited for you to get a chance to join the clans. They speak highly of it. The warrior Jehan seems very impressed by what you spoke of. They consider it a waste if you were not adopted. Perhaps even to the point that he may very well issue a challenge to gain you for themselves. This is consistent with what Arvidia told you as well. You are neither slave nor prisoner here. Far more than both. You have been given the chance to become one with them. A member among them. That is what they hope you will be. Even if you were to somehow fail to be adopted among the warriors. You may find peace in another task.” The name in blood laid out for her.

“Asuka-dono. Yours is the path of the samurai. To you there must be no other path. Between act and thought there is clarity. In that, your path will forever be that of the honourable warrior. You will not fail. Instead, welcome the challenge. Be tested. Become a better warrior.” Her bushido spirit concurred.

“It may mean waging war on the people you fought for though. Remember what Jaimie told you? That the clans would come and wage war against the inner sphere. How can they expect you to pick up arms against them? That's part of who you are isn't it?” Her inner sphere pride told her.

“The inner sphere was happy to raise arms against you when it suited them. You owe them nothing. Least of all our loyalty.” The feral wolf snarled.

“Did somebody just yell?” Captain Obvious wondered.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Hey!” Maddix shouted out from atop of the mechbay gantry. Asuka snapped back to the moment and looked around searching for what he was yelling about. “I mean you, bondswoman.”

“huh-What?” Asuka snapped back from being lost in thought for a moment.

“Get back to work and pull your weight!” Maddix yelled out.

“I have not received any orders.” Asuka shrugged. “It had been mentioned she would work with the mechtechs. But no direct orders had been given”.

“Do you believe that gives you permission to be a lazy surat?” Maddix looked annoyed.

“I have no idea what in the hell surat is. What do you want me to do you, dummy? Grab a hammer and bang the mechs with it and sing blessed chants of Blake like a fricking comstar Acolyte?” Asuka gestured towards one of the mechs. “Besides I am running an errand for the kitchen, asshat.” She showed the toolbox in her hand.

“An improvement on starting a fight with Karen at least.”

“Karen started a fight with me. The bitch.”

“Karen has issued a trial of grievance against you. Who started it is immaterial.”

“Well she immaterially started it so there! Oh yeah! Actually. I want to issue a trial of grievance towards you! You took my gun. I want it back.” Asuka almost huffed.

“I took it as isorla at your defeat. You are lucky I stopped there, had it been up to me I would have seen you killed for your dezgra tactics and killing Star Captain Stefan. But William had other plans. Somehow.” Maddix narrowed his eyes. He clearly was angry with her. He was following the rules even when his spirit told him to go down and beat her up.

“You did not defeat me idiot! I knocked your mech out first thing in the battle! If anything I should be claiming isorla from you!” Asuka glared back at him.

“You did not fight by the rules and made a mockery of our traditions. As I said. You are dezgra.” Maddix crossed his arms.

“So what do the rules say about taking isorla from someone you did not defeat?” Asuka put a hand to her hip. Maddix narrowed his eyes. “At least I had the excuse that I did not know the rules. What is yours? Or are you the real dezgra here huh?”

“I will make you eat those words.” Maddix said and walk towards the lift.

The grip on the toolbox in her hand tightened. She felt anticipation and even a feeling of fun and joy at the notion of using it on Maddix.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Smash his head with the toolbox when he comes down. He will not stand a chance. You will enjoy it.” The feral wolf growled.

“Wait. Challenge him! Follow the tradition and the rules. He will have to respect you if you do.” The name in blood told her.

“But do not hold back. Assert your dominance. Conquer him. Beat him at his own game.” The feral wolf snarled.

xxxxxxxxxx

The sudden idea that rose in her head felt better. To fight in the best kind of way. The most suitable way. However fun it would be to smash Maddix’ face. But to return to the seat of a mech and pilot it in a battle, that felt much more fun.

“How about a trial of grievance instead of a brawl? Let us settle it as mechwarriors. Like true warriors.” Asuka yelled out. Maddix stopped in his tracks. He thought about it for a moment.

“Aff… I would love a rematch against your sorry hide. If only to put you in your place. But there is one problem with that. Your mech is in tatters.” Maddix returned to the railing. “You will have to borrow one. I will find you a spare mech and our circle of equals. Then I will put you in your place.” Maddix pushed himself off the railing to stand. “Tomorrow we fight.”

“Had this been the inner sphere I would cast doubt on you picking a mech for me. But I believe you are an honourable enough warrior to not saddle me with a Stinger against that Timber Wolf or whatever.” Asuka called out before he had a chance to leave.

“Aff. We will fight as equals, available mechs permitting. It will be a field of honour, bondswoman.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“You know the word that sits on your tongue. You have heard it among the Dragoons, your kin. Speak it and he will know you will fight as warrior to warrior.” The name in blood told her.

xxxxxxxxxx

“Seyla.” Asuka said. It felt like instinct despite never having spoken it her entire life. It felt natural. It probably wasn’t correct looking at Maddix’ expression. But it felt right.

“Seyla.” Maddix replied after a short pause. He flashed a surprised look at her for but an instant. He wasn't sure how or why. But clearly his foe was trying to play by the rules. She simply didn't know them. An earnestness he couldn't deny. She wasn't trying to mock him or traditions. She was trying to learn. He nodded to himself and then wandered off to prepare for their battle.

“Well that went well.” Asuka told herself.

+++++++++++++++++++

“Hey! I got your multimeter.” Asuka cried out from the counter to the kitchen. The cook appeared.

“Here. Everything is in the toolbox. I brought some extra wires and tools while I was at it. In case you need It.” She handed the blue toolbox over. The cook looked through it. Grabbed the multimeter and the toolbox and stepped into the kitchen.

“Great work bondswoman. Come on in and hide from the warriors. Try not to make a mess of the kitchen though.” The cook smiled at her.

“So is there a cook caste or something?” Asuka asked as she stepped into the kitchen and closed the door after her.

“What? Oh wow you have no idea how it works around here do you?”

“No-Neg. Fuck. Sorry. I am still getting used to the whole… Aff and Neg thing around here.” Asuka grumbled.

“Avoid cursing Bondswoman. It will rile up most people in the clans. The kind of people who have never hammered their own thumb working anyway.” The cook snickered as he put the toolbox next to one of the stoves and pulled it out to reveal the power connection. “You will want to put the gloves on. So you do not get shocked.” Asuka said as she followed to look.

“Oh good thinking.” He stopped what he was doing and did just that.

“So no cook caste then… Quineg?” She tried to fit in.

“Neg. I am of the labour caste. Lifting, carrying, farming, cooking and cleaning. Stuff like that. Lowest of the castes.” He sounded like he didn’t really care about that last part.

“So who is at the top?” Asuka crossed her arms in thought.

“Warriors.” The cook answered.

‘Huh. Well that explains how they act.” She leaned on a counter.

“What do you mean?”

“Just the way they posture and talk like they own everything. Just rubs me the wrong way is all.” She shrugged one shoulder.

“They do. They are the ones keeping the rest of us safe. Without them there would be no safety at all!”

“Yeah but that is no reason to be dicks to people.” Asuka rolled her eyes. “I have had to cut down so many people to size for acting the same way. So maybe I am biassed.”

“Well it is their right to be. But make no mistake. Every caste is important. In clan Wolf we get treated pretty well. I hear in some clans it is far worse.” He says as he works with the power connection. Asuka looked at him with a tilted head. “Well that is good.” She nodded. All the warriors she had encountered thus far had acted a lot like bullies though. She couldn’t let that thought go so instead she chose to focus on something else instead.

“Hey. Do you mind if I make something for myself to eat? I am not a good cook but I am pretty sure I can make something for myself.” Asuka pushed herself off the counter.

“Sure. Go ahead. Tara should be around here somewhere. She can probably help you if you need something.” The cook said.

“Tara… Alright. What is your name by the way?”

“Fei.”

“Nice to meet you Fei. I am Asuka Hoshi.”

“Uh. I think you are just Asuka now. But nice to meet you too.” Fei said while unscrewing something

“What do you mean?”

“We do not have last names. We are part of the clan so it is the same family. Warriors can earn the right to have a bloodname. The right to have one of the founders’ names.”

“Huh… That is a new take. I will keep that in mind. Thank you Fei.” Asuka said and scratched her head. “I will go and see if I can find something to eat.”

xxxxxxxxxx

“What? You have to give up your last name? That sounds like a freaking cult!” Her inner sphere pride exclaimed.

“Even if it is not. Hoshi is from mom and dad! You cannot give that up! It is important. You are family!” Her mechtech heritage said.

“Hey look! Cooking oil!” Captain Obvious pointed out.

“They were part of the Dragoons’ founding. That means they are of Clan Wolf. They told as much. You are not being made to give anything up. You have a chance to be part of the same family.” The name in blood pointed out.

“But… It is still part of who you are. All the times you have written down Hoshi as your last name. The idea of giving it up… That feels weird.” her mechtech heritage shuddered.

“There is an awful smell here. Source unknown. It may be the spice from lunch.” Her autistic sensor suite reported.

“According to teachings, your last name is your parents' gift. It would be inappropriate to give it up. In the current circumstances however, you may dishonour them more by not striving to achieve the rank of warrior. That would make them proud.” Her bushido spirit noted after contemplation.

“There is no apparent source of the smell. It feels like it should be a lot more visible.” Captain Obvious searched around.

“The fluorescent flicker of the kitchen lights is causing interference again. The artificial light they use is causing damage.” Her autistic sensor suite flashed an alarm. Her vision blurred from the lights and she winced.

“What are the Dragoons going to do now? What about Warsong? If you become a warrior of Clan Wolf and join their war. You have to fight them do we not? You do not want to do that.” Her mechtech heritage said.

“Then you fight them. They are your pack so you can offer them mercy but if they fight you must not hold back.” The feral wolf snarled.

“There is a fridge over there. It is labelled something. Cannot make it out from here.” Captain Obvious thought.

“Picking up an electrical hum from the lights. Auditory buildup detected. Acoustic filters over capacity. Noise levels affecting other processes.” Her autistic sensor suite warned. A low ring started to sound in her ears again.

“Fucking rip the lights out or something and shut the fuck up.” The feral wolf barked.

“They may be your kin. But this is your kin too. Every step you have taken has been one to bring us to where maybe we were meant to belong.” The name in blood thought aloud.

“No fuck that. They have fought every step you have taken. They are enemies. To be torn apart.” The feral wolf snarled again.

“A water faucet. We can refill the water bottle there.” Captain Obvious interrupted.

“There are rules here. They are clear. They spell them out to you. The inner sphere never told you where the lines were, except for a map. And even that depended on who you asked.” The name in blood was snarling too now.

“New contact at two o'clock” Captain Obvious reported.

“You must meditate and learn more. Only after considering all of this and more may you achieve wisdom.” Her bushido spirit spoke with determination.

xxxxxxxxxx

Inner turmoil raged inside her and her head was starting to ache. The entire world was starting to feel like too much. The train of thought was interrupted by a voice repeating itself.

“Hey! Can I help you with anything?” A small woman spoke up. Asuka almost had to crane her neck down to look at the short thin woman. She was like a mouse.

“Oh. Hey. I was just looking for something… I am trying to make something to eat.” Asuka smiled. “Fei let me in.”

“Well we are serving tomato soup in a few hours. I can get you something in the meanwhile if you would like.” The woman returned the smile a little awkwardly.

“Aff. I know. I just cannot partake of it.” Asuka sounded strained.

“Are you allergic?” The woman frowned.

“Well… no. I… soup just does not agree with me I am afraid. So I was looking to make something else… I was honestly hoping I could get my hands on a pizza because I am starving.” Asuka chuckled.

“Pizza? Huh…” the woman said, sounding even more surprised. “Well… I could make one for you if you want. Oh I am Tara by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you Tara. I would appreciate it if you could… I am not very good at cooking. I can microwave. That is as far as my skills go.”

“Most warriors usually are. But that is okay. Wh-”

“Oh no I am just a bondswoman.” Asuka held up her wrist with the bondcord.

“You look like a warrior so… Well anyway. What would you like on it?” The woman offered a small smile.

“Well… Just ham, cheese and tomato sauce would do.” Asuka shrugged.

“Oh. Simple! I can make that in 15 minutes.” Tara smiled.

“That… would be most welcome Tara. Thank you.” Asuka smiled too. “I… will wait in the mess hall then.”

“Very well. I will get on it then.” Tara scurried off like a mouse through the kitchen to begin cooking. She was nothing if not quick and effective. She seemed happy at getting something new to do.

Asuka took a few steps to continue her search, but stopped to close her eyes and shook her hands almost as if they were wet. It usually helped when her head was like this. Her brow furrowed in frustration. Shaking her hands like this usually helped her bring back some focus. Right now it felt like it barely did anything. She grumbled and opened her eyes again, doing her best to filter everything out. Didn’t work. The engines reverberated through the entire ship. The artificial lightning. The hum of the electricity passing through it. Noises of the kitchen appliances. A bad speaker playing music. Somebody humming. The far noises of steps. The ventilation system fans and the refrigerator. It was draining to hear. There was nothing to focus on.

She looked around again. She finally found cooking oil standing in a small pantry. She looked around making sure she wasn’t observed and pocketed it. It felt greasy. But it would do the trick.

“Now I just need something to keep it in… and a string.” She had a look around. She didn't see anything that fit either of those criterias right now but she did see a water faucet. With that in mind she found the water bottle from her pocket and filled it up and took a drink. She breathed a small sigh of relief. It cooled her down for a moment. A couple of small empty glass jars stood upside down in an attempt to let the last water run out. Asuka pocketed one of them and the lid for it.

“That will do nicely as a container.” She told herself. “If I can find a knife and punch a hole in the lid that could hold the wick.”

Finding a knife proved easy enough. It was reasonably sharp even. She brought out the lid and made a few holes in it.

“There.” She nodded to herself and was about to put the knife away when she suddenly saw something. An apron. A thin piece of fabric hung from it to tie it back. With the knife in hand she went to cut it off. Sure the apron wasn't usable now, but she did have her wick. She put the string in her pocket and put the knife where she found it.

“Might something to secure the string…” she searched through a drawer and found a fork.

“That will have to work.” Asuka said to herself and pocketed it. It made a lot of noise as it clicked against the glass jar in her pocket. They felt a bit full. Only one thing struck her now. A paper towel. She was going to need one of those. She had everything she could want now. She took another sip of the her water and went to find Tara again

“Hey. Miss Tara. I have to return to my quarters for a little while. Keep the pizza warm for me if it is not a problem for you.” Asuka asked after she found Tara. The small mousey girl almost jumped in surprise as she had rolled out a dough on a platter.

“Oh. Aff. Certainly. If you would like I can come with it to your quarters if you would like.” Tara offered.

“You do not have to do that. But… you know what? I would greatly appreciate it if you could so I can eat in peace and quiet.” Asuka had a grateful smile on her face.

“Aff! I will take it there. You are probably in corridor C2?” She asked just to be sure.

“Yeah that sounds about right. Thank you very much Tara. I owe you one.”

+++++++++

After returning to her room. Asuka tied a knot on the string, filled the jar with cooking oil. Drenched the string and pulled it through the lid and screwed it on. The fork helped hold it in place. With the wires and power pack she made a small spark and ignited the string. It produced a flame. It was a bit bigger than the kind of candle she was used to but it would do well. She killed the lights in her room and sat on her knees in front of the candle and stared at the flame that sat on top of the desk. It danced around vividly and it looked almost blurry. She focused on the flame and its dance. She slowed her breathing. The flame's dance lessened. The sound of the engines, of work and chimes disappeared. She, the flame and her thoughts were all that existed in this moment of time. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Her thoughts continued to flash in her head. But the chaos lessened with deprived senses. It helped her straighten her other thoughts and much like her breathing. Calm them, focus them and seize control of them. With each inhale she soothed one thought and with each exhalate she felt calmer. Her breathing slowed down further. Over the course of a few minutes it slowed even further. She felt at peace with the world and in control of herself again. She opened her eyes. The flame was nearly still, it was . It still danced gently to her breath. But it was far more calm. It mirrored how she felt in the moment. She rolled her shoulders, they felt less tense than a few minutes ago. Her ears didn’t ring any more and the flame had a clear outline.

There was a knock on the door. That must be the pizza. She blew out the flame and turned the lights back on. The world didn't feel as heavy or as difficult. She didn't have to push through her own thoughts anymore. She was focused and ready to begin unpacking whatever all of this was.

#battletech #mechwarrior #revivalposting #story event

3 notes · View notes