#scrap prices

[ourcopperscrap]

The prices of scrap copper depend on the type of scrap. Die-cast parts are considered to be the most looked-for getting up to 25 dollars every pound. Copper Scrap from generators and/or electric motors are bought by metal salvage yards ranging up to 10 dollars every pound.

[scrapmonsterfan]

18th October, 2023: Chinese Scrap Metal Prices Recorded Notable Surge on Index

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The Chinese aluminum scrap prices surged higher on ScrapMonster Price Index  as on October 18th,Wednesday. Brass, Bronze, and Copper Scrap prices too were up from the previous day. Stainless Steel scrap prices surged on Index. Meantime, Steel scrap prices held steady.

Copper Scrap Prices

The #1 Copper Bare Bright prices were up by CNY 800 per MT.

#1 Copper Wire and Tubing saw price rise of CNY 800 per MT each.

The price of #2 Copper Wire and Tubing also increased by CNY 800 per MT.

#1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery prices were up by CNY 400 per MT over the previous day. The price of #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery too surged higher by CNY 200 per MT when compared with the day before.

Copper Transformer scrap and Cu Yokes prices edged higher by CNY 50 per MT on Index.

Cu/Al Radiator and Heater Cores prices inched higher by CNY 200 per MT and CNY 300 per MT respectively.

Harness Wire 35% Recovery prices were up by CNY 100 per MT on Wednesday, October 18th.

Also, Scrap Electric Motors and Sealed Units prices saw increase by CNY 50 per MT each on Index.

Aluminum Scrap Prices

6063 Extrusions witnessed a rise of CNY 100 per MT over the previous day.

Aluminum Ingots prices too were up by CNY 100 per MT.

Aluminum Radiators and Aluminum Transformers witnessed rise by CNY 50 per MT each on Index.

E.C Aluminum Wire prices inched higher by CNY 100 per MT.

Old Cast and Old Sheet prices jumped higher by CNY 100 per MT each on October 18th, 2023.

Meantime, UBC prices inched higher by CNY 50 per MT on Index.

Zorba 90%NF prices witnessed upmove by CNY 50 per MT over the day.

Steel Scrap Prices

#1 HMS prices held steady on 18th October, 2023.

Cast Iron Scrap too reported no change in prices.

Stainless Steel Scrap Prices

201 SS scrap prices were unchanged over the day.

304 SS Solid prices and 304 SS Turning priced edged higher by CNY 50 per MT each on October 18th, 2023.

309 SS and 310 SS scrap prices edged higher by CNY 100 per MT and CNY 150 per MT respectively when compared with the prior day.

316 SS Solid and Shred SS prices too were up by CNY 100 per MT and CNY 50 per MT respectively from the previous day.

Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices

The Brass/Bronze Scrap prices in China recorded modest rise from the previous day.

Brass Radiator scrap prices increased by CNY 100 per MT on October 18th, 2023.

Red Brass and Yellow Brass prices were up by CNY 150 per MT each. 

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[scrapmonsterindia]

25th September, 2023: Chinese Scrap Metal Prices Dipped on Index

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The Chinese copper scrap prices declined sharply on ScrapMonster Price Index  as on September 25th, Monday. Aluminum and Brass/Bronze scrap prices dropped on Index when compared with the previous day. Meantime, Stainless Steel and Steel scrap prices held steady on Index.

Copper Scrap Prices

#1 Copper Bare Bright prices were down by CNY 350 per MT over the previous day. The price of #1 Copper Wire and Tubing and #2 Copper Wire and Tubing too declined by CNY 350 per MT each.

#1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery prices have declined by CNY 150 per MT upon comparison with the previous day. The price of #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery prices recorded a dip by CNY 50 per MT over the previous day.

Copper Transformer and Cu Yokes prices were flat from the day before.

Cu/Al Radiator prices dropped by CNY 50 per MT.

Harness Wire 35% Recovery prices witnessed no change on Monday, September 25th, 2023.

Heater Cores prices were down by CNY 150 per MT on Index.

Scrap Electric Motors and Sealed Units prices were unchanged over the prior day.

Aluminum Scrap Prices

6063 Extrusions declined by CNY 100 per MT in prices over the previous day.

Aluminum Ingots too were down by CNY 100 per MT.

The prices of Aluminum Radiators and Aluminum Transformers dipped by CNY 50 per MT each on Index.

E.C Aluminum Wire prices inched lower by CNY 100 per MT on Index.

Old Cast and Old Sheet prices too dropped by CNY 100 per MT each on 25th September, 2023.

The prices of UBC and Zorba 90% INF recorded decline by CNY 50 per MT from the previous day.

Steel Scrap Prices

#1 HMS prices held steady on 25th September, 2023.

Cast Iron Scrap too reported no change in prices.

Stainless Steel Scrap Prices

201 SS prices were unchanged on Index.

304 SS Solid and 304 SS Turning prices witnessed no change on Index.

309 SS and 316 SS prices recorded no change when compared with the prior day.

310 SS Solid scrap prices were flat on September 25th, 2023.

Shred SS prices too held steady over the day.        

Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices

The Brass/Bronze Scrap prices in China recorded marginal decline on Index.

Brass Radiator scrap prices inched lower by CNY 50 per MT on September 25th, 2023.

Red Brass and Yellow Brass prices too were down by CNY 50 per MT each on Index.

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[glossysoap]

price fucking you into the mattress, legs against your chest and his beard scratching your skin as he buries his face in the crook of your neck.

then imagine him slipping a ring onto your finger while you’re on the brink of your second or third orgasm, way too fucked out to notice <3

©️ glossysoap 2024. please do not steal, copy, plagiarize, translate, or repost any of my works without my permission. do not steal any elements of my theme without permission.

[neixins]

[ID: the cover art of volume 42 of “yona of the dawn”, featuring gija and jaeha; they’re both smiling, and maple leaves and sparrows are flying around them. a text post by greelin has been edited onto the image; it reads: “yeah i'm doomed by the narrative but i have a little time to be absolutely gay”. end ID.]

my dearly beloved alive guys <3

[vincents-dishwasher-fish]

Imagine deez dragons (or whatever the joke was I forgot) 🤩🫐💙🐉🖤

[scrublord27]

I was looking at old files when I discovered the time I tied to make a Total Drama Island-like show based of members of The Toppat Clan from The Henry Stickmin Franchise. I even had some Character Arcs and an Elimination Order and everything, plus a Villain (well I guess more of a villain then these guys) with also Reginald as the house, +Thomas Geoffrey and Ahnoldt.

The idea was that these Members were handpicked and were able to win a spot as the next Right Hand Man after the previously one died, a sort of AU where he was never made into a cyborg.

I also found an old screenshot of an unfinished script I unfortunately don’t have anymore.

IMO, this was a very solid idea I had going but unfortunately had to scratch because I wasn’t going to balance it with my actual show BUT if anybody wants to take this idea out of my hands and help me make it happen, I’d be willing to give you it.

[corrodedcoughin]

HELLO SPONTANEOUS PART 2 TO MANLY STEVE (inspired by the fact my dad is working on one of his classic cars rn)

One day once Steve and Eddie are dating, Steve buys himself a real junker of a car, from the 50s, barely working, missing wheels, broken down, and they keep it parked behind the Munson's new trailer.

And Steve is determined to fix it up. Rebuild the body, fix the engine, redo the interior. Really get his hands on it, fix it, make it his.

His father liked cars, but only if they were new, expensive, and he didn't have to touch the engine. He'd brag about horsepower, and top speed, but fixing it and changing the oil was blue collar work and "below him". Steve likes getting hands on, physical work, finding a problem and working around it.

So he spends hours tinkering with it, finding new parts, and Eddie and Wayne join him. Eddie taking all the knowledge his father gave him of hotwiring and stripping cars for parts and using it productively. Making it a happy memory. So of course Wayne is there. Getting as involved as he can when Eddie keeps reminding him to take it easy, dont get hurt, they can share the work. (Wayne's car knowledge is a big help)

I just!!!!! Them forming this new loving family unit and working to create something together

Momo I’m so sorry I’m so late getting back to you!!

I LOVE your ideas, as always.

What about Steve, Eddie and Wayne going off in Eddie’s van to scope out scrap yards/used parts. They make a day off it every month or second month, touring round their usual spots. Eddie elbow deep in a pile of parts when he he hears Wayne’s slow and steady drawl that cuts through the noise of the yard

‘Boys, think I found somethin’

Eddie sidles up, looking over Wayne’s shoulder when Steve approaches from the opposite side. Wayne just raises an eyebrows and points with his cigarette to an old piece of kit that’s seen better days but by Steve’s reaction you’d think he’d just been handed seventeen babies, a station wagon and a family home to house them all.

It’s the piece Steve had been looking for for god knows how long. Only thing is, it’s more expensive than it has any right to be. They only find this out after Steve takes it up to the owner to ask thr price. His face falls, dreams of finishing their project car dashed. He tries not to let it show, just gives a tight lipped smile and walks away, hands in pockets.

Both Eddie and Wayne catch each others eyes, theirs heads come together, seeing if there’s a solution. They know they can’t afford it themselves, no chance, they are just managing bills and food as it is, disposable income a rarity. Eddie has an idea though, he asks Steve to let him and wayne contribute towards the cost, knowing that between the three of them and some sweet talking to the yard owner into a payment plan (Wayne has some long running connections that he’s not shy of exploiting when it comes to his boys). It’s not easy, Steve outright refuses at first, saying that he could never take that from Eddie and Wayne, that they don’t need to pander to him. There’s sle loud ones, some angry ones too.

But it’s Wayne’s stern eye and explanation that ‘Steve, son, we’ve put some hours into this thing too. Don’t you think we want to see it done?’

They all know wayne is just giving Steve an out but they don’t mention it, don’t even vaguely acknowledge it. When Steve is sitting in the back of Eddie’s van, bright smile on his face as he cradled the hunk of metal in his arms he’s so grateful he thinks his heart might burst. He doesn’t catch it, too busy staring at the cold object in his lap but Eddie and Wayne share a look, one of pride. They can’t give much, not like what Steve is used to, but what they can give means so much more and that’s evident on Steve’s face.

[scrap-metals-prices]

What are the Scrap Metal prices like in the UK and USA?

Copper: £3 to £4 per kilogram

Aluminum: £0.50 to £1 per kilogram

Brass: £2 to £3 per kilogram

Steel: £0.10 to £0.20 per kilogram

Stainless Steel: £0.50 to £1 per kilogram

Scrap Metal Prices in the USA

Copper: $3 to $4 per pound

Aluminum: $0.50 to $1 per pound

Brass: $1.50 to $2.50 per pound

Steel: $0.05 to $0.10 per pound

Stainless Steel: $0.50 to $1 per pound

[scrapmonsterindia]

10th August, 2023: Chinese Scrap Metal Prices Dipped on Index

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The Chinese scrap metal prices remained mostly unchanged on ScrapMonster Price Index  as on August 10th, Thursday. Steel, Brass and Bronze scrap prices held steady. Copper scrap prices too remained unchanged over the previous day.  Aluminum and Stainless Steel scrap prices dropped on Index.

Copper Scrap Prices

The #1 Copper Bare Bright and #1 Copper Wire and Tubing witnessed no price change over the previous day.

The price of #2 Copper Wire and Tubing also remained flat.

#1 Insulated Copper Wire 85% Recovery prices remained flat. The price of #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery held steady over the previous day.

Copper Transformer scrap prices saw no variation in prices over the previous day. No price-change was witnessed in Cu Yokes.

Cu/Al Radiator prices remained unchanged.

Harness Wire 35% Recovery prices held steady on Thursday, August 10th, 2023.

Also, Heater Cores, Scrap Electric Motors and Sealed Units prices remained unchanged.

Aluminum Scrap Prices

6063 Extrusions witnessed decline by CNY 50 per MT over the previous day.

Aluminum Ingots too were down by CNY 50 per MT.

The prices of Aluminum Radiators and Aluminum Transformers witnessed no change on Index.

E.C Aluminum Wire prices dipped by CNY 50 per MT on Index.

Old Cast and Old Sheet prices too were down by CNY 50 per MT on 10th August, 2023.

The prices of UBC and Zorba 90% INF prices were flat from the previous day.

Steel Scrap Prices

#1 HMS prices held steady on 10th August, 2023.

Cast Iron Scrap reported no change in prices.

Stainless Steel Scrap Prices

201 SS prices were down by CNY 50 per MT on Index.

304 SS Solid and 304 SS Turning prices declined by CNY 100 per MT each on Index.

309 SS and 316 SS prices inched lower by CNY 150 per MT when compared with the prior day.

310 SS Solid scrap prices were down by CNY 200 per MT on August 10th, 2023.

Shred SS prices declined by CNY 100 per MT over the day.

Brass/Bronze Scrap Prices

The Brass/Bronze Scrap prices in China remained unchanged on Index.

Brass Radiator scrap prices held steady on August 10th, 2023.

Red Brass and Yellow Brass prices too were flat on Index.

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[lazywitchling]

I have my pattern pieces all cut out, but now I have to wait for my fABRIC TO GET HERE, SINCE IT’S VACATIONING IN PENNSYLVANIA

[thewatercolours]

King's Quest Fic: "The Fairy" (Goblin Graham, #12)

"Gwendolyn. What are you still doing in here? Didn't you hear the guards order everyone out? Can't you hear everything creaking?"

"Um - what? Sorry?"

"Something's wrong, cousin. The castle's shaking on its foundations. Has been since early morning. Something strange here, making it go unstable all of a sudden. You didn't notice? There's... Oh my stars. Gwendolyn! Did those bricks fall while you were in here?"

"Maybe? I didn't really notice. The mirror -"

"I know, I know, you were too busy watching the mirror. I mean, look! It's taken out a quarter of the ceiling? What would you have done if it had collapsed on your head? Look, we'll take the mirror with us, but we've got to get out! Did you even hear me?"

---

Perhaps it was the rich overground air, or the long hours spent escaping, or maybe the cold was more comfortable these days. Graham drifted off as easily as any sleeper could wish. As he blinked away his last moments of consciousness, he felt vaguely that he ought to toss and turn now that he’d been told of Manny and the goblins’ siege of the castle. Insomnia felt more responsible. But exhaustion smoothed his fears away before he could wake himself to make a plan. Three quarters asleep, he snuggled deep into his cloak between the roots of a burly yew. 

Mid-dream, something roused him. He rolled onto his right side, meaning to squint at the bedside clock in the castle’s royal chamber. Instead, he found himself eye to eye with a face, glowing blue as midwinter stars. The face giggled.

Untangling himself from the cloak, Graham yelped and scrambled to sit up, back against the tree.

The person before him was close to his own goblin size, and knelt to one side of him with a starry-eyed smile. Unnaturally lithe and dainty-featured she looked, just as he had always heard wood sprites described. He could not see much of her wings, but they appeared to be coolly golden and folded neatly behind her shoulders. Tittering musically, the fairy tapped the end of his nose with one shining finger, sending specks of light he could only just make out skittering over his skin. “Well, aren’t you the wee little goblin man! How precious!”  

Half awake and wholly thunderstruck, Graham could not choke a single word from his throat.

She took hold of his long ears. They twitched away reflexively, despite her gentleness. She laughed in gleeful surprise. “Awww! Did I make you flinch? I’ll be careful. You’ve got such big, swoopy, droopy ears, haven’t you? Yes you have, yes you have,” she crooned, reaching again to stroke them.

“Who are you?” whispered Graham, but his voice was even hoarser with sleep, almost nothing like speech. She did not seem to notice.

“A sleeeepy goblin, a tuckered out little goblin,” she went on, fondly rumpling his hair. Her hands were kind, but cool to the touch, even to his strange skin. And though it was hard to tell what she was doing, it appeared that every time she made contact, her hands glowed the brighter, just for a moment. “Oh, your pupils are so big right now! Great big eyes to see in the dark. What are you doing up here in the forest? A bit lost? Or were you just too dozy to crawl downstairs to your home? Are you a tiny bit scared?” she asked as Graham made another attempt to speak up. “Don’t be frightened, little friend. I know something that might make you happy.” She spread her luminous golden wings wide, and flapped them so that gleaming dust dropped in their wake. Her grin grew broader. “See that? I’m a fairy! Yes, you know all about us, don’t you? From your games?”

Graham straightened up where he sat, and cleared his throat pointedly. “For your information -”

Enraptured, she paid no heed. “Just look at you, though.Your little tummy, and your nubby little fangs, and those little pink… freckles…” A suspicious look flashed across her face. She poked an interrogative finger at his chin and cheekbones, considerably less gently. “Not freckles,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes. “You, good sir, have holes in your skin. Or growths, maybe. That’s human flesh, that is.” She sounded positively disgusted. “Or possibly mould. Comes to much the same thing.”

He had never demanded this of anyone, but enough was enough. “You,” said Graham firmly, “will call me ‘Your Majesty.’”

The fairy leaned back, looking him over from tuft to toe. She still smiled, but her merriment had changed to mockery. “‘Your majesty,’ eh?” she drawled. “A little king, eh? Look here. I happen to know the goblin king, and you ain’t him, sugarplum.”

“I’ve met him too,” said Graham with dignity, squaring his narrow shoulders. “I am the King of Daventry.”

A flicker of doubt passed over her, but she regained herself a moment later. “I don’t keep up much with politics, but even I know the king of Daventry is your standard, garden-variety human. Now, you,” she leaned in again and began connecting the dots on his face with her finger, “are just a goblin with human pimples. Ugh! They’re warm!”

He brushed her arm aside, frowning. “Look, I don’t particularly care if you believe me,” he said, mind whirring, “but if you don’t quit touching my face…” What could he say? “… you’re gonna be going home with spots yourself.”

The fairy recoiled, and turned from blue to something slightly closer to violet. “It’s catching?” she shrieked.

“Like a fishing line,” said Graham brightly. “Take the warning where I didn’t.”

The fairy backed off further and rubbed her hands off her sides, but there still seemed something unconvinced in her. “You’re very well-spoken for a goblin,” she said slowly. “Why did you say you’re the King of Daventry?”

“Because I am. I’m under a spell of sorts.”

“A spell. Oho.” She stroked her chin. “Well, that’s easier to check up on, isn’t it? All right, cupcake, on your feet.”  

“Oh, but my -”

Graham’s body parted ways with the forest floor. He rose three feet into the air, and tilted into a standing position despite himself. His dark hair billowed out as though he were underwater. Even his clothing did not drape in the ordinary way. His green wrists stuck out of his sleeve cuffs without the fabric touching them. His satin-trimmed cloak followed his trajectory up into the air, and then wandered gently and randomly like cream on a hot drink. “Hey!” he cried, throwing himself forward, hoping he could dive back to the ground. But he only found himself turning the slowest of slow-motion somersaults in the air. Head over heels he spun, groping for anything solid, but the fairy had lifted him into the middle of the clearing. Nothing met his grasp.

As he turned right way up, he came face to face with the fairy. She tapped his nose again, with just enough force that he lost momentum and didn’t fall into another somersault. “You know you go cross-eyed when I boop your nose?” She crossed her own eyes exaggeratedly. “Adorbs.”

He had no intention of using his claws on her, but this couldn’t go on. He glared and held up a warning finger. “I’m gonna have to ask you to put me down right this second, or this is going to be a diplomatic incident under Daventry Decree 90983.”  

“Yes, yes, that sounds fun. But now, let’s have a better look at you.” She twirled her finger playfully.

A mellow warmth kindled in Graham’s core, kind as hot soup and a blanket when you’ve just come in from the cold. It fanned out through him to the tips of his overlong toes and gnarled, spindly fingers. His eyes widened in shock, and he gasped. Gentle as fog melting off a window, his claws flattened and pulled back into themselves, and his fingertips softened into tender pink skin. 

The forest quieted. His vision dimmed, and the luminescent greens and purples of the night faded into a largely detail-less darkness.

Then he found himself laughing giddily as he changed and changed. He could hardly see a thing, but oh stars, could he feel it! He threw out his arms above his head as though he had just woken up, and stretched. Never had it felt so rewarding, for his arms actually stretched along with him. He could feel his spine and legs doing the same as that warmth spread through every inch of him. Meanwhile, his hands and bare feet shrank, growing less supple but so wonderfully familiar. And yet, remarkable in their unfamiliarity too. He flexed his goblin hand, and then his human hand, which hadn’t deserved that name in so long, marvelling at how new the sensation of closing his own fingers felt after only a few weeks. It all seemed so much more real than anything had since his transformation began. There was a clarity and quickness in his head that made him wonder how much his mind had been damped till now.

And his face, his face which he hardly ever dared touch, thawed into its true self. He ran his fine fingers over his great big nose, his cheeks, his eyelashes.  He knew every line. His fingers came away from his eyes wet with tears. He couldn’t help but smile through them, a smile full of the greatest gratitude he had known in his life. “Thank you,” he murmured, turning to the fairy, hardly able to see her through the mist in his eyes. “Thank you!”

His real voice.

She nodded, smiling wryly. “Well, I guess you are human.” Casually, she snapped her fingers.

Almost instantly, Graham’s whole body reverted. His arms and legs snapped back like stretchy putty released, and he lost half his height. His skin shuddered, rippling and goosebumping. The sensation was something like plunging into a freezing pool through a layer of algae. The warmth inside him extinguished. Then green, and claws, and long, floppy ears flattening against his neck. He plopped to the ground, landing gracelessly on his bottom. 

He hardly processed the jolt his ankle took when he made impact, or the forest’s restored brightness. She had turned him back. Back into a goblin. “What?” he growled, rounding on her and shaking with sudden fury. “Didn’t you see? Couldn’t you tell? I wanted to be myself again! I thought you were helping me!”

“Aww,” the fairy jeered, crouching down to the ground with him and tilting her head to one side. “Are we having a tantrum? Is that the king or the goblin side coming out, I wonder?”

“Turn me back,” he said sternly, stumbling to his feet. “I need to be human. My kingdom’s under attack as we speak. They need me.”

She rose and patted his cheek. Her touch only made him aware that his skin had curdled again. “Take it from me,” she said. “As a human, you’re not much to write home about. Better stick with the twitchy ears, little guy. You’re cute as a button.”

With a surge of ferocity, Graham snarled and shoved her backward. She squeaked and tripped over her own feet into a tall patch of bracken. He started forward angrily, unsure of anything but that he would make her understand the gravity of his situation. But with its customary unfortunate timing, his ankle buckled, and he sank to one knee, wincing and sucking his teeth to keep from snarling further. The voice of reason surfaced. Keep your head. Don’t give in to that side. Anything but that.

The fairy sat up and stared, her jaw hanging open. “Oh. Oh. Did I do that?” There was a long pause as they pulled themselves together. Then the first note of sympathy since her realization that he was human entered her voice. “I see you have a bad foot. Do you… do you want me to put you back up in the air a while longer?” “I’m fine. I’ll just sit down,” said Graham, leveling his voice and grabbing at a branch to support himself. He nearly pitched over. It was a flimsy evergreen, and it wobbled in his hand.

The fairy chewed her lip uncomfortably, and her hands glowed again, though he hadn’t seen her touch anything. “Okay.” 

In a moment, he was steady again. The same unseen power carried his legs out from under him. “None of that now!” he shouted, but he need not have worried. The magic set him down carefully in a seated position, propped up against a generous oak, and his foot elevated on a mossy stone.  

She settled herself on the farthest side of the clearing from him, folding her hands in her lap. “I don’t like seeing a little goblin hurting,” she mumbled, hanging her head and sounding a bit ashamed. “Even if they’re actually a human king.” She spoke more slowly. “I won’t touch your foot if you don’t want me to, but I’d like to make this better, if you’ll let me. I mean, not magically. But I could find food, or a change of bandages, or something.”

Graham took a deep breath, and pushed away the sneering, angry remarks he could have made. “I… am grateful you want to help me,” he said carefully. “But you would help me and my people a lot more if you worried less about my foot and more about the spell I’m under. You’ve already shown me it’s easy for you to break it. So…”

Yet again, she interrupted him, twiddling her thumbs and shaking her head with a doleful smile. “I think you’ve jumped to conclusions here, um… What’s your name?”

“Graham.”

“Graham. Mine’s Orri. Yeah. So, I didn’t break any spell just now. I just took a quick peek at your real form. It’s a pretty basic magical maneuver, and it doesn’t actually change anything.”

“Well, it certainly felt real,” Graham said, rubbing his ears.

“I guess it would. But it would have undone itself in a few seconds anyway. It’s just a peeling back of the magic for a moment to get a glimpse. It’s not a transformation.” Orri looked up and met his gaze with a disheartened shrug. “I couldn’t turn you into a human if I wanted to - not without a wish, and those are, um, pretty serious.”

“A wish?” Graham stiffened, and he stared at her fixedly. “You mean you could grant a wish?”

Orri heaved a sigh that was more sincere than anything she had said thus far. “Full truth here for a second? I’ve never done wishes before, exactly. Humans aren’t really my thing, if you couldn’t guess. I mean, technically I could probably do it. But it’s messy. Messy for you, messy for me. And give me another ten minutes and I won’t feel so bad about hurting your foot, and I’ll just be mad at you again for not being a real goblin.” 

Something crinkled in the corner of her eye. A new light came over her features, literally, and traveled all the way to the ends of her hair. “I mean, I suppose I could make you into a real goblin. That’s loads easier than going the other way ‘round, and it wouldn’t take a wish!” Orri's enthusiasm grew with every word. She practically bounced up and down where she sat.“Oh man. Oh man, I could totally handle that! We’ll just sand down your mind a bit, make a few simplifications …”

“Oh, no, no! That won’t be necessary,” stammered Graham. He forced himself to stay calm, trying to pull her back to her more collected state. “Er, ouch, my foot, my poor foot!”

But Orri  was back in full swing, already leaping into his personal space again. “Oh Graham, that would solve everything! Just a few tweaks in that little head of yours, and no more sad king. Your mother taught you all your nursery rhymes and fairy tales when you were a boy, I hope?”

“M-my sister, actually,  but that’s -”

“Then you’re ready! You’d be so happy. I mean, you could still be a little grumpypants if you wanted to. It’s not like they don’t get mad sometimes. But most of the time, they just act out stories, and make costumes and stuff. Not a care in the world.” Her fingers began to glow an intense white, and she wiggled them playfully in his direction. “Why don’t you just give me your hands, and I can - ”

In spite of his resolve to stay even-keeled, Graham started crawling backwards, crab style, trying to put the oak between himself and Orri. “Oh, I’m sure being a goblin is a real barrel of laughs, but um, I can probably help my kingdom better with my mind intact. So let’s just reroute and-” 

He cried out as she leapt, making a deft grab for his hand. Even before they made contact he could feel power surging from her fingertips like static, connecting with his.  Something vital in him wanted to grab hold of her hand and draw that energy in. But he wrenched himself away in a side roll, panting nervously as he came to a halt lying on his front. He tucked his hands under his stomach as she fluttered down beside him, the blue-white of her skin more intense than the fullest moon. Again, the instinct to use his claws came, but not only would that set him further down the goblinification track, probably, it would only give her access to his hands.

She clicked her tongue consolingly. “You know, little friend, your mind’s already changing to match your body. I took a peek at what you really are, remember?  You don’t have a duty anymore. That’s for humans. You couldn’t help your kingdom for much longer, anyway. Just give me your hands now. It’s just the human side of you being stubborn.” She prodded his side with her foot.

Graham swallowed and dug his fingertips into the patch of soft earth beneath him. “But if I can help them even for a bit, I’ve got to go for it. You said you technically could grant wishes. Can’t we try that first? Nothing to lose, right?” This felt utterly ridiculous, to fight a fairy by lying flat on the ground. But what choice did he have? To this overenthusiastic sprite, he was more or less just a cuddly puppy who was going to the vet’s, whatever he might think about the matter. What would he do if she flew him up in the air again, and he couldn’t hide his hands anymore? Play the world’s highest stakes game of ninja slap until she caught him?

Orri hunched over, and whispered in his enormous ear. “Graham, I don’t have ideas I can be proud of very often,” she said, almost confidingly.  “Just let me have this.” Then she seized his ear, and twisted it where it attached to his head.

“Augh!” It was more than he could stand. He didn’t have much understanding of goblin biology, but he did know that twist was about ten times more painful than he would have expected. Before he could think, he pawed wildly to yank his ear out of her reach, to pry her fingers free.

Her hand clasped his. She didn’t seem to care about the claws. She just held on tight, and twined her fingers through his. He felt the magic lock on to him.

Graham’s thoughts windchimed off each other, too fleeting to follow. His head grew light. She pulled him to his feet. The ground seemed to shake underfoot, but all that felt faraway. Everything outside himself was irrelevant, because it felt like his mind was turning inside out. Something surfaced in his head. Something dauntingly clever and complicated and warm and royal red, and everything in him knew it didn’t belong here in his head. He had to get rid of it now before it could struggle. But it hung on awfully hard as he tried to reject it. But here was something else, edging it out, filling his mind. Yes. Something. Pushing it out for him. Something… good. Something yes. Yes, yes. Something something something rum-tee-tum-tee-tum, yes yes yes. Oho, filling up the corners. Hehehehehehehehe! Yes yes yes!

And then ow! Ow! Hand gone. No more hand! No more yes! Rage! Not fair! Ow! Whack you! Whack you! Someone grabbing. Someone pulling him away. No more magic. Turning it all outside in again. Everything spilling over again. Maybe a touch of nausea - in his mind? If that made sense? Nothing made sense, but it was coming back. His feet weren’t touching the ground, but neither was he floating this time. There were huge, pudgy arms lifting him up. No, not arms. Gigantic fingers. 

Clarity shot through him. Olfie had him in his careful grasp, and the forest clearing below was a good twenty feet beneath him. Even with dark vision, Graham couldn’t see Orri anywhere. He craned his head back to look up at the bridge troll’s honest, hideous face. “Olfie!” he cried, overwhelmed with relief. “Oh, Olfie!” Olfie smiled, not without concern, lifting him up to look at him straight on. “You okay, King Goosie? Saw you were havin’ some fairy trouble down there. Did she try something?”

“No, I’m good.” Graham said, his chest still tense with stress but trying to let it go. His head bobbled on his neck and the world swam a bit, but fixing his eyes on Olfie’s face gave him a point of reference to stabilize from. “I think you didn’t arrive a moment too soon, though! Is she - did you see where she went?”

“Disappeared as soon as I got a hold on you.”

“Praise the consultations.” Graham muttered as Olfie propped him up in his palm. “I mean the consolati- no, the constellations. Sorry. She tried to mess with my head, and I might still be coming back from it.”

Olfie nodded, about as sagely as a troll could. “Gotta watch out for them. Always pulling tricks. One time they got Pillare thinking she was croissant, and you don’t want to hear how that went down at the meeting. Glad it’s all okay for you. So, I went and got them like you said. You ready for this?”

Graham tried to collect his disoriented thoughts. “You went and got who, now?”

“You told me to get them,” said Olfie. And before Graham could ask any further questions, the troll brought his two hands together - the palm where Graham leaned against his fingers, and the other - where to Graham’s astonishment, sat two of his royal guards, cross-legged in full uniform. Numbers One and Two. 

Number One gasped.

[theradioghost]

thanks to craigslist it looks like I may be achieving my lifelong dream of owning a fancy antique china cabinet and can I just say. my fellow zilennials. you have got to get on these things. people literally cannot give them away because no one is buying collections of china they never use anymore, and as a result the internet is full of offers for FREE beautiful giant cabinets that are the world's best display for All Of Your Favorite Weird Shit. I intend* to fill mine with figures, fossils, weird antique ephemera and fake taxidermy**, and frankly I cannot wait

*actually right now I'm going to be using it as a dresser because I don't currently have one since the cross-continental move, but the oddities WILL be showcased eventually

** don't own any real taxidermy except for a sheep skull but IDK if Shaun counts since I just bought him off an old lady at a village fair and bleach treated him myself