#this made me feel like a piranha in a feeding frenzy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

scatcatz · 6 years

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Affection by Decimals

Chapter 2 - Fuzzy Paws and Fuzzy Thoughts

Summary: Doing something nice for Connor. Lots of fluff.

"So, was the aquarium what you hoped it would be?" Connor asked as he tried flipping the stamped coin they got from the machine commemorating their visit.

"Yeah, it was beautiful. They changed it dramatically since I was last here but I'm glad they still have the piranha tank. They are terrifying little critters."

"They are ‘opportunistic carnivores’."

"Think you could swim across a river before they could eat you?" He was never tired of her bizarre hypothetical questions.

"Yes, for multiple reasons. First, they don’t attack large animals unless provoked. Second, my blood wouldn’t trigger a feeding frenzy like yours would. Third, their teeth wouldn't be able to penetrate past my hard shell. I would survive. What you should really be asking about is the electric eel. I wouldn't come back from that the same person."

She made a audible disgusted noise. He placed his new coin in his coat as they got into the taxi. She set up a destination he wasn't familiar with and then sat along side him.

"Are we stopping somewhere to eat?" It was about that time she would begin to crave food.

"Sort of. I have a surprise for you." Her bright smile bordered on playful. "Turn off your GPS. I don't want you spoiling it for yourself." She was lightly bouncing in her seat which got him extremely curious.

"That’s fine, I can still figure it out."

"No! Let it be a surprise! You're not solving crimes tonight just enjoy it."

"Most stores will be closed at this time during the weekend..."

"Hey!" Her finger pointed at him but he didn't care.

"You mentioned food and the block we are going to had a strip of restaurants."

"Connor, I wanted to do something special for you since you're always taking me to places I like." The android was on a mission now. His brain processed thousands of possibilities and it was exciting to challenge his abilities in a low stress environment. He could figure it out given enough time. He had seven minutes to pin a location.

"Connor, how many teeth do piranhas have?" Connor tilted his head. He felt inclined to respond.

Data load paused... New request loaded.

"Depending on species, around 25 teeth." She hummed back nodding her head.

Processing area data...

"Well, some of them are vegetarian. Do they have teeth too?" He noticed her trying to hide a smile again.

Data processing paused... New request loaded.

"Yes."

Filtering current availability of stores...

"How strong is their bite?" Three times is a pattern.

"You're not going stop me from deducing where we’re going." But he really couldn't leave her question unresolved even if it was a passing interest.

Filter paused... New request loaded.

"A two and a half pound fish delivered a bite with a force of 320 newtons, or about 72 pounds." A trill of giggles was her response. Her default response for many interactions.

Resuming filter... Filter paused.

Oh. A stimulus sensor diverted his attention. Her hand was squeezing his knee but she was too swept up in laughing to notice the contact. It slipped off him and gripped the edge of the seat. Once she simmered down, she leaned toward him.

"You're so sweet for indulging in my inane questions." He grew accustomed to her bubbly nature. It was never a burden but rather a refreshing contrast to his stressful work day. This was partly why he enjoyed going everywhere with her. That and she was very open to his blunt comments and suggestions. She also gave excellent feedback for the social cues he failed to notice.

He didn’t expect having a life outside of work would still contribute to his overall effectiveness. He could honestly believe he was enjoying his downtime instead of dreading them.

He didn't have any response for her so he settled for a simple nod and a faint smile. She turned back to him.

"We both know you will discover where we're going before we even reach the street but I'm not asking you to figure it out. I want to see your face when we get there. When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised?"

In a pleasant way? Once. "One time, Hank hugged me. I'm still not used to physical or emotional affection, so it surprised me a little but it was...pleasant." It was a light tingly kind of feeling. Most likely fondness. Was that really the only memory he could recall? He must have some more logged in his brain.

He snapped back to attention when he felt her hand again placed on the same knee but this time she was consciously allowing it. Soft. Deliberate.

"This just made our trip way more interesting then." She teased.

"Why?"

"It's a surprise." He told her everything he knew yet she would withhold information from him? He was starting to resent surprises.

"Be careful while walking on the curb. There is a high chance of--"

"Fu-ah!" The snow slid under her footing causing her to stumble up the ledge but fortunately he managed to stabilize her. Her gloved fingers dug into his coat as she wobbled beside him.

"Thank you. Almost bit the dust there." She was doing it again. These odd combination of words sounded like an error from the Broca's area of the brain.

"What dust? That's snow." She chuckled resembling the same response as if he told a joke. He had no talent in telling or understanding jokes but seeing her entertained tickled a certain part of him.

"No, no. Its a saying. Bite the dust means to die or fail. Granted I was a bit dramatic to use it there but it was for... emphasis? You know what, just pretend I didn't say that." Humans were fascinating in the sense that they were ever changing for better or for worse. There were a great deal of lexical gaps that were never addressed in his programming but he appreciated having her shed some light on his blind spots.

"I'm not sure if you are making these sayings up as you go or if they truly are common knowledge."

"I promise, it's real. There's an old song named after it and everything." Following her around the corner of the block, he found himself gravitating towards her. Whether it was for her safety or maintaining a comfortable talking space, he wasn't sure but this whole exchange was cordial.

The dull crunch of snow under their boots. Her silent puffs of breath heating the air. He caught her peeking at him. She smiled and hid back into her scarf covering her face from him. Something about that provoked him to smile back and when she glanced, a loud laugh came from her.

"Oh my god, Connor! I can't handle you sometimes."

"What? Did I do something inappropriate?"

"You really need to practice smiling."

"Oh." He touched his face trying to manually correct them.

"Don't worry, I can help you later with that but try and raise your cheek muscles when you smile. It will look more natural or more human, I guess."

"Like this?" He stopped walking to adjust himself. She turned to inspect his expression but he became distracted for a split second. Her eyes were so pretty. He watched her pupils incrementally widen like a camera’s aperture zooming in and out of focus.

"Yeah, that already looks a lot better." He watched her face slowly reflect his like a mirror. Her smile was even prettier. He barely noticed the faint internal rush that surged through him. Waiting for an error that never appeared. Just positive feedback.

She tilted her head when her eyes briefly watched his LED then back to his eyes. Stepping closer than the recommended distance, she leaned in towards him. Her voice too delicate for anyone walking past to hear.

"Its a shame you don't smile often because its very lovely." The pulse was stronger and stiffened in his chest as she carried on down the street. He placed a hand on his sternum and felt the irregular rhythm fade back to its normal range. Blinking a couples times, he jogged back up by her side meditating on what just happened.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Connor?"

"Go ahead."

"Why didn't you remove your LED? You don’t wear the branding on android clothes anymore. Why keep that?"

"Its a part of me. I thought about removing it a couple times when it would benefit my integration but I realized I could help show humans that androids can be trusted. That we are just like them with thoughts and feelings of our own."

"I can understand that. You're a braver person than me. I don't know if I could carry that kind of responsibility of setting an example for androids. It must be hard."

"Sometimes but every day gets a little easier and I have friends I can rely on. Perhaps one day we could be friends." She giggled again.

"I thought we were already."

"Oh, I didn't want to assume. That's nice to know actually because it took a long time to gain Hank's friendship. I thought the process always took months."

"Its hard not to like you, Connor." Her words stirred in his chest again. Best not to let it distract him. He'll run a diagnostic later.

"I aspire to being amicable. It could just be remnants of instructions from my programming but it is often rewarding."

"“You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” When were flies ever discussed in this whole conversation? Connor stared for a long time at her like something was broken inside of her.

"Oh, sorry. I do that a lot, huh? I mean it's easier to persuade people by being nice than by threatening them."

"Of course." He stated.

"Yeah, I guess that was a dumb one. Everyone should know that by now." Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks and he had to turn back to her.

"Oh shit, Connor. We past it."

"Hmm? Oh."

"I can't believe I just walked right past it. Uggh. How embarrassing." She hit her head which he disapproved of and then they turned 180 degrees around.

"I should've just let you figure out where we were going. Save myself this humiliating trip back."

"It's not so bad. I learned two new phrases."

"Thanks for putting up with my blunders."

"Its alright. You are very hard on yourself but I don't understand why. It was an honest mistake."

"You wouldn't have forgotten."

"I also don't have your ability to correlate vastly different ideas. I might not have ever thought to come here at all." He hoped it brought her some comfort being honest about his own shortcomings. Her hint of a smile told him it did.

"Here it is!" She opened her arms as if she was presenting the building to him as a gift.

'Cooper's cafe'. The signs were decorated with animal prints and images of dogs. A dog themed cafe? He followed her in as she talked to the cashier. He scanned the tables and chairs that were covered in dog hairs. That was not up to sanitary regulations. Bringing along a purchased cup of coffee, she escorted him over to the joined room where he heard the surprise.

She held her hand on the door handle for a few seconds looking back to him excitedly. She opened it and there was a pen filled with various tiny and medium size dogs.

He paused for a moment processing just how many adorable dogs there were. He had never seen so many in one setting and all he could think about was petting every one of them. Ever since he became deviant, certain aspects of his life before were amplified. He didn’t just like dogs. He really liked dogs. She set her cup down on the table and pulled him into the room.

"Come on. Don't just stand there!"

"Whose dogs are these? Are we allowed to interact with them?"

"Connor, you can play with all the dogs here."

"All of them?" There were no words to describe how ecstatic and frantic he was.

"All. of. them." He quickly flung his coat and outerwear and then opened the pen to let himself in. A wave of dogs gathered around his legs barking their excitement at him. How could he focus on one? There were simply too many, moving too fast, with their overly endearing faces to even begin anywhere.

"The coffee shop here helps these dogs find new homes by letting customers play with them." She explained.

“Time to dive in.” She slowly lowered onto her knees as they jumped up to lick her face. He followed her action also surprised by the overwhelming licks, scratches and general bombardment. He held onto the one in front of him. An energetic corgi that sniffed his whole face. Sumo must have left an impression because he was not letting him go. Granted he did not need to breathe or see but it would be nice to relax his face from his intense affection.

“Haha! You okay?” She had her own dog, a terrier mix, which was running laps around her. Turning his head to the side and up, he managed to free his mouth.

“I’m having a great time!” Eyes still squeezed shut, he tried smiling to her but had to stop once the corgi licked his mouth. She laughed again and handed him a plastic dog toy. He threw it and when the corgi ran after it, he had a moment to recollect himself.

“That was a bit excessive, thank you.” He sighed. He ran back to him letting him take the toy out of his mouth to throw it again. His energy remained high. Would this be an endless loop of him throwing and the little one catching?

“Let me take a photo of you and the dog together. I want to remember this.” He picks the little guy up and holds him as he smiles.

“Oh this is a good one. I’m keeping this if its fine with you. Check out your smile. Like a professional now.” She flips the camera to show him.

“Would you like me to take one of you?”

“Yeah, lets do it!” She struggled with her dog as he focused the camera. She held onto his scratching paws and quickly flashed her teeth towards the shot. He had to go with the first one unless he wanted her to undertake more abuse from the terrier. He handed it back to her when he remembered her old scar on her hand. Was this where she got the bite marks?

He was happily fluffing the corgi’s face when he heard her sharp yelp of pain. She jolted away from the dog with her hands balled up to her chest. The terrier continued playing rough, climbing onto her arms while she tried keeping him away. In two seconds, Connor grabbed the back of the dogs scruff a little too harshly causing the terrier to cry out in surprise. He quickly released him feeling guilty when he ran across the room and hid under another persons chair.

“Connor?” Her face was full of worry as she slightly shifted away from him.

““I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He looked back to her and the dog confused. What was wrong with him today? He never made this kind of mistake before. He rested his hand on his chest again. There it was. Fear. He knew that emotion and what it did to him. He retraced his movements in his mind. He didn’t mean to hurt the dog but the sound of her in pain lunged him into action.

“Are you oka-” Her expression was understanding until an employee walked up to her.

“Maam, I heard you across the room. Are you okay?” People peered over after hearing the commotion. Her discomfort grew the more attention that was placed on her.

“Oh! I’m fine. He just missed the toy and nipped my hand. Nothing serious, thank you.” A lie, he detected.

“Are you sure? We can-”

“Oh no, no. He’s a sweet dog. Its my own fault for encouraging him.” She waved him off.

“Okay, well, let me know if you need anything.” Her breath eased once he left. She tucked her injured hand into her knees before he could analyze it. After a few intakes of air and avoiding eye contact with everyone around the room, she handed Connor some treats.

“Try feeding him. Maybe he’ll come back around.” Giving one of the treats to the corgi, he waited for the terrier to wander. He let the corgi onto his lap as he tried licking his closed hand holding the treats.

“No, these are not all for you. Here, one more.” He placed it on the ground leading him away while the other terrier circle him. He paused then walked closer. She called out to him extending her free hand.

“Come here, boy! Come on!” Her voice cooed. Eventually the terrier gave in and started licking her hand again.

“Oh, you’re such a good boy. See? I’ve already forgiven you, silly.” And like that, nothing had happened in their eyes. The dog was back to bouncing around as she drowned him in praise and comforting touches. He observed how she interacted with him and tried to match her playfulness.

“Come here!” Connor called. The dog’s head perked up and returned his attention back to her. She shrugged.

“Try the treat.” She suggested.

Connor held out his hand with a few of the snacks laid out on his palm. She scooted the dog towards him but to no avail so she slid over right beside Connor. She patted her leg lively but in his stead the corgi ran up and licked her cheek.

“I know, I know. You love licking.” Holding the corgi in her lap, Connor tried luring the terrier with treats again. Slowly, he stood next to her hiding his tiny body behind her. Then extending his face closer to Connors palm, he grabbed several out of his hand and in the process dropped some on the floor which he came back for. Connor sneaked in a few strokes on his back before he scampered away. The small victory didn’t go unnoticed by her.

“Baby steps. He’ll warm up to you, I bet.” At least the dog wasn’t afraid of him anymore. He was happy enough with that. She seemed to relax as well when she rubbed the corgi’s back eventually calming him into her lap.

Time ran short for them and eventually they had to leave all the fluffy companions behind for another day. Oh, he was going to adopt one. There was no doubt Hank would refuse him but one look at that cute face and Hank would give in too.

As they exited the cafe, he noticed she shoveled a piece of snow into her gloved hand and squeezed which made her face contort slightly. That’s when he remembered. She never did wash her hand from that bite. Dog bites have a high potential for infection if not addressed within eight hours of the incident. She caught up to him as he turned to her. Oblivious to his concerned attention towards her hand.

“Show me.”

“Hmm?”

“Show me where it hurts.”

“Oh not you too. I’m fine. It didn’t even break the skin. Just stings a bit.”

“You didn’t disinfect it. We can head back to Hank’s house and get some supplies.” He kept walking and thankfully she didn’t refuse.

On the tranquil taxi ride over she kept to herself. Staring out the window of falling snow, she daydreamed. The passing lights blinked across her face. Her eyes were so still and barely blinked like she was lost and never coming back.

A dip in the road jogged her back to the interior. Her tired eyes drifted across the seats and blinked when she noticed him watching her. He stared at her hand again. He wanted to ask but he already knew the answer. She noticed how much it bothered him so she reluctantly removed her glove revealing the inflamed dented marks across her fingers and an even older mark from years ago.

“I had a bad experience with a dog once when I was little. Its made me a bit jumpy since then but I still love dogs.” The fingers flexed then stiffened back. She hissed.

Connor rolled down the window and stuck both of his hands out.

“Connor! Its freezing outside! Why are you opening the window?” He ignored her complaints until his hands thermal reading dropped to a certain level and then he closed it shut. Not wanting to waste any time, he covered her fingers with both of his encasing the wound.

“Oooh. That's why you... That’s really cold.” She sucked in a stream of air while she adjusted. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He liked the way she said that sentence before and decided to use it as well.

“I’ve already forgiven you, silly.” She softly chuckled. Her hands were smaller than his but somehow were already warming his touch. Her eyes lifted up to his.

“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand tighter. The coldness ebbed out of his hands as hers neutralized their temperature. Even if he could only dampen her pain for just a few moments, it was enough for her to smile sweetly back to him.

“It feels nice.” Her fingertips twitched slightly. He switched hands and pressed the last of the cold into her. And again, the bitter frost was replaced by a glowing heat that radiated from her. So soft yet so vibrant. Her digits shifted in his palm. It tickled at first but then the more he felt, the more he wanted it to happen again.

“It does.” He felt no shame when he said it because it was true. Even when her eyes flickered up double checking his meaning, he remained still and detected the pulse in his chest fleeting. He calmed his mind and it slowed back down.

“So this is where you live, huh?”

“Yes, ever since Android Equality Day, Hank invited me to stay here. It’s the only place I call ‘home’.” He owed so much to Hank. He would have to spend a long time repaying the kindness he had showed him but he was happy to do it. Connor opened the screen door and then Sumo ran up to the edge.

“Oh my god, Connor!” She gripped his arm as she turned to face away from the entrance. “I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll just go home.”

“I thought you loved dogs?”

“That’s not a dog! That’s a... a bear dog!"

“Sumo is a very docile dog. He wouldn’t hurt you.”

“That’s the same thing that lady said to me before her dog bit me.” He leaned into her grip softening his voice.

“He will probably sniff you and go lie down on the couch. He’s too lazy to exert any more energy than that.” She looked up to him still unsure. Her hands slowly warmed through his clothes. There was something engaging about how she clung to him. Being needed. Not the same kind of service he spent as a machine but a more emotional even personal unspoken request.

“Trust me.” He placed his hand on hers slowly prying her off him. With one last exhale, she turned around.

“Okay.”

“Thank you.” He opened it and Sumo did exactly what he said. Once his curiosity was sated, he sat down next to the TV. He led her to the bathroom where she insisted on taking care of it herself which gave him some time to replace Sumo’s water bowl.

“Thanks again for taking care of me.” She placed a cool rag on her hand as she walked into the living room.

“You’re very welcome.” She thanked him a lot. Or perhaps people don’t typically feel inclined to thank him as much. Shyly, she revealed how the swelling had faded to a light pink. Connor didn’t realize how closely he was standing next to her until Hank opened the door and she stepped away.

“Oh, hey there. You brought a guest, Connor?”

“I sent a message 23 minutes ago informing you about her condition.” Hank pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Huh, shit, yeah guess you did.” He shrugged.

“Well then, make yourself at home.” He made his way over to the kitchen after setting down his coat. “Oh and um... sorry about the mess and all that.” She muttered a simple ‘thanks’ which he nodded back.

“I should probably head back home.”

“Would you like to stay and watch a movie? Hank has a long list that he claims are ‘classics that everyone should know.’”

“If that’s fine with you guys. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Have a seat.” He gestured to the sofa which she sank into the plush couch smiling slightly.

“Hank! What movie should we watch tonight?” He scrolled down the list on the TV flashing past several cheesy action movies from the 90′s.

“I think we left off on titles starting with B. Which one was it... Oh yeah, Blade Runner. That was it. I’ve been looking forward to showing you that one.” Hank snickered as he flopped down on the side couch. Sumo also attempted to sit with him until Hank shooed him away. Dejected, Sumo went to her and dropped right on her lap.

“Ooof. He’s a big boy.”

“Yeah he is. Let me know if he becomes too much. I’ll call a crane to lift him off ya.” He laughed. “So what did you kids do today?”

“We went to the aquarium and stopped by a dog cafe.” She responded showing him the picture of Connor with the dogs. Hank was immediately interested.

“Aww. Look at that little guy. I didn’t even know that place existed.”

“I want to adopt the corgi. We have space for him and I’ll take care of him.”

“Connor, we are not putting Sumo through an older sibling crisis.” Hank noticed Connor’s confusion. “That corgi will annoy the shit out of Sumo. He’s an old man like me and doesn’t want to deal with that ball of energy all day.”

“But you seem to like Connor’s high energy.” She chuckled but Hank was not having it. He groaned and mocked laughed at them.

“I’ll think about it okay? But right now, no.” Connor’s lips gradually lifted into a smile. There was a possibility.

She shifted under Sumo trying to nudge him to the side but eventually gave up and stroked his fur. Yep, she wasn’t going anywhere now.

The night ended after the movie and some troubling questions arose in Connor’s mind after watching such similarities in real life but for now, he was satisfied with just being with the two people he cared about most.

#dbh #connor x reader #connor

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gwenore · 7 years

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Imp Zoo. Meeting the imps.

I had to do some actual studying... and this is the result of what happens when Gwen is forced to do actual work.

So enjoy this crack AU of the Impverse.

Btw: This universe is open for prompts. Just shoot me a message or an ask.

Synopsis: Belle is a xeno-zoologist who has gotten work at the enchanted forest zoo looking after an unknown species known as imps.

Belle French freshly out of university having been educated in the field of xeno-zoology before she got hired at the Enchanted Forest zoo. As aliens had now for centuries been proven exist and they had brought several to earth to study and to show off as interplanetary travel was still something most could not afford.

She had been tasked with looking after a new rather undiscovered species which they only had at the Enchanted Forest zoo, and it had just to be studied and written about. Though she had worked there for some time, looking after minor reptilian like species during her education, it was the first time she would work with such a species.

Belle French was very excited to see the imps, she had seen vague pictures, but it as hard to see just how they looked.

Arriving at the Enchanted Forest zoo she met up with David Nolan the daily leader of the park and having taking care of the animals for several years together with his wife Mary Margaret. Their love story was quite known, as apparently Mary Margaret had been at one of David’s bird shows and he saw her in the crowd, looking through the entire zoo just to find her again.

Now they were married, running the zoo together and had a 13 year old girl named Emma and another on the way.

David greeted her with a smile.

“Ah, Belle French, it is good to see you again, how have you been?” he smiled towards her.

“Excited… not able to sleep, you know… the usual. I must repeat what I said at the interview… I have never had experience with these… imps before,” she said. David shrugged.

“No one has. We have some documents from the previous owner, but… I am starting to wonder if those are true. I must however warn you again… these creatures are immensely dangerous. The last one set to care for them got careless once and they chewed off his hand,” David explained to her.

“You mean Hoo… Killian Jones?” Belle was quick to correct herself.

“Yes… he is not let close any more for obvious reasons. He got drunk and decided it would be wise to tease the alpha. Not something I would advice,” David said.

“Oh, I would never,” Belle shook her head.

“Very well… here they are,” he said as he showed her a massive glass enclosure filled with vegetation. Belle walked closer seeing nothing.

Then all the sudden movement. Dozens of yellow eyes were glowing at her from the darkness of the massive tank.

“There are… many…” she stuttered a bit surprised. “How many do you have?”

“We are not sure,” David shrugged.

“You haven’t counted?” Belle seemed confused.

“Well… the problem we have… we cannot enter their enclosure, for any reason, and I do not want you to try. They are immensely vicious and I do not wish anyone’s life endangered. There is a stair there where you can throw food into the tank… as we call it, and there is a door inside, but never used once we understood just what we have at our hands,” David sighed slightly.

“Drugging them?” Belle asked. “In the food I mean?”

“Does not work… the damn creatures are too smart, even laying the tainted meat at the door to be removed as if mocking us. It is especially the alpha… he is dangerous, even more so than the small ones,” David explained.

“What if… what if one of them got hurt?” Belle sounded concerned, watching as the creatures now moved out into the open, looking on with large suspicious eyes. Belle was surprised at how human their faces looked, though clearly alien with that stub nose and barred sharp teeth not concealed by any lips. Their body was covered in golden green scales and their hands and feet had sharp claws. Clearly predatory in nature and also working in packs. She blinked then as she saw a particularly large one staring at her, its glowing eyes looking into her soul.

“Then there is nothing we can do… I am not letting anyone into that enclosure, I would first rather have them stick their hand in the piranha tank, would be safer,” he sighed. Belle nodded. If they were so vicious it was nothing else for it.

“Um… is that one the alpha?” she asked, the one she pointed out nearly twice as large as the rest.

“No… it would be a good guess though. It is clearly second in command, no the alpha is…” David stopped for a moment to wander around before he waved Belle closer.

“There is the alpha,” he pointed. Belle quickly moved after, expecting a even bigger version than the rest, but she had to let out a sound of surprise.

This one was the size of a man, resting lazily on a stone, his long tail flicking. His face was more human than the small ones and he even had a head full of half long graying hair, the body covered in a long leather jacket. He was observing them though narrow glowing eyes.

“Yes… quite different… but… they are the same species. Their old master had a control of them and helped us draw blood and even skin samples… their DNA is identical. As if they are clones… though when it comes to xeno-genetics not all is known yet,” David sighed.

“Um… why is he wearing a jacket?” Belle had to ask.

“He stole it from Killian… suffice to say that if we did not dare to go in for the hand… we are sure as hell not going in for the jacket,” David said, Belle having to let out a small laugh, trying to hide it from David.

“Sorry…” she muttered.

“Well… these are your charges… now let me chow you what they eat…” David mentioned for her to follow. Belle was not prepared for what she was in for…

Belle enjoyed her time working at the zoo full time, having already had so many friends there. Most was worried for her, but she said she was perfectly safe… just a bit hard to wash out the blood and guts smell after feeding time.

She had started to wonder how vicious they were. Sure feeding time was a frenzy, but they all made sure everyone got enough to eat and took care of each other. It took them some time to get used to her, but now they would come out greet her. Well… except for the alpha. He stayed hidden and would only come out during feeding time.

Belle could not help but to wonder at how he looked. He was so… human, even though he clearly weren’t. One day… not really bothering to be social she sat down with her lunch next to the tank to watch them, having gotten some chicken nuggets and ate down happily as she watched the beta came up to her reaching its hand out of the holes which were at the bottom of the tank. The same hole which Killian had stuck his hand into.

Belle blinked surprised, none of the imps had ever done that before.

“You want a nugget?” she asked, knowing that she shouldn’t, but reached it one of the pieces, careful so it would not grab her. The imp simply gently took the piece and gave her a bow. Belle was stunned… was it… communicating with her? Not really knowing what to do, she bowed back. It cocked its head before it sat down next to the glass wall to eat, swallowing it quickly. Belle giggled.

“Want another one?” she offered another piece, the imp eagerly reaching out, this time she could feel its scaly hand slightly before it grabbed the nugget, before giving her another bow, which she returned.

They sat there a bit in silence before Belle suddenly noticed that the imp was staring at the last nugget. Belle giggled.

“You really like them, don’t you?” she giggled. “Alright, you can have that one, but then I am going to name you Nugget.”

The imp cocked its head, but then nodded and reached out its hand towards her. Belle was a bit surprised… could it… could it understand her?

“Alright… here you go Nugget,” she gave it the last piece which it wolfed down just as eagerly, remaining by the side of the glass simply looking at her. She looked at it with new wonder. Perhaps these creatures were smarter than she first thought.

After then she vowed to try something. Though she had always sort of spoken to them, she now did it a lot more, even bringing her books to read to them, to see if they would respond. And to her great surprise they did. Nugget would be the only one to ask for food, the rest uninterested in that, but once she started reading they would come swarming from every corner of the tank to listen.

The alpha never did though… he remained hidden. But… she had a feeling that he was watching.

Soon though she started to notice a change in the imps behavior, when she would come they would greet her, but now with chirps and then balance on their hind legs, showing their hands to her. She greeted then back, also showing her hands to them.

One time she was an hour late… stuck in traffic.

When she came every imp were right up by the glass, having clearly been looking for her, and then chirped very loudly when they saw her.

“I am very sorry I am late! I did not mean to!” she said to them, but then was surprised to find even the alpha standing out in the open to look for her. This surprised her and she had to stand watching him for a moment. His eyes were amazing… and he shone in the light of the heating lamps, the tip of his tail shimmering like pure gold.

“Hi Gold…” she said stunned. He cocked his head at her, blinking his eyes. She had never been able to see him so clearly before. She had never named him before, but it seemed fitting.

She then gave a soft smile.

“I am happy to see you… and meet you,” she spoke softly. He looked uneasy, flicking his tail as he observed her.

He then turned to hide again. Belle bit her lip slightly before she thought to try something.

“I am going to read to the small ones later,” she called out to him. “It is my favorite… um… perhaps… perhaps I will see you there?”

She felt a bit silly to ask, but the creature turned around, flicking his tail ever so slightly as if unsure, before again going in to hide among the bushes.

Belle looked after him, twinning her fingers ever so slightly, before having to get to work.

Though sure enough… come lunch time when she pulled out the book to start to read and the small imps came swarming, Gold moved out from his hiding place to listen to her, he remained a bit back, hunching over slightly.

Belle gave him a welcoming smile.

“Hello Gold,” she nodded her head before she looked down at her book and started to read.

After that she saw him more out, but never when there were others close. He would never show himself then.

One day she noticed one of the imps reaching out its hand holding something. Belle frowned ever so slightly before she moved closer and held out her hand under it. It then dropped what she then saw was a very round and pretty rock. The imp then looked up at her with big eyes, awaiting her reaction.

“Thank you!” she said with an excited voice as she looked at it, it clearly pushing out its small chest in pride.

“I like it! It is very pretty!” she told it as she turned it. It was just a rock, but it had clearly found it and thought that she might want it. The act warmed her heart.

Uncertain she then reached out her hand, putting it inside the hole she then graced the top of its head. The imp jumped away, looking at her with surprised eyes.

“I am sorry,” she pulled her hand back glancing down at it. “I meant nothing bad.”

The imp continued to look at her, a bit suspicious, but then carefully moving closer, leaning its body against the hole.

Belle smiled before she reached out her hand again and stroked two of her fingers gently across the scaly skin. It was still uneasy, but trusted her. Eventually she felt its little body relax and lean against her petting.

“There we go,” she smiled gently towards it.

This turned to have a bit of a... unforeseen consequence…

Having taught one imp that pretty rocks earned them pets and that petting actually felt rather nice… the rest quickly learned to do the same… reaching out their hands with pretty rocks they had found in the enclosure to buy some petting and praise. Belle did not mind, taking pride in her big glass jar of pretty rocks which was lovingly displayed at her desk in the office.

Like this the days passed. Everything was fine, Belle seeing Gold once in a while, finding she was so enthralled by him. Wishing that he would want her attention as well.

But something had started to worry her…

One of the imps had gotten sick. It would not eat, just sit in the middle of the tank shivering and having one eye closed.

Belle had noticed Gold worrying doing his best to look at the wound and make it eat, but it refused. She wanted so badly to help, but David’s words rang in her head. That even if one of the imps were to die… they would not enter the enclosure.

Then one morning she came into work she saw all the imps had gathered around, Gold holding the small imp which was now crying in pain. Gold did his best to help it, but there was nothing he could do.

Belle felt her heart shatter.

She could not watch and not do anything. She had taken xeno-biology, having learned some medicine. Gritting her teeth she went to the vet’s office, knowing that it might be the gravest mistake she had ever done… but she had to do something.

Grabbing painkillers and all other medicine that she could imagine she needed, putting it in her bag. Standing outside she swallowed, unlocking it and unbolting it, she opened the door and walked inside, closing the door behind her.

She was now in the middle of the enclosure… no protection.

She had seen them clean the carcass of a cow in mere minutes… and now they were in great distress. All animals were dangerous then…

Slowly she moved closer, some of the imps noticing her and narrowing their eyes, but moved out of her way. She then stood before Gold himself, clutching the whimpering creature. Slowly he moved his head, looking up at her, his eyes narrowed into a glare. She had learned some imp behavior, hoping this was right.

Slowly she lifted her hands to him, shaking and hoping he would understand. He cocked his head, teeth barred to her.

“I am here to help… I have… supplies…” she was hoping she knew them… that they were not mindless monsters who would consume her. Slowly she lowered her bag, his glowing eyes following her all the while. She then went down on her knees, feeling scaly bodies brush against her as they moved closer.

“Um… look, I want to help… please… let me help,” she begged him.

He observed her for a long while, before he nodded and put the imp on the ground. Belle knew that she was not safe… one wrong move and she could be eaten.

Slowly she pulled out a strong painkiller and stuck it into the leg of the small imp. Its whimpering stopped and it looked rather confused as it got sleepy. Belle felt Gold looked at her as she opened the eye, finding that it was red.

She swallowed. The eye was lost. Slowly she pulled out a saline solution and started to clean it. It was not much she could do… But she could make it comfortable. Hopefully enough for it to eat and heal on its own.

Slowly she petted its head as she looked down at it.

“There we go little guy… isn’t that better?” she asked with a smile as it went to sleep, breathing much easier.

Lifting her head then she found herself staring straight into the eyes of Gold. She could not keep from jumping slightly. This creature was immensely intelligent and just as dangerous.

“Um… hi Gold,” she waved. He stood there and observed her, she seeing the blood staining the leather coat he had stolen. Slowly he then lowered his body and bowed to her. Surprised she glanced around before she bowed back gently, smiling, knowing that she was accepted.

“Um… well… I should… I should go,” she then said and started to go to the door. This was not as easy for her as the imps were trying to make her stay, grabbing the bottom of her pants to have her stay with them.

“Don’t worry imps… I’ll be back soon,” she smiled gently at them, looking over at Gold who stood there, looking after her, as she reached the door the imps were sitting there reaching after her.

“You be good... all of you…” she smiled before she opened the door and exited the enclosure.

#imp zoo #imp fluff #rumbelle

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panfishonthefly · 3 years

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Fishing The Big Bug - The Brood X Cicada

The Brood X Cicadas have started to emerge across the country. In my home state of New Jersey, they have not shown up in the woods around my home, but they are occurring within a fifteen-minute drive from my front door. The local emergence seems to be centered around Princeton, NJ, where the Orvis store I work for is located. The bugs started showing up around the 20th of May while I was away fishing in Maine. As soon as I returned home, I headed out that way to see if this emergence was the real deal or just hype. It turns out it IS the real deal, but the bugs seem to be limited to isolated areas. If you live within one of these locations, it is a sight to be seen. Everywhere you look, you are likely to see hundreds of giant insects flying in the air and crawling or clinging to every available surface. As the hatch progresses, the bugs start dying, and their corpses begin to litter the ground.

The one thing that caught me off guard was the sound. Cicadas emerge every year, and their raucous song is part of the soundtrack of summer. The Brood X call is different in tone and pitch, and millions of insects singing vibrating their hearts out can create A LOT of noise!

Right now, the feeding frenzy is in full swing. I have seen birds, squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, frogs, turtles, lizards (the first lizard I ever saw in NJ), and of course, fish gorging themselves on the big bugs. At first, it seemed the fish did not know what to make of the large insects. Early on, I observed many cicadas that had crashed into the water (they crash into everything!) floating on the surface unmolested after a few days that started to change. During this past week, when one of the clumsy insects finds itself wet, it is immediately grabbed by the first fish that sees it. Small bluegills will work them over like piranha, nipping off wings and legs, then working on the body until nothing is left. Large panfish will grab the insect whole and take it below the surface: bass and other larger predators take them down with a big gulp.

Fishing the Big Bugs

Having made an annual pilgrimage to Montana's Madison River for the epic Salmon Fly hatch for many years, I am no stranger to fishing big bugs. Large bugs call for large flies to imitate them, and casting these flies can create problems. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to correct these problems and make fishing these flies an enjoyable experience.

Take Out The Big Guns

First off, leave the two and three weights at home. The big cicada imitations are going to require a heavier rod to cast them. I have been getting by throwing them on a four-weight, but a five-weight would be a better choice in many situations. If you are dealing with any wind, a six-weight may be the way to go. While fishing a six weight for panfish may feel excessive, keep in mind a lot of larger fish are participating in this smorgasbord as well. Bass seem to relish these big black and orange morsels. If you hook one of these larger fish, you will appreciate the heavier rod. When fishing in the kayak, I keep a light rod on hand for more traditional panfish offerings and a five-weight rigged with a Brood X Cicada pattern.

Fish Heavier Tippet

When fishing big bugs, a common mistake many anglers make is fishing too light a tippet. Your tippet size should relate to the fish you are targeting and the size of the flies you are throwing. I use 2x or 3x tippets when throwing big flies like cicada patterns. The heavier tippet will help eliminate some line twisting that often occurs when casting big, bulky, more air-resistant flies. The heavier tippet will also seat knots better on the eyes of the large hooks used for these flies.

Another Method to Eliminate Line Twist

Whenever I rig up to cast big flies like salmon flies or these brood x cicadas, I add a micro swivel to my leader. These minuscule swivels will not adversely affect your cast, and they will eliminate any line twists caused by these big flies. Once you start using them, you will probably use them when fishing poppers, hair bugs, and foam patterns that often cause the same line twisting issues.

Fly Lines and Leader Design

You will see advantages using a fly line with a Big Bug or Nymph taper. Fly lines designed to throw large flies, indicator rigs, and many lines labeled "Warmwater" have tapers explicitly designed for casting these types of flies. If you own one, use it, you will thank me later.

I tie many of my leaders, and I have developed a leader that I use for large, air-resistant flies like poppers and foam bugs. I find these leaders work well for casting cicada patterns. If you tie your own leaders, drop me a line, and I will be happy to share my formula with you.

How Big Is Too Big?

There is no question that a fish like bass can easily consume an insect the size of a cicada, but what about bluegill or other sunfish? Some sunfish family members such as bass, crappie, rock bass, warmouth, and green sunfish have larger mouths that can deal with this size prey easily. But what about bluegills? This topic had come up numerous times in chats and messages with Panfish On The Fly followers when I started talking and writing about this cicada emergence. Many folks considered these insects too large and tying panfish flies to imitate them a waste of time. I am here to say that is not the case. While small bluegills have difficulty eating a cicada, larger specimens can do it with ease. I have some cicada patterns tied on hooks as large as a size four that I spun up for bass fishing. Not only have I caught bluegills on these flies, but some of them have managed to swallow the fly entirely, requiring careful maneuvering of a pair of forceps to free them of the hook. I do notice a lot of fish being hooked outside of the mouth on the side of their head. This is due to how they feed on these big bugs. Often they just grab them and pull them under, sometimes multiple times before they position it correctly for swallowing. One thing is for sure if you are interested in big numbers (in regards to panfish) these flies are not the way to go, but if quality is what you seek give them a try. They will bring the biggest panfish in the lake to the surface!

Fishing the Cicada

When one of these giant insects crashes into the water (the word crash accurately describes it), they go in with a splash. Often a take follows this crash landing very quickly. If the bug survives its first few seconds in the water, it begins to flutter about, sending out concentric rings over the water's surface. This behavior is pretty easy to duplicate with a fly rod. Rather than stripping the fly, I animate it with what I can only describe as vibrating the fly line. Your goal is to move the fly with vibrations from the fly line instead of stripping it in. I realize I am doing a horrible job trying to explain this technique, but the goal is to animate the fly without moving it too much across the water's surface. However, I have also observed these insects using their wings almost like a set of oars (I'm sure it is not intentional), and in that situation, they do move across the water's surface, but that is not the norm. Most of the time, they seem to struggle in place. I let the fly remain still for what seems like an eternity between twitches. I have found that most of the strikes come while the fly is at rest. The movement is used to attract fish to the area if the large splat did not initially attract them on touchdown.

So far, fishing imitations of these large flies has been a mixture of epic topwater action and the maddening absence of any activity whatsoever. In the latter case, I believe this is caused by predator satiation. Predator satiation is a key adaptation that the Brood X Cicada uses to ensure its survival. In a nutshell, the sheer numbers of these insects overwhelm the predator’s ability to consume them. In other words, the fish (and other animals) have eaten their fill of them and are unable to consume more, thereby allowing the remaining insects to conduct their cicada affairs unmolested.

Nothing Good Lasts Forever

The big black and orange insects only spend a few weeks above ground, and they have been active in my neck of the woods for about two weeks now. I hear they can live for four to six weeks so there is still some good fishing to be had. I don't know if there will be additional hatches yet to come in other areas, or if this is it. Regardless, I am going to enjoy it while it lasts!

I have covered tying flies to imitate these big bugs in previous posts. Click the buttons below to learn how to tie a few excellent cicada patterns.

#Brood X Cicada #big flies #Big Bugs #big bluegills #dry fly

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sjohnson24 · 5 years

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Paranormal Disturbance in Oak Park

Date to be there: January 5, 2019 / Time to be there: 2pm. Address to be at: xxxxxxxxxx Sacramento, CA. Occupant: Ms X. Confidential Investigation. Activity: Daughter being attacked by a demonic force. Daughter sees man in hallway, the man is a dark shadow. The man tells her to hurt herself and tells her many terrible things. Emergency investigation.

Deanna Jaxine Stinson – HPI Co-Owner and Psychic Medium did a walk through. Deanna felt a feeling of sadness. Deanna felt that the daughter that the demonic force is focused on is an empath and there may be another entity trying to relay a message to her. As an empath she is a beacon of light that esoteric entities are attracted to. As an empath a demonic force may be utilizing her energy for its own dark agenda. Later on in the investigation Deanna picked up on a side bed by the bedroom window. Deanna felt that whoever sleeps on that side bed may be receiving nightmares or vivid dreams. Deanna felt we could capture an EVP at this location. We tried a few EVP sessions, no luck, so we decided to go outside of the bedroom window, because Deanna still felt there was something there. I managed to obtain an EVP of a man saying: “what do you want me to say?” Very clear EVP, Class A. Deanna and I, believe there is portal in this area. Oak Park is very old and has a lot of history, some of that history is very negative, such as murders.

Some Negative History in Oak Park In fact the Oak Park Rapist aka Marcus Thomas roamed this area. He is the brother of Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas and is serving a 27 year sentence at California Soledad Prison. The fear, pain and horror that the Oak Park Rapist caused, lingers in the atmosphere as residual negative energy. Another monster was the Homicidal Handyman of Oak Park aka Morris Solomon Jr. He was your local serial killer. Deanna picked up on the name Daniel who was addicted to alcohol that was haunting this family. She saw that he wore a 80s style black leather jacket and hung outside close to the bedroom window. Deanna did some research and she did indeed find a Daniel, who was an alcoholic and drug addict. This Daniel died in 2007.

We learned that the daughter is also cutting herself, because the demonic entity is telling her to hurt herself. Deanna felt strong negative energy in the bathroom and then it dawned on us, that the daughter may be cutting herself in the bathroom. We suggested a full submersion baptism (a basic form of exorcism) to get rid of the attachment and the daughter was adamant not to receive a baptism. Deanna conducted a metaphysical cleansing of this home and I conducted a Roman Catholic house blessing. Since the daughter refused the baptism, the entity most likely is still there and the house blessing is a temporary fix. When we were conducting our investigation, we did obtain a far away sounding “no” EVP.

Below is my true encounter of 2 werewolves..read on…. What is Lycanthropy you may ask? According to The American Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 134, No. 10. published in October 1977 it states:

“Lycanthropy, a psychosis in which the patient has delusions of being a wild animal (usually a wolf), has been recorded since antiquity. The Book of Daniel describes King Nebuchadnezzar as suffering from depression that deteriorated over a seven-year period into a frank psychosis at which time he imagined himself a wolf. Among the first medical descriptions were those of Paulus Aegineta during the later days of the Roman Empire. In his description of the symptom complex, Aegineta made reference to Greek mythology in which Zeus turned King Lycaon of Arcadia into a raging wolf. Thereafter, references to lycanthropy appeared in the ancient literature. Many medieval theologians envisioned lycanthropy as a consequence of the evil eye.Delusions of being a wolf or some other feared animal are universal and, although rare in the industrialized countries, still occur in China, India, Africa, and Central and South America. The animals in the delusioned transformation include leopards, lions, elephants, crocodiles, sharks, buffalo, eagles, and serpents.Not infrequently, bizarre and chaotic sexuality is expressed in a primitive way through the lycanthropic symptom complex. Patients whose internal fears exceed their coping mechanisms may externalize them via projection and constitute a serious threat to others. Throughout the ages, such individuals have been feared because of their tendencies to commit bestial acts and were themselves hunted and killed by the populace. Many of these people were paranoid schizophrenics.”

Thoughts of werewolf movies may come to your mind from: The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Blood, Bad Moon, The Curse of the Werewolf, Death Moon, Face of the Screaming Werewolf, Teen Wolf, The Wolfman, Project: Metal Beast – DNA Overlord and Ginger Snaps. But, we’re not here to talk about good werewolf horror movies, we are here to talk about two real werewolves! Lolita Moonshadow and Katrina Kanine!

I get a call from Lolita Moonshadow and Katrina Kanine. They are self-proclaimed werewolves. What the? Okay Lolita and Katrina, where can I meet you at? We first met at the Avid Reader at Broadway and crossed the street over to Starbucks for a refreshing frappachino. Lolita and Katrina are cousins, they claim to be of Romanian descent. They claim to have a long history of werewolves in their family. I asked them, how do you know you are werewolves, besides the Romanian descent and thinking your family members are werewolves? They said they both crave raw meat. When a dog, cat or a rabbit crosses their paths, they have the urge to ‘chase’. They feel domination over men, physically and mentally. When the full moon rises, they feel the urge to hunt. They must suppress their dark desires. They said they have a lot of dark desires within their inner souls.

I asked them to elaborate on their dark desires and they asked me if I ever saw An American Werewolf in London and they left it at that. I pondered…do they have the desire to kill? They both feel they have a chemical imbalance during a full moon, but feel they have everything under control. They both showed me their unusual long canines. I don’t know if they were unusually long, or if they stood out more. They said that during a full moon, they get more hair on their arms and legs. They said that they have a keen sense of smell and after they get used to my smell, they would be able to sniff me out a block away.

Katrina took my arm and dug in a bit with her fingernails and looked at me and said…”Paul, I have a hunger!” Okay, okay, just as long as it is not me! We discussed if silver bullets can kill werewolves and they said that a real werewolf can be killed by any bullet, that is a myth. They told me that their eyesight changes over to seeing everything in black and white during a full moon, they feel greater strength and are quite agile. They claim that if they are with their boyfriends during a full moon, their sexual desires are greatly heightened and their boyfriends are not able to handle their wild frenzy. They describe it as throwing a bull carcass in the Amazon river and watching piranhas go into a feeding frenzy. They said that their love life had dwindled, when anytime their lovers discovered the true essence of their beings. They said that last week, their boyfriends left them and they are single again.

At this point of time, I noticed a bead of sweat dripping from my brow. I knew I better end this interview as quickly as I started it. I noticed that Lolita had purchased a werewolf book from Avid Reader. Yes! These girls were truly into lycanthropy. Before, I left, we discussed werewolf sightings in Placerville and the Sierras. They said, that at times they feel a calling for the Sierras to find their brethren. What is so unusual, after I met them, I have been contacted by another werewolf girl in Fremont and I plan to interview her too. She claims that there are werewolf sightings in Antioch. She has a very interesting story to tell also! When I stood up from Starbucks, both were eyeing me strangely and both stood around me, as if they were blocking me from the entrance. Lolita grabbed my shoulder and said…”Paul, remember one thing, doctor up our photo, we do not want to be identified for this article and make sure not to identify us in anyway in this article. We know where you live!” I looked back at Lolita and Katrina and said…”sure, no problem, no problem at all!”

As I left Starbucks, I thought how safer it would be to just hunt ghosts, they don’t make threats! Before I close this article, I met Tanya Filer, a clerk at my local Bel-Air and she told me about an abandoned house in Elk Grove that she wants me to investigate. The house has been abandoned for 7 years, because no one will purchase the home, its reputed to be haunted. The story goes that a builder of the house, killed himself with a nail gun. People who have entered the home, claim that the phantom builder looks at them and is holding a nail gun in his hand. Okay, Tanya, where is this house? I am willing and ready to investigate! As I rode home tonight on the lightrail, Julie Surjan a good friend of mine, who knows I am a ghost hunter, had me all hooked on her story. She said, that a strange thing happened to her last night. She was watching TV and saw something at the corner of her eye, it was dark and black. I asked…”was it a shadow person?” She looks at me and laughs…”no, it was a black widow spider! I had the hardest time killing the thing!”

Videos from the Investigation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfA50f9OnAc&feature=youtu.bewww.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZpzzutlOE&feature=youtu.be www.youtube.com/watch?v=sItJfYN3-ng&feature=youtu.be www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q5-cWVm3nk&feature=youtu.be

By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective Halo Paranormal Investigations Sacramento Paranormal Help www.facebook.com/HaloParanormalInvestigations/

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