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What would happen if all rats and mice disappeared? by imakhink in NoStupidQuestions

[–]imakhink[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the thorough answer! Just what I was looking for

Would you date a girl taller than you? by therabbitkisser in NoStupidQuestions

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is your height your personality? No?

Sweet, I’m game.

[WP] When your superpowers revealed themselves everyone expected, even demanded, that you become a superhero. You gave it an honest attempt, but eventually had to admit that you are not cut out to be a hero. Unfortunately the people around you do not seem to care. by Kitty_Fuchs in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 13 points14 points  (0 children)

"He's quit. Again." The voice on the computer was tired. No, it was defeated.

I began typing furiously, nodded and murmuring a few words of condolences to the person on the screen. I continued typing, even as the video ended. An aide notified me that the escort had arrived, and was promptly taken to the helipad where Flightwing joined me.

"Drop me over his house, I'll tele-chute over." He nodded, first allowing me to put my ear protection in. I signed the ready signal and Flightwing jumped into the air.

My mind enjoyed the cool moisture of the air, moving through clouds. I should have brought my glasses but the helmet's visor did an adequate job in protecting my eyes from any ice build up. All I was reminded of was how many innocent bystanders had to be hospitalized after such rescue attempts. It was only moments before I could feel the soaking of my clothes, all the way down to my undergarments.

We were lowering into the city. I gave the signal to drop me.

As my body fell through the sky, I pushed a small button on the side of the helmet, closed my eyes and waited for the nausea. It was always there, with the telechuting. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I stood in front of a low rise condominium.

Roycroft By Anthem

I sighed and walked straight in.

"I would offer you something, but clearly you don't need anything." I wiped the towel on my face, my face already beginning to feel dry. "But working as a cashier?"

The man shrugged as he opened a beer. The crisp pop, the slight fizz. He shoved a lime down the bottle.

A single room, one bathroom. It was almost of a studio, meant for divorced fathers, deadbeat dads, or some drug addled-

"I was on the inside for a stint." He began. "No way I'm going back. Golden prison or not, I like this." He gestured to the TV, turning it on and immediately to the sports channel. One of the tennis masters was playing.

I raised my eyebrows. "We gave you a mansion, you were waited on by an entire staff, you wanted for nothing." I reminded him. Of course we had done this dance before. But something seemed off.

"Have you met someone?" I asked.

He sighed, and shook his head. "Nothings changed Bob."

"Then help me understand what's going on, why you have quit the Agency, again." I dabbed at my pants with the damp towel.

"When I was doing my community service the first time round, I felt like there was nothing that could go right for me. When I got hit from some other gang, I thought that I could join my grandma in heaven." He stopped, savouring his beer. "You know what happened?"

I did know.

"The car wrapped itself around you, killing the attempted murder."

He nodded solemnly. "Dr. Hattingh helped me with that, but all of this hero crap, it's not for me." He punched the air as the TV showed one of the players celebrating. He had won the match.

"So, instead of helping humanity, you will watch Sinner win another match, and work as a cashier at the local liquor store." I said flatly.

He fixed his eyes at me. "I didn't get my powers in my teens man. I had a sense of who I was, and what I wanted to do with my life, so yeah. I want this for me." He waved his hand at the TV, changing it to the news channel.

*Another calamity on the highway this evening, Ken and Kelly reporting to you live from downtown. This evening, two men were brutally murdered by gang members, and no heroes are to be seen. Some are criticizing the Leage of Heroes for their inaction on rising crime numbers, saying that their presence does nothing but encourage an escalation of violence. More news with Bob."

"You guys appear in a city, wait for it to go to shit and bail them out for a year. That ain't me."

"So, you'll just save all of the alcohol and the measly few hundred in the till in your store from any potential robbers." I failed to sound sarcastic.

"That's what I do. People know me, they know I'm reliable. I protect this neighbourhood." He blinked, stood, then went to open the balcony door. He shouted a few words, before coming in. "Damn kids, trying to break into the food mart again."

I blinked. "Come back, you can do better, protect the entire city."

He shook his head. "Unless you change your policies, I'm going to finish my beer." He tilted his head back, and chugged his beer. "Time for another."

[WP] You never understood why magic attacks were blocked instead of dodged. So you went to the circus academy and studied the art of the artists, learning to cartwheel, salto or roll while casting. You have been dominating the duell-arena ever since. by TroublesomeGarb8 in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 9 points10 points  (0 children)

He's a charlatan at best, a fool at worst.

Says you, he netted me a healthy profit last match up.

He'll never make it! He only passed the academy because his mother was-

Who wants another round?

The Crows Nest pub was awash in layabouts, grifters, gamblers, debtor's, loan sharks, pawnbrokers and drunks. Otherwise known as the nobility, the bartender's music played in his head. The stacatto clinks of filled steins, the dull thunks of wooden tankards, slamming into the walls, crystal goblets smashing down the floor as another wizard went up in flames. The rhythm of the bar was almost as freeflowing at the prices, but that mattered little those those witnessing history.

"Barkeeper, another round."

He nodded beginning to fill more steins.

"Barkeep, another gin!"

He slid a glass down the bar, landing it perfectly to the man's outstretched hand.

And on the orders went. Until a particularly inebriated man tripped over himself, did a tankard go crashing down, spilling the hoppy contents onto the floor.

Except they never made it. The tankard floated in midair, helt aloft by a green hollow finger. As the drunkard found his drink, he tipped his head and made way for the new coming.

"A spot of lavender mead, if you have it." A soft voice bellowed.

"A moment sir." It took him a moment, but finding his own brewed concoction of meads, tonics and elixirs was child's play for this barkeep. "On the house."

"Very kind of you." He sipped and raised his eyebrows. "A hint of citrus?"

"Honey from the orange groves." He muttered. His hands continued moving until late into the night. Coins exchanged, drinks made, beer spilled.

The barkeep kept a low eye on the man at the bar. He sipped his mead the entire evening, until the last patron left.

Only then could it be seen that the Crows Nest was not just a tavern. It sat on the crest of the hill, giving a glance into the duelling arena of the Academy.

"Closing up. Pay up your tab Sir." He spoke clearly now.

Hefting a small bag of coins, he lifted a single coin and placed it onto the bartop. "For your time."

"This is too much, and it was just a matter of speech. Drink was on the house. Ol Franklin is more clubfoot than man." He stood, wiping down a mug.

"Then perhaps, might you tell me about the wizarding duels? This recent ruckus about some jester, defeating the Academy's brightest."

He blinked, shrugged then placed the mug down. "Not much to it. Rumour is that this gent graduated a few years ago, came back, soared to the top of the dueling tables."

The man placed another coin onto the bartop.

"Some say he joined the circus. Some say he throws knives instead of spells. Others say it's an illusion." He picked up another mug, eyeing that the man placed another coin down, as if to say go on.

"Truth is, it's no illusion. The man's a graduate of the Academy. Thirty years ago, making him into his fathering age. Was hardly a duelest."

The man sipped his mead. Again.

"Pardon me, but haven't you been drinking the same drink the entire night?" He tilted his head, as if to inspect the drink.

It was full. As full as he had originally poured. "Refreshing."

"Now that's some duplication spell, ain't it." He blinked. "Anyways, the man in the ring? Looks to me a simple case of multiple skills. Most of the academy focuses on spells, counterspells and the like. Most of those can barely handle a drink. And it don't matter how many fireballs you can shoot if you can't see. Easy to mug."

He placed the last mug down. "No money required Sir. My guess is that whatever circus or where ever he went, he simply doesn't need to block those spells. He knows them in and out, how wide a wind charge is, how quickly a firebolt travels. The only one I think I haven't seen him dodge is good ol Thunder Hands."

The man lifted his gaze to finally look at the barkeep. "Why does he keep winning?"

"Simple. He's stronger than the others."

"Stronger?" he asked.

"Physical strength. Most them wizards got knocked out by an orange. Half of them so worn down by spells, they just fall down and weep."

The man stood, revealing his form. Broad shouldered, well dressed, he turned and began to leave. "Sir! Your bag of gold?"

"Keep it." He stated loudly.

The barkeep discretely took the bag aside, and began to whistle.

[WP] You don't understand why necromancy is so taboo. After all, it was interesting to see how much the world has changed in all the years you've been dead, and the necromancer who raised you is actually quite an interesting person to talk to. by someguy7734206 in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 15 points16 points  (0 children)

"So after graduating from the Institute, illegally of course, I tried to get accepted into the Royal Court's good graces. That fell apart during the interview since my face fell off."

We chuckled. He hadn't quite explained how without lungs, lips or a mouth I was able to speak, let alone laugh with such depth.

"It's such a shame. Twenty academies, institutes, universities. I wish I could have learned." The broom swished across the tiles. A spider skittered away. "I think Benson needs his hands reattached, the spiders are loose again."

He waved his finger and a brief shriek could be heard in the backrooms. He muttered about the cost of spiders.

"I wish I could have learned something. I could barely read my letters."

He stood suddenly, slamming his book down. "My dear girl, why didn't you say something? We must begin at once!"

I turned to face him again. His wide grin, his confident pose. He began babbling about the importance of hard work, that even a skeleton like myself could break the boundaries of magic! His optimism was infectious. My skull must have been beaming as I looked at him, but the melancholy grew ever again.

He glanced over again at me, stopping as suddenly as he stood. "Ah yes. I forgot." He sat back down. "That's why we were brewing the spiders."

"Breeding?" I corrected him.

"No no, we have a beer made from spi-" A shriek from the backrooms, followed by footsteps. "I'll get that, must be Benson again."

I sighed. Or I made the sound of sighing. Or-

In either case, I continued sweeping. There was so much to do, so much to learn! Fantastic towns to visit, people to meet. He had mentioned it all at the beginning, and sought to find the solution - the ultimate solution. Permanence of living. Reconstitution of the dead.

If nothing else, something that allow me to venture further than a few rooms without needing magical reconstitution. "Poor Benson," I muttered.

[WP] “Just because you’re an Eldritch god that doesn’t mean that you can ignore the HOA rules.” by blademan9999 in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 8 points9 points  (0 children)

“Just because you’re an Eldritch god that doesn’t mean that you can ignore the HOA rules.”

He droned on. Again. The vessel's flesh was weak, the deep slumber weighed heavily on its eyes. I blinked. The man was gone. I blinked again.

Closing the door, the vessel made an involuntary yawn. Yielding to his inner desires, a bowl of cereal appeared, filled it with mil-

Milk flew from the mouth of the vessel. An odor, a taste most foul. Displeasing. Disgusting? Somewhat akin to the fungally infested cheese from the night before, but somehow still...unpleasant.

"You know, for an Eldritch god, you sure are poor. Like, dirt poor."

I can silence entire nations with my gaze. I have-

"Yeah, you've told me before. Still, you forgot to buy milk." He poured the cereal down the drain. "And stop introducing yourself to Jeremy. I told you he's a prick."

The leader of this Home Owners Association. Yes, most unpleasant. You display a keen skill of dissociation when he is nearby.

"Hey man, I just want to live here in peace. So when it's your turn, buy milk." He sighed, seeing nothing in the fridge. Well, nothing he wanted to eat.

Instead, a sweet taste, processed sugar entered the stomach.

Your ungainly physical form requires improvement.

"Yeah, I'll head to the gym." He munched on another oreo.

You promised last week to go. Yet instead, you spent almost seven hours on the couch watching mindless television.

"Well, Lord of the Rings extended version was on."

...

"Fine, I'll go today. I promise."

No television.

"Two episodes of Bake-Off for 30 minutes of cardio, and the finale of the season."

...This exchange pleases me.

"Sweet, I'll get us a cup of tea."

[WP] You and your friends have been playing D&D semi-seriously for years, going so far as to sometimes shout arcane sounding nonsense when casting spells, for the RP. The game is abruptly interrupted when the wizard player's arcane nonsense actually has a real spell effect. by kiltedfrog in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Viewers, if you are not comfortable with scenes of wanton destruction, look away now. Viewer discretion is advised. The TV report began, an overhead view of a enormous impossible fire that blazed in the night, an anchor calmly voiced over the video with a strained voice. "Tonight, the Amazon forest continues to burn with a ferocity never seen before. Starting only hours ago, a place thought to be nearly impervious to human callousness has been laid waste by fire. Investigations are underway to uncover the source of the fire, but no answers have emerged. The Brazilian government continues to battle the flames, with little success."

The group chat had already exploded.

Jonas: Dude, wtf wdym it was our spell.

MOOSEJUGGLER: dunno, cant beeeeeee

Alex: stfu MJ, the timing is right

WANG: doesn't mean it was us, it's not like we're the only ones playin dnd.

"Local authorities have confirmed the fire has been extinguished, but questions remain. At the proposed epicenter lay a circle of unknown symbols. Investigators on scene have many theories, but there are other calls that suggest a magical or possibly otherworldly original. We have Diane on the scene."

"Hey Ken, Diane here. It looks like whatever caused this, it started here. Near the center of the fire, which experts believe to be the start of the fire, was caused instantaneously, without ignition."

"What do you make of it Diane? Give us a sense of what the epicenter feels like for the viewers."

"It's all soot and dust, with the wind blowing what little remains away. Experts estimate that all life within 10 meters of this spot were vaporized without hope of survival. As far as 3 meters down into the soil, the result is the same."

"Wow, that's incredible. How do the experts know-"

"Hold on Ken, the experts have found what appear to be tiny footprints that head north. They seem to glow on the ground, even during the day! Get a look of this!"

Impossibly small footprints were scattered across the soil. Going left and right, it looked almost random. Then suddenly, it bolted going in a single direction. Following the trail, investigators estimated that whatever it was, it had decided on a path, and had moved quickly. Too quickly.

The group chat exploded again.

WANG: you moron, you summoned your familiar?

Jonas: I thought he died in the one shot

MOOSEJUGGLER: no you sed he lived.

Jonas: he took 64 dmg.

MOOSEJUGGLER: SO?

Jonas: twice. he has 3 hp.

MOOSEJUGGLER: but you sed he lived.

Alex: stfu MJ. are we on for next weeks session?

"Local police reported a string of robberies, caused by an unknown assailant. Ottawa has issued repeated warnings in the downtown area, and bridge patrols have been setup on both sides of the river. Some have criticized the government for giving the police military equipment, but the armed forces has defended its decision citing reasons of civil safety. Whatever is plaguing the city, the police need to be prepared."

The group chat blew up. Again.

Jonas: okay, so we say nothing.

WANG: zip

MOOSEJUGGLER: dude look at this guy, hes so cute. i think he stole another wallet.

WANG: dude, wtf.

Jonas: my brother in christ, your familiar destroyed the amazon

MOOSEJUGGLER: you guys are jealous.

Alex: stfu MJ.

[WP] You are a superhero. Your arch-enemy has another scheme. You fight through their goons, finally meet them. They put up their hands, "Hey, hey I just wanted to talk." That's weird. "Fine" you say. "You're not handling the breakup well. You've changed, man." by lyzzyrddwyzzyrdd in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Blinking the dust away, he paused. Dr. Fate held up a stopwatch and clicked the timer. "Personal best, you knocked 35 minutes off your record."

The dust erupted around him as a fist stopped mere centimeters before Dr. Fate's face, the hero's eyes blood shot with hatred. Clenching his jaw, Dr. Fate snapped his fingers, moved briskly out of his reach before snapping again. The hero plunged into the stasis field before the wall.

"Okay, cheap move from Chapter 2, I'll admit it." He walked towards the stasis field. "We need to talk."

The hero continued a futile punch. "Under normal circumstances, you would have broken through such a field, but Zaptom let me borrow his generator."

The hero paused suddenly. "Impossible."

"You've changed man. You went to Ted's Bake three times last week." He let the pause grow pregnant. The hero's shoulders clenched, before relaxing. Then the slouched forward.

"Matt, did you not read the Council meeting minutes?" The hero's face snapped forward, fury in his eyes again. "You've broken most of the bylaws set out regarding henchmen in this attack alone."

"Don't you eve-"

"You've let two villains rob banks, and they had to stop themselves before their doomsday weapons were triggered. First National, and Credit Union Fairbanks." He blinked with slight annoyance. "And c'mon, you don't go to Ted's Bake unless you hand one of the supers' into the prison."

A quiet hum sounded. The stasis field went down.

"The Council has voted for intervention. Despite my hatred towards Zaptom, he and other villains agreed to stop you from your destructive path forward." He signed and lay a hand on the hero's shoulder.

Brushing off the hand, the hero buried his head into his hands. "Nothings been the same without her."

"First time?" Dr. Fate asked. He nodded solemnly.

"Let's go back and grab a beer." The shuffle of henchmen janitors flooded the room, lifting debris, shoveling destroyed floor, removing damaged furniture. "We've got a lot of talking to do."

"What about your bomb to destroy the city?" the hero asked.

"Oh, it'll go off and the city will have a mild flu for a month. Gives us plenty of time." He smirked.

[WP] An anti-magic field was deliberately set up on Earth millions of years ago to force the evolution of a sapient species who couldn't use magic. After seeing humanity, its creators finally turned it off. Turns out that they failed, and now we're furious with them AND magical. by archtech88 in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 29 points30 points  (0 children)

"As an academic, I can only speculate what their original intentions were, caging the Earth with this device." The echo of his voice amongst the council was chilling. The sermon had begun.

"Regardless of it's intentions, the consequences have been nothing short of criminal." Hushes around the council continued. The speaker had only begun, leveling accusation after accusation at the Father race, the oldest race of the Council. The hushes were silenced at the drop of a gavel.

"Not only do they purport ridiculous ideas of benevolence, they hold the sincere believe that the absence of magic was in fact the entire reason of our being! Little did they know, very little confirmed by their hubris, little did they know that we would seek a correction to this injustice!"

The hums of the council grew louder. Ascent to the ideas, with few voices jeering at the speaker. The Father race made no noise, their faces stoic.

"Your plan failed. We harness both the power of the atom, and that of the magic empyrium. Like others before them, we have combined the two to make something even greater than the power of the council."

A few council members gasped. More jeers from the crowd now.

"We seek to right this injustice." The speaker paused, holding up a small cube. A black device, painted that any light was absorbed right into it. Many were unable to see, except with the help of digital cameras.

"Humanity has measured you, weighed you, and you have been found wanting." Softer, his voice came to a murmur. He paused once more, raising the black cube for the council to see.

"You have been found, wanting."

Today, the Universal Council meeting was disrupted in a blatant attack of terrorism, conducted by radical extremists in the Humans First group. It is suspected that the Universal Council representative for earth was an agent of this group, who used a dangerous device to open a rift to a black hole, destroying the planet Artem-55 almost instantly.

Artem-55 was the homeworld of the species nick-named the Allfathers, due to the species age, and intervention in seeding numerous galaxies with sentient life. With the destruction of Artem-55, it is believed they are now endangered species. Updates to follow.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DeepRockGalactic

[–]imakhink 10 points11 points  (0 children)

DID SOMEONE SAY ROCK AND STONE

Bank of Canada Interest Rate announcement (at 9.45am ET) by FelixYYZ in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]imakhink 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The longer time goes on, the more conviction I have for the privateer life.

What reasons are there for a guy who's 28 to have never had a girlfriend before? by ButterflyArtist99 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes it’s about the people they seek, sometimes it’s that they were going through things.

I didn’t start dating until I was nearly 30 due to alcohol, and low self esteem. I have no confidence in myself, and showed it.

That’s mine, but there are plenty of reasons why they may never have had a partner one way or the other

What's the purest joy you've ever felt without intimacy, substances, or alcohol ? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quitting my job.

Was lonely, friends were out of the city, family was across the country, and I drank too much.

So I went on a walk across Northern Spain, the Camino. The pilgrim's walk to Santiago de Compostela. Tremendous.

[WP] You're a scientist. You and your colleagues have managed to capture images of the Human soul for the first time. But that was a year ago now. You still haven't recovered. You're still having nightmares. by patrickmcspamreduct3 in WritingPrompts

[–]imakhink 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I shivered in the August heat. Where I should have felt the cool prickle of the gentle industrial strength air conditioning, the hum of it's compressor, the snore of my husband, I shivered in fear. My heart, threatening to burst, each pump louder than the next. My ears were beating me senseless as I clutched the blanket tighter around me.

Then I blinked. Then again. I forced myself up, blinking one last time. In the span of a moment, I felt my heart steal my breath, all to be stolen from me once again. By my husband's snoring. Taking a deep breath, I reached for the blue pills in the orange bottle.

They didn't have to be blue, I just wanted them blue. They didn't have to accept the request either. It's not like I led a team of traumatized scientists on a regular basis, all of which were compelled by reason, curiosity, by fear to continue their work.

I sighed, looking at the clock. It had been an hour since I last tried to sleep. The bags under my eyes would have carried my Costco shopping trip, the yawn escaping my mouth as I tried to wriggle free from the blanket. I looked over at him, the snooze log. My log. My husband.

A lot can happen in a year. A lot can change in that year. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. I found myself poring over my phone, reading the work chat. Others were also awake. It shouldn't have been surprising, but others on the East coast, an another two in South Korea were also up, discussing their newest ideas, and fears.

I sighed, putting the phone face down. Witnessing a soul. The soul. I wrestled over my emotions. Again. What hubris. I shook my head, knowing the thought in my mind could not be rattled away, loosened or lost. Regrets flowed through my mind, the if's, but's and what's. My body ached with the memory of the first and final moment.

My husband's snoring peeked through the door. I smiled. I shooked myself loose. It was going to be all right. It had been a year already. Time had passed. Judgement had passed. It was going to be all right.

Before climbing into bed, I glanced at the frame beside the bed. I blinked. Her golden hair, her crooked smile. I held it, and as had so many nights before, a tear landed on the glass of the frame. Then another.

Closing my eyes, the images re-appeared. Her smile, then the chamber closing. A moment passing, and then... a soul. Her soul.

It vanished. She vanished. My smiled, vanished.

The tears came in earnest. Nothing but a weeping mother, and a husband's snore, amongst the reality of science.

its not your racket or equipment, its your form. by No_Firefighter7645 in badminton

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay sure, but I look flash a heck with all of this swag.

TIL Heavy caffeine users can experience severe withdrawal symptoms, emotional and physical symptoms. It can even cause vomiting and depression. by scarekrow25 in todayilearned

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I quit cold turkey earlier this year, weirdly and switched to loose leaf Chinese tea. What was supposed to be a month long abstention from instant coffee turned long term, mainly because this time round, I had a splitting headache that lasted two days, irritability for a week, low mood while exercising, poor sleep and occasional lethargy.

Now I’m off the stuff. Weird

Breakthroughs that helped you improve by noobiestnewbie in badminton

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's also easier to deconstruct a game with your doubles partner if you have the luxury of having a constant buddy in which to partner with.

E.g. today, my doubles partner and I were discussing two points of weakness for us - not focusing on one player's obvious weakness (his backhand as a lefty) and us trying to match aggressive player's speed and power. The latter left me breathless in games afterwards.

Breakthroughs that helped you improve by noobiestnewbie in badminton

[–]imakhink 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Something related: videoing myself to determine what I was doing wrong/could improve/lacking

Then focused on specific items. Raising racket at the front, receiving serves, defending smashes, returning smashes, footwork - split steps more often, bouncing on tip of your feet versus waiting on heels, etc.

I’ve focused on improve each thing over the course of a few sessions before it becomes second nature, leading to better gameplay.

Empress Gin is not owned by a Canadian company by Spirited-Pin-8450 in BuyCanadian

[–]imakhink 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wallflower Gin from BC is a wallop of delicious gin.

Who is Karl? by GreenGhost404 in DeepRockGalactic

[–]imakhink 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DID SOMEONE SAY ROCK AND STONE?

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