Some More Doodles Pages!
Some more Doodles pages!
This one is about my main story this time! I really liked how his clothes turned out and his side profiles.
More Posts from Justanotherblogger and Others
Shadow Trails ~~~~~~~~~~
Charlie looks up at the demon. He's taller than her, with card symbols all over his wings and outfit. He wears a black bowler hat and a white dress shirt with a red and black blazer, one that has the sleeves rolled up and two white J's standing back to back on the left chest pocket.
His gray pants are baggy, but dont bunch around his ankles while having diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs going down in lines. He looks down at her with almost glowing yellow eyes.
Charlie rubs her eyes, blinks twice, and then gives a big smile. "Hello there! How can I help you? Are you here to stay at the Happy Hotel?"
The sinner tips his hat to her politely. "Heya. And, ah, no, I'm not exactly looking to stay here." The cat sinner ruffles his wings. "The name's Husk, gambling overlord, y'know. I own the casino "Chips and Trades" down on Betters Way. I was wondering if..." Husk had started.
But Charlie stopped listening when he said the casino name. This is the King of Cards. The King of Cards. Outside her door. Seemingly looking for her specifically for whatever reason. She should've noticed sooner with his souls being heavier than a normal sinners. Oh shit.
Husk coughs into his clawed hand before speaking again. "What do ya-" She closes the door in his face. Oh crap she closed the door in his face!
She quickly opens it again. Husk stares back, confused. "Uh, hello-" he tries to speak, but she closes it again. Aw crap. Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap-
"Uh, Vaggie?" Charlie yells into the lobby, voice a bit wobbly.
"What is it?"
"The King of Cards is at the door..."
"Wait, what!?!" Vaggie yells, sitting up from the couch.
"What should I do!?" Charlie pulls on her hair, pacing in front of the doorway.
"Well, don't talk to him!"
"Who?" Angel pipes up, seemingly done with his popsicle as he waves the stick around for emphasis.
Charlie bites her nail before looking back at the door. Maybe he wasn't here for any bad reasons? He did seem like he was trying to talk to her civilly. But what if hes trying to ruin or take the hotel? Ugh! This is going nowhere!
'Y'know what? Im gonna do it. This hotel can't have it that much worse anyway.'
She finally takes a deep breath before opening the door again, looking Husk straight in the eyes. Sorry, Vaggie.
He looked down unimpressed. "Can I continue?" He asked in a bored tone. "You can." Charlie responds, trying to remain a bit confident.
Husk just shrugs in response before ducking through the door, almost knocking Charlie over with his wings. "The name's Husk, but I already told you that. I'm here to make a proposal for you and your... lively hotel." He looks around the battered entrance and cringes. "To give a good fix-up in return for something I suddenly need."
"Wait, really!?!" Charlie stopped herself before continuing. "Uh, *ahem* so, what do you need exactly?" She quickly saves, following him to the lobby.
But before Husk can respond, an angelic spear is aimed straight at his throat. "Stop. Right there." Vaggie suddenly snaps. Husk snarls down at the weapon.
Charlie quickly steps between the two. "Vaggie, stop! We don't need violence right now. He's here to make a proposal for the hotel!"
Vaggie huffed before rebuffing her statement. "What would a gambling overlord have to gain from our hotel? One that's also specifically known for trickery and manipulation?" She gives a harder glare towards the overlord.
Husk swats the tip away from his neck before speaking. "Just so you know, I only do that to lower level assholes I don't like. I can be civil when I have to, and with the right people." He adds the second bit like an afterthought.
"And what business do you have at our hotel? Do you even believe in our hotel's cause?" Vaggie asks skeptically.
Husk suddenly laughs. " Oh! Yeah, no. I don't really think your whole 'redemption' thing is going to work out in what I think you're hoping for. I'm just here to see if this could be something interesting enough to invest in."
If looks could kill, Husk would be dead where he stood as Vaggie glared holes into the back of the overlords head.
However, Charlie suddenly grabs Husk's arm and leads him towards the staircase, trying to deescalate the situation. "Well then, I think a tour is in order for our future investor!" She laughs nervously before shooting a begging look to Vaggie.
Vaggie stands still for a second. Finally, she glares at Husk's back before lowering her weapon, groaning, and shooing them off. Charlie gives a happy squeak and starts dragging Husk off around the top of the staircase.
Vaggie throws herself back onto the couch and sets her spear within arms reach. She starts to rub her temple violently. This isn't going to end well.
"So, what's with whisker?" Angel suddenly asks, sitting down on the arm of the couch and staring at the pair walking all over the hotel. "Y'know, the big fluff-ball ya got Charlie dragging everywhere?"
Vaggie pipes up, exasperated. "Wait, you don't know the King of Cards? Husk? Husker?"
"I've heard the name 'Husker' used around the studio sometimes, usually in passing." Angel stands up and sits in the armchair across from the couch. "Huh, woulda thought he'd be a bit less, y'know, cuddly. Don't know much 'bout him otherwise."
Vaggie looks even more exasperated than before. "You don't know about his deals with The Legends?" Angel shrugs. "His rise up in ranks over a couple of days? The one who tore down all existing systems and pioneered his own on a straight up gamble?"
Angel gives another shrug before crossing his arms. "I don't really follow politics. I might start if he's front and center, though." He gives a smirk in the overlords direction.
"Ugh, Angel Dust..." Vaggie sighs before continuing. "The King of Cards arrived in hell just before the Overlord Slaughter."
Angel Dust sags. "Oh here we go."
"Shut up. Anyways, he had never shown his face before the overlords started to go missing. People say he organized the whole thing to take advantage of the other overlords, who were called The Legends for surviving the massacre. He preyed on their fear of death from whatever being killed the others, and gave them protection in exchange for parts of their domain, their power, and some even gave away their souls to avoid the next slaughter.
"This sudden surge in power gave him the ability to do almost anything he wanted. He started to tear down the previous influences of the other overlords, things like brands, buildings, and even whole districts, as he rebuilt things to his liking.
"This is how Betters Way was created, with Chips and Trades as the star of the alley. You couldn't walk two feet without seeing an ad for whatever the King of Cards had going at the time. And he never stopped growing.
"He'd take sinners and demons alike to his table, letting them think they even had a chance in besting the head of the gambling district. They would all fail, as the house always wins and have everything taken from them. Their possessions, their achievements, and their own souls would be ripped from them to be added to the ever growing mound.
"This is why we can't get involved in something that runs around him. He lies, he cheats, and he always finds some way to have his interests win over all or tear you down to bits until you can't be anything without what the King of Cards holds in his hands." Vaggie takes a deep breath.
Silence is the only thing between them before Angel speaks up again. " Hah! Well, to me, he looks like an oversized build-a-bear accident."
Vaggie grumbles before glaring back at the Overlord, who was with Charlie and starting to walk back down the stairs. "Well, I don't trust his intentions."
Angel Dust raises a brow but says nothing, looking at the pair now standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Vaggie seemingly has enough as she gets up and drags Charlie away, leaving Husk to his own devices in the lobby.
Only when they're far enough away does Vaggie speak again. "You can't seriously be thinking about trusting that guy, right? He literally gambles peoples souls away for a living. He doesn't believe in what we're trying to do here, and he might even try to take one of our souls or tear down all of our work! "
Charlie glances at Husk before grabbing one of Vaggie's shoulders. "I know, Vaggie. He's definitely not here to be redeemed or to help with the idea of redemption in mind,"
Husk is now looking at the paintings on the walls, walking in front of them all with little to no interest for what's depicted on them.
"But this is what our hotel is about. To give sinners a chance and to have faith that they can be better! Turning someone away isn't something I can do. Just trust me this once, ok? Also, I'll give you full reign to do whatever if he tries anything."
Vaggie seems to think it over before answering. "Ok, just be sure not to make any exchanges, deals, or anything like that with him, got it?"
Charlie giggles before letting go of Vaggie. "Don't worry so much, Vaggie. If there's one thing I learned from my dad, it's that you dont take shit from other demons!"
Vaggie watches as Charlie confidently walks back up to Husk. "So, uh, Husk. I know you probably don't believe in what I'm doing and are just here for personal gain, but I do believe in what we're trying to do here." She says with a serious tone.
"This hotel is about taking chances and having the idea that sinners can be better in the first place, so I accept your offer to help out in our hotel. No strings attached or whatever you do with bets in your casino."
Husk squinted down at Charlie. "Hey now, I never made an offer like that. I made a proposal to help fix up this hotel in exchange for getting my name back into the game. I can give you more in exchange if you desire."
Husk suddenly holds out his hand as their surroundings turn a warm orange hue; soft voices echoed throughout the air.
Charlie immediately backs up from Husk. "Yeah, uh, no. No deals, no hand shaking, no exchanges, ok? Uhm, what about this instead."
Husk pulls his hand back and looks at Charlie expectantly. She coughs into her hand, then looks to Vaggie giving her an approving expression before speaking again.
"I, Princess of Hell, hereby declare that Husk, the gambling overlord, is to help out and fix the hotel to his best abilities for however long he desires in exchange for Husk's, uh, publicity." She finishes before looking back up at Husk.
He squinted down at her, seemingly thinking about her choice of words, then nods. "Good enough for me." Charlie let a breath she didn't know she was holding out in relief.
Husk suddenly walked around the lobby, starting to pick apart all the things that needed fixing. "Where is the rest of your staff anyways?"
Charlie tilts ger head to one side. "Staff?"
"Yeah, staff. Y'know, to help keep this hotel running? Things like maids, customer service people, the front desk runners?"
Charlie shrinks slightly before pointing to Vaggie. She in response just glared back into the overlords eyes.
Husk flinches back a bit. "Ho, yeah. You're going to need more than that to keep this hotel from running into disrepair."
He scans the room before finally acknowledging the resident spider sitting on the arm chair.
"And what exactly can you do?"
Angel Dust smirks before answering. "I can suck your dick!"
Silence falls in the lobby with Husk just staring for a second. Then he sighs, and grumbles something akin to "I'm too sober for this."
Angel laughs in his seat as Husk walks back to the center of the room. "Well, this certainly won't do if you're going to keep this project running. I might as well use a couple of tricks up my sleeve to at least give it a chance."
He then takes a jack of hearts from his sleeve and throws it into the parlor fireplace. It suddenly lights up as the entire parlor becomes free of dust and debris, with a little figure blackened by char stuck in the fireplace.
Everyone just stares as Husk goes up, picks the figure up by the scruff, and shakes the ash right off it. A single eye looks back up at them as he drops her back to the ground.
She's smaller than everyone there, about 3 feet tall if someone were to guess. She has a red poodle skirt on, with a poofy white shirt with three red spots on the chest and a white J surrounded by a red heart embroidered on top of where a human heart would be. There's a small red scarf around her neck, and her hair is short with red and orange highlights. She looks around the room erratically with her yellow eye.
"This little thing is Nifty. She'll make this hotel the cleanest it can be and keep everything in order. Just don't get too close: she can and will stab you." Husk warns before stepping back.
"Hi! I'm Nifty! It's been a while since I've seen other sinners in person." She rambles before looking around the lobby. Her face immediately drops.
"Oh my gosh! This place is filthy! It needs a lady's touch, which is weird because all of you are ladies, no offense." She speaks quickly as she takes a duster from... somewhere, and starts to clean every inch of the place, sometimes stabbing roaches with a sewing needle.
Angel scoffs at her comment but says nothing more. After she's apparently done, she skitters back to Husk's side and looks up at him with a begging look.
"So when are you bringing Al?" She asks a bit jittery, but with certainty. Husk rubs his temple. "I just brought you here, Nif. Summoning you guys takes a lot outa' me, believe it or not."
"Who's Al?" Charlie pipes up.
"Ooh, he's the best!" Nifty speaks up before Husk can answer. "He let's me climb all over him and put on roach puppet shows at his poker table without shooing me away!"
Husk speaks up before she can continue rambling. "*ahem* He's my top dealer. Got his soul a couple of years back, and now he works the poker tables and on my schedule. Brings in more souls than the rest per week on floor 13."
Vaggie squinted in suspension. "And what can he do for the hotel?"
Husk shrugs. "You'll see." He grumbles the next part mostly to himself. "I need to get him anyway. He holds all my liquor."
He then takes a deep breath before pulling out an ace of spades card from his left chest pocket. He flicks it onto the open floor as it grows and levitates upright
As if thrown, a figure stumbles from the cards picture, making the card blank for the time being. It shrinks and starts to float down before the figure snatches it and puts it back into his right chest pocket.
A soft hum of static could be heard after his arrival. He's taller than Husk, but not by much. He wears brown dress shoes, black slacks, a long-sleeved white undershirt, a dark red vest, and a black bow tie with a red jewel in the middle. On his right chest is a pocket with an embroidered A on top of a black spade.
He has striking, wavy red hair, with deer ears that stick up on either side of his head and a small tail. The tips of his ears, tail, and hair look like they were dipped in black, with the hair framing yellow eyes with red irises. The only thing blocking them were gold framed glasses that had a beaded chain to hang them around his neck while not in use.
When the figure finally steadied himself, he began to speak to the Overlord. "What fantastical event do you need me for now Husker-" he finally looked to the group as he turned around, eyes widening slightly as he set them on Charlie.
But he quickly took the situation in stride, patting down his uniform and speaking in his radio-like voice. "Why, hello there! My name is Alastor. It is a pleasure to be meeting you." He gives a nod, then a small smile, revealing sharp teeth through the gap.
Vaggie's eyes widen in turn, but she doesn't say anything back. "What exactly am I doing this time?" Alastor asks, now aimed back at Husker.
He huffed before answering. "You're gonna man the front desk at this "Happy Hotel". Making sure people check in, get the right keys and shit. Maybe a card game or two while they're here."
Charlie speaks up. "Wait what-"
Husk is already throwing the cards before she can finish. The cards surround the beaten up front desk, swirling around it and blocking the set up from view before throwing themselves back into Husk's deck, with a brand new poker table in place of the previous desk. The entire thing looks brand new, with fixed key holders to one side and a stock of liquor in the other.
Vaggie seethes. "What is this!? This is a place that discourages sin! We can't have a literal bar as our check-in desk!"
Husk raises a brow. "But it's not a bar. It's a poker table." He gestures to the surprisingly smooth poker table currently displayed as a desk. Angel Dust snorts before adding on. "Yeah, toots. That's obviously a poker table."
"Ugh! I can't with you two." Vaggie walks back over to the couch and flops down. Alastor grins at the scene before heading behind the desk.
Charlie takes this opportunity to go up and lean against the desk to talk to Alastor. "Hi! Welcome to the Happy Hotel! YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT HERE!!!!"
Alastor gives a small chuckle in response. "I think I might find this at least a bit entertaining. Haven't been summoned like this since 1997! It does get boring after shuffling so many cards and sitting around the same establishment all day, you know. I'm excited to see where this project will take us, my dear!"
Charlie gives a big smile to him as she turns back to Husk, waiting for him to say something.
He ruffles his wings again before speaking. "So, uh, what do ya' think?" He asks with a lazy tone.
Charlie literally squeals in delight. "This is amazing! Thank you so much, Husk!" Vaggie sits up just to mumble out a quick."I guess I can tolerate it."
"Good, cause I wasn't gonna change nothing anyways." Husk slinks to the front desk and just asks Alastor for the usual thing of alcohol.
Alastor just nods as he wrangles an energetic Nifty from his shoulder and sits her down across from Husk. "Try to stay still for once, Nifty."
Nifty is now bouncing in her seat as Alastor pours out Husk's drink. Setting it in front of him, Alastor exits the desk and picks up a now very jittery Nifty, making sure she doesn't go out on a stabbing rampage again.
Vaggie had already sat up, with Charlie now sitting next her her. They just watch the scene unfold, with Angel surprisingly quiet in the armchair.
The nice silence was suddenly broken as one of the hotels' walls crashed down, causing everything to be covered in a layer of dust, again.
The force caused the pair of girls to fall sideways on the couch, knocked Angel completely off the chair, and hit Husk's drink out of his hands before he could take a second sip. Alastor and Nifty are relatively unphased.
Manic laughter could be heard from outside as the group went and looked out of the crash site.
"It isss I! Sir Pentiousss! I know you're in there, Angel Dussst! Prepare for a rematch and to face my wrath!" The snake sinner declared as he shot up the surrounding area.
Husk stepped outside first, observing the threat level, and then deeply groaned. Alastor came right up to his side. "Want me to take care of it?"
Husk shook his head and started to ready his wings. "Nah, he spilled my drink. Also, I should show these guys what I'm actually made of."
With that, he took off right in front of the blimp. He punched the front, causing glass to shatter everywhere outside and inside the blimp.
Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel just stared as Husk went ham on the poor sinner. He threw cards that cut through the steel like butter, never-ending ribbons that restricted all of the blimps movement, and the bomb that was about to release got poofed into pigeons with a single touch after being completely covered up by the ribbon.
One card finally hit the engine, causing the entire thing to explode, sending the snake flying in the opposite direction.
Husk landed right in front of the group, all of them just staring at the explosion site. "Ugh... I need another drink." Husk finally spoke as he started to head back to the hotel through the smashed wall.
Charlie guided Vaggie back to the hole with a hand on her shoulder. Angel followed right after them, with Nifty skipping close behind. Then finally, Alastor came from the back.
He stopped right inside of the hole, snapped, and watched as the entire wall started to piece itself together again out of everyone else's view.
Once the wall looked good as new, Alastor went back to the front desk/poker table. He huffed to himself as he saw everyone crowded around Husk. The dust was still layered on everything, though. But that could be left to Nifty.
Previous || Next
I am Bilal from Gaza, displaced to Egypt after 150 days of great hardship. I came here with some of my family members, leaving behind most of our loved ones and places of memories.
Life in Egypt is full of challenges. We are here without a residence permit, and prices are very high, making it difficult to secure our basic needs. We try to adapt to the new circumstances, but every day we face new problems.
The longing for Gaza always hurts us. We think of our family and friends who are still there, and every contact with them deepens our sense of distance. Despite all these difficulties, we try to hold on to hope and look for ways to improve our situation.
If you can provide financial support, even if it is small, it will make a huge difference to us in these difficult times: [https://gofund.me/ba5b76e9]
A World Without Him
Chapter 17
Tang's shift went on routinely.
Grab from the basket. Try to scrub out the stains or top layers of grime. Throw the piece into the machine. Let it run along once it's full. Go until the baskets empty. Ignore the worker taking and refilling the basket. Rinse and repeat.
That's how everything went; no pleasant chatter or white noise to cover the rumbles of machinery or the whispers of the actual workers. Oh, yeah, he forgot to mention that apparently they weren't considered actual workers as they were under “tent arrest”, which was just a polite way of saying they were slaving away under the “official” workers’ scrutiny.
He was lucky to even be allowed his own station instead of being an errand boy, though, as he saw some running around delivering soap or baking soda to whatever worker yelled out the loudest. Maybe it was because he wasn't making a scene and seemed to be mild-mannered with just a little intimidation. It's not like they're wrong, though.
The staring had also gotten a bit worse from there, as they seemed to get over the shock of his presence and start to test his limits. After a bit, the soldiers patrolling and workers coming for the baskets were not very subtle with their discomfort around him anymore. They seemed to be waiting for him to slip up and make some kind of mistake as he continued those tedious patterns of scrubbing, throwing, and silently screaming in his head.
It was easier to zone out when Tang didn't have constant looks directed at him 24/7. His mind and body were tired from the constant stress now, and he thinks his ankles would give out any minute from how long he's been standing and shuffling in place.
He wanted nothing more than to yell screw you to this place, and fall asleep back in his apartment; he wanted to sink away from all these prying eyes.
Maybe this was why he started to disassociate more, letting the piercing stares and scrutiny fall into the background as he let muscle memory do most of the work. Maybe this was when his mind started to blank with his head then trying to fill in the space, subconsciously bringing back some old friends to fill the void.
‘Everything is going wrong. What are we even supposed to do against that thing!?’
Tang sighed internally as he was brought back to reality. He thought, since he now had Cian yapping into his ears whenever it wanted, he would be free from the other annoying voices. There was no such luck to be had, though.
‘______ is already on the problem. The setup is going through and ____ get everything back __ the way it was. ____ whining.’
‘Well I'm so _____ for being a bit worried that it's got some grubby mitts on ____ now. How ___ we even going to get the _______ back up again?’
‘Ughhhhh…’
They didn't stay for long and faded out soon after he noticed them. Tang relaxed a bit at their departure, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He knew they had something to do with what was happening with his head (as Cian used to also be “just a voice”, and it turned out to be something way more than something like that) but he didn't want to try interacting with them yet. He knew they didn't look too kindly to him, and seemed anxious when he seemed to notice their existence.
He didn't want to know what would happen if they figured out he could hear them the entire time. It's especially risky to try and interact with them now since he knows they might be able to interact with the world like Cian did, maybe to even more serious degrees if they were more powerful.
Thinking this much about everything was starting to hurt his head. I don't even know where these stupid voices are coming from in the first place, less so why they're messing with my life! He thought, accidently ripping a piece off of a tent in his stupor.
He cringed at that, and then carefully put it into the wash for someone else to deal with. He really needed a nap, and maybe a good story to fill his mind with distractions. But almost no breaks are allowed in here. He had learned just how harsh this place was when there was a big commotion two rows down in front of him.
One of the other workers (the one who refused to get up from the ground near the start of the day. Tang recognized the guy from the burn marks up the side of his face) was forcefully dragged out of the building when he tried to sleep on the floor. Wherever they were taking him, it didn't seem good as the guy knocked over baskets and other cleaning supplies, and Tang really didn't want to find out for himself.
He quickly woke himself up by slapping his cheeks and went back to his work after that instead of gawking any more at the scene. His body probably couldn't take another harrowing experience like that this week lest he collapse onto the ground. Maybe I would be brought to where they were keeping Zach if I collapsed.
Anyways, after what felt like hours of scrubbing and washing after that incident, the loud sound of a bell rang throughout the camp, signaling what Tang assumed was the lunch break. He was probably right based on the looks of relief that came over all the other peoples’ faces as they started moving away from their stations.
Tang quickly went with the crowd, moving with the wave of people trying to squeeze through the entrance doors with everyone else. His stomach had started growling an hour ago, and after he almost ate a detergent pod thinking it was another one of those gross breakfast bars, he really didn't want to wait any longer.
But before he could even get close to those doors, he was pulled out of the crowd by his sleeve and almost landed onto another station at the force. Looking up and about to argue with whoever stopped him, he realized it was the Head Soldier from earlier, and quickly bit back his retort.
The guy was gruff, obviously. He had a buzz cut and a 5 o'clock shadow that didn't help hide any of the guy’s wrinkles. He also had a branded military cap unlike anyone else in the building. Tang didn't look that closely at anything else though, mainly because the guy looked down at him with a snarl and furrowed brows before speaking up, too loudly in Tang’s opinion.
“Don't go wandering off now. You and the other low-lives eat in your tent away from the workers and soldiers. Wouldn't want you all to conspire or have fights to break out, would we?”
Tang didn't answer the rhetorical question, yanking his sleeve out of the guy’s hold as he looked away from his gaze. Seeing a small commune of people near the back of the building, he quickly walked away and started going towards them, seeing Carlson near the back which solidified that this was probably his group.
The Head Soldier slowly walked behind him until he was back with all of them near the back, and then clapped loudly to get everyone's attention.
“Go with your assigned team back to the tent and take your lunch break. Remember that it's only 25 minutes, and if you're late you'll have to report to me for appropriate punishment. Now shoo.” He waved a hand before walking out of the building's back door, leaving the group alone with the 3 chaperone soldiers.
They were almost immediately ushered out of the room by said soldiers, many of them having to speed walk back to the tent from how fast these guys were going. Tang quickly looked around the place, trying to see everything in a new light compared to yesterday.
All he could were groups of people sitting at picnic tables further away, digging into their bowls like dogs who haven't been fed in weeks. Their faces held many scars and bruises, but no emotion as they ate, scarfing down all the brown stuff they could around a fire before the next bell would ring out. One seemed to lock gazes with him, crazed eyes looking into ones of apprehension. But that was all he could see before getting forced back into the tent with a shove along with the others.
Many grunts of disapproval were let out before everyone slowly went back to their own devices. Tang swallowed heavily, standing in place for a bit after the rush, and then quietly went back to his bed while swerving away from the other inhabitants.
He just sat back down onto his cot after that, letting the white noise distract his head from anything else. He only stares at the ceiling, if you could call it that, not bothering to move even when hearing the tent flap open and the clinking of metal signaling the food is here. He didn't feel that hungry anymore.
He stayed that way for a bit, letting his situation finally sink in after the hectic time he's already had, and it's not even 1 o'clock yet. He squints his eyes, letting the world blur and refocus at his will. He flinched as a hand landed onto his shoulder, and it quickly retracted at his reaction. It was Rick, holding two bowls of whatever this place was serving to them.
Rick didn't seem that deterred by the reaction. “Woah there, didn't mean to scare you that badly, heh. You seemed all out of it, and your slop was getting cold, so I brought you a bowl.” He explained, setting down a bowl onto Tang's cot next to his hand.
Rick continued his speech as Tang took the bowl, smelling it carefully before taking small sips bit by bit. “I get why you're so high-strung. No one likes being put into time out, doing all these dumb errands while we get ordered around by those damned workers who think they're better than us. You were probably also interrogated, which is no one's favorite thing, and you seem to not know anything about this place or why everyone here is so weird. So scared and alone, I reckon.”
Tang slightly squinted his eyes at the last part, but he just nodded along anyway, finishing the bland soup(? all he knew was that sludge was in a bowl, but it might just be its own ecosystem by now judging by the weird slimy chunks here and there) and setting the bowl back onto the cot.
Rick sat a hand onto Tang's shoulder again after the scholar was finished, letting the lack of flinch be the acceptance he needed as he gripped the shoulder harder. “So~, I have decided to be your guiding light, your navigator, or whatever you want to call me throughout your camp experience! We'll never really be in the direct line of fire, by the way, as we're most likely going to be running around for the people working in the background. So I was thinking I could fill you in on this total mess we call an HQ, and you could stick by me when I need it! So, what do you think?”
Rick stared into Tang’s eyes, a sharp grin on his face as he waited for a response. Tang got a feeling of deja vu yet again. Why do I seem to be involved with more dubious deals than usual? This is starting to become a pattern. A very concerning pattern…
But before Tang could even try to think of a response, a hand dragged Rick’s own off of Tang’s shoulder.
“I think you should stop harassing us new guys. Nothing good will come from forcing us to be your personal errand boys like the workers do to us. A bit hypocritical, don't you think?” An unfamiliar voice spoke out. It seemed familiar to Tang, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint where he'd heard it from. He didn't think too hard about it anyway as Rick's eye twitched annoyance before he started to retort loudly.
“Hah! Please, I was just being friendly to our new member. He would obviously be eaten alive in here unless he had some help from a pro. I was just offering my help, like a good samaritan. Gotta get outta this tent someday, ya know?” He narrowed his eyes as his grin fell slightly.
“It's not like you can talk, either. I haven't seen you around before, so you don't know this place very well. Are you trying to act all heroic in a “noobs stick together” sort of way? ‘Cause that won't end well for you or him in this place, trust me.” Rick spoke with venom, his laid-back tone with Tang vanishing in an instant as he spat at the newcomer.
Now that Tang thinks about it, he hasn't seen this guy in the camp either. He definitely would have remembered this guy, mainly with how bright his eyes were. They were a light yellow, bordering white in some areas, with some wisps of pure black hair falling in front of them from his short, messy hairstyle. His voice was smooth, almost comparable to Cian with how he spoke. He held a grin like Rick, but it didn't seem as sharp as the other's was.
Maybe this guy was one that he had just missed in the chaos of the morning and last night? That was probably it, as Tang didn't remember Rick from the tent until he introduced himself in the bathrooms. Tang just shook his head at that and focussed back into the present when another bell went off throughout the camp, signaling the end of lunch and stopping the two's argument for now.
Rick laughed, but it was one without humor. “Well, I guess it's time for us to go back, huh? I'll let you have this one today, as I really don't want to be put back in the Pound when someone intriguing finally shows up in this tent. You better get moving though, those soldiers really don't like when they're put on Guard Duty, especially when it's just for bums like us.”
Rick waved a hand beside his head as he walked away and took his untouched bowl with him to dump into a trash can outside the tent, shoving the now empty bowl to whichever unsuspecting soldier was closest.
Tang looked away from where Rick had gone and looked to the guy beside him. The cold guy glanced at him for a second, something gleaming in his eyes the scholar couldn't decipher, before silently ignoring his presence and stepping out of the tent himself.
That was weird. What Tang’s only thought before readjusting his cracked glasses and carrying his bowl to the front. The guy with greasy hair stared at him from his own cot as the scholar walked out, his own bowl halfway finished and halfway on the floor. Tang just ignored him, again, and gave his bowl to the soldier beside the trash can.
But before he could actually enter the building again, a soldier grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around so they were face to face. “Are you Tang?” The woman deadpanned.
“Oh, uh, yes I am. What's the problem?” He answered, nervous he'd already done something to warrant this place’s wrath.
“Your friend finally woke up in the infirmary, and we have some questions we'd like to ask you when we arrive. Now, follow me, and don't go wandering off like some others in your tent; remember that we have eyes everywhere, so keep your hands and feet to yourself. Let's go.”
Previous | Next | Start
Hello,
My name is Anas Al Burri. I am 17 years old, and I live in G*za. My sister has jaundice because she gave birth to her child in an unhygienic area during the war. She has no medication, and her condition is worsening, almost life-threatening. She is too ill to produce milk for her son, and we can't get milk from anywhere else. I have no medication for my diabetes! I am missing insulin, and my blood sugar is critically high, often above 180 and sometimes even 400. I suffer from hyperglycemia attacks and can't get to a hospital because we are in the northern part of G*za.
Three months ago, my 14-year-old brother Ahmad was searching for something to eat when he was sh*ot in the ch*est by sni*pers from a kilometer away. The bul*let went straight through his body. He was just a CHILD! We still can't believe it and keep thinking he will come back any moment. We didn't even have time to mourn him before the next family members were kill*ed.
The hardships my family and I face are beyond what words can describe. This is our last resort.
We are reaching out to you with a desperate plea. We need your help to survive. Your donation can provide us with the life-saving medications and food that we desperately need. Every act of kindness brings us closer to safety and restores a glimmer of hope in our hearts.
With your support, you can give us and many other families in G*za a chance to survive and rebuild our shattered lives. Help us survive and leave G*za so that the last of our family does not perish.
https://gofund.me/ecf94b00
Thank you for your empathy and kindness.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Anas Al-Burri and Family
❤❤
Hello dear friends! ❤🤍🖤💚
🍉I am Mahmoud Ayyad, a Palestinian from the besieged and destroyed Gaza 😭😭, coming from an extended family of young children, women and elderly people ❤❤ who have been suffering😭😭 for 300 difficult days from an aggressive war.
Our lives are harsh because we lack all the basic necessities of life. Everything has become scarce and unattainable. There is no food, no water, no medicine.
So, I ask you to help me keep my family safe and alive, especially after we had lost all our sources of livelihood.Please do not leave my family to struggle and suffer these difficult days alone. You can support my campaign by donating whatever you can or by sharing my posts to reach others who can help us survive the war to safety and peace. You are helping the lives of many people with your small contribution. Every donation makes a difference in our very difficult lives. But this is a legitimate campaign and has been checked by 90-ghost.
https://gofund.me/31c5cbe3
Life ramble
So, I'm at my dance class right? And I have a 1 hour break between classes, so I can just hang out. I'm in a certain seat for a while, and then get thirsty, so I get up to go to the water fountain for a few seconds. And when I try to go back to my seat, an old lady is sitting in it, while watching the class, which a bit understandable. I was just gonna blow it off when she STARTED TO PLAY CANDY CRUSH. IN MY SEAT. NOT EVEN WATCHING THE CLASS. AND SHE JUST SAT THERE THE ENTIRE REST OF THE BREAK. PLAYING CANDY CRUSH.
Hello, I’m Samar from Gaza, a mother of a young child 🇵🇸❤️. I only have 500 euros left to reach the amount needed to buy a tent that will protect us from the cold and rain 🏕️. I reached out to 25 kind people, and if each person donates just 20 euros, we’ll have the full amount needed.
Your help, no matter how small, means so much to us ❤️🙏.
The campaign is verified by @90-ghost and @gaza-evacuation-funds.
https://gofund.me/5b6f1940
https://www.gofundme.com/f/pa958-help-me-and-my-family
Hi, my name is Mohammad totah, I am 33 years old, I am from Gaza, married to Aya Abu Kmail who is 26 years old, and I am a mother of two children, My oldest is my daughter, Sana'a, who is five years old, and my youngest is my son , wasfi , who is 3
since October 7 we have been living in fear and hunger, we have lost many things in this war, we have lost our home and we have lost members of our family, we have been displaced from places that are not suitable for living
we are experiencing a real famine in Gaza. I've gone to bed with my children without dinner because there is no food available. we have had to eat animal and bird feed due to the high cost of flour just to fill the hunger of my young children . even after eating it, we all suffered from diarrhea and severe stomach pain. my children developed rashes on their bodies due to the spread of viruses. their is also a severe shortage of water, and even when we find it, it's not safe to drink
My children cry , asking for vegetables, fruit,and eggs, but we can't afford them because we have no income
winter is coming,and we have nothing for it. I need clothes and shoes for my children to keep them warm
therefore,I hope that you will help me in the near future, even if it is just a little, to provide for my children's basic needs
Hello🤍,
My name is Sami, and I am a father of two daughters. We were displaced from Gaza 🇵🇸due to the war, and we lost our home, car, and all our belongings. We are currently living in a tent without shelter or basic necessities. We are waiting for the border to open so we can escape the war, but for now, we urgently need your help to secure food, water, medicine, and to find a safe place for my daughters.Any donation, no matter how small, will help us through these difficult times and give us hope. Thank you to everyone supporting us. May God bless you. 🤲❤️
https://gofund.me/107a8322
I forgot to post the chapters after chapter 4, so I'll just put the latest one here.
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