The Tap [ideas run freely]

[Ranger of the North]

ERMAGERSH! I love this, Ranger! It's absolutely fabulous! <3 How you be so amazing?
Definitely gonna keep reading this. I'm really excited to see where it goes and what happens next.

Ah, thank you so much!!! <3

[ArtsheepNZ]

*casually subscribes to thread*

[Ranger of the North]

*casually subscribes to thread*

xD thank yoouu <3

[blackbird.]

you write so well! and your ideas are super original and interesting which i absolutely like about your stories and there's just so much excitement and action happening like it's just so wonderful c:

[Ranger of the North]

you write so well! and your ideas are super original and interesting which i absolutely like about your stories and there's just so much excitement and action happening like it's just so wonderful c:

Wow, really? <3 Thanks! <3

[Phebe]

If nobody has answered yet, this is what a Poptart is:


Pop-Tarts is a brand of rectangular, pre-baked, convenience food toaster pastries that the Kellogg Company introduced in 1964. Pop-Tarts have a sugary filling sealed inside two layers of rectangular, thin pastry crust. Most varieties are also frosted. Although sold pre-cooked, they are designed to be warmed inside a toaster or microwave oven. They are usually sold in pairs inside Mylar (previously foil) packages and do not require refrigeration.

Pop-Tarts is Kellogg's most popular brand to date in the United States, with millions of units sold each year. They are distributed mainly in the United States, but also in Canada, Finland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand. Pop-Tarts was discontinued in Australia in 2005 and brought back in 2014 with two flavors: Strawberry Sensation and Chocotastic.

Pop-Tarts are produced in dozens of flavors, plus various one-time, seasonal, and "limited edition" flavors that appear for a short time.

Similar to Pop-Tarts is the Toaster Strudels brand, which launched in 1985 and are now a major competitor, in that they are about the same size and shape and are intended as a breakfast food and snack that is warmed in a bread toaster. However, Pop-Tarts, being based on tart-style pastries, are thinner, do not need to be refrigerated, and the crust has very different texture and flavor. Toaster Strudel is based on a strudel-style pastry; additionally, the icing melts at a much lower temperature and is user-applied

[Ranger of the North]

Ooooh, those look great!! poor characters, stuck with geybak XD
Yum, I wonder why I've never heard of them before? o,o



Also, @everyone do you mind going through and disabling all the signatures? ^^
Thank you! c:

[Pyjaks]

I disabled, sorry I forgot the first time D:!

[Ranger of the North]

I disabled, sorry I forgot the first time D:!

Hehehe, no worries! c;

[Ranger of the North]

Prompt #05——Chapter Three——“What do you mean, 'NO'?”

Author's note: Two chapters in three days, yayyyyy!!! (I added a poll, too)

xxxxxThe sky was bathed a soothing, hydrangea-petal blue, glowing softly above the fresh green hills that rolled on and on to the edge of the world. Below, nestled cosily in the valley, was the picturesque town of Ontrovalia.
xxxxxSvern stared blankly, lost to the world as he sat alone on the hillside. The byindigar Q-3000, now forgotten, lay forlornly beside him.
xxxxxThe memory of his supposed interaction with Day was replaying through his mind once more, his thoughts on the past. Was she even real? Who had she been to him? A sister? A cousin? Zarken, he didn't even know if he had a family anymore. They could have died. Or never been there for him in the first place.
xxxxxDid they miss him? Did they know he existed? Would they even care?
xxxxxThe soldier's thoughts turned, slightly guiltily, to Digan. What if he had a family somewhere? Kids? Parents? Spouse? What if they were waiting for him to come home right now?
xxxxxThe soldier was interested in knowing how far the programmers went with their holograms; the concept fascinated him; he would find a technician to interrogate once he got back to base.
xxxxxA sudden hiss from behind made Svern twitch and he turned slowly, hand reaching out for the Q-3000 as he internally cursed his negligence; he was daydreaming in hostile territory. No wonder his memories had been wiped.
xxxxxA huge, heaving sigh welled from the depths of his being and out from his lips in a breathy prayer of relief as he realised it was simply a transport shuttle.
xxxxxAs he stumbled clumsily to his feet, Svern dimly realised that Digan must have been the only spy reported. The world blurred slightly as vertigo from sitting too long made his head spin. Wearily he made his way over to the pod and crawled inside, grunting uncomfortably.
xxxxxThe pod hissed once more as the hatch closed, then began to vibrate softly as if in flight. The journeys to and from base were simulated; in reality, Svern had never gone anywhere, but the government liked their recruits' tests to be as realistic as possible in preparation for the real world.
xxxxxQuickly ensuring his safety-harness was securely fastened, Svern stretched out in the capsule and forced his eyelids to close in disciplined slumber.

#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#xxxxx#

xxxxxThe soft hissing jerked him awake like the shot of an oshmalgar, and Svern snapped his head up, instantly alert.
xxxxx“Agent Thirteen,” a voice echoed down into the pod, “well done; mission completed successfully.”
xxxxxThe young soldier felt an eager grin break across his face. After fumbling at the clasp for a few moments with excitement-clumsy fingers, Svern finally managed to unclip the safety-harness and fling it away. He glanced up, eyeing the rungs extending from the wall critically before reaching up and gripping the first firmly in his hand. The metal bar was cool and smooth, and he climbed up easily, scaling the wall like a lizard.
xxxxxCresting the top, Svern used his arms to hoist himself out and leapt to the ground, landing lightly on his booted feet. The soldier straightened immediately, standing at attention and raising his right fist to his heart in salute.
xxxxxHe was in a large stone room, measuring at about fifty square metres. It was bare and empty apart from his pod, a thick curtain hanging in its customary position over the far wall, and the man Svern knew as Sergeant Hamit.
xxxxxHamit stood a few metres away, a sheaf of kartfa in his hands and a broad smile stretching across his face.
xxxxx“Well done, sir,” he said warmly, and Svern felt his heart drop in puzzlement.
xxxxx'Sir'? he thought, feeling a twinge of disgust at the informality. Hamit was above him in rank.
xxxxx“Now,” he continued briskly, reading from a sheet of kartfa and attempting to do so subtly—he was failing— “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is—wait.
xxxxx“No?” Hamit disappeared behind a flurry of fabric, searching feverishly for a particular piece. “That—oh, that's my other sheet; I was thinking about Mission Impossible before, and k-kind of—um—wr-wrote it down.” Red crept up from Sergeant Hamit's collar, colouring his face as he cast Svern a sheepish look. “Sorry about that, old chap.”
xxxxxSvern's lip twitched rebelliously, but he remained impassive. Hamit's careless, slightly scatterbrained attitude irritated him. It grated and went against everything he'd been taught.
xxxxx“Right,” the sergeant began again, snapping Svern's attention back, and he began to read again, scarlet-faced. “Your second test will be a team-endeavour. Meet—”
xxxxx“No,” a cool, calm, disembodied voice cut Hamit off suddenly, and Svern's heart dropped to the toes of his boots.
xxxxxHad he done something wrong? Had he misunderstood something and blew his first mission?
xxxxx“'No'?” Sergeant Hamit yelped, whirling around on his toes; Svern noticed the man's face had turned slightly purple from anger and embarrassment. “What do you mean, 'NO'? Who even are you? Where are you?”
xxxxx“I mean,” the slight clacking of shoes against polished stone rang in Svern's ears, “no.”
xxxxxThe soldier's mouth turned dry with fear and apprehension as a woman he recognised stepped out from behind the curtain, walking steadily toward them.
xxxxxHer hair was a dark, dark blonde; nearly brown, in fact, but glinting golden in the light. Pale skin stood out sharply against her dark, red-veined cloak. Holding her hands loosely clasped, she was the epitome of calm authoritativeness—but Svern saw the ugly scar running down her wrist. She was a powerful soldier; a formidable opponent.
xxxxxShe was Lady Philipana, head of government.
xxxxxThe young soldier swallowed deeply as the lady approached, watching as Hamit's face drained of blood; watching as his superior bowed low and saluted, murmuring apologies from between paper-white lips.
xxxxxSvern dared not move a muscle. Anxiety burned in his chest like a flame, bringing bile to his throat.
xxxxxLady Philipana was barely five metres away as she finally stopped, eyeing Svern critically with a calculating eye.
xxxxx“At ease, soldier,” she commanded imperiously, waving a finger. The barest trace of amusement coloured her words.
xxxxxSvern relaxed slightly, lowering his fist and clasping his hands together nervously, although remaining tense and uncertain.
xxxxx“Agent Thirteen,” Lady Philipana's melodic voice hummed with confidence and authoritative power, “we of the government have been watching your progress closely, as we do with all recruits. We have come to the decision,” she spread her hands wide, a slight smile pulling at the corner of her lips, “that you are no longer in need of training; we have deemed you worthy of advancement to the ranks of utshtaren.”
xxxxxSvern's heart swelled with pride; an overwhelming sense of happiness swamped him, drowning all other emotions in a rolling wave that he struggled to contain. He wanted to whistle, or sing, or hop from foot to foot like a child. He didn't.
xxxxx“Yes, my lady,” he said formally, a smile tugging at his lips as he bowed his head gratefully. “Thank you, my lady.”
xxxxxHe realised, as he turned his attention back to her, that Lady Philipana was watching him closely, eyes narrowed. He almost thought he saw her incline her head.
xxxxx“Congratulations, Agent Thirteen,” her voice rang throughout the room like a resounding bell and she raised her arms, clapping a fist to her heart in salute, “loyal soldier and youngest recruit to earn a mission. You shall convey an essential message from the Government of Planet Vzigs to the rulers of planet Earth.”