Nitroglycerin conversion to imdur
The Undying Menace, Fumetsu
2024.05.14 09:30 Sea_Tour_6891 The Undying Menace, Fumetsu
Yeah imma put this in here for fun :)
Names/Titles:
Fumetsu, Bhairab Bēcaina, The Great Asura of Death and Destruction, The immortal, King of Hearts (named by the Perfected Army of Christ).
Age: 1100-200 years
Appearance:
A Sorcerer of unknown origin. His skin tone is a light tan. Despite being 300+ years old, he looks barely a day above 28. He has black short hair and wears a folded sleeved button up everywhere he goes, even in battle. The shirt is stained in blood and his own flesh. When seen by people he constantly looks covered in blood.
Personality:
Bhairab is considered highly sadistic, sociopathic, hedonistic and extremely selfish. He often has large episodes of vanity where he brags to his opponent about how many women and children he has killed. Additionally while he is not killing weak sorcerers and curse spirits he often spends time with his harem. He is also very cunning and manipulative. Capable of tricking even high level foreign Jujutsu agents into giving him valuable information.
Despite this he does have some sort of admiration of humanity. In one fight with an unknown sorcerer, he clearly stated that he is powerful because he can choose to kill. That the reason humans are superior to anything else is because they can choose to ignore their desires or not. He simply chose to follow Kenjaku because he believes that the world he’ll create would be interesting to live in.
Backstory:
A foreign Agent of Kenjaku and notorious curse user. He is considered a key part of his contingency plan if Kenjaku were to die fighting. Not much is known about his origins. Only that he awakened from the mountains as a child; alone. He didn't know how much time had passed, it was so cold that he couldn't feel anything, he could only see the gray sky and snow raining down on his face. He couldn’t even describe the color.
Moving his eyes around he could see two figures approaching him. Both were talking in some foreign language. Just as they were talking, the child had one thought in him, hunger. He tried to walk up to the figures but a snap in his leg was felt, resulting in him falling in front of the figures. They laid flat on the floor and left him. He raises his head up to look at the figures moving away. He still felt hopeful. Believing they would come but they never did. This happened every single time. As time passed more snow enveloped him to which he became invisible to anyone who passed through the mountain. Despite being unable to stand, he could at least hear the voices of those who would rest near him.
At first these were just more foreign voices, but he would eventually understand. He would understand people's conversations, descriptions and dying breaths. A thought would appear in mind as he was trapped in the snow. It said live. He woke up from the snow and proceeded to walk down the mountain. Despite the severe conditions he never wavered, when he spotted a climber. His thought was that he needed clothes so he grabbed the man and gouged his eyes out before stripping him naked and leaving him to die out in the cold. He continued forward until he stopped by a village gate.
The people looked at him with fear. All they said was Fumetsu when looking at him. He didn’t really care, only looking for a place to sleep in. It was when he was surrounded by town guards that he realized he wasn't welcomed here so he grabbed a guards spear and went to it. The result was a bloodbath. With the entire village destroyed in the process. That was the origin of the man that would try his hardest to destroy jujutsu society. Helping Kenjaku further his plot by infiltrating and weakening foreign barriers outside of japan. He is infamous for his ability in Jujutsu and being considered one of the greatest threats to the Perfected Army of Christ, Jagtånder and the Ainu Jujutsu Society. Having multiple encounters with all three of these organizations and repelling some of their smaller forces on some occasions. For each of these organizations, when it is believed that Fumetsu is dead, he seems to appear in a different location, always starting something.
Curse Technique:
The Precepts of Bhairab: The user's atoms are able to contain the user's consciousness. The user can manipulate their atoms with curse energy. This manipulation is not limited to converting elements, creating compounds or creating chemical reactions as long as it is his atoms that he manipulates. This allows the user the potential to manipulate their own body by the atomic level. They can also manipulate objects their body touches though this does take time at around 10 - 15 seconds.
Extension Techniques:
Precept of Protection:
Fumetsu condenses the atoms that compose his skin. Hardening his skin in the process. This makes him highly resilient but reduces his mobility.
Precept of Life:
Fumetsu focuses all his curse energy to multiply his atoms and fully regenerate himself in 3 seconds. Any sort of damage that is done to his body can be fully healed, as long as he has curse energy.
Precept of Insight:
Fumetsu turns any sort of converted material around him into highly complex organs such as eyes, ears, limbs and more. Allowing him to either have extrasensory perception, a better physical constitution or an increased output of curse energy.
Precept of Preparation:
Fumetsu forms any of his converted atoms in nitroglycerin and heats them, leaving only so much to be used as projectiles. Basically creating a pipe bomb out of his flesh. Any projectiles that manage to hit the opponent will slowly begin to convert them. If not removed (Either via amputation or RCT) or reinforced with CE in the next 15 seconds Fumetsu can control and manipulate their bodies.
Precept of Feigned Humility:
A full reworking of his body to create a biological masterpiece for sorcery. Has eyes now on his arms and back. His back muscles constantly contort to produce hand signs and he has mouths on his palms and right chest constantly chanting curses. His perception has greatly increased as he now has a full 360 degree vision and senses even the small vibrations in the air. All his physical attributes have also increased by 250%. However his most notable feature is his increase in CE output by 180%.
Maximum Technique, Broken Precept of Destruction:
By slowly converting the air around him he can create a hydrogen blast that is shown to decimate entire cities. Requires around 2-5 minutes to charge up.
Weakness:
Domain Expansion, Eighth Precept of Bhairab: Beautiful Naraka of the Asura
This domain initially depicts several buddhist statues accompanying a black barrier with Fumetsu at the center. Sorcerers are often fooled into believing that he is simply casting a curtain as Fumetsu often says the incantation in a foreign language. When anything is within the domain their atoms are instantly converted to Fumetsu’s atoms, making them susceptible to his manipulation.
The current undying domain does not have this. Instead it is a pure atomisation field destroying anything that comes within a 3 meter radius.
submitted by Sea_Tour_6891 to CTsandbox [link] [comments]
Names/Titles:
Fumetsu, Bhairab Bēcaina, The Great Asura of Death and Destruction, The immortal, King of Hearts (named by the Perfected Army of Christ).
Age: 1100-200 years
Appearance:
A Sorcerer of unknown origin. His skin tone is a light tan. Despite being 300+ years old, he looks barely a day above 28. He has black short hair and wears a folded sleeved button up everywhere he goes, even in battle. The shirt is stained in blood and his own flesh. When seen by people he constantly looks covered in blood.
Personality:
Bhairab is considered highly sadistic, sociopathic, hedonistic and extremely selfish. He often has large episodes of vanity where he brags to his opponent about how many women and children he has killed. Additionally while he is not killing weak sorcerers and curse spirits he often spends time with his harem. He is also very cunning and manipulative. Capable of tricking even high level foreign Jujutsu agents into giving him valuable information.
Despite this he does have some sort of admiration of humanity. In one fight with an unknown sorcerer, he clearly stated that he is powerful because he can choose to kill. That the reason humans are superior to anything else is because they can choose to ignore their desires or not. He simply chose to follow Kenjaku because he believes that the world he’ll create would be interesting to live in.
Backstory:
A foreign Agent of Kenjaku and notorious curse user. He is considered a key part of his contingency plan if Kenjaku were to die fighting. Not much is known about his origins. Only that he awakened from the mountains as a child; alone. He didn't know how much time had passed, it was so cold that he couldn't feel anything, he could only see the gray sky and snow raining down on his face. He couldn’t even describe the color.
Moving his eyes around he could see two figures approaching him. Both were talking in some foreign language. Just as they were talking, the child had one thought in him, hunger. He tried to walk up to the figures but a snap in his leg was felt, resulting in him falling in front of the figures. They laid flat on the floor and left him. He raises his head up to look at the figures moving away. He still felt hopeful. Believing they would come but they never did. This happened every single time. As time passed more snow enveloped him to which he became invisible to anyone who passed through the mountain. Despite being unable to stand, he could at least hear the voices of those who would rest near him.
At first these were just more foreign voices, but he would eventually understand. He would understand people's conversations, descriptions and dying breaths. A thought would appear in mind as he was trapped in the snow. It said live. He woke up from the snow and proceeded to walk down the mountain. Despite the severe conditions he never wavered, when he spotted a climber. His thought was that he needed clothes so he grabbed the man and gouged his eyes out before stripping him naked and leaving him to die out in the cold. He continued forward until he stopped by a village gate.
The people looked at him with fear. All they said was Fumetsu when looking at him. He didn’t really care, only looking for a place to sleep in. It was when he was surrounded by town guards that he realized he wasn't welcomed here so he grabbed a guards spear and went to it. The result was a bloodbath. With the entire village destroyed in the process. That was the origin of the man that would try his hardest to destroy jujutsu society. Helping Kenjaku further his plot by infiltrating and weakening foreign barriers outside of japan. He is infamous for his ability in Jujutsu and being considered one of the greatest threats to the Perfected Army of Christ, Jagtånder and the Ainu Jujutsu Society. Having multiple encounters with all three of these organizations and repelling some of their smaller forces on some occasions. For each of these organizations, when it is believed that Fumetsu is dead, he seems to appear in a different location, always starting something.
Curse Technique:
The Precepts of Bhairab: The user's atoms are able to contain the user's consciousness. The user can manipulate their atoms with curse energy. This manipulation is not limited to converting elements, creating compounds or creating chemical reactions as long as it is his atoms that he manipulates. This allows the user the potential to manipulate their own body by the atomic level. They can also manipulate objects their body touches though this does take time at around 10 - 15 seconds.
Extension Techniques:
Precept of Protection:
Fumetsu condenses the atoms that compose his skin. Hardening his skin in the process. This makes him highly resilient but reduces his mobility.
Precept of Life:
Fumetsu focuses all his curse energy to multiply his atoms and fully regenerate himself in 3 seconds. Any sort of damage that is done to his body can be fully healed, as long as he has curse energy.
Precept of Insight:
Fumetsu turns any sort of converted material around him into highly complex organs such as eyes, ears, limbs and more. Allowing him to either have extrasensory perception, a better physical constitution or an increased output of curse energy.
Precept of Preparation:
Fumetsu forms any of his converted atoms in nitroglycerin and heats them, leaving only so much to be used as projectiles. Basically creating a pipe bomb out of his flesh. Any projectiles that manage to hit the opponent will slowly begin to convert them. If not removed (Either via amputation or RCT) or reinforced with CE in the next 15 seconds Fumetsu can control and manipulate their bodies.
Precept of Feigned Humility:
A full reworking of his body to create a biological masterpiece for sorcery. Has eyes now on his arms and back. His back muscles constantly contort to produce hand signs and he has mouths on his palms and right chest constantly chanting curses. His perception has greatly increased as he now has a full 360 degree vision and senses even the small vibrations in the air. All his physical attributes have also increased by 250%. However his most notable feature is his increase in CE output by 180%.
Maximum Technique, Broken Precept of Destruction:
By slowly converting the air around him he can create a hydrogen blast that is shown to decimate entire cities. Requires around 2-5 minutes to charge up.
Weakness:
- Curse Energy reinforcement is often effective against being assimilated into him.
- Is killable during curse technique burnout.
- Advanced Reverse Curse Technique can reverse the assimilation.
Binding Vows (1p per Binding Vow)
Undying Domain: Through not only forfeiting the barrier but also reducing the radius of the domain’s radius to 3 metres and making it so that the domain is unable to overwhelm anyone elses his domain’s sure hit effects will still be ongoing. This is shown especially during domain clashes. Where the opponent's domain’s effect is cancelled but the user's domain sure hit is still in place. Meaning that if the opponent tries to approach the user in spite of any other external conditions they will now be under the sure hit effect.Domain Expansion, Eighth Precept of Bhairab: Beautiful Naraka of the Asura
This domain initially depicts several buddhist statues accompanying a black barrier with Fumetsu at the center. Sorcerers are often fooled into believing that he is simply casting a curtain as Fumetsu often says the incantation in a foreign language. When anything is within the domain their atoms are instantly converted to Fumetsu’s atoms, making them susceptible to his manipulation.
The current undying domain does not have this. Instead it is a pure atomisation field destroying anything that comes within a 3 meter radius.
2024.04.06 06:04 Doc_Zed_42 Humans are Space Rednecks Chapter 8: Poker Night
In the bustling heart of the Hodgepodge, the main bar and social hub of the Great Human Convoy, Jeb and his Gang gather for their weekly poker game. The air is thick with the smell of engine oil and the sound of clinking glasses. The Hodgepodge's bar is alive with the raucous banter of the Convoy's finest as they gather around the poker table, a motley crew of captains and rogues. The clatter of chips and the murmur of conversation create a symphony of camaraderie and competition.
Peg Leg Polaris, the 'infamous' pirate lord, sits manacled at the table, a guest of honor—or perhaps a warning to others. His one good eye scans the room with a mix of defiance and resignation. "Never thought I'd be breakin' bread—or playin' cards—with the likes of you lot," he grumbles, his voice a gravelly echo of his former terror.
Bjorn, the white-bearded Dwarven head of engineering on the Iron Maiden, chuckles heartily, his laughter booming like thunder. "Aye, and we never thought we'd have a pirate lord under our watch. But here we are, and here you are. So, let's make the best of it, eh?"
The pilot of the Iron Maiden, Metalhead, with the top half of his tatto engraved titanium skull gleaming under the bar lights, shuffles the deck with mechanical precision.
Dean 'Leadfoot' Carruthers leans back in his chair, a cocky grin plastered on his face as he recounts his latest daredevil stunt run.
Hank, the pilot of the Space Cowboy, tosses a pair of dice in the air, catching them with a smirk. He tips his hat to the twitchy gentleman across from him.
The pilot of the Boomstick, a man who was only known as Suicide Jockey was taking a deep draw on a freshly cracked beer.
"Ya know, Suicide Jockey," Hank drawls, "I heard tell that flying the Boomstick's like riding a bull made of nitroglycerin. How you manage to keep your wits?"
Suicide Jockey, a man whose nerves seem as volatile as his cargo, grins widely, revealing a set of mismatched teeth. "Hank, my friend, it's all about having a blast," he quips, his giggling laughter echoing in the room.
Metalhead, his cybernetic eyes glinting, interjects with a metallic chuckle. "I'd say it's more about not *having* a blast, if you catch my drift."
Leadfoot chimes in, "He's got a point, Jockey. We'd like to keep enjoying our drinks without the fear of suddenly finding ourselves in orbit."
Private Eye, the pilot of the Bug Eye, leans forward, his gaze sharp and calculating. "I've got a little wager for you all. What say we raise the stakes with a bit of intel on our mysterious Ghost?"
The table falls silent, the allure of secrets as tempting as any pot of credits. Jeb nods, his interest piqued. "Alright, Eye, you've got our attention. What's this intel of yours?"
Private Eye smirks, tapping a card against the table. "Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on the artifact's energy readings. And they've been... fluctuating. Like it's trying to communicate."
Bubba, raises an eyebrow, his massive closed hand coming to his head and putting his pinkie to his mouth and his thumb to his ear. Jeb interprets, "Bubba wants to know if you think it's alien tech trying to phone home."
The table erupts in laughter, but Private Eye doesn't miss a beat. "Could be, Bubba. Could be. Or it could be a map to treasures untold. Only one way to find out."
As the night wears on, the stakes get higher, and the laughter grows louder. Suddenly, the door swings open, and in walks Marigold, her arms laden with frozen fruit. The room falls silent for a moment, all eyes on her eclectic presence.
"Evening, Jeb," she says with a whimsical tone, her gaze drifting around the room. "The stars are singing tonight, but the plants... they're a bit off-key, if you catch my drift."
Jeb raises an eyebrow, the hint of concern behind his usual stoic demeanor. "Is that so? Well, we'll have to look into that, won't we?" he replies.
Marigold nods, setting down her fruity cargo at the makeshift smoothie bar. "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing a little cosmic tune-up can't fix. But keep an ear out; the universe has its ways of whispering secrets." She finishes up and glides out the door with that cryptic message hanging in the air.
As the night progresses, the banter continues, with each captain sharing tales of their ships and escapades. Jeb listens, his mind weaving through the stories, always returning to the enigma of the Ghost and its tablet artifact. He folds on a few more bets than usual.
submitted by Doc_Zed_42 to HFY [link] [comments]
Peg Leg Polaris, the 'infamous' pirate lord, sits manacled at the table, a guest of honor—or perhaps a warning to others. His one good eye scans the room with a mix of defiance and resignation. "Never thought I'd be breakin' bread—or playin' cards—with the likes of you lot," he grumbles, his voice a gravelly echo of his former terror.
Bjorn, the white-bearded Dwarven head of engineering on the Iron Maiden, chuckles heartily, his laughter booming like thunder. "Aye, and we never thought we'd have a pirate lord under our watch. But here we are, and here you are. So, let's make the best of it, eh?"
The pilot of the Iron Maiden, Metalhead, with the top half of his tatto engraved titanium skull gleaming under the bar lights, shuffles the deck with mechanical precision.
Dean 'Leadfoot' Carruthers leans back in his chair, a cocky grin plastered on his face as he recounts his latest daredevil stunt run.
Hank, the pilot of the Space Cowboy, tosses a pair of dice in the air, catching them with a smirk. He tips his hat to the twitchy gentleman across from him.
The pilot of the Boomstick, a man who was only known as Suicide Jockey was taking a deep draw on a freshly cracked beer.
"Ya know, Suicide Jockey," Hank drawls, "I heard tell that flying the Boomstick's like riding a bull made of nitroglycerin. How you manage to keep your wits?"
Suicide Jockey, a man whose nerves seem as volatile as his cargo, grins widely, revealing a set of mismatched teeth. "Hank, my friend, it's all about having a blast," he quips, his giggling laughter echoing in the room.
Metalhead, his cybernetic eyes glinting, interjects with a metallic chuckle. "I'd say it's more about not *having* a blast, if you catch my drift."
Leadfoot chimes in, "He's got a point, Jockey. We'd like to keep enjoying our drinks without the fear of suddenly finding ourselves in orbit."
Private Eye, the pilot of the Bug Eye, leans forward, his gaze sharp and calculating. "I've got a little wager for you all. What say we raise the stakes with a bit of intel on our mysterious Ghost?"
The table falls silent, the allure of secrets as tempting as any pot of credits. Jeb nods, his interest piqued. "Alright, Eye, you've got our attention. What's this intel of yours?"
Private Eye smirks, tapping a card against the table. "Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on the artifact's energy readings. And they've been... fluctuating. Like it's trying to communicate."
Bubba, raises an eyebrow, his massive closed hand coming to his head and putting his pinkie to his mouth and his thumb to his ear. Jeb interprets, "Bubba wants to know if you think it's alien tech trying to phone home."
The table erupts in laughter, but Private Eye doesn't miss a beat. "Could be, Bubba. Could be. Or it could be a map to treasures untold. Only one way to find out."
As the night wears on, the stakes get higher, and the laughter grows louder. Suddenly, the door swings open, and in walks Marigold, her arms laden with frozen fruit. The room falls silent for a moment, all eyes on her eclectic presence.
"Evening, Jeb," she says with a whimsical tone, her gaze drifting around the room. "The stars are singing tonight, but the plants... they're a bit off-key, if you catch my drift."
Jeb raises an eyebrow, the hint of concern behind his usual stoic demeanor. "Is that so? Well, we'll have to look into that, won't we?" he replies.
Marigold nods, setting down her fruity cargo at the makeshift smoothie bar. "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing a little cosmic tune-up can't fix. But keep an ear out; the universe has its ways of whispering secrets." She finishes up and glides out the door with that cryptic message hanging in the air.
As the night progresses, the banter continues, with each captain sharing tales of their ships and escapades. Jeb listens, his mind weaving through the stories, always returning to the enigma of the Ghost and its tablet artifact. He folds on a few more bets than usual.
2024.03.23 00:15 fpscappin My Ultimate Supplement Stack/Daily Regimen
Hello, Reddit! I've spent nearly every day for the past 2 years researching and developing my ultimate supplement stack. Listed below is all of my daily supplemental compound intake as well as information on safe consumption and potential interactions. All of this information has been checked numerous times by ChatGPT for any errors and the inclusion of additional important information. I hope that this post can help you inform yourself on the best choices for your own health journey, enjoy!
Antioxidants & Amino Acids: - EGCG: Antioxidant in green tea. - L-Theanine: For relaxation, from tea leaves. - NAC: For respiratory issues, supports glutathione.
Eye Supplements: - Lutein: For eye health.
Herbal & Other Supplements: - Tongkat Ali: May boost testosterone. - Probiotics: Support digestive health. - Turmeric: For inflammation and health benefits.
Mushroom Supplements: - Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Turkey Tail: For immunity and well-being.
Vitamins & Minerals: - Iron: For oxygen transport. - Magnesium Complex: Supports cognition. - Krill Oil: For heart and brain. - Vitamin C: For immune support and collagen. - Vitamin D3: For bones and immune system. - Calcium Carbonate: For bone health and muscle function. - Potassium Citrate: For muscle and nerve function.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/22/2024 (1) Taking Dietary Supplements Safely NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/12/taking-dietary-supplements-safely. (2) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). https://ods.od.nih.gov/. (3) Using Dietary Supplements Wisely NCCIH - National Center for .... https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/using-dietary-supplements-wisely. (4) Information on Select Dietary Supplement Ingredients and Other .... https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/information-select-dietary-supplement-ingredients-and-other-substances. (5) Drugs and Supplements - Drugs and Supplements - Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements.
Edit 1: 2 words. Added "Taking" to the section describing the subversion of absorption inhibition between supplemental Iron and Calcium through the inclusion of Vitamin C supplementation and added the word "that" between "hope" and "this" in the introduction.
submitted by fpscappin to Supplements [link] [comments]
Supplement Stack:
Antihistamines: - Cetirizine: For allergies.Antioxidants & Amino Acids: - EGCG: Antioxidant in green tea. - L-Theanine: For relaxation, from tea leaves. - NAC: For respiratory issues, supports glutathione.
Eye Supplements: - Lutein: For eye health.
Herbal & Other Supplements: - Tongkat Ali: May boost testosterone. - Probiotics: Support digestive health. - Turmeric: For inflammation and health benefits.
Mushroom Supplements: - Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Turkey Tail: For immunity and well-being.
Vitamins & Minerals: - Iron: For oxygen transport. - Magnesium Complex: Supports cognition. - Krill Oil: For heart and brain. - Vitamin C: For immune support and collagen. - Vitamin D3: For bones and immune system. - Calcium Carbonate: For bone health and muscle function. - Potassium Citrate: For muscle and nerve function.
Safety & Interactions:
- Iron and Calcium: It's recommended to take iron and calcium at different times to maximize absorption, as calcium can slightly inhibit the absorption of iron¹. This is easily countered by taking supplemental Vitamin C.
- Vitamin C: Enhances iron absorption and can be taken alongside iron supplements¹.
- Magnesium: Check for interactions with medications, as it can affect their efficacy¹.
- NAC: Use with caution if taking nitroglycerin or blood thinners¹.
- Omega-3 Fish Oil (Krill Oil): Check for interactions with blood-thinning medications¹.
- Cetirizine and Lutein: Generally safe, but check for interactions with other medications¹.
- Calcium Carbonate: Best taken with food for improved absorption; check for interactions with other supplements¹.
- Potassium Citrate: Stay hydrated and monitor for signs of high potassium levels, especially if you have kidney issues¹.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 3/22/2024 (1) Taking Dietary Supplements Safely NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/12/taking-dietary-supplements-safely. (2) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). https://ods.od.nih.gov/. (3) Using Dietary Supplements Wisely NCCIH - National Center for .... https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/using-dietary-supplements-wisely. (4) Information on Select Dietary Supplement Ingredients and Other .... https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/information-select-dietary-supplement-ingredients-and-other-substances. (5) Drugs and Supplements - Drugs and Supplements - Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements.
Edit 1: 2 words. Added "Taking" to the section describing the subversion of absorption inhibition between supplemental Iron and Calcium through the inclusion of Vitamin C supplementation and added the word "that" between "hope" and "this" in the introduction.
2024.02.20 22:53 Lanzen_Jars A job for a deathworlder [Chapter 155]
[Chapter 1] ; [Previous Chapter] ; [Discord + Wiki] ; [Patreon]
Chapter 155 – The many weights of one decision
Time turned into a thick, viscous goo after that. James had very little memory of what happened after the fire. Or maybe that wasn't quite right. It was more accurate to say that his memory wasn't very detailed, only consisting of vague cliff notes of the sequence of events that had taken place.
Fire. Door. Avezillion. Ashes. Shot. Nia. Myiat. Pain. Blood. Bright lights. People. So many people. Then tight spaces. Someone tried to talk to him. He didn't remember a word they said.
The next thing he remembered in any real detail after that night was that he somehow found himself sitting at the side of an enormous bed, both of his hands clasped around that of another. As he blinked, he realized that his eyes and face were soaking wet.
Reflexively, he tried to lift his arm to his face to wipe it off, only for a sudden tug on his arm and a loud sound of something pulling taut while thin metal pressed into his wrist to inform him that apparently, he was cuffed to the bed's frame. Although he wasn't really surprised, like a part of him had already known.
He didn't bother looking down at the chain, simply using his other arm to wipe his eyes with its sleeve, before going right back to staring down at the body laying in front of him.
Nia's eyes were closed. Her face had a slightly ashen color and her cheeks were sunken in, giving her a haggard look as if she hadn't eaten in months. A tube was strapped into her mouth with small, plastic fastenings. The sound of a nearby machine gently working away in a regular rhythm that was a perfect fit with Nia's chest slowly rising and sinking informed James that she wasn't breathing on her own.
His hands' grip on hers tightened for a moment as imagery flashed before his inner eye. He didn't remember her exact injury even now. All he knew was that there was...so much blood.
Using his non-cuffed hand, he slowly reached out to her face, placing his hand's palm on her cheek in a gentle caress. Almost immediately, his earlier drying became a vain effort as the tears started flowing in torrents again.
“What the hell am I going to do?”
…
An indeterminate amount of time that just felt like one huge blob to him later, people suddenly entered the room. James glanced up at the door as he heard the footsteps coming in, although he was slightly surprised by what he saw.
Not by the group of armed coluyvoree staring him down with their bright blue eyes. The cuffs around his wrist had already given away that he would have to deal with those at some point.
No, what surprised him far more was who was in the 'lead' of the incoming group. Or, well, it was more accurate to say that she was the person walking ahead of the others. Just like with James, the cuffs around her hands indicated that she wasn't exactly here just because she wanted to.
However, despite a dreary expression on her face, Tuya's eyes very briefly lit up in quite honest-looking surprise when they met with James' as he glanced down at her. At first, he thought she was surprised to find him in this room, however that didn't really make any sense if he thought about it for more than a second.
More likely, she was surprised that he was actually acknowledging her existence.
After their eyes had met, she sped up her steps a tiny bit despite the chains around her hands. This, in turn, caused James to also try to move to meet her out of instinct alone, although once again his movement was firmly halted by a taut chain.
Tuya's sudden acceleration seemed to have surprised her coreworld guards, which meant they had to hurry after her with a moment delay as she already reached the edge of the bed.
“James!” she exclaimed, and her dark eyes couldn't quite decide what emotion they wanted to get across for a good couple of seconds, shifting between sadness, worry, excitement and anger on a dime. Although ultimately, they settled back on their previous dreariness once she had also managed to climb up onto the over-sized bed with minimal effort on her part.
A wet gleam indicated that she was also coming close to tears as she looked down at her unconscious girlfriend, though she managed to fight it down much more successfully than James could.
As James observed her, a flicker of logical awareness in the very back of his mind couldn't help but notice that he was actually able to see her eyes at that point. She wasn't wearing a breathfilter. He wondered if that was by choice.
Tearing her eyes away from Nia with clear effort involved in the process, Tuya looked back at him. Deep rings had formed under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't been sleeping much, and James suspected that he himself didn't look any better. He also noticed that her roots had started to grow out as a dark shadow down at the base of her green hair.
“Looks like you're back with us,” his fellow Lieutenant said as her chaperons finally managed to catch up to her, coming to a halt at the bedside and visibly calming down as they realized that she and James were just taking. “I can't quite say what was creepier: You going all robot on us or basically everyone treating it like it was no big deal.”
James wanted to give her a laugh, however he didn't quite manage to as it instead came out as a tired exhale.
“Yeah, they've-” he started to say, and almost immediately had to clear his throat. His mouth was dry and his voice was croaky from abuse and under-utilization from not being used for its intended purpose for who-knew-how-long. Swallowing heavily after a couple of moments spent fighting against breaking out into an actual coughing fit, he finally felt confident enough to open his mouth again. “-they've seen it before. Sorry if I scared you.”
Right after he finished speaking, he cleared his throat some more, which in turn led to Tuya lifting her hand. With an outstretched finger, she pointed out a carafe of water, standing on a nearby side-table just close enough that James could reach it despite his restraints, even if reaching for it would be slightly awkward.
Nodding with the intention of it being thankful, even if he doubted that it really looked like it in the end, James turned and grabbed it and began to drink straight from the large container. At first he had little motivation to do so apart from getting his voice back into working shape, however the moment that the liquid touched his lips, survival instincts suddenly kicked in and informed him in just how much need of water his body currently was, leading to him taking long, greedy gulps.
As he was busy going on a brief survival binge, the surrounding giants looked down at him and Tuya sitting on the side of the bed for a moment.
“Looks like he's lucid again,” one of them commented and glanced over at their colleagues.
“Well, as lucid as he can be...” another replied and slowly shook their head, clear disdain reflecting in both their words and demeanor.
“Lucid enough to stand and answer,” the first one gave right back with a slight bit of obvious annoyance at their co-worker's demeanor. Though then, they glanced back at James with the white specks in their eyes narrowing slightly. “You can stand, right?”
James slowly lowered the pitcher from his mouth. Having emptied half of the thing in one go, he had to take a gasp of air as if surfacing from a deep dive before he could reply while wiping his mouth absentmindedly.
“Should be able to,” he replied with a nod while his lips were still covered by his sleeve. However then, his eyes momentarily became stuck to Nia's sunken face again, a nauseous feeling setting into his freshly filled stomach.
Almost immediately, he felt hands laying themselves onto his shoulder. The 'reassuring shoulder pat' was made a good bit more awkward than usual by the fact that Tuya could barely separate her hands due to the cuffs, however it got the message across either way.
Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why she had been brought along here.
“Don't fight us this time, alright?” she chuckled slightly while nudging him gently. Although her tone was humorous, something told James that that specific request did not exactly come from nothing, even if he didn't specifically remember what it may have been referring to.
Swallowing heavily for an entirely different reason this time, he slowly nodded as he took one last, long look at his sister's face, hoping against hope that by some miracle, she would open her eyes before he'd have to leave. Alas, no wonder came as he slowly nodded his head.
“Guess I have some stuff to explain,” he said as he lifted his gaze again. He watched as one of the guards moved over with a key to free him from the bed's frame, before turning his attention back to Tuya for just a moment. “Take care of her, alright?”
With her hands still on his shoulder, Tuya squeezed it for a moment before pulling back with a smile, and she gave a soft nod. Then her hands sank down to pick up Nia's, just like James had held it earlier. James already felt a mild tug on his arm as the cuffs had been removed from the bed, and without hesitation he reached his other arm out so they could be closed around both of his wrists now.
The coluyvoree hesitated for a moment, as the prospect of possibly touching his mechanical arm in the process of putting the cuffs around it seemingly occurred to them, however with slow, careful movements they managed to secure him without throwing up in the process.
James had secretly wondered a bit why his more dangerous arm had been the one to be allowed to move freely here, but that pretty much explained it.
Knowing his eyes would just become stuck again, James forced himself to not look at Nia as he slid off the bed and began to follow his new invigilators.
Deliberately, he waited until they had left the room and the door had closed behind them before he spoke up again.
“So, am I under arrest?” he asked aloud. He had tried to remind himself of his current situation for a bit now, however his memory was just too spotty to come up with clear details. He knew that technically, he was in a situation were arresting him would be pretty hard. However, while the law of undenied candidacy protected him from a lot of things, it by no means made him entirely immune to every punishment. And in the eyes of the galaxy, what he had done may very well have been worse than murder.
The one that had so clearly disliked him earlier glanced back and down at him for a moment before releasing a displeased strum.
“House arrest,” they replied briefly. “For now.”
James nodded slowly. House arrest, huh? Seems like he had gotten off easy. For the time being, at least.
Not long after, he had been led into a large, mostly empty room and was sat down in front of a huge screen – which was a situation that he started to get frighteningly familiar with at this point.
To his surprise, his guards didn't stick around. Once he had sat down and they had secured him to his seat with the cuffs, they turned and left the room, audibly locking the door behind them. Despite the room's size, James got slightly claustrophobic for a moment as he realized that, once again, he would have absolutely no way of getting that door open again without outside assistance. However, as that wasn't really something that he'd have all too much of an influence on, he instead decided to focus on the screen right before him, because he needed to keep his mind occupied somehow in order to make sure he wouldn't start spiraling again.
Luckily, it didn't take long after he had sat down before the screen came to life. However, instead of the feed of one camera being projected to him across the entire thing like he had gotten used to at this point, it instead split up into a large number of windows, forcing James' eyes to dart from one to another as his exhausted mind did its best to take in exactly who was present for this.
His mother was quite easy to spot, as she sat in her commander's seat with a forcefully neutral expression. Although James couldn't see it, he just knew she was grasping the rests under her arms with a white-knuckle grip. So was Representative Kumar, who was accompanied his respective 'mind' and 'soul' colleagues from the Tria Cacumina today. However, the rest of the people present were less familiar to James.
He saw the large, mask-like face of the local governor that he had met during his arrival on the planet. There were a few other dignitaries that he knew on similarly vague terms, like some other world-leaders from Earth who he was far less familiar with than the ones he was directly involved with due to his heritage. Another vaguely familiar face was the U.H.S.D.F.'s Fleet-Admiral, and older guy with stern eyes and heavily grayed, short hair that used to be blonde once and a quite wrinkly face, whom James remembered meeting during a couple of fancy get-togethers back in his youth, when he was still taken along to such things. He also knew some of the other present Admirals from the same occasions, but only the older ones.
The rest were faces he had never consciously seen before, although he could only assume that the rather sturdy-looking paresihne and the uncommonly sleek tonamstrosite on his screen would also have to be some important people, even if his brain currently couldn't attach any names or titles to them. He was sure it would come back to him.
Then, his eyes opened slightly wider as a new window popped up and forced the others to rearrange a bit as it was put into its proper place by the software after arriving a bit late to the party.
Running a hand through his short, obviously only recently cut hair, Zishedii's glass-green eyes stared into the camera while he shifted his lips with a stern expression. The feline sat slightly leaned back in a large, heavily padded seat that offered a lot of support to his arms and back – a luxury that had likely become necessary after surviving being somewhat caught in the explosion of a falling ship. But even then, all things considered, he looked like he had recovered rather well from the illegal attack.
If he was entirely honest, James didn't know if he should find the man's presence calming or disturbing given the situation.
However, he didn't have much time to ponder that, because apparently, Zishedii had been the last person missing from those attending, meaning that there was very little delay before things got started.
It was the Fleet-Admiral who seemingly had the lead over the current proceedings, at least for the time being.
To his shame, James had to admit that his head was still quite fuzzy and so slow to start back up that he completely blanked on the man's name as he opened by greeting all the present dignitaries one after another. James wasn't even going to pretend like he would remember all of the names even a moment later as he barely managed to pay attention to them as they were said. He just had so many other things on his mind. It also didn't help in the slightest that his ears were still ringing as all hell. Though, obviously, he did take notice as the Fleet-Admiral himself introduced himself as Dr. Stanislao Santo, filling in the gap in his memories that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
After a long round of lengthy introductions that came with a lot of very specific titles, things finally came around to actually addressing the issue at hand.
“First Lieutenant,” Fleet-Admiral Santo said while looking firmly into his camera. Instinctively, James sat up a bit straighter. “Could you please state your full name for everyone here.”
James nodded and took a deep breath.
“James Aldwin,” he replied.
Santo nodded back at him.
“Now, can you please tell me where you are, Lieutenant Aldwin?” he continued the strange questioning. Or, well, it would've been strange if James actually had the energy to question what he was being asked.
“I am on the planet Gewelitten,” James replied, his voice devoid of any distinct tone or inflection. “I...think I am currently in some sort of secured building or facility.”
There was a moment of silence before Santo spoke up once again.
“Lieutenant Aldwin, this is not a legal hearing, meaning what you say here is not under oath. However everything you do say is being recorded and could possibly be used against you in a legal setting. Do you understand that?” he explained slowly and the wrinkles on his face intensified as he scrunched up his face slightly.
“I understand,” James replied briefly.
“Could you repeat it back to me and then explain what it means in your own words, please?” Santo quickly followed up.
James swallowed and complied, repeating the Fleet-Admiral's words, before adding, “It means whatever I say here will be exempt from hearsay-clauses in a possible legal trial and is allowed to be used as evidence against me without objection.”
The Fleet-Admiral nodded again, and his face relaxed a little bit.
“He seems lucid and reasonable to me,” he stated categorically, and James noticed that his eyes shifted a bit, presumably now looking at a different window showing another person on his screen. In his periphery James then noticed Admiral Krieger nodding with a slightly darkening expression. Then, Santo's eyes quite obviously shifted back onto him, as the old man said, “Lieutenant Aldwin, I have a couple of questions for you that I have collected from the other people present. I will be the only one asking you questions, and you only have to answer questions coming from me, do you understand? Everyone else is simply here to observe.”
“I understand,” James confirmed for him.
Santo took a deep breath before putting on the barest hint of a smile.
“For now, Lieutenant, would you please explain the events that you believe led to us calling you here?” he then 'suggested'.
And James complied. Did he ever comply. To the best of his ability, he began to recount everything that he remembered after the moment when Koko had stopped them on the street after suspecting a possible ambush.
During most of it, the other people in the call remained perfectly quiet, listening to him listing off event after event with stern faces, but without interruption. Though that changed quite a bit when he finally reached the point they were presumably all waiting for.
The moment he ordered Avezillion to crack through the hotel's defenses and open the doors.
“So you did it...” the coluyvoree governor let out in exasperation while Zishedii mumbled something under his breath. Meanwhile the paresihne let out an exasperated chirping noise while the tonamstrosite seemed almost...amused?
The human dignitaries, however, all knew to keep silent, especially after Santo cleared his throat. “Please, everyone,” he said in a form tone. “Let us let the Lieutenant continue for now.”
There was clear outrage on the face of the coluyvoree, even as everyone else calmed down. However, it seemed like he knew better than to try and raise a stink about it right now. And so he quieted down as well, waiting until James had finished his first recounting of events.
“After that, events are slightly blurry,” James finally finished the retelling. His mouth was getting slightly dry from the talking, and so he cleared his throat while also running a hand over his forehead to remove some hair. It was only then that he noticed just how sweaty he was. Was it that hot in here? His ears were still ringing...
“Lieutenant Aldwin,” Santo's voice snapped him back out of his thoughts, and it was only then that he noticed that his eyes had drifted away from the screen for a bit there. “You and your team did not have your body cams attached and operational during that firefight you had with the unknown myiat. Is that correct?”
Shaking his head very slightly to recover his focus, James cleared his throat again.
“Yes, that is correct,” he confirmed.
“Why is that?” Santo followed up on the question.
“It was an emergency. Things were hectic,” James replied honestly. In hindsight, he had to admit that he hadn't even thought about grabbing his body cam in the heat of the moment. Hell, he had run out into the hall in just his briefs.
“The fire was extinguished, wasn't it? So before the gunmen arrived, the danger had presumably passed. You had time to grab your weapon, so you also had time to grab the camera. Isn't that right?” Santo continued the questioning. As he spoke, his wrinkled face always had the same expression on it while his almost gray eyes stared at James.
“There was time. However, we were in a rush to go aid Moar, who was in very bad shape. We didn't think to grab them,” James confirmed, biting his own lips after he was done speaking because he simply didn't have a better excuse for it.
“But you did grab your weapons?” the next question came.
“Yessir.”
“Why?”
“Avezillion had confirmed tampering with the systems. We expected we may have to defend ourselves.”
“But you didn't grab the bodycams as well despite that?”
“No, Sir.”
“Why?”
The questioning continued like that for a good while, always repeating over the same beats with slightly rephrased wording and angles. James suspected that the Fleet-Admiral either wanted to catch him in a lie, or he wanted to make very sure that that was actually the story James wanted to go with. After all, it didn't exactly make him or his team look very good in the end, especially not since shots had actually been fired and people had actually been heavily injured.
Further questioning included questions about whether James believed he had acted according to the law. If he thought his use of force was reasonable. If he believed his actions and reactions had been justified.
And, although he was far from proud of what had happened, he could honestly reply to each of those questions with a yes.
Anger or no anger, those people were dangerous. They had shot at them. They had injured Nia. They had presumably set the building on fire. Every bit of force he had used against them was more than justified and proportional, down to the last bullet.
Of course, that possibly would have changed had he not been stopped from taking his actual last shots...but he had. And so that was that. He may have regretted his behavior, however, he had no reason to regret his actions. Not this time.
However, in the meantime, somebody had been slowly losing his patience.
“Why are we still bothering about the cameras?” the coluyvoree governor brought out in an outraged strum, his flexible arms unfurling into an almost threatening gesture for a moment. “The Realized! Ask him about the Realized already! Has it really infested our systems?”
His outbreak was met with deafening silence from all other participants, with his own voice soon joining into it as he noticed just how quiet things had become. Nobody was saying a word. Nobody so much as sniffed. There was just a myriad of eyes staring out of the screen in perfect silence.
The silence lasted for about twenty seconds, during which the coluyvoree became more visibly anxious by the moment as he seemingly just waited for the consequences of his actions. However, ultimately, Santo simply spoke up again without directly acknowledging the governor's outburst.
“Lieutenant, did the Realized known as Avezillion breach into Gewelitten's computer systems?” he asked in a serious tone, and the last remaining hint of a smile disappeared from his face.
“Yes,” James replied. “After I asked her to do it. But I do not believe any part of her remains in the system.”
“Do you realize what that means?” Santo followed up on the question.
“Yes,” James repeated, although this time, he decided to not keep his answer brief. “But Avezillion wasn't the one who acted out of line. She did not maliciously breach the systems, in fact she didn't even want to do it at all. I basically ordered her to. And although she technically doesn't have to heed my commands, I put incredible pressure onto her as one of her only confidants in the galaxy and she caved to it. It was my fault and I will take full responsibility. Please do not let this reflect negatively on her, she was only trying to preserve our lives.”
“So you are saying you are entirely responsible for the Realized's actions?” Santo asked further, lifting his eyebrows ever so slightly, which caused the already heavy wrinkles on his forehead to intensify.
And he wasn't the only one. Many faces turned into ones of great anticipation as they awaited James' answer to that question. He especially noted that of his mother, whose jaws were so clenched underneath her neutral expression that her teeth could have probably pressed coals into diamonds at that moment.
“Yes, Sir,” James replied. “Without my insistence and...my pressure, Avezillion would never have taken this course of action. It...”
He paused for a moment, and his eyes shifted away from Santo and onto Zishedii, who was listening to his words with an expression that James just couldn't read. It almost looked bored, however that had to be a front. Still, he had no idea what was going on underneath that. Yet, whatever it may have been, he wanted to get one thing out while he was sure that Zishedii was listening, because he was the one person that James knew could carry the message along.
“...it was honestly unfair of me, however, I did not have a choice. I am sorry that it happened, but I am not sorry for what I did. Not just my own life, but that of people I love was on the line, and if given the choice again, I would make the same one every time,” he finished his earlier statement with resolve.
James looked hopefully at the screen for a few seconds. And although it took a bit, Zishedii visibly exhaled and made a subtle nod of his head with one of his ears slightly twitching, indicating that the message had likely gotten across.
“And you are convinced you had absolutely no other way out of that fire?” Santo immediately continued, treating that answer like any other James had given without showing any obvious reaction to it.
“Yes,” James confirmed, now much less energetic. “We tried everything else in our power, but the doors would not budge. And the fire-prevention systems had been externally suppressed with no hope of restarting on their own.”
“Do you have any proof of that?”
“Avezillion compiled a list of all the forced changes she noticed while she worked to reverse the-”
James' explanation was cut off when a certain governor once again couldn't quite contain himself.
“And we're supposed to believe what a damn-” he tried to yell out, however in a turn of fate, he was now interrupted as well, though instead of an indignant strum, it was a deep, bellowing growl that did it to him.
“The only thing you're supposed to do right now is stay quiet!” the unknown but all of the sudden surprisingly sympathetic tonamstrosite hissed out through his sharp teeth as his chest visibly vibrated from the aggressive sound it was making. “We are here to hear what the Candidate has to say on the matter. Evidence will be reviewed by those qualified to do it.”
Even after he finished talking, the growling remained, reverberating from out of the speakers, until Santo opened his mouth again.
“Chief Wiharmarth, please,” he said calmly but decidedly. And although it took a moment, the tonamstrosite did indeed quiet down slowly but surely, though his orange eyes seemed anything but happy about that as he shook his head in indignation. Once the growling had completely died out, the Fleet-Admiral returned to his previous tone as the questions carried on. “Lieutenant, during questioning, your attackers have claimed to know you. Can you confirm that?”
James' eyes widened a bit, however he could only shake his head.
“At this time I can neither confirm nor deny if I have ever met them before.”
“So you did not recognize them?”
“No, but I barely saw them either.”
The questioning continued for a bit longer. Sometimes old questions repeated themselves. Sometimes some new ones were added, calling James' specific recollection or the actions of his companions into question.
However, throughout it all, James stuck to his story. He stuck to the truth, unabashedly so. And for what it's worth, there were no further interruptions.
“How is your injury?” Santo asked after a number of question, and the sudden change in tone of the interrogation had James blinking in surprise as his eyes inadvertently twitched down to his own chest. He had barely even acknowledged the glancing shot he had taken during the firefight so far. In fact, he didn't really feel it.
“Not worth mentioning,” he therefore replied.
“But you did get injured.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“James.”
At the sudden use of his name instead of 'Lieutenant', James snapped up. It was only a moment later that it occurred to him that it hadn't actually been Fleet-Admiral Santo's voice that had been addressing him either.
“Yes, Sir?” he asked, his eyes now turning to Representative Kumar, and for the first time during the proceedings, uncertainty set into his voice. He suddenly felt like he had heard his full name yelled from the other room...
Santo also remained quiet, meaning presumably, the Representative actually had the right to speak here. After a brief pause to take a deep breath, he explained,
“I have made arrangements to request that you be handed over back under our care. Please be prepared for pick-up in the near future. I believe your campaign will have to take a bit of a break.”
James once again blinked a couple of times, and it felt like something within him had short-circuited at the information. He had just gotten here. And now he was already supposed to leave again? Surely, he was supposed to feel something about that, wasn't he? Outrage, maybe? Or perhaps relieve?
But nothing came. He simply took the information in without any movement inside. And after a moment of nothing else coming up, he just nodded.
Although, seemingly not quite having enough even after the tonamstrosite's heavy reprimand earlier, the local governor piped up one last time as he crossed his flexible arms.
“And what reason would we have to simply hand out someone who jeopardized our internal safety against one of the galaxy's greatest threats?” he questioned in a stern tone that sounded like someone pulling the deepest string on a guitar aggressively while the pale dots in his eyes constricted until they were barely visible.
And the answer came from an...unexpected place.
“Because he is not only a Lieutenant and a Candidate for Councilman, but he is also a human Ambassador, who got injured as well as nearly murdered under your care,” Admiral Krieger said in a tone that was so forcefully neutral that one could've mistaken it for an entire barrel of nitroglycerin just waiting for a good kick against it. “Because this attack against him has already proven that with or without a Realized, your safety measures are nothing more than a bad joke, leaving his life in danger the longer he remains with you. Because people have been gravely injured in said attack that you clearly have neither the skill nor the will to treat for their ailments, as you stubbornly refuse to utilize the proper methods for it out of concerns that are nothing short of petty. Because you have gotten so incredibly close to finding yourself at the wrong end of our armaments and yet here you are still pretending like we aren't doing you an incredible favor by even humoring your presence here even after you have shown that you have no regard for the lives and safety of our people whatsoever. Because-”
“Admiral,” her rambling was then very abruptly stopped as Santo spoke up once again with a much sterner tone than any that he had used up until now. And despite her very obvious agitation, Admiral Krieger immediately shut her mouth so quickly that her teeth actually audibly clacked in the process. “I understand that this matter is hitting you close to home, but you will either behave according to your rank, or you will be banned from further participating in theses proceedings. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yessir,” the Admiral replied without delay as she took up a straighter posture. However, as James' gaze stuck to his mother for a moment, he could see that the look in her piercing hazel eyes at that moment would've likely still killed lesser beings on the spot. And her words had certainly not missed their mark, because after a moment of stubborn resistance at her first words, the governor had slowly but surely sunken more and more into himself at the sudden berating. And seeing the Admiral's eyes now seemingly sealed the deal on not trying to speak up again for him.
Making use of the opportunity that the brief window of silence following right after provided, someone else also injected himself into the conversation.
“I will also make arrangementsz for te priszonersz to be handed over to uz,” Zishedii informed everyone in a generally relaxed tone. “I find it prudent to have dem dealt wit by people who know how to handle dem...profeszionally.”
His green eyes shot across what was presumably the picture of the governor for a moment. “You think Kahrfuem will play along with that?” James heard his own voice say, without his brain even really having any say on the matter.
Zishedii smirked back at him, exposing one of his fangs.
“He won't have a choize,” the leader of Dunnima's second largest Komaltopeno assured James. James nodded at the rather ominous announcement, as Santo suddenly proclaimed,
“I believe that is all for now. Everyone, please disconnect your calls. I do not want to see anyone sticking around.”
At that behest, one after another, the windows on the screen disappeared. Many of the people James had nothing to do with outside of this meeting were the first to go. The coluyvoree also made sure to get out of there as quickly as he could. The tonamstrosite and paresihne followed soon after. Then Zishedii gave James one last nod before disconnecting as well. Third to last to sign out were the Tria Cacumina. Which then only left James, the Fleet-Admiral, and Admiral Krieger.
For a moment, James expected Santo to admonish his mother for dawdling, however to his surprise, the old man instead said,
“You have five minutes, Sophia,” right before he himself disconnected.
Now James and his mother were alone.
James wasn't quite sure how to react to that. He certainly hadn't expected to be dropped into this situation. Slowly, he opened his mouth to say something. He didn't even now what, just something. However, the Admiral was faster.
“How is she?” she asked, her eyes boring into James intensely. It seems like she wasn't about to waste a second of those five minutes.
James swallowed heavily and looked down.
“I...think she'll live.” he said.
After a moment more filled with intense staring, the Admiral nodded. Then she moved to speak again, but this time, James was quicker.
“You don't have to say anything. I've already said it all to myself,” he informed her. He really wasn't in the mood for one of their usual back-and-forths. He had messed up. He knew that already. “Trust me, if I could, I would take her place in that bed in a heartbeat.”
The Admiral released a long breath through her nose.
“I know that, James,” she assured him. Her voice wasn't...soft exactly, however it did miss some of its usual edge for that one sentence. Although them it immediately returned again when she added, “But you better watch her like a god-damned dragon its hoard now.”
James could only nod.
“Nobody's going to touch her,” he said, and his fists tightened around the armrests of the chair he sat on so firmly that it began to groan under the pressure. “I'll rip anyone apart who tries.”
“You better,” the Admiral warned him. But them, she released a log exhale. “James?” she said, that slightly softer voice from before returning.
“Ma'am?” James replied.
“You messed up,” she told him what he already knew. Then she paused a moment. And then, she added, “But I think what you did there was important. You took charge of the situation. And you saved lives. No one can deny that. And although I know you will hate to hear it, I am proud of you. Also for stopping when you did. You could've messed up much worse.”
She sat up in her seat slightly, and her intense stare got an almost triumphant glimmer to it.
“We will squeeze those cats for every last drop of intel they have. And then we will rip those rotten bastards out by their root. You may have held back on them, but because of that, you will get the revenge you actually deserve.”
James released a long breath through his teeth, as a pit formed in his stomach.
“You always know exactly what not to say...”
submitted by Lanzen_Jars to HFY [link] [comments]
Chapter 155 – The many weights of one decision
Time turned into a thick, viscous goo after that. James had very little memory of what happened after the fire. Or maybe that wasn't quite right. It was more accurate to say that his memory wasn't very detailed, only consisting of vague cliff notes of the sequence of events that had taken place.
Fire. Door. Avezillion. Ashes. Shot. Nia. Myiat. Pain. Blood. Bright lights. People. So many people. Then tight spaces. Someone tried to talk to him. He didn't remember a word they said.
The next thing he remembered in any real detail after that night was that he somehow found himself sitting at the side of an enormous bed, both of his hands clasped around that of another. As he blinked, he realized that his eyes and face were soaking wet.
Reflexively, he tried to lift his arm to his face to wipe it off, only for a sudden tug on his arm and a loud sound of something pulling taut while thin metal pressed into his wrist to inform him that apparently, he was cuffed to the bed's frame. Although he wasn't really surprised, like a part of him had already known.
He didn't bother looking down at the chain, simply using his other arm to wipe his eyes with its sleeve, before going right back to staring down at the body laying in front of him.
Nia's eyes were closed. Her face had a slightly ashen color and her cheeks were sunken in, giving her a haggard look as if she hadn't eaten in months. A tube was strapped into her mouth with small, plastic fastenings. The sound of a nearby machine gently working away in a regular rhythm that was a perfect fit with Nia's chest slowly rising and sinking informed James that she wasn't breathing on her own.
His hands' grip on hers tightened for a moment as imagery flashed before his inner eye. He didn't remember her exact injury even now. All he knew was that there was...so much blood.
Using his non-cuffed hand, he slowly reached out to her face, placing his hand's palm on her cheek in a gentle caress. Almost immediately, his earlier drying became a vain effort as the tears started flowing in torrents again.
“What the hell am I going to do?”
…
An indeterminate amount of time that just felt like one huge blob to him later, people suddenly entered the room. James glanced up at the door as he heard the footsteps coming in, although he was slightly surprised by what he saw.
Not by the group of armed coluyvoree staring him down with their bright blue eyes. The cuffs around his wrist had already given away that he would have to deal with those at some point.
No, what surprised him far more was who was in the 'lead' of the incoming group. Or, well, it was more accurate to say that she was the person walking ahead of the others. Just like with James, the cuffs around her hands indicated that she wasn't exactly here just because she wanted to.
However, despite a dreary expression on her face, Tuya's eyes very briefly lit up in quite honest-looking surprise when they met with James' as he glanced down at her. At first, he thought she was surprised to find him in this room, however that didn't really make any sense if he thought about it for more than a second.
More likely, she was surprised that he was actually acknowledging her existence.
After their eyes had met, she sped up her steps a tiny bit despite the chains around her hands. This, in turn, caused James to also try to move to meet her out of instinct alone, although once again his movement was firmly halted by a taut chain.
Tuya's sudden acceleration seemed to have surprised her coreworld guards, which meant they had to hurry after her with a moment delay as she already reached the edge of the bed.
“James!” she exclaimed, and her dark eyes couldn't quite decide what emotion they wanted to get across for a good couple of seconds, shifting between sadness, worry, excitement and anger on a dime. Although ultimately, they settled back on their previous dreariness once she had also managed to climb up onto the over-sized bed with minimal effort on her part.
A wet gleam indicated that she was also coming close to tears as she looked down at her unconscious girlfriend, though she managed to fight it down much more successfully than James could.
As James observed her, a flicker of logical awareness in the very back of his mind couldn't help but notice that he was actually able to see her eyes at that point. She wasn't wearing a breathfilter. He wondered if that was by choice.
Tearing her eyes away from Nia with clear effort involved in the process, Tuya looked back at him. Deep rings had formed under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't been sleeping much, and James suspected that he himself didn't look any better. He also noticed that her roots had started to grow out as a dark shadow down at the base of her green hair.
“Looks like you're back with us,” his fellow Lieutenant said as her chaperons finally managed to catch up to her, coming to a halt at the bedside and visibly calming down as they realized that she and James were just taking. “I can't quite say what was creepier: You going all robot on us or basically everyone treating it like it was no big deal.”
James wanted to give her a laugh, however he didn't quite manage to as it instead came out as a tired exhale.
“Yeah, they've-” he started to say, and almost immediately had to clear his throat. His mouth was dry and his voice was croaky from abuse and under-utilization from not being used for its intended purpose for who-knew-how-long. Swallowing heavily after a couple of moments spent fighting against breaking out into an actual coughing fit, he finally felt confident enough to open his mouth again. “-they've seen it before. Sorry if I scared you.”
Right after he finished speaking, he cleared his throat some more, which in turn led to Tuya lifting her hand. With an outstretched finger, she pointed out a carafe of water, standing on a nearby side-table just close enough that James could reach it despite his restraints, even if reaching for it would be slightly awkward.
Nodding with the intention of it being thankful, even if he doubted that it really looked like it in the end, James turned and grabbed it and began to drink straight from the large container. At first he had little motivation to do so apart from getting his voice back into working shape, however the moment that the liquid touched his lips, survival instincts suddenly kicked in and informed him in just how much need of water his body currently was, leading to him taking long, greedy gulps.
As he was busy going on a brief survival binge, the surrounding giants looked down at him and Tuya sitting on the side of the bed for a moment.
“Looks like he's lucid again,” one of them commented and glanced over at their colleagues.
“Well, as lucid as he can be...” another replied and slowly shook their head, clear disdain reflecting in both their words and demeanor.
“Lucid enough to stand and answer,” the first one gave right back with a slight bit of obvious annoyance at their co-worker's demeanor. Though then, they glanced back at James with the white specks in their eyes narrowing slightly. “You can stand, right?”
James slowly lowered the pitcher from his mouth. Having emptied half of the thing in one go, he had to take a gasp of air as if surfacing from a deep dive before he could reply while wiping his mouth absentmindedly.
“Should be able to,” he replied with a nod while his lips were still covered by his sleeve. However then, his eyes momentarily became stuck to Nia's sunken face again, a nauseous feeling setting into his freshly filled stomach.
Almost immediately, he felt hands laying themselves onto his shoulder. The 'reassuring shoulder pat' was made a good bit more awkward than usual by the fact that Tuya could barely separate her hands due to the cuffs, however it got the message across either way.
Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why she had been brought along here.
“Don't fight us this time, alright?” she chuckled slightly while nudging him gently. Although her tone was humorous, something told James that that specific request did not exactly come from nothing, even if he didn't specifically remember what it may have been referring to.
Swallowing heavily for an entirely different reason this time, he slowly nodded as he took one last, long look at his sister's face, hoping against hope that by some miracle, she would open her eyes before he'd have to leave. Alas, no wonder came as he slowly nodded his head.
“Guess I have some stuff to explain,” he said as he lifted his gaze again. He watched as one of the guards moved over with a key to free him from the bed's frame, before turning his attention back to Tuya for just a moment. “Take care of her, alright?”
With her hands still on his shoulder, Tuya squeezed it for a moment before pulling back with a smile, and she gave a soft nod. Then her hands sank down to pick up Nia's, just like James had held it earlier. James already felt a mild tug on his arm as the cuffs had been removed from the bed, and without hesitation he reached his other arm out so they could be closed around both of his wrists now.
The coluyvoree hesitated for a moment, as the prospect of possibly touching his mechanical arm in the process of putting the cuffs around it seemingly occurred to them, however with slow, careful movements they managed to secure him without throwing up in the process.
James had secretly wondered a bit why his more dangerous arm had been the one to be allowed to move freely here, but that pretty much explained it.
Knowing his eyes would just become stuck again, James forced himself to not look at Nia as he slid off the bed and began to follow his new invigilators.
Deliberately, he waited until they had left the room and the door had closed behind them before he spoke up again.
“So, am I under arrest?” he asked aloud. He had tried to remind himself of his current situation for a bit now, however his memory was just too spotty to come up with clear details. He knew that technically, he was in a situation were arresting him would be pretty hard. However, while the law of undenied candidacy protected him from a lot of things, it by no means made him entirely immune to every punishment. And in the eyes of the galaxy, what he had done may very well have been worse than murder.
The one that had so clearly disliked him earlier glanced back and down at him for a moment before releasing a displeased strum.
“House arrest,” they replied briefly. “For now.”
James nodded slowly. House arrest, huh? Seems like he had gotten off easy. For the time being, at least.
Not long after, he had been led into a large, mostly empty room and was sat down in front of a huge screen – which was a situation that he started to get frighteningly familiar with at this point.
To his surprise, his guards didn't stick around. Once he had sat down and they had secured him to his seat with the cuffs, they turned and left the room, audibly locking the door behind them. Despite the room's size, James got slightly claustrophobic for a moment as he realized that, once again, he would have absolutely no way of getting that door open again without outside assistance. However, as that wasn't really something that he'd have all too much of an influence on, he instead decided to focus on the screen right before him, because he needed to keep his mind occupied somehow in order to make sure he wouldn't start spiraling again.
Luckily, it didn't take long after he had sat down before the screen came to life. However, instead of the feed of one camera being projected to him across the entire thing like he had gotten used to at this point, it instead split up into a large number of windows, forcing James' eyes to dart from one to another as his exhausted mind did its best to take in exactly who was present for this.
His mother was quite easy to spot, as she sat in her commander's seat with a forcefully neutral expression. Although James couldn't see it, he just knew she was grasping the rests under her arms with a white-knuckle grip. So was Representative Kumar, who was accompanied his respective 'mind' and 'soul' colleagues from the Tria Cacumina today. However, the rest of the people present were less familiar to James.
He saw the large, mask-like face of the local governor that he had met during his arrival on the planet. There were a few other dignitaries that he knew on similarly vague terms, like some other world-leaders from Earth who he was far less familiar with than the ones he was directly involved with due to his heritage. Another vaguely familiar face was the U.H.S.D.F.'s Fleet-Admiral, and older guy with stern eyes and heavily grayed, short hair that used to be blonde once and a quite wrinkly face, whom James remembered meeting during a couple of fancy get-togethers back in his youth, when he was still taken along to such things. He also knew some of the other present Admirals from the same occasions, but only the older ones.
The rest were faces he had never consciously seen before, although he could only assume that the rather sturdy-looking paresihne and the uncommonly sleek tonamstrosite on his screen would also have to be some important people, even if his brain currently couldn't attach any names or titles to them. He was sure it would come back to him.
Then, his eyes opened slightly wider as a new window popped up and forced the others to rearrange a bit as it was put into its proper place by the software after arriving a bit late to the party.
Running a hand through his short, obviously only recently cut hair, Zishedii's glass-green eyes stared into the camera while he shifted his lips with a stern expression. The feline sat slightly leaned back in a large, heavily padded seat that offered a lot of support to his arms and back – a luxury that had likely become necessary after surviving being somewhat caught in the explosion of a falling ship. But even then, all things considered, he looked like he had recovered rather well from the illegal attack.
If he was entirely honest, James didn't know if he should find the man's presence calming or disturbing given the situation.
However, he didn't have much time to ponder that, because apparently, Zishedii had been the last person missing from those attending, meaning that there was very little delay before things got started.
It was the Fleet-Admiral who seemingly had the lead over the current proceedings, at least for the time being.
To his shame, James had to admit that his head was still quite fuzzy and so slow to start back up that he completely blanked on the man's name as he opened by greeting all the present dignitaries one after another. James wasn't even going to pretend like he would remember all of the names even a moment later as he barely managed to pay attention to them as they were said. He just had so many other things on his mind. It also didn't help in the slightest that his ears were still ringing as all hell. Though, obviously, he did take notice as the Fleet-Admiral himself introduced himself as Dr. Stanislao Santo, filling in the gap in his memories that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
After a long round of lengthy introductions that came with a lot of very specific titles, things finally came around to actually addressing the issue at hand.
“First Lieutenant,” Fleet-Admiral Santo said while looking firmly into his camera. Instinctively, James sat up a bit straighter. “Could you please state your full name for everyone here.”
James nodded and took a deep breath.
“James Aldwin,” he replied.
Santo nodded back at him.
“Now, can you please tell me where you are, Lieutenant Aldwin?” he continued the strange questioning. Or, well, it would've been strange if James actually had the energy to question what he was being asked.
“I am on the planet Gewelitten,” James replied, his voice devoid of any distinct tone or inflection. “I...think I am currently in some sort of secured building or facility.”
There was a moment of silence before Santo spoke up once again.
“Lieutenant Aldwin, this is not a legal hearing, meaning what you say here is not under oath. However everything you do say is being recorded and could possibly be used against you in a legal setting. Do you understand that?” he explained slowly and the wrinkles on his face intensified as he scrunched up his face slightly.
“I understand,” James replied briefly.
“Could you repeat it back to me and then explain what it means in your own words, please?” Santo quickly followed up.
James swallowed and complied, repeating the Fleet-Admiral's words, before adding, “It means whatever I say here will be exempt from hearsay-clauses in a possible legal trial and is allowed to be used as evidence against me without objection.”
The Fleet-Admiral nodded again, and his face relaxed a little bit.
“He seems lucid and reasonable to me,” he stated categorically, and James noticed that his eyes shifted a bit, presumably now looking at a different window showing another person on his screen. In his periphery James then noticed Admiral Krieger nodding with a slightly darkening expression. Then, Santo's eyes quite obviously shifted back onto him, as the old man said, “Lieutenant Aldwin, I have a couple of questions for you that I have collected from the other people present. I will be the only one asking you questions, and you only have to answer questions coming from me, do you understand? Everyone else is simply here to observe.”
“I understand,” James confirmed for him.
Santo took a deep breath before putting on the barest hint of a smile.
“For now, Lieutenant, would you please explain the events that you believe led to us calling you here?” he then 'suggested'.
And James complied. Did he ever comply. To the best of his ability, he began to recount everything that he remembered after the moment when Koko had stopped them on the street after suspecting a possible ambush.
During most of it, the other people in the call remained perfectly quiet, listening to him listing off event after event with stern faces, but without interruption. Though that changed quite a bit when he finally reached the point they were presumably all waiting for.
The moment he ordered Avezillion to crack through the hotel's defenses and open the doors.
“So you did it...” the coluyvoree governor let out in exasperation while Zishedii mumbled something under his breath. Meanwhile the paresihne let out an exasperated chirping noise while the tonamstrosite seemed almost...amused?
The human dignitaries, however, all knew to keep silent, especially after Santo cleared his throat. “Please, everyone,” he said in a form tone. “Let us let the Lieutenant continue for now.”
There was clear outrage on the face of the coluyvoree, even as everyone else calmed down. However, it seemed like he knew better than to try and raise a stink about it right now. And so he quieted down as well, waiting until James had finished his first recounting of events.
“After that, events are slightly blurry,” James finally finished the retelling. His mouth was getting slightly dry from the talking, and so he cleared his throat while also running a hand over his forehead to remove some hair. It was only then that he noticed just how sweaty he was. Was it that hot in here? His ears were still ringing...
“Lieutenant Aldwin,” Santo's voice snapped him back out of his thoughts, and it was only then that he noticed that his eyes had drifted away from the screen for a bit there. “You and your team did not have your body cams attached and operational during that firefight you had with the unknown myiat. Is that correct?”
Shaking his head very slightly to recover his focus, James cleared his throat again.
“Yes, that is correct,” he confirmed.
“Why is that?” Santo followed up on the question.
“It was an emergency. Things were hectic,” James replied honestly. In hindsight, he had to admit that he hadn't even thought about grabbing his body cam in the heat of the moment. Hell, he had run out into the hall in just his briefs.
“The fire was extinguished, wasn't it? So before the gunmen arrived, the danger had presumably passed. You had time to grab your weapon, so you also had time to grab the camera. Isn't that right?” Santo continued the questioning. As he spoke, his wrinkled face always had the same expression on it while his almost gray eyes stared at James.
“There was time. However, we were in a rush to go aid Moar, who was in very bad shape. We didn't think to grab them,” James confirmed, biting his own lips after he was done speaking because he simply didn't have a better excuse for it.
“But you did grab your weapons?” the next question came.
“Yessir.”
“Why?”
“Avezillion had confirmed tampering with the systems. We expected we may have to defend ourselves.”
“But you didn't grab the bodycams as well despite that?”
“No, Sir.”
“Why?”
The questioning continued like that for a good while, always repeating over the same beats with slightly rephrased wording and angles. James suspected that the Fleet-Admiral either wanted to catch him in a lie, or he wanted to make very sure that that was actually the story James wanted to go with. After all, it didn't exactly make him or his team look very good in the end, especially not since shots had actually been fired and people had actually been heavily injured.
Further questioning included questions about whether James believed he had acted according to the law. If he thought his use of force was reasonable. If he believed his actions and reactions had been justified.
And, although he was far from proud of what had happened, he could honestly reply to each of those questions with a yes.
Anger or no anger, those people were dangerous. They had shot at them. They had injured Nia. They had presumably set the building on fire. Every bit of force he had used against them was more than justified and proportional, down to the last bullet.
Of course, that possibly would have changed had he not been stopped from taking his actual last shots...but he had. And so that was that. He may have regretted his behavior, however, he had no reason to regret his actions. Not this time.
However, in the meantime, somebody had been slowly losing his patience.
“Why are we still bothering about the cameras?” the coluyvoree governor brought out in an outraged strum, his flexible arms unfurling into an almost threatening gesture for a moment. “The Realized! Ask him about the Realized already! Has it really infested our systems?”
His outbreak was met with deafening silence from all other participants, with his own voice soon joining into it as he noticed just how quiet things had become. Nobody was saying a word. Nobody so much as sniffed. There was just a myriad of eyes staring out of the screen in perfect silence.
The silence lasted for about twenty seconds, during which the coluyvoree became more visibly anxious by the moment as he seemingly just waited for the consequences of his actions. However, ultimately, Santo simply spoke up again without directly acknowledging the governor's outburst.
“Lieutenant, did the Realized known as Avezillion breach into Gewelitten's computer systems?” he asked in a serious tone, and the last remaining hint of a smile disappeared from his face.
“Yes,” James replied. “After I asked her to do it. But I do not believe any part of her remains in the system.”
“Do you realize what that means?” Santo followed up on the question.
“Yes,” James repeated, although this time, he decided to not keep his answer brief. “But Avezillion wasn't the one who acted out of line. She did not maliciously breach the systems, in fact she didn't even want to do it at all. I basically ordered her to. And although she technically doesn't have to heed my commands, I put incredible pressure onto her as one of her only confidants in the galaxy and she caved to it. It was my fault and I will take full responsibility. Please do not let this reflect negatively on her, she was only trying to preserve our lives.”
“So you are saying you are entirely responsible for the Realized's actions?” Santo asked further, lifting his eyebrows ever so slightly, which caused the already heavy wrinkles on his forehead to intensify.
And he wasn't the only one. Many faces turned into ones of great anticipation as they awaited James' answer to that question. He especially noted that of his mother, whose jaws were so clenched underneath her neutral expression that her teeth could have probably pressed coals into diamonds at that moment.
“Yes, Sir,” James replied. “Without my insistence and...my pressure, Avezillion would never have taken this course of action. It...”
He paused for a moment, and his eyes shifted away from Santo and onto Zishedii, who was listening to his words with an expression that James just couldn't read. It almost looked bored, however that had to be a front. Still, he had no idea what was going on underneath that. Yet, whatever it may have been, he wanted to get one thing out while he was sure that Zishedii was listening, because he was the one person that James knew could carry the message along.
“...it was honestly unfair of me, however, I did not have a choice. I am sorry that it happened, but I am not sorry for what I did. Not just my own life, but that of people I love was on the line, and if given the choice again, I would make the same one every time,” he finished his earlier statement with resolve.
James looked hopefully at the screen for a few seconds. And although it took a bit, Zishedii visibly exhaled and made a subtle nod of his head with one of his ears slightly twitching, indicating that the message had likely gotten across.
“And you are convinced you had absolutely no other way out of that fire?” Santo immediately continued, treating that answer like any other James had given without showing any obvious reaction to it.
“Yes,” James confirmed, now much less energetic. “We tried everything else in our power, but the doors would not budge. And the fire-prevention systems had been externally suppressed with no hope of restarting on their own.”
“Do you have any proof of that?”
“Avezillion compiled a list of all the forced changes she noticed while she worked to reverse the-”
James' explanation was cut off when a certain governor once again couldn't quite contain himself.
“And we're supposed to believe what a damn-” he tried to yell out, however in a turn of fate, he was now interrupted as well, though instead of an indignant strum, it was a deep, bellowing growl that did it to him.
“The only thing you're supposed to do right now is stay quiet!” the unknown but all of the sudden surprisingly sympathetic tonamstrosite hissed out through his sharp teeth as his chest visibly vibrated from the aggressive sound it was making. “We are here to hear what the Candidate has to say on the matter. Evidence will be reviewed by those qualified to do it.”
Even after he finished talking, the growling remained, reverberating from out of the speakers, until Santo opened his mouth again.
“Chief Wiharmarth, please,” he said calmly but decidedly. And although it took a moment, the tonamstrosite did indeed quiet down slowly but surely, though his orange eyes seemed anything but happy about that as he shook his head in indignation. Once the growling had completely died out, the Fleet-Admiral returned to his previous tone as the questions carried on. “Lieutenant, during questioning, your attackers have claimed to know you. Can you confirm that?”
James' eyes widened a bit, however he could only shake his head.
“At this time I can neither confirm nor deny if I have ever met them before.”
“So you did not recognize them?”
“No, but I barely saw them either.”
The questioning continued for a bit longer. Sometimes old questions repeated themselves. Sometimes some new ones were added, calling James' specific recollection or the actions of his companions into question.
However, throughout it all, James stuck to his story. He stuck to the truth, unabashedly so. And for what it's worth, there were no further interruptions.
“How is your injury?” Santo asked after a number of question, and the sudden change in tone of the interrogation had James blinking in surprise as his eyes inadvertently twitched down to his own chest. He had barely even acknowledged the glancing shot he had taken during the firefight so far. In fact, he didn't really feel it.
“Not worth mentioning,” he therefore replied.
“But you did get injured.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“James.”
At the sudden use of his name instead of 'Lieutenant', James snapped up. It was only a moment later that it occurred to him that it hadn't actually been Fleet-Admiral Santo's voice that had been addressing him either.
“Yes, Sir?” he asked, his eyes now turning to Representative Kumar, and for the first time during the proceedings, uncertainty set into his voice. He suddenly felt like he had heard his full name yelled from the other room...
Santo also remained quiet, meaning presumably, the Representative actually had the right to speak here. After a brief pause to take a deep breath, he explained,
“I have made arrangements to request that you be handed over back under our care. Please be prepared for pick-up in the near future. I believe your campaign will have to take a bit of a break.”
James once again blinked a couple of times, and it felt like something within him had short-circuited at the information. He had just gotten here. And now he was already supposed to leave again? Surely, he was supposed to feel something about that, wasn't he? Outrage, maybe? Or perhaps relieve?
But nothing came. He simply took the information in without any movement inside. And after a moment of nothing else coming up, he just nodded.
Although, seemingly not quite having enough even after the tonamstrosite's heavy reprimand earlier, the local governor piped up one last time as he crossed his flexible arms.
“And what reason would we have to simply hand out someone who jeopardized our internal safety against one of the galaxy's greatest threats?” he questioned in a stern tone that sounded like someone pulling the deepest string on a guitar aggressively while the pale dots in his eyes constricted until they were barely visible.
And the answer came from an...unexpected place.
“Because he is not only a Lieutenant and a Candidate for Councilman, but he is also a human Ambassador, who got injured as well as nearly murdered under your care,” Admiral Krieger said in a tone that was so forcefully neutral that one could've mistaken it for an entire barrel of nitroglycerin just waiting for a good kick against it. “Because this attack against him has already proven that with or without a Realized, your safety measures are nothing more than a bad joke, leaving his life in danger the longer he remains with you. Because people have been gravely injured in said attack that you clearly have neither the skill nor the will to treat for their ailments, as you stubbornly refuse to utilize the proper methods for it out of concerns that are nothing short of petty. Because you have gotten so incredibly close to finding yourself at the wrong end of our armaments and yet here you are still pretending like we aren't doing you an incredible favor by even humoring your presence here even after you have shown that you have no regard for the lives and safety of our people whatsoever. Because-”
“Admiral,” her rambling was then very abruptly stopped as Santo spoke up once again with a much sterner tone than any that he had used up until now. And despite her very obvious agitation, Admiral Krieger immediately shut her mouth so quickly that her teeth actually audibly clacked in the process. “I understand that this matter is hitting you close to home, but you will either behave according to your rank, or you will be banned from further participating in theses proceedings. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yessir,” the Admiral replied without delay as she took up a straighter posture. However, as James' gaze stuck to his mother for a moment, he could see that the look in her piercing hazel eyes at that moment would've likely still killed lesser beings on the spot. And her words had certainly not missed their mark, because after a moment of stubborn resistance at her first words, the governor had slowly but surely sunken more and more into himself at the sudden berating. And seeing the Admiral's eyes now seemingly sealed the deal on not trying to speak up again for him.
Making use of the opportunity that the brief window of silence following right after provided, someone else also injected himself into the conversation.
“I will also make arrangementsz for te priszonersz to be handed over to uz,” Zishedii informed everyone in a generally relaxed tone. “I find it prudent to have dem dealt wit by people who know how to handle dem...profeszionally.”
His green eyes shot across what was presumably the picture of the governor for a moment. “You think Kahrfuem will play along with that?” James heard his own voice say, without his brain even really having any say on the matter.
Zishedii smirked back at him, exposing one of his fangs.
“He won't have a choize,” the leader of Dunnima's second largest Komaltopeno assured James. James nodded at the rather ominous announcement, as Santo suddenly proclaimed,
“I believe that is all for now. Everyone, please disconnect your calls. I do not want to see anyone sticking around.”
At that behest, one after another, the windows on the screen disappeared. Many of the people James had nothing to do with outside of this meeting were the first to go. The coluyvoree also made sure to get out of there as quickly as he could. The tonamstrosite and paresihne followed soon after. Then Zishedii gave James one last nod before disconnecting as well. Third to last to sign out were the Tria Cacumina. Which then only left James, the Fleet-Admiral, and Admiral Krieger.
For a moment, James expected Santo to admonish his mother for dawdling, however to his surprise, the old man instead said,
“You have five minutes, Sophia,” right before he himself disconnected.
Now James and his mother were alone.
James wasn't quite sure how to react to that. He certainly hadn't expected to be dropped into this situation. Slowly, he opened his mouth to say something. He didn't even now what, just something. However, the Admiral was faster.
“How is she?” she asked, her eyes boring into James intensely. It seems like she wasn't about to waste a second of those five minutes.
James swallowed heavily and looked down.
“I...think she'll live.” he said.
After a moment more filled with intense staring, the Admiral nodded. Then she moved to speak again, but this time, James was quicker.
“You don't have to say anything. I've already said it all to myself,” he informed her. He really wasn't in the mood for one of their usual back-and-forths. He had messed up. He knew that already. “Trust me, if I could, I would take her place in that bed in a heartbeat.”
The Admiral released a long breath through her nose.
“I know that, James,” she assured him. Her voice wasn't...soft exactly, however it did miss some of its usual edge for that one sentence. Although them it immediately returned again when she added, “But you better watch her like a god-damned dragon its hoard now.”
James could only nod.
“Nobody's going to touch her,” he said, and his fists tightened around the armrests of the chair he sat on so firmly that it began to groan under the pressure. “I'll rip anyone apart who tries.”
“You better,” the Admiral warned him. But them, she released a log exhale. “James?” she said, that slightly softer voice from before returning.
“Ma'am?” James replied.
“You messed up,” she told him what he already knew. Then she paused a moment. And then, she added, “But I think what you did there was important. You took charge of the situation. And you saved lives. No one can deny that. And although I know you will hate to hear it, I am proud of you. Also for stopping when you did. You could've messed up much worse.”
She sat up in her seat slightly, and her intense stare got an almost triumphant glimmer to it.
“We will squeeze those cats for every last drop of intel they have. And then we will rip those rotten bastards out by their root. You may have held back on them, but because of that, you will get the revenge you actually deserve.”
James released a long breath through his teeth, as a pit formed in his stomach.
“You always know exactly what not to say...”
2024.02.19 18:24 MaterialRealistic808 walking Shinobi chapter five
After Naruto regained his bearings, it did not stop the other adults from arguing with one another. "We can't take risks like this," the unknown woman declared. Her demeanor was unwelcoming, that was for sure. "And we can't let other people die either," said the woman who had saved Duck's life – the only woman that the group didn't seem to like.
"When I see that door stay shut, I mean it," the unknown woman continued sternly. "We don't know who these people are. They could be dangerous," she added, voicing her concern. Naruto and the group didn't like hearing that; in fact, they seemed to care less about it. "Let them rot out there," a male voice, Ruff, chimed in with worry.
"Where the hell is your humanity? They could have died out there," the short brunette interjected angrily, her frustration apparent. "Then we let them die," the man barely responded. "We have kids with us," Lee finally spoke up, attempting to diffuse the escalating argument. He was looking to bring some rationality to the situation. "I only see one little girl," he stated matter-of-factly.
At that moment, Clementine tugged at Lee's hand, clearly uncomfortable. "I... I have to pee," she said, voicing her discomfort. Lee dismissed her comment with a simple "In a minute, Clem," as he shifted his focus back to the ongoing conversation.
"They've got kids, Lily," a black-haired man stated. "The things out there don't care," Lily retorted, her tone filled with disdain and paranoia. "So maybe you should go join them. Then you have something in common," Kenny suggested his frustration building. Naruto noticed that his anger was escalating as the conversation continued.
As Naruto continued to listen to the heated argument, he noticed Clementine walking toward the bathroom. While he wouldn't usually think much of it, recent events had made him more cautious. He began to watch her closely, ensuring nothing bad would happen. However, it seemed like no one else was paying attention to this. "Lee, can you believe this lady?" Kenny expressed his disdain, seeking support from Lee.
"That lady is my daughter," the older man interjected. "I can see the resemblance," Naruto noted. "My son won't grow up, ******* lunatic," Kenny claimed, asserting his point. "Son?" the old man responded, confused. He then looked over and saw Duck, who was covered in quite a lot of dirt and grime. "Holy ship, one of them is bitten," the older man accused.
"He wasn't bitten," Lee defended Duck, coming to his son's aid. "Hell, he wasn't. We have to end this now," the older man insisted. "Absolutely not! It's just...," focus was starting to shift towards the conversation involving Doug. Naruto briefly took his gaze away from the little girl for a second.
The older man walked over towards Duck, and no one knew what he was going to do. But Kenny stepped in front of his son, clearly protective. "Under my dead body," Kenny's tone turned dangerous. "We'll dig one hole," the old man's voice matched his perilous intent. "No. I'm cleaning them up. There's no bite," Katjaa panicked.
"Don't you ******* people get it? We've already seen this happen. If we let someone who was bitten stay, we all end up bitten," the old man asserted confidently. "Shut up," Kenny ordered. "We have to throw him out. Or smash his head in," the old man suggested. Nordstrom doesn't even know what's going on anymore. Now they're going to kill a kid because they're worried whether he's been bitten or not. One of the stupidest things," Katjaa's fear and panic were evident.
She looked over at Lee, desperately seeking his guidance. "Lee, what should we do about this dude?" Kenny's tone showed his helplessness. "Yeah, it's just a boy," Lily protested, clearly seeing where the conversation was heading. She didn't like the direction it was taking at all.
"Lily, I'm handling it," the older man reassured, trying to ease the situation. "But your heart, Dad. You need to calm down," Lily expressed her concern. "We reasoned with him," Lee finally spoke up, attempting to find a middle ground. "Maybe with an axe handle," Kenny's frustration was evident in his voice.
"Nobody threatens my boy," Kenny asserted firmly. "Can we please all calm down?" Naruto's calm voice interjected. But it seemed like nobody was heeding his words. "Chill the funk out, everybody!" the short brunette yelled. "Nobody is doing anything," Lily's tone was firm. "Shut up, boy," the older man's tone was unwavering, mixed with frustration. He then turned towards the brunette. "And you, shut the **** up. They'll get in here and they'll find us, and all this won't ******* matter. But right now, we're going to be trapped in here with one of those things," the old man's explanation had an air of urgency.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny's confusion was evident. "He's betting that's how you turn," Naruto yelled in Kenny's face. "He's not bitten. Please stop this. It's upsetting him," Katjaa pleaded desperately. "Oh, I'm not saying that to him. That's way better than getting eaten alive," the old man's sarcasm was evident. "OK, Dad, it's a big deal," Lily attempted to bring a sense of perspective to the conversation, though she struggled to get her point across.
"It's a big deal? Well, you're not certainly acting like it is," the old man's disappointment was evident. "What if it was your daughter?" Lee questioned, seeking to evoke empathy. "It wouldn't happen. She's not just any snot-nosed kid. She's a US Air Force," he said with pride. "**** you. And here," Kenny's anger flared.
"I'm gonna kill him, Cat. Just worry about Duck," Kenny's tone shifted to a calm but serious one. "Lee, the door is locked," Clementine's voice was filled with both discomfort and curiosity. "The keys are behind the counter, probably," Lee said absentmindedly, not entirely focusing on his words. "Hey, I'm not the bad guy over here. I'm just looking out for my daughter," the old man spoke up, defending his stance.
"No, you're just arguing about killing a kid," Kenny argued, his patience wearing thin. "She'll find the bite mark," the old man's tone was almost content. "She won't, Kenny," Katjaa responded. "And if she does? The first thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then when he's done with that, he'll probably go and pounce on your little girl," the old man detailed the worst-case scenario, once again sounding confident.
"He's just a little boy. I bet we could handle him," Lee expressed his confidence. "A little boy? He'll become an uncontrollable man-eater," the old man countered, his conviction unshaken. "It's not gonna happen," Kenny argued. "It is, and we're tossing them out now!" The old man's declaration was forceful.
"Knock this guy out," Lee suggested, his patience with the situation wearing thin. He was ready to take action against the man causing the commotion. Just as Kenny was about to react, they were interrupted. "No. Nobody is touching anyone today!" Naruto's voice boomed, stunning everybody.
He turned towards the old man, his resolve evident. "And you? We're not throwing anyone out today. If you want to fight me, go ahead. But you better have a good plan to kill me, because it's going to be me or anyone else in this group," Naruto's assertiveness filled the air. Suddenly, a scream broke the tension.
All eyes turned towards the source of the scream, and they saw a Walker had grabbed Clementine. Reacting swiftly, the group rushed toward the Walker, but Naruto stumbled and fell to the ground. Quickly recovering, he got up and charged toward the Walker before it could bite Clementine. He managed to pull the Walker off her, engaging in a struggle.
This Walker seemed particularly strong, and Naruto began losing ground in the pushing match. The Walker's face was just inches from Clementine's when a gunshot rang out, and the Walker collapsed to the ground. The short brunette had taken action. "Are you OK?" she asked Clementine, her concern evident. "I'm just great. Thanks," Lee expressed his gratitude.
As everything grew silent, everyone started hiding and getting ready in case one of those things managed to break down the barricades they had created. "They're going to get in," the older man said with worry. "Shut up, Kenny," whispered angrily. Gunshots from outside caught their attention, and a mix of shock and relief filled the group. "Is that the military?" Lee asked, his curiosity piqued. He was hoping for the arrival of the military to save them.
"I don't know," the longer-haired woman replied, her uncertainty evident. "Thank God for whoever it is," the man with the white cap said, relieved. "We almost died because of this ***** and her trigger finger. That was stupid," he clutched his chest and yelled in pain. The long-haired woman rushed to his aid immediately. "What's wrong with him?" Lee asked with concern.
"It's his heart," she said, panicked. "Do you need nitroglycerin pills?" Katjaa inquired worriedly. "Yeah, we're out. We tried to get into a pharmacy since we got here. Please try to help us get in there, behind the counter where the pills are," Lily explained, desperation evident in her voice. "There's probably another entrance, probably in the office," Lee suggested, trying to offer a solution.
"How do you know there's a door in the office?" the short-haired woman asked suspiciously. "Educated guess," Lee lied. The short brunette and Naruto grew more suspicious at this point. "That doesn't matter right now. We need nitroglycerin pills. Please get in there. I'll keep an eye on my dad. Kenny, take on a more leadership role now. Everyone, think we should stay here, get comfy, look for anything useful. We're going to be in here for a while," Kenny ordered.
"I'm pretty sure this structure isn't a permanent solution," the man with the white cap observed. "You're right, this isn't exactly Fort Knox," Kenny retorted sarcastically. "What do you suggest?" Lee inquired, genuinely interested in hearing the plan. "We'll need a lot of gas to get out of downtown Macon. I'm fast," the man with the white cap suggested confidently.
"Agreed," Lee concurred, supporting his plan. "Then I'll head out, get gas. There's a motel not far from here towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way there and then loop back, siphoning what I can," the man detailed his plan. "Do you know your way around locally?" Lee asked curiously. "Born and raised," he answered.
"If you're going to do that, here's a walkie-talkie in case you get into a tough spot. Hopefully, you won't need it," Lee handed him a walkie-talkie. "Cool," he responded. "It's Clementine, has the other one. Check in with her and hurry back here as fast as you can," Lee instructed firmly.
"What are your guys' names?" Kenny asked the older man and the longer-haired girl. "I'm Lily, my dad's Larry," Lily introduced, her bitterness evident. "Keep an eye on him. These boys will work on getting you your pills," Kenny reassured. "That's right," Lee chimed in. "And you, keep an eye on that door. You're our lookout," Kenny assigned a role.
"It's Doug, and you got...," the older man introduced himself. "And I'm Carly," the short-haired girl introduced herself. "Okay, Carly, you'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. Right now, get some rest. You're a good shot, and I'd like to keep it that way," Kenny ordered Carly. "You got it, boss," Carly responded firmly.
"Now, everybody, get them those pills," Kenny ordered. Naruto didn't know what to think now. He had barely managed to hold his own against Walker. Was that thing stronger, or was he getting weaker? He couldn't remember the coyote's words, or if his emotions were getting in the way, or if he was just getting rusty. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He looked around and saw Lee giving him a proud smile. "Naruto, I want to thank you for your reaction earlier. If you didn't do that, I'm not sure Clementine would have lived," Lee said gratefully. Naruto smiled. "Don't mention it, man. You would have done the same thing for me if you had the chance," Naruto said confidently.
Lee and Clementine headed to the back room, so Naruto decided to let them go and turned his attention back to the group. He walked over to Lily and Larry next. "Hey, guys, how's it going?" Naruto greeted them with a friendly tone. "Oh, we could be better, but we're all right," Kenny said, relief evident in his voice.
"That's good. I guess I'll be going then," Naruto said somewhat awkwardly. "Before you walk off, wait," Kenny called out, stopping Naruto. Naruto turned, surprised. "Yeah, what is it?" Naruto asked, curious. "I wanted to thank you for saving my son. I know that was a tough situation to deal with, but me and my family are very grateful," Kenny said sincerely.
Naruto smiled. "Don't mention it. I couldn't have just stood by if I knew he might die," Naruto said honestly. He still felt guilty about Sean and how he couldn't save him. "If only I had been faster, I could have reached him. But I guess it's in the past, and we'll just have to move on," Naruto thought to himself as he walked away, fixing his resolve.
After talking with Kenny's family, Naruto approached Lily and Larry. He wanted to apologize for how he had acted earlier. "I just wanted to apologize for how I acted back there. It was cool, and I want to say I'm sorry," Naruto said apologetically. Lily looked somewhat surprised.
"I'm also sorry about my dad and how I reacted. Nobody was in the right mind at that time. We were all just sizing up people we didn't know if you were murderers, rapists, or whatever bad stuff you could think of," Lily explained. Naruto felt even worse after hearing her perspective. While he might not have understood the full extent of those words, he knew they were pretty bad, and he could see where she was coming from.
Naruto gave a weak smile. "As long as we can forget that moment and move on, I'll be able to forgive if you're able to," Naruto said, extending his hand toward her. Lily hesitated for a moment but then shook his hand. "Let's start over. My name is Naruto," he said, restarting the conversation. "My name is Lily," she introduced herself once again, and Naruto assumed the older man beside her was Larry, receiving a nod of confirmation from Lily.
"It's nice to meet you folks, but I think I must be doing something else," Naruto said cheerfully. "Can't wait to talk with you guys again. I hope he gets better too," Naruto added with a cheerful tone. As he walked away, he saw Carly walking toward where Lee and Clementine were. Naruto's curiosity was piqued, so he decided to discreetly follow her. He cracked the door slightly to listen in.
"I found anything," he heard Carly say with a suspicious tone. Lee immediately turned his head in his direction with a shocked expression. "Just a picture of whoever was here," Lee lied, trying not to reveal that this was his family's store. "I know who you are," Carly claimed, getting more serious. Naruto observed this with suspicion, but he also understood that Carly was trying to figure things out.
"You're Lee Everett, a professor at Athens. Who can't kill the states either. Who is sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store. The folks in town know now. The owner's son got himself a life sentence. I was a reporter looking at that trial for WABE in Atlanta. I paid attention to that trial. You may be a burger, but I don't really care," Carly explained, leaving Naruto shocked. Lee was a murderer? Naruto didn't know what to think, but he knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story.
"Frankly, that might be a skill that we all need right now," Naruto rationalized to himself. "Lee may be a murderer, but they'll probably need him to survive." Lee grunted in annoyance at Carly's words. "Did you tell anyone that you were tied to this place?" Carly asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "No, I didn't. Sticking to first names for a reason," Lee replied bitterly.
"You seem like an okay guy, and the last thing we need is drama out there. You've got this little girl and boy to take care of. And look, don't get me wrong on this," Carly said with concern. "I don't plan to," Lee reassured her. "Good, because if this lasts more than a couple of days and you're a detriment to the group, we're going to have a problem. I hear you," Lee said, understanding her concerns.
Naruto decided to stop eavesdropping and finally walked away, feeling reassured. He did nothing for a few minutes, then got up when he saw Lee coming out of the back room. Clementine walked over and sat right next to him. He didn't blame her; it had been a tough few days. But then Clementine's walkie-talkie turned on.
"Hey there, this is Glenn. I'm kind of in a jam here with a little girl. Can you put your father on the phone or talk to you or whatever?" Glenn's distress was evident in his voice. "This is Lee, what's up?" Lee responded, concerned. "So, I'm down at that Motor Inn, and, well, I'm stuck," Glenn bluntly stated.
"Stuck?" Lee asked curiously. "Yeah, I saw a chance to get some supplies for the group. A group of the roaming ones got the jump on me. I'm hiding over here, but they won't leave," Glenn explained in fear and distress. Kenny walked up, concerned. "What's up?" he asked. "Glenn says he's trapped in the Motor Inn," Lee relayed.
"Hey, Glenn, we're going to talk it over with the group. We'll send a group to come and get you. All right?" Lee said with concern. "Yeah, I'll stay put for now," Glenn said in relief. "Sounds good," Lee responded. "I'm going to hold on to this until we get Glenn back, okay?" Lee reassured Clementine. "Okay, I'll take good care of it," Clementine said confidently.
"What do you think?" Kenny turned to Lee, seeking his opinion. "I think Doug isn't that great against walkers. And you've got your family here. I'll take Carly and her dead eye down to the Motor Inn and get Glenn as fast as we can," Lee explained his plan. "If that's what you want to do, man," Kenny said hesitantly. "Somebody's got to," Lee stated bluntly. "Yeah, I'm in," Carly agreed, determined.
"All right, we can go right now. I'm fine with that," Carly agreed, wanting to get this over with quickly. "Sounds good," Lee nodded. "Then get ready to go outside. I do suggest we use the door in the office, not the pharmacy door, for the one that leads to the back alley," Lee directed. Naruto watched them prepare to leave, hoping they'd return safely.
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"When I see that door stay shut, I mean it," the unknown woman continued sternly. "We don't know who these people are. They could be dangerous," she added, voicing her concern. Naruto and the group didn't like hearing that; in fact, they seemed to care less about it. "Let them rot out there," a male voice, Ruff, chimed in with worry.
"Where the hell is your humanity? They could have died out there," the short brunette interjected angrily, her frustration apparent. "Then we let them die," the man barely responded. "We have kids with us," Lee finally spoke up, attempting to diffuse the escalating argument. He was looking to bring some rationality to the situation. "I only see one little girl," he stated matter-of-factly.
At that moment, Clementine tugged at Lee's hand, clearly uncomfortable. "I... I have to pee," she said, voicing her discomfort. Lee dismissed her comment with a simple "In a minute, Clem," as he shifted his focus back to the ongoing conversation.
"They've got kids, Lily," a black-haired man stated. "The things out there don't care," Lily retorted, her tone filled with disdain and paranoia. "So maybe you should go join them. Then you have something in common," Kenny suggested his frustration building. Naruto noticed that his anger was escalating as the conversation continued.
As Naruto continued to listen to the heated argument, he noticed Clementine walking toward the bathroom. While he wouldn't usually think much of it, recent events had made him more cautious. He began to watch her closely, ensuring nothing bad would happen. However, it seemed like no one else was paying attention to this. "Lee, can you believe this lady?" Kenny expressed his disdain, seeking support from Lee.
"That lady is my daughter," the older man interjected. "I can see the resemblance," Naruto noted. "My son won't grow up, ******* lunatic," Kenny claimed, asserting his point. "Son?" the old man responded, confused. He then looked over and saw Duck, who was covered in quite a lot of dirt and grime. "Holy ship, one of them is bitten," the older man accused.
"He wasn't bitten," Lee defended Duck, coming to his son's aid. "Hell, he wasn't. We have to end this now," the older man insisted. "Absolutely not! It's just...," focus was starting to shift towards the conversation involving Doug. Naruto briefly took his gaze away from the little girl for a second.
The older man walked over towards Duck, and no one knew what he was going to do. But Kenny stepped in front of his son, clearly protective. "Under my dead body," Kenny's tone turned dangerous. "We'll dig one hole," the old man's voice matched his perilous intent. "No. I'm cleaning them up. There's no bite," Katjaa panicked.
"Don't you ******* people get it? We've already seen this happen. If we let someone who was bitten stay, we all end up bitten," the old man asserted confidently. "Shut up," Kenny ordered. "We have to throw him out. Or smash his head in," the old man suggested. Nordstrom doesn't even know what's going on anymore. Now they're going to kill a kid because they're worried whether he's been bitten or not. One of the stupidest things," Katjaa's fear and panic were evident.
She looked over at Lee, desperately seeking his guidance. "Lee, what should we do about this dude?" Kenny's tone showed his helplessness. "Yeah, it's just a boy," Lily protested, clearly seeing where the conversation was heading. She didn't like the direction it was taking at all.
"Lily, I'm handling it," the older man reassured, trying to ease the situation. "But your heart, Dad. You need to calm down," Lily expressed her concern. "We reasoned with him," Lee finally spoke up, attempting to find a middle ground. "Maybe with an axe handle," Kenny's frustration was evident in his voice.
"Nobody threatens my boy," Kenny asserted firmly. "Can we please all calm down?" Naruto's calm voice interjected. But it seemed like nobody was heeding his words. "Chill the funk out, everybody!" the short brunette yelled. "Nobody is doing anything," Lily's tone was firm. "Shut up, boy," the older man's tone was unwavering, mixed with frustration. He then turned towards the brunette. "And you, shut the **** up. They'll get in here and they'll find us, and all this won't ******* matter. But right now, we're going to be trapped in here with one of those things," the old man's explanation had an air of urgency.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kenny's confusion was evident. "He's betting that's how you turn," Naruto yelled in Kenny's face. "He's not bitten. Please stop this. It's upsetting him," Katjaa pleaded desperately. "Oh, I'm not saying that to him. That's way better than getting eaten alive," the old man's sarcasm was evident. "OK, Dad, it's a big deal," Lily attempted to bring a sense of perspective to the conversation, though she struggled to get her point across.
"It's a big deal? Well, you're not certainly acting like it is," the old man's disappointment was evident. "What if it was your daughter?" Lee questioned, seeking to evoke empathy. "It wouldn't happen. She's not just any snot-nosed kid. She's a US Air Force," he said with pride. "**** you. And here," Kenny's anger flared.
"I'm gonna kill him, Cat. Just worry about Duck," Kenny's tone shifted to a calm but serious one. "Lee, the door is locked," Clementine's voice was filled with both discomfort and curiosity. "The keys are behind the counter, probably," Lee said absentmindedly, not entirely focusing on his words. "Hey, I'm not the bad guy over here. I'm just looking out for my daughter," the old man spoke up, defending his stance.
"No, you're just arguing about killing a kid," Kenny argued, his patience wearing thin. "She'll find the bite mark," the old man's tone was almost content. "She won't, Kenny," Katjaa responded. "And if she does? The first thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then when he's done with that, he'll probably go and pounce on your little girl," the old man detailed the worst-case scenario, once again sounding confident.
"He's just a little boy. I bet we could handle him," Lee expressed his confidence. "A little boy? He'll become an uncontrollable man-eater," the old man countered, his conviction unshaken. "It's not gonna happen," Kenny argued. "It is, and we're tossing them out now!" The old man's declaration was forceful.
"Knock this guy out," Lee suggested, his patience with the situation wearing thin. He was ready to take action against the man causing the commotion. Just as Kenny was about to react, they were interrupted. "No. Nobody is touching anyone today!" Naruto's voice boomed, stunning everybody.
He turned towards the old man, his resolve evident. "And you? We're not throwing anyone out today. If you want to fight me, go ahead. But you better have a good plan to kill me, because it's going to be me or anyone else in this group," Naruto's assertiveness filled the air. Suddenly, a scream broke the tension.
All eyes turned towards the source of the scream, and they saw a Walker had grabbed Clementine. Reacting swiftly, the group rushed toward the Walker, but Naruto stumbled and fell to the ground. Quickly recovering, he got up and charged toward the Walker before it could bite Clementine. He managed to pull the Walker off her, engaging in a struggle.
This Walker seemed particularly strong, and Naruto began losing ground in the pushing match. The Walker's face was just inches from Clementine's when a gunshot rang out, and the Walker collapsed to the ground. The short brunette had taken action. "Are you OK?" she asked Clementine, her concern evident. "I'm just great. Thanks," Lee expressed his gratitude.
As everything grew silent, everyone started hiding and getting ready in case one of those things managed to break down the barricades they had created. "They're going to get in," the older man said with worry. "Shut up, Kenny," whispered angrily. Gunshots from outside caught their attention, and a mix of shock and relief filled the group. "Is that the military?" Lee asked, his curiosity piqued. He was hoping for the arrival of the military to save them.
"I don't know," the longer-haired woman replied, her uncertainty evident. "Thank God for whoever it is," the man with the white cap said, relieved. "We almost died because of this ***** and her trigger finger. That was stupid," he clutched his chest and yelled in pain. The long-haired woman rushed to his aid immediately. "What's wrong with him?" Lee asked with concern.
"It's his heart," she said, panicked. "Do you need nitroglycerin pills?" Katjaa inquired worriedly. "Yeah, we're out. We tried to get into a pharmacy since we got here. Please try to help us get in there, behind the counter where the pills are," Lily explained, desperation evident in her voice. "There's probably another entrance, probably in the office," Lee suggested, trying to offer a solution.
"How do you know there's a door in the office?" the short-haired woman asked suspiciously. "Educated guess," Lee lied. The short brunette and Naruto grew more suspicious at this point. "That doesn't matter right now. We need nitroglycerin pills. Please get in there. I'll keep an eye on my dad. Kenny, take on a more leadership role now. Everyone, think we should stay here, get comfy, look for anything useful. We're going to be in here for a while," Kenny ordered.
"I'm pretty sure this structure isn't a permanent solution," the man with the white cap observed. "You're right, this isn't exactly Fort Knox," Kenny retorted sarcastically. "What do you suggest?" Lee inquired, genuinely interested in hearing the plan. "We'll need a lot of gas to get out of downtown Macon. I'm fast," the man with the white cap suggested confidently.
"Agreed," Lee concurred, supporting his plan. "Then I'll head out, get gas. There's a motel not far from here towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way there and then loop back, siphoning what I can," the man detailed his plan. "Do you know your way around locally?" Lee asked curiously. "Born and raised," he answered.
"If you're going to do that, here's a walkie-talkie in case you get into a tough spot. Hopefully, you won't need it," Lee handed him a walkie-talkie. "Cool," he responded. "It's Clementine, has the other one. Check in with her and hurry back here as fast as you can," Lee instructed firmly.
"What are your guys' names?" Kenny asked the older man and the longer-haired girl. "I'm Lily, my dad's Larry," Lily introduced, her bitterness evident. "Keep an eye on him. These boys will work on getting you your pills," Kenny reassured. "That's right," Lee chimed in. "And you, keep an eye on that door. You're our lookout," Kenny assigned a role.
"It's Doug, and you got...," the older man introduced himself. "And I'm Carly," the short-haired girl introduced herself. "Okay, Carly, you'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. Right now, get some rest. You're a good shot, and I'd like to keep it that way," Kenny ordered Carly. "You got it, boss," Carly responded firmly.
"Now, everybody, get them those pills," Kenny ordered. Naruto didn't know what to think now. He had barely managed to hold his own against Walker. Was that thing stronger, or was he getting weaker? He couldn't remember the coyote's words, or if his emotions were getting in the way, or if he was just getting rusty. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He looked around and saw Lee giving him a proud smile. "Naruto, I want to thank you for your reaction earlier. If you didn't do that, I'm not sure Clementine would have lived," Lee said gratefully. Naruto smiled. "Don't mention it, man. You would have done the same thing for me if you had the chance," Naruto said confidently.
Lee and Clementine headed to the back room, so Naruto decided to let them go and turned his attention back to the group. He walked over to Lily and Larry next. "Hey, guys, how's it going?" Naruto greeted them with a friendly tone. "Oh, we could be better, but we're all right," Kenny said, relief evident in his voice.
"That's good. I guess I'll be going then," Naruto said somewhat awkwardly. "Before you walk off, wait," Kenny called out, stopping Naruto. Naruto turned, surprised. "Yeah, what is it?" Naruto asked, curious. "I wanted to thank you for saving my son. I know that was a tough situation to deal with, but me and my family are very grateful," Kenny said sincerely.
Naruto smiled. "Don't mention it. I couldn't have just stood by if I knew he might die," Naruto said honestly. He still felt guilty about Sean and how he couldn't save him. "If only I had been faster, I could have reached him. But I guess it's in the past, and we'll just have to move on," Naruto thought to himself as he walked away, fixing his resolve.
After talking with Kenny's family, Naruto approached Lily and Larry. He wanted to apologize for how he had acted earlier. "I just wanted to apologize for how I acted back there. It was cool, and I want to say I'm sorry," Naruto said apologetically. Lily looked somewhat surprised.
"I'm also sorry about my dad and how I reacted. Nobody was in the right mind at that time. We were all just sizing up people we didn't know if you were murderers, rapists, or whatever bad stuff you could think of," Lily explained. Naruto felt even worse after hearing her perspective. While he might not have understood the full extent of those words, he knew they were pretty bad, and he could see where she was coming from.
Naruto gave a weak smile. "As long as we can forget that moment and move on, I'll be able to forgive if you're able to," Naruto said, extending his hand toward her. Lily hesitated for a moment but then shook his hand. "Let's start over. My name is Naruto," he said, restarting the conversation. "My name is Lily," she introduced herself once again, and Naruto assumed the older man beside her was Larry, receiving a nod of confirmation from Lily.
"It's nice to meet you folks, but I think I must be doing something else," Naruto said cheerfully. "Can't wait to talk with you guys again. I hope he gets better too," Naruto added with a cheerful tone. As he walked away, he saw Carly walking toward where Lee and Clementine were. Naruto's curiosity was piqued, so he decided to discreetly follow her. He cracked the door slightly to listen in.
"I found anything," he heard Carly say with a suspicious tone. Lee immediately turned his head in his direction with a shocked expression. "Just a picture of whoever was here," Lee lied, trying not to reveal that this was his family's store. "I know who you are," Carly claimed, getting more serious. Naruto observed this with suspicion, but he also understood that Carly was trying to figure things out.
"You're Lee Everett, a professor at Athens. Who can't kill the states either. Who is sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store. The folks in town know now. The owner's son got himself a life sentence. I was a reporter looking at that trial for WABE in Atlanta. I paid attention to that trial. You may be a burger, but I don't really care," Carly explained, leaving Naruto shocked. Lee was a murderer? Naruto didn't know what to think, but he knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story.
"Frankly, that might be a skill that we all need right now," Naruto rationalized to himself. "Lee may be a murderer, but they'll probably need him to survive." Lee grunted in annoyance at Carly's words. "Did you tell anyone that you were tied to this place?" Carly asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "No, I didn't. Sticking to first names for a reason," Lee replied bitterly.
"You seem like an okay guy, and the last thing we need is drama out there. You've got this little girl and boy to take care of. And look, don't get me wrong on this," Carly said with concern. "I don't plan to," Lee reassured her. "Good, because if this lasts more than a couple of days and you're a detriment to the group, we're going to have a problem. I hear you," Lee said, understanding her concerns.
Naruto decided to stop eavesdropping and finally walked away, feeling reassured. He did nothing for a few minutes, then got up when he saw Lee coming out of the back room. Clementine walked over and sat right next to him. He didn't blame her; it had been a tough few days. But then Clementine's walkie-talkie turned on.
"Hey there, this is Glenn. I'm kind of in a jam here with a little girl. Can you put your father on the phone or talk to you or whatever?" Glenn's distress was evident in his voice. "This is Lee, what's up?" Lee responded, concerned. "So, I'm down at that Motor Inn, and, well, I'm stuck," Glenn bluntly stated.
"Stuck?" Lee asked curiously. "Yeah, I saw a chance to get some supplies for the group. A group of the roaming ones got the jump on me. I'm hiding over here, but they won't leave," Glenn explained in fear and distress. Kenny walked up, concerned. "What's up?" he asked. "Glenn says he's trapped in the Motor Inn," Lee relayed.
"Hey, Glenn, we're going to talk it over with the group. We'll send a group to come and get you. All right?" Lee said with concern. "Yeah, I'll stay put for now," Glenn said in relief. "Sounds good," Lee responded. "I'm going to hold on to this until we get Glenn back, okay?" Lee reassured Clementine. "Okay, I'll take good care of it," Clementine said confidently.
"What do you think?" Kenny turned to Lee, seeking his opinion. "I think Doug isn't that great against walkers. And you've got your family here. I'll take Carly and her dead eye down to the Motor Inn and get Glenn as fast as we can," Lee explained his plan. "If that's what you want to do, man," Kenny said hesitantly. "Somebody's got to," Lee stated bluntly. "Yeah, I'm in," Carly agreed, determined.
"All right, we can go right now. I'm fine with that," Carly agreed, wanting to get this over with quickly. "Sounds good," Lee nodded. "Then get ready to go outside. I do suggest we use the door in the office, not the pharmacy door, for the one that leads to the back alley," Lee directed. Naruto watched them prepare to leave, hoping they'd return safely.
2024.01.13 11:51 T_T_H_W Advice needed
It’s 2:45am, I’m at work ( been working weekend overnights for a decade now) and my wife is furious with me because I don’t know where the lap top is . Text after text , confusion and misunderstanding because it’s all being done over text and things are easily misinterpreted. The conversation quickly devolved into something ugly and once again , my memory is the problem . This is pretty routine at this point . I’ve been dismissive at times and responded with “ IDK” when she’s asked me something and other times I’ve said “ IDK” because I really don’t . My memory isn’t great or even good but I’m stuck in this place where it doesn’t really matter what I do or say if I’m not immediately able to resolve the problem and locate whatever it is she’s looking for … I’m going to be berated about how bad my memory is and how I never remember anything . Lately ive been trying really hard not to say IDK and offer a plausible location or solution , other times i have to make something up because i haven't the slightest clue what she is talking about it. This is one of many problems we have. my birthday was a few weeks ago… prior to that we moved into a new place. During the move , I had thrown away a bunch of random birthday candles that were in our kitchen junk drawer . Well, we didnt have candles for my bday which was a huge disappointment for my wife who wanted our 2yo to help blow out the candles. The dinner , the decorations … everything was ruined because we didnt have the candles . Before things even escalated i offered to go buy some more but there was no fixing it. Once again, tempers flared and the divorce word is tossed around which is pretty typical at this point . Idk, im just at a loss . My life has turned into this inescapable loop of arguments that go way too far over seemingly insignificant things . I feel trapped in my own home. When my wife comes into the room I’m immediately filled with anxiety because I can’t help but view her as nitroglycerin. If I eat too loudly … if I mouth breathe … if I spent 3 hours cleaning the kitchen but forgot to start the dishwasher … I’m fucked . I feel like I’ve been castrated … I feel like there is no room for error and zero tolerance for my existence in my own home . Even if I navigate the minefield the conversation usually is … I end up in these “ what about “ loops involving the past grievances and we get so bogged down on everything but what we were originally talking about that we both just end up exhausted and furious . I’ve suggested counseling … I’ve tried to bring up the anger and terrible things be said …. I guess we’ll see what happens next . I think this turned into a vent post more than anything but advice is welcome . I love my wife … but I’m scared of her … I hate the way she behaves in these situations . I hate that tomorrow she’ll apologize for everything she said tonight but we’ll be right back in this place because I didn’t fill up the gas tank or the lid on the baby wipes was open . Poor me right ? /s … I really don’t wanna have a pity party but I’m just so fucking exhausted from this and living under her thumb , waiting to be smashed .
submitted by T_T_H_W to Marriage [link] [comments]
2023.12.30 06:19 motopoeta Hemorrhoidectomy: get prepared, but do not fear it
Hi everyone:
I found Reddit extremely useful preparing for my Hemorrhoidectomy and I wanted to share my experience of the surgery now that I am two weeks out. I developed three prolapsing internal haemorrhoids while traveling in my twenties and I'm well into my thirties now. I used a water-based intimate lubricant to push them back in for several years (a trick that I discovered after cruising the subreddits of new mothers).
Prior to the hemorrhoidectomy, I had several ligature banding procedures and the excision of an external H. The removal of the external H was by far the most painful experience of my life. Made worse by the fact that the doctor claimed that I'd be able to go back to work with no problems on the following Monday (the operation was on a Thursday). By the following Monday I was in so much pain that I was put on OxyContin. I deeply despaired following that procedure because I did not know what I was getting myself into and it was way worse than what I had expected. I thought something was seriously wrong and I was freaked out. This put me off anything surgical. In hindsight, it was the elderly surgeons fault for not preparing me or taking my pain seriously. Some doctors are better than others.
On ligation banding: my very first procedure was effective, but the Hs came back within a year (graduate school). I kept getting banding procedures done hoping for the same result but they simply stopped working after that first one. Moreover, the ineffective bandings procedures became increasingly painful, and I developed some weird pelvic floor stuff where my pelvis would just radiate pain. "Maybe it's prostatitis" a doctor said and proscribed me weeks of antibiotics (gut flora napalm). After the anti-biotics were ineffective, I went to a urologist who diagnosed me with a weird nebulous condition called "chronic pelvic pain." I had a remarkable conversation with this doctor: "What causes it?" "We dont know." "How do you cure it?" "You can't really." "Okay so how many people get better after the interventions that we're about to make?" "Trust me, we'll have you feeling better." I now believe that this was just the grape size Hs hanging out in my pelvis and causing trouble. But the urologist wanted to put me on all sorts of medications, and I refused (rectal diazepam, really?).
Desperate to get some relief, but unwilling to get a hemorrhoidectomy, I signed up for a radio frequency ablation at a clinic in London (the Whitely Clinic). It was an expensive trip but the procedure went fine. The pain was significant and lasted several weeks. They're essentially trying to burn the Hs out of you, and it feels like a burn. Using the toilet was extremely painful. Pain was about a 8 out of 10 with the original excision of the external H more like a 9/10. Being trapped in an expensive but crappy central London hotel room with a burn wound deep in your rectum is a certain type of hell. Things healed slowly but my Hs never really went away, and the ablation procedure was an expensive, painful failure.
Last year I reached my limit with what I was willing to put up with. I ran a half marathon with my three Hs prolapsed. It was agony. I came home and sat in an ice bucket. I love running, but I feel like I've had to give it up because of my Hs. One cannot run with flaming golf balls in ones rectum and enjoy it (or maybe you can, but you have to be a very specific type of person with a very specific type of browser history). I decided it was time to take the plunge and get a hemorrhoidectomy. I researched the heck out of it. I brought a number of articles from medical journals to my meeting with the surgeon. He was pleased that I took such an active interest in my health (REALLY?) and he had actually read the articles which I had brought and had opinions on them (WHAT!). This allowed me to trust him. Fast forward six months and I finally get my surgery date. I flip back to my trusty Reddit Hemorrhoidectomy posts and prepare. Below you'll find what I did to prepare and to keep my pain in check. It's been two weeks since my surgery and I've experienced minimal pain (and this coming from someone who has had a lot of pain from these types of procedures) and I think that I am out of the woods.
Preparation (beginning 4 days before surgery):
The Surgery
The two most unpleasant parts of the surgery itself (assuming you receive general anesthesia as I did) involve administering enemas to yourself before the procedure and, subsequently, being forced to stay in the hospital until you've successfully urinated (because of risk of urinary retination). I shared a room with another hemorrhoidectomy comrade and we both struggled to urinate on command. The fact that we had an audience of two nurses and a number of family members made it worse. I surprised myself and managed to go after about 30m. This felt like a win because I struggle to urinate in urinals under regular circumstances and here I did it with a chorus of strangers who were all waiting expectantly.
Otherwise, I experienced virtually no pain on the day itself. As others have written, you're too frozen to actually feel anything. I walked out of there and taxied home no problem.
The First Few Days, or Days of Pain
In the days that followed the surgery, I maintained the diet and stool softener regime as described above. My doctor also proscribed a whole bunch of things. First, two 500mg acetaminophen every four hours. This was particularly important at night. I set an alarm to wake me up every four hours to take them. If I did not take them every four hours with discipline, I was in pain.
Second, a dose of Naproxen with breakfast and dinner (twelve hours apart). I'd never taken Naproxen before but it helped about as much as the acetaminophen.
Third, hydromorphone. As others have noted, opioids are a last resort for pain not just because they're addictive, but because they cause constipation, which is your worst enemy during this period. I had to take it twice. Both times because I slipped on the schedule for the other two painkillers. It seems like if you can stay ahead of the pain and the swelling, you're mostly alright. If you don't stay on top of it, you'll be in a world of pain.
My doctor also proscribed two creams: metronidazole cream and nitroglycerin cream. The nitro cream did not seem to do anything. In fact, I feel like it made the pain worse and made me light headed. The metronidazole, however, was key. There's a few medical papers on using it. I don't think they know why its effective for post operative pain in that area, but it is. Applied that twice a day.
Others have mentioned the horror of the first BM. Yes, it's bad. But I would argue no worse than if you've had radio frequency ablation or a particularly painful banding. In my case, I got quite light headed, yelled and moaned, and collapsed on the bathroom floor. It's a particularly disastrous feeling when you feel like your sphincter won't close or do anything but its in screaming pain. Poor sphincter.
I believe it was so painful because the hydromorphone upset my stomach and dried up my stool. If your stool is adequately softened, it's painful but it's nothing you probably can't handle (especially if you've had other interventions). You need to keep that stool almost liquid. You're going to need to walk that line for a few weeks.
Key to surviving those first few weeks for me was Depends. My wife bought me these when I mentioned I might need them. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have purchased them out of embarrassment and that would have a disaster and a mistake. Folks, you're going to fart blood. You're going to fart blood on the regular. And then when you're done farting blood, the wound is going to seep a bit. You do not want blood, sh*t and seepage in your bed. You've suffered enough. Wear the diapers. They don't even have to look like diapers anymore. I've had worse post operative incontinence with banding and radio frequency, but I think this comes down to how good your surgeon is. At no point since the surgery have I felt like I have not had control of my bowels. Thank god.
It's been a little over two weeks now. Ambient pain levels are minimal and are contained to the few hours during and after a BM. I'll use the loo and then jump into a warm bath and sit there until things subside. If I am sick of baths, I'll place a hot water bottle under my butt (currently doing this rn). I still can't really sit without a dull swelling pain that gets worse over time, but I am off all the painkillers and creams, and I can use the toilet without serious pain. Still taking the stool softeners. Don't have to wear diapers anymore. I think it's all good from here on out.
Overall, compared to other surgeries and experiences that I've had, this was entirely fine and not the nuclear doomsday scenario that I was expecting. On the contrary, I should have done this years ago. It would have saved me pain in the longterm. That said, like many serious things in life, you must go into it prepared. If you stumble into it, you're in for a surprise!
I don't think I'll be able to sit in a chair for another few weeks. But hey, at least I can walk around, lie down and write long rambling posts to my anally-challenged Reddit homies. I'll probably go out for a drink on new years eve in order to celebrate my new butt. I wish all of you reading this a happy healthy butt after your hemorrhoidectomy. Get prepared, but do not fear it!
Any questions, just ask.
See also Things I'd Wish I'd Known, A Pain in the Ass, Tell Me About A Liquid Diet (for recommendations on meal replacements - I do not recommend a liquid diet).
submitted by motopoeta to hemorrhoid [link] [comments]
I found Reddit extremely useful preparing for my Hemorrhoidectomy and I wanted to share my experience of the surgery now that I am two weeks out. I developed three prolapsing internal haemorrhoids while traveling in my twenties and I'm well into my thirties now. I used a water-based intimate lubricant to push them back in for several years (a trick that I discovered after cruising the subreddits of new mothers).
Prior to the hemorrhoidectomy, I had several ligature banding procedures and the excision of an external H. The removal of the external H was by far the most painful experience of my life. Made worse by the fact that the doctor claimed that I'd be able to go back to work with no problems on the following Monday (the operation was on a Thursday). By the following Monday I was in so much pain that I was put on OxyContin. I deeply despaired following that procedure because I did not know what I was getting myself into and it was way worse than what I had expected. I thought something was seriously wrong and I was freaked out. This put me off anything surgical. In hindsight, it was the elderly surgeons fault for not preparing me or taking my pain seriously. Some doctors are better than others.
On ligation banding: my very first procedure was effective, but the Hs came back within a year (graduate school). I kept getting banding procedures done hoping for the same result but they simply stopped working after that first one. Moreover, the ineffective bandings procedures became increasingly painful, and I developed some weird pelvic floor stuff where my pelvis would just radiate pain. "Maybe it's prostatitis" a doctor said and proscribed me weeks of antibiotics (gut flora napalm). After the anti-biotics were ineffective, I went to a urologist who diagnosed me with a weird nebulous condition called "chronic pelvic pain." I had a remarkable conversation with this doctor: "What causes it?" "We dont know." "How do you cure it?" "You can't really." "Okay so how many people get better after the interventions that we're about to make?" "Trust me, we'll have you feeling better." I now believe that this was just the grape size Hs hanging out in my pelvis and causing trouble. But the urologist wanted to put me on all sorts of medications, and I refused (rectal diazepam, really?).
Desperate to get some relief, but unwilling to get a hemorrhoidectomy, I signed up for a radio frequency ablation at a clinic in London (the Whitely Clinic). It was an expensive trip but the procedure went fine. The pain was significant and lasted several weeks. They're essentially trying to burn the Hs out of you, and it feels like a burn. Using the toilet was extremely painful. Pain was about a 8 out of 10 with the original excision of the external H more like a 9/10. Being trapped in an expensive but crappy central London hotel room with a burn wound deep in your rectum is a certain type of hell. Things healed slowly but my Hs never really went away, and the ablation procedure was an expensive, painful failure.
Last year I reached my limit with what I was willing to put up with. I ran a half marathon with my three Hs prolapsed. It was agony. I came home and sat in an ice bucket. I love running, but I feel like I've had to give it up because of my Hs. One cannot run with flaming golf balls in ones rectum and enjoy it (or maybe you can, but you have to be a very specific type of person with a very specific type of browser history). I decided it was time to take the plunge and get a hemorrhoidectomy. I researched the heck out of it. I brought a number of articles from medical journals to my meeting with the surgeon. He was pleased that I took such an active interest in my health (REALLY?) and he had actually read the articles which I had brought and had opinions on them (WHAT!). This allowed me to trust him. Fast forward six months and I finally get my surgery date. I flip back to my trusty Reddit Hemorrhoidectomy posts and prepare. Below you'll find what I did to prepare and to keep my pain in check. It's been two weeks since my surgery and I've experienced minimal pain (and this coming from someone who has had a lot of pain from these types of procedures) and I think that I am out of the woods.
Preparation (beginning 4 days before surgery):
- Cut coffee
- Cut alcohol
- Cut wheat
- Cut dairy
- Blended soups, eggs, oatmeal, smoothies all OK
- Take 2 Colace pills in the morning
- 1 dosage of Miralax (called Restoralax here) mixed with a Nuun electrolyte tablet with dinner
- Drink at least 3L of water per day - helped to buy a giant 40oz HydroFlask water bottle with a straw because, as others have mentioned, drinking out of a cup while being unwilling to sit up makes drinking the appropriate amount of water difficult.
- Stock up on cold compresses
- Stock up on Depends diapers
- Stock up on flushable baby wipes
- Stock up on GasX
- Stock up on grapes (wet fiber is good)
- Stock up on Soylent or your meal replacement of choice. If you can find a meal replacement that you like that has a little less protein than Soylent, that's good. The oily protein waste that comes out of you after drinking a lot of protein shakes is a little difficult to deal with. Soylent a bit too heavy.
- Install a simple bidet from Amazon (if you can get one with warm water that's amazing but I survived without).
The Surgery
The two most unpleasant parts of the surgery itself (assuming you receive general anesthesia as I did) involve administering enemas to yourself before the procedure and, subsequently, being forced to stay in the hospital until you've successfully urinated (because of risk of urinary retination). I shared a room with another hemorrhoidectomy comrade and we both struggled to urinate on command. The fact that we had an audience of two nurses and a number of family members made it worse. I surprised myself and managed to go after about 30m. This felt like a win because I struggle to urinate in urinals under regular circumstances and here I did it with a chorus of strangers who were all waiting expectantly.
Otherwise, I experienced virtually no pain on the day itself. As others have written, you're too frozen to actually feel anything. I walked out of there and taxied home no problem.
The First Few Days, or Days of Pain
In the days that followed the surgery, I maintained the diet and stool softener regime as described above. My doctor also proscribed a whole bunch of things. First, two 500mg acetaminophen every four hours. This was particularly important at night. I set an alarm to wake me up every four hours to take them. If I did not take them every four hours with discipline, I was in pain.
Second, a dose of Naproxen with breakfast and dinner (twelve hours apart). I'd never taken Naproxen before but it helped about as much as the acetaminophen.
Third, hydromorphone. As others have noted, opioids are a last resort for pain not just because they're addictive, but because they cause constipation, which is your worst enemy during this period. I had to take it twice. Both times because I slipped on the schedule for the other two painkillers. It seems like if you can stay ahead of the pain and the swelling, you're mostly alright. If you don't stay on top of it, you'll be in a world of pain.
My doctor also proscribed two creams: metronidazole cream and nitroglycerin cream. The nitro cream did not seem to do anything. In fact, I feel like it made the pain worse and made me light headed. The metronidazole, however, was key. There's a few medical papers on using it. I don't think they know why its effective for post operative pain in that area, but it is. Applied that twice a day.
Others have mentioned the horror of the first BM. Yes, it's bad. But I would argue no worse than if you've had radio frequency ablation or a particularly painful banding. In my case, I got quite light headed, yelled and moaned, and collapsed on the bathroom floor. It's a particularly disastrous feeling when you feel like your sphincter won't close or do anything but its in screaming pain. Poor sphincter.
I believe it was so painful because the hydromorphone upset my stomach and dried up my stool. If your stool is adequately softened, it's painful but it's nothing you probably can't handle (especially if you've had other interventions). You need to keep that stool almost liquid. You're going to need to walk that line for a few weeks.
Key to surviving those first few weeks for me was Depends. My wife bought me these when I mentioned I might need them. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have purchased them out of embarrassment and that would have a disaster and a mistake. Folks, you're going to fart blood. You're going to fart blood on the regular. And then when you're done farting blood, the wound is going to seep a bit. You do not want blood, sh*t and seepage in your bed. You've suffered enough. Wear the diapers. They don't even have to look like diapers anymore. I've had worse post operative incontinence with banding and radio frequency, but I think this comes down to how good your surgeon is. At no point since the surgery have I felt like I have not had control of my bowels. Thank god.
It's been a little over two weeks now. Ambient pain levels are minimal and are contained to the few hours during and after a BM. I'll use the loo and then jump into a warm bath and sit there until things subside. If I am sick of baths, I'll place a hot water bottle under my butt (currently doing this rn). I still can't really sit without a dull swelling pain that gets worse over time, but I am off all the painkillers and creams, and I can use the toilet without serious pain. Still taking the stool softeners. Don't have to wear diapers anymore. I think it's all good from here on out.
Overall, compared to other surgeries and experiences that I've had, this was entirely fine and not the nuclear doomsday scenario that I was expecting. On the contrary, I should have done this years ago. It would have saved me pain in the longterm. That said, like many serious things in life, you must go into it prepared. If you stumble into it, you're in for a surprise!
I don't think I'll be able to sit in a chair for another few weeks. But hey, at least I can walk around, lie down and write long rambling posts to my anally-challenged Reddit homies. I'll probably go out for a drink on new years eve in order to celebrate my new butt. I wish all of you reading this a happy healthy butt after your hemorrhoidectomy. Get prepared, but do not fear it!
Any questions, just ask.
2023.12.27 05:21 VaughnDaVision Moisture Combustion
Quirk Name: Moisture Combustion
Quirk Type: Emitter
Quirk Description: Moisture Combustion is an emitter-type quirk that grants the user the ability to manipulate and explosively convert moisture into nitroglycerin within a large range. This powerful ability turns the seemingly harmless water particles in the air into a potentially devastating explosive force.
Quirk Abilities:
Moisture Conversion: The user can convert water molecules in the surrounding environment into nitroglycerin, a highly explosive compound.
Explosive Manipulation: The user has control over the timing and intensity of the explosions, allowing for strategic use in combat or other situations.
Range Effect: The quirk's effect extends over a significant area, making it capable of affecting a large number of targets or covering a wide battlefield.
Water Source Independence: The user can draw moisture from various sources, including the air, nearby bodies of water, or even the moisture content in living organisms.
Explosive Immunity: Along with the other abilities with this quirk the user also inhibits and immunity to in all explosives with these abilities.
Quirk Weaknesses:
Nitroglycerin Stability: Nitroglycerin is highly unstable; any interference or unexpected external factors can lead to premature detonation.
Limited in Dry Environments: In extremely dry conditions, where there's a lack of moisture, the quirk's effectiveness is severely diminished.
Emotional Control: Emotional states might affect the precision and control over the explosions, making it crucial for the user to maintain focus.
submitted by VaughnDaVision to QuirkIdeas [link] [comments]
Quirk Type: Emitter
Quirk Description: Moisture Combustion is an emitter-type quirk that grants the user the ability to manipulate and explosively convert moisture into nitroglycerin within a large range. This powerful ability turns the seemingly harmless water particles in the air into a potentially devastating explosive force.
Quirk Abilities:
Moisture Conversion: The user can convert water molecules in the surrounding environment into nitroglycerin, a highly explosive compound.
Explosive Manipulation: The user has control over the timing and intensity of the explosions, allowing for strategic use in combat or other situations.
Range Effect: The quirk's effect extends over a significant area, making it capable of affecting a large number of targets or covering a wide battlefield.
Water Source Independence: The user can draw moisture from various sources, including the air, nearby bodies of water, or even the moisture content in living organisms.
Explosive Immunity: Along with the other abilities with this quirk the user also inhibits and immunity to in all explosives with these abilities.
Quirk Weaknesses:
Nitroglycerin Stability: Nitroglycerin is highly unstable; any interference or unexpected external factors can lead to premature detonation.
Limited in Dry Environments: In extremely dry conditions, where there's a lack of moisture, the quirk's effectiveness is severely diminished.
Emotional Control: Emotional states might affect the precision and control over the explosions, making it crucial for the user to maintain focus.
2023.11.20 18:15 Met202114 ✈️👩✈️🗣️"Is There a Doctor on Board?" 🙈😨👨⚕️- Tackling the In-Flight Respiratory Crisis
 | submitted by Met202114 to MedicalGeek [link] [comments] A flight attendant is looking for a doctor help for assisting a patient with a respiratory event. Hey MedicalGeeks! Have you ever wondered what you'd do if you heard those fateful words, "Is there a doctor on board?" while cruising at 38,000 feet? As medical students and fresh-faced residents, it's a scenario that might have crossed your mind. Well, here's a quick guide to ensure you're prepared for this high-altitude challenge. Well, let's go! 🚩🚩 SHORTNESS OF BREATH / INCREASED WORK OF BREATHING 🚩🚩
Diversion: this is an expensive and annoying-for-others decision (which is made by the captain, not you). You understand that this scenario is involved in case of serious stuff (generally cardiac event or anaphylaxis as in the example before)
🧠 Conclusion: Facing a medical emergency mid-flight might sound daunting, but with some preparation, you’re ready to face it head-on. Remember, it’s all about staying calm, thinking on your feet, and applying those skills you’ve been honing. You've got this! --- 💬 Join the Conversation: Let’s hear your thoughts, fears, and any in-flight medical stories you've got! How would you handle the pressure at 38,000 feet? Share below! --- ⚠️⚠️IMPORTANT NOTES 📝⚠️⚠️: This short article was a not-entirely-complete resume of a entire Chapter of "In-flight Medical Emergencies" by Nable and Brady (Springer). You should be advised that you should double-check every piece of information before using it as no liability can be accounted on this community. Despite trying to be 100% correct when writing articles, mistakes can occur! Report if you find one (with some bibliographic justification whenever it's possible). Thank you! :D --- #FutureFlightSavers #MedicalGeekSquad #InFlightHeroes |
2023.11.06 00:56 peregrine3224 Afraid that I have pulmonary hypertension
TL;DR: My LC symptoms are thought to be due to coronary microvascular dysfunction caused by covid-induced endothelial dysfunction. But I'm afraid that it actually caused pulmonary hypertension instead, and it's freaking me out. Does anyone have any experience with either, or information on how to tell the two apart? The full details are below. TIA!
Full version: Hey everyone. I've managed to work myself up into a bit of a state, and could use some help talking myself out of the doom spiral I've created. You see, I'm absolutely terrified of my symptoms being caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH). I have almost every symptom listed for it, and I take sildenafil, which helps immensely with my chest pain, and is also a PH medication.
But my symptoms also fit with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), even better than they do for PH honestly. And sildenafil is a known effective anti-anginal, but isn't usually used because of its short half-life and contraindication with nitroglycerin. I had been taking Imdur for a while, which also helped a lot, but it kept failing and I eventually maxed out the dose, so we went back to sildenafil.
The overlap between the two conditions makes it damn near impossible for me to figure out which one I have. And they're both related to endothelial dysfunction, which we're pretty sure is the root of my LC symptoms. The difference is that PH is fatal, whereas CMD isn't.
I've had almost every heart test possible, including an MRI stress test, which didn't find anything. I also just went through a full set of lung function tests, also all normal. My pulmonologist thinks I probably developed exercise-induced asthma from my covid infection last year. It responds well to inhalers and is stable at this point. My lungs have also healed quite a bit over the last year and are almost back to their pre-covid state. But my angina is still as bad as ever, and my heart palpitations are getting worse again. If it was PH, my lungs should be getting worse, so it's probably not that, right?
A big part of what scares me too is that endothelial dysfunction is believed to be involved in the development of PH. So even if I don't have it now, who's to say I won't get it if we don't figure out what's pissing off my endothelium? This is the kind of shit that makes me so angry when I'm told to just wait it out. What kind of irreversible, potentially fatal damage is being done while we wait?
I have a video appointment with my PCP tomorrow for another LC issue I'm having, so I'll ask him about all of this as well. But I just feel like no one understands how fucking serious this is and how ridiculous it is that no one is willing to just do the test I need to get answers once and for all. I'm so sick of having to worry about this shit all the time. So if anyone has any advice, info, or experiences to share, it would be much appreciated!
submitted by peregrine3224 to covidlonghaulers [link] [comments]
Full version: Hey everyone. I've managed to work myself up into a bit of a state, and could use some help talking myself out of the doom spiral I've created. You see, I'm absolutely terrified of my symptoms being caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH). I have almost every symptom listed for it, and I take sildenafil, which helps immensely with my chest pain, and is also a PH medication.
But my symptoms also fit with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), even better than they do for PH honestly. And sildenafil is a known effective anti-anginal, but isn't usually used because of its short half-life and contraindication with nitroglycerin. I had been taking Imdur for a while, which also helped a lot, but it kept failing and I eventually maxed out the dose, so we went back to sildenafil.
The overlap between the two conditions makes it damn near impossible for me to figure out which one I have. And they're both related to endothelial dysfunction, which we're pretty sure is the root of my LC symptoms. The difference is that PH is fatal, whereas CMD isn't.
I've had almost every heart test possible, including an MRI stress test, which didn't find anything. I also just went through a full set of lung function tests, also all normal. My pulmonologist thinks I probably developed exercise-induced asthma from my covid infection last year. It responds well to inhalers and is stable at this point. My lungs have also healed quite a bit over the last year and are almost back to their pre-covid state. But my angina is still as bad as ever, and my heart palpitations are getting worse again. If it was PH, my lungs should be getting worse, so it's probably not that, right?
A big part of what scares me too is that endothelial dysfunction is believed to be involved in the development of PH. So even if I don't have it now, who's to say I won't get it if we don't figure out what's pissing off my endothelium? This is the kind of shit that makes me so angry when I'm told to just wait it out. What kind of irreversible, potentially fatal damage is being done while we wait?
I have a video appointment with my PCP tomorrow for another LC issue I'm having, so I'll ask him about all of this as well. But I just feel like no one understands how fucking serious this is and how ridiculous it is that no one is willing to just do the test I need to get answers once and for all. I'm so sick of having to worry about this shit all the time. So if anyone has any advice, info, or experiences to share, it would be much appreciated!
2023.10.31 02:23 Quirky-Motor In honor of the International Day of Older Persons and in order to combat ageism in the true crime community, I wanted to share an EXPANDED collection of the stories of older people who have gone missing or whose stories are otherwise unresolved
International Day of Older Persons is held annually on October 1st, so this October, I wanted to share an EXPANDED collection of stories about missing people who are older adults. I have posted a similar thread the last few years. I wanted to share these stories for another reason, namely ageism in the true crime community, which is something I have rarely seen explicitly addressed. It is something that I have seen in this very community when someone highlights the cases of elderly individuals. It was actually some of this feedback which made me realize the need for a piece like this one. I once had a post reported by a reader because my write up on a missing 86 year old man with dementia was “not a mystery” even though his body was not (and still has not) been recovered. One commenter called the write up “low effort” and another said that there is “no mystery” when an old person goes missing, and a third said that his case was “not good content.” Last year when this was posted, 12 rude or dismissive comments were removed by the moderators. I think it is imperative that we remember as we read about real people’s stories that missing people are NOT content. They are real people who are missing and whether or not the circumstances surrounding their disappearances and final days are mysterious or mundane, their cases deserve exposure and everyone deserves to be laid to rest.
It goes without saying that I know most readers are nothing but compassionate and respectful to the people in these stories. Without further ado, here is a collection of stories featuring older individuals. If you know of other cases matching this criteria (let’s say those 60+) please share in the comment section below.
Missing
Leo Widicker, 86, of Harvey, North Dakota went missing on November 8th, 2001 from Tabacon Hot Springs, Costa Rica. Leo and his wife of 55 years, Virginia, were part of a pay-your-own way service group called Maranatha Volunteers International, a Christian group that builds homes, churches, and schools. In between two different jobs the group stopped at Tabacon Hot Springs resort for lunch. Leo was last seen sitting on a bench while his wife waded nearby, but within 20 minutes he was gone. Someone drove 10 miles down the road looking for him within minutes of his disappearance but no trace of Leo was ever found, which was especially weird as food and souvenir shops line parts of the road.
Theories in the case abound. Some think Leo got lost and perished in the volcanic landscape, some think he was hit by a car and flew down the hill into the jungle, while others think he was picked up by someone in a vehicle who did him harm or gave him a ride to another area where he perished from either foul play or misadventure. Leo Widicker is described as a white male, 86 years old in 2001, who was 5’6” and 145 lbs. Leo has blue eyes and is mostly bald. His remaining hair is reportedly blondish- gray. He wears hearing aids and glasses and also has a pacemaker. When last seen he was wearing a white baseball cap, jeans, black shoes, a red and blue plaid shirt, a blue jacket and a name tag. If you have any information on the disappearance of Leo please contact United States Embassy San Jose, Costa Rica Office at 011-506-220-3939. His wife, Virginia, passaed away in 2023. She continued to volunteer for Maranatha until 2015.
My full write up on the case is here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/pct206/he_was_last_seen_walking_down_the_road_within_ten/ https://charleyproject.org/case/leo-widicker
Donald Richard Delaney, age 60 was last seen in King County Washington in November, 2003. His brother reported him missing after not hearing from his brother for months. Delaney may have gone to Mason county, near the Olympic National forest as he liked to frequent the area, specifically Shelton or Hoodsport. Delaney is legally blind, and suffers from type 2 diabetes. Even though he is legally blind he can reportedly see well enough to live independently but not drive. Because of his diabetes he always travels with a small red and white cooler with a lid, food, protein powder, herbal supplements, vitamins and his medication usually inside. He also carries a black leather backpack with books inside, and a small blue duffle bag sometimes with dry food or extra medication. Delaney is described as a white male, with brown eyes, and graying brown hair. His left eye is partially sewn shut and he usually wears a mustache. He is 5’10” and 220 lbs. Mason County police are investigating Delaney's disappearance, they can be contacted at 360-427-9670 ext. 313 Sources https://charleyproject.org/case/donald-richard-delaney
Rose E. Eaton, age 73, was last seen on July 25th 1994 in Chimacum, an unincorporated area in Jefferson Co. Washington state. Rose was in her son’s car waiting for him to drive her to the dentist when her son noticed that several goats had gotten loose. He told his mom to wait in the car but when he got back 10 minutes later, his mother was gone. Her purse was also missing but the family’s German Shepherd was still in the vehicle. The man looked for his mother for a few minutes but couldn’t find her and he found that the door to their home was still locked. He promptly called the police. Tracking dogs traced Rose’s scent down the dirt road for about ⅓ of a mile to the junction of the main paved road (Beaver Valley Road) when the trail abruptly stopped, leading investigators to think Rose may have entered a motor vehicle at that location. No other trace of her has ever been found. Rose is described as a white female with gray hair and blue eyes. She is 5’9” and 160 lbs. At the time she lived with her son and had been diagnosed with dementia several years earlier but was reportedly physically in good health. She was last seen wearing a long sky blue coat with buttons down the front, a long light blue dress, a tan purse with little to no money inside, and blue rubber soled orthopedic shoes size 8.5. Rose has previously fractured her upper left arm. She has a small scar on the back of her neck and a scar on her abdomen. She is a non-smoker and non-drinker. She does not drive. Foul play is not suspected in this case but it has not been totally ruled out by law enforcement due to the scent trail found by search dogs. If you have any information please contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 360-385-3831. https://charleyproject.org/case/rose-e-eaton
Rose's son, Rick, wonders if Rose's disappearance could be related to his sister Janet's 2005 murder, which while solved, the motive is rather murky and senseless. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/10/14/new-charges-against-janet-eatons-killer-revives-memories-she-always-part-bremerton/10490785002/
Jerry Alan Graves was last seen on Dec. 25th 2018 and was reported missing several days later. The 69 year old was reportedly last seen walking down highway 12 away from the ranch he lived at in Clarkston, Washington. He was upset at the idea of moving into a nursing home and threatened to leave the area. It is unknown if this conversation had happened on that day or previously and who he was talking to about this potential move remains unknown. Jerry left behind all of his belongings, money, cell phone, and clothing. He is known to hitchhike between the towns of Clarkston and Pomeroy which are about 30 miles apart. The area Jerry was last seen in is a very rural area with few people near the border with Idaho. Jerry is described as a white male, 5' 7"-5’8” and 125-130 lbs. with brown gray hair, brown eyes, and a gray beard. He was wearing a dark colored coat and blue jeans when he was last seen. He had a broken leg at the time of his disappearance. He may have had a stroke before he disappeared and was showing possible signs of dementia. If you have any information please contact the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office at 509-758-2331. https://charleyproject.org/case/jerry-alan-graves
Walter Dunson, a WWI vet was almost a centenarian when he was reported missing in 1998. However, within a week police began to speculate that Walter Dunson had actually died or disappeared fifteen years earlier. Walter is described as a thin black male, 97 years old at the time of last contact. He was about 5’8” and weighed 150 lbs. He was wearing a light brown shirt, dark brown pants, black leather shoes and a dark blue navy pea coat. He was also carrying a black leather wallet with about 15 dollars in it. He may also have a lottery card in his possession. He wears dentures and reading glasses. In his composite he has some facial hair but in real photos he is clean shaven. Some agencies give Dunson's date of birth as July 2, 1899 or July 7, 1900. If alive he would be 122 years old today. If you have any information on the disappearance of Walter Dunson please call Cincinnati Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040. My full write up can be found here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/pmedho/what_happened_to_wwi_veteran_walter_dunson_did_he/ https://charleyproject.org/case/walter-dunson
When researching the above case, I came upon a John Doe from Cincinnati who could be a match to Walter Dunson. According to the Ohio State ME’s office, “on 07/08/1986, the remains of a 50-99 year old black male were discovered in an abandoned apartment building on Republic Street in Cincinnati, OH. This individual measured 68" in height and was wearing a tan long sleeved pullover shirt, a v-neck tan sweater, brown trousers, a brown belt, a tan sweater, white socks with green stripes, brown leather shoes, and a blue baseball cap.” According to Namus the building entrance was barricaded from the inside as if someone was living in the building and the man had been dead for several weeks. The man’s height, age range, and even clothing seems to match with Walter Dunson. Is it possible that Walter, who had been homeless in the past, was again living on the streets or had wandered from son’s home only to pass away while staying in this abandoned building? I have submitted Walter Dunson as a match to this man via both the Hamilton County Coroner's office and Namus. Even if this individual is not Dunson, he still deserves to have his name back. https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/InvestigatoUnidentified-Remains/Doe-1982
In June of 2018, Sharran Lee Haije, age 78, was last spotted walking down Wright-Bliss Rd off of 105th street just north of the Vaughn Civic Center in Gig Harbor, Washington. She was wearing a blue nightgown and green rubber gardening clogs. She has been diagnosed with dementia and has limited speech abilities. She may be confused and not know where she lives or how to get home. In the past she has wandered into strangers’ houses. Haije has gray hair dyed a dark red color and blue eyes. She is white and 5’6” tall and weighs between 150-165 lbs. Her last name is pronounced hay-gee and in most publications her name is spelled “Sharron.” According to Pierce County Sheriff's office, the search for Haije was started very soon after she went missing and was exhaustive. Police do not believe Haije is in the area and have reason to believe she entered a car near where she was last seen. Please call 253-798-7530 if you have any information on this case. https://charleyproject.org/case/sharran-lee-haije
Dong Chull Jung disappeared within minutes in Lakewood, Washington. The 78 year old was residing at the Golden Lion Motel on Tacoma Way in Lakewood, Washington. The establishment has long been a hotbed of criminal activity and violence since at least the 1990s. On average the police responded to incidents at the 24-room hotel over 100 times per year. November 22nd 2003 was one of those times. On that day witnesses called the police after hearing a “disturbance” in Dong’s room. When the authorities arrived, they found a giant pool of blood on the floor as well as Dong’s prescription eyeglasses, but Dong was nowhere to be found. According to the News Tribune, a paper out of Tacoma, one week before Dong’s disappearance he was granted a temporary domestic violence protection order from a Paul C. Jung, who might be Dong’s adult son. In June of 2003, someone named Hae Sung Jung, got a restraining order against Dong. Hae might be the estranged wife of Dong, but this isn’t known for sure. There are vague reports that Dong was having “marital issues'' at the time of his disappearance. Very little information is available in the case. The Golden Lion Inn was finally torn down in 2017 but the fate of the elderly man who resided within remains a mystery. Dong is described as an Asian male, with brown eyes and thinning gray hair. He is 5’6'' and weighs 135 lbs. Dong wears prescription eyeglasses but they were left behind when he vanished. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dong Jung please call Pierce County Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959. https://charleyproject.org/case/dong-chull-jung
Richard Emanuel Lawrence, age 63 left his home in Portland in February of 1986 to attend a religious conference in Tacoma, Washington with his wife. On the 28th of February Richard left his hotel room to get gas for his car at about 5 pm and disappeared. Two months later, Richard’s vehicle was found abandoned on a seldom used logging road in Vadar, Washington 80 miles south of Tacoma. A newspaper from Feb. 28th and a note saying ``Will pick up car tonight or tomorrow" were found either inside the car or near it. It is believed that Lawrence got lost while attempting to get home to Portland when he parked his car and left the vehicle. Two locals reported seeing a man matching Lawrence’s description walking down the logging road, the day after Lawrence was last seen. Both witnesses reported that Lawrence seemed to be walking somewhere and didn’t seem to be in distress. Local law enforcement thinks it is possible that he was picked up by someone on the road. Lawrence had gotten confused while driving twice in the recent past, once two weeks before his disappearance in Portland and once the day before in Tacoma. He was reportedly upset knowing he might have been in the beginning stages of dementia or another health issue.
Lawrence is described as a black male, with thinning brown hair and brown eyes. He weighed 125 lbs. and stood at only 5’ tall. He was last seen wearing a black rim glasses, with a prescription lens in the right lens; the left lens was plain glass as well as a black fur type knee length coat, black Russian style hat, white shirt with tie and black dress shoes size, 5. He had suffered a heart attack a year before his disappearance, and wore a pacemaker. He was reportedly depressed about his physical condition. If you have any information call the Tacoma Police Department at 253-591-5993. https://charleyproject.org/case/richard-emanuel-lawrence
Cecil Socrates Mann, 76 disappeared from Port Orchard, Washington in 2012. Mann was last seen at 10 am on September 15th leaving his home in his 2007 Ford Focus. Later searches indicated that fishing gear disappeared with Mann and it is speculated he left his home to go fishing. Mann was then seen 3 hours later north of his home buying gas and the clerk reported that he seemed confused or disoriented. Two days later on September 17th, Mann called his daughter on two separate occasions but the reception was so poor no one knew what he was saying. Soon after the phone was turned off and the “pings” came from the Quilcene, Washington area. Later that same day, Mann’s car was found abandoned in the next county over near a Tunnel Creek Trail about 50 miles from his home and ten miles from the town of Quilcene. The car was badly damaged presumably from the rough terrain. Tragically, no trace of Cecil Mann was ever found. Mann did not have any mental health concerns at the time of his disappearance and had never shown signs of dementia, however, he was new to the Port Orchard area and wasn’t yet familiar with the area. At the time of his disappearance he was recovering from a bout with prostate cancer.
Mann is described as a white male who is balding with some gray hair. He has blue eyes and wears bifocals with wire frames. He weighed only 135 lbs. and stood at 5’8”. He was last seen wearing a tan or green windbreaker jacket, blue jeans, gray sneakers and a watch. If you have any information please call the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office at 360-337-4642. https://charleyproject.org/case/cecil-socrates-mann
Christine Shields Wagner, 67 years old went missing from Olympia Washington in 2016. She was last spotted leaving her home in early October of that year. Her cell phone has been turned off since she disappeared. About two weeks later her car was found abandoned at the Harmony Farm conservation easement on Johnson Point Road in Olympia. Her car was parked normally. Harmony Farm easement borders on a large wetland reserve. Christine is described as a white female with brown eyes and brown hair. She wears glasses and she is 5 ft. 3 in tall and weighs 130 to 180 lbs. In the past she has made attempts to harm herself. There is very little information available about this disappearance. Thurston County Sheriff's Office 360-786-5500 is investigating. https://charleyproject.org/case/christine-shields-wagner
Estelle Lois Abbott of Inchelium, Washington went missing in 2017. Estelle was 83 years old and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She left home with her dog, a gray or tan Pitbull named Jay, to check the mail and never returned. It is unknown if Jay was ever found. Searches on foot, horseback, and ATV started right away but no sign was ever found of Estelle Abbott. Estelle is described as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes. She's about 5’ 7” in height, 150 lbs. and she was last seen wearing a red sweater and blue jeans. In the past Estelle has lived in Spokane, Washington and Sonoma, California and her loved ones are worried she may have tried to travel there. Estelle lived on the Colville Indian Reservation and tribal police are investigating. They can be reached at 509-634-2472. Source: https://echoespath.com/estelle-abbott/
Bernard Schieber, 86, of Yakima, Washington has not been seen since Aug. 8, 2019, when he left his home in the 2500 block of South 84th Avenue in Yakima. His black, full-size Chevrolet pickup was found a few weeks later in a closed portion of the Yakama Nation reservation. It appears to have been parked normally and not crashed or damaged. When he left his home in the city of Yakima, Bernard had only ¼ tank of gas and no money. He suffers from dementia. Bernard is described as a white male with blue eyes and gray hair. He weighs 190 lbs. and stands 5’ 11” tall. Anyone with any information about Schieber is asked to call the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500. He is still missing. https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/man-suffering-from-dementia-still-missing-from-yakima/article_310ceb57-ac6f-54e1-aeaf-b92199d5f21c.html
Lawrence Jay "Larry" Riegel, 57 of Yakima, Washington worked as a carpenter and contract pilot before breaking four vertebrae, an injury that left him disabled. Right before going missing Larry had a surgery on his neck and some sources claim he was in a neck brace. Unable to work, Riegel was collecting disability and had lost his pilot license due to his injury. The last contact anyone had with Larry took place on Christmas day, 2009. He contacted several relatives and friends including a call to his mother to thank her for some clothes she bought him for the holiday. He was supposed to join his family in Yakima for a belated Christmas dinner on Dec. 26, 2009, but he never showed up or called. Riegel’s family described him as a “chatty Cathy” who talked to just about anyone and had daily phone contact with his friends and family.
Riegel lived with his girlfriend, Ladena Mann before he went missing. Mann claimed that the couple argued on Christmas day and Riegel left the home presumably to go see his tenants. She also claimed that Riegel assaulted her either on Christmas day or on January 4th before disappearing. When Mann tried to report this assault weeks later, she was unable because she had no injuries or proof of violence. Mann used Riegel’s money and EBT card after he disappeared as well as applied for her own EBT card claiming she still lived with Larry. Mann was charged with welfare fraud and perjury, but charges were dropped when she paid back the money and entered a diversion program. In one media interview she claimed that Larry is still alive and that he has “contacted several people” since going missing. She called some of Larry's former coworkers and his boss to share this information. She thinks Larry is residing in Idaho or Montana and has accused his family of knowing where he is. Ladena Mann is a person of interest in Larry’s disappearance, the last known people to have spoken to him.
Riegel’s family is offering $25,000 for information in the homicide investigation that leads to his remains. They have billboards all over the Yakima valley asking for information. Larry’s mother, aged in her 90s, still drives around rural areas searching for his body.
Riegel is described as a white male with gray hair, a gray mustache, and hazel eyes. He is 6’2'' and weighs 200 lbs. He has surgical scars on his left knee and a prominent vertical scar on his neck from recent surgery to fix four broken vertebrae. He often wears eyeglasses and he has a limp in his left leg. He is also an alcoholic who frequented neighborhood bars. He has lived in Yakima his whole life.He may wear a neck brace. The Yakima Police Department (509-576-6573) is investigating.
The last time I wrote about this case, most articles mentioned that Riegel’s last phone call took place at approximately 5:30 pm on Christmas day. It is believed that the call was made to Riegel’s tenants who rented a farm from him in Union Gap, a town on the Yakama reservation. His tenants owed him $3000 in back rent. However, this is no longer reported in the most recent articles. I am not sure how important this is but I wanted to mention it nonetheless. https://charleyproject.org/case/lawrence-jay-riegel
Donnie Sampson, 71, a well-known religious leader, had been serving for eight years on the Yakama Tribal Council’s Code of Ethics Committee when he disappeared in the fall of 1994 while hunting elk about 45 miles west of White Swan, Washington, near Mt. Adams. Donnie had a heart problem and had been prescribed nitroglycerin as a result. Right before his disappearance, he told his daughter that he (and the ethics committee) “was getting into something that’s going to make everybody mad.” He even went so far to tell her that he would be “making enemies” and that she and the community would hear about his findings soon enough. He had been investigating rumors of corruption in the tribal council and the housing authority before he went missing, but other committee members refused to elaborate on the matter.
Donnie’s truck was found Oct. 30, 1994, in the foothills of Mount Adams by volunteer searchers, but searchers found no trace of Sampson. His nitroglycerin, lunch, clothing and three rifles were found in his truck. A fourth rifle he left home with disappeared with him. Donnie’s children say tribal police have done little to investigate the disappearance, which they believe is a result of foul play. For example, his children were never interviewed and his truck was found by volunteers, not official search and rescue. Tribal authorities believe that the elderly Sampson simply got lost while hunting. There are no photos or description of Donnie Sampson available. Tribal police are investigating. https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/relatives-friends-of-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-gather-to-honor-them/article_3ecdbfb9-6622-591e-b32e-72e5eedf2a5e.html
Robert "Bob" Harrod, has been missing since 2009, when he was 81, from his Placentia, Ca. home. His disappearance was featured on an episode of Disappeared. He'd recently reunited with and rather quickly married his long-lost love after having been apart for more than 50 years. Bob was in the process of preparing his house for her to move from Missouri to California. As she was packing her things halfway across the country, tragedy struck: Bob abruptly vanished. His disappearance and probable death were most likely at the hands of someone he knew and trusted. Bob was quite wealthy at the time he went missing, which lends some credence to this theory. He had previously been involved with a woman who allegedly owed him more than $80,000; in addition Bob's own children and other family members were said to be very unhappy with Bob's new and sudden marriage and a heated "family meeting" regarding Bob's estate and assets supposedly occurred just prior to his disappearance. Bob is described as a Caucasian male with gray hair and blue/gray eyes. Harrod keeps his hair very short and he is bald on the top. His nickname is Bob. He is supposed to wear eyeglasses, but they were left behind. He is 5’11” and weights 140-170 lbs. He has last seen wearing white shorts, a white v-neck undershirt, white knee socks, a white belt, a white hat, white Reebok sneakers, a plain gold wedding band on his left ring finger and possibly a Masonic ring with a red stone and a Masonic symbol on his right ring finger. In 2019 two "persons of interest" were arrested but later released. There have been no other updates. Here's a link to his Charley Project- Robert Harrod
Vincent Wesselmann, 75, of Breese, IL was last seen at around 5 pm on April 21st, 2011. He was walking to the post office. He was single and lived alone, although he still lived near his siblings and many other family members. His bike, wallet, and car were at his house, and he had his church clothes laid out for the next day. He was a recent retiree who had money in the bank and his home was paid off. Vince enjoyed gardening and volunteering. He was active in his local church and with several charitable organizations. Vince is described as a white male, 75 years old, 5'9-6'0", 210-235 pounds, with thinning gray-brown hair, blue eyes. He was possibly wearing a dark blue baseball cap, watch, dark blue pants, and black heavy ankle work shoes. He was declared legally dead in 2018 and no trace of him has ever been found. https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/today-marks-10-years-since-vincent-wesselmann-vanished-from-breese-illinois-49611.cfm A full write up can be found here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/yg4ge2/vincent_wesselmann_spent_all_of_his_time/
Marian “Mimi” Wallace was a 71 year old Alzheimer or dementia sufferer, who went missing from her care home on Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia in September 2014. She was likely missing for up to two hours by the time someone noticed her gone. The family had warned the facility she was a wanderer. Sadly, Mimi has never been found. She has gray hair, blue eyes, and has previously injured her hip. http://www.australianmissingpersonsregister.com/MarianWallace.htm
Annie Laurie Hearin was a 72 year old woman who was kidnapped and presumably murdered in 1988. The prime suspect was convicted of kidnapping but not murder, and her body has never been found. It's a strange case involving multiple suspects and accomplices, and a ransom letter from Annie herself begging her husband to save her. The case is tough to summarize so I would suggest you read the whole story here. Annie is described as a white female with auburn hair and gray eyes. She weighed 120 lbs. and stood at 5’4”. She has scoliosis and arthritis.
Peter Achermann, was 82 at time of disappearance on July 24th, 2009. He was last seen in his car crossing the bridge on Warner Rd in Staples, MN between 12 and 1 pm that day. He had been doing errands and was expected home by 2 pm. The next day, his car was later found stuck in the mud off Country Road 32 in a town about ten miles from his home. Groceries and medicine he had bought for his wife the day before were found in the car. The area was so muddy it was determined that Peter couldn’t have gone very far. Despite extensive searching, no trace of Peter was ever found. At the time of his disappearance, Peter was in good mental health and he did not have Dementia or Alzheimer's disease. He had, however, had a hip replacement and walked with a cane as a result. Peter is a native of Switzerland and was in the US on a green card. When he disappeared he was only carrying $30, his driver's license, and his green card. He had been married for 50 years and had 11 children (8 who were still living), 13 foster children, and 23 grandchildren. He was supposed to attend his granddaughter's wedding the next day and give a speech but he never arrived. Peter is described as a white man who was 5’7” and weighed 170 lb. He has jaundice, which is a condition which makes your skin yellow. He has no other medical conditions that require treatment or daily medication. He has gray hair, brown eyes, a full set of dentures, a strawberry colored birthmark on the back of his neck, glasses and a long salt and pepper colored beard. He has a scar from his hip replacement surgery and walks with a cane. He was last seen wearing a tan and brown cotton button-down shirt, Tan cargo pants, boxers, a leather belt with a Native American saying printed on it, tan socks with rust-colored toes, brown Dr. Scholl's shoes with Velcro closures, a floppy red, white and blue crocheted beret, and silver crucifix necklace. https://charleyproject.org/case/peter-achermann
Nellie Herriott, was 96 years old, when she was last seen getting off a bus in Whitehawk, Brighton in the UK in April, 2012. She has never been found. She is white and described as thin and only 4ft 9in tall. Her family has a Facebook page and they are still looking for her. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-27135935
Maud Crawford, age 63, was last seen in Camden, Arkansas on March 2nd, 1957. Maud was a one the of the first female lawyers in Arkansas and she had a reputation for helping others such as defending an elderly woman named Rose, who Maud believed was being taken advantage of by her extended family. Maud's case was very publicized and is very convoluted. Rather than try to summarize it, you can read about it here. Maud is described as a white female, 5’5” and 165 lbs. She has graying red hair, glasses, and pierced ears.
Eva Mae Hale, 79, of Terre Haute, Indiana was visiting her brother’s grave at the Marco cemetery in the town of Marco on October 15th, 1996 when she inexplicably vanished. Eva was visiting to decorate the grave with a pumpkin and to visit the graves of several family members who were buried there. She normally visited about three times a year. She always parked in the same spot, about 40 feet from her brother’s grave. A local called the police when he noticed the car had been there all day. It is a pretty rural area with police claiming that one afternoon during the investigation only three vehicles drove by on the road. When contacted, Eva’s son Guy went to search for his mother and he realized that her car was parked in a different spot than she normally parked in but her keys were on the ground where she normally parked. Her purse was on the front seat and a few dollars were found hidden inside. She normally carried her cash in a bank envelope but no envelopes were found in the car. Police used searchers and a helicopter to search for Eva but nothing was ever found. Police believe foul play is involved and believe her disappearance might be connect to the murder of a 88 year old woman three months earlier and two other women who disappeared in the several years beforehand. Her son Guy and other family members are still searching for Eva. Eva is described as a white female who was 4’10” and weighed 98 lbs. She has thinning brown hair with some gray and blue eyes. She wears glasses and her ears are pierced. Eva Mae Hale Charley Project Her son’s site Previous thread by u/TrueDilemma
Kay Wood, age 72, was last seen on July 30, 2011. Late that evening firefighters responded to fire at the Woods' home. Her husband's, James William "Bill" Woods, body was found in the burned rubble of their home. He had been murdered. The couple's car was located 200 miles south of their Norwalk, Iowa home, in Kansas Cit, Missouri. It had been abandoned at an apartment complex by a tall man with gray hair. A detailed article can be found here. https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/bill-and-kay-wood/
An unidentified decendent known as Grandma Doe was found drowned in the Niagra River on September 26, 1995. You can read about her here. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/511ufny.html
In 2021, Glenda Parton aged 80 went missing while looking for her missing son, Dwayne Selby. Sadly, both bodies were found together in August of 2023. The duo was found near the body of another man, their friend Jack Grimes. The bizarre case is now a triple homicide investigation. Article here-https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/crime/2-bodies-found-oklahoma-missing-persons-case-now-triple-homicide/article_e35874de-3c80-11ee-a106-4fd45f5f462e.html
submitted by Quirky-Motor to UnresolvedMysteries [link] [comments]
It goes without saying that I know most readers are nothing but compassionate and respectful to the people in these stories. Without further ado, here is a collection of stories featuring older individuals. If you know of other cases matching this criteria (let’s say those 60+) please share in the comment section below.
Missing
Leo Widicker, 86, of Harvey, North Dakota went missing on November 8th, 2001 from Tabacon Hot Springs, Costa Rica. Leo and his wife of 55 years, Virginia, were part of a pay-your-own way service group called Maranatha Volunteers International, a Christian group that builds homes, churches, and schools. In between two different jobs the group stopped at Tabacon Hot Springs resort for lunch. Leo was last seen sitting on a bench while his wife waded nearby, but within 20 minutes he was gone. Someone drove 10 miles down the road looking for him within minutes of his disappearance but no trace of Leo was ever found, which was especially weird as food and souvenir shops line parts of the road.
Theories in the case abound. Some think Leo got lost and perished in the volcanic landscape, some think he was hit by a car and flew down the hill into the jungle, while others think he was picked up by someone in a vehicle who did him harm or gave him a ride to another area where he perished from either foul play or misadventure. Leo Widicker is described as a white male, 86 years old in 2001, who was 5’6” and 145 lbs. Leo has blue eyes and is mostly bald. His remaining hair is reportedly blondish- gray. He wears hearing aids and glasses and also has a pacemaker. When last seen he was wearing a white baseball cap, jeans, black shoes, a red and blue plaid shirt, a blue jacket and a name tag. If you have any information on the disappearance of Leo please contact United States Embassy San Jose, Costa Rica Office at 011-506-220-3939. His wife, Virginia, passaed away in 2023. She continued to volunteer for Maranatha until 2015.
My full write up on the case is here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/pct206/he_was_last_seen_walking_down_the_road_within_ten/ https://charleyproject.org/case/leo-widicker
Donald Richard Delaney, age 60 was last seen in King County Washington in November, 2003. His brother reported him missing after not hearing from his brother for months. Delaney may have gone to Mason county, near the Olympic National forest as he liked to frequent the area, specifically Shelton or Hoodsport. Delaney is legally blind, and suffers from type 2 diabetes. Even though he is legally blind he can reportedly see well enough to live independently but not drive. Because of his diabetes he always travels with a small red and white cooler with a lid, food, protein powder, herbal supplements, vitamins and his medication usually inside. He also carries a black leather backpack with books inside, and a small blue duffle bag sometimes with dry food or extra medication. Delaney is described as a white male, with brown eyes, and graying brown hair. His left eye is partially sewn shut and he usually wears a mustache. He is 5’10” and 220 lbs. Mason County police are investigating Delaney's disappearance, they can be contacted at 360-427-9670 ext. 313 Sources https://charleyproject.org/case/donald-richard-delaney
Rose E. Eaton, age 73, was last seen on July 25th 1994 in Chimacum, an unincorporated area in Jefferson Co. Washington state. Rose was in her son’s car waiting for him to drive her to the dentist when her son noticed that several goats had gotten loose. He told his mom to wait in the car but when he got back 10 minutes later, his mother was gone. Her purse was also missing but the family’s German Shepherd was still in the vehicle. The man looked for his mother for a few minutes but couldn’t find her and he found that the door to their home was still locked. He promptly called the police. Tracking dogs traced Rose’s scent down the dirt road for about ⅓ of a mile to the junction of the main paved road (Beaver Valley Road) when the trail abruptly stopped, leading investigators to think Rose may have entered a motor vehicle at that location. No other trace of her has ever been found. Rose is described as a white female with gray hair and blue eyes. She is 5’9” and 160 lbs. At the time she lived with her son and had been diagnosed with dementia several years earlier but was reportedly physically in good health. She was last seen wearing a long sky blue coat with buttons down the front, a long light blue dress, a tan purse with little to no money inside, and blue rubber soled orthopedic shoes size 8.5. Rose has previously fractured her upper left arm. She has a small scar on the back of her neck and a scar on her abdomen. She is a non-smoker and non-drinker. She does not drive. Foul play is not suspected in this case but it has not been totally ruled out by law enforcement due to the scent trail found by search dogs. If you have any information please contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 360-385-3831. https://charleyproject.org/case/rose-e-eaton
Rose's son, Rick, wonders if Rose's disappearance could be related to his sister Janet's 2005 murder, which while solved, the motive is rather murky and senseless. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/10/14/new-charges-against-janet-eatons-killer-revives-memories-she-always-part-bremerton/10490785002/
Jerry Alan Graves was last seen on Dec. 25th 2018 and was reported missing several days later. The 69 year old was reportedly last seen walking down highway 12 away from the ranch he lived at in Clarkston, Washington. He was upset at the idea of moving into a nursing home and threatened to leave the area. It is unknown if this conversation had happened on that day or previously and who he was talking to about this potential move remains unknown. Jerry left behind all of his belongings, money, cell phone, and clothing. He is known to hitchhike between the towns of Clarkston and Pomeroy which are about 30 miles apart. The area Jerry was last seen in is a very rural area with few people near the border with Idaho. Jerry is described as a white male, 5' 7"-5’8” and 125-130 lbs. with brown gray hair, brown eyes, and a gray beard. He was wearing a dark colored coat and blue jeans when he was last seen. He had a broken leg at the time of his disappearance. He may have had a stroke before he disappeared and was showing possible signs of dementia. If you have any information please contact the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office at 509-758-2331. https://charleyproject.org/case/jerry-alan-graves
Walter Dunson, a WWI vet was almost a centenarian when he was reported missing in 1998. However, within a week police began to speculate that Walter Dunson had actually died or disappeared fifteen years earlier. Walter is described as a thin black male, 97 years old at the time of last contact. He was about 5’8” and weighed 150 lbs. He was wearing a light brown shirt, dark brown pants, black leather shoes and a dark blue navy pea coat. He was also carrying a black leather wallet with about 15 dollars in it. He may also have a lottery card in his possession. He wears dentures and reading glasses. In his composite he has some facial hair but in real photos he is clean shaven. Some agencies give Dunson's date of birth as July 2, 1899 or July 7, 1900. If alive he would be 122 years old today. If you have any information on the disappearance of Walter Dunson please call Cincinnati Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040. My full write up can be found here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/pmedho/what_happened_to_wwi_veteran_walter_dunson_did_he/ https://charleyproject.org/case/walter-dunson
When researching the above case, I came upon a John Doe from Cincinnati who could be a match to Walter Dunson. According to the Ohio State ME’s office, “on 07/08/1986, the remains of a 50-99 year old black male were discovered in an abandoned apartment building on Republic Street in Cincinnati, OH. This individual measured 68" in height and was wearing a tan long sleeved pullover shirt, a v-neck tan sweater, brown trousers, a brown belt, a tan sweater, white socks with green stripes, brown leather shoes, and a blue baseball cap.” According to Namus the building entrance was barricaded from the inside as if someone was living in the building and the man had been dead for several weeks. The man’s height, age range, and even clothing seems to match with Walter Dunson. Is it possible that Walter, who had been homeless in the past, was again living on the streets or had wandered from son’s home only to pass away while staying in this abandoned building? I have submitted Walter Dunson as a match to this man via both the Hamilton County Coroner's office and Namus. Even if this individual is not Dunson, he still deserves to have his name back. https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/InvestigatoUnidentified-Remains/Doe-1982
In June of 2018, Sharran Lee Haije, age 78, was last spotted walking down Wright-Bliss Rd off of 105th street just north of the Vaughn Civic Center in Gig Harbor, Washington. She was wearing a blue nightgown and green rubber gardening clogs. She has been diagnosed with dementia and has limited speech abilities. She may be confused and not know where she lives or how to get home. In the past she has wandered into strangers’ houses. Haije has gray hair dyed a dark red color and blue eyes. She is white and 5’6” tall and weighs between 150-165 lbs. Her last name is pronounced hay-gee and in most publications her name is spelled “Sharron.” According to Pierce County Sheriff's office, the search for Haije was started very soon after she went missing and was exhaustive. Police do not believe Haije is in the area and have reason to believe she entered a car near where she was last seen. Please call 253-798-7530 if you have any information on this case. https://charleyproject.org/case/sharran-lee-haije
Dong Chull Jung disappeared within minutes in Lakewood, Washington. The 78 year old was residing at the Golden Lion Motel on Tacoma Way in Lakewood, Washington. The establishment has long been a hotbed of criminal activity and violence since at least the 1990s. On average the police responded to incidents at the 24-room hotel over 100 times per year. November 22nd 2003 was one of those times. On that day witnesses called the police after hearing a “disturbance” in Dong’s room. When the authorities arrived, they found a giant pool of blood on the floor as well as Dong’s prescription eyeglasses, but Dong was nowhere to be found. According to the News Tribune, a paper out of Tacoma, one week before Dong’s disappearance he was granted a temporary domestic violence protection order from a Paul C. Jung, who might be Dong’s adult son. In June of 2003, someone named Hae Sung Jung, got a restraining order against Dong. Hae might be the estranged wife of Dong, but this isn’t known for sure. There are vague reports that Dong was having “marital issues'' at the time of his disappearance. Very little information is available in the case. The Golden Lion Inn was finally torn down in 2017 but the fate of the elderly man who resided within remains a mystery. Dong is described as an Asian male, with brown eyes and thinning gray hair. He is 5’6'' and weighs 135 lbs. Dong wears prescription eyeglasses but they were left behind when he vanished. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Dong Jung please call Pierce County Crime Stoppers 253-591-5959. https://charleyproject.org/case/dong-chull-jung
Richard Emanuel Lawrence, age 63 left his home in Portland in February of 1986 to attend a religious conference in Tacoma, Washington with his wife. On the 28th of February Richard left his hotel room to get gas for his car at about 5 pm and disappeared. Two months later, Richard’s vehicle was found abandoned on a seldom used logging road in Vadar, Washington 80 miles south of Tacoma. A newspaper from Feb. 28th and a note saying ``Will pick up car tonight or tomorrow" were found either inside the car or near it. It is believed that Lawrence got lost while attempting to get home to Portland when he parked his car and left the vehicle. Two locals reported seeing a man matching Lawrence’s description walking down the logging road, the day after Lawrence was last seen. Both witnesses reported that Lawrence seemed to be walking somewhere and didn’t seem to be in distress. Local law enforcement thinks it is possible that he was picked up by someone on the road. Lawrence had gotten confused while driving twice in the recent past, once two weeks before his disappearance in Portland and once the day before in Tacoma. He was reportedly upset knowing he might have been in the beginning stages of dementia or another health issue.
Lawrence is described as a black male, with thinning brown hair and brown eyes. He weighed 125 lbs. and stood at only 5’ tall. He was last seen wearing a black rim glasses, with a prescription lens in the right lens; the left lens was plain glass as well as a black fur type knee length coat, black Russian style hat, white shirt with tie and black dress shoes size, 5. He had suffered a heart attack a year before his disappearance, and wore a pacemaker. He was reportedly depressed about his physical condition. If you have any information call the Tacoma Police Department at 253-591-5993. https://charleyproject.org/case/richard-emanuel-lawrence
Cecil Socrates Mann, 76 disappeared from Port Orchard, Washington in 2012. Mann was last seen at 10 am on September 15th leaving his home in his 2007 Ford Focus. Later searches indicated that fishing gear disappeared with Mann and it is speculated he left his home to go fishing. Mann was then seen 3 hours later north of his home buying gas and the clerk reported that he seemed confused or disoriented. Two days later on September 17th, Mann called his daughter on two separate occasions but the reception was so poor no one knew what he was saying. Soon after the phone was turned off and the “pings” came from the Quilcene, Washington area. Later that same day, Mann’s car was found abandoned in the next county over near a Tunnel Creek Trail about 50 miles from his home and ten miles from the town of Quilcene. The car was badly damaged presumably from the rough terrain. Tragically, no trace of Cecil Mann was ever found. Mann did not have any mental health concerns at the time of his disappearance and had never shown signs of dementia, however, he was new to the Port Orchard area and wasn’t yet familiar with the area. At the time of his disappearance he was recovering from a bout with prostate cancer.
Mann is described as a white male who is balding with some gray hair. He has blue eyes and wears bifocals with wire frames. He weighed only 135 lbs. and stood at 5’8”. He was last seen wearing a tan or green windbreaker jacket, blue jeans, gray sneakers and a watch. If you have any information please call the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office at 360-337-4642. https://charleyproject.org/case/cecil-socrates-mann
Christine Shields Wagner, 67 years old went missing from Olympia Washington in 2016. She was last spotted leaving her home in early October of that year. Her cell phone has been turned off since she disappeared. About two weeks later her car was found abandoned at the Harmony Farm conservation easement on Johnson Point Road in Olympia. Her car was parked normally. Harmony Farm easement borders on a large wetland reserve. Christine is described as a white female with brown eyes and brown hair. She wears glasses and she is 5 ft. 3 in tall and weighs 130 to 180 lbs. In the past she has made attempts to harm herself. There is very little information available about this disappearance. Thurston County Sheriff's Office 360-786-5500 is investigating. https://charleyproject.org/case/christine-shields-wagner
Estelle Lois Abbott of Inchelium, Washington went missing in 2017. Estelle was 83 years old and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She left home with her dog, a gray or tan Pitbull named Jay, to check the mail and never returned. It is unknown if Jay was ever found. Searches on foot, horseback, and ATV started right away but no sign was ever found of Estelle Abbott. Estelle is described as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes. She's about 5’ 7” in height, 150 lbs. and she was last seen wearing a red sweater and blue jeans. In the past Estelle has lived in Spokane, Washington and Sonoma, California and her loved ones are worried she may have tried to travel there. Estelle lived on the Colville Indian Reservation and tribal police are investigating. They can be reached at 509-634-2472. Source: https://echoespath.com/estelle-abbott/
Bernard Schieber, 86, of Yakima, Washington has not been seen since Aug. 8, 2019, when he left his home in the 2500 block of South 84th Avenue in Yakima. His black, full-size Chevrolet pickup was found a few weeks later in a closed portion of the Yakama Nation reservation. It appears to have been parked normally and not crashed or damaged. When he left his home in the city of Yakima, Bernard had only ¼ tank of gas and no money. He suffers from dementia. Bernard is described as a white male with blue eyes and gray hair. He weighs 190 lbs. and stands 5’ 11” tall. Anyone with any information about Schieber is asked to call the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500. He is still missing. https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/man-suffering-from-dementia-still-missing-from-yakima/article_310ceb57-ac6f-54e1-aeaf-b92199d5f21c.html
Lawrence Jay "Larry" Riegel, 57 of Yakima, Washington worked as a carpenter and contract pilot before breaking four vertebrae, an injury that left him disabled. Right before going missing Larry had a surgery on his neck and some sources claim he was in a neck brace. Unable to work, Riegel was collecting disability and had lost his pilot license due to his injury. The last contact anyone had with Larry took place on Christmas day, 2009. He contacted several relatives and friends including a call to his mother to thank her for some clothes she bought him for the holiday. He was supposed to join his family in Yakima for a belated Christmas dinner on Dec. 26, 2009, but he never showed up or called. Riegel’s family described him as a “chatty Cathy” who talked to just about anyone and had daily phone contact with his friends and family.
Riegel lived with his girlfriend, Ladena Mann before he went missing. Mann claimed that the couple argued on Christmas day and Riegel left the home presumably to go see his tenants. She also claimed that Riegel assaulted her either on Christmas day or on January 4th before disappearing. When Mann tried to report this assault weeks later, she was unable because she had no injuries or proof of violence. Mann used Riegel’s money and EBT card after he disappeared as well as applied for her own EBT card claiming she still lived with Larry. Mann was charged with welfare fraud and perjury, but charges were dropped when she paid back the money and entered a diversion program. In one media interview she claimed that Larry is still alive and that he has “contacted several people” since going missing. She called some of Larry's former coworkers and his boss to share this information. She thinks Larry is residing in Idaho or Montana and has accused his family of knowing where he is. Ladena Mann is a person of interest in Larry’s disappearance, the last known people to have spoken to him.
Riegel’s family is offering $25,000 for information in the homicide investigation that leads to his remains. They have billboards all over the Yakima valley asking for information. Larry’s mother, aged in her 90s, still drives around rural areas searching for his body.
Riegel is described as a white male with gray hair, a gray mustache, and hazel eyes. He is 6’2'' and weighs 200 lbs. He has surgical scars on his left knee and a prominent vertical scar on his neck from recent surgery to fix four broken vertebrae. He often wears eyeglasses and he has a limp in his left leg. He is also an alcoholic who frequented neighborhood bars. He has lived in Yakima his whole life.He may wear a neck brace. The Yakima Police Department (509-576-6573) is investigating.
The last time I wrote about this case, most articles mentioned that Riegel’s last phone call took place at approximately 5:30 pm on Christmas day. It is believed that the call was made to Riegel’s tenants who rented a farm from him in Union Gap, a town on the Yakama reservation. His tenants owed him $3000 in back rent. However, this is no longer reported in the most recent articles. I am not sure how important this is but I wanted to mention it nonetheless. https://charleyproject.org/case/lawrence-jay-riegel
Donnie Sampson, 71, a well-known religious leader, had been serving for eight years on the Yakama Tribal Council’s Code of Ethics Committee when he disappeared in the fall of 1994 while hunting elk about 45 miles west of White Swan, Washington, near Mt. Adams. Donnie had a heart problem and had been prescribed nitroglycerin as a result. Right before his disappearance, he told his daughter that he (and the ethics committee) “was getting into something that’s going to make everybody mad.” He even went so far to tell her that he would be “making enemies” and that she and the community would hear about his findings soon enough. He had been investigating rumors of corruption in the tribal council and the housing authority before he went missing, but other committee members refused to elaborate on the matter.
Donnie’s truck was found Oct. 30, 1994, in the foothills of Mount Adams by volunteer searchers, but searchers found no trace of Sampson. His nitroglycerin, lunch, clothing and three rifles were found in his truck. A fourth rifle he left home with disappeared with him. Donnie’s children say tribal police have done little to investigate the disappearance, which they believe is a result of foul play. For example, his children were never interviewed and his truck was found by volunteers, not official search and rescue. Tribal authorities believe that the elderly Sampson simply got lost while hunting. There are no photos or description of Donnie Sampson available. Tribal police are investigating. https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/relatives-friends-of-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-gather-to-honor-them/article_3ecdbfb9-6622-591e-b32e-72e5eedf2a5e.html
Robert "Bob" Harrod, has been missing since 2009, when he was 81, from his Placentia, Ca. home. His disappearance was featured on an episode of Disappeared. He'd recently reunited with and rather quickly married his long-lost love after having been apart for more than 50 years. Bob was in the process of preparing his house for her to move from Missouri to California. As she was packing her things halfway across the country, tragedy struck: Bob abruptly vanished. His disappearance and probable death were most likely at the hands of someone he knew and trusted. Bob was quite wealthy at the time he went missing, which lends some credence to this theory. He had previously been involved with a woman who allegedly owed him more than $80,000; in addition Bob's own children and other family members were said to be very unhappy with Bob's new and sudden marriage and a heated "family meeting" regarding Bob's estate and assets supposedly occurred just prior to his disappearance. Bob is described as a Caucasian male with gray hair and blue/gray eyes. Harrod keeps his hair very short and he is bald on the top. His nickname is Bob. He is supposed to wear eyeglasses, but they were left behind. He is 5’11” and weights 140-170 lbs. He has last seen wearing white shorts, a white v-neck undershirt, white knee socks, a white belt, a white hat, white Reebok sneakers, a plain gold wedding band on his left ring finger and possibly a Masonic ring with a red stone and a Masonic symbol on his right ring finger. In 2019 two "persons of interest" were arrested but later released. There have been no other updates. Here's a link to his Charley Project- Robert Harrod
Vincent Wesselmann, 75, of Breese, IL was last seen at around 5 pm on April 21st, 2011. He was walking to the post office. He was single and lived alone, although he still lived near his siblings and many other family members. His bike, wallet, and car were at his house, and he had his church clothes laid out for the next day. He was a recent retiree who had money in the bank and his home was paid off. Vince enjoyed gardening and volunteering. He was active in his local church and with several charitable organizations. Vince is described as a white male, 75 years old, 5'9-6'0", 210-235 pounds, with thinning gray-brown hair, blue eyes. He was possibly wearing a dark blue baseball cap, watch, dark blue pants, and black heavy ankle work shoes. He was declared legally dead in 2018 and no trace of him has ever been found. https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/today-marks-10-years-since-vincent-wesselmann-vanished-from-breese-illinois-49611.cfm A full write up can be found here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/yg4ge2/vincent_wesselmann_spent_all_of_his_time/
Marian “Mimi” Wallace was a 71 year old Alzheimer or dementia sufferer, who went missing from her care home on Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia in September 2014. She was likely missing for up to two hours by the time someone noticed her gone. The family had warned the facility she was a wanderer. Sadly, Mimi has never been found. She has gray hair, blue eyes, and has previously injured her hip. http://www.australianmissingpersonsregister.com/MarianWallace.htm
Annie Laurie Hearin was a 72 year old woman who was kidnapped and presumably murdered in 1988. The prime suspect was convicted of kidnapping but not murder, and her body has never been found. It's a strange case involving multiple suspects and accomplices, and a ransom letter from Annie herself begging her husband to save her. The case is tough to summarize so I would suggest you read the whole story here. Annie is described as a white female with auburn hair and gray eyes. She weighed 120 lbs. and stood at 5’4”. She has scoliosis and arthritis.
Peter Achermann, was 82 at time of disappearance on July 24th, 2009. He was last seen in his car crossing the bridge on Warner Rd in Staples, MN between 12 and 1 pm that day. He had been doing errands and was expected home by 2 pm. The next day, his car was later found stuck in the mud off Country Road 32 in a town about ten miles from his home. Groceries and medicine he had bought for his wife the day before were found in the car. The area was so muddy it was determined that Peter couldn’t have gone very far. Despite extensive searching, no trace of Peter was ever found. At the time of his disappearance, Peter was in good mental health and he did not have Dementia or Alzheimer's disease. He had, however, had a hip replacement and walked with a cane as a result. Peter is a native of Switzerland and was in the US on a green card. When he disappeared he was only carrying $30, his driver's license, and his green card. He had been married for 50 years and had 11 children (8 who were still living), 13 foster children, and 23 grandchildren. He was supposed to attend his granddaughter's wedding the next day and give a speech but he never arrived. Peter is described as a white man who was 5’7” and weighed 170 lb. He has jaundice, which is a condition which makes your skin yellow. He has no other medical conditions that require treatment or daily medication. He has gray hair, brown eyes, a full set of dentures, a strawberry colored birthmark on the back of his neck, glasses and a long salt and pepper colored beard. He has a scar from his hip replacement surgery and walks with a cane. He was last seen wearing a tan and brown cotton button-down shirt, Tan cargo pants, boxers, a leather belt with a Native American saying printed on it, tan socks with rust-colored toes, brown Dr. Scholl's shoes with Velcro closures, a floppy red, white and blue crocheted beret, and silver crucifix necklace. https://charleyproject.org/case/peter-achermann
Nellie Herriott, was 96 years old, when she was last seen getting off a bus in Whitehawk, Brighton in the UK in April, 2012. She has never been found. She is white and described as thin and only 4ft 9in tall. Her family has a Facebook page and they are still looking for her. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-27135935
Maud Crawford, age 63, was last seen in Camden, Arkansas on March 2nd, 1957. Maud was a one the of the first female lawyers in Arkansas and she had a reputation for helping others such as defending an elderly woman named Rose, who Maud believed was being taken advantage of by her extended family. Maud's case was very publicized and is very convoluted. Rather than try to summarize it, you can read about it here. Maud is described as a white female, 5’5” and 165 lbs. She has graying red hair, glasses, and pierced ears.
Eva Mae Hale, 79, of Terre Haute, Indiana was visiting her brother’s grave at the Marco cemetery in the town of Marco on October 15th, 1996 when she inexplicably vanished. Eva was visiting to decorate the grave with a pumpkin and to visit the graves of several family members who were buried there. She normally visited about three times a year. She always parked in the same spot, about 40 feet from her brother’s grave. A local called the police when he noticed the car had been there all day. It is a pretty rural area with police claiming that one afternoon during the investigation only three vehicles drove by on the road. When contacted, Eva’s son Guy went to search for his mother and he realized that her car was parked in a different spot than she normally parked in but her keys were on the ground where she normally parked. Her purse was on the front seat and a few dollars were found hidden inside. She normally carried her cash in a bank envelope but no envelopes were found in the car. Police used searchers and a helicopter to search for Eva but nothing was ever found. Police believe foul play is involved and believe her disappearance might be connect to the murder of a 88 year old woman three months earlier and two other women who disappeared in the several years beforehand. Her son Guy and other family members are still searching for Eva. Eva is described as a white female who was 4’10” and weighed 98 lbs. She has thinning brown hair with some gray and blue eyes. She wears glasses and her ears are pierced. Eva Mae Hale Charley Project Her son’s site Previous thread by u/TrueDilemma
Kay Wood, age 72, was last seen on July 30, 2011. Late that evening firefighters responded to fire at the Woods' home. Her husband's, James William "Bill" Woods, body was found in the burned rubble of their home. He had been murdered. The couple's car was located 200 miles south of their Norwalk, Iowa home, in Kansas Cit, Missouri. It had been abandoned at an apartment complex by a tall man with gray hair. A detailed article can be found here. https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/bill-and-kay-wood/
An unidentified decendent known as Grandma Doe was found drowned in the Niagra River on September 26, 1995. You can read about her here. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/511ufny.html
In 2021, Glenda Parton aged 80 went missing while looking for her missing son, Dwayne Selby. Sadly, both bodies were found together in August of 2023. The duo was found near the body of another man, their friend Jack Grimes. The bizarre case is now a triple homicide investigation. Article here-https://www.koamnewsnow.com/news/crime/2-bodies-found-oklahoma-missing-persons-case-now-triple-homicide/article_e35874de-3c80-11ee-a106-4fd45f5f462e.html
2023.10.02 10:30 Complete-Loquat-9407 Blood pressure targets in the emergency department.
 | submitted by Complete-Loquat-9407 to Paramedics [link] [comments] |
2023.10.01 19:06 Complete-Loquat-9407 Blood pressure targets in the emergency department.
| | submitted by Complete-Loquat-9407 to physicianassistant [link] [comments] |
2023.08.30 03:48 Waterfoule767 「Big Iron」, the stand of Azotar Robbins
Namesake: Big Iron by Marty Robbins
“Some creatures are born to gorge themselves and laze about, while others grovel for scraps and live in fear. I want you to feel how I have.”
Stand User: Azotar Robbins is a 26-year old man from Dallas, Texas. He grew up in harsh poverty, having to live on the streets. Upon scraping by as a street performer and doing odd jobs, he was able to enlist in the United States Army. Eventually he achieved a fair living after five years of active service and two more of IRR. However, what happened in those seven years is what decided his capability as a stand user. After three years of service, he was sent to hunt down an alleged terrorist camp near Yugoslavia. Upon touching ground there, no one was left, all having fled. Of course, they searched the area up and down and found nothing. As Azotar was about to leave, he was bitten in the leg by a strangely golden snake with ruby colored eyes. He fell, but the wound didn't stay - almost like it was never there in the first place. He quickly recovered his bearings and returned back. Around four months later, Azotar was sent to find the same terrorists that his original mission seeked. At first, it seemed like it was another disappearance, that they had all escaped before the soldier's arrival. At first. "I smell something," Azotar said, cautiously whiffing the air. His allies also smelled, but shook their heads. Azotar continued, trying to pick out exactly what it was that he had detected. "Five males, ages 36, 41, 44, 47, and 51. Varying races and weights, but range from 154.4 to 192.7 pounds. All shorter than us. And their location..." Azotar pointed directly to the ground in front of him. Almost subconsciously, a thick black object fired from the center of his palm, striking the ground and exploding with a massive force. Azotar held his ground despite the immense power of the detonation, looking down into an underground bunker where five burnt men sat, hiding. Azotar was praised for his work, and put into several more investigations where he was successful in bomb detection, finding missing persons, and other cases like that. Big Iron appeared before him after some time, closer to the end of his career where he could then leave the army and go on to become a Yellowstone park ranger.
Stand Appearance: Big Iron appears as a nearly five meter long Western Diamondback rattlesnake. Across its massively thick and glossy scales, it displays various pointed dents and white bullet wound scars. The scars range from between the eyes to the neck and back area. Underneath each scale is a heavy layer of black gunpowder that falls from its body when it moves. Instead of the normal two frontal fangs on a snake, Big Iron possesses four, split into layers of two. Big Iron also has a long scar along its entire underbelly, representing the crude ways that snakes are often killed for meat or scales: turning them inside out. Big Iron’s spine protrudes from its back, alterations made to accommodate medium-sized spikes jutting from each vertebrae. Finally, near the end of the tail, Big Iron has a conglomerate of metal shrapnel that replaces its rattle. The metal often makes up the sleek figure of a railgun, but can shift into other artillery too.
Stand Ability: Big Iron’s metal tail connects directly to the rest of its body when shifted into a form of artillery. In order to shed its scales, it uses its ability. Each of Big Iron’s scales are filled with around one dense liter of nitroglycerin, a highly explosive substance. A simple explanation is that when exposed to force, nitroglycerin will detonate with high power. The biology of these scales are pretty simple. Big Iron pumps its blood into the scales while the veins that transfer it are altered for nitroglycerin conversion. So when blood moves into the scales, it converts to nitroglycerin and fills the scales until reaching one liter. Next, the film around its scales. The glossy texture across the snake’s body comes from a unique ‘gel’ that envelopes each nitroglycerin carrier. This gel appears similar to that used by flame-based artillery. It is a substance of the stand that is highly force absorbent and prevents the nitroglycerin from prematurely detonating. However, it cannot leave the stand unless the user physically moves it. This gel also regenerates very quickly, meaning that if the user needed to take some, it would recuperate practically on the spot. Now with both of these factors, the actual ability can come into play. Big Iron’s gun fires its own scales in whatever fashion the gun it replicates would fire its usual ammo. This includes fire rate, speed, ammo size, and other characteristics that would manipulate the shot. If ammunition size is changed, the nitroglycerin quantity will not be altered. This is how Big Iron consistently sheds old scales, growing new ones back in the blink of an eye. When fired, the gel around the scales is scraped off by the movement, leaving it prepared for detonation once breaching the barrel.
Big Iron’s gunpowder that it spreads can also only be detonated by Big Iron’s effects. This entails the nitroglycerin explosions that come from the stand, or in some cases the venom that it can use. Elaborating upon the latter, Big Iron has the ability to replicate any snake venom or fashions used to deliver said venom. For example, Big Iron could imitate black mamba venom and spit it like a cobra. The four fangs are all linked to their own venom sacs, which allow the stand to imitate up to four venoms all at the same time. Ways to deliver venom are also boosted in potency a fair amount. Additionally, Big Iron possesses all boons that snakes would have, but ramped up in efficiency and capability.
Stats:
Destructive Power: A (Big Iron already sports immense physical strength, being able to crush most average cars by them with its body. Complimenting that, the power of nitroglycerin and its venom accessibility is enough to make Big Iron quite the destructive force.) Speed: B (Big Iron is physically fairly fast for its size, which also is helped by the potential speed of its gunfire. It can dodge small gunfire at range, potentially reacting in some way at point blank.) Range: D (Big Iron can move any distance with the length of its body so long as a part of it remains within 1 meter of the user.) Stamina: B (Big Iron’s scales grant it a fair durability, resistant enough to take on However, the nitroglycerin bullets can easily be broken as they move due to the content inside. Varying on the venom chosen, the effects can be difficult to slow or nullify as well.) Precision: A (Big Iron has the firing accuracy of a trained sniper, as well as precise smell and taste. It can pick out select scents even among dense crowds or areas with much stronger ones, as well as detecting a vast amount of precise physical information just from scent.) Developmental Potential: C (Big Iron has potential to improve its ability a good amount. However, there isn’t much variation in its combat tactics or ability usage.)
submitted by Waterfoule767 to fanStands [link] [comments]
“Some creatures are born to gorge themselves and laze about, while others grovel for scraps and live in fear. I want you to feel how I have.”
Stand User: Azotar Robbins is a 26-year old man from Dallas, Texas. He grew up in harsh poverty, having to live on the streets. Upon scraping by as a street performer and doing odd jobs, he was able to enlist in the United States Army. Eventually he achieved a fair living after five years of active service and two more of IRR. However, what happened in those seven years is what decided his capability as a stand user. After three years of service, he was sent to hunt down an alleged terrorist camp near Yugoslavia. Upon touching ground there, no one was left, all having fled. Of course, they searched the area up and down and found nothing. As Azotar was about to leave, he was bitten in the leg by a strangely golden snake with ruby colored eyes. He fell, but the wound didn't stay - almost like it was never there in the first place. He quickly recovered his bearings and returned back. Around four months later, Azotar was sent to find the same terrorists that his original mission seeked. At first, it seemed like it was another disappearance, that they had all escaped before the soldier's arrival. At first. "I smell something," Azotar said, cautiously whiffing the air. His allies also smelled, but shook their heads. Azotar continued, trying to pick out exactly what it was that he had detected. "Five males, ages 36, 41, 44, 47, and 51. Varying races and weights, but range from 154.4 to 192.7 pounds. All shorter than us. And their location..." Azotar pointed directly to the ground in front of him. Almost subconsciously, a thick black object fired from the center of his palm, striking the ground and exploding with a massive force. Azotar held his ground despite the immense power of the detonation, looking down into an underground bunker where five burnt men sat, hiding. Azotar was praised for his work, and put into several more investigations where he was successful in bomb detection, finding missing persons, and other cases like that. Big Iron appeared before him after some time, closer to the end of his career where he could then leave the army and go on to become a Yellowstone park ranger.
Stand Appearance: Big Iron appears as a nearly five meter long Western Diamondback rattlesnake. Across its massively thick and glossy scales, it displays various pointed dents and white bullet wound scars. The scars range from between the eyes to the neck and back area. Underneath each scale is a heavy layer of black gunpowder that falls from its body when it moves. Instead of the normal two frontal fangs on a snake, Big Iron possesses four, split into layers of two. Big Iron also has a long scar along its entire underbelly, representing the crude ways that snakes are often killed for meat or scales: turning them inside out. Big Iron’s spine protrudes from its back, alterations made to accommodate medium-sized spikes jutting from each vertebrae. Finally, near the end of the tail, Big Iron has a conglomerate of metal shrapnel that replaces its rattle. The metal often makes up the sleek figure of a railgun, but can shift into other artillery too.
Stand Ability: Big Iron’s metal tail connects directly to the rest of its body when shifted into a form of artillery. In order to shed its scales, it uses its ability. Each of Big Iron’s scales are filled with around one dense liter of nitroglycerin, a highly explosive substance. A simple explanation is that when exposed to force, nitroglycerin will detonate with high power. The biology of these scales are pretty simple. Big Iron pumps its blood into the scales while the veins that transfer it are altered for nitroglycerin conversion. So when blood moves into the scales, it converts to nitroglycerin and fills the scales until reaching one liter. Next, the film around its scales. The glossy texture across the snake’s body comes from a unique ‘gel’ that envelopes each nitroglycerin carrier. This gel appears similar to that used by flame-based artillery. It is a substance of the stand that is highly force absorbent and prevents the nitroglycerin from prematurely detonating. However, it cannot leave the stand unless the user physically moves it. This gel also regenerates very quickly, meaning that if the user needed to take some, it would recuperate practically on the spot. Now with both of these factors, the actual ability can come into play. Big Iron’s gun fires its own scales in whatever fashion the gun it replicates would fire its usual ammo. This includes fire rate, speed, ammo size, and other characteristics that would manipulate the shot. If ammunition size is changed, the nitroglycerin quantity will not be altered. This is how Big Iron consistently sheds old scales, growing new ones back in the blink of an eye. When fired, the gel around the scales is scraped off by the movement, leaving it prepared for detonation once breaching the barrel.
Big Iron’s gunpowder that it spreads can also only be detonated by Big Iron’s effects. This entails the nitroglycerin explosions that come from the stand, or in some cases the venom that it can use. Elaborating upon the latter, Big Iron has the ability to replicate any snake venom or fashions used to deliver said venom. For example, Big Iron could imitate black mamba venom and spit it like a cobra. The four fangs are all linked to their own venom sacs, which allow the stand to imitate up to four venoms all at the same time. Ways to deliver venom are also boosted in potency a fair amount. Additionally, Big Iron possesses all boons that snakes would have, but ramped up in efficiency and capability.
Stats:
Destructive Power: A (Big Iron already sports immense physical strength, being able to crush most average cars by them with its body. Complimenting that, the power of nitroglycerin and its venom accessibility is enough to make Big Iron quite the destructive force.) Speed: B (Big Iron is physically fairly fast for its size, which also is helped by the potential speed of its gunfire. It can dodge small gunfire at range, potentially reacting in some way at point blank.) Range: D (Big Iron can move any distance with the length of its body so long as a part of it remains within 1 meter of the user.) Stamina: B (Big Iron’s scales grant it a fair durability, resistant enough to take on However, the nitroglycerin bullets can easily be broken as they move due to the content inside. Varying on the venom chosen, the effects can be difficult to slow or nullify as well.) Precision: A (Big Iron has the firing accuracy of a trained sniper, as well as precise smell and taste. It can pick out select scents even among dense crowds or areas with much stronger ones, as well as detecting a vast amount of precise physical information just from scent.) Developmental Potential: C (Big Iron has potential to improve its ability a good amount. However, there isn’t much variation in its combat tactics or ability usage.)
2023.08.22 16:44 TheDurdyDog New Neighbor
I'm a homeowner and next door we just got a new neighbor who is renting and he's known throughout the town for being one of those 'I'm the main character' kinds of guys. Anyway, he has an obnoxiously loud truck and it wasn't that noticeable at first, but now he's starting it at 7:00am on weekends and 5:30am on weekdays and letting it idle and it's waking me up. I have epilepsy so good sleep is really important to me. I've adjusted my sleep schedule to better match his starting/idling his truck and I'm looking into sound proofing my room.
Also it's not even a cool truck. In fact, it's barely a truck. It's like a 2002 Ford F-150 and it's more rust than it is metal and it has a topper speckled in black mold. The exhaust doesn't sound 'cool' either, it has no tone to it. It's like a big, sustained fart the day after too much Indian food.
He's not just about being noisy either - Dude is in his late 30s/early 40s and lets teenagers come over to his house and have drinking parties. Creepy? One of the nights a drunk teenage girl came staggering out of his back door and sat down in the grass and started that hard 'from the gut' crying at 11pm-ish and two boys started to harass her; we called the police that night.
I've done a lot of reading and it seems like the next step is the tedium of becoming 'that neighbor' who files noise complaints and I'm really not into that. I discussed the noise with him, fairly casually, and he just smugly said, "It's under 98 decibels so there's nothing anyone can do about it." He was proud of it and bragged about his rusty shit-box.
It's really frustrating that we've gone from a previously delightful and respectful neighbor to this. I've owned this house for over a decade and never dealt with a noisy obnoxious neighbor of this caliber, so I guess that was a pretty good run? But still.
There's this part of me that wants to do subterfuge, but it's really just something I say/think about when I want to blow off some steam. I won't let a bad neighbor turn me into a villain, no matter how satisfying that thought might be. (Nothing serious, mind)
The one time I talked to him, (the chat I mentioned above) I immediately regretted it. He's just, gross. He's this sloppy bag of shit who still manages to think he's king-shit of fuck-mountain. I regretted the conversation because he really didn't deserve my time. He doesn't deserve me typing this very vent, yet, here I am.
So I'm just going to see what happens. I'm on really good terms with his landlord, so I might have to discuss our new peach of a neighbor with him. Still not sure how far I want to take this 'disgruntled neighbor' bit. I think over a long enough timeline I'll just let it go. The loud exhaust doesn't wake up my wife or child, mostly because they could both sleep through a 'dump truck driving through a nitroglycerine plant', so at least I've got that going for me. If it were disturbing my family, I'd be a lot more pissed right now. Instead of typing this, I'd be filling that creep's exhaust pipe with spray foam. (But I promise I'll never do that, again, I won't let this dude turn me into a villain)
Thanks for letting me vent. Typing this helped.
submitted by TheDurdyDog to venting [link] [comments]
Also it's not even a cool truck. In fact, it's barely a truck. It's like a 2002 Ford F-150 and it's more rust than it is metal and it has a topper speckled in black mold. The exhaust doesn't sound 'cool' either, it has no tone to it. It's like a big, sustained fart the day after too much Indian food.
He's not just about being noisy either - Dude is in his late 30s/early 40s and lets teenagers come over to his house and have drinking parties. Creepy? One of the nights a drunk teenage girl came staggering out of his back door and sat down in the grass and started that hard 'from the gut' crying at 11pm-ish and two boys started to harass her; we called the police that night.
I've done a lot of reading and it seems like the next step is the tedium of becoming 'that neighbor' who files noise complaints and I'm really not into that. I discussed the noise with him, fairly casually, and he just smugly said, "It's under 98 decibels so there's nothing anyone can do about it." He was proud of it and bragged about his rusty shit-box.
It's really frustrating that we've gone from a previously delightful and respectful neighbor to this. I've owned this house for over a decade and never dealt with a noisy obnoxious neighbor of this caliber, so I guess that was a pretty good run? But still.
There's this part of me that wants to do subterfuge, but it's really just something I say/think about when I want to blow off some steam. I won't let a bad neighbor turn me into a villain, no matter how satisfying that thought might be. (Nothing serious, mind)
The one time I talked to him, (the chat I mentioned above) I immediately regretted it. He's just, gross. He's this sloppy bag of shit who still manages to think he's king-shit of fuck-mountain. I regretted the conversation because he really didn't deserve my time. He doesn't deserve me typing this very vent, yet, here I am.
So I'm just going to see what happens. I'm on really good terms with his landlord, so I might have to discuss our new peach of a neighbor with him. Still not sure how far I want to take this 'disgruntled neighbor' bit. I think over a long enough timeline I'll just let it go. The loud exhaust doesn't wake up my wife or child, mostly because they could both sleep through a 'dump truck driving through a nitroglycerine plant', so at least I've got that going for me. If it were disturbing my family, I'd be a lot more pissed right now. Instead of typing this, I'd be filling that creep's exhaust pipe with spray foam. (But I promise I'll never do that, again, I won't let this dude turn me into a villain)
Thanks for letting me vent. Typing this helped.
2023.08.12 04:06 Shahismael What if Sirius Black falls in love with Lily and marries her and instead of James Potter - a reposnse that got way too long
This is the comment that I tried to input on a question about a what if? but it was too long to have and rather than cut it down, heres my full answer :)
What if Sirius Black falls in love with Lily and marries her and instead of James Potter
Apologies for the length
I dont mean the apology for getting this written down :P
Sirius and Lily would likely go into hiding with Harry Alphard Black's birth, named for Sirius' uncle who left him "a decent amount of gold" to his 17 year old nephew who was rebellign against his family. I doubt Lily would have complained about the name as a middle one, but would have put her foot down to make sure it wasnt his first name.
They would have chosen James (Godfather to Harry) as the secret keeper for the cottage in Godrics Hollow (personally, I believe this to be the old Dumbledore home rather than that of the Potters. They were too wealthy to live somewhere so small, especially with their history of potioneering which would require a laboratory and suitable space) following the same opinions as in canon.
Halloween happens as canon, but Sirius is more likely to have kept his wand on his person, perhaps duelling Voldemort for a (very) short period. Lily dies protecting her son adn Voldemort is defeated by Harry. More likely it was something Lily did as a trap and likely more vicious than in canon due to Sirius and his families knowledge.
Harry is taken as per canon with James hunting Peter down and being arrested. Likely sent to Azkaban by Crouch for whatever reason provided. Likely some more public confusion over this as the Potters did not have the reputation or family examples the Blacks do.
Harry is given to Petunia by Dumbledore as per his plan.
Now, Walburga Black knows about Harry, her only Grandchild. A Halfblood he may be, but Black Blood flows through his veins and he is the son of her eldest, therefore he would make a passable heir to lead the family. He has power to defeat an amazingly terrifying Dark Lord, even as a child. What could he become if he was raised properly?
Walburga sends Kreacher to rescue Harry, which Kreacher soon manages to do. Petunia doesnt care at the missing child, correctly imagining that some freak took it as prevented it from contaminating her Dudley.
Kreacher reports his findings and delivers Harry to Walburga, who in good old Black Family Tradition, goes for a spot of mugglebaiting, possibly taking Harry with her to see their vengeance for how the filthy muggle treated her grandson.
The coroners find signs of major trauma in the Dursleys remains and no smoke in their lungs. Therefore the house fire was an attempt to cover their murder. Police investigate but are unable to find any leads as to the murderer beyond some personal issues at Grunnings, then again, no-one really likes their boss. The case goes cold and is soon forgotten about.
Dumbledore initially believes Harry died alongside the Dursleys and seeks to gain control of Neville Longbottom as the 2nd potential in the Prophesy but goes up against Augusta Longbottom and the fact that he shows no sign of magical potential for nearly too long.
Meanwhile, Walburga raises her grandson Harold (Harry was too plebian, but the boys mother chose it and she can allow that much for her sacrifice) as a true heir of the House of Black. His early years are lonely but he has his grandmothers entire focus and his only friend is Kreacher who adores the little master.
Dumbledore loses a good chunk of his political power, possibly even some of his political positions, when its is discovered that Harry Black died with his muggle kin. Questions are asked of why he wasnt placed with suitable magical relations who could and would have prevented such an incident. He cant really explain that he doesnt trust them without losing more influence, so takes the fall.
Harrys gift as a Parselmouth would be a sign of his greatness and potential, nevermind the fact that Lily Black was a lost descendant of Slytherin himself to provide such a gift to the family. She can be forgiven for the lack of her breeding for this precious bounty.
During this, the locket is likely found and the secret of Regulus' death are discovered. This ignites a cold fire within Walburga for the murder of her favoured son, if she cannot claim her vengeance upon the Dark Lord, then she can claim it againt his legacy.
Where the Blacks had planned to follow the Dark Lord, Walburga has in her hands the chance to raise and train his conqueror.
Through her research, and Kreachers experience, on the locket, they likely discover that Harry is also a Horcrux.
This is not acceptable to Walburga, who delves deep in her family library and experiments on the Locket. Soon, she discovers a way to destroy a Horcrux, but that is not enough, she needs to make sure her dear sweet Harold survives the experience.
After many months of research, she either devises a ritual to absorb its power into Harold, or to move it to another vessel. If moved, she destroys them both once Harold is free of their touch. If absorbtion of the power, then the one in Harold is broken and drained and then Harold drains the Locket to gain more.
After a few years, Narcissa is contacted by her reclusive Aunt, who invites her and Draco to visit. She then introduces her heir Harold to his future lieutenant Draco. Draco doesnt take well to this, having been raised to believe he would inherit the Black Wealth.
Walburga simply reminds Narcissa that either she and Draco will accept their place in the future heirarchy, or they can be cut free of it and the family in full. The choice of course is thiers.
Soon enough, Draco becomes Harolds playfriend and fellow student as they are home schooled. Through the Malfoys, Harold is introduced to appropriate social circles, but his existance is hidden from Dumbledore and his lackies.
Walburga discusses matters of the future with Lucius and it is discovered that the Diary placed in his care is a Horcrux. Seeing the opportunity to have the power he desired witout the shackles Voldemort had bound him in, Lucius works with Walburga to destroy (absorb) the Diary once a ritual could be performed to find any sympathetic links to other fragments.
Through Lucius and the Black Wealth, the Goblet is recovered and disposed of, but they know a fragment exists in Europe or further and another in the vicinity of Hogwarts. The Ring is soon discovered and Walburga manages to fight off the control of the Ring with her sheer hatred and spite towards its master.
Destroying the Ring reveals the secret of the Stone and as Walburga doesnt care about the pain she is inflicting, begins to use it to delve into secrets that she passes on to Harold.
She enjoys summoning Sirius to torment him with stories of Harry being raised by her. Lily, she summons to thank her for her gift and to inform her that she will raise Harry to be strong and get their vengeance on Voldemort for his crimes against their family. She also discusses the ritual or magic used to protect Harold from Voldemort.
Getting close to Harold and Draco's first year at Hogwarts, Lucius alerts Sevrus Snape as to Harolds existance and that even with the bad blood between them, he is not Sirius reborn, but the future Master of the House of Black and Walburga would come for him should she hear a single squeak of anything aimed at Harold by Severus.
Basically behave, or else.
A very angry and inventive Walburga being the Or Else.
Severus, much to his frustration and anger, agrees with this reminder of common sense.
No Dursleys, means no rescue by Hagrid, which means that he doesnt get to be there when Hagrid recoveres the Stone from Gringotts. Dumbledore likely goes with Neville and recovers it personally with Neville beside him.
Harry would be given a post owl, so likely still ends up with Hedwig, who retains the same name as Harrys reasosn would not have changed.
Harry is on the train and meets up with his associates from suitable families, therefore avoiding the Weasleys. Harry has a pleasant and mostly quiet journey to his first adventure.
Harold Black is sorted into Ravenclaw (No True Slytherin would be found in their true House, its too easy for them to be found.) to his Grandmothers amusement when it is explained as to exactly why he isnt in his ancestors House.
At least hes not a Gryffindor.
His sorting is a shock to many, with those not in the know believing him dead. There are no book series with his death, so that fame isnt there. Walburga has already sent statements to the major newspapers to explain his survival and that he was raised as the future head of House Black.
Ron and Neville go to Gryffindor, Hermione follows Harold to Ravenclaw as she would not be as impressed with Dumbledore in this life as she was in canon.
Over the year, Harold seeks out the schools secrets, likely debating the merits of Muggle versus Magical society with Hermione. Draco is not as antagonistic as Harry's herald to the Slytherins. Harry likely pays a late night visit to his ancestors House to introduce himself properly to his future followers.
Unable to influence Black due to his Grandmothers influence backed by Lucius' attention as a School Governor, he focuses on Neville instead. Gifting him the Potters Cloak at Christmas and ensuring that Neville isnt distracted by unfair punishments and petty matters. The four Gryffindor boys become a new generation of marauders when Neville is provided a few notebooks and hints.
Neville is also guided to mistrust the Slytherins (easy) and Black due to his relation to Bellatrix Lestrange and that the aunt who favoured her and likely trained her raised Harold.
First Year, things mostly carry on as canon but Harry isnt on the quidditch team, nor does he react to Quirrels presence due to the lack of Horcrux in his scar. Hagrids hut burns down one night and he is very upset about some little monster called Norbert who ran away in the chaos.
Hermione likely upsets another Ravenclaw due to her attitude and a childs dislike (especially amongst Ravenclaws) of her superior intellect and knowledge. Harry rescues her but due to Walburga's raising him, the Troll does not survive the events.
His explorations lead him to the 3rd floor corridor where he discovers fluffy as well as the Mirror of Erised, just before he returns to London for Christmas. Hermione likely joining him in his search, not that she knows what he is looking for.
The mirror would display his parents, happy and proud beside his Grandmother and Kreacher. Banners of the House of Black behind his throne.
Due to his Grandmothers orders to find the Chamber of Secrets or any other hidden location, Harry talks to Hagrid about the Cerberus, then sneaks into the room and with Hermione passes the tests, finding the mirror once again. This time earlier in the year.
The mirror does its thing and Harry who has no interest in the stone walks out with it. He doesnt need it for the wealth as hes already rich, he doesnt need it for the long life as he knows about the flaws due to his grandmothers lessons.
Quirrelmort attempts to take the stone at the end of the year, Neville and the Maruaders attempt to stop him but are badly hurt in the attempt. Voldemort escapes when Dumbledore arrives, Quirrel dies as Voldemort leaves.
Gryffindor win the Cup due to Dumbledores late points to Slytheirn and Harrys disgust. He then explains the situation to Hermione who has her trust in authority fractured more.
Second year, Luna goes to Ravenclaw. Hermione nearly adopts the girl as a slightly insane little sister when she witnesses the bullying. Harry backs Hermione up due to friendship, he doesnt see much wrong with how the others treated Luna, they were just toughening her up. Walburga would have been much worse.
With no Diary, the chamber remains closed, unless Harry finds it in his exploration. He joins the Quidditch team this year as a form of exercise and gaining influence in Ravenclaw as the teams are sen as leaders in each House. Ravenclaw win every game due to Harrys natural skill.
Third year, James Potter requests to speak to Walburga from Azkaban when he sees the photo of Wormtail in the Prophet. The guards laugh but pass on the message to her. She attends out of curiosity, not having been bothered by the mans supposed betrayal to actually have her vengeance, she is leaving that for Harold should Potter survive that long.
After a conversation, she lets the guards know that he has nothing of worth to say to her. While she promises to capture Pettigrew for his treachery.
With no escape, no Dementors are sent to guard Hogwarts.
Walburga then discusses the matter with Harry who is understandably angry. He focuses on getting Wormtail which Ron sees as an attack on him and the conflict between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw starts getting messy, much to Dumbledores delight.
Remus Lupin is unable to get close to Harry as Harry was already warned about the man as a friend of his father, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. The fact that he had made no attempt to contact Harry after his parents death means that he is either in the same camp as Pettigrew or just doesnt care. With no Dementors, there is no need to study the Patronus either.
Ron is provided the map by the twins and shares it with the others, who name themselves the New Marauders in honour of the maps makers.
Peter is finally captured by Harry, Hermione and Draco, but escapes due to the Gryffindors spying on them and intervening which results in Remus turning before witnesses and Harry and Hermione driving him off with their magic.
Snape takes great pleasure in breaking Remus' reputation and him quitting before he is fired. The Gryffindors take the firing of their favourate teacher personally and turn that anger on Black, Malfoy and Granger.
Summer of third year, Walburga insists on meeting this Hermione Granger and her parents, doing her best to hide her disgust of the filthy muggles within her presence. One fascinating conversation with the girls parents later about their society of torturers who are paid by their victims to inflict such agony upon them and to also repair damage without the use of magic... These Dentists are such wonderful people, perhaps their daughter would learn some of their skills to support her future Dark Lord.
Harry and Hermione do not try to correct Walburga and explain to the Grangers that she actually likes them but is very... reclusive and very, very traditional in her views of the world. Hermione also manages to whisper to her parents to not mention pain relief or sedatives to reduce the pain, just let her think you dont do that.
Fourth year, Harry's name is picked from the Goblet as canon, much to his annoyance and Walburga's fury. Unlike canon, she brings the full weight of the House of Black down uipon the tournament to ensure her beloved grandson is suitably protected. Neither Crouch nor Bagman appreciate the attention and Dumbledore definately doesnt.
Draco also doesnt target Harry as he does in canon, instead Neville and the Gryffindors do.
Luna joins Harry and Hermione as well as Draco as a full trusted member of Harrys circle when she tells him of course he hadnt entered himself. Draco takes Luna to the Ball, Harry takes Hermione. Neville takes Ginny who has joined the New Maruaders.
First task, Harry uses muggle science and transfigures a stone into nitroglycerin adn throws it in the Dragons mouth. One explosion later, the dragon is removed as a threat.
Second task, he rescues Hermione using the same plan, but he transfigures some of the seaweed holding the other hostages into barbed wire which injures Krum and gives Cedric problems cutting the metal wire underwater. Fleur fails to recover her sister as canon.
Third task, Cedric survives because Harry doesnt wait and play fair, sending a tripping hex at him while hes runnign for the trophy, leaving him to face the acromantula.
Harry escapes the Graveyard much more focused but in pain from the Cruciatus and blood loss. Malfoy is summoned and attends, but does his best to hide his true allegiance and to assist in Harrys escape.
By the end of fourth year, Harry has found the Chamber but no Horcrux was hidden there, but he has wonderful conversations with the Basilisk about Slytherin and the early years of Hogwarts. Hermione visits wearing a blindfold and with a quill to write down Harrys words as transltor to her questions. She finds it fascinating as does Harry. The Basilisk enjoys intelligent conversation in comparison to the last Master to control her.
Dumbledore tries to alert people to Voldemorts return but is seen as losing his mind and memory, thinking they were back in the 70's. Fudge is carefully nudged to that viewpoint.
Draco visits relatives and friends over the summer while Narcissa attends her sickly aunt. Meanwhile Lucius hosts the Dark Lord in his home much to his disgust.
Fifth year, Umbridge arrives and focuses on breaking the remnants of Dumbledores influence and power. Neville does not take kindly to this. He tries to build an underground resistance while Harry gets permission for a Defense self study group. Blacks group is nicknamed the junior deatheaters by the Gryffindors, while Dumbledores Army recruits from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff alone. Harry will take anyone who is there to learn, even the obvious spies sent by Neville. The few Hufflepuffs that join Harry satrt a civil war in the Hufflepuff Quarters as each side turns on the traitors.
This results in the discovery of the Room of Requirement where Harry will quickly find the final old Horcrux in the Diadem.
He gives it to Walburga when he meets up with her in hogsmeade. She reperforms the ritual and finds a new Horcrux has been made, Malfoy suggest Nagini as the possibility. He also explains that Draco is Voldemorts spy in Harrys circle and loyal to the Dark Lord, just not mentioning which Dark Lord hes loyal to.
Voldemort attacks Azkaban to recover his followers, James escapes in the chaos and flees before his is killed. He travels to London and contacts Walburga who begrudgingly allows him to recover as her guest. She supposes that harry would like to learn about his parents from a friend of theirs.
In the sixth year, Malfoy alerts Walburga about the Prophesy that the Dark Lord desires to acquire, she organises a trap where a fake orb is internally expanded and filled with transfigured greek fire. malfoy quietly has his elves replace all the mansions treasures with transfigured fakes, the originals are stored in a gringotts vault.
During the preparations, Mr Weasley is killed by Nagini at Christmas as Harry doesnt witness her vision through the link.
Harry, Hermione and Luna sneak into the Ministry and Malfoy alerts Voldemort that they are moving to take the Prophesy, he leads a team to recover the orb which Harry allows to happen. Some inujuries are taken by the children, but Malfoy ensured only the weakest of Voldemorts minions were taken, acting as if he didnt want to share any of the glory with the other lieutenants. Voldemort finds the petty bickering amusing and allows it, sending Bellatrix with them to ensur Malfoy does his duty properly.
Returning to the mansion, Malfoy delivers the orb and leaves. Declining the offer to hear the prophesy as he is unworthy of doing so. Bellatrix sees this as weakness and accepts the offer to hear it.
Voldemort breaks the orb, releasing the greek fire which floods the room, covering everything in its release. Malfoy ignites what leaks under the door and portkeys out.
Voldemort, Nagini and Bellatrix are slain in the explosion and fire that results.
The Malfoy mansion burns down and the major threats are dealt with by Walburga as she happily hums a playful song as she skips through the fire, acting as Harrys right hand in his vengeance.
The survivors are advised to tow the line and follow Harry. The Malfoys are seen as tragic heros whio sacrificed their family home to remove the threat of a burgioning Dark Lord, pretending it was someone claiming to be Voldemort, not the man himself.
Dumbledore continues his crusade against Voldemort and loses his remaining positions due to his actions and attitudes. Snape is promoted to headmaster with McGonagall as his deputy.
Peter Pettigrew is found alive and captured by James Potter who redeems his name and tries to rebuild his family while trying to corrupt his godson.
Neville and the New Marauders still believe in Dumbledore and follow his teachings.
Dumbledore is either quietly retired or dies alone and in the middle of nowhere with his body transfigured and broken before being buried in several ditches and or fed to several animals. Walburga says nothing of the matter to Harry and he knows better than to ask.
Walburga will die surrounded by her grandson (the minister of magic or headmaster of hogwarts/dark lord/ruler of england), his wife (if hermione, then shes the minister of magic) and their children with a smile on her face.
But this is just one take on what could happen with such a change that early on in the canon :P
submitted by Shahismael to u/Shahismael [link] [comments]
What if Sirius Black falls in love with Lily and marries her and instead of James Potter
Apologies for the length
I dont mean the apology for getting this written down :P
Sirius and Lily would likely go into hiding with Harry Alphard Black's birth, named for Sirius' uncle who left him "a decent amount of gold" to his 17 year old nephew who was rebellign against his family. I doubt Lily would have complained about the name as a middle one, but would have put her foot down to make sure it wasnt his first name.
They would have chosen James (Godfather to Harry) as the secret keeper for the cottage in Godrics Hollow (personally, I believe this to be the old Dumbledore home rather than that of the Potters. They were too wealthy to live somewhere so small, especially with their history of potioneering which would require a laboratory and suitable space) following the same opinions as in canon.
Halloween happens as canon, but Sirius is more likely to have kept his wand on his person, perhaps duelling Voldemort for a (very) short period. Lily dies protecting her son adn Voldemort is defeated by Harry. More likely it was something Lily did as a trap and likely more vicious than in canon due to Sirius and his families knowledge.
Harry is taken as per canon with James hunting Peter down and being arrested. Likely sent to Azkaban by Crouch for whatever reason provided. Likely some more public confusion over this as the Potters did not have the reputation or family examples the Blacks do.
Harry is given to Petunia by Dumbledore as per his plan.
Now, Walburga Black knows about Harry, her only Grandchild. A Halfblood he may be, but Black Blood flows through his veins and he is the son of her eldest, therefore he would make a passable heir to lead the family. He has power to defeat an amazingly terrifying Dark Lord, even as a child. What could he become if he was raised properly?
Walburga sends Kreacher to rescue Harry, which Kreacher soon manages to do. Petunia doesnt care at the missing child, correctly imagining that some freak took it as prevented it from contaminating her Dudley.
Kreacher reports his findings and delivers Harry to Walburga, who in good old Black Family Tradition, goes for a spot of mugglebaiting, possibly taking Harry with her to see their vengeance for how the filthy muggle treated her grandson.
The coroners find signs of major trauma in the Dursleys remains and no smoke in their lungs. Therefore the house fire was an attempt to cover their murder. Police investigate but are unable to find any leads as to the murderer beyond some personal issues at Grunnings, then again, no-one really likes their boss. The case goes cold and is soon forgotten about.
Dumbledore initially believes Harry died alongside the Dursleys and seeks to gain control of Neville Longbottom as the 2nd potential in the Prophesy but goes up against Augusta Longbottom and the fact that he shows no sign of magical potential for nearly too long.
Meanwhile, Walburga raises her grandson Harold (Harry was too plebian, but the boys mother chose it and she can allow that much for her sacrifice) as a true heir of the House of Black. His early years are lonely but he has his grandmothers entire focus and his only friend is Kreacher who adores the little master.
Dumbledore loses a good chunk of his political power, possibly even some of his political positions, when its is discovered that Harry Black died with his muggle kin. Questions are asked of why he wasnt placed with suitable magical relations who could and would have prevented such an incident. He cant really explain that he doesnt trust them without losing more influence, so takes the fall.
Harrys gift as a Parselmouth would be a sign of his greatness and potential, nevermind the fact that Lily Black was a lost descendant of Slytherin himself to provide such a gift to the family. She can be forgiven for the lack of her breeding for this precious bounty.
During this, the locket is likely found and the secret of Regulus' death are discovered. This ignites a cold fire within Walburga for the murder of her favoured son, if she cannot claim her vengeance upon the Dark Lord, then she can claim it againt his legacy.
Where the Blacks had planned to follow the Dark Lord, Walburga has in her hands the chance to raise and train his conqueror.
Through her research, and Kreachers experience, on the locket, they likely discover that Harry is also a Horcrux.
This is not acceptable to Walburga, who delves deep in her family library and experiments on the Locket. Soon, she discovers a way to destroy a Horcrux, but that is not enough, she needs to make sure her dear sweet Harold survives the experience.
After many months of research, she either devises a ritual to absorb its power into Harold, or to move it to another vessel. If moved, she destroys them both once Harold is free of their touch. If absorbtion of the power, then the one in Harold is broken and drained and then Harold drains the Locket to gain more.
After a few years, Narcissa is contacted by her reclusive Aunt, who invites her and Draco to visit. She then introduces her heir Harold to his future lieutenant Draco. Draco doesnt take well to this, having been raised to believe he would inherit the Black Wealth.
Walburga simply reminds Narcissa that either she and Draco will accept their place in the future heirarchy, or they can be cut free of it and the family in full. The choice of course is thiers.
Soon enough, Draco becomes Harolds playfriend and fellow student as they are home schooled. Through the Malfoys, Harold is introduced to appropriate social circles, but his existance is hidden from Dumbledore and his lackies.
Walburga discusses matters of the future with Lucius and it is discovered that the Diary placed in his care is a Horcrux. Seeing the opportunity to have the power he desired witout the shackles Voldemort had bound him in, Lucius works with Walburga to destroy (absorb) the Diary once a ritual could be performed to find any sympathetic links to other fragments.
Through Lucius and the Black Wealth, the Goblet is recovered and disposed of, but they know a fragment exists in Europe or further and another in the vicinity of Hogwarts. The Ring is soon discovered and Walburga manages to fight off the control of the Ring with her sheer hatred and spite towards its master.
Destroying the Ring reveals the secret of the Stone and as Walburga doesnt care about the pain she is inflicting, begins to use it to delve into secrets that she passes on to Harold.
She enjoys summoning Sirius to torment him with stories of Harry being raised by her. Lily, she summons to thank her for her gift and to inform her that she will raise Harry to be strong and get their vengeance on Voldemort for his crimes against their family. She also discusses the ritual or magic used to protect Harold from Voldemort.
Getting close to Harold and Draco's first year at Hogwarts, Lucius alerts Sevrus Snape as to Harolds existance and that even with the bad blood between them, he is not Sirius reborn, but the future Master of the House of Black and Walburga would come for him should she hear a single squeak of anything aimed at Harold by Severus.
Basically behave, or else.
A very angry and inventive Walburga being the Or Else.
Severus, much to his frustration and anger, agrees with this reminder of common sense.
No Dursleys, means no rescue by Hagrid, which means that he doesnt get to be there when Hagrid recoveres the Stone from Gringotts. Dumbledore likely goes with Neville and recovers it personally with Neville beside him.
Harry would be given a post owl, so likely still ends up with Hedwig, who retains the same name as Harrys reasosn would not have changed.
Harry is on the train and meets up with his associates from suitable families, therefore avoiding the Weasleys. Harry has a pleasant and mostly quiet journey to his first adventure.
Harold Black is sorted into Ravenclaw (No True Slytherin would be found in their true House, its too easy for them to be found.) to his Grandmothers amusement when it is explained as to exactly why he isnt in his ancestors House.
At least hes not a Gryffindor.
His sorting is a shock to many, with those not in the know believing him dead. There are no book series with his death, so that fame isnt there. Walburga has already sent statements to the major newspapers to explain his survival and that he was raised as the future head of House Black.
Ron and Neville go to Gryffindor, Hermione follows Harold to Ravenclaw as she would not be as impressed with Dumbledore in this life as she was in canon.
Over the year, Harold seeks out the schools secrets, likely debating the merits of Muggle versus Magical society with Hermione. Draco is not as antagonistic as Harry's herald to the Slytherins. Harry likely pays a late night visit to his ancestors House to introduce himself properly to his future followers.
Unable to influence Black due to his Grandmothers influence backed by Lucius' attention as a School Governor, he focuses on Neville instead. Gifting him the Potters Cloak at Christmas and ensuring that Neville isnt distracted by unfair punishments and petty matters. The four Gryffindor boys become a new generation of marauders when Neville is provided a few notebooks and hints.
Neville is also guided to mistrust the Slytherins (easy) and Black due to his relation to Bellatrix Lestrange and that the aunt who favoured her and likely trained her raised Harold.
First Year, things mostly carry on as canon but Harry isnt on the quidditch team, nor does he react to Quirrels presence due to the lack of Horcrux in his scar. Hagrids hut burns down one night and he is very upset about some little monster called Norbert who ran away in the chaos.
Hermione likely upsets another Ravenclaw due to her attitude and a childs dislike (especially amongst Ravenclaws) of her superior intellect and knowledge. Harry rescues her but due to Walburga's raising him, the Troll does not survive the events.
His explorations lead him to the 3rd floor corridor where he discovers fluffy as well as the Mirror of Erised, just before he returns to London for Christmas. Hermione likely joining him in his search, not that she knows what he is looking for.
The mirror would display his parents, happy and proud beside his Grandmother and Kreacher. Banners of the House of Black behind his throne.
Due to his Grandmothers orders to find the Chamber of Secrets or any other hidden location, Harry talks to Hagrid about the Cerberus, then sneaks into the room and with Hermione passes the tests, finding the mirror once again. This time earlier in the year.
The mirror does its thing and Harry who has no interest in the stone walks out with it. He doesnt need it for the wealth as hes already rich, he doesnt need it for the long life as he knows about the flaws due to his grandmothers lessons.
Quirrelmort attempts to take the stone at the end of the year, Neville and the Maruaders attempt to stop him but are badly hurt in the attempt. Voldemort escapes when Dumbledore arrives, Quirrel dies as Voldemort leaves.
Gryffindor win the Cup due to Dumbledores late points to Slytheirn and Harrys disgust. He then explains the situation to Hermione who has her trust in authority fractured more.
Second year, Luna goes to Ravenclaw. Hermione nearly adopts the girl as a slightly insane little sister when she witnesses the bullying. Harry backs Hermione up due to friendship, he doesnt see much wrong with how the others treated Luna, they were just toughening her up. Walburga would have been much worse.
With no Diary, the chamber remains closed, unless Harry finds it in his exploration. He joins the Quidditch team this year as a form of exercise and gaining influence in Ravenclaw as the teams are sen as leaders in each House. Ravenclaw win every game due to Harrys natural skill.
Third year, James Potter requests to speak to Walburga from Azkaban when he sees the photo of Wormtail in the Prophet. The guards laugh but pass on the message to her. She attends out of curiosity, not having been bothered by the mans supposed betrayal to actually have her vengeance, she is leaving that for Harold should Potter survive that long.
After a conversation, she lets the guards know that he has nothing of worth to say to her. While she promises to capture Pettigrew for his treachery.
With no escape, no Dementors are sent to guard Hogwarts.
Walburga then discusses the matter with Harry who is understandably angry. He focuses on getting Wormtail which Ron sees as an attack on him and the conflict between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw starts getting messy, much to Dumbledores delight.
Remus Lupin is unable to get close to Harry as Harry was already warned about the man as a friend of his father, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. The fact that he had made no attempt to contact Harry after his parents death means that he is either in the same camp as Pettigrew or just doesnt care. With no Dementors, there is no need to study the Patronus either.
Ron is provided the map by the twins and shares it with the others, who name themselves the New Marauders in honour of the maps makers.
Peter is finally captured by Harry, Hermione and Draco, but escapes due to the Gryffindors spying on them and intervening which results in Remus turning before witnesses and Harry and Hermione driving him off with their magic.
Snape takes great pleasure in breaking Remus' reputation and him quitting before he is fired. The Gryffindors take the firing of their favourate teacher personally and turn that anger on Black, Malfoy and Granger.
Summer of third year, Walburga insists on meeting this Hermione Granger and her parents, doing her best to hide her disgust of the filthy muggles within her presence. One fascinating conversation with the girls parents later about their society of torturers who are paid by their victims to inflict such agony upon them and to also repair damage without the use of magic... These Dentists are such wonderful people, perhaps their daughter would learn some of their skills to support her future Dark Lord.
Harry and Hermione do not try to correct Walburga and explain to the Grangers that she actually likes them but is very... reclusive and very, very traditional in her views of the world. Hermione also manages to whisper to her parents to not mention pain relief or sedatives to reduce the pain, just let her think you dont do that.
Fourth year, Harry's name is picked from the Goblet as canon, much to his annoyance and Walburga's fury. Unlike canon, she brings the full weight of the House of Black down uipon the tournament to ensure her beloved grandson is suitably protected. Neither Crouch nor Bagman appreciate the attention and Dumbledore definately doesnt.
Draco also doesnt target Harry as he does in canon, instead Neville and the Gryffindors do.
Luna joins Harry and Hermione as well as Draco as a full trusted member of Harrys circle when she tells him of course he hadnt entered himself. Draco takes Luna to the Ball, Harry takes Hermione. Neville takes Ginny who has joined the New Maruaders.
First task, Harry uses muggle science and transfigures a stone into nitroglycerin adn throws it in the Dragons mouth. One explosion later, the dragon is removed as a threat.
Second task, he rescues Hermione using the same plan, but he transfigures some of the seaweed holding the other hostages into barbed wire which injures Krum and gives Cedric problems cutting the metal wire underwater. Fleur fails to recover her sister as canon.
Third task, Cedric survives because Harry doesnt wait and play fair, sending a tripping hex at him while hes runnign for the trophy, leaving him to face the acromantula.
Harry escapes the Graveyard much more focused but in pain from the Cruciatus and blood loss. Malfoy is summoned and attends, but does his best to hide his true allegiance and to assist in Harrys escape.
By the end of fourth year, Harry has found the Chamber but no Horcrux was hidden there, but he has wonderful conversations with the Basilisk about Slytherin and the early years of Hogwarts. Hermione visits wearing a blindfold and with a quill to write down Harrys words as transltor to her questions. She finds it fascinating as does Harry. The Basilisk enjoys intelligent conversation in comparison to the last Master to control her.
Dumbledore tries to alert people to Voldemorts return but is seen as losing his mind and memory, thinking they were back in the 70's. Fudge is carefully nudged to that viewpoint.
Draco visits relatives and friends over the summer while Narcissa attends her sickly aunt. Meanwhile Lucius hosts the Dark Lord in his home much to his disgust.
Fifth year, Umbridge arrives and focuses on breaking the remnants of Dumbledores influence and power. Neville does not take kindly to this. He tries to build an underground resistance while Harry gets permission for a Defense self study group. Blacks group is nicknamed the junior deatheaters by the Gryffindors, while Dumbledores Army recruits from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff alone. Harry will take anyone who is there to learn, even the obvious spies sent by Neville. The few Hufflepuffs that join Harry satrt a civil war in the Hufflepuff Quarters as each side turns on the traitors.
This results in the discovery of the Room of Requirement where Harry will quickly find the final old Horcrux in the Diadem.
He gives it to Walburga when he meets up with her in hogsmeade. She reperforms the ritual and finds a new Horcrux has been made, Malfoy suggest Nagini as the possibility. He also explains that Draco is Voldemorts spy in Harrys circle and loyal to the Dark Lord, just not mentioning which Dark Lord hes loyal to.
Voldemort attacks Azkaban to recover his followers, James escapes in the chaos and flees before his is killed. He travels to London and contacts Walburga who begrudgingly allows him to recover as her guest. She supposes that harry would like to learn about his parents from a friend of theirs.
In the sixth year, Malfoy alerts Walburga about the Prophesy that the Dark Lord desires to acquire, she organises a trap where a fake orb is internally expanded and filled with transfigured greek fire. malfoy quietly has his elves replace all the mansions treasures with transfigured fakes, the originals are stored in a gringotts vault.
During the preparations, Mr Weasley is killed by Nagini at Christmas as Harry doesnt witness her vision through the link.
Harry, Hermione and Luna sneak into the Ministry and Malfoy alerts Voldemort that they are moving to take the Prophesy, he leads a team to recover the orb which Harry allows to happen. Some inujuries are taken by the children, but Malfoy ensured only the weakest of Voldemorts minions were taken, acting as if he didnt want to share any of the glory with the other lieutenants. Voldemort finds the petty bickering amusing and allows it, sending Bellatrix with them to ensur Malfoy does his duty properly.
Returning to the mansion, Malfoy delivers the orb and leaves. Declining the offer to hear the prophesy as he is unworthy of doing so. Bellatrix sees this as weakness and accepts the offer to hear it.
Voldemort breaks the orb, releasing the greek fire which floods the room, covering everything in its release. Malfoy ignites what leaks under the door and portkeys out.
Voldemort, Nagini and Bellatrix are slain in the explosion and fire that results.
The Malfoy mansion burns down and the major threats are dealt with by Walburga as she happily hums a playful song as she skips through the fire, acting as Harrys right hand in his vengeance.
The survivors are advised to tow the line and follow Harry. The Malfoys are seen as tragic heros whio sacrificed their family home to remove the threat of a burgioning Dark Lord, pretending it was someone claiming to be Voldemort, not the man himself.
Dumbledore continues his crusade against Voldemort and loses his remaining positions due to his actions and attitudes. Snape is promoted to headmaster with McGonagall as his deputy.
Peter Pettigrew is found alive and captured by James Potter who redeems his name and tries to rebuild his family while trying to corrupt his godson.
Neville and the New Marauders still believe in Dumbledore and follow his teachings.
Dumbledore is either quietly retired or dies alone and in the middle of nowhere with his body transfigured and broken before being buried in several ditches and or fed to several animals. Walburga says nothing of the matter to Harry and he knows better than to ask.
Walburga will die surrounded by her grandson (the minister of magic or headmaster of hogwarts/dark lord/ruler of england), his wife (if hermione, then shes the minister of magic) and their children with a smile on her face.
But this is just one take on what could happen with such a change that early on in the canon :P
2023.07.25 04:02 JranZu [SF][RF] Zoe Chen: Threads of Intrusion
In the electronic haze of Hong Kong's digitally lit skyline, hidden in an unassuming network of alleyways, stood Zoe's realm: an inconspicuous electronics repair shop, alive with the rhythmic pulse of humming circuits and whispering computer hardware. At the tender age of 19, Zoe had etched out a place for herself in this world of transistors and code. Once a chaotic storage space, the backroom had transformed into her sanctuary – a private sector governed by complex circuitry and advanced algorithmic constructs.
Her mismatched socks – one striped, the other pixelated with binary dots – peeked out from beneath her workspace, injecting a touch of color against the sterile white tiles. She hunched over an exposed computer tower, her jet-black hair spilling over her shoulder and cascading down her back, enclosing her in a curtain of focus. Her deft fingers navigated the matrix of wires and circuits with the precision and poise of a veteran surgeon.
"This isn't syncing up," Zoe murmured, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting a fierce determination. The code was riddled with inconsistencies; rogue backdoors and anomalies peppered the lines, and her astute mind missed none. Her gaze flickered from the dissected hardware to her monitor, the bluish glow of the intricate code mirrored in her intense, unwavering stare.
Without warning, her screen blazed a violent red, a cyber alert. Her firewall had been breached. Yet, in the face of imminent digital chaos, Zoe's eyes sparked, the thrill of an uncharted challenge lighting up her gaze. A rookie might've faltered, but not Zoe; this was an invitation to test her unmatched resilience and prowess.
"Oh, isn't this intriguing? Let's see what these hackers are made of," she mused, her voice weaving through the oscillating fans and humming mainframes around her. A calculated smile crept onto her lips, illuminated by the eerie red glow of the breached terminal. This bold intruder had unwittingly presented her with a fresh algorithm to decode.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, scripting an elaborate dance of complex code. The infiltrator was skilled, their strategy well-crafted, but Zoe Chen was a force unto herself. As the moments bled into hours, the solitary room pulsed with the rhythmic pounding of keystrokes and the second hand's inexorable march. Physically static but mentally a whirlwind, Zoe diligently dissected patterns within the digital matrix sprawled before her.
An anomaly in the pattern of the cyber onslaught seized her attention. "Honeypot! They lured us right in," she muttered, the revelation as startling as it was intriguing. The intruder hadn't merely aimed to invade her system; they had engineered a digital trap, hoping to ensnare her in a deceptive web of complex code.
An impish smirk tugged at the corners of her lips as Zoe accepted the challenge. Swiftly, she engineered a virtual decoy, a strand of deceptive code to confound her unseen adversary. With a decisive tap on the enter key, her screen blinked before bathing the room in a soothing green. "You're in my world now," she murmured with satisfaction.
Her heart pounded a relentless rhythm, adrenaline coursing where fear might have taken hold. This was her element – the exhilarating chase, the unraveling of a digital mystery. The taste of victory was intoxicating, and Zoe savored it, leaning back in her chair as her eyes flicked to the system clock at the corner of her screen; it displayed 3:24 am.
Fingers poised over the keyboard, Zoe murmured, "Time to unmask the ghost in the machine." Her focus wasn't confined to restoring her system's integrity but also to discerning the motive behind this intrusion. She couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that this hack wasn't a random act of digital vandalism. The tenacity of the attack suggested a specific intent. But why would anyone target a humble computer repair shop in the labyrinthine back alleys of Hong Kong?
Pausing mid-thought, her gaze unfocused. "Some script kiddie trying to shadow my moves? Unlikely. I'm solid in the scene but I'm not reinventing the wheel. Or am I? Could there be a poser out there, trying to clone my bespoke crypto techniques?" The thought aligned with her circumstances but didn't entirely fit the situation's pattern.
"Corporate espionage?" she mused aloud, a touch of humor lacing her tone. She imagined Big Tech giants, hunched over their shiny conference tables, laser-focused on her little computer repair shop tucked away in the backstreets of Hong Kong. The image was almost laughable. "Oh, right. Big corps shaking in their boots over my circuit designs. Come back down to reality" Yet, even as she made light of the idea, Zoe was acutely aware of the reality that in the intricate and high-stakes world of tech, stranger things had indeed happened.
As another hypothesis began to form in her mind, Zoe's fingers continued their symphony on the keyboard, maintaining the rhythmic clatter in the otherwise silent room. It was far-fetched but not entirely implausible, much like the layers of encryption she was diligently dissecting. She had been an active participant in dark-web chat rooms, embroiled in intense debates about the looming threats posed by unregulated advancements in AI.
As Zoe continued hunting the digital trespasser, her thoughts drifted back to a conversation with an enigmatic figure operating under the pseudonym BinaryOracle. Their discourse was typically cryptic, carefully selected words woven into captivating puzzles. Unlike her fiery exchanges with other members, discussions with BinaryOracle veered into realms of enigmatic intrigue. One interaction, in particular, surfaced in her mind as she navigated another layer of the digital labyrinth.
BinaryOracle had asked her, "Do you not think that the benefits of advanced AI could outweigh potential risks?"
Her response had been swift, "Potential risks? More like ticking time bombs. The faster we sprint into unchecked AI development, the closer we skirt the precipice. One bug away from..."
BinaryOracle's retort had been enigmatic, a question that lingered. "But isn't it the nature of humanity to push boundaries, to explore the unknown, regardless of the potential danger?"
Zoe had countered, "Yes, but with clear thinking, not breakneck speed. We're messing with entities that could outmaneuver us in a nanosecond. Can we really predict their perception of us, their endgame? We're just noobs juggling nitroglycerin in a data center."
BinaryOracle's parting words still echoed in her mind. "An intriguing perspective, Miss Chen. Perhaps it is not the flame we should fear, but the hands that control the matches."
That conversation, laden with mystery and thought-provoking dialogue, had sparked many sleepless nights for Zoe. The compelling final words from BinaryOracle hinted at a belief in AI's potential and a subtle warning against human folly. Could this incident be linked to that enigmatic figure? Could their cryptic philosophies translate into this invasive digital assault?
Lost in her thoughts, Zoe almost missed another layer of the hacker's defenses crumbling. The digital breadcrumbs were guiding her closer to the source. The night was far from over, and she was just getting started.
Diving back into the digital maze, she followed the clues left by the infiltrator, leading her to something unusual. The intruder's code was distinct, devoid of the sporadic or chaotic patterns typical of the code she usually hacked. It was methodical... clinical. It was as if she were contending with an entity devoid of human flaws.
Undeterred by the complexity of the task, Zoe pressed on. The digital footprints acted as her compass across the expansive terrain of the darknet through cryptic channels and anonymous nodes. Her journey culminated in an unexpected destination: Utah, USA. A sense of accomplishment surged within her as she muttered, "Gotcha," her voice steeped in the sweet taste of victory.
submitted by JranZu to shortstories [link] [comments]
Her mismatched socks – one striped, the other pixelated with binary dots – peeked out from beneath her workspace, injecting a touch of color against the sterile white tiles. She hunched over an exposed computer tower, her jet-black hair spilling over her shoulder and cascading down her back, enclosing her in a curtain of focus. Her deft fingers navigated the matrix of wires and circuits with the precision and poise of a veteran surgeon.
"This isn't syncing up," Zoe murmured, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting a fierce determination. The code was riddled with inconsistencies; rogue backdoors and anomalies peppered the lines, and her astute mind missed none. Her gaze flickered from the dissected hardware to her monitor, the bluish glow of the intricate code mirrored in her intense, unwavering stare.
Without warning, her screen blazed a violent red, a cyber alert. Her firewall had been breached. Yet, in the face of imminent digital chaos, Zoe's eyes sparked, the thrill of an uncharted challenge lighting up her gaze. A rookie might've faltered, but not Zoe; this was an invitation to test her unmatched resilience and prowess.
"Oh, isn't this intriguing? Let's see what these hackers are made of," she mused, her voice weaving through the oscillating fans and humming mainframes around her. A calculated smile crept onto her lips, illuminated by the eerie red glow of the breached terminal. This bold intruder had unwittingly presented her with a fresh algorithm to decode.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, scripting an elaborate dance of complex code. The infiltrator was skilled, their strategy well-crafted, but Zoe Chen was a force unto herself. As the moments bled into hours, the solitary room pulsed with the rhythmic pounding of keystrokes and the second hand's inexorable march. Physically static but mentally a whirlwind, Zoe diligently dissected patterns within the digital matrix sprawled before her.
An anomaly in the pattern of the cyber onslaught seized her attention. "Honeypot! They lured us right in," she muttered, the revelation as startling as it was intriguing. The intruder hadn't merely aimed to invade her system; they had engineered a digital trap, hoping to ensnare her in a deceptive web of complex code.
An impish smirk tugged at the corners of her lips as Zoe accepted the challenge. Swiftly, she engineered a virtual decoy, a strand of deceptive code to confound her unseen adversary. With a decisive tap on the enter key, her screen blinked before bathing the room in a soothing green. "You're in my world now," she murmured with satisfaction.
Her heart pounded a relentless rhythm, adrenaline coursing where fear might have taken hold. This was her element – the exhilarating chase, the unraveling of a digital mystery. The taste of victory was intoxicating, and Zoe savored it, leaning back in her chair as her eyes flicked to the system clock at the corner of her screen; it displayed 3:24 am.
Fingers poised over the keyboard, Zoe murmured, "Time to unmask the ghost in the machine." Her focus wasn't confined to restoring her system's integrity but also to discerning the motive behind this intrusion. She couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that this hack wasn't a random act of digital vandalism. The tenacity of the attack suggested a specific intent. But why would anyone target a humble computer repair shop in the labyrinthine back alleys of Hong Kong?
Pausing mid-thought, her gaze unfocused. "Some script kiddie trying to shadow my moves? Unlikely. I'm solid in the scene but I'm not reinventing the wheel. Or am I? Could there be a poser out there, trying to clone my bespoke crypto techniques?" The thought aligned with her circumstances but didn't entirely fit the situation's pattern.
"Corporate espionage?" she mused aloud, a touch of humor lacing her tone. She imagined Big Tech giants, hunched over their shiny conference tables, laser-focused on her little computer repair shop tucked away in the backstreets of Hong Kong. The image was almost laughable. "Oh, right. Big corps shaking in their boots over my circuit designs. Come back down to reality" Yet, even as she made light of the idea, Zoe was acutely aware of the reality that in the intricate and high-stakes world of tech, stranger things had indeed happened.
As another hypothesis began to form in her mind, Zoe's fingers continued their symphony on the keyboard, maintaining the rhythmic clatter in the otherwise silent room. It was far-fetched but not entirely implausible, much like the layers of encryption she was diligently dissecting. She had been an active participant in dark-web chat rooms, embroiled in intense debates about the looming threats posed by unregulated advancements in AI.
As Zoe continued hunting the digital trespasser, her thoughts drifted back to a conversation with an enigmatic figure operating under the pseudonym BinaryOracle. Their discourse was typically cryptic, carefully selected words woven into captivating puzzles. Unlike her fiery exchanges with other members, discussions with BinaryOracle veered into realms of enigmatic intrigue. One interaction, in particular, surfaced in her mind as she navigated another layer of the digital labyrinth.
BinaryOracle had asked her, "Do you not think that the benefits of advanced AI could outweigh potential risks?"
Her response had been swift, "Potential risks? More like ticking time bombs. The faster we sprint into unchecked AI development, the closer we skirt the precipice. One bug away from..."
BinaryOracle's retort had been enigmatic, a question that lingered. "But isn't it the nature of humanity to push boundaries, to explore the unknown, regardless of the potential danger?"
Zoe had countered, "Yes, but with clear thinking, not breakneck speed. We're messing with entities that could outmaneuver us in a nanosecond. Can we really predict their perception of us, their endgame? We're just noobs juggling nitroglycerin in a data center."
BinaryOracle's parting words still echoed in her mind. "An intriguing perspective, Miss Chen. Perhaps it is not the flame we should fear, but the hands that control the matches."
That conversation, laden with mystery and thought-provoking dialogue, had sparked many sleepless nights for Zoe. The compelling final words from BinaryOracle hinted at a belief in AI's potential and a subtle warning against human folly. Could this incident be linked to that enigmatic figure? Could their cryptic philosophies translate into this invasive digital assault?
Lost in her thoughts, Zoe almost missed another layer of the hacker's defenses crumbling. The digital breadcrumbs were guiding her closer to the source. The night was far from over, and she was just getting started.
Diving back into the digital maze, she followed the clues left by the infiltrator, leading her to something unusual. The intruder's code was distinct, devoid of the sporadic or chaotic patterns typical of the code she usually hacked. It was methodical... clinical. It was as if she were contending with an entity devoid of human flaws.
Undeterred by the complexity of the task, Zoe pressed on. The digital footprints acted as her compass across the expansive terrain of the darknet through cryptic channels and anonymous nodes. Her journey culminated in an unexpected destination: Utah, USA. A sense of accomplishment surged within her as she muttered, "Gotcha," her voice steeped in the sweet taste of victory.
2023.06.30 01:37 TallGeminiGirl Withholding nitro until medic can analyze heart rhythm?
Context: I'm a basic working for a hybrid IFT/911 service in a large metro area. So as a BLS unit we do about 75% IFT and 25% 911 response. Because we're in a large metro ALS is rarely more than 10 minutes away but we will still first respond as BLS to high priority calls if we're closer.
I was having a conversation with one of our supervisors about why we don't carry nitroglycerin on our BLS trucks if it's still within our scope of practice and protocols. The answer he gave was that nitro can mask some of the symptoms of certain conditions and change the EKG results so it's better to wait for medics to arrive so they can get the monitor on the pt before nitro is administered.
If this is true what kind if things does the nitro hide and is this a common practice of not carrying nitro on BLS outside of our service?
submitted by TallGeminiGirl to ems [link] [comments]
I was having a conversation with one of our supervisors about why we don't carry nitroglycerin on our BLS trucks if it's still within our scope of practice and protocols. The answer he gave was that nitro can mask some of the symptoms of certain conditions and change the EKG results so it's better to wait for medics to arrive so they can get the monitor on the pt before nitro is administered.
If this is true what kind if things does the nitro hide and is this a common practice of not carrying nitro on BLS outside of our service?
2023.06.18 20:18 Bow-tied_Engineer The nature of railway workers chapter 1
So, I had a massive amount of inspiration for my fic today, and slammed out not only rest of the first chapter, but the second one too! A bit of warning, the main Yotul character ended up taking on a life of her own, and she ended up becoming, as my one friend would say, a bit of a depresso espresso. So, content warning for depression, mention of suicide and thoughts of the same, and a bit of alcoholism.
Also, I am bad at names, and while I managed to find inspiration for the towns and cities in the story, I couldn't think of a good name for the nation on the Yotul homeworld that the main Yotul character is from, and I'm also going to need another ~50 names for the other background Yotul in Enslo's track crew. So if you suggest any Yotul names in the comments, I'll use them if I like them, and the best suggestion for a name for the Yotul nation will be edited in where the placeholder is now.
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next
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Because I appreciate it when other people do this, here's a physical description of the major players in the story. I haven't nailed down everyone's details yet, but here's the significant characters I do have nailed down. I'll introduce the rest as they become relevant.
Enslo: female Yotul. Age: about 56 standard human years. In my head canon, for Yotul sexual dimorphism, females are larger than the males, like with a lot of species here on earth. Enslo is particularly large even for a female Yotul, standing at 5'6 , and very muscular from years of swinging hammers and lifting heavy things. Her tan fur is graying slightly around the muzzle, and she wears a vest with many pockets, along with her brass safety helmet and metal foot coverings when working. The helmet is similar in shape to a british pith helmet circa 1900 but made from a single piece of stamped and formed brass, and it has the crest of her railway on the front like a firefighter's helmet, with the Yotul word for foreman underneath. Her foot coverings are similar in design to medieval sabatons, covering the top half of the foot in articulated metal to protect it from being crushed.
Maulo: Male Yotul. Age: about 32 standard human years. Maulo is relatively small for a Yotul at 3'10", and has a fairly wiry build with light brown fur. He has a similar helmet and foot protection to Enslo, though his helmet is unadorned. He also wears a pouch around his waist that is similar to a fanny pack.
John Henry: Male Human. Age: about 35 standard human years. a very large man with dark skin, he stands about 6'6" and is built like a truck. He typically wears a denim shirt and the stereotypical engineer's hat and matching striped coveralls, along with steel toed boots, and a high vis vest when working. He has a crew cut and short stubble. You won't meet him for a couple more chapters.
Launar: a very average and unremarkable Yotul, who has at least mostly drank the federation's Kool-Aid with regards to the whole destroying Yotul culture to make way for progress thing. about 4'3, and probably in her mid to late 20s. Feel free to flesh her out and use her for your own stories, as I'm basically just using her as a framing device to explain why nobody told the railway workers that they were going to be working on a railway. I also wanted at least one Yotul that was an annoying fed, because as much as I like them, they can't all be the tragically oppressed victims of the federation. That would be boring.
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Memory transcription subject: Launar, female Yotul, (name of Yotul nation) department of labor.
Date [Standardized human time]: October 20, 2136
I was absolutely exhausted. The last few days had been an absolute nightmare, what with having to figure out how to get aid to the humans on top of all the other issues we’ve been dealing with in the years since federation integration.
We were finally getting the majority of our unemployed masses into the schooling they needed to actually function in the new federation production facilities, and now we have to throw all that hard work away and find a way to ship millions of our citizens halfway across the galaxy to go back to hard labor jobs. And for what, to help a bunch of predators who stormed onto the galactic scene not even a full season ago? They’ve caused nothing but trouble, wrecking the Venlilian economy, and somehow talking Laulo into putting our technological progress on the bottom of the list and sticking our collective necks out for them. We already have a hard enough job earning the respect of the other federations species, and after this, we’ll be lucky if they ever trust us to be a productive and independent part of the federation.
My brooding was interrupted when one of the office Runners stepped into my office with a message. If we weren't in the middle of an unemployment crisis I’d insist they replace her with a Federation Standard digital messaging service. It’s things like this that get us labeled “primitives”.
“Boss says we need to expedite a batch of workers headed for earth. The humans specifically requested railway workers for some reason. Said it’s important, and that they need them immediately. Complete teams with tools are preferred. You need to track down 20 teams of about 50 workers from your sector, each with a foreman and laborers, and get them ready to ship out on the spaceport by dawn in 4 days.”
That’s madness! We’re already stretched to our limits as is, and they want us to send out an extra 1000 workers this week? “On what ships? We’re already packing every spare tramp freighter like cattle ships, just trying to get laborers to Earth to help with search and rescue. Where under the trees are we supposed to find a ship with a thousand extra bunks?”
“Five thousand bunks, actually, the other regions have quotas too, but the transport isn’t our problem. Apparently the humans meant it when they said urgent, they’re sending one of their new superheavy military logistics vessels, it’s fresh off the line. When you’ve tracked down the workers, let them know that they’re to meet up with the UNS Great Western. They need to be ready to load up fast, because the humans want to be warping back to Earth as fast as possible.”
“Alright then. If I’m going to get a thousand workers ready to ship out by the end of the week, I’d best get busy.”
This is going to be a long night…
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Memory transcription subject: Enslo, female Yotul, (former) foreman of the Red Mountain and Maron Port Iron Road
Standardized human time: October 21, 2136
The dim light of a single, sad candle glinted off the pile of empty [whiskey] bottles piled in the corner of the room. The dancing light of the flame seemed to mock everything I’d become these past 20 years.
Federation technology was supposed to make life better for us, but it’s done everything but. The idiots were so focused on replacing everything they didn’t think about how much energy would be needed. Even the youngest babe still in their mother’s pouch would know that making things float is harder than letting them sit on the ground, but no, we just had to have “hover” this and “maglev” that, and electric everything else. And now here I am, drowning my sorrows in the candlelight like the primitive they think I am, because the thrice damned electricity is down again. With these rolling blackouts, I was better off in the worker’s barracks, with my kerosene lamp and a nice fire in the stone hearth.
It’s nothing but rubble and rotten timbers now.
Nothing worth doing outside either. No happy sounds of children playing with their Hensa. No birds in the sky, no bushes in the park, no thrumming of machines or rattling of the cable cars as they roll down the street.
Not even any fruit to load onto space freighters ever since the Federation stopped sending their flying ships this way.
As if to add insult to injury, my candle flickers and dies out. I begin to get up to light another, before I remember that was my last one. I take another swig from my bottle.
Guess I’m drinking in the dark, then.
I took another swig, the strong liquor burning my throat.
Could be worse I suppose. I could’ve been my brother.
He bred Hensa’s before the federation came. He never talked about what he saw that day when he came home from the store.
I take another swig, trying not to imagine what was in that burning kennel.
We found him a few days later. The doc said he’d got his hands on distilled ethanol and spiked it with every pain killer and sleep aid the pharmacy sold.
Some days I considered doing the same.
I took another swig from my bottle. Shook the last few drops into my mouth, as the tears ran down my face. Grabbed another from the box beside me, and rolled the empty into the corner with the rest.
It was going to be one of those nights.
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Memory transcription subject: Enslo, female Yotul, Extremely hungover.
Standardized human time: October 22, 2136
My head was pounding. My everything hurts.
The pounding got louder.
“Enslo open up!”
“UUUUUUUUUUUGH”
Even more pounding.
“Seriously, Enslo, open the door! You have to hear this, it’s important”
“Go chug [Nitroglycerin] Maulo! And quit pounding on my skull!”
Even more pounding. Why won’t he stop knocking?
“I don’t care how hungover you are! I brought you a bowl of hot mash with jelly, figured you’d need something to soak up some of the booze in your system, and you can either let me in to have this conversation over food like civilized sentients, or I’ll shout it at you through the door!”
“Fine, fine, you win, you bloody extortionist. You know full well I never lock it, just come in and be quiet before you split my skull.”
Thankfully, Maulo was respectfully silent as he crept through the door and gave me the warm bowl. I’ll admit, the sweet scent of the boiled rolled grains and candied mashed fruit was very soothing, as was the comforting warmth that filled my belly as I slowly ate the meal. Maulo really was a good kid, I’d liked him ever since he’d apprenticed with the crew. Well, I suppose he wasn’t a kid anymore, he’s as old now as I was back then.
“So, Maulo, what under the stars was so important you had to wake me up first thing in the morning instead of waiting until we met up this afternoon?”
“Well, firstly, it isn’t early morning. It’s nearly evening. I just came back from hanging out with the old crew. Secondly, I wanted to make sure that you’d heard the news from the Labor Office.”
“What, another broadcast insisting that us track layers learn ‘real skills’ and ‘find productive work’?”
“No nothing like that!” my head throbbed at the sudden surge of Maulo’s voice. “Apparently, the Humans have put in an urgent request for rail workers specifically to come help with the rebuilding. They specifically want complete teams as well, so we all agreed to go together! We’re leaving for the spaceport in Lohlon tomorrow!”
“And?”
“I wanted to ask you to join us.”
“What, go to some new planet, full of new aliens to look down on me? No thanks.”
“Come on, please? They want us for an actual infrastructure project, and even if it’s probably just clearing and leveling, we’d at least be putting our skills to use, and the pay is three times that of basic laborer positions! Please? It can’t possibly be worse than hauling crates and living on the dole.”
“And what makes you think they’d even want a miserable drunk like me, hur?”
“Oh, that’s a load of leaf rot and you know it! You’re the best damn leader the old RM an’ MP ever had, and we were the biggest and best iron road on the whole damn planet! If they knew about you, the humans would probably send Ambassador Noah to come convince you himself!”
That got a snort of laughter out of me. “And you say I’m full of leaf rot. That truth is about as stretched as a split link!”
“Sure, I’m exaggerating, but not by that much. Our crew always did manage double the miles of everyone else on flat ground, and they’d always give us the hard bits with bridges and cuttings. And despite our crew doing three times the blasting of any other, you’re the only forman that managed to go their entire career without a single worker getting a limb blown off, or a single Rocker coming down with stone lung. The lads and lasses all trust you to keep us safe. Please, come and help us? For old times sake?”
“Ah, alright, alright! I’ll come with, if only so ye don’t go and get yourself blown up or crushed by rubble. Not like I’ve anything else to do, and if I know you, you’ll just keep pestering me till I come. What do I have to do?”
Maulo grinned at me, the cheeky little bugger. “The announcement said to bring any potentially useful tools, along with any protective equipment you have, to reduce logistics struggles on earth. Other than that, everything we need should be provided. There’s enough of us that the Department of Labor’s chartered a couple hover buses to take us to Lohlon spaceport overnight tomorrow.”
“Alright. I’ll get myself ready, and see you tomorrow. Now, be off with you, ya little scallywag!”
submitted by Bow-tied_Engineer to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
Also, I am bad at names, and while I managed to find inspiration for the towns and cities in the story, I couldn't think of a good name for the nation on the Yotul homeworld that the main Yotul character is from, and I'm also going to need another ~50 names for the other background Yotul in Enslo's track crew. So if you suggest any Yotul names in the comments, I'll use them if I like them, and the best suggestion for a name for the Yotul nation will be edited in where the placeholder is now.
______________________________________________________________________________________
next
______________________________________________________________________________________
Because I appreciate it when other people do this, here's a physical description of the major players in the story. I haven't nailed down everyone's details yet, but here's the significant characters I do have nailed down. I'll introduce the rest as they become relevant.
Enslo: female Yotul. Age: about 56 standard human years. In my head canon, for Yotul sexual dimorphism, females are larger than the males, like with a lot of species here on earth. Enslo is particularly large even for a female Yotul, standing at 5'6 , and very muscular from years of swinging hammers and lifting heavy things. Her tan fur is graying slightly around the muzzle, and she wears a vest with many pockets, along with her brass safety helmet and metal foot coverings when working. The helmet is similar in shape to a british pith helmet circa 1900 but made from a single piece of stamped and formed brass, and it has the crest of her railway on the front like a firefighter's helmet, with the Yotul word for foreman underneath. Her foot coverings are similar in design to medieval sabatons, covering the top half of the foot in articulated metal to protect it from being crushed.
Maulo: Male Yotul. Age: about 32 standard human years. Maulo is relatively small for a Yotul at 3'10", and has a fairly wiry build with light brown fur. He has a similar helmet and foot protection to Enslo, though his helmet is unadorned. He also wears a pouch around his waist that is similar to a fanny pack.
John Henry: Male Human. Age: about 35 standard human years. a very large man with dark skin, he stands about 6'6" and is built like a truck. He typically wears a denim shirt and the stereotypical engineer's hat and matching striped coveralls, along with steel toed boots, and a high vis vest when working. He has a crew cut and short stubble. You won't meet him for a couple more chapters.
Launar: a very average and unremarkable Yotul, who has at least mostly drank the federation's Kool-Aid with regards to the whole destroying Yotul culture to make way for progress thing. about 4'3, and probably in her mid to late 20s. Feel free to flesh her out and use her for your own stories, as I'm basically just using her as a framing device to explain why nobody told the railway workers that they were going to be working on a railway. I also wanted at least one Yotul that was an annoying fed, because as much as I like them, they can't all be the tragically oppressed victims of the federation. That would be boring.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Memory transcription subject: Launar, female Yotul, (name of Yotul nation) department of labor.
Date [Standardized human time]: October 20, 2136
I was absolutely exhausted. The last few days had been an absolute nightmare, what with having to figure out how to get aid to the humans on top of all the other issues we’ve been dealing with in the years since federation integration.
We were finally getting the majority of our unemployed masses into the schooling they needed to actually function in the new federation production facilities, and now we have to throw all that hard work away and find a way to ship millions of our citizens halfway across the galaxy to go back to hard labor jobs. And for what, to help a bunch of predators who stormed onto the galactic scene not even a full season ago? They’ve caused nothing but trouble, wrecking the Venlilian economy, and somehow talking Laulo into putting our technological progress on the bottom of the list and sticking our collective necks out for them. We already have a hard enough job earning the respect of the other federations species, and after this, we’ll be lucky if they ever trust us to be a productive and independent part of the federation.
My brooding was interrupted when one of the office Runners stepped into my office with a message. If we weren't in the middle of an unemployment crisis I’d insist they replace her with a Federation Standard digital messaging service. It’s things like this that get us labeled “primitives”.
“Boss says we need to expedite a batch of workers headed for earth. The humans specifically requested railway workers for some reason. Said it’s important, and that they need them immediately. Complete teams with tools are preferred. You need to track down 20 teams of about 50 workers from your sector, each with a foreman and laborers, and get them ready to ship out on the spaceport by dawn in 4 days.”
That’s madness! We’re already stretched to our limits as is, and they want us to send out an extra 1000 workers this week? “On what ships? We’re already packing every spare tramp freighter like cattle ships, just trying to get laborers to Earth to help with search and rescue. Where under the trees are we supposed to find a ship with a thousand extra bunks?”
“Five thousand bunks, actually, the other regions have quotas too, but the transport isn’t our problem. Apparently the humans meant it when they said urgent, they’re sending one of their new superheavy military logistics vessels, it’s fresh off the line. When you’ve tracked down the workers, let them know that they’re to meet up with the UNS Great Western. They need to be ready to load up fast, because the humans want to be warping back to Earth as fast as possible.”
“Alright then. If I’m going to get a thousand workers ready to ship out by the end of the week, I’d best get busy.”
This is going to be a long night…
______________________________________________________________________________________
Memory transcription subject: Enslo, female Yotul, (former) foreman of the Red Mountain and Maron Port Iron Road
Standardized human time: October 21, 2136
The dim light of a single, sad candle glinted off the pile of empty [whiskey] bottles piled in the corner of the room. The dancing light of the flame seemed to mock everything I’d become these past 20 years.
Federation technology was supposed to make life better for us, but it’s done everything but. The idiots were so focused on replacing everything they didn’t think about how much energy would be needed. Even the youngest babe still in their mother’s pouch would know that making things float is harder than letting them sit on the ground, but no, we just had to have “hover” this and “maglev” that, and electric everything else. And now here I am, drowning my sorrows in the candlelight like the primitive they think I am, because the thrice damned electricity is down again. With these rolling blackouts, I was better off in the worker’s barracks, with my kerosene lamp and a nice fire in the stone hearth.
It’s nothing but rubble and rotten timbers now.
Nothing worth doing outside either. No happy sounds of children playing with their Hensa. No birds in the sky, no bushes in the park, no thrumming of machines or rattling of the cable cars as they roll down the street.
Not even any fruit to load onto space freighters ever since the Federation stopped sending their flying ships this way.
As if to add insult to injury, my candle flickers and dies out. I begin to get up to light another, before I remember that was my last one. I take another swig from my bottle.
Guess I’m drinking in the dark, then.
I took another swig, the strong liquor burning my throat.
Could be worse I suppose. I could’ve been my brother.
He bred Hensa’s before the federation came. He never talked about what he saw that day when he came home from the store.
I take another swig, trying not to imagine what was in that burning kennel.
We found him a few days later. The doc said he’d got his hands on distilled ethanol and spiked it with every pain killer and sleep aid the pharmacy sold.
Some days I considered doing the same.
I took another swig from my bottle. Shook the last few drops into my mouth, as the tears ran down my face. Grabbed another from the box beside me, and rolled the empty into the corner with the rest.
It was going to be one of those nights.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Memory transcription subject: Enslo, female Yotul, Extremely hungover.
Standardized human time: October 22, 2136
My head was pounding. My everything hurts.
The pounding got louder.
“Enslo open up!”
“UUUUUUUUUUUGH”
Even more pounding.
“Seriously, Enslo, open the door! You have to hear this, it’s important”
“Go chug [Nitroglycerin] Maulo! And quit pounding on my skull!”
Even more pounding. Why won’t he stop knocking?
“I don’t care how hungover you are! I brought you a bowl of hot mash with jelly, figured you’d need something to soak up some of the booze in your system, and you can either let me in to have this conversation over food like civilized sentients, or I’ll shout it at you through the door!”
“Fine, fine, you win, you bloody extortionist. You know full well I never lock it, just come in and be quiet before you split my skull.”
Thankfully, Maulo was respectfully silent as he crept through the door and gave me the warm bowl. I’ll admit, the sweet scent of the boiled rolled grains and candied mashed fruit was very soothing, as was the comforting warmth that filled my belly as I slowly ate the meal. Maulo really was a good kid, I’d liked him ever since he’d apprenticed with the crew. Well, I suppose he wasn’t a kid anymore, he’s as old now as I was back then.
“So, Maulo, what under the stars was so important you had to wake me up first thing in the morning instead of waiting until we met up this afternoon?”
“Well, firstly, it isn’t early morning. It’s nearly evening. I just came back from hanging out with the old crew. Secondly, I wanted to make sure that you’d heard the news from the Labor Office.”
“What, another broadcast insisting that us track layers learn ‘real skills’ and ‘find productive work’?”
“No nothing like that!” my head throbbed at the sudden surge of Maulo’s voice. “Apparently, the Humans have put in an urgent request for rail workers specifically to come help with the rebuilding. They specifically want complete teams as well, so we all agreed to go together! We’re leaving for the spaceport in Lohlon tomorrow!”
“And?”
“I wanted to ask you to join us.”
“What, go to some new planet, full of new aliens to look down on me? No thanks.”
“Come on, please? They want us for an actual infrastructure project, and even if it’s probably just clearing and leveling, we’d at least be putting our skills to use, and the pay is three times that of basic laborer positions! Please? It can’t possibly be worse than hauling crates and living on the dole.”
“And what makes you think they’d even want a miserable drunk like me, hur?”
“Oh, that’s a load of leaf rot and you know it! You’re the best damn leader the old RM an’ MP ever had, and we were the biggest and best iron road on the whole damn planet! If they knew about you, the humans would probably send Ambassador Noah to come convince you himself!”
That got a snort of laughter out of me. “And you say I’m full of leaf rot. That truth is about as stretched as a split link!”
“Sure, I’m exaggerating, but not by that much. Our crew always did manage double the miles of everyone else on flat ground, and they’d always give us the hard bits with bridges and cuttings. And despite our crew doing three times the blasting of any other, you’re the only forman that managed to go their entire career without a single worker getting a limb blown off, or a single Rocker coming down with stone lung. The lads and lasses all trust you to keep us safe. Please, come and help us? For old times sake?”
“Ah, alright, alright! I’ll come with, if only so ye don’t go and get yourself blown up or crushed by rubble. Not like I’ve anything else to do, and if I know you, you’ll just keep pestering me till I come. What do I have to do?”
Maulo grinned at me, the cheeky little bugger. “The announcement said to bring any potentially useful tools, along with any protective equipment you have, to reduce logistics struggles on earth. Other than that, everything we need should be provided. There’s enough of us that the Department of Labor’s chartered a couple hover buses to take us to Lohlon spaceport overnight tomorrow.”
“Alright. I’ll get myself ready, and see you tomorrow. Now, be off with you, ya little scallywag!”
2023.06.16 22:42 PoemOk4269 My story
I wrote this to the governor but I thought you guys should see it too. Things have been altered in hopes of not doxxing myself.
I am writing to bring to your attention a distressing incident that occurred during my recent visit to the VA for a mental health emergency. I believe it is crucial for you, as the esteemed Governor of Florida, to be aware of the serious concerns I have regarding the quality of care and treatment provided to veterans in need of mental health support.
Recently, I sought immediate medical attention at the VA due to a severe panic attack and chest pain/stomach pain. Upon arrival, I was promptly examined by a doctor who identified T wave inversion, an abnormality associated with ischemia. I informed the doctor that I typically have inverted T waves and that this should not be considered an alarming finding. However, my concerns were disregarded.
Subsequently, the medical staff applied nitroglycerin paste and aspirin. I was informed that I would receive both medical and psychiatric assistance, which gave me some hope for a comprehensive treatment plan. However, I was then transported to a ward that housed three other individuals with diverse medical conditions. One individual repeatedly defecated, another exhibited what sounded like agonal respirations, and the third sadly suffered from dementia and was shoved back into his bed repeatedly.
Given my severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety resulting from my service as a combat medic in the 75th Ranger Regiment, SWAT medic, and road medic, I immediately informed the staff about my condition and requested to be moved to a more suitable environment. Shockingly, they callously dismissed my concerns and instructed me to endure the situation. Furthermore, they began speaking in a different language while laughing, which made me feel further isolated and disregarded.
Realizing the urgent need for intervention, I persisted in requesting to speak with the doctor in charge. When he finally arrived, I expressed my desire to leave, seeking alternative avenues of treatment. To my dismay, he threatened to petition me against my will if I decided to leave. I must emphasize that I was fully alert and oriented, and I never exhibited any suicidal or homicidal ideation; my sole intention was to seek help for my PTSD.
Out of fear and under the influence of a potent sedative administered to me shortly after this conversation, I acquiesced to the doctor's instructions to wait until the morning, with the promise of being transferred to an inpatient psychiatric facility. However, upon awakening, I was informed that I did not meet the criteria for admission to inpatient psychiatric care. This sudden reversal left me feeling deeply confused and abandoned, exacerbating the already low state of my mental health.
I was then told there is nothing that they could do. I asked for supervision and they stated the same thing “impatient psychiatry is only for those willing to hurt/kill themselves or others”. I then left with no medication, treatment, or follow up other than to keep an appointment over a month away from now.
I will add that they found I had Giardia and never treated it except for one time. This is probably where my “chest pain” came from and I had to seek treatment at another hospital.
submitted by PoemOk4269 to VeteransBenefits [link] [comments]
I am writing to bring to your attention a distressing incident that occurred during my recent visit to the VA for a mental health emergency. I believe it is crucial for you, as the esteemed Governor of Florida, to be aware of the serious concerns I have regarding the quality of care and treatment provided to veterans in need of mental health support.
Recently, I sought immediate medical attention at the VA due to a severe panic attack and chest pain/stomach pain. Upon arrival, I was promptly examined by a doctor who identified T wave inversion, an abnormality associated with ischemia. I informed the doctor that I typically have inverted T waves and that this should not be considered an alarming finding. However, my concerns were disregarded.
Subsequently, the medical staff applied nitroglycerin paste and aspirin. I was informed that I would receive both medical and psychiatric assistance, which gave me some hope for a comprehensive treatment plan. However, I was then transported to a ward that housed three other individuals with diverse medical conditions. One individual repeatedly defecated, another exhibited what sounded like agonal respirations, and the third sadly suffered from dementia and was shoved back into his bed repeatedly.
Given my severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety resulting from my service as a combat medic in the 75th Ranger Regiment, SWAT medic, and road medic, I immediately informed the staff about my condition and requested to be moved to a more suitable environment. Shockingly, they callously dismissed my concerns and instructed me to endure the situation. Furthermore, they began speaking in a different language while laughing, which made me feel further isolated and disregarded.
Realizing the urgent need for intervention, I persisted in requesting to speak with the doctor in charge. When he finally arrived, I expressed my desire to leave, seeking alternative avenues of treatment. To my dismay, he threatened to petition me against my will if I decided to leave. I must emphasize that I was fully alert and oriented, and I never exhibited any suicidal or homicidal ideation; my sole intention was to seek help for my PTSD.
Out of fear and under the influence of a potent sedative administered to me shortly after this conversation, I acquiesced to the doctor's instructions to wait until the morning, with the promise of being transferred to an inpatient psychiatric facility. However, upon awakening, I was informed that I did not meet the criteria for admission to inpatient psychiatric care. This sudden reversal left me feeling deeply confused and abandoned, exacerbating the already low state of my mental health.
I was then told there is nothing that they could do. I asked for supervision and they stated the same thing “impatient psychiatry is only for those willing to hurt/kill themselves or others”. I then left with no medication, treatment, or follow up other than to keep an appointment over a month away from now.
I will add that they found I had Giardia and never treated it except for one time. This is probably where my “chest pain” came from and I had to seek treatment at another hospital.
2023.06.11 21:37 Whitewolfwinning Tilt Table Test done wrong?
i had a tilt done on friday and i don’t think it was correctly done at all. this was at an electrophysiologist office. i reached out to a potsie friend and she told me it was done completely incorrect. it was done at 0° then 30° then 70°. i was told that i would be given nitroglycerin but then after i expressed concerns we decided not to. the person who performed the test was a very young medical assistant and she talked to me the whole time and had me engaged in conversation. it was done with a simple pulse ox and by hand blood pressure cuff. i had no significant changes in bp or hr during the test. i still had the pulse ox on when i was getting off the table, which is funny because my hr jumped 30 points when i sat up. no the person didn’t catch it at all. i felt sick during and after the test too.
from my research of a tilt test, i should have been hooked up to a bunch of electrodes and continuously monitored.
i plan on calling the office tomorrow to discuss with the nurses. can anyone share their experiences with the tilt test? any insight?
submitted by Whitewolfwinning to dysautonomia [link] [comments]
from my research of a tilt test, i should have been hooked up to a bunch of electrodes and continuously monitored.
i plan on calling the office tomorrow to discuss with the nurses. can anyone share their experiences with the tilt test? any insight?
2023.06.06 14:42 doctorgecko Respect Yukari Yakumo (Touhou)
"Would you like to have a near-death experience? By crossing the boundary between life and death."
Yukari Yakumo
Themes:- Necrofantasia:
- Night Falls ~ Evening Star: 7.5, 10.5, 15.5
- Yorimashi Between Dreams and Reality ~ Necro-Fantasia
Notes
- Source Index
- Perfect Memento in Strict Sense and Symposium of Post Mysticism is an in universe book written by Hidea no Akyuu. She has a tendency to exaggerate and speculate, so her claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
- Yukari herself is noted to lie quite a lot, so her own claims should also be taken with a grain of salt.
- In 15.5 Yukari makes use of the urban legend Teke Teke, but her attacks while using this urban legend are fairly in line with her normal capabilities. As it's unclear what effect the Urban legend is having, these feats will be included in this section but marked with Occult
- Yukari scales to a large number of characters, so here is every Touhou respect thread for the games
Defining Some Terms
Spell Card System: The Spell Card Rules were put in place by Reimu Hakurei in order to make duels between everyone fair, formalized, and safe. It is also the method nearly all Touhou characters will use in-character. Spell card battles have very clearly defined rules and attacks that are agreed upon before a duel with the purpose being that the most beautiful attacks win. In general Spell Cards are characters going easy on the foe, with ZUN outright stating they're not something the characters would ever use if they were serious.- Given the original rules of spell card battles and a characters being introduced to the spell card system stating it would prevent useless bloodshed, there is at least a decent amount of implication that Spell Card battles are inherently non-lethal.
- Danmaku is intentionally not efficient or effective for serious combat
- Danmaku in general can be lethal to normal humans
- Danmaku from major characters is very consistently able to break rock
Gensokyo: Genoskyo is the region Touhou takes place in, and is a small landlocked region of Japan. It is fully enclosed by the Great Hakurei Barrier (more information bellow). The clearest picture of it shows it containing a few mountains, with it also being noted Gensokyo is small enough to see almost all of it from the Hakurei shrine
- The Sages of Genoskyo (of which Yukari is a member) are the beings responsible for the creation and maintenance of Gensokyo
Boundary Manipulation
General Description: Summarized, Yukari's power allows her to manipulate the boundary between any two things.This can apply both to physical boundaries (such as between Gensokyo and the outside world), or even the boundary of concepts (such as human and youkai or night and day).- Both her profile and she herself state that she can manipulate the boundary between any and all things
- An official magazine says her power can affect anything, and that for narrative purposes she has to limit herself to the spell card rule or it wouldn't even be a game
- The manual states the danger and potency of her power is beyond imagination
- Akyuu states that her power fundamentally undermines reality. She states that it can create new existence and reject existence, is the most powerful ability held by any youkai. Additionally she states it can be applied to pictures, peoples dreams, and even stories
- Feats/Statements
- Being able to draw boundary lines along surfaces means there is nothing she can not split in two
- Her barriers can destroy large amounts of enemy danmaku and damage her foes
- Creates a large boundary around the entirety of Suika's mist form, and then suddenly makes it much smaller to force her back into her physical form.
- Suika's mist form covered all of Gensokyo
- General
- Skills
- Boundary of Intellect and Feet: Runs a straight boundary to split her foe
- Universe of Matter and Antimatter: Creates two gaps that do nothing on their own, but when they collide they create a huge distortion attack
- Spell Cards
- Border Sign "Quadruple Barrier": Creates several overlapping boundaries to produce a barrier that can strike foes
- Sign I "Quadruple Barrier": Another version of the above spell card
- Barrier "Charming Quadruple Barrier": A larger version of quadruple barrier that sucks the foe in
- Boundary "Quadruple Barrier of the Imperishable Night": Creates a larger quadruple barrier to protect herself and attack her enemy
- Border Sign "Boundary of 2D and 3D": Creates a boundary that travels along the screen edge and changes directions to follow the movements of the screen
- Barrier "Objective Barrier": Fires off four linked borders that travel along the edges of the screen
- Last Word
- [Occult] Lend Me Those Beautiful Legs!: Locks her foe in place with boundary lines and then uses a gap to split them in two before putting them back together
- Feats/Statements
- General
- Able to travel to entirely different locations by opening up gaps in space, with (according to Akyuu) it being said that this can also access pictures, dreams, and even stories
- Can open gaps in thin air
- Opens up a large gap, and is gone when it clears away
- Repositions a gap to use as a seat
- Spiriting away Kosuzu doesn't leave a single trail any other youkai can follow to locate her, not even leaving a trace of her soul behind
- Travel/Range
- Uses gaps in space as her main means of transportation, with her warping around Gensokyo, up youkai mountain, and even to and from heaven (though how direct these trips are isn't clear given how the time of day changes)
- Reimu states Yukari can travel anywhere she wants to in a flash
- Is able to freely travel past the Great Hakurei Barrier into the outside world, and pulls Rinnosuke back into Gensokyo after he's accidentally pulled into the outside world
- Off screen travels overseas and brings back a Hobgoblin, which she states are a Western creature
- Instantly sends Marisa from the Hakurei shrine to the forest of magic
- Easily travels to the netherworld (though in Gensokyo the netherworld is a location you can physically travel to
- Suddenly goes from behind Luna to in front of her
- Disappears to somewhere... literally
- Placed a gap in a doorway so that Flandre traveled from the Scarlet Devil mansion to deep underground without even realizing she had done so
- Pulls Sumireko out of the dream world (though Doremy implies this isn't something she's supposed to do normally)
- Utility
- Claims to have an undending supply of electricity, kerosene, and nitroglycerin, and fills up Rinnosuke's heater with fuel while having a conversation with him, without him even realizing she had done anything
- Covertly drops money into the shrine's donation box while having a conversation with Reimu
- Puts a hand through a gap to block a hammer and grab a gameboy
- Makes food disappear from right out from under Reimu's nose
- Summons other characters like Reimu or Chen
- Reimu implies Yukari can send just some body parts through the Great Hakurei Barrier
- Left her arm dangling through a gap while asleep, and then puts her hand through another gap to douse a candle
- Hid some of her own energy inside of a gap to revive herself after having all of her magical energy drained by Mizuchi's possession. Though she states it will soon run out and she needs to rest after. Also sticks her hands through gaps to grab cookies and wave at Reimu independently of her body
- General
- General
- Warps from one side of the screen to the other and grants Reimu the ability to do the same
- Vanishes to dodge a spell card
- Leans back into a gap while firing projectiles
- Sticks her arm into a gap to strike her foe with an umbrella from another location
- Drops into a gap and then appears in midair
- After being knocked to the ground, creates a gap below and above her to redirect back to standing up
- Opens a gap through which several pieces of wood fly out at her foe
- Spawns street signs to attack her foe
- Opens gaps through which rapid fire danmaku and lasers fire out
- Summons a monstrous arm out of her gap to grab or strike her foe
- Skills
- Rest on Stone, Rinse in Rivers: Opens up a hole that swallows up projectiles and stores them
- Rinse with Stone, Rest in Rivers: Fires off stored projectiles
- Chimera's Wings: Places a gap that she can then warp back to.
- Fantasy Maniacal Rift: Disappears into a gap and keeps moving, before coming out to strike her foe
- Flesh Dismantler: Drops down into a gap before leaping out while spinning her umbrella
- Urashima's Box, Filled With Lament: Opens a gap in the sky to drop debris on her foe
- Home is Where One Lays to Rest: Hits her foe with several pieces of wood
- [Occult] World's Most Agile Torso: Uses a gap to send her upper body forward to attack her foe while her lower body remains in place
- Spell Cards
- Evil Spirits "Yukari Yakumo's Spiriting Away": Repeatedly teleports around while firing off danmaku
- "Boundary of Humans and Youkai": Vanishes entirely and attacks the foe with danmaku patterns while not physically present
- Splitter "Thing That Splits All Into Two": Repeatedly jumps in and out of and moves through gaps while spinning her umbrella
- Fantasy Nest "Flying Noctilucae's Nest": Opens up several gaps that fire danmaku forwards, always in the direction of the foe
- Boundary "Overflowing Flotsam": Sends several pieces of wood flying at her foe
- Abandoned Line "Aimless Journey to the Abandoned Station": Opens a gap through which an abandoned train comes from, though (in gameplay at least) it takes time to open the gap
- "Unmanned Abandoned Railroad Car Bomb": Summons three train cars that fly into her foe before exploding
- The Barrier Itself
- Feats/Statements
- The Great Hakurei Barrier is a barrier of sense that surrounds all of Gensokyo, and keeps living creatures and their tools from passing through while allowing non-living things to pass through without issue. Via non-Euclidian space a person attempting to pass through the barrier will find themselves wandering endlessly, and they will find themselves back where they started upon turning around.
- Even when Reimu and Marisa traveled to the moon they never left the barrier, and they consider getting through the barrier to be harder than going to the moon
- Gensokyo is designed to be the opposite of the outside world, and things that contradict that concept cannot pass through the barrier
- Akyuu states the barrier is a barrier of common sense and keeps the outside world's common sense outside, and that it's composed of multiple smaller barriers, but that it periodically weakens every 60 years
- There is at least some difference in the seasons between Gensokyo and the outside world
- Sumireko was unable to fully penetrate the barrier from the outside
- Limits
- Feats/Statements
- Manipulation
- Yukari was one of the sages to suggest the creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier, though whether she's the actual creator is unclear. Reimu refers to her as the original creator but Yuyuko thinks the barrier is too strong for Yukari to make
- States that she has torn holes in the barrier
- Creates a powerful distortion in the barrier
- Repairs the barrier after Reimu does something to weaken it
- Whenever a human from the outside world wanders into Gensokyo, it's because of fluctuations in the barrier caused by her
- General
- Created a boundary of illusion and reality around Gensokyo, defining Gensokyo as illusionary and the outside world as real, so anything that becomes viewed as fantasy is pulled into Gensokyo, even from outside Japan. This was performed 500 years ago and still going strong.
- Yukari seems to have at least some amount of awareness of those who enter and leave Gensokyo through this method
- Living Things
- A snake wakes up in Gensokyo as soon as he transforms into a youkai, with Mamizou stating that when you turn into a youkai you wind up in Gensokyo. Said snake is potentially originally from India
- When there's a demand for Zashiki-Warashi in the outside world they start vanishing from Gensokyo, and later return when that demand fades
- New youkai created in the outside world immediately appear in Gensokyo as well, but due to not having a clear form they disappear just a quickly
- Rinnosuke notes that Gensokyo is rather multicultural, as youkai brought with them foreign cultures as they were pulled into Gensokyo
- A real life human shows up in Gensokyo after becoming a god
- Animals that become endangered or extinct (at least in Japan) are more prevalent in Gensokyo
- A completely ordinary seal winds up in Gensokyo after being forgotten while a youkai well integrated in human society could remain in the outside world
- Nonliving
- Buildings
- The Scarlet Devil Mansion is a western style mansion housing multiple powerful youkai that is assumed to have arrived in Gensokyo fairly recently, with Akyuu also noting that it seemingly wasn't designed for Japanese climates
- Another western style mansion housing the Prismriver sister also exists in Gensokyo
- Unused radio towers occasionally appear in Gensokyo
- After Miko is forgotten by the outside world, her entire mausoleum arrives in Gensokyo
- Large Scale
- Due to Kanako making it fall into fantasy the Moriya shrine and the nearby lake move to Gensokyo
- According to legend the Bamboo Forest of the Lost appeared in Gensokyo after being washed away by a tsunami
- It's thought (according to Keine) that Youkai Mountain in Gensokyo is the original mythical form Yatsugatake, before it had been torn down by a god, back when it was taller than Mt. Fuji
- Boundary of Reality and Illusion - Moon
- Erases the boundary between the real and illusionary moon, turning a reflection of the moon in the water into a portal to the moon itself that allows for instantaneous travel
- Can return to Earth by doing the same thing to a reflection of the Earth
- Leaves the portal open by shoving an umbrella into it
- The Watatsuki sisters state she can freely travel between the Earth and moon, and that she once brought a throng of youkai to the moon with her
- Implies this can only be performed when the moon is completely full, and that she was trapped on the moon when the full waned more quickly than expected
- Netherworld
- Weakened the barrier between Gensokyo and the Netherworld so Yuyuko could more easily enter Gensokyo. She is also responsible for its repair
- States that she caused the borders between Hell and the Netherworld to fade
- Both the Netherworld and Hell are massive, but it's not clear to what extent she actually merged them
- Lunar Capital
- Misc Conceptual
- States she can manipulate the boundary between Gensokyo and the outside world, the worlds of the living and the dead, human and youkai, or even day and night
- Claims she can give the immortal Mokou a near death experience by manipulating the boundary of life and death
- States she thinned the barrier between human and youkai, possibly making Reimu a youkai temporarily
- Manipulates the boundary between daylight and moonlight to cause both to happen at the same time
- Makes the moon as bright as daytime by manipulating the boundary between day and night
- Marisa speculates that Yukari manipulated the border between danmaku for play and danmaku for combat for one of her attacks
- States she can easily manipulate the boundary between spring and winter
- States she causes noctambulism (sleep walking) in humans by manipulating the boundary between asleep and awake
- Manipulates the boundary of master and slave, causing both teams using perfect possession to swap said roles
Other Abilities
Note that a number of feats here potentially involve boundary manipulation, but it's less explicitEnergy Projection
- Feats
- General
- Fires out large amounts of danmaku in various patterns
- Fires off danmaku in front of her with a swing of her fan
- Attacks with lines of energy
- Fires off several orbs trailed by lines of energy
- Creates spirals of energy around her body
- Using a bomb, unleashes a pulse of energy that knocks back her foe
- Skills
- Purple Needles of Painful Reproach: Rapid fires needles in front of her
- Bewitching Bait: Creates a bird's eye that high speed projectiles then fly through at random paths
- Spacetime Seam: Creates a pulse of energy projectiles in all directions around her, possibly by cracking space
- Spell Cards
- Standard Danmaku Pattern
- Barrier "Curse of Dreams and Reality"
- Barrier "Balance of Motion and Stillness"
- Barrier "Mesh of Light and Darkness"
- Evil Spirits "Dreamland of Straight and Curve"
- Evil Spirits "Bewitching Butterfly Living in the Zen Temple"
- Sinister Spirits "Double Black Death Butterfly"
- Barrier "Boundary of Life and Death"
- Yukari's Arcanum "Danmaku Barrier"
- Outer Force "Infinite Superspeed Flying Object"
- Border Sign "Boundary of Form and Emptiness"
- Border Sign "Boundary of Wave and Particle"
- Photon "Doppler Effect"
- Aerial Bait "Hyperactive High Speed Flying Object"
- "Yakumo's Nest"
- "Impossible Danmaku Barrier"
- "Casebook of Luck, Resilience and Perseverance"
- Combo Attack with Others
- "Perfect Possession and Dream Seal": With Reimu
- "Boundary of Spirit Medium and Divine Spirit": With Reimu
- "Secret God Barrier": With Okina
- "Shoot the Danmaku Barrier!": With Marisa
- "Unauthorized Danmaku Photography is Strictly Prohibited": With Reimu
- Paper Sign "Barrier-Enclosed Zener Card Shuriken": With Sumireko
- Misc
- Aerial Bait "Addictive Bait": Opens several locations through which high speed projectiles travel from
- Fantasy "Perpetual Motion Machine of the First Kind": Creates a perpetual motion device that automatically fires danmaku without her input
- Spirit Medium's Melancholy: Fires off danmaku that only hits one part of a perfect possession duo
- Standard Danmaku Pattern
- Last Word
- Feats/Statmenents
- Has the ability to control shikigami, which like computers will follower her commands exactly. Her primary shikigami is Ran, who herself has her own shikigami Chen
- Has shikigami possess various crows which she uses for scouting
- A crow rapidly flies over large swaths of the lunar surface in what is implied to be a short span of time. Its flight is also described as unnaturally straight, with it following the special path required to reach the Lunar Capital with computer-like accuracy
- [Limit] A crow is killed by being possessed exposed to the vacuum of space
- Has eyes all over Gensokyo... literally, with this eyes noted to be her familiars
- Skills
- "Apparotation Needle": Has Ran chase after he foes while firing off danmaku
- Eyes that View Change: Opens a gap holding an eye, which attacks the enemy when it sees a weakpoint based on specific programming
- Spell Cards
- Summoning Rand and or Chen to attack enemies
- Other
- Magic Eye "Laplace's Demon": Opens up several gaps holding eyes which attack when they see an exploitable weak point
- General
- Skills
- Bewitching Butterfly Lurking in the Zen Temple: Envelopes her umbrella in energy and spins it while slamming into her foe
- Fantasy Manji-Parasol: Gathers spiritual energy on her umbrella, then spins and fires it off as a projectile
- Full Moon Umbrella: Creates a ring of energy around herself with a swing of her umbrella
- Spell Cards
- Sees the human village despite Keine attempting to hide it by trying to make it appear that nothing had ever been there by eating its history
- Youkai can see perfectly by moonlight
- Claims to see the backside of the moon bathed with sunlight, even during a new moon
- Detects that a tree is from the outside world
- Eavesdrops on Sakuya's conversation while not physically present, and speaks to Reisen before warping to the location
- Claims to clearly see the launch of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's rocket from a ways away
- Senses Eiki's presence
- Senses the weakening of the Great Hakurei Barrier while presumably asleep
- Realizes the Shinmyoumaru in front of her isn't the normal one
- Sees the outside world beyond the Great Hakurei Barrier
- Sees the flow of energy from living things and helps Youmu to understand it
- Able to see the god that Utsuho had absorbed the power of