Animals friendship bracelets | | Friendship Bracelets

I (26f) am in the middle of graduate school (for a professional degree - think MD/JD/MBA, just don't want to be too specific). Back in my first year, I was randomly paired with a student in his last year (29m) to be my tutor. We clicked pretty immediately, and became very fast friends. I learned fairly soon into the friendship that he had a gf who was a few hours away. We eventually stopped hanging out for tutoring and began hanging out as friends, and he quickly became a close friend of mine. When I first met him, I had a huge crush on him, mostly because of how well we got along. Once I learned of his girlfriend though, I trained myself to stop thinking of him that way, and while I still find him attractive, I don't actively have feelings anymore. He came to dinner once with just my mom and me, and my mom later told me she found him to be extremely flirtatious with me. While I don't believe he's outwardly so, he will make the occasional innuendo (passes it off as a joke) and can be touchy (picked up my hand and wrist to look at my bracelet, held onto my hand for a little too long). We grew up very similarly and had similar childhoods and life experiences, and we bonded over that.
He now lives a few hours away with his gf. Every other week or so, I will either go spend a day with him, or he will come see me for the day. His gf usually does not join, and she's been pleasant to me, but a bit short. Around my birthday, he came down to go out to dinner, and I learned she was with him while they were on their way. The dinner was weird, and I felt like there was tension, but figured it was just me. We didn't see each other for a while after that.
Recently, my parents were in town, and he traveled to come out to dinner with us, just the 4 of us. My mom — who'd met him before — commented that she didn't think he was as flirty with me as he was before. After dinner, we went out for some drinks, and I (sort of drunkenly) asked about the birthday dinner and if his gf didn't like me. He told me that while they hadn't explicitly discussed it, he got the sense that she was jealous of me, and maybe even "suspicious" of our friendship. He continued to say that she's never acted this way before around any of his other friends, male or female. The craziest part to me is that he seems to be confused as to why she would feel that way.
I cannot imagine that he truly doesn't understand how our friendship can be perceived as inappropriate. I don't know how he feels about me, but I feel icky now knowing that this is how his gf feels and that he doesn't think anything needs to change. If I were her, I would be upset, and I do not want to put another woman in a position like that. It's not fair.
I'm thinking about talking to him, telling him that this friendship does not feel purely platonic, that there have been feelings on my side at some point, and that I think we need to step back a bit. Is there any other choice? I need advice.

F NY and engaged. Been with my partner for 4 years. I work as a care taker. Currently on bed rest cuz I have a problem with my foot. Seeing a specialist soon and don’t wanna talk or go any further talking about that.
I watch anime and getting into some light gaming and trying to get back into reading so I’ve been looking up novellas. When I do have the money for it I like to do random things in town during the summer. I enjoy anime, tv shows, YouTube. I truthfully don’t care for movies much haha
I prefer talking to married/taken people cuz it’s easier to relate to things. I don’t mind some light flirting but I’m offering you a snack not a 3 course meal! Friendship is important my friend.
If you read to the end and you’re interested feel free to message me an intro. If we hit it off we can move to a different platform. Ciao!

Hey ladies! I’m here hoping to find a long-term, monogamous connection, although I am more than happy to start off slow and build up a friendship first! I am open to a long-distance situation as long as we can meet up sooner than later, and our schedules line up for ease of communication. To be honest I am craving those goodnight and goodmorning texts, the spontaneous flirtation, the voice calls that go well into the night and so much more!
As for the important stuff, I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I am strictly monogamous and DDF. I am non-religious and childfree. I’m a tall, glasses wearing, bald and bearded man embracing the full dad-bod aesthetic. I’m a huge cuddle monster, and personal cheerleader to my partner. I’ve got your back, no matter what. Need a massage after a stressful day? I’m your man. Need to be distracted by a funny story? I got you.
I hate that this has to be said, but yes, I am open to a partner of any race! As for age, I’m not too bothered if you’re older than I am, but I won’t go below 25. I value personality over looks, but I am a sucker for a nice smile, dimples, freckles or curly hair though!
Politically I am very progressive in my beliefs, and volunteer locally with various groups when I can. Right now I do odd jobs and freelance work while volunteering locally in helping the food insecure. I am hoping to transition from a volunteer to staff position there. While there I have weekly lunches with old farts, foster cats and host community board game nights to give you an idea. I just started yoga, looking into getting in better shape!
I value the simple things in life, and would rather find my person to spend my life with over living a life of comfort and privilege. My dream is to open an animal sanctuary or hobby farm that could double as a human therapy center.
I would love to chat with you soon! Reach out, tell me about yourself, and let’s trade pet pictures! ‘Hey’ is for horses, please give me more substance!

Hey thanks for stopping by. I’m 35 hoping to make some new friends. It is hard as an adult to really find meaningful relationships or friendships. A little about me. . . I’m a cook at a brewery and it is a pretty awesome job, I like many different shows and movies, I like gaming and going out for adventures. Trying to build a new magic deck after years of not playing, might you have some advice for me? Also like Pokémon and anime. Thanks for reading hope you have a pleasant day.

Facts about me:

My name is Dan.
I'm 50, 6 feet tall, and, amazingly, still have my hair.
I grew up in Brooklyn and live on long Island, have since I was 23 or so.
I work in IT as a data analyst for a major healthcare company.
I've taken a bunch of left turns in terms of my career, strange to think that 20 years ago I was a museum exihibit designer!
I am a major animal person, in particular, cats. I have 7 (!!!) of my own (one is a foster who hates me) and I host The Shelter Cats Podcast.
I've been single for 2 years after getting out of a very bad situation. All a learning experience!
I'm funny, very sarcastic, have varied interests from tech to history to writing, and I can be a total goofball, or as they used to call me, a "hipster doofus."
I know why the caged bird sings.

Faces about you:

Anyone is welcome. Bonus points if you're in NY or near NY, would love to actually hang out.
You're real. If I had a dollar for how many fakes, ghosts, bots, strange people, and general oddballs ahve messaged me when Iv'e tried this in the past, I'd be able to retire on my own cruise ship.
You want something real. As in a real friendship.
You don't ghost.
You message me something more than "hey."
You're cool with moving off this platform in short order.
You want to know why the caged bird sings.

If you've read this far, put the word "whiskers" somewhere in your message to me!

Facts about me:

My name is Dan.
I'm 50, 6 feet tall, and, amazingly, still have my hair.
I grew up in Brooklyn and live on long Island, have since I was 23 or so.
I work in IT as a data analyst for a major healthcare company.
I've taken a bunch of left turns in terms of my career, strange to think that 20 years ago I was a museum exihibit designer!
I am a major animal person, in particular, cats. I have 7 (!!!) of my own (one is a foster who hates me) and I host The Shelter Cats Podcast.
I've been single for 2 years after getting out of a very bad situation. All a learning experience!
I'm funny, very sarcastic, have varied interests from tech to history to writing, and I can be a total goofball, or as they used to call me, a "hipster doofus."
I know why the caged bird sings.

Faces about you:

Anyone is welcome. Bonus points if you're in NY or near NY, would love to actually hang out.
You're real. If I had a dollar for how many fakes, ghosts, bots, strange people, and general oddballs ahve messaged me when Iv'e tried this in the past, I'd be able to retire on my own cruise ship.
You want something real. As in a real friendship.
You don't ghost.
You message me something more than "hey."
You're cool with moving off this platform in short order.
You want to know why the caged bird sings.

If you've read this far, put the word "whiskers" somewhere in your message to me!

Facts about me:

My name is Dan.
I'm 50, 6 feet tall, and, amazingly, still have my hair.
I grew up in Brooklyn and live on long Island, have since I was 23 or so.
I work in IT as a data analyst for a major healthcare company.
I've taken a bunch of left turns in terms of my career, strange to think that 20 years ago I was a museum exihibit designer!
I am a major animal person, in particular, cats. I have 7 (!!!) of my own (one is a foster who hates me) and I host The Shelter Cats Podcast.
I've been single for 2 years after getting out of a very bad situation. All a learning experience!
I'm funny, very sarcastic, have varied interests from tech to history to writing, and I can be a total goofball, or as they used to call me, a "hipster doofus."
I know why the caged bird sings.

Faces about you:

Anyone is welcome. Bonus points if you're in NY or near NY, would love to actually hang out.
You're real. If I had a dollar for how many fakes, ghosts, bots, strange people, and general oddballs ahve messaged me when Iv'e tried this in the past, I'd be able to retire on my own cruise ship.
You want something real. As in a real friendship.
You don't ghost.
You message me something more than "hey."
You're cool with moving off this platform in short order.
You want to know why the caged bird sings.

If you've read this far, put the word "whiskers" somewhere in your message to me!

Facts about me:

My name is Dan.
I'm 50, 6 feet tall, and, amazingly, still have my hair.
I grew up in Brooklyn and live on long Island, have since I was 23 or so.
I work in IT as a data analyst for a major healthcare company.
I've taken a bunch of left turns in terms of my career, strange to think that 20 years ago I was a museum exihibit designer!
I am a major animal person, in particular, cats. I have 7 (!!!) of my own (one is a foster who hates me) and I host The Shelter Cats Podcast.
I've been single for 2 years after getting out of a very bad situation. All a learning experience!
I'm funny, very sarcastic, have varied interests from tech to history to writing, and I can be a total goofball, or as they used to call me, a "hipster doofus."
I know why the caged bird sings.

Faces about you:

Anyone is welcome. Bonus points if you're in NY or near NY, would love to actually hang out.
You're real. If I had a dollar for how many fakes, ghosts, bots, strange people, and general oddballs ahve messaged me when Iv'e tried this in the past, I'd be able to retire on my own cruise ship.
You want something real. As in a real friendship.
You don't ghost.
You message me something more than "hey."
You're cool with moving off this platform in short order.
You want to know why the caged bird sings.

If you've read this far, put the word "whiskers" somewhere in your message to me!

F NY and engaged. Been with my partner for 4 years. I work as a care taker. Currently on bed rest cuz I have a problem with my foot. Seeing a specialist soon and don’t wanna talk or go any further talking about that.
I watch anime and getting into some light gaming and trying to get back into reading so I’ve been looking up novellas. When I do have the money for it I like to do random things in town during the summer. I enjoy anime, tv shows, YouTube. I truthfully don’t care for movies much haha
I prefer talking to married/taken people cuz it’s easier to relate to things. I don’t mind some light flirting but I’m offering you a snack not a 3 course meal! Friendship is important my friend.
If you read to the end and you’re interested feel free to message me an intro. If we hit it off we can move to a different platform. Ciao!

I conceptualized an episode list on how I'd think a GTO anime adaptation could fully adapt the manga because the actual anime cut out a ton of content from the manga and didn't adapt its second half.

Season 1 - The Legend Begins:
Ep 1: Enter Eikichi Onizuka -- (Chapter 1 = 58 Total Pages)
Ep 2: First Day of The Job -- (Ch 2 - First 4/5 of Ch 3 = 62 Pages)
Ep 3: The Homewrecker -- (Last 1/5 of Ch 3 - Ch 6 = 65 Pages)
Ep 4: Enter Uchiyamada -- (Ch 7 - First 7/10 of Ch 9 = 52 Pages)
Ep 5: Teacher Certification Exam -- (Last 3/10 of Ch 9 - Ch 11 = 43 Pages)
Ep 6: Welcome to Holy Forest Academy -- (Ch 12 - First 2/3 of Ch 14 = 52 Pages)
Ep 7: Introduction to Class 3-4 -- (Last 1/3 of Ch 14 - Ch 16 = 43 Pages)
Ep 8: First Day on the Job -- (First 4/5 of Ch 17 = 17 Pages)
Ep 9: The Plot to Kill Onizuka -- (Last 1/5 of Ch 17 - Ch 20 = 61 Pages)
Ep 10: An Eye for An Eye, A Butt for A Butt -- (Ch 21 - Ch 22 = 44 Pages)
Ep 11: Onizuka vs The PTA -- (Ch 23 - Ch 24 = 38 Pages)
Ep 12: Bungee Jumping -- (Ch 25 - First 1/2 of Ch 28 = 66 Pages)
Ep 13: The Art of War -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 28 - First 1/5 of Ch 31 = 53 Pages)
Ep 14: Outside Looking In -- (Last 4/5 of Ch 31 - Ch 33 = 55 Pages)
Ep 15: Discovered Talent -- (Ch 34 - First 4/5 of Ch 36 = 55 Pages)
Ep 16: The Spring of Hiroshi Uchiyamada -- (Last 1/5 of Ch 36 - First 1/6 of Ch 39 = 45 Pages)
Ep 17: Teshigawara's Secret Love -- (Last 5/6 of Ch 39 - First 5/9 of Ch 41 = 48 Pages)
Ep 18: The National Scholastic Achievement Test -- (Last 4/9 of Ch 41 - First 1/7 of Ch 44 = 47 Pages)
Ep 19: Between A Rock & A Hard Place -- (Last 6/7 of Ch 44 - Ch 46 = 57 Pages)
Ep 20: Right On Time -- (Ch 47 - First 1/2 of Ch 50 = 71 Pages)
Ep 21: Nation Wide Honor -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 50 - Ch 52 = 48 Pages)
Ep 22: Enter Urumi Kanzaki -- (Ch 53 - Ch 55 = 59 Pages)
Ep 23: A Dangerous Mix -- (Ch 56 - First 1/2 of Ch 58 = 44 Pages)
Ep 24: Buried -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 58 - Ch 59 + Ch 61 = 48 Pages)
Ep 25: Dining & Dashing -- (Ch 62 - Ch 63 = 38 Pages)
Ep 26: The Extracurricular -- (Ch 64 - Ch 66 = 55 Pages)
Season 1:
Total Chapters Adapted: 66 Chapters
Total Pages Adapted (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 1,276 Total Pages
Chapter Average (Total Ch/Total Ep) per Episode: 2.64 Chapters
Page Average (Total Pg/Total Ep) per Episode: 51.04 Pages
Notes:
I personally preferred how the anime restructured and paced the beginning of the manga - at least before the National Scholastic Achievement Test - even if a ton of good scenes were cut. I'd prefer if a new anime adaptation kept Onizuka being photoshopped into lewd pictures being an entire episode similar to the original anime, rather than resolving the conflict in a single chapter. Otherwise, here're some variations on the episodes in beginning for a more manga accurate adaptation:

Ep 2: First Day of The Job -- (Ch 2 - First 1/3 of Ch 3 = 50 Pages)
Ep 3: First Lesson -- (Last 2/3 of Ch 3 - Ch 4 = 37 Pages)
Ep 4: The Homewrecker -- (Ch 5 - Ch 6 = 40 Pages)
Ep 7: Welcome to Holy Forest Academy -- (Ch 12 - Ch 14 = 59 Pages)
Ep 8: Class 3-4 -- (Ch 15 - First 4/5 of Ch 17 = 52 Pages)

The only chapter to be cut is Chapter 60: A Day in a life of Officer Saejima Part 1. I enjoy the chapter, but the pacing is halted to focus on a character that has no presence in the arc. Maybe the anime can make the chapter feel less like a pitstop - I'd personally integrate the chapter like this: it'll be a conversation between Onizuka and Saejima rather than the whole chapter being from Onizuka's POV; Onizuka mainly talks with him about the whole situation dealing with Urumi while Saejima occasionally provides unhelpful advice as the chapter plays out, and Onizuka is there because he's hiding from the bikers that Urumi pissed off in the previous chapter and Saejima's place happened to be the closest by. If it were to be adapted:

Ep 23: Dining & Dashing -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 58 - Ch 60 = 48 Pages)
Ep 24: Her Secret -- (Ch 61 - Ch 63 = 58 Pages)

The Urumi arc can also be moved into the next season if some arcs were stretched out by an extra episode or filler episodes are added into this season and removed from the next.

Season 2 - The Legendary GTO:
Ep 27: Natural Enemy -- (Ch 67 = 19 Pages)
Ep 28: The Witch Club -- (Ch 68 - Ch 69 = 38 Pages)
Ep 29: Playing Hooky -- (Ch 70 - Ch 71 = 39 Pages)
Ep 30: Love Letters -- (Ch 72 - Ch 73 = 39 Pages)
Ep 31: Filler -- An episode focusing on Class 3-4's shenanigans or something.
Ep 32: Wedding Bell Blues -- (Ch 74 = 23 Pages) - either stretch it out like the anime's version of this episode or do something new with the story.
Ep 33: Filler -- Maybe an episode focused on Onizuka and Saejima like the anime because Saejima makes infrequent apperances throughout the series, better to establish his character to those who aren't familiar SJG or see how he's doing.
Ep 34: Tomoko's Big Adventure Part 1 -- (Ch 92.1 - Ch 92.2 = 42 Pages)
Ep 35: Tomoko's Big Adventure Part 2 -- (Ch 93.3 - Ch 97.1 = 43 Pages)
Ep 36: Tomoko's Big Adventure Part 3 -- (Ch 97.1 - Ch 97.4 = 56 Pages)
Ep 37: The Lightness Of Being -- (Ch 75 - Ch 76 = 40 Pages)
Ep 38: Lost Money -- (Ch 77 - Ch 79 = 57 Pages)
Ep 39: Studies In High Finance -- (Ch 80 - Ch 82 = 57 Pages)
Ep 40: 8 Millon Yen Hunt -- (Ch 83 - First 2/3 of Ch 86 = 69 Pages)
Ep 41: Living On Luck -- (Last 1/3 of Ch 86 - First 1/3 of Ch 89 + Last 1/3 of Ch 89 = 60 Pages)
Ep 42: Departure -- (Ch 90 - Ch 92 = 59 Pages)
Ep 43: Metamorphosis -- (First 1/3 of Ch 88 + Second 1/3 of Ch 89 + Ch 93 = 31 Pages)
Ep 44: Self-Improvement -- (Ch 94 = 19 Pages)
Ep 45: Making it a "Go" in Okinawa -- (Ch 95 - Ch 96 = 41 Pages)
Ep 46: Okinawa Filler -- I was disappointed that the other characters didn't do much in Okinawa, even if they were never meant to be the focus. A flimsy idea I have is have Miyabi's friends trying to come up with a scheme like Miyabi but ultimately failing.
Ep 47: Great Treasure Okinawa -- (Ch 97 - Ch 98 = 39 Pages)
Ep 48: Underground Depths Of Okinawa -- (Ch 99 - Ch 100 = 39 Pages)
Ep 49: Secret Love In Okinawa -- (Ch 101 - Ch 102 = 44 Pages)
Ep 50: Deep Confessions In Okinawa -- (Ch 103 - Ch 105 = 59 Pages)
Ep 51: Great Teacher Fuyutsuki?! -- (Ch 106 = 22 Pages) - Added filler or creative liberties can be taken to stretch this episode out.
Ep 52: White Collar Blues -- (Ch 107 = 20 Pages) - Same case with the previous episode.
Season 2:
Total Chapters Adapted: 40 Chapters + 7 Bonus Chapters
Total Page Count (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 783 Pages + 140 Bonus Pages = 923 Total Pages
Chapter Average per Episode (Excluding Bonus Chapters and Filler): 1.8181... Chapters
Page Average per Episode (Excluding Bonus Pages and Filler): 35.59090... Pages
Notes:
An idea I have is a preview to the last episode on Miyabi soon returning to school and some allusion to Mayu appearing next season, just to end the season on a higher note.
I enjoyed the few filler episodes in the anime. They can be implemented into this season's beginning as there are generally lower stakes during that time, and not moving immediately onto the next arc can allow more time for the audience to settle in with the cast, especially since Urumi will be the last major characteantagonist introduced until Mayu (44 chapters after the end of her arc).
I don't see the Mr Sakurai plot line ever being adapted. If it had to be done, the anime'd likely cut out a ton of the grotesque stuff and combine his and Fuyutsuki's chapters together into one episode. Also, there isn't any more that can be done with one chapter that wouldn't be a repeat of the original anime's adaptation so combining those chapters is likely the best option.
Because the season is arguably stretched out, here's an alternate version of this list that includes Mayu's arc.

Ep 27: The Witch Club -- (Ch 67 - Ch 69 = 57 Pages)
Ep 28: Playing Hooky -- (Ch 70 - Ch 71 = 39 Pages)
Ep 29: Unheard Marriage -- (Ch 72 = 23 Pages)
Ep 30: Love Letters -- (Ch 73 - Ch 74 = 39 Pages)
Ep 31: Tomoko's Big Adventure Part 1-- (Ch 92.1 - Ch 92.3 = 65 Pages)
Ep 32: Tomoko's Big Adventure Part 2 -- (Ch 97.1 - Ch 97.4 = 75 Pages)
Ep 33: The Lightness of Being -- (Ch 75 - First 1/2 of Ch 77 = 40 Pages)
Ep 34: Lost Money -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 77 - First 1/4 of Ch 80 = 53 Pages)
Ep 35: Studies In High Finance -- (Last 3/4 of Ch 80 - Ch 82 = 52 Pages)
Ep 36: The 8 Million Yen Hunt -- (Ch 83 - Ch 85 = 57 Pages)
Ep 37: A One in None Chance -- (Ch 86 - Ch 87 + Last 2/3 of Ch 88 - First 1/4 of Ch 89 + Last 1/3 of Ch 89 = 64 Pages)
Ep 38: The Mercedes Benz -- (Ch 90 - Ch 92 = 58 Pages)
Ep 39: Metamorphosis -- (First 1/3 of Ch 88 + Second 1/3 of Ch 89 + Ch 93 = 50 Pages)
Ep 40: Making it a "Go" in Okinawa -- (Ch 95 - Ch 96 = 41 Pages)
Ep 41: Great Treasure Okinawa -- (Ch 97 - Ch 98 = 39 Pages)
Ep 42: Underground Depths Of Okinawa -- (Ch 99 - First 1/4 of Ch 101 = 45 Pages)
Ep 43: Secret Love In Okinawa -- (Last 3/4 of Ch 101 - Ch 102 = 38 Pages)
Ep 44: Deep Confessions In Okinawa -- (Ch 103 - Ch 105 = 59 Pages)
Unadapted Content:
Ep 45: Last Day in Okinawa -- (Ch 106 - Ch 107 = 42 Pages)
Ep 46: Teshigawara's Return -- (Ch 109 - Ch 110 = 43 Pages)
Ep 47: The Delinquent -- (Ch 111 - Ch 113 = 62 Pages)
Ep 48: Grand Theft Onizuka -- (Ch 114 - First 5/9 of Ch 116 = 52 Pages)
Ep 49: Into the Underground -- (Last 4/9 of Ch 116 - First 5/6 of Ch 119 = 60 Pages)
Ep 50: The UAW Match -- (Last 1/6 of Ch 119 - First 1/2 of Ch 122 = 47 Pages)
Ep 51: The Lesson Plan -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 122 - First 3/4 of Ch 124 = 50 Pages)
Season 2:
Total Chapters Adapted: 56.75 Chapters + 7 Bonus Chapters
Total Page Count (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 1,120 Pages + 140 Bonus Pages = 1,260 Total Pages
Chapter Average per Episode (Excluding Bonus Chapters): 2.36458333... Chapters
Page Average per Episode (Excluding Bonus Pages): 46.666...7 Pages
Notes:
Self-contained episodes with an extremely low page count will likely just be similar to the anime's version of those arcs or can possibly combine that arc with another.
If that were to be the case - with 3 - 6 more filler episodes - the Mayu arc can possibly be moved into next season which is something I'd personally prefer. But to fit the common 24 - 26 episode requirement and not make half of the season episodic/filler, Mayu's arc can be placed at the end of the season which is alright enough.
Once again, Saejima's chapter is cut. It can be implemented in:
Ep 45: Last Day in Okinawa -- (Ch 106 - Ch 108 = 64 Pages)
But, as before, the pacing would just be slowed down. Although, the idea I have in mind for that episode is an anthology - treating each chapter like its own mini episode. That way, the chapter can fit like the other chapters. A ton of dialogue would have to be cut though as there are two dialogue heavy chapters and one other chapter, and Saejima's chapter would likely get the most cuts as he isn't that crucial of a character to the story.

Season 3 - The Legend Rises:
Ep 53: Filler -- Another Onizuka & Saejima episode is possible as he, again, has a minor appearance in two major arcs later this season and SJG fan service. This can also be placed later on in the season after Mayu's Arc and before Urumi vs Miyabi arc. Half of this episode can be filled up by Saejima's chapter (Ch 108) if there can't be a plot that lasts 22 minutes.
Ep 54: Teshigawara's Return -- (Ch 109 - Ch 110 = 43 Pages)
Ep 55: The Delinquent -- (Ch 111 - Ch 113 = 62 Pages)
Ep 56: Grand Theft Onizuka -- (Ch 114 - Ch 115 = 41 Pages)
Ep 57: Into the Underground -- (Ch 116 - First 1/2 of Ch 118 = 48 Pages)
Ep 58: The UAW Match -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 118 - First 1/5 of Ch 121 = 49 Pages)
Ep 59: The Winner Takes It All -- (Last 4/5 of Ch 121 - First 1/5 of Ch 123 = 41.5 Pages)
Ep 60: The Lesson Plan -- (Last 4/5 of Ch 123 - First 3/4 of Ch 124 = 37.5 Pages)
Ep 61: Filler -- Mayu planning his revenge against those who wronged him with Kikuchi.
Ep 62: Filler -- Class 3-4 shenanigans or continuation of Mayu's previous filler episode.
Ep 63: The Loneliest Heart in The World -- (Ch 125 - Ch 126 = 39 Pages)
Ep 64: Elopement -- (Ch 127 - Ch 128 = 38 Pages)
Ep 65: Memories That Sting -- (Ch 129 - Ch 130 = 37 Pages)
Ep 66: Crime & Punishment -- (Ch 131 - First 4/9 of Ch 133 = 44 Pages)
Ep 67: Chaos Everywhere -- (Last 5/9 of Ch 133 - First 4/5 of Ch 135 = 48 Pages)
Ep 68: Sayanora Sensei -- (Last 1/5 of Ch 135 - First 7/9 of Ch 138 = 49 Pages)
Ep 69: Snow -- (Last 2/9 of Ch 138 - Ch 141 = 54 Pages)
Ep 70: A Shock To The System -- (Ch 142 = 18 Pages)
Ep 71: Born Anew -- (Ch 143 - Ch 144 = 35 Pages)
Ep 72: The Burden Of Friendship -- (Ch 145 - Ch 146 = 36 Pages)
Ep 73: Enter The Makoto -- (Ch 147 - Ch 148 = 38 Pages)
Ep 74: Way Of The Makoto -- (Ch 149 - First 1/2 of Ch 150 = 27.5 Pages)
Ep 75: The Locust Diary -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 150 - Ch 151 = 26.5 Pages)
Ep 76: The Metamorphosis -- (Ch 152 - Ch 153 = 43 Pages)
Ep 77: Heroes & Zeroes -- (Ch 154 - Ch 155 = 46 Pages)
Ep 78: Happy Days -- (Ch 156 - Ch 157 = 39 Pages)
Season 3:
Total Chapters Adapted: 49 Chapters
Total Page Count (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 992 Pages
Chapter Average per Episode (Excluding Filler): 2 - 2.08695652174 Chapters
Page Average per Episode (Excluding Filler): 39.68 - 43.1304347826 Pages
Notes:
A Shock To The System being a single chapter is because a ton of scenes can be added or expanded upon. If the chapter were to come after Ch 141, it'd be abrupt to suddenly skip onto and resolve another conflict within the episode - to me anyways - so somethings can be explained or fleshed out: where Onizuka and Yoshikawa was after saving Urumi, showing more of Urumi's Mother grieving, etc. It also helps that the chapter has a ton of dialogue so the episode wouldn't feel too stretched out.
The Teshigawara arc is extremely stretched out; it can be cut down by an episode.
Here's 2/3s of the season cut down into 13 episodes:

Ep 53: The Loneliest Heart in The World -- (Last 1/4 of Ch 124 - Ch 126 = 46 Pages)
Ep 54: Elopement -- (Ch 127 - Ch 128 = 38 Pages)
Ep 55: Memories That Sting -- (Ch 129 - Ch 130 = 37 Pages)
Ep 56: Crime & Punishment -- (Ch 131 - Ch 133 = 54 Pages)
Ep 57: Chaos -- (Ch 134 - First 1/3 of Ch 137 = 59.5 Pages)
Ep 58: Sayanora -- (Last 2/3 of Ch 137 - Ch 139 = 50.5 Pages)
Ep 59: In My Life -- (Ch 140 - Ch 142 = 49 Pages)
Ep 60: Born Anew -- (Ch 143 - Ch 144 = 35 Pages)
Ep 61: The Burden Of Friendship -- (Ch 145 - Ch 146 = 36 Pages)
Ep 62: Enter The Makoto -- (Ch 147 - First 1/2 of Ch 149 = 44 Pages)
Ep 63: The Locust -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 149 - Ch 151 = 44 Pages)
Ep 64: Crazy Tokyo U. Rhapsody -- (Ch 152 - First 1/2 of Ch 154 = 52.5 Pages)
Ep 65: Happy Days -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 154 - Ch 156 = 55.5 Pages)
Season 3:
Total Chapters Adapted: 32.25 Chapters
Total Page Count (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 601 Pages
Chapter Average per Episode: 2.46153846154 Chapters
Page Average per Episode: 46.2307692308
Notes:
A Shock To The System wasn't made into its own episode so this season can be 13 episodes - next season is when the second semester starts, so starting the manga's second half in the middle of the season would be, I feel, too jarring.
The Teshigawara arc was cut down by two episodes.

Season 4: The Legend Lives
Ep 79: Second Semester Begins -- (Ch 158 = 43 Pages)
Ep 80: In The Dumps -- (Ch 159 = 19 Pages)
Ep 81: Alone & Isolated -- (Ch 160 - Ch 161 = 40 Pages)
Ep 82: Daimon's Angels -- (Ch 162 - Ch 163 = 39 Pages)
Ep 83: Demon Club -- (Ch 164 - First 1/2 of Ch 166 = 46 Pages)
Ep 84: Vengeance Of An Angel -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 166 - First 2/3 of Ch 168 = 50 Pages)
Ep 85: The Azusa Reason -- (Last 1/3 of Ch 168 - Ch 170 = 47 Pages)
Ep 86: Fallen Angel -- (Ch 171 - Ch 172 = 40 Pages)
Ep 87: Angel Army -- (Ch 173 - Ch 174 = 44 Pages)
Ep 88: Tales Of Summer Nights -- (Ch 176 - Ch 177 = 28 Pages)
Ep 89: Summer Festival -- (Ch 178 - Ch 179 = 36 Pages)
Ep 90: Filler -- Maybe an episode centering around Ms Daimon, Sho, and the angels; maybe some more wacky Class 3-4 shenanigans with the new kids. Anything to flesh out this part of the story.
Ep 91: The End Of Summer -- (Ch 180 - Ch 181 = 43 Pages)
Ep 92: Family Reunion -- (Ch 182 - First 1/2 of Ch 184 = 54 Pages)
Ep 93: The Secret Of Class 3-4 -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 184 - Ch 185 = 40 Pages)
Ep 94: One Morning -- (Ch 186 - Ch 187 = 61 Pages)
Ep 95: Friends -- (Ch 188 - Ch 189 = 60 Pages)
Ep 96: Tossed Away -- (Ch 190 - First 1/4 of Ch 192 = 49 Pages)
Ep 97: Miscalculation -- (Last 3/4 of Ch 192 - Ch 194 = 61 Pages)
Ep 98: Goodbye -- (Ch 195 - Ch 197 = 63 Pages)
Ep 99: Doing What I Can Do For You -- (Ch 198 - Ch 199 = 62 Pages)
Ep 100: Forever -- (Ch 200 = 36 Pages)
Season 4:
Total Chapters Adapted: 43 Chapters
Total Pages Adapted (Excluding Double Page Spreads): 961 Pages
Chapter Average per Episode (Excluding Filler): 2.04761904762 Chapters
Page Average per Episode (Excluding Filler): 45.7619047619 Pages
Notes:
Since this season adapted the least number of chapters, I have some few ideas on stretching the episodes out:
The second episode of the season can have Onizuka looking for places to live, providing a greater pay off to him living in the decorated big heap of trash. Ryuji's frustration towards Onizuka in Ch 167 for conforming to the points system can be introduced here as well.
Saejima's Chapter can be an entire episode or fill up half of Episode 88: Tales Of Summer Nights:

Tales Of Summer Nights -- (Ch 175 - Ch 177 = 47 Pages)

or Anko's arc can be more fleshed out, acknowledging and building on continuity with what's introduced before like her possible family drama that never gets further explored outside of her first arc and Okinawa.
Here's an alternate list for the season's second half:

Hostage Situation -- (Ch 182 = 23 Pages)
Family Reunion -- (Ch 183 - Ch 184 = 46 Pages)
The Secret Of Class 3-4 -- (Second 1/2 of Ch 184 - Ch 186 = 68 Pages)
Friends -- (Ch 187 - Ch 188 = 65 Pages)
Heaven's Gates -- (Ch 189 - Ch 190 = 50 Pages)
When Angels Go Bad -- (Ch 191 - Ch 193 = 62 Pages)
Looking For Love Again Tonight -- (Ch 194 - Ch 195 = 44 Pages)
Grieving Time -- (Ch 196 - Ch 197 = 43 Pages)

I'm from Northern England, looking for female friends. I'm interested in video games, rock and grunge music, animals, books!
I play Overwatch, Fallout, Minecraft, Elder Scrolls. All sorts of stuff, I'm pretty casual and play on console.
I love rock, nu metal, metal, grunge. I love animals, especially cats.
I like fantasy, sci-fi and horror books, some of my favourites are Stephen King classics, I love the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club series, I love all sorts of fantasy.
I'm not single so please no weird or NSFW messages, I'm looking strictly for friendship only, no exceptions.
I feel that I have a lot of friends, but not really a best friend and find it hard to make new friends at this stage in life. I've not really done anything like this before but I thought why not try!

Looking for friends to hang out with and chat with daily. Into gaming and anime.
Some games I enjoy playing is Minecraft, Phasmophobia, Final Fantasy, Destiny 2 and any kinds of RPG/FPS games.
Some anime I enjoy watching is Naruto, SAO, Solo Leveling, yugioh.
Down to talk about anything and everything. Would love to have someone where we can be silly with, talk daily, share interests and be there for each other. Always online. Not looking for a one day/short chat, wanting long term genuine friendships. I use discord to chat. No ghosters please 🙂 18+

I made it a year, though I didn't really work the past two or so months. I went from being a full time CEM to part time CEM and after calling HR and having extended conversations about the Manager (who was/is absolute trash for anyone who wasn't a white man) I was demoted to regular associate, told through a text message, and had pay reduced by $4 an hour. I didn't even bother to come back to a shift after that.
Almost every employee I've met at Michaels was a creative, thoughtful, empathetic soul who had a niche artistic interest and was just a genuine joy to be around. Michaels doesn't value that, sadly, and your horrible experience (and mine) is pretty much the standard across the nation's stores. I'm so sorry.
I don't hold a lot of hope in this store, I hate saying that. I remember what an institution it was when I was growing up. My bestie Heidi and I used to buy embroidery floss, make friendship bracelets out of them and sell them at school in 4th-6th grade. Until we were told that it wasn't legal and they made us stop. I think after that we bought craft paint and yarn, painted rocks while the rest of the six grade was in sex education (we weren't allowed to take it because Christianity) and sold the rocks. Michaels' totally supported my bath products and CD collection back then.
I wish the store's higher ups valued the workers like they value their own paycheck. Heads up CEO, you're making over $3M a year. I offered a single mom $10.20 an hour during peak season. I was so ashamed.
Working at Michaels changed me in a profound way, and I truly mean that. I watched people work incredibly hard just so the burden of work didn't fall on the shoulders of their coworkers, people working through illness and injury, people constantly away from their kids. I held a sobbing 20 year old employee on their first shift back from a stint at a Pysc Hospital where they'd frantically tried to salvage their mental health. One day back in the store that poor child just couldn't one more day. I'm grateful they quit. I hugged and listened to multiple trans employees who were bullied by the SM, reported it, and was ignored. To them, I am so sorry. I did everything I could. Watching the lack of communication, the intentional gossip, bullying, general awfulness in that place was DEVASTATING. Every shift I came back from I was sad, broken, and exhausted. I can't pretend I'm not relieved to be out. I had nothing left to give that place.
I hope everyone looking for something else finds it. I wish those staying fulfillment and peace.

Multi Part story.
Fantasy.
Any feedback / commentary is welcomed.
Enjoy!
*****
“Go on Hal, it’s a simple spell – slithering serpent unlock the lock.” His professor prompted him in front of the class. Hal glanced at his classmates. Wizards and witches in the making. They were young teenagers. The academy was famous for its introductory courses. He took a deep breath, desperately attempting to ignore the murmurs and whispers in the room, that were most unpleasant to him.
‘He’s gonna blow it up’
‘no no he’ll melt it’
‘he’s going to summon a serpent.’
They were whispering among themselves.
He inhaled through his nose. “Slithering serpent of the lock to unlock.” He misspoke the basic spell.
“NO!” his professor shouted. The small box lock in his hands squirmed and softened. His magic failed, and the misphrase caused an undesired effect. The shackle of the lock pulled itself out of the hole and flicked its tongue. In his hands were now a metal lock’s body, and a metallic snake. Hal gasped, tossing the snake over his shoulder.
“I told you he’ll screw it up.” Shouted another teenager.
“Flamius, engulf!” Another student cast a simple enflaming spell, setting the metallic snake on fire. Hal sighed. Echoes of voices and screams slowly faded. He turned a small lock in his hands, examining it. Intricate patterns carved into the lock’s body were magical in nature. He sighed once more.
“Slithering serpent…” He whispered softly and then stashed the lock away in the inner pocket of his long coat.
After another short nap, he finally got up from the comfort of his resting spot. A grassy patch under a big tree with wide-spread branches, casting a comforting shadow over the entire patch. He placed his hand on the tree and bowed in respect.
“Thank you for the protection, o’old one.”
The tree shook gently, shedding a handful of leaves.
The path he followed was partly overgrown with half-withered grass. The valley in which he found himself seemed to be experiencing a drought. Most of the grass was dried and most weeds were struggling to show any colors other than yellow and brown. Hal was a versed traveler, for he had never managed to find a place he could call home. The longest he managed to stay at a place was 2 years, before an explosive accident resulted in his untimely departure.
“Meowdy traveler.” Smirked a merchant from the driver’s seat of a cart – one of many. A whole caravan was lined up behind, slowly coming to a halt. At a quick glance, Hal counted no less than 12 carts.
“A whole caravan huh? Where do you hail from?” The merchant raised his hand, nibbling on a weed’s stem. He had a sly smirk on his face, and his pupils were narrow and slit-like. Hal focused on the stranger’s eyes, but they were suddenly normal again.
“We’re a traveling group, usually transporters of goods, haulers as your kind calls us.” He replied in a snarky tone. “Returning from the Merila mines, carrying mostly silver ore.” The merchant continued. “Not much to offer, but feel free to peek around if you so desire?”
Hal tilted his head to the side. “Merila mines…There was a rumor of a ‘sage’ that lives there, in the mountains. Heard of him?”
The merchant’s lips curled up into a grin. “Nyess! Though we don’t trade for free, traveler.” Hal pondered.
“I have not much to offer… Basic magical services perhaps? Or, some herbs?”
The merchant seemingly sniffed the air. “That’d be purrfect… Let us settle, set a camp, if you assist I’ll give you a, discount.”
Hal saw no reason not to offer a helping hand to the merchants.
“How long have you been on the road for?” He inquired of a younger lad whom he was helping unload the tents and supplies from 1 of the carts.
“Ohhhh hecking if I know… We departed the Merila uhhh, two days ago? By foot it’ll take you another 4-5 I reckon, maybe even 7, that’s where you headin’ yes? Long journey still… We’r enroute to the port city Calinda to the west.”
The nightfall in a valley surrounded by a range of mountains always came suddenly. One moment it was still day, and then suddenly it was all engulfed by shadows. That evening he found himself enjoying a hearty fishy-stew that was freshly cooked by the merchants. They were a fascinating group that within a few hours went from a traveling caravan to a well set-up self-sustaining camp.
They even had a portable shower. When darkness came, they had traps with baits set up to catch critters for food.
“Sooo, murrster…” Began 1 of the eldest-looking of the merchants.
“Hal, just Hal… uhm…. None of the wizards bear a last name. He explained, curious as to how the merchants seemingly didn’t know that common fact.
“Ahh I see I see, my apologies. A wizard is what we seeked in fact!”
Hal nodded, and gulped anxiously. “Y…yeah?? what for…??
“Nyah, it’s no biggie…”
A rustling behind a tent caught Hal’s attention. His head snapped in the direction of the noise. It was a strange noise, a mixture of cracking bones, squishy flesh, and a tear of the fabric of reality. He knew that last sound especially well. His breathing got heavier. His eyes widened from fright.
He was in a classroom. Learning simple levitation spells. It would mostly serve as a means of making objects float and controlling them.
“World hear me and obey my will, leave it free of your will.” A simple cast, with channeling one’s mana underneath the object to cancel out the gravity effect on the object, and then simple control of it through use of the channeled mana to make the object move.
Hal’s turn. He stepped up. His gaze fixated on the small cannon-ball replica that sat on the table.
“Occasionally we, the mages of the world, find ourselves at the front lines, serving our country. Though real ones are much heavier, this one is hollowed out. Try making it float.” The professor of practical magic instructed.
Hal sighed with his hand extended. “Hear me and obey my will, leave the world free of your will.”
The instructor blinked out of confusion.
Although the cast was mostly similar, the effect was anything but ordinary. The cannonball disappeared, swallowed into a rift that tore through the reality behind it. Through the rift a clawed hand emerged, grasping onto the edge of it, and then another, trying to pry it open. Claws as sharp as needles extended from its furry hands. The crackling of electrical discharge and an ear-piercing tear akin to ripping fabric, if the fabric was electrified and shooting off like a tesla coil, filled the room, muffling out the screams and shouts of the other students, along with their mocking and teasing.
“Hal!?” called out the merchant from before. Hal gasped, regaining his focus.
“Ahhh…hah…?” He snapped his attention back at the merchant, his fright-struck looks made the man chuckle.
“Everything alright, friend?”
Hal nodded, slowly. “Ah… yes… I just, something reminded me of an unpleasant memory.” His body shivered slightly; his gaze returned to the tent where he had heard the tearing sound. From behind it emerged a young woman. She furrowed her eyebrows, then smiled and bobbed her head at him.
“Ahh, Leri, she was probably cutting some pelts; she’s a crafter.” The old man commented after following Hal’s gaze. “So about what we’d ask of you, in regards to the magical services you offered.” The old man continued. “Simply put, we need your mana, for the ahmm… warding seals.”
Hal blinked. “Oh… n..no spells?” The old man glanced at him suspiciously.
“Nyat at all.”
Hal let out a relaxed sigh. “Oh… yes! Okay, that’s a yes, no problems.” He smiled nervously, his anxiety slowly fading away with the realization that he wouldn’t be messing it up with his unexplainably dangerous magic. “S…sure yes…”
The old man chortled at the suddenly nervous wizard. “Scared of your own magic? That’s good no? If a wizard is not afraid, the wizard is not mighty enough.”
Hal explained his strangely uncontrollable magic to the old merchant in a lengthy evening tale, accompanied by some ale, hot stew, and crackling of the campfire.
The morning after, another member of the merchants brought to him an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, and wooden tablets, that he was requested to refill with mana. He paid little attention to the intent of these magical items, simply upholding his part of the bargain. Hearty meals, some travel supplies, food rations for his trip, and a couple of spare water-skins to last him through the drought-plague valley until he reached the exit of it, and a discount on his trade of herbs for goods that he decided to pick up, for some simple mana-refilling. A deal he would've been a fool to turn down.
His supplies lasted him the rest of the trip through the valley. Though he wasn’t exiting it entirely. The mines he was heading for were on the outskirts of the valley, but at least there was a river running through this part, so the supplies and herbs were easier to come by. He reached the outskirts of the village where the miners lived, and found himself impressed by the quality of life in this little, remote village. The night at the village was quite peaceful, and the lock to seal his magic still proved to be effective. His stay passed without any incidents and at the break of dawn he began his ascent up the trail leading to the snowy peaks. With no concrete map in hands, only rumors and details he obtained through word of mouth, he had no choice but to trust his intuition in the journey ahead. The first day was pretty easy. The slope wasn’t too steep. The night after, however, proved to be more challenging than he had bargained for. While the valley before was at most filled with critters and an occasional coyote, the lush forests leading up the mountain were a lot livelier.
Hal was ill-prepared for the dangers that lurked in these forests, and that is something he realized when he was startled awake from his peaceful slumber by a growl - mere meters from his tent. His heart clenched and his stomach turned into a knot. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead while his body instinctively reached for the lock with magical symbols engraved on it. He clenched the lock in his fist. His mind raced in an endless debate between unlocking it, releasing his barely controllable magic, and risking his life. Perhaps the creature would pass by on its own. Perhaps it’s already closing in to pounce. A bear? Or another predator? He wasn’t sure. Though Hal was used to traveling and camping around, he never quite starved so far from civilization or established routes. He closed his eyes, clenching the lock in his hand.
“There are several ways to handle yourself when faced with an attack from an inhuman. Creatures, animals, monsters, etcetera, are easier to control, but one must carefully and precisely assess the being they’re up against before deciding on the best approach to handle it. For instance, a hungry beast in the wild would be easiest to charm, and then feed, but a demonic creature is likely best to be banished.” The professor explained to the class in a lecture.
“So as a pop-quiz, today we’ll have you face your fears.” The professor exclaimed with an excited smile. Her gaze darted to Hal. “Ahem… Hal, darling… considering your erhm… recent accidents, perhaps, would you prefer to sit this one out?”
Hal clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, giving a weak and sad nod to the professor. And so, he watched his classmates one by one cast various spells at various creatures as the phantomic assumed shapes of creatures that his classmates feared. He heard a rustle, and then a tear, as the claws of a mountain lion tore through the thin fabric of his camp.
A soft click of metal was barely audible, and then he reopened his eyes. His pupils emitted a golden glow.
“BEGONE” He shouted, his voice filled with fright and resolve, as the memory ended on a simple vision of his classmate banishing an imp-like creature with a spell. A thunderclap echoed through the night forest. All the forest dwellers, from owls to critters, turned to silence. Hal swallowed audibly, blinking in disbelief. Harsh coldness pinched his cheeks. His feet sunk into a soft but cold whiteness. His gaze wandered the moonlit snowy peak atop of which he found himself now. His body shivered from the sudden cold.
“No…” He gasped. Disbelief was quickly replaced by concern as he realized that he was suddenly exposed to the freezing temperatures, realizing that instead of banishing the predator that leaped at him, his magic transported him to an unknown location. His gaze wandered the frosted landscape in search of shelter. The night was cold and young, and he wouldn’t last long in his thin clothes which he was sleeping in moments prior. No camp. No supplies. Nought that could help him now. Panic began to settle in, but before it had a chance to root itself in his mind and cloud his judgment, a soft, gentle voice whispered from behind in a playful tone.
“My. I’ve never seen a meal present itself to me so… boldly before.”
Hal turned on his heel in an instant and faced the source of the gentle voice. His eyes fixated on a pair of piercing ruby-eyes that shone in the darkness like beacons of hope, or despair, he wasn’t quite sure yet. Her hair was dark as the night itself, highlighted in blood-red. Illuminated by the moon’s light, her pale skin almost resembled the snow that surrounded them. His jaw dropped, and he was left speechless by the beautiful woman before him, that stood barefoot in snow, seemingly oblivious to the harsh coldness. Her thin blouse and hair fluttered in the wind. He stared at her, and the only sound that he managed to produce was
‘ah…’
She grinned. Her pearly-white teeth shone in the moonlight. Her fangs glistened, as did her eyes.
“My, left you speechless did I?” She traced his shivering neck with her nail, all the way up to his chin. “Mmhh… scared humans aren’t yummy…” She pouted. “Stop trembling so much, I can hear your teeth clacking.”
He nodded, still trembling, less so from fear and more so from slowly freezing to death.
“C….c…co…cold…” He managed to utter at last.
She blinked a few times. “Oh, right… I forgot that your kind feels cold…” She grasped him by the throat. “Come with me then!” And chanted something in the ancient tongue that Hal had only briefly studied at the academy, and suddenly he was dizzy.
The world all around spun and spiraled out of existence, just to spiral back in a moment later. His knees buckled, and the girl had no desire to hold him up. She loosened her grasp and Hal fell to the wooden floor. It took a few long moments before the dizziness passed, and he managed to bring himself up from the ground. Warmth tickled his cold cheeks, and a comforting crackle of the fire soothed his mind.
“Wh…where am I…” He struggled, pulling himself up to a sitting position.
“Obviously, my place… Though I don’t usually bring my happy-meals home… But you seemed so cold… and, well, frozen meals aren’t happy…” She glanced over her shoulder, pouting like a little child. Her cheeks puffed up and her eyes looked sad, so sad in fact that Hal suddenly felt bad for being a bad meal, and that’s a strange feeling to have.
“I… I’m sorry…”
“You had better be!” She turned her head swiftly like a child who was denied a treat. “Tell me, meal… are you dumb?”
Hal shrugged. “No, I’m uhh…” he proceeded to explain the events of how he ended up basically a layer from being butt-naked up in the frosty peaks of the mountains, freezing to death. His host had a hearty laugh over it for what seemed to have lasted several minutes.
“You… really are something…. but, you tell good stories. Go on go on. Entertain me.”
Hal glanced around. “May I … have some water?” She suddenly disappeared, appearing right behind him. Her nails dug into the soft skin of his neck, her warm breath tickled his ear.
“I sssaid… actually, would be rude of me to deny you. Wait a minute.” She suddenly released him and ran out barefooted into the snow. Coming back with a cauldron full of snow, tossing it over the campfire to melt it and boil the water.
“Herbal tea?”
Confused, Hal merely nodded, and while waiting for the water to boil, he proceeded with his tale.
“Ah, you are there, here.” Replied his hostess.
“Wha…. where?” Hal asked out of confusion, watching her pour him a cup of steaming water and toss some herbs into it.
“There-there, where you desired. Your magic sent you straight there, well, here, to me.” She grinned excitedly. Her fangs caught the flickering light of the fire and glistened ever so invitingly. Her piercing ruby eyes made Hal weak in the legs. He snapped back to reality, realizing what she had just said.
“HUH???”
She smirked, taking a sip of her drink. “I am the one the village folks refer to as the ‘sage’.” She explained. “Hardly a sage… I hunt tourists andddd, i’m just old so I’ve seen a lot.” She shrugged playfully. “And you’re a tourist by the way.” A warm and inviting smile spread across her lips. Hal somehow felt compelled by his new title.
“Suppose I am. But uhm… about my issue…?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re suchhhh a party pooper. Sheesh.. yes right… Wizard with out-of-control wizardry. Happens occasionally, likeeee… once a generation I reckon.” She proceeded to ponder.
“H…how old are you exactly?” Hal inquired curiously after her commentary.
“Rude to ask a girl her age, foolish meal… I ought to teach you manners.” She suddenly whispered into his ear, standing menacingly behind him.
He shuddered. “S…sorry… carry on.”
She tip-toed around him playfully but rhythmically, as if dancing to a song that only she could hear. He watched her curiously, his gaze drawn to her fluid movements. He was curious about what she was thinking about, what song she was playing in her mind, but before he could build up the courage to ask, she abruptly stopped and stared out the window.
“Tsk… Right, so… Magic control.”
He nodded enthusiastically.
“There are… three, no, four ways to address your issue.” She began, walking up to the window and leaning against the windowsill. “First option, I could turn you into a bloodsucker like myself. Then within a few hundred years you’ll eventually learn to control it. Immortality grants you plenty of time to practice.”
He nodded, “Ahm… a fair point I guess, but, w…what other options are there?”
She pondered. “Could have you go to the Grand Library they uhm, specialize in weird-zardy.”
Hal furrowed his eyebrows. “Weird..?”
She nodded “Oh yes, weirdos all around, and very yummy… But I hate feasting on their kind. They’re full of mana but so obnoxiously annoying…. Ahem, anyways - alternatively… we could curse you to weaken your magic potential. Your magic talent far surpasses what your knowledge of it permits you to do. You have the potential to break the worlds and realms, or to fix them.” She grinned playfully. “How fun! Yummy fun.”
He carefully considered what she said. “Are there… more options?”
She turned around and shrugged. “Sureee… yes… expect me to give you a whole book of options why don’t you? Didn’t even feed me and so needy… Sheesh…. Yes there is, boooring though! I could just create a partial seal that allows you to focus your potential and mana better. Simple, ancient, and effective. They did that a few thousand years ago when we were far too mighty for this world.”
“We…?” He asked cautiously but she responded with a cough and then suddenly she stood before him. Her index finger was under his chin. Her gaze full of hunger.
“And now you choose, and thennnnn…. You feed me.” She smiled excitedly. “Go on magic man, tell me your preference…”
He found his thoughts getting lost in her ruby colored eyes once more.
“Could I… Ask you to…. Teach me instead?” He asked. His gaze full of hope.
She gazed into his pleading puppy eyes and then pouted. “NOT FAIR! Stop giving me the cute gaze…” She continued to hold his chin in her grasp, then released him and turned on her heel.
“FINE! Under three conditions. One: You allow me to feed on you on a whim. Two: You guide tourists to me… don’t worry, I never kill, just a few nibbles, they won’t even remember it. And three: you will obey me for a hundred years.” Her smirk turned evil, menacing even.
Hal swallowed audibly, but her allure was irresistible to him. He nodded in response, without taking a moment to reconsider his decision.
“I… accept.”
In an instant, his world was swallowed by darkness. A sharp pain jolted through his body as he felt two fangs pierce the skin of his neck. He gritted his teeth trying to resist the pain and urge to scream, as darkness consumed him, and numbness took over. And with that, Hal became an apprentice of the ‘sage’.

My (F19) bf (M23) has 2 main friends. One of them I really don't like. The comments I have heard him say make me really upset inside and I don't know what to do because he's my bf's best friend of the 2. I'm gonna call him Ben bc I don't wanna have to type "my bf's friend" every time. So Ben and his gf recently broke up and when the 3 of us were hanging out, he kept making sexual comments about one of my close friends (who has a bf) and asking if I can set them up. My bf asked me if I could set them up too and I obviously said no. Ben then kept on sexualizing her and saying things like "I'll f her up from behind" and that he needs himself a nice young girl. My friend hes asking about is 18 and Ben is 24. He then started making jokes about how he has pedofelic thoughts and that girls like older guys which made me super uncomfortable. Later that night, I told my bf that we needed to talk and he said "oh is it about what Ben was saying? I could tell you were uncomfortable." So in the back of my head I'm thinking if he could tell, why didn't he say anything?
Another thing I don't like about Ben is that he drinks a lot and drives when he has alcohol in his system. My bf is in the car when this happens which worries me and I tell my bf this and he just goes "babe it's fine ben is not that drunk don't worry I'll just text you when I get home." Even when they could easily get an Uber.
Another thing is that my bf doesn't want me going to the bar late at night with my friends without him. Whereas he goes out with Ben to drink without me which is pretty hypocritical. One night when they went out drinking, Ben and my bf were talking to me over the FaceTime and Ben said/joked that (I couldn't tell) some girl was all over my bf and flirting with him making comments about his cologne. My bf just laughed and smiled telling him to stop and changed the subject.
Another thing that recently happened, is that I was on the phone with my bf when he was hanging out with Ben and we were about to hang up. When we hang up we always say ily to each other. So I said ily and he responded "alright baby enjoy your meal make sure to text me." And I said it again in case he didn't hear me "ok don't worry I will I love you!" And he said "alright babe have a good day" and at that point I just said "ok bye" and he hung up. I can't tell if he's embarrassed to say it in front of Ben, if he really couldn't hear me after saying it twice, or idk.
All these things happened in the last couple of days when he's hanging out with Ben over the weekend at his place in New York for fun.
On this same weekend, my bf and Ben were talking when I was on the phone with my bf, and Ben was saying what they should do that day. He said something about setting bear traps and I heard "come here Fred!" And they both laughed. I didn't hear the entire conversation but from what I heard I didn't really like it and I don't like when people hurt animals. Later that day, I told my bf about how in Seaworld they treat the animals really bad and that he should tell Liam this too bc it's important for more people to know. And then I said I feel like Liam would go to seaworld (bc he doesn't care much abt the lives of animals) and my bf's response was "how would you know that you don't even really know him" so he is a bit defensive w his friend which I get bc they've been friends for a long time but I was just a bit surprised by his response.
I remember the first phone call I had with my bf when Ben was there, Ben said the n word in the background which completely took me aback and my bf knows that I don't like that. Ben also supports trump, doesn't believe in climate change or abortion rights, has a bunch of guns, and just does a lot of things like this that I really don't like or agree with. The main thing that bothers me is that people often are like the people they hang out with. So if his friend Ben is like this, is this how my bf acts when I'm not around? And idk if I should bring this up to him bc I can't see how that'll do anything. He'll most likely just deny it. I really just don't know what to do and I told him I want to talk about it tn but I have no idea what I am gonna say. Any suggestions or advice??
TLDR: I (F19) don't like my bf's (M23) long time best friend and don't know what to say. He's done and said a lot of things that I really don't like or agree with and it bothers me a bit that my bf hangs out with him so often bc people are usually like the people they hang out with. I really don't know what to do and I would feel bad if me saying something messes up their friendship and I really just need some advice please 😭

“Get the fuck out of my house with this ‘ old country’ shit Sylvia, I’m serious. “ I hear my dad say from the kitchen downstairs.
“I give children and idiots three warnings. That’s your first. “ It takes me a second to recognize my aunt’s voice. I’ve only met her a handful of times, and it’s nearly 2am.
“Syl, he’s right, this is crazy. I’m Roma, I’m proud, but your part of the family, and mine are two separate things. “ My mom interjects. Her voice is calm and level.
I woke up about half way through whatever is going on, and I’m fuzzy on the details, but everyone involved is three kinds of pissed.
“So you say, but just because you ignore the other side, doesn’t mean the other side ignores you. “ Aunt Syl replies, I could never quite place her accent, but it makes her statement all the more sinister.
“Might as well make that the family motto.
Syl, there are a couple dozen other kids Nikolas’ age in the family. Half of which are already hip deep in whatever is going on nowadays, you don’t need him. “ Mom isn’t pleading, but I can hear she’s worried.
“Why are we trying to reason with your crazy aunt? Time to go Syl. “ My dad isn’t worried, he’s angry.
“That’s two. “ Aunt Sylvia replies.
I hear a chair squeak then fall to the floor.
“That’s three. “ Sylvia says, her voice is cold, and I swear I could almost hear an echo.
I can hear my dad start to quietly cough, he sounds like he’s trying to talk but can’t. My heart starts to race, I don’t understand what’s going on, but I know it’s bad.
“Syl! Jesus Christ, that’s my husband. “ Mom sounds more offended than scared now. I wish I could say the same.
I stand next to my cracked door, fear beginning to take hold.
I can hear my dad start to take long wheezing breaths, I have no idea if this is a good or bad thing.
“Happy?
Now that any hope of doing this quietly is over, Nikolas and I have a long drive ahead of us. He’s 16, he has a license, yes? “ I hear Sylvia say, sudden footsteps walking up the stairs.
“No, he’s not interested in driving. You can’t take him Syl. “ my mom sounds frantic, Sylvia’s steps are measured and heavy.
“Not interested? You sure we are related? You raise soft children. “ Sylvia ends this with a dismissive laugh.
The few minutes that followed were kind of a blur, with my mom trying to convince me that I was just going to visit family, as if I didn’t just hear everything.
It's a couple hours into a long drive in a small car when my brain finally catches up to the fact that I’m awake, and going 30 miles an hour over the speed limit.
Aunt Syl sits in the driver’s seat, she’s 40 something, olive skinned with pitch-colored hair. Her style, it’s, something.
Her outfit was the middle of a Venn diagram of hippie, punk rock and carpenter. Bracelets, flannel, paisley, and enough piercings I lost count.
“Any chance of putting both hands on the wheel? “ I say, I’m mad, but I don’t even really know why.
She holds up her left arm, and I’m shocked. It’s an ancient looking blued steel prosthetic. She flexes, the clawed, almost mitten-like hand.
“Go through too many steering wheels that way. “ She says with a smirk.
“What’s going on? “ I ask, after an agonizing fifteen minutes of silence.
“You’re a big boy, so if you want the truth, I’ll give it to you. There’s a job that needs to be done, a dangerous job. And I want you to do it.
Now, I want you, not because you’re strong, or smart, or special. We have many strong, smart, special boys.
You, I want, because you’re unknown, and, little one, disposable. “ Sylvia lets this comment hang like rotten fruit.
The next hour goes in silence, at no point do I even entertain the notion this is some kind of joke. Something about this woman’s energy, about the way she carries herself, it scares the shit out of me.
We board a plane, somehow she had all of my travel documents. Even stranger is that we get escorted past the security checkpoints, into first class.
The next words I say to Sylvia are, “You have to put that out! “ as she lights up a short, yellow, hand-rolled cigarette.
She grins, taking a long drag, it smells horrible, the cheapest roughest tobacco odor I’ve encountered.
She relaxes, a cloud of thick, grey smoke forming.
I’m stunned, not a single person says anything. At first I think maybe she’s some kind of, I don’t know, mobster or something.
But that isn’t quite right. No one is looking at her in fear, no one is telling anyone else not to say anything. It’s like no one notices what she’s doing.
“How does she do this? The little boy wonders.
I don’t come offering you a thankless task Nik. I come with an opportunity. “ Sylvia says before crushing the cigarette on the arm of a chair and tossing it into the isle.
I had questions, and between the fear and the confusion I asked every one of them.
The only response she gave me was, “You’ll see when we get there. “.
She was right.
The flight lands, and after an hour or so of driving the world’s oldest pickup through the English countryside, we wind up at an old farm house, in the middle of nowhere outside of Hammersmith.
The sign outside says “ Gritt Auctions” the letters are old, bronze and tarnished, the grounds are littered with car parts, statues, and errata of every type.
Dozens, maybe even a hundred people mill about each stopping for a moment to give a suspicious look at the interloper in their midst.
Sylvia seems amused at my nervousness. I try and give the rough looking folks around me as much space as I can.
“They’re family, mostly, by blood or marriage, with a handful of lost souls and hangers on. “ She explains.
I probably should have guessed, seeing my mom’s family name on the sign, but my brain is basically nothing more than fear, anxiety and jet lag at this point.
“When do I get to know what’s going on? “ I say, waving at a cousin of some form and receive a uniquely English rude gesture in return.
My ear is ringing, and I stumble , the left side of my face burning. I’d say Syl slapped me, but it was more of a polite punch.
“Don’t whine. You’ve been stolen from your mother, treated like a dog, and judging by Robert’s attitude, rejected by your family.
I don’t want to hear whining, you angry, soft boy? “ Sylvia stops and turns toward me. I notice the people around us stop their tasks, interested in our conversation.
“No… “ I begin, not wanting to piss her off.
I don’t even see the next slap, but it puts me on my ass.
“Next one’s with the left hand.
Are you angry Nikolas? “ Sylvia looms over me like a raven.
I feel something before I get to my feet, a hot, quick flash of hatred. A context free rage at the fucked up situation I’m in.
“Answer is still no. Because to be angry, I’d have to know a God-Damned thing about what’s going on.
But my lunatic aunt just picked me up and now I’m standing in the middle of whatever the English equivalent to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family is.
For all I know, I’m your new King. So no, I’m not angry, I’m annoyed, and maybe a bit worried my gene pool really needs some chlorine. “ I’m shocked at what I’m saying, but I see some smiles, hear a few laughs.
Sylvia’s face seems to soften slightly.
“There’s the Gritt in you. “ She says, starting to walk to an old barn.
I catch up to her as I attempt in vain to dust myself off.
Sylvia opens a small, strangely modern looking door, inside a row of lights automatically flip on.
In contrast to the rotten wood exterior, the inside of the barn looks modern, design wise it’s half way between a hospital and a car repair shop. Equipment of unknown purpose, gurneys and cages of all sizes and types surround me.
Sylvia walks to a door at the back, then pauses.
“Before I open this door, you need to understand something.
There is no fortune telling, or reading of cards here. The cloak of the traveller, the bangles of the gypsy, these are all ways of navigating the world to us. Ways to exist on the fringes of society.
The Gritt family, we trade in the unknown. We find, we collect, and we sell. And ours is no petty collection of trinkets and tools not meant for the hands of man.
Our grift, is livestock. “
The woman opens the door, and what I see, sitting, chained in one corner of the industrial cement walled cell shakes everything I thought I knew about reality.
He's six and a half feet tall, his skin a waxy yellow, and every spare inch is festooned with black stitching, rusted pieces of metal or small splinters of bone.
His face is noseless and asymmetrical, almost as if repaired or modified over and over. One eye is a small, sinister looking orb with a red pupil, the other a massive, almost reptilian thing, wildly twitching about.
He wears no shirt, but a long, grey hide Trenchcoat hangs down to his knees. I start to shake as I see it’s made from layers of stitched human skin.
He sneers at us, long, conical teeth catch the harsh halogen light.
The thing strains against the chains, but they bind him tightly enough to the wall he can barely move.
“You’re not lasting more than 4 seconds kid. Just turn the fuck around. I’ll have you slitting your wrists in the corner by nightfall. “ The thing says, it’s voice is foul, almost a physical force. Grating, rage filled, and with a lunatic edge to it that makes me question exactly how much those chains can take.
“ 3/10, Augustus, who do you think you are scaring with that limp dick of a threat? “ Sylvia says, confidently walking up to the creature.
It snaps it’s jaws with a sound like a rifle shot. No where near Sylvia, but enough to make me jump on the other side of the room.
“If I could stop being threatened and hearing my aunt talk about dicks, I’d be a huge fan. “ I say, something deep within me, pushing past the fear and lack of sleep, “And if anything feels like just telling me what’s going on instead of being vague and creepy, even better. “
The chained thing looks to me, curious. Sylvia smirks.
“Augustus is going to be forced to fight others like him until eventually he gets what’s coming to him for years of evil.
You, are going to stand next to him while he does it. “ Sylvia begins to walk away from the thing, ignoring vile threats of both the violent and carnal variety.
I try to follow her out the door and she blocks me.
“If your still sane and alive in the morning, I was right. Good luck soft boy. “ She says before closing the heavy metal door.
Without her, I feel tiny, that spark of rage is snuffed out and replaced with a cold sense of dread.
“You’re going to have to turn around sometime kid. “ The chained creature says.
I turn, slowly, resolving to make eye contact with the thing. I manage a second or two before looking away, the creature cackles, mocking me.
“Holy shit, they sent me an honest to God pussy. Whole family full of void fucked apes and they send me you?
The best part is, you don’t even get it. I can see what you’re thinking kid, I can see that tiny collection of hormones and goo you vainly call a brain going into overdrive trying to figure this out… “ Augustus starts.
The creature kept going, I don’t have an exact count but it was at least twelve hours.
I can only describe it as a verbal assault. Augustus drew from some dark wells, how it knew half of the things it did scared me as much as it’s clawed hands or, piranha-like teeth.
I lost something that night. The fears that thing drug up, the insecurities it played on, the secrets it knew, it crushed any childlike notions of safety or understanding the world I had.
Don’t take that the wrong way, I don’t mean it toughened me up. It broke any sense of confidence I had, took away any feeling of safety. That God Damned thing in the trenchcoat, changed me.
I’ve lost track of how long it’s been since I’ve slept, but I’m brought a tin plate heaped with eggs, sausage and for some twisted reason, brown beans. And realize it’s been at least a day since I’ve eaten.
I sit around an abused, graffiti carved picnic table with an eclectic combination of family I’ve never met. Syl sips a tea I can smell from ten feet away and looks at me like I’m a used car.
“I’m always right soft boy. Remember that. “ She says.
It takes a half dozen guys built like construction workers, with Sylvia following behind whispering things that wilt vegetation, to wrangle the creature into the back of an old, reinforced horse trailer.
The inside is covered in totems, runes, and other spooky looking errata. The entity becomes sluggish and disoriented as the heavy wooden doors close, and get sealed with a massive brass lock.
My mind begins to wander on the three hour trip through the back country of the UK. The sun sets, and my brain screams for sleep. That scream is silenced by the sense of mounting dread as we get closer to our destination.
We pull up to an abandoned theme restaurant, the parking lot is full, the windows are boarded, and the walls covered in graffiti. The place is huge, more the size of a small stadium than a diner.
The parking lot is full, the sputtering, sparking neon sign flashes “Faron’s Funhouse. “
It’s a few minutes outside of a town I forgot to catch the name of. We can see lights on the horizon, but there’s a feeling of wrong surrounding the building that makes them seem a million miles away.
A half dozen ‘cousins’ of mine move Augustus into a strange, almost coffin-like box made of wood, steel and glass, covered in trinkets and symbols. The thing sneers groggily from within, it’s mismatched eyes rolling in it’s skull.
I don’t hear Sylvia approach, I notice her as she smacks me in the back of the head hard enough to make my ears ring. The old, cruel woman is walking toward the doors of this meeting place.
“Eyes forward, sneer on your face, and walk like you know where you’re going. “ Are her only instructions.
For once, they’re clear and simple. What I see inside easily keeps my attention, and I’m equal parts scared and pissed off, so looking edgy and miserable is my default state.
At one point, this place was exactly what you’d think. I know you’re all expecting it to be a run down, rat infested haunted house now, but it was, stranger than that.
The place was well kept on the inside, but everything was either in use or repurposed to house the couple hundred eclectic customers milling around. In the centre, is a massive Lucite Cube, crystal clear and housing a ball pit, jungle gym and what looks to be a functional canteen, complete with a deep fryer and popcorn machine. It’s a couple hundred meters a side, and shaped like a flawed rectangle.
Smoke hangs in the air, my aunt greets old friends in a handful of different languages, I smile and nod, still trying to understand what the hell this place is.
We see Augustus being wheeled to the Lucite box, Sylvia cuts a laughing Cyrillic conversation short, and her and I make our way to the box that barely restrains the hatred and death inside.
At the other end of the Lucite Cube I see a few people dressed in blue and maroon uniforms ( if I were to guess vintage, from when this place served shitty food instead of violence.), they surround a massive, hulking, lanky thing. It’s obscured by smoke, and poor lighting, but it’s nine foot frame, and unnatural gait are clear.
The box holding Augustus sits about ten feet away from me, inside the massive cage. The front opens, my instinct is to step backward, get as much distance between me and the thing inside as possible, but instead, I’m shoved, before I can catch my balance, a workbook clad foot is in front of me.
I fall and stumble into the cage, I turn around to try and get out as fast as I can, I’m standing inches away from the creature, but I see Sylvia closing the clear, impermeable door.
It hits me then. For the first time since this ordeal started, I realize how grim things are.
Just like everyone else here, I’ve been raised on spooky shit packaged to be marketable. Little monsters, The Adams Family, Harry potter, hell let’s throw Pokemon and the like in there as it’s basically just dog fighting with a cute hat on.
And I thought what was happening to me, was somewhere on the Venn diagram of those things.
But as I see the impassive look on the face of a woman I’ve known since I was a child, ( at a distance or no.) as I’m locked in here with God knows what, I get it. I really get it.
His laughter is like an ice pick, I turn to face him, Augustus brushes himself off, casually looking around the massive arena.
“Just hit ya didn’t it, bud? “ He says, walking over to me, his steps impossibly quick, almost insect-like, “You’re not my trainer, or my wrangler, you certainly aren’t my fucking partner. “, the entity grabs my chin between two clawed fingers, “ You’re a bait dog. Something for me and that new blooded walking pun to fight over. “
My blood runs down his thumb, his grin cracks his face like a rotten melon, the monster pulls down, throwing me to the floor.
A buzzer sounds, and a three minute timer, projected in transparent red appears on the walls of the Lucite arena.
“If I’ve got to hunt you down in this shit-hole, things are going to be a lot worse for you. Stay put, bud. “ The trenchcoat clad thing says, casually walking toward the creature on the opposite side of the arena.
Closer now, I see it clearly. Inside of a pristine uniform, is a twisted attempt at the human form. The torso is lumpen, asymmetrical, but lean. It's arms nearly drag on the floor, yellow, infected looking flesh, weeping pus like a snail’s foot.
It's eyes are black caves, with just the hint of something deep within. It’s face is blank, a torn, haggard looking grey tongue runs over rotting green teeth.
The kid beside it looks around my age, he’s big though, just as confused and afraid as I am. He wears a similar uniform to the creature, but his looks, abused, torn, blood stained. Like it's been handed down from one unlucky owner to the next.
As the buzzer rings, the lanky, disgusting creature moves in a flash, tearing off the kid’s right arm and beginning to chew it.
The blood didn’t set me off, as terrible as it was. It was the three seconds between the act, and the poor kid realizing what happened that pushed me over the edge.
He started to scream, a horrible trapped animal kind of noise. He backs away from the monster beside him, gripping the crushed and torn remains of his forearm.
Augustus laughs, his trenchcoat drags on the floor, leaving a streak of blood as he walks.
“Man after my own heart.
So, I say, we split these sides of beef for two minutes then talk shop for a bit. Fuck these pretentious apes and their show. “ Augustus looks up to the massive thing. It remains impassive, gnawing on the hand.
“Don’t be like that. We both know two halves are better than one whole . Win-win for both of us“ Augustus gets a noise that sounds like an angry sewer pipe, and a dismissive wave of a long snake-like arm in response.
The thing in the trenchcoat shrugs, turning around and stalking toward me.
“You have no luck at all kid, I was going to let you go last.
But the pinworm back there wants to be a dick about things, so looks like things are getting started early. “ Augustus grins, his mouth opening shark like.
I stare down certain death, Augustus radiating fear, seeming to become more demonic with each step toward me.
From behind him, a noise.
I would have just assumed it was some part of the worm-like, filth ridden thing eating. Augustus clears up that misconception.
He turns, shaking, body language that of a wild animal.
“Was that a fucking snicker? A giggle? Are you fucking laughing at me, you literal fucking worm. “ He’s panting, hands twitching like dying insects.
He stands, inches from the other creature, dwarfed by it, teeth grinding, muscles straining.
The worm thing casually tosses the flesh bare hand toward Augustus. As it touches his coat, the arena erupts into a kind of wild, senseless, limitless violence.
It doesn’t feel like watching a fight, it’s more like a car wreck, or natural disaster. Pieces of jungle gym turn into lethal shrapnel as the blurred, filth spewing scrum destroys them.
I see the timer, 2:15. My mind starts to catch up, and I see the other kid, pale, whimpering, and trying in vain to staunch the blood spurting from his arm.
I’m running, low and likely poorly, pulling my belt from my pants, and thanking myself for actually listening when I was forced to take a first aid course for a summer job last year.
The kid is scared, he tries pushing me away, but I’m determined, and not down a couple pints of blood. I pull the belt with two hands, pull it through again and twist, it’s ugly, it’s not perfect, but the flow of blood begins to slow, then stop.
We crawl behind a prize counter, decades old candy and stuffed animals surround us as we cower. A liquid filled roar loud enough to crack the cheap glass cases fills the room.
The kid is looking rough, blood still trickling from the torn stump of his forearm. I see some plastic bags and get an idea.
I lean over to get them, and feel something strange, at first I think I pulled a muscle.
Then there is a deep, burning pain, instinctively I pull away, and turn around.
The kid is on his knees, sanity has left his eyes, a cheap hunting knife in his remaining hand he has a look of panic and determination on his face.
“We have to win. “ he says, lunging at me with the blade.
He’s slow, and I avoid it, but not by as much as I’d like. Blood runs down my back, for a moment I wonder how bad I’m hurt, but it doesn’t really matter right now.
I retreat, but the only thing keeping us from being torn apart by the whirlwind of shrapnel caused by the creatures is the counter, I can’t escape.
It's a stalemate, I’m no athlete, and the kid is built like a rugby player, but he’s missing a hand, and delirious from blood loss. I plead, I try and reason, and I dodge crazed strikes by increasingly narrow margins.
Something large, either thrown or knocked loose destroys the counter behind me. Suddenly all is chaos. I’m thrown into the kid in the uniform, plaster dust surrounds us in a grey cloud.
By the time the air clears the kid is on top of me. I have his wrist in one hand, keeping the split tip of the blade inches from my face.
The angle is too awkward, I can’t get any leverage. It’s not a stalemate, it’s a war of attrition that I’m losing.
I catch a glimpse of the two creatures. The worm thing is striking at Augustus, who stands still, limbs moving in arcing blurs deflecting the blows and tearing off chunks of foul, tainted flesh.
The tip of the knife begins to dig into my cheek. A drop of blood hits my eye.
I grab the makeshift tourniquet with a free hand and roughly yank forward. The kid on top of me screams, bloods begins to pour. Torn flesh and a gore soaked belt hit the ground.
For a moment the weight on me eases up, and I push the knife forward. But the kid, he’s too stupid or far gone to just back off. As I feel is strength start to fade, he presses himself harder.
I expect him to back off as I begin to drive the roughly sharpened back edge of the knife into his neck. But he doubles down, leaning forward, trying to press the knife toward me.
For a moment, every other fucked up thing going on around me doesn’t matter. The world is small, silent, and consists of nothing more than the image of the knife ripping away a fist sized strip from the kids neck.
He backs off when he realizes the extent of the damage. Staring at me shocked, as if just not realizing the consequences of his actions.
He dies slowly, poorly, and within inches of me. I feel no victory, no sense of being a winner, just a dark pit in the back of my mind. The loss of something that comes with taking someone’s life.
I stand, shell shocked, staring at the corpse. My safety the last thing on my mind.
The worm thing is hurt, and attempts to dive into the ball pit, but somehow, defying physics, Augustus grabs it, holding the half ton monster out with one hand.
He arcs the thing, slamming it into the floor behind him, the spray of gore and viscera rivals pyrotechnics, the force leaves a blood filled crater in the floor.
Without missing a beat Augustus starts to walk toward me, making a token effort of flicking pieces of bone and organ from himself.
I’m frozen, I know nothing I can do could stop whatever he has planned.
The creature picks up a jagged piece of lumber, and looks at the clock, “We’ve got 45 seconds of fun left kid. “ he says with a sneer.
But as he passes the counter, and sees the corpse the look of imminent violence turns into amusement.
“How’s it feel to be a child killer, bud? “, Augustus laughs, “Not that I can’t tell from the look on your face.
Fuck me, that knocked some gears loose didn’t it? “
The thing walks forward, looking me over like a collectable.
“I can’t let that go to waste, now can I? “ he slaps me lightly, “It’s going to be a fucking blast watching you break down kid, wonder what drives you nuts first, this kid being in your dreams, or the fact that, at some point I’m going to get bored and start giving you all the pain you feel you deserve? “
Of course, I made it out alive. It’d be kind of hard to have posted this if I didn’t.
But now, I sit in a dingy room in a farm house half way across the world from home. Surrounded by family and monsters, all of which seem out to get me. Being forced to risk my life in some kind of blood sport.
Maybe I’ll be back, maybe I’ll be dead by the next time I get a chance to post anything. If anyone has any help, please, post it in the comments. I’m in a dark place here and no one else seems to be on my side.