Mr ankers test

I sold my 1994 open bow w Ford 5.0 sterndrive w 344hrs on it. Buyer comes from 90min away we remove shrink wrap because he's super serious. I had lowered my asking price from $5200 to $4800 (I'm getting married and moving just need it to go) since he first contacted me and he acknowledged the reduction, we talk and convinces me to unwrap from winterizing put in water drive "around the block" my good sized bay twice probably more than 2 blocks, always been my test drive w private party used car,bike, snowmobile, boats including my purchase of the subject i even let him drive it he shifted to fwd for a lap put in reverse back to fwds no issues for another lap drives back towards launch he offers 4200 I say 4400 he puts his hand out, we shake he drives towards shore I load onto trailer. 2 days later he says he took it took a boat mechanic who says it has a dead cylinder and not worth reoairs, j0 so I'm likely sure nothing is wrong he just has buyers remorse but even if there is a problem it's just a head gasket no small job but definitely not major. He wants to give back boat and all the extras I included I keep plus $200 he's even gonna do me the solid of paying the shop he took it to🙄🤑 and he says if you think it's worth that much just resell it. My response was, I sold it. He has threatened me w small claims court. Now, I have a handwritten not Notarized bill of sale of numbered equip to Mr D. Head As is, it is signed by both parties and dated Cae$h was exchanged. Can he really go anywhere with this?

Female 27 year Brazil 172cm 76kg i drink on weekends smoke only weed (only on weekends
~~~~~
9 days ago - drinkin in the bar with some friends, started feeling a strong back pain, went home, had intimacy with my bf and felt a little abdominal pain
8 days ago - everything was fine
7 days ago - everything was fine
6 days ago - started peeing A LOT. woke up 3-4 times during the night to pee. immediatly thought of urinary infection.
5 days ago - STRONG LOW BACK PAIN. went to the ER, urine test (positive for bacteria and hemoglobine) and CT showing dense fat surrounding my bladder (which doc said it was indicating the urinary infection). kidney stone was ruled out and prescribed meds
4 days ago - started taking meds (ciprofloxaxin 2x/day, dipyron whenever hurting (max 4 times/day) and ketoprofen (2x/day)
3 days ago - lower back pain, no more intense peeing
2 days ago - lower back pain, a little bit worse
yesterday - intense lower back pain, went to ER again, they gave me dipyron in my veins and went home
today - intense lower back pain.
so, i'm taking the meds for 4 days. no improvement, lower back pain getting worse, can someone please check my CT scan and help me investigate, since the hospital only gave me meds for pain manegement.
Here are the 3 videos from different sections
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BopFLIIL75xYTOf1BnLbcmMrC-eL6GJc?usp=sharing
(Sorry, i've tried uploading in other host websites but since it's a video, it was beyonde the size allowed)
THANK YOU <3

I finished the Borderlands 2 story on normal mode and then finished the Hammerlock DLC, but now that I am moving onto Mr. Torgue's Campaign, the main missions I'm accepting are trivial (Like the very first mission of Torgue's campaign is level 30, but I am level 40).
Am I doing something wrong? Do I have to play the DLCs on TVHM or UVHM? How can I raise the difficulties of these missions?
EDIT: As a test, I started TVHM and these missions are 5 levels below me. If anyone has an answer for me then that would be great because it's really ruining the immersion being way stronger than most of the enemies)

Ama. Party comp: MR. SLAM - Half Orc Oathbreaker Pally, Astarion - Storm Sorcerer, Shadowheart - Life Cleric, Karlach - Totem Barbarian. It was super fun and a wild ride but god I'm glad it's over. *note the screen is my Bard just testing the dice.

This should go without saying but preface - I do not want kids to grow up blindly listening to everything an adult says and never questioning them, because that can be quite dangerous. Duh. With that said, WHY do they have to question me on even the most basic things? Some prime examples below:
“We have an assembly this morning so—“ “—WHAT?? WHY?? WHAT ARE WE EVEN GONNA DO AT THE ASSEMBLY??”
“Hey Teacher, I thought we were going to the library today!” “Right usually we would, but like I said yesterday (and the day before that, ahem) we are going on Thursday this week instead.” “WHAT?? WHY?? But we always go to the library on TUESDAYS.”
sees date of testing on the whiteboard “Wait I thought we were testing Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday not Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday” “No I just checked this morning it’s—“ “—Sarah isn’t that what Mr. History Teacher said??” “Hey, guys, can you please listen? It’s—“ “Wait we have TESTING next week?!”
“We don’t have school on Friday.” “What?? WHY??” “It’s a teacher work day.” “What does work day mean?” “Yeah what do you guys DO on a work day?” “Do you actually do anything or do you just sit there?”
This is my life with these middle schoolers. Me, an adult who works in the building (eg goes to meetings and reads emails where we make important decisions and receive important information) having to justify every single tiny thing to kids who lose track of a pencil within half an hour. Sometimes I just want to tell them to shut up and do what they’re told!
I don’t mind when they ask why we’re learning something, or point out something that doesn’t seem right in an article we’re reading, or comment on the poor organization of a school event. Those questions are all productive because it’s all subjective which leaves openings for curiosity. But to play 20 questions about a statement as simple as “The assembly got rescheduled to Wednesday instead of Friday” is such a waste of time, it’s like debating an objective fact. Just say okay and go where you’re told to go, your teacher that period will line you up and get you where you need to be, you should know that! Argh! Two more weeks.

Anyone watching this trial?

This is loosely related, but the Daybell case is turning out to be a great source for a preview of what’s to come.

• Ms. Beaty is one of the prosecutors
• ISP Lab supervisor testimony
• FBI CAST & CSLI testimony from the supervisor in Idaho

I think there’s a decent chance the same ISP Lab Supervisor and/or FBI CAST Supervisor will be the ones to testify on this case, bc their departments are for state of Idaho & supervisors typically closely oversee processes for high-profile cases & are more equipped to testify.

• . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - *

FBI CAST / CSLI Supervisor - Day 22

(just ended about 45 mins ago at the time I’m posting this)

• He’s disclosed a lot but most of the info is with more abundant data to work off of.
• Google location history is the main source of the precise locations we saw pertaining to Alex Cox’s movements. > — I wonder if that means Alex Cox had a Droid (anyone know?), or if we might see something like this data come out with this case. > — being logged into Gmail gives them very precise location points, you could see Alex Cox move around Walmart based on phone location
• {For anyone interested in the Delphi case, the 100m range is explained}.
• I find it very interesting how willingly and easily the CAST team at FBI cooperated with this Daybell case, in contrast with subpoenas and the Touhey process being employed in the Kohberger case
• There are a lot of overlapping coverage zones in Idaho > (but this case is based on the opposite corner of the state, so it didn’t show the maps they use near where this investigation is based)
• he goes over AT&T drive test data
• a lot of the data presented is specific to AT&T {insights useful for Kohberger, Delphi cases} > — a lot from Verizon too.
• Random fact learned: Verizon doesn’t store location details in the data & analytics log on phones when texts are sent and received like other carriers do

Note: he’s not shown on screen & is likely using an alias.
Hot take: my guess on why they don’t have the cooperation from the FBI CAST / CSLI team on Kohberger case seems likely to be that they misrepresented or cherry-picked info, which the FBI CAST team isn’t willing to limit their statements to in testimony, & are going back & forth about providing a report limited to that, rather than FBI just stonewalling their request for the data.

^{That’s ^ my wild guess, not evidenced directly, just a personal opinion on what I think is likely}

• . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - *

ISP Lab Supervisor Ms. Dace - Day 20

• Her testimony did not help the prosecution at all IMO, but they did provide some interesting insights into their processes
• They didn’t find a single hint of Chad’s DNA on anything they tested > — despite 18 of the items being tools he owned & presumably has used…. > — They assumed ownership and that his DNA would be present (apparently neglecting to consider that someone else’s DNA being present could be exculpatory for the defendant) > huge risk from this testimony: conspiracy to commit murder + 1st degree murder —> just conspiracy}
• There was essentially no unexpected or incriminating DNA anywhere (Lori’s was mixed with Tylee’s in some places but she’s already convicted so that rly makes no dif)
• She gave some insights that help to understand the super high #s given in this case. — They assume mixture but test for a unique profile among it. — {they expected DNA from soil, decomposition fluids from both victims, and ashes <-interesting}
• They got reference samples from all the main players and, using using atypical methodology, did not test for any outside contributor’s identities > — “Atypical” bc thats how they did it “for this case,” she clarified (unique instructions or circumstances apparently)
• For all cases, they only test exactly the items & places on the items that police or prosecutors instruct them to, or things they’re instructed to test by court orders
• in this case, she saw potential blood on 10 items which they only determined was consistent with blood, but didn’t test whose it was on any of them.
• Their policy is not to run consumptive testing without approval. > — And apparently didn’t seek, or weren’t granted approval, despite nothing testing positive for the defendant’s DNA

I was pretty shocked at how much DNA they opted to preserve rather than consume. In this case, what could they possibly need to save it for that would be more important than THIS investigation & trial !!!? - no one wants to clone this dude & taxpayers prob aren’t hoping for a re-do - and especially given that they don’t have even one tiny HINT of Chad’s DNA on anything….!..?..!.? - Yikes - (no fault of Ms. Dace though; she just tests what she’s told to).

• they assume it was on tool handles since he owned them, but that also bases the choice not to confirm, on the assumption that no one else’s would be present…. we’ll see if the jury accepts that….

(For clarity: I think he obviously played a key role in the kid’s deaths & is guilty of at least conspiracy to commit murder, just now question the strength of the first degree murder charge, not his actual guilt)

• . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - *

Ms. Beaty - special prosecutor from the Kohberger case is on this trial too.

• she’s more effective on the Daybell case IMO, watching has guven me a better impression of her
• it might be just bc she has better arguments to use to lay out a clear picture, or it might be that she has a dif role in the Kohberger case > — She seems to get stuck with a lot of long-shot requests, likely bc she has a higher rank
• She seems confident, calm, & precise
  Side-note: Prosecutor Wood’s performance is a lot more mild than what I expected. Pryor is coming off as more thorough and inquisitive, but both of them come off as very kind and reasonable - very courteous & cooperative with each other, too; they have a lot of sidebars, like, “Your honor, may I have a brief moment to discuss with Mr. Wood?”, and come to quick, joint-agreements or suggestions. Pryor’s been given an extremely difficult task to undertake single-handedly - facing what seems impossible. He’s missed a few key opportunities to question some things, but I think he’s matching the performance of the prosecutors thus far, from the days I watched.
  
• Beaty seems most harsh / stern from the bunch, but more likable than she’s come off in the Kohberger case IMO
  
• . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - * . - *
  

Anyone else watching this one?
— If not, honestly, I do not recommend. This trial is dominated by soft-spoken, slow-speakers lol.
Any other take-aways?
Or questions? (I watched more than most ppl prob have the patience for - it’s kind of like a long version of those old Clear Eyes commercials, but with lots of dead silence in between statements - so I’d be happy to answer if I can)

• anyone know whether Alex Cox had a Droid?

I've been playing a long while, but I've recently just come back from a bit of a break. I remember being able to practice my MR tests, by going to the relay and visiting Simaris' room, and then heading up the stairs to the right. But now, it just kicks me right into the test with no option to practice. Am I missing something?

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be dead in the next 24 hours.
Whether that's the Costella family, or whatever this is, I'm not sure.
The police are taking forever, and part of me knows they're either refusing to believe me, or RC got them too.
I'm holed up on our school bus, so I've got nothing better to do.
I want to tell you about my team.
We met in our sophomore year.
Strangers standing outside the club room.
Levi was the freckled brunette who wouldn't stop talking about Game of Thrones.
Sunny, a pretty redhead, told him to shut up.
Tom, a sandy blonde, nodding his head to music corked in his ears.
I just wanted to be part of a club, and get away from my overbearing mother.
I won't say it was a perfect start. Our school was lacking in funding, so anyone could join, which made us more of a Quiz Club. I had some serious anxiety, so I stayed on the sidelines for a while, watching, rather than taking part.
It's not like we actually talked to each other initially. The first few weeks, we played Jeopardy, and attempted to find more members to cement us as an official Academic Decathlon club.
Unfortunately, though, it was just the four of us.
Which made it extremely hard for us to be taken seriously.
According to Google, Academic Decathlon teams were made up of nine members, placed by their GPA.
Our principal laughed at us, but he did let us become official.
Which was out of pity, I assumed.
The club was assembled, and we started meeting up after school.
Sort of.
Sunny barely showed up, and Levi didn't take anything seriously, preferring to spend the time telling us about his weird family turf-war.
Our principal dumped us in a tiny classroom with a resident rat living under the floorboards.
There was barely enough room to move, and the four of us crammed together for three hours was less than appealing.
Still, though, I wanted to be part of a club.
I had grown up with parents who were obsessed with board games, so I was pretty good at general knowledge questions. Our club room was too small for anything else but three desks (Sunny and I shared one) and a whiteboard we had to shove through the door.
But, again, we didn't start as an Academic club.
It was more akin to Story Time Club.
Arriving late on my third day, armed with quiz cards from home, I found Tom and Sunny completely mesmerised by Levi’s storytelling skills, drowned in shadow.
They didn't even turn the lights on.
I strictly remember squeezing next to Sunny, and hearing the words, “But there was so much blood all over the floor, and my Mom told me to go upstairs and hide under the bed…”
Sitting in front of them was Levi, perched on a desk, his legs swinging, a whiteboard marker between his teeth.
Sometimes he'd get up, and illustrate parts of his story.
It sucked that his drawings were all stick people.
I won't go into full details of his life, but Levi grew up as part of a family who had… interesting methods of making a living. I had seen the guy’s father multiple times when we hung out at his place, and, yeah, my friend’s family definitely had Soprano vibes.
Levi’s Draw My Life was nothing to do with the club, but it did bring us closer.
Even if, at that point, I was considering leaving.
But it's not like it was easy to walk away from these guys. It's like finding your soulmates. Levi wasn't the only one with an interesting life. Sunny Lang was an ex kpop trainee, who was kicked out for being too fat, which led her to develop a severe eating disorder, and a hatred for her own body.
Sunny explained her family were originally from Boston, her mother growing up in Korea.
She signed up for an idol agency focusing on creating a new girl group, and had gotten all the way to the final stages, before being kicked for her weight. Sunny told us her story with a smile, though there was a hollowness in her eyes I couldn't ignore. The other girls were judgemental bullies, and the idol diet and brutal regime almost killed her.
Sunny lived in a tiny apartment with 9 girls, who would tear each other apart for a chance to debut. Sunny said all the other girls debuted, and when we (not so patiently) asked for names, she shrugged, admitting she signed an NDA that prevented her spilling the beans.
What she did say, was the K-pop idol is a product, not a person– and are made and moulded into a product.
She had zero interest in throwing her humanity away to become a manufactured doll.
So, one of us was the son of an underground family, and the other was an ex idol.
Tom was an aspiring horror writer with a famous older step-brother.
His story times were usually, That one time I went to the Met Gala.
When it was my turn to reveal my story, I told them the only interesting thing about me.
I could smell when something bad was going to happen.
They laughed, but I was being serious.
When I was a kid, I smelled my mother’s brain tumor.
I remember it smelled like curdled milk.
I asked Mom why her head smelled of mouldy milk, and Mom laughed and said it was her shampoo.
It was actually a grade two tumor growing inside her brain.
Thankfully, the tumour was found quickly and removed.
Growing older, I became sensitive to smell. The little girl choking on the bus smelled of singed wood, and the old man crossing the road stunk of gasoline.
In the fourth grade, my classmate Alex Castor smelled of lemons all morning.
I sat behind him, choking on the stink all the way through class.
Ever since I met him, Alex had always smelled… off.
It was a distinct smell I could never understand, and as the days and months and years went by, that smell morphed into a subtle orangey musk that was so strong I had to cover my mouth and nose. Then, he smelled like lemons.
During Recess, I watched Alex fall off of the jungle gym, straight onto his head.
Alex Castor was dead before the paramedics arrived, my panicked teacher attempting CPR when his brains were leaking out of his ears.
The school claimed it was an accident, but Alex would have been fine if the jungle gym wasn't built on solid concrete.
I told my team members this, and Levi was sceptical.
“You can smell bad things?” He said, his lips curved around his milkshake straw. In the early days, we hung out in the local bar. It's not like we were allowed inside, but Levi could get us in anywhere.
I was squeezed between Tom and Sunny, while Levi took the seat opposite us. I couldn't help noticing our waitress was insisting on free milkshake refills, her frantic eyes glued to Levi.
I had zero idea why. Levi Costella was about as intimidating as a fruit fly.
Wearing a white shirt with a popped collar, a leather jacket thrown over the top, Levi was giving rebellious Harvard student, rather than son of a crime family.
Leaning forward, he raised a brow, clearly not believing me.
“So, you're like a stink psychic?”
I shrugged, sipping my own shake.
“Sure.”
I wasn't planning on telling him the club room smelled off on our first day.
Once we actually started the club, Levi surprised us as the smartest member, and getting to know him further, I came to the realization his family were infamous in our town.
However, his parents hid it well. Lucy and Michael Costella were the owners of a popular ramen store in our town, hiding under the facade of two successful business owners. The Costella’s were an attractive family.
Lucy was a sophisticated brunette with a lipstick smile, Michael, a handsome fluffy haired man who looked like he modelled glasses.
The two were fiercely protective over their youngest son, not so casually reminding us behind grinning smiles, that if anything happened to Levi, we would automatically be involved in the family.
I mean, they did laugh and say, “We’re joking! Look at your little faces!” when Sunny went deathly pale. But there was definitely truth behind their words.
Being Levi’s friend was… challenging at first.
Tom and I were in his room studying for finals, and an alarm went off, flooding Levi’s room in red light.
I had zero idea where it was coming from, but it locked all the doors and windows, forcing the Costella residence into temporary lockdown. Levi didn't seem fazed, casually mentioning his parents were taking care of it.
He had a whiteboard set up in his room, and was standing in front of it, cramming all of our textbook notes into one easily digestible drawing.
Levi wasn't just smart.
He was Ivy League smart, so we had struck gold with him.
His family were questionable, and yes, sometimes I did fear for my life, but as the more time we spent at his house, the Costella household became a second home. We got used to the alarms.
I just brought along ear plugs.
I wish I was writing this post about Levi’s family, and sure, they are a factor in what is going on right now, but I want to preface this by saying the events below involve the 2024 scholastic decathlon final in our town with the school’s listed:
Starbrook High School.
Ratcliffe High School.
Please note, the incident that took place last night was immediately covered up, and all phone footage was destroyed. Our town is mostly out of the way, and does not show up on Google searches.
We also have our own version of the academic decathlon, which is a more town-level competition, due to lacking funds. The four of us were desperate to start competing with our schools.
So, we started taking things a little more seriously.
We got a coach.
Mr Hanes, who was hesitant at first.
In his words, “You will hate me as your coach.”
He started by recruiting more members, announcing, “If you want to be taken seriously as an actual club, then I'll be taking the reins from now on.”
He did, and with our teachers guidance (and sometimes brutal honesty), we reached a level where we could start competing with other school’s in town. Now, none of us knew this, but Mr Hanes was obsessed with winning.
So, club meetings were twisted into two hour study sessions with no talking, followed by Mr Hanes Jeaprody, which was Jeaprody, without the actual fun.
We were quizzed multiple times, answer cards and practise questions quite literally thrown directly in our faces.
I hate to admit this (I really hate to admit this) but Mr Hanes’s tactics worked. Sure, we had been mildly brainwashed by our slightly unhinged coach, but with Levi Costella, we destroyed our competitors. Like I said, our town held their own version of the academic scholastic decathlon, but it was pretty much the same, with some changes.
Ten subjects. Language and Literature, Math, Social Science, Economics, Art, Music, Interview, Speech, and Essay.
Unlike the official Decathlon, ours was more like a game show, with the ability to be knocked out if a team member answers a question wrong. Whoever answers the most questions correctly wins. Team meet ups were either tests, study sessions, or quizzing each other.
Which leads me to last night.
The finals were held in the reigning champions, Ratcliffe High School’s, auditorium.
And we were about to win our town’s Scholastic Decathlon 2024 Championships.
Well…I was knocked out in the music section. Standing next to my coach who I was sure was going to asphyxiate from excitement, I could smell the sudden potent stink of lemon. I tried to ignore it at first, but the more questions my team were answering correctly, the smell got worse, suffocating my senses.
This wasn't just lemon. The stink was like a burning, singing smell trickling into my nose and the back of my throat.
It was stronger than what Alex smelled like.
This was suffocating, drowning my thoughts.
“Are you okay, Cassandra?”
Mr Hanes nudged me when a Ratcliffe girl was struggling to answer a question, only for Sunny to jump in with the answer. “You look quite pale.”
I nodded, forcing a smile.
My gaze was on the Ratcliffe coach, a scary looking blonde woman, whispering in one of her student’s ears.
The Ratcliffe kid freaked me out. He was way too tall, dark blonde hair, and bulging eyes I swear were not blinking.
His gaze was glued to Levi, who wore a smug grin.
There was a smaller girl next to the Ratcliffe kid, a Macbook balanced on her knee. Every so often, he leaned into her, the two of them in deep conversation.
“I'm just nervous.”
I jumped when Ratcliffe scored a point, their side erupting into cheers.
During the break, we had a mini team meeting.
Sunny rushed to the bathroom to freshen up, and I noticed a Ratcliffe girl with a bouncing ponytail following her.
Ignoring our coach’s speech, I joined the two girls in the corridor, that lemony scent hanging thick in the air.
I caught them in an awkward position.
The Ratcliffe girl had her fingers pinched between the material of Sunny’s dark blue shirt bearing our school’s name.
Sunny looked confused, her lips parted like she was going to yell.
Ponytail dropped her hand, suddenly, with a nervous laugh. “Oh! I'm so, so, sorry,” she gushed. “You had, like, the biggest spider crawling on your back.”
Sunny caught my eye, shooting me a reassuring smile.
“Thanks.” She made sure to keep her distance. “Uh, where's your bathroom?”
The Ratcliffe girl nodded down the hallway. “It's just down there. I'm going there too if you want me to show you?”
Sunny motioned for me to go back to the auditorium. “Uh, sure! That'd be great!”
I did try to follow them, only for Sunny to cough loudly.
I took the hint, reluctantly heading back into the auditorium.
My team was hyping each other up, Levi in the centre, sweating through his team shirt. He ran a trembling hand through his hair. “I can't do this,” He groaned. “Ratcliffe High is known to play dirty, man. They're unbeatable.”
“In what way do they play dirty?” I asked, joining them.
Levi gulped down water, shrugging.
“I dunno! They're already trying to distract me with the stink eye.” The boy narrowed his eyes at a grinning Ratcliffe kid who, after noticing our stares, jumped to his feet, waving at us.
“Hey guys!”
“That's Harry Cartwright, the son of the Cartwright family who tried to kill my parents in the third grade.” Levi mockingly waved back. “As you can see, their kid is a fucking sociopath.”
Huh. I wasn't expecting the smiley kid to be the mobster’s son.
Harry Cartwright was not what I expected.
Unlike his team members, he was the only one in casual clothing, a short sleeved white shirt and jeans, a pair of sunglasses perched on top of his head.
Tom went pale.
“Fuck.” He hissed. “He’s one of you? Then those bastards will have a reason to play dirty, right?”
Levi shrugged, averting his gaze. It was the first time I saw his eyes darken, like he was subtly telling the boy to back off.
“The Cartwright’s have been trying to buy our land for a while,” he muttered. “I wouldn't put it past them to use the Decathlon as a way to attack.”
“Attack?!” April, another member of our team, hissed. “Like, attack attack?”
Mr Hanes grabbed the boy, resting his hands on Levi’s shoulders. “Ignore them,” he said. “Hey. Look at me.”
Levi did, raising a brow.
“You're losing that spark in your eye, young man.”
“Spark?”
Our coach nodded. “Look at me, kid.”
Levi rolled his eyes. “I am looking at you, Mr Hanes.”
The man was shaking. I was guessing his whole career (or coaching career) was on the line.
“They know they're losing, Mr Costella.”
Hanes shook the boy, squeezing his shoulders. “You are being positive and Ratcliffe doesn't like that. They want you to be nervous. They want to make you second guess yourself and lose confidence. Don't let them get into your head.” he smiled, giving the boy a playful shove. “Kick their asses.”
“Exactly!”
I didn't realize Sunny was back from the bathroom.
The faint smell of lemons had followed her. I noticed a wet patch on her shirt collar, though she was quick to smile at me, admitting she'd spilled water down herself. Sunny wrapped her arms around Levi, squeezing him into a hug.
She hung on for a little too long, Tom dragging her away with a laugh. “Good luck, all right?” she backed away, ruffling his hair. “We’ve got this!”
When I hugged Levi good luck too, I had to resist covering my nose.
The smell of lemon was unbearable, just like fourth grade Alex.
But it wasn't as potent as earlier.
I vaguely remembered the smell starting to fade once Alex’s body was being carted away on a stretcher.
Following my captain through the crowd, I was right. The smell was less suffocating. Before he went back to the stage, I grabbed the back of his shirt.
The material was soaking wet.
“How are you so wet?” I said, swiping my hands on my shirt.
“Huh?”
I shook my head. “Never mind. Do you remember what I told you in sophomore year?”
Levi settled me with a confident, but nervous smile. “Thaaaat you're scared of clowns?”
“No. I mean the boy who smelled of lemons.” I gritted out.
Levi surprised me with a laugh. “What are you talking about?”
Something ice cold trickled down my spine.
Levi did know what I was talking about. He brought up my stink sense a day earlier in front of his parents, and I had to cover his mouth to shut him up.
Leaning close, I whispered in his ear. “You stink of rotten lemons.”
He nodded slowly, pulling away. “Uh… thanks?”
I bit back a hiss of frustration. “No, you don't understand what I'm saying–”
“Starbrooke High School,” The host announced. “Can all members please return to the stage.”
Levi held up his hand for a high five.
“Can we do this later?” He winked. “I'm kinda busy carrying this spelling-bee on my back right now.”
I nodded shakily, high fiving him, and letting him jump back onto the stage.
Before his words hit like a tidal wave, ice cold water slammed into me.
Spelling Bee?
Slowly making my way back to the stands, Levi’s mistake was circling around my head. He did win a spelling bee, but that was in middle school.
Thankfully, the smell of lemons was gone when I returned to my seat.
Mr Hanes handed me a soda. “Chill out, Cassandera, it's just a game.”
He could talk. The guy was on his fifth coffee.
Mr Hanes was not chilled out in the slightest.
Surprisingly, the event went well. I was half expecting my team to be crushed by the rafters, or caught in a blaze started in the crowd. But we were doing well. No, we were winning.
Reaching the climaxing round, Sunny choked against a smug Ratcliffe boy, joining me on the sidelines.
Levi answered the next question with a confident smile.
We were winning, but Ratcliffe could still catch up with a miracle.
The second to last question was to Ratcliffe, and it was general knowledge.
”Where on the human body would one find the *orbit?*
I knew the answer, and so did Levi, his lips breaking out into a smile when the Ratcliffe boy was hesitating, eyes wide.
Our school’s buzzer went off, Levi slamming his hand down.
Bzzz!
The host turned to our team. “Starbrooke, can I have your answer?”
Levi nodded, shooting our team a victory grin.
“It's…!“ He opened his mouth to answer, his jaw slackening suddenly.
The boy’s shoulders slumped.
“Uh… “
“Um…”
“Huhhhhh…”
Levi inclined his head, blinking, his eyes glazing over. There was a sudden, hollow vacancy that sent chills down my spine. It was like someone had reached into his skull, and yanked out his brain, leaving a shell in his place.
To my confusion, our team captain frowned at his buzzer like he'd never seen one before. He pressed it, exploding into child-like giggles.
Bzzz!
The audience laughed along nervously.
Tom nudged me. “What the fuck is he doing?”
Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz!
Levi’s entire body was slumped, his hand slamming down on the buzzer.
I caught something pooling down his chin.
“Is he… drooling?” I whispered.
Mr Hanes looked mildly horrified. “Has he been drinking?
“Levi?” Tom spluttered. “Drinking?!"
Whatever we were watching, however, was definitely influenced by… something.
Bzz. Bzz. Bzz. Bzz. Bzz!
“Young man, that is not a toy!”
The host wasn't amused. “Starbrooke High School, I need an answer from you,” He nodded to Levi, who was pressing the buzzer, his smile growing.
“Once again,” The host backed away, like Levi was contagious. “Where on the human body would one find the Orbit?”
Levi cocked his head, lips parted.
His gaze found the overhead lights, and he winced, his lips curling into a frown.
“Starbrooke High School!”
Levi jumped, tipping his head back and blowing a raspberry. “Palm tree?”
The audience laughed, and I started feeling nauseous.
Across from us, I could see the twist of a smirk on the Ratcliffe coach’s lips.
Bzzz! Levi slammed the buzzer again giggling.
“Starbrooke High School, if your team member continues to act like this, I will be forced to disqualify all members.”
Our captain stopped, gaze glued to the host, his hand creeping towards the buzzer, like it was a big red button.
The audience loved it, laughing like they were watching a sitcom.
“He wouldn't.” Tom whisper-shrieked.
The auditorium was silent for a moment, awaiting Starbrooke’s response.
Levi stuck out his tongue, slamming his hand down.
Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz–
When Tom dragged Levi away from his podium, a Ratcliffe girl hit her buzzer.
“Starbrooke High School, you are disqualified,” the host announced. “Ratcliffe High School, do you have an answer?”
It was Ponytail who nodded with a grin.
“The answer is the eye socket! The Orbit is part of the eye socket!”
“That is the correct answer.” The host was distracted, his eyes glued to Levi.
“Ratcliffe High School wins.”
Levi jumped when the Ratcliffe wide erupted into cheers.
His eyes were wide, clinging onto the buzzer for comfort.
Next to me, our coach looked like he was going to faint.
I barely noticed Ratcliffe’s victory, too busy watching our team captain, who was Harvard bound, tipping his head back and smiling at the ceiling like a new-born baby. Tom dragged the stumbling boy over to me, his mouth twisted.
“This was Ratcliffe, right?” He hissed, shaking our captain, who was struggling, squirming in his grip.
“Did they put something in his drink?!” He prodded Levi. “Hey! What did they do to you?!”
Still, though, drugging his drink didn't make sense.
Levi never left the auditorium, and kept his water bottle with him the whole time.
How did they even manage to slip something into his drink in the first place?
Did I smell our competitors drugging him?
Sure, intentionally inebriating my teammate was morally wrong and illegal, but why could I smell lemon?
“I doubt it was Ratcliffe.” Sunny squeezed next to me. “I've been watching them. They're harmless.”
“Then how the fuck do we explain this to his parents?!” Tom whispered, grappling with Levi, who was fighting to get back to the buzzer.
When Tom let go of him, he dropped onto the floor, crawling over to his podium. It was like watching a child.
Who was determined to piss off the adults.
Levi jumped back to instead feet, his gaze was glued to the host, a smile curved on his lips, when he slammed the buzzer again.
Bzzz!
“Someone, please remove the Starbrooke boy from the stage!”
I was embarrassed, our whole team ducking our heads as our captain was forcibly removed from the podium.
Mr Hanes grabbed Levi, pulling him off of the stage.
I expected our coach to be mad at him, but I think the teacher was more worried, a phone pressed to his ear while he forced the boy into a sitting position.
No, I don't think it's influence from alcohol, I could hear his conversation.
Levi kept trying to get up, mesmerised by the buzzer. The teacher was firm but gentle. “Hey. Sit down, all right? Keep still.” He went back to his phone call, gently prying Levi’s eyes open.
From what I can see, there's nothing wrong. He's just kind of…
Mr Hanes swiped his own hands on his jeans. ... wet?
Team Ratcliffe came over to rub it in our faces, though I was still tuned into our coach’s hissed whispering.
Water? No, I don't think it's water. It smells… no, I haven't told his parents…
“You guys did awesome!” Ponytail's voice was sugary sweet. Too sugary.
She held the 2024 trophy, bearing a satisfied smile. I noticed the Ratcliffe members were surrounding Harry, like guards.
“Better luck next time, okay?” She held out her hand, her eyes twinkling.
“No hard feelings?”
“Control your dog.” Harry said, amused eyes flicking to Levi, who was once again sprinting back to the fucking buzzer. His eyes had visibly darkened, lips curled into a triumphant smile.
Harry Cartwright was watching Mr Hanes chase our team captain like it was his own personal entertainment.
I had to look away before I died of second hand embarrassment.
“What did you put in his drink?” Tom demanded. “Weed? Edibles?” the boy attempted to shove Harry, only to be pushed back. “What the fuck did you do to him?”
Harry’s smile didn't waver. “Like I said. Control your mut.”
When the Ratcliffe team walked away, our red faced coach struggling with Levi, who was behaving progressively more erratically, informed us we were longer welcome inside the school.
Tom suggested calling an ambulance, but our coach was hesitant.
We all knew who Levi’s family were.
On the way out, Tom matched my stride. He was frowning at our team captain struggling to walk.
The way he was acting was already eyebrow raising.
But walking at an angle and being unable to stand up straight was worrying.
“I don't think they drugged his drink.” Tom muttered.
We pushed through the doors out of the school, and I revelled in the cool night air grazing my cheek. “If they did, he would be acting out of it, right? So, what's the deal with him acting like–”
“A child.” I finished for him.
“Yeah.” Tom leaned closer. “Do you think this has something to do with their turf war?”
I slapped at a bug creeping across my cheek.
Levi fell over again, this time bursting into giggles.
“Almost definitely.”
Levi was right about Ratcliffe playing dirty. I didn't realize how dirty until we were on the losers bus home. Levi was in the seat next to me, and the kid hadn't moved since we left Ratcliffe, his eyes wide, lips pulled into a dazed grin.
Bzzz!
The noise startled me from slumber. I was drooling, my head pressed against the window. Outside, the sky was pitch dark, and squinting through the glass, I couldn't get a bearing on where we were. I thought I was hearing things, but when I sat up, I heard it again.
Bzzz!
It was close.
Leaning over the boy, I glimpsed a smear of scarlet on his headrest.
I choked on my next words.
“Tom.”
Tom was in front of me, listening to music.
He didn't reply, his head of dark blonde curls nodding to the beat.
“Levi.” I managed to get out. I prodded him, and his head lolled into his shoulder. “Hey. Can you… sit up?”
Bzzz! Bzzz!
When the boy didn't move, I gently grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward myself, something contracting in my stomach.
I don't know how long it takes for your mind to fully register something, but my body was already reacting.
Levi’s seat was infested with bugs, eating their way through the upholstery. I was aware of my body moving back. I threw up, instantly, screaming into my hand.
The back of my best friend's skull resembled a deflated soccer ball, what was left of his brain leaking from his skull where a swarm of skittering bugs chewed their way through brain tissue, metallic legs scratching the curved, pearly white of the base if his skull.
Levi’s head hung, his body flopping into mine.
But his eyes were still open, lips still stretched into a smile.
Blood ran in thick rivulets from his nose and ears.
Bzzz!
I could see them, black writhing dots alive in his eyes, wriggling movement under his skin.
“Tom!”
I jumped up, stumbling into the aisle, my stomach heaving.
And it was only when I was on my knees, swiping bile from my lips, when I realized the others weren't reacting.
Tom wasn't moving.
I pulled an Airpod out of his ear, a long, slithering string of pink attached to the end.
There was a stray bug skittering across his hand, his face starting to twitch and writhe.
Moving back, I checked myself over, my hands shaking.
Head.
Shoulders.
Hair.
Clawing through it, my breath was stuck in my throat.
Arms.
Legs.
Feet.
Mr Hanes was slumped against the window, a reddish froth bubbling from his mouth.
Sunny.
I started towards the back of the bus, but all I had to see was her bowed head, half of her skull chewed through.
Sunny was in a far more deteriorated state, her face had been ripped through, a skeletal smile glinting in the dim.
The thick black smear on the window next to her was moving.
When I screamed for the driver to stop the bus, he ignored me.
If anything, he stamped on the gas.
I moved forward to shake him, before glimpsing a bug creeping down his face.
Calling 911, the operator laughed at me.
“Bugs are eating your friends.” He said. “Do you know the penalty for calling with bullshit pranks?”
The bus didn't stop, so I stayed at the front, while the bugs took over the back, eating through my teammates.
After four hours, I risked leaning over the seat next to Tom to check on Levi.
They were eating him.
Chewing all the way through skin, muscle and bone.
I tried to stop the bus, but the driver’s hands were tightly wrapped around the wheel.
Another hour, and blood was seeping down the aisle, crawling with bugs.
Levi was gone, and in his place, a buzzing skittering pile of bugs, that I thought were going to move to a second victim, maybe burrowing into the seats.
But, no.
These things began to tremble, replicating.
Building.
Slowly, nothing became static, and static became muscle.
Then bone.
Then flesh.
When a body began to slowly form, moulded from the dead boy, I stumbled back.
These things weren't eating Levi Costella.
They were rewriting him.
…
Edit: I'm still on the bus. I'm 99.9% sure that I'm infected with whatever this thing is. I can't stop fucking itching.
I keep picking them off me but they won't stop. This bus isn't going to stop until I'm like the others.
…
Edit 2:
I can feel them chewing into my skull. They're in my ears. I keep spitting them out. Please, someone get them off of me. Help me. I don't want to die at 17.
Edit 3:
Still alive. Still breathing. Maybe they're leaving me alone????? I think I'm okay. There is a pile of bugs at my feet, but they're crawling off of me.
Edit 4:
Levi really wants to go home. Like, he just told me he REALLY wants to go home. He's got a gift for his parents.
~~Edit 5 :) ~~
Levi is next to me right now, an odd smile on his face.
The bugs are not finished building him yet, but he'll be ready soon.
We will be ready soon.
Your son says hello! He is a wonderful boy, is he not?
Mr and Mrs Costella, I cannot wait for you to meet him.
He is our greatest achievement, and rest assured, you will give us what we want.
Warm regards.
The Cartwright's.

Most of you are probably already aware of this theory. It has been around for years. The great twist of Yandere Simulator will be the reveal that Megami and Ayano are sisters.
This had been a widly accepted theory since the release of Megami's first design, back when she still had black hair. Her design at the time was extremely similar to Kill la Kill character, Satsuki Kiryun. For those who are unaware, Satsuki is the main antagonist of the anime, and the president of the student council the protagonist attends. The plot twist of the anime is that she is the protagonist's sister.
Considering Alex knows about Kill la Kill, as proven by several easter eggs, it's likely he decided to use the same plot twist for Yandere Simulator. Megami's design was changed to not give it away immediatly, but of course, Alex couldn't keep his damn mouth shut, so there are many, MANY details that confirm this theory. I said details ? I should have said pages.
However, I feel like a lot of people are glossing over many details about this theory, and have many misconceptions about it. Notably, about how Megami and Ayano are related. So I decided to give my own theory, including all the... uh... subtle evidences we get in the game.
Crazy Grandpa master plan
No need to beat around the Saikou family's bush (or should I say tree, wink wink), you probably know about the Saikou Grandpa eugenics tendencies. His goal is to create the perfect human being, and he plans on using that by acheving the perfect combination of genetics.
So you might not know about this, but there are two major theories about the development of an individual. It's nature against nurture. Is an individual as he is because he was born this way, or because he grew to be this way. Is a person a blank slate at birth, or is their individuality already present from birth. This plays into determinism, I won't go into more details for a Yandere Simulator dumb theory, but you can look it up if you're interested.
So, to go back to Crazy Grandpa, he was probably on the side of nature at first. He only reproduced after he found the perfect wife, as he didn't want his gene pool to be "tainted", going as far as to DNA her on random shit. How did he DNA test her in the 60s is anyone's guess but let's move on.
The result were two children, Ichiko and Ichirou. Ichiko was raised rather normally, and ended up leaving the Saikou family as she didn't want to become the CEO. Crazy Grandpa saw it as the failure of his belief in nature, and decided to switch to nurture with Ichiro.
So Ichirou was raised with high expectations, to the point he acted like a robot, but Crazy Grandpa was very proud about what he had become.

Saishou carefully designed a very specific upbringing for Ichirou in order to encourage the development of specific personality traits and interests, and discourage the development of any attribute that he considered to be 'unnecessary'.

The boy spoke formally at all times, never expressed emotion, and rarely changed his facial expression. The Saikou family's attendants often wondered if the boy was still capable of independent thought, or if he was simply an empty shell that had been trained to carry out his father's will." Beside that, nothing else is known about his personality.
Familiar, isn't it ? We also learn that this is Saisho's conception of an "ideal person".
It is mentionned Grandpa was the one to chose Ichirou's wife, with the same criteria as he chose his own wife. Again, a perfect wife, because he didn't want his son to waste all the work he had put to this point to have a perfect bloodline. To this point, grandpa got the living proof that nurture works, but he still can't let go of his belief nature plays a part in it.
If only there was a way to run an experiment that could give an answer to this question...
The theory
The sisters theory is that Megami and Ayano are sisters, but there are usually divergences on how they are related. Keep in mind that I will be using the old timeline from 1980s mode as a template. It's already inaccurate as Yandere Simulator isn't set in 2022 anymore, but in 2026. But I don't care, the events probably play the same way.
Megami and Ayano are revealed in this timeline to have been born in the same year. You'll notice that the timeline mentions the birth of "Ryoba's daughter", and the birth of "Ichirou's daughter". Keep in mind that Jokichi isn't mentioned as Ayano's father.
And that's where we come to the main misconception in this theory.
Who are Megami's parents ?
Ichirou is obviously Megami's father. However, many have theorized that Ryoba is Megami's biological mother. This theory goes both way, either Megami and Ayano are twins separated from birth, or Saikou kept an egg from Ryoba and inseminated the Wife. This would make her Ayano's maternal half-sister.
I don't suscribe to this theory. Well, first of all, considering the timeline, Crazy Grandpa was the one behind the deal we'll mention later with Ryoba. I don't think he would have wasted his time finding a wife with perfect genes for his son if he had planned for her to only be an incubator.
Also, another reason, Megami's little antenae. It's a part of her design that she gets from her mother. The Wife is also mentioned to have given birth to two children, Megami and Kencho, which wasn't a necessary precision. Alex would have probably found a way to circumvent this if she hasn't really have birth to Megami.
So no, sorry, Megami probably isn't a yandere.
So... if Ayano and Megami aren't related throught Ryoba... how are they sisters ?
Through Ichirou. Simply enough.
Yeah, as great of a dad Jokichi is, he is probably not Ayano's biological father. Ayano is a copy paste of Ryoba, so he doesn't share anything in common with Ayano design-wise, that could indicate he is indeed her father. We don't even know that much about him as an adult. The Characters page doesn't mention him being Ayano's father, he is only described as the student he was back in the 80s.
However, Ichirou is described as extremely similar personality wise to Ayano. While Ayano is probably emotionless due to the Aishi curse, she is way more stoic than Ryoba in her own mode. But that's still a weak evidence, this is way I will back this up with the timeline.
We know that Ryoba has given birth to a daughter very late compared to her own mother and grandmother. These reasons are said to be plot related and big spoilers. Again, Ayano's father isn't mentioned as a parent, only Ryoba.

I recently went through my text document that lists all character ages and birthdates and changed a few things. Aishi women now give birth at 18. Ryoba, however, gave birth at 31, for plot-related reasons that will be revealed in the true ending (or perhaps in the basement tapes).

So, this is my own theory on what happened.
Just shut up and tell us what happened already
In the timeline, it is mentioned Ryoba's mother kept her Senpai in her basement. In 1984, when Ryoba was still a child, Saikou Corp renovated all the houses in Buraza Town for free, including Ryoba's house. Why was this even mentioned ? Because it was the first meeting between the Saikou and Aishi families.
Crazy Grandpa found out about the weird shit happening in the Aishi's basement. He learns about the Aishi curse. He decides to keep an eye on the Aishi's daughter at Akademi. Everything Ryoba did to get her Senpai convinces him the Aishi gene is the perfect gene to create an emotionless heir.

Kocho is extremely reluctant to let Ryoba return to the school, stand on a stage, and hand her a diploma but was told by Saisho Saikou to let it go.

He orders his men to abduct Jokichi as an hostage, so she would agree to have a meeting. That's when they made a deal, that Ryoba would be the mother of the future Saikou heir. But not only is Ichiro not old enough, he wants to find the perfect wife for him. She can marry her Senpai and have well paying jobs in the meantime.
Ten years after that, Ryoba has a meeting with Saikou and his son. And according to Kencho, she is apparently a regular.

She walked straight through the waiting room and directly into Mr. Saikou's office, without even speaking a single word to the secretary.

How long had that woman been coming here? How often? What business did she have here?
Kencho asks the secretary details, and we are told :

The secretary was silent for a few moments, and then gave me some generic platitude about how "the details of Mr. Saikou's appointments must be kept strictly confidential."

So either Saisho fired the previous secretary, or this meeting must be extremely confidential. Because that secretary was a huge gossip when it came to Ichiro and Saisho's falling off.
We get the confirmation it is a big deal as all the employees act the same at the mention of Ryoba.

When they saw how distraught I was, they were eager to help, but...
...When I asked them about that woman who just walked by, they... their attitudes changed in a heartbeat.
They slowly turned away from me and returned to their work in silence.
They ignored me, as if I wasn't even there! I haven't been treated like that since I was a schoolboy!

It was as if that woman was a taboo subject that no-one was allowed to speak of...or that...
He asks about her several times but Crazy Grandpa shuts him down. Kencho mentions Ichiro was there for all the meetings, but he has only heard him speak a handful of times. However, we also know that Ryoba and Ichiro have spoken with each other.
2004, Ichiro is in his mid-twenties. He gets married to the Wife. That's when his two daughters are born : Megami is born to the Wife, as the official heir to Saikou. Ayano is born to Ryoba, away from the Saikou family, as the bearer of the Aishi curse.
How exactly what Ayano born ? It is unlikely Ryoba would have cheated on Jokichi, which is why many have theorized on an insemination. Considering Saikou is a tech company, it's not out of reach.

He had two children, in accordance with his father's wishes; 'One as a backup in case the first child fails you.'

Yes, this might refer to Kencho. But this might also refer to Ayano. After all, Saisho did have twin daughters, before having a spare...
One was raised to be emotionless. One was born emotionless. It was the old debate, nurture against nature. Which one would produce the perfect heir to the eyes of the Saikou ?
Crazy grandpa retires in 2019, right before Megami and Ayano enter Akademi, and Ichiro becomes CEO.
Ichiro wants to select the perfect heir. And for that, he decides he will select the one who will come out on top, between Megami and Ayano. He seals a deal with Kencho about Ayano.

There is...one tape...that I'm already prepared to part ways with... The tape I made after Mr. Saikou's recent, ah...demands. It's far, far too risky for a recording like that to exist... That one...must be destroyed...immediately.

We know this deal is about Ayano. When Kencho kills Ayano as he feels threatened, he says "Mr. Saikou, the deal is off".
Ryoba and Jokichi both work for Saikou. We know from the headmaster that Ryoba and Ichiro have frequent meetings. She is able to walk in his office regularly. Why ? To discuss their daughter.
When Ryoba announces they are going to America, and Jokichi worries about their job, she says she gave a call to their boss and "he was very understanding". I used to interpret this as their boss being scared of Ryoba. But if their boss is Ichirou, there might be a reason he was so understanding. If Jokichi and Ryoba were to get away from Buraza Town, they wouldn't get in the way of his plans.
After Ayano disposes of Osana, we get a cutscene where he is on the phone with Ichiro. He seems very pleased with the unfolding events, and tells Kencho these deaths are "necessary casualties" for the "progress of science". Normal CEO activity, nothing wrong here.
But Megami also learns about this, as she is aware of the presence of a dangerous individual. Either Ichiro told her, or she might have discovered it by herself. Ichiro keeps her away from school for several weeks. She attends school through Zoom.
In very early builds of the game, you could find a laptop in the school. You would get to see Megami as a shadowy figure, back when she still had black hair. And here's her monologue :

I know who you are. I know WHAT you are. My father won't allow me to attend school while you are... "active". He has a reason for tolerating your presence at this school. I don't. You are a vulgar creature that is only allowed to exist because you serve a purpose. If it was my decision, then every last one of you would be exterminated.

And here's the end of Megami's description.

Megami clearly has some very important information that would cause her to go to such extreme lengths...but what does she know? Does Saikou Corp have anything to do with it? And, more importantly, does Senpai have anything to do with it?

So yeah, that's it for me folks, I'm putting the tin foil hat away and going back to my regular activities. If you have any counterpoint or anything to add, please tell it in the comments.

A popular question is: Which is the best power bank? Inspired by multiple other posts in this subreddit, I found a YouTube, who does very scientific tests. Initially summarized for myself, I want to share his findings.
First of, there is a question I could not find the answer to - and this is the reason for "potentially best". If anybody happens to know (not guess), please state it here!
The power draw of the ally is (I assume) at 30W 20V and 3.25A. This is what the power brick delivers. However, most power banks supply an output of: 5V 3A / 9V 3A / 12V 1.5A / 15V 3A / 20V 5A / 28V 5A (Anker a1340 in this example). While the device asks for the V and takes only the A it needs, I assume that the power bank still provides the specified V and A, meaning: Even though 20V and 3.25 A are taken by the Ally, 20V 5A are drawn from the power bank. 5 A are converted to 3.25 A, 1.75A is wasted. Again, not sure here - this is the base of my argument following! Thus, in 1h 100 Wh are depleted, not 65 Wh. Having a 27.000 mAh battery, with 20V 5A, it would be empty in 5.4h at 5A and not 8.3h (with 3.25A). So, a 25,000 mAh power bank with 20V 3.25A would actually hold longer. These are theoretical calculations, the Ally is not going to run for 5+h! more like 2h. Here is the calculation: 27 Ah power bank, outputting 20V with 5A: 20 V * 5 A = 100 W, 27 Ah * 20 V / 100 W = 5.4h 25 Ah power bank, outputting 20V with 3.25A: 20V & 3.25A = 65W, 25 Ah * 20V / 65W = 7.69h
Among the recommended power banks, the INIU B63 (25,000 mAh 65W) seems the best fit: + it delivers 20V at 3.25A, so no power is wasted + it is Airplane accepted (though not for Air Asia, who set the limit at 20 Ah) + it delivers 65W output from 100% battery to 0% + it has pass-through charging (though the others have that as well) + temperature stays low (we don't want to heat up the Ally): charging 29-31 degrees, discharging 25-32 degrees (https://youtu.be/rQ5Fnenxy1g?si=SipN4426EyfFdzMV&t=365) + it has good dimensions: 129*73*34mm 475g (the INIU B64 with 27 Ah is 4 cm longer!) It is quite efficient (though the Anker A1340 is more efficient): ( Input Energy for full charge: 102.6Wh Output full discharge: 82.7 Wh at 65W (81.4 Wh at 25W) (because of staying cool!) Efficiency of discharge: 88% Efficiency from power plug to delivered energy: 79.3%
What is wrong with the others? The others I am mentioning here all have 20V 5A output - and, if I am not wrong, even though the Ally draws only 3.25A, 5A are spend on the power bank.
In some aspects the following power banks might be better, but here are the additional killer arguments: UGreen 145W 25 Ah: - When the battery is at 30% the output drops to 50W, meaning 30W turbo is not possible anymore: https://youtu.be/WFkNCLrx96U?si=apw4YjZAril_gk6y&t=64
Aber A1340 prime (27650 mAh): - shuts off completely at 35% https://youtu.be/WFkNCLrx96U?si=EGIqITDu76wxlWfi&t=427 ! Continues when cool again - but I would not like to interrupt my game. (Though maybe the ally battery can bridge the time?) + Overal thermals are very good though: https://youtu.be/WFkNCLrx96U?si=PrPWvYwjOyXR20ad&t=595) + nearly maxes out Airline allowed capacity! + Most efficient use of Battery: https://youtu.be/WFkNCLrx96U?si=J94zpSfdS6HHVRvv&t=398
Anker 737 - did not look much into it ... because 20V 5A. Besides this both Ankers are actually very good!
Shargeek Strom 2 + 100W from 100% to 0% - gets too hot! 60 degrees @ 100W https://youtu.be/62r91sIspzg?si=FN5B7DbMhzsDiLDZ&t=468
ZMI (Xiaomi) N. 20 QB86b (25 Ah) (https://youtu.be/55ce84SE150?si=WbjyfMepqxU2IYSP&t=527) - 20V 5A - less efficient than the INIU B63 (https://youtu.be/rQ5Fnenxy1g?si=cTOUaXIuY2GHY7b9&t=397)
INIU B64 (27 Ah) - 20V 5A
I have to admit that I did not yet bought any power bank yet. And I think that all perform fine, the mentioned drawbacks are just minor annoyances in practice. However, please let me know if my base assumption is correct!

Hello, I need some guidance on our rescue's story. We recently took in a rescue cat from a friend. His name is Mr Popo. A friend caught him and didn't have any more space to take in another so she asked us to help. He was living outside on his own for a very long time. He was in pretty bad shape. Our friend had a vet check him up and from what we were told the only thing he ended up having was a case of Mange/Scabies, also some bad teeth. They said he was healthy and about 7yrs old. They gave him medication for the Mange and also neutered him. That's when we took him in. He did look a bit rough with scratches and rashes but seemed healthy, and still had his fur. We started feeding lil man 4 times a day and we gave him a cone to wear so that he could heal from the neuter process. Everything was going good, Baby was eating very well, he couldn't wait for feeding times. The only odd thing was he really wasn't using the litter box, specifically peeing. We attested it to him wearing the heavy cone and the litter box being too high to step into since he really was a smaller boy. After about 12 days he seemed to finally be healed from the neuter and we finally gave the baby a much needed bath. Poor baby was filthy. We also bought him a new litter box that had a lower opening so that he could walk directly into it. Another week went by and we found that he was starting to lose alot of hair. It was a bit strange he now had way less hair than when we first got him. His energy levels were still great and he was still eating very well tho, always licking his bowl clean. Popo was pooing in the litter box now but we noticed that he was still peeing on his bed or towel, and sometimes sleeping next to it which was odd. We started letting him sleep with us and he loved to cuddle with us. He would sleep on our chest or right next to us and seemed to be super affectionate. Days later I was with him and saw him get into the litter box to poo but noticed he was taking a very long time, he got out and there was nothing in the box. I inspected and I noticed he still had the poo coming out, still in the process of pooing hanging out of his lil butt. He finally tried again after a minute and he finally pushed it out. Seemed to be very dry. We thought maybe he was just a bit constipated. Shortly after that my girlfriend and I started to get rashes of our own, to which we deducted was ringworm, So lil man also had ringworm on top of the mange. At this point Mr. Popo was pretty bald now. He had lost a ton of hair. Poor guy seemed to be cold due to the hair loss. It was very much on my mind.The next day we went out to buy ringworm shampoo and gloves to hold him, That was when we came home and found him curled up in a tiny ball. When I walk thru the door he usually pops up and meows at me for food. This time he didn't really move. I put his food in his bowl and he finally moved slowly towards it.. He took a bite and then he fell over. I became very alarmed. I stood him up and made him walk towards me. He took a step and then again fell over. He couldn't stay up. I called my gf in and we both got him ready to go to an emergency hospital. During the short drive he was very lethargic and unresponsive. He was also cold to the touch. I kept having to physically move his head just to get him to keep his head up because I wanted to make sure he was still moving and alive. Once we got to the vet she told us that he didn't look good. Told us she thinks he was in the process of dying. That she didn't know how many days he had left or if he'd make thru the night. I couldn't believe it, how could this be true. In my head I was thinking that he was eating everyday just fine, and he had energy, he would physically climb me to be on my shoulders. I wanted to get more tests run to see what he had. She told us that he seemed to be really old. Maybe about 14 she said. We were in shock because we were told he was 7yrs old. At this point lil man was just laying on the examination table, Head plopped down on the cold table. He didn't look good. The Vet said he was all skin and bones but we only had him for about 3 weeks. I feel he needs more time to gain weight. She then brought up the quality of life talk. I wanted to give him fluids because maybe he was just dehydrated. Also since we had no confirmation of any serious disease. I wanted to run tests. My gf was in favor of letting him cross the rainbow bridge. After a very tough debate we decided to let him pass. But now I'm devastated and wondering whether we made the right choice. Could we have gotten a 2nd opinion. I really felt that maybe just an IV of fluids could've helped. It is true that he didn't look good at all in that moment while at the hospital, but every day beforehand he was eating all his food and would be active. Meowing at us to carry him. I just don't know and I feel horrible. I'm sorry for the lengthy read. I need some advice or wisdom if anyone has any to give. Thanks for reading.

Greetings and Salutations! Just dropping by with my notes for the next five chapters. Hope you enjoy!
Ch. 6

• Feyre is really adamant about not wanting to read and learn to shield herself from Rhys? I thought they ended on good terms last book
• Oh she's strong for a High Fae? That's interesting. Yeah why wouldn't you want to test your limits and see what new abilities you have? Classic main character arrogance :/
• Is Feyre being a contrarian just to be a contrarian? Rhys spitting out all the facts and truth and she's like “BUT UNDER THE MOUNTAIN blah blah blah I can't be a high lady”...weak arguments, this is small PP thinking
• What's happening to Rhys, is he having a high fae seizure or something?
• Lol Feyre still describes Rhys as the most beautiful male she's ever seen, poor Tammers.
• Oooh a female Rhys equivalent??? And her name. Is. MORRIGAN! She has to be new mommy, right?
• “...though I’d enjoy seeing Rhys’ balls nailed to the wall.” Hi Mommy 😍
• I know I said this before, but anyone that can irk Rhys without trying is alright in my book. Feyre tries too hard, it's a tough look.
• Lol we’re going back to grade school now; join hooked on phonics with Rhys for the low, low payment of one week of your life each month in perpetuity!
• Oh and learning shielding at the same time, cool cool
• Huh so there are others that have Rhys’ abilities? I guess that's naturally implied if he wants to teach Feyre shielding. I can't imagine it's a fairly common power, yeah? Maybe the high fae king has it or someone from the old guard
• Hmmm seems like Rhys wants to build Feyre up and make her more independent rather than be coddled by the spring court…good man. And Feyre is against this….why? Probably because it's not her idea lol. To be fair, I don't think anyone would like being mansplained by Rhys
• Do we get better descriptions of what Rhys looks like? I know he was briefly described in book 1, but all I know is black hair, violet eyes, star tendrils follow him, and he's the most beautiful person ever. So Henry Cavill wearing purple contacts.
• “I was still scowling at Rhys's muscled back…” LOL Feyre can't wait to have hate sex with Mr. Cavill.
• “Because war is coming Feyre.” Oh shit

Ch. 7

• Wait so why does the king of Hybern want the land south of the wall? There's barely any compared to what's north of the wall in Prythian. Is it just to enslave the mortals again?
• “I have no interest in seeing full-scale slaughter like that again.” Damn. Rhys has seen some SHIT.
• Oooh smart man, this Rhys. Feyre wants to feel important so he plans to loop her in war talks with Tamlin to make alliances….it's genius.
• LOL Rhys failed to catch a Suriel twice?! I can't believe that, especially when human Feyre did it so easily. That's gotta be a 4D chess move to stroke Feyre’s ego.
• Oooh Rhys confirms that there can be high ladies in Prythian. He's speaking Feyre's language, she getting power hungry.
• “You are no one's subject.” Bro, I'm surprised Feyre isn't hopping on Rhys’s dick right now with all that game he's been spittin’ at her
• Dude the lines that Feyre has to write about Rhys are hilarious. She's gonna get Stockholm syndromed hard.
• Oooh Azriel and Cassian mentions??? I've definitely heard these names before. They sound like Commander Cavill’s lieutenants
• Ah cool so the teleportation power is called Winnowing? Sounds like they create a wormhole to travel, that's cool
• Nice we're getting some interesting world building about the night court!
• Lol Feyre really wants to go back to the spring court? She even said the night court was the most beautiful place she's been, she's surrounded by the most beautiful man and the most beautiful woman she's seen, AND she's becoming literate and learning how to shield properly. Bring Luke the Duke on board and this place would be perfect. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills, this is the same dilemma last book with the spring court lol.
• “Lucien was the first to turn where I lurked in the doorway.” THAT’S the Lucien that I know. Always knowing what's going on and who's where…it's that Giga Chad intuition
• Ooof tough look for Tamlin, asking Feyre to be a spy and tell him everything about the night court and Rhys
• I know Lucien is Tamlin's wing man, but it feels like he's on the wrong side of this. He even suggests that they should train Feyre in secret.
• Hard convo these last few pages, I'm already feeling a shift in Feyre and Tamlin's relationship.

Ch. 8

• Oh shit it's the Tithe. I'm guessing this is where Feyre really starts to disagree with Tamlin. That two month engagement was TOO short.
• “Lucien stood at the foot of the dais, tallying every amount,” bro this MAN does it all; he's your accountant, wing man, naga slayer, lady killer, liaison between nations, etc. Get this MAN on the bachelor stat
• Ooh nice a nude faerie just strolling up in court…more of this plz and ty
• Ah jk a water wraith sounds kinda creepy
• Ooof yeah figured some of his subjects wouldn't be able to pay the tithe, and Tamlin looks like he has black & white thinking, no room for nuance
• He's continuing running the tithe this way because…tradition? I mean I guess I get it but at the same time I don't? Didn't he dislike his father?
• Aww Feyre that's sweet that you're helping out the water wraith by giving all your jewelry to her...in front of ALL the faeries that are currently in line for the tithe ceremony!! You're literally going to prove Tamlin's point in that now everyone will want a handout. At least do this charitable act in private. FAIL
• Hahaha Lucien at the dinner table looking back and forth at Feyre and Tamlin, waiting for the argument to start. He doesn't want mommy and daddy to fight!
• I can't believe I'm actually on Feyre's side with this because Tamlin is just being incorrigible. To be fair, Luke the Duke is actually leaning towards Feyre's perspective so that's a good indicator for me
• “Worse things have happened, worse things can happen. Just relax “ Man, Lucien just knows what to say and always has the right perspective…this guy has all the makings of a high lord, can we overthrow his dad and put him in the autumn court right now?
• Oh damn she has Rhys’s abilities??? That's dope, but GET OUT OF LUCIEN'S HEAD PLZ AND TY

Ch. 9

• Wait Feyre is a fire bender now too???
• Oooh Alis with some lore behind the water wraiths. At least that faerie is in Feyre's debt, I'm betting that comes into play at a crucial moment
• Lol Tamlin's gift to Feyre seems a bit tone deaf…guess he didn't pick up that she hates painting now. I bet he’s thinking “THANK GOD, her paintings are terrible”
• “Do you not want to marry me, then?” Yeeeaah Tammers I think Feyre is donezo with you. Time to start looking at your childhood friend Ianthe.
• Oooh another one of Feyre's powers being made manifest? So psychic, fire, and now sonic boom shrieks. Please tell me she gets adamantium claws next

Ch. 10

• Ha she can create shields too??? So Feyre is just super OP. I'm having a hard time believing she's in any real danger now
• Yeah this relationship is over, Feyre is checked out
• Oooh Rhys is back to collect! Tamlin is just getting emasculated left and right, I kinda feel bad for the dude
• Wow he's so desperate to keep control that he's willing to give anything to end the bargain.
• “I already have everything I want.” Savage, Mr. Cavill. Savage, indeed.

Looking forward to seeing what the next Night Court field trip has in store for Feyre. Thanks guys!

My favorite place as a very young child was sitting in a laundry basket with my blanket watching Mr. Rogers. Is this an autistic thing, and if so how does it relate? Anyone know why it was so comforting for me? Did anyone else do this?
Going for my official testing this fall. I am trying to make sure I have everything organized since I have no home videos or anyone from my childhood to really ask about this stuff. Just my own memories for the majority of my childhood.
Also, did anyone else have the issue where their mouth would keep forming words after they stopped actually talking? I haven't done that in years because I was teased so badly for it, but did it all the time as a kid.
Thanks for any help!

Hi all, I recently got an ANKER solix C1000 during the big 40% off sale. I combed over specifications for solar input (600 watts max) and want to ensure what’s happening is intended.
The Solix C1000 states,
“Solar Panel Input 11-32V-10A; 32V-60V=12.5A (600W Max)”
I have two Sun power SPR-E20-327-COM panels which are rated: 327W 54.7 vmp 5.98 imp ——
In order to test how fast and how much it can handle I setup the panels in two connections and found the following:
If the 2 panels are connected in a series, the c1000 does nothing and does not recognize any solar input period.
If the 2 panels are connected in parallel, the c1000 sees on average 180-320 watts incoming.
In no case did the panels ever produce above 320-326 watts even tho they were in parallel,
Also, in a series method, the ANKER c1000 didn’t respond, at all, as though nothing was connected… is this correct?
(To further test each individual panel, I did connect each one singularly to the c1000, and it read about 150 watts)
Is it not able to handle the 327 watts from two when formed into a series? I do realize it’s a nick over the watt rating, 327 X 2 = 654, vs the max watts being 600, but I figured it would reduce the input to an amount it could handle and then charge from there safely. Instead it just didn’t pull a single watt when the two were connected in series…
Thanks for any advice or tips in advanced!

Hi! 4 months post surgery fellow here. I have been facing a bunch of problems after the surgery including blockage of left frontal sinus and inflammation on ethmoid cells. (Before the surgery right side of the maxillary was blocked but frontal sinuses were open)
I am experiencing vertigo and tinnitus. Doctors don't believe this is because of surgery and asked for a bunch of mr and ct scans on my neck, and brain. All of the tests were normal and sinus CT scan showed the inflammation. But they still don't believe it's because of this infection and at last, they recommend that I visit a psychologist :)
Long story short, I believe my problems are all because of this frontal sinus problem and I am trying to solve myself. Any suggestions?
Here is the CT scan result 3 months after the surgery:
Condition after operative therapy in the nasal cavity. Bilateral maxillary sinuses, more pronounced on the right side, mucosal hyperplasia in the caudal parts up to 4-5 mm. Signs of mucosal hyperplasia also in the ethmoidal cells. Inflammatory content in the left frontal sinus up to 13 mm with gas bubble inclusions.
Thanks.

For my long-form travel videos, I'm noticing that although my AVD is relatively high, my CTR is on average quite low, peaking in the 4.0-5.0% range. This implies that I'm not making the most eye-catching or compelling titles/thumbnails to get people to click despite getting thousands of impressions per video.
To some extent, this might be an audience issue (from what I can tell, my analytics say that my videos are mostly being viewed by male seniors), and I imagine that in today's day and age, the vast majority of YouTube users are young people under the age of 30. The titles/thumbnails of my videos are clearly not appealing to that crowd (or maybe that crowd isn't particularly interested in lengthy travel videos).
Am I basically forced to piggyback off of MrBeast and make clickbait like he does? What have you tested and found to actually work in terms of strictly acquiring clicks?
For the time being, my titles are basically written as "[Name of Place] - [What's Special About It]" and the thumbnails are a shot of the most appealing scene of the video.

Special thanks to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the NoP universe.
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I'd also like to thank u/xskipy10 for their awesome fanart of the main cast as well as their recent Tohba meme and their fanart of Michael baysitting. You're work is a treasure!
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Thank you as well to u/Accomplished-Golf-59 for his take on Michael, Teylim, and Tohba in his submission for the Banner Art Contest, and u/Spacer_Catgirl4969 for their awesome music video featuring a pixel-art Dohkar in his bar. Be sure to give ALL of these awesome creators your love and support.
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And let's not forget u/Guywhoexists2812 who has been an awesome source of memes as well as sick pixel art, such as THIS and THIS!!!! And even THIS!!!!!! And how could I forget THIS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!
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Today, we join Dohkar and Davids as they continue the hunt for Albiel, and we have the final confrontation between father and son. And Bennic finally decides what side he's on. LETTUCE...continue...
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First
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Previous
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Songs Mentioned/Used: Fire by Barns Courtney
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Memory Transcript Subject: Patient T-143, Yotul Refugee Sponsor Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
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That was Michael! It HAD to be!
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There was no mistaking it. That was my joey’s voice. And it tore a swath through this building. I couldn’t hear the guards outside my cell anymore. Either they ran off, or the sheer sound alone was enough to knock them unconscious. Either way, it gave me hope. And as I began hearing gunfire in the distance, slowly getting closer, my heart surged.
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This was it. This was my chance. Whoever these attackers were, there was no way Michael, Khornel, and Tohba coming over the loudspeakers at the same time as the attack was a coincidence. This was a raid! They were here to clear the place out and save the patients here! They were here to save me…
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I hopped up and grabbed onto the barred window of my holding cell. I wasn’t even close to strong enough to get this door open, but perhaps one of the raiders were.
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“HEEEEEYYYYY!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!! OVER HEEERRRREEE!!!!”
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I listened as my voice echoed down the halls and corridors, waiting for a response. When none came, I waited for the sound to completely dissipate, and tried again.
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“HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!! PLEASE!!! ANYONE!!!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!!!”
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Once again, I listened to my voice bounce from wall to wall, echoing through the building, waiting for any kind of response…
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^{“TEYLIM?!” TEYLIM, IS THAT YOU?!”}
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My heart soared as tears of relief built in my eyes. It was faint from just how far away it was, I knew that voice anywhere!
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Dohkar…
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“YES!!!! DOHKAR, IT’S ME!!! I’M HERE!!!”
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I began hearing footsteps echoing through the halls, getting closer to my cell. He was so close. Dohkar found me. He’d get me out, and then we could leave this place and find my joeys. It was almost over.
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The footsteps were so close now. I could barely contain my excitement as I let go of the bars and landed back on the ground. I waited with baited breath as the steps arrived just outside. But…something was wrong… Those footsteps sounded a lot…heavier than a Venlil’s should…
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The door opened, and the first thing I noticed…was the tall, menacing figure’s singular, sharpened, horn…
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“Y-you’re not Dohkar…”
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Memory Transcript Subject: Dohkar, Venlil Bartender Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
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“Yeesh, the kid’s got some pipes, I’ll give him that.”
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Davids and I were the only ones remaining from Squad 1. Chavez and our medic were the only others, and they were on their way back to the APC. We were on our own now, but seeing the complete and utter devastation of the Guild’s forces didn’t make that much of an issue. Occasionally we’d find one that was still conscious, but they were completely deaf from not getting their headset off quick enough.
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“Yeah. Let’s keep moving. We still have a job to finish. Is there still interference keeping us from contacting Squad 2?”
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Davids held a finger to his earpiece.
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“Squad 2, this is 1-1 Sargent Davids, over.”
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I listened in on my own ear piece. We were getting nothing but static.
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Come on, Tevis.
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“Squad 2, respond! This is 1-1 Sargent Davids. We are two men down and require assistance, over.”
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For a moment, there was still nothing but static, until a haggered, pained, voice crackled through.
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“This is Tevis. I read you Squad 1…”
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“What the hell happened?! We lost contact with you as soon as we began the attack!”
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“We were hit right away. Lost half my squad in the initial confrontation.”
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“What’s your status?”
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“Alive, but I’m the only one left. I found my original team…or…what’s left of them… But I’ve got the data we needed. Objective Complete.”
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The grim tone in his voice said it all. They must’ve found something they REALLY weren’t supposed to.
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“I’m aborting the mission. Even if we do manage to capture Albiel, there’s no way we’d be able to clear the facility with just the three of us. Meet back at the staging area where I’ll get back in contact with Magistrate Intellegence and request reinforcements.”
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“We can’t just leave! Not when we’re so close!”
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“We’re retreating. That’s an order, Dohkar.”
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My free paw clenched itself into a fist. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Everywhere around us, the defenses were crumbling. Anyone who could possibly have gotten in our way was either dead, unconscious, or deaf. We had this! There was no reason NOT to continue.
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Davids gave me a sympathetic look. He was a soldier, and he knew orders were orders. Still, I made a promise! I promised those pups, those pups who managed to wipe out an entire Guild Office’s worth of exterminators from half a town away, that I’d return and bring back Clem and-
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^{“HEEEEEYYYYY!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!! OVER HEEERRRREEE!!!!”}
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“Teylim?”
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Protect the herd!
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My ears perked up, and my senses were brought up to full alert.
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“Dohkar, what did you say?”
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“I…I thought I heard-“
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^{“HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!! PLEASE!!! ANYONE!!!!! HEEEEEELLLPPP!!!!”}
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“TEYLIM!”
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PROTECT THE HERD!!!
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My ears were on swivels, desperately trying to pinpoint the direction the voice was coming from. Once I’d narrowed it down, I took a few steps and cupped my paws around my snout as I shouted back.
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“TEYLIM?!” TEYLIM, IS THAT YOU?!”
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“Dohkar, what are you doin-“
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“Quiet!”
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I focused on my hearing as much as I could. Odds are, I’d probably get a decent chewing out for talking back to a superior officer, but if I found Teylim, it would be worth it. I listened as hard as I could.
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^{“YES!!!! DOHKAR, IT’S ME!!! I’M HERE!!!”}
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Protect the herd!!!
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My mind immediately raced, trying to remember what was in that direction. My mind slowly formed a layout of the building until-
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THE TEMPORARY HOLDING CELLS!!
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“Davids! Hostage located! It’s Teylim!”
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“You’re sure?!”
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“Positive! She’s that way!”
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“Dohkar! Davids! What are you-?”
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“We’ve got a location on one of the hostages. We’re going after her!”
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“Negative! I gave you direct orders to-“
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Before I could respond, Davids did it for me.
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“All due respect sir, the UN doesn’t follow YOUR orders.”
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“Why you filthy pre-“
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The signal cut off and Davids shouldered his rifle.
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“Come on. We’ve still got hostages to save.”
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I gave a thankful nod and we sprinted towards the holding cells. Tevis could run all he wanted, but WE still have a job to do.
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Hang tight, Teylim…
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Passing several other squads of downed exterminators on the way, we eventually made it to the holding cells. These were where we’d temporarily hold suspects until they were ready to be screened. I immediately spotted a pair of officers outside one of the cells, it’s door was wide open.
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“Teylim?”
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I jogged over to the open cell.
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“Teylim?!”
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Nothing. It was completely empty. The only thing that showed that anyone had been here…was a streak of green on the floor…
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[Warning!: Anger Response Spiking Rapidly: Attempting To Compensate…]
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I knelt down and ran a finger across the streak. It was fresh. She was here…and someone had hurt her…enough to draw blood. The only other clue I found were a few white hairs speckled with blue blood. Fissan fur…
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Albiel…
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I didn’t need to look anymore. I knew exactly who did this, and exactly where he would go.
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“It’s your call, Sarge…”
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“We finish the mission…and save the hostages.”
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I led the way. The Chief’s office wasn’t far. A right turn here. A left turn there. And then a long hallway with the office at the very end.
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Once the door to his office was inside, Davids and I both picked up the pace. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was waiting for us. I knew my father. This was a test. He knew I’d go after Teylim. He wanted me to chase him.
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“This is probably a trap!”
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“Definitely!”
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Once we made it to the door, we stacked up, both taking a side. Davids raised his hand and began silently counting down.
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Five…
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Four…
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Three-
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BANG!!!
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The door flew open and an arm holding a sidearm shot out fired at Davids. Before I could even see what became of him, that same arm ripped me inside the room before I could react.
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SLAM!!!
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Before I could catch my bearings, I was yanked into the air and flung across the room, slamming over the desktop and landing roughly on the floor behind it.
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Getting ragdolled like that brought back all sorts of unpleasant memories, but I did my best to shake myself loose from them. Disarmed, I went for the human pistol holstered to my hip and stood to aim at my attacker.
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“Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you.”
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“Dohkar!”
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Albiel…
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My grip on my weapon tightened and I could feel my teeth chipping as they ground against each other in rage.
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There he was, the symbol of everything wrong with The Guild. The Chief. My father. Albiel. In one paw, he held Teylim, beaten, green dripping from the side of her mouth, and a patient shock collar around her neck. In the other paw, he held the remote for it.
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“Let. Her. Go.”
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“You never fail to disappoint me, Dohkar. You AND those failures of a squad you called your brothers.”
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Bennic?
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Did he hurt them too?
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“Every time I think the bar couldn’t be any lower, you still somehow manage.”
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His fur was matted and disheveled, and there was an outright manic look in his eyes. The only thing about him that was still prim and orderly was that damned horn, still and shiny and sharp as ever. Bennic was right. He really had lost it.
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“ALL of this could’ve been yours one paw, Dohkar! Everything I’ve done! EVERYTHING I’ve built! I did so in the name of finding someone worthy enough to pass it all on to. I found you, along with the rest of your incompetent squad in a damned GUTTER! I gave you a home, a purpose, and THIS is how you all repay me?! Failure! Betrayal! Disappointment! And for WHAT?! ‘People’ like THIS?!”
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His grip around Teylim’s neck tightened. I felt myself breaking apart as she shrieked in his grip.
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“Dohkar, plea-“
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“SILENCE, SAVAGE!!”
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I tried aiming my weapon once he was distracted, but he quickly noticed and held up the remote. With a chuff, he regained a facsimile of his usual self, the mask he kept on to hide the madness I always knew was there.
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“Even after you left, you continue to disappoint me at every turn: Cavorting about with primitives and predators far below your station, opening up that filthy excuse of a watering hole, so you could spend even MORE time with the mindless gutter trash that INFESTS this town?! Even when my expectations for you could not have been any lower, ALL you had to do…was STAY. AWAY Just look good for the ‘people’, continue on being the former ‘legend’ that everyone moron in this town believed you to be, and keep your noseless shout OUT of our business. But you couldn’t even do THAT, could you?! How I saw ANY potential in you in the first place continues to elude me.”
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I didn’t respond, continuing to let him talk himself to death. Any moment now, David’s would break through that door, and I’d have my chance. I continued to just stare, only taking the occasional glance towards Teylim.
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“Buuuut no matter. I’ll just have to start again. I’ll find a new backwater town, with just as neglectful management. I’ll find other downtrodden youths more than willing to stay loyal if it means a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. I’ll build it all up again. And you…well…maybe you’ll surprise me and survive long enough to see it.”
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“No. It stops here. I won’t let you take advantage of anyone else.”
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“Oh? What are you going to do? Shoot me with your primitive space ape gun? We BOTH know you won’t risk hitting HER.”
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He lifted Teylim closer to him, using her as a shield. My paws began to shake.
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“Now here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to stand by and watch as I take my leave. And if you try to stop me, I’ll not only reunite this wretch with her mate, but I’ll be sure to find their tainted SPAWN as well, and take extra time in coming up with a creative end for him. Who knows? He might make for a decent recruit after all.”
​
“Dohkar!”
​
“Teylim…”
​
My mind went from plan to plan, idea to idea, finding no solution that wouldn’t end with Teylim getting killed. Even if I adjusted my aim, he’d just activate the collar before I could pull the trigger. I was also out of time for stalling.
​
“Dohkar! I need…you…to promise me…”
​
My eyes focused back on Teylim. Trails of tears flowed down her cheeks as her teeth clenched. At that moment, I knew exactly what she’d say. This was it. These were Lohrek’s last moments, before Albiel killed him… He made me make a promise, too.
​
No. Not again.
​
“Promise me… Whatever happens…watch over my joeys… Michael… Tohba… Protect them…”
​
No. No. No. Not again. Please not again.
​
“I…I…”
​
“PLEASE, DOHKAR! They’re all I have… Please… Promise me…that you’ll protect them…”
​
Every last part of me shook and shivered. I couldn’t find words to express the horror I was feeling, watching the death of my best friend play in front of me again, almost verbatim. So instead, I said what I wish I could’ve said to Loh.
​
“Like they were my very own pups.”
​
She forced a pained smile as Albiel’s grip loosened for just a moment.
​
“Well isn’t that precious? A mother’s love truly does run eternal. …Perhaps THAT was the missing piece. How might YOU all have turned out if you’d had a mother as well. Food for thought-“
​
“GYYYYAAAARRRGH!!!!!”
​
Albiel’s speech was interrupted as the Yotul he was holding shrieked out, twisting her head to the side and clamping her jaws onto his arm, causing blue to spurt out from around her teeth.
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“GAAAAAHHH!!! VICIOUS BEAST!!!”
​
I watched in shock as with one massive swing of his arm, he shook Teylim off and sent her slamming into the wall with a sickening slap.
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“TEYLIM!!!!!”
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PROTECT THE HERD!!!
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I raised my weapon. While I could’ve ended him right then and there, my only concern was the remote in his paw that he was pointing in her direction.
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BANG!!!
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Another splatter of blue, another shriek of pain from Albiel, and the remote was sent, sparking and nonfunctional, to the ground.
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Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him make a break for it through the door, but my focus was entirely on Teylim. I slid down to the ground beside her and cradled her in my arms.
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“Teylim! TEYLIM!!”
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She was unresponsive. One of her legs had definitely been broken from the hit and while I could feel a pulse, it was weak
​
I turned on my ear piece and hoped it still worked.
​
“Medic!!! I need a medic in the Chief’s office! One soldier and one hostage critically injured!!! Medic!!!”
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While I waited for a response, I went back to trying to rouse Teylim.
​
“Teylim! Wake up! Please!”
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Still…nothing… She was getting weaker. I could feel it.
​
“Please, Teylim… You can’t leave us yet. We still need you. Your pups NEED you, you hear me? BOTH of them! Michael… Tohba… They need their mother. And…”
​
For the first time in a long time…I felt the old sting of tears build up in my eyes. They flowed down my face is thin streaks as I held one of the only friends I had left in my arms, pressing my head against hers.
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“I need you, too… So please… Wake up…”
​
There was a moment of nothing but silence, before she took in a faint, raspy, gasp of air.
​
I reeled back in shock as her limbs finally moved, clinging onto me. Her chest convulsed as she coughed and sputtered, before finally, her eyes winced open, meeting mine.
​
“Doh..kar…?”
​
I couldn’t speak. My mind refused to create the right words for the relief I felt as I pulled her in, holding her close.
​
“Wow… Hehe… Never thought…I’d see the day YOU cried… HeheOH stars, it hurts to laugh…”
​
I pulled back and wiped at my face.
​
“I’m getting you out of here.”
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Finally, right on queue, I heard multiple people enter the room. I turned and saw a pair of UN medics come in with a stretcher.
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“We heard your request for a medic!”
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“Here! Help her!”
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“On it!”
​
As we got to work getting Teylim on the stretcher, I noticed there were only two.
​
“What about Davids?”
​
One of the medics gave me a sympathetic look before shaking his head.
​
Damnit…
​
Suddenly, I realized something. These medics… They weren’t ones that we’d left at the staging area…
​
“Wait. Aren’t you two supposed to still be at the bar?”
​
“We were needed to help care for the rescued patients. The staging area’s already being turned into a field hospital for all of them.”
​
I was…confused… We didn’t get to clearing out the facility yet. And as far as I knew, Tevis had already retreated back outside.
​
“What? But we didn’t-“
​
“That would be my handiwork, Dohkar.”
​
A voice crackled through the radio. It wasn’t Tevis, Mike, or anyone else I’d have expected to hear. It was…
​
“Ben?”
Memory Transcript Subject: Officer Bennic, Senior Extermination Officer Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
Madness…
​
Pointless, directionless madness…
​
I slowly made my way down the hall to just one of the many treatment rooms in the facility, my squad mates at my side, doing my best to not let what I saw in Chief’s office get to me.
​
Though, now that I thought about it, it made perfect sense. How willing he was to stand by in his code little room in the back of the building while the rest of us fought and died.
​
The perfect shields and distractions…
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
We believed in The Guild. We believed in HIM. That’s how we were raised, after all. It’s how we all were. Albiel always DID prefer to recruit young. All the easier to mold into what he wanted.
​
Obedient little soldiers…just like me…
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
I walked through the door. I remembered when we were shown these rooms the first time. “A necessary evil”, it was called. We didn’t like it, especially Dohkar. He was always stronger than us. Sometimes I wonder…
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
There are two chairs in the room. The door to the rest of the facility, particularly the holding cells, had a line out the door of prisoners and patients. All waiting for the inevitable.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
The door was guarded. Two of the younger officers who’d been assigned this post for a while now. One remained focused, while the other constantly kept glancing at the rears of any female patient he could see. Even now, after we found out what he would do in his spare time, he never received punishment.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
I looked to the two patients already strapped to their chairs. In the left one, an elderly Venlil, a soldier if I remember right. He served this planet, and served it proudly, and paid the price with his eyesight. Is THIS what all those years of service has earned him?
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
In the right, a Gojid female. She was only a pup when she was first brought here. She was adorned with two large burn scars. One that covered her entire forearm from a flamer burning her. The other wrapped around her neck, a permanent reminder of the collar that had been placed around it. What does a child do to deserve a life like this, I wonder.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
“Mr. Clem…?”
​
“It will be alright, child. I promise.”
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“I don’t wanna! I don’t wanna get hurt again!”
​
The elder faces in my direction, his glassy eyes filled with nothing but hatred. I have a clue about who he is, but just to be sure…
​
“You’re Clem? You’re the one that helped Dohkar when he left The Guild, right?”
​
“Why are you doing this?’ What did we do?! You can’t just punish us without giving us a reason!”
​
If only he knew…
​
“This…isn’t a punishment… The Guild is under attack. Under direct orders by Extermination Chief Albiel, I am to oversee the scuttling of the facility, including the evacuation of staff, deletion of data…and termination of prisoners…”
​
The glassy eyes of the blind old man, glared white-hot daggers into my very being.
​
“You monsters! Dohkar really was right about you lot! You’re not protectors! You’re just murderers!”
​
He’s right…
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
Those are my orders. While my fellow officers fight and die just to buy time, while my Chief, my father hides away in his office, making deals and planning HIS escape, I cover up what we should never have been doing in the first place.
​
Don’t think… Just do… Follow orders…
​
One of the doctors begins charging the machine. It whirs to life, sending the Gojid into hysterics. She knows what these chairs do, as do I…
​
Don’t think…
​
It’ll kill them…
​
Just do…
​
Just like it killed so many others before…
​
Follow orders…
​
…
​
Unfortunately…I don’t feel like following orders.
​
Without even NEEDING to think. I pull a sidearm from my holster, followed by my squad: Abra, Canuck, and Ento. My brothers. Among all the other officers in our branch, We were all recruited together, with Dohkar as our leader. When he left, we all stayed, but I did my best to fill his place.
​
So when I draw my weapon, the others do as well.
​
BANG!! BABANG!!! BANG!! BANG!!!
​
The doctor falls. The two guards fall. And the generator fueling the chairs sparks and dies. We unstrap the two from the chair and do our best to calm the patients.
​
“Wha-? What are you-?”
​
“For the first time in my life, doing my job. Now then, would an old soldier be willing to help me get these people organized and out of here?”
​
With more than a little hesitation, especially from the young Gojid girl, the two walked over to the other patients and began talking them down.
​
So, with me leading the way, letting the soldier and his cellmate ride in my back, we began to lead the line of patients toward the emergency exit, opening every cell along the way.
​
Don’t think… Just do…
​
It wasn’t easy. Many didn’t trust me, others were simply too out of it or just plain damaged to come out on their own, but with the coaxing of more of true or own, we’d add them to our long caravan.
​
There was only one we didn’t find…
​
Jerrik…
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Dohkar, Venlil Bartender Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
“Ben?”
​
“You’re clear, Dohkar. The patients are already at the staging area getting triaged and sorted by Canuck. The other UN soldiers here have already called for the medics and volunteers to come and help.”
​
I felt my heart warm as I heard Ben’s speaking. This wasn’t the old, beaten, Surulian still subservient to Albiel. This was my brother, my brother who is not truly seen for a long, long time. And he wasn’t alone.
​
“Canuck? Does that mean that Ento and Abra are there, too?”
​
“Copy that, commander!”
​
“Yeah…we’re here…I guess…”
​
Guys…
​
My brothers. My whole damn squad from training. My brothers who were taken with me. They were all there, helping how they could.
​
“How does it feel being on the right side again?”
​
“Like we’ve still got a LOT of work to do. And so do YOU. Go, Dohkar. We’ll handle things out here… Take. Him. Down…for all of us…”
​
…For all of us…
​
Protect the herd!
​
The signal cut out. I gave one last look to my friend on the stretcher. I didn’t need to look at the two medics.
​
“Tell me you have her.”
​
“We have her.”
​
Teylim gave me a weak smile and a nod.
​
“Go. Finish this.”
​
I turned, and ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. And then, a familiar tune came to my mind. A promise I’d made the last time I left this wretched building.
​
A promise to burn everything my father built.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I ran.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I chased.
​
LORD, GIMME THAT FIRE!!!!
​
I raced to finally put his madness to an end.
​
BURN!!!! BURN!!!! BURN!!!!
​
Memory Transcript Subject: Patient J-902, Nevok Predator Disease Patient Date:[Standardized Human Time] January 16, 2137
​
I hid. I saw the others get let out and huddled together in a line. I knew the room they were being led to, so I hid.
​
I heard the roar of the predator through the speaker in my cell. I heard the screams of the guards. I heard the shots being fired.
​
My door opens. Many of the other ones opened, too. I peek around the doorway to make sure it’s safe. And it is.
​
**Nowhere is safe.**It’s so much brighter now. Now that I’m finally out of the cell. I can think clearly again. And with clarity, came pretty much everything I wished had stayed forgotten.
​
I failed. I couldn’t go through with it. And as punishment, I was locked away.
​
Father…
​
I fell to my knees and cried. Cried like a damn pup, just like I did when I begged him not to lock me in here.
​
Father…
​
I did EVERYTHING else right! I followed the training. I followed the beliefs. I did everything he told me to do! But still, he…
​
Father…
​
[Warning!: Anger Response Rising Steadily…]
​
I looked up. Above the cells, above the walkways, above all of this damned facility, was one window. HIS office…
​
Father…
​
“This way everyone! Stay together!”
​
I snap my attention towards a large group approaching my direction. I COULD go with them. I COULD go back outside…but…there’s something I have to do first.
​
As I make my way to the electroshock chamber, I spot the dead guards and doctor. I spot one of their weapons on the ground, and pick it up.
​
Just like my training, just as HE instructed me. The predator has been smoked out, fleeing from his hole out into the open. All that was left…
​
Was for someone to take the shot…
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