30 year class reunion welcoming remarks
Best Carabiner Knife
2024.05.19 08:51 ConsequenceSure3063 Best Carabiner Knife
 | submitted by ConsequenceSure3063 to u/ConsequenceSure3063 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/fdkgupcmyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef3947eb1912429220207278e961594a0642880f Welcome to our Carabiner Knife roundup! Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, a survivalist, or simply someone who appreciates a well-crafted tool, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll be taking a closer look at some of the top carabiner knives on the market. From versatile multi-tools to sleek, lightweight designs, we've curated a selection of products that are perfect for any adventure. So sit back, relax, and get ready to discover the best carabiner knives out there! The Top 13 Best Carabiner Knife
Reviews🔗Essential Outdoor Gerber Armbar Scout Pocket Clip Knifehttps://preview.redd.it/kqw4jfnmyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac1f19e0cf496f6a1283d2100ffef7d74235d89a As an outdoor enthusiast, I've been on the lookout for a reliable and compact tool to carry on my adventures. I chose the Gerber Armbar Scout multi-tool for its promise of versatility and compactness. I was pleasantly surprised by the tool's sleek design, which conveniently fit into the pocket of my backpack. One of the first features I noticed was the stainless steel construction, giving the tool a sturdy feel while keeping it lightweight. One of my favorite aspects of the Gerber Armbar Scout was its ability to open various packages with minimal effort. The can/package opener was a lifesaver during a camping trip when I needed a quick snack. The 2 1/2'' plain edge blade proved to be sturdy, allowing me to make precise cuts with ease. However, I did encounter some difficulties with the locking mechanism of the blade, which required a certain level of force to engage. While this wasn't a dealbreaker, it did cause a little bit of frustration during use. In conclusion, the Gerber Armbar Scout multi-tool serves its purpose as an essential companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Its small size and versatility were impressive, but I did encounter minor annoyances with the locking mechanism. Overall, I would recommend this tool to anyone looking for a compact and reliable multi-tool to take on their next adventure. 🔗Ultimate Emergency Slim Pocket Knifehttps://preview.redd.it/gpkbke1nyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e199e58ae71262c188260a8a345f7c02982fce07 As an emergency situation arises, every moment counts. That's when the CRKT Exitool comes in handy, offering a fast and reliable solution for cutting seat belts and breaking windows. The slim profile makes it easy to conceal, while the textured grip ensures a firm hold. In my own experience, the Exitool has been a lifesaver, with the glass-reinforced handle providing durability and the safety cone tip cover protecting the window breaker while stowed. The only downside? . The compactness might make it a bit challenging for those with larger hands to use. Overall, the Exitool is a reliable and versatile emergency tool that helps you stay prepared for any unexpected situation. 🔗Gerber Pledge Knife: High-Quality Emergency Cutting Toolhttps://preview.redd.it/hif5giinyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74bf93d396fca0e79ec922f48a65446e4a9a7498 I recently had the opportunity to try out the Gerber Crisis Hook Knife, and I must say, it's a lifesaver in emergency situations. This sleek and durable tool is designed specifically for quickly and safely cutting through seat belts, clothes, and even heavy straps or cords. Its lightweight design and smooth operation make it a game-changer when time is of the essence. One of the most notable features of this knife is its integrated oxygen tank wrench, which adds extra versatility and functionality in life-saving situations. The glass breaker pommel included in the package also comes in handy when encountering obstacles that may hinder your ability to assist someone in need. While the Crisis Hook Knife has several impressive features, it's not without its drawbacks. The friction lock sheath can be tricky to attach to certain surfaces, and the clip may not be as convenient as advertised. Additionally, the knife's handle, while comfortable and easy to grip, could benefit from a more secure attachment to a tactical belt. In conclusion, the Gerber Crisis Hook Knife is an invaluable tool for first responders and anyone who needs to quickly and safely cut through various materials in emergency situations. Its lightweight design, versatility, and straightforward operation make it a must-have in your arsenal. Just be prepared to address some minor issues, such as the friction lock sheath and the clip's functionality. 🔗Al Mar Stinger Keychain Knife for Self-Defensehttps://preview.redd.it/nahmifunyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86acc36d0c88d927f0399439b7e160c9bb8d4172 I recently tried out the Al Mar K1001BKG Stinger Keyring Knife in Green. The first thing that caught my attention was the compactness of the knife. With it being such a small size, it's incredibly easy to discreetly attach it to my keychain while still remaining convenient to access whenever it's needed. The TPR overmolded grip proves to be an excellent feature, providing a non-slip hold, even while my hands are sweaty or in wet conditions. The dual-injected PP sheath adds an extra layer of protection, making it suitable for everyday use without worrying about damaging the blade. The blade itself has an impressively sharp edge, allowing me to open letters and boxes with ease, yet also offers a sturdy protection for instances of self-defense. Being an advocate for quality tools, I found the Stinger to deliver that expected performance from the reputed AL MAR brand. However, I noticed that for harder tasks, the blade feels somewhat delicate. One would have to handle it carefully or opt for a more robust knife for such situations, potentially compromising the ultralight key ring knife design. Despite this, overall this knife performs well, and its convenient size and efficient design make it a must-have for those who value versatility and efficiency in a concealed blade on their keychain. 🔗8-in-1 Multi-Functional Carabiner Knife for Outdoor Activitieshttps://preview.redd.it/olocg5aoyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a65054b883be0c86543d02809eafc56eab63c03 Using an HMMS Stainless Climbing Carabiner in my daily life has been quite an experience. This multi-functional tool has proven to be extremely versatile, from its use as a knife to its handy LED light. The knife is sharp and easy to flip out, making it an essential part of my survival gear. The LED light is a lifesaver when the power goes out, and the Phillips and regular screwdriver heads are a great addition for those quick fixes on the go. The glass breaker is also convenient, though I haven't had to use it yet. One thing that stood out is the carabiner's simple and lightweight design, making it the perfect keychain or hanging tool for my camping trips and other outdoor adventures. Despite its compact size, the carabiner is surprisingly strong and easy to use, with the locking mechanism providing a secure fit. Overall, the HMMS Stainless Climbing Carabiner is an excellent addition to any survival kit, and I highly recommend giving it a try. 🔗Multi-Purpose Carabiner Knife Toolhttps://preview.redd.it/nuu683koyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41480f81113890fc79d8cf5a91df38a752e0c7a2 I recently had the pleasure of trying out Brouk & Co's Multi-function Carabiner Tool, and let me tell you, it's the ultimate handyman's companion! . This tiny titan is super portable, fitting perfectly in my backpack for those unexpected situations on the go. With an impressive array of features, I found myself reaching for this bad boy more times than I ever thought possible. Its sturdy design has held up beautifully through various camping trips and household projects. While its size is convenient, it's not always the easiest to maneuver with larger hands, but overall, this carabiner tool offers exceptional utility and convenience. Whether you're an avid outdoor enthusiast or just someone in need of a versatile tool for daily life, the Brouk & Co Multi-function Carabiner Tool is the perfect fit. 🔗Durable Multi-Purpose Carabiner Knife for Everyday Survival and Outdoor Adventureshttps://preview.redd.it/h30ubgtoyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f935ac96b73bdae1601c8b9b779db2c2347e0b89 As someone who loves being prepared for any situation, I was thrilled to try out the Sheffield Wilco 4-in-1 Carabiner Multi-Tool. The anodized black aluminum carabiner is both lightweight and versatile, making it perfect for everyday carry. The convenience of foldable flat-head and Phillips screwdrivers, along with a sturdy 3-inch serrated blade, ensures that I can tackle tough jobs with ease. While I appreciate the strength provided by the 420 stainless steel attachments, I did notice that the carabiner isn't suitable for weight support, and it is best to use it more for its attachments. However, considering the multiple functionalities it offers, this small drawback seems like a fair trade. Overall, the Sheffield Wilco 4-in-1 Carabiner Multi-Tool is a reliable and efficient tool that has become an essential part of my daily life. 🔗Versatile Carabiner Knife with Stainless Steel Bladeshttps://preview.redd.it/shmwro6pyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24b2f235811faab265e25c7fb6e1521235d6d985 As a seasoned outdoor enthusiast, I recently got my hands on the Dakine Hook Knife and let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations! This hook knife is designed for easy accessibility and it certainly lives up to its promise. It can be attached to your harness at any point for a quick and convenient deployment, making it a must-have tool for those seeking adventure and the great outdoors. One of the main features that stood out to me was its dual stainless steel cutting blades that effortlessly sliced through even the toughest cut lines. The anodized aluminum handle not only adds a sleek touch, but it also provides a comfortable grip that makes it a breeze to use. Additionally, the included sheath for easy harness attachment is an added bonus, guaranteeing the safe carrying of this versatile tool. While I was impressed by the performance and convenience of the Dakine Hook Knife, I did notice a downside: oxidation. After just six months of use, the aluminum handle started to display signs of oxidation. Of course, this won't affect the functionality, but it does make me wonder whether a more durable material like titanium or carbon fiber might be a better long-term choice. Despite this minor issue, the Dakine Hook Knife has become a trusted companion on my various outdoor excursions. Its user-friendly design and powerful functionality have really made a difference in my adventures, whether I'm camping or trekking. For anyone in need of an easy-to-carry hook knife that gets the job done, I would highly recommend giving the Dakine Hook Knife a try. 🔗Carabiner Knife Multi-Tool with Locking Blade and Glass Breakerhttps://preview.redd.it/pryyo7ipyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4730a2b8a093aa6ad0d6a241a041367976f047c I recently got my hands on the Dark Energy Carabiner Pro 5-in-1 Multi Tool, and let me tell you, it's been a game-changer for my outdoor adventures. With its all-metal design, it's sturdy enough to hold up to some serious wear and tear. The quick-snap blade is both smart and safe, and it feels really nice in your hands. I love having the convenience of two screwdrivers, a bottle opener, a knife, and even a window breaker all in one little package. Plus, the integrated carabiner makes it effortless to attach to my backpack or belt. Overall, the Dark Energy Carabiner Pro has been my go-to tool for every camping and hiking excursion. Highly recommend! . 🔗Rugged Slim Cut Multi-Tool with Easy-Access Bladehttps://preview.redd.it/n96ugxxpyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba1741d05b433d300f405d90e3e5e01d7e0c2556 When I received the Armbar Slim Cut Multi-Tool, I was excited to try out its features. Its sturdy design caught my attention, and the burnt orange color added a pop to its sleek appearance. This is a multi-tool designed for the adventurous, and it didn't disappoint. Let's talk about the scissors, one of the prominent features of this tool. It worked effortlessly for cutting various materials, from fabric to paper. The plain edge blade was also impressive, easily piercing through tough materials. Despite its size, it's surprisingly powerful and perfect for cutting tasks on the go. The tool's design, with large tool tabs and access points, was user-friendly. It allowed me to switch between the scissors and the blade without any fumbling. The bottle opener was a convenient addition, adding versatility to the tool. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. The scissor's spring mechanism felt a bit flimsy, and I had to be careful while using it to avoid any accidents. Also, the blade's deployment could be smoother for a more natural and comfortable use. Overall, the Armbar Slim Cut Multi-Tool is a robust and versatile everyday carry tool. It's perfect for those who need a reliable, lightweight, and multifunctional item for various tasks. Despite a few drawbacks, I'm confident that this will be a valuable addition to many people's toolboxes. 🔗8-in-1 Carabiner Multitool with Stainless Steel Blade and EDC Featureshttps://preview.redd.it/14mhb8hqyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15c3daa01b69fe09b64c9bc0fe7d8003b042526a The Carabiner Keychain Multitool is an 8-in-1 lifesaver that's perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Its sleek design makes it easy to carry around, and its durability ensures it will withstand even the toughest conditions. The sharp stainless steel blade is perfect for a variety of tasks, while the aluminum hand holder provides a sturdy grip. The multi-functional design includes a hanging carabiner, Phillips screwdriver, slotted screwdriver, bottle opener, and more, making it a versatile addition to any EDC (Everyday Carry) setup. Despite its robust build, the Carabiner Keychain Multitool is surprisingly lightweight, making it a great choice for everyday carry. However, it's essential to remind others to exercise caution while using the sharp blade. Overall, this compact, versatile tool is a must-have for anyone seeking survival gear or everyday convenience. 🔗Polymorph Carabiner Multifunction Knife with Titanium Finishhttps://preview.redd.it/hcunm9rqyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5917d0f3445ce17fe753e7ee55d8787c9d9716b The Civivi Polymorph carabiner multitool has become a handy companion in my outdoor adventures. The anodized titanium body is quite durable and serves as a perfect casing for its versatile features. The carabiner clip is a fantastic addition, allowing me to attach the tool to my backpack or gear, keeping it close at hand when needed. One of the most useful aspects is the 9Cr18MoV scalpel blade, which makes this multitool an excellent option for opening bottles or cutting through some rope. However, the hex bit driver lacked enough leverage for me to fully appreciate it during my camping trips. The choice between the plain titanium and bronzed titanium finish adds a personal touch to the overall design, making it a stylish and practical accessory for any outdoor enthusiast. While the Civivi Polymorph has its pros and cons, I find it a valuable addition to my outdoor gear lineup. 🔗Portable 8-in-1 Multi-Tool with Key Ringhttps://preview.redd.it/nuijt92ryb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10b0d2ee30d342e1beadfc2edfa19192fd654b49 The Cabela's Silver Pocket Tool was an unexpected pocket companion in my daily life. It was a great multitasker that never failed to provide convenience on-the-go, and its anodized aluminum handle always gave me a sense of sturdy stability. I found myself using it more than I expected, especially the knife, file, and flat-head screwdriver. While the larger tools were great to have, the smaller ones sometimes felt a little lacking. The screwdriver and corkscrew had considerable wiggle room, which made me hesitant to use them on heavy-duty tasks. But in all honesty, for a tool of this versatility and portability, it wasn't too surprising to come across these slight disadvantages. The Cabela's Silver Pocket Tool, in all its multi-tasking glory, did become a handy accessory to keep in my bag or backpack. I never regretted having it by my side during unexpected camping trips or when I needed to open a stubborn lid. But it's a device that's best suited for those who appreciate its versatility over precision. Honestly, it's great to have such a multi-tasker with you, but it's not without its drawbacks. It's a case of compromises, as it seems. With the Cabela's Silver Pocket Tool, you're sacrificing a bit of precision for that all-important portability factor. Is it worth it? That depends on your own priorities. But for those who need a tool that can do a little bit of everything in a pinch, this is indeed the handy gadget you've been hunting for. So, all in all, the Cabela's 8-In-1 Pocket Tool might just be a perfect fit for your next adventure. But remember, it's not without its imperfections. It all comes down to balancing your needs and understanding its limitations. Buyer's GuideA carabiner knife is a versatile tool designed for outdoor enthusiasts and survivalists. This type of knife combines the functionality of a carabiner and a knife, making it an essential addition to anyone's gear arsenal. In this buyer's guide, we will discuss the essential features, considerations, and general advice to help you choose the best carabiner knife for your needs.Important FeaturesConstructionhttps://preview.redd.it/zf7hgdpryb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34e37a817f68e984799716378e2f09a2fd1fbd04 One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a carabiner knife is its construction. Look for one made from high-quality materials such as stainless steel or titanium, which are durable and resistant to corrosion. DesignThe design of the carabiner knife plays a crucial role in its functionality. A well-designed knife should be lightweight yet sturdy. It should have a secure and comfortable grip, and the blade should be easy to deploy and securely lock into place. Consider the size of the carabiner, as well, to ensure it can accommodate your needs.Blade TypeCarabiner knives typically come with a variety of blade types, such as a hunting or skinning blade, a utility or general-purpose blade, or a multipurpose blade. Choose the type that best suits your intended usage of the knife.FeaturesOther features to consider include a lanyard attachment for easy storage and portability. Some carabiner knives also come with additional tools, such as bottle openers or screwdrivers, which can come in handy during outdoor adventures. https://preview.redd.it/ayrxi14syb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87178a5f5a84e5b80f6a37114dd5bb452741b964 MaintenanceChoose a carabiner knife that is easy to clean and maintain. Stainless steel and titanium are great choices due to their resistance to rust and corrosion. Regular maintenance helps ensure the knife stays in good condition for longer usage.ConsiderationsUsageDetermine the specific usage of the carabiner knife, and choose one that is designed to meet those needs. Consider the blade type, size, and features, and choose a knife that suits your intended purpose.Budgethttps://preview.redd.it/udxdi5nsyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d5d0ea66f61e9a8ce274eb511aac43beca50701 Consider your budget when purchasing a carabiner knife. High-quality knives made from durable materials tend to be more expensive. Determine what you can afford, but also consider the potential long-term savings by choosing a high-quality knife that will last for years. Customer ReviewsBefore making a purchase, read customer reviews to gain insight into the performance and reliability of a carabiner knife. Look for feedback on factors such as blade sharpness, construction quality, and ease of use.General AdviceTest it OutBefore going on an outdoor trip, test your new carabiner knife to ensure it is functioning properly and is comfortable to use. This will give you peace of mind and confidence in your tool's performance. https://preview.redd.it/fjp0fztsyb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62ba65256f9f1e2dd079dbf6d20eff97af3853c8 Store it ProperlyProperly storing your carabiner knife is important to ensure its longevity. Keep it in a clean and dry environment, and securely attached to your gear to prevent it from getting dirty or damaged.Practice MaintenanceTo maintain your carabiner knife in good working condition, practice regular maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling the blade. This not only helps maintain the knife's functionality but also prolongs its lifespan.A carabiner knife is a versatile and essential tool for outdoor enthusiasts and survivalists. By considering essential features, taking into account your personal usage and budget, and reading customer reviews, you can choose the best carabiner knife for your needs. Remember to test it out, store it properly, and practice regular maintenance to keep it in great condition for years to come. FAQWhat is a Carabiner Knife?A Carabiner Knife is a versatile tool that combines a carabiner and a knife in a single device. It is designed for outdoor enthusiasts who need a reliable and convenient way to carry a knife and a carabiner while engaging in activities such as hiking, camping, and rock climbing.What are the benefits of using a Carabiner Knife?
How do I clean and maintain a Carabiner Knife?Cleaning and maintaining your Carabiner Knife is essential to ensure its longevity and performance. After every use, wash the blade and handle with warm soapy water. Dry the knife thoroughly before storing. To prevent rust, periodically apply a thin layer of oil or wax to the blade.Is there a difference between Carabiner Knives made of stainless steel and those made of other materials?Yes, there are differences between Carabiner Knives made of stainless steel and those made of other materials. Stainless steel blades tend to be more durable and resistant to corrosion, which makes them ideal for use in humid and wet environments. However, stainless steel knives may be heavier than those made of other materials like titanium or aluminum.What are some popular Carabiner Knife models on the market?Some popular Carabiner Knife models include the Spyderco Carabiner Knife, the Morakniv Garv Knife, and the Benchmade Bugout Knife. These knives are known for their durability, functionality, and ease of use.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 08:36 _AreYouSureAboutThat [A3][Recruiting][EU][~6-8pm British Time][OPs on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday] - 105TH REGIMENT -
If you're looking for a relaxed group to enjoy your evenings with, you're at the right address. Our priority is always completing our objectives while still allowing for a good laugh.
Once you join us you will have 30 days to prove to us that you fit our requirements for membership.
We change the setting we play & our modlist every 3 months via a vote. Our training and playstyle fit both Arma veterans and complete newcomers. We also play a lot with other units that we've met over the years both during Tuesday Joint-OPs aswell as Saturday and Sunday OPs.
What we expect you to bring along:
The ability to follow orders during events
The ability to take responsibility for your actions
The ability to switch to being serious when required
A mindset for teamplay (personal performance doesn't matter, we're a teamplay-focused unit)
We provide:
Regular Events - We have up to 4 weekly events for you to join
Growing Together - We encourage our members to provide us and each other with their opinions and new ideas so we can improve
Non-Mandatory Events - Real life comes first and we all know that, so it is entirely up to you which events you attend and which you don't
A friendly, welcoming & diverse community for you to enjoy your evenings with
For more information either join our Discord:
https://discord.gg/YEuGs5X6qh
..or DM u/notjosh1 on Discord
submitted by _AreYouSureAboutThat to FindAUnit [link] [comments]
Once you join us you will have 30 days to prove to us that you fit our requirements for membership.
We change the setting we play & our modlist every 3 months via a vote. Our training and playstyle fit both Arma veterans and complete newcomers. We also play a lot with other units that we've met over the years both during Tuesday Joint-OPs aswell as Saturday and Sunday OPs.
What we expect you to bring along:
The ability to follow orders during events
The ability to take responsibility for your actions
The ability to switch to being serious when required
A mindset for teamplay (personal performance doesn't matter, we're a teamplay-focused unit)
We provide:
Regular Events - We have up to 4 weekly events for you to join
Growing Together - We encourage our members to provide us and each other with their opinions and new ideas so we can improve
Non-Mandatory Events - Real life comes first and we all know that, so it is entirely up to you which events you attend and which you don't
A friendly, welcoming & diverse community for you to enjoy your evenings with
For more information either join our Discord:
https://discord.gg/YEuGs5X6qh
..or DM u/notjosh1 on Discord
2024.05.19 08:35 Heroman3003 Taking Care of Broken Birds [Part 3]
More misery bird? More misery bird. Really miserymaxxing with these fics I have going, but hey, this one is not that miserable actually! Krekos is back and ready to be dense and downcast, but maybe not quite miserable? Read and see!
Big thank you to NoP community for being great and supportive of my endeavors!
Also, obviously, big thanks to SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe and allowing fanfiction well to flow free!
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Memory transcription subject: Krekos, Krakotl Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: May 6th, 2137
I stare at the foul creature before me. Normally staring at something directly head on like that would be too predatory for me to do, but after nearly dying of bread yesterday, I didn’t feel patient enough to be gentle. The creature stared right back, though in a much more natural, prey-like way, tilting its head slightly as it looked back at me with one eye and let out a long bwok.
“Are you doing this now? Really?”, I ask, knowing full well it cannot respond.
Well, it can, if another bwok it made is any indication. Of course, translators aren’t yet advanced enough to translate non-sapient speech, but the intention behind sound is intuitively clear. It’s telling me to back off. Well, I tried the diplomatic approach at least.
Raising my wing I begin sliding the bird out of its nest, careful to keep any delicate joints out of its reach. It started clucking in upset indignation, struggling back and even trying to peck at me, but after realizing that I will not relent, it hopped out of the box and rushed out of the cattle house, revealing a single dead egg in the nesting box.
With relief, I finally pick up the last egg and head back to leave them at the house. Turns out that while Reginald didn’t forget to both lock them up yesterday and let them out today, he did neglect feeding them both times, as well as collecting the harvest. So when I was driven back here in early morning, the first thing I did was making sure they were taken care of. I can’t say the horrid birds looked in any way hungry, but the moment I poured the feeding grain for them, they attacked it with more viciousness than I’d expect of an actual predator. And yet only thirteen were present at the feeding, as the one that’s usually the target of flock’s ire remained in the cattle house yet again, Reginald leaving it to it, being unaware of its undesirable habit of trying to hatch dead eggs.
With eggs delivered, I flew my way to my usual spot atop the cattle house and could finally relax. The loner beast first made its way to feast on the scraps of the grain that other birds already all have had their fill of, so I wasn’t too concerned. Instead I tried to reflect on the morning I had so far.
Waking up at the hospital did make me momentarily panic before I remembered the precluding events. Not that I could properly panic, feeling the most starved I’ve been my whole life, and too weak to try flying out of the window. Thankfully, the breakfast they provided was actually well made with krakotl needs in mind, algae soup alongside a few slices of bread, this time without any horrid human ideas like putting eggs in there. Eggs! Turns out they put eggs in some kinds of bread! That’s how I got sick! Eggs! The thought of what I consumed even now made me queasy, and it definitely made breakfast a much less appetizing affair than it would have been without that knowledge, but back then the hunger won over the disgust.
Lena did keep her promise and came to pick me up extra early. Her being a staff member at the hospital gave her some extra privilege, I assume, hence why I was released without any forms needing to be filled out personally. She did have important business today too, which probably explained the earlyness and urgency of her driving me back to her house.
That did not mean I escaped her ire, however. While I couldn’t pinpoint anything to identify the man, as Bob was apparently a common name, that offered me bread, we did come to understanding that he was likely either unaware of the nutritional contents of it, or of extent to which the Cure-induced allergy would be affecting a krakotl. Yet, Lena seemed much angrier at me for failing to take any precautions. Turns out that was the purpose of medicinal injectors, epipens as humans call them, that were provided to me. I was supposed to have them on me in case I accidentally ingested contaminated food. Nobody told me that, I was just handed them back when I first received the necessities at the refugee camp and I had no clue what they were for. Then she also berated me for eating random food from strangers and ignoring bad flavors. Turns out that brioche bread isn’t actually bitter at all, and that was my body reacting to an allergen in it. Reaction that I unwisely elected to ignore, to further ire of my host. By the end, several new rules of my stay here were made, including not eating things I don’t know and always having at least one epipen on me. Thankfully, these rules would be ones I’d start following even without them being established, so I won’t have to concern myself with being kicked out over accidentally breaking them.
As if following the rules will be enough to make them like you.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday’s incident, I focused my attention on the flock. All birds accounted for, so at least I knew that my absence did not result in the predator coming to snatch one of them. I do not wish to insult my hosts, but Reginald is far from most attentive people in matters unrelated to his job, and I am not sure the birds were watched at all while I was out. Speaking of, my scannings of surrounding treelines revealed no sign of the predator today. Perhaps it departed to hunt elsewhere, or maybe it ventured too close to a more populated area and exterminators dealt with it.
Actually, did human exterminators work similar to Federation ones? I knew for a fact they had them, although they seemed like a market of private organizations if advertisements are anything to judge by. Still, what methods do they use? I know humans oppose fire, and do not believe in predatory taint, but surely they have measures to protect themselves? They are, by self-admission, far from the best natural predator, and I doubt Earth’s non-sapient predators would just leave humans be. Maybe I should call one of those human exterminator agencies and call them in to deal with that predator? I haven’t told Lena or Reginald about it, as I didn’t want to bother them, but it could pose a serious threat to the cattle, but maybe that’s the way I could resolve it without involving them?
I have not done nearly as much research into human culture and lifestyle as I should have, considering that I’ve lived on Earth for over half a year now, but the sheer width of the topic always overwhelmed me the moment I opened internet search app to the point where I just closed it right away.
And you expect to start studying again with that attitude? You’ll flunk out even from this primitive predator education course.
Extra loud call from the flock made me refocus my attention on them, but it was nothing. Just the loner getting pecked extra hard and lashing out against assailants, causing a small aimless stampede as all the birds ran around in circles, puffing up at one another. The assailants now looked a lot more like victims. I could understand those birds more than I could humans at least. The loner bird is clearly an odd one out. It’s the only one repeatedly trying to hatch unfertilized eggs it lays, and it seems to always avoid the rest of the flock. Humans may deny the existence of Predator Disease, but they can’t deny that prey and predator both can and will sometimes behave in unnatural ways that may threaten the herd's safety. Or pack’s, in case of humans. Birds must know on instinctual level that the loner’s behavior is unnatural and are attempting to combat the Predator Disease on instinctual level. And since that is natural, I still will not interfere in this, unless the loner bird actually becomes a threat to others or will start getting too injured. The first time I attempted to pick one of the birds up was the only time for a good reason, as I have learned their viciousness all too well.
DING-DING
The sudden loud ring startled me enough that I nearly tumbled off the roof. Who would be coming over now? Lena and Reginald have left together and shouldn’t be back until afternoon, and they’d never use the bell. That means someone must be here for them. But wouldn’t they warn anyone to not come over? Especially with their plans for today.
With nobody to answer these questions, I had no choice but to go and discover the answer myself, flying up and over the house, towards the entrance gate. The moment I passed the house roof, I already saw a familiar silhouette. It was the human child from a few days ago.
Thankfully, Lena’s insistence on me carrying an epipen at all times meant I also carried my satchel at all times too, so I didn’t have to go grabbing my holopad, and took it out. But before I could even launch the translator TTS app to type out a greeting, the child was already hopping in place with excitement.
“Mr. Krekos! Hi! I came over to visit!”, she exclaimed, showing off her teeth in an unnerving expression of human joy. I simply tried to avoid that and focused on the pad, typing out my response.
“Hello, Rosie. Why are you here?”
The question was genuine, as the child was not carrying any more of that honey substance from last time.
“I just came over to visit you! Is that okay? Are Mr. and Ms. Vince okay with it?”
Visit... me? Why? While I was confused, I did instinctively type out a reply.
“They did tell me visitors are allowed as long as there’s no trouble when I first moved in.”
And before I could type a followup message asking her why she’s here, she already let out a joyous roar and ran past me.
“Can I see the chickens?”, she asked, and not waiting for an answer, rushed past the house and towards the cattle yard.
“Wait! You’ll scare them!”, I yell after her, but of course without a translator she can’t understand me as she runs like she already knows where to go.
And indeed she has, quickly rushing up to the open field where the birds were grazing. Thankfully she didn’t start chasing them, instead just approaching the flock from a distance and swaying in place, watching them with what I assume was some sort of predatory excitement at the sight of prey. Maybe that’s where the contained hunting instinct of human children showed themselves? In chasing small birds? I was still more subdued, considering she stopped shy of causing a small stampede, but still.
“Grandpa used to take me with him! He helped watch this farm until Mr. and Ms. Vince moved in. I like chickens! I think they’re cute.”, the child told me innocently as she kept swaying and watching as the beasts grazed upon insects of the pasture.
That revelation was... interesting. I suppose it makes sense that between the original owner of this land dying in the bombings and Lena and Reginald moving in, it would be unattended. With nobody to feed and watch over those things, they would be long dead for sure. And it was Rosie’s grandfather... Speaking of. I typed out my words.
“Does your grandfather know you’re here?”
She seemed to get a weird look as she stopped her excited swaying, fiddling with her hands instead. Looks like I asked the correct question.
“...he knows I am out visiting neighbors.”
That did not answer my question. I squinted at the human child, and she dipped her head as she continued.
“...he doesn’t know I’m here specifically. Or that an alien even lives here...”, she explained, her tone suddenly more sullen.
I couldn’t help but squint at that, and it appears that my expression was readable enough that even a human could see the suspicion, as she continued.
“I’m sorry... But if I told grandpa, he’d tell me I’m forbidden from talking to you, like he forbade me from talking to hedgehog people in town... But I want to talk to you! You’re nice and you’re a space bird!”
The child was actually working around the rules established by her guardian to come see me. I don’t know if I should be glad or concerned. Clearly, the man is anti-alien in his opinions, and I’d rather that kind of man not know about how close he lives to one. At the same time, I’d rather not encourage a child for lying to their guardian in order to meet a stranger they know they aren’t allowed to interact with... So I just took the middle path with my next message.
“I see. What did you want to talk to me about then?”, TTS speaks for me.
Her stiffened body language disappears, replaced again with earlier excitement.
“I wanna know more about space! And aliens! It’s all so cool but grandpa says it’s all dangerous because mom and dad died. But it’s not! The hedgehog people were nice, and you’re nice too!”
I wasn’t sure about that logic, but my self-preservation told me I shouldn’t try convincing her to go confessing. Instead I focused more on her chosen topic.
“I am not sure I am the best person to ask about space. I am not a scientist or traveler.”
“But you’re from there! You know way more than me. I don’t even know what you are called. And there’s gotta be cool things out in space!”
I let out a sigh. I suppose it’s childlike curiosity at its finest. So unfamiliar with mundane that it is a wonder. I remember being like that about becoming a doctor.
And then you let your teacher die.
I quickly tapped on the pad.
“Okay, I can answer questions, but I may not know everything.”
The noise that came out of the girl was like a squeal of a panicked dossur as she started hopping and spinning in place.
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Krekos!” Sudden movement did cause me to recoil a bit, which in turn caused her to cease her happy flailing and adjust her little dress. “I dunno where to start though... Hm... What are you?”
...for all my trepidation about not knowing answers, I should have anticipated that the questions she asks will be rather age-appropriate and on the same level as we learn in our first school classes. At least I won’t disappoint her then.
“I am from a species called ‘krakotl’. We’re avians, as is obvious. Our home is...”dead, gone, reduced to glass and ash by our own hubris “...was Nishtal. A beautiful planet...”
Thankfully she did not question my hesitant pause. Instead she just nodded along.
“What about the hedgehog people? I already know venlil, but they’re the only ones I know name of.”
Hedgehog people in town she mentioned earlier. The only species I could think of that could be seen there would be the gojid. I have no clue what hedgehogs are, but probably some creature with visible similarity to them.
“They are called ‘gojid’, and they’re from gojid Cradle. Both of our species are... well, used to be known for our might and protecting other species of Federation.”
I am not sure if that’s something to brag about, considering... everything. But I didn’t want this child to get brought down with depressing regrets of our species. Let her know something nicer instead. She clearly lost a lot, but there’s still joy left in her. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Cool! What about other people? I wanna know more!”
And so I went on, telling her about various species, although I mostly focused on ones in this new human-led union, only mentioning kolshians and farsul beyond that. It’s weird explaining to a child what a tilfish or a harchen looks like, but thankfully my holopad isn’t just a method of communicating with implant-less children. With access to interstellar web, I could easily pull up pictures of various alien species to show to her, even if she struggled to believe that some of them were even sapient purely based off of looks. With how varied species in Federation are, and how some of us admittedly aren’t too far physiologically from our more primal ancestors.
Among other topics, she asked me to tell her interesting things, which I didn’t know much of. I told her about Venlil Prime’s tidally locked status, a rarity among habitable planets, much less homeworlds for species. I told her about the unique architecture of Mileau, designed to accommodate both species of regular size and dossur themselves. I told her about Colia medical academies, some of the most beautiful medical facilities in the galaxy.
I wish I was more well-travelled, but I just wasn’t. My whole life, I never left Nishtal until the extermination fleet took me despite my protests. That may have been what saved my life...
Not that I, of all people, deserved it...
“Hey! Stop that!”
I flinched as I heard the child yell, but quickly realized that it wasn’t directed at me. Instead, Rosie was rushing down towards the chicken flock, breaking up the fight in which the loner was being pecked by a few larger chickens. As the human child approached, the birds stopped their infighting and scattered in different directions, crowing in loud panic and discontent. On instinct, I found myself rushing towards the child, forgetting about translation entirely.
“What are you doing?! Don’t touch them!”
I didn’t want her to hurt the cattle accidentally, and I didn’t want her to get hurt by the angry birds in return. But, it seems like the moment the birds scattered, she was satisfied with her actions and turned back to me, wearing another one of her happy smiles.
“Sorry, Mr. Krekos, I just saw chickens being mean. Bad chickens.” She explained.
I was baffled. Why would she interfere like that? When I tried that back when I was just starting, that got me pecked! But with her, the birds just scattered. What if they pecked her?
I took the pad out again and started typing quickly.
“That was dangerous. Why did you do that? What if they attacked you? Why are you even interfering in their natural dynamics?”, questions flowed out of my pad with an artificial human voice.
The girl simply giggled.
“They’re chickens! They aren’t dangerous. They don’t peck that painful and I’ve been scratched worse before. And I have to stop it because bullying is wrong.”
Then she actually noticed that the one that was being attacked wandered close. She casually approached it from behind, the blind spot and just reached down and grabbed it, picking the bird up. I was ready to rush to help the bird when...
“Mwah! There, all better.”
She did a human ‘kiss’ on the back of the cattle bird’s neck before releasing it, the surprise of it causing it to rush off. I knew what kisses were, I’ve seen enough of them between Lena and Reginald, but I believed they were gestures of intimate affection, not... what was even that?
It seems Rosie noticed my confusion as she explained.
“You gotta kiss it so it heals better! That’s what mom taught me.” The child displayed that smile of hers shamelessly. With how much I was being exposed to it, it almost wasn’t unnerving anymore. Still, it was interesting to learn that kisses are seen as something that helps wounds. I guess some species do have saliva with mild antiseptic properties, wouldn’t be too out there to assume humans are the same. And if that’s the case, maybe that’s how the kissing tradition started? Exchange of protective fluid between lovers?
“I see. I did not know that.” I responded before letting my puffed feathers relax. Okay, this whole ‘watching a human child’ thing is turning out to somehow be even more stressful than I expected at first.
“Wait, Mr. Krekos, what time is it?” She suddenly asked, looking up at the sky.
“It’s nearly twelve.” I respond, holopad having a convenient clock for local time.
“Oh no! I need to be home soon! Was nice seeing you Mr. Krekos gotta go bye!”
Before I had even a chance at typing out an answer or my own goodbye, the child sprinted away and back towards the entrance. I had to take flight just to keep up, and even then she just turned around, waved her arm at me and then kept sprinting down the road after leaving the gate. I simply offered a small wave of a wing back before locking the gate again. I suppose it is hard to keep track of time without a device or clock nearby...
Well, at least I had the usual peace and quiet now. And learned a bit more about the creatures I was in charge of. I should really try to deal with my aversion to looking things up on the human internet...
Just as I was about to head back out towards the yard, I heard a loud car horn, a familiar one, getting my attention. Lena’s car. There they were, signaling me, probably having spotted me at the gate from afar. Deciding to make use of my presence here, and hoping to avoid needing to explain that I had a surprise visitor earlier, I went ahead and opened the large gate, allowing the car to enter.
Once it was parked in the usual space, the doors opened and three people came out. Lena and Reginald were both looking a bit disheveled, but their faces carried these smiles that seemed wider than ever before. And third person... Was a stranger. A human I knew of, but never actually met. As he exited the car, a large bag in one hand, he just stared at me, standing in the front yard...
“...okay, I expected many things when I was told you guys housed a refugee, but not this.”
Oh no. Oh no, he was not one of the ones that was willing to overlook an invader that partook in bombing of his planet being allowed to walk free, of course, Lena and Reginald were the weird ones like that, doesn’t mean their son won’t be... I felt the panic rising as I realized I’d need to return to the camp. Why was I upset about that? This was supposed to just have been a way to make money, but now I have a free education program. Do I need to stay? No, but... Why?! Why do I not want to leave?
“Ken, you said it’s going to be alright no matter what it is, right? Wanted us to keep it a surprise to meet a new friend?” Lena’s voice. She should have told him, that’d give me time to prepare why didn’t they give me time why.
“No, no problems, just, really surprised, that’s all... uh... hey, buddy, you okay? You’re really... trembly.”
He was approaching me, and instinct took over as I recoiled, before stuttering out my answer.
“I-I’m fine...”
...thankfully translators don’t translate voice cracks. I hope, at least...
“Hey, relax... I have no problem with you being a krakotl, I just didn’t think...” He looks over at Lena and Reginald. “Calm down... I can wear my visor if you want?”
Right. Those things humans use to hide their scary faces from us.
“I... I’m good...”
Why would it last? It almost felt good after all.
There was some emotion I struggled to read on the young human’s face, as he sighed and shook his head.
“I screwed this up, I’m sorry. Let... Let me try again.” He straightened out, and adjusted his clothing, before slowly approaching me and giving me a small smile, no teeth showing. “Hello. My name is Kenneth Vince and I'm son of Lena and Reginald Vince. I was told you’re a refugee they took in to help out. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That... snapped me out of it. Right... He was... not upset at my existence. He was just very surprised that Lena and Reginald weren’t. That’s a reasonable thing to be surprised about, considering I was surprised about it to this day. I tried to compose myself as I responded.
“My name is Krekos. I live here as... hired help with the cattle. It’s... nice to meet you?”
The smile on Kenneth’s face widens, though he still refrains from showing his teeth. Instead, he extends a hand towards me. A handshake is a human gesture that I found far from comfortable, but I didn’t want to give him a reason to change his mind on acceptability of my existence, so I took it with a wingclaw. He gently took it and held for a few seconds before letting go and sighing again, turning to his parents.
“You know, I always thought you guys would be empty nesters, but I never thought it’d be that literal.”
That got all three of them laughing, as I just tilted my head in confusion. I was fairly sure there were no empty nests in the house until after I adjusted the attic room for my own accommodations. Still, I took the laughter as a sign that the tense moment had fully passed and let my ruffled feathers slowly rest.
“Let’s head inside. Krekos, we’re having dinner, you’re welcome to join us.” Reginald said, picking up Kenneth’s bag. I tilted my head a little and he followed up with elaboration. “We will be having meat... But there’s still going to be stuff you can eat too. It’s a celebration, so I prepared a bit of everything.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Kenneth responded with embarrassment.
“None of that! Our son returned from the war, alive and a hero, and we can have a celebration. Krekos, I know you’re still... uncertain about meat so you don’t—”
“I’ll join.”
Wait, who said that? And why did they say that in my voice?
Wait, that was me. Why did I say that?
“That’s great to hear! I’ve got some nice steamed broccoli and some vegetarian fried rice as sides that you’ll enjoy!” Reginald smiled at me and I felt myself shrinking into my feathers. That the humans didn’t notice at least, proceeding into the house instead.
Well, looks like I signed my warrant. At least my bag and my epipen were on me in case something at the table triggers the allergy again. Would be rather unfortunate to have it happen two days in a row.
And that’s how, in just ten or so minutes, I found myself sitting at the dining perch, while humans took seats in chairs, all consuming chunks of roasted flesh and somehow managing to also stuff pieces of equally roasted plants in, and converse with one another. You wouldn’t be able to tell on first look, but despite their mouths being relatively small, especially for a predator, it seems they compensate for it by having those be near bottomless in both hunger and small talk.
I am not sure how I managed to shift my focus away from them consuming animal matter in front of me, however vat grown it might have been, and onto their conversation instead, but I succeeded. I suppose that was just part of me going native around predators. Soon, I’ll be the one feasting along with them before I know it, and snacking on those epipens to not die of it.
Like you could ever be on the same level as humans.
“So, Fahl? That’s where you were sent after the Battle of Earth?” Lena asked.
“Yeah. From what I heard, we got a light posting compared to guys at Sillis or Mileau. The most I had to deal with was some exterminator insurgents.”
That’s right. Since harchen participated in the Extermination Fleet, they were one of those who were occupied by humans during the war. It makes sense that there was at least some ground resistance.
“Honestly, the worst thing out there was the heat. Not the flamethrower kind, the climate. The place was so damn dry and hot. At least exterminators you could subdue or evade. Not so much with the scorching sun!”
I couldn’t resist a small chuckle at the idea of a predator being more afraid of hot weather than flamethrowers as I slowly pecked at the vegetables on my plate. Thankfully it was set far enough aside from any meat dishes that no contamination should occur, but I was still examining pieces before putting them in my mouth just in case.
Seems like reacting was a mistake though, as that brought Kenneth’s attention onto me. He finished chewing latest piece of flesh and pointed a fork at me.
“So, Krekos... Where are you from? Cradle was my guess, but I do know there were refugees from other places like Sillis too.”
That’s a weird question. Isn’t it kind of to be expected for a krakotl to be from our actual homeworld?”
“I’m from Nishtal.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Kenneth chuckled, tossing a piece of broccoli into his mouth and swallowing before continuing, “I meant, where did you live? I kind of assumed you were born there, but it’s not like Nishtal had a chance to send refugees out, and if they did, this is the last place they’d be.”
Oh... I caught concerned looks of Lena and Reginald, looking between me and Kenneth from both sides. Not only did they not make him aware that I was a krakotl, they also neglected to mention just how I came by my refugee status... Which was just a legal workaround to grant me asylum without unnecessary complications or establishing undesirable precedent. Legally, I may be a refugee, but practically... I am a defector. Lena and Reginald know that, I told them my story before. And while they were weirdly accepting, Kenneth... Fought extermination fleet here on Earth. Personally.
Still, I wasn’t about to lie. It took a few moments and gathering mental strength to steel myself, and averting my eyes, focusing on the plate of warm vegetables in front of me rather than the human’s anticipating stare before I answered.
“I did live on Nishtal. I... I came with the extermination fleet.” I responded, doing my best to avoid looking at him. I did not want to witness his reaction, for some reason the thought of seeing it weighed heavy on my mind.
“Oh.”
The response was simple, and had no followup. There was no more clinking of cutlery against plates, or chewing. The only thing hanging in the air of the kitchen was silence, weighing down on me. It dragged on and on... until it just got so unbearable I couldn’t take it.
“I-I’m full... Thank you for the meal.” I quickly said, hopping off the perch and stepping out of the kitchen, quickly making my way to the yard and taking flight.
Fresh air of the outside and rush of it as I flew up and gained speed... I missed that. I knew it’s not safe to just fly over other people’s territory, so I corrected my course into doing large sweeping circles over the cattle yard and simply let my wings carry me.
Flying away from any danger is the only thing I’m good for anyway. The only thing I ever do.
I closed my eyes. With them closed and not focusing on my angle it feels like I’m actually flying away from all the troubles. Away from humans who barely tolerate my existence, away from gojid who see me as worse than a predator, away from Earth and all its incorrigible customs, away from horrid cattle, away from constant memories...
Flying feels nice. It may be a bit harder than it was home, but it’s still possible. I heard that on Venlil Prime or Mileau it’s much harder. But here? Just an extra flap of wings for every few paces and you’re just fine, free to soar the skies...
Alone. With no one to ever share it with me again.
Slowly I let my eyes open back to the bleak reality. Greenery of surrounding pastures and woods, bright blue skies and farmhouses dotted about here and there greeted me. I lowered my gaze down, focusing on what’s below. There they were, fourteen brown and black dots spread around the enclosed portion of the farm territory. I am not sure how much time I’ve spent flying in circles and trying to forget things but my wings were feeling a tad sore. Then as I just began slow descent, in same circular motion, I noticed that one of the birds, a familiar one, was being chased by several others. Recounting the morning, I tried putting the knowledge to action, and shifted direction of descent, swooping down. To my surprise, that actually worked, as the moment I got close to the ground, the cattle birds all got much louder and scattered in all directions, including the loner. Who, at least this time, got off unharmed. I suppose such pathetic flightless creatures would fear a flying one much more than they would when I just run up to them...
Swooping at them from the sky like a predator to intimidate them into behaving... Like an arxur warden.
With the fight preemptively broken up, I flutter up to the roof of the cattle house, to my usual position and rested my wings. I didn’t see any movement from the direction of the house, so I suppose the family is still busy unpacking. Since Kenneth joined the military just before the Battle of Earth, and Lena and Reginald only moved here after their actual house in city of New York got destroyed, it’d be the first time the human is seeing what is basically his new home. There was a room set aside for him since before I even moved in, and while there is also a guest room... That one did not have a large enough window to fit through, which did not feel comfortable. So when I asked for a space with a bigger window they only had an attic to offer. They seemed uncomfortable letting me live in a tiny room with slanted roof, but I found such space more comforting than I would have a large room with a window not large enough to fit even one fully spread wing through.
I wonder if Kenneth will need as much renovation as I did? The house is built for humans, but he never lived there before. Will he need to buy a more comfortable bed? Getting a proper nesting setup in place of a bed took a bit of effort, but I figured something out. Human sheets were comfortable enough for such, and sitting perches were thankfully not that hard to get thanks to help from the refugee administration. Maybe that’s the things that Lena went to buy yesterday? Kenneth’s preferred room decor?
I looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to dim. I am not sure if it was me flying that long, or me losing track of time in my thoughts again, but the sun was beginning to set. I began my usual chores, putting out an evening meal and water for the beasts, and while they feasted, ate some myself. I was a bit hungry, having not properly finished lunch and about to skip dinner, but after the earlier conversation, I’d really rather avoid giving them the opportunity to talk to me.
After the birds had their fill, and by that I mean they emptied the tray as they always do, I let out the call, and they started funneling into the cattle house. The lonely straggler being first to go and hop into its nesting box. I bet tomorrow I will have trouble with getting her out of there again...
I took the moment to gather some eggs the birds left over course of the day, and once that was over and all of them were accounted for, I closed it up. When I flew down over to the house, there wasn’t anyone by the back door thankfully, so I just left eggs there, returned the basket, and returned to my room through the window.
Well, at least I didn’t get nearly killed today... That’s nice I guess?
I was about to check my holopad when there was a knock on the door. I approached and opened it to see... Kenneth. Standing in the doorway.
“Uh, hi, Krekos. I just, uh... Wanted to apologize again. I really wish mom and dad told me everything ahead of time... I just want you to know, I have no problems with you whatsoever, yeah? It’s just. Surprising, I guess, to hear all that. I didn’t think there were any defectors from the fleet at all... Just. Uh, please don’t worry about me?” He offered me a small smile, showing his canines before quickly correcting himself and doing a closed-lip one. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or make you feel unwelcome.”
I had to take a moment to contemplate his words. Was Lena and Reginald’s weirdness hereditary? He almost reminded me of how Reginald talked to me early on, with constant stumbling over the words, as well as constant reassurances that he is fine with me being here. Couple that with failing to avoid predatory mannerisms like eye contact and smiles like Lena tends to and you get this human. But most importantly and least understandably, there was the general fact of him and them just... welcoming me. I couldn’t understand why. I should be one sorry to them.
“N-No, it’s fine... I’m sorry for... intruding on you and your family.”
“No, no, dude, you’re fine! I mean, hell, I was considering entering one of those exchange programs before the bombings happened, and even after, well, I did my best at Fahl to be the perfect friendly soldier just there to make sure no more bombs drop on my home and not kill or conquer anyone. And then mom told me your story, and I can’t believe it... Just... If you have any issues, feel free to tell me. I’m not one of those racist pricks that are too pussy to even call themselves HF anymore because they know they’ll get their teeth knocked. I get that there aren't good or bad species, just people. And you seem like a decent guy if mom and dad’s judgment is to be trusted.” His smile widened, though it was clear from tension on his face that he had to take conscious effort to keep teeth hidden. “So, what I said earlier stands. Friends, right?”
He extends hand forward, for a second time today. I wasn’t sure if I knew this human long enough to call him a friend... Any human really. But it also seems like human definition of ‘friends’ is anyone they’re cordial and peaceful with. Which is weird. You’d think translators would properly use ‘acquaintance’ for that.
Still... We will be living in the same house now. I can’t just say no, and... I can’t come up with a reason to say no. Even him being a predator and a human is not something I could really say I object to, considering how... mundane that became to me over my time here.
So, with naught on my mind but acceptance of the situation, I extended my wing and grasped his hand with my claw. This time he actually gripped it tightly and moved it up and down, as I saw other humans do occasionally.
“Yeah... I guess that’d be for the best.” I responded, shrugging off the hesitation. Fresh start for a third time, I guess?
The human grinned, forgetting to hide his teeth entirely, but I was ready for it somehow and avoided outwardly reacting.
“Cool! Anyway, I’ll try to get some shuteye early, I couldn’t sleep on the overnight flight home. See ya!”
And with that he left. Well... That meeting went well I suppose?
I returned to my nest and picked up my holopad, returning to what I was doing. And there it was, something I awaited every day. A notification that I was messaged on mailing app. Opening the letter revealed the schedule for the study program. Which... only had one day marked on it. And a note that the rest of it will be figured out ‘as we go from there’. So it’s not a schedule, it’s just a mark for the day of the first meeting.
While a bit underwhelming, it was still exciting. It would be an all-alien class so I wouldn’t have to deal with humans’ incomprehensibility nearly as much, and it would allow me to finally return to pursuing what I actually dreamt of. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure that was precisely what I wanted after everything that happened, it was at least something for me to move towards.
...just two days until start. I wonder if there’s some required reading to prepare?
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Big thank you to NoP community for being great and supportive of my endeavors!
Also, obviously, big thanks to SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe and allowing fanfiction well to flow free!
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Date [standardized human time]: May 6th, 2137
I stare at the foul creature before me. Normally staring at something directly head on like that would be too predatory for me to do, but after nearly dying of bread yesterday, I didn’t feel patient enough to be gentle. The creature stared right back, though in a much more natural, prey-like way, tilting its head slightly as it looked back at me with one eye and let out a long bwok.
“Are you doing this now? Really?”, I ask, knowing full well it cannot respond.
Well, it can, if another bwok it made is any indication. Of course, translators aren’t yet advanced enough to translate non-sapient speech, but the intention behind sound is intuitively clear. It’s telling me to back off. Well, I tried the diplomatic approach at least.
Raising my wing I begin sliding the bird out of its nest, careful to keep any delicate joints out of its reach. It started clucking in upset indignation, struggling back and even trying to peck at me, but after realizing that I will not relent, it hopped out of the box and rushed out of the cattle house, revealing a single dead egg in the nesting box.
With relief, I finally pick up the last egg and head back to leave them at the house. Turns out that while Reginald didn’t forget to both lock them up yesterday and let them out today, he did neglect feeding them both times, as well as collecting the harvest. So when I was driven back here in early morning, the first thing I did was making sure they were taken care of. I can’t say the horrid birds looked in any way hungry, but the moment I poured the feeding grain for them, they attacked it with more viciousness than I’d expect of an actual predator. And yet only thirteen were present at the feeding, as the one that’s usually the target of flock’s ire remained in the cattle house yet again, Reginald leaving it to it, being unaware of its undesirable habit of trying to hatch dead eggs.
With eggs delivered, I flew my way to my usual spot atop the cattle house and could finally relax. The loner beast first made its way to feast on the scraps of the grain that other birds already all have had their fill of, so I wasn’t too concerned. Instead I tried to reflect on the morning I had so far.
Waking up at the hospital did make me momentarily panic before I remembered the precluding events. Not that I could properly panic, feeling the most starved I’ve been my whole life, and too weak to try flying out of the window. Thankfully, the breakfast they provided was actually well made with krakotl needs in mind, algae soup alongside a few slices of bread, this time without any horrid human ideas like putting eggs in there. Eggs! Turns out they put eggs in some kinds of bread! That’s how I got sick! Eggs! The thought of what I consumed even now made me queasy, and it definitely made breakfast a much less appetizing affair than it would have been without that knowledge, but back then the hunger won over the disgust.
Lena did keep her promise and came to pick me up extra early. Her being a staff member at the hospital gave her some extra privilege, I assume, hence why I was released without any forms needing to be filled out personally. She did have important business today too, which probably explained the earlyness and urgency of her driving me back to her house.
That did not mean I escaped her ire, however. While I couldn’t pinpoint anything to identify the man, as Bob was apparently a common name, that offered me bread, we did come to understanding that he was likely either unaware of the nutritional contents of it, or of extent to which the Cure-induced allergy would be affecting a krakotl. Yet, Lena seemed much angrier at me for failing to take any precautions. Turns out that was the purpose of medicinal injectors, epipens as humans call them, that were provided to me. I was supposed to have them on me in case I accidentally ingested contaminated food. Nobody told me that, I was just handed them back when I first received the necessities at the refugee camp and I had no clue what they were for. Then she also berated me for eating random food from strangers and ignoring bad flavors. Turns out that brioche bread isn’t actually bitter at all, and that was my body reacting to an allergen in it. Reaction that I unwisely elected to ignore, to further ire of my host. By the end, several new rules of my stay here were made, including not eating things I don’t know and always having at least one epipen on me. Thankfully, these rules would be ones I’d start following even without them being established, so I won’t have to concern myself with being kicked out over accidentally breaking them.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday’s incident, I focused my attention on the flock. All birds accounted for, so at least I knew that my absence did not result in the predator coming to snatch one of them. I do not wish to insult my hosts, but Reginald is far from most attentive people in matters unrelated to his job, and I am not sure the birds were watched at all while I was out. Speaking of, my scannings of surrounding treelines revealed no sign of the predator today. Perhaps it departed to hunt elsewhere, or maybe it ventured too close to a more populated area and exterminators dealt with it.
Actually, did human exterminators work similar to Federation ones? I knew for a fact they had them, although they seemed like a market of private organizations if advertisements are anything to judge by. Still, what methods do they use? I know humans oppose fire, and do not believe in predatory taint, but surely they have measures to protect themselves? They are, by self-admission, far from the best natural predator, and I doubt Earth’s non-sapient predators would just leave humans be. Maybe I should call one of those human exterminator agencies and call them in to deal with that predator? I haven’t told Lena or Reginald about it, as I didn’t want to bother them, but it could pose a serious threat to the cattle, but maybe that’s the way I could resolve it without involving them?
I have not done nearly as much research into human culture and lifestyle as I should have, considering that I’ve lived on Earth for over half a year now, but the sheer width of the topic always overwhelmed me the moment I opened internet search app to the point where I just closed it right away.
Extra loud call from the flock made me refocus my attention on them, but it was nothing. Just the loner getting pecked extra hard and lashing out against assailants, causing a small aimless stampede as all the birds ran around in circles, puffing up at one another. The assailants now looked a lot more like victims. I could understand those birds more than I could humans at least. The loner bird is clearly an odd one out. It’s the only one repeatedly trying to hatch unfertilized eggs it lays, and it seems to always avoid the rest of the flock. Humans may deny the existence of Predator Disease, but they can’t deny that prey and predator both can and will sometimes behave in unnatural ways that may threaten the herd's safety. Or pack’s, in case of humans. Birds must know on instinctual level that the loner’s behavior is unnatural and are attempting to combat the Predator Disease on instinctual level. And since that is natural, I still will not interfere in this, unless the loner bird actually becomes a threat to others or will start getting too injured. The first time I attempted to pick one of the birds up was the only time for a good reason, as I have learned their viciousness all too well.
DING-DING
The sudden loud ring startled me enough that I nearly tumbled off the roof. Who would be coming over now? Lena and Reginald have left together and shouldn’t be back until afternoon, and they’d never use the bell. That means someone must be here for them. But wouldn’t they warn anyone to not come over? Especially with their plans for today.
With nobody to answer these questions, I had no choice but to go and discover the answer myself, flying up and over the house, towards the entrance gate. The moment I passed the house roof, I already saw a familiar silhouette. It was the human child from a few days ago.
Thankfully, Lena’s insistence on me carrying an epipen at all times meant I also carried my satchel at all times too, so I didn’t have to go grabbing my holopad, and took it out. But before I could even launch the translator TTS app to type out a greeting, the child was already hopping in place with excitement.
“Mr. Krekos! Hi! I came over to visit!”, she exclaimed, showing off her teeth in an unnerving expression of human joy. I simply tried to avoid that and focused on the pad, typing out my response.
“Hello, Rosie. Why are you here?”
The question was genuine, as the child was not carrying any more of that honey substance from last time.
“I just came over to visit you! Is that okay? Are Mr. and Ms. Vince okay with it?”
Visit... me? Why? While I was confused, I did instinctively type out a reply.
“They did tell me visitors are allowed as long as there’s no trouble when I first moved in.”
And before I could type a followup message asking her why she’s here, she already let out a joyous roar and ran past me.
“Can I see the chickens?”, she asked, and not waiting for an answer, rushed past the house and towards the cattle yard.
“Wait! You’ll scare them!”, I yell after her, but of course without a translator she can’t understand me as she runs like she already knows where to go.
And indeed she has, quickly rushing up to the open field where the birds were grazing. Thankfully she didn’t start chasing them, instead just approaching the flock from a distance and swaying in place, watching them with what I assume was some sort of predatory excitement at the sight of prey. Maybe that’s where the contained hunting instinct of human children showed themselves? In chasing small birds? I was still more subdued, considering she stopped shy of causing a small stampede, but still.
“Grandpa used to take me with him! He helped watch this farm until Mr. and Ms. Vince moved in. I like chickens! I think they’re cute.”, the child told me innocently as she kept swaying and watching as the beasts grazed upon insects of the pasture.
That revelation was... interesting. I suppose it makes sense that between the original owner of this land dying in the bombings and Lena and Reginald moving in, it would be unattended. With nobody to feed and watch over those things, they would be long dead for sure. And it was Rosie’s grandfather... Speaking of. I typed out my words.
“Does your grandfather know you’re here?”
She seemed to get a weird look as she stopped her excited swaying, fiddling with her hands instead. Looks like I asked the correct question.
“...he knows I am out visiting neighbors.”
That did not answer my question. I squinted at the human child, and she dipped her head as she continued.
“...he doesn’t know I’m here specifically. Or that an alien even lives here...”, she explained, her tone suddenly more sullen.
I couldn’t help but squint at that, and it appears that my expression was readable enough that even a human could see the suspicion, as she continued.
“I’m sorry... But if I told grandpa, he’d tell me I’m forbidden from talking to you, like he forbade me from talking to hedgehog people in town... But I want to talk to you! You’re nice and you’re a space bird!”
The child was actually working around the rules established by her guardian to come see me. I don’t know if I should be glad or concerned. Clearly, the man is anti-alien in his opinions, and I’d rather that kind of man not know about how close he lives to one. At the same time, I’d rather not encourage a child for lying to their guardian in order to meet a stranger they know they aren’t allowed to interact with... So I just took the middle path with my next message.
“I see. What did you want to talk to me about then?”, TTS speaks for me.
Her stiffened body language disappears, replaced again with earlier excitement.
“I wanna know more about space! And aliens! It’s all so cool but grandpa says it’s all dangerous because mom and dad died. But it’s not! The hedgehog people were nice, and you’re nice too!”
I wasn’t sure about that logic, but my self-preservation told me I shouldn’t try convincing her to go confessing. Instead I focused more on her chosen topic.
“I am not sure I am the best person to ask about space. I am not a scientist or traveler.”
“But you’re from there! You know way more than me. I don’t even know what you are called. And there’s gotta be cool things out in space!”
I let out a sigh. I suppose it’s childlike curiosity at its finest. So unfamiliar with mundane that it is a wonder. I remember being like that about becoming a doctor.
I quickly tapped on the pad.
“Okay, I can answer questions, but I may not know everything.”
The noise that came out of the girl was like a squeal of a panicked dossur as she started hopping and spinning in place.
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Krekos!” Sudden movement did cause me to recoil a bit, which in turn caused her to cease her happy flailing and adjust her little dress. “I dunno where to start though... Hm... What are you?”
...for all my trepidation about not knowing answers, I should have anticipated that the questions she asks will be rather age-appropriate and on the same level as we learn in our first school classes. At least I won’t disappoint her then.
“I am from a species called ‘krakotl’. We’re avians, as is obvious. Our home is...”
Thankfully she did not question my hesitant pause. Instead she just nodded along.
“What about the hedgehog people? I already know venlil, but they’re the only ones I know name of.”
Hedgehog people in town she mentioned earlier. The only species I could think of that could be seen there would be the gojid. I have no clue what hedgehogs are, but probably some creature with visible similarity to them.
“They are called ‘gojid’, and they’re from gojid Cradle. Both of our species are... well, used to be known for our might and protecting other species of Federation.”
I am not sure if that’s something to brag about, considering... everything. But I didn’t want this child to get brought down with depressing regrets of our species. Let her know something nicer instead. She clearly lost a lot, but there’s still joy left in her. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Cool! What about other people? I wanna know more!”
And so I went on, telling her about various species, although I mostly focused on ones in this new human-led union, only mentioning kolshians and farsul beyond that. It’s weird explaining to a child what a tilfish or a harchen looks like, but thankfully my holopad isn’t just a method of communicating with implant-less children. With access to interstellar web, I could easily pull up pictures of various alien species to show to her, even if she struggled to believe that some of them were even sapient purely based off of looks. With how varied species in Federation are, and how some of us admittedly aren’t too far physiologically from our more primal ancestors.
Among other topics, she asked me to tell her interesting things, which I didn’t know much of. I told her about Venlil Prime’s tidally locked status, a rarity among habitable planets, much less homeworlds for species. I told her about the unique architecture of Mileau, designed to accommodate both species of regular size and dossur themselves. I told her about Colia medical academies, some of the most beautiful medical facilities in the galaxy.
I wish I was more well-travelled, but I just wasn’t. My whole life, I never left Nishtal until the extermination fleet took me despite my protests. That may have been what saved my life...
“Hey! Stop that!”
I flinched as I heard the child yell, but quickly realized that it wasn’t directed at me. Instead, Rosie was rushing down towards the chicken flock, breaking up the fight in which the loner was being pecked by a few larger chickens. As the human child approached, the birds stopped their infighting and scattered in different directions, crowing in loud panic and discontent. On instinct, I found myself rushing towards the child, forgetting about translation entirely.
“What are you doing?! Don’t touch them!”
I didn’t want her to hurt the cattle accidentally, and I didn’t want her to get hurt by the angry birds in return. But, it seems like the moment the birds scattered, she was satisfied with her actions and turned back to me, wearing another one of her happy smiles.
“Sorry, Mr. Krekos, I just saw chickens being mean. Bad chickens.” She explained.
I was baffled. Why would she interfere like that? When I tried that back when I was just starting, that got me pecked! But with her, the birds just scattered. What if they pecked her?
I took the pad out again and started typing quickly.
“That was dangerous. Why did you do that? What if they attacked you? Why are you even interfering in their natural dynamics?”, questions flowed out of my pad with an artificial human voice.
The girl simply giggled.
“They’re chickens! They aren’t dangerous. They don’t peck that painful and I’ve been scratched worse before. And I have to stop it because bullying is wrong.”
Then she actually noticed that the one that was being attacked wandered close. She casually approached it from behind, the blind spot and just reached down and grabbed it, picking the bird up. I was ready to rush to help the bird when...
“Mwah! There, all better.”
She did a human ‘kiss’ on the back of the cattle bird’s neck before releasing it, the surprise of it causing it to rush off. I knew what kisses were, I’ve seen enough of them between Lena and Reginald, but I believed they were gestures of intimate affection, not... what was even that?
It seems Rosie noticed my confusion as she explained.
“You gotta kiss it so it heals better! That’s what mom taught me.” The child displayed that smile of hers shamelessly. With how much I was being exposed to it, it almost wasn’t unnerving anymore. Still, it was interesting to learn that kisses are seen as something that helps wounds. I guess some species do have saliva with mild antiseptic properties, wouldn’t be too out there to assume humans are the same. And if that’s the case, maybe that’s how the kissing tradition started? Exchange of protective fluid between lovers?
“I see. I did not know that.” I responded before letting my puffed feathers relax. Okay, this whole ‘watching a human child’ thing is turning out to somehow be even more stressful than I expected at first.
“Wait, Mr. Krekos, what time is it?” She suddenly asked, looking up at the sky.
“It’s nearly twelve.” I respond, holopad having a convenient clock for local time.
“Oh no! I need to be home soon! Was nice seeing you Mr. Krekos gotta go bye!”
Before I had even a chance at typing out an answer or my own goodbye, the child sprinted away and back towards the entrance. I had to take flight just to keep up, and even then she just turned around, waved her arm at me and then kept sprinting down the road after leaving the gate. I simply offered a small wave of a wing back before locking the gate again. I suppose it is hard to keep track of time without a device or clock nearby...
Well, at least I had the usual peace and quiet now. And learned a bit more about the creatures I was in charge of. I should really try to deal with my aversion to looking things up on the human internet...
Just as I was about to head back out towards the yard, I heard a loud car horn, a familiar one, getting my attention. Lena’s car. There they were, signaling me, probably having spotted me at the gate from afar. Deciding to make use of my presence here, and hoping to avoid needing to explain that I had a surprise visitor earlier, I went ahead and opened the large gate, allowing the car to enter.
Once it was parked in the usual space, the doors opened and three people came out. Lena and Reginald were both looking a bit disheveled, but their faces carried these smiles that seemed wider than ever before. And third person... Was a stranger. A human I knew of, but never actually met. As he exited the car, a large bag in one hand, he just stared at me, standing in the front yard...
“...okay, I expected many things when I was told you guys housed a refugee, but not this.”
Oh no. Oh no, he was not one of the ones that was willing to overlook an invader that partook in bombing of his planet being allowed to walk free, of course, Lena and Reginald were the weird ones like that, doesn’t mean their son won’t be... I felt the panic rising as I realized I’d need to return to the camp. Why was I upset about that? This was supposed to just have been a way to make money, but now I have a free education program. Do I need to stay? No, but... Why?! Why do I not want to leave?
“Ken, you said it’s going to be alright no matter what it is, right? Wanted us to keep it a surprise to meet a new friend?” Lena’s voice. She should have told him, that’d give me time to prepare why didn’t they give me time why.
“No, no problems, just, really surprised, that’s all... uh... hey, buddy, you okay? You’re really... trembly.”
He was approaching me, and instinct took over as I recoiled, before stuttering out my answer.
“I-I’m fine...”
...thankfully translators don’t translate voice cracks. I hope, at least...
“Hey, relax... I have no problem with you being a krakotl, I just didn’t think...” He looks over at Lena and Reginald. “Calm down... I can wear my visor if you want?”
Right. Those things humans use to hide their scary faces from us.
“I... I’m good...”
There was some emotion I struggled to read on the young human’s face, as he sighed and shook his head.
“I screwed this up, I’m sorry. Let... Let me try again.” He straightened out, and adjusted his clothing, before slowly approaching me and giving me a small smile, no teeth showing. “Hello. My name is Kenneth Vince and I'm son of Lena and Reginald Vince. I was told you’re a refugee they took in to help out. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That... snapped me out of it. Right... He was... not upset at my existence. He was just very surprised that Lena and Reginald weren’t. That’s a reasonable thing to be surprised about, considering I was surprised about it to this day. I tried to compose myself as I responded.
“My name is Krekos. I live here as... hired help with the cattle. It’s... nice to meet you?”
The smile on Kenneth’s face widens, though he still refrains from showing his teeth. Instead, he extends a hand towards me. A handshake is a human gesture that I found far from comfortable, but I didn’t want to give him a reason to change his mind on acceptability of my existence, so I took it with a wingclaw. He gently took it and held for a few seconds before letting go and sighing again, turning to his parents.
“You know, I always thought you guys would be empty nesters, but I never thought it’d be that literal.”
That got all three of them laughing, as I just tilted my head in confusion. I was fairly sure there were no empty nests in the house until after I adjusted the attic room for my own accommodations. Still, I took the laughter as a sign that the tense moment had fully passed and let my ruffled feathers slowly rest.
“Let’s head inside. Krekos, we’re having dinner, you’re welcome to join us.” Reginald said, picking up Kenneth’s bag. I tilted my head a little and he followed up with elaboration. “We will be having meat... But there’s still going to be stuff you can eat too. It’s a celebration, so I prepared a bit of everything.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Kenneth responded with embarrassment.
“None of that! Our son returned from the war, alive and a hero, and we can have a celebration. Krekos, I know you’re still... uncertain about meat so you don’t—”
“I’ll join.”
Wait, who said that? And why did they say that in my voice?
Wait, that was me. Why did I say that?
“That’s great to hear! I’ve got some nice steamed broccoli and some vegetarian fried rice as sides that you’ll enjoy!” Reginald smiled at me and I felt myself shrinking into my feathers. That the humans didn’t notice at least, proceeding into the house instead.
Well, looks like I signed my warrant. At least my bag and my epipen were on me in case something at the table triggers the allergy again. Would be rather unfortunate to have it happen two days in a row.
And that’s how, in just ten or so minutes, I found myself sitting at the dining perch, while humans took seats in chairs, all consuming chunks of roasted flesh and somehow managing to also stuff pieces of equally roasted plants in, and converse with one another. You wouldn’t be able to tell on first look, but despite their mouths being relatively small, especially for a predator, it seems they compensate for it by having those be near bottomless in both hunger and small talk.
I am not sure how I managed to shift my focus away from them consuming animal matter in front of me, however vat grown it might have been, and onto their conversation instead, but I succeeded. I suppose that was just part of me going native around predators. Soon, I’ll be the one feasting along with them before I know it, and snacking on those epipens to not die of it.
“So, Fahl? That’s where you were sent after the Battle of Earth?” Lena asked.
“Yeah. From what I heard, we got a light posting compared to guys at Sillis or Mileau. The most I had to deal with was some exterminator insurgents.”
That’s right. Since harchen participated in the Extermination Fleet, they were one of those who were occupied by humans during the war. It makes sense that there was at least some ground resistance.
“Honestly, the worst thing out there was the heat. Not the flamethrower kind, the climate. The place was so damn dry and hot. At least exterminators you could subdue or evade. Not so much with the scorching sun!”
I couldn’t resist a small chuckle at the idea of a predator being more afraid of hot weather than flamethrowers as I slowly pecked at the vegetables on my plate. Thankfully it was set far enough aside from any meat dishes that no contamination should occur, but I was still examining pieces before putting them in my mouth just in case.
Seems like reacting was a mistake though, as that brought Kenneth’s attention onto me. He finished chewing latest piece of flesh and pointed a fork at me.
“So, Krekos... Where are you from? Cradle was my guess, but I do know there were refugees from other places like Sillis too.”
That’s a weird question. Isn’t it kind of to be expected for a krakotl to be from our actual homeworld?”
“I’m from Nishtal.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Kenneth chuckled, tossing a piece of broccoli into his mouth and swallowing before continuing, “I meant, where did you live? I kind of assumed you were born there, but it’s not like Nishtal had a chance to send refugees out, and if they did, this is the last place they’d be.”
Oh... I caught concerned looks of Lena and Reginald, looking between me and Kenneth from both sides. Not only did they not make him aware that I was a krakotl, they also neglected to mention just how I came by my refugee status... Which was just a legal workaround to grant me asylum without unnecessary complications or establishing undesirable precedent. Legally, I may be a refugee, but practically... I am a defector. Lena and Reginald know that, I told them my story before. And while they were weirdly accepting, Kenneth... Fought extermination fleet here on Earth. Personally.
Still, I wasn’t about to lie. It took a few moments and gathering mental strength to steel myself, and averting my eyes, focusing on the plate of warm vegetables in front of me rather than the human’s anticipating stare before I answered.
“I did live on Nishtal. I... I came with the extermination fleet.” I responded, doing my best to avoid looking at him. I did not want to witness his reaction, for some reason the thought of seeing it weighed heavy on my mind.
“Oh.”
The response was simple, and had no followup. There was no more clinking of cutlery against plates, or chewing. The only thing hanging in the air of the kitchen was silence, weighing down on me. It dragged on and on... until it just got so unbearable I couldn’t take it.
“I-I’m full... Thank you for the meal.” I quickly said, hopping off the perch and stepping out of the kitchen, quickly making my way to the yard and taking flight.
Fresh air of the outside and rush of it as I flew up and gained speed... I missed that. I knew it’s not safe to just fly over other people’s territory, so I corrected my course into doing large sweeping circles over the cattle yard and simply let my wings carry me.
I closed my eyes. With them closed and not focusing on my angle it feels like I’m actually flying away from all the troubles. Away from humans who barely tolerate my existence, away from gojid who see me as worse than a predator, away from Earth and all its incorrigible customs, away from horrid cattle, away from constant memories...
Flying feels nice. It may be a bit harder than it was home, but it’s still possible. I heard that on Venlil Prime or Mileau it’s much harder. But here? Just an extra flap of wings for every few paces and you’re just fine, free to soar the skies...
Slowly I let my eyes open back to the bleak reality. Greenery of surrounding pastures and woods, bright blue skies and farmhouses dotted about here and there greeted me. I lowered my gaze down, focusing on what’s below. There they were, fourteen brown and black dots spread around the enclosed portion of the farm territory. I am not sure how much time I’ve spent flying in circles and trying to forget things but my wings were feeling a tad sore. Then as I just began slow descent, in same circular motion, I noticed that one of the birds, a familiar one, was being chased by several others. Recounting the morning, I tried putting the knowledge to action, and shifted direction of descent, swooping down. To my surprise, that actually worked, as the moment I got close to the ground, the cattle birds all got much louder and scattered in all directions, including the loner. Who, at least this time, got off unharmed. I suppose such pathetic flightless creatures would fear a flying one much more than they would when I just run up to them...
With the fight preemptively broken up, I flutter up to the roof of the cattle house, to my usual position and rested my wings. I didn’t see any movement from the direction of the house, so I suppose the family is still busy unpacking. Since Kenneth joined the military just before the Battle of Earth, and Lena and Reginald only moved here after their actual house in city of New York got destroyed, it’d be the first time the human is seeing what is basically his new home. There was a room set aside for him since before I even moved in, and while there is also a guest room... That one did not have a large enough window to fit through, which did not feel comfortable. So when I asked for a space with a bigger window they only had an attic to offer. They seemed uncomfortable letting me live in a tiny room with slanted roof, but I found such space more comforting than I would have a large room with a window not large enough to fit even one fully spread wing through.
I wonder if Kenneth will need as much renovation as I did? The house is built for humans, but he never lived there before. Will he need to buy a more comfortable bed? Getting a proper nesting setup in place of a bed took a bit of effort, but I figured something out. Human sheets were comfortable enough for such, and sitting perches were thankfully not that hard to get thanks to help from the refugee administration. Maybe that’s the things that Lena went to buy yesterday? Kenneth’s preferred room decor?
I looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to dim. I am not sure if it was me flying that long, or me losing track of time in my thoughts again, but the sun was beginning to set. I began my usual chores, putting out an evening meal and water for the beasts, and while they feasted, ate some myself. I was a bit hungry, having not properly finished lunch and about to skip dinner, but after the earlier conversation, I’d really rather avoid giving them the opportunity to talk to me.
After the birds had their fill, and by that I mean they emptied the tray as they always do, I let out the call, and they started funneling into the cattle house. The lonely straggler being first to go and hop into its nesting box. I bet tomorrow I will have trouble with getting her out of there again...
I took the moment to gather some eggs the birds left over course of the day, and once that was over and all of them were accounted for, I closed it up. When I flew down over to the house, there wasn’t anyone by the back door thankfully, so I just left eggs there, returned the basket, and returned to my room through the window.
Well, at least I didn’t get nearly killed today... That’s nice I guess?
I was about to check my holopad when there was a knock on the door. I approached and opened it to see... Kenneth. Standing in the doorway.
“Uh, hi, Krekos. I just, uh... Wanted to apologize again. I really wish mom and dad told me everything ahead of time... I just want you to know, I have no problems with you whatsoever, yeah? It’s just. Surprising, I guess, to hear all that. I didn’t think there were any defectors from the fleet at all... Just. Uh, please don’t worry about me?” He offered me a small smile, showing his canines before quickly correcting himself and doing a closed-lip one. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or make you feel unwelcome.”
I had to take a moment to contemplate his words. Was Lena and Reginald’s weirdness hereditary? He almost reminded me of how Reginald talked to me early on, with constant stumbling over the words, as well as constant reassurances that he is fine with me being here. Couple that with failing to avoid predatory mannerisms like eye contact and smiles like Lena tends to and you get this human. But most importantly and least understandably, there was the general fact of him and them just... welcoming me. I couldn’t understand why. I should be one sorry to them.
“N-No, it’s fine... I’m sorry for... intruding on you and your family.”
“No, no, dude, you’re fine! I mean, hell, I was considering entering one of those exchange programs before the bombings happened, and even after, well, I did my best at Fahl to be the perfect friendly soldier just there to make sure no more bombs drop on my home and not kill or conquer anyone. And then mom told me your story, and I can’t believe it... Just... If you have any issues, feel free to tell me. I’m not one of those racist pricks that are too pussy to even call themselves HF anymore because they know they’ll get their teeth knocked. I get that there aren't good or bad species, just people. And you seem like a decent guy if mom and dad’s judgment is to be trusted.” His smile widened, though it was clear from tension on his face that he had to take conscious effort to keep teeth hidden. “So, what I said earlier stands. Friends, right?”
He extends hand forward, for a second time today. I wasn’t sure if I knew this human long enough to call him a friend... Any human really. But it also seems like human definition of ‘friends’ is anyone they’re cordial and peaceful with. Which is weird. You’d think translators would properly use ‘acquaintance’ for that.
Still... We will be living in the same house now. I can’t just say no, and... I can’t come up with a reason to say no. Even him being a predator and a human is not something I could really say I object to, considering how... mundane that became to me over my time here.
So, with naught on my mind but acceptance of the situation, I extended my wing and grasped his hand with my claw. This time he actually gripped it tightly and moved it up and down, as I saw other humans do occasionally.
“Yeah... I guess that’d be for the best.” I responded, shrugging off the hesitation. Fresh start for a third time, I guess?
The human grinned, forgetting to hide his teeth entirely, but I was ready for it somehow and avoided outwardly reacting.
“Cool! Anyway, I’ll try to get some shuteye early, I couldn’t sleep on the overnight flight home. See ya!”
And with that he left. Well... That meeting went well I suppose?
I returned to my nest and picked up my holopad, returning to what I was doing. And there it was, something I awaited every day. A notification that I was messaged on mailing app. Opening the letter revealed the schedule for the study program. Which... only had one day marked on it. And a note that the rest of it will be figured out ‘as we go from there’. So it’s not a schedule, it’s just a mark for the day of the first meeting.
While a bit underwhelming, it was still exciting. It would be an all-alien class so I wouldn’t have to deal with humans’ incomprehensibility nearly as much, and it would allow me to finally return to pursuing what I actually dreamt of. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure that was precisely what I wanted after everything that happened, it was at least something for me to move towards.
...just two days until start. I wonder if there’s some required reading to prepare?
2024.05.19 08:32 ThrowRA-48391 Need Advice: (M25) with gf (F22) who has controlling/manipulative parents. How can I confront this while maintaining a relationship with her?
I have been dating my current gf for about 2 years now. Her parents are from India and hae been very strict the entire relationship. Even when the relationship with the parents was cordial, they obsessively called me whenever I was with her like I became their child. On my first day of graduate school, the father called me 9 times while I was attending my first class because she hadn't answered their texts in 30 minutes. Another time, we went on a beach trip and were coming home (2 hours before their set curfew) and he continued to call and tell me to drive faster and get her home immediately. Eventually, the relationship with the parents deteriorated. They didn't want us seeing each other at all anymore but we stayed together and made it about a year without their approval.
Today was my girlfriends graduation and it was outdoors, so it was open to the public. The parents didn't want me there and I was not invited to the dinner planned for after the graduation. However, since it was open to the public and a large crowd, she told me that she wanted me there and I could just sit away from them. I went and tried to stay away from the parents, but apparently the father spotted me walking into the stadium and became angry. There was no confrontation, but apparently he wanted to come up to me and tell me to leave but was prevented from doing so. My girlfriend texted me that he had seen me and said to stay out of sight and just leave after they call her name to avoid any crazy drama. I did and left immediately after her name and hadn't been in contact with anyone (including my gf) since the ceremony.
I was driving back home when my gf's best friend called me and said that she had a seizure and I needed to go to the hospital she was going to. I was shocked since she had no medical history and turned around to head to the hospital immediately. I knew the parents wouldn't would be angry, so I called my gf's older sister to tell her everything I knew and see if she was okay (my gf had been staying out late all night and had been feeling sick all morning). The sister told me not to come because it would only make things worse and the dad took the sisters phone and began to yell at me.
He told me that this was all my fault and I'm causing so much stress and anxiety in her life and that I'm the reason she's in the hospital. He told me to never contact her again and I responded by telling him that "This is not okay. You will not blame me for this and you will not speak to me that way." He hung up the phone a few seconds after i began talking and told him that nothing he was saying was accpetable to me.
After hanging up, he grew more angry and I received several follow up messages about how everything is my fault and that I need to leave her alone. When my gf finally regained consciousness, he yelled at her for being "so naive and irresponsible" and he told her that she is throwing her life away with me. I didn't know what to do and obviously wanted to prioritize her well-being when she reached out to me, but when she told me her dad said I had disrespected him and been very rude, I had to share the full story and send screenshots.
I feel liket this pattern of behavior isn't out of a dislike for me or a new thing... She had warned me that her parents were crazy and strict before, but this is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I think that there are deeper issues to this behavior than I can tell from my perspective, but I just dont know what to do or say about any of this.
I absolutely do not want our relationship to end. I also can't continue to let the parents continue to control everything in her life and treat me how they treat their children.
I dont know if I should have skipped the graduation and just stayed as quiet as possible until her parents arent as big a factor in her life anymore.
I also don't know what to say about his comments blaming me for the seizure and yelling at her when she regained consciousness. What should I do in this situation? Is there anything to do/say about overly controlling/manipulative parents? Please help with how to handle this situation.
TL;DR; : Girlfriends father was angry that I showed up to her graduation and sat alone. She had a seizure after I left and he told me that it was all my fault and to never speak to her again. He had tried to limit our relationship and prevent us from seeing each other in the past and I don't know what to do now. How can I confront this and maintain my relationship with her?
submitted by ThrowRA-48391 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
Today was my girlfriends graduation and it was outdoors, so it was open to the public. The parents didn't want me there and I was not invited to the dinner planned for after the graduation. However, since it was open to the public and a large crowd, she told me that she wanted me there and I could just sit away from them. I went and tried to stay away from the parents, but apparently the father spotted me walking into the stadium and became angry. There was no confrontation, but apparently he wanted to come up to me and tell me to leave but was prevented from doing so. My girlfriend texted me that he had seen me and said to stay out of sight and just leave after they call her name to avoid any crazy drama. I did and left immediately after her name and hadn't been in contact with anyone (including my gf) since the ceremony.
I was driving back home when my gf's best friend called me and said that she had a seizure and I needed to go to the hospital she was going to. I was shocked since she had no medical history and turned around to head to the hospital immediately. I knew the parents wouldn't would be angry, so I called my gf's older sister to tell her everything I knew and see if she was okay (my gf had been staying out late all night and had been feeling sick all morning). The sister told me not to come because it would only make things worse and the dad took the sisters phone and began to yell at me.
He told me that this was all my fault and I'm causing so much stress and anxiety in her life and that I'm the reason she's in the hospital. He told me to never contact her again and I responded by telling him that "This is not okay. You will not blame me for this and you will not speak to me that way." He hung up the phone a few seconds after i began talking and told him that nothing he was saying was accpetable to me.
After hanging up, he grew more angry and I received several follow up messages about how everything is my fault and that I need to leave her alone. When my gf finally regained consciousness, he yelled at her for being "so naive and irresponsible" and he told her that she is throwing her life away with me. I didn't know what to do and obviously wanted to prioritize her well-being when she reached out to me, but when she told me her dad said I had disrespected him and been very rude, I had to share the full story and send screenshots.
I feel liket this pattern of behavior isn't out of a dislike for me or a new thing... She had warned me that her parents were crazy and strict before, but this is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I think that there are deeper issues to this behavior than I can tell from my perspective, but I just dont know what to do or say about any of this.
I absolutely do not want our relationship to end. I also can't continue to let the parents continue to control everything in her life and treat me how they treat their children.
I dont know if I should have skipped the graduation and just stayed as quiet as possible until her parents arent as big a factor in her life anymore.
I also don't know what to say about his comments blaming me for the seizure and yelling at her when she regained consciousness. What should I do in this situation? Is there anything to do/say about overly controlling/manipulative parents? Please help with how to handle this situation.
TL;DR; : Girlfriends father was angry that I showed up to her graduation and sat alone. She had a seizure after I left and he told me that it was all my fault and to never speak to her again. He had tried to limit our relationship and prevent us from seeing each other in the past and I don't know what to do now. How can I confront this and maintain my relationship with her?
2024.05.19 08:19 Glitch109 [Crossover Worldbuilding Idea] What if the MCU, DCEU, MonsterVerse, Resident Evil (Capcom Games), Avatar: The Last Airbender, Netflix's The Dragon Prince, Vivziepop's Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, and Live Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are set in the same universe?
Inspired by MichaeltheSpikester's idea of a shared world, decided to add my variation of it. But with extra media that I think would fit well with this shared world.
-Several dimensions that were connected to Earth-199999 are not only the Astral, Dark, Mirror, K'un-Lun, Ta Lo, Duat, etc. but also consisted of Chronobowl (DCEU), Mount Olympus (DCEU), Axis Mundi (MonsterVerse), 4 Nations (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Spirit World (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Xadia (Netflix's The Dragon Prince), Heaven & Hell (Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss), and the Kraang Dimension (TMNT).
-The Titan's origins originated from the Celestial Tiamut from the Earth's core with the cosmic energy mutating small creatures into giant monsters. It is revealed that every planet in the universe not only has its celestials but also has its own set of Titans that play a key role in the planet's ecosystem. King Ghidorah is revealed to be one of the last few members of his species who survived his planet's Emergence and the reason why he and his kind terraform worlds is to rebuild the home they lost.
-Heaven and the Kraang played a role in the development of the Human race where it is revealed that Humans have various animal DNA, thus having the dormant gene that ties them to their animal ancestor.
-Lilith would be considered the "First Scarlet Witch".
-Due to Heaven's influence, their magic created the Gods and Goddesses in the universe. Adam would eventually create the Council of Godheads, where he is good friends with Zeus from Thor: Love and Thunder (aka Jupiter, the Roman counterpart of Zeus).
-The celestial's cosmic energy not only created Hollow Earth but also created pockets from the Earth's surface that created portals that allowed access to Hollow Earth from the surface.
-Asgardians, ancient Wakanda, Eternals, and Titans banding together with humanity, ancient Atlantis, ancient Green Lanterns, Olympians, and Themsycira in the fight against Darkseid, Steppenwolf, and their forces in ancient history.
-It is revealed that Titans, such as Sehkmet, Na Kika, and an unnamed Thunderbird Titan are responsible for Bashenga's, Talokanil's, and Chafa's origins and abilities instead of the Gods and Goddesses from Thor: Love and Thunder.
-The Titans and Startouch Elves would be labeled as "low-level" gods by the Council of Godheads.
-Atlantis, Asgard, Themyscira, Heaven, and Olympus (When the Greek Gods were still around) were aware of the existence of Titans and the role they play in the Earth's ecosystem. Similar to Asgardians, Titans were responsible for many legends and myths regarding mythical creatures and gods. The relationship between them and benevolent titans would be at best mutual notably towards those like Godzilla and Mothra but otherwise would be at odds with destroyer titans like Rodan and Scylla.
-The Eternals are aware of the Titans as well. Ikaris proposed killing them since they would be affecting the Earth's population and preventing the Emergence from progressing. However, Ajak talked him out of it as they observed Godzilla's species preserving the balance of nature, keeping the population steadying, keeping the other Titans at bay, and hunting/killing giant Deviants as well.
-The Eternals once met with Mothra, who Sersi and Sprite formed a close bond with.
-The animalistic Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Khonshu, Anubis, Ammit, Tawaret, Horus, etc.) were once human-looking Gods/Goddesses before being exposed to the Kraang's Ooze, which mutated them into more animalistic creatures.
-Godzilla has a mixed relationship with the Eternals. While he approves them for keeping the Earth safe, he doesn't trust them due to their "unnatural" nature due to being from space, which is the same with King Ghidorah.
-Prior to his arrival on earth. King Ghidorah had a fearful reputation across the cosmos by civilizations, similar to that of Darkseid and Thanos.
-Both Thor and Rodan once fought each other in the past when Rodan at some point appeared in Scandinavia and terrorized the people, which prompted the Thunder God to engage. It was a long, withdrawn, and lengthy battle that eventually ended with Thor finally driving Rodan off. Like many legends and myths, this fight inspired one of those about Thor fighting a "Great Bird of Fire".
-Shazam was the first Sorcerer Supreme and taught the Ancient One magic.
-Wonder Woman and the original Shazam took part in imprisoning Ammit alongside the other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
-The radiation of Hollow Earth caused certain viruses and organisms to become more hostile when infecting their host while granting them various abilities. Examples include the T-Virus and the E-Series mold.
-Both Asgard and Mount Olympus are aware of Aaravos and his past crimes.
-The Ancient One visited both Xadia and the 4 nations once to learn more about both world's magic. The Ancient One also helped in imprisoning Aaravos.
-While Xadia is aware of dark magic, they are unaware of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu.
-King Ghidorah was without a doubt probably the only being that Darkseid and Thanos had ever developed a grudging respect. Both warlords are aware of King Ghidorah due to being just as feared by civilizations across the cosmos as they are. Despite classing Titans as "low-level" gods, the Council of Godheads also feared King Ghidorah due to his destructive nature.
-The Necrosword is made of the same metallic material used by the Exorcist Angels during their exterminations.
-Wonder Woman's presence in World War I inspired Johann Schmidt (aka Red Skull) to pursue mythology in hopes of creating weaponry for HYDRA.
-Captain America and Wonder Woman met during World War II when Steve was doing his USO Show.
-SHIELD is aware of Monarch and STAR Labs and has often collaborated with each other in the past.
-Packard is a relative of Nick Fury.
-Asgard and Krypton having had a history with one another and the former having tried to warn the latter of their inevitable doom, but were dismissed.
-Prior to Krypton's destruction. Zod and his soldiers had a run-in with Yondu and the Ravagers.
-Both SHIELD and Nick Fury were not only aware of the Titan's existence but also aware of Superman's arrival on Earth and kept close tabs on him since he was a child.
-Both Superman and Chris Redfield were Captain America fans when younger.
-After the T-Virus Incident in Raccoon City, SHIELD and Monarch helped with the clean-up.
-Bruce Wayne, William Stenz, Amanda Waller, and Chris Redfield were all targets of Project Insight.
-Alongside SHIELD, STAR Labs, B.S.A.A., and Monarch were all infiltrated by HYDRA Agents who sought their resources. They stole various technological weapons created by the Motherbox, samples of the T-Virus, and stole Titan DNA to create Titan clones.
-After the Turtles made their debut, SHIELD and Monarch kept close eye on them based on their mutation.
-After the Civil War, Amanda Waller proposed Task Force X to the government, in which Theaddeus Ross was among those who approved it while William Stenz opposed it. Abomination and Baron Zemo were among the possible candidates for Task Force X.
-Task Force X and Monarch weren't affected by the Sokovia Accords due to their connections with the government.
-After the Baker House Incident, SHIELD and Monarch not only helped clean up the situation but also got clues on the E-Series's origin. Not trusting the B.S.A.A. or Blue Umbrella, they gave the info to Chris, which led to his isolation from both organizations.
-Talokan would be considered one of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Ocean Master would later try to recruit Namor, but decides not to as he was warned by the other rulers that Namor is more dangerous than Ocean Master himself.
-Karathen is revealed to be one of the lost Titans of Earth.
-Wakanda is aware of the existence of Atlantis but their ancestors have made a treaty with each other in not interfering. After the events of Aquaman, both T'Challa and Arthur meet in secret to discuss how to unite their kingdoms together and reveal their secret to the world. While Arthur respects T'Challa, he wants to keep Atlantis a secret until the time is right.
-Katolis would be aware of various magical humans such as Original Shazam and the Ancient One.
-Clark Kent/Superman, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Billy Batson/Shazam, and Mothra are beings capable of lifting Mjolnir.
-At the Senate hearing, alongside Serizawa, Nick Fury and Calvin Swanwick (Martian Manhunter) are among those who defended the Titans while Thaddeus Ross and Amanda Waller voiced against them.
-After the Titans were released, several Titans, such as Titanus Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe all resided near Wakanda and all bonded with T'Challa/Black Panther while Titans such as Titanus Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk all resided near Talokan and bond with Namor.
-By the end of Infinity War and during the events of Endgame. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, Martian Manhunter, Joker, Lex Luthor, Black Mask, Victor Zsasz, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Bruce the Hyena, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Sebastian, Polka-Dot Man, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Javelin, Blackguard, Mongal, T.D.K., Weasel, Thinker, Billy Batson/Shazam, Billy's foster parents and siblings, Amanda Waller, Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, Adebayo Waller, Clemson Murn/Ik Nobe Llok, Goff/Sophie Song/Eek Stack Ik Ik, Casper Locke, Larry Fitzgibbon, James Gordon, Atlanna, Mera, Arthur Jr., Starro, Peacemaker, White Dragon, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, Adrianna Tomaz, Karim, Amon Tomaz, Ishmael GregoSabbac, Blue Beetle and the Reyes family, Victoria and Jenny Kord, Carapax, Madison Russell, Mark Russell, Illene Chen, Houston Brooks, Sam Coleman, Nathan Lind, Illene Andrews, Jia, Josh Valentine, Bernie Hayes, Travis Beasley/Trapper, Walter and Maia Simmons, Ren Serizawa, Alan Jonah, Godzilla, Kong, half of the known titans, Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Ethan Winters, Mia Winters, Zoe Baker, Joe Baker, Mother Miranda, Karl Heisenberg, Lady Dimitrescu, Salvatore Moreau, Donna Beneviento, The Duke, Chris's Team, the Turtles, and Baxter Stockman would be amongst the survivors of The Blip.
-Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Perry White, Martha Kent, Stephen Shin, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Katana, Killer Croc, Ling Chen, Rick Stanton, Diane Foster, Jackson Barnes, Anthony Martinez, Lauren Griffin, Rodan, other half of the known titans, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Sensei Splinter, Bebop, and Rocksteady were amongst the victims of The Blip.
-Similar to Scott Lang, Black Adam, Mothra, Khaji-Da, and the inhabitants of the 4 nations, Xadia, Heaven, and Hell would not be affected by the Blip.
-The only beings that sensed the Blip were the Avatar (Aang), The Archdragons of Xadia (Zubeia, Rex Igneous, Domina Profundis, and Sol Regem), the Seraphim (Sera and Emily), the Goetian Hierarchy (Stolas and Octavia), and the 7 Deadly Sins (Lucifer Morningstar, Asmodeus, Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Belphegor).
-The victims of the Blip weren't sent to Heaven or Hell, they were stuck in Limbo.
-During the post-Blip, due to Thanos' actions, Godzilla had a hard time in trying to keep balance of the Earth with half of the remaining titans running loose. Due to the world powers struggling, they helped fund Apex Cybernetics to stabilize their economy as well as unknowingly helping Walter process with his Mechagodzilla experiment.
-Because of Thanos, the Corto Maltese government took advantage of this by continuing their experiments with Project Starfish and the Intergang were able to operate and have full control over Kahndaq. Many crime organizations in Gotham have either been dismantled due to the disappearance of the leaders or have been absorbed into the Black Mask Crime Organization. Jaime's family and his community go through financial struggles from Kord Industries due to the effects of the Blip.
-Due to less hero activity, the I.M.P.s operated their assassination business.
-Kingpin met with Joker and Black Mask during the Blip where the 2 made mutual agreements in developing a partnership. However, this agreement was broken due to Black Mask's death.
-The Joker was on Ronan's list of targets. However, due to his powerful influence, he was forced to back down.
-Due to the effects of the Blip, the butterflies decided to start their invasion by infecting powerful humans.
-After the Village's destruction, SHIELD aids Chris in a war against B.S.A.A.
-After Doctor Fate's death, Hawkman gives the Helmet of Fate to Kamar-Taj for safekeeping so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
-The Avengers and Justice League team up and join the time heist to find the Infinity Stones. With Iron Man's and Batman's technology, they create a black and red infinity gauntlet. Hulk still snaps his fingers which brings every living being back. During the final battle with Thanos, the Justice Society, Black Adam, Godzilla, and the other Titans arrive to join in the fight.
-Victoria Kord and Walter Simmons are among the many people who also had a hatred towards Tony Stark and are joyful about his death.
-After the events of Blue Beetle, Damage Control tried to apprehend him but was forced to back down due to public support.
-Godzilla would grow hostile towards the Hex that Wanda made. Due to being composed of cosmic radiation from the celestial, Godzilla and the other Titans are revealed to be immune to magic due to their massive size as well as not being affected by the Hex's effects. However, once Wanda leaves Westview, Godzilla will leave as well.
-After Endgame, Apex Cybernetics not only seeks to eliminate Titans but also superpowered individuals as well. After the events of GvK, Damage Control cleaned up the damage and acquired their resources.
-Among the deceased that would be in Heaven based on Adam's rule: "Act selfless, Don't Steal, and Stick it to the man" would be Tony Stark/Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Peggy Carter, Ancient One, Ben Parker, May Parker, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Phil Coulson, Steve Trevor, Jonathan Kent, Chato Santana/El Diablo, Silas Stone, Rick Flag, Alberto Reyes, José Morales, Ignacio Carapax/OMAC, and Nuidis Vulko.
-Among the deceased that would be in Hell and have the potential to become Overlords are Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, TrevoThe Mandarin, Alexander Pierce, Dreykov, Xu Wenwu, Quentin Beck/Mysterio, Roman Sionis/Black Mask, Victor Zsaasz, David Kane/Black Manta, and Walter Simmons.
-Wanting to reconnect with his daughter, Mark Russell resigns his position as leader of Monarch and Bruce BanneHulk becomes the next head of Monarch due to his knowledge of Nuclear Physics.
-Both the Great Protector and Dweller-in-Darkness are revealed to be Titans who stumbled upon Ta Lo.
-In Xadia, Viren was resurrected 5 years later rather than 2 (Events of S1-3 take place in 2019-and S4-6 take place in 2024).
-Due to the effects of the Emergence and the Deviants, Godzilla would ally with the Eternals in hunting down and killing the Deviants as well as stopping the Emergence from happening.
-The Benevolent Titans have gained a reputation due to their involvement in keeping the planet safe and healthy.
-Driven by vengeance, Overlord Quentin Beck/Mysterio pays the I.M.P.s to assassinate Peter ParkeSpider-Man. However, this is during the events of No Way Home and when Doctor Strange performs the spell that erases everyone's memory of who Spider-Man is, the I.M.P.s were affected as well and called the mission off due to their amnesia.
-Maya Lopez's/Echo's Powers awaken the ancient Thunderbird Titan that lives near her hometown. She successfully bonds with the Titan.
-Ms. Marvel would not only be a Captain Marvel fan but also a Wonder Woman and Mothra fan as well.
-Riri Williams is a huge fan of both Iron Man and Cyborg which influenced her to create her own enhanced suits. While she has an intense hatred towards Apex Cybernetics after their dirty secrets were exposed, Riri started making concepts on how to build a giant-mech suit to combat hostile Titans.
-Thor recruits Wonder Woman and the Shazam family to help them stop Gorr the God Butcher. They arrive at Omnipotence City where Wonder Woman exposes the Greek Gods being the Roman counterparts with Zeus' real identity revealed to be Jupiter. After the mission, Thor gives Shazam the Thunderbolt.
-Wonder Woman then encounters Marc SpecteMoon Knight where she sees and speaks with Khonshu.
-When Doctor Strange and America Chavez arrive on Earth-838, they meet the Illuminati which not only consists of Captain Carter, Blackbolt, Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau), and Mister Fantastic but also consists of Christian Bale's Batman and Brandon Routh's Superman.
-Same with Wakanda, the U.N. held a conference on whether the Titans should be contained or killed. Director Fontaine would state that the Titan's radiation helps balance the ecosystem of the planet and propose a solution where they can imprison the Titans and drain this energy they embody to help sustain the ecosystem, thus having them alive, but tortured.
-After Shuri takes the heart-shaped herb and becomes the next Black Panther, she communicates with Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe for the first time. She convinces them to take part in the battle against Namor by battling against Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk.
-After the battle, Wakanda becomes harmonious with their Titans as they are welcomed in Wakanda and become its protectors alongside Shuri.
-After the alliance with Talokan, Aquaman visits Shuri on the same beach where she meets her nephew, T'Challa II, and warns her about her deal with Namor. Then he introduces his son, Arthur Jr., where he and T'Challa II develop a brotherly bond with each other.
-Due to the Secret Invasion, Superman was affected by the Anti-Alien Act and was forced into hiding.
-During the events of Secret Invasion, the Turtles were forced into hiding due to being confused for Skrulls.
-After the events of The Flash, Doctor Strange and Clea confront him that his actions in altering time created more incursions and recruit him to have them fixed.
-After the events of the Marvels, Monica Rambeau not only meets Binary and Beast but also meets Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl.
-After the events of Lost Kingdom, Atlantis revealed its existence to the world by joining alliances with the UN and Wakanda.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands and Shang-Chi's Ten Rings start behaving weirdly as they detect a signal from deep within Hollow Earth, signifying a war cry from ancient Titans known as the Skar King and Shimo.
-As Namor is preparing for the war against the surface by aligning themselves with Wakanda, he commands the Titans he bonded to gain strength. However, one of the Titans, Tiamat, is killed by Godzilla, and Namor is saddened when hearing the news.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands attracts the attention of Mothra, who believes that Mothra may be the key to bringing back Monica Rambaeu.
-The Avatar's (Aang) awakening was sensed by Doctor Strange.
Overall, this is my take on how this shared world would go. If you have any suggestions on how the shared world would go, feel free to reply!
Special thanks to MichaeltheSpikester for the idea!
submitted by Glitch109 to WhatIfFiction [link] [comments]
-Several dimensions that were connected to Earth-199999 are not only the Astral, Dark, Mirror, K'un-Lun, Ta Lo, Duat, etc. but also consisted of Chronobowl (DCEU), Mount Olympus (DCEU), Axis Mundi (MonsterVerse), 4 Nations (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Spirit World (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Xadia (Netflix's The Dragon Prince), Heaven & Hell (Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss), and the Kraang Dimension (TMNT).
-The Titan's origins originated from the Celestial Tiamut from the Earth's core with the cosmic energy mutating small creatures into giant monsters. It is revealed that every planet in the universe not only has its celestials but also has its own set of Titans that play a key role in the planet's ecosystem. King Ghidorah is revealed to be one of the last few members of his species who survived his planet's Emergence and the reason why he and his kind terraform worlds is to rebuild the home they lost.
-Heaven and the Kraang played a role in the development of the Human race where it is revealed that Humans have various animal DNA, thus having the dormant gene that ties them to their animal ancestor.
-Lilith would be considered the "First Scarlet Witch".
-Due to Heaven's influence, their magic created the Gods and Goddesses in the universe. Adam would eventually create the Council of Godheads, where he is good friends with Zeus from Thor: Love and Thunder (aka Jupiter, the Roman counterpart of Zeus).
-The celestial's cosmic energy not only created Hollow Earth but also created pockets from the Earth's surface that created portals that allowed access to Hollow Earth from the surface.
-Asgardians, ancient Wakanda, Eternals, and Titans banding together with humanity, ancient Atlantis, ancient Green Lanterns, Olympians, and Themsycira in the fight against Darkseid, Steppenwolf, and their forces in ancient history.
-It is revealed that Titans, such as Sehkmet, Na Kika, and an unnamed Thunderbird Titan are responsible for Bashenga's, Talokanil's, and Chafa's origins and abilities instead of the Gods and Goddesses from Thor: Love and Thunder.
-The Titans and Startouch Elves would be labeled as "low-level" gods by the Council of Godheads.
-Atlantis, Asgard, Themyscira, Heaven, and Olympus (When the Greek Gods were still around) were aware of the existence of Titans and the role they play in the Earth's ecosystem. Similar to Asgardians, Titans were responsible for many legends and myths regarding mythical creatures and gods. The relationship between them and benevolent titans would be at best mutual notably towards those like Godzilla and Mothra but otherwise would be at odds with destroyer titans like Rodan and Scylla.
-The Eternals are aware of the Titans as well. Ikaris proposed killing them since they would be affecting the Earth's population and preventing the Emergence from progressing. However, Ajak talked him out of it as they observed Godzilla's species preserving the balance of nature, keeping the population steadying, keeping the other Titans at bay, and hunting/killing giant Deviants as well.
-The Eternals once met with Mothra, who Sersi and Sprite formed a close bond with.
-The animalistic Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Khonshu, Anubis, Ammit, Tawaret, Horus, etc.) were once human-looking Gods/Goddesses before being exposed to the Kraang's Ooze, which mutated them into more animalistic creatures.
-Godzilla has a mixed relationship with the Eternals. While he approves them for keeping the Earth safe, he doesn't trust them due to their "unnatural" nature due to being from space, which is the same with King Ghidorah.
-Prior to his arrival on earth. King Ghidorah had a fearful reputation across the cosmos by civilizations, similar to that of Darkseid and Thanos.
-Both Thor and Rodan once fought each other in the past when Rodan at some point appeared in Scandinavia and terrorized the people, which prompted the Thunder God to engage. It was a long, withdrawn, and lengthy battle that eventually ended with Thor finally driving Rodan off. Like many legends and myths, this fight inspired one of those about Thor fighting a "Great Bird of Fire".
-Shazam was the first Sorcerer Supreme and taught the Ancient One magic.
-Wonder Woman and the original Shazam took part in imprisoning Ammit alongside the other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
-The radiation of Hollow Earth caused certain viruses and organisms to become more hostile when infecting their host while granting them various abilities. Examples include the T-Virus and the E-Series mold.
-Both Asgard and Mount Olympus are aware of Aaravos and his past crimes.
-The Ancient One visited both Xadia and the 4 nations once to learn more about both world's magic. The Ancient One also helped in imprisoning Aaravos.
-While Xadia is aware of dark magic, they are unaware of the Dark Dimension and Dormammu.
-King Ghidorah was without a doubt probably the only being that Darkseid and Thanos had ever developed a grudging respect. Both warlords are aware of King Ghidorah due to being just as feared by civilizations across the cosmos as they are. Despite classing Titans as "low-level" gods, the Council of Godheads also feared King Ghidorah due to his destructive nature.
-The Necrosword is made of the same metallic material used by the Exorcist Angels during their exterminations.
-Wonder Woman's presence in World War I inspired Johann Schmidt (aka Red Skull) to pursue mythology in hopes of creating weaponry for HYDRA.
-Captain America and Wonder Woman met during World War II when Steve was doing his USO Show.
-SHIELD is aware of Monarch and STAR Labs and has often collaborated with each other in the past.
-Packard is a relative of Nick Fury.
-Asgard and Krypton having had a history with one another and the former having tried to warn the latter of their inevitable doom, but were dismissed.
-Prior to Krypton's destruction. Zod and his soldiers had a run-in with Yondu and the Ravagers.
-Both SHIELD and Nick Fury were not only aware of the Titan's existence but also aware of Superman's arrival on Earth and kept close tabs on him since he was a child.
-Both Superman and Chris Redfield were Captain America fans when younger.
-After the T-Virus Incident in Raccoon City, SHIELD and Monarch helped with the clean-up.
-Bruce Wayne, William Stenz, Amanda Waller, and Chris Redfield were all targets of Project Insight.
-Alongside SHIELD, STAR Labs, B.S.A.A., and Monarch were all infiltrated by HYDRA Agents who sought their resources. They stole various technological weapons created by the Motherbox, samples of the T-Virus, and stole Titan DNA to create Titan clones.
-After the Turtles made their debut, SHIELD and Monarch kept close eye on them based on their mutation.
-After the Civil War, Amanda Waller proposed Task Force X to the government, in which Theaddeus Ross was among those who approved it while William Stenz opposed it. Abomination and Baron Zemo were among the possible candidates for Task Force X.
-Task Force X and Monarch weren't affected by the Sokovia Accords due to their connections with the government.
-After the Baker House Incident, SHIELD and Monarch not only helped clean up the situation but also got clues on the E-Series's origin. Not trusting the B.S.A.A. or Blue Umbrella, they gave the info to Chris, which led to his isolation from both organizations.
-Talokan would be considered one of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Ocean Master would later try to recruit Namor, but decides not to as he was warned by the other rulers that Namor is more dangerous than Ocean Master himself.
-Karathen is revealed to be one of the lost Titans of Earth.
-Wakanda is aware of the existence of Atlantis but their ancestors have made a treaty with each other in not interfering. After the events of Aquaman, both T'Challa and Arthur meet in secret to discuss how to unite their kingdoms together and reveal their secret to the world. While Arthur respects T'Challa, he wants to keep Atlantis a secret until the time is right.
-Katolis would be aware of various magical humans such as Original Shazam and the Ancient One.
-Clark Kent/Superman, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Billy Batson/Shazam, and Mothra are beings capable of lifting Mjolnir.
-At the Senate hearing, alongside Serizawa, Nick Fury and Calvin Swanwick (Martian Manhunter) are among those who defended the Titans while Thaddeus Ross and Amanda Waller voiced against them.
-After the Titans were released, several Titans, such as Titanus Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe all resided near Wakanda and all bonded with T'Challa/Black Panther while Titans such as Titanus Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk all resided near Talokan and bond with Namor.
-By the end of Infinity War and during the events of Endgame. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, Martian Manhunter, Joker, Lex Luthor, Black Mask, Victor Zsasz, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Bruce the Hyena, Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Sebastian, Polka-Dot Man, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Javelin, Blackguard, Mongal, T.D.K., Weasel, Thinker, Billy Batson/Shazam, Billy's foster parents and siblings, Amanda Waller, Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, Adebayo Waller, Clemson Murn/Ik Nobe Llok, Goff/Sophie Song/Eek Stack Ik Ik, Casper Locke, Larry Fitzgibbon, James Gordon, Atlanna, Mera, Arthur Jr., Starro, Peacemaker, White Dragon, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, Adrianna Tomaz, Karim, Amon Tomaz, Ishmael GregoSabbac, Blue Beetle and the Reyes family, Victoria and Jenny Kord, Carapax, Madison Russell, Mark Russell, Illene Chen, Houston Brooks, Sam Coleman, Nathan Lind, Illene Andrews, Jia, Josh Valentine, Bernie Hayes, Travis Beasley/Trapper, Walter and Maia Simmons, Ren Serizawa, Alan Jonah, Godzilla, Kong, half of the known titans, Leon Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Ethan Winters, Mia Winters, Zoe Baker, Joe Baker, Mother Miranda, Karl Heisenberg, Lady Dimitrescu, Salvatore Moreau, Donna Beneviento, The Duke, Chris's Team, the Turtles, and Baxter Stockman would be amongst the survivors of The Blip.
-Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Perry White, Martha Kent, Stephen Shin, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Katana, Killer Croc, Ling Chen, Rick Stanton, Diane Foster, Jackson Barnes, Anthony Martinez, Lauren Griffin, Rodan, other half of the known titans, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, Sensei Splinter, Bebop, and Rocksteady were amongst the victims of The Blip.
-Similar to Scott Lang, Black Adam, Mothra, Khaji-Da, and the inhabitants of the 4 nations, Xadia, Heaven, and Hell would not be affected by the Blip.
-The only beings that sensed the Blip were the Avatar (Aang), The Archdragons of Xadia (Zubeia, Rex Igneous, Domina Profundis, and Sol Regem), the Seraphim (Sera and Emily), the Goetian Hierarchy (Stolas and Octavia), and the 7 Deadly Sins (Lucifer Morningstar, Asmodeus, Satan, Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Belphegor).
-The victims of the Blip weren't sent to Heaven or Hell, they were stuck in Limbo.
-During the post-Blip, due to Thanos' actions, Godzilla had a hard time in trying to keep balance of the Earth with half of the remaining titans running loose. Due to the world powers struggling, they helped fund Apex Cybernetics to stabilize their economy as well as unknowingly helping Walter process with his Mechagodzilla experiment.
-Because of Thanos, the Corto Maltese government took advantage of this by continuing their experiments with Project Starfish and the Intergang were able to operate and have full control over Kahndaq. Many crime organizations in Gotham have either been dismantled due to the disappearance of the leaders or have been absorbed into the Black Mask Crime Organization. Jaime's family and his community go through financial struggles from Kord Industries due to the effects of the Blip.
-Due to less hero activity, the I.M.P.s operated their assassination business.
-Kingpin met with Joker and Black Mask during the Blip where the 2 made mutual agreements in developing a partnership. However, this agreement was broken due to Black Mask's death.
-The Joker was on Ronan's list of targets. However, due to his powerful influence, he was forced to back down.
-Due to the effects of the Blip, the butterflies decided to start their invasion by infecting powerful humans.
-After the Village's destruction, SHIELD aids Chris in a war against B.S.A.A.
-After Doctor Fate's death, Hawkman gives the Helmet of Fate to Kamar-Taj for safekeeping so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
-The Avengers and Justice League team up and join the time heist to find the Infinity Stones. With Iron Man's and Batman's technology, they create a black and red infinity gauntlet. Hulk still snaps his fingers which brings every living being back. During the final battle with Thanos, the Justice Society, Black Adam, Godzilla, and the other Titans arrive to join in the fight.
-Victoria Kord and Walter Simmons are among the many people who also had a hatred towards Tony Stark and are joyful about his death.
-After the events of Blue Beetle, Damage Control tried to apprehend him but was forced to back down due to public support.
-Godzilla would grow hostile towards the Hex that Wanda made. Due to being composed of cosmic radiation from the celestial, Godzilla and the other Titans are revealed to be immune to magic due to their massive size as well as not being affected by the Hex's effects. However, once Wanda leaves Westview, Godzilla will leave as well.
-After Endgame, Apex Cybernetics not only seeks to eliminate Titans but also superpowered individuals as well. After the events of GvK, Damage Control cleaned up the damage and acquired their resources.
-Among the deceased that would be in Heaven based on Adam's rule: "Act selfless, Don't Steal, and Stick it to the man" would be Tony Stark/Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Peggy Carter, Ancient One, Ben Parker, May Parker, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Phil Coulson, Steve Trevor, Jonathan Kent, Chato Santana/El Diablo, Silas Stone, Rick Flag, Alberto Reyes, José Morales, Ignacio Carapax/OMAC, and Nuidis Vulko.
-Among the deceased that would be in Hell and have the potential to become Overlords are Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, TrevoThe Mandarin, Alexander Pierce, Dreykov, Xu Wenwu, Quentin Beck/Mysterio, Roman Sionis/Black Mask, Victor Zsaasz, David Kane/Black Manta, and Walter Simmons.
-Wanting to reconnect with his daughter, Mark Russell resigns his position as leader of Monarch and Bruce BanneHulk becomes the next head of Monarch due to his knowledge of Nuclear Physics.
-Both the Great Protector and Dweller-in-Darkness are revealed to be Titans who stumbled upon Ta Lo.
-In Xadia, Viren was resurrected 5 years later rather than 2 (Events of S1-3 take place in 2019-and S4-6 take place in 2024).
-Due to the effects of the Emergence and the Deviants, Godzilla would ally with the Eternals in hunting down and killing the Deviants as well as stopping the Emergence from happening.
-The Benevolent Titans have gained a reputation due to their involvement in keeping the planet safe and healthy.
-Driven by vengeance, Overlord Quentin Beck/Mysterio pays the I.M.P.s to assassinate Peter ParkeSpider-Man. However, this is during the events of No Way Home and when Doctor Strange performs the spell that erases everyone's memory of who Spider-Man is, the I.M.P.s were affected as well and called the mission off due to their amnesia.
-Maya Lopez's/Echo's Powers awaken the ancient Thunderbird Titan that lives near her hometown. She successfully bonds with the Titan.
-Ms. Marvel would not only be a Captain Marvel fan but also a Wonder Woman and Mothra fan as well.
-Riri Williams is a huge fan of both Iron Man and Cyborg which influenced her to create her own enhanced suits. While she has an intense hatred towards Apex Cybernetics after their dirty secrets were exposed, Riri started making concepts on how to build a giant-mech suit to combat hostile Titans.
-Thor recruits Wonder Woman and the Shazam family to help them stop Gorr the God Butcher. They arrive at Omnipotence City where Wonder Woman exposes the Greek Gods being the Roman counterparts with Zeus' real identity revealed to be Jupiter. After the mission, Thor gives Shazam the Thunderbolt.
-Wonder Woman then encounters Marc SpecteMoon Knight where she sees and speaks with Khonshu.
-When Doctor Strange and America Chavez arrive on Earth-838, they meet the Illuminati which not only consists of Captain Carter, Blackbolt, Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau), and Mister Fantastic but also consists of Christian Bale's Batman and Brandon Routh's Superman.
-Same with Wakanda, the U.N. held a conference on whether the Titans should be contained or killed. Director Fontaine would state that the Titan's radiation helps balance the ecosystem of the planet and propose a solution where they can imprison the Titans and drain this energy they embody to help sustain the ecosystem, thus having them alive, but tortured.
-After Shuri takes the heart-shaped herb and becomes the next Black Panther, she communicates with Sehkmet, Behemoth, and Mokele-Mbembe for the first time. She convinces them to take part in the battle against Namor by battling against Na Kika, Tiamat, and Amhuluk.
-After the battle, Wakanda becomes harmonious with their Titans as they are welcomed in Wakanda and become its protectors alongside Shuri.
-After the alliance with Talokan, Aquaman visits Shuri on the same beach where she meets her nephew, T'Challa II, and warns her about her deal with Namor. Then he introduces his son, Arthur Jr., where he and T'Challa II develop a brotherly bond with each other.
-Due to the Secret Invasion, Superman was affected by the Anti-Alien Act and was forced into hiding.
-During the events of Secret Invasion, the Turtles were forced into hiding due to being confused for Skrulls.
-After the events of The Flash, Doctor Strange and Clea confront him that his actions in altering time created more incursions and recruit him to have them fixed.
-After the events of the Marvels, Monica Rambeau not only meets Binary and Beast but also meets Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl.
-After the events of Lost Kingdom, Atlantis revealed its existence to the world by joining alliances with the UN and Wakanda.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands and Shang-Chi's Ten Rings start behaving weirdly as they detect a signal from deep within Hollow Earth, signifying a war cry from ancient Titans known as the Skar King and Shimo.
-As Namor is preparing for the war against the surface by aligning themselves with Wakanda, he commands the Titans he bonded to gain strength. However, one of the Titans, Tiamat, is killed by Godzilla, and Namor is saddened when hearing the news.
-Ms. Marvel's Quantum Bands attracts the attention of Mothra, who believes that Mothra may be the key to bringing back Monica Rambaeu.
-The Avatar's (Aang) awakening was sensed by Doctor Strange.
Overall, this is my take on how this shared world would go. If you have any suggestions on how the shared world would go, feel free to reply!
Special thanks to MichaeltheSpikester for the idea!
2024.05.19 08:17 actuary90120 Inappropriate behaviour at Riyadh conference
During the male dominated Middle East conference, the keynote speaker expressed his resentment towards “foreign” organisations sticking their nose into Saudi territory. Comparing Indian and Pakistani actuaries with Uber drivers, he made some rather distasteful remarks which caused quite a stir amoungst the audience but did little to discourage participation.
Kalpana Shah, who was in attendance, made no comment about incident despite having splurged a large sum on first class flights and expensive accommodation, generously funded by IFoA members to attend the event.
When will the IFoA provide a truthful account of the conference which does not seem to have the interests of British members at its heart?
Did they inform the Saudis that the IFoA has been encouraging growth in the Indian membership to the extent that Indian IFoA students now outnumber any other nationality including the British?
Will the IFoA confirm their commitment and expenditure on encroaching upon this territory where they are clearly not welcome?
Saudi ministers resentment towards foreign companies:
https://www.ft.com/content/908b1883-f4de-4d53-bfee-acdc01602223
Arab Actuarial Society statement on refusal to attend conference:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-arab-actuarial-society_arabactuaries-saudi-ifoa-activity-7184112635519348736-XtVg
Pathetic IFoA response:
https://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2024/ap12-apr-24-statement-on-the-arab-actuarial-society/
submitted by actuary90120 to Actuary_news [link] [comments]
Kalpana Shah, who was in attendance, made no comment about incident despite having splurged a large sum on first class flights and expensive accommodation, generously funded by IFoA members to attend the event.
When will the IFoA provide a truthful account of the conference which does not seem to have the interests of British members at its heart?
Did they inform the Saudis that the IFoA has been encouraging growth in the Indian membership to the extent that Indian IFoA students now outnumber any other nationality including the British?
Will the IFoA confirm their commitment and expenditure on encroaching upon this territory where they are clearly not welcome?
Saudi ministers resentment towards foreign companies:
https://www.ft.com/content/908b1883-f4de-4d53-bfee-acdc01602223
Arab Actuarial Society statement on refusal to attend conference:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-arab-actuarial-society_arabactuaries-saudi-ifoa-activity-7184112635519348736-XtVg
Pathetic IFoA response:
https://actuaries.org.uk/news-and-media-releases/news-articles/2024/ap12-apr-24-statement-on-the-arab-actuarial-society/
2024.05.19 08:06 Mantis_Shrimp47 The monster in the sand dunes turned my brother into a bird
"You gotta know that there's an art to it, Ezra," Hitch said, cutting another piece of duct tape.
The sleeves of his weather-beaten coat were shoved all the way up his arms, to stop the fabric from falling over his knuckles while he was working, and goosebumps lined his skin. He was strapping a rubber chicken to the back of his truck, over the lens of the shattered backup camera, with the legs pointing down so that they hung a couple inches above the ground. There were dents in the hood from the crash last week, and scratches along the door from scraping into a curb. The chicken, hopefully, would keep him from breaking anything else.
"You can't go cheap," Hitch said. "The cheap rubber chickens only make noise when pressure lets go. That's no good. As soon as I back up into something, I want this chicken to be screaming like it’s in the depths of hell."
“Sure thing,” I said in a monotone, leaning against the side of the truck.
There were scrambled electronic parts piled in the back of the truck, the innards of a radio, a broken computer, tangled wires, a couple loose pairs of earbuds. He found the parts in alleyways or bummed them off his friends for a couple bucks or stole them from the vacation homes that were left empty for most of the year. Then he sold them for a profit at the scrapyard. Hitch had bounced between minimum-wage jobs for a while after high school, spending a couple months as a bagger at the grocery store or as a seasonal worker at the farm two hours down the highway. He'd never stuck with it. At the very least, the scrapyard got him enough money to eat and occasionally spend a night in a motel when he got tired of sleeping in his car.
Hitch pressed the last piece of tape in place and grinned up at me. "I've got something for you, duck."
The nickname came from when I’d broken my leg as a child and waddled around in a cast until it was healed. I hated it with a burning passion, and I glared at Hitch with the ease of twenty-one years of practice. He had a duck tattoo at the base of his thumb that he’d gotten in a back-alley shop as a teenager. He said that he’d gotten it to remind him of me, and the fact that I hated the nickname was just a bonus. It was shaky-lined, with an uneven face, but he loved it anyway.
The handle stuck when Hitch tried to open the door, a consequence of the rust collecting in the crevices of the car and running down the sides like blood from a cut. The car groaned when the door finally popped open, a metal against metal screech that had me flinching away. Hitch dug through the cluttered fast food containers in the passenger-side footwell, eventually coming up with a crinkly paper bag. He waved away the flies buzzing around the opening of the bag and held it out to me.
The last time Hitch had brought me food, I’d gotten food poisoning because he’d left it out in the midday sun for two days. The donut was squished slightly, and the icing was stuck to the bag. I still ate it, grimacing at the harsh citrus flavor. Taking Hitch’s food was an instinct engraved from the days when Dad had given us a can of kidney beans for dinner and Hitch had drank the juice, leaving the beans for me.
I rarely went hungry anymore, three mostly square meals a day and granola in my pockets just in case, but habits didn’t die easy.
These days, Hitch only brought me food when he wanted my help, like when he saw a place he wanted to hit but was worried about doing it alone.
I got in the car, like I always did.
We drove past the cluster of seafood-themed restaurants with chipped paint decks, the beachfront park where there were always shifty-eyed men sitting under the slide, the single room library where all the books had been water damaged in the flood last year. The change was quick as we drove across Main Street, heading closer to the beach. The roads were freshly paved, the concrete a smooth black except where the sun had already started to pick away at it. The three-story homes lining the sides of the street were crouched on elegant stilts, with space underneath for a car or three. Most of the garages were empty, with the lights off and curtains drawn in the house. Come summer, the streets would be swarming with tourists and vacationers, but until then, most of the buildings nearest to the beach were unoccupied.
Hitch stopped as the sun started to go down at a house that was leaning precariously out towards the beach, tilted ever so slightly, the edge of its foundation buried in the shifting sand of the beach. It certainly looked deserted, with an overgrown yard and blue paint peeling off the door in sheets.
Hitch took his hammer out of the backseat, hoisting it over his shoulder. It was two feet of solid metal with rags wrapped around the head to muffle the sound of the hits. Hitch squared up, bending his knees and holding the hammer like a baseball bat. Before he could swing, though, the door creaked open on its own, the hinges squeaking. The house beyond was dark enough that I could only make out general shapes, glimpsing the curve of a sofa to the left, what was maybe the shimmer of a chandelier on the other side.
Hitch lowered his hammer, looking vaguely disappointed that he didn’t get to use it. “That’s…weird as hell.”
“Maybe the deadbolt broke, maybe they forgot to lock it, it doesn’t matter,” I hissed, checking our surroundings for other people again. “Just hurry up and get inside before someone calls the cops.”
Hitch flicked the lightswitch on the wall, and the lights flickered on. They were dim, buzzing audibly and blinking off occasionally. The walls were plastered with contrasting swatches of wallpaper and splattered with random colors. There was neon orange behind the dining table, a galaxy swirl in the kitchen, and on the ceiling there was a repeating floral pattern covered in nametag stickers. Each of the stickers was filled out with The Erlking. Chandeliers hung in every room, three or four for each, and rubber ducks sat on every table. A miniature carousel sat in the corner along with a towering model rocket.
Sand was heaped on every surface, at least a couple inches everywhere. It was piled in the corners and stuck to the walls, and it covered the floor in a thick blanket. Our hesitant steps into the house left footprints clearly outlined in the sand.
Hitch took a cursory look around and headed immediately for the TV mounted on the wall. “Look out the windows and tell me if anyone is coming.”
I shook the sand out of the blinds and pulled them open, then had to brush sand off of the window before I could see anything.
Hitch was quick, practiced at finding and appropriating the things that were worth taking. He came back to me with an armful of electronics and chandeliers, dumping it at my feet before turning to head deeper into the house again.
There was a thump, somewhere upstairs, and then footsteps, slow and deliberate. Hitch froze at the threshold of the room, then ran for the door with me just ahead of him, sand flying out from under our feet.
My hand was almost brushing the doorknob, close enough that I could see the light from the streetlamp outside streaming in through the cracks in the door. My fingers touched the wood and it gave under my touch, becoming malleable and warm. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and the door started to melt. The paint ran down in thick drops, pooling at the bottom of the door, and the wood warped like metal being welded. The soft edges of the door ran into the walls until there was no sign of an exit ever being there.
“Well, well, well,” said a cultured voice with just an edge of snooty elitism. “What do we have here?”
The man was well over eight feet tall, with long black hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a yellow raincoat with holes cut out of the hood to accommodate the deer antlers jutting upwards from his head. There was sand settled on his shoulders and hovering around his head like a halo.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hitch said, inching towards a window.
He smiled, just a little bit, and his teeth shone in the dim light. “I am the Erlking.”
Hitch nodded, and seemed about to respond. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the window. I could feel sand in the wind roaring against my back as the Erlking growled in anger, the grains scraping harshly against my cheeks.
We were almost to the window when Hitch was ripped away from me, and I came to a startled halt. The sand had formed long grasping arms that pressed Hitch against the floral wallpaper. His wrists were held tight, and as I watched, a sandy hand wrapped around his mouth and forced its way between his teeth. He gagged, and sand trickled out of the corners of his mouth.
The Erlking strolled towards him, not seeming to be in any sort of rush. “You know, I’m not very fond of your yapping.”
He made an idle gesture and the sand wrapped around my ankles, tethering me in place.
“I yap all the time,” Hitch said. “Three-time olympic yapper, that’s me. Best to just let me go now and save yourself some trouble.”
The Erlking tapped a manicured nail against Hitch’s mouth, hard enough to hurt, judging by the way he flinched away. “But why would I ever let you go when I’ve gone to this much trouble to catch you and your sister? It’s so hard, these days, to find people that no one will miss.”
Hitch struggled against the sand, trying to escape and failing. “What do you want with us, then? You just said it, we’re nobody.”
“I’m fae, dear one,” the Erlking said. “I get my power from my followers. And I think that you two will make lovely additions to my flock.”
He flicked Hitch's nose and Hitch gasped. Feathers started to form on his arms, popping out from under his skin in a spray of blood.
Hitch pushed off the wall, using his bound hands as a fulcrum, and his knees crashed into the Erlking’s stomach. The Erlking fell backwards, wheezing, and the sand around my ankles loosened.
Hitch made desperate eye contact with me as feathers shot up his neck and jerked his head towards the window. The message was obvious. Run.
The last thing I saw before crashing out the window and into freedom was Hitch’s body twisting, his arms wrenching into wings and feathers covering every inch of his skin. By the time I landed on the concrete outside, he was a small black bird, held tightly in the Erlking’s hands. The whole building was sinking into the ground, burnished-gold sand piling up over top and streaming from the windows.
Thirty years later, I saw Sam’s Supernatural Consultation and Neutralization written in neat, looping handwriting on a piece of paper taped to the door. The tape was peeling at the corners and the paper was yellowed with age, but there was obviously care put into the sign, in its perfectly centered text and looping floral designs drawn over the edges in gold marker.
I knocked, hesitantly, drawing my woolen coat closer around my shoulders. I’d bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift for myself, and I took comfort in the heavy weight of it over my shoulders.
“Coming!” someone called from within the depths of the office.
There were a couple crashes, and the sound of paper shuffling. Eventually, the door was opened by a young woman with ketchup stains on her shirt and pencils stuck through her hair.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I specialize in supernatural consultation and hunting, how may I help you today?” Sam said, customer-service pep in her voice. She stood in the doorway, solidly blocking entry into the office.
“My name is Ezra, I’m for a consultation. I emailed you but you didn’t respond?” I shifted in place, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Oh! Yeah, I lost the password for the email ages ago. Sorry for the bad welcome, I get lots of people thinking I’m crazy or pulling a prank and harassing me.”
She ushered me into the office, clearing papers off one of the chairs to make room for me to sit down. There was a collection of swords along one wall, all of them polished to perfection, several with deep knicks in the metal which indicated that they’d been used heavily.
“So what can I help you with?” Sam asked again, more sincere this time.
“Thirty years ago, my brother was turned into a bird,” I started. I’d told this story so many times that it barely felt ridiculous to say anymore. I was used to the disbelieving looks, the careful pity. But Sam just nodded along, face open and welcoming.
“I’ve almost given up on finding him, at this point,” I said. “But I saw your ad in the newspaper, and…here I am, I suppose.”
“Here you are,” Sam echoed, smiling. She pulled one of the pencils out of her hair and took a bit of paperwork off of one of her stacks, turning it over so that the blank side sat neatly in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
I told Sam everything, and she wrote it all down, pencil scratching along the paper.
The last part of the story was always the hardest to tell. “I left him there. I ran and I didn’t look back.”
I had been to dozens of detectives and investigators over the years, once the police had dropped Hitch’s case. I’d been to professional offices with smartly-dressed secretaries and met scraggly men in coffee shops. All of them had given me the same look, pity and annoyance all mixed up into a humor-the-crazy-lady soup. Sam, though, just seemed thoughtful.
Sam leaned forward and put a hand over mine, carefully, like she thought that I would pull away. “Sometimes you have to leave people behind.”
I tightened her hold on Sam’s hand and drew it towards me, like I could make Sam listen if only I squeezed tight enough. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
“Okay then. I’ll do my best to help you.” Sam agreed, finally. Then she paused, and said softly, “You know…I think I met your brother once. He might have saved my life. He’s certainly why I started in this business.”
“Really? What happened?” I asked.
This is the story that Sam told me, related to the best of my abilities:
It was a new moon, so the only illumination came from the stars gazing idly down and distant porch lights shining across the scraggly brush of the dunes. Sam’s neighbors were decent people who cared about baby turtles, so the lights were a low, unobtrusive red, and the ocean sloshed like blood. Sam walked on the beach almost every night, drawing back the gauzy pink curtains and clambering out her bedroom window. She didn’t often bother to be quiet; her mama worked the late shift and came home exhausted. As long as Sam got home before the sun, her mama would never find out that she paced the shoreline and dreamed of inhaling sand until her lungs became their own beach.
The sky was lightening. The sun would come up soon, and that meant Sam’s time on the beach was over. She needed to get back to her real life, go to her fifth grade class and stop that nonsense, as her mother would say. Her mother loved to say things like that, pushing Sam into her proper place by implication alone.
“She’s a good kid, of course, but she’s a bit…” Her mother would trail off there, usually getting a commiserating expression from whoever she was talking to. Sam always wondered how that sentence would have finished. She’s a bit strange, maybe. She’s a bit intense. She’s a bit abrasive. She’s quiet enough but when Jason tried to steal her pencil in math class, she stabbed him in the hand so hard that the lead tattooed him.
Her mother was better, for the most part. The days of her stocking up the fridge, and leaving a post-it note on the counter, and leaving for days at a time were gone. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen tile where her mother had collapsed and caved her head in, even though the bloodstains had been replaced with new tile.
“Your auntie got an abortion, you know,” her mother had said from her place on the couch, slurring her words. “Pill in the mail and then bam, no more baby.”
She had clapped her hands together to illustrate her point. Her mother jerked forward and grabbed Sam by the wrist, then, staring up at her until Sam met her eyes.
“I love you, you know? But sometimes I wonder…” She settled back onto the couch. “Yeah. I wonder.”
She’d gotten up, then, back to the kitchen. She’d been stumbling, a shambling zombie of a woman. The ground in the entryway of the kitchen was raised, ever so slightly, and her mother went down hard. Her head cracked against the tile, chin first, and she didn’t move.
Sam had been the one to call the ambulance. She had stared at the scattering of loose teeth on the ground while she waited, and considered what her life would be like with a dead mom. Not so bad, she thought, and immediately felt guilty for it.
Her mom was better, now, for the most part. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen floor where she had collapsed. There was still a matchbox hidden under her bed with the gleaming shine of her mother’s lost teeth, two canines and a molar. It was nice, having a piece of her mom to keep. Even if she left again, Sam would still have part of her.
Sam sighed, and turned away from the ocean. As she faced towards the low dunes further up the beach, she saw a sandcastle sitting nestled among them. It was such a strange sight that her eyes skipped over it at first, almost automatically, disregarding it because it was so out of place.
Sam found sandcastles out on the beach sometimes, usually half-collapsed and on the verge of being washed away by the waves, but she had never seen anything like the sandcastle in front of her. It was life-sized, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Scottish highlands, with spires shooting up above her head and carefully etched out bricks lining each side. The front wall was dominated by an arched set of double doors, twice her height, with a portcullis nestled at the top, ready to be dropped. All of it was lovingly detailed, down to the rust on the tips of the towers and the wood grain of the door. It was made out of wet, densely-packed sand, held together impossibly. It had not been there two hours ago, when she had come to the beach.
There was a bird sitting on the overhang of the door, small and black.
As soon as she took a step towards the sandcastle, the bird shook out its feathers and swooped down towards Sam, landing at her feet with a little stumble.
“Hey, kid, get out of here,” said the bird.
Sam closed her eyes, very deliberately. When she opened them, the bird was still there. Sam considered herself a very reasonable person, so she immediately drew the most logical conclusion. The bird was, she was almost certain, a demon.
“Trust me, you don’t want to run into Mr. Salty, the queen bitch himself,” the bird said.
“Mr. Salty?” Sam inquired, polite as she knew how to be. She edged to the side, trying to get a good angle to kick the bird like a soccer ball.
The bird did something similar to a wince, all its feathers fluffing up then settling back down. “Ah, don’t call him that. He’d turn you into a toad.”
The bird gestured with its head, towards the looming sand structure. “That’s his castle. He’s in there, probably scuttling along the ceiling or some shit because that’s the sort of weirdo he is.”
Sam nodded, encouraging. She pulled back her foot and lined up her shot, the way she’d seen athletes do on TV. She aimed right for its sharp beak and let loose. The bird saw it coming, its beady eyes widening, and it cawed in distress. It flapped away, avoiding her kick only to fall backward into the sand in a scramble of wings.
“What’s your fucking problem?” it squawked. “I was trying to help you!”
“I don’t need the help of a demon,” Sam yelled, trying to remember the exorcism that her mama had taught her once, because her mama believed in being prepared for anything.
“I’m not a demon,” the bird said indignantly.
It was at about that moment that Sam gave up and just decided to roll with it.
“What are you, then?” Sam asked.
The bird shuffled its clawed feet, looking about as awkward as it could, given that it didn’t really have recognizable facial expressions. “Technically I’m a familiar of the Erlking, prince of the fae, but I prefer to be called Hitch.”
“You can’t blame me for assuming, though,” Sam said. “Ravens do tend to be associated with murder.”
“Hey, excuse you,” Hitch said. “I’m a rook, not a raven. Ravens are way bigger.”
“Sure,” Sam said, not really paying attention. Her eyes had caught on the details of the sandcastle, and she was transfixed by the slow spirals of the sand, the strange beauty of it. She found herself stepping towards the great doors, lifting a hand to knock, and as she did, the sand warped in front of her eyes, heaving itself towards her with bulging slowness. The door creaked open before her, revealing a vast, empty room. Just before she stepped inside, she felt a piercing pain in her foot, and she yelped, leaping backwards.
Hitch pecked her again, really digging his beak in. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Sam glared at him, rubbing her foot. About to retort, she finally really took in the room inside the sandcastle, and her words died in her throat.
There was a body just past the threshold of the door, face down and limbs hanging limp at its sides. Long hair splayed out in a halo around its head.
“Don’t,” Hitch warned, suddenly serious. “Just leave, kid, I mean it. I’ve seen too many people go down this road and you don’t want to be one of them.”
Sam ignored him. She made her way across the beach, slipping with every step. The sand felt deeper, piling up around her feet in silent drifts. She picked up the nearest stick and poked the body with it through the door, ready to leap back if anything went wrong, staying firmly outside of the sandcastle.
This close, Sam could tell that it used to be a woman. Her head wasn’t attached to her body. It hadn’t been a clean amputation, either. Her upper body was bruised, with chunks taken out of it, and the bones in her neck hung mangled, not connected to anything.
“Well, I warned you,” Hitch said, defeated. “I did warn you.”
Sam nudged the head with the end of the stick, nudging it over so that she could see the face. Her mother stared back at her, torn to pieces, breath still wheezing from her lungs. She wasn’t blinking, just gazing forward with glazed eyes. Sweat dripped down from her hairline.
Sam screamed and dropped the stick, tripping over herself in her haste to get away.
Her mother’s eyes were wide and pleading, and she was mouthing desperate words at Sam. Her vocal cords were broken to bits, and the only sound that came out was a strained groan.
The head rolled, inching closer to Sam like a grotesque caterpillar.
Her mother gasped for air, torn lips fluttering. Finally, comprehensible words came out. “Help. Help me, daughter.”
“That’s not your mother,” Hitch said, quiet.
Sam knew that. Her mother was sleeping back at home, and anyways her mom had never asked for her help. She had an aversion to accepting charity, as she put it.
“Okay,” Sam said, shaking all over. “Okay.”
She backed away from the sandcastle, not looking away.
“Failure,” her mother hissed as she stepped away. “I never wanted a daughter like you.”
The sun came up over the horizon. The sandcastle, Hitch, and her mom all disintegrated into sand as the light hit them.
The beach, the next night, was almost exactly how I remembered it. The beams of our flashlights sent light bouncing across the dunes, illuminating the waves, and I imagined faces in the foam of the waves.
“I’ve been back here a hundred times. There’s nothing left,” I said.
Sam took the car key out of her purse and pointed it at the sand, adjusting the sword slung over her shoulder in order to do it. The key had belonged to Hitch; Sam had requested an item of his, and it was the only thing I had left. She rested the key on the sand and drew a circle around it, inscribing symbols around the borders.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “Not much, really. I’m…I guess you could say that I’m knocking.”
The key laid inert on the sand for long enough that I was just about to give up and go home, admit to myself that Hitch was dead and that I was a fool to believe that Sam could actually help me. Then a building started to take shape, flickering in and out like it was struggling to get away. With a pop of displaced air, the sandcastle settled into existence.
Sam banged on the entryway. Nothing happened. She did it again, harder, and scowled when the door still didn’t open.
“We demand entrance, under your honor,” Sam yelled. There was a hard rush of wind, and I gripped Sam’s arm to keep my balance, but the doors cracked open reluctantly.
The inside of the sandcastle consisted of one enormous hall, the roof arching up out of sight. Rafters crisscrossed from wall to wall, and a cobbled path led further into the building, but other than that, it was completely empty, except for the birds. There were thousands of them, perched on the rafters or hopping along the ground. They parted in front of Sam and I, and reformed behind us, leaving us in a small pocket of open space. They were all black-feathered, with sharp beaks and beady eyes.
The Erlking sat on a throne at the end of the hall, lounging across it with his feet up on the armrest. He watched them as they came forward, the soft caw of the birds the only sound.
“I am here to bargain for the life of my brother,” I said, with as much dignity as I could muster, before the Erlking could say anything.
The Erlking ignored her, tilting his head to look at Sam. “I remember you. I almost got you, once.”
Sam glared at him but didn’t respond.
“You want your brother,” The Erlking said to me, and he almost sounded amused. “Then go get him.”
As if by some sort of silent signal, every bird in the room took flight at once, and their cawing made me think of screams. I covered my head against the flapping of their wings, and my vision was quickly obscured by the chaotic movement of them. I found myself on my knees, just trying to escape them.
A hand met my shoulder. Sam urged me to my feet, and together we ran for the edge of the room, where the swarm was the thinnest. We pressed ourselves into the corner and the swarm spiraled tighter and tighter at the center of the room. It went on until there seemed to be no differentiation between the birds, all of them fused together into one creature.
When the chaos died down, the birds had become one mass, with wings and eyes and talons sticking out of its flesh, thrashing and chirping. Human body parts stuck out of it, bulging out from the feathers. It was hands, mostly, with a couple knees or staring eyes. The bird amalgamation had no recognizable facial features, but there was one long beak extending from the front of its head. Most of the body parts were concentrated around the beak, and they peeked out from where the beak connected with muscle, or grew from the tongue, nestled between the two crushing halves of the beak.
It turned its beak down and crawled forward, using the hands to balance. The fingers scrambled over the ground. I was afraid of centipedes as a child, and I felt that same crawling dread when it started moving.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered, which was rather disappointing, because I had been hoping that at least one of us knew what to do.
The creature turned, a lurching movement that crushed some of the hands underneath it, and started heaving itself slowly towards our corner.
“Better hurry up!” the Erlking called from his throne.
It was blocking the exit, by then. The shifting body of it had moved to block us off. It ambled towards us and I tried to sink further into the corner.
As it approached, getting close enough that I could smell the stink of it, I saw a flash of a tattoo on one of the hands. I leaned in, trying to find it again, like looking for dolphins surfacing in the ocean. And again, I caught a glimpse of a duck tattoo, the tattoo that Hitch had gotten on his hand as a teenager.
I ripped away from Sam’s death grip and ran for the monster.
I fell to my knees in front of it, wincing as I impacted the ground, and reached into the nest of hands. I could feel them tearing at my forearms and ripping into me with their sharp nails, but I kept going. I pressed further in, up to my shoulder in a writhing mass of limbs, aiming for the spot where I had last seen that tattoo.
The hands were tugging at me, wrapping around my back and hair. They were pulling together, trying to draw me completely into the mass of them. I was aware of Sam at my side, anchoring me in place and bashing any hand that got too close with her sword or the sparks that leapt from her hands with muttered words. But I didn’t think it would be enough. They were too strong, and there were too many of them.
I was up to my waist in the hands when something grabbed my palm. I felt the way it clung to me, and the calluses on its palm, and I knew that I had found my brother.
I flung herself back. The hands didn’t want to let me go, and they fought the whole way, but slowly, I made progress. I kept hold of Hitch’s hand in mine the whole time, gripping it as hard as I could. I finally broke free, Hitch with me, and Sam was immediately charging the creature, able to use her sword with much greater strength without being worried about injuring Hitch. She swung it forward, and it sliced through the wrist of one of the hands. It fell without a sound, red sand flowing out of it. It deflated until it looked like dirty laundry, just a piece of limp flesh. The creature shrieked, scuttling away enough that the door was finally accessible. The three of us ran for it, Sam and I supporting Hitch between us.
I looked back as I left and found the Erlking staring right at me.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying impossibly across the vast space between us.
The sandcastle collapsed behind us, the great walls falling in on themselves. We were out in the morning sun, the sandcastle disappearing as we watched. Hitch was on the ground in front of me, as young as he’d been thirty years ago, when he was captured. He started laughing, feathers puffing out of his mouth. He laughed until he cried and I hugged him in the way that he’d held me when I was young, in the times when my life had been defined by hunger and fear.
Hitch left, afterwards. He scratched at the pinhole scars covering his body, where feathers burst through his skin, and pulled his long sleeves down around his wrists. He didn’t know where he was going but he told me that he needed time
I had spent thirty years worth of time without him. I wanted to grab my brother by the shoulders and beg him to stay. But he flinched when I hugged him goodbye and he refused to go near sand and he stared distrustfully at the birds chirping in the trees. Hitch needed to go away and I loved him too much to stop him.
I sat out on the beach every morning. I felt the sun on my face and I waited for Hitch to come home.
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The sleeves of his weather-beaten coat were shoved all the way up his arms, to stop the fabric from falling over his knuckles while he was working, and goosebumps lined his skin. He was strapping a rubber chicken to the back of his truck, over the lens of the shattered backup camera, with the legs pointing down so that they hung a couple inches above the ground. There were dents in the hood from the crash last week, and scratches along the door from scraping into a curb. The chicken, hopefully, would keep him from breaking anything else.
"You can't go cheap," Hitch said. "The cheap rubber chickens only make noise when pressure lets go. That's no good. As soon as I back up into something, I want this chicken to be screaming like it’s in the depths of hell."
“Sure thing,” I said in a monotone, leaning against the side of the truck.
There were scrambled electronic parts piled in the back of the truck, the innards of a radio, a broken computer, tangled wires, a couple loose pairs of earbuds. He found the parts in alleyways or bummed them off his friends for a couple bucks or stole them from the vacation homes that were left empty for most of the year. Then he sold them for a profit at the scrapyard. Hitch had bounced between minimum-wage jobs for a while after high school, spending a couple months as a bagger at the grocery store or as a seasonal worker at the farm two hours down the highway. He'd never stuck with it. At the very least, the scrapyard got him enough money to eat and occasionally spend a night in a motel when he got tired of sleeping in his car.
Hitch pressed the last piece of tape in place and grinned up at me. "I've got something for you, duck."
The nickname came from when I’d broken my leg as a child and waddled around in a cast until it was healed. I hated it with a burning passion, and I glared at Hitch with the ease of twenty-one years of practice. He had a duck tattoo at the base of his thumb that he’d gotten in a back-alley shop as a teenager. He said that he’d gotten it to remind him of me, and the fact that I hated the nickname was just a bonus. It was shaky-lined, with an uneven face, but he loved it anyway.
The handle stuck when Hitch tried to open the door, a consequence of the rust collecting in the crevices of the car and running down the sides like blood from a cut. The car groaned when the door finally popped open, a metal against metal screech that had me flinching away. Hitch dug through the cluttered fast food containers in the passenger-side footwell, eventually coming up with a crinkly paper bag. He waved away the flies buzzing around the opening of the bag and held it out to me.
The last time Hitch had brought me food, I’d gotten food poisoning because he’d left it out in the midday sun for two days. The donut was squished slightly, and the icing was stuck to the bag. I still ate it, grimacing at the harsh citrus flavor. Taking Hitch’s food was an instinct engraved from the days when Dad had given us a can of kidney beans for dinner and Hitch had drank the juice, leaving the beans for me.
I rarely went hungry anymore, three mostly square meals a day and granola in my pockets just in case, but habits didn’t die easy.
These days, Hitch only brought me food when he wanted my help, like when he saw a place he wanted to hit but was worried about doing it alone.
I got in the car, like I always did.
We drove past the cluster of seafood-themed restaurants with chipped paint decks, the beachfront park where there were always shifty-eyed men sitting under the slide, the single room library where all the books had been water damaged in the flood last year. The change was quick as we drove across Main Street, heading closer to the beach. The roads were freshly paved, the concrete a smooth black except where the sun had already started to pick away at it. The three-story homes lining the sides of the street were crouched on elegant stilts, with space underneath for a car or three. Most of the garages were empty, with the lights off and curtains drawn in the house. Come summer, the streets would be swarming with tourists and vacationers, but until then, most of the buildings nearest to the beach were unoccupied.
Hitch stopped as the sun started to go down at a house that was leaning precariously out towards the beach, tilted ever so slightly, the edge of its foundation buried in the shifting sand of the beach. It certainly looked deserted, with an overgrown yard and blue paint peeling off the door in sheets.
Hitch took his hammer out of the backseat, hoisting it over his shoulder. It was two feet of solid metal with rags wrapped around the head to muffle the sound of the hits. Hitch squared up, bending his knees and holding the hammer like a baseball bat. Before he could swing, though, the door creaked open on its own, the hinges squeaking. The house beyond was dark enough that I could only make out general shapes, glimpsing the curve of a sofa to the left, what was maybe the shimmer of a chandelier on the other side.
Hitch lowered his hammer, looking vaguely disappointed that he didn’t get to use it. “That’s…weird as hell.”
“Maybe the deadbolt broke, maybe they forgot to lock it, it doesn’t matter,” I hissed, checking our surroundings for other people again. “Just hurry up and get inside before someone calls the cops.”
Hitch flicked the lightswitch on the wall, and the lights flickered on. They were dim, buzzing audibly and blinking off occasionally. The walls were plastered with contrasting swatches of wallpaper and splattered with random colors. There was neon orange behind the dining table, a galaxy swirl in the kitchen, and on the ceiling there was a repeating floral pattern covered in nametag stickers. Each of the stickers was filled out with The Erlking. Chandeliers hung in every room, three or four for each, and rubber ducks sat on every table. A miniature carousel sat in the corner along with a towering model rocket.
Sand was heaped on every surface, at least a couple inches everywhere. It was piled in the corners and stuck to the walls, and it covered the floor in a thick blanket. Our hesitant steps into the house left footprints clearly outlined in the sand.
Hitch took a cursory look around and headed immediately for the TV mounted on the wall. “Look out the windows and tell me if anyone is coming.”
I shook the sand out of the blinds and pulled them open, then had to brush sand off of the window before I could see anything.
Hitch was quick, practiced at finding and appropriating the things that were worth taking. He came back to me with an armful of electronics and chandeliers, dumping it at my feet before turning to head deeper into the house again.
There was a thump, somewhere upstairs, and then footsteps, slow and deliberate. Hitch froze at the threshold of the room, then ran for the door with me just ahead of him, sand flying out from under our feet.
My hand was almost brushing the doorknob, close enough that I could see the light from the streetlamp outside streaming in through the cracks in the door. My fingers touched the wood and it gave under my touch, becoming malleable and warm. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and the door started to melt. The paint ran down in thick drops, pooling at the bottom of the door, and the wood warped like metal being welded. The soft edges of the door ran into the walls until there was no sign of an exit ever being there.
“Well, well, well,” said a cultured voice with just an edge of snooty elitism. “What do we have here?”
The man was well over eight feet tall, with long black hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a yellow raincoat with holes cut out of the hood to accommodate the deer antlers jutting upwards from his head. There was sand settled on his shoulders and hovering around his head like a halo.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hitch said, inching towards a window.
He smiled, just a little bit, and his teeth shone in the dim light. “I am the Erlking.”
Hitch nodded, and seemed about to respond. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the window. I could feel sand in the wind roaring against my back as the Erlking growled in anger, the grains scraping harshly against my cheeks.
We were almost to the window when Hitch was ripped away from me, and I came to a startled halt. The sand had formed long grasping arms that pressed Hitch against the floral wallpaper. His wrists were held tight, and as I watched, a sandy hand wrapped around his mouth and forced its way between his teeth. He gagged, and sand trickled out of the corners of his mouth.
The Erlking strolled towards him, not seeming to be in any sort of rush. “You know, I’m not very fond of your yapping.”
He made an idle gesture and the sand wrapped around my ankles, tethering me in place.
“I yap all the time,” Hitch said. “Three-time olympic yapper, that’s me. Best to just let me go now and save yourself some trouble.”
The Erlking tapped a manicured nail against Hitch’s mouth, hard enough to hurt, judging by the way he flinched away. “But why would I ever let you go when I’ve gone to this much trouble to catch you and your sister? It’s so hard, these days, to find people that no one will miss.”
Hitch struggled against the sand, trying to escape and failing. “What do you want with us, then? You just said it, we’re nobody.”
“I’m fae, dear one,” the Erlking said. “I get my power from my followers. And I think that you two will make lovely additions to my flock.”
He flicked Hitch's nose and Hitch gasped. Feathers started to form on his arms, popping out from under his skin in a spray of blood.
Hitch pushed off the wall, using his bound hands as a fulcrum, and his knees crashed into the Erlking’s stomach. The Erlking fell backwards, wheezing, and the sand around my ankles loosened.
Hitch made desperate eye contact with me as feathers shot up his neck and jerked his head towards the window. The message was obvious. Run.
The last thing I saw before crashing out the window and into freedom was Hitch’s body twisting, his arms wrenching into wings and feathers covering every inch of his skin. By the time I landed on the concrete outside, he was a small black bird, held tightly in the Erlking’s hands. The whole building was sinking into the ground, burnished-gold sand piling up over top and streaming from the windows.
Thirty years later, I saw Sam’s Supernatural Consultation and Neutralization written in neat, looping handwriting on a piece of paper taped to the door. The tape was peeling at the corners and the paper was yellowed with age, but there was obviously care put into the sign, in its perfectly centered text and looping floral designs drawn over the edges in gold marker.
I knocked, hesitantly, drawing my woolen coat closer around my shoulders. I’d bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift for myself, and I took comfort in the heavy weight of it over my shoulders.
“Coming!” someone called from within the depths of the office.
There were a couple crashes, and the sound of paper shuffling. Eventually, the door was opened by a young woman with ketchup stains on her shirt and pencils stuck through her hair.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I specialize in supernatural consultation and hunting, how may I help you today?” Sam said, customer-service pep in her voice. She stood in the doorway, solidly blocking entry into the office.
“My name is Ezra, I’m for a consultation. I emailed you but you didn’t respond?” I shifted in place, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Oh! Yeah, I lost the password for the email ages ago. Sorry for the bad welcome, I get lots of people thinking I’m crazy or pulling a prank and harassing me.”
She ushered me into the office, clearing papers off one of the chairs to make room for me to sit down. There was a collection of swords along one wall, all of them polished to perfection, several with deep knicks in the metal which indicated that they’d been used heavily.
“So what can I help you with?” Sam asked again, more sincere this time.
“Thirty years ago, my brother was turned into a bird,” I started. I’d told this story so many times that it barely felt ridiculous to say anymore. I was used to the disbelieving looks, the careful pity. But Sam just nodded along, face open and welcoming.
“I’ve almost given up on finding him, at this point,” I said. “But I saw your ad in the newspaper, and…here I am, I suppose.”
“Here you are,” Sam echoed, smiling. She pulled one of the pencils out of her hair and took a bit of paperwork off of one of her stacks, turning it over so that the blank side sat neatly in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
I told Sam everything, and she wrote it all down, pencil scratching along the paper.
The last part of the story was always the hardest to tell. “I left him there. I ran and I didn’t look back.”
I had been to dozens of detectives and investigators over the years, once the police had dropped Hitch’s case. I’d been to professional offices with smartly-dressed secretaries and met scraggly men in coffee shops. All of them had given me the same look, pity and annoyance all mixed up into a humor-the-crazy-lady soup. Sam, though, just seemed thoughtful.
Sam leaned forward and put a hand over mine, carefully, like she thought that I would pull away. “Sometimes you have to leave people behind.”
I tightened her hold on Sam’s hand and drew it towards me, like I could make Sam listen if only I squeezed tight enough. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
“Okay then. I’ll do my best to help you.” Sam agreed, finally. Then she paused, and said softly, “You know…I think I met your brother once. He might have saved my life. He’s certainly why I started in this business.”
“Really? What happened?” I asked.
This is the story that Sam told me, related to the best of my abilities:
It was a new moon, so the only illumination came from the stars gazing idly down and distant porch lights shining across the scraggly brush of the dunes. Sam’s neighbors were decent people who cared about baby turtles, so the lights were a low, unobtrusive red, and the ocean sloshed like blood. Sam walked on the beach almost every night, drawing back the gauzy pink curtains and clambering out her bedroom window. She didn’t often bother to be quiet; her mama worked the late shift and came home exhausted. As long as Sam got home before the sun, her mama would never find out that she paced the shoreline and dreamed of inhaling sand until her lungs became their own beach.
The sky was lightening. The sun would come up soon, and that meant Sam’s time on the beach was over. She needed to get back to her real life, go to her fifth grade class and stop that nonsense, as her mother would say. Her mother loved to say things like that, pushing Sam into her proper place by implication alone.
“She’s a good kid, of course, but she’s a bit…” Her mother would trail off there, usually getting a commiserating expression from whoever she was talking to. Sam always wondered how that sentence would have finished. She’s a bit strange, maybe. She’s a bit intense. She’s a bit abrasive. She’s quiet enough but when Jason tried to steal her pencil in math class, she stabbed him in the hand so hard that the lead tattooed him.
Her mother was better, for the most part. The days of her stocking up the fridge, and leaving a post-it note on the counter, and leaving for days at a time were gone. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen tile where her mother had collapsed and caved her head in, even though the bloodstains had been replaced with new tile.
“Your auntie got an abortion, you know,” her mother had said from her place on the couch, slurring her words. “Pill in the mail and then bam, no more baby.”
She had clapped her hands together to illustrate her point. Her mother jerked forward and grabbed Sam by the wrist, then, staring up at her until Sam met her eyes.
“I love you, you know? But sometimes I wonder…” She settled back onto the couch. “Yeah. I wonder.”
She’d gotten up, then, back to the kitchen. She’d been stumbling, a shambling zombie of a woman. The ground in the entryway of the kitchen was raised, ever so slightly, and her mother went down hard. Her head cracked against the tile, chin first, and she didn’t move.
Sam had been the one to call the ambulance. She had stared at the scattering of loose teeth on the ground while she waited, and considered what her life would be like with a dead mom. Not so bad, she thought, and immediately felt guilty for it.
Her mom was better, now, for the most part. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen floor where she had collapsed. There was still a matchbox hidden under her bed with the gleaming shine of her mother’s lost teeth, two canines and a molar. It was nice, having a piece of her mom to keep. Even if she left again, Sam would still have part of her.
Sam sighed, and turned away from the ocean. As she faced towards the low dunes further up the beach, she saw a sandcastle sitting nestled among them. It was such a strange sight that her eyes skipped over it at first, almost automatically, disregarding it because it was so out of place.
Sam found sandcastles out on the beach sometimes, usually half-collapsed and on the verge of being washed away by the waves, but she had never seen anything like the sandcastle in front of her. It was life-sized, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Scottish highlands, with spires shooting up above her head and carefully etched out bricks lining each side. The front wall was dominated by an arched set of double doors, twice her height, with a portcullis nestled at the top, ready to be dropped. All of it was lovingly detailed, down to the rust on the tips of the towers and the wood grain of the door. It was made out of wet, densely-packed sand, held together impossibly. It had not been there two hours ago, when she had come to the beach.
There was a bird sitting on the overhang of the door, small and black.
As soon as she took a step towards the sandcastle, the bird shook out its feathers and swooped down towards Sam, landing at her feet with a little stumble.
“Hey, kid, get out of here,” said the bird.
Sam closed her eyes, very deliberately. When she opened them, the bird was still there. Sam considered herself a very reasonable person, so she immediately drew the most logical conclusion. The bird was, she was almost certain, a demon.
“Trust me, you don’t want to run into Mr. Salty, the queen bitch himself,” the bird said.
“Mr. Salty?” Sam inquired, polite as she knew how to be. She edged to the side, trying to get a good angle to kick the bird like a soccer ball.
The bird did something similar to a wince, all its feathers fluffing up then settling back down. “Ah, don’t call him that. He’d turn you into a toad.”
The bird gestured with its head, towards the looming sand structure. “That’s his castle. He’s in there, probably scuttling along the ceiling or some shit because that’s the sort of weirdo he is.”
Sam nodded, encouraging. She pulled back her foot and lined up her shot, the way she’d seen athletes do on TV. She aimed right for its sharp beak and let loose. The bird saw it coming, its beady eyes widening, and it cawed in distress. It flapped away, avoiding her kick only to fall backward into the sand in a scramble of wings.
“What’s your fucking problem?” it squawked. “I was trying to help you!”
“I don’t need the help of a demon,” Sam yelled, trying to remember the exorcism that her mama had taught her once, because her mama believed in being prepared for anything.
“I’m not a demon,” the bird said indignantly.
It was at about that moment that Sam gave up and just decided to roll with it.
“What are you, then?” Sam asked.
The bird shuffled its clawed feet, looking about as awkward as it could, given that it didn’t really have recognizable facial expressions. “Technically I’m a familiar of the Erlking, prince of the fae, but I prefer to be called Hitch.”
“You can’t blame me for assuming, though,” Sam said. “Ravens do tend to be associated with murder.”
“Hey, excuse you,” Hitch said. “I’m a rook, not a raven. Ravens are way bigger.”
“Sure,” Sam said, not really paying attention. Her eyes had caught on the details of the sandcastle, and she was transfixed by the slow spirals of the sand, the strange beauty of it. She found herself stepping towards the great doors, lifting a hand to knock, and as she did, the sand warped in front of her eyes, heaving itself towards her with bulging slowness. The door creaked open before her, revealing a vast, empty room. Just before she stepped inside, she felt a piercing pain in her foot, and she yelped, leaping backwards.
Hitch pecked her again, really digging his beak in. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Sam glared at him, rubbing her foot. About to retort, she finally really took in the room inside the sandcastle, and her words died in her throat.
There was a body just past the threshold of the door, face down and limbs hanging limp at its sides. Long hair splayed out in a halo around its head.
“Don’t,” Hitch warned, suddenly serious. “Just leave, kid, I mean it. I’ve seen too many people go down this road and you don’t want to be one of them.”
Sam ignored him. She made her way across the beach, slipping with every step. The sand felt deeper, piling up around her feet in silent drifts. She picked up the nearest stick and poked the body with it through the door, ready to leap back if anything went wrong, staying firmly outside of the sandcastle.
This close, Sam could tell that it used to be a woman. Her head wasn’t attached to her body. It hadn’t been a clean amputation, either. Her upper body was bruised, with chunks taken out of it, and the bones in her neck hung mangled, not connected to anything.
“Well, I warned you,” Hitch said, defeated. “I did warn you.”
Sam nudged the head with the end of the stick, nudging it over so that she could see the face. Her mother stared back at her, torn to pieces, breath still wheezing from her lungs. She wasn’t blinking, just gazing forward with glazed eyes. Sweat dripped down from her hairline.
Sam screamed and dropped the stick, tripping over herself in her haste to get away.
Her mother’s eyes were wide and pleading, and she was mouthing desperate words at Sam. Her vocal cords were broken to bits, and the only sound that came out was a strained groan.
The head rolled, inching closer to Sam like a grotesque caterpillar.
Her mother gasped for air, torn lips fluttering. Finally, comprehensible words came out. “Help. Help me, daughter.”
“That’s not your mother,” Hitch said, quiet.
Sam knew that. Her mother was sleeping back at home, and anyways her mom had never asked for her help. She had an aversion to accepting charity, as she put it.
“Okay,” Sam said, shaking all over. “Okay.”
She backed away from the sandcastle, not looking away.
“Failure,” her mother hissed as she stepped away. “I never wanted a daughter like you.”
The sun came up over the horizon. The sandcastle, Hitch, and her mom all disintegrated into sand as the light hit them.
The beach, the next night, was almost exactly how I remembered it. The beams of our flashlights sent light bouncing across the dunes, illuminating the waves, and I imagined faces in the foam of the waves.
“I’ve been back here a hundred times. There’s nothing left,” I said.
Sam took the car key out of her purse and pointed it at the sand, adjusting the sword slung over her shoulder in order to do it. The key had belonged to Hitch; Sam had requested an item of his, and it was the only thing I had left. She rested the key on the sand and drew a circle around it, inscribing symbols around the borders.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “Not much, really. I’m…I guess you could say that I’m knocking.”
The key laid inert on the sand for long enough that I was just about to give up and go home, admit to myself that Hitch was dead and that I was a fool to believe that Sam could actually help me. Then a building started to take shape, flickering in and out like it was struggling to get away. With a pop of displaced air, the sandcastle settled into existence.
Sam banged on the entryway. Nothing happened. She did it again, harder, and scowled when the door still didn’t open.
“We demand entrance, under your honor,” Sam yelled. There was a hard rush of wind, and I gripped Sam’s arm to keep my balance, but the doors cracked open reluctantly.
The inside of the sandcastle consisted of one enormous hall, the roof arching up out of sight. Rafters crisscrossed from wall to wall, and a cobbled path led further into the building, but other than that, it was completely empty, except for the birds. There were thousands of them, perched on the rafters or hopping along the ground. They parted in front of Sam and I, and reformed behind us, leaving us in a small pocket of open space. They were all black-feathered, with sharp beaks and beady eyes.
The Erlking sat on a throne at the end of the hall, lounging across it with his feet up on the armrest. He watched them as they came forward, the soft caw of the birds the only sound.
“I am here to bargain for the life of my brother,” I said, with as much dignity as I could muster, before the Erlking could say anything.
The Erlking ignored her, tilting his head to look at Sam. “I remember you. I almost got you, once.”
Sam glared at him but didn’t respond.
“You want your brother,” The Erlking said to me, and he almost sounded amused. “Then go get him.”
As if by some sort of silent signal, every bird in the room took flight at once, and their cawing made me think of screams. I covered my head against the flapping of their wings, and my vision was quickly obscured by the chaotic movement of them. I found myself on my knees, just trying to escape them.
A hand met my shoulder. Sam urged me to my feet, and together we ran for the edge of the room, where the swarm was the thinnest. We pressed ourselves into the corner and the swarm spiraled tighter and tighter at the center of the room. It went on until there seemed to be no differentiation between the birds, all of them fused together into one creature.
When the chaos died down, the birds had become one mass, with wings and eyes and talons sticking out of its flesh, thrashing and chirping. Human body parts stuck out of it, bulging out from the feathers. It was hands, mostly, with a couple knees or staring eyes. The bird amalgamation had no recognizable facial features, but there was one long beak extending from the front of its head. Most of the body parts were concentrated around the beak, and they peeked out from where the beak connected with muscle, or grew from the tongue, nestled between the two crushing halves of the beak.
It turned its beak down and crawled forward, using the hands to balance. The fingers scrambled over the ground. I was afraid of centipedes as a child, and I felt that same crawling dread when it started moving.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered, which was rather disappointing, because I had been hoping that at least one of us knew what to do.
The creature turned, a lurching movement that crushed some of the hands underneath it, and started heaving itself slowly towards our corner.
“Better hurry up!” the Erlking called from his throne.
It was blocking the exit, by then. The shifting body of it had moved to block us off. It ambled towards us and I tried to sink further into the corner.
As it approached, getting close enough that I could smell the stink of it, I saw a flash of a tattoo on one of the hands. I leaned in, trying to find it again, like looking for dolphins surfacing in the ocean. And again, I caught a glimpse of a duck tattoo, the tattoo that Hitch had gotten on his hand as a teenager.
I ripped away from Sam’s death grip and ran for the monster.
I fell to my knees in front of it, wincing as I impacted the ground, and reached into the nest of hands. I could feel them tearing at my forearms and ripping into me with their sharp nails, but I kept going. I pressed further in, up to my shoulder in a writhing mass of limbs, aiming for the spot where I had last seen that tattoo.
The hands were tugging at me, wrapping around my back and hair. They were pulling together, trying to draw me completely into the mass of them. I was aware of Sam at my side, anchoring me in place and bashing any hand that got too close with her sword or the sparks that leapt from her hands with muttered words. But I didn’t think it would be enough. They were too strong, and there were too many of them.
I was up to my waist in the hands when something grabbed my palm. I felt the way it clung to me, and the calluses on its palm, and I knew that I had found my brother.
I flung herself back. The hands didn’t want to let me go, and they fought the whole way, but slowly, I made progress. I kept hold of Hitch’s hand in mine the whole time, gripping it as hard as I could. I finally broke free, Hitch with me, and Sam was immediately charging the creature, able to use her sword with much greater strength without being worried about injuring Hitch. She swung it forward, and it sliced through the wrist of one of the hands. It fell without a sound, red sand flowing out of it. It deflated until it looked like dirty laundry, just a piece of limp flesh. The creature shrieked, scuttling away enough that the door was finally accessible. The three of us ran for it, Sam and I supporting Hitch between us.
I looked back as I left and found the Erlking staring right at me.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying impossibly across the vast space between us.
The sandcastle collapsed behind us, the great walls falling in on themselves. We were out in the morning sun, the sandcastle disappearing as we watched. Hitch was on the ground in front of me, as young as he’d been thirty years ago, when he was captured. He started laughing, feathers puffing out of his mouth. He laughed until he cried and I hugged him in the way that he’d held me when I was young, in the times when my life had been defined by hunger and fear.
Hitch left, afterwards. He scratched at the pinhole scars covering his body, where feathers burst through his skin, and pulled his long sleeves down around his wrists. He didn’t know where he was going but he told me that he needed time
I had spent thirty years worth of time without him. I wanted to grab my brother by the shoulders and beg him to stay. But he flinched when I hugged him goodbye and he refused to go near sand and he stared distrustfully at the birds chirping in the trees. Hitch needed to go away and I loved him too much to stop him.
I sat out on the beach every morning. I felt the sun on my face and I waited for Hitch to come home.
2024.05.19 08:05 Present-Handle3297 HOOOOOOOOOOLD！Global retail investors unite to squeeze Wall Street shorts！
UPDATE
Example Nickname + Number of shares
1k represents 1,000 shares, 1w represents 10,000 shares
1.aki 4.5w shares
A total of approximately 7.0359 million shares
Data from a Chinese WeChat group, HOLD! We will not sell until Wall Street shorts capitulate! If you don’t sell, Wall Street shorts won’t be able to close their positions, and a short squeeze will occur! FFIE stock price will fly to the moon!
remember! Stick together! Don't panic! Definitely not selling it! Close investment income plan! (Brokerages and investment banks borrow securities from you and then give you a small profit)
Wall Street's despicable methods of pulling out network cables, making false claims in the east and attacking in the west, and conducting ladder attacks have run out of tricks!
Victory will definitely belong to us, HOOOOOOOLD! FFIE to the moon!
submitted by Present-Handle3297 to FFIE [link] [comments]
GROUP NOTE ,
In order to strengthen the consensus, count positionsExample Nickname + Number of shares
1k represents 1,000 shares, 1w represents 10,000 shares
1.aki 4.5w shares
- Shen Yan 1.151W
- FM 17w
- Xiaoyao Aqiang 0.9w
- When the Want Want Snow Cake feels hot, it will turn into a Want Want Cover. 0.9w
- PCF 3900
- Rwen 20w
- Sun 1w
- Don’t want to talk 5000
- Velociraptor 2.8W
- Working hard to move bricks on the construction site dog 0.18w
- Jason 0.83W
- xxx5 1w
- T.S. 0.9w
- Tuyile 4000
- Potato 22.7w
- Simple life 2.3w
- xxx4 8.5w
- Youyou My Heart 24,800
- clouds 1k
- Blue Nebula 1w
- Jasper 0.5w
- Stud ok 4k
- Super super super funny 5k
- Perseus 104 shares
- Bobby Yu 1w shares
- Ten years 2.5W
- ʟɪᴀɴɢ 8w
- Kunjie 6.5k
- wen_bf 1.3w
- UFO 1w
- 2.5k
- yume 722
- Brother Chun 4.2w
- Going around in circles 3W
- Kun 3w
- Jiang Ming 1.1
- alexwong 6.45W
- Cao Yongjin 4w
- zwj 0.9w
- Vast sea and sky 6.2 W
- Jia Wei 1.8w
- Y. 3.75w
- Youny J' 0.3W
- Cedric 5k
- Youfeng 5k
- The Long Season 1k
- FF small shareholder 1.5w
- Tai Zai returns to the mainland 1k
- Hebaodan 10w+1w
- . 5K
- Reveal 1k
- Ny 41000
- FF go 5k
- Consideration 0.85W
- sun 3k
- Rambling 3k
- Melanie 1K
- singjingli 1.23w
- Liu Ziwei 5,000
- Cricket 10W
- Looking into the distance 1w
- stone 6w
- Designer Tenney 30w
- Dalin 1.3w
- Jane Fan 3.5w
- Dream 6w
- Demon clip 1k
- JASON 2W
- Away.L 1k
- Time 1.5W
- Qi Huan 26w
- Hello Hello 10k
- Chen Yidi 4.4w
- XXX2 2000
- J 9k
- C 2.7k
- Wheat 2k
- Qin 4293
- a0 Yangzhou 2k
- Clear Night 0.65K
- Andy 3k
- fish 2.5w
- Diamond hands 1.5w
- R. 2.5W. Continue to add 1W on Monday.
- Vi 10w
- Text 5,000
- Incredible 3100
- Value Investor-KrisW 1000
- SHUYUSHU 2000
- Peter Pan 1K
- Wyman 2w
- Brush Xiaoxin 3414
- Dragon and tiger leap 4w
- Asia 65
- Spock 2500
- Dong 1.5W
- wave 0.5k
- Jason 0.0001w
- c 1000
- Anson 600
- One interpretation of Zhengxi 4700
- joker 2000
- F 2150
- Ai Zi pig 5k
- Rampant class 1.3W
- Alena, 1w
- Shengchuang Trading 0.3W
- Eighteen,6.5W
- Li Qi 0.3W
- Lanling joins the battle 1w
- Xiaoyuer Zhihang 0.215w
- Top 49
- Walter 3k
- XXX 3k
- Lao Zhou in the United States 100W
- Xiaoqi 1k
- The world is full of love 2070
- Andrei 2000
- East 1w
- cry 2000
- liumai 1000
- Miss Muzi whom no one knows. 6w
- A.I 3W
- qyh 2320
- Xiansen 1k
- Xiaoxiao 1.5k
- Woo 1W
- Wenger 6k
- Totas 8W
- Eagles Zhao 1.2k
A total of approximately 7.0359 million shares
Data from a Chinese WeChat group, HOLD! We will not sell until Wall Street shorts capitulate! If you don’t sell, Wall Street shorts won’t be able to close their positions, and a short squeeze will occur! FFIE stock price will fly to the moon!
remember! Stick together! Don't panic! Definitely not selling it! Close investment income plan! (Brokerages and investment banks borrow securities from you and then give you a small profit)
Wall Street's despicable methods of pulling out network cables, making false claims in the east and attacking in the west, and conducting ladder attacks have run out of tricks!
Victory will definitely belong to us, HOOOOOOOLD! FFIE to the moon!
2024.05.19 08:04 ijustneedsomeadvice7 19M, 5'9 155 pounds, chest pain and heartrate of 190 bpm, doctors have yet to determine cause
Hi, this is gonna be a bit long, but let me explain the entire situation so far: Going back about a year or so, I started noticing an elevated heart rate above what I usually would have. I have an apple watch that allows me to check my heart rate, and around this time I started to get notifications that my heart rate was above average (in the 120s to 130s range while resting as opposed to my normal 60-80 range). This happened a few times along with some very minor chest pain / tightness, however after laying down for a few hours / going to bed it would usually return to normal. Around the same time I got diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD and placed on an SSRI to help my anxiety after trying ADHD meds and not liking them. I never really had any incidents with high heart rate after that, so I had assumed it was just anxiety causing it (and that may still be the case). A few months went by and I ended up starting college and got myself a girlfriend. As I ended up finding out, SSRIs, while great, have the unfortunate side effect of erectile dysfunction, so I weaned off my meds so I could prioritize my love life. There were a few incidents after this where my heart rate was above average, but again I just chalked this up to anxiety, as it would usually go away on its own. At one point I went into my on campus doctor's office just to verify my heart was okay after an elevated heart rate the night before, and they gave me an EKG which came up clear. Months go by, and things are fine, besides a slight uptick in anxiety. Unfortunately however, my relationship began to crumble and my anxiety skyrocketed, and we eventually broke up, which led me to talking to my doctor and getting placed back on anxiety medication. However, I really didn't like how SSRI's impacted my libido, so after trying a few more SSRI's I was placed on Buspirone. I love Buspirone, and it's made a noticeable difference on my confidence / reducing anxiety. When I take my full dose at once (30 mg), I tend to get a bit dizzy / nauseous, however when split up into 10 mg taken at breakfast lunch and dinner I have no noticeable side effects. I will say (and I don't know if this is in any way important but I'm just naming everything possible), I have noticed that since stopping the SSRIs and starting Buspirone I tend to ejaculate VERY fast which is abnormal for me, and although I would like to fix that it is not my main concern. Moving on though, after about a month or two after being placed on Buspirone, we get to where my heart problems start. As someone who had never used any substances my entire life, leaving home and going to college gave me the freedom to try new things, and although I know it's not great, on weekends me and my friends will get together and drink or occasionally smoke weed / take an edible. I was worried at first about interactions with my medication, but after some research all anything online could tell me was that I may get drunk faster / more nauseous and dizzy, which wasn't too big of a deal for me. I had tried weed earlier in college and didn't like the way it made me feel, however after being placed on Buspirone I decided to try it again and actually enjoyed the feeling, so I started doing it more on the weekends as opposed to just drinking, which leads us to the incident. Me and some friends had just sat down to watch a movie, and all taken an edible. Time passed, and I started to notice that my heart rate was extremely elevated, way more than I was usually used to. I checked my heart rate, and found that my watch was displaying an average of 160 bpm. At first I thought I was just having a bad high and tried to calm myself. I laid on the floor and put some ice on my forehead, but nothing was helping. I checked my heart rate again and saw that my watch was displaying 190, which really freaked me out as that was way higher than I had ever seen before. I had my sober friend call Public Safety for me, and they came to my dorm room and did a basic check up on me. They said that I had a fever, and when they took my heart rate they got something in the 160s range. Their explanation was that my anxiety, when combined with being high and likely being sick made my heart rate elevated, which made sense at the time. I went into my college's health services to follow up the next day since my heart rate was still elevated (in the 120s-130s range), however they again told me it was probably just anxiety. A few days went by and my heart rate was STILL above average, so I decided to double check with my real doctor off campus. About a day before this I had also stopped taking my medication to see if it could be the cause for my elevated heart rate. The doctors took my vitals and immediately noticed that had very high blood pressure and an elevated heart rate, to the point where they sent in a second doctor to recheck my vitals and make sure it was correct. After talking to me and having me give a run down of my symptoms, they had me schedule an appointment with a cardiologist and told me that if I ever experience chest pain and a heart rate above 100 bpm that wouldn't go down to go to the hospital. I had also told them about how I stopped taking my medication and they told me that that was fine and to tell the cardiologist about it. About a week passes, and I have my cardiologist appointment in a few days. I had been up the night before working on my final exams, so I hadn't gotten much sleep, and besides a breakfast sandwich that I had for lunch I hadn't eaten much either. I had been experiencing chest pain all day, but I assumed it was being caused by my lack of sleep, so after classes I went and took a nap. After a few hours I woke up, and immediately noticed that I still had chest pain. I checked my apple watch, and my heart rate was displaying roughly 90-110 bpm while laying down, which on top of the chest pain made me worried since my doctor had told me that that was cause to go to the hospital. I called my parents to tell them about it, and they drove to the school and had me sit in the car and eat some food they had made to see if it would help at all. However, even after this, my heart rate was still above 100 bpm and I still had chest pain, so my mom made the call to bring me to the hospital. While on the way to the hospital, out of nowhere my heart rate increased to about 170-180 bpm, which freaked me out. We arrived at the hospital, and they immediately gave me an EKG to make sure I wasn't going to drop dead. During this time, I also was shaking a lot and couldn't make myself stop. Eventually they took me into a room and decided to run some tests on me. The tests they did are as follows: BASIC METABOLIC PANEL, CBC WITH DIFF, TROPONIN NH, D DIMER DEEP VEIN THROMB LEVEL, TSH REFLEX, X-RAY CHEST PA AND LATERAL, and ECG-12 LEAD. While I'm not a doctor, from what they told me and from what I can see, everything turned up pretty normal. My potassium was a smidge low, as well as my MCV and MPV, and my Monocyte (absolute) was a tad high, but generally nothing to worry about. The website where I'm viewing my test results display my ECG as abnormal and an attached document says I have left atrial enlargement as well as sinus tachycardia, but they only mentioned sinus tachycardia in the hospital so I assume that it was just the machine reading my test results and giving its own diagnosis. Long story short though, I left the hospital a few hours later, and although I still had a slightly elevated heart rate they said I was fine to go about life normally and to follow up with my cardiologist. Cut to the present, and I just met with my cardiologist a couple days ago. I gave him the general rundown of the above story (but didn't mention the edible as a precursor to the 190 bpm heartrate as my mom was in the next room over and the door was wide open), and after checking my vitals he told me that although I did have an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure, my chest pain probably wasn't a huge concern and that he wasn't too worried it was anything life threatening. He told me I could resume taking my meds (which I had temporarily replaced with ashwagandha supplements while I waited for the appointment and have since stopped taking), and had me wear a little device that monitored my heart rate for 24 hours, which I'm set to return in a couple days. He also told me that when I returned it he would check my results and give me an echocardiogram and go from there. So, with any luck, he should be able to figure things out then. However, I wanted to post this to see if anyone could help me get any ideas on what it could be that I could run by him to help speed things up. I also have a recent theory of my own that I want to hear advice on. I was doing research and discovered that Buspirone, when taken with other medication that increases serotonin, can cause serotonin syndrome. After another google search, I found out that weed can increase serotonin levels. The only hole in that theory is that I stopped taking Buspirone after the initial spike in heart rate / blood pressure but had no noticeable changes. Oh and one last thing, if you can't think of anything in regards to what could be causing my elevated heart rate, I actually would like to know why I'm ejaculating so fast so I can fix it because its gotten to the point where I can't even enjoy masturbating because of how fast I cum.
In case I missed anything, here's a list of my symptoms (although I have no idea if they're all correlated):
submitted by ijustneedsomeadvice7 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
In case I missed anything, here's a list of my symptoms (although I have no idea if they're all correlated):
- High heart rate (anywhere from 90-190 bpm)
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain / tightness on my left side and does not hurt more when I breath in / out (every now and then pain extends to my neck and shoulder)
- Frequently tired
- Insomnia (could be correlated with the above symptom lol)
- Get out of breath faster than usual
- Anxiety (already had this though)
- Mild depression (probably from my breakup)
- Lack of motivation (probably from my ADHD)
- Very rare and random spasms in my neck
- About 10 pounds weight loss in the past few months
- Probably something minor that I'm forgetting but if I can't think of it it probably isn't important (will update this list if new symptoms arise)
2024.05.19 07:57 Agreeable-Cancel-766 Suggestions for preparation
Current situation: My 11th just got over and my college (integrated) conducted online classes for 4 weeks (12th portion). I haven't completed 11th's JEE portion, not even half. My college told that they'll complete 12th portion by September end and will start revision of 11th. I know that they will prepare me well. Also, they'll give full support till JEE Adv. I am confident of 93-95% in 12th board exam. I want to qualify for Adv and try my luck at any top universities. I can study for however long and I can cover portions. I have heard enough discouraging advice whenever I've talked to people about this and they all say it's hard without a drop. I don't wanna take a drop and spend another year for just this. I want to know ways how it can be done, not how it can't be done. I've got one chance at this and I want to give all I can. Specific advice on what to focus more on, and any other suggestions are welcome. Feel free to DM me. No discouraging stuff please.
submitted by Agreeable-Cancel-766 to JEENEETards [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 07:52 TheMetwally In the cursed city of Lenssle, the nights are long, and power is always up for grabs. [5e][Online][Thursday/Saturday]
The days are short, the nights are extensively long. Those who survive, do so thanks to the endless charity of the ruling class, but none thrive. Those who are mighty, get inducted. Those who are a threat, get ended. Bounty hunters are aplenty, and all those who are scorned from all corners of society are welcomed under the embrace of Lenssle's darkened skies.Campaign Info
- Scheduling - Scheduling is fairly flexible around GMT timezones. 5 PM GMT and after is generally the go to. Thursdays/Saturdays/Mondays are the available days. The time is fairly flexible, and the day/time of sessions will be determined based on the availability of attendees, that's to say, once the players are decided, we'll figure out a consistent schedule.
- Requirements - A working mic, a computer, and time.
- Campaign - The campaign is set in a homebrew city adjacent to Faerun. It's a city cursed with ancient, inexplicable magic that forces it to only ever get about two hours of shitty sunlight a day, and the rest is just clouds and general darkness. This has made it a haven for all those rejected by society, whether due to taboo or due to their nature or afflictions. It's ruled by a set of noble vampire families, a mercenary company, and a family of cutthroat werewolves. The city serves as a central location for bounty hunters, loreseekers, and those interested in arcane arts that are banned everywhere else.
- Rulings - As a DM, I'm incredibly flexible with game rules as I tend to favour fun a lot more. I also have a habit of homebrewing absolutely insane magic items for my players and my general goal is to let each player "do the cool thing" so to speak. I don't actually give much of a damn about official rulings if they get in the way of people enjoying the game.
- Questions - If you have any further inquiries, feel free to either leave a comment or text me directly. I will respond to things as soon as I can, however do not expect a very swift response.
The Setting:
The setting is largely centred around subverting the general themes of what you'd expect from a high fantasy campaign. This isn't exactly dark fantasy, but it leans very heavily into the themes. There is also an aspect of cosmic horror attached at higher levels.
- The City - The central focus of the campaign. Technically there is a main storyline to follow, however if the party doesn't wish to stick with that, there's a quest board and a bounty board. The environment is highly reactive, and the goal is to build a narrative centred around the PCs and not the other way around.
- The Story - Beyond the introductory quest that gets everyone together, the story follows a web of lies, questions, and secrets untangle themselves as the PCs explore. The idea is that each portion of the city has its own reasons to tie into the story, so ultimately the experience wouldn't be lost, but a lot of angles are provided to come at the story from.
- The People - Most NPCs aren't meant to be generic. Everyone in this city has a story and a reason to be here. Be it that they were born here, escaped a previous life, or have chosen to settle down somewhere less temperamental than the average village or city within Faerun. Each family has its own history and lore, however I'll only dive into those if asked. Lore dumping isn't to be expected unless prompted.
________
About me: Name's Yusuf. I'm 23 years old. I live in Egypt. I've been running 5e consistently (1/2 sessions a week save for skips) for the past 4.5 years, and have experimented a lot with other systems. The reason I like 5e is because it offers a lot of flexibility for both player and DM, allowing a curated experience outside of the Intended Game Design™ of most TTRPGs. Having said that, it comes with an ungodly amount of jank that you have to weave through. Funnily enough, that is a very fair description of me as well, since I have a fairly fringe sense of humour but I do dabble into most things in life if just to try them. Ultimately, I don't judge anyone for doing anything long as it isn't too degenerate or outright criminal.
Application link: https://forms.gle/MddwwowQ5m9otW7BA
2024.05.19 07:41 Waste-Success-6395 best friend cut me off and ghosted me for no apparent reason
this is going to be a lengthy post. i have only posted here on reddit once, so forgive me for any mistakes.
as the title says, my best friend cut me off for no reason. for some context, this happened just a couple days before our high school graduation, which was today, 05/18.
i guess this started on thursday, which was the day of our senior picnic my high school organized. since she was in an ap exam for the first half of the picnic, she showed up late as she had mentioned she would before. my other friend (who is also one of our best friends, we have a trio as well as another friend group) and i show up and join a group of friends to sit with. after about 30 minutes, my best friend shows up.
she stayed for 5 minutes. five. minutes. she said one thing, which was just a question about my english class. i responded to her, and she went on her phone for the short time she was there. the conversation was steered towards her multiple times, but she acted uninterested. to be clear, she wasn’t angry - she was very friendly the entire time although she only spoke once.
suddenly she gets up, announces she’s going to the bathroom in a friendly tone, and she never comes back. multiple friends and i text asking her where she went, to which she told us she had left. when my other friend asked her why, she said she didn’t want to text the reason why and would rather speak in person? everybody was confused.
i give her some time to cool down, and later i text her asking if she is upset about something. no response. days go by, still nothing. so, i send one more text saying if she’s angry about something then that is okay, but i want her to communicate it instead of ignoring everybody. still nothing and now it is the night after our graduation ceremony.
she skipped our good friend’s grad party, skipped a hang out our friend group planned, and is ignoring everybody but the other best friend i had mentioned before that she wanted to “talk to privately”. she didn’t meet with us for photos with our caps and gowns, didn’t clap for me when my name was called, nothing.
my best friend has a history of losing people. i never pried or looked into it since it was from her past, but so many people i talk to have some issue with her. i’m trying to not take it personally as more and more people express the same thing happened to them with her. it just hurts because this is 4 years down the drain over something that i don’t know. i’ve never lost a friend before, i don’t think i have ever even argued with a friend before so this is all very new to me. my friend group is very supportive and has given me a shoulder to lean on, but it hurts. if she cared about the friendship, i thought she would work with me instead of against me.
i just don’t get it. we were talking that morning before her exam and everything was normal. to me, her ignoring me shows she never really valued the friendship or cared for me enough. i just feel so heartbroken.
submitted by Waste-Success-6395 to offmychest [link] [comments]
as the title says, my best friend cut me off for no reason. for some context, this happened just a couple days before our high school graduation, which was today, 05/18.
i guess this started on thursday, which was the day of our senior picnic my high school organized. since she was in an ap exam for the first half of the picnic, she showed up late as she had mentioned she would before. my other friend (who is also one of our best friends, we have a trio as well as another friend group) and i show up and join a group of friends to sit with. after about 30 minutes, my best friend shows up.
she stayed for 5 minutes. five. minutes. she said one thing, which was just a question about my english class. i responded to her, and she went on her phone for the short time she was there. the conversation was steered towards her multiple times, but she acted uninterested. to be clear, she wasn’t angry - she was very friendly the entire time although she only spoke once.
suddenly she gets up, announces she’s going to the bathroom in a friendly tone, and she never comes back. multiple friends and i text asking her where she went, to which she told us she had left. when my other friend asked her why, she said she didn’t want to text the reason why and would rather speak in person? everybody was confused.
i give her some time to cool down, and later i text her asking if she is upset about something. no response. days go by, still nothing. so, i send one more text saying if she’s angry about something then that is okay, but i want her to communicate it instead of ignoring everybody. still nothing and now it is the night after our graduation ceremony.
she skipped our good friend’s grad party, skipped a hang out our friend group planned, and is ignoring everybody but the other best friend i had mentioned before that she wanted to “talk to privately”. she didn’t meet with us for photos with our caps and gowns, didn’t clap for me when my name was called, nothing.
my best friend has a history of losing people. i never pried or looked into it since it was from her past, but so many people i talk to have some issue with her. i’m trying to not take it personally as more and more people express the same thing happened to them with her. it just hurts because this is 4 years down the drain over something that i don’t know. i’ve never lost a friend before, i don’t think i have ever even argued with a friend before so this is all very new to me. my friend group is very supportive and has given me a shoulder to lean on, but it hurts. if she cared about the friendship, i thought she would work with me instead of against me.
i just don’t get it. we were talking that morning before her exam and everything was normal. to me, her ignoring me shows she never really valued the friendship or cared for me enough. i just feel so heartbroken.
2024.05.19 07:40 alleybetwixt This Week In KPOP - May 18, 2024
Welcome to This Week In KPOP, a collection of everything you may have missed during the past week on kpop.
submitted by alleybetwixt to kpop [link] [comments]
May 11, 2024 - May 17, 2024
TOP 10 STORIES
HYBE vs. ADOR
| Votes | Thread | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| (+361) | Megathread 5: HYBE vs. ADOR - Ongoing Dispute, Meetings Ahead, and More | 6276 comments |
| (+437) | Megathread 6: HYBE vs. ADOR - Insider Trading allegations, MHJ Injunction Hearing, and More | 6338 comments |
TOP ANNIVERSARIES
| # | Votes | Thread | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (+3141) | CL shares new 2NE1 pictures in honor of their 15th anniversary | 125 comments |
| 2 | (+370) | Happy 9th Anniversary to MONSTA X! | 14 comments |
| 3 | (+209) | Happy 6th anniversary to UNI.T! | 18 comments |
TOP 10 PERFORMANCES
| # | Votes | Thread | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (+1031) | [Live] Comeback Stage: aespa - Supernova @ Mnet M Countdown (240516) | 63 comments |
| 2 | (+557) | [Song Cover] XG Chisa, Hinata, Juria - Losing You (orig. FLO) (XG Vox #6) | 39 comments |
| 3 | (+336) | [Performance] IVE - Accendio (1theKILLPO) | 18 comments |
| 4 | (+295) | [Live] Follow-up Stage: IVE - Accendio @ Mnet M! Countdown (240516) | 16 comments |
| 5 | (+279) | [Performance] tripleS - Girls Never Die (M2 Relay Dance) | 16 comments |
| 6 | (+238) | [Live] Follow-Up Stage: tripleS - Non Scale @ SBS M The Show (240514) | 7 comments |
| 7 | (+214) | [Live] NMIXX - Love Me Like This, Roller Coaster, DICE, Run For Roses, DASH @ 2024 Sungkyunkwan University Natural Science Campus Festival (240516) | 19 comments |
| 8 | (+110) | [Song Cover] NMIXX Bae - Flower (orig. Johnny Stimson) (MIXXTAPE: Track 06) | 2 comments |
| 9 | (+109) | [Performance] BADVILLAIN - Hurricane (Live Clip) | 1 comments |
| 10 | (+105) | [Song Cover] Ailee and NMIXX Haewon - Wild Flower (orig. Park Hyo Shin) @ KBS Synchro U Episode 2 (240517) | 2 comments |
TOP 5 DANCE CHALLENGES
| # | Votes | Thread | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (+167) | tripleS Xinyu (with SEVENTEEN JUN) - Girls Never Die (Dance Challenge) (240511) | 2 comments |
| 2 | (+148) | TripleS Xinyu (with ZB1 Zhang Hao) - 'Girls Never Die' (Dance Challenge) (240517) | 7 comments |
| 3 | (+93) | SEVENTEEN Jun (with tripleS Xinyu) - MAESTRO (Dance Challenge) (240511) | 1 comments |
| 4 | (+89) | aespa WINTER & CHUNGHA - Supernova (Dance Challenge) (240514) | 0 comments |
| 5 | (+82) | tripleS Nien & Xinyu (with NMIXX Sullyoon) - Girls Never Die (Dance Challenge) (240512) | 0 comments |
TOP DISCUSSIONS / FEATURES
| # | Votes | Thread | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (+42) | Throwback: JUN HYO SEONG made her solo debut with "Good-night Kiss" this week in 2014 | 1 comments |
| 2 | (+24) | /kpop Top Ten Tuesdays Results: P1Harmony (2024) | 4 comments |
| 3 | (+21) | JTBC Girls On Fire - Episode 5 (Post-Episode Discussion + Preliminary Ranking + 72-Hour Survival Game Performances Part 3 + Second Elimination + Rival Death Match Performances Part 1) (240514) | 7 comments |
| 4 | (+24) | What Are You Listening To? - May 15, 2024 | 30 comments |
MUSIC SHOWS
| Date | Performances | Discussion Thread | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20240511 | Music Core | Thread | SEVENTEEN |
| 20240512 | Inkigayo | Thread | ZICO / JENNIE |
| 20240514 | The Show | Thread | tripleS |
| 20240515 | Show Champion | No Broadcast. | No Winner. |
| 20240516 | M!Countdown | Thread | SEVENTEEN |
| 20240517 | Music Bank | Thread | SEVENTEEN |
NEW RELEASES
| Day | Artist | Album Title | Type | Music Video | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | You Dayeon (ex-LIPBUBBLE) | keep it low | digital single | keep it low | |
| 12th | JO1 | Love seeker | Japanese pre-release single | Love seeker | |
| 13th | Stray Kids | Lose My Breath (Remixes) | remix single | Lose My Breath (Stray Kids Ver.) | |
| aespa | Supernova | pre-release single | Supernova | ||
| ALICE | MILKY WAY | digital single | MILKY WAY | ||
| ZEROBASEONE | You had me at HELLO | mini album | Feel the POP | ||
| 14th | Chaewon (CLASS:y) | Americano on a rainy day | digital single | Americano on a rainy day | |
| DXMON | HYPERSPACE 911 | single album | Girls, Love boys, Love girls | ||
| WHIB | ETERNAL YOUTH : KICK IT | single album | KICK IT | ||
| 15th | ITZY | Algorhythm | Japanese single album | Algorhythm | |
| We;Na | Step like We;Na | mini album | Baby Step / Valhalla | ||
| The Wind | Sirius Part. 2 | anniversary single | Sirius Part. 2 | ||
| 16th | UmYull | Love Innocence | digital single | Love Innocence | |
| Mark (NCT) | 200 | digital single | 200 | ||
| Ryu Sujeong (Lovelyz) | Orange Juice | digital single | Orange Juice (feat. Yein (Lovelyz)) | ||
| 17th | Sorn (CLC) | crazy stupid lovers | digital single | crazy stupid lovers (feat. Hongseok (PENTAGON), WILD) | |
| 257 | BLACK OUT | debut single album | BLACK OUT | ||
| MEANSHOCK | The Promised Flower | digital single | the Promised Flower (feat. Byeol Eun (ex-Melody Pink Eunbee)) |
"This Week in KPOP" Archive
2024.05.19 07:38 Shadofortuna My dad's constant criticisms are affecting my adult life.
TW: Abuse
I'm here to vent, but I wouldn't mind some support, if possible. Things are not going well for me right now.
My dad is very much present in my life, but it's apparent to everyone that he f'd all of his kids up.
To summarize, the man was born in the middle of the Vietnam War. He spent three years of homelessness in communist Vietnam with his entire family during his childhood, and consistently reminds us of this to this very day. It's been his way of dismissing any protests my siblings have had towards the things he'd done to us - hitting us with rolled up newspapers like dogs, verbal and psychological abuse, frequent displays of intimidation - at one point, my mom had suspected sexual abuse as well.
I developed a rare soft tissue tumor in 7th grade. It broke through the skin, and I had to be rushed to the ER. He immediately blamed me because of a superstition of not eating red meat after an operation. At the time, I was severely anemic, underweight, and spent the night in the hospital getting two bags of blood infused. 3 years later, I was put in a psych ward for an eval after some remarks to a counselor. He was banned from seeing me, and blamed my mom(who we only saw on weekends) for f'ing me up. "She's doing this shit for attention," he says.
Fast forward to today. I've developed another tumor, which turned out to be cancer this time. Two weeks ago, I had a follow up with my oncologist. They have concerns about my most recent CT scan, and think it may be lung cancer. I've barely been able to get out of bed since then. My mental health is garbage, and I'm not able to do as much physical labor as I could do - especially when I'm working with an arm that is visibly missing a huge chunk of bicep muscle, swollen, and nerve damage in my hand. "Cancer is no excuse to be lazy."
I've also expressed interest in getting my MSW to become a therapist, as it's something I've unofficially been doing for everyone in my family since I was 12, and I'd make more money than I'm making now with a State job (12.50/hr). I was pushed into the state job by my dad because my film degree is garbage, like the rest of my aspirations. Now, my dad can't fathom that I get paid less for being single and childless. He's also pointed out that I've gained weight - something that's been a sore spot for me all my life - and he's only complimented me when I rapidly dropped weight from both tumors.
Thanks to all of that, I have severe anxiety attacks when SOMETHING goes wrong - it could be anything. I have such low self esteem, and possibly early stages of BD. If I had moved back closer to my dad, I'm certain I would develop an ED. I've considered offing myself many times since 5th grade, and I'm surprised I haven't done it yet. If I make it past 30, I'd be surprising my 16 year old self. Using the excuse "what will happen to my pets?" isn't inspiring my will to live like it used to.
submitted by Shadofortuna to daddyissuesclub [link] [comments]
I'm here to vent, but I wouldn't mind some support, if possible. Things are not going well for me right now.
My dad is very much present in my life, but it's apparent to everyone that he f'd all of his kids up.
To summarize, the man was born in the middle of the Vietnam War. He spent three years of homelessness in communist Vietnam with his entire family during his childhood, and consistently reminds us of this to this very day. It's been his way of dismissing any protests my siblings have had towards the things he'd done to us - hitting us with rolled up newspapers like dogs, verbal and psychological abuse, frequent displays of intimidation - at one point, my mom had suspected sexual abuse as well.
I developed a rare soft tissue tumor in 7th grade. It broke through the skin, and I had to be rushed to the ER. He immediately blamed me because of a superstition of not eating red meat after an operation. At the time, I was severely anemic, underweight, and spent the night in the hospital getting two bags of blood infused. 3 years later, I was put in a psych ward for an eval after some remarks to a counselor. He was banned from seeing me, and blamed my mom(who we only saw on weekends) for f'ing me up. "She's doing this shit for attention," he says.
Fast forward to today. I've developed another tumor, which turned out to be cancer this time. Two weeks ago, I had a follow up with my oncologist. They have concerns about my most recent CT scan, and think it may be lung cancer. I've barely been able to get out of bed since then. My mental health is garbage, and I'm not able to do as much physical labor as I could do - especially when I'm working with an arm that is visibly missing a huge chunk of bicep muscle, swollen, and nerve damage in my hand. "Cancer is no excuse to be lazy."
I've also expressed interest in getting my MSW to become a therapist, as it's something I've unofficially been doing for everyone in my family since I was 12, and I'd make more money than I'm making now with a State job (12.50/hr). I was pushed into the state job by my dad because my film degree is garbage, like the rest of my aspirations. Now, my dad can't fathom that I get paid less for being single and childless. He's also pointed out that I've gained weight - something that's been a sore spot for me all my life - and he's only complimented me when I rapidly dropped weight from both tumors.
Thanks to all of that, I have severe anxiety attacks when SOMETHING goes wrong - it could be anything. I have such low self esteem, and possibly early stages of BD. If I had moved back closer to my dad, I'm certain I would develop an ED. I've considered offing myself many times since 5th grade, and I'm surprised I haven't done it yet. If I make it past 30, I'd be surprising my 16 year old self. Using the excuse "what will happen to my pets?" isn't inspiring my will to live like it used to.
2024.05.19 07:36 donquixote_tig WR Rankings and Evaluations (long)
Here I have included my pre-draft, post-draft, and fantasy football WR evaluations (shortened for brevity). This is regarding real life skillsets and performance, and the fantasy football ranking is for redraft. I believe that the IRL evaluation is good enough for dynasty as well, even when skillsets don't match fantasy productive ones.
Pre-Draft Rankings:
Tier 1:
These are all players who I don’t want to delve into. They are the safe, elite prospects who don’t have any red flags, which is what differentiates them from the tier below.
Each of the three players in this tier are elite, but have one or several red flags and uncertainty to their game.
Tier 3 contains three players who show a lot of good things on film, but also have almost horrible production profiles.
Tier 4 has three players who are both older prospects and also have questionable production profiles.
The players in this tier will likely all have a role in the NFL, or at least the chance to have a role in the NFL.
Tier 6 are the guys who I think are good players but don’t think they will get a chance to show that, with play strength and size being concerns. I think they can work despite this, but I doubt NFL front offices will.
Tier 7 contains players who don’t have it right now, but could have it with some development.
Tier 8 has guys who piqued my interest with their play, but are likely going nowhere. Gould is small, Bub Means is named Bub Means, Vele is an old man, and Coker is slow and played for Holy Cross.
Tier 10 consists of the players who are, in my humble opinion, bad.
Tier 10:
Contrary to popular opinion, I believe that situation is actually very important regarding a wide receiver's career. It is worth noting that I actually did my pre-draft ranking writeups after the draft despite wording them as though they were written pre-draft, therefore the adjustments here are not new revelations, rather they are simply the changes I believe draft capital and landing spot make.
submitted by donquixote_tig to DynastyFF [link] [comments]
Pre-Draft Rankings:
Tier 1:
These are all players who I don’t want to delve into. They are the safe, elite prospects who don’t have any red flags, which is what differentiates them from the tier below.
- Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Malik Nabers
- Rome Odunze
Each of the three players in this tier are elite, but have one or several red flags and uncertainty to their game.
- Troy Franklin
- Troy Franklin is a smooth route runner with great deep speed (moves like Ridley), but what truly makes him elite is his much underrated awareness. He has an impeccable feel for both zone and the defensive back’s mind, allowing him to slide into space and break out of the reach of corners, and he also holds an elite release package paired with great ball tracking. From what I’ve seen, Franklin is also the most willing and able blocker in this class. His biggest flaw to me is not his slight frame, but rather his lack of extension when going for catches, perhaps due to his small hands, which allows for random drops and makes him more susceptible to drops through contact.
- Xavier Worthy
- While Worthy has risen in draft boards, the respect for him has fallen after his record breaking 40 yard dash. Worthy might have speed, but he is not all speed. Worthy has been an elite player his whole career, with an extremely early breakout and impressive freshman season. He is often dinged for his ball tracking, an important trait for deep threats, but I don’t see it. Worthy also offers elite YAC ability. He has the mental capability to be used as a consistent threat out of motion, as I don’t see him having the same release package as Franklin. The flaw with him is both being and playing small.
- Brian Thomas Jr.
- BTJ is built in a prototypically phenomenal way. He possesses elite speed, size, and agility for that size – the makings of an elite receiver. He was also an elite producer in college. Thomas Jr. doesn’t necessarily show a lot of flaws in his game (aside from a few small things) – rather he doesn’t show a lot of anything at all. His flaw is that there is not enough information about his game out there to make the evaluation process thorough enough. Questions remain about his route tree and ability to play a variety of roles in an offense. At the very least, he steps into a team as an elite deep threat. In my opinion, Thomas Jr. offers a higher ceiling than Odunze, Worthy, and Franklin, but there’s just not enough for me to look at here.
Tier 3 contains three players who show a lot of good things on film, but also have almost horrible production profiles.
- Ladd McConkey
- McConkey reminds me of Christian Kirk stylistically. He possesses elite quickness and solid route running with very quick, twitchy steps. It is clear that he knows how to keep defensive backs guessing. I also noted that he shows strong YAC abilities and the willingness to seek out contact.
- Adonai Mitchell
- He might have diabetes, and he might be lazy, but AD is smooth. I thought he’d run a 4.55, and at that point I had him at 6 I believe. AD has sneaky athleticism and deceptive quickness, and a very encouraging frame to pair with this. While I don’t see a lot of flaws in his game, I will say that he has one of the worst analytical profiles I have ever seen.
- Roman Wilson
- Wilson is my favorite player in the draft, and I have been waiting for him to join the NFL for years. While I am not a Michigan fan, I have watched a lot of Michigan and Ohio State games, and fell in love with Wilson’s play. He is an elite athlete, with a willingness to go up strong for balls, and is simply just good at the game of football. I believe he would have shown a lot more if he was on a more passing oriented offense.
Tier 4 has three players who are both older prospects and also have questionable production profiles.
- Ricky Pearsall
- Slick Rick is definitely slick. He has arguably the greatest catch in CFB history, and is a silky route runner with great athleticism and burst. He seems to have a great understanding of how to run routes. Pearsall is a 5 season player, with non-elite production in any of those years – however he has shown improvement in every one of those years. He is not the tenth best receiver in this class right now – I only have him this low because of his age. However, I don’t think he has the production or the film to strongly suggest that he’s better than any of the players I listed before, which is why the age can lower him. Tank Dell was a 24 year old rookie, but his film would be enough for me to raise him higher.
- Xavier Legette
- Legette has elite speed paired with elite size. I will not say he has elite athleticism however. His agility is not nearly good enough for me to give him that title. This is where I feel people tend to misterm athleticism – by equating it to a size/speed combo. Legette also only had one year of elite production. Legette is great at the catch point, with solid hand technique and vertical ability, but he leaves a lot to be desired with his release and his hip flexibility. He is not yet a strong route runner. I don’t really mind his late breakout too much – he has a lack of refinement in his game that would explain this as he is a growing player, but here’s some good scouting: what I truly can’t deal with is his accent.
- Malik Washington
- Washington is another late producer like Legette, with only elite production in his 5th year. However, I believe that was due to him playing his time out in an awful Northwestern offense. Washington left Northwestern not through a transfer, but because he finished his degree early. He might be small, but he is incredible at football, and offers elite YAC ability to pair with his excellent feel for zones and space. The only reason I have Washington this low (although it is not low) is because I know he will be overlooked in the NFL and will have a difficult path to success.
The players in this tier will likely all have a role in the NFL, or at least the chance to have a role in the NFL.
- Ja’Lynn Polk
- Polk bores me a bit, but he’s good. I believe he is a useful asset to any team in the NFL. He plays with a lot of grit, which teams should like, and is all around a solid and smart player.
- Malachi Corley
- The self proclaimed “YAC King” is exactly that. In fact, his YAC ability is so good that it’s almost as if he was a running back playing receiver. Oh right. He is. That being said, Corley has the agility to become a great receiver. While his switch is probably due to wanting the longevity and paycheck associated with the position, I don’t doubt that he has the ability to make up for his late start. He’s not really there yet, so his athleticism only gets him this high.
- Keon Coleman
- Coleman is in the classic “Alpha” mold. If you’re wondering why he’s so low, I just don’t like that mold. I don’t care about his 40 time, he seems fast enough to me. In my opinion, Coleman does not have the agility and hip flexibility required to run great routes. That’s why I just don’t see him learning route running. He offers elite vertical leaping ability, body control, and good hands to match this, but he’s not Mike Evans. I don’t think Coleman has no path to success in the NFL – he’s still a decent player, just not my kind of player. The landing spot will matter with this one.
- Jermaine Burton
- I don’t like Burton. There’s just something about his face – he looks like a less creepy Spencer Rattler. However, I’d say he’s a good player. He has solid athleticism, and I believe he has the ability to run a variety of routes, despite working in a vertical offense. Burton has great hands, albeit a short catch radius, and plays very strong. There’s definitely things to like about his game – and who knows, maybe being a bad character is a good trait.
- Javon Baker
- Baker strikes me as someone who loves football, with an alpha receiver mentality. He might know too much – while he has great route running, he sometimes seems to almost spam fakes and make unnecessary movements that leave me confused instead of the corner. That’s not really a big concern for me though. He is great at the catch point as well, showing great determination and body control. I’m not sure he has the athleticism to truly be elite, and while the Big 12 is a decent conference, the defensive backs in his film seemed to be mostly bums, but with a good landing spot I think he has the ability to shine. I’m rather surprised that he decided to transfer out of Alabama, but whatever, it worked out.
- Jalen McMillan
- The much underrated and overlooked third brother. McMillan looks soft, but he has good athleticism and good flexibility. He’s also a good route runner with good body control. I’d say he’s good. With players like him, it really depends on how much the team that drafted him believes in him. I don’t doubt that it will be easy for him to get hidden in a deep WR room.
Tier 6 are the guys who I think are good players but don’t think they will get a chance to show that, with play strength and size being concerns. I think they can work despite this, but I doubt NFL front offices will.
- Jamari Thrash
- Thrash is a smooth player with great route savviness, but is complete trash when it comes to contact (easy pun intended). Physical corners can easily thrash him around during his routes.
- Jacob Cowing
- Cowing probably has the highest likelihood of success among the three, as he possesses the best release package which is important for small receivers. However, he’s no Tank Dell. In fact, he IS Tank Dell, just worse at every aspect of the game. He’s arguably more athletic however, and showcases elite explosiveness.
- Ainias Smith
- Explosive with quick feet, but is small and plays small. I think he has a lot of ability, but he’s not the type of player that NFL teams want to trust.
Tier 7 contains players who don’t have it right now, but could have it with some development.
- Tez Walker
- There was a lot of hope for Tez coming into the 2023 season, and he delivered. Delivered very little. While he showcased absolutely zero route running savvy, he has the elite athleticism to make up for this, and is not completely inflexible. I do want to blame the college football body and UNC for some of his failures, and he wasn’t really all that bad. I just don’t think he’s quite there yet.
- Luke McCaffrey
- McCaffrey has great athleticism and elite lineage, but that’s about it. He wasn’t bad in college, but played for Rice. He’s in the middle of his learning curve for the position after converting from being a mediocre QB, and I’m sure he can figure it out – I’m not out on him.
- Johnny Wilson
- Wilson is absolutely incredible for his size. He is a fluid athlete with solid speed, and more than decent route running. Unfortunately, at his size he needs to be excellent at the catch point and with contested catches. He is not. In fact, it’s his weakness – he is extremely soft, unlike his hands. He’s the odd case where I think he’d be much more successful if he dropped half a foot in height. If you combined the best of Johnny and Keon, you’d have a possible goat receiver.
Tier 8 has guys who piqued my interest with their play, but are likely going nowhere. Gould is small, Bub Means is named Bub Means, Vele is an old man, and Coker is slow and played for Holy Cross.
- Anthony Gould
- Bub Means
- Devaughn Vele
- Jalen Coker
Tier 10 consists of the players who are, in my humble opinion, bad.
Tier 10:
- Brenden Rice
- My evaluation of Rice has nothing to do with his father. I truly do believe that he is the second worst receiver in the class. In fact, I think he will obviously get a shot because of his father, and that he has the work ethic and connections to improve dramatically as a player. However, as of right now, while he has solid hands, he runs everything in one gear, and it’s visually appalling. He stomps the ground as he runs, and while it seems like he has some understanding of route running techniques, it all goes to waste since he runs his routes as hard as possible.
- Cornelius Johnson
- As I said earlier in my Roman Wilson evaluation, I have watched a lot of Michigan games. This means I watched his counterpart on the other side – Corn Johnson. In all my years of watching football, I have never seen a player worse than Corn. He is truly awful at the game. He has absolutely zero ball knowledge and route running ability. He’s actually pretty decent at the catch point, but not enough to make up for his terrible play in every other facet of the game. He somehow had Harbaugh’s trust to keep starting, so I still wouldn’t be surprised if he was drafted, but whatever team makes that decision has completely wasted a pick they could’ve otherwise spent trading for McCorkle Jones or some other washed up player.
Contrary to popular opinion, I believe that situation is actually very important regarding a wide receiver's career. It is worth noting that I actually did my pre-draft ranking writeups after the draft despite wording them as though they were written pre-draft, therefore the adjustments here are not new revelations, rather they are simply the changes I believe draft capital and landing spot make.
- Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Great landing spot, bad franchise
- Malik Nabers
- Mediocre landing spot, bad franchise with bad assets but good volume. Will play alongside WanDale Robinson, a player who also generates elite separation.
- Rome Odunze
- Landing spot is alright, the franchise is bad but the team is set up well. Will be the WR3 to start however, but that should not necessarily hinder his career.
- Xavier Worthy
- Very good landing spot with the best quarterback in the league, and another field stretcher already on the roster, suggesting that he might run routes with some variety and improve his game. It is not a perfect system for production however.
- Brian Thomas Jr.
- Attached to a good, young QB, who should help each other. Thomas Jr was clearly drafted to slot into the alpha role, with Kirk taking the slot and Davis stretching the field. At the very least, Thomas will also be an elite field stretcher, really opening up things for Kirk and Engram underneath, as well as opening the box for Etienne. The franchise does not have a great history with receivers.
- Roman Wilson
- Excellent, phenomenal landing spot. Wilson lands in another run-heavy offense as the clear WR2, from a team and staff that has been historically great with evaluating and developing receiver talent.
- Ladd McConkey
- McConkey is presumably the current or soon-to-be WR1 in LA. The landing spot is definitely good amidst a weak WR corps, although I’m not fully certain about his ability to be the Alpha. Perhaps they expect something out of QJ? Palmer is solid but not spectacular.
- Ricky Pearsall
- For his age, the spot isn’t ideal, but the capital is great. Pearsall is definitely a good player, and if one of Deebo or Aiyuk is traded (likely Deebo) he comes into a great role. I’d call it a good landing spot.
- Troy Franklin
- The capital is horrible, and I feel teams have made a huge mistake here. Franklin is too nice and genuine of a guy to have that ‘chip on his shoulder’ effect from his fall, but he will definitely take his role seriously. With his talent, I see him slotting in as the WR2 on this offense early, especially with the Nix connection, but he has to beat out Mims. For the capital, it was definitely the best landing spot he could have got with a team that really wants him.
- Ja’Lynn Polk
- New England is historically awful at wide receiver evaluation, but Polk is solid and will come into a WR room with no alpha and a rookie QB. Pop Douglas is a good slot receiver, and Bourne is alright, but that’s about it. I believe they should play a Polk - Douglas - Baker line, but Bourne will likely be starting, which is understandable.
- Adonai Mitchell
- Awful landing spot. The worst he could have hoped for. AD has that chip on his shoulder, but he comes in as the WR3 in a role that is likely mostly field stretching. If there was actually a lot for him to learn, then this landing spot subtly becomes very good.
- Keon Coleman
- I would argue that this is the best landing spot for any player in the draft. The capital is excellent, and the fit is excellent. Keon might not get any separation, but Josh Allen is exactly brain dead enough to just chuck it to him anyways. Very few other quarterbacks would have the confidence in him to simply target him despite being draped, and Allen is a very good one, who might be forced to pass to him considering how weak the room is. I believe Shakir and Kincaid are decent, and that Samuel might be better than Coleman, but Allen and the team will likely treat Coleman like the alpha, and this will be reflected in his targets. It also helps that Coleman is a very likable character, which might offset his bad at football accusations with great production on poor efficiency.
- Xavier Legette
- It’s a new front office in Carolina, but I don’t really trust the pick. It doesn’t help my concerns when you consider Legette is also from Carolina, which might bias the selection, especially when everyone knew he was going there but nobody cared enough to try to get him over Carolina. On the plus side, he went to the only place where people can understand him, and he fits the room well alongside Diontae Johnson. He’ll probably play in a role that doesn’t suit his skillset, but he can succeed here if Bryce steps it up with an improved line.
- Malachi Corley
- Good landing spot as a YAC slot player, while living with Rodgers. Definitely intriguing, although the franchise is bad so his development might be minimal.
- Jermaine Burton
- Good landing spot imo, with room to learn the position and role and then replace Tee Higgins. Still don’t like the guy.
- Javon Baker
- Lands in an open room with alright capital. Is the WR4 already imo, with an opportunity to earn the alpha role if he’s up for it.
- Luke McCaffrey
- Great capital for the level of play he’s shown. He definitely has a role as a starter intended, although I hope they took him due to athleticism and not name (3rd is too high for it to be name value).
- Devontez Walker
- Good spot to learn and possibly start while getting no targets.
- Malik Washington
- Bad landing spot, and bad draft capital. Washington is fantastic, but he’s old and behind two great receivers, not to mention OBJ being signed (which I imagine means he will play). Washington could have started in the slot, but now he will have to wait and earn a role.
- Jalen McMillan
- He’s the WR3 in Tampa, but Godwin will likely take the slot, which means he might be the WR4 unless they play him on the outside.
- Jacob Cowing
- Deep corps with Pearsall taken ahead of him, but a good place to grow.
- Jamari Thrash
- He has one great receiver ahead of him, and two alright receivers that I don’t believe he has the quality to surpass, but I think he can gap Cedric Tillman. There’s probably not much hope here.
- Ainias Smith
- Smith can beat out Parris Campbell for the slot role, and while he doesn’t strike me as a consistent player, he can still ‘thrive’ for meager numbers under a great corps.
- Bub Means
- The WR3 in the room is open, and by all means the job is his to take (that pun was actually unintentional I swear I only noticed it after writing it).
- Brenden Rice
- He might be horrible but the WR room is completely open, and his late draft capital might make Papa Jerry step in and give him some instruction in how to play the position. There’s probably some sort of upside here.
- Johnny Wilson
- He could definitely beat out Devante Parker who has the exact opposite skillset as a fellow big receiver, but the slot is the role that is open outside of AJ Brown and Smitty. The volume is also going to be low.
- Anthony Gould
- The Colts landing spot doesn’t suddenly look better. Obvious depth role with no hope of ever starting.
- Devaughn Vele
- I could see Payton really liking him, and him earning time, but he’s 26. I believe in him though, despite this ranking.
- Jalen Coker
- Panthers are bad, undrafted is bad, I don’t see him getting a chance.
- Cornelius Johnson
- I almost raised Corn higher because Harbaugh drafted him, and Harbaugh obviously knows more about him than I do, but then I remembered how bad he truly is. I insist that there’s no hope for him, he’s just awful.
- Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Malik Nabers
- Ladd McConkey
- Xavier Worthy
- Keon Coleman
- Rome Odunze
- Brian Thomas Jr.
- Xavier Legette
- Roman Wilson
- Troy Franklin
- Ja’Lynn Polk
- Adonai Mitchell
- Ricky Pearsall
- Malachi Corley
- Jermaine Burton
2024.05.19 07:12 sammomokk Forever Single?
Am I crazy? I'm writing this drunk and high. At 12:34 on a Saturday night. Probably because I wouldn't write it at any other time. I think I'm forever single. I've been in a relationship before. One. It started when I was 17 and ended when I was 19. I'm not sure if it was love or puppy love. I almost entered a relationship a few months after that with this gorgeous guy, but I wanted to be single and wasn't interested in being smothered anymore. Flashforward to 2024, a week after my 25th birthday, I haven't been in a relationship since. Hell, I haven't even been close to being in a relationship since. I haven't spoken to a boy/guy/man for more than 12 hours since. (I say 'boy/guy/man' because I feel like at my age, that's what you've gone through. When you're a teen, you date boys. In college, guys. When you've been contributing to a 403b for almost 4 years? Men? Right?? Men. I do looooove men. Anyway...) I am/I've been on the apps. I've had hot Grindr hookups. I've had horrible, terrible Grindr hookups. I go to gay bars in NYC, Fire Island, Florida, Vegas, PTown. No one seems to be interested in me. I dont have abs. My weight flucuates often. I suffer from anxiety and I love smoking weed. I've been really focused on work and starting my career. But, surely, many gay men who would say all of the above are in happy, committed relationships. But I'm not even sure that's what I want. A (straight) couple that I haven't seen in months caught up with me tonight and, of course, one of the first questions they asked was my relationship status. "Oh dont worry, I didn't find him until I was 38!," the woman exclaimed. When speaking to an acquaintance tonight, she brought up a guy that we both mutually know. "He's 30 and has never seriously dated anyone or brought anyone around," she remarked. As a put-down. As evidence to prove how immature this guy is.
Huh.
Does this mean I'm immature? Is this what people say about me? It's not that I dont want a relationship. It'd be cool, I guess. I'm not asexual. In fact, I'm like the horniest person I know. Except after college, I've barely had sex with anyone. Being in a relationship that guarantees regular sex would be awesome. Maybe it's a confidence issue? When my weight flucuates, I get really self-concious. When I'm anorexic and draw attention to myself, I grow confident. I guess I dont outwardly seek relationships, like a lot of the people around me. I'm cool with staying home. I'm not necessarily a relationship person, like a lot of the people around me, either. I work hard and enjoy being self-depedent. I like smoking and watching a movie by myself. I'm cool eating alone at a restaurant. I love treating myself to a Broadway show. I guess, after writing this all out, I'm wondering if anyone can relate? Is this normal? Is a relationship the end goal? Is that what I should strive for? I'm so young, I know, but I feel like an old fucking maid. I'm not sure what I want. But I've seen some single, lonely old men that are just so sad. And I think to myself, "Is that what I want to be?" I'd like to say that, 'I'm just meant to live the Carrie Bradshaw lifestyle!' But Carrie dated and actually slept with people (sometimes regularly too)! Then, she ended up with the guy. I guess I'm just looking for clarity and thoughts. Thanks guys ❤️
submitted by sammomokk to askgaybros [link] [comments]
Huh.
Does this mean I'm immature? Is this what people say about me? It's not that I dont want a relationship. It'd be cool, I guess. I'm not asexual. In fact, I'm like the horniest person I know. Except after college, I've barely had sex with anyone. Being in a relationship that guarantees regular sex would be awesome. Maybe it's a confidence issue? When my weight flucuates, I get really self-concious. When I'm anorexic and draw attention to myself, I grow confident. I guess I dont outwardly seek relationships, like a lot of the people around me. I'm cool with staying home. I'm not necessarily a relationship person, like a lot of the people around me, either. I work hard and enjoy being self-depedent. I like smoking and watching a movie by myself. I'm cool eating alone at a restaurant. I love treating myself to a Broadway show. I guess, after writing this all out, I'm wondering if anyone can relate? Is this normal? Is a relationship the end goal? Is that what I should strive for? I'm so young, I know, but I feel like an old fucking maid. I'm not sure what I want. But I've seen some single, lonely old men that are just so sad. And I think to myself, "Is that what I want to be?" I'd like to say that, 'I'm just meant to live the Carrie Bradshaw lifestyle!' But Carrie dated and actually slept with people (sometimes regularly too)! Then, she ended up with the guy. I guess I'm just looking for clarity and thoughts. Thanks guys ❤️
2024.05.19 07:07 Stage-Piercing727 Best Canvas Gym Bags
 | submitted by Stage-Piercing727 to u/Stage-Piercing727 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/2pninai3gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=265f4aea2315e62196c9c90b972c1c04b780af35 Looking for a stylish and durable gym bag? Look no further! In this article, we bring you a comprehensive roundup of the best canvas gym bags available today. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or a casual gym-goer, these bags are designed to provide ample storage, comfort, and convenience during your workout sessions. So if you're in the market for a reliable workout companion, read on to find the perfect canvas gym bag for your needs. From stylish and functional designs to lightweight and spacious options, our selection of canvas gym bags caters to every preferences and requirements. Discover the top-rated options and make an informed decision on the perfect bag to accompany you throughout your fitness journey. The Top 13 Best Canvas Gym Bags
Reviews🔗Premium Waxed Canvas Duffel Bag for Outdoor Adventureshttps://preview.redd.it/vx6u6dy3gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21ff96d9424931d91ff36ecb6deb90ccdeef3196 I recently had the chance to test out the Readywares Waxed Canvas Duffel Bag on a camping trip, and it truly exceeded my expectations. The first thing that caught my eye was its timeless design and high-quality waxed canvas construction. It's no wonder this bag has a rating of 4.7 out of 5, as users consistently rave about its craftsmanship. Before my trip, I was a little concerned about the stiffness of the waxed canvas, but it quickly softened up as I loaded it with my camping gear. I particularly appreciated the padded handle and base support, which made carrying the duffel bag comfortable and easy, regardless of how heavy it got. The storage options in this Readywares duffel bag are quite impressive as well. With multiple compartments, I had no trouble keeping my items organized throughout my trip. The only downside was the lack of an interior pouch, which would have been beneficial for smaller items. In conclusion, the Readywares Waxed Canvas Duffel Bag is a reliable and stylish choice for anyone in need of a high-quality carryall. Its craftsmanship, storage options, and overall size make it a perfect companion for various activities, ranging from weekend getaways to camping trips. However, it could benefit from the addition of an interior pouch to keep smaller items secure. 🔗Heavy Duty Military Canvas Duffel Baghttps://preview.redd.it/n5hpsm84gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c29f049e961ac7d16f8e75b3c700d555d923f8e The WHITEDUCK Hoplite Heavy Duty Military Canvas Duffel Bag in Blue is an indispensable travel companion that you can take along no matter where life leads you. This sturdy bag boasts a whopping 204L capacity, perfect for packing all your essentials for a weekend getaway or longer excursions. One of its key features is the high-quality, double-fill cotton canvas with a tight weave, ensuring durability and wear and tear resistance. The weatherproof fabric is reinforced at all stress points too, making it incredibly sturdy. Plus, the fully zipped compartment offers ample space to store larger items without any hassle. A standout feature is the heavy-duty, full-length zippers that can handle oversized and bulky items with ease. The soft and ultra-reliable cotton carry handles equipped with a Velcro tag for quick lifting and carrying add convenience. And let's not forget about the adjustable, removable padded shoulder strap for maximum comfort. The bag's versatility is another significant highlight. Whether you're going camping, using it for gym storage, or during your daily commute, the Hoplite Duffel Bag adapts seamlessly to all your needs. On the downside, some users have mentioned that the bag's dimensions can be a bit confusing initially, but after figuring it out, its performance has exceeded all expectations. In a nutshell, the WHITEDUCK Hoplite Heavy Duty Military Canvas Duffel Bag combines durability, capacity, and versatility to provide a top-notch travel experience. Its excellent workmanship gives it the robustness and longevity you desire in a duffel bag. This product is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment for those seeking a reliable travel companion. 🔗Extra Large Capacity Canvas Duffel Baghttps://preview.redd.it/fudl88o4gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52537af64f56bfdaa4d1f21e870515ce2e9cdc7e I recently found myself in need of a reliable and spacious bag for a camping trip, and that's when I came across the YoKelly 36 inch Canvas Duffel Bag. I have to say, this high-quality canvas duffel has been a game-changer for all my outdoor adventures since then. I was initially skeptical about the capacity given its light weight of just 1.2 lbs, but boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise. This Deluxe Canvas Duffel Bag truly delivers on its promise of a spacious 100L storage capacity, making it perfect for travel, camping, fishing, and sports as well. The high-quality canvas ensures durability and the solid stitching provides extra strength and resistance against wear and tear. Its dimensions of 36x13x13 inches are just the right size for packing all my essentials without feeling bulky or cumbersome. However, one minor drawback I noticed is that it only has one compartment for organization. While this didn't cause any major issues during my camping trip, I do wish there were additional pockets for smaller items to keep everything more organized. Overall, the YoKelly 36 inch Canvas Duffel Bag has made my life so much easier and more convenient, offering ample storage space in a lightweight, durable, and versatile package. If you're on the hunt for the perfect travel, camping, or sports bag, I highly recommend giving this duffel a try. 🔗Durable Military Canvas Duffle Bag for Long Tripshttps://preview.redd.it/j9z5erz4gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fbebbd6271366160de8ec3c20d4ae86a9ba5495 When I first laid my eyes on the Rothco Gi Style Canvas Double Strap Duffle Bag, I knew that it was a perfect match for my travel needs. This military-inspired bag checks all the boxes for durability, ample storage space, and versatile carrying options. Made of 22 oz heavyweight cotton canvas material, it's been built with utmost durability, making it the go-to option for all your long and short trips. The generous dimensions of 22 inches x 38 inches allow me to pack plenty of clothes and gear effortlessly. I especially love the adjustable shoulder straps and the sturdy handle for conveniently carrying it like a suitcase or a backpack. This flexibility gives me the freedom to pack even more stuff while ensuring comfort on long commutes. The additional side pocket with a snap closure is a bonus for keeping small items or travel documents organized and easily accessible. I've been using this duffle bag for everything from overnight trips to the gym and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. However, some users have reported a strong odor upon receiving the item. This can be a bit off-putting, but a couple of washes usually do the trick. The Rothco Gi Style Canvas Double Strap Duffle Bag is a smart buy for anyone looking for a reliable, large-capacity bag made from high-quality materials. Its versatile design, durability, and practical features make it an ideal choice for all your travel adventures. 🔗Steeletex Antimicrobial Gym Bag in Navyhttps://preview.redd.it/nulppjb5gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=712cd2feb44222cbb511154d7b66cfff1e3e3e88 I recently got introduced to the Steeletex Gym Bag by Steele Canvas, and I must say, I've been thoroughly impressed with its performance and quality. The first thing that caught my eye was the unique construction material - it's not your regular canvas or nylon bag. This one has an antimicrobial vinyl coating that not only provides water resistance but also ensures easy cleaning. One of the standout features of this bag is its size. It's perfect for holding all my gym clothes, sneakers, and even my favorite water bottle. I've been using it regularly since I got it, and it has shown no signs of wear and tear yet. Speaking of which, the durability of this bag is another highlight. The 18.5 oz. antimicrobial vinyl coated nylon liner is not just water and tear-resistant, but it's also treated with BACshield, which ensures that mold, mildew, fungi, or bacteria don't get a chance to grow. The Steeletex Gym Bag also comes with a couple of convenient pockets - one inside and one outside. These have been incredibly useful for keeping my belongings organized. As for the design, the black leather hand grips add a touch of class to the overall aesthetic. Besides, the adjustable shoulder strap ensures comfort even during long gym sessions. However, there's one thing that I would've appreciated more - if they had included a mesh or ventilated pocket for storing wet clothes or shoes separately. This would have made the bag even more versatile and useful. But all in all, I've been thoroughly happy with my Steeletex Gym Bag. Its durability, size, and convenience make it an excellent companion for my daily gym visits. Plus, knowing that it's made in America by hardworking American craftsmen adds an extra layer of satisfaction to my purchase. I would highly recommend this bag to anyone looking for a reliable and high-quality gym bag. 🔗Classic Canvas Duffle Bag for Travelhttps://preview.redd.it/9p0zegu5gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51a81f51f1965da95f5a011d4550b16b3373c90c First off, picture yourself embarking on a weekend getaway with nothing more than this trusty Trailmaker duffel bag at your side. The 30-liter capacity ensures you'll have ample space for all your essentials - be it clothes, shoes, or even your favorite dance attire for weekend classes! And don't worry about wearing it out yet. This durable canvas bag is built to last, so you can make countless travel adventures with it. One thing I noticed about this bag is how versatile it really is. Not only does it serve as an excellent carry-on for flights, but it proved to be quite handy for daily trips to the gym as well. Its lightweight design ensures easy portability, especially when combined with its adjustable shoulder strap. Plus, the simple yet elegant design pairs well with any outfit, whether you're dressing up or down. However, there are some cons to consider. Some users reported issues with the quality of the bag, particularly the zipper which tends to jam often. The lack of compartments inside can also lead to a messy bag when overstuffed. However, considering its affordable price point and high ratings among users, these minor drawbacks seem overshadowed by the overall positive experience most reviewers have had with this bag. Overall, the Trailmaker duffel bag is a reliable choice for individuals seeking a spacious, durable, and affordable bag for travel, gym use, or everyday needs. Despite some reported issues with the zipper and lack of compartments, the majority of reviewers seem satisfied with their purchase, highlighting the immense utility and convenience offered by this bag. 🔗Classic Vintage Duffle Baghttps://preview.redd.it/vnmvuu46gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59daea38662ad9f1fd7434ad575680f64f8592e7 I recently had the chance to try out the Sweetbriar Classic Weekender Duffel and I must say, it's been a game-changer for my travel needs. The moment I laid my eyes on its vintage-inspired canvas design with retro rucksack vibe, I knew this bag meant serious style. One of the features that really stood out was its spacious interior. It comfortably fit all my essentials for a weekend getaway, including clothes, toiletries, and even some extras like a small travel pillow. Speaking of extras, the bag has several pockets both outside and inside, which are perfect for storing smaller items like wallets or keys. Another thing I appreciated was how easy it was to clean. I'm known for being a bit clumsy, so accidents are inevitable. But with this duffel, a damp cloth was enough to wipe away any spills or stains. However, there was one issue I encountered. The zipper closure, while sturdy and secure, was a bit tricky to navigate at times. It took me a few attempts to get it right, which felt a little frustrating. All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the Sweetbriar Classic Weekender Duffel. It's stylish, practical, and well-built, making it an ideal choice for short trips or gym sessions. It's definitely worth considering if you're in the market for a new bag. 🔗MOLLYGAN Large Capacity Canvas Gym Baghttps://preview.redd.it/dyutqkh6gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be53c4b16e4f4756fc1e97e0a390a28a28ed4a06 I've never been the type to travel lightly - I've always packed everything but the kitchen sink. But recently, I stumbled upon this MOLLYGAN Travel Duffel Bag, and I must say, my travel game just leveled up! The black exterior made it perfect for both genders, but what really caught my eye was the superior-quality, soft and smooth canvas material. The structure of this bag is quite impressive too. The side zipper pocket provided a separate space for my shoes (goodbye, smelly gym bag! ) whereas the spacious main compartment and small zipper pocket proved that even though the bag was large in capacity, it was well-organized. Its 35 liters capacity was more than enough to accommodate all my laptops, A4 books, clothes, and daily essentials. Whether going for a leisurely trip or a hectic gym session, this bag had my back. Measuring 18.8 x 10.2 x 11 inches, the bag was just the right size for convenience yet offered so much space. However, the product did have one hiccup, the shoulder strap. It was long and adjustable, but at times, it felt a bit too long, and the handles could have been a tad longer, making it a little harder to carry around. In conclusion, the MOLLYGAN Travel Duffel Bag has undoubtedly improved my daily travel experiences. With its large capacity, durable construction, and ample organization options, it has become a necessity for my daily activities. While it could do with a few adjustments (pun intended), it has nonetheless proven to be a reliable companion. 🔗Military-Grade Canvas Duffel Backpackhttps://preview.redd.it/mw7zj5w6gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8834e11142011dbcdc59b5b3aca467f7739586cd I recently embarked on a weekend getaway with just the Military Duffel Backpack in tow. The modern green color added a trendy touch to my outfit, and upon closer inspection, I could see that the canvas duffel was indeed made of high-quality, water-repellent material. I felt confident that my belongings were well-protected, even in a sudden downpour. The adjustable shoulder straps came in handy as I traversed through the crowded city streets, allowing me to find the perfect fit and distributing the weight of my stuff evenly. One feature I particularly appreciated was the heavy-duty cross-stitched carrying handle. I found it incredibly useful when I wanted to switch up my carrying style and convert the backpack into a traditional duffel bag. The stainless eyelets and rugged buckles made the whole process incredibly smooth and secure. However, I did encounter a minor issue with the top clasp that held everything closed. It was slightly smaller than the holes on the flaps, so the bag wasn't completely sealed. While this didn't affect its overall performance during my trip, I did have to exercise a bit more caution to prevent anything from slipping out. To sum it up, the Military Duffel Backpack is a reliable and fashionable bag that offers ample space and thoughtful storage options. The canvas material ensures durability and water resistance, while the adjustable straps offer comfort and convenience. Although the top clasp could be slightly improved, I would definitely recommend this backpack for travelers and everyday adventurers alike! 🔗Extra Large Yoga Mat Duffel Bag with Hammockhttps://preview.redd.it/ru42be77gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1ca7e587c46f27f4cf6bf689a94a6466b4daee5 I've been using the Kindfolk Yoga Mat XL Duffel Bag Mesa for a few weeks now and I must say, it's been a game-changer for my daily yoga practice. The highlight of this bag is undoubtedly the ample amount of space it provides. After spending days googling 'XL yoga duffel bags', I finally decided to give this one a shot when I saw that it could fit multiple yoga mats, blocks and towels - and boy, was it true! I've never been able to bring everything I need to the studio or gym with such ease. Another thing that I absolutely love about this bag is that it's vegan and environmentally friendly. As someone who's conscious about their impact on the environment, knowing that I'm using a product that aligns with my values gives me peace of mind. Plus, for every unit sold, Kindfolk donates $1 to FITS STANDARD, a charity that helps end slavery worldwide. However, one of the cons I noticed is that the straps could be slightly longer. While it's not a deal-breaker for me, it can be a bit cumbersome when carrying it on top of everything else. All in all, I am thrilled with my purchase and would definitely recommend it to others. Not only is it spacious and stylish, but it also feels well-made and of high quality. For those looking for a reliable and environmentally-friendly bag for their yoga practice, the Kindfolk Yoga Mat XL Duffel Bag is definitely worth considering. 🔗Casual Canvas Travel Gym Bag for daily jog or triphttps://preview.redd.it/028p45j7gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4272acaf25dc3fd3b5fbc710c447805a213524 Imagine this: I'm strolling down the bustling city streets, and my trusty Vagabond Traveler Casual Canvas Bag is by my side. This bag isn't just a carry-all for my gym gear; it's a statement about my sense of style and practicality. The first time I used this bag, I was blown away by its spacious interior. It holds everything I need for a workout and more, from my sneakers to my sweat towel, and even a spare change of clothes. The multiple pockets (and there are plenty) kept me organized and efficient, making my mornings just a little bit easier. The Vagabond Traveler bag's construction is a testament to its craftsmanship. This bag isn't just made to last; it's made to look good while doing it. The canvas is a beautiful shade of khaki, and the vintage brass hardware adds a touch of class. The cotton fabric is incredibly comfortable to carry, and it's clear that it's been washed and worn to achieve its classic, old-school appearance. Now, every time I strap this canvas bag onto my shoulder, I'm reminded of its many merits. It's the perfect blend of practicality, durability, and visual appeal. However, some users may find the strap too long or the lack of waterproofing a concern. But for me, these minor quibbles don't detract from the overall quality and utility of this amazing gym bag. In conclusion, the Vagabond Traveler Casual Canvas Bag has become an indispensable part of my daily life. Its combination of space, organization, and style makes it the ideal choice for anyone looking for a reliable gym bag that's both functional and fashionable. 🔗Durable Waxed Canvas Duffle Baghttps://preview.redd.it/8d14r128gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00e1e6a80d0c05de04d77a435dd45950627c8ac8 I recently purchased the Steele Canvas Waxed Canvas Duffle Bag for an upcoming travel adventure, and I must say, it has surpassed all of my expectations. As soon as I laid my eyes on it, I was impressed by its sleek and sturdy appearance, which instantly made me feel confident about its durability. The adjustable shoulder strap and brown leather grip handles felt comfortable against my shoulder and hands, making it a pleasure to carry around. The moment I unzipped the bag, I noticed the generous space inside, perfect for holding all of my essentials without any clutter. The two interior pockets are an added bonus, allowing me to keep my smaller items organized and easily accessible. The exterior side and end pockets have also proven to be quite useful for storing my frequently needed items. One of the key features I truly appreciated is the nickel plated zipper and pull, making it easy for me to secure my belongings without any worry about potential malfunctions. Steele Canvas has truly created a high-quality, durable bag that is sure to withstand the test of time. Despite the minor inconvenience of needing two hands to secure the zipper on the outside pocket, I believe this duffle bag is a perfect addition to my travel collection. The Steele Canvas Waxed Canvas Duffle Bag has definitely made a lasting impression on me, and I am already looking forward to using it on countless more adventures. 🔗Durable and Versatile Military-Grade Canvas Gym Baghttps://preview.redd.it/ndwsbla8gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=23a77d45be6c0b639381d50961e59b04f7aff422 As a product reviewer, I recently got the chance to try out the Medium Duffle Bag in black, and my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. I've been using it for everything from weekend trips to gym sessions, and it's truly become a staple in my daily routine. The bag's most striking feature, hands down, is its heavy-duty construction. The double and triple-needle-stitched reinforced design not only gives it a sleek look that fits any environment but also ensures that it can handle even the heaviest loads without a hitch. I've noticed its durability in various situations - from transporting bulky sports gear to storing off-season clothing, this duffel bag has never let me down. One of the things I love about this duffel bag is how versatile it is. Made from lightweight yet durable cotton canvas, it's perfect for travel, sports, and leisure activities. Its convenient collapsible feature when not in use makes storage a breeze, and it's been especially useful during my many camping trips. Despite its size, the bag is surprisingly easy to carry around. Reinforced handles and adjustable shoulder straps make sure that I can handle even the heaviest loads comfortably. Plus, the two-way zipper and key-locking mechanism offer extra security for my belongings. However, one small area of improvement could be the weight of the bag itself. While it's definitely not a deal-breaker, considering the durability and high-quality materials used, some users might find it slightly heavier than desired. All in all, I'm extremely satisfied with my Medium Duffle Bag. Its combination of sturdy construction, versatility, and ease of use make it a worthwhile investment for anyone in need of a reliable bag for travel, sports, or everyday use. Buyer's GuideCanvas gym bags are a versatile and stylish choice for active people who prioritize functionality and quality. With the right features and construction, these bags can become an essential part of your fitness routine, ensuring that your gear stays organized and protected during workouts and commutes.Important Featureshttps://preview.redd.it/2z69m8r8gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0448721c5b560ead176ce13e8bed48e6c0f4d72e
Considerations
General Advice
https://preview.redd.it/84isyv89gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eeb51bbcc7b25a80254804c73a4ddc9fbd802018 FAQWhat are Canvas Gym Bags and what are they used for?Canvas Gym Bags are sturdy, versatile, and environmentally friendly bags designed for carrying sports and workout clothing, shoes, and accessories. Made from high-quality canvas material, they are suitable for various activities, including gym workouts, swimming, yoga, and outdoor sports.Why should I choose a Canvas Gym Bag over other materials?https://preview.redd.it/8g3ow8p9gb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=539d40a4189e82fcaf7dc4dfded681d3fa308f5f Canvas Gym Bags are eco-friendly and have multiple benefits compared to other materials. They are lightweight, durable, and easy to maintain. Canvas is a breathable material that ensures items inside stay fresh and odor-free. Additionally, canvas is moisture-resistant, making it perfect for storing damp towels and swimsuits. How do I know if a Canvas Gym Bag is waterproof?High-quality Canvas Gym Bags are often treated with water-resistant coatings and may include waterproof zippers or compartments. Check the product description or contact the manufacturer for specific information about water resistance.Do Canvas Gym Bags have compartments for organizing my workout gear?Yes, most Canvas Gym Bags come with multiple compartments and pockets designed to organize your workout essentials. Many bags feature separate shoe compartments, a wet pocket for storing damp items, and small pockets for storing smaller items like keys, wallets, and phones. https://preview.redd.it/h9utri5agb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adb8b5cc01275872e0fe1543270afe579eb34bd4 How do I clean a Canvas Gym Bag?Cleaning a Canvas Gym Bag is easy and can be done at home. Simply remove any dirt or debris with a soft brush or cloth. Then, mix a few drops of gentle detergent with water and gently clean the bag's interior and exterior. Rinse thoroughly and air dry away from direct sunlight. It is recommended to consult the manufacturer's care instructions for specific cleaning guidance.How do I choose the right size for a Canvas Gym Bag?Selecting the right size depends on the type and amount of workout gear you'll be carrying. Consider the dimensions of the bag and the volume it can hold. If you're unsure, read reviews from other customers or consult the manufacturer's recommendations for size guidance.Are Canvas Gym Bags suitable for travel?Yes, Canvas Gym Bags are versatile and can be used for travel. Their durability and lightweight nature make them suitable for short trips and weekend getaways. Some Canvas Gym Bags even come with additional features, such as luggage tags or straps, to make traveling easier.Can Canvas Gym Bags be personalized or customized?Yes, many manufacturers offer customization options for Canvas Gym Bags. This can include adding your name or initials, choosing a specific design or pattern, or even selecting custom colors. Personalized or customized bags make great gifts and can help you easily identify your bag amidst a crowded gym or locker room.What is the price range for Canvas Gym Bags?The price range for Canvas Gym Bags varies depending on factors such as size, quality, and additional features. Prices can range from $20 for basic models to over $100 for high-end, designer options. Consider your budget and specific needs when selecting a Canvas Gym Bag to ensure you get the best value for your money.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 07:00 Animals_Life_Style Roofed Turtles Comprehensive Guide on History, Lifespan, Diet, Habitat, Care and Species
 | Exploring the Fascinating World of Roofed Turtles: A Comprehensive Guide submitted by Animals_Life_Style to u/Animals_Life_Style [link] [comments] Roofed turtles are intriguing creatures that captivate the hearts of animal enthusiasts. In this blog post, we'll dive into their introduction, history, lifespan, weight, diet, and different types. Let's embark on this journey to learn more about these remarkable turtles. https://preview.redd.it/z2xpcd7ueb1d1.jpg?width=810&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa760d0a5329600c7398c4bc08d5bac2ce4213bb Introduction to Roofed Turtles Roofed turtles, also known as Kachuga turtles, are a group of freshwater turtles known for their unique shell shapes. The term "roofed" refers to the distinct elevated, ridge-like structure on their carapace, which resembles a roof. They are primarily found in Asia, especially in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. History of Roofed Turtles The history of roofed turtles dates back millions of years. These turtles have evolved to adapt to their freshwater habitats, such as rivers, ponds, and lakes. Over time, they have developed unique features that help them thrive in their environments. Their historical significance also includes their role in the ecosystem as both prey and predator, maintaining the balance in their natural habitats. Lifespan of Roofed Turtles Roofed turtles are known for their longevity. On average, they live for about 20 to 30 years in the wild. However, with proper care in captivity, some individuals can live even longer, reaching up to 50 years. Their long lifespan makes them a significant commitment for any pet owner. Weight of Roofed Turtles The weight of roofed turtles varies depending on the species and age. Adult roofed turtles typically weigh between 1.5 to 5 kilograms (3 to 11 pounds). However, some larger species can weigh more. Their weight is an important factor in their overall health, as it reflects their diet and living conditions. Diet of Roofed TurtlesRoofed turtles are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes:
Types of Roofed TurtlesThere are several species of roofed turtles, each with unique characteristics. Some of the well-known types include:
Conclusion Roofed turtles are fascinating creatures with a rich history and diverse characteristics. Their unique appearance, long lifespan, varied diet, and different species make them a captivating subject for study and admiration. Whether you are considering them as pets or simply want to learn more about them, roofed turtles offer endless opportunities for discovery. |
2024.05.19 06:56 Significant-Tower146 Best Canopy Tents with Sides
 | submitted by Significant-Tower146 to u/Significant-Tower146 [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/hx0vrgiudb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a7b7004c1fb33ee901557c44857f0eb63617caf Looking for a versatile and functional shelter for your outdoor events? Look no further than canopy tents with sides! These tents offer both protection from the elements and privacy, making them perfect for a variety of occasions. In this article, we'll explore some of the top choices in canopy tents with sides to help you find the perfect solution for your needs. From family gatherings to professional events, a canopy tent with sides can provide the ideal space for comfort and enjoyment. Stay tuned as we delve into the world of these practical and stylish shelters, covering everything from features to user reviews, to help you make an informed decision that's sure to impress your guests and keep everyone protected from the unpredictable weather. The Top 18 Best Canopy Tents with Sides
Reviews🔗White 10x20 Party Wedding Tent Canopyhttps://preview.redd.it/fria1fzvdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3d4762de97009f4b20572223f58fbf09b05b2da As a reviewer who has had the opportunity to use this 10 ft. x 20 ft. White Party Wedding Tent Canopy with 4 Sidewalls and 2 Doors, I can confidently say that it's been an exceptional choice for our events. The ease of assembly is one of the key features that stood out for me. With its smart workmanship and high-class cloth top and iron tubes, setting it up took no time at all. Another brilliant feature that I absolutely loved is its large space. It comfortably accommodated many people and stuffs, making it perfect for big gatherings like weddings or parties. The outstanding waterproof performance also makes it suitable for outdoor usage, which is a bonus. One minor issue I encountered was a slight instability during windy days. However, the spiral interface between the tubes in its design has made the overall frame more stable, providing a secure environment even during unpredictable weather conditions. All in all, this tent is a great addition to any event, whether it be a wedding, camping, parking, or a simple party. It's the assembled tent that comes with necessary accessories, making it convenient to carry around on a daily basis. In summary, this 10 ft. x 20 ft. White Party Wedding Tent Canopy is a versatile, space-efficient, and easy-to-assemble option that doesn't compromise on elegance. 🔗10 ft. x 20 ft. Heavy-Duty Canopy Event Tent Outdoor White Gazebo Party Wedding Tent with 4 Removable Sidewallshttps://preview.redd.it/ent04k7wdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17fb7b1dcbf69efd08fa2395d781db3a1ecdda3c Oh, you know when you're planning that big BBQ party in your backyard and you want your guests to feel as comfortable as possible? Or maybe you need a waterproof shelter for those unexpected rain showers during a camping trip? Well, I just had the chance to try out this 10 ft. x 20 ft. white gazebo party tent, and let me tell you, it's perfect for both! The first thing that caught my eye was its high-grade PE cloth top and iron tubes. The smart workmanship and reasonable design make it not only incredibly stylish but also incredibly easy to put together. You know how some tents can be a real hassle to assemble? Not this one! It only took me a few minutes, and I was good to go! It's like having your own little pop-up fortress. One thing I definitely appreciated was the spacious room it provides. I had plenty of space to add a few tables and chairs for my guests, and it didn't feel cramped at all. And speaking of guests, the tent's high-grade materials make sure that everyone stays comfortable, no matter what the weather's like outside. It's like your own personal oasis, except instead of palm trees, you've got a sleek, white tent! Of course, no product is perfect, and this one is no exception. One small issue I encountered was that the tent can be a bit challenging to take down on your own, especially if you're in a hurry. I also found that the sidewalls can be a bit difficult to remove and reattach, so make sure you give yourself ample time when disassembling the tent. Overall, I would highly recommend this 10 ft. x 20 ft. white gazebo party tent, especially for anyone who's looking for a stylish, high-quality outdoor shelter that's easy to assemble and provides plenty of room for guests. Just make sure you've got a buddy to help you with the take-down process! 🔗10'x20' Waterproof Canopy Tent with Sidewallshttps://preview.redd.it/ws73h1mwdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16a7992c3999a8fb04ac10c4126e2c8e12cdc939 I recently purchased a Costway 10'x20' Canopy Tent for a backyard party, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. The tent was easy to set up with the help of my family and friends, and it provided ample shade from the summer sun. The highlight of this tent is its rust-resistant steel frame and durable waterproof polyethylene fabric, which make it perfect for withstanding various weather conditions. One of the standout features for me was the ease of installation. We were able to have it up and ready within a short period, ensuring that our guests were protected from the elements. The canopy also provided a nice wind block, which came in handy during occasional gusts. In terms of aesthetics, the canopy tent is quite appealing, with a sleek design that adds a touch of elegance to any event. The quality of the sewing is meticulous, contributing to the overall durability of the tent. Additionally, the tent comes with a carrying bag, making it easy to transport and store when not in use. However, there are some cons to consider. Some users reported issues with the durability of the tent, with signs of wear and tear after a few uses. There were also concerns about the product's weather resistance, as it may not withstand stronger gusts of wind or heavy rainfall. In conclusion, the Costway 10'x20' Canopy Tent is a great choice for those looking for a sturdy and stylish shelter for their outdoor events. While some users have reported durability concerns, overall, the tent has received positive reviews from many satisfied customers. I would definitely recommend it for commercial or recreational use, such as parties, weddings, flea markets, and backyard events. 🔗10x20 Pop-Up Event Tent with Removable Mesh Sidewallshttps://preview.redd.it/98kx8twwdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da42dffedc4224e222006bc73dddbc411538c5de In my recent outdoor event, I had the pleasure of using the Outsunny Canopy Tent Gazebo. The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to set up. The rust-resistant steel frame held its own against some gusty wind, providing a safe and spacious shelter for my guests. One of the standout features was the 4 removable mesh walls. They allowed for an open-air feel while also offering protection from bugs and wind. The water-resistant roof provided great coverage and helped reflect UV rays, keeping everyone cool and safe from the sun. However, this tent isn't perfect. It can be a pain to take down, especially on windy days when the mesh walls flap around. Additionally, it's not very weather-resistant in heavy rain or strong winds. I learned this the hard way when a sudden downpour brought the party to an abrupt end as the tent collapsed. Overall, the Outsunny Canopy Tent Gazebo is great for casual events or gatherings. Its ease of setup and breathable mesh walls make it a comfortable choice. However, its lack of durability and poor weather resistance might be a deal-breaker for those planning more intense outdoor events or using it in unpredictable weather conditions. I hope my experience gives you a better understanding of this product. If you have any questions or need more information, please don't hesitate to ask. 🔗10x20 Traditional White Wedding Party Tent Canopyhttps://preview.redd.it/ml7f3xaxdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d084fb94efe190ff6926dacafa00d058b44a57e As a reviewer who has been using the Winado 10 ft x 20 ft White Party Wedding Tent Canopy with 4 Sidewall and 2 Doors for several events, I can definitely say it's been a game-changer. The high-grade cloth top and iron tubes provide a robust structure that has withstood countless storms and windy days, ensuring my guests remain comfortable and dry. One of the standout features is its ease of assembly. Even with limited experience, I could quickly set up this tent. The spiral interface between the tubes adds additional stability to the overall frame. Plus, the large space it provides is perfect for accommodating many people and their belongings. However, there were some cons to consider. The lack of waterproof rating could be an issue in heavy rainfall. And while it's suitable for various occasions, the weight of the tent can be a bit cumbersome for solo setups. In conclusion, the Winado Tent Canopy has been a reliable addition to my event planning toolkit. It boasts a sturdy structure, spacious interior, and easy assembly. Despite the cons, I'd recommend it for anyone in need of a reliable tent for their next gathering. 🔗White 10 ft. x 30 ft. Wedding Party Tent with 6 Sides and 2 Doorshttps://preview.redd.it/c4njvvmxdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de88fe289cfbc4e9c6af230b41712851f5d57385 I had the opportunity to use this beautiful 10 ft. x 30 ft. White Party Wedding Tent Canopy for my cousin's wedding, and it was an absolute game-changer! Its elegant design and spacious interior provided the perfect setting for our guests to dance the night away. The ease of setup and breakdown was a major plus, allowing us to focus on the more important aspects of the event. One thing that really stood out was the sturdiness of the structure, with its high-grade PE cloth top and iron tubes. Even on a slightly breezy day, it held up surprisingly well. However, I must say that it's not the best choice for super windy or rainy conditions, so make sure to secure it properly. The sidewall and two doors were also an excellent touch, providing that extra layer of privacy and protection from the elements. Plus, the fact that it can accommodate up to 300 square feet of space means you won't have to worry about cramming everyone inside! In summary, this Wedding Tent Canopy was a fantastic addition to our event, transforming a simple backyard into a magical, elegant space. While it may not be ideal for windy or rainy situations, its overall quality and spacious design make it a great choice for those looking to elevate their next outdoor gathering. 🔗10 ft. x 30 ft. White Party Wedding Tent Canopyhttps://preview.redd.it/emntak6ydb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=760063eb2610e1cd1e9e638dbf00391e026105c2 I recently purchased the Winado 10 ft. x 30 ft. White Party Wedding Tent Canopy with 5 Sidewalls for an outdoor event. The tent was surprisingly easy to set up following the instructions, and it looked elegant draped in white. I was also impressed by how spacious the interior was, providing ample space for guests. However, on a slightly windy day, the stability of the tent became a concern as the structure wasn't as sturdy as I'd hoped. Despite this, the tent did offer protection from light rain. Overall, while the Winado Wedding Tent Canopy is beautiful and functional for various occasions, it may not be the best choice for events held in windy conditions. 🔗Outdoor White Metal Party Tent with Zippered Windowshttps://preview.redd.it/cbiq1peydb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a51e9f073ceb73738099048cfd989182c03c3ac As an avid party planner, I must say that the Outdoor Metal White Party Tent with Windows - 13 x 26 has been a game-changer for my events. It's a multi-functional shelter that provides both shade and protection from the elements, making it perfect for commercial and recreational use. From weddings and graduations to picnics and backyard parties, this tent truly is a versatile choice. One of the standout features of this tent is its high-quality, heavy-duty white powder-coated steel structure. It's rust and corrosion-resistant and delivers strong support with its 1.5-inch steel tube diameter and 1.66-inch metal connector diameter. Additionally, the thick base offers immense stability and durability for outdoor activities. The 100% waterproof top uses a 140g PE cloth that keeps guests dry in case of rain. Meanwhile, the removable sidewalls with zippers allow for great cross-ventilation on hot summer days. These sidewalls also block 99% of harmful UV rays, making them perfect for sunny afternoons. The 160-gram PVC windows provide more brightness and a modern look to the tent. Storing and reusing this tent is hassle-free, thanks to the extra durable 3 x 600D Oxford fabric storage bags included. For added stability on different surfaces, both ground nails and expansion screws are provided. However, it's essential to take preventative measures when wind speeds reach 25 mph or higher. A few safety reminders include never leaving the tent up overnight or in bad weather conditions. Also, note that the polyethylene fabric is non-fireproof, so always keep it away from sources of fire. To ensure the best experience, safety measures and professional installation are highly recommended. While the Outdoor Metal White Party Tent with Windows - 13 x 26 has been a wonderful addition to my event planning toolkit, it does have a few drawbacks. The initial setup can be time-consuming, and the weight of the components may make it difficult for one person to handle alone. Additionally, the requirement for additional support structures in windy conditions adds to the complexity of using the tent. Overall, this tent offers great value and functionality for a variety of outdoor events. Its weather resistance, durability, and versatility make it a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to enhance their event experience. 🔗15' x 15' Canopy Tent Blockout Sidewall Kithttps://preview.redd.it/sudhfezydb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f7c4f161f23519e28879fbbf0a8a8107271c5a0 Imagine the disappointment of having your perfectly planned backyard event ruined by sudden rain or unpredictable wind. Our 15' x 15' Premium Blockout Sidewall Kit is here to save the day, designed to help you weather the unexpected and keep your guests comfortable in any situation. Constructed from 16oz premium blockout PVC vinyl, these sidewalls boast impressive UV resistance and 100% waterproofing. They come in your choice of cathedral or window sidewalls, allowing you to control not only the elements but also the level of privacy and visibility you desire. One unique feature of our sidewalls is the strapping for staking and securing to the ground, ensuring they stay in place regardless of the weather conditions outside. However, it's important to note that these sidewalls are not recommended for staking during heavy winds, as this could potentially damage your event equipment. In summary, our 15' x 15' Premium Blockout Sidewall Kit is a reliable and versatile solution for creating a comfortable and private space at your next outdoor event. While they offer excellent protection from the sun and rain, it's crucial to take extra care during heavy winds to ensure their longevity and effectiveness. 🔗10'x10' Canopy Wedding Party Tent Gazebo with 4 Side Wallshttps://preview.redd.it/p4l0h0azdb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10464a780775e35a1f7cb1bccd3bdb199ac7e634 I recently used the Segawe 10'x10' Canopy Party Tent for a backyard wedding, and it was quite an experience. The first thing that caught my eye was the elegant design with four side walls, giving our event a private and elegant touch. However, the build quality wasn't as sturdy as I expected. The metal poles didn't feel very strong, which was a bit concerning. To my relief, the canopy itself is made of high-quality 90G/M2 PE material, providing excellent shelter from the sun and rain. The 4 side walls came in handy for added privacy during our intimate gathering, but they didn't offer much in terms of stability. It would have been even better if the structure had some kind of locking mechanism to make it sturdier. Despite its flaws, this gazebo pavilion did its job for our one-off event. And considering the affordable price, it might be worth considering if you're in need of a temporary shelter with side walls for your next gathering. Just keep in mind that you might need to reinforce the structure yourself to ensure it doesn't collapse in strong winds. 🔗White 10x10 Pop-Up Canopy Tent with Sideshttps://preview.redd.it/j35nk220eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2632ed015e8a1855d838dcd9e90f06f2b285a1ae Once upon a time, I decided to throw a beach-themed party in my backyard. I wanted to create the perfect atmosphere for my guests, so I opted for a Canopy Tent with Sides to provide shade and protection from the elements. As I began setting it up, I was struck by how easy it was to assemble - no tools required! The structure felt sturdy and reliable, which instantly put my concerns about wind or rain at bay. One feature that stood out was the adjustable height. It allowed me to accommodate taller guests comfortably while still providing ample space beneath the canopy. The white color of the tent not only matched my nautical theme perfectly but also helped reflect sunlight, keeping the area cooler on a hot summer day. However, there were some cons that need addressing. Firstly, the lack of a storage bag meant I had to find extra storage space for all the parts when the party was over. Additionally, despite the waterproof top cover, there wasn't enough ventilation, making it quite stuffy inside during the peak afternoon sun. In conclusion, while the Canopy Tent with Sides proved to be an excellent addition to my outdoor event, some improvements could enhance its appeal further. I'd recommend adding a storage bag and improving airflow for those sweltering summer days. 🔗Versatile Pop-up Canopy Tent with UV Protectionhttps://preview.redd.it/7qn6n0b0eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bdc3bca70259f6a148b8f02a4f6a5ee3c67e6b30 I recently used the Outsunny Pop Up Canopy Tent for a family gathering in our garden, and it certainly proved to be a lifesaver. The sturdy construction and large size provided ample shade and shelter during the hot summer day, while the sidewalls and doors ensured that we were well protected from any wind gusts. The assembly process was quite smooth, taking just a few minutes with the help of a friend, and the included wheels made it easy to maneuver and set up in different locations. One standout feature of this tent is its durability. After weeks of use, it still looks brand new, and I'm confident that it'll continue to provide reliable protection from the elements for many more gatherings to come. However, one issue that I encountered with the tent is that it can be a bit heavy when it's time to pack up and move it to another location. Overall, the Outsunny Pop Up Canopy Tent has been an excellent addition to our outdoor entertaining repertoire, offering both style and substance for a wide range of occasions. 🔗Stylish Convertible Sleeper Chair for Modern Spaceshttps://preview.redd.it/e5rdrvq0eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a286a29b8c8ff83ac751ce7bfad29dbfa6f972b As a frequent party planner, I recently stumbled upon this 10x30' Party Canopy Tent and it has been a game-changer. The heavy-duty steel frame is not only sturdy but also lightweight, ensuring longevity and easy transport. The high-quality polyethylene roof and sidewalls are tear-resistant, waterproof, and offer UV protection. I appreciate the additional ropes and stakes provided for added stability during those windy days. The large interior space can comfortably accommodate around 50 people, making it perfect for various occasions like weddings, birthday parties, or family gatherings. The eight removable sidewalls with windows provide ample shade and privacy. It's also incredibly versatile - great for picnics, barbecues, or even as a temporary shelter for your car. While the assembly instructions are quite straightforward and can be completed in about 15 minutes, it does require some patience and steady hands to ensure the frame is steady before placing the cover. Overall, this Party Canopy Tent has definitely become a staple in my event planning toolkit. Buyer's Guidehttps://preview.redd.it/nclifdj3eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=292cd0ac3d8cac018ef2c91562455d747c054134
FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/ou4e6yu3eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3c6e069bc069d6c433c880da0dcf6f5ba396573 What are canopy tents with sides?Canopy tents with sides, also known as instant tents or frame tents, are tents designed with extended walls on all four sides for added protection and enhanced privacy. These tents are typically made of waterproof and UV-resistant materials, and they provide shelter from sun, wind, and rain.What are the benefits of using a canopy tent with sides?https://preview.redd.it/8a63dqd4eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f24d519907a3f0d3f086a06aeee1cae75b5ed0f Some benefits include:
How do I choose the right size canopy tent with sides for my needs?Consider factors like the number of people you'll be hosting, the amount of gear you need to store, and the available space. Standard sizes are typically 10x10, 10x15, and 15x15 feet, but some tents may have custom dimensions. https://preview.redd.it/4rlsljo4eb1d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5348d9f078ac39ec8056534c9fe96a8a14d51d31 What features should I look for in a quality canopy tent with sides?Some important features include:
How do I set up a canopy tent with sides?Follow these general steps:
How do I care for and maintain a canopy tent with sides?Some tips include:
How long do canopy tents with sides typically last?The lifespan of a canopy tent with sides can vary, but with proper care and maintenance, they can last for several years or longer.Can I use a canopy tent with sides for camping, events, or beach outings?Yes! Canopy tents with sides are versatile and can be used for various occasions, including camping, picnics, tailgating, outdoor events, beach outings, and even at home for providing shade in your backyard.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.05.19 06:43 Lazy-Cellist1295 Should I leave MacEwan for NAIT...?
Okay, here's a few things.. I haven't been doing well in any of my courses since starting the BCOM program in 2020.. reasons being: online learning was hard for me and I did online during COVID, I've lost family members due to sickness..they passed away.. just things that have been out of my control and having to cope with loss..
Just this month, a psychologist was able to let me know of two diagnosis' related to how I learn: ADHD (Inattentive type) and also having phonological dyslexia. Took this long to find out.
I've passed some courses but failed other courses. I attend classes now in person, thankfully but I'm not sure why I'm not feeling successful or welcome at MacEwan. I'm an ADR student so I do have access to learning resources as of January of this year. But I'm debating whether to leave MacEwan and the BCOM program here.. I don't find other students to be friendly, group work stresses me out (some courses have group work in it), I've been made fun of by another student for being different.. I want to like it at MacEwan but feeling pretty down lately. I've spoken to several school of business advisors but they don't seem helpful. One said recently "do whatever you want".. I go there to express that I need help planning this degree but I'm met with uncaring advisors.. I've seen 3 different advisors there.. Yet it's the same and I leave frustrated..
There's a specialist from the ADR department who has been really kind and she's who I'd stay for but I'm beginning to wonder if I should just try to transfer or something..
I know NAIT not only has the HR diploma but you can also do the BBA program. Maybe a change in my environment will help...
In a way, I miss NorQuest because the students are more social and less aloof.. (not returning to NorQuest for anything though)
Has anyone ever transferred to NAIT from MacEwan? How did it go? I want to major in Human Resources as many friends, family and coworkers have said it's very suitable for my personality and can see me working in that field.. thanks in advance..
submitted by Lazy-Cellist1295 to grantmacewan [link] [comments]
Just this month, a psychologist was able to let me know of two diagnosis' related to how I learn: ADHD (Inattentive type) and also having phonological dyslexia. Took this long to find out.
I've passed some courses but failed other courses. I attend classes now in person, thankfully but I'm not sure why I'm not feeling successful or welcome at MacEwan. I'm an ADR student so I do have access to learning resources as of January of this year. But I'm debating whether to leave MacEwan and the BCOM program here.. I don't find other students to be friendly, group work stresses me out (some courses have group work in it), I've been made fun of by another student for being different.. I want to like it at MacEwan but feeling pretty down lately. I've spoken to several school of business advisors but they don't seem helpful. One said recently "do whatever you want".. I go there to express that I need help planning this degree but I'm met with uncaring advisors.. I've seen 3 different advisors there.. Yet it's the same and I leave frustrated..
There's a specialist from the ADR department who has been really kind and she's who I'd stay for but I'm beginning to wonder if I should just try to transfer or something..
I know NAIT not only has the HR diploma but you can also do the BBA program. Maybe a change in my environment will help...
In a way, I miss NorQuest because the students are more social and less aloof.. (not returning to NorQuest for anything though)
Has anyone ever transferred to NAIT from MacEwan? How did it go? I want to major in Human Resources as many friends, family and coworkers have said it's very suitable for my personality and can see me working in that field.. thanks in advance..
2024.05.19 06:42 kainike Delusional Filipino actually turned out fine
im a harbinger of bad luck so cant believe things actually went okay-ish considering im not a competitive applicant
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Demographics
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Academics
i didnt plan my extracurriculars in high school i sure did a lot and most of them were scattered out HAHA. jack of all trades, master of none moments. i tried to include mostly my media and writing related activities. aside from the ones i listed on my common app, i was immersed in a lot of social justice and political advocacy works + other sports :)
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Interviewss- I got none and I was too busy to go for optional interviews. I really did not display any demonstrated interest.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ D*ecisionss *(ALL REGULAR DECISION, actually I filed my international applications late like 2-3 weeks after the deadlines because I was in a depressive episode last January)
ACCEPTANCES
well that was krazy HAHA. ik many people here showcase ivies and T20s and im not that remarkable with my t40s to t100s but i'd like to think its not that shabby for an unknown international from a third world country. my biggest regret is not applying for NYU, its my dream school but again considering my depressive episode from November to January I wasnt able to file my application on time. its a miracle that universities still accept late applications and im grateful for all that I have and received. If i could turn back time I wish I was a little bit stronger and more stable to have been able to apply for NYU, my common app essay about my favorite author was actually an alumni from NYU :")
but we carry the burdens of choice under the merits of luck; even with merit scholarships, I cant afford any of the international schools I was accepted to. more likely i'll have to attend the top university in my country. but i dont want to give up man i'll still try to appeal for financial aid and if that wont work I'll apply for transfer during my sophomore year to ivies and top LACs that give full financial aid to international transfers. the odds are low but never 0 and no harm in trying !! see you all again next year for my transfer results :]
submitted by kainike to collegeresults [link] [comments]
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Demographics
- Gender: Non-Binary
- Race/Ethnicity: Filipino
- Residence: Philippines (international applicant)
- Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): N/A
- High School: Religious private school that isnt the most competitive or well-known in the country but pretty alright.
- Income Bracket: 35k (considered middle class in the Philippines, my father is the sole breadwinner working as a lawyer and I have 2 more siblings who are still studying in private schools)
- EFC: 2k to 3k USD (i needed aid from every school)
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Academics
- GPA: 3.9 for Freshman/Sophomore/Senior year, 3.6 for Junior year
- of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: NONE, my school offered AP classes but I couldnt afford them
- Senior Year Course Load: Mostly humanities and social science classes, I did not have any science or math classes in my coursework.
- SAT/ACT: Went test optional but I took it once and got a 1230 (LOW AS HELL BYE)
- ENGLISH TEST: Took the Duolingo Test and got 155
i didnt plan my extracurriculars in high school i sure did a lot and most of them were scattered out HAHA. jack of all trades, master of none moments. i tried to include mostly my media and writing related activities. aside from the ones i listed on my common app, i was immersed in a lot of social justice and political advocacy works + other sports :)
- Elections Project - assistant project head of a city wide youth elections project where we conducted mock elections, podcast interviews with politicians, and daily news coverage of the national 2022 elections.
- National Newspaper - writer contributor of a political editorial article to a national newspaper
- School Play on Social Justice - wrote and directed a play that tackled social justice issues in the country, I was the overall head of the class project and the play had runs with audience members from invited schools
- Student Council - was the student body vice president (junior year) and student body president (senior year), I was the main organizer of projects and events such as the annual school carnival, christmas fundraiser, student assistance programs, family day activities, etc.
- School Newspaper - was the news and sports editor of the school newspaper for 3 years, i also competed in journalism competitions as the representative of my school paper
- Dance Varsity - was part of the hiphop dance varsity team of my school for 4 years, we won in many national competitions
- Photography Business - owned a mini-photography business for 2 years at which I was mostly working on freelance photo editing
- International Screenwriting Competition - won 3rd place in two screenwriting competitions during my junior year
- Elderly Volunteer Organization - was part of an organization that conducted monthly outreach programs to the elderly, I served as the treasurer of the organization for 2 years
- Tutor Services - worked as a tutor of an organization that offered free onsite tutor services to elementary children, i tutored language (Eng and Fil) subjects
- Academic Honors 9th-12th Grade
- Leadership Recognition 9th-12th Grade
- Community Service Recognition 9th-12th Grade
- Awards for Journalism Competitions
- Awards for Screenwriting Competitions
- Common App Essay - went with prompt 3, wrote about my favorite author and how my reading habits mirrored my flaws in handling everyday life. 8/10 could have been more fleshed out and i crammed it first week of Jan.
- Supplementals - yeah I just copy and pasted a lot of these from my supplemental essays to other schools. 7/10 to 8/10
- Media Studies Teacher - 10/10
- English and Literature Teacher - 8/10
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Interviewss- I got none and I was too busy to go for optional interviews. I really did not display any demonstrated interest.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ D*ecisionss *(ALL REGULAR DECISION, actually I filed my international applications late like 2-3 weeks after the deadlines because I was in a depressive episode last January)
ACCEPTANCES
- UPD, UST, ADMU, DLSU (Top 4 universities in the Philippines)
- University of Denver - Dean Scholar (29k) + International Diversity Award (11k)
- Brandeis University - Presidential Scholarship (15k)
- Syracuse University - Dean Scholarship (10k)
- Marquette University - Pere Marquette Scholarship (29k)
- Hofstra University - Presidential Scholarship (29k)
- Drexel University
- Rutgers New-Brunswick
- University of Maryland
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- PennState
- Wake Forest University
- Franklin & Marshall College
- Kenyon College
- Sewanee College
well that was krazy HAHA. ik many people here showcase ivies and T20s and im not that remarkable with my t40s to t100s but i'd like to think its not that shabby for an unknown international from a third world country. my biggest regret is not applying for NYU, its my dream school but again considering my depressive episode from November to January I wasnt able to file my application on time. its a miracle that universities still accept late applications and im grateful for all that I have and received. If i could turn back time I wish I was a little bit stronger and more stable to have been able to apply for NYU, my common app essay about my favorite author was actually an alumni from NYU :")
but we carry the burdens of choice under the merits of luck; even with merit scholarships, I cant afford any of the international schools I was accepted to. more likely i'll have to attend the top university in my country. but i dont want to give up man i'll still try to appeal for financial aid and if that wont work I'll apply for transfer during my sophomore year to ivies and top LACs that give full financial aid to international transfers. the odds are low but never 0 and no harm in trying !! see you all again next year for my transfer results :]
2024.05.19 06:41 Holy_Oblivion Current Situation within Christian Nationalism Nationwide
Salutations and greetings brothers and sisters in Christ.
Having posted last week about the current situation and end state/long term objectives, I would like to identity what the current state of the country is in relative openness to meeting our criteria. A lot of what I write comes from research sources from government websites (such as the US Census Data), research websites from trusted sources (such as the PRRI), or good primary source content from creators or first-person perspectives. Today I want to share a report from PRRI that I references previously in my post about end state and objectives. This will lay out what states have the highest concentrations of support for Christian Nationalism based on research, large groups/concentrations of Orthodox Churches, Large groups/Concentrations of Mainline Protestant churches, and then large groups/concentrations of Evangelical concentrations/groups. Using this data we can distil down to the various different states that would have the highest success rate for growing support for our objectives and end states.
Looking at the data from PRRI: Data Here You can see the breakdown of the different states which have high or higher percentage of support to the cause of Christian Nationalism. What this means for us, is it allows us to narrow down to our targeted 38 states we need to achieve our objectives. While we want to be advancing on all fronts, these 38 will have the highest chance of making mounting or achievable impact on Christendom at large.
As always, please let me know what you think and what can be done to improve. Is this too wordy? Is everyone able to follow along fairly well? Let me know or join the conversation!
submitted by Holy_Oblivion to Christian_Nationalism [link] [comments]
Having posted last week about the current situation and end state/long term objectives, I would like to identity what the current state of the country is in relative openness to meeting our criteria. A lot of what I write comes from research sources from government websites (such as the US Census Data), research websites from trusted sources (such as the PRRI), or good primary source content from creators or first-person perspectives. Today I want to share a report from PRRI that I references previously in my post about end state and objectives. This will lay out what states have the highest concentrations of support for Christian Nationalism based on research, large groups/concentrations of Orthodox Churches, Large groups/Concentrations of Mainline Protestant churches, and then large groups/concentrations of Evangelical concentrations/groups. Using this data we can distil down to the various different states that would have the highest success rate for growing support for our objectives and end states.
- Large groups of mainline protestants function as a potential recruiting opprotunity. As these churches become liberalized and lose membership/die out, it allows for those aligned with our values to recruit and convert these individuals co-oping them into the cause.
- Large congregations of Orthodox Churches can be used as a staging ground for the Neo-Orthodoxy revival within America and support the conversion of these churches into an Autocephalous Western Right Apostolic Holy Orthodox Church of America. Our objective number 1 for achieving our end state.
- Large support for Christian Nationalism already exists within Evangelical Christianity. This means while conversion to the Neo-Orthodoxy movement to achieve our first objective, it is not strictly necessary if individuals join Evangelical Christian groups which support Christian Nationalism.
- These three sources of Christian believers to support the desired end state for Christian Nationalism is essential.
Looking at the data from PRRI: Data Here You can see the breakdown of the different states which have high or higher percentage of support to the cause of Christian Nationalism. What this means for us, is it allows us to narrow down to our targeted 38 states we need to achieve our objectives. While we want to be advancing on all fronts, these 38 will have the highest chance of making mounting or achievable impact on Christendom at large.
- As previously stated: "New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, California, Washington, Connecticut, and New Jersey are below the 25% general support for Christian Nationalism." What this means is that while we should try and spread the cause in all directions to all different states, these states have the lowest chance of it catching flame or finding a foundation.
- Interestingly enough however, many of these states have large concentrations of old Orthodoxy residing within them: California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey all have large amounts of Orthodox Concentrations. Data Here Sadly they are drowned out by large amounts of non-Christians within these locations. New York, Illinois, and California have large amounts of Mainline Protestant which have the highest amounts of potential pickups of those leaving the denominations after becoming super liberalized towards Orthodox/Christian Nationalists sympathetic groups. Data Here
- What this means is that while growth opportunity exists in New York, California, and Illinois we will struggle to gain and maintain a majority within the state just do to the demographic nature and the percentage game. Not that it is not worth our time, but we cannot rely on it. That said we could focus efforts in select swing districts at the local/congressional level in New York, California, and Illinois to possibly bring about pushing them towards the bubble and eroding hyper liberal power bases.
- As previously stated: "Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Arizona, Utah, Rhode Island, Delaware, Colorado, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are on the 25-29% cusp of supporting Christian Nationalism. Growth opportunity exists but could easily swing the other way.". What this means is that we would need to focus on these swing states and select at least one to focus our attention to bring it above the 30% thresh-hold for sustained and consistent push towards the cause to for fill our objectives.
- The largest concentrations of Mainline Protestant denominations and Orthodoxy residing within them is Pennsylvania, with Michigan and Wisconsin in solid second place leading the others. Arizona and Colorado are behind Michigan and Wisconsin but hold a solid base in both Mainline and Orthodoxy. Meaning it would not take much to swing Colorado and Arizona to be more inline with our stated goals that we need to achieve.
- Out of the rest, Hawaii might be the biggest outlier and most difficult to change do to geographic reasons. While a solid base for what we wish to accomplish exists, the demographics of such a place are working against us in % of population vs base. I would advocate for throwing out Hawaii and placing it into the below general support category.
- Utah is a special case. Mormons, which would best be classified as a wild card, dominate Utah politics along with other Christian denominations. Forward progress will be difficult in Utah, but it might be more of a dialogue than a genuine need for conversion/bringing Utah into alignment.
- What this means is that Delaware, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine will be the long haul in this process to round out our 38 required states to align with the Anglosphere Western Right Orthodoxy / support for Christian nationalism. Naturally Vermont and Delaware will present interesting challenges. It would require demographic changes and construction of large amounts of mission work and proselytizing. Alternatives would have to be sought for these two otherwise if needed: Viriginia and New Jersey are likely candidates given the high number of Orthodoxy or Mainline protestants vs Delaware and Vermont.
- Alabama, Alaksa, Arizonia, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware*, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey*, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah**, Vermont*, Virgina*, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
- Delaware and Vermont can be changed for New Jersey and Virgina respectively which is the reason for the call out. Utah is also a special case given its high Mormon population.
- Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona have unique opportunities with the largest growing non-white Christian Nationalists groups: Hispanics who are Evangelicals. Continued growth in this area can eventually turn all four corners into solid supporters for our socio-cultural fabric which we wish to layout. Of them, Colorado faces the most pushback but growing areas of support.
- Different regions within the 38 states are going to have to move/work in different ways to achieve our objectives. Just because a state has +30% of Christian Nationalists support already AND might traditionally thought politically as a "red" state, that does not mean they align with our core values or end state. New Mexico and Arizona are wildly different than Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Requiring different approaches to changing the views on a local level.
- The flexibility of Mainline and Evangelical Protestantism is simultaneously a blessing and a curse. The common faith shared across state borders and regions does not always align culturally or politically. One socio-cultural norm must exist. While sub-cultures are welcome, they cannot deviate from the overarching Anglosphere cultural norm which must dominate to align the whole country with our values and preserve the Republic.
As always, please let me know what you think and what can be done to improve. Is this too wordy? Is everyone able to follow along fairly well? Let me know or join the conversation!