I will not be specific as I want to remain anonymous out of fear of this being discovered by whoever is mentioned here.
As of right now, I am an autistic high schooler (with potential/undiagnosed BPD) being forced to take band and marching band by my parents. I have all A's and a perfect GPA of 4. Don't get me wrong, my parent and their current romantic partner are fine. I have a roof over my head and food on my plate. The thing is, doing band has made me miserable and I can't quit, but I don't know if it's my fault or theirs.
Right now, I am unable to quit either of these programs because my parent and their partner (I'll call them P1 and P2) literally overlook the entire program. P1 is the band director and partner. P2 is the colorguard director and my bio parent.
I've been forced to do marching band since I was 8. It's an understatement to say that I hate it. The people there are fine. It's playing the instrument and performing that really ticks me off.
I've been forced to do band class itself since 6th grade (during COVID times, you can imagine how that turned out, right?) I still hate it. In 8th, I managed to convince a legal guardian of mine to not make me sign up for band class. When I broke the news, P2 accused me and LG of "conspiring against them." But, in all honesty, after marching season was done that year, the rest of the school year was absolute bliss for me. I got work done so much faster because I never had to worry about music. I did so many personal projects on top of all my school work which I always finished in class. I made more friends not doing band. I felt so good.
Fast forward to now and I dread the upcoming HS years with a burning passion. I don't even get a full summer break as band camp stretches all through July to the beginning of school in August. 9am to 4pm days of nothing but music, and I loathe it. Playing music is my kryptonite. It's the one subject I can't wrap my head around. Math? Easy. Reading? Even easier. Hell, I'd rather write a 5 page essay every week rather than attend band camp. It just doesn't click for me like other subjects.
But my reasons fall on deaf ears. To quote P2 "You like listening to music, playing it shouldn't be any different!" (Yes, they said that. Yes, it's as stupid as it sounds.)
P2's reason of forcing me into band programs is still unclear to me. If it's because I'm a hermit, I made friends in literally any other place than the band room. In fact, I feel more ignored there even when I try to participate in conversation. With every other student, P1 is oh so friendly, laughs with them, and whatnot. But when I open my mouth all I get is a "yeah" or "ok" before they turn around and talk to the other students (which are all mostly cishet white males with the exception of two people.) I honestly just started to shut my mouth again after that. It's also not fun living with that same person.
If their reason was because band could get me a good education, I'm completely capable of that on my own. Like I said, I have a perfect GPA of 4. I'm certain I can do almost anything. And yes, there are a multitude of things I would absolutely persue if band didn't take up my time. Art is my specialty. I've been practicing since a very young age and I've become quite decent at it. Writing is another passion. If neither of those work out, I want to do Psychology, science, or learn computer science, coding, and game design.
At this point I'm directed to think P1 is forcing this onto my because my older sibling also did band, but we're two completely different people. I'm not made for band.
If anything, it stresses me out more. It takes me weeks, at worst a month to even learn the music I'm presented with, and most of that time is spent procrastinating because I really can't bring myself to do it. If it has notes, I have to write each letter down or else I'll never ever learn it.
I feel like I'm justified for hating this program the way I do, but I can't tell if I do or if it's just my attitude. Am I in the wrong? If I'm not, what do I do in a situation like this? Telling a counselor most likely wouldn't help because is most likely they won't do anything because of P1, and it's not like the drama will end when I go home. I'll most likely get betrayed by P2 (and I've had enough of that for a lifetime.)
AITAH?

This is the loneliest I've EVER felt
I deal with depression. We go waaaay back. In middle school, I juggled bouts of sadness and depression. It's been there for a looooong ass time, just outta sight but always within reach. Well, I'm within its reach. There's definitely a difference. I am never reaching for depression. I never desire the weeks alone, mired in negativity, absorbed by scenarios of self-destruction. No one wants that. Nobody.
Throughout life, I've taken great care to cultivate a circle that prevents the feelings of depression. In high school, I sought homies with "bigger" issues. It was easier to talk with them, grind with them, get lost in their quest for ways out of "da hood". There was a fight in each of them. Each homie had a plan to get out. Often, their plans coincided with each other and shit hit a fan. None of that scared me. Rolling with them kept me from loneliness, abandonment, crazy thoughts and real nightmares.
After high school, I jumped from college to college. Each stop was short as I dove into criminal activities. Sure, marijuana was an element, a motivation of my poor judgment because I didn't know any other route to achieve it. Rolling with young people, smoking marijuana, getting wasted was a basic lifestyle of college, any and every college. In high school, I knew those faces, locations, prices, and strength of marijuana. In high school, I knew where to go for alcohol, I limited myself because the threat of my parents discovering my actions shamed me. In college, all that was removed. I rolled with new people, took new risks and did my best to hide the darkness from whoever was around. The results should've been tragic. Hell, I expected tragic results as I continued taking risks with people I barely knew. Besides poor grades and crappy attendance, I earned legal troubles at 2 of my 1st 3 universities. The 3rd was such a close call that I left on my own.
Depression stalked me from high school to college. I graduated, got married, had kids, bought a house, did yard work, hosted Bar-B-Qs and tried to deal with depression without marijuana. I banked on binge drinking and having as much fun as possible. It worked! The activities and responsibilities of marriage and parenting shielded me. I could go months without saddling my mental health to the darkness. I built a wall around my family life, determined to lock this busier, happier version of myself with the growing family. Doing this presented unique challenges and I conquered them all.
Theeeeeen, I'm struck with Multiple Sclerosis. The disease is the slowest form of death. First, the truth of the disease litters imagination and thoughts with negativity. The truth is there is no cure. The truth disables its victims. The truth affects perspective, relationships, and an individual's potential. Each of these essential elements of human existence are directly related to depression, abandonment, and loneliness.
The loneliness of Multiple Sclerosis starts with physically being alone. As symptoms multiply, gaining strengths, the opportunities to be with others dwindle. People come over with full intentions to kick it with you but the group literally moves too much, back and forth, inside and outside, porch and garage, it wears me out. I feel like I farted in the room when I mentioned the movement. There's less talking as people act as if anything they say or do may upset me. rolls eyes That’s when loneliness intensifies. I'm surrounded by friends and family but I'm truly alone. This happens more often than not, injecting me with replays. Even as I write this, it stings. It's a reminder that I'm alone. People give an honest effort; I recognize that, I'm grateful. But, I'm alone. I'm constantly accepting the genuine effort and it feels like I'm sacrificing myself for whatever they offer. That digs the loneliness further in my spirit. This is the loneliest I've ever felt.
On a regular basis, I suffocate on the presence of people I can't talk to. They leave their shoes, purses, bags and everything in the most inconvenient places. Always somewhere that makes my movement more restricted. My cups and plates are nestled at the back of cabinets, food at the top of the refrigerator. I stretch myself in dangerous positions to reach them. Conversations are awkward as people reminisce about activities and events that I can no longer participate in. Vacations, celebrations, nights out, road trips are planned. Rarely am I included because I require disability bars and key wheelchair-accessible accommodations. I overstand why I'm left out and don't fault anyone but still, I'm scrapping for survival. I don't want to ruin everyone else's good time by dragging my limitations into happy talks and well-deserved excursions. My perspective defines the beautiful side of ugly.
This is the loneliest I've EVER felt.

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/OpiumKao posting in AmITheJerk
Concluded as per OOP
2 updates - Long
Original - 276th May 2024
Update1 - 28th May 2024
Update2 - 31st May 2024
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Would I would be the jerk if I chose a opportunity over my church?
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I (20F) have played cello since I was in 6th grade. I am generally good at it to say the least but average since I'm better at acedamics and art than playing my cello. My parents are very religious and we live in a a town a little bit away from a city.
Cause of some stupid reasons, I am the only cello still willing to work ar our church. I get played but I only get payed $12 for a 3 sometimes 4 hour performance. While I was practicing some art my friend (21M) called me, and said that a new place in our town was opening up and they needed a second teacher for the cello classes. I immediately went over and have been working there for a little over a month. While there the small school's principal managed to get my class a place in a orchestra concert in the city. It wasn't in the center just at the edge but my students were really excited. When we arrived. I played with my students a little bit for practice. The concert had went really well and I really enjoyed it.
Due to this. A man around 40 had walked up to me after the concert. He said he had heard me playing with my students and asked if I could play in a huge orchestra in around the center of the city. I was really interested since this could get good opportunities in both art and cello.
There is a bit of problem though. My parents had asked me before if I could play at my church on the same day of the concert ant at a uncomfortable amount of time gap. I didn't agree to it and said I would think about it. But now I really am concerned. I care about my parents and I enjoy my church. But I will get good opportunities at the big concert and they are willing to pay me $20 and hour if I play and help set up.
The problem with the church concert is that it will be 3 hours long and they actually are only going to pay me $15 for setting up AND playing the 3 hours which I am not very comfortable with.
So? Would I be the jerk if I chose an opportunity over my church?
TLDR; I got a good opportunity to play in a concert in around the center of the city. But on the same day is my church's concert. The concert is willing to pay $20 an hour for my troubles. While my church is going to only pay me $15 for setting up AND playing the 3 hours.
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Comments
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maroongrad
Church is taking advantage of you and I'm sure you're not rolling in money. The church will survive without a cello player.
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madogvelkor
Yeah. And a lot of people play/sing for free or cheap at their church for personal reasons. My grandfather wasn't even really Catholic but he sang in the choir and my grandmother (who was devout Catholic) played the organ. He hated church but loved singing church music.
That said, it's about personal choice. If you need the money and aren't just playing for your own love of the music then go for the orchestra.

OOP: I just have to say wow. I know its only been a couple hours. But I just have to thank you all for the advice. I have constantly been looking through your comments and I may reply to some. Not all. But definitely Atleast 10. So thank you for your support.
Edit: I'm going to tell them. I don't know how they will react but I am. The concert is on Sunday so this will be kinda in advance. I really do feel bad about it though

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Update - 1 day later
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A couple hours earlier I told my parents. To say my mom was angry was on understatement. She yelled and screamed at me that she had already told the church that I was going to play at the church. And they needed me there. I reminded her about what I said before when she asked. When my mom figured out I wasn't going to change my mind, she threatened to take my devices. Like seriously? I may for them. I reminded her that. But she didn't care. She continued screaming until she reached my room and started grabbing my phone. Art tablet. Laptop. PS5. EVERYTHING.
While doing so my dad joined in on my mom's side and told me I was making them look bad to the church. Before she even walked out the room. I started calling my dad's parents. Telling them what going on. While my mom was still screaming and yelling while taking my stuff into her room telling me I'm not getting them back until our next concert. Which was literally a week away. My paternal grandfather entered our house with his spare key and started screaming and my mom to put my stuff back in my room before he takes HER phone.
My mother, being the always scared of my grandfather person that she is. She put all my stuff in my room, but before she could. He told her to put my stuff in his truck. Which she had to do all by herself. My dad was forced to apologize to me and then my mother. It was obviously 1/2-hearted but I was just pleased they were forced to apologize.
I am currently at my grandparents place, and the reason this happened so late is cause I went on a shopping spree with my grandmother and her friends. They are the sweetest ladies ever. And I had alot of fun. I even able to buy another music piece its a little simple for my liking but I like the beat.
Just a quick update. We just got back and my grandparents are downstairs drinking and stuff, talking about their youthful days. My grandfather said feel free to take his truck to a friends place. So I'm about to do that after the post. Thanks for the support from the last post everyone 💓 thank you
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Comments
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LeekNeat9525
Good on you OP for not backing down for this amazing opportunity, and I hope the orchestra works out for you!
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lululululululululi
Ditto and true delight to hear that your grandparents are awesome
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Update - 2 days later
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My parents are insane. Alot has happened so bare with me.
The day after my post I got a call for the man I the opportunity with, he sounded pissed. He asked if I was a minor. But first I asked how he got my number. He told me he got a call from my parents saying that I am a minor and as their guardian they will not allow me to play in the orchestra. As a side note. I am 20F, but due to genetics I look like around 16-17.
I told him I am not a minor but he seemed to believe my parents over me and he sent me a screenshot of my birth certificate... Those crazy people gave them a fake certificate that made it look like I was 16. He said due to no minors being allowed in the orchestra, my seat will be removed only if I can verify if I am not a minor.
I tried to convince him with my ID but he said that my parents told him I would show them a fake ID and I will be getting removed from the orchestra and he hung up.
Me. In tears, told my grandparents and they were not happy. Especially my grandmother. Another side note, my grandmother's mother was a cello player, but due to a accident she died when she was 29. So to find out I couldn't play my instrument anymore in this orchestra she was beyond to the point SHE ACTUALLY DRIVED. My grandmother rarely drives.
After the drive my grandmother had a screaming match with both my parents while my grandfather went to the place of the orchestra to get me verified for my seat again. I was a mess the whole way. We managed after 3 hours to get me verified but by then when we got back my grandmother was chewing out my dad and mom while they sat quietly.
The next day was the most satisfying thing I've ever felt
I found out my parents will be taking me out their will. The will that my GRANDPARENTS practically control since my grandparents pay half their bills. A couple minutes after. My grandparents called them and them that if they take me out their will, they will remove my dad out their will and give all the assets to me including the will they will already planning to give me, which was already a lump some of money and some rent houses they own.
My parents are trying to hold their ground, but a couple hours later they said they will also not be paying the bills they have been paying.
Then finally after those two threats. They are still trying to hold their ground. My grandparents have two other children, both daughters and older than my father, so I'm not surprised if they instead give them the assets instead of me.
My father called my two hours ago and called me a failure to my family and their church. Personally I thought that would hurt. But I didn't feel much. More like?... Relief! I felt so RELIEVED! I never felt this way before and I might actually ask them to disown me. I'm sick and tired of their trash and how many things I have done for that church and STILL be underpaid!
Hopefully this will be my last update but ask questions in the comments and I may answer. I just want to get this behind me.
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Comments
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LibraryMouse4321
Anyone who chooses the church over their children is a huge AH and doesn’t deserve children. Your parents are awful and if they were mine, I wouldn’t want anything to do with them.
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ProfessionSanity
Yep, the whole "Thy shalt not bear false witness" flew right over their heads.
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Scruffersdad
I love your grandparents! And go you! I’m glad you’ll get to play in the orchestra anyway.
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I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP.
Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments

If I see people I know outside, I either open an app on my phone to seem busy or cross the street. If I see people I know at the store and I'm with family, I look at the floor on the opposite side of where they are until they are out of sight. If I'm alone, I take a different path to where I need to go. I go home for my school lunch period because it's an 8 minute walk. I haven't been to any school field trip since 7th grade (pandemic hit during my 8th grade year) and no special school event since 3rd grade. Okay I'm gonna stop before I start crying lmao
So how do you guys evade social interactions? It's always interesting to hear from other introverts

As the title says, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald completely tampers with my feelings and emotions regarding it's story, and I wanted to talk about it to see if anybody felt similarly.
Like most American high schoolers, I was required to read the book and watch the movie for my 11th grade English class. Now I usually enjoy English class and the books my school has to offer generally pique my interest, but something was incredibly off about this one in particular. My English teacher, who absolutely loves having me as a student, said it would be the best book we would read out of all four of our high school years, so hearing that you can imagine I was immediately intrigued. It seems like me and my teacher both usually enjoy the stories we read together when having graded discussions on the story because she will chime in every so often, but this time it felt like I was sort of taking a backseat. I also remember the second I picked up the book after it was passed out, it looked like a short, underwhelming piece with a cover that added to my disinterest even more with how confusing it appeared.
Fitzgerald's writing style quickly pushed me away from the story early into the book, especially since there are a good portion of events that don't necessarily appear meaningful in the grand scheme of the story. And that's not to mention the amount of commas Fitzgerald uses in his writing. Many lines in this book were a mouthful. By the time I got to the end of the novel, this feeling didn't change at all, really. It felt like I just read about a group of rich people involved in a love triangle and doing rich people things for 150 pages, and then someone dies and the rich people get upset at each other.
The day after our class final for the novel, we were all asked to take our books out to return them to the teacher. She didn't collect them immediately, though. She was reading emails at her desk or something along those lines. But anyway, it randomly came to me that I hadn't even tried to ever figure out what the purpose of the cover art was in the last 3 weeks I had spent reading between it. The green stroke doubling as both a teardrop and the light, the abstract flashing lights among the city skyline, the eyes and lips forming the face that could portray probably several different characters in the novel, the naked women curled up inside the eyes. What first looked like a jumble of contemporary mess seemed to transform its portrayal into a beautiful piece of calculated harmony. “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” now seemed to describe this perfectly. Apparently, the cover artist, Francis Cugat, made the artwork before the novel was finished. This honestly makes so much sense that Fitzgerald could have been sparked by the piece, too.
After finishing both the book and more recently the movie, the more I catch myself thinking about its story elements the fonder I find myself growing to it. Even though the movie has definitely helped me grasp a further understanding of Fitzgerald's vision, I also want to say that after watching the movie I realize the book also without a doubt stands on its own, especially due to its attention to detail and charming individuality. It's hard to explain, but I see it as this piece of literature that is simply just life. Love, regret, despair, etc. It all seems so typical for a story at first. A bunch of rich people in the 1920s going through immature romantic and platonic issues? Sure, it sounds like you could rather watch paint dry., but every character is so beautifully crafted to represent us: the reader. Even Gatsby himself isn’t over the top likable as a protagonist, exemplifying the complicatedness of the human brain in moral dilemmas. But what I take Fitzgerald ultimately seeks to convey is that all these rich and extravagant facades in life will never cover up the fact that we are all just regular people with regular emotions and tendencies. In this way the book is absolutely timeless.
Of course, I feel like I've gone so far in depth in this post that I would be doing the work injustice if I didn't talk more about the mark this novel etches into my brain. "'Can't Repeat the Past? Why, of Course You Can!'”, "...and the holocaust was complete", and “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” are all brilliant lines that are extremely memorable. And sort of extra: the movie's hip hop heavy soundtrack to parallel modern hip hop to jazz of the 1920's is genius, and Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful" makes me cry literally so much to the point where I have to avoid listening to it like the plague. Everything put into this work represents the meaning of the story itself perfectly: extravagant and lavish yet simple and grounding.
P.S. Thank you Francis Cugat.
TL;DR: I wasn't too fond of it at first, but The Great Gatsby has significantly grown on me since I first picked up the novel.

I remember watching a show in my art class in 3rd or 4th grade that featured many artists. The episode we were shown was about Van Gogh. I remember it as a more cartoony style, and I distinctly remember the episode with Van Gogh saying he "shot himself in the chest with a revolver".

https://www.northumbriangames.com/post/of-orcs-and-ai

Made vs. Created and the Nature of Orcs

J.R.R. Tolkien's stories are deeply rooted in Thomistic metaphysics and Christian theology, where the distinction between "made" and "created" is pivotal. This distinction underscores the nature of goodness, creation, corruption, and the intrinsic limitations of evil. The dichotomy between making and creating is most vividly illustrated through the origins and nature of orcs, the monstrous foot soldiers of Middle-earth's dark lords.

Creation: The Divine Act

In Tolkien's world, true creation, or creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing), is the exclusive province of Eru Ilúvatar, the supreme deity. This act of creation involves bringing something into existence that possesses the Flame Imperishable (or the Secret Fire), which grants true life, free will, and inherent goodness. Beings created by Eru Ilúvatar, such as the Ainur (angelic beings), elves, and men, are imbued with this divine spark, making them fundamentally good and capable of independent existence and moral choice.
From The Silmarillion:

"Therefore Ilúvatar may not only send forth the Flame Imperishable into the Void, but he may also bestow it to others, who may then sub-create, though only as permitted by Ilúvatar"​​.

Making: The Act of Sub-creation

In contrast, the Valar and other beings can engage in making or sub-creation, which involves shaping or manipulating pre-existing matter. They cannot infuse these creations with the Flame Imperishable. A notable example is Aulë, one of the Valar, who crafted the Dwarves. Initially, these beings were mere automatons, moving only according to Aulë's thoughts. It was only when Eru Ilúvatar chose to bestow them with the Flame Imperishable that the Dwarves gained true life and independence. This story illustrates the fundamental difference between divine creation and sub-creation: the former grants true life and free will, while the latter lacks these essential qualities until blessed by Eru. Tolkien clarifies this distinction in his letters:

"They [the Valar] shared in [the World’s] 'making'—but only on the same terms as we 'make' a work of art or story. The realization of it, the gift to it of a created reality of the same grade as their own, was the act of the One God"​​.

Orcs: The Corruption of Creation

The origin of orcs in Tolkien’s mythos serves as a poignant example of the difference between making and creating. According to various writings, orcs were not created by Morgoth or Sauron but were made by corrupting pre-existing beings. In "The Silmarillion," it is suggested that orcs were originally elves who were captured, tortured, and perverted by Morgoth's malevolent influence. This corruption transformed them into beings of evil, stripped of their original grace and beauty. In Morgoth's Ring we find:

"It became clear in time that undoubted Men could under the domination of Morgoth or his agents in a few generations be reduced almost to the Orc-level of mind and habits; and then they would or could be made to mate with Orcs, producing new breeds, often larger and more cunning. There is no doubt that long afterwards, in the Third Age, Saruman rediscovered this, or learned of it in lore, and in his lust for mastery committed this, his wickedest deed: the interbreeding of Orcs and Men, producing both Men-orcs large and cunning, and Orc-men treacherous and vile."​​.

Tolkien emphasizes that orcs, though rational and capable of independent thought, lack the divine spark of the Flame Imperishable. This absence signifies that while Morgoth could mar and twist the creations of Eru, he could not create life himself. In Flame Imperishable, Tolkien is quoted as saying:

"Treebeard does not say that the Dark Lord 'created' Trolls and Orcs. He says he 'made' them in counterfeit of certain creatures pre-existing. There is, to me, a wide gulf between the two statements"​​.

Essence
Elves: Created with inherent goodness and free will. Their essence is tied to beauty, longevity, and a deep connection to nature and creation.
Men: Created with inherent goodness and free will. Their essence includes mortality, adaptability, and a dynamic nature.
Orcs: Originally, corrupted elves or men, or made from slime and heat, the essence has been radically distorted and corrupted by evil. Their essence now reflects malevolence, subservience, and a perversion of their original nature.
Existence
Elves: Given existence by Eru Ilúvatar, independent and autonomous. Their being is fully realized with a true purpose aligned with their essence.
Men: Given existence by Eru Ilúvatar, independent and autonomous. Their being is dynamic, capable of growth, and change, and is fully realized.
Orcs: Their existence is subjugated to the will of their corrupt masters (Morgoth or Sauron). While they have real, physical existence, it is dependent on the malevolent forces that control them.
Autonomy
Elves: High degree of moral autonomy, capable of making independent choices and pursuing their own paths.
Men: High degree of moral autonomy, capable of making independent choices and pursuing their own paths.
Orcs: Almost entirely controlled by their evil masters, reflecting their corrupted essence and dependent existence.
Connection to Eru
Elves: Directly created by Eru with the Flame Imperishable, giving them true life and free will.
Men: Directly created by Eru with the Flame Imperishable, giving them true life and free will.
Orcs: Not created by Eru but rather made by corrupting pre-existing beings or materials. They lack the Flame Imperishable, highlighting their dependent and perverted nature.
Philosophical Implication
Elves: Represent the ideal of Tolkien's metaphysical and theological views, embodying true creation and the perfect blend of essence and existence.
Men: Embody the dynamic and adaptable nature of true creation with a perfect blend of essence and existence, according to Aquinas's philosophy.
Orcs: Serve as an example of how essence and existence can be corrupted and diminished by evil. Their existence is real but heavily dependent and perverted, lacking true autonomy and the Flame Imperishable.

Philosophical and Theological Implications

The distinction between made and created has profound implications in Tolkien’s universe. It aligns with Christian theology, reflecting the belief in a singular, omnipotent Creator who alone can grant true life. This distinction underscores the inherent limitations of evil: it is parasitic, relying on the corruption of what is good rather than generating new existence.
Orcs epitomize this concept. They are beings made through corruption, reflecting the perversion of creation. Their existence as fundamentally corrupted creatures illustrates the limits of Morgoth’s and Sauron’s power. They can induce suffering and manipulate life, but they cannot originate a true life that burns with the Flame Imperishable. This underscores a central theme in Tolkien’s works: the resilience of good and the ultimate impotence of evil to truly create.

On Artificial Intelligence

This leads us to Artificial Intelligence. Modern large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence systems, despite their sophisticated capabilities, are constructs without true volition or understanding. Basically, an LLM is an advanced version of autocomplete. These systems operate on vast datasets and algorithms designed to predict and generate human-like text (or audio or images), but they lack genuine consciousness, intent, and moral agency. Unlike beings created with the divine spark in Tolkien's world, LLMs do not possess free will or intrinsic purpose; they are tools made by humans to process and mimic patterns. Some commentators have even referred to AI as an alien intelligence, a ~shoggoth with a human face~, meaning that while the text may look humanlike, in reality, it originated not from a human but from an unknowable, formless alien process, which is the LLM.

"Well, we're fooled by their fluency, right? We just assume that if a system is fluent in manipulating language, then it has all the characteristics of human intelligence. But that impression is false." --Yann Lecun​​ on the Lex Fridman podcast #416

The outputs of an LLM are determined not by experience, education, and emotion but by the data and programming they receive, reflecting the biases and limitations inherent in their design. This underscores the crucial distinction between artificial constructs and beings endowed with the Flame Imperishable, with true life and volition. Parents, for instance, should think carefully about giving a child unbridled access to an LLM which has no discernible ethics. The AI is a soulless, thoughtless machine built by human researchers, much like an orc is designed by Sauron simply to act as an instrument of his evil desires. The ethical and philosophical results of deploying such constructs into our society is staggering indeed.

The AI is only the Tool of the Maker

Of course, while the analogy between LLMs and Orcs highlights the artificial nature and purpose-driven creation of both, there are clear and fundamental differences in moral intent and potential for ethical use. LLMs are not (as far as we know) inherently evil constructs. They seem to be neutral tools that reflect the intentions of their creators and users. As such, the focus should be on ensuring that AI development and deployment are guided by ethical principles to maximize their benefits and minimize potential harm. That said, as with social media, we may come to regret the technology and wish to fling it back into Mordor's fire.

Conclusion

Tolkien's distinction between made and created is a metaphysical aspect of Middle Earth. It emphasizes the unique power of Eru Ilúvatar's true creation and the corruptive nature of evil. The orcs symbolize this dichotomy, illustrating how evil can distort but not create. This concept resonates in modern large language models and AI systems, which lack genuine consciousness and moral agency despite their advanced capabilities. Orcs and contemporary LLMs demonstrate the ethical implications of using such technologies and serve to enrich the philosophical depth of Tolkien's work.

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Probably an educational game for grade school children.
Estimated year of release: 1996-2003
Graphics/art style: ??
Notable characters: ??
Notable gameplay mechanics: ??
Other details: I listened to "You can call me Al" by Paul Simon today, and the part of the song with the brassy backing really reminded me of a game that I cannot remember. Specifically this clip plays the sound I remember being in a game I played as a kid: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxysGNaTgZ89PVjLZbC1lqaZPdy4ECvtwJ?si=01AOORmvEfP0j4LG My brother remembers it as well, but his guess of Reader Rabbit's Math Ages 6-9 isn't it; I can't find the music in the playthrough I linked here. We played a lot of Learning Company, and in general mostly educational games. Sorry if this isn't enough to go off of, I just know I remember that music (or something very similar) from a game, and would love to remember what it is.
Thanks in advance!

(kind of a rant, kind of a confession. I didn’t know where to put it so I put it here. FYI, this is very long and it’s not funny like my other posts, but it is heartfelt and meaningful and I desperately want somebody to hear me.)
I suck at video games, there’s only a few games I can actually play. I can play Skyrim. I tried playing Oblivion and I gave up after 15 minutes because it was too complicated. I started playing it because my cousin liked it and I wanted to understand him.
I can play certain titles of Legend of Zelda; Ocarina, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. But the minute I picked up Majora‘s Mask I tried for two days and couldn’t get past the second boss. My brothers played these games when I was a kid and I wanted to at least relate to them about something as an adult. I figured if I struggle through Zelda game, they could guide me through it and we could start talking.
The only board game that I truly enjoy is Settlers of Catan, and the only reason I enjoy it is because I actually know how to play it. I have learned how to play Castles. My entire family loves playing board games for hours and hours and hours and hours on end, so if I want to connect to them, I have to learn board games.
I’m also pretty sick at checkers…although I lose to my nine-year-old nephew very frequently (he’s very nice to me about it, he also likes to help me with algebra). I don’t mind checkers because my nephew is so much fun to play with and absolutely adorable. (Me: * genuinely trying my hardest and I lose again*. Him: “It’s OK auntie I’ll play for you next time!” Me: “… but we’re playing together.” Him: “ I know I’ll move your pieces for you but you’ll still be playing your side.”)
I can play poker .. JK no I can’t. I played it for a couple weeks one summer with my coworkers in my early 20s. I had some good memories with my coworkers sitting in the shade outside for four hours every afternoon, just playing poker and cracking jokes. But after that summer I never played it again until last summer when my brother and I had a rare moment of connection when he tried to teach it to me and I played dumb because I just was so happy to be sitting and talking with him without a screen between us and just wanted to prolong the moment.
So I’m gonna learn poker. I want to play with my brother.
In middle school I thought I could take a shot of playing basketball because I’m tall. My coach thought I would be a natural. The only thing I’m natural at is being clumsy. (Imagine that 6 feet tall in seventh grade and the worst player in the B team). Plus all the girls on the team were the popular tough girls and I was definitely not that. I tried again with the softball team, which was slightly better because I was forever in the left field and I never touched the ball. I actually had a couple good times with that, because the team girls were actually fun.
I think my parents thought that I just needed a confidence boost so they signed me up for the churches summer water ski team. Five years. It was absolute torture. I got up the first time that I skied and then fell over. Because the water scared me and I didn’t wanna do it. I refused to get up on the skis for the next five years, but my mother still forced me to do it thinking that I just needed to try harder. My parents both believed in the “throw the kid in the water to teach them how to swim” method of teaching, but for some reason that didn’t work with me like it did my brothers. They found me annoying, stubborn and baffling. I didn’t relate to any of the people there because they were all different than me, plus my two popular brothers either ignored or bullied the fuck out of me to make themselves look good , and I only got along with the few “slutty, poor non-Church kids” that were sponsored on the team 🤣.
I’ve tried watching football and hockey and baseball and basketball and golf with my roommates and all I do is just talk the entire time and piss them off so I end up staying in the basement like a troll. Because I don’t get it. Why are we watching this?
My sister-in-law who is a popular book smart blonde pretty girl from the country tried to “cure me” of my disdain for sports by forcing me to sit down and watch the Super Bowl with her 10 years ago. She never tried again.
I live in Minnesota and people talk about the twins games, and my roommate took me to the twins game a couple months ago … I enjoyed it because it’s a new experience and it’s a very nice arena. Still, Kind of boring though. I ended up cracking jokes the entire game to pass the time. I randomly ran into a friend of mine though so that was OK. But I do think my roommate was kind of annoyed. Apparently, I talk too much. The only reason I went is because I feel like I need to try and connect more with my roommate. (And also to check out the players butts (God bless baseball pants).)
You get it right you see what I’m trying to say here? Competition in general just is not my thing. I don’t feel competitive. I don’t like competing. I think it’s pointless and stupid. I don’t see the point of trying to learn a game for no reason. It’s a waste of time unless the goal is social togetherness and closeness, but so far in my experience, the only thing that’s accomplished socially is rage and hats being thrown on the grass, fights happening left and right. The only other reason competition is OK is if you’re trying to save somebody or you have to accomplish a job.
So for me, I like to sit around and talk to people, but I’m socially awkward because of the family I grew up in so I feel like I’m learning how to talk again. I find that I desperately need my introvert time simply because of the way I was raised, even though I’m naturally an extrovert. But a lot of people find me to be too much. That’s why I love crazy wild insane people who don’t fit in. I understand them. I’m comfortable around the ones that nobody else understands. I see the ones people don’t want. I serve the ones the world looks over. I find it’s possible to relate to the ones everyone else says is impossible to relate to.
I also am the one who is always doing whatever everybody else wants to do in order to just relate to them because sometimes conversations are difficult for me because I’m not interested in most stuff that other people are interested in. I’m only interested in the arts really. I always thought I was autistic because of this, but I don’t think I am. I’m getting tested on Tuesday lol.
(honestly if the test results come back and I turned out to be autistic, it’s not gonna comfort me. I’m going to cry for days. I’ve worked so hard to fit in, but I’ve never belonged. It would be just a confirmation that I’m just an incurable weirdo like I was told my whole life).
But just once I would like to stop being that person whom is always reaching out and doing whatever everybody else wants. You know what I like to do? I like to dance. I want somebody to go to the club with me. I like to entertain on stage and perform for people. I like to teach and help guide young people and those with special needs. Even though the entertainment industry is going down the drain and movies are no longer special…I still love the idea of making movies. I have stories to tell. I like to go to the art museum and just walk around for the entire day and draw. I like studying psychology, anthropology, and religion. I believe strongly in women’s rights, and think that it’s important to raise up the poor and marginalized. I want to go to the homeless shelter and serve there. I fucking fucking fucking love writing stories, and want to draw a graphic novel someday. I want to teach kids how to make art write their stories, and bridge gaps between the disciplines, especially the ones with sports and art. I’m passionate about teaching people to relate to each other instead of bullying each other.
Siderant: I have deep compassion for those with special needs because they are so ignored by so many people. They’re so so so so so DEEPLY valuable to the health of a society. So incredibly valuable. I’ve seen crime people give up murderous intentions for the sake of caring for somebody with special needs. I’ve seen shy people come out of their shells because somebody with special needs brought it out of them. I’ve seen broken people heal through service and relationships with people with special needs. I’ve seen arrogant and proud people humble themselves through loving and serving somebody with special needs, and I’ve seen humble people build up their confidence and strength by working and loving those special needs. I’ve seen self-conscious high school students go from ignoring and mocking the sped kids to becoming selfless and hard-working friends with them. Service of sped people can literally cure wars, I work in a gang-ridden ghetto community and I’ve seen it firsthand. They honestly should be at the forefront of much of society. Not greed and money and power. The people who no one else wants to see needs to be the ones everyone sees. I really really, really believe that.
But how many people want to do what I want to do I’ve always had to do what they want. I don’t really know how to do human.

highest grade is 100 (A). everyone gets 100 in physical education and art.
native language: 95 (A) history: 94 (A-) music: 90 (A-) religious studies: 95 (A) computer: 81 (B-) science: 87 (B+) physical education: 100 (A) literature: 99 (A) art: 100 (A) calculus: 88 (B+)
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Im currently a substitute & am at an assignment for a week. I know it isn’t long. I had a student (4th grade) who was physically fighting in class, saying/making inappropriate sounds & getting other students (primarily the special Ed students that join the class for part of the day) to do the same sounds such as moaning saying “Daddy” loudly in a moaning/sexual way. He was also not listening & was faking “stabbing” students saying “shank shank” as he chased them with pencils, running around lifting chairs & chasing people…really doing the most. He was sent to the office, then another classroom then he was sent back. He would still not listen still & I had a week ahead of me with this behavior. I wasn’t able to send a message to the teacher as I only had their school messenger account which was offline & I was hesitant to begin with as their absence was due to a family emergency (I believe their parent passed/was in the process of passing). This is where I think I messed up, I sent a letter home about the behavior (listed it) & said that I hope we can have a better week to come. My district hasn’t told me anything about not contacting parents, but I fear I overstepped as the teacher stated she would call parents if any behavior issues occurred but I couldn’t have this everyday for a week ESPECIALLY if she was negatively influencing other students. This is only my 3rd year as a sub & my 1st yr in a new district. My first 2 yrs were as a long term position so I had to act like a full time teacher so I guess I got use to contacting parents. I fear I have really messed up. Any tips? Should I talk to someone or should I just see what happens? I feel so bad that I may have been to harsh. I also don’t know these parents so I’m unsure if this is going to be an issue. I feel awful & so stressed.
Here is what the letter said to the best of my memory: Hello, we had a rough day today with (Student’s) behavior. He was (listed behavior) & was sent to the office but unfortunately that didn’t help. I hope we can have a better week next week. -Sub
Edit to include more details

im in a dumb mood rn and will probably delete this once i snap out of it.
i am so tired of my mom not taking me seriously i feel like i missed out on my childhood becuase i've been fighting mental health struggles the whole time, kept thinking that everything was MY fault, that i was a BAD kid, that i was just born evil (lol fitting to this sub tho). im turning 18 this month and im so scared i wont be able to work and get a job like a normal person becuase i dont know how to interact with people properly and i have a difficult time understanding and following instructions. ik it's a bit off topic but i also suspect i have adhd, but ofc my mom wont get me diagnosed for anything even though she KNOWS i have autism, she's said before that she doesn't want to take care of "special" kids, yet she would TELL me i'm likely autistic whenever i have meltdowns (usually in sort of a degradatory way, sadly). my meltdowns are very extreme, i can become physically aggressive and self harming. yet when i mentioned ONCE that i thought i MIGHT possibly have adhd, she basically just mocked me for months afterwards. (oh and also!! im a type 1 diabetic and apparently we have a higher risk of adhd, as well as there being links found between autism and autoimmune disorders, ITS SO OBVIOUS I DONT KNOW WHY MY MOM WONT LISTEN ITS SO STUPID-).
without getting a diagnoses i cant get the help i need and everything just gets worse and my mental health gets worse, and i try to get it back up but it always seems to fall back. (to put in perspective how bad it's gotten, i have a tendency to become suicidal. atm its not... AS bad as it's been but its not great either.)
im trying to get my drivers license right now, yet im struggling just to get past the test for the learners permit and i know its unrealistic but im scared im going to be stuck here with her forever without ever getting access to the help...
i also dont have any friends IRL. none. i have my sister, but she is in the same situation as me and also struggles with learning disabilities of her own (shes a year and a half younger). I have two people online i consider to be close friends but they live in a whole separate state, i feel so freaking alone, i've homeschool since after 3rd grade and i think being alone so long since then has contributed to my mental health declining and anxiety in social situations. i dont know what to do i feel trapped.
and on top of all that !!! shes very homophobic and transphobic. yippee. :/
anyways. dumb vent over. i dont think any advice can really help me right now i just want to see my mom get yelled at tbh.

Plans to transfer to NU Manila.
Hello po! May concerns po ako regarding sa pag t-transfer sa NU Manila. I'm a first year college student po from PUP, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (OPEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM). Originally from UE, College of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. I transferred from UE to PUP nung nag email sila sa akin na isa ako sa mga waitlisted and due to enroll in the middle of august. Since walang tuition fee I thought na it was an opportunity but then my negligence and ignorance led me here sa OUS. Additional story time, so nung nandoon ako sa campus ng PUP ready to enroll nakita ko na may mga ino offer pa sila na traditional pero none of them are related to accountancy, management accounting, or even financial management. Yung mga natirang courses is hindi ko talaga gusto, arts, philosophy, etc. So umalis ako sa campus (Pinasa ko yung documents sa traditional nun pero na fix nung bumalik ako) bumalik ako to enroll pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang Open University so I went to enroll sa department na 'yon which would lead to my biggest regret because sa thought ko na "Sige, enroll na ako makakapag switch naman ako next year." However, since negligent ako before. Nalaman ko lang na bawal mag switch to other departments nung nagklase kami online. After that sobrang nagsisi ako afterwards even now depressed ako but I don't really care about my mental health right now so if kaya niyo po ako tulungan or if may alam po kayo na need ko gawin sobrang ma a-appreciate ko iyon thanks po!

1. First, documents. Yung tapos ng school year namin sa tapos ng klase namin is July 12. I went to the registrar sa college department namin and they told me na maibibigay lang ang mga necessary documents such as: Honorable Dismissal(Transfer Credential), Good Moral, Transcript of Records, etc. Pagkatapos mabigay lahat ng grades, so even though tapos na klase ng July 12. Hinding-hindi ako makakapag file ng request unless mabigay lahat ng grades and mataas concern ko since mabagal mag grade ang ibang professors sa amin

Dahil sa previous experience ko, natapos ang class namin last semester February 09-11 and naibigay lahat ng grades march 01-03. And nung tumawag ako sa campus ng NU, I think early august ang pasukan nila and I am heavily concerned kasi ang processing time ng specific documents that I mentioned variues. 15-30 days at most. AND YOU CAN ONLY REQUEST 1 DOCUMENT AT A TIME. SO I WAS HOPING TO KNOW IF MAGIGING LENIENT SILA SA TAONG TULAD KO NA NAGHIHIRAP HUHUHUHUHU>>>>>>
Bali if lenient sila sa late passing ng documents

1. Magiging irregular ba ako if kunyare babalik ako sa BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ACCOUNTANCY if I am currently taking Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management (OUS)?
   
2. May entrance exam po ba ako na it-take and magiging limited po ba ang slots for transferees depending sa department ng course na lilipatan ko?
   
3. May chance ba na tanggapin nila ako dahil sa department and course na pinili ko sa current school ko?
   

Yes po tumawag na po ako sa NU and ang vague ng pagsagot nila sa akin so I plan to go sa NU Manila tomorrow.
Thank you po in advance sa mga sasagot!!!

I am a 16 year old, finishing gr 11 and soon turning 17 and going into grade 12. Additionally, I am moving to a new area where I have some friends, more to talk about that later.
I have this problem of incofidence that I formed at some point after entering high school, the root of which is a fear of being judged. I feel like I am always being watched and judged for every little action which limits me from being myself.
I can walk up to girls and start a conversation, but I have no idea what to talk about most of the time. I know I can have great conversations and sometimes I do, but most of the time like I said earlier I have no idea what to start the conversation on. Sometimes I'll have a great start, but it dies off. It doesn't die off because of the other person, but because I truly have no idea how to continue it. I want to learn how to always find something to talk about.
As of my friends in the new area, some are girls and some are boys, but I don't feel like I am the most integrated in this friend group, because I live 30 min away and because of my inconfidence. I am scared that when I move, something will go wrong and I won't have anyone to hang out with. I know I will have to make new friends, but it scares me to think I won't be someone's best friend, only their second or 3rd on the call up list. However, I know I can definitely integrate into a friend group or two given I get over my inconfidence.
Additionally, I haven't gotten my first kiss yet. I want to get a girlfriend, but I know with my current state of inconfidence it will never happen. I am not scared to ask a girl I'm into out (story below), but I don't have any girl I am into that I could ask out at the moment.
The last major step I have seen was when I asked the girl I was into 1.5 months ago. It was huge cause she was my friend's sister, so I asked him if it was okay with him, and then ask her. It was a fuck it choice from the night before after a pep talk from my friend, and since then my confidence has improved massively but not enough.
I don't know what to do. I have to get rid of this problem so I can be normal and have great friends, a girl, and anything else I want. I don't want to be alone in my head all the time, or at a hangout just sitting doing nothing cause I have no idea what to talk to ppl about or what to do with myself. I know I can, but I don't know how, so I decided to ask for help.

I am a 16 year old, finishing gr 11 and soon turning 17 and going into grade 12. Additionally, I am moving to a new area where I have some friends, more to talk about that later.
I have this problem of incofidence that I formed at some point after entering high school, the root of which is a fear of being judged. I feel like I am always being watched and judged for every little action which limits me from being myself.
I can walk up to girls and start a conversation, but I have no idea what to talk about most of the time. I know I can have great conversations and sometimes I do, but most of the time like I said earlier I have no idea what to start the conversation on. Sometimes I'll have a great start, but it dies off. It doesn't die off because of the other person, but because I truly have no idea how to continue it. I want to learn how to always find something to talk about.
As of my friends in the new area, some are girls and some are boys, but I don't feel like I am the most integrated in this friend group, because I live 30 min away and because of my inconfidence. I am scared that when I move, something will go wrong and I won't have anyone to hang out with. I know I will have to make new friends, but it scares me to think I won't be someone's best friend, only their second or 3rd on the call up list. However, I know I can definitely integrate into a friend group or two given I get over my inconfidence.
Additionally, I haven't gotten my first kiss yet. I want to get a girlfriend, but I know with my current state of inconfidence it will never happen. I am not scared to ask a girl I'm into out (story below), but I don't have any girl I am into that I could ask out at the moment.
The last major step I have seen was when I asked the girl I was into 1.5 months ago. It was huge cause she was my friend's sister, so I asked him if it was okay with him, and then ask her. It was a fuck it choice from the night before after a pep talk from my friend, and since then my confidence has improved massively but not enough.
I don't know what to do. I have to get rid of this problem so I can be normal and have great friends, a girl, and anything else I want. I don't want to be alone in my head all the time, or at a hangout just sitting doing nothing cause I have no idea what to talk to ppl about or what to do with myself. I know I can, but I don't know how, so I decided to ask for help.

If Mike Barnes from the 3rd Karate Kid film and Robby Keene at the end of the 4th season of Cobra Kai could travel through time and fight one another, who would win? It can be in a tournament or on the street.
​
The films make it clear and the series further impresses that Cobra Kai is a very formidable style of karate compared to the other styles (Miguel and Eli are able to defeat other teens who have practiced martial arts for most of their lives, including the champion from the previous year). And then Miyagi-Do is also effective, as Daniel won the tournament in 1984. By the end of season 4, Robby has been well trained in both styles, making him an EXTREMELY tough character. That being said, Barnes was a nationally ranked fighter who was famous enough to be featured in martial arts magazines (which is how Silver found out about him). Whereas Johnny, Daniel and other winners of the All-Valley may have been the best in that region, Mike was among the best in the entire U.S.
​
I’m not sure who wins, be it in the tournament or regular fight, but I will say that Barnes wouldn’t be able to dominate Robby like he did Daniel in KK3. In a tournament it would be all he could do to win; he wouldn’t be able to score a point and then intentionally lose it like in the film. And if it’s a fight outside, he has some wounds to tend to afterwards even if he wins (big ‘if’). So who do you think wins?

Secret Dragon - Chapter 2: Ignite
I opened the book and skimmed through a few chapters, happy to finally see some true information, with substance. Although I had many books of my own, I had never brought any of them to class; I had no intention of being asked about them or pressing the issue.
By virtue of my existence, it and I would be scrutinized. I had neither the patience nor the desire for another microscope to be placed above me.
But Sasha had no such reservations even after I told him about the curriculum, although he relented and said he would figure out a way around that nonsense. It seemed as if he was determined to go against the grain.
We spoke deeply, about different subjects, our project, and his books. The more he talked the more at ease he became. I unknowingly got closer and closer to him as the time passed. I had to literally pull myself back a few times. I wondered if he noticed. It was confusing how I kept leaning into the heat coming off his breath.
We were both startled at the sound of chairs scraping. We looked around as our peers gathered their things.
“It seems that for the first time this class is actually worth my time. Usually I am the first to leave,” Sasha said, surprised.
“I know,” I revealed.
“Hmmm,” he vocalized deeply. I had no idea if it was “oh really” or “interesting” or any other answer. It was just a deep throat vibration. I just knew he would do that a lot. I could feel it.
As I was packing my things, I realized I was a little feverish. I put a hand to my cheek. Was it hot? Or was it that he was speaking heat in my direction? I couldn’t tell. I never ran hot.
He watched me touching my face and chuckled to himself, putting away his books. I really wanted to be annoyed—at anyone else I would have been—but his lighthearted laughter surprised me; so joyous after so many weeks of being a specter in the classroom.
I looked him in his eyes, though, and shook my head challengingly at him, as if to say “what?” That only made him laugh out loud. It was both quiet and bassy all at the same time. The kind of laugh that was bottomless, scratchy. The kind of laugh you could tell would boom and shake you if given the space.
I never thought I’d hear that coming from him, let alone directed at me. I refrained from expressing an iota of emotion beyond a small smile. I had to stay cool.
Pam walked over to our table swiftly, no doubt looking to be rid of Jonah. She smiled at Sasha, grinned really.
“So. We finally meet! Pam Swiftwater,” she chirped. Her hand shot out as fast as she walked. Sasha halted his movement. He extended his hand more slowly, gently, engulfing her delicate hands in his large ones.
“Of course. I am Sasha Emberscale,” Sasha said, pulling his hand back to pat his chest.
Pam gave me a knowing glance of drama. “Oh I know who you are,” she said.
“Likewise; you are in my open physical hour,” he reminded her. “You are on the track team.”
“That’s right! It’s nice to finally, officially, meet you.”
Sasha raised his brow at her. “My friend has spoken of you,” he said offhand.
“What friend?” Pam asked, taken aback.
“Seth Fairbreeze, dragon of the wind.”
“Oh?” Pam said, her interest piqued. I didn’t know whether she knew who that was. But it intrigued both of us nonetheless.
“I will introduce you, of course, now that we are properly acquainted.”
“I can’t wait.” I knew she couldn’t.
Pam glanced back at her table and groaned. “Let’s get out of here. If I have to talk to Jonah any longer, I swear Imma strangle him.”
Sasha laughed heartily. “Very well. Let us depart this place to avoid attempted murder,” he joked.
“Why don’t you stick with us? We’re in the same course after this,” I suggested, gathering my items. I didn’t even hesitate asking him that. I’d done enough hesitating.
Sasha’s laugh tapered off into a quiet chuckle. “Of course. I would desire nothing more.”
I couldn’t hide my elation this time. Pam snickered at me. Thankfully he didn’t notice. I assumed.
Sasha draped his jacket across his arm, opting not to put it back on. Admittedly I enjoyed the view. He gestured for us to exit the class before him.
Every once in a while he would look down at me as we walked through the halls. I noticed his eyes following me.
I would sneak a glance at him when he wasn’t looking. It was apparent just how large he was now that I was walking right next to him. He was one of the only people in school taller than me. His shoulders were broad, arms thick. I know I was staring at the way they flexed as he moved. Couldn’t help but to.
Everything in me wanted to take that arm of his for my own. The thought of it being mine just felt so natural. I had to check myself a few times walking beside him.
It would be mine in time. That I promised myself.
—
We entered our Dragontongue class where I took a seat on his right at a table. Pam sat at mine.
Class with Sasha was much more interesting than ever before. He spoke freely and pleasantly, a stark contrast to the silent dragon he had been before I sat at his table in Dragonology. It was like something that had weighed on him had vanished.
I wasn’t unaware that he was happier since we had talked. I was pleased that it was me that had pulled him out of whatever darkness was holding him.
Again a pang of irritation ran through me. Why had I not introduced myself before? Just hearing the depth of his voice and the eloquence of his speech had me feeling some type of way. I could have been hearing that in my ears for weeks, those words of his carried on desert sands.
As class droned on, I saw that Sasha was appraising the professor with a raised brow as if too polite to allow complete disdain across his face.
He began to tell us about different Dragontongue dialects quietly, I suppose to keep himself occupied or distracted. I had to lean all the way in to hear his voice. It reverberated in my ears.
“If you were to say that word in the southern regions of Lyfax, it would mean to place bricks or stones atop each other as if building something. If you said that in the northeastern region, it means much the same, but doubles as a slang word meaning to fu— I am sorry, to have relations with someone.”
Pam squealed and covered her mouth. I covered mine too. I had wanted to hear the word ‘fuck’ come out of his polite mouth.
“Are you serious?” I asked instead.
“Yes, I am,” he said, brow raised. “Take care in who you say it to and in what context.”
Sasha tapped another paragraph “This term here. If you were to say it in the Northernmost tip of the country, it is basically calling someone a piece of filth in the wrong context, while just a few regions down it simply means to clean something without any further colloquial use. Their origins most likely started off with the same meaning and deviated as the people left and settled elsewhere. Knowing different dialects of Dragontongue in Lyfax is important. Linguistics interests me, as you can probably surmise.”
“Do you speak a lot of languages?” Pam asked.
“I occasionally travel for my work and interact with different dignitaries. I must know many languages and dialects at least at a rudimentary level.”
“Oh wow…” I said, truly impressed. Now that I had listened to his voice, I couldn’t place his accent. Unless deep was one. It wasn’t as if I was familiar with Lyfaxians’ manner of speech or various accents anyway. “What do you speak?” I asked
“Hmmmm. Common Lyfaxian. Common Lizardtongue. Dragontongue, of course; several dialects: fire, moon and wind. Many people know these. Shelltongue. Salamandra…one other.”
“Goodness,” I said in awe. I stashed away that “one other.” I’d ask about it later. I couldn’t imagine why it would be a secret. Hypocritically.
“My speech is not perfect in Shelltongue or Salamandra yet. But I can hold a conversation. I would enjoy learning and speaking your dialect of Dragontongue, as you mentioned earlier,” he remarked to me. Of course, Pam regarded me in shock. She gave me a chiding look, rightfully so.
Sasha didn’t miss her reaction. “If it is trouble, do not worry about it,” he said, frowning.
“No, It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I don’t mind.”
He was still uncertain, looking at Pam’s concerned face. “If I am to converse with a new group of dragons, I would prefer to know their dialect,” he whispered. “But not if it is cause for alarm. For some reason.”
Pam sighed in relief upon hearing him refer to me as a dragon. “Oh okay.”
“It’s fine. Complicated. I’ll tell you later,” I said, waving it all away. Sasha nodded.
“So did you all decide on a topic for your assignment?” Pam asked.
“Of course. We spoke much of it. I look forward to working with Leila.” Sasha said. I liked the way he said my name, the way he swung the vowels upward to where they needed to go. As it should be. “It will be interesting,” he said.
Pam glanced over to me. “How so?”
I looked amused, I’m sure. “Let’s say our Dragonology topic is about to be spicy,” I hinted.
“Sasha you’re a horrible influence already,” she accused, raising her brows at him.
“Of course,” he confirmed, chuckling deeply. “One needs a little corruption in the right direction, every once in a while.”
“Corruption? Oh really?” I said, regarding him in what I intended to be mock surprise. But I was genuinely shocked that he said it. He hadn’t corrupted me yet. He could try, but only when I was through with him.
Sasha chuckled silently. Just a trembling of the shoulders. A soft billow of scalding heat wafting across my face. Mmm, maybe sooner then.
Pam’s eyes widened, but she was beyond amused. If she could manifest a snack to observe our rapidly forming dynamic, she would have in a heartbeat.
She sat back, twirling her pencil. I knew she was about to start something. The twitch in the corner of her mouth was working. She was about to instigate her heart out. I groaned quietly.
“You know, Leila speaks all the same languages you do. She’s fluent in Shelltongue even; one of her best friends is Turtlefolk. She works at a place where a lot of people from different places come through. She took it upon herself to learn their languages.”
I groaned more.
“Is that so?” Sasha inquired, angling his body toward me. He sounded impressed.
I just rubbed my brows. I did not advertise my language skills. He looked at me with interest. “That is admirable. Why do you not wish to speak of it?” he asked.
“I don’t like puffing myself up. Drawing attention. Not that you are doing that,” I clarified.
Sasha smiled. “I know what you meant,” he said, speaking Shelltongue. I grinned. “I have been somewhat successful at not drawing attention—past my appearance at least—for a few weeks now.”
“Except your grades of course,” I pointed out in Shelltongue as well. “Literally perfect grades except two, and that’s only because of inaccuracies.”
Sasha raised his brow. “Ah, right, you have been keeping tabs on my marks. Very well; I have been under the radar except for my marks.”
“See? Y’all can speak tongues to each other in every flavor,” Pam said casually.
My mouth dropped. To say my eyes widened would be an understand. I shielded the side of my face.
Sasha choked and laughed quietly, holding his chest.
Never had she been that brazen. And she had said some crazy ass things for as long as I’d know her.
She looked so proud of herself.
“Pam, you are trying to start something, are you not?” Sasha guessed—back in Lizardtongue—looking away in laughter.
“Of course not. I don’t know what you mean,” she said, smirking.
I rubbed my face. “What were we even talking about?”
Sasha spoke as quietly as he could. “Different languages. Dialects. Things of that nature. Tongues, apparently,” he said, leaning toward me.
Really Sasha? I thought. He was something else.
He leaned back again and looked ahead, his smile dimming. “Also, things your professor apparently will not teach,” he said, the scales of his brows beginning to furrow.
“Yeah. It’s frustrating,” I agreed, uncovering my face.
“This class is testing my endurance. To hear my language butchered and be told that the proper way is incorrect is vexing.”
Pam stared at the professor, then at Sasha. “I’m sorry. This class is far beneath how you—and we—speak.”Pam and the rest of the Swiftwater Clan spoke to my family in the True way, the way of Sun Dragons.
Sasha leaned back. “And yet I have no choice but to be here,” he remarked. “And, apparently, neither do you both.”
It was a painful requirement, but a mandatory one. I nodded.
Pam turned back to the front of class. “You must be bored here at this university,” she said.
Sasha rubbed his chin. “Hmmmm,” he rumbled deeply. The vibration of that inquisitive hum made my shoulders tingle. I had to close my eyes and put a hand to my chest to halt my heart’s pounding.
“I was, yes,” he said slowly, “but yesterday was my last day of boredom. Today, the season has changed.” He glanced at me as he said it.
My mouth twitched into a smile. I found his choice of words particularly appealing. Pam looked curiously at him, but said nothing.
Sasha angled his body back toward me. I don’t know if I imagined it, but it felt like his whole existence was radiating heat now. It sent rush through my body.
“Let us return to our ‘lesson’ and pretend to care,” he suggested.
“Sasha,” I laughed, nudging his arm. It was hot to the touch. I was not imagining it.
“What?” he said innocently.
I shook my head at him, incredulous. I had no idea he was so funny. Who would have thought that sullen dragon was full of humor. He relented.
“I will behave myself,” he lied through his fanged teeth, patting his chest.
“Doubtful,” I returned, amused. It was easy to talk to him. Like we were old friends. Sasha was right: Pam had started something.
—
Sasha continued pointing out more language dialect rules and vocabulary from Lyfax. Things we couldn’t have learned on our own.
There were so many regions to learn about. I listened intently as he described them, and asked questions about everything. It was as if he was taking me on a mental tour of those far away places…
Before that day we hadn’t said a word to each other. Hadn’t shaken hands or anything. Whenever we had met eyes, we would quickly look away. I didn’t understand why we had done that. Now here we were hunched over a text book with our heads damn near touching. The heat of his breath warmed my face. It was hotter than earlier that day. Much hotter. No one was close enough to be bothered by it but Pam, and she did not seem to react to it.
And still I kept on gravitating closer. Because of how he had angled his body toward me, my left arm eventually pressed against his right.
My breathing stuttered, being in such close proximity to him. And I knew he felt it. He had to have felt it. Because I felt him tremble.
And there it was again! That strange rumble emanating from him, from his throat, I could now tell. Now that I was touching him, it was amplified, coursing through me. I tried to pinpoint its essence. It was very much like a growl, the crackling of a fire. And a hum; it reminded me of the way he responded to things without words. Hmmm.
All of it together was a magnetic song. I couldn’t help but listen. Let it lull me into a dream.
I wandered from the lesson for a moment to imagine what it would be like to just feel all of it pressed up against my chest. To embrace him and the heat he radiated.
I wanted to feel his fire whipping around me, not just the heat off him. To embrace a cascade of his flames. washing over me, engulfing me fully.
What would kissing Sasha be like? By the Goddess, the thought of drinking his fire until the persistent ice inside me melted was too tantalizing. If only I could just taste his breath inside my mouth… I wanted to look into his throat where I knew a flickering flame lie in wait. To explore it. Mmm.
It was like some deep ancestral memory was awakening. My breathing grew heavier. I swear to the goddess I heard his breath do the same. Except his breathing was punctuated by the rumbling crackle right under it. I knew he was in the same place I was.
I had to close my eyes and turn my head away from the heat coming off the words from his mouth. Because if I didn’t I would do something about it in that classroom—
“Leila?”
I emerged from my other world, his voice having shaken me from my daydream. I looked back to him.
“Class is over,” he rumbled into my ear quietly, the hotness washing over my neck and face. I rubbed those intense thoughts from my brows but they lingered everywhere else. I inhaled deeply and set about gathering my stuff. My hands shook.
Something hot brushed down my arm as he got up to gather his things. I looked down to see his claw drifting away from it. I thought it was an accident until he glanced at me. He smiled faintly though his brows were intense.
“Let us go,” he said gently, nodding toward the door.
“Okay,” I said, my eyebrow raising in interest. I slipped my bag over my shoulder. When he turned toward the door, I touched the trail of burning scales where he’d run his finger. When I say I could not breathe… I covered my mouth, then just rubbed my face with both hands. I didn’t know what to do. Mercy.
Looking around, my peers were also preparing to leave, so I composed myself the best I could and followed Sasha through the doorway.
—-
Dragontongue had been our last class of the day—”wow, you want that Dragontongue real bad huh?”Pam said— and it was time for us to part ways.
She chatted with Sasha, and I examined him while he was distracted.
I followed his gestures and mannerisms, wondering how he could weave such a spell over me that day. My behavior and my carefully curated facade were usually well under my control, perfected to give nothing away but pleasantness. But this dragon…
What I thought had been a perfect program was utterly interrupted. And the funny thing was, I wasn’t even mad at it. It was a break from the rigidity and monotony of my endless time at school. A break from my own reluctance to invite unknowns to myself, even those I desired. Like him.
For the first time in my life I thought ‘this is what the Sun must feel like to everyone else.’
From the moment I knew myself, my body had been cold. It was a point of contention between me, my parents and my Clan, all the Sun Clans. My mother was literally the leader of the Sun Dragons. And we, Sunscales, were Prime. Named directly after the Goddess.
People thought I was sickly. Anemic they called me. Even worse, some thought I was cursed. Most thought I wasn’t fit to be a leader in the future.
I did not let it stop me. I aimed for absolute perfection to stave off any doubt. Even at the expense of my own happiness sometimes.
My cold scales did not bother me. Although, at times, I wondered if I would be that way forever.
But now, I had felt Sasha’s warmth. This dragon had actually apologized in our first class for giving me the heat I never felt outside of putting my whole hand in a woodfire. It lingered in my scales as if they had drank it. They had awakened from a cold slumber.
I couldn’t go back.
I touched my arm that had been pressed against his, where his claw had grazed. Still hot to the touch. In fact everywhere he had breathed on, been near or looked at blazed. He had touched other things, shook hands with peers, finally, spoken to Pam, and none reacted as if he was exuding endless fire. Just me. Just for me.
“It has been a good day. You two have been so welcoming,” he said graciously. I was broken from my musings, realizing he was leaving. “I hope we continue to be friends during my time here.”
“For sure,” I said without hesitation, a little breathlessly. I didn’t want him to leave. He smiled warmly at me, almost in relief.
Pam smiled too. “Same,” she said. She began to rummage in her bag.
“It was nice to finally meet you,” he said softly to me. He put his hand out. I took it in mine. It was even hotter than before, unless I imagined it. I again put my other hand on top of his as if taking the warmth from it, to hold till later.
I don’t know what possessed me, but I let my thumb slide over the scales on the back of his hand. I didn’t even realize at first. But then I looked up and noticed Sasha was staring at me with his brow raised.
Gods, I could have died right there. Melted right into the floor and fallen into the void.
I almost pulled my hand in embarrassment, but he did not seem startled or upset. Instead Sasha placed his other hand atop mine. His face became intense for a moment, then softened. It seemed that neither of us wanted to let go. We did, though. The moment was brief, but it held much.
Pam, who had glanced up at us, had a barely concealed grin spreading over her face. She broke the spell that had drifted over us.
“Thank you for teaching us all that extra stuff about different dialects. I especially like that ridiculous word with the bricks,” she said, breaking the tense air.
Sasha shook his head as if clearing it. “Of course. I thought you might find that one amusing,” he said. He glanced at his phone, which had vibrated.
“You can lay your bricks on me anytime,” I mumbled to myself, still feeling the heaviness of that moment in my chest. I couldn’t help myself, saying that. I knew good and well it was provocative. I knew he might hear me. My mouth simply didn’t care. It was going to get me in trouble, I just knew it. I stared at my hand in wonder. It felt like fire had spread over it. What was he doing to me? Did he even realize that he was doing something? It didn’t seem like it.
In that same vein, Sasha didn’t say anything; he hadn’t been paying attention, I thought. Probably for the best. But then I heard him say something under his breath.
“Wow,” he whispered, silently laughing. I looked up at him. He covered his eyes, his shoulders shaking.
“Oh shit,” I said, covering my eyes as well.
Pam looked up. “What?” she asked, startled.
Sasha tried his best to keep a straight face, but it was impossible. He just laughed aloud then, a laugh that shook me to the core.
“Shut up,” I said, also laughing. I shielded my face in my hand as if I could hide from the embarrassment.
“I have said nothing,” he pointed out, his hands up.
“Please, please, let’s pretend I didn’t just say that shit,” I pleaded with him.
Pam’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods, what?”
“I will not say, Pam, yet I will never forget it,” Sasha said, smiling widely.
“What?” I replied, shocked.
“I will never forget it,” he repeated.
“By the Goddess Sasha. Are you serious?”
Sasha rubbed his eyes, still chuckling occasionally. “I am. Would you, if you were in my position?”
“Oh my gods,” I said weakly, still covering the side of my face.
Sasha patted his hand on his chest. “Gods, truly I needed today, desperately. It is no trouble to me, that you have said this. Certainly not. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend to, but we will discuss this permanent memory later, Leila Sunscale,” he said.
“Yeah, I bet,” I groaned, my voice shakey. I covered my face more. I was out of my mind, surely.
I heard Sasha begin to walk away, but his footsteps slowed. He hesitated, I guessed.
“Leila, do you have plans today?" he asked.
I looked up. He was looking at me expectantly. I couldn’t even say anything. I was still reeling from my ridiculous blunder. Now he wanted to see me! “What? I… umm—“
“No she doesn’t have plans,” Pam spoke up. Bless her.
Sasha smiled. “Perhaps we can speak of our project. I will find you later this evening as long as you are outside. I apologize for my abrupt departure but I must go.”
“Okay, cool,” I said. I rubbed my forehead.
He walked to the exit and looked back at me. “Perhaps we can build something later; I am not a bad mason, Leila Sunscale,” he said, chin raised. My mouth dropped. This dragon…
He let out a deep laugh and left. I watched him disappear through the doors of the hall, then followed him out. I saw a flash of red turn a corner into another building, vanishing from my sight.
"No he didn’t," I said in disbelief. "Did you hear what he just said?" I asked incredulously, gesturing toward his exit.
“What the hells did you say Leila?”
“I may have said a little something about bricks under my breath but his ass heard me. My gods.”
“Are you serious? Girrrrl," Pam said, shaking her head. “The gall on you.”
"Why did I say that? I must be crazy." I placed my hand over my forehead. Hot.
"I mean, he liked it," Pam said. "He thought it was funny. See, no harm done. If anything it sounds like Sasha has some business with you Leila," she teased.
I rubbed my face. I couldn't believe that I had run my mouth like that. In the other hand, I was pleased to have been so reckless. It had led me down this path. My scales prickled despite my embarrassment. Why should I feel bad now? He took my accidental flirtations as an invitation. And wasn’t that what I wanted?
Pam’s demeanor softened.
“Hey, for weeks you’ve been talking about how attracted you are to him. He turned out to be super nice, and he has a sense of humor, too. I like him. Fate is smiling on you again.”
"You sound like my mother," I noted.
“That's 'cause she's always right, isn’t she?" Pam pointed out, brow raised.
“Fine… She is,” I conceded. She would have said those words. In truth I had heard her say them many times.
Resigned to my fate, I stepped into the quad with Pan. I walked into a shaft of sunlight and sat on the bench it spilled onto, the Sun’s rays warming me. I closed my eyes against them, basking.
“I may as well go study while I wait for him. I can’t believe this is happening,” I remarked.
“Well believe it. Your bricklayer is seeing you today,” Pam teased.
“Pam, for real?” I remarked, opening my eyes.
“What? Come on. We can both go study.” Pam hugged me. She looked puzzled though.
“Leila. You feel hot. You never run hot. You’re not having a stroke are you?” she asked, alarmed.
“No. That’s just because he sat next to me the whole day,” I revealed. And breathed on me, leaned on me… I shut my eyes, wishing I had lied.
Pam nodded, not noticing my apprehension. “Oh okay. That makes sense. We did just get out of class. I didn’t know fire dragons were like that just idly,” she mused. “Let’s get on out of here.”
I wanted to tell her what I really felt. But I was sure it would sound crazy. Maybe I would after I met him and spoke to him. Privately.

We walked together through the courtyard. I glanced through the windows of various buildings looking for red scales moving in the halls. I saw nothing, of course.
We ended up going to the library. The room was large and made of ironwood. Small nooks with tables were tucked away amongst large shelves full of tomes.
We chose a table with a window next to it.
I studied as attentively as I could, trying to occupy my mind. But I could not stop seeing Sasha in my vision. Pam gave up trying to get me to engage in conversations with her. Instead I studied for the assignment in Dragonology on my laptop, and daydreamed.
—
“It’s getting late. You don’t know when Sasha will be looking for you.” Pam said, shaking me from my focus.
The light from the windows had waned somewhat, giving way to the Sun readying for slumber.
“Oh, right. I was deep into this essay here. I wish I had borrowed his books and saved my eyes,” I said, rubbing them.
Pam yawned as we packed our things, hefting her bag up. “I’m going to head home. Tell me how everything goes. Tell me if y’all build a house!”
“Pam!” I gasped. “Oh my gods.”
“Love you! Bye!” Pam called, rushing off.
—
I strolled around the grounds reading a book, looking up at the Sun every once in a while. But I didn’t spot Sasha anywhere. I hoped that I had not missed him. I had studied a bit longer than I intended.
Eventually I sat on a bench to wait. I would wait until dusk settled. And if he didn’t show I would see him the following day. It was not as if we had exchanged our numbers.
I pulled out my notebook full of writings, poetry, doodles. It was just one volume from a collection of filled books over the duration of my life, where I pressed flowers of my heart through its pages.
Before I could put pen to paper, I paused.
I put away my old faithful journal and pulled out a new one in deep red. It was not a coincidence by any stretch. I had stared at it on the shelves of an art store until I gave in and bought it.
I hadn’t written one thing in it since. After all, I hadn’t known him, and didn’t want to write only about his appearance. I wanted to know what he was made of. Now, having met Sasha, the red book was begging for ink.
So I let myself fall into a rhythm. So many elements of Sasha had revealed themselves to me that day: this dragon’s voice, his heat, his mannerisms. The words he said, the way he said them, his sense of humor hidden under all that seriousness.
I searched my brain and gathered up all my own words, sifted through them. I wrote a few things here and there, but nothing like what I wanted.
I looked up toward the Sun for some bit of inspiration, and my breath caught. A red form flew in front of it, wings beating. Seeing Sasha framed in that circle of fire was more than I could have hoped for. I stared up at him flying until he stopped, scanning for something.
The moment of inspiration I had been searching for was right there. I spoke aloud what I had and wrote it as swiftly as my claws could move:
“A dragon in a Circle. An Inferno wrapped in the Sun A scarlet vision framed in fire A cloud of embers in the Goddess’s hands She Holds all of him out toward me The gift of a flame within a flame “
I dropped my pen and covered my mouth in embarrassment. “Oh my gods what am I writing?” I asked myself. I stared at the words.
I turned my head to read them as if a new perspective would make them less mortifying.
“Hmm,” I muttered. “Needs some work but…’A flame within a flame.’ That’s some good shit.”
I looked back up. Sasha’s gaze swept over me then away. I waved my arm up at him, bangles jangling, hoping he saw me so he wouldn’t be looking all around all day.
When Sasha looked back in my direction he stopped where he was. He descended slowly until he locked eyes with me. My heart pounded again. It was driving me up the wall, the anxiety. Or rather anticipation. I pressed my hand to my chest watching him grow closer. His wings were huge, blocking out the Sun.
I had been staring at Sasha from a distance since he had arrived, his very first day. He was imposing, the way he had entered my classes, but exceptionally polite. I had been silently competing with him since laying eyes on his grades.
Now the distance was finally closed after my nervousness had kept me away. I folded my notebook shut and stood as Sasha landed with a woosh of air.
I looked upon him not as a mysterious figure in the back of class but as a new friend. More. I couldn’t help but smile when he straightened his already straight clothes as he moved toward me.
He smiled right back at me, chin raised.
“Leila,” he said.
“Sasha. Hey,” I replied.
“So,” he said, “you spoke of bricks earlier,” he teased.
My mouth dropped again. This dragon…
“You aren’t letting that go are you?” I asked.
“Never. Even if nothing ever came of it, I would never forget.”
“By the gods,” I muttered.
“I am not complaining,” he clarified.
My eyes widened. Then it occurred to me that he had insinuated something would come of it. Goddess, I felt my own fire sweep across my cheeks. I was so flustered I covered my mouth with the heel of my palm letting my claws settle over my cheek. I couldn’t stop the motion fast enough.
Sasha laughed good naturedly. Sweetly, even. “I will stop teasing. For now,” he said.
“For now?” I repeated past my palm.
“For now.”
I lowered my hand. “You are a trip, do you know that?” I said, raising my eyebrow. Even though I had been nervous, actually talking to him made me feel like meeting all his words head on.
He gestured for me to walk beside him without answering. I did. I almost took his arm again, so I clutched my notebook to my chest to keep my hands in check. We didn’t say much as we walked along the quad together.
Some students were staring at us as we walked. I suppose we made quite the pair together.
“It appears we are a bit of a spectacle,” he muttered to himself curiously, agreeing with my thoughts.
I couldn’t help stealing glances at him every once in a while.
His posture was impecable. He held his left hand behind his back. The other lingered in front of his chest as if ready for something. I didn’t know how else to describe it. It was interesting, that pose; deliberate. I saw that he had rings on his fingers as well. I had not noticed them before. They were red like his scales, rough hewn. The overall pose made him seem so stately.
I couldn’t quite describe his expression. It was both intense and peaceful all at once.
He caught me staring one time, though. He was looking right at me when I peeked. I turned away and put a hand to my face. I hoisted up my bag.
“Here,” he said.
I turned back. “Here what?” I asked.
He put his hand out to me, gesturing toward my bag. I stopped walking.
“Oh. Okay. Such a gentleman,” I said, a smile playing on my face, impressed. He chuckled to himself, accepting my compliment.
I slipped my bag from my shoulder, and he took it to hold on his elbow. We started walking again. I didn’t care after that; I looked at him openly, a little bit enamored.
‘Ok Mr. Sasha Emberscale. I see you,’ I thought.
PART 2

Hello Everyone 📑
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•RESEARCH/THESIS •RRL •FEASIBILITY STUDY •CASE STUDY •CONCEPTUAL PAPER •TRANS / NOTES •ESSAY •REFLECTION PAPER •RESUME • INFOGRAPHIC • BROCHURE •REACTION PAPER •POSITION PAPER •REVISION •POEM •SPEECH • RESIGNATION LETTER • COVER LETTER • MODULES FROM GRADE 1 TO 3RD YEAR COLLEGE
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Hello Everyone 📑
lf clients, para sa any activity nyo I'm here po budget friendly, open po ko sa rush and non rush activity or project. PM MEE 🫶
•RESEARCH/THESIS •RRL •FEASIBILITY STUDY •CASE STUDY •CONCEPTUAL PAPER •TRANS / NOTES •ESSAY •REFLECTION PAPER •RESUME • INFOGRAPHIC • BROCHURE •REACTION PAPER •POSITION PAPER •REVISION •POEM •SPEECH • RESIGNATION LETTER • COVER LETTER • MODULES FROM GRADE 1 TO 3RD YEAR COLLEGE
Message me on FB: Maxi Camille

Hello Everyone 📑
lf clients, para sa any activity nyo I'm here po budget friendly, open po ko sa rush and non rush activity or project. PM MEE 🫶
•RESEARCH/THESIS •RRL •FEASIBILITY STUDY •CASE STUDY •CONCEPTUAL PAPER •TRANS / NOTES •ESSAY •REFLECTION PAPER •RESUME • INFOGRAPHIC • BROCHURE •REACTION PAPER •POSITION PAPER •REVISION •POEM •SPEECH • RESIGNATION LETTER • COVER LETTER • MODULES FROM GRADE 1 TO 3RD YEAR COLLEGE
Message me on Fb: Maxi Camille