Cub cadet weeder parts

Background - I 'F 21' and my bf(?)'M 22' are Indian and he is an NDA cadet . For the people who don't know - The national defence academy hostsaball party for its passing out cadets and the cadets are allowed to bring their GFs . My partner broke up with his ex last yr and didn't get into any relationship after that until a few months ago . As he didn't have a partner for his ball he made an insta post looking for one and thru contacts I got to know about it and eventually we met and went on 6 dates . We clicked well and had some chemestry, he was a absolute gentleman, humble , handsome caring and what not . After some time I developed feelings for him and I thought he did too , he always talked to me like a normal bf does . He never asked me to be gf but I thought 6 dates is pretty obvious.
To the point. The ball was a while ago and it went beautiful and he was all romantic ( so was I 🤭) we hugged very tightly many times ( he gave a impression of loving me heartly) anyways. He informed that he is going to delete his insta id ( he actually did delete it, I checked) I was ok with it and didn't think any of it . So, since the party he has not picked up any of my calls ( I m not blocked, he just did not pick up) , doesn't read my messages and doesn't meet me on Sundays.
I have very bad feelings and I wish I m wrong . A part of me says he is just busy and another part is giving me bad thoughts. What should I do now ? Should I wait. Should I move ( not as easy as it sounds) . I love him deeply and even he gave me the impression of loving me . I have the time for waiting for him , even I m student. I m sitting here sobbing as I m typing this . I m crying myself to sleep every single night. I have no way of contacting him . So strangers on the app please give me relationship advice.
TDLR my bf ghosted me after being all lovey dovey .

I'm loving these stories. Ovid has been my favourite this year for sure. Although it is taking me a little bit to get used to the different names.
Next week we'll be covering books 5-6. Questions are in the comments!
In Book 3, Cadmus is exiled for failing to find Europa. He prays to Apollo who says that he finds a heifer will lead him to a place where he will establish a city. Cadmus's men run into a giant snake which kills them. Cadmus kills the serpent and buries its teeth in the ground. From this, angry men grow like a crop and after they kill each other for awhile, the remaining five help Cadmus to found Thebes.
His family is troubled from the start. His grandson Actaeon stumbles upon Diana while she's bathing. Diana turns him into a deer and he is torn apart by his own hunting dogs. Cadmus' daughter is impregnated by Jupiter and Juno is jealous as all get out. She convinces the daughter to ask Jupiter to use all his strength while having sex with her and since she can't withstand the force of a god, she dies. Bacchus is taken from her body and Jupiter keeps him in his thigh until he's ready to be born.
The scene changes. Jupiter and Juno banter about which gender enjoys sex more. Jupiter says women do, and Juno says men do. They decide to ask Tiresias, who reportedly has experienced life as both a man and woman. Tiresias agrees with Jupiter. In her anger, Juno strikes Tiresias blind. Jupiter compensates Tiresias by giving him supernatural foresight. Ovid records Tiresias’s first prediction: that Narcissus will live a long life as long as he does not know himself. These cryptic words were born out when Narcissus, who had rejected all would-be lovers, fell in love with his own reflection.
Ovid returns to the story of Cadmus’s family. Pentheus tries to persuade his family and others not to worship Bacchus. He goes to spy on the rites of Bacchus and his aunt/family members mistake him for an intruder and tear him apart. Cadmus and his family are just not having a very good time.
In Book 4, Rather than worship Bacchus, the three daughters of Minyas weave, telling stories to pass the time. The first (unnamed) daughter tells a tale of forbidden love. Pyramus and Thisbe fall in love. Their fathers oppose the match, so they decide to run away together. Thisbe arrives first at their meeting place, but she flees when she sees a lioness approaching. Pyramus finds the tracks of a lioness and Thisbe’s shawl. Believing that Thisbe is dead, Pyramus thrusts his sword into his belly, killing himself. Thisbe returns, sees what has happened, and kills herself.
Leuconoe, the second daughter, tells another love story. After being tipped off by the Sun, Vulcan catches his wife, Venus, having an affair with Mars. Furious at the Sun for gossiping to Vulcan, Venus makes him fall in love with Leucothoe. Leucothoe and the Sun have an affair. The Sun’s wife, Clytie, finds out and tells Leucothoe’s father what is going on. Leucothoe is buried alive and dies. The Sun turns her into frankincense, a plant.
Alcithoe, the third daughter, tells the final love story. The sexually adventurous Salmacis desires Hermaphroditus, but he spurns her. She grabs him when he jumps into her pool, and she prays to the gods to make them one. The gods answer her prayer by making Hermaphroditus become soft and feminine. Salmacis’s nature becomes part of him. At the end of these stories, the devotees of Bacchus draw near, and Bacchus turns the three sisters into bats for their impiety.
The narrative returns to the house of Cadmus. Juno hates Cadmus’s daughter, Ino, for her devotion to Bacchus. Juno enlists the help of the Furies, who make Athamas, Ino’s husband, insane. Believing his wife to be a lioness and his children to be cubs, Athamas bashes the head of one of his children against a rock. Ino jumps off a cliff with her other child. At Venus’s request, Neptune transforms Ino and her child into sea deities. When Cadmus learns of this new tragedy, he leaves his city and prays to the gods to transform him into a serpent. He gets his wish. His wife is also changed. They slither away.
We now meet Perseus. Instead of flying during the night, he stops in Atlas’s kingdom. Atlas reacts with hostility, because an ancient prophecy has him worried that Perseus will plunder his riches. Perseus’s strength is no match for Atlas’s, so he turns Atlas to stone using Medusa’s head. Perseus takes to the air again. He sees Andromeda chained to a rock as an offering to a sea monster. Perseus descends, strikes a deal with Andromeda’s parents, and uses Medusa’s head to petrify the monster. Perseus marries Andromeda.

I work on a cruise ship. I meet a lot of different people from all over the world and occasionally make friends with them. In my current ship, I made good friends with a Spanish cadet of my age and we are open about everything really - including the fact that whereas she is a romantic, I am looking to have my needs fulfilled without feelings. As for the last part, I had a lucky spell when I first joined and it was working alright until the guy left for vacations (he is returning to this same ship next month, but we don't talk and well no feelings, perfect for me). Since then I have been on the hunt, and naturally I am being hunted, too.
Here comes the problem: one of the people I was considering was this charming Panamanian from engine, he seemed to be after me, too. The one issue was that at some point my Spanish friend confided in me that the "ex" she had who had ghosted her was him. Basically they were together for a month or two, he went home for vacations, they texted all throughout, he came back onboard and turned her down at any given chance saying he was busy with work and the promotion he had just gotten. They talk amicably in crew bar still, but they're dead as a couple. Theory is that it is because my Spanish friend gained a significant amount of weight while he was away. Neither of us knows whether that's the truth or if he just found another girl.
After tying the loose ends, my Spanish friend also told me I could hook up with anyone but not the engineer because she still has feelings even though she knows it's over. I want to respect that and to preserve our friendship, but at the same time, there are only so many options onboard, and an even more limited amount of good options. Is there any work around this, or do I simply have to go celibate in order to keep our friendship?

Memory Transcription Subject: Talyn, Extermination Guild Paramedic, Sivkit Grand Herd.
First/Previous/Next
I… I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why a demon would go behind her superiors for some prey.
Variah hasn’t stopped visiting this cage… t-though, I try to limit exchanging words with the beast as her proximity gnaws at my nerves to no end. Her moving maw leaves an unobstructed view at a row of endless pointed teeth that could easily crush through Sivkit bones, if at any moment she deemed that her desire. However, after all this time… she hadn't mauled me yet.
Nor did any of the other, more openly wicked beasts let their instincts get the better of them either, so I suspect that these demons can reign in their bloodlust better than the Arxur can, a-at least for practical reasons, but I don't exactly want to put that to a test. D-Damnit, why is she doing this? It’s difficult to keep my mind off it when everything else was a failure.
I… I’ve been trying to find a way to break free ever since the predator keeping me company gave her warning about the rest of her kind. N-not that I needed any monster to clue me in on their malicious intent or more prompting to look for a way out of here, but so far, any avenue to escape seems completely futile, at least… f-for now. Can’t give up.
J-Just remember your training… t-though it’s not exactly useful here.
Most of my guild practice had me safely locked within a medical wagon, waiting around on standby in case a front line exterminator suffered a mauling. I- I don’t have enough personal experience with this sort of thing to keep myself level headed, t-to know what to do, b-but… but I’ve heard stories from my… f-from my now ex-colleagues, about retrieving escaped convicts back for treatment.
I- I could take a few pages out of their play book, copy how they got out of their facilities and avoid falling for the same pitfalls that got them found. E-Even if doing so would be more than unorthodox, but… I c-can’t just sit around forever.
Even if for now all I can do is watch out for opportunities, think and plan.
Occasionally, the scientists lead me out of this box to conduct new experiments. I was hoping to find something useful when taken from these confines but I'm always trailed by those towering guards who never take their vicious eyes off me, or let me step out of line… or even let the scientists come too close when not instructed to. The director's men, as I've heard the so-called doctors call them while whispering amongst themselves; e-evidently also afraid of the beastly soldiers.
T-There are cameras everywhere, in every hallway and almost in every room. The few that don’t have them always have a beast there present with me, rarely taking an eye off me, so I can’t bet on finding a blindspot outside this room.
Main doors are locked with codes and keycards, but that doesn't matter much because if I managed to get my paws on a set I'd need to carry around a damned stool to reach a security pad while standing on my hind toes because of these giant freaks. Not even knowing where any door leads since I can't read their scratchy script.
Worse yet, from what I could tell while eavesdropping…
This facility is built at least several levels underground, and it’s located near the outskirts of a m-major predator population center. Meaning that any exits going “topside” had to be intentionally dug out by design, and almost definitely surveyed by guards and cameras.
Only to be surrounded by a countless horde of sapient predators once I got out, a-and… given that I’m at the edge of a monster city and how untamed my crash area appeared, the zone marked for emergency landing for all falling vessels, I… I must have been taken far from any other Sivkit survivors on this planet.
C-Constantly watched, locked and isolated. E-Everything, everything is stacked up against me… D-Damnit, j-just, just move forward, k-keep thinking… I-Ironically, my best bet for escape might be in this very room.
A ventilation duct right behind the bed, t-the only one I could reach with pipes that look wide enough to squeeze into if I managed to get the grate off, c-climb up, if that’s p-possible, u- until I feel fresh air.
The glass screen is positioned on the other side of the bed, with the grate being obscured further by the counter at the bedside and I’ve noticed that the cameras start moving back and forth at night, or at least, when the lights shut off, possibly going into an automated mode when the beasts stop watching the cell… t- the demons have to sleep too at some point I suppose, n-no better time to try.
Every couple of minutes as the cameras move, the lenses line up away from the bed for a few seconds at a time, granting me one consistent blindspot where I could fiddle with the screws if I kept my paw hanging off the bed when pretending to sleep.
But the damned grate is bolted in too tight.
I tried using my claws as an improvised screwdriver, wedging them into the divots and twisting… but those attempts only cost me a few nails with nothing to show for it. So if I had kept it up eventually the predators could notice that all my claws were suddenly wearing away. The demons would scour every surface for the cause, not something I can risk if I want to hold onto the only possible escape route I could find.
I just need something metal… something that wasn’t initially in shortage before I figured out the truth and tried to defend myself, i-if only I managed to maintain a cooler head back than… D-damnit, still at square zero, f-for now, I- I just need to bide my time… h-however long I might have.
T-The predator scientists seem to be conducting more and more redundant tests now, w-with some beginning to whisper about getting started on more t-thorough research, especially when they think I’m out of ear shot. I… I might not have long left before they just decide to dissect me.
“You hanging in there, Talyn?” A long dull claw poked my cheek, sending sharp shivers through my core.
It jolted me back to reality and forced me to regain awareness of the silver predator looming by the bedside, w-whose presence slipped my mind after a-somehow allowing my guard down around her.
“Heh, doesn’t really look like you’ve taken a liking to the book… you’ve been staring at the wall for a while now.” Variah’s voice almost sounded dejected, her head pointed down at the bizarre novel while flipping through its yellowed pages in an apathetic manner.
All I could do was lay behind the covers, grasping onto them as if they could shield me if the demon had a shift in whims, poking my head out while unable to look away as fur all along my back raised with pins and needles shooting through my skin.
An uncomfortable silence swept the room when Variah's horrid eyes began staring down at me, t-though… t-they almost looked tired and unmotivated, like they were begging for something?
“Ah-I… I spaced out for a minute, ah- I’m s-sorry.” The predator raised a single ear at me, s-surprised that I actually answered her this time, and I… I'm not s-sure why I did it either.
Her ears perked up a little, while I briefly flinched away as she opened up her maw, but quickly found that she only did so to speak again. “You don’t have to apologize, I… I can stop reading if you don’t want to hear it?”
The question actually paused me for a minute, a part of me couldn’t stand having to bare a predator’s presence constantly while hearing her voice narrating some damned book that doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense, but I… partly hating myself for it, but I p-prefer hearing Variah’s voice over the quiet, e-even if it's wrong to be listening to a predator. “Y-you… you can c-contiunue… p-please.”
Variah huffed to herself, keeping her ears pinned back in an awkward manner while lingering a strange, unnerving gaze on me for an uncomfortable minute, before turning back to the book and raising her ears up a little. “Alright, alright… I’ll just start over with the chapter.”
“O-Okay…” I muttered, but it made no difference either way. It’s not like I was even able to listen fully while all those things are constantly prowling around me, my instincts getting the better of me… or, with every clashing thought swirling around my mind. About what happened, about what they are?
B-But I got bits and pieces here and there, just enough to roughly know what’s going on. It detracts from everything dire, but I… I can allow myself this one distraction from this place. Even if willingly indulging in some predator’s work just makes my core feel vile. Though, from what I’ve followed, it… it feels like listening to a lie, n-not like the type of fantasy a predator should either read or write about, but that thing looks far too old to be a forgery for my sake.
“For two years their engines roared, two years of steady descent as long white trails of plasma were cast forth into the inky void, decelerating the wanderer on their journey before the antimatter drives were cut and the great vessel came to a halt on its final destination, after centuries, settling into orbit around Aldiel star.
Awe and wonder resonated from the crew, the voyage was long, with countless wonders and detours on their journey through the Galaxy, but it has been twelve-hundred years since the 1st generation set them on this path, twelve-hundred years so that the 48th could bask in the light of the star that guided their ancestors since the days of wind and sails.
And, since it’s mysterious call beckoned them into the stars…”
Variah’s voice filled the room with considerable mirth in her tone despite her prior hints at treachery… doing a far too convincing job at masking that her prior warning ever happened. Though I- I might be going crazy… but there’s almost an air of stress o-or sadness behind her horrid eyes.
S-Somehow, I… I’m not sure what to think about that predator.
She doesn't fit in with the rest of the beasts roaming around this facility, and for a second… You could almost forget that she's a natural hunter, that the being sitting by my side didn’t evolve to kill and gorge on flesh like the rest of them because those facts clash against the image painted right before my eyes.
The same frightening figure doing something as innocuous as reading through a novel by my bedside, as- as if I was some lost child cooped up in a Zurulian nursery.
However, the beast herself went through apparent lengths to reaffirm my sense of danger here while displaying a clear aptitude towards deception, lying even to her own kind… i-it seems foolish to doubt their nature now.
Y-Yet… seeing her yapping about some fiction novel with such glee, I… I can’t exactly see a monster cut from the same cloth as the Arxur. No Grey in existence would ever try to help prey, nor would they ever produce a novel, much less the contents in this one.
P-Predator explorers traveling across the stars in so-called generation ships, i-it’s… r-rather dumb, honestly. The idea of anyone being crazy enough to cross the void without FTL is ridiculous, though, p-predators fantasizing about it is certainly terrifying. I-imagining what lengths they could go to breach their system… I should be happy that the primitive hunters apparently deluded themselves into believing that super luminal speeds are impossible… at least, until we came along, a-and broke that notion for them.
W-when Variah said the book was a story about their vision for space travel I thought I’d be faced with an early glimpse into the nightmarish future we just created. A ravenous horde of canide demons unleashed to murder their way across the stars, if they got their claws on our FTL tech. Bombing worlds, enslaving cultures and spilling blood before tearing into sapient flesh. Y-Yet, that wasn’t in the pages… t-the opposite was.
Wanderers going from system to system, discovering new life, new wonders, new people… and embracing them with open arms instead of clenching teeth, even if by their own perception that life seemed incomprehensible or monstrous… i- initially, at least.
I… I don’t know.
The predators must have been under the delusion that most sapient life would be just as flesh craving as they are before I spilled the truth, with only a few chapters depicting contact with herbivore species, this being portrayed as some unique encounters, a-and… p-peaceful, n-no hunting, no war. W-Why?
Comparably, there were just as little chapters depicting conflict altogether, n-nothing that would delve into their true nature, a-at least… n-not what their nature s-should be.
It's d-difficult to reconcile everything I’ve heard with what we know about predatory minds, with the confessed threat lurking within this facility, though I can’t exactly ignore it either… I-It doesn’t seem like hunger alone drives these monsters, not like the Greys… t-then what does?
T-There… There was a moment where I almost wanted to just ask, t-though I stopped myself before I could do something that stupid. D-Damnit… What am I even doing listening to that damned thing?
Those weren’t the only things that stuck out while listening, more peculiar passages here and there… from what I can tell these beasts hold a strong aversion towards foreign diseases.
With characters being weary of exposing themselves to alien atmospheres before developing cures and vaccines, or trying to prevent their own predator sicknesses from spreading onto other worlds. It explains the suits from earlier, and why some of the predators wear them even now, but not so much the reason for the alarm in the first place… I would have thought that carnivores should be accustomed to carrying pathogens?
Stranger is that they seem to expect to find life in almost every system, even among inhospitable worlds with characters being surprised to find a barren system, or that “there is only one habitable world around the star.”
Or when finding extinct civilizations… a- and mourning their loss.
I-It’s… it’s not like life is rare in the galaxy, but Grand Herd scouts would weep in joy if someone ever found a corner of space as fertile as envisioned. It's… odd, usually its the opposite for species that developed electricity on their own and found the universe quiet, e-except th-the Verin and Onkari… a pair species.
E-Earlier, it sounded like Variah mentioned some others, w-with some notable differences from her. C-Could there… Considering their views about herbivores, t-than it would be a… n-no, I- I don’t know. W-What are the c-chances, and p-predators would conquer any neighbors… r-right?
D-Damnit, I-I’m just going insane in this… this glorified cattle pen, t-trapped for who knows how long? J-Just questioning myself, w-with no one but horrid predators.
Argh! This book! It… i-it really isn’t something a predator should indulge in. Yet some sapient beast wrote it, w-while Variah seems enamored with that thing, the covers seemingly worn from use. What could a hunter like her see in a story almost void of violence?
Reading through the pages with perked up ears, while casting the occasional glance at me to make sure I’m not totally ignoring her, a w-weary look painted on her ugly face.
Sh- e-earlier she mentioned that… t-that she reads that thing during dark times, i-is… is now… No, w-why are you thinking about that now? How can I trust a single word coming out of that maw? I-It could all just be manipulation a-and you’d be falling right into it like s-some dumb, p-predator-brained Venlil?!
T-Though if… if she isn’t as… D-Damnit, my time might be running out, a-and I’m short of options. If there’s even a slim chance that she’s not lying, I… d-despite what she is, despite better judgment, I… I wish I could count her as an ally in this horrid place, w-without fearing any ulterior motives she could have for trying to help me earlier.
If they were the Greys, I could chuck it up to hunger for alien flesh, s-some ploy to get everything for herself… but that doesn’t seem so clear anymore, when their… agitation doesn’t seem focused on their cravings, and when Variah stands out further from the other demons… She must have had a reason.
This… t-this is incredibly foolish, b-but I clenched my shivering paws and cautiously turned my head towards the demon, taking a shaken breath and opening my mouth to speak. “V-variah…?”
The huntress paused some senseless tangent about dyson swarms and ring worlds, whatever that even was… before turning her horrid eyes on me in a quizzical manner and forcing me to gulp after managing to grab her full attention.
“W-Why… w-why are you not like t-the others?”
The silver demon stared at me for a moment with confusion, before taking a claw underneath her chin and scratching while glancing to the side as if looking for an answer. “Oh- erm… My mother hailed from a nation in the far, far south, the native people have similar coats on that continent. Why?”
Coat? “Wha- n-no, I-I mean, why a-are you here, w-why are you s-so interested in aliens? T-The others, t-they are… t-they are more h-hostile, c-cold, y-you aren’t?”
“Ohh, I see… There might be many reasons, Talyn, but I think most are just scared.” Variah looked away from me and pointed her eyes towards the ceiling before continuing on.
“Everything on Valh was turned on its head when you crashed, and no one knows what's going to happen, or what your people even want… but so far their actions haven’t made you seem very approachable, and your reaction to us hasn’t exactly reassured anyone here either.”
“S-Scared… O-Of us? Y-you can't be s-serious, p-predators c-can’t feel true f-fear, n-not because of p-prey, you- you c-cause fear…” She paused and stared at me for a few uncomfortable seconds, her ears pinned tight to her skull while ducking her head a little more at my comment.
“You have some… interesting views Talyn, I have to say. The things you say… they can be quite silly sometimes. Of Course we have fear, I… erm, people thought the world was ending because of the flashes, because of your ships meteoring through the damn sky… Do you really think no one was scared?”
T-There was a pleading glint within her exasperated eyes, paired with ears that stayed pinned to the back of her skull as a paw rose up to hide her face. This… t-this doesn't feel like a fake reaction.
I… d-don't know, m-maybe if… If they did misidentify our burning ships as hurling meteors then it would make sense even for predators to experience the same amount of dread as herbivores do, though I can’t see those instincts sticking once we hit the ground, f- fear of the unknown then? W-What c-could predators fear in the unknown, b-bigger predators?
“I-If they are acting out of f-fear… T-Then why are you so different? A-Are you not s-scared… i-is that w-why you are fascinated by aliens, m-more willing to be approached?”
“Gods, of course I'm scared, I just… have hope that things won't turn out for the worst… and no, it’s nothing to do with fear. I've been interested in this sort of thing since I was a teen, in large part due to this very book… I must have read it cover to cover just about a hundred times.”
“B-But why? W-why would a- a being like you care for something like that?”
“I… I'm not sure, it's nice to read something optimistic, no? I got it from my parents when the world didn't seem so hopeful, I’d read it all the time whenever they went away… I guess it was a nice distraction during the war… now it’s something I can remember them by.”
The predator's long ears slumped low as she closed the novel, slowly tracing clawed digits across its sealed pages while staring at the worn out cover, eventually putting it back into the bag. Are… are her progenitors dead? Y-You could imagine a predator cub feeling despair when losing a vital guardian that was keeping them alive, n-not a fully mature one.
“Y-You have families?”
“Heh, of course we do, big ones usually, is that not common?”
“I-It… it is.” My body shuddered knowing that these terrifying beings come in large groups, something that goes counter to the anti-social nature of the Arxur, however my reaction caused the silver predator to grow even more despondent.
“Ahh… monsters aren't meant to have families, no?” Her long snout pointed down at the floor while crossing her paws together. I-It was such a strange feeling seeing her like this, i-in such a passive state next to prey… o-only drawing her image further than the beasts we know.
“M-Monsters d-don’t… b-but you do… I- I don't r-really understand w-what you are.”
Variah raised one ear at me, slowly pointing her head half way in my direction before lingering a stare from a single eye. “You… can always ask, you know. I’ll answer anything you want to know, just like before. What do you want to hear?”
J-Just ask? H-Heh… i-it can’t exactly be the same once you know you’re talking to a flesh eater, though, I… I think these beasts have to be a tamer breed of monsters than the Arxur, c-closer to true sapience, a-at least compared to those cursed reptiles. D-Damn, what harm could finding out more about their nature really do?
“A-Alright… I- I don’t know, l-let me think…” My thoughts traced over our conversation, until they landed upon something that stood out, o-one of many things not fitting of a predator. “E-Earlier you mentioned gods, d-do you have a religion?”
“Many. I don’t believe in anything of the sort myself, not really anyway… but most of my family prays to the old gods. People all around Valh most commonly follow the new pantheon and the nomad faiths it originated from.”
“M-Many? Okay then… w-what do you p-predators believe in then?”
“It depends, I guess… Most gods are meant to embody a part of nature in some way, the popular ones usually correspond to some star or celestial object in the sky… like I said I don't really put much stock into the supernatural so I don’t know much, though it… can be uncanny how many things are close to being correct in the nomad myths.”
Nature? Not something I expected, but I suppose predators worshiping aspects of nature isn't inconceivable when it's their hunting grounds. Though, it was worrying to hear a predator getting nervous about their own belief systems. “T-The nomads? You… you mentioned them before, Teh… Tesh, yes? W-What’s so b-bizarre about their beliefs?”
“Oh… yes! You actually rem-” The predator's volume spiked along with terror within my chest, but she stopped herself the moment I flinched away.
“O-Oh, I… I didn't mean to shout, s-sorry. They just can be… curious. Really secretive and stubborn about sharing their lores with us but we had some of their legends written down from centuries back and they always just… seem to know things, or at least, are close to vaguely knowing things they really shouldn't until modern times.”
Not that I have much faith in anything she says to me, but my skepticism was certainly beginning to grow. “W-What do you mean, like what?”
“Where can I even start? From what we can tell they always had an obsession with the night sky, but what’s kinda scary is that they have star charts showing surprisingly correct models of our system, with planets that are invisible to the naked eye… a-and later proven real with the invention of telescopes. M-Most were anyway, except for the supposed distant ones.
They knew of new continents and their rough shapes before they were even discovered, they had vague beliefs about the world and basic biology that weren’t too far off from reality if you exclude all the mysticism. They say that their gods granted them knowledge, I… sometimes find it difficult to explain it any other way.”
I've heard of faiths from half the Galaxy, but never had anyone tell me about getting preordained knowledge about science before. “Centuries you say, erm… I-if I were to b-believe you… are you sure t-these nomads haven’t been contacted by other aliens before o-or something?”
“Hah, if you dig around the internet for long enough I’m sure you’d stumbled upon some conspiracy about the Tesh somehow coming from Tielen or something crazier, but I really doubt that.” She chuckled to herself, before abruptly stopping and looking at me with crooked ears. “W-Wait, you… y-you don't know tha- I… I'll tell you later.”
Something about that answer felt off, b-but I couldn’t pinpoint what. “T-These nomads… a- are they just as frightening as y-you…?”
“I'm not frightening, Talyn… but, I suppose if you need a comparison, erm… I guess you might be a tiny bit taller than your average Tesh if you stood on your back legs, take that however you like.”
That much of a difference, i-is she serious?! T-there really might be another species here… t-two predators species o-on the same world?! That… that just can’t be right, p-predators would see another race as competition, a-and she doesn't speak of them as an enemy… m-maybe it's some weaker subspecies that's tolerated enough to not be driven to extinction?
“A-Alright… e-enough about that, p-please.” Whatever the truth is, the last thing I want to hear about is how diverse in form the monsters I’m surrounded by are, n-not when the whole point of us leaving federation space was to evade a pair of hunters… j-just like herself.
It felt… wrong, just considering this question that came to my mind, but having contact with a speaking monster, willing to answer any question… it sowed a certain level of morbid curiosity that couldn’t be ignored. “W- w-what do you feel when you go on a hunt, when you c-catch prey? D-Do you… do you do it often?”
I took a gulp when those words left my lips, but Variah just tilted her head at me as if my query made less sense than warp drive engineering. “When I hunt? Talyn I… I don’t hunt, not anymore anyway. My uncle took me a few times when I was younger, but it’s not something that I, or most people, do on a regular basis… it's not really my thing either.”
“Yo- you don't go hunting?! Y-You’re a carnivore, h-how… how d-do you g-get flesh?!”
“At the market…” Her voice sounded exasperated, like the apparently non-hunting predator couldn’t believe I had to ask.
Having to Imagine these demons selling bodies at a store like they’re some commodities is nothing short of horror, likely coming from cattle farms if most of them really don’t hunt, b-but… it’s inconceivable that a predator would forgo their own personal blood drive and delegate hunting to someone else… n-not her thing?
“Y-You still hunted prey b-before, w-what did you feel when… w-when you k-killed them?”
The predator looked unsure what to say, looking to the side and rubbing her ear. “I… I only managed to shoot something once, I… I guess I felt a rush at the time, pride… along with some pity for the thing. Again, it’s not something I liked, but I don’t feel bad about it, Talyn… I’m sorry if that’s not something you want to hear from me.”
Despondence grew within my heart as she confessed to having no remorse for the life taken, y-yet, she understands enough compassion to attempt alleviating my feelings about it? With a meek voice I tried to speak up again. “B-But… c-couldn’t you just s-stop eating f-flesh? Y-You can eat r-roots and f-fruit, e-even if i-it needs to be b-burnt… t-there is no need for m-murder.”
“Murder?” Variah looked at me in confusion, lingering a concentrated gaze on me for some time. “Talyn… why do you think carnivores eat meat?”
“T-To sate your b-bloodlust… t-they say you c-can’t help yourself, i-it's in your instincts to k-kill.” Variah furrowed her eyes at me and pinned back her ears, though this time it didn’t come off as stress, rather… bewilderment?
“Listen, we eat meat because it’s a physical nutritional need. We can’t eat plant matter like you do because we lack the right enzymes to digest it properly, and regardless of that, meat has proteins my body can’t synthesize on its own so I would eventually starve to death if I ate nothing but plants, cooked or not.”
She grabbed both ears and started rubbing them in an anxious manner. “Sure, instincts do play a role in how predators behave… any creature with specific biological needs had to evolve a drive to fulfill those needs, but it’s about survival, not some… some constant mind consuming lust for carnage?”
“Y-You really expect me to b-believe that you won’t start drooling t-the moment you feel hungry?!”
Variah’s paws moved from her ears and down on her forehead, staring straight at the floor for a few seconds with a fatigued posture before sliding her paws down again to hide her snout as she started to… c-chuckling? “By the gods. I hope you won’t… but if you’re still worried that much my belly’s all full right now, so you have nothing to be concerned about.”
Is she… is she finding this funny!? The thought of her being fully sated with corpses just sent a shiver down my spine, I don’t even think she realizes how morbid the comment was but I could only feel bitter in the moment. “H- how l-lovely for y-you… t-that just makes me feel s-so much b-better.”
Variah narrowed her eyes and slowly looked in my direction, causing mine to widen in response. The silver predator raised a paw and extended it towards my face.
Dread shot through my heart, forcing me to flinch away and shut my eyes before the horrid demon made contact and I squealed in terror, b-but… instead of her claws flaying me alive, I only felt a harsh flick across my ear. “You must be feeling all great now after all if you’re willing to speak with so much spite.”
Cautiously, my eyes opened to see Variah leaning close, her increased proximity immediately sending off alarm bells in my head. However, the overgrown demon just sat there still with closed eyes and perked up ears, holding out a clenched paw in front of me, with only the pinky extended forward.
I just stared at her for a moment, unsure what she wanted me to do before finally recoiling my arm back with a mix of scorn and trepidation when I figured out her attempted gesture. Contemplating my actions here, then contemplating her’s…
B-before averting my gaze from the demon and lowering my arm, and… a-and deciding to cautiously raise my arm, hovering a shaking paw right before the demon’s digit a-and managing to grab on, n-not fully sure of every reason why I did it?
It felt… wrong, loathsome, holding onto a predator, b-but some part of me liked feeling her warmth. She didn’t react at first, but after a few seconds Variah’s digit curled in on itself and pressed my paw against her other knuckles… It surprised me, b-but, it didn’t feel like a grip I couldn’t get away from if I let go now, s-so I just sat there for a moment, taking in how surreal the situation had become.
“See…” Variah finally decided to speak up as I raised my gaze to meet the strange predator once again. “I’m not as terrifying as you think.”
An odd mix of emotions went through my head, b-before I finally let go of her. “Y-you are… y-you just… c-could be w-worse.”
The silver beast seemed disappointed for a moment, but her overall demeanor seemed more positive than before. “Heh, I guess that’s an improvement so I’ll take it, for now.”
For once, I’ve seen Variah’s ears pointed to full height, and she… she really didn’t seem as frightening, m-making my ear rise a little higher too, awkwardly sitting in a crooked manner. “H-heh… y-you… you are a s-strange being, Variah… n-not how I could have e-ever imagined. You… d-do you really not like hunting?”
“Not really, no, if you're willing to believe it… though I won’t lie, I do enjoy the outdoors aspects of it. The hiking, the camping… get to do it a ton for my main line of work.”
The most arduous parts of working in the wild? Why would a scientist have to work in the wilds anyway? “W-What do you actually d-do? A-and, w-why are you here now?”
“Many things, but primarily astronomy and anthropology work. We survey the night sky deep in nomad territory because their communities produce far less light pollution, so I tend to have a ton of contact with the tribals. These are usually joint ventures with archaeology and zoology teams, so we regularly assist with each other's work too.”
“As for why I’m here, the military swooped me up once the dust settled long enough to know that it wasn’t space debris that landed on our world. I… I wrote a paper about a hypothetical first contact with extraterrestrials, and how it could play out based on cultural interactions throughout history… turns out that was enough for the government when they were scrambling to find scientific personnel capable of contributing with an alien encounter.”
It was bizarre hearing that hunters would care about so many fields of study. At best I thought they would focus on utilitarian pursuits, not something as frivolous as archeology. Much less would I have expected that predators would be speculating about aliens. “H-Have you imagined f-first contact going like this?”
“I- I didn't even think we would ever have an actual first contact, n-not in my lifetime… with the distances involved the chances of an encounter were literally astronomical, at least, until we learnt about your physics-breaking technology. Realistically, the best I ever hoped for was living long enough to watch someone land on Tsn, or hell, even our other moon… When they told me what I was meant to do here and got rushed into this room with you, I… I thought I would faint.”
The last bit left a tinge of guilt within my heart, even though it’s for a beast that technically shouldn’t deserve it. My glare just lingered on Variah while listening to the giant predator spill her woes and dreams like any actual sapient being in the Galaxy. It feels… d-dreadful, l-like there was actually someone I could have liked had they not been trapped within that body.
S-Still… I found myself with a need to answer back, turning away from her direct sight. “I- I’m sorry about that, I guess.” I really am going crazy here, aren’t I?
My eyes found themselves staring off at the ceiling while the silver predator just tilted her creepy head at me in a puzzled manner, lingering her unnerving eyes before finally answering back. “You don't have to worry about it… but thanks.”
Nothing more was spoken between us for several seconds, the extended silence drawing more attention to the strangeness of the situation I found myself in, until the moment was cut short and without warning a buzzer sounded over the door.
An ominous voice came online from the speakers, announcing that guards were about to escort me for another set of experiments. Something that left off, and must have also taken Variah off guard judging by her shift in demeanor. “More tests? Strange… nothing else was scheduled for today.”
The door began to cycle through its opening sequence and my anxiety flaring back up to how it was before, shivering, as the sudden break in routine caused an impending sense of doom once I realized that something even more nefarious could be afoot.
It could be futile, but my eyes snapped around the room looking for something, anything that could keep me safe if the worst came to pass, until they landed upon Variah… and the silver predator glanced back at me. Scanning over my current state with concern in her eyes, y- yet again contradicting what her nature should be truly.
A- a desperate thought crossed my mind, s-something… completely unthinkable, but no alternative seems at all feasible, a-and my time is drawing short. I- I cannot do this alone…
“Va- V-variah…” I hissed, my voice so weak that it's a shock that the beast managed to hear it even with those long ears. “P-please… You- you godda k-keep me s-safe.”
Her creepy eyes widened with shock, almosting freezing on the spot, but the predator recovered quickly, likely trying to look inconspicuous before glancing side to side and turning her head back to me with perked up ears.
“I- I promise I’ll do what I can…” She spoke in a low tone while reaching a giant paw towards my head. The sight of claws nearing my face compounding instinctive dread, but despite flinching once her palm made contact with my head, I- I didn’t shy away as much as before.
“On my honour. I just… need to figure out what’s going on first.” Variah took her paw away as the door hissed open, a-and for a moment m-my… my muscles twitched to pull her back before I stopped myself, u-unsure what compelled that impulse.
Two large guards stepped in, sporting fur dark as pitch and looking far more imposing than Variah ever could. “Doctor…” The demon spoke with a low tone that made my claws vibrate while slightly bowing his head in some form of greeting.
“I-is something wrong, sir? I wasn’t aware of any changes in the roster?” The silver predator appeared far meeker than the two beasts in front of her, though her demeanor didn’t suggest an expectation of being harmed by the two, despite her earlier treachery or our interactions from today.
“Nothing’s wrong Doctor, the administrator got a green light for a new line of research, so we’ve been ordered to escort the subject to the lower levels, please step out of the room.”
For a moment, something the demon said shook the silver predator, causing her head to snap in my direction with concern as I shuddered from the sight. “T-the lower levels? I thought those were shu-” She paused once looking back at the giant guard who seemed to be running out of patience. “R-right, apologies, I’m on my way.”
The silver predator moved sheepishly towards the door, lingering at the threshold to look my way one final time, clear concern painted on her face, at least before perking up her ears in what looked like a vain attempt at reassuring me and ducking out of the room soon after.
I- I guess it was just a deranged fantasy ever considering that begging some carnivore for help would materialize into anything. Now I was left alone with two demonic shadows ordering me out of the bed. My muscles weakened when their voices called, with nauseating sickness almost making me vomit from overwhelming dread.
However, following their commands was preferable to these monsters dragging me off by force so I just climbed down the frame, disheartened, and almost collapsed on the floor before letting the demons lead me into deeper depths.
First/Previous/Next
Special thanks to u/TheWalrusResplendent and u/Killsode-slugcat for proof reading this chapter. The help is always greatly appreciated.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, been a while since we saw what Talyn. We'll be back with Kafny next chapter to see how she'll adapt to her new situation.

Looking for someone in Richmond who can rebuild an old K321 series Kohler 14hp/1 piston, 2 valve engine from a 1972 Cub Cadet. I will provide the correct, complete engine rebuild kit just need the job done correctly. A little advanced for me.

To clear up a common misconception that this is something that only happens extremely rarely, here's a list of every time more than 4 words have fit one of the categories and what number puzzle it occurred in. The first 4 words are the answers and every word after that in parenthesis are words that fit that category but were part of another group. Also, category names might not be exactly the same as the ones used.

#4 Cleaning Verbs

Possible answers: DUST, MOP, SWEEP, VACUUM, (IRON)

#5 Condiments

Possible answers: KETCHUP, MAYO, RELISH, TARTAR, (MUSTARD)

#5 Clue Characters

Possible answers: GREEN, MUSTARD, PLUM, SCARLET, (PEACOCK)

#6 Shades of Blue

Possible answers: BABY, MIDNIGHT, POWDER, ROYAL, (SEA)

#6 Rappers

Possible answers: COMMON, FUTURE, ICE CUBE, Q-TIP, (CHANCE)

#9 Shirts

Possible answers: CAMI, HALTER, TANK, TEE, (POLO)

#9 Vegetables

Possible answers: BEET, CARROT, CORN, ONION, (SQUASH)

#9 Insects

Possible answers: ANT, BEETLE, MANTIS, TERMITE, (CRICKET)

#10 Countries

Possible answers: CHAD, GEORGIA, JORDAN, TOGO, (TURKEY)

#10 Birds

Possible answers: CRANE, JAY, TURKEY, SWALLOW, (KIWI)

#11 Spices

Possible answers: CARDAMOM, CLOVE, CORIANDER, CUMIN, (GINGER)

#11 Terms of Endearment

Possible answers: BOO, HONEY, SUGAR, SWEETIE, (BABY)

#12 Animal Group Names

Possible answers: FLOCK, PACK, POD, SCHOOL, (PRIDE)

#12 Deadly Sins

Possible answers: ENVY, GREED, LUST, PRIDE, (SLOTH)

#13 Airlines

Possible answers: FRONTIER, SPIRIT, UNITED, VIRGIN, (DELTA)

#13 Greek Letters

Possible answers: BETA, CHI, DELTA, IOTA, (NU)

#13 Silent G's

Possible answers: GNAT, GNAW, GNOCCHI, GNOME, (GNU)

#14 Famous Brothers

Possible answers: JONAS, MARX, WARNER, WRIGHT, (MARIO)

#14 Honda Vehicles

Possible answers: ACCORD, CIVIC, PASSPORT, PILOT, (CANOPY)

#15 Colors

Possible answers: BROWN, PINK, TURQUOISE, VIOLET, (SILVER)

#15 Fishing Equipment

Possible answers: LURE, REEL, ROD, TACKLE, (HOOK)

#16 Nuts

Possible answers: ALMOND, CASHEW, PECAN, WALNUT (PEANUT)

#17 Neck Accessories

Possible answers: ASCOT, BOLO, TIE, SCARF, (BOW)

#19 Disagreement

Possible answers: QUARREL, ROW, SPAT, TIFF, QUARREL, (BEEF)

#20 Grains

Possible answers: BARLEY, OAT, RYE, SPELT, (RICE)

#20 Royal Titles

Possible answers: BARON, EARL, KING, PRINCE, (DUKE)

#23 60's Band Member

Possible answers: BEACH BOY, BEATLE, BYRD, MONKEE, (ROLLING STONE)

#23 Dance Fads

Possible answers: DOUGIE, MACARENA, MASHED POTATO, TWIST, (VOGUE)

#25 Desserts

Possible answers: CHEESECAKE, FLAN, MOUSSE, TIRAMISU, (FUDGE)

#25 Animals with Tusks

Possible answers: ELEPHANT, HIPPO, NARWHAL, WARTHOG, (WALRUS)

#26 Countries (Holland is technically a region but it's often used as an informal name for the Netherlands)

Possible answers: DENMARK, GREECE, POLAND, PORTUGAL, (HOLLAND)

#26 Spelled with Roman Numerals

Possible answers: DILL, LIVID, MILD, MIX, (MIMIC)

#27 Body Parts

Possible answers: HEART, LIVER, LUNG, KIDNEY, (SPINE)

#28 File Extensions

Possible answers: GIF, PDF, TIFF, ZIP, (DOC)

#28 Fruits

Possible answers: BANANA, COCONUT, MANGO, PINEAPPLE, (KIWI)

#30 Joints

Possible answers: HIP, KNEE, SHOULDER, WRIST, (ELBOW)

#33 Boats

Possible answers: FERRY, JUNK, TUG, YACHT, (SUB)

#33 Cuts of Beef

Possible answers: FLANK, LOIN, ROUND, SHANK, (CHUCK)

#34 Smell

Possible answers: AROMA, BOUQUET, FRAGRANCE, SCENT, (FUNK)

#34 Music Genres

Possible answers: BLUES, COUNTRY, FUNK, SOUL, (ROCK)

#35 Metals

Possible answers: IRON, LEAD, TIN, ZINC, (NICKEL)

#36 Animals

Possible answers: KANGAROO, KOALA, WALLABY, WOMBAT, (MOLE RAT)

#38 Trees

Possible answers: ASH, CEDAR, MAPLE, PINE, (ELM)

#38 Land Formation

Possible answers: HILL, MOUNTAIN, PLATEAU, VALLEY, (PLAIN)

#38 Bagel Flavors

Possible answers: EVERYTHING, ONION, PLAIN, POPPY, (SESAME)

#41 Islands

Possible answers: CUBA, JAPAN, MALTA, PALAU, (FIJI), (JAVA)

#42 Punctuation Marks

Possible answers: COLON, COMMA, HYPHEN, PERIOD, (DASH)

#43 Birds

Possible answers: BOOBY, GULL, PELICAN, PUFFIN, (CANARY)

#45 Modes of Transportation

Possible answers: BOAT, CAR, PLANE, TRAIN, (SUBWAY)

#46 Cities

Possible answers: CHICAGO, MUNICH, PHILADELPHIA, RIO, (MANHATTAN)

#46 Fashion Magazines

Possible answers: ALLURE, ELLE, GLAMOUR, W, (COSMOPOLITAN)

#46 Storms

Possible answers: BLIZZARD, CYCLONE, SQUALL, TORNADO, (HURRICANE)

#48 Apparitions

Possible answers: GHOST, PHANTOM, SPECTER, SPIRIT, (GENIE)

#49 Relatives

Possible answers: AUNT, COUSIN, MOTHER, NEPHEW, (GRANDFATHER)

#49 Offbeat

Possible answers: DAFFY, KOOKY, QUIRKY, WACKY, (CUCKOO)

#49 Fictional Ducks

Possible answers: DAISY, DEWEY, DONALD, SCROOGE, (DAFFY)

#50 Imperial Measurements

Possible answers: FOOT, INCH, MILE, YARD, (QUART)

#52 Rodents

Possible answers: GERBIL, HAMSTER, RAT, VOLE, (MOUSE)

#52 Musical Instruments

Possible answers: HARP, HORN, ORGAN, TRIANGLE, (KEYBOARD)

#52 Complain

Possible answers: CARP, GRIPE, GROUSE, MOAN, (HARP)

#53 Animal Group Names

Possible answers: COLONY, HERD, PRIDE, SWARM, (FAMILY)

#53 AP Classes

Possible answers: BIO, CHEM, GOV, STATS, (LIT)

#54 Places for Worship

Possible answers: ALTAR, RELIQUARY, SHRINE, TEMPLE, (ABBEY)

#54 Presidents

Possible answers: CALVIN, CHESTER, GROVER, HARRY, (GARFIELD)

#56 Dances

Possible answers: HUSTLE, SALSA, SWING, TANGO, (TAP)

#57 Patterns

Possible answers: HOUNDSTOOTH, PAISLEY, PLAID, STRIPES, (DOT)

#58 Arachnids

Possible answers: MITE, SCORPION, SPIDER, TICK, (BLACK WIDOW)

#58 Fish

Possible answers: CHAR, EEL, PERCH, SHARK, (CATFISH)

#58 Superheroes

Possible answers: BLACK WIDOW, BLADE, FLASH, STORM, (TICK)

#59 Quantity

Possible answers: FEW, HANDFUL, SEVERAL, SOME, (PAIR)

#59 Celestial Objects

Possible answers: ASTEROID, COMET, MOON, PLANET, (SUN)

#60 Sports Venues

Possible answers: COURT, DIAMOND, FIELD, RINK, (RING)

#60 Jewelry

Possible answers: ANKLET, BANGLE, BROOCH, PENDANT, (RING), (CHARM)

#62 State Abbreviations

Possible answers: CO, MA, ME, PA, (LA)

#62 Period Table Symbols

Possible answers: FE, HE, NA, NI, (CO), (PA), (LA), (TI)

#63 Slang for Zero

Possible answers: JACK, NADA, NOTHING, SQUAT, (ZIP)

#63 Exercises

Possible answers: CURL, LUNGE, PLANK, PRESS, (SQUAT), (CRUNCH)

#63 Captains

Possible answers: CRUNCH, KANGAROO, OBVIOUS, PLANET, (JACK)

#64 Dog Names

Possible answers: FIDO, LUCKY, ROVER, SPOT, (REX)

#64 Perceive

Possible answers: CATCH, NOTICE, OBSERVE, SEE, (SPOT)

#64 Fishing Terms

Possible answers: BAIT, CHUM, FLY, SINKER, (CATCH)

#65 Energy

Possible answers: JUICE, SPIRIT, STEAM, VIGOR, (GAS), (FIRE)

#66 Time Periods

Possible answers: CENTURY, DECADE, MILLENNIUM, YEAR, (MONTH)

#66 Breakfast Foods

Possible answers: CEREAL, OMELET, PANCAKE, WAFFLE, (BACON), (EGG)

#67 Desserts

Possible answers: CAKE, COBBLER, PIE, TART, (FUDGE)

#67 Occupations

Possible answers: FISHER, MASON, MILLER, SMITH, (DOCTOR)

#68 Extremely

Possible answers: AWFUL, QUITE, SUPER, VERY, (REAL)

#68 Currencies

Possible answers: RAND, REAL, STERLING, WON, (POUND)

#68 _____Cake

Possible answers: CARROT, COFFEE, POUND, SPONGE, (CUP)

#69 Shoes

Possible answers: CLOG, PUMP, SLIDE, WEDGE, (MARY JANE)

#69 Slang for Marijuana

Possible answers: GRASS, HERB, MARY JANE, WEED, (BUD), (POT)

#70 Camping Supplies

Possible answers: COOLER, LANTERN, SLEEPING BAG, TENT, (CAMPER)

#70 Insult

Possible answers: BARB, DIG, DISS, JAB, (SLIGHT)

#71 States

Possible answers: ARIZONA, COLORADO, NEVADA, UTAH, (KANSAS), (MONTANA)

#72 Santa's Reindeer

Possible answers: COMET, CUPID, DASHER, VIXEN, (DANCER)

#72 Seen on Valentine's Day

Possible answers: CARD, HEART, CHOCOLATE, ROSE, (CUPID)

#73 Facial Hair

Possible answers: BEARD, GOATEE, MUSTACHE, STUBBLE, (HANDLEBAR)

#73 Pursue

Possible answers: DOG, FOLLOW, TAIL, TRACK, (SHADOW)

#74 Failures

Possible answers: BUSTS, FLOPS, MISSES, TURKEYS, (DUDS)

#75 Social Gathering

Possible answers: BASH, BLOWOUT, PARTY, SHINDIG, (MIXER)

#75 Found in a Kitchen

Possible answers: COUNTER, MIXER, RANGE, SINK, (ISLAND)

#79 Depart Quickly

Possible answers: BOOK, BOUNCE, RUN, SPLIT, (JET)

#79 Shades of Black

Possible answers: EBONY, JET, ONYX, RAVEN, (BLACK)

#80 Influence

Possible answers: CLOUT, PULL, WEIGHT, SWAY, (IMPACT)

#81 Appetizer Unit

Possible answers: FRY, NACHO, POPPER, WING, (CHIP), (CRACKER)

#81 Response to a Correct Answer

Possible answers: BINGO, CORRECT, RIGHT, YES, (DING)

#82 Drink Vessels

Possible answers: GOBLET, SNIFTER, TUMBLER, STEIN, (FLUTE)

#82 Woodwinds

Possible answers: CLARINET, FLUTE, OBOE, SAXOPHONE, (BASSOON)

#82 American Poets

Possible answers: BISHOP, FROST, OLDS, POUND, (STEIN)

#83 Unclothed

Possible answers: BARE, NAKED, NUDE, UNCLAD, (BUFF)

#83 Football Actions

Possible answers: FUMBLE, PUNT, SACK, SNAP, (TURNOVER)

#83 Finger Actions

Possible answers: BUFF, CLIP, FILE, POLISH, (SNAP)

#84 Female Animals

Possible answers: COW, DOE, HEN, MARE, (EWE)

#84 Pronouns

Possible answers: I, IT, THEY, WE, (YOU)

#84 Roman Numerals

Possible answers: D, L, M, V, (I)

#86 Information Displays

Possible answers: CHART, DIAGRAM, GRAPH, MAP, (PIE)

#86 Additional Benefit

Possible answers: BONUS, EXTRA, ICING, PERK, (GRAVY)

#86 Creatures in Folklore

Possible answers: GNOME, GOBLIN, OGRE, TROLL, (DRAGON)

#89 Alcohol

Possible answers: CIDER, PORT, SAKE, STOUT, (SPIRIT), (SCOTCH)

#89 Pixar Movies

Possible answers: BRAVE, CARS, COCO, UP, (SOUL)

#90 Baseball Calls

Possible answers: BALL, OUT, SAFE, STRIKE, (WALK)

#90 Fish

Possible answers: CARP, CATFISH, FLOUNDER, SMELT, (SALMON)

#91 Jungle Animals

Possible answers: ANACONDA, CAPYBARA, JAGUAR, TOUCAN, (LION)

#91 Lowest Point

Possible answers: BASE, BOTTOM, FOOT, FOUNDATION, (LEGS)

#92 Halloween Decorations

Possible answers: BAT, COBWEB, PUMPKIN, TOMBSTONE, (BONES)

#93 Animal Sounds

Possible answers: BUZZ, CLUCK, MEOW, OINK, (BARK)

#93 Inside Info

Possible answers: DIRT, DISH, SCOOP, SKINNY, (TEA)

#95 Songs that are Names

Possible answers: ALEJANDRO, LOLA, MICHELLE, STAN, (IRIS)

#96 Animals

Possible answers: BUFFALO, COW, GOAT, SHEEP, (HORSE)

#96 Gymnastics Apparatus

Possible answers: FLOOR, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT, (BEAM)

#97 Fairy Tale Figures

Possible answers: GIANT, PRINCESS, WITCH, WOLF, (QUEEN)

#97 "Peanuts" Characters

Possible answers: CHARLIE, PEPPERMINT PATTY, PIGPEN, WOODSTOCK, (LUCY)

#98 Fruits

Possible answers: APRICOT, FIG, GRAPE, LIME, (BERRY)

#98 Luxurious

Possible answers: DELUXE, GRAND, LAVISH, OPULENT, (SWANK)

#99 Intelligent

Possible answers: BRIGHT, CLEVER, QUICK, SHARP, (SMART)

#100 Web Browser-Related

Possible answers: BOOKMARK, HISTORY, TAB, WINDOW, (LINK), (POCKET)

#100 Dirty_____

Possible answers: DOZEN, JOKE, LAUNDRY, MARTINI, (WINDOW)

#101 Bowling Terms

Possible answers: ALLEY, BALL, LANE, PIN, (SPARE)

#101 Common Merch Items

Possible answers: MUG, PEN, TEE, TOTE, (PIN)

#102 Vehicles

Possible answers: BUS, CAR, MOTORCYCLE, TRUCK, (SCOOTER)

#102 Muppets

Possible answers: ANIMAL, BEAKER, GONZO, SCOOTER, (CHEF), (PIGGY)

#103 Soda Fountain Orders (Concrete can mean a type of milkshake or frozen custard)

Possible answers: FLOAT, MALT, SHAKE, SUNDAE, (CONCRETE), (SPLIT)

#104 Robust

Possible answers: FIT, HEALTHY, SOUND, STRONG, (WELL)

#104 Water Sources

Possible answers: FOUNTAIN, SPRING, TAP, WELL, (SINK)

#105 Kitchen Utensils

Possible answers: GRATER, LADLE, PEELER, WHISK, (CLEAVER)

#106 Wedding Items

Possible answers: BOUQUET, RING, TRAIN, VEIL, (CAKE)

#106 Encase

Possible answers: CAKE, COAT, COVER, CRUST, (VEIL)

#107 Snakes

Possible answers: BOA, MAMBA, PYTHON, VIPER, (GARTER)

#108 Produced by Trees

Possible answers: ACORN, CONE, POLLEN, SAP, (GUM), (NEEDLE)

#108 Candy

Possible answers: CHOCOLATE, GUM, LICORICE, LOLLIPOP, (SUCKER)

#108 Target of a Scheme

Possible answers: CHUMP, FOOL, MARK, SUCKER, (SAP)

#109 Rap Subgenres

Possible answers: BOUNCE, CRUNK, DRILL, GRIME, (TRAP)

#110 Golf Clubs

Possible answers: IRON, PUTTER, WEDGE, WOOD, (CLUB)

#112 Coffee Counter Items

Possible answers: CUP, LID, STIRRER, STRAW, (STICK)

#114 Talk

Possible answers: BLATHER, CHAT, GAB, JABBER, (YAK)

#115 Christmas-Related

Possible answers: MISTLETOE, REINDEER, SNOWMAN, STOCKING, (PRESENT), (CANDY CANE)

#116 MLB Teams

Possible answers: ANGEL, CUB, MET, RED, (NAT)

#119 Celebratory Occasion

Possible answers: ANNIVERSARY, BIRTHDAY, SHOWER, WEDDING, (RECEPTION), (SERVICE)

#120 Crops

Possible answers: CORN, CUCUMBER, PEPPER, TOMATO, (MELON)

#121 Bible Books

Possible answers: ACTS, JOB, KINGS, MARK, (GENESIS)

#121 NHL Teams

Possible answers: FLAMES, KRAKEN, STARS, WILD, (KINGS), (RANGER)

#123 Conceal

Possible answers: BLOCK, COVER, HIDE, MASK, (SHIELD)

#124 "L" Cities

Possible answers: LAGOS, LIMERICK, LINCOLN, LUXOR, (LIMA)

#124 Poetry Terms

Possible answers: LINE, METER, RHYME, VERSE, (LIMERICK)

#125 Butt

Possible answers: BOTTOM, BUNS, SEAT, TAIL, (BOOTY)

#126 Tools

Possible answers: HAMMER, FILE, LEVEL, SAW, (WRENCH)

#126 Keyboard Shortcuts

Possible answers: COPY, FIND, PRINT, SAVE, (FILE)

#127 Days of the Week

Possible answers: FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, THURSDAY, (WEDNESDAY), (TUESDAY)

#127 Go Bad

Possible answers: ROT, SOUR, SPOIL, TURN, (FESTER)

#129 Bit of Air

Possible answers: BREEZE, DRAFT, GUST, PUFF, (PANT)

#130 Falsify

Possible answers: FABRICATE, FAKE, FIX, FORGE, (FUDGE)

#130 TV Shows

Possible answers: FARGO, FIREFLY, FLEABAG, FLIPPER, (FRIENDS)

#131 Animal Homes

Possible answers: DEN, LAIR, HIVE, NEST, (WEB), (WARREN)

#131 Equitable

Possible answers: EQUAL, EVEN, FAIR, JUST, (GOOD)

#132 Tableware

Possible answers: BOWL, DISH, PLATE, SAUCER, (CROCK), (CUP)

#133 British Food

Possible answers: MASH, ROAST, SCONE, TRIFLE, (BANGER)

#133 Predicament

Possible answers: BIND, PICKLE, SCRAPE, SPOT, (JAM)

#134 Impel

Possible answers: DRIVE, INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, SPUR, (SPARK)

#135 Compound Words

Possible answers: BACKPACK, BIGWIG, DOWNTOWN, RAGTAG, (TEXTBOOK)

#136 Grammar Tenses

Possible answers: FUTURE, PAST, PERFECT, PRESENT, (SIMPLE)

#136 The 12 Days of Christmas

Possible answers: DRUMMER, LADY, RING, SWAN, (LORD)

#137 Excellent

Possible answers: ACES, KEEN, NEATO, NIFTY, (SWELL)

#137 Bubbles

Possible answers: FOAM, FROTH, HEAD, LATHER, (BUBBLE)

#138 Metals

Possible answers: COPPER, GOLD, NICKEL, SILVER, (BRASS), (MERCURY)

#139 Aesthetics

Possible answers: DRESS, LOOK, MANNER, STYLE, (TASTE)

#140 Mishmash

Possible answers: HASH, JUMBLE, MEDLEY, STEW, (LITTER)

#143 Filler Words

Possible answers: ERM, UH, UM, WELL, (LIKE), (ER)

#146 Clue Weapons

Possible answers: CANDLESTICK, KNIFE, ROPE, WRENCH, (PIPE)

#147 Unchanging

Possible answers: EVEN, LEVEL, STABLE, STEADY, (UNIFORM)

#147 Long, Sharp Objects

Possible answers: LANCE, PIN, SKEWER, SPIT, (PITCHFORK)

#148 Musical Format

Possible answers: LP, PLATTER, VINYL, WAX, (CD)

#148 Cube-Shaped

Possible answers: BOUILLON, DIE, ICE, SUGAR, (STOCK)

#150 Equivocate

Possible answers: HEDGE, SEE-SAW, WAVER, YO-YO, (FLIP-FLOP), (WAFFLE)

#151 Podcasts

Possible answers: RADIOLAB, SERIAL, UP FIRST, WTF, (FRESH AIR), (REPLY ALL)

#152 Intelligent

Possible answers: BRIGHT, QUICK, SHARP, SMART, (SAGE)

#152 Medieval Weapons

Possible answers: CLUB, MACE, SPEAR, SWORD, (AXE)

#153 Filmmaking Equipment

Possible answers: BOOM, DOLLY, LENS, TRIPOD, (GRIP)

#154 Sports Professionals

Possible answers: COACH, GM, PLAYER, SCOUT, (SUB)

#154 Car Companies

Possible answers: BMW, HONDA, JAGUAR, SUBARU, (FORD), (GM)

#156 Vocal Fanfare

Possible answers: BEHOLD, PRESTO, TADA, VOILA, (SURPRISE)

#157 Magazines

Possible answers: O, OK, US, W, (EW), (SI)

#157 Yes

Possible answers: HAI, JA, SI, DA, (OK), (OUI)

#158 Animals

Possible answers: BUFFALO, DEER, FISH, MOOSE, (BULL), (STEER), (SEAL)

#160 Quick Observation

Possible answers: GANDER, GLANCE, GLIMPSE, LOOK, (PEEK)

#160 Parts of a Mountain

Possible answers: CLIFF, CRAG, LEDGE, RIDGE, (BLUFF), (PEAK)

#161 _____Day

Possible answers: EARTH, GROUNDHOG, LABOR, MAY, (BIRTH)

#162 Primates

Possible answers: BABOON, BONOBO, GIBBON, GORILLA, (APE)

#162 Fashionable

Possible answers: CHIC, HIP, HOT, IN, (VOGUE)

#164 Area Between Mountains

Possible answers: CANYON, GULCH, PASS, RAVINE, (GORGE)

#165 Food

Possible answers: PASTY, PIE, TART, TURNOVER, (PARFAIT), (RAGOUT), (CURRY)

#165 Countries

Possible answers: JAPAN, POLAND, TUNISIA, TURKEY, (JORDAN)

#166 Reality Shows

Possible answers: ALONE, CATFISH, CHOPPED, SURVIVOR, (BACHELOR)

#168 Municipalities

Possible answers: CITY, TOWN, COUNTY, VILLAGE, (CAPITAL)

#171 Parts of the Foot

Possible answers: ARCH, BALL, SOLE, TOE, (HEEL)

#171 Dog Commands

Possible answers: COME, DOWN, SIT, STAY, (HEEL)

#173 Ways to Remove Hair

Possible answers: SHAVE, THREAD, TWEEZE, WAX, (CUT)

#174 Hold Back

Possible answers: CAP, CHECK, CURB, LIMIT, (HAMPER)

#175 Excite, with "Up"

Possible answers: AMP, FIRE, HYPE, PUMP, (GAS)

#177 TV Shows

Possible answers: CHEERS, EUPHORIA, FELICITY, GLEE, (FRASIER)

#178 Found on Sheet Music

Possible answers: CLEF, NOTE, REST, STAFF, (SCALES)

#178 Zodiac Symbols

Possible answers: BULL, CRAB, SCALES, TWINS, (VIRGIN)

#180 Absolute

Possible answers: PURE, SHEER, TOTAL, UTTER, (STARK)

#180 Express

Possible answers: AIR, SPEAK, STATE, VOICE, (UTTER)

#181 Cooking Oils

Possible answers: CORN, OLIVE, PALM, PEANUT, (RICE)

#183 Luxurious Fabrics

Possible answers: CHIFFON, SILK, SATIN, VELVET, (LACE)

#185 -ough

Possible answers: BOUGH, COUGH, DOUGH, TOUGH, (ROUGH), (ENOUGH)

#189 Used to Build a Snowman

Possible answers: CARROT, COAL, SNOW, STICKS, (STONES)

#190 NYC Avenues

Possible answers: BROADWAY, FIFTH, MADISON, PARK, (SECOND), (FIRST), (ELEVENTH)

#191 Accessories

Possible answers: BELT, BRACELET, TIE, WATCH, (CHARM)

#199 Name Prefixes

Possible answers: GEN, MS, PROF, REV, (DR)

#200 Parts of a Car

Possible answers: BUMPER, HOOD, TIRE, TRUNK, (DASH)

#201 Single Letter Homophones

Possible answers: BEE, EX, GEE, JAY, (TEE)

#203 New Years-Related

Possible answers: BALL, COUNTDOWN, FIREWORKS, KISS, (PARTY), (RESOLUTION), (CHAMPAGNE)

#207 Gift-Giving Accessories

Possible answers: BOW, BOX, CARD, WRAPPING, (MESSAGE)

#210 Kinds of Exams

Possible answers: BAR, FINAL, ORAL, PHYSICAL, (EYE)

#211 Long, Skinny Objects

Possible answers: POLE, ROD, STAFF, STICK, (CLUB)

#212 Cooking Elements

Possible answers: ACID, FAT, HEAT, SALT, (PEPPER), (SMOKE)

#213 Seen at a Casino

Possible answers: CARDS, CHIPS, DICE, SLOTS, (POKER)

#213 Ways to Prepare Cheese

Possible answers: CRUMBLE, MELT, SHRED, SLICE, (GRATE)

#217 Thieve

Possible answers: PINCH, ROB, STEAL, SWIPE, (JACK)

#218 Medicine Formats

Possible answers: CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET, (POD)

#221 Colors

Possible answers: BLUE, GREEN, WHITE, YELLOW, (SCARLET)

#222 Minced Oaths

Possible answers: CURSES, DARN, RATS, SHOOT, (FUDGE), (NUTS)

#224 Contains Wax

Possible answers: CANDLE, CRAYON, HONEYCOMB, SEAL, (EAR)

#229 Baseball-Related

Possible answers: BALL, BASE, BAT, GLOVE, (STRIKE)

#233 Mario Power-ups

Possible answers: FEATHER, STAR, MUSHROOM, FLOWER, (HAMMER)

#234 _____Pit

Possible answers: BARBECUE, ORCHESTRA, SNAKE, TAR, (FIRE)

#235 Make Shorter

Possible answers: CLIP, CUT, PARE, TRIM, (PRUNE)

#235 Muscular

Possible answers: BUILT, JACKED, RIPPED, SWOLE, (TRIM), (BUFF)

#237 Farm Fixtures

Possible answers: COOP, PEN, STABLE, STY, (RANGE)

#238 Unexciting

Possible answers: BORING, DULL, MUNDANE, VANILLA, (ROUTINE), (DRY)

#239 Ecclesiastical Titles

Possible answers: BISHOP, CARDINAL, PASTOR, PRIOR, (BROTHER), (LORD)

#251 Media Attention

Possible answers: COVERAGE, EXPOSURE, PRESS, PUBLICITY, (MEDIA)

#254 Little Bit of Liquid

Possible answers: BEAD, GLOB, DROP, TEAR, (DRIP)

#257 Shades of Green

Possible answers: OLIVE, FOREST, LIME, MINT, (CACTUS)

#260 Ilk

Possible answers: KIND, SORT, TYPE, VARIETY, (MANNER)

#263 Propel into the Air

Possible answers: HOP, JUMP, LEAP, SPRING, (VAULT)

#266 Large Amount

Possible answers: MASS, SEA, SLEW, TON, (WAVE)

#266 Fall under Pressure

Possible answers: BUCKLE, CAVE, COLLAPSE, GIVE, (FLOP)

#268 Pop Stars

Possible answers: GRANDE, MARS, STYLES, SWIFT, (LEGEND)

#269 Found at an Airport

Possible answers: HANGAR, RUNWAY, TARMAC, TERMINAL, (WINDSOCK)

#269 Ends in an Article of Clothing (A Mac is a raincoat)

Possible answers: FOXGLOVE, GUMSHOE, TURNCOAT, WINDSOCK, (TARMAC), (LAWSUIT)

#271 Food Preservation Techniques

Possible answers: CAN, CURE, DRY, FREEZE, (SPICE)

#272 Space_____

Possible answers: BAR, CADET, HEATER, STATION, (BLANKET)

#273 Keyboard Keys

Possible answers: COMMAND, CONTROL, OPTION, SHIFT, (SPACE)

#283 Seen at a Sports Stadium

Possible answers: ASTROTURF, JUMBOTRON, SCOREBOARD, SKYBOX, (KISSCAM), (JOURNEYMAN)

#284 Animals

Possible answers: COW, DOE, HEN, EWE, (YAK)

#284 Palindromes

Possible answers: BIB, EYE, GAG, POP, (EWE)

#285 Olympic Sports

Possible answers: BREAKING, HOCKEY, TRAMPOLINE, SKELETON, (CRICKET), (SQUASH), (VOLLEYBALL)

#289 Plant Growths

Possible answers: BLOOM, BUD, SHOOT, SPROUT, (CORONA)

#290 Quarrel

Possible answers: FIGHT, ROW, SCRAP, TIFF, (WAR)

#290 Games of Chance (Poker is technically a game of skill but it's still highly associated with chance)

Possible answers: BINGO, LOTTERY, ROULETTE, WAR, (POKER)

#291 Whale Species

Possible answers: BLUE, FIN, GRAY, RIGHT, (PILOT)

#293 Food Preservation Techniques

Possible answers: CANS, CURES, SALTS, SMOKES, (JAMS), (PICKLES)

#296 Thrust

Possible answers: JAB, POKE, PROD, STICK, (ELBOW)

#301 _____Horse

Possible answers: CHARLEY, CRAZY, DARK, GIFT, (PRIZE)

#302 Brief Moment

Possible answers: FLASH, HEARTBEAT, JIFF, WINK, (ZIP)

#302 Dispute

Possible answers: CLASH, TANGLE, SCRAP, TIFF, (SPAT)

#303 Hair Care Items

Possible answers: BRUSH, COMB, DRYER, IRON, (OIL)

#307 Seen at the Circus

Possible answers: CLOWN, RING, TENT, TRAPEZE, (LION)

#310 Parts of a Theatre

Possible answers: BALCONY, BOX, ORCHESTRA, STAGE, (FLOOR)

#312 Golden_____

Possible answers: FLEECE, GIRLS, PARACHUTE, RULE, (MEAN)

#315 Starting with the Same Sound

Possible answers: CYMBAL, SCIMITAR, SIMMER, SYMPHONY, (SYMBOL)

#318 Mexican Food-Related

Possible answers: CILANTRO, LIME, ONION, SALSA, (PICO), (WRAP), (MOLE)

#328 _____Sale

Possible answers: BAKE, CLEARANCE, GARAGE, SAMPLE, (YARD)

#329 Enjoy

Possible answers: FANCY, LOVE, RELISH, SAVOR, (LIKE)

#330 Quantity

Possible answers: FEW, MANY, SEVERAL, SOME, (COUPLE), (HANDFUL)

#333 Restrict

Possible answers: CHECK, CONTAIN, CURB, LIMIT, (CAP)

#339 Forthright

Possible answers: DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, STRAIGHT, (PLAIN)

#342 Games

Possible answers: CATEGORIES, CHARADES, FISHBOWL, WEREWOLF, (MOUSETRAP)

#345 Billiards-Related

Possible answers: BALL, CHALK, CUE, RACK, (POCKET)

#348 Things You can Crack

Possible answers: EGG, KNUCKLES, SMILE, WINDOW, (CORN)

#351 _____Iron

Possible answers: PUMP, STEAM, TIRE, WAFFLE, (FLAT)

#355 Things People Shake

Possible answers: HANDS, MARACA, POLAROID, SNOWGLOBE, (BODY)

The Horror in the Well
The tiny hamlet burst abruptly from the mist-choked evening. Had it not been for a stray jutting rock in the road. Inspector Alleyne had no doubt his Mechanist Mikal Jacobsen would hurtled their steam carriage along at full speed. Instead, the juddering halt flooded Alleyne with adrenaline; though Adjutant Samara remained somehow undisturbed, once Jacobsen’s flood of curses subsided the Mechanist relayed how lucky they were to not - as he glibly put it - have been ‘flipped’.
They were on an off-shoot of the main Queen’s Highway, taking the road from the capitol - Queensrise - to the coast for Alleyne’s new posting. Too rattled to sit while Jacobsen made repairs, Alleyne opened the carriage door. Chilly air wafted in finally prompting a slight lifting of the brim of Samara’s witchhunter hat.
“Bump in the road,” Alleyne said wearily. “Mechanist Jacobsen will see to it. Don’t trouble yourself.”
“Shout me if you need me,” Samara murmured, removing her flame pistol from the box beneath her seat. She laid it on her lap before luxuriously stretching into a more comfortable position.
“Put that away,” he chided. “This isn’t the Queensrise Narrows. It’s a farm village in Westenfall.”
“Have and not need, not want and not have,” she said sleepily. Alleyne resisted the urge to tut and got out, gently closing the door behind him.
Once again he marvelled at their fabulous conveyance. A pinnacle of Queensrise’s industrial science, the steam carriage was a magnificent construction; darkest polished walnut festooned with brilliant brass pipes. Even the mud splattering the front and sides couldn’t detract from its elegance. Leaving Queensrise for a posting to a backwater town on the coast was hardly ideal, but at least the journey would be accomplished swiftly and in civilised comfort.
“Won’t be more’n an hour boss,” Jacobsen’s voice floated out from beneath the machine.
“Carry on,” Alleyne said. “I’m going to stretch my legs.”
“Don’t, uh…” Jacobsen trailed off.
“Don’t what?” he said, only slightly clipped.
“Nothing. I’ll shout you when I’m done.”
Alleyne was not some fresh-faced cadet taking his first patrol off Saber Avenue back in Queensrise. Their concern was unwarranted.
Besides, the village seemed hardly the place for nonsense. The mist was so thick he could only discern the grey brick corners of perhaps five buildings, shutters locked tight over dark windows.
The rock in the road was an issue, however; this might have only been a minor branch of the Queen’s Highway but a village in this position should take better care of its environs.
The lone man visible was a tall gaunt farmer, grey of hair beneath his straw hat, perhaps in his sixties, who despite the dirt clinging to his hands nonetheless comported himself with the high-held regality of a community patriarch. He seemed irritated at Alleyne’s approach, but laid down his basket of roots with a painful stoop.
“Be here long, will you?” the farmer said gruffly.
“Not at all,” Alleyne assured him. “But it behooves me to inquire as to why my vehicle was delayed? The road’s condition seems… poor.”
“It behooves you?” The man’’s gaunt face darkened with a flash of anger, but it vanished beneath the weight of his other emotions which hung from him like a funeral shroud.
“I apologise.” Alleyne removed his witchhunter hat. The farmer, after a moment, removed his own straw hat, revealing a head bald but for a wisps of hair. He introduced himself as Karlsen and apologised in turn for not being more welcoming only, “We get so few these days, and, it hardly seems worth, and best overall that few come.”
Alleyne thought that a curious remark, but he said gently, “Might I surmise the job of clearing the road belongs to one recently lost?”
“You might,” Karlsen said quietly. “It’s been some weeks but it’s still fresh and raw. I’ll appoint someone on the morrow, Investigator.” He picked up the basket of roots. Alleyne’s stomach churned at the sour smell that wafted from it.
Karlsen went into the nearest house. Unable to believe even a life-hardened farmer like him would actually use such foul produce, Alleyne stepped cautiously into the side yard to see if he could hear any subsequent conversation. If the road clearer had died from a local sickness, perhaps he could arrange for a Royal Apothecary to visit.
“Again with these, Vel?” came a woman’s voice, hoarse as if she’d been crying for days. “And we can’t even wash them. We need water.”
“I’ll dig a new one.”
“It’ll still be down there. He’ll still be there, calling to us. It’s waiting in the earth.”
“It’s a fungus, Agneth. No different from sprout caps or witchweave.”
“A fungus? A fungus?!” She almost shrieked. Her voice trembled at the edge of hysteria. “Open your eyes, Vel. Funguses don’t do that. A fungus didn’t take your boy.”
“What happened to Ged was a tragedy,” Karlsen said with the slow patience of a man resigned to repeating himself. “So make it end. Give him peace. Burn it, and set us free.”
“You do it, Agneth, if it’s so easy,” he shouted, angrily slamming something down on a table or sideboard.
“I can’t,” she sobbed. “You know I can’t. I can’t look at him like that. I can’t hear those…” her words became muffled as a rustle of cloth hinted at an embrace.
Karlsen said, softly, “Neither can I, love.”
Alleyene’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. His heart went out to them. Perhaps he could deal with the problem and leave the village a somewhat happier place. Perhaps his Adjutant and Machinist would see that he was their superior for a reason, and not just by appointment.
Samara didn’t stir when he opened the carriage door. He borrowed her flame pistol and walked on deeper into the village, the steam carriage soon lost in the swirling mist.
For a moment he could see nothing but the dirt road and shifting grey walls all around, and he was aware he was a middle-aged man alone on a road miles from any city, at the mercy of whatever might find him out here, and almost he turned back to wake Samara; but no: he was a Queensreach Investigator, Keeper of the Royal Peace, he carried the authority of the Crown, and he was armed.
He smelled the well before he saw it. The soul odour that had wafted from Karlsen’s basket was here a stench almost turning the very air black with its rotting foulness. A ring of white stones encircling brown and flattened grass surrounded the well. Strewn around it were ropes, bits of block and tackle, pulleys, bundles of kindling and oil jars, and ornate twists of waxy paper one normally found at a grave. Reading grave twists was unseemly, but he had a duty that surpassed polite behaviour. A greater duty, towards all of the Queen’s People.
...Come back to us...
...We miss you, Ged...
...Precious boy, taken too soon...
...Please sleep...
...Leave us alone...
And a last one, written later than the others by a hurried and shaky hand:
...This isn’t fair, please stop. We don’t deserve this. Did we sin?...
Alleyne’s blood ran cold, but his resolve was set. The well’s roof cap had been removed and a stout wooden ladder led down into the stinking darkness. Wrapping his cravat around his mouth and nose, he wiped his palms on his brocade trousers before tightening his grip on the flame pistol, certain it wouldn’t be needed. Of course the boy had fallen into the well. It would be a simple but grisly matter to climb down, remove the body, and lay it to rest. More than likely that would clear the well water and restore health to the surrounding fields.
Except- Except nothing, he told himself. Except, the treacherously analytical part of his mind went on, if it was so easy, someone in the village would have already done it. Farming life bred tough people. What could have prevented them? Except, as well, he knew of no grave fungus that would contaminate other plants. Except, Agneth had said several strange things.
As Alleyne threw his leg over the side of the well he noticed the oily black threads creeping through the moss, and the filaments furrowing into the wooden bars of the ladder. His brisk shake indicated the ladder was still sound.
This proved true until the final rung gave way beneath his weight, spilling him into the noxious wet mulch at the bottom of the well. He heaved at the disturbed stench.
Recovering himself slightly, the dim light of the misty day several feet above was just enough to see by, and he set about searching for what would inevitably be the water-bloated body of the boy. Regret rose in his soul.
Even head first, the fall into water shouldn’t have killed the boy. He’d seen no scuff marks indicated a slip or scramble, but there had been what looked like hand- or foot- holds where someone coulda have climbed down.
Also, if this was a well, where was the water?
Alleyne clicked the igniter on the flame pistol but it had been splashed by the fall. The smell was ungodly. He removed the igniter and dried it on his cravat, grateful that only his bottom half was soaked. Once dry he clicked the igniter again and remembered the device needed to charge. He set it to do so. He resumed his search with hand, uncovering a rock, then an old sheep skull, and then, fingers questing blindly in the black muck, he brushed against what was unmistakably a shirt. The shirt led to a shoulder. The flesh yielded uncomfortably beneath his touch; he followed the arm to a hand and gripped it to pull it free.
It gripped him back.
He nearly jumped out of his skin. He tried to let go, pulling away, but it held fast. Spontaneous post-mortem muscle contraction, he told himself, heart racing, fighting his rising panic. As he pulled away he pulled the body out of the muck into a sitting position, dripping with oily black muck. He heard them then: whispers. ...come... ...come be with us... ...climb down... ...come down... ...rest with us...
The whispers didn’t come from the corpse. They came from the glistening flared trumpets he now saw encrusting the shoulders - still it gripped him - and as he bent forwards to hear them better he realised the corpse had opened its eyes.
The other hand was reaching for him. It said, -play with me, daddy-
He would have been lost to terror, but at that moment a jolt of hot pain seared his hand. Weeping with relief, he triggered the flame pistol a split second before the fungus-choked fingers reached his neck.
The corpse shrieked like it was being murdered, "Stop! No! Please! Mummy! I just wanted to look! I’m sorry! You’re hurting me! Please stop!"
Grimly he kept pressure on the trigger and swept the tongue of flame across the body of the little boy, crisping the quivering fungal growths one by one until the grip released him. Sobbing, he shakily got to his feet. He turned the nozzle and widened the tongue of flame into a cone of incandescent fury. The base of the well was engulfed. As he climbed out he held the trigger down, bathing everything in a bright and searing heat, and even when its supply exhausted and the weapon shut down he could not let go. Smoke spiralled up from singed grave twists.
He stumbled back from the rising pyre of the well and into Samara’s arms, barely able to stand.
“Throne,” she swore, as a column of thick smoke billowed into the misty sky. “Mikal said you took it. Throne, Al, what did you do?”
He was too distraught to insist she use his rank, too emotionally shattered to argue against Vel Karlsen’s rage-filled accusation that he had no right, no right at all, he couldn’t even speak for several hours, until they were back in the steam carriage and well underway, the sorrowful village miles behind.
“Sentient corpse fungus.” Samara shook her head. “That’s… that’s real fucked up.”
“Language,” he said automatically. She squeezed his sodden knee.
“I’d have burned it too. They didn’t seem so happy though.”
“It spoke with his voice. I can only imagine… weeks, he said. It-” he choked on his words.
“You did what you had to. What they couldn’t.”
“Such… such is the lot… of all who keep the Queen’s Peace,” he finally said.
But as the carriage thundered on through the mist, duty was small comfort.
The End

The Horror in the Well
The tiny hamlet burst abruptly from the mist-choked evening. Had it not been for a stray jutting rock in the road. Inspector Alleyne had no doubt his Mechanist Mikal Jacobsen would hurtled their steam carriage along at full speed. Instead, the juddering halt flooded Alleyne with adrenaline; though Adjutant Samara remained somehow undisturbed, once Jacobsen’s flood of curses subsided the Mechanist relayed how lucky they were to not - as he glibly put it - have been ‘flipped’.
They were on an off-shoot of the main Queen’s Highway, taking the road from the capitol - Queensrise - to the coast for Alleyne’s new posting. Too rattled to sit while Jacobsen made repairs, Alleyne opened the carriage door. Chilly air wafted in finally prompting a slight lifting of the brim of Samara’s witchhunter hat.
“Bump in the road,” Alleyne said wearily. “Mechanist Jacobsen will see to it. Don’t trouble yourself.”
“Shout me if you need me,” Samara murmured, removing her flame pistol from the box beneath her seat. She laid it on her lap before luxuriously stretching into a more comfortable position.
“Put that away,” he chided. “This isn’t the Queensrise Narrows. It’s a farm village in Westenfall.”
“Have and not need, not want and not have,” she said sleepily. Alleyne resisted the urge to tut and got out, gently closing the door behind him.
Once again he marvelled at their fabulous conveyance. A pinnacle of Queensrise’s industrial science, the steam carriage was a magnificent construction; darkest polished walnut festooned with brilliant brass pipes. Even the mud splattering the front and sides couldn’t detract from its elegance. Leaving Queensrise for a posting to a backwater town on the coast was hardly ideal, but at least the journey would be accomplished swiftly and in civilised comfort.
“Won’t be more’n an hour boss,” Jacobsen’s voice floated out from beneath the machine.
“Carry on,” Alleyne said. “I’m going to stretch my legs.”
“Don’t, uh…” Jacobsen trailed off.
“Don’t what?” he said, only slightly clipped.
“Nothing. I’ll shout you when I’m done.”
Alleyne was not some fresh-faced cadet taking his first patrol off Saber Avenue back in Queensrise. Their concern was unwarranted.
Besides, the village seemed hardly the place for nonsense. The mist was so thick he could only discern the grey brick corners of perhaps five buildings, shutters locked tight over dark windows.
The rock in the road was an issue, however; this might have only been a minor branch of the Queen’s Highway but a village in this position should take better care of its environs.
The lone man visible was a tall gaunt farmer, grey of hair beneath his straw hat, perhaps in his sixties, who despite the dirt clinging to his hands nonetheless comported himself with the high-held regality of a community patriarch. He seemed irritated at Alleyne’s approach, but laid down his basket of roots with a painful stoop.
“Be here long, will you?” the farmer said gruffly.
“Not at all,” Alleyne assured him. “But it behooves me to inquire as to why my vehicle was delayed? The road’s condition seems… poor.”
“It behooves you?” The man’’s gaunt face darkened with a flash of anger, but it vanished beneath the weight of his other emotions which hung from him like a funeral shroud.
“I apologise.” Alleyne removed his witchhunter hat. The farmer, after a moment, removed his own straw hat, revealing a head bald but for a wisps of hair. He introduced himself as Karlsen and apologised in turn for not being more welcoming only, “We get so few these days, and, it hardly seems worth, and best overall that few come.”
Alleyne thought that a curious remark, but he said gently, “Might I surmise the job of clearing the road belongs to one recently lost?”
“You might,” Karlsen said quietly. “It’s been some weeks but it’s still fresh and raw. I’ll appoint someone on the morrow, Investigator.” He picked up the basket of roots. Alleyne’s stomach churned at the sour smell that wafted from it.
Karlsen went into the nearest house. Unable to believe even a life-hardened farmer like him would actually use such foul produce, Alleyne stepped cautiously into the side yard to see if he could hear any subsequent conversation. If the road clearer had died from a local sickness, perhaps he could arrange for a Royal Apothecary to visit.
“Again with these, Vel?” came a woman’s voice, hoarse as if she’d been crying for days. “And we can’t even wash them. We need water.”
“I’ll dig a new one.”
“It’ll still be down there. He’ll still be there, calling to us. It’s waiting in the earth.”
“It’s a fungus, Agneth. No different from sprout caps or witchweave.”
“A fungus? A fungus?!” She almost shrieked. Her voice trembled at the edge of hysteria. “Open your eyes, Vel. Funguses don’t do that. A fungus didn’t take your boy.”
“What happened to Ged was a tragedy,” Karlsen said with the slow patience of a man resigned to repeating himself. “So make it end. Give him peace. Burn it, and set us free.”
“You do it, Agneth, if it’s so easy,” he shouted, angrily slamming something down on a table or sideboard.
“I can’t,” she sobbed. “You know I can’t. I can’t look at him like that. I can’t hear those…” her words became muffled as a rustle of cloth hinted at an embrace.
Karlsen said, softly, “Neither can I, love.”
Alleyene’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. His heart went out to them. Perhaps he could deal with the problem and leave the village a somewhat happier place. Perhaps his Adjutant and Machinist would see that he was their superior for a reason, and not just by appointment.
Samara didn’t stir when he opened the carriage door. He borrowed her flame pistol and walked on deeper into the village, the steam carriage soon lost in the swirling mist.
For a moment he could see nothing but the dirt road and shifting grey walls all around, and he was aware he was a middle-aged man alone on a road miles from any city, at the mercy of whatever might find him out here, and almost he turned back to wake Samara; but no: he was a Queensreach Investigator, Keeper of the Royal Peace, he carried the authority of the Crown, and he was armed.
He smelled the well before he saw it. The soul odour that had wafted from Karlsen’s basket was here a stench almost turning the very air black with its rotting foulness. A ring of white stones encircling brown and flattened grass surrounded the well. Strewn around it were ropes, bits of block and tackle, pulleys, bundles of kindling and oil jars, and ornate twists of waxy paper one normally found at a grave. Reading grave twists was unseemly, but he had a duty that surpassed polite behaviour. A greater duty, towards all of the Queen’s People.
...Come back to us...
...We miss you, Ged...
...Precious boy, taken too soon...
...Please sleep...
...Leave us alone...
And a last one, written later than the others by a hurried and shaky hand:
...This isn’t fair, please stop. We don’t deserve this. Did we sin?...
Alleyne’s blood ran cold, but his resolve was set. The well’s roof cap had been removed and a stout wooden ladder led down into the stinking darkness. Wrapping his cravat around his mouth and nose, he wiped his palms on his brocade trousers before tightening his grip on the flame pistol, certain it wouldn’t be needed. Of course the boy had fallen into the well. It would be a simple but grisly matter to climb down, remove the body, and lay it to rest. More than likely that would clear the well water and restore health to the surrounding fields.
Except- Except nothing, he told himself. Except, the treacherously analytical part of his mind went on, if it was so easy, someone in the village would have already done it. Farming life bred tough people. What could have prevented them? Except, as well, he knew of no grave fungus that would contaminate other plants. Except, Agneth had said several strange things.
As Alleyne threw his leg over the side of the well he noticed the oily black threads creeping through the moss, and the filaments furrowing into the wooden bars of the ladder. His brisk shake indicated the ladder was still sound.
This proved true until the final rung gave way beneath his weight, spilling him into the noxious wet mulch at the bottom of the well. He heaved at the disturbed stench.
Recovering himself slightly, the dim light of the misty day several feet above was just enough to see by, and he set about searching for what would inevitably be the water-bloated body of the boy. Regret rose in his soul.
Even head first, the fall into water shouldn’t have killed the boy. He’d seen no scuff marks indicated a slip or scramble, but there had been what looked like hand- or foot- holds where someone coulda have climbed down.
Also, if this was a well, where was the water?
Alleyne clicked the igniter on the flame pistol but it had been splashed by the fall. The smell was ungodly. He removed the igniter and dried it on his cravat, grateful that only his bottom half was soaked. Once dry he clicked the igniter again and remembered the device needed to charge. He set it to do so. He resumed his search with hand, uncovering a rock, then an old sheep skull, and then, fingers questing blindly in the black muck, he brushed against what was unmistakably a shirt. The shirt led to a shoulder. The flesh yielded uncomfortably beneath his touch; he followed the arm to a hand and gripped it to pull it free.
It gripped him back.
He nearly jumped out of his skin. He tried to let go, pulling away, but it held fast. Spontaneous post-mortem muscle contraction, he told himself, heart racing, fighting his rising panic. As he pulled away he pulled the body out of the muck into a sitting position, dripping with oily black muck. He heard them then: whispers. ...come... ...come be with us... ...climb down... ...come down... ...rest with us...
The whispers didn’t come from the corpse. They came from the glistening flared trumpets he now saw encrusting the shoulders - still it gripped him - and as he bent forwards to hear them better he realised the corpse had opened its eyes.
The other hand was reaching for him. It said, -play with me, daddy-
He would have been lost to terror, but at that moment a jolt of hot pain seared his hand. Weeping with relief, he triggered the flame pistol a split second before the fungus-choked fingers reached his neck.
The corpse shrieked like it was being murdered, "Stop! No! Please! Mummy! I just wanted to look! I’m sorry! You’re hurting me! Please stop!"
Grimly he kept pressure on the trigger and swept the tongue of flame across the body of the little boy, crisping the quivering fungal growths one by one until the grip released him. Sobbing, he shakily got to his feet. He turned the nozzle and widened the tongue of flame into a cone of incandescent fury. The base of the well was engulfed. As he climbed out he held the trigger down, bathing everything in a bright and searing heat, and even when its supply exhausted and the weapon shut down he could not let go. Smoke spiralled up from singed grave twists.
He stumbled back from the rising pyre of the well and into Samara’s arms, barely able to stand.
“Throne,” she swore, as a column of thick smoke billowed into the misty sky. “Mikal said you took it. Throne, Al, what did you do?”
He was too distraught to insist she use his rank, too emotionally shattered to argue against Vel Karlsen’s rage-filled accusation that he had no right, no right at all, he couldn’t even speak for several hours, until they were back in the steam carriage and well underway, the sorrowful village miles behind.
“Sentient corpse fungus.” Samara shook her head. “That’s… that’s real fucked up.”
“Language,” he said automatically. She squeezed his sodden knee.
“I’d have burned it too. They didn’t seem so happy though.”
“It spoke with his voice. I can only imagine… weeks, he said. It-” he choked on his words.
“You did what you had to. What they couldn’t.”
“Such… such is the lot… of all who keep the Queen’s Peace,” he finally said.
But as the carriage thundered on through the mist, duty was small comfort.
The End

Hey folks, apologies if this has already been done before but I thought I’d take a crack at continuing on the great work of ‘user25655’ and their amazing ‘How to watch Star Wars in Chronological Order’ post from about a year ago which can be found here:
https://www.reddit.com/StarWars/comments/125mr3n/how_to_watch_star_wars_in_chronological_orde I have continued to update their list and make some minor adjustments of my own after watching it all the way through with two friends totally new to Star Wars.
I will also leave a link in the first comment to a colour-coded spreadsheet version of this list for anyone who might like to see that. Please let me know if you have your own thoughts about the list, or if you think anything is misplaced.
As user25655 said themselves, Films are in Bold, optional extras are in Italics. Hope it helps.
The Acolyte
Tales of the Jedi - Episodes 1, 2, 3
Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
Tales of the Jedi - Episode 4
Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones
Clone Wars (2008-2020)

• Season 2 episode 16 – 'Cat and Mouse'
• Season 1 episode 16 – 'The Hidden Enemy'
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (animated movie)
• Season 3 episode 1 – 'Clone Cadets'
• Season 3 episode 3 – 'Supply Lines'
• Season 1 episode 1 – 'Ambush'
• Season 1 episode 2 – 'Rising Malevolence'
• Season 1 episode 3 – 'Shadow of Malevolence'
• Season 1 episode 4 – 'Destroy Malevolence'
• Season 1 episode 5 – 'Rookies'
• Season 1 episode 6 – 'Downfall of a Droid'
• Season 1 episode 7 – 'Duel of the Droids'
• Season 1 episode 8 – 'Bombad Jedi'
• Season 1 episode 9 – 'Cloak of Darkness'
• Season 1 episode 10 – 'Lair of Grievous'
• Season 1 episode 11 – 'Dooku Captured'
• Season 1 episode 12 – 'The Gungan General'
• Season 1 episode 13 – 'Jedi Crash'
• Season 1 episode 14 – 'Defenders of Peace'
• Season 1 episode 15 – 'Trespass'
• Season 1 episode 17 – 'Blue Shadow Virus'
• Season 1 episode 18 – 'Mystery of a Thousand Moons'
• Season 1 episode 19 – 'Storm Over Ryloth'
• Season 1 episode 20 – 'Innocents of Ryloth'
• Season 1 episode 21 – 'Liberty on Ryloth'
• Season 2 episode 1 – 'Holocron Heist'
• Season 2 episode 2 – 'Cargo of Doom'
• Season 2 episode 3 – 'Children of the Force'
• Season 2 episode 17 – 'Bounty Hunters'
• Season 2 episode 18 – 'The Zillo Beast'
• Season 2 episode 19 – 'The Zillo Beast Strikes Back'
• Season 2 episode 4 – 'Senate Spy'
• Season 2 episode 5 – 'Landing at Point Rain'
• Season 2 episode 6 – 'Weapons Factory'
• Season 2 episode 7 – 'Legacy of Terror'
• Season 2 episode 8 – 'Brain Invaders'
• Season 2 episode 9 – 'Grievous Intrigue'
• Season 2 episode 10 – 'The Deserter'
• Season 2 episode 11 – 'Lightsaber Lost'
• Season 2 episode 12 – 'The Mandalore Plot'
• Season 2 episode 13 – 'Voyage of Temptation'
• Season 2 episode 14 – 'Duchess of Mandalore'
• Season 2 episode 20 – 'Death Trap'
• Season 2 episode 21 – 'R2 Come Home'
• Season 2 episode 22 – 'Lethal Trackdown'
• Season 3 episode 5 – 'Corruption'
• Season 3 episode 6 – 'The Academy'
• Season 3 episode 7 – 'Assassin'
• Season 3 episode 2 – 'ARC Troopers'
• Season 3 episode 4 – 'Sphere of Influence'
• Season 3 episode 8 – 'Evil Plans'
• Season 1 episode 22 – 'Hostage Crisis'
• Season 3 episode 9 – 'Hunt for Ziro'
• Season 3 episode 10 – 'Heroes on Both Sides'
• Season 3 episode 11 – 'Pursuit of Peace'
• Season 2 episode 15 – 'Senate Murders'
• Season 3 episode 12 – 'Nightsisters'
• Season 3 episode 13 – 'Monster'
• Season 3 episode 14 – 'Witches of the Mist'
• Season 3 episode 15 – 'Overlords'
• Season 3 episode 16 – 'Altar of Mortis'
• Season 3 episode 17 – 'Ghosts of Mortis'
• Season 3 episode 18 – 'The Citadel'
• Season 3 episode 19 – 'Counterattack'
• Season 3 episode 20 – 'Citadel Rescue'
• Season 3 episode 21 – 'Padawan Lost'
• Season 3 episode 22 – 'Wookiee Hunt'
• Season 4 episode 1 – 'Water War'
• Season 4 episode 2 – 'Gungan Attack'
• Season 4 episode 3 – 'Prisoners'
• Season 4 episode 4 – 'Shadow Warrior'
• Season 4 episode 5 – 'Mercy Mission'
• Season 4 episode 6 – 'Nomad Droids'
• Season 4 episode 7 – 'Darkness on Umbara'
• Season 4 episode 8 – 'The General'
• Season 4 episode 9 – 'Plan of Dissent'
• Season 4 episode 10 – 'Carnage of Krell'
• Season 4 episode 11 – 'Kidnapped'
• Season 4 episode 12 – 'Slaves of the Republic'
• Season 4 episode 13 – 'Escape from Kadavo'
• Season 4 episode 14 – 'A Friend in Need'
• Season 4 episode 15 – 'Deception'
• Season 4 episode 16 – 'Friends and Enemies'
• Season 4 episode 17 – 'The Box'
• Season 4 episode 18 – 'Crisis on Naboo'
• Season 4 episode 19 – 'Massacre'

Tales of the Empire - Episode 1

• Season 4 episode 20 – 'Bounty'
• Season 4 episode 21 – 'Brothers'
• Season 4 episode 22 – 'Revenge'
• Season 5 episode 2 – 'A War on Two Fronts'
• Season 5 episode 3 – 'Front Runners'
• Season 5 episode 4 – 'The Soft War'
• Season 5 episode 5 – 'Tipping Points'
• Season 5 episode 6 – 'The Gathering'
• Season 5 episode 7 – 'A Test of Strength'
• Season 5 episode 8 – 'Bound for Rescue'
• Season 5 episode 9 – 'A Necessary Bond'
• Season 5 episode 10 – 'Secret Weapons'
• Season 5 episode 11 – 'A Sunny Day in the Void'
• Season 5 episode 12 – 'Missing in Action'
• Season 5 episode 13 – 'Point of No Return'
• Season 5 episode 1 – 'Revival'
• Season 5 episode 14 – 'Eminence'
• Season 5 episode 15 – 'Shades of Reason'
• Season 5 episode 16 – 'The Lawless'
• Season 5 episode 17 – 'Sabotage'
• Season 5 episode 18 – 'The Jedi Who Knew Too Much'
• Season 5 episode 19 – 'To Catch a Jedi'
• Season 5 episode 20 – 'The Wrong Jedi'
• Season 6 episode 1 – 'The Unknown'
• Season 6 episode 2 – 'Conspiracy'
• Season 6 episode 3 – 'Fugitive'
• Season 6 episode 4 – 'Orders'
• Season 6 episode 5 – 'An Old Friend'
• Season 6 episode 6 – 'The Rise of Clovis'
• Season 6 episode 7 – 'Crisis at the Heart'
• Season 6 episode 8 – 'The Disappeared'
• Season 6 episode 9 – 'The Disappeared Part 2'
• Season 6 episode 10 – 'The Lost One’
• Season 6 episode 11 – 'Voices'
• Season 6 episode 12 – 'Destiny'
• Season 6 episode 13 – 'Sacrifice'

Clone Wars - Season 7 Panel - 55:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyz3_6GpzGo&ab_channel=StarWarsTVTrailers

• Season 7 episode 5 – 'Gone with a Trace'
• Season 7 episode 6 – 'Deal No Deal'
• Season 7 episode 7 – 'Dangerous Debt'
• Season 7 episode 8 – 'Together Again'
• Season 7 episode 1 – 'The Bad Batch'
• Season 7 episode 2 – 'A Distant Echo'
• Season 7 episode 3 – 'On the Wings of Keeradaks'
• Season 7 episode 4 – 'Unfinished Business'
• Season 7 episode 9 – Old Friends not Forgotten

Tartakovsky's Animated Clone Wars Series (2003-2005)
Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith
Tales of the Jedi - Episode 5 (as a flashback episode)
Clone Wars Season 7 Episodes 10-12
The Bad Batch Season 1
Tales of the Empire - Episodes 4-5
The Bad Batch Season 2-3
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Andor
Tales of the Jedi - Episode 6
Rebels Season 1-2
Tales of the Empire - Episode 2
Star Wars Rebels Season 3-4
Tales of the Empire - Episode 6
Rogue One
Episode 4 - A New Hope
Episode 5 - Empire Strikes Back
Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi
The Mandalorian - Seasons 1
Tales of the Empire - Episode 3
The Mandalorian - Seasons 2
The Book of Boba Fett
The Mandalorian - Season 3
Star Wars - Ahsoka
Star Wars: Resistance - Season 1 - Episodes 1-19
Episode 7 - The Force Awakens
Star Wars: Resistance - Season 1 - Episodes 20 & 21
Episode 8 - The Last Jedi
Star Wars: Resistance - Season 2
Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: Visions Seasons 1-2 (officially non-canon but worth watching)

I love the Cubs as much as any of you, always have and always will, and I have enjoyed being a part of this sub since I joined. But god damn people. Fully half of the posts I see on here are all just absolute rubbish doom and gloom post only two months into the season. It’s June 1st and I’m seeing posts that sound more like we’re the White Sox. We’re ~.500 with 4 months left in the season, I can’t say this more plainly: WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE SEASON. Now I want to give my opinion on the most common complaints I’ve seen recently.
“The offense is down”, so it the rest of the league, it sucks that most of our guys are slumping at the same time, but that’s not going to last forever, Relax.
“The bullpen sucks, they should have added”, yeah kinda but guess what, the bullpen is always a crapshoot for everyone. Lights out relievers one season comeback the next and look like 10 year olds playing minor leaguers. Spending big on bullpen arms doesn’t work as well as you’d hope unless you’re spending out the ass for the top guys, which is still a major risk (ex. Edwin Diaz).
“The catchers”, yeah not looking great here, but we have league average defensive catchers which is sustainable for now. Offensively they both were playing above their skis last year, can’t blame the front office for hoping they’d be able to be comparable this year, especially since there wasn’t much to do about catchers in FA this offseason anyways. Wendy can still hold out hope that one of them will get hot later in the season, if not they can give Aliendos a shot this year or Ballesteros if we’re desperate for something better.
“The owners don’t spend enough to compete”, ridiculous, the Cubs have the 9th highest salary in the league. We are not the Dodgers or the Yankees, if you expect your team to be paying top dollar for all the top players then you need to look elsewhere, friend. That’s not who the Cubs are. And you can’t really expect the Rickets to spend above the CBT and waste their money for a marginally better chance at winning. And to top it off spending doesn’t equal winning, just look at the two seasons for the Mets and Padres lol.
“This team can’t compete in the playoffs”, this one I just have to laugh at. If you know baseball you know that the playoffs are unpredictable. Last year the Diamondbacks barely made the Wild card, and made it to the World Series. While all three 100 win teams didn’t make it to the CS. There is no predicting how a team will play when they get in, it’s a whole different ball game in the postseason.
I’m sure there’s other complaints on here, but these are the most frequent and defeatist takes that I’ve been seeing and I’m just tired of it. Again it’s June 1st try rooting for your team to do better rather than shitting on them while they’re down. There I’ve said my piece. Go Cubs go!

Preface with some personal details: I am a High School student in my second last year undertaking a lot of STEM subjects. In my own time I'm a volunteer emergency responder and a sea cadet, along with maintaining part time work.
Recently a friend of mine got developed an illness that made her pretty dependent on other people. I got out of a pretty co-dependent relationship midway through last year and so the amount this friend required me to assist her made me pretty uncomfortable. A teacher advised me to stop assisting her as it was encouraging her to attend school which put her at increased risk of falls, etc, and she (teacher) noticed I was getting pretty exhausted dealing with this on top of everything else.
Then I attended a couple brutal scenes with my volunteer work (saw no brutality but the concept itself was quite striking) which I feel like gave me a bit of perspective on how good most of us have life and how our problems are kind of miniscule compared to what I'd just turned out to.
Ever since I've been kind of switched off to other people's problems that feel more self-inflicted than anything. Do we think this is my empathy going on a holiday or a more normal thing?

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I have a bit of a tough situation here and would appreciate any advise.
Background
I am a part of a very small unit in the southern US. I am one of two cadet officers and we only have about 10-11 regularly attending cadets. Two years ago I moved from northern VA from a squadron with ~25 cadets with a good structure and command team, so this new unit was a bit of a change. About 2 months after arriving I got my Mitchell and became Cadet Commander (at the new unit) and made it my goal to get new cadets in, past curry, and enjoying all of the benefits the cadet program has given me. At that time, we had a great commander who was super involved with the CP side. About 9 months ago, we had a change of command because the aforementioned great commander had to leave because of work requirements which required travel to the midwest during the week, which made being an active member of the squadron impossible. Our new commander had been the DCC for some time, and I never really understood what their deal was, but I suspect that they had/still have a larger superiority complex. That's besides the point.
Situtation
One of my priorities as C/CC on the recruiting side was to attract a wide pool of cadets from all aspects of our community. About 6 months ago we were able to recruit two cadets who had not had the best upbringing and were both about to be sent to the county's school for juvenile delinquents (for a lack of a better term). It's worth noting that they did not know each other, they had both stumbled upon our flyer and emailed our RR officer. It took a couple months for their parents to let them come, but eventually they started coming to the meetings and I was able to get both of them to their curry award. I was trying hard to get them involved, one was especially interested in the cyber side (which I do for work) and I got him one of my spare laptops from home to start playing around on some cyberpatriot training materials with. About 2 months ago (I'm approximating timing here, I didn't do a good job of keeping a calander about this whole thing) I skipped a squadron meeting to take a trip with my family. When I came back the next week, the laptop I had given one of the cadets was on the table and they were a no show for the next two meetings. I tried emailing and texting both of them, no reply. This was strange to me, since they had both transformed from being super shy and clammed up to really enjoying the program, especially after their first o-flights. I asked my commander, and the conversation went like this:
Me: "What happened to cadets X and Y, they were both super active and I haven't gotten a reply from either of them on text or email"
CC: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I had to reach out to their parents because the things they would talk about together were incredibly inappropriate. I had to pull my daughter out of a meeting it got so bad. It's not even just cursing."
Me: "What? For basically as long as they have been with the squadron I have been with them, there are so few cadets we are always with each other and can always see/hear each other. They rarely spoke. Did this all happen the day I was gone?"
CC: "I'm not sure what you've been seeing, but you clearly are very naive about this and you didn't do a good job supervising "
I think it is worth mentioning at this point that both of the cadets were African American. This whole thing angers me to no end. I highly suspect that the commander isn't being truthful.
I'm not sure who to talk too, or to file a complaint with. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for reading this whole thing.

Had this idea bouncing around in my head about the little ferret guy, Etholin Esila. I figured with him being a 'merchant lord' he'd want to start cutting deals with Emma once the initial curiosity and amazement over Earth tech would have passed. Not sure where this is going, if anywhere, but just wanted to get it out of my head and onto 'paper'.
Thanks to u/DndQuickQuestion for helping with feedback on earlier drafts.
Afternoon Transgracian Academy of Magical Arts
The hulking minotaur loomed menacingly over me. "Crawling along the floor suits you well, Merchant Lord Etholin Esila!” it boomed in an intimidating baritone. “Merchant Lord, pfah! Even a mangy cur such as that Mercenary Prince has a legacy of valor and martial prowess behind his dubious title, but you?”
An accusatory finger was jabbed in my direction. “Nothing but puffery and bluster to buttress your status as a glorified shopkeep! Your ilk claims to broker fair trade between the Realms, but those with integrity and honor recognize the deceit you employ to conjure false value from nothing." It was difficult to tell if Lord Auris Ping's tirade was aimed more at myself, the Esila clan, or the concept of inter-realm commerce in general.
At the moment, I was more concerned with herding my scattered belongings back into my satchel. While rushing to my next appointment, I had the dubious privilege of colliding with this mountain of a brute. Naturally I was on the losing side of that contest, and was sent tail over head to the floor, scattering the contents of my school satchel across the polished granite. Not one to pass up the chance at a crass display of dominance, Lord Ping had launched into the rant that everyone in earshot was currently enduring.
"Look at you, scrabbling on the floor to fetch your little trinkets, a fitting match for your base and covetous nature!" Fairly pedestrian, as far as character assassination went. I’d been called far worse while helping Father with trade negotiations, sometimes at sword or stave point. One had to develop quite a thick hide when engaging in cross-realm commerce. Especially with many realms having rather… absolutist opinions about the value of goods, like Lord Ping here. But I had zero interest in contesting his assertions, despite how idiotic they were.
Haggling or arguing with Pronarthians was a singularly wretched experience. They were infamous across the Realms for their single-mindedness and a compulsive need to have the last word that bordered on lunacy. I didn’t have the patience for the endless ingratiating flattery required to bore through such stubbornness. If that wasn’t enough, a gentleman of my stature also had to consider Pronarthians’ sizeism; specifically their intrinsic respect for the larger and taller races.
And that was merely the average Pronarthian! Arguing with a belligerent lout, accustomed to deference as Lord Ping? I'd sooner try my hand at flying out the nearby window. At least the loamy soil below would give me a fighting chance, or a jagged rock would grant me the mercy of a swift end.
Instead, I busied myself putting my things in order, taking special care with one item in particular. It was a set of memory crystals I received from the Earthrealmer, Cadet Emma Booker. It was part of a ‘transdimensional cultural exchange pilot program,’ as she had described it with her nation’s peculiar bureaucratic jargon. I had previously conducted similar transactions in my initial dealings with Cadet Booker, and it was those first tentative steps that convinced me to make Cadet Booker a full-fledged premiere trade partner of the Ocean Breeze Trading Company, the pride of the Esila clan.
The myriad tomes and treatises from Earthrealm, such as the riveting "The Wealth of Nations," amply demonstrated that Earthrealm had an extremely sophisticated understanding of commerce, finance, and logistics. But it was the ‘video archive footage,’ transferred onto memory crystals for ease of viewing, that convinced me at a visceral level that these Earthrealmers were a sound investment. I felt it on my whisker-tips, as the commoners back home would say.
"May I offer a helping hand, Lord Esila?" inquired a familiar voice. I looked up to see a scaly, clawed hand extended toward me. “And perhaps a sympathetic ear? After all, that was a rather nasty bit of slander from Lord Ping, would you not agree?”
Wonderful. This nonsense again.
While I had been lost in thought contemplating Ocean Breeze’s latest windfall, Lord Ping seemed to have lost interest and resumed going about his business. Taking his place, as always, was Lord Qiv Ratom, ever ready to sift through the rubble of Lord Ping's latest ham-fisted antics for personal gain. "You will find that my views differ considerably from Lord Ping's. I, for one, admire the manner in which you extract value from your trade partners. After all, does it not require skill and cunning to convince the customer that your wares are worth far greater than their true value? Such nuance and subtlety is lost on the likes of Auris Ping, content to strong-arm what he desires from others."
I paused for a moment, at a loss for words. His tone suggested his 'praise' was sincere, but only stoked my ire further. What in the thrice-damned Hells did he think he was accomplishing? Did he really think that telling me, "Well, I still regard you as a thief, but I APPRECIATE your thieving nature, unlike that uncouth lout!" was going to win me over? Dealing with parties with this attitude to commerce and trade was tedious at best. But ever since making acquaintances with Cadet Booker, whose people's understanding and appreciation of commerce rivaled the Nexians, dealing with the likes of Ping and Ratom was nigh UNBEARABLE.
I rattled off the usual rigmarole we used at Ocean Breeze for clients we wished to keep at arm's length. "With respect, Lord Ratom, the value of the goods we sell is determined by the customer's needs and circumstances. The merchants of my clan arbitrate prices taking such factors into consideration. We see it as our responsibility to provide equitable trade that is not only beneficial to all parties, but also provides fair compensation for the tradesmen involved in executing the transaction."
"But of course, it is as you say," replied Lord Ratom with his signature oily charisma. "Fair and equitable trade, according to the customer's circumstances. Thus, you are but a facilitator of the Fates, a most humble tool of Destiny itself. And one who collects a respectable commission, at that," he continued. He stopped short of winking conspiratorially, but the impish grin playing across his features was a fine substitute. Every mote of my being wanted to shake him until he shed his skin. He continued, "Your... humility aside, my admiration of your clan's cunning and resourcefulness still stands. The insight of one so skilled is always welcome within my inner circle, should you wish to grace us with your presence."
It took all my restraint to not tell him into which orifice he could jam his charity-case friendship offer. After all, I'd been keeping far better and more like-minded company of late. Company that the Baralonian lord was likely dying to ingratiate himself with, given how Cadet Booker and her peer group had taken pains to keep Lord Ratom and his entourage of gossips at arm’s length. Instead, I left the smug reptile’s offer dangling in the air, twisting in the wind for a few agonizing moments while I finished tidying my things. Rising to my feet, I finally replied, "An offer most generous and kind. I will of course, have to consider the circumstances of both customer and merchant. Surely you would not begrudge a humble servant of Fate for waiting for the most auspicious circumstances?" Even at my best, I was hardly a master of rhetoric, so crudely tossing his words back at him was the best I could do.
"As you please, Lord Esila," replied Lord Ratom, finally sensing his return on investment wouldn't be worthwhile, leaving me alone to stew in the hallway. Such was the game played among the aristocracy. I looked down at the bundle of memory crystals in my hands, contemplating on their origin, and how Earthrealm could change how the Esila clan, perhaps even all of Rontalis, played the game.
I continued on my way, thoughts heavy once more.
Evening Ocean Breeze Trading Company, Elaseer Offices, Private Chambers
The Elaseer branch office of the Ocean Breeze Trading Company was a modest affair by Nexian standards, a second-storey affair nestled on the edge of the warehouse district. The restrained yet tasteful trappings were a calculated decision of the Esila clan, proprietors of the trading company. A fine balance had to be struck when it came to outward appearances, after all. Some measure of artful decoration was necessary to appease the Nexian eye’s obsession with projecting might and wealth, but not so much that it would attract too much attention.
Only in the private chambers would a guest finally see some personality in the decor, and a generous measure at that. These were the chambers of the nobleman assigned stewardship of these offices, Lord Rikad Esila, uncle to Etholin Esila. Colorful murals with aquatic motifs adorned the walls, highlighted with tastefully matching lacquered panels featuring artwork done in mother-of-pearl inlay. Similar decor was present in the dining room, where uncle and nephew were currently enjoying what Rikad thought would be a leisurely dinner.
CRACK!
The sharp sound rang out loud and clear in the small room, the source being a steamed crab claw, dashed to pieces on a smooth river stone placed between the two diners at the table.
Lord Rikad's branch of the Esila line hailed from the wetlands of Rontalis that opened up into the sea, and they regularly partook of the ocean's bounty. In antiquity, they were known to smash shellfish and other armored morsels against stones they carried with them to lay bare the tasty prizes within. This dining set configuration was a modern interpretation of that old tradition, with a communal stone for guests to open their shellfish.
Of course, such a homestyle service was available solely behind closed doors and shuttered windows and only then to Rikad and his close associates. Here in the Crownlands, such a 'barbarous and unseemly' artifact would be frowned upon by the prevailing Nexian culture and their gold and mother-of-pearl seafood forks that split the shell with a simple tap. But young Etholin labeled that languid dining as a boring conversational backdrop, inferior to the communal excitement of a well-placed strike.
Etholin’s spirited strike had a strong measure of anger behind it, a fact not lost on Rikad. "Steady now, lad. The aim is to crack the shell, not grind it to powder," chided Rikad, an otter clothed in well-tailored robes that melded practicality with muted elegance. He looked aged and gray compared to the ferret-like Etholin, clad in sumptuous silks and embroidery that assertively declared the young lord’s wealth and standing. Etholin hung his head in embarrassment. "Apologies, Uncle. I lost the reins of my temper."
"Well now, aggravated enough to make a mess of my dining set," observed the older gentleman. "It takes a great deal to get your humors churning like this, from my experience. So tell me lad, what urchin needles you?"
"Ugh, more Academy theatrics, what else? With Lords Auris Ping and Qiv Ratom being today’s star players."
"Ah, The Dunce and the Devil," remarked Rikad, nodding with understanding. This wasn't the first time his nephew had related the pestilent pair’s antics. "What two-act farce did they put on this time?"
"Ping opened with the usual blather about merchants being honorless tricksters, with Ratom swooping in to capitalize on the aftermath. Textbook at this point, really," explained Etholin, waving his hand dismissively. "It... it was just the way those two put forward their thoughts. In isolation, each would have been merely irritating. But with one following the other, I was ready to grind my fangs to nubs! To be cursed as a thief on one side, only to be praised as a thief on the other! It was like they were wielding ignorance as one would a greatsword, and managed to cut me with both edges! Gods, I wanted to THROTTLE the idiocy out of them!"
"‘Tis to be expected," said Rikad in consolation. "A great many noble families, even entire Realms at times, came about their status through force of arms or magical prowess, and thus they hold a dim view of commerce as a profession. It is a routine chore for us, navigating around them to find those with less absolutist views on the worth of goods, or more forgiving definitions of 'honest work'. An Adjacent Realm that does not cheat its creditors by altering the weight of its coins or debasing them with base metals and insisting otherwise while hiding behind the safety of their portal is worth its weight in gold."
"Sometimes I feel we ought to cut them out of our affairs entirely and deal with the Nexians, directly and exclusively," mused Etholin bitterly.
"Now, now, though your anger is justified, that's hardly reason for it to take hold of your mind's rudder," cautioned Rikad with a frown. "The Nexians have well-developed philosophies on trade in line with our own, but we only have the resources of a single Realm at our disposal, while the Nexians can leverage the bounty of their never-ending and mana-rich lands. Dealing solely with a behemoth that can devour us with a thought, no matter how frictionless those dealings are, is hardly my idea of a beneficial partnership."
Etholin sighed. "As always, your counsel is sensible, Uncle. Like I said, I lost the reins of my temper in a moment of weakness."
"Don't be so sour on things like this, lad. Our base nature gets the better of us at times, that is the animal within that we all struggle with. That you acknowledged such a lapse and took back the helm is proof that civility prevails. But, enough moping about!" Rikad jumped out of his seat with a little pep in his step. "Looks like we need to guide you back into good spirits, and I know JUST the thing for gentlemen such as us," concluded the elder merchant, twirling his whiskers playfully.
"Somehow I think a night at the theater or music halls will do little for me, Uncle. Or are you suggesting we seek respite at the bottom of a tankard?"
Rikad snorted derisively. "Oh please, I'm not senile yet, pup! Since when has SPENDING money brought joy to anyone worthy of the Esila name?" That made Elothin perk up a bit. Rikad continued, "No, I speak of a PROPER good time, I speak of..."
"COMMERCE!" they cried out in unison, fists held aloft in a triumphant pose. "Does that mean..." began Etholin.
"Indeed, we've just received the latest prototypes for the centralized mana ampoule, linking cords, and so-called 'mana motors'. Perfectly timed with the parts delivery from Cadet Booker not two days ago. Sukie, be a dear and clear this up, and have the remainder bundled up and sent to the young master's rooms at the Academy." Rikad motioned for the housekeepers to clear the table, then ushered Etholin to his private offices where they could discuss business strategy in depth.
Uncle Rikad’s offices were more than just a cozy place where Etholin could get a taste of home. Officially, Rikad was stationed here to oversee the administration of this branch office of the Ocean Breeze Trading Company. In reality, the office was a means to circumvent the Academy's prohibition against students communicating regularly with their home realm. Many aristocratic families employed similar cheats and dodges involving ‘familial duties’ and ‘business obligations’ to skirt the rules. If the Nexians cared about closing such loopholes, they didn’t show it. Perhaps the quaint maneuverings of their lessers amused the elves, who could say?
In this case, Rikad and Etholin were leveraging this loophole to the fullest, as they strategized on how to execute the next steps of their latest commercial venture, which Rikad would then relay to the head offices in Rontalis. As their planning session drew to a close, Rikad remarked on the time. “Well, it would seem that evening has fast become night. You are welcome to stay overnight here, as always, or perhaps you would prefer to retire to the Academy dormitories? Either way, I doubt you’d want to watch an old man doze off in his reading room listening to music.”
At the mention of leisure time, Etholin's eyes widened in surprise, and he began rooting around in his satchel. "Oh goodness, I entirely forgot!"
"What is it, lad?"
"Oh, Cadet Booker has provided us with more of her 'video archive files', transcribed to memory crystal," explained Etholin as he produced the set of crystals from his satchel, perfectly sized for the compact projection device that Rikad kept in his rooms.
"Ah, splendid! Another of the young lady's documentary presentations on commerce? Or perhaps one of her theatrical serials? Both are fine ways to while away the night."
“I’m not sure, but Cadet Booker said we would enjoy them a great deal,” said Etholin as he placed the crystal into the office's projector. As the machine spooled up, a moving image was cast onto the whitewashed wall across the room. As with all Earthrealm recordings, it was entirely mundane, bereft of any sign of manafields. Compared to mana based memory shards, Earthrealm recordings felt like faded sketches. None of that hindered the recording's impact on the viewers.
"Hoh? This is-" exclaimed Rikad, eyes lighting up in recognition.
An Earthrealmer with a thick, lustrous beard strode into view, his confidence and enthusiasm palpable despite the muted colors of the recording. The Earthrealmer’s voice rang out from the projector, carrying that same confidence and infectious enthusiasm like a barker worthy of the title of Grand Master.
Rikad and Etholin cheered in unison.
"HI! BILLY MAYS HERE, WITH ANOTHER GREAT PRODUCT!"

If you were walking through the woods at night ALONE, with only a fishing knife, and you heard wild boars around you - what would you do?
So I live in Sweden and I very much like nature and camping although I haven't camped a lot in my life. Last evening I drove out to a big forest intending to hike, camp and fish alone.
I've only been afraid of bears during camping, but bears doesn't live in southern Sweden where I live so I thought I had nothing to worry about except possible psychos (I've watched some scary hiking/camping videos on youtube lately).
After 2 hours of hiking through the forest, it was around 11pm and very dark. I hadn't found any good place to place my tent. I was using my flashlight on my head. I had to go inside of and go through a fence area / yard with cows and ONE BULL in order to find the camping place where I had set up a tent with a buddy 3 years ago. Back then there were no cows there.
I have no idea of what encountering cows and a bull is like - ESPECIALLY during night time. The sign said to go around the cows, not through the heard. So thinking that this is safe beccause of the sign, I began walking inside the cow area... After 30-50 meters I stopped. I never saw any cow, but I heard one walking or something nearby. I became very unsure and headed back to the fence opening... I looked up how dangerous it's to enter a field of cows and BULLS. And I immiedetely got out of the fence area.
My plan was to go back to a viewing area of the sea and camp there on a plank of woods just for the night and then continue hiking to my past camping place and fish the next day.
As I was putting on a long youtube video as background noise to ease my fear of going through the dark woods alone, I heard two sticks sharply break arund 10 meters away from left. I wasn't that scared, but I shut the video off and began hiking back with a fishing knife in my hand just in case.... My first thought wasn't that it was a wild boar - strangely enough. And I didn't think it was a human since there was a lot of dense bushes etc around me...
After a short couple of minutes, I suddenly hear a couple of grunts to my right, 2-3 meters away. The sheer fear running through my body - I've never felt anything like it. Adrenaline pumped and I breathed heavily. I did not stop, but kept on walking at the same pace - hoping that it would not attack. I remember my mom said she saw wild boars crossing the road once (from a distance) and she said she screamed and ran away (which you shouldn't do).
I've only researched about bear behavor and attacks before, NEVER wild hogs - so I had no idea what to do if a boar charged me. I had no idea if there was piglets around. I know that a mom bear can be very aggressive if she has cubs, so I presumed that was the case with wild boars as well. I've only got a fishing knife on me. I know they know about my presence because of the light and the noise I'm making while walking.
I continued walking, still very frightened. A few minutes later I hear some animal noise from my right that sounded like a piglet grunting or something - but from a distance. Maybe 10-15 meters away.
I was afraid that a wild boar would charge me from behind, but I didn't have the balls to look behind me except once. I felt like the guy from Avatar when he's alone in the woods on Pandora during night. I tried embrace the fact that I need to be very aggressive and stab and battle a wild boar if it would charge. Thinking that it was my best bet since I didn't know anything about their attacking behaviors or how strong they really are. Now, having looked it up, I know you should try climbing a tree if you can, if a boar attacks you.
A while later, the beaten path turned a bit to the left, and my flashlight struck an animal 10 meters infront of me, which immidately ran away. I think it was a small wild boar but I'm not sure. I only saw a glimpse of the behind and right back leg.
Shortly after that I had to hike up a very steep trail for a few minutes. My heart was pumping and I was breathing heavily - partly because of the steepness but also my adrenaline. I just wanted home. I thought to myself "Home. Home.... In my bed. Why did I have to go here alone during night time?".
I eventually completed the steep trail and now finally entered the small car road (with no street lamps). I had hiked through the woods before while trying to find a good camping place, but walking on the car road felt much safer and more time efficient as well. I was still afraid though, and still held my knife. Cars past me twice. When a car came, I stepped aside and hid my knife. It's illegal in Sweden to carry a knife - and I don't think strangers seeing me in the middle of nowhere walking on a small road during a friday night with a knife is gonna do me any good.
I was so so grateful when entering my dad's car I had loaned. While driving, I thanked God out loud for being alive and being unharmed.
If you were in my situation, walking through the woods at night ALONE, with only a fishing knife, and you heard wild boars around you - what would you do?

Pirates @ Blue Jays - 03:07 PM EDT

Game Status: Pre-Game

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Rogers Centre: 65°F - Partly Cloudy - Wind 6 mph, In From LF
• TV: Pirates: SportsNet-PIT, Blue Jays: TVA Sports (fr), Sportsnet+, Sportsnet
• Radio: Pirates: KDKA-FM 93.7, Blue Jays: SN APP, SN590
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

	Probable Pitcher (Season Stats)	Report
Pirates	Mitch Keller (6-3, 3.59 ERA, 67.2 IP)	No report posted.
Blue Jays	Yusei Kikuchi (2-4, 3.25 ERA, 61.0 IP)	No report posted.

Pirates Lineup vs. Kikuchi	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 McCutchen - DH	.500	2.500	2	1	2	1
2 Reynolds, B - LF	.000	.143	6	0	0	0
3 Joe - 1B	.000	.000	3	0	0	1
4 Olivares - RF	.000	.000	2	0	0	0
5 Hayes - 3B	.500	1.167	2	0	0	0
6 Gonzales, N - SS	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 Grandal - C	1.000	5.000	1	1	1	0
8 Triolo - 2B	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 Taylor, M - CF	.400	1.700	5	1	3	1
10 Keller, M - P	-	-	-	-	-	-

NLC Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Milwaukee Brewers	34	23	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	St. Louis Cardinals	27	28	6.0 (101)	4	0.5 (106)
3	Chicago Cubs	28	30	6.5 (99)	5	1.0 (104)
4	Pittsburgh Pirates	26	31	8.0 (98)	7	2.5 (103)
5	Cincinnati Reds	25	32	9.0 (97)	9	3.5 (102)

Division Scoreboard

CWS @ MIL 04:10 PM EDT
CIN @ CHC 07:15 PM EDT
STL @ PHI 07:15 PM EDT
^{Last Updated: 06/01/2024 01:06:55 PM EDT, Update Interval: 5 Minutes}

September 26, 2072 - Houston, Texas
The President of The Republic of Houston, Alex Jones awoke as the sun rose above the capitol of his Republic. His Presidential Palace the former Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, converted into a Presidential Residence in 2034 also rose to greet him. In the grand dining room built to the President's specifications, he was served his coffee and breakfast. And as he always did, Alex Jones perused the headlines around the world, offering bits of commentary that those around could hear, but which they were forbidden to respond to. The submission of Christian lands to the Eden behemoth? "Fuckin, moloch worshippers" the President grimaced. The Second Roman Republic marching in step and speaking classical Latin? "Fuckin queers". Or Canada merely existing in the North? "Jesus Christ Trump should have invaded them when he had the chance". This routine was familiar, indeed for 52 years aide after aide, servant after servant, guard after guard heard the President make similar observations. As the world changed around him, Alex Jones read that the world did not change a bit. This morning however would be different, fate had ordained it to be so.
Mike Lindell the former CEO of My Pillow was the President's choice for Vice President in 2021. Lindell was in many ways the perfect lieutenant to Jones, he shared the President's love of showmanship and bravado, but he lacked the command and decisiveness the President possessed. For that reason he was ideal, he could sing the praises of the regime wherever the President could not be, all without challenging the authority of the President. And so for 51 years, Lindell stood by the side of Alex Jones, unquestionably loyal unquestionably obedient, doing the President's bidding wherever he was sent.
Much like the President, Lindell was given age-lengthening treatments that staved off the effects of aging. But while the President lived a strictly regimented life, Lindell throughout the 2050s fell back into the life of substance abuse that plagued him in the 20th century. The President of course noticed this but did not care, for him, Lindell could smoke as much crack as he wanted so long as when he put the pipe down the first words he spoke were "God I love President Jones!". And because of this the Vice President slowly entered a downward spiral with no end in sight. In 2066 at the graduation of Houstonian Naval Cadets, the VP slurred his words as he tried to get through a short prepared speech. In 2069 during the Presidential Campaign and the VP debate, Lindell seemingly forgot who and where he was and asked his opponent "When does happy hour start?" Houstonian media of course covered this up, but rumours cannot be suppressed and word of mouth did its job.
That is why on September 26, 2072, President Jones did not show much concern when an aide told him "The Vice President was found unresponsive on the floor of his residence". That was merely part of the deal, that was what was expected. This also meant when he was told that his lieutenant was on life support the President merely scoffed and said "fuckin' Mike". That is why at 1:56 pm on that day came and when the President was told his faithful VP had died, he could not believe it.
September 27, 2072 - Houston
A STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
It is with deep sorrow that the President announces the death of the Vice President of The Republic of Houston, the Honorable Michael James Lindell. The Vice President died peacefully last evening at his residence in Houston. The President asks the. nation for its prayers at this difficult time. Announcements regarding the state funeral of the Vice President will be made in due course.
October 3, 2072 - Houston
The day was rainy and gloomy. The ceremony over the last three days was dizzying and hurried for Alex Jones. From a laying in state that saw 2 million people file past the coffin of his Vice President, to a church service where even he was moved to tears. The man at the heart of the Republic of Houston was at his wit's end. The funeral events came to the coda, as the flag of Houston was lifted off the coffin, and the remains of the Vice President who served him loyally were lowered into the earth. As the golden casket slowly drifted down, so too did a single tear on the President's face. Mortality was on his mind, and so too was the future, Memento Mori...
December 12, 2072 - Houston
PRESIDENT JONES CALLS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
51 years after the establishment of Houston, President Jones this morning finally called a constitutional convention to establish the first constitution in the history of Houston...