Conversion gentle art to crescent colours
M28- Hoping for a new friendship
2024.05.21 23:53 pkchiku M28- Hoping for a new friendship
Hey there! đ
I have to admit, I'm not the best at starting conversations or socializing first đ
, but I'm hoping to meet some new people and make connections. If you're up for some friendly chats, I'd love to get to know you better!
I'm open to talking to anyone, no matter your age, gender, or where you're from. I think it would be amazing to exchange cultural thoughts and maybe even learn a new language or two! đ
Here are a few things I love and some I'm not too fond of:
Likes: - Animes, Cartoons, Webtoons, Mangas: I've read and watched a ton and can recommend some great ones! - Games: Currently into Valorant and CS:GO, but I've also played Apex, COD, Rocket League, GTA, and I adore campaign-themed games like Assassin's Creed. - Movies and Series: I've seen a lot, so I'd love to discuss or judge a movie together! đŹ - Kpop/Jpop/Cpop (and dramas): I'm a fan of their plots, songs, and crisp writing. - Arts: I appreciate all forms of art â painting, music, dance â and want to learn more. - Technology: Interested in AI/ML, product management, and industrial electrical sector. I'm working on a few projects, and I love discussing cosmos, quantum physics, psychology, and more.
Hobbies: - Cooking: Iâm pretty good at it! đł - Photography: Love taking photos, whether it's human portraits, nature shots, or adorable dogs! - Painting: Learning digital portraits and would be thrilled to make one for you! - Trekking and Camping: Prefer the forest over the beach, sorry! đ˛ - Reading and Music: My taste isn't too vibrant, so I'd appreciate some recommendations.
Let's start a new friendship! đ
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2024.05.21 23:53 Purple-Goose-9396 Sexually harassed by tenured professor (Ohio, USA)
Hello everyone! I (22 F) am an undergrad who is graduating in less than a week. A couple days ago, I was invited by a trusted professor (57 M) out for a âcelebratoryâ drink out of nowhere. I have always been pretty close with him, so I went with another female friend (I go to a small liberal arts college where itâs pretty normal for seniors to have a beer or two with their profs around grad). It was all good until my friend left after a couple of drinks. He then proceeded to grab my waist and told me how captivating my eyes are and how he has always liked me even though heâs married blah blah blah. I froze for a second but immediately started recording the conversation. He then insisted to walk me back to my dorm and insinuated about having sex.
Iâm deeply disgusted by this, especially given that we are really close and Iâve told him about my previous experiences with sexual harassment. He also has a very good reputation on campus and is very close with a lot of female students. His wife is also tenured and a chair of another department.
I went to the title IX office with the recording, but they said a formal investigation will be a very lengthy and emotionally exhausting process. They offered me another option which is essentially putting the professor on âprobation,â which does not result in any immediate consequences but a warning. What should I do??? I really want to hold him accountable for his actions so no one else gets hurt in the future. Someone pls help :(
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2024.05.21 23:52 pkchiku [28/M] - Hoping for a new friendship
Hey there! đ
I have to admit, I'm not the best at starting conversations or socializing first đ
, but I'm hoping to meet some new people and make connections. If you're up for some friendly chats, I'd love to get to know you better!
I'm open to talking to anyone, no matter your age, gender, or where you're from. I think it would be amazing to exchange cultural thoughts and maybe even learn a new language or two! đ
Here are a few things I love and some I'm not too fond of:
Likes: - Animes, Cartoons, Webtoons, Mangas: I've read and watched a ton and can recommend some great ones! - Games: Currently into Valorant and CS:GO, but I've also played Apex, COD, Rocket League, GTA, and I adore campaign-themed games like Assassin's Creed. - Movies and Series: I've seen a lot, so I'd love to discuss or judge a movie together! đŹ - Kpop/Jpop/Cpop (and dramas): I'm a fan of their plots, songs, and crisp writing. - Arts: I appreciate all forms of art â painting, music, dance â and want to learn more. - Technology: Interested in AI/ML, product management, and industrial electrical sector. I'm working on a few projects, and I love discussing cosmos, quantum physics, psychology, and more.
Hobbies: - Cooking: Iâm pretty good at it! đł - Photography: Love taking photos, whether it's human portraits, nature shots, or adorable dogs! - Painting: Learning digital portraits and would be thrilled to make one for you! - Trekking and Camping: Prefer the forest over the beach, sorry! đ˛ - Reading and Music: My taste isn't too vibrant, so I'd appreciate some recommendations.
Let's start a new friendship! đ
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2024.05.21 23:52 Stormcoming7 [F4M] Searching for a Dragon's Lair [Dragon Speaker] [Knight Listener] [Slow Burn, I Think] [Deception] [Protective] [Treasure] [Could Be Prequel, Could Be Standalone] [Far Too Long]
Intro: For your distinguished service to the crown, youâve been assigned the difficult and dangerous job of slaying a dragon purported to have slaughtered a village on the outskirts of the kingdom. Itâs a job you should be able to handle, and youâre not too scared⌠now, if only the whole thing felt less
wrong⌠Summary: Listener meets a new acquaintance who befriends him, and offers to guide him where he needs to go. They face a danger together, and he learns that she is not what she seems.
Go ahead and monetize, it's fine. Word count is about 3800.
If you fill this or plan to fill this, please notify me. Please don't make edits without asking first. TWs: Running deception, combat, discussion of mass murder (dragon burning places to the ground), possessiveness, forced sleep
Line breaks represent the listener talking or space where no one talks and should be short pauses, words within {brackets} represent the speakerâs tone or sfx. At ellipses, the speaker trails off, and at dashes, she is either cut off abruptly by the listener or by herself.
Authorâs Note: God, this took way too long to write. A couple months, if you count when I had the idea and when I wrote the first few sentences. Well, itâs here now, and I hope itâs not too disappointing. Prequel series go!
If you want to read this somewhere other than Reddit, it's also
here.
{internal monologue} {disgusted} Ugh, those damn livestock merchants charge more every time. Gouging bastards,
{rationalization} but I
do need them to stay silent. If the town finds out how much food I have to purchase every month, itâll only end badly. Besides, itâs not like even
this much bribery makes a dent in my hoard. I should really just be glad I havenât met any merchants with integrity, that wouldnât end well. Good thing itâs a vanishingly rare trait these daysâŚ
{annoyance} wait, no, thatâs
not a good thing, what am I saying? Itâs sad⌠but it does make my life easier. Well,
thatâs a hell of a conundrum.
{sigh} {bored} Not one I havenât dealt with before, though. Have this conversation with myself every time. Oh, well. What matters is the foodâll be delivered soon, I donât have to go into hibernation, and the merchants wonât talk. Anything else I wanted to do before heading home? Hmm⌠I think I wanted to stop at the spice merchant, see how much-
{interest} HELlo. Who is
that? {curiosity} What would a knight be doing here? I mean, I suppose the goblin raids have been getting more brazen, but the town guards seem to have it handled, I havenât even needed to get involved yet. I
guess he could be here about that, but it doesnât feel right. Maybe heâs just passing through? Well, best way to find out is to go talk to-
{quiet} Oh, damn. Thatâs- oh,
damn. Fuck, heâs hot.
{forced calm} Okay, composure. You are an all-powerful dragon. You will not be thrown off your game by one mortal, no matter how shiny his armor is. And itâs
only his armor youâll be looking at, right? Right. Ignore that beautiful face, you just need to find out what heâs doing here, not-
{suspicious} Wait. Whoâs he talking to?
{upset} The
spice merchant? And sheâs
BLUSHING? Uh-uh. No. Not gonna fly.
{out loud} {sickly sweet} Hiiiii, hello! Itâs me again, Iâm here to pick up some- Oh? Whoâs this? A new friend?
Oh, Iâm sorry, I didnât realize you were having a conversation. Please, continue. I can wait.
{cough} Oh, no, donât mind me, just looking at⌠cumin. My, this smells awfully strong.
So sorry to barge in again, uh, I would like to buy
these. Are you leaving? Well, it was lovely to meet you.
{internal monologue} Okay, let me just finish up here, and I can go talk to him.
{pleased} Hah!
Look frustrated, spice skank. Serves you right.
{confused} Wait, do I know your name? Have I ever asked your name? Eh, doesnât matter right now, I donât need to know
everyone in the village.
{disgust} Especially not someone who flirts with-
{confusion} Wait, what am I doing? I donât have any claim over some random knight, why am I acting like this?
{frustrated noise} Figure out internal dilemma later, find human now. Whereâd he go?
Agh! Curse this mortal formâs short legs, I canât see- wait! Shiny!
{out loud} Hey! Hey! Wait up!
{out of breath} Whew⌠Thought I was gonna⌠gonna lose you⌠for a minute.
Thanks. Only need⌠a few secondsâŚ
{composed} Hi. Iâm Tiamat
. Sorry to chase after you like that, but I realized I didnât catch your name?
Oh, thatâs a
lovely name. It suits you.
{pleased} Oh, flatterer.
{internal monologue} Heâs
smooth, isnât he? I was expecting all muscle, no brain. I understand why the spice merchant was blushing now, I guess.
{out loud} I just wanted to ask you⌠uh, I wanted to ask you what you were doing at the spice merchantâs? Usually passers-through donât stop there when they can get their salt cheaper elsewhere.
Oh, thatâs interesting! I didnât know you could find that here.
Oh, no, I donât spend very much time there. I mostly go in, buy what I need for my next few weeks of meals, and leave. Other places to be. More important places.
{laugh} Well. You certainly know the way to a womanâs heart.
{internal monologue} A knight with both manners and a sense of humor⌠whoâd have thought?
{out loud} Wonderful. So, what brings you to Wylgrith? Itâs not a large settlement by any means, and well out of the way of⌠everything, really. What reason would a mighty royal knight have for stopping by? Were you sent to handle the goblins that-
{stunned} âŚSay what now?
The
dragon? You were sent to kill the DRAGON?
Can you⌠not?
{off-balance} I mean- uh- Well, I donât see why you
would, do I? After all, the dragon hasnât been seen or heard from in years, right? And even before that she didnât harm any humans for decades. She-
I- uhhh⌠I guess Iâm guessing sheâs a âshe?â I did see her once, flying overhead, though, and she looked like a girl dragon. Kind of slender.
I⌠suppose âitâ works as well, yeah.
{quiet, sad} A little hurtful, thoughâŚ
{back on track} Nothing, nothing. So, why are you killing the dragon, again? I donât thinkâŚ
it⌠has even harmed a human in living memory.
{sputtering} What? No it didnât!
I- I think I would
know if it burned down a village. I mean, this place is still standing, right?
A
different- Well, Iâm sure she wouldnât have done anything like-
{quickly} No, no, I donât know. Itâs not like Iâve
met the thing, right? But it hasnât burned down
this village, so why would-
{tentative} Oh. They said that?
Right to the king?
Right in the middle of court, where everyone could hear it?
{sad} I guess that settles that, then. The dragon needs to die.
{internal monologue} Damn. What a waste of such a handsome knight. Thereâs no chance he could possibly beat me on his own, so heâs going to end up- wait, on his own?
{out loud} {confused} And the king sent
you? Alone, I mean? No army, or squad of knights, or cadre of mages? Why would he do that?
{awed} Oh. Oh, that is a
very magic sword.
Well, no, I havenât. But- but you can just
tell, canât you? Itâs
glowing! And itâs covered in some kind of weird letters, those have to be magical, right?
{internal monologue} {hesitant} Okay. Thatâs somewhat worrying. Even with all the useless sigils and that pointless glow siphoning its energy, I can
feel the power rippling off that thing. Where did he ever find- No, that doesnât matter. Could it level the playing field? Give him a chance? Hard to tell, I think, my senses in this form arenât as-
{out loud} Iâm sorry, what? I was distracted. Uh- itâs a
very pretty sword.
{taken aback} Thatâs- thatâs a good name for it. Very dangerous-sounding.
{internal monologue}{stressed} ARE YOU KIDDING ME? FANGBANE? HE FOUND FANGBANE? HOW IN THE-
{forced composure} no, Iâm calm, Iâm calm, itâs fine. Itâs not worrying at all that he has the most dangerous dragon-slaying sword ever forged. Wow, this
very quickly went from âI donât want to fight him, I donât want to kill himâ to âI donât want to fight him, I donât want to die.â Okay, time to nip this in the bud.
{out loud} Wow, itâs done that much? I never wouldâve guessed that, it looks
much too fancy for that. So⌠you can actually kill the dragon?
{hesitant} Youâre right, I suppose. If it burned a village, it does deserve that. WellâŚ
{resolve}Do you know how to find its lair?
No, itâs not. If it was, everyone would be constantly in there robbing the hoard, wouldnât we? Everyone knows that the lair is
somewhere on the mountain, but no one knows where.
{triumph} Yes. Except me. And Iâll guide you there.
{reasonable} We already agreed, right? If it burned down a village, killed that many people, it needs to be put down. I want to help with that, and besides, you need someone to take you there. Youâll never find it on your own, so you canât be too choosy about who you bring, can you?
I like hiking, and the mountain isnât dangerous if youâve known what you were doing since you were a child. I found it once, but I ran immediately, because I didnât want to risk angering the dragon. I
think I can find it again, but itâll be a long trip. Three days at minimum.
{internal monologue} {satisfied} Perfect. A few days wandering in the forest should discourage him, maybe I can even convince him I didnât burn any village.
{confused} Why would he have been toldâŚ
{moving on} Doesnât matter right now. What matters is getting him off my trail, and maybe getting to know him in the meantimeâŚ
{upset} No! Stop that! Bad Tiamat! Heâs literally trying to kill you. He is
not a prospective mate, he isnât even another dragon!
{sigh} {wistful} He is handsome, though, especially when the light catches his armor like that⌠No! Stop!
{out loud} {serious} We should set out soon, then. Do you have enough provisions for the trip?
Good, good. No time to waste, come on.
Youâre hunting a dragon. A
dragon. Donât you think it might be wise to move before she- it catches wind of your presence?
Letâs go, then.
{some indicator of a time skip} {amused} What, donât tell me youâre getting tired? Weâve only been hiking for a couple hours today, arenât you supposed to be a big, strong knight?
You could take off the armor, if itâs that hot.
{concession} All right, your decision. And I suppose wearing the armor
was helpful when the tangler tree tried to grab you. Fine, weâll stop for a bit.
How much is left in your waterskin?
Good, good. Mineâs pretty full, I havenât felt thirsty in a while.
No, weâre definitely going in the right direction.
{grasping at straws} I recognize⌠uh, that rock! Yeah. See how it kinda looks like a bear, if you tilt your head?
Really? Well, I see it. Anyway, I remember seeing that before. Weâre about a dayâs walk away from the lair, Iâm almost certain.
You know, you never asked why I decided to hike in a random direction for three days.
{internal monologue} {pleased} I have such a good story for it, too. Itâll leave you crying, and then maybe I can-
{out loud} {taken aback} You do?
What? Youâre a royal knight, one of the most honored positions in the land. Why would
you feel the need to escape?
{internal monologue} What? What was that? There for a second and then gone, was that⌠a crack in the charming exterior?
{out loud} No, no, I understand the feeling. I just⌠didnât expect it from this quarter. Is something wrong at court? Are you-
{inner monologue} {protective} Oh⌠Oh his eyes⌠So sad⌠What did they do to you, my knight?
{out loud} Please, anything you can-
{confused} What? Whatâs wrong?
No, Iâm not going to shush, weâre talking, and-
{muffled} Mmph! MMMMPH!
{inner monologue} {angy} This presumptuous human dares lay his hand on ME? I donât care what might be inside him, Iâm going to make it
outside- {considering} Wait. Whatâs that noise?
That doesnât sound like- oh. Oh, those are goblins. And he wanted me to be quiet, and now they heard us, and- oops. Why did I not sense them coming? Goblins wouldnât know stealth if it snuck up behind them and ripped their legs off, I shouldâve heard them from
miles away. This doesnât make any sense⌠Oh, well. I suppose it doesnât matter, in the grand scheme of things. Just a few more goblins to kill. If heâd just let go of me⌠wait, but I donât want to reveal myself. That makes this much more difficult. Can I kill all these green idiots in my human form?
{concerned} Oh, wow, thatâs⌠a worrying amount. Where are they all coming from? All right, I
think I can take- wait, what? Human? What are you doing?
{out loud} Why are you getting in front of me? That is
far too many goblins for any human to handle, we need to run!
{internal monologue} {flustered} Wha? What does he mean by that? And why does he have to be this handsome as he says it? Thatâs unfair!
{out loud} No- you canât-
{internal monologue} {upset} Oh, the stupid, brave, self-sacrificial idiot! Heâs gonna get himself killed if I donât help him- wait, what?
{taken aback} Heâs- oh, wow, thatâs quite impressive. Thatâs- wow. Iâve never seen a human fight like that.
{confused} Huh? Whyâs he looking back⌠Is he
angry? What?
Heâs yelling
something⌠He wants me to run? Wha-
{realization} OHHHHH- He thinks Iâm in danger, and heâs trying to protect me! He wants to-
{touched} aw. Thatâs the sweetest thing⌠My heart-
{serious} I need to keep this knight alive. {realization} Oh! I have to pretend to be running, yes. I canât help him here, much as I want to. Besides, it looks like he has it handled. Those goblins arenât laying a claw on him, somehow. Guess it
was a good decision to wear the armor.
{planning} Iâll come back for him later, and he can be happy that he kept me safe, and maybe I can use that to find out whatâs wrong with him, oh, looks like heâs just about finished with those-
{shock} wut.
What is that.
Thatâs a- thatâs a freaking hellhound! What in the Low Realms is a hellhound doing here?
{protective} Okay, no, unacceptable. I am
not risking my treasure-
{concerned} the human. The human! Why did I just think of him as- never mind, time for that later.
{whoosh sfx} {roar} {desperate} Oh no, please donât let me be too lateâŚ
{out loud} {furious} Stay away from my human!
{crunch sfx} {triumph} Hah. Thatâll teach you.
Did you get the last of the goblins, sir kni-
{wary} What are you doing.
Put that sword down, please, Iâm not your enemy.
Okay, no, no, calm down, thereâs no need to get worked up.
This isnât helping anything, can we just talk?
{upset} OW! All right, this has gone far enough
{magically resonant} Sleep. {sigh} {fading out} What am I going to do with you?
{some indicator of a time skip} {cordial} Good morning, sir knight. As promised, I brought you to my lair.
Oh, yes, you must be confused.
{whoosh sfx} There, is that better?
{resigned} Yes. It was me the whole time.
No, it wasnât. If it had been a game, you would be dead right now. Instead youâre alive, unharmed, even unrestrained, in the middle of my hoard.
Or didnât you notice?
{amused} Yes, I thought that might get your attention. Being surrounded by enough gold to fill a palace ten times over generally does the trick where humans are involved, or so I am informed.
{annoyed} Fangbane? The sword that slew more of my kind in two years than any other managed in thousands? You want it
back? Tch, no, but I wouldâve if I could. That butcherâs blade shouldâve been melted down long ago. Alas, it was impervious even to
my fire.
I thought that was clear: no, you canât have it back. You can have another sword, even a magic one, but not that
atrocity forged in steel.
{considering} That would seem to be the question of the hour, yes. âWhat are you doing here.â Well⌠why donât you tell me? You were sent to kill me, that much is clear. But much more isnât. I would like⌠an explanation.
{annoyed} Oh, come on. Youâve been interacting with me for days now. Do I really seem like the type of person who burns down villages at random? That excuse is worthless⌠andâŚ
{suspicious} I think we both know it. You were sent here for some other reason. What was it? Tell me, before I grow cross.
Oh, I believe they didnât tell you. But, though I think you like to pretend otherwise, dumb is one thing you are
not. You know more than youâre saying, so answer me. Please.
Why does the king want me dead? {stunned} Thatâs- thatâs
it? Of all the petty, arrogant, stupid- Iâm not even going to bother trying with that.
{snort} And humans use
dragons as symbols of greed.
{explaining something obvious} Yes. Because I
like gold, its color, its luster. And because I enjoy living comfortably.
{disgust} Not just⌠to have more than others.
Even if you donât want to concede the difference, surely it does not escape you that I
earned all of this, not just killed its old owner and stole it.
{offended} Of course I did! The very idea of taking something unearnedâŚ
ugh.
{considering} You really know so little of my kindâŚ
All of this, though⌠brings us back to you. You were sent here, presumably because youâre the kingdomâs best knight, the one with the highest chance of victory. You werenât given any backup because thereâs only one Fangbane. And you were fed a lie about me slaughtering innocents to make the job go down easier, but something in you knew that it
was a lie. Tell me, am I hitting the mark with these?
So, my question becomes⌠why didnât you? You had me at the point of your blade, and with a sword like that and skills like yours, you couldâve done it. If you wanted me dead, I would be, draconic magic and might notwithstanding. Instead, all I have is a scratch on my snout-
{venomous} yes, that is the scar on my nose. Injuries
do carry over, thank you
so much for noticing.
{curious} And now youâre sorry. I donât think I understand you at all, no matter how hard I try. Please, answer me. I want to.
Wha-
{sigh} {exasperated} Well, if you were so certain it was a lie, why come here in the first place? If you felt you were given unjust orders, you couldâve just left the kingdom. Plenty of other places need knights, and thereâs always work to be found as a sellsword. You risked much to gain⌠nothing, as best as I can see.
{dangerous} He⌠he what?
The king threatened toâŚ
{cold} No. No, that is
unacceptable. No one threatens my human.
Yes, my human. I-
{sigh} {warmer} I believe an explanation is in order. You see, I finally figured out what Iâve been feeling these past few days. At first, I thought it might be love, and, well, I suppose it is, of a kind: hoarding instinct. I feel hoarding instinct when I look at you. I saw you for the first time, and something in me just knew. You are the most precious treasure in this entire cavern, and I need to protect and keep you until the end of time, like the work of art you are.
{worried} Ohh, thatâs not a good expression. Did I say something wrong? Come on too strong? I promise, living here wonât be bad at all, itâs quite a comfortable lair, whether Iâm in human form or dragon. I maintain a good relationship with the villagers, too, so we can even go down to Wylgrith on day trips, as long as you donât try to leave. You understand the importance of that, I trust.
{calming} No, no, donât get all worked up. Thereâs no need to do something weâll both regret.
Please, calm down. Weâre both rational people, letâs discuss this as such.
{harder} Human, I donât want to put you to sleep again. Donât make me.
{pleased} Good, thatâs much better. Now, what are your objections?
Mhm, mhmâŚ
{logical} Well, in point of fact, no, you donât have a home anymore. If you go back without proof of my demise, the king will have you executed, will he not?
As I thought. So thereâs nowhere
else for you to be. As to your next point, of course I wonât keep you as a pet, youâre a sentient human. You have your own free will, thoughts, ideas, desires, the whole package. You would never be a pet. You will be my
treasure. Very different thing, and it means I will want to keep you close, keep you safe, and stare at your radiance for as long as draconically possible.
{considering} Well, no, I havenât heard of this. A living part of a dragonâs hoard? I believe itâs unprecedented, since nothing but gold lasts forever. Nevertheless, weâll figure something out, we can make it work. And this doesnât reflect strangely on me, you neednât worry. I am one of the eldest dragons of this age, the young are used to my⌠peculiarities by now.
{pleased} Ah, yes, I wondered when we would get to that point. No, as a matter of fact, the king will
not be sending other knights, or mages, or armies after me. I will not be killed like that, and you will not be reclaimed by them. And do you wish to know why?
{colder than ice} Because I am going to burn this kingdom to the ground. {amused} Naturally. I could overlook the attempt on my life - it brought me the most precious treasure I have ever known, after all, - I could forgive the use of Fangbane, since now I can make sure it never harms one of my kind again, I could even somewhat tolerate the blatant lies spread about me as flimsy justification.
{angry} What I can
not accept, however, is what they have done to you. Threats on your life, on your body, on those you protect, promises of execution, forcing you to stain your soul against your will⌠no. No one is permitted to harm my human and live. This will, I admit, be something of a first for dragonkind, actually killing humans instead of protecting them is practically unheard of. I may even face repercussions from my kind for this. I find it hard to care, though, these ones are only getting what they deserve, for their actions or their complacence.
Now youâre getting upset again.
{soothing} Donât worry, this isnât a sign of my outlook changing. I still have no desire to harm humans, and the village is perfectly safe.
We were communicating so well a second ago, if we could return to that, I would be grateful.
I promise you, this shouting and carrying on is nothing but counterproductive.
{tired} Sir knight, if you are not capable of being objective, I will be forced to- oh, forget it.
{magically resonant} Sleep. {gentle} {slowly fading out} I truly am sorry to do this to you, but I canât have you fighting me on this. I donât want you to be upset at me, treasure, so, by the time you wake, the cause of this contention will be gone.
Shh, shh. Itâs okay. Itâs just a simple sleep spell, youâll wake up comfortable and well-rested.
There. It will all be fixed before you awaken. Donât worry, my treasure, nothing will ever harm you again.
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2024.05.21 23:52 banzaiSCCP How to get rid of a crush ?
Folks i (23M) i have a crush, and that's an euphemism, for a coworker (19F) i knew recently.
She in a very gentle way dumped me ("Oh i don't want to enter in a relationship nowadays", "Oh this month i have some birthdays"). Nevertheless the smart guy here still get's numb imagining fanfics, making poems, and etc.
She's like an angel, big time. Her face, voice, hands, tiny shoes, small stature, calm personality...etc. And get's worse because somehow we have deep conversations about job, life, even after i spilled the beans, when talking about relationships -Oh, you don't need to feel that way, you are attractive...
How to get rid of this amazing and numbing feeling ?
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2024.05.21 23:49 Lanzen_Jars A job for a deathworlder [Chapter 168]
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Chapter 168 â The moment to live and the moment to die
âJumping!â an Ensign announced loudly as the Sun's view-windows very briefly flickered into a dark black only to go back to a full view of the ongoing battle basically instantly, having barely shifted the ship's position at incomprehensible speed. âShot clear of allied ships.â
Vice-Admiral Kazadi tapped his finger on one of the armrests of the Commander's seat that still felt anything but comfortable for him to sit in as the tight grid of flashing lights reflected in his eyes within the twilight of the bridge.
âFire,â he then ordered. Not even a blink later, a burst of colorful light broke into his view from the side of his very own ship, lighting up the entirety of the bridge even through the automatically tinting windows that absorbed a lot of the harmful light so the crew wouldn't flashbang themselves with each shot.
The relativity canon fire tore through the enemy ship at an almost literal instant with any travel time barely being conceivable to a mortal mind. In a large unload of energy that left almost the entire stern-side of the zodiatos ship as a molten mass of dispersing slag, the main propulsion was taken out. Simultaneously, the two accompanying cruisers had also taken their shots; with the 'Civil' taking out the engine of one more enemy vessel while the 'of the roses' had instead used its shot to disperse one of the enemy projectiles in order to buy their own hunter ships more freedom of movement. Those huge ones didn't go down easy from one of the hunters' smaller shots, so using one of the large canons to dispatch it took some of the heat off them.
Meanwhile, smaller targets on the enemy vessels, such as their own canons, were gradually taken out by said hunters, whose own fire â while able to be quite destructive if intended no doubt â could be used in a far more precise manner. With more and more of their canons failing, the protective volleys the coreworld terrorists could fire to hide themselves away also became less and less effective.
âSend the fallback-beacon,â Kazadi then ordered, since close quarter attacks became less and less necessary.
It seemed that the zodiatos had a hard time adjusting to the combat style of the human unkindnesses, however that didn't mean they should take any unnecessary risks. Even if a pilot could've been able to avoid all enemy attacks in a perfect world, he knew that his pilots were only human.
Casualties of their own had been comparatively minimal so far, however as if to prove him right about his thoughts, he could see on his surveillance screen how, just in that moment, one of their ships was taken out by an enemy craft.
He grimaced to himself and let out a mild sigh. One more family who would never see one of their own again...
It took a moment before all the ships were reached by the beacon. Due to the nature of their own combat strategies, as well as the particular nature of hyperspace, it was entirely impossible to effectively contact any of their ships directly while they were out in the battle. Therefore, the order to fall back had to be broadcast as a general signal, that each of the pilots could individually pick up as soon as they would keep still for long enough so that it could reach them.
By now, the battle was already won. None of the zodiatos' weapons were able to match the relativity canons in effective range and without the larger ships to back them up, their small hunters wouldn't be able to launch an offensive â shields or not. They could just stay back and fire until surrender now. As the signal was picked up, one of their ships after another disappeared in one last flash of hyperspace as they joined back up with the larger vessels in an enclosing formation.
âPrepare for the retrieval of some of those projectiles,â the Vice-Admiral then ordered as he hoped they would be able to track some of those spent shots their enemies had fired. They would have to figure out what kind of tech that was.
In such a small-scale conflict, it was more than manageable to face it. However, it could offer some difficulties in larger fleets â especially since they didn't know how far this kind of tech could possible be expanded and refined. It was quite possible this was just some form of prototype.
While that order was followed, one of his Lieutenants suddenly spoke up.
âSir, we have an incoming transmission from the planet. Civilian. Not encrypted, but they seemingly had an access code,â they related quickly.
âIs the earlier interference cleared up?â he immediately asked back, to which the answer was positive. âPut it through then,â he immediately ordered as soon as he heard that.
He rubbed one of his tight braids between his fingers as he waited for contact to be established. Once the line was clear, things remained quiet for a moment.
âWhat are we best at?â he then asked the silent line, his chest tightening ever so slightly, even if he didn't have to wait long for a reply.
âTopping from the bottom,â a very familiar voice replied from the other end, sounding incredibly strained but most certainly alive.
The code phrase was an old in-joke about something that had been said back during humanity's first contact with the tonamstrosites due to a slightly choppy translation. However, it more than sufficed here to tell Kazadi that the person on the other side of the line was not only genuine, but also not in any immediate distress â at least none that was brought onto her by someone else.
âGood to hear your voice Ma'am,â he greeted the Admiral after taking a brief moment to allow his heart to settle.
âThe pleasure is all mine, Celestin,â Admiral Krieger replied in between heavy breaths that sounded like a combination between being ready to collapse and absolutely willing to tear anyone's throat out at a moment's notice. âExcuse me for the unorthodox contact, my own means of communication have all been destroyed. Update me.â
A brief smile played on the Vice-Admiral's lips.
âNo problem, Ma'am. Things are under control up here, but multiple allied coluyvoree ships were destroyed and we suffered some casualties of our own which I will take full responsibility for,â he quickly complied. âBy now, the enemy crafts have been largely disabled and our fighters are falling back. What's the situation on your end?â
There was a bit of a grunt from the other side of the line that seemed unrelated to the ongoing conversation.
âI'm sure you did everything by the books,â Krieger then replied a moment later. âDown here the situation is precarious but momentarily under control. We have an unconfirmed number of casualties after an attack with an unknown weapon. All squads are either KIA or unresponsive. We took down six enemy combatants but can't confirm if there's more. I'm going to need clean up, rescue teams, as well as pickup for me and two large offworlders asap.â
Celestin nodded.
âWe're in a stable position, so we'll jump teams down right away. Hold out just a minute more,â he assured her while already signing in the necessary order to the troops they had on standby. âHow bad are your injuries?â
There was another groan of pain from Krieger's side.
âCrushed cranberries,â she replied after a long moment that sounded like she needed to catch her breath.
âCopy that,â Kazadi replied with a grimace. âSending muti-team with the evac.â
âCopy that,â Krieger confirmed. âKrieger out.â
With that, the call was hung up. On his screen, Celestin could see how the preparations for dispatch of the requested teams was already well underway. Jumping towards a planet at FTL was generally discouraged by the Galactic Community. However, this was an emergency. They couldn't wait for normal re-entry.
After watching the reported progress for just a moment, his eyes returned to the ongoing battle. He watched the enemy ships as they hovered dead in space, unable to maneuver.
They seemed to have recalled their own fighters back in order to form some sort of protective wall around the 'mother ships' with their own small shields. Obviously it wouldn't be very effective, so it seemed like needless cruelty to make their own soldiers get in the way of the incoming fire. Something within Kazadi told the Vice-Admiral they weren't going to stand down.
âSir, we're getting some strange hyperspace-readings,â his Lieutenant suddenly announced, making him look up.
âWeapon-grade?â he immediately asked, knowing they had less than a moment to react if it was. However, he also figured there would've been more urgency to their voice had it been so.
âNo, Sir. Travel-grade,â the Lieutenant quickly replied. âHowever the readings are unusual. It seems like they are creating a stretch solely around themselves.â
Kazadi's lips shifted a bit as he took that in and he briefly ran a hand over his mouth in thought. âPrepare to collapse,â he ordered. âMaybe they will attempt some sort of running start. We can't let them get away.â
Right then, the light of what was happening had not yet caught up to the spacial distortion that their sensors were detecting, meaning the ships still looked perfectly normal â if damaged â when he looked at them. However, they were planning something. And that made them appear all the more ominous.
His mind quickly went through their own protocols. The U.H.S.D.F. employed hyperspace in nearly all its possible facets in their tactics. If it was even close to sensible, they would have something that was akin to the maneuver their foes were attempting to execute right now.
A bubble of hyperspace solely around their ships...a dodge? Hardly, there was nothing to dodge like that. An attempt to hide away? No, they knew human ships could collapse hyperspace from the outside easily.
Before him, the windows of the ship once again automatically dimmed, protecting the crew's eyes as the colorful light of the created hyperspace-bubble finally reached them.
âHyperspace collapsed!â the Lieutenant then suddenly announced, causing Kazadi to blink in surprise as his eyes shot up to his screen. He hadn't given any order to collapse it yet. But indeed, it was gone. For a moment, he thought that the stress had caused his officer to use the wrong term in haste, however no, they had been completely right. It had not been dispersed in a controlled manner. It had collapsed.
In a mild 'thud', the Vice-Admiral's fist descended on the armrest, hand firmly clenched into a fist.
âThose cowardly ba-â he began to growl but then bit his tongue and released a low, almost grunting exhale while his fist quivered from momentarily clenching tighter. âPrepare to search for survivors,â he instead said in a much more controlled manner a moment later. âPreserve lives.â
âYessir,â multiple of his officers echoed back as he looked out of the window, where he could still see the ghostly afterimage of the hyperspace bubble linger for a bit longer. It was always a strange feeling, seeing someone in the distance who was already dead...
â
With her view darkened and her goggles momentarily pulled off her eyes, Shida stared at the glowing bubble of impossible colors. Her sensors had already told her what was about to happen at any moment now, however her eyes still heavily constricted as they finally witnessed what unfolded themselves.
In what could be described as nothing else than a 'snap' , the light of the hyperspace-stretch instantly condensed down into its original size as the universe all at once remembered that the laws of physics were a thing that existed and brutally forced space to conform to them once again â no matter what may have been in between it and its original form.
Anything within the strange, round stretch was mercilessly ripped along with the convulsion, forcing all the injected warships and fighters into the single, small point that the stretch had been generated from. Though not even a faction of a second later, it all exploded outwards again as the megatons of mass realized that they could not all exist in the same place at once, since the energy of the event was not quite potent enough to press it all into a neutron star or singularity.
No longer recognizable blotches of undefined, white-hot matter were instantly scattered in all directions like some sort of micro-supernova that accentuated the sometimes still burning nano-stars that the earlier battle had created from the opposing fighters.
It was almost pretty...but still, Shida couldn't help but let her ears hang as she wondered how many of the enemy combatants had known about the decision to end things this way. Had any of them even been asked?
Even if it was the far more disturbing answer in a way, Shida almost hoped that this had actually been one mutual suicide-pact instead of the decision of one single commander to choose death over dishonor. Especially while sitting in a ship that was technically under the command of someone else herself, that was certainly the less immediately petrifying option â even if it would probably spell far worse things in the long run.
As she said there, the 'shockwave' of the collapsing hyperspace suddenly hit her, spreading out through space even without any medium to carry it and rocking her ship gently while also penetrating all throughout her body. Of course the earlier relativity fire had already caused similar ripples and she was therefore quite used to the feeling, however these ones sure felt a bit more severe than those of the U.H.S.D.F.'s own canons. It was like she felt her own body distort while also remaining perfectly in palace â almost like she was a stiff container full of water that someone had given a heavy smack from the side, riling up the liquid without it actually having any place to plash to.
According to everything they knew, this phenomenon felt incredibly odd but was entirely harmless to living beings â which was instinctively very hard to believe when one felt it on their own body.
However, her dwelling thoughts were, perhaps luckily, interrupted as she â or more precisely one of her scanners - picked up on a peculiar signature that one of the scattered debris pieces was sending out.
Well, it was 'peculiar' to her that there was a signal at all at first, however then she quickly realized what it actually was. This particular signal was hammered into any pilot's head six ways to Sunday, and so she reacted relatively quickly when she glanced at the grid and realized that she was the closest ship to it. Firing up her engines, she turned her ship on the spot in a slight drift before activating her generator and making a jump right behind the flying object.
Once there, she allowed her computer to take aim for a second before firing out a harpoon that quickly struck the flying debris and latched her ship onto it through a long cable, allowing her to pull the thing along with her after slowly using her backwards thrusters to disperse its speed little by little. Pressing the indicator of her communication, she then spoke up.
âScratches to Sun,â she announced. âI just recovered a black box. Permission to return for inspection?â
The black boxes of modern ships truly were among the most ridiculous pieces of tech out there, in Shida's humble opinion. Built to withstand almost everything that would likely take a ship out through a combination of brilliant engineering and extremely flexible material that only worked in its indented manner on very small scales. Well, very small compared to the ships they were built into. The things were about half the size of Shida in the end. For many years, armies of scientists had attempted their very best to make this same sort of defense useful in ways that could maybe be used to protect actual people from catastrophic events â but to no avail so far. For now, the only thing those little marvels could allow to survive even something as ludicrous as hyperspace collapsing was information.
âPermission granted, Lieutenant-Commander,â the answer came almost immediately. âReturn to hangar three.â
âCopy,â Shida replied. âScratches out.â
With that, she moved her ship around and prepared for her jump back to the Sun. Hopefully this thing would give them some answers on what exactly this whole thing was meant to accomplish...
â
Far away in another part of the galaxy, a pair of mildly glowing red eyes was laser-focused on a large screen that was just one of many that had merged all over Nedstaniot-Station to broadcast the breaking news to anyone willing to lift their eyes at a slight angle to look at them.
An attack on a coreworld. And not just any coreworld. Gewelitten itself. Something like this hadn't happened in...well, Curi didn't even know how long.
Details seemed to still be incredibly fuzzy as the battle so close to the coluyvoree homeworld had either just happened or was still happening at the moment of the broadcast, however what few details were known were already repeated on end in an endless scroll of text that was meant to catch as many people up to speed as was at all possible through the medium of television. Obviously the same emerging details could already be looked up on the net as well to find them in a more digestible format than the endlessly moving text next to the not exactly top quality footage of the occurring conflict.
However, despite the speed with which it went by, Curi had no problem following the scroll as they stared at the screen intensely.
âAttack was unannounced. Multiple Gewelitten fleet ships destroyed. Official sources confirm: Humanity NOT the aggressor. Attacking ships presumed to be of zodiatos origin. Unknown weapon technology deployed during the attack. U.H.S.D.F. ships engaged in combat after aggression. Myiat delegation ship confirmed unharmed. Attack on government facility on planet simultaneous to spacial attack. Councilman-Candidate Aldwin confirmed unharmed. Status of U.H.S.D.F. General Krieger unknown. Status of Gewelitten Governor H. Cierrophai unknown. Status of Acting-Councilman AfuĂŠhner unknown. Allied coreworld defense fleets activated and inbound. General alert level raised to 8. Hyperspace-travel shut down around the system.â
âMother, oh no...â Mueen said with absolute shock in his eyes, both of his hands clasped over this mouth as his wide pupils quivered in fear from what they witnessed.
Curi could understand his worry. Though Moar had supposedly been with James, so she would probably be fine. The cyborg was certainly more than just a little relieved that James was already confirmed to be safe. Though the idea that Admiral Krieger's situation was unknown was more than just a little disconcerting.
Though despite the supposed lack of their commanding officer, it seemed like the humans had decisively won out in the battle outside of the coreworld's atmosphere; unknown technology or not.
Given the sub-par footage that some drone was likely recording from quite far away from the actual conflict, it was very hard to tell just what sort of weapon the unknown but presumed to be zodiatos attackers had unleashed there. It looked like some sort of emanating energy that destroyed what it came into contact with but also interacted with it as if it had a physical presence.
Curi had never seen anything remotely like it before â not even in their wildest theories â and their mind immediately wanted to go wild with speculations and ideas about how such a thing might work now that they knew for a fact that it was possible from seeing it with their own eyes.
However, the cyborg pulled themselves together and successfully forced the briefly almost overwhelming desire to focus on nothing else down as they shifted their gaze slightly away from the screen to look over at their other currently nearby company.
Then again, as much as they knew they couldn't let their guard down around him, Reprig's eyes were just as immovably attached to the large screen as Mueen's were as he witnessed the unfolding battle with quivering horror.
His trunk was wiggling wildly in his face and one of his hands nervously scratched over the plate of the table they were all sitting and standing at and on, right next to a piece of paper with a hastily drawn sketch of a spring-like mechanical leg that was inspired by what humans called 'running blades'. The Warrant Officer's weapon also laid on the table, pushed a but further away from his hand so he wouldn't be able to easily reach it.
Though despite his focus, Curi couldn't quite help but speak up after a moment of watching him. âA coreworld attacking another coreworld,â they said to the man, who they knew either had to know far more than they did about this â or would be far more invested in it unfolding. âThis is unprecedented.â
Reprig seemed to notice that they were talking to him, however he still remained silent and stared a good few moments longer before finally pulling his gaze away from the screen.
As his eyes met theirs, he looked a bit sick. It almost reminded the cyborg of one of the first interactions they had with the man, back when they nudged him slightly to hand his spy-device back to him after he tried to hide it in James' cabin. Though this time, the cyborg was quite sure that they were not the reason why the man seemed like most of his blood was currently rushing into his stomach.
Could he actually be shocked about what was happening? Was this not part of the plan?
âUnprecedented doesn't even come close to describing it...â he mumbled and couldn't hold the cyborg's gaze for long, looking down to the table's plate instead. âAnd these aren't just any coreworlds. Osontjar and Gewelitten have been allied for an unimaginably long time. The thought that they would even think of attacking each other...what sort of madness could've caused something like this?â
Curi was the first to admit to themselves that they were far from the best at reading people. If someone with even a modicum of skill in acting wanted to make them believe something untrue about the person they were talking to, they would never deny that there was a good chance of that person succeeding.
Still, Reprig's reaction felt...genuine to them. As if he had actually never expected something like this to happen. Not in a million years.
Maybe it was just skillful acting. And Curi knew that they should have been suspicious like that. However, despite everything he had done, they couldn't quite bring themselves to suspect that he was lying at that moment.
âI know it is unlikely you will give me an honest answer, but-â Curi began to say, however Reprig was more than able to anticipate what they were going to ask and replied long before they were finished.
âNo. No. Never,â the sipusserleng said, shaking his head heavily and standing his trunk up while making a denying gesture with his hand that was so brash that he actually knocked his crutch off the small outcrop in the table it had been laid down on. âThis must be some absolutely deranged people, no two ways about it. To attack a coreword...â
Curi noticed Reprig's gaze briefly twitching down, his eyes jumping onto the personal assistant strapped to his lower arm as if he suddenly got the urge to use it for something.
Curi suspected he likely wanted to call someone; question them to make extra sure that they had, in fact, nothing to do with this. Though the sipusserleng suppressed the urge and pulled his eyes away, bringing them back up to the screen.
Just at that moment, the implosion of collapsing hyperspace suddenly lit up the footage moments before the glowing remnants of what once had been the zodiatos ships were scattered across the star-system.
Mueen mumbled something in his home's language as his eyes remained affixed to the screen. Curi couldn't even begin to guess what he was saying. However, his voice sounded pleading.
âSuicide instead of surrender?â Reprig meanwhile mouthed breathlessly as his nervous tick of excessively licking his trunk began to show.
Although he had often been otherwise employed in recent times, Curi could see it in the man's eyes that he was still, in a way, military at heart. He knew the general values and doctrines that were conveyed to the soldiers of the Communal Military, both inside and out. And the idea of someone choosing death like this...it seemed to rock him to his very core.
Slowly, he turned his gaze over to Curi. His eyes were almost pleading with the cyborg, even if they seemed to already know that his next question would be asked in vain.
âCould it maybe have been the humans and their-â he began, but this time, it was Curi's term to cut him off after anticipating what was coming.
âWhile humans very much employ the collapsing of hyperspace as a tactic in war, the process is not invisible â or even subtle. Had the human ships caused that collapse, it would've been noticeable,â they explained succinctly. âIt could've still been a mere unexpected failure of the hyperspace generation, of course. However, with the rarity of such events, the timing seems...unlikely.â
âThey weren't even trying to generate a real stretch...â Reprig concurred dejectedly and left his head hanging, his trunk also sinking down limply. âI can't even imagine- Well...I hope they will at least find peace now, away from the madness.â
Curi paused for a long moment, staring at the Warrant Officer some more. Admittedly, the cyborg was a bit confounded at something. They knew for a fact the man had put his own life on the line for his orders, with a very real chance that they would lead to his death, more than just once. And yet the idea of being ordered to die seemed to disturb him. They couldn't quite figure out the difference that led to the results in reaction being so incredibly different, however it was still very clear that there was one.
And it seemed to hit the man hard.
Self-admittedly, Curi didn't exactly pity the man. They didn't quite have the capacity to. They knew about so many horrible things he had done that simply seeing him distressed was far from enough to stir such deep empathy for him within them.
Yet still, they weren't left entirely cold by it either â and if it was only because he seemed to be affected by these events in the ways a, for a lack of a better term, 'normal person' would be. He was shocked at the sudden, seemingly senseless violence, and concerned about the people involved.
Granted, it was likely only because they were people he considered worth being concerned about, yet still, the reaction was so...'normal', in a way they didn't quite expect from someone with such a capability for unceremonious acts of cruelty and violence. Even this person who had tried to kill them, or at least had been entirely comfortable with them getting killed, was capable of such a reaction.
And Curi...wasn't sure if that made things better or worse, if they were being honest.
It felt better because there was the capability for empathy there, however...it felt worse because they felt how they had been and likely still were willingly denied said empathy.
He could have cared...he just didn't want to.
Curi shook their body heavily, causing mild sounds from the engines running their legs' movements from the sudden force as they tried to shoo away emotions that they really didn't want to be feeling at that exact moment.
The thing that mostly kept them from following up on some of their uncomfortably aggressive thoughts at that moment was the fact that Mueen was still with them, the worry for his mother written across his features like a deep engraving in a metal plaque. He did not need anything like that around him right now, that much was clear.
Slowly, they moved over to him and reached up one of their long legs to run it along his arm while he still covered parts of his large face with both hands.
âShe will be alright,â Curi then assured the dark-furred rafulite, switching from their usual voice box to their more âmelodicâ one to put on a gentle, calming tone. âShe is stronger than she seems.â
Inhaling deeply as his nostrils flared, Mueen closed his dark eyes and swallowed heavily, taking his gaze off the large screen for the first time in many minutes while slowly hanging his head down.
âYeah,â he said, seeming to force hopefulness into his tone. âYes, she'll be fine. She made it his far. This won't get to her.â
Curi nodded with their entire body and continued to run the tip of their leg along his arm.
âShe will be,â they repeated, both to the man and themselves as their own eyes moved upwards, their gaze falling back on the battlefield riddled with burning remnants of matter. âI'm sure of it.â
â
Never in his life had James felt so drunk and so sober at the same time. His mind was entirely clear, running a light-year a minute as it desperately tried to simultaneously process all the admittedly little information that he had in his current situation AND to not absolutely freak out while doing so somehow â a task he was ludicrously failing at. And it did NOT help that his body could barely keep itself on his own two feet.
He had avoided completely fainting by a hair earlier after reminding himself that, instead of being terrified for Shida's life, it would be much more fair towards her to simply focus on trusting in her skills to carry her through. However, that was barely a little patch on an enormous crack in his facade as he couldn't help but go over and over and over the fact of how much worse the situation that she needed to jump into here had been for her simply because it was his damn birthday and they wanted to indulge over it. He should've stopped that, but noooo, he just had to go and let himself be swayed so damn easily, as if he was still that little boy following Koko around whenever she visited the compound to try and get some attention.
Of course, a quiet voice in the back of his head tried to politely remind him that Shida had, in fact, not only taken part in the festivities as well but also encouraged him to do so, however it was easily overpowered by the screaming rest of his mind.
He briefly glanced over at the only somewhat conscious Commander. When she said that they should match each other's drinks, that should've been the moment he stopped. She was like half his weight, what the hell was he thinking?
His mechanical hand shot up, heavily gripping a fist full of hair as he tried to force himself to focus. What's done is done. There's no changing it. He should focus on anything else right now.
Though as he painfully pulled on his hair like that, his eyes suddenly went wide as he noticed something. Or, more precisely, didn't notice something.
When had the alarm stopped? Just now? Or had it been out and he just hadn't noticed?
Letting go of his hair, he lifted his face and looked around. If the alarm was over, then that meant...
The uncoordinated movement of soldiers reaching for their phones and radios with different speeds went through the room, and after brief confirmation, the uniformed forces began to move, having seemingly gotten new orders other than guarding the safe-rooms. Apparently, the threat was over.
James quickly fumbled for his own phone, his barely coordinated hands struggling extremely with the simple task of trying to call one of his contacts â much to the frustration of his already cleared mind. His finger trembled as he swiped it across the screen, trying to get it to the right damn place to make a simple god-damn call.
However, he froze in the motion at a quiet sound that was immediately followed by a sudden stir behind him as multiple people seemed to move quickly. And after just a second, James was among them as well.
Nearly tripping over his feet, he damn near threw himself onto the sickbed that didn't stand too far away from him, his phone momentarily forgotten and eyes wide open as they stared over at an endlessly familiar dark face, that however had life in it for the first time in what felt like an eternity at that moment.
Slowly and twitchy, Nia's eyes fluttered open as she let out quiet groans while mildly stirring in place while her doctors and nurses hurried around her and quickly began to take her vitals.
After flinching heavily as a flashlight was quite suddenly shone into her eyes to test her photopupillary reflex, she began to move even more. Meanwhile, James and Tuya were basically pressed shoulder to shoulder close to the foot of her bed, the only thing keeping them from dashing right up to her face being just enough awareness to not get in the doctor's way.
Still, although her movements were very slow, stiff, and groggy, Nia eventually lifted up her head, looking around with still somewhat hazy and half-closed eyes. But that didn't stop her from smiling when her gaze fell onto the two who so nervously stood at her bedside there.
âHey,â she said in a quiet, croaky, but still very much cheerful voice as her unkempt hair fell down both sides of her face.
Though James didn't see much more than that, because just about at that moment, his vision was entirely taking away by welling-up waters sweeping him along.
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2024.05.21 23:45 xamayax1741 [real] (05/21/2024) art project
I'm struggling. In so many ways right now. Actively trying to be better and do better and chase positive things and I'm stalling. Not because I want to, but my health seems to have other plans. I said no to the date. For a variety of reasons, primarily being I didn't want to mess up a friendship or professional relationship. I got dumped as a client. He still checks in as a friend. He apologized for 'falling into feelings' and I apologized for not feeling them in return. Why do people apologize for things like that? How you feel can't necessarily be helped, it's how you act/react that matters.
I started this art project and has been taking up a lot of my time. Having people who've had an impact of any kind in my life write down word(s) and send them to me. Sometimes they are pulled from conversations we've had. Things that they've said the past few months that made me realize something and then they'll be added to this project and painted over. Some times where you can't see the word, sometime where it's barely visible, sometimes where it's clear as day. So far it's felt good and somehow freeing. I mean, reaching out to my dad after years of no contact to get the word disappointment was interesting. XD
So far there are twenty requests out there, 18 have sent them so far. One I don't think ever will. The other I dunno. Depending on how I feel closure wise after will dictate if I reach out to more people. I was told this would help. That I could make art from past things and generate the next canvas I'll paint over from the past. That I can start some what new, even with the past in the past and only I can dictate what comes forth to the future. The last two are the ones that mean the most to this project and the reasons I agreed to do it in the first place. I probably should have explained it to them, why it's important to have the words in their handwriting. Why I'm so damn weird. I feel like a dumb ass though. Why would they even care about something so silly and trivial? Something that's only beneficial to me.
So far I've requested ten negative words, four neutral ones, and six positive ones. The canvas is 16*20. I think it's about time I find some more positive words. With every thing going on in my life I need to make sure the positive comes to the future. I don't know what positive words to request.
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2024.05.21 23:36 Brilliant-Gas9546 Chaos and Order Prologue/chapter one
Chaos and Order Prologue/chapter One
Novella
The following is the first two chapters from my first fantasy novel. It's an almost Lovecraftian, dark fantasy inspired by the likes of Berserk, Attack on Titan and One Piece. I had originally thought to try and do a graphic novel. After realising the amount of effort that might take, I'll try it in prose form first.
Hope you enjoy
At the beginning there was only the Source.
The source energy of all things made from pure consciousness, an omnipresent higher being. Fated to be everything and nothing forever in an eternity of self reflection and loneliness, Source felt an eternity of despair. From that despair it gave birth to two new separate beings. Source's soul now divided into two entities.
Order and Chaos were born.
Source divided itself up equally between Order and Chaos and became all the life that that now wandered the world of Eve.
For a time, Order and chaos existed in balance. But Order, in it's increasing desire to control life, soon sought to banish chaos...
Our story begins long after Chaos and his followers have been mascaraed in an ancient war. A small village near the edge of the world is all that remains of them. In their desperation they cry out to their lord and begged Chaos for it's aid. Chaos also fearing it's extinction reached out to them. It would embed a portion its power upon one child born in precisely 9 months time. Created in to defeat Order, it is the last hope for Chaos and all of it's followers. It would defeat Order and the one who ruled in it's name. The leaders of the village David and Fae would give birth to the child of Chaos, it's power blessed upon the newborn. David and Faye named him Guy. Born to defeat Order and kill it's leader, the sorceress of Order. Chaos tells the villagers the child will be the one to rid the world of Order, and restore Chaos into the world. Soon Guy was born and the village held it's breath.
Guy always knew he was different. From his earliest memories, he sensed wasn't like the other children. Whilst they played together he trained alone. Harnessing his skills in combat.
Why do I do this? The thought was always stalking him.
"It is too much to burden you with" Guy remembers his mother telling him. "One day we will tell you everything and you will understand. You're everything our people have waited for. You're special Guy".
I don't want to be special. I just want a friend. I want to be normal...
Ten days before his 8th birthday, in the height of a winter storm, he heard his parents arguing. Every now and again the storm would drown our their voices. The next day they told him he was finally old enough to learn the truth about his birth and his destiny. All the ordeals and training would finally make sense.
Two days before his 8th birthday Guy watched the other kids celebrating one of theirs. Whilst his parents were away for a village meeting, he snuck out to join them. Guy asked if he could play too. The other children went silent. They quickly made excuses to leave. When Guy returned to his house he saw the other kids come back out again.
The next day he was once again practicing his combat skills with his wooden dagger. His father watched on.
Guy's form slipped for just a moment.
"Again Guy?." His father slapped the back of Guy's head . "How many times have I told you to concentrate!?"
Guy dropped his dagger.
"I don't want this anymore. I just want to be normal!!
Guy runs into the woods until, eventually, his father's scream disappeared into the gathering wind. Guy lies still, sobbing beside an old oak tree. A few minutes pass and exhaustion begins to creep in as his eyes turn bloodshot.
"I swear I won't come back this time" Guy muttered to himself.
The sound of thunder can be heard. Guy bolts up right and hears a scream coming from the village. He rushes to his feet and runs in it's direction. The screaming grows louder and louder as thick smoke begins to gather.
I knew shouldn't of ran away, its my fault this has happened! The words hung heavy in his mind.
He arrives back at the village. Hostile unfamiliar voices can be heard in the.
A cold voice fills the air.
"The child where is he?" Guy's father hovers in the air, his feet several feet above the ground, before a hooded figure. The hooded figure was tall and wore dark black and purple robes, his face shrouded in shadow. He carried a long body-length staff stretched towards Guy's father, a blue light shining towards his father's face at the very tip. Guy stops and watches as he sees the life slowly being choked out of him, his fathers eyes just visible through the thickening smoke.
"Tell me where he is!" the figure bellows
"I told you I have no child" David gasped
Guys eyes tremble and he holds back tears. His father's eyes meets his own for a second and then fades . Guy turns and runs. He doesn't stop. He runs for miles till the screams can no longer be heard. The only voices be could now hear was his fathers and his own as they swirled inside his head.
I have no son - He heard his father's voice
Why didn't I save them - He thought
I told you
Its all my fault. Its my fault Its all my fault Its my fault
I should of never have fled
I told you. I HAVE NO SON
Guy, aged 18, wakes up in the present day from the same nightmare. He is sleeping in a makeshift leather tent in the woods, his sweaty hand gripping his steel dagger. The full moon is high and bright but will soon be covered by thick cloud. Guy gets up and takes out his dagger and begins moving towards the nearby tree. He lunges in with it pointed just about touching the tree with the tip, just as he was taught to as a child. As the sun rises we can see that even in the gloom almost all of his strikes to tree were on target. There hundreds of incisions and pieces of tree missing, all laser focused on one spot just a few mm thick and wide.
The sunlight illuminates his lifeless eyes. He stares at the tree and wonders again, what is his purpose. His hand grips his blade as he lunges once more at the tree.
Chapter 1
Luna
Capital city
The grand temple of Order
Luna's heart danced with excitement as she walked hand in hand with her mother, her bright green-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Did you tell them I wanted white daffodils when I return to this plane? That's how I always imagined it!"
"Yes Luna, now we must hurry" her mother replied with a forced smile. Luna (7 years old) loved flowers but especially daffodils.
As they approached the grand hall, Luna's breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. The doors swung open to reveal a spectacle more magnificent than anything she had ever imagined.
Three magical orbs floated gracefully in an orbit around the hall, casting a soft, ethereal light that bathed everything in a blue mystical glow.
The religious, military, civil leaders and royal family members watched on in hushed silence as Luna and her mother entered the hall, the blue light only just bright enough to illuminate their eager faces as they watched on. It was so dim Luna could not see very far beyond the limited light the orbs cast. The distant edges of the hall still lay in shadow.
She had dreamed of final seeing the grand Hall and finally becoming a sorceress . Surrounded by white daffodils and the admiration of her family, she would emerge as the greatest sorceress ever. Luna inhaled deeply. She wondered if she'd be like the wise sorceress of the rebellion era who saved Eden from the dark one. Or perhaps the current sorceress , her great aunty Adel, whos powers would soon pass to Luna. As she approached the alter at the center of the oval hall, she looked around to see hooded figure at all side. Most held staffs with glowing blue orbs at the tip, all raised up towards the spheres that hovered in the air. A soft chant could be heard. A choir of hooded girls sang an almost forgotten ancient tongue towards the alter. Known only to a few, Luna couldn't remember what they called the language. Her mother had told her aside from a chosen few, no one remembered the name.
All as was designed by Order in his great plan. She thought
The song rose slightly as she reached the center. Luna walked up a stone step and kneeled before the alter just as she was told to do so. The grand priest, a tall balding man dressed in brilliant white robes cleared his throat and bellowed
"We begin this ceremony to welcome a new vessel to our saviour and light in the dark years. Great Lord of Order who banished Chaos to the night long ago. May we rid the heavens and Eden of all of his kin, so his name too will be lost to time" He cleared his throat again before continuing
"We the disciples of Order eagerly follow his path. Soon we will join him in the promised land"
Luna's mother whispers in her ear
"Be brave, Mother loves you" Luna didn't understand why there was a little sadness in her voice. Her mother squeezed her hand one last time then leaves her side to join her father who's eyes glared fiercely back at her.
Luna looked at her feet. I have to make him proud. Be a good daughter. Be a good sorceress
The grand priest began to speak
"So as the new eve approaches so we cast aside the old and begin anew. The final vassal and saviour." The room echoes these words with him. She could feel her heart beating in her ears
A hooded figure approaches her and removes her brilliant dark purple hood. The sorceress Adel, her great aunt and current ruler of Eden.
White haired and ancient, her passionless eyes stares down at Luna. She nods gently at Luna to begin. Now Luna needed to assume her rightful place before her and kneel. The center sphere turned blue and the air seemed to change. The great priest raises his arms and the chanting grows louder before coming to a sudden stop. Luna could sense a new presence among them. . She took a deep breath. The great priest passed a goblet of shining blue liquid to Luna. She drank a sip of the water and passed it to Adel. Adel was trembling too, even more than Luna. Adel took a sip before passing the goblet back to the grand priest.
A moment passed. From the corners of the hall a shadow moved quickly. The blue light of the spheres began to shiver and twist as the shadow passed though it. The shadow reached out and sank into Adel. She screamed as light bellowed from her mouth.
An unearthly voice rang
Do you accept me, child
There was silence
Luna couldn't find her voice. She opened her mouth gasping for the words. Looking over Adel's shoulder. She saw her father's eyes glaring from the shadows. Luna's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes I I accept"
The light blasted out of Adel and hit her head on. Luna screamed as the Adel fell to the floor.
She felt the light tear into the very fabric of her soul and bury itself there. For a moment Luna no longer knew who she was, where she was, or have memories of ever being alive. Her soul was ripped out her body and flung far, far away. There she felt the pure terror of eternity gaze at her. She knew Order was with her now. Waiting, watching. For a moment she thought she could see what was almost an eye, or window of perception. Flashes of light began to appear from it. Each flash was a moment in time. The future. It began to unravel itself in her mind. Her soul screamed out as the future became a part of her. Now every moment of her life, her was as burnt into her memory and it began to unfold one second at a time.
She opened her eyes and saw clapping.
"Arise sorceress Luna."
Tears streamed down her face she took a step forward.
It was just the same as she had foreseen. It was just the same as she had foreseen. It was just as she had foreseen..! The words tormented her.
Everything is the same. No this can't be real. This can't be... Her eyes met Adel's Adel looked back at her with a sad smile.
"I love you Luna. Be strong"
"It hurts. please, please help me, please" Luna begged
"Promise me you won't give up. I believe in you" Adel replied. Luna looked at her feet.
I can't let them see me cry.
She looks up and sees her aunt collapse and lay motionless. The blue light fades and colour returns to the hall.
Luna reaches to cover her eyes as more tears began to form. She already knew what would happen next, but she couldn't prevent it. The tears kept appearing.
Stop stop, please Stop
Her father grabs her her arms away from her face and thrusts them to her side. He kneels and whispers.
"If you don't stop crying and bringing shame to out family.. to our LORD. I will no longer have a daughter. Am I understood?"
"Yes father"
"As you were, child". He glares and pushes her towards the head priest before returning to his seat.
"Continue" he bellows. Everyone who was for a moment frozen in place by his fury jolt back to their positions. All was all just as she had seen. Burnt into her mind . It was like walking through a familiar tunnel. A tunnel of her life. And then came the next moment, and the next. Like she foreseen. Like she had foreseen like she had foreseen...
Her heart slowed.
Who am I now. Please help me Aunty
She saw the daffodils she had requested dancing in the air as she walked through an applauding crowd. She grabbed one and stared at it. Onlookers sobbed and hugged each other in joy. The choir resumed, right at the precise moment she expected it would. She opened her hand and looked at the white daffodil. It was just a dead flower, nothing special.
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2024.05.21 23:33 zBuLe03 38 [M4F] Moreno Valley, CA/ Online / Anywhere - Let have lunch this Thursday
Hi, how are you doing today? I hope youâre doing well. Could we have lunch this Thursday? Please bear with me because I have no idea what Iâm doing. I am an introverted person. I can spend all day alone with no issues. However, I think I have spent too many days alone now; it would be best if I get out of my comfort zone and find some company. I have never dated before, so pardon my inexperience.
About me
- I am Hispanic, of Salvadoran descent.
- I enjoy drawing, I draw something every day
- I like computer programming a bit. I use HTML/CSS/JavaScript, GML and am trying to get into c#
- I like playing Video Games. My favorite game is Super Metroid. I play mostly Nintendo, but I also enjoy games with good action, good story and interesting progression mechanics.
- I enjoy Movies and Shows, but i dont really watch that much. the last shows i watched was Sonic Prime, The Owl House and Steven Universe. My favorite Movies include Wall-E, Apollo 13, and basically any Disney/Pixar film. My favorite shows of all time are Saint Seiya, Heidi and Candy Candy
- I am into Game Development. it is my main hobby. Character design, Animation, World Building and coding. I use GameMaker, and am trying to learn Godot
- I enjoy the arts, crafts, and sciences.
- I enjoy walks. just walking, like walking to the groceries, or walking across the mall.
Some other points about me
- I don't drink alcohol. have tried it before but I don't drink any alcohol
- I don't smoke, do drugs, not 420. Never tried it, never will.
- I don't have any tattoos.
- I don't say any curse word at all. the harshest word in my vocabulary would be shoe
- I don't go to church. I don't go to clubs or bars.
- I don't drive. Don't own a car. I walk, us public transit or Uber to go places.
- I don't own a house. I rent a room.
- I work weekend nights in a warehouse. Good stable pay. Been at this job for six years and counting.
I am described as wholesome. However, Iâm open-minded and donât mind if you enjoy activities that I don't.
I am open to anything, from just this single date to starting a family and anything in between; I am open to any relationship. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am proposing lunch on Thursday, virtually anywhere in Moreno Valley or Riverside. It can be anytime as well. Unfortunately, I work weekend nights, so Wednesday and Thursday are my days off. If you have any other suggestions, I am open to listening. A movie, a hike, etcâŚ
I donât know what else to put here. I am socially inept, thus Iâm not really good at conversational speech. If you are interested, feel free to contact me. Any and all questions are welcome.
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ForeverAloneDating [link] [comments]
2024.05.21 23:30 zBuLe03 38 [M4F] Moreno Valley, CA/ Online / Anywhere - Let have lunch this Thursday
Hi, how are you doing today? I hope youâre doing well. Could we have lunch this Thursday? Please bear with me because I have no idea what Iâm doing. I am an introverted person. I can spend all day alone with no issues. However, I think I have spent too many days alone now; it would be best if I get out of my comfort zone and find some company. I have never dated before, so pardon my inexperience.
About me
- I am Hispanic, of Salvadoran descent.
- I enjoy drawing, I draw something every day
- I like computer programming a bit. I use HTML/CSS/JavaScript, GML and am trying to get into c#
- I like playing Video Games. My favorite game is Super Metroid. I play mostly Nintendo, but I also enjoy games with good action, good story and interesting progression mechanics.
- I enjoy Movies and Shows, but i dont really watch that much. the last shows i watched was Sonic Prime, The Owl House and Steven Universe. My favorite Movies include Wall-E, Apollo 13, and basically any Disney/Pixar film. My favorite shows of all time are Saint Seiya, Heidi and Candy Candy
- I am into Game Development. it is my main hobby. Character design, Animation, World Building and coding. I use GameMaker, and am trying to learn Godot
- I enjoy the arts, crafts, and sciences.
- I enjoy walks. just walking, like walking to the groceries, or walking across the mall.
Some other points about me
- I don't drink alcohol. have tried it before but I don't drink any alcohol
- I don't smoke, do drugs, not 420. Never tried it, never will.
- I don't have any tattoos.
- I don't say any curse word at all. the harshest word in my vocabulary would be shoe
- I don't go to church. I don't go to clubs or bars.
- I don't drive. Don't own a car. I walk, us public transit or Uber to go places.
- I don't own a house. I rent a room.
- I work weekend nights in a warehouse. Good stable pay. Been at this job for six years and counting.
I am described as wholesome. However, Iâm open-minded and donât mind if you enjoy activities that I don't.
I am open to anything, from just this single date to starting a family and anything in between; I am open to any relationship. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am proposing lunch on Thursday, virtually anywhere in Moreno Valley or Riverside. It can be anytime as well. Unfortunately, I work weekend nights, so Wednesday and Thursday are my days off. If you have any other suggestions, I am open to listening. A movie, a hike, etcâŚ
I donât know what else to put here. I am socially inept, thus Iâm not really good at conversational speech. If you are interested, feel free to contact me. Any and all questions are welcome.
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r4r [link] [comments]
2024.05.21 23:22 PWOFalcon As Astra Volume 0, Prolog, Chapter 1, part 1
Hello, everyone; I have created two donation sites for people who wish to support Ad Astra. Chapters will be released one week before donors are made public on them and here. If you want to support us, please come here
[patreon.com/FalconBookWork ](patreon.com/FalconBookWork%C2%A0)
https://buymeacoffee.com/pwofalcon Also come visit my Discord for updates and conversations:
https://discord.gg/sknrx7Gh 1/22/2048 (military calendar)
Campsite, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore
*****
Looking past the dark horizon of the valley below, all that was seen were the crisp peaks and ridges of the Torness mighty mountains. Above the heights was the final shine of the father of all light, the yellow sun god known as Dorash. It almost seemed like his gaze was taking one last peek at the skirt of Alagore mountain peaks before finally fading to rest.
As the sun fell below the distant mountain peaks, a robust and crisp breeze swept through the valley below, bringing a sudden chill. As expected, the darkness came and got the freezing mountain cold. Everything became pitched black as the only light source came from the starlight flickering high above the dark void. That was until a new light from the campfires illuminated the camp, only so slightly not to be discovered.
The half-elf girl Fraeya Holiadon was not used to this type of cold. Being a forest noble elf who grew up in the warmth of cities, she quickly grabbed her black-white pattern cloak and pulled tightly to remain as warm as possible.
She took a long breath from the thin, chilly air and stared into the massive valley belowâforests, lakes, and, in the distance, a glimpse of lights from a nearby town. Everything looked natural and wild, where civilization had struggled to conquer. A sight she rarely saw outside the city walls. She found the scenery incredible. Worth the hellish adventurer across the Torness Mountain Range.
"Stay away from the edge," a Lat said. "We don't want to be spotted."
"Alright," Fraeya replied. She looked at the Lat, surprised at how he stood, defiant of the thin air and freezing temperature. "Are you not cold?"
"Of course, I am," the last warrior said as he returned to the camp. "Living away from civilization, you grow used to such conditions."
As the soldier left, she looked at the valley one last time before heading back toward the camp.
Fraeya saw nearly a hundred soldiers huddling their campfires for warmth, gathering supplies, or standing watch within the camp. They are known as the Palatini of Orias, one of the many Republic elite units within the legionary. They were hand-picked by the Legate for this mission.
As the young girl walked past the palatini, she could see the exhaustion from their mannerisms. Many looked hungry; others tired with dark, deep black bags under their eyes. Others shaking as their bodies adjusted to the night. To her confusion, she also could see the determination within their eyes as the environment was just an annoyance toward their objective.
She wouldn't blame them for their exhaustion as she could feel most of her body sore from the non-stop marching and climbing, she had to endure to get to this point. Something that her professors left out of their classes. A part of her couldn't help but chuckle from how she once thought after graduation from the academy that she was ready to face the challenges of their world. Only now did she understand how little schooling prepared her for the real world.
"What is so funny?" Another Lat said as she passed.
When she turned to the man, she felt a slim nerve of fear that ran through her body, believing that she might have insulted them. While most of them accepted her within the platini, she could tell they saw her as a weakling over a comrade. "I am sorry. I meant no insult. I was remembering my time at the academy."
The man turned back to his friend, commenting on her inexperience.
Fraeya felt sad as this was not her first failed interaction. For the better part of a week, Orias had escorted her and her father across some of the roughest terrains on Aldrida, taking great lengths to avoid enemy forces as their orders were to keep the two elves protected at all cost. As many men had stated, it was a near miracle that they made it this far without being noticed.
From what she understood, the commanding centurion hoped to reach the base of the mountain they were on by tonight. Such delays had become the norm; they had to delay their travels because of enemy patrols. They were hiding for hours because of J'avias' patrols from one of the nearby City-States. As they adventured deeper behind enemy-occupied territory, she expected this problem to worsen.
While the Hispana Republic's detachment for the expedition could have defeated them, the legionnaire leader, Centurion Fionntan Henness, did not want to risk exposing their unit to the enemy. He feared that if the J'avias or one of their puppet races could pass a message to the Unity's regional vassal, the Verliance Aristocracy, their mission would fail, and their last hope for victory would vanish. His superiors had invested in this last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war to risk it on a small skirmisher with fewer soldiers.
Between the dozen campfires and the dark but illuminated sky lit by their mother Tekali, this side of the mountain range had perfectly trapped the cold air, something that Fraeya Holiadon was struggling to adapt to. As a Noble Elf, she was used to the warmth of the forest and the benefits of civilization from the continent's western side. Not the chill of the alpine.
Hearing a loud howl that echoed through the mountains, clearing coming from another party elsewhere within the area, Fraeya noticed her ride panicking. She quickly rushed over and slowly approached the beast once she got close.
"There, there," Fraeya whispered to her Deerip, a four-legged beast with three horns, light brown long hair fur, and red hoofs.
Noticing that these lands unsettled the beast, a feeling she could relate to, she rubbed the side of the Derrip's neck. Slowly and calmly whispering a song to it as the beast to calm down.
Once the beast was calm, Fraeya reached into her backpack and pulled out a bundle of grass to feed it. "I understand how you feel. This place leaves an unsettling chill down my spine, too. But you need to stay calm."
"If your beast is going to cause trouble, it will be wise to let it free," Henness said as he approached.
Looking at the centurion, Fraeya replied, "he is just startled. Deerips do not usually travel these lands. He needs to get used to being here."
Henness reached into his bag, pulling out a dark red amulet. He then tossed it into a fire pit. One of the other soldiers, a pyromancy battle mage, approached the hole and ignited it with a low-level fire spell. Unlike most red and orange flames, this fire was blackish purple, a type of flame known as dark fire by the commoners.
"Half-Elf, it took us over a week to get here through this dangerous path. These mountains are very unforgiving to wandering passengers, even to the Legion. We are deep behind enemy lines with no support. If Kallam vassals discover us, we will be slaughtered without mercy."
"That is if we are lucky," a Lat said as he sat beside the Dark Fire. "I heard stories of what happens to the prisoners that are handed over to them. I wouldn't subject my worst enemy to such a fate. Especially if a little girl got us caught."
Feeling frustrated and hearing the disrespect from the man's tone, she wanted to march over and warn Henness. While Lats could be civil and possess a strong warrior spirit, she is always surprised by how stubborn they could be.
"What is your issue, Lat? Fraeya asked. "I understand the risks. My father has been studying for this mission longer than you have been alive. I know what is at stake. This legend is our only hope in stopping them."
"Hope?" Henness asked while being unfazed by the young elf's aggressiveness. "The only reason the Legate sponsored this insane mission was that your father already got funds from a Kitsune archivist guild with a questionable reputation. They wanted to eliminate your father to focus on winning the war. They cannot afford to chase fairytales from time immemorial."
"Insane mission?" Fraeya boldly stated. "This quest is not insane, youâŚ, damn Lat! It is the answer! We all know we cannot win the war. They are just too strong. I cannot believe how you, of all people, your kind, should believe in this."
"It is a fool's quest, Fraeya," Henness replied calmly, showing his military discipline. "Look at what we are doing." Allowing himself to collect his thoughts, he sat by the Dark Fire. "We are looking for an ancient relic, a Lat-Orc folktale that allows you to travel to another world. Hundreds of sages like your father have looked for this and other relics over the centuries. Even your father was proven wrong on this subject. There is a reason why the Guilds and his own people disowned his research."
The legend of an ancient relic from a lost age was an everyday fairytale throughout the continent of Aldrida. A Bridge that connected Alagore to the world known as Altaerrie. Her father discovered that each species and civilization had their own version of the legend over the millenniums. While the tales had many different versions, they all had the core idea - that all life was brought here by the Goddess Tekali.
In this quest to validate the legend, her father, Raegel Holiadon, dedicated his life to validating the myth and the truth of their people's past. While she did not know why her father was so passionate about searching for this truth, she knew that he believed it was the most crucial mystery of Alagore.
Considered a joke from the magical and sage guilds, Fraeya's father, Raegel Holiadon, was forced to conduct his research in isolation. Dozens of sages before him have searched for the truth and failed, falling into the same ousted fake from civilization. No one believed that this time would be any different. Because of his tenacity, he was banished to the fringes of the world to prove his theories. It was not until the Unity invaded Aldrida that he brought renewed interest to his work, not because of recent discoveries or because they suddenly believed in the legend but out of desperation to survive.
"It is different this time," Fraeya said. "If we could tale the sphere and-."
Henness cut Fraeya off, saying, "I am too tired to debate this right now. All that matters is that my Palatini was ordered to escort your party through these lands. I and the rest of my people will follow those orders to the end; I guarantee that. You shall not have to worry about our duty. I just hope this fool quest does not result in the death of my men."
Fraeya felt a deep urge to defend her father's work. As she approached, a Noble Elf stopped her, her father.
"Do not let your emotions get out of control," Raegel said.
"He called me a Half-Elf," Fraeya frustratedly replied. "And he insults my Deerip and questions your life's work."
"I know, I know, now let it go," Raegel said as he calmed his daughter. "It has been a long journey for all of us. Everyone is tired and is on nerve. Do not let an off comment grow into a wild vine."
She was hearing the wisdom from her father; she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, placing her hands together to relieve stress. The journey was long after leaving the great Hispana fortress of Nervia Glevensium. Unable to take the main highway between regions, crossing the Alps was the only way. Bypassing many Unity air patrols, Cities that pledge loyalty toward Kallem, and rouge monster hordes, she realized that her father was correct. "Okay, Father."
Seeing the warm smile from Fraeya's father, she followed him to their tent. Once settled, she wrapped herself in a blanket and sat by the fire.
She watched her father place one of those dark red amulets into a fire pit; that same battle mage shortly approached and activated it with the same low-level spell, igniting the amulet into Dark Fire. Unlike the natural red fire or the other magical types like green and blue, dark fire is used by soldiers and travelers to provide a heat source at night without attracting unwelcome guests. According to the sages, Dark Fire does not illuminate as brightly, so heat-seeking creatures and constructs cannot see the flames from distances. Perfect for behind-enemy-lines missions like this. However, it provided some warmth but could never match the red flame's natural heat.
Finally feeling some warmth, or at least as Fraeya's body wanted to believe, she turned to her father and asked, "Do you think this time it will work? Can we find this Bridge?"
"I know we will," Raegel replied as he checked their supplies. "I know that Lats can be a handful, trust me. I have been around them since my exile, but Henness is correct to be skeptical. You must understand normally that only a fool would undertake such a mission. A fool that I proved to be once or twice in my lifetime." He said with some laughter. Seeing a smile from his daughter, he continued, "But this time, it will be different."
Holding the blanket tight, Fraeya shook her head. "I don't understand, though. It is their people's legend, their story. Why wouldn't they be supportive of our mission? Especially if it is our last hope to stop the Unity."
"I am not a military man," Raegel said. "I never learned the art of war but put yourself in his boots. While you were at the academy and I conducted my research, these men have been fighting this war. Imagine all the battles, all the deaths of fallen brothers that they have witnessed time and time again. Last hopes are poison for soldiers, who have lost no matter what they do. It is their fault that the war has gone this badly, or at least I assume that is how they feel."
"But the legends," Fraeya stated again.
"Soldiers do not wage war based on legends," Raegel said. "While we believe in the legend, that does not mean they do. Thousands of years have passed and that is why they call them legends in the first place, my dear. Think about all our fellow elves' tales we have, and how many of our kind believe in them?"
Reflecting on what her father had said, she knew her people had many stories. Being one of the oldest civilizations on Aldrida, they have stories relating to dozens of topics, returning to orlilla. One of her favorite legends was how her kind were once flowers that sprouted legs. Some say that this was why the Noble race was so beautiful.
"You think that orb you found is the key to everything?" Fraeya said.
"I do," Raegel said. "Everything I have invested in up to this point has pointed to this moment. Whoever hid the Bridge did so to never be discovered by anyone. They hide it with magic beyond our means. That is why no one has ever found any trace of it. They were missing one piece of the puzzle, that orb."
Thrilled to see her father excited again, Fraeya cannot wait to see his dream finally coming to life. After all these decades of researching and traveling across the world to search for any clue, he eventually will be able to prove his life work was correct. He had toured Alagore for centuries, looking for clues, relics, ruins, and anything from the old era. A life work proved worthwhile.
As Fraeya stared at the Dark Fire, she asked, "What do you think this other world will be like?"
âI have no idea,â Raegel said. "I believe that this other world will be like ours. If the historical archives at Allsari and stories of old are true, then it is the world of the LatsâŚ, Altaerrie."
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2024.05.21 23:19 Ogsonic A cultural, sociological discussion: Why does no on care about low notes, being a bass, being able to sing low, etc
This is a question that applies to really, most of music not just singing. Bassists never get recognition in music. There is no desire for singing low notes and especially for being a bass singer. Its all about the crazy high notes and being a tenor, or mezzo soprano/soprano. This lack of love towards low notes ESPECIALLY to bass guitarists in bands. Bass guitarists almost never get any recognition. Heck there are bands out there that completely synthesize bass guitar parts and have them played back when performing live shows. For me the genre I wanna sing is super high pitch and requires very good control of my 5th octave notes so thats why I tend to prefer the tenor notes but I feel this is a cultural conversation to.
I heard another point is that due to men with lower voices generally having them because of increased testosterone production. They are generally seen as being more traditionally "masculine". Subsequently all of arts being seen as more feminine by a lot of the alt right, right wing crowd. Tons of men with low voices that want to sing don't because of being physically incapable of singing in the high range that is most widely used in contemporary singing, this in combination of general music culture causes them to feel (and at times be deliberately) excluded, as well as folks from outside the music sphere heavily discouraging them from singing due to it "being an attack on their masculinity", etc. This is a topic that music departments could do research in.
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2024.05.21 23:13 KyleKKent OOCS, Into A Wider Galaxy 009
~First~ Cats, Cops and C4
The Erumenta woman tries to fight even as he forces her into the cell, her natural fire flaring hot enough for his clothing to smoulder and him to mentally congratulate himself for his Undaunted Brand. Itâs literally saved his fingers multiple times today.
Marlintine Spire is like many of the spires of Centris still reeling from the massive scan. Sure it had been legal, and both Living Goddesses upon the world had told everyone to calm down in their own way. But just because something is legal and endorsed by powerful figures does not make it a popular move.
âYou burn any of your fellow prisoners while youâre in there and youâre getting a suppression collar.â He tells the obstinate criminal as he shoves her into the holding cell and slams the bars shut. The forcefields supplementing the metal bars flickers into place and the blast of flame she aimed at his face splashes against it without further effect. âCute, keep it up and we wonât need a court hearing to upgrade you to a real prison.â
âHeâs being serious. Stripper boy is playing at being a serious police officer.â Another criminal mocks and is subsequently ignored as Chenk leaves the area. He has other things to do.
âMaâam.â He greets Chief Bowman as he slips by to head back out.
âHold it human. I know your kind are endurance monsters, but you need to sit the hell down. Youâve been dragging in cult soldiers for six and a half hours straight. Your legal overtime ended a half hour ago.â
âThen keep a cell open for me as I keep bringing in more people. This needs to be quelled.â Chenk says and as he turns to keep going she grabs his belt and pulls him back.
âYou need to rest.â
âThe Spire is in the middle of a borderline insurrection. I can rest when itâs...â He begins to say before a sudden movement to his right makes his head snap around. Just before Vera the Takra-Takra crashes into him.
âThanks for stalling him out Chief! Come on you goofy human!â Vera announces as she drags him down the hallway and into Lindaâs Office. She tosses him onto the couch and then pounces onto him and pins him.
âReally?â Chenk asks.
âYes really. You need to calm down. And I found a way to force it.â Linda states.
âBut the Spire is...â
âYou are one officer. Supersoldier on loan to the station or not, youâre still only one officer. The structural integrity of this spire only depends upon you when thereâs a bomb threat and even then, only when itâs a chemical bomb.â Linda tells him. âOr do we have to restrict you to only being called out during a bomb threat?â
âNo.â He says. âBut people are still getting hurt and...â
âAnd they're the ones hurting themselves. Just please calm down. I know youâre skilled, but your sense of justice is just going to hurt you at this rate. Donât want to leave a bad example for Amy now do you?â Linda teases him and Chenk groans in frustration.
â... I really should have thought things through before growing attached to that girl.â
âOh probably, but it was adorable to see. The world crashing down on a poor little girl in over her head and then Officer Hero, Supersoldier from the blackest void of the galaxy flies in to save her.â Vera teases.
âStill, him being a supersoildier is a bit of a problem right now. Big man needs a mission, or heâs going to go nuts!â Linda notes. âLuckily! I called one of your friends on the ship. Soldier, youâre in position to requre a talking to from The Observer. However, the call is on hold, but you need to be here when it goes off.â
âThatâs a dirty trick.â Chenk notes even as an Undaunted communicator is tossed at him and he catches it. Itâs activated, itâs in a waiting queue and thereâs no way he can go into the field now if heâs waiting for an official answer. âVery dirty.â
âGood thinking!â Vera compliments as she cuddles closer to her pinned target. Her hair spikes out in sudden shock as The Communicator then goes off to signify the call has gone through. âI jinxed it!â
âSpecialist Chenk Barnabas sir!â Chenk answers the call instantly as he sits up and Vera scurries off him.
âReally? I put him on that waiting list to get him to calm down and stop working.â
âSpecialist Barnabas, Iâm one of numerous individuals filtering the sheer number of incoming calls to The Inevitable. Youâre in the proper queue now, please state what you have been doing as a member of The Undaunted so that Observer Wu can better decide who to speak with.â
âIâm on loan to one of Marlintine Spireâs major police stations. Due to the overpopulation of Centris this means I have been acting as elite law enforcement over a population that exceeds that of many of earthâs countries.â
âI see, anything in particular that youâre doing?â
âIâm a chemical expert and accredited detective at this rate. I am the go to specialist for law enforcement when it comes to chemical explosives for a full ten percent of Centris Police Departments.â
âAny particularly interesting cases youâve been assigned to?â
âYes, one that is still being debated in court by none other than The Trytite Lady. It involves cloning, murder, mercenaries, numerous criminal gangs and a great deal of more nonsense such as massive prison breaks, fighting robots and Axiom effects so dangerous that even speaking about them in anything more than the most broad and general of terms on an open frequency is a punishable offence.â
âSo you have seen a fair amount of what has occurred in the galaxy.â
âIâve seen enough that Iâm going to be very hard to surprise or overwhelm any longer.â Chenk says.
âVery good. Iâll just note this down. The Galaxy is absolutely insane, Iâve been fielding calls from people with like nine heads all speaking in concert and god damn lobster people and more...â
âThatâs reality for you.â Chenk replies. âAlways more absurd than it should be.â
âIndeed, stand by. Iâm putting you into the next proper queue. It shouldnât be more than a minute or two long.â The Assistant states and then the call shifts to simply display that heâs fourth in the queue now.
âHunh. Faster and somehow slower than expected at the same time.â Chenk says even as Vera leans against him.
âEven when you take a break youâre still working.â
âYou didnât complain about me being an endurance monster when I planted this in you.â He says gently patting her growing stomach and she pushes him a bit in protest.
âProblem with getting the super-babies of doom is the wait for the baby.â Vera complains and he chuckles before the communicator activates again. He puts it in broadcast mode as Linda leaves her desk to sit next to him for support.
âObserver Wu I take it?â Chenk asks the Asian man who nods.
âAnd you are Officer and Operative Barnabas. The little summary in front of your call has my attention. Tell me, how are laws generally handled in the Centris space.â
âCentris is a massively overpopulated planet consisting of Spires and Plates. The Spires are the massive multi tiered towers that have two hundred levels each and each level holds enough people to populate any major city on Earth with ease. The lower the level on the spire the less funding, infrastructure and support it has with the bottom ten generally considered a universal slum or no manâs land. Law enforcement in those areas is nigh on impossible and the air itself has been described as thick and fetid. No natural light reaches those areas either.â
âAnd higher up?â
âIncreasing amounts of wealth and support. To such a degree that the plates, which form an artificial ring around Centris are of such high quality that their most squalid and desperate places are at roughly the same standard of living as the middle fifty floors of a well off Spire. As you can imagine, policing all this is an outright herculean effort and every station, no matter how well funded, armed or endorsed is simply inadequate for the task.â
âWhat sort of crimes have you witnessed?â
âIâve stopped terrorist conspiracies, torn down drug labs, found myself between assassins and their targets, Iâve stood in the middle of gang wars commanding people to stand down, I have tackled muggers, murderers and maniacs alike into walls and cuffed them. Not even twenty minutes ago I dragged a criminal who could light fires with her will alone into a cell, my jacket is still singed from it.â
âSo the world is rife with criminality.â
âNo more than any other place, thereâs just so many people crammed in here that itâs constant, and thatâs without the recent provocation that every single criminal organization received more or less simultaneously. Generally for every single idiot that needs a police officer to remind them why good behaviour is a good idea, thereâs an entire bus full of people that didnât even consider breaking the law.â Chenk explains.
âBut when they truly commit crimes they donât stop do they?â
âNo, more resources, technology and Axiom means that if someone wants to break the rules they can break the very concept of rules. The last major case I was in before this flashfire of criminality was kicked off involved the sanctity of body and mind being shattered for the sake of mere greed by a figure so underworld infamous that for a chance to get either evidence on the person in question or ingratiate themselves to them we had an all out war break out in the station. One that if not for a quick trick, we would have lost.â
âAnd the trick was?â
âSwitching out the prize for a disguised tracking beacon.â Chenk says and Observer Wu nods appreciatively. âI canât credit on that though, it was The Private Stream that did that.â
âI havenât had that fully explained to me. What is THE Private Stream?â
âIâm not the best person to explain it, but a quick summary is that itâs a shared persona for low profile work. Operative Jameson is the founder and original Private Stream, a persona that lets him go around while heavily armed and armoured while arousing no suspicion.â
Vera snorts in amusement. âArousing... lot of girls find the aw shucks innocent routine to be arousing.â
Chenk slowly urns to her. âWhat?â
âYou know what.â
âMaybe I donât!â
âMaybe you do.â
âCould we focus please?â Observer Wu asks. âNow, as an Officer, are there any laws that you would find concerning about humans?â
âYes, theyâre usually location dependant thankfully. So the issue can be avoided. Furthermore thereâs a lot of leeway given in laws where the traits of a species would make following the law difficult if not impossible. For example a human can generally get away carrying substances that are considered highly toxic or dangerous due to the fact that our diets contain what many people in the galaxy are nothing more than hard core poisons.â
âHmm... Could you be more specific?â
âWell, this one wonât apply to you due to an amendment that Admiral Cistern was able to get allies to help him push through, but one of the most popular religions the galaxy over is the Gravid Faith, it has numerous denominations and variants and several of them create whatâs called Arrangement Systems where men are required by law to have a hundred wives.â
âAnd the amendment is?â
âThat if you are gainfully employed by governmental or military forces that you are exempt from the law so long as you remained employed in such a manner. You Observer Wu are the eyes of hundreds of Earth Nations meaning a government employee.â Chenk explains and he nods.
âI see. Any other exemptions?â
âGenerally the Galaxy looks down on kinetic weaponry, so when it was pushed that humans wear weapons and cultural garb it was allowed through without issue. So humans are legally allowed to carry weapons like knives and pistols at almost all time without question. Itâs... rather stupid in my opinion, but well it would be even more foolish for me to complain about something Iâm outright benefiting from.â
âHmm... any other laws?â
âThey very much vary by location. Which are further influenced by the species of the residents, local culture, religion, political association, economic status. The name of the game is jurisdiction issues here on Centris. The local police departments all help one another, but always at the invite of the local officers who can actually confirm if whatâs taking place is a crime or not in the local area.â
âCan you give an example of this working against things?â
âAlright, the easiest example is with drugs. There is no agreed on way to combat the spread of illegal narcotics. Some make the growing of the plants that produce what you want illegal. Others make the refinement of itâs fruit illegal and some make the selling of the drug illegal. So you can produce it all on the third Spire and sell it on the first two legally. You can grow the plant on the second and third spire legally, refine it on the first and third legally and that way you have a massive multi-jurisdiction drug running operation without technically breaking any law.â
âHmm... that is a great deal to consider. I presume other such crimes can operate the same way?â
âUnfortunately yes. But thatâs the problem with laws, you need to set where the boundaries are, but not make people prisoners in their own homes. Thereâs always a loophole.â
âTragically yes.â Observer Wu remarks. âNow, I do need to speak to the others, but I have a few moments more. Who and what are you sitting near. The vaguely catlike woman on your right and the... generally human looking woman on your left are?â
âLinda is to my left. Partner and wife, the first actual police officer of us three. Vera is to my right. Wandering Warrior and wife. Linda is a Tret woman, theyâre best considered to be humans if we evolved with Axiom helping us, a sister species to our own people. Vera is a Takra-Takra, she and her kind can shapeshift into the ferocious Warform and use it in battle. They pride their skill as Warriors and seek out stronger mates to empower the next generation.â Chenk explains before tiltiing the view down a little to show the pregnant stomach on Vera. âA work in progress.â
âI see. Congratulations. Although compared to many other Undaunted you seem a little behind.â
âI wasnât aware it was a race.â
âWhich is exactly how you lose the race!â Vera says in an amused tone.
âIndeed. Every conversation leads me to believe that I need to take an entire university degree in order to understand things. Thankfully your own is rather straight forward.â
âReally? Who are you speaking with next?â
âI haven't decided yet, but I need to speak with everyone in some way.â Observer Wu states.
âGood luck sir, I think youâll need it.â Chenk says.
âExcuse me, is there a way to get a human to calm down and take a break? Ever since Centris was Scanned and hidden societies were exposed all over Chenk has refused to stop working. Is there any way to just get him to take a break?â Linda asks.
âIt generally varies from person to person. But I would suggest guilting him. Emotional blackmail is a powerful tool.â Observer Wu says with a slight smirk.
âTraitor!â Chenk declares and thereâs a chuckle from The Observer.
âIndeed. Iâm afraid this call needs to finish now. Best of luck.â Observer Wu says before the call ends.
âSo... we need to guilt you then? Okay!â Vera exclaims before her eyes start to water. âDonât you wanna be there for the baby? Doesnât she deserve a daddy?â
âOh my god woman!â
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2024.05.21 23:08 rickrockster Roger Bacon - Prologue
OlĂĄ! It's me! I'm Rickle Pick! Hello everyone!
So, Iâve been listening to some stories about Neckbeards and Kevins, as well as some Legbeards and Kevinas (Is that the correct term??). Well, most of the times I listen to those stories, I am reminded of some people I used to deal with in school. Specifically, this time, the tale of a guy, who Iâll name Roger Bacon for reasons soon to be explained. Sorry for any grammar errors, eu falo portuguĂŞs! I also don't really know the posting rules here, so I'll just post it and see how it goes lol
This prologue is more of a compilation of stories that I think is needed before we get to the main shenanigans and awkward situations this guy put himself AND me into. If this generates any interest, I will post more specific tales of this weirdo! Long time lurker, first time poster, english is definitely not my first language and the whole shebang. I also never wrote a text this large, so go easy on me!
THE LIST:
Well, I guess itâs usual to make a list of people that appear in those stories, so Iâll make one just for you!
Me: Your basic musician-type nerdy theater kid white guy! Tall, thin with medium-light brown hair. At the time, I usually wore a leather jacket and sometimes a hat (not a fedora, a Chaplin hat. Also, where I live, hats are an acceptable attire choice lol). I kinda looked like the Once-ler from Lorax. At this time, I had just failed my second year of high school because of⌠honestly just lack of effort, mixed with undiagnosed ADHD and a bit of lacking in the olâ confidence and self-respect department. At the time, I also was physically incapable of saying no and had a crippling fear of disappointing people.
Roger Bacon: 168 centimeters (or 5,5ft for the uncivilized) of pure muscle! Or at least he thought it was that way. In reality, he did have some muscles but was kinda chubby and flaccid. Not FAT fat, but athletic fat (???). He was mixed, light skinned, had shaved short curly hair, no beard (except for the inside beard) and his face was a special kind of oval, besides having a, "chiseled jaw". He always smelled like he had just gotten out of a day-long brawl with a french cologne wearing burrito. He wasn't an usual neckbeard, but he was a huge attention whore. Thought too much of himself, as we say here in Brazil: âPromised too much, delivered nothing at all.â His moto was: âDude, I think sheâs into me!â
For now, these are the characters, as the focus is to introduce you all to Roger Bacon as a person.
With the list over, let us get to the story.
FEBUARY 2018:
The year of 2018 started pretty badly for me. I had just been held back from 10th grade, had no friends and didnât really know anyone. As most people know, high school in Brazil is quite different from America, as we start school in febuary and we share the same class with the same people all day, excluding language classes and extra-curriculum activities. This meant that, for the foreseeable future, I was alone. On the first day of school, I shyly sat on the last desk on the far right corner of the room, as I scanned my classroom to see what I was dealing with. A few groups of people sitting together, talking and greeting their friends, some loners reading or playing on their phones. The artsy girl drawing a beauriful woman on the white board. Some guy drawing a penis right beside her. Perfect balance. A normal classroom.
Another difference between our school systems is that we donât really have clicks based on like Jocks or Nerds or Pretty Girls, itâs mostly people who connected in childhood or matched personalities, instead of connecting through roles and interests within the school. Not saying either one is better, just different. And yeah, the bullying situation is just as bad. I was bullied for my whole middle school and through first year of high school, and made a very specific group of low profile friends. So when I failed sophomore year I thought to myself âScrew it, if Iâm going to be held back, thatâs at least a second chance for me to grow an acceptable social life.â
All this elucidates how intimidating it could be for someone to join a new classroom full of mostly new faces. If you were unable to make a friend, youâd pretty much be on your own for the whole year unless an already formed group âadoptedâ you. So my mindset was to at least try and meet new people.
Well, have you ever said âIâm gonna do this thing Iâve never done before!â And got the worst possible circunstance you could get at the very first attempt? Welp, thatâs just what happened. My strategy was to start small, and go talk to only one person at first, and then try to interact with a few of the groups as that was a bit intimidating (fun fact: we call âclicks âpanelinhasâ, spelled âpah-neh-lin-iasâ, wich means âlittle pansâ, because, you know, theyâre closed groups, like a closed⌠pan. Idk, anyway), so I went up to this guy in front of me, and that guy was Roger Bacon.
He was almost lying on his chair, on a cool guy pose while messing around on his phone. He was also wearing a black sports tank top with a grey opened sweatshirt and the standard uniform wine-red shorts that were mandatory in our school, which made him look like a short and jelly version of Rocky balboa mixed with Kick Buttowski.
In real life, my name and his started with sequential letters, and because of this, we would sit near each other for the whole year, so I guessed heâd be the best person to interact with. I also KINDA knew him because we had basketball training after class in like 2015 and I went to the same church as him, in which I befriended his brother, Kevin, slightly, but didnât have much contact with him because he had already graduated (I have some stories about basketball and church so tell me if yall wanna read them lol). I approached and gestured for him to take of his headphones (They were extremely loud, so I could recognize he was listening to the song In The End by Linkin Park).
Me: Hey! Arenât you Roger? Youâre Kevinâs brother, right?
RB, trying to sound stoic: âOh, hey Rick. Yeah, itâs me⌠fortunately for you.â
Me: âWhat do you mean?â
RB explained: âWell, Iâm the cool brother! Kevin was lame, and also had no friends.â
Me: âIsnât he in a band with [insert band members]? They seem to be his friendsâŚ
RB: âThey might look nice, but theyâre all assholes. Donât let them fool you! Iâm the nice brother, Kevin is a dipshit.
To elucidate you: that band he said was made of assholes was the Worship band of the church we went to. It was also the worship band that I occasionally played the piano with.
I said, jokingly: âGuess Iâm an asshole then! Because, ya know, I play with them more often than notâ
RB: âNo man, itâs just them. Theyâre just so infuriating! They never let me participate!â
Me: âWow, thatâs weird⌠I mean, I didnât know you were a musician too! What instrument do you play?â
RB: âI play the drums, piano, guitar, bass and I also sing. But Kevin keeps me out because he wants to be the 'star brother'!â
I could tell he got a little heated, and went silent for a little while. I decided not to mention the band or his brother in his presence, 'cause ya know, that was pretty awkward lol.
I remember thinking to myself âThis guyâs kinda weirdâ, because his brother was one of the nicest people I had ever known, and he also didnât have the say on who played on the band, the worship leader did. I thought about confronting Roger with this, but I didnât want to abandon my quest of finding a friend. And also, he seemed chill at first, if not a little insecure.
I was a little uncomfortable with this line of conversation, so I opted to change the subject. We talked a bit more about me having been held back, and he went on about how he was really good at math and chemistry, and how he could help me with my school stuff.
I was glad to have someone to help me, and even more, someone who apparently liked the stuff I liked. I remembered what he was listening to, so I commented on it and asked which song was his favorite, and we talked about Linkin Park for a bit. He said âIn The Endâ was his favorite song, and then I mentioned I was a huge Linkin Park fan. He told me he was a big fan as well, but as we talked about it, it became a bit fishy. He never specifically said anything and just kinda repeated what I said. It became clear after a while that âIn The Endâ was, in fact, virtually the only song he knew from that band.
That was the first time I noticed something strange, but only in hindsight, as at the time I just thought he really wanted to make a human connection. I remember thinking he was just excited to know someone who was open to talking to him, so I didnât think anything of it.
Also, not everyone memorizes this stuff, and maybe he did only remember one song, for whatever reason, so I let that pass. I only felt necessary to include this information because it was, at least in some way, the first lie that Roger told me, a little sample, if you will, of whatâs to come.
After we talked for a while, mostly catching up on our lives, the bell rung and our first actual class had begun, and I had the first-hand experience of this guyâs sense of humor. The teacher walked into the classroom and introduced himself as the new Geography teacher, and started a power point presentation about some of the subjects weâd be covering that year, saying âPlease pay attention to this class, as youâll need to know how our schedule will workâ. Roger looked back and said âHuh, I guess this class is useless for you then, being held back and all, hahahâ, which made everyone look at me and just kinda stare like I should say something, and he kept repeating the joke to anyone that showed any reaction besides just staring, adding âAmirite? Huh? Amirite?â.
I was kinda salty about this, but my people pleasing peapod brain couldnât handle letting it show, so I just laughed and said nothing. I guessed it was a poorly thought out joke at first, but then Roger proceeded to make the same comment on every single one of the opening classes we had for both of the introductory days. There were 12 of them. He did it every time. Every. Single. Time. Sometimes he repeated it even louder, as if he didnât think people heard it, because no-one was laughing.
âOkâ, I said to myself, âHe didnât mean to make fun of me, heâs just a little overexcited and probably is trying to make a connection and help me get acquainted to our classmates.â
Either way, I was very uncomfortable and annoyed.
Thankfully, this came to a halt when he was practically thrown out of the Literature class for interrupting the teacher mid-sentence while she talked about how important the first month of class would be for our comprehension of the whole subject. He made the joke four times. FOUR TIMES. I was beginning to think that I made a mistake, but well, the mistake was already made, at least I can try and understand him a bit, before judging.
The rest of the week went by and he didnât get any better, but I got kinda used to it. In fact, I actually enjoyed having conversations with him at recess, when we could talk a bit more freely. And, as all things in life tend to do, it got weirder. Weirder in the sense that as we spoke more and more, I noticed a bit of a concerning pattern: every time I shared an experience I had, heâd share a cooler and more awesome almost equal experience back.
Some light examples:
I told him I went hiking for 2-3 kilometers on a trail by the beach. Then he smirked and said he went hiking for âat least 7 kilometers on a deserted beach that only his fatherâs companyâs employees had access to and he saw a Gorilla. There are no gorillas in Brazil. Maybe in zoos, I guess, but definitely no gorillas.
I told him I was kinda sad because I had just ended a âthingâ with a girl from my old grade. He âproudlyâ said heâs been dumped by his ex, Laura, after they dated for 11 months and made out aaaallll the time after school, and he even saw her âlady partsâ once!â.
And then he went on to describe that shit for like 3 straight classes, adding more and more to the story every chance he had to speak, providing me with my daily dose of cringe in tiny bits of uncomfortable information at a time! Like a sporadic cringe snack! Sninge! Crack? Probably Crack.
ANYWAYS
There was also the time I told him the story of how I became best friends with a guy because we got into a fight in P.E.. We were arguing about some nonsense and he wanted to fight, so after he socked me on my stomach, I cheaply kicked him in the face so hard I almost sprained my ankle and then we started laughing (because I guess sometimes thatâs all it takes). Phillip is my best friend for almost 10 years now.
Roger puffed up his soap dish chest went on for at least 2 classes worth of time about how he âbeat up his last bully and broke both of his arms, and almost went to prison, but his dad is a lawyer and bailed him outâ. Dude was 16, and I donât think heâd need to be bailed out, but okay⌠He was, in fact, very badass.
Those are all approximations of actual stories he told me, because my ADHD memory is shit, but you get the gist of it.
My days were filled with endless stories filled with absolute bullshit, like a Gary Stu from a dying rpg campaign. (I have a story about a DnD game he participated in, but thatâs for another time!)
Roger, not content with lying to me about anecdotal facts about his past that could be true but were almost certainly mostly bullshit (if not entirely), had a tendency to just negate reality when presented with facts in certain situations.
And example of this situation is the time we were doing a group assignment and a girl at least 3 meters in front of him dropped her pencil and he just kinda threw himself on the ground, picked it up and said âHere you go, Lana!â. She said âThanks Roger!â, barely turning around and carried on with the assignment. Roger, then, turned to me with a sleek shit feasting smirk on his face and said:
RB: âDude, do you think sheâs into me??â
I contained a ridiculing laughter just in time to realize he was dead serious.
I said âI donât know man⌠Doesnât seem like it to me, but sure I guess.â
RB then straight up asked ME to go talk to her and get HIM her number. When I asked why shouldnât he do it, he said it was âthe wingmanâs job to get the number of the girlâ so that he wouldnât âlook weak for askingâ
I said Iâd do it, cause I genuinely wanted to see if he was right about her liking him (I hadnât really understood the dynamics of the classroom, so I actually had no idea if he was actually right, just a gut feeling that yeah, he probably wasnât).
I went up to her and asked for her number, explaining it was Roger who was interested in her and, as I pulled out my raging 2014âs Sony XPeria, I was swiftly interrupted by her delicately saying âSorry! I have a boyfriend.â (She said the boyfriend part out loud, and stared at Roger)
I said âOh, ok, sorry to bother ya!â and, as I was starting to walk back, I noticed that she turned back and glared at Roger. Later that day her boyfriend texted him, telling him that âHeâs got to stop asking her out, and next time, if he wants to get rejected, he should come do it himselfâ He called him a moron. And then they both blocked him.
Well, that was embarrassing.
Despite having been turned down (for the 6th time now, Iâd come to find out), Roger still maintained that she was âtotally into himâ, and it wasnât just Lana. Any time he had even the smallest interaction with any girl, heâd say that theyâre âprobably into himâ, or that âthey made out at a party, but she was drunk and probably wonât rememberâ, or that they âsent him nudes last year but heâs already deleted them because heâs a good person, with moralsâ.
This went on for a while and, after about a month, Roger begun to dial down the crazy stories about how heâs a âbadass and he gets all the girls but heâs single because heâs too good for themâ. Until I started seeing a girl from another church I started going to. I met Janice () at the churches youth group, and we talked the whole time afterwards about lots of stuff. This nameâs given because of her insanely similar laughter and demeanor of Janice from Friends. We clicked well and I was very interested in her, but my ADHD ass forgot to get her number, and remembered it only when she had already left.
When I told Roger, he laughed and said âI had just cockblocked myselfâ and that Iâd âprobably missed my only chance of banging a girl everâ. I was bummed, but clarified I didnât really want to have sex before marriage or at least before making an emotional connection (I had just then begun to go to church, so I didnât really get the rules, so it was more of a personal choice I always had in mind when thinking about dating. Also I met her at church so wtf).
He said âthat was dumbâ and, âeven though he was a virgin, heâd dance the Devilâs Tango with the first chick he had the chance toâ
âWhat about Laura?â, I asked. His face went from a confident smirk to an almost sad expression, and he blankly replied: âShe didnât want to, but I tried anyway at times. I even got a blowie once!â I let it go because I was very tired, as Mondays are hell on earth.
A few classes later, I went up to him and reminded him of our conversation and asked:
I said âOoookay, but what about all those girls you told me were all over you? Didnât they want to have some bum bum times with you??â
He was taken by surprise by this, and was visibly trying so hard to think of an answer for at least 15 seconds. He mumbled âWellâŚâ, and like just left. Like he got up in the middle of the class, and walked away. Well that was weird!
He got back and I didnât pry, thinking he had some kind of trauma, and I tried to change the subject.
I say âtriedâ because instead we were suddenly interrupted by a girl asking me if I was Rick. I didnât know her or how she had materialized beside our desks, but later I found out that that girlâs name was Mary. She had blue eyes and was smiling mischievously, and I answered âYup, thatâs meâ. She then giggled and said that âAnna wanted to make out with me after classâ. Me and Roger were both very much taken aback by this, and I immediately thought to myself that this could only be some type of dare or prank (which it probably was), and was about to try and respond with the first witty joke that popped up in my monkey brain when, without missing a beat, Roger said âRickâs already seeing someone!â. Mary was visibly surprised and said âOh, you have a girlfriend??â with a look of disbelief on her face. Ouch. I explained that I wouldnât say I do, I just liked a girl from church and weâre going to see a movie with some friends on Saturday, and that either way it was a pass on the making out sesh! Mary said âOh, okay!â and started to walk back to her desk. I was about to make a joke and say that Anna could probably do better than me, when Roger interjected:
RB: âIâd like a making out sesh if sheâs interested!â
Mary looked back with a visible âLol, ew noâ expression and just said: âIâm sure you would, Roger!â, turned away and sat down, laughing with her friends when she got to her desk.
Roger turned to me and said:
RB: âDude, do you think sheâs into me?â
This cycle repeated once in a while, so Iâm not gonna tell you all of the situations that I felt like shaking him and trying to wake him up like Woody does to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. Exhausting, right?
Another thing Roger tended to brag about was that he did Martial Arts. Specifically, Kung Fu (Wushu). I would come to find out that, in the year before, he made a big scene to tell everyone in class that heâd just started Kung-Fu classes and, when no-one payed attention, he started a habit of punching the wall beside his desk, audibly making âhmpftâ noises. When anyone asked why, heâd say he was training, and that his Sensei (Not shifu, he actually said sensei) had asked him to do that to strengthen his fists so he could harness all the strength he had, so one day he could put a hole through a wall with his fists.
He would also punch the schoolâs fireproof doors because, if you didnât know, they dent pretty easily, and he would show me and tell me to bask at his strength and ability. That until I said Iâd give it a try. He told me not to, because âI wasnât trainedâ and âit could really hurt my handâ. I punched the door. It made a dent.
Roger said it was beginners luck and that heâs just a good teacher. I told him I really didnât even make an effort to pay attention, the metal was just bendy and soft. Roger never talked about it again, and started only punching walls. For that, he would feel superior because, yeah I ainât doing that. There were consequences for his wall punching habits, but Iâll address that some other time.
The last thing Iâll say about him for now is how clueless Roger was, how much he thought of himself and how he treated everyone else like they should (and would) respecting for what he told them, and not for what he showed them.
(I plan on doing another part eventually, with the story of how his disconnection with reality, lies, schemes and generally narcissist behavior eventually exploded back into his face.)
As a last bit of exposition of our circumstances, thereâs an important part of our school life that fueled Rogerâs social lifeâs demise.
Pranking was a big part of my classâ culture. There were also some people in my classroom who were bullied. The thing is: the bullies actually made fun of literally everyone else, which made it very hard to figure out if you were considered a target or just a colleague. Theyâd mess with peopleâs stuff, tie backpacks to the windows and hide pencil cases, but they would also do it to their own group.
Essentially, the only way to differentiate those who they considered normal schoolmates from those who were bullied was the frequency of the pranks and their demeanor in general towards those people. They would apologize for the pranks, ask to make up for it, buy you lunch, make jokes, try to laugh with you. I swear some of those guys were politicians in the making. Luckily, was very good friends with one of the guys in that group, Iâll call him Turkey, who was also held back a few years before me, and he liked my sister, so I was mostly safe.
Roger, on the other hand, THOUGHT he was one of the pranksters. Every time someone pranked him or anyone else, he would laugh knowingly, like he was in on the joke the whole time, and try to make jokes, only to further humiliate himself. And they would capitalize on that as hard as they could.
You see, Roger liked to portray himself as the âMysterious-Badass-Quiet-Protagonist-Take-No-Shit-From-Anyone-Mr.-Steal-Yo-Girlâ guy. This combo of personality substitutes was the recipe for the downfall of his popularity, and the start of the longest lasting pranks Iâve ever seen in my life, which will come if yall want another post. That prank is also the reason I named him Roger Bacon.
Because he was so into Math and Science (and into himself too lol) he also always wanted to look like the smartest guy in the room. The problem is that, as our first semester went by, it became clear that he wasnât as good as he hyped himself up to be. Shocker, right? This was proven to be true when we were doing a chemistry group test, and I was paired with him and Anna, and we needed to calculate some entropies or whatever. He made a point of telling us to do all of the âeasy onesâ, and he would take on the more complicated questions.
The thing is, he was trying really hard to look like a genius, to maybe impress Anna, so every time he made a calculation, he would roll his eyes up and kinda vibrate a little. I guess he wanted to look like a genius mathematics robot, but instead he looked like he was trying to imitate an autistic person having a small stroke. I didnât mind the Good Doctor amateur impersonation, because at least it looked like he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, it really just looked like he knew what he was doing.
Each easy question of the test was worth 1 point, and there were 4 of them, and there were 3 hard questions worth 2 points each. We got a 4/10 on that test, and lo and behold, the only questions we got right were the ones me and Anna worked on. We were a bit pissed, not gonna lie.
Until the last time we spoke, Roger still blames Anna for his complete failure at this test for, in his words, distracting him because she was obviously into him.
But thatâs just Roger, I guess!
I've got A LOT of stories about Roger and other neckbeards I've encountered, and I can't wait to tell them!
Until then, thanks for reading, and have a good one yall!
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2024.05.21 23:06 Environmental_Yam_84 AITA for waking up sleep-deprived boyfriend (23M) to go on a day trip after my mom surprised me (23F) with money so we could actually afford it?
CONTEXT: I just got back from an 8 day trip back home to another state while my boyfriend stayed home, worked out everyday, and worked 3 days of night shift Thursday-Saturday. He tries to maintain the schedule on his days off, so 7:30 am to 3 pm is when he sleeps. This week he works 4 days of night shift Wednesday-Saturday. My mom is an alcoholic and wreaked havoc when I was gone, (we all share an apartment), ended up breaking his bong on accident amongst other things. We spoke about going on a hike or day trip all week while I was gone and we thought about going today, but ran out of money and rescheduled for next week.
AITA: My mom felt terrible this morning after we had a hard discussion about what she did this week. She ended up giving me $100 on her credit card to let me go hang out in a town an hour up north with him and take a breather. I gently woke up my bf at 9:30 am to ask him if he wanted to go now, we had a full blown conversation and he said yes of course! He usually goes to sleep at 7:30 am and smokes weed to sleep well and I didnât want to shock him.
Unbeknownst to me, he did not smoke weed last night nor try to go to bed slightly earlier than 7:30 am. He didnât sleep until 9:00 am. Unbeknownst to me⌠he forgot our entire conversation and claims he was sleep talking.
When I went back to gently wake him up at 1:10 pm, he was GROUCHY. He started getting really upset with me asking why I didn't let him sleep in on his last day off, was getting so pissy I just decided to go finish my makeup and leave him to nap until I was done.
He did not nap. He had a heart palpitation and got even more upset with me. When he was finally done being a grouch and I was able to explain that he agreed to this whole thing (he was ranting that Iâd already âcanceledâ going up north because of money yesterday, which is true, but now I have fun money and I told him this morning!) he is making sure I tell Reddit that very specific detail. Heâs not mad at me anymore and weâre leaving in the next 15 minutes, but he still things Iâm a mild AH (affectionately).
Dear Reddit, I love this man to pieces and I hate to see him this upset about only getting 4 hours⌠but I will not see him nor spend much time with him at all until Sunday at 3 pm and we havenât been able to spend any quality time together in the last week and a half.
AITA for waking him up to go with me?
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2024.05.21 22:40 Still_Performance_39 An Introduction to Terran Zoology - Chapter 37
Credit to
u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136 âKoalas!â
Bernardâs energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! Iâll never get tired of this, itâs all so cool! As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
Iâd be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if Iâll get any right this paw? Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, Iâd started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far Iâd only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, Iâd not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um⌠what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. Itâs fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it Iâm rambling! I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas. Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koalaâs prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm⌠ok. I already know to discount the idea that theyâre predators just from eye position, so letâs get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I canât just guess that for the sake of guessing, thatâs the same problem! Hrm, itâs tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head. Nevermind, Iâll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think theyâre arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they- Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, âAs ever Iâm delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. Iâm looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?â
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, âExcellent! Then letâs get started.â
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
âAh, there we are,â Bernardâs baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, âHe looks so comfortable doesnât he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!â
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, âA full paw? Hwuuu⌠jealous.â
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, âLate evening Rova?â
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rovaâs direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadnât been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool thatâd flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, âUh- I um⌠achem, a little bit yes, um- âŚsorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.â
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now
aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, â
Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. Thatâll be the list time I-
âŚAhaaaaâŚâ
Lokkiâs theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokkiâs would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we werenât
too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which. His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, âOk, ok, letâs get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.â
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, âSo, the Koala. Letâs start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.â
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh⌠I never want to see him angry again. So chilling. I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koalaâs physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
âKoalaâs are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.â
It didnât slip past my notice that Bernard didnât bother to point out that the Koalaâs eyes were forward facing. I didnât think heâd simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasnât necessary given that heâd already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
âNow this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koalaâs are largely sedentary and itâs rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.â
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasnât only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, âThis is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.â
700!? Stars⌠Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
âThe leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koalaâs low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.â
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didnât take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
âExcuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?â Vlekâs grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailoâs recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, âYou heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to
them.â
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but theyâll have evolved to deal with that. Stars⌠Iâm so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didnât even consider the simplest solution. âI see, thank you Doctor,â Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, âI assume theyâve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?â
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, âThey have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koalaâs liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.â
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, âThis is mostly for adult Koalaâs, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they donât just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. Itâs nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.â
Bernardâs assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way heâs acting it probably isnât something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm⌠âSo,â Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, âYoung Koalaâs, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.â
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought itâd go. Whatâs different? The unexpected normalcy of the Koalaâs birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, âNow to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.â
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I donât see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine. I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one itâd just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They- âThey eat their own poop!?â
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an âUghâ over here and a âBleghâ over there, Bernardâs own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
â
Ha! Everytime!
Each and every time. Clearly it doesnât matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koalaâs dietary development the reaction is the same!â
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, Iâd never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species.
Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww⌠Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. Theyâre serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it. With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, âOk then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why donât we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koalaâs live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.â
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. Heâd alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the âpredatorsâ weâd all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I wouldâve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didnât take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
âFrom habitats we move onto behaviours, so letâs start with territories. Koalaâs are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering theyâre only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.â
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
âAs you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koalaâs territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koalaâs stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koalaâs who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koalaâs range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koalaâs communicate?â
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koalaâs body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
Thatâs how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs. I clearly wasnât the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, âI think theyâve got me beat on whoâs got the deeper voice!â
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, âOh youâre too kind. Iâll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As youâve just heard, Koalaâs are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from âHello Iâm over hereâ to âThis is my turf, stay awayâ. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if theyâre acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And thereâs one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.â
Really? They do something we do? Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koalaâs features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They donât have tails so itâs obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then. To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, âAs well as their vocalisations, Koalaâs are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koalaâs utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.â
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right! âNow then, we are getting close to lunchtime so Iâll finish this segment off with something I think youâll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.â
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koalaâs, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm... I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans arenât like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list. Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koalaâs in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what? Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers. Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I donât need that in my head. As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what Iâd seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didnât already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
âKoala diplomacy,â Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, âMy favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koalaâs and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koalaâs to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koalaâs are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.â
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
â
Squee! Thatâd be so cool! Iâd love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird!
Ah! Iâve only heard their song on video. Itâd be a treat to hear it in person!â
Ooo! Iâve read about them! Iâd love to get up close to one. â
Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded?
Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans donât want to acknowledge for what it is.â
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option. However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didnât change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans
keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, âYes Rysel? Whatâs on your mind?â
Sorry Bernard. I hope this oneâs not too awkward for you to answer. Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, âThank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals forâŚ
particular reasons, and we know why. From how youâve spoken about Koalaâs I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?â
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like Iâd imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that itâd been me whoâd ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions? Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh. âA very good point Rysel, certainly one thatâs worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.â Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, âWe wonât be needing that. Iâve nothing prepared that I can show you and weâre heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, thatâs plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.â
A bit? What does he mean just a bit? Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasnât going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
âSo, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and Iâd quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.â
While Iâd be lying if I said I wasnât disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernardâs assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didnât believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. Heâd pretty much confirmed we wouldnât be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have. The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
âWell I can see everyoneâs excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,â chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, âEnjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and Iâll see you all back here at the usual time.â
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, âHey Bernard, I uh⌠sorry if that last question was unexpected.â
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign Iâd come to understand meant ânot a problemâ.
âNo need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.â
Heh, called it. I sighed, allowing tension I didnât realise Iâd been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, âPhew, thatâs a relief. Iâm glad. Iâm curious to hear what this new lesson is youâve got in store for us by the way.â
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, âOh are you now? Well Iâm afraid youâll have to remain curious for the time being. Itâs going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. ButâŚâ
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now! Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
âI canât tell you the specifics, but Iâm working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip thatâs not a trip as it were. And when it happens, Iâm going to need a few of the more
accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. Iâm hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?â
A trip thatâs not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernardâs relying on me to help out! Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, âOf course! Anything you need Iâll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!â
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, âThank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times youâve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think youâd appreciate the most.â
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
âWaitâŚ
WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?â
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, âCall it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But Iâm afraid thatâs all I can say for now. Wouldnât want to ruin the surprise even for you!â
âOh you ass!â Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernardâs leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.
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2024.05.21 22:37 _soulmeetsbody_ 40[F4M] East Coast (NC): Looking for a fellow optimist!
Hi there! I hope youâre having a good week so far. Iâve tried the dating apps, and, while Iâve met some lovely people, I just havenât found a true connection yet. A friend suggested that I post here in an attempt to expand my search.
Iâm seeking someone whoâs ready and able to explore the possibility of a committed, monogamous relationship. Iâm not looking to jump right into anything, and Iâm not one to force something if it doesnât seem that it will work. Iâd like to take the time to get to know each another, each otherâs likes and dislikes, and each otherâs hopes and dreams.
Iâm looking for someone who finds emotional availability, honesty, trust, compassion, communication, transparency, and equality to be important components of a relationship.
I enjoy pop culture, travel, food and wine, broadening my horizons, learning, hiking, art, reading, finding the joy in small things, and expressing myself creatively. I appreciate gratitude, open-mindedness, kindness, and a sense of humor. Iâm respectful of othersâ boundaries, and I appreciate the same in return.
Iâd love to find someone who wants a best friend, a companion, and a cheerleader, in addition to a romantic partner who is positive, loving, and supportive. I think that itâs important for partners to share similar worldviews and ethics. Itâs wonderful to share some common hobbies and interests, but itâs also great to be able to enjoy some things independently of your partner.
I enjoy the physical expression of love, and I most enjoy it when itâs expressed with joy, passion, and regularity. Creativity, spontaneity, and an openness to new things are also appreciated! With that said, itâs all about respect, and an awareness not to jump into things too quickly.
With a partner, I also enjoy cooking, traveling, long conversations, inside jokes, binging shows, walking/hiking, and, in general, trying/exploring new things.
Iâm looking for someone around my age who is, preferably, located in the Southeast US, or at least on the East Coast. However, Iâm open to someone located elsewhere if the connection is right.
If any of this piques your interest, then please feel free to reply with a little information about yourself. I look forward to talking with you!
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2024.05.21 22:36 aminalzoubi [store] CACHE sets and Immortals for trade + Weathers
Most prices are negotiable
for those who like picture like me:
2019,
2020,
2020pt2,
2021,
dead_reck,
2022,
2022pt2,
2023 ,
2024 my steam account add me so we can trade.need to be friends for 30 days.
Steam rep why trade with me ? i have a lot of giftables i want to sell and im not willing to risk my rep for a single trade. also check my steam profile for recent comments , those are people i traded cache sets with ,they all went first you can check their profile for my gifted items .
i always give discounts for people who buy 2 or more. Item | Price |
Snailfire (SnapFire) | 20$ |
Brightfist (Marci) | 20$ |
Dezun Viper (Dazzle) | 5$ |
Primeval Abomination (Primal Beast) | 5$ |
Astral Herald (Dawnbreaker) | 5$ |
Spectral Shadow (Abaddon) | 5$ |
Taur Rider (Alchemist) | 5$ |
Crescent Huntress (Spectre) | 5$ |
Tyrant of the Veil (Wraith King) | 5$ |
Tomo'kan Footsoldier (Hoodwink) | 5$ |
Darkwood Eulogy (Death Prophet) | 2.5$ |
Sea Spirit (Kunkka) | 5$ |
Triumph of the Imperatrix (Legion Commander) | 5$ |
Beast of Thunder (Storm Spirit) | 5$ |
Ancestral Heritage (Jakiro) | 2.5$ |
Dead Reckoning Chest
Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache 2 Nemestice Collector's Cache 2021 2019 cache sets 2020 cache sets Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache old cache sets
Weathers. buy 3 and get 4th for free
the lowest of them is the free one
weathers can be traded now!!
PS: even if you don't see an item in my inventory feel free to add me and ask about whatever item you're looking for submitted by
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2024.05.21 22:35 _soulmeetsbody_ 40[F4M] East Coast (NC): Looking for a fellow optimist!
Hi there! I hope youâre having a good week so far. Iâve tried the dating apps, and, while Iâve met some lovely people, I just havenât found a true connection yet. A friend suggested that I post here in an attempt to expand my search.
Iâm seeking someone whoâs ready and able to explore the possibility of a committed, monogamous relationship. Iâm not looking to jump right into anything, and Iâm not one to force something if it doesnât seem that it will work. Iâd like to take the time to get to know each other, each otherâs likes and dislikes, and each otherâs hopes and dreams.
Iâm looking for someone who finds emotional availability, honesty, trust, compassion, communication, transparency, and equality to be important components of a relationship.
I enjoy pop culture, travel, food and wine, broadening my horizons, learning, hiking, art, reading, finding the joy in small things, and expressing myself creatively. I appreciate gratitude, open-mindedness, kindness, and a sense of humor. Iâm respectful of othersâ boundaries, and I appreciate the same in return.
Iâd love to find someone who wants a best friend, a companion, and a cheerleader, in addition to a romantic partner who is positive, loving, and supportive. I think that itâs important for partners to share similar worldviews and ethics. Itâs wonderful to share some common hobbies and interests, but itâs also great to be able to enjoy some things independently of your partner.
I enjoy the physical expression of love, and I most enjoy it when itâs expressed with joy, passion, and regularity. Creativity, spontaneity, and an openness to new things are also appreciated! With that said, itâs all about respect, and an awareness not to jump into things too quickly.
With a partner, I also enjoy cooking, traveling, long conversations, inside jokes, binging shows, walking/hiking, and, in general, trying/exploring new things.
Iâm looking for someone around my age who is, preferably, located in the Southeast US (I live in NC), or at least on the East Coast. However, Iâm open to someone located elsewhere if the connection is right.
If any of this piques your interest, then please feel free to send me a message with a little information about you. I look forward to talking with you!
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2024.05.21 22:29 Hour_Damage_3753 our anniversary would have been at the end of this month...
he broke up with me in mid april. so it's been a little over a month. we went no contact, despite explicitly saying we would. it has been devastating for me. i speculate about what he is doing and torture myself with thoughts of regret and grief. i miss him more than i've ever missed anyone.
i feel better than i did a month ago but only so much. i have been busy with art making and traveling and going out and spending time with friends and meeting new ones. I still think about him several times a day. He is always in the back of my mind. my new attempt to stop hurting so much and detach is to say to myself "i'm not going to let you hurt me anymore." that seems to work, temporarily, but i can't shake the desire to reach out, especially as what would have been our anniversary approaches.
He expressed his feelings at the beginning of March, after I returned from a weekend trip to nyc. I expressed extreme emotions, because I so desperately wanted him to stay with me, and felt so badly for anything and everything I had done to make him feel that way. He wouldn't look me in the eyes when I cried because it was "too much." I called him at some point the next day and asked if we were still together, despite knowing he wanted to break up, he said yes. This was the beginning of a month of mixed signals and reluctance to hang out with me. Looking back, I didn't respect what he wanted and his boundaries, and I regret that deeply. I should have let him go and not made him feel more resentful toward me.
When we had that last conversation in mid April, he said "i don't want to hang out with you anymore." In the last month we were together (March), he also would say he loved me and call me every day (usually greeting me with "hello beautiful") and say he was glad we weren't doing the single thing because dating sucks. Yet, he would make this face, a face that appeared angry or upset at me, right upon greeting me. He would get angry with me over little things, would sulk when he hung out with me, after being sweet minutes before.
He was dealing with depression, major depression, that he has dealt with his entire life. I tink he felt he was depressed because of our relationship. He was also struggling to adjust to the new city. He wasn't making friends as quickly as he thought and was unable to motivate himself to getting started on writing music and go out. I admit that during the winter, our relationship became boring and we would stay in together on the weekends. We would argue too. Neither of us were having much fun during that time, except when we watched movies, went furniture shopping or had sex (lol).
For context: we both moved to the same new city. I was terrified when he said he wanted to move when he got laid off last May. I expressed this sadness and frustration and worry but I made plans to move as well. I moved for him yes, but this city was one I'd been talking about moving to since before I met him and it seemed like the right time to go, for myself but also to continue this relationship.
About a month before I moved, because of being upset and angry with him still for leaving me behind, he attempted to break up with me. I still lived in our home town and he drove all the way back to arrive at my apt, and surprise me by saying "i came to break up." I immediately had a panic attack and begged him to stay with me. He stayed with me, against his will but, after that, everything seemed fine and our relationship suddenly became much better than it was before. He seemed to still love me a lot. He even helped me move out of my apartment and drove the uhaul for me.
I look back and realize how much he probably felt forced or obligated to do. Maybe not everything, or all the time, but out of some kind of love he was trying to still have for me. I know now that you can't make someone stay and I feel terrible for doing that to him. I just loved and still love him more than I've loved anyone. I couldn't, and still can't, let go.
It had been a long time coming. We were incompatible in many ways; I was too anxiously attached and would demand too much of his time and emotional energy. He was avoidant. We would get into petty arguments about things rather frequently. I unfortunately would get angry with him over things that were rooted in my insecurity, which resulted in my own jealousy and possessive issues. I regret acting this way, and not supporting his music in the way he deserved. My regrets are endless.
He also said- "we can't stay together just because you don't want to be abandoned." and while that is true, it wasn't just my fear driving my attachment, i didn't want him to leave because i loved him so much. So, I feel invalidated by that statement now. I feel like so much was blamed on me and i willingly took the blame because i was trying to be better. i recognize what i did and where i went wrong. i really never wanted to hurt him.
i've been trying to analyze why he would reject my intense love for him. and i'm learning a lot. I don't know about you but i imagine that we all want to be loved, and the pain just gets in the way.
and i know all i can do now is respect his boundaries and his need to get away from me. i know i must do everything i can to not contact him and let him go.
i feel so pathetic!!!
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2024.05.21 22:28 Royal_Snow5586 Seeking genuine conversation
Young european woman searching for genuine conversations, if that means you're blunt and off putting, so be it. I've been describes as blunt as well, though that only shows around some people.
I like art and work/study in that field. I also love books, especially works by Sally Rooney (I'd describe them as contemporary). Caffeine helps me through the day, I sometimes sleep a lot, sometimes sleep none at all. I really want to get tattoos and piercings, I only have a nose ring by now. There's two cats who accompany me throughout the day, they're both very sweet boys.
I like both, direct messaging and emails. Like I said, I'd enjoy it if you're a little more on the serious side, but I can make small talk as well. Just message me. Xx
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2024.05.21 22:25 Silver_liver The Ashtapadan Chapter 21. Seeing TWO handsome men at the lecture? Gentry's not learning anything today!
chapters 1&2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 chapter 8 chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 The lecture was supposed to be on Rationality 101, apparently not for Newcomers only. Serene was there to have her back but G was having a hard time focusing.
The boring black uniform more fitting for a hotel receptionist defaced the godlike beauty standing in front of a huge screen. Gentry couldnât believe her eyes: this was the man she had her hands on a little while ago?
No, it couldnât be.
It had been just an avatar, too perfect in its unblemished visage, too pure for this world. Yet the man whose face she remembered as if it was etched on the back of her eyelids, who sheâd been constantly thinking about, who her hands itched to snatch, was standing right there, in the flesh.
Back in the dreamy simulated world she caught herself thinking that a trim waist like this couldnât anatomically work on a human, yet here he was: a towering spread of fit shoulders perfectly balanced above the flexible whip of his midsection. The light-grey eyes that betrayed every movement of his pupils were as real as the ones that reflected the mock moon during her test. Below them lay the sharp slope of the cheekbones one could cut themselves on.
The only thing a bit different, apart from the outfit choice, was the young godâs hair. In the simulation, it was flowing and probably too long to be practical. This personâs mane was much shorter and fell down his neck in a neat ponytail, tastefully tamed with a single hairpin.
She had to get her hands on this treasure.
He was making last minute preparations for the lecture, looking through the papers on the desk, dark strands framing his face, light grey eyes sharp in careful concentration.
Professor Q, huh.
He said this was his name, and so did the note on the lecture hall door.
She was sure it was the man who had melted in her arms making the most delicious sounds a male throat could produce.
Had he recognised her?
Unlikely.
At the time of the simulation session, she didnât have a camera that could pick up her facial features but just to be on the safe side, she decided to go by âGâ in his class. There were bound to be lots of people with a name starting with a G, right? What would be the odds it was this particular newcomer that Q had tested that would end up in his class?
The man finally lifted his eyes at the audience and a gentle smile momentarily graced his features before disappearing as if he didnât see someone heâd expected to.
The holoboard on the wall behind him obediently lit up following his nonchalant gesture. Gentry found it annoying that one needed a pair of special glasses to see all the augmented reality stuff and really navigate the city but again, with Sereenâs help she had more or less gotten used to it in the couple of days she had to deal with the necessities like settling down, getting food and finding her way around Ashtapada.
Still, could they use a piece of chalk or, at least, a marker to write on the board? No need to show off your Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism tech just to write a couple of notes on the board!
On second thought, high-tech-crazy or not, if this city brought up men like this one, she would definitely do her best to stay here to⌠reap the benefits!
They took a desk next to a huge clear floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the winter garden.
âProfessor Q seems a little distracted today,â Sereen said, swiftly tapping a couple of buttons on Gâs wrist to show her how to confirm that she was attending the lecture. âHeâs usually much more chatty and friendly. I wonder what got into him.â
âIs he?â Gentry responded with an artificial air of indifference. âI just hope heâs more open to a discussion than that Poe guy.â
âHe is! And Professor Poe isnât that bad,â Sereen reprimanded before chuckling a little â since his little secret became known to students, he became known as Holopoe. âJust wait and see, itâs gonna be a blast. Qâs lectures are always very engaging.â
It proved to be utter bullshit.
After fiddling with the symbols on the interactive screen for ten minutes into the class, students getting more and more agitated behind his back, the lecturer seemed to give up. Turning back to the audience, he absentmindedly nodded to a couple of people in the lecture hall and sighed with a painfully fake smile.
âFor todayâs class, we are going to need to read a certain extract from a book,â he said, tone apologetic for some reason, but it solidified Gâs conviction that she already knew this person. âIâve just sent it to each of your wristcomms. Weâll have some quiet time and read it by ourselves, alright?â
âReading from the comm?â Sereen mumbled to herself. âCouldnât he just print them out?â
The rest of the studentsâ grumbles showed that they shared her disappointment. Q could only hopelessly smile again before returning to his work on the board.
Reading from the little semi-transparent screens was indeed torture. Quickly giving up on trying to awkwardly use gestures for scrolling through the text, she looked out of the window to entertain herself with the garden outside. From the modest height they were sitting at, the people below were quite discernible, partly hidden by the greenery, spread here and there in small groups and pairs. Gentry longed to be there, too. What was the use of being here with the most attractive person in the whole world if the only thing she could see was his back?
Well, the back didnât look half bad, if she was honest, and what was below also pleased the eye.
But still. It would soon bore even the most easily entertained.
Her gaze fell to a small clearing where a lone male figure was sitting, writing something in a notebook. By the looks of it, the notebook was a real paper-made thing without the bells and whistles usual for Ashtapada. The next thing G noticed was a pair of slender legs, barefoot, stretched to dip the toes into the clear water of the artificial stream.
God bless the urban designers of this place!
The figure lifted the head and in an inconceivably graceful motion, swung the long blond bangs away from the face.
G straightened her back. Was it... Ok, maybe Q was the most handsome man sheâd seen in her life but this... This was the younger boy sheâd noticed a couple of days back, the one in a plaid skirt, shamelessly flirting with everyone within reach. Today, he wasnât wearing one but the blue jeans hugging his thighs, rolled up almost to the knees, presented a picture just as tantalizing. Even with the hair was a completely different colour, even though the half-up, half-down style kept his face hidden, she was absolutely certain it was the same person.
Just you wait, young beauty, as soon as this âlectureâ was over, your princess in shining armour was coming to pick you up!
Suddenly snapping out of the dull weariness, she turned on the auglasses S helped her obtain earlier and tapped away on her comm screen.
What a chance to give the local text sharing feature a go!
âThe garden is pretty, but with a blossom like you, it is truly breathtaking. I wonder if anyone has picked this sweet flower or if anyone dares to,â she typed a cheesy note and folded the message into a neat 3D figurine of an origami paper crane with her fingers in the air.
Was S watching? Screw it, even if she was, she couldnât read the message with her glasses off, right?
Carefully aiming the device at the lone figure, she launched the crane downwards, and it fluttered like a weightless butterfly in spirals, through the glass and right into the young manâs lap, not disturbing the notebook pages. He started at first at the intrusion but then turned his own glasses on and unfolded the message. A shy smile appeared on his plump lips, and he looked flattered, turning his head around to see if the sender was in sight. Catching no one, he typed something below the initial message and deftly folded it back into a crane that, to Gâs surprise, flew directly at her, in uneven spirals along the wall. The man traced it with a smile, propping himself back on his arms, his whole slim body and face on full display now.
God, was he good-looking.
Easily passing the physical border of the glass again, the crane crashed into Gentryâs wristcomm, dutifully delivering the message and betraying her tactical position at the same time. An amused kind of surprise showed on the young manâs face and he waved at her to show that she had been exposed. She waved back, trying to look nonchalant but probably failing miserably.
Very smooth, G, way to go.
The message read, âIs a flower only good for looking at? Not this one.â
Oooh, this boy was playing with fire!
âHey, G,â Sereen nudged. âHave you finished reading?â
âMm? Oh, yeah.â Gentry lied easily. She had skimmed the first couple of paragraphs and was sure sheâd be able to come up with something if asked.
âDone everybody?â the deep gentle voice called from the holoboard and Gâs attention snapped back to the dignified face.
The class murmured affirmatively.
âIâm sorry todayâs lecture isnât as fun as usual,â he admitted. âI must say Iâm still unsure how to approach such complex topic as this one. But with your help, I hope weâll figure it out.â
Everyone seemed to perk up.
âYou just read an extract on paradoxes,â Q went on. âAnd you might be wondering why we are raising a philosophical topic on a rational thinking course.â
âThere you go,â Sereen whispered. âHeâs back to normal!â
G humphed. This did seem interesting. Was it a good idea to read the extract after all?
Q continued, âIn the text, you might have encountered the definition of a paradox. Would anyone explain it with their own words?â
A raised hand and the lecturerâs nod brought some courageous soul to their feet.
âItâs when you start with the correct premises, use consistent logic but wind up with an impossible conclusion,â they said. âThere are three types: falsidical, veridical and antimony-type, which are...â
âCorrect,â Q smiled and nodded the person back down. It was a smile worth starting a thousand wars over.
âNow thereâs a reason why I asked you to read about them. Why do you think people have been fascinated with paradoxes for such a long time?â
S raised her hand and received a kind invitation.
âI might be wrong,â she said. âBut it seems that they point at the limitations of our thinking, things that seem rational but in fact arenât. We feel that with our all-conquering logic we can solve any puzzle but itâs not always the case. Right?â
âThis is very insightful,â the teacher confirmed. âIt is believed by many that whatâs rational is true and therefore what rationality cannot explain must be false.â
âI definitely know someone who would die on that hill,â Gentry grumbled under her breath.
âIâm sorry?â Q asked. âIs there something you wanted to add... sorry, I donât know your name?â
Still half mad with professor Poe, Gentry stood up. âItâs G, Iâm a Newcomer. I was saying how a human mind can fool itself into thinking it knows what it looks at as long as it makes sense. But in reality, itâs not there, like the sky.â
That was the only thing she remembered from that last lecture! She felt the tips of her ears heat up but the kind and considering look on Qâs face showed her gamble paid off.
âThese are very insightful observations, G, why donât we try exploring them together?â â he waived her to sit down and turned back to the class â âFive minutes to discuss how paradoxes might reveal the weaknesses of rational thinking. Send your answers to the board when youâre done.â
âWhoa, daring as usual,â Sereen smiled. âI knew youâd enjoy his class.â
âNow, consider these two questions,â Q said to another student who stood up at his hand wave. âIf an unstoppable force meets an indestructible object, what is going to happen?â
The person seemed to contemplate it for a while and the teacher didnât rush him.
âIsnât it one of those which are impossible to solve because the existence of the one automatically disproves the existence of the other?â
Q nodded, âCorrect. The second one about the barber in a small town is of the same sort. Sereen?â
S stood up too, âThe one that shaves all and only men that donât shave themselves?â
âYes,â he confirmed. âAt first, a premise like this seems perfectly reasonable, doesnât it?â
âIt does,â S responded, somewhat rashly. âBut itâs clear that a barber like this cannot exist.â
âWait, really?â Gentry whispered as Q nodded in satisfaction and urged her friend to go on.
âYes, if we ask ourselves if this barber shaves himself. If he doesnât, then he is part of the group which he does shave that do not shave themselves, but if he is in this group, then he does shave himself which makes it impossible for him to be this barber by definition.â
While the rest of the class was catching up with the logic, Qâs smile got only wider, more inviting.
âWhat does it tell us about the nature of the premise then?â he asked.
âThat although it seems that it sounds logical on the surface, it is in fact nonsense and we donât even need to hear the rest of the riddle to discard it completely,â S concluded.
The man chuckled.
âWell, I wouldnât be that brash, to be honest, but on balance, youâre right,â he said. âIf you stay after the lecture, I might recommend a couple of books on the topic. Your Newcomer friend is welcome to stay, too.â
G put up the best of the aloof fronts, âIâd be happy to, Professor.â
âQ is fine,â he smiled again and went on addressing the rest of the class that immediately exploded into a heated discussion.
***
âBasically, what I think weâre supposed to learn from this,â S concluded after a while, standing up so that everyone could hear her. âIs that before applying rationality, we have to make sure that all the premises we are dealing with are in fact realistic. Otherwise, there is no way rational thinking will help us.â
âExcellently put, as always,â Q applauded. âIâd love to see if everyone agrees or has something else to add to the discussion but our time is up. Feel free to write me a letter with your reflections on the topic.â
As interesting as the class was, the urge to leave the premises as soon as the teacher dismissed everyone seemed to be universal and applicable even to the Ashtapadans.
âI have to go now,â Sereen said. âText you later, ok?â And with a reciprocal nod to Q, disappeared in the doors, joining the rest of the students.
Sadly, she couldnât recall what they were talking about after the lecture, nor what titles Professor recommended for some home reading. She just hoped she didnât make a fool of herself.
What Gentry did remember though was that after Q left as well and she came up to the panoramic window, Sereen and the mysterious flower boy were leaving the garden together. And it was hard not to notice that her new friend took off her wristcomm before they took off, and hid it in the tall grass.
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