Hey everyone!
First of all, I sought approval from the moderators to post this announcement and they gave their consent, so thank you very much for allowing me to share this with you all!
I just wanted to share some exciting news for anyone involved in learning or teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). UsingEnglish.com, a leading resource for English language learners and teachers, has recently launched a brand-new section dedicated to ESL worksheets and printables! 🎉
You can check it out here: https://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/
This new section is packed with printable worksheets that cover all sorts of topics, from grammar and vocabulary to pronunciation and practical English usage. Whether you're teaching beginners or an advanced learners, there's something here for you.
Here's what I think makes this new section so great:

• Launching with 518 ESL Worksheets: These worksheets were painstakingly written by Richard Flynn, co-founder of UsingEnglish.com, who sadly passed away in February. This is a fitting tribute to him and a great example of some of his work that’s available on this site.
• A Diverse Range of Topics: Whether it's grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or practical English usage, our worksheets cover the essential skills needed for effective communication in English.
• Ease of Navigation: The section is organised to help you find exactly what you need quickly, whether looking for something specific or browsing for inspiration.
• Presented as Printable PDFs: Each worksheet is available as a PDF for convenient printing, perfect for classroom activities or home practice.
• Corresponding Online Quizzes: Every worksheet is also presented as an online quiz, meaning that learners can practise their skills interactively and get immediate feedback, making the learning process even more effective and engaging.
• Corresponding Answer Sheets: To enhance the learning and teaching experience, every worksheet comes with a PDF answer sheet - ideal for self-checking or facilitating classroom discussions.
• Free Access: True to our commitment to the ESL community, these invaluable resources are offered completely free of charge.

We are excited to launch the ESL Worksheets section. We look forward to it continuing to grow and become an indispensable tool for English language learners and educators worldwide (if you like what you see, please consider helping us by sharing it with interested friends and colleagues).
So, if you're an ESL teacher looking for new materials for your students, head over to https://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/ and explore this new section. It's live now and ready for you to dive in!
Happy teaching!

In today’s Digital age, it is easy to find an endless supply of learning material online, but keeping the momentum and enthusiasm going can be tricky. Engaging activities and regular interaction with a native Marathi speaker is essential to strengthen your grasp on the language.
Here’s where Speak Marathi steps in! We’ve understood the challenges faced by those new to the language and have developed a treasure trove of FREE downloadable worksheets specifically designed for Marathi language learners.
From Basics to Beyond: A Buffet of Learning Activities

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• Everyday Marathi: Learn how to tell time, identify fruits and vegetables, and navigate the different parts of a house – all in Marathi!
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Courtesy - https://www.speakmarathi.com/blogs/

When I was in school I made multiple “worksheets” of numbers until I reach some thousands, 1,2,3…12,456; 12,457; etc and I know that I didn’t make any mistake, because I checked the series two or three times! ☺️. Also through my life (M46) I’ve found myself giving value to words: counting in my mind the vowels and consonants of words in a sentence, the vowels would have a value of one point and the consonants two points, the capital letters 2 points, and the small ones, 1 point, even accents (1 point) (in Spanish they are very common) and I sum it all and give a total final value to the word, then compare words, and I would repeat it in loop even in the same words. I also count, sometimes and without being a burden in my life, the squares or triangles or any pattern I find in the floors but not in my home, I do it in airports, or sidewalks in the streets, etc. or while I’m with a friend, I count whatever pattern calls my attention in their blouse or purse, etc.
Never put attention seriously in this. When I told my psychiatrist last month he just asked me how many minutes I did this and he didn’t show any further interest in giving me feedback.
Is this common in ADHD or is it something else and is not ADHD? I think it sounds OCD, but this doesn’t complicate my life or relationships, I move on when is necessary, it happens when my mind is free, bored or distracted, I do not think it or decide when to do it, it just happens.
Do someone find this relatable?

What the heck are Chat Mats, also called Conversational Maps or Language Place Mats?
Chat Mats were originally started to help people connect. What a great idea! Remember being single and going into an establishment, seeing a cute somebody and realizing it would be impossible to meet him or her because, well, you just don’t walk up to people you don’t know and talk to them?
And what about retired people who live alone? How do they connect with other humans?

HERE’S A WAY:

When they go to a café and feel the need for company, they ask for a Chat Mat. They turn it to the green side, which means, “Say hello and have a chat.” If they leave the red side showing, it means, “Not today.”
Such a good idea is too good not to be used for instructional purposes. Chat Mats have now expanded into the area of education to encourage written and oral communication in a second language.
Chat Mats provide the necessary vocabulary words to help students create language in all three modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication but are most often used to aid in practical conversation. Hence, the name, “CHAT mats.” To continue reading the blog post, click on the following link: https://bestpowerpointsforspanishclass.com/chat-mats-for-world-language-free-printable-worksheets/

For example, debt release and debt free.
I don’t think I heard the t sound when I listened to an ads. And based on what I know it should be a stop T if followed by a consonant in order to make it sound natural and smoothly. However, ChatGPT told me otherwise. So I’m confused.
Edit: After reading the comments, I'd like to say that I know b is silent, but that's not the point. I've figured it out that what I heard is a stop t which is an unreleased t like "hot dog". It seems like many people never heard of the term "stop t", I apologize for that, I got the term from a YouTube English teacher.

Hi guys,
Hope you’re all doing well! I just wanted to post this, and potentially seek advice because I am kind of frustrated. Posting this from my burner account just in case lol
So I work for a middle school, and this past winter vacation deskwarming period, my colleague wanted to practice English with me and I thought that was a good idea because I wanted to brush up on my Korean skills. It was a good way to pass time from the boring deskwarming.
Flash forward to a week before the new school year started, and my coteacher comes up to me saying that they heard I have been practicing Korean with that said colleague. My coteacher then said that they could help me with Korean and teach me for one free class period a week if I wanted to. I said yes, sure! Because I would love to learn as much korean I can while living here. (only if they really wanted to! But they seemed eager about it)
That was the end of the conversation, and then about an hour later… my coteacher comes back up to me and basically asked me to teach their daughter on the side because she needs help with phonics. They basically said it as, “since I’m helping you with Korean, I think it would be nice if you could help with my kid..” I felt like I was put in a very awkward position, and couldn’t say no but I said every other weekend.
So now, I teach her on every other weekend for a couple of hours… but, my coteacher called me randomly last night and said nicely that she found the last time boring, and that he would bring his materials with them for our next session.. and it just made me think ‘why am I even doing this then if we’re going by your rules?’
Keep in mind, I am a newer teacher. I am used to a middle school age group, and also am very used to a big class setting, and they always seemed entertained in my class and very active with my activities… not very young elementary students, with a one-on-one setting (my coteacher is with us)
So, I’m kind of at a loss of words because I didn’t really know how to respond to them? They aren’t the type of person to really take no for an answer… I asked them if they still wanted to meet because I want the best for their daughter, and I don’t think my teaching style is aimed for younger elementary students. But, I also feel kind of awkward because we have this silent trade-off of them teaching me Korean and I teach their daughter.
I’m just politely asking for advice for how to approach this situation. Such as in how I can calmly call this off, or even if any elementary teachers have activities/games for teaching phonics. I want what’s best for my co-teacher’s daughter and her education even if I’m not in the picture.
Thanks in advance.

Playing By Ear
Bloodhound Saga
Wakeup Super
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Author's Note: For those that are returning readers from PBE, which I imagine most of you are, I'm transitioning to the canon interpretation of translators that pull meaning from words without actually changing the sound. I'm not going to replace the translator portrayal in PBE, but I won't be abiding by it going forward.
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First Next
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Memory transcription subject: Lanyd, Venlil Music Student (Second Term) White Hill University
Date [standardized human time]: October 24th, 2136
Dr. Jacobson's eyes peered at me through the screen, filled with the warm understanding that he typically exuded. I’d grown quite accustomed to his visage, just as much as Cora's. Having walked so many Humans around White Hill, I no longer had any reservations about the binocular gaze. I'd heard Humans refer to eyes as windows to the soul, and I could understand why they might believe.
I’d been surprised, when I first saw the doctor’s face, that the top of his head was furless, yet fur grew around his chin reminiscent of some of the other Human males. Did he really have an easier time growing it down there than he did on his dome? Human hair was strange.
Yet, for all the weirdness, his appearance only made me feel welcome to share.
“And you find that this feeling is different somehow?” Dr. Jacobson asked. “Unfamiliar?”
I'd just finished recounting the tour Bonti and I gave the paw before. It had gone well for the most part, but I found myself feeling oddly troubled near the end. And, in fact, this feeling was appearing more often. The strange thing being, I couldn’t really discern where the unease actually came from. Typically, determining the source was part of my process, but this was like a building sense of wrongness that I couldn’t find the root of.
“I just d-don’t know what caused it,” I couldn’t help but stutter. “Everything in my life has been improving, b-but…it's like something is just gnawing at me. I’m scared that it’s always g-going to be there, that I’ll never really be able to get past it…”
Dr. Jacobson's gaze somehow softened even more.
“You've been facing negative thoughts for a long time. It's only natural that there are fragments of that mentality. The path of healing isn't a straight shot. There will be trials and moments of triumph.”
I get up. I get down.
I quietly sighed and put my ears flat against my head.
“I know, but it f-feels like there's more to it than that. It’s like I'm still…m-missing something, and it’s holding me back.”
Dr. Jacobson took a moment to scribble something in his notes.
“Was there anything in particular that you think might have caused this feeling to flare up?”
“I c-can’t really think of anything specific. It’s been getting worse lately, though. Yesterpaw, it was the most p-potent it's been so far. I was s-scared I was going to b-break down during the tour. What w-would everyone think-”
“Lanyd, breathe.”
I fell back on the practiced exercise, taking in a lengthy breath, holding, and releasing with a slow exhale.
“S-sorry. I'm just worried about this. I don't need any new issues to arise. I already feel so b-broken.”
It's just another internal problem for me to figure out. Why does there always seem to be a new obstacle?
“Well, I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this together,” Dr. Jacobson assured me. “Our minds are complex things to navigate, but with good practice, we can better understand ourselves. For now, I can only ask that you exercise patience. There’s a lot of exciting changes coming up, yes? How are you feeling about the new term?”
“I'm a little nervous,” I replied, managing to shake my stutter. “Not for the classes, but for everything else. I'm going to have to work with all these new people. Part of me wishes I didn't take the scholarship offer. I didn't even need it, but everyone else was doing their part for Human integration and…I just wanted to help too.”
“It might have been better to take things slower, but your willingness to help is still admirable. You've been making progress regardless. As long as you don't overdo it, the tours and such may accelerate your socialization.”
“I hope that will be the case, but part of me feels like I'm just stuck, like every time I make a stride forward, my fear pulls me right back into place.”
“Well, you appear noticeably more comfortable to me. I think you should give yourself a little more credit.”
“That's what Bonti says too.”
“He seems like a good friend, and it sounds like you have several of those now.”
“It's true. I…really don't know where I'd be without them. Probably just hiding away at my flytser all the time. Stars, sometimes, I still do that…”
Dr. Jacobson lightly shook his head.
“Remember, patience.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“It's okay. Just give yourself some time to process these things. Your life has been rapidly changing, and you still need to adapt. The brain needs to rewire itself for new circumstances and processes. That can only physically happen so fast.”
An alarm sounded behind Dr. Jacobson, grabbing his attention.
“Sorry, Lanyd, I've got another patient’s session scheduled shortly, so we’ll have to wrap things up for now. Just keep your exercises in mind and keep writing things down. You really are making progress, even if you don't see it.”
“I’ll need to be somewhere soon as well. This is a good point to wrap things up. I’ll do my best moving forward. Thank you, Dr. Jacobson.”
The call disconnected and I rose from my flytser seat. Despite all the progress I’d supposedly made, I still only really felt comfortable having our sessions behind the instrument. It helped protect me from the runaway anxieties that usually festered in my brain. But, I still didn’t like just how tied to the flytser I was. It was a crutch and I knew that.
I placed my pad down on the new keyboard piano I'd set up just a few tail tufts away. According to Kila, there was a lot of demand for the electronic instruments. I was not the only one to request one, though I was one of the first to receive.
Just as soon as I'd set my pad down, it began to ring. I picked it up again and checked the caller ID.
Bonti.
I accepted the call immediately.
“Hey!” The dark-furred Yotul appeared on the screen. “Feeling any better after yesterpaw? I know you were struggling with the tail end of the tour.”
Bonti had been very vigilant to check on me, especially after the bombing of Earth. I…hadn’t taken that whole ordeal well, terrified for Cora’s safety. He’d definitely seen me at my lowest point, obsessively playing my flytser just to keep the awful thoughts from turning me into a trembling mess.
Still, I was thankful that Bonti was with me during that time. He made sure I was eating well and staying hydrated while I was glued to my flytser. I owed him a lot for that, yet he acted like it was nothing, saying I’d already done my part by letting him stay with me while his housing situation was up in the air.
To be honest, that hardly felt like anything special. Why wouldn’t I let him stay with me? Bonti was one of the few people in the world that didn’t have any reservations about my condition. Waking up to his cooking each paw, having his plehr accompany my flytser playing, walking with me as we gave the tours…
It was just nice having him around, even if I still needed my alone time.
“I’m doing better,” I assured him. “I just finished a session with Dr. Jacobson, and I’m about to head to Haeli’s home for my piano lessons with Grace.”
“Sounds like a hell of a busy paw to have right after we gave a tour. You want me to walk you over there, or are you okay going alone?”
Despite the fact that he’d moved into a campus-provided apartment of his own, he offered to escort me around quite often. In truth, I didn’t like how willing he was to derail whatever he was doing just to walk me somewhere. But, it did feel good to know he supported me that much.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied. “Really, I’m doing much better today. It shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Alright, just let me know if you think you need a helping paw. Things are about to get busier, so don’t overdo it.”
I giggled and swayed my tail in amusement.
“It’s funny how often you and Dr. Jacobson echo each other. What kind of doctor are you trying to be again?”
“Only the best!” Bonti answered proudly. “The best take care of people, and that includes you, physically and mentally.”
“Well, I do feel well taken care of. You’ve been a big help, but really, I’ll be okay this paw. Don’t worry about me.”
“Fair enough. Enjoy your lessons then.”
“I will! Goodbye!”
“Later!”
The call disconnected. Once more alone in my dim living room, I felt the weight of everything starting to sag on me again. It was always noticeable after speaking to someone just how isolated I often was. Even though I needed the time to recharge by myself, I didn’t enjoy that ever-present sense of loneliness that permeated my life, the knowledge that this was normal.
Still, I didn't like the idea of pulling Bonti away from his own responsibilities just for my comfort. I'd spent many cycles trudging through things alone. I didn't need his presence to survive, and I knew my own presence only proved cumbersome for him.
An alarm on my pad let me know that it was time to head out, so I grabbed my bag and made for the door. It would take some time to arrive at Haeli’s place given I usually took a roundabout way to avoid the crowds. I’d do well to start my travels sooner rather than later.
[Fast-forward transcription: 30 minutes]
The walk was, thankfully, uneventful. I skirted the edge of campus, taking quiet paths that bypassed the brunt of the wandering students. White Hill was lively with the new term starting, but that proved to be more of an obstacle for me than a heartwarming sight. I didn’t need any extra stimuli to drain my already meager social battery.
Soon enough, I was at my destination. Haeli’s home was fairly quaint; many of the houses near campus were. When I first saw it, I understood why she was able to house only Grace after the attack on Earth. But, it was still a large enough space for the Human refugee to teach her instrument of choice.
I’d personally been interested in the piano since I first saw it. The flytser was a bit of an oddity amongst the many instruments in the Federation. How ironic that it was the Humans that had the closest equivalent. When Grace mentioned in the group chat that she would be giving lessons while she was living on Venlil Prime, I was the first one to sign up.
There were several reasons beyond my initial interest. Firstly, I wanted to get more practice socializing with people I was already somewhat comfortable with. Secondly, I thought it might help me break my dependence on the flytser. Even with all the similarities, I liked to think that the slight differences would broaden my coping mechanisms a bit. Thirdly, I wanted to know more about Human music as a whole. Their twelve-tone ‘octaves’ differed from our twenty-four-tone sets. It seemed to affect their entire approach to composition. I wanted to understand their methods.
I rapped my paw on the door and waited. After a few moments, the knob turned and Professor Haeli swung the door open. She waved her tail in greeting, prompting the same action from me.
“Good paw, Lanyd. Grace is just wrapping up a remote lesson with another student, but please come in.”
I obliged, stepping inside as she closed the door behind me. As described, Grace was seated at her keyboard in the living area, a mask covering her face as she looked slightly off to the side of the pad propped up in front of her. It was a shame that she had to take such measures to not frighten her students, but I expected things to change with time. As she continued giving these lessons, maybe she’d get more in-person students like me.
It's ironic that I'm one of the few showing up personally.
Grace looked up at me and raised a single digit to signal that she'd be with me in a moment. Haeli led me into the kitchen as the sound of Grace's teaching faded into the background.
“I was just making some tea if you'd like some,” Haeli offered while sifting through the cabinets for mugs.
“Sure, I'll have some,” I replied. “Thank you.”
“Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you about. I know you're already quite busy, and the new term will do no favors for your scheduling, but I've been trying to find some musicians willing to play for the new jazz lounge. The flytser could be a substitute for a Human vibraphone, and with you learning piano, I figured you could get some practical experience with that as well.”
A jazz lounge? I suppose I could play, but I’m just learning piano. Would I be good enough? Could I fit this in my schedule? What about my social battery? Stars, why do I keep taking on all these new responsibilities? What if it all goes wrong? What if-
No. I just need to breathe. She’s only making an offer. It’s my choice to make. I should hear her out at least.
“H-how often would the performances be?” I asked. “It sounds like a b-big responsibility…”
“Eh, not really. I'm asking upperclassmen to contribute as well, so there will be coverage if you decide you can't be there. There’s lots of folks requesting keyboard pianos from Kila’s club after the concert. That’s why Grace has been able to give these remote lessons. It’s really not a big deal if you’d prefer not to participate. Just thought it might interest you.”
That doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe it’s worth considering?
“I'll k-keep it in mind. I do need more experience actually performing...”
“Feel free to spend some time thinking on it,” Haeli handed me a mug of tea. “The first performance is coming up soon, but I can always cover it myself if I need to.”
It could be good practice, I suppose. I'm still new to the piano though…
“Hey, Lanyd!” Grace called from the other room. “Last lesson is over, love! Let’s get started.”
“R-right!” I replied before turning to Haeli for a few more words. “Thank you for considering me for the jazz lounge, professor. I’ll give it some thought.”
“It’s up to you, Lanyd,” Haeli assured me. “I won’t keep you from your lesson. Go on.”
I made my way back to the living room, placing my tea down on the nearby table, and sitting down at Grace’s keyboard piano. It was a high-end piece of equipment, a sign of her professionalism, and the most valuable thing she brought from Earth.
Although, she’d recounted that she had an authentic piano back home that put this electronic instrument to shame. Unfortunately, her home had been reduced to a pile of rubble. The sadness in her voice when she spoke of it told me that the piano meant as much to her as my own flytser did to me.
I couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose everything like that.
Still, it was hard to believe that she’d lost her home given her current demeanor. There was such a tremendous amount of passion behind her teaching, and it helped to bring her optimistic side forward.
Grace removed her reflective mask and gave me a warm smile.
“Timely as ever, aren’t you? You got here early.”
I just didn’t want to sit around at home…
“I d-didn’t want to be late,” I replied.
“Punctuality is a good quality to have. I won’t fault you for it. Okay, where were we at again? Think of Me with Kindness, was it?”
Indeed, my recent learning material was a suggestion from Brad. I’d somehow become his ‘progressive rock buddy’ given I was more receptive to the subgenre than Mezil for whatever reason. Brad was especially tickled by that fact due to…my gender? Apparently female prog rock fans were a rarity amongst Humans.
I could discern any particular reason for that.
Regardless, he’d sent me a song recently by a band called Gentle Giant. It wasn’t quite as intense of some of the prog tracks I'd heard before. In fact, when I first played it for Grace, she decided that it would be good practice for me. I’d spent some time picking the tones out with my ears, trying to transcribe it both in Venlil and Human music script. At this point, it felt like I could play it semi-confidently.
Now, it was time to show it.
I spread my paws across the piano keys. It was a familiar sensation, even though the placement was different to the flytser buttons. If anything, these keys were actually easier to press consistently.
I started at the low end of the instrument, working up a lengthy B flat scale and back down since that was the key the song opened with. Grace nodded approvingly, satisfied with the fluidity of my playing.
“Quite nice. Your improvement in such a short time continues to impress me. God, I wish I improved half as quickly when I first began!”
Her praise reminded me of Dr. Jacobson, and everyone else. It always seemed like they were impressed with me, though I was so far behind the curve. I knew they were right, objectively, in believing that I was developing fast. But, they didn’t know about all the doubt, all the constant effort it still took to try and even appear halfway normal.
“I still have a ways to go,” I muttered. “Even with these simple scales.”“Well, love, that’s why we’re here, innit?” Grace began to tap away at her pad. “I took the liberty of making a little backing track for the song devoid of piano. This way, you can play along without having to try and impose yourself over the actual recorded part.”
She went through all that trouble?
“Thank you very much. You didn’t need to do that.”
“Nonsense! It’s not like I have much else to do. Transcribing this piece has been a good distraction from…well…never mind that. Let’s get you started then.”
Grace toggled on a metronome to count out the eighth notes. The piece had several small time changes, so there was no accented beat. She hovered her finger over the play button on the backing track.
“I’ll count you off with seven eighth notes to match the first measure. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…”
I began to play. The piece opened calmly, a quiet piano melody laid over a simple bass line. The time signature changed immediately between the first 7/8 measure and the second 4/4 measure. As I played, Grace began to sing lightly overtop.

Why am I using words, no more to say without you
Close the door, put out the lights and go

I minded the little changes in time signature, keeping my playing low and subdued. The goal was to support Grace’s singing, adding small flourishes underneath her voice.

Late at night, in the night your shadow falls between us
Nevermore, I’ll never know
There, memories are sorrow,
When there's no tomorrow

With the last line, the drums leapt into action. All of the instrumentation rose in volume including my own, breathing energy into the reserved atmosphere and letting it flow freely. I began to hammer out stark, powerful chords that seemed to march proudly through the arrangement before diminishing.

Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my daydream
Sleep while you think of me with kindness
Please remember former days
Sweet the song that once we sang, the silent parting ways
And you know, and you know
And you know, long ago when first we made our promise
Empty words, I wonder did you know

A bright, melodic brass part began to soar over the rest of the band in place of the vocals. It sounded like a trombone, which was probably why Brad favored the piece so. Organ sat underneath my piano part as well, making the sound full and rich.
But, just then, the piece took an unusual turn, leaning into less consonant intervals and a staggered 11/8 section.

The laugh that love could not forgive
Is gone and tells no call to live
And we who look in beauty's love
Must now, through all, think back on before

For a brief moment, the triumphant sound returned, only to give way to the tense section once again.

The tears that first I cried, no more
Your love has come and gone, no more
And we who look in beauty's love
Must now through all think back on before

We quickly slipped into another marching segment, though it quickly drifted into the dreamy atmosphere just as well.

Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my daydream
Sleep while you think of me with
Kindness, please remember former days
And you know, and you know

Then, we charged forth, full force once again.

And you know, when we two parted in tears and silence
Lost the days, the parting ways
Fare thee well, fare thee well, you
That was once dear to me
Think of me with kindness
Think of me

As the last piano tones disappeared. The metronome continued to fill the silence. Realizing that Grace had yet to turn it off, I moved my attention to her. The Human’s stare seemed almost vacant, pointing at the wall unblinking. Her brown eyes glistened just a bit.
“Grace?”
She suddenly snapped from her stupor and looked at me.
“Ah, sorry about that, love. Just got stuck thinking about…someone I knew back home. You sounded quite good, I must admit! It’s hard to believe you started learning the piano such a short time ago. Not once have I seen someone take to it so naturally.”
“W-well, there’s a lot of similarities to the flytser,” I replied, trying not to sound too flustered. “Still, some sections are still giving me a bit of trouble. I get the feeling that they were written for five fingers, not four claws.”
“Yes, that might be the case. Still, I didn’t notice any glaring flaws. As we improve your coordination across the keys, I’m sure those larger jumps will become easier for you. There may be some chords you’ll be barred from playing naturally, though they’d probably have repeated notes just for voicing purposes. You could get by without them.”
“Those aren’t the only elements that need work,” I sighed. “It’s hard to feel satisfied after pouring most of my life into the flytser. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be so…amateur.”
“Well, yes there’s always room for improvement, but I fail to see how that is a bad thing. I’d be more concerned if you believed that you were already a master of the instrument.”
“I know. Everything’s just been overlaid with some kind of…darkness lately. I d-don’t know how to describe it, but s-since the attack on Earth…I don’t d-deserve to be so put off by it when others lost everything, when you d-did-”
“It’s okay, love. We’re all working through a lot of feelings right now, but that’s why it’s good to receive some kind words here and there, to have friends to help us through. In my opinion, you should be proud of how far you’ve come in every regard.”
Even if I were proud of those changes, it wouldn’t fill the gap that I feel. There’s something still missing, and every kind word just seems to make the hole more pronounced…
“R-right,” I hesitantly replied, not wanting to dump anymore of my issues on the already recovering Human. “Well, there’s still things I can work on, so maybe we should run through the song again?”
“By all means, love. Let’s take it from the top.”
[Fast-forward transcription: 30 minutes]
We spent the rest of the lesson drilling the piece through and through, going over the tougher sections repeatedly, and even experimenting with some extra flourishes that didn’t exist in the original recording. Grace began playing the vocal part on her MIDI controller keyboard to give her voice a rest, and she even had a bit of fun playing around with some of the VSTs to try and make it sound humorous.
I’ll admit, I found myself giggling at some of the absurd vocal replacements.
Soon enough, it was time for me to go, so I thanked Grace for the lesson and Haeli for the tea before going on my way. My social battery was nearing its limits, so I began to walk back the way I came, around the edge of campus. Even as the paw grew later, the school was still bustling with excited students, crowds of unfamiliar faces I didn’t want to place myself amongst.
It’s not the fastest way, but at least I can avoid attention on this path-
“Excuse me, miss!”
My ears snapped up towards the source of the sound. I hadn’t even noticed him, but there was a campus exterminator flagging me down. My muscles tensed and my breath grew shallow. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Why was he stopping me? Did he realize that I was avoiding the herd? Did he suspect me of having predator disease? My social battery was already so drained from the therapy session and piano lesson. I couldn’t afford this!
Oh, Stars. Nononononono. I'm so far from the herd. He’s going to know there’s something wrong with me…
The exterminator quickly strode over to me. I tried to keep the fear from my features, but I felt my legs quivering. I couldn’t avoid him. There was nothing I could do-
“Your bag is open, miss,” The exterminator said, motioning towards the open pocket.
He just…wanted to help me…
“Oh…th-thank you, sir. I d-didn’t notice.”
“Are you alright?” He asked, looking me over. “I know it might be scary to be away from the herd with Humans on campus now. If you’d like an escort, I can provide one.”
“N-no, that’s fine,” I forced out the reply. “I’m almost where I n-need to be, anyway.”
The exterminator kept his attention firmly on me.
“Have I…seen you somewhere before?”
“P-possibly. I’m in a b-bit of a hurry, sorry.”
“Right. I won’t keep you. Have a good paw, miss!”
With that, I waved my tail goodbye and quickly strode away. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with an exterminator. They didn’t usually patrol so close to the edge of campus. I wasn’t prepared to face one. Did he have any suspicions? Did it even matter with Humans on campus now?
Breathe. One…two…three…four…
I used Dr. Jacobson’s breathing exercise as I walked, trying to focus my troubled mind. When I finally made it back to Gold Landing, I all but threw myself onto my flytser seat, shaking with a queasy feeling in my gut.
Even as the anxiety started to leave me, I couldn’t shake the unease bubbling beneath everything. A thought crossed my mind, though I'd told him that he didn't have to worry…
“It’s good to receive some kind words here and there, to have friends to help us through.”
Should I even bother him? I’m home. I’m safe. There's no exterminator here, no massive herds…
…
But…
I retrieved my pad from my bag and tapped Bonti’s contact. Even with my social battery drained as much as it was, I wanted to hear his calming words.
“Everything okay, Lanyd?”
Of course, when he answered, he didn't express any annoyance at my pestering. As usual, his concerns went straight to me. I tried to use his voice as my anchor, but the wrongness inside me wouldn't fully disappear no matter how long we spoke.
This haunting feeling…what was I going to do about it?
I’m still missing something. I just…can’t tell what it is…
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