Www.toto bet hongkong com

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/Illustrious_Young430 posting in AITAH
Concluded as per OOP
1 update - Short
Original - 13th May 2024
Update - 17th May 2024
​
AITAH for wanting to leave my volunteer position because they gave the paid job to their best friends child
​
I’ve been volunteering in a charity shop since about August last year, I initially started to get myself back into a routine and work ready for being out of work for so long. I really enjoyed it and it’s given me so much confidence. Unfortunately the manager had to take sick leave because she needs an operation, the assistant manager handed in her keys and quit because no one from the other stores would come in and help or cover a day for her, so she was basically doing everything.
The shop had to close for awhile till they found someone else. When they did I came straight back because I had started to fall backwards in myself and needed the routine again. The new (floating manager) let’s call Mary, is 19 and had no idea how to run the shop, her mum is the companies customs manager for this area, she is also best friends with another lady who runs one of the other shops (she has two daughters) one is running another shop. This is not a family run business.
At first it was very unwelcoming and they changed how we worked, I gave it time because obviously she’s new to this and doesn’t really talk to anyone, eventually over time we became friendly, work well together and have a laugh. A new assistant manager had been hired who is absolutely amazing and we get on very well, he has recently gone to another one of the stores to run it as manager.
His job became available so I asked about applying, Mary got really excited and wanted me to apply, she helped me with interview questions, gave me the opportunity to run the shop for a few days completely on my own, which went very well. At first she wasn’t doing the interviews, it was her mum and someone else.
When it came closer I got informed that her and her mum was interviewing me, I got excited because I thought I was a shoo in as Mary had expressed if she could pick then it would be me. A day before, I found out that the ladies other daughter was applying too, I knew from then on it didn’t matter what I said or did I wouldn’t be getting it because they are all very close.
Mary’s mum rang me to say I didn’t get it the other girl did, making out it was some random women, even though I know it’s the daughter, but that I did very well and they wanted to make me lead volunteer, I have been there for months, run it on my own, cashed up, opened up, everything, I know how to run it better than mary does.
I want to leave because I feel like I’ve been screwed over, I’m going to complain to the higher up because i feel it’s unfair to basically say I have the job, but then give it to your best friends daughter.
​
Comments
​
Rare-Selection2348
Don't bother complaining. Don't bother going in again. NTA
​
Old_Web8071
Complaining probably won't do any good. Best bet is to walk away & find a job that pays. Or some other charity until you do.
And don't give a notice. At the end of a day, just say, "I'm not coming back to work here" & leave. Preferably when you know they will be short-handed because other people are already taking off.
It's up to you if you want to give them a notice or reason you're leaving. Me? I'd just say I'm not coming back.
​
Foolish-Pleasure99
Yes, don't complain, leave. Any notice up to you. They will quickly learn nepotism is not a management strategy, will suffer, and will cover that all up or chalk it up to "learning on the job".
I do not see anyone reaching out to admit they made a mistake and if you stay you're just a doormat and will have to run the place without pay or recognition.
​
**Judgement - NTA*\*
​
Update - 4 days later
​
Thank you for all your messages I didn’t expect anyone to reply. I left, I went in and it was really awkward, so when I finished for the day I told Mary this is my last day, she was shocked and didn’t really know what to say. I walked out knowing that most of the other volunteers will probably leave soon too.
Either for paying jobs or because they are getting annoyed with how it’s run. I’m also going to tell the higher ups about it because I don’t want them to get away with it, it’s not the first time and someone in the comments pointed out that corporate might not know what is going on and it’s not fair to anyone.
​
Comments
​
kobresia9
Mary must be really dense if she's shocked
​
ankle-biter-42
You’d be surprised at how stupid people like this can be. Either that or she thinks she’s manipulating OP
​
Stephenallen1977
Honesty this was the best course of action for you.
If you are in the UK it does not sound like there was a fair recruitment process given that there was favouritism to someone who did not have experience.
​
UtahCyan
Nepo hires. Happens everywhere. They usually end up in disaster, but you have to wait for the disaster for anything you change.
​
I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP.
Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments

WSJ Report
open letter from CEO
explaining short ladder
business insider

Sveiki, pastebėjau, jog gan sudėtinga rasti sąrašą sporto varžybų kurios vyksta Lietuvoje, tai pagalvojau, kad galėčiau pasidalinti saviškiu su kitais. Dar yra nemažai sporto šakų kurias reikia pridėti, bet jei turit specialių pageidavimų - praneškit ir pažiūrėsiu ar pavyks pridėti. Visa informacija šiuo metu yra iš federacijų/lygų puslapių.
Automobilių sportas - https://www.lasf.lt/lt/renginiai/

Data	Renginys	Vieta
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos automobilių mini kroso čempionato III etapas	Ramygala
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos automobilių Street Race čempionato II etapas	Kuršėnai
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos drago čempionato I etapas	Kazlų Rūda
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos žiedinių lenktynių čempionato B lygos I etapas (LTCC-B)	Kačerginės Nemuno žiedas
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos žiedinių lenktynių čempionato I etapas	Kačerginės Nemuno žiedas

Badmintonas - https://www.badminton.lt/lt/a/events

Data	Renginys	Vieta
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Bs	Šakių jaunimo kūrybos ir sporto centras
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Cv, Es	Panevėžio KKSC rankinio sporto salė
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Ds	Kretingos sporto centras
25/05/2024	AUKŠTAITIJOS TAURĖ (Kopija)	Delfi sporto centras
25/05/2024	Klaipėdos vasara	Klaipėdos energijos sporto salė

Beisbolas - https://lithuaniabaseball.wbsc.org/en/calendar

Data	Renginys	Vieta
24/05/2024	Radviliškis v Kauno SM „Gaja“	Šeduvos stadionas, Radviliškis
25/05/2024	Beisbolo Klubas Vilnius v VBA - SM „Sostinės Tauras“	Jomanto parkas, Vilnius
25/05/2024	Kauno „Lituanica“ v Utenos „Titanai“	SM Gaja Regbio stadionas, Kaunas

Dviračių sportas - https://ldsf.ldsf.lt/calendar

Data	Renginys	Vieta
24/05/2024	Pirmenybės S. Pauliukaitės taurei laimėti ir trenerio A. Lenkio atminimui ir Lietuvos vaikų plento čempionatas	Mosėdis/Skuodas
26/05/2024	MTB Žemaitijos Taurė II-as etapas	Akmenė

Lengvoji atletika - http://lengvoji.lt

Data	Renginys	Vieta
22/05/2024	Rokiškio rajono kūjo metimo čempionatas	Rokiškis
24/05/2024	Lengvosios atletikos metimų diena LSD „Žalgiris“ ir Utenos DSC prizams laimėti	Utena
25/05/2024	Lietuvos LAF taurės atviros varžybos. LLAF sporto klubų komandinės varžybos	Kaunas
25/05/2024	Tradicinės meistrų metimų daugiakovės varžybos	Klaipėda/Vilnius

Rankinis - http://handball.lt

Data	Renginys	Vieta
22/05/2024	Vilniaus VHC „Šviesa“ v Klaipėdos „Dragūnas“	Vilnius
23/05/2024 (jei reikės)	Kauno „Granitas-Karys“ v HC „Vilnius“	Kaunas
25/05/2024	Klaipėdos „Dragūnas“ v Vilniaus VHC „Šviesa“	Klaipėda

Kitos sporto šakos

Sporto Šaka	Nuoroda	Data	Renginys	Vieta
Boksas	https://boksofederacija.lt	23/05/2024	XIX-asis tarptautinis bokso turnyras „Gintarinė pirštinė”	Klaipėda
Orientacinis Sportas	https://orienteering.lt	25/05/2024	Foreststadiums.lt sprintų taurė	Vilnius
Plaukimas	https://ltuaquatics.com	25/05/2024	Sostinės sporto centro taurės varžybos	Vilnius
Vandensvydis	https://lvfed.lt	23/05/2024	Lietuvos vandensvydžio VYRŲ čempionatas Finalinis turas	Alytus
Žolės Riedulys	https://www.zoles-riedulys.lt	22/05/2024	Lietuvos vyrų čempionatas (B grupė) Rudamina	Rudamina

Why didn't/couldn't Sidorovich, Barkeep and Sakharov recognize Strelok during SoC events?
This might seem like a plothole, but it actually isn't. Sid didn't know Strelok personally:
"Yeah, I've heard of a stalker by that name. Rumors is he's one of the few who went to the center of the Zone and made it back. Still, we got so many of these legendary stories about stalker heroes that I can't really guarantee anything. At any rate, I've never dealt with him personally. It seems he has his own trading channels. Anyhow, just ask the folks here in the Zone and you'll be sure to learn a lot more." Clear Sky confirms that his words are true, because during CS events it was Fang who had a business with Sidorovich and not Strelok.
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/A4Pxgp.jpg https://snipboard.io/piHsac.jpg
Barkeep's dialogue:
"An experienced stalker as far as I know. He used to "work" through the northern exits from the Zone. He was hardly ever seen here but there are rumors that he took his group right into the center of the Zone."
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/Y4EmM2.jpg
About Sakharov - There are plenty of possible explanations for the fact that he doesn't recognize Strelok, but the closest we have to an official explanation is included in the design document of the original storyline of the prequel, where it's said that Strelok's face was bandaged at the time:
"Strelok, whose face is still covered with bandages, comes to Sakharov and tells that he is planning a trip to the CNPP."
Of course, it's not really canon, but it still works.
Why won't military just bomb the Zone?
First of all, they already tried but failed:
"I can't really get into that - we've got some discipline in this place, after all. Our general Krylov certainly used to be a military man. I heard a few stories about how, just as the Zone formed, the government organized a military operation in here. They were sent to the very center of the Zone with an order to blow it all to hell with nuclear explosives. Can you imagine what that means? These guys were sent with no protection, no detectors, no information about what to expect in the Zone. Many perished in anomalies right off, and most of those who didn't were done in by an emission. The few survivors were left behind to die a slow death. General Krylov is one of those few. I don't know who he's pals with, but he hates the military ever since he and his buddies were sent straight to their deaths. He's got some connections in Spetsnaz though. Spetsnaz only got real men. Sometimes Duty crosses paths with them. That's pretty much it - consider it the abridged version." - Dialogue of Zvyagintsev
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/HP1pVq.jpg
Second of all, it's obviously a very bad idea.
"Everyone who believes in the Monolith is completely nuts. They keep banging on about it but nobody actually knows what's in the center of the Zone. An invisible crystal that fell from the skies...ha-ha-ha! I reckon one of the secret labs blew up - I mean some stalkers used to work in a few of them. But, obviously, you can't bomb the Zone. Not only will the radiation spread all over the world, half of Europe would be flattened by the Zone's reaction. "Someone" has gone totally mad lately - I heard they're killing normal stalkers for no reason at all. How do you like that? Damn fanatics." - Dialogue of Random 100 Rads Bar Dutyer
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/oWRgr0.jpg
Is the Zone growing?
Only SoC presents this idea. Neither Clear Sky nor Call of Pripyat mentioned anything about Zone's expansion. In fact, Hermann in CoP just said that Zone is evolving, while Loki directly said that it isn't getting bigger:
"They're idiots, that's what I think. I mean, why the hell would they want to destroy the Zone? it's not consuming precious resources or getting bigger... or anything. They could just sit there and study it to their heart's content - just think of how many scientific discoveries could be made... I mean, in the history of man-kind, no one has never been able to understand antigravitation, right? And in the Zone you've got ready-made antigravitation devices lying all over the place. It wouldn't hurt to kick their asses out of here, but it's too much hassle. By the way, don't be confused by our relations here at Yanov. We are at war... it's just that Yanov has been made neutral territory, if you know what I mean." - Loki
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/UQ8ZEO.jpg
If The Zone is practically known globally then how come we aren't seeing other world governments trying to send people of their own to study it?
"Right... I seem to remember you asking me about something last night, though I can't recall... Ah, got it. You wanted to know why it's only our eggheads messing around in the Zone. Curious why the foreigners won't show up, even though there's enough stuff here for thousands of Nobles prizes... Alright, let's see. First of all, what the heck do they need coming down here for, when they can simply pay some of our guys and get the results on a silver plate? Second of all, they've actually been there themselves, and quite a lot of them, too. It's just that in the last two years these gringos have been badly scared of going into the Zone..." - Fragment from PDA entry called "The chronicles of egghead globalists"
"Ever heard about Station Thirty-Two? That's where they all bit the bullet. It was all quiet at first, pretty much normal... They'd be reading their meters, taking samples, poking their gear into anomalies... And then they all started going nuts. Every friggin one of them. Everyone slowly going off their rocker. One of ours, the one that retired eventually, told me about it... Some actually ripped their own throats open, other would smash their heads against the wall, and some would simply... Gun in their mouth and... And then the beasts started swarming all over them. Those few who were still sane enough barricaded themselves in the house. You get the picture, right? Dark night, all the local beasties outside, and people going nuts one after another inside. In short, in the morning those who still had it together broke out of there somehow. Went straight on, even got caught in some anomalies... Got to the Rotten Forest... But none of those who had been left behind have been found. they say loads of controllers were recorded in that area. that's how it was... Since then, no one goes anywhere near Station Thirty-Two, and the foreigners steer clear of the Zone... " - Another fragment from that entry
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/ZEXgNy.jpg (Part 1) https://snipboard.io/gksjHB.jpg (Part 2) https://snipboard.io/Zc8W2G.jpg (Part 3.)
"There are always developments in the Zone, and they're always interesting. I already told you about Monolith - they're on everybody's tongue... Have you heard about a new major expedition into the Zone? Technically, they're environmental researchers from the UN, but that's just on paper. Sure, they got a couple four-eyed scientists, but just one look at all the others tells you they're seasoned fighters. No idea why they're here. Oh, and dig this: they're not using guides. Either they're being guided by satellite, or their mission is so secret that no one else could be let in on it. They seem to be approaching the Radar. I dunno how this will end, but I got a feeling it won't be pretty." - Dialogue of Hog
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/oejv2a.jpg
What happened to Scar?
There can be many answers to this question. Scar's fate could have turned out in many ways - perhaps, if the brainwashing process failed, he became simply zombified; if it was successful, he could've died while being transported in the death truck; if this didn't happen, he had a clearly defined task to perform, and could die while trying to do it; if he survived, he might still be wandering around the Zone as an amnesiac.
It's also possible that he simply died during the emission, or was captured but somehow managed to overcome the brainwashing process and escaped from whatever laboratory it was taking place in.
Monolith's weaponry. How do they have so many guns?
It can be partially explained by a couple of things. First thing that should be noted is that Monolith before trilogy used to be different faction. It can be assumed that they already had decent weapons (I have another post which includes dialogues about older Monolith) https://www.reddit.com/stalkecomments/1ax5u7x/interesting_facts_about_the_monolith_faction/
Second thing is that even rookies know that they gotta get better equipment before going deeper into the Zone:
"For now I'm just gaining experience and saving up some coin. As soon as I have enough, I'll buy me a good shooter and armor, and head straight for the center of the Zone. Rumor has it some guys already made it there and found the Wish Granter. That's where I'm gonna go. And when I find it, I won't go wrong with my wish, you can bet on that!" - Dialogue of Cordon Loner in Clear Sky
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/bqyuzA.jpg
And lastly, C-Consciousness Representative said "From the moment the Zone was formed, many people have tried to get to its center". Many people seem to think that Brain Scorcher only turns people into zombies, but it seems that it was also capable of converting them to Monolith:
"Brothers, as we were patrolling the outskirts of the Dark Forest we came upon an unfaithful loner. We did not kill him, seeing as he was already on his way to conversion, although he was still half-way in his animal state... Such is the wisdom of the Monolith: once again it revealed to us the true countenance of our enemies." - PDA entry called "A convert in the Black Forest"
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/jC2MPJ.jpg
About their suits - there can be more than 1 answer.
It's interesting to point out that Monolith suit was located in lab X-18. Either the faction stashed them there, or they were here before. A possible explanation could be that such suits were used by guards of the secret facilities in the Zone before the 2nd disaster
I think this is important to point out too
"Stalker suit from the Monolith faction. The producer is unknown. Its protective properties are slightly worse then those of the PSZ-9a military bulletproof vest. Its structure is similar to the suit popular with neutral stalkers which combines a bulletproof vest and a radiation protection suit. It provides good protection from gunfire. Its level of anomaly protection is low due to the absence of an air" - Description of Monolith Suit
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/XITJs4.jpg
"Stalker suit manufactured by "folk craftsmen". It is an effective combination of a light military bulletproof vest and of a rubberized fabric suit. It is reinforced with inserted kevlar plates and provides good protection from weak gunfire. All in all it is highly inefficient for carrying out deep raids and serious operations in the knots of the Zone." - Stalker Suit (Sunrise)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/zMGpqd.jpg
Lastly, Yantar loner NPCs in Clear Sky mention in their dialogue mention very interesting thing:
"I heard a whole faction went missing in the Zone. You ever heard of Monolith? Well, they used to protect the Zone from others, but they made a move towards the center right before the Emission. Nobody has heard from them since, but recently some real aggressive stalkers have been attacking from where the Scorcher is, killing everyone and asking no questions. I know because I saw them myself around the military warehouses, and I reckon they might be those same Monolithians who disappeared. It wouldn't surprise me, because their uniforms looked real similar." Other than a fact that Monolith faction of the trilogy had members from older Monolith who wore similar uniform, dead bodies of Monolithians in Clear Sky, that are scattered over the Zone very well could be the dead bodies of older Monolith faction

Your markets are run by bots. Now your daily threads are too.
​
This thread is for plans and thoughts prior to the market open period.
Maybe use this time to read the wiki .
​
Posts relating to the "Is /ASX_bets about finance or effect your mental health?" etc will lead to a ban of the mods chosing. You have been warned.
​
We have an active official/unofficial discord. It's open to all discussions, stonks related and non-stonks related.

Crypto casinos games are similar to traditional gambling sites. Players need to register an account, deposit funds, choose their preferred game, and hopefully – withdraw their winnings. What’s more, many crypto casinos use the same software providers as conventional providers.
Crypto casinos are a growing industry that has some gray areas since they aren’t regulated by the currently existing gambling laws.
Players can remain anonymous while playing the games of their choice. In this article, we explore the technology behind crypto casinos along with the process by which they work.
One of the best use cases for cryptocurrencies is online gambling. Many crypto-centric casinos offer anonymous accounts, instant withdrawals, and low transaction fees.
But how do crypto casinos work? Read on – we explain everything you need to know, including the crypto payment process, types of games available, what bonuses to expect, safety concerns, and much more. However, there are some clear differences between crypto and regular casino sites.
For a start, crypto assets aren’t defined as legal tender. This is where regulations become slightly unclear, as crypto payments aren’t covered by existing gambling laws. In turn, crypto casinos typically don’t have a KYC process.
Here HugeWin is an interesting platform in crypto casino games.
Hugewin is the latest model casino and betting site that started broadcasting in January 2024.Hugewin has set out with the vision of becoming the largest online casino in the world with its expert team.
Their priority on this path is to ensure that our customers spend time in a fun and reliable environment without any complaints.
It is also important for a player to know that he/she can instantly get the money he/she earns as much as the pleasure she gets from the game.
Hugewin guarantees immediate payment of the winnings, regardless of the amount. Its token HUGE is available to buy on many leading exchanges such as XT, LBank, Deepcoin etc. worth to grab it now as well.
www.hugewin.com

i have this Pretty cool idea how about we Pitch into a go fund me people can donate for the island that had the most votes. After the voting is over ill be doing 3 sweeps of the comments and to make sure i dont miss any ill be putting a reply saying counted.
ISLAND 1 theres this one in florida but i bet it has some aligators and only has 4.00 https://www.privateislandsonline.com/united-states/florida/4-acre-buildable-island
heres the next one ISLAND 2 in Carolina which is a bit better with 256.00 Acres so its a lot bigger tho Caronlina has also of bugs somtimes https://www.privateislandsonline.com/united-states/northcarolina/the-carolina-cays
and the last one
ISLAND 3 this one is in the Hudson River in new york and it has 45.00 Acres a ton bigger then the 2 other options but the laws in newyork are kinda confusing but thats just what i think https://www.privateislandsonline.com/united-states/newyork/thompson-island-newyork
anyways place your votes if you want to i wont force you too or anything but also before you place your votes im going to be setting up a gofund me so we can affoard the island i wont be setting it up till all votes have been cast so we will be starting vote casting in the comments from 5/18/2024 from the start of this post till 7/22/2024 after that point any votes after wont count and how you vote is you put in your comment that
you vote for Island 1 , Island 2 , island 3 just copy past it if you want and put it in your comment if your voting for that island By the way i wont be the one purchasing the island in my name im gonna be finding somone else to buy the island with the money we gather also after its all bought i might be giving the island to a redditor living on the island so i dont have to take care of it all the time but i might not also if you want you can suggest a island you want to vote up for just ask for me to put it up here with the link in the comments ill be checking the links before i click them incase they have malware or somthing, anyway i hope you all have a cool day! cya

Hypeloot is proud to announce that it has processed over 50 million bets for over a hundred,000 customers international, because it’s established in 2022. Being one of the quickest growing Cryptocurrency casinos, Hypeloot releases new recreation modes almost every week and has experienced a recent surge in growth that's in all likelihood to boost up.
Hypeloot adds a number of the most famous on line casino video games but is likewise not afraid to feature an modern contact to the platform by way of developing new video games that are gaining plenty of recognition, as an instance, the Plinko recreation with a 100.000X multiplier, making it the first-ever Plinko game with this high of a multiplier which isn't always handiest some thing modern for the gambling enterprise however also a excellent advertising tool as customers always try and chase excessive multipliers.
Hypeloot’s profit and $HPLT Token
The Hypeloot crew intends to do a daily buyback of the $HPLT token on the open market the usage of the platform’s earnings and burning them right after on a every day foundation.
The $HPLT Presale commenced February 1st, at 15:00 UTC and is cut up into exceptional tiers in which the first traders get the cheapest possible rate and also are eligible for the Hype NFTs so one can be tradeable right on token launch.
forty% Of the full supply will pass towards Presale contributors, the relaxation is break up between liquidity, advertising, crew, airdrops and more. All team tokens may be locked and vested on a obvious level.
Fueling The Hypeloot surroundings
Hypeloot is one of the only Crypto casinos providing Fiat fee gateways and all principal payment providers making it clean for each consumer. On top of that, Hypeloot also presently offers all most important Cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals. crew attests that each one video games are a hundred% provably honest with a open and transparent manual on how to check every roll, the EOS and Chainlink Blockchain hashes are getting used to generate one hundred% randomness.
Hype NFTs
Hype NFTs are the reliable NFTs of Hypeloot.com ($HPLT), it will to begin with only be available to presale individuals, on release, these NFTs can then be traded, offered, offered and used on Hypeloot.com at no cost bets, staking pools, elevated rakeback and plenty more. these NFTs are strictly constrained and could not be minted more than the given supply.
Hypeloot has generated over $1 Million in revenue in 2023 (customers can see a detailed breakdown at the presale, for the reason that normal slot and stay on line casino games may be brought quickly, it is predicted to have a enormous surge in the coming weeks as that is expected by a variety of current users, this new addition additionally open the door to a lot of latest user acquisition in addition to higher earnings per user given all of the new game modes.
Visit : https://presale.hypeloot.com/

(Crossplay) I have a league in Year 3 Week 7.
We do have some rules to prevent cheesing on offense and defense. The big ones are:
• No custom playbooks
• Sim style gameplay
• All-Madden
• 48 hour advance
• Not a beginner league. Very competitive
• Dev Regression on
• There are some 4th down rules
• No safeties playing as LB’s
• Streaming is required for the away team
We do use Neon, have betting, and etc.
Tag an admin so we can help you as soon as possible.
https://discord.gg/rnSusDrK
1) https://neonsportz.com/leagues/FOD/teams/NE

Link to the post in question.
This Saturday, the Seattle Sounders played the Vancouver Whitecaps in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. The Sounders scored early, with a goal from Jordan Morris. A second shot on goal by the Sounders is deflected by a Vancouver defender, who extends his arm only to pull it back to his body, deflecting the shot off of his elbow. The ref and VAR officials stay silent, and play continues.
In the 94th minute of the game, Vancouver player Sebastian Berhalter makes a shot on goal, deflected by Sounders defender Nouhou, who also extends his arm out only to pull it back, with the shot deflecting off of his arm as well. This time, the VAR officials call for a closer review, and after several minutes of thorough examination the referee (Victor Rivas) declares Nouhou's block a handball, giving Nouhou a second yellow card, which sends him off the field, and more importantly, gives Vancouver a penalty kick. Vancouver scores on the penalty, tying up the game, and the match ends 1-1.
You can view both handballs here. Nouhou on the left, Vancouver defender on the right. You can decide for yourself whether Nouhou's handball was worse than Vancouver's.
Sounders fans are quick to take to MLS to protest the unfair decision. If you look at the comments section, you'll see a lot of Sounders FC flairs. The fact that Sounders fans have been subject to a disproportionately large number of questionable rulings has only exacerbated the frustration felt by fans. (A recent highlight being Stefan Frei's red card, later rescinded upon further review by the MLS. While the card was rescinded, the game score stayed the same. With how strong the Sounders had played that game with a man down, there's a good argument to be made that they could have won with Frei on the field.)
Highlights:

• PDLV taking it upon himself to (almost) overcome the far-reaching anti-Sounders conspiracy which has been masterminded at the highest levels of international soccer
• Follow-up reply from a Sounders fan - Flair up or shut up

Several fans aren't happy with Victor Rivas, the ref:

• I'll eat a sock if Rivas genuinely thought Nouhou's yellow was more egregious than the Whitecaps.
• Did any previous older generation of Sounders players sleep with Rivas' mom or gf?
• Everybody knows the reason Rivas is making calls this bad is because he's sleeping with Vanni Sartini. (For context, Vanni Sartini is the Whitecap's general manager.)
• Victor Rivas doing his best to rival Ismail Elfath for the worst MLS ref trophy. I'll bet my left nut he had money on Vancouver with how subjective his calls are all of a sudden. (More context: Ismail Elfath has been another referee subject to major anger from Sounders fans for numerous bad calls - he's the ref that gave Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia a yellow card for body-slamming Christian Roldan. It was egregious enough that pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson weighed in on Twitter.)
• I'd say Rivas had to have his hair gel seep into his brain. But he obviously doesn't fucking have one

Others instead blame the VAR officials:

• How are fans blaming Rivas? You know that decision wasn't on him, right?
• VAR is willfully ignoring the call
• This is more on the VAR ref than the ref on the field

From a Sounders fan: Who have we not paid that Vancouver has?
Someone takes the chance to rag on Frei for terrible goalkeeping
Sounders fan names and shames ref and VAR officials
It wouldn't be MLS without someone complaining about sports betting.
One Sounders fan says gg Vancouver, gets downvoted and told to screw off
My personal favorite: For the love of soccer someone please fuck Manchester City like this tomorrow

Hello,
I am currently learning regex. To help myself I use both an online editor helping me to "create the correct expression" and my own Python Code for my project.
I have the following input string:

{protocol}://{subd}.{sld}.{tld}/{category}/{subscription_name}/{subscription_url} 

If I use the following expression on regex101.com (python selected). All {*} placeholders are returned (e.g. {protocol}, {subd}, etc.)
But if I use the exact same regex on my code I get a completly different (and "wrong") result
Result: ['', '://', '.', '.', '/', '/', '/', '']
My Code:

url_blueprint = "{protocol}://{subd}.{sld}.{tld}/{category}/{subscription_name}/{subscription_url}" test = re.split(r'{\w*}',url_blueprint) print(test) 

I bet I need some option parameters but if I use /g it don't work either... Hope anyone can explain what is wrong :D - I already googled but since I don't know what the error is or where it is I was not successful yet ^^
Thank you for your help :)

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in the midwest, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos
tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :o
some random trivia

• my work is on machine learning and proteins
• love running and cycling, pretty much any heavy cardio activity
• love playing soccer but suck at it
• love signing but suck at it
• love drawing but suck at it
• I only sing in spanish, because I got a thiccc accent and feel a bit self-conscious singing in english
• expert in early 00s shitty pop music
• best disney movie is ratatouille
• most overrated disney movie is up
• love dancing cumbia and bachata… and actually do not suck at it! lmao
• can move my ears on command
• have lived in 4 countries, 6 cities, 2 continents
• I’m trying to get into video games. help? I have a swtich, xbox, and pc
• not a fan of scifi or fantasy :(
• once got jump-scared by a possum while riding my bike
• knows two and a half languages
• love crafts (specially origami) and playing the accordion

here are two truths and a lie

• I was personally invited to a fancy rooftop party by a google hotshot, but bailed on it
• a mexican bill saved my life while I was stranded in serbia
• I was suspended from middle school for burning a whiteboard with body spray and a lighter

If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in the midwest, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos
tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :o
some random trivia

• my work is on machine learning and proteins
• love running and cycling, pretty much any heavy cardio activity
• love playing soccer but suck at it
• love signing but suck at it
• love drawing but suck at it
• I only sing in spanish, because I got a thiccc accent and feel a bit self-conscious singing in english
• expert in early 00s shitty pop music
• best disney movie is ratatouille
• most overrated disney movie is up
• love dancing cumbia and bachata… and actually do not suck at it! lmao
• can move my ears on command
• have lived in 4 countries, 6 cities, 2 continents
• I’m trying to get into video games. help? I have a swtich, xbox, and pc
• not a fan of scifi or fantasy :(
• once got jump-scared by a possum while riding my bike
• knows two and a half languages
• love crafts (specially origami) and playing the accordion

here are two truths and a lie

• I was personally invited to a fancy rooftop party by a google hotshot, but bailed on it
• a mexican bill saved my life while I was stranded in serbia
• I was suspended from middle school for burning a whiteboard with body spray and a lighter

If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!

After the Khumans had settled down somewhat, Alex let out a rather shaky breath. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that."
"What were you expecting?" Kirell didn't understand, and it bothered him, but he was suddenly also extremely curious. It should be safe to learn more about this, right?
"Well... something more along the lines of swearing."
"Um... Karyces, Alex, did you get browner?" Kirell asked tentatively, which apparently set off the Khumans again.
"Woah there, spaceman." Sleepy didn't seem thrilled to hear him say that one; Kirell felt a guilty flush of purple around the edges of his frills. He didn't know Sleepy knew what it meant. "That's a strong word around the little one, huh?"
"Oh." He looked down at Nryxə guiltily, but she didn't seem to have noticed. At least he hoped she hadn't noticed. She was staring at the glassteel wall with her seven eyes wide open. Kirell didn't need his shiny new translator to know that her expression was curiosity. She probably didn't notice.
"You'll have to tell me what it means later. I mean it, Sleepy." Alex took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and closed her eyes. "I mean, I guess I got browner, but it's not.... Well. It's a scar."
Kirell's frills flashed open with a little pop, the whole width stained a deep red. "A scar? The whole thing?"
"Yep." Come to think of it, Alex's voice was a little lower than he remembered, a little raspier. "I– Captain, could you? It's sore."
"Sure. Poke me if I say something bad." The Captain cleared his throat as Alex sat down, crossing her legs under her, on the floor. "So, you know we burned a lot of atmosphere on Kzrkn, right?"
"Yes." Of course Kirell remembered that; he'd been scared out of his wits at the time. It seemed so silly now, to be afraid of something on the ground while he was safe in orbit.
"Well, the gate they took you through... yeah, atmospheres started mixing up, and then they closed it on Hook's electric prosthetic and–" The Captain broke off as Alex grabbed his leg; the deep red from Kirell's frills grew even darker. She was shaking a little. "Sorry Hook. Anyway, Squishy, I bet you saw it from your end too, but Hook was real close. Doc fixed what was mission-critical and did a bunch of patching, but it's still rough, and she's.... I bet she'll be mad for telling you, but she's still pretty spooked. Most folks'd already be shipped home with a Heart for this kinda thing, but damn if Hook hasn't made us proud. Well, prouder."
"What's that got to do with being browner? Did you not fix the scars?"
"Not mission-critical." Sleepy broke in on the conversation. "Don't get us wrong, Spaceman, he wanted to, but Hook said to focus on gettin' ya back."
"I think her exact words were 'Being pretty can wait.' Gotta love Hook, huh Squishy?"
Kirell felt his eyes itching, as if he wanted to cry again. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't ha–"
Alex slammed her synthetic hand into the floor with a bang; Nryxə jumped in Kirell's arms. Alex was shaking again, but this time she didn't look scared at all. She looked angry, and her eyes were a bit wet. That felt wrong, somehow, and conflicting, but Kirell could remember being scared and happy at the same time while wandering with Nryxə; it was probably similar.
"Shut it kid. Don't say that; don't you dare say that. I went after you 'cause I wanted to get to you. Don't ever say differently." Alex's voice seemed to squeak and thin out at the end of the last syllable; she pressed her lips together, looking frustrated.
"Easy there Hook. You've talked a lot more'n usual today. It's OK." The Captain reached down and patted Alex's artificial hand awkwardly. "You're doing good."
Alex swatted his hand away. Kirell's hearts abruptly thumped in his chest; he'd never seen that kind of expression on a Khuman face before. It was some mixture of ones he'd seen before; some kind of anger, sadness, coupled with a strange sick look he didn't recognize.
"Cap, ya aren't helping. If ya don't shut up I'd say it's about three seconds 'till ya get socked."
"Shi... crap. Sorry Hook. Didn't mean to– Uh, think I'll stop talking." Kirell didn't know what this situation had to do with closed tubes of fabric, or why the Captain had glanced at him and fixed his language, but he was too tired and confused to question it.
"Wait. So, Alex got burned, and Doc put her back together?" Kirell felt his own voice squeaking, not because he was injured but because the magnitude of Alex's injuries seemed to be stealing some of his air, along with much of the space in his stomach and most of his knees' strength.
"Burn care and puttin' someone back together aren't the same thing. Doc does both, but not the same way. Some parts, sure; it's why her vocal cords are weak right now. It's like a surgery; gotta be gentle with it."
Kirell's translator helpfully reminded him that Khumans were in the habit of cutting themselves open to deal with internal problems. He hadn't wanted to remember that.
"Anyway, Hook had to get most of her lungs and voice box rebuilt, so she's not got much voice to use right now. Still gettin' stronger. Her lungs are doin' great, but the voice is takin' a bit longer. It usually does."
Kirell's frills stained a deep blue. "Alex.... I wish you hadn't. I wish you weren't hurt."
Alex looked sideways awkwardly; she didn't look angry any more, which Kirell hoped was an improvement.
"I think what Hook wants to say is that she couldn't not come for you. And I'd agree with that."
Kirell didn't think that was right, but he couldn't figure out how to say so. Surely Hook had a choice, right? He wasn't somehow making a Khuman– a Khuman, of all things– do anything they weren't already going to do. Surely not. The idea of a Khuman being controlled by anything but their own wild Khuman-ness was laughable. Or, he acknowledged at the sight of the glassteel walls, by another Khuman.
"So you're in here because....?"
"Well, essentially we, uh... we were doing it again, huh Hook? We were just running in again like there was nothing there to stop us. Guess that's what we do." The Captain grimaced, one hand brushing the back of his head. "Right up until Sleepy showed up and said 'Hey stop that' with a bit more'n words."
A loud amusement sound made both Kirell and Nryxə jump; Sleepy was apparently very amused by this rephrasing of his actions. The Captain bared his teeth, too, with a look on his face that the translator told Kirell was [embarrassed] and [slightly regretful].
"Well, ya saw him now, and ya see that he's picked up someone of his own."
"Does that make you a granddad, Sleepy?"
Sleepy shrugged, looking at Nryxə, who looked back with seven wide eyes. "Dunno. I guess it depends on what the spaceman wants, right? And what'd be best for the kid. Whaddya think, Spaceman?"
"I, um... I don't know if I know what's best for Nryxə, but I don't want her to be upset. Can we talk about this later?"
The Khumans froze for a moment before the Captain whistled long and low. "Right. Not exactly good practice, is it? Talking custody with a kid in the room. Sorry 'bout that, Squishy."
"Hey, speaking of which." Sleepy reached out and gave Kirell a gentle, very reassuring head pat. Oh, he'd missed those. "I'm not sure he should be 'Squishy.' He didn't like it before, and now... don't ya think?"
"Yeah, agreed, it doesn't fit any more. Blue? No, don't like that one. Zim?"
"Absolutely not, Cap. Nor Dent, nor Ford Prefect. Gonna cut you off at the pass on that one."
Alex made a strange noise in her throat; with more patience than Kirell remembered them having, the Captain and Sleepy waited for her to be able to speak. When she did, it was a single word.
"Ripley."
First
Previous
Collected Chapters
Chapters voiced by A Good Bean
Support me on Patreon!
No music for this chapter, surprisingly.

More misery bird? More misery bird. Really miserymaxxing with these fics I have going, but hey, this one is not that miserable actually! Krekos is back and ready to be dense and downcast, but maybe not quite miserable? Read and see!
Big thank you to NoP community for being great and supportive of my endeavors!
Also, obviously, big thanks to SpacePaladin15 for creating this universe and allowing fanfiction well to flow free!
[First] - [Prev] - [Next]
Memory transcription subject: Krekos, Krakotl Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: May 6th, 2137
I stare at the foul creature before me. Normally staring at something directly head on like that would be too predatory for me to do, but after nearly dying of bread yesterday, I didn’t feel patient enough to be gentle. The creature stared right back, though in a much more natural, prey-like way, tilting its head slightly as it looked back at me with one eye and let out a long bwok.
“Are you doing this now? Really?”, I ask, knowing full well it cannot respond.
Well, it can, if another bwok it made is any indication. Of course, translators aren’t yet advanced enough to translate non-sapient speech, but the intention behind sound is intuitively clear. It’s telling me to back off. Well, I tried the diplomatic approach at least.
Raising my wing I begin sliding the bird out of its nest, careful to keep any delicate joints out of its reach. It started clucking in upset indignation, struggling back and even trying to peck at me, but after realizing that I will not relent, it hopped out of the box and rushed out of the cattle house, revealing a single dead egg in the nesting box.
With relief, I finally pick up the last egg and head back to leave them at the house. Turns out that while Reginald didn’t forget to both lock them up yesterday and let them out today, he did neglect feeding them both times, as well as collecting the harvest. So when I was driven back here in early morning, the first thing I did was making sure they were taken care of. I can’t say the horrid birds looked in any way hungry, but the moment I poured the feeding grain for them, they attacked it with more viciousness than I’d expect of an actual predator. And yet only thirteen were present at the feeding, as the one that’s usually the target of flock’s ire remained in the cattle house yet again, Reginald leaving it to it, being unaware of its undesirable habit of trying to hatch dead eggs.
With eggs delivered, I flew my way to my usual spot atop the cattle house and could finally relax. The loner beast first made its way to feast on the scraps of the grain that other birds already all have had their fill of, so I wasn’t too concerned. Instead I tried to reflect on the morning I had so far.
Waking up at the hospital did make me momentarily panic before I remembered the precluding events. Not that I could properly panic, feeling the most starved I’ve been my whole life, and too weak to try flying out of the window. Thankfully, the breakfast they provided was actually well made with krakotl needs in mind, algae soup alongside a few slices of bread, this time without any horrid human ideas like putting eggs in there. Eggs! Turns out they put eggs in some kinds of bread! That’s how I got sick! Eggs! The thought of what I consumed even now made me queasy, and it definitely made breakfast a much less appetizing affair than it would have been without that knowledge, but back then the hunger won over the disgust.
Lena did keep her promise and came to pick me up extra early. Her being a staff member at the hospital gave her some extra privilege, I assume, hence why I was released without any forms needing to be filled out personally. She did have important business today too, which probably explained the earlyness and urgency of her driving me back to her house.
That did not mean I escaped her ire, however. While I couldn’t pinpoint anything to identify the man, as Bob was apparently a common name, that offered me bread, we did come to understanding that he was likely either unaware of the nutritional contents of it, or of extent to which the Cure-induced allergy would be affecting a krakotl. Yet, Lena seemed much angrier at me for failing to take any precautions. Turns out that was the purpose of medicinal injectors, epipens as humans call them, that were provided to me. I was supposed to have them on me in case I accidentally ingested contaminated food. Nobody told me that, I was just handed them back when I first received the necessities at the refugee camp and I had no clue what they were for. Then she also berated me for eating random food from strangers and ignoring bad flavors. Turns out that brioche bread isn’t actually bitter at all, and that was my body reacting to an allergen in it. Reaction that I unwisely elected to ignore, to further ire of my host. By the end, several new rules of my stay here were made, including not eating things I don’t know and always having at least one epipen on me. Thankfully, these rules would be ones I’d start following even without them being established, so I won’t have to concern myself with being kicked out over accidentally breaking them.
As if following the rules will be enough to make them like you.
Trying to distract myself from thoughts of yesterday’s incident, I focused my attention on the flock. All birds accounted for, so at least I knew that my absence did not result in the predator coming to snatch one of them. I do not wish to insult my hosts, but Reginald is far from most attentive people in matters unrelated to his job, and I am not sure the birds were watched at all while I was out. Speaking of, my scannings of surrounding treelines revealed no sign of the predator today. Perhaps it departed to hunt elsewhere, or maybe it ventured too close to a more populated area and exterminators dealt with it.
Actually, did human exterminators work similar to Federation ones? I knew for a fact they had them, although they seemed like a market of private organizations if advertisements are anything to judge by. Still, what methods do they use? I know humans oppose fire, and do not believe in predatory taint, but surely they have measures to protect themselves? They are, by self-admission, far from the best natural predator, and I doubt Earth’s non-sapient predators would just leave humans be. Maybe I should call one of those human exterminator agencies and call them in to deal with that predator? I haven’t told Lena or Reginald about it, as I didn’t want to bother them, but it could pose a serious threat to the cattle, but maybe that’s the way I could resolve it without involving them?
I have not done nearly as much research into human culture and lifestyle as I should have, considering that I’ve lived on Earth for over half a year now, but the sheer width of the topic always overwhelmed me the moment I opened internet search app to the point where I just closed it right away.
And you expect to start studying again with that attitude? You’ll flunk out even from this primitive predator education course.
Extra loud call from the flock made me refocus my attention on them, but it was nothing. Just the loner getting pecked extra hard and lashing out against assailants, causing a small aimless stampede as all the birds ran around in circles, puffing up at one another. The assailants now looked a lot more like victims. I could understand those birds more than I could humans at least. The loner bird is clearly an odd one out. It’s the only one repeatedly trying to hatch unfertilized eggs it lays, and it seems to always avoid the rest of the flock. Humans may deny the existence of Predator Disease, but they can’t deny that prey and predator both can and will sometimes behave in unnatural ways that may threaten the herd's safety. Or pack’s, in case of humans. Birds must know on instinctual level that the loner’s behavior is unnatural and are attempting to combat the Predator Disease on instinctual level. And since that is natural, I still will not interfere in this, unless the loner bird actually becomes a threat to others or will start getting too injured. The first time I attempted to pick one of the birds up was the only time for a good reason, as I have learned their viciousness all too well.
DING-DING
The sudden loud ring startled me enough that I nearly tumbled off the roof. Who would be coming over now? Lena and Reginald have left together and shouldn’t be back until afternoon, and they’d never use the bell. That means someone must be here for them. But wouldn’t they warn anyone to not come over? Especially with their plans for today.
With nobody to answer these questions, I had no choice but to go and discover the answer myself, flying up and over the house, towards the entrance gate. The moment I passed the house roof, I already saw a familiar silhouette. It was the human child from a few days ago.
Thankfully, Lena’s insistence on me carrying an epipen at all times meant I also carried my satchel at all times too, so I didn’t have to go grabbing my holopad, and took it out. But before I could even launch the translator TTS app to type out a greeting, the child was already hopping in place with excitement.
“Mr. Krekos! Hi! I came over to visit!”, she exclaimed, showing off her teeth in an unnerving expression of human joy. I simply tried to avoid that and focused on the pad, typing out my response.
“Hello, Rosie. Why are you here?”
The question was genuine, as the child was not carrying any more of that honey substance from last time.
“I just came over to visit you! Is that okay? Are Mr. and Ms. Vince okay with it?”
Visit... me? Why? While I was confused, I did instinctively type out a reply.
“They did tell me visitors are allowed as long as there’s no trouble when I first moved in.”
And before I could type a followup message asking her why she’s here, she already let out a joyous roar and ran past me.
“Can I see the chickens?”, she asked, and not waiting for an answer, rushed past the house and towards the cattle yard.
“Wait! You’ll scare them!”, I yell after her, but of course without a translator she can’t understand me as she runs like she already knows where to go.
And indeed she has, quickly rushing up to the open field where the birds were grazing. Thankfully she didn’t start chasing them, instead just approaching the flock from a distance and swaying in place, watching them with what I assume was some sort of predatory excitement at the sight of prey. Maybe that’s where the contained hunting instinct of human children showed themselves? In chasing small birds? I was still more subdued, considering she stopped shy of causing a small stampede, but still.
“Grandpa used to take me with him! He helped watch this farm until Mr. and Ms. Vince moved in. I like chickens! I think they’re cute.”, the child told me innocently as she kept swaying and watching as the beasts grazed upon insects of the pasture.
That revelation was... interesting. I suppose it makes sense that between the original owner of this land dying in the bombings and Lena and Reginald moving in, it would be unattended. With nobody to feed and watch over those things, they would be long dead for sure. And it was Rosie’s grandfather... Speaking of. I typed out my words.
“Does your grandfather know you’re here?”
She seemed to get a weird look as she stopped her excited swaying, fiddling with her hands instead. Looks like I asked the correct question.
“...he knows I am out visiting neighbors.”
That did not answer my question. I squinted at the human child, and she dipped her head as she continued.
“...he doesn’t know I’m here specifically. Or that an alien even lives here...”, she explained, her tone suddenly more sullen.
I couldn’t help but squint at that, and it appears that my expression was readable enough that even a human could see the suspicion, as she continued.
“I’m sorry... But if I told grandpa, he’d tell me I’m forbidden from talking to you, like he forbade me from talking to hedgehog people in town... But I want to talk to you! You’re nice and you’re a space bird!”
The child was actually working around the rules established by her guardian to come see me. I don’t know if I should be glad or concerned. Clearly, the man is anti-alien in his opinions, and I’d rather that kind of man not know about how close he lives to one. At the same time, I’d rather not encourage a child for lying to their guardian in order to meet a stranger they know they aren’t allowed to interact with... So I just took the middle path with my next message.
“I see. What did you want to talk to me about then?”, TTS speaks for me.
Her stiffened body language disappears, replaced again with earlier excitement.
“I wanna know more about space! And aliens! It’s all so cool but grandpa says it’s all dangerous because mom and dad died. But it’s not! The hedgehog people were nice, and you’re nice too!”
I wasn’t sure about that logic, but my self-preservation told me I shouldn’t try convincing her to go confessing. Instead I focused more on her chosen topic.
“I am not sure I am the best person to ask about space. I am not a scientist or traveler.”
“But you’re from there! You know way more than me. I don’t even know what you are called. And there’s gotta be cool things out in space!”
I let out a sigh. I suppose it’s childlike curiosity at its finest. So unfamiliar with mundane that it is a wonder. I remember being like that about becoming a doctor.
And then you let your teacher die.
I quickly tapped on the pad.
“Okay, I can answer questions, but I may not know everything.”
The noise that came out of the girl was like a squeal of a panicked dossur as she started hopping and spinning in place.
“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Krekos!” Sudden movement did cause me to recoil a bit, which in turn caused her to cease her happy flailing and adjust her little dress. “I dunno where to start though... Hm... What are you?”
...for all my trepidation about not knowing answers, I should have anticipated that the questions she asks will be rather age-appropriate and on the same level as we learn in our first school classes. At least I won’t disappoint her then.
“I am from a species called ‘krakotl’. We’re avians, as is obvious. Our home is...” dead, gone, reduced to glass and ash by our own hubris “...was Nishtal. A beautiful planet...”
Thankfully she did not question my hesitant pause. Instead she just nodded along.
“What about the hedgehog people? I already know venlil, but they’re the only ones I know name of.”
Hedgehog people in town she mentioned earlier. The only species I could think of that could be seen there would be the gojid. I have no clue what hedgehogs are, but probably some creature with visible similarity to them.
“They are called ‘gojid’, and they’re from gojid Cradle. Both of our species are... well, used to be known for our might and protecting other species of Federation.”
I am not sure if that’s something to brag about, considering... everything. But I didn’t want this child to get brought down with depressing regrets of our species. Let her know something nicer instead. She clearly lost a lot, but there’s still joy left in her. I wouldn’t want to be the one to ruin that.
“Cool! What about other people? I wanna know more!”
And so I went on, telling her about various species, although I mostly focused on ones in this new human-led union, only mentioning kolshians and farsul beyond that. It’s weird explaining to a child what a tilfish or a harchen looks like, but thankfully my holopad isn’t just a method of communicating with implant-less children. With access to interstellar web, I could easily pull up pictures of various alien species to show to her, even if she struggled to believe that some of them were even sapient purely based off of looks. With how varied species in Federation are, and how some of us admittedly aren’t too far physiologically from our more primal ancestors.
Among other topics, she asked me to tell her interesting things, which I didn’t know much of. I told her about Venlil Prime’s tidally locked status, a rarity among habitable planets, much less homeworlds for species. I told her about the unique architecture of Mileau, designed to accommodate both species of regular size and dossur themselves. I told her about Colia medical academies, some of the most beautiful medical facilities in the galaxy.
I wish I was more well-travelled, but I just wasn’t. My whole life, I never left Nishtal until the extermination fleet took me despite my protests. That may have been what saved my life...
Not that I, of all people, deserved it...
“Hey! Stop that!”
I flinched as I heard the child yell, but quickly realized that it wasn’t directed at me. Instead, Rosie was rushing down towards the chicken flock, breaking up the fight in which the loner was being pecked by a few larger chickens. As the human child approached, the birds stopped their infighting and scattered in different directions, crowing in loud panic and discontent. On instinct, I found myself rushing towards the child, forgetting about translation entirely.
“What are you doing?! Don’t touch them!”
I didn’t want her to hurt the cattle accidentally, and I didn’t want her to get hurt by the angry birds in return. But, it seems like the moment the birds scattered, she was satisfied with her actions and turned back to me, wearing another one of her happy smiles.
“Sorry, Mr. Krekos, I just saw chickens being mean. Bad chickens.” She explained.
I was baffled. Why would she interfere like that? When I tried that back when I was just starting, that got me pecked! But with her, the birds just scattered. What if they pecked her?
I took the pad out again and started typing quickly.
“That was dangerous. Why did you do that? What if they attacked you? Why are you even interfering in their natural dynamics?”, questions flowed out of my pad with an artificial human voice.
The girl simply giggled.
“They’re chickens! They aren’t dangerous. They don’t peck that painful and I’ve been scratched worse before. And I have to stop it because bullying is wrong.”
Then she actually noticed that the one that was being attacked wandered close. She casually approached it from behind, the blind spot and just reached down and grabbed it, picking the bird up. I was ready to rush to help the bird when...
“Mwah! There, all better.”
She did a human ‘kiss’ on the back of the cattle bird’s neck before releasing it, the surprise of it causing it to rush off. I knew what kisses were, I’ve seen enough of them between Lena and Reginald, but I believed they were gestures of intimate affection, not... what was even that?
It seems Rosie noticed my confusion as she explained.
“You gotta kiss it so it heals better! That’s what mom taught me.” The child displayed that smile of hers shamelessly. With how much I was being exposed to it, it almost wasn’t unnerving anymore. Still, it was interesting to learn that kisses are seen as something that helps wounds. I guess some species do have saliva with mild antiseptic properties, wouldn’t be too out there to assume humans are the same. And if that’s the case, maybe that’s how the kissing tradition started? Exchange of protective fluid between lovers?
“I see. I did not know that.” I responded before letting my puffed feathers relax. Okay, this whole ‘watching a human child’ thing is turning out to somehow be even more stressful than I expected at first.
“Wait, Mr. Krekos, what time is it?” She suddenly asked, looking up at the sky.
“It’s nearly twelve.” I respond, holopad having a convenient clock for local time.
“Oh no! I need to be home soon! Was nice seeing you Mr. Krekos gotta go bye!”
Before I had even a chance at typing out an answer or my own goodbye, the child sprinted away and back towards the entrance. I had to take flight just to keep up, and even then she just turned around, waved her arm at me and then kept sprinting down the road after leaving the gate. I simply offered a small wave of a wing back before locking the gate again. I suppose it is hard to keep track of time without a device or clock nearby...
Well, at least I had the usual peace and quiet now. And learned a bit more about the creatures I was in charge of. I should really try to deal with my aversion to looking things up on the human internet...
Just as I was about to head back out towards the yard, I heard a loud car horn, a familiar one, getting my attention. Lena’s car. There they were, signaling me, probably having spotted me at the gate from afar. Deciding to make use of my presence here, and hoping to avoid needing to explain that I had a surprise visitor earlier, I went ahead and opened the large gate, allowing the car to enter.
Once it was parked in the usual space, the doors opened and three people came out. Lena and Reginald were both looking a bit disheveled, but their faces carried these smiles that seemed wider than ever before. And third person... Was a stranger. A human I knew of, but never actually met. As he exited the car, a large bag in one hand, he just stared at me, standing in the front yard...
“...okay, I expected many things when I was told you guys housed a refugee, but not this.”
Oh no. Oh no, he was not one of the ones that was willing to overlook an invader that partook in bombing of his planet being allowed to walk free, of course, Lena and Reginald were the weird ones like that, doesn’t mean their son won’t be... I felt the panic rising as I realized I’d need to return to the camp. Why was I upset about that? This was supposed to just have been a way to make money, but now I have a free education program. Do I need to stay? No, but... Why?! Why do I not want to leave?
“Ken, you said it’s going to be alright no matter what it is, right? Wanted us to keep it a surprise to meet a new friend?” Lena’s voice. She should have told him, that’d give me time to prepare why didn’t they give me time why.
“No, no problems, just, really surprised, that’s all... uh... hey, buddy, you okay? You’re really... trembly.”
He was approaching me, and instinct took over as I recoiled, before stuttering out my answer.
“I-I’m fine...”
...thankfully translators don’t translate voice cracks. I hope, at least...
“Hey, relax... I have no problem with you being a krakotl, I just didn’t think...” He looks over at Lena and Reginald. “Calm down... I can wear my visor if you want?”
Right. Those things humans use to hide their scary faces from us.
“I... I’m good...”
Why would it last? It almost felt good after all.
There was some emotion I struggled to read on the young human’s face, as he sighed and shook his head.
“I screwed this up, I’m sorry. Let... Let me try again.” He straightened out, and adjusted his clothing, before slowly approaching me and giving me a small smile, no teeth showing. “Hello. My name is Kenneth Vince and I'm son of Lena and Reginald Vince. I was told you’re a refugee they took in to help out. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
That... snapped me out of it. Right... He was... not upset at my existence. He was just very surprised that Lena and Reginald weren’t. That’s a reasonable thing to be surprised about, considering I was surprised about it to this day. I tried to compose myself as I responded.
“My name is Krekos. I live here as... hired help with the cattle. It’s... nice to meet you?”
The smile on Kenneth’s face widens, though he still refrains from showing his teeth. Instead, he extends a hand towards me. A handshake is a human gesture that I found far from comfortable, but I didn’t want to give him a reason to change his mind on acceptability of my existence, so I took it with a wingclaw. He gently took it and held for a few seconds before letting go and sighing again, turning to his parents.
“You know, I always thought you guys would be empty nesters, but I never thought it’d be that literal.”
That got all three of them laughing, as I just tilted my head in confusion. I was fairly sure there were no empty nests in the house until after I adjusted the attic room for my own accommodations. Still, I took the laughter as a sign that the tense moment had fully passed and let my ruffled feathers slowly rest.
“Let’s head inside. Krekos, we’re having dinner, you’re welcome to join us.” Reginald said, picking up Kenneth’s bag. I tilted my head a little and he followed up with elaboration. “We will be having meat... But there’s still going to be stuff you can eat too. It’s a celebration, so I prepared a bit of everything.”
“Dad, you shouldn’t have!” Kenneth responded with embarrassment.
“None of that! Our son returned from the war, alive and a hero, and we can have a celebration. Krekos, I know you’re still... uncertain about meat so you don’t—”
“I’ll join.”
Wait, who said that? And why did they say that in my voice?
Wait, that was me. Why did I say that?
“That’s great to hear! I’ve got some nice steamed broccoli and some vegetarian fried rice as sides that you’ll enjoy!” Reginald smiled at me and I felt myself shrinking into my feathers. That the humans didn’t notice at least, proceeding into the house instead.
Well, looks like I signed my warrant. At least my bag and my epipen were on me in case something at the table triggers the allergy again. Would be rather unfortunate to have it happen two days in a row.
And that’s how, in just ten or so minutes, I found myself sitting at the dining perch, while humans took seats in chairs, all consuming chunks of roasted flesh and somehow managing to also stuff pieces of equally roasted plants in, and converse with one another. You wouldn’t be able to tell on first look, but despite their mouths being relatively small, especially for a predator, it seems they compensate for it by having those be near bottomless in both hunger and small talk.
I am not sure how I managed to shift my focus away from them consuming animal matter in front of me, however vat grown it might have been, and onto their conversation instead, but I succeeded. I suppose that was just part of me going native around predators. Soon, I’ll be the one feasting along with them before I know it, and snacking on those epipens to not die of it.
Like you could ever be on the same level as humans.
“So, Fahl? That’s where you were sent after the Battle of Earth?” Lena asked.
“Yeah. From what I heard, we got a light posting compared to guys at Sillis or Mileau. The most I had to deal with was some exterminator insurgents.”
That’s right. Since harchen participated in the Extermination Fleet, they were one of those who were occupied by humans during the war. It makes sense that there was at least some ground resistance.
“Honestly, the worst thing out there was the heat. Not the flamethrower kind, the climate. The place was so damn dry and hot. At least exterminators you could subdue or evade. Not so much with the scorching sun!”
I couldn’t resist a small chuckle at the idea of a predator being more afraid of hot weather than flamethrowers as I slowly pecked at the vegetables on my plate. Thankfully it was set far enough aside from any meat dishes that no contamination should occur, but I was still examining pieces before putting them in my mouth just in case.
Seems like reacting was a mistake though, as that brought Kenneth’s attention onto me. He finished chewing latest piece of flesh and pointed a fork at me.
“So, Krekos... Where are you from? Cradle was my guess, but I do know there were refugees from other places like Sillis too.”
That’s a weird question. Isn’t it kind of to be expected for a krakotl to be from our actual homeworld?”
“I’m from Nishtal.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Kenneth chuckled, tossing a piece of broccoli into his mouth and swallowing before continuing, “I meant, where did you live? I kind of assumed you were born there, but it’s not like Nishtal had a chance to send refugees out, and if they did, this is the last place they’d be.”
Oh... I caught concerned looks of Lena and Reginald, looking between me and Kenneth from both sides. Not only did they not make him aware that I was a krakotl, they also neglected to mention just how I came by my refugee status... Which was just a legal workaround to grant me asylum without unnecessary complications or establishing undesirable precedent. Legally, I may be a refugee, but practically... I am a defector. Lena and Reginald know that, I told them my story before. And while they were weirdly accepting, Kenneth... Fought extermination fleet here on Earth. Personally.
Still, I wasn’t about to lie. It took a few moments and gathering mental strength to steel myself, and averting my eyes, focusing on the plate of warm vegetables in front of me rather than the human’s anticipating stare before I answered.
“I did live on Nishtal. I... I came with the extermination fleet.” I responded, doing my best to avoid looking at him. I did not want to witness his reaction, for some reason the thought of seeing it weighed heavy on my mind.
“Oh.”
The response was simple, and had no followup. There was no more clinking of cutlery against plates, or chewing. The only thing hanging in the air of the kitchen was silence, weighing down on me. It dragged on and on... until it just got so unbearable I couldn’t take it.
“I-I’m full... Thank you for the meal.” I quickly said, hopping off the perch and stepping out of the kitchen, quickly making my way to the yard and taking flight.
Fresh air of the outside and rush of it as I flew up and gained speed... I missed that. I knew it’s not safe to just fly over other people’s territory, so I corrected my course into doing large sweeping circles over the cattle yard and simply let my wings carry me.
Flying away from any danger is the only thing I’m good for anyway. The only thing I ever do.
I closed my eyes. With them closed and not focusing on my angle it feels like I’m actually flying away from all the troubles. Away from humans who barely tolerate my existence, away from gojid who see me as worse than a predator, away from Earth and all its incorrigible customs, away from horrid cattle, away from constant memories...
Flying feels nice. It may be a bit harder than it was home, but it’s still possible. I heard that on Venlil Prime or Mileau it’s much harder. But here? Just an extra flap of wings for every few paces and you’re just fine, free to soar the skies...
Alone. With no one to ever share it with me again.
Slowly I let my eyes open back to the bleak reality. Greenery of surrounding pastures and woods, bright blue skies and farmhouses dotted about here and there greeted me. I lowered my gaze down, focusing on what’s below. There they were, fourteen brown and black dots spread around the enclosed portion of the farm territory. I am not sure how much time I’ve spent flying in circles and trying to forget things but my wings were feeling a tad sore. Then as I just began slow descent, in same circular motion, I noticed that one of the birds, a familiar one, was being chased by several others. Recounting the morning, I tried putting the knowledge to action, and shifted direction of descent, swooping down. To my surprise, that actually worked, as the moment I got close to the ground, the cattle birds all got much louder and scattered in all directions, including the loner. Who, at least this time, got off unharmed. I suppose such pathetic flightless creatures would fear a flying one much more than they would when I just run up to them...
Swooping at them from the sky like a predator to intimidate them into behaving... Like an arxur warden.
With the fight preemptively broken up, I flutter up to the roof of the cattle house, to my usual position and rested my wings. I didn’t see any movement from the direction of the house, so I suppose the family is still busy unpacking. Since Kenneth joined the military just before the Battle of Earth, and Lena and Reginald only moved here after their actual house in city of New York got destroyed, it’d be the first time the human is seeing what is basically his new home. There was a room set aside for him since before I even moved in, and while there is also a guest room... That one did not have a large enough window to fit through, which did not feel comfortable. So when I asked for a space with a bigger window they only had an attic to offer. They seemed uncomfortable letting me live in a tiny room with slanted roof, but I found such space more comforting than I would have a large room with a window not large enough to fit even one fully spread wing through.
I wonder if Kenneth will need as much renovation as I did? The house is built for humans, but he never lived there before. Will he need to buy a more comfortable bed? Getting a proper nesting setup in place of a bed took a bit of effort, but I figured something out. Human sheets were comfortable enough for such, and sitting perches were thankfully not that hard to get thanks to help from the refugee administration. Maybe that’s the things that Lena went to buy yesterday? Kenneth’s preferred room decor?
I looked up to the sky to see the sun beginning to dim. I am not sure if it was me flying that long, or me losing track of time in my thoughts again, but the sun was beginning to set. I began my usual chores, putting out an evening meal and water for the beasts, and while they feasted, ate some myself. I was a bit hungry, having not properly finished lunch and about to skip dinner, but after the earlier conversation, I’d really rather avoid giving them the opportunity to talk to me.
After the birds had their fill, and by that I mean they emptied the tray as they always do, I let out the call, and they started funneling into the cattle house. The lonely straggler being first to go and hop into its nesting box. I bet tomorrow I will have trouble with getting her out of there again...
I took the moment to gather some eggs the birds left over course of the day, and once that was over and all of them were accounted for, I closed it up. When I flew down over to the house, there wasn’t anyone by the back door thankfully, so I just left eggs there, returned the basket, and returned to my room through the window.
Well, at least I didn’t get nearly killed today... That’s nice I guess?
I was about to check my holopad when there was a knock on the door. I approached and opened it to see... Kenneth. Standing in the doorway.
“Uh, hi, Krekos. I just, uh... Wanted to apologize again. I really wish mom and dad told me everything ahead of time... I just want you to know, I have no problems with you whatsoever, yeah? It’s just. Surprising, I guess, to hear all that. I didn’t think there were any defectors from the fleet at all... Just. Uh, please don’t worry about me?” He offered me a small smile, showing his canines before quickly correcting himself and doing a closed-lip one. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or make you feel unwelcome.”
I had to take a moment to contemplate his words. Was Lena and Reginald’s weirdness hereditary? He almost reminded me of how Reginald talked to me early on, with constant stumbling over the words, as well as constant reassurances that he is fine with me being here. Couple that with failing to avoid predatory mannerisms like eye contact and smiles like Lena tends to and you get this human. But most importantly and least understandably, there was the general fact of him and them just... welcoming me. I couldn’t understand why. I should be one sorry to them.
“N-No, it’s fine... I’m sorry for... intruding on you and your family.”
“No, no, dude, you’re fine! I mean, hell, I was considering entering one of those exchange programs before the bombings happened, and even after, well, I did my best at Fahl to be the perfect friendly soldier just there to make sure no more bombs drop on my home and not kill or conquer anyone. And then mom told me your story, and I can’t believe it... Just... If you have any issues, feel free to tell me. I’m not one of those racist pricks that are too pussy to even call themselves HF anymore because they know they’ll get their teeth knocked. I get that there aren't good or bad species, just people. And you seem like a decent guy if mom and dad’s judgment is to be trusted.” His smile widened, though it was clear from tension on his face that he had to take conscious effort to keep teeth hidden. “So, what I said earlier stands. Friends, right?”
He extends hand forward, for a second time today. I wasn’t sure if I knew this human long enough to call him a friend... Any human really. But it also seems like human definition of ‘friends’ is anyone they’re cordial and peaceful with. Which is weird. You’d think translators would properly use ‘acquaintance’ for that.
Still... We will be living in the same house now. I can’t just say no, and... I can’t come up with a reason to say no. Even him being a predator and a human is not something I could really say I object to, considering how... mundane that became to me over my time here.
So, with naught on my mind but acceptance of the situation, I extended my wing and grasped his hand with my claw. This time he actually gripped it tightly and moved it up and down, as I saw other humans do occasionally.
“Yeah... I guess that’d be for the best.” I responded, shrugging off the hesitation. Fresh start for a third time, I guess?
The human grinned, forgetting to hide his teeth entirely, but I was ready for it somehow and avoided outwardly reacting.
“Cool! Anyway, I’ll try to get some shuteye early, I couldn’t sleep on the overnight flight home. See ya!”
And with that he left. Well... That meeting went well I suppose?
I returned to my nest and picked up my holopad, returning to what I was doing. And there it was, something I awaited every day. A notification that I was messaged on mailing app. Opening the letter revealed the schedule for the study program. Which... only had one day marked on it. And a note that the rest of it will be figured out ‘as we go from there’. So it’s not a schedule, it’s just a mark for the day of the first meeting.
While a bit underwhelming, it was still exciting. It would be an all-alien class so I wouldn’t have to deal with humans’ incomprehensibility nearly as much, and it would allow me to finally return to pursuing what I actually dreamt of. Even if I wasn’t entirely sure that was precisely what I wanted after everything that happened, it was at least something for me to move towards.
...just two days until start. I wonder if there’s some required reading to prepare?
[First] - [Prev] - [Next]

Sveiki, pastebėjau, jog gan sudėtinga rasti sąrašą sporto varžybų kurios vyksta Lietuvoje, tai pagalvojau, kad galėčiau pasidalinti saviškiu su kitais. Dar yra nemažai sporto šakų kurias reikia pridėti, bet jei turit specialių pageidavimų - praneškit ir pažiūrėsiu ar pavyks pridėti. Visa informacija šiuo metu yra iš federacijų/lygų puslapių.
Automobilių sportas - https://www.lasf.lt/lt/renginiai/

Data	Renginys	Vieta
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos automobilių mini kroso čempionato III etapas	Ramygala
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos automobilių Street Race čempionato II etapas	Kuršėnai
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos drago čempionato I etapas	Kazlų Rūda
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos žiedinių lenktynių čempionato B lygos I etapas (LTCC-B)	Kačerginės Nemuno žiedas
25/05/2024	2024 m. Lietuvos žiedinių lenktynių čempionato I etapas	Kačerginės Nemuno žiedas

Badmintonas - https://www.badminton.lt/lt/a/events

Data	Renginys	Vieta
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Bs	Šakių jaunimo kūrybos ir sporto centras
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Cv, Es	Panevėžio KKSC rankinio sporto salė
25/05/2024	19-oji Lietuvos Taurė (2-etapas) Ds	Kretingos sporto centras
25/05/2024	AUKŠTAITIJOS TAURĖ (Kopija)	Delfi sporto centras
25/05/2024	Klaipėdos vasara	Klaipėdos energijos sporto salė

Beisbolas - https://lithuaniabaseball.wbsc.org/en/calendar

Data	Renginys	Vieta
24/05/2024	Radviliškis v Kauno SM „Gaja“	Šeduvos stadionas, Radviliškis
25/05/2024	Beisbolo Klubas Vilnius v VBA - SM „Sostinės Tauras“	Jomanto parkas, Vilnius
25/05/2024	Kauno „Lituanica“ v Utenos „Titanai“	SM Gaja Regbio stadionas, Kaunas

Dviračių sportas - https://ldsf.ldsf.lt/calendar

Data	Renginys	Vieta
24/05/2024	Pirmenybės S. Pauliukaitės taurei laimėti ir trenerio A. Lenkio atminimui ir Lietuvos vaikų plento čempionatas	Mosėdis/Skuodas
26/05/2024	MTB Žemaitijos Taurė II-as etapas	Akmenė

Lengvoji atletika - http://lengvoji.lt

Data	Renginys	Vieta
22/05/2024	Rokiškio rajono kūjo metimo čempionatas	Rokiškis
24/05/2024	Lengvosios atletikos metimų diena LSD „Žalgiris“ ir Utenos DSC prizams laimėti	Utena
25/05/2024	Lietuvos LAF taurės atviros varžybos. LLAF sporto klubų komandinės varžybos	Kaunas
25/05/2024	Tradicinės meistrų metimų daugiakovės varžybos	Klaipėda/Vilnius

Rankinis - http://handball.lt

Data	Renginys	Vieta
22/05/2024	Vilniaus VHC „Šviesa“ v Klaipėdos „Dragūnas“	Vilnius
23/05/2024 (jei reikės)	Kauno „Granitas-Karys“ v HC „Vilnius“	Kaunas
25/05/2024	Klaipėdos „Dragūnas“ v Vilniaus VHC „Šviesa“	Klaipėda

Kitos sporto šakos

Sporto Šaka	Nuoroda	Data	Renginys	Vieta
Boksas	https://boksofederacija.lt	23/05/2024	XIX-asis tarptautinis bokso turnyras „Gintarinė pirštinė”	Klaipėda
Orientacinis Sportas	https://orienteering.lt	25/05/2024	Foreststadiums.lt sprintų taurė	Vilnius
Plaukimas	https://ltuaquatics.com	25/05/2024	Sostinės sporto centro taurės varžybos	Vilnius
Vandensvydis	https://lvfed.lt	23/05/2024	Lietuvos vandensvydžio VYRŲ čempionatas Finalinis turas	Alytus
Žolės Riedulys	https://www.zoles-riedulys.lt	22/05/2024	Lietuvos vyrų čempionatas (B grupė) Rudamina	Rudamina

Not Another Teen Movie is a hilarious spoof on classic teen movies. In this wacky high school world, Jake, the popular jock, makes a bet to turn Janey, the quirky artist, into prom queen. As Jake gives Janey a makeover and navigates high school drama, the film playfully mocks the overused cliches of teen comedies. Expect awkward crushes, wild schemes, and outrageous situations, all with a healthy dose of self-aware humor.
Click here to watch not another teen movie for free!