Free crochet blanket turtle patterns

Super Simple Crochet Pattern 😍 Çok Kolay Tığ İşi Örgü Modeli" https://youtu.be/mrzrXDH19O0?si=1KjehEVQdMffzVC3 *

Hey there :) I'm a 21-year-old college student/musician going to school/spending most of my time in the Southern part of the USA. I've always had trouble dating and socializing, but I'm a hopeless romantic and refuse to let the world make me bitter 🤣!! Dating apps have been HELL, so I'm really *taking a chance here! [Looking for anyone 21+, please!] *
A little about me: I'm going into my senior year of college studying music! I'm in a band and love, love, love playing and writing music. Some of my favorite bands are Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Veruca Salt, Placebo, Cocteau Twins, and many others! I love vampires (specifically those of Poppy Z. Brite and Anne Rice) cats, astrology, tarot, movies, mortuary science, crocheting, exploring nature, thrifting/antiquing, coffee, clowning, and trying new foods! Although I'm introverted, I'm sometimes kind of adventurous and sensory seeking :) Something that I think has kind of barred me from having a lot of luck with dating is the fact that I'm an introverted autistic person. I want human connection, especially love, but it's pretty tough for people like me :( I'm pretty introspective and want to have long, weird, deep conversations with others whose hearts and heads work the same way mine does, but it proves difficult in the romantic sense. If it matters, physically, I'm ~5'4 + plus size/curvy! I'm pretty fair-skinned with curly black hair and brown eyes, and a few piercings on my face & ears. I'm usually in 'goth-lite' attire now that I'm in university and don't always have time for all the beautiful gothy glamour much anymore, lol. I love to dress up for shows or special occasions though, and have recently been getting into clown makeup!
I'm usually really attracted to the gentler, more creative, and at times odd types with dudes :) Musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, and the like. BUT- totally open to other kinds of people, for sure! I'm a stereotypical goth girl in the way that I usually end up fawning over the lanky, long-haired brooding boys. So... if you've got long hair and sad blue eyes and look like you've just risen from the grave, you're already one step ahead of the rest. 🤣🖤 But at the end of the day, beauty comes in all forms!! I prefer someone older than me, also! (21-27 is the sweet spot, but I won't say no to any eligible vampires lololol)
I've had a lot of experience with online flings and situationships, and wouldn't necessarily mind an LDR, but I'm really attached to the city that I live in and would like to stay put on my end. Hopefully, you'll like where I live, also. It's a special place <3
I'd love to talk and hopefully have a fantastic friends-to-lovers arc, and hopefully, one day adopt many cats and watch horror movies for all of eternity :) I'm a little nervous about putting myself out there again, but nothing will happen if I don't try! Feel free to message me :)

We will go over some spiritual homework that is suggested to strengthen your aura and to build your body to repel manipulation or obfuscation, which is confusion. The 12th Dimensional Light Shield is an excellent way to build the integrity of your lightbody while repelling negative or dense energies from sticking to your energy body (aura).
So our core support practice is you wake up in the morning and your first step is to make a daily declaration of your intention to resolve the authority problem between the ego personality and God. And that can be simply stated in these words or words of your own that feel emotionally charged and connected to you such as:
My declaration of intention to serve my source. I commit to serve my highest power fully completely and totally.
I am God. I am Sovereign. I am Free.
We will go over some spiritual homework that is suggested to strengthen your aura and to build your body to repel manipulation or obfuscation, which is confusion. The 12th Dimensional Light Shield is an excellent way to build the integrity of your lightbody while repelling negative or dense energies from sticking to your energy body (aura).
So our core support practice is you wake up in the morning and your first step is to make a daily declaration of your intention to resolve the authority problem between the ego personality and God. And that can be simply stated in these words or words of your own that feel emotionally charged and connected to you such as:
My declaration of intention to serve my source. I commit to serve my highest power fully completely and totally.
I am God. I am Sovereign. I am Free.
How to build your personal 12D Shield:
And then you work with shielding your body, your personal energy field. Most of us know in becoming introduced to our body of work here at Energetic Synthesis, our core practice is the 12th dimensional shield. The 12th dimensional shield is a practice that fortifies and strengthens our aura by reconnecting us to our 12th dimensional blue print or Kryst or krystal body. As we shield ourselves, we learn energetic boundaries of our aura. And then we can learn to boundary test our aura to discordant energies that are uninvited.
The shield also helps us to re-imprint our body to physical and energy sustainability and health and this achieved by bringing balance to the body. It also allows communication to be restored with our spiritual forces and star family. It also empowers our body, ourselves to re-awaken the wisdom of our true origins which may mean we start to decode light language or start to understand more about the hidden history of our planet and of our race.
So as we work with the 12D shield, we use the six-pointed star, which is two triangles of merkabah that is representative of our merkabah body. Many of us are seasoned with this exercise but for many of us that are new and joining us now, let us go through the process of the 12D shield.
Coming in to the center of your brain, visualize a nice silver six-pointed star, the Star of David in the center of the brain. This geometry means unity, unity of polarity coming in to oneness with God. Allow that six- pointed star to be in the inside of your vision in the center of your brain. Feeling that unity move that geometric pattern of the six-pointed star down your chakra column, the center line of your body, and see it release between your legs.
You are going to send that all way to the core of the earth. And as you see your merkabah star, your unity connected to the core of the earth, see that humongous merkabah star in the center of our planet with all of your love, with all of your intentions sending unity of our planet, sending unity to every being on this planet.
As you see a thick feed line of platinum energy start to gather around you from this connection. Taking inhaled breaths you may feel in imprint of a cool menthol kind energy as the platinum shield feels kind of cool like mentholatum or eucalyptus. Memorize this imprint for it is: I am God, I am Sovereign, I am Free. It is the true krystal origin of your connection with God force. As you embody this force, you become the promise that embodies it for all of humanity.
With each inhale, as you feel your body start to connect with that frequency, again connect to that six-pointed star in the center of the earth and draw it up with your breath. As you see it returning back to you, have it stop in a position about 12 inches below your feet. This area beneath you is where the core mathematical signature of krystal body as it connects into your aura exists.
See your six-pointed star 12 inches below your feet and as you do you will see a platform, almost a circular horizontal platform emerge. This platform is your shield, it is your protector, it is that which builds the bottom of your spiritual house. It is your foundation to your spiritual house. So build that foundation. As you feel the firmness and the support building the foundation of your spiritual house in a circular platform, see your six-pointed star in the center of that platform. It is your core, it is your pillar, it is your strength and it belongs to you and no one else. This is your covenant and protection with God always.
As you feel your foundation, now start to sense and see that your 12D shield, a platinum energy emits off your foundation and feel it building a circular pillar of platinum sparked white light around you covering your body, every cell and pore of your energy system emitting and connected to crystalline light of God. As it protects you, as it hold you, as it supports you, it is your foundation and it is your security.
See it building over your legs and hips as it reaches your waist and your shoulders. Start to see it building above your head. You are going to intend to strengthen this pillar and build this pillar about 3 or 4 feet above your head. And this is the first dimensions to build your pillar in order to protect the personal aura body. If you bring your aura in and you want to protect the boundaries of your energy field - you can use this technique so that you can learn to test discordant energies and allow only that which is invited to impact your energy field. You are learning to boundary test. You are learning to create a boundary with your personal energy field before you can start to share this field with the planet and with others which will naturally happen as you become more stabilized and balanced in your own energy field. This process is called “commanding your personal space”.
Allow the shield to build and see yourself fully encompassed in your personal platinum pillar from 12 inches or so beneath your feet to 3 and a half to 4 feet above your head, your entire aura, your entire body saturated and protected in this strong pillar of platinum light.
And now we are going to build the same foundation on the top as you did on the bottom as you again in your inner vision - connect to the six-pointed star in the center of the foundation of your spiritual house. Let’s start to bring that six pointed star up through the center column of your body. Again the six pointed star represents the unity of polarities, unity of the inner masculine/feminine, it is all represented in this merkabah star symbol as it we allow it to move up the body’s center column and see it release at the top of the crown chakra. Send that six-pointed star to the very top of your pillar of light and let it linger there for a moment about 3 to 4 feet above your body, right in the center above your head. See that thick white light building strength in your core. That is your monadic staff or your central vertical channel. It’s the structure where your chakras are built upon.
If you cannot see this, just intend it for that is enough. In your vision, as you intend to put the six-pointed star 3 and half or 4 feet above your head see it start to build. It will start in its own movement of spinning to start to build yet another circular foundation above your head. You are protected below and you are protected above. As you create another lid to seal yourself inside your personal pillar of light , this is the roof of your house, the roof of your spiritual body.
We are going to see that “lid” as a circular platform just like you did below on your foundation. Create a circular roof that is like your lid on top of your shield. And as you feel that roof firmly being built these are the spiritual energies of your inner god force. Seal that seal in to the top of your platinum pillar of light. When this happens it almost feels like a hermetic seal as your are fully suspended in this protective light, fully shielded in your spiritual house and from this place you can use discernment, you can boundary test in all modalities and all decision and in all things that cross your path. If something becomes unclear or confused, allow it to be tested against your shield. Is it of your resonance? Is it not of your resonance? If it is not, do not fear it, let it go and move on your personal path. You are not missing anything. You didn’t make a bad decision. There is no mistake, only that which resonates with your personal heart-based God force and that which does not.
So you again feel yourself suspended in the protective spiritual house and pillar of God’s light. Program it through I am God, I am Sovereign, I am Free and allow nothing that is not aligned with those frequencies to enter your field, to enter your shield.
Finally focus on the six-pointed star, your Unity Merkaba symbol at the center of your personal pillar 3 to 4 feet above your head. You are now intending to ground multi-dimensionally by sending your six-pointed star out into deep space and into the connection with the Heart of the Universe, the heart of God itself. See your Merkabah Star flow away from the top of your shield through a platinum feed line all the way into the core of the Universe and grounding yourself into the center of the Cosmic Heart of the Universe.
And now from the place of your shield, you are going to invite your higher self, God self and your Ascension Guides, those which are in alignment to your sovereign freedom and to your highest evolution and heroic probability as we establish the connection with your beloveds, with your spiritual family. You know you are never alone. You know you are fully supported.
As you thank your Ascension guides, as you thank God, and allow yourself to be filled with peace, harmony, balance, and integration. Know that you are on the path of Ascension and on a need to know basis. And as you trust, you will receive all that you need in the moment. Learn to trust and listen to your inner spirit. Release all your worries, all of your doubt. Cast your entire burden to God now. In deep love and gratitude complete your meditation and seal your communication and intention.
https://youtu.be/XhuLXYLhz-c

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🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

Hey guys! fnafking_93 here! Today, I'll be explaining the subject on the consistient strategy for 10/20 mode! Before I get into this in deeper meaning, I wanna thank Shooter25 for bulding a strategy that was game-changing in the FNAF community! What is this strategy?
Now, I'm pretty sure everyone has a strong comprehension about the strategy I'll be showing you guys! But this article is for those who are struggling with 10/20 mode or for the players who are wanting to beat this mode very consistiently but have no idea how!
Strategy:

1. According to Shooter25, Foxy can only attack at a 10 second interval! So the goal is pretty straightforward: Skip the 10 second interval!
   
2. Every single time, Foxy can not attack while a blackout is occuring in the game screen, you can use this time to skip the 10 second interval! Once the office comes back into view, flash the hall and then check the right vent for Toy Bonnie! If he's not there wind the music box until ______5.5 or _______6 second mark and then drop the monitor and wear the Freddy mask
   
3. Of course, 10/20 mode has ubquitous problems that will appear at one point! That problem is when there is no blackout niether is Toy Bonnie in the vent! If this happens, repeat the pattern of: Right Vent Light, Flash Hall, Check Left Vent and repeat until the _______1 mark and then wind the music box until the _________5.5 mark, and then wear the Freddy Mask! Now let's say, no office animatronic appears and Toy Bonnie is not in the vent ! And when you check the left vent (Toy Chica or BB) are there. Something I like to do is flash the hall until the ____1 mark to skip the 10 second interval or you can flash the hall a good amount. You can choose which way is the most optimal way!
   
4. If Toy Bonnie is in the vent, flash the hall until the next ______5.5 interval and then wear your mask! Toy Bonnie will play his animation right away or he'll take a few seconds. If you get the red warning for the music box (Which is extremely rare) then don't wait the 0.75 seconds and immediately wind the music box and Puppet Stall, something I like is to flash the Puppet 2 times to stall him for sure and not expect any unwanted surprises!
   

For the new players to 10/20 mode, this will take some practice to get used too! You'll need a stopwatch and a good mental state because 10/20 mode is pretty mentalily taxing on the new player! Just remember new players: Go at your own pace! It's not a race! by fnafking_93! Don't compare yourself to others who have defeated this mode a trillion times in a row! Trust me! You'll be able to master this strategy in no time! Just remember to take breaks when needed because 50/20 mode will require a lot of breaks so practice the good habits now! Take your time because I would rather have someone who took there time on this mode and understood on what they did, instead of someone who beated first try and didn't even understand a single thing they did!
As always if you have any questions feel free to comment below! I didn't explain everything in this post because it would take forever to! So I decided to post my own video of me completing the mode with this strategy!
Thank you for reading this article and I hoped if helped you new player and I'll see you in the next article!
fnafking_93
If you need help with FNAF, Geo Dash, or Granny then you can find me on instagram, tiktok, discord, and reddit and you can message me on any of the following games if you want advice or some coaching through them!
Instagram: fnafking_93
Tiktok: allenginesgo0
Discord: fnafking_93, benjaming6264 (Try one of these)
Reddit: Correct_Tiger_9533

Artist: Jackey Brake Sculpture by: Irina Kaplanskaya Kit Name: Teddy Painted Hair by: Born Again Reborns Length: 19" (48.26 cm) Weight: 5lbs 4oz
Comes with Coa, Blanket, outfit of my choosing and pacifier with magnet so please be careful near pacemakers. Asking $350 due to paying for the hair separately. Free Shipping

I know I've posted here a few times asking for patterns but I have some glow in the dark yarn and was wondering what I should make with them. I tried making a daisy granny square and hexagon but im giving them a break for now because I am getting frustrated. But what other stuff should I make with them? I almost want to make a blanket but they're small so I don't know how I could.

I will pre-empt that I am only one celiac, and I am not a Dr or anything like that. But I wanted to share how I went from constantly sick and confused, to healthy and normal after so many years. I am hoping that by sharing this, I can help some other sufferers escape their daily pains.

1. The hardest but most necessary part for success. Stop everything. It sounds like a lot, and it is. The problem with our bodies is it does not give us a clear daily report on what is affecting us. So most of the time we encounter an issue and wonder what out of several things could have caused it. It is impossible to solve your system like that. The best thing I did was live a few months with the barest basics I could manage. Rice, water, fruit, no makeup, body or hair products. I used certified gluten free soap and shampoo, and only ate what I knew sat comfortably. I ignored all other temptations and kept my social life minimal as possible, just enjoying home and resting. I know to take time out of our lives usually means dropping the ball on other things, but doing those things is so much easier when you are healthy. It is worth finding the time to give yourself as much of a break as possible. Once I felt I was clear of any gluten symptoms and had given myself enough time to heal, I began to slowly reintroduce items one at a time, very slowly. The first year sucked the most, because it was the year I had the least on the menu, but as you try and feel safe with more items, you get a better idea of what sits well in your system and what doesn't. By taking this time to pay attention to how foods affect you, you will get a much better understanding of what can help and what can hinder you. Now when I am contaminated there is rarely a guessing game of what got me.
   
2. I got an additional allergen test and talked with the doctor about my system. I did a 3rd party allergen test that found I was sensitive to some types of fish, nuts and spices, that were adding to the internal inflammation I was struggling with. My doctor did a test that found out my digestion moves slower than normal and I have high acid content. With this information, I cut out the other foods and noticed a large decrease in my inflammation issues, as well as the medication I got to help control my stomach acid. I was also able to think about my meals and make better decisions based on what could create too much acidity and to find more alkaline foods that could help during inflammation times. This helped me better understand the signals my body would tell me, and prevent additional digestive issues from muddying the waters of my recovery and understanding.
   
3. Symptom and food journal. I recorded every bowel movement and meal, as well as what symptoms I would feel and how long they would last. I set a regular alarm on my phone and had a journalling app, so I could journal from anywhere regularly. I made sticky notes for myself to remind myself too. I would forget some days, but even recording what I could remember would help. After doing this for a month, I could see some patterns that I didn't recognize before and I was able to share it with my doctor. This helped him understand what I was going through more clearly, and he was able to do a lot more to help me with that information that before.
   
4. Research and Advocate - Doctors usually only know celiac disease in a passing sense, they read a paragraph in their university textbooks or have surface level knowledge. Many do not have active experience and can even harbor biases without realizing. This is where the symptom journal can help show what you are suffering daily and makes it harder for them to blow you off. Take the time to learn everything you can about the disease and how it can affect you now and in your older years so you can know what to look out for. My doctor mishandled my care for a long time, because I was too young to understand how to advocate for myself. As I got older, I was able to do my own research and I would send my doctor emails with what I found. This is when he admitted he was unaware of the additional science, and began to do his own research. He began to be much less resistant to helping me and understood I was a patient that was serious about their health. It is worth it to learn how to document and communicate your needs.
   
5. Therapy. Having food become a danger messes with the head, and it is understandable. I became food avoidant and fell below 90 lbs at one point, I didn't know what meals would add to the hurt, nothing made me feel better at the time. I would rather starve all day than attempt anything. I ended up becoming fearful of leaving my home even. Not everyone gets this scared, it depends how rough the symptoms are. My symptoms were always intense, so I became fearful of triggering them. Over time though, I worked with my therapist and we treated it like rungs on a ladder. I took my fears one step at a time, challenging them and proving to myself that I could be safe, that I could escape the cycle of perpetual pain. With his motivation and me holding myself responsible, I was able to become more confident and assured.
   

This process took me many years, it was not something I could accomplish in a short burst, but a steady accumulation of my efforts over time. It took a lot of focus, and I had to drop the ball on other things in my life to do it. But I am not sick everyday anymore, I don't feel that constant pain I would carry around and my mind feels clear, my heart energetic. It's been a hard road to understand and master my celiac, I look back at the beginning like a soldier reflects on war. But there is a chance to feel normal again, it takes some swimming, but it is worth the effort. I promise you that.

🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

🌟 **Craft a Super Easy Crochet Headband Pattern: Effortless Style for Your Hair!** 🌟... https://youtu.be/FNA_FqABjgc?si=uydYP3JzRBoxufN2 *

First...Previous
Colonist Booker Smith
UNS Lightbringer
Of all the skills I’d picked up throughout my short lifetime spent back on Earth, I never would have guessed that the ability to mix up homemade hairspray would prove to be so useful. Looking over myself in the captain’s bathroom mirror, however, I could hardly deny the results. Though our faces looked rather different, if one were to judge purely based upon hairstyle, Theruf and I would be indistinguishable.
Adjusting the newly-shortened cuff of Theruf’s uniform sleeve, I exited the lavatory and at a brisk clip took off back toward our ship’s medbay. Stepping inside the room, I watched as Emma and a newly-thawed evolutionary biologist with thinning hair carefully carved into one of the corpses produced during our recent confrontations with the Phylix. Meanwhile, against the room’s far wall, a tall, lanky electrocranial engineer formerly employed by Cogitolink could be seen hooking up various wires to a sedated Theruf whilst John kept watch.
“What all do we know?” I asked, stepping over to the dissection table and taking in its scent akin to that of rotten vegetation mixed with maple syrup. If we were to successfully blend in with Phylix civilization, adequate biological knowledge would be every bit as important as cultural.
“I’ve never seen anything quite like this!” Replied Em, her tone absolutely giddy as she looked up from the microscope under which rested a clump of Phylix ‘flesh’. “Sure, they might look Human on the outside, but internally the differences between us are staggering. For example, while they do obtain a vast majority of their energy from the consumption of organic matter, Phylix also appear to be capable of sophisticated photosynthesis.”
While surely for someone more well-versed in life sciences all this would be incredibly fascinating, I as a hairdresser was far more interested in things that would aid me directly. “And how do they match up in comparison to us?” I asked, hoping to more fully understand what we were up against here.
Experienced as Emma no doubt was in dealing with plants, comparing and contrasting different organisms was far more in the evolutionary biologist’s domain, and as such it was him who next spoke up. “Their bodies appear to prioritize energy efficiency above all else, with some concessions being made for reflex speed,” he began, carefully analyzing an extracted strand of alien sinew as he spoke. “They require fewer than half the calories we do in order to function at optimal capacity, and a small portion of that is covered for by their photosynthetic skin.“
“So we need to eat more than they do. What else do the Phylix have over on us?”
“Let’s see… Phylix skin is tougher than ours, and they appear to possess powerful regenerative abilities almost like those of bamboo. We have them beat at just about everything else, however…” The biologist half-smirked, glancing over at a computer screen loaded with variables beyond my understanding and typing in yet another set of data. “Their reflexes, while rather fast given the gravity of this planet, are nevertheless inferior to our own. We also far outclass them in terms of strength, speed, and endurance.”
“Their central nervous system is different too,” murmured the electrocranial engineer, looking over a three dimensional model presumably of Theruf’s brain—its central mass sequestered inside his skull with roots extending outward from it to form what we Humans had at first mistaken for hair. “I’m seeing signs of both repaired and newly-created neurons within this one’s brain: Humans can’t do that. Phylix neuroplasticity is also off the charts, indicating an enhanced capacity for learning and the ability to adapt to whatever brain damage can’t be healed.”
That was good news for Theruf, at least, given what we had done to him when first obtaining a root sample. If there was one thing I knew about evolution, however, it was that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. “What’s the trade off?” I asked, hoping for something else that we might be able to leverage against the Phylix.
“I’ll need more specimens to say for sure, but looking at this one, my current hypothesis is that they traded away much of their pattern recognition.”
This insight, while much appreciated, was not why we thawed out a Cogitolink employee. “Will you be able to download his memories?” I asked, tapping repeatedly upon my forehead for emphasis. Initially, I had planned to simply interrogate Theruf for information on how to blend in, but threatening a fanatic with martyrdom was about as effective as threatening an alcoholic with a second gin and tonic. Having all the soldier’s knowledge loaded into my GRIM would allow me to blend in seamlessly with his kind, eliminating much of the involved guesswork.
“That depends…” Replied the engineer, his tone unnervingly somber as he navigated to yet another screen. “Their neural structure is too different from ours for a direct transcription, meaning I likely won’t be able to get anything more than basic information… Unless…”
“Unless what?” John growled, looking down upon our unconscious prisoner with icy disregard.
Following a long moment’s hesitation, the engineer eventually relented and with a heavy sigh imparted upon us our second option. “If we run a high-power charge through his brain, the computer will be able to map almost the entire thing. We’ll be able to blend in with his kind perfectly…”
“Lemme guess: there a big fuckin’ catch, isn’t there?” John half-groaned, staring down the former Cogitolink employee as he awaited the inevitable affirmation and elaboration.
“If turning his brain into a heap of organic mush is what you’d consider a drawback, then yes.”
Silence fell over the room as we all contemplated the weight of such a decision. Killing in self-defense was one thing, but the borderline execution of a sapient being, no matter how vile, was another matter entirely. All it took to shatter this quiet, however, were two words from the commodore’s mouth. “Do it.”
Again, the engineer hesitated. “Are you sure?” He asked, his fingers remaining at rest in spite of the order. The rest of us, meanwhile, were too stunned to speak out.
“Don’t you lot forget the contract we signed!” Barked John, his tone booming with power and authority befitting a military man. “Humanity’s survival is our top priority. At all costs.”
At last regaining her voice after several long moments of speechlessness, Em stepped past the commodore to stand in solidarity at the engineer’s side. “Theruf is a brainwashed victim of his own society—we can’t just murder him for following orders!”
“Let’s not be overdramatic here!” Cautioned the biologist, his expression utterly unfazed by the notion of putting down our prisoner. “He’s a fascist soldier who’d kill every last one of us given half a chance. At least this way he’ll die for a good cause.”
Indecision immobilized me amidst my fellow’s colonists’ arguing. Back when I first pressed Theruf’s own gun to the back of his head, the urge to end him on the spot had been palpable. Now, however, given the chance to put things into perspective, I wasn’t sure what we should do with the captive. So I remained silent as the lot of them continued their impromptu trial of the unconscious Phylix.
“I’m not so sure I’m comfortable doing this…” The engineer winced, his hands falling away from the keyboard as he cast down his gaze from the waiting commodore’s glare.
“Fine…” John growled, taking a step towards the surgery bay computer and placing his own hand upon it. “Just tell me what commands to type in and I’ll do it. No blood on your hands, right? Just mine.”
Evidently dissatisfied with this rationalization, Em rounded the dissection table and began to approach the commodore as though to stop him manually. Her efforts, however, were thwarted when the biologist moved to intercept her. “We can’t take any risks here!” He sighed, outstretching an arm toward me for emphasis. “If Booker’s disguise fails, it’s game over for us, for the colony—maybe for humanity for all we know!”
“Listen to your fellow scientist,” sighed John, regarding Emma with a confusing concoction of warm understanding and cold, ruthless utilitarianism. “If you think I get some kind of sick kick out of this, then you’re dead wrong; but I swore an oath to keep Humanity safe, and if I have to kill a million of these bastards to do it, then I will not hesitate.”
“Wait!” Stammered the engineer, grabbing John’s arm as though to prevent him from pressing any of the keys. “There might be another way. If you guys can obtain a few more living samples for me, I might be able to calibrate a non-lethal mapping charge.”
“And how many ‘samples’ is that going to take?” Asked the biologist, his tone dripping with skepticism.
For a moment, the former Cogitolink employee hesitated to provide us with an answer to this fairly straightforward inquiry. Eventually, however, he relented in his secrecy. “Forty… Maybe fifty?”
“Getting that many captives would take time that we don't have, Manley!" John barked, offhandedly referencing the engineer's surname amidst his admonishment of the idea.
This argument continued for what must have been half an hour, devolving at times into a shouting match between Emma and the commodore before then cooling off yet again into cold, yet relatively-peaceful periods of debate. This rhythm of argument was disrupted, however, when Em jabbed her finger towards me. "Booker is the one whose going to be wearing Theruf's appearance: it should be his choice whether or not to sacrifice him."
Whereas before the group had been divided into two sides, on this matter Manley and the biologist seemed to agree with Em, deriving a somewhat frustrated sigh from the commodore as he suddenly found himself outnumbered. "Fine..." John conceded, searching my expression for any indication of what route I might take here. Unfortunately for him, even I had not a clue at the moment what to do. "Booker: you've heard our cases for and against this plan, so what do you think we should do?"
If I'm honest, I would have been perfectly happy to let this debate play out entirely without my input. If I agreed to this plan, then the sap of our prisoner would be on my hands; yet if I declined and we wound up failing, then it would be my bloody signature upon the colony's death warrant. The decision was by no means an easy one. Perhaps from an outside perspective, John might seem to be overly callous, but to those of us in that room it was abundantly clear that his actions stemmed from a genuine desire to protect the colony.
Before the lot of them dragged me into this debate, I'd have been perfectly fine with either decision, but now that it was my finger on the trigger, I simply couldn't bring myself to pull it. "We can work with the basics," I confirmed, prompting from the engineer a sigh of relief as he began calibrating a weak mapping charge that would only penetrate the most well-trodden of our prisoner's neural pathways. "We're going to need more identities to infiltrate the camp with anyways. Theruf's people should come looking for him soon: I'll play the part and draw whoever shows up back here so we can capture them."
"And what do you propose we do with them once they're in our hands?" Growled John, still evidently not quite sold on this idea. "We don't have the resources to keep them locked up for long."
"We could use the cryopods!" Replied the botanist in my stead—Fortunately so given my lack of a workable answer. "Judging by Phylix cell structure, they appear to be capable of hibernating to a certain degree, much like certain plants on Earth. So long as we keep the cryopod temperatures in the correct range and thaw out any prisoners once in a while to ensure they don't break down, it should be enough to keep them sedated or at least docile." Em concluded, her expression hardened by newfound acceptance of our circumstances.
Completing his setup of the charge to no fanfare from the rest of us, Manley typed in one final chunk of commands before pressing down upon the terminal's 'enter' key, causing Theruf's body to twitch slightly as a loading bar appeared on screen showing the download progress. When at last the final pixel of white was overtaken by green, my GRIM was quick to notify me of the database's new addition.
Gently pulling Theruf's gun from its holster at my side and turning it over in my grasp, my brain tingled in response to the artificial neuron stimulation of Theruf's implanted memories. Gesturing for the others to follow me, I once again traversed our ship's hallways until the night sky's glittering canvas shone overhead.
Back when I had first held Theruf's weapon in my hands, it had felt completely foreign to me. The mechanisms on it made nary a lick of sense, and in all honesty I probably couldn't have fired it if I tried. Standing amongst the skin trees with our prisoner's memories in my mind, however, I was able to draw the gun and flick off it's safety in a single fluid motion. Behind me, the other colonists watched as I put three shots into one of the trees in front of us, aiming for a large central scab eerily reminiscent of an eye. Trails of crimson dripping from tree's flesh marked where my shots had landed., and though none of them actually hit their mark, the fact that all three bullets even hit the tree at all despite my never firing a gun in my life was in itself evidence of the download's success.
"Not bad..." John chuckled briefly, stepping up beside me and drawing his own gun before planting three shots square in the scab's center, causing it to burst like a blood-filled balloon. "Your aim still needs work, though."
Studying for a moment the bullet holes left behind by my demonstration, Manley hummed in contemplation. "Muscle memory transcriptions are never perfect," he explained, looking curiously upon the weapon as I returned it to its holster. "They can't override more powerful neural connections for example, which is why John's aim is still superior. That being said, Booker, I'm more concerned about what you know than what you can do. The chip should provide you with context when you encounter situations common to Theruf, but it's unlikely you'll be able to recall complex details. You know how to use that gun, sure, but I'd wager to guess you still haven't a clue how it works."
He was right, of course. I knew that I had to hold down the weapon's trigger for at least one second in order for it to fire properly, but I still hadn't a clue why that was the case. Closing my eyes and concentrating upon the information newly nestled within me, I cleared my throat and assuming a rough approximation of our prisoner's voice spoke out. "I am he known as Theruf..." I began, mentally exploring every available aspect of this newfound role dictated to me by the GRIM. "I was raised in the small town of Dzidra. My father works as a mechanic and I have two siblings: Mathul and Zekari... John: get everyone inside the ship and prepare your men for an ambush. I'll go back to the ridge where me and Boris first saw the Phylix and wait for more soldiers to show up, then I'll lure them back here to be captured alive. Can you work with that?"
"Are you seriously asking if I can prep a simple ambush?" Began the commodore, sounding almost offended by the notion of such a thing being in question. "Don't worry about us, 'Theruf': just bring some guests and I'll throw the damn party!"
Satisfied with our plan, John gave me a pat on the back for good luck as I set off once more into the night, weaving between skin trees until our ship’s lights faded from view altogether. At last arriving once more at the overlook, I sat down a few feet from the ledge and there awaited the arrival of Theruf’s fellow soldiers.
Glimmers of new dawn peered out from under the distant horizon amidst my watch, casting shadows upon Theruf's wicked workplace as though to hide its atrocities from the judgmental light of day. Only just had this planet's parent star crested into view when at last were the forest's rhythmic respirations interrupted by a distant grinding of tires against dirt.
Rising to my feet and making my way toward the noise's source, I soon enough found myself stood at the edge of a hitherto-unseen clearing. Hiding myself from sight behind a nearby skin tree, I watched as a bulky military vehicle trundled uphill to then find rest upon the relatively-level forest floor. No sooner had this vehicle come to a stop than did three soldiers clad in uniforms not unlike Theruf's step out. "This is where our brothers in arms were last known to have been," began one of the men. "We should fan out and search the area."
Sounds like that's my queue... Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves, I dramatically limped out into the clearing, waving frantically to my supposed comrades. Though at first they had raised their guns to the noise of my stumbling out, these soldiers were quick to lower their weapons as they got a good look at me.
"Theruf?" One of the soldiers called out, stepping toward me without hesitation. "Good to see you well, man: where are the others?"
"They need help, Fhasda!" I sputtered out in a tone of faux-panic as Theruf's memories filled in the gap of this one's name. "We were investigating a strange object crashing into these forests... And we found something!"
"What exactly did you find?" Asked one of the other soldiers, looking upon me with newfound skepticism.
Staggering back into the forest with a gesture commanding these three soldiers to follow, I turned back around to conceal a grin as they did so without hesitation. "Let me show you: they're this way!" I exclaimed to the unwitting Phylixm, deliberately remaining vague with my explanation so as to keep their curiosity piqued. When at last the ship's lights came into view, I slowed down to allow for Fhasda and the others to catch up as the four of us continued on toward the now vacant entrance ramp. "They're in here!" I told them, pointing toward the open entryway.
Gasps resounded out from the trio of guards as they looked upon the Lightbringer in total disbelief. "What is that thing?" One of them asked, prompting from Fhasda an unsure shrug as he recklessly approached the main ramp.
"We don't know!" I lied, leaning back against a skin tree to signal my exhaustion. "I know they were brought here by whatever attacked us. I think it's gone for now, but I'll keep watch out here in case it comes back!"
"Good idea," Fhasda affirmed, gesturing for his men to take formation around him as without another moment's hesitation they walked up the ship's entrance ramp and entered into the jaws of a waiting ambush...

I want to try a new hobby, making clothes, blankets ... but of course start small. I thought "hey, knitting", but talked to some people. And they recommended trying crocheting instead, because I am a bit of a perfectionist and want to be able to relax a bit starting even if it's not perfect. They said it's easier or something to mess up a bit with crochet, like that with knitting, if you miss a stitch or a loop, the whole thing or the whole row falls apart. I know there are all differently-sized needles and different kinds of yarn. What are like the most basic basics to recommend to someone picking it up for the first time?

i tried it. i was so excited for it.
i am, unsurprisingly, frustrated. the basic granny is my GIRL, crochet clicked for me like magic when i learned the granny square, and they've always been my fav to make. ofc like all of you i hate weaving ends, so this seemed like my holy grail. i saw the bad reviews but thought "i can fix her."
i was so wrong. i could not fix her she was so much more broken then i thot. rows that take anywhere between thirty seconds and two minutes are now taking me forty minutes with infinite frogging and restarting trying to adjust tension, following their exact pattern, following every other way ik to make a basic granny square, everything.
id get one row and the next would be filled with its own issues. it recommended a 4in tail size 5.5mm hook, i used a 10in tail and a 6mm hook and Barely even got the initial square to work. row two was so loose and floppy bc i relaxed my tension so dramatically to make it work. row three i used a 6.5mm hook. row four and five never saw the light of day.
i saw a few creators eventually get it to work as directed, so i'm curious if some dye lots are better than others. i ofc got the gothic lesbian flag (or 70s dream as i've seen some refer to it) color pattern.
that is all, thank you for reading. i'm off to weave in infinite ends for my granny square temperature blanket.