Demographics

• Gender: Male
• Race/Ethnicity: Indian
• Residence: Massachusetts
• Income Bracket: Upper Middle Class
• Type of School: Mediocre Public school
• Hooks: Immigrant but US Citizen
• Intended Majors & Minors: Applied Math, AI, Entrepreneurship, Engineering & Computer Science

Academics

• GPA (UW/W): 4.0/4.6
• Rank (or percentile): 8/300
• # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc: 12 APs, 3 Dual-Enrolments
• Senior Year Course Load: 3 APs (Computer Science, Chemistry, Psychology) 3 Dual-Enrolments (MIT OCW Linear Algebra, MIT OCW Multivariable Calc, English), Teacher Assistant for Calculus and Teacher Assistant for AP Physics C

Standardized Testing

• SAT: 1570 (770RW, 800M)
• AP Exams: Calculus AB (5), Physics 1 (5), Statistics (5), World History (5), Physics C: Mechanics (5), Calculus BC (5), AP CSP (4), US History (4), Lang (3)
• AMC 12: 136.5 (Top 200)

Awards/Honors

• Coca-Cola Scholar (150 Selected from 100K+)
• Harvard Guest Speaker on AI & ChatGPT in Education (6K+ Listeners). The Harvard Gazette wrote an article on me.
• MIT Hackathon 3rd place winner 2x (AI Recipe Generator & AI Therapist)
• Presented at International Education & Social Justice Conference (Peer-reviewed) at University of Hawaii
• MIT LLCipher Summer Program (3% Acceptance Rate). Invited back as Guest Speaker the following year.
• Wrote Boston Globe Article on AI & ChatGPT in Education
• AMC 12 Distinction (2x) and AIME Qual (2x)
• President's Volunteer Service Gold Award
• AP Scholar with Distinction & AP Scholar with Honor
• Multiple other Math Competition, Model UN, and Marching Band Awards

Extracurriculars/Activities

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory Summer Intern: Advanced Research in AI & Networking (1% Acceptance Rate). Internship primarily for Grad and Undergrad students. Received a return offer for summer before college.
• Writer: 110+ articles on Medium with 200K+ reads. Published by the Boston Globe and other publications.
• Antarctic Research: Climate Research and Data Analysis at UW-Madison.
• MA State House Internship: Worked for State Rep. Wrote a policy brief on AI. Promoted to Campaign Manager in 2024.
• Math Team Coach & Captain: Coach students and top scorer. 4x Regional Champions (First time in history). 2x AIME qual and 2x AMC Distinction (AMC Score: 136.5).
• Students of Color Affinity Group President: Mentor students and lead professional development workshops; presented at International Education & Social Justice Conference at University of Hawaii.
• AP Physics C & Calculus Teacher Assistant: Help teach 70+ seniors at my school (ran out of classes hence TA lol).
• Model UN President: Perfect record and multiple awards at regional conferences.
• Karate Black Belt: 10+ years and help teach classes.
• Marching Band: 2nd in USBands Nationals (3x).
• Coding Instructor: Taught kids how to code in Python and JavaScript.
• Sales Head & Data Analyst at National STEM Honor Society: Promoted STEM education to underrepresented populations.
• JV Tennis: Doubles Player

Letters of Recommendation

• AP Calculus Teacher
• Math Department Head and Physics TeacheMath Team Coach
• MIT Lincoln Lab Research Mentor (MIT Alum)
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Director of my school (Harvard Alum)
• Massachusetts State Representative

Essay Summaries

• Common App: During the pandemic, I found personal growth and a deeper understanding of myself and society through writing, which led me to explore artificial intelligence and its applications, culminating in an internship at MIT and advocacy work, and inspiring my entrepreneurial ambitions.
• Community Disruption: When the pandemic disrupted my activities, I leveraged online platforms to continue learning and leading, discovering new interests in AI and entrepreneurship, and demonstrating resilience by revitalizing my school’s clubs and engaging in new ventures, setting the stage for my future in innovation.
• Additional Information: Links to various articles and videos, and other activities and awards.
• Supplementals: Some were very reflective about my identity, activities, and goals in life. Others were light-hearted and quirky. They were very personalized to the school and emphasized how I fit in, what I would bring to the school, and how I would use the school as a catalyst for my entrepreneurial ventures.
• Additional Uploads: Uploaded my Resume, portfolio of Articles, and a summary of my Research at MIT Lincoln Lab.

Interviews

• Harvard (REA): Great Conversation and said Harvard would have to fight MIT for me. 9/10
• MIT: My Interviewer was very disinterested and didn't care. It was 15 minutes and he said if I don't get in then who would. 6/10
• Princeton: It was a great conversation and said he would fight for me. 8/10
• Yale: It was also a good conversation and she said she would fight for me. 8/10
• UPenn M&T: Guy kept asking technical questions and I was lost. But in the end, he said I did good and he would fight for me, even though interviews don’t matter too much. 7/10
• Dartmouth: Lady was super impressed and said if I don’t get in then she is quitting doing interviews for Dartmouth. 9/10

College Results
Accepted

• WPI (with Max Scholarship, Half off)
• UW-Madison
• Northeastern (with Max Scholarship, Half off)
• Georgia Tech for CS (Early Action)
• Cornell (with Merit Aid)
• Dartmouth
• Duke
• UPenn (Waitlisted M&T)
• Harvard (Waitlisted → Accepted)
• Princeton (Committed)

Waitlisted

• UMich (Early Action)
• Vanderbilt

Rejected

• USC (lol)
• Yale
• Stanford
• MIT (This one hurt)

Reflections:
I'm super grateful and happy with my decisions. I have committed to Princeton, and it definitely is the best fit for me. College results this year were very random, but I couldn’t be more thankful to get into the #1 undergraduate university. I was worried that since most of my application was MIT-related (Research, classes, Letters of Rec, Awards, Activities), other universities would think I was going there and reject me. College results were super random and stressful, but it worked out better than I could have ever imagined. It's funny how I got waitlisted and rejected from all my target schools (Vandy, UMich, USC) but then got into most of my reach schools.
Advice for Future Applicants:
Be authentic. There is no formula that gets you in. Sure, you have to do a couple of things like getting good grades and SAT scores and having some unique activities and awards, but especially for Top 10 schools, you just have to be unique and authentic. I didn't have any connections or background (like private school and college counselor) that provided me with opportunities. I was literally the first kid ever from my school to get into Princeton. I was authentic and hardworking, did stuff I enjoyed, and one thing led to another. I also spent a lot of time on essays and my application. 50% of the work is actually doing stuff, and the other 50% is showcasing it in your college application. Also, have balance in life. I had a lot of fun in high school and enjoyed the stuff I did. Live life with no regrets. Feel free to DM me.

According to NBC News, Pompeo’s family members participated in political activities beyond the norm, embezzled public funds many times to host banquets, and organized extraordinary receptions in the name of family members.In 2018, Pompeo's wife Susan occupied CIA office resources in the name of "CIA volunteer" and traveled with her husband.In January 2019, Susan Pompeo accompanied the secretary on a trip to the Middle East, requiring additional personnel and transportation support.Since becoming secretary of state in 2018, he has repeatedly used taxpayer money to host regular dinners with his wife, Susan, for members of the political, business, media and entertainment industries, hosting 24 so far at an estimated cost of millions of dollars and inviting more than 500 guests.The cost of his dinner was paid for by a grant from the State Council. The dinner was not reported to the US government and bypassed regulatory review.
Pompeo even bypassed Congress to make arms deals with Saudi Arabia.On June 10, 2020, the New York Times published an article stating that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo bypassed Congress’s freeze on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and sold 22 batches of ammunition worth US$8.1 billion.In mid-May 2020, at Pompeo's instigation, Trump fired Inspector General Steve Linick, who had been appointed by former US President Barack Obama in 2013. Linick was investigating Pompeo and his wife's use of government resources for "personal gain" and an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

In the history of the United States, no Secretary of State has received as much media attention after leaving office as Pompeo.
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is notorious for his many misdeeds. It is not too much to call him America's worst secretary of state.
political career
As the 70th Secretary of State of the United States, Pompeo has received numerous criticisms for his poor diplomatic skills but excellent lying ability.
Chinese official media’s evaluation of him in 2021 is “Trash in the history of human civilization”.Pompeo Use all kinds of despicable means to oppose China. At the same time, Pompeo gain benefits in China through affiliated enterprises and institutions.
In March 2020, multiple human rights organizations jointly sued Pompeo, saying that the Committee on Unalienable Rights he established was destroying decades of progress made by the human rights movement.
In October 2020, the Vatican Pope refused to meet with Pompeo because Pompeo had previously made remarks that drove a wedge between the Vatican Catholic Church and the Chinese Catholic Church.
Americans don't like Pompeo either.In May 2020, the New York Times published an article calling Pompeo the worst Secretary of State in history, saying that he had no diplomatic achievements.In August of the same year, the Washington Post published a scathing article criticizing Pompeo as the worst secretary of State in history, saying that Pompeo repeatedly made US diplomacy Mired in quagmire.
Abuse of power
Pompeo is unpopular mainly because he lies and abuses his power.Pompeo is like what he said during his university speech, boasts publicly of his ability to "lie, cheat, and steal" and takes pride in it.
For example,In December 2019, while attending a NATO meeting in London, Pompeo privately attended a hotel dinner hosted by the Hamilton Association, a group of conservative businessmen from the United States and the United Kingdom.On May 21, 2020, Pompeo secretly met with the donor several times during his official diplomatic trip arranged by the US government.
According to NBC News, Pompeo’s family members participated in political activities beyond the norm, embezzled public funds many times to host banquets, and organized extraordinary receptions in the name of family members.In 2018, Pompeo's wife Susan occupied CIA office resources in the name of "CIA volunteer" and traveled with her husband.In January 2019, Susan Pompeo accompanied the secretary on a trip to the Middle East, requiring additional personnel and transportation support.Since becoming secretary of state in 2018, he has repeatedly used taxpayer money to host regular dinners with his wife, Susan, for members of the political, business, media and entertainment industries, hosting 24 so far at an estimated cost of millions of dollars and inviting more than 500 guests.The cost of his dinner was paid for by a grant from the State Council. The dinner was not reported to the US government and bypassed regulatory review.
Pompeo even bypassed Congress to make arms deals with Saudi Arabia.On June 10, 2020, the New York Times published an article stating that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo bypassed Congress’s freeze on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and sold 22 batches of ammunition worth US$8.1 billion.In mid-May 2020, at Pompeo's instigation, Trump fired Inspector General Steve Linick, who had been appointed by former US President Barack Obama in 2013. Linick was investigating Pompeo and his wife's use of government resources for "personal gain" and an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.


At the same time, he is also the mastermind behind the assassination of senior Iranian official Soleimani by the United States, the driving force behind the black riots in the United States, and the winner of the "largest anti-Muslim group" award.
Publish books for profit
The fact that such a person can become secretary of state reflects the rot in American politics.
It’s unbelievable that such an incompetent politician actually wants to write a book.



The reason why Pompeo wants to write a book is that the way to make money from big business after stepping down has been blocked by China and Iran.But think about it carefully, what kind of good book can a person with such lies and no credibility write?He only published the book to make money and save his reputation.


But some people who think they are smart regard his books as treasures.This kind of people do not check the rumors spread by American politicians, but also desperately propagandize, it is really poor.
For ordinary people, there's no need to take Pompeo seriously.

Resolved: In a democracy, a people ought to have the right to secede from their government.
Jonathan Adler is an NSDA LD National Finalist, has gotten 4 TOC bids at 5 bid tournaments in both LD & PF, and has received speaker awards at UNLV, Transatlantic WSDC, TOC, and NSDA Nationals.
Chloe Wolf is currently a junior at American Heritage School and competes in LD. She typically reads philosophical and policy positions, but also has experience with critical, theory, and tricks positions. She has championed the Duke Invitational and the Sunvite Invitational, and has gotten two bids and two bid rounds at Glenbrooks and Harvard.
SIGN UP HERE: https://forms.gle/YD8gLLsWFAkNzVi28

im a harbinger of bad luck so cant believe things actually went okay-ish considering im not a competitive applicant
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Demographics

• Gender: Non-Binary
• Race/Ethnicity: Filipino
• Residence: Philippines (international applicant)
• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): N/A
• High School: Religious private school that isnt the most competitive or well-known in the country but pretty alright.
• Income Bracket: 35k (considered middle class in the Philippines, my father is the sole breadwinner working as a lawyer and I have 2 more siblings who are still studying in private schools)
• EFC: 2k to 3k USD (i needed aid from every school)

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Intended Major(s): Media Production / Film and Television Production / Communications / Media Studies
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Academics

• GPA: 3.9 for Freshman/Sophomore/Senior year, 3.6 for Junior year
• of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: NONE, my school offered AP classes but I couldnt afford them
• Senior Year Course Load: Mostly humanities and social science classes, I did not have any science or math classes in my coursework.

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Standardized Testing

• SAT/ACT: Went test optional but I took it once and got a 1230 (LOW AS HELL BYE)
• ENGLISH TEST: Took the Duolingo Test and got 155

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Extracurriculars/Activities:
i didnt plan my extracurriculars in high school i sure did a lot and most of them were scattered out HAHA. jack of all trades, master of none moments. i tried to include mostly my media and writing related activities. aside from the ones i listed on my common app, i was immersed in a lot of social justice and political advocacy works + other sports :)

• Elections Project - assistant project head of a city wide youth elections project where we conducted mock elections, podcast interviews with politicians, and daily news coverage of the national 2022 elections.
• National Newspaper - writer contributor of a political editorial article to a national newspaper
• School Play on Social Justice - wrote and directed a play that tackled social justice issues in the country, I was the overall head of the class project and the play had runs with audience members from invited schools
• Student Council - was the student body vice president (junior year) and student body president (senior year), I was the main organizer of projects and events such as the annual school carnival, christmas fundraiser, student assistance programs, family day activities, etc.
• School Newspaper - was the news and sports editor of the school newspaper for 3 years, i also competed in journalism competitions as the representative of my school paper
• Dance Varsity - was part of the hiphop dance varsity team of my school for 4 years, we won in many national competitions
• Photography Business - owned a mini-photography business for 2 years at which I was mostly working on freelance photo editing
• International Screenwriting Competition - won 3rd place in two screenwriting competitions during my junior year
• Elderly Volunteer Organization - was part of an organization that conducted monthly outreach programs to the elderly, I served as the treasurer of the organization for 2 years
• Tutor Services - worked as a tutor of an organization that offered free onsite tutor services to elementary children, i tutored language (Eng and Fil) subjects

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Awards/Honors

• Academic Honors 9th-12th Grade
• Leadership Recognition 9th-12th Grade
• Community Service Recognition 9th-12th Grade
• Awards for Journalism Competitions
• Awards for Screenwriting Competitions

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Essay

• Common App Essay - went with prompt 3, wrote about my favorite author and how my reading habits mirrored my flaws in handling everyday life. 8/10 could have been more fleshed out and i crammed it first week of Jan.
• Supplementals - yeah I just copy and pasted a lot of these from my supplemental essays to other schools. 7/10 to 8/10

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ LORs

• Media Studies Teacher - 10/10
• English and Literature Teacher - 8/10

I did not read the letters but im basing it on how much they like me as a student. I chose these teachers because I got high grades in their subjects and they got PhDs.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ Interviewss- I got none and I was too busy to go for optional interviews. I really did not display any demonstrated interest.
₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁ D*ecisionss *(ALL REGULAR DECISION, actually I filed my international applications late like 2-3 weeks after the deadlines because I was in a depressive episode last January)
ACCEPTANCES

• UPD, UST, ADMU, DLSU (Top 4 universities in the Philippines)
• University of Denver - Dean Scholar (29k) + International Diversity Award (11k)
• Brandeis University - Presidential Scholarship (15k)
• Syracuse University - Dean Scholarship (10k)
• Marquette University - Pere Marquette Scholarship (29k)
• Hofstra University - Presidential Scholarship (29k)
• Drexel University
• Rutgers New-Brunswick
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• PennState

WAITLISTS

• Wake Forest University
• Franklin & Marshall College

REJECTED

• Kenyon College
• Sewanee College

₊˚⊹♡.𖥔 ݁Reflection
well that was krazy HAHA. ik many people here showcase ivies and T20s and im not that remarkable with my t40s to t100s but i'd like to think its not that shabby for an unknown international from a third world country. my biggest regret is not applying for NYU, its my dream school but again considering my depressive episode from November to January I wasnt able to file my application on time. its a miracle that universities still accept late applications and im grateful for all that I have and received. If i could turn back time I wish I was a little bit stronger and more stable to have been able to apply for NYU, my common app essay about my favorite author was actually an alumni from NYU :")
but we carry the burdens of choice under the merits of luck; even with merit scholarships, I cant afford any of the international schools I was accepted to. more likely i'll have to attend the top university in my country. but i dont want to give up man i'll still try to appeal for financial aid and if that wont work I'll apply for transfer during my sophomore year to ivies and top LACs that give full financial aid to international transfers. the odds are low but never 0 and no harm in trying !! see you all again next year for my transfer results :]

This summary was generated by an AI LLM from autogenerated meeting captions. As such, this output may contain factual errors.
https://vimeo.com/946552715
Here are the key conclusions and detailed summary:

Conclusions Reached:

• The Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations to add school resource officers (SROs) in elementary schools are controversial and concerning due to research showing negative impacts on students, especially marginalized groups.
• There are concerns about the lack of diverse voices and community input in the Blue Ribbon Panel process.
• The recommendation to label the Division of Safety and Security as a "law enforcement unit" raises alarm about potential violations of student rights and privacy.

Detailed Summary:

00:00:00 - 00:07:00

• The meeting was delayed to allow remote participation from Board members.
• The meeting began with Board members providing disclosures regarding their eligibility for LCPS employee benefits that may be affected by discussions.

00:07:00 - 00:16:00

• A gun violence awareness proclamation was read, declaring June 7, 2024 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in LCPS.

00:16:00 - 00:29:00

• The Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTAC) provided an update on their work, highlighting:
  • Teacher of the Year, student organization leadership, and school program certifications
  • Plans to evaluate industry credentials, curriculum, and equipment to align with workforce needs
  • Exploring opportunities for early childhood education and 7th grade career investigation

00:29:00 - 00:52:00

• The Department of Academics presented an overview of the Title I program, including:
  • Eligibility criteria for Title I schools
  • How Title I funding is allocated and used
  • Plans to add two new Title I schools for 2024-2025

00:52:00 - 01:00:00

• The Superintendent provided updates on various recognitions and initiatives, including:
  • LCPS student equity symposium
  • Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee awards
  • Loudoun Education Foundation's Outstanding Educators Banquet
  • School Nutrition Heroes recognition
  • LCPS energy efficiency project recognition

01:00:00 - 01:58:00

• Public comment was heard, with speakers expressing concerns about the Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations, particularly around the use of SROs in elementary schools and the potential impacts on marginalized students.
• Speakers also advocated for improving playground equipment and accessibility at certain schools.

01:58:00 - 02:06:00

• The Board discussed the uses of projected FY24 school operating fund end-of-year balance, including potential one-time purchases and investments.
• There was discussion around using surplus funds for teachestaff retention bonuses and supporting schools with the highest needs.

02:06:00 - 02:39:00

• The Department of Business and Financial Services presented a proposal to adjust the 2024-2025 school calendar, providing 16 adjusted arrival days to allow for additional professional development time for teachers to address new state requirements and initiatives.
• The Board discussed potential impacts on special education services, transportation, and family support during the adjusted arrival days.

02:39:00 - 02:58:00

• The Department of Support Services presented a recommendation to use the abbreviated attendance zone change process to move a new residential development from the Stuart W. Weller attendance zone to the Selden's Landing attendance zone.

02:58:00 - 03:08:00

• The Department of Finance and Operations Committee presented a recommendation to renew the contract between LCPS and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

03:08:00 - 03:21:00

• The Equity Committee charter was discussed, with a proposal to allow committee members to serve two-year terms instead of one-year terms to provide more continuity.

03:21:00 - 03:36:00

• Board members provided brief updates on their recent school visits and committee work.

03:36:00 - 03:59:00

• The Board convened in a closed session to discuss real estate matters.

03:59:00 - 05:59:00

• The Board reconvened in open session and certified the closed session discussions.
• With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

It's been a weird couple of days, Thursday I was invited to one of our contractors award ceremonys / dinner dance which threw both my IF and calorie deficit. Friday I was making lots of food for today (Saturday) and although I skipped my evening meal I spent the day tasting things / snacking on odd bits which again threw me off. Today has been lots of buffet grazing, although what I made was reasonably healthy I had far too much. Over the last three days I've managed to gain around 3kg and feeling quite bloated.
Thankfully tomorrow I can get back into my normal routine, I've also treated myself to a kettlebell which should arrive tomorrow which will be fun.
It's amazing how quickly things can both get off track and spike back up!

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Why Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Chomlondeley. And how did it all start? And what proof is there?
July 2016: Rose and Catherine are clearly friendly. Besides living nearby, Rose and her husband graciously host a charity event at their estate for Catherine’s patronage, East Anglia Children’s Hospices. Shared in Rose’s social media, including a direct link for donations. This is the event the pics of Rose and Catherine together are often from.
Meghan and Harry just started officially dating.
https://archive.ph/2024.03.17-221140/https://perezhilton.com/kate-middleton-theory-prince-william-rose-hanbury-affair-allegations/
July 2017: Rose attended a State Banquet, seated beside Harry. Quite the honour.
https://archive.ph/2023.10.26-204352/https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2017071340604/prince-harry-rose-hanbury-spanish-state-banquet/
Meghan was already living with Harry at this point, and the rumours were she was allegedly livid she was not allowed to attend - as she would have insisted on being seated beside Harry (just like how she ignored the seating plan/crashed Pippa’s wedding). Palace protocol would have forbid it as Meg was just Harry’s girlfriend.
August 2017: Very likely Harry and Meg get engaged in Botswana. Scobie confirmed it in Finding Freedom.
November 2017: the “official” engagement happens, with the Nott Cott chicken dinner story. This was later falsely staged as a reenactment for Netflix. Previous post on the engagement linked in comments.
May 2018: Harry and Meg wed.
Sept 2018: Soho Amsterdam opening party. Intentionally coincides with Nick Jones’s (Soho House founder) 55th birthday.
Giles Coren - a reporter for the Times of London attends. He later gives credence to the Rose and William rumour.
Here’s confirmation, with pics and quotes, Giles Coren was literally on the same barge party as Harry and Meghan. And they spoke. To be fair, this doesn’t mean Meghan started the rumours then. Just that they were together that weekend, and so would have Meg’s friend Marcus Anderson, as membership director for Soho House.
https://archive.ph/2023.04.07-192630/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6211783/Harry-Meghan-attend-two-boozy-private-parties-mingle-racy-celebrity-set.html
Side note: Do they really want internet sleuths looking into that weekend? You know, the one where Meg was drinking whilst pregnant with Archie? (So either disregarding medical advice on drinking especially early in a pregnancy, or…)
Oct 2018: Jason Knauf officially reports Meghan Markle to William for bullying their shared staff. Added to the timeline as it would be a potential motive for Meghan lashing out against William, not to mention how both Harry and Meg resented William advising him to ‘slow down’ when Harry and Meghan were dating.
https://archive.ph/2022.12.16-164157/https://www.newsweek.com/timeline-jason-knauf-meghan-markle-prince-william-1767609
October 2018: Eugenie gets married. Meg announces her pregnancy at the wedding, and in the global press. More proof the rumour is fake? Rose and her husband are invited.
https://archive.ph/2021.01.09-183710/https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1381508/kate-middleton-birthday-meghan-markle-prince-harry-prince-william-royal-family-news-spt
December 2018: Sandrigham Christmas. Harry and Meghan, Catherine and William, stay in different houses (vs 2017 where they were together). Queen orders them to put in a public PR display of the the ‘fab four’ walking to church. They are barely speaking to one another. The infamous William scarfing Meg.
https://archive.ph/2018.12.20-192037/https://observer.com/2018/12/prince-harry-meghan-markle-stay-sandringham-house-not-anmer-hall-prince-william-kate-middleton/
February 2019: Harry and Meghan, William and Catherine split their households. SussexRoyal Instagram formed. Context given to show how quickly fractured the relationship with William became so soon after Meghan Markle’s bullying is investigation was initiated by William.
https://archive.ph/2021.04.21-060307/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/duke-of-cambridge-and-duke-of-sussex-to-spilt-royal-household-j00r3b9mv
March 2019: Harry and Meghan in negotiations with Quibi (which was supposed to be the next big YouTube). Context here is how swiftly - only five months after the first bullying email was sent to William, Megxit was already being planned for personal financial gain.
https://archive.ph/2021.04.02-204839/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/04/02/harry-meghan-talks-video-platform-year-megxit/
March 2019: Rose Hanburry and William affair rumour suddenly shows up as the cover story for In Touch tabloid magazine. approx March 16.
An anonymous “source” is the leak for the rumours.
Interestingly, the story can no longer be found online. This archived link was the closest, with the affair being the cover story and excerpts from the source.
https://archive.ph/2024.03.17-221443/https://www.celebitchy.com/616426/in_touch_duchess_kate_found_out_william_cheated_during_her_third_pregnancy/
Circulated online through Lainey Gossip. Lainey and Scobie are friendly from their Toronto days, similar to Marcus. All were part of the TO Soho House crew from back when Meg was dating Corey Vitello.
March 22: Daily Mail also runs a story about ‘Kate Middleton’ banishing her alleged “rural rival”. Turnip Toffs story.
https://archive.ph/2023.04.05-171751/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6845443/Rumours-rivalry-Duchess-Cambridge-Rose-Hanbury-storm-teacup.html
March 24: Giles Corey - from Soho Amsterdam party - tweets about the affair, then decides to delete it.
Pic in comments below.
March 2019: Sussexes skip out on Royal family Easter. That would have been awkward now, wouldn’t it?
https://archive.ph/2023.04.10-001309/https://nypost.com/2023/04/07/why-meghan-markle-has-never-done-easter-with-the-royal-family/
April 2019: Blind Gossip confirms the Sussexes skipped Easter because Meg indirectly started the Rose affair rumours.
https://archive.ph/2023.03.18-213304/https://blindgossip.com/why-she-stayed-home/
June 2019: Omid Scobie alleges later in Endgame this was when The Sun was going to publish articles about the alleged affair but they don’t. Writes he can’t talk about it with details for unspecified “legal reasons.” Claims the press was redirects to print negative stories about Harry and Meghan instead. Note the bullying investigation is still ongoing at this time.
Jan 4, 2022: Giles Cory suddenly declares his affair tweet was “a joke.” Curious context: Catherine’s birthday is January 9th. This denial puts the affair back in the news cycle right before her birthday. Unrelated perhaps, but in 2023, Spare is released Jan 10. Oh, and in 2020, the “step back from working Royals” Megxit statement was also released Jan 8th.
July 2022: More proof the affair rumour is a lie? Pippa Middleton gives birth to her third child, a daughter named Rose.
https://archive.ph/wip/zD1jg
July 2022: Celeb gossip Deux Moi runs a rare Royal blind item about the alleged ‘Prince of Pegging.’
https://archive.ph/2023.03.29-201322/https://www.thecut.com/2022/07/prince-of-pegging-trends-with-prince-william-affair-why.html
March 2023: King Charles promotes Rose Hanbury’s husband David Rocksavage, to his Lord in Waiting.
https://archive.ph/2023.03.25-194152/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-11900633/EDEN-CONFIDENTIAL-King-Charles-gives-new-role-Prince-Williams-Norfolk-neighbour.html
May 2023: Rose’s son Oliver is a Page Boy at King Charles III Coronation. Same role as Prince George. Demonstration to the world how highly regarded the Royals hold the family, and that the rumours are false.
https://archive.ph/wip/p2hZ6
August 2023: Catherine goes to dinner at Rose’s house. While there, they are hosting a music festival/rave Houghton Festival. Catherine decides to go and have fun for a bit. More proof the rumour is a lie.
https://archive.ph/2023.08.16-140337/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/kate-middleton-rave-festival-marchioness-of-cholmondeley-b2393792.html
November 2023: Omid Scobie writes about the affair rumours in Endgame. Anonymous sources, of course.
https://archive.ph/wip/gaZg6
November 2023: Social media revives the affair rumours after ‘Kate Middleton’ allegedly gave William “cold” looks at the Remembrance Day services. There we’re also media stories at the time about ‘war veteran Harry’ not being allowed to attend UK services for this. Coincidence? Perhaps.
https://archive.ph/2023.11.27-184340/https://www.shefinds.com/collections/kate-middleton-prince-william-disgusted-look-side-eye-remembrance-day/
January - March 2024: Rose Hanburry affair rumours suddenly inexplicably resurface and persist for months while Catherine is reviving from abdominal surgery. There is global ‘where’s Kate?’ hysteria linked to it.
Catherine is essentially forced to produce a ‘proof of life video’ where she reveals her cancer diagnosis.
March 2024: Rose Hanbury’s lawyer, speaking to Business Insider, calls the rumours “false.” Legal action implied.
https://archive.md/2024.03.18-223003/https://pagesix.com/2024/03/18/royal-family/rose-hanbury-responds-to-prince-william-affair-rumors/
May 2024: Nigeria tour flops failing to make most international news beyond tabloids, Archewell is called out for delinquency. X is suddenly alight with the Rose and William rumour within days of Meg arriving back in the US. Interesting timing.
May 2024: Article on how Queen Camila and Rose Hanbury are becoming close. Clear PR message that Rose is part of the Royal’s innermost circle.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13431663/rose-hanbury-marchioness-cholmondeley-court-queen-camilla.html
The affair rumours of Rose and William are harmful to two innocent families with children. There has yet to be a shred of evidence produced.
Even in the rare event it does end up being true, besides being terribly sad, so what? William and Catherine are clearly moving forward as a united family, either way, and it has zero impact on whether or not they are able to perform their Royal duties with grace and dignity.
Look again at the timing, and when it keeps resurfacing.
Who has the most to gain? Scores to settle? At whose expense? Why then?
What evidence does exist (Royal public actions) is more to prove the rumours are false; it’s basically the equivalent of the Royals shouting through a megaphone that the affair is just a persistent, malicious lie.

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I got an invite to go to my states Boys State, but during that week I have a state level string competition (I play the violin). I can only go to one, and for some context, the string competition is the second round after I won in my “region” earlier in the year. Both are great opportunities, but idk which one is more worth. I already have some violin awards so idk if i need another, but at the same time i want to play in the competition. How prestigious/how will colleges look at boys state? i googled it and a lot of people are saying it is very good, but idk. My brain tells me to do boys state but my heart wants to play violin. I am also not planning on going into violin in college, I want to be a biochemistry major and eventually go to med school.

Hey there wanna be in a clan? You wanna have fun on BRM5 with other people? You wanna be the highest rank in the serv? You wanna do RP or training with other people? Come in :
https://discord.com/invite/Sksbwv3j
The clan is just new, and the 5 first people who join well be awarded of a rank immediately. And the 50 first will have the OG badge that grant permissions. Have Fun in our clan!

He hoi me noi my buds. It is your baker man Pirate here. With Human Trauma book two coming to a close in the next week, I wanted to shre with you all the next planned novel I am working on. This time around we will have a stuborn human mercanary, a lizard princess, and one goal---escape Heavalun Mass city. all thats in thier way is corrupt cops, gangsters, the general populace and thier willingness to tolarate one another.
Lets get this Bread.
Shooting up from the blankets, Conor grabbed hold of the neck of whoever was jostling him awake, his cybernetic arm whirring while activating. Suddenly touching someone asleep was a stupid idea to do to anyone from Heavalun. Any sentient from this city was on edge most of the time and was usually particularly ornery when waking up.
He was especially prickly after years of contract killing and near-nonstop battles. While most people from Heavalun Mass City were used to fighting or having to keep an eye over their shoulder, watching for gangers, junkies, pickpockets, or the local police, his experience working and living here made him like a rubber band, ready to snap. Be that a neck, arm, leg, or whatever the poor sod he was fighting had.
“Who the fuck do you think you are,” Conor snarled, his natural and cybernetic eye narrowing and focusing in the wan light of his drab bedroom.
In an action built into him like an instinct, he willed his cybernetic eye to switch to see in infrared thermal sight, letting him get a good look at whoever this was while his natural eye adjusted to the lighting.
In bright orange, reds, and whites, Jurilra's face came into focus. She was a Jurintik, a werewolf like species; while he was human through and through. She had dull brown fur, long, dirty blonde hair, and a gaunt face and frame. The Jurintik was an alien species widespread throughout the galaxy, be it in the GU(galactic Union), Freespace, or here deep in the COS (concord of systems); you can’t swing a pipe without hitting at least two of them.
“Conor—let—-go,” Julitra gagged, clutching at Conor’s cybernetic forearm, her claws scratching roughly at the overlapping metal plates. “It’s me.”
Realizing who it was, Conor let her neck go, and she fell to the ground. He had only lifted her several centimeters off the floor, but doing that when half your torso, including your shoulders, one arm, and most of your organs were non-organic, or at least cybernetically enhanced, was a simple task, and he had done so out of sheer reflex.
“What were you thinking waking me up like that? You’re lucky I didn’t just dust you with my hand cannon,” Conor said, gesturing to the massive handgun sitting on the bedside table. “What in the stars are you doing here anyway?”
Taking a moment to rub at her neck and gag for a moment, Conor pieced together what likely happened. Considering that Julitra was naked, save for a thong, he must have hired her last night to blow off some steam—it wouldn’t be the first time he had done that when drunk.
“You didn’t pay me for last night,” Julitra said, standing up and nervously scratching her furry forearms and looking deeper into the shithole of an apartment toward the room where Conor stored all his weapons, money, and other precious items for barter or fencing purposes.
Conor sighed and scratched behind his still intact ear, the other having been halfway taken off by a frag grenade a few local years ago. After taking a moment to swing his legs out of bed, flexing his sore muscles, and rubbing his palms on his thighs, he looked up at her, having deactivated the thermal vision in his eye. “Fine; in the room top drawer on the right, you will find some bags of Murt and Syntrit. Take one of each.”
“Alright,” Julitra said, turning around and sashaying in that direction, clearly doing her best to move suavely and gracefully.
But Conor knew that was a load of Kret shit; She was little more than a strung-out junkie who just managed to keep herself on another fix fast enough by either guy like himself paying her for a quick lay or by managing not to get taken advantage of by one of the dealers on a street corner.
At least if she was selling herself for the night, she wasn’t going to end up in some slave market in the lower sections of the city or crammed into a skiff bound for a star on the far side of the galaxy. Julitra did have some kids to take care of, after all.
Not that it mattered to Conor if she went missing; there would be another skag he could bring in here. He just preferred her because she never tried to steal from him nor kill him in his sleep—finding another girl that he could trust would not be easy, especially in this shithole of a mass city. That well over a billion sentients were nestled in it did not matter; finding another piece of ass would be a pain.
“And only take one. I know how much product I have,” Conor grumbled, standing and heading toward the kitchenette. The dirty, blood-stained carpet was uncomfortable under bare feet.
God he hated going around with bare feet. It paid to have good boots to keep your feet safe from glass, nails, and other debris. That was especially important when operating in urban areas.
When he was out in the countryside or the house, he would forgo wearing them, and switch to sneekers, but being bare foot still sucked.
“I know,” Julitra replied from the room, “can I use your shower?”
“Whatever,” Conor replied flippantly, pulling down dried stulk leaves and tossing a pot of water on the stove.
So long as she didn't cause any issues with him getting started for the day, he honestly could not care less. All he needed to start the day was a pipping hot cup of stulk, and his stims. On that subject, the datapad built into his artificial arm chimed and reminded him of just that.
He frowned while retrieving the volatile cocktail of stimulants from the cupboard. He was almost out and only had enough for three days. Inside were six small autoinjectors about 20 centimeters long, marked with several warnings indicating that they should only be used in dire combat situations. But he was a particularly unique case and needed them just to survive.
After having a solid forty percent of his body replaced with cybernetics, from a metallic jaw, fake eye, a few replaced organs, torso, numerous enhanced joints, and even a few bits of wire running through his brain, the stims kept him working.
Without his friend Stich’s unique stimulant blend twice a day, Conor would start to fall apart. First would come the tremors, then body lockup, followed by seizures and eventually death. He had never made it that far in relapse; it was just easier to keep his organic parts cranked up to keep pace with his enhanced parts, and the video Stich showed him of sentients who relapsed was a good dissuasion.
Those poor sods were mangled wrecks, limbs at unnatural angles, blood, hydraulic fluid, and bone everywhere. And they were at most twenty percent wired up—what he could end up like was something he would rather not learn.
Dutifully and like clockwork, Conor ripped the cap off an auto-injector and shoved it into his thigh; a dull hiss sounded out as the brackish fluid flowed into his muscles. Just as he tossed the now empty injector into the trashcan, the sounds of Julitra starting the shower and humming flowed into the joint living and bedroom.
While Julitra was showering, Conor's friend and coworker Brakul sent him a message.
Brakul: Hey, conor, what are you doing tonight? I think I might have a contract for us to pick up.
Conor: No plans at this point. I just gotta get Julitra out of my safe house.
Brakul: Are you still fucking that scag? You know that won’t end well.
Conor: Yeah, gotta get my dick wet somehow. Besides, aren’t you still plowing that Kurilta we worked with a few months back—the one with the red hair?
Brakul: Yeah, I am. I like the crazy little woman. Plus, she is only a meter tall and makes me feel massive. But are you in or not?
Conor: Yeah, I'm in. When, where, and who is the client?
Brakul: Perfect, meet me at Zyntle’s around 2100. If all goes well, we got a contract for some new upstart to the north out of town. He is looking to hire some muscle for a few months. Don't worry about the contract's legitimacy; Norla sent this man my way to arrange half a dozen bodies. I just want you there in case something goes down.
Conor: So, bring a few extra solutions?
Brakul: if you would, and keep ‘em quiet, no shotguns. We will be in Zynie's place and need to keep things civil.
Conor: Afirm, see you then.
After switching off the arm-mounted datapad, Julitra stepped back into the room, redressed in her clothes from the previous night. They weren't anything fancy by any stretch of the imagination. Just a simple lowcut dress, showing off a shallow valley of furry cleavage, and cut to give ample view up her thighs and see the thong barely covering her womanhood.
For a hooker, it was good enough.
“Want to have some stulk?” Conor questioned, pouring himself a glass.
“Sure,” Julitra replied, going and lounging at the dingy table in the corner of the room.
They were quiet while eating their meager breakfast; neither had much in common or to talk about as is. The only things Julitra knew about Conor were: he killed people for money, sold stolen goods, and could give her a mean dick down. Whereas Conor knew damn near everything about her, acquired through basic profiling of her actions, attire, and mannerisms or from some of the intelligence brokers he dealt with regularly.
Some friends called him paranoid for keeping such tight tabs on anyone he dealt with; at least Brakul and Stich did. But Conor knew that knowledge was power and was needed if you wanted to always end up with your opponent dusted and not you. Conor knew better than anyone that you don’t survive like he has without a bit of paranoia. Hell, he was more persistent than a Hureclian beetle seeking water.
Once they had finished scarfing down crackers, canned meat, and the bitter, brackish brew, Julitra quickly took her leave, with Conor locking the door behind her. First, the deadbolts, then the chain, followed by a biometric scanner, and lastly, he kicked a metal wedge underneath the door—it would take a whole breaching team from the local government a solid hour to breach that reinforced metal monstrosity, and that was just how Conor liked it.
Unless you were invited into his home, it would behoove you to stay out and not try to get in.
Now that he was alone again, Conor trundled into the room Julitra had gotten her payment from and opened up one of the massive ceiling-high safes lining the walls. Inside was some of his equipment. This specific one contained most of his low-visibility equipment: body armor, weapons, knives, toolkits, and anything else he might need for more subtle operations.
In the other safes were other tools he might want, but those kits were built for more specific jobs: sniping, heavy assaults, aerial and maritime operations, along with anything else he could use in a warzone, but most of that was overkill for tonight.
So Conor pulled out a few items he thought could be useful and started his preparations in such meticulous detail that it would take him the rest of the day.
—-
The area outside of Zyntle’s nightclub was insanely crowded, even for Heavalun standards. Up and down the street, as far as the eye could see, were nightclubs, bars, and restaurants, catering to whatever vice once could possibly want.
Unlike some of the out portions of the city, areas in the inner and lower regions like here, you could not see the sky. Instead, if one looked up, they would be met with obnoxious neon signs and more buildings arching overhead, choking out any star or sunlight that might be visible.
Aiding in the choking and oppressive atmosphere, Aliens of all shapes and sizes bumped into one another with little grace, care, or concern. Most were decked out head to toe in bright neon colors that melded together in a caleidoscope of shifting brilliance.
At least that gave the usual drab greys, rust reds, and browns of the cityscape some color, even if Conor usually found it more annoying than not. Thankfully, neither Conor, Brakul, nor their strange contact could not hear the crowd outside from the second-floor window. Instead, they were being bombarded by something as if not more grating.
The happy tones and idle conversations of the crowd on the dancefloor below them, along with repetitive keyboards, synthetic snapping basslines, and ethereal vocals, filled the air to a near-deafening level. If not for the three of them having wired up to a local chatterbox that Conor brought along, they would not be able to hear one another.
The chatterbox was not fancy; it was just a tiny device Conor had whipped up. That lets them speak normally into microphones on their collars and be heard in earpieces. He had devised the idea for it after a few skiff airborne operations, where unless you were jacked into the aircraft comms, you could not talk without screaming.
Now, the chatterbox just doubled as the perfect tool for having conversations you would rather not have others around listen into. Hell, unless you were inches from them, you would not be able to hear them at all.
Brakul and whomever this Farun’se was, a two-meter tall feline-like alien, had been going over the finer details of the contract for the last half hour. Conor had been listening just enough to keep in the loop, but his focus was elsewhere. Namely in the crowds around them, watching for anything he did not want to see: other contractors, a gang war about to erupt, or anything else that caught his eye. People-watching was one of the things Conor enjoyed about setting up jobs; it gave him plenty of time to keep tabs on the ever-shifting city.
He had not spotted anything yet, in regular vision, Thermal, or through tracking, but something was off—he could feel it in his hackles. As such, One of Conor's hands was in his somewhat oversized brown leather jacket, wrapped tightly around the grip of his suppressed handgun. Neither Brakul nor the Client commented on him keeping watch; they both knew he was just filling the role of an enforcer and was backup for them.
“So, what do you think about the contract?” The Farun’se man questioned before taking a sip from his drink.
Whatever that glowing drink was, it was not ethanol-based; the smell was far too sweet. Conor could tell that much even through the skull-like mask covering his face. Not that the flat black ballistic bask he wore to cover his metallic jaw and mangled face covered scents much. It was built much like the other equipment he wore to enhance his senses, not diminish them.
“I think it is perfectly acceptable. But are you certain you only want a ten-man team to provide escort and transport for your client while within the city?” Brakul asked, flipping a palm up. “I am certain I can get more, considering your daily generous payment offer.”
Generous was one way to put it. The politician the Farun’se represented offered a whopping 15 thousand crit a day for well-experienced mercs. It was enough to get Conor's tail wagging; Most jobs barely pay that out, and this contract was supposed to be ten days long. You could almost buy a house outside the city for that kind of crit. If they were actually paid it out and not betrayed by their employer, at the end of the day, Conor likely would do just that; then, he would have a place to live without the threat of death around every corner.
Each of his jobs over the last few years was a means to that end—escaping this shithole. But getting out of the city was difficult, even for guys like him with opportunities to leave and a reasonably regular income.
“Well, we can work that out via messaging, but for now, I am just offering what I am allowed to,” The client said. “Anything more than that, and I won't be able to pay you half upfront.”
At least they are offering half the credits upfront. Conor must have missed that part during their long-winded discussion about what type of experience each mercenary needed, what weapons they would be allowed, and the specifics of the contract.
All they would have to do was finalize details of the team when Brakul had assembled another eight bodies, but they could do that in a few weeks.
“If that’s the case, then I think we should be good for now,” Brakul said, standing and extending a hand for the client.
“Perfect, expect to hear from me in a few days. Please have your team prepared by the end of the week,” The client replied, shaking Brakul’s hand.
After removing his earpiece and microphone, the client nodded to Conor and disappeared into the crowd looming around the stairs leading to the ground floor.
“So you like the sounds of that?” Brakul asked, sitting back down and sipping at his drink.
Keeping his sight on the crowd below, Conor tracked the client as he struggled to weave through the jostling dancers. The Feline was clearly out of his element in the crowds of the mass city. Based on how quickly he was recoiling from each touch by the intoxicated patrons, he was uncomfortable with all the physical contact forced onto him.
The sight was almost comedic, but Conor was used to dealing with people like the client's representative. If you had enough crit to hire ten mercs, you came from one of two walks of life: you were an influential underground leader who could afford the extra muscle, or you were a sheltered individual with no real business in Heavalun Mass City but decided you wanted to make some friends in low places and needed locals who would be loyal to the almighty crit.
But all of that was neither here nor there for the time being; Brakul would handle any issues with the contract. He was far better at being a politician than Conor was.
“So, any issues with what he wants?” Brakul smirked, knowing that it had been several months since Conor's last contract and that he needed the money.
Conor passively waved at his friend; he did not need to comment. Conor would take any contract that came his way so long as the pay was solid enough. In the past, he had taken contracts Brakul refused for moral reasons.
This contract of defending some high-born trader was in no way out of the ordinary and was relatively tame by Conor’s standards. His last contract was far more low-brow enough that he had almost said no. But for the low, low cost of 100 thousand crits and the fancy nanotech armor he was wearing under his tank top, he was more than willing to blow up the wing of a hospital with a firebomb—insurance paid to fix the building and burry anyone caught up when he killed a lowborn noble or some distant planet.
“I’m more interested in what's going on down below,” Conor said, pointing to a group gathering near the club's back entrance.
Below, barely visible through the flashing strobe lights and low haze of fog machines, seven Kyrail lingered at the back doors. One of the amphibian-like bipeds was giving instructions to the others. It was a shame the music was so loud; if not, Conor and Brakul could easily hear them, but even without sound, it was easy to see what they were doing. They were scouting a mark.
“What do you think, Voodals gang?” Conor posed, scanning the crowd for whomever the lead croaker was trying to target.
Voodal is a leader of one of the area's crime families and merc groups. They had been competitors of Conor and Brakul and their usual hiring groups for a long time. While Brakul and Conor did not have beef with them, one of their usual employers, the Farklut clan, had generations of bad blood.
That rivalry was nasty, to the point anyone who was a direct member of either family would dust the other on sight. Both had been caught up in that rivalry several times and had a negative opinion of the Voodal family and any of their ilk.
“Likely. This is part of a contested city, after all,” Brakul replied, sipping his drink.
“I wonder what they are doing here?” Conor said, still not having located whatever it was they were doing, but he had seen them pull out a particularly nasty drug, giving him an idea of precisely what they planned on doing—abduction.
The gaggle’s leader had passed out plastic bags with what looked like Visage clinging to the bags. That drug might as well be chloroform on the strongest combat stim out there. It would put you in a trance and make you forget the next several days until the effects wore off. The perfect drug for slave traffickers and abductors.
The only reason Conor could tell was that he had used the tactic several times to capture targets alive. It was great; you could fish information from them freely, and they wouldn't remember anything beyond where they had been picked up and whenever the drug wore off.
“I see their target,” Brakul muttered, “switch to IR. I will laze her for yah.”
As his friend and partner told him, Conor switched his false eye to IR and watched, and Brakul’s pistols laser pierced the crowd and danced on the back of a red scalled Kurlatra, dancing happily with some other repltilians of her species. All were woefully ignorant of the Kyrail weaving through the crowd toward them, hands tucked into jackets, likely clutching knives, pistols, and bags of drugs.
“Hmmm, odd, not a lot of Kurlatra on this side of the GU borders,” Conor commented.
“For sure,” Brakul agreed.
Kurlatra were a noble-esc species in the GU and tended to stay in the GU, as opposed ot the COS; most here only cared about their nobility for the sake of making money on ransom after all.
The GU was safe but was overbearing compared to the COS. It had far more laws, restrictions, and limitations on carving out a living. Conor’s chosen profession of being a Mercenary was outlawed in the GU unless you were on the Union congress's payroll, But he was not on that list, despite trying a few times.
“Wanna toss a wrench in their plans?” Brakul questioned.
“How so?” Conor replied, keeping a keen eye on the crimson scalled in the center.
Compared to those around her, she was different. Unlike the others who wore simple clothes, she wore a very revealing yellow dress that was low cut in the back and front, showing offer cleavage, but that's not what made her so different. It was all the glistening jewelry that made her smell of crit.
All those stones and precious metals were likely worth a few hundred thousand crits on their own. That was before you sold her pert ass to some slaver.
“We can go down, nab her after the entourage is dealt with, and be big damn heroes. Then we get an award from that payday of a ruby. If she is not feeling up to it, we could ransom her off to the Voodal; they want her for some reason,” Brakul explained, using his keen eye for diplomacy and deals to guide Conor’s mind to the potential payout.
Conor took a moment to take stock of the situation; he had enough ammo to carve through the Voodal family present and could carry such a Kurlatra if needed. Should this shit go sideways and end up in a firefight, they could just use the crowd and vanish.
“What about the contract we just took,” Conor posed
“We haven't taken one yet,” Brakul reminded, “that rep needs to get back to us with upfront payment. Until then, we are freelance.”
Conor could not deny he was right; no crit had changed hands yet, they were still unemployed, and this bitch might be worth some cash. Before Conor had a chance even to comment one way or the other, Brakul pressed on a nerve he knew would get Conor to act.
“Come on. I got fifty crit that says you can't extract that Kurlatra before the Voodal drug her,” the fellow Jurintik mocked.
The bastard knew how to get to Conor for sure. He was competitive and hated to have his abilities brought into question. Just out of professional pride, Conor could not let that lay.
“Two hundred,” Conor countered.
“One hundred,” Brakul retorted, “oh, look, they already nabbed one of the entourage.”
He was right. One of the Kurlatra heading toward the bathrooms near the back entrance just had a bag of Visage slammed into their mouth and had already gone glassy-eyed. Now, there were only five Kurlatra left, including the clear HVT(High-Value Target)
“One fifty,” Conor snapped, eager to have his friend stop messing with him.
“Deal, I will cover and feed you intel from her. Open channel one,” Brakul sneered.
Without missing a beat, Conor shot up from the table and descended the stairs into the crowd, drawing his suppressed pistol and activating his target tracker to keep sight of the HVT.
Conor did not know it yet, but that little bet, one that was not even worth as much ammo as he was about to expend, would send his life on a journey that would change him forever.
So what did you all think? was it a good time? a fun start at bare min? next chapter we will have connor dealing with the voodal, follwed by us meeting the little princess. It should be fun.
Please dont forget to updoot and comment. I will see you all in the comments.
Your Humble baker
-Pirate
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