Back First
As I discovered yesterday I will have to be more precise when posting these in the future, yes there is something else in the words but apparently you cannot edit the title of the post on this website, good to know.
Anyway, I thank you all for your comments so far, they brightened my days this week. Please, let me know what you think when you finish, I would be delighted to hear it; good or bad.
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Memory Transcription: Captain Neil Campbell, United Nations ‘Black Watch’ Company #4
Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136
“Make very shot count, we don’t have much left!” Campbell shouted over his radio then fired at a couple of muzzle flashes in the night. Many of his troopers were using their night vision gear while others hadn’t brought it with them or had seen it shot to pieces in the fighting.
The difference between them and their enemy, they could pull back, regroup and come back. Campbell's troopers were running out of lines to retreat to. Slowly their ring around their anti-orbital interceptors had gotten tighter and tighter. Their sams fired their final missiles at a fighter and managed a final air kill. The fighter crashing into the Black Watch’s previous position now occupied by Arxur, turning them into a trail of flames, ash, and body parts.
The world around Campbell was loud chaos. Yet to him, it wasn't chaotic, it was a strange symphony, one he had prepared for and rehearsed all his life.
Campbell pulled up his rifle and fired off a few shots on his queue. Next to him a trooper was using an Arxur weapon, his own weapon having run out of ammunition. Only one mortar was still firing but Campbell wondered how many shells they had left. The Mortar was located behind them, at their "Keep". The final defense line.
Campbell saw a trooper stand up with a light AA missile only to get torn apart by a plasma shot to his face. The Arxur had learned suppression fire was useless against the discipline of the watch. Instead, they would fire off shots for their attention and then deliver a plasma shot to try to kill whoever retaliated.
Campbell picked up the missile and took aim, then sprung, fired the shot and got down before a plasma bolt whizzed where he had been seconds before. He was rewarded with an explosion and the follow up boom of a gunship slamming into the ground. The feeling of magnetism died around him.
As if the electricity in the air were suddenly ripped away. Campbell knew that was the railgun being de-powered. Its generator hit and that left them with no anti-orbital guns left or interceptors. Finally the Arxur could launch a bomb on their site and they could not stop it.
“Whose left, sound off!” His final twenty troopers replied, one after the other. He had to listen carefully above the echoes of gunshots. The original ninety-nine plus him and the Americans, reduced to twenty.
“Fall back to the keep, all troopers, fall back to the Keep.” Campbell repeated and started to move through their indentations in the ground, not really trenches but enough one could stay lower than the plane of the ground. Just enough for cover, they did not have proper time to build a real trenchline sadly.
Campbell checked his pocket for his dead man's switch, he turned it on and wrapped his belt around it to hold the switch down, then shoved it into his pocket.
They moved for the communications tent, it had an overhang of rock to cover them from above. The engineers had built a ring around it, through solid granite to make trench in the rock. Those that got there would form their final line of defense.
Campbell felt his arm, the cybernetic take another hit and fly off into the pre-dawn darkness. He shifted and resisted the instinct to go find it. It was lost to the brush and fog of war now. He arrived at the keep with his sidearm firing shot after shot, having to reload it one handed.
Only eight troopers made it to the line. Zim came charging out, firing a pistol and screaming in defiance, “Die Predator Scum!” She dove into the trench next to Campbell and continued to rise and fire, fumbling to reload when the rifle failed to keep shooting.
Campbell tossed her the last grenade he had, no longer really able to pull the pin. "Make it count!"
Zip grabbed it, yanked the pin, and chucked the time-bomb, right into a charging Arxur’s mouth and he swallowed before being torn into mist and shrapnel. Those standing near him getting peppered with the fragments pushing out of their comrade.
Campbell fired off his pistol as shape after shape of gray appeared from the darkness. The gunshots near him slowly getting fewer and fewer.
Zim laid against the trench wall beside him, pulling the trigger of her rifle. She was bleeding from an uncountable number of places and her dominant arm was hanging by her side. She was using one of her insectoid legs in place of the unnaturally twisted limp. She was bleeding from multiple places. Her rifle clicked, Campbell paused to reach over and unload the magazine for her, then slammed a new one in and she racked the bolt as he patted her on the head to indicate it was good to go.
The vestiges of dawn's light peaked over the top of the Caldera and they fought on. The entire ridge had been turned to rock-slides burying Arxur under them, now showing the desecration of nature's beauty turned into carnage. A forest fire had started and was burning out as the napalm and diesel fuel had done their job.
Black Watch lay strewn with hundreds of Arxur bodies around them. Campbell stopped hearing the crack of ’s rifle. “See you on the other side, .” Campbell felt a pang of regret for the Tilfish Mayor whom he had voluntold to be here. She was gone now, no longer could the Arxur make her suffer and she had died for her people. "You became the bravest I ever knew."
A whoosh and the feeling of extreme heat behind him had him ducking for cover. It was then he realized he couldn’t hear anything but ringing in his ears. He looked back to see the cave entrance collapsed, likely under the emergency explosives by Thompson. His helmet fell to the ground, the camera pointed back at him, watching him now as he worked down the trench firing his pistol, using the weight of it to count his remaining rounds.
A rush of adrenaline was pushing him on, despite the fact he could no longer see out of one of his eyes, half his vision just gone. He lost count of his ammo and the number of Arxur that had fallen to him.
To him it just meant he no longer had to close an eye to aim.
He saw an Arxur, nearly upon him. He pulled up his pistol and it did not fire, he looked at it to see the slide in the locked back position. Without hesitating he threw the weapon at the approaching Arxur. It smacked into the gray’s face and caused it to stagger away from aiming the rifle at him and instead to fall over when the footing became untenable.
Campbell grabbed an Arxur weapon on the ground. Just as the Arxur he hit with the pistol sat up, he put a plasma-bolt through its skull. He continued firing shot after shot, hating the slower rate of fire and feeling of heat coming off the weapon. Campbell sent three more Arxur to the ground.
Finally the rifle clicked as six Arxur approached his weapons upon him. He was bleeding from a searing burning on his temple. His shoulder had been punched but without the cybernetic arm, it didn’t make much difference. Campbell knew he was beat and fell back onto his butt, sitting down and laying against rock wall behind him.
He felt the switch in his pocket shift and went to grab it, the belt was still holding it place, just barely. It would only take a shove against it to push the belt off now. He set the switch under his thigh, against his hamstring. He secured the switch under his leg. He was sitting there, taking out his nearly empty flask of whiskey. The sounds of battle died down as he swirled the remaining liquid inside. He looked down to see his body armor had stopped three rounds by sheer luck. The rounds had hit in vastly different spots and he hadn't even noticed he'd been hit since the cyber arm had been shot off. Somehow, none had penetrated him. “Human, it is over. Surrender.”
He looked up at the speaking Arxur and considered it. They looked as exhausted as he did. Several of them were sporting wounds and bandages, thrown back into combat. He nodded to the Arxur as he slumped against the trench wall.
“Up.” One of them commanded.
Campbell laughed much to the Arxur's confusion. Campbell ignored him and casually unscrewed his whiskey flask with his lips. He took the last swig of his favorite malt. While the reptile got frustrated and jumped into the trench with him. He dropped the empty flask onto the ground between his legs and made a show of reaching for it.
“No… I don’t think I will.” He replied, sitting up and holding the detonator for the Arxur to see. His thumb now holding down the dead-man's switch. All the explosives for Sims special surprise ready to go. The Arxur looked horrified at him holding the dead man’s switch. “Nemo Me Impune Lacessit.” He spoke, two Arxur shots rang out, bullets piercing his heart and lungs. They did not know it was a bomb that would go off if he leg go of the switch.
They watched the beeping light of the switch roll between Campbell's legs to ting against his flask in the dirt. Then the light stopped.
The world as the Arxur knew it became fire, fury, and flashes. A series of explosions rippled across the Caldera. Everything a military explosives expert with a forty year long career knew how to do, was exploding.
One explosion would go off, only to set off a container of fuel to add a fireball to it and the heat would trigger several rounds of Tilfish weapons they had seized from the heat cooking it off, giving off a plasma ball. The scene repeated over and over again. Anfo, deisel fuel, incendiary rounds, Tilfish plasma, and grenades no one could carry, turned into a final send off. The Arxur scrambled to get out only to be hit by more explosives as the keep turned to a rock-slide. They had been very careful and precise to not set the charges in a way to cave in the tunnels their flock whom they were protecting were in. No explosives were within 100 meters of the entrance or any part of the tunnel that might strain it. The recording started to fade from the virtual reality simulation.
----------------------------------
The Teacher’s Voice took over for the recording as she turned the speaker off. Her adult version of events was much more graphic than her students but it gave her extra insight into a time when all was war and chaos. The Tilfish teacher had to be prepared to answer their questions and try to tone it down for the children.
This was something the Tilfish knew she would have to steel herself for if she was to witness the events and answers her pupil’s questions. She read from the script provided by the museum to bring the class out of the simulation. As child after child ranging from grade one to four, took off their VR helmet when their individual specialized version was finished depending upon age, species, and culture.
“But Campbell was turned to ash along with most of the rest of the Black Watch bodies and Arxur on the surface. The death toll was 99 Black Watch, 11 3rd Armored Cavalry, and 1 Tilfish Mayor for 9,729 Arxur Dead, 1,277 Wounded, and 303 Missing.
"Leftenant Williams would be found in the destroyed hull of the Eisenhower IFV. He had tried to get the vehicle working before his injuries put him unconscious again. In the state of his concussion he did not realize the vehicle was inoperable. He was found alive and rushed to a UN ship for emergency medical attention. He would survive and become a teacher like me.
"Two days after Campbell’s last stand; Tia, Jellio, Cleland and Hanover would make their way into the cave to join the refugees inside. On their way in, they would find the artifact of the battle, the only surviving part of any of the Black Watch members." The teacher had to smile, avoiding the fact she meant in the literal apart of their body sense. The children would realize it at some point.
"All total survivors who had been inside the Caldera; 30 Arxur raiders, 22 of the Black Watch Company #4, twenty of which were the ones escorting the civilians into the caves. In addition to this, 1 3rd Cavalry Tanker, and 4,200 Tilfish Civilians plus 2 Tilfish Volunteers.”
Sitting in the museum were fifty children from a variety of species. A system of AI that approximated things based upon eyewitness accounts, algorithms, photographs, and footage available to create all the memory engrams. Then turned it into a more enchanting story with less blood and violence than the events that their teacher watched.
This exhibit before them was called, “The Black Watch.” It was carefully curated and preserved by the Tilfish Cultural History Restoration Society. The hand was really most of a cybernetic human arm from nearly one hundred years ago. It was inside a stasis field, still wrapped in the fragments of military fatigues it was found in. The hand was placed upright into a supporting mold and the fingers had been made into an approximation of a thumbs up.
An alarm went off as the Tilfish teacher reached down to look at her phone, 3:00 pm local time. “Alright class, let’s get to the transports so we can get all of you home.” As the children filed out, three approached the glass case and looked at the cybernetic hand inside.
On the outside, near the wrist of the human cybernetic arm were words inscribed there.
‘A Scot loved a Yank, that is how your grandmothers met. Remember, from them, it matters not what you look like inside or out, but what you do that you should be judged by.’
The words were faded on the inscription but the stasis field had managed to keep them legible since the arm was found. A holographic display called up while the three near the glass to show the arm in it's absolute pristine state it had once been in.
The three children were all of different species as they leaned in close, the human broke their silence. “So it really did happen like great-grandma said it did.”
The Tilfish smiled, “Well yes, we wouldn't be here if our ancestors were not taking cover in those tunnels. We have pictures of our family in there before our grandparents met.” They both turned to their friend, Julless.
The Arxur looked down in shame, she looked away from her friends and rubbed at the back of her hand nervously, “My… ancestor was there, trying to kill your’s.”
Leia Cleland reached up and lifted up Julless’s head to face her two friends, she still tried to look away as they both smiled at Julless warmly and nodded, “Yes but that is in the past and you are not those people.” Leia smiled as Helena stepped forward on her many legs. “Yeah, look, you are our friend and honestly, that is all that counts with us. Come on, let’s not miss the transport, maybe it can stop at the park. We can play predator and prey if you want.”
Juless smiled at Julia and turned from the Tilfish to the Human, “Hey don’t look at me, I’ll have fun so long as you don’t actually bite me or my sister.”
The group took a moment to take in everything around them. The various pieces of history on display for a single battle called, Tal Reach's Last Stand.
The room full of artifacts from that day had fascinated the children. The broken down and nearly destroyed Eisenhower IFV. Pictures of where Williams had laid and the armored vehicle crews happy and doing maintenance. The display read: "A Tank is a Tanker's Home."
The next display was a blood stained bible surrounded photographs of Grissen and O’Malley talking. Footage from O'Malley's helmet set on the desk, played with audio to headphones to show the conversation they had. The display was called: "Found friends, now in heaven."
Dozens of pieces of combat footage on a variety of screens though many were covered due to their graphic nature with an age warning next to them.
One that was left open was the harrowing walk of the recon squad survivors to get through the booby-trapped caves. The entire film was nearly two hours long and showed the footage from the helmets of them traversing the caves. It was a horror movie but suddenly turned into a relief when the radios could penetrate the rock and call down. A horror movie with a happy ending full of hugs and cheers called, "A Walk through The Shadow of Death".
The twisted remains of Thompson’s radio. The recon squad fire-team B’s detonator. Dozens of dog tags from the various members were on display with the cannon to the War Kitty sitting across the length of the display, a piece of wood and several insectoid stations to sit on as a new bench. Literally sitting upon a piece of history to show it's size and weight.
“Oh come on, Leia, Juless would never. My sister is just teasing, come on, the last one to the transport is a rotten egg!” Helena grabbed onto Juless’s clawed hand and Leia’s human one with her mandibles leading them through the halls at a brisk pace from where the centerpiece of Tal Reach's Last Stand.
"A Highlander’s Hand."

Facebook cheating? [email protected] --------------- Are you worried that your significant other is spending a lot more time than usual on Facebook? Do you think that he is being secretive about the conversations he is having online? Perhaps you’re wondering whether you should be worried about this behavior? Concerned that your partner might be using Facebook to cheat on you? Worried they are having secret conversations with a lover on Messenger? Thanks to this guide that I put together, you can catch cheating on Facebook. Learn to spot the signals of infidelity and about the best app that you can use to find out all you need to know about those cheating on you.
Signs of Cheating on Facebook messenger
How to Spy Facebook Messages and Conversations?
Why Use Spy App for Facebook Messages?
How to Catch a Cheating Spouse on Facebook
Get Insight Into Facebook Conversations
Other Ways to Catch Facebook Cheaters
Create a Fake Account to Trap Your Partner
Turn Your Phone Into a Mic
Hack Chrome Passwords
Use Data Recovery Tools
Hire a Private Detective
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No photo because nobody needs to see my legs.
My cropped pyjama bottoms I use when I travel (they pack small) started to fall apart on a recent work trip, so yesterday I impulse-bought some paisley cotton lawn and today I made them up. (Pattern: Margot by Tilly and the Buttons from the book Love at first Stitch, but cropped, narrowed and with an elasticated waist.) It’s my first project for ages, and I felt like I needed something quick and easy.
I felt like trying out some flat felled seams. I’m planning to make my first proper shirt soonish and will probably use FF seams there, but haven’t done them before, so I figured it would be good to practice on something less fiddly than sleeves. (I don’t know if I’ll ever not dread setting in sleeves.) And you’ve all been extolling the virtues of pressing everything to within an inch of its life at every stage, so did that as well. Took about four hours from cut to finish and I only had to unpick once, where I caught some of the leg in the seam while I was topstitching.
I now have a very ordinary pair of PJ bottoms with a much higher level of finish than they warranted, and I’m feeling weirdly good about it. There was something very satisfying about taking a very easy project and giving it way more care than I’d normally bother with. I’ve even ordered up some scalloped lace trim, which I’ll hand stitch to the hem when it arrives.

It's been a particularly tough couple of years to be a teacher, but now that we're past spring break, I've been able to catch my breath a bit. Lately I’ve been catching up on reading, workouts, and those recipes I’d bookmarked who-knows-when ago, but I’d like to start catching up on my social and dating life too, and I'm looking for people who want the same.
About Me:

• My hobbies include learning languages, baking, smoking meats, and playing music. The Killers and The Talking Heads are two of my favorite artists.
• I’m a huge fan of theater, anything in the outdoors, and craft beer.
• I’m blonde, 5’10, with green eyes. I have an average build, though I run and workout regularly. I’m told I have a great smile and an even better laugh.
• Slytherin (it’s Pottermore official)
• While I wholeheartedly reject the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I’m presumably an INFJ.
• I love to tell terrible jokes and I am liable to keep them coming until you tell me to stop.
• Mountains > Beaches
• Chicago > APA
• Any other style of pizza > Chicago

About You:

• I’d love to talk with someone who is caring, passionate, fun-loving, and spontaneous. Some overlap in our hobbies or interests could be great, too – but over and above all, be you.
• Please be single; I am not looking to get involved with someone already involved with someone else.
• If you’ve read this far, tell me your favorite color in your first message!
• Please be 18+, but beyond that I don’t have an age cutoff provided you and I can have a mature discussion.

About Us:

• I’m looking to make a more-than-friends connection.
• Given the state of the world right now, I’m looking for a connection that’s largely online for the time being, unless we happen to live very close by.
• I’m more than happy to share photos of myself (random selfies throughout the day are fun!) I’m also happy to verify myself and I will ask you to do the same.
• I will never ghost you. Things fall apart; if we don’t work out, I will be upfront about it. I ask that you be willing to do the same should things come to that point.

Looking forward to talking with you soon!
You can listen to this post, and listen to my voice, here! https://vocaroo.com/1k9zBxaV29AC

I have the hobby of photography and I would like to do some indoor photo shoots. I have experience in other countries renting airb&b for a portion of the normal price to do a photo session during the day. Do you know any airb&bs that provide this service ? Also are you aware of any space of apartment that can be booked hourly for the purpose ? Obviously the cheaper is the better :)

First - Previous - (Soon to be Released)
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Memory transcription subject: Rivis, Venlil Logistics Technician
Date [standardized human time]: September 2, 2136.
‘Today was the day’, as humans would say.
I informed Kilet of Zoey’s arrival last paw, thinking it would be better for her to meet two venlil rather than just me. Her reaction to our dispositions might prove interesting. My left eye glanced towards Kilet as we walked side by side. Traveling in our own form of a mini-herd. I became acutely aware of something he was saying as I zoned back into the conversation at paw.
“-ou excited, Rivis!? Your partner is coming any claw now!... What’s up with that expression? You don’t look excited.. Did you and Zoey get into an argument or something?”
Kilet, I wonder how excited you’d be at the idea of meeting a human had I not forced you to join? Most likely still terrified to go out at the prospect of seeing a human.
I began to wag my tail a bit, displaying happiness as my ears swiveled to face Kilet. Cocking my head a bit to the side I tightened my vocal chords to give me a bit more of a ‘happier’ tone. “Of course I am, Kilet! I’m just thinking, I had a long paw, didn’t get much sleep, y’know?”
Kilet’s tail signed ‘understood’ as the giddy venlil practically bounced on his feet. “Well that’s good! It wasn’t so long ago you were yelling at me to get more sleep. Looks like you need the same advice! Though, I’m sure that’ll have to wait for a few paws. When Miles gets here I doubt I’ll do anything besides talk his ears off!”
That’s good, Kilet, learn about the nuances of people different than you. Many other venlil should. No, many other species should.
I gave a light hearted chuckle that sounded more like a series of squeaks. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Zoey won’t get finished up at the government building for at least a few more claws. What would you like to do in the meantime?”
Kilet stopped, thinking for a moment before his tail began to sway with a hint of excitement. “Well, seeing as we’re both meeting our humans for the first time, why don’t we try some of their food! I heard there’s a new human sweet stand near the center of the Capital! It’s got a lot of great reviews!”
I let the idea mull itself over in my head for sometime. It couldn’t hurt to try some of their food, perhaps it would let Kilet relate a bit more to Miles when they meet. As for myself, the topic of a human 'churro' could be used to 'break the ice'.
“That sounds alright, why not lead the way? Do you know what sort of things this food stand sells?”
Kilet’s ears swiveled absentmindedly, a trait he had whenever he was trying to think about something. “Just some standard human candy, but there is one dessert there that everyone says is a blessing from the stars! It’s called a ‘churro’. It's like a fried doughy stick, covered in a spice called ‘cinnamon’ and regular sugar! I’ve kinda been wanting to try one for a while..”
It sounds so basic, why would this be considered a ‘blessing from the stars’?
“Hm, well, I suppose we’ll see for ourselves.”
Kilet and I walked side by side, though he was slightly ahead as he took the lead. We opted to walk there instead of taking a transport tube since we had too much time on our paws anyway. We didn’t talk too much as we walked, each of us content to reside in our own heads for a bit.
Rounding a corner, we came upon the central area of the Capital, a large park standing before us with several other venlil sitting, relaxing, or busking, a few pups running about and playing. I would guess this is what a ‘perfect day’ might look like to humans. Tranquil and peaceful. Kilet led us to the ‘famous’ stand, though the line was moderately long. I spent the time in line people watching. Observing the ecstatic venlil milling about. Talking, laughing. A nice cooling breeze flowing through my coat. My right eye glanced at Kilet. His subconscious movements, facial expressions and tail movements displaying signs of serenity.
Everyone around me seemed to be happy, so I should be too.
Getting dragged out of my thoughts, the stand-owner hailed the two of us over. My ears swiveled to face the male running the sweet-stand.
“Excuse me, we’d like one churro each, please!”
Kilet’s soft voice barely rose above the bustling noise around us, but it didn’t seem to matter, the venlil stand-owner opened a display case, and slid out two lightly brown star-shaped sticks. The sheer amount of spice on it perplexed me.
How in the speh are you supposed to even taste the dough with all that spice on it!?
Kilet moved to snag the churros in paw, and as I did, I pulled out my pad. Allowing the cashier to take it and place the charge to my account, Kilet shot me a quick glance of surprise. I stood a bit straighter as my tail swished to and fro in a display of happiness and pride.
“My treat, Kilet.”
The white coated venlil playfully punched my shoulder, my ears swiveling to face him as I took my pad back from the cashier, stepping out of the way for others.
“Aww, I always knew you were a nice guy, Rivis! Here, let's eat them at the same time!”
Together, we raised the churros to our maws as Kilet began a slightly juvenile countdown.
“One.. Two.. Three!”
Together we bit down on the churro, its crunchy texture didn’t surprise me, but the overwhelming sweetness of the pastry quickly made itself apparent, but as I chewed.. It felt almost fluffy. A crunchy, yet fluffy deep fried pastry. This ‘cinnamon’ spice as humans called it melted beautifully with the sugar. Swallowing my bite.
This IS divine..
Stealing a glance at Kilet, I observed him as he ravenously finished the rest of his stick. Barely taking the time to savor it. A genuine chuckle radiated from my throat as I casually took another bite of my own stick, meanwhile Kilet licked the remaining spices off his paws.
“I could go for another one of those.. Or twenty..” Kilet glanced over to me, clearly taking note how slow I was eating mine. “How can you eat it so slowly?! The churro demands that you eat it immediately, then regret it and buy another one to savor that one!”
His playful tone prompted a sarcastically slow bite from me. As if taunting him with equal measure of cheekiness.
Kilet let out a huff of disappointment, or feigned anger. “Alright! Fine, Fine! Eat your churro the wrong way, I don’t care! Though, you have to admit, it was the best thing you’ve ever eaten, right!?”
Suppressing a chuckle, I nonchalantly waved my paw to dismiss the overeager venlil. “Sure, sure, Kilet, it was pretty good.” Pulling out my pad and reading the time. I did a bit of quick math in my head trying to figure out how much time we had left to spend. “I imagine if we take the scenic route through the city, by the time we get to the government building Zoey should be almost done.”
“Sure, sounds like a plan, Rivis!”
Kilet began to walk along a popular trail that takes one though the sights of the city. I followed behind. The walk was pleasant. Neither of us spoke much, a silent agreement hanging in the air to simply enjoy the serene, cloudless paw. My thoughts drifted to a myriad of things.
What did I plan to ask Zoey?
Would she understand if I did tell her?
The whole point of this was to figure out if she could or couldn’t.
What’s the best way to word it?
Was there a ‘best way’ to explain something like this?
Humanity had so far been pioneers of acceptance and empathy, but how much of that was mere posturing? How much did they truly practice what it was they preached? I steeled my nerves as a plan formed itself in my head.
Just as I finished my plan, a long sigh from Kilet drew my ears and left eye to him as we neared the steps to the government building.
“Rivis.. You’re not gonna believe this!” His tone seemed thick with disappointment, and anger, but mostly frustration.
“What’s the problem, Kilet?”
“It’s Miles! He just sent me a message.. His ‘Commander’ took away their shore leave! APPARENTLY it’s because of some big upcoming mission! That’s a load of speh! How can they tell him one thing, then a second later just do the other thing!”
“Well, you mentioned he is in the military, when one signs up for the military the priorities are always mission first, people second. Not much new there. I’m sure once his mission is over he’ll be able to visit. What’s got him so occupied that they canceled their time off?”
With a shrug Kilet let out a second sigh, looking more defeated than angry. “He can’t tell me, Operational Security and all that… Speh”
While I didn’t feel particularly bad for Kilet, it was unfortunate he wouldn’t be exposed to his partner sooner. I did want to see how he grows with human presence.
“That’s a shame, Kilet, I’m sorry to hear that, I hope it’s nothing dangerous, but he’ll likely be fine. Would you still like to wait here for Zoey?”
The disappointed Venlil only gave a shrug as a response, his posture changing to a more somber one the longer he let the information sink in. “I think I might just be a downer for you two right now, besides.. I don’t know how long Miles’ mission will last. I think I’d like to go home and spend the rest of the paw talking with him. Who knows when I’ll get the next chance, y’know?”
My tail signed ‘ok’. Reaching out I attempted to comfort him, placing my paw upon his shoulder, much like how I did when I recommended he sleep more. “It’ll all work out, and don’t worry. I understand completely.” I let my tone take on a softer note. I hoped he’d at least appreciate the alleged sentiment.
Kilet took another long breath in, thinking for a few moments before raising his head, his ears swiveling to face me. “Thanks, Rivis. I’m gonna head home and talk to Miles while I still can. I’ll meet up with you and Zoey at some point.” His voice rose a bit in spirit as he turned to walk towards the transport tubes.
I pulled my paw from his shoulder, turning to face the entrance to the government building. “Sounds like a plan, Kilet.” Mirroring his words from earlier. I heard no response from Kilet besides the soft sounds of him moving to the tubes. Now alone, my eyes fixated on the doors in front of me. It’d only be another half-claw before Zoey was done.
_____________________
Memory transcription subject: Zoey Amara, Human Psychologist
Date [standardized human time]: September 2, 2136.
Placing the final box down in my office I took a step back, appreciating all my hard work. My eyes scanned the modest space, a little disorganized, but everything was still packed up. I had a nice desk, a very nice swivel chair, a couch for anyone to sit on, and the best part.. A window facing out towards the sun! Thankfully I installed the blinds just in case eternal sunlight got bothersome.
I’d have time to really make my office ‘homey’ after a few ‘paws’ as my fuzzy friends would say. Speaking of friends. I bet Rivis has been waiting an eternity for me! Better get-a-move on.
Exiting my office I placed the full face mask on that had been given to me just prior to leaving Earth. It was pretty uncomfortable but nothing I couldn’t manage. Plus I didn’t have to wear it in the building. Only when meeting patients or going out! I practically hopped down the stairs. My body brimming with excitement as I finally got some ‘me time’ to explore Venlil Prime!
Practically throwing the doors open to the city, my eyes scanned the surrounding area, It was pretty late in their paw. Hardly any venlil were out and about. My head turning on a swivel as I gazed at anyone that may look like Rivis. It took a few minutes, but finally near the bottom of the steps I spotted a dark furred venlil. He seemed to be sitting on a bench and reading their pad. Casually making my way down the steps, I purposely moved so I’d be in his peripheral vision so I don’t spook him.
“Heeeey, Rivis?” I asked, unsure if this was the venlil I'm looking for.
The venlil raised their head. His left eye focusing on my covered face in earnest as I noticed his ears turn to face me almost immediately.
SO damn cute!
The venlil put his pad into a satchel slung from his shoulder. “Yes, and you’re Zoey?” He extended a paw out in greeting.
It took me a second to realize he wanted to shake hands! Slowly I extended my right hand, gently gripping his paw. “That’s me! Jeez.. I gotta say.. Your paws are so soft! I mean I knew you guys looked adorable from the photos and the escorts today, but actually touching one! Ugh, it’s a dream come true!”
He pulled away after a moment of contact. “Likewise, Zoey, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time as well.” He stood slowly and gestured to the city around us. “So, what do you think of the Capital?”
My mind raced with all the possible words I could use, but nothing stuck, it was amazing, gorgeous, beautiful, serene, peaceful.. I always imagined if a city on Earth had to be paradise.. It’d look like this. “I.. Don’t even know where to start.. It’s amazing, I love it already! The peace, the fresh air! It’s perfect, Rivis, absolutely perfect! Heh. Well..minus me being a terrifying monster part, but time will fix that!”
Rivis’ tail made a few quick movements, not just swaying back and forth, they looked deliberate.. My head turned slightly to observe his tail. I only managed to sneak a peek at it for a second before he called me out.
“My apologies, Zoey, I forget you don’t know our tail language.. I was simply saying that it’s good you like it here so much, there is nearly an endless amount of things to keep you occupied here in the city, and likely even more outside it.”
I tried to imagine what I could do here on Venlil Prime, but I had absolutely no idea! This was an alien species’ homeworld with a different culture, different beliefs, different.. Everything! I let out a sigh of relief at having Rivis as such a capable tour guide. “Oh, I’m sure! SO! What should we do first? Food? Theater? What sort of things do you like doing, Rivis!?”
Rivis fell silent for a moment, thinking about what he should show me first. I nearly started bouncing up and down from anticipation alone!
“Well, I believe a good place to start would be our media, it’s late out now, and most places will be closing in the next quarter claw. Next paw will provide quite a few more chances for exploration. If you are not working tomorrow, why not stay the ‘night’ with me?”
I could feel a smirk start to grow on my masked face. Obviously Rivis didn’t know what asking a girl to their house meant, but still, it was endearing all the same. It also displayed an unusual sense of trust. At least unusual for right now.. Almost every other report shows that venlil have a commonly negative reaction when first meeting humans, yet, Rivis seems entirely at ease..
“Already trying to charm me, eh? Inviting a girl you just met over, what could that possibly say, hm?”
Rivis was silent for a moment, almost as if he had to take himself out of reality to think of a reply. “That’s not what I meant, Zoey, I am simply offering for you to observe our most popular shows and browse my pad.”
“Hmmmm, not bad, not bad. I think we could do that. I have to ask though.. You haven’t reacted at all like most venlil i’ve read about from the earlier days of the exchange program. You seem pretty calm, not that I’m complaining!”
I watched as the dark-coated venlil’s eyes moved about the area, his tail lapping against the bench in silent thought. He remained quiet for several seconds. I knew Rivis spoke differently, had different beliefs, is different, but whether or not he chooses to tell me, that’s his choice.
“I don’t think this is the right place to discuss this, Zoey. Please, come to my home.”
Again, he spoke in that flat expression. Flat tone. Wordlessly, I nodded my head. Rivis stood, leading me to the transport tubes. I had to duck in order to enter the cramped space, but found a seat next to Rivis. Thankfully there were few venlil riding. Though, the few that were in the same tube as me almost immediately had looks of fright written all over them. I spied several venlil communicating with their tails. I tried to look down to the floor, making myself seem small.
Sorry guys.. I’m not a threat! I promise.. Just lemme visit with a friend and I’ll be out of your wool..
The remainder of the ride Rivis was silent, as was I. Not wanting to spook any other venlil with my sudden voice. All things considered, it was a short ride. As we stood, Rivis led me out of the tube. From the corner of my eye I saw several of the venlil still inside immediately relax, some even sighing from relief. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting a little bit, but I knew the risks of coming here.
Just a little time, Zoey! That’s all, don’t get too beat up about it! They’ll come around..
Rivis led me to a rather nice looking apartment complex. I had to crane my neck up to see the full height of the building.. An odd hexagonal shape, much like the other large buildings I’ve seen around the city. I watched as my dark furred friend opened the door. Stepping in, I followed him. Immediately my eyes were met with an immaculate apartment. Clean.. Nice smelling, not a lot of decoration. Yet everything that was here was perfectly folded, perfectly maintained.
“Damn, Rivis.. This place is amazing! You take great care of it! I almost don’t want to sit down and mess up your couch.”
“Thank you, I try to maintain my area, it helps me think.” He responded with a similarly flat tone.
I moseyed my way over to the couch, sitting down. Turning my head to the left I watched as Rivis seemed to be preparing something in the kitchen area.
“Sooo. Is this a better place?” I asked, narrowing my eyes behind the mask, awaiting his response. Curiosity leaked into my head. Something was different about him.
Rivis sighed, and glanced up, looking at me straight on, like a human would. “Can you remove your mask?”
My hands moved to the clips holding my two-piece mask on, yet they hovered there for a second “You sure you want to see, Rivis? A lot of venlil freak out when they see us.”
“I’m sure, Zoey, I won’t be startled.” His neutral expression remaining unchanged.
Nodding once I unclipped my mask, pulling my hair out from my hoodie. I let my long brown hair flow down my shoulders as I trained my hazel eyes directly on Rivis. His facial expression didn’t change. Nothing changed, he just.. Looked at me.
“Well? What do you think?” Part of me was curious to know if the velil thought any part of a human was attractive or pleasant to look at.. We certainly thought that of them.
“I think.. Something tells me I should be afraid, Zoey, but I’m not. Something is telling me your eyes are looking directly at me, it’s marked me as your prey, but I don’t believe that. Nothing about you has told me you’ve come here to hurt me. Though, this isn’t atypical for me. I know why I’m not afraid, Zoey.”
I raised one of my eyebrows, continuing to cast my gaze over Rivis’ still form. “What do you mean? I need you to explain a little so I can understand.”
“I have Predator Disease, Zoey. I do not think like the other venlil. I don’t have their emotions. I don’t feel their fear.” He flatly stated.
Predator Disease.. That blanket term for a thousand different mental conditions…
My own mind began to work itself into a rhythm. I knew this, I’ve treated this. I can handle this. The venlil might be a different species, but our sapience is similar. Perhaps our mental illnesses are too. Taking a deep breath I folded my hands together, and crossed my leg. Nodding along with Rivis’ words.
“What sort of thing describes how you think, Rivis?” I made sure to keep my tone level, and try to match his energy. The last thing I wanted was to appear hostile or too inquisitive.
He was quiet for a long time.. Clearly thinking about how he could word this. I kept quiet, and waited for him to be ready, to describe it in his way.
“I find it difficult to care about others, or the herd. I focus on what improves my life, and try to ignore what doesn’t. I will try to go to any length to achieve this.” He set the salad knife down, fully training his focus to me.
“What kinds of things have you done to do this?” I cocked my head to the side. Making sure to put on a curious, yet understanding expression.
“Recently, I’ve been maintaining contact with a work colleague, feigning sympathy in order to maintain the appearance that I am not antisocial, merely overworked.” He bluntly stated, not a hint of remorse in his words.
“Why would it matter if you’re antisocial?” I asked, keeping mental notes of everything we cover.
“The venlil are paranoid about predators. Due in part to the war with the arxur, and natural biological instincts they have not evolved out of. If a venlil displays characteristics of something they’d say is ‘predator-like’, then I would either be executed or ‘re-educated.’ I read the Tarlim case. I have no desire to undergo the tortures at those facilities, Zoey.”
“I see, so you keep up appearances to avoid suspicion, how have you gone unnoticed this long? I assume you’ve been like this for as long as you can remember.”
“I observed those around me, at first I was merely copying the actions I saw. I didn’t understand that my thoughts weren’t the same as theirs. I suppose I was lucky, my mother and father worked often. There was little time to truly observe me. When I was nearly half-finished with schooling. I realized I was different and had to hide how I was. That has been life since.” He stated matter-of-factly, as if nothing were wrong about being forced to hide yourself for fear of death.
“Why tell me? Why not tell Kilet?” I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but wanted to allow him to say it.
“Because, you, and the rest of humanity proved that predators were not evil, not something to destroy on sight. If I told Kilet, he would likely report me, thinking he was doing the right thing.”
“Mmmhm.. But he’s joined the exchange program as well, surely he’s changed a few of his opinions on predators.” I lightly tapped my fingers on the couch, creating a rhythm to keep my mind on track.
“Kilet did not join of his own free will. I took him to get inebriated and purposely signed him up. I wanted to see someone who possessed such an acute fear of predators change their views. I wanted to see them go from hatred, to acceptance.” Again, he stated this as if there was nothing wrong with the things he's done.
So.. He manipulates his friend, doesn’t seem to care much about others, is very self driven, and is able to justify his reasoning so long as it suits him.. I think I’ve seen this before..
“Why? You understand manipulating friends, people who trust you, is wrong, right?”
The venlil in the kitchen fell silent for a long time.. I watched him close his eyes to think about his answer.. His tail swished lightly against the floor and ears flicked in random directions. I couldn’t understand their sign language, but anyone could see he’s wracking his brain for an answer.
“Yes, I understand that other venlil would find such actions deplorable. I understand that society would deem it predatory. I did it, because I want to know if enough time passes, if the venlil become accustomed to humanity. Will there be a chance for venlil like me to live? Am I to be put to flame simply because of how I think? How I feel?”
“You manipulating friends to get your way though, that just proves their point, Rivis. Even if it is the wrong point.”
“There is no other way I can know! How can I know that real change is possible unless I see it!?” He slammed his fist against the counter. Making a loud thud
I nearly jumped from my seat, hearing the venlil shout. Realizing this just got a lot more delicate, I did my best to remain calm, neutral, and not startle or anger him any further than he already is.
“Rivis, I understand it’s frustrating. I don’t want to diagnose you with a human term, but everything you’re describing to me sounds like you have psychopathic tendencies. That can make thinking and acting clearly very difficult. I don’t blame you, I think you’ve done very well to manage this far. Humans who have this disorder can be.. Dangerous, but also sometimes not. A lot of company executives or important figures have this disorder. Would you like me to explain it?”
Rivis took a long breath in, and a long exhale out.. His mind likely churning the new term around.
“Tell me, Zoey.” I thought I heard a hint of hope in his words, something he can hold on to.
“Essentially.. Its popular definition is a distinct lack of emotions, some used to say you couldn’t feel them at all. Leading to the person to be incredibly self-centered. At worst they are described as having no remorse for murder. So long as it suits their goals. That’s the common fear.. Though many studies conducted somewhat disprove those. Sometimes psychopaths can have a far stronger reaction to emotions than others. Where the deviation from ‘normal’ and psychopaths is their ability to gauge what outcomes will give regret. They cannot properly understand that an action will lead to negative impacts. Some studies also say that psychopaths can create emotional connections to those closest to them in their life.”
Rivis leaned against the counter. His ears flattened to the back of his head… It was the most emotive I’ve seen him all day. His eyes darted aimlessly. His tail stopped all motion.. He stood there in silence. Simply processing, trying to understand, trying to relate.
“And.. These humans, are they accepted? Are they feared? What happens to them? How would I form these attachments? How am I supposed to think, Zoey?” His voice was quiet, and somber. His eyes glued to the ground.
I couldn’t tell if he was trying to manipulate me by feigning sadness, or if this was a legitimate experience. One of the rare ones he's probably had. I took a breath, collecting my thoughts as to how I could best explain this.
“You can’t magically will your brain to make different connections, Rivis. There won’t be a cure for it, but what you can do is mental exercises to try and force yourself to think more how you want to act. A lot of the problems with humans is we’re taught to believe whatever we want is right.. However we want to act, think, so long as it’s not against the law is okay.. The problem with that upbringing and psychopaths is they have no desire to conform their thinking process. However, you, Rivis, were given the option to conform, or.. Well you know the alternatives. I’m not saying you shouldn’t want to conform, because forming these emotional connections is part of what life is about. Going on without experiencing them is a shame.”
Rivis moved from the kitchen, and stepped closer to me. Sitting in a chair opposite the couch, I could see the muscles on his jaw clench and relax over and over. The steady rise and fall of his chest.
“So.. How should I train this?” He asked flatly, but with a small hint of desperation.
“Well.. You’re motivated by your own goals, and self-preservation. It won’t be easy to unlearn how you think, but with enough patience, and by using your current thought process to your advantage. You can do it. You have to take the concept of making friends, treating them honestly, treating them well, and being what is considered by society a ‘good person’ and make that important to you. Convince yourself that it will improve your life. Strive for it, and work towards it, over time, you should notice that gradually, you won’t need to fake emotions. You’ll know how a situation should make you feel. Rather than faking it, you create it yourself. That’s what I would do, Rivis. Please.. Don’t think this is a cure either. As far as I’m aware there is no cure for this, It’s just who you are, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Also, it could be different for Venlil! I mean you’re an entirely different species.”
“Of course.. It could be different, it might not even be what you describe at all, but so far it is strikingly similar. I don’t know if conforming is the correct answer. I simply want to be accepted. I am a functioning member of society. I work, I pay taxes, I contribute. Am I evil, Zoey? Does this difference between me and others make me a monster? The same kind of monster they thought you were. I am not irrational. Are they afraid I’ll one day find it in my best interest to murder a score of people? They think just because I won’t feel regret that I also don't understand it’s wrong to do that! They don’t understand that I am not willing to throw my life away. How would execution benefit me, Zoey? Why can’t they see it?”
All I could do was nod my head. I didn’t grow up here, but with how psychopaths on Earth turn out. Maybe it was for the best that Rivis was forced to hide himself. Learn the value of restraint, and get a keen sense of what would expose him.. As shitty as that sounds it probably saved his life… At least now he understands how to act in society. Even if it’s just a front.. For now.
“How you think doesn’t make you evil, Rivis. Actions you choose to take can make you good, or evil. You won’t be consumed by a spirit and one day wake up covered in blood. Every action you take is your choice. How you rationalize it, is your choice. You know what’s right, and what’s wrong, and I know Humanity will accept you, just as if you were anyone else.”
I stood up from the chair, walking slowly to the venlil seated across from me. Lowering myself to a knee. I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his cuddly wool. Pulling him into my embrace. He was rigid, completely still.. As if unsure how to act, how to respond. Slowly, I felt him wrap his own arms around me. Lightly pulling me deeper into his warm coat. The steady beat of his heart pounding against my own.. Whether or not this was real, fake, or an attempt. I didn’t care. At the very least I could do for him what I do for all my patients, support them.
“Zoey… you’re not scared of me, Right?”
“Of course not, Fluffball.”
____________________
First - Previous - (Soon to be Released)
Thank you everyone for reading Chapter 7. This one was a bit of a struggle to write up. I hope you guys are getting just as much enjoyment out of reading this as I am writing it for you! This story couldn’t happen without yall. I’d like to give my usual thanks to Space Paladin for their original universe! As well as a shout out to the fics that inspired me to start this! As always link at the bottom. The final thanks, naturally is reserved for my lovely proofreader(s)!
End of the Line
Foundations of Humanity
Nature of a Giant
Lost and Found
​
Proofreader(s)
NovaLux
"A silly little man"

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Okay, here’s my attempt at a NOP fanfic.
The Nature of Predators is made by u/SpacePaladin15
Just a few tidbits before we get started. I’m not sticking close to the cannon, so don’t be surprised when groups operate differently from their real NOP counterparts. I’m going for a “dark time line” kind of situation. There are going to be war crimes and lots of devil’s advocate nonsense, so this fanfic may rustle your jimmies. The start of this story takes place on Sillis and is only told from a single Arxur supply officer’s POV.
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Memory transcription subject: Varce, Cattleship Δ1242, Sillis
Date [standardized human time]: December 4, 2136
Finally… After mindlessly double checking and triple checking weapons and herbivore feed inventory it was time to get some fresh air. The raid itinerary had originally slated us to landfall 36 hours ago, but then a small human fleet lurched into our FTL disruptor grid. The grid was deployed with the intent to prevent prey ships from escaping, but hey, happy accidents.
I looked around the squad that I would be overseeing during prey extraction. Their faces ranged from agitated to giddy, all hungry. Starvation prior to deployment was standard practice for lower enlisted. It made them extra violent which was perfect for propaganda. Having a full relaxed Arxur on shift wouldn’t be near as terrifying for the pseudo-sapient snack bags.
Of course not all were starved, officers like myself needed to keep a cool head while procuring desperately needed food for the people of Wriss. It is my job, as one of the Dominion’s loyal servants, to ease the suffering of sapient lives throughout the known universe. I should clarify, that while I am somewhat defective, I’m not some delusional prey loving nut-job. I just care about sapients more that the average Arxur, that’s all.
The cargo doors of the craft hissed open as eye burning natural light entered the space. After I recovered from my temporary blindness, I barked out orders to my subordinates and began driving the refrigeration cart out of the ship. Its anti-gravity motors hummed as Arxur marched alongside it. Except for Tarth, lazy ass was perched on the cart’s lid with a ranged rifle shouldered. He says he does it to “be a lookout”, but we both know that’s bullshit. I let him get away with it though, what’s the point of having authority if you don’t use it to let your friend do stupid crap?
We had been dropped off at ground zero of a conventional bombing zone. Ruble from buildings with twisted bit of chitin sticking out covered the ground. Troops passed any worthwhile pieces to the cart for preservation. Eating of scraps was forbidden. It would spoil the squad's appetite prior to any engagements with the tilfish survivors. Thinking about the impending carnage reminded me to activate the 360’ camera fixed atop the cart’s driver compartment. Maybe some of my footage would go into one of the hunting compilations that gets forcibly broadcast onto the media channels the prey’s young watch. I let out a throaty chuckle thinking about the fearful cries one of those forsaken abominations would make.
Tarth looked over to me. “What’s so funny blubber tail? All that prime officer food finally melt your brain.”
“No just thinking about the prospect of one of our hunts being used for entertainment, now get back to work “look-out”.”
“Eh… I’m not too sure any footage is going to be used from this raid. None of the Gojid Cradle footage got used since the brass didn’t want Arxur to be associated with killing sapients.”
“...True. Well I’ll film this anyway, maybe it could be used as b-roll footage for future human engagement training.”
“I’d prefer we didn’t run into any humans boss-man”
I grimaced at the thought, the chatty Arxur had a point. I’ve never killed a sapient before. I had pushed the idea out of my head before, but it all came back to me. The whole reason Chief Hunter Shaza deployed 8000 of her ships to Sillis was to fight the humans, the tilfish were an afterthought in truth. I don’t really get why the humans were so keen on picking a fight with the Dominion. Chief Hunter Isif saved their entire species and in turn they started rattling a saber at Chief Hunter Shaza’s initial raiding group. Do they want to be at war with both the Federation AND the Dominion. Surely they understand that that would be a death sentence for such a small race with no backup colonies. It’s just so frustrating, we finally meet another sapient race and all they want to do is fight. We should be working together to wipe out the genocidal maniacs in the Federation.
“Hey Varce. Varce. Looks like that building over there is ripe for hunting. Just say the word.”
I perked up after being pulled from my dark thoughts. We were no longer surrounded by rubble and were at our first scheduled stop. A eugenics clinic that was likely filled with eggs that would top off the cart I brought along. I glanced at the life detection hardware built into the driver’s panel.
“Listen up. We’re here for the eggs in that building. It has 33 adult tilfish life signs inside. Don’t bother taking any of them alive, just put a hole in their heads and dump them in the cart. Eggs are our priority. EGGS. Don’t get too bite-y. There’s a bomb shelter down the road for that kind of behavior. Now get to it and make the Prophet proud!”
I stood by with Tarth and several auto-turret technicians as the rest of the squad swarmed all sides of the clinic. Per standard procedure, I had the techs set up an auto-turret for any surprise runaways. After a couple of minutes a tilfish on the second floor desperately crawled part way out of a window trying to escape. It fell to the ground after Tarth took out one of its weight bearing feet. The impact ruptured it chitin and it died shortly after. As Tarth began strolling over to retrieve the soon to be refrigerated carcass, several more tilfish landed on top of the now flattened meat pulp. Tarth threw himself to the ground as the auto-turrets made there tell-tell beeping noise. Now Tarth had to carry back three piles of meat pulp.
Tarth sat the meat piles down in front of the cart while laughing. “Prophet help me. My life just flashed before my eyes. That would’ve been such an underwhelming way to go. Thank the prophet I’m a master at dodging.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call collapsing to the ground in terror “masterful”, but yeah sure. At least your not dead. Now lets get this slop cleaned up and preserved.”
“Your just jealous of how awesome I looked. Also, that ankle shot I did was glorious. Admit it.”
Tarth went on stroking his ego for the next half hour as the cart was filled with delicious nutritious eggs and gooey bug parts. The cart’s driver panel indicated that we had gathered about 10,000LBS of food in total. A good haul so far, that would be enough to feed roughly a 140 Arxur for a week. I sent the cart back to the ship with an escort while everyone else headed to the nearby bomb shelter.
--------------------------------
Once we arrived at our next scheduled location, courtesy of garbage prey internet security, I had the auto-turret techs set up a perimeter around the shelter entrance. It’s not likely that someone would pull a fast one on us, but I’ve never been into gambling. While we waited for fresh empty carts to arrive, I went ahead and had the squad look around for any material to block up the bomb shelter’s ventilation ports.
After even more waiting, four refrigeration carts and some shelter cracking materials arrived. The plan for shelter cracking was tried and true. First, we would have a drill bore out a hole through the blast door. That would then rapidly be followed up with a flash bang to scare off anyone smart enough to shoot through the hole. This is then followed by several tear gas canisters and a smoke machine. The smoke would exit any ventilation ports and they would be subsequently sealed. After all that we then pump the place full of nitrous oxide, wait about 20 minutes, and breach the doors.
Often times there will be one or two prey smart enough to wear self-contained breathing apparatuses. For this reason, once the door is opened we send in something similar to what a human would refer to as a “Claymore Roomba”. About 20 seconds after activating the device I heard a loud BANG and sent in the initial breaching party. After the all clear, the carts and myself entered.
Oh no.
Near the entrance to shelter was what was left of four humans. SAPIENTS. I killed sapients. I gave the order. They are my responsibility. I’m effectively a murderer now. I know that it’s “war”, but still. That doesn't un-kill them.
I choked down my horror remembering what would happen if other Arxur saw me like this. I turned to Tarth. “Inspect these four for any useful equipment or identifying information. After that, bring it all to me”
I turned away and kept walking. I couldn’t look at their mutilated faces anymore, shards of clear poly-carbonate lodged in their skulls from the breathing mask they were wearing. Blackened blood peppering their bodies and surroundings. Those were someones kids, friends, lovers, and I took them away. I just destroyed families in one foul swoop.
I cleared my head as i walked into the auditorium filled with drowsy and unconscious tilfish. I ensured the cameras on all of the carts were on and gave the order. What came next was quite the sight.
The little abominations screeched and squealed as my squad tore into them. Ripping the young away from the dazed brood-mothers, tearing the monsters apart like they deserved. Loyal and dedicated soldiers finally filling their stomachs after days of hunger. This is what it’s all about. Bringing smiles to the faces of sapients. At this moment I could finally forget about the atrocity that happened to those four in the previous room. I started to salivate myself a little, I shouldn’t indulge though. This is a reward to the Arxur people, not me.
I cheerily hummed as the weak tilfish were tossed into the refrigeration carts. The cold would slow them down to nothing, but it wouldn’t kill them. Perfectly convenient for filling the cages back on the cattle ships. Watching over the cart’s weight readouts I guesstimated that this would be enough to feed about 680 Arxur for a week. It makes me so proud thinking about all the young wonderful Arxur that will get to enjoy these meals. How they’ll go to sleep with full bellies and grow strong. No deformations from malnutrition. Perfectly formed jaws with clean straight teeth. Unlike mine, jagged, crisscrossed, and malformed. I’ll make sure that they have better lives then me. It’s the least I could do.
These thoughts were short-lived unfortunately. Tarth approached me with a bag crafted from the same materials as the pelts the humans wear. I took it silently and he went off to go get his fill.
I dug through the “backpack” as I would later identify it. The pack contained weapons, ammo, and holopads. Turns out the holopads required biometerics, but Tarth was kind enough to attach the associated severed thumbs to each. I went through and altered the security preferences to myself on all of them and glossed through one’s photo album.
I knew what I was going to see, but I punished myself anyway. The dead human had a mate. Whether or not it was a temporary relationship, I don’t know. They had pictures of themselves standing in front of various earth locations. Monuments, beautiful scenes of nature you’d never see on a federation planet, relaxed on furniture with a furry quadrupedal predator. Things I’ve never seen in person and likely never will. I robbed the human of all of this.
I put away the holopad and steeled myself. If I was going to have a breakdown, it would be in my quarters.
I quietly waited for the final stages of the shelter raid to wrap up and began planning the next step of today’s festivities. The entire squad would escort the refrigeration carts back to the cattle ship and we would then exchange them for one refrigeration cart and two cargo carts. After that we would search a nearby tilfish military base for heavy munitions and any high value ship related equipment and materials.
--------------------------------
There was a bit of a delay at Cattleship Δ1242. The other squads were as successful as mine, so we had to wait for a refrigeration cart to be freed up. I took the opportunity to drop off the human pack in my room and check the current raid situation. Thankfully there weren’t any notable hiccups in the raid from a global perspective. The human FTL clusterfuck only shorted us a few ships and part of the fleet was in process with salvaging them for FTL drives, fuel, FTL disruptors, inertial dampeners, shield generators, and databases containing flight logs and encryption keys.
After the update, I reconvened with my squad and gave them a run down on the status of the raid. Tarth already hopped up onto the refrigeration cart before I even got to it. Lazy ass.
--------------------------------
We were still about a half mile out from our destination when Tarth perked up and swung his rifle around toward a concrete building. I trailed his the direction his rifle was pointing to see a rather peculiar sight. A white human pelt that was tied to a stick by the arms was being waved around. However, who was holding it was hiding behind part of the building.
Before I could say anything Tarth already sent a round through the pelt.
“OH SHIT. Uhh… Hey in human culture white flags are a universal symbol of “I give up. Please don’t shoot me” okay?”
My thoughts shot back to the four mutilated corpses I left back in the bomb shelter. Icy guilt crept down my back and left my tail with pins and needles. I sighed for a moment and waved Tarth to lower his gun.
“Alright human, come out slowly, we won’t shoot you.”
A fleshy claw-less hand poked out from the wall and waited.
I grumbled as the weak predator peaked out. “When I said slowly, I meant some time today. I have a schedule to keep.”
“Sorry. Was just taking it slow. Figured if someone with a hair trigger got any ideas, it’d be better to lose a hand than a life.”
The human was one of the paler variants. It had a smashed in muzzle like the rest of its kind. Not exactly what I’d call an apex predator, but I’d tolerate it. (It… He I think?) He carried two large green storage cylinders on his back and was wearing the standard blue helmet uniform. At his hip was a belt carrying various bobbles and oh that’s a gun.
“If your surrendering, why do you have a gun?”
“It’s for the crazy murder bugs with the flamethrowers. As long as you bunch are on the ball with killing them, you can have it.”
I grunted at Tarth and nodded him over to the human. He drew the sidearm from the humans holster and inspected it. Tarth being Tarth, then proceeded to start jabbing the human with the weapon gleefully. The human looked over to me pleadingly. He clearly wasn’t thrilled with having a gun poking into his gut.
I spoke up. “Tarth do you intend on wasting our time as well? Get over here. Human, you will stay within ten feet of him or me at all times. Don’t try to run off, I don’t need to explain what will happen if you try.”
“Understood”
Well, at least the human seems to be disciplined enough to not have an attitude.
Our procession continued as I introduced our first official human captive to Tarth and myself. The weaker “social predator” was just as chatty as my slightly defective friend to my disappointment. However, once the topic of our destination came up, my mercy started to pay off.
“You guys are going to the base? Yeah. Fuck that. Don’t go there. That place is an absolute shitstorm. Some empathetic dumb-asses started to let tilfish in so we could protect them from the scary Arxur. I naturally raided supply of their MREs and got the fuck out of there. Lo and behold, before I was even out the gate the tilfish started shooting and burning dudes. Never trust a fuckin’ bug.”
Tarth and I both chuckled at the idea of some empathetic prey lovers getting their comeuppance.
“Despite that, we are still going human. I was assigned to raid the base for goods and you already know where everything is. So try not to get shot or burned until after our objective is completed.”
The human looked dejected. “Well fuck… I should’ve stayed behind that wall. Are you absolutely sure you want to go there. All the functional ships evacuated early yesterday during your surprise attack on the planetary defenses.”
Tarth spoke up. ”Wasn’t much of a surprise really. Not even an hour into the assault and a human fleet of a thousand some odd ships popped in behind us.”
“The UN had an entire fleet show up within an hour of you guys arriving?
“Yes. Although it was pretty short lived. They disabled a few of our shields with some kind of bombs, but it really didn’t matter. We outnumbered them 8 to 1 and just threw a wall of plasma at them. Not a whole lot of defensive positions to be had out in space. Most of them tried to run, but we catapulted FTL disruptor buoys at them and burnt them all. I have no idea what their strategy was there.”
“...Cool. Good to know.”
“You should have seen it. Ships full of foolish humans turning into molten slag. Their corpses ejecting into space and bloating up from the vacuum. Some of them holding onto their pet prey. Maybe we’ll gather up the tasty prey carcasses later, the cold of space preserves meat nicely I hear. I swear I could hear the screams even in space. That’s what it’s like when weak predators try to pick fights with the Arxur. They weren’t smart like you, human.”
The human shut up after that. I suspect the thought of so many of his kin dying likely saddened him. To be fair, I would be too if those were my people. I mean, it sucks that so many sapients died, but I didn’t have a hand in it.
--------------------------------
The entrance to the base was finally in sight. Tarth and the human lounged on the top of the refrigeration cart despite the irritated side glances from the others in the squad. I could smell the stench of burnt flesh wafting towards us from somewhere deeper in the base. It served as a good confirmation that the human wasn’t feeding us bad intel.
I was looking over to the human pleased when gray blood splattered out from the back of his helmet. It took me a second to realize we were being shot at. It took another for me to order my squad to take cover behind the sturdy carts. I ordered the auto-turret techs to deploy their toys to protect our flanks and rear.
Tarth, the human’s corpse, and I all crouched together behind the refrigeration cart. I’d never seen a dead body convulse in such a weird way before, desperately pulling off its helmet and cursing… Wait. What? The air suddenly reeked of burnt hair and small wisp of smoke coming from the doffed helmet. Tarth gave the living corpse a weird look and shrugged. Questions later, not dying takes precedence.
Tarth and I ensured the aim assist in our rifles was toggled on and proceeded to dispense suppressive fire from behind the cart. Ideally, we could just point our weapons in our adversaries general direction and the rifle’s computer would do the hard part.
The human started panicking when a metal ball dropped next to us. He kicked the sphere away and started cursing in pain while holding his foot. No surprise there you moronic primate, those black leather foot coverings aren’t going to protect you when you punt a metal ball down the street. Wait... Did that ball just explode? Oh. Yeah. We got briefed on those things come to think of it. Good call monkey-man, your foot didn’t go bruised in vain.
As Tarth and I lowered ourselves back down to reload, we suddenly felt the smaller predator forcibly sandwich himself between us. He tightened himself into a tiny ball while wide eyed. I looked around our perimeter. There weren’t any hostile humans so what was his deal. Tarth’s breathing seized up as well, what the hell was going on?
Beep Beep.
It occurred to me at that moment the auto-turrets haven’t been updated to recognize any humans as friendly. I froze up and slowly looked at our flanks. Both turrets were pointing at us. I’ve never pissed myself before… But I got damn close.
The three of us just stayed there perfectly still for what felt like hours. It gave me enough time to think about many things in my life. All the things I haven’t done yet. I’ve never had the opportunity to sire my own clutch, the closest thing I have to a friend is a psycho that gravitates toward me because I’m the only one that tolerates his non-stop yapping, and how nice is it to finally feel the warmth of another pressed up against me. Holy crap what is wrong with me? Prophet, I’m sorry for being so defective. If you bail me out of this, I’ll do whatever you want, just give me a sign.
And the Prophet answered my prayer indeed. Some foolhardy humans finally went for our flanks and drew the ire of the auto-turrets away from us. As the BRRT of the turrets sounded off Tarth, being the absolute bastard that he is, dived away from us.
This left me and the human exposed to the turrets. My initial thought was to push the human over and dive away, so I pushed him over. As I readied myself to dive, I thought about those four in the shelter. How I robbed them of their lives and families. I just couldn't do that again. I can’t just pretend that it’s not my problem. The human’s eyes showed such sadness from that impending betrayal. So I dived, hoping that I’d be able to hide him from the sensors on the auto-turrets.
Luckily, he was still balled up so it wasn’t terribly difficult to cover him with my body. I never felt so exposed in my life, doing this. I just laid there thinking, waiting, and wondering if my empathy was about to come back to bite me in the ass. This was all so off putting, being this close to another person. I wanted nothing more than to get up and walk away. I could hear his breath and the light tensing of his body. This wasn’t something that really happens with Arxur.
Eventually, the sound of gunfire died down. I heard people milling about, the hiss of medical foam being applied, and the louder hiss of angry Arxur having gunshot wounds treated.
“Uh. Sir?” I heard the confused words of one of the auto-turret techs.
“No no no. Leave him be. Can’t you see our dear leader is in love. Although, that is the UGLIEST woman I’ve ever seen.”
I’ve never wanted to smack that annoying lazy ass more than at this moment.
I cleared my throat. “Solider, would you kindly deactivate the auto-turrets so our guide to the base doesn't get shredded by an angry machine.”
“Oh..? Yes. Right away sir.”
So I laid there, feeling a smug ass staring a hole into the back of my head. I recapped the events of the skirmish and lamented how I did so little. I only burned through one magazine with some sprayN’pray and that was it. Hell, the human saved a lot of our asses with that grenade save.
Speaking of the human. “Hey human? Why aren’t you dead? You just took a bullet to the head.”
“Uh. The helmets we wear are really good. They have this non-Newtonian fluid laced with perovskite crystals. Basically, the helmet is a fluid sack that hardens in response to physical trauma. It then converts kinetic energy into heat and electricity. These helmets can eat a .308 point blank. Only downsides are that they are one and done armors and that they’ll burn the shit out of you if they stay in contact too long.”
I’d never heard of such a thing before, but clearly it worked. I’ve seen prey attempt to use helmets with varying degrees of failure. Problem is, usually the brain gets shook around and they die anyway. I decided that this fluid would be beneficial to the Dominion.
I spoke up to get Tarth’s attention. “Tarth. Order anyone that isn’t busy to strip the human’s of their armor pelts and headgear. Place everything in the cargo cart next to the human’s green storage bags.”
Shortly after I gave out the order, the auto turret tech returned. “Varce sir. The auto-turrets have been deactivated.”
I Immediately popped up to separate myself from the smaller predator. Looking around it seems we had fared well enough against the ambush. Heh. Arxur being ambushed. Crazy times. We only lost 3 soldiers and have a handful of injuries. It could have been a lot worse. Even Tarth has some med foam sticking out of his arm. The Arxur bodies were being loaded into the refrigeration cart. We’d look into harvesting their organs for transplants later.
The human looked over the bodies of his fallen kin. I decided it would be appropriate to talk to him about their deaths. The bodies had been stripped as ordered, although it appears someone got overzealous and stripped one of them of all there pelts. Wow. That is super gross looking. It’s just like, dangling around on the outside. What happens if it gets caught on something? Does it just tear off and regenerate? That’s just downright terrible design.
Getting myself back on topic. I turned to the human and spoke up. “So… Did you know any of these humans?”
“Uh… Yeah. To be honest. They were fucking elitist assholes. Doesn’t mean I wanted them dead though. It’s just well... This is all a fucking mess. They did shoot me in the back of the head though. So it’s kind of hard to not feel schadenfreude about the whole thing… Can I get a new helmet? Mine’s kind of busted right now.”
“Go for it. There should be some next to your stuff in the cargo cart.”
“Thanks. I mean… As in thanks for everything. You saved my ass in a big way. Not a whole lot of people would of done that for me… So thank you... Yeah.”
--------------------------------
The inside of the base had seen better days. Some buildings had been destroyed either by the original raid or the human’s occupation. It also appeared that the exterminator’s fires got out of hand and had spread to the tent city the UN made for their troops. There were quite a few chard human bodies mixed in with the debris. I could certainly understand why the human had no desire to come back.
I got out of the refrigeration cart and announced to my squad. “Apply fire retardant measures. There may be exterminators in this base.”
My fellow Arxur and I pulled out small aerosol canisters and began dousing ourselves in the gelatinous contents. This substance would greatly reduce the flammability of the fuel the exterminators typically use, though the films covering us would oxidize and become useless after about 20 minutes. We needed to make a clean sweep of our travel path and secure the nearby maintenance hangar before then. I placed the spent canister back in my tail pouch and began driving again.
“So you’ve got one of those spray bottles for me, right?” The human looked over to me pleadingly. “Just sayin’. I’d like to not burn to death if at all possible.”
“Are you willing to strip naked and shave yourself?”
“What?”
“This stuff only works if it forms a solid layer on you. It won’t work on fur and pelts.”
“Shit… Can I have my gun back then?”
“No.”
We continued moving for about ten minutes per the human’s instructions. The intersection that would take us to our loot was finally in view. There were large industrial style buildings surrounding us from all sides. This was where minor ship parts like valves would be stored or milled out for ships. Lots of little doors and tight alleyways for the diminutive insectoids to scurry through. As such this was the perfect environment for exterminators to hide. I kept my eyes peeled for even the slightest movement.
My suspicions paid off immediately when I noticed some dumpsters that were conveniently lined up between two buildings. I know a barricade when I see one. I brought our caravan to a stop just out of weapons range of the prey’s fortifications. I checked the driver’s panel for life signs and smiled knowing my caution was justified.
I stood out of the drivers seat, silently motioning towards the dumpsters. Half of the squad formed up around the carts. The other half broke into groups and approached the dumpsters from multiple angles. My group consisted of Tarth, the human, and three other Arxur.
My group and I shouldered our rifles and began unloading into the dumpsters. The foolish prey actually thought they were going to get one over on us. In moments tilfish started scrambling, desperately spraying the flammable contents of their weapons in the air towards us. Most of it fell short with only a few stray droplets touching us. We stood back at a comfortable range as the last few bugs dropped to the ground bleeding out in a pool of their own accelerant. One of the little abominations used the last of its pathetic strength to immolate the remains of it group.
A burst of flame pushed towards us, showering us with embers and half burnt debris. Our groups backed away from the intense heat and rapidly pawed off any unwelcome remains of the explosion. Well, except for the human, his left forearm was very on fire. With a surprising level of calmness, my human pulled a water bottle from his belt and doused the flame away.
He looked over to me and grumbled. “I probably should of stayed at the carts.”
“Probably. How did you even get that much fuel on your arm?”
“I didn’t. These uniforms are made out of acrylic and cotton. Very flammable. The UN thought it would be a good idea to have us peace keep against guys who almost exclusively use fire. I have many words about the UN. None of them are nice.”
“At least you handled being on fire pretty well.”
“I’ve seen about twenty people get caught on fire in the past week. I know the drill. Also, I’m gonna need some medical attention for this by the end of the day.”
--------------------------------
Fantastic, we’ve arrive at the maintenance hangar the human recommended and what do we find? More barricades and a bunch of life signs. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. I might be able to top off all my carts in one go.
I ordered my squad to surround the structure just as I had with the eugenics clinic. Though I had to stop the auto-turret techs before they accidentally lit up my human. I quietly pondered how I was going access the hangar with minimal gunfire. I didn't want to run the risk of accidentally damaging a spare FTL drive or something. I ultimately landed on the idea of just ramming through the door with the cargo cart to draw attention and then have the squad flank the inhabitants.
As one of my troops lined up their cart with the doors a shaky human voice called out. “Wait! We have missile warheads rigged to blow if you try anything!”
My human looked over to me and motioned he was going to the door. I allowed him to do so.
“Hey Lee, is that you?” My human questioned. “How are you holding up?”
“Hall? What the hell are you doing with the space nazi crocs?” (Who the hell is Hall? Oh, okay, that’s my human’s name. I should probably remember that.)
“You know. Trying to not die. Things are all kinds of FUBAR right now.”
“Things get rough and you just bail? All we had to do is hold down the fort and wait for rescue. And what do you do? You immediately defect to them. They literally eat babies. You abandoned humanity.”
“Lee. A UN fleet jumped into system one hour after the Arxur arrived.”
“So they tried to save us and you decide to run off?”
“No no. How long would it take for a fleet going FTL to get here assuming a distress signal was sent out the second the Arxur arrived?”
“… Are you saying that they knew the Arxur were coming and didn’t give us a heads up? But…”
“Look man. You’ve got to make your own decisions, but from where I’m standing you really only have two choices. Either commit suicide by Arxur or walk away from what your doing and survive. The Arxur are going to eventually try to trade us to the UN. I intend on living.”
“But what about the tilfish? Are you seriously fine with them being cattle?”
“If you want to die for some bugs that burnt Clark alive two days ago, then that's your call. See you later… Or not.”
“Wait. Wait!”
My human didn’t respond. He just walked back over to me. After that brief exchange, he looked completely used up. It did help me to better understand his willingness to work with me though. All these humans planet side had effectively been left to die before we even arrived at Sillis. Most of them didn’t even know they were fighting for a government that withheld knowledge that could’ve saved them. They could have evacuated and saved so many sapient lives. So much for 5 humans for every 500 million xenos.
I waited long enough. It was time to crack this egg. As I gave the order to breach, I heard four consecutive gunshots come from the hangar. The cargo cart broke open the door and the side entrances were forced as well. I walked in behind the cargo cart and took stock of the situation. A somewhat tanned human was standing over three tilfish carcasses while brandishing its rifle towards a crowd of prey.
The human was seizing up saying. “Don’t move. I… I… I don’t want to die, okay! I… I’m sorry. It’s just that…”
The human trailed off murmuring nonsense. My human got his attention and led him out of the building. Given the degraded mental state of the disheveled human, that was probably best given what was going to happen next. I gave a quick look around, there was no “rigged warhead”, the “Lee” human had given us an empty threat.
The weak prey didn’t stand a chance as my fellow Arxur snatched them up, forcing them into the refrigeration cart. Shrill cries escaped the grotesque creature’s mouths as they were pressed against the Arxur bodies that were already in the cart. Perhaps more refrigeration carts should’ve been brought. The cart reached what was the “comfortable capacity” and there was still a third of the tilfish to go. So naturally, we just started pushing them in harder. Pops and cracks could be heard as chitin bent and broke from strain. Ear piercing noises echoed throughout the room as the little mindless bugs wailed. With one final push, we managed to load all of the bugs into the cart. The readout said we had collected about 18,200lbs of food. While the cart’s recommended weight limit had been exceeded, the thought of 250 Arxur getting to stave off starvation brought me so much joy.
I walked about the hangar inspecting all of the available loot. While I was disappointed by the lack of any FTL related equipment, there was however, an abundance of components for inertial dampeners and shields. My squad got to work loading up the two cargo carts as I went to check up on the two humans. I found them a short walk away from the hangar sitting together under a shade. The humans looked over to me when I approached them. Lee must have gotten more ill. His face was inflamed and red with looked to be signs of leaked fluid on his pelts. Wonderful. I’m going to have to take both of them to medical since this one is developing some kind of infection.
My human looked between Lee and me for a moment before speaking. “Lee. This is Varce. He is a supply officer on his ship and is currently in charge of retrieving ship parts from this base. Varce. This is Lee. He was in training to become an air force mechanic prior to being transferred to the UN to be cannon fodder.”
Seeing that Lee was hesitant to talk, I took the initiative. “Hello Lee, I’m Varce. We’ll be heading back to our ship here in a minute. I’ll run you guys by our doc and get you some acceptable sleeping quarters. As for food, we have two bags of human meals ready to eat available for you since you guys have certain dietary restrictions. Also, I’m going to need you to forfeit your firearms for now. Armed humans can be somewhat distressing for Arxur. I hope you understand.”
Lee glanced up to me. “Are we going to be traded back to the UN?”
“Yes. While the exact terms haven’t been decided yet. I’d hazard a guess that Chief Hunter Shaza will likely be trading you for artificial meat. We don’t eat people.”
The human scrunched up his face at that and handed over his weapons. The three of us then headed back to the carts so that we could depart. I did have to shoo Tarth off the overburdened refrigeration cart. He then started to try to pester the mentally unwell human. Luckily, my human lured him away before any harm could be inflicted.
--------------------------------
Once we had returned to Cattleship Δ1242, the humans and I fished out the MREs and armor from the cargo cart. We went to my room to deposit the goods and then headed towards doc. I may have made a miscalculation on my path unfortunately. We passed by the caging area that was established for any captured enemy humans. It already housed several residents. Lee began to panic thinking that I was going to be placing him in there.
I stopped him and explained. “No Lee, listen. That’s for humans that try to kill us. I’m going to be re-purposing a supply closet for you two. Okay? ...That sounds worse than it actually is. It’s a nice supply closet. I’ll get you some nesting materials.”
My human started snorting and chuckling uncontrollably. I wasn’t certain if it was me or Lee that caused this.
We paid doc a visit and got my human patched up. The other one’s swelling had reduced back down during the trip back to the ship.
We would be departing soon. The ship had collected everything that it could for the time being, so our next destination would be a cattle farm on an old thafki colony planet. I hoped that things could go smoothly with the temporary integration of two humans. I’m going to need them for the ungodly big pile of ship components I’m about to have to enter into Dominion inventory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s it for the time being. I’m not certain if I’ll do a follow up on this. This whole fanfic idea ended up happening thanks to Marcel’s magic helmet. I make no claim of being a decent write or proofreader. If you read this, it’s your own fault.

The world of online classified ads has seen immense growth over the last decade, with major players such as Craigslist,olx and eBay Classifieds leading the way.
However, there is always room for new players to enter the market and offer a fresh perspective. In recent years, a new classified ad platform has emerged, and it is quickly gaining traction among buyers and sellers alike. This platform is known as 'Bantumart' .
Bantumart is a relatively new player in the online classified ad market, having been launched in 2023 However, in just a few short years, it has become one of the fastest-growing platforms of its kind, with millions of users across Africa.
So what makes Bantumart so appealing to buyers and sellers?.*One of the key featuresthat setss Bantumart apart from other classified ad platforms is its user-friendly interface. The platform is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate and find what they are looking for.
Whether you are in the market for a new car, a piece of furniture, or even a job, Bantumart makes it easy to search and browse listings.
Another factor that has contributed to Bantumart's rapid growth is its focus on safety and security. The platform takes a proactive approach to ensure that all listings are legitimate and that buyers and sellers are protected from scams and fraud. This is achieved through a combination of manual moderation and automated systems that detect and flag potentially fraudulent activity.
In addition to its user-friendly interface and strong safety measures, Bantumart also offers a range of other features that make it appealing to both buyers and sellers.
These include the ability to create detailed listings with multiple photos and videos, as well as the option to communicate with other users directly through the platform. Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of Bantumart is its low fees. Unlike some other classified ad platforms that charge high fees for listing items or services, Bantumart takes a more affordable approach. Sellers can list items for free, and there are no hidden fees or commissions on sales.
As Bantumart continues to grow and expand, it is clear that it has tapped into a niche in the classified ad market. By offering a user-friendly platform, robust safety measures, and affordable fees, Bantumart has quickly become a go-to destination for buyers and sellers alike. If you are in the market for anything from a new car to a secondhand couch, it is well worth checking out Bantumart to see what it has to offer.

The first thing to go was my wedding ring. Sent hers to eldest daughter. After a month wearing mine it was just tearing me up every time I looked at it or thought about it. Nope. Gone to a box somewhere in the house
Then all her bathroom goods, makeup, all her day to day stuff in there. The old pink cloth makeup tote was the worst to go. Had it from day 1 of meeting, 40 years ago. Still used it to the end
Then her jewelry distributed to to our daughters
A lot of family photo's and various personal memorabilia went to our adult kids and a few friends
Then was her clothing. That took a lot longer and was much more painful. I could only do a few things at a time before falling apart and had to regroup. A lot of drive by tears at Goodwill drop off baskets.
It's always a bitch to drive with tears and snot taking control
All kinds of Harley gear and bushel baskets of birkenstocks and boots and dress shoes to her various girl friends and other female acquaintances of her size. All thankful for them. Almost new. Never wore too many too often except her favs, which also went to eldest daughter. Some special favs to the other daughters too. They all got their picks, was no fighting
Then I had to take a poster down from our bedroom wall of the 2 of us sitting on my parked black Harley, both of us in full leathers, with her arms wrapped around me, blond head on my back, and a huge smile. Pro photo. Just gorgeous, the whole scene. I still can't look at it without touching her face and crying uncontrollably. So had to just pack it away. I can't do it anymore. I can't even think about it. I keep a copy in my wallet if I need it. But I try not to look at it even when shuffling thru stuff.
You know, same reaction every time.
Predictable as the rain
The last inside matter is my shrine on the buffet. It's been several months now. Dozens of photos of our lives and friends n stuff. Will start packing these away this week. It's been long enough. I have to move on and I'm sure if I find someone else, I don't need to be dragging anyone into my perpetual nightmare and grief zone. I don't even want to be in there myself. That's why it's going away
How else do you get out anyway? Disassociation does work for me, but it's a thin and ever fragile facade
I'll hang on to her silver low rider. She never rode it much. Bought it new over 2 decades ago. Custom fitted a lot of stuff for her because she was small, 5'4", 124 lbs. But she was sporty as all hell on it. Handled it like a champ but liked riding behind me more. Has 3400 miles on it.
She just liked to have it so she could say she had her own bike
Fine, you have a dandy
It's a keeper
I try not to look at it too much. Just to dust off and start once in awhile

CNN analyst John Blake argued that a White person who posts a GIF, video or photo post that contains a Black public figure could be perpetuating racism. “Maybe you shared that viral video of Kimberly ‘Sweet Brown’ Wilkins telling a reporter after narrowly escaping an apartment fire, ‘Ain’t nobody got time for that! Perhaps you … Continue reading CNN analyst suggests some are guilty of ‘digital blackface’: ‘Insidious form of contemporary racism’

Hi New Orleans! A very sweet active male pitbull just wandered into our apartment at tchoup & state. If you've lost yours, please message me so we can get him home! He won't hold still for a photo, but I'll try to grab one asap.

Period: 504.66 days

	Submissions	Comments
Total	1000	7180
Rate (per day)	1.98	14.20
Unique Redditors	631	2095
Combined Score	216415	40010

Top Submitters' Top Submissions

1. 6197 points, 36 submissions: Wyrdletini
   
   1. Hello my name is Bumi and sometimes when I get super relaxed I lay like this and fart (413 points, 11 comments)
   2. Watch Bumi try to figure out why Kaya’s microchip feeder won’t open all the way for him, even those Bumi’s feeder opens for Bumi just fine! (397 points, 19 comments)
   3. Does anyone else have the Extra Long Whisker Sensors installed? (328 points, 13 comments)
   4. Bumi the 13 month old Piebrid is starting to get a little lorge (256 points, 10 comments)
   5. Queen (225 points, 6 comments)
   6. Christmas Eve road trip - first class treatment (201 points, 4 comments)
   7. Dany (right) rejects Bumi (left) as a friend. Bumi wants to be everyone’s friend. Bumi has begun testing the water with cuddling up to Dany when she is asleep. (190 points, 4 comments)
   8. Bumi is currently fighting a chronic ear infection. I’ve never had a PBC sit so patiently before for tune ups - I appreciate the Trust in Mom feature on this cutie-piebald! (184 points, 13 comments)
   9. Piebald politics (181 points, 1 comment)
   10. Rush hour traffic (179 points, 3 comments)
2. 4666 points, 21 submissions: wishingwellington
   
   1. Captain Beans would like to offer a hump day high 5 to all you super cool cats out in redditland (405 points, 9 comments)
   2. It’s Beans o’Clock somewhere (396 points, 7 comments)
   3. Captain Beans would like to remind you all that reading is fundamental 📚 (387 points, 11 comments)
   4. Captain Beans would like to speak with me about my misguided decision to go on vacation last week. She’s not mad, just disappointed. (381 points, 11 comments)
   5. Double Decker Piebald Caturday with Lieutenant Jan Taylor & Captain Beans (316 points, 10 comments)
   6. It’s Captain Beans’ world. She just benevolently permits the rest of us to live in it. (314 points, 9 comments)
   7. Captain Beans looks so sweet and innocent. Until you won’t stop washing up to play with her. Then she tries to pants you. (313 points, 11 comments)
   8. Captain Beans is sulking because Lieutenant Jan won't give the box back (256 points, 8 comments)
   9. Captain Beans is dreaming of margarita happy hour & hopes you all enjoy your Taco Tuesday! (224 points, 3 comments)
   10. Captain Beans dreaming of tuna fish in the morning sun (213 points, 16 comments)
3. 3095 points, 20 submissions: will160628
   
   1. My arm has been confiscated. (271 points, 10 comments)
   2. Pretty Perl (205 points, 6 comments)
   3. A bit of love to make Monday better (bonus yawn) (204 points, 2 comments)
   4. My baby hippo proud she woke me up (198 points, 6 comments)
   5. Lap full of Perl😻 (188 points, 7 comments)
   6. Perl is a BIG girl 😺 (188 points, 7 comments)
   7. She looks so sweet when she's asleep 😻 (178 points, 1 comment)
   8. It's not as bad as it looks. (162 points, 5 comments)
   9. Perl loves my feet (153 points, 4 comments)
   10. Perl confuses me sometimes (148 points, 4 comments)
4. 2904 points, 8 submissions: coffeebeanpants
   
   1. I have 2 piebalds! (621 points, 22 comments)
   2. Being a slave to this majesty is an honor. (459 points, 10 comments)
   3. I can’t stop taking photos of my cats. (422 points, 15 comments)
   4. I want more!!! (421 points, 14 comments)
   5. Miss Moira Rose loves her silver vine (340 points, 18 comments)
   6. Hi my name is Moira Rose. I’ve been trying to find a subreddit for myself. I hope I came to the right place! I like belly rubs and kitchen sinks. (298 points, 23 comments)
   7. One sassy one and one who’s searching for the meaning of life. (204 points, 6 comments)
   8. Hi (139 points, 3 comments)
5. 2489 points, 9 submissions: beckylh92
   
   1. Zen is the prettiest boy who loves the Christmas lights. (374 points, 9 comments)
   2. Find yourself someone who looks at you the way my cat does when he wants me to stop working and give him attention. (337 points, 4 comments)
   3. Blep, but make it festive 🎄 (324 points, 7 comments)
   4. A boi and his blep. (319 points, 2 comments)
   5. Zen gets fluffier and cuddlier each day! (265 points, 4 comments)
   6. The lamp is a better climbing frame than their cat tree apparently. (And yes, that is his standard issue brother INSIDE the lampshade.) (251 points, 12 comments)
   7. Zen loves his cardboard box bed. (250 points, 8 comments)
   8. Watching the world go by with his standard issue brother. (238 points, 3 comments)
   9. 9 months apart... still like sitting in the window together watching the cars go by 🤍🖤🤎 (131 points, 2 comments)
6. 2406 points, 10 submissions: MamNickHeliosphan
   
   1. Decided to get Alf a hot water bottle under his blanket, this is his happy face (457 points, 9 comments)
   2. Wise old piebald way of dealing with the world (425 points, 9 comments)
   3. It's the time of year when the kitten seedlings blossom into grumpy old cats (326 points, 4 comments)
   4. Grumpy High-Paw? (221 points, 3 comments)
   5. Immanuel Cat's Aesthetic Judgement (212 points, 2 comments)
   6. Apparently not a Standard Issue Bow Tie, but a Hybrid Bow Tie (206 points, 6 comments)
   7. Door step friend (198 points, 7 comments)
   8. BREAKFAST PLEASE (179 points, 6 comments)
   9. Your best friend is a pillow (92 points, 1 comment)
   10. Looking comfortable there Alf (90 points, 3 comments)
7. 2170 points, 7 submissions: Lady_Teio
   
   1. Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments) (679 points, 89 comments)
   2. Jerry, the supplier of lizards, has now moved on to crickets. I just pulled one out of the baby's mouth.... (324 points, 26 comments)
   3. Jerry, the supplier of lizards making biscuits on the couch. This has never been seen in the daylight before. (293 points, 16 comments)
   4. Jerry loves her elderly dog, and helped catch 2 sewer roaches last night. She cornered them so my hubby could kill them. Greatest cat ever. (254 points, 12 comments)
   5. Jerry, provider of crickets and lizards for the human baby, is peeing on the carpet... please help... more in comments (227 points, 27 comments)
   6. Jerry loafing, taking a break from removing crickets from the kitchen. (214 points, 4 comments)
   7. For anyone interested, there's an update with Jerry and our daughter! (in the comments) (179 points, 11 comments)
8. 2134 points, 10 submissions: SithRose
   
   1. Rose wakes up from her nap enough to grumble "Hello" to the subreddit. She is a lovely ticked blue and white lady who appreciates the company of The Doctor and high places. (351 points, 24 comments)
   2. Oh dear. Gust has not only begun figuring out how to use all four feet, but has also begun to weaponize his cuteness. Viewers be warned, the following pictures are dangerously adorable! (301 points, 17 comments)
   3. Gust has officially Figured Out How Feet Work! (253 points, 15 comments)
   4. Gust posts to show off his thumbs yet again. He really loves the attention his face and toes get! (246 points, 10 comments)
   5. One illegally smol kitten. 20 illegally large toes! (Mama is a very good mama. She asked us to babysit. She says it's OK to weigh and love on the babies but only if she asked us to babysit first.) (238 points, 13 comments)
   6. Gust is thoroughly enjoying this scratcher. (221 points, 9 comments)
   7. Gust is growing! He's 14 days old today. (183 points, 6 comments)
   8. Gust looks up from snuggling with Mama Storm. He then turned the snuggling into Milk Bar Time! (126 points, 0 comments)
   9. I seem to recall someone asking for pics of the little cowkitten's face. Squall 2 finally opted to oblige, with extra bonus toes and weigh pics! 9 days old now. (118 points, 13 comments)
   10. Gust has acquired a Crinkle Ball! Mama Storm looks on approvingly in the background. (97 points, 3 comments)
9. 2114 points, 8 submissions: ShelterCatPics
   
   1. Oh Ben, you are so beautiful, chill, and sweet, you'd get adopted so fast if you didn't PEE ON EVERYTHING (395 points, 25 comments)
   2. Yogi was returned to the shelter because one of the adopter's kids was afraid of him. Just look at this vicious creature, I'm shaking in my boots just thinking about him! (395 points, 9 comments)
   3. Muffin's little black spot on her lip makes her look perpetually surprised :o She's gonna get adopted real quick I can tell! (372 points, 6 comments)
   4. Tiki is devastated and betrayed I would dare trim her murder mitts. [SoCal Adoptable] (363 points, 4 comments)
   5. Lexie's one of the prettiest piebald models I've ever seen. Look at those beautiful green eyes! And the detailing! With just a dollop of cream on the back to complete! 11/10 come pick her up today! (271 points, 7 comments)
   6. I had a breakthrough with Franklin the other day! He and his sister are both very timid but he finally realized pets feel nice and was purring and rolling around for a long time! [SoCal Adoptable] (126 points, 2 comments)
   7. Sourkraut needed to recharge for a bit after an encounter with the younger, ruder models [SoCal Adoptable] (99 points, 2 comments)
   8. Oreo looked a little chilly so I tucked her in (93 points, 0 comments)
10. 1965 points, 8 submissions: BonnieAbbzug75
    
    1. Former feral cat Claire sits so cute! (478 points, 14 comments)
    2. Former feral cat Claire is the happiest when upside down in my lap (373 points, 15 comments)
    3. Queen Claire may allow her subjects to photo her from a safe distance (346 points, 2 comments)
    4. Princess and former feral SIChybrid Claire enjoys some winter sunshine. (204 points, 6 comments)
    5. Claire was once a feral kitten…now she is a snuggly couch cat (201 points, 7 comments)
    6. These two sisters love to snuggle. (131 points, 0 comments)
    7. Claire is an outstanding loaf. (119 points, 6 comments)
    8. Former feral Claire lounges on her throne pillow (113 points, 2 comments)

Top Commenters

1. Wyrdletini (1559 points, 218 comments)
2. Lady_Teio (1233 points, 54 comments)
3. Wankeritis (441 points, 10 comments)
4. IzobelStarsw0rd (390 points, 56 comments)
5. GoldenSpring-Fox (370 points, 10 comments)
6. businessadviceanon (323 points, 27 comments)
7. Appropriate_Ad8053 (303 points, 39 comments)
8. Thprop (301 points, 86 comments)
9. bromeranian (295 points, 17 comments)
10. UnApprovedActivities (256 points, 2 comments)

Top Submissions

1. He’s a 10, but he wakes you up at 5 am because he’s a little hungry by 1234567891123456789A (720 points, 27 comments)
2. "Feral stray" I've been feeding at work for over 2 years sat on me for the first time today by indiansfever11 (685 points, 38 comments)
3. Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments) by Lady_Teio (679 points, 89 comments)
4. I have 2 piebalds! by coffeebeanpants (621 points, 22 comments)
5. Anyone near Los Angeles looking to add a piebald to their family? Kyle is a long time shelter resident who needs a home! by Ask_platypus (568 points, 29 comments)
6. Look at that pink nose. He’s 7.5 years old now and I’ve had him his whole life. He’s so special to me. by spankdacat (561 points, 19 comments)
7. Meet my new foster, Luna. She's very unsure of everything by michmizh (548 points, 24 comments)
8. Fig makes extremely silly noises and loves his head dribbled. by spankdacat (538 points, 7 comments)
9. sadie: touches you gently by itsdb97 (525 points, 23 comments)
10. Patrick Roy turned 7 today by monkaibot (522 points, 27 comments)

Top Comments

1. 328 points: Wankeritis's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)
2. 264 points: Lady_Teio's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)
3. 224 points: GoldenSpring-Fox's comment in Just me..? Okay.
4. 187 points: UnApprovedActivities's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)
5. 155 points: manybaronesses's comment in Just me..? Okay.
6. 132 points: Uncle-Rob-115's comment in Would he be a mask and mantle. Go to comments for shaved leg explanation.
7. 130 points: Chrome-Molly's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)
8. 130 points: Lady_Teio's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)
9. 127 points: deleted's comment in Settle a debate. SIC or PBC? He has white on his chin and paws.
10. 109 points: nikilupita's comment in Help! How do I get my cat to stop leaving half eaten lizard for my baby!? (more in comments)

Generated with BBoe's Subreddit Stats

I (27F) have a coworker who is twice my age. Without using up too many characters, she's the perfect triangulation between Karen, Mean Girl, and Pick-Me Girl. She doesn't hold a senior position but she has rapport with management because she's worked there the longest. She bullies a lot of younger staff - myself included - all the while promoting herself to be our self-appointed "mother-hen". She seems entitled to her opinions and shares it without shame.
She will regularly involve herself into personal situations (mostly college kids with their relationship woes), inserting her two cents (aka "this is why I'm better because of x"), belittling everyone else to uphold her own ego, and graphically overshares her own private matters that none of us are invested in (ranging from her flings to her bodily issues). She often invites herself to outside-work engagements or hosts her own on the premise of free booze and food. It's a little unsettling as she's past forty but surrounds herself with impressionable college kids. She wouldn't have anything in common with them, but I doubt she has friends her own age given her immaturity and personality.
I've been over it and I've been detached for some time because I have no patience for the one-upping and rude put-downs she justifies as "brutal honesty". I've blocked her on all platforms since this whole fiasco, and prior to pulling the trigger on going 'ghost', I've been grey-rocking her at work to bide my time since she likes to escalate personal slights into workplace conflicts. I don't care for the extra complications or entangled in mindless drama.
The most notable thing about this coworker ("CC") is that she likes to flex a very indulgent lifestyle. She will imitate a lot of the established clients we deal, even if she lets on she struggles to afford it. (Paycheck to paycheck; hoarding hours and assignments; entitled to cuts and deprive others under the self-assessment "she did more", etc). She will flash the latest upgrades and boast about her luxury car and apartment.
I'm not impressed because I grew up with a narcissistic parent who had a similar mindset and he ruined the entire family when my mother bravely called it quits once she realized he drained her dry. She's still recovering from his accumulating debt a decade after the fact. (No pre-nup and there was forgery involved that tanked her credit).
Because CC will often turn onto someone else for her fix, I've learned to be careful about what I share around her. Nonetheless, she will still breach boundaries, and I've discovered there is are no limitations.
The situation arose when she bragged about matching with my mother's ex-boyfriend on a dating app. He did so because he recognized ME from HER photo reel. CC had posted a pic of us taken at a work function without my knowledge and, by chance, he immediately recognized me from the slide despite us not having interacted in a decade. (My mom and I are identical to this day, and people still comment on it). From what I understand, it was a brief interaction between him and CC since he wasn't her type, but his oversharing planted a curious seed her in head to pry deeper, with or without my permission.
Here's a little background on my family that is important to know: my mother came from an established family. The older generation is still very much wealthy but they are stingy, and have a "make your own" mentality that isn't keen on sharing beyond their wisdom and experience, and embrace the whole "carve your own path and don't expect a hand-out" agenda. Most of my folks have their own business and very successful at what they do. They know various trades that allow them a great deal of independence, and have the hands-on, on-site approach rather than punch numbers behind a desk or answer to someone else. They are respected in their fields but can be notoriously difficult to deal with because they're "my way or the highway".
A lot of the clients we interact with know certain, older family members from various deals, functions, and what not. It's a small world where I work where a lot of old money moves around. It helps I carry my father's name, so most people wouldn't know who I'm related to unless I share my mother's maiden name , and thankfully have avoided accusations of pulling strings to gain favor so far. (I don't. We're not that close and we're all very busy to ever get together outside the usual holidays.)
Nonetheless, word gets around because it's a small world and relatives are bit loose lipped, or clients poke about "Hey! I had a conversation with so-and-so and didn't realize you two were related until they mentioned it!" "Oh, that's why I saw you at this place! Wow! I thought I recongized you! Do you visit [city] often?", and I have to be discreet when I engage with certain people and cut small talk short when they ask "how's your uncle? He had surgery a couple months back." "Does your grandfather still live on the river by himself or is he planning on moving since his wife died?", "I saw he did some renovations on the place", etc before management can catch wind I might be fraternizing outside the workplace just because my folks mingle in the small sphere. (It would not be looked favorably upon, and colleagues would start speculating about favoritism).
I sensed trouble the moment CC began to brag about looking into my mother. It would only be a matter of time before she connected dots my mom was related to this guy, who knew that guy, and then tattled to management I knew so and so from outside work, or very likely began to spread word to my colleagues about my personal affiliations which could very well breed resentment.
There was another consequence I did not foresee: her obsession of comparing herself to my mother. It came out of the blue and really offended me because CC started to make assumptions and baseless comparisons. It started this ridiculous competition because CC has to seek validation that she's somewhat better than my mom, and I can only guess on what bothered her so much to fixate on something so superficial.
For example,

• My mom has two grown kids, where CC has none for health reasons. That riled her up because CC was forced to adapt to her new reality she wouldn't be a natural mother, and my mom being slightly younger than herself triggered a reaction. My mom had what she couldn't and it stewed some bitter feelings. (CC will make a lot of jests like "I could be your mother" or "I feel like I could be your mother" when imposing her opinion on me.)
• My mom comes from a solid, extensive, and close-knit family where CC is very open about her impoverished, dysfunctional childhood with drug-addicted parents. CC does not know mom also comes from certain means, but if she did, it'd only amplify the resentment of the what if / who's more deserving.
• My mom is very petite and conventionally pretty (white, blonde, green eyes) while CC struggles with stubborn weight and mixed-raced identity. (I'm mixed, too, but deceptively white passing because of a weird generic lottery. CC remarked numerous times about how I could have been lied to - implying my mother was 'loose', until I shared my Ancestry results that verified what I've known my entire life).
• CC doesn't commit to her revolving diets she insists on adopting (and inviting us women to join along) while my mom has been a strict vegan since she was girl (traumatized over a bunny her father ran over with the mower), and passionate dancer (ballet primarily) with a professional background until an unplanned parenthood made her change careers. CC relives her varsity days (track, I think) but, given her habits and appearance, those days have passed; Mom has a strict regiment she hasn't strayed from, and looks relatively similar to her High School days.
• The only exception being Mom had surgery to remove a c-section scar after two traumatic births she could not deliver naturally that neither my father or her doctors took seriously until it became life-threatening. The marks were PTSD and Depression inducing, and greatly diminished her flexibility. Mom is open about this on her profile as a mission statement. CC is confident the real reason for the procedure was for fat reduction purposes, and mom did it to bypass exercise and diet (that makes no sense given mom's strict routine!) and paid for it with divorce settlement money (she had none! She paid him because the courts declared so!).
• My mom is also immaculate with her presentation. Nothing new but pristine clothes and always well-groomed, as is her general surroundings since everything is meticulously clean and tidy. I've never seen CC in anything but her uniform and stretched, weathered sweats and collegiate gear. She puts more time and money into her nails every two weeks than she does her personal hygiene. At the end of the day, to each their own. (I myself prize comfort over all else, so I keep it simple and casual, too. I don't judge, so long you don't carry foul BO.)
• My mother is an independent business owner who loves what she teaches (dance studio). It was a dream of hers. Before that, she put in plenty of hours selling real estate to cover bills. CC claims to have graduated from two top-state schools with a therapy background but has been in the hospitality business since as long as I've been alive. If she has degrees, she's not putting them to use, and relies on gratuity and bonuses.
• My mom has a vibrant social life and a natural extrovert. Everyone gravitates towards her and she welcomes them unconditionally. Her dating life is just as active but she has trouble settling down after being trapped in a miserable marriage for half her life, so she wants to be sure the next one isn't another mistake. Because of various reasons, she attracts younger men, but they round closer to their 30s and early 40s. CC is legally separated (ex is MIA, so I hear) and struggles socially with keeping company (probably because she's catty, and no one appreciates it). CC looks for partners half her age (my age) that don't stay around because they have nothing in common, but she faults them for everything else under the sun. (Cheating, immature, irresponsible, etc).
• Mom is savvy with her money. She had to be after my father ruined their finances for decades, and my relatives only helped with her legal fees because they had warned her early on the marriage was ill-advised and wouldn't pitch in anything else to cut my father off. (You couldn't convinced otherwise). Thankfully, my mother knows basic carpentry and did a lot of her own home maintenance to cut cost from skills she learned growing up, and likes the busy work. She still does, and like the rest of my family, we don't buy new unless something is completely unsalvageable, and take great pride in preservation. CC is impulsive and doesn't really take care of her belongings, and eager to discard them if someone new comes out to keep up with trends, no matter what cost. Her expensive apartment is a hoarding mess (she definitely won't get her deposit back), carries a stench of neglect and filth, and her car (older model) is a moving dumpster with trash up to the knees. (I've carpooled once, and visited one, early on before I realized CC was not a pleasant person to be around, and began to make excuses to not repeat the mistake. It took forever to wash out the lingering smell).

The list can go on. I bite my tongue and walk away to avoid giving CC the reaction she wants, but I'm not happy about her prying into my family as if it's matter of public opinion, and I don't like my colleagues coming up to me asking about my mother because CC is sharing photos behind my back ("Look at OP's mom - what do you think?"), or inserting herself in my mom's DMs or public comments to try and establish some sort of engagement. (My mom has blocked her since per my request, completely caught off guard CC was NOT my friend like CC was letting on). Nor am I pleased to find she's determined to uncover more relatives of mine on Social Media (which won't happen because most are private, or elderly and tech-incompetent.)
It's off-putting. She's crossing lines that should not be crossed, and further confrontation would only sabotage my reputation at work since CC would find reason to push the subject if she knew it really bothered me. She also holds more weight and would escalate the matter to save face if I threatened to go over her head to end the venture. She's already conspiring a way to bypass my social blocks by asking around our mutual colleagues what I do, where I go, only to come up with nothing because I don't hang out with coworkers outside work for this very reason!

Hey everyone! We are moving from Iowa to the suburbs in probably a year-ish? And I like to research early, haha. Im originally from Roselle, but we will be moving to the suburbs a little closer to the city most likely.
Right now we are scoping out the Oak Park/Forest Park areas. LGBTQ friendliness/diversity is super important to us, and from what Ive seen the closer to the city you are the more diversity you’ll see haha.
Anyways, I stumbled across this site that has a huge assortment of decent apartments in our budget. Ive lived in many rentals before, by great and horrid management companies.
Anyone work/live within this company and have any reviews?
Thanks!

So first off, I saw the movie once without rewatching so i might've missed some key things.
1.) What was the point of the killers putting on that act where Quinn is on the phone with Detective Bailey? None of the other characters are around to hear this..what was the scene for? Besides creating doubt for the audience.
2.) Gale met Detective Bailey and since she wrote a book on the events of Scream 5 and did investigative reporting..wouldn’t she recognize richie’s father? And in Scream 2, they adleast give an excuse within dialogue where Sidney is like “Mrs. Loomis?” and then Gale says “What?” because she went through old photos and Mrs. Loomis says she had an “extreme makeover” and it added up well, was there something I missed?
3.) Am I the only one that found the killers’ identities and motives annoyingly obvious and also expected 3 killers? they get to the shrine with every single piece of evidence there, I immediately knew that Bailey was the Ghostface killer and I wasn’t able to buy Kirby’s “Cops like money” line, earlier I was already suspicious of him with the line where he says “Cause if you mess with my family, you die.” it felt like some kind of double meaning and as I watched I noticed the similarities to Scream 2 and figured out the motive of him being richie’s dad and since Quinn was his daughter I figured she just faked her death and was the other killer because I find it hard to believe he would go that far to get revenge..and Ethan is self-explanatory.
4.) How did Ghostface know that none of the killers have never spoken to Gale on the phone? And I couldn't buy Gale making such a stupid decision because she’s been dealing with Ghostfaces for about 27 years, When she is in that huge walk-in closet, with a gun and Ghostface calls her..let's her KNOW he is still in the apartment and for some reason she leaves anyway when there is only one way in and out, giving him an advantage I know it’s a movie and you’ll have bullshit moments but goddamn the path they took for the killer to get the drop on her is wild.
5.) I’ve noticed that people find this Ghostface more intimidating and brutal but I honestly don't see any major difference in this one besides the refrigerator scene in the opening, Scream 4-6 has the same brutality to me personally And about them surviving those crazy ass stab wounds..yeah I know this has been said 1000+ times... When so many people walked and ran around like they didn't get injured it completely made Ghostface seem weaker to me and is probably the least intimidating Ghostface i’ve seen, the nerf is insane Can someone explain to me how this one is “different” from the rest?
6.) Bailey witnesses both of his kids getting killed and instead of just shooting Sam with his loaded gun...he charges at her and gets knocked out? She doesn't take his gun while he is passed out? And he just holds his gun in the air while she stabs him? Was it not loaded the whole time?what the fuck happened? And from what I remember all the other Ghostface killers 1-4 died from acts of self-defense unlike Bailey and Richie who stopped being threats in certain moments, the way sam killed both of them was more disturbing then the killers themselves, Was that the actual goal? Because if so they succeeded.
I found the movie to be okay, definitely an improvement from 5 though.

Turned out I had caught a case of pneumonia, which was quite inconvenient, as you might imagine. Also a bit of a warning, this chapter does include some rather gruesome descriptions. My apologies for not posting last week, I was coughing up my lungs.
First- Previous- Wiki
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Sarnatian looked on in awe as dozens of human machines were constructing a formidable wall around their village. The humans, as they called themselves, had already replenished a year’s worth of food in their warehouse and completely restored it to its former glory.
On top of all of that, they had also supplied the militia with brand new armor and weapons. How they managed to get all of that to the admittedly quite isolated village was a great unknown to the former arbiter.
‘’It is time to leave.’’ Darius said as he placed his hand on the former arbiter’s shoulder.
Sarnatian nodded, ‘’I suppose it is.’’ he said to Darius. ‘’Off to usurp the Imperium’s throne!’’ he said with a humorous tone.
‘’Sir, we’ll start moving whenever you give the signal.’’ One of Darius’ lackeys said.
Darius acknowledged him with a nod, ‘’Right.’’ he said, he turned to Sarnatian with a faint smile, ‘’Let’s start.’’
Sarnatian nodded, ‘’Let us.’’
–
A few hours later they were still walking across the muddy path that was considered a road. The swamps and bogs of Valland were filled to the brim with dangerous creatures, making any journey here was perilous, you could get eaten by a black wolf or torn apart by a pack of ghouls at any point.
The journey was awkward to say at the very least, in an attempt to relieve some of that awkwardness, Sarnatian decided to start a conservation. ‘’So, how do you like Valland?’’ he asked the human.
The human thought about the question for a few moments before giving a response, ‘’Could be worse, a bit gray, though.’’ he answered, ‘’Nothing like the deserts that were my home.’’
Deserts? The realm of the humans was truly fascinating in that case, large heaps of sand, that was what his books described deserts as. Sarnatian was always intrigued by the foreign and unknown.
‘’How do you come by water?’’ Sarnatian asked, ‘’I heard deserts were pretty dry.’’
‘’They are, mostly.’’ Darius answered as he kept walking at a fast pace, ‘’There are however wells dotted around them.’’
That was worth investigating, the only desert Narivorr had was to the south of the Imperium, the only creatures that inhabited these lands beyond the jungles of Qulanong were the Arizmer, a race of beastfolk, lived.
They were described as massive centaur-like people, with great strength and a hulking frame. Their fur was dense and almost impossible to get through with any weapon, they wielded massive hammers made for war with two front limbs.
‘’I assume you aren’t from around here either?’’ Darius asked Sarnatian.
Sarnatian nodded, ‘’I’m from the metropolis of Reimstadt, one busy with trade and with corruption.’’ he said.
‘’If you don’t mind me asking, why were you exiled?’’ Darius asked the elf, who upon hearing that question, looked somberly out at the swamp they were traversing.
‘’All you need to know is that I was always the failed son and the moment I noticed the problems with the Imperium I was to be silenced, so I fled.’’ he said, with a hint of sadness.
‘’I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.’’ Darius said as he empathized with the elf.
‘’No matter.’’ he responded, ‘’If I didn’t want you to know, I wouldn’t have told you.’’
After he finished his sentence he heard a twig snap, not due to him stepping on it, no, this was something else.
‘’Did you hear that as well?’’ Darius asked.
Sarnatian nodded, ‘’I’ll cast a detection spell.’’ he said as he focused his Ternecia and combined it together, unlike a fireball or a bolt of lightning, which only needed to be mentally molded, a proper spell needed to be casted.
Casting required quite a bit of stuff, for one, a focusing object was required. In his case it was his amulet, a Valtorn-Kin. Valtorn-Kins were truths of the universe etched into a physical vessel. These truths were universal laws, always to be obeyed by everyone and everything.
While you could cast spells without a focusing object, it was difficult and required rigorous practice. Maybe only a few sorcerers in the Imperium could pull it off, and they all were in service of the Kaesar.
Some sorcerers used Galakhins, weapons with the same properties as Valtorn-Kins, but trading intensity for endurance. Many other focusing objects exist, even books when properly enchanted can serve as them. Casting proper spells required one, because it wasn’t just dispelling Ternecia and transforming it into energy, it was completely restructuring it, forming bolts, fireballs, draining and giving Ternecia however didn’t require one.
It required a caster which was capable of bearing the anguish of subjecting your mind to a universal truth, luckily however it only gets easier from your first time.
‘’Oeau et Ifarno levitis daln terrvo, et revel don position’’ Sarnatian said as he channeled his Ternecia into the focusing object, as he commanded, water and fire arose and went created a fire above the heads of every living being around them.
‘’Heat scans indicate thirty beings!’’ one of the humans said, which was confirmed by Sarnatian’s spell, as thirty flames arose from the forest.
The three people ran out, ‘’Ghouls!’’ Sarnatian yelled as he pointed to them.
Before Sarnatian could channel Ternecia he was knocked down onto the ground by one of the ghouls. Well, this was the end, that was the thought that raced through his mind.
He closed his eyes, ready to die. He then heard a loud boom, he opened his eyes, his assailant’s head was completely melted off into hot goo, he pushed the ghoul off him.
Infront of him was another ghoul, another loud bang, another melted head. Twenty eight to go, he thought as he channeled some Ternecia, he shaped it into a fireball and let loose, three ghouls were burned to a crisp, which bought Sarnatian time to fall back.
‘’Get to the back!’’ one of the humans said, as they were seemingly preparing something.
Sarnatian nodded and ran to the back, a few moments later and the soldier let out a massive wave of fire, it wasn’t magical however.
The ghouls screamed in anguish as they were burned alive, the little skin on their bones was completely burned as their hideous three-eyed faces hit the ground. That had killed off the majority, the few ghouls left scurried away, the humans however didn’t relent.
More loud bangs filled the air as more ghouls screamed in pain, they weren’t hunting the humans, the humans were hunting them. All of a sudden, however, the ghouls stopped running.
It was like they saw something more dangerous in the direction they were going, screaming in fear, pain and confusion as they ran towards the humans, who were mowing them down without any effort.
A few moments later and all the ghouls lay dead, then however, they started hearing stomps. ‘’Sarnatian, do you have any idea what is happening?’’ Darius asked as he turned towards the elf.
‘’An undead giant, perhaps.’’ The elf said, ‘’They’re giants who turned into ghouls, extremely dangerous, even regular ghouls are afraid of them.’’ he said.
‘’Just what I needed…’’ Darius said as he braced himself, ‘’You know anything else about them?’’ he asked.
‘’I can tell you how corpses turn into ghouls, but that wouldn’t do you much good.’’ Sarnatian said, as he lifted his hand to his chin, ‘’They’re undead creatures, just cutting off their arms and legs won’t work, punching a hole through their heart won’t work either, you either have to set them ablaze or decapitate them.’’ he said.
‘’That’s something at least, thanks.’’ Darius said, ‘’Smith, Lin, I want you to try and distract it, Carter try to explode it, somehow.’’ the human ordered his lackeys.
The soldiers nodded and a chorus of ‘’Yes, sirs’’ erupted. A few minutes later and the giant had neared them, it was the height of all the trees surrounding them, it neared thirty meters.
Its face had thirteen eyes, each one of those were focused on the group of humans and the elf. It had loose flesh hanging off its cheekbones. It had a ghastly and nightmare inducing appearance, its body was even worse.
Its intestines were exposed, for all to see. The left side of its pectoral muscle was torn off, revealing its somehow still working organs, the right side of its pectoral muscle had its skin torn off. At the end of each of its arms, was a clawed hand. Underneath its claws you could clearly see the blood of the many creatures it had already killed.
The giant let out a monstrous laugh as it neared the group of humans, who steeled themselves. The humans started blasting it with everything they had, chunks of bone, organ and skin flew out the giant, it however, didn’t stop.
Carter, the soldier ordered to explode it, was doing something, however. Bang after bang rang out, and yet the giant did not halt its approach, it continued to stomp towards the armored retinue.
It neared one of the soldiers who tried making a run for it, and yet failed miserably. Sarnatian looked on as the giant gripped the human in its massive hand, unable to simply stand by and watch, he devised a plan.
With everything he had left he conjured up a massive blade, he focused on his amulet, ‘’Espirit tan qe ferrum, levitis!’’ he chanted, as he collapsed onto the ground.
From the earth arose a gargantuan fiery blade, a great 2 meters in length and broad in diameter too, with the last bits of his strength, Sarnatian lifted his hand upwards, using telepathy to raise the blade through the giant’s arm, it screamed its pain as its hand fell off.
Sarnatian focused, ‘’’Now to decapitate the beast..’’ he said as he raised his hand once more and aligned it, before he, however, had the chance to take its head, a missile flew through the air, right to the giant’s head.
It exploded on impact, leaving a massive hole where the giant’s face once was, with no mouth left to scream with, the giant ghoul collapsed onto the ground, as did Sarnatian, completely spent.
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