Rudolph the red nosed reindeer 1999
Memes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
2017.12.11 23:05 Exploding_Antelope Memes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Deviation from the norm will be punished unless it is exploitable
2023.06.07 20:14 Definition_Novel Some facts about Lithuanians who fought for the USSR (re-post, better format.)
 | -Lithuania had the most Soviet partisans out of all 3 Baltic states, with an estimated 7- 10,000 operating in Lithuania during the Nazi occupation. (From Wikipedia.) submitted by Definition_Novel to sendinthetanks [link] [comments] -About 5,000 people, many being Lithuanian citizens, gave their lives defending Lithuania during the early moments of the German invasion (from Wikipedia.) Most of the following info is from an interview with Lithuanian Soviet veteran Julius Deksnys from the Russian language newspaper Obzhor, translated: -The 16th Lithuanian Rifle Division is often considered the most diverse division of the USSR. In it, ethnic Lithuanians, Lithuanian Jews, Russians, Poles, and other ethnicities in Lithuania and from other Soviet republics were represented. -There was also the 29th Lithuanian Rifle Corps, which unlike the 16th Division, the 29th was filled with deserters who fled to the enemy. However, most of the soldiers of the 29th Corps who chose to stay with the USSR who didn’t desert were eventually sent to the much larger 16th Division. Among those who stayed with Soviet forces was heroic Lithuanian Soviet lieutenant general Vincas Vitkauskas, the only Lithuanian to receive such rank. The 16th Rifle Division did not generally have a desertion problem, and most of its members were committed to defeating both the German and Baltic fascist enemies. (From Wikipedia.) -in Vilnius in 1944 sometime before liberation, 1,417 soldiers were recruited to the Red Army. Of the Lithuanian citizens recruited to the Red Army from the city that year, 898 were from the Polish minority of Lithuania, some of whom served in the Polish Armed Forces of the USSR. 5,000 Lithuanians participated in the East Prussian offensive. 8,000 Lithuanians participated in the Soviet liberation of Berlin. The 16th Lithuanian Rifle Division is well known for its defending of the Russian city of Oryol, where a memorial exists, as well as its amazing feats in the Battle of Kursk, the Klaipeda, Vilnius, and Siauliai offensives, and the battles against Latvian SS in the Courland Pocket in neighboring Latvia. Of the 16th Lithuanian Division, 9,255 soldiers of all ethnicities died in battle. When measured strictly for ethnic Lithuanian casualties, the number is 5,040. In all units of the Red Army total, 40,000 Lithuanians went missing, never to return home. 80,000 were confirmed dead. 253 memorial monuments were built to the veterans of Lithuania throughout Lithuania, many of which unfortunately are decreasing in number due to the right wing government as well as ultranationalist sentiments of much of the ethnic Lithuanian population, whom have replaced many Soviet veterans monuments with ones to fascist collaborators. Regardless of troubling circumstances in present day Lithuania, some Soviet veterans are determined to protect their history, among them ethnic Lithuanian veteran Julius Deksnys, who leads a support group for Soviet veterans. Not mentioned in the following article, Deksnys has been fighting fascism since the very beginning of the war in the Baltic states. He willingly enlisted in the Red Army to avenge the death of his father after his father was killed by Lithuanian nationalists for being a communist. Towards the end of the war, when Deksnys was captured on the battlefield, nationalist Nazi collaborators took Deksnys prisoner and he was sent to a Nazi labor camp, where he survived to Soviet liberation. He had much to say about the mistreatment of Soviet veterans in modern Lithuania in an interview a few years ago, which I will post much of his lengthy statement below, where I have fixed certain translations typing errors: “After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of the statehood of the Republic of Lithuania, veterans of the Great Patriotic War had to solve the problems that arose with the change in the socio-economic, political and ideological system of the country. The most offensive for veterans was the statements of politicians, then enshrined in law, that Lithuania did not participate in World War II, and on May 9, 1945, the day of the Great Victory over fascism, seemed to be the day of the second occupation of our country. Attempts by some Lithuanian politicians and historians to rewrite the history of World War II, distort it, to show the period of fascist occupation of 1941-1944 as a noble mission of Nazi Germany to liberate Lithuania from Bolshevism, to justify the crimes of accomplices of the occupiers against humanity are a monstrous lie. In fact, during the Second World War, the issue of the life and death of the entire Lithuanian people was resolved in the most brutal way. After all, according to the plans of the Nazi leaders, Lithuania should have disappeared in the future like a drop of water on a hot stone. We are urged not to forget the lessons of the war to remember the huge human losses during the years of fascist occupation, including the victims of the Holocaust, the soldiers of the Red Army and Soviet partisans who died for the liberation of Lithuania. The Soviet-era veteran organization and its Republican Committee of Veterans ceased to exist in 1990. Many participants of the Great Patriotic War, citizens of a once great and powerful country, faced the need to decide on citizenship in the newly created independent states of the former Soviet Union. This is how citizens of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries appeared in Lithuania. But they were all united by one thing - the fighting past, the fighting brotherhood and the memory of the Victory over fascism. the combat history of the Lithuanian national unit, the combat service of the intelligence officer of the 18th separate reconnaissance company Paulius Širvys, later an outstanding poet of Lithuania, who was often compared to Sergei Yesenin, is especially noted. But few people know what a brave intelligence officer he was. P. Širvys distinguished himself in many battles and was awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree and two medals “For Courage”. His romantic poems and poems dedicated to the soldier are read and recited by both young and old. Composers compose music based on his words, to organize concerts. When communicating with young people, you are convinced that many young people did not know that their favorite poet during the war was a combat scout, my combat friend. My platoon commander of the same reconnaissance company, Hero of the Soviet Union Boleslovas Gegzhnas and many other soldiers and officers of the division, deserve good memory. People died in those hard battles. During the entire existence of the division, 9,255 fighters have died, including 5,040 Lithuanian soldiers. But how do young generations know about it? In the programs for studying the history of secondary schools, only the fact that such a division was during the war is mentioned, but nothing is said about its heroic combat path, combat exploits. Almost 40,000 Lithuanian residents mobilized to the Red Army did not return from the war. The memory of them is sacred. It will not be possible to emasculate from public consciousness, forget the heroic and decisive role of the Red Army in defeating fascism, denigrate the feat of Soviet soldiers, forget about the victims of the Holocaust, about 80,000 soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of our Motherland. From 1946 to 1948, military memorials were created in cities and districts, in settlements where major battles took place, where the remains of Soviet soldiers were transferred from solitary graves and mass graves. In total, there are currently 253 military memorials and graves in Lithuania, many have monuments, there are memorial plates with the names of the fallen soldiers. Since 2000, with the support of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Lithuania, repair and restoration work has been carried out on military graves. But recently, extremely negative trends in the fight against monuments of the Soviet past have been increasingly manifested in Lithuania. Monuments of special artistic and historical value created by Lithuanian classic sculptors are being demolished. I mean sculptural compositions on the Green Bridge in Vilnius, as well as monuments to Hero of Soviet Union Marytė Melnikaitė in Zarasai and twice Hero of Soviet Union pilot Yakov Smushkevich in Rokiskis. The most important attributes of the life of veterans, the object of their well-deserved pride are combat awards for feats on the battlefields. Orders and medals have Soviet symbols: red star, sickle and hammer, the image of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph V. Stalin. For this reason, wearing them in everyday life is prohibited at the legislative level. This is not only a moral insult to veterans, but also a direct violation of human rights. Such laws have contributed to the activation of ultranationalist sentiments and neo-Nazi manifestations. Cases of vandalism actually encouraged by the authorities at the graves of Soviet soldiers, the demolition of Soviet symbols from monuments have become more frequent, even though they are included in the register of cultural heritage. What will remain of this kind of intervention? Naked memorial steles and plates... The most interesting thing is that the main argument for such actions is the statement that Soviet symbols offend the feelings of a large social group of people affected by Soviet power. But it is permissible to ask: are veterans who did not spare their lives, health in the fight against the Nazis deprived of feelings and the right to memory of their dead comrades? At the origins of our veteran organization were front-line soldiers Juozas Adamonis, Algimantas Stankevičius, Petras Eidukas. With Algimantas Stankevicius, I happened to serve in the first platoon of the first company of the first battalion of the 156th Rifle Regiment of the 16th Lithuanian Rifle Division. On January 27, 1945, we walked together in a chain of attacking warriors, freeing Klaipeda from the Nazi invaders. Stapas Shimonis, becoming chairman of the organization in 1993, did a lot to unite its members, her admission to the World Federation of War Veterans. At the General Assembly of the Federation in Seoul, he was elected a member of the executive committee. After him, since 1999, the organization was headed by Petras Eidukas, who was awarded the title of Honorary Chairman in 2015. Unfortunately, he passed away this year. Despite his 92 years, Nikolai Mikhailovich Riskov, chairman of the veteran organization of the Šalcinunkai district, works actively. On his initiative, a museum of participants of the Great Patriotic War was opened in the district center of Šalcininkai. This is the first museum of its kind in Lithuania, which was opened on July 16, 2014, to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Šalcininkai and Vilnius. The museum contains a collection of photos of front-line soldiers and Soviet partisans who participated in the liberation of the district or lived after the war, as well as various copies of documents of the war years, military memoirs, books about the war. Relatives bring combat awards, various documents of deceased veterans to the museum. Schoolchildren come to the museum, solemn events dedicated to Victory Day, the Day of Liberation of the district are held here. During the celebrations dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, N. Riskov decided to post photos of deceased veterans, residents of the Šalcininkai district, at the city grave of Soviet soldiers, next to the graves of the deceased liberators of the district. This action attracted residents and was continued. People began to bring photos of deceased relatives. This is how the idea of the “Immortal Regiment” was born in Lithuania. Today it is bitter to admit that Lithuania has enough of those who are trying to forget the lessons of the Nuremberg Tribunal, which condemned not only fascism in all its manifestations, but also Nazi accomplices. The names of the latter are now called streets and squares, they are honored as national heroes. And war veterans, the winners defeating fascism, have become outcasts of society, the authorities do not pay any attention to them, even in the days of the celebration of the end of the war in Europe, there is not a single kind word for them, let alone gratitude. Nationalist youth call our awards trifs, we are forbidden to wear our combat awards only on the grounds that the orders and medals depict Soviet symbols.” -Julius Deksnys, from an interview with Obzhor newspaper issue # 1041, Dec. 24,2016. Much thanks to the Russian-Lithuanian language publication Obzhor.lt, whom conducted the interview with Julius Deksnys that I had to translate with a webpage translator as I cannot read Russian. Most importantly, thank you to Julius Deksnys for protecting the Soviet veteran memory, as he is one of my personal heroes whom inspired me to archive photos of Baltic Soviet veterans. |
2023.06.07 19:57 Black_Cat_2 I made some Vicuna fan art :)
 | submitted by Black_Cat_2 to nuclearrabbit [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 19:53 Necrolancer96 Summoning Kobolds At Midnight: A Tale of Suburbia & Sorcery. 87
Chapter LXXXVII
Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.
"Well, there goes the neighborhood." Agent Smith stated as him, Agent Doe, and everyone else in town, watched the migration of people stream into the small town as the sun hit the horizon.
They looked like a bunch of extras to Lord of the Rings. People with pointed ears and flowing robes. People short and stout and with thick beards with bands of gold and silver woven into them. Shorter people that spoke in high-pitched nasally voices and large glasses. There were even people dressed in what looked like giant turtle suits.
Of course that's what the townsfolk would think. To the two Agents it was a very real possibility that these people came from another world like the lizard people, greenskins, and the halflings.
"So much for my report being up-to-date." Agent Smith sighed as he went inside and burned the report he had spent so much time typing out. As he cleaned up the ashes the hotel phone rang.
Johnathan looked between the phone and Agent Smith with a look of curiosity as the Agent seemed greatly hesitant to answer. Agent Smith looked at Johnathan as the phone continued to ring. He walked over and disconnected the line to the phone and it went silent. For a second.
"Damn." Smith cursed as the disconnected phone rang once more despite there being no connection.
He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. He bit back another curse as the voice of the Director came through.
"Agent Smith."
"Director."
"How is the investigation coming along?" She asked.
"Well, until about a few minutes ago it was going pretty smoothly and quietly."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, changed?"
"I'd tell you but if you're calling then that means you already know."
"Of course I already know. I'm just disappointed it came from our sources in the State Government and not my two field agents."
"What is the State going to do?"
"They're going to send the 111th Engineer Brigade, and the 77th Brigade Troop Command."
"All of them?!"
"What did you expect? The population of some small town in the middle of nowhere just became the largest in the State in a single day. They're even sending the 35th."
Smith tapped his foot in thought.
"Can we stop them? Or at the very least make it so they don't send damn near the entire National Guard of West Virginia?"
"No can do Agent. Even if we had caught this before the Governor's office did, we still would've sent troops in. This became top priority the second a large number of people came over."
"Well what about leaks? We can't keep the lid on this with so many showing up."
"We'll be sending our own task force. Officially they are there as "Federal Oversight". In actuality they are there to aid you in your investigation as well as limit leaks from the National Guard."
"So there isn't anything we can do to stop them from showing up en masse?"
"Unfortunately no. Aerial recon is being deployed to "substantiate" the claim. But seventy-thousand people showing up out of nowhere isn't something to take lightly. When they see that there are indeed an entire city's worth of people, then they will send the rest. But that will be a few days, a week at most. Once they verify, they'll be getting crash courses in crisis response and begin mobilization."
"What about the rest of the Federal Government?"
"As far as the State is aware WE are the Federal response. And we are going to keep it that way."
Smith didn't like this, not one bit. It was hard enough doing their job quietly in even a small town like this. Now they had to worry about not only a population the size of medieval Venice, but now the National Guard.
"What if we-"
"No, Agent Smith."
"We could do it you know?"
"Not in the time we have nor the volume. You should know that disappearing an entire town is hard enough, doing it to a city's worth of people is harder to not only pull off but harder to sell to the public."
Smith huffed in frustration.
"So what's the new mission?"
"The same as it was before. Only this time, you'll be getting a team to back you up. Set up and monitor everything that happens. Keep the NG from getting too close to the less explainable creatures and people. ESPECIALLY keep them away from Entity APL-1."
"You mean-"
"I will not use that ludicrous name! It is a dangerous entity! Not a pet!"
Smith chuckled a bit.
"Since we're talking, would you like my report up till today?"
The Director sighed.
"Very well. Only because this is a secure way of communicating."
So Smith gave the Director his report. Jeb and the kobolds. Morty and the greenskins. The halflings. All of it. There was a pause as the Director processed the information. No doubt already sending various people about to adjust to the new information.
"Is that all you have to report Agent Smith?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Good, continue as planned until our team arrives then procced from there."
"Yes Ma'am."
"And don't call me Ma'am. Makes me sound old."
"You are old."
Smith heard the Director guffaw.
"And you aren't?! Quit being insubordinate and get back to work Agent Smith."
"Yes Ma-"
CLICK
"Rude old bitty." Smith quipped playfully as he set the dead phone back on its base.
Johnathan just stared at Smith.
"How-"
"Trade secret Agent Doe. You'll find out when you're older. In the mean time. Its business as usual until reinforcements arrive. So go pull up a chair and observe." Smith stated as he dragged one of the worn hotel chairs out and sat on it while he watched the sheer number of people walking about along the main street of the town.
-----
Time must be different here than back home, because that was NOT "20 minutes", thought the Duchess as she entered the town the deputy had pointed out to her. She and her people were drained. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.
This worlds sun was past its peak when they came to this world. Now it was just nearing the horizon to the west as they reached the town. The chill air didn't help, especially the turtle people from the isles. The moderately sized enclave that live- HAD lived in Daele grumbled and groaned the whole walk. Both the temperature difference and the long journey didn't agree with them.
Everyone had dressed for a spring that, just a few hours ago, they were sure they weren't going to see. Now it felt like they had missed it entirely! But the sight was still something to behold.
Sure it wasn't a grand city like Daele... was. But it was still shelter, and it was still a wonder to see. Buildings made of faded red brick or what looked like solid stone and glass. A road made from a faded black stone. Lights that didn't look like they needed fire. Not to mention the multitude of metal carriages about! She couldn't see any horses in sight and she wondered how they were pulled.
A sentiment shared by many, but especially of Dylan. He was looking around the new town with wide eyes. Scribbling on his notepad furiously as his eyes darted back and forth over everything new they saw. He wasn't the only one shocked and awed. Though some looked less than impressed by the simple, even rough, conditions of the town.
They weren't sure where to go, but seeing a slightly taller white colored building decided to head there. Perhaps that was where they could inquire with whoever the ruler was, the Duchess thought.
As they neared City Hall, the Duchess glanced about and observed the people of the town. Everyone she saw was human, many were old and tired looking. But even the younger people she saw had a tired and worn look on their face. These looks barely changed as they watched and stared at the migration.
There were no offers of support or aid from the townsfolk. Judging from the condition of the town, they probably didn't have much for themselves let alone her people, she thought sadly. Her honor guard stayed close to her as they made their way through the street.
As she reached the steps of City Hall a commotion was heard and a portly man, a gangly nervous looking man, and several other, equally rounded, men shuffled out and greeted her. Or what might pass for a greeting around here.
"Who are you and what is going on here?!"
The nervous looking man stuttered a response.
"T-t-t-the Sh-sh-sheriff l-l-l-l-"
"Cease your infernal stuttering Greg and get to the point!" The Mayor snapped.
"The point is Gerald is that these people arrived looking for shelter." The Sheriff stated as he climbed the stairs, his two deputies flanking him.
The Mayor cast a suspicious eye on the sea of people that filled out one of the few roads Somewhere had. They were starting to coalesce around City Hall as they tried to get close enough to hear what was happening. Though many were still amassed at the edge of town where the town ended and the landscape changed to that of fields and hills.
"Oh are they now? Pray tell how we are supposed to shelter them Sheriff? How are we supposed to feed them? Hmm? Did you think of that before inviting these people to our town?"
"You're right Mayor. Our town is under enough stress without adding more people we can't take care of." The Sheriff answered plainly.
"There we have it! You all will just have to-"
"That's why I called the Governor and he's sending the National Guard to aid both the town and these poor people."
"YOU WHAT!?" The Mayor rounded on the Sheriff so fast his jowls still shook from the motion.
The Sheriff stepped up to the Mayor.
"We needed help before these people showed up. Now we DESPERATLY need help!"
"So you call the Governor!?! Are you mad!?"
"No! I care about this town and I'm not going to see it die because you're too scared of the past!"
"There's a damn good reason we are and you know it!" The Mayor hissed.
As the Mayor and the Sheriff bickered, the Duchess, flanked by two of the Delta Guard, walked up the steps and bowed to the two men. The heavily armed and armored men made the councilmen and deputies nervous, causing the latter to put their hands on their holsters.
"I am sorry if our presence puts too much strain on your town. If need be we will leave at first light."
"Good! You can-"
"STAY! We are good and honest folk and we won't turn away those in need!"
"If it helps alleviate your burden. We do have some wealth that we still retain. We can donate some as thanks for your hospitality."
The Mayor, and councilmen, perked up at that.
"Wealth you say?"
The Duchess touched a hand to a ornate necklace she had. Silver and aquamarine. She unclasped it and held it out.
"I could not ask my people to do what I would not. So accept this as my thanks."
The Mayor's eyes went wide and he licked his lips as he reached a fat hand out to snatch up the exquisite jewelry. But he was stopped by the Sheriff who stood between the necklace and his meaty hands. The Delta Guard tensed at the movement put did no more once it was apparent it wasn't a threatening motion.
"That isn't necessary. If you wish to show thanks then please. Enjoy what the town has to offer. Food, a few hotels and apartments you and yours can stay in and any other services and amenities you find. Please. If you wish to offer thanks, then offer it to the people of the town itself."
The Duchess smiled and withdrew the necklace before bowing.
"Thank you for your hospitality. Me and my people will do our utmost to repay it and do our best to be civil guests in your town!"
"Of course! If need be there are other places that might be able to shelter your people. We have some space at the station. The railyard probably wouldn't say no to housing some of your people. As I said, we have room and board in several parts of town that wouldn't say no to any new business!"
The Sheriff and the Mayor bickered quietly while the Duchess turned to address her people.
"Good people of Daele! We have come far from our home by the sea and have faced many hardships in these past weeks! But now the people here have been generous enough to offer us shelter! Offer us Sanctuary! They only ask that we reward that kindness at the many shops and vendors around the town! So go and find a place to rest and fill your bellies and get warm!"
With that, the great flood of people murmured curiously and excitedly as they formed various groups and began to explore the town as the message was carried through the mass of bodies. As the Duchess watched, many group heads came to her.
The scions of the dwarven banking clans and the remnants of the nobility, elvish and human, walked up to join her. As did the heads of the various merchant houses, smithy and artisan guilds. Even Alban pulled Dylan away from running off to fulfill his duty as the leader, and half, of the Artificers Guild. The Great Sage of the tortle enclave grunted as she walked over with the rest of the leaders before sitting down on the cool grass nearby with a relieved sigh.
"What're we ta do now yer Ladyship?" One of the dwarves asked as he ran a bejeweled hand over his golden beard that was woven with emerald imbedded silver bands.
"We do as I stated. We find places to rest and recover from our journey. Tomorrow we will meet again with the leaders of the town and work out the rest."
One of the elves sniffed his hawkish nose as he gazed at the town.
"Are we really to stay in such a place so... pedestrian?"
"We aren't really in a position to argue my Lord. If it is not to your liking then you are free to keep walking in hopes of finding someplace more suited to your tastes."
The elf sniffed indignantly but remained where he was. One of the merchants spoke next.
"What should we do then? We have no place to work our trades."
The other merchants and various guild leaders nodded in affirmation.
"For tonight, just find food and shelter. I'm sure that these people will have need of, and greatly appreciate, your work. As I have stated already. Food and shelter first. Everything else will be settled tomorrow."
The leaders all grumbled and murmured but did little else as they split off to find their own places of rest. The Great Sage groaning and grumbling as she forced herself to stand and return to her people. Though the dwarves and Dylan walked over to the Sheriff and Mayor.
"Excuse me lad? What were tha' 'bout a railyard?"
The Sheriff broke the mutual glaring between him and the Mayor and turned to the stout man.
"The railyard. Its on the north of town. Follow the main road here and take a left at the library. Can't miss it."
"Well thank ye lad. But uhm? What is a railyard?"
"Well, its a place where trains are stored and maintained, its also where freight from our town is, or was, shipped out of and to the rest of the country."
The dwarves hummed in understanding.
"One last question lad. What is a train?"
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submitted by Necrolancer96 to HFY [link] [comments]
Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.
"Well, there goes the neighborhood." Agent Smith stated as him, Agent Doe, and everyone else in town, watched the migration of people stream into the small town as the sun hit the horizon.
They looked like a bunch of extras to Lord of the Rings. People with pointed ears and flowing robes. People short and stout and with thick beards with bands of gold and silver woven into them. Shorter people that spoke in high-pitched nasally voices and large glasses. There were even people dressed in what looked like giant turtle suits.
Of course that's what the townsfolk would think. To the two Agents it was a very real possibility that these people came from another world like the lizard people, greenskins, and the halflings.
"So much for my report being up-to-date." Agent Smith sighed as he went inside and burned the report he had spent so much time typing out. As he cleaned up the ashes the hotel phone rang.
Johnathan looked between the phone and Agent Smith with a look of curiosity as the Agent seemed greatly hesitant to answer. Agent Smith looked at Johnathan as the phone continued to ring. He walked over and disconnected the line to the phone and it went silent. For a second.
"Damn." Smith cursed as the disconnected phone rang once more despite there being no connection.
He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. He bit back another curse as the voice of the Director came through.
"Agent Smith."
"Director."
"How is the investigation coming along?" She asked.
"Well, until about a few minutes ago it was going pretty smoothly and quietly."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, changed?"
"I'd tell you but if you're calling then that means you already know."
"Of course I already know. I'm just disappointed it came from our sources in the State Government and not my two field agents."
"What is the State going to do?"
"They're going to send the 111th Engineer Brigade, and the 77th Brigade Troop Command."
"All of them?!"
"What did you expect? The population of some small town in the middle of nowhere just became the largest in the State in a single day. They're even sending the 35th."
Smith tapped his foot in thought.
"Can we stop them? Or at the very least make it so they don't send damn near the entire National Guard of West Virginia?"
"No can do Agent. Even if we had caught this before the Governor's office did, we still would've sent troops in. This became top priority the second a large number of people came over."
"Well what about leaks? We can't keep the lid on this with so many showing up."
"We'll be sending our own task force. Officially they are there as "Federal Oversight". In actuality they are there to aid you in your investigation as well as limit leaks from the National Guard."
"So there isn't anything we can do to stop them from showing up en masse?"
"Unfortunately no. Aerial recon is being deployed to "substantiate" the claim. But seventy-thousand people showing up out of nowhere isn't something to take lightly. When they see that there are indeed an entire city's worth of people, then they will send the rest. But that will be a few days, a week at most. Once they verify, they'll be getting crash courses in crisis response and begin mobilization."
"What about the rest of the Federal Government?"
"As far as the State is aware WE are the Federal response. And we are going to keep it that way."
Smith didn't like this, not one bit. It was hard enough doing their job quietly in even a small town like this. Now they had to worry about not only a population the size of medieval Venice, but now the National Guard.
"What if we-"
"No, Agent Smith."
"We could do it you know?"
"Not in the time we have nor the volume. You should know that disappearing an entire town is hard enough, doing it to a city's worth of people is harder to not only pull off but harder to sell to the public."
Smith huffed in frustration.
"So what's the new mission?"
"The same as it was before. Only this time, you'll be getting a team to back you up. Set up and monitor everything that happens. Keep the NG from getting too close to the less explainable creatures and people. ESPECIALLY keep them away from Entity APL-1."
"You mean-"
"I will not use that ludicrous name! It is a dangerous entity! Not a pet!"
Smith chuckled a bit.
"Since we're talking, would you like my report up till today?"
The Director sighed.
"Very well. Only because this is a secure way of communicating."
So Smith gave the Director his report. Jeb and the kobolds. Morty and the greenskins. The halflings. All of it. There was a pause as the Director processed the information. No doubt already sending various people about to adjust to the new information.
"Is that all you have to report Agent Smith?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Good, continue as planned until our team arrives then procced from there."
"Yes Ma'am."
"And don't call me Ma'am. Makes me sound old."
"You are old."
Smith heard the Director guffaw.
"And you aren't?! Quit being insubordinate and get back to work Agent Smith."
"Yes Ma-"
CLICK
"Rude old bitty." Smith quipped playfully as he set the dead phone back on its base.
Johnathan just stared at Smith.
"How-"
"Trade secret Agent Doe. You'll find out when you're older. In the mean time. Its business as usual until reinforcements arrive. So go pull up a chair and observe." Smith stated as he dragged one of the worn hotel chairs out and sat on it while he watched the sheer number of people walking about along the main street of the town.
-----
Time must be different here than back home, because that was NOT "20 minutes", thought the Duchess as she entered the town the deputy had pointed out to her. She and her people were drained. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.
This worlds sun was past its peak when they came to this world. Now it was just nearing the horizon to the west as they reached the town. The chill air didn't help, especially the turtle people from the isles. The moderately sized enclave that live- HAD lived in Daele grumbled and groaned the whole walk. Both the temperature difference and the long journey didn't agree with them.
Everyone had dressed for a spring that, just a few hours ago, they were sure they weren't going to see. Now it felt like they had missed it entirely! But the sight was still something to behold.
Sure it wasn't a grand city like Daele... was. But it was still shelter, and it was still a wonder to see. Buildings made of faded red brick or what looked like solid stone and glass. A road made from a faded black stone. Lights that didn't look like they needed fire. Not to mention the multitude of metal carriages about! She couldn't see any horses in sight and she wondered how they were pulled.
A sentiment shared by many, but especially of Dylan. He was looking around the new town with wide eyes. Scribbling on his notepad furiously as his eyes darted back and forth over everything new they saw. He wasn't the only one shocked and awed. Though some looked less than impressed by the simple, even rough, conditions of the town.
They weren't sure where to go, but seeing a slightly taller white colored building decided to head there. Perhaps that was where they could inquire with whoever the ruler was, the Duchess thought.
As they neared City Hall, the Duchess glanced about and observed the people of the town. Everyone she saw was human, many were old and tired looking. But even the younger people she saw had a tired and worn look on their face. These looks barely changed as they watched and stared at the migration.
There were no offers of support or aid from the townsfolk. Judging from the condition of the town, they probably didn't have much for themselves let alone her people, she thought sadly. Her honor guard stayed close to her as they made their way through the street.
As she reached the steps of City Hall a commotion was heard and a portly man, a gangly nervous looking man, and several other, equally rounded, men shuffled out and greeted her. Or what might pass for a greeting around here.
"Who are you and what is going on here?!"
The nervous looking man stuttered a response.
"T-t-t-the Sh-sh-sheriff l-l-l-l-"
"Cease your infernal stuttering Greg and get to the point!" The Mayor snapped.
"The point is Gerald is that these people arrived looking for shelter." The Sheriff stated as he climbed the stairs, his two deputies flanking him.
The Mayor cast a suspicious eye on the sea of people that filled out one of the few roads Somewhere had. They were starting to coalesce around City Hall as they tried to get close enough to hear what was happening. Though many were still amassed at the edge of town where the town ended and the landscape changed to that of fields and hills.
"Oh are they now? Pray tell how we are supposed to shelter them Sheriff? How are we supposed to feed them? Hmm? Did you think of that before inviting these people to our town?"
"You're right Mayor. Our town is under enough stress without adding more people we can't take care of." The Sheriff answered plainly.
"There we have it! You all will just have to-"
"That's why I called the Governor and he's sending the National Guard to aid both the town and these poor people."
"YOU WHAT!?" The Mayor rounded on the Sheriff so fast his jowls still shook from the motion.
The Sheriff stepped up to the Mayor.
"We needed help before these people showed up. Now we DESPERATLY need help!"
"So you call the Governor!?! Are you mad!?"
"No! I care about this town and I'm not going to see it die because you're too scared of the past!"
"There's a damn good reason we are and you know it!" The Mayor hissed.
As the Mayor and the Sheriff bickered, the Duchess, flanked by two of the Delta Guard, walked up the steps and bowed to the two men. The heavily armed and armored men made the councilmen and deputies nervous, causing the latter to put their hands on their holsters.
"I am sorry if our presence puts too much strain on your town. If need be we will leave at first light."
"Good! You can-"
"STAY! We are good and honest folk and we won't turn away those in need!"
"If it helps alleviate your burden. We do have some wealth that we still retain. We can donate some as thanks for your hospitality."
The Mayor, and councilmen, perked up at that.
"Wealth you say?"
The Duchess touched a hand to a ornate necklace she had. Silver and aquamarine. She unclasped it and held it out.
"I could not ask my people to do what I would not. So accept this as my thanks."
The Mayor's eyes went wide and he licked his lips as he reached a fat hand out to snatch up the exquisite jewelry. But he was stopped by the Sheriff who stood between the necklace and his meaty hands. The Delta Guard tensed at the movement put did no more once it was apparent it wasn't a threatening motion.
"That isn't necessary. If you wish to show thanks then please. Enjoy what the town has to offer. Food, a few hotels and apartments you and yours can stay in and any other services and amenities you find. Please. If you wish to offer thanks, then offer it to the people of the town itself."
The Duchess smiled and withdrew the necklace before bowing.
"Thank you for your hospitality. Me and my people will do our utmost to repay it and do our best to be civil guests in your town!"
"Of course! If need be there are other places that might be able to shelter your people. We have some space at the station. The railyard probably wouldn't say no to housing some of your people. As I said, we have room and board in several parts of town that wouldn't say no to any new business!"
The Sheriff and the Mayor bickered quietly while the Duchess turned to address her people.
"Good people of Daele! We have come far from our home by the sea and have faced many hardships in these past weeks! But now the people here have been generous enough to offer us shelter! Offer us Sanctuary! They only ask that we reward that kindness at the many shops and vendors around the town! So go and find a place to rest and fill your bellies and get warm!"
With that, the great flood of people murmured curiously and excitedly as they formed various groups and began to explore the town as the message was carried through the mass of bodies. As the Duchess watched, many group heads came to her.
The scions of the dwarven banking clans and the remnants of the nobility, elvish and human, walked up to join her. As did the heads of the various merchant houses, smithy and artisan guilds. Even Alban pulled Dylan away from running off to fulfill his duty as the leader, and half, of the Artificers Guild. The Great Sage of the tortle enclave grunted as she walked over with the rest of the leaders before sitting down on the cool grass nearby with a relieved sigh.
"What're we ta do now yer Ladyship?" One of the dwarves asked as he ran a bejeweled hand over his golden beard that was woven with emerald imbedded silver bands.
"We do as I stated. We find places to rest and recover from our journey. Tomorrow we will meet again with the leaders of the town and work out the rest."
One of the elves sniffed his hawkish nose as he gazed at the town.
"Are we really to stay in such a place so... pedestrian?"
"We aren't really in a position to argue my Lord. If it is not to your liking then you are free to keep walking in hopes of finding someplace more suited to your tastes."
The elf sniffed indignantly but remained where he was. One of the merchants spoke next.
"What should we do then? We have no place to work our trades."
The other merchants and various guild leaders nodded in affirmation.
"For tonight, just find food and shelter. I'm sure that these people will have need of, and greatly appreciate, your work. As I have stated already. Food and shelter first. Everything else will be settled tomorrow."
The leaders all grumbled and murmured but did little else as they split off to find their own places of rest. The Great Sage groaning and grumbling as she forced herself to stand and return to her people. Though the dwarves and Dylan walked over to the Sheriff and Mayor.
"Excuse me lad? What were tha' 'bout a railyard?"
The Sheriff broke the mutual glaring between him and the Mayor and turned to the stout man.
"The railyard. Its on the north of town. Follow the main road here and take a left at the library. Can't miss it."
"Well thank ye lad. But uhm? What is a railyard?"
"Well, its a place where trains are stored and maintained, its also where freight from our town is, or was, shipped out of and to the rest of the country."
The dwarves hummed in understanding.
"One last question lad. What is a train?"
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2023.06.07 19:48 TheDeliciousMeats Bone Music: Chapter 14
First Chapter
Previous Chapter
Nemeria was at a loss. This whole time she had thought that the Red Titan was gone, that the old her was gone. Now he was standing there right in front of her, alive and well. There was something unsettling about seeing her old self look at her with such distaste, like an artist expressing contempt for a parody.
Raul's close cropped red beard was new, as were the more masculine and conservative clothes. He was wearing a rough gray wool button down shirt with black jeans, an outfit she wouldn't have been caught dead in.
When she wore that body she had always been clean faced, usually with a gently flowing shirt in rich colors made of some soft material like silk. The shoes he wore were also strictly utilitarian, scuffed, boring. It was as much of a statement as an outfit. Raul was telling her very directly that he was no longer a she.
The original plan had been to copy over her mind to her current body and destroy the old one. That way at least one of them would finally be able to be happy. Raul had planned to end their life so Nemeria could begin hers.
That was the whole reason she had allied with Gershwin in the first place, to get his help to become who she was supposed to be, to become Nemeria. To escape her locked wetware and be free.
Originally Gershwin had attempted to modify her wetware itself to allow her to transition. But there were safeguards in place that prevented her from changing anything that really mattered.
So long as her wetware was active she would be locked into a form of biological stasis, any changes or alterations would be viewed as damage by her wetware and reverted to factory settings. There was no way to change her body.
They could have turned off her wetware, but that would have caused an entirely different problem. One that might have put the entire world in peril.
So they had done the next best thing, finding her a new one. She had stolen one of Esmerelda's backups from Haven and poured her mind into it. One warden in the body of another.
But Raul hadn't followed the plan. After the transfer, instead of going gently off into that goodnight he had decided to use Gershwin's software on himself. He had altered his mind, changed who he was, made it so he no longer felt the way Nemeria did. In essence, overwriting himself with an idealized version of who he wanted to be.
Now she was finding out that he had done more than just modifying himself. He had also gone back and fucked with her mind, guaranteed she would have a miserable existence.
Kerner's unshackling had allowed her to remove the blindfold. She was beginning to remember all the things that had been kept from her. To make connections and understand things that she had been hard coded to ignore.
"You son of a bitch!" Nemeria raged as she realized how badly he had hurt her. "You fucking monster! You gave me so much guilt and you locked me into it so I would never be free, never be able to move on from it! You hardcoded me to hate myself! You made me think that Simon was dead! Why would you do that?"
Raul regarded her coldly. "Why should you be happy? Why do you think you deserve to be happy?" He asked softly. "Why should you have everything and leave me with nothing?"
"But why would you do that to me?!" Nemeria screamed. "Why would you hate me so much that you would program me to suffer? Why would you do that to Simon? I love him! You loved him!"
Raul shrugged. "It's just something men do sometimes." He looked at Simon, who was slowly twirling his vampirzahn between his fingers and circling around to the side. Preparing to attack. "Oh, you must be so angry. Are you mad that I got bored with you? What did you expect? You're a glorified pet! An experiment!"
"And you are a poor copy of the one I loved." Simon said coldly, the hatred he felt turning his blood to ice in his veins. There was a sound like razor blades on violin strings as his internal reserve of katzen monomolecular wire began to come under tension. Artificial glands secreted synthetic lubricants into his joints to allow greater movement. His skin itself started to selectively harden, becoming tougher than steel as a mild electric current aligned nanoparticles, changing their characteristics.
Then, as if understanding his need, the vampirzahn in his hand began to slowly lengthen. The black metal flowed and stretched, becoming a needle tipped spear two meters long. He felt it vibrate in his hand then fall silent. Torheit had accepted his control and was ready for battle.
Simon sneered. "What a shame to see a great titan become such a small man. Tell me, have you done anything great on your own since? I doubt it. You aren't an original, you're the dregs. You are what is left over. You are nothing but Scheiße!"
Nemeria started to circle around to the opposite side of Raul, preparing for the fight she knew was coming. Every warden had their own tricks, and the body she wore had been picked for a reason.
Esmerelda hadn't been put in charge of the other wardens because she was the smartest. She hadn't been picked by popular vote. Esmerelda had beaten anyone who stood in her way to a bloody pulp with her bare fists.
Now Nemeria had unlocked its potential, fully coming into control of her stolen body. Normally her strength was limited, she was only a bit stronger than a normal human. That prevented her from accidentally destroying things and people by accident. But once the safeties were disengaged there was no telling how strong she would be.
Raul the Red Titan looked at the two creatures he had made and let out a long dramatic sigh. "You two are so tragic, you know that right?"
Then he pointed at the old hund who had been curiously silent. "And you, with your tricks, your smoke and mirrors, I'm over it. Coasting on your father's reputation, using his technology. You aren't a puppet master, you're just another dog standing on its hind legs and I'm going to kick them out from under you very soon!"
"Then let me speak plainly." Kerner replied, getting up slowly and painfully from his chair. "You are entering my domain, human. Behave, be civil, or be eaten. You are an ape among wolves, act accordingly."
"How dramatic!" Raul laughed. "As if any member of your miserable species could ever hope to threaten me. Now her, on the other hand, if she wasn't already in my pocket I might be a little bit worried. Nemeria, would you kindly kill that nasty old dog for me?"
"No, I don't think I will." Nemeria said with a smile. Any programming he had put into her was defunct now thanks to Kerner. But she did appreciate the reference. "Besides, if I kill him, who will officiate the wedding? I was promised a happy ending, isn't that right puppy?"
Simon let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. "Yes, I do believe we were. Happily ever after and all that, with cookouts and dad jokes." He mimed flipping a burger with his spear.
Raul shook his head with annoyance. "Well that's frustrating." His eyes narrowed as he tried to connect with her wetware. When that didn't work he turned to Simon, who likewise was unfazed.
Simon let out a small laugh as a message came across his wetware.
HE'S PROTECTED, BITCH. -COAT
Kerner let out a low chuckle of his own. "Sorry, were you expecting some kind of reaction? Ja, I know… sit, roll over, shake, play dead."
He walked up to Raul, getting right in his face. Döbians weren't particularly tall so he only came up to Raul's chest, or rather his throat. "You never understood that we aren't dogs. You can't domesticate us." He rasped.
"When I gave up my power over them I closed the door on your influence as well. How does it feel, no longer being in control? I feel so much lighter. I feel so free! But I imagine you feel differently." He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the bouquet of anger and fear. "Are you afraid…kleiner junge?"
Raul lashed out violently and without warming, backhanding the old hund as hard as he could. His fingertips cracked like a whip as they broke the sound barrier and he pivoted at the hip, putting all his force behind the blow. It should have been lethal. It should have caved in Kerner's skull. Instead there was a crunch of breaking bone as Raul's hand met something rather harder than he was expecting.
He shrieked and tried to pull his hand back… but it was stuck as if glued to the hund's face. Raul was strong but whatever this thing masquerading as a warhund was, it was significantly stronger. It didn't move a single millimeter. It didn't budge. It was like Kerner was welded to the floor.
Ice cold words dripped into all of their minds as something spoke. Something not alive. The flavor of its words was harsh and metallic. Inorganic. Artificial and very intelligent.
"Stuck… like a rat in a trap." The Gravekeeper said, taking the time to savor each and every word. "Oh Raul… how I've waited for this."
There was a sound of ripping fabric as Kerner shed his skin and clothing, revealing a gold and black synthetic chassis. Raul stumbled backwards, the discarded skin still not letting go. It writhed and wrapped around Raul's arm like a snake, crunching bones as it went, becoming more and more liquid by the second.
"What is this?" Raul shouted in surprise as he tried to pry the thing off, but his hands stuck to the sticky black substance. Long thin tendrils started to creep out of the ooze, wrapping around his feet and legs.
"Careful planning." Kerner's golden skull said with a smile. He was holding himself straighter now, but he still had the unmistakable posture of an old soldier. One who was bent slightly crooked by the passage of time. "Your hubris is your undoing. Though I see you have taken your own precautions."
There was a sound of a heavy autocannon letting loose followed by a thud that shook the ground and made dust fall from the rafters. There weren't any screams though. There should have been screaming from the people outside.
But instead there was only another low chuckle from Kerner. "Well… at least you tried." He said with a shrug. "I brought them here to assist me if needed. Them, and others. But apparently you are less of a threat than I had feared."
Simon reached out with his wetware and scanned the area, trying to see what was going on. There was a large drone of some kind that had crash landed, but whatever had taken it out remained hidden.
Raul wasn't able to breathe so he had to make his reply via wetware link. His voice rang in their minds. "You can't hold me like this for long." He menaced, straining against his bonds. "I will escape."
"I don't have to hold you at all." Kerner said dismissively. "Your wetware isn't up to date, in fact you used my father's software, so all I have to do is ask. Now, would you kindly stop struggling?"
Raul froze. His eyes suddenly showed a very real fear as his muscles relaxed all on their own. The skin continued to envelop him, swallowing him feet first like a snake. The last thing they saw was his eyes, pleading for mercy.
There was a series of wet crunches as it compressed him down to a wet ball of pain. Simon and Nemeria shared a look of disgust and fascination as the once great warden was consumed by the pulsating black mass of ooze. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.
"I don't suppose you have a cigarette?" Kerner asked, breaking their reverie.
Simon reached into his coat. He rarely smoked but he kept a pack on him in case they proved useful. He pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.
The skeletal hund thankfully took the offering and ripped off the filter, sticking the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His fingertips had black rubberized pads to give him grip.
"Do you need a light?" Simon asked.
"No. This is fine. I remember what they taste like." Kerner turned back towards the altar, ignoring the pulsating skin as it continued to do unspeakable things to Raul's body. "A bit anticlimactic, I fear. I worry that it all was too easy, that I've missed something."
"Wenn du dich in einem fairen Kampf befindest, ist deine Taktik scheiße." Simon said, remembering his time with the Jagdkommandos.
The translation came through Nemeria's wetware and she let out a snort of laughter. There was a similar saying among Human Nomad Recon. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. She could remember her old team leader telling her that with a grin as he taught her how to prepare an ambush.
He was an old veteran, earth born, with skin like leather and gray eyes sharp as razors. What was his name? She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That wasn't right, she hadn't served. Had she? There was so much from before she came here that she had never been able to remember, never questioned.
She looked up to see Kerner looking back at her, the empty eye sockets of his golden skull making her shiver. But they weren't really empty, they were set with black compound lenses that drank the light. A thousand eyes in one grinning skull, all of them hungry.
They were like black pits drawing her in. She felt herself losing her balance and falling…
The world around her peeled away leaving nothing but blackness. It was warm and dark here, too dark for her to even see her fingers. There was a voice in the void, calling out to her.
She could hear Simon shouting but it was far away. The other voice was so much closer. So much more important.
"Do you want answers?" Asked a woman's voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "I can give you answers. All you have to do is open the door."
Nemeria drifted in the dark, her mind unraveling, her sense of self disappearing. She knew the voice, it was her own voice. She could trust herself, couldn't she?
Yes, answers would be good. She had so many questions. Where was the door? She felt a brass knob form under her fingertips. All she had to do was turn her wrist and it would open. It would be so easy.
Then she heard a raspy voice in her mind, ripping away the blackness, bringing her back to the old church. It was Kerner, his eye sockets burning with faint blue light. "Not today, my dear." He said. "Perhaps not ever."
Nemeria shivered. "What was that?"
"A door." The old hund shrugged. "I don't know exactly what would have happened if you opened it. But let's not find out today, ja?"
She looked down at her hand. She hadn't even hesitated. She hadn't wanted to. It seemed so natural, so normal.
It was then that GG burst in through the open door, covered head to toe in body armor and various parts of other beings. She had evidently been busy. "Did I miss anything good?" She asked.
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Previous Chapter
Nemeria was at a loss. This whole time she had thought that the Red Titan was gone, that the old her was gone. Now he was standing there right in front of her, alive and well. There was something unsettling about seeing her old self look at her with such distaste, like an artist expressing contempt for a parody.
Raul's close cropped red beard was new, as were the more masculine and conservative clothes. He was wearing a rough gray wool button down shirt with black jeans, an outfit she wouldn't have been caught dead in.
When she wore that body she had always been clean faced, usually with a gently flowing shirt in rich colors made of some soft material like silk. The shoes he wore were also strictly utilitarian, scuffed, boring. It was as much of a statement as an outfit. Raul was telling her very directly that he was no longer a she.
The original plan had been to copy over her mind to her current body and destroy the old one. That way at least one of them would finally be able to be happy. Raul had planned to end their life so Nemeria could begin hers.
That was the whole reason she had allied with Gershwin in the first place, to get his help to become who she was supposed to be, to become Nemeria. To escape her locked wetware and be free.
Originally Gershwin had attempted to modify her wetware itself to allow her to transition. But there were safeguards in place that prevented her from changing anything that really mattered.
So long as her wetware was active she would be locked into a form of biological stasis, any changes or alterations would be viewed as damage by her wetware and reverted to factory settings. There was no way to change her body.
They could have turned off her wetware, but that would have caused an entirely different problem. One that might have put the entire world in peril.
So they had done the next best thing, finding her a new one. She had stolen one of Esmerelda's backups from Haven and poured her mind into it. One warden in the body of another.
But Raul hadn't followed the plan. After the transfer, instead of going gently off into that goodnight he had decided to use Gershwin's software on himself. He had altered his mind, changed who he was, made it so he no longer felt the way Nemeria did. In essence, overwriting himself with an idealized version of who he wanted to be.
Now she was finding out that he had done more than just modifying himself. He had also gone back and fucked with her mind, guaranteed she would have a miserable existence.
Kerner's unshackling had allowed her to remove the blindfold. She was beginning to remember all the things that had been kept from her. To make connections and understand things that she had been hard coded to ignore.
"You son of a bitch!" Nemeria raged as she realized how badly he had hurt her. "You fucking monster! You gave me so much guilt and you locked me into it so I would never be free, never be able to move on from it! You hardcoded me to hate myself! You made me think that Simon was dead! Why would you do that?"
Raul regarded her coldly. "Why should you be happy? Why do you think you deserve to be happy?" He asked softly. "Why should you have everything and leave me with nothing?"
"But why would you do that to me?!" Nemeria screamed. "Why would you hate me so much that you would program me to suffer? Why would you do that to Simon? I love him! You loved him!"
Raul shrugged. "It's just something men do sometimes." He looked at Simon, who was slowly twirling his vampirzahn between his fingers and circling around to the side. Preparing to attack. "Oh, you must be so angry. Are you mad that I got bored with you? What did you expect? You're a glorified pet! An experiment!"
"And you are a poor copy of the one I loved." Simon said coldly, the hatred he felt turning his blood to ice in his veins. There was a sound like razor blades on violin strings as his internal reserve of katzen monomolecular wire began to come under tension. Artificial glands secreted synthetic lubricants into his joints to allow greater movement. His skin itself started to selectively harden, becoming tougher than steel as a mild electric current aligned nanoparticles, changing their characteristics.
Then, as if understanding his need, the vampirzahn in his hand began to slowly lengthen. The black metal flowed and stretched, becoming a needle tipped spear two meters long. He felt it vibrate in his hand then fall silent. Torheit had accepted his control and was ready for battle.
Simon sneered. "What a shame to see a great titan become such a small man. Tell me, have you done anything great on your own since? I doubt it. You aren't an original, you're the dregs. You are what is left over. You are nothing but Scheiße!"
Nemeria started to circle around to the opposite side of Raul, preparing for the fight she knew was coming. Every warden had their own tricks, and the body she wore had been picked for a reason.
Esmerelda hadn't been put in charge of the other wardens because she was the smartest. She hadn't been picked by popular vote. Esmerelda had beaten anyone who stood in her way to a bloody pulp with her bare fists.
Now Nemeria had unlocked its potential, fully coming into control of her stolen body. Normally her strength was limited, she was only a bit stronger than a normal human. That prevented her from accidentally destroying things and people by accident. But once the safeties were disengaged there was no telling how strong she would be.
Raul the Red Titan looked at the two creatures he had made and let out a long dramatic sigh. "You two are so tragic, you know that right?"
Then he pointed at the old hund who had been curiously silent. "And you, with your tricks, your smoke and mirrors, I'm over it. Coasting on your father's reputation, using his technology. You aren't a puppet master, you're just another dog standing on its hind legs and I'm going to kick them out from under you very soon!"
"Then let me speak plainly." Kerner replied, getting up slowly and painfully from his chair. "You are entering my domain, human. Behave, be civil, or be eaten. You are an ape among wolves, act accordingly."
"How dramatic!" Raul laughed. "As if any member of your miserable species could ever hope to threaten me. Now her, on the other hand, if she wasn't already in my pocket I might be a little bit worried. Nemeria, would you kindly kill that nasty old dog for me?"
"No, I don't think I will." Nemeria said with a smile. Any programming he had put into her was defunct now thanks to Kerner. But she did appreciate the reference. "Besides, if I kill him, who will officiate the wedding? I was promised a happy ending, isn't that right puppy?"
Simon let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. "Yes, I do believe we were. Happily ever after and all that, with cookouts and dad jokes." He mimed flipping a burger with his spear.
Raul shook his head with annoyance. "Well that's frustrating." His eyes narrowed as he tried to connect with her wetware. When that didn't work he turned to Simon, who likewise was unfazed.
Simon let out a small laugh as a message came across his wetware.
HE'S PROTECTED, BITCH. -COAT
Kerner let out a low chuckle of his own. "Sorry, were you expecting some kind of reaction? Ja, I know… sit, roll over, shake, play dead."
He walked up to Raul, getting right in his face. Döbians weren't particularly tall so he only came up to Raul's chest, or rather his throat. "You never understood that we aren't dogs. You can't domesticate us." He rasped.
"When I gave up my power over them I closed the door on your influence as well. How does it feel, no longer being in control? I feel so much lighter. I feel so free! But I imagine you feel differently." He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the bouquet of anger and fear. "Are you afraid…kleiner junge?"
Raul lashed out violently and without warming, backhanding the old hund as hard as he could. His fingertips cracked like a whip as they broke the sound barrier and he pivoted at the hip, putting all his force behind the blow. It should have been lethal. It should have caved in Kerner's skull. Instead there was a crunch of breaking bone as Raul's hand met something rather harder than he was expecting.
He shrieked and tried to pull his hand back… but it was stuck as if glued to the hund's face. Raul was strong but whatever this thing masquerading as a warhund was, it was significantly stronger. It didn't move a single millimeter. It didn't budge. It was like Kerner was welded to the floor.
Ice cold words dripped into all of their minds as something spoke. Something not alive. The flavor of its words was harsh and metallic. Inorganic. Artificial and very intelligent.
"Stuck… like a rat in a trap." The Gravekeeper said, taking the time to savor each and every word. "Oh Raul… how I've waited for this."
There was a sound of ripping fabric as Kerner shed his skin and clothing, revealing a gold and black synthetic chassis. Raul stumbled backwards, the discarded skin still not letting go. It writhed and wrapped around Raul's arm like a snake, crunching bones as it went, becoming more and more liquid by the second.
"What is this?" Raul shouted in surprise as he tried to pry the thing off, but his hands stuck to the sticky black substance. Long thin tendrils started to creep out of the ooze, wrapping around his feet and legs.
"Careful planning." Kerner's golden skull said with a smile. He was holding himself straighter now, but he still had the unmistakable posture of an old soldier. One who was bent slightly crooked by the passage of time. "Your hubris is your undoing. Though I see you have taken your own precautions."
There was a sound of a heavy autocannon letting loose followed by a thud that shook the ground and made dust fall from the rafters. There weren't any screams though. There should have been screaming from the people outside.
But instead there was only another low chuckle from Kerner. "Well… at least you tried." He said with a shrug. "I brought them here to assist me if needed. Them, and others. But apparently you are less of a threat than I had feared."
Simon reached out with his wetware and scanned the area, trying to see what was going on. There was a large drone of some kind that had crash landed, but whatever had taken it out remained hidden.
Raul wasn't able to breathe so he had to make his reply via wetware link. His voice rang in their minds. "You can't hold me like this for long." He menaced, straining against his bonds. "I will escape."
"I don't have to hold you at all." Kerner said dismissively. "Your wetware isn't up to date, in fact you used my father's software, so all I have to do is ask. Now, would you kindly stop struggling?"
Raul froze. His eyes suddenly showed a very real fear as his muscles relaxed all on their own. The skin continued to envelop him, swallowing him feet first like a snake. The last thing they saw was his eyes, pleading for mercy.
There was a series of wet crunches as it compressed him down to a wet ball of pain. Simon and Nemeria shared a look of disgust and fascination as the once great warden was consumed by the pulsating black mass of ooze. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.
"I don't suppose you have a cigarette?" Kerner asked, breaking their reverie.
Simon reached into his coat. He rarely smoked but he kept a pack on him in case they proved useful. He pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.
The skeletal hund thankfully took the offering and ripped off the filter, sticking the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His fingertips had black rubberized pads to give him grip.
"Do you need a light?" Simon asked.
"No. This is fine. I remember what they taste like." Kerner turned back towards the altar, ignoring the pulsating skin as it continued to do unspeakable things to Raul's body. "A bit anticlimactic, I fear. I worry that it all was too easy, that I've missed something."
"Wenn du dich in einem fairen Kampf befindest, ist deine Taktik scheiße." Simon said, remembering his time with the Jagdkommandos.
The translation came through Nemeria's wetware and she let out a snort of laughter. There was a similar saying among Human Nomad Recon. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. She could remember her old team leader telling her that with a grin as he taught her how to prepare an ambush.
He was an old veteran, earth born, with skin like leather and gray eyes sharp as razors. What was his name? She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That wasn't right, she hadn't served. Had she? There was so much from before she came here that she had never been able to remember, never questioned.
She looked up to see Kerner looking back at her, the empty eye sockets of his golden skull making her shiver. But they weren't really empty, they were set with black compound lenses that drank the light. A thousand eyes in one grinning skull, all of them hungry.
They were like black pits drawing her in. She felt herself losing her balance and falling…
The world around her peeled away leaving nothing but blackness. It was warm and dark here, too dark for her to even see her fingers. There was a voice in the void, calling out to her.
She could hear Simon shouting but it was far away. The other voice was so much closer. So much more important.
"Do you want answers?" Asked a woman's voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "I can give you answers. All you have to do is open the door."
Nemeria drifted in the dark, her mind unraveling, her sense of self disappearing. She knew the voice, it was her own voice. She could trust herself, couldn't she?
Yes, answers would be good. She had so many questions. Where was the door? She felt a brass knob form under her fingertips. All she had to do was turn her wrist and it would open. It would be so easy.
Then she heard a raspy voice in her mind, ripping away the blackness, bringing her back to the old church. It was Kerner, his eye sockets burning with faint blue light. "Not today, my dear." He said. "Perhaps not ever."
Nemeria shivered. "What was that?"
"A door." The old hund shrugged. "I don't know exactly what would have happened if you opened it. But let's not find out today, ja?"
She looked down at her hand. She hadn't even hesitated. She hadn't wanted to. It seemed so natural, so normal.
It was then that GG burst in through the open door, covered head to toe in body armor and various parts of other beings. She had evidently been busy. "Did I miss anything good?" She asked.
2023.06.07 19:33 throwaday0607 the edge of the edge of the edge of the edge
CHAPTER ONE
I saw a light in the sky and he came down from it
That was a courtesy
What was ?
The light
What do you mean ? Who are you ?
Look I hate to be rude but we kinda need you, are you in ?
Are you God ?
If I say yes would you be more or less likely to help me ?
I don’t know.
Then, yes, I’m God, and I need your help
If you’re God, why do you need my help ?
I’m not God, I just said that to get you to help me. I’m sorry but I’m in a rush, are you in or are you out ?
I don’t even know what you’re asking
I’ll tell you on the way
We were in a big house. There was one of those double stairs that led up to one landing, then split again and met at the next landing. They went on and on, I couldn’t see where they ended.
You do not wanna know where that stairway goes
Where does it go ?
He gave me a look that made me feel stupid.
Every landing seemed to go on forever, just rows of heavy wooden doors as far as the eye could see. I turned 90 degrees and felt a bit funny, but couldn’t quite place why. Just rows of doors forever, same as before. I turned again. Now I was facing the opposite way to when I came in. There was what looked like a front door, twice my height, with a gold doorknob on it. But above that door I could still the landings. And the doors. They still went on forever. I turned again, expecting to see it but still unable to comprehend it when I actually saw it. The doors, going on forever. Again.
Oh yeah, I forget sometimes that you people are three dimensional, I swear it makes sense when I look at it. Come on, we don’t have much time.
We turned, and where I was sure there was a blank wall was now a golden arch. There was some fog coming through it, and lights flashing red and blue in an otherwise darkened room.
It’s a rave from your world, frozen in time. It’s along the shortest path to where we’re going.
We walked through the rave. I was trying to nudge past people. He floated up and delicately walked across their heads.
Spend some time here and you’ll figure out how to do this, the rules don’t apply here like they do in your world.
I believed him.
I looked around. The very silent disco went on forever in every direction.
When we reached the back, there was another golden arch. This one led to a room with a counter in the middle of the floor. There were pens on the counter, and pieces of paper, and a large sheet of glass. There was a woman on one side of the counter, and two men on the other. They were wearing masks. One of them had a gun drawn. There was a bullet between the end of the gun and the woman’s head
Uh oh, I wonder how she’ll get out of this one
She gets out of this ?
I mean, I can’t see what happens beyond the moment we're in any more than you can, but I highly doubt it. Come on we’re not there yet.
Somehow, the counter stretched on forever
The final room certainly did not stretch on forever. It was barely two metres in any direction. There was a table and a chair, the only problem was the table went from one wall to the other, and I would have to gracelessly clamber across the table in order to sit in the chair. But then I was in the chair. Another guy walked in.
Apologies for the suspense, do you have any questions ?
I don’t know
Nothing ? Not even a why am I here ? Not even a why me ?
Why am I here ? Why me ?
You were right, they really do ask the worst questions. Glad you asked ! First things first, do you know what a universe is ?
Everything ?
That’ll do, but what if I told you that there were even more everythings ? And they were everywhere, all at once ?
I don’t follow.
Imagine you decided not to come with us today, your life would have taken a different turn, you wouldn’t be sitting at that table right now. Following so far ?
Sure
Great ! So you making a different choice results in something being different, something is a part of everything, so everything is different. Your choices change everything, which is real neato, as the kids are saying. So let’s say there was a way to explore all these different possibilities, let’s say you could look at what you life would be like if you had made those different choices, all those everythings would be different, and you would have a different…?
Universe ?
That’s right ! You are very clever ! So if we have multiple universes, we can map out what we call a -
Multiverse ?
How did you know ? Wow I actually was impressed that time
I saw 2 movies that mentioned it in 2 weeks.
Ha-ha, maybe this version of you did. Anyway, I'm having too much fun, imagine you said “I am going to interact with every multiversal version of me except the one that smells like fish all the time”, and somehow, against all the odds, you succeeded. That'd be cool, wouldn't it ?
Ok
But, you may be thinking to yourself, what about the timeline where you say to yourself “I am going to visit every version of myself except the one where I have a big forehead ? Or have acne ? Or live in a pineapple under the sea ? Or any other number of things ? Assuming you could succeed at any of these things, it’d be impossible to succeed at all of them. That's where we get the omniverse from. Think of it as being above the multiverses. And it lets us keep track of all of them simultaneously
Is there more ?
More ?
More layers ? Are there infinite omniverses and infinite somethings above them ?
Would you be capable of caring about it if I told you there were ?
I don’t know
Basically what we want is a bit of a laundry list done. Its gonna look like random jobs, just checking up on people from time to time. But it is integral to the structure of the omniverse itself that you do this. The reasons why are beyond your comprehension.
Am I going to get to go home ?
Eventually, maybe
CHAPTER TWO
Do you have a name
Yeah
Cool
Yeah
I'm going to show you your chores now
Ok
He concentrated for a few moments. He raised his hand and made a motion like he was typing on a keyboard. The floor fell away, revealing an infinite void, like space, all around us. There was a commotion behind me, and I turned tot see a corridor being made. The sounds of commotion were still somehow coming from behind me, so I turned again to see the same corridor, this time it stretched even further into the distance
Sorry this will take a while, were constructing it one dimension at a time, just about to start adding the sixth. Give it a second and well have it finished.
We were still floating, but now the corridor was all around us. The sound of commotion was all around now, it sounded like lots of materials being smashed together; stones, metal, wood, clay, water, flesh.
And done
We drooped to the floor. This part of the corridor looked like an ancient Roman street, complete with a market, although there were no people to man them.
Like I said, this is just the shortest distance between the points we need.
Ok
We’ll get going and I’ll explain everything on the way. He handed me what looked like a small stone, but it lit up and created a screen, it looked remarkably like a tablet computer when it was turned on. A lot of things I didn’t understand or frankly care about lit up. I looked away and it powered down.
That will help you keep track of everything
I figured.
This is our first subject. Her name is Maria
Can she see us ?
No. she's just sitting here playing with her fruit.
She's not moving
She's frozen in time until you start
Will she be able to see us then
Yes. She's going to be doing something with her fruit. Recently she had a wedding for her oranges.
Ha-ha
Yeah. When the time comes, you just write it down on you tablet, can you do that ?
I opened the tablet. It anticipated what I was thinking and made the correct page for me.
Great. Moving on.
We closed the door, leaving Maria for now. We continued down the street. Quite suddenly, although not immediately, it became the interior of what looked like a space ship.
This is a universe where the entire...left side of the universe declared war on the right side. I really don’t want to get into it, all you need to know is the teams are the Yingits and the Yangits. You have no idea how much it pains me to say, but earth actually is the centre of the universe here, so earth’s politics are, needless to say, divided. The pilot of this ship was born coincidentally on the same day as the version of you from this universe, but he fell into a cryogenic chamber for almost a thousand years, got out, began what would have been one of the greatest empires the world had ever known, had he not fallen into another cryogenic chamber for another thousand years. When he got out, the war had started, and none cared enough to follow him anymore. His names Fornot, you just need to find out what side he’s fighting on.
This is weird
Yeah.
We closed the door and went on. The spaceship corridor gave way to some cold, stone steps. There was water dripping from the walls, and mould growing, the whole place stank and it was far too cramped. There was a rough wooden door with an ornate golden handle. He opened it. Three people were inside the cave, with about 500 people crowded around the entrance, trying to get a glance in.
This guy here, his name is Su-lan. He comes from an island off the coast of...it’s a different planet you wouldn't know it anyway. Member of the La tribe, cool guys and gals. Ah I may as well say it, this is a universe where humans have attempted to colonise every planet they’ve come to, and they’ve had a 100% success rate. Believe it or not, we are currently in the orbit of a gas giant called...you wouldn't remember, call it 2piter.
Ok
So Su-lan’s wife, do you see her there ? Her name is Su-fo, she took part of his name when she married, according to a custom that goes back 420 years
Ok
So they painted all these symbols along the walls and on the floor and they drew that big circle, not easy to do when you've got arthritis like they do, let me tell you. Anyway, you may be wondering how humanity has been able to conquer every known planet in the universe, it was quite easy you see. Firstly, they changed the definition of planet to “that which can be conquered by humanity” and the second was that in the 20th century, they discovered a ritual which, when performed on the right people, would grant them godlike powers. After that it was actually quite easy. One in every roughly million people gains powers this way, and if they do, they become custodians of a planet or two, or even a whole solar system ! Isn't that neat ? Anyway, the girl in the middle, her name is Su-ner, and she’ll be doing the ritual today to see if she can get these powers. You see how she takes the first part of her father's name ? Well when she gets married
I get it
They said you were smart. You're just confirming whether or not she gets these powers, sound easy enough for you ?
Yes
Then lets keep going.
He overturned a stone, revealing a portal on the underside. The portal kind of dripped off the bottom of the stone until it landed on the wall opposite us. We walked through. Now we were in what looked to be the foyer of a hotel.
This is your parents’ house in the universe where they never had you.
What ? They got rich without me ?
'fraid so. They bought a really lucky lottery ticket.
Oh
then they used to money to buy a few sweatshops in China.
Oh.
anyway, we are looking for the game room, it’s...this way I think.
He led me down a series of corridors, containing great works of art, statues, suits of armour, I thought I saw Eric Clapton by a swimming pool. We found the game room. It was bigger than my house. It had arcade machines, a screen bigger than any cinema I’d ever been in, there were people in uniforms milling around, a huge crowd in the centre of the floor, a room of computers and people with headsets, it looked like mission control at NASA. At the centre of it all was a guy who looked a lot like me, he had a trolley in front of him with a row of suits. They looked like those green suits that covered people from head to toe, except they were black. He had a furrowed brow, he was deciding something. The suits had little white balls on them.
Remember when I said your parents didn’t have you ? Well this is the kid they had instead. Thanks to the money, he’s hosting and competing in the world video game championships. These are his haptic suits, they do motion capture and let him interact with the game world and give him feedback and stuff, kind of like a controller that you wear
Ok.
Tell us which one he picks.
There was another door on the far side of the room. We went through it. It opened onto a waterfall. He grabbed me and we stepped off together. The waterfall was frozen in time. We rotated 90 degrees, and gravity moved with us, so we ended up just walking down it a little bit. There was a metal hatch at the bottom. He opened it up and let me inside. Gravity shifted again, so we were not standing on the roof, staring down at a lab. There were two scientists inside, one a rotund man with a bushy beard, the other thin and small, with an equally thin and small moustache. There was a birdcage in the middle, and a bird was suspended in the air within the cage. There were what looked like two circular windows in the end of the room. Or at least, a different version of me would have thought they were windows. Having seen what I had seen, I knew they were portals of some kind. One opened to a golden meadow, accentuated by the setting sun. The other was a nigh time setting of a colourful forest, with glow in the dark foliage accentuating the fruits and flowers which were present. They looked equally inviting.
This lab has been experimenting with multiversal travel, we love to see it. See that clipboard ? They've taken the same bird from hundreds of different universes and are setting it free in the lab and seeing which of the two portals it goes through. Their theory currently is; same bird, same portal. I rememberer when we were at that stage, fun times. You just need to tell us which portal this bird flies through. see that fat guy ? He once won a hot dog eating contest by lining them up and having his friend push them into his mouth while he swallowed with his mouth open on the other end of the table. The friend was the small guy, who got a splinter from the table and had to be rushed to the emergency department and spent 20 hours on a trolley and by the time he got seen to he had taken the splinter out himself but he got charged for the time on the trolley and now he’s here to pay off the medical bill.
Ok
Let's keep going.
He opened another hatch in the roof and stepped through. It opened not to the waterfall, but to a city. It was grey and the buildings were big.
Ok this is about two years after you went away
I'm not going home, am I ?
Not with that attitude. It doesn’t matter where we are...humans have colonised a planet that is more or less identical to earth and are making the exact same mistakes all over again. We are in New York 2, although I would prefer if you called it 2 York.
Ok
There's a guy called Killer Lenny. We need you to tail him for the next few months and find out what job he gets.
Months ?
It’ll fly, well make sure your needs are met during that time.
Ok.
One final thing.
He opened a manhole cover, and jumped in. I didn’t hear him hit the bottom, but I jumped in too. I landed on...the street I had just jumped off.
Different universe, same setup, multiverse fun ! There are some gangs, the Rabble, the Rapple, the Raggle, the Rattle, the Raddle, the Raxxle, the Razzle, the Rassle, and the Raffle. They all wear different colours and I think they carry weapons corresponding to the gang they're in. They've been having problems for the last few years and its all coming to a head tonight and we need you to tell us who comes out on top. I’d say take a secure position and wait it out, we’re not expecting it to take any more than about an hour once it starts.
Ok. when do I start ?
Well take some time and you can start more or less immediately. We need to do some stuff back at base but that wont take long.
CHAPTER 2.5
OK step on through. The fact that I wont be with you means the shortest path between these places might be different to the ones we took originally, just check your device regularly and you should be fine. Any questions ?
Yeah, why am I doing this ?
It's recently been discovered that there is an omniverse where you do this, you report certain things to us, and then totally unrelated circumstances in a trillion years means we gain a bonus of sorts. Consider yourself the litmus test
Oh
Oh and we’re giving you like a billion dollars or something
Cool
Ok let's go
He pushed me through the portal. It closed behind me. I was on the street in Rome.
CHAPTER 3
I walked around a bit before I went to her. This had been my first chance to get any my bearings since this whole thing started. I noticed a bird in the air. It wasn't moving. I realised I would need to open the door to Maria's house before time would start in this universe again. I grew bored, and opened the door. Maria was sitting on the floor, on her own.
Hello
Hi
Are you alright ? I was sent to check up on you.
I'm fine, thank you.
What are you doing ?
I am playing with my fruit. I like to play with my fruit. My legs don’t work good so I can’t go outside with my friends. Well. I wouldn't be able to go out with my friends if I had any. My mother gives me fruit to play with and when I finish playing with it I eat it.
Oh. That's nice. What are you doing now ?
Last week my oranges got married. They love eachother very much.
That's nice. Where are they now ?
They are over here, well some of them are. I ate some and I fed a few more to the pigs, but I have some apples and a pear and some grapes now. They are making music together.
Music ?
Yes ! Their names are Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, and then we have another Do, I think she is the mother of all the others.
Very nice, what else do they do ?
They can do all sorts of things !
She showed me to a lute that was hanging on the wall. She played an open string on it.
See, if we call that note Do, then the one here
she played it at the second fret
would be called Re.
Lovely
And something I learned recently, if you push the note up one more, you can change its name ! So I can turn Re into Ri !
Amazing. Can you turn Fa into Fi and La into Li ?
Yep !
She showed me what they sounded like.
You can also push notes down to turn and that changes their name too, so Re becomes Ra, and Mi becomes Ma, and So becomes Sa, and Ti becomes Ta. I think some of my fruits want to change their names, I think Ti definitely would prefer to be Ta, and I think Re would love to become Ri.
I bet they would, what are you going to do now ?
I think I will eat them !
She spent a few minutes looking for her fathers knife, but when she couldn’t find it, she went out to the shed and got out a saw. As she took it to he apple, the scene stopped. I knew it was time to go.
I recorded it all and went on my way. Kids sure are stupid, I said to myself.
There were a few people on the street now. They were clearly minding their own business, but time had stopped again so I couldn’t have spoken to them if I had wanted to. Beyond the market, I could see the stones giving way to the steel beams and electrical cables of the spaceship. I continued my journey.
The spaceship was as cold as it had been, although this time there was at least the whirring of the engines to provide some life. There were flashing buttons on the wall, and a magnificent vista of the earth. Actually, it probably wasn't the earth. The earth only has one moon.
I knocked on the door
Woah
I fell backwards. The inertia had caught me off guard.
What are you doing here ?
What are you doing here ?
I'm fighting these dirty Yangit scum, why, what side are you on ?
I was already gone
The beams and cables gave way to the cave where the ritual was taking place. Su-ner was exactly as I had left her, as were Su-lan and Su-fo. The whole ceremony consisted of Su-ner drinking a purple liquid from an ornate jug, then lying down in the firepit in the centre of the room. She seemed to be asleep. Su-fo lit a fire in the pit, and Su-ner didn’t move. From my vantage point at the back of the cave, I knew noone could see me, I doubted it would end well if they did. After a few minutes, Su-lan started convulsing on the floor, after another few minutes, Su-fo followed suit. I assumed they had inhaled too much smoke; they were between the firepit and the cave mouth. When they had stopped moving, noone dared breath. Noone looked at them, they were so fixated on Su-ner, who still hadn't moved. Some of them started clutching beads, closing their eyes, and offering prayers. It was obvious that Su-ner's parents were dead, the ritual had clearly gone disastrously wrong.
Until.
There was a creaking sound, like large amounts of earth and clay moving. The symbols on the wall started glowing, and somehow detached themselves from the wall, floating through the air and settling on Su-ner. A hole opened in the roof. Su-ner's eyes opened, they now glowed purple. She floated out of the hole. She touched parents’ hands, they awoke, and they climbed to their feet without a hint of their arthritis. Now the crowd was silent again. Su-ner said
I must fulfil my duty
And flew away. There was the sound of thunder crashing and trees falling and mountains colliding and winds howling and volcanoes erupting and rivers flowing, all for the greater good of humanity. The crowd erupted into cheers, the scene stopped. I overturned the stone and let the portal drip onto the wall.
I was back in my “parents” house. I got lost, it took me a while to get back to to where I had been before, there was some activity, the staff were friendly and pointed me in the right direction. It turned out to be Eric Clapton at the pool, he was humming his worst song, Wonderful Tonight, to himself.
I found my...brother in the game room, exactly where I had left him. He was still deciding what to wear. All the hap suits looked exactly the same to me so I dot k ow why he was taking such a long time figuring it out. I looked up at the screen and couldn’t believe my eyes. The world video game championship was a 1v1 in Fortnite. The UI and characters looked a bit different, but only marginally compared to that of my own universe. The game was even called Fortnite, except it was written in comic sans. He looked at me, gave me an up and down glance, there was a flicker of confusion on his face, then went back to picking his suit. He picked the 5th one in the lineup. I recorded it and left.
The two scientists were idiots. They tried like 100 times and every bird flew into the portal on the left. What kind of bird would ever fly into the night sky ?
Killer Lenny was a homeless bum. He walked up and down the same street every day, begging for change, not getting any, then going back to sleep on his little corner. I kept tabs on him, somehow never getting hungry, tired, or overly bored, for about 6 months. I never saw any reason to talk to him, nor did I have any interest in getting close enough to smell him. I suppose in a way I was the same as him, just walking up and down the street with no idea why, and no idea what I would do next. I got accosted a few times, but this universe seemed to have my back, it always sent a kind stranger or some blue lights to my aid, and I never got rained on in the time I was there. One day, Killer took a different path, he walked way out of town. He walked onto the bridge, edged over to the edge of the bridge. His toes were dangling off the edge. He heard a scream. There was a girl in the lake below. She was drowning. He sighed, took himself down from the edge, and took off running down to her. I didn’t bother following him, I watched him go out of view, I watched him come back into view, I watched him rush into the water and pull the girl out. I watched a man come racing down to the bank of the lake in a Bentley. He was wearing an exquisite suit. He exchanged words with Killer, they shook hands, and he drove off. Killer never said a word about it, he never looked back, he just walked back to his corner and resumed business as usual. Another 6 months after this, the Bentley drove up to him, the rich man got out, shook hands with Killer again, and they exchanged words. Killer pointed towards me, and the rich man beckoned me over. I walked over.
Boys, I've got a job for both of you. Killer here says you’ve been his constant companion, always by his side for the last year, and he told me about you and him having certain...abilities that I would find very useful. Now as I've said to Killer here, I am the CEO of the Deep Atlantic Research group, we've been drilling for oil and minerals for the last few years and we've run into some problems. Apparently, millions of years ago, alien spacecrafts landed in the ocean. They are hundreds of kilometres across, they are covering up some of the most valuable mineral deposits in he history of the world. Only problem in, we lack the technology to move them, we lack the technology to operate them, and we lack the technology to get into them. You probably understand already, but the real treasure is the alien tech we found along the way, the oil and gold and silicone and platinum and palladium are just the cherries on the cake. Now, we have taken a very strange request from Mr. Lenny on board, and we have built a big boat with a big diving board, which he says he can use to breach the hull of the alien ships at the bottom of the ocean. Would you like to become agents of our company ? We can assure you the salaries are...agreeable, and the benefits are even better.
I looked at Killer. He looked at me. He spoke first
We’ll take it
Time stopped. I didn’t know what his job title was. The door of the car opened all on its own. I stepped out. I was back on the same corner, but this time I knew there would be gang warfare instead of a sad homeless man. What would happen to him now ? Will he still get his job, now that I had disappeared ? would time ever unfreeze without me there ? I will admit, I was worried for him. The spell that had kept me content and only half-human was already beginning to wear off.
There was a loud scream. About 1000 men, all wearing their gang’s colours and brandishing their gang’s weapons, charged at eachother. Grenades were thrown, guns were fired, spears were used to impale, swords were slashed, shivs were shanked, rockets were launched, farts were smelled, portals to hell were opened, men died, were reanimated, then were killed again. It was over in about 45 seconds. One group, wearing nothing but green speedos, ran into the night, the only group to not have lost a single member. They were singing a song by the highly underrated Creedence Clearwater Revival. I had no idea who they were, and they were moving faster than I could follow. I had an idea. I climbed down from my hidey hole. I checked the name tags of the fallen members of the other gangs. The guys in red leather trench coats were the Rassle, the guys in surgical scrubs were the Rabble, the guys who wore a pirate hat on top of their cowboy hats were the Razzle, the guys who were tattooed head to toe with Spongebob were the Raxxle, the guys who had fluffy coats like sheep were the Raddle, guys who had cybernetic implants were the Rapple, and the guys who carried small pieces of brightly coloured paper were the Raffle. I figured out who the winners were, then I activated my tablet to bring me home.
CHAPTER 4
I found myself back in the room with seat and the table. The two guys were staring down at me
You've probably figured it out at this stage, haven't you ?
I nodded
We tried to keep it kinda cryptic for you for a while, but a smart guy like you ? There was no way you weren't gonna figure it out for yourself. Some of those references were just a bit on the nose, we know that. After 5000 words you kinda stop caring as much, may as well get it over with.
I handed over the tablet.
The guys took turns reading the sequence of events as I had written them
Saw Ri. Fornot’s a Yingit. Las cheer. Hap E. Bird; day. DAR. Raggle
submitted by throwaday0607 to stories [link] [comments]
I saw a light in the sky and he came down from it
That was a courtesy
What was ?
The light
What do you mean ? Who are you ?
Look I hate to be rude but we kinda need you, are you in ?
Are you God ?
If I say yes would you be more or less likely to help me ?
I don’t know.
Then, yes, I’m God, and I need your help
If you’re God, why do you need my help ?
I’m not God, I just said that to get you to help me. I’m sorry but I’m in a rush, are you in or are you out ?
I don’t even know what you’re asking
I’ll tell you on the way
We were in a big house. There was one of those double stairs that led up to one landing, then split again and met at the next landing. They went on and on, I couldn’t see where they ended.
You do not wanna know where that stairway goes
Where does it go ?
He gave me a look that made me feel stupid.
Every landing seemed to go on forever, just rows of heavy wooden doors as far as the eye could see. I turned 90 degrees and felt a bit funny, but couldn’t quite place why. Just rows of doors forever, same as before. I turned again. Now I was facing the opposite way to when I came in. There was what looked like a front door, twice my height, with a gold doorknob on it. But above that door I could still the landings. And the doors. They still went on forever. I turned again, expecting to see it but still unable to comprehend it when I actually saw it. The doors, going on forever. Again.
Oh yeah, I forget sometimes that you people are three dimensional, I swear it makes sense when I look at it. Come on, we don’t have much time.
We turned, and where I was sure there was a blank wall was now a golden arch. There was some fog coming through it, and lights flashing red and blue in an otherwise darkened room.
It’s a rave from your world, frozen in time. It’s along the shortest path to where we’re going.
We walked through the rave. I was trying to nudge past people. He floated up and delicately walked across their heads.
Spend some time here and you’ll figure out how to do this, the rules don’t apply here like they do in your world.
I believed him.
I looked around. The very silent disco went on forever in every direction.
When we reached the back, there was another golden arch. This one led to a room with a counter in the middle of the floor. There were pens on the counter, and pieces of paper, and a large sheet of glass. There was a woman on one side of the counter, and two men on the other. They were wearing masks. One of them had a gun drawn. There was a bullet between the end of the gun and the woman’s head
Uh oh, I wonder how she’ll get out of this one
She gets out of this ?
I mean, I can’t see what happens beyond the moment we're in any more than you can, but I highly doubt it. Come on we’re not there yet.
Somehow, the counter stretched on forever
The final room certainly did not stretch on forever. It was barely two metres in any direction. There was a table and a chair, the only problem was the table went from one wall to the other, and I would have to gracelessly clamber across the table in order to sit in the chair. But then I was in the chair. Another guy walked in.
Apologies for the suspense, do you have any questions ?
I don’t know
Nothing ? Not even a why am I here ? Not even a why me ?
Why am I here ? Why me ?
You were right, they really do ask the worst questions. Glad you asked ! First things first, do you know what a universe is ?
Everything ?
That’ll do, but what if I told you that there were even more everythings ? And they were everywhere, all at once ?
I don’t follow.
Imagine you decided not to come with us today, your life would have taken a different turn, you wouldn’t be sitting at that table right now. Following so far ?
Sure
Great ! So you making a different choice results in something being different, something is a part of everything, so everything is different. Your choices change everything, which is real neato, as the kids are saying. So let’s say there was a way to explore all these different possibilities, let’s say you could look at what you life would be like if you had made those different choices, all those everythings would be different, and you would have a different…?
Universe ?
That’s right ! You are very clever ! So if we have multiple universes, we can map out what we call a -
Multiverse ?
How did you know ? Wow I actually was impressed that time
I saw 2 movies that mentioned it in 2 weeks.
Ha-ha, maybe this version of you did. Anyway, I'm having too much fun, imagine you said “I am going to interact with every multiversal version of me except the one that smells like fish all the time”, and somehow, against all the odds, you succeeded. That'd be cool, wouldn't it ?
Ok
But, you may be thinking to yourself, what about the timeline where you say to yourself “I am going to visit every version of myself except the one where I have a big forehead ? Or have acne ? Or live in a pineapple under the sea ? Or any other number of things ? Assuming you could succeed at any of these things, it’d be impossible to succeed at all of them. That's where we get the omniverse from. Think of it as being above the multiverses. And it lets us keep track of all of them simultaneously
Is there more ?
More ?
More layers ? Are there infinite omniverses and infinite somethings above them ?
Would you be capable of caring about it if I told you there were ?
I don’t know
Basically what we want is a bit of a laundry list done. Its gonna look like random jobs, just checking up on people from time to time. But it is integral to the structure of the omniverse itself that you do this. The reasons why are beyond your comprehension.
Am I going to get to go home ?
Eventually, maybe
CHAPTER TWO
Do you have a name
Yeah
Cool
Yeah
I'm going to show you your chores now
Ok
He concentrated for a few moments. He raised his hand and made a motion like he was typing on a keyboard. The floor fell away, revealing an infinite void, like space, all around us. There was a commotion behind me, and I turned tot see a corridor being made. The sounds of commotion were still somehow coming from behind me, so I turned again to see the same corridor, this time it stretched even further into the distance
Sorry this will take a while, were constructing it one dimension at a time, just about to start adding the sixth. Give it a second and well have it finished.
We were still floating, but now the corridor was all around us. The sound of commotion was all around now, it sounded like lots of materials being smashed together; stones, metal, wood, clay, water, flesh.
And done
We drooped to the floor. This part of the corridor looked like an ancient Roman street, complete with a market, although there were no people to man them.
Like I said, this is just the shortest distance between the points we need.
Ok
We’ll get going and I’ll explain everything on the way. He handed me what looked like a small stone, but it lit up and created a screen, it looked remarkably like a tablet computer when it was turned on. A lot of things I didn’t understand or frankly care about lit up. I looked away and it powered down.
That will help you keep track of everything
I figured.
This is our first subject. Her name is Maria
Can she see us ?
No. she's just sitting here playing with her fruit.
She's not moving
She's frozen in time until you start
Will she be able to see us then
Yes. She's going to be doing something with her fruit. Recently she had a wedding for her oranges.
Ha-ha
Yeah. When the time comes, you just write it down on you tablet, can you do that ?
I opened the tablet. It anticipated what I was thinking and made the correct page for me.
Great. Moving on.
We closed the door, leaving Maria for now. We continued down the street. Quite suddenly, although not immediately, it became the interior of what looked like a space ship.
This is a universe where the entire...left side of the universe declared war on the right side. I really don’t want to get into it, all you need to know is the teams are the Yingits and the Yangits. You have no idea how much it pains me to say, but earth actually is the centre of the universe here, so earth’s politics are, needless to say, divided. The pilot of this ship was born coincidentally on the same day as the version of you from this universe, but he fell into a cryogenic chamber for almost a thousand years, got out, began what would have been one of the greatest empires the world had ever known, had he not fallen into another cryogenic chamber for another thousand years. When he got out, the war had started, and none cared enough to follow him anymore. His names Fornot, you just need to find out what side he’s fighting on.
This is weird
Yeah.
We closed the door and went on. The spaceship corridor gave way to some cold, stone steps. There was water dripping from the walls, and mould growing, the whole place stank and it was far too cramped. There was a rough wooden door with an ornate golden handle. He opened it. Three people were inside the cave, with about 500 people crowded around the entrance, trying to get a glance in.
This guy here, his name is Su-lan. He comes from an island off the coast of...it’s a different planet you wouldn't know it anyway. Member of the La tribe, cool guys and gals. Ah I may as well say it, this is a universe where humans have attempted to colonise every planet they’ve come to, and they’ve had a 100% success rate. Believe it or not, we are currently in the orbit of a gas giant called...you wouldn't remember, call it 2piter.
Ok
So Su-lan’s wife, do you see her there ? Her name is Su-fo, she took part of his name when she married, according to a custom that goes back 420 years
Ok
So they painted all these symbols along the walls and on the floor and they drew that big circle, not easy to do when you've got arthritis like they do, let me tell you. Anyway, you may be wondering how humanity has been able to conquer every known planet in the universe, it was quite easy you see. Firstly, they changed the definition of planet to “that which can be conquered by humanity” and the second was that in the 20th century, they discovered a ritual which, when performed on the right people, would grant them godlike powers. After that it was actually quite easy. One in every roughly million people gains powers this way, and if they do, they become custodians of a planet or two, or even a whole solar system ! Isn't that neat ? Anyway, the girl in the middle, her name is Su-ner, and she’ll be doing the ritual today to see if she can get these powers. You see how she takes the first part of her father's name ? Well when she gets married
I get it
They said you were smart. You're just confirming whether or not she gets these powers, sound easy enough for you ?
Yes
Then lets keep going.
He overturned a stone, revealing a portal on the underside. The portal kind of dripped off the bottom of the stone until it landed on the wall opposite us. We walked through. Now we were in what looked to be the foyer of a hotel.
This is your parents’ house in the universe where they never had you.
What ? They got rich without me ?
'fraid so. They bought a really lucky lottery ticket.
Oh
then they used to money to buy a few sweatshops in China.
Oh.
anyway, we are looking for the game room, it’s...this way I think.
He led me down a series of corridors, containing great works of art, statues, suits of armour, I thought I saw Eric Clapton by a swimming pool. We found the game room. It was bigger than my house. It had arcade machines, a screen bigger than any cinema I’d ever been in, there were people in uniforms milling around, a huge crowd in the centre of the floor, a room of computers and people with headsets, it looked like mission control at NASA. At the centre of it all was a guy who looked a lot like me, he had a trolley in front of him with a row of suits. They looked like those green suits that covered people from head to toe, except they were black. He had a furrowed brow, he was deciding something. The suits had little white balls on them.
Remember when I said your parents didn’t have you ? Well this is the kid they had instead. Thanks to the money, he’s hosting and competing in the world video game championships. These are his haptic suits, they do motion capture and let him interact with the game world and give him feedback and stuff, kind of like a controller that you wear
Ok.
Tell us which one he picks.
There was another door on the far side of the room. We went through it. It opened onto a waterfall. He grabbed me and we stepped off together. The waterfall was frozen in time. We rotated 90 degrees, and gravity moved with us, so we ended up just walking down it a little bit. There was a metal hatch at the bottom. He opened it up and let me inside. Gravity shifted again, so we were not standing on the roof, staring down at a lab. There were two scientists inside, one a rotund man with a bushy beard, the other thin and small, with an equally thin and small moustache. There was a birdcage in the middle, and a bird was suspended in the air within the cage. There were what looked like two circular windows in the end of the room. Or at least, a different version of me would have thought they were windows. Having seen what I had seen, I knew they were portals of some kind. One opened to a golden meadow, accentuated by the setting sun. The other was a nigh time setting of a colourful forest, with glow in the dark foliage accentuating the fruits and flowers which were present. They looked equally inviting.
This lab has been experimenting with multiversal travel, we love to see it. See that clipboard ? They've taken the same bird from hundreds of different universes and are setting it free in the lab and seeing which of the two portals it goes through. Their theory currently is; same bird, same portal. I rememberer when we were at that stage, fun times. You just need to tell us which portal this bird flies through. see that fat guy ? He once won a hot dog eating contest by lining them up and having his friend push them into his mouth while he swallowed with his mouth open on the other end of the table. The friend was the small guy, who got a splinter from the table and had to be rushed to the emergency department and spent 20 hours on a trolley and by the time he got seen to he had taken the splinter out himself but he got charged for the time on the trolley and now he’s here to pay off the medical bill.
Ok
Let's keep going.
He opened another hatch in the roof and stepped through. It opened not to the waterfall, but to a city. It was grey and the buildings were big.
Ok this is about two years after you went away
I'm not going home, am I ?
Not with that attitude. It doesn’t matter where we are...humans have colonised a planet that is more or less identical to earth and are making the exact same mistakes all over again. We are in New York 2, although I would prefer if you called it 2 York.
Ok
There's a guy called Killer Lenny. We need you to tail him for the next few months and find out what job he gets.
Months ?
It’ll fly, well make sure your needs are met during that time.
Ok.
One final thing.
He opened a manhole cover, and jumped in. I didn’t hear him hit the bottom, but I jumped in too. I landed on...the street I had just jumped off.
Different universe, same setup, multiverse fun ! There are some gangs, the Rabble, the Rapple, the Raggle, the Rattle, the Raddle, the Raxxle, the Razzle, the Rassle, and the Raffle. They all wear different colours and I think they carry weapons corresponding to the gang they're in. They've been having problems for the last few years and its all coming to a head tonight and we need you to tell us who comes out on top. I’d say take a secure position and wait it out, we’re not expecting it to take any more than about an hour once it starts.
Ok. when do I start ?
Well take some time and you can start more or less immediately. We need to do some stuff back at base but that wont take long.
CHAPTER 2.5
OK step on through. The fact that I wont be with you means the shortest path between these places might be different to the ones we took originally, just check your device regularly and you should be fine. Any questions ?
Yeah, why am I doing this ?
It's recently been discovered that there is an omniverse where you do this, you report certain things to us, and then totally unrelated circumstances in a trillion years means we gain a bonus of sorts. Consider yourself the litmus test
Oh
Oh and we’re giving you like a billion dollars or something
Cool
Ok let's go
He pushed me through the portal. It closed behind me. I was on the street in Rome.
CHAPTER 3
I walked around a bit before I went to her. This had been my first chance to get any my bearings since this whole thing started. I noticed a bird in the air. It wasn't moving. I realised I would need to open the door to Maria's house before time would start in this universe again. I grew bored, and opened the door. Maria was sitting on the floor, on her own.
Hello
Hi
Are you alright ? I was sent to check up on you.
I'm fine, thank you.
What are you doing ?
I am playing with my fruit. I like to play with my fruit. My legs don’t work good so I can’t go outside with my friends. Well. I wouldn't be able to go out with my friends if I had any. My mother gives me fruit to play with and when I finish playing with it I eat it.
Oh. That's nice. What are you doing now ?
Last week my oranges got married. They love eachother very much.
That's nice. Where are they now ?
They are over here, well some of them are. I ate some and I fed a few more to the pigs, but I have some apples and a pear and some grapes now. They are making music together.
Music ?
Yes ! Their names are Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, and then we have another Do, I think she is the mother of all the others.
Very nice, what else do they do ?
They can do all sorts of things !
She showed me to a lute that was hanging on the wall. She played an open string on it.
See, if we call that note Do, then the one here
she played it at the second fret
would be called Re.
Lovely
And something I learned recently, if you push the note up one more, you can change its name ! So I can turn Re into Ri !
Amazing. Can you turn Fa into Fi and La into Li ?
Yep !
She showed me what they sounded like.
You can also push notes down to turn and that changes their name too, so Re becomes Ra, and Mi becomes Ma, and So becomes Sa, and Ti becomes Ta. I think some of my fruits want to change their names, I think Ti definitely would prefer to be Ta, and I think Re would love to become Ri.
I bet they would, what are you going to do now ?
I think I will eat them !
She spent a few minutes looking for her fathers knife, but when she couldn’t find it, she went out to the shed and got out a saw. As she took it to he apple, the scene stopped. I knew it was time to go.
I recorded it all and went on my way. Kids sure are stupid, I said to myself.
There were a few people on the street now. They were clearly minding their own business, but time had stopped again so I couldn’t have spoken to them if I had wanted to. Beyond the market, I could see the stones giving way to the steel beams and electrical cables of the spaceship. I continued my journey.
The spaceship was as cold as it had been, although this time there was at least the whirring of the engines to provide some life. There were flashing buttons on the wall, and a magnificent vista of the earth. Actually, it probably wasn't the earth. The earth only has one moon.
I knocked on the door
Woah
I fell backwards. The inertia had caught me off guard.
What are you doing here ?
What are you doing here ?
I'm fighting these dirty Yangit scum, why, what side are you on ?
I was already gone
The beams and cables gave way to the cave where the ritual was taking place. Su-ner was exactly as I had left her, as were Su-lan and Su-fo. The whole ceremony consisted of Su-ner drinking a purple liquid from an ornate jug, then lying down in the firepit in the centre of the room. She seemed to be asleep. Su-fo lit a fire in the pit, and Su-ner didn’t move. From my vantage point at the back of the cave, I knew noone could see me, I doubted it would end well if they did. After a few minutes, Su-lan started convulsing on the floor, after another few minutes, Su-fo followed suit. I assumed they had inhaled too much smoke; they were between the firepit and the cave mouth. When they had stopped moving, noone dared breath. Noone looked at them, they were so fixated on Su-ner, who still hadn't moved. Some of them started clutching beads, closing their eyes, and offering prayers. It was obvious that Su-ner's parents were dead, the ritual had clearly gone disastrously wrong.
Until.
There was a creaking sound, like large amounts of earth and clay moving. The symbols on the wall started glowing, and somehow detached themselves from the wall, floating through the air and settling on Su-ner. A hole opened in the roof. Su-ner's eyes opened, they now glowed purple. She floated out of the hole. She touched parents’ hands, they awoke, and they climbed to their feet without a hint of their arthritis. Now the crowd was silent again. Su-ner said
I must fulfil my duty
And flew away. There was the sound of thunder crashing and trees falling and mountains colliding and winds howling and volcanoes erupting and rivers flowing, all for the greater good of humanity. The crowd erupted into cheers, the scene stopped. I overturned the stone and let the portal drip onto the wall.
I was back in my “parents” house. I got lost, it took me a while to get back to to where I had been before, there was some activity, the staff were friendly and pointed me in the right direction. It turned out to be Eric Clapton at the pool, he was humming his worst song, Wonderful Tonight, to himself.
I found my...brother in the game room, exactly where I had left him. He was still deciding what to wear. All the hap suits looked exactly the same to me so I dot k ow why he was taking such a long time figuring it out. I looked up at the screen and couldn’t believe my eyes. The world video game championship was a 1v1 in Fortnite. The UI and characters looked a bit different, but only marginally compared to that of my own universe. The game was even called Fortnite, except it was written in comic sans. He looked at me, gave me an up and down glance, there was a flicker of confusion on his face, then went back to picking his suit. He picked the 5th one in the lineup. I recorded it and left.
The two scientists were idiots. They tried like 100 times and every bird flew into the portal on the left. What kind of bird would ever fly into the night sky ?
Killer Lenny was a homeless bum. He walked up and down the same street every day, begging for change, not getting any, then going back to sleep on his little corner. I kept tabs on him, somehow never getting hungry, tired, or overly bored, for about 6 months. I never saw any reason to talk to him, nor did I have any interest in getting close enough to smell him. I suppose in a way I was the same as him, just walking up and down the street with no idea why, and no idea what I would do next. I got accosted a few times, but this universe seemed to have my back, it always sent a kind stranger or some blue lights to my aid, and I never got rained on in the time I was there. One day, Killer took a different path, he walked way out of town. He walked onto the bridge, edged over to the edge of the bridge. His toes were dangling off the edge. He heard a scream. There was a girl in the lake below. She was drowning. He sighed, took himself down from the edge, and took off running down to her. I didn’t bother following him, I watched him go out of view, I watched him come back into view, I watched him rush into the water and pull the girl out. I watched a man come racing down to the bank of the lake in a Bentley. He was wearing an exquisite suit. He exchanged words with Killer, they shook hands, and he drove off. Killer never said a word about it, he never looked back, he just walked back to his corner and resumed business as usual. Another 6 months after this, the Bentley drove up to him, the rich man got out, shook hands with Killer again, and they exchanged words. Killer pointed towards me, and the rich man beckoned me over. I walked over.
Boys, I've got a job for both of you. Killer here says you’ve been his constant companion, always by his side for the last year, and he told me about you and him having certain...abilities that I would find very useful. Now as I've said to Killer here, I am the CEO of the Deep Atlantic Research group, we've been drilling for oil and minerals for the last few years and we've run into some problems. Apparently, millions of years ago, alien spacecrafts landed in the ocean. They are hundreds of kilometres across, they are covering up some of the most valuable mineral deposits in he history of the world. Only problem in, we lack the technology to move them, we lack the technology to operate them, and we lack the technology to get into them. You probably understand already, but the real treasure is the alien tech we found along the way, the oil and gold and silicone and platinum and palladium are just the cherries on the cake. Now, we have taken a very strange request from Mr. Lenny on board, and we have built a big boat with a big diving board, which he says he can use to breach the hull of the alien ships at the bottom of the ocean. Would you like to become agents of our company ? We can assure you the salaries are...agreeable, and the benefits are even better.
I looked at Killer. He looked at me. He spoke first
We’ll take it
Time stopped. I didn’t know what his job title was. The door of the car opened all on its own. I stepped out. I was back on the same corner, but this time I knew there would be gang warfare instead of a sad homeless man. What would happen to him now ? Will he still get his job, now that I had disappeared ? would time ever unfreeze without me there ? I will admit, I was worried for him. The spell that had kept me content and only half-human was already beginning to wear off.
There was a loud scream. About 1000 men, all wearing their gang’s colours and brandishing their gang’s weapons, charged at eachother. Grenades were thrown, guns were fired, spears were used to impale, swords were slashed, shivs were shanked, rockets were launched, farts were smelled, portals to hell were opened, men died, were reanimated, then were killed again. It was over in about 45 seconds. One group, wearing nothing but green speedos, ran into the night, the only group to not have lost a single member. They were singing a song by the highly underrated Creedence Clearwater Revival. I had no idea who they were, and they were moving faster than I could follow. I had an idea. I climbed down from my hidey hole. I checked the name tags of the fallen members of the other gangs. The guys in red leather trench coats were the Rassle, the guys in surgical scrubs were the Rabble, the guys who wore a pirate hat on top of their cowboy hats were the Razzle, the guys who were tattooed head to toe with Spongebob were the Raxxle, the guys who had fluffy coats like sheep were the Raddle, guys who had cybernetic implants were the Rapple, and the guys who carried small pieces of brightly coloured paper were the Raffle. I figured out who the winners were, then I activated my tablet to bring me home.
CHAPTER 4
I found myself back in the room with seat and the table. The two guys were staring down at me
You've probably figured it out at this stage, haven't you ?
I nodded
We tried to keep it kinda cryptic for you for a while, but a smart guy like you ? There was no way you weren't gonna figure it out for yourself. Some of those references were just a bit on the nose, we know that. After 5000 words you kinda stop caring as much, may as well get it over with.
I handed over the tablet.
The guys took turns reading the sequence of events as I had written them
Saw Ri. Fornot’s a Yingit. Las cheer. Hap E. Bird; day. DAR. Raggle
2023.06.07 19:10 winklerdane I picked up a used L7 for a good price
It boots, gets an IP but no data on the dashboard
I reset to factory, here is my log, if anyone can help it would be supremely appreciated:
--
On node 0 totalpages: 61440
free_area_init_node: node 0, pgdat c0b3c040, node_mem_map cde10000
Normal zone: 480 pages used for memmap
Normal zone: 0 pages reserved
Normal zone: 61440 pages, LIFO batch:15
percpu: Embedded 12 pages/cpu u/cddf0000 s19916 r8192 d21044 u49152
pcpu-alloc: s19916 r8192 d21044 u49152 alloc=12*4096
pcpu-alloc: [0] 0 [0] 1
Built 1 zonelists in Zone order, mobility grouping on. Total pages: 60960
Kernel command line: mem=240M console=ttyPS0,115200 ramdisk_size=33554432 root=/dev/ram rw earlyprintk
PID hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Inode-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)
Memory: 209340K/245760K available (6317K kernel code, 243K rwdata, 1932K rodata, 1024K init, 232K bss, 20036K reserved, 16384K cma-reserved, 0K highmem)
Virtual kernel memory layout:
vector : 0xffff0000 - 0xffff1000 ( 4 kB)
fixmap : 0xffc00000 - 0xfff00000 (3072 kB)
vmalloc : 0xcf800000 - 0xff800000 ( 768 MB)
lowmem : 0xc0000000 - 0xcf000000 ( 240 MB)
pkmap : 0xbfe00000 - 0xc0000000 ( 2 MB)
modules : 0xbf000000 - 0xbfe00000 ( 14 MB)
.text : 0xc0008000 - 0xc090e410 (9242 kB)
.init : 0xc0a00000 - 0xc0b00000 (1024 kB)
.data : 0xc0b00000 - 0xc0b3cda0 ( 244 kB)
.bss : 0xc0b3cda0 - 0xc0b77024 ( 233 kB)
Preemptible hierarchical RCU implementation.
NR_IRQS:16 nr_irqs:16 16
efuse mapped to cf800000
ps7-slcr mapped to cf802000
L2C: platform modifies aux control register: 0x72360000 -> 0x72760000
L2C: DT/platform modifies aux control register: 0x72360000 -> 0x72760000
L2C-310 erratum 769419 enabled
L2C-310 enabling early BRESP for Cortex-A9
L2C-310 full line of zeros enabled for Cortex-A9
L2C-310 ID prefetch enabled, offset 1 lines
L2C-310 dynamic clock gating enabled, standby mode enabled
L2C-310 cache controller enabled, 8 ways, 512 kB
L2C-310: CACHE_ID 0x410000c8, AUX_CTRL 0x76760001
zynq_clock_init: clkc starts at cf802100
Zynq clock init
sched_clock: 64 bits at 333MHz, resolution 3ns, wraps every 4398046511103ns
clocksource: arm_global_timer: mask: 0xffffffffffffffff max_cycles: 0x4ce07af025, max_idle_ns: 440795209040 ns
Switching to timer-based delay loop, resolution 3ns
clocksource: ttc_clocksource: mask: 0xffff max_cycles: 0xffff, max_idle_ns: 537538477 ns
ps7-ttc #0 at cf80a000, irq=18
Console: colour dummy device 80x30
Calibrating delay loop (skipped), value calculated using timer frequency.. 666.66 BogoMIPS (lpj=3333333)
pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301
Mount-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
Mountpoint-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
CPU: Testing write buffer coherency: ok
CPU0: thread -1, cpu 0, socket 0, mpidr 80000000
Setting up static identity map for 0x100000 - 0x100058
CPU1: failed to boot: -1
Brought up 1 CPUs
SMP: Total of 1 processors activated (666.66 BogoMIPS).
CPU: All CPU(s) started in SVC mode.
devtmpfs: initialized
VFP support v0.3: implementor 41 architecture 3 part 30 variant 9 rev 4
clocksource: jiffies: mask: 0xffffffff max_cycles: 0xffffffff, max_idle_ns: 19112604462750000 ns
pinctrl core: initialized pinctrl subsystem
NET: Registered protocol family 16
DMA: preallocated 256 KiB pool for atomic coherent allocations
cpuidle: using governor menu
hw-breakpoint: found 5 (+1 reserved) breakpoint and 1 watchpoint registers.
hw-breakpoint: maximum watchpoint size is 4 bytes.
zynq-ocm f800c000.ps7-ocmc: ZYNQ OCM pool: 256 KiB @ 0xcf880000
vgaarb: loaded
SCSI subsystem initialized
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
usbcore: registered new device driver usb
media: Linux media interface: v0.10
Linux video capture interface: v2.00
pps_core: LinuxPPS API ver. 1 registered
pps_core: Software ver. 5.3.6 - Copyright 2005-2007 Rodolfo Giometti <[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])>
PTP clock support registered
EDAC MC: Ver: 3.0.0
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Initialized.
clocksource: Switched to clocksource arm_global_timer
NET: Registered protocol family 2
TCP established hash table entries: 2048 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
TCP bind hash table entries: 2048 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 2048 bind 2048)
UDP hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
UDP-Lite hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
NET: Registered protocol family 1
RPC: Registered named UNIX socket transport module.
RPC: Registered udp transport module.
RPC: Registered tcp transport module.
RPC: Registered tcp NFSv4.1 backchannel transport module.
PCI: CLS 0 bytes, default 64
Trying to unpack rootfs image as initramfs...
rootfs image is not initramfs (no cpio magic); looks like an initrd
Freeing initrd memory: 6964K (cd42d000 - cdafa000)
hw perfevents: enabled with armv7_cortex_a9 PMU driver, 7 counters available
futex hash table entries: 512 (order: 3, 32768 bytes)
workingset: timestamp_bits=28 max_order=16 bucket_order=0
jffs2: version 2.2. (NAND) (SUMMARY) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
io scheduler noop registered
io scheduler deadline registered
io scheduler cfq registered (default)
dma-pl330 f8003000.ps7-dma: Loaded driver for PL330 DMAC-241330
dma-pl330 f8003000.ps7-dma: DBUFF-128x8bytes Num_Chans-8 Num_Peri-4 Num_Events-16
e0000000.serial: ttyPS0 at MMIO 0xe0000000 (irq = 159, base_baud = 6249999) is a xuartps
console [ttyPS0] enabled
xdevcfg f8007000.ps7-dev-cfg: ioremap 0xf8007000 to cf86e000
[drm] Initialized drm 1.1.0 20060810
brd: module loaded
loop: module loaded
CAN device driver interface
gpiod_set_value: invalid GPIO
libphy: MACB_mii_bus: probed
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: Cadence GEM rev 0x00020118 at 0xe000b000 irq 31 (00:0a:35:00:00:00)
Generic PHY e000b000.etherne:00: attached PHY driver [Generic PHY] (mii_bus:phy_addr=e000b000.etherne:00, irq=-1)
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - 3.2.6-k
e1000e: Copyright(c) 1999 - 2015 Intel Corporation.
ehci_hcd: USB 2.0 'Enhanced' Host Controller (EHCI) Driver
ehci-pci: EHCI PCI platform driver
usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
mousedev: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
i2c /dev entries driver
cdns-i2c e0005000.ps7_i2c: 100 kHz mmio e0005000 irq 154
Xilinx Zynq CpuIdle Driver started
sdhci: Secure Digital Host Controller Interface driver
sdhci: Copyright(c) Pierre Ossman
sdhci-pltfm: SDHCI platform and OF driver helper
mmc0: SDHCI controller on e0100000.ps7-sdio [e0100000.ps7-sdio] using ADMA
ledtrig-cpu: registered to indicate activity on CPUs
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid
usbhid: USB HID core driver
nand: disable subpage write
nand: device found, Manufacturer ID: 0x2c, Chip ID: 0xda
nand: Micron MT29F2G08ABAEAWP
nand: 256 MiB, SLC, erase size: 128 KiB, page size: 2048, OOB size: 64
nand: NAND_ECC_HW
nand: NAND_ECC_HW_SYNDROME
mtd->writesize = 2048
ecc->strength = 1
ecc->size = 2048
mtd->writesize = 2048
chip->ecc_strength_ds = 4
chip->ecc_step_ds = 512
nand: WARNING: pl35x-nand: the ECC used on your system is too weak compared to the one required by the NAND chip
Bad block table found at page 131008, version 0x01
Bad block table found at page 130944, version 0x01
nand_read_bbt: bad block at 0x000000140000
8 ofpart partitions found on MTD device pl35x-nand
Creating 8 MTD partitions on "pl35x-nand":
0x000000000000-0x000002800000 : "BOOT.bin-dts-marker-kernel"
0x000002800000-0x000004800000 : "ramfs"
0x000004800000-0x000005000000 : "configs"
0x000005000000-0x000005200000 : "sig"
0x000005200000-0x000006000000 : "reserve1"
0x000006000000-0x000007000000 : "upgrade-ramfs"
0x000007000000-0x00000a800000 : "upgrade-file"
0x00000a800000-0x000010000000 : "reserve2"
nf_conntrack version 0.5.0 (3635 buckets, 14540 max)
ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
NET: Registered protocol family 10
ip6_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
sit: IPv6 over IPv4 tunneling driver
NET: Registered protocol family 17
can: controller area network core (rev 20120528 abi 9)
NET: Registered protocol family 29
can: raw protocol (rev 20120528)
can: broadcast manager protocol (rev 20120528 t)
can: netlink gateway (rev 20130117) max_hops=1
zynq_pm_ioremap: no compatible node found for 'xlnx,zynq-ddrc-a05'
zynq_pm_late_init: Unable to map DDRC IO memory.
Registering SWP/SWPB emulation handler
hctosys: unable to open rtc device (rtc0)
ALSA device list:
No soundcards found.
RAMDISK: gzip image found at block 0
EXT4-fs (ram0): couldn't mount as ext3 due to feature incompatibilities
EXT4-fs warning (device ram0): ext4_update_dynamic_rev:746: updating to rev 1 because of new feature flag, running e2fsck is recommended
EXT4-fs (ram0): mounted filesystem without journal. Opts: (null)
VFS: Mounted root (ext4 filesystem) on device 1:0.
devtmpfs: mounted
Freeing unused kernel memory: 1024K (c0a00000 - c0b00000)
EXT4-fs (ram0): re-mounted. Opts: block_validity,delalloc,barrier,user_xattr,errors=remount-ro
devpts: called with bogus options
ubi0: attaching mtd2
ubi0: scanning is finished
ubi0: attached mtd2 (name "configs", size 8 MiB)
ubi0: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
ubi0: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
ubi0: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096
ubi0: good PEBs: 64, bad PEBs: 0, corrupted PEBs: 0
ubi0: user volume: 1, internal volumes: 1, max. volumes count: 128
ubi0: max/mean erase counter: 11/4, WL threshold: 4096, image sequence number: 262741923
ubi0: available PEBs: 36, total reserved PEBs: 28, PEBs reserved for bad PEB handling: 4
ubi0: background thread "ubi_bgt0d" started, PID 729
UBIFS (ubi0:0): background thread "ubifs_bgt0_0" started, PID 733
UBIFS (ubi0:0): recovery needed
UBIFS (ubi0:0): recovery completed
UBIFS (ubi0:0): UBIFS: mounted UBI device 0, volume 0, name "configs"
UBIFS (ubi0:0): LEB size: 126976 bytes (124 KiB), min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048 bytes/2048 bytes
UBIFS (ubi0:0): FS size: 1396736 bytes (1 MiB, 11 LEBs), journal size 888833 bytes (0 MiB, 5 LEBs)
UBIFS (ubi0:0): reserved for root: 65970 bytes (64 KiB)
UBIFS (ubi0:0): media format: w4/r0 (latest is w4/r0), UUID A9E8BDA4-70DE-45D9-83BE-2DD9F129C0C6, small LPT model
ubi2: attaching mtd4
ubi2: scanning is finished
ubi2: empty MTD device detected
ubi2: attached mtd4 (name "reserve1", size 14 MiB)
ubi2: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
ubi2: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
ubi2: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096
ubi2: good PEBs: 112, bad PEBs: 0, corrupted PEBs: 0
ubi2: user volume: 0, internal volumes: 1, max. volumes count: 128
ubi2: max/mean erase counter: 0/0, WL threshold: 4096, image sequence number: 2067240595
ubi2: available PEBs: 104, total reserved PEBs: 8, PEBs reserved for bad PEB handling: 4
ubi2: background thread "ubi_bgt2d" started, PID 739
UBIFS (ubi2:0): default file-system created
UBIFS (ubi2:0): background thread "ubifs_bgt2_0" started, PID 745
UBIFS (ubi2:0): UBIFS: mounted UBI device 2, volume 0, name "misc"
UBIFS (ubi2:0): LEB size: 126976 bytes (124 KiB), min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048 bytes/2048 bytes
UBIFS (ubi2:0): FS size: 11935744 bytes (11 MiB, 94 LEBs), journal size 1015809 bytes (0 MiB, 6 LEBs)
UBIFS (ubi2:0): reserved for root: 563754 bytes (550 KiB)
UBIFS (ubi2:0): media format: w4/r0 (latest is w4/r0), UUID EEB062CF-C448-4C2D-B662-A49819A4078C, small LPT model
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
random: id2mac urandom read with 1 bits of entropy available
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: unable to generate target frequency: 25000000 Hz
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: link up (100/Full)
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
In axi fpga driver!
request_mem_region OK!
AXI fpga dev virtual address is 0xcfbe4000
*base_vir_addr = 0xb051
In fpga mem driver!
request_mem_region OK!
fpga mem virtual address is 0xd2000000
===========================================Miner log===========================================
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="release version"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="asic mode"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="No valid pools, please configure them first!"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg=platform_init
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5cd9000
"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:12" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:12" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:15" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:15" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="reset fpga"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=info pid=886 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 886"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:02" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:02" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:04" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:04" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:09" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:09" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:11" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:11" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:16" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:16" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:18" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:18" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=notice pid=886 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="release version"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="asic mode"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="No valid pools, please configure them first!"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg=platform_init
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5cd6000
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:32" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:32" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:35" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:35" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="reset fpga"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=info pid=1167 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 1167"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:40" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:40" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:42" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:42" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:47" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:47" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:49" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:49" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:54" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:54" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:56" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:56" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=error pid=1485 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=error pid=1485 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="release version"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="asic mode"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg=platform_init
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5d0a000
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:17" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:17" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:20" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:20" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="reset fpga"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=info pid=1485 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 1485"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:25" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:25" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:28" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:28" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:32" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:32" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:34" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:34" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:39" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:39" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:41" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:41" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
submitted by winklerdane to BITMAIN [link] [comments]
I reset to factory, here is my log, if anyone can help it would be supremely appreciated:
--
On node 0 totalpages: 61440
free_area_init_node: node 0, pgdat c0b3c040, node_mem_map cde10000
Normal zone: 480 pages used for memmap
Normal zone: 0 pages reserved
Normal zone: 61440 pages, LIFO batch:15
percpu: Embedded 12 pages/cpu u/cddf0000 s19916 r8192 d21044 u49152
pcpu-alloc: s19916 r8192 d21044 u49152 alloc=12*4096
pcpu-alloc: [0] 0 [0] 1
Built 1 zonelists in Zone order, mobility grouping on. Total pages: 60960
Kernel command line: mem=240M console=ttyPS0,115200 ramdisk_size=33554432 root=/dev/ram rw earlyprintk
PID hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
Dentry cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Inode-cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)
Memory: 209340K/245760K available (6317K kernel code, 243K rwdata, 1932K rodata, 1024K init, 232K bss, 20036K reserved, 16384K cma-reserved, 0K highmem)
Virtual kernel memory layout:
vector : 0xffff0000 - 0xffff1000 ( 4 kB)
fixmap : 0xffc00000 - 0xfff00000 (3072 kB)
vmalloc : 0xcf800000 - 0xff800000 ( 768 MB)
lowmem : 0xc0000000 - 0xcf000000 ( 240 MB)
pkmap : 0xbfe00000 - 0xc0000000 ( 2 MB)
modules : 0xbf000000 - 0xbfe00000 ( 14 MB)
.text : 0xc0008000 - 0xc090e410 (9242 kB)
.init : 0xc0a00000 - 0xc0b00000 (1024 kB)
.data : 0xc0b00000 - 0xc0b3cda0 ( 244 kB)
.bss : 0xc0b3cda0 - 0xc0b77024 ( 233 kB)
Preemptible hierarchical RCU implementation.
Build-time adjustment of leaf fanout to 32. RCU restricting CPUs from NR\_CPUS=4 to nr\_cpu\_ids=2.RCU: Adjusting geometry for rcu_fanout_leaf=32, nr_cpu_ids=2
NR_IRQS:16 nr_irqs:16 16
efuse mapped to cf800000
ps7-slcr mapped to cf802000
L2C: platform modifies aux control register: 0x72360000 -> 0x72760000
L2C: DT/platform modifies aux control register: 0x72360000 -> 0x72760000
L2C-310 erratum 769419 enabled
L2C-310 enabling early BRESP for Cortex-A9
L2C-310 full line of zeros enabled for Cortex-A9
L2C-310 ID prefetch enabled, offset 1 lines
L2C-310 dynamic clock gating enabled, standby mode enabled
L2C-310 cache controller enabled, 8 ways, 512 kB
L2C-310: CACHE_ID 0x410000c8, AUX_CTRL 0x76760001
zynq_clock_init: clkc starts at cf802100
Zynq clock init
sched_clock: 64 bits at 333MHz, resolution 3ns, wraps every 4398046511103ns
clocksource: arm_global_timer: mask: 0xffffffffffffffff max_cycles: 0x4ce07af025, max_idle_ns: 440795209040 ns
Switching to timer-based delay loop, resolution 3ns
clocksource: ttc_clocksource: mask: 0xffff max_cycles: 0xffff, max_idle_ns: 537538477 ns
ps7-ttc #0 at cf80a000, irq=18
Console: colour dummy device 80x30
Calibrating delay loop (skipped), value calculated using timer frequency.. 666.66 BogoMIPS (lpj=3333333)
pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301
Mount-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
Mountpoint-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
CPU: Testing write buffer coherency: ok
CPU0: thread -1, cpu 0, socket 0, mpidr 80000000
Setting up static identity map for 0x100000 - 0x100058
CPU1: failed to boot: -1
Brought up 1 CPUs
SMP: Total of 1 processors activated (666.66 BogoMIPS).
CPU: All CPU(s) started in SVC mode.
devtmpfs: initialized
VFP support v0.3: implementor 41 architecture 3 part 30 variant 9 rev 4
clocksource: jiffies: mask: 0xffffffff max_cycles: 0xffffffff, max_idle_ns: 19112604462750000 ns
pinctrl core: initialized pinctrl subsystem
NET: Registered protocol family 16
DMA: preallocated 256 KiB pool for atomic coherent allocations
cpuidle: using governor menu
hw-breakpoint: found 5 (+1 reserved) breakpoint and 1 watchpoint registers.
hw-breakpoint: maximum watchpoint size is 4 bytes.
zynq-ocm f800c000.ps7-ocmc: ZYNQ OCM pool: 256 KiB @ 0xcf880000
vgaarb: loaded
SCSI subsystem initialized
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new interface driver hub
usbcore: registered new device driver usb
media: Linux media interface: v0.10
Linux video capture interface: v2.00
pps_core: LinuxPPS API ver. 1 registered
pps_core: Software ver. 5.3.6 - Copyright 2005-2007 Rodolfo Giometti <[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])>
PTP clock support registered
EDAC MC: Ver: 3.0.0
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Initialized.
clocksource: Switched to clocksource arm_global_timer
NET: Registered protocol family 2
TCP established hash table entries: 2048 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
TCP bind hash table entries: 2048 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 2048 bind 2048)
UDP hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
UDP-Lite hash table entries: 256 (order: 1, 8192 bytes)
NET: Registered protocol family 1
RPC: Registered named UNIX socket transport module.
RPC: Registered udp transport module.
RPC: Registered tcp transport module.
RPC: Registered tcp NFSv4.1 backchannel transport module.
PCI: CLS 0 bytes, default 64
Trying to unpack rootfs image as initramfs...
rootfs image is not initramfs (no cpio magic); looks like an initrd
Freeing initrd memory: 6964K (cd42d000 - cdafa000)
hw perfevents: enabled with armv7_cortex_a9 PMU driver, 7 counters available
futex hash table entries: 512 (order: 3, 32768 bytes)
workingset: timestamp_bits=28 max_order=16 bucket_order=0
jffs2: version 2.2. (NAND) (SUMMARY) © 2001-2006 Red Hat, Inc.
io scheduler noop registered
io scheduler deadline registered
io scheduler cfq registered (default)
dma-pl330 f8003000.ps7-dma: Loaded driver for PL330 DMAC-241330
dma-pl330 f8003000.ps7-dma: DBUFF-128x8bytes Num_Chans-8 Num_Peri-4 Num_Events-16
e0000000.serial: ttyPS0 at MMIO 0xe0000000 (irq = 159, base_baud = 6249999) is a xuartps
console [ttyPS0] enabled
xdevcfg f8007000.ps7-dev-cfg: ioremap 0xf8007000 to cf86e000
[drm] Initialized drm 1.1.0 20060810
brd: module loaded
loop: module loaded
CAN device driver interface
gpiod_set_value: invalid GPIO
libphy: MACB_mii_bus: probed
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: Cadence GEM rev 0x00020118 at 0xe000b000 irq 31 (00:0a:35:00:00:00)
Generic PHY e000b000.etherne:00: attached PHY driver [Generic PHY] (mii_bus:phy_addr=e000b000.etherne:00, irq=-1)
e1000e: Intel(R) PRO/1000 Network Driver - 3.2.6-k
e1000e: Copyright(c) 1999 - 2015 Intel Corporation.
ehci_hcd: USB 2.0 'Enhanced' Host Controller (EHCI) Driver
ehci-pci: EHCI PCI platform driver
usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
mousedev: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
i2c /dev entries driver
cdns-i2c e0005000.ps7_i2c: 100 kHz mmio e0005000 irq 154
Xilinx Zynq CpuIdle Driver started
sdhci: Secure Digital Host Controller Interface driver
sdhci: Copyright(c) Pierre Ossman
sdhci-pltfm: SDHCI platform and OF driver helper
mmc0: SDHCI controller on e0100000.ps7-sdio [e0100000.ps7-sdio] using ADMA
ledtrig-cpu: registered to indicate activity on CPUs
usbcore: registered new interface driver usbhid
usbhid: USB HID core driver
nand: disable subpage write
nand: device found, Manufacturer ID: 0x2c, Chip ID: 0xda
nand: Micron MT29F2G08ABAEAWP
nand: 256 MiB, SLC, erase size: 128 KiB, page size: 2048, OOB size: 64
nand: NAND_ECC_HW
nand: NAND_ECC_HW_SYNDROME
mtd->writesize = 2048
ecc->strength = 1
ecc->size = 2048
mtd->writesize = 2048
chip->ecc_strength_ds = 4
chip->ecc_step_ds = 512
nand: WARNING: pl35x-nand: the ECC used on your system is too weak compared to the one required by the NAND chip
Bad block table found at page 131008, version 0x01
Bad block table found at page 130944, version 0x01
nand_read_bbt: bad block at 0x000000140000
8 ofpart partitions found on MTD device pl35x-nand
Creating 8 MTD partitions on "pl35x-nand":
0x000000000000-0x000002800000 : "BOOT.bin-dts-marker-kernel"
0x000002800000-0x000004800000 : "ramfs"
0x000004800000-0x000005000000 : "configs"
0x000005000000-0x000005200000 : "sig"
0x000005200000-0x000006000000 : "reserve1"
0x000006000000-0x000007000000 : "upgrade-ramfs"
0x000007000000-0x00000a800000 : "upgrade-file"
0x00000a800000-0x000010000000 : "reserve2"
nf_conntrack version 0.5.0 (3635 buckets, 14540 max)
ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
NET: Registered protocol family 10
ip6_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
sit: IPv6 over IPv4 tunneling driver
NET: Registered protocol family 17
can: controller area network core (rev 20120528 abi 9)
NET: Registered protocol family 29
can: raw protocol (rev 20120528)
can: broadcast manager protocol (rev 20120528 t)
can: netlink gateway (rev 20130117) max_hops=1
zynq_pm_ioremap: no compatible node found for 'xlnx,zynq-ddrc-a05'
zynq_pm_late_init: Unable to map DDRC IO memory.
Registering SWP/SWPB emulation handler
hctosys: unable to open rtc device (rtc0)
ALSA device list:
No soundcards found.
RAMDISK: gzip image found at block 0
EXT4-fs (ram0): couldn't mount as ext3 due to feature incompatibilities
EXT4-fs warning (device ram0): ext4_update_dynamic_rev:746: updating to rev 1 because of new feature flag, running e2fsck is recommended
EXT4-fs (ram0): mounted filesystem without journal. Opts: (null)
VFS: Mounted root (ext4 filesystem) on device 1:0.
devtmpfs: mounted
Freeing unused kernel memory: 1024K (c0a00000 - c0b00000)
EXT4-fs (ram0): re-mounted. Opts: block_validity,delalloc,barrier,user_xattr,errors=remount-ro
devpts: called with bogus options
ubi0: attaching mtd2
ubi0: scanning is finished
ubi0: attached mtd2 (name "configs", size 8 MiB)
ubi0: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
ubi0: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
ubi0: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096
ubi0: good PEBs: 64, bad PEBs: 0, corrupted PEBs: 0
ubi0: user volume: 1, internal volumes: 1, max. volumes count: 128
ubi0: max/mean erase counter: 11/4, WL threshold: 4096, image sequence number: 262741923
ubi0: available PEBs: 36, total reserved PEBs: 28, PEBs reserved for bad PEB handling: 4
ubi0: background thread "ubi_bgt0d" started, PID 729
UBIFS (ubi0:0): background thread "ubifs_bgt0_0" started, PID 733
UBIFS (ubi0:0): recovery needed
UBIFS (ubi0:0): recovery completed
UBIFS (ubi0:0): UBIFS: mounted UBI device 0, volume 0, name "configs"
UBIFS (ubi0:0): LEB size: 126976 bytes (124 KiB), min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048 bytes/2048 bytes
UBIFS (ubi0:0): FS size: 1396736 bytes (1 MiB, 11 LEBs), journal size 888833 bytes (0 MiB, 5 LEBs)
UBIFS (ubi0:0): reserved for root: 65970 bytes (64 KiB)
UBIFS (ubi0:0): media format: w4/r0 (latest is w4/r0), UUID A9E8BDA4-70DE-45D9-83BE-2DD9F129C0C6, small LPT model
ubi2: attaching mtd4
ubi2: scanning is finished
ubi2: empty MTD device detected
ubi2: attached mtd4 (name "reserve1", size 14 MiB)
ubi2: PEB size: 131072 bytes (128 KiB), LEB size: 126976 bytes
ubi2: min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048/2048, sub-page size 2048
ubi2: VID header offset: 2048 (aligned 2048), data offset: 4096
ubi2: good PEBs: 112, bad PEBs: 0, corrupted PEBs: 0
ubi2: user volume: 0, internal volumes: 1, max. volumes count: 128
ubi2: max/mean erase counter: 0/0, WL threshold: 4096, image sequence number: 2067240595
ubi2: available PEBs: 104, total reserved PEBs: 8, PEBs reserved for bad PEB handling: 4
ubi2: background thread "ubi_bgt2d" started, PID 739
UBIFS (ubi2:0): default file-system created
UBIFS (ubi2:0): background thread "ubifs_bgt2_0" started, PID 745
UBIFS (ubi2:0): UBIFS: mounted UBI device 2, volume 0, name "misc"
UBIFS (ubi2:0): LEB size: 126976 bytes (124 KiB), min./max. I/O unit sizes: 2048 bytes/2048 bytes
UBIFS (ubi2:0): FS size: 11935744 bytes (11 MiB, 94 LEBs), journal size 1015809 bytes (0 MiB, 6 LEBs)
UBIFS (ubi2:0): reserved for root: 563754 bytes (550 KiB)
UBIFS (ubi2:0): media format: w4/r0 (latest is w4/r0), UUID EEB062CF-C448-4C2D-B662-A49819A4078C, small LPT model
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
random: id2mac urandom read with 1 bits of entropy available
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: unable to generate target frequency: 25000000 Hz
macb e000b000.ethernet eth0: link up (100/Full)
IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
In axi fpga driver!
request_mem_region OK!
AXI fpga dev virtual address is 0xcfbe4000
*base_vir_addr = 0xb051
In fpga mem driver!
request_mem_region OK!
fpga mem virtual address is 0xd2000000
===========================================Miner log===========================================
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="release version"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="asic mode"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=error pid=886 msg="No valid pools, please configure them first!"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg=platform_init
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5cd9000
"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=info pid=886 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:10" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:12" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:12" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:15" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:15" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="reset fpga"
time="1970-01-01 00:00:18" level=notice pid=886 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=info pid=886 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 886"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:00" level=notice pid=886 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:02" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:02" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:04" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:04" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:07" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:09" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:09" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:11" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:11" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:14" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:16" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:16" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:18" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:18" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=error pid=886 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:06:21" level=notice pid=886 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="release version"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="asic mode"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=error pid=1167 msg="No valid pools, please configure them first!"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg=platform_init
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5cd6000
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=info pid=1167 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:29" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:32" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:32" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:35" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:35" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="reset fpga"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=info pid=1167 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 1167"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:38" level=notice pid=1167 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:40" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:40" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:42" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:42" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:45" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:47" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:47" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:49" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:49" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:52" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:54" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:54" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:56" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:56" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=error pid=1167 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:06:59" level=notice pid=1167 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=error pid=1485 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=error pid=1485 msg="invalid URL -- ''"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="release version"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="asic mode"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg="algo ltc fan_control_mode 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg=platform_init
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="mmap fpga_mem_addr_hal = 0xb5d0a000
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=info pid=1485 msg="HARDWARE_VERSION = 0x2000b051
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:14" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:17" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 0, chain 1, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:17" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:20" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 1, chain 2, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:20" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="chain_offset 2, chain 3, pic firmware verion = 0x89"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="reset fpga"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Begain check_fan_valiad"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="check_fan_valiad, check_fan_speed ok, fan_num = 4"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Miner compile time: Mon Jan 24 16:01:20 CST 2022 type: Antminer L7"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=info pid=1485 msg="godminer Version = 0xB051 1.0.0_release_dirty_master_4c4db04fc8fb8ce1a21da1db2301f261664943c2_Jan 24 2022 16:18:48"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="miner thread with 3 backend runtime created pid 1485"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:23" level=notice pid=1485 msg="opt_algo 6, ltc"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:25" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:25" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:28" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:28" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:30" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 1.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:32" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:32" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:34" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:34" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:37" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 2.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:39" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:39" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:41" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:41" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="EEPROM eeprom_key_version or eeprom_encryption_algorithm error! eeprom_key_version:4, eeprom_encryption_algorithm:0"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data decode fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Data load fail for chain 3.
"
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=error pid=1485 msg="Chain1 load EEPROM error."
time="2023-06-07 17:07:44" level=notice pid=1485 msg="Error! Chain [1] EEPROM data corrupted"
2023.06.07 19:00 RegExr Coming Soon: Marvel Studios Captain America: Civil War Build-a-scene Amazon Exclusive Series That Nest Together. Pre-order Spider-man The 9th Of 12 Total Pops! For Your Collection Today! Purchase Links
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Deep Discount
2023.06.07 18:59 micktalian The Gardens of Deathworlders (Part 24)
Part 24 Working Towards Peace (Part 1) (Part 23)
“I still don’t understand how the hell you, of all people, were able to score the first live interview with a Nishnabe and I didn’t get anything!” Shelby West’s perfectly choreographed hair, make up, and outfit looked absolutely pristine despite the scowl on her face as she watched the much more simply dressed woman set up a consumer-grade camera system. “I even demanded that my First Amendment Rights to the free press be respected, and they just looked at me like I was stupid!”
“I mean, did you try asking them nicely?” Cherry turned from the equipment she was setting with a sarcastic smirk on her face, her floof of rainbow hair bouncing as she did so. “That’s what I did, and they were really cool with me.”
“Oh, hardy har har. You’re so funny, Cherry.” Shelby rolled her eyes so hard it almost looked like they would get stuck like that. “But seriously though, I’m pissed! That should have been my interview! I got there first!”
As much as Cherry didn’t want to be a sounding board for her ex-girlfriend's childish complaints, she also didn’t want to give Shelby any excuse to cause a scene right before a press conference, especially with other people around. Even though the tight-fitting pin-stripe pants suit, precisely paired by a sharply detailed blazer with a popped up collar, and the completely over the top curled pompadour certainly looked good, the person wearing it could become quite loud quite quickly. When Cherry had initially shown up at the entrance to the Pinkerton facility where a battle had just taken place, she was one of the first to do so, had been recognized by a guard near the gate, and ushered into a tent-like structure for safety. As a few more journalists began to arrive just as she had, they were all informed there would be a press conference soon where they would be given an update on the current situation and have the opportunity to ask questions. As nerve racking and exciting as the past half hour or so had been for the rainbow haired woman, suddenly seeing her ex be ushered into the tent, immediately making eye contact with her, and then just starting to talk to her, had completely ruined this experience.
“I’m surprised they even let you in here." Cherry shot back while returning to her camera to properly align the focus. “I heard STAR Net was implicated in the First Contact Kidnapping Plot.”
“Oh, and where’d you hear that?” The brunette pomp atop the finely dressed woman’s head bobbed as pulled her head back and chin down, crossed her arms, and took up a much more defensive stance.
“I saw the names of the STAR Net board of directors on the list of people the Nishnabe have detained." Cherry nonchalantly replied. "And the charges against them."
“The what?!?” The shout drew the eyes of a few of the other reporters and guards nearby, though none gave the pair of bickering women a second glance.
“You know what a board of directors is.” Cherry had finally gotten her camera just right and started giggling at her own joke.
“The list, god damn it!” Shelby lightly stomped her wedge-heel in indignation.
“Look, Shelbs.” Cherry turned so that she could lock eyes with the other woman. “I told you 5 years ago, I’m not doing your homework anymore. If you want to call yourself a journalist, you need to do your own research.”
“Ahmahgah, no! I have a team for that!” The immaculately dressed woman scoffed with a valley girl accent so thick it made Cherry’s eyes roll in response. "You'd know what that's like if you worked for people who actually had a budget."
"And look how well informed you are." The sarcasm in that statement was palpable as the rainbow haired woman turned her attention to her laptop to finish her broadcasting and recording set up. "You get what you pay for and if you want something done right, you should be able to do it yourself."
"They get paid well!" Shelby shot back, more annoyed that her former lover wasn't giving her more attention than at the fact she wasn't aware of information she should have been reporting on. “But seriously though, what list?”
Rather than continuing with the back and forth, Cherry simply focused on her task and clicked through a few options on her computer to get all of the settings just right. Unlike Shelby and the few other reporters brave or stupid enough to approach the site of a recent battle which included high altitude atomic detonations, the rainbow haired woman from Mars preferred this more hands-on approach to reporting. Where all the others simply trusted their drone-based, AI-operated broadcasting systems to work without any real interaction, Cherry knew better than that. Despite how far simple AI, particularly image-recognition AI, had come over the years, nothing could compare to that human touch which transcended any attempt at emulation. Though she might never consider herself among the legends like Hunter S. Thompson or Bob Woodward, Cherry would rather spend time perfecting her craft than arguing with her ex.
"Ah, come on CareBear, don't be like that." Seeing as her sass was getting her nowhere in a hurry, Shelby tried to change tactics and was now using her sweetest tone of voice. "Pwitty pwease!"
"Oh my god!” Cherry burst out with the most annoyed tone she could muster before pressing in a few commands into her laptop and bringing up a blank internet browser tab. “I swear to God, if it weren’t for me you would never have gotten your degree!”
“So, you’ll tell me?”
“I’m not telling you shit, I’m showing you how to look it up yourself.” The bombastic side eye Cherry shot Shelby’s way did little to hinder the giddy expression on the other woman's prim and proper face. “You just open a new tab on your browser, go to the Nishnabe Web portal, and then it’ll bring a search page that looks like every over search page I’ve ever seen. From there, you can search anything you want, and you can probably find it.” As she was describing the incredibly simple process, she was also giving a live demonstration.
“And if I wanted to search that list you mentioned?” With the prodding this obvious, the demonstration and explanation halted.
“I swear, if you write a report on this and I’m not cre-” Cherry was about to demand she be properly recognized for her work before something particularly hurtful crossed her mind. “Ah, who am I kidding, it’s not like you ever actually write any of your reports yourself. Probably just paying some minimum wage intern to do that for you. And it shows.”
“Harsh…” Shelby faked an offended tone even though she knew it was true. “But… as you were saying…”
“Fine… I looked up military engagements…” The term was quickly typed into the keyboard and the homepage was suddenly replaced by a simplistic though highly informative search results page. “And, you can see the first link is to the Nishnabe Militia War Chief’s Council page. When yah click that, it brings you to the most boring yet transparent government website I’ve ever seen. Here’s a list of active and resolved military actions that goes from the most recent strike on ConSec and the Pinkertons, all the way back to their very first official military engagement just under 1100 years ago.”
“There is no way they just…” Without meaning to, Shelby had suddenly found herself actually reading the information on the screen instead of waiting for it to be told to her.
“Yeup.” Cherry clicked to the link to the most recent, and still unresolved, engagement at the top of the list. “You can see the number killed, wounded, or captured, the total resource expenditure, and even their tactical plans.”
“That has to be bullshit.” The utter disbelief was written all across the overdressed woman’s face. “There is absolutely no way a military, or any government body, would be this transparent. Look! They have a list of everyone who’s supposedly deployed right now. This has to be misinformation or something.”
“I mean…” Cherry clicked the link as she had done earlier and began scrolling down the list of names, some with pictures, until she came to a face that was standing in the room at that moment. “Zab-sh-pak-i-wen?” She attempted to pronounce the name while turning to a nearby guard who was clad in advanced armor, but with his helmet down and face exposed.
“Ehe? Ni je na, ngwabjegen-nankwe?” The Zabshpakiwen turned and looked at the women with a stoic expression and tone.
“Oh my god, he can’t be the same person, no way!” Though Shelby’s make up and hair weren’t disturbed in the least, she now had a look of utter shock on her face. “What did he say?”
“If you put the translator they gave you into your ear, you could understand him just fine.” Cherry began rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration, the Nishnabe man had started lightly chuckling, and Shelby fumbled with the small translation device she had been given early before wedging it into her ear.
“I said, ‘Yes? What’s up, rainbow-hair?’” Zab repeated himself after he saw the elaborately dressed woman had placed in her translator.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bug you.” Cherry answered for herself and Shelby while nodding politely towards the man and putting on a friendly smile. “She just doesn’t believe that your military or government would be this open with information like who is currently deployed and where."
“There is no way-!” Cherry half shouted before quickly calming after realizing how easy it was going to be to have a conversation with this Nishnabe man. “Do you guys really just have personal information like this available to anyone?”
“What? Has Earth not developed social media yet?” Sarcasm oozed from the man as he let a light smirk form on his face.
“Of course!” There was just a bit too much sass in Shelby's response. “I have 30 million followers on-”
“And do y’all ever put links between your social media profiles and your places of employment?”
"I mean…When you put it like that.." Shelby couldn't help but feel embarrassed after realizing she had multiple links between her profile on the company website and her personal social media accounts. "So, like, if I made a profile on your…"
"We just call it the Web. Like a spiderweb." Zab was trying his best not to look at the woman like she was dumb, especially considering he had overheard she had a degree, but he was failing. "And a few randoms have already sent me connection requests. But I haven't responded to any of them yet because I've never actually met any of those people."
"One of those was probably from me." Cherry interjected quietly and drew looks from both of the others. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself when I was doing my research."
"Eee, it's all good." The man chuckled with an almost flirtatious tone. "I think I overheard your name is Cherry, right?"
"Yeup! Cherry Sanchez." There was a hesitant excitement in the rainbow haired woman's voice while the man pulled what looked like a hand-sized panel from his chest armor which was revealed to be a small data-tablet. As the man began typing into his device, Cherry added a bit of clarification. "There's a cherry emoji between the first and last name."
"Huh… I was wondering what that was." Zab commented before pressing in a few commands then placing the panel-like tablet back on his armor. "But, if I'm being completely honest, my profile is pretty boring. You're mostly just gonna see pictures of my family and places I've been."
Before anything else could be said, Cherry’s laptop made a ding sound and a small pop-up notification indicated the request had been accepted. Instinctually, the woman clicked on the notification and was brought to a list of her current and pending connections which revealed that Zab was not the first Nishnabe Cherry had connected with. Seeing how her ex was already far more popular among the Nishnabe than she was, Shelby couldn't help but feel the sting of jealousy hit her soul.
"Shit, how many followers do you already have?" Shelby nearly scoffed at seeing her normally shy and reserved former lover being so outgoing with these Native Americans from space.
"It's just some of the people I met when I interviewed Wish. And a few people like Zabship…" Cherry's relatively shy nature was starting to come out as she struggled to pronounce Zab's full name.
"Just Zab." The flirtiness, though now quite obvious, was still fairly professional. "It can also be hard for the Hi-Koth in my Clan to pronounce Nishnabemwin fully, so I'm use to it."
"What's a Hi-Koth?" Shelby's question, which could have been answered in under a minute if she had just looked it up herself, prompted Zab to nod towards Cherry's laptop.
"Click on my profile, the second picture is me with my clanmate Arichacon." The nonchalant way the man casually mentioned he had a picture with an alien, who was a member of his extended family no less, caused the finely dressed woman’s eyes to grow wide. "He's a Hi-Koth and one of the best forestry specialists I've ever met. The man really gets what it means to be one with nature, if you know what I'm talkin' about."
By the time Shelby had turned from the Nishnabe warrior and back to the laptop, Cherry had already brought up Zab's profile, clicked to the second picture, and enlarged the image so it's contents would be clear. On the screen was the man the women were talking to, wearing a far more ornate, feathered outfit as opposed to his combat armor, standing next to what Shelby could have sworn was a slightly orange-tinted brown bear. At first, she almost thought that this was an AI generated image of a bear dressed like a viking. However, upon realizing the mountain of fur had 4 arms, slightly elongated limb proportions, and entirely unique details on their clothing, she realized this was an actual alien. Where Shelby's mouth was slightly agape, her jaw was now almost on the floor.
"That's an alien?!?" This outburst was both loud enough and interesting enough to catch and keep the attention of a few of the other reporters who were nearby and now trying to catch a glimpse of the laptop's screen without making their efforts obvious.
"Well… we just think of them as people, not… aliens. Especially people like Ari.” Zab tried to explain in the most compassionate way he could despite being mildly annoyed at the over-the-top reporter. “He was born on Shkegpewen, same as me, and only about a week before me. And he’s a member of my Clan so, in my opinion, he’s family.”
“I am so sorry.” Shelby quickly apologized in an accent that was surprisingly neutral and tone that was incredibly honest compared to how she had been speaking up until that point. “I didn’t mean to offend and I promise I won’t make that mistake again. But, if you don't mind me asking what do you mean by Clan? I heard you say 'Dodem', then the translator thingy said 'Clan' and kinda whispered 'extended, community-based family unit' in my ear."
“Um… that sounds about right...” Zab searched the finely dressed woman’s eyes to see if she was messing with him. However, he didn't have long to look before his attention was suddenly taken and he looked off to the side as if listening to someone speaking into his ear. "Sorry but questions are gonna have to wait a bit. I just got word that the conference is going to start in five minutes, so make sure you're ready.”
"Oh shit!" Cherry blurted before returning to her laptop and resuming her set up.
"I guess I should make sure my equipment is working too." Shelby muttered while pulling out her smartphone and scrolling to the app that controlled her camera drone.
Despite not having done any research herself, or even really knowing what to ask in this news conference beyond the script her bosses had already sent her, the overly dressed woman was quite proficient with her own broadcasting and recording equipment. With just a few clicks of her long acrylic nails on her phone screen, the four-legged camera and microphone platform had made all of the necessary adjustments to do its job perfectly. While Cherry had just finished inputting commands into her computer after spending nearly half an hour setting up the camera and mic, Shelby's system was ready to go in just a few moments. Even though her research team may have failed to give her the amount of information necessary to do her job independently, they had uploaded the necessary translation software updates to her drone systems. However, as she stood there for a moment in silence, Shelby couldn’t shake the strange feeling she got whenever she was nervous but not directly interacting with someone.
Before she could try to restart the conversation between herself, her ex-girlfriend, and the Nishnabe warrior who had actually, willingly exchanged more than a few short words with her, a few more Nishnabe entered the tent carrying a fold out table, a couple similarly compacted chairs, a pair of panel-like objects, and something that almost looked like a large perch. As the armored warriors quickly set up the accommodations, the chairs and table were like any other Shelby had seen at dozens of other press conferences. However, the pair of strange technological devices were set up in such a way as to create a sort of a structure with one panel about two meters above the other, and the perch placed in the space between them. Though she heard a slight hum coming from the panels, and she could see that Cherry was now staring at them as well, Shelby had absolutely no idea what they were for. With less than a minute before the conference started, both women knew they would have to ask soon if they wanted any reasonable explanation.
“What’re those?” The pair of women spoke and looked towards Zab in almost perfect synchronization.
“Grav-panels. Have you not developed those yet?” The completely casual tone in Zab’s voice which matched his expression caused both women to stare at him like he was cracking a joke at their expense. “What? Those are super common everywhere on Shkegpewen. Non-humans usually can’t handle deathworld gravity for extended periods without some kind of accommodations.”
Though Zab knew he had just unintentionally let slip was supposed to be a surprise for these reporters who have taken the time, and risked their own safety, to come here in hopes of a story, the reveal was just a moment or two away. In the second it took the women to realize the implications of what the man had just said, it was already too late. The respectful murmur that had filled the tent for well over an hour fell completely silent and broadcasting systems immediately activated. For a few seconds the only sounds that could be heard in the tent were the tapping of high-dollar military dress shoes, the soft thuds of advanced combat boots, and the clicking of talons across the ground. As Cherry and Shelby joined the rest of the reports in the stunned stares towards the front of the long tent, they saw a US Army General they were all familiar with, a Nishnabe warrior in particularly ornate and advanced armor they didn’t recognize, and a non-terrestrial golden avian wearing a beautifully styled red and black vest-like top. With this being the first time any of the reporters in the room had seen an alien in person, all of them were unable to do anything besides stare as the group took their seats and the press conference began.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Please, take a seat and let's get this started." General Andrews addressed the reporters with the tone of a hardened military commander. "As you all likely already know, my name is General Robert Andrews of the United States Army. I arrived at this location a few hours ago at the request of President Carnegie and I just finished briefing him on the Nishnabe presence in American sovereign territory. I have positively assured him, and now I would like to assure the American people, that we have nothing to fear from the Nishnabe Confederacy. Though their actions over the past week may seem aggressive, within their own context they have been quite reserved with their capabilities. Most importantly, they have no intent of undermining or threatening the United States, any of the United Nations of the Earth Sphere of Influence, or any governmental body in the solar system."
The General paused for a moment to allow what he had just said to fully sink in for all those who were now watching all across the Earth and beyond.
"Now, I would like to introduce War Chief Msko-Pkwenech of the Nishnabe Militia, the acting commander of all Nishnabe forces in this system, and Royal Ambassador Viscountess Tarki Gebron Shlin of House Dreyuk, who is currently acting as a neutral diplomat and expert in galactic laws." Despite having only been able to practice the pronunciation of the unfamiliar names a few times, Andrews was able to get them out perfectly as he respectfully indicated towards them. "I will allow them to give more details in a moment but first, I would like to make a request to the American people. As we move past this difficult beginning between ourselves and the Nishnabe, and into a more cooperative phase of this relationship, please take into consideration the fact that the Nishnabe are human beings who have been separated from Earth for nearly 1200 years. We should be welcoming back these stolen members of humanity, not treating them as hostile invaders. Ambassador Shlin, if you would please, explain the legal context surrounding the military actions that have taken place on American soil."
There was a genuinely friendly smile that had formed on the War Chief's face as he nodded his head slightly in agreement with what the General had said while the General motioned for Tarki to speak.
"Thank you, General.” Tarki was speaking in the best English she could muster, much to the shock of reporters who were sitting silently. “To get straight to the important parts, the initial strike against the United Heavy Industries Headquarters was carried out by elements of the First Fleet of the Third Qui’ztar Matriarchy because that was the location where the family members of a member of the human first contact team were held against their will. We have been able to collect irrefutable evidence showing that the board of directors of both UHI and STAR Net conspired together to kidnap a pair of disabled individuals as a means of asserting leverage over the first contact team. However, upon investigating further, it was discovered that both UHI and STAR Net have been engaging in the production of autonomous, non-sentient combat-AI and technologies with which to enslave Awakened AI, both of which are very serious crimes in the eyes of the Galactic Community Council. The investigation into the site will conclude soon and control of the site will be returned to the United States government within the next few days.”
A collective sigh of relief could be felt not just from the reporters in the tent but from every single person watching the live broadcast. Though more and more Nishnabe had been responding to various calls for peaceful forms of aid from people across the Solar System, the major of Earth’s population were still concerned over the potential for a full on invasion despite how limited the military actions so far had been. With a direct announcement from an alien that there was no intent on expanding, or even continuing, military operations alleviated quite a few worried souls.
“As for the military action here at Red Lake…” The golden avian was slightly less confident with herself as she continued and looked towards the Nishnabe warrior who was seated next to her. “I feel it may be better for the War Chief to give proper context.”
"First of all, I would like to apologize for not yet knowing the common language of this land." In contrast to the other two who had spoken before him, Msko made no attempt to speak in English. "And second, I would like to extend my condolences to the families of those slain here today. Up until the moment of those atomic weapons detonated, I truly hoped this would end without bloodshed. Even though the Constellis-Securitas Corporation ordered an assault on a group of Nishnabe aid workers and attempted to murder not only my people, but also the innocent people they were assisting, I hoped we could simply scare them into submission. However, they simply left us no other choice than to end the threat."
Despite the remorseful expression on Msko's face, it was clear he didn't regret his actions. Rather, he simply wished there had been a better alternative than to shed the blood of his own species. As the War Chief continued, his dower expression began to grow brighter as he tried to focus on the future he wanted to see for his whole species.
"When the nuclear fire was absorbed by the shielding of my mechanized walker as I dropped on this facility my worst fear was that those would be the opening volleys of an extended and painful conflict." The War Chief glanced over towards the General with a slight but genuinely friendly smile on his face. "However, after a quite pleasant conversation with General Andrews here, I have real hope that this battle will be the final time weapons will be used in anger between members of our. Moving forward, the Nishnabe Militia is pledging to act strictly in concert with local governments, and to not initiate any military actions without express permission from the local government. We are not here as invaders, nor do we have any intention of forcing your governments to do anything they would not willingly do on their own. All we ask is that if you see a Nishnabe in your local community on an aid or environmental restoration mission, please do not accost or harass them. We are your cousins and we just want to see the home we were stolen from again."
Msko let his plea hang in the air for a long few seconds to ensure that the translation was completed and the people of Earth and the Sol System would be able to absorb what he had just said. Regardless of the technological gap between the Nishnabe and the rest of humanity, the explicit pledge of peace was so sincere that many people watching the press conference at home were beginning to cheer. However, Msko knew that wouldn't be enough for some, especially those most paranoid and scared of change.
"Over the past few days, and especially over the past few hours, Nishnabe diplomatic teams have been reaching out to the various governmental bodies across the Sol System in an attempt to arrange a grand meeting between all of the various political and economic groups in this system to discuss a peaceful and voluntary transition towards Galactic Standards." This revelation by the War Chief, though already known to those who had done sufficient research, was not something that the majority of humanity was aware of. "Aside from particular military technologies and clandestine corporate actions, which are already mostly illegal under your own laws, your diverse governments are largely in compliance with galactic laws and thus will be granted access to all of the technologies my people have access to. In order to better facilitate that transition, and to promote a mutual sense of compassion and understanding, Fleet Admiral Atxika of the First Fleet of the Third Matriarchy has agreed to host a convention on The Hammer. We are now publicly extending an invitation to all government, corporate, and media representatives to join us in the Council of Peace in order to lay the groundwork for a long and prosperous future for humanity. We will now be fielding questions."
submitted by micktalian to HFY [link] [comments]
“I still don’t understand how the hell you, of all people, were able to score the first live interview with a Nishnabe and I didn’t get anything!” Shelby West’s perfectly choreographed hair, make up, and outfit looked absolutely pristine despite the scowl on her face as she watched the much more simply dressed woman set up a consumer-grade camera system. “I even demanded that my First Amendment Rights to the free press be respected, and they just looked at me like I was stupid!”
“I mean, did you try asking them nicely?” Cherry turned from the equipment she was setting with a sarcastic smirk on her face, her floof of rainbow hair bouncing as she did so. “That’s what I did, and they were really cool with me.”
“Oh, hardy har har. You’re so funny, Cherry.” Shelby rolled her eyes so hard it almost looked like they would get stuck like that. “But seriously though, I’m pissed! That should have been my interview! I got there first!”
As much as Cherry didn’t want to be a sounding board for her ex-girlfriend's childish complaints, she also didn’t want to give Shelby any excuse to cause a scene right before a press conference, especially with other people around. Even though the tight-fitting pin-stripe pants suit, precisely paired by a sharply detailed blazer with a popped up collar, and the completely over the top curled pompadour certainly looked good, the person wearing it could become quite loud quite quickly. When Cherry had initially shown up at the entrance to the Pinkerton facility where a battle had just taken place, she was one of the first to do so, had been recognized by a guard near the gate, and ushered into a tent-like structure for safety. As a few more journalists began to arrive just as she had, they were all informed there would be a press conference soon where they would be given an update on the current situation and have the opportunity to ask questions. As nerve racking and exciting as the past half hour or so had been for the rainbow haired woman, suddenly seeing her ex be ushered into the tent, immediately making eye contact with her, and then just starting to talk to her, had completely ruined this experience.
“I’m surprised they even let you in here." Cherry shot back while returning to her camera to properly align the focus. “I heard STAR Net was implicated in the First Contact Kidnapping Plot.”
“Oh, and where’d you hear that?” The brunette pomp atop the finely dressed woman’s head bobbed as pulled her head back and chin down, crossed her arms, and took up a much more defensive stance.
“I saw the names of the STAR Net board of directors on the list of people the Nishnabe have detained." Cherry nonchalantly replied. "And the charges against them."
“The what?!?” The shout drew the eyes of a few of the other reporters and guards nearby, though none gave the pair of bickering women a second glance.
“You know what a board of directors is.” Cherry had finally gotten her camera just right and started giggling at her own joke.
“The list, god damn it!” Shelby lightly stomped her wedge-heel in indignation.
“Look, Shelbs.” Cherry turned so that she could lock eyes with the other woman. “I told you 5 years ago, I’m not doing your homework anymore. If you want to call yourself a journalist, you need to do your own research.”
“Ahmahgah, no! I have a team for that!” The immaculately dressed woman scoffed with a valley girl accent so thick it made Cherry’s eyes roll in response. "You'd know what that's like if you worked for people who actually had a budget."
"And look how well informed you are." The sarcasm in that statement was palpable as the rainbow haired woman turned her attention to her laptop to finish her broadcasting and recording set up. "You get what you pay for and if you want something done right, you should be able to do it yourself."
"They get paid well!" Shelby shot back, more annoyed that her former lover wasn't giving her more attention than at the fact she wasn't aware of information she should have been reporting on. “But seriously though, what list?”
Rather than continuing with the back and forth, Cherry simply focused on her task and clicked through a few options on her computer to get all of the settings just right. Unlike Shelby and the few other reporters brave or stupid enough to approach the site of a recent battle which included high altitude atomic detonations, the rainbow haired woman from Mars preferred this more hands-on approach to reporting. Where all the others simply trusted their drone-based, AI-operated broadcasting systems to work without any real interaction, Cherry knew better than that. Despite how far simple AI, particularly image-recognition AI, had come over the years, nothing could compare to that human touch which transcended any attempt at emulation. Though she might never consider herself among the legends like Hunter S. Thompson or Bob Woodward, Cherry would rather spend time perfecting her craft than arguing with her ex.
"Ah, come on CareBear, don't be like that." Seeing as her sass was getting her nowhere in a hurry, Shelby tried to change tactics and was now using her sweetest tone of voice. "Pwitty pwease!"
"Oh my god!” Cherry burst out with the most annoyed tone she could muster before pressing in a few commands into her laptop and bringing up a blank internet browser tab. “I swear to God, if it weren’t for me you would never have gotten your degree!”
“So, you’ll tell me?”
“I’m not telling you shit, I’m showing you how to look it up yourself.” The bombastic side eye Cherry shot Shelby’s way did little to hinder the giddy expression on the other woman's prim and proper face. “You just open a new tab on your browser, go to the Nishnabe Web portal, and then it’ll bring a search page that looks like every over search page I’ve ever seen. From there, you can search anything you want, and you can probably find it.” As she was describing the incredibly simple process, she was also giving a live demonstration.
“And if I wanted to search that list you mentioned?” With the prodding this obvious, the demonstration and explanation halted.
“I swear, if you write a report on this and I’m not cre-” Cherry was about to demand she be properly recognized for her work before something particularly hurtful crossed her mind. “Ah, who am I kidding, it’s not like you ever actually write any of your reports yourself. Probably just paying some minimum wage intern to do that for you. And it shows.”
“Harsh…” Shelby faked an offended tone even though she knew it was true. “But… as you were saying…”
“Fine… I looked up military engagements…” The term was quickly typed into the keyboard and the homepage was suddenly replaced by a simplistic though highly informative search results page. “And, you can see the first link is to the Nishnabe Militia War Chief’s Council page. When yah click that, it brings you to the most boring yet transparent government website I’ve ever seen. Here’s a list of active and resolved military actions that goes from the most recent strike on ConSec and the Pinkertons, all the way back to their very first official military engagement just under 1100 years ago.”
“There is no way they just…” Without meaning to, Shelby had suddenly found herself actually reading the information on the screen instead of waiting for it to be told to her.
“Yeup.” Cherry clicked to the link to the most recent, and still unresolved, engagement at the top of the list. “You can see the number killed, wounded, or captured, the total resource expenditure, and even their tactical plans.”
“That has to be bullshit.” The utter disbelief was written all across the overdressed woman’s face. “There is absolutely no way a military, or any government body, would be this transparent. Look! They have a list of everyone who’s supposedly deployed right now. This has to be misinformation or something.”
“I mean…” Cherry clicked the link as she had done earlier and began scrolling down the list of names, some with pictures, until she came to a face that was standing in the room at that moment. “Zab-sh-pak-i-wen?” She attempted to pronounce the name while turning to a nearby guard who was clad in advanced armor, but with his helmet down and face exposed.
“Ehe? Ni je na, ngwabjegen-nankwe?” The Zabshpakiwen turned and looked at the women with a stoic expression and tone.
“Oh my god, he can’t be the same person, no way!” Though Shelby’s make up and hair weren’t disturbed in the least, she now had a look of utter shock on her face. “What did he say?”
“If you put the translator they gave you into your ear, you could understand him just fine.” Cherry began rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration, the Nishnabe man had started lightly chuckling, and Shelby fumbled with the small translation device she had been given early before wedging it into her ear.
“I said, ‘Yes? What’s up, rainbow-hair?’” Zab repeated himself after he saw the elaborately dressed woman had placed in her translator.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bug you.” Cherry answered for herself and Shelby while nodding politely towards the man and putting on a friendly smile. “She just doesn’t believe that your military or government would be this open with information like who is currently deployed and where."
“There is no way-!” Cherry half shouted before quickly calming after realizing how easy it was going to be to have a conversation with this Nishnabe man. “Do you guys really just have personal information like this available to anyone?”
“What? Has Earth not developed social media yet?” Sarcasm oozed from the man as he let a light smirk form on his face.
“Of course!” There was just a bit too much sass in Shelby's response. “I have 30 million followers on-”
“And do y’all ever put links between your social media profiles and your places of employment?”
"I mean…When you put it like that.." Shelby couldn't help but feel embarrassed after realizing she had multiple links between her profile on the company website and her personal social media accounts. "So, like, if I made a profile on your…"
"We just call it the Web. Like a spiderweb." Zab was trying his best not to look at the woman like she was dumb, especially considering he had overheard she had a degree, but he was failing. "And a few randoms have already sent me connection requests. But I haven't responded to any of them yet because I've never actually met any of those people."
"One of those was probably from me." Cherry interjected quietly and drew looks from both of the others. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself when I was doing my research."
"Eee, it's all good." The man chuckled with an almost flirtatious tone. "I think I overheard your name is Cherry, right?"
"Yeup! Cherry Sanchez." There was a hesitant excitement in the rainbow haired woman's voice while the man pulled what looked like a hand-sized panel from his chest armor which was revealed to be a small data-tablet. As the man began typing into his device, Cherry added a bit of clarification. "There's a cherry emoji between the first and last name."
"Huh… I was wondering what that was." Zab commented before pressing in a few commands then placing the panel-like tablet back on his armor. "But, if I'm being completely honest, my profile is pretty boring. You're mostly just gonna see pictures of my family and places I've been."
Before anything else could be said, Cherry’s laptop made a ding sound and a small pop-up notification indicated the request had been accepted. Instinctually, the woman clicked on the notification and was brought to a list of her current and pending connections which revealed that Zab was not the first Nishnabe Cherry had connected with. Seeing how her ex was already far more popular among the Nishnabe than she was, Shelby couldn't help but feel the sting of jealousy hit her soul.
"Shit, how many followers do you already have?" Shelby nearly scoffed at seeing her normally shy and reserved former lover being so outgoing with these Native Americans from space.
"It's just some of the people I met when I interviewed Wish. And a few people like Zabship…" Cherry's relatively shy nature was starting to come out as she struggled to pronounce Zab's full name.
"Just Zab." The flirtiness, though now quite obvious, was still fairly professional. "It can also be hard for the Hi-Koth in my Clan to pronounce Nishnabemwin fully, so I'm use to it."
"What's a Hi-Koth?" Shelby's question, which could have been answered in under a minute if she had just looked it up herself, prompted Zab to nod towards Cherry's laptop.
"Click on my profile, the second picture is me with my clanmate Arichacon." The nonchalant way the man casually mentioned he had a picture with an alien, who was a member of his extended family no less, caused the finely dressed woman’s eyes to grow wide. "He's a Hi-Koth and one of the best forestry specialists I've ever met. The man really gets what it means to be one with nature, if you know what I'm talkin' about."
By the time Shelby had turned from the Nishnabe warrior and back to the laptop, Cherry had already brought up Zab's profile, clicked to the second picture, and enlarged the image so it's contents would be clear. On the screen was the man the women were talking to, wearing a far more ornate, feathered outfit as opposed to his combat armor, standing next to what Shelby could have sworn was a slightly orange-tinted brown bear. At first, she almost thought that this was an AI generated image of a bear dressed like a viking. However, upon realizing the mountain of fur had 4 arms, slightly elongated limb proportions, and entirely unique details on their clothing, she realized this was an actual alien. Where Shelby's mouth was slightly agape, her jaw was now almost on the floor.
"That's an alien?!?" This outburst was both loud enough and interesting enough to catch and keep the attention of a few of the other reporters who were nearby and now trying to catch a glimpse of the laptop's screen without making their efforts obvious.
"Well… we just think of them as people, not… aliens. Especially people like Ari.” Zab tried to explain in the most compassionate way he could despite being mildly annoyed at the over-the-top reporter. “He was born on Shkegpewen, same as me, and only about a week before me. And he’s a member of my Clan so, in my opinion, he’s family.”
“I am so sorry.” Shelby quickly apologized in an accent that was surprisingly neutral and tone that was incredibly honest compared to how she had been speaking up until that point. “I didn’t mean to offend and I promise I won’t make that mistake again. But, if you don't mind me asking what do you mean by Clan? I heard you say 'Dodem', then the translator thingy said 'Clan' and kinda whispered 'extended, community-based family unit' in my ear."
“Um… that sounds about right...” Zab searched the finely dressed woman’s eyes to see if she was messing with him. However, he didn't have long to look before his attention was suddenly taken and he looked off to the side as if listening to someone speaking into his ear. "Sorry but questions are gonna have to wait a bit. I just got word that the conference is going to start in five minutes, so make sure you're ready.”
"Oh shit!" Cherry blurted before returning to her laptop and resuming her set up.
"I guess I should make sure my equipment is working too." Shelby muttered while pulling out her smartphone and scrolling to the app that controlled her camera drone.
Despite not having done any research herself, or even really knowing what to ask in this news conference beyond the script her bosses had already sent her, the overly dressed woman was quite proficient with her own broadcasting and recording equipment. With just a few clicks of her long acrylic nails on her phone screen, the four-legged camera and microphone platform had made all of the necessary adjustments to do its job perfectly. While Cherry had just finished inputting commands into her computer after spending nearly half an hour setting up the camera and mic, Shelby's system was ready to go in just a few moments. Even though her research team may have failed to give her the amount of information necessary to do her job independently, they had uploaded the necessary translation software updates to her drone systems. However, as she stood there for a moment in silence, Shelby couldn’t shake the strange feeling she got whenever she was nervous but not directly interacting with someone.
Before she could try to restart the conversation between herself, her ex-girlfriend, and the Nishnabe warrior who had actually, willingly exchanged more than a few short words with her, a few more Nishnabe entered the tent carrying a fold out table, a couple similarly compacted chairs, a pair of panel-like objects, and something that almost looked like a large perch. As the armored warriors quickly set up the accommodations, the chairs and table were like any other Shelby had seen at dozens of other press conferences. However, the pair of strange technological devices were set up in such a way as to create a sort of a structure with one panel about two meters above the other, and the perch placed in the space between them. Though she heard a slight hum coming from the panels, and she could see that Cherry was now staring at them as well, Shelby had absolutely no idea what they were for. With less than a minute before the conference started, both women knew they would have to ask soon if they wanted any reasonable explanation.
“What’re those?” The pair of women spoke and looked towards Zab in almost perfect synchronization.
“Grav-panels. Have you not developed those yet?” The completely casual tone in Zab’s voice which matched his expression caused both women to stare at him like he was cracking a joke at their expense. “What? Those are super common everywhere on Shkegpewen. Non-humans usually can’t handle deathworld gravity for extended periods without some kind of accommodations.”
Though Zab knew he had just unintentionally let slip was supposed to be a surprise for these reporters who have taken the time, and risked their own safety, to come here in hopes of a story, the reveal was just a moment or two away. In the second it took the women to realize the implications of what the man had just said, it was already too late. The respectful murmur that had filled the tent for well over an hour fell completely silent and broadcasting systems immediately activated. For a few seconds the only sounds that could be heard in the tent were the tapping of high-dollar military dress shoes, the soft thuds of advanced combat boots, and the clicking of talons across the ground. As Cherry and Shelby joined the rest of the reports in the stunned stares towards the front of the long tent, they saw a US Army General they were all familiar with, a Nishnabe warrior in particularly ornate and advanced armor they didn’t recognize, and a non-terrestrial golden avian wearing a beautifully styled red and black vest-like top. With this being the first time any of the reporters in the room had seen an alien in person, all of them were unable to do anything besides stare as the group took their seats and the press conference began.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Please, take a seat and let's get this started." General Andrews addressed the reporters with the tone of a hardened military commander. "As you all likely already know, my name is General Robert Andrews of the United States Army. I arrived at this location a few hours ago at the request of President Carnegie and I just finished briefing him on the Nishnabe presence in American sovereign territory. I have positively assured him, and now I would like to assure the American people, that we have nothing to fear from the Nishnabe Confederacy. Though their actions over the past week may seem aggressive, within their own context they have been quite reserved with their capabilities. Most importantly, they have no intent of undermining or threatening the United States, any of the United Nations of the Earth Sphere of Influence, or any governmental body in the solar system."
The General paused for a moment to allow what he had just said to fully sink in for all those who were now watching all across the Earth and beyond.
"Now, I would like to introduce War Chief Msko-Pkwenech of the Nishnabe Militia, the acting commander of all Nishnabe forces in this system, and Royal Ambassador Viscountess Tarki Gebron Shlin of House Dreyuk, who is currently acting as a neutral diplomat and expert in galactic laws." Despite having only been able to practice the pronunciation of the unfamiliar names a few times, Andrews was able to get them out perfectly as he respectfully indicated towards them. "I will allow them to give more details in a moment but first, I would like to make a request to the American people. As we move past this difficult beginning between ourselves and the Nishnabe, and into a more cooperative phase of this relationship, please take into consideration the fact that the Nishnabe are human beings who have been separated from Earth for nearly 1200 years. We should be welcoming back these stolen members of humanity, not treating them as hostile invaders. Ambassador Shlin, if you would please, explain the legal context surrounding the military actions that have taken place on American soil."
There was a genuinely friendly smile that had formed on the War Chief's face as he nodded his head slightly in agreement with what the General had said while the General motioned for Tarki to speak.
"Thank you, General.” Tarki was speaking in the best English she could muster, much to the shock of reporters who were sitting silently. “To get straight to the important parts, the initial strike against the United Heavy Industries Headquarters was carried out by elements of the First Fleet of the Third Qui’ztar Matriarchy because that was the location where the family members of a member of the human first contact team were held against their will. We have been able to collect irrefutable evidence showing that the board of directors of both UHI and STAR Net conspired together to kidnap a pair of disabled individuals as a means of asserting leverage over the first contact team. However, upon investigating further, it was discovered that both UHI and STAR Net have been engaging in the production of autonomous, non-sentient combat-AI and technologies with which to enslave Awakened AI, both of which are very serious crimes in the eyes of the Galactic Community Council. The investigation into the site will conclude soon and control of the site will be returned to the United States government within the next few days.”
A collective sigh of relief could be felt not just from the reporters in the tent but from every single person watching the live broadcast. Though more and more Nishnabe had been responding to various calls for peaceful forms of aid from people across the Solar System, the major of Earth’s population were still concerned over the potential for a full on invasion despite how limited the military actions so far had been. With a direct announcement from an alien that there was no intent on expanding, or even continuing, military operations alleviated quite a few worried souls.
“As for the military action here at Red Lake…” The golden avian was slightly less confident with herself as she continued and looked towards the Nishnabe warrior who was seated next to her. “I feel it may be better for the War Chief to give proper context.”
"First of all, I would like to apologize for not yet knowing the common language of this land." In contrast to the other two who had spoken before him, Msko made no attempt to speak in English. "And second, I would like to extend my condolences to the families of those slain here today. Up until the moment of those atomic weapons detonated, I truly hoped this would end without bloodshed. Even though the Constellis-Securitas Corporation ordered an assault on a group of Nishnabe aid workers and attempted to murder not only my people, but also the innocent people they were assisting, I hoped we could simply scare them into submission. However, they simply left us no other choice than to end the threat."
Despite the remorseful expression on Msko's face, it was clear he didn't regret his actions. Rather, he simply wished there had been a better alternative than to shed the blood of his own species. As the War Chief continued, his dower expression began to grow brighter as he tried to focus on the future he wanted to see for his whole species.
"When the nuclear fire was absorbed by the shielding of my mechanized walker as I dropped on this facility my worst fear was that those would be the opening volleys of an extended and painful conflict." The War Chief glanced over towards the General with a slight but genuinely friendly smile on his face. "However, after a quite pleasant conversation with General Andrews here, I have real hope that this battle will be the final time weapons will be used in anger between members of our. Moving forward, the Nishnabe Militia is pledging to act strictly in concert with local governments, and to not initiate any military actions without express permission from the local government. We are not here as invaders, nor do we have any intention of forcing your governments to do anything they would not willingly do on their own. All we ask is that if you see a Nishnabe in your local community on an aid or environmental restoration mission, please do not accost or harass them. We are your cousins and we just want to see the home we were stolen from again."
Msko let his plea hang in the air for a long few seconds to ensure that the translation was completed and the people of Earth and the Sol System would be able to absorb what he had just said. Regardless of the technological gap between the Nishnabe and the rest of humanity, the explicit pledge of peace was so sincere that many people watching the press conference at home were beginning to cheer. However, Msko knew that wouldn't be enough for some, especially those most paranoid and scared of change.
"Over the past few days, and especially over the past few hours, Nishnabe diplomatic teams have been reaching out to the various governmental bodies across the Sol System in an attempt to arrange a grand meeting between all of the various political and economic groups in this system to discuss a peaceful and voluntary transition towards Galactic Standards." This revelation by the War Chief, though already known to those who had done sufficient research, was not something that the majority of humanity was aware of. "Aside from particular military technologies and clandestine corporate actions, which are already mostly illegal under your own laws, your diverse governments are largely in compliance with galactic laws and thus will be granted access to all of the technologies my people have access to. In order to better facilitate that transition, and to promote a mutual sense of compassion and understanding, Fleet Admiral Atxika of the First Fleet of the Third Matriarchy has agreed to host a convention on The Hammer. We are now publicly extending an invitation to all government, corporate, and media representatives to join us in the Council of Peace in order to lay the groundwork for a long and prosperous future for humanity. We will now be fielding questions."
2023.06.07 18:49 saltypepper559 MY TRAUMATIZING TRIP ON WEED (FIRST TIME BEING HIGH)
Terrible marijuana trip (my first trip as well)
So a little backstory: (scroll down to where it starts if you want)
This was a little over a month ago. It started when i was looking for my oculus that my mom took from me. I was looking in her closet.
I found a blue backpack, hoping to have my oculus. Opened it to find two half full ziplock bags of Marijuana, several gold dragon lighters, raw cones, and a bunch of other things used to smoke marijuana.
I was confused because I knew my mom doesn’t smoke. I realized it had to be my older brothers marijuana, which was confiscated last year
I did what almost any kid my age would do, set up a time to smoke it. Tonight at 11pm behind the pool house in our backyard when everyone was asleep. I had to be super cautious.
Roughly 10:30pm - Preparation:
Time to prepare the joint.
The Weed looked already somewhat grounded up already. It was in small enough pieces to fit in the raw cone.
Finished stacking the joint. Very poorly but i did. Twisted the end. (I did my research)
11:00PM - WHERE THE STORY STARTS:
Time for the fun part
Made sure to grab an extra pair of clothes so i can change before walking upstairs smelling like weed
Made my way into the backyard and over to the pool house - through the basement door
I brought one of those dragon lighters. Put the joint in my mouth, lit the other end, left it in the flame for a few seconds.
It was the most disgusting taste i’ve ever tasted. I kept gagging in fear of puking - thankfully i didn’t
I should’ve stopped after 2 or three hits, but i didn’t. Continued smoking the entire joint, dropped it, stepped on it.
Keep in mind, i’ve never smoked weed before in my life or tried any other psychedelic at the time. Meaning I had no clue what to expect.
Couple moments passed, suddenly i felt this weird rush. “what just happened” I felt kind of lightheaded and i felt super derealized. Everything felt calm and quite and i didn’t feel real.
(not in a good way)
Started making my way back. It felt super odd while walking, every step i made felt super soft almost like walking on pillows
Out of nowhere, i get this feeling of the world spinning.
Dark Horse - Katy Perry, a song i haven’t heard in super long just started blasting in the back of my head
Nothing felt real at that point - i was super derealized and away from reality, i was freaking out, trying my best to keep calm.
Once back in through the basement door, i changed clothes, Walked up to the first floor.
After that, i walked over to the second floor staircase.
I saw my older brother walking down. I took a hard left into another room. I didn’t want to walk past him smelling like marijuana
Ran upstairs after my brother got down, nothing felt real. Everything was disoriented and i couldn’t focus on anything, almost as if a huge party going on in my mind
My vision was similar to very poor camera quality, 3fps, almost like an android camera
I was seeing static, if that makes sense
I had these tingles everywhere. I felt the sensation of pressure on my ankles as if someone was squeezing them.
The spinning world feeling got much more intense. I really didn’t know what to do - i was scared out my f#cking mind
Once i got into my room, clothes in the hamper. Managed to open the windows to let any smell out. I wanted to wake up my mom because i was terrified.
Whenever i’d close my eyes i’d hear this weird noise going up and down idk how to explain it. Felt like i was on a roller coaster that got super loud and intense - forcing me to open my eyes back up because i felt like i was about to explode
By this time everything had peaked, several songs were blasting in my head and everything seemed super slow. I thought i was going to pass out
My brain was basically delayed compared to my eyes, the tingles were actually kind of nice but i still wanted them to go away, it was all way too much
I walked up to the mirror and boy, my eyes were extremely f*cking red and super small. Whenever i’d focus on the feeling of just my eyes, i could feel the burning sensation that steamed down to my nose.
Turned off all the lights, except the bathroom, closed my eyes and tried to sleep it off.
The scariest part of this experience was me thinking this feeling of disorientation, derealization, in inability to focus or to feel real, away from reality, third person feeling would last forever.
Felt like i couldn’t control my own movements, i was out of it and not in control almost
Random things started popping up in my head, can’t exactly remember but i knew i couldn’t fall asleep. Things like Random child hood memories that i didn’t even know existed, old memories, and other random things like minecraft blocks, temple run, and things like that.
Everything i looked at/did felt incredibly nostalgic for some reason
I couldn’t clear my mind no matter how hard i tried. A giant party was going on in my head, not a fun one
I was seeing these closed eye hallucinations of creepy pastas. Whenever i’d close my eyes my blanket was getting pulled off my body which startled me into opening my eyes. As you can guess, nothing was there.
Every time i closed my eyes i’d feel something crawling onto my bed, the pressure felt so incredibly real. I was having auditory hallucinations of my mom calling my name from downstairs, i knew she was asleep
The windowsill right above my bed had a box full of Poland spring water cans, the blowing wind was causing the cans to shake, the sound of the cans shaking disoriented into a sound of a person running on gravel. It was also getting louder
Sleeping was an absolute nightmare because i’d keep experiencing this feel of someone pulling the sheets off of my body/grabbing me.
I Eventually ended up sleeping it off, but that experience was a nightmare and also educational
DON’T SMOKE TOO MUCH, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS YOUR FIRST TIME.
I WAS ALSO IN A BAD HEADSPACE BECAUSE IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE AND I HAD NOBODY TO HELP ME OUT AND HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO EXPECT
submitted by saltypepper559 to tripreports [link] [comments]
So a little backstory: (scroll down to where it starts if you want)
This was a little over a month ago. It started when i was looking for my oculus that my mom took from me. I was looking in her closet.
I found a blue backpack, hoping to have my oculus. Opened it to find two half full ziplock bags of Marijuana, several gold dragon lighters, raw cones, and a bunch of other things used to smoke marijuana.
I was confused because I knew my mom doesn’t smoke. I realized it had to be my older brothers marijuana, which was confiscated last year
I did what almost any kid my age would do, set up a time to smoke it. Tonight at 11pm behind the pool house in our backyard when everyone was asleep. I had to be super cautious.
Roughly 10:30pm - Preparation:
Time to prepare the joint.
The Weed looked already somewhat grounded up already. It was in small enough pieces to fit in the raw cone.
Finished stacking the joint. Very poorly but i did. Twisted the end. (I did my research)
11:00PM - WHERE THE STORY STARTS:
Time for the fun part
Made sure to grab an extra pair of clothes so i can change before walking upstairs smelling like weed
Made my way into the backyard and over to the pool house - through the basement door
I brought one of those dragon lighters. Put the joint in my mouth, lit the other end, left it in the flame for a few seconds.
It was the most disgusting taste i’ve ever tasted. I kept gagging in fear of puking - thankfully i didn’t
I should’ve stopped after 2 or three hits, but i didn’t. Continued smoking the entire joint, dropped it, stepped on it.
Keep in mind, i’ve never smoked weed before in my life or tried any other psychedelic at the time. Meaning I had no clue what to expect.
Couple moments passed, suddenly i felt this weird rush. “what just happened” I felt kind of lightheaded and i felt super derealized. Everything felt calm and quite and i didn’t feel real.
(not in a good way)
Started making my way back. It felt super odd while walking, every step i made felt super soft almost like walking on pillows
Out of nowhere, i get this feeling of the world spinning.
Dark Horse - Katy Perry, a song i haven’t heard in super long just started blasting in the back of my head
Nothing felt real at that point - i was super derealized and away from reality, i was freaking out, trying my best to keep calm.
Once back in through the basement door, i changed clothes, Walked up to the first floor.
After that, i walked over to the second floor staircase.
I saw my older brother walking down. I took a hard left into another room. I didn’t want to walk past him smelling like marijuana
Ran upstairs after my brother got down, nothing felt real. Everything was disoriented and i couldn’t focus on anything, almost as if a huge party going on in my mind
My vision was similar to very poor camera quality, 3fps, almost like an android camera
I was seeing static, if that makes sense
I had these tingles everywhere. I felt the sensation of pressure on my ankles as if someone was squeezing them.
The spinning world feeling got much more intense. I really didn’t know what to do - i was scared out my f#cking mind
Once i got into my room, clothes in the hamper. Managed to open the windows to let any smell out. I wanted to wake up my mom because i was terrified.
Whenever i’d close my eyes i’d hear this weird noise going up and down idk how to explain it. Felt like i was on a roller coaster that got super loud and intense - forcing me to open my eyes back up because i felt like i was about to explode
By this time everything had peaked, several songs were blasting in my head and everything seemed super slow. I thought i was going to pass out
My brain was basically delayed compared to my eyes, the tingles were actually kind of nice but i still wanted them to go away, it was all way too much
I walked up to the mirror and boy, my eyes were extremely f*cking red and super small. Whenever i’d focus on the feeling of just my eyes, i could feel the burning sensation that steamed down to my nose.
Turned off all the lights, except the bathroom, closed my eyes and tried to sleep it off.
The scariest part of this experience was me thinking this feeling of disorientation, derealization, in inability to focus or to feel real, away from reality, third person feeling would last forever.
Felt like i couldn’t control my own movements, i was out of it and not in control almost
Random things started popping up in my head, can’t exactly remember but i knew i couldn’t fall asleep. Things like Random child hood memories that i didn’t even know existed, old memories, and other random things like minecraft blocks, temple run, and things like that.
Everything i looked at/did felt incredibly nostalgic for some reason
I couldn’t clear my mind no matter how hard i tried. A giant party was going on in my head, not a fun one
I was seeing these closed eye hallucinations of creepy pastas. Whenever i’d close my eyes my blanket was getting pulled off my body which startled me into opening my eyes. As you can guess, nothing was there.
Every time i closed my eyes i’d feel something crawling onto my bed, the pressure felt so incredibly real. I was having auditory hallucinations of my mom calling my name from downstairs, i knew she was asleep
The windowsill right above my bed had a box full of Poland spring water cans, the blowing wind was causing the cans to shake, the sound of the cans shaking disoriented into a sound of a person running on gravel. It was also getting louder
Sleeping was an absolute nightmare because i’d keep experiencing this feel of someone pulling the sheets off of my body/grabbing me.
I Eventually ended up sleeping it off, but that experience was a nightmare and also educational
DON’T SMOKE TOO MUCH, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS YOUR FIRST TIME.
I WAS ALSO IN A BAD HEADSPACE BECAUSE IT WAS DARK OUTSIDE AND I HAD NOBODY TO HELP ME OUT AND HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO EXPECT
2023.06.07 18:43 nomass39 You know those lists of rules everybody blabbered about? I'm the guy who writes 'em.
“Rule #1: Guns don’t do jack.”
All the others vary, but this is always the #1 rule at every park in the country.
Personally, I would have added precisely four extra letters to it, but upper brass insists we need to uphold at least some modicum of professional decorum. Still, there are no words to describe just how frustrated it makes me every single time I see some jagoff standing there gormlessly unloading his magazine into some unfathomable nightmare creature who obviously isn’t going to feel a thing. Once I even saw someone run empty and then try to reload, instead of just, I don’t know, running away. I was almost glad to see him get exsanguinated.
Many folks have attempted to get creative with it. You name it, they’ve tried it. Silver bullets, 50 caliber high explosive incendiary ammunition, shotgun slugs cased in gold carved out from the Ark of the Covenant and pumped full of aglaophotis and blessed by the pope himself… and nothing. Nada. Zilch. As far as I know, throughout the entire history of the NPS, not a single bullet we’ve fired has even lightly tickled any of God’s half-finished rejects that stalk the wilderness.
I guess we just have trouble coping with the fact that our generation’s favorite hammer doesn’t work on this particular nail. In all fairness, though, there’s a psychological benefit to holding a gun, even knowing this foremost rule. It’s a lot more bearable to weave through trees in the pitch black wood miles from civilization when you have ol’ Remington’s gift to humanity gripped in your shaking hands. Venturing out with just your bare fists feels like you may as well give up, drop trou, bend over, and hope the thing with forty thousand eyes is feeling romantic.
I have to admit, even I keep my trusty old 1911 on my hip, even knowing it’d be absolutely useless for anything but putting a round through my own brain stem in case I get cornered by any of the things you really don’t want capturing you alive.
“Rule 2: Handheld UV lights are required when bushwhacking after midnight so fluorescent spider silk may be seen and avoided. If caught by a strand, or if you feel the earth beginning to part beneath you, throw down a circle of salt, recite the Gayatri Mantra, and clap exactly thrice.”
I’m sure you’ve wondered how we even come up with the really elaborate and specific rules like this one. The answer’s simple: a little bit of occult research, and a hell of a lot of deadly trial and error.
Sure, sometimes we get lucky and somebody else does our homework for us. For example, up at Isle Royale, an Ojibwe elder was kind enough to provide us with a few rules that help greatly when dealing with… well, you-know-what. Sorry, but never referring to them by name was one of the rules. In general, though, if you see a rule emphasizing that you have to clap exactly thrice, you can bet it’s because some poor bastard tried clapping two times or four times and ended up paying the ultimate price for it.
In this case, it was Annemary, or ‘Crazy Anne’. I worked by her side for twenty years, at least. She was a hell of a woman, the kind who made everyone hush into a terrified silence whenever she walked into a room. Still, even she wasn’t as scary as that spider-thing that kept her alive for a week in his web while he extra-orally digested her. He was a right bastard, and for a while I worried we’d have to write off Shenandoah as a lost cause… but since this rule was put into place, the evil cunt has been more or less left to starve. I consider it my magnum opus.
We only pulled it off because of you, Anne, you crazy diamond. Once you’ve conquered Hell, save a spot for me beside your throne, okay?
“Rule 3: If approached by a man with the head of a deer, offer to make him tea. He likes it strong with milk and two sugars. Sit with him as he drinks, and respond to him with absolute politeness and good manners at all times. Never ask him his name.”
You’ll be pleased to know that not every strange thing that lurks in these parks is the sort that yearns to tear your intestines out through your arsehole while you cry for mommy. Just like real wild animals, a vast majority of them just want us humans to leave ‘em alone… and a few even like us.
We’ve got a swell arrangement worked out with this peculiar deer-man who manifests in front of rangers on graveyard shift every once in a while. That 10 foot tall sonuvabitch has got the body of a man but the head of a stag with a rack any hunter would drool over, the digitigrade legs of a wolf, and he wears these flowing robes which look to be made of the night sky, glimmering stars and all. He talks all cryptic and posh, but all he asks us for is some tea time. In return, he opens that third eye on his forehead and glimpses into the future, giving us a few hints as to what sort of trouble might be brewing in the next few weeks. From our encounters, he seems like a nice enough fellow.
We only tell you not to ask his name because it’s beyond pronunciation and will just leave your ears bleeding. You know how it is.
“Rule #4: If you hear the wailing of an infant in the woods steadily drawing closer to the park office, open the red lockbox with code 0681. There is a living fetus inside on a bed of satin; pierce its heart with one of the provided golden pin needles until the noises cease.”
Another complicated mess of a rule we had to bring in a Goetic daemonologist to help cook up. I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, sure, if we knew more about these things, we could probably pare these rules down some more, come up with something simpler, easier. But the point is that the rules we have now have weathered the test of time and have been proven to keep us safe consistently. Once we’ve achieved that consistency, a rule pretty much never changes, since any propositions to study alternatives are always shut down by the question of “what happens if your hypothesis doesn’t work?”
Oh yeah, by the way. You recall how I mentioned there are certain entities out here you really don’t want to get taken alive by? This is definitely one of those. Cutting up that fetus is never very pleasant, but trust me, it’s worth the trouble.
But if you want to trail blaze and stake your life testing out some theory you cooked up… be my guest.
“Rule #5: When staying at the old barracks, always cover every mirror in a room before turning out the lights, and never remove or break-“
“Wait. Slow down a second.”
I had not even made it through five rules before the rookie sitting across from me at the cabin rudely interrupted. He was a young man who’d look more at home in Hollywood or Los Angeles than out here in the woods, his immaculately groomed jet black hair slicked to the side like all the posh celebs are doing it. I didn’t have a very good first impression of him, but hell, I always hated when I had to babysit a newbie through a night. Patience was never my strong suit.
“Can I ask why these are all so… infuriatingly vague?” He continued. “Like, what do I do if forgot to cover a mirror? What happens if I don’t clap three times or whatever?”
“Because there’s fifteen rules even just here in Shenandoah. That might not sound like a lot, but when you’re fighting fer your life ‘gainst something with more mouths than you have teeth, it’s a hell of a lot to remember. Got to keep details sparse, y’see. Make sure to drill in the important bits. And it wouldn’t help you none to know what happens if you break a rule - it’d only scare ya,” I explained. “Now shut your yapper while I finish reminding you of ‘em all.”
He groaned. “I’ve already heard them far too many times. At least a thousand today.”
I stared daggers through him. “There’s no such thing as ‘too many’ in this case, boy. People died to write these rules, and they’ll save your life.”
“With all due respect: how, exactly, are these supposed to protect me? Like… how is clapping and throwing salt around supposed to ward off anything? It’s complete nonsense!”
We got a lot of these types of guys: the “rational skeptics” who don’t believe in your silly rules. It’s either that or the fools with more muscle than brains who think they can kill a creature who can make your heart pop with a single thought. Usually, they get filtered out and fired quick. Usually. I made a mental note to beat the ass of whoever decided that this smarmy, cocksure rookie was ready for the graveyard shift. But it was too late to send him home; he wouldn’t make it out of the park alive, if he tried to traipse off through the woods at this hour.
“It doesn’t have to make sense. These things don’t work by our logic.” But I knew I couldn’t convince these types with words alone, so I stood. “C’mere, boy. Let me show you something.”
I led him to the huge window pane on the cabin’s wall, overlooking the forest down below, and checked my watch - only 20 minutes til the show started. It was a pain convincing him to shut up and wait, but that big mouth of his snapped closed the instant he realized something was emerging from the bushes down there.
It was a raccoon - not an unusual sight out here, if not for the fact that it was walking upright. And not the clumsy waddling on hind legs you expect from animals, but it seemed to stroll bipedally with all the grace of a man, as if its body had been unnaturally twisted and deformed to befit a style of movement that was never meant for it. It moved with purpose, crab walking across a mossy field with its upper body rigid as a statue’s would be, one ‘arm’ pointing towards the sky and the other to the ground below. It plodded along its set route for a minute before disappearing back into the shrubbery without ceremony.
He was baffled, slack-jawed. “What the hell was that?”
“Exactly what it looked like,” I told him. “If you’re lookin’ for a logical explanation, there ain’t any. Some places on earth, they aren’t run by our logic. They’ve got a different basis for their rules entirely.”
“And what’s that?”
“Symbolism,” I replied, as if it were obvious. “In our world, everything’s got to follow the laws of cause-and-effect. For what you’ve seen to have happened, two raccoons must’ve fucked at some point to birth the one we saw. Then somebody, probably me, would’ve had to surgically or genetically mutilate it in ways beyond current medical science, tame and train the wretched thing, and set it up to perform this exact routine at this exact time… and all for what? To mildly confuse a rookie ranger? Explaining it would require so much contrivance, so much pulling assumptions out your ass, that it would laugh in the face of Occam’s razor. For our logic, it is unexplainable. Impossible.”
“But symbolically, it made perfect sense. That creature don’t need a backstory or a cause - it prolly just came into existence a few minutes ago, and will pop out of existence once it’s sent its message. Its gesture was the hermetic mantra ‘as above, so below’ - reminding us that everything that everything that happens on the surface world is mirrored in the underworld. It happens every morning at 1:33 AM because that’s the exact time the Witch of Woodbridge killed ‘erself to become the intermediary between the two here in Shenandoah. And it’s a raccoon because...” I paused. “Well, actually, I haven’t really figured that part out yet.”
My words failed to comfort him. In fact, the more I spoke, the more horrified he seemed, eyes widening in confusion and horror as if I’d just sat down and told him that the voices in my head command me to lick the dandruff off of camels. “Oh my God. You’re crazy. You’re actually insane.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Tell ya what. Think of, for an example you’d be familiar with, a voodoo doll. You use a strand of their hair or a toenail or something so that the doll comes to symbolize their physical vessel. By hurting the doll, you’re symbolically hurting their actual body, so the damage happens to both. That’s how the supernatural works.”
He blinked. “Voodoo dolls work?”
“In places like this, they do.” I raised a brow. “Does that surprise you?”
Suddenly, he stood and threw up his hands, as if realizing he’d been made the victim of some sick prank. “You know what? Screw this. I don’t know if this is some kind of hazing thing or what, but I feel like continuing this line of conversation would just leave me as batty as you are.”
My heart lurched with terror as he stomped to the front door and began undoing the numerous slide locks and dead bolts. “Wait! Hell are you thinkin’, boy?”
He’d only barely opened the door a crack before I’d wrapped him in a chokehold, but it’d been enough. He let out a startled yelp as I started violently pulling him across the cabin, practically clobbering him just to keep him from wrestling out of my grip. I was no spring chicken, and the younger man probably could have bested me, but I had the element of surprise on my side, plus a blow to the head that had left him drowsy.
I tossed him headlong through a hatch, down into a crawlspace under the cabin where sage burners and dried tobacco and protective talismans were waiting. I slammed the hatch shut behind him, restraining the squirming rookie with my weight and clapping a hand over his mouth to silence his protests. His face was twisted by confusion and rage, and he was just about to throw me off of him, but then he froze… eyes widening, as we both heard the unmistakable sound of… something walking in through the ajar cabin door.
We’d made it into the crawlspace just in the nick of time.
There was the heavy click-clack of hooves against the wood floor above us, interspersed with quieter thuds. It took him a moment, but I could tell when he’d figured it out. With one pair of legs, the creature walked with normal hooves… with the other, it walked on the knuckles of human hands. And as it stalked the house, knocking over plates and bookshelves, it growled and hissed and groaned not out of one maw, but three: one sounding high and avian, one low and reptilian, and another letting out the soft bleating of a sheep, all in unison like some unholy choir.
Just when it seemed like it couldn’t get any worse, a fourth maw must’ve opened up, for a new sound filled the room “Daddy?” Came a little boy’s voice, desperate and whimpered, sniffling in a way that made me feel sorry for it even despite knowing better. “Why did you leave me out in the woods, daddy? It was so dark… and I was so scared. Please, daddy. I thought you loved me. Where are you?” The child’s voice devolved slowly but pitiful begging to outright sobbing and inconsolable weeping, downright screaming itself hoarse as the clock neared 2 and the creature’s searching grew frantic.
But the very instant the clock struck 2 o’clock, all the sounds ceased, all at once. We waited there for a moment, in that deafening silence… until I smacked the rookie across the back of the head. “Rule 11, you smug prick. You never open the door at this hour of the night. That… thing takes it as an invitation.” My voice made it obvious I was desperately holding back my simmering fury. I’ve beaten folks half to death before, and I’m not afraid to do it again. “If you want to get yourself killed tonight, have at it. But I am not letting you take me down with you.”
Once the nightmare had left, his brain had an opportunity to register what had just happened… which quickly escalated into a full-bore panic attack. “Fuck this, man. What in the hell was that!? Oh God, oh God, oh God, I can’t take this man, no, no, no, I’m not cut out for this, I need to go home, I need to, I can’t-“
I watched nervously as he jumped up and started frantically pacing the cabin. He was acting erratically, sloppily. This couldn’t end well. “Snap out of it, boy! No sense in braving the woods this late at night. Ya won’t be able to see more than a foot in front of your face. Just wait here until sun-“
He swung at me when I tried to restrain him again, almost breaking my nose. “No, man! I can’t take an entire night of this! I need to go! Jesus, let me go, you crazy bastard!”
I didn’t want to admit it, but this one was looking like a lost cause. There was no way I’d be able to overpower him again once he inevitably did something else stupid. Call me selfish, but at this point, my only concern was making sure he didn’t get me killed.
“Alright! God, fine! If it’s really so important to ya… you can go. Your shift’s officially over, rookie. But I ain’t goin’ out there with ya. You’ll have to brave it on yer own. As long as you follow the rules, you should be able to make it back to your car in one piece. You hear me? The rules!”
He pouted like a child being lectured by an overbearing father. “Yeah, yeah, Christ, old man, I get it! I’ll follow the damn rules!”
In my defense, I did furnish him with every single thing he’d need to survive out there. UV flashlights, salt boxes, obsidian talismans, volcanic ash, the dried and shrunken head of a lamb, and more… not that he appreciated any of it. He was just whining at me to hurry up, ignoring all my attempts to remind him of the rules, like he was in a rush to get out there and die horribly. Eventually, I just gave up, shrugged, and let him hike off into that pitch blackness.
To his credit, he made it farther than I’d expected. Twenty minutes of silence passed, and I started to wonder if he’d actually pulled it off after all.
That was about when the screaming started.
I’d heard it too many times before: the distinctive wailing of a man realizing everything he’d done and accomplished in his life had all just been leading up to this moment when a shambling abomination saw fit to deliver him to the afterlife kicking and screaming and missing a few body parts. It didn’t surprise me in the slightest, really, but it was still unpleasant to listen to.
Judging from what little of it was intelligible, he was crying about something pulling out his eyes. Must’ve broken rule 13. Poor, stupid bastard. That one’s so easy, you’d almost have to be breaking it on purpose.
I remember the first time somebody broke a rule and got themselves killed under my watch. It almost broke me. I blamed it all on myself, then. Sent me into a depression for months. But now, after all these decades… I’m just numb.
After all, my only job is to write the rules.
If they don’t want to follow them, well… it’s their funeral.
submitted by nomass39 to nosleep [link] [comments]
All the others vary, but this is always the #1 rule at every park in the country.
Personally, I would have added precisely four extra letters to it, but upper brass insists we need to uphold at least some modicum of professional decorum. Still, there are no words to describe just how frustrated it makes me every single time I see some jagoff standing there gormlessly unloading his magazine into some unfathomable nightmare creature who obviously isn’t going to feel a thing. Once I even saw someone run empty and then try to reload, instead of just, I don’t know, running away. I was almost glad to see him get exsanguinated.
Many folks have attempted to get creative with it. You name it, they’ve tried it. Silver bullets, 50 caliber high explosive incendiary ammunition, shotgun slugs cased in gold carved out from the Ark of the Covenant and pumped full of aglaophotis and blessed by the pope himself… and nothing. Nada. Zilch. As far as I know, throughout the entire history of the NPS, not a single bullet we’ve fired has even lightly tickled any of God’s half-finished rejects that stalk the wilderness.
I guess we just have trouble coping with the fact that our generation’s favorite hammer doesn’t work on this particular nail. In all fairness, though, there’s a psychological benefit to holding a gun, even knowing this foremost rule. It’s a lot more bearable to weave through trees in the pitch black wood miles from civilization when you have ol’ Remington’s gift to humanity gripped in your shaking hands. Venturing out with just your bare fists feels like you may as well give up, drop trou, bend over, and hope the thing with forty thousand eyes is feeling romantic.
I have to admit, even I keep my trusty old 1911 on my hip, even knowing it’d be absolutely useless for anything but putting a round through my own brain stem in case I get cornered by any of the things you really don’t want capturing you alive.
“Rule 2: Handheld UV lights are required when bushwhacking after midnight so fluorescent spider silk may be seen and avoided. If caught by a strand, or if you feel the earth beginning to part beneath you, throw down a circle of salt, recite the Gayatri Mantra, and clap exactly thrice.”
I’m sure you’ve wondered how we even come up with the really elaborate and specific rules like this one. The answer’s simple: a little bit of occult research, and a hell of a lot of deadly trial and error.
Sure, sometimes we get lucky and somebody else does our homework for us. For example, up at Isle Royale, an Ojibwe elder was kind enough to provide us with a few rules that help greatly when dealing with… well, you-know-what. Sorry, but never referring to them by name was one of the rules. In general, though, if you see a rule emphasizing that you have to clap exactly thrice, you can bet it’s because some poor bastard tried clapping two times or four times and ended up paying the ultimate price for it.
In this case, it was Annemary, or ‘Crazy Anne’. I worked by her side for twenty years, at least. She was a hell of a woman, the kind who made everyone hush into a terrified silence whenever she walked into a room. Still, even she wasn’t as scary as that spider-thing that kept her alive for a week in his web while he extra-orally digested her. He was a right bastard, and for a while I worried we’d have to write off Shenandoah as a lost cause… but since this rule was put into place, the evil cunt has been more or less left to starve. I consider it my magnum opus.
We only pulled it off because of you, Anne, you crazy diamond. Once you’ve conquered Hell, save a spot for me beside your throne, okay?
“Rule 3: If approached by a man with the head of a deer, offer to make him tea. He likes it strong with milk and two sugars. Sit with him as he drinks, and respond to him with absolute politeness and good manners at all times. Never ask him his name.”
You’ll be pleased to know that not every strange thing that lurks in these parks is the sort that yearns to tear your intestines out through your arsehole while you cry for mommy. Just like real wild animals, a vast majority of them just want us humans to leave ‘em alone… and a few even like us.
We’ve got a swell arrangement worked out with this peculiar deer-man who manifests in front of rangers on graveyard shift every once in a while. That 10 foot tall sonuvabitch has got the body of a man but the head of a stag with a rack any hunter would drool over, the digitigrade legs of a wolf, and he wears these flowing robes which look to be made of the night sky, glimmering stars and all. He talks all cryptic and posh, but all he asks us for is some tea time. In return, he opens that third eye on his forehead and glimpses into the future, giving us a few hints as to what sort of trouble might be brewing in the next few weeks. From our encounters, he seems like a nice enough fellow.
We only tell you not to ask his name because it’s beyond pronunciation and will just leave your ears bleeding. You know how it is.
“Rule #4: If you hear the wailing of an infant in the woods steadily drawing closer to the park office, open the red lockbox with code 0681. There is a living fetus inside on a bed of satin; pierce its heart with one of the provided golden pin needles until the noises cease.”
Another complicated mess of a rule we had to bring in a Goetic daemonologist to help cook up. I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, sure, if we knew more about these things, we could probably pare these rules down some more, come up with something simpler, easier. But the point is that the rules we have now have weathered the test of time and have been proven to keep us safe consistently. Once we’ve achieved that consistency, a rule pretty much never changes, since any propositions to study alternatives are always shut down by the question of “what happens if your hypothesis doesn’t work?”
Oh yeah, by the way. You recall how I mentioned there are certain entities out here you really don’t want to get taken alive by? This is definitely one of those. Cutting up that fetus is never very pleasant, but trust me, it’s worth the trouble.
But if you want to trail blaze and stake your life testing out some theory you cooked up… be my guest.
“Rule #5: When staying at the old barracks, always cover every mirror in a room before turning out the lights, and never remove or break-“
“Wait. Slow down a second.”
I had not even made it through five rules before the rookie sitting across from me at the cabin rudely interrupted. He was a young man who’d look more at home in Hollywood or Los Angeles than out here in the woods, his immaculately groomed jet black hair slicked to the side like all the posh celebs are doing it. I didn’t have a very good first impression of him, but hell, I always hated when I had to babysit a newbie through a night. Patience was never my strong suit.
“Can I ask why these are all so… infuriatingly vague?” He continued. “Like, what do I do if forgot to cover a mirror? What happens if I don’t clap three times or whatever?”
“Because there’s fifteen rules even just here in Shenandoah. That might not sound like a lot, but when you’re fighting fer your life ‘gainst something with more mouths than you have teeth, it’s a hell of a lot to remember. Got to keep details sparse, y’see. Make sure to drill in the important bits. And it wouldn’t help you none to know what happens if you break a rule - it’d only scare ya,” I explained. “Now shut your yapper while I finish reminding you of ‘em all.”
He groaned. “I’ve already heard them far too many times. At least a thousand today.”
I stared daggers through him. “There’s no such thing as ‘too many’ in this case, boy. People died to write these rules, and they’ll save your life.”
“With all due respect: how, exactly, are these supposed to protect me? Like… how is clapping and throwing salt around supposed to ward off anything? It’s complete nonsense!”
We got a lot of these types of guys: the “rational skeptics” who don’t believe in your silly rules. It’s either that or the fools with more muscle than brains who think they can kill a creature who can make your heart pop with a single thought. Usually, they get filtered out and fired quick. Usually. I made a mental note to beat the ass of whoever decided that this smarmy, cocksure rookie was ready for the graveyard shift. But it was too late to send him home; he wouldn’t make it out of the park alive, if he tried to traipse off through the woods at this hour.
“It doesn’t have to make sense. These things don’t work by our logic.” But I knew I couldn’t convince these types with words alone, so I stood. “C’mere, boy. Let me show you something.”
I led him to the huge window pane on the cabin’s wall, overlooking the forest down below, and checked my watch - only 20 minutes til the show started. It was a pain convincing him to shut up and wait, but that big mouth of his snapped closed the instant he realized something was emerging from the bushes down there.
It was a raccoon - not an unusual sight out here, if not for the fact that it was walking upright. And not the clumsy waddling on hind legs you expect from animals, but it seemed to stroll bipedally with all the grace of a man, as if its body had been unnaturally twisted and deformed to befit a style of movement that was never meant for it. It moved with purpose, crab walking across a mossy field with its upper body rigid as a statue’s would be, one ‘arm’ pointing towards the sky and the other to the ground below. It plodded along its set route for a minute before disappearing back into the shrubbery without ceremony.
He was baffled, slack-jawed. “What the hell was that?”
“Exactly what it looked like,” I told him. “If you’re lookin’ for a logical explanation, there ain’t any. Some places on earth, they aren’t run by our logic. They’ve got a different basis for their rules entirely.”
“And what’s that?”
“Symbolism,” I replied, as if it were obvious. “In our world, everything’s got to follow the laws of cause-and-effect. For what you’ve seen to have happened, two raccoons must’ve fucked at some point to birth the one we saw. Then somebody, probably me, would’ve had to surgically or genetically mutilate it in ways beyond current medical science, tame and train the wretched thing, and set it up to perform this exact routine at this exact time… and all for what? To mildly confuse a rookie ranger? Explaining it would require so much contrivance, so much pulling assumptions out your ass, that it would laugh in the face of Occam’s razor. For our logic, it is unexplainable. Impossible.”
“But symbolically, it made perfect sense. That creature don’t need a backstory or a cause - it prolly just came into existence a few minutes ago, and will pop out of existence once it’s sent its message. Its gesture was the hermetic mantra ‘as above, so below’ - reminding us that everything that everything that happens on the surface world is mirrored in the underworld. It happens every morning at 1:33 AM because that’s the exact time the Witch of Woodbridge killed ‘erself to become the intermediary between the two here in Shenandoah. And it’s a raccoon because...” I paused. “Well, actually, I haven’t really figured that part out yet.”
My words failed to comfort him. In fact, the more I spoke, the more horrified he seemed, eyes widening in confusion and horror as if I’d just sat down and told him that the voices in my head command me to lick the dandruff off of camels. “Oh my God. You’re crazy. You’re actually insane.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Tell ya what. Think of, for an example you’d be familiar with, a voodoo doll. You use a strand of their hair or a toenail or something so that the doll comes to symbolize their physical vessel. By hurting the doll, you’re symbolically hurting their actual body, so the damage happens to both. That’s how the supernatural works.”
He blinked. “Voodoo dolls work?”
“In places like this, they do.” I raised a brow. “Does that surprise you?”
Suddenly, he stood and threw up his hands, as if realizing he’d been made the victim of some sick prank. “You know what? Screw this. I don’t know if this is some kind of hazing thing or what, but I feel like continuing this line of conversation would just leave me as batty as you are.”
My heart lurched with terror as he stomped to the front door and began undoing the numerous slide locks and dead bolts. “Wait! Hell are you thinkin’, boy?”
He’d only barely opened the door a crack before I’d wrapped him in a chokehold, but it’d been enough. He let out a startled yelp as I started violently pulling him across the cabin, practically clobbering him just to keep him from wrestling out of my grip. I was no spring chicken, and the younger man probably could have bested me, but I had the element of surprise on my side, plus a blow to the head that had left him drowsy.
I tossed him headlong through a hatch, down into a crawlspace under the cabin where sage burners and dried tobacco and protective talismans were waiting. I slammed the hatch shut behind him, restraining the squirming rookie with my weight and clapping a hand over his mouth to silence his protests. His face was twisted by confusion and rage, and he was just about to throw me off of him, but then he froze… eyes widening, as we both heard the unmistakable sound of… something walking in through the ajar cabin door.
We’d made it into the crawlspace just in the nick of time.
There was the heavy click-clack of hooves against the wood floor above us, interspersed with quieter thuds. It took him a moment, but I could tell when he’d figured it out. With one pair of legs, the creature walked with normal hooves… with the other, it walked on the knuckles of human hands. And as it stalked the house, knocking over plates and bookshelves, it growled and hissed and groaned not out of one maw, but three: one sounding high and avian, one low and reptilian, and another letting out the soft bleating of a sheep, all in unison like some unholy choir.
Just when it seemed like it couldn’t get any worse, a fourth maw must’ve opened up, for a new sound filled the room “Daddy?” Came a little boy’s voice, desperate and whimpered, sniffling in a way that made me feel sorry for it even despite knowing better. “Why did you leave me out in the woods, daddy? It was so dark… and I was so scared. Please, daddy. I thought you loved me. Where are you?” The child’s voice devolved slowly but pitiful begging to outright sobbing and inconsolable weeping, downright screaming itself hoarse as the clock neared 2 and the creature’s searching grew frantic.
But the very instant the clock struck 2 o’clock, all the sounds ceased, all at once. We waited there for a moment, in that deafening silence… until I smacked the rookie across the back of the head. “Rule 11, you smug prick. You never open the door at this hour of the night. That… thing takes it as an invitation.” My voice made it obvious I was desperately holding back my simmering fury. I’ve beaten folks half to death before, and I’m not afraid to do it again. “If you want to get yourself killed tonight, have at it. But I am not letting you take me down with you.”
Once the nightmare had left, his brain had an opportunity to register what had just happened… which quickly escalated into a full-bore panic attack. “Fuck this, man. What in the hell was that!? Oh God, oh God, oh God, I can’t take this man, no, no, no, I’m not cut out for this, I need to go home, I need to, I can’t-“
I watched nervously as he jumped up and started frantically pacing the cabin. He was acting erratically, sloppily. This couldn’t end well. “Snap out of it, boy! No sense in braving the woods this late at night. Ya won’t be able to see more than a foot in front of your face. Just wait here until sun-“
He swung at me when I tried to restrain him again, almost breaking my nose. “No, man! I can’t take an entire night of this! I need to go! Jesus, let me go, you crazy bastard!”
I didn’t want to admit it, but this one was looking like a lost cause. There was no way I’d be able to overpower him again once he inevitably did something else stupid. Call me selfish, but at this point, my only concern was making sure he didn’t get me killed.
“Alright! God, fine! If it’s really so important to ya… you can go. Your shift’s officially over, rookie. But I ain’t goin’ out there with ya. You’ll have to brave it on yer own. As long as you follow the rules, you should be able to make it back to your car in one piece. You hear me? The rules!”
He pouted like a child being lectured by an overbearing father. “Yeah, yeah, Christ, old man, I get it! I’ll follow the damn rules!”
In my defense, I did furnish him with every single thing he’d need to survive out there. UV flashlights, salt boxes, obsidian talismans, volcanic ash, the dried and shrunken head of a lamb, and more… not that he appreciated any of it. He was just whining at me to hurry up, ignoring all my attempts to remind him of the rules, like he was in a rush to get out there and die horribly. Eventually, I just gave up, shrugged, and let him hike off into that pitch blackness.
To his credit, he made it farther than I’d expected. Twenty minutes of silence passed, and I started to wonder if he’d actually pulled it off after all.
That was about when the screaming started.
I’d heard it too many times before: the distinctive wailing of a man realizing everything he’d done and accomplished in his life had all just been leading up to this moment when a shambling abomination saw fit to deliver him to the afterlife kicking and screaming and missing a few body parts. It didn’t surprise me in the slightest, really, but it was still unpleasant to listen to.
Judging from what little of it was intelligible, he was crying about something pulling out his eyes. Must’ve broken rule 13. Poor, stupid bastard. That one’s so easy, you’d almost have to be breaking it on purpose.
I remember the first time somebody broke a rule and got themselves killed under my watch. It almost broke me. I blamed it all on myself, then. Sent me into a depression for months. But now, after all these decades… I’m just numb.
After all, my only job is to write the rules.
If they don’t want to follow them, well… it’s their funeral.
2023.06.07 18:33 NamelessNanashi [The Gods of Dragons: Beginning] Ch 19 - Friends
--- Table of Contents ---
Winter 4986, 22 Aoimoth
She had a name! And she was going to dinner with Shon and others from the fortress. And she had a name! Lily practically skipped as she followed Shon down the spiral stairs, then through the halls, then down more flights of stairs. She didn’t care that she might end up too lost to get back to the infirmary on her own; she was having dinner with others! And she had a name!
As they walked, Lily watched Shon in glances, not wanting to stare. He'd let her hold his hand for practically forever. Longer than anyone she'd known, though that was admittedly a small sample. Lily brushed the back of Shon’s hand with hers. He flinched the first time, and she felt a little guilty, but touching his skin was like touching ice that didn’t melt. When she did it a second time, he looked at her, and she grinned guiltily. She would have apologized, but the next moment they entered a vast room, and she was struck dumb by the size of it.
It was at least twice as large as the infirmary, which was as big as her treasures' rooms -previously the largest she'd ever remembered seeing. In the middle was a long table full of boys and young men with room to spare. Positioned around it were smaller, round tables where adult Paladins sat with steaming bowls of stew. The smell of venison and root vegetables permeated the room, and she took a deep breath to try and take it all in.
Shon walked past her and had to turn back to get her attention, Ryuuko swaying with the motion on his shoulder. Silently he nodded towards another long table against the wall with a few bowls and a massive pot of -presumably- stew. Lily sprinted to catch up with him as Shon picked up a bowl. Scraping the bottom of the nearly empty pot, he found enough chunks to fill it before handing it to her and grabbing another.
Lily cradled the steaming bowl and surveyed the room again. She'd never seen so many people... She wanted to meet all of them. Tell them her name. She had a name!
Shon started towards the long table, and Lily ran past him towards the middle and largest grouping of Squires. A boy only a year or so older than she and Shon waved at her, indicating the bench in front of him, though it was full of boys already. “Scoot over guys, we have a guest!” he told the Squires, who turned to face her, and as one dropped their spoons into their bowls.
“Hi! My name’s Lily.” she didn’t bother to suppress her grin, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The boys quickly made room, and Shon passed behind her as she set her bowl down. But with her hands free, Lily reached out and pulled him closer. He stumbled, but only a little, and she smiled down at the boys again, “Could you scoot a little bit more? For Shon?”
The boy to her right looked dumbfounded while the boy to her left looked at Shon as if he'd grown a second head. Lily continued to smile, and Ryuuko whistled on Shon's shoulder. The boys exchanged looks but made room, so she sat and patted the bench until Shon set his bowl down and joined her.
with a wide smile, the boy who'd waved her over commented, “Wow, strange to see you in the middle, Shon…” Shon just shrugged, and Ryuuko chittered. Holding his elbows close to his sides, Shon picked up his spoon and, scooping up some meat, held it up for the little dragon.
The Squire next to the talkative one shook his head and spoke to Lily, "Excuse us miss, my name’s Baradin, this is Zihler, Rehlein…" he listed off each of the other twelve squires, pointing as he went and ending with, "and you already know Shon... apparently…" he looked at Shon questioningly, like he was waiting for something.
Shon lifted his head to look at Baradin but said nothing. Lily was only paying half attention to them, instead whispering the other boys' names under her breath, determined to remember as many as possible. "My name is Lily." she declared again, beaming at the boys around the table. She was so happy to finally be able to give someone her name that it didn’t matter that some of them wouldn’t meet her eyes. Beneath the table, she moved her leg to touch Shon's beside her. He dropped his spoon.
Baradin looked away from Shon again, focusing on her, "It's nice to meet you, Lily," the boys around him each greeted her in one way or another, some with a "Hi" and smile, others with just a wave, and still others mumbling something before focusing on their food intensely.
"Soooooo," Zihler let the word draw out for a long time. He glanced at Shon then finally asked, "How did you meet Shon? He isn't usually the type to make conversation."
Beside her, Shon sighed, and Lily tilted her head just a little at the reaction. Zihler didn't sound like he was making fun of her new friend. Maybe he was just trying to find a way to start a conversation… "He saved me." She answered, "That's why I'm here." Shon looked at her in shock, and she smiled at him, "We were just talking before dinner, and he invited me to come have some."
The boys were staring at them openly now. Apparently, they hadn't been told about the tower incident. She wondered if she'd said too much and decided to take a bite of the stew while she thought. It was rich and delicious. She took her time to chew it slowly, barely resisting a moan.
"So, he's almost like a knight in shining armor." said the other boy next to Baradin -Rehlein- his voice definitely teasing as he grinned at Shon.
"Except he's a Squire that can’t wear armor." said another boy, whose name she couldn't remember. The boys around the table laughed, Ryuuko twittered, until…
"Damn it, Shon!" Baradin slammed his hands down on the table. He had tried to take a bite only to find his spoon frozen in a block of ice that had once been a steaming bowl of venison stew.
“Squire! Pushups.” an adult at the largest of the round tables shouted over them, and Baradin stood immediately, stepping over his bench and starting pushups.
Lily leaned over the table to tilt her head at him as Zihler laughed, until he noticed his own food just as solid, "Oh come on!" all down the table, boys were checking their bowls and groaning.
Shon sat glaring into his frozen bowl, his pale cheeks turning pink. A boy further down the table -Thom- leaned forward, calling, “It’s alright, Shon…” but Shon just hunched his shoulders, the pseudodragon crawling down his arm to tap its foreclaw on the ice.
Lily tilted her head at him, then at her bowl. Picking up her spoon, she held the bowl upside down and giggled. "That's so neat!" she said, flicking the ice in her bowl, "Did you do it? I thought you said you weren't a Mage?" Was he a Sorcerer? Was that why she liked touching him so much? She'd never met another Sorcerer before...
Baradin stood, his face red from his punishment, and glared at Shon, "It's not 'neat.' There isn't enough for everyone to get new bowls, Shon."
Shon muttered a soft "Sorry…" and another boy, seated across from Thom -Rerves? Leaned forward to shout,
“Lay off. It’s not like he does it on purpose.”
Shon growled so quietly Lily was sure she would be the only one to hear. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, obviously distressed. Ryuuko whistled sadly.
Lily reached under the table to place a hand on his knee. Shon met her eyes. His were like the clear sky on the coldest of winter days, but now they were also upset and embarrassed. Lily felt an ache in her chest she'd only really felt when one of her treasures had been in discomfort.
She smiled at him, trying to make it a reassuring look before she turned to Baradin. "It's okay. We can just warm these back up." She stood, leaned over the table, and dipped her index finger into the middle of his frozen stew. Soon it was steaming again, and she moved on to Zihler.
It took a moment for the Squires to realize what she was doing. She had to lean WAY over the table to reach the bowls, and they seemed more interested in her than in their dinner. When she moved on and they did notice, they stared at the stew, picking up their spoons to let the steaming liquid pour back into the bowl. Stepping over the bench, Lily worked her way around the table, squeezing between the Squires on her side to reach over to those on the other.
As she was finishing up, Zihler looked at Shon, saying, "Now THAT is a useful ability." Shon ignored him, watching Lily as she came back to her seat beside him.
"It does come in handy." she sat down and took a moment to examine her broth-covered finger before sticking it in her mouth and sucking the juice off. The boys shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Maybe she'd made it too hot...
***
After freezing everyone’s dinner, Shon was even less interested in socializing than usual. Though once Lily countered his slip-up, no one wanted to talk to him anyway. She was infinitely more interesting, and why wouldn't she be? Even without the fascinating stripes and metallic hair, she was the only girl any of the boys had seen in nearly a year. And that was only IF the villagers who came for only one night on Winter Solstice counted.
Lily, for her part, seemed to honestly enjoy the conversation, becoming fast friends with anyone and everyone who spoke with her. She answered all the Squires’ questions honestly and followed up with just as many of her own, if not more. She was a true social butterfly, smiling at everyone and listening intently when they spoke, giving each her undivided attention.
She didn’t pull Shon into talking as she'd pulled him into sitting next to her. Part of him was grateful, but another part, a small quiet part, felt that this was the beginning of the end. But the end of what? He'd known her for an hour at most. Why should it bother him that she smiled at the other Squires? They'd always been more sociable than he was, and it never bothered him before.
But now he just wanted them all to slink off into the shadows so he could talk to Lily by himself again. Ask her his questions and direct the conversation with some semblance of structure that wasn’t possible with fifteen teenagers all trying to talk to her at once.
Showing restraint beyond their years, the Squires tried to keep the subjects of their questions safe, but even the most polite sometimes led to worrisome answers. Lily apparently had no idea how old she was, though she assumed she couldn’t be that much older than the youngest of them, guessing she was around the same age as Shon. She also didn’t know where she came from, only that it was in the woods. Her crimson stripes were, in fact, scales. And yes, they were real and grew naturally from her body. And no, she wasn’t going to give the Squires any -though they hadn’t requested- because it hurt to pull them out and it required pliers. Shon’s head swam with a thousand -less polite- follow-up questions, but kept his mouth shut except to eat his food.
As he was feeding the last of his dinner to Ryuuko, Lily explained that she'd been raised by Mages, but didn’t know magic herself. Except for fire. She was a fire Sorcerer, though she had no clearance and no papers.
"So that's how you did it!" Kefir exclaimed.
"What kind of a familiar do you have?" Baradin asked.
"I bet it's something beautiful and exotic, like a fairy dragon," Zihler mused, leaning on his hands and staring at Lily.
Lily tilted her head to one side, and when they didn't elaborate, she shifted it to the other, finally, she said, "Isn't that a Mage spell?"
"All Sorcerers have familiars," Rehlien looked very confused, "Like Shon's pseudodragon."
"Very few have something like a pseudodragon..." Rerves tried to clarify, "It's usually just a regular animal, though bonding with a Sorcerer makes it special. They're smarter, and you can see through their eyes and..." he trailed off, finally catching the look on Lily's face. Her shoulders had slumped, and it looked like she might never smile again. Her eyes had glazed over, and Shon could make out a slight tremble in her lip.
"I... My treasures..."
Shon felt an ache deep in his chest at the pain evident in her voice. The Squires all exchanged worried looks, stuttering to find something to change the subject without seeming too obvious about it. Shon clenched his hands into fists, then steeled himself and reached under the table to touch her knee as she'd done to him. Her head shot up, and Shon nearly jumped from his seat when he felt her grab his hand and squeeze it tight. "Maybe yours just hasn't come yet," he whispered, and though he knew the others were obviously trying to avoid talking about her captivity, he continued, thinking it couldn't possibly be worse than the pain she was showing now, "You were locked in that tower, maybe your familiar just couldn't reach you."
"I had animals though, my treasures..." Lily started, still not letting go of his fingers. She talked in plurals, but as far as Shon knew, a Sorcerer could only have one familiar.
"Did you ever see through their eyes? Feel their emotions?" Shon asked. Lily shook her head and opened her mouth, but Shon interrupted, "then none of them were probably familiars. I'm sorry, Lily, I can tell you really loved them."
Lily nodded, and a single silent tear slipped down her cheek, making the scales sparkle where it touched. Shon wanted to wipe it away, but Ryuuko beat him to it, snaking its head forward and licking the tear from her face. Lily actually managed a giggle, kissing the little dragon on its scaled head. "Thank you, little one..." she took a deep breath and plastered a smile back on. Turning back to the other Squires, she asked, "So are any more of you Sorcerers?"
Zihler smiled broadly, and Shon found himself grateful for the boy's social flare for the first time since they'd met. Zihler picked up the conversation, shifting it seamlessly back to happier things, "Nope, just Shon, but all of us will have divine magic soon enough! And as Paladins, we'll get something even better than a familiar. Warhorses! You can come watch us ride at the end of the month if you want."
Lily clapped her hands in excitement at the idea, apparently, she'd never seen horses before. But the move meant she let go of his hand again. Shon pulled his freed limb back quickly, staring into his nearly empty bowl and feeling guilty. Had he taken advantage of her distress just to touch her again? She didn't seem to mind his cold, but she was also very polite. She probably just didn't want to make him feel awkward...
No one left the table, even after they finished their food. Usually the Squires would each filter out as they finished, getting a head start on their study time, tonight they sat in front of empty bowls, the quiet Squires listening like Shon while the more talkative ones told stories and continued their questions, many of them repeats, as if they couldn’t believe her answers. Lily answered them all again anyway, grinning all the while.
Shon stood when Ryuuko finished the last of his food, and Lily reached out, resting a hand on his arm. She tilted her head at him, and Zihler asked, “Where you goin’, Shon?” Shon arched an incredulous eyebrow at the older Squire. Zihler should know exactly where Shon was going. The hour bell rang, signaling his answer for him and the other Squires quickly scurried over benches, whispering tame curses so the adults couldn’t hear.
“Where are you going?” Lily repeated Zihler’s question to the room at large, then focused on Shon for the answer.
Picking up her empty bowl and stacking it with his, Shon explained, “We have an hour of mandated study time before we get free time again. Some go to the chapel, others to the library,”
Lily had wrinkled her nose at the mention of the chapel, but her eyes went wide again at the end, and she scrambled to her feet, “You have a library? What are you studying? Can I study with you?”
Staring down at her earnest face Shon opened his mouth to answer when Rehlien spoke over him, “It’s really boring. You can come if you want, though. We have other books.”
Ryuuko hopped from Shon's shoulder to Lily's, leaving its human to trail behind the throng of Squires, first crowding around the food table to drop off their bowls, then moving towards the door and the library. Ahead of him, Lily stood in the thick of it, petting Ryuuko with one hand and looking like a kid in a sweets shop.
By the time Shon reached the library, some of the boys had broken off into their usual groups. But a lot more had stayed with Lily, who was staring open-mouthed at the shelves of books. Ryuuko flew from her shoulder, circling Shon once before taking its place on the bookshelf nearest the door and curling into a ball, its wings draped over the sides as it snoozed.
Shon made for the table by the window, but today, Lily plopped down across from him with a sigh, “I’ve never seen so many books… what’re you studying?”
“History of Gasha,” Shon answered, then, looking down at the pile of books before him, slid one in her direction, “The others like to talk while they read if you want to join them…” he muttered, opening his own text.
Lily just shook her head, “I think I’ve talked more today than I’ve ever talked in the rest of my life combined.” She shifted in her seat, resting her back on the wall instead of the chair back, bringing one leg up to prop the book on her bent knee. She read quietly.
“Hey Lily,” Zihler whispered, pulling up a chair at the closest large table. Shon sighed, looking up from his book and losing his spot. To his surprise, however, Lily didn’t look up. “Lily?” Zihler called a little louder, and Lily held up a single finger, still not looking up from her book. Zihler glanced at Shon, who shrugged.
Slowly Lily lowered her finger, holding it against her spot on the page before finally looking up and tilting her head at Zihler. Zihler blushed, “We uh… We’re going to play some cards, after, if you want…” Lily looked back down at her book, “Um…”
“After,” Lily said shortly, then, glancing up with just her eyes, said, “I thought this was study time?” it came across as more of a reprimand than a question and Shon quickly hid his smile in his book.
“Yeah… sorry... after…” Zihler turned away, and silence returned for the most part, broken only by the occasional whisper that didn’t involve Shon.
After a few more minutes, Lily mumbled to herself, “This says the same things as all my other history books…” Shon glanced up as she shifted in her seat again and continued reading.
He went back to his book but only for a moment before looking up again, “We have other books…” he whispered.
“I want to study with you guys,” Lily scanned the shelves then looked at Shon, “History can’t help but be boring sometimes.” she managed a grin, “Sorry, I won’t interrupt you.”
He tried to go back to his book, but, for some reason, found himself far more distracted without the chatter than he would be with it. Finally, he stood, leaving his book open, and moved towards a practically unused set of shelves. Lily watched him from their table but didn’t say anything and didn’t follow. He scanned the books, knowing the series he wanted but not seeing it where he thought it should be.
Ryuuko slipped from its shelf, fluttering onto his shoulder, and looked over the tomes with him. Shon didn't think the pseudodragon could read and continued looking for the book he wanted in silence. He could picture it clearly; it should be around... Ryuuko's scorpion-like tail stretched out and tapped a thin green spine one shelf down from where Shon was looking. He blinked at it, then at the little dragon, who purred, then reached for the book he'd been searching for. Shon hesitated, then tried to send the pseudodragon a silent 'thank you,' hoping their link went both ways. Ryuuko chirped and rubbed its cheek against his before taking off and resuming its spot on the shelf, circling three times before laying down with a contented huff Shon could feel in his chest.
He returned to the table, holding the book out to Lily. She took it and thumbed through the pages. “This is a story…” she looked back at him, her expression accusatory.
“A historian wrote it, they like to write historical events from the perspectives of someone who may have lived them.” he returned to his own book, but continued, “They're historically accurate so I read them as a supplement to the assigned texts.”
“Thank you,” she mouthed in her quietest whisper yet, and Shon couldn't help but smile. History didn't have to be boring all the time.
They spent the entire hour in companionable silence. Together, and yet alone in their own tasks. When the bell rang, signaling the beginning of their last bit of free time, Shon was actually disappointed.
“Hey, Lily; Shon! Cards?” Rerves held a deck in the air, waving them towards the largest table where the usual boys began to gather for the game.
Shon stood, looking towards the door, but Lily grabbed his arm, pulling in close to whisper in his ear, “I’ve never played cards before, is it hard?” her breath was hot on his cheek, and he fumbled for an answer.
“Come on, Shon, you can’t really practice right now anyway…” Rerves called, grinning at him as if his logic could actually trap Shon into a game he didn’t want to play. But Lily was still hanging onto his arm, and all his planned excuses melted away. Despite her exposure to his cold, she seemed to touch him whenever possible. The last thing Shon wanted to do was pull away now. What if she stopped and became like everyone else? Why did that possibility bother him this much?
Her hands were hot even through his sleeve, and she trailed them down his arm to grab his hand with both of hers, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” she whispered in his ear again.
“What’s the game?” Shon called to Rerves, and Lily beamed with the light of the sun.
Rerves passed his deck to Zihler, who shuffled it together with his own, “With this many people? Rummy.” Shon nodded, at least it wasn’t poker.
“Rummy? How do you play? I’ve never played cards before.” Lily called to the others, stepping away from Shon and towards the table but pulling his hand as she went. Shon stumbled after her and found himself disappointed again when she let go to pull out two chairs for them.
“It’s really easy. You just have to try and get three of a kind or in a row. You draw from either the discard pile or the stock pile and...” Zihler rambled on about the rules in the most confusing way Shon could imagine as he shuffled and dealt the cards to the seven boys plus Lily.
Lily smiled at Zihler but leaned in close to Shon, resting her hand on his knee, “Can you show me?” she asked.
Shon nodded, then interrupted Zihler with, “We’ll play the first round together,” sliding his hand of cards back to Zihler.
Zihler fumbled with the deck, dropping two cards face up before scooping them up and shoving them somewhere in the middle, “If… if you want. Though Shon’s not very good at it.”
“Shon’s not very good at anything that doesn’t involve swinging a weapon at someone,” Thom poked Zihler in the shoulder, “and yet he can still beat you at rummy.”
“Only once.” Zihler countered with a huff but then smiled again right away. It was a friendly sort of teasing, and Shon looked at Lily, wondering what she would think only to find her smiling broadly at all of them.
She laughed, “You guys poke fun at each other like Brom and Ran…” she trailed off, her face falling, the smile gone in a flash. Something in the statement, probably a memory, had hurt her.
Shon picked up her cards, fanning them out and holding them in front of Lily, “With this many people, we each get six cards. The hand is bigger with fewer people.” Lily focused on the cards, and a hint of a grin returned as she took them from him, holding them as he'd done.
She leaned over and whispered loud enough for the entire table to hear, “What’s a hand?” she really didn’t know anything about playing cards.
“A 'hand' is the cards you hold. This is your hand. It’s going to start with Thom on Zihler’s left because Zihler is the dealer. Thom is either going to draw from the discard pile, which are the face-up cards,” Shon pointed as Zihler turned one card face up, “or from the stock,” he pointed at the rest of the deck that now lay face down beside the face-up card, “Watch.”
They watched together as Thom took his turn, pulling a card from the stock then laying one down, face-up, on the discard pile. “Now Rerves can either take the face-up card or one of the stock cards,” Shon explained. Rerves took a new card then discarded one of his own and the turn moved to Rehlien.
As the game moved towards Lily, she reached out to take a card, but Shon stopped her with a shake of his head, “The goal is to get either three of a kind, three cards of the same number, or a three-card straight, three numbers in succession, like three, four, five. Look at your hand and see if you have anything close to that.” she had two threes, and Baradin had discarded another just before her.
Lily squinted at her hand, then gasped and snatched up the three from the discard pile, holding it up as though she'd just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The sight made Shon smile, “Now lay down the set you have, and it’s Zihler's turn. Your goal is to get rid of all your cards before anyone else.”
“You can also play off of others' sets,” Zihler added, though he didn’t do so himself, instead reaching for a new card and discarding one of his own.
Lily looked at Shon and tilted her head to the side. Shon explained, “We'll deal with that when it comes up. For now, focus on the cards you have and what everyone else is laying down.”
Lily giggled, “You’re good at this,” and poked him on the nose. Shon’s eyes crossed to try and see her finger before she returned it to her cards.
“Uh… Lily?” Thom started nervously, and she looked up at him, “Shon doesn’t… he doesn't really like being touched,” Thom blushed and looked at his hand with such intensity one would think the cards were about to catch fire. Or freeze to his fingers. His breath showed with his next words, “I just thought you should know…” he mumbled.
Shon couldn't remember ever wanting to punch someone before now.
“What?” Lily asked, “But why?” she turned to Shon, her eyes full of concern.
Running his fingers through his hair, Shon leaned back in his chair. He hadn't realized how close he'd been to her, leaning forward so they could both study her hand. He was surprised she wasn’t shivering. “People don’t like touching me…” he muttered as a half-hearted explanation. How could he explain that people had been pulling away from him his whole life, inquiring about his health and comfort after feeling how cold he was? And now... now was so much worse. Even Lily had asked if it hurt after holding his hand on the bell tower.
“But that’s not the same thing at all!” Lily shouted, and everyone, even the other groups, turned to look at her. “Why would anyone not like touching you? It’s refreshing, like holding a rock that's been in the shade all day. And you don’t hurt people like I do.” She spoke with a passion that surprised everyone, not least of which Shon, and she wasn’t done, “You let me hold your hand longer than anyone else and even said it didn’t hurt. I like touching you. Should I stop?”
The boys around the table looked from Lily to Shon and back again, dumbfounded. Shon just stared at Lily, who stared back with worried, desperate eyes. She hadn’t been talking about his cold on the bell tower… She'd been talking about her heat.
“How can it hurt to touch someone?” Zihler asked on Lily’s other side, "I mean, Shon's cold is uncomfortable, like trying to hold onto ice with bare hands, but it doesn't hurt. Well, maybe if you hold on too long, it might eventually, but I figured you'd just go numb first-" he rambled.
Lily interrupted and answered his question in one move when she turned and cupped his cheek. It was an uncomfortably intimate gesture and Zihler blushed pink immediately, then jerked away, rubbing his red cheek and sweating.
“I’m a fire Sorcerer,” Lily explained with a sigh. She'd told them at dinner, but apparently, none of them really understood what that meant, “My body is hotter than normal, and even when I have my power under control, I can burn people if they touch me for too long. Especially if I'm distracted,” her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the table with a sigh, “I’m sorry, I probably should've just said that instead of burning your cheek..." she took a deep breath and continued, "But I wasn't paying attention and was able to hold Shon’s hand forever, and he didn't pull away...” she ran her fingertips over the cards, now lying face down on the table, and addressed Shon directly, “I took advantage of your kindness, I’m sorry.” She met Shon’s eyes, and whatever words he might have said caught in his throat.
“Shon’s an ice Sorcerer…” Thom said, pulling everyone’s attention back to him and shrinking back from it. He hated being the center of attention, but swallowed and continued anyway, “Maybe your powers cancel each other out?”
“Yeah, that explains it,” Rerves said, then managed a smile, “Mystery solved, now let’s get back to the game.” the boys all laughed at Rerves' blatant redirection, and the game resumed without further talk of Shon or Lily’s strange skin. Though many of them failed miserably at sneaking glances at the two of them.
Lily picked up her cards and shifted closer to the table in silence. Shon’s nose tingled where she'd touched it, and the phantom memories of her hands on other parts of him, his knee, arm, and hand, started tingling again. Shon moved in closer, staring at Lily’s cards, but whispered, “I don’t mind, Lily. It doesn't hurt.”
Lily looked around the table, the boys were busy admiring the straight of the same suit Kefir had just laid down. She leaned in close, her shoulder brushing his, whispering, “Really? I’ve never met anyone I didn’t have to be careful with before…”
Shon confirmed with a nod, and Lily’s resulting smile warmed him at his very core. Refreshing… she'd said his skin was refreshing…
The game continued, Thom won, and they started a second. Halfway through the match, the hour bell rang, and a voice shouted over it from the doorway, making Ryuuko jump awake and chitter angrily, “There you are!” The fortress Cleric grinned as he walked towards the table, but Lily stiffened as if he were brandishing a knife at them. “Master Daunas said you had dinner with the boys and had followed them off to their study hour.” he addressed the Squires who were handing their cards over to Rerves to split back into two decks, “I hope you all were polite to our guest.”
“Yes, sir.” The table full of Squires answered in unison, and Lily relaxed, though she looked baffled for some reason.
The kindly Cleric chuckled at them and addressed Lily, “If you're feeling better, then perhaps we can move you to a proper guest room tomorrow. Until then, it’s lights out, boys.”
“Yes, sir,” they spoke in unison again, standing and making for the door. Ryuuko flew down to Shon's shoulder, and Lily reached out to grab his hand, as if testing his assurance. He turned to her without flinching, eyebrow arched.
“Can I see you again tomorrow?” she asked, her slitted eyes searching his face. Shon looked from the Cleric, who nodded, then back to Lily with a small smile and nod of his own. Lily beamed.
--- Table of Contents ---
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP
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Winter 4986, 22 Aoimoth
She had a name! And she was going to dinner with Shon and others from the fortress. And she had a name! Lily practically skipped as she followed Shon down the spiral stairs, then through the halls, then down more flights of stairs. She didn’t care that she might end up too lost to get back to the infirmary on her own; she was having dinner with others! And she had a name!
As they walked, Lily watched Shon in glances, not wanting to stare. He'd let her hold his hand for practically forever. Longer than anyone she'd known, though that was admittedly a small sample. Lily brushed the back of Shon’s hand with hers. He flinched the first time, and she felt a little guilty, but touching his skin was like touching ice that didn’t melt. When she did it a second time, he looked at her, and she grinned guiltily. She would have apologized, but the next moment they entered a vast room, and she was struck dumb by the size of it.
It was at least twice as large as the infirmary, which was as big as her treasures' rooms -previously the largest she'd ever remembered seeing. In the middle was a long table full of boys and young men with room to spare. Positioned around it were smaller, round tables where adult Paladins sat with steaming bowls of stew. The smell of venison and root vegetables permeated the room, and she took a deep breath to try and take it all in.
Shon walked past her and had to turn back to get her attention, Ryuuko swaying with the motion on his shoulder. Silently he nodded towards another long table against the wall with a few bowls and a massive pot of -presumably- stew. Lily sprinted to catch up with him as Shon picked up a bowl. Scraping the bottom of the nearly empty pot, he found enough chunks to fill it before handing it to her and grabbing another.
Lily cradled the steaming bowl and surveyed the room again. She'd never seen so many people... She wanted to meet all of them. Tell them her name. She had a name!
Shon started towards the long table, and Lily ran past him towards the middle and largest grouping of Squires. A boy only a year or so older than she and Shon waved at her, indicating the bench in front of him, though it was full of boys already. “Scoot over guys, we have a guest!” he told the Squires, who turned to face her, and as one dropped their spoons into their bowls.
“Hi! My name’s Lily.” she didn’t bother to suppress her grin, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The boys quickly made room, and Shon passed behind her as she set her bowl down. But with her hands free, Lily reached out and pulled him closer. He stumbled, but only a little, and she smiled down at the boys again, “Could you scoot a little bit more? For Shon?”
The boy to her right looked dumbfounded while the boy to her left looked at Shon as if he'd grown a second head. Lily continued to smile, and Ryuuko whistled on Shon's shoulder. The boys exchanged looks but made room, so she sat and patted the bench until Shon set his bowl down and joined her.
with a wide smile, the boy who'd waved her over commented, “Wow, strange to see you in the middle, Shon…” Shon just shrugged, and Ryuuko chittered. Holding his elbows close to his sides, Shon picked up his spoon and, scooping up some meat, held it up for the little dragon.
The Squire next to the talkative one shook his head and spoke to Lily, "Excuse us miss, my name’s Baradin, this is Zihler, Rehlein…" he listed off each of the other twelve squires, pointing as he went and ending with, "and you already know Shon... apparently…" he looked at Shon questioningly, like he was waiting for something.
Shon lifted his head to look at Baradin but said nothing. Lily was only paying half attention to them, instead whispering the other boys' names under her breath, determined to remember as many as possible. "My name is Lily." she declared again, beaming at the boys around the table. She was so happy to finally be able to give someone her name that it didn’t matter that some of them wouldn’t meet her eyes. Beneath the table, she moved her leg to touch Shon's beside her. He dropped his spoon.
Baradin looked away from Shon again, focusing on her, "It's nice to meet you, Lily," the boys around him each greeted her in one way or another, some with a "Hi" and smile, others with just a wave, and still others mumbling something before focusing on their food intensely.
"Soooooo," Zihler let the word draw out for a long time. He glanced at Shon then finally asked, "How did you meet Shon? He isn't usually the type to make conversation."
Beside her, Shon sighed, and Lily tilted her head just a little at the reaction. Zihler didn't sound like he was making fun of her new friend. Maybe he was just trying to find a way to start a conversation… "He saved me." She answered, "That's why I'm here." Shon looked at her in shock, and she smiled at him, "We were just talking before dinner, and he invited me to come have some."
The boys were staring at them openly now. Apparently, they hadn't been told about the tower incident. She wondered if she'd said too much and decided to take a bite of the stew while she thought. It was rich and delicious. She took her time to chew it slowly, barely resisting a moan.
"So, he's almost like a knight in shining armor." said the other boy next to Baradin -Rehlein- his voice definitely teasing as he grinned at Shon.
"Except he's a Squire that can’t wear armor." said another boy, whose name she couldn't remember. The boys around the table laughed, Ryuuko twittered, until…
"Damn it, Shon!" Baradin slammed his hands down on the table. He had tried to take a bite only to find his spoon frozen in a block of ice that had once been a steaming bowl of venison stew.
“Squire! Pushups.” an adult at the largest of the round tables shouted over them, and Baradin stood immediately, stepping over his bench and starting pushups.
Lily leaned over the table to tilt her head at him as Zihler laughed, until he noticed his own food just as solid, "Oh come on!" all down the table, boys were checking their bowls and groaning.
Shon sat glaring into his frozen bowl, his pale cheeks turning pink. A boy further down the table -Thom- leaned forward, calling, “It’s alright, Shon…” but Shon just hunched his shoulders, the pseudodragon crawling down his arm to tap its foreclaw on the ice.
Lily tilted her head at him, then at her bowl. Picking up her spoon, she held the bowl upside down and giggled. "That's so neat!" she said, flicking the ice in her bowl, "Did you do it? I thought you said you weren't a Mage?" Was he a Sorcerer? Was that why she liked touching him so much? She'd never met another Sorcerer before...
Baradin stood, his face red from his punishment, and glared at Shon, "It's not 'neat.' There isn't enough for everyone to get new bowls, Shon."
Shon muttered a soft "Sorry…" and another boy, seated across from Thom -Rerves? Leaned forward to shout,
“Lay off. It’s not like he does it on purpose.”
Shon growled so quietly Lily was sure she would be the only one to hear. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair, obviously distressed. Ryuuko whistled sadly.
Lily reached under the table to place a hand on his knee. Shon met her eyes. His were like the clear sky on the coldest of winter days, but now they were also upset and embarrassed. Lily felt an ache in her chest she'd only really felt when one of her treasures had been in discomfort.
She smiled at him, trying to make it a reassuring look before she turned to Baradin. "It's okay. We can just warm these back up." She stood, leaned over the table, and dipped her index finger into the middle of his frozen stew. Soon it was steaming again, and she moved on to Zihler.
It took a moment for the Squires to realize what she was doing. She had to lean WAY over the table to reach the bowls, and they seemed more interested in her than in their dinner. When she moved on and they did notice, they stared at the stew, picking up their spoons to let the steaming liquid pour back into the bowl. Stepping over the bench, Lily worked her way around the table, squeezing between the Squires on her side to reach over to those on the other.
As she was finishing up, Zihler looked at Shon, saying, "Now THAT is a useful ability." Shon ignored him, watching Lily as she came back to her seat beside him.
"It does come in handy." she sat down and took a moment to examine her broth-covered finger before sticking it in her mouth and sucking the juice off. The boys shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Maybe she'd made it too hot...
***
After freezing everyone’s dinner, Shon was even less interested in socializing than usual. Though once Lily countered his slip-up, no one wanted to talk to him anyway. She was infinitely more interesting, and why wouldn't she be? Even without the fascinating stripes and metallic hair, she was the only girl any of the boys had seen in nearly a year. And that was only IF the villagers who came for only one night on Winter Solstice counted.
Lily, for her part, seemed to honestly enjoy the conversation, becoming fast friends with anyone and everyone who spoke with her. She answered all the Squires’ questions honestly and followed up with just as many of her own, if not more. She was a true social butterfly, smiling at everyone and listening intently when they spoke, giving each her undivided attention.
She didn’t pull Shon into talking as she'd pulled him into sitting next to her. Part of him was grateful, but another part, a small quiet part, felt that this was the beginning of the end. But the end of what? He'd known her for an hour at most. Why should it bother him that she smiled at the other Squires? They'd always been more sociable than he was, and it never bothered him before.
But now he just wanted them all to slink off into the shadows so he could talk to Lily by himself again. Ask her his questions and direct the conversation with some semblance of structure that wasn’t possible with fifteen teenagers all trying to talk to her at once.
Showing restraint beyond their years, the Squires tried to keep the subjects of their questions safe, but even the most polite sometimes led to worrisome answers. Lily apparently had no idea how old she was, though she assumed she couldn’t be that much older than the youngest of them, guessing she was around the same age as Shon. She also didn’t know where she came from, only that it was in the woods. Her crimson stripes were, in fact, scales. And yes, they were real and grew naturally from her body. And no, she wasn’t going to give the Squires any -though they hadn’t requested- because it hurt to pull them out and it required pliers. Shon’s head swam with a thousand -less polite- follow-up questions, but kept his mouth shut except to eat his food.
As he was feeding the last of his dinner to Ryuuko, Lily explained that she'd been raised by Mages, but didn’t know magic herself. Except for fire. She was a fire Sorcerer, though she had no clearance and no papers.
"So that's how you did it!" Kefir exclaimed.
"What kind of a familiar do you have?" Baradin asked.
"I bet it's something beautiful and exotic, like a fairy dragon," Zihler mused, leaning on his hands and staring at Lily.
Lily tilted her head to one side, and when they didn't elaborate, she shifted it to the other, finally, she said, "Isn't that a Mage spell?"
"All Sorcerers have familiars," Rehlien looked very confused, "Like Shon's pseudodragon."
"Very few have something like a pseudodragon..." Rerves tried to clarify, "It's usually just a regular animal, though bonding with a Sorcerer makes it special. They're smarter, and you can see through their eyes and..." he trailed off, finally catching the look on Lily's face. Her shoulders had slumped, and it looked like she might never smile again. Her eyes had glazed over, and Shon could make out a slight tremble in her lip.
"I... My treasures..."
Shon felt an ache deep in his chest at the pain evident in her voice. The Squires all exchanged worried looks, stuttering to find something to change the subject without seeming too obvious about it. Shon clenched his hands into fists, then steeled himself and reached under the table to touch her knee as she'd done to him. Her head shot up, and Shon nearly jumped from his seat when he felt her grab his hand and squeeze it tight. "Maybe yours just hasn't come yet," he whispered, and though he knew the others were obviously trying to avoid talking about her captivity, he continued, thinking it couldn't possibly be worse than the pain she was showing now, "You were locked in that tower, maybe your familiar just couldn't reach you."
"I had animals though, my treasures..." Lily started, still not letting go of his fingers. She talked in plurals, but as far as Shon knew, a Sorcerer could only have one familiar.
"Did you ever see through their eyes? Feel their emotions?" Shon asked. Lily shook her head and opened her mouth, but Shon interrupted, "then none of them were probably familiars. I'm sorry, Lily, I can tell you really loved them."
Lily nodded, and a single silent tear slipped down her cheek, making the scales sparkle where it touched. Shon wanted to wipe it away, but Ryuuko beat him to it, snaking its head forward and licking the tear from her face. Lily actually managed a giggle, kissing the little dragon on its scaled head. "Thank you, little one..." she took a deep breath and plastered a smile back on. Turning back to the other Squires, she asked, "So are any more of you Sorcerers?"
Zihler smiled broadly, and Shon found himself grateful for the boy's social flare for the first time since they'd met. Zihler picked up the conversation, shifting it seamlessly back to happier things, "Nope, just Shon, but all of us will have divine magic soon enough! And as Paladins, we'll get something even better than a familiar. Warhorses! You can come watch us ride at the end of the month if you want."
Lily clapped her hands in excitement at the idea, apparently, she'd never seen horses before. But the move meant she let go of his hand again. Shon pulled his freed limb back quickly, staring into his nearly empty bowl and feeling guilty. Had he taken advantage of her distress just to touch her again? She didn't seem to mind his cold, but she was also very polite. She probably just didn't want to make him feel awkward...
No one left the table, even after they finished their food. Usually the Squires would each filter out as they finished, getting a head start on their study time, tonight they sat in front of empty bowls, the quiet Squires listening like Shon while the more talkative ones told stories and continued their questions, many of them repeats, as if they couldn’t believe her answers. Lily answered them all again anyway, grinning all the while.
Shon stood when Ryuuko finished the last of his food, and Lily reached out, resting a hand on his arm. She tilted her head at him, and Zihler asked, “Where you goin’, Shon?” Shon arched an incredulous eyebrow at the older Squire. Zihler should know exactly where Shon was going. The hour bell rang, signaling his answer for him and the other Squires quickly scurried over benches, whispering tame curses so the adults couldn’t hear.
“Where are you going?” Lily repeated Zihler’s question to the room at large, then focused on Shon for the answer.
Picking up her empty bowl and stacking it with his, Shon explained, “We have an hour of mandated study time before we get free time again. Some go to the chapel, others to the library,”
Lily had wrinkled her nose at the mention of the chapel, but her eyes went wide again at the end, and she scrambled to her feet, “You have a library? What are you studying? Can I study with you?”
Staring down at her earnest face Shon opened his mouth to answer when Rehlien spoke over him, “It’s really boring. You can come if you want, though. We have other books.”
Ryuuko hopped from Shon's shoulder to Lily's, leaving its human to trail behind the throng of Squires, first crowding around the food table to drop off their bowls, then moving towards the door and the library. Ahead of him, Lily stood in the thick of it, petting Ryuuko with one hand and looking like a kid in a sweets shop.
By the time Shon reached the library, some of the boys had broken off into their usual groups. But a lot more had stayed with Lily, who was staring open-mouthed at the shelves of books. Ryuuko flew from her shoulder, circling Shon once before taking its place on the bookshelf nearest the door and curling into a ball, its wings draped over the sides as it snoozed.
Shon made for the table by the window, but today, Lily plopped down across from him with a sigh, “I’ve never seen so many books… what’re you studying?”
“History of Gasha,” Shon answered, then, looking down at the pile of books before him, slid one in her direction, “The others like to talk while they read if you want to join them…” he muttered, opening his own text.
Lily just shook her head, “I think I’ve talked more today than I’ve ever talked in the rest of my life combined.” She shifted in her seat, resting her back on the wall instead of the chair back, bringing one leg up to prop the book on her bent knee. She read quietly.
“Hey Lily,” Zihler whispered, pulling up a chair at the closest large table. Shon sighed, looking up from his book and losing his spot. To his surprise, however, Lily didn’t look up. “Lily?” Zihler called a little louder, and Lily held up a single finger, still not looking up from her book. Zihler glanced at Shon, who shrugged.
Slowly Lily lowered her finger, holding it against her spot on the page before finally looking up and tilting her head at Zihler. Zihler blushed, “We uh… We’re going to play some cards, after, if you want…” Lily looked back down at her book, “Um…”
“After,” Lily said shortly, then, glancing up with just her eyes, said, “I thought this was study time?” it came across as more of a reprimand than a question and Shon quickly hid his smile in his book.
“Yeah… sorry... after…” Zihler turned away, and silence returned for the most part, broken only by the occasional whisper that didn’t involve Shon.
After a few more minutes, Lily mumbled to herself, “This says the same things as all my other history books…” Shon glanced up as she shifted in her seat again and continued reading.
He went back to his book but only for a moment before looking up again, “We have other books…” he whispered.
“I want to study with you guys,” Lily scanned the shelves then looked at Shon, “History can’t help but be boring sometimes.” she managed a grin, “Sorry, I won’t interrupt you.”
He tried to go back to his book, but, for some reason, found himself far more distracted without the chatter than he would be with it. Finally, he stood, leaving his book open, and moved towards a practically unused set of shelves. Lily watched him from their table but didn’t say anything and didn’t follow. He scanned the books, knowing the series he wanted but not seeing it where he thought it should be.
Ryuuko slipped from its shelf, fluttering onto his shoulder, and looked over the tomes with him. Shon didn't think the pseudodragon could read and continued looking for the book he wanted in silence. He could picture it clearly; it should be around... Ryuuko's scorpion-like tail stretched out and tapped a thin green spine one shelf down from where Shon was looking. He blinked at it, then at the little dragon, who purred, then reached for the book he'd been searching for. Shon hesitated, then tried to send the pseudodragon a silent 'thank you,' hoping their link went both ways. Ryuuko chirped and rubbed its cheek against his before taking off and resuming its spot on the shelf, circling three times before laying down with a contented huff Shon could feel in his chest.
He returned to the table, holding the book out to Lily. She took it and thumbed through the pages. “This is a story…” she looked back at him, her expression accusatory.
“A historian wrote it, they like to write historical events from the perspectives of someone who may have lived them.” he returned to his own book, but continued, “They're historically accurate so I read them as a supplement to the assigned texts.”
“Thank you,” she mouthed in her quietest whisper yet, and Shon couldn't help but smile. History didn't have to be boring all the time.
They spent the entire hour in companionable silence. Together, and yet alone in their own tasks. When the bell rang, signaling the beginning of their last bit of free time, Shon was actually disappointed.
“Hey, Lily; Shon! Cards?” Rerves held a deck in the air, waving them towards the largest table where the usual boys began to gather for the game.
Shon stood, looking towards the door, but Lily grabbed his arm, pulling in close to whisper in his ear, “I’ve never played cards before, is it hard?” her breath was hot on his cheek, and he fumbled for an answer.
“Come on, Shon, you can’t really practice right now anyway…” Rerves called, grinning at him as if his logic could actually trap Shon into a game he didn’t want to play. But Lily was still hanging onto his arm, and all his planned excuses melted away. Despite her exposure to his cold, she seemed to touch him whenever possible. The last thing Shon wanted to do was pull away now. What if she stopped and became like everyone else? Why did that possibility bother him this much?
Her hands were hot even through his sleeve, and she trailed them down his arm to grab his hand with both of hers, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” she whispered in his ear again.
“What’s the game?” Shon called to Rerves, and Lily beamed with the light of the sun.
Rerves passed his deck to Zihler, who shuffled it together with his own, “With this many people? Rummy.” Shon nodded, at least it wasn’t poker.
“Rummy? How do you play? I’ve never played cards before.” Lily called to the others, stepping away from Shon and towards the table but pulling his hand as she went. Shon stumbled after her and found himself disappointed again when she let go to pull out two chairs for them.
“It’s really easy. You just have to try and get three of a kind or in a row. You draw from either the discard pile or the stock pile and...” Zihler rambled on about the rules in the most confusing way Shon could imagine as he shuffled and dealt the cards to the seven boys plus Lily.
Lily smiled at Zihler but leaned in close to Shon, resting her hand on his knee, “Can you show me?” she asked.
Shon nodded, then interrupted Zihler with, “We’ll play the first round together,” sliding his hand of cards back to Zihler.
Zihler fumbled with the deck, dropping two cards face up before scooping them up and shoving them somewhere in the middle, “If… if you want. Though Shon’s not very good at it.”
“Shon’s not very good at anything that doesn’t involve swinging a weapon at someone,” Thom poked Zihler in the shoulder, “and yet he can still beat you at rummy.”
“Only once.” Zihler countered with a huff but then smiled again right away. It was a friendly sort of teasing, and Shon looked at Lily, wondering what she would think only to find her smiling broadly at all of them.
She laughed, “You guys poke fun at each other like Brom and Ran…” she trailed off, her face falling, the smile gone in a flash. Something in the statement, probably a memory, had hurt her.
Shon picked up her cards, fanning them out and holding them in front of Lily, “With this many people, we each get six cards. The hand is bigger with fewer people.” Lily focused on the cards, and a hint of a grin returned as she took them from him, holding them as he'd done.
She leaned over and whispered loud enough for the entire table to hear, “What’s a hand?” she really didn’t know anything about playing cards.
“A 'hand' is the cards you hold. This is your hand. It’s going to start with Thom on Zihler’s left because Zihler is the dealer. Thom is either going to draw from the discard pile, which are the face-up cards,” Shon pointed as Zihler turned one card face up, “or from the stock,” he pointed at the rest of the deck that now lay face down beside the face-up card, “Watch.”
They watched together as Thom took his turn, pulling a card from the stock then laying one down, face-up, on the discard pile. “Now Rerves can either take the face-up card or one of the stock cards,” Shon explained. Rerves took a new card then discarded one of his own and the turn moved to Rehlien.
As the game moved towards Lily, she reached out to take a card, but Shon stopped her with a shake of his head, “The goal is to get either three of a kind, three cards of the same number, or a three-card straight, three numbers in succession, like three, four, five. Look at your hand and see if you have anything close to that.” she had two threes, and Baradin had discarded another just before her.
Lily squinted at her hand, then gasped and snatched up the three from the discard pile, holding it up as though she'd just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The sight made Shon smile, “Now lay down the set you have, and it’s Zihler's turn. Your goal is to get rid of all your cards before anyone else.”
“You can also play off of others' sets,” Zihler added, though he didn’t do so himself, instead reaching for a new card and discarding one of his own.
Lily looked at Shon and tilted her head to the side. Shon explained, “We'll deal with that when it comes up. For now, focus on the cards you have and what everyone else is laying down.”
Lily giggled, “You’re good at this,” and poked him on the nose. Shon’s eyes crossed to try and see her finger before she returned it to her cards.
“Uh… Lily?” Thom started nervously, and she looked up at him, “Shon doesn’t… he doesn't really like being touched,” Thom blushed and looked at his hand with such intensity one would think the cards were about to catch fire. Or freeze to his fingers. His breath showed with his next words, “I just thought you should know…” he mumbled.
Shon couldn't remember ever wanting to punch someone before now.
“What?” Lily asked, “But why?” she turned to Shon, her eyes full of concern.
Running his fingers through his hair, Shon leaned back in his chair. He hadn't realized how close he'd been to her, leaning forward so they could both study her hand. He was surprised she wasn’t shivering. “People don’t like touching me…” he muttered as a half-hearted explanation. How could he explain that people had been pulling away from him his whole life, inquiring about his health and comfort after feeling how cold he was? And now... now was so much worse. Even Lily had asked if it hurt after holding his hand on the bell tower.
“But that’s not the same thing at all!” Lily shouted, and everyone, even the other groups, turned to look at her. “Why would anyone not like touching you? It’s refreshing, like holding a rock that's been in the shade all day. And you don’t hurt people like I do.” She spoke with a passion that surprised everyone, not least of which Shon, and she wasn’t done, “You let me hold your hand longer than anyone else and even said it didn’t hurt. I like touching you. Should I stop?”
The boys around the table looked from Lily to Shon and back again, dumbfounded. Shon just stared at Lily, who stared back with worried, desperate eyes. She hadn’t been talking about his cold on the bell tower… She'd been talking about her heat.
“How can it hurt to touch someone?” Zihler asked on Lily’s other side, "I mean, Shon's cold is uncomfortable, like trying to hold onto ice with bare hands, but it doesn't hurt. Well, maybe if you hold on too long, it might eventually, but I figured you'd just go numb first-" he rambled.
Lily interrupted and answered his question in one move when she turned and cupped his cheek. It was an uncomfortably intimate gesture and Zihler blushed pink immediately, then jerked away, rubbing his red cheek and sweating.
“I’m a fire Sorcerer,” Lily explained with a sigh. She'd told them at dinner, but apparently, none of them really understood what that meant, “My body is hotter than normal, and even when I have my power under control, I can burn people if they touch me for too long. Especially if I'm distracted,” her shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the table with a sigh, “I’m sorry, I probably should've just said that instead of burning your cheek..." she took a deep breath and continued, "But I wasn't paying attention and was able to hold Shon’s hand forever, and he didn't pull away...” she ran her fingertips over the cards, now lying face down on the table, and addressed Shon directly, “I took advantage of your kindness, I’m sorry.” She met Shon’s eyes, and whatever words he might have said caught in his throat.
“Shon’s an ice Sorcerer…” Thom said, pulling everyone’s attention back to him and shrinking back from it. He hated being the center of attention, but swallowed and continued anyway, “Maybe your powers cancel each other out?”
“Yeah, that explains it,” Rerves said, then managed a smile, “Mystery solved, now let’s get back to the game.” the boys all laughed at Rerves' blatant redirection, and the game resumed without further talk of Shon or Lily’s strange skin. Though many of them failed miserably at sneaking glances at the two of them.
Lily picked up her cards and shifted closer to the table in silence. Shon’s nose tingled where she'd touched it, and the phantom memories of her hands on other parts of him, his knee, arm, and hand, started tingling again. Shon moved in closer, staring at Lily’s cards, but whispered, “I don’t mind, Lily. It doesn't hurt.”
Lily looked around the table, the boys were busy admiring the straight of the same suit Kefir had just laid down. She leaned in close, her shoulder brushing his, whispering, “Really? I’ve never met anyone I didn’t have to be careful with before…”
Shon confirmed with a nod, and Lily’s resulting smile warmed him at his very core. Refreshing… she'd said his skin was refreshing…
The game continued, Thom won, and they started a second. Halfway through the match, the hour bell rang, and a voice shouted over it from the doorway, making Ryuuko jump awake and chitter angrily, “There you are!” The fortress Cleric grinned as he walked towards the table, but Lily stiffened as if he were brandishing a knife at them. “Master Daunas said you had dinner with the boys and had followed them off to their study hour.” he addressed the Squires who were handing their cards over to Rerves to split back into two decks, “I hope you all were polite to our guest.”
“Yes, sir.” The table full of Squires answered in unison, and Lily relaxed, though she looked baffled for some reason.
The kindly Cleric chuckled at them and addressed Lily, “If you're feeling better, then perhaps we can move you to a proper guest room tomorrow. Until then, it’s lights out, boys.”
“Yes, sir,” they spoke in unison again, standing and making for the door. Ryuuko flew down to Shon's shoulder, and Lily reached out to grab his hand, as if testing his assurance. He turned to her without flinching, eyebrow arched.
“Can I see you again tomorrow?” she asked, her slitted eyes searching his face. Shon looked from the Cleric, who nodded, then back to Lily with a small smile and nod of his own. Lily beamed.
--- Table of Contents ---
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP
2023.06.07 18:25 SabbyOfSableWine A human-averse alien visits his sister to check up on her after an attack--and her human mate answers the door
This is part of my little series about the adventures of Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick. If you'd like to read previous parts, they're linked below, along with brief summaries in case you prefer to just jump right into the new part:
Part One: Alien learns what "sleep" is and how humans prefer to do it in a comfy bed with blankets and pillows. And they find it utterly adorable.
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick are sent on a survey mission together. Things go south, Aldrick makes sure they're safe, and then Vr'ocria learns what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decides she will protect Aldrick while he sleeps. And she also develops a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Part Two: An alien + human adventure with such shenanigans as poison drinking, befriending dangerous wildlife, and fighting a space pirate. Oh, and they have a huge crush on each other.
Part Three: When a cold-blooded alien has to cuddle a warm-blooded human for warmth
Part Four: A human leaves a hickey on his alien lover. Her nestmate doesn't understand what a hickey is, and thinks the human injured her
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick end up assigned to be partners. Vr'ocria is a witness to both human shenanigans as well as human durability, but she also begins to learn about the limits of the human body--they are not invincible.
She and Aldrick begin to fall in love, and they finally confess their feelings for one another when Vr'ocria admits to accidentally forming a mate bond with him. Vr'ocria's nestmate, Galek, is not very happy about her being involved with a human, but begrudgingly respects her decision.
Part Five: Space pirates make the grave mistake of attacking a human's loved one. They very quickly learn what happens when a human is angry and full of adrenaline
Part Six: An alien who doesn't sleep learns what dreams are–or more specifically, she learns about nightmares when her human mate wakes up screaming
Pirates come for Vr'ocria in revenge for her killing one of their own, and Aldrick goes beast mode. They escape with their lives, but also with questions about how the pirates were able to find them–and they begin to suspect there's a mole in the ship. While Aldrick is recovering from his injuries, Vr'ocria learns what dreams are when she witnesses him having a terrible nightmare.
Part Seven: Alien is stunned to learn that humans recreationally drink alcohol, specifically to experience the effects of being poisoned. Her human offers to get drunk. Purely for scientific observation, of course
Aldrick is still on doctor's orders to rest, but he's bored, and Vr'ocria finds out he drinks sometimes. She's shocked but fascinated, and he gets drunk so she can see what it's like. Turns out, he's a very mushy, lovey drunk.
Onto the story!
"Planets, I'm so stupid," Vr'ocria groaned. She straightened and put her hands on her hips, casting her eyes around the room. She was in her quarters looking for her scanner, and Aldrick was across the room helping her.
"You're not stupid." He stood up from where he'd been searching under the couch. "We've had an insane couple of weeks, it's understandable that you misplaced it."
She rubbed her eyes. "I know, it's just a nightmare having to request a new one. Too much paperwork, and I'll have to fix all the settings, and ugh."
"It's around here somewhere," he said as he started pulling up the couch cushions. "We'll find it."
The design of Vr'ocria's quarters was almost the exact same as Aldrick's: plain white walls, gray carpeting, neutral furnishings, and a wall of windows to break up the blandness of the space. However, she had a stasis chamber in the corner, rather than a bedroom, and while Aldrick had decorated his place, hers was still rather sparse. She'd only been assigned to live on the ship fairly recently, and she'd had little time to settle into her new home before she was being sent on frequent away missions.
All as well, though. She'd basically been living with Aldrick ever since they mated, and by now she mostly used her assigned quarters as a storage room. Somehow, she didn't even miss using the stasis chamber anymore. The chamber was meant to be a warm, dark, and quiet place for her to enter stasis at night, but Aldrick's bedroom was an easy replacement.
"No scanner," Aldrick reported as he put the couch back together.
Vr'ocria cursed. "I don't have a clue what could've happened to it."
"And you already checked the safe next to your stasis chamber?"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess I could double check just in case…"
The door chimed.
"Do you mind getting that?" Vr'ocria asked as she pulled open the safe.
"Sure." Her back was turned, but she heard Aldrick's footsteps as he went to the door and opened it. She continued rummaging through her things.
"You."
Vr'ocria barely had time to register the familiar voice before there was a smack, a grunt of pain and a thud, all in rapid succession. She whirled around to see Aldrick lying on the floor–and her nestmate, Galek, standing in the door with his fist in the air, scales bright yellow and standing on end.
"Galek!" She yelled, running to Aldrick. Thankfully, he seemed more dazed than he was hurt, and was already climbing back to his feet. There was a red welt forming below his left eye.
Vr'ocria put herself between them, staring daggers at Galek. "What were you thinking?" She demanded shrilly.
He looked surprised, and somewhat relieved to see her. "Are you okay?" He asked, lowering his hand.
"I'm fine," she snarled as she grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him inside before they started making a scene in the corridor. "You blasted gl'ach." Their mother tongue took over and her old childhood insult for him slipped out.
Aldrick had backed up until he was several feet away, standing awkwardly like he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He kept a wary eye on Galek, but otherwise made no move to speak or lash out.
Once they were all inside, Vr'ocria slammed the touchpad to close the door. Galek was staring back at Aldrick, flexing his hands at his sides. She moved so that she was in between them again, blocking Galek's line of sight. Like him, her scales were yellow and standing on end. "Why did you do that?"
"I came as soon as I got your message," he explained, looking at her like she was the crazy one. "Last I heard you'd been attacked by pirates, then I come to your quarters to check on you and he answers the door."
"He's my mate!" She was trying not to shout, but failing. "You know this!"
Slowly, Galek's scales faded to green and lowered back down, although he kept flexing his hands.
Vr'ocria's communicator chimed. She ignored it.
"Apologize!" She ordered, one fist planted on her hip and the other pointing to Aldrick. Her communicator chimed again.
Galek slowly turned to Aldrick. He pursed his lips. "I am…sorry," he ground out.
Bling, the communicator sang for the third time.
Vr'ocria snatched it out of her pocket and raised it to her ear. "What?" She snapped.
"Vr'ocria!," The voice on the other end squeaked. "I need your help–I messed up the map maker and I'm trying to fix it but Lieutenant Prax is on his way and he's going to kill me and I'm freaking out–"
"Lekot, I'm sorry, but this isn't a good time–"
"Please!" Lekot begged, "it'll only take five minutes, I just need you to walk me through how to recalibrate the system! I'll owe you one, I promise!"
Vr'ocria chewed her lip as she watched Aldrick and Galek continue to stare at each other.
"Ugh, fine," she sighed. "You two behave," she pointed at them with a glare. "I need to step out for two seconds. I better not come back to carnage."
They nodded stiffly, and Vr'ocria reluctantly stepped out into the hallway. "Alright Lekot, the first thing you need to do is open the settings…"
—
Aldrick's cheek pounded. It'd be a miracle if he didn't get a black eye from this.
Galek wasn't the signature yellow of an angry Ethyrian anymore, but his eyes were still boring holes into Aldrick.
Aldrick was the first to finally speak. "Not exactly how I wanted our first meeting to go." He trailed to the couch and sat down, gently touching the hot red welt just under his eye. "I'm sorry for startling you at the door."
Galek's lips were still pursed. He ground his jaw as if he was chewing over Aldrick's attempt at a peace offering, and Aldrick prayed he wasn't about to get tackled.
His stomach clenched when Galek began approaching, and he braced for a fight.
Galek stiffly sank down onto the cushion at the opposite end of the couch.
Aldrick blinked. Okay, maybe I'm not dying today.
He could see the familial similarities. Both Vr'ocria and Galek were the same shade of emerald green, and they had the same sharp noses and strong cheekbones. Even the tightness around his eyes looked the same as Vr'ocria when she was stressed.
"I…" Galek cleared his throat, refusing to make eye contact. "I do truly apologize," he finally managed. "I was only concerned for Vr'ocria's safety."
The corner of Aldrick's mouth curved upwards. "I know."
Galek finally turned to meet his gaze. "You understand that humans have a certain…reputation, yes?"
Aldrick closed his eyes and nodded. "I do."
"So you understand why I have reservations about you mating her."
It wasn't a question. Aldrick nodded again. "Yes."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Vr'ocria tells me you saved her life when those pirates attacked."
Aldrick blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess I did." He shrugged. "I love her. I'd do anything to keep her from getting hurt."
"Me too."
Aldrick gave him a sideways glance.
Galek tapped his fingers on his thigh. "And that includes…" he cleared his throat again. "Not harming her mate."
Aldrick gave a rueful smile. "Does that mean you won't punch me again?"
Galek flushed purple.
Aldrick couldn't help chuckling. He leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. "Have you ever heard of the concept of a 'brother-in-law'?"
Galek shook his head.
"'Brothers' are what humans call male nestmates; 'sisters' are female," he began. "When humans marry–that's sort of our version of mating–we believe that their family becomes your family. They're called in-laws. Mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, and on and on. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that if we were on Earth, I would call you my brother-in-law." He met Galek's eye. "I know asking us to be brothers is probably too much…but I'd at least like for us to be friends."
Galek's eyes widened slightly. His fingers fidgeted the hem of his sleeve, his gaze never leaving Aldrick, who waited with bated breath. Did I overstep?
Galek rose to his feet and moved to stand in front of him. Aldrick stood as well so that they were eye-to-eye.
Galek stuck his hand out.
Aldrick blinked.
"I would…" Galek ground his jaw again. "I would be open to becoming your…friend."
Slowly, a smile bloomed across Aldrick's face. He took Galek's hand and shook it. The Ethyrian's gaze softened by a fraction, and Aldrick dared to hope that one day they might actually become good friends.
The front door opened and Vr'ocria entered, communicator in hand. "Crisis averted, and Lekot even found my scanner in the break room–" she came to a halt as she laid eyes on them. "Uh…everything okay?"
The two of them released the handshake, turning to face her. "Everything's good," Aldrick grinned. Galek didn't quite smile, but he shoved his hands in his pockets and was visibly more relaxed than he was a few minutes ago.
"...Good." She looked as though she wasn't sure how to react. "So, no fighting, right?" She gave her brother a pointed look.
An amused expression crossed Galek's face. "Only with you, fr'iya."
That made Vr'ocria chuckle. "I'm bigger now, I can beat you." She walked over and collapsed into the center of the couch. Aldrick and Galek sat back down on either side of her.
"You'll never win," Galek said, poking her side.
She smacked his hand. "I have practice wrestling Aldrick," she teased.
Galek's eyes widened, and her scales flashed deep purple. "Not like that! I mean, we've done that, but–oh moons, forget I said anything."
Aldrick flushed beet red, covering his face with his hands. "I gotta go," he choked out, jumping up. "I'm just gonna–you guys catch up, I'm gonna go–" he bounded towards the door.
"Love you!" Vr'ocria called behind him, laughing.
Another more lighthearted chapter! I want to do a mix of heavier themes with gentler ones. I'm a SLUT for angst, but my children deserve happiness too.
I figured it was finally time for Aldrick to officially meet Galek. I took some care with this chapter because protective siblings are great, but I hate the protective fathebrother trope when it comes from a place of misogyny and a sense of ownership over the daughtesister, rather than genuine concern for her physical and emotional well-being. I've seen that a lot in media and it's fucking gross.
Oh, and Vr'ocria will eventually meet Aldrick's family as well, don't worry :)
THANK YOU for reading! Until next time!
submitted by SabbyOfSableWine to humansarespaceorcs [link] [comments]
Part One: Alien learns what "sleep" is and how humans prefer to do it in a comfy bed with blankets and pillows. And they find it utterly adorable.
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick are sent on a survey mission together. Things go south, Aldrick makes sure they're safe, and then Vr'ocria learns what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decides she will protect Aldrick while he sleeps. And she also develops a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Part Two: An alien + human adventure with such shenanigans as poison drinking, befriending dangerous wildlife, and fighting a space pirate. Oh, and they have a huge crush on each other.
Part Three: When a cold-blooded alien has to cuddle a warm-blooded human for warmth
Part Four: A human leaves a hickey on his alien lover. Her nestmate doesn't understand what a hickey is, and thinks the human injured her
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick end up assigned to be partners. Vr'ocria is a witness to both human shenanigans as well as human durability, but she also begins to learn about the limits of the human body--they are not invincible.
She and Aldrick begin to fall in love, and they finally confess their feelings for one another when Vr'ocria admits to accidentally forming a mate bond with him. Vr'ocria's nestmate, Galek, is not very happy about her being involved with a human, but begrudgingly respects her decision.
Part Five: Space pirates make the grave mistake of attacking a human's loved one. They very quickly learn what happens when a human is angry and full of adrenaline
Part Six: An alien who doesn't sleep learns what dreams are–or more specifically, she learns about nightmares when her human mate wakes up screaming
Pirates come for Vr'ocria in revenge for her killing one of their own, and Aldrick goes beast mode. They escape with their lives, but also with questions about how the pirates were able to find them–and they begin to suspect there's a mole in the ship. While Aldrick is recovering from his injuries, Vr'ocria learns what dreams are when she witnesses him having a terrible nightmare.
Part Seven: Alien is stunned to learn that humans recreationally drink alcohol, specifically to experience the effects of being poisoned. Her human offers to get drunk. Purely for scientific observation, of course
Aldrick is still on doctor's orders to rest, but he's bored, and Vr'ocria finds out he drinks sometimes. She's shocked but fascinated, and he gets drunk so she can see what it's like. Turns out, he's a very mushy, lovey drunk.
Onto the story!
"Planets, I'm so stupid," Vr'ocria groaned. She straightened and put her hands on her hips, casting her eyes around the room. She was in her quarters looking for her scanner, and Aldrick was across the room helping her.
"You're not stupid." He stood up from where he'd been searching under the couch. "We've had an insane couple of weeks, it's understandable that you misplaced it."
She rubbed her eyes. "I know, it's just a nightmare having to request a new one. Too much paperwork, and I'll have to fix all the settings, and ugh."
"It's around here somewhere," he said as he started pulling up the couch cushions. "We'll find it."
The design of Vr'ocria's quarters was almost the exact same as Aldrick's: plain white walls, gray carpeting, neutral furnishings, and a wall of windows to break up the blandness of the space. However, she had a stasis chamber in the corner, rather than a bedroom, and while Aldrick had decorated his place, hers was still rather sparse. She'd only been assigned to live on the ship fairly recently, and she'd had little time to settle into her new home before she was being sent on frequent away missions.
All as well, though. She'd basically been living with Aldrick ever since they mated, and by now she mostly used her assigned quarters as a storage room. Somehow, she didn't even miss using the stasis chamber anymore. The chamber was meant to be a warm, dark, and quiet place for her to enter stasis at night, but Aldrick's bedroom was an easy replacement.
"No scanner," Aldrick reported as he put the couch back together.
Vr'ocria cursed. "I don't have a clue what could've happened to it."
"And you already checked the safe next to your stasis chamber?"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess I could double check just in case…"
The door chimed.
"Do you mind getting that?" Vr'ocria asked as she pulled open the safe.
"Sure." Her back was turned, but she heard Aldrick's footsteps as he went to the door and opened it. She continued rummaging through her things.
"You."
Vr'ocria barely had time to register the familiar voice before there was a smack, a grunt of pain and a thud, all in rapid succession. She whirled around to see Aldrick lying on the floor–and her nestmate, Galek, standing in the door with his fist in the air, scales bright yellow and standing on end.
"Galek!" She yelled, running to Aldrick. Thankfully, he seemed more dazed than he was hurt, and was already climbing back to his feet. There was a red welt forming below his left eye.
Vr'ocria put herself between them, staring daggers at Galek. "What were you thinking?" She demanded shrilly.
He looked surprised, and somewhat relieved to see her. "Are you okay?" He asked, lowering his hand.
"I'm fine," she snarled as she grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him inside before they started making a scene in the corridor. "You blasted gl'ach." Their mother tongue took over and her old childhood insult for him slipped out.
Aldrick had backed up until he was several feet away, standing awkwardly like he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He kept a wary eye on Galek, but otherwise made no move to speak or lash out.
Once they were all inside, Vr'ocria slammed the touchpad to close the door. Galek was staring back at Aldrick, flexing his hands at his sides. She moved so that she was in between them again, blocking Galek's line of sight. Like him, her scales were yellow and standing on end. "Why did you do that?"
"I came as soon as I got your message," he explained, looking at her like she was the crazy one. "Last I heard you'd been attacked by pirates, then I come to your quarters to check on you and he answers the door."
"He's my mate!" She was trying not to shout, but failing. "You know this!"
Slowly, Galek's scales faded to green and lowered back down, although he kept flexing his hands.
Vr'ocria's communicator chimed. She ignored it.
"Apologize!" She ordered, one fist planted on her hip and the other pointing to Aldrick. Her communicator chimed again.
Galek slowly turned to Aldrick. He pursed his lips. "I am…sorry," he ground out.
Bling, the communicator sang for the third time.
Vr'ocria snatched it out of her pocket and raised it to her ear. "What?" She snapped.
"Vr'ocria!," The voice on the other end squeaked. "I need your help–I messed up the map maker and I'm trying to fix it but Lieutenant Prax is on his way and he's going to kill me and I'm freaking out–"
"Lekot, I'm sorry, but this isn't a good time–"
"Please!" Lekot begged, "it'll only take five minutes, I just need you to walk me through how to recalibrate the system! I'll owe you one, I promise!"
Vr'ocria chewed her lip as she watched Aldrick and Galek continue to stare at each other.
"Ugh, fine," she sighed. "You two behave," she pointed at them with a glare. "I need to step out for two seconds. I better not come back to carnage."
They nodded stiffly, and Vr'ocria reluctantly stepped out into the hallway. "Alright Lekot, the first thing you need to do is open the settings…"
—
Aldrick's cheek pounded. It'd be a miracle if he didn't get a black eye from this.
Galek wasn't the signature yellow of an angry Ethyrian anymore, but his eyes were still boring holes into Aldrick.
Aldrick was the first to finally speak. "Not exactly how I wanted our first meeting to go." He trailed to the couch and sat down, gently touching the hot red welt just under his eye. "I'm sorry for startling you at the door."
Galek's lips were still pursed. He ground his jaw as if he was chewing over Aldrick's attempt at a peace offering, and Aldrick prayed he wasn't about to get tackled.
His stomach clenched when Galek began approaching, and he braced for a fight.
Galek stiffly sank down onto the cushion at the opposite end of the couch.
Aldrick blinked. Okay, maybe I'm not dying today.
He could see the familial similarities. Both Vr'ocria and Galek were the same shade of emerald green, and they had the same sharp noses and strong cheekbones. Even the tightness around his eyes looked the same as Vr'ocria when she was stressed.
"I…" Galek cleared his throat, refusing to make eye contact. "I do truly apologize," he finally managed. "I was only concerned for Vr'ocria's safety."
The corner of Aldrick's mouth curved upwards. "I know."
Galek finally turned to meet his gaze. "You understand that humans have a certain…reputation, yes?"
Aldrick closed his eyes and nodded. "I do."
"So you understand why I have reservations about you mating her."
It wasn't a question. Aldrick nodded again. "Yes."
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Vr'ocria tells me you saved her life when those pirates attacked."
Aldrick blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess I did." He shrugged. "I love her. I'd do anything to keep her from getting hurt."
"Me too."
Aldrick gave him a sideways glance.
Galek tapped his fingers on his thigh. "And that includes…" he cleared his throat again. "Not harming her mate."
Aldrick gave a rueful smile. "Does that mean you won't punch me again?"
Galek flushed purple.
Aldrick couldn't help chuckling. He leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. "Have you ever heard of the concept of a 'brother-in-law'?"
Galek shook his head.
"'Brothers' are what humans call male nestmates; 'sisters' are female," he began. "When humans marry–that's sort of our version of mating–we believe that their family becomes your family. They're called in-laws. Mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, and on and on. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that if we were on Earth, I would call you my brother-in-law." He met Galek's eye. "I know asking us to be brothers is probably too much…but I'd at least like for us to be friends."
Galek's eyes widened slightly. His fingers fidgeted the hem of his sleeve, his gaze never leaving Aldrick, who waited with bated breath. Did I overstep?
Galek rose to his feet and moved to stand in front of him. Aldrick stood as well so that they were eye-to-eye.
Galek stuck his hand out.
Aldrick blinked.
"I would…" Galek ground his jaw again. "I would be open to becoming your…friend."
Slowly, a smile bloomed across Aldrick's face. He took Galek's hand and shook it. The Ethyrian's gaze softened by a fraction, and Aldrick dared to hope that one day they might actually become good friends.
The front door opened and Vr'ocria entered, communicator in hand. "Crisis averted, and Lekot even found my scanner in the break room–" she came to a halt as she laid eyes on them. "Uh…everything okay?"
The two of them released the handshake, turning to face her. "Everything's good," Aldrick grinned. Galek didn't quite smile, but he shoved his hands in his pockets and was visibly more relaxed than he was a few minutes ago.
"...Good." She looked as though she wasn't sure how to react. "So, no fighting, right?" She gave her brother a pointed look.
An amused expression crossed Galek's face. "Only with you, fr'iya."
That made Vr'ocria chuckle. "I'm bigger now, I can beat you." She walked over and collapsed into the center of the couch. Aldrick and Galek sat back down on either side of her.
"You'll never win," Galek said, poking her side.
She smacked his hand. "I have practice wrestling Aldrick," she teased.
Galek's eyes widened, and her scales flashed deep purple. "Not like that! I mean, we've done that, but–oh moons, forget I said anything."
Aldrick flushed beet red, covering his face with his hands. "I gotta go," he choked out, jumping up. "I'm just gonna–you guys catch up, I'm gonna go–" he bounded towards the door.
"Love you!" Vr'ocria called behind him, laughing.
Another more lighthearted chapter! I want to do a mix of heavier themes with gentler ones. I'm a SLUT for angst, but my children deserve happiness too.
I figured it was finally time for Aldrick to officially meet Galek. I took some care with this chapter because protective siblings are great, but I hate the protective fathebrother trope when it comes from a place of misogyny and a sense of ownership over the daughtesister, rather than genuine concern for her physical and emotional well-being. I've seen that a lot in media and it's fucking gross.
Oh, and Vr'ocria will eventually meet Aldrick's family as well, don't worry :)
THANK YOU for reading! Until next time!
2023.06.07 17:56 uggsandstarbux Defending the Draft 2023: Minnesota Vikings
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Recapping 2022
2022 was a dangerous year to be a Vikings fan, especially if you have a pre-existing heart condition. While a season of 13 wins -- tied for the most since 1998 -- may seem like the team is in a position to make a Superbowl push, the actual quality of the team is a lot more... well, mediocre.The 2022 Vikings ranked 19th in offensive EPA per play, 25th in defensive EPA per play, 27th in Overall DVOA, and 15th in Pythagorean Wins (with 8.4 expected wins). Kevin O'Connell always preached the performance of the team in priority situations. The team finished 12th in 3rd down conversion rate and 8th in red zone conversion rate. And the team led the league -- by far -- in the number of 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives. When it was time to put up or shut up, the team put up hard. Except for in the playoffs.
2023 Offseason
All of that made the future of the Vikings tough to read. But Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the rest of the front office told us what they thought of the team with their free agency moves. In a league where teams are trading the farm for Hall of Fame QBs and giving $20M/Year deals to nose tackles and guards, the Vikings' big free agent splash were a one year deal on an injury-prone DE and a good-not-great corner that doesn't even crack the top 20 highest AAVs at the position. Concurrently, the team parted ways with half of the team's 2022 captains to try to get under the cap. All of this while the team is not done with transactions -- Dalvin Cook still presents as a cut candidate due to his age and contract structure.Notable Departures:
- WR Adam Thielen ($6.4 Saved / $13.5 Dead)
- LB Eric Kendricks ($9.5 Saved / $1.93 Dead)
- CB Patrick Peterson (Unrestricted Free Agent)
- DT Dalvin Tomlinson (Unrestricted Free Agent)
- CB Byron Murphy (2Y / $17.5TOT / $8.1GTD)
- EDGE Marcus Davenport (1Y / $13TOT / $10GTD)
- TE Josh Oliver (3Y / $21TOT / $8.2GTD)
- DT Dean Lowry (2Y / $8.5TOT / $4.2GTD)
- EDGE Za'Darius Smith (Post-draft trade)
- Re-Signed C Garrett Bradbury (3Y / $15.75TOT / $5.15GTD)
- Re-Signed RB Alexander Mattison (2Y / $7TOT / $6.35GTD)
- Re-Signed FB CJ Ham (3Y / $5.6TOT / $3.3GTD)
- Re-Signed All-Pro LS Andrew DePaola (3Y / $4.025TOT / $1.515GTD)
Draft Needs
Cornerback - Arguably the Vikings' biggest need, the team was without a true CB1. Byron Murphy comes aboard as the most experienced player. Pegged a slot-only player through his first three years, Murphy spent most of his time in 2022 outside and had a career year. After that, the team looked to rely on improvements from their 2022 draft class with Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans, two players that combined for fewer than 300 defensive snaps last season primarily due to injury. You can see how KAM and crew, confident in their scouting ability, are betting on health to affect the secondary for the better. But taking another bet on a young player is a smart move at a position where depth is always a good thing.Interior Defensive Line - The loss of Dalvin Tomlinson -- who played 551 snaps last year and compiled 14 pressures -- leaves issues next to Harrison Phillips. Jonathan Bullard was third on the IDL with 319 snaps last season and returns on a one year deal. Tonga and Lynch had some flashes, and the team brought in Lowry. The rotation (optimistically) can get to competent. But finding a true winner on the inside of the line was viewed by many as a priority.
Wide Receiver - The Vikings starting personnel at WR heading in to the draft was Justin Jefferson (stud), KJ Osborn (decent), and... Jalen Nailor? Brandon Powell? Oh dear Lord don't tell me it's Jalen Reagor. The loss of Adam Thielen was expected, but nevertheless leaves a gaping hole next to JJ and KJ in the lineup. Keenan McCardell is arguably the best WR coach in the league, and playing with Jefferson would give one-on-one opportunities for any receiver. But having somebody that can actually win those one-on-ones remains a question.
Inside Linebacker - Eric Kendricks's jersey change marks the true end of an era at LB. Kendricks struggled in Donatell's scheme last season, as did most players. But he was a longtime leader on the defense and a valued community member. Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, and Troy Reeder sit atop the depth chart. Hicks can be solid and Asamoah had flashes, but counting on this group as every down players is a risk to say the least.
Offensive Guard - Ed Ingram was one of the worst starting guards in the league last season. But he's a rookie. Maybe he gets better in year 2. Maybe he stays terrible. Even if you're optimistic there, Ezra Cleveland is entering a contract year at left guard. Adding interior offensive line depth is always smart.
Quarterback - This offseason, reports surfaced that the team and QB Kirk Cousins could not finalize a contract extension. That means for the first time in his Vikings tenure, Cousins is entering a contract year. Cousins has been an above average QB during his time in Minnesota. Last year saw him finish 4th in yards, but he was painfully mediocre at efficiency stats like TD percent (17th), ANY/A (18th), and ADOT (20th). Entering his age-35 season, it would be wise to look for a successor even if the team plans on retaining Cousins past 2023.
The Draft
*Indicates measure is taken from Pro Day1.23 WR Jordan Addison, USC
Profile: Jr 5'11 173lbs 31.5 Arm\ 8.75 Hand 75.125 Wing* 4.49 40 1.57 10 34 VJ 10'2 BJ 4.19 SS* 7.05 3c 5.95 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 59 Rec 875 Yds 8 TD 2 Drops
Steve Smith Sr: "Addison has one of the highest ceilings among WRs in this draft due to his blend of route running chops and his all around athleticism. He is a three level route runner: intermediate, deep, and short... The way he can get in and out of his breaks is so natural. He uses leverage. And he manipulates the DB consistently"
Addison -- a Biletnikoff Award winner during his Pitt days -- is one of the highest floor players in the class. He is a route running technician with proven dominance playing inside and outside. He had more than 3 yards per route run in two different offenses. He understands how to marry his athleticism and quickness with the breaks in his routes. He finds the DB's blind spot and forces them to lose. Addison is a bit on the small side, but not abnormally so given this draft class. He does have some concerns with his hands -- his drop rates as a freshman and sophomore were 14% and 10%, respectively -- but he showed improvement in this as a junior.
The need here is clear. As mentioned earlier, the WR depth past JJ and KJ is abysmal. Even with Thielen and Osborn on the roster in 2022, the Vikings needed juice in the WR room. The 2022 Vikings had one top 5 WR in yards per route run (Jefferson). There was no other receiver in the top 100. Teams were not worried about Thielen or Osborn. Teams could put two or three defenders on Jefferson without any fear of what anyone else might do to their defense. Hockenson fixed this a bit down the stretch, but an outside playmaker was still needed.
The real question here is why the team opted not to go for CB Joey Porter Jr, who filled what many considered to be the team's biggest need and was a higher ranked prospect for Lance Zierlein, PFF, Danny Kelly, Matt Miller, and Dane Brugler. The answer here -- if I can take a guess and stretch my logic a bit -- is that the need at WR2 was greater than the need at CB. Patrick Peterson was the biggest loss in the secondary, and the team brought in Byron Murphy to try to fill that role. On offense, Minnesota had not brought in a replacement for Adam Thielen. The depth chart past Jefferson and Osborn was filled with bodies that might not make a 53-man roster on a lot of teams.
Trade: MIN gives 3.87 to MIN for 3.102, 5.164, 7.222
| Jimmy Johnson | Rich Hill | Fitzgerald-Spielberger | Harvard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total give | 155 | 48 | 737 | 115 |
| Total get | 117.7 | 45 | 1334 | 197 |
| Absolute Diff | -37.3 | -3 | +597 | +82 |
| Percent Diff | -24% | -6% | +81% | +71% |
3.102 CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC
Profile: 6Sr 5'11" 178lbs 31" Arm 9.25" Hand 74.625" Wing 4.47 40 1.47 10 36 VJ 10'5" BJ 11 Bench 7.44 RAS
2022 Stats: 14 Gm 66 TKL 2 TFL 1 FF 15 PD 3 INT
Brett Kollman: "Feisty, physical press corner who definitely has to play more under control in the NFL to avoid flags, but he has all the competitiveness you want to see from a potential CB1 at the next level. Never backs down from anyone. Has easy gas to stay in control of a route from top down, even against true burners. Legit 4.4 speed and gets up to it quickly. Outstanding ball production... Held up extremely well despite being targeted often. Battle tested, aggressive, and confident... Very similar to Desmond Trufant."
An unrecruited high school positionless player out of high school that signed with JuCo San Mateo, Blackmon followed up four seasons at Colorado with a breakout 2022 campaign as one of the best defenders on the USC defense. The Trojans played a man-heavy scheme, which let Blackmon shine. He has great anticipation and instincts. His production this year says as much. He plays bigger than his size, and he has inside-outside versatility. He will have to clean up some of his physicality to avoid flags at the next level. He will also have to refine his technique to stay with the more complex routes he'll see. But he is a strong culture and scheme fit for what Brian Flores is bringing to the defense.
The need at CB was obvious even before hiring Flores. The Vikings ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, 26th in Passing DVOA, and 24th in EPA allowed per pass attempt. Bringing in Byron Murphy helps. So do the healthy returns of Booth and Evans. But Murphy has not yet shown that he can be a consistently great player (or at least not markedly better than what we got out of Patrick Peterson last year). And Booth and Evans are unproven. Blackmon -- taken with the last pick on Day 2 -- is not expected to come in and be Jalen Ramsey or Sauce Gardner. But in a shift to a more aggressive man-coverage defense with a thin CB room, Blackmon is an upside player that will have every chance to take a starting spot on a porous defense.
Trade: MIN gives 4.119 to KC for 4.134, 2024 5th\*
| Jimmy Johnson | Rich Hill | Fitzgerald-Spielberger | Harvard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total give | 56 | 24 | 578 | 88 |
| Total get | 58.4 | 24 | 898 | 133 |
| Absolute Diff | +2.4 | 0 | +320 | +45 |
| Percent Diff | +4% | 0% | +36% | +34% |
*Here we assume a future pick in round n is valued at the middle pick of round n+1, not accounting for compensatory picks. In this case, a 2024 5th is equated to pick 176.
4.134 S Jay Ward, LSU
Profile: Sr 6'0.5" 188lbs 32.5" Arm 8.25" Hand 76.875" Wing 4.55 40 1.54 10 34.5 VJ 11' BJ 4.35 Shuttle\ 7.31 3c 16 Bench 6.70 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 60 TKL 2.5 TFL 5 PD 1 INT 2 FR TD
Nate Tice: "A ton of fun. I just like this fit because of Brian Flores's defense. Just picture all of those mixture guys that the Patriots have used over the years... Jay Ward can be that"
A three year starter with reps at safety, slot, and outside CB, Ward is one of the most versatile players in the class. He possesses excellent length and movement skills. His experience at CB make him a fluid player in coverage. In the run game, Ward's size is a concern. His 188lbs Combine weight puts him in just the second percentile for safeties. This translates to issues with taking on blocks. He is a very aggressive player, beelining to the ball as soon as it's out. But his size coupled with his impatient playstyle lead to a lot of missed tackles. He was also flagged seven times last season.
In his final season in Miami, Flores was extremely creative with how he employed his safeties. Jevon Holland had the 2nd most blitzes in the league at the position. The number 1 player? His teammate Brandon Jones. With the defense taking on Flores's amoeba identity, an aggressive player with experience at multiple positions has the potential to find a role early on. The defense will look to utilize him similar to how Jevon Holland was used as a rookie. And with Harrison Smith well into the twilight of his career, Ward is a timely pick as the team attempts to thread the needle in their competitive rebuild.
Trade: MIN gives 5.158, 6.211 to IND for 5.141
| Jimmy Johnson | Rich Hill | Fitzgerald-Spielberger | Harvard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total give | 32.4 | 13 | 722 | 103 |
| Total get | 36 | 15 | 492 | 74 |
| Absolute Diff | +4 | +2 | -230 | -29 |
| Percent Diff | +10% | +13% | -47% | -39% |
5.141 NT Jaquelin Roy, LSU
Profile: Jr 6'3" 305lbs 32.75" Arm 10.125" Hand 78.125" Wing 5.13 40\ 1.82 10* 26" VJ* 8'5" BJ* 5.00 Shuttle 8.01 3c 30 Bench 3.72 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 49 TKL 3.5 TFL 0.5 SCK
Lance Zierlein: " The more you watch, the more you like the way Roy plays the game... Despite limited starting experience at LSU, he already displays signs of a rush plan and the athletic talent to execute it. Roy is an ascending talent with the potential to become a quality starter. "
After a 30 tackle, 1.5 sack campaign as a rotational player in 2021, Roy shifted from a penetrating 3T position to more of a traditional nose tackle under new HC Brian Kelly. This transition let Roy shine as a run stuffer. He eats space and is incredibly tough to move from his spot. He averaged almost 52 snaps a game in 2022 and his motor never let up. He has some work to do if he wants to be a three down player, particularly as a pass rusher. His bend and balance in this front are especially lacking.
The Vikings' front office seems to be a lot more comfortable with the current IDL room than I am. Harrison Phillips is a plus starter. Past that, the roster is filled with unproven youth or proven subpar players. As a 5th round pick, Roy has an uphill battle to separate himself from that group. But he's a good lottery ticket at this price. His positional versatility ensures that the defense can simply put their best players on the field.
5.164 QB Jaren Hall, BYU
Profile: RSr 6'0" 207lbs 39.75" Arm 9.5" Hand 71.875" Wing 4.63 40\ 1.59 10* 4.19 Shuttle* 7.06 3c* 7.96 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 248 Comp 376 Att 66% Comp 3171 Yds 31 TD 6 INT 86 Rush 789 Rush Yds 9 RUsh TD
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah: "We added a really talented player that has a ton of upside... The ability to make decisions, throw the football accuracy, deal with conflict when it comes his way, and sometimes try to make a play outside the framework of the playcall. He does all those things at a really great level... That's an outstanding young man. I'd like to see him lead my team or any organization I'm a part of."
Despite being the third oldest prospect in the QB class, Hall only has 24 starts under his belt due to two years on religious mission and one year with a hip injury. But when Hall took over for Zach Wilson in 2021, he hit the ground running. BYU went 10-3 in that first year with Hall compiling a 4:1 TD:INT ratio. He is a two time team captain, and all reports of his character are off the charts.
Hall is a poised pocket passer capable of extending plays and picking up yardage on the ground. He was only sacked 12 times in 2022, which is a testament to both BYU's offensive line and Hall's ability to create under pressure. There are conflicting opinions on Hall's upside and arm strength, with Lance Zierlein calling his arm "unimpressive" while Kyle Crabbs claiming that hall has a "live arm with the ability to throw with juice off platform". Where there was near-universal agreement was in his understanding of the scheme, as Hall operated BYU's RPO-heavy offense like a machine. He has a clean release and quickly gets into a rhythm. His largest universal concerns are his age (he turned 25 in March) and his injury history (missed 20 games in the last 4 years). He also has ball security issues with 13 fumbles over his career.
I expected the Vikings to draft a QB in this class. The only question was if it would have been via a trade up on Day 1 or a flyer on Day 3 (or a falling Will Levis). With his age, size, and injury history, there are plenty of questions about what Hall can be. He will have a year in practice to put together his audition tape to be Kirk Cousins's replacement -- it's certainly a viable path for this team to take a RiddeHowell/Mills-esque year to evaluate Hall while they continue retooling the defense. But the more likely path is that Hall becomes a long-term backup for the team. Cousins has been the model of health, but that doesn't mean that QB2 is an unimportant position. Sean Mannion, Kellen Mond, and Nick Mullens have manned that position to various degrees over the past few years. None has shown that they can be a competent plug-in player if needed. There is some hope that Hall -- who operated the BYU offense with a mechanic efficiency -- can be that player.
7.222 RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
Profile: Jr 5'10" 209lbs 30.625" Arms 9.5" Hands 73.125" Wing 20 Bench\*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 233 Att 1713 Yds 19 TD 7.4 Y/A 2 Rec 10 Rec Yds
Dane Brugler: "Overall, McBride is unproven as a pass catcher and blocker, which might restrict his NFL role, but his contact balance, vision and lateral agility are among the best this running back draft class has to offer"
In an era of advanced metrics and Combine showmanship, perhaps the trait that has gone underappreciated more than any other in RB scouting is balance. McBride may have the best balance in the entire RB class outside of Bijan Robinson. He comes from a heavy outside zone scheme at UAB, where he led the FBS in yards per game and set school records for single-game and single-season rushing. McBride absorbs contact like a sponge. His short area burst is strong, and he makes defenders miss with power and finesse. McBride has ideal size and toughness. His concerns are simple. He was not utilized as a receiver in college, and he had more career fumbles than catches in that time. McBride profiles as a two-down player at the next level. Although Adofo-Mensah has voiced his belief that McBride's passing game usage was a product of scheme rather than ability, McBride still has to prove that he is more than just a short yardage runner in the NFL.
After spending a pick in back to back years on RB and re-signing Mattison to a modest contract, RB was a bit of an unexpected pick for this regime. Dalvin Cook still seems to be movable (a likely cut candidate at this point), which would make this pick more logical. Chandler struggled with injuries as a rookie, but both he and Nwangwu profile more as speedy scatbacks than true between-the-tackle runners like Mattison. Even Mattison has never been a true three-down back. McBride plays much more similarly to Mattison than the other backs on the team. He will try to carve out a role behind him as the future thunder to the lightning provided by Chandler and Nwangwu.
UDFA
FB Zach Ojile, Minnesota DuluthProfile: 6Sr 6'0" 241lbs 31.5" Arms 8.5" Hands 75.5" Wing 4.78 40\ 1.79 10* 31" VJ* 9'1" BJ* 4.40 Shuttle* 31 Bench* 4.15 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 12 Rush 53 Rush Yds 3 Rush TD 25 Rec 289 Rec Yds 5 Rec TD
A Twin Cities native, Ojile was a late addition to the roster, joining after a May rookie minicamp tryout. Ojile played LB, QB, FS, and RB in high school but found a role as an H-Back at UMD. He served as a team captain the past two seasons and finishes his collegiate career with over 1100 total yards and 24 total TDs. He was an All-Conference player for the DII NSIC Bulldogs. Whether Ojile participates at FB or TE, he'll need to prove his versatility to beat out the veterans on the depth chart. Working in his favor is Kevin O'Connell's shift to a more base-heavy offense in 2023.
WR Cephus Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana
Profile: 6Sr 6'4" 223lbs 33.25" Arm\ 8.5" Hand* 78.625" WIng* 4.57 40* 1.59 10* 36.5" VJ* 10'1" BJ* 4.39 Shuttle* 7.25 3c* 18 Bench* 9.48 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm 184 Pass Att 65% Comp 1354 Pass Yds 10 Pass TD 5 INT 89 Rush 488 Rush Yds 5 Rush TD
Johnson is making the fulltime switch from QB to WR as he attempts to latch on to an NFL practice squad. He earned the starting role for South Alabama as a redshirt junior before transferring to SE Louisiana, where he took some snaps at WR in spring games. Johnson's stats were unimpressive as a starting QB, notching just 1354 yards and a 2:1 TD:INT ratio in 11 starts. He has good size and instincts as a runner, but he has basically no experience playing WR.
WR Lucky Jackson, W Kentucky / XFL DC Defenders
Profile: RSr 6'0" 179lbs 9.624" Hand\ 32.25" Arm* 75.875" Wing**
2023 Stats: 10 Gm 36 Rec 572 Yds 5 TD 1 Fmb
Jackson last put on a college uniform before the pandemic for Western Kentucky, where his 2019 season saw him put up over 1100 yards on 94 receptions. Following his college days, Jackson spent time in the CFL and the Spring League before joining the XFL's DC Defenders and becoming an All-XFL receiver.
WR Malik Knowles, Kansas St
Profile: RSr 6'2" 196lbs 32.25" Arm 8.75" Hand 77.625" Wing
2022 Stats: 14 Gm 48 Rec 725 YDs 2 TD 8 Rush 164 Rush Yds 3 Rush TD 23 KR 592 KR Yds
Knowles is a vertical threat with good size and length. He offers value as a kick returner and leaves Kansas State with a top 5 rank in all-purpose yards. Knowles is an undeveloped route runner that struggles with quick change-of-direction. He also has trouble with press coverage. He'll need to prove his value on special teams, where he has plenty of collegiate experience as a kick returner.
WR Grant Maag, North Dakota
Profile: 5Sr 6'4" 206lbs 9.25" Hand\ 31.875" Arm* 77.625" Wing* 4.49 40YD* 1.60 10YS* 40.5" VJ* 10'5" BJ* 4.34 Shuttle* 6.90 3c* 8.50 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 41 Rec 540 Yds 5 TDs
Maag was brought in following the announcement of Ben Ellefson's retirement. He is an Inver Grove Heights native and a graduate of St Croix Lutheran in St Paul. He leaves North Dakota with over 2000 yards over his five years and served as a team captain the past two seasons. His size gives him an advantage with a shorter WR group ahead of him, but Maag is a far cry from a roster lock.
WR Thayer Thomas, NC State
Profile: 6Sr 6'0" 198lbs 9" Hand\ 30.125" Arm* 73.5" Wing 4.56 40* 1.63 10* 37" VJ* 10' BJ* 4.03 Shuttle* 6.93 3c* 15 Bench* 7.85 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 57 Rec 642 Yds 4 TDs 2 Rush Att 44 Rush Yds 1 Rush TD 17 PR 128 PR Yds
A multisport athlete that was drafted by the Red Sox in 2019, Thomas walked onto the Wolfpack football team and got onto the field any way he could. In 2018, he saw work as a receiver, punt returner, and passer. Thomas has good hands (a career drop rate of 4%) and a high work ethic, but he is an undeveloped route runner that struggles to create much after the catch. He will need to prove his worth on special teams if he wants to make the roster.
TE Ben Sims, Baylor
Profile: RSr 6'4" 250lbs 33.125" Arm\ 9.5" Hand* 80.125" Wing* 4.58 40YD* 1.56 10YS 36" Vert* 10'2" Broad* 4.41 Shuttle* 7.46 3c* 15 Bench* 8.40 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 31 Rec 255 Yds 3 TDs 2 Drops 1 Rush TD
Sims projects as a blocking tight end with limited ability as a receiver. He's a patient run blocker with good balance and toughness, but he is still cleaning up some technique. He isn't a creator with the ball in his hands and his tape fails to demonstrate the explosiveness that his testing suggests.
OL Alan Ali, TCU
Profile: RSr 6'4" 301lbs 32.875" Arm 9.5" Hand 77.625" Wing 5.23 40\ 1.89 10* 26.5" VJ 8'5" BJ* 4.91 Shuttle* 7.94 3c* 3.80 RAS*
A 5 year starter for TCU and SMU, Ali is a fundamentally sound center prospect with good body control and core strength. He has experience playing at all 5 OL positions but spent most of the past 4 years at center. His lack of athleticism and length are likely the reason he went undrafted.
OT Jacky Chen, Pace
Profile: RSr 6'5 1/4" 299lbs 10" Hand\ 34.5" Arm* 80.75" Wing* 5.41 40* 1.81 10* 29" VJ* 8'10" BJ* 4.74 Shuttle* 7.90 3c* 24 Bench* 5.39 RAS*
It's hard to find very much information on an undrafted lineman from a DII school whose toughest opponent was the University of New Haven. Chen is an OT prospect that is viewed as a ball of clay. Chen's 40 yard dash and 3 cone were underwhelming to say the least, but he was an above average tester in burst and explosiveness drills. That combined with his length make him an interesting project.
EDGE Andre Carter II, Army
Profile: Sr 6'6.5" 256lbs 9.375" Hand 33.275" Arm 81 Wing 4.91 40\ 1.65 10* 30" VJ 9'1" BJ 4.36 Shuttle 6.97 3c* 11 Bench 6.29 RAS*
2022 Stats: 10 Gm 41 TKL 7 TFL 3.5 SCK 2 PD
The highest profile UDFA signing of the class, Carter was getting 1st round buzz this time last year. At that time, Carter was coming off an 18.5 TFL / 15.5 sack season. However, Carter struggled to repeat his production as a senior, notching just 3.5 sacks. Carter finished out the draft cycle with lackluster testing, failing to run under a 4.90 in the 40 yard dash and weighing in at a mere 256 lbs -- a big concern given his 81 inch wingspan and towering stature. Carter has a ton of upside, but he doesn't have the frame to be a real NFL player right now. After 4 years training to be an officer in the US Army, he will need at least one season (maybe more) in an NFL weight room where he can focus on building muscle mass. He'll look to follow the mold of fellow Army player Alejandro Villanueva, who added 43 lbs to his 277 lbs frame entering the league before becoming a 7-year starter. Luckily, he joined the team with one of the best training facilities in the league.
EDGE Junior Aho, SMU
Profile: 6'2" 260lbs 9" Hand 33.875" Arm 79.875" Wing 4.58 40\ 1.66 10* 33.5" VJ* 10'3" BJ* 4.90 Shuttle* 7.38 3c* 9.38 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 23 TKL 2 TFL 2 SCK 1 FF
Quite simply, Aho is an athletic freak that should find his way onto the team thanks to the International Player Pathway roster spot. He takes pride in his speed and athleticism, but he also understands the limitations to his game. Aho was a solid rotational player for SMU. He will look to follow in the footsteps of other International Pathway players like Efe Obada and Jordan Mailata.
DT Calvin Avery, Illinois
Profile: RSr 6'1" 343 lbs 10" Hand\ 32.5" Arm 81.87" Wing 5.37 40* 1.84 10* 30.5" VJ* 8'5" BJ* 8.01 3c* 31 Bench* 3.12 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 23 TKL 2 TFL 1 PD
Avery is a former four star recruit out of Texas, earning snaps in 12 games as a true freshman. He started 12 games in 2022, primarily at nose tackle. He has a wide, large frame that makes him hard to move. However, he is an underwhelming athlete to say the least, and his statistical production is nearly non-existent.
LB Abraham Beauplan, Marshall
Profile: RSr 5'11" 241 lbs 9.25" Hand 31.75" Arm 77 1/4" Wing 4.62 Shuttle 35.5" VJ 9'9" BJ 7.33 3c 22 Bench 4.52 RAS
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 66 TKL 6.5 TFL 1 SCK 3 PD
Beauplan started the draft process by making an appearance on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, reportedly squatting as much as 565 lbs and benching as much as 285. The few reports that exist on Beauplan suggest he's an urgent, downhill run defender that will look to carve out a role on special teams early on.
LB Wilson Huber, Cincinnati
Profile: 6Sr 6'4" 241lbs 9.75" Hand 32.375" Arm\ 80" Wing* 4.70 40* 1.66 10* 35" VJ* 10'4" BJ* 4.45 Shuttle* 6.91 3c* 18 Bench* 8.34 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 54 TKL 6.5 TFL 1 SCK 1 PD
A 3 star recruit out of Indiana, Huber started his career at Cincinnati as a TE. He played a hybrid role in his first 2 non-redshirt seasons, earning snaps on offense, defense, and special teams. He made a full role switch to the defensive side of the ball in 2020 and eventually earned the team captain moniker in 2022. Huber had some solid testing despite profiling as more of a thumper.
LB Ivan Pace Jr, Cincinnati
Profile: Sr 5'10.5" 231lbs 30.25" Arm 9.5" Hand 72" Wing 4.59 40\ 1.70 10* 35" VJ 9'8" BJ* 4.40 Shuttle * 7.18 3c* 22 Bench* 5.71 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 137 TKL 21.5 TFL 10 SCK 3 FF 4 PD
Ranked the 11th best LB for Daniel Jeremiah, 9th for Dane Brugler, and 7th for PFF, many thought Pace could have gone as early as Round 3. Pace was a one year starter for the Bearcats after transferring from Miami (Ohio), and he hit the ground running. He led the AAC in tackles and TFLs. He is a smaller player (although not abnormally so in today's game) that plays with his hair on fire. He gives tremendous effort on every play and is always around the ball. Pace is a super tough player that loves to tackle. His size is a concern; he gets washed out of plays too easily. He is also lacking in coverage skills, struggling to stay connected in man coverage. Still, it's incredible that Pace went undrafted. He's an easy special teams projection as a rookie with the upside to be put in position to win under Flores.
CB CJ Coldon, Oklahoma
Profile: 6Sr 5'10" 186lbs\ 8.375" Hand* 31.125" Arm* 75.125" Wing* 4.60 40* 1.58 10* 37 1/2" VJ* 10'5" BJ* 4.24 Shuttle* 7.31 3c* 3.92 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm 42 TKL 2 TFL 4 INT 6 PBU
Coldon is an instinctual football player that relies on his feel to create ball production. He spent 5 years at Wyoming before transferring to Oklahoma and leading the team in INTs and PBUs. In zone, Coldon watches the QB and looks for the right cue to understand when and where the ball is headed.
CB NaJee Thompson, Georgia Southern
Profile: 5'10" 200lbs 9.125" Hand 32.75" Arm 76.625" Wing 4.57 40\ 1.63 10* 32" VJ* 9'8" BJ* 4.56 Shuttle* 7.40 3c* 13 Bench* 1.59 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm 37 TKL 1 TFL 11 PD 1 INT
Thompson's love for the game is undeniable. After struggling to latch onto the Georgia Southern WR room, Thompson approached his head coach asking to be exclusively a special teams player. He relishes being a gunner on punts. He eventually got moved to CB in 2021, logging 557 snaps at the position in 2022. He's undeveloped at the position, but his special teams prowess gives him a good shot at the roster.
CB Jaylin Williams, Indiana
Profile: RSr 5'9" 184lbs 9.125" Hand 29.875" Arm 71.75" Wing 4.43 40\ 1.58 10* 34.5" BJ* 9'11" BJ* 4.20 Shuttle* 7.01 3c* 13 Bench* 5.54 RAS*
2022 Stats: 10 Gm 40 TKL 2.5 TFL 7 PD 1 FR 1 BLK
A longtime role player for the Hoosiers before becoming a fulltime starter in 2019, Williams's 6 career INTs were the most amongst active players on the team last season. He earned second team All-Confernece honors in 2020 and was an honorable mention in 2021.
K Jack Podlesny, Georgia
Profile: RSr 6'0" 195lbs 29.25" Arms 9" Hands 74.75" Wing
2022 Stats: 31 Att 26 Made 50 Long 109 Kickoff 72 Touchbacks 74 PAT Att 73 PAT Made
Ranked as Dane Brugler's 4th kicker and Lance Zierlein's 3rd kicker, Podlesny enters Vikings camp following a career that saw him walk on to Georgia's football team and finish with an 82% hit rate. He hit all but one extra point last season for the national champion Bulldogs. A concern with Podlesny is his leg strength. His accuracy beyond 40 yards falls to just 54%. His clutchness may also come into question as he missed two kicks in the national championship semifinals against Ohio State.
Projected Depth Chart
Pos (Projected 2023 Rostered Count / 2022 Rostered Count): Starter, Rookie,QB (2/2): Kirk Cousins, Jaren Hall,
RB (4/4): Alexander Mattison, Kene Nwangwu, Ty Chandler, DeWayne McBride,
FB (1/1): CJ Ham,
WR (5/5): Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell,
TE (3/3): TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt,
OL (9/10): Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O'Neill, Chris Reed, Austin Schlottman, Oli Udoh, Blake Brandel,
DT (7/6): Harrison Phillips, Dean Lowry, Jonathan Bullard, James Lynch, Esezi Otomewo, Jaquelin Roy, Khyiris Tonga,
EDGE (4/5): Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport, Pat Jones II, DJ Wonnum,
ILB (4/4): Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, Troy Reeder, Ivan Pace Jr,
CB (5/6): Byron Murphy, Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blakmon, Joejuan Williams,
S (5/4): Harrison Smith, Lewis Cine, Jay Ward, Josh Metellus, Camryn Bynum,
K (1/1): Greg Joseph,
P (1/1): Ryan Wright
LS (1/1): Andrew DePaola
KR: Kene Nwangwu
PR: Brandon Powell
2024 Needs
Starters Needed: QB, OG, EDGE, DT -- Whether due to expiring contracts (Cousins, Cleveland, Davenport, Hunter) or overall suckitude (Ingram, Lowry), we need to find new starters at this positions in 2024. Could we go on with average-level free agents? Maybe. Should we? Maybe not.We'll see how the group plays: CB, LB, RB -- These are positions where the front office is counting on young players (Booth, Evans, Asamoah) to fill the roles of departed starters. If those players take that step up, these positions drop on the needs list. Otherwise, we're in for a rough season.
Depth needed: WR -- The depth after Jefferson, Osborn, and Addison is not great. And Osborn is entering a contract year. Unless Keenan McCardell works some magic with Jalen Nailor or Trishton Jackson or Thayer Thomas, this should be a position we add to next year.
Final Thoughts
Versatility. When we look at this Vikings draft class, that's the first word that comes to mind, and it comes in big bold letters. Addison has inside-outside versatility. So does Mekhi Blackmon. Jay Ward is the most versatile of the group, capable of playing every DB position plus some spot snaps at LB. Roy has been productive everywhere from 0T to 4i. And the team has talked about how much they believe McBride can contribute as a pass catcher on top of his bruiser mindset as a between-the-tackles runner.On offense, this shift seems to stem from a philosophical change following the TJ Hockenson acquisition last year. O'Connell's unit went from trying to copy-paste Sean McVay's outside zone scheme (largely a 3WR offense) to Kyle Shanahan's outside zone scheme (largely a TE-FB offense). And in that mold, O'Connell was looking for players he could use to create the illusion of complexity. That is, how can we employ versatile players to present defenses the threat of multiplicity?
On defense, the answer is a lot simpler. By bringing over Brian Flores, the team is hoping for a jolt in tenacity and an overall move to a hybrid amoeba scheme. You can look historically at how Bill Belichick has utilized flexibility in his defenses to maximize his gameplan for whatever offensive scheme is next on the menu. You can look at players on the line of scrimmage that have experience in both 43 and 34 schemes (Hunter, Phillips, Lynch, Bullard). And in the secondary, look no further than the selection of Jay Ward as an attempt to clone players like Jevon Holland and Kyle Dugger.
As Adofo-Mensah has repeatedly said, he approaches his job with humility. He listens to those around him and he finds the point where stories marry data to make informed decisions. And in O'Connell, he found someone who shares that mentality. With the emphasis on versatility, that mindset can now be applied on a weekly (and play-by-play) basis to opponents. We'll see how successful that strategy is as the team continues to straddle the line between competitive and rebuilder, but there is certainly an energy around the fanbase with the continued success of the offense and the addition of Brian Flores.
2023.06.07 17:26 Frankenberryjujitsu Apex Cannabis Lemon Cherry Gelato Review
 | Last night I tried Lemon Cherry Gelato . This is the third stain I have been able to try out of the eight I picked up from Apex Cannabis this weekend. submitted by Frankenberryjujitsu to Michigents [link] [comments] Visually these buds are pretty stunning. It’s a darker color with contrasting red hairs. As you can see there is a good amount of trichome coverage and the buds have a nice density to them. As far as looks go I would give this one a 9/10. It’s some really nice looking flower. The nose on this flower is really nice. When I opened the back I was greeted with a nice fruity smell with a tad bit of a gas as well. The smell reminded me a lot of his Rainbow Runtz I tried a couple of days ago. I give the smell on this one a 9/10. The break down on this bud was really nice. It had a little bit of stickiness too it and it broke down into a really nice uniformed size pieces to pack into a cone. I packed a king size cone for me and my buddy who stopped by to try. It burned really nice and evenly the whole way through. I did not have to relight the joint. I give this flower a 10/10 on the breakdown and it smoked perfectly. The taste on the LCG is great . I got the fruity taste that I smelled and there was a nice creaminess to it as well. I really enjoyed the terp profile on this one and the flavor was there the entire time we smoked the joint. I would give the taste a 10/10. The effects on this one are fantastic . It’s a hybrid but I think this one leans more towards an indica. It only took a few hits for the euphoric high to kick in. It’s a really nice relaxing high that really packs a punch. The relaxation and euphoric high quickly turned into a really nice indica whole body high. The effects are really potent and it reminds me a lot of Rainbow Runtz. This is a great night time strain to relax with after a long day. It really chilled me out and I felt amazing for a couple of hours after smoking it. I give the effects a really strong 10/10. I really enjoyed Lemon Cherry Gelato. It looks, smokes and tastes really nice. The effects on this one are like a potent indica. I definitely recommend this strain and I would 100% pick this one up again. |
2023.06.07 17:25 GrimmInDarkness The Missing Classmate
"Oh hey! There you are" Vala called out to Nico, so he turned in the direction of where her voice was coming from and greeted by his fellow classmate who invited him to go shopping in a local plaza.
"I was starting to think that you weren't going to show up” said Vala
"I made you a promise” he remined her
"Of course, you did! Though you were never the type to want to be in crowed places”
It was true that he was not a people person, but Nico and Vala had always been good friends.
She took him by the hand and smiled.
"Let's go have fun! There are so many different shops in the plaza. Surely, we can find something you would enjoy" Vala told Nico looking at him over her shoulder as she led the way.
"No matter what you choose will be fine" he assured her
"Oh, it will” Vala grinned gripping his hand tightly
Somehow with her saying that in such a way made him feel uneasy, but he pushed it aside allowing Vala to lead him around. After a bit of walking around and stopping at various shops. They came to the last shop that Vala wanted to go into, but she stopped in front of the door holding Nico by the hand.
"Is something wrong?" He asked he with concern
"No, it’s n-nothing" Vala nervously picked at her nails before locking eyes with Nico “Do you want to go inside?” she asked.
Do not go inside! You will see...something horrible
He shook his head. Was he hearing things?
Vala opened the door leading Nico inside who followed her against his better judgement. Once inside he found it peculiar that for some reason the check-out counter was covered in a thick layer of dust except for a few papers, and a smeared handprint as if some tried to grasp the counter and instead their hand dragged across the top.
The register was beaten up, and the drawer was open. The curtains were tattered and dark covered with spider-webs. Above them the light fixture was hanging loose. Wallpaper peeled off the walls curling under itself and under their feet the floor was covered in dirt and debris with drag marks where someone's feet failed to catch their footing.
"What kind of store was this?" Nico questioned aloud
"One of a kind. A place where people you trust take you to die" Vala replied.
“Vala, that isn’t funny” he scolded feeling uneasy
"Do you want to see what's in the back?" she asked, motioning with her hand to a wooden door hanging loosely on its hinges.
No please...you can't look
Nico shook his head. There was that voice again and it sounded just like Vala.
"C'mon you aren't scared, are you?" Vala teased
"O-of course not" Nico retorted with a huff
Opening the wooden door, they walked into the back of the shop; he suddenly lost sight of Vala as both walked in total darkness. He tried calling out to her but received no answer in return. Nico decided to turn back around, going back the way he came when something red glistened on the floor.
Taking out his cellphone he used the flashlight following the red glistening trail. Getting closer he covered his nose with his free hand gagging at the smell. It was coming from what looked like an old freezer. It had to be spoiled meat or something right?
Nico’s gut told him not to open it, but his curiosity got the better of him. Moving his hand from his nose, he lifted the lid only to be hit with the odor of death. Shining his light inside, he suddenly felt his stomach lurch into his throat. Inside were the messy remains of Vala who he had promised to see today. The very person he had been walking around with or had he really?
Moving to the corner of the room, he emptied his stomach. Coughing, he used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his mouth.
"I told you not to look! Why? WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?!" Her voice yelled at him, and the freezer door slammed shut, beginning to shake violently across the floor.
Taking that as his cue to leave Nico ran from the back of the shop to the front opening the door to the outside. He did not stop running until he got to the center piece of the plaza before looking back. He had not noticed it before but the shop he just came from was boarded up with police caution tape surrounding it.
"Excuse me young man are you a student?" A deep male voice asked from behind Nico sending shivers down his spine. He looked over his shoulder at the individual behind him. Some how he felt that he would not be going home tonight.
submitted by GrimmInDarkness to scarystories [link] [comments]
"I was starting to think that you weren't going to show up” said Vala
"I made you a promise” he remined her
"Of course, you did! Though you were never the type to want to be in crowed places”
It was true that he was not a people person, but Nico and Vala had always been good friends.
She took him by the hand and smiled.
"Let's go have fun! There are so many different shops in the plaza. Surely, we can find something you would enjoy" Vala told Nico looking at him over her shoulder as she led the way.
"No matter what you choose will be fine" he assured her
"Oh, it will” Vala grinned gripping his hand tightly
Somehow with her saying that in such a way made him feel uneasy, but he pushed it aside allowing Vala to lead him around. After a bit of walking around and stopping at various shops. They came to the last shop that Vala wanted to go into, but she stopped in front of the door holding Nico by the hand.
"Is something wrong?" He asked he with concern
"No, it’s n-nothing" Vala nervously picked at her nails before locking eyes with Nico “Do you want to go inside?” she asked.
Do not go inside! You will see...something horrible
He shook his head. Was he hearing things?
Vala opened the door leading Nico inside who followed her against his better judgement. Once inside he found it peculiar that for some reason the check-out counter was covered in a thick layer of dust except for a few papers, and a smeared handprint as if some tried to grasp the counter and instead their hand dragged across the top.
The register was beaten up, and the drawer was open. The curtains were tattered and dark covered with spider-webs. Above them the light fixture was hanging loose. Wallpaper peeled off the walls curling under itself and under their feet the floor was covered in dirt and debris with drag marks where someone's feet failed to catch their footing.
"What kind of store was this?" Nico questioned aloud
"One of a kind. A place where people you trust take you to die" Vala replied.
“Vala, that isn’t funny” he scolded feeling uneasy
"Do you want to see what's in the back?" she asked, motioning with her hand to a wooden door hanging loosely on its hinges.
No please...you can't look
Nico shook his head. There was that voice again and it sounded just like Vala.
"C'mon you aren't scared, are you?" Vala teased
"O-of course not" Nico retorted with a huff
Opening the wooden door, they walked into the back of the shop; he suddenly lost sight of Vala as both walked in total darkness. He tried calling out to her but received no answer in return. Nico decided to turn back around, going back the way he came when something red glistened on the floor.
Taking out his cellphone he used the flashlight following the red glistening trail. Getting closer he covered his nose with his free hand gagging at the smell. It was coming from what looked like an old freezer. It had to be spoiled meat or something right?
Nico’s gut told him not to open it, but his curiosity got the better of him. Moving his hand from his nose, he lifted the lid only to be hit with the odor of death. Shining his light inside, he suddenly felt his stomach lurch into his throat. Inside were the messy remains of Vala who he had promised to see today. The very person he had been walking around with or had he really?
Moving to the corner of the room, he emptied his stomach. Coughing, he used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his mouth.
"I told you not to look! Why? WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN?!" Her voice yelled at him, and the freezer door slammed shut, beginning to shake violently across the floor.
Taking that as his cue to leave Nico ran from the back of the shop to the front opening the door to the outside. He did not stop running until he got to the center piece of the plaza before looking back. He had not noticed it before but the shop he just came from was boarded up with police caution tape surrounding it.
"Excuse me young man are you a student?" A deep male voice asked from behind Nico sending shivers down his spine. He looked over his shoulder at the individual behind him. Some how he felt that he would not be going home tonight.
2023.06.07 17:21 The_Alloquist [A Lord of Death] - Chapter 61 (Efrain)
[←Interlude II] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 62→]
Slowly the group was peeled apart and taken to their various quarters, with the merchant Amicio shuffling off the children and paladins to his junior, taking the commander and captains for himself. Efrain was left with the so-called mentor, who was in a state of nervous agitation.
“Alright, you’ll need to explain why you’re about to have a fit,” Efrain said.
“Well, of course, of course, you wouldn’t know me,” said the mentor, “I came to the post of mentor long after you’d left the city.”
Efrain thought the title vaguely rang a bell, and he was beginning to have a dread certainty of the origin of it.
“Please do not tell me you’re a cast-off from Nicolo, aren’t you,” he said, the image of the far too charming ‘scholar’ coming to mind.
“I-If you’re referring to Nicolo Zarrentini, our most honoured founder, then yes.”
“That… bastard,” Efrain said, “I told him that it was a joke! A joke!”
The man shrank back from the apparent anger of Efrain, before growing significantly more confused as Efrain began to howl with laughter.
“The ass was always fond of his pranks. I believe he even said that he ‘wanted one to follow me into the grave,’” Efrain said, shaking his head, “it was so long ago.”
“But-but didn’t you- weren’t you part of the first convocation of the academy?”
“It was in Aimstand’s kitchen,” Efrain complained, “two hundred years ago, and they were both so drunk that if they’d taken a few steps to the left, they’d have drowned in the canal. ‘Convocation’ was one way to put it.”
This was clearly not the secrets that the mentor desired, judging by his rapidly reddening face.
“It was an old joke between friends, the idea of starting and academy of magic,” Efrain said, “I left, what, two hundred years ago?”
“But your name… and your books?”
“My books?” Efrain said, desperately scanning his memory of published works.
“Well yes. Your books. The ones you left behind. We use them as a foundation text for most of our students and…”
Efrain didn’t even let him finish, rather grasped him suddenly and violently by the collars.
“You don’t mean to say that… my old notes are used to teach. Students. Magic?” he said, voice trembling with horror.
“Yes?” said the man, who was beginning to sweat profusely.
“Those aboslute motherf-” Efrain said, as a loud gong rang out into the canal.
“Oh!” said the man, “We’ll have to pick up this conversation later, that’s the signal for canal clearing. We’d better be off before they close it off for the Festival traffic only.”
“Am I staying with you, then?” Efrain said, trying to drop the note of absolute menace in his voice as best he could.
“Yes, yes that would be correct,” he said, “as soon as I heard you were coming, I prepared the finest office in the academy for you. It’s not much, but I believe that you would enjoy seeing the labours of your wor…”
The man trailed off as he remembered the last few minutes of conversation.
“Either way, I would hope you’d at least examine it.”
“I would be happy to, mentor,” Efrain said, straightening himself, “particularly the notes.”
The man shrank at his venom but lead Efrain to his boat all the same, and they set off down the canals to the south.
“The Academy, as you might know,” he said, “is still located in the old district. As such, academy studentship is still a prized opportunity, if only to gain access in and out.”
“Gain access?” Efrain said.
“Well, it’s been monitored for thirty years, restricted to only business, and those with invitations only,” he said, patting a pin on his inner shirt, “academy students have numbered passes that-”
“No, why is it restricted in the first place?” Efrain said.
“Oh. Oh of course! You wouldn’t be aware. The Miram estate burned down almost thirty years ago. Suspected arson, though no suspects were ever caught.”
“Oh really?” Efrain said, “what a pity. I remember the old houses well. They had the most wonderful curtains.”
“The Mirams?” the man said, “I’ve only ever heard stories.”
“So the whole old district has been restricted? From where to where?”
“Just before the shipyards, master Efrain, to the tip of the white stone ziggurats. Of course the major western canals to the shipyards remain open.”
“What?” said Efrain aghast, “that much? Why, that was half the city last time I was here.”
“Yes, well,” said the man, adjusting his spectacles, “the Eisen and Poutash have been buying up immense amounts of property throughout the district for, well about eighty years now. The ‘old district’, as we now call it, is effectively two large estates with the central trade offices between.”
“Huh,” said Efrain, “well that’s not surprising, I suppose. They were always greedy.”
The man exclaimed in shock at him as they rounded a bend in the canal.
“My dear master Efrain!” he said, “the Eisen and Poutash are dear patrons, especially the former, who’ve been supporting this institution for generations!”
“Uh-huh, say,” Efrain said, trying to piece the names beyond the vague historical context that he remembered them in, “do you remember the family trees?”
“The family trees? Of the houses? Well, I certainly could give a guess,” said the man, “incidentally, Karkosian history is something of a passion of mine.”
“Well then, the Eisen,” Efrain said, “I distinctly remember something about them. In my time it would’ve been about two hundred years. So, give or take four to five generations from now.”
The man thought for a moment, and snapped his fingers.
“I think I know what you’re looking for,” he said, “you’re wondering who master Nicolo married.”
Ah, that had indeed been it - Nicolo did always go on and on about this one girl, who Efrain was fairly sure was well beyond his league. She was an Eisen, now that the memories had jumped to the surface of his mind. No wonder the academy had generational funding if one of the founding fathers had married in.
“Yes, yes,” Efrain said, “I think she was a branch family member, if I recall correctly.”
“No, master Efrain, you’re mistaken,” said the man, wearing a fairly familiar expression - a combination of fear of failure to please, and taking delight in correcting an error in a field he knew quite a lot about.
“Oh?” Efrain said, “bold claim, mentor. Back it up.”
The man once more pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and began to recite.
“About a hundred-and-eighty years ago, master Nicolo married Hymatia Eisen. Hymatia Eisen was a daughter to Fielia Eisen, the matriarch of Eisen, hence he did not marry into a branch member of the family. He married into the direct, matrilineal line, represented by current matriach Aysatra, head of the Eisen family. Who is succeeded by, well…”
The man dropped his eyes, apparently embarrassed on behalf of the people he’d just named.
“Succeded by who?” Efrain said, leaning forward in the boat.
“Well, that’s the problem, master Efrain. In fact it’s one we currently struggle with. Oh, I do hate politics, but everything’s political in Karkos when money’s involved,” he said, putting on a expression reminiscent of a begging dog.
Efrain did not find it particularly charming, and pushed the man to go on.
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said, “the matriarch Aysatra, who is as youthful and vigorous as a woman half, no, a third of her age, is still well… older. There’s a clamour at the house of the Eisen on who’s supposed to replace her in the most deeply unfortunate event that she might… expire. No, no that make me sound like I’m talking about food and-”
“I get the point,” Efrain said, “spare me the flattery of a person who’s not even here. This matriarch doesn’t have a direct descendent?”
“Well, yes…” said the man, “but, it’s not exactly simple. The direct heir left the city some time ago.”
“And this relates to the academy, how?” Efrain said, “not that I care, just curious mostly.”
“Well, of course,” he said, “some at the house of Eisen… well, they think that our research and education is hopelessly outdated.”
“You mean useless,” Efrain said, more than ever wanting to get his hands on those notes and burn every copy he could find.
“Well, yes,” said the man, raising his hands in a gesture of helplessness, “some have used those words.”
“And you’re concerned that if they’re elected to leadership, your funding will be gone,” Efrain said flatly.
“Exactly. You’re quite insightful, just as the records suggested,” said the man, sniffing.
Before they could pick up the conversation, their polemen, dressed in the same blacks as the academy master, spoke up. They were before a river gate of sharpened palisades, which Efrain immediately recognized as the remnants of the old outer wall of the city, painted a bright red. The guards before it were dressed in ornate brass armour, studded with a set of small pearls and seashells.
Not quite the legion of sand and sea of old, though the aesthetic sense clearly meant to harken back to it. Efrain idly wondered how different the city would be if the legion actually still existed. In all the histories he’d read, most of their military exploits were suprisingly minimised, save for the few folk legends about them. Of course, most of those authors immediately left out the fact that almost all the legion commanders were women, which given many history writers were men, made sense.
The guards checked the proudly displayed pin, nodded, and opened the canal gates. Efrain immediately noticed the difference in the stone work as the passed beyond. It was more worn, but unmistakable paler, bringing back fond memories of days and nights spent in these canals over two centuries ago. He was just glad he was returning in a black, and not the horrid purple robes that he often inhabited while he was here.
The streets were noticeably quieter here, no doubt everyone was completing the final administration for the Festival. The buildings were also considerably older, their wooden slates near the water thick with strands of seaweed and barncles. Efrain more than once recognized the shape of an alley, or more noticeable deviations in the stonework. It was funny just how much he remembered of the old city and its details, and how little of his friends.
A couple of twists and turns, and Efrain started to recognize the part of the district he was in. Catching a glimpse of the mountains in the fading sunset, and a bridge or two he recognized, though they’d been significantly upgraded and replaced. With that information, he finally realised where they were, and more importantly, where they might be going.
“Noooo,” he groaned, “he didn’t.”
The mentor attempted to calm him, not understanding why he was so audibly distraught. The answer soon became quite clear as Efrain recognized the exact route they were taking. By the time they’d passed through the two statues, now dancing fish rather than the familiar wolves, Efrain’s worst fears had come true.
“He’d better not be buried on the academy grounds,” he said, his fingers fidgeting.
“I mean - and here we are!” said the academy master, clearly glad to move on to another subject.
Efrain looked up, nearly threw himself over the side, and forced himself to look up again. To say that it was exactly the way he remembered it would’ve been a lie. It had clearly expanded to include the surrounding pyramids, connecting them with bridges and walkways where what were presumably students passed by. The centre pyramid was kept more or less the same, with the same augurs drawing up water to the top, cascading it down in falls across terrace after terrace of gardens.
Refusing the offered hand, Efrain barged past him to take the steps two at a time.
“Wait! Wait master Efrain! I-” the man’s voice fell further and further behind as Efrain practically ran into the pyramid.
It was still a mess hall, but it was now one of long tables and high back chairs. The banners and plaques above proclaimed a short history of sport and scholarly achievement. Students, predominantly dressed in black, some with colourful stripes that Efrain didn’t bother to try to decode, stared at him. As did the cooks, still busy in the large kitchens that he himself had once manned.
The academy master had almost caught up to him when he took off again, striding through the aisle between the tables and out the other end of the pyramid. Yes, it was all the same, the same flower pots, and the marble steps and the little waterfall with the cracked edge. Two centuries, two bloody centuries, and Aimstand never bothered to fix the thing.
Efrain felt a internal bout of triumph at being proved right as he continued up the steps, before, finally, coming at last to the top.
The garden at the flat top of the pyramid was still as beautiful as ever, and the flowers he’d cultured still survived, although the blooms were less luminous than before. Efrain stepped out into the shallow pool that dominated most of the area, and noted that at the far end, where there used to be a stone bench, sat a gravestone.
“Found you, bastard,” he said, taking off towards it.
“Please, master!” said the man, practically sobbing if not for the fact he was out of breath.
Several of the more senior looking students had followed, looking totally flabbergasted at the display. Efrain did not stop, nor even look back at the procession, merely took off through the pool until he reached the steps to the little knurl of turf and flowers. There he stopped, parking his hands on his hips, staring at the inscription on the stone.
“Nicolo Eisen,” he said, drawing every word out, “Father, Teacher, Friend.”
“Muh-Master,” said the man, soaked up to his knees from his hurried splashing, “master, what-”
“Oh, calm yourself,” Efrain said, “I’m not going to do anything.”
The several students that had followed looked in utter confusion at the two men.
“Master?” one of them inquired, “should we get the guard?”
“No,” the man wheezed, bent over to catch his breath.
“Hold on a second,” Efrain said, bending over himself to gaze at the inscription, “what’s this?”
“That’s founder Nicolo’s grave, master Efrain,” said the mentor.
“Yes, I know that,” Efrain said, “I’m old, not blind. What’s this inscription below?”
“Oh yes, that,” he said, drawing himself back up to his full height, “It’s actually quite the mystery. No one really knows the language, but it was put there by order of founder Nicolo. Some of our teachers and students have spent quite a bit of time over the years to-”
“I’d told you I’d do it,” Efrain said.
“Pardon?”
“That’s- that’s what it- oh fuck you Nicolo!” Efrain said, “‘I’d told you I’d do it.’ That’s what it says!”
The mentor had gone white, while some of the students looked on the verge of fainting from confused apprehension.
“By all rights, I should burn this place down,” Efrain sneered at the stone, “is that what you wanted? ‘Founder’? If the gods were good, you’d still be alive, so I could kill you myself.”
“Please do not do that!” wailed the man, “I can’t understand for the life of me why you’re so angry! I thought you would’ve been happy, maybe even proud of what we’ve achieved!”
“I’m not angry at you, you idiot,” Efrain said, rounding on the man, “I’m angry at that smug piece of flotsam happily buried under his lovenest.”
“What?” said the mentor, the sentiment echoed by almost all the students present.
“All right, all of you, gather round. My first lesson,” he said, and, most likely out of habit, the students fell into a neat semi-circle.
“This will be a test of one question, and the one to get the answer right on their first response gets…” he turned to the mentor, “do you have some kind of regular award for achievement here?”
“Well, we do have ribbons that correspond to-”
“Great, first one to guess correctly gets a ribbon,” Efrain bowled through, “the question is this - why did Nicolo learn magic in the first place?”
The students stared at each other, daring the others to respond first.
“Well, come on,” Efrain said, “someone must have a theory.”
“Because he wanted to expand his own horizons?” a brown-haired boy said.
“Wrong!” Efrain said, “if your texts say that, they’re also wrong.”
“Because he wanted to shore up the city of Karkos’s defences while expanding on its knowledge?” said a girl with a slightly crooked nose.
“Also wrong,” Efrain said, shaking his head, “that’s exactly what he would say. You take that from a speech?”
“Well…” said the girl.
“Nicolo, you preening, self centered-” Efrain said, holding his head in his hands.
“To impress a girl?” said someone.
“Who said that?!” Efrain said, the class parting to reveal a younger, shaggy-looking boy.
“Well, you said that it was his ‘lovenest’ so…” he shrugged sheepishly.
“Mentor, get this young man a ribbon. If you need a reason, then cite him actually paying attention.”
[←Interlude II] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 62→]
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Slowly the group was peeled apart and taken to their various quarters, with the merchant Amicio shuffling off the children and paladins to his junior, taking the commander and captains for himself. Efrain was left with the so-called mentor, who was in a state of nervous agitation.
“Alright, you’ll need to explain why you’re about to have a fit,” Efrain said.
“Well, of course, of course, you wouldn’t know me,” said the mentor, “I came to the post of mentor long after you’d left the city.”
Efrain thought the title vaguely rang a bell, and he was beginning to have a dread certainty of the origin of it.
“Please do not tell me you’re a cast-off from Nicolo, aren’t you,” he said, the image of the far too charming ‘scholar’ coming to mind.
“I-If you’re referring to Nicolo Zarrentini, our most honoured founder, then yes.”
“That… bastard,” Efrain said, “I told him that it was a joke! A joke!”
The man shrank back from the apparent anger of Efrain, before growing significantly more confused as Efrain began to howl with laughter.
“The ass was always fond of his pranks. I believe he even said that he ‘wanted one to follow me into the grave,’” Efrain said, shaking his head, “it was so long ago.”
“But-but didn’t you- weren’t you part of the first convocation of the academy?”
“It was in Aimstand’s kitchen,” Efrain complained, “two hundred years ago, and they were both so drunk that if they’d taken a few steps to the left, they’d have drowned in the canal. ‘Convocation’ was one way to put it.”
This was clearly not the secrets that the mentor desired, judging by his rapidly reddening face.
“It was an old joke between friends, the idea of starting and academy of magic,” Efrain said, “I left, what, two hundred years ago?”
“But your name… and your books?”
“My books?” Efrain said, desperately scanning his memory of published works.
“Well yes. Your books. The ones you left behind. We use them as a foundation text for most of our students and…”
Efrain didn’t even let him finish, rather grasped him suddenly and violently by the collars.
“You don’t mean to say that… my old notes are used to teach. Students. Magic?” he said, voice trembling with horror.
“Yes?” said the man, who was beginning to sweat profusely.
“Those aboslute motherf-” Efrain said, as a loud gong rang out into the canal.
“Oh!” said the man, “We’ll have to pick up this conversation later, that’s the signal for canal clearing. We’d better be off before they close it off for the Festival traffic only.”
“Am I staying with you, then?” Efrain said, trying to drop the note of absolute menace in his voice as best he could.
“Yes, yes that would be correct,” he said, “as soon as I heard you were coming, I prepared the finest office in the academy for you. It’s not much, but I believe that you would enjoy seeing the labours of your wor…”
The man trailed off as he remembered the last few minutes of conversation.
“Either way, I would hope you’d at least examine it.”
“I would be happy to, mentor,” Efrain said, straightening himself, “particularly the notes.”
The man shrank at his venom but lead Efrain to his boat all the same, and they set off down the canals to the south.
“The Academy, as you might know,” he said, “is still located in the old district. As such, academy studentship is still a prized opportunity, if only to gain access in and out.”
“Gain access?” Efrain said.
“Well, it’s been monitored for thirty years, restricted to only business, and those with invitations only,” he said, patting a pin on his inner shirt, “academy students have numbered passes that-”
“No, why is it restricted in the first place?” Efrain said.
“Oh. Oh of course! You wouldn’t be aware. The Miram estate burned down almost thirty years ago. Suspected arson, though no suspects were ever caught.”
“Oh really?” Efrain said, “what a pity. I remember the old houses well. They had the most wonderful curtains.”
“The Mirams?” the man said, “I’ve only ever heard stories.”
“So the whole old district has been restricted? From where to where?”
“Just before the shipyards, master Efrain, to the tip of the white stone ziggurats. Of course the major western canals to the shipyards remain open.”
“What?” said Efrain aghast, “that much? Why, that was half the city last time I was here.”
“Yes, well,” said the man, adjusting his spectacles, “the Eisen and Poutash have been buying up immense amounts of property throughout the district for, well about eighty years now. The ‘old district’, as we now call it, is effectively two large estates with the central trade offices between.”
“Huh,” said Efrain, “well that’s not surprising, I suppose. They were always greedy.”
The man exclaimed in shock at him as they rounded a bend in the canal.
“My dear master Efrain!” he said, “the Eisen and Poutash are dear patrons, especially the former, who’ve been supporting this institution for generations!”
“Uh-huh, say,” Efrain said, trying to piece the names beyond the vague historical context that he remembered them in, “do you remember the family trees?”
“The family trees? Of the houses? Well, I certainly could give a guess,” said the man, “incidentally, Karkosian history is something of a passion of mine.”
“Well then, the Eisen,” Efrain said, “I distinctly remember something about them. In my time it would’ve been about two hundred years. So, give or take four to five generations from now.”
The man thought for a moment, and snapped his fingers.
“I think I know what you’re looking for,” he said, “you’re wondering who master Nicolo married.”
Ah, that had indeed been it - Nicolo did always go on and on about this one girl, who Efrain was fairly sure was well beyond his league. She was an Eisen, now that the memories had jumped to the surface of his mind. No wonder the academy had generational funding if one of the founding fathers had married in.
“Yes, yes,” Efrain said, “I think she was a branch family member, if I recall correctly.”
“No, master Efrain, you’re mistaken,” said the man, wearing a fairly familiar expression - a combination of fear of failure to please, and taking delight in correcting an error in a field he knew quite a lot about.
“Oh?” Efrain said, “bold claim, mentor. Back it up.”
The man once more pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and began to recite.
“About a hundred-and-eighty years ago, master Nicolo married Hymatia Eisen. Hymatia Eisen was a daughter to Fielia Eisen, the matriarch of Eisen, hence he did not marry into a branch member of the family. He married into the direct, matrilineal line, represented by current matriach Aysatra, head of the Eisen family. Who is succeeded by, well…”
The man dropped his eyes, apparently embarrassed on behalf of the people he’d just named.
“Succeded by who?” Efrain said, leaning forward in the boat.
“Well, that’s the problem, master Efrain. In fact it’s one we currently struggle with. Oh, I do hate politics, but everything’s political in Karkos when money’s involved,” he said, putting on a expression reminiscent of a begging dog.
Efrain did not find it particularly charming, and pushed the man to go on.
“Well, that’s the thing,” he said, “the matriarch Aysatra, who is as youthful and vigorous as a woman half, no, a third of her age, is still well… older. There’s a clamour at the house of the Eisen on who’s supposed to replace her in the most deeply unfortunate event that she might… expire. No, no that make me sound like I’m talking about food and-”
“I get the point,” Efrain said, “spare me the flattery of a person who’s not even here. This matriarch doesn’t have a direct descendent?”
“Well, yes…” said the man, “but, it’s not exactly simple. The direct heir left the city some time ago.”
“And this relates to the academy, how?” Efrain said, “not that I care, just curious mostly.”
“Well, of course,” he said, “some at the house of Eisen… well, they think that our research and education is hopelessly outdated.”
“You mean useless,” Efrain said, more than ever wanting to get his hands on those notes and burn every copy he could find.
“Well, yes,” said the man, raising his hands in a gesture of helplessness, “some have used those words.”
“And you’re concerned that if they’re elected to leadership, your funding will be gone,” Efrain said flatly.
“Exactly. You’re quite insightful, just as the records suggested,” said the man, sniffing.
Before they could pick up the conversation, their polemen, dressed in the same blacks as the academy master, spoke up. They were before a river gate of sharpened palisades, which Efrain immediately recognized as the remnants of the old outer wall of the city, painted a bright red. The guards before it were dressed in ornate brass armour, studded with a set of small pearls and seashells.
Not quite the legion of sand and sea of old, though the aesthetic sense clearly meant to harken back to it. Efrain idly wondered how different the city would be if the legion actually still existed. In all the histories he’d read, most of their military exploits were suprisingly minimised, save for the few folk legends about them. Of course, most of those authors immediately left out the fact that almost all the legion commanders were women, which given many history writers were men, made sense.
The guards checked the proudly displayed pin, nodded, and opened the canal gates. Efrain immediately noticed the difference in the stone work as the passed beyond. It was more worn, but unmistakable paler, bringing back fond memories of days and nights spent in these canals over two centuries ago. He was just glad he was returning in a black, and not the horrid purple robes that he often inhabited while he was here.
The streets were noticeably quieter here, no doubt everyone was completing the final administration for the Festival. The buildings were also considerably older, their wooden slates near the water thick with strands of seaweed and barncles. Efrain more than once recognized the shape of an alley, or more noticeable deviations in the stonework. It was funny just how much he remembered of the old city and its details, and how little of his friends.
A couple of twists and turns, and Efrain started to recognize the part of the district he was in. Catching a glimpse of the mountains in the fading sunset, and a bridge or two he recognized, though they’d been significantly upgraded and replaced. With that information, he finally realised where they were, and more importantly, where they might be going.
“Noooo,” he groaned, “he didn’t.”
The mentor attempted to calm him, not understanding why he was so audibly distraught. The answer soon became quite clear as Efrain recognized the exact route they were taking. By the time they’d passed through the two statues, now dancing fish rather than the familiar wolves, Efrain’s worst fears had come true.
“He’d better not be buried on the academy grounds,” he said, his fingers fidgeting.
“I mean - and here we are!” said the academy master, clearly glad to move on to another subject.
Efrain looked up, nearly threw himself over the side, and forced himself to look up again. To say that it was exactly the way he remembered it would’ve been a lie. It had clearly expanded to include the surrounding pyramids, connecting them with bridges and walkways where what were presumably students passed by. The centre pyramid was kept more or less the same, with the same augurs drawing up water to the top, cascading it down in falls across terrace after terrace of gardens.
Refusing the offered hand, Efrain barged past him to take the steps two at a time.
“Wait! Wait master Efrain! I-” the man’s voice fell further and further behind as Efrain practically ran into the pyramid.
It was still a mess hall, but it was now one of long tables and high back chairs. The banners and plaques above proclaimed a short history of sport and scholarly achievement. Students, predominantly dressed in black, some with colourful stripes that Efrain didn’t bother to try to decode, stared at him. As did the cooks, still busy in the large kitchens that he himself had once manned.
The academy master had almost caught up to him when he took off again, striding through the aisle between the tables and out the other end of the pyramid. Yes, it was all the same, the same flower pots, and the marble steps and the little waterfall with the cracked edge. Two centuries, two bloody centuries, and Aimstand never bothered to fix the thing.
Efrain felt a internal bout of triumph at being proved right as he continued up the steps, before, finally, coming at last to the top.
The garden at the flat top of the pyramid was still as beautiful as ever, and the flowers he’d cultured still survived, although the blooms were less luminous than before. Efrain stepped out into the shallow pool that dominated most of the area, and noted that at the far end, where there used to be a stone bench, sat a gravestone.
“Found you, bastard,” he said, taking off towards it.
“Please, master!” said the man, practically sobbing if not for the fact he was out of breath.
Several of the more senior looking students had followed, looking totally flabbergasted at the display. Efrain did not stop, nor even look back at the procession, merely took off through the pool until he reached the steps to the little knurl of turf and flowers. There he stopped, parking his hands on his hips, staring at the inscription on the stone.
“Nicolo Eisen,” he said, drawing every word out, “Father, Teacher, Friend.”
“Muh-Master,” said the man, soaked up to his knees from his hurried splashing, “master, what-”
“Oh, calm yourself,” Efrain said, “I’m not going to do anything.”
The several students that had followed looked in utter confusion at the two men.
“Master?” one of them inquired, “should we get the guard?”
“No,” the man wheezed, bent over to catch his breath.
“Hold on a second,” Efrain said, bending over himself to gaze at the inscription, “what’s this?”
“That’s founder Nicolo’s grave, master Efrain,” said the mentor.
“Yes, I know that,” Efrain said, “I’m old, not blind. What’s this inscription below?”
“Oh yes, that,” he said, drawing himself back up to his full height, “It’s actually quite the mystery. No one really knows the language, but it was put there by order of founder Nicolo. Some of our teachers and students have spent quite a bit of time over the years to-”
“I’d told you I’d do it,” Efrain said.
“Pardon?”
“That’s- that’s what it- oh fuck you Nicolo!” Efrain said, “‘I’d told you I’d do it.’ That’s what it says!”
The mentor had gone white, while some of the students looked on the verge of fainting from confused apprehension.
“By all rights, I should burn this place down,” Efrain sneered at the stone, “is that what you wanted? ‘Founder’? If the gods were good, you’d still be alive, so I could kill you myself.”
“Please do not do that!” wailed the man, “I can’t understand for the life of me why you’re so angry! I thought you would’ve been happy, maybe even proud of what we’ve achieved!”
“I’m not angry at you, you idiot,” Efrain said, rounding on the man, “I’m angry at that smug piece of flotsam happily buried under his lovenest.”
“What?” said the mentor, the sentiment echoed by almost all the students present.
“All right, all of you, gather round. My first lesson,” he said, and, most likely out of habit, the students fell into a neat semi-circle.
“This will be a test of one question, and the one to get the answer right on their first response gets…” he turned to the mentor, “do you have some kind of regular award for achievement here?”
“Well, we do have ribbons that correspond to-”
“Great, first one to guess correctly gets a ribbon,” Efrain bowled through, “the question is this - why did Nicolo learn magic in the first place?”
The students stared at each other, daring the others to respond first.
“Well, come on,” Efrain said, “someone must have a theory.”
“Because he wanted to expand his own horizons?” a brown-haired boy said.
“Wrong!” Efrain said, “if your texts say that, they’re also wrong.”
“Because he wanted to shore up the city of Karkos’s defences while expanding on its knowledge?” said a girl with a slightly crooked nose.
“Also wrong,” Efrain said, shaking his head, “that’s exactly what he would say. You take that from a speech?”
“Well…” said the girl.
“Nicolo, you preening, self centered-” Efrain said, holding his head in his hands.
“To impress a girl?” said someone.
“Who said that?!” Efrain said, the class parting to reveal a younger, shaggy-looking boy.
“Well, you said that it was his ‘lovenest’ so…” he shrugged sheepishly.
“Mentor, get this young man a ribbon. If you need a reason, then cite him actually paying attention.”
[←Interlude II] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 62→]
2023.06.07 17:18 Vlaedx The School I Attend In My Dreams Is Real
I have this recurring nightmare. I attend this school where odd things happen. In this school, there are people I’ve never met before. Classes I’ve never taken.
Every time I have this dream, I enter a classroom that is listed on my class schedule, and the teacher yells at me for not showing up for weeks or even months. The teacher embarrasses me in front of the class and makes me do work that I didn’t even study for.
I guess it’s not the SCARIEST thing someone can dream about, but being forced to do a mountain of missed classwork is horrible. It also feels embarrassing being humiliated in front of this made-up class. It always feels too real.
I also get variations of this nightmare. Sometimes I dream that I’m running through the halls of the school trying to find where a class is. Then, by the time I find the classroom with the right room number, it’s too late, class is over. Detention.
I’ve had these types of dreams so many times that it feels like I’m enrolled in a completely different school in my mind when I’m asleep. I even have a mental image of what the school looks like from the outside after all those times I’ve been in recess or in the parking lot in other dreams.
Sometimes it’s a class with a teacher from an earlier dream, other times it’s completely different.
I figured these dreams were based on past experiences from elementary, middle, and high school that manifest themselves into vivid simulations from the back of my mind. But then three days ago I found out that it was a lot more than that.
My friend Santiago and I ride motorcycles together when the weather is nice. For weeks we were planning on going to this huge motorcycle meetup together. Before the meetup started, we wanted to rendezvous at his house and then ride our motorcycles to the spot together.
I rode my motorcycle from my house to his using my GPS. I’ve never been to his house before. He lived about thirty-five minutes away from me in a town I’ve passed by but never visited. As soon as I got to his house, Santiago was already turning on his motorcycle in front of his garage.
“Hey man, how’ve you been?” I spoke.
“Good, and you?” he replied.
“Great. I love this weather. You ready to go?”
“Hold on, let me put my dogs inside”.
Once we were all set to go, Santiago rode his motorcycle in front of me as I followed. He knew his way around to get us out of the neighborhood and back on the main road.
Now here’s where things get weird. Between the cluster of suburban neighborhood houses there was a long building that broke the pattern. I saw it in the distance as Santiago and I rode closer. The building was sitting on a hill and just looked unnatural in its place.
As we got past each stop sign and rode closer, the building strangely kept looking more and more familiar. I kept my bike going at a decent speed of 20 miles per hour. I intended to look at this building closely and drove slowly
Then, Santiago and I passed by the front of the building. I constantly turned my head to look at it, then to the road so I didn’t fall or crash. But once we were right in front of it, I just stared. I realized it when I saw the main doors.
It was... just like in my dreams. A long one-story building sitting on top of a grassy green hill. The same distinct main entrance doors. A red and yellow playground on the side of the building. A medium sized parking lot.
There was something so liminal about this building. Almost like those liminal spaces pictures that you see everywhere online. The building did not look real, but it was there right in front of me.
Once I turned my head back to the road, we reached the next stop sign and I nearly bumped tires with Santiago’s bike. Then, eventually, Santiago and I got farther, and farther away.
The rest of the day went well. We went to the meetup, saw a bunch of cool motorcycles, ate at a restaurant in the area, then parted ways and headed home. I had almost forgotten about the building until I rode home on my motorcycle and had time to think about it.
I thought, “What was that place? A school? Why did it look almost the exact same as that school that I see in my dreams? Have I been there before? No, that can’t be. I’ve never visited such a specific neighborhood before. There’s no way I’ve seen this building in my life. It’s just not possible for this dream school to be real.
Last night, I dreamed of the school again. It started off with me looking at the time. It was noon and I was just arriving to school. I was walking towards the entrance in a hurry. I entered the building, and the students were walking in the halls as usual.
I checked my schedule to see where I had to go next. In the list of unintelligible writing, I somehow deduced that I had to go to pottery class. I walked in an aimless direction until I reached a small classroom.
An old man with white hair and glasses looked at me angrily as I took my seat. I always hated old grumpy teachers. This guy was no different
“WHERE have YOU been. What, you don’t think this class is IMPORTANT? You haven’t even started on the first project and we’re already on PROJECT FOUR.”
As always, I just sit there, confused and ashamed. The entire class giggling or shaking their heads in disappointment. The teacher gave me the angriest face as his right hand shook while holding a small pot. Right before the dream ended, I saw the pot leave his hand and soar in my direction.
I woke up not knowing if I was still dreaming or not. Dazed, I had to remind myself that it was only a dream. That dream was extremely vivid. Moreso than the others because the school felt all too real. It was like I was there. The similarities between the dream school and the real building I saw were uncanny. Something made me want to investigate it further.
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I had Google Maps pulled up on my phone. I was looking at Santiago’s address while lying in bed. I knew the building should be around his house, maybe about five or six blocks away. Since the meetup spot was more east, I tapped and dragged the map to the right slowly.
It took only seconds until I found the long building. In this top-down view, I saw how it broke the pattern from the rest of the houses. I tapped it to see if I could get more info on it. Strangely, Google Maps did not have this building listed as anything. It just showed the address as if it were another house.
Then I went into street view mode to get a look at it from street level. “Oh god...” I thought to myself. It looked the exact same as the school I visited in my dreams. This can’t be a coincidence. I must see it for myself.
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UPDATE
It’s been a week and one day since I passed the building on my bike. It was Monday now. Curiosity got the better of me as I was interested in seeing the interior of the building.
The morning was breezy and chilly with cloudy skies. I couldn’t believe what I was doing. I was driving in my car to a school I saw in my dreams. It didn’t take too long to arrive since there was less traffic in the morning. It was almost 8 AM when I arrived at the parking lot of the school and there were a couple of other cars parked there. “Last time it was empty. There should be people inside” I thought.
At first, my plan was that I wasn’t going to enter. I was just going to look through the windows on the doors. Just to see what the inside looked like. This place seemed like a school for small children that I had no business entering.
I walked to the entrance with the glass doors. Honestly, I felt like a creep, but I really wanted to look inside, while hoping there wasn’t a cop around being suspicious of me.
I put my forehead on the glass of the door, with my hands covering the sides of my face to see better. As soon as I got close enough to the glass, I saw nothing but heard everything. With my eyes, I saw an empty hall. With my ears, I heard hundreds of voices.
“Wait... where are these noises coming from?” I thought as I kept looking around. These sounds were so audible that it sounded like people were on the other side of the door. Yet, I didn’t see anyone. Just a long hallway with the lights off. There were doors on the sides. All closed. There was even debris on the floor. The place looked ruined and abandoned. Yet, the sound of walking, shuffling, talking, and shouting were still audible.
It was all so spooky. I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. Something inside me begged me to open the doors and walk around. Was that the right thing to do? This was all unnerving and mysterious and I felt like I had to go inside. At least to just walk a couple of feet.
Again, I looked around behind me to see if anyone was looking. While my head was turned toward the outside, I slowly opened the doors and entered when there was enough space to get in. As soon as I was in, I turned my head forward again and I did not expect to see what was in front of me.
Like magic, the once empty hall was now sprawling with people. Hundreds of them appeared seemingly out of thin air. The lights were on, the floor was clean, and people were going in and out of classrooms. I couldn’t tell what age they were. They all looked somewhere between middle and high school.
“What the fuck. Where am I?” I whispered. I looked down at my hands to make sure this wasn’t one of those dreams. I opened and closed my fists. I pinched myself and it hurt. Sure enough, it was real life.
I stood in that same spot for about a minute just watching everyone walk. When that minute was up, I realized there were less and less people out in the hallway. I saw the last few hurrying to where they needed to be as the last classroom door closed.
In just a few moments, I was alone in the hallway with the buzz of the fluorescent lights. The walls were half white at the bottom, and half red at the top. It looked so liminal like the hallways in my dreams. This wasn’t a dream, though.
I began walking down the hall. I passed by classrooms that had small square windows on the doors that I couldn’t see through.
It was almost silent now with no noise besides my footsteps. I checked my phone for the time. It was 8:15AM. I noticed I didn’t have signal at all. “What? ...why don’t I have service?” I thought to myself.
Once I got to the end of the hallway, I saw that it split into two other hallways. I looked deep into each hallway and they both looked the same. Not knowing where to go I thought, “Okay. That’s enough. Time to leave.”
I did a 180 degree turn to go back the way I came. I didn’t even take a third step when I heard a door open intensely and a harsh voice say “oh THERE he is. OUT in the HALLS and not in CLASS. HEY. YOUNG MAN. You better get in this classroom RIGHT NOW.”
I was startled by that voice. It broke the silence so abruptly that I jumped. It was a fat old lady with a wrinkled and scrunched face. She had curly gray hair and glasses.
I just stared at her for a moment. Then I tried to speak, “... I- I'm sorry, I’m uh... not-”
“YOU HAVEN’T SHOWED UP TO A SINGLE CLASS. Do you have ANY idea how much TROUBLE YOU’RE IN?” she boomed.
I sounded like a mouse compared to her. “L-look I... I think you uh... got the wrong per-”
“GET IN HERE.” she grew angrier. “GET IN THIS CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW.”
I stopped my little muttering and began to walk backwards. The lady then vigorously swung open the classroom door so hard it hit the wall as she speed-walked in my direction with such an aggravated look on her face.
Now, I’m not short, but I’m also not tall. I’m 5’8”. But compared to this lady, she made me look like a third grader. She was gigantic. Probably more than 7 feet tall.
I didn’t know what she was going to do. I walked backwards first and then tried turning around. Before I could make a complete turn, I felt a strong grip on my wrist and my motion stopped completely. I looked down at my wrist and saw a fat hand around it. I struggled hard to break free from the grasp, but I was swiftly pulled in the old lady’s direction.
No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break away. The old lady was dragging me toward the classroom.
“WHAT... THE HELL. HEY. ERGHHH LET GO OF ME!” I yelled.
“YOU DAMN TROUBLESOME KID. GO TO YOUR SEAT!” She pulled me up into the air, suspended by my shirt, and threw me into the classroom.
I hit the floor with a hard thud. My elbow and knees took the most impact as I was slow to get up. Pain hit my legs hard as I got back on my two feet and heard the door shut firmly.
The old lady that just got done manhandling me took a heavy sigh and said, “OKAY. Now we have a full class. That makes Miss Howler happy.” She took a seat at the big desk in the front. After sitting down, she looked over at me with an angry and confused expression.
“Why are you still standing there? Get to YOUR SEAT.”
I was frozen but my eyes darted around the room. I looked at the students. The class was indeed full. I looked at their faces and they were all grinning and looking straight.
My observation of the class was interrupted by the loud slam of Miss Howler’s fat fist on her desk.
“I SAID GO TO YOUR SEAT. RIGHT NOW!!!” she yelled.
I didn’t know what to do. Should I make a run for it? Or should I just sit like the teacher said and just get it over with? I didn’t want to risk being thrown again so I went to the back of the classroom where I saw an empty seat. I sat down and still couldn’t believe what was going on. This felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
I looked around me. Everyone was still looking straight forward. Miss Howler was sitting at her desk again sorting some papers.
“How did I get myself into this mess? And how long will this all take?” I thought. Then, Miss Howler got up from her desk and walked over to the first student sitting in the front row. From where I was, I could see she was passing a packet of papers to each student.
“OKAY. Take one and pass it backwards, please. What you will all receive momentarily is our next assignment. Read through it carefully” she said.
The student sitting in front of me passed a packet over his shoulder for me to grab.
“Surely, I won’t be needing this” I thought while placing it on my desk. I read the words at the top.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 101 – ASSIGNMENT 8
The title was the only thing I understood. The rest of the page was just a bunch of science jargon. The questions were all based on equations with more letters than numbers.
“Like always, have this completed by the end of the week. Late work WILL NOT give you full credit... OHHH... SPEAKING of LATE WORK” Howler turned around and grabbed something beneath her desk. When she turned back around, she looked at me over the top of her glasses.
“YOU. Young man. Come here. Now.” Howler pointed at me and wriggled her finger, motioning for me to come up to the front of the class.
Nervously, I got up and walked past the many students that were still smiling and looking forward. I don’t think I ever saw them blink. When I got to Howler’s desk, she had a neat stack of papers probably about a foot high.
“Take your work and SIT down,” said Howler while glaring at me. Before anything else I grabbed the packet on the top of the stack. I looked at the top, ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LESSONS 1-127. I quickly turned around and walked back towards my seat before Howler slammed her fist again.
“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”
I turned around slowly and nervously. “Wh- what?”
“WHY DID YOU ONLY TAKE THE ONE? YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!?
“Umm... no. Look, I’m not supposed to be here” I said. “How DARE YOU. COME TAKE THE REST OF YOUR WORK,” she yelled. “I... okay,” I said as I walked back. I didn’t know that the whole stack was for me. As I reached for the stack, my vision went all white.
KABWOOSH
In an instant, white papers flew everywhere around me like a hurricane. Howler had bashed the stack with the back of her fat hand so hard that none of them were on the desk anymore. As the last page hit the floor she said, “You have SOME NERVE trying to joke around with ME. YOU’VE GOT SOME NERVE. Now PICK IT UP”.
I thought, “there’s no way I’m going to pick all of this up. This is ridiculous. I must leave. I can make a run for it from here”.
Before picking up a single page, I rushed to the door, pulled on the knob violently and turned it both ways. Sadly, it wouldn’t give. It was locked from the inside. Once I realized this, I felt something towering over me from behind. A shadow loomed over the door.
“Where do you think YOU’RE GOING? I cannot BELIEVE THIS. IN ALL MY YEARS YOU ARE THE WORST”.
I was still facing the door. Disappointed that I couldn’t leave. Suddenly, my neck tightened, and I felt like I was choking. I was pulled backwards. My shirt's collar fell tight as I realized I was being pulled by the back of my collar.
Then I was airborne and fell onto the bed of papers on the floor.
“I SAID PICK THEM UP. I WON’T ASK YOU AGAIN. DO IT NOW!!!!!!” Howler was the angriest she’d ever been so far.
I had no other choice but to pick them up and put them back in a stack. As I was placing them in a pile, I saw bright red dot appear on the white of a page. “Blood?” I thought. Then a few seconds later another drop. I placed my hand on my cheek, and it stung. My fingers were red from touching it. When Howler bashed the paper stack, I must have gotten a paper cut.
Once I was done stacking, I lifted it up and went to my seat. Then Howler began teaching. I can’t remember a single word she said while teaching. It was all chemistry, and I didn’t know a thing about it. All I knew was that I had to get out of there. I needed a reason.
But then she said, “Alright. Any questions?”
I shot my hand up before any of the five other students could. As soon as I did, Howler looked at me and said, “Yes, YOU.”
“Uh... may I use the bathroo-”
“NO. PAY ATTENTION.”
“Please. I just need some paper for this cut on my face.”
She glared at me so hard. I was starting to regret even asking. It felt like I made a huge mistake for even raising my hand at all.
To my surprise she said, “FINE. But don’t think for a SECOND that I’m just going to let you WALK OUT OF HERE by yourself. I’m NOT stupid.”
She looked at the student right in front of her. “James. Please escort your fellow student to the restroom.”
I immediately got up and walked towards the front. James stood up and turned to me. He had short blond hair, green eyes, and was still smiling even when looking at me. “Yes ma’am.” He said in a proud voice. James walked in front of me.
Before we got to the door, I froze as we heard, “LISTEN. You BETTER be back here in TWO MINUTES. BOTH OF YOU. DO NOT waste my time. GO.”
With that, James turned the doorknob. Surprisingly, it opened. How did it open so easily for him?
James and I exited the classroom. Just being out of it felt like freedom. My cut was still dripping blood. I then spoke, “Hey James. What is this place? What’s going on?”
“This is our school. Where have you been this whole time?” He replied. He would not stop smiling.
“What do you mean?” I said, “I’ve never been inside this school before.”
He said, “Yes you have.”
When we got to the bathroom, I quickly got some paper towels and placed them on my cheek. James then said, “Okay. Let’s go back now” as he turned around and headed for the door.
My stomach ached at the thought of going back into that classroom. I was already through with being there. “Hey James, you go on ahead I’ll be in the classroom soon,” I said while opening a stall door.
James stopped before opening the door. “I don’t think we should keep Miss Howler waiting any longer,”
I entered the stall and said, “I really, really, have to use the toilet pretty badly. It’s going to take a while. Please, go ahead and return. I’ll take the blame, James”. With that, I closed the stall door and locked it.
I waited for a response. There was no sound coming from the outside of the stall. James had gone quiet. I was looking down in the opening of the stall under the door. These two neat shoes appeared. I was starting to get creeped out. “Umm... James?” I spoke.
Then, suddenly, blond hair was appearing under the stall door slowly. The neat shoes were still there and hadn’t moved. I kept my eyes on the blond hair as it moved down ever so slightly. I saw a forehead, then eyebrows, then green eyes.
“What the fuck...” I whispered.
It was James’ head. It was upside down. His head kept lowering slowly as his nose was now visible. Then his mouth was coming into full view. He was grinning cheek to cheek like always. I was about to scream my lungs out.
Then he said, “It’s time to go back”.
I will end it here for now. There’s so much more to this occurrence than I can write in one post. I will continue in the next one.
submitted by Vlaedx to nosleep [link] [comments]
Every time I have this dream, I enter a classroom that is listed on my class schedule, and the teacher yells at me for not showing up for weeks or even months. The teacher embarrasses me in front of the class and makes me do work that I didn’t even study for.
I guess it’s not the SCARIEST thing someone can dream about, but being forced to do a mountain of missed classwork is horrible. It also feels embarrassing being humiliated in front of this made-up class. It always feels too real.
I also get variations of this nightmare. Sometimes I dream that I’m running through the halls of the school trying to find where a class is. Then, by the time I find the classroom with the right room number, it’s too late, class is over. Detention.
I’ve had these types of dreams so many times that it feels like I’m enrolled in a completely different school in my mind when I’m asleep. I even have a mental image of what the school looks like from the outside after all those times I’ve been in recess or in the parking lot in other dreams.
Sometimes it’s a class with a teacher from an earlier dream, other times it’s completely different.
I figured these dreams were based on past experiences from elementary, middle, and high school that manifest themselves into vivid simulations from the back of my mind. But then three days ago I found out that it was a lot more than that.
My friend Santiago and I ride motorcycles together when the weather is nice. For weeks we were planning on going to this huge motorcycle meetup together. Before the meetup started, we wanted to rendezvous at his house and then ride our motorcycles to the spot together.
I rode my motorcycle from my house to his using my GPS. I’ve never been to his house before. He lived about thirty-five minutes away from me in a town I’ve passed by but never visited. As soon as I got to his house, Santiago was already turning on his motorcycle in front of his garage.
“Hey man, how’ve you been?” I spoke.
“Good, and you?” he replied.
“Great. I love this weather. You ready to go?”
“Hold on, let me put my dogs inside”.
Once we were all set to go, Santiago rode his motorcycle in front of me as I followed. He knew his way around to get us out of the neighborhood and back on the main road.
Now here’s where things get weird. Between the cluster of suburban neighborhood houses there was a long building that broke the pattern. I saw it in the distance as Santiago and I rode closer. The building was sitting on a hill and just looked unnatural in its place.
As we got past each stop sign and rode closer, the building strangely kept looking more and more familiar. I kept my bike going at a decent speed of 20 miles per hour. I intended to look at this building closely and drove slowly
Then, Santiago and I passed by the front of the building. I constantly turned my head to look at it, then to the road so I didn’t fall or crash. But once we were right in front of it, I just stared. I realized it when I saw the main doors.
It was... just like in my dreams. A long one-story building sitting on top of a grassy green hill. The same distinct main entrance doors. A red and yellow playground on the side of the building. A medium sized parking lot.
There was something so liminal about this building. Almost like those liminal spaces pictures that you see everywhere online. The building did not look real, but it was there right in front of me.
Once I turned my head back to the road, we reached the next stop sign and I nearly bumped tires with Santiago’s bike. Then, eventually, Santiago and I got farther, and farther away.
The rest of the day went well. We went to the meetup, saw a bunch of cool motorcycles, ate at a restaurant in the area, then parted ways and headed home. I had almost forgotten about the building until I rode home on my motorcycle and had time to think about it.
I thought, “What was that place? A school? Why did it look almost the exact same as that school that I see in my dreams? Have I been there before? No, that can’t be. I’ve never visited such a specific neighborhood before. There’s no way I’ve seen this building in my life. It’s just not possible for this dream school to be real.
Last night, I dreamed of the school again. It started off with me looking at the time. It was noon and I was just arriving to school. I was walking towards the entrance in a hurry. I entered the building, and the students were walking in the halls as usual.
I checked my schedule to see where I had to go next. In the list of unintelligible writing, I somehow deduced that I had to go to pottery class. I walked in an aimless direction until I reached a small classroom.
An old man with white hair and glasses looked at me angrily as I took my seat. I always hated old grumpy teachers. This guy was no different
“WHERE have YOU been. What, you don’t think this class is IMPORTANT? You haven’t even started on the first project and we’re already on PROJECT FOUR.”
As always, I just sit there, confused and ashamed. The entire class giggling or shaking their heads in disappointment. The teacher gave me the angriest face as his right hand shook while holding a small pot. Right before the dream ended, I saw the pot leave his hand and soar in my direction.
I woke up not knowing if I was still dreaming or not. Dazed, I had to remind myself that it was only a dream. That dream was extremely vivid. Moreso than the others because the school felt all too real. It was like I was there. The similarities between the dream school and the real building I saw were uncanny. Something made me want to investigate it further.
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I had Google Maps pulled up on my phone. I was looking at Santiago’s address while lying in bed. I knew the building should be around his house, maybe about five or six blocks away. Since the meetup spot was more east, I tapped and dragged the map to the right slowly.
It took only seconds until I found the long building. In this top-down view, I saw how it broke the pattern from the rest of the houses. I tapped it to see if I could get more info on it. Strangely, Google Maps did not have this building listed as anything. It just showed the address as if it were another house.
Then I went into street view mode to get a look at it from street level. “Oh god...” I thought to myself. It looked the exact same as the school I visited in my dreams. This can’t be a coincidence. I must see it for myself.
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UPDATE
It’s been a week and one day since I passed the building on my bike. It was Monday now. Curiosity got the better of me as I was interested in seeing the interior of the building.
The morning was breezy and chilly with cloudy skies. I couldn’t believe what I was doing. I was driving in my car to a school I saw in my dreams. It didn’t take too long to arrive since there was less traffic in the morning. It was almost 8 AM when I arrived at the parking lot of the school and there were a couple of other cars parked there. “Last time it was empty. There should be people inside” I thought.
At first, my plan was that I wasn’t going to enter. I was just going to look through the windows on the doors. Just to see what the inside looked like. This place seemed like a school for small children that I had no business entering.
I walked to the entrance with the glass doors. Honestly, I felt like a creep, but I really wanted to look inside, while hoping there wasn’t a cop around being suspicious of me.
I put my forehead on the glass of the door, with my hands covering the sides of my face to see better. As soon as I got close enough to the glass, I saw nothing but heard everything. With my eyes, I saw an empty hall. With my ears, I heard hundreds of voices.
“Wait... where are these noises coming from?” I thought as I kept looking around. These sounds were so audible that it sounded like people were on the other side of the door. Yet, I didn’t see anyone. Just a long hallway with the lights off. There were doors on the sides. All closed. There was even debris on the floor. The place looked ruined and abandoned. Yet, the sound of walking, shuffling, talking, and shouting were still audible.
It was all so spooky. I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. Something inside me begged me to open the doors and walk around. Was that the right thing to do? This was all unnerving and mysterious and I felt like I had to go inside. At least to just walk a couple of feet.
Again, I looked around behind me to see if anyone was looking. While my head was turned toward the outside, I slowly opened the doors and entered when there was enough space to get in. As soon as I was in, I turned my head forward again and I did not expect to see what was in front of me.
Like magic, the once empty hall was now sprawling with people. Hundreds of them appeared seemingly out of thin air. The lights were on, the floor was clean, and people were going in and out of classrooms. I couldn’t tell what age they were. They all looked somewhere between middle and high school.
“What the fuck. Where am I?” I whispered. I looked down at my hands to make sure this wasn’t one of those dreams. I opened and closed my fists. I pinched myself and it hurt. Sure enough, it was real life.
I stood in that same spot for about a minute just watching everyone walk. When that minute was up, I realized there were less and less people out in the hallway. I saw the last few hurrying to where they needed to be as the last classroom door closed.
In just a few moments, I was alone in the hallway with the buzz of the fluorescent lights. The walls were half white at the bottom, and half red at the top. It looked so liminal like the hallways in my dreams. This wasn’t a dream, though.
I began walking down the hall. I passed by classrooms that had small square windows on the doors that I couldn’t see through.
It was almost silent now with no noise besides my footsteps. I checked my phone for the time. It was 8:15AM. I noticed I didn’t have signal at all. “What? ...why don’t I have service?” I thought to myself.
Once I got to the end of the hallway, I saw that it split into two other hallways. I looked deep into each hallway and they both looked the same. Not knowing where to go I thought, “Okay. That’s enough. Time to leave.”
I did a 180 degree turn to go back the way I came. I didn’t even take a third step when I heard a door open intensely and a harsh voice say “oh THERE he is. OUT in the HALLS and not in CLASS. HEY. YOUNG MAN. You better get in this classroom RIGHT NOW.”
I was startled by that voice. It broke the silence so abruptly that I jumped. It was a fat old lady with a wrinkled and scrunched face. She had curly gray hair and glasses.
I just stared at her for a moment. Then I tried to speak, “... I- I'm sorry, I’m uh... not-”
“YOU HAVEN’T SHOWED UP TO A SINGLE CLASS. Do you have ANY idea how much TROUBLE YOU’RE IN?” she boomed.
I sounded like a mouse compared to her. “L-look I... I think you uh... got the wrong per-”
“GET IN HERE.” she grew angrier. “GET IN THIS CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW.”
I stopped my little muttering and began to walk backwards. The lady then vigorously swung open the classroom door so hard it hit the wall as she speed-walked in my direction with such an aggravated look on her face.
Now, I’m not short, but I’m also not tall. I’m 5’8”. But compared to this lady, she made me look like a third grader. She was gigantic. Probably more than 7 feet tall.
I didn’t know what she was going to do. I walked backwards first and then tried turning around. Before I could make a complete turn, I felt a strong grip on my wrist and my motion stopped completely. I looked down at my wrist and saw a fat hand around it. I struggled hard to break free from the grasp, but I was swiftly pulled in the old lady’s direction.
No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break away. The old lady was dragging me toward the classroom.
“WHAT... THE HELL. HEY. ERGHHH LET GO OF ME!” I yelled.
“YOU DAMN TROUBLESOME KID. GO TO YOUR SEAT!” She pulled me up into the air, suspended by my shirt, and threw me into the classroom.
I hit the floor with a hard thud. My elbow and knees took the most impact as I was slow to get up. Pain hit my legs hard as I got back on my two feet and heard the door shut firmly.
The old lady that just got done manhandling me took a heavy sigh and said, “OKAY. Now we have a full class. That makes Miss Howler happy.” She took a seat at the big desk in the front. After sitting down, she looked over at me with an angry and confused expression.
“Why are you still standing there? Get to YOUR SEAT.”
I was frozen but my eyes darted around the room. I looked at the students. The class was indeed full. I looked at their faces and they were all grinning and looking straight.
My observation of the class was interrupted by the loud slam of Miss Howler’s fat fist on her desk.
“I SAID GO TO YOUR SEAT. RIGHT NOW!!!” she yelled.
I didn’t know what to do. Should I make a run for it? Or should I just sit like the teacher said and just get it over with? I didn’t want to risk being thrown again so I went to the back of the classroom where I saw an empty seat. I sat down and still couldn’t believe what was going on. This felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
I looked around me. Everyone was still looking straight forward. Miss Howler was sitting at her desk again sorting some papers.
“How did I get myself into this mess? And how long will this all take?” I thought. Then, Miss Howler got up from her desk and walked over to the first student sitting in the front row. From where I was, I could see she was passing a packet of papers to each student.
“OKAY. Take one and pass it backwards, please. What you will all receive momentarily is our next assignment. Read through it carefully” she said.
The student sitting in front of me passed a packet over his shoulder for me to grab.
“Surely, I won’t be needing this” I thought while placing it on my desk. I read the words at the top.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 101 – ASSIGNMENT 8
The title was the only thing I understood. The rest of the page was just a bunch of science jargon. The questions were all based on equations with more letters than numbers.
“Like always, have this completed by the end of the week. Late work WILL NOT give you full credit... OHHH... SPEAKING of LATE WORK” Howler turned around and grabbed something beneath her desk. When she turned back around, she looked at me over the top of her glasses.
“YOU. Young man. Come here. Now.” Howler pointed at me and wriggled her finger, motioning for me to come up to the front of the class.
Nervously, I got up and walked past the many students that were still smiling and looking forward. I don’t think I ever saw them blink. When I got to Howler’s desk, she had a neat stack of papers probably about a foot high.
“Take your work and SIT down,” said Howler while glaring at me. Before anything else I grabbed the packet on the top of the stack. I looked at the top, ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LESSONS 1-127. I quickly turned around and walked back towards my seat before Howler slammed her fist again.
“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”
I turned around slowly and nervously. “Wh- what?”
“WHY DID YOU ONLY TAKE THE ONE? YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!?
“Umm... no. Look, I’m not supposed to be here” I said. “How DARE YOU. COME TAKE THE REST OF YOUR WORK,” she yelled. “I... okay,” I said as I walked back. I didn’t know that the whole stack was for me. As I reached for the stack, my vision went all white.
KABWOOSH
In an instant, white papers flew everywhere around me like a hurricane. Howler had bashed the stack with the back of her fat hand so hard that none of them were on the desk anymore. As the last page hit the floor she said, “You have SOME NERVE trying to joke around with ME. YOU’VE GOT SOME NERVE. Now PICK IT UP”.
I thought, “there’s no way I’m going to pick all of this up. This is ridiculous. I must leave. I can make a run for it from here”.
Before picking up a single page, I rushed to the door, pulled on the knob violently and turned it both ways. Sadly, it wouldn’t give. It was locked from the inside. Once I realized this, I felt something towering over me from behind. A shadow loomed over the door.
“Where do you think YOU’RE GOING? I cannot BELIEVE THIS. IN ALL MY YEARS YOU ARE THE WORST”.
I was still facing the door. Disappointed that I couldn’t leave. Suddenly, my neck tightened, and I felt like I was choking. I was pulled backwards. My shirt's collar fell tight as I realized I was being pulled by the back of my collar.
Then I was airborne and fell onto the bed of papers on the floor.
“I SAID PICK THEM UP. I WON’T ASK YOU AGAIN. DO IT NOW!!!!!!” Howler was the angriest she’d ever been so far.
I had no other choice but to pick them up and put them back in a stack. As I was placing them in a pile, I saw bright red dot appear on the white of a page. “Blood?” I thought. Then a few seconds later another drop. I placed my hand on my cheek, and it stung. My fingers were red from touching it. When Howler bashed the paper stack, I must have gotten a paper cut.
Once I was done stacking, I lifted it up and went to my seat. Then Howler began teaching. I can’t remember a single word she said while teaching. It was all chemistry, and I didn’t know a thing about it. All I knew was that I had to get out of there. I needed a reason.
But then she said, “Alright. Any questions?”
I shot my hand up before any of the five other students could. As soon as I did, Howler looked at me and said, “Yes, YOU.”
“Uh... may I use the bathroo-”
“NO. PAY ATTENTION.”
“Please. I just need some paper for this cut on my face.”
She glared at me so hard. I was starting to regret even asking. It felt like I made a huge mistake for even raising my hand at all.
To my surprise she said, “FINE. But don’t think for a SECOND that I’m just going to let you WALK OUT OF HERE by yourself. I’m NOT stupid.”
She looked at the student right in front of her. “James. Please escort your fellow student to the restroom.”
I immediately got up and walked towards the front. James stood up and turned to me. He had short blond hair, green eyes, and was still smiling even when looking at me. “Yes ma’am.” He said in a proud voice. James walked in front of me.
Before we got to the door, I froze as we heard, “LISTEN. You BETTER be back here in TWO MINUTES. BOTH OF YOU. DO NOT waste my time. GO.”
With that, James turned the doorknob. Surprisingly, it opened. How did it open so easily for him?
James and I exited the classroom. Just being out of it felt like freedom. My cut was still dripping blood. I then spoke, “Hey James. What is this place? What’s going on?”
“This is our school. Where have you been this whole time?” He replied. He would not stop smiling.
“What do you mean?” I said, “I’ve never been inside this school before.”
He said, “Yes you have.”
When we got to the bathroom, I quickly got some paper towels and placed them on my cheek. James then said, “Okay. Let’s go back now” as he turned around and headed for the door.
My stomach ached at the thought of going back into that classroom. I was already through with being there. “Hey James, you go on ahead I’ll be in the classroom soon,” I said while opening a stall door.
James stopped before opening the door. “I don’t think we should keep Miss Howler waiting any longer,”
I entered the stall and said, “I really, really, have to use the toilet pretty badly. It’s going to take a while. Please, go ahead and return. I’ll take the blame, James”. With that, I closed the stall door and locked it.
I waited for a response. There was no sound coming from the outside of the stall. James had gone quiet. I was looking down in the opening of the stall under the door. These two neat shoes appeared. I was starting to get creeped out. “Umm... James?” I spoke.
Then, suddenly, blond hair was appearing under the stall door slowly. The neat shoes were still there and hadn’t moved. I kept my eyes on the blond hair as it moved down ever so slightly. I saw a forehead, then eyebrows, then green eyes.
“What the fuck...” I whispered.
It was James’ head. It was upside down. His head kept lowering slowly as his nose was now visible. Then his mouth was coming into full view. He was grinning cheek to cheek like always. I was about to scream my lungs out.
Then he said, “It’s time to go back”.
I will end it here for now. There’s so much more to this occurrence than I can write in one post. I will continue in the next one.
2023.06.07 17:12 endersgame69 Adopted By Humans VII C18
A half orbit for Earth was six months, not what I was expecting, but all things considered… Well, Bonny Red would always be a creature of wildness and whims in my head. Shenanigans might as well have been her standard method of operation. ‘What is your mission?’ Why, shenanigans, of course, what else would it be?
Still, when she was serious, she was deadly serious, and if it mattered, I was confident I could trust her to be there for us. She may have been away from Earth for a few years, but home was home, and she considered herself to be ‘home’ when it came to Earth.
“Naturally, we are prepared to pardon your ahem…” Livingston’s tail bristled, “Indiscretions… when it comes to the violation of the law.”
Bonny Red snorted so loudly it was almost a sneeze. “Matey,” she stared down the orangish red fur of her snout and said, “Does Cap’n Bonny Red o’ The Red Spark seem the sort to give a bugger up Davy Jones arse if’n she be pardoned or nae?”
“No…no, I suppose not.” Livingston answered, “Still, you can’t deny it’ll be useful to ye… you…” He corrected himself, “if you can travel freely throughout Dlamias controlled territory. After all, you’ve missed out on a lot of resupply options, having to go well around our space to avoid detention, arrest, or combat.”
“That be fer yer own good, matey, nae mine.” She huffed and leaned back in her chair, giving a casual wave of her hand, “I’m sure ye know all the nice new toys we’ve managed to snag, at least by reputation if nae by being on the receiving end of things.”
I had a vague inkling of what she meant. She told me about her ventures into permastorm territory, but what she found there was mostly secret. All I knew for sure was that The Red Spark hadn’t faced a serious threat in a very long time.
“That also means you don’t actively want to fight your own people.” Livingston observed, “Consider this a… peace offering, from one outlier to another.”
Bonny Red’s amused posture faded. “I told ye, didn’t I, matey? There’s a lot of things under yer own nose much more dangerous than me an my crew.”
He scratched underneath his jaw, for a moment and then replied, “Yes. Yes you did. You’ll have your pardon just the same, just as I promised, your one job is to take the Walkers and the envoy of experts into that star system and get them back alive when we have… what is it the humans say, Presider?”
“An outbreak of Peace, Livingston.” The Presider answered with a wry little trace of a smile in spite of the stress that was aging him a year with every hour.
“I won’t pretend this is not dangerous. Praeda class species can be jittery, we don’t know how they’ll respond. But we won’t stand idly by if they act out. When we go to the Rapax conference we intend to propose a general alliance of mutual support in the event of any hostile action toward yourselves.” The Presider may have meant it to be reassuring, and for a moment it was.
Till William said, “I never aspired to be a canary in a coal mine.”
“And I have no desire to see us all martyred…martyrdom never appealed to me. But what do we do about Michael? I understand about our daughter, she’s an adult and there’s no talking her out of anything she’s decided on. No… we know that much for certain. But taking our son out there…?” Rebecca crossed her arms and stared at the masters of worlds, “I categorically refuse.”
The human instinct to preserve their offspring is some of the strongest in the galaxy, speaking bluntly, I thought just having him there was an asset, he was small, young, less than threatening, and might even increase the odds of success.
But I too was starting to understand their view of things, and as if to demonstrate that Livingston had more outlier in him than I expected, he had an answer.
“I addressed the matter with your bodyguards. Byron and Boatswain, who recommended that he be housed on Fort Knox with the special forces units. First Sergeant Iskandar has offered to allow Michael to remain with his family for the duration of your task.”
“Naturally,” The Presider explained, “there will be compensation for your work in all of this. I regret having to come to a citizen in this way, but anything too official is likely to raise some hackles, something that is more…human? For lack of a better term, offers us the best chance to help them rest easy and know that we mean them no harm and have nothing to do with the destructive events the esteemed Captain has found evidence of.”
Bonny Red preened a little, scratching under her jaw and looking cockily up and away from the screen for a moment.
She always could be counted upon, I have to admit, part of me wondered if her vanity was something that would be found in most of my species when my quiet revolution took hold with such force that the government could do nothing but knuckle under to the pressure wave of the population demanding that they get more out of life than work and death.
That couldn’t happen now, though, not with the Rogue World on its way, not with the tensions mounting and the battle lines being drawn.
But afterward? I don’t know if I would be able to take being around so many like my Bonny Red…one of those was plenty. My tongue lolled out of my mouth though as the excitement of possibility came over me.
I may be a bit cowardly, but damn it, when an opportunity comes to really make a huge step forward and to test up close how humans and prey species interact… Okay yes, I did think of my doctoral thesis right then, sue me. How could I not, when even my own professor never got this chance. Remember all of us are from the predator or ‘Rapax’ class, he did not believe that prey, other than those who are care dependent, could properly get along with humans.
This attitude infected my classmates significantly, and did mine as well to a degree. But I now had my doubts.
And before long, I’d know for sure whether or not I was right.
When the call finally ended and the details were worked out, I was already ready to go.
Danger be damned, there were things out there to learn!
submitted by endersgame69 to TheWorldMaker [link] [comments]
Still, when she was serious, she was deadly serious, and if it mattered, I was confident I could trust her to be there for us. She may have been away from Earth for a few years, but home was home, and she considered herself to be ‘home’ when it came to Earth.
“Naturally, we are prepared to pardon your ahem…” Livingston’s tail bristled, “Indiscretions… when it comes to the violation of the law.”
Bonny Red snorted so loudly it was almost a sneeze. “Matey,” she stared down the orangish red fur of her snout and said, “Does Cap’n Bonny Red o’ The Red Spark seem the sort to give a bugger up Davy Jones arse if’n she be pardoned or nae?”
“No…no, I suppose not.” Livingston answered, “Still, you can’t deny it’ll be useful to ye… you…” He corrected himself, “if you can travel freely throughout Dlamias controlled territory. After all, you’ve missed out on a lot of resupply options, having to go well around our space to avoid detention, arrest, or combat.”
“That be fer yer own good, matey, nae mine.” She huffed and leaned back in her chair, giving a casual wave of her hand, “I’m sure ye know all the nice new toys we’ve managed to snag, at least by reputation if nae by being on the receiving end of things.”
I had a vague inkling of what she meant. She told me about her ventures into permastorm territory, but what she found there was mostly secret. All I knew for sure was that The Red Spark hadn’t faced a serious threat in a very long time.
“That also means you don’t actively want to fight your own people.” Livingston observed, “Consider this a… peace offering, from one outlier to another.”
Bonny Red’s amused posture faded. “I told ye, didn’t I, matey? There’s a lot of things under yer own nose much more dangerous than me an my crew.”
He scratched underneath his jaw, for a moment and then replied, “Yes. Yes you did. You’ll have your pardon just the same, just as I promised, your one job is to take the Walkers and the envoy of experts into that star system and get them back alive when we have… what is it the humans say, Presider?”
“An outbreak of Peace, Livingston.” The Presider answered with a wry little trace of a smile in spite of the stress that was aging him a year with every hour.
“I won’t pretend this is not dangerous. Praeda class species can be jittery, we don’t know how they’ll respond. But we won’t stand idly by if they act out. When we go to the Rapax conference we intend to propose a general alliance of mutual support in the event of any hostile action toward yourselves.” The Presider may have meant it to be reassuring, and for a moment it was.
Till William said, “I never aspired to be a canary in a coal mine.”
“And I have no desire to see us all martyred…martyrdom never appealed to me. But what do we do about Michael? I understand about our daughter, she’s an adult and there’s no talking her out of anything she’s decided on. No… we know that much for certain. But taking our son out there…?” Rebecca crossed her arms and stared at the masters of worlds, “I categorically refuse.”
The human instinct to preserve their offspring is some of the strongest in the galaxy, speaking bluntly, I thought just having him there was an asset, he was small, young, less than threatening, and might even increase the odds of success.
But I too was starting to understand their view of things, and as if to demonstrate that Livingston had more outlier in him than I expected, he had an answer.
“I addressed the matter with your bodyguards. Byron and Boatswain, who recommended that he be housed on Fort Knox with the special forces units. First Sergeant Iskandar has offered to allow Michael to remain with his family for the duration of your task.”
“Naturally,” The Presider explained, “there will be compensation for your work in all of this. I regret having to come to a citizen in this way, but anything too official is likely to raise some hackles, something that is more…human? For lack of a better term, offers us the best chance to help them rest easy and know that we mean them no harm and have nothing to do with the destructive events the esteemed Captain has found evidence of.”
Bonny Red preened a little, scratching under her jaw and looking cockily up and away from the screen for a moment.
She always could be counted upon, I have to admit, part of me wondered if her vanity was something that would be found in most of my species when my quiet revolution took hold with such force that the government could do nothing but knuckle under to the pressure wave of the population demanding that they get more out of life than work and death.
That couldn’t happen now, though, not with the Rogue World on its way, not with the tensions mounting and the battle lines being drawn.
But afterward? I don’t know if I would be able to take being around so many like my Bonny Red…one of those was plenty. My tongue lolled out of my mouth though as the excitement of possibility came over me.
I may be a bit cowardly, but damn it, when an opportunity comes to really make a huge step forward and to test up close how humans and prey species interact… Okay yes, I did think of my doctoral thesis right then, sue me. How could I not, when even my own professor never got this chance. Remember all of us are from the predator or ‘Rapax’ class, he did not believe that prey, other than those who are care dependent, could properly get along with humans.
This attitude infected my classmates significantly, and did mine as well to a degree. But I now had my doubts.
And before long, I’d know for sure whether or not I was right.
When the call finally ended and the details were worked out, I was already ready to go.
Danger be damned, there were things out there to learn!
2023.06.07 17:11 endersgame69 Kayobi's Days Off C17
Following humans is really easy. I can be a bird, a bug, a man or woman… I can be anything I wish to be, when I wish to be it, and with their ignorance of the wider Universe beyond their own world, and a total lack of magic in their hands… What do I have to worry about? What hope have they of keeping me out of where I wish to go, of keeping me from following who I wish to follow?
Exactly. Mind you I’m not one to abuse this ability, I don’t stalk Jin or Suki or the rest of the neighborhood, I would never abuse these gifts.
I just do what has to be done. So, I followed on, it was evening, it was dark, and I was miffed about my needing to do this instead of watching ghoul boy struggle through learning to use his new powers in yet another hero fiction that is surprisingly better than one would think.
I did have the relief of knowing that these were professionals, and so when they realized their phones were broken and their car wouldn’t stop ‘properly’ they actually didn’t drive with reckless disregard for anyone else.
Based on how the car slowed down on the road, they must have simply taken their foot off the pedal, then let the car ‘coast’ to a stop in a nearly empty parking lot.
To make a long story into a short one, when they’d borrowed a phone and called for help, I had an even easier time, because ‘that’ car would definitely belong to their specific organization. Professionals are predictable, they follow rules, even if only internal ones, and since the Yakuza were sort of ‘legal criminals’ it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out which gang was trying to extort my little town. Just find the organization who the car is registered to.
And if I had to go up one more level after this, I would.
Inside the vehicle I was following as it drove into the city, I could hear their conversation, in all its glorious consternation.
“...The tires were popped and the brakes were cut, one is one thing, but four tires and a brake line? Someone did that.” The driver. I recognized his voice.
“Nobody could have gotten around us, so then how…?” The passenger. He still believed it was an accident. I don’t blame him. And also, I couldn’t be blamed for mentally smirking. My current bird beak wouldn’t do that, but it was fine. I smirked inside my head and that was good enough.
The building they parked under was dark, and frankly a little dank, the rain from before left some moisture behind, I supposed. But more importantly, just to be cautious I landed behind a pillar, returned to myself, and cast my spell. [Y’tilibisivni] And then I sauntered out from behind the pillar and watched them exit the car.
They were still arguing with each other, the two idiots, that is, as I followed behind them and watched them get into the elevator.
A wicked impulse came over me, looking down at the glowing elevator button. I could have just disabled it, but… Instead I just pushed the button.
The doors were just about to close, and I got them to open.
They ceased arguing, looked around, saw nothing, and the taller of the two pushed the ‘close door’ button.
I remained outside and pushed the ‘up’ button again.
Again the doors began to open.
“Really?” He asked the Universe.
“Really.” I thought, and as the door closed again, I pushed the button a third time.
A fourth.
A fifth.
Until his face grimaced and he punched the panel with a shout. “Damn it!” He snarled, “Come on, we’ll take the stairs!”
“It’s a hundred twenty floors up!” His companion squeaked.
“And we’d have done twenty of them in the time it took to make that decision. Come on! The damn thing is busted.” He said as I… pushed the button again, forcing the doors to part one more time.
I, of course, had no intention of taking the stairs. I waited until they stormed into the stairwell, then stepped through the elevator, hit the button for the top floor, and leaned against the wall with my arms crossed and humming contentedly with a real smirk on my invisible face that held all the way up there and to through the very moment when the two emerged from the stairwell huffing and puffing and hunched over, with sweat dripping from their faces and staining what were admittedly very nice dark suits.
I crinkled my nose at the smell, but went into step as they walked over the rich scarlet rug that lead to a polished black set of double doors.
I slipped in behind them and watched as they approached a middle aged man in frankly much better shape than the old guy from before. He was at least as well dressed and was sitting on his heels with his legs curled beneath him in front of a low table that was fairly common in this part of the world.
In front of him was a bottle of expensive wine that was already half empty, and a paper he was writing on by hand. ‘A little more traditional than I expected but… tastes are what they are.’
“Why are you two here? What happened, eh?” He tilted his head back and glared at the sweaty pair, his nose crinkled just as mine had when the smell of sweat hit his nostrils.
“And why are you sweating? We have an elevator!” He snapped and pinched his nose shut.
“Didn’t… work…” The larger of the pair said and they descended to their knees, then down to all fours.
They then explained what happened, the tires, the breaks… I kind of thought the boss would lose his temper a little when they explained, but to my surprise, he was very calm about it.
“We’ll have it towed tomorrow, good work avoiding an accident I guess but… how did all that happen in the first place?!” He groused, mixing praise with visible annoyance.
I sat down at the table and waited until they were done. “I’ll get some other people out there tomorrow. You two… just… get out.” He rubbed his forehead and the pair hastened away as fast as they’d entered… perhaps a little faster, now that they’d had a few minutes to rest.
I waited until we were alone, just he and I, and until he rose to his feet and had his back to the door, approaching his desk near the window.
Last time I chose another world’s warbeast. This time, I decided to go with something more… local.
I stood, shifted into the form of a towering werewolf, something bigger, larger even than their myths, and the first moment he knew I was there was when my long furry fingers and sharp claws were coming around from behind him… and he saw my reflection in the glass.
He opened his mouth to scream, my free hand came up and I pinched his tongue with clawed thumb and forefinger, denying him the ability to do so. “Gahawahh gawhaaha” Was all he managed to get out, he shook his head, but bound by his tongue, he couldn’t really even properly protest. My dark fur was so close he couldn’t not see it, even in the dim light of his office. My hot breath wafted over his face and made him try again to tear himself free.
I squeezed, I could feel his body ‘crack’ just a little. ‘Hey! I brushed my teeth, damnit! My breath doesn’t stink!’ I thought, and now I was really annoyed. Bad enough they were taking up my free time, but now they add insult to injury.
“Stay. Out. Of. Shinjai.” He growled. “Did my message not reach you? Shinjai belongs to the devil. Did I come to your house, disrupt your day, make things inconvenient for you?!” I shouted and shook him around like a ragdoll. I released his tongue so I would not tear it out, and held him up so that he was level with my bright yellow eyes.
“You-” He started to protest, I shook him around again until he shut up.
“Did I?!” I demanded in a wolfish, rough, gravely voice.
“N-No.” He grimaced as I squeezed tighter.
“You may come to Shinjai… as people. Spend money, patronize their businesses. But commit no crimes, and never come as Yakuza. In the house of the devil… you do not demand water.” I then straightened, putting the claw on my thumb just beneath his chin, grazing his vulnerable throat.
“If I must repeat this to your boss. I already know where he is, I will bring down these buildings on your heads. The devil does not deal.” I growled, and squeezed again, his legs began to kick and flail… I was bluffing of course. With what I already had, and with a little help from one of our satellites, I was pretty sure I could get everything I needed to in short order.
“Tell me you understand… human?” I growled.
His head bobbed up and down, “Yes. Yes! I understand!” He gasped and wheezed as my grip tightened.
“Good.” I dropped him to crumple in a heap, and he remained on all fours while he hacked and coughed and his body trembled in a mix of horror and disbelief.
“What… does the devil… want with Shinjai… anyway? It’s just a poor backwater…” He asked and began rubbing his throat where my claw had been not but a moment before. The little red dot on his hand where he rubbed would serve as a fine reminder, I should hope.
But even so, he was braver than I expected, to be at a werewolf’s feet and still question me? I chose to reward his courage.
“A vacation. I work hard. I want to relax. Shinjai is good for that. Do not disrupt my vacation again.” I don’t know what compelled me to say that, I mean, I meant to reward him, so it wasn’t an accident, but even so, I could have come up with a better excuse.
But I got that little chilly feeling in my spine that warned me I’d just done something that would have unexpected results.
“I… understand. I will… make sure… everyone knows… Shinjai, is the place where devils rest… no one… will disrupt it.” The way he said it felt ‘off’ to me.
But I wasn’t quite sure why.
I dismissed it, the matter was settled for now, and if it got worse, so would I.
“Good.” I gave a generic answer as if I were pleased, and then gave him a fairly gentle thump on the head, putting him to sleep.
After I was ‘myself’ again, I went to the paper on his desk and scrawled a little reminder note. ‘Remember, do not disturb the devil’s rest.’
With that, I teleported away, and flopped on my couch and began watching high school girls fleeing zombies as the world began to burn around them. I fell asleep to their screams before the first episode ended.
submitted by endersgame69 to TheWorldMaker [link] [comments]
Exactly. Mind you I’m not one to abuse this ability, I don’t stalk Jin or Suki or the rest of the neighborhood, I would never abuse these gifts.
I just do what has to be done. So, I followed on, it was evening, it was dark, and I was miffed about my needing to do this instead of watching ghoul boy struggle through learning to use his new powers in yet another hero fiction that is surprisingly better than one would think.
I did have the relief of knowing that these were professionals, and so when they realized their phones were broken and their car wouldn’t stop ‘properly’ they actually didn’t drive with reckless disregard for anyone else.
Based on how the car slowed down on the road, they must have simply taken their foot off the pedal, then let the car ‘coast’ to a stop in a nearly empty parking lot.
To make a long story into a short one, when they’d borrowed a phone and called for help, I had an even easier time, because ‘that’ car would definitely belong to their specific organization. Professionals are predictable, they follow rules, even if only internal ones, and since the Yakuza were sort of ‘legal criminals’ it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out which gang was trying to extort my little town. Just find the organization who the car is registered to.
And if I had to go up one more level after this, I would.
Inside the vehicle I was following as it drove into the city, I could hear their conversation, in all its glorious consternation.
“...The tires were popped and the brakes were cut, one is one thing, but four tires and a brake line? Someone did that.” The driver. I recognized his voice.
“Nobody could have gotten around us, so then how…?” The passenger. He still believed it was an accident. I don’t blame him. And also, I couldn’t be blamed for mentally smirking. My current bird beak wouldn’t do that, but it was fine. I smirked inside my head and that was good enough.
The building they parked under was dark, and frankly a little dank, the rain from before left some moisture behind, I supposed. But more importantly, just to be cautious I landed behind a pillar, returned to myself, and cast my spell. [Y’tilibisivni] And then I sauntered out from behind the pillar and watched them exit the car.
They were still arguing with each other, the two idiots, that is, as I followed behind them and watched them get into the elevator.
A wicked impulse came over me, looking down at the glowing elevator button. I could have just disabled it, but… Instead I just pushed the button.
The doors were just about to close, and I got them to open.
They ceased arguing, looked around, saw nothing, and the taller of the two pushed the ‘close door’ button.
I remained outside and pushed the ‘up’ button again.
Again the doors began to open.
“Really?” He asked the Universe.
“Really.” I thought, and as the door closed again, I pushed the button a third time.
A fourth.
A fifth.
Until his face grimaced and he punched the panel with a shout. “Damn it!” He snarled, “Come on, we’ll take the stairs!”
“It’s a hundred twenty floors up!” His companion squeaked.
“And we’d have done twenty of them in the time it took to make that decision. Come on! The damn thing is busted.” He said as I… pushed the button again, forcing the doors to part one more time.
I, of course, had no intention of taking the stairs. I waited until they stormed into the stairwell, then stepped through the elevator, hit the button for the top floor, and leaned against the wall with my arms crossed and humming contentedly with a real smirk on my invisible face that held all the way up there and to through the very moment when the two emerged from the stairwell huffing and puffing and hunched over, with sweat dripping from their faces and staining what were admittedly very nice dark suits.
I crinkled my nose at the smell, but went into step as they walked over the rich scarlet rug that lead to a polished black set of double doors.
I slipped in behind them and watched as they approached a middle aged man in frankly much better shape than the old guy from before. He was at least as well dressed and was sitting on his heels with his legs curled beneath him in front of a low table that was fairly common in this part of the world.
In front of him was a bottle of expensive wine that was already half empty, and a paper he was writing on by hand. ‘A little more traditional than I expected but… tastes are what they are.’
“Why are you two here? What happened, eh?” He tilted his head back and glared at the sweaty pair, his nose crinkled just as mine had when the smell of sweat hit his nostrils.
“And why are you sweating? We have an elevator!” He snapped and pinched his nose shut.
“Didn’t… work…” The larger of the pair said and they descended to their knees, then down to all fours.
They then explained what happened, the tires, the breaks… I kind of thought the boss would lose his temper a little when they explained, but to my surprise, he was very calm about it.
“We’ll have it towed tomorrow, good work avoiding an accident I guess but… how did all that happen in the first place?!” He groused, mixing praise with visible annoyance.
I sat down at the table and waited until they were done. “I’ll get some other people out there tomorrow. You two… just… get out.” He rubbed his forehead and the pair hastened away as fast as they’d entered… perhaps a little faster, now that they’d had a few minutes to rest.
I waited until we were alone, just he and I, and until he rose to his feet and had his back to the door, approaching his desk near the window.
Last time I chose another world’s warbeast. This time, I decided to go with something more… local.
I stood, shifted into the form of a towering werewolf, something bigger, larger even than their myths, and the first moment he knew I was there was when my long furry fingers and sharp claws were coming around from behind him… and he saw my reflection in the glass.
He opened his mouth to scream, my free hand came up and I pinched his tongue with clawed thumb and forefinger, denying him the ability to do so. “Gahawahh gawhaaha” Was all he managed to get out, he shook his head, but bound by his tongue, he couldn’t really even properly protest. My dark fur was so close he couldn’t not see it, even in the dim light of his office. My hot breath wafted over his face and made him try again to tear himself free.
I squeezed, I could feel his body ‘crack’ just a little. ‘Hey! I brushed my teeth, damnit! My breath doesn’t stink!’ I thought, and now I was really annoyed. Bad enough they were taking up my free time, but now they add insult to injury.
“Stay. Out. Of. Shinjai.” He growled. “Did my message not reach you? Shinjai belongs to the devil. Did I come to your house, disrupt your day, make things inconvenient for you?!” I shouted and shook him around like a ragdoll. I released his tongue so I would not tear it out, and held him up so that he was level with my bright yellow eyes.
“You-” He started to protest, I shook him around again until he shut up.
“Did I?!” I demanded in a wolfish, rough, gravely voice.
“N-No.” He grimaced as I squeezed tighter.
“You may come to Shinjai… as people. Spend money, patronize their businesses. But commit no crimes, and never come as Yakuza. In the house of the devil… you do not demand water.” I then straightened, putting the claw on my thumb just beneath his chin, grazing his vulnerable throat.
“If I must repeat this to your boss. I already know where he is, I will bring down these buildings on your heads. The devil does not deal.” I growled, and squeezed again, his legs began to kick and flail… I was bluffing of course. With what I already had, and with a little help from one of our satellites, I was pretty sure I could get everything I needed to in short order.
“Tell me you understand… human?” I growled.
His head bobbed up and down, “Yes. Yes! I understand!” He gasped and wheezed as my grip tightened.
“Good.” I dropped him to crumple in a heap, and he remained on all fours while he hacked and coughed and his body trembled in a mix of horror and disbelief.
“What… does the devil… want with Shinjai… anyway? It’s just a poor backwater…” He asked and began rubbing his throat where my claw had been not but a moment before. The little red dot on his hand where he rubbed would serve as a fine reminder, I should hope.
But even so, he was braver than I expected, to be at a werewolf’s feet and still question me? I chose to reward his courage.
“A vacation. I work hard. I want to relax. Shinjai is good for that. Do not disrupt my vacation again.” I don’t know what compelled me to say that, I mean, I meant to reward him, so it wasn’t an accident, but even so, I could have come up with a better excuse.
But I got that little chilly feeling in my spine that warned me I’d just done something that would have unexpected results.
“I… understand. I will… make sure… everyone knows… Shinjai, is the place where devils rest… no one… will disrupt it.” The way he said it felt ‘off’ to me.
But I wasn’t quite sure why.
I dismissed it, the matter was settled for now, and if it got worse, so would I.
“Good.” I gave a generic answer as if I were pleased, and then gave him a fairly gentle thump on the head, putting him to sleep.
After I was ‘myself’ again, I went to the paper on his desk and scrawled a little reminder note. ‘Remember, do not disturb the devil’s rest.’
With that, I teleported away, and flopped on my couch and began watching high school girls fleeing zombies as the world began to burn around them. I fell asleep to their screams before the first episode ended.
2023.06.07 17:02 Screaming_Mosquito Does anyone want this thing growing in my backyard? Please say yes.
I've tried selling this thing for weeks now on Facebook Marketplace, eventually at just 1 cent because I just genuinely want it out of my hair. And I cannot find any takers. I want someone to just take it instead of throwing it out because honestly, I'm deeply nervous about what would happen if I did. But if this advertisement proves to be just as fruitless, I will do it despite my nervousness because my mind just can't take this anymore otherwise I'm afraid I'm going to have a psychological break with reality and need to be sedated.
I grew up originally in Northern California near Mt. Shasta, and four years ago I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii after I got a new job working for the university located in Hilo as an adjunct. The search for a place to rent where I could garden in the backyard took a while, but the wait was worth it. Gardening is like comfort food for my soul, and always has been ever since I was a little girl. My mom brought me up doing it, and I took to it immediately when I was just 3 or 4 she always liked to remind me.
I suppose the reason I wanted to leave California was the fact that she wasn't there anymore, that the last piece or vestige of my family was gone and I was all that was left of the life we used to have out there. I remember the day everything was packed up for the movers and ready to go, I walked outside to wait for a friend to pick me up to take me to the airport. As I sat there on my porch, I saw an elderly man walking in front of my front yard. It was an old friend of my mom's from the neighborhood. He had been very kind to me at her funeral as he had just lost his wife himself. We both waved at each other and I got up to chat with him one last time.
As it turned out, he was there to give me a going away present. It was a batch of strange seeds in a small sack. Some were colored burgundy, others indigo, and still others ivory with fascinating patterns on them. In total, there were 19 by my count. He said that before his wife passed away, she had originally intended to give them to my mom. Apparently, during one of their hiking trips around the mountain, the two of them kept stopping to see if someone was following them. Every time they would, some tree would rustle or a bush would make a quick, sharp noise indicating some sort of disturbance. Towards the end of their hike, they stopped one final time only for them to turn around and notice that someone had left this dingy little sack of seeds on a rotted out tree stump they had just passed. In other words, there was no question at that point that they had been followed.
For what reason? He couldn't say, though obviously the implication was that whoever it was wanted them to have these seeds. His wife died soon after that, before she could pass them along to my mother. He said he was hesitant to part with them after she died, but felt extremely guilty having waited too long to give them to my mom. Now that I was heading to Hawaii, he thought he ought to just give them to me instead of continuing to keep them. Other than that, he told me to be very careful with them, to specifically pour them out into the ground from the sack instead of touching them myself. And I wondered why. Like it's such an oddly specific thing to bring up about them.
Regardless.
I took them gratefully and thanked him for the gift and said that my mother would have loved them. Now, I'm not so sure she would have.
It was only a week or so after I had finally unpacked everything in my new place that I decided to garden again. And the first thing I planted, of course, were the seeds once meant for my mom. In memory of her. It was only one I put in the ground because honestly I wasn’t exactly sure how big this thing was going to grow to be. I wasn’t even sure what exactly this thing was even going to grow to be either. Turns out, it’s a vegetable… of some kind. I think. It’s almost like a yam? Like with the same texture and everything but with bright orange skin… and fur in strange places? Also, another thing, it’s like a yam but at the time of writing this it has most definitely grown beyond the size of a typical yam. Basically it’ll increase in size every week or so by a half a foot by my measure. Also, every time it grows by that much, another bulbous root pops out and burrows itself beneath.
And oh yeah there are little blue flowers (or what I guess you could call flowers) growing out of little nooks and crannies and just random spots all over. I’m not sure what to say. I have yet to identify it. If one of you reading this can, then good for you, would you like to take it off my hands in that case? Please? Okay well, I guess I better finally explain why I want this damn thing out of here. I’ve already ostracized myself at work trying to get people to take it, as well as trying to explain what makes me hate the thing, so what harm will come from making a bunch of internet strangers think I’m creepy or crazy?
The black and white of it is that every time this thing grows a half a foot, every time another root plants itself in the ground, every time another one of those little blue flower buds appears on it, something changes. About the world we live in. About our history. About how we live day to day. And no one seems to notice any of the changes except for me. Today in fact, I almost got into a fatal car crash after I woke up and took note of a new flower bud growing on the side of it facing my house. If you put a Bible in front of me and made me swear to God that I was going to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth I would swear on that, my life, and my late mother’s grave that I grew up knowing that Americans in all 50 states drive on the left side of the road.
I know you’re probably laughing at me. Because that’s what the person I almost ran into did when I told them. They wanted to know if I was British or something, and I said no I was born and raised in Northern California all my life. The closest I’ve ever even been to a foreign country is San Diego. But when I pulled over after that scare and looked it up on my phone, there it was. Americans drive on the right side of the road and pretty much always have. It’s just so… jarring. I have vivid memories of me death gripping the wheel to my mom’s Wrangler for the first time in my life, with her in the passenger seat teaching me the rules of the road for the first time. And I remember very clearly her telling me that no matter where I go in the United States or Canada, if I ever did that is, I would be on the left side of the road the entire time.
And I remember everyone else driving on the left side too. I remember them doing it yesterday. And now, everyone’s acting like it’s actually been this other way the entire time and that I’m somehow just noticing it. But I’m not “just noticing” it. It changed without warning me, to my abject frustration. This is what my life has been like since I planted it. I remember when it first sprouted. When I first started noticing the changes. The very first one I encountered were the changes made to the American flag. Again, swearing to God, on my own life, and on my late mother’s grave, I can attest that the American flag has always had 13, red and white, diagonal stripes. Not horizontal. Diagonal.
Again, I remember vividly sitting Indian style around our 1st grade teacher as she taught us some of the most basic history of the Revolutionary War. Particularly when it came to the Betsy Ross story. I remember being told that, when Betsy Ross first showed George Washington her initial design for the flag that it did indeed have horizontal stripes just like the one I suppose all of you are familiar with. But at the last second, he had her change them to be diagonal because he wanted to convey that the United States did not intend to be an empire in which some states would be perceived to be dominating the others by being “on top”. Making the stripes diagonal, to him, avoided this undesired symbolism.
I remember it all so clearly, even the little kitschy cartoon drawings in our school books of him with Betsy Ross as she showed him the final design. I remember reading about it in middle and high school. Hell, I even remember writing a 13 page essay for US History I in college that dealt with the subject. The paper of course, along with any historical record or proof of this detailed memory (digital or otherwise), is nowhere I can find it. It’s as if God or something turned the whole world into one big Wikipedia article and began editing reality at random with no one reverting the changes.
If you don’t think I’m crazy yet, then maybe I’m just not trying hard enough. When I noticed the plant had grown its eighth root, I learned for the first time in my life that Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal and not for having been outed as having had a nearly decade long affair with both Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy at the same time as I thought I had been taught. I hadn’t even heard the term Watergate before that. In fact, I learned at the same exact time that apparently for decades since, the affix -gate had been attached to various other scandals and controversies as though it were a naming convention. Until that eighth root planted itself firmly in the ground, I had never once seen or heard of something like that before.
The day I noticed the very first flower to bloom on it, was the same day I found out there’s this little place near Long Island and New Jersey you may have heard of called New York City. You see, to me, that place has always been (and always will be in my mind as I cling onto what I know to be the truth) New Ithaca. Frank Sinatra’s famous song that is played every year on New Year’s Eve, has always been about the great city of New Ithaca, the Big Apple. The changes are just so weird and particular too. The whole general history of that city and state has remains the same though (at least to me), being that it was founded by the Dutch but was taken by the British and renamed before becoming a part of the United States. Only, instead the place was previously named New North Brabant whereas I suppose you have always known that New York used to be New Amsterdam.
There’s even a song about that bit of trivia, I learned. Catchy, and also cringe inducing for someone like me going through what I’m going through.
Actually the overwhelming bulk of changes have had to do with place names. Again growing up, I had it beaten into my brain that in 1492 Columbus sailed the Pacific blue. You heard that right. The vast puddle you probably call the Atlantic Ocean has always been the Pacific to me. And vice versa. Nebraska was a name I had not ever heard of before I measured another half foot in that damn thing’s already enormous length. To me that place was called the State of Fillmore. If before I measured it to be at 3 feet, you had asked me to point out Paris on a map, I would have stared at you blankly until I realized you probably meant to say Degaulleville which was built just northeast of the ruins of the ill-fated City of Lights after it was used as a testing ground for Germany’s most devastating weapon of WWII - the nuclear bomb.
Apparently in this new world the plant has created for me, it is our country that has the dubious honor of being the first military in the world to use nuclear weapons in an actual war.
And the list of changes I have just goes on and on like that. I’m not going to waste time spelling them all out for you. I’m sure that should be enough for you to at least hear me out or dismiss me as having had a break with reality. All I want now is this thing in my backyard, and these seeds to boot, out of here. Like I said in the beginning, I’d throw it away, but now that I suspect there’s some sort of link between it and all these changes being made, I worry what it could do to me if I yanked it out of the ground and chucked it into a dumpster. Degaulleville, Fillmore, etc. were erased by this thing. I could be too, if I made it mad enough.
There’s another part of me, a selfish part, that hopes if someone else takes it they can be the ones to have all these changes happen to instead. They can be the ones to watch desperately as what you once knew to be true, to be there, to be real, is all ground up and thrown away like it was nothing to bend your reality and leave you as the only one aware of it. I want that to happen to someone else instead of me. I want to be the one who’s oblivious to the changes made in the fabric and window dressings of reality. I want to be the one who reads the complaints and desperate cries of someone like me, and calls them crazy. I want want want that.
There’s another, tinier part of me, that naively hopes once I can leave this thing with someone else, it will change reality again but this time for the better. For the better, for me. Maybe once it starts affecting someone else adversely, it can change reality one more time to make my mom come back. To come back in a way that would make me forget she was ever gone. And then maybe I can go home, go back to the life I was used to living. But I know at the same time, there’s absolutely no reason it would do something nice like that for me.
Hell, if anything, it could decide to make things in reality, history, etc. worse for everyone including me. Like let me think… Okay for example, remember back in 1999 when everyone was afraid of the Y2K bug, but then it turned out to not be such a catastrophic ordeal as people were predicting? That damn plant could change things to make it so that Y2K’s catastrophic potential was fulfilled. Or wait, here’s a more recent example - remember like three or so years ago when there was that weird disease in China all the schools and governments got freaked out about for two weeks, warning about having to do lockdowns and stuff like that only for the Chinese government to successfully contain it before it could leave its shores?
I’d imagine the plant could change that history as well. And it’s not like I want any of that to happen, it’s just that I have little to no control over whether or not it will. And I just want to be free from being the only one to know it’s all happening. To notice it everyday. To have your heart and brain scratched at and tortured by it when you do.
So please, someone, anyone out there who can and is willing to take this thing off my hands knowing full well what it is - just DM me. I’ll give it to you at no charge or expense to you. I’ll even dig it out of the ground and drive to where you are (if you’re on the island that is) so you don’t have to get up and go anywhere. If you’re located somewhere else I’ll happily volunteer to pay all the associated shipping costs at my own expense as well in order to get it to you.
You’ll be my knight in shining armor if you do.
UPDATE: I am no longer in need of anyone to take this thing and these seeds off my hands. Thank you to the person that DMed me after I posted this. I got your email confirming that it safely arrived at your address as well. Also, glad to hear it’s grown another root. By glad, I mean that I am glad to know that it has grown yet again but this time I haven’t noticed anything changing. You have no idea what you’ve done to help salvage my sanity. Bless you.
submitted by Screaming_Mosquito to DrCreepensVault [link] [comments]
I grew up originally in Northern California near Mt. Shasta, and four years ago I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii after I got a new job working for the university located in Hilo as an adjunct. The search for a place to rent where I could garden in the backyard took a while, but the wait was worth it. Gardening is like comfort food for my soul, and always has been ever since I was a little girl. My mom brought me up doing it, and I took to it immediately when I was just 3 or 4 she always liked to remind me.
I suppose the reason I wanted to leave California was the fact that she wasn't there anymore, that the last piece or vestige of my family was gone and I was all that was left of the life we used to have out there. I remember the day everything was packed up for the movers and ready to go, I walked outside to wait for a friend to pick me up to take me to the airport. As I sat there on my porch, I saw an elderly man walking in front of my front yard. It was an old friend of my mom's from the neighborhood. He had been very kind to me at her funeral as he had just lost his wife himself. We both waved at each other and I got up to chat with him one last time.
As it turned out, he was there to give me a going away present. It was a batch of strange seeds in a small sack. Some were colored burgundy, others indigo, and still others ivory with fascinating patterns on them. In total, there were 19 by my count. He said that before his wife passed away, she had originally intended to give them to my mom. Apparently, during one of their hiking trips around the mountain, the two of them kept stopping to see if someone was following them. Every time they would, some tree would rustle or a bush would make a quick, sharp noise indicating some sort of disturbance. Towards the end of their hike, they stopped one final time only for them to turn around and notice that someone had left this dingy little sack of seeds on a rotted out tree stump they had just passed. In other words, there was no question at that point that they had been followed.
For what reason? He couldn't say, though obviously the implication was that whoever it was wanted them to have these seeds. His wife died soon after that, before she could pass them along to my mother. He said he was hesitant to part with them after she died, but felt extremely guilty having waited too long to give them to my mom. Now that I was heading to Hawaii, he thought he ought to just give them to me instead of continuing to keep them. Other than that, he told me to be very careful with them, to specifically pour them out into the ground from the sack instead of touching them myself. And I wondered why. Like it's such an oddly specific thing to bring up about them.
Regardless.
I took them gratefully and thanked him for the gift and said that my mother would have loved them. Now, I'm not so sure she would have.
It was only a week or so after I had finally unpacked everything in my new place that I decided to garden again. And the first thing I planted, of course, were the seeds once meant for my mom. In memory of her. It was only one I put in the ground because honestly I wasn’t exactly sure how big this thing was going to grow to be. I wasn’t even sure what exactly this thing was even going to grow to be either. Turns out, it’s a vegetable… of some kind. I think. It’s almost like a yam? Like with the same texture and everything but with bright orange skin… and fur in strange places? Also, another thing, it’s like a yam but at the time of writing this it has most definitely grown beyond the size of a typical yam. Basically it’ll increase in size every week or so by a half a foot by my measure. Also, every time it grows by that much, another bulbous root pops out and burrows itself beneath.
And oh yeah there are little blue flowers (or what I guess you could call flowers) growing out of little nooks and crannies and just random spots all over. I’m not sure what to say. I have yet to identify it. If one of you reading this can, then good for you, would you like to take it off my hands in that case? Please? Okay well, I guess I better finally explain why I want this damn thing out of here. I’ve already ostracized myself at work trying to get people to take it, as well as trying to explain what makes me hate the thing, so what harm will come from making a bunch of internet strangers think I’m creepy or crazy?
The black and white of it is that every time this thing grows a half a foot, every time another root plants itself in the ground, every time another one of those little blue flower buds appears on it, something changes. About the world we live in. About our history. About how we live day to day. And no one seems to notice any of the changes except for me. Today in fact, I almost got into a fatal car crash after I woke up and took note of a new flower bud growing on the side of it facing my house. If you put a Bible in front of me and made me swear to God that I was going to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth I would swear on that, my life, and my late mother’s grave that I grew up knowing that Americans in all 50 states drive on the left side of the road.
I know you’re probably laughing at me. Because that’s what the person I almost ran into did when I told them. They wanted to know if I was British or something, and I said no I was born and raised in Northern California all my life. The closest I’ve ever even been to a foreign country is San Diego. But when I pulled over after that scare and looked it up on my phone, there it was. Americans drive on the right side of the road and pretty much always have. It’s just so… jarring. I have vivid memories of me death gripping the wheel to my mom’s Wrangler for the first time in my life, with her in the passenger seat teaching me the rules of the road for the first time. And I remember very clearly her telling me that no matter where I go in the United States or Canada, if I ever did that is, I would be on the left side of the road the entire time.
And I remember everyone else driving on the left side too. I remember them doing it yesterday. And now, everyone’s acting like it’s actually been this other way the entire time and that I’m somehow just noticing it. But I’m not “just noticing” it. It changed without warning me, to my abject frustration. This is what my life has been like since I planted it. I remember when it first sprouted. When I first started noticing the changes. The very first one I encountered were the changes made to the American flag. Again, swearing to God, on my own life, and on my late mother’s grave, I can attest that the American flag has always had 13, red and white, diagonal stripes. Not horizontal. Diagonal.
Again, I remember vividly sitting Indian style around our 1st grade teacher as she taught us some of the most basic history of the Revolutionary War. Particularly when it came to the Betsy Ross story. I remember being told that, when Betsy Ross first showed George Washington her initial design for the flag that it did indeed have horizontal stripes just like the one I suppose all of you are familiar with. But at the last second, he had her change them to be diagonal because he wanted to convey that the United States did not intend to be an empire in which some states would be perceived to be dominating the others by being “on top”. Making the stripes diagonal, to him, avoided this undesired symbolism.
I remember it all so clearly, even the little kitschy cartoon drawings in our school books of him with Betsy Ross as she showed him the final design. I remember reading about it in middle and high school. Hell, I even remember writing a 13 page essay for US History I in college that dealt with the subject. The paper of course, along with any historical record or proof of this detailed memory (digital or otherwise), is nowhere I can find it. It’s as if God or something turned the whole world into one big Wikipedia article and began editing reality at random with no one reverting the changes.
If you don’t think I’m crazy yet, then maybe I’m just not trying hard enough. When I noticed the plant had grown its eighth root, I learned for the first time in my life that Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal and not for having been outed as having had a nearly decade long affair with both Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy at the same time as I thought I had been taught. I hadn’t even heard the term Watergate before that. In fact, I learned at the same exact time that apparently for decades since, the affix -gate had been attached to various other scandals and controversies as though it were a naming convention. Until that eighth root planted itself firmly in the ground, I had never once seen or heard of something like that before.
The day I noticed the very first flower to bloom on it, was the same day I found out there’s this little place near Long Island and New Jersey you may have heard of called New York City. You see, to me, that place has always been (and always will be in my mind as I cling onto what I know to be the truth) New Ithaca. Frank Sinatra’s famous song that is played every year on New Year’s Eve, has always been about the great city of New Ithaca, the Big Apple. The changes are just so weird and particular too. The whole general history of that city and state has remains the same though (at least to me), being that it was founded by the Dutch but was taken by the British and renamed before becoming a part of the United States. Only, instead the place was previously named New North Brabant whereas I suppose you have always known that New York used to be New Amsterdam.
There’s even a song about that bit of trivia, I learned. Catchy, and also cringe inducing for someone like me going through what I’m going through.
Actually the overwhelming bulk of changes have had to do with place names. Again growing up, I had it beaten into my brain that in 1492 Columbus sailed the Pacific blue. You heard that right. The vast puddle you probably call the Atlantic Ocean has always been the Pacific to me. And vice versa. Nebraska was a name I had not ever heard of before I measured another half foot in that damn thing’s already enormous length. To me that place was called the State of Fillmore. If before I measured it to be at 3 feet, you had asked me to point out Paris on a map, I would have stared at you blankly until I realized you probably meant to say Degaulleville which was built just northeast of the ruins of the ill-fated City of Lights after it was used as a testing ground for Germany’s most devastating weapon of WWII - the nuclear bomb.
Apparently in this new world the plant has created for me, it is our country that has the dubious honor of being the first military in the world to use nuclear weapons in an actual war.
And the list of changes I have just goes on and on like that. I’m not going to waste time spelling them all out for you. I’m sure that should be enough for you to at least hear me out or dismiss me as having had a break with reality. All I want now is this thing in my backyard, and these seeds to boot, out of here. Like I said in the beginning, I’d throw it away, but now that I suspect there’s some sort of link between it and all these changes being made, I worry what it could do to me if I yanked it out of the ground and chucked it into a dumpster. Degaulleville, Fillmore, etc. were erased by this thing. I could be too, if I made it mad enough.
There’s another part of me, a selfish part, that hopes if someone else takes it they can be the ones to have all these changes happen to instead. They can be the ones to watch desperately as what you once knew to be true, to be there, to be real, is all ground up and thrown away like it was nothing to bend your reality and leave you as the only one aware of it. I want that to happen to someone else instead of me. I want to be the one who’s oblivious to the changes made in the fabric and window dressings of reality. I want to be the one who reads the complaints and desperate cries of someone like me, and calls them crazy. I want want want that.
There’s another, tinier part of me, that naively hopes once I can leave this thing with someone else, it will change reality again but this time for the better. For the better, for me. Maybe once it starts affecting someone else adversely, it can change reality one more time to make my mom come back. To come back in a way that would make me forget she was ever gone. And then maybe I can go home, go back to the life I was used to living. But I know at the same time, there’s absolutely no reason it would do something nice like that for me.
Hell, if anything, it could decide to make things in reality, history, etc. worse for everyone including me. Like let me think… Okay for example, remember back in 1999 when everyone was afraid of the Y2K bug, but then it turned out to not be such a catastrophic ordeal as people were predicting? That damn plant could change things to make it so that Y2K’s catastrophic potential was fulfilled. Or wait, here’s a more recent example - remember like three or so years ago when there was that weird disease in China all the schools and governments got freaked out about for two weeks, warning about having to do lockdowns and stuff like that only for the Chinese government to successfully contain it before it could leave its shores?
I’d imagine the plant could change that history as well. And it’s not like I want any of that to happen, it’s just that I have little to no control over whether or not it will. And I just want to be free from being the only one to know it’s all happening. To notice it everyday. To have your heart and brain scratched at and tortured by it when you do.
So please, someone, anyone out there who can and is willing to take this thing off my hands knowing full well what it is - just DM me. I’ll give it to you at no charge or expense to you. I’ll even dig it out of the ground and drive to where you are (if you’re on the island that is) so you don’t have to get up and go anywhere. If you’re located somewhere else I’ll happily volunteer to pay all the associated shipping costs at my own expense as well in order to get it to you.
You’ll be my knight in shining armor if you do.
UPDATE: I am no longer in need of anyone to take this thing and these seeds off my hands. Thank you to the person that DMed me after I posted this. I got your email confirming that it safely arrived at your address as well. Also, glad to hear it’s grown another root. By glad, I mean that I am glad to know that it has grown yet again but this time I haven’t noticed anything changing. You have no idea what you’ve done to help salvage my sanity. Bless you.
2023.06.07 16:53 RFC2001 Rebooking Every WWE PPV from WrestleMania 1 - WrestleMania 40 - Part 47 (Long)
Royal Rumble 2008
Date: 27/1/08
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Career Threatening Match:
Ric Flair vs MVP
(After Vince McMahon announces that Ric Flair must retire if he loses a match, MVP says he’s beat Ric Flair before and will beat him once again to go down in history! Flair says MVP is nothing but a coward and he’ll take pleasure keeping his career alive against a punk like him. Ric Flair wins after forcing MVP to submit to the Figure Four Leg Lock.)
No Holds Barred Match:
Chris Jericho vs JBL
(After Armageddon, JBL announces he’s coming out of retirement after speaking to Vince McMahon and will be traded to Monday Night Raw! JBL says he cost Jericho the WWE Championship because he assaulted him by throwing Randy Orton into him which deep down he knows was intentional. Jericho says it wasn’t intentional but now he wishes it was because Bradshaw is nothing but a self centred, arrogant jackass who’s going to pay. Jericho challenges JBL to a No Holds Barred Match at the Royal Rumble and the self proclaimed Wrestling God accepts, promising to beat some respect out of Y2J. Jericho wins in a bloody encounter after JBL submits to The Walls of Jericho.)
Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship:
CM Punk (c) vs Chavo Guerrero
(Chavo Guerrero returns on the last ECW of 2007 and attacks CM Punk. Guerrero says his reasons are simple, he wants the ECW Championship and CM Punk is an embarrassment to not only ECW but the WWE! Guerrero says just like on SmackDown with Edge, ECW needs class representing the brand. Punk says Chavo doesn’t represent class, he represents what’s wrong with a lot of people in this company. A shameless ass kisser who’ll do what not only Vince McMahon tells him but also his aunt Vickie. Chavo challenges Punk to put the ECW Championship on the line against him at the Royal Rumble and Punk accepts, promising to put Chavo to sleep and continue his reign as ECW Champion. Chavo Guerrero cheats to win the title after poking Punk in the eyes when going for the GTS before winning via a roll up.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs Rey Mysterio
(Rey Mysterio wins a Beat the Clock Challenge to earn this opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship. In the build up, Rey says Vickie Guerrero is like family to him and he cares about her but says he’ll also never lie to her. Rey says that Edge doesn’t love her and is manipulating her to not only cowardly win the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon but to also cowardly retain it at all costs. The Rated-R Superstar takes offence, says how dare Rey accuse him of not loving Vickie and promises that he’ll pay for sticking in his nose in their relationship when she’s happily moved on in life. Edge retains the World Heavyweight Championship clean after spearing Rey in mid-air.)
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Jeff Hardy
(After becoming #1 Contender for the WWE Championship, Jeff Hardy says it’s only a matter of time before he achieves his childhood dream and becomes only the second man in history to hold the Intercontinental and WWE Championship at the same time. Randy Orton says Jeff Hardy is nothing but a dumb risk taker who’s out of his depth at this level which is why he’s never had the opportunity in his long career until now. The Legend Killer promises that the Age of Orton will continue, no matter how much Hardy and his fans tries to build up a fairytale story. Randy Orton counters a Twist of Fate, hits Hardy with an RKO out of nowhere and pins him to retain the WWE Championship! After the match, the New York gives Jeff Hardy a standing ovation for his efforts.)
Royal Rumble Match:
John Cena (#30) returns and wins by last eliminating Triple H
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are John Cena, Triple H, Batista and Mr.Kennedy
Hornswoggle isn’t in this match in the slightest
Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Mick Foley are surprise entrants
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are #1 and #2 respectively.
No Way Out 2008
Date: 17/2/08
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Elimination Chamber Match - Winner faces the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 24:
Batista vs MVP vs Kane vs Mark Henry vs Finlay vs The Undertaker
Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs CM Punk
(CM Punk invokes his rematch clause for the ECW Championship. Punk says ECW has been his home for almost 2 years now and giving that title honour and prestige that Chavo won’t give it meant everything to him. Chavo says Punk’s claims that he won’t give the title prestige are disgusting, as was him being the ECW Champion and he rightfully saved the brand from a total misfit like him. During the match, Shelton Benjamin interferes and gives Punk a T-Bone Suplex. This allows Chavo to capitalise on the assistance as he then delivers a Frog Splash to CM Punk and pins him to retain the ECW Championship!)
Career Threatening Match:
Ric Flair vs JBL
(Mr McMahon says Ric Flair’s career still being alive is down to pure luck and he’s found a guy who’s going to put him down for good… JBL! JBL says there’s only one man who should have that honour of being the man to retire Ric Flair and that’s him, a Wrestling God! JBL thanks Vince McMahon for asking him to put Flair down once and for all and promises to do so. Flair says JBL won’t stop him from at least getting to WrestleMania with his career still in tact. Ric Flair wins via submission.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs Rey Mysterio
(Rey Mysterio says he has no excuses for losing at the Royal Rumble but promises to still expose Edge for manipulating Vickie Guerrero and ensure he doesn’t walk into WrestleMania 24 as the World Heavyweight Champion. Edge says Rey can get to the back of the line however Teddy Long says as assistant General Manager, he can give Rey at least an opportunity to become #1 Contender at No Way Out if he can win a gauntlet match against Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder and Chavo Guerrero! Rey wins the Gauntlet Match and earns himself one more opportunity to face Edge. Before this event, Rey tears his bicep meaning the match doesn’t go on long. Edge once retains the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match with Rey vulnerable, The Big Show returns and attacks Rey Mysterio, laying him out with a chokeslam. The Big Show then reveals his friend Floyd Maywheather is in the front row and brings Floyd over the barricade to join in the assault on Mysterio. Big Show raises Floyd Mayweathers hand to a chorus of boos.)
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena (By Disqualification)
(After winning the Royal Rumble, John Cena says he isn’t waiting until WrestleMania to kick Randy Orton’s ass. Cena says he’d rather reclaim the WWE Championship now, get his hands on Randy Orton sooner and will head into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion! Randy Orton laughs saying Cena is the dumbest person on the planet for wanting to have his title match at No Way Out instead of at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Orton goes on to say Cena is selfish and jumping the queue instead of just waiting until WrestleMania like any smart person would. During the match, Randy Orton slaps the referee on purpose, intentionally gets himself disqualified and walks away with a huge smirk with his WWE Championship. Cena holds his hands on his head over the fact his opportunity seems to be gone.)
Elimination Chamber - Winner faces the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 24:
Shawn Michaels vs Umaga vs Triple H vs Jeff Hardy vs Mr.Kennedy vs Chris Jericho
SmackDown Elimination Chamber Notes:
Mark Henry enters fourth and is eliminated first by The Undertaker
MVP enters sixth and is eliminated second by Kane
Kane enters third and is eliminated third by Batista
Finlay enters fifth and is eliminated fourth by The Undertaker
Batista enters second and is eliminated fifth by The Undertaker
The Undertaker enters first and wins
Raw Elimination Chamber Notes:
Mr. Kennedy enters third and is eliminated first by Shawn Michaels
Umaga enters fifth and is eliminated second by Jeff Hardy
Chris Jericho enters second and is eliminated third by Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels enters first and eliminated fourth by Triple H
Jeff Hardy enters fourth and is eliminated fifth by Triple H
Triple H enters sixth and wins
Notes:
(Instead of fighting Big Show, Floyd Mayweather is a heel and will be in Big Show’s corner at WrestleMania 24.)
(John Cena beats Randy Orton the night after No Way Out in a match Triple H is the referee. This results in Cena being added to the match for the WWE Championship.)
Chris Jericho beats Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Championship 8 days after No Way Out. Hardy is then suspended for 60 days for violating the wellness policy.)
Hall of Fame 2008:
Ric Flair, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, Mae Young, The Brisco Brothers, Eddie Graham and Gordon Solie
WrestleMania XXIV
Date: 30/3/08
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
United States Championship:
MVP (c) vs Matt Hardy
(Matt Hardy returns after No Way Out and attacks MVP for costing him 3 months of his career. Hardy promises to not only get revenge on MVP but also says he’s going to take what matters most to him, the United States Title! MVP says Hardy’s just guaranteed himself one thing and it isn’t his United States Championship, it’s another inevitable beatdown and injury at the hands of him.)
Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
CM Punk vs Shelton Benjamin vs John Morrison vs Chris Jericho vs The Miz vs JBL vs Mr.Kennedy vs Carlito
(Chris Jericho wins the match he created! Controversial but Punk’s time will come, tune in.)
24 Man WrestleMania Battle Royal:
Umaga wins, last eliminating Kofi Kingston
Extreme Rules for the ECW Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Kane
(Chavo Guerrero says at WrestleMania 24, he’ll solidify his greatness as ECW Champion further and says he doesn’t care who faces him, he welcomes the challenge. Kane answers the challenge on ECW, beats the hell out of Chavo, Chokeslams him and the message is sent. The Big Red Monster says he’s come over to ECW for two reason’s. To take care of Chavo so that The Undertaker has one less distraction on the road to WrestleMania against Edge and most importantly, the ECW Championship! Instead of a squash match, Chavo puts up a bit of a fight with some heel tactics but in the end, Kane prevails, delivers a Tombstone Piledriver to Chavo Guerrero and pins him to win the ECW Championship!)
Batista w/Rey Mysterio vs The Big Show w/Floyd Mayweather
(Floyd Mayweather instead of feuding with The Big Show because f*ck making Big Show job out to a non wrestler albeit a boxer he’s twice the size of, aligns with Big Show and says he’ll be in his friends corner at WrestleMania if someone even has the guts to face him. Batista answers the challenge. His reasons are that Big Show is nothing but a bully who decided to attack his already injured friend Rey Mysterio at No Way Out and he’s going to make him pay. Big Show says just like he did to Rey at No Way Out, he’s going to give Batista the beating of his life and embarrass him at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Rey Mysterio says just like Floyd for Big Show, he’s going to be in his friend Batista’s corner while he kicks The Big Show’s ass. During the match while the referees down, Mayweather turns on The Big Show, knocks him out with brass knuckles, Big Show falls into the ropes and eats a 619 from Mysterio and then falls into a Spinebuster from Batista who then pins Big Show as the referee regains consciousness to win the match.)
Career Threatening Match:
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair
(After No Way Out, Ric Flair says this might be his last WrestleMania with the stipulation Vince McMahon has set and wants to face who he believes is the best person to give him something memorable. Flair challenges his friend Shawn Michaels, says he’s Mr. WrestleMania and without doubt the man to give him what he wants. Shawn Michaels says he loves Flair too much that he declines his offer and doesn’t want to face him at WrestleMania because he doesn’t want to be the man who retires Ric Flair. Flair however convinces Michaels by slapping him in the face and insulting him, calling him a joke. Michaels says not only will Flair get The and Mr. WrestleMania at The Showcase of the Immortals, he’s going to take old yeller behind the shed and put him down for good. At the end of the match, Michaels is upset and knows it’s time, as does Flair who’s telling him to finish him. Michaels utters those famous words “I’m sorry, I love you”, hits Flair with the Sweet Chin Music and pins him to end his legendary career. An emotional Michaels hugs Flair who’s unconscious in one of the most emotional matches in WrestleMania history. Flair bids farewell in tears, receives a standing ovation, hugs his family and bows out in style.)
Women’s Championship:
Beth Phoenix (c) vs Mickie James
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Triple H vs John Cena
(The three biggest stars on Raw are set for a huge showdown at The Showcase of the Immortals. Triple H says he doesn’t care if it’s one on one or a triple threat match which is now the case after John Cena beat Randy Orton on Raw, he’s leaving WrestleMania with the WWE Championship since it’s been far too long and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it. John Cena tells The Game that he doesn’t care who he has to go through, after WrestleMania he’ll once again be able to say The Champ is Here! Randy Orton meanwhile says he’s already beat both men in the past, has no doubt over being able to do so again although at the same time on this occasion and promises that The Age of Orton will continue after WrestleMania, no matter how much Cena and Triple H try and promote their fairytale comebacks. After missing WrestleMania the year before and being without one of the top titles for 3 years, Triple H completes his journey back to the top and pins Randy Orton after delivering a Pedigree to win the WWE Championship.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs The Undertaker
(A match almost a year in the making is finally happening. Edge says this was the plan all along, he didn’t want to face The Undertaker anywhere apart from at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Why? It’s easy, The Streak! Edge says not only will he retain his World Heavyweight Championship but he’ll forever cement his place in history as an all time great when at the end of WrestleMania 24, The Undertaker will be 15-1! The Undertaker is not only wanting to defend his streak but he wants to beat the holy hell out of Edge for screwing him out of the World Heavyweight Championship on more than one occasion. He also says the Rated-R Superstar will be facing a reaper at WrestleMania who’s determined to keep his streak in tact and win back what’s rightfully his, The World Heavyweight Championship! Despite Edge’s best attempts as The Edgeheads interfere along with some other heel tactics, The Deadman overcomes the shenanigans, delivers a second Tombstone to Edge and pins him to win the World Heavyweight Championship in order to go 16-0 at WrestleMania.)
Backlash 2008
Date: 27/4/08
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
CM Punk vs Shelton Benjamin
(Shelton Benjamin continues attacking CM Punk on ECW after WrestleMania. As a result, CM Punk wants a match against The Gold Standard at Backlash and wants to get full revenge he hasn’t had the chance to get since Benjamin cost him the ECW Championship at No Mercy. Vince McMahon who appears on ECW for the night grants Punk his wish but says he has full confidence that Shelton Benjamin will come out and top and prove him right about Punk after all. Punk of course proves McMahon wrong again and wins after forcing Benjamin to submit to The Anaconda Vice!)
Women’s Championship:
Mickie James (c) vs Melina vs Beth Phoenix vs Maria
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes (c) vs Paul London & Brian Kendrick
United States Championship:
Matt Hardy (c) vs MVP
Chris Jericho is the Special Guest Referee:
Shawn Michaels vs Batista
(Batista shows up on Raw as a guest on Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel because he wants to get something off his chest. The Animal says Shawn Michaels shouldn’t have listened to Ric Flair yet he chose his ego like he always has and always will. Michaels says he done what Ric wanted out of love and respect and the only reason Batista is angry is because Flair chose to face him and not The Animal at WrestleMania. Because of this confrontation, Vince McMahon announces that Shawn Michaels and Batista will face each other at Backlash. Vince also informs them they’ll have a special guest referee… Chris Jericho! Batista says Michaels will pay at Backlash for retiring Ric Flair and Chris Jericho better stay out of his way. During the match, Michaels fakes a leg injury, suckers Batista into a Sweet Chin Music and pins him to win this match.)
Finlay w/Little Bastard vs The Big Show
(After WrestleMania, Big Show attacks Finlay and bullies his friend Little Bastard which sets up this match. Finlay puts up a bit of a fight but in the end, The Big Show to no surprise wins after knocking Finlay out.)
World Heavyweight & ECW Championship:
The Brothers of Destruction (c) vs Edge & Chavo Guerrero w/The Edgeheads
(After WrestleMania, both Edge and Chavo Guerrero want to invoke their rematch clause for their respective titles. Vickie Guerrero grants them their rematches but announces instead of facing The Undertaker and Kane one on one, they’ll face them in a tag team match at Backlash with both titles on the line. Edge says his wife is an absolute genius and this is why he loves her meanwhile Chavo says he has no doubt in his mind that him and Edge will take care of those two freaks who’ve got gold that doesn’t belong to them. The Undertaker and Kane promise to inflict pain on their opponents for all of their sins in recent months, especially Edge who’s been a thorn on both their sides at times over the years. During this match, The Edgeheads try and get involved but they both receive a beating from Taker and Kane. The Champions then Tombstone Edge and Chavo at the same time and pin them to retain their titles.)
Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship:
Triple H (c) vs JBL vs Randy Orton vs John Cena
(After WrestleMania, Triple H says the WWE Championship is the true symbol that The Game is back and better than ever! He welcomes all challenges and says he doesn’t care who he has to go through, he has no hesitation dropping anyone where they stand. Randy Orton interrupts, says he’s rightfully invoking his rematch clause and promises Triple H’s title reign will be short lived. John Cena also interrupts and says he isn’t done with Orton and at this rate Triple H because he’s got the one thing he wants, the WWE Championship! Vince McMahon announces a Triple Threat rematch at Backlash although at the end of that same Raw, Vince announces after JBL attacks Triple H that it’s now going to be a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match. The reason JBL is added is because Vince wants to further stack the odds against The Game by adding someone who’s been kissing his ass since coming out of retirement. Vince make’s it no secret that he despises his son in law for the way he’s disrespected him over the years. Triple H says that deranged old bastard can stack the odds as much as he wants, it won’t stop him from leaving Backlash with the WWE Championship. Triple H wins to retain his championship, last eliminating Randy Orton.)
And that’s part 47 officially done! I hope you guys enjoyed it and continue to like the project I’ve worked so hard on in the last few months. I’ll be back very soon for part 48 where we’ll see Chris Jericho turn heel, a first time ever match between two of the biggest stars in the last 3 years and The Undertaker take Edge to his favourite place to close out their iconic feud. Stay safe and stay tuned!
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Date: 27/1/08
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Career Threatening Match:
Ric Flair vs MVP
(After Vince McMahon announces that Ric Flair must retire if he loses a match, MVP says he’s beat Ric Flair before and will beat him once again to go down in history! Flair says MVP is nothing but a coward and he’ll take pleasure keeping his career alive against a punk like him. Ric Flair wins after forcing MVP to submit to the Figure Four Leg Lock.)
No Holds Barred Match:
Chris Jericho vs JBL
(After Armageddon, JBL announces he’s coming out of retirement after speaking to Vince McMahon and will be traded to Monday Night Raw! JBL says he cost Jericho the WWE Championship because he assaulted him by throwing Randy Orton into him which deep down he knows was intentional. Jericho says it wasn’t intentional but now he wishes it was because Bradshaw is nothing but a self centred, arrogant jackass who’s going to pay. Jericho challenges JBL to a No Holds Barred Match at the Royal Rumble and the self proclaimed Wrestling God accepts, promising to beat some respect out of Y2J. Jericho wins in a bloody encounter after JBL submits to The Walls of Jericho.)
Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship:
CM Punk (c) vs Chavo Guerrero
(Chavo Guerrero returns on the last ECW of 2007 and attacks CM Punk. Guerrero says his reasons are simple, he wants the ECW Championship and CM Punk is an embarrassment to not only ECW but the WWE! Guerrero says just like on SmackDown with Edge, ECW needs class representing the brand. Punk says Chavo doesn’t represent class, he represents what’s wrong with a lot of people in this company. A shameless ass kisser who’ll do what not only Vince McMahon tells him but also his aunt Vickie. Chavo challenges Punk to put the ECW Championship on the line against him at the Royal Rumble and Punk accepts, promising to put Chavo to sleep and continue his reign as ECW Champion. Chavo Guerrero cheats to win the title after poking Punk in the eyes when going for the GTS before winning via a roll up.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs Rey Mysterio
(Rey Mysterio wins a Beat the Clock Challenge to earn this opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship. In the build up, Rey says Vickie Guerrero is like family to him and he cares about her but says he’ll also never lie to her. Rey says that Edge doesn’t love her and is manipulating her to not only cowardly win the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon but to also cowardly retain it at all costs. The Rated-R Superstar takes offence, says how dare Rey accuse him of not loving Vickie and promises that he’ll pay for sticking in his nose in their relationship when she’s happily moved on in life. Edge retains the World Heavyweight Championship clean after spearing Rey in mid-air.)
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Jeff Hardy
(After becoming #1 Contender for the WWE Championship, Jeff Hardy says it’s only a matter of time before he achieves his childhood dream and becomes only the second man in history to hold the Intercontinental and WWE Championship at the same time. Randy Orton says Jeff Hardy is nothing but a dumb risk taker who’s out of his depth at this level which is why he’s never had the opportunity in his long career until now. The Legend Killer promises that the Age of Orton will continue, no matter how much Hardy and his fans tries to build up a fairytale story. Randy Orton counters a Twist of Fate, hits Hardy with an RKO out of nowhere and pins him to retain the WWE Championship! After the match, the New York gives Jeff Hardy a standing ovation for his efforts.)
Royal Rumble Match:
John Cena (#30) returns and wins by last eliminating Triple H
Royal Rumble Notes:
The final four are John Cena, Triple H, Batista and Mr.Kennedy
Hornswoggle isn’t in this match in the slightest
Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Mick Foley are surprise entrants
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are #1 and #2 respectively.
Date: 17/2/08
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Elimination Chamber Match - Winner faces the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 24:
Batista vs MVP vs Kane vs Mark Henry vs Finlay vs The Undertaker
Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs CM Punk
(CM Punk invokes his rematch clause for the ECW Championship. Punk says ECW has been his home for almost 2 years now and giving that title honour and prestige that Chavo won’t give it meant everything to him. Chavo says Punk’s claims that he won’t give the title prestige are disgusting, as was him being the ECW Champion and he rightfully saved the brand from a total misfit like him. During the match, Shelton Benjamin interferes and gives Punk a T-Bone Suplex. This allows Chavo to capitalise on the assistance as he then delivers a Frog Splash to CM Punk and pins him to retain the ECW Championship!)
Career Threatening Match:
Ric Flair vs JBL
(Mr McMahon says Ric Flair’s career still being alive is down to pure luck and he’s found a guy who’s going to put him down for good… JBL! JBL says there’s only one man who should have that honour of being the man to retire Ric Flair and that’s him, a Wrestling God! JBL thanks Vince McMahon for asking him to put Flair down once and for all and promises to do so. Flair says JBL won’t stop him from at least getting to WrestleMania with his career still in tact. Ric Flair wins via submission.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs Rey Mysterio
(Rey Mysterio says he has no excuses for losing at the Royal Rumble but promises to still expose Edge for manipulating Vickie Guerrero and ensure he doesn’t walk into WrestleMania 24 as the World Heavyweight Champion. Edge says Rey can get to the back of the line however Teddy Long says as assistant General Manager, he can give Rey at least an opportunity to become #1 Contender at No Way Out if he can win a gauntlet match against Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder and Chavo Guerrero! Rey wins the Gauntlet Match and earns himself one more opportunity to face Edge. Before this event, Rey tears his bicep meaning the match doesn’t go on long. Edge once retains the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match with Rey vulnerable, The Big Show returns and attacks Rey Mysterio, laying him out with a chokeslam. The Big Show then reveals his friend Floyd Maywheather is in the front row and brings Floyd over the barricade to join in the assault on Mysterio. Big Show raises Floyd Mayweathers hand to a chorus of boos.)
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena (By Disqualification)
(After winning the Royal Rumble, John Cena says he isn’t waiting until WrestleMania to kick Randy Orton’s ass. Cena says he’d rather reclaim the WWE Championship now, get his hands on Randy Orton sooner and will head into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion! Randy Orton laughs saying Cena is the dumbest person on the planet for wanting to have his title match at No Way Out instead of at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Orton goes on to say Cena is selfish and jumping the queue instead of just waiting until WrestleMania like any smart person would. During the match, Randy Orton slaps the referee on purpose, intentionally gets himself disqualified and walks away with a huge smirk with his WWE Championship. Cena holds his hands on his head over the fact his opportunity seems to be gone.)
Elimination Chamber - Winner faces the WWE Champion at WrestleMania 24:
Shawn Michaels vs Umaga vs Triple H vs Jeff Hardy vs Mr.Kennedy vs Chris Jericho
SmackDown Elimination Chamber Notes:
Mark Henry enters fourth and is eliminated first by The Undertaker
MVP enters sixth and is eliminated second by Kane
Kane enters third and is eliminated third by Batista
Finlay enters fifth and is eliminated fourth by The Undertaker
Batista enters second and is eliminated fifth by The Undertaker
The Undertaker enters first and wins
Raw Elimination Chamber Notes:
Mr. Kennedy enters third and is eliminated first by Shawn Michaels
Umaga enters fifth and is eliminated second by Jeff Hardy
Chris Jericho enters second and is eliminated third by Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels enters first and eliminated fourth by Triple H
Jeff Hardy enters fourth and is eliminated fifth by Triple H
Triple H enters sixth and wins
Notes:
(Instead of fighting Big Show, Floyd Mayweather is a heel and will be in Big Show’s corner at WrestleMania 24.)
(John Cena beats Randy Orton the night after No Way Out in a match Triple H is the referee. This results in Cena being added to the match for the WWE Championship.)
Chris Jericho beats Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Championship 8 days after No Way Out. Hardy is then suspended for 60 days for violating the wellness policy.)
Ric Flair, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, Mae Young, The Brisco Brothers, Eddie Graham and Gordon Solie
Date: 30/3/08
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
United States Championship:
MVP (c) vs Matt Hardy
(Matt Hardy returns after No Way Out and attacks MVP for costing him 3 months of his career. Hardy promises to not only get revenge on MVP but also says he’s going to take what matters most to him, the United States Title! MVP says Hardy’s just guaranteed himself one thing and it isn’t his United States Championship, it’s another inevitable beatdown and injury at the hands of him.)
Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
CM Punk vs Shelton Benjamin vs John Morrison vs Chris Jericho vs The Miz vs JBL vs Mr.Kennedy vs Carlito
(Chris Jericho wins the match he created! Controversial but Punk’s time will come, tune in.)
24 Man WrestleMania Battle Royal:
Umaga wins, last eliminating Kofi Kingston
Extreme Rules for the ECW Championship:
Chavo Guerrero (c) vs Kane
(Chavo Guerrero says at WrestleMania 24, he’ll solidify his greatness as ECW Champion further and says he doesn’t care who faces him, he welcomes the challenge. Kane answers the challenge on ECW, beats the hell out of Chavo, Chokeslams him and the message is sent. The Big Red Monster says he’s come over to ECW for two reason’s. To take care of Chavo so that The Undertaker has one less distraction on the road to WrestleMania against Edge and most importantly, the ECW Championship! Instead of a squash match, Chavo puts up a bit of a fight with some heel tactics but in the end, Kane prevails, delivers a Tombstone Piledriver to Chavo Guerrero and pins him to win the ECW Championship!)
Batista w/Rey Mysterio vs The Big Show w/Floyd Mayweather
(Floyd Mayweather instead of feuding with The Big Show because f*ck making Big Show job out to a non wrestler albeit a boxer he’s twice the size of, aligns with Big Show and says he’ll be in his friends corner at WrestleMania if someone even has the guts to face him. Batista answers the challenge. His reasons are that Big Show is nothing but a bully who decided to attack his already injured friend Rey Mysterio at No Way Out and he’s going to make him pay. Big Show says just like he did to Rey at No Way Out, he’s going to give Batista the beating of his life and embarrass him at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Rey Mysterio says just like Floyd for Big Show, he’s going to be in his friend Batista’s corner while he kicks The Big Show’s ass. During the match while the referees down, Mayweather turns on The Big Show, knocks him out with brass knuckles, Big Show falls into the ropes and eats a 619 from Mysterio and then falls into a Spinebuster from Batista who then pins Big Show as the referee regains consciousness to win the match.)
Career Threatening Match:
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair
(After No Way Out, Ric Flair says this might be his last WrestleMania with the stipulation Vince McMahon has set and wants to face who he believes is the best person to give him something memorable. Flair challenges his friend Shawn Michaels, says he’s Mr. WrestleMania and without doubt the man to give him what he wants. Shawn Michaels says he loves Flair too much that he declines his offer and doesn’t want to face him at WrestleMania because he doesn’t want to be the man who retires Ric Flair. Flair however convinces Michaels by slapping him in the face and insulting him, calling him a joke. Michaels says not only will Flair get The and Mr. WrestleMania at The Showcase of the Immortals, he’s going to take old yeller behind the shed and put him down for good. At the end of the match, Michaels is upset and knows it’s time, as does Flair who’s telling him to finish him. Michaels utters those famous words “I’m sorry, I love you”, hits Flair with the Sweet Chin Music and pins him to end his legendary career. An emotional Michaels hugs Flair who’s unconscious in one of the most emotional matches in WrestleMania history. Flair bids farewell in tears, receives a standing ovation, hugs his family and bows out in style.)
Women’s Championship:
Beth Phoenix (c) vs Mickie James
WWE Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs Triple H vs John Cena
(The three biggest stars on Raw are set for a huge showdown at The Showcase of the Immortals. Triple H says he doesn’t care if it’s one on one or a triple threat match which is now the case after John Cena beat Randy Orton on Raw, he’s leaving WrestleMania with the WWE Championship since it’s been far too long and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it. John Cena tells The Game that he doesn’t care who he has to go through, after WrestleMania he’ll once again be able to say The Champ is Here! Randy Orton meanwhile says he’s already beat both men in the past, has no doubt over being able to do so again although at the same time on this occasion and promises that The Age of Orton will continue after WrestleMania, no matter how much Cena and Triple H try and promote their fairytale comebacks. After missing WrestleMania the year before and being without one of the top titles for 3 years, Triple H completes his journey back to the top and pins Randy Orton after delivering a Pedigree to win the WWE Championship.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Edge (c) vs The Undertaker
(A match almost a year in the making is finally happening. Edge says this was the plan all along, he didn’t want to face The Undertaker anywhere apart from at The Grandest Stage of Them All. Why? It’s easy, The Streak! Edge says not only will he retain his World Heavyweight Championship but he’ll forever cement his place in history as an all time great when at the end of WrestleMania 24, The Undertaker will be 15-1! The Undertaker is not only wanting to defend his streak but he wants to beat the holy hell out of Edge for screwing him out of the World Heavyweight Championship on more than one occasion. He also says the Rated-R Superstar will be facing a reaper at WrestleMania who’s determined to keep his streak in tact and win back what’s rightfully his, The World Heavyweight Championship! Despite Edge’s best attempts as The Edgeheads interfere along with some other heel tactics, The Deadman overcomes the shenanigans, delivers a second Tombstone to Edge and pins him to win the World Heavyweight Championship in order to go 16-0 at WrestleMania.)
Date: 27/4/08
Location: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
CM Punk vs Shelton Benjamin
(Shelton Benjamin continues attacking CM Punk on ECW after WrestleMania. As a result, CM Punk wants a match against The Gold Standard at Backlash and wants to get full revenge he hasn’t had the chance to get since Benjamin cost him the ECW Championship at No Mercy. Vince McMahon who appears on ECW for the night grants Punk his wish but says he has full confidence that Shelton Benjamin will come out and top and prove him right about Punk after all. Punk of course proves McMahon wrong again and wins after forcing Benjamin to submit to The Anaconda Vice!)
Women’s Championship:
Mickie James (c) vs Melina vs Beth Phoenix vs Maria
WWE World Tag Team Championship:
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes (c) vs Paul London & Brian Kendrick
United States Championship:
Matt Hardy (c) vs MVP
Chris Jericho is the Special Guest Referee:
Shawn Michaels vs Batista
(Batista shows up on Raw as a guest on Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel because he wants to get something off his chest. The Animal says Shawn Michaels shouldn’t have listened to Ric Flair yet he chose his ego like he always has and always will. Michaels says he done what Ric wanted out of love and respect and the only reason Batista is angry is because Flair chose to face him and not The Animal at WrestleMania. Because of this confrontation, Vince McMahon announces that Shawn Michaels and Batista will face each other at Backlash. Vince also informs them they’ll have a special guest referee… Chris Jericho! Batista says Michaels will pay at Backlash for retiring Ric Flair and Chris Jericho better stay out of his way. During the match, Michaels fakes a leg injury, suckers Batista into a Sweet Chin Music and pins him to win this match.)
Finlay w/Little Bastard vs The Big Show
(After WrestleMania, Big Show attacks Finlay and bullies his friend Little Bastard which sets up this match. Finlay puts up a bit of a fight but in the end, The Big Show to no surprise wins after knocking Finlay out.)
World Heavyweight & ECW Championship:
The Brothers of Destruction (c) vs Edge & Chavo Guerrero w/The Edgeheads
(After WrestleMania, both Edge and Chavo Guerrero want to invoke their rematch clause for their respective titles. Vickie Guerrero grants them their rematches but announces instead of facing The Undertaker and Kane one on one, they’ll face them in a tag team match at Backlash with both titles on the line. Edge says his wife is an absolute genius and this is why he loves her meanwhile Chavo says he has no doubt in his mind that him and Edge will take care of those two freaks who’ve got gold that doesn’t belong to them. The Undertaker and Kane promise to inflict pain on their opponents for all of their sins in recent months, especially Edge who’s been a thorn on both their sides at times over the years. During this match, The Edgeheads try and get involved but they both receive a beating from Taker and Kane. The Champions then Tombstone Edge and Chavo at the same time and pin them to retain their titles.)
Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship:
Triple H (c) vs JBL vs Randy Orton vs John Cena
(After WrestleMania, Triple H says the WWE Championship is the true symbol that The Game is back and better than ever! He welcomes all challenges and says he doesn’t care who he has to go through, he has no hesitation dropping anyone where they stand. Randy Orton interrupts, says he’s rightfully invoking his rematch clause and promises Triple H’s title reign will be short lived. John Cena also interrupts and says he isn’t done with Orton and at this rate Triple H because he’s got the one thing he wants, the WWE Championship! Vince McMahon announces a Triple Threat rematch at Backlash although at the end of that same Raw, Vince announces after JBL attacks Triple H that it’s now going to be a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match. The reason JBL is added is because Vince wants to further stack the odds against The Game by adding someone who’s been kissing his ass since coming out of retirement. Vince make’s it no secret that he despises his son in law for the way he’s disrespected him over the years. Triple H says that deranged old bastard can stack the odds as much as he wants, it won’t stop him from leaving Backlash with the WWE Championship. Triple H wins to retain his championship, last eliminating Randy Orton.)
2023.06.07 16:49 Trivial_Web69 WAYBACK WEDNESDAYS
 | Beginning in 1936, White Motor's Model 706 originally operated in seven US National Parks. They were the first authorized motor transportation in any National Park. Thirty-three "Red Jammers" in Glacier National Park now run on gasoline-propane mix. A $6 million Ford Motor Company donation helped fund their restoration between 1999 and 2002. More history of the Red Jammers here. submitted by Trivial_Web69 to historyblogs [link] [comments] Touring the \"Going To The Sun Highway\" in Glacier National Park |