Classy small face tattoos female

https://www.destinypedia.com/images/3/38/TakenKelgorathInfo.jpg
After the events of this first part of the season I wanted to leave my thoughts on the narrative detail that is Kelgorath and its importance in the story as a worldbuilding element.
I was referring in particular to the last two text lore added with this season from his perspective, in addition to other callbacks.

• https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/thin-precipice?highlight=kelgorath
• https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/a-distant-pull?highlight=kelgorath

Even if they are minor additions, I think they reveal the strength that a minor but recurring enemy could have had for the story, and above all for increasing the worldbuilding of the races, and in particular of our "enemies".
Indeed, since Beyond Light there have been many positive changes to the lore, thanks to the seasonal model, the introduction of in-game character dialogues, before our eyes that add a mass of interactions between characters much higher than in previous years .
An important case are Mithraks-Eido and Caiatl who, as new allies, allowed us to add details to the history, biology and culture of the past of Eliksni and Cabal ... in fact, before we only knew something about the hive thanks to the Books of Sorrow. Thanks to many dialogues and continuous presences, these 2 characters have in fact allowed us to deepen the two races as before it had literally never happened in a well done way.
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However, evidently the focus on writing this part of the lore must have taken a lot of time away from that of the textual lore, because the developments on that front have been really scarce (in addition to irreplaceable elements such as Unveiling and Inspiral).
The latest exploration of the hive culture is Inquisition of the Damned, for the Eliksni one could say (?) Between Stolen Stars, for the Cabal the recent Collector Edition (because besides those there is only Empress, for the Vex Aspect ).
And that's where I think Kelgorath comes in. Even if someone may get bored facing an enemy with the same name (he always has a different model so what does the title above count for?) it allowed to have a new perspective. Having a recurring enemy allows us to finally give voice to what our "enemies" see and hear about the events of the story.
While we've had more direct interactions with Eramis recently, Xivu and Savathun have always been treated as characters who communicate their thoughts and emotions to us, never becoming representations or guides to understanding the Lucent Brood, House Salvation or the Shadow Legion (all entities about which we know literally nothing: how do they feel about their losses or victories? what cultures have they developed? how is their society organized? how do they relate to the use of Darkness?
Although they are still fragments, Kelgorath has allowed us to have a small window on these elements which then transform into a character who interacts with others and makes the universe more alive, also giving greater meaning to seasonal activities (from the random knight sent by Xivu to the character who developed in 2 years with ideas, emotions and businesses)
With the Hive it is quite easy since there are the Ascendants, with Eliksni and Cabal it could easily be done as seen with Eramis during the Outbreak mission, making sure that they escape before we kill them and then return. And if someone says that it would be difficult to write the lore for the Vex "because they don't have individuals" I would like to remind you that the Inspiral lore entries last and before Aspect have shown us that it is enough to show the "coded" thoughts of the Collective or the single mind, which will be rebuilt after we have destroyed it, to collect its reflections.

I am 18+ all characters and participants must be 18+
Hey person reading this, I am looking to discuss with someone one or multiple of their fantasies. I am not that great at coming up with my own scenario but I do have a few ideas.
These are some of my ideas

1. Female/futa [you] cam girl brings her boyfriend [me] into her profession, showing him who's the boss on a cam stream.
   
2. Due to a low male population. Men (me) are now legally forced to be free use breeding tools for women and milked for their seman
   
3. Female controlled family, where the family members use me for my cum and I'm just their personal toy
   

I have more too if you want to ask
Or we can play any fantasy you might have. I even have more ideas I just through some in here.
If you have a fantasy it just needs to fit a few small rules for me to play it. 1. I only play male. I'm also not good at being a dom so I would prefer sub 2. My limits include but not limited to gore, vore, scat and vom 3. Be literate when typing 4. Actually do something dont make me do all the work. 5. 1st person preferred.
If you're interested message me on kik or telegram kaostmn3
Let me know what you would like to play. If my next message should be "what do you want to play." I won't answer

I'm rewatching DS9 for the first time in many years and I got to Broken Link, and I have to say that this has been my favourite Garak appearance so far - previously I would have guessed the best was either Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast or In The Pale Moonlight but this really gives him a chance to shine despite not being anything close to the focus of the episode, from his scenes with Odo comforting him by spinning bullshit (or maybe not?) tales to pique his interest and keep him distracted from his pain, to his incredible interaction with the Female Changeling:
Female Changeling: "There were no Cardassian Survivors." Garak: "You mean, they're all dead?" Female Changeling: "They're dead. You're dead. Cardassia is dead. Your people were doomed the moment they attacked us." The looks on his face during this scene alone are incredible; shock, genuine terror, recovering into fake politeness. Absolutely wonderful. Then he's not even done, later when he attempts to wipe out the changelings, sacrificing himself and everyone else aboard and on the planet, trying to convince Worf that it's the correct thing to do is just brilliant:
Garak: "Don't tell me... I overlooked one of the security monitors" Worf: "You were trying to override the launch controls for the quantum torpedoes" Garak: "I was hoping to gain control of the phasers as well. I just hadn't got around to it yet. Don't you see? We have an opportunity here. A chance to end the Dominion threat once and for all. We have enough firepower on this ship to turn that planet into a smoking cinder. Personally, I think that would be a very good thing" Worf: "And what about Odo, and Captain Sisko and Doctor Bashir?" Garak: "They'll die. And once the Jem'Hadar ships realise what we're doing, so will we. But what are our lives compared to saving the entire Alpha Quadrant?" Worf: "We are not here to wage war" Garak: "I'm not talking about war. What I'm proposing is wiping out every Founder on that planet. Obliterating the Great Link. Come now, Mister Worf, you're a Klingon. Don't tell me you'd object to a little genocide in the name of self-defence?" Worf: "I am a warrior, not a murderer" Garak: "What you are is a great disappointment"
And cue Garak trying to take on Worf in hand-to-hand combat. Absolutely incredible. Not just badass, but surprisingly selfless for someone who, so far, has been nothing but mercantile in all his appearances.

Reading online and on Reddit I found out that men commonly fetishize and sexualise transgender women and women who have penises, but women and gay men don't commonly fetishize nor sexualise transgender men and men who have vaginas
I also found out that oral is believed to be much more commonly performed on men than on women. And that men not giving oral to women has nothing to do with male selfishness, since gay men are also male and are not believed to have issues giving oral to other men
I also found out that vaginas are seen as gross, taboo and have stigma. Also periods. And that gay men are more openly disgusted by and insulting towards vaginas than lesbians are towards penises, they are also less open to transgender men than lesbians are open to transgender women
And that vaginas are not appreciated as much as large penises, boobs and butts are
Also that men are more attracted to a performance or costume of femininity than they are to actual women. So feminized men are less of a turn off than women with unshaven bodies, fat women, non feminine women, etc
Also that f emdom is mostly about penis imitation in the form of straps ons and pegging
I asked my parents, sister and psychologist about these things and they said that the vast majority of men have no interest in transgender women pre op nor post op nor women who have penises and penises in general. They also said oral is 50/50 between men and women. And that vaginas are not seen as gross, taboo nor do they have stigma and neither do periods. And that vaginas are appreciated as much as the other parts. Also that men are not more attracted to femininity and that they would rather any type of woman than a man. Plus that female domination is an attitude and that instead other sexual stuff with vaginas is mostly used to convey this, like face sitting
Why is the online world showing differently? And how do the sex positive f eminists who say that vaginas are hated, still want sex with men? The things I read put me off men for life, unfortunately. It's ingrained in my mind that men are not fussed about that part. For me the bare minimum I expect of them is that they appreciate vaginas. So why do other women let it slide? I can't associate with people and I will become reclusive/avoid people if what I read online is true. I won't accept being surrounded by a society where most believe and accept it.

Reading online and on Reddit I found out that men commonly fetishize and sexualise transgender women and women who have penises, but women and gay men don't commonly fetishize nor sexualise transgender men and men who have vaginas
I also found out that oral is believed to be much more commonly performed on men than on women. And that men not giving oral to women has nothing to do with male selfishness, since gay men are also male and are not believed to have issues giving oral to other men
I also found out that vaginas are seen as gross, taboo and have stigma. Also periods. And that gay men are more openly disgusted by and insulting towards vaginas than lesbians are towards penises, they are also less open to transgender men than lesbians are open to transgender women
And that vaginas are not appreciated as much as large penises, boobs and butts are
Also that men are more attracted to a performance or costume of femininity than they are to actual women. So feminized men are less of a turn off than women with unshaven bodies, fat women, non feminine women, etc
Also that f emdom is mostly about penis imitation in the form of straps ons and pegging
I asked my parents, sister and psychologist about these things and they said that the vast majority of men have no interest in transgender women pre op nor post op nor women who have penises and penises in general. They also said oral is 50/50 between men and women. And that vaginas are not seen as gross, taboo nor do they have stigma and neither do periods. And that vaginas are appreciated as much as the other parts. Also that men are not more attracted to femininity and that they would rather any type of woman than a man. Plus that female domination is an attitude and that instead other sexual stuff with vaginas is mostly used to convey this, like face sitting
Why is the online world showing differently? And how do the sex positive f eminists who say that vaginas are hated, still want sex with men? The things I read put me off men for life, unfortunately. It's ingrained in my mind that men are not fussed about that part. For me the bare minimum I expect of them is that they appreciate vaginas. So why do other women let it slide? I can't associate with people and I will become reclusive/avoid people if what I read online is true. I won't accept being surrounded by a society where most believe and accept it.

Reading online and on Reddit I found out that men commonly fetishize and sexualise transgender women and women who have penises, but women and gay men don't commonly fetishize nor sexualise transgender men and men who have vaginas
I also found out that oral is believed to be much more commonly performed on men than on women. And that men not giving oral to women has nothing to do with male selfishness, since gay men are also male and are not believed to have issues giving oral to other men
I also found out that vaginas are seen as gross, taboo and have stigma. Also periods. And that gay men are more openly disgusted by and insulting towards vaginas than lesbians are towards penises, they are also less open to transgender men than lesbians are open to transgender women
And that vaginas are not appreciated as much as large penises, boobs and butts are
Also that men are more attracted to a performance or costume of femininity than they are to actual women. So feminized men are less of a turn off than women with unshaven bodies, fat women, non feminine women, etc
Also that f emdom is mostly about penis imitation in the form of straps ons and pegging
I asked my parents, sister and psychologist about these things and they said that the vast majority of men have no interest in transgender women pre op nor post op nor women who have penises and penises in general. They also said oral is 50/50 between men and women. And that vaginas are not seen as gross, taboo nor do they have stigma and neither do periods. And that vaginas are appreciated as much as the other parts. Also that men are not more attracted to femininity and that they would rather any type of woman than a man. Plus that female domination is an attitude and that instead other sexual stuff with vaginas is mostly used to convey this, like face sitting
Why is the online world showing differently? And how do the sex positive f eminists who say that vaginas are hated, still want sex with men? The things I read put me off men for life, unfortunately. It's ingrained in my mind that men are not fussed about that part. For me the bare minimum I expect of them is that they appreciate vaginas. So why do other women let it slide? I can't associate with people and I will become reclusive/avoid people if what I read online is true. I won't accept being surrounded by a society where most believe and accept it.

--- 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

Once upon a time, in a small town filled with dreams, there lived a man named James. He was a kind-hearted soul with dreams as vast as the open sky. However, James carried a heavy burden that held him back from truly embracing his potential – a lack of confidence. For years, this absence of self-belief had haunted him, casting a shadow over every aspect of his life.
Throughout his journey, James had faced countless cruel remarks and endured the pain of rejection. The whispers behind his back grew louder, constantly reminding him of his perceived inadequacies. The world seemed to dismiss him, and he retreated into the darkness of his own self-doubt.
But one fateful day, as James reached his lowest point, a glimmer of hope found its way into his life. It came in the form of the Imperfect Gentlemen's Academy, a beacon of light dedicated to nurturing confidence in men who had experienced the loss of their fathers. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, James hesitantly decided to embark on this life-changing journey.
The moment James stepped foot into the academy, he felt a surge of warmth and acceptance enveloping him. Surrounded by a group of like-minded individuals who shared similar stories, he finally discovered a sense of belonging. The academy became his sanctuary, where every scar and every struggle was met with understanding and compassion.
Under the guidance of wise mentors, James began to peel back the layers of self-doubt that had held him captive for so long. He discovered that his past did not define him; it merely shaped him into the resilient man he was becoming. The academy's carefully curated coaching sessions challenged him to confront his fears head-on, to unravel the self-limiting beliefs that had imprisoned his spirit.
Through a series of empowering exercises and soul-searching conversations, James witnessed his transformation unfold before his very eyes. He learned to embrace his imperfections as unique strengths and found the courage to rise above his insecurities. With each passing day, his confidence grew stronger, radiating from within like a beacon of light.
Slowly but surely, James began to rewrite his story. No longer burdened by his lack of self-belief, he flourished in every aspect of his life. He became a loving father, imparting the lessons he had learned to his children, breaking the cycle of self-doubt that had haunted his family for generations. His career soared to new heights as he fearlessly pursued his passions and embraced new opportunities.
Word of James' incredible transformation spread like wildfire, inspiring others who had experienced similar struggles. The Imperfect Gentlemen's Academy flourished as men from all walks of life flocked to its doors, eager to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery and growth.
Today, James stands as a testament to the power of embracing imperfections and unlocking the dormant confidence within. His story has become a beacon of hope, a testament to the transformative power of coaching and community. The legacy he leaves behind is one of resilience, strength, and unwavering belief in oneself.
If you find yourself resonating with James' journey, yearning to break free from the shackles of self-doubt, then the Imperfect Gentlemen's Academy is calling out to you. Join us, and together, let us embark on a life-altering journey of self-discovery, where you too can transform into the unstoppable force you were born to be. Embrace the power within and embark on a new chapter of your life, one filled with confidence, purpose, and limitless potential.

And I want to fix it somehow. And sorry if my English is too bad!
Hi, i'm 21 y.o. NEET. Want to become functional member of society, but don't know how. To be honest, I am happy with my lifestyle, but it scares me that one day I will have to urgently look for a job with a small salary to make ends meet. I feel those fear since 14 y.o and after that up to 19 I tried to study seriously, but it's like something blocked all my attempts and i just couldn't learn. After school I went to university to study IT, but it just wasn't interesting (a lot of bad things were there) and i failed after six month. Then, I went to university to study Japanese, English and literature, but also failed after a year. Now I've kinda given up and just watch anime, YouTube, and occasionally play games. Until the age of 12 I had excellent grades, a lot of friends, loved playing soccer, but then the war happened, I lost contact with all my friends, started playing a lot of Dota2 and lost hope for a brighter future while under occupation.
Some facts to help you calibrate a portrait of me in your heads: 1) Nothing excites me in terms of hobbies or jobs. I mean I want to enjoy something I do at least for 20%, but I just can't find anything to match that criteria; 2) I have no favorite things: no food, no color, no weather, no time of a year, etc; 3) I just can't understand visual art, aesthetics and fashion. I have absolutely no idea what my hair should look like or how I can decide what clothes look good enough to buy. And I don't understand why people are so concerned about that things in their everyday lives; 4) My taste in music is limited to two genres that anyone my age would consider strange: European folk music and anime music; 5) The concept of relationships in some way looks disgusting for me. Like, how can it be normal for people to value (0,35 of personality + visual looks) more than (1 personality)? And all those sex things are considered romantic which makes me mad sometimes; 6) One large country that occupies mine forces to be silent in real world about all kinds of problems and do nothing about that. I feel helpless when I set out to do something good. And it seems like all the people out there have resigned themselves to that fate, and I'm the only one who worries about it; 7) I played WoW and Dota2 for 7-8 years and almost never used chat because I was afraid I played bad all the time and had no right to tell someone what to do. Same IRL, but It is just a rare opportunity for me now to talk with others; 8) I feel that I have nothing in common with the peers with whom I have to interact. It creates awkward situations where I have to create a mask for myself which hurts me, or just stay with a poker face, which drives some people crazy.
What should I do? Where should I start in my life to change my mindset? I want to stop being alien. I am appreciate everyone who has read this far. I don't know why, but I feel ashamed by posting this.

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!

Has anyone ever have/seen keloid brows from having microblading or ombre powder brows? I’ve done Lot of research but keep seeing mixed things online. I literally can’t find a single picture of keloids forming after microblading or ombré brows. If any artists could send a picture of clients have keloids from this service? Im hoping someone has been in my shoes before but. I have over 20 tattoos from my shoulder, back, feet with no problems. Piercings, I’ve tried but the ones going through cartilage did keloid but I had them injected. But I still have ear piercings. I do have very small keloids along the jawline from acne and skin picking. I haven’t seen any posts about people coming back with their results. I want OMBRE BROWS not microblading.

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Reading online and on Reddit I found out that men commonly fetishize and sexualise transgender women and women who have penises, but women and gay men don't commonly fetishize nor sexualise transgender men and men who have vaginas
I also found out that oral is believed to be much more commonly performed on men than on women. And that men not giving oral to women has nothing to do with male selfishness, since gay men are also male and are not believed to have issues giving oral to other men
I also found out that vaginas are seen as gross, taboo and have stigma. Also periods. And that gay men are more openly disgusted by and insulting towards vaginas than lesbians are towards penises, they are also less open to transgender men than lesbians are open to transgender women
And that vaginas are not appreciated as much as large penises, boobs and butts are
Also that men are more attracted to a performance or costume of femininity than they are to actual women. So feminized men are less of a turn off than women with unshaven bodies, fat women, non feminine women, etc
Also that f emdom is mostly about penis imitation in the form of straps ons and pegging
I asked my parents, sister and psychologist about these things and they said that the vast majority of men have no interest in transgender women pre op nor post op nor women who have penises and penises in general. They also said oral is 50/50 between men and women. And that vaginas are not seen as gross, taboo nor do they have stigma and neither do periods. And that vaginas are appreciated as much as the other parts. Also that men are not more attracted to femininity and that they would rather any type of woman than a man. Plus that female domination is an attitude and that instead other sexual stuff with vaginas is mostly used to convey this, like face sitting
Why is the online world showing differently? And how do the sex positive f eminists who say that vaginas are hated, still want sex with men? The things I read put me off men for life, unfortunately. It's ingrained in my mind that men are not fussed about that part. For me the bare minimum I expect of them is that they appreciate vaginas. So why do other women let it slide? I can't associate with people and I will become reclusive/avoid people if what I read online is true. I won't accept being surrounded by a society where most believe and accept it.

Reading online and on Reddit I found out that men commonly fetishize and sexualise transgender women and women who have penises, but women and gay men don't commonly fetishize nor sexualise transgender men and men who have vaginas
I also found out that oral is believed to be much more commonly performed on men than on women. And that men not giving oral to women has nothing to do with male selfishness, since gay men are also male and are not believed to have issues giving oral to other men
I also found out that vaginas are seen as gross, taboo and have stigma. Also periods. And that gay men are more openly disgusted by and insulting towards vaginas than lesbians are towards penises, they are also less open to transgender men than lesbians are open to transgender women
And that vaginas are not appreciated as much as large penises, boobs and butts are
Also that men are more attracted to a performance or costume of femininity than they are to actual women. So feminized men are less of a turn off than women with unshaven bodies, fat women, non feminine women, etc
Also that f emdom is mostly about penis imitation in the form of straps ons and pegging
I asked my parents, sister and psychologist about these things and they said that the vast majority of men have no interest in transgender women pre op nor post op nor women who have penises and penises in general. They also said oral is 50/50 between men and women. And that vaginas are not seen as gross, taboo nor do they have stigma and neither do periods. And that vaginas are appreciated as much as the other parts. Also that men are not more attracted to femininity and that they would rather any type of woman than a man. Plus that female domination is an attitude and that instead other sexual stuff with vaginas is mostly used to convey this, like face sitting
Why is the online world showing differently? And how do the sex positive f eminists who say that vaginas are hated, still want sex with men? The things I read put me off men for life, unfortunately. It's ingrained in my mind that men are not fussed about that part. For me the bare minimum I expect of them is that they appreciate vaginas. So why do other women let it slide? I can't associate with people and I will become reclusive/avoid people if what I read online is true. I won't accept being surrounded by a society where most believe and accept it.

Prologue
As the end of autumn approached, the chill of morning and evening began to cut through like a hunting knife. Through the tanker's windshield, the driver could see a woman wearing a knitted scarf and a blanket on her shoulders. She had sat down in the middle of the road and was howling long and heart-wrenching like a lament. Passers-by looked at her with horror, surprise, or contempt. When a lady in a fur coat approached her to inquire, the unfortunate woman began to roll on the ground, thrashing about like a rolling log heading down the valley, and screaming with even greater force and deeper sorrow, so loud that it could be heard all the way to the shire, after which she stopped in a sob, crying quietly like the water of a lowland spring. She was Uncle Jim's eldest daughter.
Part I
Mr. and Mrs. Axelton were two retirees with charitable souls. They had the sign of charity burning on the soles of their dusty, second-hand shoes, laced up with shoelaces they got from the thrift store. They brought a bag of beans for the dog, bananas for the children, bread, bologna, and mustard for the homeless - lost souls from the outskirts of the city. They entered the basement of an abandoned building through labyrinthine paths surrounded by plywood and wrought iron fences. The building was marked with a red dot.
Around an improvised brick stove, illegally connected to the neighbourhood’s electricity network, sat Uncle Jim, Melissa, the children, and Baxter, opening cans of food received from a philanthropic organization. Baxter was a small mongrel with blue-blooded hunting dog lineage, who always hovered around Jim and helped him beg. Mrs. Axelton felt more compassion for the dog than for the family without a penny.
Jim spent his days in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral with Googie Gums, Mr. Blondey, Fane Fairfax, and Tane Cuthbert. They lived as best they could. On the drier days, they humbly lined up behind the priests, praying for them to give them something from the charity box. In the evenings, they opened a cheap two-litter bottle of beer, played backgammon, talked about the fate of the country, football, and the apocalypse.
One spring afternoon, a benevolent gentleman took Jim aside, treated him royally, and offered him an impossible-to-refuse deal. He handed him two thousand five hundred lei in cash, for which all he had to do was sign some blank documents. At that time, it was a good sum of money. Jim thought that luck had fallen upon him like a huge wheel of cheese, so he immediately accepted, without hesitation. With the money, he bought new clothes for Melissa, notebooks for the children, food, and drink in abundance.
At the beginning of the summer, a conflict erupted with Mr. Axelton over such an absurd issue that it would make customers of the "Tancredi Kingsley Jr." brewery doubt the honesty of the storyteller. Mrs. Axelton, a sensitive and volunteer person, was involved in a campaign to save stray dogs who, without the dedication of people like her, would have ended up in miserable shelters on the outskirts of the city. Those who were up for adoption were taken off the streets, washed, vaccinated, and sent to their new owners.
Jane, a neighbour from the ghetto, had told Jim one evening while gossiping on the roadside that significant profits could be made from selling animals. Therefore, seeing the strange pensioner walking through the neighbourhood week after week taking care of stray dogs, the idea arose in his mind that these actions could only have mercantile and hidden purposes, from which he was unfairly excluded from sharing the profits.
Despite Axelton's explanation, treating him to a sausage roll and a coffee from the vending machine, Jim remained unchanged in his opinions, considering his neighbour guilty of greed. When he saw him coming out of the building or on his way to the grocery store, he shouted at him from the other side of the street to demand an explanation and followed him grumpily like an unhappy landlord who had not been paid rent for a long time. He had become a real nuisance on the head of our unfortunate citizen, who now found himself forced to make unimaginable detours from the exit of the building to the bus station just to avoid the annoying neighbour with whom he did not want to continue the confrontation.
Part II
Fortunately, an unexpected twist of fate spared Mr. Axelton from a steep climb up the confrontation ladder when Jim was unexpectedly summoned to the station by a local police officer. It turns out he had signed a mortgage without any collateral which he had no chance of repaying in this lifetime. He was charged with fraud and sent to the White Gate prison for five years. No one visited him. When he was released, after two and a half years of serving, he limped and had only a few teeth left in his mouth. It was as if he had aged ten years.
Meanwhile, Melissa had coupled up with Fane and had a child with him. They moved together to the Hopeless Heights, a neighbourhood built specifically for needy people, and Jim's children were sent to an orphanage. Baxter was taken in by a kind-hearted nobleman who loved animals and owned a seafood restaurant, entrusting him to a mute maid who walked him around the blocks three times a day. Sometimes, on summer days, dressed in a bathrobe and a pair of flip-flops, Sir. Hatchet Jenkins would come out with two other small dogs as big as cats who walked swaying like wind-up toys. He walked the streets like a traveling circus performer, but if anyone dared to mock him, he became so furious that he turned into a steam boiler, blowing heat through his nostrils and obscenities at his enemy, threatening to punch them, showing them the cane he would strike his heels with.
Uncle Jim first moved in front of St. Nicholas Church, where Father Murphy O'Malley served. He was a small man, always carrying a leather briefcase like a spy movie security agent, had a carefully groomed moustache, a gold watch and ring, and patent leather shoes. Everyone said he had the gift. He came to church in a luxury car. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a multitude of beggars, some of whom had come from neighbouring quarters, trying to kiss his hand and ask for coins. Jim didn't last long there, the competition was too high.
Lately, he had been experiencing more frequent headaches. He walked with a cane down the narrow street, swaying in the wind like a turnip pulled from the ground. I didn't think he would last much longer, but Uncle Jim had a survival instinct that most mortals lack. He stopped first at Mr. Axelton's, with whom he had made amends in the meantime, and asked for a pair of boots for the snowy weather and a packet of aspirin for his headache. He found an old fur hat with ears that had been thrown away and drank a cup of mulled wine, given as charity for the souls of the dead. Then, he found shelter in a cave under the ruins of an abandoned manor.
In the morning, he emerged from the ground like a contemporary Lazarus and sat next to the all-night convenience store near the Agriculture Department. On his way out, the kindest customers would always leave him something: a roll, a coin with the king's face on it, half a salami stick, a pair of socks, a cube of melted cheese, or a bottle of curdled milk. He had a yellow plastic bag in which he loaded all of his products. In the evening, when he returned to his lair, it was always full of wonders.
Epilogue
When spring arrived, Jim began to bloom like snowdrops. His teeth grew anew, made of copper, his hair turned green like grass, his eyes started to distinguish details with the precision of an eagle, his skin became as smooth as that of young boys, his arms became steel, his forehead raised, his thoughts became clear, and his vision became as clear as that of great wise men. It was rumoured that he was making so much money that he could move to a hotel. The last time I saw him was on a foggy April morning. He got into a taxi and disappeared into the smoke of history.

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“You’re trying to get me reassigned, is that it?” Eris wrung his metal hands together, the plastic and steel giving off soft screeching which added a tensity not uncommon to him.
“I found something, there was something down there.”
Eris leaned back, “a glove wouldn’t have lasted this long without an entanglement array.”
“It wasn’t a glove–it was something else. There were smaller machines with it.” Gareth tried to find the small imperfection on the jet black table where he had his first meeting, but it was no longer there. This was a different table, from another meeting chamber.
“How many different machinations have we encountered in these old places? It’s probably a def-sec droid wandering until its bearings rot out,” Eris replied, “what I do know is that Trigam Hesst and ten other engineers dropped out of entanglement last night and are said to be in the wind.”
Gareth straightened, “Trigam joined Theron…”
“I wouldn’t dwell on that, Gareth. Nobody could stand the guy, eight months was his longest lead underling. It was a matter of time. And for them to attack you like that? They knew their tickets had been punched.” Eris shook his head.
An alarm chimed and the entrance doors whooshed open, revealing the security attache that seemed to never leave the Triarch’s side. They entered the hall and dispersed, one to each corner and two to the doors.
The Triarch approached the table and gestured for the standing Eris to take his seat, “we find ourselves meeting at another crossroad.”
He sat and folded his ivory and gold hands together, optics focusing on both of them. Gareth glanced at the strange marking on the outer left panel of Triarch’s arm. Three small triangles in line, one after the other. Perhaps a tattoo? He couldn’t tell.
“I’ve been told you’re in good health.” He said to Gareth.
Gareth nodded, “I’ve been through worse.”
“Are we talking about the fall? Or the attack?”
Gareth looked up, “the attack was somewhat of an inconvenience. Eris has informed me Trigam and my crew have all disentangled?”
The Triarch nodded, “it’s true. We’re initiating scatter protocols and shutting down the outgoing array. They’re trapped here, for now. We’ll find them, their crimes carry a heavy debt. You’re being absolved of their glove bonds.”
Eris leaned in, “and of that, we are immensely grateful.”
“Hopefully we can put all of this in the past and move on to the moot with better heads,” The Triarch displayed a small blue digital clock, its holographic hands ticking down the hours until the meeting of the Cube units, to gather and make sure all was going to plan.
“What about the underground site?” Gareth asked.
A silence fell between the three, a feigned moment of reflection.
“The area you fell into is non-viable. Far too many hazards to warrant an excursion.” The Triarch replied.
Gareth tensed, “This hidden sector is remarkably well preserved. There could be invaluable information-”.
Triarch folded his hands together, “it’s simply not an option. With the rogue workers unarrested and you being a prime target, separation from the Cube would increase the risk of harm towards yourself. Harm towards the Ministry.”
“Which is totally understandable-,” Eris added.
Gareth shook his head, “with an excavation team and two security gloves, I could sweep through the complex in less than a week. Data I’ve already recovered leads me to suspect something of relevance lay below.”
“You really don’t understand the word no, do you?” The Triarch scoffed.
Gareth leaned back, “If I’m off Cube, then perhaps Trigam will be motivated to find easier work. It would take much more for them to commandeer the necessary things-”.
Triarch shook his head, “the answer is and will be; no. Now, if there isn’t any other matter to discuss, I’ll be leaving you an itinerary. You’re to follow it for the next seventeen days, until we arrive at the moot.”
The glimmering admin stood and moved to the exit, stopping just before the door, “I suggest you take measures to examine your behavior very closely. This meeting will not happen a third time.”

The exit whooshed close and Eris stood, making his way to the opposite door without a word. 

“You’re not going to support me in this?” Gareth asked, standing and following Eris, catching up to his heel with a small skip.
Eris stopped and raised a finger, but remained silent and turned forward keeping his quick pace.
“I’ve found something to keep me occupied and now suddenly it’s off limits?”
“You know that’s not what this is. You were told to go to your lab and instead, you did the same thing you always do. Not listen to a single word.”
Gareth had to walk quickly to keep up, “ I was on my way, I can’t stop and gather supplies?”
“We both know what you were doing, so don’t give me that. This is on you now, I need a fucking sleep cycle.”
“Eris!” Gareth shouted into the cloud.
The admin stopped and turned to face him, “have you considered maybe it’s time to leave restoration? Take up another discipline, or return to a baser one from your storied past.”
Gareth felt the sting of the separation. He understood that Eris couldn’t afford to continue taking the collateral he had been.
“Fine, I’ll return to my lab and hovel if that’s what you really want. But there’s something in that base.”
Eris had turned and started down the narrow walkway once more, “I don’t care if there’s a nude beach and free vodka down there. Please try to stay safe Gareth, that’s all I will say.”
He watched Eris walk away, fidgeting as he went.
The stress he himself was imparting to those around him made him want to vomit. It created a knot in his stomach, guilt and anxiety beginning to creep their way in like a smooth oil which coated the brain and forced all color and feeling away.
“Rube, have we run anything else on the artifact?” Gareth asked, remembering the strange lead box he recovered from the vault incident.
There was no reply.
“Rube? Command access.”
Still, silence on his end of the cloud.
Gareth turned and brought up the junction logic path, calculating the shortest route back to his laboratory.
“Rube, if you can hear me, initiate lockdown on the lab and my quarters.”
The distance to his personal sector, in the upper quarters of the Cube, was ten solid minutes away and Gareth rushed the entire length, heart racing. Rube never went offline, something was wrong. Images of lab contamination flashed through his mind, whatever in the lead box leaking into the space and destroying everything.
He pulled up the command log, which was empty of any directive towards the box. Just because he hadn’t told Rube to do anything didn’t mean there wasn’t another possible sequence of events.
He hadn’t even scanned the box for leaking radiation.
Panicked, he rushed through the pneumatic doors to his lab and found nothing amiss. Besides the fact that Rube had been force restarted and the lead box was missing from its bay. He had been robbed.
“Eris, I have a problem.” He pushed the message to the admin.
Eris groaned, “for god’s sake, what now?”
“They hit my laboratory, Rube has been shut down and I have an artifact missing.” Gareth replied, sweeping over the rest of his lab. Nothing else seemed to be out of place.
“I’ll send forensics.”
Some time later a team of scanning drones arrived and began looking over every surface in the chamber. They were accompanied by a controller supervisor, who stood in the center and interpreted the data coming from the scans.
“How’s it looking?” Gareth asked him, after a while of silence between the two.
The controller, Mek, shook his head, “there’s almost nothing. A single ping on the local module station. There’s a small nick on the surface of the interface. I’m analyzing it for any foreign contact traces.”
Hmm, it’s unlike Trigam to be this clean, Gareth mused.
“More likely a drone, not exactly sure how it passed all the visual and digital checkpoints though.” The operator finished.
They both stood for a moment transfixed by the irregularity.
“I’ll be in my personal quarters, if anything else comes up.” Gareth said, turning away without a reply and striding out of his lab.
He wanted to drop by the printers and grab an urn if he could. The last one was disrespected and he felt the urge to make it right. The door opened and he was met by a massive wall of security glove, amber glow washing through the corridor.
The security glove, whose name Gareth had forgotten, turned and looked down, “you’re not to leave your sector for the next seventy-two hours.”
Gareth cringed but conceded and backed away without a word. He stood in front of the closing door, rage spilling over.
They lock me down, but I’m the victim, he thought.
Of all the things he had done and seen, he felt like the Triarch was chastising him. Like a boy too naive to realize he’s stuck his hand in a running gearbox. Like he hadn’t spent the last three hundred years serving the Ministry, trying to work off his debt in any manner that was asked of him.
“System restore initialized, rechecking cache parameters.” Rube’s ethereal voice came over the cloud.
“Rube,” Gareth sighed, “what the hell happened?”
The AI was silent for a moment, as it began to recompile the data stream right up until he was deactivated.
“My logs do not have sufficient information to form a solid hypothesis.”
Gareth moved to Rube’s access control module in the lab, making sure to give the forensics drones a wide berth.
“Current system status indicates the remote access protocol junction is still active.” Rube confirmed.
Gareth shook his new optics laden head, “how were they able to retrieve the artifact?”
Rube spent another couple of seconds forming his response, “It is possible a small scatter drone was used to physically remove the sample container.”
“Container?”
“I should make it known that I had already removed the datagram, which is now being analyzed and processed.”
Gareth would smirk if he had a mouth.
He moved to the edge of the control module, peering deep into a running window of metadata and streaming code. It was all storage parameters and audit log interfaces.
Gareth shifted forward, “wait…did you see that?”
The lines of shifting data stopped, “there is an internal link command interface, encrypted.” Rube announced.
Gareth backed away from the running module and turned towards his own quarters, “please route and extract to my terminal.”
His personal quarters were immaculate, no clutter or unnecessary disorganization. In the corner, next to his sleep dock, was his personal terminal, which he plugged into using one of the data access cables peeking from the chest of his frame. He let out a sigh as the data came streaming across the flat crystal display.
Authorized User Access Key:
“Shit,” Gareth whispered, “it's encrypted using a hash table algorithm. Rube, can you run this interface through all of the recorded prism tables we have?”
Rube began the process without a word, silently running the access interface key through an enormous group of hash key repositories, used to decrypt datagems found in the field.
“Estimated time to hash decryption: fourteen hours.”
Gareth sighed once more, “that’s not terrible I suppose.”
Gareth sat down on a rough hewn square of metal, covered in a rubber material meant for grip. His mechanical body had no need for physical rest, but he did so anyway, freeing up some space for his mind to think.
He listened to the soft squeaks of metal on compressed rubber and ruminated on the apocalypse that took place on this wasted sphere. He tried to imagine the fall, tried to picture the end of all things below the skies of Kine, but his imagination remained slumbering. He was too upset at the Triarch to ponder.
Too upset at the imposed curfew.
Rube’s voice interrupted his frustrated stream of thought, “incoming communication from Huew Korrin.”
Gareth sat forward, “Huew, how are things?”
A voice like water running over rough gravel came through the channel, “I heard about what happened, those fucking scumbags. They’ll be welcome additions to Yok, he loves assholes.”
“Yeah,” Gareth shook his head, “they’ve got me locked up now.”
“They put you in a cell!?” Huew asked.
“No, no, they stuck me in my quarters. Seventy-two hours.” Gareth replied.
“You’re the one that got attacked!” Huew roared.
Gareth shrugged with his hands, “for my own protection.”
“Heard that one before,” Huew growled, “you’re lucky they didn’t send you off world.”
Gareth chuckled, “at this point, I probably wouldn’t argue with that.”
“Bullshit, you belong in your lab. It’ll be a lot harder to figure out what happened here without you.”
Gareth huffed, “there are twelve other Cubes, I’m sure they’ll come to a conclusion. My professional expertise is currently under scrutiny.”
“If I got spooked everytime someone scrutinized my work, I’d be in an asylum.” Huew laughed. Huew was a mechanical engineer, everyone in the Cube looked at his work on a daily basis.
Gareth shared the laugh, but at the back of his mind he could feel the chords of his thoughts tighten and stretch taught.
“Listen,” Huew continued, “I don’t know what you think you did to deserve this, but you didn’t. Just put your nose down and you’ll get to the other end soon enough, these suits are jumpy, that’s all.”
“The suits are slowly pushing me out of my job.”
“No, they’ve put you on a two day time out. Don’t act like it’s fuckin’ severance.”
Gareth couldn’t argue, Huew was right. If he couldn’t survive two days by himself then he had much bigger water to tread.
He tried to divert, “how’s your end coming along?”
Huew gave a heavy sigh, “well, there’s so much on the ticket system I can’t read the fuckin’ thing. I’ve got jobs coming out of my goddamn ears and not enough people to plug 'em up. But that’s not unusual for me.”
“Maybe I can help? Get my mind off things.” Gareth suggested.
He could hear Huew shaking his heavy metallic head, “you're too good to be a grease monkey, Gareth. Far too much in that head of yours to be turning wrenches and running lathes.”
“I’ve run a lathe before, I actually quite liked it.” Gareth replied.
“Oh I’ve no doubt you’d be able to do the job and do it well. It’s the other monkeys.” Huew said, allowing silence to hang between the two for a moment.
“Right,” Gareth sighed, “the other monkeys.”

21M, 5'8", 190lbs, White, Daily morning-early afternoon brainfog, None diagnosed
I've had brain fog for at least the first 3 hours after waking up for as long as I can remember and its incredibly frustrating. My parents, annoyingly, are essentially skeptics of modern medicine and I have not seen a doctor in over a decade, with one exception for a debilitating wrist injury. I am currently a student and will not have the finances to see one myself for at least 1.5 years, which is when I'll graduate.
Every day after I wake up I feel like my brain is in a haze which slowly starts to fade away around noon, after I eat lunch. The fog makes it hard to concentrate on things and leaves me with no motivation whatsoever. I work best at night mainly because the fog has completely faded, though sometimes it will last right up to after my dinner, which I try to eat earlyish due to this. Getting direct sunlight on my face in the morning improves things somewhat, but it isn't always feasible.
Some notable factors: I grind my teeth very badly at night but have been wearing a bite guard to sleep for the past ~8 years, on the very rare ocassion I forget to put it on my sleep quality is noticibly worse and my jaw hurts. I snore and often wake up stuffy. My sleep schedule is currently relatively consistent (12:30AM - 8:00 AM) but this problem was worse when it wasn't in the past, as I used to go to bed very late every night. I used to have problems falling asleep and ended up using very small quantities of cannabis (anything greater than "very small" quantities would exhaserate the issue) every night for years, which I stopped doing about a month ago both hoping it would help with this issue and also realizing I didn't need it anymore.
I vape nicotine daily, more heavily in the mornings when my brain fog feels worse. I've tried using moderate quantities of caffeine in the past (200mg energy drinks + cup of coffee later) to wake up but have some stomach issues as well, so this was not sustainable and only was somewhat effective, I currently have 1 cup of tea each morning instead. I got into a habit of taking small-medium amounts of kratom every day as it noticibly, but slightly, improved things, but its a habit I'm trying to drop. Over the past 2 months I've started taking small quantities (5-10mg) of adderall or ritalin, whichever I can get (but never both), most mornings with a break every other week to prevent tollerance. This, quitting cannabis, and fixing my sleep schedule all around the same time has had the greatest improvement but still hasn't really solved the issue. Weirdly the ritalin just seems to make it easier for me to do things despite the brainfog, whereas the adderall helps to clear it up much faster rather than just help me push through it.
Also, I do not skip breakfast, but usually it is relatively light consisting of a large smoothie. Heartier breakfasts do help to speed up the process of clearing my head quicker when they are convienent for me to have though.