Head to toe assessment

I've seen so many full faced helmets being used by fictional militaries in different media, from Halo, to Fallout, Warhammer 40k, Mass Effect, Star Wars etc., and I've even seen that a number seem to be in development in real life, or already on the market, but I'm just wondering; is something like this even that useful to begin with?
I realise they protect your face and look fucking awesome, but when you're aiming and firing a rifle, you're meant to rest your cheek on the stock, right? In order to properly look down your sights or scope you're supposed to kinda press your face into your rifle, from what I gather.
How are you meant to do this if you've got a chunk of metal, or "ceramic plating," or "plasteel," or whatever these pieces of equipment are usually made out of, covering your whole face? The same goes for combat armour, aren't you meant to really press your rifle's stock into your shoulder? How are you going to do that if you're covered from head to toe in gear that your weapon cannot easily be lodged into.
I'm so curious if anyone has thought about this and is able to explain, or whether I'm just dumb

I just finished my first (and only) Aux year at IES Abastos in Ciudad Valencia and am headed back to the US in a week and at that time I plan on disconnecting from all the Aux groups and moving on with my life, but before I go I wanted to leave a message here for any future Aux who may search for this school name when they get their placement...you are so damn lucky! Congratulations! (and if you want any additional information please respond to this post and I'll try to keep an eye out for notifications this summer).
It's an amazingly beautiful building right in the heart (!!!) of Valencia city, staffed with friendly and talented teachers and staff. It is an IES (high school) and an FP (vocational school--Computer (IT, web design, AI) and Business tracks. The teachers I worked with (in all of the above programs) all spoke excellent English. The administration is easy going but often super busy so if they forget to give you a printing card or computer login or bathroom key, just remind them ;-)and generous re scheduling, etc. They asked my preferred hours and I only worked 3 days (16 hours) a week, Tuesday-Thursday! 4 day weekends! Not promising they can do the same for you, but if they can they will. But the compromise for my compact schedule was that every class was a different group and/or subject, which was a lot to keep track of initially, prep-wise, but I learned you can often reuse/adapt the same lesson across different groups. I came to know the faces but alas not the names of the approx 200 students I saw each week.
The students were never disrespectful (not intentionally anyway--they ARE mostly adolescents though, so not paying attention or acting like, well, hormonal teens, is par for the course). There's a lot of projector use in the classrooms versus board work. Often the teachers will want you to come up with your own lesson plans (based on what they are covering or simply whatever you want) and yes, it can eat up several hours of your off time if you want to have fun with it (but it makes your work week so much more rewarding) but if occasionally you can't, they understand. You can always play pictionary or hangman or 20 questions or some other easily adapted game at a moments notice--I highly recommend building that skill. For example: oh, we are doing past tense vocabulary today and you want me to do something for 15 minutes at the end? I draw a tic tac toe grid on the board, quickly divide the class into teams (competition is popular!) and have one rep from each team come to the board and who ever can write the past tense of a particular word first gets to put their X or 0 in first, before the other team. Repeat until one team wins 3 in a row. Easy peasey.
FYI, I have posted some of the most rewarding lessons I did with my classes on the FB Auxiliary Secondary lesson planning (Madrid) group and I used several that others had posted there too. Check it out. No reason to reinvent the wheel.
This year the Valencia payments were consistently on time (around the 10th of the month, give or take a day, starting in November if you got your bank info submitted asap--I recommend N26 online bank). Housing can be competitive and spendy, expect to spend at LEAST 400 euros for a room (not an entire apartment) if you want to live relatively close to the school and it may take you awhile to find one (I have no personal advice to offer re: that as I used my savings to rent an adorable but expensive apartment to live on my own and host guests from home, I just know what other Auxes told me). Getting your TIE/toma de huellas appt will be a nightmare but just grin and bear it. The metro and bus system in the city is wonderful and I got a valenbici subscription vs purchasing a bike and made ample use of it and the protected bike lanes (there's a protected lane that goes directly to a valenbici bike station in front of the school!). There are several local Valencia Aux Whatsapp groups you should join (for info, Auxiliaries VLC 2022; for fun/meet ups, Valencian Kids) as well as local Whatsapp hiking groups (if you are so inclined to join amazing local hikes on the weekend).
Not gonna give a travel review of Valencia itself but suffice to say it is AMAZING! And Fallas! Oh.My.God. The first two weeks of March are INSANE! Enjoy!

Here's to all you solo riders out there. Keep Shredding! From an April '90s Mountain Bike mag...

Hi I’ll try to keep this short I’m not the type of person to ask reddit for advice and don’t really care if no one sees this but here I am I’m 17 female going on 18 in October and I’m like 75% through my recruitment process for the Army I’m onto the interview but I’m stuck on what to do as a career. When I joined on the NZDF site my eyes were set on being a gunner or a combat role in general but I’ll admit it took me a while to get through my fitness assessment but I did eventually pass I’m all alone on this journey so I’m not so educated in fitness or the Army in general. My recruitment person said that she thinks it would be to hard for me physically as it took me a while to pass my fitness assessment but I made progress going through that and wasn’t going so hard in the gym as I should of been compared for what I’m bound to do in basic training I want to do better and I think I could with the right environment and expectations. I feel I’m not too smart to go for a IT or communications role, I don’t have my restricted license as I was thinking combat driver and my head is always leading me towards gunner. I have a plan if I fail which I really shouldn’t but I have to have a backup plan career. If anyone would enlighten me as to what combat roles in the NZDF are gonna be like physically and mentally or just any feed back in general that would help. I’m meant to be going to basic in February 2025.
Thanks for reading.

Backstory for this:
My ex (James - m20) and I broke up my junior year of high school after his best friend (David - m21) told me that James cheated on me at a party. James has a sister (Katie - f21) who was in my class. We have been close friends since 6th grade. David and I became friends through James, but during my relationship with James, David and I were never more than acquaintances. I had heard from others about the cheating before David told me, but I didn’t believe others because they were not at the party, and it came up in “I heard…”. David was the only person to tell me who was at this party, and said “this did happen.” It was impossible to chalk it up as a rumor at that point. David then began to distance himself from James because he didn’t like what he did. He wasn’t the only person to distance themselves from James, but David and I became friends after a bit. A few months later, David and I started dating and we’ve now been married for 1.5 years.
Everyone moved away and now for the summer, I am back home visiting by myself this week for a family event while my husband is deployed, and my old friends who I’ve kept in touch with are as well. Katie is back for the first time since moving and I haven’t seen her since graduation.
While a couple other girls and I were running around, we made a last minute choice to pick up Katie as well. Later, Katie invited up to join her and smoke on the roof at their place because James was supposed to have plans and leave. Katie called James to ask if he was gone yet, and when he said he wasn’t she asked if it was cool that we go up to her room. He wasn’t happy about it, but eventually she argued him into just going to another room while we walk in, since we would head straight up to her room. I guess his plans were canceled since he never left, but he called at 1am to ask if me and my friends had left yet. It turns out that the 4 hours we were there, he stayed in his bedroom with the door locked, in the basement, while we were shut in her room on the second floor with the door locked. Katie got irritated with him, saying we’ve been shut in here the entire time and she didn’t know why he wouldn’t just go about his time like we weren’t even here. My friends and I left shortly after as I didn’t want to make things anymore heated.
Yesterday I picked up Katie to go to the mall, and we made another last minute decision to get another friend, go back to my family’s place, and get in the hot tub. We needed to run by Katie’s place to grab her clothes, and on the way she called her mom to let her know. Katie’s mom invited us in for dinner, but we declined. Considering he stayed in the basement while we were on the roof, I didn’t think he would be thrilled to find me at their dinner table. While we were pulling in to the drive, Katie got a text from James that said “don’t bring her in.” She argued to him that it’s been years, but when we got there, I waited in the car.
Now today, James is going to spend a long weekend at his father’s house about an hour away. Katie invited me over to do my nails (she’s a nail artist) and I did her eyelashes (esthetician). Then later we were going to have some wine and watch a movie. However, even though James is gone, he’s still upset that I’m here. Katie has asked him to explain why it’s a problem when he isn’t here, but he won’t.
The whole reason I came over the first night was because I thought James and I were cool. We’ve previously chatted over text, caught up, wished each other well. I thought we were on good terms. I understood him not necessarily wanting to come face to face, but I didn’t realize I made him so uncomfortable that he felt the need to lock himself in the furthest part of the house.
I’m really starting to feel bad. Yes, I do want to hang out and see my friend’s family after not seeing them in year. But I feel like I’m crossing an unspoken boundary. I thought we were in a place where I could hang out with Katie and not be stepping on his toes. Hell, I thought we were at least able to coexist, especially in a social setting, like around friends.
AITAH? Am I crossing the line by being around?

I'M NOT OOP (Copy of text):
"My BF of 2 years has an 11yo daughter that just started her first ever menstrual cycle 3 days ago. He has full custody of her and they started making transitions to move in with me and my 8yo son about 2 weeks ago. Up until this point, everything was going fairly well. The kids got along and I thought Diane was a nice enough kid.
Anyways, she walks out of her bedroom 3 days ago and tells me she thinks she started her period and was asking me the general questions on how to wear a pad, what she can/can't do, etc. All is well. I let her stay home from school after calling my BF at work to confirm plans and give him the run down. She was crampy. I work from home so it was no issue. All day she interrupted my business calls to talk about her period. It was annoying but I just dealt with it because it's her first menstrual so obviously there's going to be a lot of questions. This wasn't even the problem. It was what followed it. She was in a great mood all day. But as soon as my BF and my son got home from work, my home turned in to a warzone. My son asked if she wanted to play with him and she screamed in his face "I'm on my period" and literally slammed him out of her doorway. He went flying, hit the wall. Bruised his shoulder and hit his head off the door frame. My BF went to talk to her and she starts crying. "I'm on my period, I don't want him near me". He gave her a pass for her behavior, which already pissed me off. The next day we planned a beach day (like a week ago planned it), Diane starts flipping out to a point of a full tantrum. Screaming AT me and my BF telling us that no, we would not still be going to the beach because she's on her period and she can't swim and since she can't, none of us can and she "doesn't care" if that bothers us. My BF cancels the trip, or tried. I told him I was still bringing my kid regardless. We get back home at 3pm. When I left, I had a pot of chili in the slow cooker for dinner. I find half the pot gone. Diane had been eating out of the slow cooker. My BF told me that Diane said the only thing she wanted was chili and that since she was on her period, he had to let her. He listened to her. There wasn't enough to feed everyone now. We send the kids to bed at 8pm. She comes out at 9, telling her father that she needed ice cream or she "was going to snap". He originally said no; she starts tweaking out. Crying, screaming. Wakes up my son. He ends up going and getting her the fucking ice cream instead of being a parent and snipping that shit in the bud.
Then this morning. My BF tells her she can stay home from school again because she's still on her period. I tell him no. I'm working today and she interrupted me all day on my last workday. She starts flipping out, screaming at me that I'm "not doing anything to make her comfortable when that's what she needs right now". My BF sides with her. "It's her first period, we need to learn to navigate it." I told him again that she was NOT staying here today. He gets angry with me and says I'm making his life harder than it has to be. His kid is still screaming at me. So, I snapped and told them to pack all their shit and leave and that I was fucking done. Said that I'm glad she started her period so soon in to moving in so that I could get a proper assessment of how it would be full time and I would be damned I put up with this bullshit every month. They both immediately calmed down. She starts crying, saying she was just "trying to make me understand". He's telling me I'm being ridiculous. I stood firm however and told them to get out. They are now gone and my house is peaceful. I don't want them back here. My BF has been blowing my phone up since, telling me this is just a bump in the road but I have never been so disgusted by anyone in my entire life. AITA for not letting them return and telling him I'm done?
I did speak to her about her aggression yesterday. I told her it wasn't okay to put her hands on people, to scream in my face, to demand we cater to her and break things. She says "I'm on my period, nothing I do right now can be held against me because I have no control". Which is enough to prove to me that she does have control, she's using this as an excuse."
(FYI, OOP says that Diane has never met her birth Mother, she signed her rights away at birth)
OG Post: https://www.reddit.com/AITAH/s/89BeSaOOqN

I had a situationship a few years ago. I actually loved the girl but was so emotionally unavailable (not really just scared to show emotion, from fear of being done wrong) that we eventually broke off because I was so scared of showing any emotion and just hurt her because she'd beg to be with me and I'd reject going official.
This was 3 years ago. I'm older now and realize I'll never have a healthy relationship if I don't open up.
Anyways we met up a few years later. Kicked it off again (what I thought) she was cautious at first, and I understood it completely. So I opened up and told her what it was.. how I've grown and understand I fucked up. This was months ago. We went on a few dates. Then she told me she can't do it. I respected it and backed off. I told her I had a huge crush on her but I get it.
The second I back off she comes chasing. I'm avoidant she's clingy. I understand that's what I attract and clingy people are turned off by anything clingy just as I'm turned off by avoidant people.
All of a sudden she's inviting me out back to back. I don't understand it. When I act like I don't give a damn she chases. If I open up she rejects it. I always make time if she msgs me. She always told me my issue is I'm so scared of looking dumb. When Im ok with looking dumb she doesn't want it.
And this is why I don't open up. The women I attract love it when I'm an asshole and unavailable. But it leads too nothing serious. I break their heart. I break my own heart when I let them go. But if I get nice they run. I need help on how to navigate. Am I just attracting emotionally insane women? Maybe I stay an asshole until she begs me? This makes me sad. I don't want to be a dick head until I'm begged not to be. I want to be nice. I want to show them or her I have emotion and I really have a good heart and good intentions.
I need help on how to navigate this. Maybe not with her. But in general. Im a loyal guy, I have a good heart. I have a good career. I have an awful past and she knows it. I have prison tatoos head to toe. Yet I've exelled in a industry of gaining trust from customers (sales) and have been #1 since I started at multiple companies and have made something of myself. (Have been out of trouble since getting out of prison at 22)
I was in and out of incarceration when I was younger. I'm in the top 5% for my age in terms of income. Yet every woman I meet right off the bat thinks I'm a total asshole and a liar if I do open up and be nice. Ive literally been celibate by Choice for the past year because id rather form a real relationship not based off sex. Yet women think I'm full of shit.
Tonight I went on a double date(she msged me and asked to go). I invited my boy. Everytime she was gone her freind would tell me all she talks about is me. And say it was good finally meeting me. Yet if I pursue I'm no good. I have to let her pursue. Literally makes 0 sense.

Hi everyone! I completed a 10 day course back in March and have kept up a practice on for most days since then.
I have a question about awareness. When the technique asks that we move from head to toe becoming aware of different parts of the body and the sensations thereat, it's only through my mind that I can be aware of the different parts. Like if I've travelled down to my arms, my mind's eye forms a kind of picture of my arms and it goes over the contours and I usually don't find any sensations other than very obvious ones.
Is there a way to take just the awareness to different parts?
When I am at my head and in my chest, it's different - I feel that awareness without needing to picturise it.
Appreciate any help.

First/Previous
Since I knew there was a time before, I’ve wanted it, but that was child’s hope; even as a boy I wanted a dream. I wanted some divine being to enter from heaven and tell us all how it should be, but that wasn’t something I could ever count on—of course. Is there a god? I think so. I’ve seen those things and if they exist, then surely there’s a maker on the other end of it—god made both the light and the dark if the word’s to be believed and all we can hope for is a glimpse of the former. Even for a second.
The streets were soaked with blood and so many artillery rounds were fired into the sky—many I witnessed missed Leviathan—that I forgot what silence was like (not to mention the screams and there was a lot of that).
In the scrambling, I found I was reentering deeper into Golgotha and that wasn’t good. There was the ever-present thought that Maron was around every corner; the man had haunted my thoughts for longer that he should have and every time it was like an overwhelming force. It was simple enough after all, he was a piece of the past, a piece I could theoretically reach out and touch and that was what kept me to him.
In the fray of bolting citizens, I pressed myself to the exterior of a wall—I’d neared the stairs which once led to my apartment—and I kept out of the way of those that mindlessly went; some of those which rushed from the onslaught were those afflicted with skitterbugs and many of them either hobbled on blackened legs or—and this was rare—comrades or family helped to carry those which could not carry themselves. It was a baffling sight. A man carried a woman like a child (her toes had fallen off and her legs were black to the knees) and though he strode on with her, his own boots were caked with a mixture of blood and earth. An older girl led a young boy from the whirlwind of dust which was kicked up in the square; the boy’s eyes were whited, and his hands were curled to his chest, discolored. People, whatever duality there is, cared. There was not a drop of the apathy I’d learned and encouraged in myself.
I chewed like a mad dog through my bindings, and it was of little use; I yanked at the cord which secured my hands together and received rope burn in return. “Bitch!” I cussed the thing, but the flames in the sky were so loud, the bangs and vibrations from the artillery consumed all so it was like yelling in a barrel. I swung my hands out in front of me, feeling useless and felt a sudden urge to try again. I bit into the cord and repetitively motioned my jaw against the pressure of the cord, like I was going to saw through it with my teeth. Ha! Another yank is what brought my left hand free, but not without tearing a triangle of skin away from my wrist.
The cord dropped to my feet, and I looked around; a woman brushed past me, nearly toppled over my foot and I caught her by the wrist before she went head-over. She violently thrust from my grasp and screamed something at me. Another bout of flames burst from Leviathan’s maw as it circle-dove overhead. The heatwave from the blast exploded across my face so that I recoiled from the sky itself till I was on the ground, and I pushed myself from the earth and ran half dog-like from my place there at the wall. Where? It was hard to say where when every person that touched-by seemed to send me in another direction; in the madness, it was impossible to tell my course.
With time and effort, I found my way to the opening where the hydro towers were, three pillars which rose above Golgotha’s skyline, each one a testament to human resilience—engineers laborers toiled untold hours under Lady’s father to construct them. The hydro towers exploded into rubble as Leviathan slammed into them. Rock rained down as cutting shards and destructive boulders. A man lay beside my feet where he'd been pinned by the onslaught—white concrete kept him there by his chest—he gasped for air and blood already formed around him. In a moment, I looked away at the dying man, his half-whited eyes bulging at me. Meat hung from the left side of another man’s face as he cradled his head in his hand and moved like he was stoned and sat among the stomping feet; he slumped into the spot he sat and did not move till others came by him in a hurry and he simply fell onto his side like a toy animal.
The screams were too much. I looked to the towers, the nubs which had broken away like bad teeth against the red sky, and whole people fell alongside the rubble, limbs and showers of blood and Leviathan latched atop the towers and rocked its massive body so that the structures slipped directly from their foundations and tumbled over like pins. I ran and again there was nothing but chaos, nothing but mind-numbing wilder thoughts—it was grim and there wasn’t a place for coherency; it was all snaps of images.
In the mess of bumbling limbs, I pushed through to the hall of Bosses and there were people there already, rushing the stairs; the ground shook and I assumed it must’ve been the towers. The things demolished all in their path, and briefly, I saw the ramshackle structures which normally stood in their shadows come slanting over and people leapt from those places too and landed poorly and there was a cacophony of tremors through the earth—it felt as though hell should open.
The steps at the base of the hall were flooded and it was a fight to climb them as legs came high up from ahead and swiped at those behind and I kept my hands ahead of me to block whatever foot may come my way.
Wall men stood ready with their rifles at the tops of those steps and fired their weapons indiscriminately into the crowd. Bodies, big and small, piled atop the steps after a brief bullet dance and it came that I wasn’t only climbing stairs, but corpses; the warmth of their flesh as I clawed ahead remained and blood fog hung in the air. That grouping of wall men, casually lined before the doors of the hall were overtaken and they disappeared, their rifles cackled and came alive with muzzle flashes and the animal hands of the horde brought them to ground.
Us, the horde, funneled through those front doors and for a moment, in the thick walls of the hall, the outside world audibly disappeared; the blood and dust remained, but it was quieter save the shuffling feet and cusses of passersby I was carried deeper.
Those that worked the underground went quickly and I followed, and those ignorant followed for the sake of survival and it was not long till we stumbled into the Boss’s lair. With room, people dispersed like water through the tunnels and found dark recesses to tend their wounds or mourn whatever was lost and the explosive open air had been fully replaced by the quiet black oppressive mumbles of people taking stock of all those that had died. And all those that would. Every few moments, the walls shook, and dust fell from the ceiling fixtures.
A few haggard folks moved to the doorway which led to the damp room which led to the kitchen, and they slammed the door shut and latched it and began to check adjacent rooms for things to barricade the way.
“Stop!” said a man in the dim flickering underground light—I was surprised to see the man was me, “Leave it open! Others might need help.” I retraced my steps to the small faction that’d gathered there at the doorway. “You can’t just let them die out there. Let them in.”
“Shut up!” a skinny girl with her hair pulled back on her malnourished skull spoke gruffly; she choked, coughed—dust clung to her clothes—she’d been near the collapse of the hydro towers if I guessed. “Step off, or I’ll—
“Or you’ll what?” I shouted.
The girl put up her fists, two lumpy stones, and in stupid response I closed the distance between us. With speed, her fist met my nose, and I stumbled back on my heel.
Without hesitation, I brought up my own hands and landed a blow to her stomach. She craned forward, gasped on repeat, and took a knee.
Blood wet my upper lip, and I wiped it away with my forearm.
“Move,” I said to the others by the door; there were two: a woman and a boy that was nearly a man.
The boy charged headstrongly, attempted a kick and I easily shoved his small frame against the tunnel wall; the hard metal sounded a meaty thud against his body and the woman launched unseen at me, raked her nails down the back of my neck, and tore at my collar. I kept a forearm to the boy’s throat and rocked his head with my free elbow. Once he wept and spit red, I let him go; the boy slid into a sit and I spun on the woman, shoving her away. My left leg began to give, and I used the wall over the boy’s head as support. I swung at her with a wild claw and my fingertips grazed her nose as she fell away to the opposite wall.
“Stop it!” I shouted.
She launched at me, and my leg gave out under her tackle, and I stumbled half-on the boy, my feet kicked helplessly at her, and the boy regained his composure and began to crawl towards me. We wrestled and then the girl I’d knocked in the gut rejoined the fray. I was done. They had me pinned and spat curses at me and took turns shoving my head into the floor.
“You’re going to get us killed,” shouted the woman, “Are you stupid?”
I grinded my teeth and tried to throw them off; I was overpowered and easily pressed down again.
The overhead lights flickered with another deep earthy vibration and the trio let go of me in an instant—I came up swinging my arms like crazy and as I went to kneel before propelling myself to stand, a hand rested on my shoulder. I spun on the hand and was met with the black mouth of a 9mm pistol—that froze me fast.
The owner of the weapon—a wall man by the look of her fatigues—motioned for me to stand and I did. Her eyes were far off and nervous and the metal shook in her outstretched hand. “Against the wall!” she barked at us; she was small-framed and youthful but full grown, and I could easily push her out of my way if not for the pistol. We went to the wall, and she moved to the door while keeping the gun drawn on us. She watched us and glanced at the door. “It’s latched! Who latched the door?” She asked.
No one spoke. The other three looked to their feet; I initially refused to rat, and snorted blood—my nose throbbed and by touch I could tell it swelled already.
“Well? Why’s it closed?” she asked the question more like a desperate child than a person with control. “C’mon!” The 9mm rolled limply on her wrist as she said the word, like she was attempting to draw the confession from us with the motion.
“There’s an attack. They’re killing everyone,” said the boy.
The girl and woman nodded.
“Who?” asked the wall man.
“Demons, muties,” said the boy, “Big stuff. Everyone’s dying.”
The ground shook as if to emphasize his point.
The wall man studied us for a moment, lingering last on me and for the longest and she took a long breath and let the sigh out dramatically slow. “I know you,” she motioned at me with the gun, “You’re that maniac. The one that tried to murder everyone.” Her eyes fell then returned and she put her weight on the door while maintaining the barrel of the gun eye-level in my direction.
“I ain’t gonna’ hurt anyone,” said. I briefly thought about smiling but decided that’d look worse.
“How do I know that?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said the boy, “He tried to kill us already!” His voice cracked with adolescence; the blood I’d spilled from his mouth coated the front of his holey shirt.
The trio nodded all together—everyone agreed that I was a maniac killer.
“They latched it,” I said, “Cowards.”
A thump came from the other side of the door which frightened the wall man and she leapt from the spot she’d leaned—it took several full seconds to realize her gun went off; there was a flash, and my ears rang. I stumbled from the knot of people and slunk a couple of feet from the space by the door. The girl—the one I gut-punched—collapsed to the floor while holding the right side of her face. The women crowded the girl, panicked, the boy sprinted past me and disappeared deeper into the underground, and the wall man stood there with a wretched blank expression. There was a long moment which hung in the air; I could not hear and then it came back, and it was the girl’s screams I heard first.
Upon stepping to them, I saw the prone girl had been shot just so—through the cheek. Her eyes rolled from likely spinal damage; whatever the angle, it seemed to have ripped through irreparable nerves and she bled a lot. There wasn’t any hope for that girl.
“Well,” I said to the wall man, “Finish it. No reason to make her suffer.”
The girl on the ground writhed unnaturally and caterwauled while the woman by her side attempted to calm her.
Greater became the sound of the belabored hands on the other side of the door; then a hollow-sounding gunshot came from the other side; were they shooting the door? Or each other? Another round—human screams.
The wall man shook her head. “I didn’t mean it. It was an accident.”
I tried to hold the wall man’s gaze, but she didn’t seem able.
With speed, I moved to the wall man, reached for the gun which dangled helpless by her side—her initial response was to flinch, pull the weapon from my reach; our eyes locked and I clenched my jaw. She could’ve killed me. There wouldn’t have been surprise from me if she had.
She let go of the gun and I nodded, and she nodded and the woman kneeling by the girl threw herself over her. “Please,” protested the woman, “Please don’t!”
With the aid of the pistol, I was given space, and nothing was said. I mentally prepared myself for the ringing which accompanied gunfire in small spaces, even tilted my head away with my free palm up and took aim and the girl jerked once then went still.
With the ringing going and sound returning, the drumming on the door returned, as well as the quiet weeps of the woman; she crawled to the wayside of the hall, pressed her back against the wall and rested her chin on her knees with her arms around her shins. She didn’t rock to or fro and hardly made any noise at all. But the small and quiet sobs remained faintly there.
First/Previous
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Hey all, I want to share some general info that I think will help employees better advocate for themselves. I’m writing all of this out on mobile so I apologize for bad formatting. Additionally, there’s so much information regarding this niche topic and I want to do my best to provide adequate information and resources without being burdensome. I would like to do more posts like this that highlights rights in the workplace, so any comments, suggestions are welcome.
First, OSHA enforces health and safety standards for private industry employees and the US postal service. The information in this post is specific to Federal OSHA regulations. Some states have State OSHA plans with health and safety rules that are at least as effective as federal OSHA rules. In regards to who pays for PPE, this distinction is important as some states don’t have exceptions and require the employer to cover the cost for PPE in all circumstances. To see if the state that you occupy has a state OSHA plan, check out the OSHA page here.
OSHA published its Final Rule on PPE payment requirements in 2007, where it made several clarifications. The publication in its entirety can be found here. The final rule applies to all industries under OSHA (except for agriculture).
General requirements for PPE in general industry (where most private employees fall) are found under 1910.132, linked here, and 1926.28 for construction, lined here.
The employer is required to identify hazards in the workplace and to provide controls to those hazards to protect employees. If the employer determines that PPE is required to control hazards/protect employees, the employer is required to provide that PPE at no cost to the employee (though there are exceptions).
PPE “including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head, and extremities, protective clothing, respiratory devices, and protective shields and barriers, shall be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards of processes or environment, chemical hazards, radiological hazards, or mechanical irritants encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.” The PPE needs to be adequate in controlling the hazard that it is being used to control, and should be provided in a size that fits the employee.
What does the PPE final rule NOT apply to?
• Uniforms, caps, or other clothing worn solely to identify a person as an employee.
• Items worn to keep employees clean for purposes unrelated to health or safety. Denim coveralls, aprons or other apparel, when worn solely to prevent clothing and/or skin from becoming soiled (dirt).
• Items worn for product safety, consumer safety, or patient safety and health, rather than employee safety and health.
• PPE that is not required by the employer.
Employer is NOT required to pay for: • Non-specialty safety-toe protective footwear (including steel-toe shoes/boots). Specially boots would be those with additional non-slip or electrical protection.
• Non-specialty non-prescription safety eyewear. Specialty safety eyewear would be goggles or glasses rated for laser or welding energy.
• PPE that is permitted to be worn off the job-site.
• Logging boots required by 29 CFR 1910.266(d)(1)(v).
• Everyday clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, street shoes, and normal work boots, even when the employer requires employees to use them, and the clothing provides protection. This includes ordinary shoes that are non-slip (those worn in restaurants), even when required by the employer.
• Ordinary clothing, skin creams, or other items, used solely for protection from weather, such as winter coats, jackets, gloves, parkas, rubber boots, hats, raincoats, ordinary sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Exceptions to weather gear payment requirements: • If ordinary weather gear is not sufficient to protect the employee, and special equipment or extraordinary clothing is needed to protect the employee from unusually severe weather conditions, the employer is required to pay for the protection.
• Weather refers to natural conditions, not artificial conditions. So clothing used to protect employees from artificial heat or cold is not included in the exception. Example: freezer warehouse, oil rig in Alaska, firefighting clothing.
If the employer requires employees to keep the following non-specialty items at the workplace, then payment is required: • Safety-toe protective footwear (including non-specialty steel-toe shoes or steel-toe boots).
• Prescription eyeglass inserts for respirator.
• Non-skid safety-toe shoes.
Who pays for PPE when it needs to be replaced? • The employer is required to replace PPE.
• The employer is not required to replace PPE when the employe has lost, stolen, or intentionally damaged the PPE.
Regarding employee-owned PPE: • Where an employee provides adequate PPE that he or she owns, pursuant to paragraph (b) of 1910.132, the employer may allow the employee to use it and is not required to reimburse the employee for that equipment.
• The employer shall not require an employee to provide or pay for his or her own PPE, unless the PPE is excepted by paragraphs (h)(2) through (h)(5) of 1910.132.
• Employee use of own PPE is completely voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time. This means that the employer is still responsible for making sure the PPE is adequate, properly maintained, and sanitary.
• PPE CANNOT BE a condition of employment.
Are reimbursement programs allowable under OSHA? • Yes, reimbursement programs are allowed under the standard. However, those kinds of reimbursement programs should normally not take more than one pay cycle. Bear in mind though, the time to purchase the PPE is not covered as the employer would not be required to pay for the employees time to go and purchase that PPE.
For further exploration, check out the following links: This letter of interruption from OSHA regarding additional clarification on PPE payment responsibilities. This page from the OSHA sitespecific to PPE payments. This hub on the OSHA site on general rights in the workplace. This hub on the OSHA sitethat directs to specific PPE standards from federal OSHA.

For anyone who wants to see how things began.
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/s/S97b2fqIjx
“In what universe would I ever do you a favor? “ I say, sweeping the floor of the reinforced barn.
“It’s not a favor, it’s a trade, bud.
What do you want in return? “ Trenchcoat asks from within the coffin-like cage.
“To be back home, 8 months ago. “ I reply.
Over the past few weeks I’ve managed to integrate myself into the day to day life on the farm. Things are still a grim, horrifying slog, but with every day it gets a bit easier to deal with.
“Give me something I can do. “ The creature pleads.
“Why, so I can wind up on the end of another ‘ Gotcha’ moment? I’m good. “ is my answer.
A few minutes of silence go by, Augustus breaks it.
“I don’t know many secrets of the universe. Facts, not really my bag. But I know a couple.
How about I share one with you?
No one, not the pope, not my brother, not the shit-bird perched on the highest branch of my twisted family tree, knows what happens when you die.
Some of us never will, of course. Others have ways of avoiding it, but at the end of the day, when the lights truly go out, we know next to nothing.
We do know one thing though. There is judgement, by who? Who knows? Why? Not important.
But at the end of the day, if your battery can’t be recharged, you really want to be thinking about how many marks are on each side of the ledger. “
I don’t reply, and for the next hour or so I ignore the pleading and hinting Trenchcoat does.
But that night, as I sip acidic tea, and try to get a handle on how in the fuck old televisions function, his offer is at the forefront of my mind.
He wants to kill, specifically 6 teenagers who, according to him, have been murdering classmates yearly in a twisted ritual.
He wants me to think this is some kind of noble act, he frames it as almost superheroic. The evil prick knows how I feel, knows that I see the blood on my hands every day, and would kill ( possibly literally) for some way to atone.
Is it a play? I honestly don’t think so, something about how eager the twisted thing is, about how he’s treating the situation as a buyer’s market makes me think something about this makes it important to him.
He offers me everything besides safety and protection. I’m desperate for help, but I have no way to hold him to any agreement.
So the thought rolls around in my mind, staving off the few hours of sleep I get.
“Okay, so, I have it on good authority that tea is supposed to taste better over here. What the hell is wrong with this? “ I say, sitting around an outside table with Sylvia, Dafydd and Colin.
Sylvia smiles, “ Barium, calcium, and a touch of castor oil. “
I look at the brew, then at her.
“If I had told you when you got here you need to drink that to mitigate the effects of working with void touched objects and creatures, you’d have assumed the worst, and found a way to avoid drinking it.
Good to see you becoming more perceptive though. “ Sylvia explains.
“That’s called paranoia, Syl. “ I reply.
She laughs, lighting a cigarette.
“Do you know why I’ve let you figure things out on your own? “ The ancient woman asks.
“Accepted? Yes. Understood, not in the slightest. “ I answer, wondering what sadist invented the scone.
“It’s because I need a leader. Someone who can understand, not a boy who puts his head down and listens to orders.
Someone who can make their own decisions when the time comes.
And I think that time is coming soon. “ Her statement feels like a question.
“If I chose to be here I’d be honored.” I counter.
“That attitude on the other hand… needs work.
Nikolas, today, we talk about what’s really going on.
We play a role in a much larger organization, us, and other families like us, are the ‘boots on the ground’ so to speak.
Our job is not to capture creatures, or horde esoteric goods. We do not foil the schemes of demons, nor blind those who look too deeply into the abyss.
We’re given information about events that could steer the path of humanity into a brick wall. And our job is to make sure they don’t happen. “ Sylvia reveals.
“Something is happening with these fights? “ I ask.
“As I said, perceptive.
Yes, it could be next week, it could be in a decade or two. Right now, we know very little about it, other than when it happens, it would be in our best interests to be of a high standing in the pits. “ She replies.
I absorb the information, and t drug laced tea in equal measure. As I do, I feel something, I feel I’m a part of what’s going on.
This is going to sound dumb as hell, but up until this point I hadn’t been taking things seriously. Don’t get me wrong, death is on the table, and I was trying to avoid that. But I was just treading water, hoping something or someone came by and to get me out of this situation.
But as Syl lays things out, I start to think of my place here, what I can be doing to better my state.
“Here is the part where you avoid telling me why you couldn’t have used anyone around here. “ I prod.
I keep her gaze, Colin and Dafydd shift uncomfortably.
“Augustus, he’s a tricky one. But a very lucky find for us.
I’ve tried 2 others. A boy and a girl, both I practically raised.
Marco, he was a warrior. But the demon got in his head. There was nothing that could be done beyond end his suffering.
Zelma, I won’t talk about.
That thing, it has a way of turning someone’s best traits against them. You, are a blank slate, but you’re family. You’re my best guess as to how we can use him to our advantage.
And this is why I need you, not to listen, but to understand. To see what’s happening, and make your own decisions. If I were to give you my knowledge, if I were to arm you with the best weapons, and the most powerful esoteric objects I know. He’d just have more to turn against you. “ Sylvia’s revelation scares me and puts a massive weight on my shoulders all at the same time.
Confidence and fear are both dangerous emotions. The two of them are almost like drugs in a way.
After eight months of mainlining fear, the tiny line of confidence Sylvia gave me, went straight to my head.
Trenchcoat told me where to find a video file. And after a couple of weeks of running it through every possible test I could, to check for any kind of manipulation, supernatural or otherwise, I watched it.
I was confident that the world would be much better off without the people committing the vicious acts contained in those twenty minutes of footage.
A teenage view of morality, I admit. But what do you want, I’m a teenager.
We watch the abandoned house from across the street. It’s a dingy, urban blight affected suburb, that being said, how no one seems to notice the seven foot freak with me, I have no idea.
The kid inside smoking stolen cigarettes and illegally supplied booze is a husky young guy of about 14. The half dozen kids that show up a couple hours later look closer to my age, last couple of years of high school I’m guessing.
The way they get into the house tells me they’ve done this before. The backpacks they all carry tell me they’re there for a purpose.
“How fucking funny would it be if I just killed you here and took off? “ Trenchcoat says, looming behind me.
I tense.
“It’s a joke. Out of my whole rotten family, Art and I, are close. I’m not going anywhere.
Unfortunately for you. “ Trenchcoat shoves me to the ground as he walks toward the house.
We get in through a basement window, I fit easily, Trenchcoat contorts his body to fit through the thin opening, somehow doing so silently.
I keep hearing Sylvia in my head. Telling me how she needs someone that can make his own decisions.
As I stand in the litter strewn basement, beside a creature with child murder on it’s mind I question the decision that I made.
At first the illumination is dim, nothing more than scraps of moonlight filtered through splintered wood. But with an industrial click, suddenly a half dozen lightbulbs bathe the basement in harsh, yellowish light.
Harsh, but not harsh enough to cause the reaction I see from Trenchcoat.
He squints and tries, unsuccessfully to turn away from the lights. Something about them is causing him discomfort. I get my hopes up for a moment he’s going to burst into flame or turn into dust or something, but no dice.
The sight of the walking nightmare looking pained and confused makes me panic. But before I can think of how I fucked up, I hear a voice.
The room, by the sounds of it, the entire house, has been rigged with speakers. Cleverly recessed in sconces and corners.
“Augi, long time no see. And I see you brought a little Renfield fella with you. “ The voice is modulated, Trenchcoat looks curious for a moment.
“Who, is this? You that clown that’s been fucking with Art?” He guesses.
The voice laughs, “Nope.
Who I am, is a guy who managed to find a few boxes of lightbulbs from ’93.
Then again, with eBay, that could make me just about anyone. “
Trenchcoat turns and looks toward the window we came in. He reaches a hand toward it, stopping a few inches away.
“That’s fucking interesting. “ He says, eyes darting around the room.
“Isn’t it though? “ The voice replies, clearly hearing the creature’s whisper, “ Tonight you get the pay for centuries of the worst shit committed by man or beast. I’ve made sure of that. No one in this house is going anywhere for the next 8 hours.
I’m sure the rest of the houseguests are pretty confused as to what’s going on. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so let me give you the Cliff’s notes.
You kids have been killing a monster a year for half a decade. You were the perfect bait, and I have faith you’ll be able to outwit Augi long enough to make it out of here.
If not, you’ll still have helped kill one of the worst things to walk the face of the earth. “
“What the hell is he talking about? “ I ask, a sinking feeling in my gut.
“That’s what you’re worried about right now?
Yeah, these kids are more Scooby gang than Manson family. Don’t blame me for the fact it only took an out of context exorcism video and some promises of making things right with the universe to get you on board with killing them. “ Trenchcoat spits.
I feel afraid, stupid and small. Which is to say, lately, business as usual.
I begin to break lightbulbs, I notice no runes, or anything else that would indicate they have any kind of supernatural origin.
As the basement dims, Trenchcoat starts to breathe easier.
“What’s going on, what stopped you from leaving? “ I ask.
“This little shit is playing The Game. “ Trenchcoat says to himself as much as to me. He looks deep in thought, inspecting the glass from the bulbs.
“What are you talking about? “ I say, my voice cracking slightly.
I hear noises upstairs, frantic foot falls. Indecipherable shouting.
Trenchcoat turns to me, exasperated and filled with anger.
“You’ve heard of ‘Rules’ right? All that ‘Don’t turn left on East street at 3:24 am kind of shit? “ The creature starts, “More and more of them popping up lately. Can’t miss the things.
Well, your kind seems great at finding them, but fucking awful at figuring out what they are. It’s not someone’s new job, or creepy school. The answer is so damned simple, but all of you’ve missed it.
It's a game. It’s, The Game.
It’s ran by the thickest branches of my family tree, and the stakes are high enough even I don’t really understand.
And whoever has us here, he’s weaponized it. The crazy fuck. “
“Call on your family for help then. “ I say, starting to deal with the fear and confusion.
“You first. “ Is Trenchcoat’s reply.
I get his point, and for a twisted, shitty moment, I find myself relating to the murderous thing I’ve been saddled with.
“So what’s the plan? “ I ask.
“Get my hands on whoever’s been stalking me. Between A and B, probably kill those little do-gooders upstairs out of spite.
I need you to circumvent rules we come across. Humans need to agree to follow the rules, it’s why people encounter them in jobs and schools so much. I’m not human, if you haven’t noticed. I don’t get a choice. “ I’m shaking my head as Augustus relates his plan.
“We’re not hurting those kids. “ I say defiantly.
“I’m sure you’ll have no problem with that.
But I’m a God damned child killing monster, bud! How long is that going to take to sink the fuck in?
Me not doing what I do, isn’t like giving up smokes. Think of it like not having a slash for months on end. Sooner or later, like it or not, I’m either finding a bathroom or pissing my pants. “ the rant scares me, but it makes me think.
Something about Augustus, it seems very, 90’s. Whoever was on the speakers was talking about the lightbulbs being from ’93. I’m picking up on a very distinct pattern.
I file that information with the rest of the disconnected lore I’ve managed to find on Trenchcoat as I follow him up the steep, narrow set of stairs.
He whips the thin wood door open, taking an aggressive, lurching step into the livingroom beyond. Surely ready to dispense too far quips and limitless violence, as per usual.
But that doesn’t happen, his rage filled scowl turns into a look of resignation, “Fuck”, is the monster’s last word before he disappears.
I cautiously walk up the loose splinter ridden stairs, expecting Augustus to be waiting around the corner, or engaged in combat with some other horror.
But once I get to the top, there’s nothing more sinister than a livingroom covered in dust and graffiti strewn with old bottles and new stains.
I know my chance when I see it. The particle board sealing the bay window is rotten, the glass long since broken.
No monster, no crazy family, I’ll take my chances with the streets of the U. K.
I tap the crumbling wood with a foot, it rattles, it won’t take much to make a hole.
I line up a kick, freedom no more than a quarter inch of rotten wood away.
“I wouldn’t do that. “ Says a voice behind me, male, around my age I’d guess, but with a confidence that makes me listen, “ Rigged with a load of C4 in the window frame.
Don’t take my word for it, guy wasn’t very subtle. ”
Sure enough, I see small wires running along the edges of the frame and embedded in the particle board.
I turn around, the six people standing in front of me have a vibe I can only describe as severe.
“Are we going to have issues? “ a slight, dark skinned guy asks.
“You making threats? “ I reply.
“No, he isn’t. “ it’s the same voice that warned me about the explosives. It belongs to a squared jawed kid with short black hair, he’s wearing a grey hoodie, and separates himself from the group. “ Call me Kent, and I’m in charge of making threats.
Sid, he’s our people person, he’s just trying to see if you’re someone we need to worry about. “
“We don’t have time to figure this kid out, leave him. “ a short, ginger girl says.
“Ami, why don’t I stay out of equipment, and you and Kent let me figure this kid out?” Sid says.
“I’m Nik. “ I volunteer.
“Good to meet you Nik. “ Sid says, walking around Kent, “Didn’t mean to start things off on the wrong foot.
We’ve just gotten used to doing these kinds of things in our own way over the past bit. We get a little… weird around this time of year if I’m being honest. “
I nod, apprehensive at giving any kind of detailed response.
“Derik” says a tall, pale guy, “ Research. “
“Liam. “ a tanned boy in a flannel shirt and deep blue jeans tells me, “ Oxford doesn’t talk, accident a couple of years back. I’m logistics, he figures spooky shit out. “
Oxford is thin and bald, his face looks much older than it should. Like he’s the victim of some kind of wasting disease.
Telling these kids the truth would be, complicated. And something about their war vet demeanor, makes me want to keep things simple.
So I give them a version of the truth. One where I was plucked from my room by Trenchcoat, and brought here for a slow death.
They buy it. I think.
“Well, I don’t know what this Jigsaw wannabe has planned, but trust me when I say, it can’t be much worse than the things we’ve went through. “ Kent says, trying to be reassuring.
“Just, one more thing. “ Sid begins, “ Why all the scars? “
I know I’ve won most of the group over, but I don’t like the look Sid is giving me.
“Work on a farm, on top of that, the family owns an auction. Lots of bent steel and splinters, what can I say? “ I say, trying to sound casual.
“Fair enough, that accent though. “ Sid’s look becomes almost predatory as he talks.
“Immigration my guy. What’s with the third degree? “ I reply.
“We’ve just met and I’ve only asked three questions.
Humor me here though.
You get taken in the night by that thing that winked out of existence.
Seems pretty nice of him to let you put on shoes. “ Sid lets his statement hang.
Kent turns, I don’t like where this is going. Panic and fear start to well up.
“What’re you thinking Sid? “ Kent asks.
“Kid’s lying. But he’s good at it. “ Sid answers.
“You saying this has turned into a, me, situation? “ Kent’s question starts a deep pit in my stomach.
“I don’t know if we need to go that far. But I don’t like the idea of him having seen our faces. I think this is a Liam situation. “ As Sid says this I look to Liam, who already seems deep in thought.
“Local cops will back our story, but he could go beyond them.
We tie him up until all of this is done, and we get some video of him putting a blade into the body upstairs. He goes telling any stories, it’s us and the locals versus some Yank on video stabbing the kid. “ Liam suggests.
I tried to fight, it went, embarrassingly. Kent had me on the ground in some kind of arm lock in about a second.
I’m bound to an old wooden chair with electrical cords, dragged into a room on the second floor where the chubby kid from before lays face down in a coagulated pool of his own blood. Surrounded by the trappings of misspent youth.
The door locks, and I stare at the corpse, wondering what in the hell went on up here, and in what universe are these psychopaths anything other than what they seemed on screen.
Time becomes almost malleable. I’m terrified to the point where every moment seems to stretch out forever.
Then, I hear it. A wet, organic noise. It starts below the body, and slowly starts to spread.
After a minute or two, the body starts to jerk and twitch. The room is dim as hell, but some kind of ropey, flesh-like substance, is sealing off the door.
I watch as the corpse clumsily gets to it’s feet. It’s skin pale, it’s throat slit to the point of near decapitation.
The head falls backward, obscenely with a small spurt of thick blood.
I scream, I thought I’d been getting used to being face to face with monsters. But fully bound, inches away from a kid that seems to be filled with a twisting mass of barbed, writhing, intestine like tentacles, I realize I’m not used to shit.
The ropey mass forms the barest suggestion of features, a shifting, lumpen mass of ever moving tendrils coming from what used to be the kid’s neck.
The sound spreads more, cracks in the floorboards and walls begin to show hints of the tendrils filling them in like spray foam.
No one is hearing my screams, or if they are, they have no interest in helping.
Ever wonder how you’d handle torture? I think if you’re the kind of person to be reading this, it’s likely you have.
I started by pissing myself.
The second the thin tendril touches my hand, I feel a blinding, flensing pain. I can do nothing but watch, as thousands of nearly hair thin spines tear and consume my flesh. As it slowly, almost, curiously makes it’s way up my arm, it leaves a bloodless, scarred furrow about an eighth of an inch deep.
My second reaction was to lose any pretense at defiance or dignity. I thrash and scream, beg and offer. All of this turning into choked sobs as the thing starts to do much of the same with another tendril.
It felt like I was in hell, every inch of me nothing more than a canvas for this artist of misery.
But pain, it can only go so far. Whether we’re talking about my tolerance, or this thing’s interest.
Mutilation, the brutal wedding of pain and loss. That was it’s next step.
A thick, almost centipede like tendril sits on my pinky like a hot iron. I can only watch in horror as I see fat, then muscle, then bone, then, nothing.
My voice shreds, I tear my wrists and ankles trying desperately to break the expertly tied wires.
My mind is at the breaking point, the creature in front of my makes a terrible, high pitched keening I assume is laughter.
My body is a roadmap of scarred pits and lines. My hand sports a cleanly severed finger. Fuck me, I wish things ended there.
Of all the important parts of the human body, the eye, tends to feel the least pain. Which isn’t to say, as I watched the greedy, grasping claws slowly take pieces of one of mine, it didn’t hurt, but the worst part, was knowing what was happening.
The vision in my left eye begins to distort at first, the edges getting blurry, then going dark. Bit by bit, chunk by irreplaceable chunk, the creature takes half my vision.
I can feel the shifting air on the bare socket, to call what I’m doing screaming, would be understating things to the point of absurdity.
My brain reels at what has just happened. I can feel my grip on reality begin to loosen, pain, worse than can bare, loss of half my sight, it’s too much.
My brain feels filled with static, for a few brief moments I swear, I can hear someone, a voice, trying to tell me something.
But then, a smell hits me. Something so foul, so alien, it yanks me back from the brink of disassociation. I gag and choke, as the air becomes thick with the rotten, chemical reek.
Then, I see it, I see, him.
As randomly as he disappeared, in an instant Trenchcoat is in the room.
He’s torn apart, wounds so deep and ragged, I can see the door on the other side of the room through the worst of them.
One arm is a twisted, broken mess, the flesh jacket torn to shreds of necrotic tissue.
The look on his face is panic, paranoia. A rictus grin of someone that has been kept on his toes for entirely too long.
He trembles and heaves, looking like he could fall over at any second.
He points his good arm at the tendril creature, who I notice has a too familiar eye suspended in it’s shifting features.
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the motherfucker who just made me kill my favorite cousin, would you? “ Trenchcoat asks, his voice cracked, and strained.
He gets a confused keening in response.
“Bad day for you then. “ Augustus says.
There is no style to his violence, Trenchcoat grabs the shifting mass, his wicked, claw tipped fingers angling themselves in tendrils. As he lifts the thing, floorboards break, and it’s torn free from the root-like system it was creating in the room.
Three brutal slams cover me in ichor and pieces of creature. Trenchcoat tosses the mewling, twitching pile in a corner and looks at me with disgust.
“You let that thing do this to you? Fuckin’ pathetic, bud.
And who tied you up? “ The nightmare I’ve been cursed with chides me.
“The kids downstairs. “ I say only now realizing I’ve still been sobbing.
One handed, Trenchcoat snaps the wires, then stumbles backward, slowly sliding down the wall.
He coughs, grey, bloody phlegm hitting the ground.
“So, what’s the play here? If this shit broke you, I could use the spare parts, if not, well, you know what the Bible says.
An eye for an eye. “ Trenchcoat grins as he talks, nearly on the brink of death.
And that’s where I think I’m going to leave things. Because, honestly I don’t know what I’m choosing.
I’m mutilated, half blind, using too much of my energy typing to strangers online about things because, I’m so fucking alone here.
If you hear from me again, I hope I made the right move. If not, take this as a lesson on what happens when you screw around with the occult.

For anyone who wants to see how I got into this situation.
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/s/R0DAycoVIm
“In what universe would I ever do you a favor? “ I say, sweeping the floor of the reinforced barn.
“It’s not a favor, it’s a trade, bud.
What do you want in return? “ Trenchcoat asks from within the coffin-like cage.
“To be back home, 8 months ago. “ I reply.
Over the past few weeks I’ve managed to integrate myself into the day to day life on the farm. Things are still a grim, horrifying slog, but with every day it gets a bit easier to deal with.
“Give me something I can do. “ The creature pleads.
“Why, so I can wind up on the end of another ‘ Gotcha’ moment? I’m good. “ is my answer.
A few minutes of silence go by, Augustus breaks it.
“I don’t know many secrets of the universe. Facts, not really my bag. But I know a couple.
How about I share one with you?
No one, not the pope, not my brother, not the shit-bird perched on the highest branch of my twisted family tree, knows what happens when you die.
Some of us never will, of course. Others have ways of avoiding it, but at the end of the day, when the lights truly go out, we know next to nothing.
We do know one thing though. There is judgement, by who? Who knows? Why? Not important.
But at the end of the day, if your battery can’t be recharged, you really want to be thinking about how many marks are on each side of the ledger. “
I don’t reply, and for the next hour or so I ignore the pleading and hinting Trenchcoat does.
But that night, as I sip acidic tea, and try to get a handle on how in the fuck old televisions function, his offer is at the forefront of my mind.
He wants to kill, specifically 6 teenagers who, according to him, have been murdering classmates yearly in a twisted ritual.
He wants me to think this is some kind of noble act, he frames it as almost superheroic. The evil prick knows how I feel, knows that I see the blood on my hands every day, and would kill ( possibly literally) for some way to atone.
Is it a play? I honestly don’t think so, something about how eager the twisted thing is, about how he’s treating the situation as a buyer’s market makes me think something about this makes it important to him.
He offers me everything besides safety and protection. I’m desperate for help, but I have no way to hold him to any agreement.
So the thought rolls around in my mind, staving off the few hours of sleep I get.
“Okay, so, I have it on good authority that tea is supposed to taste better over here. What the hell is wrong with this? “ I say, sitting around an outside table with Sylvia, Dafydd and Colin.
Sylvia smiles, “ Barium, calcium, and a touch of castor oil. “
I look at the brew, then at her.
“If I had told you when you got here you need to drink that to mitigate the effects of working with void touched objects and creatures, you’d have assumed the worst, and found a way to avoid drinking it.
Good to see you becoming more perceptive though. “ Sylvia explains.
“That’s called paranoia, Syl. “ I reply.
She laughs, lighting a cigarette.
“Do you know why I’ve let you figure things out on your own? “ The ancient woman asks.
“Accepted? Yes. Understood, not in the slightest. “ I answer, wondering what sadist invented the scone.
“It’s because I need a leader. Someone who can understand, not a boy who puts his head down and listens to orders.
Someone who can make their own decisions when the time comes.
And I think that time is coming soon. “ Her statement feels like a question.
“If I chose to be here I’d be honored.” I counter.
“That attitude on the other hand… needs work.
Nikolas, today, we talk about what’s really going on.
We play a role in a much larger organization, us, and other families like us, are the ‘boots on the ground’ so to speak.
Our job is not to capture creatures, or horde esoteric goods. We do not foil the schemes of demons, nor blind those who look too deeply into the abyss.
We’re given information about events that could steer the path of humanity into a brick wall. And our job is to make sure they don’t happen. “ Sylvia reveals.
“Something is happening with these fights? “ I ask.
“As I said, perceptive.
Yes, it could be next week, it could be in a decade or two. Right now, we know very little about it, other than when it happens, it would be in our best interests to be of a high standing in the pits. “ She replies.
I absorb the information, and t drug laced tea in equal measure. As I do, I feel something, I feel I’m a part of what’s going on.
This is going to sound dumb as hell, but up until this point I hadn’t been taking things seriously. Don’t get me wrong, death is on the table, and I was trying to avoid that. But I was just treading water, hoping something or someone came by and to get me out of this situation.
But as Syl lays things out, I start to think of my place here, what I can be doing to better my state.
“Here is the part where you avoid telling me why you couldn’t have used anyone around here. “ I prod.
I keep her gaze, Colin and Dafydd shift uncomfortably.
“Augustus, he’s a tricky one. But a very lucky find for us.
I’ve tried 2 others. A boy and a girl, both I practically raised.
Marco, he was a warrior. But the demon got in his head. There was nothing that could be done beyond end his suffering.
Zelma, I won’t talk about.
That thing, it has a way of turning someone’s best traits against them. You, are a blank slate, but you’re family. You’re my best guess as to how we can use him to our advantage.
And this is why I need you, not to listen, but to understand. To see what’s happening, and make your own decisions. If I were to give you my knowledge, if I were to arm you with the best weapons, and the most powerful esoteric objects I know. He’d just have more to turn against you. “ Sylvia’s revelation scares me and puts a massive weight on my shoulders all at the same time.
Confidence and fear are both dangerous emotions. The two of them are almost like drugs in a way.
After eight months of mainlining fear, the tiny line of confidence Sylvia gave me, went straight to my head.
Trenchcoat told me where to find a video file. And after a couple of weeks of running it through every possible test I could, to check for any kind of manipulation, supernatural or otherwise, I watched it.
I was confident that the world would be much better off without the people committing the vicious acts contained in those twenty minutes of footage.
A teenage view of morality, I admit. But what do you want, I’m a teenager.
We watch the abandoned house from across the street. It’s a dingy, urban blight affected suburb, that being said, how no one seems to notice the seven foot freak with me, I have no idea.
The kid inside smoking stolen cigarettes and illegally supplied booze is a husky young guy of about 14. The half dozen kids that show up a couple hours later look closer to my age, last couple of years of high school I’m guessing.
The way they get into the house tells me they’ve done this before. The backpacks they all carry tell me they’re there for a purpose.
“How fucking funny would it be if I just killed you here and took off? “ Trenchcoat says, looming behind me.
I tense.
“It’s a joke. Out of my whole rotten family, Art and I, are close. I’m not going anywhere.
Unfortunately for you. “ Trenchcoat shoves me to the ground as he walks toward the house.
We get in through a basement window, I fit easily, Trenchcoat contorts his body to fit through the thin opening, somehow doing so silently.
I keep hearing Sylvia in my head. Telling me how she needs someone that can make his own decisions.
As I stand in the litter strewn basement, beside a creature with child murder on it’s mind I question the decision that I made.
At first the illumination is dim, nothing more than scraps of moonlight filtered through splintered wood. But with an industrial click, suddenly a half dozen lightbulbs bathe the basement in harsh, yellowish light.
Harsh, but not harsh enough to cause the reaction I see from Trenchcoat.
He squints and tries, unsuccessfully to turn away from the lights. Something about them is causing him discomfort. I get my hopes up for a moment he’s going to burst into flame or turn into dust or something, but no dice.
The sight of the walking nightmare looking pained and confused makes me panic. But before I can think of how I fucked up, I hear a voice.
The room, by the sounds of it, the entire house, has been rigged with speakers. Cleverly recessed in sconces and corners.
“Augi, long time no see. And I see you brought a little Renfield fella with you. “ The voice is modulated, Trenchcoat looks curious for a moment.
“Who, is this? You that clown that’s been fucking with Art?” He guesses.
The voice laughs, “Nope.
Who I am, is a guy who managed to find a few boxes of lightbulbs from ’93.
Then again, with eBay, that could make me just about anyone. “
Trenchcoat turns and looks toward the window we came in. He reaches a hand toward it, stopping a few inches away.
“That’s fucking interesting. “ He says, eyes darting around the room.
“Isn’t it though? “ The voice replies, clearly hearing the creature’s whisper, “ Tonight you get the pay for centuries of the worst shit committed by man or beast. I’ve made sure of that. No one in this house is going anywhere for the next 8 hours.
I’m sure the rest of the houseguests are pretty confused as to what’s going on. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, so let me give you the Cliff’s notes.
You kids have been killing a monster a year for half a decade. You were the perfect bait, and I have faith you’ll be able to outwit Augi long enough to make it out of here.
If not, you’ll still have helped kill one of the worst things to walk the face of the earth. “
“What the hell is he talking about? “ I ask, a sinking feeling in my gut.
“That’s what you’re worried about right now?
Yeah, these kids are more Scooby gang than Manson family. Don’t blame me for the fact it only took an out of context exorcism video and some promises of making things right with the universe to get you on board with killing them. “ Trenchcoat spits.
I feel afraid, stupid and small. Which is to say, lately, business as usual.
I begin to break lightbulbs, I notice no runes, or anything else that would indicate they have any kind of supernatural origin.
As the basement dims, Trenchcoat starts to breathe easier.
“What’s going on, what stopped you from leaving? “ I ask.
“This little shit is playing The Game. “ Trenchcoat says to himself as much as to me. He looks deep in thought, inspecting the glass from the bulbs.
“What are you talking about? “ I say, my voice cracking slightly.
I hear noises upstairs, frantic foot falls. Indecipherable shouting.
Trenchcoat turns to me, exasperated and filled with anger.
“You’ve heard of ‘Rules’ right? All that ‘Don’t turn left on East street at 3:24 am kind of shit? “ The creature starts, “More and more of them popping up lately. Can’t miss the things.
Well, your kind seems great at finding them, but fucking awful at figuring out what they are. It’s not someone’s new job, or creepy school. The answer is so damned simple, but all of you’ve missed it.
It's a game. It’s, The Game.
It’s ran by the thickest branches of my family tree, and the stakes are high enough even I don’t really understand.
And whoever has us here, he’s weaponized it. The crazy fuck. “
“Call on your family for help then. “ I say, starting to deal with the fear and confusion.
“You first. “ Is Trenchcoat’s reply.
I get his point, and for a twisted, shitty moment, I find myself relating to the murderous thing I’ve been saddled with.
“So what’s the plan? “ I ask.
“Get my hands on whoever’s been stalking me. Between A and B, probably kill those little do-gooders upstairs out of spite.
I need you to circumvent rules we come across. Humans need to agree to follow the rules, it’s why people encounter them in jobs and schools so much. I’m not human, if you haven’t noticed. I don’t get a choice. “ I’m shaking my head as Augustus relates his plan.
“We’re not hurting those kids. “ I say defiantly.
“I’m sure you’ll have no problem with that.
But I’m a God damned child killing monster, bud! How long is that going to take to sink the fuck in?
Me not doing what I do, isn’t like giving up smokes. Think of it like not having a slash for months on end. Sooner or later, like it or not, I’m either finding a bathroom or pissing my pants. “ the rant scares me, but it makes me think.
Something about Augustus, it seems very, 90’s. Whoever was on the speakers was talking about the lightbulbs being from ’93. I’m picking up on a very distinct pattern.
I file that information with the rest of the disconnected lore I’ve managed to find on Trenchcoat as I follow him up the steep, narrow set of stairs.
He whips the thin wood door open, taking an aggressive, lurching step into the livingroom beyond. Surely ready to dispense too far quips and limitless violence, as per usual.
But that doesn’t happen, his rage filled scowl turns into a look of resignation, “Fuck”, is the monster’s last word before he disappears.
I cautiously walk up the loose splinter ridden stairs, expecting Augustus to be waiting around the corner, or engaged in combat with some other horror.
But once I get to the top, there’s nothing more sinister than a livingroom covered in dust and graffiti strewn with old bottles and new stains.
I know my chance when I see it. The particle board sealing the bay window is rotten, the glass long since broken.
No monster, no crazy family, I’ll take my chances with the streets of the U. K.
I tap the crumbling wood with a foot, it rattles, it won’t take much to make a hole.
I line up a kick, freedom no more than a quarter inch of rotten wood away.
“I wouldn’t do that. “ Says a voice behind me, male, around my age I’d guess, but with a confidence that makes me listen, “ Rigged with a load of C4 in the window frame.
Don’t take my word for it, guy wasn’t very subtle. ”
Sure enough, I see small wires running along the edges of the frame and embedded in the particle board.
I turn around, the six people standing in front of me have a vibe I can only describe as severe.
“Are we going to have issues? “ a slight, dark skinned guy asks.
“You making threats? “ I reply.
“No, he isn’t. “ it’s the same voice that warned me about the explosives. It belongs to a squared jawed kid with short black hair, he’s wearing a grey hoodie, and separates himself from the group. “ Call me Kent, and I’m in charge of making threats.
Sid, he’s our people person, he’s just trying to see if you’re someone we need to worry about. “
“We don’t have time to figure this kid out, leave him. “ a short, ginger girl says.
“Ami, why don’t I stay out of equipment, and you and Kent let me figure this kid out?” Sid says.
“I’m Nik. “ I volunteer.
“Good to meet you Nik. “ Sid says, walking around Kent, “Didn’t mean to start things off on the wrong foot.
We’ve just gotten used to doing these kinds of things in our own way over the past bit. We get a little… weird around this time of year if I’m being honest. “
I nod, apprehensive at giving any kind of detailed response.
“Derik” says a tall, pale guy, “ Research. “
“Liam. “ a tanned boy in a flannel shirt and deep blue jeans tells me, “ Oxford doesn’t talk, accident a couple of years back. I’m logistics, he figures spooky shit out. “
Oxford is thin and bald, his face looks much older than it should. Like he’s the victim of some kind of wasting disease.
Telling these kids the truth would be, complicated. And something about their war vet demeanor, makes me want to keep things simple.
So I give them a version of the truth. One where I was plucked from my room by Trenchcoat, and brought here for a slow death.
They buy it. I think.
“Well, I don’t know what this Jigsaw wannabe has planned, but trust me when I say, it can’t be much worse than the things we’ve went through. “ Kent says, trying to be reassuring.
“Just, one more thing. “ Sid begins, “ Why all the scars? “
I know I’ve won most of the group over, but I don’t like the look Sid is giving me.
“Work on a farm, on top of that, the family owns an auction. Lots of bent steel and splinters, what can I say? “ I say, trying to sound casual.
“Fair enough, that accent though. “ Sid’s look becomes almost predatory as he talks.
“Immigration my guy. What’s with the third degree? “ I reply.
“We’ve just met and I’ve only asked three questions.
Humor me here though.
You get taken in the night by that thing that winked out of existence.
Seems pretty nice of him to let you put on shoes. “ Sid lets his statement hang.
Kent turns, I don’t like where this is going. Panic and fear start to well up.
“What’re you thinking Sid? “ Kent asks.
“Kid’s lying. But he’s good at it. “ Sid answers.
“You saying this has turned into a, me, situation? “ Kent’s question starts a deep pit in my stomach.
“I don’t know if we need to go that far. But I don’t like the idea of him having seen our faces. I think this is a Liam situation. “ As Sid says this I look to Liam, who already seems deep in thought.
“Local cops will back our story, but he could go beyond them.
We tie him up until all of this is done, and we get some video of him putting a blade into the body upstairs. He goes telling any stories, it’s us and the locals versus some Yank on video stabbing the kid. “ Liam suggests.
I tried to fight, it went, embarrassingly. Kent had me on the ground in some kind of arm lock in about a second.
I’m bound to an old wooden chair with electrical cords, dragged into a room on the second floor where the chubby kid from before lays face down in a coagulated pool of his own blood. Surrounded by the trappings of misspent youth.
The door locks, and I stare at the corpse, wondering what in the hell went on up here, and in what universe are these psychopaths anything other than what they seemed on screen.
Time becomes almost malleable. I’m terrified to the point where every moment seems to stretch out forever.
Then, I hear it. A wet, organic noise. It starts below the body, and slowly starts to spread.
After a minute or two, the body starts to jerk and twitch. The room is dim as hell, but some kind of ropey, flesh-like substance, is sealing off the door.
I watch as the corpse clumsily gets to it’s feet. It’s skin pale, it’s throat slit to the point of near decapitation.
The head falls backward, obscenely with a small spurt of thick blood.
I scream, I thought I’d been getting used to being face to face with monsters. But fully bound, inches away from a kid that seems to be filled with a twisting mass of barbed, writhing, intestine like tentacles, I realize I’m not used to shit.
The ropey mass forms the barest suggestion of features, a shifting, lumpen mass of ever moving tendrils coming from what used to be the kid’s neck.
The sound spreads more, cracks in the floorboards and walls begin to show hints of the tendrils filling them in like spray foam.
No one is hearing my screams, or if they are, they have no interest in helping.
Ever wonder how you’d handle torture? I think if you’re the kind of person to be reading this, it’s likely you have.
I started by pissing myself.
The second the thin tendril touches my hand, I feel a blinding, flensing pain. I can do nothing but watch, as thousands of nearly hair thin spines tear and consume my flesh. As it slowly, almost, curiously makes it’s way up my arm, it leaves a bloodless, scarred furrow about an eighth of an inch deep.
My second reaction was to lose any pretense at defiance or dignity. I thrash and scream, beg and offer. All of this turning into choked sobs as the thing starts to do much of the same with another tendril.
It felt like I was in hell, every inch of me nothing more than a canvas for this artist of misery.
But pain, it can only go so far. Whether we’re talking about my tolerance, or this thing’s interest.
Mutilation, the brutal wedding of pain and loss. That was it’s next step.
A thick, almost centipede like tendril sits on my pinky like a hot iron. I can only watch in horror as I see fat, then muscle, then bone, then, nothing.
My voice shreds, I tear my wrists and ankles trying desperately to break the expertly tied wires.
My mind is at the breaking point, the creature in front of my makes a terrible, high pitched keening I assume is laughter.
My body is a roadmap of scarred pits and lines. My hand sports a cleanly severed finger. Fuck me, I wish things ended there.
Of all the important parts of the human body, the eye, tends to feel the least pain. Which isn’t to say, as I watched the greedy, grasping claws slowly take pieces of one of mine, it didn’t hurt, but the worst part, was knowing what was happening.
The vision in my left eye begins to distort at first, the edges getting blurry, then going dark. Bit by bit, chunk by irreplaceable chunk, the creature takes half my vision.
I can feel the shifting air on the bare socket, to call what I’m doing screaming, would be understating things to the point of absurdity.
My brain reels at what has just happened. I can feel my grip on reality begin to loosen, pain, worse than can bare, loss of half my sight, it’s too much.
My brain feels filled with static, for a few brief moments I swear, I can hear someone, a voice, trying to tell me something.
But then, a smell hits me. Something so foul, so alien, it yanks me back from the brink of disassociation. I gag and choke, as the air becomes thick with the rotten, chemical reek.
Then, I see it, I see, him.
As randomly as he disappeared, in an instant Trenchcoat is in the room.
He’s torn apart, wounds so deep and ragged, I can see the door on the other side of the room through the worst of them.
One arm is a twisted, broken mess, the flesh jacket torn to shreds of necrotic tissue.
The look on his face is panic, paranoia. A rictus grin of someone that has been kept on his toes for entirely too long.
He trembles and heaves, looking like he could fall over at any second.
He points his good arm at the tendril creature, who I notice has a too familiar eye suspended in it’s shifting features.
“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the motherfucker who just made me kill my favorite cousin, would you? “ Trenchcoat asks, his voice cracked, and strained.
He gets a confused keening in response.
“Bad day for you then. “ Augustus says.
There is no style to his violence, Trenchcoat grabs the shifting mass, his wicked, claw tipped fingers angling themselves in tendrils. As he lifts the thing, floorboards break, and it’s torn free from the root-like system it was creating in the room.
Three brutal slams cover me in ichor and pieces of creature. Trenchcoat tosses the mewling, twitching pile in a corner and looks at me with disgust.
“You let that thing do this to you? Fuckin’ pathetic, bud.
And who tied you up? “ The nightmare I’ve been cursed with chides me.
“The kids downstairs. “ I say only now realizing I’ve still been sobbing.
One handed, Trenchcoat snaps the wires, then stumbles backward, slowly sliding down the wall.
He coughs, grey, bloody phlegm hitting the ground.
“So, what’s the play here? If this shit broke you, I could use the spare parts, if not, well, you know what the Bible says.
An eye for an eye. “ Trenchcoat grins as he talks, nearly on the brink of death.
And that’s where I think I’m going to leave things. Because, honestly I don’t know what I’m choosing.
I’m mutilated, half blind, using too much of my energy typing to strangers online about things because, I’m so fucking alone here.
If you hear from me again, I hope I made the right move. If not, take this as a lesson on what happens when you screw around with the occult.

not sure why it repeated the 2nd verse twice.
https://suno.com/song/9ba33010-42cf-47bb-b20a-8c56d24b2701

[Short instrumental intro]
[Pause]
[Verse] They said it'd be bad, so why did you look through fingertips of the hand that I took? I'm falling in love. I shout, "look out below!" It's a long way down, but I said that I'll go.
[Verse] I knew that you'd laugh, so why did I ask? Me, with my love letters, covered in black. They're pages that struggle to explain what I know. It's a long way down, but I swear that I'll go.
[Chorus] I know you said "Yes", and... You know I said "Yes", and... I held up your hand, said, "I understand you, understand?" "I understand." "I understand."
[Pause]
[Verse] I've tried to be good, so don't I deserve this? My hands are worthless without yours to flirt with. To have and to hold; I'm head over toe. It's a long way down, but you know that I'll go.
[Verse] "I thought that it'd hurt, so where's all the violence?" Your lips, they whisper, and convince mine of silence. But now that I see what awaits me below... I loosen my grip; I slip and let go.
[Instrumental breakdown]
[Heavy bridge] I slip and let go. I slip and let go.
[Pause]
[Outro] I know you said "Yes", and... ...I slip and let go. You know I said "Yes", and... ...I slip and let go.
[End]

I am retrospectively diagnosed with combined type adhd and have been to a clinical psychologist who specialises in autism, particularly in adults. They provided me with an assessment and informed me that I am highly likely to have autism, but I do not have a formal diagnoses. The clinical psychologist was not able to formally diagnose me due to ethical reasons, as they are an acquaintance of mine, therefore it would be unethical.
I am struggling at the moment. I have a new job as a sales representative, which requires time management. I fail to manage my time efficiently, and I have always failed with time related tasks. There are targets etc that I need to meet and when I don't I suffer from depression. I have never suffered from depression until now. I am diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, but I definitely believe my anxiety stems from a more social aspect. I am usually anxiety free while at work but my new job requires me to sell things within a field of work that I have no idea of. I only got this job because of my resume, as I have worked more than half of my life in retail.
I have trauma from my childhood, at least I think I do. I can't remember most of my life until I was 16. I went to two therapy sessions a few years ago which unlocked a memory of me being sexually abused by my uncle. I don't know if this happened but after the therapy I could almost smell and feel the abuse. My family and friends think I am making the sexual abuse up in my head, which I may be doing. I didn't return to therapy because the therapist used holistic approaches and would bring up alternative theories such as chakras and religion. I don't have anything against those fields but I was very clear that I believe in the scientific method.
I have always had a problem with skin picking, and ever since the two therapy sessions my picking has gotten worse. I currently have a few 'warts' under my chin which are just from picking my skin. I find that I am unable to go five minutes without picking them, and it has been brought up from my employer multiple times. I pick constantly when alone. I have been addicted to cigarettes and alcohol (I am no longer addicted to either thanks to my adhd diagnosis and medication), however, my skin picking feels akin to my substance addiction. It is constant and I wake myself up sometimes from picking my skin.
I'm a 31 year old male and I am still a virgin. I have never had interest in sex, although I have had many offers. I believe I am asexual as I have no desire to fornicate with men or women. Although I do enjoy manipulating people I am interested in romantically. I also actively say things to shock or offend people in a social situation, mainly to ensure that they remember who I am. Video's of real situations and gore are also something I watch to feel at peace, which I think comes down to morbid curiosity.
I don't believe I've ever had depression until I started my new job. I have been having fleeting moments of suicidal ideation. I have also been not showering or practising personal hygiene (this has always been a struggle but it has gotten worse since starting my new job).
My GP is going to write me a referral for a clinical psychologist. I would like some advice as to what type of therapy would help me the most. I really want to be able to live and work as a 31 year old man and not fail as a 17 year old teenager. I feel immature compared to my peers and have been told I have the mentality of a child. I feel left out and behind everyone because I don't desire sex, which is literally part of biology. I also tend to ramble on as you can see from the wall of text I have just written. Would I benefit from hypnotherapy, CBT, rapid eye. etc..... I just need some help in a world/society I am very much alone within.

I work at a bank (supervisor) & got a new manager in February & everything was fine at first. We got along well, laughed often, got to know each other, & I actually enjoyed her company.. however, she is a needy, VERY co-dependent extrovert while I am an independent introvert who is a team player when I need to be. Our personalities & management styles do not mesh well at ALL. Ever since she got to my branch (I work at a bank), I have sat in her office by her side training her from head to toe. And she wanted my 24/7 undivided attention which I gave to her as long as I could.. until MY work & deadlines started falling behind.. so I asked her if I could possibly be out on the floor more to check my emails & associate with our customers & she took that as disrespect. She also said she feels like I have not been helpful when her & I both know I have done everything I can to help her succeed. I ran my branch flawlessly for 3+ months alone with no manager & one full-time staff member after my other manager quit (she quit because of pay, we actually got along well). New manager is aware of how well I ran the branch alone before she got here, it was expressed to her by senior management. Her first month here, our branch got audited for the first time in two years. I led us to a perfect audit due to my fine attention to detail in reviewing dual-control documentation. She had no part in the perfect audit but took credit for it, & the auditor looked back on things from 2 years ago that my manager wouldn’t have even been able to find in our branch. This new manager is sloppy, has messed up all of my neatness with any and everything in the branch, & makes the same mistakes everyday even after I tell her to write down the correct info. She is incompetent & it takes her 1 hour to do a 5 minute task. She doesn’t know how to run a branch, & lately she has been making comments to our full-time Member Service Representative about how I’m so rude to hehim & how she’s going to “put me in my place.” He told me this because he can’t stand her & wants her gone, she is making him uncomfortable in the branch because she treats him like he’s 2 years old. She is also a micromanager who wants her fingers dipped in everything, even if it does not concern her. She is always up our behinds, all day everyday. I don’t understand. Is she threatened by me?
There’s a lot more to the story but basically I don’t know what to do. Do I ride it out in hopes that she leaves first or I get a position somewhere else? Do I cut my losses & leave to another institution? I have spoken to her on four different occasions willing to compromise. I told her I don’t like sitting in someone else’s office all day, I need space but I’m still always there for her when she has questions. She didn’t like hearing that. Each time we’ve discussed our issues it has gotten worse for me & more awkward everyday. I went to HER boss (I called him behind her back because I can’t take this anymore) & he admires her because he’s the one that hired her, so he didn’t take my concerns that seriously. He was surprised to hear that she was struggling with basic daily tasks, but he said I should appreciate a manager who wants to be involved/hands on. I don’t know what to do. I LOVE my job, my customers, my employer & the branch I work at, but I HATE my new manager!! Thank you for any advice you may have.

Tonight I was sleeping with no lights on except my tv alone in my room covered by my blanket from my neck down to my toes I distinctly remember that my right foot had been hanging out of the blanket while dreaming I remember walking through the woods on a phone call with someone feeling a since of someone or something watching me I remember hanging up the phone and continuing walking through the woods that are on my property after this I don’t remember much just that I felt as if something wanted me gone I woke up but couldn’t move my head was propped up enough to be able to see my body feet and all my tv is still on and I’m writing this 10 min after it happened with my light on now so Ik my tv was on before I went to bed and after but when I was in this weird state without being able to move the same tv light was still in my room I just couldn’t see the tv I felt as if I was floating above my mattress about 4 to 5 inches and something had my soul and was trying to violently yank it out of my body almost like an earthquake inside or you I remember screaming hey hey twice just like that it took all of my strength to get it out but after i dropped back into the bed I ran down stairs to my living room

Friends, you must’ve seen a lot of porn videos of gangbang. But have you ever heard about gangbang in reality? Yes! You read it right. Because today in this story I am going to tell you about my true incident, My Reverse Gangbang in School. Now, before you judge this post...let me tell you that all characters are 18+ in this post.
Friends, this is about those days when I used to study in 7th class in school. There were only 4 girls in my class, who were my classmates. Those days it was the rainy season and due to the rain, there were only 5–6 children in the whole school because it was raining very heavily.
Our class used to be held on the 2nd floor and only two girls had came to my class. When I went to the class, both of them were shocked to see me and were a little scared too because both of them were French kissing each other.
Hey, what is this? In the process of writing the story, I forgot to tell you the names of those two girls who were doing lesbian in the class, I mean, they were doing French kissing while sitting on each other’s lap. Their names were Anshika Singh and Rihanna Parveen.
At first, I was a little scared, thinking that they might shout but they did not do so. At first, I composed myself and asked if I should tell the teacher what were you two doing a while ago. Both of them got scared and started requesting me, “Please don’t tell anyone anything, we’re ready to do whatever you say, just please don’t tell anyone about this”.
Then a naughty idea came to my mind and I told them, “Okay then if that is the case then whatever you both were doing a while ago, you do the same with me too, all three of us will enjoy together, what fun is there in doing it alone”.
At first, both of them started throwing tantrums but later both of them agreed. By now you must have understood that I took full advantage of this opportunity, the school in which I studied was a government school and you all know the condition of government schools. That day most of the teachers were on leave due to heavy rain and the ones who had come were sitting in the staff room. We used to have recess after the 4th period and the interesting thing is that we spent all four periods free and on top of that we had reached school a little early.
Friends, the most interesting part of the story starts now. So the boys take their cock in their hands and the girls start fingering their vagina.
First Anshika started kissing me on my lips while on the other hand, Rihanna caresses my cock from behind over the pants. I started caressing Anshika’s boobs over her skirt itself and after kissing for about 10 min, Rihanna opened the zip of my pants and started masturbating.
Then after a while, Anshika takes put my cock in her mouth and gives me a nice blowjob. In the midst of all this, we were also looking towards the class gate so that no one would come and see us in that situation. What can I tell you, friends, as much as we were having fun at that time, at the same time we were also feeling scared. But fortunately, no one saw us because the rain was getting so heavy that no teacher could come to the class because the staff room was downstairs and where our class is held, that is on the 2nd floor, except our class, all other classes were completely empty and we three kept having sex like this till lunch.
But we three were not completely naked, yes, I had just pulled my pants down a little and Anshika and Rihanna had pulled down their panties from under their skirts.
In the first period, I ejaculated in Anshika’s mouth and in the second period, Rihanna drank my semen. By the third and fourth periods, I drank the semen of both girls of my class. One thing I forgot to tell you was that both of them weren’t virgins because both of their pussies were a little loose. Their boyfriends might have broken their sheils.
No one in the school knew that there was someone in the upper class because during lunch, we three, that is, me, Anshika and Rihanna, took our bags and went to the toilet.
Now you must be thinking that I am a boy, then how did I go to the girls toilet? Actually, in the name of boys toilet, there is just a drain and a wall at the back which is open from all sides and for No. 2, one has to go to the girls toilet. Till the end, we three stay inside and do a threesome there.
There are a total of 6 rooms inside. We three go to the last one. Now we take off our clothes and put them in our bags. Now all three of us were completely naked in front of each other. Seeing both of them naked, my cock got rock-hard again.
Seeing my erect cock, Anshika says to me:-
Anshika, “Hey Tarun, what is this? Your penis has become erect again”
I, “Then you calm it down again”
Anshika, “Okay then, here you go again!”
Now Anshika sits down and starts sucking my penis and Rihanna starts kissing me while standing and I keep pressing her boobs. Rihanna’s nipples were a little hard and light brown in color and what can I say about Anshika, friends, Anshika’s nipples were soft like cotton and pink in color.
I was sucking and pressing the breasts of both of them one by one. Then after a while, I inserted my penis in her pussy and fucked her hard. After fucking for about half an hour, I don’t know when I ejaculated in her pussy. I was very scared that she might get pregnant. But luckily she had contraceptive pills.
This time I was shocked. When I asked her, she told me that she has a boyfriend. He was the one who broke her seal and Rihanna’s pussy was torn by her boyfriend. After this, without any fear, I kept fucking the pussy and ass of both of them till the end.
We left from there 1 hour after the end so that no one could see us. Now whenever we got a chance, we would play the pussy fucking game every day and give each other full pleasure.
The whole half hour of our lunch break was spent in fucking in the toilet. One day teacher saw me going to the girls toilet. I made an excuse that my stomach was upset and this is an open stage in the name of boys toilet. Either get the boys toilet arranged or let me go inside.
To be honest, I was afraid that she might get my medical test done but this did not happen and I kept having sex fun with Anshika and Rihanna. I studied in that school for at least three years and all these three years were spent having sex fun.
That day we had a farewell party as it was our last year in that school. Our program started at morning 8 am and continued till 12 noon. During the function, Anshika told me that her parents had gone out for a few days and she asked me to come to her place. I went to her house with Anshika after the school function.
I went there and saw that Rihanna was also there and with her were 28 more friends of Anshika and Rihanna. There were a total of 30 girls. I was not able to understand anything and then Rihanna explained to me that all of them also wanted to have sex with me. That was shocking for me. At first, I thought that she was kidding but she wasn’t.
It was my birthday that day. Anshika told me that this was my birthday present. That day I fucked 30 girls together. I called home and informed them that I would be late in coming home. After fucking all of them, we went to the bathroom to take a bath together.
There was a bathtub in Anshika’s house. I don’t know what came into those girls’ minds, they surrounded me from all sides and started fingering their pussies in front of me. I told them that I can’t do it anymore. Then Anshika brought a pill and asked me to eat it.
I don’t know what happened to me as soon as I ate it, I got excited and again those girls started fingering their pussy and I started licking their pussy while masturbating.
After 1 hour, all of them came on me one by one. They completely covered me with their cum as if I was completely immersed in a bathtub full of milk from head to toe and after some time I also came.
Then those girls licked me clean. Then we all took a bath and put on our clothes and after having a French kiss, we went to our homes. Anshika called her boyfriend to her home and both of them remained naked until her parents came.
Next, you all know what those two must’ve done for 2–3 days. Friends, how did you like this story of mine, please tell me by commenting.

He watched them gradually become motionless.
Then, he observed as the spark of life inside them slowly faded away. Samara was the first, followed by Dorn. Belle was the last.
Only when their shadows had become lifeless and hollow did Sunny allow himself to merge into the darkness, confronting the lethal cold.
They were miles away where they fought or buried.
Years later, he still remembered the faces that had looked up to him.
They truly believed they had a chance to defeat the beast. Those naive soldiers were convinced nothing in the world could overpower their Captain.
Yet, they were proven wrong in their final moments.
The oddest thing was that when Sunny remembered that moment, their faces were featureless.
No nose, lips, or eyes.
Nothing.
Just blank faces staring at him.
'What kind of madness is this?'
The Winter Beast struck Sunny on the head with its chill. His hair turned so brittle and stiff that it snapped off in several places.
His feet and toes, even in his most Supreme memories, accumulated pain. The numbness in the areas where his skin was exposed was concerning.
'What if I get frostbite from this cursed thing?'
The winds howled, the absurd and wild cold persisted.
But this time was different.
Sunny made his way to the eye of the storm.
He didn't summon his Odachi sword, as he didn't in his first fight. That time he still had his Sin of Solace and didn't summon it.
This time, instead, he entered the eye of the storm through his shadow.
This time, Sunny had only a minor issue reaching the eye of the storm.
Then Sunny realized his error.
Inside the eye of the storm, instead of rising temperatures, the temperature plummeted so drastically that gases like oxygen and nitrogen liquified and solidified on the ground.
There was nothing to breathe.
'Damnation.'
He swapped places with the shadow outside the eye of the storm. Taking a deep breath to fill his lungs, he leaped back into the storm's eye. The other shadow, already battling the beast, was replaced mid-strike as he brought down his Odachi.
The snake, now an transcended Odachi, struck the beast, yet it remained unscathed. Retreating to attempt an uppercut, he heard the rock beneath him crumble to dust.
'What kind of beast is this, that not even an transcended sword can mark it, and its mere presence shatters the solid ground?'
Sunny felt the biting cold pressuring him. It hampered his movements and dulled his mind, though he resisted masterfully.
'No wonder Tyris failed to slay it,' he muttered, his sword swings futile.
He switched with the shadow for respite and reflection.
"If only that accursed sword were here. Annoying as it was, it could slice through anything."
What was that Beast made of? Nothing could withstand such temperatures; everything became brittle, even Memories.
"Fiend will feast once I slay this creature. That fortunate wretch."
A realization dawned on him, widening his pupils.
'Why wait? The feast can begin now,' he thought, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
He plunged back into the storm's eye, trading places with the shadow. Inside, he summoned Fiend and commanded it to start devouring the Winter Beast's leg from behind. With the Holy flame within, Fiend thrived, turning the ground to mist with each step, as if enjoying a steam bath amidst the battle.
'That lucky devil.'
It wasn't just luck that the fiend managed to bite the Winter Beast; when it did, the heat from its maw and the cold surface of the beast clashed. Unaccustomed to warmth, the beast's surface shattered like glass, and cracks spread across it like a spiderweb to its knee.
A cry of anger echoed for kilometers, causing mountain peaks to crumble and avalanches to thunder down.
Sunny commanded the Fiend to burrow into the Winter Beast and consume it from within.
Aware that a sword couldn't win this battle, Sunny retreated into the safety of his shadow to dodge the cascading rocks and snow.
He observed as the Fiend entered the Winter Beast, and the beast's vain attempts to crush the Fiend by striking its own leg.
The Winter Beast was as helpless as Sunny and his allies had been in their attempt to slay it.
Memories of Samara, Belle, Dorn, Dr. Abell, and millions of others buried far away flooded Sunny's mind.
The Winter Beast's cries persisted for days, bringing with them wild swings in temperature from bitterly cold to merely frigid.
The beast found relief from the Fiend only when it was sated and needed to digest its meal. During these times, Sunny seized the opportunity to enter the beast and unleash his own destruction. Though not as effective as the Fiend, Sunny refused to remain a mere spectator. He merged with the shadows within the beast, using the tunnel created by the Fiend.
The interior of the Winter Beast was a stark contrast to its exterior. Sunny's snake sword cut through it effortlessly. Yet, the beast's putrid stench, akin to a sewer, stopped Sunny's onslaught. Shrouded in shadows, Sunny felt the stench corrupting him.
The smell wasn’t the only reason he stopped getting inside. He thought to himself why should he cut the misery of the Winter Beast? Let him be in pain. Let him understand what hopelessness feels like.
For that, he stepped back to observe the Winter Beast's suffering from a distance.
With each passing day, the Winter Beast grew feebler, its roar diminishing to a mere loud noise.
It took the Fiend three weeks to vanquish the beast.
When the beast finally perished, Sunny felt hollow. No message appeared to say, [Congratulations! You have slain the Winter Beast.]
Standing atop the corpse, there was neither joy nor a sense of victory.
Looking back from the corpse, he saw millions gazing downward. They resembled the shadows from Shadow Soul.
This time, their faces were visible; he could make out the facial features that were absent during the battle.
However, they were devoid of life, staring down emotionlessly.
And then, the scenery shifted.
Darkness enveloped everything, and all those people were absorbed into his Shadow Soul.
'No... No... I didn't kill them. It wasn't my fault.'
Then, laughter echoed from his right. Turning, he saw a man who bore his likeness, eyes gleaming with glee, staring back at him.
"You fool. Did you think that by slaying the Beast, you could clear your conscience? Why should the dead care whether you avenged them or not? They are dead. You are as witless as ever," he said, his mockery ringing in the air.
Another bout of laughter came from his left. He turned to find yet another doppelganger, this one with eyes wild with madness.
"What does it mean to be free? You sought only to distance yourself from the past, yet here you are, slaying a Beast for personal vengeance. The dead won't mind, and your former crew will never know their Captain sought retribution for them. They'll likely believe another, mightier beast was his end, which isn't far from the truth," he said, smiling as madness twirled in his gaze.
"You believed you were free from slavery, yet you are enslaved by your own past and the people you were destined to meet. You yearn to see them, even for a fleeting chance. Is this why you betrayed your friends? Abandoning them at a critical moment, just like those foolish soldiers who entrusted their lives to you, only to be betrayed," Sin of Solace declared with evident delight. "There is no hope for you."
Sunny glanced back at Samara, Dorn, Belle, and Professor Abell. They appeared as lifeless as they had been in his soul space.
Then, he sensed a massive presence behind him.
Turning, he was met with the sight of an enormous bird, its feathers disheveled, and madness in its eyes staring back at him.
He had no time to summon his sword or dissolve into shadow before he was forcefully thrown to the ground.
The bird's claw dug in, seizing what it had missed before. It shredded his shadows, taking his echoes, and stripped away his memories, seizing his core shadows one after another.
He was left with nothing but the mocking laughter of two people who reveled in his suffering.
As the cursed bird reached for his last core shadow, it emitted a blinding light. A crack spread from its center to its edges like a web.
The core burst outward, incinerating everything in its wake, as if cleansing a sacred site.
Sunny opened his eyes to the harsh glare of the sun's light.
He took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, and rose from the bed.
‘I should let the Nightmare to hang around more.’ He thought to himself as he sighed.
His room was not very large and not very luxurious. However, it was very cozy. There was a bed, a nightstand, a case with various books crowding the shelves, a writing desk, and simple dresser. The furniture was made of natural wood, crafted with affection and care. There were a decorations added here and there, as well as plenty of signs of the room being well lived-in.
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Edit: Let me know if you would like another fan fiction.

The Story Breakdown
Prologue
1) From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the Universe, comes a legend. The legend of the Voltrons: Defenders of the Universe. Three mighty robots, loved by good, feared by evil. As the Voltrons' legend grew, peace settled across the galaxies. On Planet Earth, a Galaxy Alliance had been formed. Together with the good planets of our Solar System, they maintained peace throughout the known Universe until a new, horrible set of menaces threatened the galaxies. The Voltrons are needed to save innocent worlds of the galaxies once more. This is the story of the super force of space explorers. Specially trained, entrusted and sent by the Alliance with the ancient secrets of how to assemble and bring back, Vehicle Voltron: Defender of the Near Universe (Milky Way Galaxy).
Act I
2) We open on scenes of the Vehicle Voltron Force before they even applied to the Galaxy Alliance Academy. Cinda and Krik watch out for each other as childhood friends growing up on the strife-laden planet Dulcinea. Marvin cheers on his friend Hutch at the 2976 Olympics in weightlifting while Lisa swims her way to a victory. Young little Tangor entertains friends and family at a birthday party on planet Galileo by playing a virtuoso lounge piano repertoire. And Cliff was a professional racing driver racing his way to the winner's circle in Australian championship touring car races until he builds and launches an unsafe rocket which crashes outside the University he is studying at. A young James Hawkins comforts Cliff and invites him to join the Alliance.
3) At the Galaxy Alliance Fleet Headquarters in Tokyo Bay, Jeff and Chip are saying goodbye to their families as they prepare to board the docked heavy exploration and battle cruiser the Explorer/Rugger Guard. Hurrying aboard, Jeff hurries to meet with his old classmates Krik and Cliff who are now his shipmates and partners as they meet with their Commanding Officer, Captain Newley; and Executive Officer, Commander Hawkins. From the nearby docks, well-wishers and family members give the Explorer a well-deserved sendoff on its mission to chart the Milky Way Galaxy's unknown sectors and to find new planets to colonize and or terraform to solve problems of overpopulation and resource scarcity. As he does so, Jeff cannot help but think of his older sister.
4) It is the year 2981, and the Explorer lifts off out of the waters of Tokyo Bay and rises into the sky to meet up with a required fleet of support ships for both fuel, food, water, waste management, munitions and even their escorts of offense and defense. Captain Newley comes to the Crew Lounge before his science officer Professor Page arrives to hand out assignments. It will be some time between going to hyperskip upon exiting the Solar System and exiting hyperskip in their first potential port of call - the Likon system. While they wait, the Captain chooses to pass the time by telling the crew the story from his childhood of Vehicle Voltron, and his hopes of maybe recovering it to protect the Alliance. Cliff and Krik can tell their is tension between Newley and Jeff.
5) Professor Page then hands out assignments courtesy of both Newley and Hawkins. Jeff Aki Manabu #1 is assigned to lead the AiStrato Fighters Team with Rockford "Rocky" Kai Shinobu #2, Shota Wolo "Wolo" Kreutz #3, young Chipley Yasuo Mutsu "Chip" Stoker #4 and Patricia Ginger "Ginger" Ellington #5. Krik Miranda Keats #6 takes charge of the Sea/Aqua Fighters Team with Lisa Haruka Kaga #7, Saluta Tangor "Tangor" Katz #8, one Shannon Tatsuo Izumo Cochrane #9 and Zandee Barros Carateja #10. Finally, Walter Clifford "Cliff" Jack #11 is given command of the Land/Turbo Terrain Fighters Team with Cinda Moya Qiligasz #12, Modok Mack Chucker #13, Marvin Tasuku Izu #14 and his best friend Kazuto Hutch "Hutch" Nagato #15 rounding the teams all out.
6) The Explorer and her fleet soon arrive in the Likon system, when they sight an imposing-looking starship orbiting the planet. Curious as to its intentions, Newley and Hawkins attempt to open a channel to hail the vessel and make contact. The ship turns to face the fleet and gives an identification as the Skull Ship cruiser (space battleship that can carry Stinger fighters) of Fleet Commander Zabar Gramont who then declares the Explorer and its fleet intruders in the territorial annex of the Drule Empire. The Skull Ship opens fire on the Explorer, forcing down towards the hostile surface of Likon. Jeff, Krik and Cliff help crew and passengers brace for impact as Hawkins and Newley fight to regain flight control near where Janet had been reported missing.
Act II
7) Zabar reports the intruders and actions taken against them to his first superior, Chief Commander Hazar Dorita Teles of the Galvestonian Drules back on the planet of Galveston - which has been christened the Drule Homeworld by its first emperor, Drule I. Hazar arrives at the palace of the current Emperor, Zeppo Corsair, and delivers his report to the Emperor's Viceroy, Throk Al Caponero. From a first glance, it is clear that Throk and Hazar are not the best of friends nor do they seem to get along for the sake of the Empire. Zeppo is definitely concerned about the Alliance-launched space expedition, but he wants Hazar to use what he deems necessary to remove the Explorer quickly but quietly. Some of the rank and file share a look of concern with fellow Hazar.
8) Having managed to safely land the Explorer in a lagoon near a beach, Hawkins and Newley address the crew as they set up camp for the night. Noticing the lowered moods of the crew, Tangor decides to break out his lounge keyboard and play some acoustic lounge tunes to keep the atmosphere high and hopes up. Noticing a strange figure carved in the stones of a cliff near their camp site; Jeff, Cliff and Krik scurry over to check it out. Bringing Newley, Hawkins and Page over to analyze it, Newley is ecstatic that they may actually have found the resting place of the fifteen fighters that form the Vehicle Voltron (known in the ancient texts as Dairugger XV). Hawkins is skeptical, but is willing to organize search parties to determine if it will turn out to indeed be true.
9) A very conflicted Hazar leaves the Imperial Palace for his Skull Ship as one of his Centurions walks alongside him. Unlike the top brass who see the Drule Military as mere numbers to send against their enemies, Hazar has made it a point to know every one of his officers and soldiers' own individual names by heart and on sight. He confers his feelings about the top brass to the Centurion, as they walk back to the dry dock where the Skull Ship is parked. The Centurion worries that they may have awoken and provoked an innocent creature, namely the Galaxy Alliance, into becoming a greater threat than any they have ever faced. Hazar, surprisingly, shares the sentiment as he walks in step with the Centurion. They should have tried negotiating to be left in peace.
10) Back on Likon, the Air Team is to conduct a wingsuit search of the skies to find the cliff that the five buried fighters of Strato Fighter will be found. Wolo and Rocky take time to analyze the air and humidity ratio for the climatology results until Chip reports that the cliff that the five Strato Fighter ships are buried in has just been sighted. Jeff unearths the Command Jet Explorer as #1, Rocky locates the Strato Weapons Module to deem it #2, Wolo finds the red Advanced Recon Helicopter making it #3, Chip comes up to the blue Advanced Recon Helicopter for #4, and Ginger takes the Falcon Jet Fighter as #5 returning to the skies. Powering them up, they fly their fighters back and form Strato Fighter for Captain Newley, Professor Page and Commander Hawkins.
11) In the meantime, Zabar is plotting with a cabal of his own officers to eliminate or at least humiliate Hazar enough so that he himself will become Chief Commander of the Galvestonian Drules instead and maybe even ingratiate himself to Throk and Zeppo. But first, he will have to find a way to draw the Explorer and her support fleet into a trap and destroy them. Zabar locates his opportunity on the habitable garden world of Galateia - if he were to destroy its capital city and the humanoid Galateians' leadership, he could exploit the planet's vast resources for his own as carve out a seat of power there. He orders his Skull Ship and support fleet to lay in a course for the nearest Earth colony planet near the system of Likon as a distraction from the Galateia assault.
Act III
12) Since Lisa and Shannon are the best Terrans in experience with water-based situations, they are the main advisors to Krik as they soon conduct a scuba diving sweep of the water for the sunken fighters that will form the Aqua Fighter. They soon find them and begin preparing to board a fighter to claim as their very own. Krik names the Communications Module #6, Lisa manages to access the red Space Prober to become #7, Tangor stakes his claim on the blue Space Prober for #8, Shannon claims dibs on the blue and red Multi-Wheeled Explorer as #9, and Zandee finishes it with the blue and yellow Multi-Wheeled Explorer as #10. They power their ships up and fly back to the Explorer as the Aqua Fighter whilst at the same time impressing Air Team.
13) En route through hyperskip towards the Alliance world of Galileo, Zabar stands above the hangar of his Skull Ship to address his mass of Centurion soldiers and Stinger fighter pilots. He declares that they will all have the support of thirteen Robeasts to help devastate the Alliance defense forces to draw their attention from their real target in the Galateia system. The thirteen Robeasts platoon consist of Crush Crab, Titanic Tick, Dragonoid, Neo Crush Crab, Antropoda, Cannon Mantis, Cyan Commando, Necro-Thresher, Cyberbug, Spy Crawler, Electrobeast, Mutant Sphere, and the Dread Sinistar piloted by Zabar himself. The laser tanks and Stinger fighters will follow Robeasts in to attack the outer defense posts of Galileo as merely the distractions.
14) It will be a very tough hike as the Land Team sets off for the canyon where the caved in fighters that will combine into the Turbo Terrain Fighter. When it seems as though Hutch cannot carry on, it is in fact Marvin who carries him over his shoulder to keep moving to survive the desert. Modok soon sights the canyon and they make a run for the five Turbo Terrain Fighter component ships. Cliff takes the Jet Radar Station as #11, the black and yellow Rotating Personnel Carrier is nabbed by Cinda for #12, Modok calls dibs on the black and red Armored Equipment Carrier as #13, the yellow All-Terrain Space Vehicle is made #14 by Marvin, and Hutch finishes it with #15 being the black All-Terrain Space Vehicle to take off and make the Turbo Terrain Fighter.
15) Zabar and his Robeasts are already leading squadrons of Stinger fighters on attack runs against the Galaxy Alliance's outer defense posts in the orbit of planet Galileo. The Alliance scrambles every fighter and or capital ship they can to destroy the Stingers and laser tank transports before they can reach the surface of Galileo, and they succeed, but are all cut to pieces by the Robeasts before Zabar orders a retreat and to set a course for the Dulcinea system. The Alliance Planetary Governor overseeing Galileo relays word to the Dulcinea and Earth systems of this attack, and request that aid be sent from the Explorer and her fleet. Hawkins and Newley both receive the distress calls as their three teams return in triumph with Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain Fighters.
16) The AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain Teams hurry to the bridge of the Explorer to await all the news. Essential repairs made to the Explorer have been completed and they are able to get airborne again, but they have just received distress calls from Wolo's and Tangor's planet Galileo, and both Krik and Cinda's planet of Dulcinea; both of them major member worlds of the Galaxy Alliance's Milky Way Jurisdiction. Modok is now curious as to why the Drules are making passes at well-armed Alliance worlds, but Zandee is correct in a well-educated guess that this is just a test of their strength so to distract from a real target. Doctor Page asks Chip to help him pinpoint habitable planets near the Likon system as they scan nearby planets with atmospheres.
Act IV
17) They detect the habitable and inhabited world of Galateia just one hyperskip jump away from their current location, and it is certainly not under Drule control. Ginger tells Jeff and Captain Newley they will have to move if they are to have any chance of driving the Drules from this part of space, but Commander Hawkins does not want to get all hasty. He wonders if he could maybe contact like-minded Drules on the other side and maybe work out a deal for peace. In response, Ginger points out the complete destruction of the defense outposts surrounding the Dulcinea and Galileo systems that the Drule forces have wrought - they have the Drules' words and actions to go on for the prospect of war. They feel the duty to protect every people possible.
18) Hawkins make another pass to try and make peace with the Drules as he sends via subspace a hyperskip communique to Zabar and his forces. If Zabar and his forces were to stop their needless and fruitless attacks on the Galaxy Alliance and its worlds, both the Empire and the Alliance may be able to formulate a mutually beneficial peace treaty and armistice. Zabar is incensed by the audacity of this infidel human trying to make peace with him, and he responds by sending a video message of Emperor Zeppo via hyperskip communique to the Explorer. As long as there are just 1% chances that any civilization could rise up against and threaten their vast empire, the Drules must take it as the absolute certainties to wipe them out so the empire is safe.
19) This gesture finally puts Hawkins' hopes for peace with the Drules on the back burner for now as he defers to his commanding officer Newley. Jeff, Krik and Cliff report that all fifteen of their three five-member five-ship teams are ready to go. With the Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain Fighters capable of splitting and recombining into the Vehicle Voltron, the legend that Newley was told once as a bedtime story may finally be coming true at long last - and there may yet be a chance to bring peace to the galaxies by Voltron. Newley and Hawkins order a course laid in for the Galateia system and that all teams - Air, Land and Sea - scramble to their fighters and prepare for battle with the Drule attack forces. The hangar deck teams are assisted in this by their pilots.
20) Skull Ships and support craft of Zabar's fleet are led by the Robeasts as they close on the Galateia system. Hazar is aboard one of the Skull Ships trailing behind Zabar's to monitor his underling's progress. The thirteen Robeasts then fire salvos of laser fire towards the outer defenses of the planet. As their planet is starting to be rocked by the Drules' attack on their mostly peaceful world, the people of Galateia appeal to their Chieftain to send out a distress signal - for their defenses are adequate for taking down Drule starships such as the Stinger fighters and support craft, but not so many and not against the Robeasts. With that, the Galateian Chieftain decides to call forth the aid of any nearby ships. Galateians rush to find cover from the attacking Drule forces.
21) Reception of the Galateians' distress signal reaches the Explorer and Captain Newley who has good news for the Chieftain. He and his crew have with them the force that can beat back this assault - Dairugger XV (Fifteen), also known as Vehicle Voltron. Aid for the people of Galateia is on the way as of that moment. The Explorer and her vast support fleet prepare to exit hyperskip upon entry to the Galateia system, and the Vehicle Voltron Force rushes via people moving chair conveyor systems to their docked vehicle fighters. Launching out from the triple hangar bay of the Explorer, the fifteen vehicle fighters of the Vehicle Voltron Force begin their planetary entry to assess what Zabar's attack plan is and feeding targeting data to the Explorer's main guns.
Act V
22) Ginger, Lisa and Cinda soon pinpoint the Robeasts' intended target - the capital city of Galateia, its ground perimeter and its sea-based defenses. They will have to hurry in order to stop Zabar and his attack. Jeff and the Air Team bring their fighters together to form the Strato Fighter, Krik and the Sea Team combine their fighters to form the Aqua Fighter, and finally Cliff and the Land Team unite their fighters to form the Turbo Terrain Fighter. Strato Fighter scours the air to find a way through the Robeasts' air blockade as Wolo and Chip start performing calculations and continue feeding targeting data. Turbo Terrain Fighter zooms across the ground to bolster turrets, and Aqua Fighter goes on silent running to lure the air superiority Robeasts into the open.
23) Jeff and his Air Team move in to take on Crush Crab and Titanic Tick. Krik and his Sea Team begin their attack runs on Dragonoid and Neo Crush Crab. Antropoda and Cannon Mantis soon find their mandibles full of fire from Cliff and his Land Team. They all make short work of the monsters. Seven Robeasts which include Zabar's remain, but laser and missile blasts from the Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain fighters cannot making a dent in their armor. This is the signal Jeff, Krik and Cliff take so to call for forming Voltron. Activating interlocks, connecting their dynotherms, bringing up their infracells, and setting their mega-thrusters to go; the Vehicle Voltron Force is go to form and battle. A heavenly chorus sounds through the energy (with the Voltron theme).
24) With that signal, the AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain teams begin to form Vehicle Voltron for the first time in millennia. Strato Fighter splits to form the Head #1 (Jeff), Upper Torso #2 (Rocky), Right Upper Arm #3 (Wolo), Left Upper Arm #4 (Chip) and Chest Plate #5 (Ginger). Aqua Fighter splits to form the Torso Midriff #6 (Krik), Left Thigh #7 (Lisa), Right Thigh #8 (Tangor), Right Shin #9 (Shannon) and the Left Shin #10 (Zandee). Finally, the Turbo Terrain Fighter splits to form the Lower Torso/Hips #11 (Cliff), Right Forearm #12 (Cinda), Left Forearm #13 (Modok), Right Foot #14 (Marvin) and Left Foot #15 (Hutch). The team cheers as the remaining Robeasts shudder and gasp with fright upon seeing Vehicle Voltron: Defender of the Near Universe.
25) Vehicle Voltron then joins the big battle for Galateia. Cyan Commando, Necro-Thresher, Cyberbug, Spy Crawler, Electrobeast and Mutant Sphere are cut down in that exact order by the Solar Combat Spears, Energy Beam Whip, Eye and Wing Beams, Solar Wind Blast and finally the Spinning Laser Blades. With only the Dread Sinistar being piloted by Zabar left to contend with, the time has come to turn the Spinning Laser Blades into the long-awaited Blazing Sword. Jeff gives the order to charge as Voltron surges forward sword first and makes a powerful slash right through Zabar. Voltron then pumps its fists as Zabar and his Robeast explode off in the distance behind them. With Zabar soundly defeated with shouting curses, Hazar reluctantly orders a retreat.
26) When the signal is given to be clear, the Alliance exploration fleet is given some coordinates to touch down from both Vehicle Voltron Force and the people below. The grateful people of Galateia rally around the Galaxy Alliance Starship Explorer and her support ships to thank the Vehicle Voltron Force for saving their planet. Jeff, Krik and Cliff thank each and every member of their team as they engage in a sharing culture and history with the Galateians meeting with them. The Galaxy Alliance has a new member world as all fifteen members of the Vehicle Voltron Force and its three teams of five people - AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain - raise their right hands and jump for joy alongside Vehicle Voltron doing likewise as the camera freezes mid-jump.
Epilogue (Preview Summary for Vehicle Voltron II: The Fall of Hazar)
27) And with the defeat of Commander Zabar; the names of Voltron, Vehicle Voltron and Earth would once again strike fear in the hearts of the Drule Empire and its Milky Way Galaxy vassals the Galvestonians. Even so, Hazar and friend Captain Mongo Drake carry the grim knowledge of the Drule Homeworld -their Planet Galveston - to be doomed to destroy itself by mysterious circumstances within one to three Earth years. Seeing how valiantly the Vehicle Voltron Force fought to protect innocents, this sparks something in Hazar that he will only tell his sister Dorma Sirk and father Mozak Socrat Teles. As Hazar and Commander Hawkins attempt to seek a peace, Throk and Zeppo plot to threaten Hazar's family which is only foiled by a renegade Drule Skull Ship rescuing P.O.W.s...