Hi friends! I've made the slightly unhinged decision of sharing my ranking of all (well, close to all) the songs that were featured on Glee. This is part 8 out of... probably like, 50. Because Glee has a lot of songs. A LOT.
4 years ago, I also hosted a very extensive ranking where the sub got to participate in ranking the entire Glee soundtrack, and you can see the results here! Let me know if you guys want a redo of this, and I'll find a less consuming way to make this happen, because that ish was HARD.
If you coincidentally also have ranked all of the Glee songs, you are more than welcome to join and reveal your rankings as well!! Or share your opinions, everything is welcome :)
Just a quick reminder of what I've had in mind while ranking these so you guys understand more: I scored them based on vocal performance, context of the show, how it compared to the original song and how much I liked the actual production/arrangement of the Glee version. So a song could be really good, but if it was used in a bad or cringy scene, it'll affect the score negatively or the other way around!
We are still in the good tier, which are songs that I think are good, but not great. They've made it just within my range of songs that I'm okay with.

GOOD TIER

564. Away In A Manger

Performed by Kitty Wilde, Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry and Santana Lopez with New Directions.
Probably one of the less exciting Christmas songs that has been on the show, but they all sound great in it.
Score: 61/100

563. The Fox

Performed by New Directions and Pamela Lansbury.
Maybe someone here was wondering why they hadn't seen The Fox yet? Maybe it's controversial for me to put it in the 'good' tier and give it an above average score, but hear me out. First of all, I LOVE the original. It's so funny yet it's such a well-crafted EDM-pop song. Second of all, everyone in the Glee version sounds really good, and the song suits them all well. The only downfall that this version has is that they take this song a bit too seriously, which gives it the cringe factor. They treat it like it's a normal song, but it's not. It's a parody song created for a comedy show/a skit show. So them trying to pull it off as a serious song is kind of weird.
Score: 61,1/100

562. You Can't Stop The Beat

Performed by New Directions, with Artie Abrams, Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry as leads.
This had a lot of potential as it's one of my favorite songs from my favorite musical, and while they do a great job, it doesn't quite hit like the Hairspray movie version, which is my personal favorite.
Score: 61,25/100

561. I'll Remember

Performed by Kurt Hummel.
I feel similar to this like I feel about As If We Never Said Goodbye that I wrote about in the previous part, but I like this slightly better because I like the range he stays in here vocally.
Score: 61,33/100

560. Candyman

Performed by the Troubletones.
Sorry, I know it's absolutely criminal to put a TT song here, but this song doesn't do a lot for me. The vocal performance and TT in general are the main reasons this song is good enough.
Score: 61,4/100

559. I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Performed by Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez.
This song is really cute, the performance/scene for this is so great and Brittany and Santana are adorable here with their matching outfits and hair bows. If they absolutely had to give Brittany a Whitney song, this was the perfect choice.
Score: 61,45/100

558. Lucky Star

Performed by Kurt Hummel and Maggie.
I wasn't very fond of this storyline, but I thought this particular scene was really cute. It's also pretty funny that they added a Madonna song to the Peter Pan play, and Maggie is really cute in this.
Score: 61,5/100

557. Nice To Meet You, Have I Slept With You?

Performed by April Rhodes and Will Schuester.
This is from a deleted scene from season 2, episode Rumours. I get why they cut this song, I don't think I'd prefer to keep it over any other scene in Rumours, but I think this song is really funny and so April-core.
Score: 61,67/100

556. Big Girls Don't Cry

Performed by Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry.
One of the more forgettable performances of season 3, but they sound wonderful together. Also, we rarely got to see these three sing together (just them), so.
Score: 61,7/100

555. Without You

Performed by Rachel Berry.
My favorite parts of this song are when she sings in the lower range. I used to love this song a lot more back when I was a bit more passionate about Finchel, now I find it alright.
Score: 61,75/100

554. Here's To Us

Performed by New Directions, with Rachel Berry as lead.
I think this song is great, I just think it was a strange choice for a show choir competition setlist. At least she pulls this song off very well.
Score: 61,8/100

553. I Love LA

Performed by New Directions with Artie Abrams, Blaine Anderson, Jake Puckerman, Sam Evans and Will Schuester as leads.
I just realized that there are a lot of ND group numbers in season 5 where Schue has solos. Matt must've negotiated more songs in his contract or something. Anyway, very fun song, maybe a little too "adult contemporary" for a group of high school kids, but still good. I love group numbers where you get to see small interactions between the ND members and they're just all in a good mood and being friendly with each other. It's cute!
Score: 62/100

552. Broadway Baby

Performed by Blaine Anderson and Rachel Berry.
I didn't care for this song at all when season 5 aired, and also I was kind of tired of Rachel always pushing NYADA's and Carmen Tibideuax' limits, lmao. But context aside, this song is objectively great and Blainchel are definitely duet twin souls. Context of this scene is pulling the score down though because god how annoying are they?
Score: 62,1/100

551. I Am Changing

Performed by Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones.
Ever since Amber said that this song was the hardest song to do in Dreamgirls, I haven't stopped thinking about how she felt/reacted when she saw she was doing this with Chris. Like, I know they're best friends and all, but if MISS AMBER RILEY thinks this song is hard, how is Chris supposed to do it justice? Anyway, I can definitely tell that this song isn't quite made for Kurt, so because of that it kind of falls short. I do, however, love that Kurtcedes got a duet in season 5 - their friendship seemed so distant at the time, so it was so nice to see them together again.
Score: 62,15/100

550. Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

Performed by Marley Rose and Unique Adams.
This is such a weird choice for a Sandy audition, but a good choice for a Rizzo audition, so Unique definitely had an advantage here. Although, I think Finn and Artie had already made up their mind about Marley being Sandy by just looking at her, so.
Score: 62,2/100

549. Need You Now

Performed by Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry.
I love that Rachel was like, "you know what would make the football team that Glee club is cool? A country duet". If I could, I would probably switch this with Just Give Me A Reason, and have Quick sing Need You Now in season 5, and have Puckleberry sing the other.
Score: 62,25/100

548. Friday

Performed by Artie Abrams, Noah Puckerman and Sam Evans.
This is the first song in this ranking so far where the Glee version is actually better than the original. I know my girl Rebecca Black is talented af now, but back then... Anyway, very fun performance and I love this trio together.
Score: 62,3/100

547. Jump

Performed by New Directions, with Artie Abrams, Finn Hudson, Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry as leads.
Idk if I can qualify Mercedes as a lead here when all she does is yell at the end, but it's not my fault that's all they decided to use Mercedes for in season 1. Anyway, I used to love this song, but I also found myself skipping this song every time it came up on my iPod. And I haven't really listened to it in full since.
Score: 62,4/100

546. Yeah!

Performed by Singaz Wit Attitude.
I need to know who these singers are because they are really good. They'd be higher if they actually were actual characters who it was possible to be emotionally invested in.
Score: 62,5/100

545. Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)

Performed by Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry & Santana Lopez.
I don't have much to say about this besides that it's a fun Christmas song. And Kurt sitting by the tiny piano with the doll-like forced smile is always funny to watch.
Score: 62,75/100

544. Animal

Performed by the Warblers, with Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel as leads.
I like this song a lot, the only thing that irks me about this one is the "na na na na na na na na" part that the Warblers do.
Score: 62,8/100

543. Shakin' My Head

Performed by Mercedes Jones.
You can't convince me that Mercedes wrote this song, let alone decided to release it and perform it in public after writing and recording Colorblind??? Like it's a whole bop, but why would she willingly sing all of that 😭
Score: 63/100

542. We Found Love

Performed by New Directions, with Rachel Berry and Santana Lopez as leads.
This song would be much higher if it was more of a group number with more leads or if Rachel wasn't on it. I kind of think she's pulling it down a little bit. Other than that, I love the scene, the syncronized swimming choreo is really cute and I love the proposal as well.
Score: 63,1/100

541. Funny Girl

Performed by Shelby Corcoran.
I always thought this song was pretty boring, but I've realized gradually how great Shelby sounds here.
Score: 63,2/100

540. Empire State of Mind

Performed by New Directions, with Artie Abrams, Finn Hudson, Mercedes Jones, Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry.
Sunshine being the only one who paid attention is lowkey unrealistic, because this was a pretty good performance. It can only be explained by that they weren't using mics and were coming from all kinds of directions, so no one really heard them sing.
Score: 63,25/100
That's all for now! Do you like any of these songs?

I've Been Doing a Lot of Whatever the Fuck I Want Lately and I Like It
It's the day of Ayonna's Zoom court hearing so she's thinking about survivalist jailhouse makeup hacks. They've improved since women used to use scraped paint chips off their cell walls as face powder, dampened red paper as rouge, permanent markers for eyebrow pencils, Kool-Aid doubling as hair dye and blush, and M&Ms as lipstick because deprivation causes innovation for self-preservation. That and Jamahl's excruciatingly murky explanation of his 2-year wedding day gap even though he's as open a book as a text at a class final that provides no specific answers to a general essay question. It's not that he wants to delay a ceremony displaying his love for Shellfish publicly; it's about financing a befittingly royal wedding for the ghetto version of Prince Charles and the late Diana Spencer to whom the masses must bow down, and that includes the judge who simply doesn't understand the trials and tribulations of a multi-tasking single mother with behavioral problems negotiating her child's breakfast.
Court: . . . will continue matter until she can show up in court next week since we are clearly inconveniencing her. 🙄
Ayonna: I'm just a single mother with no help. You're not going to tell me I can't feed my daughter; that's never going to happen. Is it ok if I give my daughter breakfast?
Court: We are in court here. This is a court proceeding. ⚖️
Ayonna: Ok. Just be hungry. 😏
Four years probation because the judge's gnarly attitude is taking it out on me? Girl, what are you talking about? Bitch, you're gonna' tell me I can't feed my daughter? She can kiss my ass! I'm livid. Livid! 🤬
Jamahl: At the end of the day filled with dickheads, we still gotta' bite our tongues.
I'm not selfish; I've just decided that taking your feelings into consideration is too much damn work.
Keep Your Head High and Your Middle Finger Higher
For someone more accustomed to being abused than amused, Candice has said "I love you" to Andrew more times than the repetitive phrase, turn down for what, in the party anthem by DJ Snake and Lil Jon of the same name. While Andrew, true to his word, kneels and immediately proposes, Candice hesitates, and in that moment, resembles a raw double-chinned Pillsbury dough girl with an unnatural sheen, a face too sunken in its gravity to show happiness, and sad raisin eyes reflecting physical distress. But Andrew doesn't clock any of this; he's carrying out his promise to Candice's mom in a dream he made up though she has more eyes on her truck as she doubtless recalls her fond days of street racing, driving without a license, attempted stolen vehicle, felony burglary and constantly running from the police. If she were wearing cargo pants, she could stuff them with the faux Louis Vuitton handbag contents to savor as she completes her halfway house program so she can change addresses. If he could see past his own needs, he'd notice she was trying to figure where the hell he got the idea she cared. If I've cut you, it's because you handed me the scissors.
Patience: What You Have When There Are Too Many Witnesses
Joey is taking advice from Minerva, a sex columnist who looks like Chris Farley in drag who was super stoned and wandered into the backrooms of "Saturday Night Live" for a costume change and makeup refresh before rehearsing his Fellatio 101 sketch outlined on a chalkboard: Watch amateur porn for tips. Practice dirty talk. Get excited about being excited. Use both hands simultaneously and don't bogart that spit. Don't forget, steady wins the race. Freshen up before getting online and spending money for a rented motel room far away from your parents so you can have 15 minutes of precious sexy time before your monogamous lover warns you to deactivate your online profile that his friend saw. Hey, I found your nose; it was in my business.
The King Eats First
Once again, the kids are savvier than their parents. A striking Cheyenne and Nehemiah adjust their schedules to Rob's extended sentence that Tennie tries to embroider in her naïveté while every family member is worried about their displacement when Rob physically enters the picture even though he's already there in camera spirit. It's a which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg question - is it a good thing the alpha male has streams-of-revenue for Tennie's shopping jones or is she shopping because she's worried about getting with an alpha male? He's a poker king like Marcelino making 6-7K a month in jail even though online playing for real money is prohibited, and I doubt his pod mates have that kind of extra cash regularly available. Any man in this day and age who can tell a woman to "sit down and be cute" must have it figured out as a lion doesn't care about a sheep's opinion. I bring too much to the table to be treated like a napkin.
Does One of Your Balls Hang Lower Than the Other?
Rick looks like a twig the wind blew off a tree or a stranded lost lamb in a field surrounded by hungry landlocked predators looking for a banquet. Sandy is sending him pictures of the reunion to remind him of her existence while 4x-married Samantha is positioning herself to long-distance bullrope and hog tie her bachelor into a ball-and-chain before he has time to think about how he's going to stretch a rigorously set pension into providing her commissary and visitation requests. His pickleball buddy, Dan, doesn't really give a damn; it's only his nieces who are rightfully tut-tutting her dictatorial attitude and snarking, "Fifth time is a charm." "Maybe I do have options," Rick muses, but then turns around and crows, "She builds me up." Sure, right after she shakes him up - like a snow globe. It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble; It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.

Selling 2 tickets for Norah Jones for tomorrow at Apollo Theatre, Sun., May 19. Purchased through Ticketmaster and can only transfer; face value $400 for the pair, or best offer. Please message me if interested.
Seats located in Right Orch, Row K, Seats 11 and 13.

Selling 2 tickets for Norah Jones for tomorrow at Apollo Theatre, Sun., May 19. Purchased through Ticketmaster and can only transfer; face value $400 for the pair, or best offer. Please message me if interested. Thanks
Seats located in Right Orch, Row K, Seats 11 and 13.

I am not the OOP. The OOP is u/Throwra_JessComeOn posting in AITAH
Concluded as per OOP
2 updates - Long
Original - 17th April 2024
Update1 - 19th April 2024
Update2 - 13th May 2024
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AITAH For breaking my Number 1 sex rule with a handicapped guy?
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Obviously throwaway, I don’t need anyone here seeing my regular account. Also I’m in the US and English is my first language, any discrepancies are because I suck at typing on my phone.
So TL/DR for the “give me the bare bones, I don’t have all day to read on the shitter” crew: My #1 sex rule since high school has been no sex before the third date. I recently broke that rule with a handicapped guy, and now my childhood best friend is pissed and grossed out because she thinks I have some weird kind of fetish.
Context/full story: I’m a 28f. My childhood best friend we’ll call Jess is also 28f. To put it simply, I don’t think I’m any kind of prude, I just don’t really feel comfortable with casual sex, never have. My best friend knows this and has teased me about it lightly in the past. She’s been in a long term relationship for the last 3 years, I’ve mostly been single while working on my degree and starting my career. Jess lives in another state with her boyfriend, so we don’t hang out much anymore.
So about a month ago I had a first date with a guy I’d been talking to for a bit, thought it was going places, but he gave a WEIRD vibe on the date and I cut and ran early. On my way home I stopped at a local pub, figured I’d have a drink to unwind and people watch till it wore off. (Tipsy driving is still drunk driving IMO.) I get there and it’s pretty packed, Friday night and all, and there was no seating room at the bar. Took my drink and looked around, most of the “restaurant” side of the pub was someone’s birthday party, but there was a small table with a seat open off to the side, with a guy reading a book there. So I say eff it, I’m a social person and what’s the worst thing that happens, he says no? So I ask if I can sit there for a bit, I promise we don’t have to talk or anything.
At this point I feel like I’ve fucked up because this guy up close is the hottest man I have ever seen. But he just smiled at me and gave an enthusiastic “Sure!” A few minutes later of me sipping in silence and he says “I don’t mind talking, if you want to.” (Yeah I want to are you kidding me right now?) We talk for a bit and it turns out Mike (fake name) is 29, just finished his master’s degree in some kind of computer learning field (“I program computers to program computers”) and he’s living on his own for the first time. He apparently stops by the pub after work because he’s right around the corner, and he’s not used to the silence yet after living so long with a half dozen siblings.
We talked for a good two hours, about everything from dating (which he said he’s basically given up on) to hobbies and tastes, and we have a near total eclipse of a venn diagram on this stuff. I eventually sort of blurted out that I don’t know why he’d give up on dating, this is the closest thing I’ve had to a good date in forever. (Shooting my shot obliquely here lol.) He gets kind of an odd look on his face and says “Tell you what, I have to go to the bathroom, but when I come back I’ll ask you out for real.” Weird, but okay?
Then it all clicks, because he doesn’t get up to walk away, he just rolls. In his wheelchair. And I’m thinking “oh my God he wanted to give me a chance to back out of this without making it awkward how cute can this guy BE.” He grinned like crazy when he got back and saw I was still there, and I basically tripped over myself saying something to the effect of “So I’m free all weekend, what did you have in mind?”
Another hour later, we’ve got plans for Saturday, and he told me he has a neuromuscular disorder I can’t remember the name of (my degree isn’t in STEM lol) so his legs work, but the signals from his brain get misinterpreted so he doesn’t have the balance or coordination for walking or standing. The pub starts switching over to the youngerowdier crowd and he asks if I’d like to go back to his place for coffee to continue our conversation.
As you have probably long since realized, I did not get any coffee or conversation till the next morning and I have ZERO regrets. We’ve been dating since and I know it’s still early but I really feel like this might be the one.
Onward to yesterday afternoon, my friend Jess (remember Jess?) is in town, and we go out for coffee to catch up on things. I’m gushing about Mike, but when I get to how we met she just sort of got weird and edgy. I don’t remember any exact words but she essentially said that I must have a fetish for the handicapped since I broke my #1 rule and it’s the best physical relationship I’ve ever been in. Like it’s good for me because he uses a wheelchair, not because the guy puts in effort in bed??? She said I’ve “changed” as a person and left without even saying goodbye. 15 years of friendship and I’ve never seen her like that.
So here I am, asking the most objective people online (haha) if I’m an asshole or weird for being super attracted to a guy who uses a wheelchair and basically putting out immediately.
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Comments
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RefrigeratorHot3859
Firstly, you are allowed to change the rules that you made for yourself. Secondly, I do not get from anything you wrote that you have a “fetish” for the handicapped. Her comments are weird.
Sounds like you need to keep Mike and drop Jess. Good friends will be happy for you, and from what I can gather, that ain’t her.
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dubh_righ
She's got a weird fetish - for super hot guys who are kind, and well spoken, and fuck like a hero. What a weirdo. (sarcasm, in case it's not obvious)

OOP: Okay, yeah this made me laugh for real. Seriously, what a weeeeird fetish I have!

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brelywi
Hey that’s my fetish too! Here I was thinking I was the only one.
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ShottsSeastone
oh fuck that friend. i read this whole thing.

• you have 0 fetish.
• the guy is hot
• the guy is intelligent
• the guy lives on his own
• the guy has his shit together
• THE MAN GAVE YOU THE DOOR TO LEAVE
• Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

OOP: That shit floored me. He's so considerate in so many ways. His stories about his sibs are also hilarious, I can't wait to meet them. We're trying not to rush things just because it all seems so great, but they have a BBQ in May that he'd like me to come to and I am so there. He was raised around a lot of love and it shows.

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Update - 2 days later
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My first ever update! Yay! Uh, so if you were hoping for some terrible drama, I hate to break it to you that I don’t roll like that. No pun intended. So I do have an update on Jess and shit finally makes perfect sense. And I have a slightly NSFW but funny story about Mike, because this guy is just the best, y’all.
Okay, so first, I finally messaged Jess yesterday and said basically “I’m still hurt by what you said, but after 15 years of friendship I’d never forgive musif I didn’t at least ask why you snapped at me like that.” She replied immediately, “I’m so fucking sorry, I didn’t mean any of that, can we have a do over on lunch?” So I agreed cautiously and took a half day to meet with her today.
Turns out that those of you who said she was jealous, and that she might have something else going on, and especially the person who said something might be going on in HER relationship….. gold stars. She’s in town because she’s job hunting, because she’s moving back in with her parents for a while since her relationship ended. Apparently they have been having a ton of small problems adding up, but the biggest one? Sex. The guy she’s been with was apparently never great but it’s gotten to the point where he makes no effort at all for her to enjoy herself and then gets pissed when she isn’t in the mood.
She tried talking with him about it, making suggestions but he told her recently that it’s “emasculating” being given sex advice by a woman. The straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back, however, was that her boyfriend has always had a thing for Asian women. She’s caucasian, but she does have long black hair. After weeks of fighting over their sex life, he suggested that they spice things up….by her dressing in a kimono and pretending to be Asian. She lost it on him and is absolutely disgusted by the racist fetishism and ended it right then.
So she had allllll of this bottled up and was hoping to talk to me and finally be able to put it down….. and I missed every hint that she had something big to discuss because I was gushing about Mike. So to her it felt like I was just twisting the knife by bragging about how great our sex was. She snapped, and somewhere between what I was saying and what she wanted to talk about some wires got crossed and she said something incredibly dumb.
She left without saying goodbye because she was mortified and ashamed as well as irrationally mad at me. Something to know about Jess, she’s an awful liar and she and I were the co-founders of our high school’s “foot-in-mouth” society, so I do believe her. I told her I forgive her and I’m sorry I didn’t realize she wanted to talk about something bothering her, and she said I was too stupidly nice and have nothing to apologize for, so I think we’ll be okay. For the time being I’m not ready for her and Mike to meet, because I don’t want to make things feel worse, and she agrees. But she’s really really happy for me. Hopefully this is just a funny story we can look back on someday.
So, on to how Mike almost killed me, lol. Last night we were talking about the reddit post and he gets this funny expression that I’m starting to recognize. And he goes “How do we know you don’t have a fetish if we haven’t at least tried it in the chair?” And I’m like “are you serious lol”. He said he’s never attempted it, because (cue tears) he’s never felt so comfortable with a partner before. Well.
His chair has what is essentially like a parking break thing. Or it should, it’s unfortunately broken and apparently getting them fixed is an expensive pain in the ass. He doesn’t use it that often so he hasn’t made it a priority. And there’s this thing called Newton’s third law, you know how every action has an equal and opposite reaction? As it happens, when you’re trying to, ah, get the motion of the ocean going, in a chair with wheels that aren’t locked, there’s a sort of counter motion that starts and fucks it all up. So we were going nowhere fast except for inching along the floor in his bedroom. And laughing at the silliness, which isn’t helping. Eventually he just stops and says “Maybe we can get some of those wooden block things they use to keep little planes from rolling away, like in Indiana Jones you know?”
I absolutely lost it. Like laughing so hard I’m in tears, he’s giggling half at the situation and half at my reaction, and everything just keeps setting me off again. FINALLY I get it under control, doing some deep breathing exercises and shit, and I look at him again. And he pulls the straightest face he can, and says, for the love of god, “Golly. This sure is uncomfortable.” Folks if I had asthma I would have fucking died right there. I laughed so hard I think I pulled a rib. Like wheezing and not even laughing anymore so much as weeping and making this awful “heeeeee” noise when I could catch my breath. While he’s laughing and rubbing my back and saying he’s sorry, he couldn’t resist.
So yeah, confirmed, no fetish here, and this magnificent bastard’s comedic timing might actually kill me.
I doubt I’ll update again, because there’s really nothing I can see needing to share given everything sort of worked out. And in the end, the real assholes were the….friends we made along the way? Idk. Thanks for all the lovely comments on my last post and for coming along with me on this absurd but brief drama in my life, lol.
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Comments
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Rustymarble
Obviously, Jess needs to have a twin with a mother-in-law invade her home with ummm....dog poo...and somehow there's a tree dropping leaves and and a 7 year old brat threw an ummm...apple? And then the cops came and everyone clapps!

OOP: And everyone's phones blow up! Genius, I'll finally go viral and get all those internet dollars I assume people are raking in, LOL
I probably will post an update on this account, but I don't necessarily want to bog down AITAH with my silly shit. I'm so excited and nervous. It's apparently a Mother's Day BBQ! which I didn't know because my parents and I are estranged and I never even seriously thought about having kids before meeting Mike. But apparently it's a lot of people and a lot of food and apparently everyone knows he's bringing me. Also, can I just say FUCK YES about his mom? They apparently have a huge one floor rancher and she just assumed we'd be sleeping together in his old room. Like none of that weird "you aren't married so you get separate rooms" shit. I already adore them and we haven't even met yet.

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Forward-Two3846
I think Mike updates are essential to AITAH 😆. I am so excited for you and I hope you have the time of your life.

OOP: Oh there is one coming. Oh my God his family, lol. I am exhausted already and it's only 1 here, and we have another day of this ahead! They are amazing and he is glowing like a fireball, the side of him when he's with family is so bright I need sunglasses to look at him.

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Update - 1 month later
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Hello again! I was going to post this on my own page but a few people mentioned that they think it’s nice to read on AITAH, so fuck it, here’s the “met Mikes family” update. And it's a doozy, or at least felt like it at the time for a girl who grew up with a small, dysfunctional family.
So first up, you know what people (at least me) don’t think about when dating a guy who’s always sitting? Height. I know he’s taller than me because we cuddle a lot, and he’s taller sitting on the couch, but I didn’t reeeeeeally get it. So we drive up Friday night after work (actually south and west, lol, but to my brain it’s always up) in his vehicle, which is modified to be driven entirely using his hands. Neat, right? He’s a really good driver too. One more green flag. We get to the house, and it’s…. It’s huge you guys, LOL like not a mansion, just kind of a sprawling one floor rancher. Real estate was wild back in the day.
Anyway we get out, and I meet his mom. I’d like to point out I am no slouch, I’m 5’-friggin-7. His mom is TOWERING over me. But she was the nicest lady ever. We go inside and I meet his dad (who funny enough is apparently the only short one in this family) and his youngest sister, who is living there with his one year old niece. She gets up to hug me and SHE IS ALSO REALLY TALL. It’s already a bit late then, so we eat and head to bed, I get to see his cute as shit room from when he was a teenager, and I casually ask “hey, so uh, I don’t know how this works and stuff, but how tall are you?” and Mike is all “I dunno, like a bit over 6’4? Been a while since I checked.” A BIT OVER 6’4. “So, is everyone in your family tall?” “…..kinda?”
We met the Nordic Basketball team he calls a family properly the next day. (Actually they’re Irish, but they’re blond and tall so it conveys the idea better.) The ONLY one of reasonable height, and still taller than me, was his oldest sister, lol.
They are also LOUD. Like not really shouting or anything usually, just, PRESENT. Mike is a lot different around them, but in the cutest way, like he just beams all the time and you can see how happy he is to be home. One of his brothers put him in a headlock and gave him a dang NOOGIE as a greeting, and got elbowed in the side for it, and all of them laughing. And his mom smacked one of his brothers with a rolled up magazine for putting his feet on the table. More laughing. Just… intimidating but in the happiest way imaginable. I’ll admit I was a little shut down for a bit, but Mike kept checking in with me to make sure I was okay, and they were all really nice, so I got into the spirit after a bit.
I mentioned this in another comment, but Mike has a special sports wheelchair he uses for, well, sports. And he and his siblings play basketball. And he is GOOD. Apart from just having a hell of an arm, he’s quick as hell. And this magnificent bastard that I love will absolutely, purposefully, GLEEFULLY run someone’s toes over. He AIMS for it. They all have this yank-back-the-foot maneuver that’s hysterical to watch.
So it was this crazy day of loud people playing and having a blast, nieces and nephews running around, and just noise. My ears are still ringing. The food was catered in advance because his mom “had seven babies, all I make on mother’s day is margaritas.” They also have a pool, it’s a bit chilly still but the pool is HEATED so we actually all got to swim, which was a lot of fun because I got to show off that I too am athletic…. I can do a backwards somersault off a diving board! Yeah. I’m a real catch lol. They at least pretended to be impressed.
We all stayed up late drinking and bitching that it was too overcast to see the aurora (boo) and I had the worst hangover I’ve had in a while on Sunday. We slept in a bit late, and then joined Mike’s family for the BBQ part of the BBQ weekend. His dad can GRILL, people. And he’s fast, food coming off the grill at lightning speed. I asked Mike about it and he laughed and said “there was seven of us to feed. Ever see a nest of baby birds? He had practice.” Which, fair enough.
I don’t have much experience with babies, but I got to hold his youngest niece (the one living at home with his sis until her husband gets back from deployment) and we had a light talk about kids in the future. I told him that I never put much thought into it but if they were going to grow up in a happy home like his and not how I grew up, I’m pretty sure I’d be open to having them with him someday. But later. I need him all to myself for a while first. He seemed really really happy about that, which makes ME feel all goofy and happy. I’m sappy.
We had to drive home Sunday night, but before we went his mom hugged me and said she’s NEVER seen her son like this, and thanked me for taking good care of her baby. And asked if we’d be back for the 4th of July or if we were doing something with my family. And I tried to be all “haaaa no we’ll be here if you don’t mind, I don’t see them much” and I think she caught on that there’s more to the story so she just hugged the shit out of me (vikings, all of them I swear) and told me she can’t wait to see me again.
My ears are still ringing from all the noise and chaos, but it was an absolute blast and I can’t wait to see them again in July. Also, pretty much sure Mike is the man I’m going to marry. I literally can’t think of a single reason why I would ever let him get away.
Anyway thanks for reading, hope you all had a lovely weekend, and those of you who got to see the aurora I’m happy for you but you suck, lol.
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Comments
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ERVetSurgeon
NTA. sounds like you have found a happy family to join. Good for you and good for Mike.

OOP: It's still pretty surreal. The other in laws that were there were all like that smiling hanging guy meme, "First time?" It was a great weekend.

Stormy8888
This story is so heart warming it belongs on BestofRedditorUpdates.
Congratulations, at some parts I felt like I was reading about the Roarke Family's dynamics in one of Nora Robert's JD Robb's Eve Dallas Novels, the whole Irish family vibes were just there. So lovely.

OOP: Ahahaha I don't think it's interesting enough for that, but I am glad people are enjoying it.

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I am not the OOP. Please do not harass the OOP. Please remember the No Brigading Rule and to be civil in the comments

This is the second half of my list for Florida's execution roster. As stated in the first part, I split it into two halves in order to follow reddit's character count limitations. Link to part 1.
The currently 105 executed offenders, cases 53 to 105:
53. Aileen Wuornos (~1974-2002, lethal injection): Wuornos murdered 7 men between the ages of 47-65. She was a street prostitute that enticed her victims with promises of sexual favors. After a victim was entrapped, Wuornos shot them dead, and robbed them of their money and their vehicles. Although Wuornos initially claimed that she killed the victims in self defense, she later admitted that they were murdered for their valuables. Her criminal history was extensive, and she had several convictions for armed robbery, assault, DUIs, reckless discharge of firearms, and disorderly conduct. She was also accused of domestic violence by an ex husband, and he placed a restraining order on her within weeks of their marriage.
54. Linroy Bottoson (~1971-2002, lethal injection): In a robbery of a post office, Bottoson stole $14,000 in money orders and $100 in cash, and abducted the post mistress, 74 year old Catherine Alexander. After holding her captive for 3 days, Bottoson stabbed Alexander 16 times, and ran her over with his car. He had several robberies on his criminal record.
55. Amos King Jr. (~1972-2002, lethal injection): After he escaped from a minimum security prison, King broke into the home of 68 year old Natalie Brady and assaulted her. She was raped, stabbed, and savagely beaten in the attack. King then set her house on fire, and returned back to the prison. At his arrival, the prison counselor confronted him about his absence and bloodied clothing. He was stabbed 25 times by King, but managed to survive his injuries. Despite her injuries, Brady managed to crawl out of her burning home, but succumbed to blood loss shortly before help could arrive. King had a previous conviction for robbery.
56. Newton Slawson (1989-2003, lethal injection): Slawson went over to the home of the Wood family (consisting of parents, 23 year old Gerald and 21 year old Peggy, and their children, 4 year old Jennifer and 3 year old Glendon) to buy some cocaine. During an argument over the transaction, Slawson shot and killed Gerald, Jennifer, and Glendon, and wounded Peggy. Slawson then stabbed Peggy (who was 8 months pregnant) with such force that he tore her unborn child out of her womb.
57. Paul Hill (1994-2003, lethal injection): During an attack on an abortion clinic, Hill shot and killed John Britton, a 69 year old abortionist, and his bodyguard, 74 year old James Barrett. Britton’s wife, 68 year old June, was also wounded in the shooting. Hill was a hardline pro life activist and Christian fundamentalist, and saw ending abortion by any means necessary as his personal divine mission.
58. Johnny Robinson (~1980s-2004, lethal injection): Robinson and his teenage accomplice picked up 31 year old Beverly St. George when they found her broken down on the side of the road. They then raped St. George and shot her to death. He tried to claim that they had consensual relations and St. George was hit by an accidental discharge during intercourse. If Robinson's "recollection" was to be believed, he then shot her again to cover up an "accidental" shooting of a white woman. The courts weren't convinced by the defense, and the accomplice admitted that the murder was entirely deliberate and calculated from the beginning. Robinson had several rape convictions and accusations before St. George's murder.
59. John Blackwelder (~1970s-2004, lethal injection): While incarcerated for molesting a 10 year old boy, Blackwelder tied up his cellmate, 39 year old Raymond Wigley, under the alleged pretenses of a bondage session and strangled him to death with makeshift rope. According to Blackwelder, Wigley had been sexually harassing him, and he wanted to put a permeant end to the unwanted advances. Blackwelder had several sexual assault convictions dating back to the 1970s, and was also previously convicted for threatening former vice president Dan Quayle. His victim was the accomplice of another executed offender, John Marek, and was serving a life sentence for assisting him in the torture murder of a woman [for more details on Marek and Wigley's crimes, please see section 68] at the time of his own death.
60. Glen Ocha (1999-2005, lethal injection): Ocha picked up 28 year old Carol Skjerva from a bar and they had sex in his home. However, Skjerva allegedly made mocking remarks towards his genitals and threatened to tell her fiance of their encounter. In a drunken rage and under the influence of ecstasy, Ocha hung her with rope from his kitchen door.
61. Clarence Hill (1982-2006, lethal injection): During an attempted bank robbery with an accomplice, Hill engaged in a shootout with the responding policemen. One of the officers, 26 year old Stephen Taylor, was killed and another was wounded.
62. Arthur Rutherford (1985-2006, lethal injection): Rutherford was hired by a widow, 63 year old Stella Salamon, to do odd jobs around her home. He then drowned Salamon in her bathtub and tried to cash in a check of $2,000 from her account. Salamon's nude body was found with a broken arm, bruising all across her face, and three head wounds.
63. Danny Rolling (~1960s-2006, lethal injection): Rolling murdered a total of 8 people between the ages of 8-55. In 1989, Rolling stabbed 55 year old William Grissom, William’s 24 year old daughter Julie, and his 8 year old grandson Sean to death in their home. Julie’s body was ritualistically mutilated and posed during the attack. A year later, he shot his estranged father, 59 year old James. Although James survived, he was left permanently blind. Rolling then burglarized several student dorms in a week long rampage. Five students, 23 year old Tracy Paules, 23 year old Manuel Taboda, 18 year old Sonja Larson, 17 year old Christa Hoyt, and 17 year old Christina Powell, were bound, raped, and stabbed to death. Only Taboada was spared from any sexual abuse. As with Julia Grissom, Rolling posed the female victims into provocative positions and mutilated their bodies. Roiling decapitated Hoyt and placed her head on a cabinet shelf for the sole purpose of shocking witnesses stumbling across the scene. He had a long history of robberies, assaults, and voyeurism, and some of his earliest convictions occurred when he was a teenager.
64. Ángel Díaz (~1960s-2006, lethal injection): In his native Puerto Rico, Díaz stabbed an unidentified man, who was a director of a local drug rehabilitation center, 19 times while the victim was asleep. Díaz was sentenced for second degree murder, but he escaped after beating a guard near death, and fled to Florida. During his stay in Florida, Díaz and his accomplices robbed a strip club at gunpoint, and shot and killed the manager, 49 year old Joseph Nagy. After Nagy’s murder, he and his accomplices relocated themselves to Connecticut. However, they were arrested for a possession of illegal firearms charge. Díaz and 3 other inmates briefly managed to escape by beating up a guard and threatening another at knifepoint, but were quickly recaptured. After a cellmate testified that Díaz confessed to Nagy’s murder, he was deported back to Florida and sentenced to death. His execution sparked controversy, as it took him 34 minutes to succumb to the lethal drugs. Díaz’s other criminal convictions include shooting and injuring an officer during an armed robbery and several drug possession charges. Authorities also suspected him of being involved with several Puerto Rican nationalist insurgent groups.
65. Mark Schwab (1987-2008, lethal injection): Schwab lured 11 year old Junny Rios-Martinez into a motel room by posing as a photographer for a surfing magazine. He bound Rios-Martinez, anally penetrated him, and smothered the boy to death with a pillow. Schwab also had a conviction for the sexual battery of a 13 year old boy, and he was released after serving 3 out of an 8 year prison sentence months before Rios-Martinez's murder.
66. Richard Henyard (1993-2008, lethal injection): Henyard and his teenage accomplice carjacked 35 year old Dorothy Lewis, and her two daughters, 7 year old Jamilya and 3 year old Jasmine. The pair raped Dorothy, and shot and killed both of her daughters. Dorothy was also shot in the head, but was able to survive. Dorothy recounted that she tried praying for her and her children's safety, and Henyard taunted her by mockingly claiming to be Satan himself.
67. Wayne Tompkins (~1980s-2008, lethal injection): While helping his girlfriend move from their home, Tompkins made sexual advances on her 15 year old daughter, Lisa DeCarr. When she rejected him, Tompkins raped and strangeld her to death with a bathrobe, and tried to report DeCarr as a runaway. Tompkins also had several sexual assault convictions and accusations prior to the murder. One incident involved him abducting and abusing a gas station clerk.
68. John Marek (~1980s-2008, lethal injection): Marek and his accomplice, Raymond Wigley, picked up 47 year old Adela Simmons. They forced Simmons to perform oral sex on them, burned her fingers and pubic hairs, and strangled her to death with a bandana. The pair then dumped her body near a beach. Marek was sentenced to death for Simmons' murder, while Wigley was given a life sentence. While in prison, Wigley himself was strangled to death by the above mentioned John Blackwelder.
69. Martin Grossman (1984-2010, lethal injection): Grossman was given probation after a spree involving the burglary of an ex girlfriend's home and stealing cars. While out shooting a stolen handgun with a friend, they were confronted by Margaret Park, a 26 year old wildlife ranger. Wanting to avoid being arrested and put back into prison for violating his parole, Grossman and his friend attacked Park with a flashlight. They wrestled her service pistol away from her and shot and killed Park with it. Due to Grossman being Jewish, his death sentence outraged several Jewish organizations across the globe, and they petitioned ceaselessly for his clemency.
70. Manuel Valle (1978-2011, lethal injection): While driving a stolen car, Valle was pulled over by Louis Pena, a 41 year old police officer, for a traffic violation. In the confrontation, Valle shot Pena and his partner. Although Pena was killed in the shooting, his partner's life was saved by a bullet proof vest.
71. Oba Chandler (~1960s-2011, lethal injection): Chandler enticed a woman, 36 year old Joan Rogers, and her two daughters, 17 year old Michelle and 14 year old Christe, with the promise of a boat ride. On board, he bound the family with rope and raped all three of them. Chandler then tied concrete blocks around Joan and her daughters' necks and tossed them into the ocean to drown. He also raped and strangled 20 year old Ivelisse Berrios–Beguerisse after abducting her from a mall, and was linked to the murder by a 2014 DNA test 3 years after his execution. Chandler was an inveterate sexual predator with a very long criminal history, and was first arrested for car theft in his early teens. Many of his other crimes include several convictions of armed robbery, burglary, rape, counterfeiting, and kidnapping. In one incident, he broke into a couple’s house, and sexually assaulted the wife in front of her husband. One surviving victim, a 24 year old Canadian tourist, helped investigators tie Chandler to the Rogers’ murders with her reports.
72. Robert Waterhouse (~1966-2012, lethal injection): In 1966, Waterhouse snuck into the home of 77 year old Ella Carter, and raped and strangled her to death. He was paroled after serving 8 years of a life sentence. A few years later, Waterhouse picked up 29 year old Deborah Kammerer from a bar and assaulted her on a nearby beach. He stabbed and violated Kammerer with a broken bottle, shoved a tampon down her throat, and drowned her in the ocean waters.
73. David Gore (1981-2012, lethal injection): Gore and his cousin abducted and murdered 4 teenage girls (17 year old Ying Hua Ling, 17 year old Lynn Eilliot, 14 year old Angelica LaVallee, 14 year old Barbara Byer) and 2 grown women (48 year old Hsiang Huang Ling and 35 year old Judith Daley). The victims were kidnapped through force, picked up while hitchhiking, or tricked into thinking that Gore was a police officer detaining them. They were then tied up, raped, and shot or strangled to death. The cousins dismembered the bodies in their attempts to destroy them and buried the scattered remains in shallow graves. Two of their victims, Ying Hua Ling and Hsiang Huang Ling, were a mother and daughter pair of Taiwanese immigrants, and the cousins murdered them together. A 7th victim, 14 year old friend of Eilliot, was also abducted and sodomized, but she managed to escape with Eilliot's help.
74. Manuel Pardo Jr. (1986-2012, lethal injection): Pardo was a corrupt cop heavily involved in the drug trade. After his department fired him for his abuse of power and suspected tampering of investigations, Pardo went on a crime spree. He shot and killed at least 9 men and women in robberies and interpersonal disputes. The victims he murdered in robberies were 39 year old Ulpiano Ledo, 37 year old Luis Robledo, 33 year old Mario Amador, and 28 year old Roberto Alons. In every robbery incident, he stole the victims’ credit cards. Pardo killed 28 year old Fara Quintero in an argument over a ring he pawned to her and 30 year old Sara Musa for refusing his demands of buying him a VCR set with a credit card stolen from one of his previous robberies. Another victim, Michael Millot, a 38 year old Haitian refugee that took up work as a gunsmith, was slain out of Pardo’s fears of him being a police informant. His last murders were 40 year old Ramon Alvero, a drug dealer that he work for, and Alvaro’s girlfriend, 38 year old Daisy Ricard. Pardo turned on the couple after Alvaro stiffed him of a meeting. He shot Alvaro dead, but Padro’s gun jammed when he tried to shoot Ricard as well. As he was beating Ricard to death with his gun, it discharged and hit Pardo’s foot. On death row, Pardo tried to fashion himself as a vigilante trying to rid Florida of all drug related crimes.
75. Larry Mann (~1970s-2012, lethal injection): Mann ambushed 10 year old Elisa Nelson while she was biking from school to a dentist appointment. He raped Nelson and beat her to death with a pipe. Authorities also initially suspected Mann in the murders of several girls in the area, such as 16 year old Janie Sanders and 13 year old Rose Levandoski, but the current thinking is that another (still unknown) predator was likely responsible. Although he had convictions against adult women, Mann was a pedophile with a history of mostly preying on young girls.
76. Elmer Carroll (~1972-2012, lethal injection): Carroll broke into the room of 10 year old Christine McGowan. He raped and strangled the girl to death, tucked the body underneath the bedsheets, and stole her stepfather's construction truck. McGowan's body discovered was by her stepfather when he came to check on her. At the time of the murder, Carroll had two separate convictions (including one against his then 5 year old niece) for child molestation and was first accused of rape at the age of 16.
77. William Van (~1971-2013, lethal injection): Poyck Van Poyck and another man, Frank Valdez, ambushed a prison van that their incarcerated friend was being transported in with the intent of freeing him. The pair shot and killed a guard, 40 year old Fred Griffis and wounded another. Despite overtaking the van, they were forced to retreat without their friend with the arrival of police reinforcements. Both were captured after a brief shootout with the police and were given death sentences for Griffis’ murder. The case sparked controversy when Valdez was beaten to death by other prison guards in his cell. The officers involved were all fired but acquitted for murder in their trials. Van Poyck had several convictions of armed robbery on his record.
78. John Ferguson (~1960s-2013, lethal injection): Ferguson was the mastermind of the Carol City massacre that his above mentioned accomplices, Marvin Francois and Beauford White, participated in. He also committed a series of murders on his own. Two of his other victims, 17 year old Brian Glenfeldt and 17 year old Belinda Worley, were a couple that were ambushed in the parking lot of an ice cream shop. Ferguson raped Worley, shot her and Glenfeldt dead, and ran off with her jewelry and Glenfeldt’s wallet. Another couple, 82 year old Katherine and 75 year old Raymond Perry, were assaulted by Ferguson in their motel room, robbed, and shot dead execution style. Authorities also believe that Ferguson was responsible for the murders of James Ward, a 40 year old runaway from a mental institution, and Joseph Walters (age unknown), but was never convicted of them in court. Ferguson had a troubled upbringing, was stealing cars at the age of 13, and convicted for the attempted murder of an officer. Due to allegations of him being a schizophrenic, his execution was delayed numerous times, which is why he was put to death decades after his accomplices.
79. Marshall Gore (1988-2013, lethal injection): Gore abducted and murdered two women, 30 year old Robyn Novick and 19 year old Susan Roark. Both women were last seen in his company, and they were raped, beaten, and stabbed to death. He also carjacked 32 year old Tina Coralis while she was driving with her 2 year old son Jimmy. Gore raped Tina, beat her with a rock, slit her throat, dumped her on the side of the road, and drove off with her car while Jimmy was still in it. Tina survived the attack and notified the police about her kidnapped son and stolen car. The police were able to rescue Jimmy unharmed and capture Gore without incident.
80. William Happ (~1980s-2013, lethal injection): Happ dragged 21 year old Angela Crowley out of her own car window in a convenience store parking lot. He anally raped and strangled Crowley to death with her pants. A corner's report mentioned that Crowley received over 20 blows to her head during the assault. Happ had several convictions of armed robbery, one of which pertained to an abduction incident.
81. Darius Kimbrough (1991-2013, lethal injection): Kimbrough climbed into the apartment window of 28 year old Denise Collin with the help of a ladder. He raped and repeatedly slammed her head against the wall. She was found bloodied and nude by the paramedics called to the scene. Collin died of her injuries in the hospital a day after the attack. Her murder went unsolved until samples of Kimbrough’s DNA were collected from another one of his rapes. With the presence of additional pubic hairs found in Collin’s room, at least two other men were also certainly involved, but they remain at large to this day.
82. Thomas Knight (~1960s-2013, lethal injection): Knight began his string of murders by abducting his former employer, 64 year old Sydney Gans, and Sydney's wife, 60 year old Lillian. After her forced them to withdraw $50,000 from their bank accounts, Knight shot the Gans' dead. He was apprehended and, but he managed to escape from jail while awaiting trial. While on the run, Knight gunned down a clerk, 54 year old William Culpepper, while holding up a liquor store, and $640 from the cash register. A month later, Knight was recaptured following an armed standoff with police, and sentenced to death for the Gan killings. On death row, he stabbed a correctional officer, 48 year old Richard Burke, to death with a sharpened spoon over the prison allegedly barring him from seeing his mother. Knight had numerous theft and burglary convictions that date back to when he was 9 years old.
83. Juan Chavez (1995-2014, lethal injection): Chavez accosted 9 year old Jimmy Ryce when the boy was dropped off at a stop by a school bus, and abducted him at gunpoint. He took Ryce to a trailer on his employers' property and raped him. When Ryce tried to signal a passing helicopter for help, Chavez shot him in the back of the head, and muffled his cries as he died. The body was then decapitated and dismembered, and Chavez buried the remains near his trailer.
84. Paul Howell (~1990s-2014, lethal injection): Howell was part of a drug smuggling gang. One of the members had a falling out with the ring and made an agreement with law enforcement to testify against them. Howell constructed a microwave bomb to assassinate the witness in her home, and he assigned an associate to carry out the hit. As he was transporting the bomb to its intended destination, the associate was pulled over and detained by deputies. While being processed, the bomb detonated prematurely, and killed a deputy, 35 year old James Fulford, Jr.
85. Robert Henry (1987-2014, lethal injection): As part of his plan to assault the gas station that he worked at, Henry tricked his co workers, 53 year old Phyllis Harris and 35 year old Janet Thermidor, into thinking that a robber was holding him hostage. He duped the women into allowing themselves to be tied up and gagged, as Henry claimed to them that the fictitious "robber" was forcing him to do it. Both women were beaten with hammers as Henry ransacked the station’s store. After he stole a total of $1,269 from the register, he poured gasoline all over the building, and set it on fire. Thermidor and Harris were burned alive in the blaze and died of their injures, but Thermidor survived long enough to identify Henry as the assailant.
86. Robert Hendrix (1990-2014, lethal injection): To prevent his cousin, 25 year old Elmer Scott Jr., from testifying against him in a then upcoming burglary trail, Hendrix broke into the home that he shared with his wife, 18 year old Susan, with an accomplice. He shot Susan and Elmer, beat them with the butt of his rifle, and slashed their throats. In the case that he was about to be tried for, Elmer and Hendrix burglarized a home together, and Elmer agreed to testify against him in exchange for a reduced sentence.
87. John Henry (~1975-2014, lethal injection): In 1975, Henry got into an argument with his first wife, 28 year old Patricia Roddy, while they were driving with her daughters. Henry pulled over and stabbed Patricia to death in front of her children. After he plead guilty, Henry was given a 15 year sentence for second degree murder, and was released in 1983 after serving 8. Shortly after his release, he married 28 year old Suzanne Overstreet. As what happened with his first wife, he fatally stabbed Suzanne during an argument in 1985. He then took his stepson, 4 year old Eugene Christian, to a chicken farm and stabbed him to death as well. Henry also had several convictions for the possession of drugs and illegal firearms.
88. Eddie Davis (~1980s-2014, lethal injection): Davis kidnapped his ex girlfriend's daughter, 11 year Kimberly Waters, from her home and gagged her with a rag. He took the girl to a trailer that he used to live in, and raped and strangled her to death. His criminal activity before the murder included several arrests for burglary and autotheft.
89. Chadwick Banks (1992-2014, lethal injection): Banks shot his wife, 30 year old Cassandra, in the head while she was sleeping on their couch. He then crept into the room of his stepdaughter, 10 year old Melody Cooper, and sexually assaulted her. Melody was also shot dead during the abuse.
90. Johnny Kormondy (~1989-2014, lethal injection): Kormondy and his two accomplices invaded a house that Gary McAdams, a 38 year old banker, shared with his wife, 38 year old Cecilia. The couple were ambushed after they returned home from a high school reunion. Gary was shot and killed by Kormondy, while Cecilia was forced to orally copulate the other intruders. Several items were stolen in the robbery, but my sources didn’t disclose any specifics. Kormondy had several previous convictions of robberies and auto thefts, and the earliest occurred when he was 14.
91. Jerry Correll (1985-2015, lethal injection): Correll shot and killed his ex wife, 25 year old Susan, their daughter, 5 year old Tuesday, Susan's sister, 29 year old Marybeth Jones, and their mother, 58 year old Mary Lou Hines. All four victims were murdered in a home they shared together.
92. Oscar Bolin (~1977-2015, lethal injection): Bolin was sentenced to death for the abductions and murders of 26 year old Teri Matthews, 25 year old Natalie Holley, and 17 year old Stephanie Collins. All 3 victims were kidnapped while they were getting off from work, raped, and killed in beating and stabbing attacks. He raped and strangled a fourth victim, 30 year old Deborah Stowe, to death in Texas, but wasn't charged due to already facing the death penalty in Florida. Bolin also took part in the non fatal abduction and gang rape of a waitress in Ohio, was charged for kidnapping his girlfriend (which were later dropped by the courts), and had several theft convictions that started when he was 15.
93. Mark Asay (1987-2017, lethal injection): Asay shot and killed a black man, 34 year old Robert Booker, during a racially charged fight that he picked at a bar. After Booker's murder, Asay, his brother, and their friend went cruising for prostitutes. They encountered a cross dressing sex worker, 26 year old Robert McDowell, they were acquainted with and picked him up. McDowell was also shot dead by Asay when they got into an argument over payment for an oral sex act.
94. Michael Lambrix (1983-2017, lethal injection): While intoxicated, Lambrix beat one of his friends, 35 year old Clarence Moore, to death with a tire iron, and fatally strangled another friend, 19 year old Aleisha Bryant, with a t-shirt in their trailer. He was previously arrested for welfare fraud and was detained for an unspecified "unrelated charge" during the murder investigation.
95. Patrick Hannon (1991-2017, lethal injection): 27 year old Brandon Snider vandalized the bedroom of his ex girlfriend while she was away on vacation. The ex girlfriend's brother was friends with Hannon, and he convinced him to launch a revenge attack on Snider with the help of another friend. They broke into Snider's apartment, stabbed him, and slit his throat. Snider's roommate, 28 year old Robert Carter, witnessed the murder, and tried hiding underneath his bed. Hannon dragged Carter out and shot him to death.
96. Eric Branch (1991-2018, lethal injection): In 1993, Branch abducted and carjacked 21 year old Susan Morris. He raped, beat, and strangled her to death, and then buried Morris' body in a shallow grave near a nature trail. Branch used Morris' car to flee back to his native Indiana, but was captured for a traffic violation. A registered sex offender, Branch had previous convictions for sexually abusing a 14 year old girl, and raped an unidentified woman 10 days before Morris' murder.
97. José Jiménez (~1990-2018, lethal injection): Jiménez fatally strangled Marie Debas, a 32 year old French woman who was allegedly in a relationship with a Medellin cartel drug runner, during a burglary of her apartment. Two years later, he burglarized the home of 63 year old Phyllis Minas, and stabbed her to death.
98. Bobby Long (~1990-2018, lethal injection): As the “Classified Ad Rapist”, Long raped over 50 women. He was given that epithet due to contacting and luring his victims through classified ads. After one of his victims sought charges that initially convicted him (though were later dropped on appeals), Long’s pattern of sexual violence escalated to murder. Long murdered at least 10 women and teenage girls between the ages of 18-28 and non fatally assaulted a 33 year old woman, Linda Nuttall, and a 17 year old girl, Lisa McVey. The victims were picked up through hitchhiking, forcibly grabbed while walking alone on streets, or were prostitutes lured with promises of payment for sexual favors. Long’s sparing of his last victim, McVey, provided to be his downfall, as it was her meticulously detailed reports that led law enforcement to him.
99. Gary Bowles (~1970s-2019, lethal injection): Bowles lured 6 men, 72 year old Milton Bradley, 59 year old John Roberts, 47 year old Walter Hinton, 47 year old Alverson, 39 year old David Jarman, and 38 year old Albert Morris by prostituting himself to them. Once a victim was enticed, Bowles strangled them, and stole their credit cards. He also had several convictions for armed robbery, hospitalized his stepfather in his early teens, and served a 6 year prison sentence for sexually assaulting his girlfriend.
100. Donald Dillbeck (~1979-2023, lethal injection): In 1979, Dillbeck stole a car, and was pulled over by a deputy, 31 year old Dwight Hall. After a prolonged chase and scuffle, Dillbeck shot and killed Hall with his own gun. He was then given a life sentence for Hall's murder. Dillbeck escaped from prison in 1990, and stabbed 44 year old Robbie Vann to death while trying to seize her car. The pursuing officers recaptured him shortly after the killing, and he was sentenced to death for Vann's murder.
101. Louis Gaskin (~1986-2023, lethal injection): Gaskin started his burglary spree by breaking into the home of couple, 56 year old Robert and 55 year old Georgette Sturmfels. He shot them both dead, and stole their lamp, VCR set, and some jewelry and money. His second target was a house owned by 38 year old Joseph Rector and his wife Mary (age unknown). Although Gaskin shot Joseph, the couple both managed to escape him with their lives. Due to him wearing a ninja costume as a disguise during the robberies, he was dubbed as the "Ninja Killer" by media outlets. Gaskin also had a few robbery convictions at the time of the murders.
102. Darryl Barwick (1983-2023, lethal injection): Barwick stalked 24 year old Rebecca Wendt as she was sunbathing in a pool, followed her to her apartment, and forced himself inside to rob it. He stabbed Wendt 37 times and raped her. At the age of 16, Barwick had committed a similar act of rape and burglary against an unidentified woman, and was released from prison 3 months before Wendt's murder.
103. Duane Owen (1984-2023, lethal injection): Owen raped 14 year old Karen Slattery while burglarizing a home she was babysitting at, and stabbed her to death. A few months later, Owen burglarized another home owned by 38 year old Georgianna Worden. She was sexually assaulted and fatally beaten with a hammer. He was captured while breaking into another house on the same day, and confessed to Worden and Slattery's murders
104. James Barnes (~1988-2023, lethal injection): In 1988, Barnes invaded the home of 41 year old Patricia Miller, and tied her up with her own shoelaces. She was sexually assaulted, beaten to death with a hammer, and Barnes set her bed on fire to destroy any evidence of the crime. 9 years later, Barnes strangled his estranged wife, 44 year old Linda, to death in her home, and stuffed the body into a closet. He stayed in the house until he was arrested by police officers. Barnes also admitted to the shooting deaths of Chester Wetmore, a 14 year old runaway, and Brenda Fletcher, a 50 year old prostitute, but was never charged for their killings. According to Barnes, he killed both victims for stealing from him.
105. Michael Zack III (1996-2023, lethal injection): Zack befriended two women, 40 year old Laura Rosillo and 31 year old Ravonne Smith, while hanging out at bars. He lured Rosillo to the beach with the promise of drugs, and assaulted her with a tire iron. Rosillo was raped, strangled to death, and he buried her body in a sand dune. A day later, he tricked Smith into letting him inside her house. She was smashed in the head with a glass bottle, raped, and stabbed to death. Zack then fled with her car, television set, VCR, and her purse. On a different note, when he was a child, Zack’s older sister dismembered their mother with an ax over an argument regarding the sister’s boyfriend. He used that story to gain the sympathy of his victims. His sister (who was simply institutionalized rather then incarcerated for the murder) also testified about their stepfather’s alleged abuse of them at his trial, though the prosecutors debunked most of her stories.

Putting out second chapter sooner than I anticipated. Response to first one was a lot more touching than I expected, so here you have it~ I can't promise updates to keep being as quick as this one, but I wanted to get this one out to give people a bit of peace of mind and direction for where this is actually going.
As usual, thanks to SpacePaladin15 for letting fanfiction flow and all the people on discord who encouraged me to put this suffering to word. Without further ado, let's get into... The Pain.
First - [Next]
The Odyssey Mission Update Report - Audiolog
Hello... Sara Rosario speaking. This is our final report before we’re heading back. Yes, we had a dozen more exoplanets to investigate, but... this is... Fuck, this is gonna be so informal...
...yes!
...
I know! I am doing your job here! Would you like come and do it for yourself?!
...
That’s what I thought. Plus, I doubt you’d do much better.
Ugh. Anyway. Fuck, let me just restart.
Sara Rosario of vessel Odyssey speaking. When we were about to continue the mission following our latest report, and powering up our FTL, we got... ambushed is the best word for it. Suddenly, several ships of clearly non-Earth origin showed up around us. We were... shocked, but also excited. Afraid, a little too. Then... they hailed us using video. We picked up, of course. And it was aliens. Actual real aliens. Big anthropomorphic gator looking people! Their commander urged us to abandon our course and invited us onto their ship for an explanation. We could understand it! They had technology far surpassing ours that allowed them to translate our language after just interfacing with our ship for a few minutes! Me and Noah were ecstatic as they opened a hangar, their ship large enough to fit all of Odyssey inside.
Then we met him. The leader of the vessel, one Chief Hunter Isif. They used a device that they configured to translate their language, Arxur language, to our English. They only have one language in their culture it seems. Anyway, moving on... First thing he did is directly state that he wishes to impress us positively and therefore invited us for a small feast before we proceed further. Noah agreed on our behalf, believing it best to engage in whatever cultural greeting the arxur think necessary. I should have insisted that we didn’t...
We were brought to a dining room and quickly our ‘meal’ was brought in. It—
What?!
...
Yes, I know it’s not an it, it’s a she, I’m trying—
Noah, shut the hell up! We didn’t know then, so—
What? You want me to say it directly on record? Right now? Fine, then listen up, SETI. As part of our First Contact we ate a fucking sapient child. There. All cards on the table. Are you fucking happy, Noah Williams?! Can I continue this stupid log?!
...
Great. Okay, shit, where was I?
Yeah. We didn’t know she was a sapient. The sounds aliens make when talking are not reminiscent of any Earth languages and... Fuck... It just sounded like a bleating lamb, okay! Sure, it was weird and alien, but especially the way they were carrying it, we didn’t even realize it was bipedal! We didn’t—I—
[Recording paused]
[Recording resumed]
Okay. Okay, I can do this. What we thought was just an alien animal was brought in and butchered right in front of us. Not killed though, butchered explicitly without killing it. I was about to protest, but... Didn’t. I thought it was some screwed up tradition, and I guess it was, just way more screwed up than I thought and... We didn’t want to alienate the first people in the galaxy that we met over the way they prepare their meal. We didn’t know!
Well, he just offers us a piece. Just tears a chunk out of chopped off half a leg and offers to us! I was already iffy on trying alien meat without testing, despite Isif’s insistence that it is safe. That was the line I was drawing. Guess what? He was prepared. The ‘chef’ that was preparing the meal went ahead and cut off the rest of the leg after heating his knife! The poor thing was still alive, still bleating, I... I thought it was just an animal... I didn’t... God...
[Recording paused]
[Recording resumed]
Continue. Okay... Shit, where was I again? Right... We... ate some of it. Then...
...
Noah, what the fuck is wrong with you?! I... god, fuck—
[Recording paused]
[Recording resumed]
For the record, Noah asked if I was going to describe the taste. Yes, it’s fucked up, we’re both fucked up and coping best we can. I had to throw up for like 4th time now and he still refuses to step more than two feet away from the child. Anyway, we ate some of it, no I am not describing the taste, I don’t care that you still feel it in your mouth, Noah, fuck you, you dumped this log on me, I am doing it my way.
So we ate a bit and then he started talking. We’ll... probably need a proper debrief after we’re back. But the gist of what he said is as follows. His species is oblige carnivores who are frankly on the brink of starvation. They have no choice but to raid the worlds of a group of species that they call the Federation to capture the cattle for consumption. We asked about trade, but he just said they find even the idea of any creature, wild or sapient, consuming meat abhorrent and undeserving of living. Okay, makes sense so far. I can see how such a conflict could start. He even mentions they don’t really consider creatures as slaved to their instinct as those Federation species sapient... We should have realized then...
But we didn’t. We thought it was just some old hatred with a dose of racist rhetoric. Then he started showing us. Showing us more of his people, told us of their religion of self-improvement on whole-societal level. Some sort of ideological theocratic dictatorship. He showed us the map of their territories, including the ‘hunting grounds’ of Federation worlds... Then told us a brief history of how they used to have cattle, only to have the Federation kill it all to starve them out. And then he showed us what the Federation does to any predator, regardless of sapience or danger... He showed a bunch of arxur fighting a flamethrower-wielding alien. They killed a few, but got overwhelmed. However, as they did, their helmet was knocked off, and that’s when it hit us... It was the same species as... the girl on the table... And he just nodded and confirmed, yes, one of them.
They don’t take cattle from wildlife, but from the sapient populace. Wildlife has been too damaged by the ‘exterminators’, those flamethrower wielding defense forces. So they just grab sapients, put them into cages, and treat them like cattle, including eating them fucking alive.
Worst part? He even said that the one he fed us was a child. Fucking—
...
Yes, I will quote what he said! You reminded me of the taste thing, I will remind you of this!
Guess what that monster said? “We picked a young one because they are more tender. They are a delicacy, although not nearly as filling.”
I think that’s the point at which we both just were too... out of it to even react appropriately. We tried to maintain our decorum, and managed to work in sync somehow and make up a lie about strict schedule of our mission and needing to report back. And then he just goes “Are you not going to finish the meal, at least?”
Thank god for Noah’s quick thinking and asking for her to be brought with us, because I think I would have broken down there and then if I had to answer that question.
They brought the alien girl with us, and gave us a few ‘gifts’ other. A star chart with territory of this Federation as well as their marked hunting grounds, and fucking suggestions for worlds he is willing to allow us to ‘try’—Actually you guys will get it when you get it. There were also a few translators, all configured arxur-english, a communication device to contact him personally, and a data storage device containing important information that is basically more detailed version of his story.
So... we left his ship and set course back to Earth. The alien child is with us, and she’s alive. Somehow, despite... everything. Noah did his best to treat her and is trying to keep her stable, while I’m kicking the engine into overdrive to make it back faster. We’ll need medics ready, and not just medics, best xenobiologists and veterinarians or whoever can figure out how to keep that poor child from dying. We’re... sending over the data packet too. And any sort of info Noah manages to figure out about her biology from his non-invasive examination.
God... the universe is full of people who’d kill us just for us eating meat, and the only ones willing to be friends coerced us into eating a fucking child and saw nothing wrong with it. This is fucked up. I should have become a vet...
We didn’t know... I swear, if we knew, we’d never... God, I still hear the way she screamed. I can’t help but hear it as scream now, not bleating of an injured animal. I’m so sorry...
She’s in our mini-infirmary right now... Why the fuck weren’t we better equipped for dealing with medical issues? Oh, it’s just two people scanning a bunch of planets from orbit, it’ll be fine... Shit! Well, Noah said he knocked her out with painkillers and sedatives. I have no clue if they’ll work right on alien biology, but it's the best we can do...
Uh... I don’t know how to end these things, Noah is one who does them, but... God, I hope the girl makes it... We didn’t know...
Sara... out, I guess?
Memory Transcription Subject: Dr. Erin Kuemper, SETI Researcher
Date [standardized human time]: July 13, 2136
I stood in a small area in front of the bathroom, trying to collect myself. Biggest news of the century and it’s so... Horrible. In every way imaginable. I just finished delivering the news to the big heads but what followed, I... Couldn’t handle it. I needed some time, some space to process what we have learned. Hundreds of people out there, just like us... all wanting us dead before we even met them. One kind that is ready to welcome us... but eats other people because they believe them inferior. Best we could hope for is that some part of it all is a lie or a terrible misunderstanding, but data that was sent over to us... They were advanced, but unless they were watching us for years, they wouldn’t have time to forge something like that, nor did they have a good reason to deceive us. The arxur were, as far as we could tell, truthful.
Sara’s voice in that message was haunting. I don’t think there’ll ever be another moment in history when a room full of generals is so absolutely mortified. And all the arguments that broke out the moment the briefing was over...
I heard footsteps, but with my face buried in my hands I couldn’t see who it was. I decided to ignore it... I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. To always look forward to meeting new life, only for it to become... this.
“You as well, Dr. Kuemper?”
I lowered my hands and to my surprise it was the Secretary-General himself standing before me, offering me a tired smile. Somehow, despite his advanced age, he managed to look at least a decade older. Although with everything that just happened, I think that’s getting off easy.
“Sorry, Secretary-General, I just... Needed some space.”
“Same, really, so I can understand.” Mr. Meier pauses and leans on the wall beside me. “I guess this Friday the 13th superstitions had something true to them, huh?”
That actually got a chuckle out of me.
“So, I’ve heard the takes of the military heads, way too many for this early in the day, but since you’re here, I’d like to hear your actual thoughts on how to proceed.”
That took me by surprise. I was just a scientist, not some big political planner or a tactical genius. Still... I can’t say I didn’t have strong opinions already.
“We... can’t ally with those arxur. I hate that this is the way our First Contact went, but knowing what they do... We can’t. And that Federation, well, we have no choice but to hide.” I sighed, realizing that I was basically suggesting recoiling back and entering full isolationism. So much for SETI. “I just wish we could... change their minds instead. Show the Federation that peaceful coexistence is possible and show the arxur that their horrid crimes are unnecessary. But I strongly doubt either will listen, they’ve got no reason to. We’ve barely left our solar system... We’re helpless if either decides that they should eliminate us.”
Secretary-General Meier stroked his chin before nodding with a light smile.
“Yes, if only making people listen to reason was easy... But I appreciate your input, Doctor. Thank you. That does give me room for better thoughts than what Zhao and Jones are offering.”
With that he started walking away. I stood up properly and rubbed my eyes before checking the time. Odyssey ETA is about one hour from now. The medical teams were already prepped at the landing site, but I was still worried. For all we knew, the alien child that the crew managed to rescue might already be doomed just from alien bacterial contamination. And being far from the field of medicine myself, I could only pray that won’t be the case.
Noticing that Elias Meier still hasn’t turned the corner, I call out to him.
“Sir! What... what happens next? What do we do now?”
I don’t know why I asked that. It’s a stupid question, but I just needed to know what his plans were. What anyone’s plans were. How are we supposed to deal with all this. He pauses for a few long moments before responding.
“I am not entirely sure. But all I know is that we aren’t going to compromise our morals. I won’t let mankind be brought down to the level of the war the rest of the galaxy is fighting. As for you specifically... Stay in touch. We’ll need an official UN expert team for handling all extraterrestrial matters. And give my regards to the crew of Odyssey when they land. I will likely be too busy for a proper meeting for a while now, but despite how they feel, they’ve done humanity proud.”
With that the Secretary-General walked back towards the meeting hall, leaving me alone. With naught better to do for the next hour, I followed after. He was right. We can still fix this. We can make it better and find a way. We just need to try.
Memory Transcription Subject: Stynek, Venlil Cattle
Date [standardized human time]: July 14, 2136
Dying felt weird, I decided. I never thought about what it must be like until I was captured as cattle, but I had a lot of time to think about things like that while in the pens. I didn’t want it, but part of me wondered if it’d be painful, but surprisingly, dying felt like all pain going away, replaced with distant dull aching, like when you sit with your legs crossed for too long. I also thought it would be dark, but it was actually constant shifting between bright lights shining before fading back to blackness before going bright again.
The weirdest thing about dying was thinking. I always assumed that dying meant you stop thinking, but it seems I was instead just thinking really slowly, and couldn’t focus on a single thing. I tried counting to ten, but always lost count before getting past five!
I am pretty sure there were things moving too. It was hard to focus, but whenever there was light, I could almost make out some shapes in front of it, even if light was just overwhelming them. The only clear shape I remember was particularly dark. It reminded me of mom.
But lights kept going in and out... It was also still cold in death, just like in that predator refrigerator. I guess it makes sense that death wouldn’t be warm, but it was weirdly disappointing. I was hoping it would be somehow relaxing and peaceful, but it was just... vague.
Oh, there was more light too... It was different somehow... And then shapes of different colors... Weird...
...would it be selfish to want to meet my mom? I know to do that she’d have to die... But I miss her. I don’t wanna be dead without her...
The light is getting pretty bright... And thinking... harder...
...
...
...
I wake up with a start as I realize I am not dead. I feel too much to be dead... Or was this afterlife? It’s a struggle to open my eyes. My eyelids felt like they were sealed shut. When I finally do, I squeeze them right back closed. Light, too much light! It’s so blinding. I try to raise my arm to shield my poor eyes, but my arm refuses to move. It’s as heavy as a mazic... My whole body feels sluggish and heavy.
I try sitting up instead, flexing my body with all my might to raise myself a bit, and feel a sheet slide of some sort sliding off of me. I attempt opening eyes again, letting them slowly adjust to intense and bright lighting, taking some time to examine where I am. It’s very... white. White walls, counters, a lot of white machinery, screens carrying some information... Wait, machinery? Why is the machinery connected to me?
...it’s a hospital. I’m in a hospital. How did I get here?
Thinking is hard, but when I flex my mind real hard, it hits me. Sluggishness momentarily disappears as I shoot up, trying to stand but fail. I throw off the stupid sheet covering me and see it. The stump where my right leg once was, covered in bandages.
Fear starts coursing through me as memories of what happened all flood in at once. Why...? How am I here? I was dying... I was supposed to have been eaten by weird mystery predators arxur handed me over to. Where am I?!
“A-Anyone? Anyone here...?” I call out, my voice feeling raspy and dry. That’s when I realize how intensely thirsty I am.
Immediately, the door opens, multiple figures entering the room. All large, dressed fully in protective suits covering their whole bodies, other than large visors at the head. The suits were weird though, there were no tails.
The figures surrounded me, hushing me back down onto the bed. How did this happen? Was I rescued? But... nobody ever gets rescued from cattle ships... It makes no sense. They were making some rumbly sounds, but I couldn’t understand them. I tried reaching for my temple, where the scar from implant extraction was, but a hand stopped me forcefully, one of the figures grabbing it and giving a slow shake of its head.
Then the figure let me go and I let myself be laid back down. Figures seemed to get to work on the medical machinery. Yes... it didn’t matter. I was saved and... even if I lost my leg... At least I could see mom again.
The one figure that stopped me from touching my scar put its hand on my head and gently stroked my hair. It felt weird, through that rubbery material they were wearing, but I suppose it was an affectionate gesture. I hope they’ll give me a new implant, because I want to ask so many questions!
Then I saw it. My eyes were still adjusting to light, and visors reflected it a lot, but in a momentary glimpse of it breaking through, I saw just what was hiding inside the suit. It was that same monster that participated in arxur meal, that ate a piece of me! That dark-colored predator! And rest were probably just like it! This was no hospital; this was a predator lab! I was about to be dissected!
Panic rushed through me, a scream starting to escape my lungs, as I swatted that large grabbing hand away from me and immediately tried to run, scampering out of bed. I could feel multiple wires falling off of me as I did that, and figures of predators in suits turned towards me and began their approach... No!
I yelled in desperation, continuing the scream that I hoped would alert someone, even if in my heart I knew none would hear my pleads. I crawled backwards, unable to stand up at all with my leg missing, but found myself in the corner... I didn’t even look where I was going! They kept approaching, slowly, as if savoring their hunt of helpless prey, and I kept screaming, unable to make myself stop, horror completely gripping my being.
These creatures were unfamiliar sapient predators. Of course they wouldn’t just eat me, they would want to learn everything about me and then eat me! I can’t take it anymore! My arms flailed around, trying to reach for something, anything, but I only knocked over a nearby counter. There! Shiny and bright, must be a knife! I grabbed it and started swinging it wildly in front of myself, trying to keep the predators at a distance... But after a few swings I realized that the knife was weirdly unsharp... and had a rounded end with an indent... It was a spoon!
Then predators suddenly stepped aside, opening a path between me and the door. Part of me tried to make a run for it, rushing towards it, but on only one leg I just hopped up and faceplanted down on the ground. Then there was a small prick in my forearm. Last thing I saw before unconsciousness took me again was a small dart sticking out of my arm and predators’ shadows covering the bright light above as they reached for my helpless body...
First - [Next]

The mountains looked impassable, and they would be without help from the ancestors. They left us many helpful objects of a technology we don’t currently understand. But even with the many wonders from Basca remains, it was a good four days' march to the base of Spearhead Mountain, and then at least another three days for the actual climb.
Even with the Warming Orbs and the Self-filling Bottles, the narrow passages and perilous snowy terrain made reaching the summit deadly. But deadlier were the vast hordes marching towards Basca: the Shining Horde glistened in the sun even under heavy snowfall, without fear of showing their strength in numbers.
We had seen their movements for months now, en masse, nearing our last stronghold: Basca. Once the center of our worship and our studies of the ancestors and their technology, Basca was now all that stood of our once great nation. “All roads lead to Basca” was the saying, but now there are no roads except in Basca.
Now, they were days away. It was then that I set out to Spearhead Mountain. Most just laughed at me, saying I was chasing the ghosts of the ancestors—open and shameless heresy! What had come of us? I knew in my heart the old stories were true: the ancestors had left us the means to defend Basca from the top of the tallest mountain in the country, Spearhead Mountain.
I was one of many procurers, professional scavengers who searched and gathered items of importance for our nation, the Ancestor’s Protectorate. I knew these were not magical items like many in the Protectorate believed; I also knew they weren’t the devil's toys like the Shining Empire believed.
I knew this because I had been around scholars and actually listened to them for a good nine years now. Also, because it had been six days, and from the fifth day my bottle began malfunctioning, producing little to no water. I just began using it like a normal bottle, shoving the snow inside it. I think my Warming Orb helped thaw the snow.
When the orb’s glow went away on the night of the sixth day, I wished they were really magical. I was so near the summit, and the hordes were probably nearing Basca. I had to try, I just had to.
With the feeling of warmth gone, a deep chill ran through my body. Even with the heavy protection of my clothing, my hands, feet, and the tips of my ears began numbing. Somehow, even my sight became hazy without the orb... but I just had to try.
With every step, my breathing became heavier and my pace slower, my focus lost to my imagination. I had to try... but I just couldn’t take another step. My body wouldn’t let me feel the smooth wall I was leaning against... only the sense of balance told me I should not be sitting upright in that position. That’s it! The Spearhead.
With renewed vigor, I leaned towards the smooth, cold surface, walking sideways until I felt the slightest groove, an entrance? That was when my strength left me, that was when the groove became a gaping hole in the once smooth surface.
I do not know how long I was unconscious. When the fear for my own well-being subsided, I noticed the dark cave felt warm. The softly cushioned bed I was laying on became a large chair when I moved to sit upright. In front of me, a tall figure looked with understanding eyes towards my confused expression. It couldn’t be! A living, breathing ancestor!
My eyes widened when she moved her head, smiling as if waiting for me to start the conversation. With some effort, my mind recalled the old books. That’s not an ancient; that’s an avatar of light from a long-dead ancient. She was still impressive, much taller than the tallest Protectoratian, with a head full of flowing hair we had only seen in the books. I could only imagine what meeting one of the ancestors would feel like.
My awe ended when I suddenly recalled the memory of the oncoming Shining Horde. Was it too late? It couldn’t be! I had to try!
I took a moment to recall the words in the ancestors’ tongue, out of the ancient manuals passed down generations from ancestors’ devices now long dead, kept alive only by the Protectorate scholars.
I coughed, my throat dry, then uttered the words I had trained for months now:
“Hey Siri!” A chime could be heard immediately.
“How can I help?” the avatar said.
“Activate Base Camp Alpha automated emergency defense protocol,” I struggled with the ancient name.
“BioID authentication failed. Please provide your name and personnel identification code,” she stated.
“Colonel James Jones, P.I.C. Omega Bravo Charlie Nine One Five Zero.” I did my best to pronounce the words in the alien tongue
“Welcome, Colonel Jones. Automated emergency defense protocols for Base Camp Alpha initiated, command interface initiating, satellite grid uplink initiating, orbital station command uplink offline.”
The long streak of information the avatar was giving became background noise as the cave came alive, light emanated from everywhere on the walls. What looked like several square windows lit up, clearly not real windows, some showing images of what could only be Basca, a stunning overhead view, several views from up high. Some screens had ancestor writing and symbols I could not decipher.
Was that happening right now? Or some ancient moving images the scholars talked about? It had to be now! From the bird’s-eye view, the whole city was visible and the glistening steel horde was shining against the muddy ground. It looked like they were already past the outer walls, flooding the bailey, and getting ready to knock down the inner gate.
Then it happened fast. The horde was painted with a light tone of red, and red streaks began falling from the heavens, at first slowly, then at a stunning rate. As the army in the inner walls began falling, the light red shadow dissipated, and the light spears widened the search. In moments, more than half of the horde was inert on the ground, dead from the ancients' holy light. The rest began routing back to the woods...
Basca was safe. I could only muster two words towards the avatar: “Thank you.”

I've played FO3 NV and FO4. I don't remember the brotherhood being this... How do I put this.... Religious cultist type figures like how they're portrayed in the show? They're like a weird mix between a cult and medieval.
Now I've had people tell me they've always been a cult because of their beliefs. But I'm mainly talking about the way they act. When I think of cults I think of hippies with long hair who are manipulated by one man to do evil deeds. Examples like the Manson family or Jim Jones. I never got that eerie manipulated vibe from them. I get that vibe more so from the children of atom.
And I also had people tell me they've always kind of been medieval. And yes in theory because of how they knight people. But again I'm talking about the way they act. In every game I play they seemed more like a big military. Not really some medieval people. I said they act medieval because in the show people bow down to higher ups and call them "my lord". I just never seen that in the games I played.
So yeah I'm asking if this is accurate to the BoS portrayal in any other games or chapters that I'm not knowledgeable of.

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