In an age when Amazon is swallowing up the world and facing backlash (on a number of fronts) the humble Kindle increasingly stands out. Don’t get me wrong, Kindle's closed format and Amazon's antagonistic actions toward competitors and libraries are despicable, but I'd like to put that aside and focus on the hardware for now.
You see, the Kindle might be my favorite piece of consumer electronics hardware—and one of my most satisfying purchases—ever. Why? The Kindle is everything my various iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and MacBooks are not. Let me explain.
It has long life I’ve had this same Kindle Paperwhite since 2013 and it's just as good as the day I bought it. Just as fast, looks just as good, and works just as well. Software updates arrive silently and never seem to slow things down. It's never been deemed too old to update and as far as I know, it’s running the latest version of Kindle's software. Indeed, it’s great that I don't really know and don't have to care. Can't say the same about the iPhone 5s, iPad, and Macbook I bought the same year—all of which long ago stopped getting updates.
It's made to be used I’ve dropped my Kindle countless times and routinely thrown it into a bag without much concern before heading out the door. It's not just that it can take a beating but that it's designed to be durable with materials that can absorb some neglect. In that time I've picked up a small scratch on the screen that I can't even see while reading and the plastic, soft-touch body has a few dings and scuffs but they hardly detract from its appearance.
It's quite freeing to own hardware that isn't precious. I've never considered putting a case on it. My six-months old iPhone 12 has more damage and looks worse than my 7-year-old Kindle even though I treat the latter fragile bird. Apple's products somehow resist the usually attractive effects of patina which might make them feel more alive and organic. While materials like wood, cloth, and leather become more attractive with age, Apple's hardware designs made of glass and coated metal seem to wear imperfections like scars of disease, cutting your heart with every glint.
It inspires no envy The worst day as the owner of any Apple product is the day the next new model comes out. Suddenly over the course of a 60 minute keynote your stuff becomes old and obsolete. This is no question, by design. I couldn't tell you how many new Kindle models have been released in the last 7 years. I've certainly heard about them, compared them to my 2013 Paperwhite, and decided not to buy them. And I don't feel bad or like I'm missing out. I shudder to think how many Apple devices from 2013 are in the trash today.
It's doesn't care what I do Sure my Kindle can connect to Goodreads to share progress and asks me to write a review after I finish a book but those are humble asks in today’s world. Try using your iPad without network connectivity or without an iCloud account. Heck, last year a whole population of developers on MacBooks couldn't work because of a network glitch on Apple's developer servers. My Kindle doesn't care if I'm on wi-fi, never nags to sign-in to anything, and isn't trying to coerce me to use social features. If I never connected it to web again, I could happily keep reading the books I have and even load new ones outside the ecosystem via USB.
It's content to do one thing The Kindle has one job: reading books. It never pulls me away to read a notification, doesn't beg me to look at what someone said on Twitter, and it isn't trying to trick me into using it more. It's not even showing me ads (to be fair, I purchased the ad-free version) or suggesting more books. Just like my toaster isn't telling me the weather or suggesting other kinds of bread I might be interested in. And that's the key: it's an appliance.
I've gone through spurts where I prefer real printed books and set the Kindle aside where it happily waits until I come back—often with the battery still charged even. It's not sending me texts or emails say, "You know, you haven't read a book in awhile." My Kindle doesn't need me and isn't trying to manipulate me.
You can imagine all the things it could to: check Twitter, manage to-dos, show me my calendar, check email, organize my Amazon wishlist, suggest products based on my reading, etc. I have to imagine those ideas, and more, have come up inside Amazon HQ so hats-off to whomever said "no" to them.
The Kindle is a rare beast in the world of consumer electronics and I find it increasingly hard fit it into Amazon's apparent values. It's not so hard to imagine that it was born when Amazon was a different company but that doesn't explain why it still exists or why it's still good or why Amazon seemingly isn't following Apple's consumer products model. Lord knows everyone else is. My friend Dan's washing machine is even gamifying his wash cycles!
The Kindle stands apart from Amazon's ethos. Even more so, it stands as a rare example in the entire consumer electronics industry as a single-purpose device that is durable, meant to be used, non-invasive, un-precious, and refreshingly off the gear lust conveyor belt.
It's not perfect but it's my favorite.
via Jason Zimdars

• There is plenty of space:

2 layers are already 4 layers(Shift is a layer!), and 4 layers on almost any keyboard give you access to every common key.

abcde fghij klmno pqrst uvwxy z 26 ABCDE FGHIJ KLMNO PQRST UVWXY Z 26 12345 67890 10 !@#$% ^&*() 10 []\;' ,./ 8 {}:" <>? 8 F1-F12 12 Arrows 4 Enter Shift Alt Ctrl super Space Backspace Delete Tab Esc Mod 10 

70 Unique (44 Shifted)
So 35 keys is really all that is needed to have access to everything above with just 1 layer. That's a ~30% board! An atreus for example has 42 keys, a sofle 48.

• Why do people use 3+ layers?

The main culprit for thinking you need many more layers is the splitting of numbers and their shift modified symbols, as well as the shift modified symbols for regular keys (,./[]\;').
It even seems like you gain so much by splitting them, but really all you're doing is moving them off of the shift layer into a different custom layer. And with that new custom layer you now have another new modifier to keep track of!
Some people may find that tradeoff worth it! But when making that tradeoff they should keep in mind what they're actually losing (having and extra key that needs to be mapped, duplicate ways to hit the same key, possibly a new layer).
A third layer could possibly be useful, for those that make use of print, home, end, pageup/down (space/shift+space is mapped to this functionality on most apps fyi), mouse movement keys, media keys, repeat, and foreign language etc, but even then unless you're using almost all of those keys, you could probably easily fit them in a 2 layer layout (Any key past 35 on your keyboard is 2 extra free keys! A sofle for example would have 26 extra keys available before needing a new layer).

• The home row:

One of the main benefits of keeping your layer count down is removing the need for more layer keys or toggling through layers.
On 3+ layer keyboards the options you have for managing the extra layers are: 1. Extra layer key, preferrably 2 per layer (taking up the most valuable real estate, the thumb cluster) Why 2 per layer? Because of modifier combos that are common in various apps, you often need to hit 2 mods + a layer key, so if you only have 1 layer key and the mod on the same side is 1 space apart you end up contorting your hand to hit the combo. 2. Toggle key (Requires pressing the same button multiple times, can end up with you on a separate layer, needs to be untoggled) 3. Hold modifier key (Can run into issues depending on what you're doing, will be a bit slower since you need to leave some time for it to actually activate, can be finicky depending on that timing and how fast you're typing) 4. Chorded switch (Needs to have a specific order, will have much more complicated chords in some situations, with possible 5 key combos for common shortcuts in apps)
With just 2 layers you can keep your thumb cluster down to 8 keys, mods (ctrl, alt, super, shift), space/backspace, and 2 layer keys (one for each hand to be able to hit layer key + mod combos).

• Duplicate keys:

After having using multiple rows with many ways to hit the same key on the same board I've found that having multiple ways to press the same key is not as useful as it seems at first, and in fact is seems actively detrimental when using the keyboard.
It's often a point of confusion and second guessing when I hit a key I know is available with a different chord, sometimes I pause after hitting the combo thinking I did it wrong (because I know there's an alternate path) and sometimes I second guess myself before hitting the key because I'm split between which key combo to hit it with.
With a single combo to hit each key there is no ambiguity, so you never second guess yourself and you end up learning the format easier as well as ingrain it into muscle memory faster.
Plus since it's the standard keybinding for shift it's already something most people are familiar with.

• Bigram rollover optimization:

Most bigram optimizations you want to make are fine, () is on 89 which is going to work well even if you want a numpad layout or a 2x5 number layout, and brackets are on individual keys which can be adjusted to your liking as well.
You do lose the ability to put certain bigrams together on the same layer like -= >= since they are on different layers. That's a tradeoff you have to make. Is that worth having to deal with a 3rd layer?

• Comboing:

Comboing might be the biggest draw for simplifying to a 2 layer format.
I don't say much about how your layout itself should look, since that's a personal preference, but I will say that there are 2 important things to try to do to keep comboing possible.

1. Keep the mods the same on all layers. It's ((possible)) to have mods only on first layer, hold those down, then go into a new layer, then press what you need. But from my experience, you either have to slow down to make sure it's consistent, or you end up comboing out of order then you end up forgetting which order is supposed to happen because it's muscle memory and it's all a mess. 2. Assuming you use thumb clusters for mods (Which I highly recommend), make sure you have a way to hit multiple mods + layers at the same time. If you have a setup like: alt ctrl space layer --- enter shift backspace windows (Don't use this it's an example of a problematic setup) alt+tab is problematic, you can't hit alt+layer with the same thumb, so you end up contorting your hand ctrl+alt+delete for example. It's fairly common to have delete on your 2nd layer. If you have ctrl+alt+layer all on your left thumb cluster then you can't really hit all 3 at the same time comfortably. You can try to move the layer over to the right thumb cluster, but then remember windows + arrow (windows + layer), so in that case when moving the layer key maybe make sure it's near the windows so you can double press? I decided to put a layer key on both thumb clusters, but there are also ways to do with by grouping certain keys for double presses (alt+ctrl is very common) and this will depend heavily on which shortcuts you like to use. 

TLDR:
Use 2 layers and be very deliberate with your thumb clusters. I recommend
Left: alt-ctrl-shift-mod
Right: mod-space-backspace-super (Mod is switch to layer 2 and super is OS key)

$GSTOP is a testament to the power of the people! $GSTOP is top 3 trending once again! During the price run it managed to get 10m mcap! Buy now as we are waiting for a new ATH!

Please connect with the $GSTOP telegram community. Search for it on Linktree below:
https://linktr.ee/gstop
Dexscreener:
https://dexscreener.com/ethereum/0x4e4442e59b98d60ba816489e307b853a38185fad
Coinmarketcap:
https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/gamestop-coin/
Contract address ERC-20:
0xdD157BD06c1840Fa886da18A138C983a7D74C1d7
What is $GSTOP all about?
The token is the official meme token of GameStop on the ETH blockchain. Just like GameStop was a revolution in the stock market, the token now is going to make history in Crypto! The community is a movement which will show the big guys out there how the common people will take power from now on! Get ready for rebellion against the big capitalists. The community and team are seizing power with their solidarity and unbridled desire and will soon rule the crypto world!
Tell me more about the story behind $GSTOP (GameStop)!
This cryptocurrency is based on the GameStop phenomenon. Its story revolves around a group of individual investors who, through online forums like Reddit’s WallStreetBets, rallied to buy shares of GameStop, driving its stock price to unprecedented highs in January 2021. This unexpected surge disputed traditional Wall Street dynamics, challenging hedge funds that had bet against GameStop’s success. The saga became emblematic of retail investors using collective action to challenge established financial institutions, sparkling debates about online communities’ power and the democratization of investing. GameStop’s success, exemplified by Roaring Kitty’s influential role, showed what can be achieved through grassroots movements. The team aims to replicate that success here in the realm of crypto on the ETH blockchain.
How can I expect $GSTOP to promote?

• Coinmarketcap trending top 3 right now!
• Amazing marketing campaign ongoing!
• MEXC listing - Done!
• More CEX listings – Be prepared for other major CEX listings!
• Coinmarketcap listing – Done!
• Coingecko listing – Just around the corner!
• Trending everywhere! You will definitely hear about $GSTOP from the people you follow
• Experienced team! - Team did 100M +MC project in the past

Tokenomics:

• Symbol: $GSTOP
• Total Supply: 1,000,000,000
• Buy tax: 0%
• Sell tax: 0%
• Ownership: Renounced
• Liquidity: Burned

Important links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/gstop
Website: https://gamestopeth.io
Telegram: @ ETHGameStop
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ETHGameStop

I have almost no clue how to use this program and I’ve tried to make a calculator with the code where you input a number, then input a mathematical symbol and another number, with the important part being “answer = int(number), symbol, int(other_number)”. But no matter what, I can’t do anything with the symbol. String just causes it to go something like (20, +, 5) without actually solving the equation, int and float don’t work, and bool just makes it go True. Anybody know what mathematic symbols count as?

I recently migrated from Win 10 to Linux Mint (privacy issues, mostly), with my intention of also moving my technophobe wife to Linux as well eventually (and I have her permission, but only if I work the bugs out first). I hope some more experienced people can help me make some sense of what I'm experiencing.
Our Canon Pixma MG6820 went all wonky on us and I suggested that we get a Laser Printer since my photos are now good enough to warrant a professional printing service (in my mind, that is!), and Laser Printers avoid the issues of dried and clogged jet ports, and expensive tiny color cartridges. And she rarely prints anything in color. So we bought the HP LazerJet MFP M139w.
It installed without issues on my wife's Win10 machine and my Surface Go 1st Gen. Installation went as expected for a wireless printer. However, When I tried to set up the Linux box, I got a message saying this printer doesn't support Linux directly. To follow the directions on a different web page, which of course, didn't exist.
So, I faced the likelihood that I'd have to pack up the HP and take it back. But before I did that, tried installing the M139w directly. via the "printers" menu option, It appeared to work. After a reboot I tried to print and it worked just fine. So I, made sure both our Windows machines were shut down and then attempted to print from the Linux box to see if I needed to have a Windows machine up and running for some reason. But, it printed just fine.
Is there some sort of generic printer driver for Laser printers floating around the Linux sphere? Did my Canon inkjet also use some sort of generic driver? How would that have affected photo printing? Can I expect these generic drivers (if they exist), to perform as well as dedicated drivers?
Can I expect a generic inkjet driver to produce casual photos my wife might want to print that wouldn't embarrass her? Me, I'll continue to print photos commercially.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

No final de 2012 inscrevi-me inscrevi-me no meu primeiro curso online organizado pela Google in Education. Inicialmente estava céptico em relação ao que podia aprender num curso online. Mas qualquer dúvida que existisse, ficou aniquilada poucos minutos depois da inscrição. Recebi um mail que continha a informação horária das aulas e um resumo alargado do seu conteúdo. A primeira surpresa, surge quando encontro no mail que vou ser avaliado duas vezes durante o curso e no final, se tiver uma aprovação positiva, recebo um certificado. O primeiro dia de aulas começou com uma pequena avaliação que serve para ver o estado em que nos encontramos. Depois é nos apresentado o professor e a totalidade dos conteúdos programáticos. E é neste momento, em que olho para o meu professor, que tenho a minha segunda surpresa. Sem dar conta tenho alguém a falar directamente comigo, e, compreendo a verdadeira força do Google Plus. Criei uma ligação entre a minha conta, Google Plus, o curso que estou a tirar e todas as ferramentas que o Google disponibiliza. Assim, durante as semanas seguintes usei o Google Plus como nunca pensei ser possível.
Entre aulas, discussões, foruns e avaliações fiz o meu primeiro curso online onde aprendi a ser um "Power Searcher".
E o que é ser um "Power Searcher"?
Um "Power Searcher" é alguém que sabe fazer uma pesquisa no Google. Este é o momento em que tu dizes:

• Mas este tipo droga-se?

Qualquer um sabe fazer uma pesquisa no Google. É verdade, qualquer um com acesso a um computador consegue fazer uma pesquisa, mas, também é verdade que qualquer um com acesso a papel e caneta sabe escrever?
Um "Power Searcher" é como um detective da internet, uma bibliotecária se o preferirem, é alguém, que sabe encontrar respostas a perguntas que inicialmente parecem impossíveis de responder. Aprendes a usar as ferramentas que o Google actualmente disponibiliza de uma forma única, construtiva e muitas vezes, surpreendente.
Agora que acabei o curso, sei que num futuro próximo, terei que ensinar o meu filho a ser um "Power Searcher", não o fazer, seria semelhante a pensar que aprender a ler é menos importante. Pergunto-me até que ponto não devia ser obrigatório para todos os estudantes, independente da idade e área de estudo.
Isto para não falar nos jornalistas actuais, espero vivamente que não pensem que podem continuar a exercer actividade sem conhecer a força de um motor de pesquisa quando bem utilizado. Se ainda restarem dúvidas sobre o potencial deste curso, então faço um pequeno desafio às vossas capacidades de pesquisa.

• Olhem bem para esta imagem
• Qual é o título do trabalho onde esta imagem foi pela primeira vez publicada?

Se por algum motivo até conseguires responder à primeira pergunta, então sabes que o autor do trabalho era um treinador olímpico. Quero agora saber de onde é que ele assistiu à competição do atleta que treinou?
Estas duas perguntas fazem parte do exame final. E é aqui que surge a minha terceira grande surpresa. Antes deste curso era-me totalmente impossível responder de forma acertada a qualquer uma das perguntas. Mas no dia do exame fui capaz de responder com uma facilidade estranha e até assustadora.
Muitos outros exemplos como este fazem parte do curso em que aprendes a ser um "Power Searcher".
Update:
Em Outubro de 2012 aprendi a ser um "Power Searcher" e no início de Janeiro de 2013 passei a ser um "Advanced Power Searcher". O curso começa com um desafio muito simples. Depois relembramos alguns dos processos de pesquisa e podemos assistir à forma como o Dan Russell, o nosso professor, encontra as respostas. A partir deste ponto são apresentadas as datas de entrega dos 12 desafios, divididos em três categorias: 4 (E) easy, 6 (M) medium e 2 (H) hard.
Os desafios são os seguintes:

• Challenge 1 : Mimicking presidential voices

I was asked recently to find reputable sources for the following statement: “During the glory days of radio, it was illegal to mimic the voice of the US president.” Was there actually a law prohibiting that? Or was just a White House policy and not a legal issue. Was it law or policy?

• Challenge 2 : Turtle fossils

I remember reading an article about scientists who found fossils of pairs of turtles mating. I want to read the original announcement of the discovery in a scholarly publication. What is the web address (URL) for the original article abstract?

• Challenge 3 : Festival challenge

You are in the city that is home to the House of Light and a museum in a converted school featuring paintings from the far-away Forest of Honey. What traditional festival might you be visiting?

• Challenge 4 : Humongous fungus

The article that introduced the most humongous "Humongous Fungus" has been cited by a mycoforester who recommended using what parasite to cure the infestation?

• Challenge 5 : Salman Khan

Salman Khan asks: "I recently estimated a current-day equivalent cost for a family to buy a block-print book before the invention of the Gutenberg press." (1) To what contemporary item was the cost of a book compared? (2) Can you find other sources that back up or contradict the calculation in this book?

• Challenge 6 : Scrapbook enthusiast

The picture was taken at a stop along the fall-to-spring route of a particular vehicle. That photo, and the two below (b and c), were taken in the same county, from a vehicle as it traveled. (1) What is the name of the vehicle that the pictures were taken from? (2) What job does this vehicle do for most of the year, excluding the summer months? (3) All the images are in the same county. If you travel north to south and visit each of these locations in order, in what order would you arrive at the sites? (For example, would you go A, B, C?)

• Challenge 7 : Mystery music

At the world's fair for which this building was constructed, a composer heard a full orchestra playing a traditional form of music from an island that was once home to the Sunda Kingdom. In later years, he composed many pieces inspired by elements of this musical form. (1) Who was this composer? (2) What is the name of this style of music? (3) From what current-day country does it originate? (4) Find an example of this traditional form of music you can hear. (5) Find a musical score by this composer of an early 20th century piece that is heavily influenced by this music. (6) What is the library closest to you that has the score?

• Challenge 8 : Climate graph

A climate graph showing average temperature and precipitation for a major city.
Across the top are three cities. Research the climate for each city and decide which city fits the graph. What is the Köppen climate type for the city that fits the graph, as expressed in letter symbols? Which of the city choices has a climate influenced by the southeast trade winds? Make a similar graph for a city or region near you. Using Creative Commons, pre-approve sharing in any way you choose. Then, share the graph in a social network of your choice.

• Challenge 9 : Name that notebook

In the mid-1800’s literate people in the United States and elsewhere often carried a notebook with them to copy down passages of text or quotations that were particularly valuable or interesting to them. This notebook had a very particular name. What was this kind of notebook called?

• Challenge 10 : Who done it?

Although best known for other works, this doctor ran as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Unionists. He also compared seals to slugs while working on a whaling ship. Later in life, he sent an open letter to the newspaper decrying the "greatest crime ever committed." (1) What book did he write on the subject of this "great crime"? (2) What is the closest library to you that has a print copy of this book?

• Challenge 11 : Feather identification

You were hiking in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve and saw this feather on the ground.
You sketched it out so you could identify it later. To what kind of bird did it belong?

• Challenge 12 : Where in the world?

Suggest a new World Heritage site in your country. What are the criteria for becoming a World Heritage site? What are the existing locations near you? Identify three strong reasons that qualify the location you selected to become a World Heritage site.

It blows my mind that a billion dollar corporation such as Activision does not have a good support system for people who have actually been hacked now I don't know if anyone knows this or not but there has been a huge security breach and people are being hacked left and right. My guess is these hackers are taking control of accounts and throwing them on the black market for people to buy so they can cheat on them and not have to worry about their own accounts. That's just my speculation I could be wrong
I got hacked on May 30th by a person connecting a battle net account and removing my email and unlinking my steam leaving me completely in the dark. Mind you I've had this account for 16 years so back in 2019 when they started doing Activision accounts in order to play the game. All I did was set up the account hopped on modern warfare 2019 and started playing I didn't set up a two-factor authenticator because well it was new and I didn't know how easy it was to get hacked through the Activision account back in 2019.
Now what really confuses me is when you switch emails on the Activision account you should get a confirmation code through your email. Cuz I tested this once I made a fresh account. well I never received this All I got was an email stating a battle account has been linked to my call of duty account and Bam my steam account was unlinked and my email was no longer linked to my Activision account. So I don't know if the hacker also had access to my actual email and my Activision account and just went through my email got the code deleted the email and emptied the trash and deleted all the evidence so that way I wouldn't see it. And was able to connect a new email to that Activision account.
Needless to say when I got hacked I was at loss for words and reading on Twitter seeing how many people were experiencing the same thing in the last two weeks made me feel hopeless I would ever even get my account back and even if I did my account would be permanently banned from someone hacking on it.
Well I got extremely lucky because what I did to get my account back was I filed a complaint through the better Business bureau. I read online that if you were to file a complaint in combination with filling out a ticket through Activision on the website that was your best odds of getting your account back quickly. Now this is important I heard that if you go through the recovery link on Activisions website this isn't enough and they are slammed with those. But if you go through a different route where you say you have trouble with a battle pass purchase they are more likely to get into contact with you quickly because well you know Activision and how greedy they are and want to make sure customers are happy with their purchases through their store bundles.
Once I did that there is a ticket below with a yellow symbol that you click and you can fill out a paragraph and I basically stated instead of me actually having an issue with the battle pass purchase I really just needed help getting my account back from a hacker that unlinked my email and my steam account. In return after following a complaint Activision was very quick to help me out.
Needless to say I got my account back now my only issue is I'm having to fill out another thing through Activision's website because I connected my steam account that was unlinked on my old account and linked it to a new account so that way I could play call of duty and wait for the process of getting my account back. Well here's the thing you can only unlink and then link a steam account once every 12 months. So yes I got my account back but now I have to wait for a response from Activision to unlink my steam and link it back to the account that I got back from the hacker.
Activision really needs to bring back a live chat and they really need to bring back a phone number that you can call to talk to a live agent. I don't know why they got rid of this. It's insane that a billion dollar corporation does not have a good support system for hacked accounts.
I'll end on this I have seen countless people on Twitter saying they are now permanently banned and Activision doesn't care who got banned on it if it was the hacker or if it was you that account is gone.. there is basically no chance of you getting that account back. me on the other hand I'm very very lucky that nobody played on that account after they hacked it. If I wasn't able to get my account back so quickly I'm sure the account would have been sold off to a hacker and the account would have been banned and I would have been shit out of luck Best of luck to anyone who has been dealing with this. If You're confused on the process reach out to me with any questions

I am in a long distance relationship, so me and my girlfriend only talk on the phone, see each other through Snapchat etc. I have never been this much in love before, so I don't mind going out of my way to do things for her. But sometimes I get hurt and down, when I do not receive an equivalent excited response from her. When we first met, I wasn't into poetry but she was. She introduced it to me and I found it really interesting. That's when I thought, what could be a better gift then writing a poetic book on her. I can express my love and it is something she loves too. So I started writing my first book. It made me really excited what will she think about it, her reaction, how much will she love it etc. Fast forward a few months, I was done writing a 50 pages book just one month before her birthday. I was so ready to show it to her, but I wanted to give her a printed form, rather than a digital one. So, I used a print on demand service to get the book printed and get it delivered to her. Meanwhile, I was so excited that I ended up telling her, what I plan to gift her. I know that's something I need to work on and trust me I am, but as of today I just get so emotional and excited, that I end up ruining these type of moments by talking about them earlier. Anyways, I don't regret telling her about it even a little bit. She showed so much excitement and happiness that I got more impatient and just wanted her to receive it ASAP. After around 20 days, one morning, she messaged me that she has received the package with it's picture. She seemed happy and so was I. But then she said, she doesn't want to hurry, so she will open it later tonight after she comes back home. She had a plan to go out with her friends, which she did tell me about. None of us knew the package will arrive the same day, otherwise we would have talked about it earlier. Now that the package was there and she told me she will open it later. I felt she isn't as excited and it made me feel uneasy. I asked her to move her plan with friends to the next weekend, but she didn't want to. So she just left and we didn't talk for the next few hours. After she came back home, we had a little argument over this. But then I thought I am overreacting, I apologized, she apologized and we became normal. She opened the book, showed it to me, appreciated it, told me how much she loves it etc, which made me forget everything that happened during the day and now I wanted to give her even a better one the next year. During all this, I was also working on my career and a few months after her birthday, I got a job as a software engineer. So now I was a full time software engineer and also a last year student, so became super busy with my life. However, I really wanted to complete the book for her too. So meanwhile I kept working on it too. This time, I was able to hide my plans but guess God has something else planned for us. A few weeks before her birthday, when I tried to order the book from the same service, my card got declined. I tried multiple times on different days, but the transaction just didn't complete. A few days before her birthday, when I knew I couldn't print it for her, I thought if I am gonna give it to her digitally, why not give it today (I know the same problem as last year. Ruined the surprise, but I just couldn't help it). So I brought it up, she became really happy to hear about it and when I said I will give it to you rn instead of waiting for your birthday. She said to me "why can't you just wait", which wasn't something I expected, so I stopped talking about it and promised myself that I won't give it to her, till she asks me about it. A few days passed, her birthday came, I wished her and celebrated it online. As much as I wanted to talk about the book, I didn't because what she said earlier was still on my mind. I kept waiting for her until a day passed. Next day, when I was about to sleep, she wished me good night and asked me to "send the book whenever I feel like it". I complained in a light mood that she forgot about it, but after a light hearted, just a few messages long argument, I sent the book to her as I didn't want to ruin it by making a fuss about it every year. After a few minutes, she said she had read just a few pages, it's so pretty and is making her emotional. Which made me smile and I asked to see her while she read the rest of the pages for the first time. To which she replied, she is too emotional rn and cannot do this. Which I kinda understood, so I tried assuring her, that it is hundred percent ok to be emotional on this. And if we were physically together I would have seen her, so just think we are together and instead of a physical hug, I will give you a digital hug. But she stayed persistent and asked me to go to sleep and said she'll read the rest of the book tomorrow and give me a video reaction. This made me really hurt and also think what's the point. So I just went to sleep. The next day, she did what she promised and it was everything I was asking for one day earlier. But today, it just wasn't hitting like that. But I didn't want her to think, she did all this for nothing so I acted normal. It's been a few days, I am pretending to be normal, but I am not at peace from inside. Sometimes I think it's her, sometimes I think I am overreacting. I am not sure what it actually is, but it is kinda eating me from inside. Have you guys faced something similar before? What is an advice that you would give me?

The Fresh and Fit channel experienced a meteoric rise due to several key factors: 1. Provocative and Controversial Content : The channel gained traction by tackling controversial topics related to dating, relationships, and gender dynamics in a confrontational style. Their bold and unapologetic takes, often deemed misogynistic by critics, generated significant buzz and attention. 2. Charismatic Hosts : The dynamic chemistry between hosts Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes (Freshprinceceo), along with their charismatic personalities, resonated with a significant portion of the audience seeking advice on dating and self-improvement. 3. Capitalizing on the "Red Pill" Movement : Fresh and Fit tapped into the growing "red pill" ideology, which promotes traditional gender roles and criticizes modern feminism. Their content aligned with and amplified these views, attracting a dedicated following within this community. 4. Leveraging Social Media : The hosts effectively utilized social media platforms like Instagram to promote their content and engage with their audience, further amplifying their reach and popularity. 5. Controversial Guests and Debates : The channel frequently hosted controversial guests, such as OnlyFans models, Instagram influencers, and other "red pill" figures, leading to heated debates and confrontations that fueled engagement and viewership.
The Rise and Fall of Fresh and Fit: Unpacking the Controversial "Red Pill" Movement on YouTube In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, a new breed of content creators has emerged, captivating audiences with their bold and divisive perspectives on gender dynamics, relationships, and societal norms. At the forefront of this movement stands Fresh and Fit, a YouTube channel that has garnered both fervent support and intense criticism for its unapologetic embrace of the "red pill" ideology.Hosted by Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes (known as Freshprinceceo), Fresh and Fit has amassed a staggering following, with over 1 million subscribers and videos regularly garnering millions of views. However, beneath the veneer of their provocative content lies a complex web of ideologies, controversies, and societal implications that warrant a closer examination. The "Red Pill" Ideology: A Primer To understand the phenomenon of Fresh and Fit, one must first grasp the core tenets of the "red pill" movement. Originating from the 1999 film "The Matrix," the term "red pill" has come to symbolize a metaphorical awakening to perceived harsh realities about gender relations, feminism, and the dynamics of power between men and women.Adherents of the "red pill" ideology often espouse traditional gender roles, criticize modern feminism, and advocate for a hyper-masculine approach to dating and relationships. They reject what they perceive as societal conditioning and embrace a worldview that emphasizes male dominance, female submission, and the pursuit of sexual conquest.In the words of Myron Gaines, the author of the controversial book "Women Deserve Less," the "red pill" philosophy is about "leveling up and the double-edged sword of social media." This sentiment encapsulates the movement's emphasis on self-improvement and the perceived need for men to assert their dominance in a world where gender dynamics are perceived as skewed in favor of women. The Rise of Fresh and Fit The meteoric rise of Fresh and Fit can be attributed to several key factors, each contributing to the channel's ability to captivate and polarize audiences. 1. Provocative and Controversial Content: Fresh and Fit gained traction by tackling controversial topics related to dating, relationships, and gender dynamics in a confrontational style. Their bold and unapologetic takes, often deemed misogynistic by critics, generated significant buzz and attention. As one Reddit user aptly described, "They invite the weirdest pornstars and only fans women with the trashiest mindset and act as if they are representative of all women." 2. Charismatic Hosts: The dynamic chemistry between Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes, along with their charismatic personalities, resonated with a significant portion of the audience seeking advice on dating and self-improvement. "Myron led a sinful lifestyle, with high body count n all, n his wealth will attract," commented a Reddit user, highlighting the allure of their personas. 3. Capitalizing on the "Red Pill" Movement: Fresh and Fit tapped into the growing "red pill" ideology, aligning their content with and amplifying these views, attracting a dedicated following within this community. As one critic noted, "They are scamming young guys hard and it makes me sad to see. They are selling courses for like $800 to 'teach' guys how to hit on girls on Instagram." 4. Leveraging Social Media: The hosts effectively utilized social media platforms like Instagram to promote their content and engage with their audience, further amplifying their reach and popularity. "They give off insecure vibes and only bring on girls that are 10 years younger then them," observed a Reddit user, highlighting their strategic use of social media. 5. Controversial Guests and Debates: The channel frequently hosted controversial guests, such as OnlyFans models, Instagram influencers, and other "red pill" figures, leading to heated debates and confrontations that fueled engagement and viewership. As one critic noted, "They bait them or subtly try to make them agree with them to go like 'See guys? What have we told you?'" 6. Appealing to a Specific Demographic: Fresh and Fit's content primarily targeted young men seeking dating advice and validation for traditional masculine ideals, filling a perceived gap in the market. "A friend of mine started watching Fresh and Fit and Kevin Samuels religiously a couple of months ago after a break-up. Went from being a normal guy to someone who genuinely hates women and rants about gender roles to me all the time," shared a concerned Reddit user. While controversy played a significant role in the channel's initial growth, it ultimately contributed to its downfall as well, with YouTube demonetizing the channel due to violations of its policies. The Cult of Fresh and Fit: Indoctrination and Manipulation As Fresh and Fit's popularity soared, concerns arose regarding the potential for indoctrination and manipulation of their predominantly young male audience. Critics argued that the channel's content perpetuated harmful stereotypes, fostered misogynistic attitudes, and promoted a distorted view of gender relations.In a thought-provoking video essay titled "The Cult of Fresh and Fit," YouTuber Aba & Preach delved into the psychological tactics employed by the channel, drawing parallels to cult-like behavior. The video highlighted how Fresh and Fit leveraged techniques such as love-bombing, us-versus-them mentalities, and the creation of an echo chamber to solidify their influence over their followers."They give me revenge of the nerds vibes," commented a Reddit user, alluding to the channel's appeal to a demographic of disaffected young men seeking validation and a sense of belonging. This sentiment underscores the potential for Fresh and Fit's content to foster a toxic subculture that perpetuates harmful attitudes and behaviors. The Societal Impact: Misogyny, Extremism, and Radicalization Beyond the confines of the Fresh and Fit channel, the "red pill" ideology has been linked to broader societal issues, including misogyny, extremism, and the potential for radicalization.In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, a strong correlation was found between adherence to "red pill" beliefs and endorsement of hostile sexist attitudes towards women. The study highlighted the potential for such ideologies to contribute to the normalization of misogynistic views and the perpetuation of gender-based discrimination.Moreover, there have been instances where individuals associated with the "red pill" movement have been implicated in acts of violence and extremism. In 2018, a self-proclaimed "incel" (involuntary celibate) carried out a deadly attack in Toronto, claiming to be part of a "rebellion" against women. While Fresh and Fit has not been directly linked to such incidents, the potential for their content to contribute to the radicalization of vulnerable individuals remains a concern. The Countermovement: Voices of Reason and Critique In response to the rise of Fresh and Fit and the "red pill" movement, a countermovement has emerged, comprising voices of reason and critique from various spheres, including academia, journalism, and social commentary.Prominent figures such as Dr. Nerdlove, a dating coach and author, have actively challenged the harmful narratives propagated by the "red pill" community. In an interview with The Guardian, Dr. Nerdlove stated, "The red pill is a toxic ideology that encourages men to view women as objects to be acquired and discarded, rather than human beings with agency and autonomy."Journalists and social commentators have also played a crucial role in exposing the flaws and dangers of the "red pill" ideology. In a scathing article for The Atlantic, Laurie Penny criticized the movement's embrace of "reactionary masculinity" and its perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes.Furthermore, online communities such as exredpill on Reddit have emerged as safe havens for individuals seeking to disengage from the "red pill" mindset and engage in constructive discussions about healthy relationships and personal growth. The Way Forward: Promoting Healthy Discourse and Accountability As the debate surrounding Fresh and Fit and the "red pill" movement rages on, it is imperative to address the underlying issues and promote a more constructive dialogue on gender relations, personal growth, and societal progress. 1. Fostering Healthy Masculinity: Rather than perpetuating toxic masculinity and misogynistic attitudes, there is a need to promote healthy expressions of masculinity that embrace empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. Initiatives that encourage positive role models and mentorship programs for young men could play a pivotal role in this endeavor. 2. Emphasizing Consent and Mutual Respect: Discussions surrounding dating and relationships should prioritize consent, mutual respect, and the recognition of women's autonomy and agency. Content creators and influencers have a responsibility to promote healthy and ethical practices, rather than perpetuating harmful narratives. 3. Promoting Media Literacy and Critical Thinking: In the age of social media and online echo chambers, it is crucial to equip individuals with the skills to critically evaluate information and identify potential biases or manipulation tactics. Media literacy programs and educational initiatives could play a vital role in empowering audiences to make informed decisions. 4. Holding Platforms Accountable: Social media platforms and content hosting services must take a proactive stance in enforcing community guidelines and content policies, ensuring that harmful or extremist content is promptly addressed and removed when necessary. 5. Encouraging Diverse Perspectives: Rather than perpetuating a singular narrative, it is essential to amplify diverse voices and perspectives on gender relations, relationships, and personal growth. Inclusive dialogues that embrace nuance and complexity can foster greater understanding and progress. As the Fresh and Fit phenomenon continues to evolve, it serves as a poignant reminder of the power of social media to shape narratives and influence societal attitudes. By fostering healthy discourse, promoting accountability, and embracing diverse perspectives, we can navigate the complexities of gender dynamics and relationships in a manner that upholds respect, empathy, and the pursuit of mutual understanding.

The Fresh and Fit channel experienced a meteoric rise due to several key factors: 1. Provocative and Controversial Content : The channel gained traction by tackling controversial topics related to dating, relationships, and gender dynamics in a confrontational style. Their bold and unapologetic takes, often deemed misogynistic by critics, generated significant buzz and attention. 2. Charismatic Hosts : The dynamic chemistry between hosts Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes (Freshprinceceo), along with their charismatic personalities, resonated with a significant portion of the audience seeking advice on dating and self-improvement. 3. Capitalizing on the "Red Pill" Movement : Fresh and Fit tapped into the growing "red pill" ideology, which promotes traditional gender roles and criticizes modern feminism. Their content aligned with and amplified these views, attracting a dedicated following within this community. 4. Leveraging Social Media : The hosts effectively utilized social media platforms like Instagram to promote their content and engage with their audience, further amplifying their reach and popularity. 5. Controversial Guests and Debates : The channel frequently hosted controversial guests, such as OnlyFans models, Instagram influencers, and other "red pill" figures, leading to heated debates and confrontations that fueled engagement and viewership.
The Rise and Fall of Fresh and Fit: Unpacking the Controversial "Red Pill" Movement on YouTube In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, a new breed of content creators has emerged, captivating audiences with their bold and divisive perspectives on gender dynamics, relationships, and societal norms. At the forefront of this movement stands Fresh and Fit, a YouTube channel that has garnered both fervent support and intense criticism for its unapologetic embrace of the "red pill" ideology.Hosted by Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes (known as Freshprinceceo), Fresh and Fit has amassed a staggering following, with over 1 million subscribers and videos regularly garnering millions of views. However, beneath the veneer of their provocative content lies a complex web of ideologies, controversies, and societal implications that warrant a closer examination. The "Red Pill" Ideology: A Primer To understand the phenomenon of Fresh and Fit, one must first grasp the core tenets of the "red pill" movement. Originating from the 1999 film "The Matrix," the term "red pill" has come to symbolize a metaphorical awakening to perceived harsh realities about gender relations, feminism, and the dynamics of power between men and women.Adherents of the "red pill" ideology often espouse traditional gender roles, criticize modern feminism, and advocate for a hyper-masculine approach to dating and relationships. They reject what they perceive as societal conditioning and embrace a worldview that emphasizes male dominance, female submission, and the pursuit of sexual conquest.In the words of Myron Gaines, the author of the controversial book "Women Deserve Less," the "red pill" philosophy is about "leveling up and the double-edged sword of social media." This sentiment encapsulates the movement's emphasis on self-improvement and the perceived need for men to assert their dominance in a world where gender dynamics are perceived as skewed in favor of women. The Rise of Fresh and Fit The meteoric rise of Fresh and Fit can be attributed to several key factors, each contributing to the channel's ability to captivate and polarize audiences. 1. Provocative and Controversial Content: Fresh and Fit gained traction by tackling controversial topics related to dating, relationships, and gender dynamics in a confrontational style. Their bold and unapologetic takes, often deemed misogynistic by critics, generated significant buzz and attention. As one Reddit user aptly described, "They invite the weirdest pornstars and only fans women with the trashiest mindset and act as if they are representative of all women." 2. Charismatic Hosts: The dynamic chemistry between Myron Gaines and Walter Weekes, along with their charismatic personalities, resonated with a significant portion of the audience seeking advice on dating and self-improvement. "Myron led a sinful lifestyle, with high body count n all, n his wealth will attract," commented a Reddit user, highlighting the allure of their personas. 3. Capitalizing on the "Red Pill" Movement: Fresh and Fit tapped into the growing "red pill" ideology, aligning their content with and amplifying these views, attracting a dedicated following within this community. As one critic noted, "They are scamming young guys hard and it makes me sad to see. They are selling courses for like $800 to 'teach' guys how to hit on girls on Instagram." 4. Leveraging Social Media: The hosts effectively utilized social media platforms like Instagram to promote their content and engage with their audience, further amplifying their reach and popularity. "They give off insecure vibes and only bring on girls that are 10 years younger then them," observed a Reddit user, highlighting their strategic use of social media. 5. Controversial Guests and Debates: The channel frequently hosted controversial guests, such as OnlyFans models, Instagram influencers, and other "red pill" figures, leading to heated debates and confrontations that fueled engagement and viewership. As one critic noted, "They bait them or subtly try to make them agree with them to go like 'See guys? What have we told you?'" 6. Appealing to a Specific Demographic: Fresh and Fit's content primarily targeted young men seeking dating advice and validation for traditional masculine ideals, filling a perceived gap in the market. "A friend of mine started watching Fresh and Fit and Kevin Samuels religiously a couple of months ago after a break-up. Went from being a normal guy to someone who genuinely hates women and rants about gender roles to me all the time," shared a concerned Reddit user. While controversy played a significant role in the channel's initial growth, it ultimately contributed to its downfall as well, with YouTube demonetizing the channel due to violations of its policies. The Cult of Fresh and Fit: Indoctrination and Manipulation As Fresh and Fit's popularity soared, concerns arose regarding the potential for indoctrination and manipulation of their predominantly young male audience. Critics argued that the channel's content perpetuated harmful stereotypes, fostered misogynistic attitudes, and promoted a distorted view of gender relations.In a thought-provoking video essay titled "The Cult of Fresh and Fit," YouTuber Aba & Preach delved into the psychological tactics employed by the channel, drawing parallels to cult-like behavior. The video highlighted how Fresh and Fit leveraged techniques such as love-bombing, us-versus-them mentalities, and the creation of an echo chamber to solidify their influence over their followers."They give me revenge of the nerds vibes," commented a Reddit user, alluding to the channel's appeal to a demographic of disaffected young men seeking validation and a sense of belonging. This sentiment underscores the potential for Fresh and Fit's content to foster a toxic subculture that perpetuates harmful attitudes and behaviors. The Societal Impact: Misogyny, Extremism, and Radicalization Beyond the confines of the Fresh and Fit channel, the "red pill" ideology has been linked to broader societal issues, including misogyny, extremism, and the potential for radicalization.In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, a strong correlation was found between adherence to "red pill" beliefs and endorsement of hostile sexist attitudes towards women. The study highlighted the potential for such ideologies to contribute to the normalization of misogynistic views and the perpetuation of gender-based discrimination.Moreover, there have been instances where individuals associated with the "red pill" movement have been implicated in acts of violence and extremism. In 2018, a self-proclaimed "incel" (involuntary celibate) carried out a deadly attack in Toronto, claiming to be part of a "rebellion" against women. While Fresh and Fit has not been directly linked to such incidents, the potential for their content to contribute to the radicalization of vulnerable individuals remains a concern. The Countermovement: Voices of Reason and Critique In response to the rise of Fresh and Fit and the "red pill" movement, a countermovement has emerged, comprising voices of reason and critique from various spheres, including academia, journalism, and social commentary.Prominent figures such as Dr. Nerdlove, a dating coach and author, have actively challenged the harmful narratives propagated by the "red pill" community. In an interview with The Guardian, Dr. Nerdlove stated, "The red pill is a toxic ideology that encourages men to view women as objects to be acquired and discarded, rather than human beings with agency and autonomy."Journalists and social commentators have also played a crucial role in exposing the flaws and dangers of the "red pill" ideology. In a scathing article for The Atlantic, Laurie Penny criticized the movement's embrace of "reactionary masculinity" and its perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes.Furthermore, online communities such as exredpill on Reddit have emerged as safe havens for individuals seeking to disengage from the "red pill" mindset and engage in constructive discussions about healthy relationships and personal growth. The Way Forward: Promoting Healthy Discourse and Accountability As the debate surrounding Fresh and Fit and the "red pill" movement rages on, it is imperative to address the underlying issues and promote a more constructive dialogue on gender relations, personal growth, and societal progress. 1. Fostering Healthy Masculinity: Rather than perpetuating toxic masculinity and misogynistic attitudes, there is a need to promote healthy expressions of masculinity that embrace empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. Initiatives that encourage positive role models and mentorship programs for young men could play a pivotal role in this endeavor. 2. Emphasizing Consent and Mutual Respect: Discussions surrounding dating and relationships should prioritize consent, mutual respect, and the recognition of women's autonomy and agency. Content creators and influencers have a responsibility to promote healthy and ethical practices, rather than perpetuating harmful narratives. 3. Promoting Media Literacy and Critical Thinking: In the age of social media and online echo chambers, it is crucial to equip individuals with the skills to critically evaluate information and identify potential biases or manipulation tactics. Media literacy programs and educational initiatives could play a vital role in empowering audiences to make informed decisions. 4. Holding Platforms Accountable: Social media platforms and content hosting services must take a proactive stance in enforcing community guidelines and content policies, ensuring that harmful or extremist content is promptly addressed and removed when necessary. 5. Encouraging Diverse Perspectives: Rather than perpetuating a singular narrative, it is essential to amplify diverse voices and perspectives on gender relations, relationships, and personal growth. Inclusive dialogues that embrace nuance and complexity can foster greater understanding and progress. As the Fresh and Fit phenomenon continues to evolve, it serves as a poignant reminder of the power of social media to shape narratives and influence societal attitudes. By fostering healthy discourse, promoting accountability, and embracing diverse perspectives, we can navigate the complexities of gender dynamics and relationships in a manner that upholds respect, empathy, and the pursuit of mutual understanding.

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The Astonishing Story of Rahab: From Prostitute to Hero of Faith

Did you know that one of the most inspiring stories in the Bible involves a woman who lived a life many looked down upon? Meet Rahab, a woman whose faith and actions turned her from a marginalized figure in Jericho into a celebrated heroine in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Her story is not merely one of redemption but of extraordinary faith and courage.

Who Was Rahab?

Rahab was a prostitute living in the ancient city of Jericho. Her home was built into the city wall, making her a person of relative importance within the city. Despite her profession, Rahab’s story takes a remarkably different turn than what one might expect.

The Encounter with the Israelite Spies

Rahab’s story, found in Joshua 2, begins when two Israelite spies were sent by Joshua to scout Jericho. Rahab hid the spies from the king’s men and then struck a deal to keep her family safe when the Israelites conquered the city.
“Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you’” (Joshua 2:8-9, NIV).

Rahab’s Faith and Courage

Rahab’s courage was astonishing. She risked her life to save the spies. Her faith is evident in her recognition of the Lord’s power and plan, even though she was not an Israelite. This is remarkable considering her background and profession—she was a Canaanite, and her lifestyle was far from what might be expected of a disciple of God.

The Scarlet Cord: A Symbol of Protection

Rahab’s faith intertwined with her actions when she let the spies down by a rope through her window. She suggested a sign to ensure her safety: a scarlet cord hung from her window. This cord symbolized her trust in the promise given by the spies.
“Now the men had said to her, ‘This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down’” (Joshua 2:17-18, NIV).

Redemption and Legacy

Rahab kept her promise, and the Israelites kept theirs. During the conquest of Jericho, her family was spared because of the scarlet cord. Her faith didn’t just save her life; it placed her in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Rahab is mentioned in Matthew 1:5 as the mother of Boaz, the great-grandfather of King David.

Reflection Questions

– How can you demonstrate faith and courage in your everyday life? – Are there areas where you need to take bold steps like Rahab did to trust in God’s plan? – Have you ever felt marginalized but found a way to contribute significantly?

Summary and Call to Action

Rahab’s story is a testament to the transformative power of faith and the limitless grace of God. From a life of disrepute, she rose to achieve an honored place in biblical history—showing us that God’s love and plans extend to everyone, regardless of their past.
Feel inspired by Rahab’s journey? Share your thoughts or how this story has touched you in the comments below. Let’s start a conversation about faith, courage, and God’s redemptive power!
Remember, your past doesn’t determine your future. God has a unique and incredible plan for you, just as He did for Rahab.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this post to spread the encouraging word of God!
If you want to want to research more Bible Answers on your own, please try our Bible Answers GPT. It’s easy to get lost in the interesting responses you’ll find… every search is like a new treasure hunt 🙂
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Trelik paced in front of the bookshelf, its frame was smooth to the touch and was polished to where the wood it was made off could act as a mirror in some cases. But there was one issue with it, it lacked variety and interesting material. He had books from across the Federation but those had become harder and harder to get his paws on after the halt on trade. The only books available now were either the ones already on Venlil Prime or from the Humans.
He desperately wanted a human book or three to sit on his bookcase but there was a small issue with that... they were expensive. In normal times Trelik would have scoffed while trying to find a cheaper deal and if not he would defeatedly buy it, but the lack of trade had hit the economy hard and so funds had been getting a bit low for him as well.
He’d recently heard from some others on Bleat that apparently the government was offering to pay people to help house a human why the war raged. Most saw this as a dumb idea or thought the risk too big to take but the ones remaining were too desperate to pass up such an opportunity. Trelik fell in with the desperate crowd, he just had to get some of those human books and having a human helping him could make it easier.
A sound from the door alerted Trelik that someone had arrived, most likely his new human housemate. He’d signed and completed the forms almost a week ago and so had been waiting for news for a while.
Despite his best efforts his heart was pounding, he knew it was silly but something at the very back of his mind kept screeching that he should run or freeze or escape into one of his book, anything but open the door.
“Think of the money, how could you read a book made by humans if you are scared of them?” Trelik muttered to himself. It seemed to work, his steps became more confident and ordered and he swung open the door quickly before his mind had time to catch up with his actions.
The human before him was tall and thin, not unlike some of the trees that populated some of the outlying colony worlds. What little flesh Trelik could see was pale and near hairless, this was only around the wrists.
A pair of gloves covered their paws and a set of ‘clothes’ covered the rest while they seemed to have a bit of cloth covering their head with a mask covering the face. It was slightly unnerving to the Venlil, nothing told him how the human was feeling, no tail or ears gave away emotion.
Slowly the human put down its bags and reached down to grab a pad, as the figure scribbled something down Trilek noticed the name tag on the right side of its outfit. ‘Maxwell A.’ was written in such a way that it took the visual translator a few seconds to parse it.
Maxwell finished their scribbling and turned the pad around, a message was written that the visual translator could decipher. ‘You can just call me Max.’
It had been three days since Max had arrived in Trilek’s home, he was an odd sort compared to the humans he the Venlil had heard about. Most of the people that helped house the humans reported them as either being really energetic and wanting to explore everywhere or being near despondent to everything save the most determined of pestering.
Max however seemed to just sit in a corner and scribble stuff on his pad or cross his legs in a frankly uncomfortable looking position and stare at the pad for hours. Trilek assumed he was either writing something, idly scribbling or reading. He desperately hoped it would be the latter, if he had a human in his home that read almost as much as him, they might have access to some books that he could get his paws on. There was one small issue with this plan, Max hadn’t taken out any physical books and seem to be unwilling to separate from his pad.
A week had now passed and Trilek was starting to get irritated, he’d hoped to have his paws on one of the human books he’d heard about but neither Max nor the payment had helped. Max just sat in the corner of the library, Trilek couldn’t even tell if the human was asleep or not until it slowly lifted it’s head to check the time or look around the room.
The paycheck for helping house a human had taken longer than aticipated to arrive, and were smaller than he was promised. When questioned about this Trilek got the excuse of taxes removing a tenth of what was owed. Still money was money, but he was going to go crazy if he couldn’t get a new book or something to read soon.
The time had finally arrived, the human had left his pad and a pair of what seemed to be listening devices on the lunge of the office area. Trilek might not get a chance like this again, his body thrummed with nervous anticpation as he slipped the devices into his ears and quickly look for how to start whatever the human was listening to.
A small triangle was in the centre of a bar, a turning indicator with a number nearby faced both behing and in front of the symbol. Worse that could happen was he turned the pad off, so Trilek tapped at the arrow symbol, a voice flooded into his ears. It was even and filled with energy, it seemed to be rapidly reading something.
“’GOTREK!’ cried Felix, the monster’s hatchet landing a hair’s width beside his head, the smell of corruption and decay wafted from the rusted thing. Suddenly it came at him with a mouth filled with what seemed to hundreds of needle-like teeth, it’s breath a foul mixture of rotting fish and fresh blood.”
Trilek felt a cold terror settle in his stomach, a feeling like a claws was running up his spine informed him that every stand of wool on his body had stood on end.
“A mighty thunderclap sound of metal on bone broke Felix out of his terror, the head of the once-human thing thumped to the ground, a small river of black sludge pattered from where it’s neck had once been. The Slayer stood on it’s quilled back, his mighty axe in hand, Gotrek simply spat on the creature’s corpse and muttered about how he was hoping for something larger.”
A hand on his shoulder made Trilek lead almost a meter into the air, the human was behind him one of it’s paws gently placed on the Venlil’s shoulder. Somehow they were a reassuring presence, the lack of any detail save this simple gesture spoke more than Trilek could say. Maxwell had sat in the corner of the library for near an entire week and hardly interacted with anything but when he saw that Trilek had used his pad without consent he comforted him after the fact.
“Want to talk about it?” the voice was low and tinny, the Venlil looked at Maxwell as the human lowered himself into a sitting position. Trilek signed a simple ‘no’ with his tail, the human nodded and simply sat there with a hand on Trilek’s should as the other went about removing the listening devices and pad.
“Wh-why do you listen to that?” his voice was a shaking whisper, any mirth or confidence drained away by terror and the crash after the percieved danger had passed. Maxwell simply rubbed an aread of his mask with his hand.
“Because,” a sigh echoed slightly from the mask, “because I see it as a fun adventure between two comrades. Sure, there is danger and the reason they are engaging on their quests wouldn’t ring as very sensible but it allows me to live in a world of action and characters.”
They sat in silence for several minutes, his heart rate had returned to normal but all of Trilek’s limbs felt tired as if he’d run across the whole city without any breaks. Still, there was one question he wanted an answer to.
“Are all human books like that one?”
A barking sound quickly burst from the human before suddenly stopping, like a thunderclap in a storm.
“No, no, some are and they are my preferred reading material but I can see they wouldn’t be for you. Problem is though is that I can’t really speak on what novels outside of the genres I listen to are like or make any suggestions.” A pause followed this, as though some idea was brewing and Max was hesitant to say it. “There is another option, how desperate are you to listen to or read Human books?”
At the start of this whole day, by all the stars in the sky even an hour ago, Trilek would have excitedly shouted ‘I HAVE TO READ AT LEAST ONE!’ at the top of his lungs. But after listening to that passage, he wasn’t as sure anymore. Yet a small nugget of curiosity blazed in him, it couldn’t be quenched by ignoring it, so he might as well see what the human’s plan was.
“Kind of,” was his response.
“Then how about he start again, I’ll grab the first book of a serious I like and we can listen to it together.”
Original work belongs to u/Thirsha_42 and the original work can be read here: Tight Money

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Memory Transcription Subject: Gridn, Gojid civilian, Alias: "Wheel"
It's okay, calm down, it's only once per [40 days], you won't get caught.
My left paw on the wheel, while my right is on my neck, trying to calm myself on the road. Driving my truck to the end of the town, to that road barely anyone take.
The 'road' is just dirt with no grass. It's connected to the other town, as a shortcut. People are too scared to come here, fearing a shadestalker will lunge at thier vehicle. There is one secret path here however, that leads to our destination.
I'm just going to deliver these "fertilizers", and some alcohol. I've been doing this since [13 years], but everytime I do this I fear for my life.
"C'mooon let me touch it"
Carrying 4 passengers, Pollen, Snarl, Claw, and Jitter. 3 in the back and 2 in the front. On our way to the bar.
"NO! Last time you touched my shit you broke it".
Just need to collect my thoughts, things will be over before you know it.
"Hey I said I'm sorry, besides I payed for it."
"You payed for shit! The cost for repair was expensive!"
Just need to collect my...
"C'mon give it!"
"STAY BACK!"
"I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT!"
"NO!"
"POLLEN! SNARL! SHUT THE FUCK UP BACK THERE!"
The two stopped their bickering. They sit quietly in the back, together with Claw. Besides me is Kobni, she won't stop shaking im fear, that's where she got her nickname from.
"Calm down, Jitter. We do this once per [40 days], are you not getting used to it?"
Jitter replied, "I'm- I'm trying to. It- it just that- this- Isn't really what pr- preys do you know?"
"If you're scared you can just leave you know? Why are you trying hard to be in the group you don't want to be in?" Pollen asked.
"I- I can't. My mom is the one who put me up to this. She asked Pocket to let me enter, so Pocket put me as sir Wheel's assistant. She said it'll- make me stop being- te- terrified at everything."
"Wow, was your mom high on ember when she said that?" Snarl replied.
"No! No. I- I don't think so".
"How about you Wheel? You never say anything about yourself." Pollen asked me.
I sighed, I don't really want them to know about my past.
"I'm just here for the money, that's all".
"I'm pretty sure truck drivers gets above average income. There's gotta be something behind that."
This guy really wants to know huh?
"How about you, aren't you here just for the money as well?"
"Half of it, yeah. I was in debt for spending a lot of money on a... Rigged game. The people I took money from threatened me to lock me up in a facility if I don't pay, even if they got no proof that I'm tainted. So I ran away, looked for a safe place I can go, and that's when Pocket found me."
I guess that explains why he's always at the bar, I guess just like Snarl and Claw, that's his only home too.
"Well, I've said my story, your turn."
I sighed, "Fine... I'm here for my daughter's treatment".
"You have a daughter!?" Pollen replied
"Nah, more important question, who was fucking with you!?" Snarl added in.
"Can I finish my story!?"
When the two quiet down, I continued. "Like I said, I'm here for my daughter. [13 years] ago, when that stampede happened, she was 3 that time, and was critically injured, it made her crippled, unable to walk, permanently. Our money wasn't enough to cover the bills, and our house was burned down as well during it."
I continued the story. "I got nothing left, I was desperate for money, so, Pocket gave an offer. He was a fire insurance carrier, I rejected his offer before since I thought "What's the chance of a predator attack?". He gave me an offer, delivery goods in the night side, and I get huge money in return. I took it, but my wife didn't like how I was acting strangely since then, so we broke up. I stayed here, to continue to support my daughter."
Now I've said my story, feels like some weight got released from me.
"Honestly, good call for your ex to leave you, you're a grumpy man". Snarl commented, with Pollen laughing at it.
Nevermind.
"Tsk, anyways, here's out stop."
Stopping the truck in front of the bar, a house set in a dark forest. In front of the bar standing is Door, Flower, and Root. We got off from the truck, with the three walking towards us.
"The fertilizers are on the back, along with the alcohols and other supplies." I said to Door, he signed an acknowledgement, and lead Flower and Root at the back of the truck while the five of us entered the bar.
Inside the bar, Glove and Pocket greeted us. Pocket was standing in the middle, while Glove was behind the bar counter. I went over to Glove with Jitter, while the rest talked to Pocket.
"Hi Wheel, what can I get you today?" Glove spoked, she's wearing a cloth on her left arm, but not on her right, she never said why, but that's where she got her name from.
"Just the usual."
"Alright, how about you sweetie?"
"Sa- same as his." Jitter replied.
"Alright, coming right up."
From where we're sitting, I can hear the other gang's conversation.
"So, how was the trip?" Pocket asked Snarl and Claw.
"I got this!" Snarl happily replied, showing a 'The Exterminators' figurine.
"Very well. Take a bath at the back, then you can rest."
"Aw but I like this look."
"The longer you have that dye on the harder it is to be removed."
"Fine. C'mon Claw, let's go." As the pair went to the back. Now, it was Pollen's turn to talk to him.
"I heard a news about a death." Pocket started.
"That guy was dying anyways, if the drug didn't got him his other addiction will. I just took the opportunity"
"I know, but it'll be better if the public doesn't know about our thing. Luckily the exterminators' investigation reached an early dead end."
Pollen sighed "I'll be careful next time".
Pocket signed an acknowledgement.
Glove returned with our drinks. "So how was you two's work?"
"Pretty uneventful, the usual" I replied.
"Really? you two seems anxious."
"Why shouldn't we? It's a normal reaction."
"Why is that?"
"If we were found in this house, I'll never see my daughter again."
—————————————————————————————————
Memory Transcription Subject: Legal Name Unknown, Alias: "[See here for full list]"
"Following the investigation about the assassination of 'Romeo S. Benido' and 'Julio C. Aviliyar'. Last year, on February 14, 'Romeo S. Benido' have been shot dead in the head by a sniper rifle while giving a speech during his birthday celebration. A day after the crime, 'Julio C. Aviliyar' have been found dead in his home after the residents heard a single shot of a gunfire. Both victims were a running mayor for the city of Las Piñas. Checking the CCTV footage in Aviliyar's residence, one man have been found running away from the scene of the crime. The suspect was identified as 'Jonathan V. Santos' one of Aviliar's bodyguard. However, after further investigation of the 'Philippine National Police', they have found out that the identity of the bodyguard have been falsified, after the documents retrieved have been proven 'fake' and the residents unable to give a description of the man's appearance, saying this man have never been seen inside of until the day of the crime. The PNP is have increased it's offer from $500,000 to $650,000 for anyone who will be able to provide information that will lead to the arrest and capture of the assassin. The PNP warns that this person is armed and dangerous, and to contact the authorities immediately at sight."
"God damn, 650k!? With that money I could like, buy a mansion" A customer commented while watching the bar television, talking to his friends and the bartender.
"Like you have a chance, the killer probably already went to a new country. Whoever paid him must have been super rich." the bartender replied.
"Yeah, you got a better chance finding winning lottery ticket in a trash." The second customer added.
"For all we know, that guy is a ghost, dude's got no identity whatsoever. Made to punish politicians who takes advantage of the poor." The third costumer added.
"If that was a ghost I'd understand why it'll kill Aviliyar, but why Bonido."
"Bonido probably got dirt we 'normal' people don't know, all politicians have one."
"Alright, alright, stop, you're getting political" the second customer said, trying to stop an argument.
Eavesdropping to the conversations of customers, to know when to leave and when to stay. I hoped the bartender was right. But the reality is that I'm still here. I can't get out of the country, the security tightened since then and is taking too long die down. Every second I spend here the more likely I'll get caught.
I need to find a way to get off this place
The bartender approached me, "what would you like, sir?"
"A gin would be nice."
"Alright. Say, you're a regular here, but I haven't really gotten your name."
"Hmm? Well, you can call me Jacinto, Cinto for short."
The bartender chuckled, "Named after a Hero huh? Alright, I'll remember your name, Cinto".
I raised a glass to him with a smile, signaling acknowledgement. Another name to live as. I wonder how long can I keep this one.
As the night gets deeper, the television continued "Breaking News! The UN has confirmed a first contact with aliens!..."
Huh. This looks interesting.
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I would like to have a more aesthetic individualized keyboard but, after trying many mechanical keyboards, I've realized that none are as comfortable for me as the base Apple Magic keyboard.
I have a similar ask as this prior post DIY Request: Apple keyboard painting but with a different paint job in mind. I'd like to paint the base of my magic keyboard matte black and then swap out the white keys with black keys from a used model of the larger black key version Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad for Mac models with Apple silicon - US English - Black Keys
I have next to no experience painting things though and haven't been able to find good answers online. My rough plan would be to take off all of the keys, mask each of the key slots with some tape and then spray paint the steel frame. I have a few questions though:

1. Should I alter the texture of the frame (sand, etc.) in any way to make the paint adhere better?
2. Do I need any primer layer? What should it be?
3. How can I best choose the type of paint and color of paint for the black layer? What will it end up looking like on top of the steel frame?

I appreciate any advice on how to do this best thanks!

It has been over a week since I last left the apartment. I was meant to return to work the other day, but have been avoiding my boss’ calls. She’s out there now, watching me. I can see her through the window. She’ll leave soon, but then she’ll be back tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after that. Same time. Same place. Always watching.
It started in the bathroom of a McDonald’s just down the road from where I work. It had been a long shift and I had to stay behind two hours as a coworker called in sick. My legs were tired from standing all day and my eyes were drooping from exhaustion.
I washed my hands at the sink. The mirror reflected my awful features. Bags under the eyes. Acne scarring on my face. I felt icky.
“What are you doing here?”
A woman called from behind me. I flicked my hands in the sink to quickly dry them as I turned to face her.
“Excuse me,” she continued, “What are you doing in here?”
In front of me was a 40 something year old woman. Blonde hair and wearing sunglasses indoors. She looked furious.
“Just washing my hands,” I said.
“You’re a man,” she said.
“I’m not…”
“What are you doing in the female bathroom you freak?” she raised her voice over mine.
“I’m just using the toilet...”
The woman pulled out her phone and, presumably, started recording me, “This pervert is in the ladies bathroom checking on women.”
I lifted my hand up to block my face from the camera and walked brusquely out into the restaurant. I could hear the woman’s heavy footfalls trail behind me.
“Look at this groomer walking off now he’s been called out,” she said.
I walked up to the front counter. No doubt she was there too. A member of staff was standing there putting an order together.
“Hey,” I leaned over, “Can you stop her?”
“Oh yeah! Call the cops! We’ll see what they have to say when they arrive!” she said behind me.
“Sorry ma’am?” the staff member said, “What’s going on here?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “I’m just trying to use the bathroom and she’s harassing me.”
“Go on! Call them! They’ll kick this freak out!”
“Ma’am,” the worker said to her, “I’m going to have to ask you to stop or leave.”
“Stop what?” she said, “I’m just calling out this pedophile so they’ll stop creeping on little girls!”
The worker sighed, “I’ll just call the cops.”
“Yeah, they’ll get this sicko out of here!” she said.
I sighed, “You know what, I’ll just go.”
“Are you sure, ma’am?” the worker said.
“Ma’am?” the woman said, “That’s a dude!”
“Yeah, I just needed the toilet anyway,” I said, “I don’t want to make a fuss.”
“Run away!” she said, “Run away like the freak you are!”
Apart from the shouting woman, the place was completely silent as every bystander watched the situation unfold. I pulled my hoodie over my head and walked out the building as fast as I could. She followed.
I walked across the McDonald’s parking lot over to the supermarket next to me where I parked my car. The entire time, the heckler followed me, her phone still up and recording. I tried to ignore her as she kept screaming absurd shit over and over.
It didn’t take long to make it back to the car. I jumped in and locked the door. The woman pulled the handle as soon as it clicked. Luckily, she was too slow. My hands choked the wheel as the adrenaline started to fade. I didn’t realize how fast my heart was beating until it began to slow. She stood outside the window still filming and shouting her obscenities as I got control of my breathing.
After a minute, I started the car and reversed out of the space. She followed still recording from the window. Once on the road, I put it into drive and sped out of the parking lot. I saw her standing in the rear view mirror, phone in hand. Still screaming.
A day later, the experience still left a mark on me. I dreamed about it overnight. Her face was vivid in my mind. All day I was filled with regret that I didn’t let the police take care of it and hopefully get the woman taken away. Everything I didn’t say to her floated in my head.
I noticed it first when I took my dog out for a walk. A banged up blue Chevrolet. Must have been from the 70s. The paint was peeling, replaced with rust. I didn’t get a good look in from across the street. The glare from the sun was too strong. But it left an impression on me. I’d never seen a vehicle so distinct on this street before.
Throughout the day, I kept looking out the window. The car was still there. Down the road. I couldn’t make out any features from the distance, but there was someone sitting in the driver’s seat. It was freaking me out. I closed all the blinds in my apartment and tried to put it out of my mind for the time being.
I was working the next day. It was at a cafe franchise in the same complex as the McDonald’s. Most of my shift was spent making coffee and wiping down tables. The same old shit every day. Customers ranged from okay to horrible. I was just happy to get a paycheck.
We closed later than most cafes at around 10pm, though we were usually out of there by 10:45pm. I noticed it when mopping the front of house. It wasn’t so easy to see in the dark of night, but there was a blue Chevrolet—same model, same rusted coat—in the parking lot just outside the store. Again, I couldn’t see the person sitting in the driver’s seat, so I wandered out back and checked the cameras. Also not good enough, even when zoomed in.
My coworker kept asking if I was okay. Even though he tried to hide it, he was clearly annoyed that I was slowing down the close for no reason. I got on with mopping, but kept my eye on the parking lot. By the time we got out, the car was gone.
It was back outside the apartment the next day. The car would arrive at around 10am and leave at 9pm. A few times throughout the day, it would leave and then come back an hour or so later. I could see the person sitting there for hours and hours. But I didn’t want to confront them out of fear of what they might do.
When I went in for my next shift, my coworkers were all staring at me. I greeted them with a good afternoon, but everyone returned it with a harsh glare. As I was stuffing my bag into a locker in the back office, the store phone began ringing. My other coworker in the back quickly shuffled out of there, ignoring the ringing. After a couple of seconds, it stopped.
I closed the locker and put the key into my trouser pocket. The phone began ringing again. No one from front came out back. It was company policy that the phone must be picked up, but I wasn’t to start my shift for another five minutes. I sat down at the office, and listened to it ring until it eventually stopped.
10 seconds hadn’t passed before the phone started to ring again. I picked it up. “No CallerID” was displayed on the screen.
“You’ve reached…”
“Who is this?” a woman’s voice commanded on the other end.
“This is…”
“Is this Amy?”
I was shocked into silence for a moment, “How do you know me?”
“What’s your real name?”
“What?”
“You need to stop playing dress up, it doesn’t suit you well.”
“Who is this?”
I looked at the monitor and saw the blue Chevrolet parked outside.
“Is that you following me?” I asked.
“Stop pretending to be a woman then I’ll leave you alone.”
She hung-up.
I watched the Chevrolet pull out of the space and exit the parking lot on the monitor. I didn’t see her again all day.
When I got home after closing, a notification appeared from Facebook Messenger. It was a random account—no photo, fake name—requesting to DM me. I opened their request:
"Hey,
You don’t know me, but I’ve been following this random page for a while. A handful of people are sharing your photos and private information around. Sorry you had to find out this way."
They attached screenshots of posts from this group. All of them had my photos, ripped from my Facebook and Instagram accounts, posted along with disparaging comments and personal information. One of the posts even shared my address and work place. Some screenshots of comments showed people taking glee in the idea of hurting me. All of them made fun of how I looked. Picking apart all my insecurities one-by-one.
He’s too tall
Look at those big hands
Why is he caked in makeup in every photo?
The anonymous account linked the group, but it was private.
I called in sick the next day and took everything I had seen to the police. I told a detective about the Chevrolet, the online posts, the woman in the McDonalds. Everything. I printed off the screenshots, I gave them the link to the account, I noted the reg number of the car. All the detective did was assure me everything was going to be okay and made a report. Although the lack of immediate action was concerning.
I got home two hours later. The car was parked up on the same spot it had occupied for days. I called the police then, wanting to make sure a tangible incident report was made, hopefully creating a paper trail if it ever escalated. However, before the cops could arrive, the car was gone. They somehow knew the police were coming. I made my report to the officers and they scolded me for wasting their time before driving off.
When I got into work the next day, my manager pulled me aside before I started my shift. He sat me down next to him in the office.
“We’ve been getting reports,” he said, “From employees here and head office of someone harassing everyone? And they keep naming you. I just want to make sure everything’s okay and know if I can do anything to help.”
“What?” I was taken aback, “What about the head office.”
“Well,” he said, “HR have been getting floods of calls from No CallerID numbers and emails spammed to them. It’s clear they’re getting put into spam databases and stuff. We’ve had to turn the phone off here because people keep calling at all hours of the day. Head office have made reports to the police but they’re still investigating and want to make sure we give you the proper support.”
My heart sank. Everyone in the store had heard the women’s rants. Even the middle management that know of me through the paperwork they receive. All of them know the embarrassing comments some random woman made about me. All of them knew I was being stalked.
The surveillance monitors were open on the desk. I looked up at them and saw the blue Chevrolet was in the parking lot. Something broke.
I got up and walked out the door. My manager called after me, though I can’t recall his words. There was a sizable chunk of concrete broken off the sidewalk just outside. I took it in my hand and made for the car.
I got a close look at the driver. The same blonde, 40 something woman that had harassed me in the McDonald’s. She saw me coming and immediately started the ignition and drove for the exit.
“Leave me the fuck alone!” I screamed.
I arced my hand. The concrete left my palm and flew towards the Chevrolet. It missed the roof by a few inches and kept flying until it hit a black BMW parked behind it. The concrete broke in half as it left a massive crack on the windscreen.
I fell to the floor. The emotions had finally hit me as the adrenaline wore off. I began crying and didn’t stop for an hour.
The police came. When the customer eventually came back to their car from the supermarket, he was pissed. Luckily the two officers were able to keep things relatively calm. My manager spoke for me as I sat in the cafe. The two officers came in and informed me that he wasn’t pressing charges so long as I covered the damages. Even though I had little money to my name, I agreed.
My manager then told me to take a couple days off and said he was there if I needed help. All my coworkers stared at me in complete shock as I left the cafe. None of them said a word.
I drove home by myself. Even though he needed it, I decided not to take my dog for a walk. I didn’t want to be outside by myself at that moment. Instead, I made a cup of coffee and sat by the window. The blue Chevrolet is parked down the street.
Always watching.

First. Previous.
‘Ri woke up in the hotel room to the sound and smell of cooking meat, as well as what she knew to be pancakes. Opening her eyes, she looked ‘down’ to see Kyle cooking on the small grill he packed with him in his subspace shadow, one of his near-silent air purifiers directly overhead, as he was using wood to cook with; the smell of fire-grilled meat was making her ravenous, and it was with a happy stretch that she sat up, Kyle turning to smile at her.
“Morning, beautiful,” he said as she smiled back, “Figured I’d make you breakfast-in-bed; we got dragon steak and eggs - chicken eggs - and I just got done with a bunch of dragon bacon. Pancakes were done a few minutes ago, and I’ve been letting the butter melt in; syrup’s over…” he looked around, spotting a metal container that looked somewhat like a drink pitcher. He set all of this down on a large tray, which he carried over to her, setting it down on the bed lengthwise between the two of them. He went back to the table he’d been working at to retrieve plates, flatware, and two glasses, floating a pitcher of what turned out to be gor’ahm juice, a sweet - yet slightly tart - berry that grew on verem’jiose, and also cost quite a bit, as it was difficult to get enough berries to mass produce, so it wasn’t ‘readily available’ outside of her homeworld.
All-in-all it was a rather enjoyable breakfast - whether or not he had any ‘professional’ training, Kyle sure did know how to cook. After they were done eating - and Kyle had moved their dishes over to the kitchenette their room came with - they took a shower, taking their time in the hot water, just enjoying each other’s presence. When they were done, they dressed in the robes that came with the room - they had gone with black all around - and went to sit together in the main room, putting on some soothing music as they sat together, tails and arms wrapped around each other. After a while of them just sitting there, Kyle stirred slightly.
“I, uh… I got a surprise for you.” He sounded a bit nervous as he said it, but she put that to the side; surely he was just hoping she’d like whatever it was. He smiled slightly, and said,
“Close your eyes.”
Doing as he asked, she shut her eyes, knowing full well that whatever he was ‘retrieving’ was in his subspace shadow, but she went along with the act. When he gave her the okay, she opened her eyes, and it seemed like her stomach dropped out from under her heart, and into oblivion; there in his hands was a thin, perfectly square - but not ‘cubed’ - black box. She looked up at him, unable to say anything, as he opened the lid, and she let out an involuntary gasp; it was difficult for her mind to process what she was seeing, as it appeared to be a round piece of the void cut out to look like a tiara. Or, at least it looked like the shape of one, seeing as she couldn’t really make out any details, though there obviously were details carved into it, as the little sparkles of what she knew to be black hole diamonds - she had seen the pendant Kyle had retrieved from the pirates - seemed to appear and disappear, depending on what angle she looked at it from. The big 8-point star in the middle - reminiscent of the shape their pupils took when observing peoples’ life-blood, and Gift - was always visible however, no matter the angle it was viewed from.
“I had to have Kay’Eighty sketch out the basic outline of where to cut to fit you,” he said, drawing her out of her stupor, “And I had the lead sehr’chtahb fit the diamonds on it, as part of the payment for bringing back the pendant, along with the diamonds themselves, of course. The actual tiara is made from the bone of the first dragon I killed, and I used the kath’loo’s Gift to turn the bone so black that it absorbs all light. I had to turn the bone behind the diamonds silver, because there’s only so much that refraction can do.” They both gave a little chuckle at that; finally, he pointed to the inside of the tiara.
“And here I put a strip of crysthril all the way around it,” she knew that he’d gotten the Gift from one of the sehr’chtahb before they’d left the planet, “Which you normally wouldn’t need, seeing as you’ve got a literal ton in your subspace; but this is different. While we can’t transfer our Gifts to anyone else, we can transfer them into the crysthril, and it stays enchanted with the Gift, no matter how much of it you use. It’s basically limited by your own power, and how much of each Gift was put into the crysthril. Right now, this has all the Gifts that I have right now, and I can always add more in later, when I get ‘em… So, will you wear it?”
The last part was said with a palpable level of nervousness, and she was unable to say anything at that moment. After a few seconds, she finally was able to nod her head yes, tears leaking down her face. Kyle’s face lit up in a wide grin, and she saw his eyes shimmer with unshed tears as he reached forward to grasp the tiara, showing her how to disconnect it at the sides. She leaned her head forward as he reached up to put it on for her, it fitting snugly not just around her head, but perfectly resting around her horns, so as not to be squeezing them, nor to be loose, and wobbly.
She reached forward, pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss, too happy to actually say anything; they sat there for a while, basking in their shared love, until she started getting a bit antsy. Kyle obviously noticed this, as he laughed, and said,
“Go look; I know you’re just dying to see it.”
After a smile, and a quick kiss, she ran into the bathroom, looking into the mirror, marveling at the dazzling headpiece that was now her’s. She sat there for a good few minutes, turning her head this way and that, admiring the craftsmanship Kyle had so lovingly put into it. It honestly looked like something a professional jeweler would be proud to call their own work, and she reveled in that fact as well. This was a testament to his love for her, and it was done through Kyle’s own handiwork; and where it wasn’t, it was small enough to excuse away, especially with having had the diamonds placed as payment for his actual work.
Eventually she was able to tear her eyes from the beautiful piece, and she returned to Kyle’s side, both of them grinning like children. After a few minutes of making out, and cuddling, Kyle insisted that they get dressed.
“I know you wanna show that off, and we can go look around the shops, see if there’s anything that we want. Then we can grab lunch somewhere, and later we can have dinner with your parents and ‘Lana. Tomorrow I’m gonna go back to the ship and get some brisket started up; Kohr’Sahr and the others’re gonna be here in a couple days, and I wanna have a party when we give them the news.”
“Do they know?” she asked.
“About me proposing? No,” he replied, “About everything else? I gave ‘em a brief rundown, but I didn’t go into too much detail. The suun’mahs representative got in touch with me yesterday: the broadcast is gonna come out later today, and anything that they need cleared up after that, I’m happy to be the one to tell ‘em… You’re sure you’re okay with them posting your general location to the public? I don’t want you to have to deal with any ‘fanclubs’ from back home.”
She smiled warmly at him, running her fingers through his hair.
“They’ll know that I’m taken, and that they have no chance; anyone who tries anything after that, no one will blame us for… teaching them a lesson. Besides, they already know not to bother me if they see me abroad; the secrecy was just an added measure.”
He bowed his head concedingly, as he got up, pulling her to her feet with him.
“Come on,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth, “Let’s get dressed.”
She got dressed in a simple black pleated skirt that came about ⅔ down her thigh, along with a teal button-up shirt. Kyle was wearing his black and red pants, with a silk purple shirt; he had decided to forgo his boots. Kyle applied a simple light layer of purple eye shadow, and simple black liner, with a reverse of that on his lips, having purple liner and black filler. She went with the same pattern, except she used a luscious red in place of her natural purple. Once they were ready, they were about to head out when she thought of something; she held out her hands, and pulled a certain large, flat box from her subspace shadow. Smiling, Kyle opened it, and gently removed the necklace he’d bought her the last time they were on this station. After he’d secured it in place, she dismissed the box, and they left the room arm-in-arm.
The payoff was near-automatic, as it only took as long as getting into the elevator before they encountered another person; this one turned out to be none other than the Captain, as the station leader had put the entire crew up in the station’s best hotels, save for a decent amount of the security, all of whom had gotten to leave the ship last time they were on this station. As soon as the doors opened, they saw her standing next to what appeared to be a golden drahk’mihn, with horns that protruded from his forehead, sweeping back over the top of his head, only to slightly curl upwards just as they reached the back of his head. He wore light blue shorts, and a matching vest, while the Captain wore her customary jacket; her eyes widened when she saw the two, going straight to the tiara on her head.
"By the Gods, man; do you do anything normal?"
"Define 'normal'," Kyle countered, which brought about a round of laughter.
“Were y’all gettin’ off?” Kyle asked, hooking his thumb over his shoulder; the Captain cleared her throat,
“Well, that’s really none of your business,” she replied, to more laughter, “But we can take another ride, either way.” She had barely taken her eyes off the tiara the entire time, much to ‘Ri’s delight. As Kyle pushed the button for the lobby, Golden asked how Kyle had made it, to which he obliged, occupying the time it took them to reach the ground floor; the Captain couldn’t keep her eyes off the headpiece the whole time, at which ‘Ri couldn’t help but smile with pride.
After they reached their floor, they bid the other two farewell, at which point the Captain seemed to remember herself, and gave a hasty - yet obviously sincere - congratulations to the two, which Golden echoed. After thanking the two, they disembarked the elevator, ‘Ri acutely aware that the Captain was still staring at the tiara, even without looking back at her.
The rest of the day passed in a similar manner, with the general crowd around them either going silent, or - less common, but still frequent enough to be noticeable - lightly gasping; all eyes were on her, which made her smile and cling to Kyle’s arm all the more. It was funny: she had never really cared about ‘tradition’, and had always simply wanted someone who saw her as her. Sure, there were several ‘high-born’ men who’d hunted dangerous beasts - even to a drahk’mihn - to turn into tiaras, all of them trying to ‘win her hand’. But none of that had ever mattered, no matter what they’d hunted, or whether they’d used their Gift, or not; none of them even knew who she was, so their efforts meant nothing, but whatever standing they could achieve by marrying ‘the girl who stopped the war’.
But here was Kyle, a man from another species entirely who saw her as a person, in a way that no non-insectoid ever had in her entire life. A man who’d had no problem whatsoever showing his anger at her - very much deserved, she had to admit; that was a rather rude wake-up call - before he really even knew her, not afraid to call her out on any toxic behavior she might display. And who had taken the fruit of his labors to produce a symbol of his commitment to her, fully embodying the true symbolism of the traditional way, not by simply trying to impress her by buying her affection, as the others had. And for the first time since she was a little girl, she felt a distinct pride in that tradition, and all the more love towards Kyle for it.
They didn’t really have any place in particular that they had in mind to visit, simply walking around, enjoying each other’s company, and the reactions of the various passersby. Among the obviously astonished expressions, there were quite a few jealous ones on a few of the women they passed by, which brought her no end of satisfaction; not that she had anything in particular against any of those women, it just felt good to have something that others wanted so badly. And though she doubted that many of them actually wanted her man - whom she still valued more than the headpiece he’d given her - what they wanted was a product of his work, and so either way - whether they knew it or not - it was him that they wanted; too bad for all of them that she’d gotten her claws in him first, and she was never letting him go of him again.
She had made sure of that, seeing as he could now issue orders to the Captain, and change protocol on a whim; she had also gotten him to give her authorization to take a shuttle planetside if she deemed it necessary, though he’d made her promise to exercise that authority only in cases of an actual emergency, and not for a small ‘threat’ that he could obviously handle. They had come to the agreement that the wild cats from Cheshire’s homeworld were the cutoff point: anything much bigger than those were enough to warrant her presence on the planet. She didn’t really like even that, but she had to agree that at that point it was almost insulting to his own abilities, especially since he had plenty of Gifts to help him out, including her own.
At one point, they were passing by a furniture shop when they spotted her parents and ‘Lana going in; it was her sister who noticed them, calling out,
“‘Ri, Kyle; hi!”
They both smiled and called back in greeting, waving as her parents turned around, their faces immediately breaking out in smiles as they saw the two of them; the looks on their faces - coupled with not a bit of surprise - told her that he’d already shown them the tiara, not that she minded. If he was going to show anyone before her - aside from those who helped him create it in the first place - she could accept her parents being the ones, and ‘Lana by extension.
They spent around an hour walking around the shop - Kyle having to encourage them to pick out the more ‘luxury’ goods - as her parents picked out a new mattress for their bed, along with a few comfortable chairs. They all went their separate ways, her and Kyle promising to meet up later for dinner together. As they had just come back from eating themselves, they went to do more shopping - Kyle reminding them not to worry about the price of anything - while she and Kyle went to go find somewhere to eat.
They decided on a unique shop setup, wherein there was an herbivore side, and a carnivore side; both were technically their own shops - separated by a wall, and everything - though there was no problem with an herbivore sitting with carnivore friends to go nextdoor to get a plate made, and bring it over, or vice versa. They decided on sitting in the carnivore section, and Kyle would go over to the herbivore side to get a bit of roughage for the both of them. After they had taken their seat - the keen’yhong waitress staring in awe at her tiara - Kyle excused himself to the shop next door; after he’d left her line of sight, she immediately got up and hurried to the restroom, eager to get another look at herself in the mirror.

Vohr’Sin - a light blue drahk’mihn with horns that curved back, down and around, so that the tips pointed forward, just under his ears - was having a bit of trouble, as the restaurant was currently too full to seat them.
“There’s nothing you can do for the drahk’mihn ambassador to the humans’ system?” he asked jokingly, “She should be on her way any minute.”
“Sorry, sir,” the black gah’rahtoe replied to him, his face showing genuine regret, “It’s the lunch rush, right now. You’re welcome to wait for someone to finish up, if you like.”
“No,” he responded, “She had to skip breakfast this morning to attend a virtual meeting, so I doubt she’ll be up to waiting… Well, thanks anyway.” As he turned to find somewhere else to eat, he nearly walked right into another person; it took him a moment to realize who it was.
“My apologies,” he said, “I should have been paying more attention to where I was going… Forgive me for bothering you, but aren’t you Ambassador Redding?”
The human was easily recognizable, the ‘scars’ across his face and the horns - which the Empress herself had expressed to his wife were not to be commented upon - that were in a very unique shape. Personally, he wasn’t too comfortable with the human getting a pass at imitating their race - especially Kah’Ri’s horns, of all people - but if the service that he’d provided to their race by coming up with the idea of how to find the slavers was enough for Empress Ella’Ven to excuse it, he had to accept it, as well. The man was carrying a tray with a few plates of vegetables on them, including two baked tass’guds.
“I am,” the human replied with a smile, “Sorry for eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation: if you like, you can come sit with me and my fiance; we’re out celebrating our engagement.”
“Oh,” he began sheepishly, “I really wouldn’t want to intrude…” but the human waved him off.
“I’m sure it’ll be no problem; you know how women like to show off their jewelry. It’s just us, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, I can answer any questions your wife may have about humans, and any social customs she might need to be aware of. Well, any that I know of, anyway.” He finished with a slight chuckle, and Vohr’Sin was torn between not wanting to intrude, but also not wanting to insult the Ambassador by refusing; it was at this time that his wife Vir’Ell walked up.
“I see you’ve met the human Ambassador, love.” He turned to see the yellow-tinted woman that he’d pledged his life to, wearing a light purple tube-top, and matching shorts. Her slender horns swept backward, ending halfway down the back of her head, pointing down.
“I’m Vir’Ell,” she said, directing her attention to the human after exchanging a kiss with Vohr’Sin, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you, as well,” he replied, “I was just telling your husband that y’all can join me an’ my fiance, if you like. We just got engaged this morning, and I’m sure she’d just love the chance to show off. Of course, I don’t wish to interrupt your own time, if you’d rather eat alone, but it seems that we took the last free table, here.”
“That sounds lovely,” she replied easily, lightly squeezing his tail with her own, “I look forward to meeting your betrothed.”
The human - Kyle, as he asked them to call him - led them inside, and over to an empty table, where they all took their seats.
“I’m sure she went to freshen up,” he said as they all sat down,
“So,” he continued as they all settled down, “I hear you’re on your way to Sol?”
“We are,” Vir’Ell replied brightly, “Several factors have come together to convince the Empress to send an envoy to your system; the two biggest factors being - of course - your own contribution to freeing those enslaved, but also from the fact that even through the outcasts of your society, it is entirely obvious that humans had nothing to do with the enslavement of our people. There are obviously other reasons - ones that she wishes to keep close to her wings - but she has decided that humans will be the first race to whom she will reach out a hand of open friendship. Obviously, this will have to be taken slowly, but we’re hopeful that this could open new avenues of trade and friendship that we’ve been so sorely missing all these years.”
“Well,” Kyle began, “I hope we can come together as peoples, especially since our introduction to the wider galaxy came about in quite similar circumstances.”
“Yes,” Vohr’Sin replied seriously, joining the conversation, “That is something that we - as separate races - can relate to, you more so than others, I’m sure. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to endure the mahn’ewe’s captivity, and I commend you on your mental fortitude to be able to make it through all of that relatively unscarred. I won’t claim to know how you’ve dealt with it since your escape, but the fact that you came out of it without any noticeable xenophobia is exemplary.”
“Yeah, well,” Kyle began a bit darkly, looking off to the side a bit as his mind wandered those detestable halls, “I’m kinda used to misfortune, and holding it against those who brought it on, specifically. As a matter of fact, the mahn’ewe look human enough that it doesn’t even translate the same when looking from even the drahk’mihn to them. And everyone else just looks like ‘humanoid animals’, or ‘insects’, so it’s less of a comparison to the mahn’ewe, and more so towards our own myths and legends. And I guess I can’t really complain about my lot in life, ‘cause if I hadn’t been abducted, it’s likely I never would’ve met my future wife… Who seems to finally be done admiring herself in the mirror.” This last part he raised his voice slightly, obviously addressing someone over Vir’Ell’s shoulder, who was on Vohr’Sin’s right side. Before they could turn to look, a surprisingly familiar voice rang out, the smile audible in her voice.
“Can’t you go anywhere without ingratiating yourself with whatever drahk’mihn may be in the vicinity?” Looking around at the woman who had just walked past them to sit next to Kyle, his heart seemed to stop in surprise, both at who was talking, as well as the tiara she was wearing; and looking at her now, he fully understood why the Empress had directed them to ignore Kyle's choice in horns. Kah’Ri Mih’Rell wrapped her tail around Kyle’s waist - even as he wrapped his around her - and even hooked her right wing on his right shoulder, a wide grin on her face. On her head was what appeared to be the void itself, elegantly wrapped around her head, twined gracefully over her horns so as to appear as if the void really had inserted itself onto her head.
“‘Ri,” Kyle began, obviously enjoying their reaction just as much as Kah’Ri was, “I’d like you to meet Vohr’Sin, and his wife Vir’Ell; they’re heading to Sol, as she’s been appointed the Ambassador to humanity.”
“Oh,” she replied, obviously surprised, “I honestly didn’t expect that, though I suppose Ella would have ample reason to reach out to humans, of all peoples.” Obviously it was common knowledge that the Empress had taken Kah’Ri in when she’d lost her own parents, but somehow it had never occurred to him to imagine anyone being ‘close’ enough to her to call her by a nickname.
“I’m sorry,” Vir’Ell cut in, “But that tiara is absolutely stunning.” Mixed in with the pleasure at such an extravagant praise, there was an obvious strain of pride in their faces as they both grinned, Kah’Ri leaning closer to Kyle.
“Thank you,” she replied, “He made it according to tradition.”
“You made that?!” he couldn’t help but exclaim, causing them to smile even wider, “From what? I recognize the black hole diamonds, but the material that the rest of it is made of…”
Kah’Ri gave Kyle a knowing look, and - still smiling - said,
“Show them.”
Kyle gave her a conceding nod of his head, and fiddled with the small monitor that was strapped to his wrist. Soon enough, a small hologram appeared on the table between them, depicting Kyle in a strange white tree, looking down at a - comparatively - giant red reptile of some kind. There was a seemingly one-sided conversation where he was obviously speaking with the razum’yilahn that was partially wrapped around his neck, the rest of their body disappearing beneath his shirt. They were still able to catch the gist of what they were saying, mainly that he couldn’t kill that creature until they were sure it wasn’t sapient, which would require them going into its mind.
What followed was an epic battle between man and beast, his uplifted canine companion joining the fight once it was clear that it was indeed a fight. And though it fended off any attacks the canine - Cheshire - threw its way, it seemed intent on finishing the one that had invaded its mind. It eventually had Kyle pinned on his back, both claws - and most of its weight - braced on the staff of the spear he wielded, while Cheshire continued to draw its attention. One such attempt resulted in the reptile shifting its mass, causing one of its paws to slip off the staff, producing what would obviously eventually become the tattoo across his face, though his eyes were destroyed beyond repair in the process.
He managed to catch the claw back on the staff again - obviously using the razum’yilahn’s eyes to operate - soon after which a shuttle appeared, its door open, and what looked like an automated weapon hanging out the side. It fired once, catching the reptile in its backside, and doing little more than making the beast angrier. As it hissed at the shuttle, the weapon fired again, and caught it in the throat, opening up a shallow cut, which Kyle wasted no time in exploiting. Bracing the staff between the arches in his boots, he reached down and drew another knife from his boot, and quickly used it to open the cut wider, rolling out from under the monster to avoid the spray of blood. As the hologram cut out, Kyle began speaking.
“I used the skull plate to grind out the tiara itself, though I had to use nanobots to carve out the clasp to hold the two pieces around her horns. The diamonds were a reward for returning a pendant to the ory’lagus who run the black hole mining company, and the sehr’chtahb who originally crafted the first black hole diamond shaped and set ‘em for me, and I used the Gift I took from the Kath’Loo who was holding her father to change the bone so that it absorbs all light; I also had to turn the bone behind the diamond - and every flake of diamond dust - to silver, to have some light reflect back.”
Vohr’Sin was quite taken aback by everything that had gone into making that tiara, and he was beginning to see possibly a bit of what Kah’Ri must have seen in him in the first place. He was only just realizing that Kyle hadn’t seemed phased to have seen a drahk’mihn; which now it was obvious as to why, but it should have been something that he noticed when they first met. Perhaps it was the horns, and his eyes, of course; another thing the Empress had instructed them to ignore. He was also acutely aware of how… desirable that course of events made him.
“Goddess, man,” he said, putting an exaggeratedly jealous arm around Vir’Ell’s waist, “Save some for the rest of us.” That got a good laugh out of the table, shortly after which their waitress showed up to take their orders. Luckily, they all knew what they wanted, and they were soon talking back and forth, sharing anecdotes from their home world, and asking questions about his. They learned a few things that weren’t easily discernible by simple study of their culture through text, or even video. Kah’Ri stayed quiet, mostly, letting them do all the talking about Verem’Jiose; probably since she had been - intentionally - absent from there for so long, it wasn’t like she would have any idea of more recent news, or trends.
All-in-all, it was an enjoyable lunch, with the time slipping by as they ate and talked the meal away. Towards the end of the meal, the women excused themselves to the restroom, and while they were gone, he took the chance to ask Kyle about the possibility of being allowed to hunt one of those lizards himself, as Kyle had informed them that he owned that planet.
“Well,” he began after a bit of thought, “If you do hunt one, you’ll firstly have to do it without your Gift,” that took him by surprise, but Kyle didn’t stop there, “You also have to fight without any kind of ‘modern’ weapon. Which is mostly just saying that you can’t use guns, though nanoblades are not only acceptable, but also needed. And I’ll even make sure that you’re supplied with some mithril to use, as well. And just so you know: not only will you have a guide with you at all times to make sure you stick to the rules I set out, but they can see if you use your Gift.”
He flexed his eyes for a moment, having already explained how they worked - as far as he knew, anyway - to them earlier, when they revealed that that was why Kah’Ri’s eyes were red, instead of purple.
“I understand,” he replied seriously, “I wouldn’t want to disrespect your world.” Kyle nodded once, saying,
“Well then, I think we can work something out. If y’all’re gonna be here for a couple days, I might be able to get in touch with someone who can set up a way to get you there ‘n back.”
“That would be most appreciated.” As Kyle nodded his acceptance of his thanks, an idea came to his mind.
“You know,” he started in a conspirator's tone, “Before we left home, I managed to get my claws on a crate of krav’ashah wine; it’s a ‘luxury’ berry on Verem’Jiose, as it’s hard to farm, and doesn’t produce a very high yield, even when done correctly; aged twenty years. I would be willing to gift a couple bottles to the two of you, in celebration of your engagement.”
Kyle smiled knowingly, and replied with,
“Well, that would also be much appreciated; I’d definitely owe you a lot… You know, the ory’lagus gave me a lot of extra diamonds, not just enough for ‘Ri to make my circlet. Once you get the piece you wanna make for Vir’Ell, I can shape and set a decent-sized one for you.”
“I think we have an understanding,” he said, smiling.
“As do I,” Kyle replied, a smile of his own on his face.
Their other halves came back shortly after that, and after they all said their goodbyes - he had insisted on paying for the meal - he made his way back to the ship with Vir’Ell, already planning the shape of the new tiara he would be carving for her. And while the one he had bought her would always be special to him - a simple golden band, with a blue diamond in the center of her forehead - he wanted to make this one even better; perhaps he could find a way to incorporate her old one…
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Memory Transcription Subject: Gridn, Gojid civilian, Alias: "Wheel"
It's okay, calm down, it's only once per [40 days], you won't get caught.
My left paw on the wheel, while my right is on my neck, trying to calm myself on the road. Driving my truck to the end of the town, to that road barely anyone take.
The 'road' is just dirt with no grass. It's connected to the other town, as a shortcut. People are too scared to come here, fearing a shadestalker will lunge at thier vehicle. There is one secret path here however, that leads to our destination.
I'm just going to deliver these "fertilizers", and some alcohol. I've been doing this since [13 years], but everytime I do this I fear for my life.
"C'mooon let me touch it"
Carrying 4 passengers, Pollen, Snarl, Claw, and Jitter. 3 in the back and 2 in the front. On our way to the bar.
"NO! Last time you touched my shit you broke it".
Just need to collect my thoughts, things will be over before you know it.
"Hey I said I'm sorry, besides I payed for it."
"You payed for shit! The cost for repair was expensive!"
Just need to collect my...
"C'mon give it!"
"STAY BACK!"
"I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT!"
"NO!"
"POLLEN! SNARL! SHUT THE FUCK UP BACK THERE!"
The two stopped their bickering. They sit quietly in the back, together with Claw. Besides me is Kobni, she won't stop shaking im fear, that's where she got her nickname from.
"Calm down, Jitter. We do this once per [40 days], are you not getting used to it?"
Jitter replied, "I'm- I'm trying to. It- it just that- this- Isn't really what pr- preys do you know?"
"If you're scared you can just leave you know? Why are you trying hard to be in the group you don't want to be in?" Pollen asked.
"I- I can't. My mom is the one who put me up to this. She asked Pocket to let me enter, so Pocket put me as sir Wheel's assistant. She said it'll- make me stop being- te- terrified at everything."
"Wow, was your mom high on ember when she said that?" Snarl replied.
"No! No. I- I don't think so".
"How about you Wheel? You never say anything about yourself." Pollen asked me.
I sighed, I don't really want them to know about my past.
"I'm just here for the money, that's all".
"I'm pretty sure truck drivers gets above average income. There's gotta be something behind that."
This guy really wants to know huh?
"How about you, aren't you here just for the money as well?"
"Half of it, yeah. I was in debt for spending a lot of money on a... Rigged game. The people I took money from threatened me to lock me up in a facility if I don't pay, even if they got no proof that I'm tainted. So I ran away, looked for a safe place I can go, and that's when Pocket found me."
I guess that explains why he's always at the bar, I guess just like Snarl and Claw, that's his only home too.
"Well, I've said my story, your turn."
I sighed, "Fine... I'm here for my daughter's treatment".
"You have a daughter!?" Pollen replied
"Nah, more important question, who was fucking with you!?" Snarl added in.
"Can I finish my story!?"
When the two quiet down, I continued. "Like I said, I'm here for my daughter. [13 years] ago, when that stampede happened, she was 3 that time, and was critically injured, it made her crippled, unable to walk, permanently. Our money wasn't enough to cover the bills, and our house was burned down as well during it."
I continued the story. "I got nothing left, I was desperate for money, so, Pocket gave an offer. He was a fire insurance carrier, I rejected his offer before since I thought "What's the chance of a predator attack?". He gave me an offer, delivery goods in the night side, and I get huge money in return. I took it, but my wife didn't like how I was acting strangely since then, so we broke up. I stayed here, to continue to support my daughter."
Now I've said my story, feels like some weight got released from me.
"Honestly, good call for your ex to leave you, you're a grumpy man". Snarl commented, with Pollen laughing at it.
Nevermind.
"Tsk, anyways, here's out stop."
Stopping the truck in front of the bar, a house set in a dark forest. In front of the bar standing is Door, Flower, and Root. We got off from the truck, with the three walking towards us.
"The fertilizers are on the back, along with the alcohols and other supplies." I said to Door, he signed an acknowledgement, and lead Flower and Root at the back of the truck while the five of us entered the bar.
Inside the bar, Glove and Pocket greeted us. Pocket was standing in the middle, while Glove was behind the bar counter. I went over to Glove with Jitter, while the rest talked to Pocket.
"Hi Wheel, what can I get you today?" Glove spoked, she's wearing a cloth on her left arm, but not on her right, she never said why, but that's where she got her name from.
"Just the usual."
"Alright, how about you sweetie?"
"Sa- same as his." Jitter replied.
"Alright, coming right up."
From where we're sitting, I can hear the other gang's conversation.
"So, how was the trip?" Pocket asked Snarl and Claw.
"I got this!" Snarl happily replied, showing a 'The Exterminators' figurine.
"Very well. Take a bath at the back, then you can rest."
"Aw but I like this look."
"The longer you have that dye on the harder it is to be removed."
"Fine. C'mon Claw, let's go." As the pair went to the back. Now, it was Pollen's turn to talk to him.
"I heard a news about a death." Pocket started.
"That guy was dying anyways, if the drug didn't got him his other addiction will. I just took the opportunity"
"I know, but it'll be better if the public doesn't know about our thing. Luckily the exterminators' investigation reached an early dead end."
Pollen sighed "I'll be careful next time".
Pocket signed an acknowledgement.
Glove returned with our drinks. "So how was you two's work?"
"Pretty uneventful, the usual" I replied.
"Really? you two seems anxious."
"Why shouldn't we? It's a normal reaction."
"Why is that?"
"If we were found in this house, I'll never see my daughter again."
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Memory Transcription Subject: Legal Name Unknown, Alias: "[See here for full list]"
"Following the investigation about the assassination of 'Romeo S. Benido' and 'Julio C. Aviliyar'. Last year, on November 14, 'Romeo S. Benido' have been shot dead in the head by a sniper rifle while giving a speech during his birthday celebration. A day after the crime, 'Julio C. Aviliyar' have been found dead in his home after the residents heard a single shot of a gunfire. Both victims were a running mayor for the city of Las Piñas. Checking the CCTV footage in Aviliyar's residence, one man have been found running away from the scene of the crime. The suspect was identified as 'Jonathan V. Santos' one of Aviliar's bodyguard. However, after further investigation of the 'Philippine National Police', they have found out that the identity of the bodyguard have been falsified, after the documents retrieved have been proven 'fake' and the residents unable to give a description of the man's appearance, saying this man have never been seen inside of until the day of the crime. The PNP is have increased it's offer from $500,000 to $650,000 for anyone who will be able to provide information that will lead to the arrest and capture of the assassin. The PNP warns that this person is armed and dangerous, and to contact the authorities immediately at sight."
"God damn, 650k!? With that money I could like, buy a mansion" A customer commented while watching the bar television, talking to his friends and the bartender.
"Like you have a chance, the killer probably already went to a new country. Whoever paid him must have been super rich." the bartender replied.
"Yeah, you got a better chance finding winning lottery ticket in a trash." The second customer added.
"For all we know, that guy is a ghost, dude's got no identity whatsoever. Made to punish politicians who takes advantage of the poor." The third costumer added.
"If that was a ghost I'd understand why it'll kill Aviliyar, but why Bonido."
"Bonido probably got dirt we 'normal' people don't know, all politicians have one."
"Alright, alright, stop, you're getting political" the second customer said, trying to stop an argument.
Eavesdropping to the conversations of customers, to know when to leave and when to stay. I hoped the bartender was right. But the reality is that I'm still here. I can't get out of the country, the security tightened since then and is taking too long die down. Every second I spend here the more likely I'll get caught.
I need to find a way to get off this place
The bartender approached me, "what would you like, sir?"
"A gin would be nice."
"Alright. Say, you're a regular here, but I haven't really gotten your name."
"Hmm? Well, you can call me Jacinto, Cinto for short."
The bartender chuckled, "Named after a Hero huh? Alright, I'll remember your name, Cinto".
I raised a glass to him with a smile, signaling acknowledgement. Another name to live as. I wonder how long can I keep this one.
As the night gets deeper, the television continued "Breaking News! The UN has confirmed a first contact with aliens!..."
Huh. This looks interesting.
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