Hey there! I'm a 36-year-old married dude with kids, who's pretty laid-back and introverted, and full of ADHD. While I'm a bit of a homebody, I do enjoy getting out into the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest when I can muster the energy (thanks to my wife's gentle nudges). I have a knack for humor and love swapping dumb jokes – especially the classic dad variety. Laughter is the best medicine, as they say! In terms of hobbies, I'm into art, particularly drawing and currently learning to paint. I'm also a lifelong learner and have a passion for exploring new things (my next project is cross stitching). Anime and manga are my biggest current interests, and I don't mind indulging in them with or without my kids (who can resist a good anime binge, am I right?). Some of my currents (and past favs) include My Hero Academia, DBZ, Full Metal Alchemist, One-Punch Man, and One Piece. One of my dreams is to write and illustrate my very own graphic novel someday. When I'm not immersed in my creative pursuits, you can probably find me glued to YouTube, either soaking up new knowledge or laughing at dumb videos. Podcasts are another favorite of mine, especially those in the realms of comedy and learning – bonus points if they involve Dungeons & Dragons shenanigans. I occasionally game, including games like Starbound, the Civilization Series, God of War, the Horizon Zero Dawn Series, Baldur's Gate 3, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Stardew Valley. I've also been working to get some emulators going to play some past favorites from Playstation. Musically, I'm a fan of rock in all its forms, from punk to heavier metal. Some favorites include Thrice, Coheed and Cambria, Four Year Strong, August Burns Red, Texas in July, This or the Apocalypse, Not On Tour, and many more (just ask!). I'm on the hunt for someone who shares or has similar interests to mine. Reddit messages and Discord are my preferred modes of communication. It would be awesome to connect with someone who enjoys swapping memes, discussing shared hobbies, and maybe even motivating each other to try new things. But most importantly, I'm just excited about learning from people from all walks of life. If that sounds like your cup of tea, shoot me a message! (***I have to add, platonic friendships only please!***) I always struggle with reaching out to new people, so if you're the same, here's a few ice breakers to get a conversation rolling. Feel free to tweak them, or add your own!:
-What's your one go-to song you play constantly, no matter how embarrassing? -What's the weirdest talent or skill you have? -What's your most memorable dream you've ever had? -If you could instantly become an expert in any subject or skill, what would it be and why? -What's a lesser-known or seemingly overhyped book/audiobook/graphic novel/comic/anime/ manga/movie/TV show that turned out to be one of your favorites?

It's up on the mature and censored pages! Tappytoon guide if you'd like help reading for free. Tappytoon also posted about it on twitter and instagram.
Season 2, Episode 83 will be up in English on Tappytoon on May 29th, around 00:00 EDT!
The original Korean is 8 episodes ahead. Season 2, Episode 90 came out yesterday in Korean, and Season 2, Episode 91 should be up in Korean on May 29th, around 22:00 KST!
If you'd like to read the Korean episodes, the Korean raws are available legally on Witchcomics/mcomics, Ridibooks (uncensored, search for 엔네아드 in the search bar, uncensored has a 19 on it, and censored), Naver, Bomtoon, and Kakao. If you want help using Ridibooks to buy episodes, this guide is pretty good. Mojito gets a bigger cut on Witchcomics, so that's the best to use if you'd like to support her, and Witchcomics, Ridibooks, and Bomtoon all accept international adult ID and payment methods.
Other recent news:

• Volume 4 of ENNEAD in Italian released
• Volume 3 of ENNEAD in Japanese released; volume 5's release date of July 20th has been announced
• Volume 2 of ENNEAD in German releases May 21st
• The Gratte x ENNEAD Japanese cafe collaboration is ongoing and ends on May 26th

Alright looking here once again. I am just sick and tired of being lonely but if that's what I have to do then I'll live with it. I would love to find my special someone because I have never had a valentines and never really been loved. I want to feel that feeling of someone loving me for just the way I am. I know I screw up as a person and make mistakes but doesn't everyone. Honestly ive pretty much been alone so I just really want my special person before I get too old. enough with the sappy shit here is my introduction.
My name is Jay/Jace. I am 20 years old. I play video games and I'm trying to become a full time streamer with the help of my dad. I do still live with my parents. I love Music, Comic Books, Wrestling, Gaming, and Outdoors. My usual routine during the day is me playing video games so I'm usually free all the time. I do have a job but don't make very much money. I am a farmer (So theres not much money into it to begin with) but also I am a streamer. I'm not that big but it's alright. Got to grind for it. I'm usually super chatty unless people are very dry.
Here is some more about me: I am 5'11" I weight 150 pounds I'm usually listening to music and streaming a lot I live in Oklahoma
If any girl wants to talk please hmu. I will be up super late and if I'm not I will text when I get the chance. I really just need a girl to talk to at this point.
What I am looking for: 18-26 is the age I prefer

Hello all! The clan is all passed out for the night and I'm still awake. No worries, I have you fine folk to chat with. In terms of my interests, I'm kind of all over the map so anything that you are interested in I'm sure I could find some interest, lol. Some of the highlights are reading, science fiction mostly, movies, comics, video games, hiking, camping, the usual fair. But I also enjoy just checking in with people and talking about how our lives are going as well, the good the bad the weird, the need to vent. It's all good. So if you're up for some conversation and could use a little distraction feel free to send me a message. I'll be around.

Now that there is another tier list, here is my sixth installment on the subject where I determine how each of these villains meet their fates. Here is the first post, the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth. As always, I'll keep everyone from the previous post where they are but I'll get rid of their explanations unless I had to change something between now and then. Without further ado, let's begin. I am not doing Mr. Orange since he's not evil by his criteria but he would count as dead by being killed.
Alive and redeemed: Derek Vineyard, Gordon Gekko, Jules Winnfield, and William Munny
Their story is unfinished: Agent Smith, Azula, Davy Jones, Euron Greyjoy (is currently still alive), Frieza (is currently at large and still a key player in the conflict), Griffith, the Joker (Joker), the Machines, Ramsay Bolton (A Song of Ice and Fire, is currently still alive), SHODAN, and Tommy Shelby (a Peaky Blinders movie set after the series is being made)
Alive, free, and uninjured: Alex DeLarge (book), Amy Dunne, Blondie, Christof, Clay Puppington, Green Goblin (MCU), Hannibal Lecter (book series), Henry Potter, Honey Bunny, Jobu Tupaki, Jonas Engstrom, Judge Holden, Keyser Soze, the Li Tolqa, the Lighthouse, Lord Summerisle and his society, Louis Bloom, Mary (Precious), Ozymandias (original comics), Patrick Bateman, Ringo, Roman Castevet, Terence Fletcher, Tetsuo Shima, Tommy Shelby, Travis Bickle, Tuco, Vic Mackey, Viktor Bout/Yuri Orlov, and the Wolf
Alive, free, yet injured: Alex DeLarge (movie), Anton Chigurrh, Butch Coolidge, Cameron Alexander, English Bob, Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal Movie), Hans Landa, Johan Liebert, Marcellus Wallace, Marlo Stanfield, Michael Myers (Thorn Trilogy/H20 Timelines), Mildred Ratched, Mr. Pink, and Noah Cross
Alive, captive, and uninjured: Antonio Salieri, Baby Jane Hudson, Daniel Plainview, Gaear Grimsrude (is arrested without incident by Marge Gunderson for multiple murders), Jerry Lundegaard (is arrested pitifully while trying and failing to escape through the roof), Nathan Jessup, Norman Bates (first movie), O-Dog, Ozai, Ozymandias (Doomsday Clock/HBO Series), the Riddler, Rumi, Saul Goodman, and Sy Parrish
Alive, captive, and injured: The Joker (The Dark Knight), Melkor, Mr. Pink (gets injured in a shootout and arrested offscreen), and Thomas Howard
Unclear: Bill Cipher, Blanche Dubois (may or may not be dead by the end depending on interpretation), Citra, Gendo Ikari, Jack Delroy (may or may not be arrested for his actions), Robert House (can either stay alive throughout the campaign or die in any number of ways by the Courier's machinations), Stu Macher, Tony Soprano, and Tyler Durden
Will keep coming back regardless of how many times they die: Candyman, Freddy Krueger, Ganon, the Ghostface identity, Jason Voorhees, Li'l Slugger (as a representation of Japan's refusal to own up to their World War II atrocities), Mr. Wriggles (is the Devil), Pazuzu, Pinhead, and Yu Yevon
Is not a living being: The Cordyceps, INGSOC, Norsefire, and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation
Dead (natural causes): The Anti-Osage Conspiracy (all of them are dead or on the way to dying by now), Ernest Burkhart (dies of old age in a rat-infested mobile home), Jack Torrance (movie), the Joker (Arkham, succumbs to Titan poisoning at the end of Arkham City), Logan Roy, Max Cady, Michael Corleone, Roy Batty, Vito Corleone (dies of a heart attack while playing with his grandson), and William Hale (dies in a nursing home of old age)
Dead (accidental): Claude Frollo, Green Goblin (Raimi Trilogy), Jack (The House That Jack Built), Jon Holt, Roland Bishop, Syndrome, Talia al Ghul, and Walter White
Dead (suicide): Andrew Ryan, the Cult of Abraxas (engage in ritual suicide), Dutch Van Der Linde, Imhotep, Jack Torrance (book duology), Julian Slowik, Lee Woo-Jin, Lord Shen (lets himself get crushed by his cannon), Mr. White (commits suicide by cop), Samuel Norton, and William Foster
Dead (killed by someone): Albert Wesker, Alex Forrest, Alonzo Harris, Amon Goeth, Anakin Skywalker, Angel Eyes, Annie Wilkes, the Armitage Family, Asami Yamazaki, Bane, Barry Berkman, Bill (Kill Bill), Bill the Butcher, Billy Chapman, Bob Barnes, Buffalo Bill, Calvin Candie, Carl Showalter (is chopped to pieces and fed to a wood chipper by Gaear Grimsrude), Carmine Falcone, Castor Troy, Commodus, Count Dooku, Damien Thorn, Darth Maul, David (The Last of Us), Dexter Morgan, El Indio (loses a showdown at high noon against Douglas Mortimer), Elijah Glass, Elliot Spencer, Eren Yeager (is decapitated after an extensive fight with the rest of humanity), Erik Killmonger, Euron Greyjoy (Game of Thrones, dies from a duel with Jaime Lannister), FEDRA, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (is stabbed through the brain by Paul Atreides in a duel), the Fireflies, Frances Dolarhyde, Frank Booth, Frank Costello, General Grievous (is shot in his organic parts by Obi-Wan Kenobi), the Ghostface killers, Glossu Rabhan (is slain and beheaded by the Freemen of Arakeen), Gus Fring, HAL 9000, Hans Gruber, Howard Stambler, Hoyt Volker, humanity pre-The Matrix, the Hunters, Immortan Joe, Iosef Tarasov (is ambushed and unceremoniously shot in the head by John Wick), Jack Horner, Jeremiah Sand, Jigsaw, Joe Cabot (dies trying to kill the rat in his organization), Joel Miller, Joffrey Baratheon, John Doe, Judge Doom, Kefka Palazzo, Koba, Lalo Salamanca, Leatherface (original duology), the LeDomas Family, Light Yagami, Lilly (is killed by a hallucinating Jack Delroy), Little Bill Daggett, Lorne Malvo (gets caught in a bear trap and then put down by Gus Grimly), Makima (is cut into pieces and eaten by Denji over the course of a week or so), Margaret White, Michael Myers (most versions), Mr. Blonde (gets pumped full of lead by Mr. Orange), Mr. Blue (is murdered offscreen by unknown methods), Mr. Brown (eventually succumbs to a gunshot wound to the head), Ned Logan, Nice Guy Eddie (dies trying to avenge Joe), Norman Stansfield, the Overlook Hotel, Pamela Voorhees, Pennywise, Perkins (is executed by the Continental staff for killing on their premises), President Snow (is trampled by an angry mob), Ramsay Bolton (Game of Thrones, is torn apart by his own dogs), Raoul Silva, Ra's al Ghul, Raymond Cocteau, Richmond Valentine, Sauron, Scar, Sheev Palpatine, Silco (is shot by Jinx), Simon Phoenix, SKYNET, Stephen (Django Unchained), Stringer Bell, Thanos, Thomas Wake, Todd Alquist (is strangled to death by Jesse Pinkman), Tommy DeSimone/Devito, Tony Montana, Tywin Lannister, V (gets killed in a shootout in the movie and gets impaled by a thrown blade in the comics), Vaas Montenegro, Vidal, Viggo Tarasov (succumbs to his injuries from fighting John Wick), Vincent (Collateral), Vincent Vega, Vladimir Harkonnen, Voldemort, Walter Finch, Walter Kurtz, Will Dormer, and Zed

First Previous Next
Mike marveled at the beauty of the inner city. He was familiar with Kael architecture and had even seen some up close at the university, but it was far grander here than on Earth, and it was far grander in person than in the videos and pictures he'd seen. The buildings were a hybrid of Gothic and expressionist architecture built with classical aesthetics.
Mosaics, statues, and murals were everywhere, but despite the grand buildings and beautiful decorations, Mike couldn’t keep his eyes off the ground. Even the streets are beautiful.
The ground he and Dreki walked was like a freshly cooled lava flow paved by slates of colored glass that softly glowed in the dimming light of the evening sun.
As they walked, Mike was woken from his trance by the scent of meat cooking.
Dreki smiled and said, “Smells good. You hungry?”
Mike nodded.
Dreki grinned and led Mike around the corner to a food cart. Mike salivated as the flames licked and sputtered at fat dripping from hunks of what looked like octopus turning on spits. The aroma of meat and spices was intoxicating. Dreki ordered them octopus skewers. As he handed Mike his skewer, Dreki said, “You’re never going to be able to eat earth octopus again.”
Mike chuckled. “I’ve never had it in the first place; I grew up in the mountains thousands of miles from the ocean.”
Dreki looked incredulous. “Did you not have rivers?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders, “Not with octopi.”
Dreki raised his free hand in exasperation. “Whatever. Either way, you’ll be disappointed by the rubbery trash humans call an octopus after eating this.”
Mike took a bite of the meat and groaned in pleasure. It tasted like a beefier version of bacon. Mike wolfed down his skewer in the blink of an eye and exclaimed, “That was fucking good!”
Dreki gave him a “Mhhhmh” with his still mouth full.
Dreki finished his food and led Mike off the main road onto a footpath flanked by wispy trees with dark blue leaves.
Eventually, the pair entered the back garden of a building that looked like a melted cathedral. Dreki led him through an open gate into a well-lit waiting room and held out his arm. “Hand me your bag; I’ll take it to your room. I’ll come get you after.”
Mike slipped his bag from his shoulders and handed it to Dreki. As the herculean Kael was leaving, he turned and said, “Try not to scream when they brand you; it’s an ill omen.”
Mike drummed his fingers on the armrests of the chair in the sea foam green waiting room, which was decorated with pictures of duels and exotic plants in white and blue ceramic pots. He was pretty sure that more than one of the photographs was of Dreki’s father.
Mike was anxious. Getting branded would suck, and getting an AR implant would involve someone sticking a drill through his skull. And without his gargantuan minder, Mike felt almost naked. He knew that he would probably be fine, but this was the home of the enemy. Without any weapons, he stood little chance against any Kael worth their salt in a fight.
Mike chided himself for the thought. Why does everything have to revolve around violence? Is there no world where you can just get along with them?
Mike frowned. No. I hate them. Despite his barely contained rage, Mike felt nauseous as blood-soaked memories bombarded his mind.
He doubted that he could kill again, even if it meant dying.
Dreki’s not so bad; maybe out here, more of them are like him than Ocidea.
Mike’s melancholy was interrupted when the tall door at the far end of the room opened. A short, for a Kaelman, nurse wearing pea green scrubs walked out, locked eyes with him, and shouted, “Mike Anderson!”
Mike followed the short Kael nurse into a cream-colored operating room. In the center an instrument table hovered next to an operating table. Besides the operating table stood a middle-aged Kael with tusks intricately inlaid with silver in triangular patterns. His white lab coat had Chief Surgeon Athocill emblazoned over the right breast pocket.
The Chief Surgeon stared off into space, engrossed in AR. The nurse who brought him in pointed to the operating table. Mike sat down.
A slender Kaelwoman in scrubs and a lab coat identifying her as the assistant surgeon walked in and started arranging the tools.
She glanced at Mike and said, “Take off your shirt.”
Mike pulled the black T-shirt he was wearing over his head and set it on the table next to him.
Without looking away from his work, the Chief Surgeon tossed Mike a leather strap and said, “Brand him.”
The short nurse pulled a heat stamp from its case and rolled the numbers to their correct positions. Mike put the leather strap in his mouth and grabbed onto the table.
Dreki’s warning rang through his head*.*
The Nurse carefully placed the print plate just below Mike’s collarbone and pushed it down. The heat stamp's coils flashed white. Mike bit down on the leather strap as hard as he could, and his knuckles popped as he gripped the edges of the operating table as hard as he could. Tendrils of smoke billowed off Mike’s chest as his flesh was seared, and the acrid smell of burnt hair and torched flesh wafted through the room.
Mike stifled a groan as the nurse peeled the superheated steel off his chest. The Nurse set the smoking stamp back in its case to cool and picked up a small jar of viscous blue fluid and a brush. The nurse opened the jar, dipped the brush in the blue goop, and painted it over Mike’s still-smoking burn. Mike jolted at the freezing touch of the brush. His ribs and abdomen rose and fell rapidly as he took short, shallow breaths as the freezing cold shocked his nervous system.
The nurse put the brush away and closed the jar. “Done”
Mike let the leather strap drop from his mouth and put on a straight face as he externally disguised the pain. Showing weakness was not an option, even if every fiber of his being commanded him to scream.
The assistant took hold of Mike’s arm and spoke. “Make a fist and squeeze.”
Mike did as she asked. It was a good distraction from the pain. His knuckles turned white, and the veins in his forearm bulged after a few seconds of pressure.
“You’ll feel a tiny pinch.”
The assistant jabbed the needle into the crook of his arm.
Mike’s head immediately felt heavy, and his whole body tingled. He tried to stay upright, to no avail. His vision grayed out as his head plopped onto the table with a thud.
The surgeon looked to his assistant and asked, “Is he out?”
“Yes.” She answered.
“Let us begin.”
The assistant used a small metal tool to pull Mike's right eyelid open. The chief surgeon plunged a gold needle into the depths of Mike’s right eye.
The surgeon carefully pulled the needle from the human’s eye and set the syringe back down on the floating instrument table.
“Targeting chip in place. Next stage.”
The nurse began rummaging around a drawer in the back of the room, and the chief surgeon plucked a gleaming silver drill from the instrument table.
The drill in the surgeon's hand whirred as he plunged it into Mike’s skull. After just a few seconds, the drill bored through Mike's skull. The surgeon pulled the drill out of the human's head and angled the bit down into a small metal dish that was in the extended arms of the assistant. The chief surgeon hit a button on the drill with his thumb.
A bloody, dime-sized piece of Mike’s skull dropped to the bottom of the metal dish with a clang.
He set the drill back down on the instrument table and held out his hand. “Drone.”
The nurse put an insect-like metal contraption that resembled a whip scorpion in the surgeon’s hand. The chief surgeon's eyes glazed as he entered his AR and took control of the drone. It popped out of his hand and burrowed itself into the hole in Mike's skull.
Inside his AR, he brought the drone to the occipital lobe of Mike’s brain.
“Deploying lattice.”
The arachnid-like drone injected small metal spikes with spools of minuscule wire attached—anchor points—into Mike’s brain. After just a minute's work, the surgeon had crafted a web of wires across Mike's brain. He brought the drone back to the center of Mike’s brain and planted one final anchor spike. A reel inside one of the claw-like appendages at the front of the drone spun, cinching the lattice of wires down to the last anchor point. The surgeon brought the drone around again, ensuring that the web of copper was completely taut against the human’s brain. He brought the drone back out and smiled ever so slightly as the blood and cerebrospinal fluid-soaked drone hopped back into his gloved hand.
Chief Surgeon Athocill smiled and jovially said, “Patch him up.” He was pleased with his performance today. This was the first human to get an advanced AR package, and the procedure went flawlessly. The assistant grabbed a quarter-sized piece of flesh-colored putty and carefully placed the small piece of skull onto it. She placed the putty over the hole in Mike’s head, and it took to life, bonding the fragment of bone back into place and sealing the surface wound.
The surgeon removed his gloves and began typing on a holoprojection. “All systems are operational. I’m linking him to the military network now.”
The assistant pulled the instrument table to her side and plucked a syringe filled with neon green fluid. She said, “I’m waking him up now,” as she plunged the needle into Mike’s arm.
Mike’s eyes flew open, and he grit his teeth against the pain. Tears seeped from his stinging and blood-filling right eye. Every heartbeat brought a jolt of crippling pain to his head. And worst of all was the searing pain from the brand on his chest and the aching cold that barely disguised it. Mike sat up with a grunt. Pain shot through his chest when he brought his hand to his head and felt the hardened disc of putty on his temple.
The surgeon addressed Mike with a soothing tone. “On the count of three, I’m going to activate your AR. It will feel like your head is on fire for a few seconds, but it will only last a few seconds. One… Two… Three!”
Mike nearly collapsed with the pain, but he managed to limit his response to a grunt. Light flashed before his eyes, and Kaelic text appeared in the center of his vision. The doctor asked, “What do you see.”
Mike answered, “AR active. And below that, it says setup wizard.” Despite his best efforts, pain was evident in his voice.
“Ok, Mike, I want you to think, ‘open setup wizard.’”
Mike blinked a few times. “Nothing happened.”
The surgeon said, “Think it in Kaelic.”
Mike’s brow furrowed in concentration. He was fluent in Kaelic, but not to the point where he could think in the language at will.
“Ok, I got it. It says setting menu at the top, and there are a ton of things here. Do you want me to read them off?”
“No. Can you scroll down?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You should be able to get the hang of this pretty quickly; it's very intuitive. You’ll see that there are a few HUD profiles that you can pick from. I’d recommend you start from profile two and then customize it as you see fit.”
Mike nodded as he selected profile two.
“OK, now think clear.”
Mike did as the surgeon asked. His vision was now cleared.
The surgeon smiled. “Feel free to fiddle with the settings, just think clear if it gets cluttered, and reset if you make a dog’s breakfast of it. You’ll have a headache for the next few days, and you may start having more vivid dreams, but other than that, you’ll barely notice the change. Just take it easy for the next few days, and don’t itch at your brand or your eye.”

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[ First / Previous ]
Memory Transcription Subject: Hileen, Krakotl Fugitive Recovery Agent
Date [standardized human time]: November 28th, 2136
It'd been a while since I sat in Marlig's office for a talk face-to-face. Given the agency's secluded location at the edge of the downtown region, it was a chore to drop by when it wasn't for business, but I'd deemed the matter at hand to be worth my time.
I passed by Nampi at her desk on my way to the door and she gave me a coy glare as I carried on. Trying to ignore her risible ear waggle, I turned the corner to the door with my boss’s name painted on the glass panel where I could hear the frantic crumpling of paper.
Quietly, I entered Marlig's office without prompt as I knew he hated to be spooked by knocking. My mentor was surprisingly spry for a bird at his age, sorting through papers with one wing and an eye while using his talons with the other to set away the papers he had splayed out.
“Hileen!” he chirped. “Glad you could make it in today. I was just finishing up my paperwork. Take a seat.”
It was always nice to hear him drop the professional motif for a more grandfatherly attitude when speaking in person. I did as he suggested and took a seat while he grumbled to himself over the sorting. My eye caught a few of the old contracts he was rifling through and saw that some dated back to his days as an agent.
Eventually, he left some sitting out as he sequestered the rest back into their files, sorted by a dichotomy that only he and Nampi could comprehend fully. He motioned with a wing for me to peruse and I turned the first one to face me to find it was my first contract, signed by me in a sloppy fashion. “This takes me back a couple of years.”
“Slick bastard thought he could get away on a forklift but you showed him! Certainly more exciting than my first day!”
“Mm-hmm. And it was when I nearly got impaled that you had the idea to commission all of us utility vests.”
He chuckled, “I really should’ve done so sooner. Cuts and scratches were already a risk, but a forklift was a new one!”
I flipped through the pages of each report, finding that Marlig's notes were filled with praises of my work. There were highs and lows, but I was flattered to find that the grizzled krakotl held my performance in such high regard.
“Flawless interception!” read one footnote about me catching a runner. “Couldn't have done it better myself!”
Marlig waited patiently as I browsed quickly through each page, realizing more and more how the notes also marked improvements in my work. How I found it easier to talk down a rowdy client, or apprehend them in the case that they were beyond helping on my part. Flowery language plastered most pages with him fawning over my work as a doting father would to his prodigal child.
The trend took a sharp turn as the notes became fewer and more critical the closer the dates reached to the present. I brushed the others aside with a wing to peruse the final paper. “And this…”
“Is Tac. Your latest contract. The most recent in a line of declining performance since the interview. This has become a pattern, Hileen, and its consequences are beginning to reach beyond yourself. Paji and Vesek resigned recently for personal reasons, which leaves us even less hands on deck than before. That's four people to cover the entire municipal region, and maybe even beyond, should needs arise. Three, if we include this little probation I have you on.”
“What was I supposed to do? Marlig, these ‘jobs’ you've got us working on overstep the contracts we were signed on with. Our job is to make sure people obey their court-mandated duties, not drag them off to the facilities ourselves!”
“... So the trip we took to the facilities did bother you.”
A sigh clicked in my throat as he reminded me. “Is that what happens to the people we take in, Marlig? Is that what would've happened to your wife?”
His feathers ruffled.
“That's what happens to those who are too dangerous to the general public to be left roaming free. Not everyone we deal with winds up there, but everyone can be subject to it. Miskela sued for her exoneration and proved in court that she was not diseased. I brought you there to show you how it helps the people, but I see now that it was a mistake. I understand why you were so perturbed, really, but it's how things have been for centuries. It's how we've protected ourselves from the dangers out there.”
“You were willing to let Barsul be interned there, too.”
Marlig flinched and sighed as he swept the papers towards himself once I'd signaled I was done. He turned one eye to me while he sorted them.
“There's no room for favoritism, girl. I negotiated for him to be allowed to walk free, and look where that got me. That boy - your neighbor - suffered the consequences of my nepotism. So too would the girl, had nobody intervened.”
“Like Richard.”
“The human, yes. Or you. Or the police. Where does this sudden obsession with humans come from, anyway? I get notifications of you talking about the acceptance of them all the time on forums.”
“Does it even need explaining?”
“Well, I guess not, no, but it's certainly an about-face from the way you used to talk about them with me beforehand.”
“People can change, for better or worse. Which one I fall under remains to be seen.”
Marlig stroked at the plumage on his neck as he finished his sorting. “I hope it's the former, for your sake. Was there any reason you came to talk, or were you just checking that I hadn't gone senile?”
“Well, I was hoping to borrow your secretary for the evening.”
He perked up while his eyes narrowed and he laced his fingers together with curiosity. “You… want to spend an evening with Nampi?”
“It's not what you're insinuating, but yes.”
“I was insinuating nothing,” he warbled coyly. “Go ahead and take her, and make sure to split the bill at dinner.”
“Pain-in-the-ass geezer. I'll keep in touch if your friend causes any more trouble.”
“Keep in touch regardless. Miskela and I get lonely in our old age,” he called back. “Take care.”
I stepped out into the hallway and turned toward the desk where I could hear the secretary's claws tapping furtively at her keyboard. Nampi sat silently with her ears and tail in a relaxed position that implied a bored demeanor. There was barely any response as I stood before her, waiting politely for her acknowledgment that never came.
Hesitantly, I cleared my throat.
An ear raised in acknowledgement, but her focus remained on the screen of her computer. “Mhm?”
“Do you…?”
Her ear rotated toward me, though she still maintained a passive attitude as she continued to glare mindlessly at the monitor.
“Are you free this evening?”
“Well, I'm quite booked, I believe. Why do you ask?”
I was surprised at her curt, dry tone. She hadn't spoken with me like this since we first got to know one another.
“Well,” I started. “I realized something. Every time we went out, whether it was clubbing, or dinner, or even walking around the parks, you always footed the bill. And so…”
Slowly, her other ear perked up and I saw her keystrokes slow down as she listened in.
“I wanted to return the favor?”
Her lips smacked as she opened her mouth, though paused before she spoke. “How could you possibly do that?”
“With a little gesture of friendship.”
Nampi's horizontal pupil turned up toward me and her tail twitched.
I continued, “So that belt you're wearing? It's the same belt you've worn since we first met. And I know you're the pragmatic type who'd never spend a credit more than she needs to, except for all the times you do"- her ears twitched in indignance -"I wanted to see about getting you a little something… extra?”
Her paws raised from the keyboard and she leaned in, resting her snout on her palms. “Go on.”
The bubbly venlil's tail sold out her collected facade as it twitched with anticipation. She was cornered and she didn't even know it yet.
“Well, I found just the place on the other side of town where we can start. It's a place almost as rich and indulgent as yourself.”
“The Platinum Paw? I mean3”
Her ears folded back in embarrassment as she cracked. She wasn't cut out for acting anyway.
“So that's what it's called! Jeez, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was called. Now what do you say? We go over there and find you something nice—”
I hadn’t even finished my thought before Nampi had grabbed her bag and was out the door, giving me a playful tail flick that said come and get me.

The place I suggested was in a shopping center on the opposite side of town, though easily accessible because of its proximity to the transport rails. Nampi had insisted on grabbing something to eat beforehand and so now gleefully bit into a bundle of stalks that had been “grilled” as explained from the food truck we'd stopped at.
Her tail flicked back and forth with her usual enthusiasm as we entered the massive complex of stores. The roofless plan allowed the natural, orange sun to flood the upper levels while artificial lighting illuminated the ground level wherever the light couldn't reach.
The place was built in the last decade by the previous City Magister in a bid for popularity, though ultimately for naught as he would lose the vote following a scandal involving an iftali priestess and a carved bar of soap. I had to say that despite being sick in the head, he sure had a great sense of decor.
Nampi snacked away, joining me in admiring the scenery as we continued to the place I’d planned out for us. Aimless chatter all melded together into a single, thrumming murmur as pedestrians navigated the many levels and stores offered in the place.
A troupe of children passed by us, held in a chain of tails and arms as they were escorted by a pair of venlil who I assumed were students and teachers on a school trip. I caught a whiff of a sweet, aromatic breeze and found it to come from a perfume shop on the same level as us; naturally, venlil were not to be found inside.
We passed a fountain where a couple sat on the edge, their tails twined together as they giggled and flirted. I turned and caught Nampi watching them as well, though she awkwardly returned to sucking the remains of her meal from her claws when we made eye contact. Her ears lifted when I raised a wing to signal to the store we were going to stop at first.
“Platinum Paw, The Greatest Fashion Emporium For Everyone!”
The title alone was painfully cliche, taken to the tenth power by the brightly lit store taking up three department slots. Despite the flashy exterior, though, it was the best place to shop for belts, brooches, and bracelets alike. Customers who looked like they earned my yearly salary in a week browsed the higher end brands while I brought my friend to the section I wanted to show her.
Her ears were held up as we stood together next to a shelf chock full of fashionable bags and bandoliers of every variety.
“Pick one,” I told her.
Nampi's ears shot to a straight pose in surprise, “Any?”
“Within reason. I've got a few extra credits to blow and I know nobody better to spend it on.”
With an inviting headtilt, I let Nampi peruse the shelves at her leisure. Her lips pursed together and her tail flicked with glee as she fingered at every piece that caught her eye. I chuckled at her outburst of enthusiasm while turning to find my own items to gloss over.
A breeze from outside nipped at my beak while I considered what I’d like to purchase. The place dripped with an atmosphere of faux hospitality, from the bright blue-stained floorboards to the radio prattling off advertisements in a sickeningly sweet tone to the faint, fruity aroma of scented cleaner. It was oppressive as only a fissan-owned company could be to the senses.
What I wouldn’t pay to see how a human would fare in such an environment.
I knew they were social creatures at least, but I had no doubt that the predatory senses of a human, so honed to hunting, would get overstimulated in this center of gaudy indulgence. Knowing I was something of a predator myself made me sympathize provided that even I had to squint to keep the pale lights inside from searing my eyes. I could only imagine how the arboreal eyes of a Terran would fare. I was so lost in thought imagining how lost the Terrans would be that I could almost ignore the obnoxious giggling and metallic rattling coming from behind me.
Risking a peek at the source, into my sight came a pair of venlil, one a male carrying a pair of bags as well as a couple more strapped to his belt. The bored expression in his eyes was not one of a man who was in high spirits. The other venlil was a woman who was the source of the noise.
Her mottled gray pelt was accented by a tasteful belt design, free of almost any practical functions but not flashy or excessive in garnishment either. At least, that’s what I would say, were it not for the braid of beads that dangled on the belt, jingling with each bounce of the lively woman’s stride. It was clear that such a gaudy accessory was intended to draw attention to her, though why was a mystery. Certainly, the shiny braids seemed designed as decoration first and practical second.
She turned about and I faced back to my browsing before she could catch me staring. Nampi was nowhere in sight, though I figured she was somewhere behind the shelf, sifting through every accessory on the section I'd suggested.
Clink.
Something pelted to my immediate right. I tilted my head to spot a tree nut shell clattering to the floor. Without being able to guess where it came from, I had to wonder what could've launched it over this way. Even with my keen eyesight, nobody in the crowd seemed to be a suspect.
Clink.
Another shell pelted my vicinity, ricocheting off of the floor and hitting the shelf I was standing next to. I ruffled my feathers in frustration - clearly, someone was trying to get my attention, though I couldn't make out who it was. Out of the corner of my vision, the woman from before eyed me curiously as I looked about, though I wasn't interested in engaging with her.
Thwack.
One more shell came flying and, unfortunately, the aim on this one was true, nailing me on the beak. Irritated, I stormed out of the store to find the source of the instigator. I scanned over the bodies to find anyone who could've been responsible for this indignity, eventually concluding that it came from the dining area across the walkway.
Whoever was responsible was in for an earful and I was already structuring which of the offender's family members would be acceptable as fodder for stray words. As I approached, I found the tables were mostly empty save for one, which made my heart begin to drop as I met eyes with the only occupant. Suddenly, I was much less inclined to hurl insults.
“Oh, hi there!” Qitel called out in a sickly sweet tone. “Come, take a seat! We have much to discuss!”
The Exterminator clutched a bag of tree nuts in his claws, a pile of discarded shells already gathered on the table next to him. He grabbed another as I approached, effortlessly prying the shell in half between two claws and tossed the contents into his mouth. “Good protein, these,” he commented as I sat down.
“Must be for that good arm you've got there,” I mumbled. I caught sight of a couple of bags beneath his chair, seemingly from one of the tech stores contained within the center.
“Bah, it's guesswork. So how are you? I haven't heard from you since we worked together!”
“I was just spending time with a friend, shopping and enjoying my time off.”
“Your time off? Oh, am I interrupting something?”
His snide tone irked me, though now wasn’t the time for interjections. “You are, Qitel,” I replied with no shortage of vitriol in my tone. “But I see no harm in chatting for a bit.”
“Good, because I have some merchandise”- he reached into his belt pocket and deposited a couple of items onto the table -“and you’re just the person to look into it, human sympathizer.”
I drew a terse breath in shock, but my worries were quelled when I considered that if Qitel had the power to do anything about it, he would’ve done so instead of approaching me so discreetly. A glance down at the item on the table showed that he was presenting what looked to be a tracker as well as a personal drive. “Found in the garbage,” he told me.
“The guild resorts to dumpster diving when they already have such a bloated budget now?”
“No, featherbrain, I have decided to keep this for myself. These items were found together, sealed in a plastic pouch, and placed in a garbage bin. The city has bans against electronics being placed into public bins, and so I was curious why this wound up in there. Managed to get my coworker, a techie, to crack it open and…”
Qitel reached into his belt again, glowering at me with the same condescending gaze he’d given me when I first saw his face. He seemed to revel in digging for the item as slowly as possible to waste my time. Finally, he found whatever he was looking for and revealed it as a printed piece of paper, folded into eighths. The snobby yotul threw the unfurled paper on the table and rolled it toward me.
I craned my neck to look at the parchment, though I was immediately perplexed by the text on it; it appeared to be some sort of form, going by the boxes with words on the inside, followed by blank lines. “Found on the drive, here,” Qitel told me, jabbing a claw to the storage. “Translator shows it as Terran writing.”
Drawing my holopad from my satchel, I held it over the paper with the translator to get an understanding. Surely enough, the language on it came up positive as a variant of Terran writing and I was affirmed in it being a form of some sort based on the wording of the text. The boxes seemed like an odd sort of job application, asking for the typical name, contacts, and prior work experiences, but quickly took a strange turn as it began asking for where their home on Earth was prior to arrival, what family they had on Venlil Prime if any, and where they worked, implying that they were seeking individuals who were already employed.
I knew little about human employment methods, but I didn’t imagine that sourcing individuals from other jobs was the most efficient way to gain a workforce. Terran service industries already dotted the planet while many humans also found work in local environments. So what was the angle that the creator of this application was going for?
Most concerningly was that the paper had no insignia, identifying marks, or noted address to return the form to. “And where did you find it again?”
“In the garbage, alongside this intact tracker that was activated at the time of recovery. Y’know, when I was dumpster diving. Text on the document showed it was addressed to one ‘Choctaw Nexus’.”
“A pseudonym of some sort?”
“Clearly. Short sorting through the archives shows the first name traces back to the group out east - perhaps you've heard about them. How the name and the items we have here are connected is beyond my understanding, but-”
“Well, this has been an absolutely riveting discussion about your collection of trash, Qitel,” I told him as I stood up to leave. “But this really sounds like an issue to be resolved by your fellow guildsmen.”
The sound of another shell splitting rang out as I turned away.
“I'm not through talking with you, predator.”
The sting as a piece nailed me in the back of the head prompted me to whirl back around, sticking my beak in the insolent yotul's snout. “Perhaps you've forgotten, little man,” I cooed in an equally bittersweet tone to the one he gave me before. “The krakotl never had a problem with settling issues the old-fashioned way before the interview. Try me and find out why I'm in the line of work I am.”
“Oh, we wouldn't want that in such a"- he waved his paw to a group of passersby who had stopped to gawk at my display -”public forum. Please, contain yourself.”
I had to force the feathers on my back to settle and I raised my head away from him. “What else is it you wanted, then?”
“Well, I'd appreciate if you took this merchandise off my paws,” he told me as he brushed the electronics and printout toward me.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you're closer to the humans than I'd ever care to be, and may be able to find out who this Choctaw Nexus is. Something about the package just feels… off. And I know when to trust my feelings. Besides, we both know that you know where Tac is, don't we?”
“I don't-”
“We have videographic evidence that you conspired with a human - of the aforementioned squatters, no less - and let the kid escape. You're not as sneaky as you think, and if we find this ‘Choctaw Nexus’ turns out to be a bad actor that can be traced back to them - and by extension, you - well, there’d be no talking down my boss from having you dealt with. By helping me find out who this is, you may yet be able to clear your name of any wrongdoing.”
I clenched my beak tightly to maintain a straight face. Qitel stood up with a flourish and discarded the bag he was carrying in a bin.
“See, the krakotl were never special for using threats and bullying to get results. It's because you were good at killing predators,” he jeered. “Now, if you don't mind, this primitive has appointments to attend to… old lady who got trampled courtesy of the humans and all. You stay out of trouble, Hileen, and stay in touch.”
The self-assured marsupial melded into the crowd in a matter of seconds, leaving me with a table containing dumpster trophies and a pile of shells. Reluctantly, I swept the shells into my wing and dumped them into the bin before gathering the other two items he'd left me and stuffing them into my bag. I'd been gone from Nampi long enough and she would notice my absence before long.
Crossing the walkway again, I could spot from where I stood that Nampi was indeed still in the Platinum Paw. I approached, and soon I found that while she didn't seem to have noticed me stepping away, she was definitely in a soured mood based on the sagging of her ears and tail. With my talons clacking on the floorboards, I hustled to her side and her mood chippered up ever so slightly as she heard me approach.
I chimed in, “Find anything?”
“Everything. I want everything, Red, and I can't decide on what I want. They all just look so great!”
From behind, a voice called out, “Nampi!”
We both jumped at the exclamation and turned about to spot the venlil lady I'd seen before spring from behind the shelf. The man poked his head from behind the shelf too, though less enthusiastically and with yet another bag in his clutches. My friend's eyes widened in surprise with her tail and ears perking up in kind. With a light in her eyes, she exclaimed, “Nalek!”
The two embraced with shrill squeals and laughter as Nalek's accompaniment and I traded awkward glances.
“It's been too long!”
“You never stayed in contact!”
The women exchanged giddy greetings and the pompous stranger turned to me, leering over me as though she was sizing me up.
“Who's your friend here?”
“Oh she's actually my-...”
Nampi paused for a moment, looking back to me.
“Yeah, she's a friend.”
“A friend,” Nalek repeated while her eyes flicked between Nampi and I. “Right.”
Somehow, I get the impression that that was judgemental.
“I'm Hileen, by the way,” I chirped, “if names are to be exchanged.”
“Hileen, that's a lovely name! And such plumage to match, it's a wonder you aren't swarmed by suitors!”
Internally, I groaned at the notion. The idea of being approached by someone to state their interest in me made me queasy, to say the least. Thankfully, I never had that issue growing up as most of the other drakes in school were too busy chasing girls who didn't have a lousy pigmentation mutation such as myself.
“I'm flattered,” I told Nalek before turning to the man whose name had yet to be introduced. “May we get your name?”
“Sask.”
His response was succinct and tonally flat, though there was a brief silence as I expected him to elaborate. Nalek's beads jingled as she lashed him on the calf with her tail.
“I'm Sask, Nalek's fiancée,” he added, throwing her a look to see if she was satisfied.
Nampi gasped with her paws over her snout. “Fiancée! Nalek, you're getting married and you never even told me!”
“Well, I felt a little guilty since it technically broke our pact we made when we were pups. You remember that?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? ‘Let she who bonds through betrothal first be cast out unto the world for all to admonish her!’”
Sask and I both gave inquisitive expressions. “You two spoke like that as pups?” Sask asked.
“Well, I'm paraphrasing,” Nampi admitted with a playful ear waggle. “But you get the gist.”
“Indeed, they do, sweet Nampi. Now, may I ask what you're doing bringing your avian friend here into this store on this fine claw?”
“Oh, no no, she's the one treating me! Isn't that right, Red?”
I saw her tail twitch and was sure it took restraint not to tickle my neck with it as we stood before her old friend.
“She's been a good friend,” I explained. “So I wanted to reverse the roles for once and treat her to something myself.”
Nampi skipped over to me and wrapped her arm around me, glancing back to her old friend. “See? We'd all be so lucky to have a… friend like her.”
“So I've witnessed. But perhaps you're a bit stuck, as I've seen you prancing up and down these aisles for a while, no? Maybe you don't know what you want?”
“Nalek, you know I've never been good about making my mind up.”
“Some things never change, you ditz. Tell you what: you and Sask go find us a seat and we can catch up all we'd like when we're not taking up aisle space, yes? So shoo! I'll help Hileen here pick one out for you!”
With a bored grunt, Sask made off with the goods he had strapped to himself, followed by Nampi who gave me one more playful tail flick before dashing off into the crowd. I looked back to the mottled snout of Nalek who watched her friend wander off with a wistful glance.
“She was my first, you know.”
“Your what now.”
“Love. Way back when we were growing from pups into young adults back in private education, we explored much together. We saw each other through a lot, including the less savory parts of finding a mate. When Nampi realized it wasn't the boys she was into, she turned to me, and I offered my hand as her stalwart companion… to a point.”
“You weren't interested in her the same way?”
“I'd grown up seeing her as a sister of sorts, so ultimately, when we split it off, we stayed close as friends and she never seemed to be bothered by it. She struggled to find others in school who had the same interests as herself, but she never fussed about it.”
Nalek's claws browsed over a set of pouched bandoliers made with intricate embroidering. “Have you two… spent the night together? Alone?”
Spiritually, I reeled from the inquiry. The whiplash from that question was equitable to being smacked by a human. “Wha- why? How's that pertinent to the subject at hand?”
“That sounds like a ‘yes’ to me,” she purred with a smug glance my way.
I didn't need to begin to list the different ways such a question was violating to our privacy, and yet this woman was treating it like a game.
“Not really your concern, ma'am.”
Nalek chuckled as she picked out one of the bandoliers and inspected it with her claws. “I'd like to think that she and I still have that old connection, despite everything. And to that end, I know that she's no slag and doesn't trust easy. To see her be so vulnerable around you and to talk so highly of someone who's clearly below her income level as a predator…”
She stretched the bandolier out to appreciate the design in its entirety.
“Well, that's something special. Here"- she foisted the accessory into my wings as I stood gobsmacked -"this just screams her name.”
“This is, like, double my budget.”
“Love don't come cheap, darling. You wanna see good things happen, sometimes you've gotta step out of your comfort zone and grasp for it!”
“I'm being lectured by a rich woman on finances.”
“It's a philosophy that goes beyond money, ‘Red.’ The humans have a saying, in their horrendously predatory nomenclature, that contains a kernel of truth: ‘you miss every shot you don't take’.”
Yep, that's definitely a human phrase.
Nalek's steely braid rattled with every flick of the tail as we proceeded through the checkout.
“You want things to change between you and her?” she continued. “Don't just wait for it to happen.”
She let the conversation rest there as we finished the purchase, possibly to let me recuperate mentally from the damage done to my account. Outside, we found our respective partners sitting at a table with Sask looking up in boredom as Nampi chatted away, though she immediately shut up and turned to me with excited flicks of her tail as she saw what I was carrying.
I held it toward her and she happily shot to her feet, effortlessly removing the tags with her claws and clipping it to her belt. Nalek clapped and waggled her tail as the giddy lady did a whirl about to let us admire the accessory. While I'd have preferred one with pockets to give it a more practical use, I decided to let Nalek have the victory as our mutual friend clearly enjoyed it.
The rest of the paw was a blur as the two friends chatted without end until Sask eventually reminded his betrothed that they had a schedule to attend to. Though Nalek offered to call us a taxi home as a gesture of kindness, I saw through her ruse to determine that she was trying to pull a fast one on me - the clever ear flick she gave as we boarded the automated vehicle sold it for me.
We sat in the seats as the vehicle took the express ride home.
Nampi cleared her throat before she spoke, “Thank you for taking some time to spend with me, I know you've had a lot less free time as of late.”
“It's a prison of my own design, if I must be honest. A feedback loop of working a job that doesn't guarantee a paycheck to pay for rent that keeps going up, and thus needing to work more.”
The venlil giggled and chided me, “You really should've stayed in university.”
“There's a lotta 'should haves’ that've led me to this point. No use wondering what could have been.”
“There's always a use for wondering what could have been, Hileen.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Every decision I make, I always wonder what I could've done differently that it'd have turned out better,” she explained as she waved her free paw to the sky. “It's how you grow as a person, Red.”
Her silky pelt felt heavenly in contrast to the chilly air from outside, making it hard to let her words sink in.
“You rich types seem chock full of philosophy. I wonder if I'll become a brooding orator when I get some cash to my name.”
The cab filled with laughter as we veered around the final corner to my neighborhood, as it was the closest stop. The door popped open accompanied by a chime from the drone, signaling for me to depart.
But before my talons could even hit the pavement, I felt Nampi's scrawny arms wrap around my waist and she let out a pitiful mewl again.
“You don't need to get off here,” she told me with a pouty expression. “We can spend the rest of the paw at my place.”
“I'd love it, but I need to water my plants and get the month's bills sorted before they're due. Again.”
One claw at a time, I plucked her paws from around my waist and the childish venlil conceded, giving me another ear waggle as I departed. “I'll see you tomorrow?” I asked her.
“If you still have eyes by then, then you can bet your ass!”
“I still don't gamble.”
“You'll come around to it eventually.”
I shut the door to the taxi and watched as it carted away the one venlil who I ever truly felt on the same wavelength as. Fiddling with the lock felt like more of a chore than usual at this time as I felt a little voice tugging at the back of my head.
“You miss every shot you don't take.”
The lock felt jammed as I began to jiggle it more vigorously with the electric key. Either the RFID or NFC readers were messed up, as the lock refused to accept my key. I looked up and down the street, though Nampi was now long gone for me to rescind my earlier rejection.
“Every decision I make, I wonder what I could've done differently.”
The door rattled as I grew more and more infuriated with the lock. Qitel's smug expression as he threatened me so boldly in public played back in my head, and I wondered what would've happened had I decided to go through with insulting his mother. Better yet, I wondered what could've been had I not backed down in the face of his unflinching confidence.
Bzzt. The lock rejected my key again.
“Raagh! You fucking useless hunk of junk!”
I squawked in anger and kicked against the door, careless of the consequences of having Markol back down here to admonish another of his tenants for causing a ruckus. The walls were surprisingly sturdy for how ineffective the venlil architecture looked on the surface and I reeled back in pain as my leg throbbed.
Click.
I looked to my left to see that it wasn't my door that came open, but that of the twins. The door cracked open ever so slightly, no doubt nudged by the force of my tirade and I sighed. Nobody was expected to be home at this time, with Vili being away and Luka leaving early to get a head start.
Luka had been given a stern talking-to by the landlord for allowing one of those cats into his apartment through neglect, and I was disappointed that he seemed to have not learned his lesson this time. In fact, it seemed he hadn't even thought to lock the door this time.
I took it upon myself to shut the door for him before turning back to my own apartment door. Grasping the key with one talon, I turned it ever so gently, though the lock still refused to give in.
With a bit more force, the torsion applied to the key felt as though it should've snapped it by now. Markol sure didn't waste any expense for the security for this place, doubtlessly as a result of his history in electronic security, but I wished now that he had provided a way in that didn't rely on privately sourced locks.
Considering my options as I stood trapped outside, I realized that I had never gotten around to paying for a new lock for Tadi. I'd considered contacting her to inform her that Tac had made it out of town safely, but that'd involve also telling her that her son was now in the care of humans, as if that was a better outcome to her.
Stepping out front, I realized that there was one more option I hadn't considered: my window. I usually forgot to lock it after I was through letting air circulate and I was silently grateful to myself for this absentmindedness now more than ever. Sticking a foot on the threshold, I lifted myself in a way that'd allow me to have leverage to force the window open.
The window made me fight for every inch, but I felt a strange satisfaction as it slowly opened up into an entrance that I could squeeze my way through. I let out a sigh as my talons clicked against the cool floor and slid the window shut.
I laid my satchel on the couch and turned back to the door, ready to unleash my fury on the disobedient object. But as I reached for the lock to manually open the door, I noted that the lights on the RFID interface both flashed at once, blinking erratically. Red and green flickered without rhyme or reason, indicating that it was both active and inactive.
As pretty as the colors were, I now knew that Markol's locks were not as reliable as he had touted them about: typically, such would not occur unless the device was damaged deliberately, and yet nothing indicated that I'd had uninvited guests. One could pray that those cats didn't secretly know how to cobble together an ECM jammer, but my personal wager was on faulty equipment.
Settling in, I browsed my favorite soaps on the television. For what was intended to be a day of relaxation and show of affection for a friend, I found myself rather wound up over all the things that added up. Couples threw around flowery words and swooned over one another on screen as I felt the tension diffuse. My holopad rang and I turned it over to spot that Nampi was informing me that she'd arrived home safely.
>>> Feels empty here, all alone.
She made sure to drive the point home with a sticker of a venlil making a pouty expression.
Next time, I thought to myself, I'll get it right for you, Nampi.
[ First / Previous ]

This could be from any media (series, movies, comics, games, etc). Added spoiler tag just in case, so feel free to discuss spoilers here.

Biblical characters have been used for fictional stories for a long time, a variety of them.
The most common being God or the Devil, who you can find in a lot of media with a rather big protagonistic role.
Bruce Almighty, Bedzzaled, and The Lucifer Comic Run/TV Show are some examples. You can also find Jesus in a lot of things, which is not surprising considering that calling him one of the most influential people in the history of humankind would be an understatement, such as his many appearances in South Park or his rol in Jojos Part 7.
Sometimes, it's someone like the archangels who make an appearance, like in the constantine movie, or that one other movie I saw four years ago where Saint Michael fights with a bull and revives a dog, which I am pretty sure wasn't just some weird dream I have.
Or the most famous example in recent years, Adam. Who hadn't just had one, but two quite popular "re-interpretations" in the last years with RoR and Hazbin Hotel, who took the character in completely different directions. Now, you are probably wondering, "Where is Bro going with all this yapping?" with all this.
Well, where I am going with all of this is asking why so few people use his son. Y'know, the immortal, first killer, firstborn of the father and mother of humanity, cursed by God, guy who can kill by throwing whatever you hit him with seven times over?
Now, you are all free to dunk on me for what I am about to say and prove me a complete idiot, but the entire concept of Cain is more raw than a cow who sleeps while hearing hard metal every single night, and by far one of the most interesting ones. And, yeah, I get the idea of why almost nobody has done a story with him as the main focus; he is pretty darn irrelevant all things considered, which is why this post isn't titled "Why nobody uses Cain?", but the amount of things he could be used for makes it pretty sad nobody tries to do anything with him.
That is the end of my whining section.

Yeah yeah another post about DickKory and Dickbabs, ooh boring. But still, I gotta say it. I'll probably get hate from the DickKory fans but... If Taylor would break up somehow Dick and Barbara in the end, or the next Nightwing writer will and will bring him back to Kory, it would be a bit weird. Especially after years of Dick and Barbara being together in a non toxic, sane and really sweet relationship.
It'd feel forced like they tried to force Dick and Babs, but they've been together for years now while he hasn't been with Kory—except for media like movies and tv shows—for many more years. I don't mind at all Kory, but I surely wouldn't enjoy the end of such a nice relationship. It'll probably happen someday, but let it at least be a slow thing and not forced IF it will.
I'm not sure, I mean, there must be a reason other writers haven't brought them back together, right? At this point we all know DC does what they want and don't listen to readers, if they did, there would be SO many things different in the comics now, and one of those is Dick being with Kory yet again.
Anyway, this is just my opinion, please be civil in the comments and let's not throw insults at each other, everyone is free to ship the characters they want unless it's illegal, incest and all that stuff! :)

This coming Friday kicks off the next edition of Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024! This is one of my pop culture highlights every year here in Arizona and wanted to put together this post.
Tickets - no on site cash purchases. You’ll need to purchase via the Fan Fusion website and pick up at one of the designated tents. - single day passes as well as full weekend are available. - kids ages 12 and under are free with an accompanying adult.
Parking - you can pre-purchase convention parking at several garages (or just you the park and ride option with the Metro Valley Rail). For more info and the links, you can check that out here.
Guests - Media guests such as Simu Liu, Giancarlo Esposito, Shameik Moore, Gina Torres, and the voice cast of X-Men The Animated Series to name a few - Comic creators such as Brianna Garcia, Art Adams, Donny Cates, Greg Capullo, Marv Wolfman, and Todd McFarlane.
Additional Info - You can check out the event map, schedule, and some tips to get a better sense of how to plan your weekend. - Take not the Diamondbacks play each day of the convention and the Mercury also play Saturday night so downtown might be a little busier than usual. - There is a Fan Fusion sponsored screening of Hook at the AMC at the Arizona Center with a film introduction by Fan Fusion guest Dante Basco (Rufio in Hook). - Plenty of gaming tournaments and table top gaming can be enjoyed at the convention. - Over 600 vendors, creators and artists in the exhibit hall. - A dedicated area for kids with activities such as arts and crafts as well as a LEGO room. - For the older the crowd, there is late night programming both Friday and Saturday with some of the events being 18+

So I've had these ideas for how I'd rewrite Spider-Man: Miles Morales for awhile, back when I was replaying this and Spider-Man PS4 before Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 released. I still enjoyed both games, the first especially. Though I have to come to agree that SM-MM has some narrative gripes; mainly with the villains. Since I already shared them with one Subreddit, I figured why not share it here: so feel free to flame me or share some thoughts on them.
1.) Turn Simon Krieger into Alistair Smythe
Krieger to me always felt kinda off-handed as a villain, leaving most of the dirty work to others and kinda proving Phin's point. That he is all bark and no bite. In coming up with the later change, I figured swapping Krieger for Alistair Smyther would be interesting for a couple of reasons. One being that having Smythe be Roxxon's head of R&D could open up the organization to a different enemy variety; making the Spider Slayer robots a threat Miles has to overcome. Second: it be a way to tie into the games whole "passing of the torch" story since Alistair in the comics took after his father Spencer Smythe. So Alistair could be motivated to escape his father's shadow in Roxxon much like Miles is carving his own path seperate from Peter. Third: honestly you wouldn't need to change the character personality wise; just make him more proactive as a villain.
2.) Keep Rick Mason Alive
An idea borrowed from Game Den's rewrite, I do like the idea of keeping Phin's brother alive and making him an active player in the story. Especially turning his death in the actual game into some supervillain origin story. The explosion that would have killed him instead giving him energy powers at the cost of needing to consume Nuform to survive. However if I were to keep Rick alive and give him superpowers, I'd have it be the case that Roxxon kept him under lock so he can more Nuform by force. Smythe is this hypotheical also taking advantage of Rick's position to weapons his powers and turn him into the companies private superpowered muscle. Specifically strapping him into some barely functional prototype battle armor, adding Nuform intakes to it, and making Rick this universe version of Beetle. I liked this approach for a few reasons, least of which being swapping out the Rhino spot later in the story. For one: if Rick is still alive, I like compound the mystery of what happened to him with the mystery of who Beetle is. I'd like the vision of Rick's armor being like Darth Vader's suit lore wise: in that it give him the ability to fly, hit hard, take hits, and fire out Nuform in concentrated beams; at the cost of needing to feed on Nuform canisters, not talking, and being puppeted by Smythe. Who is just stringing him along to meet quota in the hopes Phin is safe.
3.) Tinkerer's Changes
I also figured do this whole Beetle mystery with Rick would give Phin a redemption arc that doesn't happen last minute. By having the Rhino boss fight be swapped out with one where Miles and Phin's escape is halted by Beetle, Smythe via innercom just goating Phin into killing him, only for Miles to pull her back and discover Rick is the guy in the suit. This does mean for this hypothetical, Phin would be left in the dark about Rick's sickness and just assumed Roxxon killed him. Another change I'd make for her, in regards to her place in the Underground, she didn't take over leadership. She'd be a high ranking member who is trying to stir the gang into her direction while actual leaders of the group plot to cut her out the minute things turn south with her; figured this would dial back her comments when Miles confronts Phin with her secret after the repair shop mission. Blaming the leaders for attack Rio's rally when she needed a distraction for the bridge. The last change I'd make in regards to Phin is explaining why she'd never just went to the Morales for help after assuming Rick died. Since in this case she is working off of assumptions. Basically, taking elements from The Rabble (since to me Raneem is the better version of Insomniac Tinkerer): Phin was jealous of Miles. During the escape from Roxxon mission, before the two encounter "Beetle", Miles does answer Phin's question of whether he was going tell her he was Spider-Man by saying "despite what I was taught, yes". Miles would then throw her question back to which she'd respond with "had you not found out, no". Explaining that despite seeing Miles like a brother, she always thought she was the better of the two; and yet despite that, she lost her parents, her brother, her future, meanwhile Miles still has his. A minor change I would make for the Tinkerer would be moving her boss fight from the end of the game to the amphitheater mission. As with all these changes means the finale would be slightly different.
4.) The Ending
In short, the ending would still be the same: just with a bunch of elements changed. Miles and Phin end the Beetle boss fight by freeing Rick from Smythe control, though they all have to work together to stop the Underground from nuking Harlem via Phin's plan. When Rio shows her support for Miles as Spider-Man, Rick comforts Phin about her actions as the Tinkerer and that he only got strung along by Roxxon to protect her. The three go to try and stop the Underground, Miles gets kidnapped and fights Uncle Aaron. Phin and Rick arrive at the Oscorp convention and find out the Underground leadership has moved forward with cutting her out. Roxxon and the Underground fight throughout Harlem with Spider-Man, Tinkerer and Beetle trying to deesclate things. They try to move on with plan B: have Miles and Rick out absorb the plaza reactor before it goes critical. But then Smythe enters the picture with his own polished battlesuit that's basically combining his Slayer tech and Nuform with Phin's programmable matter. A boss fight ensues, the Mason's go down, Miles turn's the tide by repeatedly absorbing the Nuform from Smythe suit and sending it back at him. Miles and the Mason's save the day, but Rick is the one who sacrifices themself instead of Phin; and Smythe somehow survives but gets crippled and arrested.
Sorry if this post was a long, let me know what yall make of them mess.

Hey all, trying to free up some space. Not interested in splitting manga or floppies. I have included the Paypal G&S fees & shipping in everything over $15. For everything under, please add $3.50 for shipping. Thank you all for looking.
Verification & Omni photos - https://imgur.com/a/rW1vVv9
Black Panther by Christopher Priest Vol. 1 & 2 - $90 or $40 for Vol. 1 & $60 for Vol. 2
Green Arrow Rebirth Complete Lot(One Shot, #1-50, Annual 1/2, No Justice) - $60
https://imgur.com/a/green-arrow-aPVSPpK https://imgur.com/a/CYRzY2U
The Flash by Johns/Others lot(#161, 163-167, 171, 181, 187, 192, 198, 201, 204, 212-213, 216, 218, 222, 224, 228-236, 238-242, All Flash #1, Flash: Time Flies, Flashpoint(1999) #1-3) - $30
https://imgur.com/a/flash-by-johns-others-jpDKw6V
The Flash by Messner-Loebs (1,3,5-6,8-16,18-19,23-35,37,40,48,51-52, 54-61, Annual 2, Secret Origins Annual 2) - $40
https://imgur.com/a/flash-by-messner-loebs-UwtV0mm
Naruto 3in1 Full Run - $275
https://imgur.com/a/HdrvZb2 https://imgur.com/a/naruto-2-LK2aqEU
Misc. Manga - https://imgur.com/a/gsiQ41j
Tokyo Babylon -$5
Saiyuki - $8
Cat-Eyed Boy Vol. 1 - $13
Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #15: Ghosts of the Past - $20
https://imgur.com/a/ghosts-of-past-286VGJR
The Golden Age #1-4 - $13
https://imgur.com/a/legion-jsa-3WzPQzL
All-New Collector's Edition C-49 - Superboy & The Legion of Super-Heroes - $15
Misc. Green Lantern lot (Green Lantern Vol. 3 #141, 163, 169, Ion #1-12, Green Lantern New Guardians #0, 2-9, Red Lanterns #1, 7-10, Sinestro #1-6,9-16,18-23) - $25
https://imgur.com/a/FWoI9BN
Superman Triangle lot (Superman Annual #10, Special #3, #400, 14, 38,39, 51-62, Adventures of Superman #437-438,467, 474-479,484,485, Superman The Man of Steel #1,23, Action Comics Annual 2 #661-665,667-669, 671-672) - $40
https://imgur.com/a/superman-yuSi269
The Witcher SC Omnibus Vol. 1 - 2 - $28
https://imgur.com/a/tpb-MzKiV98
$5 TPBs:
The Wake
Black Monday Murders Vol. 1
Black Monday Murders Vol. 2
Infidel
Bitter Root Vol. 1
Blue in Green
White Death
Superman The Black Ring/Reign of Doomsday - $15
Invasion - $15
https://imgur.com/a/34DBz1F