My mom is starting to show early signs of dementia. No one around me does anything because they think it’s normal. She’s the only person who has a job in the house and I can’t leave because I’m still in school. We basically live in squalor, the house is cleaned like once every two months, it always smells of something and my dumb fucking mom always lets dogs in. I have to be honest, I think that if she ever goes away for more than a day I will definitely put them up for adoption. No one other than her can Stand those dogs, they all have behaviour problems and make everything stink. What pisses me off more than anything is that no matter how I tell my mother she has problems she won’t understand it. Apparently illness in this house doesn’t exist, to the point where when I had covid and I had to tell my school my mom had a mental breakdown and didn’t talk to me for a week because for her I was supposed to go. For any simple drive, she takes an hour and sometimes drives around the same town 4 times, while hitting her head against the car seat. She has intense moodswings. All that she does is talk about the man she works in the office for. It’s gotten so annoying that whenever she comes home I straight up leave. She won’t divorce my dad because he has a house and she doesn’t wanna pay for her own. Other psychotic things she did were screaming at me saying I was gross for an hour when I got earrings and she once purposely dropped dish soap on my hair when I dyed it. She forced me to wash it 10 times in a row. When I was a kid she’d rip apart my books because she did not want to help me do my homework. When I was 12 and showed signs of suicidal behaviour, she straight up stopped talking to me for the whole year. In fact I don’t have any memories with my mom at that age. All that she does is take me and my friends to expensive places so she can I hold it back against me if I point out something bad she did. She has a weird shopping compulsion, she literally goes grocery shopping everyday. It’s funny that she does this then say we’re poor. My dad isn’t any better. Although he’s mildly rational, he’s unemployed and does violent things. For as long as I remember, he would get mad and break things. When I was 15 I went to take a shower before a doctors appointment and while he was fine 10 mins before that, after he went insane and almost broke down the door, yelling that I was worse than my cousin who’s a drop out with sociopathic tendencies. For context, I’ve never done anything bad, I’m literally known as someone who’s always quiet. When I was a kid my dad would always yell at me in public and at home sometimes he’d beat me. What’s insane is that both of my parents hit me as a kid and whenever I would bring it up they’d always say they never did it. When I brought up actual times they did it they just said it was my fault. To see a picture of me as a 5 year old and think that somebody would beat that kid breaks my heart. How on earth can someone beat a kid? For almost my whole childhood I was home alone,daydreaming about being somewhere else. All this trauma led me to being unable to love anyone, hating myself to the point that I’m disgusted by people who love me and hating everyone.

Ok, after a bit more digging through a pretty tricky rabbit hole , I found out that the Weird WNBA Subreddits, CandaceParkerist20 and candaceparkerist were not the work of one individual, but rather the collaborative effort of multiple (bizarre) individuals. If you dig deep and search socialgrep and other subreddits, you will find strange conspiracies about how Candace Parker will become the US president and how WNBA players are smoking. These follow through into even more bizarre pieces about Shortaki, one of the most outlandish conspiracy theories out there that has literally no meaning. I believe these grammatical errors are some kind of code, but this sure as heck can’t be an ARG with posts going back to 2021.
Here are some links that could help people understand who (or what) this is?
A removed post with comments telling what Shortaki could be about, features the theory getting mocked.https://socialgrep.com/post/qq9vdo
If you go to ask Reddit, and type in Shortaki, there are bizarre comments about the Zulu Language and future events.https://old.reddit.com/AskReddit/comments/ph3mdm/what_certain_object_or_image_brings_back_a_memory/
This one here is a Shortakian conspiring to make a conspiracy
https://old.reddit.com/antivax/comments/q6tg7l/shower_thought_on_reaching_antivaxxers/hglgg1c/?context=2
First use of Shortaki Strong (or a similar phrase)
https://old.reddit.com/RedditSessions/comments/oa6ydn/deleted_by_useh3fotvp/?context=2
Shortaki word salad that has some key points and ends in 9/11 conspiracy theory
https://old.reddit.com/teenagers/comments/rtm14the_shortakian_book_of_kindness/
SHORTAKIII and ShortakiMovement2 also exists, shows they were active through 2022.
This makes me think that there is something wrong with whoever is posting but it’s multiple individuals. Also, the conspiracy hole goes deeper, SocialGrep is a goldmine for some of this stuff and I do think that this may be a puzzle created by the Shortakians to confuse us and maybe divert us from their actual problem. I’m convinced that these subs are a 300 headed monster that wants to eat us alive from behind, and I don’t trust this creepy crawly at all. If anyone can provide any guesses or info, please feel free to comment. Also, the inclusion of private subreddits makes me think that this may be an elaborate troll. Weirdly, the conspiracies are all very liberal, unlike MAGA conspiracies.
​
​
​

Warning! Brief mention of surgery and medical procedures.
What happens when you mix alien tech with the kinds of people that implant chips into each other (Warning: needle, dot of blood)? Problems apparently.
Wait Who is Doing This?
So you remember the shows you'd watch as a kid (before it all became a little too real) where there'd be characters that were cyborgs or androids? Well, there's a group of people, who call themselves grinders, that want to make that a reality.
These grinders are diy body modification specialists who are doing things like undergoing experimental medical procedures and implanting themselves with RFID chips and magnets in order to become "more than human". It's a rather extreme method of biohacking, or do it yourself biology. I know it sounds like something that started after the Avengers, but this movement has been going on for a while. The first human safe RFID implant was actually in 2005!
It did become a lot more popular once superheroes came out though. The grinder community proudly claims Tony Stark as a member because of the arc reactor that was planted in his chest, although to my knowledge he had never acknowledged the community in any way.
Once the Avengers were revealed? Ho boy the community exploded. Here was tangible proof that human modification had real world possibilities. Captain America? Biohacking. The Hulk? Biohacking. There were even some people insisting that Black Widow and Hawkeye had to be biohacked because there was no way a normal person could do that.
Of course, the Avengers' creation coincided with lots of alien material raining from the sky...
The Drama Part 1
We all remember 2012 and the invasion, no need to rehash that whole thing. Now, most of the Chitauri tech was cleaned up by first responders and DODC, but the thing is when you have a massive battle over a major city, you're going to get debris spread out over and picked up before official sources can get to it. So suddenly, there was a lot of people who had their hands on genuine alien tech.
Of course, that meant that people looked at the Chitauri tech they had, looked at the Avengers and their body mods, put two and two together and decided that they were going to become transhuman by implanting themselves with alien material.
So here's the thing: despite what you may think, many grinders have a lot of genuine medical knowledge. Not all of them, or this post wouldn't exist, but a lot of grinders actually do know what they are doing. And an implant like that is (obviously!) not safe.
First, everything that goes into the body needs to be biocompatible. That means that if you stick something in your body, your body doesn't reject it. A pretty common example is ear piercings: your body either accepts the new jewelry and you're fine, or it doesn't and you get an infection. Or if the earring is not cleaned properly, then again, you get an infection.
Guess how many people properly cleaned their new alien tech?
Secondly, radiation? Energy leakage?? How are these things powered, and is that energy safe to be in a human body? Is the sample even complete enough to do anything? Or is it like a battery with the case cracked leaking toxic whatever?
Of course, to some people that just meant that maybe they'd get powers from the energy leakage...
Now, I do want to be clear: implanting with Chitauri tech was a fringe movement within an already fringe movement, and one that was highly criticized by the main movement as well. But there was enough people trying to do it that several of the top grinder forums had to put up banner warnings that discussing body moding with Chitauri tech was highly frowned upon and that it was incredibly unsafe.
I don't remember how long this phase of the drama lasted, but it was a while. However, after enough people posted horror stories and some frankly disturbing infection photos, even the thick headed wannabee figured out that sticking potentially unstable, unknown Chitauri material into your body was a bad idea.
As such, it appeared the drama was over. Until...
The Drama Part 2, the Hydra Bugaboo
Again, we all know what happened, no need to rehash it. The only thing you need to remember is that it was discovered that Hydra had kidnapped civilians for a variety of reasons.
On October 28th, 2014, a person under the username ChitHuGod (Chitauri-Human-God) logged on and posted in several grinder forums that he had been one of the people that had been kidnapped by Hydra. Why had he been kidnapped? Because he had somehow successfully implanted himself with Chitauri tech. He even had pictures of the implants.
The forums went nuts.
It was possible? It could be done!? You have to remember, the grinder community is full of people who believe in transhumanism, the movement to improve the human condition past human limitations. Something like this was straight out of their wildest dreams.
Speculation was rampant until a few days later, one eagle-eyed poster noted some signs of photoshop in the photos.
The house of cards collasped. ChitHuGod was bombarded with demands to explain, until he eventually deleted his account. The community as a whole was pissed.
The Aftermath
Once burned, twice shy. The grinder community as a whole learned their lesson with Chitauri tech, and frankly alien tech as a whole. Unless they fully understood it, it wasn't going in their bodies. I know at least one forum has a sticky thread explaining why, with examples, for newcomers.
Every once in a while a ChitHuGod copycat starts up claiming to have done something similar, but often they get very little attention and most delete their accounts soon after.
The community itself keeps growing, and with the increasing instability of the world it's getting fairly popular, albeit still fringe. And who knows? With all the crazy things that have happened lately, I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone did manage to turn a human into a Chitauri cyborg...
(OOC: I'm not actually a member of the grinder community, although it does sound cool. I just learned about them and wanted to share. If you are a member, please feel free to add any corrections you'd like to make it more realistic.)

Ok, so this might be a long one, which i may or may not add to through edits if people decide to tell me otherwise or chime in with legit theories. Also this is just an observation and discussion, if you think that i have gotten things wrong, please tell me, it will give me some time to kill till Sunday-Funday.
I've been following the general subject for a long time (compared to my current age), I have been meaning to write something but due to stigma i thought that it was a little silly to get too heavily involved in the sub. But all the recent negativity has almost forced me to feel inclined to chip in.
First I'll start with some basic observations concerning UAP/UFO lore-

1. There is always an attempt at a coverup by people who we could consider "above the government"
2. The videos that we do get to view are always blurry
3. People both skeptics and believers demand hard evidence that they simply aren't entitled to get.
4. The witnesses that are involved with situations like these and people who talk about these points have an opportunity to use their fame to make a living.
5. There is a media drip that allowed the stigma for the field of study to be ridiculed.
6. There are disinformation campaigns that pollute the very core of the subject.
7. Extremely reputable people will come forward and be ridiculed by the general public due to mental and cultural conditioning.
8. There is no definition between fields of studies within even this sub itself. (This is a big one!!)
9. The UAP is in expected to be benevolent, by a large majority of the users.
10. The necessity and also danger of skepticism.
11. The conspiracy mindset.
12. The increase of reports, and why the Whistleblower is more important than previous events (thing Greer's disclosure meeting event)

So to expand,

1. The coverup of something you are not supposed to see is a great casus beli, why haven't we got any proof? Because the the people who are paid money to focus on this one aspect of disinformation are simply very good at their jobs. Think of a World renowned chef, or heart surgeon, they most likely don't even need to think about what they are doing, and do not put any extra effort at their job, they live and breathe this line of work. It would most likely be a similar situation with someone who has devoted their lives to disinformation and media manipulation.
2. The videos are alway blurry, we have had accounts of many sightings, lots of video footage, some spectacular, some absolute rubbish (think las vegas zoomed in aliens (even though you're probably already sick of this)). So many times in accounts, there has been records of people saying UAP's and creatures are simply "hard to look at". which covers the shitty side to this. BUT when there is some exceptional footage, it's always 'too good to be true'. Must be CGI, must be faked somehow. So it's a lose-lose situation. There is no consensus on what would be considered by this sub to be honest verifiable information.
3. Lots of people are banging on about how they "need to see hard evidence" and that's all that will convince them. So this evidence is potentially top secret, so im sorry, what makes the people who have the most intricate disinformation campaign, hide stuff from people in much higher places than you, think that. Hey this UAP sub is pretty legit, we are going to give them all the information because they deserve it. Fun fact, in their eyes, you are worker bees, and they are the beekeepers. they are a higher entity than you in that regard and they see you as something akin to an insect. Without demanding that this gets released to congress and then declassified, you are never going to see legit papers (without occasional leaks (and possibly controlled leaks)). People with this as their only way of fully believing might as well just get out of this conversation and join the rest of the public to wait for full disclosure, as for them it's either everything or nothing.
4. Stains on the reputations of yourself and myself, Think someone like Steven Greer and the more fringe abduction stories etc. I think there is no further explanation needed on this part. It damages the reputation to such a degree, that anyone joining the conversation will immediately leave the talk. Is this another level of disinformation? Hard to tell, but as i will go into detail about later whoever is running the disinformation campaigns is surely benefiting from these people whether their intention or not. (even the rift they create in the community is beneficial to disinformation)
5. The media drip is a simple concept, any thing until a few years ago that mentioned aliens was ridiculed by the media, these reports were always from the angle of comedy. ill put the next bit in brackets, because even for myself it is a little wild, but more of an example into how it could be used, (this is most likely not true but the CONCEPT stands (Look at steven Spielberg's E.T., people who are into this line of thinking are believing they have magic fingers and ride in bikes in front of the moon with children, add in some weird connection with almost undertone of romance, hey presto the UAP following community are connected with Pedophilia.)) Play destroy all humans, the game, look at all the obvious references to current UAP lore, it bleeds through, and this game is a comedy game (great game btw).
6. The disinformation campaigns run into the very core of this subject, and it could be argued that it runs so well that outside intervention is not actually necessary to the upkeep of these campaigns (more on this later)
7. Unfortunately for the mass of the public, it would take the president him/herself to declare this as a real phenomenon in a world address to make this seen as legit. Even though in theory the President of the USA is only a temporary employee position of the US government, and someone who is already in the loop theoretically holds a higher position than a public, temporary employee. They are the face of the USA, but looking at it from a reasonable perspective, someone who has been working a high position in the DOD for 50 years or whatever would have seen over 10 presidents (that's a guess). The label "Deep State" has actually damaged the accessibility of the concept (another disinformation?), where it is actually simple, people who have worked in structured hierarchies outside of the temporary domain of the public representatives have almost autonomy, due to the very nature of 'Classified' information.
8. This is a big one, and IMO it should really be addressed within this community. Why does a legit study of UAP's need to crossover with something as reputation breaking as gathering together to meditate to summon a UAP mothership. The lack of definition between subjects causes all the fringe theories to be mixed into one melting pot, then be branded as simply "batshit crazy" by outsiders. The whole WOO thing (even if it has some sort of credibility) is just damaging the reputation of a legit study into the phenomena. Think of the 4chan leaker, the conversations was littered with (yes racism, its 4chan, what do you expect) people saying they can summon UAP's with their mind, and this is not a foreign concept within the reddit subs. This really needs to be addressed, the scientific community has shied away from this subject en masse because of the stigma, that much is true. Saying you can summon UAP's with your mind (etc.) is only increasing the stigma. And on the flip-side, what a perfect disinformation concept... Why would you want to be involved with this community if you knew for a fact that recently outside your town thousands of people meditated and tried to summon an alien entity, (very cultic action BTW) who ever runs the disinformation campaign either heavily influenced this, or is laughing because they made his/her job easier, and simply did it for them.
9. Are they benevolent? This is a big part of the argument, we don't know enough to actually understand this. People assume the release of information coined the "Great Disclosure" will only bring positives to this world. What happens if there is truly terrifying reasons that has kept disclosure from becoming a thing. Hell it may bring world peace and people making love not war with other alien species, or it could reveal we are under some sort of extreme oppression and danger. The problems of this are not privy to the general public, we simply don't know. I assume there is a real reason for the existence of UAP's to be a conspiracy to some extent.
10. Last part, the Skeptics. So this is an interesting subject. Skeptics are necessary in their own right, but due to the levels of fanatics we find following UAP lore and theory (Think WOO), we also get an equal problem where skeptics will try to debunk things with equally wild claims. The skeptics aren't like a scientific community, they don't try to disprove theories with as much effort, (mostly), with corabarating data that backs up their claims, they just throw the classic "FAKE" at it, claim CGI, claim balloons where it is unlikely, (Except the Mothers day balloon guy VS metapod, that was actually legit and impressive, Kudos), meteor showers, bugs on the lens, whatever etc. This goes to such an extreme, that it is almost easy to tell this may be the effects of a well oiled disinformation campaign, i.e. they are disproving themselves within their own community. You don't find skeptics anywhere else except from the conspiracy community, there are only opposing theories. hell there are even people who have said that the Government released videos are; Fake; CGI; Stupid; Balloons. How great is this level of disinfo where people are questioning the validity of government approved released UAP videos.
11. So the conspiracy mindset is an interesting thing to look at, because of decades of disinfo, and ridicule it has increased the paranoia of some of the conspiracy theorists. a recent example: New Whistleblower? Must be a disinfo campaign, the government is trying to plant something to mislead us; Vegas? Must be a campaign to distract us from the Whistleblower news. Now this mindset is something that has permeated the Mentality of the community for a long time, and i fully believe it is heavily linked to both disinformation and the paranoid mindset, in this example, we are told to focus on the original narrative because this is fabricated to distract us, which is such a ludicrous concept that benefits a disinformation campaign wholly. Why not focus on both? because one is made to discredit the other? how deep into the conspiracy mindset when you can't just take at face value that both have the validity to be true. They are too close together? Yes sometimes in every field two unrelated events occur almost instantaneously and that is the nature of something being truly random. The most logical explanation is that they simply are both happening.
12. This current whistleblower is more important because of ease of access to information that this direct era is privileged to. The people who can't see that and argue, "but they did this in 1978" (Or whatever) are forgetting the concept that information travels much, much further now. I think the people who previously ran the disinfo campaign are actually giving up, due to everyone having cameras, and the seemingly decreasing effectiveness to simply "scrub" information from public record. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmBniAE4y8E This is a great example for the argument.

I may add some more if this conversation gains a little traction. I only thing that it should be stated at some point, Yes the title even-headed could be argued to be complete bullshit, and that is peoples opinions. I think that the key point i'm trying to make is that because this was previously a 'tinfoil hat' conspiracy subject, doesnt mean we cant evolve from that and be an actual place of reasonable discussion, with reasonable skepticism. Bring in the extreme on both sides and pull them together to create a more realist focus of discussion (or cut out the extreme for more fringe sites). And focus on the credible and reliable centre discussion, (compared to aliens made me sterile etc.)
There are many viable reports and legit documents i have read in the last year, and some of these have had no focus whatsoever, but in actual reports where the data corroborates each other massively is where any researcher will find truth. If I can be bothered i will add it in another time.
Oh and for the love of god if anyone calls this a disinfo attempt is clearly too far gone for a reasonable conversation.
​

Echoes of Eleven: The Curse Unveiled
In the quiet town of Ravenbrook, nestled amidst mist-shrouded forests, a group of eleven individuals unknowingly embarked on a terrifying journey that would forever change their lives. Each member had received an enigmatic invitation, beckoning them to the foreboding mansion on Elm Street. Little did they know that this gathering would be the catalyst for their descent into darkness.
As the clock struck midnight, the eleven strangers cautiously stepped through the mansion's creaking doors. The air grew thick with anticipation as they entered the dimly lit dining hall. A long table, adorned with an intricately carved centerpiece, awaited their arrival. Nervous glances were exchanged, and the group found solace in their shared apprehension.
Conversation flowed, and laughter echoed through the grand hall, temporarily dispelling their unease. But then, as if guided by an unseen force, the room grew colder, and an ominous hush fell upon the unsuspecting guests. The flickering candle flames dimmed, casting elongated shadows across their faces. An unseen presence seemed to permeate the air, its weight palpable.
Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness. Panic enveloped the group as they groped their way through the black void. In the midst of their confusion, a sinister voice emerged from the shadows, chilling their very souls. "Eleven shall be your curse," it whispered, its words carrying a malevolence that left them trembling.
The lights flickered back to life, revealing the trembling figures of the eleven. Fear gripped their hearts as they realized that one among them was a murderer, concealed in their midst. Suspicion hung heavily in the air, fracturing their once-solid bonds. Friendships became mired in doubt, trust turned to paranoia, and an insidious game of survival began.
Each passing day brought a new revelation, a chilling hint that perpetuated the curse of eleven. A cryptic note found beneath a pillow, a blood-stained knife discreetly tucked away, or a chilling message scrawled on the walls in the dead of night. It seemed as though the very walls of the mansion whispered secrets that only the murderer and the curse comprehended.
As the group sought to unmask the killer, alliances formed and shattered, the web of suspicion tightening around them all. The number eleven became a haunting presence, appearing in the most unexpected places. Clocks struck eleven, shadows seemed to lengthen at that hour, and patterns of eleven materialized in the architecture, fueling their growing terror.
Days turned into nights, and nights blurred into a maddening cycle of paranoia. The once-vibrant group of eleven became a fractured assembly of fear-stricken souls, teetering on the precipice of madness. In the final, climactic confrontation, the true face of evil was revealed, its sinister motives laid bare for all to see.
But the curse did not end there. Its grip lingered, forever etched into the memories of the survivors. Though they managed to escape the clutches of the mansion, the horror of their ordeal remained deeply ingrained. The tale of the eleven and their nightmarish encounter spread like wildfire, captivating the world with its bone-chilling details.
"Echoes of Eleven: The Curse Unveiled" became a literary sensation, its pages immortalizing the group's descent into darkness. Their story left an indelible mark on the annals of horror, a chilling reminder that the number eleven holds secrets far more sinister than anyone could fathom. And even now, in the quiet moments of solitude, whispers of that cursed number continue to haunt those who dare to listen, forever echoing through the ages.
Part 2: The Unforgiving Shadows
Years had passed since the harrowing events at the mansion on Elm Street, yet the chilling echoes of the curse refused to fade away. The survivors of that night had moved on with their lives, seeking solace in the hope that the darkness they had endured was forever behind them. Little did they know that fate had different plans, ready to pull them back into the sinister clutches of the number eleven.
One by one, the eleven individuals found themselves inexplicably drawn back to Ravenbrook. Their seemingly unrelated paths converged once more, as if guided by an invisible hand. An old book, its pages worn and weathered, arrived at their doorsteps, urging them to return to the site of their shared nightmare. Reluctant but unable to resist the call, they found themselves standing once again before the mansion's foreboding façade.
This time, the mansion bore a more desolate and eerie atmosphere. Its grandeur had faded, replaced by an unsettling aura of abandonment. As the group stepped inside, they were greeted by the suffocating silence of a place that had witnessed the darkest of secrets. Memories resurfaced, and their hearts pounded with a mix of trepidation and a lingering curiosity to uncover the truth that lay dormant within those haunted walls.
As they delved deeper into the mansion's hidden chambers, they discovered cryptic symbols etched into the decaying wallpaper, reminiscent of the number eleven. The once-familiar rooms now seemed transformed, warped by an otherworldly force. The presence that had plagued them before had returned, its malevolence growing stronger, driving them closer to the brink of their sanity.
Whispers, barely audible, wound their way through the corridors, carried on a phantom breeze. The survivors felt the weight of the curse once again, its tendrils wrapping around their souls. A sense of foreboding hung heavily in the air, as if time itself had been suspended, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.
Each member of the group unraveled fragments of their own forgotten past, revealing a connection that spanned far beyond their shared encounter in the mansion. A dark secret emerged, entwining their lives with the number eleven, forging a bond that surpassed comprehension. They were not just victims but instruments of a greater design, bound to confront the ancient entity that wielded the curse.
As they reached the heart of the mansion, a room hidden from prying eyes, they discovered a shrine of obsidian and candlelight. Within its center stood a grotesque idol, a representation of the malevolent force that had plagued their lives. Trembling, they realized that only by facing the darkness head-on could they hope to sever the chains of the curse forever.
With resolve hardening in their hearts, they joined forces, united against the malefic presence that sought to consume them. Each member harnessed their unique strengths, their shared history giving them an inexplicable power to fight back. The confrontation was fierce, an intense battle between light and shadow, as they struggled to break the cycle of eleven that had haunted their lives.
In a final, desperate surge of courage, the survivors shattered the cursed idol, its fragments showering the room like shards of vindication. The mansion trembled, as if relieved to be liberated from the curse that had held it captive for so long. The weight that had burdened their souls began to lift, and an eerie calm settled over Ravenbrook.
As the survivors emerged from the mansion's haunted embrace, they knew that their ordeal had reached its conclusion. The curse had been vanquished, and their names would forever be etched in the annals of darkness.
As the survivors stood outside the mansion, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and relief, a sudden realization struck them. The number eleven had not been the curse itself; it had been the harbinger of an even greater malevolence lurking in the shadows.
In a shocking act that defied all expectations, one of the survivors, their eyes gleaming with a twisted joy, turned on their companions. Betrayal hung in the air like a noose, as the newfound traitor reveled in the chaos they had sown. With a malevolent smile, they revealed themselves to be the puppet master, orchestrating the events all along.
It was a game to them, a sadistic manipulation of lives and fears. The curse of eleven had been a mere illusion, a smokescreen to distract from the true depths of their evil. The survivors, once bound by their shared torment, were now caught in a web of betrayal spun by their very own comrade.
As screams of shock and horror filled the night, the traitor disappeared into the darkness, leaving their former companions to grapple with the cruel twist of fate. The group of survivors, broken and battered, now faced not only the torment of the curse but also the realization that evil could manifest in the most unexpected of places.
The shocking act left an indelible mark on the town of Ravenbrook, perpetuating the legend of the cursed eleven. The survivors became cautionary tales, their names whispered with a mix of fear and fascination. The story that had once promised fame and terror had twisted into a nightmarish tragedy, forever haunting the minds of those who dared to delve into its depths.
And so, the legacy of Echoes of Eleven remained, a testament to the fragility of trust and the depths of human darkness. The tale, no longer a simple horror story, became a chilling reminder that evil can lurk within even the closest of circles, ready to strike with a shocking act that would forever stain the pages of history.

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First

Chapter 02: Awakening

Zaire's heart pounded within his chest as he sprinted, his eyes fixed on the shattered skies, unleashing thunderous roars and jagged bolts of lightning.
Cold soil crunched under his boots, and dust and ashes flew on the frenzied winds, coating his cloak. The thunder rumbled, yet not a single drop of rain fell. This desolate land bore no trace of life. The churning clouds formed a vortex high above, while a chilling gust swept relentlessly across the land, frigid like the most haunting night of the fall.
Zaire ran, stumbling along the frigid path, occasionally casting wary glances over his shoulder. The absence of any pursuer didn't calm him down even a little. Only barren and desolate terrain, with the ominous outline of the black mountains and the swirling clouds, reigned in his sight. No soul could be found in this forsaken land.
However, an intangible presence pursued Zaire, an entity both eerie and malevolent, its deranged cries reverberating in his ears. Even as he rushed onward, the pursuer seemed to draw nearer, cloaked in madness. A step away from claiming him.
In his desperate dash, Zaire tumbled to the ground, the chill of impending horror creeping up his spine.
"You cannot hide," the voice hissed, its tone murky and ghastly. "Not then. Not now."
Zaire sensed the abyss beckoning below, threatening to engulf him, its unseen tendrils grasping at his limbs. His body convulsed, his muscles seizing under the weight of impending doom. The voice called out once more, luring him deeper into the drowning abyss.
As his willpower began to succumb, tears streamed down Zaire's face, his trembling fingers desperately clawing at the frigid earth. It felt cold and unyielding, slipping from his grasp.
Zaire awoke.
Zaire jolted upright, gasping for breath. Tremors racked his body, while his spine remained cold, drenched in a clammy layer of cold sweat. A searing pain lanced through his mind as if a sharp blade pierced his thoughts.
Gasps clawed their way out of his parched throat, as he stared into the thick darkness looming over him. Common sense assured he was safe, that it was all a dream, a wretched nightmare, but Zaire’s heart didn’t stop racing. The harrowing terror etched to his very core, it all held true in his mind.
Gathering his strength, Zaire sat up and leaned against the cold wall beside the bed. His body was weakened and weary, but he managed to calm his heart after going through the breathing exercise his mother taught him.
His heart stopped racing, but the foreboding feeling lingered in his mind.
Zaire rose from his bed, the creaking of the old furniture accompanying his movement. Proceeding cautiously, he made his way to the bathroom. He eventually found a lamp on the way, emanating a faint glow as he ignited it, tracing the switch upwards.
Guided by the lamp's glow, Zaire entered the bathroom and spotted a bucket of cold water nearby. Zaire seized it, acting on an impulse, and poured the entire contents of the bucket over his head. That brought some semblance of peace within him.
All worry and pain subsided, save for the unfamiliar chillness in his right palm. He put his attention on the palm to find a black tear mark across the palm. He peered deeper into it, pondering what could be the cause of that when a voice transmitted to his mind, followed by shimmering system text, glittering in a green light, stunning him completely
[Synchronisation completed.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened Emerald Aether.]
A surge of warmth coursed through his body. The relentless throbbing in his head softened, and just as Zaire prepared for the authenticity of this development, an influx of unknown information surged through his mind.
[Preparing the user interface…]
____________
Name: Zaire O'Leons
Title (s): Faithless
Route: None
Hidden Route: Mage (Restricted) - Level 0 (Progress: 0%)
Rank: None
Fate Points: 1000 Free Attribute Points: 0
Attributes
Health: 200 Aether: 2 Control: 370
Physical Power: 12
Mental Power: 27
Magic Power: 0
Constitution: 14
Intuition: 20
Resistance: 14
Abilities:
[Aether Binding]
Skills/Spells: None
__________
"This is real!?" Zaire muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. He unconsciously drew his palm towards the shimmering system window, attempting to grasp onto its ethereal shimmer. However, his fingers phased through the holographic text, though the text didn't dissipate.
"Did my second dip into the Ascendant Pool work?" Zaire cracked into tears, collapsing onto the damp tiles of the bathroom floor. Unconsciously, he clenched his palms into fists, pressing them against his face as the system window vanished into thin air.
Zaire opened his palm once again and peered into the cracked tear mark, only to witness the same System window expanding before his eyes. To dispel any doubts or delusions, he repeated the process of clenching and unclenching his palm, each time successfully opening and closing the system window.
He wasn't done checking out the system. Having waited his entire life, and even an extra year compared to others, he began to read its contents. He reached the end of the contents pretty easily, but his excitement was far from quenching. Zaire peered deeper into each tab, hoping to get more explanations of them.
Multiple system windows materialised before his eyes, expanding to unveil detailed information about various aspects of his existence.
[Title: Faithless
A soul adrift, untethered, faithless in the winds of doubt.]
[Rank: None.
Progress: 0%
Your previous circumstances hadn't let you accumulate or cultivate Aether. Now you’re ready to take your first step in Aether Binding.]
[Fate Points: 1000.
Fate points are gifted when an individual affects the world. Your existence in this Route world has influenced its fate. You have gained 1000 points from that.
PS: Acts of blasphemy against the orthodox and unorthodox gods will get you bonus fate points.]
Zaire stopped, his eyes lingering on the last line. Fate Points were the most necessary points to learn and grow Spells, Skills, and Abilities. He was delighted to gain 1000 points on awakening, which was an above-average number as far as he was concerned, but he wasn’t so sure about the last line.
Pissing in the temple doesn’t seem like something that will gain me fate points, not that I ever do such a thing. Even if he was Faithless somehow, his mother brought him up better to be considerate of people’s faith and belief. He simply wouldn’t do something unfaithful to her just for some momentary gain.
Of course, ignoring what he did to gain his Route yesterday.
That brought him back to the description of Faithless. That line was completely vague and meant nothing as far as he was concerned.
Zaire ignored all the tabs with information on all the attributes, as they were self-explanatory. He moved on to his abilities.
[Aether Binding:
Your Hidden Route Mage enables you to bind Emerald Aether and cultivate them.
Level: None (Progress: 0%)]
Zaire couldn’t help but sigh, finding only 2 points in Aether. With that, he couldn’t even try to learn the simplest spell. But his dejection didn’t remain for long. It was merely the start.
"I'd strip the freaking moons from the sky if I have to," Zaire said, clenching his palm into a fist.
“Zai, are you in the bathroom?” Ella’s voice broke him out of delight, bringing him back to reality.
“Yes,” Zaire replied, and got out of there, unaware that he was about to get an earful for his stunt at the temple.
He found her standing just a few paces away from the bathroom door. Tall, towering over him even though she was barely a few inches taller than him.
“How are you feeling?” She asked, her eyes scanning him.
“I’m good,” Zaire answered, his voice laced with delight. “Never felt this good in my life.”
Annoyance flashed across her face as she heard him. “Are you really alright?” she asked again.
“Yes.” His drenched form wasn’t making his case any easier.
“Fine, wipe yourself and change, we need to discuss something urgently.” Ella walked away, her demeanour showed she was particularly irritated.
Zaire had a bad feeling about this. Hoping that his success might quell her stifled fury, Zaire shouted at once: “Mum, I succeeded, I awakened my Aether.”
Ella stopped, turned and peered at him with narrowed eyes. “What are you talking about?” she questioned. “My [Inspection] tells me no such thing.”
“What!?” Zaire blinked, stupefied. Was it because it was a Hidden Route
“Zai,” Ella’s voice softened as she came forward to soothe him, “I understand why you did what you did. But in life, you need to accept the truth as it is.”
“Mum, I’m not really—”
Ella silenced him by embracing him, unbothered that he was drenched. “My boy, I understand.” Ella’s voice was soft and soothing, a stark contrast to her usual behaviour. “After I’m back from the trip, I’ll bring you to a special place. There will be people who can help you. Of course, you can’t be a mage, but you can be as strong as any regular Ranger or Knight, and even surpass me.”
Zaire didn’t struggle in her embrace and listened to her carefully. It seemed there was no way for him to prove his credibility as a mage unless he could cast a spell. But Zaire was still a few steps away from there.
“Wait, are you going somewhere?” he asked.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Faye awakened Dream Aether,” Ella said, releasing him of the embrace. “You know what that entails.”
“She has to join the Empire’s Academy,” Zaire said as realisation dawned on him.
“And ten years of service in the empire after graduation,” Ella added.
The rules were pretty strict for those that awakened Emerald, and Dream Aether, though the same rule applies to those with Gold, Red, or any other type of Aether if they joined any of the Empire’s academies. Of course, fighters with Red Aether had to qualify in the tests to be admitted into the academy, unlike in the cases of Emerald and Dream Aether, the number of people awakening them was so scarce that they admit whoever awakened them. While the churches had special demands for those with Gold Aether.
“Your sister is torn between delight and sorrow that she will be leaving,” Ella continued. “But you know her, she’s inclined to learn more about Aether and her power. And I cannot stop her, or the Empire, from taking her.”
Zaire nodded. “When are you two leaving?”
“Now,” Ella said. “The screening process has already started, but the people in the Snowfeather Academy will take her even if it takes two days for us to reach there. Go to your room and get ready quickly. The carriage will leave within half an hour."
Ella busied herself with the preparations. She had been making their meals before finding Zaire in the bathroom.
"Mum," Zaire eventually replied, "I think I’ll remain home."
Ella paused, turning to face him fully. "Are you certain?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Zaire nodded.
"You'll be fine, won't you?" Ella inquired. "I suppose Faye will understand, although she'll be disappointed."
"Yes, Mum.".

I (19M) got paralyzed exactly 5 years ago today. To be more precise, I'm a quadriplegic (I can't move my arms nor legs). (before you ask how I wrote this post, there's this eye-tracking gadget that I can use - thank you, modern-day technology)
I got paralyzed when I was partying with my friends. My dumb, sober ass thought it'd be a great idea to try and do a backflip on the ground (it had also rained, so the grass was wet...) without any prior experience. Needless to say, I botched my 'landing' and got to spend the next 5 months in a hospital. I've also been in rehab many times and do physiotherapy to this day. Apparently, due to the severity of my injury, much hasn't changed.
Now, before my 'accident', I was a very active guy. I used to go to the gym 5-6 times a week, do some sort of a cardio workout almost every day (go swimming or running) and take MMA classes. I had many friends, was good-looking, reasonably confident and didn't find interacting with girls too difficult (although my looks boosted my confidence, I was still a bit shy).
Today, though, I'm quite fed up with the way my life works. I used to live my life from schooldays to weekends, but now I live from bowel movement to bowel movement. I can't physically be spontaneous anymore (at least without either pissing or shitting myself). Most of my friends have moved away to continue with their studies or because of work. I feel a bit lonely and although I still live with my family, I can't help but to feel like a massive burden on them.
I envy my friends and people who got to spend the latter part of their teenage years like normal teenagers - partying (although I actually wasn't that big of a big party animal - I didn't even drink), forming new friend/relationships, getting their driver's licenses and discovering the unknown parts of our state/country and, of course, having sex.
I don't know if it's immature of me to make such a big fuss of not having sex/not being sexual, but I had a high libido even before my accident and although I haven't had 'a release' in 5 years now, the high libido hasn't gone anywhere. I literally used to play some 'pocket pool' every day at least once to keep my thoughts 'family friendly', you know?
I am also a bit sad by the fact that I didn't lose my v-card back then. I'll never get to feel those sensations nor will I ever be able to give any pleasure, properly, to anyone. I mean I can't use my fingers and although I'd love to give head, the positions would always be the same. So sex with me will just probably become a boring routine for my potential partner.
I'm very insecure and hate the way I am. I'm skinny-fat and don't smell that good anymore. I have grown from all the wrong places and shrunk from all the wrong places (if you know what I mean).
I would love to have a girlfriend, but who exactly dreams of having an insecure crippled boyfriend who isn't good in bed, shits himself time-to-time or whose ass you've got to wipe one day. I mean, it's humiliating for both parties, no?
I'm also sick of people telling me how brave I am. I know they're trying to cheer me up or something, but I'm definitely not braver than the next person.
Sorry y'all, I felt like I needed to vent a bit on my anniversary. Thanks for listening!

I'm a 24 year old woman, no known health conditions (besides depression, anxiety, and insomnia).
I've been experiencing pulsatile tinnitus for probably two years now. Its a throbbing sound that's usually a bit loud (it can be not as loud), that comes and goes. It was annoying, but thought nothing of it because I had no pain with it before, and I have normal tinnitus too. Now though I've been sometimes experiencing pain with it, a tightness or pressure in my head. It happens often when I stand up, especially too fast, I feel like I'm going to fall because of the pressure, I even get pressure in my eyes too. I get it when I'm bending down too. Sometimes even sitting up and moving my head at an angle will cause it.
Looked all this up recently and what came up was venous sinus stenosis and intracranial hypertension. I don't know how I could have all this because I never had any issues like this before. Does it sound like intracranial hypertension? Apparently a way to test it, is by pressing on your neck and if the pulsatile tinnitus goes away, that's it. I've done it and it does stop temporarily. Also does it sound like its getting worse? Or will it go away on its own? Almost forgot to add, can it cause balance issues? Because I've been feeling not steady lately too when I'm standing, it's not that bad, unless I'm in the shower. Feels like I'm going to fall in the shower, like just standing there, it's so terrible. Don't know if it's related, but thought I'd bring it up in case.

"You lose."
"Shut up."
"Please, gentlemen. Let's play like honorable fellows."
The bustle of the small but well-attended parlor was repeatedly interrupted by the rumbling voice of a man at the card table. He drank from his tankard in great gulps and then wiped foam from his huge red beard. The cards almost disappeared in his huge paws and his face looked as if it had been hewn from an erratic block. The other gentlemen at the table seemed more well-groomed; the man with finely cut features and in the well-fitting suit was sipping his glass and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. The third man at the table was visibly nervous; he kept eyeing his opponents while restlessly moving the cards in his hands. His pale skin and ice-blue eyes made an unpleasantly cold impression.
A fourth man stepped up to the table. "Can you still get into the game?" The red-haired giant eyed the man. Tall and slender, the plainly dressed newcomer seemed to make an ambiguous impression. For although he smiled, his eyes remained cold and calculating.
"Please, sit down," the man in the suit replied. He mirrored the newcomer: even smiling, his eyes remained cold and hard. "My brother is quite suspicious. Probably because he wants to keep up the impression that he's good at cards, to people who don't know him." The giant snorted. "You'd better say that..."-he threw his cards face up on the table-"...before I defeat you." The suit leaned forward with interest. "Truly, you still manage to surprise me. Unfortunately..."-he now also laid his cards face up on the table-"...only with your stupidity." The giant stood up with a jerk.
"P-p-please, gentlemen," stammered the third. "N-n-no need to spoil this fine e-e-evening."
The giant sparkled at the men at the table one after the other. Finally, he sat down again and smiled. So mischievous, it could send a chill down your spine. "Of course. Because my dear brother is cheating again." The suit paused, glass to his lips. "My best, do you think that after all this time I don't know your tricks by now?" The gentleman addressed set down the glass. He smoothed his suit.
"Even if you're a god, at some point you run out of ideas. Then you get... sucked dry."
The two men eyed each other like wolves. After a while, the suit shook his head. "What my dear brother meant to express this way, without any eloquence, is that eventually you become predictable." He glanced at the newcomer. "Isn't that right, Hades?"
All at once, silence fell in the parlor. The guests set down their tankards and looked toward the gaming table. The waiters slowly backed away from the group of four. The god of the dead smiled undiminished. He placed his hands on the table and watched as the pub resumed business, albeit a bit more subdued now. "Well, I thought I could stay undetected a little longer. What gave me away?"
"You can't mask the stench of the dead," the suit hissed. "You should know all about it," Hades replied impassively. "You two have filled my kingdom well, haven't you?"
The brothers exchanged a glance. "I've heard a lot about you guys. The eel-smooth and the lout. The brothers of terror. The god of mischief and the god of thunder. Loki and Thor."
The parlor fell silent once more. Now everyone turned to the table. For although the tavern sometimes entertained unusual guests, such high attendance was rare. Moreover, the gods of the Northmen were especially feared. Hades turned to the man on his right, who had almost disappeared under the table. "And, what is your name, my best?"
The man sat back down in his chair and cleared his throat. "P-p-people call me A-a-aquilon."
Thor began to laugh uproariously. "Truly, a great troop," he roared. "Thunder, Mischief, Death, and Northwind sitting at the same table, thrashing cards!" Loki joined in the laughter. The other two just sat there; Hades quiet, Aquilo trembling. When the brothers stopped laughing, Hades intertwined his fingers and said, "Strictly speaking, I'm just the ruler of the dead. Thanatos is not as sociable as I am."
Loki picked up his glass again and pointed it in the direction of the God of the Dead. "I'd say he's quite affable, especially if you hide his little sickle for fun." Hades smiled coldly. "Oh, I can remember, god of 'mischief'. Human civilization almost broke apart."
"Oh, what do you care about people," Thor rumbled, finishing his tankard in one gulp. "More beer!"
"Yeah, what do we care about humans," Hades muttered half aloud. Loki gave him an amused look. Hades did not dignify him with one. He knew that behind the fine clothes and finely honed speech hid a monster, that it was as cruel as it was cowardly.
Hades pulled a deck of cards from one of his pockets. "I think with these cards we'd have a good chance of playing a fair game. Interested?"
Loki leaned forward. "Ah. This could be fun. Where did you dig these up?" Hades placed the stack in the center of the table. "All our power is scattered all over the world," he replied. "You just have to do some searching."
The hours dragged on. The gods took turns with the victories, without anyone being able to defend his previous victory. As time passed, the gods grew more and more discouraged; Thor's hand clenched into a fist. The smile of Loki turned sour. Only Hades seemed to be in good spirits and drank wine by the glassful. Finally, Thor thundered his fist on the table and boomed, "This is bullshit!"
"No, these are the playing cards of Nike," Hades replied impassively. He sorted his cards without haste. "As the goddess of victory, fairness was very important to her. Victoria, on the other hand..."-he turned to the pale Aquilon-"...never paid attention. Only victory against the enemies of Rome counted for her; how, she didn't care." Loki raised an eyebrow.
"It sounds like you disagree," he interjected into the lecture. Hades shrugged his shoulders. "I am not the god of war. I only judge its sacrifices."
"And dead gods," Thor growled. His hand clenched around the tankard and with a crash it shattered. The entire tavern flinched.
Only Hades smiled at the giant opposite him. "Yes, also fallen gods. You should know that Odin is not in Valhalla. Nor in Elysium. No, he is hauling a mountain in the fields of perdition. On a field from which the arrowheads sprout like the grass after the first spring rains."
Thor jumped up. His chair crashed to the floor and a scream went through the room. The Thunder God's tangled red hair seemed to stick out from his head like wires. "Don't you dare to mock Father!" he thundered. With his right hand, he reached behind his black cloak. Everyone held their breath. The moment seemed to stretch into infinity.
"Save the theatrics, brother," Loki sighed suddenly. Everyone stared at him, aghast. The god of mischief put his feet up on the table. "Everyone knows that your oh-so-precious hammer is now under a lot of stone. Now somebody pick up the north wind."
Hades got up and put Aquilon back on his chair. After a few pats, he opened his eyes again. "Oh, my goodness," Loki muttered, rolling his eyes. "Tell me, North Wind: why are you here?" Aquilon sat up straight and did not answer. With an uncertain look, he tippled at his beer and seemed to have his mind elsewhere.
Hades sat down again. Thor also took his seat again, while he growled some crude curses into his beard. Hades now also put his feet on the table and leaned back. "Forgive me for the grand entrance. But I thought you should experience it for yourselves one day: What would have happened in the old days?" Thor contorted his face into a fearsome grimace. "Then I would have reduced you to a charred stain."
The God of the Dead pointed at him with his glass. "That's right. But now Mjölnir lies under one of the greatest temples of the Abrahamites."
"The Christians?" asked Auqilon suddenly. He seemed to have emerged from his thoughts and looked at Hades with those strange ice-blue eyes. Hades waved it off.
"Christians, Jews, Muslims. All the same. But they are two billion people. Two. Billions. Their God has so much power that it would be enough to draw his attention to us to erase us from existence. Look at us. Hiding in little nooks and crannies so as not to be found. Beat eternity to death. But we were once the rulers of this world. And woe to those who did not revere and fear us!"
Loki turned one of the cards from Nike's deck between his fingers. "So, what, if one may inquire, are you up to now?" he asked, amused. Hades was now smiling as slyly as the God of Thunder and said, "We will remind the people what they once feared us for."
Loki laughed uproariously. "The God of the Dead has a surprising sense of humor." He tossed the card on the table and tapped it with his index finger. "The Avenger. Strange that I have drawn that very card from this deck. You're not an avenger. At the very highest, the one who picks up the leftovers after revenge is done."
Hades shook his head. "You'd better stick to joking around. You're no good as a soothsayer." Loki's smile froze. "The red-haired force of nature to your left is one."
Everyone turned to the thunder god, who, however, was very busy with his beer mug. He set it down and belched thunderously. "What is it?"
Hades rolled his eyes. "Oh, what the hell." He pulled a bag from behind his chair. With a flourish, he tossed it to Thor. "I know your hammer is your very favorite treasure, but the lightning bolts suit you." Thor opened the bag and as he peered inside, his grin grew wild. "I suggest you get your hammer back first. Leave a lasting impression. Then we'll get to work."

As always, thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for the wonderful universe that is NoP
Thank you to u/cruisingNW for proof reading and helping me out of some hang ups, you're the man! Honestly LoM wouldn't have gone very far without him! If you haven't you should absolutely go read Foundations of Humanity! It's very good.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Sailor, Venlil-Human Exchange Participant
Date [Standardized Human Time]: August 29th, 2136, Very Early Morning.
We got a message an hour ago from Videk, ordering us to report to Hangar-08 to start On-Stick training; and to bring our bags! I guess the guy had wanted to get as much out of the day as he could. That or he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
Videk met us at the doors to the hangar, a small travel bag sitting on the floor by his side, tail swaying slowly as he watched us approach. “Good Waking, Taisa. Good Waking… Christopher.” An improvement, I’ll have to ask Taisa about that talk they had.
“This,” He continued, motioning to the shuttle parked in the hangar behind him with his tail. “Is your training shuttle: registration C1-0V3R-HR-EX.Your first On-Stick training assignment will be to follow appropriate lift off and departure procedures, plot and follow a course to The Capitol on Venlil Prime, seek permission to land from the proper authorities, and land safely and legally following those permissions. All of this, while following proper procedure and regulations. All of this will be graded.”
As he speaks the door behind him slides open, revealing a broad hangar bay, heavy clamshell doors dominate the far wall. At the center of the bay sits a stout craft painted white and black, a pair of stubby wings jutting from its sides flowing into a pair of engines flanking a singular tail. Venlil script is painted at the root of the tail and on the top of the rear ramp.
“Upon arrival in the Capitol you will have some paperwork to do at the U.N. offices with regards to your habitation. I will need to pick up some equipment from the training facility at the landing fields. After our respective errands, let’s say half a claw, we will meet up back at the shuttle and from there you will be plotting an in-atmosphere route to Shadetree, Sunward of the Capitol, to drop me off and wait for me to install and calibrate the remote instructing equipment. Once that is completed, you will plot another in-atmosphere course to Heartwood River, concluding this paws evaluations. Do you have any questions?”
I shook my head, and Taisa flicked her ears, in what I believed was a negative. “Very good, load your stuff and we’ll begin immediately.”
After a few minutes of finding places to tie off our belongings and get everything situated, I sat in the pilot’s seat and ran through the pre-flight check with Taisa. We caught a pair of faults in the starboard fuel delivery units. Videk seemed pleased we had caught them, and that he hadn’t had to tell us they were there. I could feel a slight smile tug at the corner of my mouth.
Devious little bastard makes for a damn good instructor.
Once the preflight was complete I closed the rear ramp and hailed the flight control tower. “Tower this is shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for departure, place us enroute to Venlil Prime with planned landing zone of Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo.” A Human voice came back over the line, a bit of mirth in their voice. “Shuttle, Tower, you are clear for departure, opening bay doors now. Good luck and Godspeed.”
The doors to the station hangar yawned open, filling the viewport with the void and all its stars beyond as I slowly brought the shuttle off the hangar floor, easing it out through the opening. I reached over to the nearest display and opened the Nav-computer interface, plotting our course to VP, and then on to the Capitol landing fields. Once I was confident I had the proper navigation commands and sequences set I called over Videk to have him review my work.
He gave me a quick flick of his tail before saying “Looks good, Christopher. Feel free to spool and jump when you’re ready.”
Videk’s approval given, I reached over and pushed forward on the throttles, engaging the drive and hurtling the shuttle into subspace.
It. Was. Beautiful. Everything seemed to stretch, stars in the distance turning from pinpricks of light into brilliant colorful streaks, lengthening as we bounded through the void. Lines of light far off in my periphery zip past like tracers as the ones before me feel as if they’re pulling me in with their kaleidoscope of color. The hum of the shuttle fell into the background while I became entranced by the light show in front me, picturing myself on the set of one of those old sci-fi shows I would watch with Pa on the weekends. The Future my ancestors had imagined was Here, right before my eyes and at the tips of my fingers! This view was… Hypnotic. The simulator couldn’t hope to do it justice.
Two hours. That was it.
Two hours to travel what, until very recently, would have been considered an insurmountable distance for Humanity. Dropping from Sub-space into the proximity of Venlil Prime was another astoundingly brilliant view. Scorched white deserts flowing into massive swathes of golden sands cut by the occasional streak of blue before blending into a beautiful verdant mix of turquoise and green fields, with vast lakes and rivers dotting the forests, flowing into wide marshy wetlands. Before finally, the curve of the planet fell away from its star, allowing the fading sunlight to showcase glittering city lights dotting the countryside.
The thrusters burn to life, crackling and thrumming with power as they drive us forward through the void to the beautiful marble before us. I flip two switches on the overhead, tapping the leftmost display to call up the local channel list and place a hail to the Capitol’s landing fields to request clearance and pad assignment. A quick ping, signifying my hail had been acknowledged, chimed over the console speaker.
“Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo this is Shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for landing at an available pad of convenience.” “C1-0V3R-HR-EX, you are cleared for landing, 13-Bravo, direct to pad Charlie-5.”
The Flight through the Void may have had some feeling of familiarity and nostalgia to the old Sci-fi shows at home; but in-atmo had the far better view! Rolling turquoise fields and towering thick trees, with their canopies tilted greedily towards that unmoving sun, falling away to a gargantuan metropolitan area, its architecture entirely alien yet still somehow familiar. Massive skyscrapers soar to touch the sky, reflecting light in brilliant angles and colors, the space below them populated by squat sturdy buildings and deep black roads. The Venlil going about their lives below look like ants as I ease off the throttle, taking the speed down to prepare for the final approach. The display on the viewport flags my landing area with a small pip guiding me in, slow and easy.
The cabin jostles slightly as the ship settles onto its landing gear. Videk seemed impressed; his ears up as he tapped away at his data pad! Taisa’s tail sways happily back and forth as she runs through the diagnostics of the landing, checking system status reports.
“Looks like we’re all clear. Videk do you have a time we should try and be back by?” Taisa beeps, showing the flight instructor the console in front of her.
“I just need to pick up the equipment and get it linked up, that should only take about a half a claw. Walking to and from the landing field and the U.N. Offices should put you at about the right time.” Videk turned away and made for the ramp; Taisa’s talk helped, and he was clearly trying, but he was still a bundle of nerves around me. His fur was so puffed out it looked like he was holding more static than a thunderhead.
As we stepped out of the artificial gravity of the shuttle I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. My first step faltered making me stumble down the ramp and bounce off the… soft pavement? “Oh, forgot about that.” Videk winced sympathetically, “Our gravity is about twenty percent more than earth’s, so be careful. Falls are likely to hurt a little bit more here.”
“Would’ve been nice to know first, Videk.” I groaned, rolling myself over and sitting up, luckily the visor hadn’t fallen off; I would need to add one of those new back braces and some knee compressors to that order of stuff from home. “Do you know where the U.N. Offices are? Or should we just ask around to find our way there?”
“I do not, but you should be able to get directions on your pad. I trust the two of you can figure it out, so I’m going to go get the equipment I need. I will wait for the two of you with the shuttle once I am ready.” With a parting flap of his ears, Videk turned and walked away; flicking the tip of his tail back and forth as he did.
“Alright then,” I grumbled, forcing myself up off the pavement, swaying as I found my new equilibrium. “let’s get going. Can you pull up those directions?” She nodded slightly, flicking her ears forward. “Got them up already! You alright there?”
“I’m fine.” I grunted, rolling out my shoulder a little. “Feels like I weigh a quarter ton, but I’ll get over it with time. Lead the way.”
After a few minutes of walking we were off the landing fields and into the streets of the city. My boots sinking into the pavement a little with each step, just like on the landing field. “Taisa, what is this stuff? I figured it was just to make landings a little softer on shuttles but it’s everywhere! Looks like pavement but it gives like rubber; why are your roads like this?” “Anti-stampede concrete.” She stated, matter of factly, like that meant literally anything to me. My silence must have tipped her off that I wasn’t getting it as she focused one eye on my visor. “Oh… I guess Humans wouldn’t need that. It’s to help reduce stampede fatalities, it’s the same reason the roads and buildings have gentle curves, no sharp angles.” Looking around at the way the groups of Venlil flowed through the streets I realized she was right, what I had thought was a futuristic aesthetic design was just to keep people from killing each other against walls or trampling them into the ground when they got scared. How strange… and slightly worrying.
“Weird, that sounds like some crazy wonder material. Bet we’d have a bunch of uses for it back on earth.” My eyes watched the tips of skyscrapers towering above us, “How far out does it say we are?”
“Only a little further, about one and a half kilometers.” She responded, a slight pant in her voice. I wasn’t in the best shape, cardio wise, but I couldn’t imagine getting winded after 10 minutes of walking; guess all that talk about the Venlil having less stamina than us was right.
The U.N. Office complex was a series of giant flowing buildings built on a large park area. It wasn’t any design I had ever seen so I figured it had to have been an existing complex that just got turned over to the U.N. for their uses.
Passing through the heavy glass front doors we found a wide receptionist's desk, with several Humans sitting behind it, answering questions and directing people where they needed to go. One of the receptionists, a short dark haired woman with a visor obscuring her face, beckons us over. “Hello! How can I help you today?” “H-Hi!” Taisa beeps excitedly, her tail swaying behind her confidently as she takes a deep breath and straightens her back. “We’re part of the ‘integration’ experiments, we were told we need to fill out some forms for habitation. Where do we go to do that?” “Oh! Congratulations! That would be Suite 216-B” The receptionist answered, excitement in her voice as she pointed to a room on the map infront of her.
“Thank you!” Taisa responded, turning to head up the stairs behind the receptionist's desk. Halfway up the stairs she swiveled her ears over to me before saying. “Sorry, I figure if I’m probably going to have to work with Humans other than you for this I should try and at least work on being able to talk to them.” “It’s alright,” I chuckle, patting her shoulder. “That’s a great idea and you’re doing alright!” Walking down the hallways we saw prints of landscapes from Earth, Machu Picchu, the Uyuni Salt Flats, The Grand Canyon, YellowStone, Hạ Long Bay, The Zhangye Mountains and Plitvice Lakes. I pointed out the places I had been to as we walked past them, finally stopping at suite 216-B.
The door was open so we knocked, getting a quick ‘enter’, before stepping in. A man sits behind a desk, the top covered in organized files and folders, a placard on his desk declares his name as ‘Obediah Kamara’ with a small Liberian flag stamped beside it.
His visor obscures his face as he looks between the two of us before beginning. “I presume you are…” He sorts through a couple of the files and folders before stopping on one and opening it, pulling out a document packet. “Christopher Dewey and Taisa. Correct?”
We both respond in the affirmative as he gestures for us to take the seats across from him, sliding the documents across the table as Taisa’s pad pings on her belt. “These are agreements to ensure that you,” He starts, looking at me. “Understand the rules in regards to your habitation here on Venlil Prime. I understand that part of your integration will be taking you off world to and from Earth, these rules primarily apply to your time here. We ask that you remain considerate of the provided rules and guidelines on the ship if you are carrying Venlil passengers. Taisa, those are the terms, conditions, compensations and requirements for your family to house a human when the two of you are present. Virtual signature of that document is required within the next 3 of your ‘paws’.” Taisa stiffened a little bit, likely thinking about her Mother’s response to my arrival; that was something we were probably going to have to have a talk about later. I had an idea for the short term, at least. I ran through the paperwork real quick and it was all pretty simple: don’t be without the visor or some kind of face covering in settings where you couldn’t guarantee that an unprepared Venlil wouldn’t see you, avoid aggression, speak quietly, no eating meat, animal products or byproducts, no hunting local wildlife; bit odd considering I didn’t even have a bow or a gun but rules are rules, I suppose.
“Sounds good to me,” I said, signing the indicated portions of the document. “When are my items supposed to get here?”
“We don’t expect your requested items to arrive for another week or so, for now you’ll have to make do with what you brought with you.” Obediah responded, shuffling the packet of papers back into the folder they had come from. “With that complete you are free to go. I understand you have training to complete, so I wish you good luck with your endeavor. If you have any questions or needs with regards to your habitation you can contact Sam, their details will be forwarded to your communication devices.”
I caught Taisa’s tail twitching as her ears swiveled nervously out of the corner of my eye; even with her attempts to push through it I think the amount of Humans around was starting to get to her. Still, she was doing better than I think a lot of Venlil would be able to manage. I reached over, gently tapping my hand against her paw, trying to ground her a little before motioning to go, she nodded slightly as she flicked her ears.
“Thank you, Obediah, we’ll be sure to get into touch with them once we get their contact. Have a good day!”
Taisa and I stood, exiting the room and making our way out of the building, stopping to look at another picture or two along the way. Something needed to be done about possibly not having a place to stay to put my, and more so Taisa’s, mind at ease. I figured I could sleep in the shuttle, if I had to. It wouldn’t be particularly comfortable but I could certainly do it; I’d need a mat, maybe a sleeping bag or some blankets and a pillow.
I had no clue where I was going to get my hands on those, or at least a set of them big enough for me to actually use.
Then I saw the temporary units in the field near the offices. Men and Women in U.N. fatigues were milling about the area. Barracks? That could solve the problem, if they’re willing to help out a man in need, of course.
“Hey, Taisa, I need to make a stop real quick.” I state, walking briskly towards the largest of the buildings. “What’s up?” She asks, ears focused on me as she tilts her head a little.
“Well, I was thinking, I don’t think your parents, your Mom especially, won’t, uh… won’t want me around. At least not for a little while until she gets to know me better.”
“I think you can get past it, she’s not that bad… It’ll just be tough.”
“Oh I’m sure I can get past it, but I’d rather not just sleep in the grass in the meantime.” “I don’t think she’d make you sleep in the grass…” “I like being prepared, if she doesn’t want me in her house I’m not going to push the issue.”
“I just… I hope it doesn’t come to that, I’m not going to let her toss you outside like an animal.” She sighs quietly as we push through the front door of the barrack building.
A desk manned by a napping U.N. Marine with Private ranks stuck to his shoulders filled the space beyond the doors. He stirs as the doors clank shut behind us before scrambling to throw on his Visor as he notices Taisa.
“Hello, Uh… Can I help you? This area is for active U.N. personnel only.” He starts, his voice finding its authority only about halfway through the statement.
I stand straight, trying to muster the stern demeanor I’d found in my father and his friends so often when they tried to get something on base after their retirements. “Easy, Private. It has come to my attention that my accommodations lack proper bedding.” “O-Oh, uh, I apologize…” He stammers out, searching for something to say, likely looking to find a way out of trouble for sleeping on duty.
“Sir.” I state. “What’s your name, Private?”
“A-Alvarez, Sir.”
“Alvarez. I’ll remember that, Alvarez, how about we make this quick, you get me a wrap of blankets, 3 pillows and a bedroll and I don’t find your commander to report your… lack of enthusiasm.”
The private snaps to attention before firmly stating. “Yes Sir! I’ll be right back, Sir!”
As the private turns and walks away crisply I hear Taisa whistle with laughter a little beside me. “I’m surprised that worked.”
“You’d be surprised what a hard voice, straight back and the right slacking Private can get you if you just don’t go pushin' it too far in your story.” I whispered with a wink.
After a few minutes of waiting Private Alvarez returned with a duffle bag, stuffed full with blankets and pillows, as well as an inflatable bedroll under the other arm. “Here you go, Sir. Will this be ok?” He asked, passing the items over to me.
“Perfect, thank you Private.” I took the bundle of bedding and turned to the door, before turning my head back over my shoulder, “Oh, and Private? Do try and get proper rest before duty.”
A shaking “Y-Yes, Sir.” followed Taisa and I out of the door.
The first half of the walk back to the landing field was quiet, I was scanning the skyline again, I just couldn’t get over the fact that I was on another planet. Taisa however had her ears pinned back, her paws lightly holding her tail tuft as we walked.
“What’s got ya down?” I asked, watching the herd of Venlil glide around us as we came, trying their best not to get too close to me.
“I’m… concerned.” She sighed, the tip of her tail twitching between her paws.
“About?”
“My mother, what she’ll say… What she’ll do.”
“I can’t exactly say I know what her reaction’ll be… But, whatever it is we’ll just have to deal with it. It’ll probably take time, but we’ll get by.” I soothed. She let go of her tail, placing the tip of it on my back, but her ears didn’t let up at all.
The rest of the walk to the shuttle was quiet as she fidgeted with her paws, trying to take her mind off of the subject. Videk was there waiting for us, a few crates secured to the cargo area of the shuttle that weren’t present before.
“You two ready?” He asked, flicking his tail at us.
“I think so.” I responded, stowing the bedding in an empty compartment as Taisa flicked her ears.
We ran through our preflight checklist again, finding another pre-placed failure from Videk waiting for us, this time in the starboard control surfaces. Once the check was done we radioed the tower for clearance to take off and set an in-atmo course for Shadetree to drop off Videk. It was a short hop, about a half hour of flying or so before I had to call ahead for clearance to land again.
Most of the flight from the Capitol to Shadetree had been rolling turquoise and green hills or open fields of produce growing in the everpresent light. A sudden dense forest rose from the fields, thick dark brown trees with fluttering golden leaves stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction. A sudden break in the forest revealed a clearing for the Landing field, much smaller than the one at the Capitol. The city was built under the canopy of the trees, giving it a constant filtered light casting down through the shifting leaves. It was certainly a beautiful town, I’d have to come back to visit some day. Maybe once Videk had warmed up to me a little bit more.
As the ramp fell ,a small cargo truck arrived alongside the shuttle to collect Videk and his equipment. I offered to help but the Venlil driver just about ran when I started talking so I figured it was probably best to just keep out of it. Once the cargo truck departed, Taisa came back up to the cockpit, plopping down in her seat, and looked through the viewscreen at the trees beyond. The soft hiss of the ramp closing marked the finality of Videk’s departure.
“So, how are you feeling about Venlil Prime so far?” She asked, one eye on my face as I finally slipped the visor off.
“I like it! Between the beautiful scenery, interesting architecture and hanging out with you and Shamrock, here I’m having a great time!” I responded, rubbing my hand on what amounted to the shuttle's dashboard.
“... Shamrock?” She asked, her tail swaying in what I figured for amusement.
“Yea! Remember how I told you Humans like looking for patterns? Well it works on words and numbers as well. The tail number for the shuttle could be taken to spell ‘Clover-HR-EX’, or just clover for short. Clovers are a type of plant on earth that a few cultures believed to be lucky, one way or another. One of the nicknames for them was a Shamrock!”
She laughed at me.
“You are such a dork.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye as her tail whipped back and forth. “It’s a good name, usually shuttles don’t get one. I think it fits.”
I chuckled, a thought crossing my mind. “Think we could get any shuttle-grade paint? Preferably green, yellow and black?” She raised an eyebrow at me as her ears cocked at different elevations. “Oh? Someone feeling a little artistic?”
“Well, I could always paint a Shamro-” I was interrupted as the ping signifying we were being hailed sounded off. “We’ll finish this later.” I said, pointing at her as I accepted the hail.
Videk’s voice bled through the speakers. “Ok, looks like the connection is secure. Let’s go ahead and run through getting you familiar with the software, it should be quick and easy.”
It was not.
It took two hours. After a lot of trial and error, stop and go flights to test the connection and a few near misses with an especially tall tree we had gotten the system setup such that Videk was confident it would work in an emergency if he needed to step in. With that all squared away Taisa and I settled in to get on our way to Heartwood River. Sleeping on the blow up mattress or on a real bed hardly mattered at this point, I just wanted to sleep.
The overall flight time was set to be about an hour and a half, not too bad and man was the view beautiful: rolling fields, roaring rivers, pristine skies and alien forests abounded across the countryside. We had just passed over Hidden Plains when Taisa and I were just settling back into talking about her parents and our best route to try and handle them, when the hail system chimed and immediately spat out a harsh tone without acknowledgement, the same one the simulator used for distress calls.
“Mayday Mayday Mayday. Report of shots fired at residence housing humans. Need immediate medical evac at The Berrypatch Farm in The Grove, 11 minutes Night-ward from Hidden Plains. Hailing all airborn craft, we need a medical evac immediately!”
I immediately returned the hail. “This is cargo shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX. Responding to Mayday from the Grove. We are en-route to render aid. Hold tight, we’ll be there.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Taisa tighten her flight harness as I reached for the throttle.
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It's Friday and. Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the original Seiko 5.

What's new

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A Huge Seiko Day: Here’s A New 1968 Seiko 5 Inspired Limited Edition And Three Funky SKX Sports Style Watches
Seiko is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the Seiko 5 Sports watch. It’s a legendary affordable and robust watch, the start of many collections and an instant trigger for memories of childhood. To celebrate the anniversary, Seiko is looking back into its childhood, back to the original Seiko 5 Sports, and uses the five key characteristic of the collection - an automatic movement; a day-date display in a single aperture at 3 o’clock; water-resistance; a recessed crown at 4 o’clock; and a robust steel case and bracelet or strap - to reissue this versatile timepiece.
The limited-edition watch Seiko is launching now is pretty much the exact same watch. A 39.5mm brushed tonneau-shaped steel case, 12.5mm thick, signature half-moon scalloped areas at noon and 6 o’clock and a crown tucked into the case. The respect of the original dial is carried over to the dial as well. The black dial has a silver peripheral track and the same applied bar indices treated with Lumibrite, just like the hands. Almost identical to the 1968 model, the original Seiko 5 logo is transferred in silver at noon, the day and date window uses a very similar frame to the original, the baton-style hour and minute hands are treated with Lumibrite and the lollipop central seconds hand is red.
Inside the watch is Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre, an in-house movement that has long proved its reliability and sturdiness and has a 41 hour power reserve. The Seiko 5 Sports 55th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPK17 is numbered on the caseback out of 15,555 that will be produced and will be available in July 2023 at Seiko Boutiques and select partners worldwide. It’s priced at EUR 410.
But there are more tributes to be seen today. The ‘68 Seiko 5 Sports inspired a number of models over the years, but perhaps the most iconic line was the SKX, Seiko’s line-up of affordable bulletproof dive watches that now appear in the brand’s newly restructured collection in the SKX Sports Style segment. Although the three models pick up on the vibrant colour schemes of 1969 Seiko 5 Sports models, they are housed in the legendary SKX case with crown and guards at 4 o’clock and the unidirectional rotating bezel. The 100m water-resistant case measures 42.5mm, has a thickness of 13.4mm, features a see-through caseback to view Seiko’s automatic 4R36 calibre and is fitted with a three-link stainless steel bracelet.
Apart from the obvious colour variations on the dial, all three models have different bezels and flanges. The SRPK09 has a silver dial combined with a black and silver unidirectional rotating bezel the SRPK13 has a black dial and bezel with red and silver markings and a sloping flange in blue and green, while the loudest model is the orange SRPK11 with its black bezel, two-tone orange and black flange and a thick black band traversing the dial from 3 to 9 o’clock.
The three new and colourful references are not limited in production and will be available at Seiko Boutiques and retail partners worldwide in September 2023. The retail price is EUR 350.
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Ulysse Nardin Celebrates World Ocean Day With Two New Divers - Net Azure And Diver X Skeleton Azure
June 8th is World Ocean Day and to mark this occasion, Ulysse Nardin is introducing a new azure colorway to the Diver Net and Diver X Skeleton models. UN has for years maintained a very strong stance towards preserving the environment with the use of recycled and upcycled materials, and these two timepieces follow this concept in a non-limited addition to the brand’s catalog.
The Diver Net Azure is a 44mm wide and 14.81mm thick watch that’s made of 95% recycled stainless steel. The side case and case back ring are made of 60% Nylo and 40% Carbonium, just like the bezel. Since it’s a diver, the 300 meter water resistance is expected. The watch has a domed sapphire crystal and underneath it a black sand-blasted dial. On the dial is a huge Azure X that frames the power reserve at 12 and running seconds at 6. Inside the watch is the UN-118 Manufacture caliber, an automatic with 50 jewels, a Silicon balance spring, and a DiamonSil escapement wheel and anchor.
Then there’s the Diver X Skeleton Azure. Just as big, but chunkier at 15.7mm, the watch has a DLC coated titanium case and an x-shaped skeleton dial with polished and satin finishes. At 12 o’clock you can see the Carbonium barrel cover of the UN-372 Manufacture caliber and an oversized silicon balance wheel is situated at 6. Both watches come with azure-blue rubber straps.
The Diver Net Azure will retail at €12,700, and the Diver X Skeleton Azure for €26,800.
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Indian Microbrand Bangalore Watch Company Releases Apogee Manzinus & Earthshine To Celebrate India’s Unmanned Moon Missions
Bangalore Watch Company has carved out a very interesting niche. The Bangalore-based indie brand is focusing on celebrating notable achievements from India. Recent examples include the MACH 1 which focused on the Indian Air Force MiG 21 and Cover Drive which highlighted India’s most popular sport, Cricket. Now, they are focusing on space with the Apogee collection that celebrates India’s space program and the focus is on two unmanned moon missions – Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2.
The original Apogee watches launched in 2019 with titanium cases, but the new Manzinus and Earthshine models use stainless steel with a ceramic outer layer of Cerakote. Both cases are 40mm in diameter and 12mm thick, with the main difference between the two being color - Manzinus is white and Earthshine is grey. There are two knurled crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock – the former screws down and rotates an internal bezel, while the latter (push/pull) adjusts the time and date.
The two watches also have dials that differ in color - brown on Earthsine and black on Manzinus. While Earthshine is very true to the original Apogee watch, with a round date window at 6 o’clock, Manzinus has a 9mm disc in lieu of the date of the Muonionalusta meteorite. Inside the watch is a standard grade Sellita SW200-1 automatic. Both versions of the watch come with color matching leather straps.
The Earthshine retails for USD 1,100, while the Manzinus is USD 1,470. Not cheap for a microbrand you might not have heard of before, but also consider that you get a Cerasteel case and interesting design.
4/
American Indie Brand Vero Teams Up With Worn & Wound To Offer Up Their Entry For A Great Summer Watch
ADPT, a subsidiary of Worn&Wound that makes straps, watches and accessories, is known for making colorful and playful all-purpose watches. Vero, a US-based microbrand, is known for making rugged tool watches. Mash them together and you get the crazy Vero Workhorse Chronograph - huge, bold and ready for the summer. This will be a polarizing watch, for sure.
The steel case measures 44.5mm wide and 13.5mm thick, but this size is only appropriate for a watch so boldly colored. It gets a bright aqua blue Cerakote treatment finished with flecks of white and bright yellow bezel guards that the brand calls bullhorns. The same blue can be found on the dial and the running-seconds sub-register at 9 o’clock, while the hour and minute hands are painted in brighter blue to contrast with and match the dial. Lastly, the internal rotating bezel shows an alternation of red and blue accents, and the seconds hand as well as the bumpers holding the Cerakoted shroud in place are painted in bright yellow
The standard controls are on the left case side while the crown at two o'clock rotates the internal timing bezel. Inside is the Miyota 62S1 quartz chronograph movement, which offers 1/4 second resolution and a 60-minute maximum measure for the chronograph. This is is basically a chronograph diver, something also possible thanks to the 120m depth rating. To complete the package, the crystal is sapphire, and the Workhorse comes on a white nylon strap with a Velcro closure.
The Vero x ADPT Workhorse is limited to just 100 units and at the time of writing there are still pieces available on the Worn&Wound store and you can get one if you like it for $499.
5/
Rudis Sylva Radically Simplifies The Harmonious Oscillator With The RS 23, It’s Still Very, Very Expensive
A small independent watchmaker located in the Swiss village of Les Bois, Rudis Sylva recently unveiled its latest creation. What sets Rudis Sylva apart is its Harmonious Oscillator. The brand now introduces the RS23, featuring a simpler version of this unique oscillator, now without a rotating carriage. This simplification also brings down the price significantly. But it’s still an outrageously priced watch.
Truly unique in its kind, the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator comprises of two balance wheels. As a rule, watchmakers avoid any potential stress on a balance wheel for it to breathe freely. In this case, the two balances are toothed and thus mechanically interlinked. The first balance is driven by the escapement, and in turn, it drives the second balance, rotating it in the opposite direction, but with the same amplitude while each hairspring breathes in an opposite way. The underlying idea is that these constantly opposed balances ensure immediate mutual correction of the potential negative effects of gravity.
Unlike previous versions of the Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator, the regulator is not placed in a rotating carriage. This has allowed building the movement architecture in a symmetrical way with twin barrels creating a counterpoint to the balance wheels. And instead of an off-centred hour and minute display, we have a central indication of the hours, minutes and seconds. A stop-second mechanism allows for precise settings. It beats at a frequency of 3Hz and it boasts a 70h power reserve.
The beauty of a movement is housed in a 44mm titanium or pink gold case that has no bezel and a domed sapphire crystal to show of the movement as much as possible. The watch comes on an alligator strap with a pin buckle.
The Rudis Sylva Harmonious Oscillator RS 23 is released in two limited editions of 8 pieces in titanium and 8 pieces in pink gold. The price is set at CHF 80,000 in titanium and CHF 90,000 in 18k pink gold. A crazy price, yes, but consider the fact that the more complicated Harmonious Oscillator RS16 is priced at CHF 250,000.
6/
Record Breaking Omega Turns Out To Be Frankenwatch Planted By Former Head of Omega Museum In Shocking Insider Scam
For a couple of days now the internet has been talking about an explosive report from the Neue Zürcher Zeitung which claims that the tropical Omega Speedmaster CK2915 that fetched 3.3 million US dollars at auction, obliterating records for the most expensive Omega ever sold, is, in fact a Frankenwatch. A watch put together out of mostly original parts to create the perfect CK2915 so that it would fetch the highest price.
However, those who follow the brilliant Joze Pereztroika over at Perezcope, have already known there is something seriously wrong with this watch since April. Now that the scheme to sell a fake watch has unraveled, the truth of what happened, or at least what we know so far, is so deeply shocking that it will likely bring huge changes to not only how watches are auctioned and authenticated, but also to manufacturer’s museums and their hunt for important vintage watches.
According to an Omega statement, “as it stands at present, there are three former employees (among them the former Head of OMEGA Museum and Brand Heritage), who have admitted to the run of events when confronted during an OMEGA internal investigation, which is active and ongoing”. Let that sink in. Three Omega insiders conspired to create a watch that the head of Omega Museum would end up bidding on at the record price.
Fratello writes that “although the three former Omega employees were not the sellers of the watch, they did play a role in modifying the Speedmaster to become a “perfect” reference CK2915. The Speedmaster CK2915 was assembled from various partially authentic parts. The three former Omega employees participated in this process, intending to create the most exciting CK2915, a watch that the Omega Museum would definitely need.”
This is an absolutely bonkers story. Please head on over to the Fratello article to learn more about it and how it will affect not just the prices of Speedmasters, but also the entire industry. And definitely head on over to the Perezcop to read how the fake Omega can be identified.
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On hand - a selection of reviews

1/
A review of the Longitude from the Belgian brand Gavox
2/
Hands-On with the new Nezumi Aviera - a GMT that turns up the tool volume
3/
Monochrome gets their hands on the BOLDR Pokemon collection sold only in Singapore, Thailand or Hong Kong
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Watch Worthy - A look at an offbeat, less known watch you might actually like

The Cincinnati Concourse continues the brand’s commitment to local history
The Cincinnati Watch Co. Concourse is perhaps the most faithful recreation of a clock in a wristwatch (an admittedly niche market). The 38mm stainless steel case is likely to be divisive: blocky without mitigation, it is the result of taking the concourse clock and getting as close to it as possible. The clock featured a cushion bezel with a bowed square around it. This was translated to the wrist perfectly, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces distinguishing the different facets of the design.
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People loved the Seiko Alpinist giveaway! That's why I'm doing a new one. This time, we're giving away four Hamilton Khaki Field Automatics in a color of your choice. Head on over to the newsletter if you would like to enter.
If you would like to receive some additional watch-adjacent content, as well as this news overview, every morning Monday-Friday in the form of a newsletter feel free to subscribe. However, there is absolutely no need for you to subscribe, as all the news from the newsletter is posted here. It is only if you want to receive a couple of daily links that are not strictly watch-related and want to get this news overview in your inbox.

Want to find the best noise cancelling headphones according to Reddit users? This post is a hub for Reddit discussion on that topic!
Here you'll find a sourced summary of the most recommended noise cancelling headphones by Redditors (with quotes on why), as well as a list of Reddit threads discussing the best noise cancelling headphones - with input from real users who have sometimes used a product for years.
Got your own questions or product suggestions? Make sure to leave a comment here to get even more discussion going!

Summary: best noise cancelling headphones in 2023 according to Reddit

These are the top 3 recommended options:

1. Sony WH-1000XM4 - most recommended for good ANC & sound. Usually around $350
2. Bose QC 45 - great ANC and comfort. Usually around $270
3. Anker Soundcore Q30 - best budget option. Usually around $80

Below you'll find more info on where they've been recommended, and why.
1. Sony WH-1000XM4
Features: 40mm driver, bluetooth 5.0, 30 hour battery life, touch controls, AUX port (Amazon link rated 4.7 stars after 49000+ reviews.)
Mentions by Redditors:

• "Recently bought Sony XM4. So far I am impressed by the noise cancellation. It is pricey but worth of investment. Just be careful using it while walking in the road. I forgot to turn off the noise cancellation when there's a car beeping on me already. Some bystanders need to pull me haha. Now I use the automatic ambient sound control so it will be safer LOL" - source, 18 upvotes
• "I'd personally recommend the Sony XM4's for that price range - they usually retail around $400+ though as they recently released the XM5's I'd expect to see them discounted in the lead up to Christmas (i.e. they were on sale for $300 last Christmas)." - source, 44 upvotes
• "I just upgraded to the Sony MX4s and absolutely love them, I've always gone with Sony and they are reliable and durable" - source, 12 upvotes
• "Sony W1000XM4 have the #1 Noise Cancellation rating, these should be at the top of your list, sound wise they aren’t that bad, not the best but not the worst." - source, 127 upvotes
• "Sony XM4 get my vote!! Great audio sound quality (I use mine to play relaxing rain sounds) and the auto ambient noise level adjustment is nice if you use it! I like to keep my ANC at my control, so I have it set to toggle between ANC or not by a quick double tap to the right headphone. The tap controls are nice! I also wear mine for 8-12 hours a day depending on what’s going on. They are insanely comfortable! Pricey but cost/per use for me has made these a great investment." - source, 5 upvotes
• "I have Sony 1000xm4 (over ear)and they are spectacular at ANC and really good at audio after some eq tweaks. They are simply amazing on planes and trains and bus rides. Great in offices, but higher tones come through easier than lower tones" - source, 73 upvotes
• "I’ve had AirPod pros, NC700, and Sony XM4. Out of that bunch, XM4 wins." - source, 3 upvotes

2. Bose QC 45
Features: 40 mm driver, bluetooth 5.1, 22 hour battery life, button controls, AUX port (Amazon link rated 4.6 stars after 10000+ reviews.)
Mentions by Redditors:

• "The other option would be the Bose QuietComfort 45 (no major difference between the Sony XM4)" - source, 44 upvotes
• "Tried on a bunch recently; went w e Bose QC45 as found them the most comfortable on (some of the others kind of “grabbed” & pulled my hair). So agree maybe try to get him to try on" - source, 3 upvotes
• " I personally love the Bose QuietComfort line, and the QC 45s in particular are wonderful. I use them to listen to podcasts while working and doing chores around the house, and they quite easily remove the sounds of appliances and dampen (but not remove) the noise of a TV. It's enough that with my podcast or audiobook at low/medium volume, I cannot hear any of the outside world." - source, 11 upvotes
• "Bose quietcomfort 45. So comfortable and good bass." - source, 2 upvotes

3. Anker Soundcore Q30
Features: bluetooth 5, 40 hour battery life, AUX port (Amazon link rated 4.5 stars after 50000+ reviews.)
Mentions by Redditors:

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Amount of upvotes as of: June 9th, 2023.

Reddit threads discussing the best noise cancelling headphone

Here's a list of Reddit threads I've analyzed that have genuine recommendations about choosing the best noise cancelling headphone:

• Good noise cancelling headphones recommendation on HeadphoneAdvice, 20 comments
• Noise cancelling headphone recommendations please on newzealand, 34 comments
• [...] looking for noise cancelling headphones to specially listen to Podcasts [...] on podcasts, 64 comments
• recommendations for noise canceling headphones on neurodiversity, 39 comments
• Which headphones in 2022 would you say has the best noise cancelling? on HeadphoneAdvice, 40 comments
• Moved to a super noisy common area. What head set is the best for an chaotic office environment? on sysadmin, 186 comments
• noise canceling headphone recommendations? on delta, 127 comments

Amount of comments as of: June 9th, 2023.

Questions or suggestions

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St. Jerome, 393 AD: Men Should Not Marry
St. Jerome (AD 347 – AD 420) was one of the most prolific of the early Christian theologists. His main accomplishment was the translation of the Bible into Latin, an important part of the crumbling Roman Empire’s conversion to Christianity. He is frequently ranked among the likes of Augustine, Ambrose, and Gregory the Great as one of the original Doctors of the Church.
Although Christianity has a long history of supporting holy matrimony, St. Jerome was vehemently opposed to the idea of marriage. In my opinion, his condemnation goes too far; he claims furthermore that all sexual contact is inherently sinful and unclean, and urges chastity for all people. It is worth noting that he engaged in much sexual hedonism and debauchery as a young student in Rome, so he at least speaks with experience, if only to reject that lifestyle. Nevertheless, his dissection and critique of marriage and male-female relations remain supremely insightful.
(His advice could be applied to softer relationships too, for the same dynamics and drawbacks are present, albeit in lesser form. Where he says “marriage,” one could easily replace it with “LTR,” and “wife” with “girlfriend.”)
He lays down his reasoning in a book written in 393 AD, Against Jovinianus. An extremely well-learned man, Jerome brings up many quotes, anecdotes, and famous figures from the Classical world. Here are the original sources for these excerpts if you want the whole picture.

Theophrastus’ Golden Book of Marriage I feel that . . . I have said far more than is customary in illustrating a point, and that I might be justly censured by my learned reader. But what am I to do when the women of our time press me with apostolic authority, and before the first husband is buried, repeat from morning to night the precepts which allow a second marriage? Seeing they despise the fidelity which Christian purity dictates, let them at least learn chastity from the heathen. 

Even back then, women were quick to move on with their (love) lives, and marriage vows held little sway.

A book - On Marriage - worth its weight in gold, passes under the name of Theophrastus. In it the author asks whether a wise man marries. And after laying down the conditions that the wife must be fair, of good character and honest parentage, the husband in good health and of ample means, and after saying that under these circumstances a wise man sometimes enters the state of matrimony, he immediately proceeds thus: “But all these conditions are seldom satisfied in marriage. A wise man therefore must not take a wife. For in the first place his study of philosophy will be hindered, and it is impossible for anyone to attend to his books and his wife. Matrons want many things: costly dresses, gold, jewels, great outlay, maid-servants, all kinds of furniture, litters and gilded coaches. Then come curtain-lectures the livelong night: she complains that one lady goes out better dressed than she; that another is looked up to by all; ‘I am a poor despised nobody at the ladies assemblies.’ ‘Why did you ogle that creature next door?’ ‘Why were you talking to the maid?’ ‘What did you bring from the market?’ ‘I am not allowed to have a single friend, or companion.’ She suspects that her husband’s love goes the same way as her hate. 

God, those complaints sound word-for-word like what you’d hear today. Things just don’t change.

There may be in some neighbouring city the wisest of teachers; but if we have a wife we can neither leave her behind, nor take the burden with us. To support a poor wife, is hard; to put up with a rich one, is torture. Notice, too, that in the case of a wife you cannot pick and choose; you must take her as you find her. If she has a bad temper, or is a fool, if she has a blemish, or is proud, or has bad breath, whatever her fault may be – all this we learn after marriage. Horses, asses, cattle, even slaves of the smallest worth, clothes, kettles, wooden seats, cups, and earthenware pitchers, are first tried and then bought; a wife is the only thing that is not shown before she is married, for fear she may not give satisfaction. 

I’ll admit that it is now easier than ever to “try before you buy,” but even so, a woman has incentive to hide her flaws and stay on her best behavior until you’re invested and committed. In any case, you’d still have to do a lot of sifting to find one without any major faults.

Our gaze must always be directed to her face, and we must always praise her beauty: if you look at another woman, she thinks that she is out of favour. She must be called ‘my lady,’ her birth-day must be kept, we must swear by her health and wish that she may survive us, respect must be paid to the nurse, to the nursemaid, to the father’s slave, to the foster-child, to the handsome hanger-on, to the curled darling who manages her affairs, and to the eunuch who ministers to the safe indulgence of her lust; names which are only a cloak for adultery. Upon whomsoever she sets her heart, they must have her love though they want her not. 

But she say he just a friend!

If you give her the management of the whole house, you must yourself be her slave. If you reserve something for yourself, she will not think you are loyal to her; but she will turn to strife and hatred, and unless you quickly take care, she will have the poison ready. 

Poisoning is harder to get away with these days, so they use divorce papers instead.

If you introduce old women, and soothsayers, and prophets, and vendors of jewels and silken clothing, you imperil her chastity; if you shut the door upon them, she is injured and fancies you suspect her. But what is the good of even a careful guardian, when an unchaste wife cannot be watched, and a chaste one ought not to be? For necessity is but a faithless keeper of chastity, and she alone really deserves to be called pure, who is free to sin if she chooses. 

In other words, mate-guarding is useless, and a woman who is faithful only out of fear of consequences or of losing you is not truly pure at heart. She can still mentally undress anybody she wants.

If a woman be fair, she soon finds lovers; if she be ugly, it is easy to be wanton [i.e. promiscuous] It is difficult to guard what many long for. It is annoying to have what no one thinks worth possessing. 

If nobody’s buying her goods, then the price of entry goes down. But since most men value sexual exclusivity as much as sexual attractiveness, then so does the value. It’s a vicious cycle, but what’s a plain woman to do to snatch a high-value mate?

But the misery of having an ugly wife is less than that of watching a comely one. Nothing is safe, for which a whole people sighs and longs. One man entices with his figure, another with his brains, another with his wit, another with his open hand. Somehow, or sometime, the fortress is captured which is attacked on all sides. 

Jerome notices that there are many ways to stimulate a woman’s lust. Wealthy noblemen, lanky musicians, sly conmen, brutish warriors, and stern rulers all enjoy sexual success in exchange for what their lifestyles have to offer.

Men marry, indeed, so as to get a manager for the house, to solace weariness, to banish solitude; but a faithful slave is a far better manager, more submissive to the master, more observant of his ways, than a wife who thinks she proves herself mistress if she acts in opposition to her husband, that is, if she does what pleases her, not what she is commanded. 

Then, as now, men had the same fears and faulty reasoning in pursuing relationships with women.

But friends, and servants who are under the obligation of benefits received, are better able to wait upon us in sickness than a wife who makes us responsible for her tears (she will sell you enough to make a deluge for the hope of a legacy), boasts of her anxiety, but drives her sick husband to the distraction of despair. But if she herself is poorly, we must fall sick with her and never leave her bedside. 

Notice he uses the word “sell” to describe the woman’s crying and pleading for children (i.e. a legacy). Jerome had enough experience with women to see through the long con.

Or if she be a good and agreeable wife (how rare a bird she is!), we have to share her groans in childbirth, and suffer torture when she is in danger. 

Even if she does her best to make your life easy, a good woman still needs much support, protection, and care. Proceed at your own risk.

Then again, to marry for the sake of children, so that our name may not perish, or that we may have support in old age and leave our property without dispute, is the height of stupidity. For what is it to us when we are leaving the world if another bears our name, when even a son does not all at once take his father’s title, and there are countless others who are called by the same name. Or what support in old age is he whom you bring up, and who may die before you, or turn out a reprobate? Or at all events when he reaches mature age, you may seem to him long in dying. 

Many of my grandfather’s friends raised incompetent sons, despite being hardworking and conscientious themselves. As a result, they’ve had no support from their offspring in their old age. It is always a gamble, even if you do right by your family.

Friends and relatives whom you can judiciously love are better and safer heirs than those whom you must make your heirs whether you like it or not. Indeed, the surest way of having a good heir is to ruin your fortune in a good cause while you live, not to leave the fruit of your labour to be used you know not how. 

This is probably a big, big factor in how the children of good men become spoiled. They know a great inheritance is in the works, plus they’ve had every want and need fulfilled since their parents were so successful at providing, so where’s the children’s incentive to work hard themselves and pay back the favor? For those same reasons, a wife can be spoiled the same way your children can.

Examples Showing Why Men Should Not Marry When Cicero - after divorcing Terentia - was requested by Hirtius to marry his sister, he set the matter altogether on one side, and said that he could not possibly devote himself to a wife and to philosophy. Meanwhile that excellent partner, who had herself drunk wisdom at Tully’s fountains, married Sallust his enemy, and took for her third husband Messala Corvinus, and thus, as it were, passed through three degrees of eloquence. Socrates had two wives, Xantippe and Myron, grand-daughter of Aristides. They frequently quarreled, and he was accustomed to banter them for disagreeing about him, he being the ugliest of men, with snub nose, bald forehead, rough-haired, and bandylegged. At last they planned an attack upon him, and having punished him severely and put him to flight, vexed him for a long time. 

I find it interesting that St. Jerome pointed out Socrates’ ugliness as the reason for his wives abusing and disrespecting him. I guess looks do matter.

On one occasion when he opposed Xantippe, who from above was heaping abuse upon him, the termagant soused him with dirty water, but he only wiped his head and said, “I knew that a shower must follow such thunder as that.” 

Socrates had another quip, something along the lines of “If you marry a good wife you will become happy; if you marry a bad one you will become a philosopher.” At least he had a sense of humor about it all.

Metella, consort of Lucius Sulla the Fortunate (except in the matter of his wife) was openly unchaste. It was the common talk of Athens, as I learnt in my youthful years when we soon pick up what is bad, and yet Sulla was in the dark, and first got to know the secrets of his household through the abuse of his enemies. 

To put this in context, Lucius Sulla was one of the most successful generals and leaders of Rome. He sacked Athens, captured Rome to end a civil war, became dictator, and reinstated the Roman Senate. He was declared by none other than Machiavelli as having the prime attributes of an effective leader – cunning like a fox, courageous like a lion. Apparently all this had no bearing on his wife’s fidelity.

Pompey had an impure wife Mucia, who was surrounded by eunuchs from Pontus and troops of the countrymen of Mithridates. Others thought that he knew all and submitted to it; but a comrade told him during the campaign, and the conqueror of the whole world was dismayed at the sad intelligence. 

Pompey could be considered a successor of sorts to Sulla. As a young military commander, he was wildly successful, ruthless, and bold. He became consul of Rome at age 35, an unprecedented feat attributed to his popularity. All this was still not enough to inspire his wife to remain true. They divorced after Pompey learned of her frequent adultery during his military campaigns.

Cato, the Censor, had a wife Actoria Paula, a woman of low origin, fond of drink, violent, and (who would believe it?) haughty to Cato. I say this for fear anyone may suppose that in marrying a poor woman he has secured peace. 

A poor woman will not be automatically appreciative of your relative wealth, and make only modest demands of you. She will still want everything you have to offer. Just as you want her sexual best – and nothing less – she will want your provisional best – and nothing less.

When Philip, king of Macedon, against whom Demosthenes thundered in his Philippics, was entering his bed-room as usual, his wife in a passion shut him out. Finding himself excluded he held his tongue, and consoled himself for the insult by reading a tragic poem. 

Even kings are made to sleep on the couch. Sing it with me: “Who run tha world?”

Gorgias the Rhetorician recited his excellent treatise on Concord to the Greeks, then at variance among themselves, at Olympia. Whereupon Melanthius his enemy observed: “Here is a man who teaches us concord, and yet could not make concord between himself, his wife, and maid-servant, three persons in one house.” The truth was that his wife envied the beauty of the girl, and drove the purest of men wild with daily quarrels. 

How do you keep multiple girlfriends happy? Make each one secretly believe she’s number one.

Whole tragedies of Euripides are censures on women. Hence Hermione says, “The counsels of evil women have beguiled me.” In the semibarbarous and remote city Leptis it is the custom for a daughter-in-law on the second day to beg the loan of a jar from her mother-in-law. The latter at once denies the request, and we see how true was the remark of Terence, ambiguously expressed on purpose – “How is this? Do all mothers-in-law hate their daughters-in-law?” 

A mother often understands her son’s wife/girlfriend better than he does – that hatred means something.

We read of a certain Roman noble who, when his friends found fault with him for having divorced a wife, beautiful, chaste, and rich, put out his foot and said to them, “And the shoe before you looks new and elegant, yet no one but myself knows where it pinches.” Herodotus tells us that a woman puts off her modesty with her clothes. And our own comic poet thinks the man fortunate who has never been married. In all the bombast of tragedy and the overthrow of houses, cities, and kingdoms, it is the wives and concubines who stir up strife. Parents take up arms against their children; unspeakable banquets are served; and on account of the rape of one wretched woman Europe and Asia are involved in a ten years’ war. 

I am not sure what war Jerome is referring to here, maybe someone with better history knowledge can chime in.

We read of some who were divorced the day after they were married, and immediately married again. Both husbands are to blame, both he who was so soon dissatisfied, and he who was so soon pleased. Epicurus the patron of pleasure (though Metrodorus his disciple married Leontia) says that a wise man can seldom marry, because marriage has many drawbacks. And as riches, honours, bodily health, and other things which we call indifferent, are neither good nor bad, but stand as it were midway, and become good and bad according to the use and issue, so wives stand on the border line of good and ill. It is, moreover, a serious matter for a wise man to be in doubt whether he is going to marry a good or a bad woman. The Snares of Marital Love; Chastity Recommended to Women Aristotle and Plutarch and our Seneca have written treatises on matrimony, out of which we have already made some extracts and now add a few more: “The love of beauty is the forgetting of reason and the near neighbour of madness; a foul blot little in keeping with a sound mind. It confuses counsel, breaks high and generous spirits, draws away men from great thoughts to mean ones; it makes men querulous, ill-tempered, foolhardy, cruelly imperious, servile flatterers, good for nothing, at last not even for love itself. For although in the intensity of passion it burns like a raging fire, it wastes much time through suspicions, tears, and complaints: it begets hatred of itself, and at last hates itself.” The course of love is laid bare in Plato’s Phaedrus from beginning to end, and Lysias explains all its drawbacks – how it is led not by reason, but by frenzy, and in particular is a harsh gaoler over lovely wives. 

Jerome is talking not only of oneitis, but of pure lust as well. Both can lead to a man’s downfall. In both cases, sexual jealousy can rear its ugly head. But if a woman wants to cheat or branch-swing, there is virtually nothing you can do to stop her from acting on that desire, or from having the desire in the first place. And if a woman does not want to cheat or branch-swing, then jealousy is useless and can only damage your standing in the relationship, perhaps leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy. And all the while, your feelings of rage and inadequacy only cause you psychological harm. That said, I completely understand the natural tendency to become jealous. It is probably an evolved, instinctive response to being cuckolded or losing reproductive opportunity, which would’ve been useful to avoid wasting resources and to keep your genes in the gene pool. But if sex is all you’re after – and the women you sleep with fulfill your sexual desires – then what do her other lovers matter to you? Sure, STDs are a concern, but if it’s your goal to sleep with multiple women, you’re already exposing yourself to considerable risk.

There is nothing blacker than to love a wife as if she were an adulteress. Men who say they have contracted marriage and are bringing up children, for the good of their country and of the race, should at least imitate the brutes, and not destroy their offspring in the womb; nor should they appear in the character of lovers, but of husbands. In some cases marriage has grown out of adultery; and, shameful to relate! men have tried to teach their wives chastity after having taken their chastity away. 

I think this speaks to the hypocrisy of men expecting women to enjoy having sex, but only with them and no one else. If a woman likes wine, would she only drink chardonnay? If a woman likes country, would she only listen to Carrie Underwood? Likewise, if a woman genuinely enjoys sex, why would her tastes be limited to just one man?

Marriages of that sort are quickly dissolved when lust is satiated. The first allurement gone, the charm is lost. 

Relationships based on attraction alone do not last, simple as that. You actually have to be compatible as people – if that’s possible between a man and woman. You both need enough self-control and motivation to overcome your straying impulses. Men must check their desire for polygamy, and women must check their desire for hypergamy. Otherwise, the relationship will become exploitative on one side or the other, or dissolve entirely.

What shall I say, says Seneca, of the poor men who in numbers are bribed to take the name of husband in order to evade the laws promulgated against bachelors? How can he who is married under such conditions be a guide to morality, teach chastity, and maintain the authority of a husband? 

Even then, men were compelled to marry and place themselves under the yoke. Remind me again how Marriage 1.0 was such a good deal? Ain’t a damn thing changed.
Summary: St. Jerome, one of the most influential figures in early Christianity, warned of the follies and dangers of marriage, and advised wholeheartedly against it. Even during Marriage 1.0, women often ruled the relationship. Famous philosophers, powerful rulers, and charming orators were unable to keep their wives in check. Jealousy and mate-guarding are useless to prevent cheating, they can only help a man to walk away from potential cuckoldry and abuse. It is paradoxical to expect a woman who enjoys sex to only desire it with you. Conversely, it is irrational to expect a chaste woman to act like your own personal whore.
Do not marry for sex or love, because the relationship will crumble when mutual attraction fades. Marrying to have kids is also foolish, because you don’t know how they will turn out or whether they will actually support you in your old age. Ultimately, it is impossible to know for certain beforehand if a woman will make a good or bad wife, so it is wisest to avoid the risk altogether. DO NOT MARRY.

Casting this net in the hopes that this time it'll stick. Funny though as my username always gets mistaken for me being either 1. a guy or 2. someone who loves fishing. To clarify, I am neither, sorry! Was not able to change my username when I had the chance.
I suddenly became a guardian to my friend as we wait for the nurses and doctors to finally attend to him. No worries though, we think it’s a sprain. Which means, not that serious and this might take all night as they attend to more serious cases.
So, Hello! I'm from Manila and looking for people to talk to (and maybe, by chance, hang out with if there comes a time either one of us crosses paths!). If I had one thing to describe myself, it'll probably be as someone who is sociable. 😊 I have been told by people that I am friendly and easily approachable (but not all the time because extroverts have down time too lol). I tend to ramble a lot, about anything and everything and love being around good energy (I tend to be the kind who throws the same energy you give me!). As an overthinker, I have different musings that I like to know about people.. what do you do the first thing when you wake up? Do you usually try to find your glasses or did you leave it on your face for the nth time since you fell asleep again while watching some random videos on your phone? Are you more of a sunset kind of person or a sunrise person? Do you like having music while driving or are you in calls already for work? What do you usually think of when you're stuck in the tram or in traffic? Do you easily fall asleep even if it's not on your own bed? What's on your bedside table (or on your bed if you don't have one)? Do you sing in the shower? If yes, what is your go-to song? Are you the kind to do grocery shopping with a list or just have the list in your head then forget some stuff when you're already at home? 😅 Do you like to sing randomly like me? Do you tend to repeat the song all over again when it doesn't hit you right in the gut? Do you listen to songs on repeat that you’d already know from the first few notes it’s this certain song? What would you usually pack to keep you entertained for hours if you were in a long flight or road trip? If you have read this far, any travel tips from your travels?
I really don't mind the distance because I’ve met people through travels and online who are from different walks of life. And it’s just so fascinating to learn about another culture! I like knowing what makes you you. But please, as much as you can, hold the conversation as well hahaha! 😂
I’m rambling again so I’ll leave it at that. I hope you are having a good Friday so far!

First / Previous / Next
Well, this is new at least.
I've never had to quell a riot before.
Empress, please. This is more a brawl. When there's a riot, we'll let you know. We have seen riots, and this is no riot.
Okay, fine. There's something like two dozen people here and I see what looks like to be more security people, Mariens and Aviens and some Azurians on the edge of things, trying to get a handle on what is going on. Note to myself, I should go visit their offices later. Chairs from nearly restaurants have been taken and broken into clubs, and there is shouting and smoke and the clashing of flesh on feather on bone.
Wait, why is there smoke?
"Ava, Um'reli is there a fire here? I see and smell smoke."
"Um, one moment Melody.... Yes, there is a report of a small fire, but there's also this warning - it says something like Fire Suppression Offline, local assistance is needed." Sounds like we had some kind of Starbase wide fire suppression system but it doesn't work anymore."
All the Builder controlled parts of this place are broken. What is going on here? Was it on purpose or did they just fail because nobody was around to maintain them? "See if you can get it back online. It doesn't have to work forever, just to see if we can knock down the smoke. Turn the air scrubbers and air cycling too here, I don't want people getting ill from the smoke."
"On it, Melody." Um'reli is checking into it while Ava is helping with an overview of the area. It's a wide open area, kind of like the promenade on the lower level, but this area is... nicer? It has parks and gardens! We need to come up here more often. Why is it so drab down closer to the docks.
Well, it's nicer when a riot isn't going on I mean.
Sigh. Fine. Let's stop the riot and figure out what is going on. I take a moment and concentrate, and my crown and wings spring into existence. In fact, let's make those wings bigger and brighter. I'm going to need to be seen and heard. I connect to the Starbase, locate the local public address system - mentally wave to Um'reli and Ava as I go by! - and then...
S̴̨̲̗̥̯̯̩̤͒̎̔̽͊̐̚ṫ̸̝̱͈̙̆͋̌o̴͎͗̌̿̀̍̏̿̚͝p̸͚̐̀̕ ̶̯̌̈́f̵̤͙̪̖̗͖̳̼̺̐̏̊̒͒̈́̀̚̚i̵̡͈̼̱̭̼̻͖̳͋͒̄̊̾͌g̵͚͐͆̀͂͑̌h̶̛̤͙̆̋̍̄͑̓͠t̶̘̖̪͒́i̴̢̞̜̠̠͋n̷̛̪͚͙̞͚͒̀̃̔͂͊̊g̶̢̡̠͍̥̙̹̼̓̃͗ͅ!̶̨̥͎̄͘͝
I swear, it never gets old. Like I pressed pause on a video, everyone immediately stops. I put some work into my command this time, I specified fighting so that they can still move and breathe, but sure enough, everyone stops.
I put a little extra oomph into my presentation and tower over everyone. They turn towards me, fearful and I have their attention.
"Now then. What is going on here. Why are you fighting?"
Everyone starts talking all at once.
"-They started it when-"
"Those liars said that the Empress wasn't-"
"-There isn't enough food for-"
Wait that one. Another one about food? I heard a few of those at the presentation earlier.
"Cease your chatter. You. What was that about food?" I point to the Azurian close to me who mentioned food when they were all talking at once.
"Empress, the results of the last two harvests have been 15 and 20 percent lower than in previous seasons. The population here isn't dropping either. If this keeps up, the garden planetoid won't be able to support us!"
Okay that's serious, but it's not like ' drop everything and have a riot' serious - at least not at the numbers they gave me. What else is going on?
"Thank you, it's important to learn this. Please come to the Throne later and explain to me in more detail about your concerns. That's not enough to have a riot though, is it?"
"Oh the riot? No, that's not about the food supply. It's about them-" They point across the plaza "-not believing that you're holy."
Oh.
One of them, a Aviens, shouts from across the area "You're just someone who showed up and got lucky! You're not holy at all!"
Hisses and curses from this side of the plaza.
Awkward.
Well hold up now. This isn't fair to me. I never said I was holy, they just decided.
You did elevate The Smell of Soil After Rain to bishop during that presentation yesterday. I wonder if they're going around causing trouble in your name.
Hmm.
I stride out across the plaza to the other side. As I approach the people who think I'm not holy they shrink back. I wonder why for a moment and realize my wings and crown are still burning bright. Oops. Nothing like trying to convince people to stop arguing about my alleged godhood while looking like an angry God. I tone down the wings and crown (but I don't remove them entirely) and approach the Aviens who yelled that I wasn't holy. "Was The Smell of Soil After Rain coming around, giving you a hard time?"
The Aviens visibly crumbled. "They said that my family would be forgotten if I didn't attend services. That you ordered it. They said they'd remove my children from school."
What.
"What? No. Absolutely not. I am Empress, I don't need to be your God too. So long as you recognize me as Empress and Builder that's enough. Worship the way you please, or don't worship at all. Atheism it not forbidden."
I turn back to both sides of the crowd. "I will not punish those who choose not to worship me! So long as you accept that I am Empress, that I rule here, that's enough. Nobody here has to also worship me. I will... speak to my Bishop about their... enthusiasm. Nobody here will be compelled to worship. So please. Return to your homes after you assist the security forces here in cleanup."
Everyone looks around at each other, then back at me, still with crown and glowing wings, then back at each other and starts picking up litter and broken pieces of chair.
I turn back to the Aviens who I was talking to, put away my wings and crown and kneel down gently to speak just to them very quietly. They look up at me wide eyed.
"Just for your own information - and if pressed by anyone else I will deny it forever - you're right. I'm just a person who did something stupid, and now I'm Empress. My name is Melody, I like coffee and computer systems and being able to have time alone to read." It's almost a whisper.
They blink in surprise. This was completely unexpected for them. "Hi Melody, my name is Roar of Thunder and I work in an office building down on the docking level. I'm not entirely sure what our job is, but it's not difficult work. I enjoy cooking during my free time."
I stand back up. "It's wonderful to meet you Roar of Thunder. I love your name too." I look around as people continue cleaning up. "Tell you what Thunder. Come up to the Throne tomorrow. I bet we can find a more... stimulating job for you with us."
"That's... that's a wonderful opportunity Empress. I will be there tomorrow."
I spend a few minutes helping clean up the riot. I mean, why not, I'm here already, everyone will love it, and it's something to do. In the meantime Ava and Um'reli seem to get the fire supression going enough to fog some water over the smokier parts of the plaza and soon enough the smoke has dissipated and things are - if not clean - then at least cleaner. I give my thanks and as I get up to leave, one of the Mariens in the security coloration approaches me.
"Empress, thank you for coming up. We didn't even get to report back to headquarters that a riot had broken out yet, how did you know?"
This time I grin impishly. "This is just one of the things that can happen now that the Builders are back. We have eyes and ears all over and can assist quickly when needed. If you'll notice, we even got the old fire suppression foggers going in this sector. Hopefully soon we can get them operating everywhere again."
The Mariens looks amazed and salutes me sharply, then bows. "I am known as Kilad, Empress. I know my supervisor would love to thank you personally."
Ah wonderful! I was hoping to go see more of the security forces. What a nice coincidence.
"Please lead the way Kilad. I would love to meet them."
Kilad walks me across the plaza and through a park. There are trees and greenery, but of course I don't recognize any of the plants. They're very dark green and fragrant though. I wonder if they originated on a planet that has a dimmer star than Earth or our other colonies. Less light might cause them to evolve darker coloration to squeeze every drop of energy out of a weaker star.
We walk through the park and come out in another plaza, just like the one near the train station. At the far end of this one is another large, original looking building made out of the same stone as the Starbase and Administration offices and Bank. Clearly some of the institutions here were original - or the buildings were and they have been repurposed.
Kilad opens the door and I follow. Inside is a bustle of activity. Mariens, Aviens, and all the others are here. The Mariens are all colored the bright yellow of security while those without chromatophores are wearing smart yellow uniforms. Kilad walks up to a low desk in the back of the atrium. There's an Azurian sitting there in a yellow uniform with silver piping along the top. They must be the supervisor. Kilad salutes the Azurian and gives a report.
"Kilad, returning from the suspected riot near the hub station. Suspicions were confirmed, it was a riot between people arguing about the holiness - or not - of the Empress. Luckily the Empress herself showed up to quell the riot and explain that while people can worship her if so desired nobody will be forced to. She also explained that she will speak to her new Biship, The Smell of Soil After Rain about his proselytizing and ask him to tone it down." Kilad gestures behind themselves to me. "Additionally, the Empress herself is here, she'd like to speak to you."
At that, the Azurian looks behind Kilad and nods. I love how it seems like every single Azurian doesn't really care that I'm the Empress. It's refreshing. "Empress." They nod. "Thank you for your assistance, and for the official confirmation that nobody is required to worship you."
"It's quite all right. I'm glad to be able to get the word out that worship is not compulsory. Everyone is free to worship - or not worship - however they see fit. Can you explain to me what the role of your forces is here? It doesn't have to be a whole history, just the basics."
"Yes, Empress. We are the Security force on Reach of the Might of Vzzx" He pronounces Vzzx with a pop on the end. "This station is 100 people, and there are at least a dozen more across the whole of the Reach. We mostly help settle small disputes, assist with investigating petty crime and quell the occasional riot. For the most part, the residents of the Reach are relatively calm and open to working together. There is friction here and there, same as with anywhere, and with living spaces so tight conflict can break out. But, there is a strong sense of collaboration and community here too. You probably saw people cleaning up the riot they caused after it was quelled. That's not because you were there, that's a normal occurrence"
"Do you know any history? Do you know the role of your forces when they Builders were here in force?"
They indicate no, and seem a little sad about it. "Few records exist from then. When I was young, I asked some of the oldest staff here and they made it sound like things were much the same back then as now. It was probably different in that there were Builders able to detect and react to things sooner - like you and your Builders did today - but I imagine the day to day operations were much the same then as now."
"Thank you for the history lesson. What's your name?"
"I am Commander Sep."
"Thank you again Sep!" I incline my head slightly and walk out. I do wonder if I'm being too casual with everyone for a moment, but really this is who I am, how I want to rule. I hear FarReach's words and I'm reminded that she thought I was changing. That's not what I want to happen. I'm going to keep on walking around and talking to people and trying to learn as much about my new home as I can.
My new home. That's what the Reach is.
And I'm here to protect it and its residents.
I spend the evening up here visiting shops, talking to people, trying to learn as much as I can. It turns out most everyone here went down to the Throne this morning, so people are open later today to allow folks who missed their morning shopping to be able to get things.
I stop by a restaurant that looks nice and go to get dinner by myself. After I shoo away the entire staff who practically fell over themselves to be the one who took care of me and gently remind them they have other patrons who also need help, I enjoy my meal and even try out some of the tea that everyone here seems to drink. It's no coffee, but it's pleasant in its own way. It's hot and sweet and herbal and smells slightly of anise. I should see if I can get more to bring back. I think Um'reli might like it.
After dinner, I stroll slowly back towards the train and connect to the Reach and look for Ava and Um'reli. "Ava, Um'reli, where are you?"
"We're back at the Royal Dawn. Where are you Melody, it's so late!"
Is it? Hmm, I should figure out timekeeping here. It's hard to believe it's only been a few days since I left FarReach, I'm probably still on ship's time.
"Oh, after the brawl, I went and met the Security forces up here, and then I walked around talking to people, and got a nice dinner. Um'reli you have got to try this tea they have! I think you'd really like it."
"Oh? Thanks Melody, I will check it out next time we eat. Um, are you coming back? Omar is back too, he has a report about the High Line."
"I'm walking back to the train station now, I'll be home in a bit. No more than half an hour probably. Omar, do you want to tell me about it now while I walk or wait until I get back?"
"How about when you get back Melody. It still odd talking to people like this, it feels like I'm having a discussion with myself."
"Sure thing Omar, see you in a bit."
I make my way back to the hub station just as a train pulls away. As I watch it go, an Aviens is running down the platform. "No no no no, I can't miss my train! They're going to be so mad!" They reach the end of the platform and their feathers ripple and they look despondent.
"What's wrong? What about the next train?"
They look up at me and then see who I am and jump a little." E-Empress! I didn't expect to see you here. Um" And they bow.
"Yes yes, that's fine, but not really necessary unless I'm like, doing royal stuff. What's the matter? You sounded so sad."
"Oh Empress, that was the last train! There isn't another until tomorrow! I have to get back down to my home, my parents are going to be so upset to find out that I missed the last train home again and have nowhere to stay." They're practically in tears.
"Oh no! Well, I have to get down a level too so I can go home. I had no idea that was the last train - I'm still getting used to time here, it's different than where I'm from. Let me see what I can do. What's your name?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you Empress! My name is Sound of the City."
"It's so nice to meet you Sound of the City! Let's see about finding a way for both of us to get home."
I lead them to a seat on the platform and sit next to them. They snuggle up next to me and yawn deeply. Surprised, I look over and realize they're so young! It's just a child. If they were human, they might be a teen. All the more reason to get them home. I lean back a little and connect and search for the train subsystem.
Ah, there it is. They were right, that was the last scheduled train. Luckily though, when you're a Builder, you don't have to worry about things like schedules. Let's see, what train is closest... hmm? Whats that? There's something here marked 'Royal transport - offline' and it very close. Looks like it's over in a siding near here.
I dig a little deeper and it seems like it's a whole train just for the Empress. They must have used it when the previous Empress was traveling around the Reach. I remember in my dream how proud Aeche was of the transit system, I wonder if this was related to it? Well, it's the closest train, and this way I won't mess up tomorrows schedule either. I touch the train gently, and it activates. Basic systems check indicates nothing is wrong. I call the train. After only a minute, there's the trilling chime that indicates a train is coming.
"Sound, look. I found a train."
They blink sleepily and look up and gasp at what they see.
I have to admit, it is impressive. The Royal Transport is a subway train, but turned up loud. It's royal blue and gold and gilded with sweeping flowery designs. It's only three cars - the other trains seem to be between 6 and 10 cars - but what it lacks in length it makes up for in elegance.
I'm almost sad that the station is empty, this is something that needs to be seen.
"This train is beautiful, Empress! This is how we're going to get home?"
"Yup. It's the Royal Transport. It was designed for the Empress to move around the Reach in style."
We approach the door and I step in. It's carpeted! It's so plush. Sound of the City stands at the door, not coming in.
"What's wrong Sound? Come in"
"A-are you sure? It's a train for the Empress."
"And as Empress, I'm telling you it's fine. Please, come aboard. I'll take you home. It's only two stops."
I reach out my hand and they nervously take it and step in. The doors hiss shut behind us. I lead us to a seat and we both sit down. Only after we are seated does it begin to roll away, nearly silently. Sound once again snuggles up and is nearly asleep instantly. While we ride I search the train mentally. Oh! There's a log! The last time this train was used was...
74 years ago? That's it?
My head spins a bit. That's not that long at all. The Administrators had said that there hadn't been an Empress for 'three generations' I guess if they're not that long lived that could account for it. Also, given the robustness of what we build for space on our side of the galaxy, it would explain why things didn't really break down over here. It would also explain why the Gate system was almost completely intact. 74 years though. That's hardly any time at all in an interstellar empire.
But, the K'laxi! My last memories were of touching the Gate and doing an upload before going to visit them. They said that their histories and religion that mentions me and the Gates is a thousand years old.
What happened? Why were the K'laxi ignored? When did the last Empress touch the directory stone? The timing of everything doesn't make sense.
I really have no way of finding out here. Once High Line has been refitted, I think I need to go to the Wilds of Besmara, that mostly destroyed Starbase we saw first and see what happened there.
Then, the train rolls to a stop. Just as silently the doors hiss open and were back at my station. "Sound, wake up, we're here." I say gently. They rustle and blink and realizing they were sleeping on the Empress jump up, embarassed. "I'm so sorry!"
I laugh gently. "It's find Sound. I'm pretty tired too. Let me walk you home."
This is the latest I've been out, and the Reach is so quiet! The lights are down low, but it's still easy to see. Sound said they lived close to the station and they lead me there. It's a little block of apartments in between the bank and the Administrative offices. Convenient location, I bet this place was expensive.
As we approach the door, an older Aviens opens it ahead of us. Clearly upset they point a finger. "Sound of the City, you are late. How did you even get home, the last train arrived a while ago. Were you wandering around causing trouble after you got here?"
"No Father! I was working late to help Gemli finish up inventory and ran to catch the last train. I missed it, and thought I was done for when..." Sound gestures behind them to me. In the low light, I flare the crown and wings just for a moment and darken them again. There's a gasp and the adult Aviens bows low. "E-E-Empress! What are you doing here?"
"I too missed the last train home, and ran into Sound of the City weeping that they were going to be in trouble and had no way of getting home. I was able to call the Royal Transport and bring them and myself back home. I just wanted to make sure they made it home safely. I don't believe Sound should be punished, it seems that they got caught up helping a friend."
"O-of course Empress. Sound, get inside and wash up, it's past bedtime." Sound of the City hesitates a moment, then runs up and hugs me tight. "Thank you, Empress." and they wave and run inside.
"You're very welcome Sound of the City." I look at their parent and narrow my eyes just a bit. "They did not bother me, they did not put me out, I was helping because I wanted to. Do not give them trouble about this."
Their head bobs a nod. "Of course Empress. Thank you Empress, I really am grateful you brought them home. They get caught up helping friends and lose track of time. It's a regular occurrence with them."
"There are worse problems to have than being late because one is helping friends. People like that are what makes the Reach home."
"You're absolutely right Empress. I will do well to remember that."
"Good night then."
"Empress." The bow again and close the door gently.
I walk home, my head filled with worry about why the timeline for things isn't lining up. Something is wrong here.
First / Previous / Next

There’s a whole lot for me to share… so it all started when I was too young to remember anything, we lived in a trailer, my mom and her friend Sarah played with a ouija board in our trailer, I’m not sure if they connected with anything but after that my mom told me I had an “imaginary” friend named Roary. I’m assuming everything at that point was completely harmless. Once we moved out of the trailer (I was 8-9 at the time? Whatever she 4th graders are) we moved into a house, my grandparents would always buy me porcelain dolls growing up, I didn’t like them but I kept them so I wouldn’t upset them. Especially since my grandpa and I were close. So we’re living in this new house, I had floating shelves on my wall and a huge dresser, so I lined up all of my porcelain dolls and trophies on my dresser and shelves. It’s the first night in the house and I wake up around 3 AM. All the dolls heads were spinning, obviously I was absolutely freaked out! I ran to my moms room and she brushed it off. I started going to a new school and I made a friend. She was my age but still attended daycare after school. She hated it so we convinced her mom and my mom to allow her to come over after school until her mom got off work. We would play guitar hero and make snacks until our moms got off work. So a few weeks into her coming over we took a break from playing guitar hero and made pizza rolls. You can see the kitchen from the living room so we went back to the living room to watch TV while waiting for our food. Out of literally nowhere the cabinets in the kitchen start slamming and opening over and over. My grandma lived less than 2 blocks away. So I called her hysterically in tears. She drove over to my house to check things out and everything stops. That’s all I can remember happening in that house, I lived there until I was a Junior in high school. Nothing paranormal happens to me until I turn 22.
So I’m 22 at this point, my boyfriend and I rent a house still in the same town as my old house. Come January he leaves for Basic training and I have a 2-3 year old daughter at this point. So my boyfriends in basic, my daughter is at her fathers. It’s just me and the dog in the house. I’m watching tv cuddled up with my dog, and my daughters brush is on the table next to me, IT FLIES OFF THE TABLE! I ignore it. A few days later I’m in the shower, still home alone. And my cell is on the bathroom counter. My phone drops to the floor, no missed calls or texts so I knew it didn’t vibrate off the counter. So my daughter ends up coming home from her fathers house, I have a cam in her room so I can check on her throughout the night and get notified if she’s crying. Around 3 AM I get a notification for her room, she’s playing, jumping on her bed… a toddler being a toddler. The next morning I asked her why she was playing and jumping in the middle of the night, she tells me that my grandpa (her great grandpa who passed before she turned 2) came to visit her and the lady in white came to visit her. They were all playing in her room. My landlord disclosed that the house belonged to her mother that had passed away. But I don’t know if she passed in the house or where? But she didn’t seem scary to my daughter, I’m wondering if she was annoyed that we were living in her house and wanted to scare me away. Ever since we haven’t had anything paranormal happen to us. My boyfriend doesn’t believe in the paranormal and never experienced what I experienced. We’ve since moved out of that house and have been gone for 3 years now. And again, nothing has happened since.

I see that this was a terrible idea now. But I wanted some privacy and I thought the shower was the only way to do it.
I wanted to masturbate in the shower, but I wanted to avoid the water because it messes up my bladder if I do it under said water.
After turning the shower on, I realised the shower head was a little too high. So, I tried to edge my way around the water towards the shower head. I wanted to lower it so I could masturbate away from the water.
Well, turns out edging around a shower while the water's on, is a terrible idea. Who would've thought it.
My life literally flashed before my eyes. First person perspective of the wall falling away from me, and my hands reaching out in front of me desperately trying to grab on to something. Anything that would save me.
Well, that obviously didn't work out for me.
I fell ass-backwards halfway through my journey, taking the shower curtain and the rail with me.
Straight onto the hard floor. I think I actually bruised my ass on the way down, too. My back definitely hurts.
But because I fell backwards, I was trying to catch myself the whole way down and didn't hit my head on anything as a result. So, I'll take that win.
I'm now going to ask my brothers girlfriend to help me put the rail back up. She's the only one here, hence I wanted to masturbate in private. I won't tell her that part, obviously.
TL;DR: Fell out of the shower because I wanted to avoid the water to masturbate. Took the rail, and the curtain, right down with me. Won't be trying that again.

I know, yet another fina / creatine post.. just what reddit needs. but here it is anyway.
So, I've been on oral fin (1mg ed) for 8+ years with pretty stable maintaining. Haven't really seen any shedding, no hairs in the shower or on my desk when running my hands through my hair. In the past 8 years I haven't really thought about hair loss.
A few weeks ago I started taking 5mg of Creatine monohydrate. Within a week or two, I started seeing hairs on my desk and on my rubber comb I use in the shower. I thought no big deal, a few hairs are not significant and continued with the creatine for a few more days. Yesterday, when I ran my hands through my hair, there were at least 20+ hairs coming right out and falling on my desk. My desk is pure white so the hairs are quite visible. Now, I don't buy into crazy early conclusions on things and I try to analyze things level headed, but it's hard to ignore and argue against something when you see it with your own eyes real time.
The only other change I had is I started micro needling and applying minoxidil (5%) right after the micro needling session. It is possible that this is a minox shed, but not very likely, since I've been using 5% topical minox for about 8 years also.
I actually wanted to do a DHT test from before I started with the creatine, but the lab "forgot" to measure DHT on my test even though I specifically added it to the list of hormones on my doctor ordered bloodwork ( I had to get a routine bloodwork for my primary doc)
So now, I could get an on or after creatine DHT test but I feel it would be less useful since I don't have a baseline figure and whatever my DHT is, it clearly makes me lose hair.
I stopped the creatine yesterday. It sucks because I felt pretty good on it.
So unless I'm experiencing a minox shed ( I think it's unlikely) it seems that creatine can cause hairloss ( at least it seems it can for me), I'm just surprised how quickly it started.
​
And again, I'm not the type who jumps to conclusions easy, or at least I try not to.
In the future I'll try dutasteride instead of fina to see if that can counter the creatine, but for now I just stopped taking it (creatine)
Is there anyone who thinks this is actually a minox shed due to the addition of microneedling?

alriiiighty then.
to start off with, this covers the square dash style some bits may help with the round dash style, i offer no promises.
lets start with some basic info, gauge needle sizes for the heads can vary a bit, but the important sizes are as follows;
large needle spindle diameter: 1.2mm
max depth from bottom of needle head: 7.5mm
OD of needle shaft: 3.5mm
smaller gauge spindle diameter: 0.75mm
now that that's out of the way;
our first image show the back of an automatic cluster out of an early pathfinder. denoted are the screws you need to remove, the location of the tach power and signal screws and signal wire in the full harness plug, as well as the place the single wire plug was clipped to on the white shell.
our second image shows a close up of the spot for the signal wire in the full harness plug and a good shot of what the ring terminal thats on the single wire terminal plug looks like, except that wire was white. i do not know where that pigtail is at the moment, or i'd be including it in this writeup.
when the white wire is present in the signal spot in the full plug, you don't need to worry about the single wire plug at all. reinstall it on the screw, but don't worry about plugging it into anything. if no wire is present in the full plug, you need to hook up the single wire to the plug that should be taped to the harness.
in the event there is no single plug taped to the harness behind the cluster (rare), and there's no wire in the full plug, you can run a single spade terminal in whatever male or female gender is needed with a wire, to the pulse wire of the coil (should be blue), since that's literally what the white wires that are normally present tap into. make sure any splicing is stout and secure+waterproof, if this gets dodgy for connection, your truck may well fail to run.
our third image shows the front of the tach module, with the clock holes clearly visible, these can be blocked off with some trickery involving sticking black tape to itself and then the back of the dial face itself, so it looks smooth in the holes, if needed.
please note the grooves in the side of the dial face, that the center dial face slot into (right side of image). when removing and reinstalling modules, one must take care to not damage these bits, and to insert the larger modules first, since the smaller ones lock into those.
our fourth image shows the same thing, but with the faces properly interlocked.
our fifth image shows the back of the tach module, notably the PCB, with crude markings for the positive, negative and signal, denoted +, -, and S. that's it. there's a pot in the upper corner if one needs to fine tune the RPM readout, but for most people that shouldn't be needed, but if it is, that's where it is. and by all means, have someone who can properly track the RPM calibrate it. better safe than OHGODITSOVER9000!@!@#.
our sixth image is a close up of the voltmeter wires that go to the back, for illustration purposes. disconnect these if present, and unroute the wires out of the clips, if removing the side module.
our final image is a shot of the empty tach cavity, showing where the clock module rests and where the wires route under and to the back side of the cluster. it also clips onto things back there, but i'll admit i forgot how.
the best way to disassemble;
pop the front bezel and clear face off the cluster, roll up a towel length wise just enough to be able to rest the cluster on it without it rocking to a side or the towel not hitting the cluster well enough to give it support.
once supported, remove any screws behind the various gauges with needles, using the first image, but comparing any gauges present with the back to determine if the layout is slightly different and adjust to suit. extra screws (like the top and side edge of the first image on the right hand side), aren't needed to be removed since they screw into the shell, and not modules.
some dial faces can be swapped around to other modules if you want to keep the module but want the look. physically compare everything about two relevant module mounting points and where the lights/needles and module mounting point are in relation to the 'old' vs 'new'. most should be similar, but there's no guarantees.
reassembly;
you should do your best to try and keep your original white shell, unless its damaged beyond repair, or you're doing harness swaps. usually solves many many headaches.
once you've decided, and gotten things situated, insert the bigger modules first, and screw them in from the back, one at a time. this will help you get the rest in. putting the clock module in if possible/present and routing that wire when you do the tach module.
once both larger modules are in, you can insert the smaller modules on the sides and middle, with a safe bet probably being to start with the side module next to the tach where the water temp gauge usually lives. (left side of last image).
once done with that, next up would be the center module. this one tends to be fairly straight forwards. it drops in, there's a couple of screws. depending on your variant, you may need to stick with the 'old' one, vs the 'new', simply because of whats in this module in a given variant. yes, even with the colors. you may be able to carefully switch the needles, but if you want to change certain centers colors, you may need to resort to finding a very skilled person to redo the gauge paint in whatever color.
last up is the smaller side of the speedo cluster. should also be fairly simple, with the wire out the side that plugs in the back, where present.
depending on options, you may need to swap the clear face cover from the 'new' cluster onto the 'old' shell. or if you only add the single shaft from the clock, you may be able to get away with just drilling a single hole in the old one.
now, there's a giant caveat to this. some few variants of the square cluster.. you're gonna be stuck with mixed and matched colors. and if you want it all the same color, you're gonna have to find that skilled painter. this is, sadly, unavoidable for those few.
the good side of this; its going to be few and far between. but the chance is present.
forewarned, fore armed and all that.
any questions. down there -v
cheers.

So this is going to be a long long long back track. But I have no one to talk to and need to let this out and go. Let's back track this story. My husband and I met at his job he worked as maintenance at an apartment complex wich I lived at and he did maintenance we met through mutual friends and things clicked with us.i seen him here and there but always ignored him when he tried talking to me. One night at a bbq and drinking things happened and it went from there. So I was unaware that he had a wife at the moment and they had a daughter wich I was unaware they were married to . But before I get any back lash I would have never known his ex wife was his wife she was actually sleeping with his friend another maintenance man wich was a mutual friend of mine. I seen them together my husband's co worker and my husband's ex wife.The co worker told me and my sister and the group of there sexual acts and what not so i knew of her but just as my friends i guess booty call trust me when i found out that was my husbands ex wife i was shocked but i didnt spill the beans .. But besides that keep in mind she had been having affairs . Not just with his co worker but others as well. Anyways. They obviously ended up separating and me and him were together for about a good seven months had moved out of there and both got jobs at a nursing home. We separated around that time wich at this point was only for a week but I would see him at work and it was just awkwardness I eventually apologized and said I was sorry for my faults I never cheated but was very mean and pushed him away alot i admit and i wanted to make it work.He said he wanted to get his shit together so we can get our own place and things can be better he agreed . After that day the following two days were his days off. Withing the second day I took a pregnancy test and it turned out positive .He ends up m.i.a for two weeks at this point and I start trying to find him I go on Facebook and i find out him and his ex wife are back together i was very hurt. Beacuse it took him that fast to just move on i felt played.. I ended up messaging his family letting them know of my pregnancy didn't hear nothing for two months and his mom messaged saying they really didn't talk much but last she knew was he was living with his ex wife. Two months go by I get a message from him I ignore him and he denies everything. Me and him bumped heads for another month and long story short we ended up making it work three months later got married. He moves in with me and of course this came up in multiple arguments and eventually I let it go for the sake of our son to be in a peaceful environment. Three weeks before my due date I get checked with a pap smear. A few days later the clinic is blowing me up turns out I tested positive for chlamydia I lost my shit. Because random note I had got told I had pregnancy pre-eclampsia the same day so my obgyn wanted to send me to the hospital right after that so they can keep and eye on me. Pause on that. Keep in mind I asked my husband if he fucked around he said no only sex with his ex wich btw that took months to actually come out but that day at the clinic he was stuck because he admitted to messing around in general but turns out it was his ex wife who gave that to him while they were together. He apologizes I go to the hospital we are arguing there and basically I go in to labor i was contracting while we were fighting so they induced me . Next day had my son. That news literally started my labor. Fast forward to now two months later we argue and I tell him to just be gentle with our son and he looses his shit but because of how I said it and he said it's like DEJA VU because his ex would say the same I lost my shit. And yes i know its not a big deal but the beginning of my pregnancy I was depressed because of him even getting back with his ex wife . I got an std .. And last thing I wanna do is get compared .I deserve respect. Im not perfect but ive never cheated and always try my best for him and always respected him together or not..I try talking and was crying and he always walks away. When I say real shit he walks away. I had to go to him and tell him how much it hurt and to talk to me while he was laying down but nothing just ignored me he said it's my fault and I should have left him alone outside to smoke his cigarette . And that I knew that he was with his ex and I should have never slept with him . It was my choice. And If I never pushed him away he never would have got back with her and got the std in the first place that it was my fault. And just because I'm having a bad day don't mean to make him have a bad day. Wich is a dam lie. It's actually vise versa other days when it comes to him. I told him if he didn't say anything that I was going to leave because that's not showing he loves me. And I had to tell him this for a good awhile he picks his head up says ok I love you. Knocks out i just go to the living room and he never checked on me. He fell asleep. And off topic but to give every one the bigger picture I found out basically news that my mom was almost murdered. That's why I was having a bad day to begin with I didn't tell him till he got off work wich was at midnight. So he knows of this wich he was there for me but until I said to be gentle with our son while I shower he was pretty much was like fuck you after that.My whole point of this is for one am I wrong for still being angry or bitter about his ex? Am I wrong for being angry at him for falling asleep while I am hurting ? Am I dumb to beg for him to be there for me?. Angry at me or not. Wich I don't think what I said was a big deal. Not for him to compare me to his ex let alone after what I'm going through already And lastly Is it bad to always have to chase him even when he does things wrong in an argument?. He tells me not to because he'll never chase no one him self. Is too much damage done...For anyone who had the patience to read all this thank you. And any feedback will help.