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wolferals · 4 years

Text

😅prendiendo fuego**😅

arón piper preference

*sexual content*

-„hey babe." you heard Aróns voice coming from the hallway

-followed by keys being thrown onto the kitchen counter

-today was the day the music video to „prendiendo fuego" came out

-of course you were one of the first to watch the result

-and it lowkey hurt watching some random girls touching on your boyfriend of almost 1 year

-„where are you?" arón asked and you heard him approaching the bedroom you were currently in

-to distract yourself from thinking about the video too much you had taken a bath and then started reading your favorite book for the millionth time

-„oh there you are. Hola bebe."

-Arón placed a kiss on top of your head before taking off his shoes and jacket

-„how was your day?" he asked softly

-„it was alright, pretty boring."

-he lied down next to you and put his arm around you

-„(the name of your favorite book)? You only read that when you're sad, what happened?"

-you shrugged your shoulders

-suddenly you felt that jealousy crawling up inside of you again

-„babe?" he asked concerned and placed a soft kiss on your cheek

-„usually when you're upset you tell me right away unless i did something."

-you closed your book and lied your head onto the pillow

-„wow the last time you ignored me like that was when you had seen the sex scene in elite and i didnt tell you about filming it at all."

-you took a deep breath and then turned around to him

-he smiled when your eyes met his for the first time today

-„so whats up?" he asked

-„i dont know. When i was watching the music video before it was different."

-„what do you mean?" you could see him trying to hide a smile

-„i mean when you kiss omar it's different because he's gay and all but with girls its just... i dont know."

-arón leaned back and let out a little laugh

-„what the fuck are you laughing about?" you asked but had to try not to laugh either

-„sorry. Are you jealous or something?" he asked then

-it took you a second to fully process the question and to find a proper answer

-„no." you spoke and got up from the bed because you couldn't believe yourself

-arón would never cheat on you or something

-and obviously you knew it was just a job he had to do

-you made your way to the kitchen to drink some water for your blushing cheeks

-„baby come on." you then heard your boyfriends voice right behind you

-„you know how it goes. I have to do it and it doesnt mean shit to me."

-he stopped closely in front of you and put his hands on your hips

-„i know... its just, seeing these girls all over you. They were so much prettier and sexier than me."

-arón furiously shook his head and then said:"thats first of all bullshit. You're gorgeous and you shouldve known that by now. And second if i thought that, i wouldnt be dating you right? Its 1 year in 3 weeks y/n."

-you just looked at him and swallowed hard

-„do you believe me?"

-again you shrugged your shoulders

-„oh babe."

-„let me show you how sexy you are."

-without further warning he grabbed your legs and lifted you onto the kitchen counter

-his lips immediately met yours in the process

-you moaned into the kiss by his sudden movements

-„you're. the. only. one." he said inbetween kisses

-with his right hand he grabbed the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head just to throw it somewhere

-„fucking beautiful." he moaned before making his way down your collar bones and kissing down your stomach

-once he had reached your waistline he grabbed your shorts and pulled them down your legs rather harshly

-„so hot." he whispered and pulled down your panties as well

-you on the other hand were losing your shit

-you had never done it anywhere but your guys' bed

-and arón was usually pretty subtle when its about sex

-obviously you were aware that he had a lot more experience and that he probably wanted more than vanilla/soft sex

-but he had never done that to you like that

-you fucking loved it

-„are you okay with this?" he suddenly asked

-it was adorable that he still asked you thought

-you nodded slowly before he came up again and grabbed your naked body by the waist

-you wrapped your legs around his torso when he walked to the bathroom with you in his arms

-„what do you..?" you asked but he shushed you and let you down onto the cold bathroom floor

-„do you trust me babe?"

-you nodded again

-arón then took off his boxers rapidly and walked towards you

-just to grab you again and sit you down onto the sink

-„arón" you spoke in confusion

-„shh. You said you trusted me."

-before you could react, his mouth was all over you again

-he started kissing your neck first but then made his way to your boobs to suck on your nipples

-that made you moan loudly and you could feel him grinning against your skin

-„fuck." you cursed and let your head fall back onto the mirror

-arón then suddenly grabbed your legs and opened them even farther just to go down on his knees afterwards

-„baby." you spoke and looked down at him

-you could see the lust in his eyes

-he didnt respond, he just held onto your thighs before placing some kisses on your clit

-it felt so good your started moaning again

-but he hadnt even started yet

-without a warning he started sucking your clit hard while pushing two fingers inside of you

-„fuckkkk!" you screamed out and fully enjoyed what he was doing to your body

-arón kept going faster and faster until you were so close your body started shaking

-„no!" you screamed then because he had just stopped

-„no baby no please." you begged but he just stood up again and grinned at you

-„not yet babygirl." he kissed you

-you could taste yourself in his kiss what turned you on even more

-then suddenly aron grabbed your waist again and flipped you over so that now your belly was laying on the border of the sink and you looked up to see your own reflection in the mirror

-„i promised you id show you how sexy you are."

-you looked down but aron grabbed you by the hair to make you look at yourself again

-„i want you to look at yourself as i'm fucking you. See how pretty you look on my cock."

-he turned you on so much you could feel how wet you got just by him saying that

-„alright baby? Look at yourself."

-you nodded at him and then placed your right hand onto the mirror for support

-arón didnt waste any time and slipped his hard cock inside of your wet pussy

-he groaned loudly at the feeling

-„fuck you feel so fucking good bonita."

-he grabbed your hips and started slamming into you he had never done before

-you finally knew how he wanted it and that turned you on so goddamn much

-„babe fuck." he moaned and you could see how he threw his head back through the mirror

-„god you look so pretty." he then said when you started moaning louder because of his hard thrusts

-and now you looked into your own eyes for the first time after just observing him fucking you in the mirror

-you could see how horny you were

-your hair was still a little wet from your bath earlier and your boobs were moving from his harsh movements

-„so sexy." he groaned and fucked you even faster

-„yes yes yes." was the only thing you were able to say

-„ya you like that? You like getting fucked like that and watching yourself?" he spoke in a dominant tone

-„yes!" you screamed and held onto the mirror with both hands

-„baby fuck im gonna cum, you look so fucking hot right now."

-arón came closer and his thrusts got faster

-„harder papi!" was the last thing you moaned before you could feel his hot cum inside of you

-he moaned loudly and rode out his orgasm by thrusting a couple more times

-feeling his cum inside of you and seeing his face in the mirror threw you over the edge as well and you screamed out

-„thats it baby. Cum for me." he encouraged you and grabbed your waist to stand straight again while your orgasm was still hitting you

-it was hard to stand but aron held you and kissed your neck while you were trying to breath normally

-„fuck that was good." you whispered

-aron softly stroked your belly and laid his chin on your shoulder

-„see, i told you you were sexy."

#cute #preference #aronpiper #omander #aronxreader #preferences #elite #ander #smut

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pogaytosalad · 3 years

Text

Heres a wip of a sequel.

Dmviolence, by jade

Hello, if youre hearing this, it probably means im dead. Either that, or im alive and just got tired of keeping this hidden. You might remember my voice from a previous recording about a takeover in sector ⬽:➻, in which id helped prevent total annihilation of the sector. At the time i was unnamed, however now you may call me Kalton. After the takeover i resigned and moved to a job at a dmv. This planet was, for some reason, in one of the most tactically advantageous locations in the galaxy. And for some reason the higher ups dedicated the whole damn planet to dmvs. Dont ask why. Now, onto the story.

I woke up, and i put on my emerald green contact lenses. Just like any other day. I put on a basic white t-shirt and a leather bomber jacket along with a pair of jean shorts. If you cant tell by now, im gay.

I live in a small apartment. By small apartment i mean a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen all crammed into 2 rooms. I hopped out the bedroom window onto my motorcycle. It was a diamond white motorcycle with deep red stripes along the sides and the handlebars. My pride and joy. I put on my jet black helmet and took off towards my job at the, you guessed it, dmv.

Chapter 2

I pulled up in the parking lot and took off my helmet, my blue hair a total rats nest. The doors were push doors, yet i somehow ALWAYS pulled first. I entered the dmv and went to my station. A few hours passed by and no one had come in yet, which was unusual. So naturally i decided to sit down on the floor, put in my earbuds, and enjoyed some heavy metal. A few more hours passed by, and usually by now i wouldve been yelled at by my boss. This struck me as odd so i stood up. I really wish i hadnt stood up. The place had been completely destroyed. There were drop pods crashed in through the roof and they all had the ERGON logo on them. Ergon was a multi trillion dollar pencil manufacturing company with its own military. They had previously tried to take over sector ⬽:➻ when i had been working there. I was not looking forwards to what was about to happen.

Quickly, i ducked back onto the floor before anyone saw me. There were 4 riot soldiers holding this building. This was gonna be fun. The riot soldiers are your stereotypical riot gear and police baton soldiers. But these guys had laser batons and the riot gear gave them heightened strength and speed. They also had some, dare I say, shitty energy pistols. I crawled over to one of the soldiers who wasnt being watched and broke their neck. Carefully I took the baton and the pistol. Slowly crawled my way back to my station and checked the shot count in the pistol. I had 6 shots, just enough to take care of the remaining three soldiers. I stood up quickly and shot each soldier twice in the head. First shot to open the riot helmet, second shot to kill. I vaulted over the counter and grabbed the three pistols. These things were so stupid. You couldnt even remove the clips. Once you ran out of shots, the pistol was useless. Nonetheless, i didnt have any choice. I had a laser baton and 18 total shots in 3 pistols.

Upon leaving the building, my motorcycle was one of the few things to survive. It had alot of scratches and damage, but it still worked. The helmet was shattered however. I mounted the motorcycle and took off towards the next closest dmv. Maybe id find some better gear there.

Chapter 3

Pulling up next to the second dmv i immediately noticed 3 things. 1: there was blood everywhere. 2: there were 25 soldiers here. And 3: they all had energy weapons. The reason these things are relevant is because energy weapons dont cause bloodshed. This was the result of something else. Something new i hadnt dealt with yet.

I drove up and ran over 5 of the soldiers. This was probably an incredibly bad idea, seeing as i had 18 shots, enough for 9 kills, and there were 20 soldiers left. Every single soldier turned to me and i, being the absolute genius that i am, welded the front of one of the pistols shut with the laser baton, shot it off, and threw it into thei crowd of soldiers. It exploded, releasing a shockwave of energy and disabling the soldiers. I then used the baton to cut through the riot gear and kill the soldiers. I felt like a badass. That is until a mechanical looking wolf jumped at me and started trying to rip my face off.

The wolf was a frostwolf, except it had been placed into a mechanical frame and its teeth and claws had been replaced with lasers. I tried to bash it off of me with the baton but it just bit it in two. This gave me just enough time to grab an energy pistol and shoot the wolf. It kept trying to kill me amd i wasted a whole clip on it until suddenly, the dog started to levitate in the air and got thrown aside into a wall. I got up and was instantly frozen in place. Thats when.. she walked up.

Chapter 4

The she i am reffering to is ebony. A goth/punk wannabe with light blue tear shaped eyes and black hair with purple streaks. Shes a bitch whos mind got too powerful and now she can move things without touching them. Shes been chasing me for months. Not in a murderous way. Shes just obsessed with me. Ive tried to tell her im gay but she wont listen. And now im at her mercy.

She walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. I hated it. She looked as if she was contemplating whether or not to free me when a pod came down from the sky and crushed her. Thank god. But i honestly wouldve rathered suffered at her hand than deal with what i had to deal with next...

Out of the pod came the warden. The goddamn warden from sector ⬽:➻. Last id seen him hed been in the same situation as ebony. Crushed to death under a pod. But this time, instead of being on my side, he was here to kill me. He was huge. Like seriously huge. He was at least 8 feet tall and shaped like gaston. Whos gaston? Nobody knows these days. But its basically a way to say "extremely buff and wide". Back to the story. The warden wasnt looking very good, considering the rotten skin, obviously quickly patched together face, and muscles hanging loose out of his skin. His rotting ruined body was held together by an exoskeleton of chromium-tungsten alloy. Nothing i had was gonna cut through that. I was gonna have to get creative here..

The warden had 2 weapons, both of them were his fists. Huge gauntlets that were each about the size of a cow. Definitely bigger than his previous set. They were a golden green metal i couldnt identify. But i didnt want to get hit with one to try and find out. I ran. I ran as fast i could run into the dmv and hid. I could hear the wardens footsteps. It was as if a small earthquake happened each time he took a step.

I peeked over the desk i was hiding behind and saw him punch through the 2 desks opposite to me. It took no effort and i couldve sworn i saw him smile. Obviously i didnt. Cause he didnt have a mouth anymore. But if he did, he definitely wouldve smiled. I took a shot to get his attention and ran off towards the wall. The warden was definitely faster than i expected.

Luckily i managed to dodge the blow by a centimeter. The metal smelled of decaying flesh and popcorn. The wardens blow punched a huge hole in the wall. I hope you see where im going with this.

I ran off to another wall and we repeated this same process a number of times until the building was barely still up. I ran out the doors and threw the baton at the last of the supports, cutting through it and causing the building to collapse in on the warden. He wasnt getting out of that. I decided to search the rubble to see if i could find anything worth taking. I found a new baton, a flame rifle and a few more energy pistols.

The flame rifle was a very interesting design. The sides were painted jet black with flame decals scattered about. You could feel the heat on the inside and it made the gun warm to the touch. Comfortable to hold. Other than that though, it looked like an old fashioned 8.59mm sniper rifle. It had 4 shots remaining, so id have to use it sparingly.

I grabbed some scrap materials out of the rubble to make a holster for it and put it on my back.

The energy pistols just dangled from a keychain. The baton was simply turned off and placed through a hole in the back pockets of my shorts. I ran to my motorcycle and drove off, i needed to find out more. I had questions, and i had a sneaking suspicion that i knew where to find the answers.

I drove off again, i was dirty and there was blood on me and my bike. I probably looked like a serial killer. But i knew that if anyone was still alive, itd be jayden. They were.. well. They were a vampire. They lived in a swampland area and wore sparkly rainbow shirts and a huge sunhat. The sunhat allowed them to go outside in the sun, and they only drank coconut water. They also had a crazy amount of weaponry and used to work at ergon, before being fired for stealing weaponry. By the way, if you havent noticed by now, im using they/them to refer to jayden. Jayden doesnt have a gender. Jayden.. is kind of my crush. It probably has something to do with the fact that theyre the only person on this planet who talks to me. Other than ebony.. but ebony is... not my type i guess. Anyways, back to jayden. Jayden was on the roof of their swamp shack drinking coconut water out of a wine glass. I yelled up at them and they fell off the roof onto my back. I guess i cushioned their fall. Jayden immediately said "What do you need dear" without waiting for me to stand up, and shattered the wine glass. I informed them of the situation and asked the questions i had. Things like "what are the ergon soldiers defences like on their ships" and "how did they reanimate the warden" they had answers.

Jayden told me about the new security measures that had been put in place since id last been on an ergon ship. There was now a code for each teleportation pod and the gaurds had doubled. As for the warden, it turns out jayden was actually the first test run in reanimation sciences, and couldnt answer me because they had been unconcious in a lab when the warden was reanimated. That explained the vampire undead thing. Jayden invited me into the shack where they pulled a nail out of the floorboards and it turned into a ramp to the basement. Down in the basement? Thats where jayden kept their weapons they stole. And boy oh boy were there some interesting ones.

One that immediately caught my attention was the big rocket launcher. It had 3 barrels and each was a different colour, indicating a different effect. One was red, one was yellow, and one was green. The red barrel fired a normal explosive rocket, the yellow barrel fired an electromagnetic pulse rocket, and the green barrel fired an acidic explosive. And the launcher shrunk down to the size of an energy pistol when a button was pressed. It gathered up dirt and dust and garbage around it from the back to quickly convert into ammo but the only downside is that it would be difficult to use more than once in an area.

Jayden picked out an old shotgun. At first i didnt understand why, but then they loaded the clip. The clip was a huge drum that loaded in the bottom of the barrel. The drum was see through and inside you could see sawblades lined up side by side. When they pumped the shotgun a blade got lifted into a slot between the 2 shotgun barrels and started glowing red. When the trigger was pulled, the blade spun at high speeds and fired out of the slot, spinning along the ground like a wheel. It could cut through anything a baton could cut through and seemed to almost follow its target. The gun itself looked like an DP-12, except behind the pump, a large clear drum full of sawblades was in place. The blade sat between the barrels in place of the iron sights and got heated up by an electrical circut.

I also took a laser sword instead of my baton, it was just like the one that [3825968] had, except this one was about an inch longer. The final weapon i took was an acid thrower. It was basically just a watergun with acid in it. Ive always been partial to acidic weapons. If youve heard my other story, youd know why..

Jayden also took a submachine gun that fired freezing rounds. The rounds were essentially glorified waterballoons with liquid nitrogen in them. Though the rounds were bullet sized, enough shots from it would certainly freeze you in place. The freeze gun was about the size of the average human head, and was painted navy blue with blue saphire stripes placed along it. We both left the shack, me with my sword and jayden with a wine glass. We were ready to kick ass and put a stop to this.

We left and immediately both got flung into some trees. Guess who it was. It was ebony. Her body had been found and reanimated. I was starting to see a pattern. And now we had to fight the telekinetic who could kill us with a wave of her hand.

She was levitating. Her eyes were glowing red and her hair was floating in the air. She had a smile of someone about to rip your arms off and beat you with them. I tried to take a shot at her but my hand got knocked aside by an invisible force. So i tried the next best thing. Seduction. Fake seduction. Hopefully the whole dying and coming back from the dead thing didnt make her stop being weirdly obsessed with me.

While i faked surrender and complimented ebony and attempted to seduce her, jayden took aim of their ice gun and shot a burst at ebonys right arm. The arm froze in place and shattered. Hopefully that would lower the strength of her telekinetic abilities. It did. But only by about half. Which meant jayden got thrown into the air as i tried to discreetly unholster my acid gun. It wasnt discreet enough and the gun was knocked from my hand.

The gun flew forwards and the impact of hitting the ground set it off for a second, just enough to spray an acidic burn through her arm. Incapacitating her. Jayden ended up sneaking up behind her and impaling her through the skull with the shattered end of their wine glass. Finally ebony was dead for good.

The acid gun was busted, so we had to leave it behind. We got onto my motorcycle and took off towards my apartment building. We would need food if we were going to be traveling. An apartment complex would probably be full of foods, and alot of dead people who wouldnt care if we took some stuff.

#writing #scifi #fantasy violence

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titsthedamnseason · 5 years

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why do you think *some* people cant quite get or grasp Julian's character? srsly, discuss, please, I wanna know ur opinion or if you ever thought about it cause I have my theories and I want to get more opinions cause it's important, it's kind of a "research" for a project of mine, it would help me out a lot to have your 2 cents on the matter ^^

youve already gotten some top tier responses about this issue that i wholeheartedly agree with but! i’ll try

i feel like a lot of it comes down to a misunderstanding of his character to be honest. ive seen a lot of people say they used to like or not mind julian, but as the series progressed and he started getting somewhat morally questionable that declined. when you understand the full capacity of julian’s actions and the reasons behind them, it seems perfectly reasonable that he’d be willing to lie and go to extremes for his family. however, without grasping the full weight of his situation, it’s easy to say “he’s evil” or “he shouldnt be doing that” when, compared to someone who sees the difficult spot julian has been put it, it seems more logical and makes more sense.

i think this may be an issue for people who hadnt read tmi in a while, or never had at all, who never saw innocent and loving jules that just didnt want his family to be separated. without seeing how he was forced to kill his own father, how desperate he was to keep his family together and the weight that running an institute and raising four kids carries, it may all seem inconsequential and as if he’s just doing “bad” things for the sake of it.

something else that plays into this is perhaps his more undercut actions. there are a handful of other characters (kaz brekker, kell maresh, victor vale, to name a few) that are considered morally gray as well and yet are widely praised for it. these characters commit their “morally gray” (but honestly borderline evil in some cases) actions much more obviously. they do it through murder, through flashy acts of violence, etc. the way in which julian is morally gray is through plans and schemes that all happen in his head and are never physical. although what he’s doing is nowhere near as bad as what these other characters do, his mental capacity frightens people and maybe seems worse because of the thought that goes into it. not to say that kaz brekker doesnt think before killing someone, but it is clearly less of a process and not as obvious.

another factor i would say plays into it is rosastairs, which i recently discussed as well. i think sometimes when people ship something noncanon, they look for it in canon and try to read between the lines to find it. as a result, i find that a lot of rosastairs shippers wound up not liking julian under the thought process that emma didnt actually love julian and that his manipulative nature had only made her think so, which is a clear contradiction of the text, something that is irrelevant to people looking to push aside julian so their ship can be complete.

something else that seems to be true is that julian hate seems to spread like a disease. people who were neutral about or even like julian sometimes curve towards disliking him after seeing such strong negative opinions on him. people see words like “manipulative” or “problematic” and their instinct is to lean away rather than accept a morally gray character because they want what’s easy. it’s much easier to pass off julian’s actions as being blatantly evil or wrong, but it’s much harder and takes much more thought and effort to say “hey, maybe this was his reason” or, “he didnt have much choice because of x, y, and z” and truly analyze the depths of his character. it’s easier to peg someone as being just good or bad rather than acknowledge the area in between just because no one has really figured out what exactly that area entails yet.

a good example of people misunderstanding julian in general would be him killing his father. that sentence alone sounds awful without context, but when you get the full scope of how his father had become endarkened and was trying to kill julian and all of his younger siblings, it seems much less horrible on julian’s end, and even makes the reader sympathize with him instead of his endarkened father. so many of julian’s so called “questionable” decisions can be broken down like this when you take the time to look and understand that not everything should be taken at face value.

lastly, i think it comes down to the fact that he is a straight white male. to begin with, people are turned off to characters that fit this description, something that is understandable to a degree. most of the time im wary of characters with the aforementioned attributes however i do try and keep an open mind. in julian’s case and with many other characters, it did not seem that people did that. when it comes down to it, if julian was a girl, if julian and emma’s roles were reversed, if julian was actually the father of the blackthorn kids, no one would hate him the way they do now. they would “understand,” they would make excuses, they would praise a morally gray female character. in julian’s case, they just see an asshole male teenager who’s horny for his best friend and creepily paints pictures of her, never mind the way he was forced to grow up through his responsibilities, genuinely loved emma and yet kept it a secret, clearly struggles w mental health etc.

at the end of the day if youve really taken time to read this whole thing it seems safe to say:

i think we ALL love julian blackthorn

#akjhsjkamsd #also wow a research project on julian sounds like a dream #lara #im too tired to reread this so i hope it's fine lmao #mzelie #asks

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eleanor-writes-stuff · 5 years

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a language that i never knew existed before - Day 12

For @dawninthemtn, who asked for a modern AU in which “Ben Solo keeps trying to cancel his Book-A-Month subscription service, but just can't seem to say no to the friendly customer service agent”.

This was so much fun to write, especially since it allowed me to sneak some epistolary storytelling into this collection. Thanks for the prompt, and I hope you enjoy the ficlet!

Reylo fam! ‘Tis the season for giving, so come get your very own holiday ficlet right here!

25 Days of Reylo Also available on AO3

JUNE

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Cancellation/refund

My friend used my credit card to sign me up for a one-year YA subscription as a prank. I didn’t realize until the first box arrived today. I’d like to cancel the subscription and just pay for the box I’ve already received, if that’s okay.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Cancellation/refund

Hi, Ben! I’m so sorry to hear about your experience with our service.

Our refund policy allows you to change your mind anytime and get a full refund for boxes not yet received. But might I suggest changing boxes instead? At $29.99 per month for a box of three books with a combined retail value of up to $59.99, we’re the most affordable book service in the country! If YA isn’t your thing, we offer eleven other standard boxes, along with an option for customization.

If you’d like to give us a second chance, please take this quick quiz to determine the best box for you. The results will automatically be emailed to me upon completion, and I’d be happy to guide you through the selection process.

Best regards, Rey Niima, Customer service representative, Resistance Books.

JULY

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: First box!

Hi, Ben!

Your first sci-fi/fantasy box just shipped out today, and should reach you within three working days. I hope you enjoy the selection, and thank you again for choosing to stick with us!

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Best regards, Rey Niima, Customer service representative, Resistance Books.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: First box!

Hi, Rey.

Three working days, just like you said. Everything looks okay, thanks for your help.

Regards, Ben.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re: First box!

Hi, Ben!

I’m glad to hear the box arrived on time! If you don’t mind, please keep me informed on how you like the selection. I’ve got a few other suggestions for you based on your quiz results, and I’d be happy to switch your subscription if you’re not absolutely pleased with the sci-fi/fantasy box.

Best regards, Rey Niima, Customer service representative, Resistance Books.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re: Re: First box!

Hey, Rey.

I think that might be for the best. Sci-fi just isn’t what it used to be. Or maybe I’ve changed; it’s been a while since I last read anything in that genre.

Of course, if that’s too much trouble you can always just go ahead and process my refund. I’d hate to take up more of your time.

Regards, Ben.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: First box!

Hi, Ben!

It’s no trouble at all! I first joined Resistance back when it was an actual store, and I’ve always loved matching readers up with the right book. As long as you’re okay with it, I’d like to keep going until we find you the right match.

My next suggestion for you based on your quiz results is one of our non-fiction boxes, the history/anthropology combo. Please let me know by the 23rd of this month if you’re interested in that so that I can arrange for the switch and shipping.

Best regards, Rey Niima, Customer service representative, Resistance Books.

AUGUST

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: New box

Hi, Rey. The box just arrived today, and the selection is perfect.

So perfect that I already pre-ordered all three of them earlier this year.

I think it’s pretty obvious that this service and I just aren’t meant to be, as great as it is. I really do appreciate all of your help, especially you taking the time to discuss books with me off the clock, but it’s probably time to call it.

Unless you’ve got a third suggestion?

Sincerely, Ben.

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Re: New box

What can I say? I’m good at my job – too good, in this case.

I’ve got at least three more suggestions for you, if you’d like to keep going. And your box should have come with a return ticket, if you’d like to send it back; I don’t see the point in you keeping the duplicates, unless you have a friend with the same unique taste in books? I’d be happy to process the return and credit it to your account. Same goes for your first two boxes; I’m sorry I forgot to mention it earlier.

I’ve actually really missed talking about books with someone, so really, thank you for humoring me. If you ever feel like debating the SWEU again, feel free to reach me at 555-3494. I like that things can get heated when we talk about those books, but it’s probably for the best if I don’t argue with a customer on my work email.

Best regards, Rey Niima, Customer service representative, Resistance Books.

SEPTEMBER

Rey: So technically we’re not supposed to tell anyone about this yet But Wait You still collect comics, right?

Ben: You make me sound like a teenage boy. I collect graphic novels, yes. Why?

Rey: You say potayto, I say potahto ANYWAY I know you’re not 100% happy with the customized box

Ben: They’re your picks for me, of course I’m happy with them.

Rey: Ben

Ben: I am! I’m just not happy with the fact that I barely get any time to read. And when I do get an hour to myself, my brain is too tired for anything intellectual.

Rey: You cutthroat lawyers and your ridiculous endless work Back to my point

Ben: You have one?

Rey: Very funny, Solo Okay so next month we’re announcing a special new box Limited time only And we’re only opening it up to 200 subscribers

Ben: Sounds like a big deal. What do we get, hand-bound manuscripts?

Rey: Even better Two trades and a hardcover, no extra charge

Ben: You’re kidding me.

Rey: Nope Completely serious You in?

Ben: Hey, Rey? No offence but that’s the stupidest question you’ve ever asked me.

Rey: Whatever, nerd I’ll sign you up

Ben: You’re my favorite person right now, thank you.

Rey: Careful, Solo Keep saying nice shit and I might actually start to like you

Ben: And we wouldn’t want that, of course.

Rey: Of course

OCTOBER

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Congratulations!

Hi there, Ben!

Your assigned customer service representative recently entered you for a chance to win one of our 200 limited-time-only comic box subscriptions.

We’re very pleased to let you know that you made the cut! As of next month, you’ll start receiving two trade paperbacks and a hardcover volume each month for the remaining duration of your subscription. We also noticed that you have seven months left with us, and as a sign of our appreciation we’d like to offer you the chance to add on another five months at the standard rate of $29.99 per month in order to receive a full year’s worth of comic boxes. If you’re interested, please contact your assigned customer service representative by the 31st of this month.

Congratulations again, and we hope you enjoy your boxes!

Best regards, Paige Tico, Head of customer service, Resistance Books.

Rey: Did you get the email???

Ben: Just read it. Can’t wait for the first box. Thanks, Rey. By the way, sign me up for the extension thing.

Rey: Can you believe how far we’ve come? It feels like just yesterday that you were trying to cancel your subscription at every turn

Ben: For what it’s worth, I’m glad I didn’t. So fucking glad. I wouldn’t have gotten to know you otherwise.

Rey: Stop, you’ll make me cry Ben? I’m happy we’re friends too

NOVEMBER

Rey: Is it there yet?

Ben: Rey. It’s been two hours. I haven’t even left the office yet.

Rey: Okay, NOW is it there yet?

Ben: Still at work. You’re the one who shipped it, can’t you track the package or something?

Rey: I could But I think I prefer it this way

Ben: Of course you do. You’re lucky I have no other friends.

Rey: As if you’d stop talking to me even if you had a hundred other friends I’m your favorite

Ben: Says who? Maybe Poe’s my favorite. I’ve known him since childhood, after all.

Rey: Poe is a prankster and you fucking hate him

Ben: I wouldn’t say hate.

Rey: Ben He stole your credit card and signed you up for a year’s worth of YA books

Ben: And if he hadn’t done that, you and I would never have met.

Rey: We haven’t Met, I mean Shit I don’t even know what you look like BRB, I’m gonna go stalk you on social

Ben: Honestly, I just assumed you already did.

Rey: Wow, I’m offended HOLY HELL, BEN

Ben: So you’ve found me. If this is about the ears no, I don’t know what the fuck’s going on there either. No one in my family does.

Rey: What ears? Your ears are FINE, silly I was talking about your hair Christ, do you shampoo with unicorn blood or something???

Ben: That would be very soulless lawyer of me, wouldn’t it?

Rey: Shut up, you’re not soulless Funless, maybe, but I’d like to think I’m helping with that

Ben: You are. In the interest of fairness, I’m going to stalk you too.

Rey: Not much to see, but go right ahead Ben? Wow did I scare you off already? And here I thought that was a decent picture

Ben: Shit, sorry. Got pulled into a meeting. It’s a great picture.

Rey: You don’t have to say that

Ben: Well, it is and I mean it. And… I hope this isn’t creepy but I love your smile.

Rey: Not creepy at all By the way I like your eyes

DECEMBER

To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Come celebrate the holidays with us!

Hi, Ben!

Did you know that before Resistance Books went online and became the #1 book delivery service in the country, we were a tiny little indie store known as Gatalenta?

This holiday season, we’re returning to our roots – and we’d love for you to join us! Resistance Books will be participating in the annual Coruscant Christmas Market with our very own pop-up store from the 15th of December onwards!

This is a great time for you to come on by and check out the full range of our diverse offerings. And if something catches your eye, you’ll be able to bring it home with you for the same incredibly reasonable rate you know and love – pick any three books from our store for just $29.99!

We hope to see you there!

Warmest wishes, Amilyn Holdo, Founder and president, Resistance Books.

Rey: Hey, did you get the email about the pop-up store?

Ben: Yeah, I was just about to text you. I just realized your boss is a friend of my mom’s. Anyway, this is probably extremely unlikely but Will you be there?

Rey: Seriously?? That’s so weird And yes, actually I’ll be helping out 21st-25th, 11AM-8PM

Ben: You’re working on Christmas?

Rey: You know me Not like I’ve got anything else to do

Ben: Okay, feel free to say no but… What if I go on Christmas? We’d get to discuss books in person And maybe after your shift we could hang out? I haven’t been to the CCM in years, but Maz’s Cantina used to make the best hot chocolates.

Rey: Books, hot chocolate, and finally getting to meet my mysterious Internet stranger? Ben Solo, you’ve got yourself a date

Ben: Great! I mean Cool. I can’t wait. See you then.

Rey: See you!

Ben: Hey, so I just woke up and you’re not here Which is fine, it’s your choice to make And last night can be whatever you want it to be But… Rey, I know what I want it to be I know we moved fast, but yesterday meant a lot to me You mean a lot to me I just… I just want to make sure you know that before you make a decision And the decision’s yours to make, completely I’ll go along with whatever you want As long as we’re at least still friends Because I don’t think I could bear to lose you entirely, Rey Fuck, I don’t think I could bear to lose you at all Shit, sorry, that’s too much I’ll stop now Just… text me back, please?

Rey: Babe I’m in the kitchen Hurry up, breakfast is getting cold And Ben? You mean a lot to me too ❤

This is a little over two thousand words and stopped being about tsundoko about halfway through (if it even was in the first place), but it was such a fun idea to play with and I hope the format doesn’t get in the way of the story. I thought emails and texts would help me keep things short, but obviously that didn’t pan out.

Anyway, thanks for reading as always and I hope you liked it. Please don’t hesitate to like/reblog/comment!

#reylo #reyben #kylo ren/rey #rey/kylo ren #rey/ben solo #star wars #rey #ben solo #kylo ren #ficlet: language that i never knew #my fics

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mars-the-4th-planet · 5 years

Text

The Teracoatl River Civilization

Part I: The Beginning.

The Teracoatl River civilization began with settlers settling unsettlingly on the sides of the Sarasota River. The most important settlements were Xyclair, Terracyclatia, Quezecticonopedia, Kyarven, and South River Town. Others, such as Northwest River Town, were later considered not to be part of the five Teracoatl cities. This is primarily due to the fact that it was next to the sea, not the river. It would later be renamed "California" in memory of its first democratic leader Cali Forn.

The name Teracoatl also calls from the first leaders. In this case, the Teracoatl Dynasty that began in 864 B.C. and continues to this day. (a marriage between a woman named Tera and a man named Coatl) They were an absolute monarchy in the beginning and would could continue to be that way for over a thousand years. For a long time there would be a dark age where little was written down so we are not sure what happened in the following centuries, but there is some evidence of fighting among the Teracoatl settlements since they were not all one country yet. At least until the real beginning began.

Part II: The Real Beginning.

Teracoatl really began in the modern day capital of Terracyclatia, there the Teracoatl Dynasty ruled the city in the middle of the river loop for hundreds of years. But in the year 2 A.D. the neighboring town of Xyclair formed a union with them. This was because the Xycloclia Dynasty had turned foul from repeated incest and the people wanted a king who could eat without help. While the Teracoatl Dynasty enjoyed being able to rule two cities, they maintained that Terracyclatia was the "best" city (which would later translate to "capital") and used the Xyclair people as cannon fodder for their conquest of the the southern towns which they conquered over the course of just three years. This was so fast and easy because they hadnt made city walls yet back then.

Then the next three decades were spent forcefully assimilating the people of these cities. Which went well but was very costly. This resulted in the Teracoatl people opening trade with Paris and Spain when they were unable to obtain all goods they wanted at home.

Part III: The First Diplomacy.

This was to be one of the darkest times in Teracoatl history, possibly moreso than even the dark ages.

Teracoatl was using its unification well, and was on good terms with the Californicate, the Parisites, the Englandi, and the Spainish. They traded and worked together neutrally with them. But the Spainish people did not like how cozy their leaders were getting with the heretical pagan Teracoatls. In the year 100 the Bull Catholics overthrew the spainish king (name unknown) in a coup, and put the Bull Pope in charge. The Bull Pope proceeded to discriminate against Teracoatl merchants and immigrants, a move that the Teracoatl King Coatl XXXXV said "they will write their regret in blood." And prepared for war.

Angry at the mistreatment of their people, a large army consisting of five forces from each city was gathered without even needing to be drafted. They volenteered to fight, perhaps not realizing how horrible war really was. After a few months of rigorous combat training and discipline, the First Spainish-Teracoatl war had begun.

Part IV: It all goes wrong.

The Teracoatls had a sixth force, the already formed Capital Guard who remained home while the newly trained and equipped Five City Forces marched off into the dry scrubland on the way to the city of Spain.

On the way there they foraged what they could, since the supply line was long and it was becoming increasingly difficult to feed and water the soldiers the further they got from the river cities. They kept going onward, however. The soldiers would sometimes joke "Who is ready to put the pain back in Spain?" and other puns on the way there.

Apon reaching the city of Spain, they found something they never had to deal with before: An enormous city wall. They didnt know what to do. The commanders ordered a seige, but the city folk had ordered as much food brought into the city as possible, and the city itself was supplied with water inside by an underground lake that they had dozens of wells leading down into. Outside all the wells had been crushed and filled with rocks to prevent the invaders from getting enough water. And what few oasis and small streams there were happened to be few and spread out, forcing the seigers to constantly be on the move, spread out around the land around the city desperate for water and food. The fields had likewise been rushfully harvested before they showed up, meaning food was scarce.

In the year 101 the Teracoatl King declared the war was a stalemate and that they should go home. At first he planned to starve out the enemy. But his own troops faced worse attrition than the spainish were so that would never work. Then he planned an assault on the walls. But what few trees there were, they were all short and gnarly. Bad for making seige ladders. So they had no choice but to make the hard long trek back home.

It was a hard lesson for the Teracoatl, that city walls were effective. Perhaps even necessary. Had the spainish not had them it was almost certain they would lose against the Five City Forces since all they had was the Bull Catholicism Militia, an untrained and unorganized force of religious thugs.

Part V: Hillbilly attacks.

What was happening while the seige was taking place? Raiders from the mountains to the north came down and messed up a bunch of villages along the northern coast of the river. Villages that were a part of Teracoatl. They were burned, looted, and had their women and children taken back to the hills as slaves. Any who fought back (mostly the men of the villages) were brutally killed in ways we should not describe on this page. The Capital Guard exited Terracyclatia to go and protect them, but they had to be ferried across both sides of the river and march on up to where the villages were. By the time they got there, the Hillbillies had left. Xyclairs army would have been closer, and may have been able to stop them in time. But they had gone off into foreign lands to fight.

This fact made King Coatl XXXXV very unpopular. The commoners and elites alike thought he had forsaken his people to barbaric treatment from the raiders. For the sake of a war that ended in failure anyway. The survivors of the attacks went into the cities and became depressed beggers. Nobody felt safe enough to leave their cities to go trade and visit other places, so the economy dropped. Revolts broke out in the streets.

It seemed like the Teracoatl River civilization was about to break apart.

Part VI: California.

But then what Coatl XXXXV described as a "Miracle" happened: The Californicate offered a full alliance with no catch as far as they could see. The Californians and their democratic ways seemed strange to the Teracoatls, but they shared the same enemy and had more or less the same culture so they accepted the alliance.

Together they patrolled the northern river, keeping raiders away. This re-opened trade routes, and the large population of unemployed Teracoatls ended up moving to California seeking work since California was known to have legal rights and protections for its laborers both native and foreign. California was facing its own difficulties as it did not have enough workers to supply the demands for the quickly growing town, so it worked out for them to have a bunch of Teracoatls come in looking for jobs. Many became cheap hired hands for farms and shops and mercenaries for the army.

Because of this, unemployment dropped in Teracoatl and people generally became a bit less poor. By 110, so soon after the disasterous war campaign, Teracoatl was doing well both economically and militarily. The king, Coatl XXXXV, died on the first day of May on 112 and with him the last of the revolts. Peace and prosperity had come back to the kingdom of Teracoatl, and they had made a new friend and ally in the process.

That concludes the ancient times period of the Teracoatl River Civilization. Just think, without rivers none of this could have happened. Rivers are always important in the creation of the large and full of prosperity civilizations we read about. Back in ancient times, you could put a tribe or a village on a field or on a beach or in the hills or wherever, sure. But to build an empire you needed a River or two.

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flamingmel · 6 years

Text

Helping Hand - a Brak/Zorak drabble fic thing

I wrote this over a bunch of tweets and I decided to put it together & clean it up a bit, but didn’t add more details or anything cause I’m lazy, whoops. It was fun to write though and I hope y’all like it too!

SETUP: It’s based on the episode “Urges”, when Zorak went back to his home planet but he was saved from gettin his head eaten during the mating ritual by a mantis dude intervened, inviting him back to his pad to chill until the ‘urges’ passed. Now that Brak knows about it, he’s concerned next time mantis mating season comes around and takes it upon himself to help his best friend. He arranges for Zorak come over his apartment so he can keep an eye on him.

Enjoy~

Things are normal at first.

They watch tv and order take out, just the usual... as the hours pass, though, Zorak gets increasingly horny & it shows. He tries to cover it up by being extra chatty, somehow the conversation turns to the previous mating season, and Zorak clumsily confesses to Brak that he and that mantis who helped him did /more/ than just hang out... realizing what he's just admitted, Zorak gets rly embarrassed & snaps at Brak to leave so he can jack off in peace!

Brak's shocked at the revelation and almost breaks out into a song about the joys of keeping friends’ secrets, but stops himself in time, thankfully. He respects Zorak's wishes and gives him some privacy... goes to the kitchen to try to busy himself with writing up material for the show/eating a snack, etc.

But Brak's mind keeps drifting back to Zorak.. He's glad his buddy's here & not on his home planet getting his head bitten off! things just wouldn't be the same without him...what does dokarian dick look like anyway? As Brak considers this he visualizes Zorak and the other mantis in the heat of the moment, Zorak flushed and panting as he pins the other mantis down with more force than his wiry frame seems capable -- he's intensely focused, his thrusts quick and needy, almost violent, but then so are the other male's, writhing desperately beneath him--

Brak's heart is already racing from the unbidden fantasy when he hears a crash! he abandons the coffee he's just spilled over his notes and runs to see what's up -- and is met with the almost comical sight of a pants-less Zorak attempting to jump out his broken living room window.

"NO WAIT!!!" Brak yells as he lunges and grabs Zorak around the middle, yanking him back before he can spring off! Phew!! They're on the floor, Zorak is struggling, cursing and flailing his arms, trying to hit or bite , anything to be freed - but Brak has a good grip & he isn't letting go anytime soon!!

They argue back and forth for a good few minutes, Zorak snarling and spitting insults at Brak for keeping him from experiencing the greatest pleasure that exists for his species, Brak yelling that he wont let his best friend die like this!!! Zorak suddenly screams "THEN /HELP/ ME, IDIOT!!!"

Brak's speechless, the implication of Zorak's words hitting him like a freight train.

"You mean you want me to... 'mate' with you?"

"Am I speaking blorganese?? YES DAMMIT!!"

Brak gets quiet, thinking it over.. he /did/ set his mind to keeping Zorak safe, didn’t he? This would just be part of the favor... coworkers sleeping together wasn’t unheard of, but this was different. Zorak was his best friend... and he wasn’t thinking clearly, obviously. Yet he was still struggling - every second, he seemed to get stronger and Brak knew he couldn't hold on forever.

If this is what it took to keep his best friend alive, then... Brak would do it. He'd do almost anything really, and the thought of 'helping' Zorak like this wasn't.. exactly unappealing. However, now reallyyy wasn't the time to analyze what that meant!

"I'll do it."

"Do WHAT?!"

"The um, mating thing. But on one condition - you cant bite off my head, ok?"

"Like hell I will! Do I look like a broad to you??"

"Oh yeah..."

"Moron."

For once, Brak agreed, but he quickly brushed away the thought in order to focus on what to do next..

Brak sits up and shuffles over so he can lean against the couch, pulling Zorak with him, arms still looped firmly around his waist - the mantis isn’t struggling anymore but Brak still isn't gonna let his guard down.. Once they're settled Brak peers over Zorak's bony shoulder and finally processes the fact that he now knows what a dokarian dick look like. Green of course like the rest of Zorak, long and curved with two prongs at the end, his member blooming out of what seems like an exo-skeleton of petals around it.

(the exo-skeleton petals sorta look like a lotus flower 'cause its a play on locust and they form a pretty solid protective around his soft bits which are smaller and fit better when he isnt aroused n all)

Brak's just like taking it in when Zorak leans his head and hisses in his ear--

"Will you Just Fucking Touch me already???"

Brak shudders at the desperation in his voice, his heart beat picking up like it did when he was imagining Zorak and that other mantis.

Zorak's eyes widen like he's noticed, but Brak acts quickly -- frees one of his arms and reaches for zorak's dick, gloved fingers curling around it in a firm squeeze. The result is instant - Zorak lets out a strangled sound, like he's swallowed a duck, body spasming as his hips thrust into Brak's hand, his clawed fingers jumping up to grab at Brak's arm still around his waist. Brak cant help but grin. He's seen Zorak do some silly things before but -- he has to stay focused. Before Zorak can growl at him again, Brak gets right into jacking him off as if his life depends on it - and it does. Zorak's at least.

Zorak cums in Brak's hand what feels like 40 times before he's exhausted and falls asleep against the alien cat. Zorak's dick finally shrinks and withdraws into its protective shell and Brak cleans up as quick as possible, lest Zorak wake up and go into arousal mode again.

But it really seems to be over! Brak's tired himself and he's sure he's got arthritis in at least one hand (he switched between both) but he still carries Zorak to his bedroom and tucks him into bed, the mantis dead weight but breathing deeply against his chest.

Brak watches him for a while just in case but when Zorak starts snoring loudly, Brak heads for the shower. He really, really needs one... Zorak had been pretty incorrigible, squirming and moaning curses (and -gasp- *praise*) at Brak.. he just hopes that Zorak had been too 'distracted' to notice that Brak was trembling along with him, hadnt given a thought to the dampness of Brak's pants against his back... the shower covers the noise but Brak bites his hand anyway as his other rubs out his frustration, evidence washing down the drain.

When Zorak wakes up the next morning, he insists that he has a monster headache and demands that Brak give him breakfast in bed - he seems like his old self as he rolls over to snooze some more. As they eat, he critiques the meal like he usually would, belches rudely, but he wont look Brak in the eye.

Its clear Zorak doesnt want to talk about yesterday and while Brak expected this, he's kind of relieved. Talking about it would just complicate things between them, bring to light feelings Brak's not sure he's-

"So who taught you how to give a killer handjob anyway? Your MOM??"

#zorak #brak #zobrak #zorbrak #space ghost #the brak show #melwrites

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valencedvallium · 7 years

Text

The Maroon Collar

August 1st, 2017 It was the morning before my work shift, I went to my doctor's appointment, turns out it was short, I had time to kill so I went to a local park nearby. It was a weekday midday, it was dead quiet, nobody around. I went for an idle walk for the sake of it. Nothing special, I walked around a fenced baseball lot. In an instant I heard a deep bark out in the distance. I was shcoked out of my reverie, noticing a dog, far, far away. Cautious, I chose to approach it no further. Not knowing how big this dog was or if it was a thread. Instead, I made the loop around again. Curiously, I went around to the same spot with which I heard a dog. Sure enough, in the distance was a dog. A brown one, hovering by the edge of the forest, which made the perimeter of the park. The dog seemed to watch me as I watched it, loping back and forth across the length of the forest. I spent the next several minutes hanging nearby, making no contact and it walked back and forth, both of us wary of each other's presence. Seeing it as close as I could, I learned it was not a big dog at all, it was of medium-build, a shepherd colored coat mixed with pit, a broad face with big puppy eyes, about a year old. It was lost and scared, tail tucked between his legs and avoiding me completely. Looking at this dog from a distance, a name randomly popped into my head, a common dog name from dogs I've known, couldn't tell you where I got it from, but as I watched him, my brain conjured the name: Domino. It occurred to me this stray may very well be hungry, and I just so happened to have leftover burger king fries in my car. I walked away towards the parking lot and retrieved the remaining fries. Slowly, I approached the dog. He skulked away instead, standing farther away as he watched from a distance. I instead dropped the fries on the pavement, hoping he observed and knew it was food then walked far, far away. Sure enough, this stray took it. I watched from a distance as he hovered around the spot the fries were presumably located. I was glad that I ended up feeding him. Yet, curiously still I approached again, not directly towards him, but I sat in silence, on the edge of that pavement. I did not look at this dog, I did the opposite. The dog in turn was curious, he slowly loped past me, with my back turned, very close this time, only feet away. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see his bright hazel eyes studying me as he walked past. Many more minutes past as we calmly existed in the same space tofether, we both heard a bark in the distance, I went to investigate it and he did to. Nothing of interest, just some neighbor far off and their dog, who had no affiliation with him and ignored us entirely. At last, distraction no longer important, I faced him, and he was in front of me, unfazed. I slowly approached him, kneeling slightly as I did so. This time he did not shy away, taking small pawsteps in my direction. In between us was a vertical metal barrier, between the asphalt parkway where he stood and the grass where I stood. I kneeled before him and tentatively reached over my hand, and in that moment, his head reached for my hand. That was the moment that will be seared into my brain for the rest of my life. Those few moments of first contact, he laid his broad head onto my palm, as if he finally felt comfort after being so lost. He stayed there for a few good minutes, and I reveled in it as well, stroking his jawline with my thumbs and caressing the back of his head. ...this wasn't just a stray that need be doomed to die. I knew I couldn't just feed him and walk off. I needed to save him! In that instant I decided I needed to take him, I took off my belt and looped it around his neck, and there he was, tamed in my care. I led him to my car, and he complied easily. A well-trained dog (despite the moderately strong tug of a well-built dog). This was my first time officially helping a stray. Previously, I picked up an older pomeranian I named "Kid", because the vets which checked for collar or chip, routinely called him "This kid...", Kid went home same day, back when I could temporarily keep a dog in my apartment. This time was different, I hadnt the faintest of what to do with a stray, I had no experience. First thing I did was feed him, once again another trip to Burger King resulted in a purchase of 10 chicken nuggets in which he greedily consumed in half those seconds, and well as a water drink which had been made quick work of. First stop: the vet. As I quickly learned, vets do not take strays. Not the first, nor second down the road, nor third beyond that one. Oh boy, with all these vet clinics I naively thought ONE of them would take a stray. It hit me that that wasnt their job at all. Running out of time, I made a beeline for the local humane society. As it turned out...no-kill shelters are full. They said they did not have any openings, and instead referred me to the animal welfare center, the local "pound", as the slang goes. Frustrated, my last ditch effort was to disturb the peace of my apartment for one night, and bring a dog in. It was an act of desperation, my roommates were a little shocked. Though, for the night Domino gladly made his home on our porch, and for the time being he was safe. I could make my way to work without missing a beat. The following morning I had to make due on my promise to be a good roommate, albeit an errant one who brings in flea-infested strays to our home (Yes, he did have fleas. I took the effort to bathe him to kill them, and apply garlic to his food, which ironically kept the insect vampires at bay), so I made the decisive effort to bring him to the shelter, by request of the humane society. I arrived that morning, waiting in line out by the door, as another dog was awaiting his nebulous fate behind those doors. It soon came my turn, and here I figured out all I could. I filled out a form and asked questions. The local shelter houses dogs for three days before they are "due out", I could not figure out his fate after unless I called. Even then it was dicey. Local no-kill shelters usually came to shelters to pick up dogs. I gave all the information I could. Domino was a gentle, timid, mild-mannered dog, who seemed very well house trained and leash trained! Great in car rides, perfect disposition. How was he not adoptable!? After the initial papers were filed, the dog was led away into the back to begin his stay. Those were anxious days, waiting for his board to pass and not knowing what would happen. I resolved to pick him up in those three days before he got "due out", not knowing if that would be his end by sleep. I arrived Saturday at noon. As it turns out, they do not perform any euthanasia on weekends! This means his board was not three, but five days alive! It meant I would have to "adopt" him Monday to avoid the fate I was worried about, a fee of $75 which would include his vaccination and neutering, which in turn would extend his stay another two days, to Wednesday. Back to that Saturday though, I couldnt pull him out of the shwlter yet, so I took those seconds to visit him for the first time since his stay. The kennel was not a place I would consider happy. Naturally, he wasnt the only beautiful dog...he was just my beautiful dog. I walked through that place, avoiding any glances at the neighboring dog dispersed throughout the kennels. Looking for 223, I finally found the golden eyes, golden face of the dog who came to trust me, and I saw instand recognition light up in his disposition, tail wagging and body pressed close to the bars as I sat close to him, petting him through the barrier which separated us physically but yet again not emotionally. I spent those minutes enjoying the time there, though I held back tears. Unsure of his fate and future. The shelter was a place I began to dread, and it began to dawn on me how fruitless of an effort it was to "rescue" a stray. What? One in a hundred of prettier, cuter dogs? All of which are trapped in the same fate. What chance did any single stray have? Perhaps they had more life out on the open street. The shelter's purpose was to house and feed the dog until death knocks on their door, bringing them sleep eternal. It began to dawn on me that I may not save him after all. I pressed on though, I made plans to pick him up Monday, and find new temporary shelter for him. I had a few options: Foster him out to a family and pay for supplies and a fee in addition to those, pull a "Shiloh" and make him a home in an untouched spot in the wilderness, bringing him food and checking on him, and lastly...take him to a vet to have him put down in my presence, so that he wouldn't go alone. I decided on the first option. The first and only person who got back to me was the foster for my cats, where I kept them while I was in the process of moving. I largely wasnt amused by the option, seeing as for the money I paid them they could hardly ever scoop a litterbox, to my dismay. But they were my current choice. Meanwhile, the SPCA emailed me back saying they would keep him in file for intake, but wanted to know how well he did with other dogs. I acknowledged this and called the shelter in hopes they could test hi. I also filled out a form for the humane society for an intake request, and I made many posts and ads calling for local people to help take him. No such luck in any of these fronts. At last, the day came Wednesday when I was to see him yet again. I returned yet again to the shelter, and that was when they brough him out to me. Satisfied to see him back in my care, and he falling back into the comfort of riding in my care, I resolved to spend the day with him until I must take him to his new temporary home. First stop, the local dog park! I had him tested at the shelter, and with his gentle, friendly demeanor, it seemed to translate to other dogs as well! He affectionately played with the husky over there. I figured the dog park was the perfect place for him to interact sith other dogs. Carefully, I walked him by the fence on a leash, he was friendly and sniffed the dog on the other side, but otherwise walked on. Good news! I took it further and soon we were inside walking among a host of other dogs. In no time he had plenty of dogs come up to say hello, and he would sniff them in return in gentle, quiet greeting. As I payed close attention to his face and hovered quietly over, I did not see a single ounce of aggression. I couldn't help but grin, perfect news! This would be something I could report to make sure a rescue group will take him! We spent some time interacting with dogs and then each other. Just sitting at the park together. I took him to a pet store next, where I bought a can of food, and a collar. I carefully selected a maroon purple one, and it was then I kneeled down to get ir around his neck, he jumped a bir excitedly and in that moment threw each forearm over both my shoulders. I could swear that in that moment after I put that beautiful collar on him, we were hugging in a comforting embrace. Next stop, my local wilderness park, a hiking spot I always loved to go, bringing my dog there would be wonderful way to spend our last hours together. I walked him around a bit, and finally we reached a relatively isolated spot where a railroad track overlooked some long looming grasses which vaguely shrouded a pond. We basked in the brightness of an evening sun. Eventually, I had to take him to his new place, it was not a time I looked forward to, and when I walked into that house, tried to set up his supplies, and hoped those people would take care of him. A knot formed in my stomach, wanting to see if I could receive some information to do something by tomorrow. I spent the very next day feverishly researching all the local pet sitters who had ads. Asking for help. All in all, none of them considered my offer. Every single one stopped communicating with me. I came to realize that on my limited budget, people wont take care of dogs. No, for a month of boarding, all commercial businesses would charge in the hundreds and thousands, certainly not what I could afford...I wasnt making a plan for an expensive vacation, that's for sure. I spent the day at work the following night wondering and worrying if I would get the responses I had truly wanted, the call for help answered by SOMEONE. When I finally returned home the opposite news struck me. As it turned out, the only response I got (from the foster who avoided any other message responses to me) was a message saying they did not wish to keep him any longer, due to his sudden sickness and dismay towards their boys, and in that instance I felt lost. I spent the night worrying and unable to sleep, not sure what to do. I made fitful plans of what to do tomorrow morning. I came over the next morning to pick him up, and as it turned out, he did come down with kennel cough, a condition from the shelter that struck before his vaccination. As it turns out, he seemed wary of other boys and males, Ive noticed that he would bark at them from a distance sometimes, and he did not like these boys. In a last resort, I knew my options are limited. I took him to a vet clinic I had once tried applying for, and it was then they told me what his sickness was, and that they could not boarf him. They gave me resources and helped me as much as possible. It was then I made my way to another clinic, attempting to board him there. A bystander seemed to hear my plight , and she offered me her name. She was a donator to the shelter I initially took him too, and she suggested I give her name and that she requested he specifically go on a truck to Minnesota. The sympathetic vets also suggested I do not board him there, as sick as he was the price would go up, and it was money I very well should not spend. They also clued me in to the fact that he was more likely to be taken by a rescue given that he was now neutered and vaccinated, and that the shelter was not likely to put down animals if it wasn't completely full. I pondered these facts, and I felt silly and inexperienced trying to board and foster him all along...but in the end I learned that the possibility for him to be alive there was still significant in some way all along. For the second time, I took him to the shelter. This time feeling a bit more confident in his chances. I went through the forms and let them take him back. I left that place feeling relieved for the first time in awhile. Unfortunately, it occured to me a second later that I had forgotten to take his collar off, and I had wanted to take it off a second before they took him back there, as a memory to keep from him wherever his fate may be. I still hope he will find a place he deserves.

#animalwelfare #dogs #pets #SPCA #humanesociety #animalshelter #strays #animalrescue #rescue #shelter #adoption #story #fiction #writing #bio #personal #sad

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themoneybuff-blog · 5 years

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The case for separate (but combined) finances

In the world of personal finance, the subject of how couples share (or don't share) their money comes up time and time again. It's no surprise. After all, money problems are a leading cause of divorce. But for some reason, the concept that personal finance is personal doesn't always factor into people's opinions about combining finances especially within a marriage. Often, people argue that in order to be a team, couples must combine finances fully. Or that separate accounts mean there's some lack of trust within the relationship. Or that you aren't truly committed to each other. Or that you must not be on the same page about long-term hopes and dreams. None of these things are true. Plenty of committed couples keep separate finances. These couples are teams. They trust each other. They share the same hopes and dreams. But for a variety of reasons, separate finances work well for them. Today, I want to share an alternative to these two dominant modes of money management. I want to share how couples can both keep their finances separate and combine them. Confused? Let me explain. Separate But Combined Finances My husband and I have been married nine years, and we've never fully shared our finances. Nor do we ever intend to. We've also never had a major disagreement about money. This isn't to say that we haven't had our fair share of arguments, because any couple that has been together for nine years certainly has. But for us, money has never been a serious source of contention, which seems to put us in the minority. Perhaps that doesn't have anything to do with whether we've combined our finances, but I think it does.

Oktoberfest 2018 was definitely a joint decision This past fall, my husband went on a week-long hunting trip. In preparation, he purchased a new camp mat, a new jacket, and a $300 tree stand. We do a lot of camping and hiking as a family, so we already had plenty of gear. Most of it gets used frequently. The $300 tree stand, on the other hand, has so far collected dust in our garage. My husband's plans for hunting changed after wildfires spread through our state before his trip. The stand was no longer helpful for the location he intended to go. Did he return it? No. Will he use it in the future? I sure hope so! But if he doesn't, it ultimately doesn't matter to me. This is because, for as long as we've been married, my husband and I have carried significant savings in our own individual accounts that the other doesn't see or have access to. This is a policy we plan to always maintain. We were just 21 years old when we got married. I'd just graduated college and he was a corporal in the Marine Corps. Unsurprisingly, we didn't have any real money to our names. Plus, I was $24,000 in debt thanks to student loans. Fortunately, my husband did have a small nest egg and a slowly growing Thrift Savings Plan retirement fund. We did, however, open joint checking and savings accounts while still on our honeymoon. (How romantic!) We deposited all of the cash we'd received from our wedding in order to start a nest egg that might serve as a down payment on a future home. Not long after, we opened a joint credit card the first credit card that either of us ever had in order to build a solid credit rating for when we'd eventually buy that house.

10 years ago, a few months before we were married Coming into a marriage so young and so broke would have been the perfect time to fully combine our finances, had we been so inclined. We both owned our cars outright, and the only debt we had was my student loans. We were fully invested to the marriage, and my military-dependent ID card even showed his social security number, not mine. In the eyes of the military, we were certainly one. And in all ways other than finances, we have been ever since. All the same, I still had significant student loans to my name. Student Loan Repayment To make ends meet, I was earning $750 a month at my first post college internship, plus $8.50 an hour at a second job. My $24,000 of student loans at 8.5% was daunting debt! But it was mine, not my husband's. Even after we were married, I didn't feel like it was his responsibility nor did I ever want it to be. I accepted the loans as part of my college education. I've never regretted the debt (in part because the payoff process is what introduced me to the financial independence community). I put my head down and paid off my loans in three and a half years. At the point I sent the last payment, I was earning $40,000 per year. Because the payoff journey was mine alone, I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment that's been hard to match since. I was so proud of myself and it was something I could claim as entirely as my own. Could we have repaid the loans a bit faster if we'd treated them as our debt? Certainly. Would my husband have had to make extra sacrifices to get there? Absolutely. And that's something I'd never have ask of him. I feel like it would have been entirely unfair to do so. And because I tackled the student debt myself, that meant that if I wanted to skip a meal out, a new outfit, a fancy new fill-in-the-blank, I could (and did). But my husband was able to make his own choices for his money beyond what was required to pay our base expenses, and he wasn't required to live quite as frugally as I did while I paid off those loans my loans.

How Do Separate Finances Work? Over the years, we've traded bread-winning roles based on our life and career situations. Initially, when my husband was enlisted and I was working two very low-paying jobs, he covered a significant portion of our regular expenses. When we moved home after his military service was finished, he started college and I was the one with a career. It was my turn to pick up the bulk of the costs. Neither of us has ever harbored any resentment regarding income or spending. Though our money is separate, we are a team. We've shifted percentages as our situations have changed. No matter what, though, the individual leftover money was ours to do with as each of us pleased. Now that we have similar incomes, splitting costs is easy. At the end of each month, I tally our joint expenses, subtract our income for that month, and give my husband the amount left over from his income to do with as he pleases. That money is transferred to his personal account, and I never see it again. The leftover on my end goes to my personal account, and he never sees it again. While he may choose to spend it on a $300 tree stand that never gets used, I've dropped $400 on yoga classes in the past. We each have things we value that the other may not understand. But as the money comes from our separate accounts, we have full autonomy over those savings. There are no allowances set at the beginning of each month, and we don't have to check in with each other before we spend $500 on something the other may deem frivolous.

Something we will always agree on is travel though camping is cheap Of course, neither of us would spend much more than that without checking with the other first. We may have separate spending money, but the big things are ours jointly. We've always seen ourselves as a partnership a team in all aspects of life. That means big financial goals as well as big hopes and dreams for the future: saving for a house, having a child, investing in real estate, pursuing financial independence. None of these are individual things, and they're accomplishments we've tackled together as partners. But the little one-off things? Those are completely ours to choose. As long as we come together and agree on the Big Stuff, we've seen no issue with having our autonomy with the edges. As a result, there's no argument, no discussion about who blew $20 last week, because that $20 ultimately doesn't matter. The Importance of Separate Funds Beyond the desire to have separate spending accounts for one-off purchases, having some money that's fully separate is an important individual emergency fund. Earlier this year, Tanja at Our Next Life described her feelings about true financial independence in a partnership: It was when I realized that we had enough saved that, if we had to split things up, my share would make me financial independent on my own, and Marks would make him FI on his own. I hadnt realized it before then, but up until that point, I wasnt actually financially independent, I was financially dependent. So was Mark. We were both financially dependent on the marriage. We were FI together, but not separately, and thats a very different thing. Nobody goes into a marriage planning to get a divorce. Still, divorce happens even to committed couples. And when it happens, one partner is often left financially vulnerable, struggling to come up with even basic money to get by. Separate emergency funds (albeit small ones), in the guise of our individual checking and savings accounts, means that my husband and I each have some financial security outside of our marriage. We feel that's important. While we're still a long way from financial independence (either separately or combined), the basic financial runway we each have is a real and comfortable thing. It brings us peace of mind. We know that each of us wold be fine if we had to part ways, and that means there's zero pressure to stay together because of money. When you know that there's no financial need to stay together, there's no financial cage as part of the relationship. Marriage (or any long-term relationship) is difficult enough on its own. By removing money as a possible point of contention, we feel like we have a stronger baseline partnership.

The kid doesn't have to worry about finances quite yet Personal Finance Is Personal Personal finance is personal. Just because our system works for us, that doesn't mean it will work the same for anyone else. Our system has worked so well for us in large part because we're both generally on the same page with the larger financial picture. We come from frugal families and we've continued that lifestyle in our marriage. We live in an older, smaller home. We drive older cars. We generally don't buy new furniture. We don't have consumer debt. If one of us was prone to spending, this system might not have worked so well. We feel that there's ultimatelymore trust in the way we spend our money, joint and separate, because each of us could rapidly spend a significant amount of money on a joint credit card, and we'd both be on the hook. Fully joint finances, with specific budget bumpers in place, works really well with two people who adhere 100% to a strict budget plan for all of their money. For those of us who prefer flexibility, and have never done well with rigid budgets, joint-but-separate finances work extremely well. My husband and I will almost save half of our incomes in 2018. Could we have pushed this to 55% if we were fully combined with a strict budget? Probably. Would we have been a lot less happy? Absolutely. Not everything about your financial life has to be optimized to perfection. I'll take happiness over that last dollar every day of the week.

Author: Angela Rozmyn Im a thirty one year old native Pacific Northwesterner, living in the Seattle area with my husband and soon to be four year old son. During the day, I work 80% time for a company building sustainable, affordable housing and spend my mornings and afternoons with the kiddo, running, gardening, blogging, reading, and generally spending time in nature. Sustainability and love of the earth permeates through my whole life, and its where I start and end in terms of how I want to impact the world going forward. https://www.getrichslowly.org/separate-but-combined-finances/

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mariska · 7 years

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hey everyone. sorry i’ve been gone for a while. life has been really difficult, more-so than usual and i’ve been struggling to do anything social including posting on most of my social media pages. im hopping on because i need a place to vent and i dont have therapy until next thursday but my moms went up to bed and im trying to fight off a panic attack so if ur bothered by vent posts or whatever i wont take any offense if you scroll past this, i dont really even need anyone to read it i just need a place to vent my thoughts out right now

so things have been really hard for me lately. im still fighting to try an get a diagnosis for being on the autism spectrum (and im trying to find as many reliable sources of information about ‘non-traditional’ autism symptoms as i can so if u happen to have anything saved like that i’d super appreciate it if u sent it my way) and i still havent gotten the full results of my neuro/psych eval yet, but my moms are going to have a private meeting with the woman who tested me on wednesday so im crossing my fingers that goes well. today we decided to go to the local renaissance faire as a family and i found an old dress that i bought at the same faire when i was 10 (that was way too big for me at the time but fits me now) to dress up in and did my makeup and took a shower and was all hopeful about that. it took about two and a half hours to get there because traffic was especially awful today so i was a little stir-crazy from being in the car for so long when we got there but managed to pull myself together. it started off really fun and i was enjoying myself, there were multiple places at the faire that did shows every few mins and i watched some dudes joust and watched another guy who was an expert with whips do cool tricks with that and then happened to stumble upon an acrobatics show, there was like one row of seats (like low to the ground wooden bench type seats) left empty around the area so we sat and watched them. when their show ended i went to leave and one of my moms said we needed to stay in that area because my other mom was getting food for them and a water for me and we would lose her if we left. so we turned around on the bench facing the opposite way of the stage so that we could see her if she walked up. i thought about getting up a few times but kept getting distracted because of my shit adhd brain and also someone asked me to take a pic of their family and i was like ‘ok!’ and did that and then sat back down. so anyways my other mom found us and i was like ‘alright lets get going’ and then they sat back down to eat their food and i was like ok. so we continued sitting the way we were sitting and then like 5 mins later i thought i heard someone talking about us behind me???? like ‘look at them, its the whole row. this never happens anywhere else only in massachusetts’ and i turn around and like two girls are staring directly at me who just walked on the stage i guess???? and i was like ‘oh! i’m sorry, i’m totally oblivious, i didn’t know a new show was starting’ and the one who was talking about me looked at me and was like ‘no its fine its just that its so funny how this only happens here and never when we do shows anywhere else. just think thats weird.’ and then turned away and didnt like....start doing the show they were going to do......just continued to try and drum up an extra audience (and also borrowed some persons apple cider from the audience and drank it? i mean they didnt seem to mind so whatever i guess but. uh?) and like their show hadnt actually even started yet so they were still going to set stuff up. and while they turned away and went to the other side of the stage to continue setting stuff up i scooted closer to one of my moms and told her that i was like kind of mortified and really embarrassed and felt like i did something bad and wrong even though i hadnt meant to and that i felt like i was going to cry. so she removed us from the situation and we walked around for a few minutes and i tried to let it go but i really felt (and still continue to feel to this very minute hours and hours later) like i did something bad and was unintentionally rude and my mom told me that she saw and heard them act like that with the other audience people too and that they had just been trying to joke around with the audience in order to drum up more participation for the show that was coming up and that it seemed like part of how they opened the show, with like, snarky humor or whatever? but then i freaked out more because i hadnt even considered it being a joke? and i still dont get if it was meant to be a joke or not? which is part of why i ended up getting so worked up......i really genuinely thought up until today that i had no problem telling when people are purposefully joking around even if its at my expense because i grew up with a lot of sarcasm (new england is like....Extremely sarcastic all the time) but like......i guess not.......if it was a joke i still dont understand it. anyways i completely was unable to keep it together while we were walking around and tl;dr: burst into tears, became extremely extra flustered and embarrassed that i had burst into tears in a very public environment, managed to wipe my eyes and pull it together enough so that i could properly exit the faire with my moms without anyone asking me why i was sad, then immediately burst into tears again after getting in our car and cried the entire way home.

i just feel so embarrassed and flustered still, as of the time im writing this at almost 10 pm. and i cant stop replaying the scene in my head. and i genuinely dont know if i did something wrong or not or if those girls were just joking and heckling the audience or whatever. i dont understand that concept. i feel a lot of shame. im still trying not to burst into tears at the thought of it. and it makes me feel like i shouldnt even bother trying to do nice things for myself outside of my house because it seems like every time i go somewhere other than the mall i end up misunderstanding a situation with something or someone and end up having a complete emotional breakdown about it for the rest of the day, if not the week. im so frustrated with myself and im so frustrated with the way my brain works and i wish i could just process social interaction the same way as everyone else because the rest of the world seems to think this is not a problem for me!!! for whatever reason! i cant stop thinking about today and every time i think ive forgotten about it the memory replays in my head and i feel my chest seize up and i get a sensation to burst into tears again. even now im scared to post this because im afraid that im just like......taking everything too seriously and i sound unjustified in my reaction which i mean....i guess is true....in a way......i dont know. did i do something bad???? i really feel like i did. and i have no way of resolving this problem if i did. i cant stop overthinking this

#negative //#long post //#im so anxious and everyone went to bed and i want to cry and im so sorry this post is super long #and if it has spelling errors or whatever i apologize im typing very fast right now

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alienvirals · 7 years

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Alien intelligence: the extraordinary minds of octopuses and other cephalopods

After a startling encounter with a cuttlefish, Australian philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith set out to explore the mysterious lives of cephalopods. He was left asking: why do such smart creatures live such a short time?

Inches above the seafloor of Sydneys Cabbage Tree Bay, with the proximity made possible by several millimetres of neoprene and a scuba diving tank, Im just about eyeball to eyeball with this creature: an Australian giant cuttlefish.

Even allowing for the magnifying effects of the mask snug across my nose, it must be about 60cm (two feet) long, and the peculiarities that abound in the cephalopod family, that includes octopuses and squid, are the more striking writ so large.

Its body shaped around an internal surfboard-like shell, tailing off into a fistful of tentacles has the shifting colour of velvet in light, and its W-shaped pupils lend it a stern expression. I dont think Im imagining some recognition on its part. The question is, of what?

It was an encounter like this one at exactly the same place, actually, to the foot that first prompted Peter Godfrey-Smith to think about these most other of minds. An Australian academic philosopher, hed recently been appointed a professor at Harvard.

While snorkelling on a visit home to Sydney in about 2007, he came across a giant cuttlefish. The experience had a profound effect on him, establishing an unlikely framework for his own study of philosophy, first at Harvard and then the City University of New York.

The cuttlefish hadnt been afraid it had seemed as curious about him as he was about it. But to imagine cephalopods experience of the world as some iteration of our own may sell them short, given the many millions of years of separation between us nearly twice as many as with humans and any other vertebrate (mammal, bird or fish).

Elle Hunt with an Australian giant cuttlefish at Cabbage Tree Bay, Manly, Sydney. Photograph: Peter Godfrey-Smith

Cephalopods high-resolution camera eyes resemble our own, but we otherwise differ in every way. Octopuses in particular are peculiarly other. The majority of their 500m neurons are in their arms, which can not only touch but smell and taste they quite literally have minds of their own.

That it was possible to observe some kind of subjective experience, a sense of self, in cephalopods fascinated Godfrey-Smith. How that might differ to humans is the subject of his book Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, published this month by HarperCollins.

In it Godfrey-Smith charts his path through philosophical problems as guided by cephalopods in one case quite literally, when he recounts an octopus taking his collaborator by hand on a 10-minute tour to its den, as if he were being led across the sea floor by a very small eight-legged child.

Charming anecdotes like this abound in Godfrey-Smiths book, particularly about captive octopuses frustrating scientists attempts at observation.

A 1959 paper detailed an attempt at the Naples Zoological Station to teach three octopuses to pull and release a lever in exchange for food. Albert and Bertram performed in a reasonably consistent manner, but one named Charles tried to drag a light suspended above the water into the tank; squirted water at anyone who approached; and prematurely ended the experiment when he broke the lever.

Most aquariums that have attempted to keep octopuses have tales to tell of their great escapes even their overnight raids of neighbouring tanks for food. Godfrey-Smith writes of animals learning to turn off lights by directing jets of water at them, short-circuiting the power supply. Elsewhere octopuses have plugged their tanks outflow valves, causing them to overflow.

This apparent problem-solving ability has led cephalopods (particularly octopuses, because theyve been studied more than squid or cuttlefish) to be recognised as intelligent. Half a billion neurons put octopuses close to the range of dogs and their brains are large relative to their size, both of which offer biologists a rough guide to brainpower.

The coconut octopus is one of the few cephalopods known to exhibit the behaviour of using a tool. Photograph: Mike Veitch/Alamy

In captivity, they have learned to navigate simple mazes, solve puzzles and open screw-top jars, while wild animals have been observed stacking rocks to protect the entrances to their dens, and hiding themselves inside coconut shell halves.

But thats also reflective of their dexterity: an animal with fewer than eight legs may accomplish less but not necessarily because it is more stupid. Theres no one metric by which to measure intelligence some markers, such as tool use, were settled on simply because they were evident in humans.

I think its a mistake to look for a single, definitive thing, says Godfrey-Smith. Octopuses are pretty good at sophisticated kinds of learning, but how good its hard to say, in part because theyre so hard to experiment on. You get a small amount of animals in the lab and some of them refuse to do anything you want them to do theyre just too unruly.

He sees that curiosity and opportunism their mischief and craft, as a Roman natural historian put it in the third century AD as characteristic of octopus intelligence.

Their great escapes from captivity, too, reflect an awareness of their special circumstances and their ability to adapt to them. A 2010 experiment confirmed anecdotal reports that cephalopods are able to recognise and like or dislike individual humans, even those that are dressed identically.

It is no stretch to say they have personalities. But the inconsistencies of their behaviour, combined with their apparent intelligence, presents an obvious trap of anthropomorphism. Its tempting, admits Godfrey-Smith, to attribute their many enigmas to some clever, human-like explanation.

A paradox: octopuses have big brains and short life spans. Photograph: Peter Godfrey-Smith

Opinions of octopus intelligence consequently vary within the scientific community. A fundamental precept of animal psychology, coined by the 19th-century British psychologist C Lloyd Morgan, says no behaviour should be attributed to a sophisticated internal process if it can be explained by a simpler one.

That is indicative of a general preference for simplicity of hypotheses in science, says Godfrey-Smith, that as a philosopher he is not convinced by. But scientific research across the board has become more outcome-driven as a result of the cycle of funding and publishing, and he is in the privileged position of being able to ask open-ended questions.

Thats a great luxury, to be able to roam around year after year, putting pieces together very slowly.

That process, set in motion by his chance encounter with a cuttlefish a decade ago, is ongoing. Now back based in Australia, lecturing at the University of Sydney, Godfrey-Smith says his study of cephalopods is increasingly influencing his professional life (and his personal one: Arrival, the 2016 film about first contact with cephalopod-esque aliens, was a good, inventive film, he says, though the invaders were a bit more like jellyfish).

When philosophers ponder the mind-body problem, none poses quite such a challenge as that of the octopuss, and the study of cephalopods gives some clues to questions about the origins of our own consciousness.

Our last common ancestor existed 600m years ago and was thought to resemble a flattened worm, perhaps only millimetres long. Yet somewhere along the line, cephalopods developed high-resolution, camera eyes as did we, entirely independently.

A camera eye, with a lens that focuses an image on a retina weve got it, theyve got it, and thats it, says Godfrey-Smith. That it was arrived at twice in such vastly different animals gives pause for thought about the process of evolution, as does their inexplicably short life spans: most species of cephalopods live only about one to two years.

The study of cephalopods gives some clues to questions about the origins of our own consciousness. Photograph: Peter Godfrey-Smith

When I learned that, I was just amazed it was such a surprise, says Godfrey-Smith, somewhat sadly. Id just gotten to know the animals. I thought, Ill be visiting these guys for ages. Then I thought, No, I wont, theyll be dead in a few months.

Its perhaps the biggest paradox presented by an animal that has no shortage of contradictions: A really big brain and a really short life. From an evolutionary perspective, Godfrey-Smith explains, it does not give a good return on investment.

Its a bit like spending a vast amount of money to do a PhD, and then youve got two years to make use of it … the accounting is really weird.

One possibility is that an octopuss brain needs to be powerful just to preside over such an unwieldy form, in the same way that a computer would need a state-of-the-art processor to perform a large volume of complex tasks.

I mean, the body is so hard to control, with eight arms and every possible inch an elbow. But that explanation doesnt account for the flair, even playfulness with which they apply it.

They behave smartly, they do all these novel, inventive things that line of reasoning doesnt resolve things, by any stretch, says Godfrey-Smith. Theres still a somewhat mysterious element there.

Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life is published by William Collins. To order a copy for 17 (RRP 20) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over 10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of 1.99. It is out through Harper Collins in Australia.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

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noctomania · 5 years

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my landlord needs to shit or get off the pot. he's been tiptoeing around eviction for months now. He's made sure to let me know that I would be allowed to stay but that we (meaning me) have ti replace the other two.

Well guess what. he needs to first tell them as much. and he hasnt. it has been like 2 weeks since he said he intended to terminate their tenancy. nothing. no notice yet. which is leaving me with less and less time to get reliable people.

this process is fairly simple....if people pulk their own fucking weight. so now im anticipating all kinds of disaster. let us run through the list of my anxieties, shall we:

1- the same things happening again. from the process of finding people to the point we're at now. Most if not all can be attributed to people not giving me advanced enough notice and people dropping the ball and everything resulting in me having to repeat a process i should only have had to do once 3 times.

2- me ending up in a tight place and having to give up most of my belongings as well as a big chunk of my savings. if i dont have time i cant find someone and then i will have no choice but to move and since it will be at the tail end of things then i would probably not end up with a nice place. ill have to settle for whatever i can get.

3- winding up with shitty roommates again. the reason i have the shitty roommate to begin with is that she was the only option i had left. she was nowhere on my priority list.my first pick which was a couple who were going to take both rooms and would have made my life 10x easier - the landlord dropped the ball and didnt call them so they took another deal. i had to start interviews all over again and in the end i had to settle for 2 unemployed people.

4- late notice to terminate may cause backlash from my current roommates. the worst of the two has an attitude problem and im not confident she would maintain any level of maturity in the process. i have no doubt she will make the entire process much more difficult than it needs to be and that she may even dig her heels in and claim that we have no right to not renew her lease. even though nobody wants her here. she also has SO. MUCH. SHIT. i fear it will take her ages to get it out. i wont hesitate to have it removed and/or donated if she tries it though.

5- insecurity. one of my current roommates has had lots of various people in and out. im not 100% confident that people who arent on the lease dont have keys. so i will likely be requesting a replacement lock so i dont have strangers letting themselves in. even though im fairly confident absolutely no rental unit ive ever lived in ever changed their locks. ill also need to make sure nobody is still on our wifi cuz i know that has been a circus.

6- wreckage. IF we can get them out on time and IF i dont suffer any personal issues, i will likely still have to clean up after them. as i had to for the last roommates. i honestly don't know how bad their rooms are. i worry mostly about one over the other because i know she never cleans her room. Also im worried they will also be both careless and rushed while they move and cause damages to occur. technically i do know how to properly repair minor damages like an accidental hole in drywall, but id really rather not. im not sure how willing my landlord would be to have someone come by.

7- either one of them making this longer and harder than it has to be. as it is it is a lot of time and effort to find people and process them. if i have to deal with someone trying some bullshit like making up a case of why the landlord isnt allowed to do this -- i may go insane. they both have tried to make false claims that the landlord was up to shady business when he would inform me when either one of them hadnt paid rent, so i wouldnt put it past them to try and make a case out of it simply to buy time. one of them i know has no issue with lying to people's faces so, we'll have to see.

8- the stress renders me ill and makes doing any of this that much more of an uphill battle. or i totally lose it and become unable to function at all.

9- current roommates trying to sabotage the chance of pinning anyone down by making false claims or dramatizing something when i show them the rooms.

10- idk if i can think of one for this but i needed it to be an even 10 because who stops at 9? perhaps this worry is that rent will go up with a new contract. i have signed 3 times now and never has he raised the rent which im eternally grateful for but with the bumassness of my current roommates i worry that he will have a change of heart and up rent as insurance.

I hate waiting. I hate having to just sit on my thumb because whoever is in my way is sitting on their thumbs. i want to tackle my problems not wait til they get worse. if i can tackle it now why wait?? normally i procrastinate a lot but not when it comes to ensuring i have a roof over my head and food in my cupboard. if the landlord doesn't get in gear im not gonna stick around. as much as i want to save money that wont happen if im the only one doing anything productive. im beyond tired of having to pick up after everyone else. you either show gratitude in the form of taking control of your responsibilities or im OUT.

im slightly sad too because i had been lookin at apartments before my current landlord said hed be kickin the others out and there was a place that had a study included with the bedroom. i was offered the spot but i had to turn them down because of the landlords promise and because i didnt want to spend more money than i needed to. While i can mend some of my woes by focusing on potential downsides to have taken that place, i cant ignore the fact that i would have been freed of so much responsibility.

we'll see. i emailed the landlord to try and kick him in the behind so hopefully that has some effect. now is not the time to test my patience.

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photographerguide-blog · 5 years

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Photography legend Joel Meyerowitz: phones killed the sexiness of the street

New Post has been published on https://photographyguideto.com/must-see/photography-legend-joel-meyerowitz-phones-killed-the-sexiness-of-the-street/

Photography legend Joel Meyerowitz: phones killed the sexiness of the street

He chased parades, ambushed hairdressers and refused to leave Ground Zero. Over PG Tips and ricotta at his Tuscan barn, Joel Meyerowitz relives his most stunning shots

One day 55 years ago, Joel Meyerowitz was roaming the streets of his native New York with a 35mm camera when he glimpsed something through an arcade window that stopped him in his tracks. A young woman was standing with her back to him, tenderly grooming her boyfriends pompadour with a comb, just as Meyerowitz imagined she had curled the hair of dolls when she was a girl.

As we sit in front of the log fire in his converted barn in Tuscany in the February dusk, Meyerowitz remembers what happened next. I snuck up as close as I could and tried to capture the intimacy of that moment. I was very shy and it took all my courage if the plate glass hadnt been there, maybe I wouldnt have dared get so close. In the resulting print, the boy glances from the shadows into the camera with furrowed brow, a moment of pure vulnerability that a split second later might have curdled into rage at Meyerowitzs intrusion. And, just possibly, the photographer might have got his ass kicked.

Tender grooming New York City, 1962.

This was one of the American street photographers first images. Whats striking about it is not so much the bravura seizing of the moment. Cartier-Bresson, after all, had already made his name doing that and Meyerowitz was following the Frenchmans lead. Rather, it was that the seized moment was in colour. In art photography, there was still this huge prejudice against colour as if only black and white were aesthetically justifiable, he recalls. I never bought that: for me colour is essential; I instinctively felt I needed it to give my work force. Just as we have smell memories, we have colour memories. I mean the world is in colour, right?

Meyerowitz was seduced into photography earlier that year when, as a young art director, he witnessed an ad agency shoot by the great American photographer Robert Frank for a booklet he was designing. The way he weaved in and out of the girls he was shooting, my God, that was a revelation to me. You could move while working the camera. Wow! I wanted to do that, too.

Until that epiphany, Meyerowitz hadnt been sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was studying part time for a masters in art history and dabbling in abstract painting. After seeing Frank at work, however, he went back to the ad agency office that afternoon and quit. Harry, my boss, couldnt believe me. Later, though, he bought me a camera.

How much is that tiger in the window? New York City, 1975

From the start, Meyerowitz and fellow street photographer and friend Garry Winogrand sought to explore the erotics of the street: The heat of the gazes between people, the charged mystery that arises from capturing chance moments on the fly, he says.

In his new autobiographical photography book Where I Find Myself, Meyerowitz writes of those heady days: We loved watching the play of light on Fifth Avenue and how it gave meaning to things. We watched the seasons change and with it womens clothing getting lighter and sexier. We were living and breathing photography We felt we were part of a movement that was making photography more interesting than it ever was before.

But first he had to overcome his shyness. He did this with his initial project taking shots of bystanders at street parades. Nobody thinks theres anything odd about a photographer at a parade, so that gave me invisibility. One particularly successful image taken in New York in 1963 depicts a relaxed, smiling, cardigan-wearing African American man standing with his dog on the pavement next to a tightly wound white man in a suit who is holding his hand to his heart and glaring past the black man.

Seize the chance moments New York City, 1963.

Hes saluting the flag thats off camera, explains Meyerowitz. Its a superbly unresolved image but sets up all kinds of dual tensions black/white, genial/fraught, patriotic/not so much. You need to get on the streets and seize the chance moments, he says.

Of his street images, my favourite depicts a Frenchman who has fallen outside a Paris Mtro station one day in 1967. By this stage, Meyerowitz had started to take longer shots moving back from eight to 20 feet from what he sought to capture. Its a shift from chamber music to symphony. Everybody is looking at the fallen man, the chic young woman descending the station steps, the delivery guy pushing boxes on a trolley, a cyclist swivelling to get a better look at a strangers misfortune. A worker in overalls even steps over the prone man, carrying a hammer that takes on sinister import. Those fuckers, laughs Meyerowitz. Not one of them helps him up.

The image is an absorbing network of gazes and furtive glances. In the 60s and 70s you could look at my street photographs and trace lines from the eyes of people connecting with other peoples eyes, setting up these force fields.

As exotic as a tropical fish Sarah, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 1981

Today, what entranced Joel Meyerowitz about the street is all but dead. Nobodys looking at each other. Everybodys glued to their phones. But street photography still exists? Its thriving but not in the way I used to do it. The best street photographers now show humans dwarfed by ad billboards. The street has lost its savour.

As his work evolved, Meyerowitz became a tougher, indomitable street presence, and yet one like the best photographers able to charm his subjects into giving him what he wants. You can see that in the way he got swimsuited young women to pose guilelessly near his summer home in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for a series of early 80s pictures that prefigured Rineke Dijkstras similar subject matter. How, for instance, he inveigles a red-headed young woman as exotic as a tropical fish to pose for his camera, exposing her freckled arms.

You can see this process most clearly, though, in the pictures Meyerowitz took at Ground Zero. On 9/11 he was out of town, but headed home bent on the idea of photographing the aftermath. When I got to Ground Zero, I had my Leica out and then I got a thump in the back from a cop. They said: You cant take a picture here, buddy, this is a crime scene. Well, I argued with them its a public space, my city, I can do what the fuck I want. And I did.

His subsequent photo essay was a charged memorial to the grandiosity of the ruin, and the people who worked in it, hunting for teeth, bones, anything that might identify victims. The care they invested in this task brought to the vast physical dimensions of the site an intimate, spiritual dimension, he says.

Smoke Rising in Sunlight, New York City, 2001

The following spring, he was in Italy. The world had changed because of 9/11 and so when I saw the thousands of years of continuous cultivation of Tuscan landscape, it was great solace. In Where I Find Myself, Meyerowitz juxtaposes photographs of Ground Zero with the cypresses and fields of Tuscany theres a spiritual dimension to these rural images, too, a renewal by means of natural goodness in the aftermath of evil.

Today, the photographer has definitively swapped the street for the farm, the Bronx for a home in the hills south of Siena. He and his English second wife, the novelist Maggie Barrett, have spent the past four years converting a barn to a rural retreat. Weve uprooted from everything and settled here without family or much in the way of friends, but with each other. Its an experiment in intimacy. We drink tea (his wifes PG Tips) and he serves me week-old ricotta made by the farmer who lives next door.

Meyerowitz has described his urban photography as jazz, a sinuous dance through the streets with a handheld camera. Only later in his career did he add landscape to his repertoire. It happened in Provincetown in the late 70s. I moved every summer to somewhere where life was simple and I started to see differently. And what I saw, I needed to capture with a view camera, an 8×10 camera. With that you dont riff, you dont do jazz. You do what it tells you. So what was the appeal? Everything was rendered with this incredible visual acuity. It blew me away. His Bay/Sky series from the late 70s and early 80s, in particular, purge humans for the essentials of sky, sea and land.

Longnook Beach, Truro, Massachusetts, 1985.

For the past four years, Meyerowitz has retreated from the world into his studio, where he has been photographing humble objects hes picked up from Provenal brocantes and Tuscan junk shops. His work, he thinks, riffs on Czanne and Giorgio Morandis still lifes. Im obsessed with these pictorial puzzles. He started with two or three objects and has now moved on to grand arrangements that remind me of the complicated positioning of humans in his street photos.

Bald, sinewy (half a lifetime ago he missed becoming a US Olympic swimmer by thousandths of a second), and brimming with life, Meyerowitz turns 80 on 6 March. Any plans to retire, I ask, as he shows me out? Artists dont retire. We just move on to new creative obsessions. Well, thats what I do.

Joel Meyerowitz: Where I Find Myself is published by Laurence King on 12 March.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

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ecotone99 · 5 years

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[SF]Aberration: Ruue (unedited)

About six years ago he showed up at the university I was attending in the great city of New Orleans. I don't really remember anyone knowing too much about him at first. He was new is all, and kind of just appeared out of no where. I only ever saw him in the courtyard in the middle of the school always doing something random like lazily playing a guitar, or bouncing a hacky sack. The kind of stuff that begged for attention but no one ever actually wanted to pay him any. He always looked like he was ready to give the most perfect answer to any question anyone would ask him. He held himself with confidence. The only thing is that the busy student life never permitted anyone to muster up the courage to talk to him. At first I thought he was attending. After some time passed and he was only ever in the courtyard I came to the conclusion that he was one of those people that lived close by and just hung out around campus because he didn't have any friends or anything better to do. Late one Wednesday night I found myself outside walking back to my dorm after spending too much time at my friends place drinking and playing video games. Our finals were over earlier than most students so we didn't have much to worry about except waking up for class the next morning while everyone else was still stressing over studying for tests. The peculiar part was when I walked across the grassy courtyard I saw him. He was still sitting off in the corner. This time laying on his back staring at the sky with a cigarette in his mouth. In my drunken state I finally decided to ask him his name. Stumbling over myself but not with any less courage I watched him blow smoke out of his mouth without even taking the cigarette out. "Whats your name?" I think I said, probably slurring a little bit. For the first time I saw this guy make actual contact with another human being by acknowledging my prescence. Without moving anything except his neck and eyes he looked at me lazily then continued to look at the sky. There was about a five second pause between my question and him saying, "Im Ruue" I wasn't sure if Ruue wanted anything to do with me and if I werent drunk I probably wouldve then said goobye and went on my way, but instead I just laid next to him. I looked at the sky for a minute or two. You couldnt see any stars. It was just a pale black up there, but Ruue seemed like he could see something so I asked, "What are we looking for Ruue?" Another pause, "Nothin man... I'm just really high..." Ruue knew I was drunk. I wasnt expecting him to say that and honestly I think he said it just to throw me off but after a slight hesitation we both burst out in laughter, laughing at our selves laughing at each other and laughing at the fact that there were no stars in the sky. That night Ruue told me a hard to believe story about how he woke up one day in a dorm room without knowing how he had gotten there or why he was there. He spent a few days in the room before even exiting and discovered the campus. He explained how the courtyard had the most flow of traffic and he waited every day for someone to approach him because obviously there had to be a reason he was here. If anyone was going to find him it would be in this courtyard. I asked him if I was the person he was supposed to be meeting but he didn't know. The only way he could tell is "If time begins moving forward again." I had no clue what he was on about but I felt like there was a meaning behind what he said, he just didnt even know it yet. That night we shared a blunt and went up to my dorm room, a tiny little flat with enough space for a single bed and a person to lay on the floor. I insisted he sleep in the bed after begging him to stay the night, but he wouldnt have it. We stayed up and talked for hours. He told me about the vague memories he had of his home and his roommates. The girl he loved. I told him about cliché college stuff like final exams and girls I'd never get. I wasnt sure about his intentions with me but when we finally began resting our heads I reached my hand up from the floor where I was laying and I gently grabbed his. He didnt recoil. I was happy. The next week consisted of us spending almost all of our time together. Eventually he got bored of the courtyard and joined me for my final couple of classes. That week was surreal. All the otherstudents had left. My friends bid me farewell for the break and went home to their families. Me and Ruue stayed together for the break. The school became an empty shell with us as its playthings. The peculiar night happened next. The one I'll never forget, solely because of the look of pure horror on Ruue's face that's painted in my memory until the day I die. We were still fresh and enjoying each others company. There was so much more I didnt know about him, but we were doing our routine for the past week's nights. We left the cafeteria with fattening snacks and shitty drinks, to sit at what I liked to call our picnic table in the courtyard. If I had known what was going to happen next I wouldnt have made such a connection. I wouldnt have ruined the memory of that school for myself for eternity. I wouldnt have even made eye contact with what seemed like this precious soul. But lo the following took place. A thunderous explosion and great blue light took place behind us in the center of the grassy field. My initial thought was lighting had struck but as my vision came to I saw several people standing in the spot of the explosion. There were about twelve men dressed in all black looking almost like a swat team but there were no letters on any of their uniforms. Directly in the middle of the men stood a woman. I remember her bright purple hair and long white trench coat. The most frightening bit was that all of the people who had miracioulsly appeared before us were each holding a gun. The men each had an assualt rifle and the woman in the middle held a handgun. All of which were pointed immediately in our direction. The entire scene illuminated by the dim hallogenic lights of the courtyard at night. The moment Ruue turned around and witnessed this phenomenon I could hear him say, "Here we go" I looked at him and asked, "What is that? What's going on?" I suddenly became concerned. Ruue then turned to me and said with big eyes, "I'm sorry, but the truth is you're not the reason I was brought here. Please. Please!" he begged me. "Do not cry. I have very much enjoyed our time together." When Ruue said that I became even more concerned and also frightened. I said hastely, "What is going on?" but before he could say another word the woman with purple hair was directly behind him and iterjected. "Ruue. You're not supposed to be here. I know this probably wasnt you're fault but there was a slip up and well, we have to fix it. Ruue then pleaded in a way I hadnt known him. "Please" he said. "I wont change anything. Its going to be alright." More questions flooded my head but no one was even looking at me. The woman grabbed Ruue by his arm very easily I might add. He was lanky. I couldn't imagine much muscle on him but he still struggled fruitlessly. His efforts did nothing as she began dragging him towards the other men. I jumped across the picnic table and screamed, "Hey!" At this time two of the armed men in black came towards me pointing their guns at my face. "This doesnt concern you young man. If I were you I'd get very far away from here quite soon." One of them had said in a strong voice. There wasnt much I could do. I asked what they were doing with Ruue but the other man then screamed for my silence and slammed the butt of his gun into my jaw. I felt several of my teeth fall out as I hit the ground but I kept my consciousness. Blood filled my mouth and ran down my cheek. I made the decision to maybe not say anything else, but Ruue was being held down by four more of the other men as the rest pulled out a large long piece of wood I hadnt noticed earlier. It took about six men to finally impale the piece of wood into the ground how they intended and when they cleared away I felt horror flood my body. It was a cross. The men in black had staked a huge wooden cross into the ground of the courtyard right in front of Ruue. I could here him screaming right about this time. He was scared. The woman stood next to Ruue with her back to me about twenty yards away and her gun pointed at him. She said, "You are sentenced to death by the Galactic Interdimensional Federation." and then backed away. The men in black then hoisted Ruue up above their heads and held him to the cross. His legs kicked as he cried and pleaded, "Please dont do this! Please! I don't want to die!" The men in black said nothing and if I could have seen their faces under the masks they would have been emotionless. One of the men pulled a hammer out of a bucket and at this moment I thought that they had to be kidding. Two men held Ruues right hand to the cross as another hammered a nail through it. Ruue shrieked. I'll never forget that first scream of pain. I tried to stand but they just knocked me back down to the cold grass. TAP! The man swung the hammer again. Screams. TAP! The last swing of the hammer. By this time Ruue was hyperventilating with cheeks glistining under hallogens. The men let go of his right side and let the nail hold it up. Screams. They then began the whole process again with his left hand. Ruue seemed to become numb. He was out of screams and just whimpered as they nailed his other hand down. As they let go of him he kicked one man hard in the face knocking him to the ground. To which resulted in three more men in black holding his feet to the vertical piece of the cross. The man with the hammer then pulled out a thick metal stake. I nearly fainted. They peirced both of Ruues feet to the cross with the stake. Blood. It took several more swings of the hammer than it did when they nailed his hands and strengthier swings at that. Ruue seemed paralyzed. He locked eyes with me as the men finally stood back from him. There was a moment of complete nothingness. Everything just stopped and the only sound was Ruues cries. He said to me, "You are what I was supposed to find here! Time began moving the moment I met you! I'll never forget you! Thank you so much friend!" Two of the men in black promptly tossed a liquid dousing Ruue while the woman in purple hair tossed a lit match at the base of the cross. The courtyard brightened. Ruues screams filled the air. I watched his skin bubble and turn black. His screams became a gurgle and cough until silenced forever. We all sat there for what seemed like an eternity. They all watched his corpse burn out until it was just a skinny black clump. It was dark again. The woman came to me. She said, "Whats your name?" "D-David" I stuttered. "Are you going to kill me now?" "No." she said with peirced lips. "We are here to prevent changes. Not cause them. You will never see this again." Then, they just left. The woman with the purple hair and the men in black armor, they disappeared into a flash of blue light. I was left alone in the dark courtyard with the charred corpse of Ruue, crucified before me...

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viralhottopics · 7 years