"Your Ankh-Morpork soldiers aren't in a position to protect you, however."
"Sir, you are right. You could have me killed right now," said de Worde simply. "You know that. I know that. But you won't, for three reasons. The officers of Borogravia tend towards honor. Everyone says that. That's why they don't surrender. And I bleed most distressingly. And you don't need to, because everyone's interested in you! Suddenly, it's all changed!"
"Interested in us?"
"Sir, in a sense you could help a lot right now. Apparently, people back in Ankh-Morpork were amazed when...look, have you heard about what we call 'human interest,' sir?"
"No."
De Worde tried to explain. Blouse listened with his mouth open, and at the end, said:
"Have I got this right? Although many people have been killed and wounded in this wretched war, it's not been of much 'interest' to your readers? But it is now, just because of us? Because of a little skirmish in a town they've never heard of? And because of it, we're suddenly a 'plucky little country' and people are telling your newspaper that your great city should be on our side?"
"Yes, Lieutenant. We put out a second edition last night, you see."
Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment
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Humans in Space: Suggestive Sparring (3)
Fighting can relieve or create sexual tension between the right people. Humans are known to be especially sexual and aggressive - likely for a reason.
*I’ve never written a Scottish accent before. I’m so American and I am so sorry.*
--
Human-Erin avoided me again. Which was easy as I did indeed have the first patrol after breakfast and she had other duties. Perhaps she wasn’t avoiding me and I was avoiding her again. Or it was possible I was overthinking. Suggestion is just implication. And implication is not reality. I will say, though, that I felt largely uncertain about how convinced I was that I had been simply reading too much on Human mating habits for my own good.
Near the end of my shift, Human-Marcus came running up to me, a panicked look on his face.
“Is there an emergency, Human-Marcus?”
“You’re damn right there is.” He pointed a finger at me sternly. “Where arr me fooking earbuds?” He had over-exaggerated the urgency of his situation and he regularly over-exaggerated the “-r” sound. I was told it’s because he’s “Scottish” but Human-Lucia also emphasized “-r” and I was told it’s because she’s “Spanish”. I preferred her “-r”s over his.
I found his earbuds in my uniform pants’ pockets and handed them to him. He was not satisfied.
“Is something wrong now, Human-Marcus?”
“Yeah. What’s up with yer neck?”
I had forgotten to treat my wounds before retiring for the night. It had stopped bleeding and the aching had been dull to begin with - so I simply forgot about it.
“Oh. A Human bit me last night. Is that not a Human fighting technique?”
“Wha? Ah mean ah guess so. It depends on the person bu’ it’s no’ really me thing. No’ in the fighting sense at least. Who bit ye?”
“Human-Erin.”
“Interesting.”
“Why is that?”
“Oh she doesn’t bite anyone in a fight.”
“She was losing.”
“No. That’s no’ why.” I cocked my head to the side and raised an ear.
“Oh well, way back when we were seniors in high school... nevermind.”
I didn’t know what a “high school” was and I wasn’t sure what a “senior” was in that case either, but I inferred that the former was a facility for higher education and a senior was of a higher rank or age than other students.
“What?”
“Ah’ll say just this much: for Erin - and a great number of other Humans - biting is not a sign of aggression, but still provocation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah’m gonna let ye figure tha’ out on yer own. Ah’m needed in the med-bay anyway.” With that, he turned on his heel and ran away, turning back only briefly to thank me for returning his earbuds.
...
This time, I sought out Human-Erin. I stood between her and the door to her quarters. She looked up at me with a raised “eyebrow” and sighed.
“Don’t tell me you’re here for a rematch because I forgot to stretch and I’m really sore right now.”
“That is not why I’m here.”
“Oh, okay. What’s up?”
“This,” I hooked a claw into the collar of my uniform shirt and gently pulled it away from my neck, bowing down so she may see my injury better.
“Oh... Oh! I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. My adrenaline was kicking and-” Her face grew darker yet again, her eyes kept looking at and looking away from the space where one of my many scales used to be.
“What does it mean?”
“And I just- What?” Her eyes stopped and focused on me.
“You bit me.”
“Riight.” Her eyes narrowed and that right “eyebrow” rose again, higher this time.
“Human-Marcus informed me that you, specifically you, do not bite with aggressive intent.”
“So?”
“With what intent did you bite me?” As juvenile as it felt, what I really meant to ask was “Why me? Why am I the exception?”
She stopped looking at me and said nothing for a solid six Terran seconds. “Um well, it, uh, it was just a, uh, heat of the moment thing.” Heat of the moment indeed - she reminded me of my burns.
“And why did you burn me?”
“I what??”
“My wrists...” I took her chin in two fingers - having retracted my claws - and held my other wrist up to her. “You burned them with just the heat of your body. Why?”
She said nothing, her eyes trained on my wrist - the wrist I held at her face level which was, as I stood, only a bit below mine. Her skin darkened and I could feel the blood rush from her heart to her face - how hot it was and how fast it moved. It was burning my fingers - and I enjoyed it. She felt her temperature’s sudden increase and took my hand in hers to pull it off her face. I squeezed her jaw as gently as I could, dropping my other wrist so I could look into her eyes.
“Why did you burn me?”
“I didn’t even know I could burn you.” She wasn’t looking at me.
“Look at me. Uh, please.” She looked up at my eyes hesitantly, her skin burning hotter by the moment. “You’re burning me right now. Why are you doing it? Why are you so hot?” I had it in my knowledge that Humans changed temperature due to internal influences - not unlike those from the planet Exsag - and the influences were either strong emotions or illness. She did not seem particularly unwell and I still struggled to read Human emotions.
“Before I answer, I feel like I should answer your first question. I bit you because, uh, I was trying to provoke you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me but I just-”
“Why would you provoke me? What would I be provoked to do?” She visibly struggled to maintain eye-contact with me and the blood in my hand was warming to the blood in her face.
“I... God this is so embarrassing... You... Well, you *excited* me when you pinned me down and I just kinda... I reacted how I would to a partner pinning me down. I guess I thought the spar was gonna turn uh... I thought it was gonna take a different direction.”
“What different direction?”
“Please don’t make me spell it out.”
I heard footsteps coming down the corridor and whipped around, hiding Human-Erin between myself and the door for no particular reason other than to keep our conversation private. My hand fell from her jaw so that I could catch myself on the door. I lowered my head some more, my mouth level with her ear, and whispered. I heard her breath hitch.
“What different direction?”
I heard her sigh and almost feared for my scales before I realized she hadn’t moved her head to respond in kind. She exhaled again and whispered, not directly to me, but not to anyone else:
“Fuck.”
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Dog found shot in Carbon County released from vet, continues recovery from home
New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/SzuOA
Dog found shot in Carbon County released from vet, continues recovery from home
HELPER, Utah (KUTV) — A dog that was found shot and abandoned on the side of the road in Carbon County has been released from the vet and is recovering at home. Tanner Tamllos first found the dog, named BluJay, near Helper on March 29. She said he was shot in between the eyes, and […]
See full article at https://petn.ws/SzuOA
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"So...we have what the people are interested in, and human interest stories, which is what humans are interested in, and the public interest, which no one is interested in."
"Except the public, sir," said William, trying to keep up.
"Which isn't the same as people and humans?"
"I think it's more complicated than that, sir."
"Obviously. Do you mean that the public is a different thing from the people you just see walking about the place? The public thinks big, sensible measured thoughts while people run around doing silly things?"
"I think so. I may have to work on that idea too, I admit."
"Hmm. Interesting. I have certainly noticed that groups of clever and intelligent people are capable of really stupid ideas," said Lord Vetinari.
Terry Pratchett, The Truth
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Biracial, Multi-racial, Mixed, Mulatto, "other"
🌧☁️🌧🌧☁️🌧☁️🌧☁️🌧🌧
Greetings. I am merely an individual who seeks to bring together those who feel they have no place among the others. Other, meaning those who are one color and not multiple. This is not a call of aggression to those who are considered "white" or "black" or "of color." No. This a peaceful declaration. One that I intend to make so that we can rise above the issues and challenges we face as biracial, multi-racial, or "mulatto." There is indeed a power in being of two colors. We are a mixed breed, through and through. Yet, we struggle to coexist with those whom with our blood is shared. How trivial and tragic.
I am what I would consider average in every category. At the end of everything there is in existence, I consider myself a human, individual and susceptible to infallibility. However, I would rot and suffer away in my grave if I did not attempt to help those who face the same issue that I currently do.
Despite being unbelievably introverted, I can indeed connect with some people. Thankfully I am not a total and complete outcast. I feel as though my skin color bothers and irritates others. In the "black" community I am not seen as completely "black" but, rather something else. In the "white" community, certainly it is the same there for I am not "white."
Regardless, the problem is the same everywhere, rarely do I see my own kind in the vast ocean of "black" and "white." My color gray lies somewhere in between but, not with.
I hope to reach many like myself who struggle with their challenges of being biracial. It truly is hard, I wish you well, those who would find me and hear my words. Know this, there is hope and our goals are just within reach. We simply need to extend ourselves the rest of the way and stand on the platform that we so absolutely deserve to stand upon.
✨Starry Skies✨
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