Newport beach house: a longwood venue

We had been having micro fights the day we broke up. I thought I had bought us a little time with our 2-hour phone conversation. But an hour later, she texted me a jab of “I don’t think I am in love with you anymore” followed by a devastating right hook of “My mother thinks we are incompatible.”
\I would just like to take a minute to apologize to the good people working at Brooklyn’s Bagels Shop who had to witness a grown man walk in their store. Read a text on his phone. Start sobbing uncontrollably. And then walk out.*
If I am being honest with you, I kind of saw that mother text coming. She never liked me. None of her family did. During our last weekend together, I was forced to spend the weekend with her and her family. At their family beach house. They were so nice to me that I suspected it was a trap. I called my dad and laughed as I joked “It is like they know something I don’t”. Little did I know, they did… 24 hours, I was a single man.
A year earlier, we had gotten a kitten together. She was the second woman I had bought a kitten with. And this was the second time, I ended up keeping the cat post break up. I don’t know how this keeps happening. It might be my superpower. But I will tell you two things. I will never give up my cats, and I will never give another woman a cat. I do not think I can afford the litter.
It has been almost a week since the breakup. And while I certainly do miss her. I think it is for the best. (who the fuck puts water in their orange juice?) I would like to turn my attention to the future. Not the past. My goal is to be comfortable with being alone again. I think that’s when I will know it is time. In the meantime, I plan on going to therapy, taking dance lessons, continue to hit the gym, and rebuild my social circle.
C’est la vie!

So i had a positive pregnancy test twice as a first time mother i would really like advice of what to do and not to do including tips & tricks while pregnant since i have cut my mother out of the picture including the whole family tree of mine since all of them were extremely toxic & verbally abusive not wanting my baby around that since there was violence happening last year coming from my crazy sister...i am only a (25F) fixing to be 26 but do have 2 problems. A high thyroid...and live in texas...quite scared from just being in this state if something were to happen on accident maybe which i don't claim knocking on wood
i would ask my boyfriends (The father 25M) sister since she has 2 kids including his mother but we both wanna surprise them at the beach house when we go on vacation on june 12th
i have gotten a family doctor finally that i will see this week on friday to speak about that but my anxiety just won't shut up :(. If anyone knows of someone having high thyroid while pregnant please tell me IF the baby came out just fine with no problems cause the google searches just make it scary
I might be 4 weeks pregnant won't know til i see the family doctor but that's what an app is telling me how many weeks i am, Been really nauseous can't stop gagging losing my appetite towards anything i eat except for turkey & any fruits is the only thing that does not make me nauseous. I can't even keep down restaurant food

Hey! Thanks for reading. :)
I'm looking for some new people to talk to. I work from home and I'm fairly new to the state so my social life is almost nonexistent. 🙃 Which I'm cool with most of the time since I'm really introverted, but it'd be nice to have someone to talk to sometimes hahah.
I have a little dog son who does everything with me! We're always at a new park or the beach. I bought a house last summer and I've been doing a bunch of projects on it! My house is definitely a ~vibe~ haha. Speaking of vibes, I'm very 420 friendly. 🍃 I love stand up comedy and seem to go to a show or two a month lately. Who is your favorite comedian of all time?
I'm really just looking for some cool people to talk to. I'm single and typically prefer talking to those who are single as well. I don't mind talking to those who are in a relationship, but I do have a flirty personality so be warned. Share your favorite music with me, exchange recipes, complain about your boring work day, anything.
I look forward to talking to you!

I'm toying with a couple ideas of businesses to start. I'd love feedback on how to execute them well, what I should be aware of, or any ideas for enhancement. Help me pick which, if any, to do.
1. An Ice Cream Truck Tracker. Ever heard the music from an ice cream truck, only to never catch up with it? Users can see all Ice Cream trucks near them, track common routes, see prices/products in advance, and even ping nearby trucks to request they stop by. Ice cream truck operators can send in their location to the app so users can see them, serve ads/offers to users, and get insights on where/how to improve sales. Revenue would primarily come from truck operators. Focus would be on beach/park/vacation areas where lots of trucks operate. Could be expanded to food trucks in general. Challenges: hard to get a critical mass of users to be able to market to truck operators. Data accuracy would be important, but accurate live map data can be expensive. Limited market size.
2. Pickleball coaching. Pickleball is exploding in popularity and most people who play are affluent. The business would partner with current tennis/fitness coaches, teach them the rules & fundamentals of Pickleball, and pay them an hourly rate to lead group and private lessons. Would advertise at local fitness centers, 55+ active living communities, and parks. Could also arrange matches, tournaments, clinics, etc. Could also set up an online shop to sell gear. Challenges: already exists nearly everywhere and would be competitive. Many fitness centers already offer this in-house and wouldn't welcome outside competition.
3. Live Christmas Tree Additive. Live Christmas Trees are growing in popularity and are also generally purchased at tree farms. The tree farms typically have limited revenue each year based on the number of trees they have. They'd all love to add a few extra dollars to every ticket because that's the only way to grow revenue. I'd contract a botanist or something to help me make a proprietary powder to be added to live tree water. It would extend the life of trees, keep them greener for longer, and enhance moisture retention in the tree, reducing fire hazard. I'd put the powder in bags, and sell it for $5 at the point of sale at Christmas Tree Farms, giving the farm operator a chance at an extra $1-2 per customer. Challenges: Extremely seasonal, extremely limited market, thin profit margins. This probably gets started as a side-gig and maybe never grows beyond that.
4. Online Mini Golf Supply Shop. I'd be drop shipping mini golf clubs, balls, scorecards, etc. The value add is that I would set up web domains related to parks that have free mini golf with bring-your-own equipment. There are several of these in my town, and probably tons across the country. So, if there's one at 55th Street Park, I would set up 55thstreetminigolf (dot) com with my online shop. I would make a very official looking sign that simply says "Equipment available at 55thstreetminigolf (dot) com". I'd hang it right beneath the actual official sign that the parks have explaining that they are free and BYO equipment. This would not be sanctioned by the city/municipality, but odds are good no one would notice or care. I could do some additional long-tail search advertising too. Challenges: Would have to set up independently for each park/location. Could get in trouble for posting unofficial signage. Relatively low volume and low margins, so not a big opportunity. But once it's set up, it would run itself.
5. Indoor Golf-in-the-dark. Buy old warehouses/barns near vacation destinations. Clear them out, pave the inside, set up black lights, music, neon decor, and mini golf holes. Can sell snacks at the front counter. Can do birthday parties, company events, etc. A perfect bad weather activity at vacation places. Could also set up as a turnkey franchise. Challenges: hard to find good locations that aren't too capital intensive. Requires design/creativity skills to set up well. Overall a lot of upfront capital and work.

Normally i just box all my npc’s together in a hotel but my friend recommended i dont do that and instead try and make everyone happy and use the pylons. I have 8 npc’s right now two are on both beaches and the rest are in separate houses in the beginning forest area. I got the forest pylon but can’t get a beach pylon or any other pylon. So far everyone is happy i think.

Throughout middle and high school, I noticed that the kids who were considered popular and had lots of friends shared one thing in common: they were always, always allowed to spend time with their friends. Whether it be going to each other's houses after school, getting food together, or going on beach trips, there was never a dull moment for them. Unlike me, these people rarely went straight home after school and just sat there for the rest of the day. Most days, they were living their teenage years to the fullest, building their social skills, and making new friends left and right in the process. And contrary to my parents' beliefs, these kids weren't the stereotypical partying/drinking popular kids who got into trouble and did reckless things for fun. In fact, pretty much all of them were actually extremely academically driven and high-achieving, and they were still able to spend time with their tons of friends and actually be a kid. And their parents never seemed to mind, because they weren't narcissists and didn't treat their children like property.
I had a really tough time making and keeping friends during my teenage years, and even though it's become less of a problem nowadays, I still struggle with it sometimes. Thinking back on it, I can't help but wonder if my strict, overbearing upbringing had something to do with it. For me, there was never the option of just casually telling my parents I would be hanging out with a friend after school. I always had to beg and convince them to let me do it, and even when they said yes, they would be in a pissy mood with me for the rest of the day, as if I had wronged them somehow. Every time I went out and had fun with people, I would always have to lie to them about what I was doing. I could never freely have fun because every attempt at doing so would just turn into another game of "where were you? Who were you with? What were you doing? Don't ever let me catch you doing that again, you little shit." I had zero independency. I was rarely allowed to take public transportation or walk anywhere by myself, even at 17-18. I couldn't even spend my own money on anything without them getting mad at me for it. And God forbid I ever came home with a drink in my hand or something I had bought on a shopping trip because that would lead to an entire interrogation and shaming session. The ironic part is that my parents would always make fun of me for having no friends and never spending time with people, despite it being pretty much entirely their fault. To this day, I still don't understand why socialization always felt like such a taboo subject in my family, but it was, and I constantly had to walk on eggshells whenever it came up.

I broke up with my ex January 2022, I did all the work, the therapy, I started working in a fitness studio we used to go together to and I got better. I made new friends, started working out more and reinvented myself. Three months later he started seeing a new girl but will still contact me and tell me he screwed up and wasn’t sure of his decisions only to always go back. During 2022 and the start of 2023 we talked on a weekly sometimes daily basis and sometimes he would go to the studio I work at and we would chat. Tbh I don’t think I genuinely thought I had lost him until recent occurrences. On march of this year I got a text from him asking me to call him, he told me he had broken up and wanted to see me. He picked me up and I stayed over, the next day I took him hiking and we started to see each other every other day. I know this was dumb but I figured if I must hit my head against the same wall a hundred times I would do so. We went to the movies, I stayed over, and on my countries version of spring break we met up at the beach and spent some days together. I knew he wasn’t over his ex, and would still talk to her, but I understood and tried to be supportive of him. Before we met up at the beach we had a fight cause I found out he still wanted to get back with her ex and I felt used and told him I still loved him and he was hurting me. Then when we met up at the beach he told me he was really done with his ex and that he also still loved me. I went back to the city cause I had work and school and he stayed behind another week in which he started to behave distant and claimed to need space which I painfully but supportably gave him. On the week of his return he walked past my workplace with his ex and I knew they were back together. Now almost every day they pass by my workplace, somedays multiple times and I get the worst anxiety and feel my heart drop to the ground. The other day they even came in to ask for a smoothie and caught me off guard when they went to say hello. And I ended up tearing up at work when they had left. I don’t want to quit my job because honestly it’s my biggest source of happiness but every time I have to see them it’s very painful. I haven’t talked to him since the first time I saw them, I archived his chat and haven’t even looked at it. I can’t stop thinking about him and I honestly wished i’ve never met him. I don’t know what to do and I’ve been seriously thinking of moving to another country in which my sister lives however I have one year left at school an I need to stay in my country for it. I know there isn’t much I can do and I don’t want to talk to him ever again. Today I wrote a poem I wish I could sent him but since I want nothing to do with him I thought I could share it here. English is not my first language so please be kind.
Everything
Everything is about you Every first and last thought everyday You’re everywhere and never there Not one morning or night Every hour of every day a haunted mind Grasping for a feeling that’s long turned into a memory Incapable of forgetting Trailing the halls, like a ghost that’s long lost its mind in the search of a life that will never come back But the missing limb won’t grow back And the mind will expect its existence Every day, every night Like a hand reaching just to find it hasn’t fingers with which to grasp The missing is like a curse A cursed mind unable to find relief from your existence A perpetual wish to share the wonders of life when the other end of the line falls dead Every time This poem, the next, the last Every poem, every song, ever written They’re all about you And I could never hate you because I can never stop loving you Forever cursed to love the one that couldn’t love her back That wouldn’t choose her back Letting a heart break every day Every damn day A sinking stomach and painful ache every day that I see you with her The one you chose, the one who could never be me A body loosing its control a hopeless mind And you unaware of it all Unaware of the pain you cause, of the thoughts behind, the wasted love The efforts placed into trying to move past you Effort to control every thought, every action, every word To follow all the advice, do the no contact, the meditations Fighting the urge to skip this town and flee across the world Because you’re everywhere here, even when you’re not And I’m a sorry little thing stuck behind someone whose long left the house With a penance she must serve every day.

Girls: Izzy
Boys: Ezekiel, Mal
Episode 24: Hawaiian Style
A riff from an electric guitar opened the episode, the scene fading into a close-up of a spinning blue globe. As the camera moved up across Africa and Europe, the words 'TOTAL' and 'DRAMA' appeared in white block letters with a flash, moving up at an angle to make room for 'WORLD TOUR' in two additional rows of larger letters. One final word, 'AFTERMATH', appeared below it in a shower of stars, and as the theme music reached a tentative low the gleam from the words took over the whole screen.
XXX
Izzy, Sadie, Noah, and Mal grabbed a swan boat, and moments later, the boats splashed down into a river running through a hilly forest.
XXX
The music entered a low point as the title screen was shown again, the words flaring up once more to transition to the next clip.
XXX
Ezekiel Clone sniffed the air. He perked up and the camera cut briefly to the still berry-covered Owen washing up then back to him. The clone took the opportunity and launched himself at the fun guy and attacked him.
XXX
A few laughs were heard and the Aftermath theme renewed itself, the title screen flaring up for a third time.
XXX
Mal, Topher, and Sadie raced down the Wall as the camera panned down to show them moving faster. Sadie unknowingly skated towards the mine, causing her to be blown off the wall with a yell.
XXX
The title screen showed up for the final time.
XXX
Topher slipped on the puddle of oil, forcing him to land on his back while the cake splattered on the floor candle first.
The camera quickly panned rightward to the door at the side of the plane; it slammed open and countless animals ran out – a sasquatch, a bear, a horse, a seal, a duck, a bunch of rats and chipmunks, and Ezekiel Clone at the front of it.
The resulting explosion was shown from about a mile away, and the light completely enveloped the once-peaceful nighttime scene.
XXXXX
The Aftermath's title sequence played once more, earning another round of applause from the unseen audience as the episode began.
"Hello, everyone!" the voice of Josh spoke out, walking in to a close-up shot of what looked like the host's couch in an outdoor set. "Welcome, to Total Drama Aftermath! We are coming to you guys live from the beautiful tropical shores of Hawaii!" The camera zoomed out. As he'd said the main parts of the Aftermath set had been transplanted to a beautiful white-sand beach, a smoking volcano off in the background. Two-tiered couches had been set up on either side like usual, but unlike usual, both held members of the Peanut Gallery: the left had Brick, Courtney, Cody, and Heather on the top row, Lightning, Jo, Amy, and Rodney on the bottom; the right-hand couches had Lindsay, Sky, and Shawn on the top, Beth, Harold, Duncan, and Ella on the bottom. Luna and Ron were also seated next to Ella.
"After traveling all around the world this season," Josh continued, "we had to wrap it up with a big shot of paradise. And I'm not relaxing on this beach by myself. Let's give a big welcome to our Peanut Gallery!" The audience cheered, the camera cutting from one half of the gallery to the other as the former contestants there smiled and waved to varying degrees.
"We've two episodes left before we declare this season's million dollar winner!" Josh said enthusiastically. "And it's going to happen right here."
He paused for a few seconds for the applause to die down, then continued. "First things first, we have to say hello to a few people who were boot off the show. Please welcome," he motioned to the side, "Noah, Sadie, Owen, and Eva!"
The crowd cheered again as the four were shoved into view by an unseen intern. "Why are we all being introduced at the same time?" Sadie asked.
"We're doing things differently today," Josh answered.
"Tell me we don't have to sing," Eva said. "I'm tired of raising my voice."
"We'll get to that soon enough," Josh told him. "But first, I want to ask you guys something." He cleared his throat. "Are any of you wondering why I'm here today instead of Blaineley as usual?"
"To be honest, yes," Shawn answered. "You haven't been in the past aftermath episodes."
"Did Blaineley get her job back or what?" Duncan asked impatiently.
"She definitely did, but that's not why she's absent today," Josh said. "She's out sick today, so I'm here to fill in for her."
"I do hope she gets better soon," Ella said with sympathy as she nurtured Ron and Luna.
"So do I," Sadie agreed as she sat down next to Ella, who frowned harder at her. "Are you not going to talk to me?"
"We'll talk after this episode is done. As for now, don't bother me," Ella said sternly.
Sadie sighed miserably, and even when Luna and Ron glared at her, her expression didn't change.
"I deserved that," she mumbled to herself.
"Hey Josh, don't forget to talk about Dawn and how she's stuck in Siberia," Harold reminded the man.
"I was getting to that," Josh continued. "Last episode, Dawn was nursing a wounded bear in Siberia. Thankfully, the bear's all better now!" he said brightly before frowning. "Sadly, the airport officials wouldn't let her fly home since she only had Blaineley's passport."
"Me and Shawn rented a helicopter to locate and find Dawn," Jo told the host.
"Thanks for that," Josh said as a quick aside. "The wait is over!" he said brightly, pointing dramatically off into the distance.
The crowd cheered as a green helicopter was shown approaching high over the set. Dawn leaned out the side door and waved at the camera, then called out "Hello! I'm so happy to see all of you!"
The bear from Siberia poked its head out as well, and the crowd gasped. "Behind you!" Harold cried in warning.
Dawn looked at the bear, then back at the crowd. "Don't worry about Bruno!" She and the bear quickly ducked back into the helicopter as it descended. A ladder was thrown out, and Dawn used it to climb down and land on the sand.
"Are you ready to return to co-hosting?" Josh asked Dawn. "Blaineley's sick in bed, so I'm taking over for her."
"Okay," Dawn agreed and was going to shake hands with Josh, only for heavy plodding footsteps to herald a strong right hook at Josh from the bear, who had apparently landed on the beach without issue.
The audience and gallery gasped and shrieked in shock. "Bad Bruno!" Dawn scolded the bear. "We don't hurt people, remember?" The bear hung his head in shame.
"He's gotten possessive of me ever since I fixed his paw," Dawn explained as Josh rubbed his face. "But he's really sweet and protective... as long as no one gets within three feet of me."
"How are we supposed to host if that bear is in our way?" Josh asked.
"We'll figure something out, don't worry," Dawn told him. "But right now, let's get back to hosting."
"The Peanut Gallery will soon have a say in who's gonna get the million bucks," Josh said as the crowd clapped.
"That's good," Eva spoke up, the shot cut to the left half of the gallery and revealed that she was in the top row while Owen was at the top. "I have some things I'd like to say about the Final Three."
"Mal can't win the finale," Owen added. "He's the only evil player left!"
"That's if they can live long enough to compete," Shawn said with Noah in the top row. "How are they going to get out of Drumheller?"
"The number one cause of death in Drumheller is being stranded there!" Duncan claimed.
"Are we sure they'll be here for the finale?" Dawn asked her cohost.
"These guys are survivors," Josh said. "Look at Izzy. She's like a Total Drama cockroach."
"I thought that was Mal," Jo remarked.
"Maybe Izzy is Total Drama lichen," Shawn theorized. "The stuff that survives forever."
"My point is," Josh went on, "they'll find a way here one way or another, and it'll be exciting however it goes down!"
"So who does the Peanut Gallery think will win?" Dawn jovially asked the camera.
///\
[A stereotypically Hawaiian tune began to play as the camera zoomed in on the monitor set up over the hosts' couch, which was now showing an image of peanuts dancing on two sets of tiered couches with a question mark between them. The question mark enlarged as the lyrics began, transitioning the screen to something else.]
"Who you gonna root for? Who's it gonna be?"
[Dawn sang over an image of three slot machine windows amongst a field of question marks. The windows started on question marks as well, before they started spinning rapidly.]
"Is it Mal, Ezekiel, or will you pick Izzy?"
[As Dawn sang, the reels stopped from left to right as each contestant was called in turn, showing stock images of Mike, Ezekiel, and Izzy all smiling.]
"There's Izzy, she's the new girl, and she's been playing hard!"
[Dawn sang, appearing on screen and doing a hula dance wearing a grass skirt, a lei around her waist, and flowers in her hair. Behind her, the scene changed to black-and-white clips of Izzy, showing her diving into the water to swim to the flag in Sweden, then her talking to a lobster in Newfoundland.]
"But she is too bizarre! She'd have! To pay! A bodyguard!"
[Dawn added. The clips continued behind her, showing Izzy jumping from ice floe to ice floe in the Yukon, then finding her barrel of oil in Drumheller.]
"Who you gonna root for? Who's it gonna be?"
[Dawn dropped back out of the scene as another few short clips played: Mal fulling exposing himself in China, Ezekiel being knocked to the floor in Greece, and Izzy talking about game shows in Japan.]
"Is it Mal, Ezekiel, or will you pick Izzy?"
[Another trio of clips accompanied the next line, this time showing Mal smirking down while climbing the Statue of Liberty in New York, Ezekiel singing in the cargo hold in Egypt, and Izzy being stretched in London before the beat dropped.]
"Ricki-tick-ity, you're gonna hear it from me!"
[Harold popped up on the screen wearing a dark baggy sweatshirt and beanie over his normal attire, and a gold chain and sunglasses. The music became a smooth hip-hop beat as he rapped. The black-and-white montage naturally became Ezekiel specific: him watching his clone be created in Area 51, then him being thrown off the plane by Chris.]
"The only one winning this is our man, Zeke!"
[Both he and the montage continued: showing Ezekiel playing his harmonica in Australia, then climbing up to the condor in Rapa Nui.]
"Pimpin' like a king, sippin' lemonade in the shade!"
[The montage continued: showing him crossing the finish line with Ace in China, being stuck in quicksand in Africa, and pulling out the pieces of his gold bling in Germany.]
"Kickin' it Hawaiian style! Gonna take home the cheddar!"
[Harold stuck a flower in his hair as Ezekiel was shown almost admitting that he likes Sadie to Jo in Paris, then taping up the broken pieces of his bling in the Amazon.]
"We're gonna be all smiles!"
[He rapped over a clip of Sadie carrying Ezekiel across the tightrope in Niagara Falls.]
"Partay!"
[Harold said to the camera as the next clip consisted of Ezekiel and Sadie kissing.]
"Why does he get to sing?"
"He doesn't. Harold!"
[Ella, then Dawn were heard saying over a clip of Ezekiel thanking Ella for helping him in the Yukon.]
"Ricki-ticki-ticki-todelle, give it up for Ezekiel!"
[Harold rapped over clips of Ezekiel panicking over the plane turbulence in Jamaica and he and Sadie getting captured by the Ripper in London.]
"Harold's in the house spittin' rhymes that are viral, a-viral!"
[He rapped over a clip of Ezekiel holding on to the camel's butt in Egypt.]
"Give me the microphone! The song is over!"
[Dawn said as she snatched the microphone from the dweeb's hands, the montage was frozen on the camel scene.]
///
"Your rapping is good, but you can't hijack a song like that," Dawn scolded as the music ended and the shot cut back to the host couch, Harold walking back to his seat.
"Your singing voice is nice to hear though," Josh complimented.
"My father did say I have a gift!" Dawn said sweetly and shook his hand.
Bruno rose up from behind the couch, swiped down with his paw to separate the two, then smacked Josh all the way into the ocean.
The audience and gallery gasped in shock, and Dawn cried out "Josh!" in fear. She quickly turned a glare towards the bear, saying "Bruno! I told you, don't hurt innocent people!"
Bruno hung his head in shame under her glare, and he trudged over to the right half of the gallery. Most of the contestants that had been sitting there screamed and ran away, leaving only Beth paralyzed in fear in the bottom-left corner. Bruno took the seat behind her, and leaned over to sniff her.
"Maybe we can calm the bear down with something?" Sadie asked
"We can use kava tea," Shawn suggested as Bruno began to lick Beth's head. "Kava is a root the native Polynesians used to calm minds."
"Is it also an appetite suppressant?" Beth asked in terror as the bear continued to lick her.
"Before the Peanut Gallery hold up their flags to show who they're supporting," Dawn said as she resumed hosting and Josh rejoined her dripping wet, "let's see how our finalists stack up!"
She motioned back up to the widescreen as trading-card-like pictures of Mal, Ezekiel, and Izzy appeared on screen against a yellow starburst pattern, then rapidly spun around in a circle.
"Who has the best chance of taking home the cash?" Josh asked, smirking in anticipation before he and Dawn looked back at the camera. "Let's see who earned it the hard way, with some...!"
XXX
A bout of static cut the scene to an image of a white man in a full-body cast lying on a stretcher with his left arm in a sling. He was suddenly sent flying as an ambulance crashed into him, a deep voice announcing "Total Trauma!" over the blare of the siren, the shot pulling back to show Chef sitting on top of the ambulance in a male nurse's outfit.
XXX
"Ezekiel took a bit of a beating this season," Dawn began over a montage of clips showing Ezekiel getting knocked off the condor's nest by the mother condor then sucking his finger after touching an artificial in Area 51. "Most of it physical."
"He formed a relationship with Sadie and overcame most of his insensitivity," Josh continued over a clip of Sadie hugging Ezekiel in Paris. "But with Sadie out of the game," Sadie was shown catching her own parachute and Ezekiel was shown digging holes with Topher in Drumheller, "Ezekiel had to work with Topher."
"Ezekiel also has skills to fall back on," Dawn said, the montage cutting away briefly to show the moonchild nodding. The widescreen showed a stock photo of the young man. "Although he's the physically weakest of the finalists," the montage continued, showing Ezekiel getting covered in bandages in Egypt, "and ignorant about some things," the next clip was of Ezekiel believing Mal's lie in Jamaica, "he's easily the smartest of the Final Three," Dawn finished over a clip of him figuring out his team's saying in Newfoundland.
"All and all," Josh said as the camera cut back to the hosts, "I'd say he's got a chance. And he's definitely saner than our next competitor."
"Izzy also managed to avoid serious injury all season," Dawn said as the stock image of the psycho was shown. "What can we say? She's unstable," clips were shown of her falling into pudding in Niagara Falls, then hitting a pole and sliding down in New York.
The camera briefly returned to Josh as he said "Despite being new to the game, Izzy made a name for herself with his high IQ, friendships, and happiness." Halfway through the sentence the clips resumed, showing her taking charge in Sweden, forming Team E-Scope with Noah and Eva in London, and being dressed like a mummy in Egypt.
"Despite all we've mentioned, she isn't without her flaws," Dawn said. "Her attitude has gotten people annoyed with her on more than a few occasions," a clip was shown of her pressing buttons while Chef tried to stop her, "and she took this year's biggest makeover in Area 51." The clip reel changed to a long-distance shot of Area 51, and Dawn asked "Could we see that clip again?"
The feed cut to static, and Izzy was shown stepping out the chamber with her face looking like a clown.
"I remember that moment!" Cody said. "It took her all night to wash the makeup off."
"Even with her clown appearance, she's still more rational than Mal could ever be," Jo replied.
"Speaking of Mal," Dawn said, looking back up at the widescreen as it cut to another round of clips.
"No one really knew much about Mal when he first showed up," Josh continued as the clip of Mal's first appearance in the Yukon was shown, "but he quickly established himself as a ruthless competitor willing to do anything to make people suffer. Whether it's by throwing someone out of a plane," he was shown letting Owen fall from the plane, "throwing animals at someone," Mal was shown hurling a dingo at Cody, "or just being intimidating in general," he was shown threatening Ezekiel to be in first class, "Mal has been the vilest villain this whole game," the clips finished with Mal shoving Lindsay into a pole.
"Also," Dawn added as the shot cut back to the hosts, "raise your hand if he's the reason you're here now!" The camera cut around the Peanut Gallery, showing Duncan, Ella, Lindsay, Sadie, and Sky raising their hands on the right couch and Cody and Owen raising their hands on the left one.
"He's got all of the abilities of Mike's other personalities," Josh added over clips of Mal finding easter eggs in Rapa Nui, "and has avoided a few eliminations of his own," he finished over a clip of him surviving being eliminated in Africa.
"He's in the Final Three because of luck," Duncan scoffed.
"And if Topher didn't blow up the plane and get disqualified, he wouldn't even be there," Shawn added.
"Nothing seems to stop him," Josh claimed as the widescreen was shown in static, "even if he did get a swollen eye or get hoofed in the nuts." Clips of those instances happening in Rapa Nui and Greece played.
"But anyone can still win. It's too close to call," Dawn chimed. "Let's take a look at what could stop our finalists in their tracks." She motioned back up to the widescreen, which cut to another series of clips.
XXX
"Izzy's biggest weakness, aside from his insanity getting in the way, is her style of thinking," Josh said over a clip of Izzy going through the lasers in Paris.
"If she doesn't become fully aware of herself," Dawn added as clips of Izzy glowing from being inside a radioactive box in the Yukon were presented, "then she could wind up losing her pride and effectiveness."
XXX
"As for Mal," Dawn said as the clip montage moved to Mal talking to Topher in the Amazon and him giving away chowder in Newfoundland, "he is one of Mike's personalities, not the main one."
"If the final challenge triggers any of Mike's other alters," Josh added over Mal eating cake in China, "that could spell the end for Mal."
XXX
"And Ezekiel?" Dawn continued as the recap footage shifted to Ezekiel running with a panda in Japan. "I'd say his biggest weakness is his emotions."
"Agreed," Josh chimed in. "He's been working on his social skills," the montage continued on to show Ezekiel checking up on a tarred Topher in Drumheller. "But if he lets Sadie being eliminated get to him, he could very well do something drastic towards Mal," he finished over Ezekiel being faux complimented by Mal in Sweden.
XXX
"And here's where it gets interesting," Dawn continued as the static cut away back to her. "It's time for the Peanut Gallery to vote for their favorite finalists!"
\
The footage flashed ahead to a close-up of small flags bearing Izzy's face, the camera zooming out as the audience applauded to reveal them to be in the hands of Amy, Duncan, Eva, Lindsay, Noah, Owen, and Sky; they were now the only ex-contestants sitting on the left-side couches.
Cutting to the right-side couches revealed most of the rest of the cast sitting there holding Ezekiel flags: Beth, Brick, Cody, Courtney, Ella, Harold, Heather, Jo, Lightning, Luna, Rodney, Ron, Sadie, and Shawn.
"Figures nobody's a Mal fan," Duncan smiled, hurling all the Mal flags away.
"I don't see how Ezekiel can beat Izzy," Eva admitted. "He'd lose immediately in a fight against me while Izzy can fend me off for thirty seconds."
"But Ezekiel's the only finalist that hasn't gotten arrested or did something questionable," Shawn replied. "That has to count for something!"
The camera cut to Bruno as he walked up towards a nervous Beth with a red checkered bib around his neck. "Uh, is the tea ready yet?" she asked before Bruno roared.
The black male intern promptly arrived with a tea kettle and cup on a tray. "I'll take care of it," Shawn volunteered, grabbing the kettle off the tray. "I have some experience dealing with bears last season, especially hungry ones." He cleared his throat, then turned to face Bruno.
The bear roared again, but rather than flee, Shawn just shoved the kettle into his mouth, which immediately closed around the spout. Bruno blinked in confusion, then began to drink; he finished after a few seconds, took the kettle out of his mouth, and yawned contentedly.
"I still don't know how blessed I am to have you as my boyfriend," Jo said.
"After 44 days of traveling, Bruno can use some rest," Dawn talked to Josh.
"And he got it," Josh said, only to be interrupted by a roaring Bruno once again. The bear promptly fell asleep and dropped over onto Josh, pinning him to the ground as the audience gasped.
"Josh!" Dawn shrieked before noticing the camera still on her. "Err, coming up next, a few lucky members of the Peanut Gallery will face-off in an exciting surf challenge," she said quickly, "for a chance to win an advantage for their favorite finalist!" She nervously looked down at Josh.
"All that and more," Josh said, muffled by Bruno's sleeping head, "when we return on Total! Drama! Aftermath!"
"Can someone assist me here?!" Dawn asked as she tried to push Bruno off Josh herself and the audience applauded.
The show's title screen was shown again, the flaring letters leading in to the break.
\
(Commercial Break)
\

I am a junior chemical engineering student at California state Long Beach. I recently accepted an offer for a 4 month co op at marathon petroleum in North Dakota. I live in LA and I’ve never been to North Dakota nor know anyone out there. I don’t think they’re offering housing but I’m not sure if I should back down this opportunity or just say fuck it. I still need 3 semesters of school left and I really don’t know if I want to move out there or not. I’m also worried to tell my recruiter that I changed my mind because I still want to work with marathon but not in that particular state. What do you recommend me to do? Thank you

Damn it, lost a day! Had Memorial Day off but got fucked (mandated to work) on Saturday. Threw off the timing. Super-rare Wednesday edition!
Good afternoon. Brief listing of CAREER JOBS pulled from usps.com/careers/ for your convenience. Tell HR User_3971 sent you, let's see if they pay more than .25¢ per head. NOTE: Maintenance jobs are drying up - the In Service Register may finally be seeing results for our already career people.
Some jobs may be part-time regular however all listed jobs should qualify for federal benefits from day one. To save text I have only listed the location and date of posting for each. Use the posting number for your search term. LC and MM are entry-level Maintenance. Here is a Maint overview and here is Exam 955 info. You can DO it!
​
NOTE: USPS NEVER charges a fee for entrance exams. If payment is requested during the application process, walk the fuck away, go to usps.com/careers/ and APPLY THERE. We even has a video walkthrough prepared.
​
Laborer Custodial:
CHARLEVOIX MI NC11370316 05/27/2023
OMAHA NE NC11369343 05/27/2023
SAN JOSE CA NC11365062 05/27/2023
KIRKLAND WA NC11367251 05/27/2023
COLUMBUS OH NC11371903 05/27/2023
FORT WASHAKIE WY NC11369073 05/27/2023
YUBA CITY CA NC11367214 05/25/2023
MOUNT IDA AR NC11361986 05/20/2023
BRATTLEBORO VT NC11374752 05/31/2023
BENTON HARBOR MI NC11371533 05/27/2023
PETALUMA CA NC11371537 05/27/2023
CATASAUQUA PA NC11371600 05/27/2023
EL CENTRO CA NC11371615 05/27/2023
HAMBURG PA NC11371700 05/27/2023
SAINT LOUIS MO NC11371707 05/27/2023
HAZELWOOD MO NC11371718 05/27/2023
WAUKESHA WI NC11371854 05/27/2023
GREEN BAY WI NC11371863 05/27/2023
SAINT LOUIS MO NC11371870 05/27/2023
AUSTIN TX NC11371871 05/27/2023
YUBA CITY CA NC11371908 05/27/2023
EAST HAMPTON NY NC11371909 05/27/2023
PEEKSKILL NY NC11371527 05/27/2023
PEEKSKILL NY NC11371421 05/27/2023
MACHIAS ME NC11371418 05/27/2023
SAN MATEO CA NC11371915 05/27/2023
WILLMAR MN NC11371410 05/27/2023
CUPERTINO CA NC11370120 05/27/2023
WARSAW IN NC11369259 05/27/2023
BISMARCK ND NC11369191 05/27/2023
DES MOINES IA NC11369059 05/27/2023
URBANDALE IA NC11369055 05/27/2023
DES MOINES IA NC11369050 05/27/2023
BUFFALO GROVE IL NC11368995 05/27/2023
SANTA ANA CA NC11365065 05/27/2023
CATASAUQUA PA NC11367255 05/25/2023
HAMBURG PA NC11367254 05/25/2023
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION VT NC11371417 05/27/2023
WEST CHICAGO IL NC11368968 05/27/2023
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Maintenance Mechanic:
WEST PALM BEACH FL NC11367250 05/27/2023
PONTIAC MI NC11370630 05/27/2023
MINNEAPOLIS MN NC11371348 05/27/2023
NEW YORK NY NC11370543 05/27/2023
EAGAN MN NC11369434 05/27/2023
BIRMINGHAM AL NC11369105 05/27/2023
DES MOINES IA NC11369114 05/27/2023
WICHITA KS NC11369186 05/27/2023
PHOENIX AZ NC11364942 05/27/2023
JACKSONVILLE FL NC11370197 05/27/2023
HARRISBURG PA NC11369187 05/27/2023
COLUMBUS OH NC11370181 05/27/2023
CAROL STREAM IL NC11363416 05/27/2023
BOSTON MA NC11370175 05/27/2023
BETHPAGE NY NC11371414 05/27/2023
SAINT LOUIS MO NC11371828 05/27/2023
MEMPHIS TN NC11371737 05/27/2023
MELVILLE NY NC11371742 05/27/2023
JERSEY CITY NJ NC11371729 05/27/2023
​
Special! Interesting Maintenance Jobs: (may be skills required)
​
Maintenance Mechanic MPE:
FARGO ND NC11371325 05/27/2023
WEST FARGO ND NC11371173 05/27/2023
COLUMBUS OH NC11370161 05/27/2023
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION NC11371671 05/27/2023
EAGAN MN NC11369373 05/27/2023
WICHITA KS NC11369179 05/27/2023
MINNEAPOLIS MN NC11371319 05/27/2023
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL NC11370043 05/27/2023
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Building Equipment Mechanic:
FACILITY MAINTENANCE MECHANIC - MERRIFIELD VA NC11371531 05/27/2023
BELLMAWR NJ NC11368795 05/27/2023
MINNEAPOLIS MN NC11368549 05/27/2023
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General Clerk VMF:
TULSA OK NC11367091 05/24/2023
MIAMI FL NC11365300 05/30/2023
WEST PALM BEACH FL NC11365247 05/30/2023
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Tool & Parts Clerk:
MIAMI FL NC11365302 05/30/2023
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Garage Assistant:
HOUSTON TX NC11368988 05/26/2023
Electronic Technician:
BROCKTON MA NC11370302 05/27/2023
ROCHESTER NY NC11371416 05/27/2023
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL NC11370150 05/27/2023
JACKSON MS NC11366836 05/27/2023
TRENTON NJ NC11369363 05/27/2023
​
NON-Maintenance jerbs:
​
SALES,SVCS/DISTRIBUTION ASSOC:
LINDEN TN NC11359072 05/18/2023
OCEAN BEACH NY NC11370230 05/27/2023
LANAI CITY HI NC11363428 05/20/2023
DAYTON TX NC11362387 05/22/2023
MEMPHIS MO NC11370238 05/29/2023
JACKMAN ME NC11367260 05/25/2023
ILIAMNA AK NC11371701 05/27/2023
CHENOA IL NC11361153 05/19/2023
BUNA TX NC11362381 05/22/2023
BOLINAS CA NC11368368 05/25/2023
PRESIDIO TX NC11360896 05/19/2023
PALACIOS TX NC11362377 05/22/2023
KOTZEBUE AK NC11371704 05/27/2023
ROCKSPRINGS TX NC11361161 05/19/2023
MILLERSBURG PA NC11370506 05/27/2023
EAGLE BUTTE SD NC11367304 05/29/2023
S YARMOUTH MA NC11370685 05/27/2023
CHARLESTON TN NC11371307 05/27/2023
BERRYVILLE AR NC11360673 05/19/2023
RANDLE WA NC11367126 05/24/2023
PECONIC NY NC11370190 05/27/2023
MARSHALL AR NC11360674 05/19/2023
ELK MOUND WI NC11369091 05/25/2023
BOW WA NC11367586 05/25/2023
BASSETT NE NC11366996 05/24/2023
ADDY WA NC11367447 05/25/2023
WEST CHATHAM MA NC11368584 05/27/2023
WEBBERVILLE MI NC11360764 05/19/2023
PONCE DE LEON FL NC11367045 05/24/2023
MARENGO IL NC11369368 05/26/2023
KETCHIKAN AK NC11373327 05/30/2023
HOMEWOOD CA NC11368364 05/25/2023
HIGHLAND MD NC11372890 05/30/2023
FLANDREAU SD NC11367252 05/25/2023
BELGIUM WI NC11366636 05/24/2023
BATH MI NC11360766 05/19/2023
LOS GATOS CA NC11368369 05/26/2023
EDGECOMB ME NC11367253 05/25/2023
​
City Carrier:
OAKLAND CA NC11365498 05/28/2023
PITTSBURGH PA NC11365454 05/28/2023
AURORA CO NC11365555 05/28/2023
BARRINGTON IL NC11370311 05/29/2023
CAMBRIDGE MA NC11370380 05/27/2023
CINCINNATI OH NC11365482 05/28/2023
COLUMBUS OH NC11365496 05/28/2023
COVINGTON KY NC11371919 05/27/2023
DENVER CO NC11366882 05/28/2023
DULUTH MN NC11362480 05/30/2023
EAST PALO ALTO CA NC11368607 05/26/2023
FREMONT CA NC11370500 05/27/2023
HALF MOON BAY CA NC11367133 05/25/2023
HOPKINS MN NC11367637 05/25/2023
JAMAICA PLAIN MA NC11365301 05/28/2023
KANSAS CITY MO NC11365461 05/28/2023
LONGMONT CO NC11364941 05/30/2023
MENLO PARK CA NC11367127 05/25/2023
MINNEAPOLIS MN NC11365468 05/28/2023
MISSION KS NC11366896 05/28/2023
REDWOOD CITY CA NC11367129 05/25/2023
RICHMOND CA NC11361984 05/24/2023
RICHMOND CA NC11370511 05/27/2023
SAN FRANCISCO CA NC11365552 05/28/2023
SANTA BARBARA CA NC11371344 05/27/2023
WALTHAM MA NC11365314 05/28/2023
WATERTOWN WI NC11367306 05/24/2023
WESTMINSTER CO NC11372881 05/30/2023
WESTMINSTER CO NC11372888 05/31/2023
WHEAT RIDGE CO NC11372884 05/30/2023
WOBURN MA NC11370383 05/27/2023
BURLINGAME CA NC11367093 05/25/2023
DENVER CO NC11365625 05/28/2023
FORT DODGE IA NC11367454 05/31/2023
GLENSHAW PA NC11367256 05/26/2023
SAN BRUNO CA NC11367213 05/25/2023
SCOTTDALE PA NC11367257 05/26/2023
ALBANY NY NC11370227 05/27/2023
BELMONT CA NC11366923 05/25/2023
CONCORD NH NC11370243 05/27/2023
DENVER CO NC11365557 05/28/2023
FLORENCE KY NC11371918 05/27/2023
LAKEWOOD CO NC11366843 05/28/2023
LOS GATOS CA NC11368374 05/26/2023
LOUISVILLE KY NC11365467 05/28/2023
LOWELL MA NC11370408 05/27/2023
MADISON WI NC11365493 05/28/2023
MOUNT HOREB WI NC11368738 05/26/2023
SAINT PAUL MN NC11365480 05/28/2023
SAN MATEO CA NC11367212 05/25/2023
SOUTH BEND IN NC11370168 05/26/2023
UNION GROVE WI NC11368781 05/26/2023
ASPEN CO NC11369062 05/26/2023
BELVEDERE TIBURON CA NC11372865 05/30/2023
BILLERICA MA NC11370249 05/27/2023
BILLINGS MT NC11367481 05/25/2023
BOULDER CO NC11353373 05/28/2023
BOULDER CO NC11365053 05/29/2023
CEDARBURG WI NC11367207 05/24/2023
CHELSEA MA NC11365307 05/28/2023
COHOES NY NC11367097 05/29/2023
CORTE MADERA CA NC11372872 05/30/2023
CRESSON PA NC11367258 05/26/2023
FARGO ND NC11366936 05/29/2023
INDIANAPOLIS IN NC11365459 05/28/2023
LACONIA NH NC11370526 05/27/2023
LAWRENCE MA NC11370401 05/27/2023
LITTLETON CO NC11366840 05/28/2023
MALDEN MA NC11365310 05/28/2023
MILLBRAE CA NC11367211 05/25/2023
NEWPORT KY NC11372004 05/27/2023
NORTHGLENN CO NC11366639 05/28/2023
PACIFICA CA NC11367168 05/25/2023
SAN CARLOS CA NC11367164 05/25/2023
SAN JOSE CA NC11365554 05/28/2023
SANTA CLARA CA NC11368650 05/26/2023
SARATOGA SPRINGS NY NC11367451 05/27/2023
SUNNYVALE CA NC11368652 05/26/2023
WATERTOWN WI NC11367220 05/24/2023
CENTRAL SEATTLE WA NC11366942 05/28/2023
NORTH SEATTLE WA NC11366940 05/28/2023
SOUTH SEATTLE WA NC11366849 05/28/2023
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Rural Carrier:
KNOXVILLE TN NC11372862 05/30/2023
GORHAM ME NC11370153 05/26/2023
BARRINGTON NH NC11370412 05/27/2023
BRIGHTON CO NC11372903 05/30/2023
AMERY WI NC11370225 05/26/2023
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Motor Vehicle Operator:
ALBANY NY P&DC NC11371435 05/27/2023
DVD BLDG NJ P&DC NC11371439 05/27/2023
OAKLAND CA P&DC NC11371661 05/27/2023
RALEIGH NC P&DC NC11371445 05/27/2023
SEATTLE WA P&DC NC11371654 05/27/2023
MORGAN NY P&DC NC11371442 05/27/2023
PORTLAND OR P&DC NC11371664 05/27/2023
SAN JOSE CA P&DC NC11371658 05/27/2023
SAN JUAN PR P&DC NC11371880 05/27/2023
MARGARET SELLERS P&DC NC11371651 05/27/2023
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Tractor Trailer Operator:
LANCASTER PA P&DC NC11371431 05/27/2023
NEW JERSEY NDC NC11358892 05/27/2023
NORTH READING P&DC NC11371432 05/27/2023
SPRINGFIELD NDC NC11371434 05/27/2023
MICHIGAN METROPLEX MI P&DC NC11371623 05/27/2023
SALT LAKE CITY UT P&DC NC11371617 05/27/2023
SAN FRANCISCO CA P&DC NC11371542 05/27/2023
CAROL STREAM IL P&DC NC11371705 05/27/2023
DENVER CO P&DC NC11371611 05/27/2023
KCMO MO P&DC NC11371703 05/27/2023
OAKLAND CA P&DC NC11371538 05/27/2023
SAN FRANCISCO NDC NC11371541 05/27/2023
SEATTLE WA P&DC NC11371547 05/27/2023
SEATTLE WA P&DC NC11371601 05/27/2023
TACOMA WA P&DC NC11371609 05/27/2023
DES MOINES IA P&DC NC11371702 05/27/2023
EVANSVILLE IN P&DC NC11371709 05/27/2023
DVD BLDG NJ P&DC NC11354736 05/27/2023
SYRACUSE NY P&DC NC11371433 05/27/2023
NORTHERN NJ P&DC NC11358893 05/27/2023
​
No experience necessary for the laborer custodial or maintenance mechanic positions. It helps on the interview but you can surely think of maintenance related experience to relay for an interview. Based on fixing things around your house, the car etc. Always mention working safely.
​
Pro tip: You can apply for any job that has an exam opening and the test is administered local to yourself. Make sure you're serious and score decently; you can turn down the job offer. Keep a physical copy of your exam score, I believe they are good for two years.
The reason is: These job postings can be posted externally at capacity for testing, meaning they will not allow you to take the exam if they have enough qualified applicants. However, if you have a test score on the books, you are a qualified applicant.
​
Explanation of MVO/TTO to save time:
MVO= CDL B Can only drive box trucks on public roads, can drive anything for moves on postal property.
TTO= CDL A Can drive anything.
​
USPS provides the training. (Maintenance jobs at least. TTO and management...GOOD LUCK)
​
You don't have to be crazy to work here. We'll train you. Everything but proper email usage.

Hi guys! I’m in the northern part of San Diego, and I work for this amazing family but kind of feel I should be getting paid more. I take care of a g2 and a b4 from 8am-5pm, M-F. At the beginning they both were gonna go to school. G2 was gonna go just for 3 hours 3 days a week and b4, from 9-3. I was offered $26 and since there were a couple of hours during the day without any kiddos, I started to do extra for the parents which I shouldn’t have since g2 didn’t like pre k and only went 2 weeks. Well its almost the end of oue contract and they do plan on keeping me but I definitely want to re negotiate my contract. These are a few things I do: dishes (parents + kids), dishwasher, laundry (parents + kids), folding (parents + kids), tidying up, make b4’s bed, when he pees the bed the night before, they throw everything in the washer the next morning and ask me to make the bed, prep food (salads, veggies, cut fruits), groceries, outings for g2 almost daily (beach, museum, zoo, park) and when b4 is on school break, I obviously take care of both, feed the dog, take out the trash, restock their fridge when doing the groceries, reorganize toy baskets and clothes drawers, take them to playdates with grandma and cousin, and obviously everything that involves g2 (diaper changes, reading books, watching out for her, feeding her, etc).
I honestly did 30% with my last family of what I now do. Pretty much I’m a house manager + light housekeeping + nanny. They are amazing though and I started doing this because I really wanted to help out when I was by myself for a few hours a week, but now is an expected thing and I just wish I could be compensated fairly.
Pros about the family: they made me feel part of their family since day 1, they are always so grateful and make sure to let me know how grateful they are. They take me on their trips and make sure I’m also having fun while paying me travel fees on top of my hourly wage. They are generous (got a xmas bonus, bday gift card). They also don’t make a fuss if I need to leave early or if I’m a couple of minutes late (rarely happens but you kniw, life). I really have a great relationship with them and I LOVE these kiddos like I’ve never loved any other kiddos before (I’ve nannied for 6 years)
Just want to know if I’m getting compensated fairly or how much would you guys ask as a raise? My contract will be renewed in September. Ps. G2 is gonna start school after summer so I’ll have the few hours extra 3 days a week BUT mom will be wfh 3 days a week

Newport Beach, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Tustin, Garden Grove, or anyone living within a 30-mile radius of Costa Mesa California.
I'm checking to see if anyone plans on remodeling any time soon. To give everyone an idea of what we can help with we do.......kitchen -( cabinets and flooring and paint cabinets)-Flooring: Laminate, hardwood, glue-down, any type of tile flooring.-Full detail remodel the entire house. Meaning: paint, flooring, plumbing, electrical, as well as remodeling shower stalls. To schedule an in-person appointment for a free quote...let me know. [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Thanks.

Good Evening-
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Stats and Interests Below the Cut-Line. Rationale and Compatibility Analysis Directly Below.
::::::::::::
I’ve received feedback that I should change my posts from “FWB” to Actual Girlfriend since I am seeking monogamy and commitment from one lady and I am willing to show the same.
I think that the only reasons we might not be compatible are preferences for looks, our careers (especially me in the Navy), sexual compatibility, and how we spend our free time. As for other reasons- I pride myself in communication, problem solving, patience, chivalry, authenticity, and being altruistic.
————————
Statistics: 6’2, Soon to be 36 YO, 196 lbs, 34 waist, Pulse 52, BP 118/72, Shoe- 12, xxx-7.25, Credit Score 807. Foster Homes Lived In-28, Schools Attended- 23. 43 countries visited, Deployments (USN)- 5, Kids- 0. Black Hair, Hazel Eyes, Lean-Athletic Muscular build. Sweet smile, great calves, aging grey temples, youthful/positive face. The usually response I get is either “fuck yes” or “fuck no” - I realize I am not everyone’s type. 5k PR: 1557- college. Mile-4:17- high school (RI all-state). Undergrad: USNA. Master’s: GWU, USNWC
Red Flags 2 Marriages, 1 other Engagement. Broken hearts- many. Times broken-hearted- 2. Currently separated. Introverted and Calculated decision maker due to upbringing. Analytical for good and bad reasons. Harry Potter House Ravenclaw Hat-Stall to Slytherin. Left-Handed, 800M SAT Score. Have won over 600k lifetime gambling (A hobby now, used to be a matter of life/death when I was youngehomeless as a teen).
Personality Assessment: Altruistic and Thoughtful people-pleaser. Detail-oriented and sexually charged gentleman. More cooperative and curious than critical. Constantly self-assessing and self-correcting, reflective and strives for improvement. Aims to use own experience to better others in close proximity and to scale. INTJ, love languages physical touch and quality time. Future POTUS, RI GOV, or Government SES, Navy Ship Captain. Vulnerability, Passion, and Compassion are Hallmarks (See Brene Brown/Esther Perel TED Talks).
Interests: Sports fanatic- specifically Boston teams. Board/Card games. Intellectual/Philosophical conversations. Human Behavior, Running, Walking, Pokémon Go, improving my teams around me, including family. Road trips, the beach, kissing, giving massages, finding a partner who wants to deeply connect romantically and physically and discuss and act out our fantasies. Improving our EQ and erotic intelligence together.
Someone will really like this and I hope if you are interested, we could write our success story here. I am an eternal optimist and I realize that you can’t small talk on apps the way I would really like to get to the heart of serious issues. If you are genuinely ambitious yet humble from our beginnings- maybe one of us is the First Spouse to the other, or, the half of a great partnership and earn the title of best parent, or co-chefs in our house together. Coach of the kids’s sports team is cool, too.
I have almost all the pieces I have to make life great and for me it is- just hoping to find that force multiplier where we can enhance our lives and take each other to a place of leadership and bliss that not even we can imagine right now!

Coming face to face with people in suits always makes me hyper-aware of how badly I dress. Since I knew I was going to meet up with Mary Markov today, I intentionally put some more effort into my appearance. I picked out a pressed shirt to wear over my leggings. Since it was far too big for me, I threw my wide yellow belt into the mix. Thus satisfied, I called up Elijah Carter and asked whether he wanted to come along. He agreed readily enough so I had him pick me up and drive us over to Mary's office. It was nowhere near the hospital and not in the vicinity of her news channel headquarters either. It was located in a slate gray concrete building that was quite confusing to look at.
No outside observer could have mistaken it for a residential house, for there was hardly a less homely or comfortable place imaginable. It was utterly repellent in its rough, dreary nature. It couldn't have belonged to some kind of business either, though. There were no marked parking spaces for employees, no signs or advertisements. Altogether, it reminded me of something out of a cheap or unfinished video game.
"Sketchy," Eli remarked, eyeing the slab of concrete with a similar lack of enthusiasm. "Looks almost abandoned. How weirdly fitting for a semi-secret government operation."
I nodded. The warm air had taken me by surprise and I found the weight of my jacket suffocating, so I took it off to leave in the car. "What is it?" I asked, noticing the way Elijah squinted at my outfit.
"What are you wearing?"
"Clothes."
"You don't say." He snorted. "Looking kinda funny there, Shirley."
"I look professional," I corrected him.
"I suppose." He grinned to himself. "Depends on the profession, though."
We rang the bell and a highly official-looking security guard let us in through the heavy double doors after confirming that Mary Markov was expecting us. He gave the necessary directions, sending us down several flights of stairs. The better part of the building was in fact underground, like with an iceberg. Eli made a remark about how it'd be safer if outsiders weren’t allowed to roam the place by themselves. It seems to be a habit of his to vaguely analyze and point out flaws in the structures of government institutions. Then again, maybe it's just flaws in general he's fascinated with.
Upon arriving outside Mary's office, we were called inside to find her sitting behind her desk. She lifted her head, giving us a polite, if cold, smile. "Good morning. You're on time. Wonderful."
"Would you please give me an honest appraisal of my outfit?" I asked.
The newsreader frowned in confusion, her eyes briefly roaming my form. "You put effort into your appearance today," she concluded. "It's appreciated."
"Wait, what do you mean today?" I inquired.
"Note also how she did not actually answer your question," Elijah added.
I huffed, flinging myself into one of the chairs in front of Mary's desk. Eli sat down beside me, folding his hands in his lap and leaning back. "Thanks for letting me come with Shirley," he told her.
"Naturally. I assume you're her emotional support human." Mary Markov's lips curled slightly. "At any rate, you had contact with the Collective yourself, so this does concern you. As far as I'm concerned, it can't hurt having an ex-cop in the mix, anyways. Despite the regrettable reasons you had for leaving the force."
Elijah's brows lowered, the muscle in his pronounced jaw twitching. "How do you know about that?"
Mary looked innocent. "It's very important that I'm fully informed, of course. Don't worry. We don't need to go into it, and I don't judge you, either. The effect the incident at that highschool had on you is completely understandable."
"I didn't ask for your assessment." My friend's voice had sharpened. "Can we move on from this?"
"Of course." If the sudden shift in tone had rattled the agent, she wasn't letting it on. Sifting through the neat stack of papers on her desk, she pulled out a thin brown file which she slid over to me. "Miss Shirley, you remember the female member of the Collective we took into custody? She has already been questioned by the local police. Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to lead such an interrogation, but I was present for it and I want you to have this transcript."
I perked up and began leafing through the folder.
"You may take that with you to read in peace," Mary told me. "But don't expect too much, lest you'll be sorely disappointed. The girl hardly said anything at all. The most helpful information she gave us was a name she kept referencing. Jewel. At first, we thought it was a sort of code word, but it seems to be what the other person she was with calls themself."
“Jewel,” I echoed.
“Sadly enough, that’s all we have. We’ve never provided our services to anyone of their physical description. There are a couple clues, but they don’t amount to anything helpful. There’s the fact that you met them at a convenience store with relatively high prices. Maybe I’m just grasping at straws, but that could indicate a cushy financial situation. On top of that, the store is rather far away from here, so they might be an out-of-towner. They also might be able to influence the way others perceive them, considering the way they seemed to hypnotize you in the woods merely by holding eye contact.”
“How come they couldn’t do anything to Frank Preston?”
Mary Markov twinkled at me. “They couldn’t? Huh. That rather intrigues the philosopher in me. Jewel works through eye contact and it is said that the eyes are the window to the soul.” She cocked her head at me.
“Are you saying Blondie doesn’t have a soul?” Eli asked, raising a skeptical brow. “Is this one of those Plato-Schopenhauer-whatevers?”
The newsreader shrugged artfully, watching my reaction. “We could discuss this for hours on end. I only meant to draw attention to the implied distinction between an organically born entity and a being who was originally an inanimate object.”
“I beg your pardon?” I said slowly.
“Oh, nevermind; that’s neither here nor there.” Her tone told me that she did, in fact, consider it to be both here and there. Not wanting to go further into this with her, I made a mental note to ask Frankie later.
“There’s more,” I added, trying to gently prepare her for what I was about to say. “I want to get Kit Sutton back.”
Mary’s lips thinned. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t mean for the town to get flooded in the process. I think we can find a solution to help her, if we work together. I’m convinced we can figure something out, but I don’t believe in abandoning her anymore. Which is essentially what we’re doing if we leave her to her fate.”
“You do realize what you’re asking of me? Your former roommate isn’t some kind of minor water spirit. Her father appears to hold tremendous power over the seas, or at the very least our part of it. He has countless similarly dangerous individuals at his service so he might be considered a ruler of sorts, if not a deity.”
“So Kit’s the little mermaid, basically?” Elijah asked, equal parts joking and genuinely intrigued.
Mary grinned an actual, amused grin. “I must ask you to take this seriously, Mr Carter.”
“I am!” he chuckled, raising his hands. “I swear.”
“Anyways, Miss Shirley, the point you make is an individualistic one, but I see why you’re invested in the girl’s fate. I want to help, I do… But we need to proceed with caution. If you can suggest to me some kind of sensible approach, then I’ll do what I can. That’s all the promises I can make at the moment.”
I thanked her and got up, Eli following me as I headed for the door. “Miss Shirley,” Mary called out and I stopped, turning back around to face her. “If you like my style, we could perhaps meet up to go shopping sometime? I could show you some quality stores. It wouldn’t be anytime soon since I’m currently swamped, but I figure—well, just in case you might like to.”
I nodded. “That sounds pleasant enough.”
She smiled brightly and waved us out the door. “Excellent. I’ll be in touch.”
Back inside the car, I tossed the file onto the backseat to read later. “Would you like to go to the beach?” I suggested.
“Why not. Wait, is this for a stroll and ice cream or do you want to kickstart the mermaid-rescue-operation?”
“I can’t see why it shouldn’t be both,” I replied comfortably. “We’ll need to take your flashlight, though.”
"You know I don't like getting myself into trouble unless it's paid."
"Yes, but you also find me endearing and want to protect me from danger, which you can only do by accompanying me."
"You're a terrifying tentacle beast from another dimension. I don't know that I'm all that scared for your safety," he grunted.
I gave him an affronted look. "You have now hurt my feelings."
"Have I?"
"Plenty, but I'll forgive you if you come with me."
Elijah Carter sighed deeply but started driving anyway. I let my arm dangle out of the open window, allowing the warming spring air to wash over my skin. The closer we got to the shore, the stronger the scent of salt mixed into the breeze. The cries of seagulls became audible over the sounds of the road and the streaming wind and was finally joined by the crashing of waves when we pulled into a parking spot and got out of the car. Taking along the heavy duty flashlight he always kept in the passenger seat footwell, I led Eli to the mouth of the cave, explaining what Nettie and I had seen along the way. He looked commendably calm, simply turning on the torch and entering alongside me.
The tunnels were just as damp, dim and quiet as the last time. Before long, we had reached the spacious canyon room with the lake at the bottom. "I want to go across and see if there's anything important in the rest of the grotto back there," I reminded him. "Please hold on to your bearings."
"I'm not repeating your mistakes," he replied gamely. "What do you think? This oughta be connected to the ocean somehow." He let the beam of the torch roam the mirror-like surface of the lake. It seemed almost deceptively quiet. My eyes followed the lengthy stone ledge. Eli stepped close, and after receiving a nod of approval, he grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me onto the rocky protrusion. I straightened up, instantly pressing my back against the wall. A wave of nausea hit me as I glanced at the water below. "Chill," Elijah muttered, climbing after me with ease. "Nothing will happen. You're not gonna fall."
I merely shook my head. "You didn't see what's down there."
"And I won't, because we'll be careful," he answered steadfastly.
I started walking, the warm light of the torch upon my back, illuminating the path ahead. The shelf narrowed as we reached the end. I swiftly clambered down, relieved to place my feet on wider, solid ground once more. Now looking over the lake from the other side, it had an entirely different feel to it. It seemed darker somehow, but also less big—I attributed it to the change in perspective. We were standing in a cramped little nook with two passageways leading off into separate directions behind us. Elijah Carter eyed them pensively. “Which do you reckon?”
I pursed my lips. “The right one. Because it’s right.”
“Makes sense.”
We proceeded into the passage, the tight space pushing us closer together. He had to duck his head, uncomfortably hunching his shoulders, and for once, I was grateful for my own short stature. The corridor seemed to go on forever. The darkness and silence created a feel of unnatural solitude, and for more than once, I got the distinct impression that I must have jumped dimensions again. It was as though Elijah and I were enclosed in some kind of bubble, cut off from everything outside; a place where time was a foreign concept and the only sun was our flashlight. Needless to say, I was distinctly uneasy. I allowed myself to lean back, brushing against Eli’s chest whenever I could. Eventually, I cleared my throat.
“Could you touch me?”
“What?”
“Just so I still know you’re there.”
His palm came to rest on my shoulder, his thumb digging into one of the tense, painfully rigid muscles of my upper back, forcing it to soften. “Good?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He hummed. “You’re scared.”
“Yes.”
“Me, too.”
This caused my resolve to falter. “Maybe we should turn around after all,” I said quietly. “Who knows how much longer—”
“Look.”
I perked up. Before us, the tunnel grew wider, opening into a large, spacious room. We picked up our pace, tackling the remaining distance in a light jog, and finally found ourselves standing in another hall. The beam of light traveled the floor and high walls, revealing a sight that took our breath away. We were standing in front of another lake, only slightly smaller than the last. The water glittered in violet hues and strange, pale plants climbed up the walls, some of them looking rather like starfish. Multiple rocky protrusions formed an almost complete bridge across its middle. With a bit of light climbing, we'd undoubtedly be able to get to the other side. Wordlessly, Elijah Carter swung himself up onto the platform closest to the edge of the water, pulling me up after him. The flashlight switched hands a couple times as we maneuvered ourselves along.
Soon, we reached the middle of the lake. I risked a glance at the water below. All was still and perfectly quiet. Eli was about to take on the next rock when suddenly, I felt something heavy and gooey drip onto my head from above. I flinched, then slowly pointed the torch up to the ceiling. My stomach dropped. My throat had turned paper-dry, and I frantically tugged on Eli’s arm. He tipped his head back, following my pointing finger. His eyes blew wide and his face fell.
There was a creature clinging to the high walls, its pale, enormous body describing a streamline curve as it pressed itself against the hollowed stone. The closest thing I can compare it to would be a sort of olm, except probably a hundred times larger. Its snout looked large enough to swallow either of us whole. It hung open, secreting a thick fluid that slowly dripped down to hit the rocks or create ripples upon the water. Its blind eyes seemed to be trained on us, and I could spot tiny, sharp teeth lining its maw. It wasn’t moving, not even an inch, but somehow, I knew it was aware of us.
I looked up at Elijah, the panic in his eyes mirroring mine. Both of us had freezed up mid-motion, not daring to take another step. My mind was running wild; I was thinking feverishly. We’d have to turn around for sure, but how? The olm was already highly alert, if we were to start scrambling back to solid ground, it would undoubtedly hear us straight away. Eli looked equal parts terrified and furious, and I could tell he was scolding himself for not thinking to check the entirety of the room before proceeding across the lake. I could understand the sentiment, we’d definitely made a grave mistake. I figured it had been the misleading beauty of the cave hall that had taken our edge off. Glancing over into the direction we’d come from, I found myself wishing to be back in the endless dark corridor. The entrance to the passage seemed miles away.
The olm lifted a three-toed foot, shifting its massive form to a lower spot on the wall. It was taking a tentative step towards us, extending its snout as its body bent into our direction. Elijah had grabbed onto my arm, his fingers clamping around it like a vice. He stayed silent and unmoving, but he held my gaze with clear, sharp eyes.
“Don’t move,” I mouthed, and he gave me a curt nod.
Slowly, I reached around to push my shirt out of the way of my unfurling tentacles. Elijah took a quiet step back to make room for my changing form, something of a resolute expression settling on his face. I opened my mouth, relieved when my teeth acted according to my will and elongated. I didn’t know to what extent I would be able to defend against this absolute giant of an amphibian, but at least it would give us a chance. I took a deep breath, trading glances with Eli once more before darting off to the side, bounding onto the platform next to our current one. Elijah followed suit, grabbing onto one of the limbs I extended to him for support. Despite the swiftness of our movements, we were anything but quiet, and the olm reacted in an instant. It slithered down from the wall, sinking into the lake below to make its way to the rocks we were standing on. As we headed for the next stone, it darted out of the water, splashing wildly as its snout breached the surface. Its jaws snapped at us, missing me by a mere foot as I jumped across the gap between the protrusions. Droplets flew as the creature dropped once more, but instead of retreating, it swam around the platform. Its massive, snake-like body was bobbing up and down as it circled us.
“Oh fuck,” Elijah breathed, his chest heaving. “Keep going! Move, move!”
I took a short running start, then flung myself onto the next rock, using my extra limbs to land safely. I then helped him cross again. The olm rose from the depths of the lake once again, and I lashed at it with one of my tentacles, hitting it on the snout and forcing it to dive underwater again. We kept working our way back towards the other side of the lake, slipping and sliding as we went. The water surrounding us seemed to hum with unrestrained energy, the white salamander’s tail whipping up waves and splashing around. We were finally getting close to solid ground again, or at least it looked like we were for a moment. That’s when the creature took a massive leap, draping itself over the final stepping stone, effectively blocking our path.
“Shit,” Eli hissed beside me as we came to a skittering halt.
I’d have to try and fight this thing. There was no way around it now. I clenched my sweat-laced palms into fist, trying to slow my rapid, shallow breaths. I can do this, I said to myself. All I’d have to do is send it back into the lake for long enough so we could run back into the tunnel. There was no way the olm would fit through the passage—once we were in there, we’d be relatively safe. I stared at the dripping, writhing animal; stared at its bared needle teeth, and the less hopeful, more realistic part of my brain told me that I would, indeed, probably not be able to do this. Just as I was contemplating the degree of our screwed-ness, an unseen someone called out from behind us. I didn’t understand a word they were saying, but I recognized the language, and more importantly, the voice.
It was bright as a bell, girlish but with a rough, warm edge. Even before I could turn to face her, I knew who it was.
The gigantic amphibian perked up at the sound, lowering its head and withdrawing into the murky depths with a splash. Elijah Carter let go of a long-held breath, dropping his shoulders before tensing up again, realization setting in. He shot me a look of utter disbelief.
“Wow,” the newcomer spoke up again, this time not in the tongue of the deep ones. “You two have to be actually crazy or something to show up here.”
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart

So I have very little context. The movie follows three friends and mixes a documentary style with almost a French style of filming.
I vaguely remember a few scenes: the trio goes from show to show, parting on the beach or other obscure venues. one scene the girl in the trio teaches them how to flow with the music.
The biggest scene I remember is of one of the characters standing in a corner loft on a high building while fireworks go off. It's beautiful and incredible.
Please help mee. I know it's not much to work with but it's eating away at me. I've been looking for the movie for years.

First Previous Next
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
— Langston Hughes
Catalogue Description:
Self-Monitoring Behavioural Management Report: Casimir Szymański, Scazim Institute of Science and Technology - English Translation
Date:
15 Summer-2 3429 (Standard Parimthian Calendar)
November 23rd, 2162 (Gregorian Calendar)
Held by:
The UK National Archives, Kew
Legal status:
Public Record(s)
My father worshipped a fabricated, pagan prophet.
The Senghavi of the Parimthian Empire are principally joined under the ditheistic religion called Siedi, which I do not subscribe to. Of course, the Senghavi's literature, art, and faith flooded the whole of Earth upon their arrival a century ago. From this ocean of civilised culture, my degenerate species drew a sample, claimed it as our own, and polluted it with a distorted, appropriated, dumbed-down doctrine.
The central figure in this corrupt sample of Siedi was a man whom my father called Jesus Christ. He was said to have offered himself as a sacrifice that could be made to a single God. It was a final sacrifice, one beyond lambs or cattle or people. One that would atone for humanity's sins, so that we could have the free choice between the eternal presence of God and the eternal absence of "Him."
My father dressed himself in black, with a standing collar whose white fabric was exposed at the centre. That much, I could recall. He preached to hopeful humans in what was called a church, though I did not know what he was preaching. At the very least, my childhood is fuzzy in that regard.
The pain that throbbed through my skull, after the blonde savage had slammed my head against the ridges of the airlock, faded into the background. I could not focus; perhaps, I thought, one of their improvised explosives had gone off by accident. There was blue Senghavi blood staining my dress shirt. The rush of air escaping into vacuum pierced my ears.
Perhaps it was thirst of water, which binds most sapient beings—the Sons of Liberty had reached an agreement with the Colonial Defence Force to allow spacecraft delivering food, water, and medical aid, only to unleash the anti-collision lasers of this cursed spaceliner upon those very ships.
Or perhaps it was the explosion, as I initially thought, an inadvertent complication which had wrought injury and death over my countrymen, and which had forced the terrorist savages to attempt to patch up the many hull breaches left by debris.
Or perhaps it was simply the stress of betraying, in my desperate efforts to save everyone from this senseless violence, the greatest secret of the Senghavi Terrans: our antimatter research. Word of it had likely been forwarded already, hundreds of light-years away, to that pink-hued marble which was Parimth itself.
Or perhaps it was all three; thirst, explosion, and stress. In any case, my mind shut it all out, and something lost from my childhood flashed before me:
We're standing on the cracked street of the Vennec Human Reservation. In the distance, the Senghavi's white, glassy spires reach above the clouds, their accents of luminescence dim in the broad daylight.
I hold a ball in my palm. It's wrapped in white leather held together with red stitching. I toss it to Dad.
Instead of his clerical uniform, he wears the normal "T-shirt" and "cargo shorts." Along with the clerical getup, they are just two of the many sorts of clothing which the Senghavi have invented for humanity. I toss the ball to Dad, and he swings a primitive wooden bat.
The ball goes soaring, further than he meant to. He jogs down the road to retrieve it, then gives me the wooden bat. The breeze ruffles his hair just as he ruffles mine with his hand.
"Now, you try," he says. "It's just practice, that's all."
For some reason, he lifts one leg in the air, then pitches the ball to me. I swing. The impact of the ball shakes through the wood, and it goes careening off to the left.
"I did it!" I yell. "But it went out of bounds."
"Heyyyy, that's not bad," Dad says with a reassuring voice. "Good job, just try to go a little more right next time."
Mom comes out onto the front porch, the breeze ruffling her dress as she waves to Dad. "Dinner's ready, and Mom's pie is... almost ready."
I stare blankly at her until I realise that she is talking about her Mom, Grandma, who is the best at making pumpkin pie.
"The pie!" I shout, running and jumping to the front door. "I totally forgot about that!"
I am ready to speed my way through dinner just so I can get to dessert, but Dad stops me before my first bite.
Of course, I think. We need to say grace. Me, Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa all hold hands, thanking God for our food, and then dig in. But Mom and Dad just talk about work, and I am too focused on finishing my food quickly to pitch in.
Finally—Grandma's pie!
When you bite into the soft, smooth filling, you can instantly tell it's been made with fresh pumpkins, not the boring canned ones. The taste of cinnamon and spice is balanced out perfectly with the coolness of the whipped cream.
The flavour spreads through my tongue and nostrils, filling my entire brain with a feeling of amazing-ness. If I wrote the Simple-Speak Dictionary for Senghavi Terrans, I'd put Grandma's pie next to the translation of "perfection."
I should save a slice, I think, for the Senghavi kid.
Even though it's only been a week since I met him through the playground fence, we already told each other where we live, and I want to get to know him more. He doesn't live on the Vennec Human Reservation, but his house is just a bike-ride away in Fellye Neighborhood.
I wonder if anyone's ever given pumpkin pie to an alien before. Even though humans only invented it fifty years ago, it makes me feel proud of my species!
When Mom tucks me into bed, kissing my forehead, I tell her what I'm going to do.
"Oh, you wild thing," she coos. "You're so much like your father. And you have his eyes, you know? Just stay safe."
"Don't worry, I'll do my best."
>! "Good night. I love you." !<
>! "I love you, too, Mom," I say. I hug her tightly from my bed, and a warm, fuzzy feeling blossoms within me. I can hardly fall asleep in my excitement. !<
Luckily, Fellye Neighborhood doesn't take apartheid that seriously, and I don't think anybody cares about an eight year-old human riding his bicycle around the gates.
Next evening, I do just that, peddling out of the Reservation's entrance into the violet dusk. When I get to Mensim's address, I ring the hi-tech front doorbell, and a really tall Senghavi shows up.
"Oh, dear," she says in Parimthian. "A barbarian hatchling—by what name do you go?"
"I'm Casimir," I say nervously. I don't pay that much attention in school, but I know just enough Parimthian to talk to the Senghavi woman. "Are you Mrs. Munghazi? Is Mensim fe Munghazi here? I got two slices of pie. You can have one, too!"
She looks at me suspiciously, antennae twitching. "That would be Teacher Munghazi to you; I know not why you natives invented these odd 'Mister' and 'Missis' honorifics. Hold on—Ghanvati! A native hatchling stands at our doorstep!"
Ghanvati must be Mensim's dad. I wonder where his other moms are; only one has shown up to the door. Ghanvati shows up with two of them—they are both shorter and daintier than Teacher Munghazi, their raptorial forelimbs folded shyly against their bodies. In front of the group of three is Mensim, and I involuntarily gasped with excitement.
"Mensim!"
"This is your new companion?" Ghanvati asks Mensim.
Mensim's papery forewings flicker with affirmation. "I met him at school."
"What, pray tell, is the point of apartheid if it does not actually keep natives away from Senghavi?" whines one of Ghanvati's wives.
Ghanvati's antennae droop as if to say "I don't know," while Mensim lifts my arms, inspecting me like I am a test animal in a mad scientist's laboratory.
"How do you guys not get cut all the time?" he asks, tracing his tarsal hairs over my bare skin. "You're so fleshy!"
"I do get cut all the time," I giggled. "We just use band-aids. Oh, do you wanna eat a pumpkin pie?"
It turned out that pumpkin pie is bad for alien stomachs. Mensim had to go to the bathroom for a long time, and three of his moms got mad at me.
When I got back, Dad and Mom were arguing. I snuck close to the back porch, making sure they couldn't hear me.
"Yes, they leave some people alone," Dad said. "Obviously, they can't spy on every single human who believes in human religions. But Katarzyna, they still need people to make an example out of, and I don't want to be that person!"
"Casimir is a responsible kid," Mom retorts. "I told him he can't tell anyone what you do, and he listens to me."
"He's eight years old. You can't just let him wander around aliens with a secret that could have me killed! Or have you killed!"
Mom cups Dad's cheek and looks him in the eye. She's a lot shorter than him. "Look, love. You're a great father, and I think it's amazing that you spend time with him. But you're the only person he talks to. You know just as well as I do that he needs to talk to other kids! It's not healthy; even Teacher Perevvoxath agreed. And now he finally has a friend."
Dad sighs, running his hands through his black hair. My hair. "You really think aliens are a substitute for human interaction?"
>! "I think every human needs a person they can talk to, and Casimir found one. If you really care about him, stop preaching for a while! Your church isn't gonna die without you. It'll be okay." !<
The next day, I visit Mensim's house after school again. And the next day after that, and the next after that. His dad Ghanvati is formally named Engineer Munghazi. I am to call his moms Teacher Munghazi, Teacher Munghazi, Teacher Munghazi, Accountant Munghazi, Priestess Munghazi, Doctor Munghazi, and Maidservant Munghazi.
A couple weeks later, Mensim and I are lounging together on his couch, watching a Parimthian war movie. The main characters are fighting against the evil forces of the Imperium of Orion. Under his head capsule, Mensim is munching something called Synth-Fruit, which is imported from a faraway planet called Mryi. I eat Pop-Tarts, which I'm pretty sure are toxic to him.
"Come on, just give me one," Mensim exclaims, reaching over to steal the sweet snacks from me. "It can't be that bad!"
I lift the Pop-Tarts away from him, laughing. "Stoppit, you're attacking me! Pay attention to the movie, or I'm gonna shoot you!"
"But I just want one..."
"It's gonna poison you, and you're gonna get your weird alien throw-up all over me!"
Priestess Munghazi, the oldest of his moms, bursts into the living room, her jewellery clinking over her clerical cape.
"Your sister conveyed to me quite the disturbing piece of news, Mensim," Priestess Munghazi cries. "The father of Casimir is a priest of a most barbarous and evil perversion of the Siedi faith. Ghanvati and I spoke, and we agreed that you are not to consort with this primitive, pagan savage any longer."
I drop my crumbly Pop-Tart on the couch, confused at the sudden order.
"But Priestess Munghazi, I'm not dangerous or evil. I'm just a kid."
"Nonsense! You are dangerous; your father is a barbarian worshipper of this evil, primate paganism that is called Christianity, and a most woeful effect is begot that even self-respecting Senghavi have 'gone native,' as they say. Mensim, if you continue to consort with this native spawn, I will be impelled to inform the Siedi Court, and they may by chance see to it that he is executed!"
"W-Wait!" Mensim says, holding up the remote to pause our movie. He gets off of me, suddenly losing interest in my Pop-Tart, his vestigial forewings rising with concern. "Please, Mother. I promise he won't be any trouble."
My blood runs cold. Dad, executed? Just because what he believes in isn't "civilised" enough? Actually, I thought that Mom told him to stop preaching for a while.
Mensim scrambles to *his father's sleeping quarters, and I trail frantically after him.*
"Father," Mensim says. "Is Casimir's father's job so ghastly that he should be executed by the Siedi Court?"
"We can't just let the natives spread the same barbarous religions that they used to kill each other," Ghanvati replies, his secondary arms clasped together. "It's a threat to safe, moral society. Priestess Munghazi told me his father spreads evil and paganism. I have no reason not to trust the oldest of your mothers."
"But Casimir's my best friend! If you tell the Siedi Court about his father, I'll... I'll run away! I'll hate you!"
Distressed vibrations emanate through the floor beneath my feet; Mensim's antennae and papery forewings and hindwings go limp. Something like lilies and the earthy scent of rain fills the air.
"My dearest Mensim," Ghanvati says softly, dipping his head capsule with compassion. "I will hold off, just this once. It would be apt of you not to cause me to reconsider."
"T-thank you, Engineer Munghazi," I say, wiping my own tears. "My dad's not a bad person, I promise."
After confronting his dad, Mensim and I keep on watching movies and playing digital games. He always wins when we wrestle, but I still haven't given up (even though Priestess Munghazi always tells us to stop roughhousing).
I even bring my Lego pieces to his house. He doesn't know what Legos are, but later, in his sleeping quarters, we build together. He makes a cool-looking spaceship that he calls a "negative energy generator."
"Hey, you took all the cool black and grey pieces," I complain. "Now I can't finish my army base!"
"This is cooler than your army base," Mensim says proudly. "Father used to work in one. It uses the superposition of squeezed vacuum states to produce a field of negative energy density."
"I have no idea what that means, but that sounds really smart."
"No kidding! It's how people make wormholes and fly all the way to other stars."
"Well, my army guys could beat your negative energy-thingy. They have machine guns."
"My guys could just fly a [~million billion trillion kilometres] away, and yours can't do anything about it!"
"Then your guys are wimps. But my guys aren't. Because they're the Army!"
>! We also explore the pine forest in his backyard. Within just two more weeks, we have uncovered all sorts of interesting things, like a piece of a real human skull. One time, we found a human foot sculpted and smoothed out of stone—who would make such a thing?—and a dead metal device with the icon of a bitten-out-of apple printed on it. !<
There were also other human body parts made out of ancient stone, too: the cracked half of a man's face buried a foot deep, a muscly arm sticking out of the soil. Even a private part, which I snickered at, though Mensim seemed unfazed.
There is something else we start to do. My parents have given me "the talk," and Mensim told me that his parents gave him the Senghavi version of it. And so even as we talk and play in the woods, we experiment—because we are curious, and why should we not be?
A fragment of a memory in the forest; Mensim's raptorial forelimbs are set on my shoulders as his compound eyes look into my primate eyes, and he says, "You cannot tell anyone about this. Anyone. Absolutely no one."
I don't know how, but Priestess Munghazi learned of what we were doing, and now she expresses anger and disgust alike, her wings and antennae wild and rigid. Ghanvati is the same. Mensim and I... We're actually making them reconsider their decision not to tell the Siedi Court about my dad.
A fragment of a memory... I feel like I am in space, stranded aboard a spaceliner that has been hijacked by terrorists, its atmosphere venting amid a backdrop of violence... But I am not, I am in the forest that Mensim and I talked and played in; I am in Mensim's home, terrified as I am yelled at by Ghanvati, whose compassion no longer shines through, accompanied by Priestess Munghazi.
"By the names of the Gods, it's those false, pagan corruptions which humans have named as their religions, that are spouted by your father," Priestess Munghazi spits. I am teary-eyed and snot-nosed from guilt and embarrassment. "How horrid is the link between the state of barbarism and a most revolting and shameful propensity for bizarre and perverted behaviour!"
Then I am in my own family's living room, and the mom I love so dearly yells at me, too, but my father is quieter and only seems disappointed. This must be the first time in my life that I have felt true shame, I think; the kind that leaves you with an emptiness inside. Like the whole point of existing just vanished inside of me.
The worst part is that I cannot even lean on Mom's shoulder, because she is distressed—because she knows what will happen—
"This is all on you, Casimir!" she screeches, tears in her eyes. "All on you!"
I remember telling Priestess Munghazi that 'I'm not dangerous or evil; I'm just a kid,' but now I can't be sure anymore. I can tell I am different in the eyes of my family. They are disgusted by me.
It is my fault, after all, that Priestess Munghazi tells the Siedi Court of my father's evil, barbaric Christian teachings.
The Parimthian soldiers bring my father to the gallows. Their snow-white exoskeletons gleam under a burning sun. They have dressed him in his clerical uniform, and the camera is close enough that I can see his cross necklace.
I have been grounded in my room; still, I have a television to see the live broadcast.
Hanging works for primates and mantids alike. It happens in the Forum of Movvaeti, the venue for public events in our area, where my father is a lesser criminal compared to the native leaders and Senghavi malcontents who have dissented from Colonial Governor Nieve fe Skellth.
He is joined with seven other convicts, three humans and four Senghavi, and their crimes are read to the crowd—blasphemy, paganism, monogamy, witchcraft, seditious libel, insulting the Parimthian Crown, treason against the Parimthian Crown, and refusal to quarter Parimthian soldiers.
Why? None of this feels right. Why should my father be killed because of what he says and believes? Why can't these people be judged with fairness, rather than at the whim of some distant space emperor?
Not only have I been grounded, but I grow cold without my mother's touch. I want to hold someone's hand while watching Dad lose his life, but nobody is there. Mom brings me food, but she doesn't even look at me. Why can't she look at me? Why can't she speak to me? I just want things to be the way they used to be, when Dad would help me practise hitting a ball with a bat on the street.
I watch him turn down a caped, bejewelled priestess of the Siedi faith, who thought she could make my dad accept their Gods before his death. Before a modest crowd of humans and Senghavi alike, all eight of the convicts have their arms and legs bound with rope.
I am begging myself to turn the TV off, but I can't bring myself to. The Senghavi executioner uses some kind of hi-tech display to remove the supports from beneath the convicts' feet. My stomach flips over inside of me, a nausea of shame filling my body.
I can't deny it any longer. This is my fault—this is why my family avoids me—this is why they are disgusted by me—and Dad falls and his head jerks when the noose goes taut.
As he hangs there, I cannot tell for how long he remains alive. My insides are cold. After the broadcast ends, after night falls and I sit in the moonlight spilling faintly through my windows, that is when it all comes out. I sob alone. I scream for Mom to help me and be there for me, but she does not come. Her harsh voice resonates through my memory; this is all on me. I am a disgrace to everyone I love, and that is why they have left me here. Why they avoid me as if I am a disease.
The only thing I want is to see Dad again, but he is gone forever. I curl up on my room floor. What is this? What is this loneliness? This stinging hatred I feel against myself?
No one, human or mantid, will be there for me. I cry until my throat cannot ache any more harshly, until my eyes cannot sting any more painfully, and then I go cold inside, my body shivering in the moonlight. I retreat into my happy memories with Dad until it is too painful to bear.
I wish so dearly I could end it all, to take my own life and join Dad in the heaven that he believed in. There is a belt in my closet that I can use on myself in the way the Siedi Court killed Dad.
But beneath the sickly well of shame, the nausea and crushing humiliation at the stupid antics of Mensim and I, with which Mom's brief gaze pierces me—beneath the weight of knowing that I will never fill the torturous vacuum Dad left, knowing that I am a foul and disgusting son to the mother I so desperately need, that I see no end to the infinite river of anxiety and guilt pouring through the hole left in my heart—beneath my isolation and my longing for human touch—something breaks inside of me.
An emptiness of purpose. There is no point in going on, and I feel nothing, not even the desire to stop living. There is one exception: A hatred of myself, and of the humans I loved as family.
One day, Mom appears in my doorway, and she just stands there. Before, I would've welcomed being offered interaction with her beyond just receiving food, but now I am numb, my eyes all out of tears to cry.
"Pack your things," she says, her voice flat. She still doesn't look at me; the eyes she once said I inherited from Dad, she now shuns. "You're going to a residential school."
Indigenous Residential Schools; that is what Colonial Governor Nieve fe Skellth calls them, I think. They're for human kids who have trouble letting go of their "savage" roots; kids that the normal schools aren't enough to civilise. Schools that show you how to act Senghavi, to think Senghavi, to... be Senghavi.
There was a human kid in normal school whose sister went there, but they said that something had happened to her there; something in that residential school had changed her before she finally returned.
But I feel no fear as I pack my clothes into my bags. Every time I look in my bedroom mirror, a violent feeling rushes to my chest, only to dissipate into the hatred-tinged numbness I have grown so used to.
Finally, the time comes to depart. In the early morning, I am already aboard the autonomous public transport. It pulls out of the cracked street I once played with Dad in, passing by the entrance of Fellye Neighborhood, driving off into the fiery, violet Terran dawn. I see my faded reflection in the window, and my chest jumps with revulsion.
So I look down, fidgeting with my touchpad—then the numbness abruptly leaves, and my tears fall once again.
Forgive me for all the redaction, Doctor Morgthax. While I will not disclose what I wrote, you are correct, as always, about the act of writing. There is some semblance of psychological relief in typing one's sullen inner thoughts onto a touchpad. As if one can be heard without being heard.
By the time I drifted back to reality, my mouth and lips dry from dehydration, the hijackers had patched up the holes punched through the hull by the accidental explosion. Plenty of Senghavi passengers were spilling cerulean blood from beneath their exoskeletal coverings; though they were all alive, they needed medical attention.
Two hundred-something Senghavi civilians aboard this luxury spaceliner, and none had yet died. That stroke of luck offered me a glimmer of hope.
Pavok, the child, was emitting vibrations through the floor in his despair, the smell of rain and lilies becoming evident to me. It is starkly fascinating, the evolutionary dissimilarity between how native Terrans and Senghavi Terrans cry.
Those ships were delivering medical aid and critical provisions to the passengers, Commander Lokprel barked, the neutrino signals that encoded his gruff voice coming out from the intercom. Why did you laser them?
"Stop playing games," Jake snapped wearily into his radio. I recalled that his full name was Jacob Weaver, as Commander Lokprel had mentioned. A drop of blood streaked down his face. "We know what you're up to."
Paranoia will get you nowhere, Jacob. If we don't work with each other, you won't survive. We have detected an explosion aboard the spaceliner. Is anyone dead?
"Not yet," Jake growled. "But Fenni Svim will be if your forces keep approaching!"
Fenni Svim—the Senghavi from the Vellir Veneti Physics Lab, against whose skull Jake had pressed his pistol to halt the CDF's initial approach, hours ago—stiffened in her seat. I had never known the nuclear researcher very well before this barbarous event, but I prayed to the Gods of Siedi (whom I do not really believe in) that she would be okay.
Many of the passengers were still being kept by the windows to deter snipers. They included Pavok, behind whom Khadija stood guard.
"Sorry for attacking you," Jake suddenly said to me, his voice worn-out. "It's like Khadija said. The bugs know that humans are strong when they're united. It's why they try to play us against ourselves, to ally with just some of us, to try to make us hate each other; to hate ourselves. It's how they tore the United States apart. Everything they do... It's to make us ashamed of our species, our own culture, to lose hope in the future. If we were united, Casimir... they'd be terrified of us. And make no mistake—we're uniting again."
"E-even if what you say about mankind is true," I croaked, "Our species would not have settled anywhere but Earth. Our culture and history would still have been negligible and primitive, the richness and complexity of the Senghavi, still greater by many orders of magnitude."
"Casimir, did you go to one of the Indigenous Residential Schools?" Khadija asked.
"Y-yes," I managed, dusting off my formal wear and cleaning my glasses. "I was sent to one as a child. They are for those of us savage natives which conventional education could not sufficiently civilise."
Khadija's eyes softened with compassion, and she gestured to my wrist. "I asked because of that code on your wrist. I've heard about some of the things that happen in those places. The cruelty; the abuse."
I glanced at the abstract identification code tattooed onto my skin, faded with time. I hadn't thought about it in ages; it was but a remnant of my childhood, and I never paid it any attention.
"Residential schooling is necessary and proper," I tell her. "It is similar to human-mantid apartheid in its purpose; it keeps the public safe from savagery. "
"If we get out of this alive, I'm gonna take you with me to Russia," she said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Specifically, Moscow. It's where I lived after the fall of Türkiye. Man controls it, not the Senghavi."
I was already aware that a vast, untamed region named Zvorriu-Sai, located in Earth's northeastern quarter-sphere, is called Russia in simple-speak. A decade ago, Nieve fe Skellth had tried to civilise the hunter-gatherers who lived there, but his troops starved and froze in the snow.
It was with the multitude of planetary habitat fabricators that his army had been using that the native primates of Zvorriu-Sai constructed such cities as Moscow or Saint Petersburg.
"Russian civilization goes back over a millennium," Khadija explained. "I don't give a fuck about what the Senghavi have built on this planet; Russian architecture is my favourite, hands down. Anyway, it's the most stable and self-sufficient of the ten countries we've got left. Hard to invade, you know? It's seen better days, but the cities are nice, the economy is good. I think you'll find it's a hell of a lot less 'savage' than whatever the fuck the Parimthian Empire is doing."
To corroborate her claims, she showed me a photo from the gallery of her cracked, dusty touchpad. Before a busy canal, the waters tinted orange by a rising sun, a more relaxed version of her smiled into the camera alongside some human of the phenotype I had seen in the video of Tokyo. Looming over them was an intricate, palatial structure topped with colourful, onion-shaped domes.
"How... quaint," I replied, unsure of what to say, though it ignited dry laughter in Khadija.
"Looks like we got a communiqué from the UN," another hijacker announced, his mask still covering his face. I couldn't place his accent at all. He held up his own touchpad, displaying photos of the Colonial Governor herself—Perellanth fe Sumur—flanked by armed UN military personnel. They were clad in urban camouflage that was marred with blood. The black, plant-like extraterrestrial gazed defeatedly in the sterile lighting.
The UN had captured her! The Crown's decision to appoint a Vire as the leader of a Senghavi colony had been no small event. I was certain that after all the talk of Senghavi Terran independence, then followed by the Colonial Governor's capture, His Imperial Majesty regretted his progressivist decision.
"We... We did it!" Jake exclaimed, his voice disbelieving. "We took down Perellanth!"
You achieved nothing, Commander Lokprel retorted over the intercom. Not beyond the promotion of Benghoviu fe Prim to Acting Colonial Governor. If you kill Governor Sumur, Governor Benghoviu will become the permanent Colonial Governor as per the chain of command, and he will carry on the fine work of his predecessor.
Jake seemed to consider that situation a fair one, and he nodded to himself subtly. "Okay, sure. But if you do nothing, we'll still kill our first hostage."
What I can promise you is that Delegate Essintsya fe Baryn will submit an Act to the Forum of Delegates to recognize the sovereignty of the UN. It will be deliberated over for months, but it is your only realistic option. In return, we demand that you allow the passengers injured by one of your explosives to board CDF medical ships.
I recalled that the Forum of Delegates had voted Benghoviu fe Prim as Vice Colonial Governor just a year ago. And before even that, the Senghavi who lived on Vennec—my home continent on Earth—had popularly elected the ever-prudent Essintsya fe Baryn to the Forum. She was quite the economic liberal, as her sort was called.
Delegate Baryn's statements on the social contract between a people and their government, as well as her rejection that the Parimthian Crown ruled by divine right, had resonated deeply with me.
Jake's eyes hardened, and he turned his radio back on. "I said no games!"
There are no games here, Jacob! We only aim to preserve as much sapient life as possible. And you are out of options.
The hijacker who had shown Colonial Governor Sumur's prison photo gave Jake a withering look. "We're dragging this on, man. I don't want anyone to die."
"Don't talk to me about death, Ramiro. Not after what happened in the US."
The so-called United States of America... called Gholo Vieda in Parimthian. That region was Nieve fe Skellth's last successful conquest before he attempted to take on the vast, snowy expanses of Zvorriu-Sai. I wondered if, like Khadija's experience in Türkiye in the Niethvahi region, Jake had witnessed firsthand the cultural assimilation and political integration of Gholo Vieda into the rest of Parimthian Earth.
The conquest of Gholo Vieda and Niethvahi were the great accomplishments of Perellanth's predecessor, of course; but, in my opinion, the devotion of the (now captured) Perellanth to the causes of liberty, reason, equality, and sapientism far outshadowed anything that Nieve had done. I am certain, however, that the Parimthian Crown disagrees.
In any case, my faith in CDF Commander Lokprel loth Fonvie had not risen. Perhaps that was a good thing; otherwise, I might have regretted betraying the knowledge of antimatter research in order to elicit a more competent Parimthian intervention.
More security forces took up positions around the spaceliner, each ship split sharply into sunlight and shadow amid the black of space. The hijacker called Ramiro pointed to a series of smaller craft, which seemed to be pulling away from the luxury spaceliner. Escape pods!
"Hostages are falling through our fingers," Ramiro said. "We need to do something."
"Go to the rear," Khadija ordered. "Stop anyone else from sneaking out!"
Jake's radio crackled with the voice of someone in the cockpit. We've intercepted a neutrino transmission from the new guy, Benghoviu fe Prim. He's calling for some kind of emergency council at the highest levels in the Parimthian Empire.
I scoffed internally. The Crown would intervene for the sake of investigating all this talk of antimatter, whose alluring utility had hitherto been confined to theory and fiction. But it was doubtful that His Imperial Majesty would agree to an emergency council for the sake of his colonists' security and well-being. As (relatively) progressivist as he was in policy, he was still very much a punitive emperor, not a rewarding one.
"I told the commander to stop advancing—dammit!" Jake spat. "We're only letting medical craft get any closer. Fire at the corvettes!"
Affirmative, his radio crackled. Targets in sight.
The spaceliner's anti-collision lasers flashed against several faraway spacecraft. A succession of oxygen-fueled fires, each lasting for a [~split-second] against the vacuum of space, flared in the distance. Even so, the growing array of naval craft began to close in upon us again, surrounding the spaceliner in every dimension.
Switching again to the neutrino-connected channel, Jake gave a disgusted scowl. "Are you deaf, Commander? If your people keep getting closer, the deal is off!"
The more you fire, the closer we will get, Lokprel said. We are just making sure it is safe for the medical craft. As long as you refrain from harming them, we will not hurt you.
The hijacker in the cockpit radioed to Jake again, her voice sounding more alarmed.
We're picking up a massive object on our scanners. It's headed our way.
"How massive are we talking?" Jake asked.
It's... some kind of warship, I think. Over a hundred times our size.
"You're joking, right?"
"A Parimthian spacecraft carrier," murmured a soft, whimpery voice.
It was Fenni Svim again, her praying raptorial forelimbs tucked close in fear.
"The Imperial Parimthian Navy?" I asked. "They're really here?"
"Y-you shouldn't act surprised," Fenni said. "I know you were speaking to someone on the P-Parimthian side. You leaked our greatest secret, Casimir."
"R-right."
"What's she talking about, dude?" Khadija asked. Suspicion of betrayal lingered in her dark eyes. She had believed the lie that I was only calling a loved one when I contacted Mensim, >! who is at present an agent of Parimth!<; she had trusted me, and defended me against Jake's wrath.
I didn't answer. The very reason we needed antimatter was that the colonists' outerspace spanned but a meagre few millionths of the Parimthian Empire's total volume. I did not know what exactly a spacecraft carrier one hundred times the size of our spaceliner could do for the hostages, but it would be far more competent than the comparatively flimsy Colonial Defence Force.
Finally, after so many years of strategic modesty in the administration of the Crown's distant colony, of his Earth, as His Imperial Majesty suffered expense upon expense in countering the Imperium of Orion... Parimth had sent a warship of the Imperial Parimthian Navy, here in full force!
There was no need to inquire as to its distance; I could see it through my window. It was far enough that I could view the whole of its great form. Senghavi architecture, of course, is usually round, white, and glassy, traced with glowing accents; however, the imperial warship was boxy and shadowy black, visible only by the silhouette that it carved into the beaming sun.
Already, dozens of smaller craft—operated by some of the finest Senghavi pilots in the Milky Way—began spilling out from the spacecraft carrier, moving in the shadow of their gargantuan mothership. As even the hostage passengers became aware of its presence, the muted chatter and whimpering, which had been ambient across the aisles of the spaceliner, finally ceased.
Because of me, all of us—colonists and savages alike—were, for the first time in a decade, going to face a military intervention by Parimth itself.

CALLING ALL EDM, HOUSE, HIP-HOP LISTENERS @ OSU
@ upandupfestival will be coming to Oklahoma State THIS Fall (before Thanksgiving break) with the HELP of YOU.
What is Up and Up Music Festival? This is a Monster Energy sponsored festival with headliners such as: Flo-Rida, Ice Spice, DiscoLines, Dr. Fresch, Kaivon, Tiesto, Dombresky, Steve Aoki, Ship Wrek, Waka Flocka and MORE. This festival comes to colleges based on how many ticket pre-sales can be sold within a 48 hour window opening (September 13th-15th at 4pm EST). If Oklahoma State places in the top 6 schools who sold the most ticket pre-sales in that 48 hour period, we will get the festival coming to us at a venue of our choice! IF WE DON'T (we will) place top six in ticket pre-sales, those who purchased their tickets will be instantly refunded within that 48 hour window.
NO RISK, ALL REWARD COWBOYS!!!!
The headliners will be announced late June-early July, so Stillwater QUICKLY needs YOUR help to spread the word, and to help bring another festival other than Calf-Fry to Oklahoma State. YOU can help bring this festival to town by staying up to date on our instagram @ upandupokstate where we will be posting our announcements, giveaways, events, and much more this Fall regarding this festival!!!
We're THRILLED to have the opportunity to introduce the latest and hottest music to Stillwater, all we need is YOUR help doing it!
LET'S PUT OKSTATE ON THE MAP #gopokes
@ upandupokstate on instagram

I had to make my first CPS report against a family member today. My ex sister in law has three kids. Two with my older brother and one with a man I know nothing about I don't even know his real name. My ex sister in law is incredibly neglectful and is by all means a complete mess. Her apartment is a disaster you can't even walk around it without running into piles of clothes (dirty and clean), old baby toys, and random every day objects that just shouldn't be laying on the floor with a 4 yr old in the home. The kitchen always has a sink full of dirty dishes and stove covered in even more. A counter covered in vitamins and medicines the toddler can easily reach and has taken. (From my knowledge tums the chewable sugar coated ones) Mom doesn't take care of the toddler properly and rather puts my 15 yr old niece in charge of watching and caring for her even when she is home. My 15 15 yr old niece is home schooled if you can even call it that. Mom has her on online school but doesn't monitor her school work. Mom has also neglected to sign up the 15 yr old for mandatory state testing that helps with grade placement. Even when reminded by my niece for three weeks straight. And when ai brought it up she started and screaming and yelling at my niece for "Getting up her ass" about it all the time. Now my teenage niece barely even takes care of herself via lack of hygiene, eating, etc. Mom rarely cooks meals the kids like and basically allows then to fend for themselves. With 15 yr old in charge of the toddler the toddler never gets properly cared for. The toddler is mixed race with curly hair and it doesn't get brushed or maintained properly. It always looks like it is on the verge of matting. Niece leaves toddler alone in the bath tub for an upwards of 20 minutes to sit in the living room on her phone. She doesn't put lotion on her sister after said baths and allows her to get itchy dry skin and scratch herself. She also doesn't feed the toddler and just allows her to snack on snacks or whatever is in the pantry. With all that said these are not the only reasons I called CPS.
Last week mom asked me to watch the teen and toddler while she went to the beach with her new boyfriend. I reluctantly agreed becuase no one else was getting back to mom about it. While on the phone discussing babysitting arrangements mom yelled to the toddler "Stop touching yourself!" And then I heard a very tiny giggle. I was shocked. I instantly expressed concern and told mom that is normally a sign of sexual abuse. Mom told me it was normal for 4 year olds to do that. I told her no it isn't and she needs to stop letting her go to her dad's home becuase something doesn't seem right. For context toddlers dad is flakey about getting the toddler and when he does get her he leaves her at his mom's house with his other children from a different baby mama. I do not know much about the grandma or the other kids but I do know they don't like my nieces mom and don't treat the 4 year old like the other baby mamas kids. Once I came over to take care of my niece and the 4 yr old I learned she doesn't wear underwear to bed and mom said she doesn't keep them on. When I put some on her that night the next morning they were gone. The concerning part is her removing them at night and not during any other time of the day just at night. Toddlers are silly and I am aware some of them just will not keep their diapers or underwear on esspeically when potty training is happening. However 4 year old has been potty trained for a year now and never did this till recently. Also there is no signs of regression with potty training.
Besides this serious concern of possible sexual abuse and mom saying she is fine, mom also carries a hand held gun. She has her license to do so but doesn't store it properly within the home. While at her home to babysit she offered to leave the gun at home with me loaded. I do not carry or have my license to do so nor do I like guns but thats a personal preference. Mom doesn't have a gun case or safe and says she just stores the gun on a high shelf. I don't know about you but I have heard enough stories about kids getting into their parents room and climbing or getting into places they aren't supposed to and finding guns they think are toys. And with her leaving her bedroom door opened and having piles of stuff the toddler could easily climb on to get to the gun I'd say for sure it isn't safe. Another factor to this is mom only carries becuase an ex boyfriend broke into the apartment and assaulted her. Mom has a habit of dating not so savory men that she meets at her job. She is a stripper or what she calls it a cocktail waitress. I am in support completely of sex workers who practice safe habits in the field but she doesn't. Becuase of the assault she installed cameras in every part of the apartment including the bathroom. You are always being watched which is why I was reluctant to watch the kids.
Now this toddler isn't my niece by blood but she is my nieces little sister and I do not feel either of them are in a safe and healthy environment. I am sad I had to call CPS I know my niece will hate me for it but that apartment is not safe or healthy for her or her little sister. Mom is not parenting her kids and neglecting them heavily. She is also potentially allowing sexual abuse to occur to her youngest child. I am hoping and praying CPS does their job this time and settles this once and for all. Mom has had multiple cases and none of them have ended in the kids being taken to safer homes. (My niece would go to my brothers and the 4 year old will end up in foster care sadly)
I just want these kids to be safe, happy, and healthy.
TLDR: Mom of my 15 yr old niece is heavily neglecting her oldest daughter and youngest daughter. The apartment they live in is a complete mess. The 4 yr old is showing signs of sexual abuse. This possible sexual abuse would be occuring to her 4 year old daughter at her grandmother's home. Mom also owns a hand held gun and doesn't store it properly. Toddler could easily get to this gun if she was interested. Medicine and vitamins are also out in the opened and toddler has eaten many tums thinking they are candy. 15 yr old is constantly put in charge of toddler even when mom is home but doesn't take care of her or herself properly. Teen and toddler have bad hygiene practices as well and don't eat properly either. Mom is also neglecting teens educational needs. Mom also brings strange men into the home when the kids are home. She meets these men at her place of work. She works as a stripper and has a habit of dating men who aren't very nice or savory people.

Hi everyone! My name is Sharon, and I am a college student interested in civic engagement and politics. I have been working on a project with some other students to make the Seattle City Council meetings more accessible by putting them into short summaries. My friend Rachel and George has posted previously about it, and I am continuing this group project. I have put an example from last week below, though the real thing has a bit more formatting that doesn't translate into Reddit.
This project is relatively new, so we would really appreciate any feedback you may have and hope to make it as informative and accessible as possible! If you're interested in getting these newsletters every week, please click here: https://forms.gle/Yxo5fevVhVWmwcB78.
Example newsletter:
Seattle City Council Meeting Summaries - Week of May 22
Council Briefing 5/22/2023 (Duration: 1h50min)

• 6 Present - Council President Debora Juarez, Councilmembers Andrew Lewis and Kshama Sawant are absent and excused, and Councilmember Sara Nelson arrived late.

Council Meeting 5/23/2023 (Duration: 2h56min)

• 7 Present - Council President Debora Juarez and Councilmember Kshama Sawant are absent and excused.

Councilmember Updates

• Councilmember Lisa Herbold: District 1
  
  • There is no item from the Public Safety and Human Services Committee for the full council meeting on Tuesday.
  • The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23rd.
    • They will receive a briefing on overdose trends and harm reduction approaches from Public Health Seattle & King County and a panel of community-based overdose prevention program grantees.
    • Will hear an overview of the proposed Council Bill 120580 regarding app-based workers' deactivation rights.
  • Met with Chief Diaz, Southwest Precinct Captain Rivera, Director Betts of the Office of Police Accountability, Fire Chief Scoggins, and the leadership of the Community Police Commission individually.
  • The Harbor Patrol unit is ready for the summer increase in calls for marine-related law enforcement and assistance.
  • There will be a fire day on the 124th anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire at MOHAI at South Lake Union.
  • Remind that the Seattle Emergency Hubs will be hosting disaster preparedness training on June 11th.
  • Provided public comment to the King County Flood Control District in support of funding to address the river-topping flood in South Park.
  • Will receive a tour and do a helpline listening shift at Crisis Connections next Wednesday.
• Councilmember Tammy Morales: District 2
  
  • The Arts and Civil Rights Committee meeting from last week was canceled due to the holiday weekend, and the next meeting is scheduled for June 9th.
  • The first meeting of the new Social Housing Developer Board is scheduled for May 23rd.
  • Attended a neighborhood safety meeting with organizations in Seattle's Chinatown-International District (CID) and Social Housing Public Development Authority (PDA).
  • Attended a workshop with SDOT and Sound Transit to discuss some issues in the Othello neighborhood and Rainier Beach neighborhoods.
  • Attended the Evergreen Treatment Services’ 50-year anniversary, the One Seattle Day of Service, and an event for the African Cultural Arts Center.
  • Spoke at the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Celebration hosted by the Department of Neighborhoods and the Seattle AAPI Caucus.
• Councilmember Alex Pedersen: District 4
  
  • There are twelve items from the Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee for the full council meeting on Tuesday.
    • Will present ten appointments, Council Bill 120557, and Council Bill 120574.
  • The next Transportation and Seattle Public Utilities Committee meeting is scheduled for June 6th.
  • Participated in the One Seattle Day of Service last Saturday.
• Councilmember Dan Strauss: District 6
  
  • There are two items from the Land Use Committee for the full council meeting on Tuesday.
    • Will present Council Bill 120534, which is a tree protection bill, and Council Bill 120535, which is a tree protection budget bill.
  • Passed the Tree Protection Ordinance after making 50 amendments.
    • The bill will be presented to the full council meeting on May 23rd for public comments and votes.
    • Welcomed all city council members to attend the Land Use Committee meeting.
    • Set the deadline for submitting amendments to Wednesday, May 17th.
    • There will be a public hearing on May 24.
    • The city council will vote on the passage of the bill on June 20th.
• Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda: Citywide
  
  • There are three items from the Finance and Housing Committee for the full council meeting on Tuesday
    • Will present Council Bill 120572, which approves the 2022 budget increases.
    • Will present Council Bill 120573, which requests approval for a 2023 budget increase, and Council Bill.
  • Heard the April forecast report from the Office of Economic and Revenue forecast last week.
  • The next Housing Levy Committee will meet on May 31st to prepare the introduction of the Housing Levy Proposal.
    • The Committee will meet again on June 7th to vote on any amendments before being presented to the full council.
  • The Finance and Housing Committee will meet again in early July to discuss the revenue situation.
  • Recognize the opening of a Community Field sponsored by the Seattle Housing Authority, the Rave Foundation, and Sounders FC.
• Councilmember Sara Nelson: Citywide
  
  • There are two items from the Economic Development, Technology, and City Light Committee for the full council meeting on Tuesday.
    • Will present Council Bill 120576, which is a distribution easement ordinance.
    • Will present Council Bill 120576, which is a platted easement ordinance.
  • Release legislation that makes the use of illegal drugs in public spaces a simple misdemeanor with Councilmember Pedersen last week.
    • Updated the original bill to align with the state law. The updated bill will be presented to the full council on June 6th.
  • Joined King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, State Representative Lauren Davis, and King County Department of Community and Human Services Leo Flor for the King County’s 2023 Conference on Substance Disorder on Thursday, May 11.
  • Attended the 49th Seattle International Film Festival, the Port of Seattle’s annual Maritime Day breakfast.
  • Participated in the mid-authorization of a bill passed by the Metropolitan Improvement District with the Mayor, Councilmember Andrew Lewis, and the downtown community.
  • Met with the new CEO of MoPOP, Michelle Smith.

Legislation Updates

• Council Bill 120578: AN ORDINANCE relating to City employment, commonly referred to as the Second Quarter 2023 Employment Ordinance; returning positions to the civil service system; exempting positions from the civil service system; and amending Section 4.13.010 of the Seattle Municipal Code; all by a 2/3 vote of the City Council.
  
  • Sponsored by Council President Debora Juarez; presented by Councilmember Alex Pedersen
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120534: AN ORDINANCE relating to tree protection; balancing the need for housing production and increasing tree protections; and amending Sections 23.44.020, 23.47A.016, 23.48.055, 23.76.004, 23.76.006, and Chapter 25.11 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Daniel Strauss
  • Councilmember Pedersen made a motion to postpone the vote to June 22nd.
    • 2 Yes (Councilmember Herbold and Pedersen) and 5 No
  • 6 Yes and 1 No (Councilmember Pedersen)
• Council Bill 120535: AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 126725, which adopted the 2023 Budget; changing appropriations for various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds; and creating positions; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Daniel Strauss
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120572: AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 126490, which adopted the 2022 Budget, including the 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds in the Budget; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Teresa Masqueda
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120573: AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 126725, which adopted the 2023 Budget, including the 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds in the Budget; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Daniel Strauss
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120563: AN ORDINANCE relating to historic preservation; imposing controls upon Madison Middle School, a landmark designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board under Chapter 25.12 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and adding it to the Table of Historical Landmarks contained in Chapter 25.32 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120564: AN ORDINANCE relating to historic preservation; imposing controls upon Magnolia Elementary School, a landmark designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board under Chapter 25.12 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and adding it to the Table of Historical Landmarks contained in Chapter 25.32 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120565: AN ORDINANCE relating to historic preservation; imposing controls upon Daniel Bagley Elementary School, a landmark designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board under Chapter 25.12 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and adding it to the Table of Historical Landmarks contained in Chapter 25.32 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120566: AN ORDINANCE relating to historic preservation; imposing controls upon West Seattle High School, a landmark designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board under Chapter 25.12 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and adding it to the Table of Historical Landmarks contained in Chapter 25.32 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120557: AN ORDINANCE relating to the Department of Transportation's Hazard Mitigation Program; authorizing the Director of the Department of Transportation to acquire, accept, and record, on behalf of The City of Seattle, a Catchment Wall Easement from Paul Tan and Ly Ngoc Tan, a married couple, located in a portion of Lot 7, Block 35, Rainier Beach, and a Catchment Wall Easement from Gracie Lee Young, located in a portion of Lot 8, Block 35, Rainier Beach; for the purpose of extending the protection of the adjacent roadway of superficial surface erosion of the adjacent slopes along a portion of Rainier Avenue South; placing the real property rights under the jurisdiction of the Seattle Department of Transportation; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Alex Pedersen
  • 7 Yes
• Council Bill 120574: AN ORDINANCE relating to Seattle Public Utilities; declaring certain real property rights at the Foy Pump Station property (500 NE 145th St) as being surplus to the City's municipal utility needs; authorizing the sale of 451 square feet of King County Parcel 756870-0780 and 460 square feet of King County Parcel 756870-0775, and granting 1,201 square feet and 453 square feet on the same respective parcels for 3-year term temporary construction easements to the City of Shoreline for the purposes of the 145th Street and I-5 Interchange Project; directing the proceeds therefrom to Seattle Public Utilities' Water Fund; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Alex Pedersen
  • 7 Yes

State Legislation Update: The Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR) director Gael Tarleton, State Relations Director Samir Junejo, and State Legislative Liaison Anna Johnson gave a presentation on legislation regarding climate and environment, healthcare and behavioral health, housing and homelessness, labor and commerce, public safety, drug possession and treatment, social programs and education, the capital budget, transportation.

• Here are links to some of the bills: Senate Bill 5144, House Bill 1181, House Bill 1216, Senate Bill 5165, House Bill 1329, Senate Bill 5082, House Bill 1155, House Bill 1340, House Bill 1469, Senate Bill 5242, House Bill 1134, Senate Bill 5120, House Bill 1110, House Bill 1042, House Bill 1293, Senate Bill 5412, House Bill 1474, House Bill 1074, Senate Bill 5080, Senate Bill 5236, Senate Bill 5217, House Bill 1240, House Bill 1143, Senate Bill 5078, Senate Bill 5352, Senate Bill 5087, House Bill 1324, Senate Bill 5440, Senate Bill 5536, House Bill 1238, House Bill 1436.

Proclamations:

• Recognizing June 2nd as the Gun Violence Awareness Day
• Co-sponsored by Councilmember Daniel Strauss and Council President Pro Tempore Lisa Herbold
• 6 signature affixed
• Recognizing May 27, 2023, as Eritrean Independence Day
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 6 signature affixed
• Recognizing June 2023, as LGBTQ Month
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 6 signature affixed
• Recognizing May 28th as Pride Asia Day
  
  • Sponsored by Councilmember Tammy Morales
  • 6 signature affixed

Public Comments:

• Many commenters spoke in support of the tree ordinance, arguing it is balanced and a necessary compromise.
• Many commenters spoke against the tree ordinance, commenting it disproportionately benefits developers at the expense of environmental health, affordable housing, and social equity.
• Many commenters urged the council to delay voting on the tree protection bill to further consult stakeholders.

Resources:

• If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), and we will get the answers to your questions from the city council.
• Sign up here to receive this letter after every city council meeting.
• Go to https://www.purplely.org/ to get to know all the candidates in this year’s city council elections.

Arggg, I, Admiral Nightwind need your help!
Gulliver and his crew had such a good time on my island that they filled it with treasure, Bells, Nook Mile tickets, and pirate decor galore!!
Come vist both sides of the beach for a huge giveaway and run around my Island to find all of the bell bags that are hidden. Items include bells, tickets, wallpapers, flooring, clothing of all types, house decor, and crafting items!
You can shake trees, visit my shops, and pick cops till your pockets are full!
To enter comment below, what your pirate name would be if you were sailing the 7 Seas with Gulliver !!