Pine needles brushed across Paul's arms as he charged through the trees with his bugout bag slung over his shoulders. Weighing in at forty pounds, it hardly slowed him down as he’d practiced this hike many times. He flicked his wrist and checked his Garmin Solar 2 Tactical Watch. The timer read: 2:23.
“You can do this, Paul.” He increased the pace and gritted his teeth, the weight finally having an effect. Paul bounded over a small creek, up a rolling hill, and pushed through a row of baby birches into a clearing. He doubled over to catch his breath and looked at his watch one more time. Two hours and twenty-eight minutes. Paul pumped his fist in victory.
After a short break, he approached a thorny bush in the center of the clearing. Paul brushed aside sand at the bush’s trunk, revealing a yellow rope. He pulled it, which lifted a hidden door in the ground covered with dirt, shrubbery, and other camouflage on the top side, and drab gray iron on the other. Underneath, wooden stairs descended into darkness. Paul retrieved a flashlight from his pack, clicked on the beam, and disappeared into the earth.
At the bottom of the steps, Paul faced a steel door and a combination lock. With several quick swipes of the dial, he opened the lock and tugged the metal door, which creaked as it cracked open. Paul flashed the beam on the offending hinges and shook his head. Something to fix later. He stepped into the secret chamber and pulled a hanging aluminum chain that turned on a large halogen light, illuminating a twenty-foot by eight-foot metal rectangle. The exposed corrugated walls revealed the bunker was nothing more than a shipping container. Paul buried it two years ago and had divided the interior into three spaces. The entry had a shelf with four dozen gallon jugs of sealed water along with a portable toilet, stacks of toilet paper, and a wastebasket. The middle section was the main living area and contained a futon, a TV with a DVD player, and a neat collection of movies underneath. A nightstand housed a small library of books, including the Bible, The Art of Meditation, Buddhism for Dummies, and other spiritual tomes. The back area of the unit had two shelves filled with canned food—black beans, green beans, peaches, peas, carrots, beef, and chicken. There was also a stationary bike, which was Paul’s proudest accomplishment because he had rigged it to a giant battery that provided power to all the electronics.
Paul was a prepper, and this would be his home when the end of the world came, an event he believed was imminent. The global economy was a house of cards built on greed, corruption, and inflated asset prices, but worst of all, it was based on a faith in paper and digital money.
His fear was triggered four years ago when he attended a lecture by a professor who explained the fragility of the world’s financial system. If a few banks failed, it would rattle people’s confidence, causing a herd-like response. Thousands of people would rush to withdraw their cash, which the banks no longer had because they’d invested it. The banks would either fail, and everyday folks would lose their life savings, or the government would print new money to replace the missing money, making all money worth a lot less. Anyone holding dollars would attempt to convert them to other assets.
Just like dominoes, the banks would topple over one by one, and as they crashed, people’s faith in money would crater. After all, what was money? It was just paper with printed images and numbers that we’d all accepted as having value. More recently, money had become numbers displayed on a computer screen, something Paul knew firsthand as he spent the first seven years of his career working at a regional bank in Asheville, North Carolina. Paul could literally change someone’s net worth with a few keystrokes. He could turn a pauper into a millionaire, or he could bankrupt the richest account holder. Sure, there were safeguards, but all were built on faith, which Paul believed was misplaced. Most people didn’t realize that the Federal Reserve only required each bank to hold at least ten percent of its deposits as a reserve. Ten percent. That’s it. The rest of the money was invested in loans or other financial instruments. As the rich bank owners and executives pushed for bigger and bigger returns, they invested in riskier and riskier assets. The lessons from the financial crisis of 2008 had been forgotten.
Once the monetary system collapsed, the entire economy would become paralyzed. Without a means of exchange, transactions would halt. Think about it. If someone tried to give you a slip of paper that you thought was worthless, would you give them anything of value in return?
The doomsday scenario would escalate. Food and water prices would skyrocket, but with no way to purchase them, many would starve. But people don’t just roll over and die, they would riot and take what they need to survive. Marshall Law would be implemented, but citizens would revolt against the government they felt had cheated them.
As Paul listened to the lecturer that fateful day, a depressing epiphany struck. Everything he’d learned and everything he’d spent his life acquiring was worthless.
Growing up, Paul had been taught the value of money, saving, and planning for retirement. He internalized these lessons as a teen after his father got sick and lost his job. His mother had died when he was very young, but his father still managed to provide him with a stable childhood, even though they were barely middle class. When his father fell ill, Paul witnessed firsthand how fast a family could sink into financial trouble, which couldn’t have come at a worse time. He was applying to colleges, and instead of choosing the one he liked best, he chose the one that gave him the most financial aid, which turned out to be a small school half-way across the country. He also didn’t choose a major he was excited about; he chose the one that would offer the safest financial prospects—economics with an emphasis on banking.
The distance from home meant that Paul didn’t see the rapid deterioration of his father. It wasn’t until he returned for the funeral that family friends told him how the disease had spread. His father had refused to let anyone tell Paul because he didn’t want that to distract Paul from his studies.
After graduating, Paul accepted a job at a bank, and immediately signed up for the company’s 401K match. Most college graduates can't grasp retirement when they enter the workforce, but a 401K match was free money. Over the next several years, Paul worked diligently to advance his career while saving most of his salary. He’d mapped out his life on an excel spreadsheet and calculated that he’d be financially secure at 53.
Everything went according to plan until that damn lecturer came along and blew it up. Sifting through the rubble of his grand scheme, Paul realized that in the new world order, he possessed no skills to survive. The savings he’d so meticulously built up would have little to no value. When the economy collapsed, he'd be like a baby, unable to do anything for himself.
After a week of wallowing in despair, Paul rallied himself. “I can still fix this” became a daily mantra. To start, he threw himself into survival classes. The first was a basic camping course where he learned how to create shelters and start a fire. The next class was more advanced and focused on water purification and building snares for small game.
Paul continued working at the bank, because he needed to pay for the classes and survival equipment he began hoarding, but on his next vacation, he put his training to the test. He planned to camp for a week in the Appalachian Mountains, but the temperature swings, especially at night, were too much. Paul lasted three nights in the wild. The humbling experience forced him to admit that he wasn’t a bushman. His depression returned until he stumbled upon an article about “preppers”—individuals who prepare for end of world disasters. Suddenly, things made sense. He didn’t need to abandon all the comforts of modern society. He needed to prepare for the end of the world the way he had planned for retirement.
As Paul traveled down the rabbit hole of prepping, he uncovered an underground society of people like him who knew the truth about the world’s demise. Of course, not everyone believed it would end because of an economic collapse. Some thought a nuclear war would destroy civilization. Others feared electromagnetic pulses from the sun would wipe out all modern electricity. And still others worried a massive volcanic eruption would spew enough ash and soot into the air to blot out the sun. There was no shortage of theories about the world ending, but one thing was clear. The world would end. Did it matter how it happened?
Paul began his prepping quest by purchasing ten acres an hour and a half outside of Asheville. It had plenty of small animals and a creek running through the middle. He then transported an unused cargo container to the land and buried it. This was the toughest part of the plan because it required heavy equipment. Next, he dug out a staircase and installed a steel door at the entrance. Finally, he furnished it with a mix of modern comforts and survival essentials.
Almost every weekend, Paul trekked to his underground sanctuary and made improvements. He also planned his bugout strategy. When the end of the world hit, he figured he needed to be safely hidden in his home within two and a half hours, a time he had achieved with this latest trip. Everything was set, and Paul could finally relax. He was prepared.
Paul slumped down on his futon and considered playing a movie or cracking the bottle of Jim Beam whiskey he stored in a special cabinet, but he shook off the urge. Those things were the rewards and comforts he’d enjoy after the world ended. His fingers rubbed the top of the Bible, something he planned to read cover to cover once the global economy cratered. He’d have plenty of time then to discover his spiritual side, but not now. Something else needed to be done. Something he’d missed.
The biggest mistake a prepper can make is assuming he had everything covered. This was the lesson taught by Yannis, the guru of the prepping world. He was so well-known within the doomsday community; he only went by one name. The guy was sharp as a whip and could live off the land, if necessary, but he preferred a more sophisticated lifestyle, so he created a luxurious cave that contained backup systems for all his backups. Food, water, shelter, and electricity were all taken care of, and it was projected that Yannis could survive ten years comfortably after the apocalypse. His famous blog titled “ABP” stood for Always Be Preparing. It was a motto Yannis lived by and something Paul aspired to, but as he sat in his bunker after the relentless hike, fatigue set in. He didn’t want to think about prepping or his bugout strategy. He wanted to just be.
Paul tilted his head back onto the futon’s cushion, and a loneliness crept into his mind. All his prepping left little time for relationships. He dated off and on in college, but it was never anything serious. It wasn’t like his high school sweetheart, Kristin Summer. They dated junior and senior year, but then Paul broke it off when his father got sick. Paul couldn’t focus on romance, and he knew the relationship wouldn’t have worked when he left for school 1,500 miles away. It still hurt when he learned from a friend that Kristin started dating Derek Gorman, an old classmate Paul hated. It hurt even more when he found out they had gotten married.
After college, Paul joined a couple of dating sites, but he hadn’t used them in over two years. Most women wouldn’t understand his prepping lifestyle, at least that’s what he feared, so he rejected dating before anyone could reject him. But most wasn't all, and with eight billion people on the planet, there had to be someone for him. Almost without thinking, Paul pulled out his phone and opened “My Match,” the site where he’d had the most luck. His profile still had a photo from his early banking days. He was clean shaven with a naïve smile. The face staring back in the picture differed greatly from the bearded survivalist he’d become. Would anyone consider a relationship with the new Paul? Only one way to find out. He snapped a selfie, uploaded it, and then updated his hobbies with the first being “prepping” followed by “survival skills training.” He finished by pressing the button that showed he was actively looking for someone. All he had to do now was wait.
After spending the night in his bunker, Paul checked the dating site in the morning. No response. “It was a stupid idea,” he told himself, and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. He locked his container and returned home.
Over the next two weeks, Paul received zero requests for a date. He didn’t even receive a message from anyone to start a conversation and test the waters. “Shake it off, dumbass,” he said alone in the confines of his cottage-style home. “The world is going to end, anyway.” He clenched his jaw and did what he always did. He researched more ways to survive. Paul poured over blog posts and imagined worst-case scenarios. How could his water be contaminated? Maybe he should bury some caches of water. What if someone finds his shelter? Maybe security cameras were needed. What if he gets lonely in his shelter? No ideas came to mind.
After his eyes got tired from reading, Paul clicked out of his browser, and the list of all his apps stared at him. For reasons unknown to him, he opened Facebook, something he hadn’t done for months. There were a handful of notifications and a couple of friend requests sent weeks ago. His heart raced when he saw the name of one—Kristin Summer. When he accepted, he saw she was on-line right then.
Should he message her? Would that be weird right after accepting her request? But wasn’t it weird that he hadn’t responded for several weeks? He pulled up the messenger and typed. “Hey. Sorry for the delay in accepting your request. Hadn’t been on Facebook in a while. Been busy. Hope you and Derek are well.”
He curled his lip in disgust as he typed Derek’s name and considered deleting it, but he took the moral high ground and hit “send” with his message unaltered.
Kristin Summer. Just the thought of her name brought a smile to Paul’s face.
Bing.
The sound alerted Paul to a response, which he read out loud. “Hey Paul. Good to hear from you. Derek and I divorced a little over a year ago. It was rough at first, but it was for the best. How are you?”
Paul’s eyes widened with shock and excitement. He couldn’t believe Derek was so stupid to let Kristin go. Paul could at least blame their breakup on his father’s illness. His fingers prattled away on the keyboard. “Things are amazing.” He stopped typing. That was a lie. Should he pretend like things were great or should he be honest and tell her about his prepping and the end of the world? Neither option sounded appealing. He tapped the keys without writing until he settled on something uncontroversial.
“Working at Trinity Bank in Asheville. It pays the bills. Where are you?”
Within a minute, the sweet sound of the notification binged. “I’m not too far away in Durham. If you’re ever in town, let me know.”
If you’re ever in town, let me know.
Paul couldn’t believe his eyes. Was Kristin asking him out? He shook his head. Nah, she’s probably just being polite. But maybe. If there was any chance, he had to find out. He chewed his lip and deliberated his next response. Fortune favors the bold, he told himself. Then he remembered Matt Damon telling people that in the now infamous commercial for FTX months before its collapse. When that occurred, Paul thought it was the beginning of the end, and he lived in his bunker for two days before emerging and finding the world still intact.
Paul clenched his fist. It was still good advice, and he had to try. Almost involuntarily, he typed, “I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon. If you want to get together, let me know.” His finger hit send before he could talk himself out of it. There was no qualification in the message. No waffling or hedging. It was clear Paul wanted to see Kristin. The only question now was whether she wanted to see him.
The next ten minutes felt like ten days. Paul paced back and forth with his hands over his head, and he glanced at the monitor every few seconds, just in case his ears had missed the notification alert.
There was nothing.
A dark depression filled the room. Why had he gotten his hopes up? What was the point, anyway? The world was going to end.
Bing.
Paul leapt to the computer and his eyes widened with each word he read. “How about a lunch at The Fig Tree Restaurant on 7th?”
People overuse the word literally, but Paul at least felt like his jaw was literally on the floor. He had a date with Kristin Summer, the one woman he had loved. His hands rattled away at the keyboard. “See you at 1 tomorrow.”
“Holy crap,” he muttered to himself.
Panic replaced his excitement when he imagined sitting down and talking to Kristin. What would he say? “Hey Kristin, what have you been up to? Oh me? I’ve been working at a job I hate and planning for the end of the world.”
He drifted into the bathroom and stared at the scruffy character in the mirror. Paul could only cringe at the thought of Kristin’s reaction upon seeing him. She might not recognize the bearded loner who resembled Ted Kaczynski more than the short-haired, clean-shaven teen she last saw.
Only one thing to do.
Paul had to prepare. He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of clippers. He began trimming his beard and mustache as short as the clippers would allow. Next, he applied a generous amount of cream and shaved all of it off. Paul smirked at the young man hiding under the shabby beard, but it still wasn’t enough. He set the guard on the clippers to a four and began shaving his head. In college, Paul cut his own hair to save money, and the skill came back to him quickly. He dropped to a three and worked in a fade on the sides and then finished with a two. Paul turned to the left, then to the right, and assessed his work. Not bad.
Next thing to prepare was his outfit. Paul slid the door of his closet open and evaluated his choices. A banker’s suit was too stuffy, and his mountain man denim was too hermit inspired. He yanked the clothes aside and climbed deeper into the recesses of his wardrobe until he found a nice buttoned-down shirt and a dark pair of slacks. It gave just the right vibe of successful and stable, while not trying too hard to impress, even though that was his precisely his goal. Paul laid the selection on the chair by his bed. Durham was a three-and-a-half-hour drive away, and he wanted to make sure he got there with time to find parking, and maybe use the restroom. He set the alarm on his iPhone for 6 a.m. That would give him plenty of time to take a shower, have breakfast, and get dressed.
There was no chance of falling asleep easily. His mind raced with thoughts, questions, and various scenarios about what the day would bring. To relax, he poured himself a double whiskey, which he downed with a single slurp. He poured another and sipped.
Kristin Summer. He shook his head, still in disbelief.
As the effect of alcohol set in, Paul laid down on his bed and shut his eyes. Tomorrow would be a good day.
Paul slipped into a deep, satisfying sleep until his mind jolted him awake. It was past 6 a.m. He didn’t know how he knew. He just knew. Paul had slept through his alarm. He snatched his phone off the nightstand, but it was out of battery. He checked his watch and saw it was 7 a.m. There was still time to get to Durham.
Paul jumped out of bed and into the bathroom. He flicked on the light switch, but nothing came on. Paul toggled it on and off, but the outlet was dead.
Police sirens wailed in the distance. Paul meandered out of his house and onto the front lawn. Aside from the sirens, there was an uneasy stillness. Paul’s neighbor Kurt ran out from his home with two suitcases that he flung into the trunk of his car.
“Kurt. What’s going on?” Paul asked.
“Fort Knox was bombed. All the gold was obliterated. And something happened to the electricity and the internet. They shut it down.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, man, but it’s not good. No one has access to news, no money, nothing.”
“Where are you going?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know. Somewhere isolated. I’m just hoping there are no more bombings or other attacks.” Kurt jumped into his car and sped away.
This was it. The world was ending. All of his preps were about to pay off. But what about Kristin? Paul didn’t want the world to end. If he tried to get Kristin, there was no chance he could reach his shelter before things get hairy. Plus, there was no way he could find her. He didn’t have her address, and she might have already left Durham for somewhere safe.
Paul forced himself to focus on his plan. This was what he had prepared for. He dashed back inside and changed into his camouflage gear, grabbed his bugout bag, and then sprinted to his truck. He drove through his neighborhood and reached the main road. His shelter and plans were to the left. Kristin and the unknown were to the right. The whites of Paul’s knuckles flared as he gripped the steering wheel. Now was not the time to waffle. He turned left and hit the accelerator.
Paul gritted his teeth and raced down the street. Keep going. Keep going. He urged himself on. Almost involuntarily, his foot slammed on the brakes. Paul couldn’t do it. He’d planned for the worst all his life, and while he sat alone with the engine idling, he had to admit the truth. He’d lived all his life in fear.
Paul yanked the wheel and turned around toward Durham.

:)

Is it better to invest clothing into a dweller that already has good stats?
Example: I have a level 10 perception dweller and a level 6 perception dweller
If I had a level 4 perception outfit, should I give it to the already high level dweller or the low level?

royale high to discord, idm the amount, nyp

Monday
Dimmy: Hello, we’ve all been sick since yesterday! But we also develop a severe allergic reaction if we stay home! So Superspreader Kate ran outside in her pajamas to have a tea party with the ducks at the park then we plopped her back in bed for a nap in her dirty pajamas, but she woke up soon after because she’s sick and pooped her pajamas. Why get a clean outfit out now, when I can just take her pajama pants off and continue about our day! Beady Kate was upset so I gave her a pack of 36 cheap bracelets from Amazon to distract her. I’ll link ‘em up for you even though they’re labeled as a choking hazard for kids under three! I dunno know what happened to the last pack of 36 I gave her. I guess she swallowed all of the beads from those! Sniffles Kate went back outside in her diaper and pajama top. I hate wearing pants too so I wore my hot dog jeans which is the next best thing to no pants! I showed Pantsless Kate how to paint with water since we banned sidewalk chalk after she colored our walls blue. Let’s paint our ABCs!
A a a airplane in the sky B b b bee spray that doesn’t work C c c code for the fat poors
What a full day of shilling (products), Schylling (tea cups) and spilling (tea)!
Tuesday
Dimmy: Guys my period is five days late but I’m not pregnant! Has this ever happened to you? Yes or not yet!
Dimmy: Hellloooo I’m back. Like, a lot of people are saying just wait a few more days and take another pregnancy test then.
NO SHIT KIMMY.
Dimmy: So anyway even though I’m super sick I went to Mindy McKnight’s bath and body launch to spread my germs because it was at a hamam and you all know from my time in Morocco, I love a good hamam! Mindy and I took a photo with our mouths hanging open and faces pressed together so….. hope one of your new bath products is an immune booster, Mindy! Good luck not getting sick!
Meanwhile Scooter Kate had fun skiing for donuts in her clogs, riding her scooter and learning to catch a football.
Wednesday
Kimmy took the day off stories without explanation and was nowhere to be found. Could she be feeling poorly? “Working?” Taking multiple pregnancy tests? Shopping for more ripped-knee jeans?
The disheveled moppet and her tax-challenged handler surfaced on stories at Turtle Creek Lane. Smartie Kate had gone over there to teach McKenna Kate how to spell, and correct the errors on her summer bucket list. As a reward for tutoring MK, the fridge troll gave Stevie Clog an ice cream cone, but the sugar police caught her red-handed. Not to be bullied for her sweet treat, Stevie Kate tightened her grip on the cone and licked away defiantly as Minnie scolded her. As punishment, Jen made her cut up a huge plate full of raw veggies and eat them. Then Stevie Swan visited Swannie Kate and taught Jen how to read, and finished her afternoon at TCL by taking a nap with one of her favorites, Uncle Sam.
Thursday
Dimmy: CAN YOU SAY GOOD MORNING?
Chef Kate: Good morning mommy here’s your breakfast: two pieces of bacon and a pancake served with a side of my snot syrup. Zero calorie play food, since we all know you never eat any real breakfast! You intermittent fast for 1100 hours and then break your fast with HLTH code powder and whipped cream!
Dummy is crowdsourcing Twitter and Instagram for suggestions on how to get SK to stop whining as the Contentot was put in timeout twice today.
Dimmy told everyone that taking your toddler to Costco is a fun idea because they can destroy everything in the store instead of your house. She and Jen piled Shopping Cart Kate high with Memorial Day weekend groceries for their upcoming trip to the lake house. Costco Kate was not amused by the Tide on her toes and snot on her nose.
Dimmy shilled CVS ExtraBucks and then it was time for Cartwheel Kate to hit the gym and In-N-Out. Stevie Kate and Dummy enjoyed burgers with buns and Dimmy got to lick the wrappers. Unclear if she has anything else, as she placed a movie recommendation box strategically over the spot where her dinner should be.
Friday
Dummy said he’s already listened to two parenting books at 4X speed and has detailed the perfect six step plan on how to get Stevie Kate to stop whining, which involves gossiping in front of her and some other weird shit. Now if only he could find the perfect six step plan on how to stop being an asshole.
Shoeless Kate managed not to lose any toes racing around in her little car, feet flying across the pavement. She pretended her baby doll was Shilly Lilly and followed Tiffany’s safety guidelines for how to treat a newborn, although everyone agreed she was gentler with her doll than Tiffany is with Chilly, as the doll was properly dressed and only flew out of the car and hit the pavement once.
Then it was time to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend at Possum Kingdom. The Dummies packed up their car by grabbing armfuls of all the junk in their house and shoving it into their car, filling up every square inch to the top. Despite not being able to see out the car windows, Dummy drove the overstuffed hail-dented junk mobile to the lake house without getting in an accident. On the way Dimmy gave us an update on Period Watch 2023 as if any of us care. She’s now eight days late and still churning out negative pregnancy tests.
The Dummies were the first of the Turtles to arrive at the lake house. The fridge troll collapsed on the new Love Sac sofa with his shoes on for a nap while Feral Kate was ready to go out on the boat but alas the Senior Turtles weren’t due to arrive until the next day.
Saturday
Goooood moooorning… Hiiiiiii trilled the shrill one, in her screechiest greeting of the week as she located her troll of a husband and diaper-clad tot in The Ranch at Possum Kingdom’s neighborhood pool. She changed the Contentot into a swim diaper but didn’t bother dressing her in a swimsuit. After SK’s Elsa and Anna dolls lemming-jumped to their deaths off the waterfall feature with an assist from Dummy, it was time to tour the $5 million lake house the Senior Turtles just purchased to add to their growing portfolio of properties, which will soon fill up an entire Monopoly board. Entitled Kate, finally clothed in a swim cover-up, was bored with the new home tour (another day, another mansion, am I right?) so the troll played hide and seek with her throughout the cavernous rooms. Then Dimmy bribed Stevie Carb with white bread if she’d pretend to love her new cousin and gaze at her sweetly, which worked like a charm. The Contentot gleefully held slices of white bread in each grubby paw on the expensive brand new white Lovesac sofa and crouched next to Shilly. Then Stevie Kate went out on the boat and had a grand time since she got fed more bread there and didn’t even have to waterski for content and donuts. Channeling her inner Geico commercial piggy, she gleefully cried weeeeeeeeee the whole way home.

Hello,
I am currently a high school Spanish teacher and I am going to be interviewing for a middle school position this Friday. The outfit I have in mind is a navy blue blazesport coat (not sure what the difference is), khaki chinos, light colored patterned shirt, belt, and navy blue Vans. I have worn this outfit a couple of times this year and received compliments from my AP as well as fellow teachers. Two previous times I have interviewed I wore a full suit which I still own. I understand that it is a lot more common to wear a suit for an interview, however I feel that the proposed outfit speaks to my personality. Thoughts?
Here is a picture of me wearing the outfit. [Imgur](https://imgur.com/LU2Ajon)

The Future is Officially Canceled.
Dee had read articles like this before. He couldn’t remember if the future had ever been officially canceled. But it had been canceled. Unofficially, perhaps. Hence the need to do it officially.
He skimmed the first few paragraphs …the slow cancellation of the future… …pop culture is eating itself… …imitators are imitating an imitation… The ‘slow cancellation’ theory was first flung around in the early twenty first century, on the hypothesis that if you played 1970s music to someone in the 1950s, it would blow their freaking mind. And if you played music from the 1990s to someone in the 1970s, their mind would be equally blown. But if you played music from the ‘10s to someone in the 1990s it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. In fact, that person may even think they had heard some of it before. The same thing with music from the ‘30s to someone in the ‘10s or music from now to someone in the ‘30s. That person might conceivably think they were even listening to music from a previous decade. Pop culture had referenced itself so many times over, it was now just a copy of a copy of a copy. Degrading every time.
Dee looked down at the article's credit, Dennis Bagley, Editorial AI Operator. He knew it, AI. No wonder it read so familiar. He looked up at the various awards on his top shelf. Dee knew he was different. Better. His AI operating skills were the thing of accolades. The thing of applause. Just last week he and his AI processor picked up Gold in Effectology for their Just Poo It campaign for Charmin. And Silver in Originology for their The Ketchup In The Rye commercial for Pepsi-Heinz, about a young guy who gets kicked out of school and stays out all night trying to find a bottle of ketchup. He looked down at his processor and beamed. Its glowing red light beamed back at him.
They didn’t just stumble into that kind of effectiveness. Campaigns didn’t even get greenlit unless they scored ninety or above on the Effectology meter. He and his AI were usually hitting ninety twos or ninety threes, even a ninety five for Here’s To The Lazy Ones for Caspar mattresses. That campaign killed.
But Dee held himself to that higher calling, Originology. The metrics of original ideas. Sure, the AI did most of the work but Dee was able to tweak his processor to go way beyond the requisite twenty five percent Originology score. Together they were nailing figures in the forties, sometimes even peaking into the fifties. Scores that were head and shoulders above the rest of the department.
That’s how he could afford the sweet ‘18 Jordans Reissues on his feet. He curled his luxe Loewe headphone cable through his fingers and wrapped it around his neck like a scarf. He scoffed at a time when people didn’t think they needed a headphone cable. And imagined having nothing to twirl while listening to reinterpreted rock, nothing to wind around his fingers while he fed the processor. How many headphones must have been lost forever, just because they weren’t plugged in? Like everything else in pop culture, what went around came around, and, relatively recently, headphone cables had come back hard as the status symbol. Today, you didn’t just have to have a cable to be considered cool, you had to have the cable. It had to be thick as a rope, plated with rare metals, and covered in a fancy leather sheath from a chic brand like Gucci or Loewe.
Dee beamed as he thought of all the cool historical cultural knowledge he had amassed. Not just advertising history like the dweebs in the cubicles around him, but film history, fashion history, art history, music history. If it happened in culture, he knew about it. And he used it. That’s how he scored so high on the Originology meter. It made him feel almost like a real writer. Though he would never say that out loud. He imagined being like the old timers, upstairs. The un.ai.ded human writers, that clients would pay a serious premium for. Then he wouldn’t have to work on ketchup and toilet roll. He could have a crack at the big dogs, like Googlesoft, United American Airlines or DoritosLocosTacoBell. For now though, he’d have to stick with clients more becoming of his position. This morning’s task was to create a campaign for Pepsi-Crest. A toothpaste. Not super interesting. But he knew how to spice it up. Instead of letting his AI go back through decades of toothpaste ads just to pump out tired old crap like the It Cleans Your Face While it Cleans Your Teeth campaign that Mike Bey pitched last week, Dee mixed in a little fast food inspo from one of his favorite eras and found himself at the highly original and equally effective Where’s the Teeth? campaign. He was stunned by his own brilliance. He patted his processor and imagined it congratulating him back, then he programmed it to write an epic fifteen second anthem film and a suite of six second pre-roll spots, then sent it off to the CG department to render in time to air that night. Dee’s colleagues often asked him how he and his processor were so good at what they did. How their campaigns always scored so highly in both Effectology and Originology. They all used the same machine learning. It’s what the agency sold itself on. Never wanting to sound aloof; even though he was, or like he was tooting his own horn; even though he often did, he would merely say, “I like to pepper a bit of non advertising data in there. A little hint of me.” It was enough to provoke gasps and even make his colleagues take a step back or two, they had all been programmed to do just one task, feed the machine with advertising data. They couldn’t fathom diverging. “The AI should be enough,” was the general understanding. “The machine has better knowledge of advertising history than we do,” and “knows the ins and outs of Effectology better than we ever could.” It’s even been “scientifically programmed to exceed all expectation of Originology.” Dee couldn’t be swayed by any of the standard reactions. He would just smile, and casually amble off. Knowing full well he was beating the machine. He was a rebel in his own right. That afternoon, his section boss leaned over his cubicle. “Hullo Tara.” “Keep it formal please, colleague,” she scolded, “call me Antino. What do you look so ruddy chuffed about anyway?” “I just came up with a brilliant campaign for a very dull toothpaste. You’ll see it on The Comedy Central Reruns Channel tonight.” “Yes, well, an upstairs project is running behind and they’re calling on us down here to pull together some inspo decks, help jostle something loose in those tired old brains.” “Wouldn’t that make them not human-made? What are their clients paying all that money for?” “Loopholes, colleague, loopholes. As long as one of them humans writes the final line, it doesn’t matter how much AI they used to get there. “ “I could do that. I could do better than that. Did I tell you about my toothpaste campaign?” “Yes you did. Twice now. Must be good.” “It is.” “Well, here’s your chance for a peek into the real writer life. I’m deprioritizing your regular workload and prioritizing this inspo creation.” “Yeahhh!” Dee punched the air and freeze framed like he saw in an old movie. “The brief is for Fiat Maserati Jeep Dodge RAM. It’s a car. The Fiat Maserati Jeep Dodge RAM Unica. Like a fancy off-roader, you know what I mean? They wanna sell it to people in cities who don’t drive. More of a status symbol, you know what I mean? Like park it in front of your house so people will know you could go off-roading if you wanted to. Audience archetype is Moms. You getting this?” Dee finally broke his freeze frame but his mind was already whirring. “Yeah, I got it.” “Alright then. Bon chance.” Dee jumped into action, flipped up his AI processor’s screen and started cross referencing old Land Rover ads with The Rock movies, some Nora Ephron classics, Michelle Rodriguez’s character from all twenty eight Fast & Furious movies; even the fully CGI’d ones, the scene from Mrs Doubtfire when she’s playing the broomstick like a guitar, some Bikini Kill records, a memory of his own Mom making him wait in the car while she went shopping at Bergdorfs, a bunch of cool off-roading stuff from Top Gear and a painting of a car he’d always loved by Robert Bechtle. The machine spat out fifteen possible campaign inspo starters and Dee ran-walked them to the inspo courier in the office atrium. Before the day ended, a synthetic orchestra sounded through the building, \Pah pahhh, pah pa pah pa pah pahhh** and the employees were called into the atrium. Office meeting. As Dee strolled in, he caught the rare sight of the last few human copywriters lined up around the balcony above them. They applauded the downstairs employees, theatrically, motioning with their claps as they walked in and took seats, stood awkwardly or otherwise congregated.
There was a dramatic hush before one of the last true human copywriters finally spoke. “Great inspo. Thanks.” Wow. Each word, each letter, worth its weight in gold. That's probably why they used so few, thought Dee. “Yeah, really really good stuff.” Said another. “AI did this?” Said a third as she held the sheets of inspo out. “Some of the best inspo I’ve ever seen in all of my career.” Coughed the oldest and most regal sounding.
Dee squinted and peered up at them. Was that his inspo deck they were flashing around? Was this whole elaborate ceremony all to celebrate his AI operating? He didn’t know whether to be chuffed or anxious. Did they know he was cheating the system? Did they care? These are some of the last true human copywriters in history. They have, and are encouraged to have, the unique thought. Their work isn’t judged on how similar-without-being-exactly-the-same it is to existing campaigns. It’s judged on how different, how breakthrough, how stand out it is.
“It was me!” Dee blurted out. Quite uncharacteristically. He was usually so cool with the compliments. So coy with the recognition. His whole angle required it.
The other AI operators standing around him took their requisite step back, though this time it was less in awe, more in disgust. The air in the room stiffened. AI had ruled his department, and most of the industry, for so long that people didn’t speak up anymore. They just quietly fed the machine. And the machine took all the glory. Dee felt instant ostracism from the colleagues he had worked alongside for most of his career. He immediately questioned his outburst and retracted his ownership claim, knowing that his inspo deck would have been one of many.
“Some of it, at least. My AI, I mean. Processor.” He said. Sheepish this time. Back in his place.
The last few human copywriters smiled, nodded, bowed, gave final congratulations to all from high up on their balcony and then shuffled away in single file. All but one, Sir Coughing-Most-Regal. He slowly made his way down the grand staircase, into the atrium. A man leaving behind his usual pomp and circumstance, bringing his rare ability of unique thought into a crowd of imitation suppliers. As he reached the bottom step, he lost all of his royal air and seemed suddenly so vulnerable, walking among the regular folk. Most of Dee’s colleagues had already left, gone back to their metal masters, but Dee stayed. He knew this old man was coming to see him. He thought he might be in for a dressing down but he hoped it would be the opposite. He manifested that this titan of singular thought, the rare, unique idea, was coming to congratulate him.
“Freedkin.” The old man shoved out his hand. “Pleasure.” Dee shook it. “You say you programmed this inspo deck, yes?” He flapped the pages around. “Yes.” “Ruddy good work, let me tell you.” “Thank you.” “In all my years, since this artificial thinking thing came in, I’ve never read anything so good. Inspired me all over. I’ve been positively bursting with ideas since.” “Thank… you.” “AI wrote this you say?” “Yes.” “Ruddy good for AI. Never read anything so ruddy good. And you processed it?” “Yes.” “What’s your name son?” “Dee.” “Dee what?” “Palmer.” “Pleasure to meet you, Palmer. How much did you… influence it, the AI?” “How do you mean, sir?” “Call me Freedkin.” “How do you mean, Freedkin?” “I mean… how much of it is yours and how much is the machine’s?” Dee didn’t answer. He was looking for the angle. This old man surely didn’t value what AI does. He’s one of the last bastions of actual human creation. What was he getting at? Freedkin reoriented his question. “Mostly the machine or mostly you?” Dee thought he might have a kindred spirit here, in front of him, for the first time. He was going to take a risk. Recognizing a willingness to open up, Freedkin leaned in and spoke quietly. “Did you write this inspo or did the machine?” “I wrote it.” Dee postured. “All.” “Thought so. Good job. Our secret.” Freedkin winked. “Jolly good.” The next day, as he fed his AI little snippets of unexpected data, Dee noticed a hush come over his floor. The usual keyboard click, clack and grumble of inter-colleague banter were dead silent. All that was left was the processors’ harmonic hum. He lifted himself from his expensive ergonomic office chair and peered over his cubicle wall, spying across the sea of operators that made up the AI.ded Creativity department. A hunched figure at the opposite end of the bullpen sauntered from operator to operator, swilling a cup of coffee, looking in at each workstation. Giving a “hello” here, a nod there, even the odd salute. It was Freedkin. A real writer. Down here with the machine feeders. The other operators seemed afraid to go near him. Worried they might infect him with their inability. Dee had never seen a real writer in the operators’ bullpen. Freedkin, already old by industry standards, looked positively ancient in these surroundings. A sepia photograph in a technicolor world. Dee watched him, wondering if he should call out. He felt bound by social etiquette to not foist another outburst onto his peers. So he just watched, for a number of minutes, until Freedkin was close enough that his old eyes could make out Dee’s visage.
“Palmer!” Bingo. The two sat in Dee’s cubicle. Freedkin in the expensive office chair, as was fitting, and Dee on the wooden footstool. “For a short time we all worked from home. At the start of my career. For a short time.” “Everyone?” “Most. Not everyone, I suppose. But it was the thing to do. Was deemed more productive. Until it wasn’t. Then when this thing became the norm,” he tapped on Dee’s tiny AI processor, its red light glowed, “there was a sort of an office renaissance. I remember the bigwigs back then didn’t really want us using AI for ideas. Like it was giving in to the machine. We slowly got called back to the agency so they could keep an eye on our output. Keep it human, I suppose. That’s when the separation happened. In the end, the agency had to start using artificial thinking to keep up with demand. What are you lot churning out these days? Three campaigns a day? Four? We used to get a whole week to come up with one idea. After a while, of course, it got squeezed down to a couple of days. To the point where we needed the machine to keep up. Not long after, the bigwigs realized they could actually charge more off of the ‘human’ written stuff. Anyway, enough of the history lesson, what.” “It’s very interesting.” “Yes well, what I really came down here for,” Freedkin paused and looked around, “was some of that… good… inspo.” “I hear ya.” Dee poised his fingers over his keyboard and looked into the air like he was about to write something un.ai.ded, cocksure in his posture. “What’s this one about then?” “Watches. For Googlesoft. ‘Time,’ I was thinking, means so much, yet so little. Where does it all go? You know? How do we make more of it? Watches are time machines. See?” Dee’s posture sank. He thought of all that, by himself? No machine? He suddenly felt very ineffective. Unoriginal. He saw only the red glow from his little AI processor, staring back at him. Taking all the credit. He imagined it laughing with his colleagues in a bar while he sat at the other end of the table, ignored. He imagined it accepting awards by itself. He felt weak. He felt useless without it. It just glowed. “It kind of flows better… when I’m alone.” Dee nervously mumbled. “Right. Don’t say another word. Right you are. ‘Time.’ Remember. Where does it all go? Ok, I go. Ta-ta for now.
Dee looked down at his processor, apologetically. He quietly admonished himself before it until he felt forgiven. Then he typed in a weak initial prompt, all he could muster, write an advertising campaign about time.
The AI spat back a perfectly crafted campaign idea, line and film execution almost faster than Dee hit enter. The Best Things Come To Bros Who Wait. Dee immediately recognized it as a Guinness Surfers imitation. Tick followed tock followed tick followed tock. Its Effectology score clocked in well into the nineties. But its Originology score barely scraped by, just making it into ‘passable.’ Dee silently sneered at his surrounding coworkers. Any one of them would submit this as is and call it a day. It’d be rendered in minutes, deals made with celebrities’ CG likenesses under the hour, a revered AI voiceover and stunning synthetic music that would leave audiences lining up for these passively useful timepieces. But that wasn’t enough for Dee. That’s why he was who he was, goddamnit. Why Freedkin came to him. Him! Not Buton or Deytoro or Heckering. Him!
He added more detail to his prompt. Meaning of time. How to get time back. Time Machine. Back in time. Michael J Fox. Einstein (dog). Time Bandits. Timecop. Van Damme. Kyle Reece. Time displacement. Uhhh huhhh this felt good again. This was working. Dee and his processor were back in sync. As though they were one. Of course, as far as Freedkin knew, they were one. As Dee typed away, he imagined him and his AI coming together. Two heads. Better than one. He lost himself in his prompting and pictured his processor sitting on his shoulder, a second head, right there, next to his own. A tiny, metal appendage. Sleek, gray, with its glowing red light. And, for some reason, it was growing a little mustache. Dee and the mustached machine were completely lost in their work over the next few days. They hardly wrote any of their own campaigns. It was all inspo, inspo, inspo for Freedkin. The good stuff though, Viking Space Cruises, 1900 Tequila, Acne Studios. Each time, Dee and his processor were pretty much writing the entire thing. Freedkin hardly needed to change them at all. Just put his old world tone all over it. Add all of his extra words and ‘personality.’ Dee’s two heads were coming up with the best campaigns in the agency. And no one knew it. Except Freedkin. By now, his second head felt almost as big as his first. He could see it in his periphery. When he looked to the left, it looked back at him. It smiled sometimes. And that little freaking mustache was starting to freak Dee out. That night, Freedkin invited Dee for a couple of drinks with the other real human writers at the fanciest DoritosLocosTacoBell on the Westside. They didn’t even have to wait in line. Dee marveled at the size of the place, the expansiveness. It was packed. They were led through by the greeter to a private table at the back with a leather rope around it. He sat on the edge of the booth as the others ordered various flavors of Gatorade-aritas. When it got to Dee, he said he would have the same as Freedkin, which turned out to be a Frost Glacier Cherry-arita, the classiest -arita of all.
The writers’ conversation was mesmerizing. Every word that came out of their mouths was a unique thought. An opinion. A point of view. Dee tried to join in by recounting the narrative of various movies he had seen. The more obscure the better, attempting to interact at their level. While telling the story of Mick Jackson’s Threads to Bigelo, he could feel her searching for a point of view or an opinion in what he was saying, but he couldn’t stir one. If only he had his processor right now. Its red light glowed comfortingly in his mind. He missed it. Slowly, the other writers left. Dee couldn’t help but think he had something to do with it. He was feeling so inadequate by the time everyone but Freedkin had gone that he just sat quietly and half-smiled at him. Both of them were five or six Gatorade-aritas deep, slumped in their private booth. “Do you like what you do?” Asked Freedkin. “I love it.” “Do you really?” “I don’t know.” “I hate what I do. But I’m good at it. Do you want to know the secret, Palmer? The secret to what we do?” Dee couldn’t do anything but smile a little bigger to communicate his response. Freedkin paused for dramatic effect. “If you love advertising, you shouldn’t work in advertising.” Did Dee love advertising? He didn’t even know. He knew he knew advertising. “You think your audience loves advertising? You think they want to see your tribute to that Googlesoft spot that was an imitation of an Apple spot that was inspired by a Brett Morgen film? No! They just want to see the Brett Morgen film! They don’t want to see your thing at all!” Dee slumped further down. “But if you’re lucky,” Freedkin continued, “if you’re really lucky, and you show them something they’ve never seen before, because you hate advertising too and you just wanted to make something that made you feel something, if they feel that same feeling, you’ve got gold. But you can only get to gold by summoning all of your experiences outside of advertising. You can’t just try to make the Nike of pimple commercials. You have to make the Palmer of pimple commercials. Do you see? That’s the problem with your AI. Your machine.”
The red light flashed again in Dee’s mind. Awakened by Freedkin’s heresy.
“The best AI will ever do is just show you a better version of something you’ve seen before. They call that effective? The numbers can say whatever they want them to, all they’re really doing is pasting wallpaper on top of wallpaper on top of wallpaper. Until eventually the audience ignores it completely. But you’re different Palmer. You and I are different. Different is what sells. I had a word with Simmons up on six. She’s agreed to give you a trial period on the human floor. At my behest. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her you were already thinking for yourself. I just told her you had the potential to. You start tomorrow. Trial period. Tonight was about the other humans meeting you. I can’t tell you that they’re not skeptical. But they’re open to it. For me. What do you think?” Dee was nervous. He got off the elevator at the operators’ bullpen without even thinking about it. He walked all the way to the atrium and up the grand staircase to the human writers’ floor, instead of getting back on the elevator. He took each step steadily, taking it all in. He felt like a tourist. Like he was borrowing an identity. He imagined he was a young Freedkin and tried to put a confident stride in his step. It didn’t work. He put his hand in his pocket and felt for his AI processor. His second head. Mustached. He couldn’t turn it on because, as everyone knew, AI wasn’t allowed upstairs, in case the agency got audited. The cost consultants would be all over a human writing department that used artificial ideation. They’d be shut down. At the very least, they would lose their Un.AI.ded AI.dvertising license. The only reason for charging such a premium. Dee ran his hand along the balcony rail. He’d only ever seen it from downstairs, from the non-human thinkers’ floor. He walked from the balcony to the human writer’s work area. It was the exact opposite of what he was used to. No sea of cubicles. No click clack. No mechanized productivity. No hum. Just couches, writing desks and quiet.
“Morning.” Whistled Freedkin. “How are we?” “We?” “You.” “Wish I hadn’t drunk so much.” “Ohh, I know. Think of it as an initiation. Nothing wrong with it. Takes your mind off the job. Stops you from thinking for a minute. You need that after everything you’ve been pumping out. All that gold, that is.” “Right.” “Right. Well. Set yourself up wherever you like. First brief is for Coca-Cola. A new water! The freshest water they’ve ever sold, so they say. Tap Clear” Dee wandered over to a small writing desk and put his touchscreen down. He unraveled his headphone cable and felt for his processor in his pocket. When he found it, he rubbed it like a lamp, wishing for a genie. A couple of human writers who’d been deep in concentration when he first walked in, had been disturbed by his arrival. He didn’t recognize them from last night. They glared at him as he set himself up. He smiled in their general direction. They continued to glare. “Big Jim.” Whispered Freedkin. “Him and his team have been here three days straight, on a pitch. Don’t worry about them. They’re just under tremendous stress. This human work really takes it out of you, you know? ” Dee turned and sat with his back to them. He powered up his touchscreen and put his headphones on, draping his Loewe headphone cable around his neck and shoulders. He hovered his fingers over his keyboard, expecting ideas to come. Nothing. He skimmed the brief. Still nothing. He read the brief. Not a thing. A few of the other writers strolled in. Dee watched them find a workspace, sit down, start writing. One of them even used a pen! Dee loved this whole lifestyle. Turn up for work whenever, spout genius, have lunch, sell some billion dollar ideas, have a cocktail. The thought of it all spurred him on. He hovered his fingers over his keyboard again and braced himself for the idea flow. Nothing came. Nothing. All morning. His mind was blank. It felt like it was getting blanker. He couldn’t believe it. Even half thoughts were swimming away from him. Impossible to catch. Even just individual words. Gone. By the afternoon Dee was starting to freak out. He felt like an imposter. “Freedkin,” he hissed, “I can’t think. I can’t come up with anything.” “It takes time, my boy. Days. I told you, before we used to even have weeks…” “But my brain’s not working at all. It won’t… generate… anything.” “Relax your brain. Relax yourself.” “But Freedkin… Freedkin,” he hissed again, “I didn’t write any of that stuff. It was AI. All of it. No… I mean… I helped… but it wasn’t all me.” “Ok… hold on… boy… be careful. That kind of talk will get you killed around here. Try and make it to the end of the day. Try just writing some things down. Some thoughts. Some words. And if you still feel the same tomorrow, I’ll let the brass know it wasn’t for you. No harm.” Dee’s eyes hardened. “Do you hear me, Palmer?” Dee rubbed his temples. “Listen, this affects both of us. Yes, you, but also me… for recommending you. I’ll be out… Think!” Freedkin distanced himself. Hoping it would quell the panic. Dee stared at nothing for as long as he could. An hour, at most. Just stared. No thoughts came. No words. A blank screen. So he slipped his hand in his pocket, held his AI processor warmly, and turned it on. Instantly, an alarm sounded. “What's going on here, Freedkin?” Skewered Big Jim. “Is this your kid? What’s the big idea? Is he working for the machines? What is he…trying to infiltrate us? I can’t have this. I’ve got a family. I can’t be out of a job.” “It’s just a misunderstanding, Jim. He’ll be leaving now.” “No he won’t. Get back here, kid.” Big Jim grabbed at Dee’s shirt. Dee squirmed and tried to push him away. Big Jim got a hand on his neck instead, as some of the other writers tried to grab his arms. Dee instinctively swung his fists around. He got one of the writers, Bigelo, square in the eye. She roared “He’s blinded me!” Big Jim picked him up by his neck. Dee choked. He grabbed his touchscreen and swung it. The edge caught Big Jim on the side of the head. Big Jim dropped him and screamed. Freedkin put a hand on Big Jim’s shoulder. Big Jim swung his fist around and slammed it into Freedkin’s nose. Dee tried to slip away but Big Jim, raging, grabbed his headphone cable and dragged him back, winding the cable around his neck to try and hold on to him with it. The other writers stepped back as Dee kicked around in a panic. He got one of the writers in the stomach and another in the back. The headphone cable slipped out of Big Jim’s hands. Dee reached out for anything he could grab onto. He found a desk leg and pulled himself away from the melee as the gang of writers got him by his feet. They pulled off his Jordans and he crawled away as fast as he could, out of the writers’ area and onto the balcony. The writers caught up with him. He swung the few punches he could muster. He cracked one writer on the cheekbone as another reached for his headphone cable, wrapping it around the balcony rail to stop him from getting even further away. Big Jim steamed in, bleeding from his head, and slammed into Dee, launching him into the air with his sheer force. Dee reached for the rail but it slipped under him as he toppled over into the open atrium, between the floors. He felt a snap as the headphone cable went taut around his neck. A colleague standing in the atrium shrieked. Dee kicked his legs and wriggled about, trying to slip out. He clawed his hands around the cable and tried to loosen it but it just got tighter and tighter. He looked up to see the human writers peering down. Not helping. He could feel his consciousness slipping away. He looked to his left to see his second head staring straight back at him. As he hung, he could feel the metal head growing, exponentially, until it popped off, hit the ground and shattered. Shiny gray liquid metal spilled all over the floor and splashed up the walls. Its red light glowing all over as the metal spread around the room. Once it had flooded the entire atrium it enveloped Dee’s mind. And he was gone. The agency left his body hanging there for two days. They blamed it on a lack of janitorial availability. Everything in the office was automated, and cutting down a dead body wasn’t something their sanitation robots had been programmed to do. But, deep down, everyone knew that it was a message. That they should stay in the roles they had been assigned. So they did. So they wouldn’t end up like Dee.

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Good afternoon party people.
As a reminder, I will be going on vacation starting tomorrow. I will be gone and away from my computer and duties, so tomorrow's chapter is coming today.
There will not be a chapter Monday, June 5th. I'm uncertain if I will post at all during the week of June 5th. It all depends on when I get back and how I feel after a long plane flight.
Regardless of what I do, we will return to our regularly scheduled posting starting June 12th.
I'll miss you all, and I hope you all have a wonderful week. And for those of you in the state, I hope you enjoy having Monday off.
And for those of you who just can't wait...well...buy me a drink and get some chapters on Ko-Fi >:)
---
Kaladin Shadowheart’s POV
I finished buttoning the top button on Mila’s coat and stepped back to appreciate just how well it matched her school uniform. I had to say. I had done a great job without even meaning to.
She looked positively adorable in all red with her little hat. Even her ears poked out from the top, and now that her hair had grown more, it really helped fill her face out. She looked up at me with piercing blue eyes and an expectant look. I couldn’t help but chuckle and pat her on the head.
“You are too cute for your own good,” I told her.
A smile bloomed on her face, and she hugged the hand patting her. “Daddy is even prettier!”
Prettier, huh? Should I be happy that I’m pretty? I think I should. Better to be a pretty daddy than an ugly one, I guess.
“Are we ready to go?” I asked the person standing in the doorway with a smile on her face.
Mila ran over and hugged Sylvia. “Sylvia is pretty too!”
Sylvia stroked Mila’s hair, and her smile brightened even more. “Thank you, Mila,” she said softly. “Let’s go, shall we? We don’t want to be late for our first day of class.”
Today was the first day of school, so we were all dressed up in our school uniforms. It had been a long time since I donned the red and gold jacket of Forward University, not since I had reunited with my family. In that amount of time, I had missed a lot of school as well as essential tests and such.
It was a shame, but to be honest, I didn’t exactly need to attend classes, nor did I need to graduate. As far as I was concerned, my family came first, and I fully intended to accept whatever consequences came my way, even if that meant expulsion from the university.
However, that never came to pass as Bowen explained that all was well. Students missing class for important reasons was common enough and wouldn’t negatively reflect on them if they had sufficient proof and explanation. But that meant I had to make up all those tests, which was a hassle and something I didn’t want to do.
In the end, Bowen suggested that I simply take the tests I missed. If I passed them, then there was nothing to worry about, and I could continue with my studies as if nothing had happened. Apparently, Forward University did offer advanced placement tests in specific scenarios. After all, it would be useless to have a student take a class they didn’t actually need.
Either way, I’m not looking forward to it, even if I can pass the tests with ease.
“Hey, what is Professor Garrison doing here?” Sylvia asked as we made our way down the stairs.
Professor Garrison was at the front door, talking with my parents. He looked apologetic as he lowered his head after speaking a few times. Our eyes met, and he gave me a quick nod of greeting as well. Come to think of it. I hadn’t parted ways with him amicably the last time we met.
I didn’t mean to do that to him. Professor Garrison had always been good to me, and I appreciated him as a person, friend, and mentor. But at the time, I couldn’t let him threaten my family like that. I had my priorities, and I wasn’t afraid to handle those who wanted to threaten my family, even if they were friends.
“Good morning, Professor,” I said with a friendly nod.
“Good morning, Kaladin, Sylvia, and Mila. I’m sorry to bother you before classes, but I thought it would be best to do this now…I should have come sooner, though,” he said, regret laced in his voice.
I looked at my mother, and she just smiled softly and tilted her chin down. I figured they must have already talked and apologized. If Mom and Dad weren’t mad, then neither was I. Besides, I understood where he came from. It would be hard just to let the person who killed your comrades walk around, even if it was years ago.
“I’m sorry for my outburst in class at that time. I shouldn’t have acted so harshly toward you or your mother. And I definitely shouldn't have drawn my weapon. I’m sorry, Kaladin,” Professor Garrison said with a bow.
I patted the man on the shoulder and just smiled at him. “No need to worry. It appears that everything has already been forgotten and forgiven. And I never harbored any ill will toward you, even after that event,” I told him.
Professor Garrison slowly looked up at me. His green eyes were wide behind his glasses, and his eyebrows were high on his face. He looked genuinely shocked at something.
“Is something the matter? Is there something on my face?” I asked as I wiped at my cheeks.
Professor Garrison shook his head like he was clearing his thoughts with force. “No, no, not at all. I was just a little surprised, that's all.” Then he started laughing, and he even grinned. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen or talked to you, Kaladin. You seem like a completely different person now. No, maybe I should say you’ve finally grown up? No…that’s not quite right either…huh,” he mused with a shrug.
“Hopefully, in a good way?” I asked.
“Yeah…definitely in a good way.” His eyes turned to Sylvia, and he raised an eyebrow. “In a good way?”
“In the best way,” she told him.
Is that so? I think I’ve changed a little, hopefully for the best. If I got any worse, things would probably get ugly fast.
Professor Garrison nodded to himself in satisfaction and then chuckled. “Alright, you three, get to class. I'm going to stay here and talk to your parents for a bit. I might be a little late, so let everyone know for me.”
“Yes, Professor,” I said with a grin.
Mila and Sylvia said their goodbyes and see you laters, and we made our way outside. Forward University was buzzing with energy today as students and staff walked around campus. Even in the early morning hours, the place was truly alive for the first time in months.
We walked through the teacher and staff homes until we reached the main pathway. There were so many students out and about the walkways were actually shoulder-to-shoulder. But as we approached a four-way intersection, there was suddenly a massive traffic congestion of bodies.
Everyone was oohing and awwing as they talked amongst themselves. I followed their eyes and looked up at the giant statue that had been erected in the last few weeks in the new park that had been built. I didn’t pay much attention to it because, frankly, I didn’t care…but now I wish I did.
I gawked at the black marble statue in embarrassment. It depicted what could only be described as me, wearing fancy armor and driving a spear into a Dragon’s skull while I sat atop it triumphantly.
Never in my life had I expected to see me…like that. That’s not even how events played out. My spear never went into the Dragon’s head, and I never stood tall over it. The last time I checked, I was dying while being crushed inside of a rock face.
I really hope there are no statues of me anywhere else…
“Sylvia…remember when I asked if you knew what was going on here…did you lie?” I asked in disbelief.
Sylvia giggled to herself as she looked up at the statute. “I did, sort of. I never imagined it would be taller than the trees.” She tilted her head to the side to look at me. “I think they did a fantastic job. They really caught your general vibe and got your face almost perfect. I probably would have made you a little more handsome, though…maybe make your hair a bit longer.”
I sighed deeply. It was true. Whoever sculpted my face had done a good job at replicating it, which was better than them screwing up and making me look like a fool or too much like some fantasy hero. At least they didn’t have me yelling to the heavens or grinning like a fool. The expression was best described as stoic, which was appropriate considering the event and the number of people that had lost their lives.
“Wow…Big Daddy,” Mila mumbled to herself.
“Please don’t say that out loud, Mila,” I begged.
Then it started.
“Hey, is that him?”
“It is him, right?”
“Yeah, that’s Voker—”
“No, that’s Kaladin, you idiot.”
From there, the voices picked up exponentially, turning into a single block of loud noise. I felt all the eyes in the general vicinity flick toward me as the information of my arrival spread through the crowd. It didn’t help that I was taller than the average person which meant it was easy to spot me in a group.
“Let’s just keep walking,” I muttered.
Thankfully the crowd of onlookers did not impede our walking. They even parted to the sides to let us through, which was both good and bad for various reasons. Mila tightened her grip on my hand, most likely nervous at all the attention she was getting.
Instead of just leaving her be, I picked her up, and she instantly held onto me tightly. I personally didn’t care about fame or the attention. People have gawked at me for as long as I can remember in both of my lives, so this was nothing new. However, it clearly upset Mila, who only had bad memories of large crowds staring at her.
Sylvia and I hastened our pace to class, leaving the onlookers behind us.
—
“Wow, he actually came to class for once. It’s a miracle,” snickered Varnir.
“Indeed, it has been some time since we have all been together, has it not?” Sylas said thoughtfully.
“I suppose it has been a long time since all of us have been in class at the same time. Even Jen is back with us,” Ren said with a warm smile.
I almost forgot what it was like to be in this class…it’s good to see everyone is happy and healthy again.
Jen had put back on some healthy weight and looked far better than she had during winter. Some color had returned to her face and hair, and she smiled as she sat next to Tsarra. It was also nice to see that Tsarra wasn’t hiding under one of her spells. Perhaps Jen and Varnir would slowly whittle down her shell.
There was a solid thump as Professor Garrison dropped a stack of papers on his desk. He stared out at us, and the entire class went silent. The Professor let out a deep breath and walked to the front podium.
“It’s good to be back, everyone. I hope all of you had a wonderful, rest-filled winter break with your friends and family. I also hope that you did some studying,” he joked with a grin.
A few students groaned in annoyance, but Professor Garrison continued with his trademark smile. “So…we have much to talk about today. As you all know, today is the first day of classes despite there being no lecture. So for that, I welcome all of you to your final year here at Forward University and congratulate you all for being in Class Onward. As your teacher, I am proud of every single one of you for the trials you have overcome this previous year. We all know just how difficult of a year it was…”
The Professor trailed off for a moment before heading to the chalkboard and writing down a name. “As you all have heard, the tournament with Sandervile is being hosted in Luminar this year, which means we are going to be incredibly busy these next few months with training. Of course, those of you who have no intentions of competing will not be forced, but those of you who are interested will have to compete in the school’s preliminaries to be selected, as is tradition.”
That applies to everyone but me. As the sole person who received a golden ticket so to speak, I’m exempt from this preliminary, which is nice.
Professor Garrison pointed at the name on the board. “I’m sure you are already aware of all this. His and Her Majesty have changed this year's venue to the coastal city of Flumare. I’m sure this came as a surprise to many of you, and rest assured. It was a surprise to us as well. We only learned of this change around the same time I’m sure most of you did, especially with the addition of Saber Academy and with Tel’an’duth joining us this year. And I’m here to say that for contestants who qualify, nothing will change. The school will house, feed, and equip you free of charge, as they have done every year. For the students who are interested in traveling to the venue, the school is offering free tickets as well as free passage to the city. However, lodging is another matter that has still yet to be resolved. I’ll release the information as I get it but don’t worry too much. I'm sure we will figure something out.”
A few students whispered amongst themselves. But what the professor had said was true. For the first time ever, Tel’an’duth was sending students to the tournament, which was as historical as it sounded since this entire tournament was devised to raise and nurture students to fight against Tel’an’duth.
But now the times are changing. And Queen Maxwell was making her moves.
The professor moved to his desk and grabbed a giant scroll. He unraveled it and laid it across the board for all to see. “Now, this is probably what most of you have been waiting for, our new student standings.”
He gave us a few moments to look over the list. In all honesty, there wasn’t too much of a drastic change overall. However, the top five students had changed significantly, and everyone else sort of moved to reflect that change, staying within one or two spots of their previous ranks.
It was also nice to see that Jen had actually stayed the exact same. It was probably due to the Dragon incident keeping her out of school for so long. If she were to be punished for that, it would have been a heartbreaking penalty.
But…there was a new number one on the board…which I didn’t think was necessary.
“I’m sure that there are very few of you who have complaints about the new number one student. Honestly, giving reasons as to why he shouldn’t be number one would be hard. Well, maybe besides his constant absences,” Professor Garrison said with a grin as he winked at me. “Academically, Kaladin has achieved top marks since his arrival last year, only ever stumbling in his Beastmen language studies. And as for his merits outside of the class and in physical examinations, what else is there to say? Please, everyone, give a clap for our new number one student.”
The class erupted into claps and a few cheers as everyone turned to me. It was a relief to see that people weren’t in an uproar over it. Which I thought would happen since I had missed so much school. But perhaps I had just become too much of a figure to be denied that spot.
I even looked at Lin, and she just winked at me. She had no qualms about relinquishing the position she had maintained all these years. However, I did feel somewhat bad for dethroning her.
“Daddy is number one!” Mila said as she sat up in my lap and hugged me.
Well, this isn’t so bad.
“Now, now, then. We will go over the top five as it has changed the most. Linnetia Paine, although you are now second, I hope you are not discouraged in the slightest,” he said as he eyed Lin.
Lin bowed her head graciously. “Being second to the Dragonslayer is hardly a downgrade. On the contrary, perhaps it’s even more of an upgrade. I have no problems with my ranking, and I am more than happy to congratulate Kaladin,” she said, her voice kind yet firm.
As expected of the next head of the Paine family. I almost forgot that Lin was a noble now.
Everyone clapped at that, and Professor Garrison continued. “Congratulations to Arene Maxwell for successfully holding onto the third-ranked position. In such chaotic times, I believe that shows just how much you have grown.”
Ren bowed her head while everyone clapped for her. “Now, to our new fourth-placed student, Tsarra Tel’an’duth, congratulations on your new ranking. You have by far improved the most out of any previous student. Even though you were not officially recognized for your act of bravery against the Dragon, the school has decided to do this much for a hero. You have also shown incredible growth in your magic, officially reaching the mage rank of Grandmaster. And as to be expected of a princess, your academics are outstanding, and the school has even published your book on illusion magic.”
The room erupted into clapping once more, and I watched Sylvia put a hand to her chin. “She wrote a book? That’s impressive,” Sylvia muttered quietly to herself.
“Is it that surprising? I think she is more than capable of that,” I told her.
“I guess we have two very different images of her then,” Sylvia whispered.
Tsarra, at first glance, seemed to be a shy, introverted girl. And that was because she was. Although she had changed steadily since I met her, her nature was still much the same. However, she became a completely different person when it came to reading books.
And it turned out it wasn’t only reading books she was passionate about but writing them too.
I turned in my seat and clapped for her, but Tsarra looked about ready to explode. Her face was redder than her hair from all the attention. I was afraid she would burst a blood vessel with how hard she clenched her jaw.
Well, some things change. And some things don’t.
“And, of course, another congratulations is in order to our new fifth-ranked student, Varnir Shadowstone. Varnir, you are easily the second most improved student in Class Onward, only falling short of Tsarra slightly in academics, which you have improved greatly in and in outside achievements. However, your prowess in your physical testing has improved dramatically. Once again, congratulations, Varnir,” Professor said, his voice full of praise.
“Hey, look at that! I almost caught up to you,” Varnir said with a chuckle as he hugged Tsarra by the shoulder.
If Tsarra wasn't embarrassed already, that was enough to kill her. I watched as the air around Tsarra wobbled and warped, and she disappeared completely in a blink of an eye. It was amazing that she lasted that long in the first place.
Sylvia grumbled some things under her breath about beating Varnir on the first day of school but still being ranked below him, and surprisingly, even with the clapping, Professor Garrison heard her. “Sylvia, I imagine many people are confused as to why you are only ranked eighth. It’s no surprise that you played a critical role in the Dragon incident, and many people, including myself, owe our lives to you. I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for saving us. Also, your physical prowess is something to remark on. If we based rankings solely on that, you would be in the top five, no questions asked. However, we take more into account. To be honest, your academic abilities fall short of the class average, which is nothing to be ashamed of. And if rankings were to be recalculated today, your outside achievements would have doubled even more considering your involvement with Dragonheart Foundation. Regardless of your rank, we should all congratulate President Sylvia of the Dragonheart Foundation, who will give us a speech tonight at the school banquet.”
Everyone in the class clapped loudly for Sylvia. It seemed that despite her being a Vampire, many students felt that she had done something remarkable, which was the absolute truth. Sylvia deserved all the praise and more.
“Congratulations, Miss President,” I said with a grin.
“Shut up…” she whimpered, her ears burning red.
“Sylvia is number two to Daddy!” Mila squealed as she rolled off my lap and into Syliva’s arms.
Sylvia looked surprised for a moment but hugged Mila back, the two of them touching heads. “I guess being second to Daddy is okay…” Sylvia muttered.
Professor Garrison took a swig of water and let out a deep sigh. “Sadly, we don’t have time to go over everyone’s rankings today. We would be here all day if we did. For those of you who have complaints or want to know how you were ranked, please head to the counselor's office. They will give you your breakdown there.” The professor clapped and put his hands on his hips. “Now, onto the next and hopefully last article for today. I would like to welcome three new students to Class Onward. And before you ask, I understand that it’s a bit late to be accepting new students into our class. And the school agrees. It’s best to consider these three as… short-term transfer students with exceptional skills and circumstances. Although they will not graduate with you, they may just become teachers one day, so please treat them well and warmly welcome them to our class.”
Everyone clapped once more as the door to the room opened. I was clapping as well, only to stop in surprise. I’m sure I had a dumb expression on my face as I watched the two familiar faces walk in. I had no idea they would attend Forward University, let alone join the class. They had somehow managed to keep this a secret.
The first to walk forward was none other than Padraic. The young Dwarf looked dashing in his gold and red jacket. He left the jacket hang open, exposing the black dress shirt underneath.
He had his trademark grin as he eyed me across the room. I’m sure he was positively reveling in my surprise. And I had a feeling he was about to say something outrageous in an attempt to embarrass me.
Professor Garrison motioned for Padraic to introduce himself, and the Dwarf cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him. “It’s good to meet all of you and all that good fun. My name is Padraic Whitehelm, and to be honest, I’m really only here to use the forges and the school’s resources, and since I had to take classes to do so, I figured I would join the class with my brother from another mother and my two future fiancees. So uh…yeah, that’s it, really.”
Oh, he boldly declared that. At least his embarrassment was targeted at…wait…two fiancees? Who's the second? Did I miss something?
I thought that as I looked back at Jen. Much like Tsarra, she was beside herself as she hid her face in her arms. It seemed she wanted to run away. I scanned the room for the second so-called future fiancee, but it didn’t seem like anyone was reacting to that statement, so I had no idea who it was.
The class clapped somewhat awkwardly but was more or less mumbling to each other. Padraic’s brazen entrance no doubt shocked quite a few students. But that was Padraic for you. He never cared what others thought of him.
Professor Garrison chuckled awkwardly to himself. “Well, that was something. But a little background on our new student is that he not only passed the entrance exam but tested in the top one percent of advanced mathematics, not only in this class but the entire school. Padraic here also impressed both the forge and smithing teachers, earning their respect with a single demo. As well as being an Opal adventurer with three years of experience.”
With a little more context, it seemed that assuaged anyone’s worries, and they put more excitement into their applause. I had no idea he placed so high in math, but Padraic was always good at it. Even back in the day, he took to math faster than Cerila. But that was only when he was actually focusing and not goofing around or teasing me…
And good for him on impressing two teachers at Forward University with one demonstration is definitely something to be proud of. He did make my new bow, which was expertly crafted.
Next up was also a surprise. She looked stunning in her uniform, and it was hard to look away. Her long snow-white hair flowed down to her hips as her new jacket fit snugly around her upper body, accentuating her athletic and curvy physique. And her white and gold skirt was—
“Why is her skirt shorter than everyone else’s? What’s with that crap?” Sylvia growled in a low voice as she glared down at Cerila.
It’s uh…true…Cerila’s skirt, for some reason or another, was shorter than the norm. And it only exposed her long toned yet pale legs even more as she chose to wear short white socks.
I felt Sylvia’s glare turn to me in my absence of a response, but I just kept my eyes forward, fully intent on not meeting her gaze. I felt that no matter what I said, I would be wrong. And it would only open me up for criticism. So the best course of action was to say nothing.
Cerila went over to the board and quickly chalked up a hand that was leaving a head, as well as her name. To an untrained eye, it looked to be as if she drew someone saluting followed by her name in Human. But it was actually a depiction of someone signing hello.
And it was accurate as well as being well drawn. I guess years of drawing on that tablet are coming into play.
Once she was done, she turned around to face the class and repeated the motion for the sign. From there, Professor Garrison took over. “First of all, please welcome Cerila to the class. Although she can’t hear any of you, the gesture still has meaning for her.”
The class looked confused, and a few people muttered to each other, but after a pointed glare from the teacher, everyone quickly gave a round of applause to welcome her. “As some of you have guessed, Cerila is deaf and can not hear you, but that does not mean she can’t talk to you. And although you may think of this as a hindrance, Cerila has lived her entire life this way and has not only adapted but flourished. She passed the school’s entrance exam and tested out of master-level language classes for both Elvish and Human, being able to read and write fluently to the level of a translator. Not only that, Cerila is fluent in a completely new language called Sign Language. As a result, she is able to communicate in everyday conversation with others despite not verbally speaking a single word. She also shows martial prowess that is to be recognized, as she has achieved the adventurer rank of Topaz in only three years. For those of you who are unaware, that is an accomplishment beyond what a normal person is capable of, especially someone so young.”
Upon his further explanation of Cerila’s exploits and achievements, the room did a collective nod of approval and gave her one more final applause. Cerila flashed a stunning smile at everyone, and with Padraic next to her, the two of them walked straight up the steps and toward me.
“Are they really going…what a pain,” Sylvia grumbled quietly to herself.
Sure enough, the two took open seats to my left, with Cerila right next to me. She smiled brightly at me and even let out a noise that was the same as her giggling. she asked.
I told her.
Cerila was about to sign to me again, but I poked her as Professor Garrison cleared his throat loudly. “Now then, would the final student please introduce himself?”
The third student had been quietly standing to the side. At first glance, he seemed…odd, and I found it hard to tell how old he was for some reason. He wore the school uniform just the same as everyone else, and as a tiger Beastmen, he didn’t appear to have overwhelming physical size but was a rather average build. His tiger-like ears poked out from his long hair that was poofed up while being the color of brownish dried blood.
But the oddest thing about him was those dark-tinted glasses he wore over his eyes…they seemed almost like sunglasses, which was weird since we were indoors and the room could hardly be described as bright.
The Beastmen had a proper air about him, almost like a noble, which was all but confirmed as he dipped into an elegant bow straight out of a book on manners.
“My name is Malachi Talgan, and I am the crown prince of the Principality of Nul. It’s an honor to be here,” he said in a velvety smooth voice.
Malachi also took his glasses off, exposing his unswirling Vampiric blood-red eyes to the class. But unlike Sylvia, who possessed entirely crimson eyes, Malachi’s eyes were like that of a half-moon of red, leaving the rest of his iris a dead-looking white color. Of course, I only had two other Vampires besides Sylvia to compare to, but Malachi’s eyes had far more red than the Vampire who kidnapped me and even more than the Vampire diplomat I saw in Sandervile.
And did he just say his last name was Talgan?

Next

Daily replies here!
Any daily repliers out there? I'm really looking for someone who can do daily posts. I want something that we can both get really excited about!
I'm looking for either something set in the universe of The Little Mermaid, or medieval / victorian fantasy. For the little mermaid, essentially in happy as long as I can play Morgana (the villain from the second film) so I'm open to any ideas there! Play an OC, a Canon character, I don't mind! I'm also looking for a kingdom based fantasy idea! I have an OC who ive got set in mind here, so I'd like to brainstorm something around both our characters. My character generally fits the grumpy Mentor / royal vibe if you want an idea of who I'd be playing.

I like a mixture of high stakes and sweet moments the best. STRICTLY PLATONIC ONLY. I'm looking to create something that involves both our characters! Without knowing the characters involved beforehand, I usually find it quite difficult to create a plot. I really hate writing physical combat scenes, so that's not something I'd want to include Third person past tense only
I have a minimum of 1000 characters, and a maximum of 4500 characters or so. I'm the most comfortable around the 1450 character mark give or take
I prefer to brainstorm the plot together with my partner! Ideally come with a character in mind, or at least a basic idea of who you want to play
I'm generally a fast replyer, and I'm very communicative. The longest I'll leave you waiting for a reply is 2 days. I'm looking for the "replying daily" type person like myself.

Proof Album
Offers and trades are welcome, especially gold. In general, I collect high grade examples that do NOT feature a male ruler.
Canada - 2014 - $5 - Maple Leaf - Chinese Lunar Horse Double Privy - PCGS SP69 (Reverse Proof; Top Pop) - 500 minted (rarest silver maple leaf) - $950
France - 1966 - 10F - NGC MS67 (Star; Only Known) - gorgeous toning - $380
Great Britain - 2013 - 5 Pounds - St. George and the Dragon (Royal Birth) - NGC PF70 - 7460 minted - $230
Great Britain - 2014 - 2 Pounds - Britannia - NGC PF70 - 5266 minted - $520
Great Britain - 2018 - 2 Pounds - Britannia - Oriental Border - NGC PF70 - 2500 minted - $470
Italy - 1990 - 500L - Columbus' Ships - NGC PF70 (Only Known) - 9400 minted - $380
Mexico - 2017 - 1 Onza - Libertad - NGC PL70 (Reverse Proof) - 1050 minted - $950
Mexico - 2019 - 1 Onza - Libertad - NGC MS70 (Antiqued) - 1000 minted - $760
Switzerland - 2021 - 50F - Shooting Festival (Luzern) - NGC PF70 - 1000 minted - $380
Zelle or PayPal (F&F) from established members. USPS Priority is included (I'm not responsible after the check-in scan).
No chats please.

royale high for Everskies!

Proof Album
Offers and trades are welcome, especially gold. In general, I collect high grade examples that do NOT feature a male ruler.
Canada - 2014 - $5 - Maple Leaf - Chinese Lunar Horse Double Privy - PCGS SP69 (Reverse Proof; Top Pop) - 500 minted (rarest silver maple leaf) - $950
France - 1966 - 10F - NGC MS67 (Star; Only Known) - gorgeous toning - $380
Great Britain - 2013 - 5 Pounds - St. George and the Dragon (Royal Birth) - NGC PF70 - 7460 minted - $230
Great Britain - 2014 - 2 Pounds - Britannia - NGC PF70 - 5266 minted - $520
Great Britain - 2018 - 2 Pounds - Britannia - Oriental Border - NGC PF70 - 2500 minted - $470
Italy - 1990 - 500L - Columbus' Ships - NGC PF70 (Only Known) - 9400 minted - $380
Mexico - 2017 - 1 Onza - Libertad - NGC PL70 (Reverse Proof) - 1050 minted - $950
Mexico - 2019 - 1 Onza - Libertad - NGC MS70 (Antiqued) - 1000 minted - $760
Switzerland - 2021 - 50F - Shooting Festival (Luzern) - NGC PF70 - 1000 minted - $380
Zelle or PayPal (F&F) from established members. USPS Priority is included (I'm not responsible after the check-in scan).
No chats please.

I’m 23 years old; I grew up in Canada but I’m ethnically from the East.
I’m a researcher in the medical field. I simultaneously graduated from two programs having had 13 classes in one semester. Besides the many other things I have going for myself, my hobbies and volunteer position in the hospital keep me busy too.
A substantial part of me is the poetry I write, I love to travel, go on long drives, late night walks and star gazing. I'm an only girl that grew up with boys so my vice is video games. I love exploring new places and going out in the city. I’m a big foodie so I cook and bake as well and my nieces and nephews take up a big place in my heart too.
Besides being a super fast texter I’m a badass that can whoop your ass in call of duty. I’m also a psychiatrist in the making and I’m publishing a poetry book. You can mostly find me in the kitchen making your favourite food while I whine to afrobeats. Submissive by nature & by practice.
Now that I’ve gotten the basics down we’ll take this the “head, shoulders, knees and toes” route haha.

• I do not drink, smoke or do drugs, although I do have a problem....older men do something to me haha
• beards….can’t stress enough how attractive I find them……not on me though, I meant you
• I'm 5’3, I have long dark hair and hazel eyes.
• I’m curvy and have very prominent features.

The following will show you exactly why I'm the perfect wif- I mean submissive for you.\viewer discretion is advised, you may possibly fall in love*
I truly believe that the way you present yourself defines who you are hence I dress to impress. I have an incredibly feminine vibe and you’ll mostly find me in skirts, dresses, corsets and heels. I do usually quiet a room when I enter so you can imagine on your own.
I love to collect lingerie so there is no in between of what I wear to bed, it’s either that or your t-shirt and thigh highs because I have an obsession with socks.
I cannot see (-3.75) so when we wake up in the morning its a plus point for you that I won't be able to make out your messy self- hence you have enough time to fix up before I pop my lenses in haha.
I do wear glasses but only at night or when I plan to tease you with a glasses acquainted outfit.
I have three tattoos all around my upper thigh and hip area; as you can see in the attachment above.
My level of emotional intelligence is very high and I'm very in tune with my emotions. I'm someone that wears my heart on my sleeve so if you have my attention there isn't anything I'm not willing to do for you whether that's dressing in your favourite colours or waiting for you at the dining table after I've set a beautiful table with a yummy dinner.
I may be 5’3 but I’m feisty and can pack a punch so get ready to tussle in bed when you try to restraint me because I rolled my eyes at you. That being said I might take a completely different route sometimes and just tippie toe as I tug your shirt and pull you down so I can whisper what I want in your ear and make you melt as I give you doe eyes. You won’t even know what hit you until we’re on our way to get Nutella ice cream and Boston pizza way past my bedtime Daddy.
I can't do math. ^{sorry can't be your dream mathematician sub} "What's 37+56 you ask? I don't know love & I don't plan on finding out so unfortunately if we ever have a budget, you're handling it."
I'm very attentive and I pay attention to detail and I'm not afraid to go the extra mile to show you how much I care.
My love language is physical touch and quality time
I don't have a lot of hands on experience but I have been in D/S relationships before. Most derived from long term relationships so I'm not into casual or short term things for mere sexual activity. I like to understand you as an individual before I pursue you as a dominant.
Submission Style:

• Submissive, LG, Masochist, Brat, Prey

Domination Style Preference:

• DD, Sir, Master, Dominant, Primal, Brat-Tamer, Sadist

Could be one of any above..
*24-45 years of age

• I do not have a specific body type preference but I would like someone fit and taller than me, as I am a curvy woman so I don’t want to look like your mommy when we’re together haha.

I belong to you in mind, heart, body & soul. I would exist for your pleasure in turn I would want someone that could read me before I can even understand how I feel. Someone that could lay one gaze on me and put fire within my soul. From across the room, in heavy gathering or the mere distance of me standing before you, our bodies must speak before your tongue eloquently guides me. Someone that could understand the happiness that resides in a rainy night for me. How I imagine us intertwined in the sheets, your hands in my hair, your gaze on my every move and your response to every moan that leaves my mouth. For you could be looking at me for the hundredth time and I would shy away like it’s the first because you’d gaze into my soul every time.
I’m looking for someone established but that doesn’t mean you can’t approach me if you are on your way there. I want to build a life together.
*location doesn’t matter as I’m willing to relocate
Kinks:

• CNC, Hair Pulling, Bondage, Spanking, Restraints, Teasing, Collar & Leash, Age Gap, buying me Twix Chocolate...etc

Limits:

• Scat, Piss, or Blood Play . # Dear Future Love of My Life

“Every night when silence draws near I would stand in prayer and thank my god for writing them in my destiny. Climbing into bed, pecking their lips soft enough that they feel me in their presence but not enough to wake them from their peace. I’d trace my fingers around their mesmerizing features, memorizing every inch of their face like it’s the last time I’m seeing it. There is no part of me that wouldn’t belong to them. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I would be that one possession in their life that even if they lost everything they would still think they have the world at their feet because they has me. I’m a simple women, I prefer a rose over expensive gifts or even a small gesture like their smile when they hold my hand could make my day. They and I.. we’d be two pieces of one heart and soul.”
Wilting Love 🥀 (a long time ago)
me
If any of this resonated with you, don't hesitate to message me with a picture of yourself and whatever it is you’d like to say ☺️

Last week's post https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o6tg3/roundup_possibly_uaprelated_reports_on_here_last/
.1 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o2gsu/how_often_do_you_see_a_ufo_in_the_sky/ discussion of sighting frequency
.2 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o2g8b/what_did_i_see/ sighting description, South Carolina, rural area, nighttime, from car, single object directly ahead, It was a collection of lights around a dark center. It looked more or less round, but wider than tall., saucer, stationary, witness stopped the car, silent, feeling like I should get the hell out of there
.3 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o2ed0/objectobjects_in_sky_above_los_angeles/ video, daytime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object, fleet observed, splitting observed,Los Angeles California
.4 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o7708/constant_lightning_near_ft_walton/ video, nighttime sky, storm, lightning, between Ft Walton and Gulf Breeze Florida
.5 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o818g/friend_spotted_this_tonight_apparently_it_was/ photos, nighttime sky, single light object, trail, observed moving, similar sighting in comments Warsaw Poland 🇵🇱 , deleted
.6 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o8saj/strange_sightings_from_a_departed_veteran/ information, UFOs are common, tracked from Cheyenne Mountain Colorado, family history
.7 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13o85i8/orb_ball_lighting_ai_uap/ sighting description and reference image, in bedroom, nighttime, single light object
.8 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o9dw8/this_was_exposed_by_passing_clouds/ photo, daytime sky, single light, doughnut , repeat visitor , dancing https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o9t8v/vid_of_portal_circle_thing_exposed_by_cloud/ video , portal, stationary https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13o9xoh/use_slomo_and_hyperlapse_i_use_s20/ advice, slow motion and hyperlapse to see ufo
.9 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13o9htd/what_is_this/ video, daytime sky, single light object, observed flashing, moving upward
.10 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13oa23s/what_is_this_plane_drone/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, single dark object, airplane anomaly, strange looking , Norton Massachusetts, "Rutan Model 61 Long-ez"
.11 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13obyz8/cern_physicist_changes_his_uap_stance/ conversation, family interest in UFOs
.12 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13oddjufo_sightingwisconsin/ video, evening sky, single dark object, twolights observed, red 🔴, very bright, lighting configuration change observed, lights turned off, possible reaction to being filmed, repeat visitor three times, two witnesses, Wisconsin, similar sightings in comments , low over treeline, flew over home, silent , rotating
.13 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ouiomy_mom_sent_this_video_the_other_day/ video, daytime sky, single light object, Atlanta Georgia , repeat visitor
.14 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13osiil/saw_something_weird_and_need_help_identifying_did/ video, [GOODPOST], 🌈 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ovcez/second_video_drove_3_miles_sw_from_original_site/ second video, Fort Lauderdale Florida, nighttime, contemporaneous report, nighttime cloudy sky, single light object stationary, color change observed, multicolored 🌈, possible luring, witness followed it, I got in my car and drove just a couple miles south west. Just to see if I can get another angle., duration 30 minutes
.15 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13orkr2/ufo_flying_in_a_figure_8_in_the_auroras_in_alaska/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, moving erratically, figure 8 path observed, repeat visitor, Alaska, similar sightings in comments
.16 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13nngre/friend_sent_me_this_video_this_happened_at_1030/ video, nighttime sky, downvoted to zero, hard to see, light objects, "bats", contemporaneous report, Sioux falls Idaho
.17 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13olalu/diamond_shaped_ufo_over_coosbayoregon_this_thing/ photo, nighttime sky, diamond shape, single light object, line across middle, very large observed, Coosbay oregon, repeat visitor https://old.reddit.com/UFObelievers/comments/13onavl/video_of_the_diamond_ufo_at_905pm_pretty_good/ video https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p6skb/its_sad_how_many_people_refuse_to_even_look_at/ more video https://old.reddit.com/UFObelievers/comments/13oel86/ive_been_hearing_a_high_pitched_frequency_since/ frequency
.17 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p0vsy/repost_due_to_making_mistakes_strange_object/ video, daytime sky, Trenton new jersey , single light object, wiggling
.18 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p0ny5/possible_sighting_identification_help/ video, daytime sky, fleet, light objects, towards Tehachipi California, duration 3-5 minutes
.19 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13oyuv7/captured_with_ir_filter_made_out_of_lenses_for_a/ video, red and blue filter , daytime cloudy sky, single object moving fast, slow motion https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p4oau/someone_said_that_its_a_hummingbird_so_heres_the/ video https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p57gc/raw_footage_without_slow_motion_object_flies_by/ more video
.20 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13oaa58/when_did_your_existential_fear_of_aliens_start/ discussion of fear
.21 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13o3mbb/something_that_made_me_way_less_skeptical_was_the/ sighting description, two witnesses, nighttime, Angeles forest California, telepathy, something compelled me to look off to my left, single light object, red 🔴, moving slowly, sudden departure upward
.22 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13ot6oh/my_encounter_of_the_3rd_kind_told_for_the_first/ sighting description, nighttime, entities, from car, single light object moving erratically, witness stopped the car, sudden descent, directly in front, emotion of fear, paralysis, feeling lifted up, photo of artifact, metallic sphere, information transfer "we come in peace", big debunker energy, OP comments downvoted, clowning on OP
.23 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13nz0zf/the_blizzard_of_1978/ sighting description, has anyone seen?, 1978, storm, blizzard, family story, bright light shining in bedroom, entity, telepathy, it had something on its head almost like a spiral, information transfer, "do not be afraid", Michigan
.24 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13orbsl/possible_sighting_in_swfl/ video, daytime sky, San Mateo Drive Bonita Springs Florida, single light object, golden metallic observed, rotating observed, contemporaneous report, [GOODPOST], jumpy movement
.25 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13ock4m/help_iding_a_plane/ sighting description, airplane anomaly, low flying, and had two balls attached to the bottom rear, contemporaneous report
.26 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13ol5c4/im_not_sure_if_i_believe_in_aliens_but_i_had_a/ sighting description, single dark object, from airplane, Las Vegas Nevada, two witnesses, flying saucer, black, and putting off a weird smoke or mist, also black. , trail, similar sighting in comments
.27 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13orlr7/my_unknown_experience/ sighting description, central Florida, two witnesses, nighttime, single light object, flareup, moving slowly, trail, observed vanishing, "satellite"
.28 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13oqp97/strange_thing_we_saw_at_the_sky/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, two witnesses, nighttime, very bright, also small blinking red light 🔴, observed vanishing, noise sounded like airplane
.29 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ovhb5/ufo_sighting_glasgow/ sighting description, nighttime, light objects, Glasgow Scotland
.30 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p2e8m/seen_last_evening_in_ct/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, Connecticut, single light object moving
.31 https://old.reddit.com/RBI/comments/13oxk5y/mystery_static_visible_in_the_ai sighting description, two witnesses, from car, rectangular patch of static, shimmering, bugs or heat shimmer
.32 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p6v8d/london_22_may_2023/ video, nighttime sky, ISS
.33 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pxkty/saw_a_glowing_orange_orb_in_chicago_back_in/ video, nighttime sky, single light object moving slowly, orange 🟠, flareup observed, observed overhead, over home, two witnesses, urban area, Chicago, very bright, It looked like I was looking into the sun and the air around it looked distorted., emotion of fear, possible luring, witnesses followed it from home, descending down below treeline, emotion of unease, submission statement issues, removed, [GOODPOST] https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13py38v/glowing_orange_orb_siting_chicago_11222/ reposted
.34 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p7vy3/an_experience_like_no_othe sighting description, Cyprus 🇨🇾, nighttime, single light object, approach, flareup, observed moving and stationary, sudden departure
.35 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p7nkt/yuma_ufo/ video, daytime cloudy sky, from car, Yuma Arizona, single object, pacing car, matched car speed change, duration 5+ minutes, single light object, tictac
.36 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13p69ej/donut_shaped_object_photos_taken_by_myself_in/ photos, nighttime sky, Ohio, single light object, doughnut shape observed, downvoted to zero, OP comments downvoted, observed moving slowly, multicolored
.37 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pzpce/how_does_my_own_personal_sighting_compare_to/ sighting description, has anyone seen?, urban area, passed the window, single light object, small, moving fast and straight, observed moving and stationary, sudden departure upward, brief, stationary duration 1-2 seconds, similar sightings in comments
.38 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pdmm3/odd_stationary_solid_yellow_light_starts_moving/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, yellow 🟡, observed stationary and moving, flashing, possible reaction to being filmed, vanishing, from car, driving from Mount Vernon Ohio to Columbus , pacing car duration a few minutes, witness stopped the car, trajectory change observed
.39 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pf2aq/i_saw_a_black_ball_in_the_sky/ childhood sighting description, Mexico 🇲🇽 , single dark object, black ⚫️ sphere, moving slowly upward , similar sighting in comments
.40 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pidun/tictac_shaped_thing_following_plane/ video, daytime cloudy sky, single light object, tictac, from airplane, flight from New York to Missouri, pacing plane, duration 30 minutes
.41 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13pqems/sighting_last_night_just_after_11pm_45mins_north/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, moving star, single light object moving erratically, two objects observed, one following the other, yellow orangish light 🟠
.42 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13q35p0/laying_in_the_hammock_just_now_oregon/ photos, daytime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object, moon for comparison, Oregon https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13q3dd8/help_identifying/ more pictures, contemporaneous report, happening at time of posting
.43 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13q0uw5/i_saw_this_ufo_and_have_a_video_also_over_in/ photos daytime sky, single object blackwhite, doughnut https://old.reddit.com/UFObelievers/comments/13pwmwf/this_is_a_set_of_photos_i_took_that_day_i_seen/ reposted, similar sighting in comments https://old.reddit.com/UFObelievers/comments/13p70tc/this_is_the_video_of_the_ufo_i_saw_on_which_i_had/ video, sightings in comments
.44 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13pfe2s/ufo/ video, daytime cloudy sky, from airplane, single light object, tictac , pacing plane, possible reaction to being filmed, vanished
.45 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13pi37z/any_idea_what_this_is/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, dark line across the sky and single dark object
.46 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13p649c/saw_something_odd_any_guesses/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, single light object stationary, flashing, red 🔴 and white, not sparkling like a star, it was like mechanical, rhythmic pulsing, silent, nighttime, the UK 🇬🇧, duration 5 minutes
.47 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13pg0po/does_this_count_as_an_alien_encounte experience description, nighttime, telepathy, thought like I needed to go to the window., entity, outside window, emotion of fear, paralysis, body mark, scar, daughter has same
.48 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13pcv77/operation_icebox/ experience description, entities, family history, grandfather, operation icebox, has anyone seen?, no comments, deleted OP
.49 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13peu7d/im_a_contactee_i_didnt_ask_for_that_and_didnt/ experience description, metallic sphere, repeat visitor, telepathy, information transfer
.50 https://old.reddit.com/itsslag/comments/13pp7j8/what_is_this/ photo, possible metamaterial
.51 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13pkbdt/quantum_cloning_a_true_story_from_my_childhood/ childhood experience description, quantum cloning
.52 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13pb5ep/an_experience_i_had_that_always_leaves_me/ experience description, humanoid, emotion of fear, Queensland Australia 🇦🇺
.53 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13p4f41/i_think_i_saw_an_alien/ experience description, entity, telepathy, felt that someone was watching me, possible reaction to being observed, vanished, expression was a bit like a grin that kids do when they are being cheeky
.54 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13qb0zo/not_alien_but_anyone_know_whowhen_what_launched/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, fleet light objects moving fast, trail, similar sighting in comments, Beauharnois Quebec Canada 🇨🇦, "fireball", downvoted to zero
.55 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13qbdd8/inquiring/ sighting description and reference image, art 🎨, has anyone seen?, single light object, low, silent, two witnesses, over the witness home, moved the tops of the trees when it passed by, new York state, [GOODPOST] , similar sightings in comments , green 🟢 fireball , downvoted to zero
.56 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13q9bll/reading_pa_52323_949pm_est/ video, nighttime sky, threelights observed, orange 🟠, two witnesses, reading Pennsylvania, urban area, contemporaneous report, moving erratically, very bright, silent, OP comments downvoted .57 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13qw4df/unexplained_sighting_with_time_series_fotos_on/ sighting description, nighttime cloudy sky, duration 6 minutes, Lipari Italy 🇮🇹 , single light object, very bright, multicolored, shape change
.58 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13qr541/my_possible_ufo_sightingsorry_i_dont_have_footage/ sighting description, nighttime, single light object, observed stationary and moving, sudden departure
.59 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13qdpqv/experiences_that_dont_fit_the_mold/ discussion of unusual experiences
.60 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13qch14/mount_shasta_ca/ sighting description, nighttime, repeat visitors, single light object, flew over the witness home, contemporaneous report, Mt Shasta California, similar sightings in comments
.61 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13pn2iy/your_thoughts_on_synchronicity_exeriwnces/ discussion of synchronicity
.62 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13q23h9/water_man/ sighting description, entity, nighttime, humanoid figure, possible reaction to being observed, ducked down
.63 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13pmky4/ball_lightning_foo_fighters_omg_plasma_exploded/ experience, ball lightning, flareup, close
.64 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13oa3cj/ufo_spotted_seattle_2023205/ video, daytime cloudy sky, single object moving fast, flying saucer, contemporaneous report, Seattle Washington state
.65 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13qnrc2/my_own_storynothing_like_everyone_elses_i_dont/ sighting description and family history, Pennsylvania, entity
.66 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13qyvje/ufo_incident_vegas_512023/ story and reference video, landed craft, entities, Las Vegas Nevada, law enforcement response, green 🟢, tictac
.67 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13r0j1t/help_identifying_flashing_stationary_object_at/ sighting description, nighttime, contemporaneous report, single light object, repeat visitor, flashing once every 11 seconds, flareup and vanishing, location change
.68 https://old.reddit.com/UFObelievers/comments/13qe8vb/their_back_blinker_city_baby_ive_had_it_up_since/ video, nighttime sky, fleet, blinking, repeat visitors
.69 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13r0ufc/here_is_the_32_second_clip_my_buddy_and_i_got/ video, nighttime sky, [GOODPOST], witness to the camp Wilson craft, big debunker energy, clowning on OP, removed by moderator, information suppression
.70 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13rj9gk/i_have_hyperthymesia_one_of_my_memories_is_not/ experience description, information transfer, red 🔴 light, perception anomaly, feels like a memory and not a dream
.71 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13r2cqs/a_voice_in_my_head_with_a_message/ experience description, information transfer, telepathy, "Sonic resonance is the key to harmony and peace", similar experiences in comments
.72 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13rdmt7/ive_dreamt_the_same_dream_on_and_off_for_45_yrs/ discussion of recurring dreams
.73 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13relcz/another_4chan_user_claims_to_have_leaks/ information, family history, grandfather, government works with aliens
.74 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13r5985/me_and_my_dad_see_ufos/ sighting description, family history, single dark object, black ⚫️, repeat visitor
.75 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13rdyvh/does_anyone_have_any_idea_of_what_this_is_it_can/ photos, nighttime sky, from security camera, infrared, not seen by eye, repeat visitor
.76 https://old.reddit.com/Thetruthishere/comments/13rab7y/scary_situation/ experience description, entity, emotion of fear , near where Parkersburg West Virginia turns into Mineral Wells West Virginia
.77 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rn3h7/what_did_i_capture/ photo, daytime cloudy sky, near power station, single object blackwhite , possible physical effects exhaustion
.78 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13rnmnc/cardiff_15th_may/ sighting description, nighttime, fleet, following, duration 10 minutes, "starlink", Cardiff Wales the UK 🇬🇧, this wasn’t satellites is because every so often one would stop and move up and the others would relay past
.79 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rosy7/my_uncle_saw_these_lights_moving_in_a_line_does/ video, nighttime cloudy sky, fleet, diffuse lights moving in a line, following, Fergana Region Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 , "spotlights", duration 30-60 minutes, contemporaneous report
.80 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rpsqk/energy_entity_in_the_night_sky/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, blocky shape, red and green 🔴🟢
.81 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rorointeresting_tidbits_north_american_first_nations/ information, cultural history, Tseshaht First Nation Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sie28/tseshaht_native_account_of_super_natural_beings/ story , entities
.82 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13rogcf/i_used_the_new_google_bard_asking_about_a_uap_i/ sighting, tictac
.83 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13rqpz7/weird_light_beams/ photos, nighttime cloudy sky, light beams, vertical
.84 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rh0si_asked_to_be_see_something_then_instinctual_ran/ sighting description, human initiated contact, emotion of fear, nighttime, single light object, observed moving and stationary, flareup, sudden departure, duration 5-10 seconds, witness went inside, Dundee Scotland
.85 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rz7ed/looks_like_a_person_hovering_in_the_sky_for_about/ video, daytime sky, single light object irregular blocky shape, duration 1 hour, observed rotating, blackwhite, lighting configuration change, Astoria Queens NYC New York state
.86 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13rssfm/glowing_spherical_and_reflective_uap_filmed_with/ video and description, daytime sky, single object blackwhite, flareup, single flash, duration 2 minutes, Spanish Moss Trail in coastal Port Royal south Carolina, two witnesses, metallic sphere observed, stationary duration 30-40 seconds,
.87 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13s7mvj/unidentified_objects_in_the_sky_north_of_quebec/ video, nighttime sky, fleet observed, fourlights, orange 🟠 , first noticed from car, witness stopped the car and got out
.88 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sjggg/my_friend_who_had_a_near_death_experience_2021/ photo, art 🎨, entity, reddish, nighttime
.89 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13s2sqq/possible_alien_ufo/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, Beverly Washington state, two craft observed, two witnesses, silent, oval shaped observed
.90 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13si7bf/my_teacher_made_us_levitate_and_20_years_later_i/ childhood experience description, levitation, similar experiences in comments
.91 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13sea3q/red_and_green_super_fast_light_creepy/ sighting description, twolights, red and green 🔴🟢, low, entered witness home, nighttime, animal reaction dog noticed it
.92 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13sm5k1/my_strangest_conversation/ experience description, information transfer, machine that needs to be fixed
.93 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13ru969/seeing_a_scarecrow_but_it_wasnt_there_when_i/ sighting description, entity
.94 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13so7wd/location_bucks_county_pa_date_of_sighting_052322/ video, daytime cloudy sky, hard to see , single object passes twice, bucks County Pennsylvania
.95 https://old.reddit.com/itsslag/comments/13smx6l/slag_from_colorado_around_climax_mine_in_the_60s/ possible metamaterial
.96 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sg1ns/some_sort_of_sighting_described_by_my_mothe sighting description and drawing, family story, mother, nighttime, from car, central Indiana, glowing/swirling orb of blue and white light 🔵, sphere, passed directly in front of car
.97 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sbf6y/possible_ufo_story/ sighting description , Guysborough/West Cooks Cove , nighttime, storm, lightning, two witnesses, light shining in bedroom, very bright, witness went to sleep
.98 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sr37k/just_some_cool_lights_probably_satellites/ video, nighttime sky, fleet, repeat visitors, new Mexico , "satellites"
.99 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sth75/saw_this_when_looking_up_at_the_sky_when_in_the/ video, nighttime sky, blinking lights moving erratically
.100 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tap26/ufo_sighted_51723_over_strasburg_colorado/ photo and video, daytime sky, single object elongated, cylindrical, worm 🪱, Strasburg Colorado , observed stationary, orientation change moving into vertical then horizontal position., "solar balloon", similar sighting in comments from same area
.101 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ssvyy/caught_these_strange_lights_over_north_phoenix_az/ video, nighttime sky, Phoenix Arizona, similar sightings in comments, cigar shape observed, fleet, white lights, some flashing
.102 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13suay6/spotted_some_weird_flying_light/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, has anyone seen?,single light object moving fast and straight, observed vanishing, similar sighting in comments , downvoted to zero, niklaas Belgium 🇧🇪
.103 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13stpxh/most_likely_satellites_still_super_cool/ sighting description and video, fleet, nighttime sky, Highlands Ranch Colorado, downvoted to zero
.104 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13s1s5d/been_seeing_a_lot_of_strange_flying_things_in_the/ sighting description, repeat visitors, bellavista Arkansas, "satellites"
.105 https://old.reddit.com/aliens/comments/13t2nl3/my_ufo_story/ sighting description, evening, single light object stationary, orange 🟠, two witnesses, low over treeline, splitting, fleet, spinning, sudden departure upward
.106 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13svg2v/everyone_must_readreceived_extraterrestrial/ information, channeling
.107 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13t4183/voice_caught_on_sleep_cycle_app_thats_not_mine_25f/ audio, entity, evp
.108 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13t4526/no_pics_colour_changing_iss/ sighting description, nighttime, single light object, multicolored, color change observed white to red 🔴, sudden acceleration
.109 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13sthn2/ufo_uk_bow_waveshock_wave/ photo, nighttime sky, hard to see, bow wave or shock wave observed, the UK 🇬🇧
.110 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13t07ov/a_silent_black_triangle_1989_pittsburgh_cg/ cgi recreation of sighting, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, single dark object, black triangle, silent, similar sightings in comments
.111 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13th58l/aliens_in_puerto_vallarta/ video, daytime sky, two objects, crescent 🌙 shape, blackwhite, urban area, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 🇲🇽 , big debunker energy, rowdy OP, this will get locked soon I bet, OP comments downvoted, downvoted to zero , "parasail" , removed https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ti1mt/ufos_in_pv/ reposted as sighting description , removed, troll? https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13thfhd/crazy_aliens_in_puerti_vallarta/ more video, nighttime , single light object
.112 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13sxs7t/i_think_i_saw_a_ufouap/ sighting description, downvoted to zero, nighttime, twolights, green 🟢, Gary Indiana, lighting configuration change, triangle shape observed, sudden departure
.113 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13tioph/really_bizarre_experience_from_childhood_cant/ childhood experience description, anomalous silence, anomalous solitude, similar experience in comments
.114 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13thf2z/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0vu_experiences_before_negative_events/ discussion of precognition
.115 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13t6jn0/i_witnessed_a_ufo_while_on_a_flight/ childhood sighting description, from airplane, from Toronto to Orlando, eastern USA, daytime, two witnesses, single dark object, brown long oval shape, elongated, cigar, pacing plane, duration 10 minutes, vanishing and reappearing , shape change observed to U shape, rotated, fleet observed
.116 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tkrjg/2_flying_objects_obove_me/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, happening at time of posting, Arnhem the Netherlands 🇳🇱 , twolights stationary over home, separate approach observed, one following the other, observed moving and stationary, nighttime
.117 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tfira/red_ufo_orb_flying_over_the_neighborhood/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, orange 🟠, low over rooftop , Elmwood park Chicago Illinois, urban area
.118 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tj7ru/flying_object_seen_over_frankfurt_27_may_2023/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, Frankfurt Germany 🇩🇪, "ISS" , contemporaneous report
.119 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tlyxs/thing_i_saw_today_in_southeastern_pennsylvania/ video, daytime sky, contemporaneous report, Southeast Pennsylvania, single object, blackwhite, moving erratically, flipping observed, similar sightings in comments
.120 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tn1a8/i_know_everyone_was_very_interested_in_seeing_the/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, possible military response, helicopters, repeat visitor , deleted OP
.121 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tmrqh/may_27_2023_1239am_1246am_central_texas/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, daytime, fleet, moving straight, central Texas
.122 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tmfcp/odd_light/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, Ohio, single light object moving fast and straight, right angle turn
.123 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13ty0fn/could_i_ask_for_help_to_identify_this_moving/ video, nighttime sky, single light object, trajectory change observed, very bright, Cumbria the lake district the UK 🇬🇧, duration 2 minutes
.124 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tqem3/video_from_a_few_years_ago_in_nsw_australia/ video, daytime cloudy sky, New south Wales Australia 🇦🇺 , single dark object, low over rooftop, trajectory change observed
.125 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13trd8m/red_orange_orb_may_28_2023_buffalo_ny/ video, nighttime sky, contemporaneous report, single light object, red-orange 🔴🟠, Orchard Park south of Buffalo New York state, two witnesses, pulsating, approach, speed change observed, trajectory change observed, sudden departure upward, silent, repeat visitor, urban area
.126 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tu5i6/thats_no_balloon/ sighting description, downvoted to zero, Petersfield the UK 🇬🇧, daytime cloudy sky, single dark object, approach, sphere, moving straight, yellow/beige colour 🟡, two witnesses , flew overhead
.127 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tnbyi/another_ufo_sighting_27th_may_2234_leicester_uk/ video, nighttime sky, single light object
.128 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13tszv1/ufo_sighting_phoenix/ sighting description, contemporaneous report, nighttime, fleet, blue 🔵, duration 10 seconds , Phoenix Arizona, "starlink"
.129 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13twgnb/2_new_ufo_videos_to_check_out/ video, nighttime sky, from night vision scope, moving stars, "satellites"
.130 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13tqwsc/strange_reoccurring_dream_and_close_encounter_30/ childhood experience description, bright light shining in bedroom, buzzing noise , repeat visitor, family story, mother saw entities
.131 https://old.reddit.com/HighStrangeness/comments/13toir2/weird_tapping_noise_in_my_room_all_day/ audio description, bedroom, contemporaneous report, erratic tapping sound, It would be silent for about 30 seconds and then this loud tap would come from any direction, possible reaction to being recorded, stopped
.132 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13tr174/i_see_the_rule_about_blurry_video_but/ video, nighttime sky, single light object blinking, Houston Texas, contemporaneous report, green 🟢 in video, amber 🟠color observed, two witnesses, approach, repeat visitor, similar sighting in comments, family history, father lived near Cheyenne Mountain https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13u7dgi/somebody_told_me_to_post_this_here/ reposted
.133 https://old.reddit.com/UFOs/comments/13u4s7l/i_captured_a_tic_tac_like_ufo_whirling_around_the/ photos, daytime cloudy sky, single object blackwhite, shape change,
.134 https://old.reddit.com/space/comments/13u1exk/iron_nickel_meteorite/ photos, possible metamaterial
.135 https://old.reddit.com/whatisthisbone/comments/13u122q/is_this_a_fossil_whithin_the_rock_found_in_bahia/ possible crash site
.136 https://old.reddit.com/ParallelUniverse/comments/13u0pij/a_whole_building_changes_disappears/ experience description, two witnesses, location anomaly, building changed
.137 https://old.reddit.com/CLOUDS/comments/13u0hb0/has_anyone_ever_seen_something_like_this_i_used/ photos, daytime cloudy sky, cloud anomaly, portal, two circles of clouds merging
.138 https://old.reddit.com/Glitch_in_the_Matrix/comments/13tr5tp/the_moon/ experience description, moon anomaly, single light object, outside window, close, emotion of unease
.139 https://old.reddit.com/ufo/comments/13tr5nz/what_is_up_with_the_moon/ video, deleted OP, nighttime, moon for comparison, objects moving fast
.140 https://old.reddit.com/RBI/comments/13tl6vq/cans_someone_identify_this_ring_camera_motion/ video, nighttime, from home security camera, fourlights, two objects
.141 https://old.reddit.com/RBI/comments/13t6brj/my_friends_memorydream_of_a_witch_whos_breath_cut/ childhood experience description, possible abduction, repeat visitor
.142 https://old.reddit.com/Glitch_in_the_Matrix/comments/13p5oq4/the_sun_flickered_like_a_light_switch/ experience description, two witnesses, darkness in the day time, similar experiences in comments, "the blink"
.143 https://old.reddit.com/Glitch_in_the_Matrix/comments/13pmzzh/sky_was_broken/ experience description, moving stars, two witnesses, similar sightings in comments, the Philippines 🇵🇭, physical effects the hair at the back of my neck rose. My head felt light and my legs felt wobbly, [GOODPOST]

Disclaimer that I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice.
Some may have seen my post with the documentary about the discovery of Dr. Lolas in regards to PMDD. In this post I want to collect more research and evidence which could support his findings.
First, here is a summary of the documentary for those who haven't seen it:
The documentary is about a gynecologist from Chile who has found inflamed uteruses in his severe PMS/PMDD patients and he hypothesized that the inflammation might be because of infection. He then went on to treat these patients with antimicrobials (antibiotics, antivirals) and anti-inflammatories and for most of them their severe PMS/PMDD symptoms vanished, others are much improved. In some cases though the inflammation and resulting damage was so severe that antimicrobials alone were not enough and he had to remove some of the inflamed/damaged tissue surgically. Apparently he has been doing this approach successfully for several decades and he has documented all of his cases on video tapes.
Here is an excerpt of the Wikipedia article about Dr. Lolas:

"The so-called Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) form the large part of his experience, which has permitted him to develop an innovative approach to the treatment of this disease. His innovative approach refers to techniques he has perfected over the years to deal with the chronic inflammation of the uterus, mostly affecting the cervix, with which he has obtained impressive results in controlling and eradicating the symptoms of this condition, thus preventing the need for major surgery. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Lolas_Talhami
Following is an excerpt of a study Dr. Lolas and colleagues have published in 2015:

"Both PMS physical and psycho-affective symptoms respond to local anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatment of the uterus, showing a stable improvement after the treatment has ended. The results of this study suggest that the clinical pattern of PMS can be explained as an inflammatory mediated response to uterine infectious or traumatic insults. Further evidence is urgently needed in order to validate this innovative approach for widespread use in severe PMS/ PMDD cases."

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279154566_Is_Premenstrual_Syndrome_a_Uterine_Inflammatory_Disease_Retrospective_Evaluation_of_an_Etiologic_Approach
Here are the results from an older study in 1988 (not done by Dr. Lolas):

"Thirty patients with well-defined symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome were randomly treated with the antibiotic doxycycline or placebo. The antibiotic-treated group showed a highly significant reduction of symptoms. Subsequent antibiotic treatment of the original placebo group similarly diminished the symptoms in this group. A 6-month follow-up demonstrated that the improvement in symptom scores was permanent and independent from the presence of the antibiotic. An unexpectedly high percentage of endometrial biopsy cultures yielded positive findings for mycoplasma, Chlamydia trachomatis and anaerobic bacteria. An infectious aetiology, possibly a sub-clinical endometrial or ovarian infection, behind certain cases of pre-menstrual syndrome is postulated."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3049185/
There might be more studies, but next I want to focus on why it could be that the symptoms fluctuate according to the menstrual cycle every month. There have been several studies in the past few years that have shown that hormones change how "much" your immune system fights against pathogens:

"The fluctuating levels of estrogens and progesterone during the menstrual cycle and the associated changes in immune function have been proposed to influence the response to mucosal pathogens. Studies performed in mice reveal a reduced protection from bacterial infection in the genital tract in response to progesterone. Also, viral infection appeared to be enhanced in dioestrus (corresponding to the secretory phase with high progesterone levels in humans), while viral replication was reduced during the estrogen-dominated preovulatory phase."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7151910/
Regarding the symptoms, there has been a lot of research in the past few years between the connection of inflammation and psychiatric symptoms:

"Extensive research has already linked chronic inflammation to psychiatric and somatic disorders having common features with severe PMS/PMDD, including depression, anxiety, migraine, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Thus, in recent years, numerous studies have investigated a possible association between peripheral inflammation and PMS/PMDD, even though the results seem controversial. "

https://facultyopinions.com/prime/reports/b/11/11/
So hypothetically, if there is an infection in your body (doesn't necessarily have to be in your uterus) and because of the influence of hormones the immune system only gets to fight it properly ~2 weeks out of the month - and then the other 2 weeks the infection can flare again - this could theoretically mean an infinite cycle of chronic inflammation and therefore symptoms depending on how your hormones affect the immune response. So if the ~2 weeks of "normal" immune response are never enough to clear the infection or suppress it enough, antimicrobial treatment could break that cycle (as Dr. Lolas claims).
Some may wonder, if the claims that he has treated severe PMS/PMDD patients successfully for several decades is true, then how come his findings haven't spread like wildfire in the medical community?
Well, let me give you an example from the past:

"The medical elite thought they knew what caused ulcers and stomach cancer. But they were wrong - and didn't want to hear otherwise.
For years an obscure doctor hailing from Australia’s hardscrabble west coast watched in horror as ulcer patients fell so ill that many had their stomach removed or bled until they died. That physician, an internist named Barry Marshall, was tormented because he knew there was a simple treatment for ulcers, which at that time afflicted 10 percent of all adults.
In 1981 Marshall began working with Robin Warren, the Royal Perth Hospital pathologist who, two years earlier, discovered the gut could be overrun by hardy, corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Biopsying ulcer patients and culturing the organisms in the lab, Marshall traced not just ulcers but also stomach cancer to this gut infection. The cure, he realized, was readily available: anti­biotics. But mainstream gastroenterologists were dismissive, holding on to the old idea that ulcers were caused by stress.
Unable to make his case in studies with lab mice (because H. pylori affects only primates) and prohibited from experimenting on people, Marshall grew desperate. Finally he ran an experiment on the only human patient he could ethically recruit: himself. He took some H. pylori from the gut of an ailing patient, stirred it into a broth, and drank it. As the days passed, he developed gastritis, the precursor to an ulcer. Back in the lab, he biopsied his own gut, culturing H. pylori and proving unequivocally that bacteria were the underlying cause of ulcers.
For their work on H. pylori, Marshall and Warren shared a 2005 Nobel Prize. Today the standard of care for an ulcer is treatment with an antibiotic. And stomach cancer - once one of the most common forms of malignancy - is almost gone from the Western world. "

https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-doctor-who-drank-infectious-broth-gave-himself-an-ulcer-and-solved-a-medical-mystery

DRAG RACE!
Chronologica struts the runway wearing a ‘Moxie Valor’ brand t-shirt, that had the lead singer wearing a ghostface mask in their hands and sticking their tongue out.
Hello world!
Welcome to Drag Race.
Mexican Supermodel Nancy Doll, are you ready for the shoot?
“Darling, let’s hope these DRAGS can meet the mark.” Nancy shrugs.
Rachelle, what’s your favorite shoot?
“My man-”
FLOSS! Hello! Are you ready for an international shoot!
“Damn right!” Floss grins.
For our Challenge, our racers were tasked with going INTERNATIONAL, and taking on a photoshoot!
And on the runway, they’ll be wearing World of Drag Wonders looks.
It’s TIME!
~
Category is… World of Drag Wonders.
Aguacate bellows down the runway, dressed as the Chichén Itzá monument itself. Nine layers of dress, separated by ruffle layers, and a bodice meant to represent the top of the temple, Aguacate has gone all out. Even her hair and makeup are Mayan-themed, bold and complimentary to her outfit.
Who’s she sacrificing?
Wearing many layers of sheer ivory fabric with subtle gold lace, Yasmin gently spins on the stage, her very high-waisted skirt billowing into an elegant rounded shape reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. Her feet and hands are dyed red, matching her simple red glasses, and she wears a gossamer ivory veil and red-and-gold floral brocade tunic to finish the traditional peshwaz look.
“Taj My Mahal.” Rachelle smirks.
Zazu Nova arrives in a structured and dramatic gown in a flowing chiffon iridescent pink or lavender, adding to the overall sense of magic and wonder, with intricate embroidery that evokes a sense of otherworldly magic.
Zazu Nova: “Wonder. Magic!”
Crayola Boxx enters the stage in a large wide brimmed hat constructed to look like a UFO with a little grey alien inside, and a gown coated in glitter that looks like desert sand with the bust forming the great pyramids of Giza.
“Aliens?” Nancy looks confused.
King Omari Star struts out as an Egyptian Pharaoh, wearing an intricate look that references The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. He has the Pharaoh's beard, staff and two piece look, his skin glittering with hints of gold as he bares a fake chest.
“Walking like an Egyptian.” Floss winks.
Jaslene Bangus enters the stage in a stunning ball gown that references Mount Everest, in a shining white that looks as if the gown itself is a snow capped mountain. Her hair is a shining white, her face painted and her lips blue.
“Climbing this mountain is a treat.” Rachelle quips.
Haja Hubiani has transformed herself into the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, her skin painted as she walks a robe around her body, holding a staff in the air. Her skin has a bronze hue, and she walks, continuing the pose with a firm gaze.
“Bronze babe.” Floss grins.
Granny Gorgeous has a swimsuit look, giving more body then the usual fare in a look that references the great barrier reef. She’s got coral coming out of her body, and hints of blues, reds and pinks through her skin, like ink blotches.
“Ew.” Nancy says. “I mean… lovely.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi spins out dressed as none other than the marvelous wonder that is the rings of Saturn! In a futuristic couture look, Hideyoshi spins around, the outfit twirling and spinning around him and his all black bodysuit.
The Wonder of Space.
Fiore Stravaganza has become a couture version of the leaning tower of Pisa, looking like a literal piece of art with her skin painted a marble gray. The tight gown is fitted to the side, like the real object- leaning as Fiore struts, not a simple walk, because she’s art, darling.
“Love!” Rachelle says.
~
Hi Racers.
I’ve made some decisions.
Will the following people step forward.
Aguacate.
Haja Hubiani.
Jaslene Bangus.
Zazu Nova.
You are all safe.
Aguacate looks surprised, Haja is clearly annoyed, Jaslene purses her lips and Zazu smiles.
You may untuck in the platinum lounge.
The racers enter the werkroom.
Aguacate: “So… I am SAFE. I didn’t realize Chronologica had SAFE Queens actually be the best performing this year. THIS is the twist of the season, mijas.”
Everyone grabs a drink.
The safe Queens all sit down.
“...So.” Zazu Nova smiles. “How are we feeling! We’ve survived another week, and traveled around the world.”
Haja, still visibly frustrated, sighs and takes a sip of her drink. "Surviving is not enough, Zazu. I want to thrive. I want to be seen, to be recognized for my talents. Being safe week after week feels like I'm being overlooked."
Haja Hubiani: “Like, I thought I had it all. Literally. And I’m safe. UGH!” Haja exhales.
Jaslene rolls her eyes. "Oh, Haja, cry me a river. We have off weeks. I’m fabulous, I was with my girls and I’ll slay next week.”
Aguacate raises her glass and grins. "Well, mis amigas, maybe you just need to embrace the fact that I am the star and destined to win this competition. You can bask in my glory as I conquer every challenge thrown my way."
Jaslene Bangus: “Where did this come from? Didn’t she lose?”
“I am frustrated, genuinely, and it’s okay to feel that way- I KNOW I did well.” Haja says.
“Well, not good enough, clearly!” Aguacate laughs.
Haja blinks, twice.
"Haja, maybe if you actually did well instead of just thinking you did, you wouldn't be in this position. Just saying." Jaslene shrugs, sipping her drink.
"Excuse me? I've given my all in every challenge. I've showcased my talent, my creativity, and my cultural heritage. Yet, week after week, I'm just safe. It's disheartening." Haja utters.
Jaslene rolls her eyes again.
Jaslene Bangus: “The complaining is sooooo annoying.”
"Oh, please. You think you're the only one who feels unrecognized? I've been serving looks, comedy, and charisma since day one. I've been the highlight of this competition, and yet, here I am, just safe." Aguacate looks down. “Shocking.”
"Ladies, let's not forget that we're all here because we're talented. We're all incredible queens in our own right, and being safe means we still have the opportunity to showcase ourselves and prove our worth." Zazu grins.
Haja takes a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "I understand that, Zazu. We all want to be at the top, but I should feel- validly frustrated.”
Jaslene shrugs. "Well, Haja, if you want to be at the top, you're going to have to step up your game. I'm not going to hold back just because you feel frustrated. I'm here to win, and I won't let anything or anyone stand in my way."
Haja looks annoyed, as if unaware of what to respond.
Zazu smiles. "Let's remember why we started this journey in the first place. We all have dreams and aspirations, and being on this show is a stepping stone towards realizing them. We may not be at the top now, but who knows what the future holds?"
“Meh.” Jaslene responds.
Jaslene Bangus: “This isn’t Chronologica’s happy family race, we don’t need all this- positive vibes...”
“Yeah…” Haja nods. “What you said.”
“Zazu… I have a question.” Aguacate asks.
“Mhm?” Zazu says.
“How the fuck does your runway reference world wonders?” Aguacate asks, confused.
~
You are the tops and bottoms of the week.
Starting with…
Fiore Stravaganza!
Fiore poses.
“FASHION!” Floss cheers. “Baby, you are gorgeous!”
Fiore smiles.
“You served the looks, you served the style- you were an excellent piece of drag art, and I want to commend you on just delivering.” Floss grins.
“Clearly you shine, on your own really well.” Nancy says. “I am one of the biggest models in the world- and I felt you were close to my level.”
Fiore looks touched.
Well done, Fiore.
Crayola Boxx.
“Hello!” Crayola waves.
I think you unfortunately did not hit the mark this week.
Crayola nods.
For me, whilst this was you, this was also a safe choice- you went a bit too kid friendly, and whilst I see that is you… I want to see another side of you, a side that can get a little dirty, a little riskier.
“I do get that.” Crayola responds.
For me, the more I see, the more I want you to push yourself out of the box. That’s what I need.
“Thank you, Chronologica.”
King Omari Star.
“Hello.” Omari grins.
“How was it, this week for you?” Rochelle asks.
“It was lovely. I felt at home, I gave my heart and soul, and I embraced it.” Omari nods. “And I think I did a damn good photoshoot.”
“You did.” Rachelle grins.
Omari smiles.
“You embraced it, and I love it. But I want you to loosen up even more! Have fun with it! Embrace this journey.” Rachelle says.
“I… will.” Omari nods. “Thank you.”
Hideyoshi.
“Hiya.” Hideyoshi grins.
“I do not understand your photoshoot.” Nancy says. “It was too much.”
Hideyoshi’s face drops.
“For me, it felt like you were on crack.” Nancy looks looks at Hideyoshi. “Are you on drugs?”
“I’m just- me!” Hideyoshi says.
“But you just were not doing IT.” Nancy shrugs. “I am not a fan.”
It was just- too much, and it came off unprepared.
Hideyoshi nods.
Yasmin Raiz.
“Hello!” Yasmin waves.
“What a fun shoot.” Rachelle smiles.
“I had such a fun time.” Yasmin says. “And… a scary one.”
“What did this challenge mean to you?” Rachelle asks.
"This challenge... it meant the world to me." Yasmin says, her voice trembling slightly. "Being a gay drag queen in Guyana, it hasn't been easy. In a society where LGBTQ+ individuals face immense stigma and discrimination, expressing my true self has always felt like walking on a tightrope.” Her eyes begin to tear up. “But being here, on this stage, in front of the cameras and the judges, it felt like I could finally break free from those chains. It was a chance to showcase not just my love for drag, but also to represent my community back home. To show them that we exist, that we matter, and that our artistry is something to be celebrated."
Rachelle tears up.
“I feared the backlash, the judgment, and the potential consequences." Yasmin nods. “But I did it.”
"Yasmin." Rachelle says, her voice filled with warmth, "You are an incredible force of creativity, strength, and authenticity. Your journey is a testament to your resilience and your unwavering commitment to being true to yourself, despite the challenges you face."
"Thank you, Rachelle." Yasmin smiles.
Rachelle smiles, her eyes shining with pride.
Finally, Granny.
Granny smiles.
“I really enjoy you, Granny. Like, I was shot once- and all I could deal with is joy in my life to make me feel better. And you do that.” Floss says.
“Thank you.” Granny nods.
“But- I do want to say, this week lacked drag. You are a talent, but I need you to show us more drag PRESENCE. Find your brand. That is what I need.” Floss says.
Granny nods.
Thank you, racers. Whilst we deliberate, you may untuck backstage in the Crystal Lounge, sponsored by Princess Papaya Tropical Drinks.
~
The racers enter the crystal lounge.
“Wow…” Yasmin smiles.
"You did really, really good Yasmin." Granny grins.
Yasmin blushes, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Granny. That means a lot coming from you. I saw the way you captivated the judges with your joy and positivity. You truly have a unique energy that brightens up the room."
Granny's eyes welled up with tears as she holds Yasmin's hand. "Oh, my dear, you don't know how much your words mean to me. It’s hard to understand who I am as a drag queen at this stage of my life, because I am still learning. But seeing your authenticity and the way you fearlessly express yourself gives me hope as someone who was so scared to do the same for so many years. Maybe it's never too late to discover a new side of myself and what my drag might mean just like you and Omari have."
Fiore looks around awkwardly, blinking.
Fiore Stravaganza: “Fuck Fiore’s drag, right?”
Omari raises his voice. "Granny, I think you underestimate yourself. You may be our 'baby' drag queen, but you bring a wealth of experience and wisdom to the competition. Your unique perspective is valuable, and I believe that your brand is already shining through."
Granny wipes away her tears. "Thank you, Omari. Your words mean a lot. I'll keep searching for my brand and trust that it will reveal itself in due time."
Fiore walks over to sit alone, at the other corner of the room.
“...Is she okay?” Granny asks.
“I’m fine.” Fiore says coldly.
Fiore Stravaganza: “Good for Yasmin. But… Despite the positive feedback, I can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. I put so much effort into my look and photoshoot… but all the girls only celebrate Yasmin.” Fiore shrugs. “And Granny also for whatever reason. Probably for not being dead yet.”
Hideyoshi sighs.
“Are YOU okay?” Omari looks at Hideyoshi.
“Clearly, my ADHD is acting up, and it's affecting my ability to plan and execute things properly." Hideyoshi admits, his voice clearly upset. "I wanted to show the judges my true essence, but it came off as chaotic instead."
Granny places a comforting hand on Hideyoshi's shoulder. "I understand. It can be challenging when our minds work differently than others'. But I want you to know that your uniqueness is what makes you special. Your kookiness is part of your charm, and it's what sets you apart from everyone else."
Hideyoshi nods. “Let’s prepare for this lip sync.”
Suddenly, the safe racers walk in.
Fiore walks right over, as Jaslene smiles. “My A.E. sister.”
Fiore awkwardly nods. “That’s me!”
“What’s the tea?” Aguacate winks.
Fiore lets out a small chuckle, sitting uncomfortably on the couch because of their garment. "Oh, you know me and how I do it, served them haute couture, one of a kind spectacular, the usual. I enjoy my time as the only pretty girl in the spotlight, thank you Jaslene..”
“Shady bitch!” Jaslene cackles, playfully hitting Fiore with a throw pillow. "Oh, honey, we know you love the spotlight. But don't worry, we'll catch up soon enough. SOME of us at least."
Haja rolls her eyes. "Can we please stop with the passive-aggressive comments? We're all here to support and uplift each other, right?"
Zazu Nova smiles. “Absolutely. We're all in this together, and it's important to remember that our journey is unique to each of us. We can learn so much from one another if we choose to support and encourage one another."
Jaslene sips her drink.
Crayola raises her hand. "If I may, can I just say that I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable with the judges wanting me to 'adult' my drag up? I mean, I understand they want growth and versatility, but I don't want to lose the essence of who I am as a drag queen.”
“It is more so, adapting to the challenge.” Omari adds. “I received feedback, I’m going to do the same.”
Crayola frowns.
Meanwhile, Granny and Hideyoshi chat.
“I think… we are the bottom two.” Granny looks at Hideyoshi.
"It seems that way, Granny. But you know what? We're not going to let that discourage us. We'll give it our all in the lip sync and show the judges why we deserve to stay in this competition." Hideyoshi grins.
"That's the spirit, my dear. We'll bring our energy, our passion, and our love for drag to that stage. No matter what the outcome, we'll leave it all on the floor and make it a lip sync to remember."
The two hug.
~
Welcome back, racers.
I’ve made some decisions.
King Omari, well done this week… you’re safe.
Omari smiles.
Yasmin Raiz, you are an inspiration.
Yasmin claps for herself.
You’re safe.
The others look shocked.
“Thank you.” Yasmin grins.
Yasmin Raiz: “I feel really happy with this week. I’ve shown my heart, and I'm going to keep going. This is just the start”
“I don’t understand…” Fiore mutters, before realizing.
Fiore Stravaganza, condragulations, you’ve snapped that shot, and you’re the winner of this week’s challenge and $5000!
Fiore’s face lights up before Jaslene cheers.
Fiore Stravaganza: “I showed myself. I did this solo. And… this is what I achieved.” Fiore smirks. “I’m here till the end, and this has just validated it.”
…
Granny Gorgeous, we’re fans. But we need you to show us more. You’re up for elimination.
Granny nods.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, you’re a performer, but this week, you were a mess- and we needed more.
Crayola Boxx… we need you to get outside of YOUR box.
…
…
…
…
…
…
Crayola, you’re safe.
Crayola nods and wipes a tear out of her eye. “I’ll do better.”
That means Granny and Hideyoshi, I’m sorry my dears, but you are up for elimination.
The time has come… for you to lip sync to your life!
**Feedback by Janet Jackson starts to play**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQb90QGFNJs
Good luck… and don’t fuck it up!
Granny Gorgeous: “I know that this isn’t my time. I’m giving ALL of my drag. Granny’s not over and its time to show them who I am.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi: “A stage is where I shine. I’m not doing this unplanned. I’m giving all of me on this stage!”
~
Next Time!
Racers, for this week’s challenge, it’s time for the SNATCH GAME!
“I’m going outside of my child-friendly box.” Crayola says, with pride in her voice.
“How so?” Omari asks.
“I’m doing Elmo.” Crayola winks.
“You better hope the disco needs YOU.” Rachelle growls.
“I can’t do this.” Haja says. “I’m out.”
~
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DRAG RACE!
Chronologica struts the runway wearing a ‘Moxie Valor’ brand t-shirt, that had the lead singer wearing a ghostface mask in their hands and sticking their tongue out.
Hello world!
Welcome to Drag Race.
Mexican Supermodel Nancy Doll, are you ready for the shoot?
“Darling, let’s hope these DRAGS can meet the mark.” Nancy shrugs.
Rachelle, what’s your favorite shoot?
“My man-”
FLOSS! Hello! Are you ready for an international shoot!
“Damn right!” Floss grins.
For our Challenge, our racers were tasked with going INTERNATIONAL, and taking on a photoshoot!
And on the runway, they’ll be wearing World of Drag Wonders looks.
It’s TIME!
~
Category is… World of Drag Wonders.
Aguacate bellows down the runway, dressed as the Chichén Itzá monument itself. Nine layers of dress, separated by ruffle layers, and a bodice meant to represent the top of the temple, Aguacate has gone all out. Even her hair and makeup are Mayan-themed, bold and complimentary to her outfit.
Who’s she sacrificing?
Wearing many layers of sheer ivory fabric with subtle gold lace, Yasmin gently spins on the stage, her very high-waisted skirt billowing into an elegant rounded shape reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. Her feet and hands are dyed red, matching her simple red glasses, and she wears a gossamer ivory veil and red-and-gold floral brocade tunic to finish the traditional peshwaz look.
“Taj My Mahal.” Rachelle smirks.
Zazu Nova arrives in a structured and dramatic gown in a flowing chiffon iridescent pink or lavender, adding to the overall sense of magic and wonder, with intricate embroidery that evokes a sense of otherworldly magic.
Zazu Nova: “Wonder. Magic!”
Crayola Boxx enters the stage in a large wide brimmed hat constructed to look like a UFO with a little grey alien inside, and a gown coated in glitter that looks like desert sand with the bust forming the great pyramids of Giza.
“Aliens?” Nancy looks confused.
King Omari Star struts out as an Egyptian Pharaoh, wearing an intricate look that references The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. He has the Pharaoh's beard, staff and two piece look, his skin glittering with hints of gold as he bares a fake chest.
“Walking like an Egyptian.” Floss winks.
Jaslene Bangus enters the stage in a stunning ball gown that references Mount Everest, in a shining white that looks as if the gown itself is a snow capped mountain. Her hair is a shining white, her face painted and her lips blue.
“Climbing this mountain is a treat.” Rachelle quips.
Haja Hubiani has transformed herself into the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, her skin painted as she walks a robe around her body, holding a staff in the air. Her skin has a bronze hue, and she walks, continuing the pose with a firm gaze.
“Bronze babe.” Floss grins.
Granny Gorgeous has a swimsuit look, giving more body then the usual fare in a look that references the great barrier reef. She’s got coral coming out of her body, and hints of blues, reds and pinks through her skin, like ink blotches.
“Ew.” Nancy says. “I mean… lovely.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi spins out dressed as none other than the marvelous wonder that is the rings of Saturn! In a futuristic couture look, Hideyoshi spins around, the outfit twirling and spinning around him and his all black bodysuit.
The Wonder of Space.
Fiore Stravaganza has become a couture version of the leaning tower of Pisa, looking like a literal piece of art with her skin painted a marble gray. The tight gown is fitted to the side, like the real object- leaning as Fiore struts, not a simple walk, because she’s art, darling.
“Love!” Rachelle says.
~
Hi Racers.
I’ve made some decisions.
Will the following people step forward.
Aguacate.
Haja Hubiani.
Jaslene Bangus.
Zazu Nova.
You are all safe.
Aguacate looks surprised, Haja is clearly annoyed, Jaslene purses her lips and Zazu smiles.
You may untuck in the platinum lounge.
The racers enter the werkroom.
Aguacate: “So… I am SAFE. I didn’t realize Chronologica had SAFE Queens actually be the best performing this year. THIS is the twist of the season, mijas.”
Everyone grabs a drink.
The safe Queens all sit down.
“...So.” Zazu Nova smiles. “How are we feeling! We’ve survived another week, and traveled around the world.”
Haja, still visibly frustrated, sighs and takes a sip of her drink. "Surviving is not enough, Zazu. I want to thrive. I want to be seen, to be recognized for my talents. Being safe week after week feels like I'm being overlooked."
Haja Hubiani: “Like, I thought I had it all. Literally. And I’m safe. UGH!” Haja exhales.
Jaslene rolls her eyes. "Oh, Haja, cry me a river. We have off weeks. I’m fabulous, I was with my girls and I’ll slay next week.”
Aguacate raises her glass and grins. "Well, mis amigas, maybe you just need to embrace the fact that I am the star and destined to win this competition. You can bask in my glory as I conquer every challenge thrown my way."
Jaslene Bangus: “Where did this come from? Didn’t she lose?”
“I am frustrated, genuinely, and it’s okay to feel that way- I KNOW I did well.” Haja says.
“Well, not good enough, clearly!” Aguacate laughs.
Haja blinks, twice.
"Haja, maybe if you actually did well instead of just thinking you did, you wouldn't be in this position. Just saying." Jaslene shrugs, sipping her drink.
"Excuse me? I've given my all in every challenge. I've showcased my talent, my creativity, and my cultural heritage. Yet, week after week, I'm just safe. It's disheartening." Haja utters.
Jaslene rolls her eyes again.
Jaslene Bangus: “The complaining is sooooo annoying.”
"Oh, please. You think you're the only one who feels unrecognized? I've been serving looks, comedy, and charisma since day one. I've been the highlight of this competition, and yet, here I am, just safe." Aguacate looks down. “Shocking.”
"Ladies, let's not forget that we're all here because we're talented. We're all incredible queens in our own right, and being safe means we still have the opportunity to showcase ourselves and prove our worth." Zazu grins.
Haja takes a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "I understand that, Zazu. We all want to be at the top, but I should feel- validly frustrated.”
Jaslene shrugs. "Well, Haja, if you want to be at the top, you're going to have to step up your game. I'm not going to hold back just because you feel frustrated. I'm here to win, and I won't let anything or anyone stand in my way."
Haja looks annoyed, as if unaware of what to respond.
Zazu smiles. "Let's remember why we started this journey in the first place. We all have dreams and aspirations, and being on this show is a stepping stone towards realizing them. We may not be at the top now, but who knows what the future holds?"
“Meh.” Jaslene responds.
Jaslene Bangus: “This isn’t Chronologica’s happy family race, we don’t need all this- positive vibes...”
“Yeah…” Haja nods. “What you said.”
“Zazu… I have a question.” Aguacate asks.
“Mhm?” Zazu says.
“How the fuck does your runway reference world wonders?” Aguacate asks, confused.
~
You are the tops and bottoms of the week.
Starting with…
Fiore Stravaganza!
Fiore poses.
“FASHION!” Floss cheers. “Baby, you are gorgeous!”
Fiore smiles.
“You served the looks, you served the style- you were an excellent piece of drag art, and I want to commend you on just delivering.” Floss grins.
“Clearly you shine, on your own really well.” Nancy says. “I am one of the biggest models in the world- and I felt you were close to my level.”
Fiore looks touched.
Well done, Fiore.
Crayola Boxx.
“Hello!” Crayola waves.
I think you unfortunately did not hit the mark this week.
Crayola nods.
For me, whilst this was you, this was also a safe choice- you went a bit too kid friendly, and whilst I see that is you… I want to see another side of you, a side that can get a little dirty, a little riskier.
“I do get that.” Crayola responds.
For me, the more I see, the more I want you to push yourself out of the box. That’s what I need.
“Thank you, Chronologica.”
King Omari Star.
“Hello.” Omari grins.
“How was it, this week for you?” Rochelle asks.
“It was lovely. I felt at home, I gave my heart and soul, and I embraced it.” Omari nods. “And I think I did a damn good photoshoot.”
“You did.” Rachelle grins.
Omari smiles.
“You embraced it, and I love it. But I want you to loosen up even more! Have fun with it! Embrace this journey.” Rachelle says.
“I… will.” Omari nods. “Thank you.”
Hideyoshi.
“Hiya.” Hideyoshi grins.
“I do not understand your photoshoot.” Nancy says. “It was too much.”
Hideyoshi’s face drops.
“For me, it felt like you were on crack.” Nancy looks looks at Hideyoshi. “Are you on drugs?”
“I’m just- me!” Hideyoshi says.
“But you just were not doing IT.” Nancy shrugs. “I am not a fan.”
It was just- too much, and it came off unprepared.
Hideyoshi nods.
Yasmin Raiz.
“Hello!” Yasmin waves.
“What a fun shoot.” Rachelle smiles.
“I had such a fun time.” Yasmin says. “And… a scary one.”
“What did this challenge mean to you?” Rachelle asks.
"This challenge... it meant the world to me." Yasmin says, her voice trembling slightly. "Being a gay drag queen in Guyana, it hasn't been easy. In a society where LGBTQ+ individuals face immense stigma and discrimination, expressing my true self has always felt like walking on a tightrope.” Her eyes begin to tear up. “But being here, on this stage, in front of the cameras and the judges, it felt like I could finally break free from those chains. It was a chance to showcase not just my love for drag, but also to represent my community back home. To show them that we exist, that we matter, and that our artistry is something to be celebrated."
Rachelle tears up.
“I feared the backlash, the judgment, and the potential consequences." Yasmin nods. “But I did it.”
"Yasmin." Rachelle says, her voice filled with warmth, "You are an incredible force of creativity, strength, and authenticity. Your journey is a testament to your resilience and your unwavering commitment to being true to yourself, despite the challenges you face."
"Thank you, Rachelle." Yasmin smiles.
Rachelle smiles, her eyes shining with pride.
Finally, Granny.
Granny smiles.
“I really enjoy you, Granny. Like, I was shot once- and all I could deal with is joy in my life to make me feel better. And you do that.” Floss says.
“Thank you.” Granny nods.
“But- I do want to say, this week lacked drag. You are a talent, but I need you to show us more drag PRESENCE. Find your brand. That is what I need.” Floss says.
Granny nods.
Thank you, racers. Whilst we deliberate, you may untuck backstage in the Crystal Lounge, sponsored by Princess Papaya Tropical Drinks.
~
The racers enter the crystal lounge.
“Wow…” Yasmin smiles.
"You did really, really good Yasmin." Granny grins.
Yasmin blushes, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Granny. That means a lot coming from you. I saw the way you captivated the judges with your joy and positivity. You truly have a unique energy that brightens up the room."
Granny's eyes welled up with tears as she holds Yasmin's hand. "Oh, my dear, you don't know how much your words mean to me. It’s hard to understand who I am as a drag queen at this stage of my life, because I am still learning. But seeing your authenticity and the way you fearlessly express yourself gives me hope as someone who was so scared to do the same for so many years. Maybe it's never too late to discover a new side of myself and what my drag might mean just like you and Omari have."
Fiore looks around awkwardly, blinking.
Fiore Stravaganza: “Fuck Fiore’s drag, right?”
Omari raises his voice. "Granny, I think you underestimate yourself. You may be our 'baby' drag queen, but you bring a wealth of experience and wisdom to the competition. Your unique perspective is valuable, and I believe that your brand is already shining through."
Granny wipes away her tears. "Thank you, Omari. Your words mean a lot. I'll keep searching for my brand and trust that it will reveal itself in due time."
Fiore walks over to sit alone, at the other corner of the room.
“...Is she okay?” Granny asks.
“I’m fine.” Fiore says coldly.
Fiore Stravaganza: “Good for Yasmin. But… Despite the positive feedback, I can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. I put so much effort into my look and photoshoot… but all the girls only celebrate Yasmin.” Fiore shrugs. “And Granny also for whatever reason. Probably for not being dead yet.”
Hideyoshi sighs.
“Are YOU okay?” Omari looks at Hideyoshi.
“Clearly, my ADHD is acting up, and it's affecting my ability to plan and execute things properly." Hideyoshi admits, his voice clearly upset. "I wanted to show the judges my true essence, but it came off as chaotic instead."
Granny places a comforting hand on Hideyoshi's shoulder. "I understand. It can be challenging when our minds work differently than others'. But I want you to know that your uniqueness is what makes you special. Your kookiness is part of your charm, and it's what sets you apart from everyone else."
Hideyoshi nods. “Let’s prepare for this lip sync.”
Suddenly, the safe racers walk in.
Fiore walks right over, as Jaslene smiles. “My A.E. sister.”
Fiore awkwardly nods. “That’s me!”
“What’s the tea?” Aguacate winks.
Fiore lets out a small chuckle, sitting uncomfortably on the couch because of their garment. "Oh, you know me and how I do it, served them haute couture, one of a kind spectacular, the usual. I enjoy my time as the only pretty girl in the spotlight, thank you Jaslene..”
“Shady bitch!” Jaslene cackles, playfully hitting Fiore with a throw pillow. "Oh, honey, we know you love the spotlight. But don't worry, we'll catch up soon enough. SOME of us at least."
Haja rolls her eyes. "Can we please stop with the passive-aggressive comments? We're all here to support and uplift each other, right?"
Zazu Nova smiles. “Absolutely. We're all in this together, and it's important to remember that our journey is unique to each of us. We can learn so much from one another if we choose to support and encourage one another."
Jaslene sips her drink.
Crayola raises her hand. "If I may, can I just say that I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable with the judges wanting me to 'adult' my drag up? I mean, I understand they want growth and versatility, but I don't want to lose the essence of who I am as a drag queen.”
“It is more so, adapting to the challenge.” Omari adds. “I received feedback, I’m going to do the same.”
Crayola frowns.
Meanwhile, Granny and Hideyoshi chat.
“I think… we are the bottom two.” Granny looks at Hideyoshi.
"It seems that way, Granny. But you know what? We're not going to let that discourage us. We'll give it our all in the lip sync and show the judges why we deserve to stay in this competition." Hideyoshi grins.
"That's the spirit, my dear. We'll bring our energy, our passion, and our love for drag to that stage. No matter what the outcome, we'll leave it all on the floor and make it a lip sync to remember."
The two hug.
~
Welcome back, racers.
I’ve made some decisions.
King Omari, well done this week… you’re safe.
Omari smiles.
Yasmin Raiz, you are an inspiration.
Yasmin claps for herself.
You’re safe.
The others look shocked.
“Thank you.” Yasmin grins.
Yasmin Raiz: “I feel really happy with this week. I’ve shown my heart, and I'm going to keep going. This is just the start”
“I don’t understand…” Fiore mutters, before realizing.
Fiore Stravaganza, condragulations, you’ve snapped that shot, and you’re the winner of this week’s challenge and $5000!
Fiore’s face lights up before Jaslene cheers.
Fiore Stravaganza: “I showed myself. I did this solo. And… this is what I achieved.” Fiore smirks. “I’m here till the end, and this has just validated it.”
…
Granny Gorgeous, we’re fans. But we need you to show us more. You’re up for elimination.
Granny nods.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, you’re a performer, but this week, you were a mess- and we needed more.
Crayola Boxx… we need you to get outside of YOUR box.
…
…
…
…
…
…
Crayola, you’re safe.
Crayola nods and wipes a tear out of her eye. “I’ll do better.”
That means Granny and Hideyoshi, I’m sorry my dears, but you are up for elimination.
The time has come… for you to lip sync to your life!
**Feedback by Janet Jackson starts to play**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQb90QGFNJs
Good luck… and don’t fuck it up!
Granny Gorgeous: “I know that this isn’t my time. I’m giving ALL of my drag. Granny’s not over and its time to show them who I am.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi: “A stage is where I shine. I’m not doing this unplanned. I’m giving all of me on this stage!”
~
Next Time!
Racers, for this week’s challenge, it’s time for the SNATCH GAME!
“I’m going outside of my child-friendly box.” Crayola says, with pride in her voice.
“How so?” Omari asks.
“I’m doing Elmo.” Crayola winks.
“You better hope the disco needs YOU.” Rachelle growls.
“I can’t do this.” Haja says. “I’m out.”
~
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