Paw patrol cake ideas
PlayStation 4 - News • Discussion • Community
2010.05.17 23:15 BitWarrior PlayStation 4 - News • Discussion • Community
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2023.06.10 05:41 justanoddcat i think one of my old friends was dead when i met them
i think one of old friends was dead. this is a bit of a rant because i just remember a majority of this.
(i don’t remember much of when i was fairly younger than i currently am (15) so i might be missing some details but i have been piecing together together who i met 5 years ago)
I remember sometime around February of my 5th grade year a girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. i didn’t have class with her but she was in the class right next door. (there were no door separating the 5th grade classes from each other only thin walls). she never really seemed to talk or interact with people and i rarely saw her myself. she was almost never at school and i don't think i ever heard the teacher call her name for attendance. she always sat alone at lunch and the few times she ever sat with other people (usually my friend group) she wouldn’t really talk to any of them. the only time she ever talked to me was when the other people around us were busy with something else or were looking away. i slowly got to know her bit by bit. her name was molly and she had a few brothers. she had brown hair that was always in a perfectly straight bob-cut and she only ever wore 5 shirts, the only one i can really remember was a light purple t-shirt with some white details and a cat on the front. she had a few freckles and her eyes were a pretty brown. she was very shy and wouldn’t really say much other than short sentences. Molly loved walking around the outskirts of the playground at recess but after the whistle blew and we had to go in she never seemed to line up with the rest of us. around the time my birthday was coming up and i was handing out invitations i really wanted to invite her to get to know her more because she seemed like a nice girl. i saw her when we were outside taking a short break from class when i began talking to her about it. i told her it would be a pool party at the rec-center in the next town over because it had a better pool. she told me she would try to make it but only if her dad would let her. she never gave me her dads number so i could give it to my mom yet she told me her dad would call my mom if she could make it. around this time some of my friends were approaching me and she noticed this, she seemed a bit frantic and told me to give her my hand. she pulled the plastic heart ring she was wearing and placed it in my hand saying “if i can’t make it to your party, this is my gift to you” before walking off. (after she gave me that ring i didn’t take it off for the rest of the year. some of my friends would ask me why i was wearing it because it was ugly. i would tell them that molly gave it to me but they would give me weird looks yet they never asked more than that about it.)the next day i didn’t see her but in my classroom mail box she left a little pink bear and a torn up cake squishy with a note reading something along the lines of “happy birthday this is the rest of my gift to you” she never made it to my party nor did my mom ever get a call. after that i didn’t see her again until a few weeks before school ended. our school was having us take tour of the middle schools we chose to go to. before i saw she was sitting alone in a section all the teachers said was empty. i asked her what school she was going to and she simply replied with “garden of the gods.” after that because i wanted to stay in touch with her i asked where she lived so i could visit her sometime. she described the old abandoned house on one of the outter streets of my neighborhood. that no had lived in in years. i told her that i would try and visit sometime that week with my mom to make sure it was the right house. molly nodded then walked off. at the end of that week me and my mom visited the old house, molly wasn’t there, neither was either brother or her dad, no one was in that house because like i said it was abandoned and never sold again after the last people to move in left right after hearing about what happened to the man in that house and how he died. after that interaction with her i never saw her again. not even at the end of the year assembly we were all required to go to for “bonding time” when the teachers were showing pictures of everyone who was in our current 5th grade classes molly was never brought up nor did she make in appearance in the year book as far as i remember. (i would check but i don’t have my yearbook anymore) after that, my mom and friends pestered me more and more about my ring until i eventually stopped wearing it. (i still have it but i repainted it after all the silver paint had came off it) i always told them it was a gift from molly but they had no idea who i was talking about so i stopped bringing her up until a little but ago with my mom. she told me she never remember the girl i was talking about she only remember that i was looking for someone. i told her that that was crazy because she was the one that gave me the ring and stuffy but nothing ever clicked. then we talked more about the house molly told me she lived in and my mom told me the last owners tried to sell it as quick ad possible because of the man who died there, but no one ever moved back it thats why the grass was never cut and it looked like it was starting to fall apart. eventually we started to consider the idea that molly was a ghost, it was just strange that i got a physical gift from her but it wasn’t impossible especially because of other incidents with spirits we had. i still have no idea what happened to molly or how she really was but i really do think she was simply a ghost and thats why no one remember her, i must have been the only one that could see her. i have met plenty of other ghosts but she is the first and only spirit to give me a physical gift. and don’t get me wrong i normally don’t mind meeting ghosts i just wish i knew she was one before i told the people that i did about her.
submitted by justanoddcat to Ghoststories [link] [comments]
(i don’t remember much of when i was fairly younger than i currently am (15) so i might be missing some details but i have been piecing together together who i met 5 years ago)
I remember sometime around February of my 5th grade year a girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. i didn’t have class with her but she was in the class right next door. (there were no door separating the 5th grade classes from each other only thin walls). she never really seemed to talk or interact with people and i rarely saw her myself. she was almost never at school and i don't think i ever heard the teacher call her name for attendance. she always sat alone at lunch and the few times she ever sat with other people (usually my friend group) she wouldn’t really talk to any of them. the only time she ever talked to me was when the other people around us were busy with something else or were looking away. i slowly got to know her bit by bit. her name was molly and she had a few brothers. she had brown hair that was always in a perfectly straight bob-cut and she only ever wore 5 shirts, the only one i can really remember was a light purple t-shirt with some white details and a cat on the front. she had a few freckles and her eyes were a pretty brown. she was very shy and wouldn’t really say much other than short sentences. Molly loved walking around the outskirts of the playground at recess but after the whistle blew and we had to go in she never seemed to line up with the rest of us. around the time my birthday was coming up and i was handing out invitations i really wanted to invite her to get to know her more because she seemed like a nice girl. i saw her when we were outside taking a short break from class when i began talking to her about it. i told her it would be a pool party at the rec-center in the next town over because it had a better pool. she told me she would try to make it but only if her dad would let her. she never gave me her dads number so i could give it to my mom yet she told me her dad would call my mom if she could make it. around this time some of my friends were approaching me and she noticed this, she seemed a bit frantic and told me to give her my hand. she pulled the plastic heart ring she was wearing and placed it in my hand saying “if i can’t make it to your party, this is my gift to you” before walking off. (after she gave me that ring i didn’t take it off for the rest of the year. some of my friends would ask me why i was wearing it because it was ugly. i would tell them that molly gave it to me but they would give me weird looks yet they never asked more than that about it.)the next day i didn’t see her but in my classroom mail box she left a little pink bear and a torn up cake squishy with a note reading something along the lines of “happy birthday this is the rest of my gift to you” she never made it to my party nor did my mom ever get a call. after that i didn’t see her again until a few weeks before school ended. our school was having us take tour of the middle schools we chose to go to. before i saw she was sitting alone in a section all the teachers said was empty. i asked her what school she was going to and she simply replied with “garden of the gods.” after that because i wanted to stay in touch with her i asked where she lived so i could visit her sometime. she described the old abandoned house on one of the outter streets of my neighborhood. that no had lived in in years. i told her that i would try and visit sometime that week with my mom to make sure it was the right house. molly nodded then walked off. at the end of that week me and my mom visited the old house, molly wasn’t there, neither was either brother or her dad, no one was in that house because like i said it was abandoned and never sold again after the last people to move in left right after hearing about what happened to the man in that house and how he died. after that interaction with her i never saw her again. not even at the end of the year assembly we were all required to go to for “bonding time” when the teachers were showing pictures of everyone who was in our current 5th grade classes molly was never brought up nor did she make in appearance in the year book as far as i remember. (i would check but i don’t have my yearbook anymore) after that, my mom and friends pestered me more and more about my ring until i eventually stopped wearing it. (i still have it but i repainted it after all the silver paint had came off it) i always told them it was a gift from molly but they had no idea who i was talking about so i stopped bringing her up until a little but ago with my mom. she told me she never remember the girl i was talking about she only remember that i was looking for someone. i told her that that was crazy because she was the one that gave me the ring and stuffy but nothing ever clicked. then we talked more about the house molly told me she lived in and my mom told me the last owners tried to sell it as quick ad possible because of the man who died there, but no one ever moved back it thats why the grass was never cut and it looked like it was starting to fall apart. eventually we started to consider the idea that molly was a ghost, it was just strange that i got a physical gift from her but it wasn’t impossible especially because of other incidents with spirits we had. i still have no idea what happened to molly or how she really was but i really do think she was simply a ghost and thats why no one remember her, i must have been the only one that could see her. i have met plenty of other ghosts but she is the first and only spirit to give me a physical gift. and don’t get me wrong i normally don’t mind meeting ghosts i just wish i knew she was one before i told the people that i did about her.
2023.06.10 04:39 Zehnpae Star Ocean: Till the End of Time - (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly)
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is a JRPG developed by tri-Ace. Released in NA in 2004, Star Ocean continued the weird fascination non-Dragon Quest JRPGs often have with space. "We're kind of sick of killing dragons" they said. "How about...I dunno...space dragons?"
We play as Fayt, son of a rather famous scientist but himself mostly a nobody. While on space holiday, war breaks out for reasons and we find ourselves engaging in an ever escalating series of mishaps that eventually reveal the true nature of the universe itself.
Gameplay is typical of more modern JRPGs. Combat will take place in an enclosed arena in semi-real time. Use regular attacks, symbology (IE: Magic) and special super attacks to defeat enemies. When not fighting we're usually running around talking to NPCs who want us to find something for them because they can't be bothered to leave the spot they're glued to.
The Good
There were a lot of things that were still relatively new concepts back when the game first came out. Being able to customize weapons with item synthesis, the arcade-style combat, not having random encounters and so on. I appreciate that games like this continued to push the genre forward in that regard.
The Bad
People who have been keeping up with my reviews will notice that's possibly the shortest 'the good' section I've ever written. This is a game where it's hard to find things to like because there's so much that is wrong with it.
There's a litany of really questionable design decisions. Being able to die from running out of mana. The item crafting system is mostly just 'google where to find orichalcum'. You can earn bonuses for good play in battles but these go away when an enemy crits you...and they will and you'll not be able to do anything about it. The map is basically useless and you're so zoomed in you are often going to have no idea where you are.
The voice acting is...not great and unfortunately there's a ton of it with no real option to speed up cutscenes. As soon as Lymle joined the party I decided that was it, I was muting the game from that point on. It was bad enough living through it once back in 2004 when I first played the game. Living through it again would have broken me.
Lastly, story isn't usually the strong point in JRPGs and this one takes the awful cake. I nearly broke my neck rolling my eyes so hard at the ending.
The Ugly
There's a lot of modern amenities that are missing here. I would have killed for the option to fast travel. However, fast travel still wasn't a very popular feature in RPGs back then and even now it can be contentious. For a game this large though, it's painful to spend 20 minutes backtracking to a chest you can now open only for it to have more freaking berries.
Final Thoughts
I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. I know that JRPGs aren't really for me anymore but I can't help but boot one up every now and then. About half way through I'll realize what I'm doing and wonder what possessed me to try this again. Yet even as I finished this, all I could think of was, "I should play Star Ocean 4 again next..." It's some kind of vile addiction I don't want to be cured of.
Thank you for reading!
Interesting Game Facts!
The developers said they removed several hours worth of potential cutscenes/dialog near the end of the game that would have done a better job of explaining everything that was going on. They said it would have felt pedantic and slow. This is a game that already has 10 hours worth of cutscenes. I can only imagine.
100 reviews in 100 days (Day 88)
submitted by Zehnpae to patientgamers [link] [comments]
We play as Fayt, son of a rather famous scientist but himself mostly a nobody. While on space holiday, war breaks out for reasons and we find ourselves engaging in an ever escalating series of mishaps that eventually reveal the true nature of the universe itself.
Gameplay is typical of more modern JRPGs. Combat will take place in an enclosed arena in semi-real time. Use regular attacks, symbology (IE: Magic) and special super attacks to defeat enemies. When not fighting we're usually running around talking to NPCs who want us to find something for them because they can't be bothered to leave the spot they're glued to.
There were a lot of things that were still relatively new concepts back when the game first came out. Being able to customize weapons with item synthesis, the arcade-style combat, not having random encounters and so on. I appreciate that games like this continued to push the genre forward in that regard.
People who have been keeping up with my reviews will notice that's possibly the shortest 'the good' section I've ever written. This is a game where it's hard to find things to like because there's so much that is wrong with it.
There's a litany of really questionable design decisions. Being able to die from running out of mana. The item crafting system is mostly just 'google where to find orichalcum'. You can earn bonuses for good play in battles but these go away when an enemy crits you...and they will and you'll not be able to do anything about it. The map is basically useless and you're so zoomed in you are often going to have no idea where you are.
The voice acting is...not great and unfortunately there's a ton of it with no real option to speed up cutscenes. As soon as Lymle joined the party I decided that was it, I was muting the game from that point on. It was bad enough living through it once back in 2004 when I first played the game. Living through it again would have broken me.
Lastly, story isn't usually the strong point in JRPGs and this one takes the awful cake. I nearly broke my neck rolling my eyes so hard at the ending.
There's a lot of modern amenities that are missing here. I would have killed for the option to fast travel. However, fast travel still wasn't a very popular feature in RPGs back then and even now it can be contentious. For a game this large though, it's painful to spend 20 minutes backtracking to a chest you can now open only for it to have more freaking berries.
I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. I know that JRPGs aren't really for me anymore but I can't help but boot one up every now and then. About half way through I'll realize what I'm doing and wonder what possessed me to try this again. Yet even as I finished this, all I could think of was, "I should play Star Ocean 4 again next..." It's some kind of vile addiction I don't want to be cured of.
Thank you for reading!
The developers said they removed several hours worth of potential cutscenes/dialog near the end of the game that would have done a better job of explaining everything that was going on. They said it would have felt pedantic and slow. This is a game that already has 10 hours worth of cutscenes. I can only imagine.
2023.06.10 04:27 KayakingHedgehog 36 [M4F] NC - Is that love in the air or all the pollen?
It’s that time of year again! Love is in the air along with all the plant jizz, and I am looking for the someone who is willing to venture out into this yellow, dusty mess with me, and then come home and just take a nap before our sinuses close up in anger and we cough ourselves to sleep. I am looking for someone to vent my mundane troubles too, someone that I know would be there to help with whatever may come up, and someone that I can laugh with, someone to cry with, someone that would just run with a crazy idea without hesitation.
Enough about me! Let’s talk about what you may be looking for! Are you looking for that special someone? You know, the one that laugh with on a daily basis. The one that you can have an entire conversation with using nothing but funny pictures? Are you looking for the creepy and the kooky? What about the mysterious and spooky? Would that someone be a person with a mohawk that is forever changing colors? How about a neatly trimmed beard that smells of sandalwood? What about the smell of Old Spice? Would that person also happen to have a few piercings and tattoos? Do you like the twang of a Southern accent? What if that accent was happen to be from a guy who is open minded? Do you enjoy a quick wit? How about being fluent in smartassary? How about a guy that is taking care of way too many fish? How about a guy who is starting to find grey hairs in his beard and is embracing the chance to become a silver fox?
Would you like for that person to be able to build a computer and change your oil all in the same day? How about having your tires rotated, breaks changed? I can even do headlights and air filters! Does the thought of helping turtles cross a busy road and helping tiny tadpoles stay safe with a pool of water during the summer tickle your fancy? Would you like to come home and have a pot roast and chocolate cake waiting for you? How about coming home to that random piece of IKEA furniture fully assembled? What about someone who would help while you built the IKEA? Does the idea of a guy who has reached the level of old that he enjoys puzzles intrigue you? How about if he has a love for cats that like to sit on said unfinished puzzles? Are you looking for a guy who can change your oil, replace your brakes, and cook you dinner in the same day? How about a guy who is good with his hands and knows it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the nerdy home maker package is for you! Who doesn’t want help around the house, basic maintaince taken care of, and some good dick?
Do you have an endless supply of DIY ideas? Well look no further because I do too! Ever wanted a stylish bat house or raised garden bed? I have made both! Would you want a greenhouse? I have plenty of ideas for that! Do you like watching a guy get dirty restoring canoes or building trailers? Do you have a Mad Max fantasy you want to live out? Do you want a house straight from the shire? I have the skills and the 3d printers to make you swoon with possibilities! If you answered yes to any of these questions, the glistening geek package is for you! What’s not to love about watching someone you like getting sweaty while watching your ideas come to life?
For a limited time, if you pick both packages, I will add in the nerdy outdoorsman package for no extra charge! Want to stay in one weekend and marathon Doctor Who, Star Trek, or Futurama? Do you want to play Don’t Starve Together, DnD, or Civ 6? How about Nerf gun fight, or a game of Mario for bragging rights? Feel like staying up late bundled under a load of blankets watching B movies or playing all manor of video, board, or card games? Feel like getting outdoors instead? I can offer spontaneous adventures that may include wondering aimlessly, hiking, and floating blissfully down a river which singing the PACMAN theme song! Random acts of hilarity that could include striking poses and quoting pop culture references! Are you more of a night owl? I can offer you a view of the stars with my telescope!
How about it? Wanna get itchy eyes and a runny nose with me?
submitted by KayakingHedgehog to r4r [link] [comments]
Enough about me! Let’s talk about what you may be looking for! Are you looking for that special someone? You know, the one that laugh with on a daily basis. The one that you can have an entire conversation with using nothing but funny pictures? Are you looking for the creepy and the kooky? What about the mysterious and spooky? Would that someone be a person with a mohawk that is forever changing colors? How about a neatly trimmed beard that smells of sandalwood? What about the smell of Old Spice? Would that person also happen to have a few piercings and tattoos? Do you like the twang of a Southern accent? What if that accent was happen to be from a guy who is open minded? Do you enjoy a quick wit? How about being fluent in smartassary? How about a guy that is taking care of way too many fish? How about a guy who is starting to find grey hairs in his beard and is embracing the chance to become a silver fox?
Would you like for that person to be able to build a computer and change your oil all in the same day? How about having your tires rotated, breaks changed? I can even do headlights and air filters! Does the thought of helping turtles cross a busy road and helping tiny tadpoles stay safe with a pool of water during the summer tickle your fancy? Would you like to come home and have a pot roast and chocolate cake waiting for you? How about coming home to that random piece of IKEA furniture fully assembled? What about someone who would help while you built the IKEA? Does the idea of a guy who has reached the level of old that he enjoys puzzles intrigue you? How about if he has a love for cats that like to sit on said unfinished puzzles? Are you looking for a guy who can change your oil, replace your brakes, and cook you dinner in the same day? How about a guy who is good with his hands and knows it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the nerdy home maker package is for you! Who doesn’t want help around the house, basic maintaince taken care of, and some good dick?
Do you have an endless supply of DIY ideas? Well look no further because I do too! Ever wanted a stylish bat house or raised garden bed? I have made both! Would you want a greenhouse? I have plenty of ideas for that! Do you like watching a guy get dirty restoring canoes or building trailers? Do you have a Mad Max fantasy you want to live out? Do you want a house straight from the shire? I have the skills and the 3d printers to make you swoon with possibilities! If you answered yes to any of these questions, the glistening geek package is for you! What’s not to love about watching someone you like getting sweaty while watching your ideas come to life?
For a limited time, if you pick both packages, I will add in the nerdy outdoorsman package for no extra charge! Want to stay in one weekend and marathon Doctor Who, Star Trek, or Futurama? Do you want to play Don’t Starve Together, DnD, or Civ 6? How about Nerf gun fight, or a game of Mario for bragging rights? Feel like staying up late bundled under a load of blankets watching B movies or playing all manor of video, board, or card games? Feel like getting outdoors instead? I can offer spontaneous adventures that may include wondering aimlessly, hiking, and floating blissfully down a river which singing the PACMAN theme song! Random acts of hilarity that could include striking poses and quoting pop culture references! Are you more of a night owl? I can offer you a view of the stars with my telescope!
How about it? Wanna get itchy eyes and a runny nose with me?
2023.06.10 03:29 queenofthescreen [Thank You] Whatdoya call south TX in a heatwave? Corpus Crispy. Which runs faster, hot or cold? Hot - easy to catch a cold. What do the sun & bread have in common? Both rise in the yeast. When it's hot, it's best to wear 2 different deodorants – one under each armpit. But that’s just our 2 scents.
Sweeties from sweeties:
https://imgur.com/gallery/UYA3RPN
PART 1 There's a word limit? LOL!!!!
u/_pickupthepieces x 8 Thank you so much for sending me the artsy cool card from the Buffalo art shop with the hip NY vibes - it’s sooooo NY & so you, my cool NY pal! It’s that cool card that I should prominently display somewhere (on my chest?!?) when I have a need to look & be cool hahaha! I also love the colorful stickers you sent! Most of all, thank you for indulging me & my wacky whims & addressing the envelope to “SUGAR” OMG OMG OMG I was giddy with joy that you did that!!!! I can’t even tell you how big the smile on my face was when I opened the mail box to see a card addressed to “SUGAR” in the fanciest, prettiest pink calligraphy!!!! In huge font!!! I have no idea why you sending a card all the way from NY addressed to “Sugar” made me feel so warm & fuzzy & naughty & like I had a super cool secret (wait - maybe a secret desire to be a sexy, sassy stripper?!? I dunno) but it sure did, sweetcakes! I actually turned around to see if any strangers were looking at me and the dopey smile on my face. To top it all off, you affixed…WHAT?!?!?! A Strawberry Shortcake sticker?!?!? She was my best friend growing up!!!!! I was so happy!!!! Thank you! Thank you for making me smile like a fruitcake. I’m so gonna laminate this envelope!!! Thank you also for the super pretty floral/3 animal/3 belated holiday cards you sent (which I can’t describe in detail/photograph right now because I don’t have them with me). They brought me so much joy! And thank you also for the generous assortment of card goodies to pass on!! Hahaha I hope I don’t accidentally send one back to you!! The Hilary Clinton card - hilarious & awesome. I can’t wait to meet Hilary’s greatest fan on this sub to send her on! Wishing you a sweet spring in NY!
u/notinmywheelhouse Thank you for the pretty plaid 1965 Marimekko postcard! Plaid is so timeless. And to answer your question about the reference to royalty in my street address, I was honestly embarrassed that I never before thought about the origin of his name! You taught me a valuable lesson - I’m not inquisitive enough hahaha! That’s so very important. I’m really grateful you inspired me to pause & wonder about the little things in life. As I researched your question, the only thing I could conclude is that the Google search engine is both heaven & hell. Because there are a billion hits & your question will require further research hahaha! As a southerner, I was so envious that you wrote to me from a state with such gorgeous weather! It was so cute the way you bragged about the weather hahaha! But I’m happy for you, friend. Although it also saddens me that you will never feel the beauty & magic of living in a state that gets so hot, the mascara melts & runs off your face. And then you run errands all day long without looking into a mirror - and not one stranger bats a melting-mascara-free eyelash to tell you that you look like an uglier, scarier, more demented version of that creepy clown from Stephen King’s It. Wishing you the breeziest, most beautiful weather today & always!
u/AlfredTheButt-ler Thank you so much for the fun Bandera Natural History Museum postcard featuring the neat-o dinosaur fossils exhibit! It so appeals to the nerd in me! I was super excited to learn 2 new factoids: 1) that the triceratops on the card “was an actual prop in the movie Night at the Museum” (I’m nuts for film facts!!!!) 2) that Bandera, Texas is known as “The Cowboy Capital of the World”. Just the word “Bandera” emits cool cowboy vibes!! Thank you so much for thinking of me. Hope you have an adventurous summer! BTW I sent you a card but I have no idea why it was returned to me as undeliverable. As soon as I’m able to catch up with thank yous, I’ll message you to confirm your address. Thanks again!! =)
u/Pumpkin-Spice-Witch How cuuuute are you if this Easter bunny card is this crazy cute?!? Thank you! The smiling flowers & easter eggs brightened my day so much! Loved your pun with the wish that my “day is eggs-xtra special and sweet”, the creative way in which you affixed the glittery butterfly embellishment (what a neat card-crafting tip to jazz up a card!!!), & the sweet stickers! Happy summer to you!!!
u/RoxanneBarton Thank you for the London Tower Bridge postcard that had me jonesing for tea & scones! I dig your affinity for the city’s “art, history, food scene, & overall cultural vibe”!! You so nicely articulated my own views of London!!! My maternal uncle lives there so when I was a kid, I took my first international trip there so it holds a special place in my heart. It was then that I fell in love with Tesco mild cheddar cheese, all things tea/royalty, & the cartoon “Postman Pat” - OMG now that I’m obsessed with snail mail through RAoC, I’m so excited at the thought of checking out the show as an adult!!! I hope you had a wonderful time & that you have lots of new adventures coming your way!
u/MaeveTheBrave x 4 Thank you for the most darling, delicious, delicate ice cream cone cut-out birthday card!!!! It’s soooooo very precious!!! You were so very generous with your envelope of fun - you made my birthday so festive & fabulous! Love it all - the coloring card, cute little memo sheets/stickers, scrapbooking ephemera, & all your warm wishes! You sent me an absolute surprise party in the mail & it lifted my spirits so much! Thank you for making my day so special. Thank you for the surprise “Cheerup Sleepy Jean” postcard. Loved hearing about your volunteer work with the Vermont City Marathon - I love that you perform community service! I’m also excited that you’re aspiring to run in the marathon - I dream of being at your level someday! Wow! Wishing you lots of endorphins as you run! Thank you for the Blue Neptune postcard & inspiring me with your work in astrophotography - this is so cool & so wow! I had never even heard of “astrophotography” before - you are reminding me to admire the skies & all the glory beyond what I can see. Wishing you lots of luck & joy as you work with post-processing software & continue to capture celestial charm!
u/postaltherapy x 3 Thank you for being THIS amazingly adorable. How many times a day are you told that you are sooooo adorable?!? I just wanna pinch your cheeks, you heartbreakingly adorable cutie!!!! With one glimpse of your cuuuute handwriting on the daisy card, without even having read a word, I instantly caught a glimpse of your heart. THANK YOU! And then when I read your “note of thanks”, I was in awe of how you thanked me - so very sincerely- for being a part of RAoC & for sending happy mail to others even though I haven’t even sent you anything yet hahaha! That is just adorable. YOU are adorable. I so appreciated your kind flair congrats, the extra special mini congrats cards, & the love with which you sent it all. Obsessed with the bright, beautiful pineapple washi tape you used to decorate the envelope!!!! Wishing you so much postal paradise, my sweet friend!
u/terrabranfordstrife Thank you for the super sweet handmade Easter card featuring the sleepy bunny and…the super creative easter egg charm embellishment that you tied to the card!!!! So so cool & creative - I love learning ways to elevate the card game so thank you for teaching me! I’ve purchased charms in the past (on sale at craft stores) not knowing what I would do with them but you gave me such a fun tip! The other sleepy bunny on the back is just adorable with his sweet smile. Loved your bright yellow washi tape & the pretty pink ink you used to send me your kind wishes! Hope you have a wonderful summer!
u/TheGeekAndTheBeast THANK you so much for all the hearty hugs, positivity, & love you sent with your comforting card & warm sentiments. You really helped ease emotional issues with your kindness, compassion, & assurance that “it is okay to feel lost & overwhelmed”. That is such a zen thought, my friend. I’m inspired by your willingness to just embrace life as it is, no matter the state of being. Thank you also for the cute space bookmark, mini memo coloring sheet (I loooove to color!!!) & fun book-themed stickers that so appeal to the book-nerd in me! Wishing you all the serenity & love you sent my way!
u/DianaPenPal x 2 Thank you so much for the super elegant birthday card!!!! I LOVE the 3-D chocolate cake slice embellishment with the tiny fork sticking out of it…soooo incredibly indulgent!!!! The mini birthday party hat/b-day sign embellishments inside are sooo cute too. And your beautiful creative writing using the word “birthday” to inspire me was such a treat:
Be the best you can be Imagine what you can do Remember who you are There’s nobody like you Honor your past Dwell on your heart All you need is love Your birthday is a great place to start
So much hope & love in your words - they mean so much to me, thank you!!!! The mini mail-themed envelope of stickers & memos is adorable too, thank you! Thank you so much for the surprise flair congrats card with the bright sticker goodies (love the pink bus sticker - pink anything makes me smile)! It was so kind of you to think of me - the pleasure of meeting you has been mine! Thank you for your constant generosity to us all - you amaze me with your sweet, unending offers! Wishing you a sweet & sunny summer!
submitted by queenofthescreen to RandomActsofCards [link] [comments]
https://imgur.com/gallery/UYA3RPN
PART 1 There's a word limit? LOL!!!!
u/_pickupthepieces x 8 Thank you so much for sending me the artsy cool card from the Buffalo art shop with the hip NY vibes - it’s sooooo NY & so you, my cool NY pal! It’s that cool card that I should prominently display somewhere (on my chest?!?) when I have a need to look & be cool hahaha! I also love the colorful stickers you sent! Most of all, thank you for indulging me & my wacky whims & addressing the envelope to “SUGAR” OMG OMG OMG I was giddy with joy that you did that!!!! I can’t even tell you how big the smile on my face was when I opened the mail box to see a card addressed to “SUGAR” in the fanciest, prettiest pink calligraphy!!!! In huge font!!! I have no idea why you sending a card all the way from NY addressed to “Sugar” made me feel so warm & fuzzy & naughty & like I had a super cool secret (wait - maybe a secret desire to be a sexy, sassy stripper?!? I dunno) but it sure did, sweetcakes! I actually turned around to see if any strangers were looking at me and the dopey smile on my face. To top it all off, you affixed…WHAT?!?!?! A Strawberry Shortcake sticker?!?!? She was my best friend growing up!!!!! I was so happy!!!! Thank you! Thank you for making me smile like a fruitcake. I’m so gonna laminate this envelope!!! Thank you also for the super pretty floral/3 animal/3 belated holiday cards you sent (which I can’t describe in detail/photograph right now because I don’t have them with me). They brought me so much joy! And thank you also for the generous assortment of card goodies to pass on!! Hahaha I hope I don’t accidentally send one back to you!! The Hilary Clinton card - hilarious & awesome. I can’t wait to meet Hilary’s greatest fan on this sub to send her on! Wishing you a sweet spring in NY!
u/notinmywheelhouse Thank you for the pretty plaid 1965 Marimekko postcard! Plaid is so timeless. And to answer your question about the reference to royalty in my street address, I was honestly embarrassed that I never before thought about the origin of his name! You taught me a valuable lesson - I’m not inquisitive enough hahaha! That’s so very important. I’m really grateful you inspired me to pause & wonder about the little things in life. As I researched your question, the only thing I could conclude is that the Google search engine is both heaven & hell. Because there are a billion hits & your question will require further research hahaha! As a southerner, I was so envious that you wrote to me from a state with such gorgeous weather! It was so cute the way you bragged about the weather hahaha! But I’m happy for you, friend. Although it also saddens me that you will never feel the beauty & magic of living in a state that gets so hot, the mascara melts & runs off your face. And then you run errands all day long without looking into a mirror - and not one stranger bats a melting-mascara-free eyelash to tell you that you look like an uglier, scarier, more demented version of that creepy clown from Stephen King’s It. Wishing you the breeziest, most beautiful weather today & always!
u/AlfredTheButt-ler Thank you so much for the fun Bandera Natural History Museum postcard featuring the neat-o dinosaur fossils exhibit! It so appeals to the nerd in me! I was super excited to learn 2 new factoids: 1) that the triceratops on the card “was an actual prop in the movie Night at the Museum” (I’m nuts for film facts!!!!) 2) that Bandera, Texas is known as “The Cowboy Capital of the World”. Just the word “Bandera” emits cool cowboy vibes!! Thank you so much for thinking of me. Hope you have an adventurous summer! BTW I sent you a card but I have no idea why it was returned to me as undeliverable. As soon as I’m able to catch up with thank yous, I’ll message you to confirm your address. Thanks again!! =)
u/Pumpkin-Spice-Witch How cuuuute are you if this Easter bunny card is this crazy cute?!? Thank you! The smiling flowers & easter eggs brightened my day so much! Loved your pun with the wish that my “day is eggs-xtra special and sweet”, the creative way in which you affixed the glittery butterfly embellishment (what a neat card-crafting tip to jazz up a card!!!), & the sweet stickers! Happy summer to you!!!
u/RoxanneBarton Thank you for the London Tower Bridge postcard that had me jonesing for tea & scones! I dig your affinity for the city’s “art, history, food scene, & overall cultural vibe”!! You so nicely articulated my own views of London!!! My maternal uncle lives there so when I was a kid, I took my first international trip there so it holds a special place in my heart. It was then that I fell in love with Tesco mild cheddar cheese, all things tea/royalty, & the cartoon “Postman Pat” - OMG now that I’m obsessed with snail mail through RAoC, I’m so excited at the thought of checking out the show as an adult!!! I hope you had a wonderful time & that you have lots of new adventures coming your way!
u/MaeveTheBrave x 4 Thank you for the most darling, delicious, delicate ice cream cone cut-out birthday card!!!! It’s soooooo very precious!!! You were so very generous with your envelope of fun - you made my birthday so festive & fabulous! Love it all - the coloring card, cute little memo sheets/stickers, scrapbooking ephemera, & all your warm wishes! You sent me an absolute surprise party in the mail & it lifted my spirits so much! Thank you for making my day so special. Thank you for the surprise “Cheerup Sleepy Jean” postcard. Loved hearing about your volunteer work with the Vermont City Marathon - I love that you perform community service! I’m also excited that you’re aspiring to run in the marathon - I dream of being at your level someday! Wow! Wishing you lots of endorphins as you run! Thank you for the Blue Neptune postcard & inspiring me with your work in astrophotography - this is so cool & so wow! I had never even heard of “astrophotography” before - you are reminding me to admire the skies & all the glory beyond what I can see. Wishing you lots of luck & joy as you work with post-processing software & continue to capture celestial charm!
u/postaltherapy x 3 Thank you for being THIS amazingly adorable. How many times a day are you told that you are sooooo adorable?!? I just wanna pinch your cheeks, you heartbreakingly adorable cutie!!!! With one glimpse of your cuuuute handwriting on the daisy card, without even having read a word, I instantly caught a glimpse of your heart. THANK YOU! And then when I read your “note of thanks”, I was in awe of how you thanked me - so very sincerely- for being a part of RAoC & for sending happy mail to others even though I haven’t even sent you anything yet hahaha! That is just adorable. YOU are adorable. I so appreciated your kind flair congrats, the extra special mini congrats cards, & the love with which you sent it all. Obsessed with the bright, beautiful pineapple washi tape you used to decorate the envelope!!!! Wishing you so much postal paradise, my sweet friend!
u/terrabranfordstrife Thank you for the super sweet handmade Easter card featuring the sleepy bunny and…the super creative easter egg charm embellishment that you tied to the card!!!! So so cool & creative - I love learning ways to elevate the card game so thank you for teaching me! I’ve purchased charms in the past (on sale at craft stores) not knowing what I would do with them but you gave me such a fun tip! The other sleepy bunny on the back is just adorable with his sweet smile. Loved your bright yellow washi tape & the pretty pink ink you used to send me your kind wishes! Hope you have a wonderful summer!
u/TheGeekAndTheBeast THANK you so much for all the hearty hugs, positivity, & love you sent with your comforting card & warm sentiments. You really helped ease emotional issues with your kindness, compassion, & assurance that “it is okay to feel lost & overwhelmed”. That is such a zen thought, my friend. I’m inspired by your willingness to just embrace life as it is, no matter the state of being. Thank you also for the cute space bookmark, mini memo coloring sheet (I loooove to color!!!) & fun book-themed stickers that so appeal to the book-nerd in me! Wishing you all the serenity & love you sent my way!
u/DianaPenPal x 2 Thank you so much for the super elegant birthday card!!!! I LOVE the 3-D chocolate cake slice embellishment with the tiny fork sticking out of it…soooo incredibly indulgent!!!! The mini birthday party hat/b-day sign embellishments inside are sooo cute too. And your beautiful creative writing using the word “birthday” to inspire me was such a treat:
Be the best you can be Imagine what you can do Remember who you are There’s nobody like you Honor your past Dwell on your heart All you need is love Your birthday is a great place to start
So much hope & love in your words - they mean so much to me, thank you!!!! The mini mail-themed envelope of stickers & memos is adorable too, thank you! Thank you so much for the surprise flair congrats card with the bright sticker goodies (love the pink bus sticker - pink anything makes me smile)! It was so kind of you to think of me - the pleasure of meeting you has been mine! Thank you for your constant generosity to us all - you amaze me with your sweet, unending offers! Wishing you a sweet & sunny summer!
2023.06.10 02:53 Darmanarya Hunting Pack chapter 12
((Credit to u/spacepaladin15 for creating the story “Nature of Predators” which light a fire under me to write. This is also a fanfic of that.))
FIRST//PREVIOUS//NEXT
Memory transcript subject: Krakotl exterminator team lead Taita Date [human standard time]: October 24, 2136
Breathe in.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Repeat
An exterminator must stay calm.
An exterminator must stay focused.
An exterminator must do their best.
Failure means death.
Death for the exterminator.
Death to others the predator will hunt.
Breath in.
Hold.
Breath out.
Repeat.
I watch as the town turns to grass, then water and trees beneath our shuttle. It was flying low as we prepped for todays extermination.
I went over the mental checklist I had prepared. We were dealing with an amphibious predator species that specialized in hunting in the water. While less lethal on land it was still dangerous due to massive teeth, sharp claws, and armor plating.
Equipment check:
Pistols left due to being unable to penetrate plates: check
P4 based solution to ensure burn on and under the water of the wetlands: check.
Heavy duty firesuits to protect against claw and P4 solution: check.
Long, thin variant of knife to get between plates: check.
Soon we were over the den of the predators. This group had killed a venlil male and… removed the arm of a female with him. They had gone out to the wetlands to be together in secret only to have been attacked. This species did not normally eat venlil and typically lived deep in the wetlands, so this den I deemed to be highly dangerous and needing an extermination. The doors flew open and I readied my flamethrower for part one. Owit and Tiha behind me readied their own looking out the other side's doors. No signal needed to be given, they knew what to do.
Owit's flamethrower hissed as his solution sprayed out unlit to provide extra fuel for a longer burn while Tiha's roared to life. I winced just a bit with the flames so hot and bright that both still slipped a little through my suit. It was some of our most powerful stuff and only those more experienced exterminators like me were even allowed to request it.
The shuttle slowly started to make a full hoof around the back of the den. This was a maneuver I learned from very old exterminator manuals that was rarely done anymore. Most hated the idea of funneling predators right at them, but to me it HAD to be done. None should be allowed to escape.If that meant we must stare down the jaws of a predator then it was our duty to stand firm.
Finally they started to come to the surface and head for the shore while we were halfway done. It was my turn. Safety off, aim above the target to allow for drop. Aim in front of target to allow for travel. Finger on trigger. Breath in. Hold. breathe out.
Hold.
Squeeze.
The flamethrower kicked back more than normal, but it was expected. The special P4 solution was thicker than most with it being only a little thinner due to stabilizing compounds and some oils to ensure it floated in the water. I made sure to hold it steady and guided the spray onto a few predators that were clustered together. As soon as they glew like a sun I shifted to some that were on their own.
All my stress, all my worries, everything was purged by the fire and the roar of my flame thrower. I started to do my breathing exercises as pred after pred caught on fire.
Thud thud.
The signal. Funnel complete. I stopped my fire and waited as we went a little ways from the funnel's exit. While it would be safer to stay in the shuttle in theory the smoke would soon make it impossible to aim from above. We all jumped out and ran towards the fire.
One by one the beasts came out of the water, only to thrash and die as the flames consumed them. Four came out unscathed. There was no need to discuss or even signal who did what. My two teammates went after the two that were going to the left and right of us. I, however, got ready to fight the two coming down the center. It was my duty as team lead to do the most dangerous part.
I readied my flamethrower and swallowed down my fear. Just two large predators. I've done worse. One was consumed by a wall of white fire as my two teammates burned away their targets.
My eyes snapped to the last one as it lunged at me. I could see them. The tiny claw marks on its face from the Venlil it hurt. My brain wanted to get mad.
But I stayed calm.
I stayed professional.
I stayed alive.
And I did my duty.
There was a crunch as I swung the reinforced frame of my flamethrower hard, slamming it into the side of the predator's head. While it struggled to shake off the impact I took aim. Breathed out. Held. And squeezed the trigger.
This one was the most dangerous of all so I made sure it was burnt to nothing. Both to ensure nothing could come from it and to make sure the venlil could find peace in whatever afterlife they went to. I glanced at my teammates and they did the same to the other predator bodies. Their roaring flame throwers burning away everything.
This was my favorite part. The part where the sweet, rich scent of burning predator filled your beak. Where the danger was gone, nobody was hurt, and everyone was safe. Most said they hated this part, that it made their stomachs hurt or their throats itch. But to me the smells of victory were unmatched. It was an aroma one could only get after victory as an exterminator.
I then looked at the remains and thought for a bit. These were the bad predators. The sort that hurt others for no reason, not even for just food. This wasn't their territory, there were no cubs, and venlil were outside their normal prey. They were evil.
Then thought about my two predators. And I realized that even the arxur was nothing like that. She tried to help the human, talked about how she didn't like the idea of baby animals dying, and any word she had to say about the arxur was far more… violent than even most exterminators. She kept calling them "betterment" though which must be the main arxur faction. Another notch into her being arxur, but the mistake was just so innocent that it felt even more authentic than some HUMANS.
Brahk.
Breathe.
Maybe… maybe there was something else to call them than predators. I mean, the humans had a word that felt good. Monster. Some beast with little thought or care that attacked and killed for no reason or for cruelty. Like these piles of ash. There were also prey with TRUE predator disease, not the fake stuff they accused Tarlim of. Like the yotul "researcher."
Some predators were good or even innocent! I refused a call to kill a shadebeast den just a few paws ago. I saw no need. I pointed out how much effort would go into just getting there, much less fire control to avoid burning the forest down, finding them in the woods, and more. They were living so far away from anything, even the venlil that found them only saw them from a shuttle! The expedition was called off. We need to focus on protecting, not just chasing things and risking ourselves.
It is what let the arxur onto my kind's….
I shook the thoughts from my head. No need to think about that. It was probaly going to be one of the darkest spots in exerminator history someday. Alright, lets just collect thoughts for a bit. Predators that were actually bad were now monsters in my book. Not going to let my two best friends be lumped in with them. I enjoyed the smell one last time before I followed my teammates onto the shuttle and relaxed.
I slipped off my head protection and watched the wetlands vanish under me as I brought out my datapad to fill out the report. Mine were always so simple: Predators eliminated, little to no chance of surviving predators, no injuries, no further actions needed. Sure filling out the other forms took awhile, but it was doable. It was just a little bit harder than normal thanks to notifications popping up.
My datapad was still being spammed by apologies from cuddlepunk as well. I had already forgiven her but she still felt bad. An arxur. Feeling bad about upsetting me?
Today was truly a great day to be an exterminator.
FIRST//PREVIOUS//NEXT
submitted by Darmanarya to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
FIRST//PREVIOUS//NEXT
Memory transcript subject: Krakotl exterminator team lead Taita Date [human standard time]: October 24, 2136
Breathe in.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Repeat
An exterminator must stay calm.
An exterminator must stay focused.
An exterminator must do their best.
Failure means death.
Death for the exterminator.
Death to others the predator will hunt.
Breath in.
Hold.
Breath out.
Repeat.
I watch as the town turns to grass, then water and trees beneath our shuttle. It was flying low as we prepped for todays extermination.
I went over the mental checklist I had prepared. We were dealing with an amphibious predator species that specialized in hunting in the water. While less lethal on land it was still dangerous due to massive teeth, sharp claws, and armor plating.
Equipment check:
Pistols left due to being unable to penetrate plates: check
P4 based solution to ensure burn on and under the water of the wetlands: check.
Heavy duty firesuits to protect against claw and P4 solution: check.
Long, thin variant of knife to get between plates: check.
Soon we were over the den of the predators. This group had killed a venlil male and… removed the arm of a female with him. They had gone out to the wetlands to be together in secret only to have been attacked. This species did not normally eat venlil and typically lived deep in the wetlands, so this den I deemed to be highly dangerous and needing an extermination. The doors flew open and I readied my flamethrower for part one. Owit and Tiha behind me readied their own looking out the other side's doors. No signal needed to be given, they knew what to do.
Owit's flamethrower hissed as his solution sprayed out unlit to provide extra fuel for a longer burn while Tiha's roared to life. I winced just a bit with the flames so hot and bright that both still slipped a little through my suit. It was some of our most powerful stuff and only those more experienced exterminators like me were even allowed to request it.
The shuttle slowly started to make a full hoof around the back of the den. This was a maneuver I learned from very old exterminator manuals that was rarely done anymore. Most hated the idea of funneling predators right at them, but to me it HAD to be done. None should be allowed to escape.If that meant we must stare down the jaws of a predator then it was our duty to stand firm.
Finally they started to come to the surface and head for the shore while we were halfway done. It was my turn. Safety off, aim above the target to allow for drop. Aim in front of target to allow for travel. Finger on trigger. Breath in. Hold. breathe out.
Hold.
Squeeze.
The flamethrower kicked back more than normal, but it was expected. The special P4 solution was thicker than most with it being only a little thinner due to stabilizing compounds and some oils to ensure it floated in the water. I made sure to hold it steady and guided the spray onto a few predators that were clustered together. As soon as they glew like a sun I shifted to some that were on their own.
All my stress, all my worries, everything was purged by the fire and the roar of my flame thrower. I started to do my breathing exercises as pred after pred caught on fire.
Thud thud.
The signal. Funnel complete. I stopped my fire and waited as we went a little ways from the funnel's exit. While it would be safer to stay in the shuttle in theory the smoke would soon make it impossible to aim from above. We all jumped out and ran towards the fire.
One by one the beasts came out of the water, only to thrash and die as the flames consumed them. Four came out unscathed. There was no need to discuss or even signal who did what. My two teammates went after the two that were going to the left and right of us. I, however, got ready to fight the two coming down the center. It was my duty as team lead to do the most dangerous part.
I readied my flamethrower and swallowed down my fear. Just two large predators. I've done worse. One was consumed by a wall of white fire as my two teammates burned away their targets.
My eyes snapped to the last one as it lunged at me. I could see them. The tiny claw marks on its face from the Venlil it hurt. My brain wanted to get mad.
But I stayed calm.
I stayed professional.
I stayed alive.
And I did my duty.
There was a crunch as I swung the reinforced frame of my flamethrower hard, slamming it into the side of the predator's head. While it struggled to shake off the impact I took aim. Breathed out. Held. And squeezed the trigger.
This one was the most dangerous of all so I made sure it was burnt to nothing. Both to ensure nothing could come from it and to make sure the venlil could find peace in whatever afterlife they went to. I glanced at my teammates and they did the same to the other predator bodies. Their roaring flame throwers burning away everything.
This was my favorite part. The part where the sweet, rich scent of burning predator filled your beak. Where the danger was gone, nobody was hurt, and everyone was safe. Most said they hated this part, that it made their stomachs hurt or their throats itch. But to me the smells of victory were unmatched. It was an aroma one could only get after victory as an exterminator.
I then looked at the remains and thought for a bit. These were the bad predators. The sort that hurt others for no reason, not even for just food. This wasn't their territory, there were no cubs, and venlil were outside their normal prey. They were evil.
Then thought about my two predators. And I realized that even the arxur was nothing like that. She tried to help the human, talked about how she didn't like the idea of baby animals dying, and any word she had to say about the arxur was far more… violent than even most exterminators. She kept calling them "betterment" though which must be the main arxur faction. Another notch into her being arxur, but the mistake was just so innocent that it felt even more authentic than some HUMANS.
Brahk.
Breathe.
Maybe… maybe there was something else to call them than predators. I mean, the humans had a word that felt good. Monster. Some beast with little thought or care that attacked and killed for no reason or for cruelty. Like these piles of ash. There were also prey with TRUE predator disease, not the fake stuff they accused Tarlim of. Like the yotul "researcher."
Some predators were good or even innocent! I refused a call to kill a shadebeast den just a few paws ago. I saw no need. I pointed out how much effort would go into just getting there, much less fire control to avoid burning the forest down, finding them in the woods, and more. They were living so far away from anything, even the venlil that found them only saw them from a shuttle! The expedition was called off. We need to focus on protecting, not just chasing things and risking ourselves.
It is what let the arxur onto my kind's….
I shook the thoughts from my head. No need to think about that. It was probaly going to be one of the darkest spots in exerminator history someday. Alright, lets just collect thoughts for a bit. Predators that were actually bad were now monsters in my book. Not going to let my two best friends be lumped in with them. I enjoyed the smell one last time before I followed my teammates onto the shuttle and relaxed.
I slipped off my head protection and watched the wetlands vanish under me as I brought out my datapad to fill out the report. Mine were always so simple: Predators eliminated, little to no chance of surviving predators, no injuries, no further actions needed. Sure filling out the other forms took awhile, but it was doable. It was just a little bit harder than normal thanks to notifications popping up.
My datapad was still being spammed by apologies from cuddlepunk as well. I had already forgiven her but she still felt bad. An arxur. Feeling bad about upsetting me?
Today was truly a great day to be an exterminator.
FIRST//PREVIOUS//NEXT
2023.06.10 02:49 BowenForster Galactic Arm. Part.1
Introductions. Shuttle Engineer Drivtet Ol'gashi POV
I was working on some routine maintenance of the Black Spots shuttle when the Captains voice came over the ship wide intercom.
Ping "All crew report to assembly in bay 3. There is critical information that has just been relayed by GC high-command. I have been given permission to show all of you just what we found 4 rotations ago on that unknown wreckage." Ping
All noise in the normally busy shuttle bay had ceased following that announcement. Quickly packing away the inspection sheet I was working on, I proceeded to the doors with my fellow crew.
"What do you think that recording was?" I turned and looked down to see shuttle pilot Fen'hozy hopping up beside me. Fen'hozy is a Kanhiv one of the smaller races being only 2' feet 6" inches tall, with short coarse tan fur, and powerful hind legs that are used to launch them into the air. He was nervously tapping the claws on the fingertips of his wings against the floor.
"I don't know, but by the sounds of it the captain is about to show us." I reply trying to calm his nerves.
When we discovered the wreck 4 rotations ago the specifications that came through scans were absurd. Being a member of the engineering crew I was part of the team that was assigned to study the crafts scans when not doing regular tasks. For starters the ceilings were 10' feet tall, 2' feet taller than the tallest know sentient race, the Phyth. Then there was the material composition of the ship. Metal alloys far denser than we have ever made coming from materials so strong our hottest welding equipment barely made it glow. Whatever made that ship was something the GC isn't fully prepared for.
"What do you think destroyed it?" Fen'hozy asked, snapping me from my thoughts.
He was right. What could destroy something our best tech can't even cut through?
"I don't know. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been the Vizan. If it was then there is no way we would have lasted this long against them." I replied, "Hopefully, we will get some answers from this assembly."
I picked up my pace towards bay 3, forcing Fen'hozy to switch from his quadrapedal walk to upright hopping 'run' with his wings tucked neatly against his sides to keep up. We quickly pull ahead of the group leaving the shuttle bay with us.
"If you're gonna run there mind if I just hitch a rid on your back. You know I can't keep up if you go any faster." Fen'hozy remarked, struggling to keep pace with my brisk walk.
"Sure, so long as you promise to clean out the shuttles docking port for me tomorrow." I cheerily replied.
"Done!" He shouted, hopping high into the air towards my back. "I've seen how clean you keep that shuttle it will take me all of 5 tacks to do." He said, landing on my back with a quiet whomp. Holding onto my shoulders with his clawed fingers and proping his hind paws against my hips, I leaned forward and started jogging down the corridor.
We reached bay 3 well ahead of most with only the Captain, bridge crew, and research department present. The bridge crew sat on stage behind the Captain, sullen expressions shadowing their features. While the researchers sat in the front row were restraining their excitement with visible difficulty. The tension was already palpable with the brooding expression on our Captains normally stoic face.
Letting Fen'hozy drop to the floor we made our way to some seats on the far side of the bay. The standardized stools were not very comfortable but were built to accommodate many different body types. I plopped myself onto a stool while Fen'hozy hopped up onto the one next to me resting back on his haunches. Seated like this with him sitting upright we were almost eye level.
"You know, as scared as I am for what this species may be. I can't help but be excited for a new potential ally. Especially with the technology we have already seen." Fen'hozy voiced my own thoughts as if reading them right from my mind.
"I couldn't agree more. Especially about the technology if we had access to some of the materials they use I would put credits on turning the tide of this war." I stated smugly. Our shiny golden metals were nothing compared to the stark grey and black materials that ship was composed of.
We chatted aimlessly for a few tacks while the rest of the crew arrived. It seemed we didn't have to wait long as more and more cautiously optimistic crew members filled the seats. I could catch snippets of conversation all seeming to denote a level of excitement based around what we discovered. If it wasn't for the still sullen Captin and bridge crew I suspect the low chatter would have been a full roar of excitement.
"What do you think has the bridge crew so worried?" Fen'hozy asked, breaking me from my thoughts on the room. Looking back towards the stage where Captain Yillfit Carver stood awaiting the last of the crew. I take a moment to study his expression before answering.
"Well he has always been rather stoic by his species standard, I've only ever seen him make that face when talking about his friends lost on the battle field." A voice clicked from behind us before I could answer. Both Fen'hozy and I turned to the newest addition to the conversation. A Goshran swarmed over the stool making barely audible scratching sounds as the workers of the coloney were busy handling all the needs of their 'body'.
"Well you would be the one to know." Says Fen'hozy, "How long have you and the Captain served together Security Chief Grivla?"
"We have known eachother sense the academy." Grivla clacked in response, "We didn't see eachother for 4 cycles after the academy. Finally meeting again on a Ho'vat battlefield. Our two units had been cut in half by the Vizan, so deciding to work together under Carvers lead. We managed to hold our position until relief forces were able to arrive and take over. I've been serving under Carver ever sense."
"I'm a little surprised to see you down here and not up on stage with the bridge crew?" I nudge, hoping she will have some information as to why they look so sullen.
"Well my assumption is that they have all already seen what we are about to be shown. I just came from my rest shift, if that's their response I think it won't be all good news. Either way I haven't seen anything yet, meaning whatever this is was played over the bridge then immediately deemed of critical importance for the entire crew." Replied the Security Chief.
Sharing a nervous glance with Fen'hozy I turned my attention back to the stage.
Not 2 Tacks later the doors closed behind the last of the crew. The entire crew of the Black Spot all 350 of us stood or sat waiting for the Captain to begin.
After a moment of silence filled the room the Captain began.
"Thank you valued crew of the Black Spot for assembling so quickly.
I know some of you are on rest shift and will be allowed to continue it once we are done here. In fact, all crew will be given half a standard rotation to rest and deal with the news." He stated.
A subdued applause greeted his statement. The excitement in the room quickly fading. Before my thoughts could run away with me the captain resumed his speech.
"As you are all aware, our mission is to find and confirm what has caught the attention of the Vizan.
"We have succeeded in the first part, now we just need to make contact and confirm the status relayed in the message that we sent back through subspace." He assured.
"The GC senate has translated and reviewed the footage recovered from the wreckage we discovered and to say it has confirmed some of our worst fears would be an understatement.
"I have been given permission to show everyone aboard the Black Spot exactly what we will be heading into in the coming rotations. Without further fanfare Comms Officer Renfai, would you do the honors?"
Stepping back from the front of the stage with a small flourish of his manipulator tentacle the Captain ushered Officer Renfai forward. Sliding up to the front of the stage Comms Officer Renfai appeared sad and disconnected from everything around him.
Lifting his eyestalks to look at the gathered crew he began, "Fellow sentients, the message we recovered from that wreck is an old warning and a plea for future aid.
"Through the confirmation of time stamps on the message and Vizan activity we believe the wreck has been adrift in that nebulae for roughly 250 standard cycles. Far longer than was initially estimated due to lack of any kind of wear to the ship.
"This should be kept in mind as we have no idea what the current situation is in this section of the galaxy. I'll now play the full translated message before turning things back to our Captain to answer any questions and give us the plan moving forward."
With a wave of his prehensile tail the lights dimmed and the back wall of the stage lit up showing an image of an unknown sentient. The recording bagan to play.
"Hello. If you are receiving this, this is Capt. Fos of the USSF Nutcracker.
"I am a human, and our United Systems of 14 species are under attack by an unknown threat. If found please, bring this message to my family on Earth."
Co-ords attached
"Before that, I must give a warning for any who discover this ship. We were unprepared for this threat, and they couldn't have timed their appearance for a worse moment.
"The United Systems haven't always been such, in fact it wasn't until these 'husks' attacked that all 15 known sentients finally set aside our differences to come together and fight back. A mutual enemy does wonders for setting government priorities." The Human shook his head, looking to the floor.
Taking a steadying breath he continued. "We were too busy fighting with eachother to pay attention to unknown space. From outside known space these 'Husks' came, they launched a simultaneous attack across every inhabited world and system we knew of. Being too preoccupied at the onset of this, plague our respective militaries struggled to push them off our worlds. Over 100 coloney worlds were lost, unable to receive reinforcement in time." A collective intake of atmosphere could be heard throughout the bay.
Before anyone could voice their concern the Human lifted his eyes to stare directly into the camera.
"It took the complete extinction of the Motuck before the remaining 14 of us came together." He spat.
"They had pled for help broadcasting to anyone that could hear. Humanity couldn't just leave them to extinction all alone. At the time humanity was fairing the best having pushed the Husks completely from 6 of our 8 systems, we sent what we could spare." His voice softening as he spoke. "We were too late. The last bunker on their homeworld had been breached.
"The final transmission coming just two hours before our response fleat dropped into the system. The fleat was met with a fresh Armada of Motuck ship husks coming from their homeworld.
"The Motuck were gone. Our Government at the time not wanting to fight our former friends made the decision in line with the last wishes of the Motuck Ambassador.
'I would rather my system be wiped from existence than let my entire people become you!' Were his last words in that final message and subsequent detonation of the shelter." The human spoke with a cold detatchment.
"We glassed the few remaining former Motuck worlds. The Motuck home system was fully colonized with both mines and terraformed worlds. We decided to collapse the star erasing the Husks completely from the sector with minimal losses on our end." A faint buzzing could be heard from the video but nothing could be seen on screen.
"My ship the USSF Nutcracker was sent on one such mission to an unrecoverable Gorchev system. Just before our localized gravity collapse could destabilize the star and initiate a supernova the Husks hit us.
"The supernova has been successfully induced and will occur in approximately 20 minutes. I'll be dead before then, we have moved to the edge of the system but will remain here. 95% of the crew has been killed or consumed by the Husks, I've rigged the reactor core to vent into the ship when I hit this button." The Human held up a small black box with a grey button on the top.
"That should incinerate anything living on the ship. This message will be tethered to the Blackbox, transmitting to anyone close enough to hear. Please go to Earth and help us save all the people of the Milky way.
"We will not go quietly into the night and I pray that you won't either." At those words the human appeared to shrink.
"A final message for my wife and daughter." The buzzing got suddenly louder and a light begun to shine on the humans face.
"Sorsha my sweet girl, don't worry daddy will always be watching over you. Marry, I'm sorry I won't be there with you when you get old. I love you both more than can be expressed. I'll miss you." Taking his eyes off the camera to look off screen he pushed the button. A loud rushing of air could be heard before the video cut out, freezing on an image of the human looking sadly into the camera.
—Authors note—
Hey everybody!
Thank you all for reading! I was blown away by how well the prolouge was received, I wasn't expecting such a positive response and would have been happy with just having feedback on my writing. As it is I am blown away and will strive to do my best going forward. I'm doing this by myself in my free time please don't expect every update to come this quickly, I will be aiming for at least one part a week for as long as I can keep the ideas flowing. Once again any constructive criticism is more than welcome! I look forward to lore discussions over on my page. Thank you again everyone for reading!
submitted by BowenForster to HFY [link] [comments]
I was working on some routine maintenance of the Black Spots shuttle when the Captains voice came over the ship wide intercom.
Ping "All crew report to assembly in bay 3. There is critical information that has just been relayed by GC high-command. I have been given permission to show all of you just what we found 4 rotations ago on that unknown wreckage." Ping
All noise in the normally busy shuttle bay had ceased following that announcement. Quickly packing away the inspection sheet I was working on, I proceeded to the doors with my fellow crew.
"What do you think that recording was?" I turned and looked down to see shuttle pilot Fen'hozy hopping up beside me. Fen'hozy is a Kanhiv one of the smaller races being only 2' feet 6" inches tall, with short coarse tan fur, and powerful hind legs that are used to launch them into the air. He was nervously tapping the claws on the fingertips of his wings against the floor.
"I don't know, but by the sounds of it the captain is about to show us." I reply trying to calm his nerves.
When we discovered the wreck 4 rotations ago the specifications that came through scans were absurd. Being a member of the engineering crew I was part of the team that was assigned to study the crafts scans when not doing regular tasks. For starters the ceilings were 10' feet tall, 2' feet taller than the tallest know sentient race, the Phyth. Then there was the material composition of the ship. Metal alloys far denser than we have ever made coming from materials so strong our hottest welding equipment barely made it glow. Whatever made that ship was something the GC isn't fully prepared for.
"What do you think destroyed it?" Fen'hozy asked, snapping me from my thoughts.
He was right. What could destroy something our best tech can't even cut through?
"I don't know. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been the Vizan. If it was then there is no way we would have lasted this long against them." I replied, "Hopefully, we will get some answers from this assembly."
I picked up my pace towards bay 3, forcing Fen'hozy to switch from his quadrapedal walk to upright hopping 'run' with his wings tucked neatly against his sides to keep up. We quickly pull ahead of the group leaving the shuttle bay with us.
"If you're gonna run there mind if I just hitch a rid on your back. You know I can't keep up if you go any faster." Fen'hozy remarked, struggling to keep pace with my brisk walk.
"Sure, so long as you promise to clean out the shuttles docking port for me tomorrow." I cheerily replied.
"Done!" He shouted, hopping high into the air towards my back. "I've seen how clean you keep that shuttle it will take me all of 5 tacks to do." He said, landing on my back with a quiet whomp. Holding onto my shoulders with his clawed fingers and proping his hind paws against my hips, I leaned forward and started jogging down the corridor.
We reached bay 3 well ahead of most with only the Captain, bridge crew, and research department present. The bridge crew sat on stage behind the Captain, sullen expressions shadowing their features. While the researchers sat in the front row were restraining their excitement with visible difficulty. The tension was already palpable with the brooding expression on our Captains normally stoic face.
Letting Fen'hozy drop to the floor we made our way to some seats on the far side of the bay. The standardized stools were not very comfortable but were built to accommodate many different body types. I plopped myself onto a stool while Fen'hozy hopped up onto the one next to me resting back on his haunches. Seated like this with him sitting upright we were almost eye level.
"You know, as scared as I am for what this species may be. I can't help but be excited for a new potential ally. Especially with the technology we have already seen." Fen'hozy voiced my own thoughts as if reading them right from my mind.
"I couldn't agree more. Especially about the technology if we had access to some of the materials they use I would put credits on turning the tide of this war." I stated smugly. Our shiny golden metals were nothing compared to the stark grey and black materials that ship was composed of.
We chatted aimlessly for a few tacks while the rest of the crew arrived. It seemed we didn't have to wait long as more and more cautiously optimistic crew members filled the seats. I could catch snippets of conversation all seeming to denote a level of excitement based around what we discovered. If it wasn't for the still sullen Captin and bridge crew I suspect the low chatter would have been a full roar of excitement.
"What do you think has the bridge crew so worried?" Fen'hozy asked, breaking me from my thoughts on the room. Looking back towards the stage where Captain Yillfit Carver stood awaiting the last of the crew. I take a moment to study his expression before answering.
"Well he has always been rather stoic by his species standard, I've only ever seen him make that face when talking about his friends lost on the battle field." A voice clicked from behind us before I could answer. Both Fen'hozy and I turned to the newest addition to the conversation. A Goshran swarmed over the stool making barely audible scratching sounds as the workers of the coloney were busy handling all the needs of their 'body'.
"Well you would be the one to know." Says Fen'hozy, "How long have you and the Captain served together Security Chief Grivla?"
"We have known eachother sense the academy." Grivla clacked in response, "We didn't see eachother for 4 cycles after the academy. Finally meeting again on a Ho'vat battlefield. Our two units had been cut in half by the Vizan, so deciding to work together under Carvers lead. We managed to hold our position until relief forces were able to arrive and take over. I've been serving under Carver ever sense."
"I'm a little surprised to see you down here and not up on stage with the bridge crew?" I nudge, hoping she will have some information as to why they look so sullen.
"Well my assumption is that they have all already seen what we are about to be shown. I just came from my rest shift, if that's their response I think it won't be all good news. Either way I haven't seen anything yet, meaning whatever this is was played over the bridge then immediately deemed of critical importance for the entire crew." Replied the Security Chief.
Sharing a nervous glance with Fen'hozy I turned my attention back to the stage.
Not 2 Tacks later the doors closed behind the last of the crew. The entire crew of the Black Spot all 350 of us stood or sat waiting for the Captain to begin.
After a moment of silence filled the room the Captain began.
"Thank you valued crew of the Black Spot for assembling so quickly.
I know some of you are on rest shift and will be allowed to continue it once we are done here. In fact, all crew will be given half a standard rotation to rest and deal with the news." He stated.
A subdued applause greeted his statement. The excitement in the room quickly fading. Before my thoughts could run away with me the captain resumed his speech.
"As you are all aware, our mission is to find and confirm what has caught the attention of the Vizan.
"We have succeeded in the first part, now we just need to make contact and confirm the status relayed in the message that we sent back through subspace." He assured.
"The GC senate has translated and reviewed the footage recovered from the wreckage we discovered and to say it has confirmed some of our worst fears would be an understatement.
"I have been given permission to show everyone aboard the Black Spot exactly what we will be heading into in the coming rotations. Without further fanfare Comms Officer Renfai, would you do the honors?"
Stepping back from the front of the stage with a small flourish of his manipulator tentacle the Captain ushered Officer Renfai forward. Sliding up to the front of the stage Comms Officer Renfai appeared sad and disconnected from everything around him.
Lifting his eyestalks to look at the gathered crew he began, "Fellow sentients, the message we recovered from that wreck is an old warning and a plea for future aid.
"Through the confirmation of time stamps on the message and Vizan activity we believe the wreck has been adrift in that nebulae for roughly 250 standard cycles. Far longer than was initially estimated due to lack of any kind of wear to the ship.
"This should be kept in mind as we have no idea what the current situation is in this section of the galaxy. I'll now play the full translated message before turning things back to our Captain to answer any questions and give us the plan moving forward."
With a wave of his prehensile tail the lights dimmed and the back wall of the stage lit up showing an image of an unknown sentient. The recording bagan to play.
"Hello. If you are receiving this, this is Capt. Fos of the USSF Nutcracker.
"I am a human, and our United Systems of 14 species are under attack by an unknown threat. If found please, bring this message to my family on Earth."
Co-ords attached
"Before that, I must give a warning for any who discover this ship. We were unprepared for this threat, and they couldn't have timed their appearance for a worse moment.
"The United Systems haven't always been such, in fact it wasn't until these 'husks' attacked that all 15 known sentients finally set aside our differences to come together and fight back. A mutual enemy does wonders for setting government priorities." The Human shook his head, looking to the floor.
Taking a steadying breath he continued. "We were too busy fighting with eachother to pay attention to unknown space. From outside known space these 'Husks' came, they launched a simultaneous attack across every inhabited world and system we knew of. Being too preoccupied at the onset of this, plague our respective militaries struggled to push them off our worlds. Over 100 coloney worlds were lost, unable to receive reinforcement in time." A collective intake of atmosphere could be heard throughout the bay.
Before anyone could voice their concern the Human lifted his eyes to stare directly into the camera.
"It took the complete extinction of the Motuck before the remaining 14 of us came together." He spat.
"They had pled for help broadcasting to anyone that could hear. Humanity couldn't just leave them to extinction all alone. At the time humanity was fairing the best having pushed the Husks completely from 6 of our 8 systems, we sent what we could spare." His voice softening as he spoke. "We were too late. The last bunker on their homeworld had been breached.
"The final transmission coming just two hours before our response fleat dropped into the system. The fleat was met with a fresh Armada of Motuck ship husks coming from their homeworld.
"The Motuck were gone. Our Government at the time not wanting to fight our former friends made the decision in line with the last wishes of the Motuck Ambassador.
'I would rather my system be wiped from existence than let my entire people become you!' Were his last words in that final message and subsequent detonation of the shelter." The human spoke with a cold detatchment.
"We glassed the few remaining former Motuck worlds. The Motuck home system was fully colonized with both mines and terraformed worlds. We decided to collapse the star erasing the Husks completely from the sector with minimal losses on our end." A faint buzzing could be heard from the video but nothing could be seen on screen.
"My ship the USSF Nutcracker was sent on one such mission to an unrecoverable Gorchev system. Just before our localized gravity collapse could destabilize the star and initiate a supernova the Husks hit us.
"The supernova has been successfully induced and will occur in approximately 20 minutes. I'll be dead before then, we have moved to the edge of the system but will remain here. 95% of the crew has been killed or consumed by the Husks, I've rigged the reactor core to vent into the ship when I hit this button." The Human held up a small black box with a grey button on the top.
"That should incinerate anything living on the ship. This message will be tethered to the Blackbox, transmitting to anyone close enough to hear. Please go to Earth and help us save all the people of the Milky way.
"We will not go quietly into the night and I pray that you won't either." At those words the human appeared to shrink.
"A final message for my wife and daughter." The buzzing got suddenly louder and a light begun to shine on the humans face.
"Sorsha my sweet girl, don't worry daddy will always be watching over you. Marry, I'm sorry I won't be there with you when you get old. I love you both more than can be expressed. I'll miss you." Taking his eyes off the camera to look off screen he pushed the button. A loud rushing of air could be heard before the video cut out, freezing on an image of the human looking sadly into the camera.
—Authors note—
Hey everybody!
Thank you all for reading! I was blown away by how well the prolouge was received, I wasn't expecting such a positive response and would have been happy with just having feedback on my writing. As it is I am blown away and will strive to do my best going forward. I'm doing this by myself in my free time please don't expect every update to come this quickly, I will be aiming for at least one part a week for as long as I can keep the ideas flowing. Once again any constructive criticism is more than welcome! I look forward to lore discussions over on my page. Thank you again everyone for reading!
2023.06.10 01:50 talviyo_therian Open Letter to Therian Quadrobics Content Creators
June 9th, 2023
In the past few years the therian community has seen an exponential increase in the amount of quadrobics content. The vast majority of this comes from TikTok. I have commented on this phenomenon several times before, and to be honest I wasn’t planning on doing so again. But recently, I came across several of these videos being shared outside the community. The accounts who shared them, as far as I could tell, were not run by therians, or have any kind of connection to the therian community in any way. This deeply frightened me. As far as I could tell, this is becoming less and less uncommon as time goes on. I feel as if I have no choice but to address the creators of this content directly.
Before the message of this letter gets misconstrued, allow me to be clear. It’s not the quadrobics I have a problem with, nor is it the masks, nor the “That One…” and “...On Paws” usernames. What I have a problem with is the misrepresentation and minimization of therianthropy as a whole. I also wish to make it clear that the purpose of this letter is not to “throw shade,” “call-out” or “cancel” the creators of this content, either as individuals or as a whole group. Rather, I wish to create dialogue, and to express my concerns in what I hope will be reasonable and patient terms.
As big as the therian community may seem from an inside perspective, in terms of the general public, therianthropy as an identity is still relatively unknown, in comparison to, for example, the LGBTQ+ community. Yet these quadrobics videos regularly rack in views in the hundred-thousands, and occasionally the millions. Of these viewers, I would guess that a decent portion of them are not therians, or possibly don’t even know what therianthropy is.
This is what concerns me. As those who may not be very well-educated on what therianthropy is see more and more of this content, they may be more susceptible to developing misconceptions or stereotypes about therianthropy.
I can’t help but bring up the powerful 2009 TED Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story,” given by a woman named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The central idea of her speech is the negative effects that a minimized narrative, or as she puts it, a “single story,” has on a specific group of people. In her own words, “the single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotype is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” This is what I fear will happen to the therian community.
Even outside of a content-creation standpoint, minimizing the entirety of the therian identity and experience down to wearing masks and doing quadrobics is a misrepresentation that I consider to be harmful in and of itself. But, when the popularity both within and outside of the therian community is added back into the equation, the potential for harm done to therians and the community at large increases significantly. The more the general public is exposed to this one-dimensional portrayal of therianthropy, the more likely it is for this “single story” to become the only story in the eye of the general public, which creates a breeding ground for harmful misconceptions. This is even more concerning when you consider the fact that many users of this platform are younger kids, who can be more easily impressionable.
My concerns grow even larger when the effect on other therian-related content is considered. My biggest worries are for the creators of educational content, and other media which provides a more holistic view of our identities. One could argue that this content is more beneficial for the community as a whole. Yet, these creators are at risk of being drowned out by the popular quadrobics content, putting the community even more at risk.
If I have said anything in this letter which comes off as rude, passive-aggressive, or accusatory, I ask for your forgiveness. I wish to reiterate: It’s not the content itself that I have a problem with. Rather, I’m more concerned about the unintended consequences of this content. My intentions are absolutely NOT to diminish the value of this content. I’m not asking any of these creators to remove their content from online, or cease posting their content, or anything of that matter. My only wish is to express my concerns and hopefully spark dialogue.
Most sincerely yours,
Talviyӧ
P.S - This letter will be publicly available for download from Google Drive. If any open responses to this letter are written, please tag me in them. Any “closed” or direct responses can be sent to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
submitted by talviyo_therian to Therian [link] [comments]
In the past few years the therian community has seen an exponential increase in the amount of quadrobics content. The vast majority of this comes from TikTok. I have commented on this phenomenon several times before, and to be honest I wasn’t planning on doing so again. But recently, I came across several of these videos being shared outside the community. The accounts who shared them, as far as I could tell, were not run by therians, or have any kind of connection to the therian community in any way. This deeply frightened me. As far as I could tell, this is becoming less and less uncommon as time goes on. I feel as if I have no choice but to address the creators of this content directly.
Before the message of this letter gets misconstrued, allow me to be clear. It’s not the quadrobics I have a problem with, nor is it the masks, nor the “That One…” and “...On Paws” usernames. What I have a problem with is the misrepresentation and minimization of therianthropy as a whole. I also wish to make it clear that the purpose of this letter is not to “throw shade,” “call-out” or “cancel” the creators of this content, either as individuals or as a whole group. Rather, I wish to create dialogue, and to express my concerns in what I hope will be reasonable and patient terms.
As big as the therian community may seem from an inside perspective, in terms of the general public, therianthropy as an identity is still relatively unknown, in comparison to, for example, the LGBTQ+ community. Yet these quadrobics videos regularly rack in views in the hundred-thousands, and occasionally the millions. Of these viewers, I would guess that a decent portion of them are not therians, or possibly don’t even know what therianthropy is.
This is what concerns me. As those who may not be very well-educated on what therianthropy is see more and more of this content, they may be more susceptible to developing misconceptions or stereotypes about therianthropy.
I can’t help but bring up the powerful 2009 TED Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story,” given by a woman named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The central idea of her speech is the negative effects that a minimized narrative, or as she puts it, a “single story,” has on a specific group of people. In her own words, “the single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotype is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” This is what I fear will happen to the therian community.
Even outside of a content-creation standpoint, minimizing the entirety of the therian identity and experience down to wearing masks and doing quadrobics is a misrepresentation that I consider to be harmful in and of itself. But, when the popularity both within and outside of the therian community is added back into the equation, the potential for harm done to therians and the community at large increases significantly. The more the general public is exposed to this one-dimensional portrayal of therianthropy, the more likely it is for this “single story” to become the only story in the eye of the general public, which creates a breeding ground for harmful misconceptions. This is even more concerning when you consider the fact that many users of this platform are younger kids, who can be more easily impressionable.
My concerns grow even larger when the effect on other therian-related content is considered. My biggest worries are for the creators of educational content, and other media which provides a more holistic view of our identities. One could argue that this content is more beneficial for the community as a whole. Yet, these creators are at risk of being drowned out by the popular quadrobics content, putting the community even more at risk.
If I have said anything in this letter which comes off as rude, passive-aggressive, or accusatory, I ask for your forgiveness. I wish to reiterate: It’s not the content itself that I have a problem with. Rather, I’m more concerned about the unintended consequences of this content. My intentions are absolutely NOT to diminish the value of this content. I’m not asking any of these creators to remove their content from online, or cease posting their content, or anything of that matter. My only wish is to express my concerns and hopefully spark dialogue.
Most sincerely yours,
Talviyӧ
P.S - This letter will be publicly available for download from Google Drive. If any open responses to this letter are written, please tag me in them. Any “closed” or direct responses can be sent to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
2023.06.10 01:12 NextBox4319 How many cals per item?
I'm going out tmmw and plan on eating the matcha lava cake while out and bringing the two cookies home with me for later. I just wanted to get an idea of how many calories I'll be eating.Thanks!
submitted by NextBox4319 to caloriecount [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 01:03 Captain-Quack Pan and tilt not going full distance.
I've got a pan and tilt. I've gotten it programmed, so it covers the area I want. I use the manual call numbers and the pan is just what I set up. When I turn on auto-cycle patrol, it will pan back and forth, but will always be short on one end. The other end is perfect where I set it, but the other end will be about 30 degrees short and then it pans back. Anyone have any ideas?
Captain Quack
submitted by Captain-Quack to BlueIris [link] [comments]
Captain Quack
2023.06.10 00:51 Odniesen Looking for some help Identifying
 | I can't seem to find anything on this pattern anyone have any Ideas? Trademark on the bottom is 32. submitted by Odniesen to Pyrex_Love [link] [comments] It's a 221 8 1/4 cake pan. I've never seen one like it and no clue on where to start? |
2023.06.10 00:34 Traditional-Bank543 My piggie has fluff stuck to his paw :(
So I got an elderly piggie from my school where he was not especially well taken care of. Anyways I could not always come to clean his cage, especially twords the end of the year, but he went a few weeks without his cage getting cleaned. Now that I've taken him home and taken him out of the cage a few times (and cleaned his cage) I've noticed that his fur is a bit matted around his back half and one of his paws has some bedding very stuck to it. I've been trying to get it off, but he won't stay still for very long. I have absolutely no idea what to do help please
submitted by Traditional-Bank543 to guineapigs [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 00:23 SupaTom220 Should I (30M) be worried about where my relationship with my gf (22F) is heading?
Bit of background: My gf and I met over a dating app in Feb 2022. Since then, we've had a loving and supportive relationship, but as time has gone on, I've become more uncomfortable with how dependent she's become. In previous relationships she's had, they haven't lasted more than a few months and they've usually ended up with her being abused in one way or another (these stories have been corroborated by her friends). Knowing this, I made it my mission to build her up, as she had very low self confidence and kept putting herself down in the relationship and in other aspects of her life. When we first got together, I was in the middle of saving money to try and move into my own place (I was in the middle of a job change during the pandemic and had to move home since the place I was due to start cancelled my contract before furlough was announced). I found myself in debt and have slowly got to a position where I can move out of my parent's place. She was a live in Au Pair, just having moved out from her mother's house in France (she was born in the UK). As time has gone on, though, I've started to get worried. The first thing was her attitude to saving. She plays very fast and very loose with finances. She doesn't understand that I'm still trying to claw my way out of debt and have extra bills to pay. The first debate we had was about getting lifts from me. She doesn't drive, so she would expect me to take her places. When I started asking for petrol contributions, she protested. After her friends convinced her that it was actually a fair request, she agreed to it, but I noticed that if I forgot to ask for it immediately or say I was making a note of it, we'd have arguments about whether she actually owed it or not, as she thought she'd be getting it for free. She would also need to spend money that we needed to save for our flat by insisting we spend new years in the city that was near us, rather than going out locally for a fraction of the cost. Usually, I would have to front these events as well, and the new years in question ended up costing me a lot due to a dispute with booking accommodation. I noticed, she didn't get burned with her lack of organisation, I kept getting burned. Fast forward to early May 2023, we've now moved into our flat, and I've been treating this as the start of our lives together, only, I've started to notice things that are worrying me. For a long time now, she has been complaining about her job as a chef, saying she can't do it for the next 20-30 years of her life, which I agree with. I started suggesting education to her, which she initially was curious about, but since then she's gone off the idea. Every Uni course she looked at, she would find a single module she didn't like the look of and would write off the entire degree. She would also say that she doesn't want to commit to 3-4 years of studying as she might change her mind about what she wants to do part way through. I didn't say much to that, except that other people also go through that and that it's not a huge problem, grit your teeth and finish the degree then get a job doing something else. I originally trained as a teacher and switched to programming during the pandemic, so I understand the worry she has. I then suggested some form of in work training (like an apprenticeship), but she's not keen on that idea either, as she, again, waste a load of time on something she doesn't want to do in the future. It was at this point I started losing interest and just said that the type of career she says she wants requires training, so she either commits to the training and gets what she wants, or she keeps doing what she's doing now. She didn't seem to like that answer. Then the catalyst for all of this happened a few days ago. She was nervous and wanted to talk to me about what she wants to do in the future. I stopped what I was doing and gave her my full attention, being sure to try and keep my face as even as possible. She wants to go into business working with Cakes, Tattoos and crafts. Not one of them, all three at the same time. She's waiting for the earning from my job to increase so she can quit her job to focus on this. Due to the fact she kept talking about it, I must have had a good poker face, as I was very upset on the inside. She wants the ability to run all three businesses by herself and to switch between them when she wants so she doesn't get bored with one thing. I haven't spoken to her about it yet, since I think it's unrealistic and I get the feeling that this is just a way that she can become a stay at home partner who doesn't need to work. I always though to run a successful business that you need to throw yourself into it heart and soul, with most people starting it whilst they still have a full time job, not to mention that all 3 of the business fields she's chosen are extremely competitive. I know when I bring this up with her, that it's going to upset her and appear unsupportive, but I've felt put upon by her in one way or another for a while. AITA for not wanting to support a partner whose ideas, frankly, have very little chance of working?
submitted by SupaTom220 to moraldilemmas [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 00:11 SupaTom220 AITA (30M) for not wanting to financially support my gf (22F)?
Bit of background: My gf and I met over a dating app in Feb 2022. Since then, we've had a loving and supportive relationship, but as time has gone on, I've become more uncomfortable with how dependent she's become. In previous relationships she's had, they haven't lasted more than a few months and they've usually ended up with her being abused in one way or another (these stories have been corroborated by her friends. Knowing this, I made it my mission to build her up, as she had very low self confidence and kept putting herself down in the relationship and in other aspects of her life.) When we first got together, I was in the middle of saving money to try and move into my own place (I was in the middle of a job change during the pandemic and had to move home since the place I was due to start cancelled my contract before furlough was announced. I found myself in debt and have slowly got to a position where I can move out of my parent's place. She was a live in Au Pair, just having moved out from her mother's house in France (she was born in the UK).) As time has gone on, though, I've started to get worried. The first thing was her attitude to saving. She plays very fast and very loose with finances. She doesn't understand that I'm still trying to claw my way out of debt and have extra bills to pay. The first debate we had was about getting lifts from me. She doesn't drive, so she would expect me to take her places. When I started asking for petrol contributions, she protested. After her friends convinced her that it was actually a fair request, she agreed to it, but I noticed that if I forgot to ask for it immediately or say I was making a note of it, we'd have arguments about whether she actually owed it or not, as she thought she'd be getting it for free. She would also need to spend money that we needed to save for our flat by insisting we spend new years in the city that was near us, rather than going out locally for a fraction of the cost. Usually, I would have to front these events as well, and the new years in question ended up costing me a lot due to a dispute with booking accommodation. I noticed, she didn't get burned with her lack of organisation, I kept getting burned. Fast forward to early May 2023, we've now moved into our flat, and I've been treating this as the start of our lives together, only, I've started to notice things that are worrying me. For a long time now, she has been complaining about her job as a chef, saying she can't do it for the next 20-30 years of her life, which I agree with. I started suggesting education to her, which she initially was curious about, but since then she's gone off the idea. Every Uni course she looked at, she would find a single module she didn't like the look of and would write off the entire degree. She would also say that she doesn't want to commit to 3-4 years of studying as she might change her mind about what she wants to do part way through. I didn't say much to that, except that other people also go through that and that it's not a huge problem, grit your teeth and finish the degree then get a job doing something else. I originally trained as a teacher and switched to programming during the pandemic, so I understand the worry she has. I then suggested some form of in work training (like an apprenticeship, but she's not keen on that idea either, as she, again, waste a load of time on something she doesn't want to do in the future. It was at this point I started losing interest and just said that the type of career she says she wants requires training, so she either commits to the training and gets what she wants, or she keeps doing what she's doing now. She didn't seem to like that answer.) Then the catalyst for all of this happened a few days ago. She was nervous and wanted to talk to me about what she wants to do in the future. I stopped what I was doing and gave her my full attention, being sure to try and keep my face as even as possible. She wants to go into business working with Cakes, Tattoos and crafts. Not one of them, all three at the same time. She's waiting for the earning from my job to increase so she can quit her job to focus on this. Due to the fact she kept talking about it, I must have had a good poker face, as I was very upset on the inside. She wants the ability to run all three businesses by herself and to switch between them when she wants so she doesn't get bored with one thing. I haven't spoken to her about it yet, since I think it's unrealistic and I get the feeling that this is just a way that she can become a stay at home partner who doesn't need to work. I always though to run a successful business that you need to throw yourself into it heart and soul, with most people starting it whilst they still have a full time job, not to mention that all 3 of the business fields she's chosen are extremely competitive. I know when I bring this up with her, that it's going to upset her and appear unsupportive, but I've felt put upon by her in one way or another for a while. AITA for not wanting to support a partner whose ideas, frankly, have very little change of working?
submitted by SupaTom220 to AmItheAsshole [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 23:58 benne1rl Cayo Perico: North Dock Loot Building Guard
So for the first time on my PS5 account I got absolute shit loot spawns at the air field. On my ps4 account if I don’t have enough to fill my bags at the air field I don’t run it solo and wait to run it with my buddy. Don’t have that option on ps5.
So, I scoped out the loot at the north dock and had coke there so I figured I’d give it a go. However the coke was in the loot barn that has a guard that patrols it from the inside. I tried to kill him three times: the first was a headshot but my guess is he was a little too close to one of the door openings and was spotted by the jeep that patrols the area, and I was alerted that the choppers were after me as I was pulling up to the drainage tunnel entrance; the second I tried to take him out with my machete but forgot to crouch so it didn’t insta kill him and the guards were alerted; and finally the third, and what I thought perfect attempt, I killed the guard in a way in which there was no way a jeep passing by could have seen him unless they can see through walls and made it all the way through the compound and was exiting El Rubio’s office when I walk outside and saw the guards were alerted. I just said screw the elite challenge and went with that final run, but I’m curious as to if it’s possible to kill that guard there or not? I can’t think of any other instances that would have triggered the guards reaction because once I got in the compound I took my normal route and went about everything the way I normally do undetected.
Any ideas/helps/tips appreciated
submitted by benne1rl to gtaonline [link] [comments]
So, I scoped out the loot at the north dock and had coke there so I figured I’d give it a go. However the coke was in the loot barn that has a guard that patrols it from the inside. I tried to kill him three times: the first was a headshot but my guess is he was a little too close to one of the door openings and was spotted by the jeep that patrols the area, and I was alerted that the choppers were after me as I was pulling up to the drainage tunnel entrance; the second I tried to take him out with my machete but forgot to crouch so it didn’t insta kill him and the guards were alerted; and finally the third, and what I thought perfect attempt, I killed the guard in a way in which there was no way a jeep passing by could have seen him unless they can see through walls and made it all the way through the compound and was exiting El Rubio’s office when I walk outside and saw the guards were alerted. I just said screw the elite challenge and went with that final run, but I’m curious as to if it’s possible to kill that guard there or not? I can’t think of any other instances that would have triggered the guards reaction because once I got in the compound I took my normal route and went about everything the way I normally do undetected.
Any ideas/helps/tips appreciated
2023.06.09 23:55 dreamworksfan98 Audience reaction see first look Of Paw Patrol Mighty Movie
 | submitted by dreamworksfan98 to PawPatrol [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 23:42 petkitty_licktitty Odin
This is a LONG post but, my 1y old bloodhound is possibly a German Shepard mix, what are yalls opinion? Vet says there's no way he's not full blooded but that was when he was smaller and had a lot more lose skin. I just feel like his temperament isn't indicative of a bloodhound. He's super hyper, almost so much so that we have trouble keeping up, he chews EVERYTHING he can get his paws on. He's literally eaten my kitchen torch, lighters, he cant keep a dog toy, we had to take his bed out of his kennel becasue he kept destroying them so now hes forced to sleep on the hard plastic of the bottom and if theres anything possibly sticking into his kennel he pulls it in and destroys it. He will literally get in trouble and go to another room and start chewing on something, and when we get up to get on to him and clean it up he will automatically RUN full speed to where we were sitting to steal either food or some other thing we have to chew up and destroy, doesnt matter how much we clean or how careful we are HE WILL FIND SOMETHING. We cant get anything nice for him because it gets destoyed. The cats dont have toys anymore because he tore them all up, plus even if they did have toys we cant play with them or odin will jump in and terrorise them. Had to pull string from his butt the other day and idek where he even got it??? Not to mention I've seen stuffing from his toys in his poop, though that is less and less... I know bloodhounds can be very hyper as well, i researched for weeks before we brought him home but I've literally never seen a dog act the way he does. He also cannot pick up the signals my cats give him to leave them the fuck alone. He thinks them hissing and growling and slapping him is playing and gets so excited with them I'm scared he's going to accidentally stomp on them. Generally he's decently behaved when just me or just my fiance are home alone, but when ive been with him all day and hes been good (he actually sleeps all day no matter how much i try to get him to get up and play with me) my fiance comes home and all hell breaks loose. Same situation when my fiance walks him; hes perfect, doesnt pull, isnt bothered by other dogs, but when I go with them he acts a fool. He's incredibly anxious, I can't take him to get his claws clipped because he will growl and he has nipped at people. And he refuses to let me do it and I've actually fractured the trust he has in me because me trying to clip his claws has traumatized him, and I was usually the person to clean his ears or bathe him which he slso hates.. Same with cleaning his ears. We've pet his paws all the time since he was a tiny thing, but hes never ever liked us touching his ears, which might have something to do with a slight ear yeast infection he had when he was little, we had to put this weird medicine in his ear and he HATED it. He's only drawn blood once but it was because he was in a friend's car he'd never been in, the windows were tinted, we were at a place he didn't know, and we asked our buddy who hed met only a few times before to check on him but he didn't open the door or anything, just stuck his hand through the Crack in the tinted window. It's absolutely NOT an excuse for him biting someone and I'm horrified he is going to get anxious and turn around and snap at someone we don't know which will put him on a bite list... He only ever acts like this when either my fiance or I one are not around. My dad has barred him from his house because he's scared to have him around the grandkids, which I understand. From what we'd seen he was good with kids, let them tug on his harness and all that, but we recently found out he had snapped at my nephew and since we'd all grown up around dogs it was swept under the rug as not a big deal, and the same with my fiances nephew, no one thought to tell us because it wasnt a big deal and it didnt even scare the kids and he didnt bite them. We genuinely don't know what to do or how to deal with this sudden anxiety based aggression... I thought maybe if he had German Shepard (he's either full blooded or Shepard mix, got him from my cousin who's female bloodhound got pregnant by either the Shepard or their other hound) I figured I could do some more research and change the training methods accordingly.... any suggestions will help, please. I cannot try and find a new home for him. I genuinely think if we tried they wouldn't be able to take his extremely hyperactive personality and he'd end up I'm a pound somewhere. Aside from the fact that it literally breaks our hearts to even think about the idea... we want to take him to training but we just don't have the money (we have plenty to take care of him along with all of our animals but a lot of the training classes around us are either trash places or very very expensive) if anyone has even the smallest amount of advice please please let me know.
submitted by petkitty_licktitty to Bloodhound [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 23:19 DontOpen_GayInside Any cat behaviorist here that can help me with my adopted cats behavior toward my buns?
A bit about him; According to the shelter, he has interacted and lived with rabbits prior with absolutely no issue. He has, however, been rehomed quite a bit.
His original furrever home, his owner was an old woman who loved him dearly, but she died. The apartment building collapsed on them, and he was stuck under the rubble for a long time. He was wearing a harness at the time and was desperately trying to get out so he has a big scar on his shoulders and neck where the harness was.
The shelter found him his first home with a nice couple that had bunnies. He was extremely happy there, and he was great friends with the bunnies. The bunnies were free roam and spent all their time with him, and he treated them like they were his babies. But according to the humans, the cat was "too needy" and cried when they left the house, and they were planning on having a child so they didn't think he would be a good fit for them. Mind you they had him over a year before they decided this!
The second home was with another couple, but it turns out they were hoarding animals. They brought him back injured saying he wasn't a good fit because he peed on their floor and also the other cats didn't like him. (He has never peed on the floor with me.)
The third home was with a family, the two daughters were nice but mom and dad were abusive, the mom was verbally abusive, and the dad was physically abusive. The daughters actually brought him back to the shelter to save him from their parents, and the parents, as far as I am aware, are still "looking" for him.
I found him on an adoption page after my cat passed away and we were looking for a new friend for our rabbits. The cat we had was extremely close to them, and acted like a mom to them. One of my buns was getting very sick since she passed and not eating. My home also felt extremely empty without a cat..
We read his story and fell in love. We saw he was young enough to be trained easily and already had prior experience with rabbits, so he was perfect all around. Plus I know we won't get rid of him ever, and I wanted him to have a furrever home because he deserves that. My last cat left behind a lot of toys and cat trees and cat climbs, so I knew we were going to be able to spoil him.
Fast forward to now, it's been about a month and he is fitting in perfectly. We decided to introduce him to the buns gradually, we have their pens set up in my bedroom so they can see each other but he can't really touch them. We have also opened up the house slowly to allow him time to adapt instead of overwhelming him with all this space all at once.
Right now, he is mostly in the bedroom with me. I'm home a lot due to my disability and this works out well because he is a bombay and is on the needier side. He cries when I leave and follows me everywhere. He loves to play and be pampered.
Everyday we have a routine where I give the buns their treat and he follows me as I give it to them, and then I give him his morning wet meal. We play in the morning after breakfast and in the afternoon before dinner. We sleep together, and he also gets massages and moisturizer on his toe beans and scar, which he seems to enjoy.
The buns need free roam time daily, so every day, when we let the bunnies out, he goes down the hall out of my room to his play room, and the buns free roam in the bedroom. My mom stays with him to keep him company during this time and he seems to look forward to that. When he comes back in the room and smells that they've been out, he doesn't try to get rid of their scent or mark stuff, he just goes about his business.
There's already been a situation where he snuck in while the buns were out, and he was very good. He was rubbing on them and loving on them, and just laid down and showed his belly. So he isn't being aggressive at all towards them.
When they are penned, he goes up to the pen to kiss them and lay by them. He is very calm, and even when they zig zag around, he doesn't chase or stalk. He never seems to look at them as prey. Even when we let him play on the TV, he will attack the birds and mice and squirrels, but when a bunny comes on, he doesn't swipe.
Here is the issue though. I have noticed when I go to interect with the bunnies, he will paw at them. Like, when the bunnies come up to the font of the pen, he sticks his paw through and they hop away. They don't seem scared when he does this, just annoyed, because they still come up to greet him a lot and even kiss him and pass him toys through the slats of the pen.
He doesn't seem to be using his claws, and is being gentle when he does it, but the quick motion surprises the bunnies and I don't really like that they are starting to not want to come near the front of the pen to greet me as much because they don't wanna be swiped.
He doesn't seem to do this when I'm not in the room, and he doesn't even do this when I am in the room. He only does it when I go near the buns.
I don't know if he's mimicking me because I reach through the pen to pet them and give them treats, or if he is being territorial and doesn't want them to invade his space, or if he is being jealous toward them because he wants all my attention to himself. It could also be that he's trying to play with them, or just being curious. But every time he sees them come up to the gate when I'm near it, no matter where he is or what he's doing, he will walk up to the pen, and paw them away.
He doesn't listen when I say no, don't do that. And it's not just this that he doesn't listen to me about, either. He just doesn't listen when I say no. Like he tries jumping up on top of the pens and onto my nightstand. I say no but he keeps doing it over and over again. And I don't wanna yell or be stern because he's been yelled at before and hit before, so I don't know how to correct his behavior.
Does anyone have any idea what could be the cause of this behavior shift when I'm near the pen, and how to correct it? Also, just how to reprimand him in general, because I don't want to scare him.
I would prefer help from someone that is a cat behaviorist, has bunnies and cats, or just is familiar with situations like this. Thanks in advance.
submitted by DontOpen_GayInside to CATHELP [link] [comments]
His original furrever home, his owner was an old woman who loved him dearly, but she died. The apartment building collapsed on them, and he was stuck under the rubble for a long time. He was wearing a harness at the time and was desperately trying to get out so he has a big scar on his shoulders and neck where the harness was.
The shelter found him his first home with a nice couple that had bunnies. He was extremely happy there, and he was great friends with the bunnies. The bunnies were free roam and spent all their time with him, and he treated them like they were his babies. But according to the humans, the cat was "too needy" and cried when they left the house, and they were planning on having a child so they didn't think he would be a good fit for them. Mind you they had him over a year before they decided this!
The second home was with another couple, but it turns out they were hoarding animals. They brought him back injured saying he wasn't a good fit because he peed on their floor and also the other cats didn't like him. (He has never peed on the floor with me.)
The third home was with a family, the two daughters were nice but mom and dad were abusive, the mom was verbally abusive, and the dad was physically abusive. The daughters actually brought him back to the shelter to save him from their parents, and the parents, as far as I am aware, are still "looking" for him.
I found him on an adoption page after my cat passed away and we were looking for a new friend for our rabbits. The cat we had was extremely close to them, and acted like a mom to them. One of my buns was getting very sick since she passed and not eating. My home also felt extremely empty without a cat..
We read his story and fell in love. We saw he was young enough to be trained easily and already had prior experience with rabbits, so he was perfect all around. Plus I know we won't get rid of him ever, and I wanted him to have a furrever home because he deserves that. My last cat left behind a lot of toys and cat trees and cat climbs, so I knew we were going to be able to spoil him.
Fast forward to now, it's been about a month and he is fitting in perfectly. We decided to introduce him to the buns gradually, we have their pens set up in my bedroom so they can see each other but he can't really touch them. We have also opened up the house slowly to allow him time to adapt instead of overwhelming him with all this space all at once.
Right now, he is mostly in the bedroom with me. I'm home a lot due to my disability and this works out well because he is a bombay and is on the needier side. He cries when I leave and follows me everywhere. He loves to play and be pampered.
Everyday we have a routine where I give the buns their treat and he follows me as I give it to them, and then I give him his morning wet meal. We play in the morning after breakfast and in the afternoon before dinner. We sleep together, and he also gets massages and moisturizer on his toe beans and scar, which he seems to enjoy.
The buns need free roam time daily, so every day, when we let the bunnies out, he goes down the hall out of my room to his play room, and the buns free roam in the bedroom. My mom stays with him to keep him company during this time and he seems to look forward to that. When he comes back in the room and smells that they've been out, he doesn't try to get rid of their scent or mark stuff, he just goes about his business.
There's already been a situation where he snuck in while the buns were out, and he was very good. He was rubbing on them and loving on them, and just laid down and showed his belly. So he isn't being aggressive at all towards them.
When they are penned, he goes up to the pen to kiss them and lay by them. He is very calm, and even when they zig zag around, he doesn't chase or stalk. He never seems to look at them as prey. Even when we let him play on the TV, he will attack the birds and mice and squirrels, but when a bunny comes on, he doesn't swipe.
Here is the issue though. I have noticed when I go to interect with the bunnies, he will paw at them. Like, when the bunnies come up to the font of the pen, he sticks his paw through and they hop away. They don't seem scared when he does this, just annoyed, because they still come up to greet him a lot and even kiss him and pass him toys through the slats of the pen.
He doesn't seem to be using his claws, and is being gentle when he does it, but the quick motion surprises the bunnies and I don't really like that they are starting to not want to come near the front of the pen to greet me as much because they don't wanna be swiped.
He doesn't seem to do this when I'm not in the room, and he doesn't even do this when I am in the room. He only does it when I go near the buns.
I don't know if he's mimicking me because I reach through the pen to pet them and give them treats, or if he is being territorial and doesn't want them to invade his space, or if he is being jealous toward them because he wants all my attention to himself. It could also be that he's trying to play with them, or just being curious. But every time he sees them come up to the gate when I'm near it, no matter where he is or what he's doing, he will walk up to the pen, and paw them away.
He doesn't listen when I say no, don't do that. And it's not just this that he doesn't listen to me about, either. He just doesn't listen when I say no. Like he tries jumping up on top of the pens and onto my nightstand. I say no but he keeps doing it over and over again. And I don't wanna yell or be stern because he's been yelled at before and hit before, so I don't know how to correct his behavior.
Does anyone have any idea what could be the cause of this behavior shift when I'm near the pen, and how to correct it? Also, just how to reprimand him in general, because I don't want to scare him.
I would prefer help from someone that is a cat behaviorist, has bunnies and cats, or just is familiar with situations like this. Thanks in advance.
2023.06.09 23:01 StackedCrooked86 Feed Me Seymour!!!
 | So, I have already had four flushes from this tub, and this time I noticed after dunking, that there were way more pins on the bottom of the cake, then the top. Figuring I didn't have much to lose since there were only a couple healthy pins on the top of the cake, I decided to flip it. It definitely seems like it was a good idea, but this one is definitely a little funny looking. He was pressed up against the bottom of the plastic tote, so that must be what caused it. I'm honestly not too worried about this being contamination, but I definitely thought I should share the pic with this group and maybe get confirmation that it's all good. I've gotten so much help from this group and I do appreciate it. Thank you everyone submitted by StackedCrooked86 to ContamFam [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 22:51 FoxGuard Top 5 Highest-grossing animated movies, 2018-2022
 | After the success of both the Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-verse, 2023 looks to be a really strong year for animated movies. I made this graph to look at the shift that has taken place in the animation industry during the last 5 years. In both 2018 and 2019, Disney and Pixar dominated, but since then the animation landscape has shifted. submitted by FoxGuard to boxoffice [link] [comments] Top 5 movies 2018-2022. The small number under the title of the movie is the movie's total rank for the year, including both animation and non-animation movies. As you can see, in a normal year there seems to be around 5 animated movies in the top 20 highest grossing movies of the year, and 1-2 in the top 10. |
2023.06.09 22:49 MaudQuickpaw Help! Dog has become adverse to treats after (failed) nail trim
Alright, now I know I've messed some training up, but I'm looking for help with finding a direction to repair things...
My dog is a terrier with a big memory for stressful situations and we've only had her for a few months. When we adopted her, her nails were very long, and poorly taken care of.
I figured she needed nail maintenance, and jumped way too fast into trying to trim them, and nipped her quick. Now she's deathly afraid of the idea of a nail trim... And, much more problematically, getting treats indoors from me, since we were using treats as a motivator. Now, when I go to do a training session with her, she runs to one of her beds and hides as far from me as possible.
Any suggestions on how I can return value to her treats and help her not be afraid of them? I'm trying to introduce them into her favorite things, like play and belly rubs, but it feels like she still doesn't trust them. She'll take them, but only in her safe space, and she won't do any tricks. She does behave normally on walks, and will do some tricks for no treat, but it's becoming a bit of a wall in training.
We're planning on working on desensitizing her to a grinder instead of clippers, and will work up to it slowly as a part of routine when coming and going from the house. (Wipe paws on towel, listen to grinder, reward) But the treats are the bigger issue.
submitted by MaudQuickpaw to Dogtraining [link] [comments]
My dog is a terrier with a big memory for stressful situations and we've only had her for a few months. When we adopted her, her nails were very long, and poorly taken care of.
I figured she needed nail maintenance, and jumped way too fast into trying to trim them, and nipped her quick. Now she's deathly afraid of the idea of a nail trim... And, much more problematically, getting treats indoors from me, since we were using treats as a motivator. Now, when I go to do a training session with her, she runs to one of her beds and hides as far from me as possible.
Any suggestions on how I can return value to her treats and help her not be afraid of them? I'm trying to introduce them into her favorite things, like play and belly rubs, but it feels like she still doesn't trust them. She'll take them, but only in her safe space, and she won't do any tricks. She does behave normally on walks, and will do some tricks for no treat, but it's becoming a bit of a wall in training.
We're planning on working on desensitizing her to a grinder instead of clippers, and will work up to it slowly as a part of routine when coming and going from the house. (Wipe paws on towel, listen to grinder, reward) But the treats are the bigger issue.
2023.06.09 22:44 vink_221b Miles getting the cakes scene is a meta joke about the movie.
Anyone else notice how miles wants to write the most amazing message for his dad and ends up needing two cakes for it?
Kinda lile how the directors wanted to make a great move and ended up needing to split it up.
The baker even says "can't you write shorter?" Almost like the higher execs telling lord and miller to just make the movie shorter.
And this all obviously ties into the have your cake and eat it theme this movie has, where I feel the makers wanted into have their cake (make a well paced movie ) while having it too (without cutting talk the cool fun ideas they had).
This can keep going on but since the movie is so meta with "canon events" and such, I don't think this is much of a stretch.
submitted by vink_221b to Spiderman [link] [comments]
Kinda lile how the directors wanted to make a great move and ended up needing to split it up.
The baker even says "can't you write shorter?" Almost like the higher execs telling lord and miller to just make the movie shorter.
And this all obviously ties into the have your cake and eat it theme this movie has, where I feel the makers wanted into have their cake (make a well paced movie ) while having it too (without cutting talk the cool fun ideas they had).
This can keep going on but since the movie is so meta with "canon events" and such, I don't think this is much of a stretch.
2023.06.09 22:41 LaticusLad Time Marches Ever Onward: Chapter 5
{THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING: Existential dread, emotional moments, romance, and a singular phrase which could be seen as suggestive depending on how dirty your mind is. ;) }
(Any sentences or phrases wrapped with brackets "[ ]" are designated as inner monologue!)
Thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating this wonderful literary universe!
< First PreviousNext >
Memory transcription subject: James Willik, Human Historian
Date [standardized human time]: July 15, 2165
“Umm. Sooo, isn’t the universe only around 14 billion years old?”
“You would be correct.” The scientist’s expression showed that he was as dumbfounded as I was. “I should add that the highest number that any of our new dating devices can go is to around 20 billion, it is entirely possible that the artifact could be even older than we can detect.”
[What the fuck.]
A shrill voice from my left shook me out of my stupor. I looked to my side to see Lemva standing out of her seat, her tail lashing angrily. “Is this some elaborate joke? That isn’t possible. What you’re saying isn’t possible.” President Zhao began to speak. “I am fully aware how frankly nonsensical this is sounding, but this is serious and we need to approach this with an open mind. The Federation rated this item as a danger to the entire galaxy for a reason. We have no idea what we’re dealing with here and with something that could pose this much danger that is not acceptable.” Lemva suddenly spat with a ferocity I haven’t heard in a long time. Her anger frightened me not just because of her abnormal behavior and proximity, but also because of the recipient of her anger.
“You are aware that what you’re saying undermines everything we know about existence, right? Are you aware of that? Do you have any idea how INSANE this is sounding? You’re telling us, US, a couple of unqualified nobody misfit historians, that we’re somehow prophesied by this magical indestructible artifact that existed before time to do… something? AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT SOMETHING IS?! You just expect us to take this sitting down? Uh-uh, no, I’m not accepting this.” I tapped the table gently to get her attention, she snapped one of her orange eyes at me in response, I could barely get out what I was going to say in fear of her. “Maybe we shouldn’t yell at President Zhao?” I squeaked my suggestion at her. She just smoldered at me.
Lemva quickly pushed her chair backward and power-walked through the doors of the conference room, the force from her slamming the door rattled its hinges. I sometimes forget how strong she is, perks of evolving on such a high gravity planet I suppose. I glance at my remaining two partners and they are just as shaken as me. We all slowly look back at Zhao in fear of his response to Lemva’s attitude. Zhao still looked calm, so that’s good, but his posture indicated exhaustion.
“You three can leave for now, I’ll schedule another meeting for tomorrow once she’s settled down. If you could talk to her, that would be greatly appreciated.” Zhao started to rise from his seat but paused momentarily. “Oh I forgot to mention, you’ve been granted access to the guest residence wing. Lars, hand them their cards please.” A large man walked around and passed us our cards, handing me a second one presumably for Lemva. “The suite’s code on the tram is S29. You’re dismissed.”
Cayek, Tassak, and I quickly hurried out of the room to catch up with the furious venlil. Thankfully she hadn’t gone far, and was just waiting at the tram. We approached her quietly, none of us having the courage to start a conversation. She barely acknowledged us as we drew closer. I steeled myself to initiate contact but to my surprise she decided to do it first. “We’re leaving. Fuck this, they expect us to just accept that everything we know is wrong? They can take their invitations and shove them up their asses.” I gathered the courage to respond to her.
“I’ve never seen you this angry before. Talk to me.” She sighed, seeming to deflate as she did. Most of her anger melted off of her and left defeat in its place. “I need some time, I don’t have the energy right now.” “Alright, that’s ok. Before we left the conference room, we were handed keycards to the suite. Zhao said that we could stay there for a while.
Lemva looked up at my face with an eye. The happy glint she usually carried in her eyes was replaced with a dull feeling of hopelessness. “Okay.” I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She answered my request to hug her before I had even asked. She buried the side of her head into my chest. We sat there for a few seconds, and it felt good, but all good things had to come to an end eventually. I silently guided her into the tram, Cayek and Tassak following close behind. The doors closed and I typed in the code for our suite, S29. The tram took off and winded through a maze of hidden tunnels before arriving at our destination.
Exiting the tram, we came to a closed set of heavy fake wooden doors with a keycard reader to the side. I swiped my card and the hidden locks on the doors clicked several times, before the doors swung open. [Wow. This is a really nice room.]
I guided Lemva onto a nearby sofa and marched into the gargantuan kitchen provided to us in order to prepare some coffee for her. As I waited for the coffee machine to finish, I saw Cayek and Tassak exploring their new surroundings. Cayek walked around and admired the luxurious artistry that permeated the space, while Tassak… Tassak poked at various objects as if she had never seen them before. She reminded me of a curious child. She accidentally tore a hole in a chair with her claw before hastily trying to hide the damage with a very obviously out of place pillow.
The coffee machine sputtered the last few drops of liquid ambrosia into Lemva’s mug and I hurried over to where she was sitting. I placed the warm cup into her paws and sat beside her. For several minutes we watched some TV on the large screen across from us. Lemva leaned more into my shoulder the longer we sat there. Tassak and Cayek had gone to their rooms by now. After watching 8 episodes of the ninety-seventh season of The Simpsons, she had calmed down.
I looked down at her. “Are you ready to talk now?” She nodded. “Mhm.” “Ok, do you wanna tell me why you got so angry during the conference?” She frowned slightly. “Everything they were saying… the artifact, I just…” She stopped for a moment to gather her words. “If what they said was true, and the artifact is from before the universe, and it depicts us… that implies so much. If what they said is true, then whoever made the artifact could see the future. If they could see the future, that means fate exists. If fate exists, then that means that everything I’ve ever done, everything that we’ve ever done, was meaningless. I mean, all my struggles, all my successes, for no reason.” She looked up at me and I could tell she could see my confusion.
“If you were playing a game, and every action you took did absolutely nothing to change the end result, but the whole time you thought that they did, wouldn’t it hurt to realize in the middle of a round that your input is entirely meaningless and changes nothing? But then, if you look at it another way, there’s the idea that you’re not even really alive, that you’re just a machine going through the motions. The idea that everything you were, are, and will be, every action you take, every thought you think, every emotion you feel is just a set of directions and ideas set to play out for the rest of eternity, that you’re just a couple words on a page to be read…”
I had no idea how to respond to that. I was never all too good at imagining such high-brow philosophical concepts, and I’ve always been even worse at handling the emotions of others, so wrap the two up into a depressing little veggie wrap and you’ve got me stumped. I did the only thing I could think to do at that moment. I wrapped my arms around her and placed my chin on her forehead. She snuggled into my body. I hadn’t felt this much comfort for a long, long time.
“Y’know… after I dropped contact those few years ago, I always wanted to send you a message, tell you I miss you, tell you why I stopped contacting, those sorts of things. But I never did. Because I was afraid.” I lifted my chin off Lemva’s head and she looked up at my face. I stared down back at her. “What were you afraid of?” She asked me in a soft voice. “Lots of things. I was afraid of explaining what happened, the “incident” was too recent to talk about. I was afraid that you’d hate me for disappearing, and the fear only got worse the longer time went. But mostly…” I inhaled sharply as I prepared myself. “I was afraid you’d betray me.” Lemva’s eyes held a puzzled and pained expression.
“I didn’t tell you who killed my parents, only that someone did. Soon after I was born, my father went into the venlil exchange program and met a venlil named Draton. They became friends almost immediately, or at least, Draton pretended to become friends.” Malice filled my voice as I talked about the scum who murdered my family. “I loved him growing up, almost as much as my parents, for a while he was like, my third favorite person in the world. He was like an uncle to me and a sibling to my parents.” I gulped and looked away. “Hopefully it should be obvious what I’m saying he did.” I took a shuddering breath and looked deep into Lemva’s eyes. “I was terrified that another loved one would turn out to be a monster. I was terrified that you would turn out to be a monster.”
I closed my eyes and mustered all the courage I could manage and called upon every deity from every religion I could remember or had even heard of in passing. I opened my eyes and placed my hands gently on the sides of Lemva’s head. She didn’t resist. “Alright… this is my greatest secret yet. I’ve been so scared to tell you but I can’t keep holding it in anymore, I need you to know.” Lemva held her breath.
“I love you Lemva, I’ve loved you since we first hung out in history club, I loved you when you cheered and hopped around at our graduation, I loved you when you talked so enthusiastically about your job. I always have, and I always will, love you.” I could feel my face burning as blood rushed through my cheeks. Lemva had it even worse though, her face was more orange than the fruit the color was named after. Her eyes were so wide I could barely see her irises anymore.
Tears formed in her eyes, but I could tell right away that these weren’t tears of sadness. The goofiest and cutest smile I had ever seen in my life quickly formed on her little face. She squeaked at me in delight. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.” She reached up, grabbed my hands, and squeezed them tight. I could feel her tail wrap around my back, a gentle force guided me closer to her. “You sure you wanna do this?”
“I’ve been around humans all my life, I know what a kiss is, dummy.” She whispered amusedly. We closed our eyes and embraced for the first time. All my worries, fears, and doubts melted away and drained off of my mind like meltwater off a cliff as we sat there basking in each other’s warmth.
We separated our faces and stared at each other. The happy glint in her beautiful orange eyes had returned brighter than I had ever seen it before. We sat staring for what seemed like forever, I had forgotten that a world existed beyond this sofa. I looked up at an antique clock mounted on the wall and waited a moment as my implant translated the extraterrestrial time-keeping system into a familiar 12-hour format. 8PM. Almost as if in response to my realization of the time, a wave of exhaustion crashed into me like a rogue space freighter. I wanted so desperately to stay here cuddled with Lemva for the rest of my life, but alas, sleep deprivation is a cruel mistress.
“Lem, it’s 8pm, we gotta get some sleep if we’re gonna attend the conference tomorrow.” “Awww, a couple more minutes? Pleeeeeeeease?” “I know this is really comfy and I know you don’t wanna think about ‘the object’ but we’ve got to do it.” I could tell she was still uncomfortable thinking about the implication that even the mention of the artifact carried with it, and we still would need to talk that through, but for now at least, she wasn’t having an existential crisis.
We untangled ourselves, rose off the sofa, and headed toward our rooms. But Lemva suddenly halted in the middle of the hallway. I spun around to see why she stopped. She looked down at the ground and rubbed her paws together like she does when she’s nervous, her face was an almost neon orange, miraculously managing to be even more vibrant than before. She wore a bashful smile on her face. “Is something wrong?” “no… I was just wondering, could I sleep in your room for tonight?” “Sure. Why, is there something wrong?”
“No… there’s just… something I’ve been wanting to try…”
“Wha- oh.”
“Oh.”
< First PreviousNext >
(I think I've got a hang of the reddit formatting now. However, advice and critiques of the way the story is told are still very welcome.)
submitted by LaticusLad to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
(Any sentences or phrases wrapped with brackets "[ ]" are designated as inner monologue!)
Thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for creating this wonderful literary universe!
< First Previous
Memory transcription subject: James Willik, Human Historian
Date [standardized human time]: July 15, 2165
“Umm. Sooo, isn’t the universe only around 14 billion years old?”
“You would be correct.” The scientist’s expression showed that he was as dumbfounded as I was. “I should add that the highest number that any of our new dating devices can go is to around 20 billion, it is entirely possible that the artifact could be even older than we can detect.”
[What the fuck.]
A shrill voice from my left shook me out of my stupor. I looked to my side to see Lemva standing out of her seat, her tail lashing angrily. “Is this some elaborate joke? That isn’t possible. What you’re saying isn’t possible.” President Zhao began to speak. “I am fully aware how frankly nonsensical this is sounding, but this is serious and we need to approach this with an open mind. The Federation rated this item as a danger to the entire galaxy for a reason. We have no idea what we’re dealing with here and with something that could pose this much danger that is not acceptable.” Lemva suddenly spat with a ferocity I haven’t heard in a long time. Her anger frightened me not just because of her abnormal behavior and proximity, but also because of the recipient of her anger.
“You are aware that what you’re saying undermines everything we know about existence, right? Are you aware of that? Do you have any idea how INSANE this is sounding? You’re telling us, US, a couple of unqualified nobody misfit historians, that we’re somehow prophesied by this magical indestructible artifact that existed before time to do… something? AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT SOMETHING IS?! You just expect us to take this sitting down? Uh-uh, no, I’m not accepting this.” I tapped the table gently to get her attention, she snapped one of her orange eyes at me in response, I could barely get out what I was going to say in fear of her. “Maybe we shouldn’t yell at President Zhao?” I squeaked my suggestion at her. She just smoldered at me.
Lemva quickly pushed her chair backward and power-walked through the doors of the conference room, the force from her slamming the door rattled its hinges. I sometimes forget how strong she is, perks of evolving on such a high gravity planet I suppose. I glance at my remaining two partners and they are just as shaken as me. We all slowly look back at Zhao in fear of his response to Lemva’s attitude. Zhao still looked calm, so that’s good, but his posture indicated exhaustion.
“You three can leave for now, I’ll schedule another meeting for tomorrow once she’s settled down. If you could talk to her, that would be greatly appreciated.” Zhao started to rise from his seat but paused momentarily. “Oh I forgot to mention, you’ve been granted access to the guest residence wing. Lars, hand them their cards please.” A large man walked around and passed us our cards, handing me a second one presumably for Lemva. “The suite’s code on the tram is S29. You’re dismissed.”
Cayek, Tassak, and I quickly hurried out of the room to catch up with the furious venlil. Thankfully she hadn’t gone far, and was just waiting at the tram. We approached her quietly, none of us having the courage to start a conversation. She barely acknowledged us as we drew closer. I steeled myself to initiate contact but to my surprise she decided to do it first. “We’re leaving. Fuck this, they expect us to just accept that everything we know is wrong? They can take their invitations and shove them up their asses.” I gathered the courage to respond to her.
“I’ve never seen you this angry before. Talk to me.” She sighed, seeming to deflate as she did. Most of her anger melted off of her and left defeat in its place. “I need some time, I don’t have the energy right now.” “Alright, that’s ok. Before we left the conference room, we were handed keycards to the suite. Zhao said that we could stay there for a while.
Lemva looked up at my face with an eye. The happy glint she usually carried in her eyes was replaced with a dull feeling of hopelessness. “Okay.” I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She answered my request to hug her before I had even asked. She buried the side of her head into my chest. We sat there for a few seconds, and it felt good, but all good things had to come to an end eventually. I silently guided her into the tram, Cayek and Tassak following close behind. The doors closed and I typed in the code for our suite, S29. The tram took off and winded through a maze of hidden tunnels before arriving at our destination.
Exiting the tram, we came to a closed set of heavy fake wooden doors with a keycard reader to the side. I swiped my card and the hidden locks on the doors clicked several times, before the doors swung open. [Wow. This is a really nice room.]
I guided Lemva onto a nearby sofa and marched into the gargantuan kitchen provided to us in order to prepare some coffee for her. As I waited for the coffee machine to finish, I saw Cayek and Tassak exploring their new surroundings. Cayek walked around and admired the luxurious artistry that permeated the space, while Tassak… Tassak poked at various objects as if she had never seen them before. She reminded me of a curious child. She accidentally tore a hole in a chair with her claw before hastily trying to hide the damage with a very obviously out of place pillow.
The coffee machine sputtered the last few drops of liquid ambrosia into Lemva’s mug and I hurried over to where she was sitting. I placed the warm cup into her paws and sat beside her. For several minutes we watched some TV on the large screen across from us. Lemva leaned more into my shoulder the longer we sat there. Tassak and Cayek had gone to their rooms by now. After watching 8 episodes of the ninety-seventh season of The Simpsons, she had calmed down.
I looked down at her. “Are you ready to talk now?” She nodded. “Mhm.” “Ok, do you wanna tell me why you got so angry during the conference?” She frowned slightly. “Everything they were saying… the artifact, I just…” She stopped for a moment to gather her words. “If what they said was true, and the artifact is from before the universe, and it depicts us… that implies so much. If what they said is true, then whoever made the artifact could see the future. If they could see the future, that means fate exists. If fate exists, then that means that everything I’ve ever done, everything that we’ve ever done, was meaningless. I mean, all my struggles, all my successes, for no reason.” She looked up at me and I could tell she could see my confusion.
“If you were playing a game, and every action you took did absolutely nothing to change the end result, but the whole time you thought that they did, wouldn’t it hurt to realize in the middle of a round that your input is entirely meaningless and changes nothing? But then, if you look at it another way, there’s the idea that you’re not even really alive, that you’re just a machine going through the motions. The idea that everything you were, are, and will be, every action you take, every thought you think, every emotion you feel is just a set of directions and ideas set to play out for the rest of eternity, that you’re just a couple words on a page to be read…”
I had no idea how to respond to that. I was never all too good at imagining such high-brow philosophical concepts, and I’ve always been even worse at handling the emotions of others, so wrap the two up into a depressing little veggie wrap and you’ve got me stumped. I did the only thing I could think to do at that moment. I wrapped my arms around her and placed my chin on her forehead. She snuggled into my body. I hadn’t felt this much comfort for a long, long time.
“Y’know… after I dropped contact those few years ago, I always wanted to send you a message, tell you I miss you, tell you why I stopped contacting, those sorts of things. But I never did. Because I was afraid.” I lifted my chin off Lemva’s head and she looked up at my face. I stared down back at her. “What were you afraid of?” She asked me in a soft voice. “Lots of things. I was afraid of explaining what happened, the “incident” was too recent to talk about. I was afraid that you’d hate me for disappearing, and the fear only got worse the longer time went. But mostly…” I inhaled sharply as I prepared myself. “I was afraid you’d betray me.” Lemva’s eyes held a puzzled and pained expression.
“I didn’t tell you who killed my parents, only that someone did. Soon after I was born, my father went into the venlil exchange program and met a venlil named Draton. They became friends almost immediately, or at least, Draton pretended to become friends.” Malice filled my voice as I talked about the scum who murdered my family. “I loved him growing up, almost as much as my parents, for a while he was like, my third favorite person in the world. He was like an uncle to me and a sibling to my parents.” I gulped and looked away. “Hopefully it should be obvious what I’m saying he did.” I took a shuddering breath and looked deep into Lemva’s eyes. “I was terrified that another loved one would turn out to be a monster. I was terrified that you would turn out to be a monster.”
I closed my eyes and mustered all the courage I could manage and called upon every deity from every religion I could remember or had even heard of in passing. I opened my eyes and placed my hands gently on the sides of Lemva’s head. She didn’t resist. “Alright… this is my greatest secret yet. I’ve been so scared to tell you but I can’t keep holding it in anymore, I need you to know.” Lemva held her breath.
“I love you Lemva, I’ve loved you since we first hung out in history club, I loved you when you cheered and hopped around at our graduation, I loved you when you talked so enthusiastically about your job. I always have, and I always will, love you.” I could feel my face burning as blood rushed through my cheeks. Lemva had it even worse though, her face was more orange than the fruit the color was named after. Her eyes were so wide I could barely see her irises anymore.
Tears formed in her eyes, but I could tell right away that these weren’t tears of sadness. The goofiest and cutest smile I had ever seen in my life quickly formed on her little face. She squeaked at me in delight. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.” She reached up, grabbed my hands, and squeezed them tight. I could feel her tail wrap around my back, a gentle force guided me closer to her. “You sure you wanna do this?”
“I’ve been around humans all my life, I know what a kiss is, dummy.” She whispered amusedly. We closed our eyes and embraced for the first time. All my worries, fears, and doubts melted away and drained off of my mind like meltwater off a cliff as we sat there basking in each other’s warmth.
We separated our faces and stared at each other. The happy glint in her beautiful orange eyes had returned brighter than I had ever seen it before. We sat staring for what seemed like forever, I had forgotten that a world existed beyond this sofa. I looked up at an antique clock mounted on the wall and waited a moment as my implant translated the extraterrestrial time-keeping system into a familiar 12-hour format. 8PM. Almost as if in response to my realization of the time, a wave of exhaustion crashed into me like a rogue space freighter. I wanted so desperately to stay here cuddled with Lemva for the rest of my life, but alas, sleep deprivation is a cruel mistress.
“Lem, it’s 8pm, we gotta get some sleep if we’re gonna attend the conference tomorrow.” “Awww, a couple more minutes? Pleeeeeeeease?” “I know this is really comfy and I know you don’t wanna think about ‘the object’ but we’ve got to do it.” I could tell she was still uncomfortable thinking about the implication that even the mention of the artifact carried with it, and we still would need to talk that through, but for now at least, she wasn’t having an existential crisis.
We untangled ourselves, rose off the sofa, and headed toward our rooms. But Lemva suddenly halted in the middle of the hallway. I spun around to see why she stopped. She looked down at the ground and rubbed her paws together like she does when she’s nervous, her face was an almost neon orange, miraculously managing to be even more vibrant than before. She wore a bashful smile on her face. “Is something wrong?” “no… I was just wondering, could I sleep in your room for tonight?” “Sure. Why, is there something wrong?”
“No… there’s just… something I’ve been wanting to try…”
“Wha- oh.”
“Oh.”
< First Previous
(I think I've got a hang of the reddit formatting now. However, advice and critiques of the way the story is told are still very welcome.)