Exterior aluminum sliding barn doors
(cont.) [PI] They’d scrounged up what little they had, but neither knew what to do next. They had never been in a situation like this before—never attended such an event. What the Archives called: a par-ty
2023.06.04 08:31 InkDiamond (cont.) [PI] They’d scrounged up what little they had, but neither knew what to do next. They had never been in a situation like this before—never attended such an event. What the Archives called: a par-ty
(Note: this is the second half of the story. Will link the first half shortly)
The two teens both looked toward the front of the room. There was a gray sphere. Hovering in the doorway.
But if you asked Marc, it was an annoying gray sphere. And it hovered in the doorway like an absolute rustnut.
Marc wasn’t sure where on the sphere to level his disdain. The whole dumb surface was the same all over. It was a series of interconnected, translucent hexagons. Stupid yellow lights blinked sporadically across its many faces—for no apparent rhyme or reason—perhaps just to further annoy Marc.
An electronic voice called out from the sphere. “Did I hear muuuuuusic?” he asked. “Before that last plasma burst?”
Marc shot Sid a glare that could kill. But the big blue alien didn’t back down.
“Last impression. Remember?” he told Marc before going toward Tōn-E with a brimming, sharp-toothed smile and arms extended. “Tōn-E! Glad you could make it! Come on in.”
On the inside, Marc cringed. He mostly tried to forget that Tōn-E walked (hovered?) the same Levels as them. Tōn-E represented the most self-destructive habits of the Outpost. The only features of the city indifferent to survival.
But Tōn-E was all too real. He entered the room like a ghost in a nightmare.
“I am also happy to be here,” he said. The faces of his sphere randomly lit up as he spoke. “I otherwise had no plans for tonight. Because the planet is set to explode.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Sid joked.
“I approximate it will only take a few more—hold on. What is this??”
Tōn-E spun slowly in the air. The side previously facing Sid rotated toward the ceiling. When it reached the top, a spotlight shot toward the ceiling—right where Sid’s door had slotted in.
The spotlight stretched horizontally across the door until it resembled a straight line. This line swept back and forth across the raised door. It moved as if he was cleaning it.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said. “What an exquisite painting. A remarkable addition to your growing and ever-expanding portfolio, Sid.”
Tōn-E finished his scan of the painting. His expanding spotlight shut off. And he re-centered himself to face Sid.
“Aww, shanks,” Sid said. Each of his right arms latched onto the bends of the left ones. “You really think so?”
“Of course! There are colors here I’ve only seen named in the logs. You have tastefully incorporated /#FF00FF: a color our ancestors previously referred to as ‘magenta.’”
“Yes! That’s right! I was going for ‘magenta!’ You really think I did it?”
Marc looked down to hide his face. He rolled his eyes. Magenta. He would have loved to tell Sid how much he liked it too. But Marc had spent his years surviving, not studying colors in old, useless historical archives.
Sid and Tōn-E continued their snooty, pretentious discussion.
“I made it mixing legblee blood and just a liiiiiiittle bit of groundwater,” Sid said.
“That was a very clever! Allow me to save your painting to my internal memory.”
“Really??” Sid’s cheeks greened a little.
“Yes, I will review at a later time when I am both unable to view the original but would still like to once again be inspired by your clever and skillful hands.”
“Tōn-E, I—I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Marc simmered in his anger. Stupid Tōn-E. Always ruining things. Making them about him and his dumb, endless archives.
“I am perhaps only more impressed by your chosen ensemble! Do my eyes perceive veritable Lenorkian armor?”
The talkative orb whooshed toward Sid. It began revolving around him like an annoyingly-attached moon. As his exo-orb hummed excitedly, Tōn-E rattled off his useless knowledge of antiquated armor.
“Snorp-resistant spiked shoulder caps?!” He spun around Sid’s midsection. “Triple-layered chest plates?!” He dropped closer to the floor. “Anti-gravity shin guards made from the rare lenorkium alloy?!”
Tōn-E giggled as he orbited Sid. His laugh disturbed Marc. It sounded like a space rat being strangled in the bowels of an undersea air vent.
Sid could hardly keep up with Tōn-E’s flying. But he looked happy with the attention. “Yeah! I’m told this suit was built for the Frost Ring wars,” he said. “It never got used.”
Marc continued to not engage. He slunk deeper into his shawl, folded his arms, and sighed.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said.
He backed off from Sid, flying back toward the doorway. He turned on his spotlight once again. It now stretched over Sid’s body. “Saving! Saving!”
Sid wasted no time posing for the occasion. He flexed all four arms and gritted his snaggling teeth. His irises turned a deep red and his two small horns protruded from his forehead. Tōn-E was overjoyed. “I did not think I would ever have the chance to record your agitated state,” he said.
I’ll show you an agitated state, Marc thought to himself.
“I’ve got a relic you’re going to love,” Tōn-E said. His tiny sphere filled the cave with noise. But it wasn’t Tōn-E’s usual metallic voice. The sound came from another species entirely.
“GwwwwwwuuuhhhAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!”
His orb played an intense, ear-shuddering roar. The recording may have been slightly fuzzy, but Marc knew the source. It was unmistakably Lenorkian.
And like the gears in a drill, something appeared to “click” inside Sid. His eyes widened. His armored chest expanded. And he joined in. But Sid’s roar was… authentic.
“HRRRRRRRRRGAAAAAAAAHHHHH” he blasted out of mouth. Marc’s entire rib cage vibrated uncomfortably.
It spooked Marc. Igniting some primal desire to escape a dangerous predator. That was a feeling he never felt around Sid. He didn’t like it.
Sid himself even looked embarrassed for a second. Something he’d kept suppressed had slipped out. But Tōn-E turned up the volume on his recording. And with a cautious smile of someone nervously breaking a rule, Sid matched it. And then some. The two bellowed together. It was enough to make Marc queasy, although it was unclear whether it was due to the vibrations or Sid bonding so much with Tōn-E.
The roaring continued. Their talking continued. Tōn-E went on about Sid’s armor some more and his people’s valor and the hardship his ancestors must have faced.
“Usually I keep this stuff stashed away,” Sid said to Tōn-E in his soft normal voice. His horns had retracted, and his eyes had returned to normal. “These are shameful pieces of our history. Truly. And with a people I never really fit in with. But tonight, it just felt right to wear it, you know?”
“I understand completely,” Tōn-E said. “It is in these end times that we gravitate toward those traditions that were so much of what made us feel alive in the first place.”
The statement made Marc want to hurl. He didn’t want to entertain such stupid notions. But the gremlin rotated to him next.
“Hello Marc! Did you find any good junk today? Any new additions to your scrap pile?”
Marc seethed. “I didn't scavenge today, Tōn-E. There wouldn't be any use. It's the end of the universe.”
“That surprises me. Humans love their junk and doodads.”
“Yeah well, we don’t have to cling to the past, do we? Not like that ever saved anyone.” He hugged his wrapped arms even tighter, tilting his body away from Sid and Tōn-E. His cold shoulder ended the conversation.
Sid picked it back up. “So Tōn-E, do you, uh… drink?”
As it turned out, he did. Tōn-E accepted a cup of fludge. He held it with a robotic arm—one that had suddenly extended from his exo-orb. Tōn-E’s orb whirred as the center of his “face” sprouted a grotesque, needle-like proboscis. It poked outward like a long nose.
This straw extended into the cup he held. Tōn-E sipped the fludge like an insect sipping nectar (whatever those two things were; the Archives were spotty).
Sid waited with anticipation. Then Tōn-E’s sphere shuddered. The fludge must have reached the insufferable little creature on the inside. “Scrumptious!” he said.
Marc sighed quietly to himself. For some reason, he thought the night would have made a turn for the better if Tōn-E had hated it.
“Two for two!” Sid pumped three victorious fists into the air. He grinned as Tōn-E’s straw dipped into the cup once more. The straw made a little slurping sound.
“My taste buds are tingling!” Tōn-E said.
But the big cup was too much for him to finish. He returned the mostly-full drink to Sid. And his robotic straw receded to his exo-orb. Sid of course finished the cup, slurping up the remaining pool of fludge.
“So…” Sid said. He wiped his mouth. “Should I put some tunes back on?” He pointed over his shoulder to the idle vent. Then he looked across his two guests for an answer.
Marc shrugged. He didn’t care about anything anymore. Next to Marc, Tōn-E bobbed excitedly.
“Oh, yes!” he said. “One reads about concepts such as scales and measures, but it is entirely different to actually experience them with one’s own body!”
What body? Marc thought to himself. And what were the other things Tōn-E had mentioned? Something about… measuring… dragons?
He studied the cave floor while Sid skipped to the vent.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Sid said. “Get those Level 7 legs ready!” He tugged at the creaking cover once more.
It came off easier this time. With a pop! the storm above returned to the cave. Its natural melody filled the room.
“Woooooooo!” Sid raised his hands again and walked back toward the other two.
Tōn-E mimicked him with two twig arms.
But the music didn’t have the same magic as before. The beats were stale. And Marc found himself unable to ignore the sting of the sand pelting his face. He lifted his shawl over his mouth. His voice was barely audible.
“I’m sitting this song out,” he said.
The other two didn't seem to hear him. They were facing each other, waving their arms sporadically against the air current.
Marc didn’t care. He grabbed his unfinished drink from the kitchen. Then he searched for a place to sit.
He found a couch, just in front of the dancing aliens. As he took his seat, his bottom started to sink into the sofa. The tarp covering the couch crinkled.
He tried guessing the material underneath it. Clay, maybe? He pondered the question while watching Sid and Tōn-E figure out dancing without him.
“This is how Marc was doing it before!” Sid said to Tōn-E. His four arms fanned across the breeze.
But he got everything wrong. His arms whipped around the wind, not with it. And he was thinking too much about his next move, as evidenced by his scrunched brows. But the greatest offense of all was his midsection: his hips and legs stayed in place—as if someone had threatened them.
A part of Marc wanted to get up and show him how it was done. But another part wanted to see Sid fail. Realize the effort was futile. Give up on bonding with Tōn-E. And kick the Sphere of Useless Facts out of his house.
“Am I doing it right, Marc?” Sid asked while each of his arms flew in a different direction.
“You look great!” Marc replied. He took a long sip of fludge.
Tōn-E, on the other hand, did his best to replicate Sid. He waved his skinny arms erratically. It almost made Marc laugh; Tōn-E looked like he’d been set on fire.
But in all, the whole thing was awful. A bad impression giving birth to an even worse impression.
And they didn’t seem to be enjoying it much either. Despite Marc’s glowing endorsement, Sid and Tōn-E danced themselves to the brink.
Sid kept losing his balance. He tried to keep up with the music but flung himself too hard in any one direction. And every time he made a misstep, he’d let loose an acidic snarl. Tōn-E grew frustrated as well. Every few seconds, he simply froze. His exterior lights would blink red in error. As Marc had hoped, the two “painting pals” quickly ran out of steam.
The dancing halted altogether. A tired Sid returned to the vent and hoisted the grate back onto the vent’s mouth. The music stopped.
“I’ll just turn it down for a minute,” he said. He adjusted a dial on the grate. The metal slits creaked open. And a muted sandstorm flowed through them.
The music reflected the overall energy in the room: depleted. Sid secured himself two more cups of fludge before joining Marc on the tarp couch.
Tōn-E followed his lead. The little troll took a seat too, which meant hovering over the last open spot on the other side of Marc.
The boys took a minute to relax on the couch. They sat quietly while the plasma storm above the Outpost boomed and cracked.
Well, Sid and Tōn-E relaxed. They chugged down another couple cups of fludge and floated quietly over the couch (respectively). Meanwhile, Marc continued to be annoyed. He considered stepping outside and climbing to Level 1. Offer himself to the plasma storm a few hours early. The non-stop hum of Tōn-E’s exo-orb goaded him further.
Brrrrrrrrr!
Did it really have to make that noise?
Marc didn’t think the afternoon could get any worse. And then it did. Because Tōn-E’s insufferable humming suddenly quieted. And that only could have meant…
“Oh!” Tōn-E exclaimed, “I know what we can talk about!”
Marc braced for impact. His nails dug into his knees.
Don’t you dare, he thought.
“I read the most interesting fact about cats today!” Tōn-E started.
Not again, Marc thought. Absolutely NOT again. His fists trembled with rage.
“Did you know cats were the central deity across ten different ancient civilizations? The trend started with humans, of course, but the religion quickly spread across the galaxy as interplanetary travel became more widely available.”
“I actually didn’t know that,” Sid said, entertaining Tōn-E’s ridiculous theory. “Where did you find that?”
“The Archives! They have somewhat documented this phenomenon. You see, it was a common practice to capture footage of cats, even in their sleeping state. They were so important to these cultures that even the most mundane moment yielded significant reason to capture and worship them. If you want to see, I can—”
Marc had had enough. He slammed his cup down on the floor and flew off the couch.
“—SHUT UP. SHUT UP ABOUT CATS!” he shouted. He swung back around to face the other two. “CATS AREN’T REAL TŌN-E! AND THEY WERE NEVER REAL!”
“That’s enough, Marc!” Sid clenched his teeth.“Don’t start this.”
Marc returned fire, “I didn’t start anything; that was YOU. Going behind my back! Inviting more of these… fairy tales!”
His emotions overwhelmed him. He didn’t know whether to yell more or start crying. He did both.
“It’s the end of the universe!” he said as tears streamed down his face. “We can’t keep clinging to the things that brought us to this point in the first place! All these stupid traditions are the reason no one’s even here with us now! IT KILLED THEM ALL! And anyone stupid enough to keep believing in them is—"
“—I said THAT’S ENOUGH!” Sid growled. Marc didn't care.
“NO!” he said. Then he looked back at Tōn-E. “NONE of what you’re seeing in the Archives is real! The data is corrupt! It’s ALL CORRUPT! And CATS are just another dumb fairy tale to keep people like you going, while…”
He ran out of steam. He realized there was no more “going.” In fact, there was no time remaining in the universe for anything. But that didn’t diminish his animosity and anger toward the world. He glared down at the gray sphere. His chest heaved.
Meanwhile, Sid kept a cooler, bluer head. He too looked to Tōn-E, but with compassion in his eyes.
Tōn-E didn’t immediately respond to either. The only sound in the room came from his exo-orb. Well, the exo-orb plus the ladle on the counter, which suddenly blooped into the big pot.
All eyes were on the atypically quiet alien, whose hexagonal faces began to light up.
“I suppose,” his voice trailed, “that cats may not have been real after all. You said it yourself: records are foggy. They’re all from thousands of years ago...” He sighed. Tōn-E’s lights transitioned to a new blinking pattern. “And I also suppose… that I should have been more mature about interpreting error-prone information in the Archives…”
“It's okay, man,” Sid said. “I like that you dream big.” He reached across the couch to place a comforting hand on Tōn-E. But Tōn-E floated out of reach.
“I understand my presence here is probably upsetting,” he said. “You two have a special bond. I should not have interfered with it in its last moments. I will go.”
“No, Tōn-E,” Sid said. Each pair of his hands met in front of his chest “Please stay. You have every right to be here too.”
“I should go,” Tōn-E said. “I will spend the rest of the evening focused on real things. And because I will no longer be here, I suppose it will be the perfect opportunity to review Sid’s art so I can feel inspired for the end times.”
He slipped between Sid and Marc toward the doorway.
“No, don’t!” Sid called after him. “We should do this together.”
But Tōn-E had already vanished outside.
The Lenorkian, hand extended, waited for Tōn-E to come back. But the floating sphere did not reappear in the doorway.
And that was when a low trill emanated from the couch. It was coming from Sid’s his chest. He looked up at Marc, glaring. He bared his pointed teeth. His horns reappeared. And his eyes flushed with scarlet pigment.
Yuh-oh, Marc thought. About half his prior anger evaporated. Fear of a fight took hold.
Marc didn’t exactly dislike his chances. Lenorkians may have been stronger, but Sid wasn't a fighter. Marc was.
But Sid stuck to his morals.
“GET OUT!” Sid shouted.
Marc reflexively jumped out of reach. The short hop sort of ruined his show of anger. But he was still boiling mad. After all, fifty percent of him hadn't abandoned the cat grudge.
“Fine!” he shouted back. “Have fun exploding alone.” He whipped away to the exit.
The party was finished now. He almost stopped and went back for his fludge. But he didn’t want it anymore either. He just wanted a nice end of the universe with his friend. And now the end of the universe was ruined.
At least the apocalypse outside was behaving predictably. Marc stepped into the adjacent cave corridor. He surveyed the damage outside, looking through the long, horizontal gap in the cave wall. As the experts had predicted, the plasma storm took its toll.
The canyon glowed eerily bright, despite it being evening time. The wind howled as it raced through the canyon. And the cliffs around the gorge flashed white and pink as the storm charged with electricity, preparing to make its final jump.
Lightning cracked toward the ground. Some of the bolts hit the opposing cliff, sending rubble deep into the gorge. A gentle tremor rumbled in the ground beneath him.
The plasma storm overhead only creeped further around the planet. As the canyon brightened, shockwaves coursed through the entire city. They threw Marc off his feet again. He hit the ground.
Behind him, thunderous clacking erupted. The sound of falling rocks filled the corridor. He flipped over to see what explosion had thrown him.
It was bad. He stopped breathing. Because he could no longer see Sid’s home. All he saw was a pile of rubble.
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The two teens both looked toward the front of the room. There was a gray sphere. Hovering in the doorway.
But if you asked Marc, it was an annoying gray sphere. And it hovered in the doorway like an absolute rustnut.
Marc wasn’t sure where on the sphere to level his disdain. The whole dumb surface was the same all over. It was a series of interconnected, translucent hexagons. Stupid yellow lights blinked sporadically across its many faces—for no apparent rhyme or reason—perhaps just to further annoy Marc.
An electronic voice called out from the sphere. “Did I hear muuuuuusic?” he asked. “Before that last plasma burst?”
Marc shot Sid a glare that could kill. But the big blue alien didn’t back down.
“Last impression. Remember?” he told Marc before going toward Tōn-E with a brimming, sharp-toothed smile and arms extended. “Tōn-E! Glad you could make it! Come on in.”
On the inside, Marc cringed. He mostly tried to forget that Tōn-E walked (hovered?) the same Levels as them. Tōn-E represented the most self-destructive habits of the Outpost. The only features of the city indifferent to survival.
But Tōn-E was all too real. He entered the room like a ghost in a nightmare.
“I am also happy to be here,” he said. The faces of his sphere randomly lit up as he spoke. “I otherwise had no plans for tonight. Because the planet is set to explode.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Sid joked.
“I approximate it will only take a few more—hold on. What is this??”
Tōn-E spun slowly in the air. The side previously facing Sid rotated toward the ceiling. When it reached the top, a spotlight shot toward the ceiling—right where Sid’s door had slotted in.
The spotlight stretched horizontally across the door until it resembled a straight line. This line swept back and forth across the raised door. It moved as if he was cleaning it.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said. “What an exquisite painting. A remarkable addition to your growing and ever-expanding portfolio, Sid.”
Tōn-E finished his scan of the painting. His expanding spotlight shut off. And he re-centered himself to face Sid.
“Aww, shanks,” Sid said. Each of his right arms latched onto the bends of the left ones. “You really think so?”
“Of course! There are colors here I’ve only seen named in the logs. You have tastefully incorporated /#FF00FF: a color our ancestors previously referred to as ‘magenta.’”
“Yes! That’s right! I was going for ‘magenta!’ You really think I did it?”
Marc looked down to hide his face. He rolled his eyes. Magenta. He would have loved to tell Sid how much he liked it too. But Marc had spent his years surviving, not studying colors in old, useless historical archives.
Sid and Tōn-E continued their snooty, pretentious discussion.
“I made it mixing legblee blood and just a liiiiiiittle bit of groundwater,” Sid said.
“That was a very clever! Allow me to save your painting to my internal memory.”
“Really??” Sid’s cheeks greened a little.
“Yes, I will review at a later time when I am both unable to view the original but would still like to once again be inspired by your clever and skillful hands.”
“Tōn-E, I—I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Marc simmered in his anger. Stupid Tōn-E. Always ruining things. Making them about him and his dumb, endless archives.
“I am perhaps only more impressed by your chosen ensemble! Do my eyes perceive veritable Lenorkian armor?”
The talkative orb whooshed toward Sid. It began revolving around him like an annoyingly-attached moon. As his exo-orb hummed excitedly, Tōn-E rattled off his useless knowledge of antiquated armor.
“Snorp-resistant spiked shoulder caps?!” He spun around Sid’s midsection. “Triple-layered chest plates?!” He dropped closer to the floor. “Anti-gravity shin guards made from the rare lenorkium alloy?!”
Tōn-E giggled as he orbited Sid. His laugh disturbed Marc. It sounded like a space rat being strangled in the bowels of an undersea air vent.
Sid could hardly keep up with Tōn-E’s flying. But he looked happy with the attention. “Yeah! I’m told this suit was built for the Frost Ring wars,” he said. “It never got used.”
Marc continued to not engage. He slunk deeper into his shawl, folded his arms, and sighed.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said.
He backed off from Sid, flying back toward the doorway. He turned on his spotlight once again. It now stretched over Sid’s body. “Saving! Saving!”
Sid wasted no time posing for the occasion. He flexed all four arms and gritted his snaggling teeth. His irises turned a deep red and his two small horns protruded from his forehead. Tōn-E was overjoyed. “I did not think I would ever have the chance to record your agitated state,” he said.
I’ll show you an agitated state, Marc thought to himself.
“I’ve got a relic you’re going to love,” Tōn-E said. His tiny sphere filled the cave with noise. But it wasn’t Tōn-E’s usual metallic voice. The sound came from another species entirely.
“GwwwwwwuuuhhhAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!”
His orb played an intense, ear-shuddering roar. The recording may have been slightly fuzzy, but Marc knew the source. It was unmistakably Lenorkian.
And like the gears in a drill, something appeared to “click” inside Sid. His eyes widened. His armored chest expanded. And he joined in. But Sid’s roar was… authentic.
“HRRRRRRRRRGAAAAAAAAHHHHH” he blasted out of mouth. Marc’s entire rib cage vibrated uncomfortably.
It spooked Marc. Igniting some primal desire to escape a dangerous predator. That was a feeling he never felt around Sid. He didn’t like it.
Sid himself even looked embarrassed for a second. Something he’d kept suppressed had slipped out. But Tōn-E turned up the volume on his recording. And with a cautious smile of someone nervously breaking a rule, Sid matched it. And then some. The two bellowed together. It was enough to make Marc queasy, although it was unclear whether it was due to the vibrations or Sid bonding so much with Tōn-E.
The roaring continued. Their talking continued. Tōn-E went on about Sid’s armor some more and his people’s valor and the hardship his ancestors must have faced.
“Usually I keep this stuff stashed away,” Sid said to Tōn-E in his soft normal voice. His horns had retracted, and his eyes had returned to normal. “These are shameful pieces of our history. Truly. And with a people I never really fit in with. But tonight, it just felt right to wear it, you know?”
“I understand completely,” Tōn-E said. “It is in these end times that we gravitate toward those traditions that were so much of what made us feel alive in the first place.”
The statement made Marc want to hurl. He didn’t want to entertain such stupid notions. But the gremlin rotated to him next.
“Hello Marc! Did you find any good junk today? Any new additions to your scrap pile?”
Marc seethed. “I didn't scavenge today, Tōn-E. There wouldn't be any use. It's the end of the universe.”
“That surprises me. Humans love their junk and doodads.”
“Yeah well, we don’t have to cling to the past, do we? Not like that ever saved anyone.” He hugged his wrapped arms even tighter, tilting his body away from Sid and Tōn-E. His cold shoulder ended the conversation.
Sid picked it back up. “So Tōn-E, do you, uh… drink?”
As it turned out, he did. Tōn-E accepted a cup of fludge. He held it with a robotic arm—one that had suddenly extended from his exo-orb. Tōn-E’s orb whirred as the center of his “face” sprouted a grotesque, needle-like proboscis. It poked outward like a long nose.
This straw extended into the cup he held. Tōn-E sipped the fludge like an insect sipping nectar (whatever those two things were; the Archives were spotty).
Sid waited with anticipation. Then Tōn-E’s sphere shuddered. The fludge must have reached the insufferable little creature on the inside. “Scrumptious!” he said.
Marc sighed quietly to himself. For some reason, he thought the night would have made a turn for the better if Tōn-E had hated it.
“Two for two!” Sid pumped three victorious fists into the air. He grinned as Tōn-E’s straw dipped into the cup once more. The straw made a little slurping sound.
“My taste buds are tingling!” Tōn-E said.
But the big cup was too much for him to finish. He returned the mostly-full drink to Sid. And his robotic straw receded to his exo-orb. Sid of course finished the cup, slurping up the remaining pool of fludge.
“So…” Sid said. He wiped his mouth. “Should I put some tunes back on?” He pointed over his shoulder to the idle vent. Then he looked across his two guests for an answer.
Marc shrugged. He didn’t care about anything anymore. Next to Marc, Tōn-E bobbed excitedly.
“Oh, yes!” he said. “One reads about concepts such as scales and measures, but it is entirely different to actually experience them with one’s own body!”
What body? Marc thought to himself. And what were the other things Tōn-E had mentioned? Something about… measuring… dragons?
He studied the cave floor while Sid skipped to the vent.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Sid said. “Get those Level 7 legs ready!” He tugged at the creaking cover once more.
It came off easier this time. With a pop! the storm above returned to the cave. Its natural melody filled the room.
“Woooooooo!” Sid raised his hands again and walked back toward the other two.
Tōn-E mimicked him with two twig arms.
But the music didn’t have the same magic as before. The beats were stale. And Marc found himself unable to ignore the sting of the sand pelting his face. He lifted his shawl over his mouth. His voice was barely audible.
“I’m sitting this song out,” he said.
The other two didn't seem to hear him. They were facing each other, waving their arms sporadically against the air current.
Marc didn’t care. He grabbed his unfinished drink from the kitchen. Then he searched for a place to sit.
He found a couch, just in front of the dancing aliens. As he took his seat, his bottom started to sink into the sofa. The tarp covering the couch crinkled.
He tried guessing the material underneath it. Clay, maybe? He pondered the question while watching Sid and Tōn-E figure out dancing without him.
“This is how Marc was doing it before!” Sid said to Tōn-E. His four arms fanned across the breeze.
But he got everything wrong. His arms whipped around the wind, not with it. And he was thinking too much about his next move, as evidenced by his scrunched brows. But the greatest offense of all was his midsection: his hips and legs stayed in place—as if someone had threatened them.
A part of Marc wanted to get up and show him how it was done. But another part wanted to see Sid fail. Realize the effort was futile. Give up on bonding with Tōn-E. And kick the Sphere of Useless Facts out of his house.
“Am I doing it right, Marc?” Sid asked while each of his arms flew in a different direction.
“You look great!” Marc replied. He took a long sip of fludge.
Tōn-E, on the other hand, did his best to replicate Sid. He waved his skinny arms erratically. It almost made Marc laugh; Tōn-E looked like he’d been set on fire.
But in all, the whole thing was awful. A bad impression giving birth to an even worse impression.
And they didn’t seem to be enjoying it much either. Despite Marc’s glowing endorsement, Sid and Tōn-E danced themselves to the brink.
Sid kept losing his balance. He tried to keep up with the music but flung himself too hard in any one direction. And every time he made a misstep, he’d let loose an acidic snarl. Tōn-E grew frustrated as well. Every few seconds, he simply froze. His exterior lights would blink red in error. As Marc had hoped, the two “painting pals” quickly ran out of steam.
The dancing halted altogether. A tired Sid returned to the vent and hoisted the grate back onto the vent’s mouth. The music stopped.
“I’ll just turn it down for a minute,” he said. He adjusted a dial on the grate. The metal slits creaked open. And a muted sandstorm flowed through them.
The music reflected the overall energy in the room: depleted. Sid secured himself two more cups of fludge before joining Marc on the tarp couch.
Tōn-E followed his lead. The little troll took a seat too, which meant hovering over the last open spot on the other side of Marc.
The boys took a minute to relax on the couch. They sat quietly while the plasma storm above the Outpost boomed and cracked.
Well, Sid and Tōn-E relaxed. They chugged down another couple cups of fludge and floated quietly over the couch (respectively). Meanwhile, Marc continued to be annoyed. He considered stepping outside and climbing to Level 1. Offer himself to the plasma storm a few hours early. The non-stop hum of Tōn-E’s exo-orb goaded him further.
Brrrrrrrrr!
Did it really have to make that noise?
Marc didn’t think the afternoon could get any worse. And then it did. Because Tōn-E’s insufferable humming suddenly quieted. And that only could have meant…
“Oh!” Tōn-E exclaimed, “I know what we can talk about!”
Marc braced for impact. His nails dug into his knees.
Don’t you dare, he thought.
“I read the most interesting fact about cats today!” Tōn-E started.
Not again, Marc thought. Absolutely NOT again. His fists trembled with rage.
“Did you know cats were the central deity across ten different ancient civilizations? The trend started with humans, of course, but the religion quickly spread across the galaxy as interplanetary travel became more widely available.”
“I actually didn’t know that,” Sid said, entertaining Tōn-E’s ridiculous theory. “Where did you find that?”
“The Archives! They have somewhat documented this phenomenon. You see, it was a common practice to capture footage of cats, even in their sleeping state. They were so important to these cultures that even the most mundane moment yielded significant reason to capture and worship them. If you want to see, I can—”
Marc had had enough. He slammed his cup down on the floor and flew off the couch.
“—SHUT UP. SHUT UP ABOUT CATS!” he shouted. He swung back around to face the other two. “CATS AREN’T REAL TŌN-E! AND THEY WERE NEVER REAL!”
“That’s enough, Marc!” Sid clenched his teeth.“Don’t start this.”
Marc returned fire, “I didn’t start anything; that was YOU. Going behind my back! Inviting more of these… fairy tales!”
His emotions overwhelmed him. He didn’t know whether to yell more or start crying. He did both.
“It’s the end of the universe!” he said as tears streamed down his face. “We can’t keep clinging to the things that brought us to this point in the first place! All these stupid traditions are the reason no one’s even here with us now! IT KILLED THEM ALL! And anyone stupid enough to keep believing in them is—"
“—I said THAT’S ENOUGH!” Sid growled. Marc didn't care.
“NO!” he said. Then he looked back at Tōn-E. “NONE of what you’re seeing in the Archives is real! The data is corrupt! It’s ALL CORRUPT! And CATS are just another dumb fairy tale to keep people like you going, while…”
He ran out of steam. He realized there was no more “going.” In fact, there was no time remaining in the universe for anything. But that didn’t diminish his animosity and anger toward the world. He glared down at the gray sphere. His chest heaved.
Meanwhile, Sid kept a cooler, bluer head. He too looked to Tōn-E, but with compassion in his eyes.
Tōn-E didn’t immediately respond to either. The only sound in the room came from his exo-orb. Well, the exo-orb plus the ladle on the counter, which suddenly blooped into the big pot.
All eyes were on the atypically quiet alien, whose hexagonal faces began to light up.
“I suppose,” his voice trailed, “that cats may not have been real after all. You said it yourself: records are foggy. They’re all from thousands of years ago...” He sighed. Tōn-E’s lights transitioned to a new blinking pattern. “And I also suppose… that I should have been more mature about interpreting error-prone information in the Archives…”
“It's okay, man,” Sid said. “I like that you dream big.” He reached across the couch to place a comforting hand on Tōn-E. But Tōn-E floated out of reach.
“I understand my presence here is probably upsetting,” he said. “You two have a special bond. I should not have interfered with it in its last moments. I will go.”
“No, Tōn-E,” Sid said. Each pair of his hands met in front of his chest “Please stay. You have every right to be here too.”
“I should go,” Tōn-E said. “I will spend the rest of the evening focused on real things. And because I will no longer be here, I suppose it will be the perfect opportunity to review Sid’s art so I can feel inspired for the end times.”
He slipped between Sid and Marc toward the doorway.
“No, don’t!” Sid called after him. “We should do this together.”
But Tōn-E had already vanished outside.
The Lenorkian, hand extended, waited for Tōn-E to come back. But the floating sphere did not reappear in the doorway.
And that was when a low trill emanated from the couch. It was coming from Sid’s his chest. He looked up at Marc, glaring. He bared his pointed teeth. His horns reappeared. And his eyes flushed with scarlet pigment.
Yuh-oh, Marc thought. About half his prior anger evaporated. Fear of a fight took hold.
Marc didn’t exactly dislike his chances. Lenorkians may have been stronger, but Sid wasn't a fighter. Marc was.
But Sid stuck to his morals.
“GET OUT!” Sid shouted.
Marc reflexively jumped out of reach. The short hop sort of ruined his show of anger. But he was still boiling mad. After all, fifty percent of him hadn't abandoned the cat grudge.
“Fine!” he shouted back. “Have fun exploding alone.” He whipped away to the exit.
The party was finished now. He almost stopped and went back for his fludge. But he didn’t want it anymore either. He just wanted a nice end of the universe with his friend. And now the end of the universe was ruined.
At least the apocalypse outside was behaving predictably. Marc stepped into the adjacent cave corridor. He surveyed the damage outside, looking through the long, horizontal gap in the cave wall. As the experts had predicted, the plasma storm took its toll.
The canyon glowed eerily bright, despite it being evening time. The wind howled as it raced through the canyon. And the cliffs around the gorge flashed white and pink as the storm charged with electricity, preparing to make its final jump.
Lightning cracked toward the ground. Some of the bolts hit the opposing cliff, sending rubble deep into the gorge. A gentle tremor rumbled in the ground beneath him.
The plasma storm overhead only creeped further around the planet. As the canyon brightened, shockwaves coursed through the entire city. They threw Marc off his feet again. He hit the ground.
Behind him, thunderous clacking erupted. The sound of falling rocks filled the corridor. He flipped over to see what explosion had thrown him.
It was bad. He stopped breathing. Because he could no longer see Sid’s home. All he saw was a pile of rubble.
2023.06.04 08:30 something-wrong1234 Poll games: choose your adventure #2 (day 15)
Results of previous poll: say nothing
Story: The school bell rang. You went through the halls to your locker. Being a fire hydrant isn't so bad. You get to shoot water at people you don't like. The school bully Mark came up to you with a half eaten sandwich. He tossed it at you and started laughing. His laughing ceased immediately when you threw the sandwich back after getting it wet and soggy. Enraged, Mark threw a punch at you, forgetting that you were a literal fire hydrant. He clutched his fist in pain and ran off. Many people were giggling, but you focus on one person. You make eye contact with Mr. Ham, the teacher who let's almost everything slide. He nods and gives you a thumbs up. People are patting you on the back, sharing it on social media. It's time for 1st of 5 classes. Math. When you walk in, your teacher, Mr. Ham, starts smirking at you.
Chapter 2: "let's give it up to Hydrant for retaliating against Mark!" Mr. Ham shouted. A few people clapped, others stayed silent. After class, you decide to go to a vending machine. The drink vending machine. You needed to refuel somehow. You tor a bottle of water and emptied it. You then filled the bottle with boiled water which was in a faucet in the cafeteria. It's almost time for class 2. Your least favorite class, Language arts. As you walk in, your teacher Mr. Kang walks up to you and shows you your essay. You got a 30/95. Mr. Kang ordered that you explain it. You apologize and say you'll do better next time. Mr. Kang orders you to sit down. The class dragged by, but there was only three weeks left of school.
Chapter 3: In the halls, a girl comes up to you and asks you out on a date. She's pretty. She asks you where you want to go. You asked if she wanted to go to the mall. She gleefully accepted. After achool you walked to her house and knocked on the door. Her dad came outside. He told you to come in. It was awkward when you sat down, so you thought of a conversation starter. You think of three ideas. You decide to talk about your date, Jenny. You tell her dad how kind she is, and her somewhat high popularity in school. Her dad just nods and dismisses you when Jenny comes down. The two of you go outside and you want to think of something to say. You tell her that she's beautiful and she smiles, thanking you. You both chat but when the two of you are about to reach the mall, three men come up to you with knives. They order you to give you their money, but don't notice Jenny. You sprayed the with the boiled water you drank earlier that day. You think about turning back and acting all heroic.
Chapter 4: You turn back, all heroic, and then realize: "bad idea if I wasn't a fire hydrant". One of the robbers swing a metal bar at you. Once it hits you, it completely bends. Suddenly, a cop tackles the criminals and artests them. Jenny called the cops quietly. What do you mean when you chose "say nothing"
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submitted by something-wrong1234 to pollgames [link] [comments]
Story: The school bell rang. You went through the halls to your locker. Being a fire hydrant isn't so bad. You get to shoot water at people you don't like. The school bully Mark came up to you with a half eaten sandwich. He tossed it at you and started laughing. His laughing ceased immediately when you threw the sandwich back after getting it wet and soggy. Enraged, Mark threw a punch at you, forgetting that you were a literal fire hydrant. He clutched his fist in pain and ran off. Many people were giggling, but you focus on one person. You make eye contact with Mr. Ham, the teacher who let's almost everything slide. He nods and gives you a thumbs up. People are patting you on the back, sharing it on social media. It's time for 1st of 5 classes. Math. When you walk in, your teacher, Mr. Ham, starts smirking at you.
Chapter 2: "let's give it up to Hydrant for retaliating against Mark!" Mr. Ham shouted. A few people clapped, others stayed silent. After class, you decide to go to a vending machine. The drink vending machine. You needed to refuel somehow. You tor a bottle of water and emptied it. You then filled the bottle with boiled water which was in a faucet in the cafeteria. It's almost time for class 2. Your least favorite class, Language arts. As you walk in, your teacher Mr. Kang walks up to you and shows you your essay. You got a 30/95. Mr. Kang ordered that you explain it. You apologize and say you'll do better next time. Mr. Kang orders you to sit down. The class dragged by, but there was only three weeks left of school.
Chapter 3: In the halls, a girl comes up to you and asks you out on a date. She's pretty. She asks you where you want to go. You asked if she wanted to go to the mall. She gleefully accepted. After achool you walked to her house and knocked on the door. Her dad came outside. He told you to come in. It was awkward when you sat down, so you thought of a conversation starter. You think of three ideas. You decide to talk about your date, Jenny. You tell her dad how kind she is, and her somewhat high popularity in school. Her dad just nods and dismisses you when Jenny comes down. The two of you go outside and you want to think of something to say. You tell her that she's beautiful and she smiles, thanking you. You both chat but when the two of you are about to reach the mall, three men come up to you with knives. They order you to give you their money, but don't notice Jenny. You sprayed the with the boiled water you drank earlier that day. You think about turning back and acting all heroic.
Chapter 4: You turn back, all heroic, and then realize: "bad idea if I wasn't a fire hydrant". One of the robbers swing a metal bar at you. Once it hits you, it completely bends. Suddenly, a cop tackles the criminals and artests them. Jenny called the cops quietly. What do you mean when you chose "say nothing"
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2023.06.04 08:10 Plenty_Coast_5066 What do I do?
There is no way to start this off but I’m having really creepy paranormal encounters. It started off in my old apartment, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, sub-basement level. At night, I would typically see a shadow figure either in the kitchen, or standing behind the couch, or in the corner of my eye. I would always try to debunk this with neighbors passing by the windows, but at night, my blinds are shut, and no one really passes by the window around 12-3am. This one time, home alone during remote learning, what sounded like all my kitchen cabinet doors open and close really loud, I look over, and a few cabinets doors seem to be open. Later that day, I go to make food, and I look up, and in the doorway of my parents room, I see a dress that disappears behind the frame. After about 5 minutes, I build up the courage and look, nothing there. Now we eventually moved out into a new complex across the street. It only got worse. We live on the second story of the building, 2 bedroom and bathroom. One day, I was grabbing something out of one of the closets and the sliding door came off, so I went to go fix it, and I see a head and part of a body run really fast in the room. Keep in mind, everyone was in either the kitchen or the living room. I immediately run into the room, saying “Hello” multiple times. Now my parents bedroom has a bathroom connected to it, so I check both rooms, and no one was in there. The most recent one was about 30 minutes ago. Some family members are staying with us, and are asleep on the couch. They have a newborn with them, so she sleeps in her cradle close to them. so I go in the kitchen to grab a cup of water. I happen to look over in the living room, and see a dark figure standing next to the cradle, I look away for a second, and look back, and it’s gone. Both my family members were dead asleep on the couch, and my parents are in their room, door closed. I don’t know what to do, I think something is attached to me, if I’m crazy, does anyone have an idea, or could possibly help me, this is low-key starting to scare me, but I don’t tend to scare easily.
submitted by Plenty_Coast_5066 to NukesTop5 [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 07:43 cowalcreek Olive-backed Oriole, NSW
 | I was looking out the sliding glass doors when two birds flew past ‘at full speed’, one hit the glass, the other keep going. Not sure if it was being hunted or playing with a friend. submitted by cowalcreek to AustralianBirds [link] [comments] |
2023.06.04 07:42 Edwardthecrazyman Hiraeth or Where the Children Play: Dog-meat and the Whipping Boy [6]
Previous
If I were to guess, I’d imagine they took Andrew to Boss Harold before anyone else and the rumors around Golgotha seemed to support this supposition; the Bosses enjoyed their personal retribution away from the eyes of citizens, maybe it was talking or maybe more, and although there were whispers of the boy being strung up on the wall or maybe he’d be violated in the stocks for all to see, I imagined that the council I held with Boss Harold might’ve had something to do with that never materializing. When I was allowed to the boy’s cell, it was dark, and his face was bruised and the bandaging I’d applied to his severed wrist had been removed probably for amusement. The room was small and there were no windows and only a single doorway let out into the hallway which contained other cells and further, near the exit, there was the office of wall men. The guard that’d let me in locked the door behind me and Andrew sat on a metallic cot without cushioning, and he stared at the grimy floor through swollen eyes.
“Hello,” he said. And I was taken aback by the comment because he spoke it as quickly as he might passing a person in the street. He'd been through so much that the word was abrupt, skittish. I nodded and moved to him, reaching for his arm where he’d been nearly fatally wounded. It was infected. Without fighting me, he allowed me to tend to it without even a question; I wiped it and applied salve. Once it was cleaned and rewrapped and only after I’d settled on the cot beside him, he spoke again, “I heard stories about the cells, but I never thought they’d smell.”
I withdrew a handful of antibiotics, and he took them without putting them to his mouth. “You should have them,” I said, “You might lose the whole arm if not.”
“I might lose my life.”
“Maybe not,” I offered a grim smile and water with for the pills. “You’re alive still.”
“How much longer though?” He took the medicine and grimaced hard. The boy looked older than he was. “It smells like blood here. I can smell the people that’ve been here before.”
I patted him on the back and removed myself from the cell and he did not call after me, not even to ask for the return of his hand and I hoped that I could stave off whatever tortures the Bosses might have in store for him.
It’d been two days since I’d returned with Dave and Andrew and quickly after our arrival, I’d tried departing from the man and hoped he’d drop whatever revenge he believed I could assist him with, but it was to no avail for he attended everywhere with me since our return to Golgotha. Although he’d not been allowed to enter the cells alongside me, he was waiting for me outside as I stepped through the wall men’s office and into the noonday sun; I deftly plucked a pre-rolled cigarette from my pocket and tried at lighting it but before I’d even gotten the chance, he was there at the stoop of the office, pestering, “We should go somewhere quiet,” he said.
“What do you take me for exactly?” I asked while maintaining eye contact with the flame off a match.
“You’re capable enough. You could be a hero. I’d do it with you. We could scrounge up a handful of people and change things. We really could.” Dave was casting sidelong glances at those that passed us in the dirt street just off the stoop, but nary one seemed to care about our conversation.
“Leave it.”
“I won’t.”
I sighed.
He put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.
Felina’s was a structure partially built from ancient shipping containers directly in the heart of the hydroponics towers in the center of town; the chicken shit smell from the base of the towers came with nauseating stagnation and could make a passerby sick, but upon entering Felina’s, the smell subsided and was replaced with the smell of body sweat. The older barwoman stood behind the counter and me and Dave took up on the far corner where we sat around an old card table, using crates as chairs; no one else was there—the smell of the hydro towers probably had some hand in that.
Dave took in close to me so that I could feel the moisture off his breath, “I’ve been talking to a few others over at the towers and they feel the same way I feel—but with you—well without you I don’t think I’d want to do it.”
“No, please go on without me,” I slanted my body across the table to push my face away from Dave’s; with me positioned with my back against the wall, I spied Felina beyond the counter, arms across her chest and watching us with an air of suspicion. She came to our table, slowly with her club foot and upon reaching us, she used our table for mild support with her big hands and greeted us without excitement.
Dave asked for water and her gaze shifted to me and I dismissed her, and we were alone till she limped back over with a pitcher and glass and Dave drank it greedily while Felina watched on from beyond the counter—her eyes suspicious but pretty blue too. She kept the haft from a dismembered axe behind the counter and was known to throttle unruly patrons with it.
Although some might have called Felina’s a bar, it was just short of it because of the rarity of spirits—besides, it was the upstairs brothel portion that the establishment owed to its popularity. Anyone might brave the smell from the street for companionship and if the noises from the rusted overhead support beams were anything to measure, the clientele was content indeed. A man descended from the stairs by the bar, gave a brief nod to Felina then to us and disappeared through the front door; a waft of the outside air rushed in, and Dave scrunched his nose.
“It’s a funny thing, I’ve passed by here all the time, but I don’t think I’ve been inside since before—” he paused, “Well, since before anyway.” He took a drink of water and rubbed his palms against his cheeks. “I know someone that works underground and could get us some gunpowder.”
I merely laughed at this. “Gunpowder, huh?”
“Well sure. The Bosses have reserves in the basements. We could blow them sky high.”
“More likely that you’d blow your hands off.”
“What’s it going to take to convince you?”
I thought, “Could you promise no one would die?”
Dave seemed baffled at the question. “Who cares?”
“These things hardly ever happen quietly—or without collateral. How’s this? Could you promise that no innocents get caught in stray fire?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are as ill prepared as I’d imagined.”
“What’s that mean?”
“The meek are intended to inherit, but many will die before all that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I wish you’d leave it be.”
Another patron stumbled down the stairs, a scrawny tall man with a thin beard came charging into the chamber without clothes and a voice followed him, crying loudly, “Sonofabitch tried choking me!” A pair of arms and legs came stumbling down after—the source of the cries. There was a topless woman, a belt secured around one of her wrists and a pink mark around her throat. The naked man protested and put up his hands as the woman swung the arm with the belt and whipped at him with it, striking across the forearm he’d shielded himself with.
Felina moved carefully from around the counter, raised the haft, then brought it down across the man’s back. He stumbled to his knees, pleading. The barwoman raised the weapon once more and the sound was like wood against wood as it met the man’s head and his body was taken to the ground completely, perhaps dead, perhaps unconscious. The two women lifted the man out the door and Felina spat through the opening. Outside wind came again and Dave scrunched his nose once more before the door shut. The topless woman removed the belt from around her wrist, tossed it to the floor, then secured an arm across her chest before hurrying upstairs.
“So, gunpowder?” I asked Dave.
He nodded and took another drink of water while eyeing Felina as she took herself back to the counter and stowed the makeshift club into whatever place she kept it. “Yeah.”
“Go for it then and leave me out of it.” I fiddled with my thumbs across the table. “I’ll even make you a deal for when you come running to me for help later. If you blow your fingers off, I’ll try and help you find them. How’s about that?”
“I’ll wear you down.”
Another gust of wind came from the far door and I half expected to see the man that’d been removed there in the doorway, standing on his feet and ready for another round of punishment, but there was no one there in the hollow spot; as my gaze drifted from person-face level, I saw a medium sized mutt there in gray fur, pushing the door in with its nose and then sliding the rest of its starved body through—each of its yellowy sad eyes peered in and I could not tell the breed but Dave lifted himself from his seat and Felina went to the dog too.
“No dogs,” stated the woman.
Dave, the indomitable sweetheart that he was knelt to the dog’s face and touched its snout; it licked his hand and Dave said to Felina, “He’s not mine, but have you got some water for him?”
“No dogs inside. I don’t like repeating it.”
“Fair enough,” said Dave, “I don’t know who he—” he froze and then examined the rear of the dog before petting the dog on the head, “She belongs to, but I’ll take her outside. Just. Please some water, won’t you?”
The barwoman first drummed her fingers against her leg then went to the counter and I noticed Dave flinch as she reached under there, but she came back with a bowl and he took it and ushered the dog out; as he exited, he called to me, and I sighed and moved with him.
Remaining in the street was the man that’d been tossed out, face up, half-opened eyes, and flies buzzed about, and I touched him with my foot, but he didn’t move. Blood leaked from his ears. “Dead,” I said.
Dave took the dog from the body around to the side of the building and the feces smell was strong with the hydro towers, but he sat the water down and the dog went at it quickly, without restraint and spilt half before the man went to steady it with his hand; he knelt by the dog and pushed a shoulder against the wall of the brothel.
“There you go,” I told him, “You’ve found someone dumb enough and maybe loyal enough to follow through with your little gunpowder plan. Strap a handful of dynamite to him and watch him go boom in the Boss’s faces.” I genuinely did try it as a joke.
“You can be very mean,” said Dave.
Once the bowl was dry besides dog spit, he returned it to Felina, reentering briefly, and it was just me and the dog and the dog looked up at me and I turned away while its voice whined in the back of its throat and I took a piece of hardtack from my pocket and tossed it on the ground—the dog went after it, assuredly snapping up dirt in the process. Then the creature made a dry and throaty sound from swallowing too quickly, but moments after the thick cracker was gone. It licked my hand gently, and I scratched its chin and Dave returned and upon seeing me with the dog, he gave me a look and then brought himself to the height of the dog in a hunker.
“Hey there,” he said to it, “Someone’s beat you up pretty bad, huh?” It was true; scars stood out in places where the dog had no fur.
In response, the weathered mutt hoisted its forepaws onto his knees and pushed its nose into his.
“Yeah, girl,” he took one of the dog’s ears between his forefinger and thumb and rubbed it gently and the animal looked up, sad eyed, “What’s a good name for you?”
“Dog-meat?” I proposed.
Dave shook his head. “What sort of sick joke is that?” but he was smiling, “No. I’ll come up with something to call her. Isn’t that right?” He asked the dog, massaging the face of the animal with his thumbs; the dog stared dumbly at him. “Maybe a Beth or a Patty might suit you. How do you like them?”
The dog licked his face but couldn’t speak.
“Well,” I said, “It’s a shame it got you, you’ll pick a person name for it and that’s strange. Why not call her Mary if you want a person name?”
“Bah,” said Dave, rising to a full stand; momentarily, even with the other folks passing us in the street, he took a moment to see the dead man we’d passed on our way out of Felina’s and for a moment he remained quiet. “I’ll come to you again Harlan. Maybe when I’ve got more of a plan. I only hope you’ll listen to the stuff I’ve said about it. I really do. I really hope you’ll be on the right side of this thing.”
“Sides are overrated.”
Dave put a hand on my shoulder, “Of course,” he nodded, “Whatever you say.”
He left with his new friend—the dog following him traced from left to right close behind Dave and I watched him take off and around the nearest hydro tower and I was alone on the street and evening wouldn’t be far away, so I took to home while staring at my moving feet and speaking to no one. A few people along the way tried nodding at me or saying a small greeting here or there, but I was absorbed in my own head, and nothing took me from it once I got going. Maybe that was one of the reasons I enjoyed the wastes; there were no pretenses out there and with the constant thought of death there was no other thing to think about than each passing moment. I could not shut my thoughts up. I could ramble more about the motivations of a scavver, but I don’t think I should—leave that for someone that cares.
Upon taking the catwalks where I could look out on a swatch of Golgotha with the sun beating down and the constant hum of people going about their business, I was frozen on the railing and wishing I’d taken my own life and wishing that Dave had not found me out there; maybe if I was faster or smarter or better in whatever way that mattered.
I pushed into the door into my small abode and cool blood pushed through my body on seeing the robed girl there on my mattress, holding a shotgun with its barrel angled directly at me; she donned a flowy mess of dresses and kept her head wrapped in garb so that only her eyes shone through, but her arms stuck from the mess of cloth and I could see they were skinny with long scab marks like a blade had drawn across the flesh.
“Harlan?” asked the girl.
“Is that mine?” I nodded at the pump-shotgun in her hands. The slowness of the world was gone, and I could think again; if things were different, I’d have been a dead man, but it was unloaded, and I knew it.
“It was hanging on the wall—I don’t know how to use the thing anyway. I don’t know what I was doing with it,” she said, “You just scared me, and I didn’t know who you might’ve been.”
“This is my place.”
She laid the shotgun on the bed and unwrapped her face; it was Gemma, “You were with Andrew.”
“I was.”
“You said he was dead.”
I brought in air slowly through my nose. “I did.”
“You lied.”
I nodded, letting the air come out.
“Why?”
“I needed to find you.”
“But you found us both then, I guess.”
“Not on purpose.” A thought occurred to me, “Does you father know where you are right now?”
She shook her head; although rest had done her good, there was still a fair amount of fatigue present on her. “I snuck out.”
“Would’a though you learned your lesson on that front.”
“Is Andrew okay? No one will tell me anything about it.”
“He’s locked up right now, but he is alive. For how long? I don’t know. I figured your pop paid a visit to him already—wouldn’t you know about that?”
She shook her head again. “Woo,” Gemma slumped onto the side of my mattress and gathered the robes around her, “I’m feeling faint.”
I moved to the bed and gathered the shotgun, putting it back on the hooks in the wall. “You shouldn’t break into people’s homes.”
Cupping her brow in a hand so that I could only see her mouth and the bottom of her nose, she said, “I just needed to know he was alive. These past days I’ve been so worried about him. I knew you told me he was dead, but I knew you were a liar too. So, I had bad thoughts about what might’ve happened to him out there. If what happened to me was anything to go off.” Her voice broke for a moment and then she pulled her hand from her face and blinked a few sudden times. “I just.”
“I get it. You love the boy.”
She nodded without looking at me.
“So, beg your dad to let him go.”
“Everyone’s so mad at him. It’s funny that everyone’s so mad at him, but it was my idea, and they all treat me like a darling little flower. Like I couldn’t have been the one with the idea of running away. I had more reason to run than he ever did.”
“You should leave.”
“I don’t want to. Can’t you see that’s what I’ve been saying? Judge all you like. Call me rich all you like, but I can tell you this: I don’t feel like it.” Gemma grabbed the edge of the bed as her head wavered on her shoulders. “Dizzy spells are awful.” She shook her head. “Like no sickness ever.” Her eyes locked on mine. “Help me.”
“I’ve already tried convincing them not to kill him.” Taking a pause, I thought to add, “And I personally saw to his injuries. Please go and leave me be.”
“Oh, but you’ve asked for it,” she said, “You put yourself in the business of it.”
“Look. All’s I wanted was to save you if I could and get the water running again. That’s it. Now go.” I put my arm up to wave her out the door and she stood to make her way there, catching herself on the frame, then out on the catwalk railing before turning and looking at me over her shoulder.
“Bastard.” she said.
“Yes.” The door shut between us, and I took myself to sitting on the bed’s edge and reminiscing over how Dave reminded me so much of Jackson. Jackson was a real tough one; whatever happened he always kept a cool head (so I reckon him and Dave would be different in that way) and the idea of being a hero was so big for him. It’s a curious thought: whether Dave would have such ideas if hadn’t been for the tragic loss of his family.
The shotgun sat on there on the wall, and I took it and looked over it, putting the stock in my left hand then my right and laid it across my legs; the woven strap on it had gone thin so that the place I’d once worn it over my shoulder was mostly threadbare. I moved to the cabinet by the sink where I kept a few essentials and in the very back there was an old box of shells—it was a surprise they still seemed good, but with old ammo you never could tell, and the shells were just as likely to fire true as they might be to never send pellets from the barrel. I took a knife and began whittling into a shell I’d plucked from the box. Pellets spilled between my feet as I sat on the bed and they rolled across the floor and then I found the gunpowder and rose again, sprinkling it onto the cabinet top into a neat pile. Dave said he had a fella’ he knew that worked in the underground—the sort of person that could get him all the gunpowder he needed. Was he familiar with its destructive force; had he ever fired a gun? He promised me no one innocent would die and I knew that was a lie and there’s surely a piece of him that knew it was a lie just as well.
It was just then as I took a forefinger and thumb and pinched up a bit from the gunpowder splat that I remembered a thing that Jackson told me all the time when he thought none of the others were listening. The gunpowder rained from my fingertips as I rubbed them together and I sniffed the place where they’d become sooty, taking in a smell I’d not smelled in a long time. Jackson would say, “Whoever fights monsters should be sure that he don’t become a monster.” It wouldn’t be for a long time—after I’d visited the libraries in Alexandria or Babylon (take your preference)—till I realized it was a quote that Jackson stole from some guy named Neet-chee. It seemed like a good thing to adhere to, and it was certainly something I wasn’t good at keeping with and if I couldn’t then there was little certainty that Dave would keep to it either. Maybe I had become a monster; morally dubious anyway.
Jackson was a hero, and he was dead as was Sibylle as was Billy as was John and all of them. We’d tried heroing and it got all of us dead. Almost all of us.
I hung the shotgun on the wall and left it there and swept the gunpowder into the floor with a flat palm where the pellets were and chucked the box of old shells into the cabinet again.
Ringing of bells came from the hall of the Bosses and it was time for a display. Denizens gathered in the front square by the gates and awaited while they trotted out Andrew; perhaps the words I’d passed to Boss Harold rang hollow after all. The Bosses were there just as always, drinking their wine on the platform, and Maron was out front with his wall men in the semicircle of gathered Golgotha residents. Of the population, only a hundred or two gathered for this poor boy’s execution. The guards had, at some point after my departure, removed the bandage on his empty wrist and he looked more sickly in the face than before and his cheeks were swollen and he wept, seemingly not from the terror of it but from the skin around his eyes having been so damaged; tears came through swelled eyelids and a wall man kept him by the elbow and Maron marched to the boy and lifted the boy’s face with his hand to look into it and maybe he whispered something to him.
I weaved through the crowd, moving to the steps that led to the stage where the Bosses stood with their foods and wines and their plenty and upon approach, I was stopped by a wall men, but upon catching Boss Harold’s eye, he told the guard to let me through and I took the stairs and from the platform, I could see over the crowd—Dave was far in the rear of those gathered, totally disconnected from the others for he hunkered by a set of crates, patting the head of the dog we’d found just earlier in the day. For a moment, I wished I was there with him and not on the stage at all.
“Dear boy!” Boss Harold shouted at me over the excited jeers of the others, “It’s so good to see you again. You are quite the hero, and it’s always good to be in the company of those.”
I nodded at him and within a flash, he’d slammed his cup of wine into my hand, telling me to drink, and only moments passed before his own cup was replaced by a nearby servant. “We spoke about this?” I tried.
His face was red, and I could just make out the miniscule veins vibrant along the corners of his nose; the man was far gone drunk. “That boy’s been a thorn in my side for too long, so I know you understand it when I say that he needs punishment. I took all that you said into account,” his words slurred, and the sweet sick came off him in a breath of hot air when he pulled me in, resting his ear on my shoulder. “Nobody dies today, but ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’,” the Boss paused. “You’re not a father yourself, are you?”
I shook my head.
“Ah! Then you might not be familiar with that proverb required in bringing a child up in this world.” Boss Harold laughed. “I’d never take my sweet Gemma out in the square like this, but God there’s been times I’ve wanted it. ‘Spare the rod’.” He repeated. “But we’ve something a fair bit more interesting than a rod for that boy.” Boss Harold swayed on his feet and took the fist containing his cup of wine, pointing with his index finger at the open place by the wall where Maron and Andrew and the wall men were. “Speaking of!” Boss Harold was giddy, and he took a magnificent gulp from his cup, throwing his head far back. “You’re a learned man, yes?”
“What?”
“You know how to read? Maron said something about your reading. That’s a rare quality! I’d love to talk about books with you sometime. I’ve my own personal collection.”
The wall men stripped Andrew of his clothes then threw them to the ground and a gasp escaped the audience and the boy shouted and Maron moved to a nearby bucket and reached into the mouth of the container, coming back to a full stand; a whip was coiled around his arm. The Bosses didn’t even look on. The punishment was for the benefit of Boss Harold, and not even he looked on. He jabbered on about how he’d like to speak with me over an old philosophy called Objectivism then he went on about how he’d learned long ago the greatest achievement of man was his own happiness and I listened to the drunk man and when the whip broke skin the first time, I’m sure Andrew felt every bit.
Blood exploded in violent dew off his back and the crack of the whip struck the boy till he couldn’t stand and then several times more. Splatter reached onlookers each time Maron lifted the whip over his head, and it was only once the boy stopped moving that the Boss Sheriff swaggered over to inspect him; Andrew had fallen face down and Maron took his boot to the boy’s side so that the boy rolled onto his back and seconds passed without movement and even Boss Harold quit with his talking. The prone body just lay there and for a moment Andrew looked like the body I’d seen earlier out front of Felina’s. Then the boy spasmed and gasped air and Maron shouted about how he was still alive before giving the toe of his boot to Andrew’s ribs.
“What a show,” said the Bosses—what a show indeed.
The crowd dispersed in clumps, taking back to their jobs or leisure and I left the platform only after agreeing that Objectivism sounded good and Boss Harold laughed and stumbled in pivoting to take on in conversation with the other Bosses and I briefly imagined giving him a nudge, so he’d fall off the stage, but refrained from doing so.
When I met the boy lying in the dirt there, there was me and Dave moved in too and Maron had taken to his station where there was a table by sandbags, and he was engrossed in a game of solitaire; it seemed the man was totally unfazed by the justice he’d dealt. There was a time when that body could’ve been a hero and yet there he was, poisoned.
I called out to the Boss Sheriff, “Ain’t you going to put him back to his cell?”
Without even looking over, Maron swept his mustache with his fingers and waved me off, “Harold was real clear on letting the boy out of custody once it was done.” He lifted his cowboy hat and scratched his head while looking at the cards on the table then he laughed. “He’s a free man. I’ve heard that was your meddlin’ that did it.”
I moved to the boy and snatched up the clothes they ripped from him and Dave, not saying a word with his new mutt by his side, helped me to return some dignity to the boy.
We took him to my small apartment and washed him and tended over him while he lay in my bed.
Gemma came soon after Andrew had been draped in a sheet—she was there in disguise as she’d been earlier and upon me opening the doorway, she began to ask me if the boy was with me. I merely stepped aside, and she rushed to Andrew’s side; if he was aware of her presence, there was no way to tell.
“They killed him.” She’d taken to her knees to be nearer his level. “Oh. Oh, he’s dead.” She touched him and he shivered at the touch. Gemma removed the wrappings of cloth around her head and looked at her sweetie closer and she put a hand to her mouth. “They took his hand!”
“No,” said Dave, “He’s going to live.” The man looked to me and I shrugged. “Yeah,” his voice didn’t sound sure, “He’ll live.”
I moved to the catwalk and Dave came with me, the dog following behind him—the timid mutt looked over the edge of the catwalk to the city below then stepped away and returned to my room. When Dave took up beside me, leaning over the railing, and the sun hit his face just so, he looked exactly like Jackson and maybe that was why when he raised eyebrows then cut his eyes at me with a question—the question was everything and I finally nodded.
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Neovel
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If I were to guess, I’d imagine they took Andrew to Boss Harold before anyone else and the rumors around Golgotha seemed to support this supposition; the Bosses enjoyed their personal retribution away from the eyes of citizens, maybe it was talking or maybe more, and although there were whispers of the boy being strung up on the wall or maybe he’d be violated in the stocks for all to see, I imagined that the council I held with Boss Harold might’ve had something to do with that never materializing. When I was allowed to the boy’s cell, it was dark, and his face was bruised and the bandaging I’d applied to his severed wrist had been removed probably for amusement. The room was small and there were no windows and only a single doorway let out into the hallway which contained other cells and further, near the exit, there was the office of wall men. The guard that’d let me in locked the door behind me and Andrew sat on a metallic cot without cushioning, and he stared at the grimy floor through swollen eyes.
“Hello,” he said. And I was taken aback by the comment because he spoke it as quickly as he might passing a person in the street. He'd been through so much that the word was abrupt, skittish. I nodded and moved to him, reaching for his arm where he’d been nearly fatally wounded. It was infected. Without fighting me, he allowed me to tend to it without even a question; I wiped it and applied salve. Once it was cleaned and rewrapped and only after I’d settled on the cot beside him, he spoke again, “I heard stories about the cells, but I never thought they’d smell.”
I withdrew a handful of antibiotics, and he took them without putting them to his mouth. “You should have them,” I said, “You might lose the whole arm if not.”
“I might lose my life.”
“Maybe not,” I offered a grim smile and water with for the pills. “You’re alive still.”
“How much longer though?” He took the medicine and grimaced hard. The boy looked older than he was. “It smells like blood here. I can smell the people that’ve been here before.”
I patted him on the back and removed myself from the cell and he did not call after me, not even to ask for the return of his hand and I hoped that I could stave off whatever tortures the Bosses might have in store for him.
It’d been two days since I’d returned with Dave and Andrew and quickly after our arrival, I’d tried departing from the man and hoped he’d drop whatever revenge he believed I could assist him with, but it was to no avail for he attended everywhere with me since our return to Golgotha. Although he’d not been allowed to enter the cells alongside me, he was waiting for me outside as I stepped through the wall men’s office and into the noonday sun; I deftly plucked a pre-rolled cigarette from my pocket and tried at lighting it but before I’d even gotten the chance, he was there at the stoop of the office, pestering, “We should go somewhere quiet,” he said.
“What do you take me for exactly?” I asked while maintaining eye contact with the flame off a match.
“You’re capable enough. You could be a hero. I’d do it with you. We could scrounge up a handful of people and change things. We really could.” Dave was casting sidelong glances at those that passed us in the dirt street just off the stoop, but nary one seemed to care about our conversation.
“Leave it.”
“I won’t.”
I sighed.
He put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.
Felina’s was a structure partially built from ancient shipping containers directly in the heart of the hydroponics towers in the center of town; the chicken shit smell from the base of the towers came with nauseating stagnation and could make a passerby sick, but upon entering Felina’s, the smell subsided and was replaced with the smell of body sweat. The older barwoman stood behind the counter and me and Dave took up on the far corner where we sat around an old card table, using crates as chairs; no one else was there—the smell of the hydro towers probably had some hand in that.
Dave took in close to me so that I could feel the moisture off his breath, “I’ve been talking to a few others over at the towers and they feel the same way I feel—but with you—well without you I don’t think I’d want to do it.”
“No, please go on without me,” I slanted my body across the table to push my face away from Dave’s; with me positioned with my back against the wall, I spied Felina beyond the counter, arms across her chest and watching us with an air of suspicion. She came to our table, slowly with her club foot and upon reaching us, she used our table for mild support with her big hands and greeted us without excitement.
Dave asked for water and her gaze shifted to me and I dismissed her, and we were alone till she limped back over with a pitcher and glass and Dave drank it greedily while Felina watched on from beyond the counter—her eyes suspicious but pretty blue too. She kept the haft from a dismembered axe behind the counter and was known to throttle unruly patrons with it.
Although some might have called Felina’s a bar, it was just short of it because of the rarity of spirits—besides, it was the upstairs brothel portion that the establishment owed to its popularity. Anyone might brave the smell from the street for companionship and if the noises from the rusted overhead support beams were anything to measure, the clientele was content indeed. A man descended from the stairs by the bar, gave a brief nod to Felina then to us and disappeared through the front door; a waft of the outside air rushed in, and Dave scrunched his nose.
“It’s a funny thing, I’ve passed by here all the time, but I don’t think I’ve been inside since before—” he paused, “Well, since before anyway.” He took a drink of water and rubbed his palms against his cheeks. “I know someone that works underground and could get us some gunpowder.”
I merely laughed at this. “Gunpowder, huh?”
“Well sure. The Bosses have reserves in the basements. We could blow them sky high.”
“More likely that you’d blow your hands off.”
“What’s it going to take to convince you?”
I thought, “Could you promise no one would die?”
Dave seemed baffled at the question. “Who cares?”
“These things hardly ever happen quietly—or without collateral. How’s this? Could you promise that no innocents get caught in stray fire?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are as ill prepared as I’d imagined.”
“What’s that mean?”
“The meek are intended to inherit, but many will die before all that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I wish you’d leave it be.”
Another patron stumbled down the stairs, a scrawny tall man with a thin beard came charging into the chamber without clothes and a voice followed him, crying loudly, “Sonofabitch tried choking me!” A pair of arms and legs came stumbling down after—the source of the cries. There was a topless woman, a belt secured around one of her wrists and a pink mark around her throat. The naked man protested and put up his hands as the woman swung the arm with the belt and whipped at him with it, striking across the forearm he’d shielded himself with.
Felina moved carefully from around the counter, raised the haft, then brought it down across the man’s back. He stumbled to his knees, pleading. The barwoman raised the weapon once more and the sound was like wood against wood as it met the man’s head and his body was taken to the ground completely, perhaps dead, perhaps unconscious. The two women lifted the man out the door and Felina spat through the opening. Outside wind came again and Dave scrunched his nose once more before the door shut. The topless woman removed the belt from around her wrist, tossed it to the floor, then secured an arm across her chest before hurrying upstairs.
“So, gunpowder?” I asked Dave.
He nodded and took another drink of water while eyeing Felina as she took herself back to the counter and stowed the makeshift club into whatever place she kept it. “Yeah.”
“Go for it then and leave me out of it.” I fiddled with my thumbs across the table. “I’ll even make you a deal for when you come running to me for help later. If you blow your fingers off, I’ll try and help you find them. How’s about that?”
“I’ll wear you down.”
Another gust of wind came from the far door and I half expected to see the man that’d been removed there in the doorway, standing on his feet and ready for another round of punishment, but there was no one there in the hollow spot; as my gaze drifted from person-face level, I saw a medium sized mutt there in gray fur, pushing the door in with its nose and then sliding the rest of its starved body through—each of its yellowy sad eyes peered in and I could not tell the breed but Dave lifted himself from his seat and Felina went to the dog too.
“No dogs,” stated the woman.
Dave, the indomitable sweetheart that he was knelt to the dog’s face and touched its snout; it licked his hand and Dave said to Felina, “He’s not mine, but have you got some water for him?”
“No dogs inside. I don’t like repeating it.”
“Fair enough,” said Dave, “I don’t know who he—” he froze and then examined the rear of the dog before petting the dog on the head, “She belongs to, but I’ll take her outside. Just. Please some water, won’t you?”
The barwoman first drummed her fingers against her leg then went to the counter and I noticed Dave flinch as she reached under there, but she came back with a bowl and he took it and ushered the dog out; as he exited, he called to me, and I sighed and moved with him.
Remaining in the street was the man that’d been tossed out, face up, half-opened eyes, and flies buzzed about, and I touched him with my foot, but he didn’t move. Blood leaked from his ears. “Dead,” I said.
Dave took the dog from the body around to the side of the building and the feces smell was strong with the hydro towers, but he sat the water down and the dog went at it quickly, without restraint and spilt half before the man went to steady it with his hand; he knelt by the dog and pushed a shoulder against the wall of the brothel.
“There you go,” I told him, “You’ve found someone dumb enough and maybe loyal enough to follow through with your little gunpowder plan. Strap a handful of dynamite to him and watch him go boom in the Boss’s faces.” I genuinely did try it as a joke.
“You can be very mean,” said Dave.
Once the bowl was dry besides dog spit, he returned it to Felina, reentering briefly, and it was just me and the dog and the dog looked up at me and I turned away while its voice whined in the back of its throat and I took a piece of hardtack from my pocket and tossed it on the ground—the dog went after it, assuredly snapping up dirt in the process. Then the creature made a dry and throaty sound from swallowing too quickly, but moments after the thick cracker was gone. It licked my hand gently, and I scratched its chin and Dave returned and upon seeing me with the dog, he gave me a look and then brought himself to the height of the dog in a hunker.
“Hey there,” he said to it, “Someone’s beat you up pretty bad, huh?” It was true; scars stood out in places where the dog had no fur.
In response, the weathered mutt hoisted its forepaws onto his knees and pushed its nose into his.
“Yeah, girl,” he took one of the dog’s ears between his forefinger and thumb and rubbed it gently and the animal looked up, sad eyed, “What’s a good name for you?”
“Dog-meat?” I proposed.
Dave shook his head. “What sort of sick joke is that?” but he was smiling, “No. I’ll come up with something to call her. Isn’t that right?” He asked the dog, massaging the face of the animal with his thumbs; the dog stared dumbly at him. “Maybe a Beth or a Patty might suit you. How do you like them?”
The dog licked his face but couldn’t speak.
“Well,” I said, “It’s a shame it got you, you’ll pick a person name for it and that’s strange. Why not call her Mary if you want a person name?”
“Bah,” said Dave, rising to a full stand; momentarily, even with the other folks passing us in the street, he took a moment to see the dead man we’d passed on our way out of Felina’s and for a moment he remained quiet. “I’ll come to you again Harlan. Maybe when I’ve got more of a plan. I only hope you’ll listen to the stuff I’ve said about it. I really do. I really hope you’ll be on the right side of this thing.”
“Sides are overrated.”
Dave put a hand on my shoulder, “Of course,” he nodded, “Whatever you say.”
He left with his new friend—the dog following him traced from left to right close behind Dave and I watched him take off and around the nearest hydro tower and I was alone on the street and evening wouldn’t be far away, so I took to home while staring at my moving feet and speaking to no one. A few people along the way tried nodding at me or saying a small greeting here or there, but I was absorbed in my own head, and nothing took me from it once I got going. Maybe that was one of the reasons I enjoyed the wastes; there were no pretenses out there and with the constant thought of death there was no other thing to think about than each passing moment. I could not shut my thoughts up. I could ramble more about the motivations of a scavver, but I don’t think I should—leave that for someone that cares.
Upon taking the catwalks where I could look out on a swatch of Golgotha with the sun beating down and the constant hum of people going about their business, I was frozen on the railing and wishing I’d taken my own life and wishing that Dave had not found me out there; maybe if I was faster or smarter or better in whatever way that mattered.
I pushed into the door into my small abode and cool blood pushed through my body on seeing the robed girl there on my mattress, holding a shotgun with its barrel angled directly at me; she donned a flowy mess of dresses and kept her head wrapped in garb so that only her eyes shone through, but her arms stuck from the mess of cloth and I could see they were skinny with long scab marks like a blade had drawn across the flesh.
“Harlan?” asked the girl.
“Is that mine?” I nodded at the pump-shotgun in her hands. The slowness of the world was gone, and I could think again; if things were different, I’d have been a dead man, but it was unloaded, and I knew it.
“It was hanging on the wall—I don’t know how to use the thing anyway. I don’t know what I was doing with it,” she said, “You just scared me, and I didn’t know who you might’ve been.”
“This is my place.”
She laid the shotgun on the bed and unwrapped her face; it was Gemma, “You were with Andrew.”
“I was.”
“You said he was dead.”
I brought in air slowly through my nose. “I did.”
“You lied.”
I nodded, letting the air come out.
“Why?”
“I needed to find you.”
“But you found us both then, I guess.”
“Not on purpose.” A thought occurred to me, “Does you father know where you are right now?”
She shook her head; although rest had done her good, there was still a fair amount of fatigue present on her. “I snuck out.”
“Would’a though you learned your lesson on that front.”
“Is Andrew okay? No one will tell me anything about it.”
“He’s locked up right now, but he is alive. For how long? I don’t know. I figured your pop paid a visit to him already—wouldn’t you know about that?”
She shook her head again. “Woo,” Gemma slumped onto the side of my mattress and gathered the robes around her, “I’m feeling faint.”
I moved to the bed and gathered the shotgun, putting it back on the hooks in the wall. “You shouldn’t break into people’s homes.”
Cupping her brow in a hand so that I could only see her mouth and the bottom of her nose, she said, “I just needed to know he was alive. These past days I’ve been so worried about him. I knew you told me he was dead, but I knew you were a liar too. So, I had bad thoughts about what might’ve happened to him out there. If what happened to me was anything to go off.” Her voice broke for a moment and then she pulled her hand from her face and blinked a few sudden times. “I just.”
“I get it. You love the boy.”
She nodded without looking at me.
“So, beg your dad to let him go.”
“Everyone’s so mad at him. It’s funny that everyone’s so mad at him, but it was my idea, and they all treat me like a darling little flower. Like I couldn’t have been the one with the idea of running away. I had more reason to run than he ever did.”
“You should leave.”
“I don’t want to. Can’t you see that’s what I’ve been saying? Judge all you like. Call me rich all you like, but I can tell you this: I don’t feel like it.” Gemma grabbed the edge of the bed as her head wavered on her shoulders. “Dizzy spells are awful.” She shook her head. “Like no sickness ever.” Her eyes locked on mine. “Help me.”
“I’ve already tried convincing them not to kill him.” Taking a pause, I thought to add, “And I personally saw to his injuries. Please go and leave me be.”
“Oh, but you’ve asked for it,” she said, “You put yourself in the business of it.”
“Look. All’s I wanted was to save you if I could and get the water running again. That’s it. Now go.” I put my arm up to wave her out the door and she stood to make her way there, catching herself on the frame, then out on the catwalk railing before turning and looking at me over her shoulder.
“Bastard.” she said.
“Yes.” The door shut between us, and I took myself to sitting on the bed’s edge and reminiscing over how Dave reminded me so much of Jackson. Jackson was a real tough one; whatever happened he always kept a cool head (so I reckon him and Dave would be different in that way) and the idea of being a hero was so big for him. It’s a curious thought: whether Dave would have such ideas if hadn’t been for the tragic loss of his family.
The shotgun sat on there on the wall, and I took it and looked over it, putting the stock in my left hand then my right and laid it across my legs; the woven strap on it had gone thin so that the place I’d once worn it over my shoulder was mostly threadbare. I moved to the cabinet by the sink where I kept a few essentials and in the very back there was an old box of shells—it was a surprise they still seemed good, but with old ammo you never could tell, and the shells were just as likely to fire true as they might be to never send pellets from the barrel. I took a knife and began whittling into a shell I’d plucked from the box. Pellets spilled between my feet as I sat on the bed and they rolled across the floor and then I found the gunpowder and rose again, sprinkling it onto the cabinet top into a neat pile. Dave said he had a fella’ he knew that worked in the underground—the sort of person that could get him all the gunpowder he needed. Was he familiar with its destructive force; had he ever fired a gun? He promised me no one innocent would die and I knew that was a lie and there’s surely a piece of him that knew it was a lie just as well.
It was just then as I took a forefinger and thumb and pinched up a bit from the gunpowder splat that I remembered a thing that Jackson told me all the time when he thought none of the others were listening. The gunpowder rained from my fingertips as I rubbed them together and I sniffed the place where they’d become sooty, taking in a smell I’d not smelled in a long time. Jackson would say, “Whoever fights monsters should be sure that he don’t become a monster.” It wouldn’t be for a long time—after I’d visited the libraries in Alexandria or Babylon (take your preference)—till I realized it was a quote that Jackson stole from some guy named Neet-chee. It seemed like a good thing to adhere to, and it was certainly something I wasn’t good at keeping with and if I couldn’t then there was little certainty that Dave would keep to it either. Maybe I had become a monster; morally dubious anyway.
Jackson was a hero, and he was dead as was Sibylle as was Billy as was John and all of them. We’d tried heroing and it got all of us dead. Almost all of us.
I hung the shotgun on the wall and left it there and swept the gunpowder into the floor with a flat palm where the pellets were and chucked the box of old shells into the cabinet again.
Ringing of bells came from the hall of the Bosses and it was time for a display. Denizens gathered in the front square by the gates and awaited while they trotted out Andrew; perhaps the words I’d passed to Boss Harold rang hollow after all. The Bosses were there just as always, drinking their wine on the platform, and Maron was out front with his wall men in the semicircle of gathered Golgotha residents. Of the population, only a hundred or two gathered for this poor boy’s execution. The guards had, at some point after my departure, removed the bandage on his empty wrist and he looked more sickly in the face than before and his cheeks were swollen and he wept, seemingly not from the terror of it but from the skin around his eyes having been so damaged; tears came through swelled eyelids and a wall man kept him by the elbow and Maron marched to the boy and lifted the boy’s face with his hand to look into it and maybe he whispered something to him.
I weaved through the crowd, moving to the steps that led to the stage where the Bosses stood with their foods and wines and their plenty and upon approach, I was stopped by a wall men, but upon catching Boss Harold’s eye, he told the guard to let me through and I took the stairs and from the platform, I could see over the crowd—Dave was far in the rear of those gathered, totally disconnected from the others for he hunkered by a set of crates, patting the head of the dog we’d found just earlier in the day. For a moment, I wished I was there with him and not on the stage at all.
“Dear boy!” Boss Harold shouted at me over the excited jeers of the others, “It’s so good to see you again. You are quite the hero, and it’s always good to be in the company of those.”
I nodded at him and within a flash, he’d slammed his cup of wine into my hand, telling me to drink, and only moments passed before his own cup was replaced by a nearby servant. “We spoke about this?” I tried.
His face was red, and I could just make out the miniscule veins vibrant along the corners of his nose; the man was far gone drunk. “That boy’s been a thorn in my side for too long, so I know you understand it when I say that he needs punishment. I took all that you said into account,” his words slurred, and the sweet sick came off him in a breath of hot air when he pulled me in, resting his ear on my shoulder. “Nobody dies today, but ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’,” the Boss paused. “You’re not a father yourself, are you?”
I shook my head.
“Ah! Then you might not be familiar with that proverb required in bringing a child up in this world.” Boss Harold laughed. “I’d never take my sweet Gemma out in the square like this, but God there’s been times I’ve wanted it. ‘Spare the rod’.” He repeated. “But we’ve something a fair bit more interesting than a rod for that boy.” Boss Harold swayed on his feet and took the fist containing his cup of wine, pointing with his index finger at the open place by the wall where Maron and Andrew and the wall men were. “Speaking of!” Boss Harold was giddy, and he took a magnificent gulp from his cup, throwing his head far back. “You’re a learned man, yes?”
“What?”
“You know how to read? Maron said something about your reading. That’s a rare quality! I’d love to talk about books with you sometime. I’ve my own personal collection.”
The wall men stripped Andrew of his clothes then threw them to the ground and a gasp escaped the audience and the boy shouted and Maron moved to a nearby bucket and reached into the mouth of the container, coming back to a full stand; a whip was coiled around his arm. The Bosses didn’t even look on. The punishment was for the benefit of Boss Harold, and not even he looked on. He jabbered on about how he’d like to speak with me over an old philosophy called Objectivism then he went on about how he’d learned long ago the greatest achievement of man was his own happiness and I listened to the drunk man and when the whip broke skin the first time, I’m sure Andrew felt every bit.
Blood exploded in violent dew off his back and the crack of the whip struck the boy till he couldn’t stand and then several times more. Splatter reached onlookers each time Maron lifted the whip over his head, and it was only once the boy stopped moving that the Boss Sheriff swaggered over to inspect him; Andrew had fallen face down and Maron took his boot to the boy’s side so that the boy rolled onto his back and seconds passed without movement and even Boss Harold quit with his talking. The prone body just lay there and for a moment Andrew looked like the body I’d seen earlier out front of Felina’s. Then the boy spasmed and gasped air and Maron shouted about how he was still alive before giving the toe of his boot to Andrew’s ribs.
“What a show,” said the Bosses—what a show indeed.
The crowd dispersed in clumps, taking back to their jobs or leisure and I left the platform only after agreeing that Objectivism sounded good and Boss Harold laughed and stumbled in pivoting to take on in conversation with the other Bosses and I briefly imagined giving him a nudge, so he’d fall off the stage, but refrained from doing so.
When I met the boy lying in the dirt there, there was me and Dave moved in too and Maron had taken to his station where there was a table by sandbags, and he was engrossed in a game of solitaire; it seemed the man was totally unfazed by the justice he’d dealt. There was a time when that body could’ve been a hero and yet there he was, poisoned.
I called out to the Boss Sheriff, “Ain’t you going to put him back to his cell?”
Without even looking over, Maron swept his mustache with his fingers and waved me off, “Harold was real clear on letting the boy out of custody once it was done.” He lifted his cowboy hat and scratched his head while looking at the cards on the table then he laughed. “He’s a free man. I’ve heard that was your meddlin’ that did it.”
I moved to the boy and snatched up the clothes they ripped from him and Dave, not saying a word with his new mutt by his side, helped me to return some dignity to the boy.
We took him to my small apartment and washed him and tended over him while he lay in my bed.
Gemma came soon after Andrew had been draped in a sheet—she was there in disguise as she’d been earlier and upon me opening the doorway, she began to ask me if the boy was with me. I merely stepped aside, and she rushed to Andrew’s side; if he was aware of her presence, there was no way to tell.
“They killed him.” She’d taken to her knees to be nearer his level. “Oh. Oh, he’s dead.” She touched him and he shivered at the touch. Gemma removed the wrappings of cloth around her head and looked at her sweetie closer and she put a hand to her mouth. “They took his hand!”
“No,” said Dave, “He’s going to live.” The man looked to me and I shrugged. “Yeah,” his voice didn’t sound sure, “He’ll live.”
I moved to the catwalk and Dave came with me, the dog following behind him—the timid mutt looked over the edge of the catwalk to the city below then stepped away and returned to my room. When Dave took up beside me, leaning over the railing, and the sun hit his face just so, he looked exactly like Jackson and maybe that was why when he raised eyebrows then cut his eyes at me with a question—the question was everything and I finally nodded.
Previous
RoyalRoad
Neovel
2023.06.04 06:36 connorlsr [WTS] Sig P320 AXG Pro Full-size Kit, Romeo1 Pro rds w/ Shroud, AXG Pro complete upper, AXG Grip Module with Magwell, Sig P320 9mm 5.5" Threaded Barrel
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/Roflo9Q
Romeo1 Pro rds w/ Shroud - 1moa - Excellent condition, no salt - $250 shipped
AXG Pro complete upper - Complete Full-size slide w/ internals, 4.7" barrel, recoil assembly, x-ray night sights, factory Romeo1Pro optics cut, optics cover plate - Excellent condition, no salt - Includes 2 factory Legion 17-rd mags w/ aluminum baseplates & an ETS 40-rd mag WHERE LEGAL TO SHIP (WON'T SHIP TO CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OH, RI, VT, or WA) - $650 shipped
AXG Pro Grip Module - This is the all-metal factory AXG Pro grip module in black (Sig's "medium size") - Includes the Pro/Legion factory magwell - Excellent condition, no salt - $300 shipped
Sig P320 9mm 5.5" Threaded Barrel - 13.5x1 LH thread pitch - A little salty on top external corners (where slide runs on it) - $100 shipped
ALL OF THE ABOVE CAN BE PURCHASED AS A COMPLETE KIT FOR $1150 AND I'LL INCLUDE THE OEM HARD CASE
**** PP F&F ... NO NOTES!!! ****
submitted by connorlsr to GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]
Romeo1 Pro rds w/ Shroud - 1moa - Excellent condition, no salt - $250 shipped
AXG Pro complete upper - Complete Full-size slide w/ internals, 4.7" barrel, recoil assembly, x-ray night sights, factory Romeo1Pro optics cut, optics cover plate - Excellent condition, no salt - Includes 2 factory Legion 17-rd mags w/ aluminum baseplates & an ETS 40-rd mag WHERE LEGAL TO SHIP (WON'T SHIP TO CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OH, RI, VT, or WA) - $650 shipped
AXG Pro Grip Module - This is the all-metal factory AXG Pro grip module in black (Sig's "medium size") - Includes the Pro/Legion factory magwell - Excellent condition, no salt - $300 shipped
Sig P320 9mm 5.5" Threaded Barrel - 13.5x1 LH thread pitch - A little salty on top external corners (where slide runs on it) - $100 shipped
ALL OF THE ABOVE CAN BE PURCHASED AS A COMPLETE KIT FOR $1150 AND I'LL INCLUDE THE OEM HARD CASE
**** PP F&F ... NO NOTES!!! ****
2023.06.04 06:32 nitroclaps Ushuaia ID Policy?
So I’m 17 turning 18 in July, and I was hoping on attending the Calvin Harris concert on June 9th. Will they guaranteed refuse me entry or will I be able to get through or have a chance at sliding the door guy a 50.
submitted by nitroclaps to ibiza [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 06:03 slightly__sketchy Selling my 2021 Watt Wagons Hydra 2300W Bafang M620 EMTB - Medium Frame - Seattle, WA
Images: https://imgur.com/a/a7KmJ0d
Selling my medium sized Watt Wagons Hydra with a 2300 watt Bafang M620 Ultra motor. I paid $6,400 in June 2021 and it was delivered in late October 2021. I've put a little more than 700 miles on it since, mostly on the road. Asking $4750 and located in Seattle, would prefer local pickup since it's a heavy ebike.
As you can see there's some dirt and a couple of scuffs here and there, but nothing major and no damage to the carbon frame. About 100 miles ago I disassembled the motor and packed it with Mobil Unirex N2 grease (and a new gasket) to quiet it down a bit and promote longevity. Medium frame is a 460mm reach, I'm 5'9 and it fits me well.
This is an extremely powerful and fast bike that is a ton of fun on or off road. In higher assist modes you barely even notice hills. It has a tendency to monster-truck over roots and rocks and carries speed on the trail, and the Tannus inserts allow you to run super low pressures for insane amounts of grip which is especially nice for technical, rooty climbs.
Probably will not come with the lock, lights, or trail bell. I've got a few spare Shimano 11t cassette cogs, motor gaskets, etc. that will come with the bike.
Pinkbike link here: https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3626533/
Full specs below:
submitted by slightly__sketchy to BikeShop [link] [comments]
Selling my medium sized Watt Wagons Hydra with a 2300 watt Bafang M620 Ultra motor. I paid $6,400 in June 2021 and it was delivered in late October 2021. I've put a little more than 700 miles on it since, mostly on the road. Asking $4750 and located in Seattle, would prefer local pickup since it's a heavy ebike.
As you can see there's some dirt and a couple of scuffs here and there, but nothing major and no damage to the carbon frame. About 100 miles ago I disassembled the motor and packed it with Mobil Unirex N2 grease (and a new gasket) to quiet it down a bit and promote longevity. Medium frame is a 460mm reach, I'm 5'9 and it fits me well.
This is an extremely powerful and fast bike that is a ton of fun on or off road. In higher assist modes you barely even notice hills. It has a tendency to monster-truck over roots and rocks and carries speed on the trail, and the Tannus inserts allow you to run super low pressures for insane amounts of grip which is especially nice for technical, rooty climbs.
Probably will not come with the lock, lights, or trail bell. I've got a few spare Shimano 11t cassette cogs, motor gaskets, etc. that will come with the bike.
Pinkbike link here: https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3626533/
Full specs below:
- Size medium carbon frame (I believe WW sourced Dengfu E22 frames)
- Northern Lights Cerakote (clear coated so it's quite a bit darker)
- Matte clear frame protection on toptube, battery door, and chainstays
- Archon X1 controller upgrade with programming cable (custom tuned to 125w-750w in 5 increments with class 3 28mph limit in eco mode and unrestricted 1000w-2300w in 5 increments in sport mode)
- Modified throttle with Honeywell SS49e hall effect sensor for finer throttle control
- 52V battery (before WW switched to 48V)
- 10 amp fast charger (and a spare more portable 2 amp charger)
- New DVO Diamond E2 e-bike specific fork set at 150mm with a clear protective wrap
- Manitou Mara shock - 150mm rear travel
- Magura MT5e with e-bike specific levers (wired into the controller to cut power)
- 203mm Magura MDR-C rotors front and rear
- MTX Braking heavy duty e-bike brake pads
- Shimano XT M8000 11-speed derailleushifter
- SunRace CSMX8 11-51T cassette (with spare Shimano SLX 11-42T)
- Wolftooth Goatlink (for larger cassette compatibility)
- Garbaruk extended derailleur cage (again larger for cassette compatibility)
- 27.5x2.8" Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires
- Sun Ringle 40mm width wheels
- Tannus Armor (with tubes) front and rear
- SDG Bel Air V3 Saddle
- 170mm KS Rage-i dropper post
- PNW Loam XL Grips
- OneUp Aluminum pedals
- Protaper aluminum bars trimmed to 780mm
- Crud XL front fender
- SKS Mudrocker rear fender
2023.06.04 05:37 anonmus3 Exterior Door Trim
I need to replace a rotted exterior trim on a door and not sure where to start. How do I replace the trim? What kind of trim is this? I tried searching on HD for something similar but couldn't find anything. Do I need to just replace the whole door? Thanks in advance!
https://imgur.com/a/a8tTObR
submitted by anonmus3 to HomeImprovement [link] [comments]
https://imgur.com/a/a8tTObR
2023.06.04 05:23 dandinonillion bald Brynolf (HELP)
I’ve got a few hair and beard mods installed and went into creation kit to edit him to my liking, but after I save my changes and load the game he still looks like this. Any advice? The changes loaded once, and then I went back into CK to remove a moustache from Brand-Shei, and Bryn is back rocking the look of my ex-boyfriend’s dad.
Modlist:
# This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.
+Overwrites
+Northern Roads - Patches Compendium
+Northern Roads Patch Collection
+Northern Roads
+Books of Skyrim SE - Redux
+Better Khajiit female body Texture for UNP and CBBE body
+Minotaurs - Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''oblivion'')
+Better Pelts and Hides
+Ryn's Dragon Mounds Collection
+KS Hairdos - HDT SMP (Physics) - Khajiit Patch
+KS Hairdos - HDT SMP (Physics)
+ADXP I MCO ER Twinblades (SCAR Precision)
+Lore Weapon Expansion SE
+Nicos Twinblades SE
+Twinblades of Skyrim
+The Forgotten City
+Dragon.Priest.by.Kajuan
+Elden Parry
+ECPLW -ENB Complex Particle Lights for Windows-
+Bellyaches HD Dragon Replacer Pack (SE)
+Another Race Menu Rotation Mod
+Ryn's Azura's Shrine
+Skyland Noble Furniture
+Khajiit Has Wares - A Caravan Camp Overhaul
+Seasoned Traveller Armor SE-AE
+Animated Potions
+Mythic Dawn armor SE
+Inquisitor HDT-SMP Armor
+Dual Casting Fix
+Traveling Mage HDT-SMP Armor
+NPCs React To Necromancy (And More)
+JS Dwemer Control Cube SE
+Vampire Lines Expansion
+Open Animation Replacer
+Cinematic Dragon Soul Absorbtion
+Dawnguard Armors and Weapons Retexture SE
+Conditional Expressions Extended
+Toggleable Night Eye Vampire Werewolf and Khajiit
+Emerald Khajiit Vampire Eyes
+Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor SE
+Frankly HD Dragonbone and Dragonscale - Armor and Weapons
+NPCs React To Invisibility
+Weathered Furniture - Common and Upper Class - 4K - 2K (LE Backport)
+Prince and The Pauper Refine
+JS Purses and Septims SE
+JS Knapsacks SE
+Asura's Guard
+League of Assassins - Dark Brotherhood Retexture
+League of Assassins Armor
+Base Object Swapper
+Improved Alternate Conversation Camera
+Face Masks of Skyrim
+OBIS SE Patrols Addon
+OBIS SE - Organized Bandits In Skyrim Special Edition
+Immersive Patrols SE AE
+LeanWolf's Better-Shaped Weapons - All in One Installer
+Frankly HD Imperial Armor And Weapons - Sleeves and Pants Edition
+Frankly HD Imperial Armor and Weapons
+RS Children Patch Compendium
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Normal and Power Attacks
+Patch for RS Children Overhaul
+Vitruvia - skin texture overhaul for males - SE
+JS Instruments of Skyrim SE
+JS Common Cages SE
+JS Attunement Sphere and Lexicons SE
+Immersive folded hands (DAR)
+JS Shrines of the Divines SE
+Masculine Khajiit Textures (Grey Cat and Leopard) [Vanilla]
+Prince and the Pauper SE - RS Children Patch
+RS Children Overhaul
+Misc. College of Winterhold Tweaks
+Obscure's College of Winterhold
+College of Winterhold The Missing Apprentices Quest Fix
+College of Winterhold - Quest Expansion - markers
+College of Winterhold - Quest Expansion
+Vanilla SMP Clothing waccf ace patch
+Prisioner robes fix
+Better Fur - fine patch
+Vanilla SMP Clothing
+CACO Ordinator Alternate Patch
+Vanilla Cow Tweaks- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Heart of the Beast - Werewolf Sound - Remastered - SSE PORT
+Daedroth Titans- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''oblivion daedra'')
+Wraith-of-Crows - Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''nocturnal'')
+Savage Wolves
+More Hircinic Aspects of Hircine- Mihail's Shards of Immersion (SE-AE version)
+Lustmord Vampire Armor - SSE CBBE BodySlide (with Physics)
+Kellan HDT-SMP Armor
+Frost Giant Overhaul- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''karstaag'')
+Cow Replacer- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Birds of Prey and Felsaad Terns- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Apocrypha's Currency- Mihail's Shards of Immersion (SE-AE version) (''coin'')
+Glorious Doors of Skyrim (GDOS)
+Security Overhaul SKSE - Lock Variations
+Frankly HD Thieves Guild Armors
+Giant.by.Kajuan
+Fur Bedroll 2-4k
+Draugr.by.Kajuan
+Troll.by.Kajuan
+Skeleton.and.Human.Bones.by.Kajuan
+Edmond's HD Nordic Snow with Parallax
+Nordic Snow
+Hedge Mage Armor SSE
+Craftable Blood Potions SSE
+Illustrious Whiterun - Alt Stonefloor 4K 2.0
+Leviathan Animations II - Greatsword Non Combat Locomotion
+Leviathan Animations II - Greatsword Low Stance
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak idle walk and run
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Thrust Attacks
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Strike Attacks
+Leviathan Animations - Two-Handed High Stance
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Sneak Thrusts
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Sneak Strikes
+Vanargand Animations - Female Idle Walk and Run
+Vanargand Animations - Male Idle Walk and Run
+Goetia Animations - Female Idle Walk And Run
+Goetia Animations - Male Idle Walk And Run
+Leviathan Animations II - Female Idle Walk And Run
+Leviathan Animations II - Male Idle Walk And Run
+Conditional Armor Type Animations
+Leather Armors Retexture SE
+Fashions of The Huntsmen- A Leather Armor variation mod (Armor Pack- CBBE-3BA and HIMBO)
+Mysticism - Ordinator Patch
+Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul
+Lux - Illustrious Whiterun - Parallax'd
+Illustrious Whiterun SE - 8K - Parallax
+Teldryn Serious Patch
+DX Necromancer Robes - HDT-SMP Physics and 3BBB Bodyslides
+The Caller - DX Necromancer Robes
+3D Whiterun Trellis
+Immersive Equipment Displays
+HDT-SMP Traveler's Backpack - My Version
+HDT-SMP Traveler's Backpack
+Simple Dual Sheath
+Weapon Keyword Unification Project
+Keyword Item Distributor
+Nightingale Armor and Weapons Retexture SE
+Skaal Coat Alternative Texture
+Hearthfires Extended and Creation Club Fishing Patch
+Spell Research Add-On - Book Transformation Spell
+Terrain Fixes for CC Mods
+Necromancers Amulet Replacement
+Immersive Spell Learning
+Wintersun patch
+Spell Research - Ultimate Add-On Patch
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research - Tweaks
+Spell Research - Convenience Add-On
+Spell Research - Spell Composing
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research 1
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research-Apocalypse
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research
+Spell Research Patch Compendium Redux 357 patches
+Origins Of Forest - Lakeview Manor Patch
+Technicolor Alchemy - CACO - More Growable Plants Patch
+Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul (CACO) and More Growable Plants SE compatibility patch
+SIC SE - Add-Ons and Patches
+CACO - Beyond Skyrim Bruma Patch
+Spell Research - Experience Book
+Spell Research
+kryptopyr's Patch Hub
+Bloodchill Manor (CC) __ CACO
+Cutting Room Floor __ CACO
+Opulent Thieves Guild - FPS Fix
+Opulent Thieves Guild - Sneak Tools compatibility patch
+Quaint Raven Rock - Ghosts of the Tribunal Patch
+More Growable Plants SE
+Cathedral - 3D Solstheim Grass
+SmoothCam - Octavian's Preset
+Pets of Skyrim - JK's Skyrim Compatibility Patch
+SmoothCam - Soft Preset
+WACCF Sneak Tools Patch
+Sneak Tools Embers XD Patch
+Sneak Tools SE Edition
+Wayfarer's Coat CBBE
+Wayfarer's Coat
+Sleeping Expanded - Animations and NPC reactions
+Archmage Apparel
+Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement
+Hunting in Skyrim - A Hunting Guild SE
+Diverse Werewolves Collection SE Player
+Diverse Werewolves Collection SE
+Werebeast GrowlVanilla Spruce-up
+Unleashed Sacrosanct and Growl Racial Abilities SE - (Werewolf and Vampire racial abilities for custom races)
+Growl and Sacrosanct Hybrid
+Gender-specific Werewolf Transformation Sounds (Vampire Lords optional)
+Elden Counter
+Wildcat - Combat of Skyrim
+Set of Skills
+ADXP I MCO ER rapiers (SCAR)
+ADXP I MCO ER Katana (SCAR)
+Realistic Halberd Poleaxe Animation(MCO SCAR)
+Goetia Animations - Enchanted Staves
+Favorite Misc Items
+Simple Outfit Manager
+Hunting Grounds Outfit
+SIRENROOT - Patch 1.04
+SIRENROOT - Deluge of Deceit
+ADXP I MCO ER Spear Basic Animation (SCAR)
+Skyrim Spear Mechanic SE
+Cathedral - 3D Rocky Shores
+FurArmorSetSE(FrostFall Aware) ordinator
+High Poly Gleamblossoms
+Goetia Animations - Conditional Shouts
+HD Baskets Textures
+SCAR AE Support
+Trade and Barter - Patches
+Circlet USSEP Fixes
+Wintersun - Creatures
+Skyrim Immersive Creatures Special Edition
+Sunhelm Survival Patch for Hearthfire Extended
+Forsworn Dreadlocks for Beast Races
+Guild Leader Perks
+Hearthfire Carriage Destinations
+Hearthfire Improvements - A Lightweight Extension
+Better Dynamic Ash SE
+Hearthfire Shrines Expanded
+College Prestige Mage Outfit SE
+DX Necromancer Robes - SSE CBBE BodySlide
+DX Necromancer Robes - UNP
+Better Treasury House
+Illuminated Blue Palace Dome
+ENB Particle Lights - Dwemer Lanterns
+Unique Solstheim Grass
+Better beast race scars
+Reach Tree Replacer SSE
+Better fur - Fine clothes
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma Upscaled Textures (BSBUT) Armour
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma Upscaled Textures (BSBUT)
+Thundering Shouts
+Nibenean Armors and Outfit SE - UNP - UNPB - CBBE
+Technicolor Alchemy Overhaul - Unique Alchemy Plants for Skyrim SE
+Forsworn Fashions- More Variety for forsworn (Armor Pack- BHUNP CBBE 3BA and HIMBO)
+Wilderness Witch Outfit CBBE
+Wilderness Witch Outfit
+Unique Flowers and Plants SSE
+Imperial Fine Clothes
+Conditional Expressions - Subtle Face Animations
+Immersive Interactions - Animated Actions
+FurArmorSetSE - CBBE Bodyslide Conversion
+FurArmorSetSE - Muted Color Retexture
+FurArmorSetSE(FrostFall Aware)
+Cathedral - 3D Snow Berries
+3D Plants Patch - Snowberries
+Saints and Seducers Flora ENB Light
+(DISCONTINUED) CBBE Armour and Clothing Conversions for Beyond Skyrim - Bruma
+Rare Curios - BS Bruma Synergy Patch
+Cathedral - Armory - Gemling Queen Jewelry Patch
+2K Ring of Namira Retextured
+White Phial Replacer SE
+Stalhrim Source
+Bandit Lines Expansion
+2k Retextured Ring Of hircine
+Solstheim Lighthouse
+Wyrmstooth Upscaled Textures
+Missives - The Witcher Board HD
+Sovngarde HD
+Missives - Notes Retexture
+HD Sleeping Tree Sap Replacer
+HQ Tree Bark
+Arri's Snow Elf Ruins Retexture Special Edition
+VioLens - A Killmove Mod SE
+Cathedral 3D Mountain Flowers for Hearthfire
+Lux Via - Cathedral Mountain Flowers
+Hitting the Books - A Necromantic Grimoire Update
+Simple Bath for Bloodchill Manor
+Conditional Dog Barking (DAR)
+Werewolf Animation and Sneak Extension (DAR)
+Kaidan Lux
+Kaidan Inigo
+Kaidan 3dnpc
+Axarien's Animations - Lucien (DAR)
+Axarien's Animations - The Companions - Vilkas Farkas Aela (DAR)
+Axarien's Animations - Inigo (DAR)
+Skyrim Wayshrines - Immersive Fast Travel - SWIFT SE
+SUEMR SSE with Bijin AIO 2019 Support
+Black_Sacrament_Armor_V4-1_High Def_PortedSSE
+Immersive Sounds Compendium - PATCHES
+Enhanced Blood Textures
+Hunterborn SE MCM
+I'm Glad You're Here - a follower and spouse appreciation mod - SSE - Bard patch
+Skyrim's Got Talent - Improve As a Bard
+Immersive Vampire Clutter - Base Object Swapper (BOS)
+Moss Shaders Restored - Cut Content Restoration
+Missives
+Realistic Skooma
+Daedric Shrines - All in One
+8K Night Skies - Stars and Galaxies - Cathedral Concept
+Breezehome by Lupus - Lux - Embers XD - Patch
+Breezehome by Lupus
+Simple Breezehome Garden
+I'm Glad You're Here - a follower and spouse appreciation mod - SSE
+Quest Outfit Replacers - Party and Radiant Raiment Fine Clothes
+Ordinator - Slower Leveling Speed and Increased Training Costs
+Growl - Werebeasts of Skyrim
+BA Bard Songs
+Colovian Leather Armor and Outfit SE - UNP - CBBE - Update
+Colovian Leather Armor and Outfit SE - UNP - CBBE
+Auto Input Switch
+Vampire Sun Damage Clothes Covering
+All Thieves Guild Jobs Concurrently
+Arena - An Encounter Zone Overhaul
+Immersive Load Screens for ArteFakes
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer animation
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer plugin
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer
+JK's Interiors Patch Collection
+Better Third Person Selection - BTPS
+Queen of the Damned - Deadlier Serana_SE
+Serana Dialogue Edit - Skyrim Special Edition
+Anima Nera - SerketHetyt's Serana Overhaul
+Respectable Inventory -- Well-Stocked Alchemists
+Character Creation Overhaul - Races - Birthsigns - Classes - Skills - Specializations - Attributes - update
+Character Creation Overhaul - Races - Birthsigns - Classes - Skills - Specializations - Attributes
+Smart NPC Potions - Enemies Use Potions and Poisons
+RUSTIC AMULETS - Special Edition
+Wintersun - More Patches
+Precision
+Crimson Nirnroot Markers
+Bandolier - Bags and Pouches for NPC
+Bandolier - Bags and Pouches Classic
+Book Covers Skyrim
+Trade and Barter
+Tribunal Robes and Masks for SSE
+Volkihar Knight - Vampire Armor
+Sovngarde - A Nordic Font
+Triumvirate - Mage Archetypes
+The Midden - Expanded
+Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers
+Take a Seat - New DAR Sitting Animations
+Rudy HQ - Miscellaneous SE
+The Beauty of Skyrim - Caves and Mines
+Quaint Raven Rock Patch Collection
+Quaint Raven Rock - SE
+Ordinator - No Timed Block
+Valhalla Combat
+Skyshards
+Sacrosanct - Vampires of Skyrim
+Run For Your Lives
+Prince and the Pauper SE
+Gemling Queen Jewelry SE
+Khajiit Will Follow - Fix
+Khajiit Will Follow
+Coats for Skyrim - UPDATED - SSE
+Bruma Signs SMIM patch - SE
+Wait Your Turn - Enemy Circling Behaviour
+Wealthy Marks - A Pickpocket Mod (SPID)
+Thieves Guild Dialogue Fix - USSEP Compatible
+Wear Multiple Rings
+Point The Way
+High Level Enemies
+Dirt and Blood - Dynamic Visual Effects
+Follower Trap Safety
+Immersive Khajiit Armor and Weapons - Rebalance and Integration
+Lunar Guard Armor
+VickusDickus' Khajiiti Apex Armory - skeleton
+VickusDickus' Khajiiti Apex Armory
+Payload Interpreter
+SmoothCam
+Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim - Ordinator
+Apocalypse Spells For NPCS
+Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim
+Vanargand Animations - One Handed Power Attacks
+Goetia Animations - Sneak Magic
+Goetia Animations - Magic Spell Casting
+EVG Conditional Idles
+Gesture Animation Remix (DAR)
+Animated Armoury - DAR Version - New Weapons with animations
+Vanargand Animations - One Handed Mid Stance
+Vanargand Animations - One Handed Normal Attacks
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Archery
+Lively Children Animations (DAR)
+NPC Animation Remix (DAR)
+Animation Motion Revolution
+MCO Universal Support
+Attack MCO-DXP
+The Companions - Earn your stripes
+Pickpocketing 5Ever
+Awesome Potions Simplified -ENB Lights
+Awesome Potions Simplified by Revoith
+Dawnguard as a vampire
+Improved Companions - Questline Tweaks
+Medieval Spirits
+Gildergreen Regrown
+Hearthfire Extended - Cutting Room Floor Patch
+Hearthfire Extended
+Coin Purse - An Overhaul For Skyrim
+Summermyst - WACCF Patch
+Summermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim
+Saints and Seducers - Growable Plants
+Opulent Thieves Guild Patch Collection
+Skyrims Unique Treasures
+True Directional Movement - Modernized Third Person Gameplay
+XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended
+Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim
+Dragon Claws Auto-Unlock
+Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine
+Lind's Black Robes Revamp - Texture Replacer
+Moon Monk's Robes
+Skyforge Weapons - Reforged
+Inigo - Bloodchill Manor patch
+Cult of the World Eater - Dragon Priests Buff Alduin
+Deadly Dragons
+SCAR - Skyrim Combos AI Revolution
+RUSTIC SOULGEMS - Special Edition
+Face Discoloration Fix
+Miscellaneous Embers XD Patches
+Vanilla hair remake SMP compatibility
+Vanilla hair remake SMP
+BeastHHBB - VHR SMP
+ShowRaceMenu Alternative - Lux patch
+ShowRaceMenu Alternative
+Tempered Skins for Females CBBE
+Vanilla hair remake SMP NPCs (real hair)
+Superior Lore-Friendly Hair - HD textures
+VHR - Vanilla Hair Replacer
+Barbarian Bodypaints - Racemenu Body and Head Overlays for UUNP CBBE and Males
+Beards of Power - Sons of Skyrim - Vanilla Hair Remake SMP
+Beards of Power - Sons of Skyrim
+Normal Vampire Face For High Poly Head
+Whiter Teeth for ALL (SE)- Orc Khajiit Argonian Werewolf
+BeastHHBB - Khajiit and Argonian content - player character and NPC replacer addon
+BeastHHBB - Khajiit and Argonian content - player character and NPC replacer
+Khajiit Aesthetics Compilation - Hair Eyes Fangs
+Better Beast vampire fangs - fixes and adjustments - Argonian and Khajiit
+Kala's Eyes- Beast Race Edition Khajiit Argonian
+The Witcher 3 Eyes SE
+Vanilla Warpaints Absolution
+Apachii Sky Hair SSE
+CoverKhajiits - Face Textures 4K SE
+Pretty Khajiit SE
+The Eyes Of Beauty SSE
+Total Character Makeover
+Weathered Nordic Bodypaints -Special Edition- RaceMenu Overlays and Warpaints
+Beast Race Bodypaints SE -Khajiit and Argonian Themed Bodypaints Facepaints RaceMenu Overlays-
+Community Overlays 2 (31-50) Bodypaints Warpaints Tattoos and more made for the Community (Special Edition)
+High Poly Head SE
+BodySlide and Outfit Studio
+Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Enhancer -CBBE-
+Xelzaz' Telvanni Spellsword Armor Enhanced
+Xelzaz - Custom Fully Voiced Argonian Telvanni Follower - Wyrmstooth
+Xelzaz - Custom Fully Voiced Argonian Telvanni Follower
+Lux Via Wyrmstooth
+Remiel-Custom Voiced Dwemer Specialist and Companion
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Bruma
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Curios
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - S+Zombies
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Saints
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower
+Daughter of Valenwood - An Auri Replacer
+Song of the Green (Auri Follower) - Inidog
+Song of the Green 3dnpc
+Song of the Green Auri
+INIGO
+Kaidan 2 Weapons Revamped - Katana Bow and Quiver with Arrows
+BWB-Kaidan-2-Armor-Revamped-Dragon
+BWB Kaidan
+Kaidan 2
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - Rumarin Solstheim
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - Cutting Room Floor
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - AI Overhaul
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC)
+Opulent Thieves Guild
+Ordinator for Spell Perk Item Distributor
+JK's Skyrim - Thunderchild patch
+Thunderchild - Epic Shouts and Immersion
+JKs Skyrim - AI Overhaul SSE Patch
+JK's Skyrim
+Lanterns Of Skyrim II
+Real 3D Walls
+Solstheim landscape and furniture
+Rudy HQ - Nordic Ruins SE
+-Skyrim 202X 9.0 - Architecture
+-Skyrim 202X 9.0.1 - Other
+Skyrim 202X 9.0 - Landscape
+Skyrim 202X by Pfuscher - Formerly 2020
+Books of Skyrim SE
+Colovian Noble Clothes
+RUGNAROK - Special Edition
+PELTAPALOOZA - Special Edition
+Dark Brotherhood Robes Replaced
+Dark Brotherhood Enchantments Improved
+4thUnknown - Ancient Shrouded Armor Replacer
+Dark Brotherhood Armor SE
+Cathedral - Armory update
+Cathedral - Armory
+aMidianBorn Book of Silence SE
+Fashions Of The Banditry- A bandit-focused Armor Pack (BHUNP-CBBE-3BA-HIMBO) CBBE
+Fashions Of The Banditry- A bandit-focused Armor Pack (BHUNP-CBBE-3BA-HIMBO)
+Artesian Cloaks of Skyrim
+Cloaks of Skyrim HD SSE
+Winter Is Coming SSE - Cloaks Patch
+Cloaks of Skyrim SSE
+Vampire Royal Armor Replacer HDT-SMP Cape
+HDT-SMP for Cloaks and Capes
+Winter Is Coming SSE - Cloaks
+Faster HDT-SMP
+Nightingale Hall Restored - Karliah As A Follower
+Black Mage Armor SE
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic SSE (Revised ESP Only) - WACCF
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic SSE (Revised ESP Only)
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic
+RUSTIC FURNITURE - SPECIAL EDITION
+Hunterborn Ordinator Bone Arrow patch
+Hunterborn
+Campfire Patch for Water-Borne Diseases for SunHelm
+SunHelm Survival - Compatibility Patches
+Skills of the Wild - New Campfire Survival Skill Trees
+SunHelm - Creation Club Farming Patch
+Water-Borne Diseases for SunHelm
+SunHelm Survival
+Warm Drinks SSE - Simple Tea And Coffee Recipes - for Campfire
+Campfire - Complete Camping System (Supports Skyrim VR)
+Ordinator - Rat king - Other Creatures
+Ordinator Beyond Skyrim Patch
+Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim
+Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - CACO Patch
+Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul
+Wyrmstooth
+At Your Own Pace - Main Quest
+At Your Own Pace - Thane Overhaul
+Defeat the Dragon Cult
+Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes - CBBE Patch
+Player Blink Fix
+Teldryn Serious - A Teldryn Sero Backstory Quest SSE
+Immersive College NPCs - No Saarthal (Compatibility for Ryn's Saarthal)
+Immersive College NPCs
+Ryn's Ustengrav
+Ryn's Saarthal
+The Brotherhood of Old - Dark Brotherhood Continued
+Ryn's Bleak Falls Barrow
+Magical Blackreach
+JK's Silver-Blood Inn
+JK's The Bannered Mare
+JK's The Winking Skeever
+JK's Warmaiden's
+JK's The Drunken Huntsman
+JK's Sleeping Giant Inn
+JK's Radiant Raiment
+JK's Arcadia's Cauldron
+JK's Belethor's General Goods
+JK's Dragonsreach
+JK's Angeline's Aromatics
+JK's Bits and Pieces
+JK's Blue Palace
+JK's Candlehearth Hall
+JK's Elgrim's Elixirs
+JK's White Phial
+JK's Mistveil Keep
+JK's New Gnisis Cornerclub
+JK's Sadri's Used Wares
+JK's Palace of the Kings
+JK's The Temple of Mara
+JK's The Pawned Prawn
+JK's The Bee and Barb
+JK's Arnleif and Sons Trading Company
+JK's The Hag's Cure
+JK's Understone Keep
+JK's Jorrvaskr
+JK's Riverwood Trader
+JK's Temple of the Divines
+JK's Temple of Talos
+JK's Temple of Kynareth
+JK's Temple of Dibella
+JK's Haelga's Bunkhouse
+JK's High Hrothgar
+JK's Castle Dour
+JK's Septimus Signus's Outpost
+JK's The Bards College
+DLC Content
+Realistic Conversations
+Relationship Dialogue Overhaul - RDO SE
+AI Overhaul SSE
+Cutting Room Floor - SSE
+Fuz Ro D-oh - Silent Voice
+Unlimited Bookshelves
+Practical Patches-Replacers for Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Nightshade
+Waterplants
+3D Plants Patch - Tundra Cotton
+3D Plants Patch - Lavender
+3D Plants Patch - Nirnroot by Mari and Rudy's Light
+Practical Patches-Replacers for Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Mountain Flowers
+3D Plants Patch - Deathbell with Rudy's Purple Light
+Cathedral - 3D Clover Plant
+Cathedral - 3D Thicket and Dead Shrub
+Cathedral - 3D Grass Library
+Cathedral - 3D Thistle
+Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers
+Cathedral - 3D Tundra Cotton
+Cathedral - 3D Deathbell ENB
+Cathedral - 3D Deathbell
+Cathedral - Mushrooms
+Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass
+Immersive Sounds - Compendium
+Lux
+Lux Via
+Embers XD
+Wet and Cold SE - Cathedral Weathers Patch
+Wet and Cold SE
+Rudy ENB Cathedral Weathers ADDONS and REQUiRED Files
+Cathedral Weathers and Seasons
+Whiterun Objects SMIMed (and fixes too)
+Armor and Clothing Extension
+Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes
+RUSTIC CLOTHING - Special Edition
+Guard Dialogue Overhaul SE
+Obsidian Mountain Fogs
+Water for ENB
+ENB Light Inventory Fix (ELIF)
+Bright Snow Fix for ENB
+Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB
+ENB Helper SE
+ENB Light
+Less Distracting Blowing Snow Effects for ENB Particle Patch
+Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS)
+Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods
+No Grass In Objects
+Static Mesh improvement Mod - SMIM - Quality Addon
+Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants
+Cathedral - Plants
+Landscapes - Cathedral Concept
+Static Mesh Improvement Mod
+Mfg Fix
+NORDIC UI - Miscellaneous Patches
+Nordic UI Active Effects for SkyUI SE
+SkyUI Weapons Pack SE
+Expanded Dawnguard Map Markers
+NORDIC UI - Interface Overhaul
+Experience
+iHUD and True HUD Patch
+TrueHUD - HUD Additions
+Immersive HUD - iHUD Special Edition
+SkyHUD
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma DLC
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma
+Beyond Skyrim - Assets
+A Clear Map of Skyrim and Other Worlds
+RaceMenu
+Lore-Based Loading Screens
+Survival Control Panel
+SkyUI
+Scrambled Bugs
+JContainers SE
+DynDOLOD Resources SE
+Particle Patch for ENB
+Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
+Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes
+Unofficial High Definition Audio Project
+Spell Perk Item Distributor
+Sound Record Distributor
+MCM Helper
+powerofthree's Papyrus Extender
+powerofthree's Tweaks
+.NET Script Framework
+Unique Map Weather
+SSE Display Tweaks
+SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin)
+Scaleform Translation Plus Plus NG
+PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions
+Papyrus Tweaks NG
+Crash Logger SSE AE VR - PDB support
+Address Library for SKSE Plugins
+xEdit Output
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE037-Curios
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE001-Fish
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS
*Creation Club: ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode
*DLC: Dawnguard
*DLC: Dragonborn
*DLC: HearthFires
*Creation Club: ccbgssse003-zombies
*Creation Club: ccbgssse011-hrsarmrelvn
*Creation Club: ccbgssse012-hrsarmrstl
*Creation Club: ccbgssse057-ba_stalhrim
*Creation Club: ccbgssse058-ba_steel
*Creation Club: ccbgssse060-ba_dragonscale
*Creation Club: ccedhsse001-norjewel
*Creation Club: ccedhsse002-splkntset
*Creation Club: ccedhsse003-redguard
*Creation Club: cceejsse005-cave
*Creation Club: ccvsvsse003-necroarts
*Creation Club: ccvsvsse004-beafarmer
submitted by dandinonillion to skyrimmods [link] [comments]
Modlist:
# This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.
+Overwrites
+Northern Roads - Patches Compendium
+Northern Roads Patch Collection
+Northern Roads
+Books of Skyrim SE - Redux
+Better Khajiit female body Texture for UNP and CBBE body
+Minotaurs - Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''oblivion'')
+Better Pelts and Hides
+Ryn's Dragon Mounds Collection
+KS Hairdos - HDT SMP (Physics) - Khajiit Patch
+KS Hairdos - HDT SMP (Physics)
+ADXP I MCO ER Twinblades (SCAR Precision)
+Lore Weapon Expansion SE
+Nicos Twinblades SE
+Twinblades of Skyrim
+The Forgotten City
+Dragon.Priest.by.Kajuan
+Elden Parry
+ECPLW -ENB Complex Particle Lights for Windows-
+Bellyaches HD Dragon Replacer Pack (SE)
+Another Race Menu Rotation Mod
+Ryn's Azura's Shrine
+Skyland Noble Furniture
+Khajiit Has Wares - A Caravan Camp Overhaul
+Seasoned Traveller Armor SE-AE
+Animated Potions
+Mythic Dawn armor SE
+Inquisitor HDT-SMP Armor
+Dual Casting Fix
+Traveling Mage HDT-SMP Armor
+NPCs React To Necromancy (And More)
+JS Dwemer Control Cube SE
+Vampire Lines Expansion
+Open Animation Replacer
+Cinematic Dragon Soul Absorbtion
+Dawnguard Armors and Weapons Retexture SE
+Conditional Expressions Extended
+Toggleable Night Eye Vampire Werewolf and Khajiit
+Emerald Khajiit Vampire Eyes
+Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor SE
+Frankly HD Dragonbone and Dragonscale - Armor and Weapons
+NPCs React To Invisibility
+Weathered Furniture - Common and Upper Class - 4K - 2K (LE Backport)
+Prince and The Pauper Refine
+JS Purses and Septims SE
+JS Knapsacks SE
+Asura's Guard
+League of Assassins - Dark Brotherhood Retexture
+League of Assassins Armor
+Base Object Swapper
+Improved Alternate Conversation Camera
+Face Masks of Skyrim
+OBIS SE Patrols Addon
+OBIS SE - Organized Bandits In Skyrim Special Edition
+Immersive Patrols SE AE
+LeanWolf's Better-Shaped Weapons - All in One Installer
+Frankly HD Imperial Armor And Weapons - Sleeves and Pants Edition
+Frankly HD Imperial Armor and Weapons
+RS Children Patch Compendium
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Normal and Power Attacks
+Patch for RS Children Overhaul
+Vitruvia - skin texture overhaul for males - SE
+JS Instruments of Skyrim SE
+JS Common Cages SE
+JS Attunement Sphere and Lexicons SE
+Immersive folded hands (DAR)
+JS Shrines of the Divines SE
+Masculine Khajiit Textures (Grey Cat and Leopard) [Vanilla]
+Prince and the Pauper SE - RS Children Patch
+RS Children Overhaul
+Misc. College of Winterhold Tweaks
+Obscure's College of Winterhold
+College of Winterhold The Missing Apprentices Quest Fix
+College of Winterhold - Quest Expansion - markers
+College of Winterhold - Quest Expansion
+Vanilla SMP Clothing waccf ace patch
+Prisioner robes fix
+Better Fur - fine patch
+Vanilla SMP Clothing
+CACO Ordinator Alternate Patch
+Vanilla Cow Tweaks- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Heart of the Beast - Werewolf Sound - Remastered - SSE PORT
+Daedroth Titans- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''oblivion daedra'')
+Wraith-of-Crows - Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''nocturnal'')
+Savage Wolves
+More Hircinic Aspects of Hircine- Mihail's Shards of Immersion (SE-AE version)
+Lustmord Vampire Armor - SSE CBBE BodySlide (with Physics)
+Kellan HDT-SMP Armor
+Frost Giant Overhaul- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version) (''karstaag'')
+Cow Replacer- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Birds of Prey and Felsaad Terns- Mihail Monsters and Animals (SE-AE version)
+Apocrypha's Currency- Mihail's Shards of Immersion (SE-AE version) (''coin'')
+Glorious Doors of Skyrim (GDOS)
+Security Overhaul SKSE - Lock Variations
+Frankly HD Thieves Guild Armors
+Giant.by.Kajuan
+Fur Bedroll 2-4k
+Draugr.by.Kajuan
+Troll.by.Kajuan
+Skeleton.and.Human.Bones.by.Kajuan
+Edmond's HD Nordic Snow with Parallax
+Nordic Snow
+Hedge Mage Armor SSE
+Craftable Blood Potions SSE
+Illustrious Whiterun - Alt Stonefloor 4K 2.0
+Leviathan Animations II - Greatsword Non Combat Locomotion
+Leviathan Animations II - Greatsword Low Stance
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak idle walk and run
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Thrust Attacks
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Strike Attacks
+Leviathan Animations - Two-Handed High Stance
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Sneak Thrusts
+Vanargand Animations - Dual Wield Sneak Strikes
+Vanargand Animations - Female Idle Walk and Run
+Vanargand Animations - Male Idle Walk and Run
+Goetia Animations - Female Idle Walk And Run
+Goetia Animations - Male Idle Walk And Run
+Leviathan Animations II - Female Idle Walk And Run
+Leviathan Animations II - Male Idle Walk And Run
+Conditional Armor Type Animations
+Leather Armors Retexture SE
+Fashions of The Huntsmen- A Leather Armor variation mod (Armor Pack- CBBE-3BA and HIMBO)
+Mysticism - Ordinator Patch
+Mysticism - A Magic Overhaul
+Lux - Illustrious Whiterun - Parallax'd
+Illustrious Whiterun SE - 8K - Parallax
+Teldryn Serious Patch
+DX Necromancer Robes - HDT-SMP Physics and 3BBB Bodyslides
+The Caller - DX Necromancer Robes
+3D Whiterun Trellis
+Immersive Equipment Displays
+HDT-SMP Traveler's Backpack - My Version
+HDT-SMP Traveler's Backpack
+Simple Dual Sheath
+Weapon Keyword Unification Project
+Keyword Item Distributor
+Nightingale Armor and Weapons Retexture SE
+Skaal Coat Alternative Texture
+Hearthfires Extended and Creation Club Fishing Patch
+Spell Research Add-On - Book Transformation Spell
+Terrain Fixes for CC Mods
+Necromancers Amulet Replacement
+Immersive Spell Learning
+Wintersun patch
+Spell Research - Ultimate Add-On Patch
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research - Tweaks
+Spell Research - Convenience Add-On
+Spell Research - Spell Composing
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research 1
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research-Apocalypse
+Altered Spell Tomes for Spell Research
+Spell Research Patch Compendium Redux 357 patches
+Origins Of Forest - Lakeview Manor Patch
+Technicolor Alchemy - CACO - More Growable Plants Patch
+Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul (CACO) and More Growable Plants SE compatibility patch
+SIC SE - Add-Ons and Patches
+CACO - Beyond Skyrim Bruma Patch
+Spell Research - Experience Book
+Spell Research
+kryptopyr's Patch Hub
+Bloodchill Manor (CC) __ CACO
+Cutting Room Floor __ CACO
+Opulent Thieves Guild - FPS Fix
+Opulent Thieves Guild - Sneak Tools compatibility patch
+Quaint Raven Rock - Ghosts of the Tribunal Patch
+More Growable Plants SE
+Cathedral - 3D Solstheim Grass
+SmoothCam - Octavian's Preset
+Pets of Skyrim - JK's Skyrim Compatibility Patch
+SmoothCam - Soft Preset
+WACCF Sneak Tools Patch
+Sneak Tools Embers XD Patch
+Sneak Tools SE Edition
+Wayfarer's Coat CBBE
+Wayfarer's Coat
+Sleeping Expanded - Animations and NPC reactions
+Archmage Apparel
+Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement
+Hunting in Skyrim - A Hunting Guild SE
+Diverse Werewolves Collection SE Player
+Diverse Werewolves Collection SE
+Werebeast GrowlVanilla Spruce-up
+Unleashed Sacrosanct and Growl Racial Abilities SE - (Werewolf and Vampire racial abilities for custom races)
+Growl and Sacrosanct Hybrid
+Gender-specific Werewolf Transformation Sounds (Vampire Lords optional)
+Elden Counter
+Wildcat - Combat of Skyrim
+Set of Skills
+ADXP I MCO ER rapiers (SCAR)
+ADXP I MCO ER Katana (SCAR)
+Realistic Halberd Poleaxe Animation(MCO SCAR)
+Goetia Animations - Enchanted Staves
+Favorite Misc Items
+Simple Outfit Manager
+Hunting Grounds Outfit
+SIRENROOT - Patch 1.04
+SIRENROOT - Deluge of Deceit
+ADXP I MCO ER Spear Basic Animation (SCAR)
+Skyrim Spear Mechanic SE
+Cathedral - 3D Rocky Shores
+FurArmorSetSE(FrostFall Aware) ordinator
+High Poly Gleamblossoms
+Goetia Animations - Conditional Shouts
+HD Baskets Textures
+SCAR AE Support
+Trade and Barter - Patches
+Circlet USSEP Fixes
+Wintersun - Creatures
+Skyrim Immersive Creatures Special Edition
+Sunhelm Survival Patch for Hearthfire Extended
+Forsworn Dreadlocks for Beast Races
+Guild Leader Perks
+Hearthfire Carriage Destinations
+Hearthfire Improvements - A Lightweight Extension
+Better Dynamic Ash SE
+Hearthfire Shrines Expanded
+College Prestige Mage Outfit SE
+DX Necromancer Robes - SSE CBBE BodySlide
+DX Necromancer Robes - UNP
+Better Treasury House
+Illuminated Blue Palace Dome
+ENB Particle Lights - Dwemer Lanterns
+Unique Solstheim Grass
+Better beast race scars
+Reach Tree Replacer SSE
+Better fur - Fine clothes
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma Upscaled Textures (BSBUT) Armour
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma Upscaled Textures (BSBUT)
+Thundering Shouts
+Nibenean Armors and Outfit SE - UNP - UNPB - CBBE
+Technicolor Alchemy Overhaul - Unique Alchemy Plants for Skyrim SE
+Forsworn Fashions- More Variety for forsworn (Armor Pack- BHUNP CBBE 3BA and HIMBO)
+Wilderness Witch Outfit CBBE
+Wilderness Witch Outfit
+Unique Flowers and Plants SSE
+Imperial Fine Clothes
+Conditional Expressions - Subtle Face Animations
+Immersive Interactions - Animated Actions
+FurArmorSetSE - CBBE Bodyslide Conversion
+FurArmorSetSE - Muted Color Retexture
+FurArmorSetSE(FrostFall Aware)
+Cathedral - 3D Snow Berries
+3D Plants Patch - Snowberries
+Saints and Seducers Flora ENB Light
+(DISCONTINUED) CBBE Armour and Clothing Conversions for Beyond Skyrim - Bruma
+Rare Curios - BS Bruma Synergy Patch
+Cathedral - Armory - Gemling Queen Jewelry Patch
+2K Ring of Namira Retextured
+White Phial Replacer SE
+Stalhrim Source
+Bandit Lines Expansion
+2k Retextured Ring Of hircine
+Solstheim Lighthouse
+Wyrmstooth Upscaled Textures
+Missives - The Witcher Board HD
+Sovngarde HD
+Missives - Notes Retexture
+HD Sleeping Tree Sap Replacer
+HQ Tree Bark
+Arri's Snow Elf Ruins Retexture Special Edition
+VioLens - A Killmove Mod SE
+Cathedral 3D Mountain Flowers for Hearthfire
+Lux Via - Cathedral Mountain Flowers
+Hitting the Books - A Necromantic Grimoire Update
+Simple Bath for Bloodchill Manor
+Conditional Dog Barking (DAR)
+Werewolf Animation and Sneak Extension (DAR)
+Kaidan Lux
+Kaidan Inigo
+Kaidan 3dnpc
+Axarien's Animations - Lucien (DAR)
+Axarien's Animations - The Companions - Vilkas Farkas Aela (DAR)
+Axarien's Animations - Inigo (DAR)
+Skyrim Wayshrines - Immersive Fast Travel - SWIFT SE
+SUEMR SSE with Bijin AIO 2019 Support
+Black_Sacrament_Armor_V4-1_High Def_PortedSSE
+Immersive Sounds Compendium - PATCHES
+Enhanced Blood Textures
+Hunterborn SE MCM
+I'm Glad You're Here - a follower and spouse appreciation mod - SSE - Bard patch
+Skyrim's Got Talent - Improve As a Bard
+Immersive Vampire Clutter - Base Object Swapper (BOS)
+Moss Shaders Restored - Cut Content Restoration
+Missives
+Realistic Skooma
+Daedric Shrines - All in One
+8K Night Skies - Stars and Galaxies - Cathedral Concept
+Breezehome by Lupus - Lux - Embers XD - Patch
+Breezehome by Lupus
+Simple Breezehome Garden
+I'm Glad You're Here - a follower and spouse appreciation mod - SSE
+Quest Outfit Replacers - Party and Radiant Raiment Fine Clothes
+Ordinator - Slower Leveling Speed and Increased Training Costs
+Growl - Werebeasts of Skyrim
+BA Bard Songs
+Colovian Leather Armor and Outfit SE - UNP - CBBE - Update
+Colovian Leather Armor and Outfit SE - UNP - CBBE
+Auto Input Switch
+Vampire Sun Damage Clothes Covering
+All Thieves Guild Jobs Concurrently
+Arena - An Encounter Zone Overhaul
+Immersive Load Screens for ArteFakes
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer animation
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer plugin
+ArteFakes - Unique Artifacts Replacer
+JK's Interiors Patch Collection
+Better Third Person Selection - BTPS
+Queen of the Damned - Deadlier Serana_SE
+Serana Dialogue Edit - Skyrim Special Edition
+Anima Nera - SerketHetyt's Serana Overhaul
+Respectable Inventory -- Well-Stocked Alchemists
+Character Creation Overhaul - Races - Birthsigns - Classes - Skills - Specializations - Attributes - update
+Character Creation Overhaul - Races - Birthsigns - Classes - Skills - Specializations - Attributes
+Smart NPC Potions - Enemies Use Potions and Poisons
+RUSTIC AMULETS - Special Edition
+Wintersun - More Patches
+Precision
+Crimson Nirnroot Markers
+Bandolier - Bags and Pouches for NPC
+Bandolier - Bags and Pouches Classic
+Book Covers Skyrim
+Trade and Barter
+Tribunal Robes and Masks for SSE
+Volkihar Knight - Vampire Armor
+Sovngarde - A Nordic Font
+Triumvirate - Mage Archetypes
+The Midden - Expanded
+Stones of Barenziah Quest Markers
+Take a Seat - New DAR Sitting Animations
+Rudy HQ - Miscellaneous SE
+The Beauty of Skyrim - Caves and Mines
+Quaint Raven Rock Patch Collection
+Quaint Raven Rock - SE
+Ordinator - No Timed Block
+Valhalla Combat
+Skyshards
+Sacrosanct - Vampires of Skyrim
+Run For Your Lives
+Prince and the Pauper SE
+Gemling Queen Jewelry SE
+Khajiit Will Follow - Fix
+Khajiit Will Follow
+Coats for Skyrim - UPDATED - SSE
+Bruma Signs SMIM patch - SE
+Wait Your Turn - Enemy Circling Behaviour
+Wealthy Marks - A Pickpocket Mod (SPID)
+Thieves Guild Dialogue Fix - USSEP Compatible
+Wear Multiple Rings
+Point The Way
+High Level Enemies
+Dirt and Blood - Dynamic Visual Effects
+Follower Trap Safety
+Immersive Khajiit Armor and Weapons - Rebalance and Integration
+Lunar Guard Armor
+VickusDickus' Khajiiti Apex Armory - skeleton
+VickusDickus' Khajiiti Apex Armory
+Payload Interpreter
+SmoothCam
+Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim - Ordinator
+Apocalypse Spells For NPCS
+Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim
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+Goetia Animations - Sneak Magic
+Goetia Animations - Magic Spell Casting
+EVG Conditional Idles
+Gesture Animation Remix (DAR)
+Animated Armoury - DAR Version - New Weapons with animations
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+Vanargand Animations - One Handed Normal Attacks
+Vanargand Animations - Sneak Archery
+Lively Children Animations (DAR)
+NPC Animation Remix (DAR)
+Animation Motion Revolution
+MCO Universal Support
+Attack MCO-DXP
+The Companions - Earn your stripes
+Pickpocketing 5Ever
+Awesome Potions Simplified -ENB Lights
+Awesome Potions Simplified by Revoith
+Dawnguard as a vampire
+Improved Companions - Questline Tweaks
+Medieval Spirits
+Gildergreen Regrown
+Hearthfire Extended - Cutting Room Floor Patch
+Hearthfire Extended
+Coin Purse - An Overhaul For Skyrim
+Summermyst - WACCF Patch
+Summermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim
+Saints and Seducers - Growable Plants
+Opulent Thieves Guild Patch Collection
+Skyrims Unique Treasures
+True Directional Movement - Modernized Third Person Gameplay
+XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended
+Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim
+Dragon Claws Auto-Unlock
+Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine
+Lind's Black Robes Revamp - Texture Replacer
+Moon Monk's Robes
+Skyforge Weapons - Reforged
+Inigo - Bloodchill Manor patch
+Cult of the World Eater - Dragon Priests Buff Alduin
+Deadly Dragons
+SCAR - Skyrim Combos AI Revolution
+RUSTIC SOULGEMS - Special Edition
+Face Discoloration Fix
+Miscellaneous Embers XD Patches
+Vanilla hair remake SMP compatibility
+Vanilla hair remake SMP
+BeastHHBB - VHR SMP
+ShowRaceMenu Alternative - Lux patch
+ShowRaceMenu Alternative
+Tempered Skins for Females CBBE
+Vanilla hair remake SMP NPCs (real hair)
+Superior Lore-Friendly Hair - HD textures
+VHR - Vanilla Hair Replacer
+Barbarian Bodypaints - Racemenu Body and Head Overlays for UUNP CBBE and Males
+Beards of Power - Sons of Skyrim - Vanilla Hair Remake SMP
+Beards of Power - Sons of Skyrim
+Normal Vampire Face For High Poly Head
+Whiter Teeth for ALL (SE)- Orc Khajiit Argonian Werewolf
+BeastHHBB - Khajiit and Argonian content - player character and NPC replacer addon
+BeastHHBB - Khajiit and Argonian content - player character and NPC replacer
+Khajiit Aesthetics Compilation - Hair Eyes Fangs
+Better Beast vampire fangs - fixes and adjustments - Argonian and Khajiit
+Kala's Eyes- Beast Race Edition Khajiit Argonian
+The Witcher 3 Eyes SE
+Vanilla Warpaints Absolution
+Apachii Sky Hair SSE
+CoverKhajiits - Face Textures 4K SE
+Pretty Khajiit SE
+The Eyes Of Beauty SSE
+Total Character Makeover
+Weathered Nordic Bodypaints -Special Edition- RaceMenu Overlays and Warpaints
+Beast Race Bodypaints SE -Khajiit and Argonian Themed Bodypaints Facepaints RaceMenu Overlays-
+Community Overlays 2 (31-50) Bodypaints Warpaints Tattoos and more made for the Community (Special Edition)
+High Poly Head SE
+BodySlide and Outfit Studio
+Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Enhancer -CBBE-
+Xelzaz' Telvanni Spellsword Armor Enhanced
+Xelzaz - Custom Fully Voiced Argonian Telvanni Follower - Wyrmstooth
+Xelzaz - Custom Fully Voiced Argonian Telvanni Follower
+Lux Via Wyrmstooth
+Remiel-Custom Voiced Dwemer Specialist and Companion
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Bruma
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Curios
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - S+Zombies
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower - Saints
+Lucien - Immersive Fully Voiced Male Follower
+Daughter of Valenwood - An Auri Replacer
+Song of the Green (Auri Follower) - Inidog
+Song of the Green 3dnpc
+Song of the Green Auri
+INIGO
+Kaidan 2 Weapons Revamped - Katana Bow and Quiver with Arrows
+BWB-Kaidan-2-Armor-Revamped-Dragon
+BWB Kaidan
+Kaidan 2
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - Rumarin Solstheim
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - Cutting Room Floor
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC) - AI Overhaul
+Interesting NPCs SE (3DNPC)
+Opulent Thieves Guild
+Ordinator for Spell Perk Item Distributor
+JK's Skyrim - Thunderchild patch
+Thunderchild - Epic Shouts and Immersion
+JKs Skyrim - AI Overhaul SSE Patch
+JK's Skyrim
+Lanterns Of Skyrim II
+Real 3D Walls
+Solstheim landscape and furniture
+Rudy HQ - Nordic Ruins SE
+-Skyrim 202X 9.0 - Architecture
+-Skyrim 202X 9.0.1 - Other
+Skyrim 202X 9.0 - Landscape
+Skyrim 202X by Pfuscher - Formerly 2020
+Books of Skyrim SE
+Colovian Noble Clothes
+RUGNAROK - Special Edition
+PELTAPALOOZA - Special Edition
+Dark Brotherhood Robes Replaced
+Dark Brotherhood Enchantments Improved
+4thUnknown - Ancient Shrouded Armor Replacer
+Dark Brotherhood Armor SE
+Cathedral - Armory update
+Cathedral - Armory
+aMidianBorn Book of Silence SE
+Fashions Of The Banditry- A bandit-focused Armor Pack (BHUNP-CBBE-3BA-HIMBO) CBBE
+Fashions Of The Banditry- A bandit-focused Armor Pack (BHUNP-CBBE-3BA-HIMBO)
+Artesian Cloaks of Skyrim
+Cloaks of Skyrim HD SSE
+Winter Is Coming SSE - Cloaks Patch
+Cloaks of Skyrim SSE
+Vampire Royal Armor Replacer HDT-SMP Cape
+HDT-SMP for Cloaks and Capes
+Winter Is Coming SSE - Cloaks
+Faster HDT-SMP
+Nightingale Hall Restored - Karliah As A Follower
+Black Mage Armor SE
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic SSE (Revised ESP Only) - WACCF
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic SSE (Revised ESP Only)
+Mage Outfit Texture Overhaul - Schools of Magic
+RUSTIC FURNITURE - SPECIAL EDITION
+Hunterborn Ordinator Bone Arrow patch
+Hunterborn
+Campfire Patch for Water-Borne Diseases for SunHelm
+SunHelm Survival - Compatibility Patches
+Skills of the Wild - New Campfire Survival Skill Trees
+SunHelm - Creation Club Farming Patch
+Water-Borne Diseases for SunHelm
+SunHelm Survival
+Warm Drinks SSE - Simple Tea And Coffee Recipes - for Campfire
+Campfire - Complete Camping System (Supports Skyrim VR)
+Ordinator - Rat king - Other Creatures
+Ordinator Beyond Skyrim Patch
+Ordinator - Perks of Skyrim
+Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - CACO Patch
+Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul
+Wyrmstooth
+At Your Own Pace - Main Quest
+At Your Own Pace - Thane Overhaul
+Defeat the Dragon Cult
+Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes - CBBE Patch
+Player Blink Fix
+Teldryn Serious - A Teldryn Sero Backstory Quest SSE
+Immersive College NPCs - No Saarthal (Compatibility for Ryn's Saarthal)
+Immersive College NPCs
+Ryn's Ustengrav
+Ryn's Saarthal
+The Brotherhood of Old - Dark Brotherhood Continued
+Ryn's Bleak Falls Barrow
+Magical Blackreach
+JK's Silver-Blood Inn
+JK's The Bannered Mare
+JK's The Winking Skeever
+JK's Warmaiden's
+JK's The Drunken Huntsman
+JK's Sleeping Giant Inn
+JK's Radiant Raiment
+JK's Arcadia's Cauldron
+JK's Belethor's General Goods
+JK's Dragonsreach
+JK's Angeline's Aromatics
+JK's Bits and Pieces
+JK's Blue Palace
+JK's Candlehearth Hall
+JK's Elgrim's Elixirs
+JK's White Phial
+JK's Mistveil Keep
+JK's New Gnisis Cornerclub
+JK's Sadri's Used Wares
+JK's Palace of the Kings
+JK's The Temple of Mara
+JK's The Pawned Prawn
+JK's The Bee and Barb
+JK's Arnleif and Sons Trading Company
+JK's The Hag's Cure
+JK's Understone Keep
+JK's Jorrvaskr
+JK's Riverwood Trader
+JK's Temple of the Divines
+JK's Temple of Talos
+JK's Temple of Kynareth
+JK's Temple of Dibella
+JK's Haelga's Bunkhouse
+JK's High Hrothgar
+JK's Castle Dour
+JK's Septimus Signus's Outpost
+JK's The Bards College
+DLC Content
+Realistic Conversations
+Relationship Dialogue Overhaul - RDO SE
+AI Overhaul SSE
+Cutting Room Floor - SSE
+Fuz Ro D-oh - Silent Voice
+Unlimited Bookshelves
+Practical Patches-Replacers for Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Nightshade
+Waterplants
+3D Plants Patch - Tundra Cotton
+3D Plants Patch - Lavender
+3D Plants Patch - Nirnroot by Mari and Rudy's Light
+Practical Patches-Replacers for Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Mountain Flowers
+3D Plants Patch - Deathbell with Rudy's Purple Light
+Cathedral - 3D Clover Plant
+Cathedral - 3D Thicket and Dead Shrub
+Cathedral - 3D Grass Library
+Cathedral - 3D Thistle
+Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers
+Cathedral - 3D Tundra Cotton
+Cathedral - 3D Deathbell ENB
+Cathedral - 3D Deathbell
+Cathedral - Mushrooms
+Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass
+Immersive Sounds - Compendium
+Lux
+Lux Via
+Embers XD
+Wet and Cold SE - Cathedral Weathers Patch
+Wet and Cold SE
+Rudy ENB Cathedral Weathers ADDONS and REQUiRED Files
+Cathedral Weathers and Seasons
+Whiterun Objects SMIMed (and fixes too)
+Armor and Clothing Extension
+Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes
+RUSTIC CLOTHING - Special Edition
+Guard Dialogue Overhaul SE
+Obsidian Mountain Fogs
+Water for ENB
+ENB Light Inventory Fix (ELIF)
+Bright Snow Fix for ENB
+Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB
+ENB Helper SE
+ENB Light
+Less Distracting Blowing Snow Effects for ENB Particle Patch
+Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS)
+Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods
+No Grass In Objects
+Static Mesh improvement Mod - SMIM - Quality Addon
+Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants
+Cathedral - Plants
+Landscapes - Cathedral Concept
+Static Mesh Improvement Mod
+Mfg Fix
+NORDIC UI - Miscellaneous Patches
+Nordic UI Active Effects for SkyUI SE
+SkyUI Weapons Pack SE
+Expanded Dawnguard Map Markers
+NORDIC UI - Interface Overhaul
+Experience
+iHUD and True HUD Patch
+TrueHUD - HUD Additions
+Immersive HUD - iHUD Special Edition
+SkyHUD
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma DLC
+Beyond Skyrim - Bruma
+Beyond Skyrim - Assets
+A Clear Map of Skyrim and Other Worlds
+RaceMenu
+Lore-Based Loading Screens
+Survival Control Panel
+SkyUI
+Scrambled Bugs
+JContainers SE
+DynDOLOD Resources SE
+Particle Patch for ENB
+Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
+Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes
+Unofficial High Definition Audio Project
+Spell Perk Item Distributor
+Sound Record Distributor
+MCM Helper
+powerofthree's Papyrus Extender
+powerofthree's Tweaks
+.NET Script Framework
+Unique Map Weather
+SSE Display Tweaks
+SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin)
+Scaleform Translation Plus Plus NG
+PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions
+Papyrus Tweaks NG
+Crash Logger SSE AE VR - PDB support
+Address Library for SKSE Plugins
+xEdit Output
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE037-Curios
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE001-Fish
*Creation Club: ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS
*Creation Club: ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode
*DLC: Dawnguard
*DLC: Dragonborn
*DLC: HearthFires
*Creation Club: ccbgssse003-zombies
*Creation Club: ccbgssse011-hrsarmrelvn
*Creation Club: ccbgssse012-hrsarmrstl
*Creation Club: ccbgssse057-ba_stalhrim
*Creation Club: ccbgssse058-ba_steel
*Creation Club: ccbgssse060-ba_dragonscale
*Creation Club: ccedhsse001-norjewel
*Creation Club: ccedhsse002-splkntset
*Creation Club: ccedhsse003-redguard
*Creation Club: cceejsse005-cave
*Creation Club: ccvsvsse003-necroarts
*Creation Club: ccvsvsse004-beafarmer
2023.06.04 05:05 rachillestt How to make an outside cat happy inside?
About a year ago, we adopted two cats, littermates, both torties. They were barn cats when we got them, and one (her name is Link) really really wanted to come indoors. The other (her name is Ash) just really liked people and was desperate for attention, but didn’t want to come inside that much. When we took them both in they were honestly fine and very happy.
Now, a year later (and now that it’s warm again), Link is still happy indoors, but Ash is desperate to go back outdoors. She’s been meowing nonstop going back and forth to the window and the door asking to go outside 24/7, she doesn’t play with us anymore, she hardly snuggles like she used to, and she just never seems satisfied. We take her out on walks with a harness, she has plenty of cat furniture, we try to feed her with interactive toys (that she used to love), and we try to play with her every day, but we’ve hit a dead end and I’m feeling extremely guilty for bringing her indoors.
Letting her go outside alone isn’t an option. Is there anything else we should be trying?
submitted by rachillestt to CatAdvice [link] [comments]
Now, a year later (and now that it’s warm again), Link is still happy indoors, but Ash is desperate to go back outdoors. She’s been meowing nonstop going back and forth to the window and the door asking to go outside 24/7, she doesn’t play with us anymore, she hardly snuggles like she used to, and she just never seems satisfied. We take her out on walks with a harness, she has plenty of cat furniture, we try to feed her with interactive toys (that she used to love), and we try to play with her every day, but we’ve hit a dead end and I’m feeling extremely guilty for bringing her indoors.
Letting her go outside alone isn’t an option. Is there anything else we should be trying?
2023.06.04 04:44 Clarity_Catalyst My (23F) boyfriend (26M) doesn’t want to go dancing
My boyfriend, Craig, and I have a pretty great relationship for the most part. We are loving and supportive with one another. Some issues have come and gone but overall we’ve had a stable relationship. What’s missing, at times, is excitement. Craig works a 40 hour week and I work about 20-25. We don’t have kids or pets. I am energetic and love doing things. I tend to fill my days with new experiences and activity because I’m a busy body. Craig works hard when he goes to work then he wants as much time as he can get to relax. He does not fill his days with plans. We’ve been talking a lot about this lately. I really want him to take me out more. I want to go dancing and out to romantic dinners. He doesn’t like dressing up or dancing. He went swing dancing with me once but it was a struggle to get him out the door and I could hardly enjoy myself because I knew he didn’t want to be there. I was so exhausted by the process of encouraging him to go. Tonight there is a local barn dance that I want him to go to and he said he would go. We’re and hour out and he’s getting irritable and says he doesn’t have the patience to go. This makes me anxious and sad. It makes me not want to go because I feel like we’re going to have a shit night. I could go out with a friend instead but I’m just so bummed that he won’t even come try it out with me. There are some things that we do together. We go hiking, out for drives, and watch tv shows and movies. When we do go out it’s casual, not like a fun date where we dress up then go out or something. It just feels like there’s something missing. It’s the romance and intensity of trying new things, getting all dressed up and appreciating each other. It’s him putting in the work to make me feel special and to show me new things. I feel like I have to push for these kinds of things. I keep hoping he’ll try these things out with me but maybe he’ll just never be willing. Perhaps there is something else we can do so I can get the same satisfaction. Any advice?
Tldr: I feel like my boyfriend doesn’t much care for romantic dates. It’s very disappointing for me and I’m not sure if it’s something we can work on or if that’s just how he is. I’m particularly bummed that he won’t try dancing with me.
submitted by Clarity_Catalyst to relationships [link] [comments]
Tldr: I feel like my boyfriend doesn’t much care for romantic dates. It’s very disappointing for me and I’m not sure if it’s something we can work on or if that’s just how he is. I’m particularly bummed that he won’t try dancing with me.
2023.06.04 04:35 Hulowski Neo Angle Shower Leaks
Hey guys,
I had my downstairs bathroom renovated about 6 months ago now. It was a family friend and my dad who did the plumbing and shower install.
I barely used the shower until 3 months ago. After using it about 20 times, it started forming a water leak. It was making its way to the outside of the shower at the bottom corner near the one wall. The water was coming out the bottom of the baseboard.
After much fucking around, I finally found the source of the leak was from the seal where the glass slides into the bottom channel (Picture attached with the area circled). Upon pouring water in that one location, it would instantly pour out by the baseboard. I figure water is getting into that channel, making its way to the wall, then coming out. I cleaned the area up and let it dry before applying a silicone bead where that channel is. That worked for 2 weeks... now it's leaking again (Coincidently, right after I replaced the damaged baseboard). I cant see any tears in the silicone I had already applied, but pouring water in that area again, causing it to leak out the bottom of the baseboard!
I was thinking about taking the shower frame right out to remove the glass. Clean everything up really well, then apply silicone in the glass channel before re-installing the glass, and also resiliconing every crack and crevis on the damn thing to be safe.
What are your thoughts on this? I'm getting really frustrated with this shower, and want to make sure this is the last time I need to deal with it! Its a Maxx 36" Neo Angle shower with the two sliding doors.
Thank you!
https://imgur.com/ec3o01o
https://imgur.com/7V7cIiP
submitted by Hulowski to HomeImprovement [link] [comments]
I had my downstairs bathroom renovated about 6 months ago now. It was a family friend and my dad who did the plumbing and shower install.
I barely used the shower until 3 months ago. After using it about 20 times, it started forming a water leak. It was making its way to the outside of the shower at the bottom corner near the one wall. The water was coming out the bottom of the baseboard.
After much fucking around, I finally found the source of the leak was from the seal where the glass slides into the bottom channel (Picture attached with the area circled). Upon pouring water in that one location, it would instantly pour out by the baseboard. I figure water is getting into that channel, making its way to the wall, then coming out. I cleaned the area up and let it dry before applying a silicone bead where that channel is. That worked for 2 weeks... now it's leaking again (Coincidently, right after I replaced the damaged baseboard). I cant see any tears in the silicone I had already applied, but pouring water in that area again, causing it to leak out the bottom of the baseboard!
I was thinking about taking the shower frame right out to remove the glass. Clean everything up really well, then apply silicone in the glass channel before re-installing the glass, and also resiliconing every crack and crevis on the damn thing to be safe.
What are your thoughts on this? I'm getting really frustrated with this shower, and want to make sure this is the last time I need to deal with it! Its a Maxx 36" Neo Angle shower with the two sliding doors.
Thank you!
https://imgur.com/ec3o01o
https://imgur.com/7V7cIiP
2023.06.04 04:26 Awkward_Wishbone1745 Got Lucky Today
 | 2008 54,000 miles Exterior is an 8/10 with a little surface rust under the paint above the wheel wells. Interior is mint. Everything works like new. submitted by Awkward_Wishbone1745 to DodgeDakota [link] [comments] |
2023.06.04 04:22 hannahbannahboat Dream Story Time!
I've never done this before but I wanted to share. I'm behind with the podcast, but from "Wade's Questions" episode of them talking about the horror topic and mentioned about the parents not being them. It reminded me of one of my unforgettable dreams. When I was in middle school I had such a visual dream that I still recall to this day with some detail. It started with me in the second living room towards the back of the house with a knife in my hand for self defense, for it was the day that "they" were coming. Don't know who but they are very smart, clever and deceving. I then went to my brothers room and they were packing and talking about a plan of leaving. During my time with my brothers it happened so fast and in such a blur I ended up in the kitchen thinking I needed more knifes and that I needed to get going before they came. I started looking for my mom and dad by going around the corner to the main living room towards the front of the house. I saw them both sitting on a couch as calm as could be. Mom sitting with her legs crossed and dad reading the news paper. Wondering why they are not getting ready and why the blinds are open. They both looked at me with the creepy calm and happy look and asked if I was ok and then for me to come join them. Then I felt as if I was falling into a trance of wanting to come over to them for my parents to comfort me. But a glitch of some sort happened and I saw their true self for a second. It was one of the "they". I don't really know what they looked like but it had to do with the sense of the designs from the movie "Aliens". I think I felt more of their presence and that was terrifying enough. So I jumped back in disbelief and panic saying "your not my parents" while they slowly started reshaping to their true froms while walking towards me. I bolted into my parents room right next to the livinging room. Locked the door and shoved the dresser's Infront of the door. Backing away from the door panicking for the next logical move I heard them mocking my parents voices to lure me out. Soon They were getting frustrated to where I stared to hear their true voices of a deep raspy yet high pitch voice. Then could hear them all around the outside of the house, especially behind the blinds on the glass sliding door leading to the pool of their claws scratching against the glass. A chill went up my spine. I ran to the bathroom within the room, locked the door and saw out the tiny window of my whole neighborhood flooded with the creatures. Once I had that realization of how many there were. They have already came hovering over me and then I woke up. It felt so real and so creepy. I will never forget this dream. I havent watched any scary movies before hand of the dream that I can recall for I'm a big baby. But I will never forget the fear I felt of them mocking my parents voices and pretending to be them.
submitted by hannahbannahboat to distractible [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 04:21 Wild_Ad8879 ISO a right side driver, door handle. Preferably black.
Exterior door handle. The plastic spring holder gave out. 🙄
submitted by Wild_Ad8879 to 350z [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 04:14 A2Cerakote JK hinge replacement progress report
 | Didn’t get to work on the Jeep until 6pm so I didn’t get as much done as I was hoping to but still made progress. The local hardware store didn’t have enough 8mm-1.25x25 bolts for the body side hinges so I ended up ordering some that will be here tomorrow. But while I was waiting on those I got the mount pads on the front doors cleaned up, sanded, and primed with rust converting paint to get things nice and sealed up to prevent future corrosion. I had to chip away large pieces of corroded aluminum that stuck to the door from the old hinges. See pics for satisfying before and afters. After the primer was dry I loosely mounted the new door side hinges to get an idea of how they are going to look. Hope to have the front doors mounted tomorrow morning finally. Backs will be tomorrow evening or possibly Monday evening depending on how things go. submitted by A2Cerakote to Wrangler [link] [comments] |
2023.06.04 04:00 Kazevenikov Cryptid Chronicle - Chapter 31
Thanks and Credits in the Comments Section due to LONG chapter.
Chapter 31: A Whale of a Tale and it’s All True
“IT’S FUCKING J-POD!”
Kalai watched in shock and awe as the two humans collectively lost their minds, hopping up and down and letting loose a series of high pitched vocalizing as she, Papa, and Mama Sakalbi stared in confusion at the two ecstatic aliens.
Andy turned and ran back to where Kalai and her parents were still staring in amazement and held his hand out, face alight and happier than she’d ever seen him before. “Binoculars! Quick! I want to see who’s out there!” Mama Sakalbi tentatively held them out, and he took them with a nod of thanks before rushing back to the bow. Kalai started as he jumped up on the bow and balanced against the roller horns to spot the black and white whales that were swimming fast towards the net.
“Eyes on Mama Shachi! Look, over there, see her?” Kalai approached cautiously as Andy pointed in the direction of a cluster of porpoising black shapes that were coming nearer.
“Eyes on! I got Grammie Slick out there too; the WHOLE POD’S HERE!” Jackie cut loose an undulating cry and waved her hands as little geysers of water and air shot out from the water on the other side of the net.
Kalai nearly jumped when a miniature version of the Orcas from the clone tank at Headquarters breached the water, leaping almost twice her height into the air before splashing back down in a massive wave.
“Look at that! Butterball’s getting some good air these days!” Andy crowed as he hopped back down from the bow and passed the binoculars to Jackie.
“Butterball?” Mama Sakalbi asked as she and Papa joined them. Kalai stared as the Orcas formed a line and charged at the middle of the ‘S’ bend in the net before diving down in front of it, sending a wave that pushed the corks back. She saw the spouts and the dorsal fins rise again for another charge at the net.
“He’s the baby, only about four years old. Grammie Slick’s taking the family hunting, see how they’re flattening the net out? We’re about to have a great fucking day!” Andy took Jackie’s shotgun and took it back to the cabin as Kalai and her parents crowded the rail.
“What are they doing?” Mama Sakalbi’s question was directed at Jackie and the woman turned to answer with a gigantic smile.
“Herding! See the ones circling around the net?” Jackie pointed to the two dorsal fins that were almost invisible in the fog that was starting to burn off in the morning sun that had started to clear the eastern mountains. “They’ll be starting to round up small schools of salmon once they’re done turning our net into a reef. Right now, they’re running along the line and probably seeing what they have to work with.”
Mama Sakalbi did a double take, “You must be joking, that level of intelligence would almost be-”
“Human?” Jackie interrupted with a smile, “Yeah, that’s our original teachers out there. We learned to fish from them.”
“I was going to say ‘sentient’, but I take your point. What I want to know is, what are they doing?” Mama Sakalbi gestured out at them, with a bewildered look on her face.
“They’re using the net as a sea wall. Thing is, the net’s hard to see in the water, but the fish can feel it. They’ll put their heads into the net, but that doesn’t catch them. They’ll try to swim around it so that’s why we put an ‘S’ bend. That’s where most of the fish get tangled.” Andy returned and picked up the explanation. “See in the center of the line? That fin with the black and white little checkmark behind it? That’s Grammie Slick, the Matriarch. She’s around sixty now, and grew up out here LONG before you all came down. They don’t always do this, but I guess with you all keeping the fishing fleets docked, she saw the net and wanted a big meal for the family. They’re going to keep pushing the net until it’s in the shape of a crescent and herd a bunch of small schools into a big baitball with pickets to keep the fish pinned in the middle. You watch, there’ll be salmon jumping all over in the middle as they school up.”
“That’s when you’ll see them charge up the center and take big old mouthfuls of salmon. It’ll be a smorgasbord for ‘em!” Jackie pulled up Andy’s omnipad and started recording.
“Wait, but you hate seals for competing with you for food, why are you this excited about Orcas who take so much more?” Papa asked as he also took out his omnipad and started recording as the pod of Orcas finished repositioning their net just as Andy described.
“Because they’re using the nets as a reef to trap the fish! See? Look! There they go! The wolves are out scaring every salmon in the area here!” Kalai dug her own omnipad out at Andy’s words and watched as the dorsal fins sank below the waves, with only a faint and fading wake to tell where they’d gone.
“Now watch ‘em set pickets! They’re going to start patrolling the outside of the net. When they get enough salmon in the middle, they’re going to charge. When they do, watch the entire middle section of our corks go under from the salmon trying to get away. They get whole heaping mouthfuls of food and we get a full net!”
Kalai watched the Orcas swimming in circles around the net like Helix Sharks, and felt a pang of fear seeing the big predators that seemed so gentle and inquisitive in the tank. “But what if they get caught in the net?”
Jackie suppressed a laugh before sweeping an arm out at the net. “I’ve never seen that happen before, and I haven’t even heard of it happening before… at least not here in the Salish Sea. All our Orcas grew up around these nets, so they’ll either avoid them or use them like they are right now.”
“I think it’s because they can see them and the fish can’t. Either way, we’re in for a show!” Andy patted Kalai on the back before pushing Kalai and Mama Sakalbi forward.
For a long while, the surface was calm, save for the circling Orcas as they all watched. Then, by degrees, there was movement on the surface of the water as fish the length of Kalai’s arm started to jump and kick in the baitball. Kalai watched, fascinated, as Orcas seemed to appear and disappear along the edges but never approached the middle of the net.
All the fins disappeared from the surface and an eerie stillness settled over the water. Suddenly, the water in the middle of the crescent erupted, with hundreds of fish shooting out of the water and a sudden surge that hit and pushed the corks outward before they sank completely out of sight. Jackie and Andy started vocalizing those strange undulating cries again, raising their fists in the air before shouting something in their language. From as best as Kalai could guess, it was encouragement as the Orcas started breaching and jumping. In those moments, Kalai could catch glimpses of their mouths full of salmon.
Kalai watched as the terrified fish swarmed towards the net, and watched as many seemed to jump over it and swim away as the Orcas gorged themselves on the enormous school of salmon they had trapped. It was an awe inspiring sight to see, and Kalai lost herself in the moment watching the amazing display of symbiotic hunting and fishing between them and the Orcas.
The engine of the boat turning over broke the spell they were all under as Andy moved the boat at a dead slow pace back towards the net. “Alright, let’s haul it in and reset for ‘em! Jackie! Get on the bow with the billhook!” Jackie whooped in agreement and gently pushed passed Kalai to grab a long pole with a small metal hook at the end.
“We’re gonna have to work fast. They’re hungry, and we all want salmon today,” Andy called over the sound of the engine as they approached the giant buoy that marked the end of the net. “Doc! Open that hatch back there and watch your step! Mrs. Vaida, stand clear in the cabin; I want no accidents today, and three on deck’s going to be a crowd with how many fish we’re going to be taking in. Kalai, I want you back in the-”
Kalai shook her head as she put her omnipad away. “I can do it! Let me help!” she was riding the high feeling of watching the Orcas, and seeing Andy and Jackie preparing to go to work while she was to be just a passenger galled her.
Kalai saw Andy give Jackie a look that she couldn’t quite interpret. “Alright, but you’ll work with me picking fish. Jackie, you’re on the Drum; trade places with me!”
Kalai saw Jackie huff and give Andy a piercing look as she handed off the billhook. “Watch out for jellies, they tend to explode,” the native woman muttered to Kalai as she took over at the net drum’s controls. Kalai was about to volunteer to grab the line with the hook, given her longer reach, but Andy had already leaned almost all the way over the side. Kalai had a momentary scare as Andy seemed to dip forward, seemingly in danger of falling overboard, until he seemed to almost levitate himself using his lower legs back into the boat and pulled the line over the roller horns. She stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do when Andy braced a foot against the side and began to pull on the line and feed it back towards Jackie.
“Way, haul away, we’ll hang and haul together! Way, haul away, haul away Joe!”
Though she didn’t understand the words, Kalai knew a sailing song when she heard one and didn’t wait for any instruction. She moved forward opposite Andy and lent a hand, pulling the heavy line in to the cadence of his chant. After two verses, Kalai heard the whine of hydraulics and the slack in the line behind them went taught.
“Stand back! Here we go!” Andy called to her and the line began pulling the net back aboard. Kalai looked back to see that Jackie had wrapped the line around the center pole of the drum, with the wheel turning to pull the line and net in out of the water. A small set of guide poles that moved when Jackie twitched the controls kept the line evenly distributed on the drum as the first corks and the dripping wet net began to appear out of the water.
“Put your hoods up!” Andy yelled at her over the noise of the machines, and demonstrated the motion. “It’ll keep the water, seaweed and Jellies out of your face and eyes, and take this!” Andy tossed her what appeared to be a handkerchief and he mimed the act of tying it around her face like a mask.
“What about you? You’re sleeveless!” Kalai’s voice was slightly muffled from the cloth as she tied it around her face before pulling up both hoods.
Andy didn’t respond, except to grin at her as he leaned out to watch the net coming up out of the water before it got pulled aboard.
From behind her, Kalai heard Jackie start singing another human sailing song. It was a bit fast paced, and Andy joined in for the chorus. On the third time she heard it, she joined in too.
“Blow ye winds in the mornin’, Blow ye winds, high ho! Haul away your running gear, And blow ye winds, high ho!”
“Coming up!” Andy shouted as there were several loud thunks before six large salmon appeared in the giant fluorescent green tangle of the net. The drum stopped, bringing the fish to a halt as Andy pulled on the corkline and scurried his hands back and forth, gathering the net up as he did until he reached the first fish. Kalai watched in awe as he seemed to magically pull the fish from the tangle and shake it out onto the deck. The second one seemed to be resting on top of the tangle and he flipped it over the corkline and shook the fish out onto the deck.
“Just watch these first few. When you get a feel for how I’m doing this, jump in. Until then, slide these beauties back towards the stern. Jackie’ll pitch ‘em into the hold.”
Kalai nodded and watched Andy’s movements intently. It looked like sorcery, with how fast he moved his hands and zeroed in on a fish. As soon as he was done, he’d whistle to Jackie, who kept singing the cadence out to pull more of the net in, only to stop when more fish were pulled up and over the horns.
The song changed twice before Kalai felt confident enough to jump in. She almost got tangled in the net herself trying to pull out her first fish, but Andy gave the net a quick tug and she was free again. Maddeningly, the fish had simply fallen out of the net without any help from her, and she fumed just long enough for Andy to point to one that was closer to her.
“Hoist up the thing, batten down the whatsit! What’s that thing spinning, somebody should stop it! Turn hard to Port! That’s not Port, NOW I GOT IT! Trust me, I’m in control!”
On the second refrain, Kalai managed to dig her first fish out and drop it to the deck. She let out a whoop, and Andy paused for a moment to give her a quick applause.
“That’s one, girl! There’s a thousand left if we’re lucky!” Jackie called out as Andy sang a verse and tackled another fish in the net.
“Keep an eye on the lead line; make sure it doesn’t go over the corks!” Andy called as Kalai ran down her second fish and was about to throw the excess net over the other side. She stopped, and Andy helped her get the fish without tangling the net.
It took until the end of the song for Kalai to find her rhythm, and soon she and Andy were running down fish in the net in a crisp and quick manner. Kalai felt like she could go faster, but Andy had cautioned her to keep pace with the songs, as there was still a lot of net to go. When Kalai spared a glance at the length of net still in the water, she saw that Andy wasn’t kidding. It looked like they hadn’t even really started to reel it all in. Ok, it’s hard work, but so is sailing, and he’s my size so I should be able to keep up with him. If he can do it, I can do it!
“Haul away you rollin’ kings! Heave away, Haul away! Haul away you’ll hear me sing, We’re bound for South Australia!”
Andy was impressed. Kalai had jumped in without complaint, and she was very coachable. He could feel himself start to flag as they were starting to come to the last third of the net, but Kalai’s persistence, even though she was sweatier and more haggard than he was, kept him going.
The pile of salmon was almost as deep as their calves, and the deck was getting slick with fish slime. For that matter, so was Andy. In a momentary lull in the fish coming over the horns, Andy caught a glimpse of himself shimmering with all the scales that had flown off the fish as they scraped against the net to hit the deck, flopping. He took a big gulp of air and Kalai groaned as she straightened up, cracking her back as she twisted and bent to relieve her aching muscles.
Andy groaned a bit and looked back towards the stern. It was getting hard to see over the amount of net they’d pulled back in, but he could see Doc and Mrs. Vaida doing their best to help throw and shove the piles of salmon into the hold. Everybody’s getting their hands dirty today. Andy smiled and heaved a happy sigh. This, this is what I want. Being out on the water and doing good, hard work.
“SHIT, JELLYFISH!” Kalai shouted as she twisted away to hide her face behind her rain slicker hood. Andy blinked just in time as a wet squelching sound sent a spray of disintegrating jellyfish exploding all over the bow as the net bunched up and got squeezed together.
Andy felt it splatter all over his arms, neck, and face, before he felt it start to slide down his shirt to his chest. Almost immediately, he started to feel the burn. His arms, neck, and chest he could stand, but the blossoming pain on his lips, eyelids, cheeks, and most horribly the inside of his nose overwhelmed all his conditioned pain tolerance.
“FUCK!” Andy screamed. “FUCKING FUCKER! RIGHT IN MY FUCKING FACE! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT! FUCK!” Andy only barely avoided bringing his hands to his face. It was a hard fought thing to deny his instinct to try and scrape it off, but he felt his boots loose purchase and his feet slide out from under him. He hit the pile of fish that surrounded him hard. He was aware of Kalai yelling for her father and Mrs. Vaida, while Jackie’s braying laugh carried over everything else.
Andy felt Kalai trying to grab him, but her gloves were too slick to get a grip and all she did was spread the stingers more evenly over his arms. Andy kept his eyes squeezed shut as he heard Jackie start to direct the confused and panicking aliens.
“Hold your breath, cuz, vinegar incoming!”
Andy felt the bitter stinging splash as Jackie poured a steady stream of vinegar out from what he assumed was the giant jug he kept for these occasions underneath the little kitchenette in the cabin. Though nothing about the intensity of the burn changed, in the back of his mind, Andy knew that it was killing the stinging cells.
“Alright, Kally, take that bucket and fill it with seawater from over the side, then dump it on him.”
Andy sputtered a bit and spit as he scrabbled onto his knees. He steadied himself with one hand on the rail beside him and the other which found the corkline. He kept his eyes shut and growled as the burning spread from his hairline down to his navel. A sudden bracing splash of cold water nearly bowled him back over. Without warning, Andy hadn't had time to get a breath and he sputtered and yowled as the water soaked down under his rain gear.
Andy shook his head like a dog, whipping his braid back and forth before daring to open his eyes. “Son of a BITCH!” Andy growled as he got a look at Kalai holding an empty bucket, while Jackie was shoo’ing Mrs. Vaida and Dr. He’osforos away to give him some room.
“Jesus, quit your bawlin,’ you big baby, you’re acting like you’ve never been stung before!” Jackie called back to him as Andy ripped the gloves off his hands and plunged them over the side to clean off the stingers.
“It’s in my fucking nose you horse’s ass!” Andy shouted back as he splashed his face. A few strings of purple stingers fell into the water and Andy reared back aboard. “Ugh, get another bucket of seawater! I can still feel this shit!”
“Andrei, as a medical professional, I advise you to cease work and-”
Andy looked over as Dr. He’osforos spoke but waved him off mid sentence. “I appreciate it Doc, but I’ve had it far worse than this. There’s a brown and yellow bottle in one of the drawers under the bench that says ‘Motrin’. Get me the bottle or enough to tranq a cow, and I’ll go back to work just fine.”
Kalai let loose a piercing scream and Andy looked over just in time to see her rocketed herself backwards, dropping the bucket over the side. The Doctor caught his daughter before she fell into the hold, but he too had a look of fear plastered on his face. Andy and Jackie moved to the side to see what had scared her so badly, and the two of them couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Grammie Slick and two of her daughters were there, sticking their heads out of the water with their mouths open, while Butterball was playing with the bucket.
Jackie laughed and stuck her hand out, rubbing the Orca matriarch on the snout. “Raggedy Andy’s fine, Grammie Slick! He’s just milking it for sympathy from these gullible hwun’eetums!”
“What in the Balance of Nature is going on here?” Mrs. Vaida’s shocked voice caused Andy and Jackie to look at her as she stared dumbfounded at the Orcas that were gathering alongside the boat.
“Oh they’re just saying ‘hi.’” Andy shrugged with a smile, despite the burning.
“More like ‘What the hell, cousins, you still got fish to pick. Quit loafin’ around and get another set in!’”
“Jackie, Motrin… NOW!” Andy growled at her. Jackie blew a raspberry at him before diving into the cabin.
“They’re pretty friendly, if you’d like to be introduced,” Andy held out a hand and motioned for Kalai and her father to step forward. Andy dipped his hand in again to make sure it was clear of any stinging cells, before he gently guided the hesitant Kalai to stick her ungloved hand out toward Grammie Slick.
One of the daughters blew a spout before sliding back under water, but Grammie gave a few clicks before briefly touching Kalai’s outstretched hand. “Kalai, this is Grammie Slick, Matriarch of J-Pod. Grammie, this is Kalai… a purple hwun’eetum.” Andy laughed a bit at the look of incredulity on Kalai’s face and the concern on her father’s.
There was a series of shutter clicks from behind Andy, and he turned to see Sakalbi snapping pictures as fast as she could. Kalai was clearly torn between fear and wonder as she held perfectly still and silent for Grammie, who was letting her touch her before she slid back under the water herself. Andy laughed as several clicks and whistles from the pod reverberated through the hull of the boat and he leaned back in.
“Alright, break’s over,” Andy called as he caught the flying bottle of pills Jackie threw at him. He popped two and swallowed them dry before washing the gloves off and putting them on. The extra rinse would have to wait, and he’d have to tough it out until they got back to shore. His boots squelched as he picked his way through the fish on the deck to get back to his station and nodded for Jackie to restart the drum.
It was another twenty minutes before the last of the net was pulled aboard and they were able to clear away all the fish into the hold. Andy stuck his head in and smiled. In a single set, they’d filled three quarters of it, and they had more than enough fish for the gathering and to feed another ten to fifteen families besides. The spouts and the clicks of J-Pod hanging around the boat, however, told Andy that they wanted their reef back and were still hungry.
Andy ordered them to prep the net for another set and helmed his boat again, only to bomb out in a straight line and let J-Pod take care of the fishing from that point on. Once they’d finished, Andy moved the boat out of the Orcas’ way and stood outside the cabin with Jackie while the three aliens crowded the bow, watching and recording the whales going to work a second time.
“Ok, I think we might get a moment to talk,” Andy muttered to Jackie in Salishian. “New orders from the Council. There’s going to be a raid.”
Jackie sucked in a breath and looked at him, all levity gone. “Cambrians, Militia, or the Dummy Bunnies?”
“Militia and the Interior.”
Jackie whistled softly in surprise as her eyebrows shot up. “Really poking the bear, cuz… When and where?”
“Uncle Willy wants us to hit the Militia Supply Depot out by Tanner on Saturday,” Andy growled quietly as he watched Kalai pointing to Grammie Slick’s dorsal as she swam out on the picket around the net.
“You mean the one close to the Snoqualmish?”
“Yeah. Full raid, we’re to hit it and take any supplies, especially military, that we can and destroy what we can’t. The messier we can make it the better. We’ll meet up with the Resistance on the old Bessemer Logging road by Hancock Creek and they get half for taking the credit. Me and Chuck’ve been assigned to ‘lead’ you.” Andy nodded and tried to flick some of the fish scales off himself, but got nowhere.
Jackie sat down on the rail with a groan before looking back up at him with a smirk. “You mean babysit on overwatch while we do the real work.”
Andy pursed his numb lips together and considered the ramifications of folding his arms on the jellyfish burns that had started to go quiet thanks to the Motrin. “Grandma and the Council want me to ‘get my hands dirty.’” He gritted his teeth in frustration.
“What? I’m sorry, that sentence made zero sense.” Jackie shook her head like she’d just been slapped.
Andy couldn’t keep the frustration and anger out of his tone when he spoke. “Apparently there are doubts about my loyalty to the tribe and whether or not I’ve lost my way.”
Jackie huffed in amusement. “Everyone knows the Council’s fucking stupid, but this is a new level of dumb. You got us land back, you got them to allow you to break the rules to feed our people, they’re fixing the fuck ups on our waterways because of you and they think you’ve gone to the dark side?” Jackie started laughing at the nonsense of the politics.
“Last time we talked, you thought I was playing with fire and-” Andy started to throw back at her before she snorted loudly.
“Results talk, cuz. Three of our Hatcheries returned, and my whole family drawing good money in Imperial Credits? Fuck, even if you had sold out, we need more Clan Heads doing the same thing.” She smiled as she nodded towards their guests on the bow.
“They still don’t trust that I know what I’m doing,” Andy growled as he folded his arms unconsciously and immediately regretted it.
Jackie snorted. “Of course they don’t. You didn’t talk to them or get their permission first. Hell, I’m surprised your grandma didn’t chuck you out on your ear for even suggesting that you should work for the dummy bunnies.” Jackie stretched and hopped up and around Andy to grab a water bottle. “But it’s working out. There’s land being returned, money in our hands, and food about to be on our table. You’re doin’ what a Chief is supposed to do.”
Andy scoffed and started to object. “I’m no Chief-”
Jackie gave his shoulder a slap and grinned evilly as a starburst of pain and burning cut through the painkillers, shutting Andy up mid-protest. “You keep saying you aren’t, but that don’t make it true.” She resumed her seat as Andy fought the yowl of pain back so as not to give her the satisfaction. “I mean, case in point, what are you going to do with all these fish Grammie’s catching for us right now?”
Andy blinked a few times as he regained his composure and thought seriously about his answer. “We’ll pull fifteen for the gathering they got invited to… Then all the fish you can pack into the truck goes to the Exiles. The rest? I’ll call Chuck and get some folks from the Council to claim the rest and distribute it to the families that need it.”
Jackie deepened her voice and adopted a cowboy drawl. “He never eats until he sees the pots are full of meat in the lodges of the widows and orphans-”
“That’s Comanche Law, not Salish, and that’s from a John Wayne movie, you ass.” Andy huffed and Jackie giggled wickedly, flipped him off.
“Still haven’t refuted my point, cuz.” Jackie’s singsong voice caused Andy to glare spitefully at her, until she raised her hands defensively. “Alright, you’re not a Chief. So, Not Chief Tsu’titsi’uqw; you need to get your hands dirty and lead a raid. I’ll scrape up what we need and scout the target. You just meet up with us Saturday night at the Snoqualmish Casino and I’ll put a gun in your hands. Don’t worry, we’ll only get dirty enough to make the Council happy.”
“I’ll be a bit late; I’m escorting them to the Hwatcom Family Gathering on Friday.” Andy took a step back as Jackie stood up and twisted a bit to stretch out.
“No surprise there, grandpa’s an old school traditional Indian. They’re dummies, but they’re trying to do right by us, finally. Again, thanks to you, Chie-” Andy slapped the back of her head hard and growled at her, but she just started laughing, making him even madder.
“Alright, enough. Let’s get on the bow and not look like we’re sketchy Indians plotting to attack an Imperial fort.” Andy snarled, shoving her past him while she just kept laughing.
Andy stomped forward, aware of the wet sounds his boots made as he walked. Kalai turned and smiled at him as he moved to stand beside her and her father. “So how are they doing out there?”
“They just started their attack. This is fascinating! Their coordination, their ingenuity, and adaptation to human activity is astounding! I wish I had brought observation drones!” Sakalbi was glued to the binoculars and holding her omnipad up while she muttered observations into the speaker. Andy was content to watch as the pod put on a repeat performance and the net sagged again until they all came up and started swimming lazily around the net and the boat. All of them except Butterball and one of his older brothers. The two seemed to be getting into a jumping contest.
“He’s feeling a bit hyper. Must be nice to be full,” Jackie commented as the two whales took turns jumping out of the water and twisting in the air. Andy smiled and nodded and felt a hand go to his shoulder. He looked down and saw it was Kalai making eyes at him. Andy hid the grimace at the burn and gave her a wink.
“That one’s getting closer, should we be concerned?” Andy looked over at Dr. He’osforos and Kalai quickly moved her hand as they watched Butterball getting closer and closer with each jump.
Jackie hopped up and straddled the railing as Andy and Kalai shared a concerned look. Jackie hooked a hand around one of the roller horns and peered down into the water. “I don’t think so, I mean he knows we’re-”
The sudden appearance of a flying adolescent Orca only a scant few feet away from the boat right next to the lot of them cut Jackie off. Most of them only had enough time to watch the little playful bastard hang in the air for a moment before he twisted to almost shoulder punch the water as he came back down. Andy had just enough presence of mind to pull Kalai and her father down, and braced himself as the plume of water rose from where Butterball landed.
“Oh shi-” Andy heard Jackie say before water cascaded down on them and drenched them all, sending the boat rocking violently.
It took a moment for Andy to recover and he helped the two Shil back to their feet. “Quick check, is everyone alright?”
“HEY! WHAT THE HELL, BUTTERBALL! GRAMMIE! YOU HAVE A TALK WITH YOUR GRANDSON! HE’S GONNA GET SOMEONE KILLED ONE OF THESE DAYS!” Jackie screamed at the water, shaking her fist.
A camera shutter sounded and a dripping wet Mrs. Vaida stood, wide eyed in fear, staring out over the water.
Andy started laughing at the sight of his boss soaked to the bone, her hair and her fur a dripping mess. “That picture right there? You can title it: ‘Angry Native Woman Yells at Whale.’”
Kalai looked like she was on Krek’s doorstep. Akil’eas knelt next to her as he finished his examination and was looking over the readings on his omnipad. His daughter sat in front of the cabin on the little step, legs splayed out in front of her while she leaned against the railing on the side of the boat. Her father stood next to her as he finished a quick check of her vitals and her viral load.
“Unsurprisingly, you’re a bit elevated, but given your numbers over the last week, that’s saying that you’ve come back up to your normal levels.” Akil’eas had been worried. When they’d hauled in the net the second time, Kalai had stayed on the bow with the boy, Andy, while Akil’eas’d stood over the human woman’s shoulder and studied the controls.
Akil’ieas had also pitched in and helped fill the hold, but when he and Sakalbi could no longer stuff them in, they’d given up and stood out of the way. His old friend and colleague had spent the rest of the time recording, either the large predators that continued to circle and play around the boat, or the seemingly inefficient fishing practice of Andy and his people. No wonder he was so big, and his brother had been that strong. It beggared belief that their people worked at that backbreaking pace for so long, but there Andy stood, proud and tall at the end of it, while he and Sakalbi struggled to stay standing.
Akil’eas had to focus on keeping his hands from shaking and retrieved another water bottle for his exhausted daughter. Andy had them moving at a slow pace back towards a different harbor from the one they’d left that morning. They’d stopped briefly at the pier they’d started from to allow Jackie to disembark. The two humans packed all the fish that couldn’t fit in the hold up to Jackie’s truck and filled the bed of it without any help. She drove off with close to a hundred fish.
Now with the deck cleared, Andy told them they were on their way to the harbor most of his Band used. The trip had been slower going than the morning had been, but only because they were riding much lower in the water than they had been.
“King Triton’s farewell,” Kalai muttered looking up. Akil’eas followed his daughter’s gaze up to see a flock of white and gray seabirds calling out loudly as they kept pace with the boat as it headed towards the docks.
“It means work’s almost over. It’s a great sound, isn’t it?” Andy called out from the cabin where he sat at the helm.
Kalai shifted herself with great effort to look around the door to the cabin. “It sounds amazing.”
The smile Andy gave Kalai caused Akil’eas to have a pang of fatherly protectiveness, and only fatigue kept the scowl off his face. “Just wait, we’ll clean a few once we’ve off-loaded to the families. Fresh salmon tonight for everyone, and I’m cooking! Doc, we’d love to have you, too.”
“I’d love to but-”
Kalai grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Trust me, Papa, you don’t want to miss it.”
Akil’eas chewed his tongue for a moment, looking from Andy to Kalai. Sakalbi caught his eye and nodded emphatically. “Alright, if you’ll allow me to help. You must be exhausted.”
Andy beamed at Akil’eas, “You won’t hear me turn down free help.”
“Vaascon fellas don’t have no frills, Haul away, haul away! They’re plain and skinny as a lodthfish gill, And we’re bound away for Vaasconia!”
Kalai sat back and started singing between sips of water. Akil’eas sat down next to her and joined in the chorus for a Vaascon sailing song. It was strange to think that these humans also sang to their sea gods to placate them and coordinate the work. What else could you expect from a sailorman? Some things call to the soul across time and evidently even the gulf space and peoples.
“So heave him up my Turry Turry girls, Haul away, haul away! Heave him up and let the sails unfurl! And we’re bound away for Vaasconia!”
Andy’s voice joining in on the chorus startled Akil’eas and Kalai and they both turned to look back at him.
He gave them another wide grin, “I started learning some of the sail songs after Kalai told me about sailing on Shil.”
“Akil’eas, a word?” Sakalbi motioned with her head towards the bow and offered him a hand up. He followed her to the bow, leaving the two children singing together.
The harbor mouth was coming up fast, and between the noise of the engine and the net drum keeping them out of sight, there was some privacy. “I’ve heard some rumors about your feelings toward humans…” Sakalbi leaned against the railing, giving him the look that every teacher and professor had when questioning a belligerent student. When Akil’eas didn’t answer her, save to throw her back his own look, she continued. “Kalai is quite taken with Andy. It’s been quite a refreshing thing to see her come out of her shell.”
“It’s a vacation romance, nothing more.” Akil’eas felt his stomach clench and couldn’t stop himself from looking back.
“I don’t think so, Akil’eas. This is the first time I’ve seen her so on thorns and thistles around anyone, much less a male. She’s been very keen around him.” The smile she gave him was a bit galling, but he had to admit, he didn’t really know Kalai as well as Sakalbi and her spouses.
“He is… I’m sure he is a very nice young man, but as a fit consort for a soon to be Duchess? No, and I’ve yet to meet a human that is.” The thought of a human becoming the next Duke He’osforos was absurd. Sure there had been the occasional non-Shil Kho-liebhaberin or even the one Duke Aurar’ian He’osforos who was a Triki, but a human? “They’re far too individualistic and self centered to rise to the responsibilities of the Peerage.”
“That’s not exactly as large a sample size as you think it is, Leas. If you had Andy in your class, or on your crew, disregarding the fact that he’s human, what would your read on him be?”
Akil’eas locked his jaw and pursed his lips, defiantly. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Leas, you’re better than me at reading people, and I’m damn good at it.” He hated how Sakalbi’s eyes flashed and her right ear would twitch when she thought she had the upper hand in an argument. He huffed a sigh and decided to play her little game, just to humor her enough so that she’d drop the subject.
“Dependable, fastidious and competent, judging by the state of his equipment and his boat. Self sacrificing, diligent, hard working, given what I’ve observed today. He’s got a temper, but it takes a bit to get there, and he’s carrying some pretty heavy emotional scars.” He’d not seen very much of Andy, but the old Sailing Master and Professor in him started to come out and assess the boy just as he would any of his students or junior sailors.
“That’s my read, too. Doesn’t sound so individualistic and self-centered to me. Blighted Nature, Leas, from what I’ve learned about him and his people, he broke with several of their traditions and customs to help us. He’s stuck his neck out far further for us than we would have for him and his people, for no other reason than to try and save his homeland. Were he an Erbian on Myr or even back home in Vaasconia, there’d be Groom-War over his hand.”
Akil’eas was a bit piqued about her statement, “What about your daughter? Kalai made no secret about little Sitry mooning after him, and her disapproval of their courtship.”
“She thinks she’s in love, and it very well might be that she is, but Kalai’s disapproval should tell you what it tells me, given your own rather astute assessment of the man.”
“HEY DOC! TAKE THE WHEEL, I GOTTA DRUM US IN!” Andy’s voice cut their conversation short as Akil’eas turned to look back around the drum. Andy waved him back as he slowed their approach to come in. “Take us to Dock 5, straight back and to port.”
“Straight back and to larboard, aye!” Akil’eas rattled off as he traded places with Andy at the helm.
Kalai heaved herself up to stand as Andy grabbed a large leather circle and ran forward to jump up on the bow. As Akil’eas piloted the boat into the harbor and made the turn, he saw a large crowd of humans gathered on the pier and the shore. As soon as they were in sight, he watched as Andy, standing tall, began to drum a beat and vocalize, projecting his voice over the water to those on shore. Akil’eas sputtered a bit in surprise as he guided the boat slowly towards the open mooring.
“That’s their call. His family’s song lets the people on shore know who he is and that he’s friendly.” Kalai looked back at Akil’eas before moving inside the cabin to stand next to her father. “All the families know it, but only he is allowed to sing it. It’s their version of a family crest and coat of arms. Elder Hwatcom taught us about those. There’ll be a reply in a second granting us permission to come ashore.”
There was indeed a response of drumming and singing from the assembly of humans as many started to crowd forward carrying what appeared to be coolers. Andy reappeared and took the controls back and reversed to kill their forward momentum as Sakalbi threw out their mooring lines to the waiting humans. Andy killed the engine and moved quickly out of the cabin to speak in a language that Akil’eas did not recognize. There seemed to be a bit of confusion from those gathered on the dock, but Andy opened the hatch to show the hold full of fish.
“Don’t thank me, thank them. Sockeye and Kings to all comers, courtesy of the Vaidas and the Vaida Warren!” Andy shouted happily in Vatikre as he pulled two giant fish out by their gills and handed them off to the applauding humans.
Sakalbi managed to shoot Akil’eas a smug look before she plunged her hands into the mass of fish and began helping Andy hand them out to the people.
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Possible Late Post Due to Vacation. I will try to post on time, but it may be as late as 6/12/23
submitted by Kazevenikov to Sexyspacebabes [link] [comments]
Chapter 31: A Whale of a Tale and it’s All True
“IT’S FUCKING J-POD!”
Kalai watched in shock and awe as the two humans collectively lost their minds, hopping up and down and letting loose a series of high pitched vocalizing as she, Papa, and Mama Sakalbi stared in confusion at the two ecstatic aliens.
Andy turned and ran back to where Kalai and her parents were still staring in amazement and held his hand out, face alight and happier than she’d ever seen him before. “Binoculars! Quick! I want to see who’s out there!” Mama Sakalbi tentatively held them out, and he took them with a nod of thanks before rushing back to the bow. Kalai started as he jumped up on the bow and balanced against the roller horns to spot the black and white whales that were swimming fast towards the net.
“Eyes on Mama Shachi! Look, over there, see her?” Kalai approached cautiously as Andy pointed in the direction of a cluster of porpoising black shapes that were coming nearer.
“Eyes on! I got Grammie Slick out there too; the WHOLE POD’S HERE!” Jackie cut loose an undulating cry and waved her hands as little geysers of water and air shot out from the water on the other side of the net.
Kalai nearly jumped when a miniature version of the Orcas from the clone tank at Headquarters breached the water, leaping almost twice her height into the air before splashing back down in a massive wave.
“Look at that! Butterball’s getting some good air these days!” Andy crowed as he hopped back down from the bow and passed the binoculars to Jackie.
“Butterball?” Mama Sakalbi asked as she and Papa joined them. Kalai stared as the Orcas formed a line and charged at the middle of the ‘S’ bend in the net before diving down in front of it, sending a wave that pushed the corks back. She saw the spouts and the dorsal fins rise again for another charge at the net.
“He’s the baby, only about four years old. Grammie Slick’s taking the family hunting, see how they’re flattening the net out? We’re about to have a great fucking day!” Andy took Jackie’s shotgun and took it back to the cabin as Kalai and her parents crowded the rail.
“What are they doing?” Mama Sakalbi’s question was directed at Jackie and the woman turned to answer with a gigantic smile.
“Herding! See the ones circling around the net?” Jackie pointed to the two dorsal fins that were almost invisible in the fog that was starting to burn off in the morning sun that had started to clear the eastern mountains. “They’ll be starting to round up small schools of salmon once they’re done turning our net into a reef. Right now, they’re running along the line and probably seeing what they have to work with.”
Mama Sakalbi did a double take, “You must be joking, that level of intelligence would almost be-”
“Human?” Jackie interrupted with a smile, “Yeah, that’s our original teachers out there. We learned to fish from them.”
“I was going to say ‘sentient’, but I take your point. What I want to know is, what are they doing?” Mama Sakalbi gestured out at them, with a bewildered look on her face.
“They’re using the net as a sea wall. Thing is, the net’s hard to see in the water, but the fish can feel it. They’ll put their heads into the net, but that doesn’t catch them. They’ll try to swim around it so that’s why we put an ‘S’ bend. That’s where most of the fish get tangled.” Andy returned and picked up the explanation. “See in the center of the line? That fin with the black and white little checkmark behind it? That’s Grammie Slick, the Matriarch. She’s around sixty now, and grew up out here LONG before you all came down. They don’t always do this, but I guess with you all keeping the fishing fleets docked, she saw the net and wanted a big meal for the family. They’re going to keep pushing the net until it’s in the shape of a crescent and herd a bunch of small schools into a big baitball with pickets to keep the fish pinned in the middle. You watch, there’ll be salmon jumping all over in the middle as they school up.”
“That’s when you’ll see them charge up the center and take big old mouthfuls of salmon. It’ll be a smorgasbord for ‘em!” Jackie pulled up Andy’s omnipad and started recording.
“Wait, but you hate seals for competing with you for food, why are you this excited about Orcas who take so much more?” Papa asked as he also took out his omnipad and started recording as the pod of Orcas finished repositioning their net just as Andy described.
“Because they’re using the nets as a reef to trap the fish! See? Look! There they go! The wolves are out scaring every salmon in the area here!” Kalai dug her own omnipad out at Andy’s words and watched as the dorsal fins sank below the waves, with only a faint and fading wake to tell where they’d gone.
“Now watch ‘em set pickets! They’re going to start patrolling the outside of the net. When they get enough salmon in the middle, they’re going to charge. When they do, watch the entire middle section of our corks go under from the salmon trying to get away. They get whole heaping mouthfuls of food and we get a full net!”
Kalai watched the Orcas swimming in circles around the net like Helix Sharks, and felt a pang of fear seeing the big predators that seemed so gentle and inquisitive in the tank. “But what if they get caught in the net?”
Jackie suppressed a laugh before sweeping an arm out at the net. “I’ve never seen that happen before, and I haven’t even heard of it happening before… at least not here in the Salish Sea. All our Orcas grew up around these nets, so they’ll either avoid them or use them like they are right now.”
“I think it’s because they can see them and the fish can’t. Either way, we’re in for a show!” Andy patted Kalai on the back before pushing Kalai and Mama Sakalbi forward.
For a long while, the surface was calm, save for the circling Orcas as they all watched. Then, by degrees, there was movement on the surface of the water as fish the length of Kalai’s arm started to jump and kick in the baitball. Kalai watched, fascinated, as Orcas seemed to appear and disappear along the edges but never approached the middle of the net.
All the fins disappeared from the surface and an eerie stillness settled over the water. Suddenly, the water in the middle of the crescent erupted, with hundreds of fish shooting out of the water and a sudden surge that hit and pushed the corks outward before they sank completely out of sight. Jackie and Andy started vocalizing those strange undulating cries again, raising their fists in the air before shouting something in their language. From as best as Kalai could guess, it was encouragement as the Orcas started breaching and jumping. In those moments, Kalai could catch glimpses of their mouths full of salmon.
Kalai watched as the terrified fish swarmed towards the net, and watched as many seemed to jump over it and swim away as the Orcas gorged themselves on the enormous school of salmon they had trapped. It was an awe inspiring sight to see, and Kalai lost herself in the moment watching the amazing display of symbiotic hunting and fishing between them and the Orcas.
The engine of the boat turning over broke the spell they were all under as Andy moved the boat at a dead slow pace back towards the net. “Alright, let’s haul it in and reset for ‘em! Jackie! Get on the bow with the billhook!” Jackie whooped in agreement and gently pushed passed Kalai to grab a long pole with a small metal hook at the end.
“We’re gonna have to work fast. They’re hungry, and we all want salmon today,” Andy called over the sound of the engine as they approached the giant buoy that marked the end of the net. “Doc! Open that hatch back there and watch your step! Mrs. Vaida, stand clear in the cabin; I want no accidents today, and three on deck’s going to be a crowd with how many fish we’re going to be taking in. Kalai, I want you back in the-”
Kalai shook her head as she put her omnipad away. “I can do it! Let me help!” she was riding the high feeling of watching the Orcas, and seeing Andy and Jackie preparing to go to work while she was to be just a passenger galled her.
Kalai saw Andy give Jackie a look that she couldn’t quite interpret. “Alright, but you’ll work with me picking fish. Jackie, you’re on the Drum; trade places with me!”
Kalai saw Jackie huff and give Andy a piercing look as she handed off the billhook. “Watch out for jellies, they tend to explode,” the native woman muttered to Kalai as she took over at the net drum’s controls. Kalai was about to volunteer to grab the line with the hook, given her longer reach, but Andy had already leaned almost all the way over the side. Kalai had a momentary scare as Andy seemed to dip forward, seemingly in danger of falling overboard, until he seemed to almost levitate himself using his lower legs back into the boat and pulled the line over the roller horns. She stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do when Andy braced a foot against the side and began to pull on the line and feed it back towards Jackie.
“Way, haul away, we’ll hang and haul together! Way, haul away, haul away Joe!”
Though she didn’t understand the words, Kalai knew a sailing song when she heard one and didn’t wait for any instruction. She moved forward opposite Andy and lent a hand, pulling the heavy line in to the cadence of his chant. After two verses, Kalai heard the whine of hydraulics and the slack in the line behind them went taught.
“Stand back! Here we go!” Andy called to her and the line began pulling the net back aboard. Kalai looked back to see that Jackie had wrapped the line around the center pole of the drum, with the wheel turning to pull the line and net in out of the water. A small set of guide poles that moved when Jackie twitched the controls kept the line evenly distributed on the drum as the first corks and the dripping wet net began to appear out of the water.
“Put your hoods up!” Andy yelled at her over the noise of the machines, and demonstrated the motion. “It’ll keep the water, seaweed and Jellies out of your face and eyes, and take this!” Andy tossed her what appeared to be a handkerchief and he mimed the act of tying it around her face like a mask.
“What about you? You’re sleeveless!” Kalai’s voice was slightly muffled from the cloth as she tied it around her face before pulling up both hoods.
Andy didn’t respond, except to grin at her as he leaned out to watch the net coming up out of the water before it got pulled aboard.
From behind her, Kalai heard Jackie start singing another human sailing song. It was a bit fast paced, and Andy joined in for the chorus. On the third time she heard it, she joined in too.
“Blow ye winds in the mornin’, Blow ye winds, high ho! Haul away your running gear, And blow ye winds, high ho!”
“Coming up!” Andy shouted as there were several loud thunks before six large salmon appeared in the giant fluorescent green tangle of the net. The drum stopped, bringing the fish to a halt as Andy pulled on the corkline and scurried his hands back and forth, gathering the net up as he did until he reached the first fish. Kalai watched in awe as he seemed to magically pull the fish from the tangle and shake it out onto the deck. The second one seemed to be resting on top of the tangle and he flipped it over the corkline and shook the fish out onto the deck.
“Just watch these first few. When you get a feel for how I’m doing this, jump in. Until then, slide these beauties back towards the stern. Jackie’ll pitch ‘em into the hold.”
Kalai nodded and watched Andy’s movements intently. It looked like sorcery, with how fast he moved his hands and zeroed in on a fish. As soon as he was done, he’d whistle to Jackie, who kept singing the cadence out to pull more of the net in, only to stop when more fish were pulled up and over the horns.
The song changed twice before Kalai felt confident enough to jump in. She almost got tangled in the net herself trying to pull out her first fish, but Andy gave the net a quick tug and she was free again. Maddeningly, the fish had simply fallen out of the net without any help from her, and she fumed just long enough for Andy to point to one that was closer to her.
“Hoist up the thing, batten down the whatsit! What’s that thing spinning, somebody should stop it! Turn hard to Port! That’s not Port, NOW I GOT IT! Trust me, I’m in control!”
On the second refrain, Kalai managed to dig her first fish out and drop it to the deck. She let out a whoop, and Andy paused for a moment to give her a quick applause.
“That’s one, girl! There’s a thousand left if we’re lucky!” Jackie called out as Andy sang a verse and tackled another fish in the net.
“Keep an eye on the lead line; make sure it doesn’t go over the corks!” Andy called as Kalai ran down her second fish and was about to throw the excess net over the other side. She stopped, and Andy helped her get the fish without tangling the net.
It took until the end of the song for Kalai to find her rhythm, and soon she and Andy were running down fish in the net in a crisp and quick manner. Kalai felt like she could go faster, but Andy had cautioned her to keep pace with the songs, as there was still a lot of net to go. When Kalai spared a glance at the length of net still in the water, she saw that Andy wasn’t kidding. It looked like they hadn’t even really started to reel it all in. Ok, it’s hard work, but so is sailing, and he’s my size so I should be able to keep up with him. If he can do it, I can do it!
Andy was impressed. Kalai had jumped in without complaint, and she was very coachable. He could feel himself start to flag as they were starting to come to the last third of the net, but Kalai’s persistence, even though she was sweatier and more haggard than he was, kept him going.
The pile of salmon was almost as deep as their calves, and the deck was getting slick with fish slime. For that matter, so was Andy. In a momentary lull in the fish coming over the horns, Andy caught a glimpse of himself shimmering with all the scales that had flown off the fish as they scraped against the net to hit the deck, flopping. He took a big gulp of air and Kalai groaned as she straightened up, cracking her back as she twisted and bent to relieve her aching muscles.
Andy groaned a bit and looked back towards the stern. It was getting hard to see over the amount of net they’d pulled back in, but he could see Doc and Mrs. Vaida doing their best to help throw and shove the piles of salmon into the hold. Everybody’s getting their hands dirty today. Andy smiled and heaved a happy sigh. This, this is what I want. Being out on the water and doing good, hard work.
“SHIT, JELLYFISH!” Kalai shouted as she twisted away to hide her face behind her rain slicker hood. Andy blinked just in time as a wet squelching sound sent a spray of disintegrating jellyfish exploding all over the bow as the net bunched up and got squeezed together.
Andy felt it splatter all over his arms, neck, and face, before he felt it start to slide down his shirt to his chest. Almost immediately, he started to feel the burn. His arms, neck, and chest he could stand, but the blossoming pain on his lips, eyelids, cheeks, and most horribly the inside of his nose overwhelmed all his conditioned pain tolerance.
“FUCK!” Andy screamed. “FUCKING FUCKER! RIGHT IN MY FUCKING FACE! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT! FUCK!” Andy only barely avoided bringing his hands to his face. It was a hard fought thing to deny his instinct to try and scrape it off, but he felt his boots loose purchase and his feet slide out from under him. He hit the pile of fish that surrounded him hard. He was aware of Kalai yelling for her father and Mrs. Vaida, while Jackie’s braying laugh carried over everything else.
Andy felt Kalai trying to grab him, but her gloves were too slick to get a grip and all she did was spread the stingers more evenly over his arms. Andy kept his eyes squeezed shut as he heard Jackie start to direct the confused and panicking aliens.
“Hold your breath, cuz, vinegar incoming!”
Andy felt the bitter stinging splash as Jackie poured a steady stream of vinegar out from what he assumed was the giant jug he kept for these occasions underneath the little kitchenette in the cabin. Though nothing about the intensity of the burn changed, in the back of his mind, Andy knew that it was killing the stinging cells.
“Alright, Kally, take that bucket and fill it with seawater from over the side, then dump it on him.”
Andy sputtered a bit and spit as he scrabbled onto his knees. He steadied himself with one hand on the rail beside him and the other which found the corkline. He kept his eyes shut and growled as the burning spread from his hairline down to his navel. A sudden bracing splash of cold water nearly bowled him back over. Without warning, Andy hadn't had time to get a breath and he sputtered and yowled as the water soaked down under his rain gear.
Andy shook his head like a dog, whipping his braid back and forth before daring to open his eyes. “Son of a BITCH!” Andy growled as he got a look at Kalai holding an empty bucket, while Jackie was shoo’ing Mrs. Vaida and Dr. He’osforos away to give him some room.
“Jesus, quit your bawlin,’ you big baby, you’re acting like you’ve never been stung before!” Jackie called back to him as Andy ripped the gloves off his hands and plunged them over the side to clean off the stingers.
“It’s in my fucking nose you horse’s ass!” Andy shouted back as he splashed his face. A few strings of purple stingers fell into the water and Andy reared back aboard. “Ugh, get another bucket of seawater! I can still feel this shit!”
“Andrei, as a medical professional, I advise you to cease work and-”
Andy looked over as Dr. He’osforos spoke but waved him off mid sentence. “I appreciate it Doc, but I’ve had it far worse than this. There’s a brown and yellow bottle in one of the drawers under the bench that says ‘Motrin’. Get me the bottle or enough to tranq a cow, and I’ll go back to work just fine.”
Kalai let loose a piercing scream and Andy looked over just in time to see her rocketed herself backwards, dropping the bucket over the side. The Doctor caught his daughter before she fell into the hold, but he too had a look of fear plastered on his face. Andy and Jackie moved to the side to see what had scared her so badly, and the two of them couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Grammie Slick and two of her daughters were there, sticking their heads out of the water with their mouths open, while Butterball was playing with the bucket.
Jackie laughed and stuck her hand out, rubbing the Orca matriarch on the snout. “Raggedy Andy’s fine, Grammie Slick! He’s just milking it for sympathy from these gullible hwun’eetums!”
“What in the Balance of Nature is going on here?” Mrs. Vaida’s shocked voice caused Andy and Jackie to look at her as she stared dumbfounded at the Orcas that were gathering alongside the boat.
“Oh they’re just saying ‘hi.’” Andy shrugged with a smile, despite the burning.
“More like ‘What the hell, cousins, you still got fish to pick. Quit loafin’ around and get another set in!’”
“Jackie, Motrin… NOW!” Andy growled at her. Jackie blew a raspberry at him before diving into the cabin.
“They’re pretty friendly, if you’d like to be introduced,” Andy held out a hand and motioned for Kalai and her father to step forward. Andy dipped his hand in again to make sure it was clear of any stinging cells, before he gently guided the hesitant Kalai to stick her ungloved hand out toward Grammie Slick.
One of the daughters blew a spout before sliding back under water, but Grammie gave a few clicks before briefly touching Kalai’s outstretched hand. “Kalai, this is Grammie Slick, Matriarch of J-Pod. Grammie, this is Kalai… a purple hwun’eetum.” Andy laughed a bit at the look of incredulity on Kalai’s face and the concern on her father’s.
There was a series of shutter clicks from behind Andy, and he turned to see Sakalbi snapping pictures as fast as she could. Kalai was clearly torn between fear and wonder as she held perfectly still and silent for Grammie, who was letting her touch her before she slid back under the water herself. Andy laughed as several clicks and whistles from the pod reverberated through the hull of the boat and he leaned back in.
“Alright, break’s over,” Andy called as he caught the flying bottle of pills Jackie threw at him. He popped two and swallowed them dry before washing the gloves off and putting them on. The extra rinse would have to wait, and he’d have to tough it out until they got back to shore. His boots squelched as he picked his way through the fish on the deck to get back to his station and nodded for Jackie to restart the drum.
It was another twenty minutes before the last of the net was pulled aboard and they were able to clear away all the fish into the hold. Andy stuck his head in and smiled. In a single set, they’d filled three quarters of it, and they had more than enough fish for the gathering and to feed another ten to fifteen families besides. The spouts and the clicks of J-Pod hanging around the boat, however, told Andy that they wanted their reef back and were still hungry.
Andy ordered them to prep the net for another set and helmed his boat again, only to bomb out in a straight line and let J-Pod take care of the fishing from that point on. Once they’d finished, Andy moved the boat out of the Orcas’ way and stood outside the cabin with Jackie while the three aliens crowded the bow, watching and recording the whales going to work a second time.
“Ok, I think we might get a moment to talk,” Andy muttered to Jackie in Salishian. “New orders from the Council. There’s going to be a raid.”
Jackie sucked in a breath and looked at him, all levity gone. “Cambrians, Militia, or the Dummy Bunnies?”
“Militia and the Interior.”
Jackie whistled softly in surprise as her eyebrows shot up. “Really poking the bear, cuz… When and where?”
“Uncle Willy wants us to hit the Militia Supply Depot out by Tanner on Saturday,” Andy growled quietly as he watched Kalai pointing to Grammie Slick’s dorsal as she swam out on the picket around the net.
“You mean the one close to the Snoqualmish?”
“Yeah. Full raid, we’re to hit it and take any supplies, especially military, that we can and destroy what we can’t. The messier we can make it the better. We’ll meet up with the Resistance on the old Bessemer Logging road by Hancock Creek and they get half for taking the credit. Me and Chuck’ve been assigned to ‘lead’ you.” Andy nodded and tried to flick some of the fish scales off himself, but got nowhere.
Jackie sat down on the rail with a groan before looking back up at him with a smirk. “You mean babysit on overwatch while we do the real work.”
Andy pursed his numb lips together and considered the ramifications of folding his arms on the jellyfish burns that had started to go quiet thanks to the Motrin. “Grandma and the Council want me to ‘get my hands dirty.’” He gritted his teeth in frustration.
“What? I’m sorry, that sentence made zero sense.” Jackie shook her head like she’d just been slapped.
Andy couldn’t keep the frustration and anger out of his tone when he spoke. “Apparently there are doubts about my loyalty to the tribe and whether or not I’ve lost my way.”
Jackie huffed in amusement. “Everyone knows the Council’s fucking stupid, but this is a new level of dumb. You got us land back, you got them to allow you to break the rules to feed our people, they’re fixing the fuck ups on our waterways because of you and they think you’ve gone to the dark side?” Jackie started laughing at the nonsense of the politics.
“Last time we talked, you thought I was playing with fire and-” Andy started to throw back at her before she snorted loudly.
“Results talk, cuz. Three of our Hatcheries returned, and my whole family drawing good money in Imperial Credits? Fuck, even if you had sold out, we need more Clan Heads doing the same thing.” She smiled as she nodded towards their guests on the bow.
“They still don’t trust that I know what I’m doing,” Andy growled as he folded his arms unconsciously and immediately regretted it.
Jackie snorted. “Of course they don’t. You didn’t talk to them or get their permission first. Hell, I’m surprised your grandma didn’t chuck you out on your ear for even suggesting that you should work for the dummy bunnies.” Jackie stretched and hopped up and around Andy to grab a water bottle. “But it’s working out. There’s land being returned, money in our hands, and food about to be on our table. You’re doin’ what a Chief is supposed to do.”
Andy scoffed and started to object. “I’m no Chief-”
Jackie gave his shoulder a slap and grinned evilly as a starburst of pain and burning cut through the painkillers, shutting Andy up mid-protest. “You keep saying you aren’t, but that don’t make it true.” She resumed her seat as Andy fought the yowl of pain back so as not to give her the satisfaction. “I mean, case in point, what are you going to do with all these fish Grammie’s catching for us right now?”
Andy blinked a few times as he regained his composure and thought seriously about his answer. “We’ll pull fifteen for the gathering they got invited to… Then all the fish you can pack into the truck goes to the Exiles. The rest? I’ll call Chuck and get some folks from the Council to claim the rest and distribute it to the families that need it.”
Jackie deepened her voice and adopted a cowboy drawl. “He never eats until he sees the pots are full of meat in the lodges of the widows and orphans-”
“That’s Comanche Law, not Salish, and that’s from a John Wayne movie, you ass.” Andy huffed and Jackie giggled wickedly, flipped him off.
“Still haven’t refuted my point, cuz.” Jackie’s singsong voice caused Andy to glare spitefully at her, until she raised her hands defensively. “Alright, you’re not a Chief. So, Not Chief Tsu’titsi’uqw; you need to get your hands dirty and lead a raid. I’ll scrape up what we need and scout the target. You just meet up with us Saturday night at the Snoqualmish Casino and I’ll put a gun in your hands. Don’t worry, we’ll only get dirty enough to make the Council happy.”
“I’ll be a bit late; I’m escorting them to the Hwatcom Family Gathering on Friday.” Andy took a step back as Jackie stood up and twisted a bit to stretch out.
“No surprise there, grandpa’s an old school traditional Indian. They’re dummies, but they’re trying to do right by us, finally. Again, thanks to you, Chie-” Andy slapped the back of her head hard and growled at her, but she just started laughing, making him even madder.
“Alright, enough. Let’s get on the bow and not look like we’re sketchy Indians plotting to attack an Imperial fort.” Andy snarled, shoving her past him while she just kept laughing.
Andy stomped forward, aware of the wet sounds his boots made as he walked. Kalai turned and smiled at him as he moved to stand beside her and her father. “So how are they doing out there?”
“They just started their attack. This is fascinating! Their coordination, their ingenuity, and adaptation to human activity is astounding! I wish I had brought observation drones!” Sakalbi was glued to the binoculars and holding her omnipad up while she muttered observations into the speaker. Andy was content to watch as the pod put on a repeat performance and the net sagged again until they all came up and started swimming lazily around the net and the boat. All of them except Butterball and one of his older brothers. The two seemed to be getting into a jumping contest.
“He’s feeling a bit hyper. Must be nice to be full,” Jackie commented as the two whales took turns jumping out of the water and twisting in the air. Andy smiled and nodded and felt a hand go to his shoulder. He looked down and saw it was Kalai making eyes at him. Andy hid the grimace at the burn and gave her a wink.
“That one’s getting closer, should we be concerned?” Andy looked over at Dr. He’osforos and Kalai quickly moved her hand as they watched Butterball getting closer and closer with each jump.
Jackie hopped up and straddled the railing as Andy and Kalai shared a concerned look. Jackie hooked a hand around one of the roller horns and peered down into the water. “I don’t think so, I mean he knows we’re-”
The sudden appearance of a flying adolescent Orca only a scant few feet away from the boat right next to the lot of them cut Jackie off. Most of them only had enough time to watch the little playful bastard hang in the air for a moment before he twisted to almost shoulder punch the water as he came back down. Andy had just enough presence of mind to pull Kalai and her father down, and braced himself as the plume of water rose from where Butterball landed.
“Oh shi-” Andy heard Jackie say before water cascaded down on them and drenched them all, sending the boat rocking violently.
It took a moment for Andy to recover and he helped the two Shil back to their feet. “Quick check, is everyone alright?”
“HEY! WHAT THE HELL, BUTTERBALL! GRAMMIE! YOU HAVE A TALK WITH YOUR GRANDSON! HE’S GONNA GET SOMEONE KILLED ONE OF THESE DAYS!” Jackie screamed at the water, shaking her fist.
A camera shutter sounded and a dripping wet Mrs. Vaida stood, wide eyed in fear, staring out over the water.
Andy started laughing at the sight of his boss soaked to the bone, her hair and her fur a dripping mess. “That picture right there? You can title it: ‘Angry Native Woman Yells at Whale.’”
“Unsurprisingly, you’re a bit elevated, but given your numbers over the last week, that’s saying that you’ve come back up to your normal levels.” Akil’eas had been worried. When they’d hauled in the net the second time, Kalai had stayed on the bow with the boy, Andy, while Akil’eas’d stood over the human woman’s shoulder and studied the controls.
Akil’ieas had also pitched in and helped fill the hold, but when he and Sakalbi could no longer stuff them in, they’d given up and stood out of the way. His old friend and colleague had spent the rest of the time recording, either the large predators that continued to circle and play around the boat, or the seemingly inefficient fishing practice of Andy and his people. No wonder he was so big, and his brother had been that strong. It beggared belief that their people worked at that backbreaking pace for so long, but there Andy stood, proud and tall at the end of it, while he and Sakalbi struggled to stay standing.
Akil’eas had to focus on keeping his hands from shaking and retrieved another water bottle for his exhausted daughter. Andy had them moving at a slow pace back towards a different harbor from the one they’d left that morning. They’d stopped briefly at the pier they’d started from to allow Jackie to disembark. The two humans packed all the fish that couldn’t fit in the hold up to Jackie’s truck and filled the bed of it without any help. She drove off with close to a hundred fish.
Now with the deck cleared, Andy told them they were on their way to the harbor most of his Band used. The trip had been slower going than the morning had been, but only because they were riding much lower in the water than they had been.
“King Triton’s farewell,” Kalai muttered looking up. Akil’eas followed his daughter’s gaze up to see a flock of white and gray seabirds calling out loudly as they kept pace with the boat as it headed towards the docks.
“It means work’s almost over. It’s a great sound, isn’t it?” Andy called out from the cabin where he sat at the helm.
Kalai shifted herself with great effort to look around the door to the cabin. “It sounds amazing.”
The smile Andy gave Kalai caused Akil’eas to have a pang of fatherly protectiveness, and only fatigue kept the scowl off his face. “Just wait, we’ll clean a few once we’ve off-loaded to the families. Fresh salmon tonight for everyone, and I’m cooking! Doc, we’d love to have you, too.”
“I’d love to but-”
Kalai grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Trust me, Papa, you don’t want to miss it.”
Akil’eas chewed his tongue for a moment, looking from Andy to Kalai. Sakalbi caught his eye and nodded emphatically. “Alright, if you’ll allow me to help. You must be exhausted.”
Andy beamed at Akil’eas, “You won’t hear me turn down free help.”
“Vaascon fellas don’t have no frills, Haul away, haul away! They’re plain and skinny as a lodthfish gill, And we’re bound away for Vaasconia!”
Kalai sat back and started singing between sips of water. Akil’eas sat down next to her and joined in the chorus for a Vaascon sailing song. It was strange to think that these humans also sang to their sea gods to placate them and coordinate the work. What else could you expect from a sailorman? Some things call to the soul across time and evidently even the gulf space and peoples.
“So heave him up my Turry Turry girls, Haul away, haul away! Heave him up and let the sails unfurl! And we’re bound away for Vaasconia!”
Andy’s voice joining in on the chorus startled Akil’eas and Kalai and they both turned to look back at him.
He gave them another wide grin, “I started learning some of the sail songs after Kalai told me about sailing on Shil.”
“Akil’eas, a word?” Sakalbi motioned with her head towards the bow and offered him a hand up. He followed her to the bow, leaving the two children singing together.
The harbor mouth was coming up fast, and between the noise of the engine and the net drum keeping them out of sight, there was some privacy. “I’ve heard some rumors about your feelings toward humans…” Sakalbi leaned against the railing, giving him the look that every teacher and professor had when questioning a belligerent student. When Akil’eas didn’t answer her, save to throw her back his own look, she continued. “Kalai is quite taken with Andy. It’s been quite a refreshing thing to see her come out of her shell.”
“It’s a vacation romance, nothing more.” Akil’eas felt his stomach clench and couldn’t stop himself from looking back.
“I don’t think so, Akil’eas. This is the first time I’ve seen her so on thorns and thistles around anyone, much less a male. She’s been very keen around him.” The smile she gave him was a bit galling, but he had to admit, he didn’t really know Kalai as well as Sakalbi and her spouses.
“He is… I’m sure he is a very nice young man, but as a fit consort for a soon to be Duchess? No, and I’ve yet to meet a human that is.” The thought of a human becoming the next Duke He’osforos was absurd. Sure there had been the occasional non-Shil Kho-liebhaberin or even the one Duke Aurar’ian He’osforos who was a Triki, but a human? “They’re far too individualistic and self centered to rise to the responsibilities of the Peerage.”
“That’s not exactly as large a sample size as you think it is, Leas. If you had Andy in your class, or on your crew, disregarding the fact that he’s human, what would your read on him be?”
Akil’eas locked his jaw and pursed his lips, defiantly. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Leas, you’re better than me at reading people, and I’m damn good at it.” He hated how Sakalbi’s eyes flashed and her right ear would twitch when she thought she had the upper hand in an argument. He huffed a sigh and decided to play her little game, just to humor her enough so that she’d drop the subject.
“Dependable, fastidious and competent, judging by the state of his equipment and his boat. Self sacrificing, diligent, hard working, given what I’ve observed today. He’s got a temper, but it takes a bit to get there, and he’s carrying some pretty heavy emotional scars.” He’d not seen very much of Andy, but the old Sailing Master and Professor in him started to come out and assess the boy just as he would any of his students or junior sailors.
“That’s my read, too. Doesn’t sound so individualistic and self-centered to me. Blighted Nature, Leas, from what I’ve learned about him and his people, he broke with several of their traditions and customs to help us. He’s stuck his neck out far further for us than we would have for him and his people, for no other reason than to try and save his homeland. Were he an Erbian on Myr or even back home in Vaasconia, there’d be Groom-War over his hand.”
Akil’eas was a bit piqued about her statement, “What about your daughter? Kalai made no secret about little Sitry mooning after him, and her disapproval of their courtship.”
“She thinks she’s in love, and it very well might be that she is, but Kalai’s disapproval should tell you what it tells me, given your own rather astute assessment of the man.”
“HEY DOC! TAKE THE WHEEL, I GOTTA DRUM US IN!” Andy’s voice cut their conversation short as Akil’eas turned to look back around the drum. Andy waved him back as he slowed their approach to come in. “Take us to Dock 5, straight back and to port.”
“Straight back and to larboard, aye!” Akil’eas rattled off as he traded places with Andy at the helm.
Kalai heaved herself up to stand as Andy grabbed a large leather circle and ran forward to jump up on the bow. As Akil’eas piloted the boat into the harbor and made the turn, he saw a large crowd of humans gathered on the pier and the shore. As soon as they were in sight, he watched as Andy, standing tall, began to drum a beat and vocalize, projecting his voice over the water to those on shore. Akil’eas sputtered a bit in surprise as he guided the boat slowly towards the open mooring.
“That’s their call. His family’s song lets the people on shore know who he is and that he’s friendly.” Kalai looked back at Akil’eas before moving inside the cabin to stand next to her father. “All the families know it, but only he is allowed to sing it. It’s their version of a family crest and coat of arms. Elder Hwatcom taught us about those. There’ll be a reply in a second granting us permission to come ashore.”
There was indeed a response of drumming and singing from the assembly of humans as many started to crowd forward carrying what appeared to be coolers. Andy reappeared and took the controls back and reversed to kill their forward momentum as Sakalbi threw out their mooring lines to the waiting humans. Andy killed the engine and moved quickly out of the cabin to speak in a language that Akil’eas did not recognize. There seemed to be a bit of confusion from those gathered on the dock, but Andy opened the hatch to show the hold full of fish.
“Don’t thank me, thank them. Sockeye and Kings to all comers, courtesy of the Vaidas and the Vaida Warren!” Andy shouted happily in Vatikre as he pulled two giant fish out by their gills and handed them off to the applauding humans.
Sakalbi managed to shoot Akil’eas a smug look before she plunged her hands into the mass of fish and began helping Andy hand them out to the people.
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https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/yz0u3h/the_cryptid_chronicle_chapter_1/
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https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/13tppad/cryptid_chronicle_chapter_30/
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Possible Late Post Due to Vacation. I will try to post on time, but it may be as late as 6/12/23
2023.06.04 03:14 CM256 How to open DS door, both door handles broken?
Howdy all, any idea on how to get my DS door open? both interior & exterior door handles both went in spectacularly Hyundai fashion, both breaking in the same week.
Exterior is completely broken, snapped at the thinnest part of the handle, where the cable inserts. Interior, I’m not so sure. Went to roll down the window and it snagged on the handle cable, and when I pulled the handle with the window in the down position, something snapped. I still feel resistance when I pull the handle, so I suspect it’s is still attached to the cable, but possibly disconnected at the latch? I had planned to take the door apart, but realized I can’t get to the card screws. Any help is appreciated, I’m hoping someone else has had the same issue.
There’s a small hole where the handle broke off, would me best bet be to fish out the end of the cable and pull?
submitted by CM256 to Tiburon [link] [comments]
Exterior is completely broken, snapped at the thinnest part of the handle, where the cable inserts. Interior, I’m not so sure. Went to roll down the window and it snagged on the handle cable, and when I pulled the handle with the window in the down position, something snapped. I still feel resistance when I pull the handle, so I suspect it’s is still attached to the cable, but possibly disconnected at the latch? I had planned to take the door apart, but realized I can’t get to the card screws. Any help is appreciated, I’m hoping someone else has had the same issue.
There’s a small hole where the handle broke off, would me best bet be to fish out the end of the cable and pull?
2023.06.04 03:13 abakedapplepie Replacing a door in a load bearing wall on my lower level that has VERY LOW ceilings with a pocket door, I am starting to think it's not possible based on the height available. Looking for advice.
I am moving/replacing a door in a load bearing wall in my lower level with a pocket door. The pocket door needs a 73" opening, and with jack studs that brings it to 79" for a header span. A header span that long needs to be 2x12 AFAIK, but the height from concrete to my floor joists is only 85" and the door opening has to be a minimum of 79" leaving 6" of space for a header - not even including a top plate.
I originally thought I could use an engineered header sized to 3.5x5.5" but I think that is still too small for this span, and that also still doesn't leave room for a top plate. Is a top plate required in this instance? I think if a top plate is not required, then a proper LSL engineered header will work, but I think even that header is only for a maximum span of 72" so I may have to trim my door width down - I wanted to keep it 36" since this is the opening to a utility room and if I need to replace appliances/furnace/water heater I want as much width as possible. I dont want to do a barn door, this room is noisy and I need a nice tight closing seal to prevent excessive noise. I got a solid core door to help with the sound deadening.
TL;DR:
submitted by abakedapplepie to HomeImprovement [link] [comments]
I originally thought I could use an engineered header sized to 3.5x5.5" but I think that is still too small for this span, and that also still doesn't leave room for a top plate. Is a top plate required in this instance? I think if a top plate is not required, then a proper LSL engineered header will work, but I think even that header is only for a maximum span of 72" so I may have to trim my door width down - I wanted to keep it 36" since this is the opening to a utility room and if I need to replace appliances/furnace/water heater I want as much width as possible. I dont want to do a barn door, this room is noisy and I need a nice tight closing seal to prevent excessive noise. I got a solid core door to help with the sound deadening.
TL;DR:
- I need to span ~70-80" in a load bearing wall with only 5-6" of vertical space available for a header
- I was told by a builder friend that an LSL engineered beam "4x6" beam with an E rating of 1.55 or better should be ok
- By my math, that doesnt leave space for a top plate - is a top plate required?
- Is this even possible? What kind of options do I have?
2023.06.04 03:00 334922 can you be in closed buildings during the weekend?
I know the university locks the exterior doors of most buildings during the weekends but using the tunnels you can get inside the locked buildings
Would you get in trouble if you were to study in a classroom in a closed building during the weekend? The janitors are cool with me being in the building during the weekend but I was wondering if it could be considered trespassing? They told me that UW has beefed up their security in the last few days because of an incident and there are more security guards watching the cameras on the weekend to spot any suspicious behaviour. I don't have any malicious intentions, I just like studying in empty classrooms but I don't want to get into any trespassing issues if that's not allowed. Does anyone know what the rules are about this?
submitted by 334922 to uwaterloo [link] [comments]
Would you get in trouble if you were to study in a classroom in a closed building during the weekend? The janitors are cool with me being in the building during the weekend but I was wondering if it could be considered trespassing? They told me that UW has beefed up their security in the last few days because of an incident and there are more security guards watching the cameras on the weekend to spot any suspicious behaviour. I don't have any malicious intentions, I just like studying in empty classrooms but I don't want to get into any trespassing issues if that's not allowed. Does anyone know what the rules are about this?
2023.06.04 02:43 averagepleeb Leasing Co. Negligence lead to water damage, won't conduct mold test, and we found asbestos
Location: Colorado
The chain of events here is as follows (sorry it's a little convoluted and long):
With this has happened on the weekend, the only attorney offices I've contacted that have phone lines open all have told me that they are unable to take our case. We are frustrated beyond description and to discover the asbestos was a real kicker to top it off. Is it probable that we will be able to sue the leasing company for this?
submitted by averagepleeb to legaladvice [link] [comments]
The chain of events here is as follows (sorry it's a little convoluted and long):
- I had been submitting service requests and emailing the leasing company since January of this year to fix a backed up storm drain outside our exterior basement door, in accordance with a paragraph in our lease that says we must immediately notify them of any water intrusions or suspected mold growth
- Despite the aforementioned paragraph in the lease, one email I received from the leasing director stated "I cannot guarantee the repairs"
- The drain was not functioning for the last 5 months, then when a storm came in early May, the water overflowed into the house, damaging all of the wall to wall carpet in the basement
- We put in a service request at 3 AM that morning, to which later a plumber did come and fixed the drain, but no further action was taken
- A week went by with the water sitting in the carpets and pads and the house started to smell like mildew, so as they had done nothing to fix it, I delivered a notice to the leasing company office stating that they are breaching the warranty of habitability and that we would withhold rent until they mitigated the damage, did a mold test and replaced the carpet
- They sent a restoration crew to the house who laughed at me for asking for a mold test, left a dehumidifier and some fans for a couple days, then came back, cut out the stained sections of carpet and did not conduct the mold test despite that we had asked for it twice at this point. Their company manager also told me they would removed damaged debris/contents and they did not.
- I emailed the leasing director to inform that the problems have not been fixed, and we are now requesting repairs and a mold test for the third time.
- The restoration crew came back, took the debris/contents, and again did not conduct the mold test.
- At no point throughout this timeline have we been contacted by a vendor to schedule a time they would come and measure/quote to install carpet. The leasing director instructed me to "pay rent as normal", which I am not going to do because they are still in breach of our lease agreement/warranty of habitability.
- Since still no communication on carpets to be replaced, at this point I am ready to just have it done myself and send them the receipt as a "repair and deduct" strategy. I have a carpet salesman over to quote the basement, and he saw the areas that the carpet had been cut out and said the tile underneath is likely to be asbestos. It looks like the original tile from the year the house was built (1962) and he legally cannot install carpet over it unless we get it tested or encapsulated.
- I have sent samples of the tile out to a lab using a hardware store asbestos test sample kit. Will not have results presumably until after next week as it takes them 5 business days to return results once they receive it.
With this has happened on the weekend, the only attorney offices I've contacted that have phone lines open all have told me that they are unable to take our case. We are frustrated beyond description and to discover the asbestos was a real kicker to top it off. Is it probable that we will be able to sue the leasing company for this?