Animal crossing water bottle

K.K. Slider is here. He is performing song you want from 6:00pm to midnight. What's your favorite song?
K.K. Slider

I'm Doing a series of polls to determine the fan favorite show of every current World Class drum corps (plus Santa Clara Vanguard and Star of Indiana for bonus). I will only include shows that made it to finals, so corps like Genesis and Pacific Crest will not have a poll due to never having a finals appearance, and one-time finals corps like The Academy and Seattle Cascades will have their respective finals shows win by default.
​
We finally have a winner for the Blue Star poll! Here are the results:

1. 2022 - Of War & Peace (17.13%)
2. 2017 - Star Crossed (15.54%)
3. 2014 - Where the Heart Is (13.15%)
4. 2018 - The Once and Future Carpenter (12.35%)
5. 2010 - Houdini (8.76%)

And speaking of, here are the Boston Crusaders' top shows:

1. 2022 - Paradise Lost (25.46%)
2. 2018 - S.O.S. (19.91%)
3. 2014 - Animal Farm AND 2017 - Wicked Games (15.28%)
4. 2019 - Goliath (11.11%)

​
This time we have one of DCI's most decorated corps, the 10-time Champion Cadets!
​
Vote Here: https://strawpoll.com/polls/40ZmqazeoZa
​
Results so Far
The Academy: 2016 - Drum Corpse Bride (by default)
Blue Devils: 2017 - Metamorph (21.35% of votes)
Blue Knights: 2014 - That One Second (26.92%)
Blue Stars: 2022 - Of War & Peace (17.13%)
Bluecoats: 2014 - Tilt (18.63%)
Boston Crusaders: 2022 - Paradise Lost (25.46%)
The Cadets:
Carolina Crown:
The Cavaliers:
Colts:
Crossmen:
Genesis: N/A
Jersey Surf: N/A
Madison Scouts:
Mandarins:
Music City: N/A
Pacific Crest: N/A
Phantom Regiment:
Santa Clara Vanguard:
Seattle Cascades: 2002 - City Riffs: The Music of Leonard Bernstein (by default)
Spirit of Atlanta:
Star of Indiana:
Troopers:

Hello,
I'm looking for a backpack up to $300 specifically for a student. I want something with easily accessible laptop and iPad sleeves, and a medium-sized top pocket that could fit a wallet, phone, pens, etc. Preferably black or another dark color, somewhat rigid structure so it doesn't flop over when empty. At least one water bottle pocket ideally, and one medium to large main storage pocket. Not looking for something with a ridiculous amount of pockets and accessories, or something that is so sleek and minimalist that it looks like a cybertruck. Any brands or specific models y'all would recommend?

Hello,
I'm looking for a backpack up to $300 specifically for a student. I want something with easily accessible laptop and iPad sleeves, and a medium-sized top pocket that could fit a wallet, phone, pens, etc. Preferably black or another dark color, somewhat rigid structure so it doesn't flop over when empty. At least one water bottle pocket ideally, and one medium to large main storage pocket. Not looking for something with a ridiculous amount of pockets and accessories, or something that is so sleek and minimalist that it looks like a cybertruck. Any brands or specific models y'all would recommend?

Hi, I am a first time seller on this sub but I'm active on mangaswap and have confirmed trades there! Let me know if you have questions or would like more pics. All prices include USPS shipping and Paypal Fees. All games tested and work perfectly. If GBA or DS games do not specify CIB and say loose it means they come only with the box (original nintendo box) and cartridge, no cover art or manual.
All games w Timestamp
Nintendo Gamecube:
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem CIB- $120 Shipped (Excellent Condition, zero scratches)
Nintento DS (Games that say Loose come with original nintendo ds cartridge box and cartridge only, no cover art or manual)
Pokemon SoulSilver CIB - 200$ shipped (Like New Condition)
Pokemon Black CIB - $155 shipped (Like New Condition)
Pokemon Pearl Loose - $50 shipped
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin - Loose - $65 shipped
Naruto Path of Ninja CIB - $20 shipped
GameBoy Advance (Games that say Loose come with original nintendo ds cartridge box and cartridge only, no cover art or manual)
Pokemon FireRed - Loose - $100 - shipped
Metroid Zero Mission - Loose- $85 shipped
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga - Loose - $45 shipped
Golden Sun- Loose - $45 shipped
Nintendo Switch
Animal Crossing New Horizons CIB - $45 shipped
Pokemon Sword CIB- $30 shipped
Pokemon Lets Go: Eevee Edition- $18 shipped Loose second hand box
Valkyria Chronicles 4 CIB- $20 shipped ask for pics

 Me(17f) my boyfriend(19m John), his brother (16m joe) his friend(20m doug), me and boyfriend just bought a house and we got to hang sheet rock and almost finish our bedroom, but to celebrate we wanted to go the creek on our day off to relax and enjoy ourselves. The creek we went too was secluded, outside of the town in a what we call distracts. there’s never very much traffic and not many houses in the surrounding area. This creek is amongst the more popular hang out spot when it gets warmer, but it’s government property and open to public, it’s really hard to get into and almost mile walk to make it going through ruts and big pond like mud puddles. 

so you were forced to walk it, if you didn’t have a truck that was especially good at mudding and easy to maneuver. The last person we heard attempting to drive down the path flipped their truck and no one ever attempts to drive down it.

it was later in the evening and getting dark, so we were going to try to build a fire, to warm up after we swam. We were there maybe 30 minutes when we start hearing trucks and seeing lights in the woods like someone was driving down the path to the creek. when we arrived no one was there and the last car was leaving. I am in general a very anxious and nervous person so already from the beggining exetremely paranoid and scared of who this person could be showing up to the creek nearly soon after we got there like he maybe followed us. we soon see this lanky man stumble down the path with a bottle of whiskey. At first we thought he might have been a teenager around our age just trying to find someone to hang out with and stumbled across our path and was just a coincidence. We soon learned he was a 26 and we told him our respected ages. Which was the first flag he offered us alcohol even though underage, although proven not to be poison or anything, it was just strange. He was very persistent with helping us start our fire. He mentioned how he could go grab his machete out of his truck to chop the branches or to go to his camp where he had 5 gallons of hand sanitizer. But soon after he mentions going to get the hand sanitizer he mentions that he hasn’t been to the creek in a while lately(year+) but who has hand sanitizer in large quantities stored at a camp that is not permanent or permitted(since it’s government property) As we continue to talk and kind of learn a little bit about each other this man was meticulously not telling us who he was but with anything we said he would relate too, like living on the same road as my boyfriend, when he lived with his dad, but my boyfriend didn’t know who he was even though we live in a small town with a small population, only after my boyfriend had mentioned it. Also said he was from the same town I grew up in which was almost 2 hours away and a very populated town. So seemingly like a serial pier or trying to relate to us to gain our trust. Eventually he asked why we haven’t asked him his name, yet and we proceeded to not tell us anything about his name or who he is, but claimed that we have done this all before like we have been in the same place with him before doing the same thing, we have not been to this creek in almost a year and I only went one time before and do not remember him. He acted like he was stuck in a time loop. He claimed that he knew us all already, I just moved to this town and don’t know very many people, and stay very much so to myself, so I remember a lot of the people I meet. what made it worse was the smiles he was giving all of us when no one else was looking it was bone chilling. And he knew we were kind of freaked out of him and he would make sly comments that we didn’t really pick up on. After that we decided it was time to leave as joe had school in the morning. As we were walking up the bank of the river the man whispered into Doug’s ear that “if we kept asking questions we were going to find out something we didn’t want to.” And mentions how we are all scared of him and that he can tell. And tries to more sarcastically defend himself, seemingly making it worse, because we could sense the danger. This man persisted that we get in the truck and ride with him, and When we denied he wanted us to sit on the tailgate which we denied again, he wanted to have us walk in front of the truck so we could use the headlights to see, we eventually convinced him that we would walk behind and he said he would go walking speed and let us keep up. He then starts making my boyfriend help him jump this newer truck (2015+) that was beat up. We finally get the truck going, and joe at this point is shaking with me, and starts getting noticeable uncomfortable when the man starts making persistent remarks about how he should get in the truck with him and ride so he didn’t have to walk. We didn’t allow him to get in the truck and the man stopped asking. After that we start walking at a slow lurch not seeming to look away from him through his back glass. When a bigger mud puddle comes up he stopped and told us to back away from the truck and turn around, like he didn’t want us to get covered in mud, but said it in a remarkably weird name that set off about 100 buzzers in my brain, I personally didn’t look away from the truck, not even a second, and when the truck was far enough away where it was slinging mud we went back to following. At that point he is driving faster so we are having to use flashlights to keep going to catch back up. He stopped and let us kept up and then speed off again to where he would wait til we are about vision distance away and skirted out to the road, we still had about a 5 minute walk, extremely anxious because we didn’t know if there where people with him waiting for us to make it to the car. We made it to the car and not seeing a trace of the did or his truck and quickly get into the car to leave. As we are pulling out to leave we see the dude seemingly been parked at the bridge waiting for us to leave. He then followed us down the road and we eventually lost him, and all made it home safely. We still don’t know his intentions were for that night. And nobody else knows who he is, and I can’t seem to find him online. And the only other information I know of him is that he is known to creep around town and tries to hang out with other teenagers in town. Whether not he was harmless but drunk and coming of wrong, serial killer, or an escape from an mental institution I hope me or anyone else ever had to cross pathes with him again. We Will no longer be going to the creek after dark or back to that creek in general. 

 Me(17f) my boyfriend(19m John), his brother (16m joe) his friend(20m doug), me and boyfriend just bought a house and we got to hang sheet rock and almost finish our bedroom, but to celebrate we wanted to go the creek on our day off to relax and enjoy ourselves. The creek we went too was secluded, outside of the town in a what we call distracts. there’s never very much traffic and not many houses in the surrounding area. This creek is amongst the more popular hang out spot when it gets warmer, but it’s government property and open to public, it’s really hard to get into and almost mile walk to make it going through ruts and big pond like mud puddles. 

so you were forced to walk it, if you didn’t have a truck that was especially good at mudding and easy to maneuver. The last person we heard attempting to drive down the path flipped their truck and no one ever attempts to drive down it.

it was later in the evening and getting dark, so we were going to try to build a fire, to warm up after we swam. We were there maybe 30 minutes when we start hearing trucks and seeing lights in the woods like someone was driving down the path to the creek. when we arrived no one was there and the last car was leaving. I am in general a very anxious and nervous person so already from the beggining exetremely paranoid and scared of who this person could be showing up to the creek nearly soon after we got there like he maybe followed us. we soon see this lanky man stumble down the path with a bottle of whiskey. At first we thought he might have been a teenager around our age just trying to find someone to hang out with and stumbled across our path and was just a coincidence. We soon learned he was a 26 and we told him our respected ages. Which was the first flag he offered us alcohol even though underage, although proven not to be poison or anything, it was just strange. He was very persistent with helping us start our fire. He mentioned how he could go grab his machete out of his truck to chop the branches or to go to his camp where he had 5 gallons of hand sanitizer. But soon after he mentions going to get the hand sanitizer he mentions that he hasn’t been to the creek in a while lately(year+) but who has hand sanitizer in large quantities stored at a camp that is not permanent or permitted(since it’s government property) As we continue to talk and kind of learn a little bit about each other this man was meticulously not telling us who he was but with anything we said he would relate too, like living on the same road as my boyfriend, when he lived with his dad, but my boyfriend didn’t know who he was even though we live in a small town with a small population, only after my boyfriend had mentioned it. Also said he was from the same town I grew up in which was almost 2 hours away and a very populated town. So seemingly like a serial pier or trying to relate to us to gain our trust. Eventually he asked why we haven’t asked him his name, yet and we proceeded to not tell us anything about his name or who he is, but claimed that we have done this all before like we have been in the same place with him before doing the same thing, we have not been to this creek in almost a year and I only went one time before and do not remember him. He acted like he was stuck in a time loop. He claimed that he knew us all already, I just moved to this town and don’t know very many people, and stay very much so to myself, so I remember a lot of the people I meet. what made it worse was the smiles he was giving all of us when no one else was looking it was bone chilling. And he knew we were kind of freaked out of him and he would make sly comments that we didn’t really pick up on. After that we decided it was time to leave as joe had school in the morning. As we were walking up the bank of the river the man whispered into Doug’s ear that “if we kept asking questions we were going to find out something we didn’t want to.” And mentions how we are all scared of him and that he can tell. And tries to more sarcastically defend himself, seemingly making it worse, because we could sense the danger. This man persisted that we get in the truck and ride with him, and When we denied he wanted us to sit on the tailgate which we denied again, he wanted to have us walk in front of the truck so we could use the headlights to see, we eventually convinced him that we would walk behind and he said he would go walking speed and let us keep up. He then starts making my boyfriend help him jump this newer truck (2015+) that was beat up. We finally get the truck going, and joe at this point is shaking with me, and starts getting noticeable uncomfortable when the man starts making persistent remarks about how he should get in the truck with him and ride so he didn’t have to walk. We didn’t allow him to get in the truck and the man stopped asking. After that we start walking at a slow lurch not seeming to look away from him through his back glass. When a bigger mud puddle comes up he stopped and told us to back away from the truck and turn around, like he didn’t want us to get covered in mud, but said it in a remarkably weird name that set off about 100 buzzers in my brain, I personally didn’t look away from the truck, not even a second, and when the truck was far enough away where it was slinging mud we went back to following. At that point he is driving faster so we are having to use flashlights to keep going to catch back up. He stopped and let us kept up and then speed off again to where he would wait til we are about vision distance away and skirted out to the road, we still had about a 5 minute walk, extremely anxious because we didn’t know if there where people with him waiting for us to make it to the car. We made it to the car and not seeing a trace of the did or his truck and quickly get into the car to leave. As we are pulling out to leave we see the dude seemingly been parked at the bridge waiting for us to leave. He then followed us down the road and we eventually lost him, and all made it home safely. We still don’t know his intentions were for that night. And nobody else knows who he is, and I can’t seem to find him online. And the only other information I know of him is that he is known to creep around town and tries to hang out with other teenagers in town. Whether not he was harmless but drunk and coming of wrong, serial killer, or an escape from an mental institution I hope me or anyone else ever had to cross pathes with him again. We Will no longer be going to the creek after dark or back to that creek in general. 

Hey everyone I recently bought a cheap distiller from Amazon it has to pot with the clamps and the tube with the other small put attached to it on the outside where the copper pipe runs from the big pot to the smaller one and eventually to my depositing bottle I tried distilling some grape wine but it ended up tasting really bland and low percent why is this I know the wine was only 5 percentish could this be why? What should I do could this be the pipes leaking? Or maybe I should just try stronger drink to distill either way the smaller pot on the outside keeps overheating so I keep adding cold water and ice manually since I don’t have a pump am I just screwing up?

“God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe say, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No, " Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
Next time you see me comin', you better run"
Abe said, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God said, "Out on Highway 61"
The radio, a martyr’s relic from a bygone era, sounded half as faded as I was.
I reeked of vodka and middy weed. I didn’t care. This lonely stretch of highway belonged to no one as far as I was concerned, and you gambled taking the curves in the dark.
It was your fault if you choose to gamble with me. Least, that’s the way I saw it.
Texas felt so far away.
“Well, Cowboy Dan's a major player in the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation, drinks and gets mean
And he's gonna start a war
He's gonna start a warrrrrr
And he hops in his pickup
Puts his pedal to the floor
And says, "I got mine
But I want more"
Because Cowboy Dan's a major player in the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation, drinks and gets mean
He goes to the desert, fires his rifle in the sky
And says, "God, if I have to die, you will have to die"
I hacked up what felt like part of a lung. My hand was stained, the oxidized rust of old blood mixed with a fresh coat of red, a fresco that highlighted a life poorly lived.
Wait.
What happened to Bob Dylan?
Or was it Johnny Cash?
Wasn’t I just listening…
Gaps in time. I prayed I hadn’t taken the ketamine.
That was for later.
If you want proof time is just a strongly worded opinion, just slip into a k-hole.
That was for later.
My eyelids felt heavy.
There were no stars.
Endless pines, only shadowy outlines in the dark, still cover for the night’s starving predators, were all I could make out.
I just guessed at where the road kinked and turned and straightened.
I was playing a game with God, and I wanted to lose.
I wanted us all to lose.
“Dance, Dance to the radio
While the, Devil takes control,
Dance, Dance to the radio,
While the, Devil takes control…”
The warm hug of oblivion, a feeling like endless cookies and Saturday morning cartoons, began slipping its infinite arms around me.
Come and See, and I saw.
It was still the witching hour when I woke with a startled gasp. I could feel the claws of need, withdrawal, dragging up my arms, burrowing into my skin, making the back of my eyeballs vibrate.
Every day the need grew stronger, and every day, I killed off a little bit more of me.
One is too many, and a thousand is never enough.
I was in a ditch.
This wasn’t new or news. I tended to wake up in a lot of ditches. Beats Motel 6. Fewer roaches and you could smoke in every room.
My truck wouldn’t start.
Not even the wheezing gasps of a machine trying to cling to artificial life. Just a click and utter silence.
The battery couldn’t be dead. I checked my watch.
5:55 A.M.
I figured I’d tried to hit the eternal snooze button around 3 A.M. It had only been a few hours. Battery should be fine.
A cursory inspection showed no external damage. No blown tires, no misbegotten wires or missing spark plugs. Hell, it seemed like I’d just slowly cruised into this dark little corner of the universe.
It was as though the truck just gave up the ghost and said, "I’m done." The thirsty horse dropping to the ground in an endless desert, done with the death march.
I bear crawled up the small ravine and onto the highway.
A generous term for a lonely road in whatever the Hell backwater burg America had shit out here.
All I could see were outlines in the dark.
Fitting, I thought.
And then an explosion stole my vision.
Let there be light.
And there was.
And it was good.
Especially good.
Because it was a bar.
A ramshackle of a spot, dive joint meets biker meth hangout, from the looks of it, and it was just powering up.
Shit, if you couldn’t drink on Sunday morning, were we really free? Were we really God’s children at all?
I started ambling toward the light, my eyes adjusting to the deep gloom.
“The Man from Capernaum.”
Hell of a name for a spot in the middle of BFE.
Hell of a name.
Hell.
Hell, I needed a drink.
My watch read 6 a.m. but it was 5 o’clock somewhere, and this place had electricity buzzing it had to pay for and didn’t much strike me as the sort of establishment that probably saw the law as anything more than a nuisance.
I sauntered up to the door, my black boots clicking loudly against the rotten wooden porch.
Into the lion’s den we go.
Unsurprisingly, it was empty as a church on Friday night. Why kill the Son if you can’t have the sin, after all?
But it was unlocked and music was softly crooning from somewhere.
“As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that Good Ol’ Way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way”
Fantastic. No bartender and proselyting in a shit joint. That’s just what my migraine and itchy skin called for.
I considered hopping the bar and grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, but this struck me as a place where your head might become acquainted with a shotgun right quick and nobody would kick up much fuss.
I was going out, a lamb among wolves, but on my terms. I’d had enough violence. I wanted to feel the void swallow me whole, not feel a hole swallow my head.
Plopping down on an empty stool, I risked lighting up a smoke. Certainly they wouldn’t get bent out of shape over a cowboy killer or two.
And shit, who was there to kick up dirt anyway? A ghost town without the spirits, save the ones just behind the bar and out of reach.
The tantalizing fruit in the garden.
God, I need a cold one, now.
“Till armageddon no shalam, no shalom
Then the Father Hen will call His chickens home
The wise man will bow down before the throne
And at His feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When The Man comes around”
The hairs on my arm stood up.
That wasn’t the gentle croon of some A.M. gospel channel. That was someone singin’ in the bar.
In the furthest stool at the left end of the bar, a wild looking man sat, intermittently taking greedy gulps of amber beer and singing loudly, his other arm flailing frenetically as though conducting an unseen orchestra.
Ah, good, a ninja crackhead. That’s just what I need.
He looked over at me and I leapt from my chair and damn near outta my boots.
Ancient as the hills, this man looked like he’d just come down the mountain from communing with the darkness itself.
God damn.
A wild, grey, patchy beard splayed out in every direction, as though the hair itself was trying to escape the vessel that grew it.
The crown of his head was bald but the rest was shaggy white hair, matted in some places, errantly sticking up in others, as though it couldn’t choose between electrocution and submission.
He wore what looked like a white robe, but it was stained with all manner of mess. Copper, brown, yellow, black. Blood, shit, piss, and Heaven only knows what. A fetid robe of many colors.
Tattered, rudimentary sandals held in dirty feet with long, yellowed toenails.
The man reeked worse than sulfur. Worse than death. It was like the pungent stank of the human stain clung to him with reckless abandon.
He was chubby and withered and maddened.
But none of that held a penny to his eyes.
Orbs of the purest white, ringed with seared, blackened flesh around the edges.
Nothing but endless, empty white that somehow felt like it saw nothing but what we all couldn’t see. Nothing of this world but everything we hide in it. Our lies, the horrors behind the masks, what we do in the dark, this tattered, horrible amalgam we have the audacity to still call “a soul.”
Fuck this.
I went to run but found I had no will to do so.
My boots had become one with the earth, like the leather was finally gonna join the cattle that had to die for me to feel like a man.
A crash of thunder stole my hearing, a tiny whirlwind began lifting and smashing bottles from behind the bar.
The seals of the bottles came open, spraying spirits everywhere.
The bar was alight with white fire and a light blasted through the bar that would embarrass the Sun.
Then all was silent and still.
“Nice hooves,” the man said in a velvety baritone.
I looked down at my black boots and back up at him.
There is probably a drug cocktail somewhere in existence where, if mixed properly and taken with utter scientific precision, probably unlocks the gates to Heaven in the human consciousness.
I think I might have found the one’s that unlocked Hell’s.
The man wore a wide, warm grin. Authentic and inviting, the jovial visage of every TV grandfather. Creature comfort. He no longer looked like a raving maniac.
Far from it.
The man was now young, maybe late 20’s.
Golden, feathered locks elegantly curved just behind his ears.
A black cardigan, dark jeans, and new Grecian sandals graced a well-kept temple, a body of with seemingly perfect porcelain skin.
Sapphire blue eyes, pools of painful beauty, the kind that feels like a knife twisting your gut, looked at me with compassion.
I could smell lilac and some spice that seemed reminiscent of a world long gone by but made me what want to curl up with a blanket and read a good book by the fire wafted my way.
A single, marred tattoo of a small cross ran down the index finger of his left hand.
The man sat down and said, “why don’t you and them hooves join me, Pappy?”
I go by a lot of names to keep myself safe in this shithole world, but I hadn’t gone by my real name since I beat a kid black and blue in elementary school for mocking me for it and my daddy had told me he was proud of me. Put a cigarette out on the back of my neck later that same night after a few too many for causing trouble.
The duality of man or whatever the Hell the academics prattle on about, I guess.
“They’re boots,” I snarled, playing at bravery, bluffing like I did every day of this wasted life, hopin’ it might but him back on his heels.
I didn’t know if I was messing with some damned creature not of this world or was just higher than a kite and seeing nonsense. While the latter seemed far more likely, I wanted to prepare for the former.
“Sure,” he said kindly, “sure.”
I sat down on the tattered stool.
“Where’s the bartender? And how the Hell do you know my name?”
“Calm down, son. You look like you could use a drink of the old blood. Sure beats those poisons you keep sticking in that body we gave ya.”
A wine glass appeared before each of us, filled to the brim. The man, or whatever it was, sipped away, humming some forgotten hymnal.
“I ain’t much of a vino fan. Got any Irish whisky?”
He lifted his glass as though to toast me and said “Sure. And you certainly will need that later. For now, the grapes of wrath, as it were.” A soft chuckle left his lips.
I sipped the wine. No sense bucking the bull when you don’t know how big or angry it really is.
It tasted like nothing I had ever had before. An indescribable, wicked deliciousness.
It warmed me up and filled me with light and hope and covered up all the dark holes that had punched through me by others.
Even plugged the ones I’d punched myself.
“We?”
The man took a small sip. “Sorry?”
“You said ‘the body *we* gave ya. *We*.”
It was only then I noticed he was crying.
There were no sobs, no audible gasps, no tremors or shakes, just slow, steady tears of blood dripping from those perfect blue orbs.
“Name’s Arah. I’m an Angel.”
Arah downed the goblet of wine, flecks of his bloody tears caking the glass’s rim.
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.”
This obvious machination of my drug addled brain chuckled louder this time, a slight slur and anger tinging his words.
“I’m even less for all that religious babble than I am for wine. Though this shit’s pretty damn good, I gotta admit.”
“LIAR!” Arah screamed, shaking the whole bar. His eyes were wide and obsidian and his chest heaved heavily.
“Liar.” This, a quiet whisper.
“You spent your whole life in church.
You soaked up every hopeful word, every promise of redemption and fixing, and the truth of that still rattles around inside you.
You can stick all the needles you want into that arm so you can lie to yourself and take away the pain you were meant to bear, but you can’t lie to me. We see everything, for we are many.”
Arah refreshed his glass with a small flourish of his hand before downing it again, his disposition getting slightly wobblier.
“DRINK!” he screamed, and when the world stopped shaking and those eyes turned blue again, I sure as shit started pounding the fermented fruit.
Ain't the time to be picky.
“You aren’t having a bad trip. I'm having a bad trip.”
The endless tears of blood fell quicker, like a swift red river coursing from a deep blue waterfall.
Small pools of it began forming of the bar. A slight acrid smell was on the air, barely noticeable behind all the wonderful aromas.
I felt warm and real and firm. I felt human again. My glass had been refilled and I downed another.
Okay, so I was getting wasted with an angel. Admittedly a first, even for my winding and warped road, but getting blitzed on Jesus Juice sure beat pissing off some emotionally unhinged cherub motherfucker.
“I can’t find Him. I can never find Him.”
Slight groans left Arah’s lips and he gulped down another glass.
With a minor twitch, the glass flew and smashed against the wall.
A nanosecond, if even, after the sound of shattering, it reappeared anew, full of the deep blood wine, before him, and he slurped it down his gullet.
I was trying to keep pace with him.
Shit I could drink a fifth of whisky and make it home alive but something in this good good had me slippin’. A part of me knew I should be petrified to ask, but the rest of me was too faded to care.
“Find who? What brings you here, cryin’ tears in yer beers?”
Now I was the one slurring.
“Take them.”
I looked down at the bar.
A belt. A syringe full of something brown and beautiful.
All the gear.
And six shots of what I prayed was Jameson.
“But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
Arah was slurring hard now, slowly spinning in his chair, laughing and crying.
“Have a taste. At least there’ still manna.”
I shot the whole thing and downed that beautiful Irish whisky. Warmth and light filled me up and stole me away from this putrid rock.
Somehow, as wrecked as I was, I felt I could see Arah all the clearer, like the Sun pushing out the remnants of a storm. His hands looked withered, and those blue eyes looked heavy and tired.
“I miss Him. God. Father.”
I began to mumble some apocryphal question, but a raised hand silenced me.
“We’re taking communion here, son, an act of contrition, of grief, celebration and loss. I’m not giving about to give you a seminar on the finer points of how you all bungled what we gave you and called it ‘religion.’ Just shut the fuck up and drink.”
We downed a glass of wine in unison, a broken human and clearly a broken angel, performing a ritual at the alter we were left with.
“You wanna know why I’m here drinkin’? I know you do. I can hear it rattling around in that little rat brain of yours, gnawing, gnawing, gnawing.
Well, here’s why. GOD LEFT.
You remember your Bible.
Like a schizophrenic mother when the voices just crept too far in, he drowned all his children in the bathtub. He felt regret.
You apes can’t come to terms with the fact that it isn’t cognitive dissonance to be perfect and make mistakes. Your binaries and absolutes are the pathetic crutches you rest on, the prisons you build for yourselves. You think you live in the grey but you don’t. You are the simple minded mistake of something far greater than you could possibly fathom.
Hell ain't nothin' but a door locked from the inside.
He was right to drown all of you, ya know.
You’re an abortion that didn’t take.
You’re the science experiment gone wrong.
You’re the motherfucking poisonous residue left over when the manufacturing process goes the slightest bit awry.
He TRIED. He gave you EVERYTHING. And you chased him away.
He wanted to put you all down. Wipe the slate clean. Shoot the wolf with the broken leg caught in the trap. Mercy. But He had made those fuckin’ rainbows, and He kept his word.
You all sit and pout and scream and gnaw and gnash and blow each other up. Always the same shit in this horrible flat circle.
"My god is real, your god is fake! "
You never once consider you’re all talking about the same damn thing, and more to the point, you're spend your entire lives debating His existence. What a catastrophic waste to be so far from the mark.
Is He real? Is He a fairy tale?
Is there a big bearded man with a sword in the sky or is it just what some primitive apes told themselves to explain the lights in the night sky, a mechanism of control and purpose in an entropic and meaningless world?”
I felt frozen listening to Arah rant.
Somewhere, between the distant sound of brutal words, I heard that radio kick on.
“The Third Planet is sure that they’re being watched
By an Eye in the Sky that can’t be stopped
And when you get to the Promised Land
You’re gonna shake the Eye’s hand”
“You won’t.”
Arah spoke quietly and sipped and audibly sobbed.
“I…I won’t what?”
“Shake his hand. He’s GONE.
You all fight with words and books and swords and shells and atoms about whether he exists. It’s your relentless, simpleminded addiction to dichotomy. It would be so boring if it wasn’t so sickening.
You think He exists, and if He does, He is here and He loves you and hears your stupid little prayers about football and bone cancer and bank accounts and AIDS.
And if He doesn’t exist, well, it’s just a bunch of conmen working over some fools with a fairy tale.
Any of you shitbirds ever consider He exists and LOATHES you? That he cut the cord to that existential phone line and ain’t nobody on the other side of that line anymore?
You live in an infinite universe that is forever exploding and expanding. He exists outside of even that.
You think you’re special? You’re one tiny experiment among so fucking many, I couldn’t make the smartest mathematician in the history of this planet understand how infinitesimally numerically irrelevant you are.
The question isn’t, is God real or is it all a hoax, a self-delusion?
The salient question, Pappy, is whether He’s here. And He ain’t.
He kept his word and let you all live and fester and replicate and mutate like the virus you are. The fruit that ate itself.
But daddy split. Went out for smokes and He ain’t never coming back. Moved onto a new family. Just like He's done again and again and again. And I'm guessing will keep doing 'till He decides He got it right. Ain’t been here for a long time. Long, long time.”
6 glasses of wine appeared before Arah and he downed them all with lightning speed, spewing blood, sobbing and gasping and drinking.
His hair greyed and whitened and fell to the floor.
His nails began to decay and yellow.
The smell of shit and piss and bile crept up and began to make me nauseous.
“And you know who got really fucked? US. The angels.
God gave us instructions and we followed it. We knew what we had and we didn’t deviate. We did our duty. And He left us behind, too.”
Arah’s clothes began to whiten and dirty.
The enrapturing blue of his eyes began to fade, growing paler and lifeless. A wild, twisted beard and belly began to sprout.
“Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
Arah began shrieking.
"Fucking humans.
I AM AN ANGEL OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND I AM BOUND FOREVER TO THIS SHITHOLE OF A ROCK, ENDLESSLY SEARCHING THE COSMOS FOR A FATHER I CAN NEVER FIND, TRAPPED IN A PRISON I CAN NEVER LEAVE, FOR A CRIME I DIDN’T COMMIT.
YOU ALL DID THIS.
YOU ALL DID THIS.
YOU DID THIS.”
Arah leapt up and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me on high.
Fire scorched his eyes, leaving empty pale pools singed to a blackened crisp at the edges.
The wild, infested thing I’d seen before held me as though I weighed less than the judgment feather.
He was sobbing.
“I…I just did what I was told.
Do you know what Hell is? There’s no fucking lake of fire or torture rack with goats.
It’s this.
An endless existence having tasted God’s grace and love and then forever being separated from it, eternally searching for that one drug you know you can never find.
'Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss.'
This, this place, is Hell.”
All the opium in the world couldn’t save me from the stark terror of this celestial’s tortured judgment.
I was quaking and pissed myself.
“Now I got ya shakin’ in your boots. Nice hooves.”
He threw me and I slammed against the wall and I felt every ounce of wine and heroin and whisky spill out of my body and onto the floor.
In that moment, I felt the unmitigated suffering of absolute sobriety, and I’ve been sober every moment since.
This wild, unfettered thing inched closer to me.
It was only then I noticed the tattoo on his finger more closely. It was…clearer to me now. Everything was. That little cross on his finger was upside down as it faced me.
“What does your name mean, Arah? What did you do that made God leave all his angels behind?”
Arah opened his mouth and two snakes, one a viper, the other a colorful coral, slid out of his mouth and began encircling his head and neck, never striking, never squeezing, simply coiling infinitely.
“YOU FUCKING APES. I’LL RIP THE SOUL OUT OF EACH OF YOU AND EAT IT FOR LIFE ETERNAL.”
Arah, this manifestation of man’s worst nightmare, leapt at me, blood spewing, snakes dancing, the bar shaking and burning and reeking.
Alas, Babylon, for me.
Inches from me Arah froze, held still by some unseen force, his mouth snarling words that only came out as unintelligible, wet squelches.
A voice from the bar’s door whispered a single word.
“World.
In the first tongue, 'Arah' meant ‘World.’
At the door stood an older black woman with the kindest eyes I’d ever seen.
She wore a bracelet of thorns and a dress made of every flower my mind could conceive.
Golden eyes flecked with amber looked at me lovingly.
She quietly sauntered up to Arah and shook her head wistfully, a disapproving but loving mother wishing her child would just behave.
“You would do well to accept your place here, Arah. The Father may be gone, but this is where you and your lot stay. It was not man’s fall that bound you here.
Tell him what you did...Angel.”
Arah fell suddenly to the barroom floor, all the strength clearly sucked out of him.
“I..I did what I was told. I followed the orders I was given. It was for Him, Uriel.”
Uriel tutted her tongue as though an impudent child had told her a silly, obvious fib.
“You can lie to yourself all you want, Arah, but you cannot lie to me.
You, who whispered endlessly to Herod.
You, who dwelt in Caligula.
You, who served Qin Shi Huang.
You, who sought refuge in Robespierre .
You, who possessed Mengele.
‘And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”
Uriel helped me to my feet, brushed me off, and lightly put her hand on her cheek. It was the only moment in my life I knew what the word “home” meant.
“And you won’t lie to Man, either.
You remember the deal you begged for, Arah? Let remind you:
'They began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.'
You had the gall to call his creation, however staggeringly imperfect, swine.
You got what you asked for, then.
And you will have it for all time.
Get behind me.”
Uriel picked me up as though I were a mere baby and carried me to my truck. She laid me gently in the passenger side and started the engine.
The radio kicked on.
“I’m a rolling stone
All alone and lost
For a life of sin
I have paid the cost
Take my advice
Or you’ll curse the day
You started rollin’ down
That Lost Highway”
As she pulled away, I looked back at The Man from Capernaum one last time.
It was consumed in fire and the squeals of pigs shrieking carried through the cool night air.
“Do not pity him.
‘You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.’
God may have left this world but let the Demon burn.”

2181 – 09:17, Wednesday, January 17th –Agora of the Asari People- Serrice City - Thessia – Parnithia System
"It's done," said Nari in a faint croaking voice as she took a few shaky steps back from her magnum opus – a mural that depicted horror yet hope in the image.
"Easy there Nari," said Sam'nelea gently as she caught the exhausted artist in her arms. Mayises and Miretse rushed up and helped Sam'nelea carry Nari to a chair, giving her a bottle of energy drink so the exhausted artist could at least rehydrate.
"So it is finished Colonel T'goos?," asked Matriarch Seucsha T'sola as she called from behind the barrier that shielded the work from viewing.
"Yes Matriarch. Please, come and see Nari's masterpiece," replied Sam'nelea as she held Nari's head so that the shattered artist could drink.
Mayises was holding the bottle for Nari who swallowed greedily at the nourishing refreshing liquid. She had worked almost 18 hours a day on the mural, only stopping to rest when Sam'nelea forced her to. Even then it was barely enough yet Nari found an inner strength that Sam'nelea and her commandos could but only admire at the artists determination to complete this work.
Matriarch Seucsha T'sola of Serrice had also deployed her commandos to guard Nari and her work. The Serricean matriarch had seen the images of the horror under Fortress T'reaphia and was physically sick afterwards. Nothing like this had ever been seen on Thessia… ever. Asari had a dark side, that was undisputable but this… this was pure evil.
"Dear goddess!" she gasped as she and her senior officers came around the corner and saw the mural. There was cries of shock, anger, revulsion, despair and sadness from all when they saw what Nari had painted. Nari had also carved in bright red sandstone that sat above the mural, the High Thessian pictograms for the words: NEVER FORGET!
Sam'nelea surveyed the artwork with a studious glance. She could see that Nari had been heavily influenced by human art, so very obviously in this case as Nari's mural was a homage to both Picassos "Guernica" and Munch's "The Scream" but balanced by Van Gogh's "Starry Night" for the idea that hope still existed.
Sam'nelea had seen those artworks herself on Earth and was deeply moved by them and appreciated what Nari had incorporated into her mural.
Duncan's influence was evident for those who knew the friendship between the artist and the man who lived twice. The Commando officer was aware of that he had been showing Nari the best of human art.
"What a lurid, emotive, extremely confronting work," murmured Matriarch T'sola as she stared at it awestruck. A tear of empathy had trickled down her flawless lavender cheek. "This will be a testament as long as the Agora of the People stands." Her officers nodded in assent, too moved to speak themselves. "Did you see it, Sam?" she asked quietly.
"No matriarch and I thank all the deities and the universe that I didn't. I saw some of the footage that my matriarch displayed to all of you. That was enough. Even now, the Acolytes and house troopers who were there are still undergoing mental therapy for the trauma they were exposed to."
"And your War Artist? Will she be whole again?" the matriarch inquired with compassion for Nari in her eyes.
"I believe, no… I know she will be fine. Nari is one of the strongest Asari I have met. Her mental drive and fortitude allowed her to produce this masterwork in just over ten days. She barely slept and only rested, ate and drank when I forced her too. Look, she has passed out from exhaustion," said Sam'nelea with a sad resonate tone with deep sympathy in her eyes for her new friend. "She is a true hero of the Asari People matriarch. Not one of valour and great deeds of action, but of her strength of spirit and her artist talent. Let that be known in Serrice."
The Serricean matriarch nodded in total agreement.
"Her work will last for all time. Go home Sam. You, Nari and your commandos have done enough. I will post guards here on permanent duty. Fiahnni can send some across to be part of the guard who protect this… lesson to us all. We will invite other matriarchs to send their house troops to become a part of the detachment. I will house and feed them all. This will be a sacred duty, separate from being guards here at the Agora. This will be our privilege and duty to all the Asari people."
Matriarch Seucsha T'sola nodded once more to herself, knowing that only just over half of the republics would contribute troops to this force. The others like the Armali would prevaricate and dither, ultimately sending nothing which in all honestly, she was fine with. Less in the end for her to pay for and more glory to those that did contribute.
"As you command matriarch and thank you for all you support and aid. It is greatly appreciated." Sam'nelea gestured to her commando lieutenants and bring Nari's sleeping form with them. "I need to see my daughters and husband," she said tiredly.
Matriarch T'sola gave the Colonel at questioning look.
"I must ask Sam… what is it like being loved by a human male? I truly wish to know as I am considering my…options for a new partner."
Sam'nelea paused for a moment and thought about how to respond.
"Matriarch… I cannot answer that with any real ease in such a short space of time. All I can say is that Phillipe completes me. I met him almost twenty years ago and have never found a more loving, wonderful soul to share my life with and have daughters by. I wish Tevura's blessing upon you if you truly wish to find love with a man. It is challenging as you would understand yet… so rewarding as well once you have melded and know beyond any doubt that he is yours and you are his. I love him with every fibre of my being. We are one. Now… I should go," she said with a sigh as thoughts of her beloved husband threatened to engulf her.
"Be at peace Sam and Athame bless you," replied Matriarch T'sola with a soft smile as she considered Sam'nelea's words very carefully.
Sam'nelea, along with Dr Hethy and a few hundred others were some of the originals who bonded with humans. They were not the first but still, those individuals who in 2161, formed a coterie of Asari which became bonded to humans that year, changing Asari society forever. She vaguely recalled that one of her own junior clerical diplomats based at the Citadel bonded with a famous human male artist yet she couldn't recall their names off hand. No matter, the unions that worked were true examples of love crossing cultural and species lines. Fiahnni was right, Humanity and Asari would be one people in the end.
Seucsha signalled to her senior officers and Acolytes, that they take over from the departing T'daari forces. She also began considering her options of looking for a potential consort from the pool of humanity. The matriarch needed someone she could confide in, who would hold and love her in the dark of the night. She felt too lonely these days and taking an Acolyte to her bed had lost its allure as it was just sex for sex's sake, nothing more. Seucsha needed companionship more than ever after seeing Nari's work. The matriarch made up her mind, she would find her Siame in humanity.
Maybe a young man like the musical Maestro Matriarch Jami Sibeyr had found with her young human Siame? she considered.
Seucsha decided that she needed to speak with the Maestro to gain more insight. She concluded that a young man would last the time with her for her remaining years, they would grow old together which was a great comfort to her as the thought of outliving another bondmate would be too much for her to bare. The matriarch mused to herself that she might even have another daughter with him. They could at least try, after all Benezia T'Soni had her little Liara only eighty or so years ago. That had been the subject of much gossip within the conclave of matriarchs.
She turned away and began humming the maestro's beautifully soaring piece to herself. "A Love Song for Humanity" which was universally recognised as one of the greatest pieces of Asari music which had been created in generations. Now she began to see why, as she reflected upon what she had observed of Fiahnni's daughters and their relationship with Duncan Larkin.
Pity he was taken, she thought to herself as she left the building to board her waiting air-transporter, he would have made an excellent bondmate and consort.
The gull wing doors of her vehicle closed and as she was whisked away into the busy sky. She sat back into the plush soft leather seats and began opening the Matchmaking site, "Blue to Hue" on her datapad.
What charmed her the most, making her laugh and dispelling the awful visions of the horror that Nari had depicted, was that a classic human song started playing as soon as the Extranet site opened up on her data pad. She knew of this song and smiled widely in approval.
Queen's "Somebody to Love" was a perfect complement for the matchmaking site.
The 894 year old matriarch now began examining the hundreds of thousands of hopeful men who had listed themselves and had been ever so carefully screened as potential bondmates to Asari by the managers of the matchmaking site.
She had time and options and she was now looking forwards to Fiahnni's daughter's fashion show.
So much fun to be had!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2181 – Friday - January 19 – 19:30 – Lyriania's Memorial Amphitheatre – Dassus City
Lileah'sah peeked out from behind the huge gauze stage curtain, over the massive crowd that had filled the amphitheatre with pride and amazement.
"I still can't believe it," she said quietly to Duncan as they observed the full venue from the wings of the stage.
He held her in front of him, his arms wrapping over hers, around her waist and linking over her belly comfortably. She loved that. Turning her head, she laid her left cheek against his chest so as not to poke him with the tendrils of her crest. It was the only thing she thought that humans had as a minor physical advantage over Asari, they had no crest at the back of their heads that could get in the way of things.
"Believe it my love. Our terrific Tre'mete has done it. Tonight is going to make her a legend. She deserves this."
Lileah'sah turned in his arms and looked up at him with a hint of self-doubt in her eyes.
"I know. Although a part of me feels shame Duncan. I should have done this decades ago for her yet I didn't. I was a selfish, self-centred, spoilt stupid maiden, too wrapped up in her own Varen-shit to do the right thing by the one who had always loved me for who I was. Tre'mete only ever wanted me to love her. You did this for her, not me," she said with a heavy sigh and laid her head back on his chest once more.
Duncan cuddled her tenderly.
"Hey there sweetness, you have helped our crazy mad amazing seamstress and bondmate. You have been her tower of strength through this. You have been at her side all the way, helping her with the business side of things. She couldn't have done this without you. Yes I have been the catalyst that brought this into existence but you my magnificent, musical healer, you were the one who made it all happen. Tre' would have been lost without your family connections. No one would have taken her seriously if not for you going to all those meetings with her. Now she is on the cusp of her triumph and we will celebrate like never before. Look, all our family are here, all our friends too. Tre'mete has worked herself hard and I think it was a stroke of genius that she got everyone in the crew, plus our friends children to be models for her garments tonight."
"Again you are correct my dearest darling man. Their Aretḗ is going to only soar after tonight. And Chianay and Elanini… goddess… I would never have thought that my beloved cousins would be fashion models," she giggled lightly.
It had taken the trio plus Chianay and Ray a lot of diligent work to finally persuade the shy, bookish Intelligence Analyst to model some of Tre'mete's clothing tonight. Elanini would be modelling the more demure and reserved lines of garments that Tre'mete had designed, clothing suited for Asari of Elanini's demeanour. The normally quiet Asari was now abuzz with excitement and nervous energy. Ray spoke to her in her aural bud.
"Remember Ela', you are beautiful, powerful and strong. All eyes will be on you but you will see none as you will be bathed in glorious light. Consider this a simple walk in the sunshine wearing fine clothing that your cousin has made for you."
"Thank you Ray. I am glad you are with me. I couldn't have done this without you."
"You are my family Ela' and my friend and I will do anything for you," said Ray humbly and meant every word.
Elanini blew a gentle kiss to one of the security cameras, knowing that Ray was watching her like a guardian angel. Chianay hugged her younger sister in a sign of affectionate support.
The AI along with Luenthvi were the masters behind the curtain, controlling all aspects of the upcoming show. Luenthvi was in the control room supervising the sound and lighting engineers and technicians in conjunction with Ray. Both Asari and AI had planned everything down to the last detail with Tre'mete, leaving nothing to chance. She got the two minute signal.
"Alright everyone, game faces on, it's showtime!" she said in a quiet yet commanding voice.
The Asari engineers and technicians nodded and began their final prechecks of all the systems.
A few minutes earlier, Fiahnni, Aenthiah and Raquelia, the family and close friends had been the last to enter the amphitheatre. A soaring glorious composition of human music rang out as the trio of Asari gracefully made their way through the building. Fiahnni had fallen in love with Händel's "Messiah" recently and shamelessly appropriated various pieces from the opera for herself. Her people loved it.
Jonah, Lomu, Di'naka and Nyanyzia flanked the Grand Matriarch, Fiahnni and Aenthiah. All the bodyguards resplendent in gleaming ceremonial yet fully functional battle armour.
Drokk led them all.
The Battlemaster's face was a picture of serenity as he quietly basked in the triumph of his clan. Krogan were ascendant, well at least in the republic of Dassus and only his clan but details, details he thought to himself with a gleeful inner smile. It was a start he mused to himself.
A storm of applause went up for the Grand Matriarch and Fiahnni, with people rising to their seats and cheering. They all knew what had happened two weeks prior; that the T'daari had shielded the people of Dassus from harm, had struck back at their hated enemies and triumphed, liberating the republic of Ulee from tyranny and returned it back to the rule of the people, by the people for the people. These were deeds worthy of song and celebration.
Fiahnni and Raquelia waved and smiled to their people who roared back with approval.
Behind them walked Kash'shara and Tito with Mirey and Hiroko by their sides. The rest of the family followed including Chianay and Elanini's mother, Sister Shaellei T'daari as well as other lesser relatives of the clan. Behind them came the human families as well as the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, with the senior Acolytes and staff of House T'daari bringing up the end of the procession.
There was a mild degree of puzzlement in the crowd as they wondered amongst themselves where Lileah'sah and Duncan were and why they were not walking with the first family of Dassus? The reason, only known to the immediate family, was that Duncan had insisted that the couple didn't as he wanted the family to receive the ovation, not him. Also Lileah'sah and he were to open the show with some words of welcome to the audience.
Lileah'sah, while wanting him to be cheered, understood. In many ways such public ovations actually embarrassed Duncan. He almost hated them and avoided them as much as he could. It was enough for him to have done good for no acknowledgement as he followed the teachings of Marcus Aurelias in that fashion as best he could.
"We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne." - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book Five
Lileah'sah now embraced that maxim for herself. Tre'mete was still on her journey in this regard yet Duncan and herself knew their bondmate would get there soon enough.
Everyone now settled in their seats and the murmuring of the crowd died down.
The lights dimmed down to nothing, blackness engulfing the massive space with only the safety lights running along the stairways visible.
"It's time love," whispered Duncan as he took her left hand in his right. She nodded, gave his hand a squeeze and led him out.
They followed the faint light trail out onto the stage and made their way to their mark.
The spotlights came on a few seconds later, bathing the couple in a soft warm glow rather than a harsh bright white light.
"Good eve to you all, distinguished matriarchs, Justicars, honoured guests and gentle beings and welcome one and all. Tonight you are going to witness a watershed moment in Asari society. Tre'mete Lira, my best friend, my darling lover, my bond and soul mate has been inspired to follow her dream by my other magnificent bond and soul mate, Duncan Larkin. He has given her the wings in which she now will soar with. I present to you all, the first ever collection from Saucy Secrets. Thank you."
Lileah'sah bowed her head while Duncan just nodded briefly to the applause from the audience.
The lights dimmed again as the couple left the stage and went back to the wings.
The stage had been configured to be a massive runway, twenty meters in length and four meters wide, running into the heart of the audience. Lights appeared around the edge of the stage as the main gauze curtain rose.
The raising curtain revealed a full traditional thirty three member Asari orchestra, standing ready behind their ancient traditional Gal'lungael percussion instruments and drums.
Smoke machine expelled their scented, fragrant contents into the air and tiny particles of glitter fell from the domed ceiling, creating a myriad of sparkling motes of light that dazzled the senses.
The music started.
A resoundingly massive explosive thunderclap initially startled the audience was immediately followed by an ancient time-honoured piece of Asari ageless battle music which opened the show.
The drumming and rhythmical percussion started, the Asari musicians all acting in perfect harmony as they expertly pounded out the ancient song on their traditional instruments and drums. Blue Biotic auras flared up from the Asari musicians as they merged their fields with the instruments, creating intricate resonating cascades of interweaving harmonics.
The Asari orchestra then chanted out the archaic words, lifted together in glorious song:
"We are here, We are alive, We exist, We are One!".
All Asari knew this piece as it was timeless, a musical racial memory that reached back into their mists of their distant past, passed down from mother to daughter, generation to generation, yay unto the very first Asari who could remember who she was.
It was burned into the very DNA and souls of the Asari people.
All the Asari in the amphitheatre instinctively sang at the top of their voices, joining in the ancient song unconsciously. The Asari joyously sang out loudly and passionately, feeling the moment and its significance upon them.
This was the ultimate signifier of change, of death and rebirth, the end of old things, the dying of the light and the dawn of the beginning of new ideas.
The future is always born in conflict and pain. Change is inevitable.
Tre'mete was creating a massive statement to her people, the times were indeed "a changing".
The song concluded with a finale crescendo that resonated hugely within the amphitheatre.
As soon as the piece had finished, the spectators thundered out with massive approval, standing, cheering, clapping and shouting as this had not been performed in living memory to a live audience. And not a single garment had been displayed yet.
The lights dimmed once more and the audience settled back into their seats, all abuzz now as this was not your usual fashion show. This was art.
A new, more modern composition of Asari music began, starting softly yet building up, swelling with intensity and passion.
The lights focused on the stage and out strode a supremely confident Olivia McAlpine, dressed impeccably in an amazing ensemble that shouted style, elegance, charm and suitability for a young teenage maiden Asari.
Olivia was followed by her faithful companion Zara Wattling then Eliza Percy and finally Sam'nelea's daughters Gabriella and Triana Aguilar. All the Asari teenagers beamed their dazzling smiles to the roar of approval of the crowd as they strode down the runway. Already Asari matrons in the audience and those watching live began to place orders for these clothes for their young daughters as the garments looked so lovely yet sturdy and comfortable, perfect for a growing young Asari.
The teens paraded down the runway, stepping in time to the soaring music. Each stopped at the end, striking a series of poses before sauntering back to the stage as though it was just another day walking in the park.
The music shifted into a more militaristic themed tune.
Tre'mete had asked her comrades from the Perihelion if they would model for her. All stepped forward without a moment of hesitation.
Lead proudly by Captain Eshess, the elite crew marched out to the deafening hailing of the audience. New ceremonial parade uniforms for the Dassus Navy were on display and by the goddess they looked good was the consensus. Tre'mete came up with this herself as she knew that military contracts were always a big money earner. She would win it on merit, not her family connections. Tre'mete knew that her fellow commandos and Navy personnel would clamour for these new uniforms.
The crew all marched casually, with smiles all alight on their beautiful faces, waving to the cheering crowd. They looked magnificent as they filed down the runway.
As the last crew member departed the stage, new music followed the last piece.
Stepping into the light came Icilea and Heretonia, hand in hand with Pania Paewai and Emily Percy, Human and Turian together, an unmistakable symbol of the end of the enmity and the beginning of deep and enduring friendship between the species.
A huge roar of approval went up from everyone in the amphitheatre. A masterstroke of galactical political genius by Tre'mete and the T'daari family. An emblem of harmony and reconciliation which would hopefully resonate beyond Thessia.
The Turian females wore long elegant blue and silver gowns that perfectly suited their body structure and morphology while the young human women were clothed in similar Thessian Glitterwing black silk ball gowns, yet theirs were cut with plunging necklines and slit just enough on one side to reveal their shapely, long legs much to the salacious delight of all the Asari watching.
The four graceful beings made their way down the runway, gently waving and smiling to the audience who lustily cheered them on. Orders from the hundreds of thousands of Turian females who had made their home on Thessia began flowing in as well as the tens of thousands of human women watching who were also Thessian citizens, both species bonded to Asari.
Tre'mete, who was watching from the wings, saw on her data pad the stream of tens of thousands of orders which were flooding Saucy Secret's Extranet site.
She, Ray and Duncan had planned for this. Ray had networks of extra server farms to handle the deluge of incoming traffic. If they hadn't have done this, the whole site would have crashed leaving tens of thousands of potential customers angry and upset.
The brawny commando felt her bondmates gather her in their arms and she sighed with a blissful exhalation. This was what she had always dreamed of; her creations being something that people wanted to buy. And the love of her bondmates surrounding her was mana from the heavens.
Tre'mete had made it.
"I will always love you Tre'mete," said Duncan in her aural canal on her right side while Lileah'sah had to briefly ignite her lifting field to rise a few inches to be on the level of Tre'mete's left side aural canal.
"You will always be my heart Tre' my love," she whispered as they both embraced the muscular Asari.
Tre'mete closed her eyes and held back her tears of pure joy as she couldn't afford to have her make up ruined by streaks of tears.
"We are One," was all she could say back to them. Her bondmates lightly kissed her cheeks then laced their arms around Tre'mete's waist, the triad standing together, loving, indivisible and resolute, watching the show they had planned together over the past few weeks unfold.
The Turians and human females made their way back to the stage as the music switched into something that almost no one in the amphitheatre had ever heard before.
A driving electronic tune that had an incredible melody and kick ass back beat.
Olivia walked back out onto the runway after her and her companions had quickly changed, leading them once more, her confident radiant smile beaming for all to see. The Asari teenagers danced up the runway, skipping and twirling to this thumping surging electronica track. The audience took up the beat and started clapping in time with it. Many were inspired to stand up to dance to the music. Soon almost all in the amphitheatre were dancing.
The teens were dressed in chic and classy tunics and pants, each in a different arrangement and colour. Again, Asari mothers with young daughters nodded with approval and clicked the order button on their Omnitools and data pads. This was exactly what young Asari needed. The style was fashionable, and multi-purpose as it could be for formal occasions or everyday wear.
The music was replaced by a banging piece of electro-swing that made everyone's open eyes wide as this tune just rocked.
The Perihelion crew then sauntered out, dancing merrily to the music while the teens were still dancing out the front. Tre'mete had chosen to emulate classic human styles in the line up and had dressed her crew mates in garments that were inspired by 1920's fashions. Light silk knee length silken Flapper dresses with dozens of thin tassels scintillatingly shimmered and shined gloriously as the crew sashayed down the runway. Her choice of style and music massively gingered up the already excited crowd.
This wasn't art anymore, this was an EVENT!
Asari worldwide got their first taste of electro-swing music, loving the infectious melody and driving danceable beats as they watched the crew and the teens now Jive and Lindy Hop with each other on the stage. The Asari on the stage and runway used their biotics and lifted one another as they spun and twirled in time to the incredible rhythm.
The crowd went wild with cheering and tried to follow this phenomenal new style of dancing. Maidens globally and beyond into the Asari colonies, opened up Human Extranet pages, madly searching for lessons and examples on how to dance like this.
Olivia led her companions back through the dancing crew, waving to the cheers of the crowd.
Aenthiah watched her ward, her heart nearly bursting with pride. She sat with her own daughter, holding her hand, both of them totally transfixed by the sensational spectacle unfolding before them.
"Mother, she is incredible," said Lysila into Aenthiah's aural canal over the noise of the crowd and music. The Asari was most impressed with Matriarch Ruto's granddaughter and had recently heard the dramatic story of how Olivia and her two friends had defeated six commandos in hand to hand combat thanks to the training given by her mother to the teenagers.
"As are you my most precious child," responded Aenthiah with love in her eyes.
The Justicar was thrilled that Lysila had excepted her invitation to attend the show. That Lysila came at all was a minor miracle as she often avoided meeting her mother, the galactically famous Justicar, as she was completely against violence in all its forms although she did approve of Olivia's act of self-defence and understood what Aenthiah had committed herself to. She reached out and took Aenthiah's hand in hers and gently squeezed. A stone melted in the Justicar's heart as mother and daughter sat and enjoyed the amazing event together.
The lights dimmed once more and a new style of music began. A thumping base line with a loud high hat four four drum beat. The lights came back on.
Icilea, Heretonia, Emily and Pania strutted back onto the stage, this time dressed in very revealing underwear. The audience gasps them roared out their approval as they now examined what the four females were wearing. Saucy Secrets was now a legend in fashion as Tre'mete knew exactly what would suit humans and Turian females.
The four females had sultry, saucy wiggle in their hips as the seductively wandered down the runway. The crowd now heard a growly human voice begin to speak over the music as the four danced in a semi erotic fashion. The lights seemed to dim as the man continued to speak.
"There's so many things I like about you,
I just don't know where to begin,
I like the way you, look at me with those beautiful eyes,
I like the way you, act all surprised,
I like the way you, sing along,
I like the way you, always get it wrong,
I like the way you, clap your hands,
I like the way you, love to dance,
I like the way you, put your hands up in the air,
I like the way you, shake your hair,
I like the way you, like to touch,
I like the way you, stare so much,
But most of all...
Yeah.
Most of all..."
The music built to a rising crescendo, then the beat dropped and out stepped Chianay and Elanini.
I like the way you move...
[Songwriters: Christopher James Karyotakis / Dylan Burns]
The crowd went mental as the gorgeously stunning sisters strode and strutted down the stage together, the epitome of Asari beauty on glorious display. Never before had a consort deigned to be a fashion model yet this was perfection.
Once the initial sensation had passed the audience focused on what the sisters were wearing.
Mouths were covered in shock and eyes widened hilarious amazement as they could clearly see on the enormous video screens which clearly displayed what Chianay and Elanini had on.
The pair were wearing a well cut lacey silk bra that had a pair of Blue hands printed on the front of the cups, seemingly holding the breasts within.
It was the underwear though that nearly caused a riot.
Both were wearing the panties that Duncan had come up with.
Stunning high cut panties cut in a thong style, both silvery white in colour, covered in lots of little ice-cream cones with the logo printed boldly on the front in High Thessian saying,
"It's not going to lick itself!"
Pandemonium!
Laughter, incredulous screaming, raucous cheering and furious applause erupted from the crowd.
Lysila sat stunned, wide eyed while Aenthiah just smirked to herself as she knew what the crowning moment of the show would be as she had regularly melded with Duncan, both of them sharing their thoughts and experiences. She knew how his incredibly cheeky and mischievous mind worked. And she knew Tre'mete would have nearly wet herself laughing when he told her of this idea.
The Justicar glanced across to her left and saw her faithful Acolyte Saendi howling with laughter as were other members of the T'daari family. Raquelia was gently shaking her head but had a huge smile on her face. Fiahnni was cackling like a lunatic. Kash'shara was totally gobsmacked while Tito had fallen off his chair laughing in hysterics. Mirey and Hiroko were shrieking in convulsive giggles. The human families with their Asari partners that were now a part of the house of T'daari were howling with merriment at the audacity that Duncan and Tre'mete had gone with. Even Drokk and Fiahnni's bodyguards couldn't contain themselves. Aenthiah was heartened to see Nari and Lyessrae creased up laughing together at the ridiculously funny panties. She was especially amused to see Chianay and Elanini's mother, Sister Shaellei, guffawing loudly at the sight of her daughters wearing such lurid underwear.
The biggest joke in Asari history was an astoundingly enormous success.
Always make 'em laugh… thought Duncan as he hugged Tre'mete tightly while the trio watched from the wings.
The teenagers and crew came out, this time dressed in a combination of swimwear and casual attire, all now dancing to the ecstatic adulation of the audience who were all up and grooving away to the fantastic music being played.
The BodyRocker's song finally finished and all the models on stage turned and started to clap to welcome the true star of the show, Tre'mete.
Daft Punk's "One More Time" classic track started playing as Tre'mete, walked out leading her bondmates with her. A furious storm of applause and biotic Asari salutes resonated throughout the space.
There was no need for the audience to give a standing ovation as the entire amphitheatre were already on their feet dancing.
Tre'mete, radiant with a smile of quiet triumph, stepped forward letting go of her bondmates hands, took her bow and waved to the adulation of the crowd.
She had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. Tre'mete turned and took her bondmates hands in hers and led them in bowing again to the audience and those watching from beyond. She could not have done this without them. Tre'mete shone with a biotic glow of pure happiness.
Saucy Secrets was a sensational stellar success.

We hired a local high school girl who lives in our neighborhood to feed and water our dog while my fiancée and I are out of town for a wedding. This girl has posts on our Nextdoor app advertising her pet sitting services. Long story short she’s been leaving our dog alone without food or letting him out for 17-20 hour stints, and we’ve been forced to double or triple text her to try and get over there. We contacted our next door neighbors who are going to take him into their house for the remainder of our trip. I’d like to point out that because she’s doing this as a gig to try and make money before she leaves for college this summer, I paid her 20% more than her asking price. I also paid her the full fee in advance before we left. I feel sick to my stomach that our dog has been neglected, and that we made a bad judgement call trying to hire her instead of just taking him to a boarding place. This is in Florida. Is this considered animal abuse? I have screenshots of her nextdoor app and our whole negotiation over texts. Not trying to ruin her life, but I definitely want our money back. Is small claims court the only way to go?

I have been almost 2 months alcohol and smoke free. I have been invited out today and a thought crossed my mind that a drink or 2 won’t hurt as long as I have a good meal and lots of water in between. My anxiety meds have been working but I can help but think, would it end badly? The outing got cancelled so I’m enjoying quiet evening after cuddles with my toddler for bed time.

On Easter my Greek family makes “Kokoretsi.” It’s made of all the intestines and organ meat of the lamb that get roasted on a spit, and its considered a delicacy. Traditionally we fast for 40 days before Easter, forgoing meat and dairy. When I was a kid being forced to go vegan for 40 days was torture. I’ve never been religious so I always held resentments around this yearly dietary change. And I used to think Kokoretsi was gross. Now I’m choosing to do extended water fasts and I’m dreaming about the roasted lamb and Kokoretsi I’ll get to eat. I finally realize the importance of intentionally using every part of the animal to show appreciation for all that nature provides us. I’m laughing at what an entitled little kid I was! Fasting has allowed me to find a new spiritual appreciation for my ancestor’s traditions and I feel more deeply rooted and connected to my culture.
Anyone else with similar experiences??

Hi all need some help. My betta fish Hans isn’t doing too well. I am unsure of the exact reason so I will list all the details I can. I got him in September and he was alone in a 2.5 gallon tank (all I was able at the time) with a heater, filter, hammock leaf and silk plants, and weekly water changes. And he’s been fine. Within the past few weeks he’s gotten a little slower, and starts to gasp for air. Early this week I discovered that our tap water became acidic (was reading 6.2 or less) I am unsure as to how long as I would only test strip once a month or if anything seemed off. and I believe that this might be his issue. I also heard that low ph also causes low oxygen. I was able to get him into a 5 gallon on Thursday. I used all of his water and some bottled water to fill up the 5gal. It was reading 6.4ph that afternoon. That night our tap got fixed and is reading between 7.0-7.2. I did a water change with that and now the tank water is reading around 6.8. I am planning to do another partial change Saturday afternoon (today). Through this whole thing it’s read no nitrates no nitrites no ammonia and has maintained a temperature of 76-82z He has gotten just slightly better. He has gone from laying on the floor most of the time at the beginning of the week, to now I can see he’s trying to get up more, but he has trouble pulling himself up. He tries to move and then gets very tired. He reminds me of someone with asthma with the way that he is acting. He eats a couple pellets a day, I’ve been able to get him to eat atleast 6 a day through all this. Is there anything else I can do to help him? And is there anything else I should be testing for?

Going away for the weekend for the first time and was planning to bring a gallon jug of distilled water with us to make formula with - do I need to refrigerate the unused portion once opened?
I normally boil tap water at home so not used to just using water from a bottle.

I'm primarily posting this just to process some big feelings, so I'm not really looking for specific advice, but any support is much appreciated.
I have Cerebral Palsy, and one of the issues I deal with on a semi-regular basis is my dominant knee subluxating (partially dislocating and then quickly relocating itself). It doesn't require a trip to urgent care, but it does make bearing weight fully on the injured knee painful and risky immediately afterward. I always have to have somebody help me walk or get me my forearm crutches, and use my crutches around the house (which I don't usually do) for at least the rest of the day, if not longer.
I recently moved out of my parent's house and into a duplex with a roommate. I work from home full time, while my roommate goes into an office. This morning, I was walking down the stairs to get a snack before a meeting, and my knee subluxated. I sat down on the steps and slid myself to the bottom. At first I didn't think it was too bad, but when I stood up I realized I was going to need my crutches that were across the room... and for the first time, I had no one to bring them to me. I had to sit on the ground, push myself backwards across the room with my hands, grab my crutches, and then very awkwardly get myself onto the couch from the ground. I still wanted to get a snack or at least a bottle of water afterwards, but that would have involved crouching to a low cabinet or struggling to carry a bottle of water. In the end, I managed to get myself back upstairs into the office safely, but I missed the entire meeting and didn't even get what I came downstairs for in the first place.
I'm physically mostly okay by now, but surprisingly shaken emotionally by how vulnerable and frustrating it felt to go through that alone for the first time. I've been thinking about whether getting a service dog would be worth it for me for a long time, and today solidified my answer. Multiple times during and after I got through the situation, I found myself thinking, "Ugh, if only I had a service dog who could just bring me my crutches!" So much of the situation could have gone so much more quickly and easily. A dog could've gotten my crutches, and gotten me the snack I wanted, even some Advil and water, and I wouldn't have had to drag myself across the floor or miss an entire meeting. Just as importantly to me, I wouldn't have had to feel so alone.
So tonight, I decided to contact a service dog organization to ask some questions about their program as it relates to my unique situation. I'm not necessarily going to be applying to that program, or applying anywhere just yet. I still feel like I need a little more time to get things settled with the recent move before making more major decisions. But I do think that once I'm settled from the move and find the right program(s), applying for a service dog will be the right thing for me... and that brings up both hope and nervousness and a bunch of other feelings I can't quite untangle yet that feel somehow bittersweet.
Thanks in advance for reading all this and offering any words of support.

I was playing table tennis today and kept my bottle near the table, but forgot to take it. Did anyone turn it in to UTD police or SU lost and found?
It also has 'Sumo Pune' engraved into it. This water bottle means a lot to me, and I would appreciate if someone has any leads on it.
Thanks,Vedang

Hey guys I'm planning a trip to Asia in the summer and I'm wondering what is the best filtered water bottle to get? I don't plan on being anywhere super rural mostly big cities. I hear that a lot of people get sick from drinking water in other countries so I definitely don't want to be spending my first weeks there in a rough state. I'm not sure whether to get the UV purifying bottles or a filter bottle. Does anyone have experience or suggestions in this?

this is really specific, but i’ve noticed that a lot of idols (during fan meets, while filming, etc.) have disposable water bottles with a hole drilled through the cap- are there water bottles that come like this or do staff drill a hole through the cap before events?