Hi there!! I'm Jay! :)
I want to find a guy that is compatible to me and shares the same values. Hoping to find him here!
I am a 22 year old who graduated college and and am currently living in New York!
I am looking to form a bond with someone, and then continue with an in person relationship!
A bit about me: - I have natural hair that I like to keep short, and I occasionally like wearing different wig styles to show my personality!
-I am on a weight loss journey! So I cherish healthy living and fitness. I am looking for someone who will motivate me to make the right decisions but at the same time also loves my body the way it is right now. I am currently 170lbs, my goal is around 130-140lbs. I've done it before, so I know I can do it again! I love walking and being active so definitely looking for a man who is the same!
-I am looking for someone who is mature and is established. Meaning, a man who works hard every day in any aspect of his life (career, family, or fitness). Someone who is level headed. But I am also looking for someone fun, kind, affectionate, and chill to hang out with!
-I am looking for a man who will prioritize spending time with me, whether it is virtually or in person. Someone who communicates and is neither pushy on me texting back within seconds, but someone who respects me enough to let me know if they're busy/to expect a longer wait time. Someone who is not shy to take random pictures of themselves and send them to me just so I know those silly little thoughts you have. Also someone who doesn't mind me taking tons of pictures too (because I do take a lot of pictures haha)
-I believe in communication! I need someone emotionally available, someone who isn't afraid to have those long, deep conversations with me. Someone who will hear me out and not judge me. A man that really listens but also has enough confidence to speak up too!
-My love languages are words of affirmations and quality time! It's my top two love languages :) Also, I want a man who intentionally plans dates/hang outs/skype sessions, and wants to genuinely have fun with me!
-I love anime! I watch so much anime, and I need a guy who is willing to watch some with me!
A bit about my careeschool...
-I am a published author! I have written 3 books, first one dating back when I was only 13! I was introduced to the publishing industry at a young age, so I went to college to study creative writing. I am currently minoring in creative writing and majoring in psychology! What I plan to do in the future is become a liscensed Expressive Writing therapist and/or create books for the youth to help their mental health!
-I used to have 3 on campus jobs when I was on campus. Library Assistant, tutor, and I work at the gym as a proctor. I am going to be starting a new job soon so I would consider myself a busy person, but I ALWAYS make sure to prioritize my relationships that are serious, and I expect my man to do the same with me.
***I consider myself to be a religious person, and this is something that value. I am Catholic and hope to meet someone who shares my faith! I'm looking for a deep connection, where we can pray together and listen to gospel music!
*** I smoke weed! So I am also looking for a man who does the same! I'm very 420 friendly!
*** I would consider myself to be asexual, which means that I want to form a relationship where sex is not a priority and isn't expected of me. Sending nudes is also something I will not participate in and is a hard boundary. However, I am an extremely romantic person and value intimacy and closeness in other ways! If you want clarification on this, I will gladly explain further over PM!
I am open to talking to anyone between the ages of 22-29 years old!
I want to say that I am a very open-minded person and welcome many different guys! Please decide for yourself if you meet these qualities and send me a message! All I ask for is commitment to having something serious and someone who is ready for that. Looking forward to finding you!

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

Hi there! I am moving to Montréal from California next month (planning to stay for a year and reassess). I've moved to the US before, but it was so long ago that I've forgotten many aspects of moving to a new country/culture. I would appreciate any help and information about the city to prepare accordingly. If you could assist me with these questions or point me in the right direction, it would be amazing:

1. Language: My first language is Spanish, but I'm fairly fluent and comfortable in English, not so much in French. Is Montréal genuinely bilingual, or do people switch languages out of politeness? Also, what would be more bothersome, someone with broken French or defaulting to English? I don't mind speaking French, but it can be challenging to understand someone like me, with limited experience speaking French outside of a classroom.
2. Social Life: How difficult is it to meet people in Montréal? I'll be working remotely and I'm concerned about feeling isolated. I'm a 25-year-old male who enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, and I'm interested in trying climbing. I'm also art-inclined, with experience in clay work and photography. Additionally, I love collecting records, going to live music events (especially jazz and dream pop), and indulging in tea while reading or writing. Do you have any recommendations on how to meet people in the city and make friends with similar interests?
3. Food: I enjoy cooking but would also like to explore the food scene in Montréal. What types of foods/dishes is Montréal known for being good at? When it comes to groceries, where can I get the best bang for my buck? In San Francisco, smaller neighborhood groceries tend to offer fresh and flavorful vegetables at lower prices. Is that the case in Montréal? Where do you usually do your groceries, and how much should I expect to spend per month?
4. General Advice: Are there any other things I should be familiar with or mindful of when moving to Montréal? Any general advice or tips about the city would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your help in advance!

Hello folks, Just want to start with a few quotes that I like that helped me put me in the right frame of mind to quit. "cold turkey for me was like jumping all the way down a flight of stairs. tapering for me was like taking one step at a time down until I was at the bottom." "It took years to get this deep into the addiction forest, it will take a while to find your way out...it won't happen overnight." -------- I was on kratom about 7 years, averaging probably about 40grams per day most of that time, sometimes more, sometimes less. I felt hopeless over the prospect of ever liberating myself from this green sludge. failed countless times trying cold turkey. Finally, I found a taper method that has worked for me. first I calculated my daily powder mixed with water intake (total daily grams)... the next part was crucial for me...I started taking this amount daily but in capsules instead of powder, and I split the dose into 4 doses spread evenly throughout the day. the capsules were ESSENTIAL for my success. in the past, it had been too easy to spoon a little extra powder when I was trying to taper. capsules keep you honest with dosing and it has less of a euphoric spike in my experience than the toss/wash method. cutting down even a tiny bit on that euphoric spike by taking capsules helped with my cravings. once you are on your total daily dose with capsules instead of powder, I dropped 0.5g per week (1 capsule per week). very very very very very slow process but nearly painless for me. Here is an example of what mine looked like... 10g in morning. 10g at lunch. 10g late afternoon. 10g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9.5g in morning. 10g at lunch. 10g late afternoon. 10g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9.5g in morning. 9.5g at lunch. 10g late afternoon. 10g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9.5g in morning. 9.5g at lunch. 9.5g late afternoon. 10g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9.5g in morning. 9.5g at lunch. 9.5g late afternoon. 9.5g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9g in morning. 9.5g at lunch. 9.5g late afternoon. 9.5g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9g in morning. 9g at lunch. 9.5g late afternoon. 9.5g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9g in morning. 9g at lunch. 9g late afternoon. 9.5g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 9g in morning. 9g at lunch. 9g late afternoon. 9g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) 8.5g in morning. 9g at lunch. 9g late afternoon. 9g bedtime. (do this for 7 days) and so forth........ eventually you can split to three doses per day, then eventually twice per day, and at some point just at bedtime, then finally off completely Yes, this process will take several months (probably at least 3-4 minimum). But I never needed any supplements or medicines to assist, except for occasional gummy at bedtime. Lastly, here are a few reflections I have had on this process. slowly over time, your confidence will grow that you can live without kratom...you will realize that you are socializing just fine without it...that you are doing EVERYTHING just fine without it, in fact you will be feeling better and more present without it. this was something that was impossible for me to believe until it happened. morning exercise was crucial...it will be hard sometimes to motivate yourself to do it, but I was ALWAYS satisfied after a workout, because I felt in control of my health and got a nice dopamine/endorphin fix from the exercise....your brain wants dopamine rewarding behaviors and as you come off kratom, you will need to replace the kratom with alternative dopamine rewarding behaviors, ideally constructive habits or activities...i.e.-delve into work, take up a new hobby, take care of your health via diet and exercise, socialize with friends/family, etc... This next one may not be for everyone, but I recommend taking a cold bath a few times per week, just for 1-2 minutes, as cold as the water will go; no need for ice necessarily; just put the tap as cold as it goes and plunge up to your chest/neck. not sure it has any positive health effects or not, but it helped steel my mind and resolve...you will feel invincible when you get out of the water and you will realize your mind can be stronger than you think watch inspiring youtube clips and movies to help keep motivated when feeling like you might fall off track and relapse when you have cravings, just witness the cravings come and go like a movie on a screen. they will come but if you just wait it out and are patient, they will pass, I promise......DON'T give in!! They will come back again......but again....THEY WILL PASS! finally, you need to truly say goodbye to Kratom once and for all! no thoughts of "well, I'll just do it on special occasions...blah blah blah." That just won't work for 99% of kratom addicted people. You are starting and new chapter, the next chapter in your life, without kratom. I kinda think of it like witness protection :). You are starting anew and must embrace that! you will be better off in so many ways. You will be more attentive to your friends and family, you will do more healthy habits and activities to seek your dopamine rewards, and you will save a shit ton of money! God bless you all and much love! message me if you want/need to chat
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update: I am now 5 months without kratom and feel great! I have mild, occasional nostalgia for a one off dose, but I won't make that mistake. Also, somebody made a great comment last time I posted this.. that the initial dosage drop can probably be significant (at least 20-30% ??) without much difficulty; then start the very slow taper. Or just do the very slow taper the whole time. either method should work.
good luck!
you can and you will!

I have read a lot of ludicrous statements, and there are a few who would deny the European-ness of Jews just to absolve them of human rights violations and other depredations committed by Israel against the indigenous people of Palestine.
Such as statements like this..

Ashkenazi Jews are not of Slavic or Germanic descent in any substantial way.

"older studies (such as Elhaik, 2012) found that Eastern European Jewish DNA had as much as 12% Slavic admixture."
"Analysis revealed two distinct subgroups within the remains: one with greater Middle Eastern ancestry, which may represent Jews with origins in Western Germany, and another with greater Eastern and Central European ancestry."
"Before the Holocaust, Jews were the largest minority in Poland. In Poland’s major cities, Jews and Poles spoke each other’s languages and interacted in markets and on the streets. Even the market towns, or shtetls, that have come to represent the lives of Jews in Eastern Europe were, to some extent, mixed communities. Jews were part of Poland, and Polish culture was, in part, Jewish."
"In the book The Maternal Genetic Lineages of Ashkenazic Jews, the mitochondrial haplogroups H11a2a2 and W3a1a1 are shared between Ashkenazic Jews and Polish Catholics so I think it is likely that Ashkenazim inherited these from Polish women."
"Genome-wide data from medieval German Jews show that the Ashkenazi founder event pre-dated the 14th century", the majority of the Slavic DNA in Ashkenazim was incorporated by the 14th century and intermarriages in later centuries only affected the Ashkenazic genome to the extent of about 2 to 4 percent at most. Some of the Jews living in Erfurt in the 14th century already had a huge proportion of Slavic DNA, making up as much as about 40 percent of their individual genomes. But some of the earlier Slavic elements appear to have been Czech rather than Polish."
"Intermarriage is generally regarded as the litmus test in the process of assimilation of ethnic-minority groups. Jewish–Protestant marriages and Jewish–unaffiliated marriages increased because of the higher propensity among Protestants to marry a Jew and the higher propensity among Jews to marry an unaffiliated spouse from the 1920s onwards. Successive marriage cohorts showed a higher chance to marry a Gentile among those who had Jewish parents at birth. A similar but weaker effect is found for those born in the old Jewish neighborhood. These differences in effect on later marriage cohorts indicate that religious and social barriers within the Jewish community had largely diminished. Opportunities like the social network of the mother and the living district during one's adolescents' age also significantly influenced the choice of a spouse."
"Jews in Germany were given the same rights as Christian Germans. By 1933, when the Nazis came to power, Germany’s Jews were well integrated and even assimilated into German society. Most Jews in Germany (about 400,000 people) held German citizenship. Many of these Jews came from families who had been in Germany for centuries. These families spoke German as their primary language. Most considered themselves German. In some cases, they had intermarried with non-Jews."
"In 1875, citizens throughout the recently formed German nation were for the first time allowed to intermarry without conversion. Over the course of the next fifty years, German Jews marriages to German non-Jews increased to such a level that German-Jewish intermarriage became one of the central issues in German-Jewish relations."
"Many Jews saw themselves as a religious group. They were Germans who practiced Judaism."
"Jews in western Europe made up much less of the population and tended to adopt the culture of their non-Jewish neighbors. They dressed and talked like their countrymen, and traditional religious practices and Yiddish culture played a less important part in their lives. They tended to have had more formal education than eastern European Jews and to live in towns or cities."
"Out of the approximately 525,000 Jews living in Germany in 1933, about 35,000, or six percent, were married to non-Jews, and this rate remained largely unchanged until 1939."
"Jews married to ‘Aryans’ had better chances of survival than other Jews. And so more than 65% of the approximately 15,000 German Jews who had survived the war on German soil were partners of mixed marriages. Of the roughly 8,000 persons registered with the Berlin Gemeinde (Jewish community) in mid-1946, 5,500, or about 68% were married to non-Jews. A similar trend existed in the post-war years also in smaller communities in Germany. Almost all 400 members of the Jewish community in Frankfurt, for example, were married to non-Jews, and in the Jewish community of Wuppertal, 60 out of the 90 married members were partners of mixed marriages.''
"The Berlin Gemeinde created a special committee to deal with applications for conversion, which by June 1946 had amounted to 2,500. Some of the applicants were Jews who had left the community upon marrying a non-Jew"
"The Joint’s chief of operations in Austria defended the policy as free from discrimination and prejudice, but his response also revealed the extent of the phenomenon: of the 9,400 people receiving welfare assistance from the Joint in Austria, 7,700, or more than 80%, were non-Jewish wives, widows or orphans of Jews."
"Another type of intermarriage was that between Jewish DPs, mostly of Eastern European origin, and German women. Atina Grossmann reports that by 1950, more than 1,000 such marriages had been registered in Germany, and that there were many more short-lived and permanent relationships. They were part of the larger phenomenon of close interactions between Jewish DPs and Germans in occupied Germany, and resulted, at least to some extent, from the ‘surplus of Jewish men’ caused by the ‘approximately 60/40 skewed sex ratio’ among Jewish DPs."
"In the summer of 1951, the Joint’s European Headquarters reported that it had dealt with at least 3,500 non-Jewish cases. In late 1952, the Joint’s Munich office estimated that intermarried families comprised between 25 and 30% of its emigration load. Already in 1949, the same office spoke of a ‘tremendous number’ of cases of that kind."
"At the same time, Joint officials also suspected that Jewish DPs had married German spouses in order to become eligible for immigration to the United States under the quota system"
"Most Jewish DPs had come from Eastern European countries that were allotted relatively small quotas. The quota for Poland, where the majority of Jewish DPs had originated, was only 6,524 immigrants per year, compared with 25,957 for Germany. Marrying a German spouse after the war could therefore clearly improve the chances of immigration to the United States."

I [21M] have been dating my boyfriend [21M] for just over two years now. We both live together and getting ready to wrap up our undergraduate studies next May. However, I have been on the fence of ending this relationship for the past few months now.
Since the beginning of this year, I have been beginning to become unhappy with the relationship over jealousy and insecurity issues on his end that I honestly believe a licensed therapist is qualified to try and solve. It would not have affected me as much, however, it was honestly the most stressful semester of college I have had. I am a music major in both wind band and orchestra, in two chamber ensembles, going to school full time, and the assistant general manager at the busiest store in our company, working 25-30 hours a week while school is in session. it felt like the stress never stops whenever I get home because I would have to watch what I said/did after work and school trying not to trigger his jealousy. For example, one day after i got home hanging out with one of my friends, he said "I can honestly see why some people make their partners delete snapchat".
In addition to the insecurity issue, he had a serious issue with keeping our space clean and cleaning up after cooking, which I feel like shouldn't be that hard considering that he only had one in person class on campus, with the rest of the courses being online, in addition to working a nannying job in which most cases doesn't leave for until 6 in the evening. Though, looking back at it, I can't hold that against him too much, since his parents basically hates cleaning, so he barely did it when he was living at home.
I talked with him a couple of weeks ago about this behavior, and he fully owned up and apologized, however, at the end of one of the conversations, he still asked me to tell one of my friends (who he said previously he wasn't worried about) that I am in a relationship, even though I have told him multiple times that he straight.
With his nannying job, the mother has not been good about giving him his full pay in time. He said about four months ago that he was tired of it and was thinking about looking for another job, but he only started applying places about a week ago. One of the places was a bank job that sounded really nice for his timeline in regards to pay and benefits. Before he even interviewed, he was telling his friends and family about the job and the interview as if he already had it. Last week, we found out that he did not get the job, even though I internally knew it sounded too good to be true at this time.
What really turned off is his response to a question asking him to tell them about his personality. His response was, “I’m bubbly and a good time on weekends!”
We have been apartment hunting for a few weeks and finally came across something we fell in love with. The only problem is with his nannying job, he doesn't get actual paystubs, which means his income comes from money transfer applications. Therefore, it is hard to provide proof of income, something that the apartment in question requires. To help with this, the complex requested a proof of income document from his employer. Instead of typing a formal letter (like I was going to do) and have the mom sign off on it, he only turned in a document that had only had a fill-in-the-blank columns of the name and how much he makes. Now, the apartment complex wants to call the mom (his employer) to verify the information, except my BF gave them his mom's phone number (she agreed to it) since he did not tell his employer about this income verification thing. Well, this morning, he realizes that he actually gave them his dad's phone number on accident. I'm really beginning to think that he is not mature enough to handle a relationship at this present time. I was optimistic after we talked about his jealousy and the way he was treating me this semester, however, I am starting to think that too much damage has already been done to me. Plus, he is struggling a little bit to find another job (something that should have been done a few months ago so we would not be in this situation), and I'm now worried that the apartment complex that we want to live in next year will deny the application because of his income issues (I don't make the rent requirement, but it would easily be solved with a guarantor).
Because of the above, I'm really thinking about ending the relationship if we get denied from the apartment. I just feel like he needs time to learn more about being a functional adult and developing healthy habits. But, I just feel stuck because I know it will hurt him immensely but I just feel unhappy with how things are going. What should I do?
TLDR; I am thinking about breaking up with my boyfriend of two years due to jealousy, insecurity, and lack of maturity.

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

With his mother dead and his cultist family members out to ruin his life, getting abducted by alien slavers is actually an improvement for Corey Vash. A quick and chaotic escape attempt only succeeds thanks to an unintentional rescue from the impressively skilled and infrequently sober bounty hunters aboard the Hard Luck Hermit. With no clue about how to survive in space and nothing to return to on Earth, Corey joins the crew in their efforts to make a quick buck, try new drinks, and figure out who the hell keeps trying to kill them.
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“Alright, our little gun show just got a hell of a lot more complicated,” Kamak said. Zero-G combat was a pain in the ass even for people who’d been specially trained, and as far as Kamak knew, that only applied to Farsus. He and Doprel had been in a handful of zero gravity fights, but he was less than confident in his skills and knew that Doprel felt the same.
“I’m not confident in our ability to manage this combat scenario,” Farsus said. “Melee combat is generally more viable in zero gravity environments, and we cannot hope to beat the Doccan in melee range.”
“On the other hand, lot of handholds here on this ship,” Corey said. He grabbed an exposed mechanical element, one of many jutting from the patchwork halls of the ship, and latched himself in place. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but they had places to brace themselves to avoid the zero-gravity recoil problem. To Vo braced her foot against an oddly welded ridge in the ship’s hull and kept her gun up.
“Could we leave this vessel disabled and wait for the Doccan to send reinforcements?”
“We’ve only got enough disable rounds for one more ship, and the Doccan always escalate linearly,” Doprel said. “They’ll send two, maybe three next time.”
“It’s a little messier than anticipated, but this is still our best shot,” Kamak said. “Guns up.”
The team shouldered their weapons and started kicking off the walls, drifting down the darkened halls of the ship. The vessel had enough of an auxiliary power system to keep some emergency lights on, but even those were intermittent, with many bulbs burnt out by the Doccan’s lack of interest in repairing such a negligible function. They did not feel fear, much less fear of the dark.
Corey, on the other hand, was feeling a lot of fear. His casual interest in sci-fi films had done him a lot of good out here in space so far, but now it was starting to backfire. He’d watched Alien one too many times to be comfortable drifting around the dead silence of this spaceship. He tried to remind himself that there were no xenomorphs here. The only aliens he had to worry about were nigh-unkillable super strong emotionless behemoths.
In retrospect, that was worse, and Corey decided to start thinking about literally anything else just in time to hear something go click.
A three round burst of plasma fire soared down the hall, briefly illuminating the length of it in green fire. One of the bolts caught Farsus on his broad chest, but his armor mostly negated the damage. Kamak returned fire, sending a stream of bullets up the hall, and Kamak himself careening the other way. In his haste to return fire, he’d forgotten to brace himself. The rest of his fireteam made no such mistakes.
With his back to a wall, Corey turned his gun towards the Doccan and took aim. There were two of them, both even larger than Doprel, and wearing patchwork armor to boot. That was an unpleasant development.
“Take out the guns first,” Farsus shouted. The Doccan themselves were durable and heavily armored, but their guns were as fragile as any other weapon in the galaxy. Corey took aim and peppered the Doccan’s limbs with a spray of gunfire. One of the two had the wherewithal to clutch their gun to their side, letting their arm absorb the brunt of the gunfire, but the other kept trying to return fire even as a bullet finally hit home. The metal slug cracked through the plasma repeater’s energy chamber, and the weapon started to vent green fire as the energy cell leaked.
With his weapon damaged, the Doccan took the next logical step and launched himself at his opponents, massive arms raised and ready to strike. The crew took advantage of the zero gravity recoil and let go of their handholds in the wall, then fired at the approaching Doccan. The recoil propelled them away as bullets peppered its thick hide. With no gravity to make it flow outwards naturally, the strange fluid layer beneath the skin of the Doccan started to leak out in blobs of oozing blue.
The floating globs splashed into dozens of tiny droplets as Doprel met his kin coming the other way. The divided drops then scattered in every direction as the shockwave of their colossal impact traveled outwards. Another spray of blue fluid followed shortly after as Doprel dug his fingers into a patch of bullet holes and tore a massive chunk out of the Doccan’s exterior carapace.
“Doprel! Give me an angle on the face!”
With a quick grunt of acknowledgment, Doprel spun around and put the Doccan he was grappling in a headlock. He kept his arms wide and his face behind the Doccan’s back as Kamak took aim at the Doccan’s head and fired. A quick round of bullets tore through the air, a few managing to find purchase in the Doccan’s face, tearing out one of its eyes and a few chunks of mandible. The floating drops of blue liquid pouring out of the broken head were soon joined by a thin flow of black bile -the real lifeblood of the Doccan.
“Not going to be interrogating that one,” Kamak said. “Focus fire and take out his friend!”
Kamak drifted forward and grabbed on to the broken body of the dead Doccan, using it as cover as the hail of bullets continued. Under fire from five sources at once, the Doccan’s defeat was inevitable yet worryingly slow. Corey kept his rifle focused on the joint of its arm for a solid thirty seconds of sustained fire, but it didn’t even drop its gun until the arm was only attached by a few strands of tattered, fibrous “muscle”. Even at that point, the Doccan simply switched hands and continued firing until Farsus blew a big enough chunk of its head off that it stopped moving entirely. Doprel walked up and ripped its other arm off just to be sure, while Kamak took a final few potshots at the head of the other one.
“Bastard’s aren’t afraid to play dead,” Kamak said. “Especially when they know they’re at a disadvantage.”
“Good news is, this means there’s probably just two more,” Doprel said. “If we were dealing with multiple groups there’d have been a full crew of four after us.”
“Best news I’ve gotten all week,” Kamak said. “Now where are the others…”
“We are located in the cockpit.”
Five guns pointed in five different directions as the voice boomed out from a PA system.
“What’s going on?”
“You have stated an intent to interrogate a living subject, and have proven your ability to defeat two or less Doccan in combat,” the monotone voice proclaimed. “There is no further purpose to violent resistance.”
“I see,” Kamak said. They really were logical. “We’ll be right there. Guns up, of course. I’m not dumb enough to not see a trap.”
“We lack the resources to commit to such a deception.”
That did nothing to ease Kamak’s suspicion, for reasons the Doccan could not at all understand. He, Doprel, and Farsus kept their guns up as they head upwards, towards the cockpit of the makeshift vessel. Corey was not far behind, until he realized To Vo La Su was quite far behind. She was bouncing slowly around the hall, trying to dodge floating globs of Doccan ichor—and a few chunks of the Doccan themselves.
“You’ve just got to accept you’re going to get messy and move through it,” Corey said. “The laundry machine on the Hermit is surprisingly good.”
“I don’t have that many clothes to start with,” To Vo mumbled. Due to the impromptu circumstances of her “recruitment” To Vo had the clothes she’d been wearing and a few spare outfits Tooley had been willing to throw at her—most of which fit poorly and had suspicious stains already. “But that is not my issue. I do not- there is a certain amount of- I can’t-”
“To Vo?”
The former transit authority tightened her grip on a gun she was entirely unsuited to carry and took a deep breath. One of the globs of Doccan ichor drifted worryingly close to her face, and she backed away.
“I didn’t want to do something like this again.”
“Again?”
To Vo was naturally small, but she still found a way to shrink in on herself.
“The world I come from was harsh,” To Vo said. “We did harsh things to live. All of us.”
A few chunks of gore drifted by Corey’s head. He knew better than to ask what she meant.
“Yeah. Look, I get it, but, these guys came after us because they thought we were a defenseless bunch of stranded travelers, right? You think they brought all that firepower to escort a bunch of lost souls back to safety, give them a nice pat on the back and a snack for the road? If we’d actually been lost travelers, we’d be dead. And eaten, quite possibly.”
“But we aren’t travelers, and now they’re dead,” To Vo said, pointing out the drifting Doprel corpses as she spoke. “How can this be right?”
“Look, To Vo, nothing’s ever completely ‘right’. Even when you’re purely trying to help someone, who’s to say they ‘deserve’ it, or that there’s not someone else who needs the help more and isn’t getting it?” Corey asked. “You’re never one-hundred percent in the right. Sure, maybe we’re a lot closer to that line between good and bad than we could be, but I think we’re still on the good side of things.”
“And what happens when you’re not?”
Corey didn’t have an answer for that question. Luckily for him, he didn’t get the chance to try.
“Would you two stop fucking moralizing and back us up? This is still a combat zone!”
The ever obedient To Vo La Su was the first to grab her gun and kick off towards the cockpit, heedless of the gore she had to splash through on the way. Corey followed closely behind her, secretly quite happy to let her absorb all the floating ichor instead of him.
***
As it turned out, the Doccan were sincere in their desire to surrender. That left only one dilemma to resolve.
“So. Awkward issue,” Kamak said. “We’ve only got enough restraints for one of you.”
“We will offer no resistance,” one of the Doccan said.
“Oh sure, for now. Until we get attacked by someone else, or we all turn around at once, or you decide you might have a good opportunity.”
“This point is sound,” the Doccan admitted.
“Which one of you knows more about the recent movements in people fighting you guys, and why your people blew up the Bang Gate?”
“I am more knowledgeable on all military matters,” the Doccan on the left said. Kamak pointed to the one on the right.
“And you agree with that sentiment?”
“Yes. However, your inquiries might require a greater knowledge base. I am in charge of monitoring the social habits of various Doccan, and may possess relevant information.”
The other Doccan had barely finished speaking when Kamak shoved the barrel of his gun in their mandibles and pulled the trigger. A burst of rounds tore through their cranium and the Doccan fell over dead. The only surviving Doccan did not even react as his comrade collapsed. As black blood started to drift through the air, Corey very deliberately avoided To Vo’s gaze.
“Not particularly interested in your social media. Alright, Doprel, tie the other one up,” Kamak said. “And you. Got time for questions?”
“I will accede to any line of questioning that does not actively endanger the Doccan species.”
“Great! What’s your name, champ?”
“Doprel.”
Doprel looked up and over the other Doprel’s shoulders.
“Doprel, why is our new friend also Doprel?”
“It’s...actually a term for the working class of Doccan’s,” Doprel said. “I didn’t have any other name, and by the time I realized what was going on it had sort of stuck, so...yeah.”
“Do you want a better name?”
“No, no, like I said, it’s stuck now, no sense changing it,” Doprel said. “Not like we hang out with other Doccan enough for it to be confusing.”
“On that note, for the purposes of this conversation, you are Junior,” Kamak said. The newly christened Junior did not object to this designation, so Kamak assumed he accepted it. “What do you know about why the Doccan attacked the Bang Gate?”
“We were recently informed that new stresses upon intergalactic shipping routes would place additional importance on our galaxy as a trade hub,” Junior said. “Your Galactic Council endures our presence and our attacks on your shipping route as acceptable losses. If this galaxy was to become more important on a galactic scale, they would feel more pressure to protect it, and therefore take more aggressive actions against the Doccan species. A pre-emptive strike to lessen the utility of our home as a trade route mitigates this risk of escalating conflict.”
“And blowing up a fucking Bang Gate isn’t an escalation?”
“The gateway is destroyed. Retaliatory attacks achieve nothing. Your Council has nothing to gain from further conflict.”
“What if they’re worried you’ll blow up another fucking gate, Junior?”
“The measured presence of other species in this galaxy ultimately benefits us by providing resources we would be otherwise unable to acquire,” Junior said. “We have no reason to completely close ourselves off.”
“You guys have a lot of work to do on understanding other species,” Kamak said.
“Typical warfare does not stop when one side considers it merely ‘convenient’,” Farsus said. “If the Galactic Council decides on hostilities, they will not stop until they possess a considerable advantage over you.”
“By our appraisal they already possess a significant advantage,” Junior said. “However, if I survive our conversation, I will pass on your appraisal of the situation to the homeworld.”
“Jury’s still out on your survival. Tell us this and improve your odds: Who told you about all this shipping route bullshit?”
“It was [TRANSLATION ERROR].”
Kamak rubbed the sore spot where his translator chip was implanted and tried again.
“Say again?”
“We were informed of these developments by a [TRANSLATION ERROR].”
“Alright, not going for a third try here,” Kamak said. Whenever the translation software ran through the full suite of languages it knew, it started to overheat a little, and Kamak didn’t want a hotspot in his skull. “Doprel, I thought you gave us the whole language?”
“I did!”
“If I may theorize,” Farsus said. “To my understanding, the Doccan are a very literal people. Junior, when your people are faced with a new entity or concept, do you invent a new word for it?”
“When it is the most convenient course of action, yes,” Junior said. “Oftentimes compound words are formed. Your own people are referred to as ‘Red-Large-No Carapace’.”
“An apt descriptor,” Farsus said. “So we can assume whatever introduced these concepts to the Doccan, it was something they first encountered after Doprel’s departure, and something so unique it prompted the creation of a new word.”
“Fun times,” Kamak grumbled. “Junior, can you describe the thing whose name we can’t understand?”
“I have never seen it.”
“Peachy. What do you know about it?”
“It displayed enough intelligence that our central command council took its provided information seriously.”
“And did your central command stop to think about whether this word-we-can’t-understand had any ulterior motives?”
“Non-Doccan rarely approach the Doccan without ulterior motive,” Junior said. Had he any understanding of irony as a concept, he might’ve pointed out his current situation. “It was decided that the threat presented was legitimate enough to act without regard to possible external agendas from the [TRANSLATION ERROR].”
“Please stop saying that,” Corey whined.
“I am unaware of any reason to do so beyond your physical movements,” Junior said. To him, the flinching Corey did every time he said the word was just a strange muscle spasm, as the average Doccan did not experience pain.
“Just don’t fucking say it. Back to the point, you should know that whoever or whatever brought this stuff to you, they’re using you and your actions as a smokescreen to get away with their own shit,” Kamak said. “They’re pushing to change trade routes and pressure new parts of the galaxy. Maybe the threat is legitimate, but it is only legitimate because they are doing what they’re doing.”
“Noted.”
Junior’s quiet acceptance of the dramatic twist unsettled Kamak more than he’d like to admit. Maybe it was just because he’d lived through so many dramatic twists and turns lately, but he felt like that warranted more of a reaction. The emotionless Doccan accepted every new twist of fate the way a calculator would accept a new number plugged into a math problem.
“So...if we let you live, you’re going to tell all this to your planetary council or whatever?”
“New data will be considered.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic, I guess. Anyone else got questions for Big Blue Number Two?”
“I’ve got one,” Corey said. “How long ago did that weird thing bring you guys all this info?”
“Eighteen Doccan days ago.”
“That comes out to a few months, with everything converted,” Doprel said. The Doccan homeworld had a very slow rotation period.
“Once again putting it well before our run-in with that purple ship,” Corey said. “So we really did just get caught up in a plot that was already going on.”
“If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t,” Kamak said.
“It might be useful, at least,” Corey mumbled.
“Final call for questions,” Kamak said. “I want to get out of this floating piece of crap.”
“Just the one,” Doprel said. “If what we’ve said is true, and the Doccan find out they’ve been manipulated into making their own situation worse...what will they do about it?”
“It is impossible to make an assessment of the situation without a consensus of at least one Doccan hive,” Junior said. “If not the full planetary council.”
“Well what would you, personally, do?”
“Obey the consensus of the hive or council.”
“Let’s say there’s no hive or council-”
“If all hives and the council have been obliterated, my priority must be to repopulate the Doccan species first and foremost, ignoring tertiary matters such as this.”
“Doprel,” Kamak said. “Whatever you’re looking for, you’re not going to get.”
“Yeah. Got it.”
Doprel’s sullen silence infected the rest of them, and their interrogation was put on pause for a moment.
“Has your interrogation ended?”
“What?”
“You have asked for final questions and are now silent. Is your interrogation finished?”
“Pretty much,” Kamak said. They’d learned this particular Doccan was next to useless, so they didn’t have much reason to continue. “You got a last request?”
“In some form. Do you intend to assault, kill, or otherwise impede the entity you believe has manipulated the Doccan?”
“That’s the plan, yeah,” Kamak said. “Speaking of assaulting or killing-”
Kamak hefted his heavy rifle once again.
“Cooperation will be beneficial,” Junior said. “Remove my restraints so that I may assist.”
“Oh, yes, sure, that sounds like a great idea,” Kamak said. “Assist us with what?”
“Surviving.”
Something Junior wouldn’t be doing much longer, if Kamak had anything to say about it. It was hard to read a Doccan, but he knew a bluff when he saw it. The captain raised his gun, and had it shoved down again by Doprel.
“Kamak.”
In any other situation, Doprel would’ve been on board with calling the bluff, but the Doccan didn’t bluff often. Kamak reluctantly accepted Doprel’s caution and played his part.
“Okay, this is me taking the bait,” Kamak said. “You’re going to help us survive what?”
“The patrolling warship on route to this location,” Junior said. “My willingness to discuss important information with you was a stalling tactic. We sent a distress ping shortly after you boarded.”
While Kamak started swearing, Farsus did the slightly more sensible thing. He hopped on the comms and turned back towards the Hermit.
‘Tooley, ping the long range scanners.”
“Okay. We got...huh,” Tooley said. It took a moment for the full details to come in, but even the most basic scan functions couldn’t miss the vessel coming their way. “That is a big one. I think that might be a Corrhulk.”
“They’ve kept a fucking Corrhulk flying for the past century?”
“What exactly is a Corrhulk?” Corey asked. He felt context was very important.
“It’s big and it’s got a lot of guns,” Kamak snapped. The Corrhulk was one of the last true warships the intergalactic community had mass-produced. Nowadays what few heavy cruisers existed were mostly just carriers for swarms of small fighters, but enough heavily-rusted Corrhulks were still shambling along in merchant fleets and pirate gangs to give the ship a reputation. “Tooley, what’s the Corrhulk’s ETA?”
“Couple drops if we’re lucky,” Tooley said. “I can get us out of here before then if you get back to the ship.”
“And provided it doesn’t try to chase us,” Kamak said.
“Undo my restraints and I will transmit your cooperation to the vessel,” Junior said. “There is benefit to mutual cooperation.”
“And if your friends on the ship don’t agree?”
“Then you will be killed.”
“Love the bluntness,” Kamak grunted. “I’ve got enough friends.”
“Kamak,” Doprel grunted.
“Oh, I’m sorry, are we making friends with your cousins who want to eat you now?”
“We have more enemies than allies,” Farsus said. “Questionable friends are still friends.”
“We’ve got like four drops on our escape window, guys,” Tooley said. “Whatever you’re going to do, do it now.”
“There are those among the Doccan who have spoken to our informant directly,” Junior said. “Further dialogue may yield further relevant information.”
“Oh fuck me,” Kamak said. “Whatever. Not like we’ve ever made a smart decision, might as well make a stupid one on purpose.”
With a reluctant nod from Kamak, Doprel reached down and untied the thick cables holding Junior in place. The titanic alien immediately drifted towards the console and started inputting a complex series of commands.
“Get back on the ship,” Kamak ordered. “Tooley, prep us to detach and start calculating a faster-than-light vector for us. We’re negotiating over comms, and if they say anything we don’t like, we’re out.”
“Oh, are we not going to invite the murderous sociopaths onto our ship for some drinks and snacks?”
“Just shut up and get us ready, Tooley!”
“Ready to die, maybe,” Tooley grumbled. She shut down her comm link in order to get the last word and started calculating their escape route while everyone else made a mad dash back to the Hard Luck Hermit. Before she rounded the corner and drifted out of sight, To Vo La Su took a look back at the cockpit, back at Junior.
He’d picked up the corpse of his dead copilot and was beginning to gnaw on it. No sense letting good nutrients go to waste. To Vo started to wonder what they were getting themselves into.

Memory transcription subject: Josak, Arxur-Human Cultural Exchange Member
Date [standardized human time]: November 11, 2136
As crude as the comparison is, it was almost like wrestling Gojid trying to get Moss back onto the RV. She and her dad kept getting roped back into conversation with each other. Carmen described it as like a “midwestern goodbye” even if they were from the eastern portion of the North American landmass. Eventually the goodbye finally ended and Mr. Lykaios offered a final farewell to us all and a thanks for my help fixing the door.
In all truth, I felt it was unearned. He did most of the work. I just held up the door so he could balance it on the hinges. I did learn from him though. Still, I didn’t know exactly how useful it was to know how to repair a doorway.
“Aight. We got, uh, like 15 minutes until the stop and shop. That’ll be the last place ta piss, shit, or release other fluids until we reach the ranch.” Moss questioned.
They had taken up the driver’s seat with Carmen.
“Noted!” Geo yelled in response.
“Can you please not swear around my kids so much?” Carmen solemnly asked.
Moss raised their fist as if to flip the bird to Carmen, but instead, they held up a thumbs up and spoke. “Sure thing, toots. My apple hoagies.”
“Ugh. You’re supposed to be a therapist, and you’re honestly helping by just talking to me, but you make it unbearably hard to respect you.” Carmen whispered.
I figured it was best for me to stop listening even if it meant leaving the comfiest spot on the bus. Carefully, I crawled on all fours towards the other end. The other three of the family were all lazing about in the camper’s spacious sleeping cabin. I crossed through their cabin area and into the final section of the moving house. Mara and Dani were sleeping while Geo listened to little videos from a place called “youtube”.
I left them to themselves and closed the door between their room and the place I wanted to myself. I wanted to figure out how to play the guitar that Moss had stolen for me. I had no idea how to, but I figured it couldn’t be too hard. I sat down into the worn chair in the corner and picked up the flimsy wooden instrument. I didn’t even know entirely how to hold it. Everyway I tried to hold it felt wrong in a different way. I settled on the way I had seen Cris hold it. It still felt off, but it was what it was.
I tried to hold the guitar pic in my claws, but my fingers simply weren’t meant for such a small thing. Instead, I thought for a second and then tried my own strategy. I beated one of my claws against the strings, making sure not to snag it. The strings gave out a twangy sound. The heavier strings were lower in pitch while the lighter ones were higher.
I still had no idea how to play the dang thing, but I knew what sounds I liked. I tried to keep them quiet though and I tried and tried again to recreate them the same each time. Even if I didn’t know what I was doing, I still enjoyed it. It was soothing to hear the ornamental sounds. The few minutes spent alone felt euphoric. I think it was because I didn’t feel alone with the guitar. I felt as if I was with a good friend. One that I hoped to see again eventually.
I put the instrument back down as the bus rolled to a stop in a very large battery station. I walked out into a strip of shining LED lights and a few neon signs too. Despite the fact that humanity had nearly been bombed to oblivion, the station was still packed full of travelers and freight drivers. It was 20 separate lanes of chaos with batteries charging on electrical racks all the way down. There was a market and a restroom next to the lanes.
To any other Arxur, the place would seem comparable to a small military camp, but I knew better. Humans were decadent in the best of ways. The whole place was for everyone to enjoy, and that was honestly beautiful. A whole station full of cheap food for weary travelers and plenty of amenities for any sort of situation.
“Joe, you get battery duties. I already swiped the card and everything. Don’t electrocute yourself. I’m gonna grab some grub for everyone.” Moss declared.
I followed the therapists orders and carefully replaced the batteries in order to not electrocute myself. The humans used some sort of hydrogen cell instead of the usual diesel powered vehicles I was used to. Regardless, it wasn’t too hard to figure it all out. The battery symbol on the bus was quite recognizable and with a quick flip of a hatch, I found the 4 packs. It took a little out of me, but I managed to replace the heavy contraptions with freshly charged ones from the charging wall. As I was about to place the last fresh battery into the bus, I heard a voice yell out from the lane over.
“Holeeee shit! Is that another Arxur I spy? Jesus, you guys sure are finding your ways around the states, huh?” the voice inquired.
I placed the battery into the compartment and finished the job of locking it up before responding. Though I was curious as to his mention of another Arxur, I didn’t want to forget to close up the compartment. Getting stuck on the side of the road wouldn’t be fun. As I completed my task, the man grew impatient and questioned me again. I feared he would respond with anger, but he instead seemed worried that he had offended me.
“Hey! You ignoring me? I wasn’t trying to be rude or nothing.” the man declared.
“No, mister. Just making sure I close everything up. My apologies.” I replied
“Oh, sorry then.” he babbled
“What did you mean by another Arxur? Am I not the first one out here?” I asked.
“Oh, uh, hell nah. Plenty of y’all have been seen trying to head inland from the coasts. Heck, I just dropped one of yas off in the Appalachians. Feller said he was trying to escape some government fuckwads or sometin. You trying to do the same, boy?” he inquired.
“No. I am merely trying to make a better life for myself and a family I found here. My family.” I said with a smile.
“Well good on ya, buddy. Hehehe. They told us before y’all came here that you were all a buncha psychobillies or somethin, but y’all don’t seem so bad. Ya just need some meat on your bones and you calm right down. That’s how that other feller was. He was as ornery as could be, but once I got some food in him, he cheered up quite a bit.” the chunky man laughed.
“I apologize on behalf of our species if he gave you any trouble. We’re… we’re not good people.” I admitted.
“Arxur, you fellers ain’t that bad. So don’t apologize like that. I’ve met worse in my own family. My daddy, he was a very brutal man. Mean old drunk. He would beat me, and he was family. That feller I picked up, he described the same story. I related to him. I relate to you all a bit, I spose. You fellers are just a buncha fellers that found themselves in a bad situation. Sure, you’re a little less moral than the Donner party, but ya still are trying to be better. I see that.” the man cheerily declared.
“Mmm. You have my sympathies. No child should have to go through that.” I replied.
“Eh, I won out in the end. He’s long dead from cirrhosis and I’m off saving the country and giving rides to aliens. It’s fun times. But this ain’t about me, bud. Don’t be calling your race bad people. You’re good people as long as you can see that you done bad. You yourself, you seem good.” the man declared.
I smiled sarcastically and responded similarly “Well, thank you, sir. I will try to prove you right. I don’t entirely think so though.”
“You have a right to think that, but I hope you change your mind one day. Have a good one, boy.” he said.
After he got done with his talk, the man returned to his hauler. He lumbered in and started the beast up. It gave out sounds of steam almost like a boiler whistle. Slowly, it lurched forward and started the man off on his next journey. In my head, I wished him the best.
As I turned to leave, I heard another more familiar voice from Geo. He ran up to me with flailing arms and yelled. “Josak, watch this!”
The kid put one of his arms in an L shape and pulled it down as if to signify something. The trucker rolled his window down and stopped his journey short for one last bit of speech.
“Sure thing, kid! You take care of that lizard, ya hear?” the trucker yelled before tugging a string within his rig.
The beast of a truck let out a loud and bellowing noise. The horn was almost painful to listen to, but the kid loved it. Geo burst into laughter and it only amplified as the rest of the trucks in the joint started joining in. It was a chorus of painfully loud horns and blares, but Geo loved it. He was happy and that was good.
The trucker gave out a final loud bout of laughter before rolling up his window and heading off into the world for good. I waved the stranger goodbye as I would probably never see him again.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The bustling port fell into its more usual noises. Carmen, Dani, Mara, and Moss all returned in due time. I waited with the kid in the camper until they finally got back in.
“Joe, catch!” Moss blurted as they entered the carriage.
They tossed a bag of unknown contents into the air and I did my best to catch the thing, but failed due to my inability to raise my arms up so high. I shamefully yoinked the bag from the ground instead. Inside there were glorious blessings such as jerkied meats and the treat that I coveted most, corn bread.
I opened all the packages and combined a little bit of everything into a mash before shoving it in. The flavors of the bread and the meat mixed together well enough. I loved it. With a mouth still full of food, I started yelling to the cockpit. “Thanks, Moss. The snacks are good.”
“No problemo, croco. Enjoy and bone apple teeth.” Moss chuckled.
I did enjoy it as they had asked of me. I put aside the rest of the cornbread though so as to not disturb my stomach. The jerky was delicious. The sausages were delicious. Even the SPAM in it’s uncooked form was delicious. What made it even better was that I was not eating alone. Everyone else was eating too. Charging port chicken wings, sandwiches, and vegetable chips. The atmosphere was something that could not be known in the Dominion.
They did not eat with shame on their minds, and as a result, neither did I. I knew that I was eating with a clear conscience unlike the times before. I only wished so much that the others could have experienced such luxuries, but at least the trucker had given me some hope. There were other Arxur out there on Earth. Others were trying to leave and to find new lives away from the horrors of war.
That restored my faith in us a little. We weren’t all like Idokam. We didn’t all need convincing to know that we needed to change. Some of us just needed a chance, and now that the gates were open, at least a few were taking it.
Other rejects and empaths were probably out there, just like me, trying to live one day at a time and trying to find a new way. Cheers to the draft dodgers and to the AWOL hunters. May the assholes who started the wars be forced to fight them so that they finally end.
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Josak has a talk with a trucker. This chapter is kind of a mix between filler and actual content. I wasn't entirely sure what to do with it, but I didn't want to skip out on the entire journey back to the glove. I hope you all don't mind it too much.

46 F here…will be 47 in January. I am not a high earning career driven woman for a lot of reasons.
Started working at 17.. got my GED at 18. I hated elementary and most of high school due to bullying. I stopped attending at 16 with my fathers permission and got a job.
I did vocational school afterwards but no college…didn’t have an interest. Wanted to start earning money right away and my family dynamic would not have really worked for years of schooling. I was a certified nursing assistant for 10 years and then developed some health issues of my own. So I was on disability for some years before I got well enough to get off the benefits and retrain as a pharmacy tech. I love to work and even on disability worked part time to not get too lazy or rusty. I did pharmacy tech for about 5 years and then my father got sick so I stopped working full time and only worked part time to care for him and keep him at home as long as possible.
He passed 3 years ago. I still have the same health issues but now I’m a home health aide so I can work as I’m not able to be on my feet for 8-10-12-16 hour shifts. I earn a modest living but I do have my own place without roommates my own small car etc. I’m doing ok and thankful to have that because many people are stuck at home or homeless.
Anyway a gentleman who was interested in me told me I was lazy because I told him I’m at peace with myself and my circumstances and I have no desire to go back to school or work in a high stress environment that might pay more. Am I wrong for this? Will it limit my dating prospects? I’m the last five years I’ve been through a lot… a divorce, being a full time caregiver, a relocation so I could afford to live on my own (moved to a cheaper area) and all the emotional turmoil that comes with it. I enjoy helping people and want a job like the one I have…I connect with my clients yet it’s not so high stress. I just want to go to work and come home. The work is plentiful sometimes I’m working 60 hours a week.
To be clear I’m not looking for anyone to financially support me. I’m also looking to date men in my own social circle (working class men ) not a professional or necessarily a high earner. What’s important to me is that we click, get along well, and are attracted to each other. I don’t have children nor do I want any at this late date. Thoughts?

I had seen a similar post a few days ago which made me remember my embarrassing situation and I thought I will share it here.
So in Hungary we have these events called "dance houses", where people go, dress up, drink, and dance to traditional folk music. They are very popular and even my college made such an event, so I thought "what the hell" and showed up.
First there were the group dances, where we stand in a circle and dance. I was able to participate in those, because you just find a random spot between two people. But as soon as partner dances came (dances where only 2 people dance with each other), I was left alone. I had two girls by my side and instead of any of them partnering with me, they danced with each other instead.
After that, I went and talked to my (good looking, muscular) friend. Then two girls started to approach us. I thought that they wanted to dance with us. No. They grabbed only my friend like I was not there, and the three of them danged. So, I repeat, two girls approached us, two guys, and decided to only grab one of us, shamelessly, completely ignoring the other guy, me. I stood there like a complete idiot, biggest loser on Earth.
Then I somehow summoned all my courage and asked I girl who I saw standing alone for a dance. She look at me, made a weird face, than she realized that maybe she shouldn't have done that, so he tried to be as polite as possible and said that she would rather not.
So, once again, I was one my own, next to the table where drinks were, and I, well, drinked (at least I had that).
Than I saw a girl who just got there and looked for a partner. One of the professor assistant who was there showed her that there was I, a guy without a partner, across the room, she should approach me if she want to dance. She made a disgusted face and she shook her head, than decided not to dance and sat down.
As you imagine that was the last straw. I mean I know I'm not attractive, but come on, that's absurd. It's not just that no one wanted to dance with me, no one even come over to me to at least chat or to speak a few words to me (my friend was nowhere to be found since that incident). I decided to go home but I went to the toilet first. When I got back to the room (to take my coat), I saw that the girl (from across the room) who didn't wanted to dance was dancing with an other guy (of course attractive and popular).
So I left early (very early) and went home. I took a shower, opened a bottle of wine and in huge shame and self loathing I started to binge watch Netflix in the dark of my room, alone, on a Friday night, while I still heard the noises of everyone dancing and having fun (I live very close to the building where the party took place). I fucking hate myself and how pathetic I am, and that was certainly one of the most humiliating and demoralizing experiences I had, where even my tiny confidence left had completely disappeared. Yeah, so much about putting yourself out there, it was very helpful.
PS: Sorry for my bad English

Today I activated my SIM card that I paid $10 for at a Walmart. The SIM didn’t work, even after I verified it was 100% paid for and activated.
I called customer service and they told me they could not assist because I could not receive a SMS code to authenticate. They said I could only go to a store, but outside of that they could not access my account or offer me any help at all. This felt strange to me, especially since I live 1.5 hours from the closest store.
Anyway, I took the bus to a store and the employee told me that I entered my IMEI wrong on the Metro website and that the only way to fix it would be to charge me $25. I agreed to the charge, but not really because I had a choice.
What happened next is the odd part. After the employee did some typing on the computer, my phone started to work. It was receiving SMS from T-Mobile congratulating me for activating. I had NOT been charged yet, so it felt like I may have gotten away with a courteously. I was wrong. The employee then took my phone and would not let me see it, as the employee (I found out later) was using the website to get SMS codes on my behalf and log in as me, to be able to charge me the $25.
When I got home I looked at the screen shots I took on the Metro website for each step and confirmed I did in fact enter the correct IMEI.
What should I do? I feel abused over an honest first time customer mistake.

So I have/had a lot of people in my life that work in trades. A lot of men in my family and most of my ex's work in trades. A consistent I've noticed with all of them except for one is that they seem to think no one works as hard as them and everyone else's job is inferior and easy.
I'm Canadian , most trades (even the lower paying ones) offer decent money here. Either equal to or above the national average salary wise (not that our national average is anything to brag about with the cost of living here anymore) . I also know people who work off shore (oil and gas/coast guard etc.) who get their food , living expenses , and extra training all paid for. I even applied for jobs as stewards on ships because the money was so good even though it has nothing to do with my career ambitions.
I have worked as a Steward at a hotel before . It's ALOT of work . I lost 7 lbs in my first 2 weeks but I also did that for like 15 dollars an hour and this was a salaried job.
I am in nursing school , my first job at 16 was at McDonalds , I have done some life guard training in the past , and I would currently consider myself low income. Whenever I'm doing well or unwell in my life it seems like the tradies in my life feel compelled to put down my job and lifestyle along with everyone else's.
My uncle is the worst for it , my family thinks he's a god who's selfless and works so hard for everyone but he dose nothing for free (not that he has to , his time is valuable but let's not play pretend). He has often referred to me as lazy because I don't get off on fixing shit and shoveling snow. I have been told by many people outside my family that I am hard working and have a lot of tenacity and drive. I have Adhd so I am a bit of a scattered mess but I am not going to give up on myself because of my disability .
In nursing school I wipe ass , lift people , do IV's , dressing changes etc. I don't believe that most people I know it trades would do what I do . I think that's perfectly fine as we all have our own strengths but these people that I have/had in my life don't think so. (I kind of slowly cut out a lot of them) . I do all of this for free as my training unlike most trades dose not offer paid work terms until after graduation.
I was speaking to this guy I dated a few years ago recently about life (he's a heavy duty mechanic). He asked me how my school was going because I'm almost done , when I spoke about looking for my own place after I graduate (he himself is a home owner of a very nice big house) he put me down.
He said "well it's going to take you a while before you'll be able to do that". Mind you every work term he did he was paid for (10 bands each) I basically work full time for free (12 hour days). I like what I do but I won't get the fruits of it until I'm finished , and he still had to belittle me . I am really struggling financially and am looking to work on top of my free full time job as a PCA next month for more experience (and to be paid). This same person along with afew other guys I went to high school with (tradies) tend to use the term "I have been working since I was 12 years old".
From my perspective this "work" they refer to was racking their grandparents yard for money or working on their car with their dad. I was babysitting at 12 but I don't see that as me "working since I was 12" . I also don't know how my job as a teen at McDonald's is inferior to working at a garage as a teenager (I was told this as well not in this words but ya).
So why is this ? I don't flex on anyone , I'm rooting for everyone until you give me a reason not to. The ex I'm talking about had it SO GOOD I considered getting into trades which is something I never wanted to do , he really is a very blessed individual and go him , work hard play hard , whatever. I don't know why he feels the need to make out that he's suffered harder then anyone for what he has . He gets fed at work , for free! I legit wanted to join him . Free travel too ! He get's to see the world and come back to a beautiful home where his current girlfriend pays him rent to stay at (even more income for him).
I live in a country with a massive housing crisis and he has referred to anyone who doesn't have what he has (and/or points out how good he has it) as "lazy ass hole's" (houses in my country in BC and Ontario are going for a million these days) . I also see a lot of posts about people in trades feeling "shit on" by others with higher education or education with competitive requirements but I have experienced the opposite. Tbh I'm fed up. P.S if your in trades and don't act like this I am not trying to shame your job , I just don't think I should be labelled a lazy good for nothing just because I don't own a saw. Also why do they brag about not going to the doctor?
tl;dr People in my life who work in trades think I'm lazy because I work a different job then they do.

Synopsis:
It's kill or be eaten.
Jenny has enough problems: her overbearing mother, graduation and prom, and an embarrassing crush on her best friend.
But when a freak earthquake rips her high school out of New York, none of that seems to matter. Instead, Jenny comes face to face with a nightmarish threat: Angels that want to feast on human flesh.
Welcome to the Veil
Human Population Remaining: 851

First / Previous
Jenny looked back at the gloomy English wing hallway. The bodies on the floor. The bloody smears along the wall. It was quiet, but it was that thick pregnant sort of quiet right before something horrible happened in a movie.
She guessed that more angels had come in through the windows of the other classrooms, and while she and Susan had fought the one in their room, the others weren’t so lucky. Most people must have run for the stairwells, the way they’d practiced for fire drills. But after the earthquake and with these angel things… it must have been a blind panic.
Where would they even run to? The first floor? Could anyone even exit the building? They clearly weren’t in Manhattan anymore. Jenny couldn’t help looking at the girl on the floor.
Her head was at an awkward angle with a few glistening strands of muscle still attaching it to her body. Her eyes stared blankly, her mouth parted in lifeless shock. She must have been a freshman. Maybe a sophomore. Jenny pictured the younger girl tripping in the mad rush to escape, screaming as an angel grabbed her leg while all her friends and classmates and teachers kept running.
“I don’t see anymore out there,” said Susan, who peered through the double doors.
Jenny took a breath, and together they pushed through the doors and left the English wing behind them. Slowly, they stepped into the main area where every wing of the floor met. This led to the central stairwell. Down the hall across from where they stood, a light flickered in the Biology wing.
“Let’s not take these stairs,” whispered Jenny. She barely dared to breathe. Those things seemed to be attracted to sound. Maybe their empty eyes couldn’t see clearly?
Susan agreed. “Let’s cut through here,” she said, pointing to the Foreign Language department. It was a narrow hallway that led away from the central stairwell to another smaller one.
They turned the corner slowly, trying not to look at the bodies that were thankfully facedown on the floor. Susan stepped in blood.
The Foreign Languages hallway was clear, but Jenny still held her breath as they walked towards the stairwell at the end. Something rattled one of the classroom doors hard. Jenny whirled around ready to attack. “Someone’s in there,” she whispered, holding her hatchet with both hands.
Susan clicked her cattle prod on. Its static sound was almost comforting.
Jenny inched forward slowly trying to get a look through the little classroom window. It was dark inside with most of the shades drawn, but she recognized it was the French class that Susan had taken last year. A shadow moved through the gloom, rushing towards the door. Jenny stepped back just in time as the glass window shattered and an angel's head burst through, screeching and hissing. Its cries echoed throughout the hall.

Tarnished Angel (Level 4)

Susan reacted first, thrusting her prod against its face. The prongs made contact with its nose, and it stopped screeching. It violently jerked with its head struck through the door, and Jenny took the opportunity to bury her hatchet in its forehead.

You’ve defeated Tarnished Angel (Level 4)
Experience has been awarded
+10 Energy gained

​

Leveled up!
Jenny Huang Level 2 -> Level 3
+2 Stat Points

Breathing hard, Jenny stepped back wanting to study the angel. What was the difference now that it was level 4? But they heard shuffling and hissing echoing down the hall. It came from the direction of the biology department, and it was getting louder.
She glanced at Susan whose eyes went wide. Then Jenny spotted the boy’s bathroom. They’d never make it to the stairwell, but maybe they could hide. She grabbed Susan’s arm and pulled her inside, carefully shutting the door so it wouldn’t make a sound. There was no knob, no lock. It was a push-to-open door.
The stench of the bathroom was thick and miasmic, and she clenched her teeth to keep from gagging. Susan gasped, and Jenny turned around, keeping her back pressed to the door, and saw what was causing the smell.
On the floor beside the urinals was another blonde angel glistening in the dim white glow coming in through a small window near the ceiling. It wasn’t moving. Neither were the three boys lying beside it, bloodied and torn up.
Jenny gripped her hatchet tight when she heard shuffling in the hall. She ground her heels against the floor, wondering how long she’d be able to hold them off if they pushed. She applied the 2 stat points she’d received for leveling up to Power hoping it would help keep the door shut.
One of the boys on the floor coughed, and Susan dropped down with an alarmed look on her face. She quickly pressed her hand over the boy’s mouth, trying to stifle his coughing.
Jenny could almost feel one of the angels outside the door, breathing down her back. She bit her lip to stop it from trembling. She didn’t want to die in a boy’s bathroom. It seemed like they hadn’t heard the coughing.
Susan struggled with the boy on the floor. Blood gushed from his neck. His arms moved feebly, trying to resist Susan’s hand clamped over his mouth. His eyes were wide, and Jenny recognized him as Mark. The boy in her gym class last year who’d been nice to her when she had nothing to do during free-play time. He’d shown her how to shoot a basketball.
He was a junior now, and they didn’t have any classes together this year, but they’d still say hi when they passed each other in the hall.
“Please,” whispered Susan, bringing her face close to his. “They’re right outside.” She looked up at Jenny with a desperate expression on her face. Mark either couldn’t hear her or he was beyond understanding. He kept trying to pull her hand off his face.
We have to kill him. The thought made Jenny’s stomach lurch. He was clearly suffering, and if he exposed them, they’d all die.
She remembered what the guidance system had said. Equipment tools, and weapons. Could she summon something to heal Mark?
She looked at the angel lying dead on the floor with its head in a urinal. She didn’t recognize the two other boys beside it. They must have fought the angel together with their bare hands. But since they killed it, did that mean Mark had his First Blood bonus? Which meant he had points he could use, if only they could get him to calm down so they could explain.
She had to use her imagination, right? She had to imagine what she wanted and the system would apply a cost. Alright. She shut her eyes, tried not to think about the angels scurrying up and down the hall outside, and pictured a potion. Something like the ones she’d pick up in games to restore her health. She pictured a glass vial of red liquid. Red signified health, that much she was certain of.
A Minor Potion of Recovery will cost 100 Energy. Insufficient Energy.
Fuck, she thought. She was 25 short. She knew Susan wouldn’t have any to spare after making her cattle prod. But Mark might. Now how was she supposed to explain that to him while still holding the door?
She thought about the other angel she’d fought, the one in the French classroom. Angels didn’t seem to understand how doors worked. It couldn't turn the handle and it attacked the door mindlessly. So maybe if she tiptoed, she could get to Susan and Mark and explain how he could craft a potion to save his life.
If they’re quiet enough, the angels won’t hear them and try to get in. It was risky, but they could manage it. And if it worked, they’d have three people instead of two to fight them.
Just as Jenny worked up the courage to step away from the door, a loud crash made her freeze. A deafening hissing filled her ears, and Jenny realized there were way more creatures than she’d initially thought. But there was another crash, followed by a shrill scream that made her blood run cold.
She glanced at Susan who looked just as terrified as Jenny felt. The walls shook. Violent sounds and hissing and screeching came from outside. Dust drifted down like snow on Susan's blue hair. Something slammed against the wall just beside the door. Jenny shut her eyes and braced herself for the worst if whatever commotion was happening outside forced its way into the bathroom.
It sounded like a fight. Something else was fighting these angels. Throwing them around. Cutting them down. Was it another student? Maybe one of the teachers?
Hope made her heart pound hard against her chest. Maybe someone else had figured out how to make use of this system thing and leveled up enough to fight these creatures head-on. She felt dizzy with relief. Were they saved? Praying, she listened as best she could, trying to figure out what was going on.
She heard a pitiful mewling followed by a thick snap. Then there was silence. No hissing or footsteps or anything, and Jenny couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m going to check what that was,” she mouthed slowly to Susan who shook her head no, looking frightened. Jenny bit her lip, but turned anyway to pull on the door slightly, just a sliver.
Cool air from the hall tickled her nose. In the pasty white gloom, she saw what had caused the commotion. Her heart sank.
Several angels lay strewn about on the floor. None of them were moving. On all fours was something bigger than the angels she’d seen before. Its back was broad and more defined and wasn’t just exposed skin. Instead, it was green and glossy, like an insect’s exoskeleton. And it held one of the angels like a rag doll while it chewed on its face.

Imperfect Angel (Level 12)

It turned its head as it snapped off the thinner angel’s skull. The Imperfect Angel’s face was covered in that same green scale-like thing. It had long dark hair that bounced while it chewed, and, while it was still slim, it wasn’t as ragged and bony as the other angels.
It dropped the now headless angel corpse and moved to another. Its movements were strange, even though it was on all fours like the other angels had been. It favored one arm over the other, and as it moved, Jenny saw a nasty gash across one of its green shoulders. It was hurt from the fight.
The Imperfect Angel… was that some sort of evolution then? Did it level up as well then? From killing people? Killing other angels?
Jenny realized with a chill that the angels were in the system too. They were partaking in the Survival Challenge. She nearly dropped the hatchet. Her palms were sweating. The angels were also getting stronger. She realized it was only a matter of time before it noticed her or ventured into the bathroom. And if they wanted to get to the stairwell, to get to Oliver, they’d have to fight it or something like it at some point.
And she didn’t want to fight it in the bathroom where there’d be no space to swing her hatchet. She took a deep, shaking breath as she listened to it eating the other angels. Sweat ran down her back. She bit her lip. There was one thing that was for certain: if she wanted to live, she’d have to get much, much stronger.
This was so unfair. All she’d wanted was to get on with her life. Graduate. Get away from her family. Get away from her mom.
Her mom’s voice filled her head, screaming at her to find Oliver.
She wondered what her mom would do in this situation. How would she handle all this carnage and death? Jenny just wanted to sob and scream and pull out her hair. She wanted to break all the mirrors in the bathroom and smash everything she possibly could. But what good would that do now?
It was oddly familiar to how she felt at home. Fighting with her mom, slamming the door, sobbing into her pillow, wishing she wasn’t here.
But she was here. Stuck in this nightmare. And she was at least getting stronger. She’d killed a bunch of them already. This wasn’t like home. She wasn’t powerless. She wasn’t just going to hide in her room and cry and play video games until she passed out. She shut her eyes and sucked in a breath and made her decision.
She clutched her hatchet, feeling the tiniest bit comforted by having it in her hands. She looked back at Susan who had Mark’s head on her lap, trying to console him, still pressing her palm down on his lips as he struggled.
Without a word, Jenny stepped out into the hall. She didn’t want to see Susan’s reaction. She didn’t want to second guess her decision to fight this thing. At the very least, she resolved to lead it away from the bathroom so Susan and Mark could figure out a way to get out.

All right, my turtle journey when I got my first turtle, I would say I was four of the time it’s the day before my birthday I was sick so I couldn’t go to school and my mom couldn’t leave me at home alone and she had to go pick up some presents for my birthday. Oh so then we went and I’m next I know I have a baby turtle in my hand and I am crying because I am so happy I got a turtle so we got home set up the tank and I would say it was the summer of that year my grandmom went outside and there is another turtle at the doorstep. I don’t know how I got it, but it was there, so I’m lucky I had pets my whole life. Because I had a 20 gallon tank sitting around so I told my mom she brought back a little basket and saying it was like a I would say it’s like the size of quarter so she brought like a sing. It was like a stump sing he got at the pet store and I think it was made for like really small fish or lizard’s but we put that in his tank because he was the size of a quarter he could fit in it and then I got a 55 gallon they went in there and then a cousin of mine got a turtle and she gave it to me, but they couldn’t. She couldn’t get it to me because she didn’t know where I lived, but she knew where my grandmom lives so she took it to my grandmom‘s house. She had a 10 gallon tank. She had small rocks for it and apparently she had already a little basking thing for it. I think my mom might’ve brought that over I don’t know it looked like my first turtles one we got for him there he was three turtles. He was probably going to see the size he could fit in my palm, but he was bigger than my last two turtles so we let him grow a little bit. Then we threw them in with our other turtles and then me and my mom got a big tub because we got a new big turtle and then he got too big and somehow he broke the tub and water my everywhere so then we had to throw out the tub and make a pond in the backyard for it and he still lives there. It is his day. I think that was probably like five years ago maybe six and then memorial day 2023 my third turtle died five years old and then we had to bury him in the backyard not the same house as the other turtles pond and I’m might get a 40 gallon breeder for my reef turtle and leave my 55 to my juvenile and that is my turtle journey

Since we are all basically being fucked in the ass with how shit our pay is. Let’s get into the nitty gritty, shall we?
My paycheck just dropped. I’m an MOL at my store. We have no assistant manager. Just a GM, a CAL and a GA LOD. Then 4 cashiers. I do the job of most of the positions in the store, minus the GM. I have worked for Petco for 5 years and have had previous manager experience too. Been a manager at my store for 3 years. Got exceeding expectations for all my reviews. Works my way from cashier to MOL. I am trained in SFS too. The store hours were cut so I work 37 hours, if I’m lucky. I have to do the job of my aquatic specialist half the time since we don’t have the hours to give them either. I do truck in one day. All pallets out in 6 hours. Only with 3 peoples help. Had to fight for years to get raises and was given small stupid ones after fighting tooth and nail for that shit. So this last 6 months, promises of these raises, I’ve been ready for it. To finally feel my worth. To get paid enough to survive and to be paid money that is worth my effort I put into my job. I work too hard to only get paid shit. So I was excited.. Then boom, no raise, a shitty 33 cents “yearly review raise” was all I get. My total pay now? $16.50. $16.50 for all my hard work. For all the effort I put into my job. I get 50 cents more than my dog trainer. Who also earns commission. The GA LOD. She gets the same AS MY CASHIERS. They are being paid the same as someone who runs the store, goes to the bank, does scheduling, does the same work as an assistant manager too. So today I get my paycheck. The one that would have been the last one before this so called raises we were meant to get. You want to know how much my check was???
$979.. yep. $979 for two weeks of overworking, burning myself out and working my ass off for visits and everything. Planograms and ad reset and and you name it.. for two weeks, I got $979. After my bills, I’ll be left with $150. To get groceries, gas to get to this job, take care of my animals and to just survive on. $150 for two weeks. It’s fucking pathetic.
And before someone gives me the whole get a new job, get a second job. I would if I could. But I can’t do that. So I’m stuck in this job. It’s not like people can snap their fingers and magically get a job that is worth it so here I am. Barely living.
Welcome to petco, where the broke managers go.

I (23m) work at a local restaurant in my town, I am working here while I go to college. My college is only 30 mins away from where I live and bc my parents pay my tuition, I mostly have this job for extra money.
We have quite a few regulars, including this group of like 8 boys, all around age 13 (they’re in 7th grade), these boys usually come in after golfing, playing in the park or baseball (all on the middle school team), so they come in quite hungry. They’re easily the best tippers I’ve seen and are really sweet and like to talk to the servers.
A few weeks ago, the boys came in like any other time, although they were a bit more chatty than normal. They were talking to me, asking about college, ect. They’ve done this before and I don’t mind it. Then one of the boys asked me if I could give him advice on something. He told me that his brother is in 6th grade and kept taking about some boy he doesn’t like with his friends while on FaceTime, and said he heard them mocking his accent, the boy I was talking to said that he wanted to reach up with the boy being talked about to see what was going on. Apparently the customer’s younger brother was bullying this boy for his religion and was being racist towards him.
The boy (customer) then said that him and his friends were debating on what they should do, they said that they didn’t know who to tell about this and if they should tell at all.
I told them to email an assistant principal and that they should report it, the boy said he didn’t want to cause drama in his family, but I said drama is needed sometimes.
The boys ended up reporting it and the younger brother and his friends got suspended.
The next time the boys came to the restaurant was a few days after and I noticed the boy I advised wasn’t there, apparently he was grounded for a week for being a “tattle tale” on his brother and that his parents said they would have dealt with it, but now he could mess up the 5th grade end of year events for his family.
Yesterday was the first time the boy came back to the restaurant when I was on my shift, he told me he wasn’t mad at me and it was all good.
I went home last night and was taking to some friends on Discord about the whole ordeal because I kind of felt bad for the boy. Most of my friends said I did nothing wrong, but two of them said I shouldn’t have intervened and just ignore the ask for advice. I also mentioned how the few times I’ve had the boys parent’s dine here (mostly for the boy’s birthday or other special occasions) they weren’t good tippers like the boys (who I know their parents just give them whatever they want, well off area, and they’re country club type kids, so was I tbf). They said this was just proof I was holding a grudge against parents. I just thought I was doing normal venting. My boss knows about the situation and isn’t mad at me thankfully. AITA?

If you live on or IVO Quantico (with base access) and are qualified/capable/willing to interpret a graduation, The Basic School is in need of your assistance. I understand the last minute request, as they were just informed of two parents attending who are in need of ASL interpretation today.
The graduation is Friday June 2nd at 1000 at Heywood Hall (TBS) classroom 3.
Please contact Protocol Officer Pamela Lovelace: [email protected] or 703-981-2969

My husband and I have been together for 6 years and married a year. We are taking steps to buy a house hopefully by next year.
My FIL has been living with us for a little over a year. He’s at the point of walking on his own but still getting his balance and has a nurse that comes to help him. Which I’m happy for him.
He’s been snappy at my husband here lately and being just flat rude when it comes to my husband trying to use HIS own PS5 as an example or my husband holding a boundary we have in our home.
My husband is keeping up with everything for him since he’s the only one FIL trusts to get him to doctors appointments. All of that along with working a full time job.
My husband want him to continue to live with us but I want to bring up FIL going to live in assisted living or something. We won’t be far but I don’t like how my husband is being treated.
WIBTA for asking to have my FIL live somewhere else?

Hello everyone I(28F) currently am in a relationship with my bf(31M) of 9 years! I love him and want to be with him just sometimes I wonder what would happen if we split! Some backstory is I graduated in 2013 never went to school or anything after. I met my bf two months after graduation I was still living at home. We talked for about 6 months then started dating November of 2013. Decided to move in together April of 2014. During the time in between I still lived with my parents. We both worked and paid bills. In 2018 he got a great job offer he couldn’t refuse. We had to move from the Midwest(US) to the East Coast(US). We couldn’t afford two cars when we first moved so I didn’t work (it was easier this way). I take care of the house and cooking etc. for the last 5 years not complaining at all. We now can afford a lifestyle where I don’t have to work. I’m thankful for it but I also know that it’s not really mine. Lately for some reason I really think about the fact I’ve never been alone in my life and worry that if we ever split I wouldn’t have anything and it scares me. I’ve been thinking about trying to take classes. I also feel guilty though because I would be using his money to possibly fund a future for myself if I needed it. I feel secure with him but I always hear the older women in my life “make sure you look out for yourself” and “start a savings fund for yourself just in case and don’t tell anyone you have it”. Also I want to clarify he lets me use the money on whatever I want but it’s still the money he’s earned himself! This is hypothetical at this point but any advice or anyone who has been through it stories are welcome!

I applied to another paralegal role based on the job description matching my current position for a lot more money and bonus opportunities. I am set to have a second interview this week. I am having a hard time rationalizing leaving my current position. I know I haven’t been offered yet, but I am feeling an immense amount of guilt. I have been with my current practice for 5 years. I currently handle every aspect of the firm management in addition to my role as a paralegal. I work for a solo and I feel as if she relies on me for everything even down to her personal life. We are close, but I feel like I haven’t been fairly compensated for just how much I do for her. She has mentioned on several occasions that she is aware I am underpaid, but that we are having cash flow issues. Mind you, I haven’t received a raise or even a cost of living adjustment in over two years but my role at this practice has only increased by ten-fold. Where we used to have three paralegals and a file clerk, we only have me and a less than useful front desk assistant, but our case load has not changed.
The firm I applied to is at a big law firm in a downtown skyscraper (a work experience I have always wanted. Stupid, I know). I have never worked in big law, just mid tier and small. The role is a pretty coveted position as that team has hardly any turnover. They are offering a hybrid schedule, which my current firm doesn’t offer and has been a sticking point for me. I have ADHD and I really struggle with the in-office environment because the constant distractions really make it difficult to do my job. Knowing I will have a few days where I can really focus sounds great. I know big law isn’t for the weak, but it would be refreshing to not be in charge of an entire practice AND the attorney’s personal life and finances.
I have a pretty lenient PTO policy at my current firm due to the fact that I am basically the last man standing and she’ll let me take as much PTO as I want to appease me. We also do not have a billable requirement, whereas the new firm has a 1600-hour requirement. I thought about using any potential salary offer as leverage with my current attorney but I feel like she would resent me just knowing I was looking. She takes those things VERY personally since she has basically tried to integrate me into her family. She also would ideally like me to go to law school and take over her practice one day. It has always been the dream to go to law school, however, I just don’t see it being feasible to take over. She owns the building our offices is in which is now currently worth about 4 million. I would have to buy it and the practice name off of her already rich kids? Don’t think that would ever be possible considering she doesn’t want to pay me fairly now as a paralegal LOL.
Despite all this, I still feel an immense amount of guilt. She has her flaws but I am very close with her and her family and have a lot of leniency at this practice. I basically make my own rules. I just don’t know what to do.