I was sitting across from my mother. She has been dead for quite some time, yet she was always present when I needed her the most. Of course, no one else can see or hear her, but that would not matter anyway. She had little interest in anyone else. Her presence is soothing. A calming anchor in an all too real sea of uncertainty and danger.
I was at the back of a boat gazing into the wake that it created. I don't know much about boats, but as far as I can tell, it has seen some wear and tear. As it idles through the water, I looked back over our journey. White waves were created as we pushed through the ocean. The Sun had long abandoned us. Only silver streaks of moonlight on the peaks of the waves broke up the endless black. A wake usually means there is going to be a funeral, I thought to myself.
I turned and faced towards the front of the boat and took in my immediate surroundings. A small veteran boat with oars, a tired petrol engine, and some basic supplies. The captain held an unfriendly demeanor. I counted people, but after 20 my anxiety increased. The opposite of counting sheep. At least 20 people. 20 lives present.
Who were these strangers?
What is their life before this?
What is their life going to be?
Every question I could think of was equally important. The boat shook as we collided into a small wall composed of ocean. It spat at us as if we had interrupted it from its slumber.
An old lady cried, "اللَهُمَّ ساعِدْني"
Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed into the nearest person beside her; a thin man with a tight moustache and a furrowed brow. The thin man was just as frightened and clutched onto her as cold air whistled around their faces. The air cut into our cheeks like tiny paper cuts. I picked out faces. The old lady. The thin man. A kindly faced woman in front of me. Her shawl was protecting at least three under it. Their three sets of eyes. Like little kitten's peering out from the warmth of the shawl. Their faces were obscured. She was humming something. A soothing little note designed to create a forcefield against the harsh reality of our situation. My Mother began to hum a tune that I knew well. The little kittens braced as each wave unsettled the boat.
I continued to look around. A well-built man was barking orders. He was ranting about life jackets. My mother nudged my arm. She pointed to some lifejackets strewn underneath my seat. I shouted out. The well-built man scrambled to them. "Here, here, here". He threw them into the group. The most vulnerable were seen to first, but even then, I could see numerous people with no life jackets. I know that they could not swim; either too old or not old enough. They wouldn't be able for the mercilessness of the ocean.
The thin man who had just consoled the elderly women sat himself down beside me. He turned to me and smiled. I smiled back. He laughed. It isn't a particularly happy laugh, but something has caught his eye. He passed over a small photograph. It was composed of a large family with him proudly centred. Libyan or Algerian was my best guess, but then again, he could truly be from anywhere. My mother leaned over his back and pointed at a young woman sitting off to the left. I get it now. I resemble this woman. I glanced around. He is alone. I have a feeling his family only exists as memories or through haunting lookalikes. I felt a mixture of emotion. Perhaps they are also here, I thought to myself. Like my mother.
He doesn't speak, as I returned the photograph like it was a delicate flower. He picked himself up and squeezed to the back of the boat. Even though we didn't talk, we knew a lot about each other. I remember my mother whispering to me.
".إذا كان الكلام من فضة فالسكوت من ذه"
People were moaning in pain around me. An injured woman had been passed out for most of the journey. Her leg looked infected, and her partner, a beautiful woman, clutched her tightly. I helped put a lifejacket on the injured woman. Her partner's eyes appreciated me. I sat back down at the end of the boat. We continued into the darkness of the night. To busy myself and to keep warm, from my pocket, I took a small photo out. It was wrapped in a plastic I found on the beach.
My grandparents. The ones who raised me and cared for me. I closed my eyes and saw it vividly. In fact, I always saw it when I closed my eyes. The smoke choking their frail bodies. The heat of burning rubber, wood, and flesh. My own blood drenching the dust in the sitting room as my ears rang from the impact blast. My throat still winces when I remember the caked dust that nearly suffocated me. They appear sometimes as well. Charred and tearful. Sometimes they scream, but mostly they just smoulder. My Mother was oblivious to this, of course. I didn't have the heart to tell her. From what I gathered; they don't interact. I drifted back into my past. Stumbling out of the apartment just in time to see the foundations begin to crumble. Another jet closing in on our little town.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The noise was getting louder. I blinked my eyes and returned to reality. I was cold and alone. Everyone in this boat was. Cold and alone together. My story wasn't new. In fact, most know it. Thinking of my grandmother, I squeezed past the worried faces. I took my torn jacket and placed it around the old lady. She smiled. I smiled. I returned to my tiny area. The waves were now pelting the underneath of the boat as if some evil creature was trying to tear it apart.
A large splash destroys the shallow peace. I looked down and quickly realised someone has gone overboard. Among the trashing and screaming, people reached out in a vain effort to rescue him. The Thin man was sinking into the black. His eyes widened with fear as he came to the realisation of his situation. That is when I saw it. That is when I saw him. Pale arms wrapped silently around his body. Gently, but firmly, they pulled him towards the depths of the ocean.
His struggle lessened and lessened. The panic of the thin man's eyes slowly turn into acceptance.
I think he has chosen his new life underneath the chaos above the waters. Eventually, his body disappeared into the black. The screams on the boat became less and less. People were just gazing into the water. Perhaps they were wondering if the reasons he chose were convincing. Perhaps, they wanted to be next. He has a new family now.
The creatures had been following us since the first day. While I wouldn't say they are friendly, they seemed to keep a healthy distance from us, only interacting when we breach the sanctity of their waters. From what I gathered; the creatures were not Sirens. Sirens lure you into a false reality with their music. These creatures are different. They don't leap onto your boat. They don't pull you into their depths. The thin man wasn't forced into his fate. He merely fell overboard.
How? I don't know, but he knew the consequences of his actions. He chose out. The overwhelming reality of our human world simply became too much. Death was a viable acceptance, and it had it hands out to welcome him. The creatures embraced him. Were these creatures human at one point? I do not know. Their eyes are human like. As we drifted for hours aimlessly into the darkness, I thought about them a lot. I also saw them. Little yellow dots bouncing up and down in the water, patiently waiting for the next.
I dropped my hand overboard and allowed it to glide over the surface of the water. Very briefly my fingers interlock with another. I loosened my grip on the boat and allowed myself to sway side to side. The touch was kind and gentle. A small part of me knew the danger, but another, far more desperate part just needed to feel something. Suddenly, I felt a grip around my back. My Mother ushered me away from the water. I hugged myself for warmth and closed my eyes. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I overheard some of the conversations around me.
"How much did you pay?"
"Can't we go back? Maybe he is still alive"
"Stop talking nonsense. He is gone"
"Move over, I am almost falling out here."
"No, my family had couldn't come, they didn't make it."
"When do we get there? He said only three days"
"Three days? He said a few hours to me."
"A few hours! You must be foolish? Two days at least."
"The water is beautiful, let's us embrace the calm"
"I am cold"
Wait, I thought, "the water is beautiful?"
I looked around to see who would say such a strange thing. The voice didn't seem to come from anyone on board. The cold was getting to me. I closed my eyes again.
"We won't make the journey"
"Keep yourself quiet and don't be foolish"
"Leave her be, she's just nervous!"
"Nervous, look around, we are all nervous! Don't start lecturing me about nervous"
"I said stop it!"
I opened my eyes. Where's the mother of three?, I thought.
I perched up on the back of the boat and looked across the faces. Ah! There she was. She was cupping water and cleaning their faces. The injured woman looked very poorly. I wondered if there was a medical professional here. The injured lady had a partner. Another woman. She was beautiful.
In an instant, the boat violently shook. Rain tore into us so badly that we crawled as far into the boat as humanly possible. 20 or more voices were helplessly crying into the ocean's indifference. I tried to reassure the people around me that it was okay. When it calmed, I lifted my head and assessed my surroundings. I had cuts from the razor rain, but I was more or less intact. Then I heard the howling. A banshee cries. I could not figure out the dilemma. Who was screaming? It was the woman of three. She was howling.
The well-built man grabbed a torch from the box where the life jackets were and pointed it to the ocean of waves. It took me a few minutes to discern the ugly truth. Tears fell down the well built man's face. The woman of three. Now the woman of two. Yellow eyes were dotted around us. Another offering to their insatiable appetite.
Our mental and physical strength was drained. Food had been scarce for some time and as the old rhyme goes, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. The injured woman looked terrible. Apart from small gulps of freshwater and a makeshift bandage, we had nothing to give her. I began scouring the boat for something, anything that might relieve her pain. Her injuries looked deep. Her partner, the beautiful woman was stoic. She knew that nothing could be done, although the closer to the shoreline the better.
I rested my head against the yellowed, damaged side of the boat. Before I could get comfortable, it hit. A wave smashed against us. The boat lifted upwards into the sky. I fell backwards into the wake as the boat pounded back down into the water. Although, I didn't know at the time. The boat had ruptured its hull. The cold stinging pain of the water jolted my lungs. For a brief moment, I was paralysed. As I bobbed up and down in the water, my face dipped below the waterline. I couldn't make out much, but those yellow eyes.
They were still there. I saw faces, hundreds of them, surrounding my body. Grabbing and pulling me towards the deep. Many of the faces were those already dead, and I was being pulled towards them. In that moment of paralysis, there was almost serenity. The physical world full of its pain and anguish seemed to melt away in the midst of this calm inevitability.
A part of me was ready to give in. Join the chorus of distraught yellow eyes. I knew I couldn't. I froze as we made brief eye contact, but it was my mother’s voice snapped me back to the moment. I pulled and swam upwards in a feeble attempt to break away. I rose above the water and tried to grasp my surroundings. The boat was sinking. People were thrashing about in the water. It was panic. I knew I couldn't. I pulled and swam upwards in a feeble attempt to break away.
I saw the old lady.
"Jump", I cried to the old lady.
"It's sinking, it's sinking!"
The boat was decompressing rapidly.
"Jump", I shouted.
Just as the moon hit her face, I saw it. I saw many emotions, but I also saw what she couldn't bear to say. She couldn't swim. Before I could swim back to try and get her a lifejacket a wave from behind lifted me forward and I crashed into the side of the boat. In a daze, I grasped onto the thick rope that surrounded the boat. Mouthfuls after mouthfuls of salted air and water began to take their toll.
People were thrashing in the water. The cold was intense. The boat was almost fully sunk, and my upper body strength was gone. Then I saw it. A beam of light over the water. The sound of an incoming ship. A sigh of relief. Men threw out water doughnuts and rope. People clambered onto the boat. Those who were left anyway. By the time everyone was on board the sun was just peering out on the horizon. I was wrapped in a dry blanket and then I went dark.
When I woke up, I was in a tent. New clothes set out before me. I assessed my wounds. Cuts reddened the skin, but I was more or less okay. I sat up in the makeshift tent and grabbed a cup of coffee to warm my hands. I was exhausted, but I had to know where I was. I wandered out of the tent. The searing heat reminded me of home. People were shouting, vehicles were ferrying food and supplies back and forth. This must be one of the biggest camps there is.
In front of me was a new war with its own special injured. I walked throughout the camp looking for anyone I could recognise. The well-built man was looking pale and shell-shocked. His eyes were red and two doctors spoke in rapid-fire to one another. He didn't understand a word they were saying.
I moved through the camp for the rest of the day. I saw many faces, and harrowingly, I didn't see many others. When I came across the woman of two, my heart ached. She was inconsolable. The woman of two. My emotions knew nothing of her plight. I pushed my mind forward as much as I could.
The woman of none.
I walked on to find an empty bench. I collapsed into it and looked out over the horizon. I had survived.
A small whisper of encouragement filled my ears. My Mother. She soothed over the anxiety I was feeling. My anger, pain, and the hatred I had for myself to feel relief when so many others only feel pain. She whipped herself around the branches of a tree causing leaves to lightly dance in front of me. I thought back to the days of the olive trees that we used to have in our back garden. She continued to flit in a frenzy of happiness.
I understood.
Perhaps the afterlife is a lot simpler. I shrugged my shoulders as to say, "What do I do now?"
She cracked a wry smile. And whispered, "whatever you set your heart to."
With that, she began to move away from me. She extended her arms, and that is when I realised. She wasn't alone. Hiding behind the tree were three small individuals. Three that I recognised. The three little kittens looked at my mother and rushed towards her. She smiled at me and back at them.
She had saved me on my journey, and now it was her time to guide three little lives into a new one. A mixture of sadness and happiness crept over me. My Mother faded out. I shut my eyes and thought about dry land.

I’ve worked at my store for about 8 years, and my department for 5. I’m in the stock department, and my boss is an ignoramus.
He constantly micromanages me over things I do consistently every day, tells me when there’re pallets in the back, as if I don’t know. (I’ve had the pleasure of telling him “already done” plenty of times). He also tries to send me on missions for things I am heading to do the minute of. (Most of the time 1 hr into my shift, while I’m still getting started on things)
He also constantly harasses me about condensing when I’m the only one in my department that does it at all. I am the only one who organizes, does everything, fronts, and get’s every pallet done. Usually I clean up 50-60 cases of uncondensed product daily from my coworkers. + having to move tons of heavy boxes where there supposed to go.
Before you go accusing me of missing these things, not one co worker thinks I miss thing, the manager below him know’s I work non stop, it’s getting really tiring.
I work well with the customers, know the entire store, and I’ve gone out of my way to research every one of our products so I can help sell them to the customers. I’ve also won employee of the month multiple times.
He also sabotages my reports that he gives to upper management. He gives me 3/5’s on everything while telling my I do everything right and very well, usually making me get smaller raises, most of my coworkers get .50$ to 1$… I get… .10-.25$. I know this because I see the sheets in his hand, which he doesn’t directly show me.
My coworker who’s second in command has told me that he constantly tells them to make sure I’m not “standing around”, when I don’t even take breaks most of my days. It’s infuriating.
He doesn’t communicate what’s wrong, he doesn’t tell me what his problem is, when I ask him if I’m doing anything wrong he says “nope”.
I break my back every day at my job. Now he’s been telling me I have to “earn my keep” and I have to split departments on top of already being swamped in work. I make 15$ to put up with this crap. Every. Day. This is after switching departments to get away from his direct reign. He literally threw me back into my old department ON TOP of my new one.
People who work in our receiving end, truckers, samplers for our products often ask me if I ever stop working. All of our merchandisers love me because I essentially do all their pallets before they arrive. Random cashiers do the same. I just don’t understand.
He also coddles our awful workers who actually do nothing, and refuses to fire anyone, but has threatened to fire me once because I left early when I told him I would 2 days prior, after telling our acting manager AND my coworker that I was leaving for a concert that I PUT ON OUR REQUEST OFF BOARD a month before hand. I agreed to work that day, but only till the time mentioned. Granted, a dipshit coworker called off, but he hadn’t mentioned anything to me about having to skip my concert over it. (The department had no one there for 2 hours on a slow day).
I’m also not the only one he’s done that to, 3-4 people before me drew the same stick, and I watched them go insane. Then poof, I was welcomed to hell.
I take out the entirety of the backroom now to make sure he’s got nothing, and he still manages to treat me like shit. He constantly looks down on me, and I’m sick of it.
He also rolls his eyes when I say things aren’t getting done, then blames me for the ineptitude of my coworkers (4 have quit after being spoonfed by him and him realizing how lazy they are).
The question is, should I just find a new job? I like my coworkers, I like my other managers in my department, the head honcho is just an asshat to me. The place is also located very nearby me, so it’s a convenient college job. I’m just getting the life sucked out of me.

Written by OpenAI EPISODE VII Title: Star Wars: The Legacy Awakens
INT. REBEL ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS - WAR ROOM - DAY
A holographic map of the galaxy hovers in the center of the room. General LEIA ORGANA, POE DAMERON, and FINN stand around the table, deep in conversation.
LEIA
We have to find Luke. He's the key to restoring hope to the galaxy.
POE
But General, we've searched countless systems. There's no trace of him.
FINN
What about the old Jedi temple on Chandrila? Luke used to talk about it all the time.
LEIA ponders for a moment.
LEIA
You may be onto something, Finn. If there's any place he'd go into hiding, it's there.
EXT. CHANDRILA - JEDI TEMPLE RUINS - DAY
Rey lands her ship on the planet, cautiously making her way through the crumbling ruins of the Jedi temple. She senses a powerful presence and follows it deeper into the temple.
INT. CHANDRILA - JEDI TEMPLE RUINS - CAVERN - DAY
Rey enters a hidden cavern filled with ancient Jedi artifacts. LUKE SKYWALKER stands in the center, his back turned to her.
REY
Luke Skywalker! I've come to learn the ways of the Jedi.
LUKE turns slowly, his face lined with age and wisdom.
LUKE
Rey, I've been expecting you.
They engage in a series of intense training sessions, as Rey learns to tap into the Force and control her abilities.
EXT. SPACE - RESISTANCE FLEET - DAY
The Resistance fleet hovers near the edge of a black hole. The FIRST ORDER, led by GENERAL HUX, approaches from the other side.
POE
We can't outrun them forever. We need a plan.
LEIA
We'll lead them into the gravitational pull of the black hole. Their ships won't stand a chance.
The Resistance pilots prepare for a daring attack.
INT. FIRST ORDER STAR DESTROYER - COMMAND CENTER - DAY
KYLO REN, conflicted and tormented, senses the presence of his mother, Leia.
KYLO REN
Prepare my shuttle. I'm going down to end this.
EXT. SPACE - RESISTANCE FLEET - DAY
The Resistance ships engage the First Order in a fierce battle. The Falcon, piloted by Chewbacca and Finn, leads the charge.
INT. MILLENNIUM FALCON - COCKPIT - DAY
Finn mans the guns as Chewbacca expertly maneuvers the ship.
FINN
Chewie, we need to keep them distracted until the others make their move.
Chewbacca growls in agreement.
EXT. SPACE - BLACK HOLE - DAY
The Resistance fleet lures the First Order ships closer and closer to the black hole's event horizon.
INT. FIRST ORDER STAR DESTROYER - HANGAR - DAY
Kylo Ren boards his shuttle, his resolve strengthening.
INT. CHANDRILA - JEDI TEMPLE RUINS - CAVERN - NIGHT
Rey, now more confident in her abilities, faces off against Luke in a lightsaber duel. The clash of their blades illuminates the ancient cavern.
LUKE
You are strong, Rey, but there's much you still have to learn.
REY
I won't let the darkness consume me. I will bring balance to the Force.
INT. FIRST ORDER STAR DESTROYER - BRIDGE - DAY
Kylo Ren stands at the bridge, watching the battle unfold.
KYLO REN
Enough. I will put an end to this once and for all.
Kylo orders his fleet to retreat.
EXT. SPACE - BLACK HOLE - DAY
The First Order ships hastily retreat, narrowly escaping the black hole's gravitational pull.
INT. CHANDRILA - JEDI TEMPLE RUINS - CAVERN - NIGHT
Rey and Luke, exhausted but resolute, sheathe their lightsabers.
LUKE
You are ready, Rey. The galaxy needs you.
REY
But what about you, Master?
Luke smiles, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
LUKE
I will always be with you, Rey. Now go and fulfill your destiny.
Rey nods, a newfound determination in her heart.
EXT. SPACE - RESISTANCE FLEET - DAY
The Resistance celebrates their victory as the First Order retreats. Leia embraces Rey as the Falcon lands.
LEIA
Welcome back, Rey. The galaxy's hope rests with you now.
REY
I won't let you down, General Organa.
They look out into the vastness of space, knowing that their fight is far from over.
FADE OUT.

Hey hey everybody,
Welcome to our first discussion of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse! I'm your host, u/midasgoldentouch, and this week we'll be discussing Chapters 1-6!
Here's a summary of this week's reading:
10 years before the Convergence, twelve-year-old Serapio and his mother are situated in a structure built into cave in the mountains outside of the nation of Obregi. His mother Saaya, a Carrion Crow woman, has brought Serapio to the room to complete a ritual - actions that she says will make him a god that day. That morning, Saaya gave Serapio a numbing poison and carved a haahan onto his back and neck: a set of crow wings and a crow skull, respectively.
Although Saaya is a member of the Carrion Crow clan, Serapio's father is an Obregi and a lord. Serapio has only lived on his father's estate, but Saaya assures him that one day he will need to return to the city of Tova, Saaya's home, and that with his haahan they will be able to recognize him even though he looks like an Obregi. Saaya gives Serapio more numbing poison to drink before using a paste to dye his teeth red. Saaya explains that although she's not sure of how long it will be, she thinks it won't be long before Serapio has to travel to Tova.
Saaya then leads Serapio out onto a stone terrace, where they watch as the sky clears to reveal the sun and the nearby darkness - the Crow God. Saaya tells Serapio to keep his eyes on the sun and not look away as the Crow God ate the sun, even grabbing him at one point. She only allows Serapio to look away when all that remains is a ring of orange fire around the darkness. Saaya leads Serapio back into the cave room to complete the rest of the ritual while the Crow God holds sway. She binds Serapio to a chair with cords and, after instructing him to close his eyes, wipes them with some type of heavy material.
Saaya explains to Serapio that human eyes lie and that he must learn to see beyond them. To help, she slips a bag full of fine powder into his pocket - one like the one she is wearing around her neck. Saaya says that Serapio must hide the bag and only use it when necessary, but that he must learn to see without his eyes and then when he does, he should go to Tova, where he'll open his eyes again and become a god. Serapio doesn't really understand what she means but says he will, and asks her if she'll come with him. Saaya doesn't answer, but instead begins the process of sewing Serapio's eyes shut.
After some time, Serapio's father begins banging on the door, telling Saaya to open it and that he'll have her head if Serapio is hurt in anyway. Serapio thinks about responding and telling his father that he was choosing to do all of this and obey the Crow God's will, but doesn't. Saaya finishes her task and murmurs to herself that she's done everything that has been asked of her - "[a] child in a foreign place to a foreign man," as well as her earlier actions that morning. Serapio, scared and confused, asks her what she means. Saaya tells Serapio that while he must carry on, it's time for her to join the ancestors. She whispers his secret name into his ear and then heads out to the stone terrace. Serapio begs for her to come back, but between the cords and the numbing poison he can't do anything. His father screams and begins breaking the door down. But Saaya is gone.
In Cuecola, 20 days before the Convergence, Xiala wakes to the sound of fruit-sellers hawking their wares in the early morning hours. Grumbling about the noise, it takes her a few minutes to realize that she's in jail - and that it was likely due to the drunken events of the previous night that she can't recall. Xiala manages to get the attention of a nearby guard and informs her that's she ready to get out since she's sobered up. The guard laughs at her and says that she'll only be let if that's what the tupile decides to do with her; until then, Xiala will have to wait, quietly. Xiala tries to bluster, saying that she's a captain and her merchant lord would be upset if she didn't show up to the port, but the guard ignores her. Eventually, Xiala sits back down to wait, quietly wondering at what exactly did happen. The inclusion of a tupile suggests that something more serious than a drunken brawl occurred. It's possible that Xiala was arrested for throwing a merchant lord, Lord Pech, overboard when he tried to double-cross her.
After a short while, two men approach the women's cell block: the tupile and a clearly wealthy man that Xiala assumes is a merchant lord. Xiala isn't particularly thrilled about dealing with a merchant lord, but she'd rather be out of jail, so she waits. The wealthy man, Lord Balam, "convinces" the tupile that he'll punish Xiala appropriately if she's released to him. The tupile tries to refuse, citing the seriousness of her crimes as capital offenses - at which point Xiala remembers that the night before, she went home with a woman and fought her husband when he discovered them in bed together. However, Lord Balam manages to be persuasive enough, and Xiala is released.
The two of them begin walking, leaving the small farming community of Kuharan and heading into the city of Cuecola proper. Xiala is suspicious of Lord Balam, and what he undoubtedly wants in exchange for getting her out. Lord Balam tries to make light conversation, but Xiala presses him to identify himself. Lord Balam introduces himself, listing all of his titles; as he expects, Xiala is unimpressed. He then reveals that he knows Xiala is Teek, a people with a magical ability called Song that can be used against others. Teek people, or rather parts of their bodies, are also considered good luck charms or fashion items. Lord Balam assures Xiala that he doesn't want any of her bones or her eyes, although she remains skeptical.
Instead, Lord Balam explains he wants Xiala to transport humans - but not slaves - from Cuecola to Tova in 20 days. Xiala tells him that it's frankly impossible - sailing from Cuecola to Tova at that point in the year usually requires the ships to follow the coastline to avoid dangerous late-autumn storms. Lord Balam is insistent that they reach Tova in 20 days, even though it would require Xiala's ship to go into open waters and her to use her Song to calm the seas. Xiala's powers don't really work in that sense, but Lord Balam tells her the rest of the deal. If Xiala can transport these humans to Tova in 20 days, then he'll give her her own ship with a full commission of cargo and crew as well as room and board when she's not at sea. If she works for him for 12 years, then at the end he'll pay her 10% of all earned profits. The offer is tempting; although Xiala doesn't want to be beholden to a merchant lord, she could earn quite a bit of money in that time, enough to be set for the rest of her life. She wouldn't have to keep looking for work, always trying to convince other merchant lords and sailors that she knew what she was doing. And given that merchant lords gossip, and what she did to Lord Pech, this might be Xiala's best opportunity for a while. After a bit of negotiation, Xiala and Lord Balam agree on the deal. Xiala will transport a single blind, scarred Obregi man from Cuecola to Tova.
On the Day of Convergence, in the city of Tova, Naranpa is fully aware of her surroundings and what is happening to her, although she can't move or open her eyes. She's not dead, but the witch Zataya and her apprentices certainly think she is. They drag her from the river onto land and build a big fire. Naranpan can do nothing as they spread blood across her naked body, cover her with a blanket, and place a piece of salt underneath her tongue. Instead, Naranpa begins to think about her childhood as a young beggar girl in Coyote's Maw, the poor district of Tova. Naranpa loved to climb up and view the bridges leading from the Maw into the wealthier districts of Tova, dreaming of crossing them one day not as a servant but as someone that belonged there, perhaps even as a scholar.
One night, as Naranpa sat with her family around the cooking coals, talking about how she wanted to study the stars, her mother told Naranpa that the matron she worked for had agreed to sponsor her at the celestial tower. Naranpa can hardly contain her excitement that she'll have the chance to become a scholar-priest, but her father quickly explains that she's only going to be a servant. Her mother tells her that even as a servant, there's a chance that she'll get to learn some things as she quietly goes about her work.
Naranpa's younger brother, Denaochi, complains that he should get to go, while her older brother, Akel, says that he would rather join the Sky Made, the wealthy elites that comprise the rest of Tova. Naranpa distracts her brothers by asking them which of the clans they would like to join, which soon turns into an argument between the two. Eventually, Naranpa's father grows frustrated with them and reprimands them. He tells Akel that Tova is a city of peace, and that if he went off to war like he wanted he would quickly become cannon fodder. He then tells Denaochi that all he'll ever rule is the Maw, which amounts to nothing more than trash. He says that they'll never be Sky Made scions, and that if they don't learn that now then they'll end up being miserable for the rest of their lives. Their mother scolds him for speaking so harshly, but doesn't do much more than that.
In the end, Naranpa's promises that she would learn all she can and help elevate her brothers came to naught. Naranpa went to the celestial tower as a servant, and, despite the odds, later became a dedicant and then the Sun Priest. By the time that occurred, Akel was dead, her parents were likely dead, and Denaochi was dead in spirit. Instead, Naranpa had to earn the regard of Tova and its inhabitants to prove that she was worthy, only to end up nearly dead, covered in blood by a witch and her apprentice. Through it all, Naranpa had told herself that at least she did what she did for faith, but she realizes that faith alone will not save her now.
We go back to 20 days before the Convergence, and the day before the Shuttering, a period of fasting and penance held in preparation for the return of the sun after the Winter Solstice. Naranpa has forced the priesthood to gather at sunrise for a walk through Tova - herself and the other 3 priests, their dedicants, and a number of servants. Many of the others grumble and complain about the cold, the propriety, and the necessity, but Naranpa insists that they walk through the city and see to their constituents. Although she doesn't voice her concerns out loud, privately Naranpa worries that the Watchers are becoming increasingly irrelevant and that actions such as a walk through the city are necessary if they want to maintain their place in Tovan society.
The procession begins by crossing the bridge to Odo, the district home to the Sky Made clan of Carrion Crow. There is an uneasiness between the Watchers and Carrion Crow. Although Odo had been the first district in the city, the other three clans have more power. When Naranpa's predecessor was still a dedicant, the Watchers enacted the Night of Knives, in which they killed vast numbers of Carrion Crow to combat heresy among the clan. A generation later, and Carrion Crow still has not recovered, and, despite what some might wish, the repercussions of that decision still affect the city as a whole. Still, the matron of Carrion Crow, Yatliza, comes out to greet the priesthood as they walked through the district, signaling at the very least a stalemate between the two groups.
The procession leaves Odo and makes their way to Kun, the district home to the Winged Serpent clan. The people there are much more exuberant, cheering the priesthood as they walk by, to the disapproval of one of the priests, Iktan. As they walk, Naranpa tries to stay positive about how well the walk is generally going, and not worry about the disapproval she senses from the others and how much of that stems from her background as the first Sun Priest not from a Sky Made clan. After walking through a portion of Kun, the procession heads to Sun Rock, an open amphitheater in the middle of the city used for mostly ceremonial and political events.
The procession stops at Sun Rock for a break and lunch. As Naranpa reaches into a servant's basket to retrieve a piece of bread, he also reaches into a basket for a knife. Before she can do anything, Iktan pulls Naranpa back and stabs the servant, killing him. Iktan's dedicants begin searching the other servants, as the priests gather around the man's body. Iktan cuts away the man's robe to reveal the skull of the crow - the emblem of the Carrion Crow clan.
Iktan and one of xir's dedicants stay behind on Sun Rock to investigate the attempted assassination and actual murder. Iktan tells Naranpa to be careful and refrain from judgement, and that xe will meet Naranpa in her rooms for an update later. The rest of the procession heads through the remaining districts of Titidi and Tsay before returning to the Sun Tower. Naranpa hardly seems to notice though, dazed by the assassination attempt and wondering if she's managed to anger anyone that much. The priests agree to meet for Conclave later that night; after asking a servant to bring her tea, Naranpa nervously heads to her rooms.
Fortunately, Iktan is the only one waiting in her rooms, although xe still manages to give Naranpa a fright. The following conversation is more frightening, though. Iktan explains that the would-be assassin wasn't a servant in the Celestial Tower, but that he likely wasn't part of Carrion Crow proper. His haahan only consisted of the skull of the crow on his chest despite his age of around twenty-five. Iktan points out that while it may be a new convert to a group of cultists, xe keeps an eye on them and they are relatively weak and powerless. Instead, xe thinks it's possible that someone specifically wanted them to assume Carrion Crow was behind the attack. Either way, Iktan explains that it's too early in the official investigation to tell...and that this isn't the first time someone's tried to kill Naranpa (oops).
Naranpa is, understandably, rattled to learn all of this, and upset when she realizes that Iktan kept all of this from her but told xir's dedicants. Naranpa wonders if Iktan chose to keep that information from her because they used to be intimate or just general doubt about her capability as Sun Priest, but Iktan reassures her that's not the case. Nevertheless, Naranpa, frustrated with the entire situation, asks Iktan to inform her before acting in the future and more or less dismisses xir.
Back in Cuecola - still 20 days before the Convergence - Lord Balam leads Xiala to the port and informs her that he has already secured a crew for her. To Xiala's dismay, many of them, including the first mate Callo, were part of the from her last voyage that arrived the day before. While she at least doesn't have to worry about them attacking her for "novelties," Xiala doesn't trust them. She thinks one of the men Callo brought on the last trip deliberately sabotaged the cargo, which is why Lord Pech started arguing with her in the first place.
Lord Balam calls Callo over and presses him to agree that there won't be any problems on this trip that he is paying them so well to undertake. Callo hedges for a bit, insulting Xiala the whole while. Xiala, furious, prepares to use her Song, but Lord Balam almost seems to sense the impending attack. He rushes to finish the conversation, assuring Xiala that there will be no problems and that now that everything is square between them they can set sail. Meanwhile, Callo spots Lord Pech, the tupile from Kuharan, and a bunch of armed men headed their way. Lord Balam tells Xiala and Callo to set sail and prepares to go and stall Lord Pech long enough for them to escape.
Right before he leaves, Lord Balam reiterates that the most important thing for Xiala to do is get the Obregi to Tova in 20 days. Lord Balam is essentially on her to help him fulfill an old promise. Xiala asks about the goods on the ship, to which Lord Balam replies that she should trade them for him but that the Obregi concerns him the most. But by the time Xiala asks why, Lord Balam has already headed down the pier towards Lord Pech and his men.
Still holding her Song close from the conversation with Callo, Xiala notices a bird unnaturally focused on her. She uses her Song to whistle at a pitch beyond human hearing to send the bird away, and then sees a momentary vision of a young man with smiling, red-stained teeth, a cloth around his eyes, and something that looked like a bird skull carved below his neck. Her powers didn't include visions, and Xiala didn't know anyone that looked like that, but she decides to put it out of her mind for now. As she looks back at shore, she sees Lord Pech yelling and Lord Balam successfully preventing them from advancing. With a grin on her face, she gives the order and they set sail.
Discussion questions are listed below in the comments. As always, I ask that you don't discuss any content in the book beyond the endpoint for this week's discussion. If you want to talk about something later on in the book, please do so in the Marginalia post. The full schedule for Black Sun can be found here. See y'all next week for Chapters 7-13!

🗓 Date: June 6, 2023 @ 5PM
🗺 Location: Long Beach Civic Center 411 W. Ocean Boulevard
📺 LiveStream (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/c/LongBeachTelevision
📺 Live Stream (City Website): https://longbeach.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=84
ℹ️ Details: https://longbeach.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1105633&GUID=B4766DE1-9B6A-41D5-A545-7D151BE969EC&Options=info&Search=
📄 Agenda (PDF): https://longbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1105633&GUID=B4766DE1-9B6A-41D5-A545-7D151BE969EC
🗣eComment: https://longbeach.granicusideas.com/meetings/4014-city-council-on-2023-06-06/agenda_items

Agenda Item

CD4 - Funds Transfer for Partners of Parks

Item #1 • File #23-0553 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Fourth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $200, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide support to Partners of Parks for their Long Beach Charity ProAm event; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $200 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

CD4 - Funds Transfer for LGBTQ Center Long Beach

Item #2 • File #23-0554 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Fourth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $500, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution to The LGBTQ Center Long Beach in support of their Black & White Ball 2023; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $500 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

CD4 - Funds Transfer for Wild West Women, Inc

Item #3 • File #23-0555 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Fourth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $500, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide support to Wild West Women, Inc for their inaugural Long Beach Woman’s Fair; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $500 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

CD5 - Funds Transfer to Support Community Events

Item #4 • File #23-0556 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilwoman Megan Kerr, Fifth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $2,000, offset by the Fifth Council District One-Time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution to: · $500 to Partners of Parks in support of the Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration; · $1,000 to support the Uptown Jazz Festival; · $500 to the Long Beach Century Club in support of the Mayor’s Trophy Charity Golf Tournament; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $2,000 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

CD4 - Funds Transfer for Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation

Item #5 • File #23-0562 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Fourth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $2,000, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide a contribution to Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation in support of their Summer Concert Series; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $2,000 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

CD4 - Funds Transfer for Long Beach Century Club

Item #6 • File #23-0561 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Fourth District

Recommendation to increase appropriations in the General Fund Group in the City Manager Department by $500, offset by the Fourth Council District One-time District Priority Funds transferred from the Citywide Activities Department to provide support to the Long Beach Century Club for their Mayor’s Trophy Charity Golf Tournament; and Decrease appropriations in the General Fund Group in the Citywide Activities Department by $500 to offset a transfer to the City Manager Department.

Arcelia Delgado

Item #7 • File #23-0552 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to submit Stipulations with Request for Award for approval by the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, and if so approved, authority to pay $169,300.13 for Stipulations with Request for Award with a life pension thereafter of $170.04 subject to COLA increases per week in compliance with the Appeals Board Order for Arcelia Delgado. The City of Long Beach is entitled to credit for payments previously paid in the amount of $69,532.31.

Michael Hannan

Item #8 • File #23-0551 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to submit Stipulations with Request for Award for approval by the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, and if so approved, authority to pay $104,182.50 in compliance with the Appeals Board Order for Michael Hannan.

CA - Kayla Jentes

Item #9 • File #23-0557 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to pay sum of $200,000, in full settlement of a lawsuit entitled Kayla Jentes, et al. v. City of Long Beach, et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 20STCV29354.

CA - Joel Reyes

Item #10 • File #23-0558 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize City Attorney to pay sum of $399,000, in full settlement of a lawsuit entitled Joel Reyes, et al. v. City of Long Beach, Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC703737.

Martin Romo

Item #11 • File #23-0549 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize the City Attorney to submit two Stipulations with Request for Award for approval by the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, and if so approved, authority to pay 1) $17,545.00, and also 2) separate authority to pay $72,500.00 in compliance with the Appeals Board Order for Martin Romo.

Mario Talavera

Item #12 • File #23-0550 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Attorney

Recommendation to authorize the City Attorney to submit two Stipulations with Request for Award for approval by the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, and if so approved, authority to pay 1) $27,695.00, and also 2) separate authority to pay $80,982.50 in compliance with the Appeals Board Order for Mario Talavera.

CC - Damage Claims

Item #13 • File #23-0547 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Clerk

Recommendation to refer to City Attorney damage claims received between May 15, 2023 and May 26, 2023.

CM - Federal Lobbyist RFP

Item #15 • File #23-0563 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Manager

Recommendation to Adopt Specifications No. RFP CM-23-236 and award a contract to Holland & Knight, LLP, of Washington, D.C., for federal legislative representation services, in a total annual amount not to exceed $130,000, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)

FM - Coastline Equip. for the purchase of a John Deere 332G skid steer

Item #17 • File #23-0566 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Bragg Investment Company, Inc., dba Coastline Equipment, a Long Beach distributor of John Deere Construction Retail Sales, of Moline, IL, for the purchase of a John Deere 332G skid steer, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $153,097, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

FM - Coastline Equip-John Deere 310P backhoe

Item #18 • File #23-0567 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Bragg Investment Company, Inc., dba Coastline Equipment, a Long Beach distributor of John Deere Construction Retail Sales, of Moline, IL, for the purchase of a John Deere 310P backhoe, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $169,631, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

Mayor - Cancellation of July 4th City Council Meeting

Item #23 • File #23-0560 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Mayor Rex Richardson

Recommendation to suspend Council rule contained in Municipal Code Section 2.03.020 (B) relating to the meeting schedule of the City Council in order to cancel the City Council meeting of July 4, 2023.

PRM/PW - Capital improvements at El Dorado East Regional, El Dorado Park West, Houghton, and Stearns Parks D4,9

Item #33 • File #23-0582 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Parks, Recreation and Marine
• Public Works

Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to accept and expend grant funds from the California Department of Parks and Recreation for capital improvements at El Dorado East Regional, El Dorado Park West, Houghton, and Stearns Parks, in an amount not to exceed $15,400,000; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department by $342,000, offset by grant revenue; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department by $342,000, offset by a transfer of California Department of Parks and Recreation grant funds from the Capital Grants Fund; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $15,058,000, offset by grant revenue; and Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $15,058,000, offset by a transfer of California Department of Parks and Recreation grant funds from the Capital Grants Fund. (Districts 4,9)

Resolution

CC - Destruction of Records

Item #14 • File #23-0548 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Clerk

Recommendation to approve the destruction of records for the Health and Human Services Department; and adopt resolution.

FM - Ray Gaskin Service for for the purchase of one Ford F-550 refuse truck

Item #16 • File #23-0565 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Ray Gaskin Service, an authorized distributor for New Way Trucks and Scranton Manufacturing Company, of Fontana, CA, for the purchase of one Ford F-550 refuse truck, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $167,457, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

FM - The Quinn Co. for the purchase of 4 Caterpillar 430 backhoe loaders

Item #19 • File #23-0568 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Caterpillar Inc., through its local dealer, Quinn Company, of City of Industry, CA, for the purchase of four Caterpillar 430 backhoe loaders, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $1,016,512, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

DS - Noise Element

Item #22 • File #23-0564 (Details, PDF)
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record and conclude the public hearing; Adopt resolution approving and certifying the Environmental Impact Report EIR 03-20, State Clearinghouse No. 2019050009 and associated findings;

DS - Noise Element

Item # • File #23-0585 (Details, PDF)
Adopt resolution replacing the current Noise Element with the updated Noise Element of the Long Beach General Plan; and

ED - 702 Anaheim Shelter – LB Rescue Mission and First to Serve D3

Item #24 • File #23-0584 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Economic Development
• Health and Human Services

Recommendation to receive and file Contract No. 36576 with Long Beach Rescue Mission Foundation, Inc., a California public benefit corporation (Lessor) and the City of Long Beach (Lessee) and Contract No. 36578, a Sublease between the City of Long Beach (Sublessor) and First to Serve Ministries, Inc., a California nonprofit corporation (Sublessee), or its assignee, for approximately 17,000 rentable square feet of space at 702 West Anaheim Street, for use as an emergency shelter, made pursuant to Chapter 2.85 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) and in response to the emergency proclaimed regarding homelessness. (District 1)

FM - Transfer of FY 23 gross operating revenue, from the Harbor Fund Group to the Tidelands Operating Fund

Item #25 • File #23-0569 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution requesting that the Board of Harbor Commissioners approve the transfer of 5 percent of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) gross operating revenue, from the Harbor Fund Group to the Tidelands Operating Fund Group, with a true-up adjustment, if necessary, to reflect the final gross revenue amount upon issuance of the Harbor Department’s FY 23 audited financial statements. (Districts 1,2,3)

FM - Velocity Truck Centers for the purchase of 7 CNG powered Crane Carrier LNT-26 trucks

Item #26 • File #23-0572 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC, dba Velocity Truck Centers, an authorized distributor of Crane Carrier trucks, of Whittier, CA, for the purchase of seven CNG powered Crane Carrier LNT-26 trucks, with New Way rear loader refuse bodies, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $2,951,446, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

FM - Velocity Truck Center-10 CNG Crane Carrier Roto-Pac side loader refuse trucks

Item #27 • File #23-0573 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including any necessary subsequent amendments, with Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC, dba Velocity Truck Centers, of Whittier, CA, an authorized distributor of Crane Carrier trucks, for the purchase of 10 CNG Crane Carrier, Roto-Pac side loader refuse trucks, with related equipment and accessories, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $4,765,507, inclusive of taxes and fees; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a lease-purchase agreement, and related financing documents, with Banc of America Public Capital Corp, of San Francisco, CA, for the financing of Roto-Pac refuse trucks, payable over a seven-year period at an interest rate to be determined when the agreement is executed. (Citywide)

FM/PW - Velocity Truck Center-20 CNG Crane Carrier side loader refuse trucks

Item #29 • File #23-0574 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management
• Public Works

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute a contract, and any necessary documents including subsequent amendments, with Los Angeles Truck Centers, LLC, dba Velocity Truck Centers, of Whittier, CA, an authorized distributor of Crane Carrier trucks, for the purchase of 20 CNG Crane Carrier side loader refuse trucks, with New Way side loader refuse bodies, on the same terms and conditions afforded to Sourcewell, in a total amount not to exceed $9,322,091, inclusive of taxes and fees. (Citywide)

PRM - Reso w/LAFCO-LA for final District Boundary Map

Item #31 • File #23-0581 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Parks, Recreation and Marine

Recommendation to adopt resolution in support of the formation of the Lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Park District; direct City Clerk to file the resolution with the Local Area Formation Commission - Los Angeles (LAFCO-LA); and, authorize City Manager to approve the final District Boundary Map on behalf of the City. (Citywide)

PRM/DHHS - Accept grant funds for Wrigley Greenbelt and Multi-Service Center D7

Item #32 • File #23-0577 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Parks, Recreation and Marine
• Health and Human Services

Recommendation to adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to execute any necessary documents including subsequent amendments, to accept grant funds from the California Natural Resources Agency for capital improvements at Wrigley Greenbelt and Multi-Service Center, in an amount not to exceed $5,200,000. (District 7)

ABC License

PD - ABC License - Tacomasa D3

Item #20 • File #23-0576 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Police

Recommendation to receive and file the application of Tacomasa 1 LLC, dba Tacomasa, for an original application of an Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license, at 4740 East 7th Street #130, submit a Public Notice of Protest to ABC, and direct City Manager to withdraw the protest if a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or Conditional Use Permit Exemption (CUPEX) is granted. (District 3) Levine Act: Yes

PD - ABC License- Northern Café D3

Item #21 • File #23-0575 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Police

Recommendation to receive and file the application of TCRY Incorporated, dba Northern Cafe, for an original application of an Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license, at 4911 East 2nd Street, submit a Public Notice of Protest to ABC, and direct the City Manager to withdraw the protest if a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) or Conditional Use Permit Exemption (CUPEX) is granted. (District 3) Levine Act: Yes

Ordinance

DS - Noise Element

Item # • File #23-0586 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Development Services

Declare ordinance implementing associated amendments to the Noise Ordinance, Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.80, read for the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council. (Citywide)

CM - Ordinance Amending LBMC 5.92

Item #35 • File #23-0532 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• City Manager

Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Chapter 5.92 to reinstate language related to the operation of adult-use dispensaries in mixed-used buildings in Downtown Long Beach, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)

Contract

FM - South Coast Fire Equip. for 10 Pierce Enforcer Triple Combination fire engine pumper trucks

Item #28 • File #23-0571 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Financial Management

Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP FS22-175 and award a contract to South Coast Fire Equipment, Inc., of Ontario, CA, for the purchase of nine Pierce Enforcer Triple Combination Fire Engine pumper trucks, and one Pierce Enforcer Triple Combination Rescue Engine pumper truck, with related equipment and accessories, in a total amount not to exceed $11,328,555; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments; and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute a lease-purchase agreement, and related financing documents, with Banc of America Public Capital Corp, of San Francisco, CA, for the financing of fire engine pumpers, payable over a 10-year period at an interest rate to be determined when the agreement is executed. (Citywide)

PRM - Great Scott for as-needed tree trimming

Item #30 • File #23-0579 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Parks, Recreation and Marine

Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35545 with Great Scott Tree Service, Inc., of Stanton, CA, for as-needed tree trimming and removal services, to increase the annual contract amount by $1,949,030 with a 15 percent contingency in the amount of $292,355, for a revised total annual contract amount not to exceed $3,211,410. (Citywide)

PW - As-Needed Architectural Services

Item #34 • File #23-0583 (Details, PDF)
Sponsors:

• Public Works

Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 33926 with Architects McDonald, Soutar & Paz, Inc., of Long Beach, CA; Contract No. 33912 with Kardent, of Long Beach, CA; Contract No. 33913 with Mary McGrath Architects, of Oakland, CA; and Contract No. 33917 with Alomar Rania, dba RA-DA, of West Hollywood, CA, for as-needed architectural services, to extend the contract terms for an additional one-year period through July 19, 2024; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 33498 with Hirsch & Associates, Inc., of Anaheim, CA, and Contract No. 33504 with RJM Design Group, Inc., of San Juan Capistrano, CA, for as-needed landscape architectural services, to extend term the contract terms for an additional one-year period through August 1, 2024; Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Agreement No. 34375 with AKM Consulting Engineers, Inc., of Irvine, CA; Agreement No. 34376 with AndersonPenna Partners, Inc., of Newport Beach

New daily scooter rider here, and I’m adjusting to the lifestyle. What items do you always have on board for your daily commutes or otherwise rides? Any specific tools, equipment, etc.?
The only item I’m looking to possibly keep on hand going forward is some type of portable battery chargejumper that doesn’t need to be plugged in in order to use it. But all recommendations are welcomed!!
Cheers

Hello and welcome to my destash! The list just keeps on growing - about a hundred more additions since my last post 2 weeks ago! I am selling the majority of my Poesie collection (40 FS bottles alone, and twice as many 2mLs & samples), and am now offloading a lot of Arcana FS that I don’t reach for. I also added about two dozen new Arcana Craves decantables, including the new Frillseekers Collection ($5.00/mL, comes in jar w reducer). All new additions marked with a ⭐️!
🎈 A plethora of Poesie (almost 100 options), Arcana (almost 50 options), Alpha Musk (40 options), NAVA (75 options including many Spring 2023 releases and Eternal Ankhs, plus 2 unused eNVie samples), Alkemia (20 options), PULP Fragrance (10 full size bottles), Solstice Scents (17 options, mostly FS discontinued), Haus of Gloi (15 options), and so, so much more!
Other houses represented include Astrid, Alchemic Muse, Andromeda's Curse, Black Baccara, Blood Moon Botanica, BPAL, Death and Floral, Darling Clandestine, Deconstructing Eden, Fantome, Fyrinnae, Hagroot, Hexennacht, Moonalisa, Osmofolia, Nui Cobalt, Pineward, Possets, Siren Song Elixirs, Sixteen92, Sorcellerie Apothecary, Stereoplasm, Sucreabeille, Snowy White Owl, Whisper Sisters, Wylde Ivy, and others. 🎈
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Click here to view my spreadsheet!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P7e9eQaZ8zfztiYp1_ZHSmXC7yN3xbKDNkGQ328HWKs/edit?usp=sharing
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IMPORTANT INFO AT A GLANCE:
-There are 3 tabs on my spreadsheet:
Indie FS and House Sample Perfumes;
Custom Indie Decants,
Niche/Mainstream Perfumes
-Shipping to the US is a flat $4.25, while shipping to CAN and EUR will be quoted but usually ranges from $14-$16. I usually ship within 3-4 days, and will pack your perfumes with much love, care, and bubble wrap!😊
Spreadsheet link again — https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P7e9eQaZ8zfztiYp1\_ZHSmXC7yN3xbKDNkGQ328HWKs/edit?usp=sharing
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DECANT DEALS:
- 5mL rollerball decants of PULP Fragrance oils for $16 (choices include An Accidental Interloper, Luna Violacea, New Snow Moon. Plus, I have house 5mL amber bottles available in scents Hauntology and Mark of the Moon for $16 also — both BNNU!)
- 5mL rollerball decants of Wylde Ivy EDPs for $10 (choices include Chasing Dreams, Honeysuckle Sun, Mist & Moonlight and Lovesick & Undead)
- 5mL rollerball decants of Solstice Scents EDPs for $16 (choices include EDPs of Foxcroft and Witch/s Cottage)
- 5mL rollerball decants of Haus of Gloi EDPs for $9 (choices include Forest Rain, Haus Amber At Midnight, Haus Birthday, Hearth, Pumpkin Eater, Red Roan, Real Coal, Snow Wolf, Silver Bells)
- 5mL rollerball decants of Alkemia Alcohol-free EDPs for $13 (choices include Frondescence and Fireflies in the Garden)
- 5mL rollerball decants of CocoaPink EDPs for $8 (choices include Lipstick Stains in SMAT strength)
A note about decants: Accuracy and cleanliness are my highest priorities when decanting. I take it extremely seriously, and complete a series of confirmation checks to ensure that every single decant is filled to the correct volume – not even a drop less! My decants will generally come in screw top jars with a reducer and printed, easy-to-read labels. The following brands will come in vials instead of jars (unless you get 2mLs or more, in which case they’ll come in jars): Alpha Musk, Death & Floral, Possets, Haus of Gloi, and Hexennacht. I ensure that my materials and working space are kept very clean. I decant with disposable, single-use 1mL pipettes and check my work twice with a scale to ensure accurate fill level.
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Here is just a small sampling of what is available, there is so much more on the spreadsheet! For most updated availability, please check the spreadsheet first, as that is updated regularly & is most accurate!
Poesie FS and house samples:
Ada Lovelace FS ⭐️
Aditi FS ⭐️
Anne of Cleves FS ⭐️
Artemis EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS
Borrowed Sugar EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS partial ⭐️
Boudicca FS ⭐️
Brooding Wings FS
Castle Dracula FS
Crowned FS
Cybele FS partial ⭐️
Cybele EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS partial ⭐️
Danann Fein FS ⭐️
Daydreams EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS
Demimonde FS ⭐️
Desert Goblin FS ⭐️
Echo FS ⭐️
Fan Dance FS ⭐️
Folly of Love FS ⭐️
Headmaster FS
Illuminated FS
Just Like Heaven FS partial
Marie Curie FS ⭐️
Medusa FS
Mysterious Fossils EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS
Perfect Happiness FS ⭐️
Poison Pen Lane FS ⭐️
Radiant FS
Rentimei FS ⭐️
Ritual EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS partial ⭐️
Scholomance FS ⭐️
Shield Maiden FS
Strawberry Party FS ⭐️
The Empress FS
The Perfect Tree FS (2 available)
Thought & Memory FS
Tiny Phantom FS
Two Dances With Darcy FS
Winter Idyl FS
Young Romantics FS ⭐️
A Thousand Warriors (labelled as Tomoe Gozen) 2mL ⭐️
Alice Ball 2mL
Anne of Cleves 2mL
Better Merry Than Wise 2mL ⭐️
Byronic Hero 2mL
Christmas Magic 2mL
Clara 2mL
Curiouser and Curiouser 2mL
Daydreams 2mL
Dessert First 2mL
Desert Goblin 2mL
Fan Dance 2mL
Gingerbread Kittens 2.3mL chonk
Knightley 2mL
Lagniappe IX 2mL
Lagniappe VIII 2mL
Magnolia Black Tea 2mL
Morning Mayhem 2mL
Nutcracker Prince 2mL
Opening Chapter 2mL
Opening Chapter 2mL
Plaid Shirt 2mL
Queen Bee 2mL
Queen of Hearts 2mL
Seelie Court 2mL ⭐️
Strange Unearthly Thing 2mL
The Perfect Tree 2mL
Tomoe Gozen (A Thousand Warriors) 2mL ⭐️
Waltz of the Snowflakes 2mL
Watson 2mL (2 available)
Year Without Summer 2mL
Black Cat Cuddles
Boudicca
Comfort
Daydreams
Demimonde (2 available)
Elizabeth ⭐️
Glowing ⭐️
Goblin King ⭐️
Hoyden (2 available) ⭐️
Jo
Komako Kimura
Poison Pen Lane (2 available)
Lush ⭐️
Medusa
Northmen ⭐️
Ritual ⭐️
Shire Yuletide (2 available) ⭐️
Something Fierce
Tempus Fugit ⭐️
Windsor
Woman Triumphant
Worth a Stare
Yet to be Written ⭐️
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Alkemia FS and house samples:
Amour Conjure FS
Arcanum Experiments 2017 #16 FS
De La Foret FS
Forest Rose FS
From The Altar of a Forest Temple (Private Reserve) FS ⭐️
La Sirena FS partial
Temptation FS ⭐️
Vanille Vert (Vintage Reserve) FS partial ⭐️
Yuletide Blessing FS
Evil Temptress
From The Altar of a Forest Temple
Hearthstone
La Flamme
Sea Goddess
Temptation
The Sybilla (Ultime)
Vixen (beautifully aged batch, long discontinued)
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Alkemia decantables ($4/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following
Fireflies in the Garden (alcohol free EDP)
Frondescence (alcohol free EDP)
June Rainbow Alchemy
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Alpha Musk FS and house samples:
Amber Rose FS
Aretha FS
Baby Hairs FS
Beastress FS
Celestial Musk FS partial
Cristille FS
Dreaming of the Past FS
Fling FS
Hard Luck FS
Invisible Ink FS
Madame Moustache FS
Orange FS
Orange Blossom to the Tune of Jo Mo FS partial
Ovary FS
Pass The Jug FS
Ruthless Ruby FS
Slivered FS
Stone Musk FS
Sunshine Musk FS
Swedish Erotica FS
The Noble Sloth FS
Velvet Fir FS
Whispers at the Altar FS
Dolly 3mL dram
Melt 3.7mL dram
Rose Myrrh Musk Soda Pop 2mL dram
The Naked Witch 1.5mL dram
After Dinner Mints
Alice in Her Uniform
Blue Dew
Bubbly Amber
Cheery
Cup of Tea Musk
Deep Throat
Flustered
Hair Flip
Idle Ideals
Lazy Bear
Poe
Stone Musk
Suntan Musk
Sweet Dreams
Traces Left Behind
Trash Panda
Vacation Sex
Vroom
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Alpha Musk Decantables ($3.50/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following:
Greige
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Alchemic Muse FS and house samples:
Gillyflower FS
Temptation FS
Phantasm
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Andromeda’s Curse FS and house samples:
Firefly Hollow FS
Hex FS
Unicorn
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Arcana Wildcraft FS and house samples:
Note that any FS can be decanted at $5/mL!
Black Sand FS ⭐️
Crossing FS
Forest Witch FS
Gideon FS ⭐️
Grainne Mhaol FS
Isolde FS ⭐️
Jinx FS ⭐️
Love FS ⭐️
Maman Brigitte FS ⭐️
Mountain Witch FS
Nott FS ⭐️
Persephone’s Flowers FS 10mL
Skookum FS ⭐️
Waterfall FS partial
Ala ⭐️
Delicatus ⭐️
Freyja ⭐️
Her Forest ⭐️
Herne ⭐️
Snow Witch: Embers ​
Spark ⭐️
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Arcana Wildcraft decantables ($5/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following:
Cascadian Mermaid ⭐️
Come to Me ⭐️
Sif ⭐️
Trust ⭐️
Arcana Craves FS:
Note that all FS listed below can be decanted at $5 per mL!
Black Musk Layering Note FS
Blueberries Crave Black Cats FS partial ⭐️
Honey Craves Festivals FS ⭐️
Moss Layering Note FS ⭐️
Pumpkins Crave Wraiths FS ⭐️
Pumpkins Crave Viola FS ⭐️
Strawberries Crave Nyx FS partial ⭐️
Strawberries Crave Summer FS ⭐️
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Arcana Craves decantables ($5/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following:
Apples Crave Flora ⭐️
Apples Crave Leafy Seadragons ⭐️
Apples Crave Resins ⭐️
Apples Crave The Tropics ⭐️
Blueberries Crave Garden Parties ⭐️
Fresh Coconut Layering Note
Honey Craves Fairy Rings ⭐️
Honey Craves Paradise ⭐️
Lemon Shortbread Layering Note ⭐️
Peaches Crave Mambo ⭐️
Peaches Crave Mermaidcore ⭐️
Pumpkins Crave Quietude ⭐️
Red Lipstick Layering Note
Strawberries Crave Waterfalls
Vanilla Craves Crescent Moons
Vanilla Craves Forest Rituals ⭐️
Whipped Cream Layering Note ⭐️
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Astrid FS and house samples:
Chalet FS ⭐️
Dreaming of October FS partial
Merci 26 FS partial
Nostalgic FS partial
Trinkets and Feathers FS
Rouge Fumee
Sugared Decay
Woods Whispering About You Fondly (2 available)​
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Astrid Decantables ($4/mL or $7 for 2mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following:
Tea Time
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Balefire Apothecary FS:
Valkyrie
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Black Baccara FS:
​Conifer Farm FS partial
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Blooddrop FS:
A Multitude of Stars on a Hot Summers Night
The Restless Mare
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Blood Moon Botanica FS and samples:
Samhain Night FS
Autumn Camp
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BPAL FS and house samples:
V’al Hanissim Yule 2019 FS
Anubis ⭐️
Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo
Cleric (RPG Series) ⭐️
Delight
Eclipse
Snap Dragon Fly
The Ghost
Ut Ameris, Amabilis Esto
White Rabbit ⭐️
Yemaya
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CocoaPink decantables:
Lipstick Stains EDP 5mL rollerball decant
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Darling Clandestine FS bottles:
Monstre Delicat (2022 formula)
Serpentina
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Deconstructing Eden 5mL bottles and house samples:
Aine 5mL partial
Cross My Heart 5mL partial
It Can't Rain All The Time 5mL rollerball decant
Pisces 5mL partial
The Bride 5mL partial
The Nice List 5mL partial
Solace
Under The Mistletoe
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Deconstructing Eden Decantables ($6.00 for 2mLs):
In The Gloaming
It Can't Rain All The Time
Pumpkins Revenge
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Death & Floral FS and house samples:
Decomposing Roses For A Decomposing Romance (rice bran oil base) FS
Deer Deer Deer FS
Lavender Sprite FS
With the Fishes and the Dead FS
Yellow Rose EDP FS
Coconut Chia Seed Pudding (discontinued)
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Death & Floral Decantables ($5.00 for 2mL):
Swamp Elixir EDP
The People You Love Become Ghosts EDP
Yellow Rose EDP
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Fantome FS:
Madame d’Esperance 10mL roller ⭐️
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Fyrinnae FS and house samples:
Isle of the Dead FS
Jungle Cat FS
Border Collie
Danse Macabre
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Haus of Gloi FS and house samples:
Black Musk, Red Ginger, & Clove FS
Ferntree Gully FS
Hearth FS
Iced Resin FS
Lumps of Coal FS
Mama’s Haus FS
Nag Champa FS
Precious Resins and Snowy Fir FS
Iced Resin FS
Priestess FS
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Haus of Gloi Retired Catalog Decantables ($4.00/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following:
Iced Earth
Portland Rain
Winter Rain
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Haus of Gloi EDP Decantables ($3.00/mL or $9.00 for 5mL roller):
Come Hither EDP
Depravity EDP
Forest Rain EDP
Haus Amber At Midnight EDP
Haus Birthday EDP
Hearth EDP
Pumpkin Eater EDP
Real Coal EDP
Red Roan EDP
Silver Bells EDP
Snow Wolf EDP
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Hagroot FS and drams:
Haunted Rose 3.7mL dram
New Orleans 3.7mL dram
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Hexennacht FS and house samples:
Black Musk FS
Fougere Accord EDP (Parfum Extrait) FS
Espiritismo 4mL square dram
Nicotine 3.7mL dram
Strychnine 3.7mL dram ⭐️
Green Musk
Killer Queen (2 available)
Morphine
Prehnite
Rhubarb & Custard ⭐️
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Independents Warsaw 10mL sprays (partials):
Cantaloupe and Iso e Super EDP
Neroli, Iso e Super, and Ambroxan EDP
Sweety Summer and Iso e Super EDP
Sylvamber and Iso e Super EDP
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Moonalisa FS bottles:
Cranberry Spiced Cookie
Sugared Forest
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NAVA FS and samples:
Afternoon Tea Cat FS partial ⭐️
Alchemist Musk Crypta Obscura Half Bottle 🌸
Amethyst (Studio Limited) FS partial
Artemisia Crypta Obscura Half Bottle
Bastet's Potion Studio No. 113 FS
Bewitched Crypta Obscura Half Bottle
Breath of Gods: Ra Crypta Obscura Half Bottle 🌸
Cardamom & Anise Tea Crypta Obscura Half Bottle 🌸
Crimson (Studio Limited) (Aged batch) FS partial
Crystalline # 7 Crypta Obscura Half Bottle🌸
Dragon’s Eye FS partial
Ederra FS partial ⭐️
Eternal Ankh Purpurite FS
Eternal Cairo FS
Eternal Nile FS
Haunted Castle Crypta Obscura Half Bottle
Hat en Tjhenu FS ⭐️
Isis FS
Krimson ⭐️
Magnifique FS
Mr Belgraves FS
NAliday Tree 2021 FS
Neon Vampire FS
Shield FS
Strength FS partial
Sucre Crypta Obscura Half Bottle 🌸
Yulunga FS
Bastet’s Caramel Swirl 2mL house sample
Egyptian Musk & Santalum Deux 2mL house sample ⭐️
Eternal Aswan 2mL house sample
Hadean Eon 2mL house sample
Heliotrope Crystalline 2mL house sample
Ice Cream and Summer Rose 2mL house sample
Jack o Lantern 2mL house sample ⭐️
Nikolav 2mL house sample
Nut & Geb (Meditations W The Gods) 2mL house sample
Papaya White Santalum 2mL house sample
Ptah 2mL house sample
Raspberry Cream and Roses 2mL house sample
Royal Sandalwood: Jasmine 2mL house sample ⭐️
Solaris 2mL house sample
Symbiosis 2mL house sample (partial)
Tibetan Santalum 2mL house sample (partial) ⭐️
Vetiver & Woods 2mL house sample ⭐️
Amethyst (Studio Limited)
Amulet ⭐️
Bastet Amber Solar Summer ⭐️
Bastet's Bewildering Contessa Biscuit ⭐️
Beauty’s Where You Find It
Blue Topaz (Studio Limited) ⭐️
Cemetery Snow ⭐️
Crimson Elixir
Crystalline # 2 ⭐️
Dionysus ⭐️
Envie Exclusif - Saphir Soir ⭐️ 💎
Envie Exclusif - Saphir Indira ⭐️ 💎
Eternal Ankh Azurite ⭐️
Eternal Ankh Purpurite
Eternal Ankh Lapis Lazuli ⭐️
Eternal Ankh Rose de Mai ⭐️
Forest Musk ⭐️
Go Halainn ⭐️
Hat en Tjhenu
Indigo (Studio Limited)
Indigo / Crystalline Deux
Loveasaurus ⭐️
Orchid Yellow
Pink Lemonade Tropical Fish
Pink Quartz (Studio Limited) ⭐️
Purple Musk ⭐️
Royal Sandalwood Jasmine
Royal Sandalwood Rose
Smoked Tea and Amber Resin
Solaris
Sommeil l'Ete '22 ⭐️
Tobacco Musk
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PULP Fragrance FS and house samples:
An Accidental Interloper FS 10mL roller bottle
Cathedral of Trees 4mL roller ⭐️
Embrace 4mL roller ⭐️
Fortune Favors 4mL roller ⭐️
Hauntology FS 6mL amber bottle
Luna Violacea FS 10mL roller ⭐️
Mark of the Moon FS 6mL amber bottle
New Snow Moon FS 10mL roller bottle
Sanctuary FS 4mL roller ⭐️
Still Life FS 4mL roller
When What to My Wandering Eyes FS 4mL roller partial
Accidental Interloper
Hallowed Ground
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PULP Fragrance Decantables ($4.5/mL):
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED in smaller 1mL units as well!
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Sixteen92 FS and house samples:
0001 Cemetery Lane EDP 10mL partial ⭐️
Erineyes FS partial
Ex Tenebris Lux (from original release) FS partial
Lafayette Cemetery No 1 FS
Strigoi FS partial
The Island of The Dolls (From original 2016 release) FS partial
Wise Blood FS
Aquila
Be Careful What You Wish For
Blanket of the Dark (From original 2016 release)
Bridget Bishop (Premium)
Laudanum (Premium)
Les Fleurs de Mal (Premium)
Lyra
Really Most Sincerely Dead! ⭐️
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Sixteen92 Decantables ($4.50/mL):
All of the FS listed above are decantable, plus:
0001 Cemetery Lane EDP
El Cucuy
Gryla
The Romance of Certain Old Clothes EDP
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Solstice Scents FS and house samples:
Coquina ⭐️
Devils Milhopper FS partial ⭐️
Farmhouse in Summer FS ⭐️
First Flush FS
Flowers Nocturnal FS partial
Gulf Breeze FS
Monarch FS 10mL ⭐️
Night Watcher FS
Outpost FS partial ⭐️
Riverside Hayride FS 10mL ⭐️
Rose Leather FS
Solstice Kyphi FS
Heart of the Night
Manor EDP
Old Havana
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Solstice Scents Decantables ($4.50/mL)
Special deal! Buy a 5mL decant rollerball of any EDP for $16!
ALL FULL SIZES LISTED ABOVE CAN BE DECANTED, plus the following
Foxcroft EDP
Witches Cottage EDP
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Stereoplasm FS and house samples (pocket rollers and screw top vials:
Lasseiz Faire FS (4.5mL) ⭐️
Monster Frog FS (4.5mL) ⭐️
Golden Hour FS (4.5mL)
Blue Magpie
Comet Corn
Dark Dark
Mogwai
Tamias (Chipmunk)
The Green Ribbon
Venusian Moon
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Strange Fire & Fumery FS bottles:
Swallow
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Sucreabeille FS and samples:
Atlantis FS
Azrael FS
Chthulu (Elder God) FS
The Kraken FS
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Wylde Ivy FS and samples:
​Chasing Dreams 5mL decant
Barefoot in the Garden (Perfume oil version) FS roller
Honeysuckle Sun 5mL decant
Lovesick and Undead 5mL decant
Mist and Moonlight 5mL decant
Pumpkin Ambre
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Whisper Sisters FS:
Cellar - LE discontinued
Cirque du Condamne
Dominula
Gamayun
Smitten Kitten
The Witch
Velvet Heart
Winter Rose
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Spreadsheet link again — https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P7e9eQaZ8zfztiYp1_ZHSmXC7yN3xbKDNkGQ328HWKs/edit?usp=sharing

After years of saving up, I underwent rhinoplasty early last year. All throughout consultation and day of the operation, the surgeon seemed an incredibly gentle soul and interested in my wellbeing.
During my first post-op followup appointment, as the surgeon was removing the brace and stitches from my appendage, he (jokingly, possibly) suggested that I come in to have my face/neck fat worked on next (I have the tendency to store fat in that area, even as a lean person). He also took jabs at my grooming/dress habits, implying I should change in those areas for the sake of being more attractive to women. Immediately after that uneasy exchange, we had a vanilla conversation about which activities and tasks I could resume at this stage in my post-op recovery.
I had extremely conflicted feelings when I got home from the followup. I felt disgusted with the thought that I'd let, no, PAID someone so immature wield a blade around me unconscious. At the same time, he'd seemed so mild-mannered immediately after that, and was warm and welcoming in prior interactions. Add in the mixed feelings with the initial post-rhinoplasty shock of not recognizing my reflection, and I was in a bad mood.
With some guilt for filing what I knew damn well was a frivolous complaint, levied at a man who at least had the capacity to act warm, but feeling just wronged enough to make a fuss over it, I submitted my complaint to the state medical board. I cited that a plastic surgeon should be more conscientious of the psychological fragility that patients for such procedures tend to have regarding their own appearances. Of course, my complaint did not stand up to scrutiny, and the board ruled in favor of the surgeon.
I feel guilty, and cringe at myself, for being such a wimp, such a weakling, that I wasted the time and resources of a body meant to investigate serious malpractice claims on some hurt feelings. And that's the least of my regrets regarding this incident.
At the time of my surgery, followup, and subsequent complaint, I was a successful entrepreneur about a year and a half into my journey. I had stupidly forgotten just how hard it had been to get to where I was, and got complacent. Complacency, and coming to take the notion of my continued success for granted, left my mind idle enough to worry about trivial things, like the input of someone who I'd only ever see once or twice more in my life on my fat chin and cheap outfit. This lackadaisical decreased interest in aiming for the top with my enterprise lead to a series of dumb choices, and ultimately, the downfall of my business, and now I'm couch-surfing with a wealthy friend, working a not-terrible, but not-too-fulfilling desk job, trying to eventually recoup enough capital to take another crack at the entrepreneurial life.
In summation, my shame from this instance is that I became so mentally lazy, so wrongfully comfortable, that I stopped focusing on what should be never-ending quest for self-improvement enough to let an incident that matters such a laughably small amount in the big picture perturb me the way it did. Because I got idle and stopped focusing all my effort on swimming upstream, I ended up letting the current pull me back. And keeping the medical board occupied over something pointless was pretty shitty of me.

I am kinda stuck, I get to the point straigth away and then telling the long story after so I am not completly wasting your time and if you are interested you can read the whole story. The question of my problem is after the story. The thing is, I feel like I am always second or even third option for my friends when it comes to hangout, doing plans for summer, doing trips etc. I really love traveling, I love seeing new places, I have dozens of dreams to visit, I have money for it as well, what I don't have are people to come with me, and I don't enjoy it as alone. Whenever I tell about my friends about these plans, like visiting Slovenian mountains on a trip and similiar to these, they are always excited and say its amazing, but when the time comes that I'm actually making this into a reality, they all back down instantly. What do I do to not feel this way? I have dozens of things I want to do, but I don't have the pleasure when I'm doing it alone, for example I want to try salsa dancing, try baseball, trip alot, visit foreign cities, but none of my friends join me.
Longer story:
I was always very introverted, had close to zero friends and I had no interest in getting a few either. In the later stages of high school, I fell in love and started realising how a few friend would be good now to talk about the feelings, get advices, and just overall have fun with, listen to their problems, etc... I got a few and I was very happy for them, sadly I got rejected by my love (big surprise after 0 social skills) and eventually my friends left me as well. All I had was like 2 friends from discord who I talked to at every night and one of them always mocked me that I have no life, which always hurt me. In 2020, I finally graduated from high school and started college in september, at the summer while I was waiting for the university to start, I decieded that I will improve and get alot of friends, buddies to do things and try out alot new. It actually worked, when I started I got alot of friends, I had a week where I went out almost every day, until covid lockdowns became more restriced, but even then we still went into the forests or mountains nearby, it was one of the best years, only one was better, which was 2021. I had a guy I befriended so hard, I ended up talking to him ALMOST everyday for HOURS, like I met my soulmate but as a friend. He had a uni friends who I befriended as well becouse of him call him John, and I already had a girl I befriended in the first semester, and we became a very fun group of 4 doing alot of things, such as trips to mountains, board gaming and just talk nights, movie nights. I was never really the alcohol type of guy, so this was the best thing ever.
Eventually this came to an end, my best friend started acting differently, and John didn't like how he turned out, so he started ignoring him, inviting only me and the girl friend to hangouts, I tried talking to my best friend for months, trying to pretend nothing has changed, but eventually he started dropping me slowly for his new buddies. I lost him completly.
Beside this sad news, this summer was one of the most eventful ones I had, with this girl I went dancing alot as 2, with the guy I was drinking and talking in beautiful sitting out places, talking about future plans, etc. University came and we were in different classes, eventually I became pretty far away with this girl who I considered one of my best friends and also in the same time, John has got a girlfriend, which obviously resulted in much-much less hangouts, like close to none from september to december, we hangout once and there was a time in november, when I told them they can stay at my place, becouse they had some unviersity work nearby my village.
By mid 2022, I didn't even meett the girl friend anymore, we talked once or twice monthly in messenger for about half an hour to 2 hours, it was depending on what we could tell eachother and I didn't meet John since march, and I am at november now.
Finally, after a hard work of getting them together, I could do a together hangout, with the girl, John and his GF, sadly it didn't go as I planned, with John's we still had the best-friend chemistry, sadly the girl almost completly ignored me, she never asked me anything and when I had a question specifically towards her, she barely gave an answer, while she was super talkative and fun towards John and his GF. It felt so bad. It still feels incredibly bad I can't tell. How I was ignored by someone I thought is a very good friend of mine, and she's an angel, she's just not interested in my anymore at all. Can't be worse right?
It can :). John and this girl friend decieded that they will celebrate new years at the girl's place and she decieded to invite me as well, I don't know why honestly, I am betting it was John getting me into it, becouse I wasn't invited to a similiar thing but just before christmas, it hurt again whatever, be happy I was invited this time. Well, she was playing the ignoring again, we were playing a board game, I usually play these very silly, I made John and his gf laugh ALOT, but this girl never, she always stared me with dead fish eyes, like if she would want to tell me to get the fuck out, and it feels so fucking bad. Worse comes to worse, she was incredibly welcoming, she was cooking, she made us feel very-very confortable, and I don't know why, I never felt like this, I started having feelings towards her. I talked about this with John after new years, and he was very happy, becouse he thought this girl likes me back, which I was obviously very hardly doubtful of, looking at how ignoring she was always in the last two hangouts, but he insisted it was just becouse she's nervous around me etc etc. Well he eventually convinced me to confess and.. guess what, she didn't like me back. I haven't talked to her, not even on messenger since the confession in february, I still talk to John sometimes, I even asked about the girl asking anything about where am I, or does she even remember me, but she doesn't say a single word about me, I am inrelevant to her and I want to pretend like I don't care about it, but I do, and I cry about it alot, how can she not care about me at all, not even as a friend, after all those dances, hangouts, drinkings, pool game nights, movie nights, trips, cavings. I miss 2021 more than anything
Question:
How can I improve to not care about this thing anymore and get rid of this hard feeling? The feeling that people don't care about me, not even my friends? The feeling that I am always alone, no matter what I do, not matter how much people I talk to, when it comes to serious plans, I am always alone? If I talk to many people, why do I still feel lonely? Why do my friends leave me out of their plans when they tell me they will invite me?? Why?

Step one: start a decent anima board
Step two: greed Vaynes spread shot
Step three: end up without an anima augment at all
Step four: stay stubborn and refuse to pivot
Step five: dead last
Welcome to my Ted talk