Anyway about me, I am a huge, huge romantic. Seriously might be the biggest romantic here. Challenge me. I dare you.
I love music, heres my top TWENTY!

1. The Nights - Avicii
2. Future Days - Pearl Jam
3. My Person - Spencer Crandall
4. Hurt - Johnny Cash
5. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
6. Stand By Me - Ben. E. King.
7. If The World Was Ending - J.P Saxxe feat. Julia Michaels
8. Hey Soul Sister - Train
9. Running Home To You - Grant Gustin
10. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
11. You Were Meant For Me - Jewel
12. All The Faces - Creed Bratton
13. Drops Of Jupiter - Train
14. Photograph- Ed Sheeran
15. Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran
16. You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & The Pacemakers
17. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
18. Rewind - Goldspot
19. The Funeral - Band of Horses
20. The Wind - Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Shows:

1. How I Met Your Mother - 19 watches
2. The Office US - 7 watches
3. Brooklyn 99 - 4 or 5 watches
4. Peaky Blinders - currently watching for first time (S6 E2)
5. The Big Bang Theory - 3 or 4 watches

Books:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant - 39 reads
2. Percy Jackson - 17 reads
3. Harry Potter - 8 reads

Also writing my own two books, want to be an author. Both on wattpad. The @ is WWEUOfficial.
Goodnight and Goodmorning

Civil_Preparation934

Anyway about me, I am a huge, huge romantic. Seriously might be the biggest romantic here. Challenge me. I dare you.
I love music, heres my top TWENTY!

1. The Nights - Avicii
2. Future Days - Pearl Jam
3. My Person - Spencer Crandall
4. Hurt - Johnny Cash
5. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
6. Stand By Me - Ben. E. King.
7. If The World Was Ending - J.P Saxxe feat. Julia Michaels
8. Hey Soul Sister - Train
9. Running Home To You - Grant Gustin
10. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
11. You Were Meant For Me - Jewel
12. All The Faces - Creed Bratton
13. Drops Of Jupiter - Train
14. Photograph- Ed Sheeran
15. Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran
16. You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & The Pacemakers
17. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
18. Rewind - Goldspot
19. The Funeral - Band of Horses
20. The Wind - Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Shows:

1. How I Met Your Mother - 19 watches
2. The Office US - 7 watches
3. Brooklyn 99 - 4 or 5 watches
4. Peaky Blinders - currently watching for first time (S6 E2)
5. The Big Bang Theory - 3 or 4 watches

Books:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant - 39 reads
2. Percy Jackson - 17 reads
3. Harry Potter - 8 reads

Also writing my own two books, want to be an author. Both on wattpad. The @ is WWEUOfficial.
Goodnight and Goodmorning

Civil_Preparation934

[16M] CANT SAY HOW THE DAYS WILL UNFOLDD
Anyway about me, I am a huge, huge romantic. Seriously might be the biggest romantic here. Challenge me. I dare you.
I love music, heres my top TWENTY!

1. The Nights - Avicii
2. Future Days - Pearl Jam
3. My Person - Spencer Crandall
4. Hurt - Johnny Cash
5. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
6. Stand By Me - Ben. E. King.
7. If The World Was Ending - J.P Saxxe feat. Julia Michaels
8. Hey Soul Sister - Train
9. Running Home To You - Grant Gustin
10. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
11. You Were Meant For Me - Jewel
12. All The Faces - Creed Bratton
13. Drops Of Jupiter - Train
14. Photograph- Ed Sheeran
15. Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran
16. You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & The Pacemakers
17. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
18. Rewind - Goldspot
19. The Funeral - Band of Horses
20. The Wind - Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Shows:

1. How I Met Your Mother - 19 watches
2. The Office US - 7 watches
3. Brooklyn 99 - 4 or 5 watches
4. Peaky Blinders - currently watching for first time (S6 E2)
5. The Big Bang Theory - 3 or 4 watches

Books:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant - 39 reads
2. Percy Jackson - 17 reads
3. Harry Potter - 8 reads

Also writing my own two books, want to be an author. Both on wattpad. The @ is WWEUOfficial.
Goodnight and Goodmorning

Civil_Preparation934

[16M] CANT SAY HOW THE DAYS WILL UNFOLDD
Anyway about me, I am a huge, huge romantic. Seriously might be the biggest romantic here. Challenge me. I dare you.
I love music, heres my top TWENTY!

1. The Nights - Avicii
2. Future Days - Pearl Jam
3. My Person - Spencer Crandall
4. Hurt - Johnny Cash
5. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
6. Stand By Me - Ben. E. King.
7. If The World Was Ending - J.P Saxxe feat. Julia Michaels
8. Hey Soul Sister - Train
9. Running Home To You - Grant Gustin
10. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
11. You Were Meant For Me - Jewel
12. All The Faces - Creed Bratton
13. Drops Of Jupiter - Train
14. Photograph- Ed Sheeran
15. Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran
16. You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & The Pacemakers
17. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
18. Rewind - Goldspot
19. The Funeral - Band of Horses
20. The Wind - Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Shows:

1. How I Met Your Mother - 19 watches
2. The Office US - 7 watches
3. Brooklyn 99 - 4 or 5 watches
4. Peaky Blinders - currently watching for first time (S6 E2)
5. The Big Bang Theory - 3 or 4 watches

Books:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant - 39 reads
2. Percy Jackson - 17 reads
3. Harry Potter - 8 reads

Also writing my own two books, want to be an author. Both on wattpad. The @ is WWEUOfficial.
Goodnight and Goodmorning

Civil_Preparation934

So I posted yesterday about my situation my mum, and me wanting to leave home cause she has been narcissistic and emotionally/mentally abusive after she went off at me cause I told her I wasn’t going to be home for the week and I was going to a funeral for my friends uncle but today I woke up to a message from her that said “I’m sorry I was in a mood.”
I don’t want to go back to the situation I am in when I live with her but I do want to talk to her about it but I’m worried she will go full scale meltdown if I try to talk things out with her.

Sorry this is so long, i’ve had a terrible day. My story is almost unbelievable when I think about it, but I hope at least one person can empathise with me.
TLDR: my mom and my dad ended their 16 year marriage when I was 7 and she has let her bitterness and anger destroy everything around her. I have no concept or idea of a family, I'm watching my disabled grandma slowly die in front of me everyday, and I feel like I have no prospects. I dropped out of college in my final year because of depression and I've been the only one working to support what's left of my family on a salary of less than 15k. I work from home and everyday is the same. I don't go out, I feel suicidal and like I have no escape.
I always say that my childhood ended at 7 years old. I did have toys, and went to school and such, but I always did and continue to always feel out of place everywhere I go. We struggled financially (partially due to my dad - he was not perfect) but my mom gave up trying.
I used to see my father every other weekend as part of his custody rights, but once he got a job abroad, I wasn't able to see him much anymore. I last saw him when I was 13 or 14 years old. He never stopped trying to reach out and help, but my mom convinced me that if I spoke to him, bad things would happen to me, his family would curse us (we're African), and that it would be my fault.
This culminated with my grandma having a freak accident when I was 15. She got her legs crushed by a double decker bus and she had to have multiple surgeries and a below the knee amputation. She's now wheelchair bound and underweight. My mom has blamed my sibling and I during fights for not going to see him and therefore causing his family to curse my grandma as a punishment.
My mom fired our good lawyer and accepted a measly settlement of about 500,000. None of that money is here anymore, she was reckless with it and we're struggling everyday. Out of desperation, I set up a gfm a few weeks ago for my grandma but I haven't even tried to spread it out of embarrassment.
During this time, my dad remarried and honestly I think it was the biggest mistake of his life. My father had multiple strokes whilst he was abroad in Africa and he nearly died. He recuperated in Cuba for some time, but he could not work anymore due to being paralysed on one side of his body. He was always a hard worker, and earned around 6 figures when we were children working in telecoms engineering. He helped bring 4G to some areas of Africa and was always trying his best to help others.
My mom believed that he was living a lavish life all this time whilst we were struggling. My mother never sought work again and my grandma was already nearing her mid 70s by the time of her accident. My father was also suffering and had no one to care for him.
Unbeknownst to me, he was living 20 mins away from me my entire teenage years. I found out after he died that my nmom knew he was in the same city as me. He had been flown back to have better medical care, but his new wife abandoned him. He was alone, and a few weeks before he died, he fell on the floor in his sleep and laid there all night calling for help. No one deserves that. Had I been there, I would've been able to help him.
He decided to fly back home to Africa to see his mother because he felt that his time was near. He was right. He fell into a coma whilst over there and he never woke up. This was last summer. He was 57. I wasn't able to go to his funeral because my mom said that she wouldn't let my sister and I come back into our home. I shouldn't have listened. His wife took everything that he had and I have nothing to remember him by. I don't even know if I was included in a will.
My father never ever ever stopped emailing us, trying to call us and giving us advice, telling us to read, educate ourselves, to think for ourselves, and I never replied out of fear. I learned after he died from his old friend that he loved music. I'm pursuing a career in music production and I'm obsessed with music. I can't even listen to or create music anymore without breaking down and thinking of the joy we could've shared.
For a time I was angry at my dad, but it's now that I'm approaching my mid 20s that I realise I should've been angry at my mom too. She pushed everyone away. I don't know anyone on my dad's side. My aunt died a year before my dad, and I never met my other grandparents or uncles and aunties or cousins. All I have is my mom, sister and my senile grandma.
My mom is my grandma's full time carer, but she has been abusing her out of frustration, continuing to blame my dad and her father for everything that has gone wrong in her life. I haven't been allowed to publicly grieve and she knows I can't forgive her for what she's done to my sister and I.
She feels guilty but like all narcs, she hasn't and will never say sorry, she will never admit that she is the one who fucked up and that most of all, that she stopped trying.
She didn't forgive her father on his deathbed and she's passed that trauma onto me. I will never be able to tell my dad that I loved him and forgave him.
She robbed that from me. That's why I can't forgive her. It's eating me up inside, I wish I thought for myself. I'd be living and not existing

My gf(40F) and I(37F) have been together for over 2 years. We lived close to each other for almost two years but my job has taken me across the country. I have a young child. We’ve had some issues in our relationship that resulted in a couple breakups and lots of close calls. Having a young child made me apprehensive to blend, as I didn’t want to have instability in my sons life. We decided on long distance with couples counseling. Her birthday is in June and unfortunately I’ll be deploying for a month, just a few days after her birthday so I can’t be there for her actual birthday. I am the primary parent for my child, with a 5/2 split. We’re trying to plan a trip for next week and my coparent has agreed to take our child, two full days past his normal time. My gf is upset I can’t take an earlier flight, because there’s a small time band she wants to see perform that evening. But I have to get my child off to school that morning. I COULD ask my coparent if I could bring them by, but they’re flying in the night prior and likely won’t get to bed until 1:30 (landing at 11:30). If my coparent hadn’t already complained about losing sleep, I’d be more inclined but really have learned to tread lightly with him. On FaceTime, My gf got upset, says I never sacrifice for her, that I don’t prioritize her, that she’s always on the back burner - as she’s said multiple times in our relationship. She doesn’t see that my coparent is keeping our child two days longer. Coparent also helped me last weekend for a funeral I had to attend, the weekend before for a wedding I had to attend and the weekend before that - to accommodate more alone time for me and my gf. I’m a single mother, AD in the military, and a first time home owner with nothing but Reno’s to do. I FaceTime EVERY night and put renos on hold - happily, I text all day in between childcare and work. I DoorDash her meals and coffee, send flowers when she’s having a bad day….I feel like I’m really REALLY trying to prioritize her. AITA for not asking my coparent to take our kid on 3 hours of sleep after traveling for 6 days for work while he’s already helping me out for an additional two days?

My gf(40F) and I(37F) have been together for over 2 years. We lived close to each other for almost two years but my job has taken me across the country. I have a young child. We’ve had some issues in our relationship that resulted in a couple breakups and lots of close calls. Having a young child made me apprehensive to blend, as I didn’t want to have instability in my sons life. We decided on long distance with couples counseling. Her birthday is in June and unfortunately I’ll be deploying for a month, just a few days after her birthday so I can’t be there for her actual birthday. I am the primary parent for my child, with a 5/2 split. We’re trying to plan a trip for next week and my coparent has agreed to take our child, two full days past his normal time. My gf is upset I can’t take an earlier flight, because there’s a small time band she wants to see perform that evening. But I have to get my child off to school that morning. I COULD ask my coparent if I could bring them by, but they’re flying in the night prior and likely won’t get to bed until 1:30 (landing at 11:30). If my coparent hadn’t already complained about losing sleep, I’d be more inclined but really have learned to tread lightly with him. On FaceTime, My gf got upset, says I never sacrifice for her, that I don’t prioritize her, that she’s always on the back burner - as she’s said multiple times in our relationship. She doesn’t see that my coparent is keeping our child two days longer. Coparent also helped me last weekend for a funeral I had to attend, the weekend before for a wedding I had to attend and the weekend before that - to accommodate more alone time for me and my gf. I’m a single mother, AD in the military, and a first time home owner with nothing but Reno’s to do. I FaceTime EVERY night and put renos on hold - happily, I text all day in between childcare and work. I DoorDash her meals and coffee, send flowers when she’s having a bad day….I feel like I’m really REALLY trying to prioritize her. AITA for not asking my coparent to take our kid on 3 hours of sleep after traveling for 6 days for work while he’s already helping me out for an additional two days?

Hi, I've had mixed advice from the pre-med advisors at my two alma maters and am trying to determine whether I should apply this cycle or wait another year. Here's some details about my application.
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I'm quite non-traditional. Graduated from undergrad in 2014 with a 3.59 GPA (3.7ish STEM) with a major in chemistry. I played division 3 women's ice hockey for all 4 years and was all-conference my senior season. My other ECs in were tons of tutoring and working at our rock climbing wall. I did research for two summers and won our schools ACS analytical chemistry award.
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After college I went straight into an analytical chemistry PhD program and finished that in 2019. I didn't publish any papers, but completed 4 years of research and presented at a couple of conferences. My coursework in graduate school was all pass/fail essentially, so I don't have a GPA from those 5 years. While in graduate school I continued to play hockey and also did some science education volunteering.
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Since graduate school, I've been working at a New England prep boarding school as a chemistry teacher. At these schools, faculty do far more than teach, so I've also coached hockey, mountain biking, and white water canoeing, advise a group of 5-7 students, and work as a "dorm parent" which essentially means I am a parent to about 40 15-year-old girls. Since deciding to switch gears and go to medical school, I have started volunteering as a home visit volunteer for new low income mothers in the area and volunteering in the emergency room and oncology department at my local rural hospital. By August I expect to only have about 80 volunteer clinical hours.
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Other ECs I plan on including in my application are Wilderness First Responder certification and serving on various leadership committees at my school.
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I just received my MCAT score today, which is why I am wavering, it is better than I expected (515 after 2 months of studying about 1.5 hours each day - so I can still bring it up) it to be and part of me is wondering whether I should just shoot my shot for this cycle and see where it gets me or if I should just wait. My app is close to being finished and I feel like I have a pretty good story to tell through my ECs and personal statement but don't know if I would be wasting my time given my lack of clinical ECs this round. Let me know what you all think!

Summary: A demolition firm struggles to take down a damaged building for their mysterious clients
I Was a Foreman at the Grazer Tower Demolition
By now Grazer Tower has faded as a household name but to some the rumors and madness surrounding it refuse to die. The demolition of the massive three hundred twenty foot octagonal hotel left a gap in the Atlanta skyline but little fondness in anyone's hearts. I have no particular first hand insight into the freak lightning strikes on the 30th floor atrium which killed 13 people but I am willing to tell my side of the story about the demolition effort leading to the botched implosion. I tell this as a full, open, and honest disclosure. The legal maneuvering and ink has dried, all of the dead are buried, and all the bleeding stopped. The scars remain, the pain persists, the things I saw there are burned in my head even after they've been discredited into the conspiracy theory woodwork of the internet. The lightning storm struck on a Sunday afternoon and the next day for all we knew the bodies were still warm when a lawyer representing the owners of Grazer Tower entered our corporate office. I look back on it now with open and clear eyes and realize it was all very strange from the start when my Lead Foreman, Tom, and I were called into the meeting in progress.
The lawyer and now our client, looked like a fairly normal man in his mid thirties aside from his impeccably white suit which was ironed to the point of looking like stone rather than cloth. Beside the white suit his lips were an uncomfortable maroon and glossy. Besides this he spoke in a plain, clear, and disarming manner refraining from legalese and maintaining a firm but not imposing eye contract with whomever he was speaking directly to.
He told us in no uncertain terms he was instructed to contract with our firm to take down his client's building. Tom and I were shocked when we heard this after all, the lightning disaster, while tragic and perhaps undeservedly tarnishing in the short term to the Grazer Hotel's reputation, did not render the structure unusable nor unsafe to its surroundings. The worst damage was that the steel dome of the 30th floor atrium had collapsed into the vaulted restaurant and ballroom of the 29th floor but that's where the structure damage started and ended, in fact aside from the 28th, 29th, and 30th floor, city engineers working overnight already declared the building sound. So while perhaps still time consuming and costly, repairing the building was definitely possible and cost effective but owners, to make an analogy, were basically insisting on totaling a car after a minor parking lot fender bender. They gave us a specific date by which the building needed to be taken down. When our Boss, Jim, rebuffed the lawyer, not only because the date was challenging and soon but also because it was possible we could have it dropped BEFORE the date specified. The lawyer insisted the building go down on the date given – not later and not earlier. Jim swallowed hard and then glanced at Tom and I. Then the lawyer involved the name of the head of the owner's group, a Mr. Rohmer.
Mr. Rohmer, according to the lawyer, was offering our firm one hundred percent of the cost upfront and another twenty perfect of the total cost plus any overruns – stating if the implosion came early or late, it would mean all very little – no, that's no a typo, that's how the lawyer phrased it from his client, Mr. Rohmer. With that detail out of the way, you can see how the car totaling analogy breaks down considering the owners did not stand to profit from it's demolition – in fact quite the opposite.
The lawyer chuckled a bit to break the tension. He explained his clients and Mr. Rohmer in particular were an unorthodox bunch and then even insisted he wear the white suit in any of their dealings. The lawyer produced a tablet PC from his messenger bag and leveled it to Jim. On the tablet was all the banking confirmation codes ready to go for a direct deposit into our firms account alongside a contract. Jim seemed to hiccup or belch in excitement as he hurried around the short side of his desk to sign it since his stubby t-rex arms could not reach across his desk.
The firm was committed, we were committed – I was committed and I started to mentally cramp up over the challenges we all faced. The Grazer Hotel was in the middle of a dense urban grid. It had to be precise drop with virtually no margin for error. Jim poured us a dram of scotch from the bottle hidden under his desk. None of us a second thought about Rohmer's cryptic remark – after all, how often did you get a one hundred twenty perfect no-bid contract walk in off the street, out of the blue?
A combination of exhilaration over the money and anxiety over the work load kept us all from sleeping that night. Jim and Tom ended up going out and having a wild night to celebrate while I went home to mentally prepare not only myself but also my wife and kids. As a family they were staring down a month and a half of late nights and weekends with no dad. My wife was frustrated until I told her about the bonus and then she said she'd fill the lonely time making plans to send the kids to Disney World and then find a place for us to spend alone together. The promise of a much needed vacation after this only super charged the butterflies in my stomach further in anticipation of this challenging season ending.
As the assistant foreman I had office and on-site duties. Most of it was coordinating between the two. This included personnel, setting up site security – including guards and cameras to keep urban explorers and vagrants of out the dangerous site and satisfy OSHA hazardous work place safety requirements. The most challenging duty was site prep which included disposal of furnishings, removal of windows and other flourishes of the structure's facade which could become deadly shrapnel during an implosion. Fortunately, despite all of this, the nagging questions about permits and clean-up contracts were already handled by the lawyer. Rohmer's group also waived any rights to furnishings which means they could be unceremoniously hauled out in any way we chose to and disposed of.
Now I suppose some of these things should have came as red flags to me – or at least some one in the company but we all justified it as the group must have connects and short cuts to permits and it was a relatively new building, only about twenty years old in fact and furnishings – whether old or new probably weren't of any antique or sentimental value. All in all these were blessings since they freed our hands a bit and made a near impossible deadline more possible.
Of course the good news came with some bad news. The city engineers forbade us from working at the 28th, 29th, and 30th floors – unless we brought in a separate crew to stabilize those levels first. This was quite the fly in the ointment for the controlled implosion plan we sketched out. The 30th floor wasn't as much of a problem but the 29th floor ballroom and the weakening of the 28th floor meant we can't inspect for how compromised they were by the steel atrium dome. For all we knew if we blew the 27th floor on down the dome could shift and topple over the top three floors outside of the implosion safe zone, imperiling people and nearby structures.
I raised holy hell about it while Tom stood calm. It could take months to stabilize and clear those floors and far more money than I thought our eccentric client would pay in overruns. Jim waved me off mid sentence and simply told me he'd take care of it. That was good enough for Tom so it had to be good enough for me. I went back to my job – securing site and planning drop.
Although we had a problem with the top floor our saving grace lie in the basements. It had a three story subterranean parking garage, a basement level pool, and a utility sub-basement. We could easily smash the first ten or twelve floors into that deep footprint. Also the utility sub-basement gave us a clean cut off from the grid and a fairly convenient way to protect the surrounding grid without interruption. Still, at least part of our team would take have to take three weeks out of our six and change to handle the utilities.
The first week was hectic, they always were but we hit no major snags. By the end of it were on schedule and all of the parts were coming together. We thought maybe, just maybe, we were well on our way to an early Christmas bonus but nothing could prepare us for what was coming.
If you work on a site long enough and work anywhere on the site security reporting chain you're bound to get a few questionable reports from your night guys. Let's face it, for folks who are wake all night five or six nights a week poking around with flashlights chasing shadows, every building every where is haunted. I've been on the site security chain for thirteen years so it was easy for me to dismiss reports from the night guys about unusual glows on gutted floors and stairwells, elevators which moved on their own with no one calling for them or inside when they opened on a random floor, or the security cameras and cellphones constantly going offline on the 27th floor and the utility sub-basement.
I wasn't convinced anything of concern was going on until I got called on site by the test drilling team. This team was responsible for sampling the support materials to determine where it was best to place the explosives and what explosives would be best to use. They reported the interior supports were designed in an unusual way with a honey comb of unorthodox metals and concrete not reported on the building's records or blueprints. Specifically, they reported the concrete was impregnated by some kind of metal veins which gave off a bright shimmer. I was asked to come identify it but they claimed it disappeared by the time I arrived.
I was irate at the team and their supervisor for having me to come on down on site for something that sounded so wrong to begin with. They showed me a grainy cellphone video and told me they would swear on a stack of Bibles the sparkling compound welled up in the test coring like mercury, turned blood red and bled on the floor before disappearing into the torn up carpet. I chastised them for making this up and threatened to get new sub contractors if they kept wasting my time. I spoke with a separate sample team on the lower levels and they too discovered some unusual metal compositions – ones which were different then the ones found the top floors. One of the engineers speculated that the contrast in metals between the top and bottom floors could be cause the building to hold an electrical charge, like a battery or like a capacitor. Either way, the engineer said it would require more explosives than initially thought to take down the structure.
A couple of weeks later we were painfully behind – glass removal in particular was going slow because those contractors claimed they were constantly losing their toys. They also claimed one night to have cleared the top five floors on the east side of all their glass – only for all the windows to appear fully intact the next morning. I was forced to end their sub contract due to misrepresentation of work accomplished.
The glass wasn't the only thing slowing us down. The wire and plumbing removal was hindered by the wires somehow were fused to the pipes and in some places, the pipes were fused to the load-bearing members – we thought maybe it was due to the lightning strikes but that really didn't make sense since all of the wiring and plumbing otherwise seemed to work fine before we turned off the utilities. The only thing going for us was the helicopter loophole. Instead of accessing the 30th floor through the condemned floors we were able to get work teams on the atrium floor by helicopter. The bodies of the 13 were removed before we started working and before the atrium fully collapsed into the ballroom but the teams working on the roof reported many unusual artifacts including stained glass and Greek letters comprised of unusual amalgams of metal.
All of the strangeness culminated in the disappearance of one of the night time security guards named Phillipe. I say disappear because his girlfriend filed a missing persons report with the police and when they came to investigate Tom was busy with the atrium operations so the job fell to me. I walked the investigator through guard's smart phone filed reports from the previous evenings. Admittedly I was behind on my end approving the reports so I was embarrassed when things in the report took a turn. His reports including the same odd glows the others were reporting in the stairwells and seeing metallic veins throb on the walls.
His last reports stuck in my head: Report: Sub-basement 4 clear, 0312. Report: Sub-basement 5 clear, 0305. Report: Sub-basement 6 clear 0237.
His “all clear” reports documented levels of the building which did not exist and the further he went into the areas which did not exist, the automatic timestamps went backwards in time. It made no sense – unless he was confused as to where he was due to intoxication and there was software glitch with the timestamps. I was forced to give the investigator no firm explanation.
It's easy to write off a high security guard – they're flaky by their nature and have plenty of reasons to ghost a part time gig and even to pull prank on their final reports. I almost wrote it all off until I saw his girlfriend – apparently his fiance, handing out missing persons fliers outside of the site gate one morning. She seemed absolutely heartbroken and I got stabbed in the gut thinking maybe this wasn't a ghosting and prank after all. Seeing is believing and the next week I started to believe. Tom was finishing up on the atrium level. We used some heavy lift choppers to remove the rest of the frame and glass. Now we could get a better look into the section which collapsed into the 29th floor. We started by using a series of video drones to investigate the melted twisted dome through the collapsed roof. We quickly learned that the drones were being interfered with as their feed would cut out or their batteries would die almost immediately upon entering the ballroom.
So, we had to cut some corners, against city regulations, we let Tom and two others rappel in from the roof on secured anchored lines with helicopter over watch support. We needed to do this because we needed make sure that collapsed wreckage would not move and potentially change the implosion direction. Tom got twisted in his gear as he tried to lean into one of the holes in the roof. He slipped and fell in, disappearing from sight. We frantically radioed for Tom as the other two workers abandoned their own attempts to peer in and scrambled to Tom's aid. Tom was pulled out of the section uninjured but he appeared to be in shock, he looked wild eyed and shook as he was put on the helicopter and lowered back to ground level. Within minutes, Jim called us back to the office to discuss the near miss.
Two weeks to go and week behind, a missing guard, and now a near fatal accident. That for Jim, was the last straw. Tom and I had run out the rope Jim gave us to hang ourselves with. Jim slammed his hand on his desk as he catastrophized, red in the face, nearly breathless, he yelled we could very well kiss that twenty percent goodbye with the way things are going. He pressured Tom to go on the record after his dip into the structure that the atrium debris ball in the ballroom posed no threat to the implosion. Tom was elsewhere. He stared off in a thousand yard stare before replying to Jim that it posed no threat. Then Tom headed for the door. Jim screamed at him that he wasn't done chew us out but Tom only said he had to get back to it. I supported Tom and followed him. He and I headed back to the site to secure the night shift changes – another night not at home and having a late dinner.
I asked Tom in the car ride back what he saw in there. Tom was fixed in a trance and barely responded. He said it was wild. When we got back to the site, Tom separated from me through the gate while I strolled across the street to grab us some dinner from a street vendor. As I stood around waiting for two gyros and two cokes I could help but be mesmerized by the gutted tower. It seemed to breath in the spotlights inhaling puffs of the dust and dirt on the site and then exhaling it. A faint glow, barely perceivable against the light pollution, seemed to brighten, dim, and fade from the upper floors with each of the building's breaths. I was transfixed on it and it was the first time the building gave me an eerie feeling.
I got back on the site, food in hand, there was a buzz in their air as the night shift streamed in and the day shift streamed out. I barely had my hardhat seated corrected on my head when the site's emergency alarm blew. The interim foreman tossed me a radio as I was swept with him and our site occupational safety and emergency personnel to the basement.
Our increasingly panicked footfalls blotted out the squawk of the radios but I could hear one name again and again in the equally panicked messages – Tom Tom Tom. Whatever was happening was happening to Tom.
We reached the pool level and a trail of gasps proceeded me into the pool. There was Tom in his vest and hardhat face down in the middle of the pool with crimson oozing out him into the cerulean tiles lining the drained pool. We piled in from the ladders and shallow end to get to him. It was apparent when the first folks reached him that he was dead. They hauled him out on a stretcher and to our shock he looked like he had been dead for much longer than possible and his skin was water logged despite there being no water. He had died of fall trauma possibly despite the pool only being six feet deep. The paramedics also claimed he had water in his lungs. Then I noticed he was wearing his rappelling harness weaved in his vest – but that made no sense – he took it and his vest off when we were getting chewed out by Jim. Why would he put his rappelling gear on again.
I was the assistant foreman no more. Now the buck stopped with me. As they took Tom to the morgue we all knew the show must go on – our client demanded it, Jim demanded it and Tom would have wanted it that way. The same police investigator from the guard's disappearance met with me over Tom's death. They said it was standard procedure with work place deaths. I gave him a copy of the footage on an SD card and left the moment after it left my hand.
I had the recording queued up to the time of the commotion. The video we provided had a poor angle and was focused on the door to monitor access – the comings and goings of people. It was shift change so people were filing in and out Tom was somewhere in the crowd. The pool was one of the areas which required both foot patrols and constant video monitoring. I hit the rewind button on accident and watched his body lie there and lie there and then the timestamp sped past the 1900 hour mark. We were in traffic from meeting with Jim at that time. This was impossible but I kept my finger on the rewind button. Around 1400 the camera shakes a bit and there is slight glow reflecting on the doors so I let it play back to the shake. There is a soft green glow and then could hear a heft thud in the room. I gulped knowing that was Tom falling into the pool around the same time he fell into the hole in the roof. The soft glow turned brighter and brighter like a laser shining into the lens – something that wasn't present on the rewind. There was a flash of an incomprehensible shape or form on the screen. I was physically hurt in my eyes like I had just stared into the sun. I was left dazed with the shaped burned into my eyes with each blink. Then the camera system shorted out and a tiny puff of smoke left the memory module. The cameras blinked off wall to wall, the whole system was dead.
With the cameras fried, regulations required someone high in the company to be on site or we'd have to leave for the night. So I stayed knowing we couldn't afford to lose an hour much less an entire night. I circled the pool between approving payrolls and directing the increased security guard traffic required to monitor more areas. I was thinking about what I would say at Tom's funeral. I was thinking about Tom's family and what they would think about his apparent suicide.
I was forced to patrol the rest of the sub-basements as well since most of the guards were at the site perimeters or higher levels. I would have to follow paths of Phillipe, the disappeared guard, and all of the other guards who had mismatched timestamps on their increasingly strange reports. If not for today's incident and the recording of Tom's death, I would have stood fast to the idea that these reports were the product of night jitters and drugs but now, no.
I gritted my teeth as I exited the pool area to patrol the lower levels. I hated this building I muttered to myself. I couldn't wait to see it all rumble. I thought about which part I'd like to keep from the site to place in Tom's casket – then I realized it probably wasn't going to be an open casket funeral. I was lost in my thoughts and hatred for the building as I roamed through the parking garage into the utilities basement. I lost track of where I was as I weaved down stairwells.
I shown my flashlight on the wall and the floor level sign said “Sub-basement 999”. I stopped cold in my tracks. I was hoping it was a prank but I knew it was no prank. Then I thought maybe I'd have some answers. Maybe I would finally see what all the strangeness was about. But then I freaked out about Phillipe's disappearance and turned to run back up the stairwell. I ran up four levels to what I thought was the lobby and I pushed the door open.
My jaw hit the floor when I saw a black and white galaxy – the stars were black and the space was white with gradations of gray. The whole room was just white outer space and the whole universe swirled fast counter clockwise. I tried to breath and when I did the galaxy shrunk before my eyes until it was the size of a tiny of marble and then even smaller to a speck of dust. I reached out as it floated towards me. I stared at the speck in a cold sweat. As I stared, I was looking deeper and deeper into impossible detail. In the dust I found the milky way galaxy, I found our solar system, I found Earth and then I found North America, and then I found myself back in the pool room dripping in sweat.
Time seemed to skip and space was malleable in that hotel. As we approached the deadline to drop it, some jobs which would take hours took days and some jobs which would take days took minutes. The anomalies seemed to swarm tonight and day and yet we pressed on. Tom was buried and I couldn't go.
We met the deadline and the city came out in numbers to watch us drop the thirty floor structure. They gathered nearly two blocks away clad in ponchos and dust masks bracing for the implosion triggered by half a ton of high explosives.
I was so burned out and demoralized. My mantra became “this is for Tom, this is for Tom” and it was the only thing carrying me to this day. I chalked up all the anomalies and even my own experience on 999th sub-basement level as a reaction to shock, loss, grief, and exhaustion.
We were on the thirty minute countdown and Mr. Rohmer's attorney was designated as the trigger man. He stood there with Jim and I in the command trailer with the detonator remote. The remote triggered a two minute countdown on the charges from a master control station in my command trailer. All the charges had to be hardwired old school style because we were getting too much walkie talkie and radio interference from inside the structure for any other method of trigger to be reliable. I was too tried to make a stink about insisting I do it. I just wanted it to be over but suddenly a freak thunderstorm brewed up over the city. The skies were overcast and we were on the verge of having to abort the implosion until the next day – despite the next day being a day past the deadline. If we didn't abort and went through with the implosion, there was a strong chance the shock waves from the blast would bounce back off the lower cloud base and shatter windows and ears across the city.
I sat in my command chair at the perimeter in dismay, almost in tears as it started to rain. I felt my heart drop into the acid of my stomach as I ordered the suspension of the implosion for the day. The lawyer, surprisingly, did not resist. I watched as the crowds dispersed from the viewing lines and police started to permit traffic back through the streets surrounding the site.
Then a group of unauthorized personnel threw open the door of the trailer. They were a mass of men and women clad in pressed white suits, stoney faces with thin maroon lips, one of them carried a white covered book.
The attorney dropped his eyes and head in deference to elderly man at the head of the congregation. The attorney addressed him as Monsignor. The man introduced himself as Monsignor Rohmer and he placed his hand on his attorney, calling him a cousin of the congregation, stating there will be no postponement and no delay.
Rohmer, a man I judged to be in his late 50's or early 60's was bald and covered it with a white derby hat. He was tall, about six five, and thin, so thin his suit fit him like snake half shedding its skin. His was face long and his cheeks thin and worn like a mountain side. His voice was steady and low like waterfall. Everything he said bloomed with authority and confidence. He ordered the building would be dropped in twenty minutes.
I told him I didn't care if he was the owner, the building could not be blown in this weather and I snatched the detonator out of his attorney's hands. Rohmer, moving faster than I believed humanly possible with some kind of martial arts move swiped the detonator from my hands. Simultaneously, he had two of his followers press Jim against the wall. They put him in a sleeper hold and he slumped down to the floor barely getting a word out. Then Rohmer gestured to his flock to follow towards the building.
They left in a fast deliberate almost choreographed walk like a flock of geese flying in formation. I grabbed the radio to get police help but I realized that was hopeless. I watched as our trailer was shrouded in the same interference we experienced in the building's interior. The CCTV monitors flickered out and the radio squawked static. Then I realized Rohmer had no control over the detonation and no way to contact his followers still with us in the command trailer. So I did what I had to and pulled the master key out of the master detonator in the command trailer and chased after the flock. I needed to know what was happening I needed to see with my own eyes what all of this was all about.
The Congregation had reached the lobby and I saw the trailing end of the clad white congregate into the stairwell. I darted at my best speed to follow them.
I reached the stair well door. I found Rohmer standing on the top step, apparently waiting for me. I was out of breath while he began to speak to me in his booming voice. He explained to me that if the building did not fall in the next twenty minutes, all of Earth would be pulled, sucked, inside out and down through the building into the black and white universe. The entire building, but especially the atrium dome, he continued, was designed and built to create and then temporarily contain an impossible shape, a living form, a 4 dimensional object, a tesseract, when struck by lightning in the presence of thirteen self-sacrificial Congregate members. This shape would slowly expand and cause space and time anomalies before growing so large inside compared to its size would pull us all into place with no life.
The shape was still in the process of forming even as we spoke, he said. It would reach critical mass and dimensional contortion and the only way to stop it was to disfigure and crush it in the hotel's collapse. He led me into the pool level where his entire congregation was sitting cross-legged where Tom fell. A green pulse, like a laser, came down from the ceiling into the group's center, where their white book lay open on blank pages. I had a feeling this glow was being projected down from the ballroom where the dome of the atrium was taking its final fourth dimensional form.
After a loud chant from the white clad followers, the book slammed shut and turned from a brilliant white shimming cover to one black as night. As they passed around book, their white suits turned black and the formed a single file line. Rohmer left my side and pulled the detonator from his suit. He showed it me and tossed it at me. In my panic I reached out with both hands to catch it but I forgot I still had the master key in my sweat slick hand and it fly out and fell at the foot of Rohmer.
I asked what he planned to do with the key without a lock and a jammed detonator. Rohmer bent down and grabbed the key and looked me without a hint of concern. He took the new black book into his hands and opened it facing the wall of the pool. A new green pulse launched from the book and flickered on the tiles. An octagonal outline appeared to frame a hazy image of a tropical beach. One by one Rohmer's congregation walked into the side of the pool, into glow and seemed to arrive safely on the otherside of the beach.
Once all his compatriots were on the beach, he turned a page in the book and reopened it, projecting another octagon portal on the side of the pool. I could see his destination – it was the command trailer. He stepped through portal and yelled to me from the other side that I had two minutes. The portal sealed.
I could hear the warning sirens we installed going off above me. Needless to say, I made it out, just barely. I reached the perimeter fence screaming to anyone who was in ear shot to run away. The building imploded as planned but I was caught in the dust cloud and developed tinnitus severe enough to be comparable with combat veterans.
The shock waves from the explosions were reflected off the cloud base and channeled down the street by other skyscrapers. Virtually every window in a two block radius around the site was shattered and hundreds of people were hurt in the resulting stampede and vehicle collisions caused by fleeing from the flying glass cascade. Parts of downtown looked like a war zone for weeks afterward.
Rohmer and the rest of his group, including the lawyer, had disappeared out of the trailer in another portal leaving a suitcase of gold equaling the twenty percent promised. Our company was fined, sued, and threatened with criminal charges and eventually put of business. There wasn't much left after paying the cities fines and lawyer fees.
Though I was spared any direct sanctions, I forced into an early retirement. I've had time to research Rohmer's group. There are at least six mentions of figures like Rohmer on the deepest parts of the conspiracy web. They seem to show up at a locale experiencing paranormal activity with a white book and then leave with a black book. Their departure usually marks the end of any strangeness. I can't be sure but this congregation seems to be summon demons, which they exorcise, by trapping them in their books. Trapping maybe a poor term to use since, as in the case of the Grazer hotel encounter, they can apparently cleanse the anomalies and then use the book containing them to weaponize a portion of the traits of whatever their unholy creations posses.
I suspect Rohmer and his congregation, now with the ability to teleport, are accelerating their plans, to whatever ends these paranormal means enable them.
Theo Plesha - Sequel to "Flush" by Theo Plesha on The Chilling App

DC Next Proudly Presents:
TOTALLY NOT DOOM PATROL
In: Tales from the (Totally Not) Doom Patrol
Issue Four: Tense Toiling Tale
Written by u/Geography3
Edited by u/AdamantAce
Previous Issue > Terrifically Tasty Tales
Next Issue > Coming Next Month
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Arani Desai was wracked. By pain, emotional turmoil, and agitation. She sat in a rickety chair that creaked with each rocking motion of her shaking body. She looked at the floor with the tense brow of someone on the verge of throwing up, although she couldn’t even tell if nausea was one of her current sensations. A cool breeze drifted in from the vents that did little to soothe her. It was the only comfort afforded to her, as the large glass panels making up one wall of the room didn’t allow for much natural temperature control. On the other side of the room, a locked door faced her. It only ever opened to invite her tormentors in.
Arani thumbed a scar left on her leg from a recent encounter. It was small, but scars like that trapped Arani not just in the house, but within her own body. They made her feel small, and she loathed the powerlessness. She stared at her hands. If she figured out the searing power within her, she could destroy everyone around her and never have to live this life again. The thought process was simple. She couldn’t take it anymore. She ran.
Sound grew harsh, then warbled as she jumped through the glass window and into the pool below. She had hit the window full force but miraculously only had minor cuts, the flimsy glass stinging her skin as it was exposed to chlorine. She was wearing light clothing, but she still felt weighted. She surfaced above water, and turned to see the blurred image of a guard jumping in the pool after her, like a brown smear on a canvas.
Arani propelled herself through her amateur swimming skills, trying to cross to the shallow end of the large pool. As the guard closed the distance, Arani slapped her hands towards him, splashing up water that froze into sharp ice. His face was hit by a wave that crashed into ice just before it reached him, disorienting him. Soon the ice began to spread, surrounding the man and encasing him in a shell of cold.
Arani scrambled to the top of the rapidly forming layer of ice that was replacing the pool. Only the guard’s head was exposed, the rest trapped in glacial agony. Seizing the opportunity, she kicked the man’s head repeatedly. Rage had overtaken her, and all she wanted was to burn it out of her. She was brought back to the real world by her senses, which told her that others were coming. She looked around and realized that the luxurious backyard space was still an extension of her cell. She needed to get off of her father’s land.
She climbed over the railing on the edge of the property, hoping to shimmy down one of the support beams that held the complex aloft over the forest floor. In her haste she made a misstep and clumsily fell, grasping out for branches that only whacked at her on her way down. She landed gracefully in a pile of leaves, now on the ground of the jungle. After a moment to regain her bearings, she was spurred onward by the sounds of armed men swarming above her. People were yelling and moving, their intentions to follow her clear. She stole into the jungle, running as fast as she could.
After some good distance was put between her and her pursuers, she came across a creek, an open wound in the earth. She slowed her pace to descend the minor slope into the creek, but it wasn’t slow enough as she walked straight into a trap. One fateful footfall triggered a large net to snatch her into a tree, sending her hanging like a loose tooth.
As she pressed against the coarse rope of the net, a familiar boil returned to her hands. Her touches fried the cables to a crisp, allowing her to begin to free herself from the impromptu prison. It probably wasn’t set up to catch her; more likely, she had entered a poacher’s range. Still, it was an obstacle, and she was almost clawing at the netting to escape it.
She was helped by gunfire that pierced certain weak spots, sending her tumbling to the ground. Her salvation quickly turned to doom, as five guards from her father’s estate surrounded her, guns smoking. Arani stood up and looked around, their faces familiar. One of them was an old good friend of hers from childhood, who grew up to perpetuate her father’s regime. He came up to her, his gun slung over his cocky chest.
“Easy, Arani. No one here wants to hurt you. We’re required to bring you back unharmed, so why don’t you just come peacefully, okay?” He approached her slowly.
Her response was spitting in his face. Enraged, he grabbed onto one of her wrists, slapping her across the face. After a moment, a devilish look crossed his face. “If you’re going to make this difficult, I deserve some compensation. Maybe we can have some fun before your dad locks you away forever…”
“Never,” Arani grunted as she swiftly grabbed the weapon hanging on his chest. She broke his grasp and switched their positioning, pointing the gun at his head. She faced the rest of the men with raised rifles, eyeing her hostage.
“Get lost, or I kill him,” Arani stated, adding after a few seconds of inaction, “Put your guns down!”
When the guards weren’t complying quick enough for her liking, Arani marched over to the creek, kicking her old friend to his knees. His protests were muffled as Arani dunked his head into the water, holding it there. “Lay down your weapons, now!”
The men slowly put down their weapons, Arani’s eyes flickering rapidly between them to make sure they wouldn’t make any sudden moves. By the time the last man had disarmed himself, Arani felt a disturbing lack of movement coming from her palm. She looked down, at the man face-down in the water, not moving. As the men took stock of what happened as well, their looks became furious. Not knowing what to do, Arani made a break for it, using a fallen tree to quickly traverse the creek.
Gunfire followed a few seconds after, forcing Arani to duck and weave. The heat of the jungle and the buzz of insects around her faded into white noise. She only heard her thudding heart, quick breaths, and feet falling beneath her. Bullets whizzed around her haphazardly, until one struck her in the leg. She tumbled down a small incline she was cresting, her only instincts to cover her head. At the bottom of the hill she became face to face with a large hollow tree laid across the ground. She scurried into the husk for shelter, hoping for refuge from her pursuers.
She sloughed her cloth jacket off. She took a look at her leg, a hole in the back leaking blood. With an amateur knowledge of survival medicine, she wrapped her jacket around her leg tight, trying to contain the bleeding somehow. It was uncomfortable, but the more pressing matter came as she heard the men shouting and surrounding the tree. Arani kept as still as possible, but through a hole in the top of the log she made eye contact. She was spotted.
She heard the men hypothesizing on where in the downed log she was as she scurried around, trying to arouse visual and sonic confusion. After a few moments of silence, she popped through a hole in the top. With the gun she had taken, she shot at random and then ducked back under the moss to avoid the returning counter fire, like a sick game of whack-a-mole. Through the opening she had crawled in she shot at one guard’s feet, landing a hit and sending him falling backwards.
The vessel then shook from the opposite direction, as Arani rolled around to see one crazed guard crawling inside the tight space to try and grab her. Swatting his hands away, Arani’s skin flooded with heat. A torrent of flame flew from her hands, scorching the man as the air filled with the stench of frying flesh. However, this action also compromised her haven, making it burn bright quickly. She burst through the fragile hollow, displacing a man who had stood on top of the log for a better vantage point. Flames quickly spread and she ran through them, using the smoke as cover from gunfire.
The terrain sloped back upwards, Arani having reached the other side of the squished valley. As she struggled up the hill, Arani found herself next to a large tree whose branches reached out to her. She hoisted herself into the tree’s arms, climbing upwards to hopefully avoid the men. She hopped from branch to branch, swinging around the tops of the heavily forested area. She watched as the three remaining armsmen gathered below her. They shouted insults at each other as they disagreed over where she could be.
As Arani leaned back against a tree trunk to hide, a flimsy branch she was resting her arm on snapped and clattered to the ground. Her position was compromised. The men shot into the trees, and Arani got the sense that they no longer cared about her making it back alive. Luckily they had a poor idea of where she was, and Arani narrowly avoided being hit as she jumped to another treetop.
Having found a new vantage point, she had a good look at those below. She breathed into her hands, cupping a chill gasp. The frost coalesced into three daggers of ice, stinging her hands. Hurriedly she threw the daggers downwards, hoping to hit each of the men. Her aim was off, and they all plunked into one man. One in his shoulder, one slicing past his neck, one splitting his eye socket open. Seeing his comrade’s body fall, another guard began to climb upwards to get to Arani directly.
Amidst the desperate rustling and dizzying height, Arani lost track of the man. He got the jump on her, tackling her carelessly. They both careened towards the ground. Luckily for Arani, the man’s reckless comrade shot at the falling pair, hitting Arani’s attacker in the back. This allowed Arani to shift their positions so the man was below her, using his body to break her fall as they thudded to the ground. Arani shook to her feet. Her and the final man stared at each other in a silent standoff. The silence was pierced by the man receiving a phone call, giving Arani the distraction needed to run off. The man lightly jogged after her as he took the call, no doubt from her father.
As she ran on, Arani heard the sounds of civilization. Beeps, honks, whirring wheels. She found herself on the edge of the wilderness facing a busy road, a highway to the dockyards that might hold the key to freedom. There was a resting bike on the other side of the highway, one that Arani could hijack. As she strategized how to cross the roiling sea of vehicles, she saw the last guard approaching behind her. She ran.
Horns blared at her as she made her way perilously. The woman stopped and started, the cars stopped and started, the man stopped and started. All parties, willing and unwilling, engaged in a deadly dance. They played a dangerous game of chicken, where Arani would dash past a car just in time for it to block the man’s path. Arani’s foot caught a rock. She stumbled into the path of a truck. She flattened herself against the ground. She survived. She got up. Right into the grinning face of her tormentor. He grabbed her. But he wasn’t paying attention. A car slammed right into him, sending him flying across the asphalt.
Arani miraculously made it to the other side, ignoring the chaos behind her. Her mind blanked out as she rode towards the dockyard, a place she often went as a child. She was surprised how much she still remembered the route. Sweating and panting, she let her stolen vehicle clatter against the ground as she took sight of a boat, waiting and ready to take her to freedom. She could sneak aboard with the cargo without notice, she was sure of it. There was a loading bridge set up, and no one was around. She ran.
But then she heard vehicles pull up behind her, and the slam of closing doors. And she heard her father’s deep, commanding voice, ordering her to “Stop!” She complied, stopping dead in her tracks. Arani turned around, seeing her father flanked by two men in suits holding pistols. Her father wore a business casual outfit as if he had just stepped off of a yacht. A scarf wrapped around his neck, and Arani wished she could run up and tighten it.
Instead, she blasted ice at the two men’s hands, but in her panic it only manifested as misty snow. Arani ran and hid among the various elements of the dockyard, weaving around crates. She raced towards the bridge that would help her further hide among the cargo. As she stepped onto the bridge, she felt strong hands grab her by the ponytail, yanking her back.
“Little girl,” Ashok Desai glared at his daughter, forcing her to look at him. “You have caused me much trouble.”
Arani was too tired for any clever response. She looked back at him. An exhausted but still defiant look was in her eyes. Her expression communicated, ‘Yeah, and…?’
Ashok sighed deeply. “For years I tolerate your evil, and then I have to grapple with your demonic powers that back up your evil. And this is the thanks I get? You should be glad I didn’t bash your head in with a rock as an infant. Why I don’t do that now, gods know…”
“You’ve made enough of a public mess. It’s time to come home. You have to face the consequences of your actions, little girl,” Ashok tried to pull Arani, but she stood firm.
It was time to burn the bridge - literally. She tensed for a moment as pain rocked through her body. All the uses of her powers that day made her feel like a tingling husk, and this was the most taxing yet. She cried out in pain and rage as a wave of fire erupted from within her. Its force set her father ablaze, his screams filling the air as he grabbed at his already scarring face. He toppled into the water, steam rising as he plunged under.
Arani climbed aboard, watching as the two goons scrambled to help their suffering leader. They now had more pressing matters than stopping her. She hid among some of the crates, finding a nook that kept her hidden and allowed her to rest her head for a moment. Sleep didn’t come easy despite her exhaustion. Hours later when she felt and heard the ship moving around her, the soft rocking of the ocean lulled her to sleep. It had been bloody, but she had fought for her independence and made it out to the other side. She would see another day - and perhaps even become alive within it.
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What Arani really shared with the others was, “Actually. I grew up in India. My dad is evil. That’s all you really need to know.”
NEXT: What The Hole?!

Starting 1st Month 114 AD/724 Years After the Unification

Sea Dragon Point

Map of Dragon's Nest (Settlement) and Sea Dragon Point (Castle)
Previous Woods Open RP Thread
Dragon's Nest is a small settlement that surrounds the Sea Dragon Keep. It is barely more than a fishing village, named after the legend of Sea Dragons that were to once inhabit local waters, and their eggs that are supposedly buried under the settlement.
Sea Dragon Keep is the ancestral home of House Woods, bearing the same name as the peninsula which Woods rule over. It is sat atop a small hill, overlooking the settlement, as well as the nearby waters and part of the Western Wolfswood.
The castle is small, but well defended, as is necessary with its location on the Stony Shore. The Woods family inhabits the inner keep, and a yard separates the inner keep from the Sea Hall, where occasional feasts are held.
The Godswood creates a significant part of the castle. Unlike most Godswoods found throughout the Continent that usually have a single weirwood, Sea Dragon Point has near two dozen of these red-leaved sentinels, old and young, big and small, each with a different face carved into the pale trunk, watching the world with scarlet eyes. The Gods are watching, as House Woods motto brings to mind.

Woods PCs

Osric Woods (63)

Sea Dragon Point
The aging and bitter Lord of Sea Dragon Point prefers to live in solitude, spending more and more time in the Wolfswood, and leaving matters of ruling to his son and heir.

Aedan Woods (39)

Sea Dragon Point
Heir to Sea Dragon Point was raised in isolationism, for many have wronged his father, though he wishes to make his own path in the world. He spent some time in the Wilderness Beyond the Wall, in the spirit of the Woods coming-of-age tradition, and in an attempt to understand more about the strange dreams he had been having, and an understand of animals he feels. Married to Sirona Mormont, the not-so-young man hopes that he will do a better job as a family man than his father did, though it is not a particularly high bar.

Jeor Woods (12)

Sea Dragon Point
The heir's heir is a young boy, taking interest in nature and animals by the example of both his parents.

Wyllis Woods (9)

Sea Dragon Point
Aedan and Sirona's second son. Small boy.

Serena Woods (4)

Aedan and Sirona's only daughter, named after the Queen of the North. Little girl.

Sarra Stark née Woods (56)

Winterfell
Beautiful and ambitious in her youth, Sarra is wholly unlike the rest of her family. She loves her husband and their children unconditionally, though she somewhat struggles with a quiet life she is now be destined to lead. Still, she focuses firmly on ensuring that her children will get what they are rightfully entitled to.

Maege Umber née Woods (48)

Last Hearth
Willful and energetic, Maege is rather unlike her older sister (and insists loudly on that). She enjoys fighting, hunting and riding, and she is happily married to Rodrik Umber. Happy in her role in life as a wife and a mother, the pair is raising two little boys and a baby girl.

Ellard Woods (15)

Winterfell
Ellard was growing up in Sea Dragon Point as an orphan after his mother, lady Wylla, died giving birth to a stillborn girl, and his father, Jonnel Woods, subsequently disappeared into the Wolfswood and had not been seen in years. He had been sent to Winterfell to become a ward to Mors Umber, one of the most respect warriors in the whole Kingdom.

Nora Woods (43)

Winterfell
Bright and bookish, Nora is a very quiet woman, somewhat unsettling in her solemn appearance and intense gaze of her deep green eyes. The only child of Cailan Woods to still remember him, she had not forgotten, nor forgiven those who had taken her father from her. She is a frail, petite figure, looking younger than her age. She has complexion so pale she gets sunburnt even in Winter, and doesn't leave the castle walls often. As the Keeper of Secrets of the North, she takes her position in Winterfell very seriously.

Arryk Woods (41)

Winterfell
Arryk has grown up in Winterfell following the execution of his father, though he doesn't share his family's resentment towards the Starks. He is a relatively capable, strong fighter, though he has a gentle side to him - he has a great love for various tales, and often catches himself daydreaming of heroic acts or lands far away. He is a part of Rodrick Stark's Wolfpack, hoping to prove himself as an individual.

Kyra Slate née Woods (38)

Blackpool/Winterfell
Kyra had spent her whole life in Sea Dragon Point, once close friends with her cousin Aedan. But as people grow up, they grew apart. Wed to the heir of Blackpool, the pair recently welcomed their first child - a daughter.

Hi Everyone, I host an interview style podcast in the wilderness space and was fortunate to be able to conduct a remote interview with a special guest. They unfortunately could only do the interview while outdoors and while we were able to record free of traffic noise, there are a few crickets chirping and birds singing in parts. Now they are beautiful sounds, and would be at home in a meditation sequence - but I'd like to try and lessen their presence nonetheless. I use Audacity to edit but the usual noise removal tool just doesn't cut it - especially when the bird call is in the background during my guests dialogue. Does anyone have any tips for me? I did look into bird call removal software but it is crazy expensive and not something I can utilise as yet.

It's been over a year since the original 100 Great Albums post. Since December 2021, I've listened to 375 Rock albums in total (just for fun, I'm getting paid for this!). Looking back at the original albums, I noticed I have a few with only 1 or 2 listens, whereas now I always try to aim for 3 at the minimum. So as this is a good midpoint (as I plan on stopping at the 20th post), I decided to revisit these certified classic albums and maybe upgrade/downgrade the ratings after more listens. I'll continue to edit grades on other posts if my opinion changes on them later on, but the 100 list got so popular that I feel like it should be left unedited.
Here's the format: Album (year) original grade [orig. Listens] // NEW GRADE {additional listens}

1. Bob Dylan - Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963) B+ [2 listens] // A- {1 listen} More time to digest his lyrics only makes it better. Hard Rain, Blowin in the Wind and Masters of War are still the best here. He had the wisdom and poise of a 70+ year old man, as a 22 year old...
   
2. Bob Dylan - Bring It On Home (1965) A- [3 listens] // A+ {2 listens} I can't overemphasize how great side two is of this album is. The songs aren't as musical as side one, so the lyrics are center stage and Bob Dylan ALWAYS captivates your attention. The electric guitar side is even better than I originally thought, but man does the second side has some of his best songwriting.
   
3. The Beatles - Help! (1965) B+ [3 listens] // A- {1 listen} This is the album where I think they started making legit "respectable" music. The early Pop music they made before is nice, but it's not that fulfilling. The variety made this age very well: Hide Your Love Away, Ticket to Ride, Seen a Face, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Help!, Yesterday. It doesn't help that every album that followed it is considered one of the greatest albums of all time, but at this point, it was head and shoulders their best.
   
4. Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965) A++ [5 listens] // A+ {4 listens} Highway 61 Revisited gets the credit as being the album to kick off the Rock renaissance of the 60s, but imo, the "album arms race" started with this one. Without it, the musical landscape isn't the same as the concept of an entire album of worthy material wouldn't have been as widely adopted. With the praise out of the way... it's pretty one note. A great Folk Rock album, but as it's often compared to other albums (cough Pet Sounds), it doesn't hold a candle to them.
   
5. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967) B+ [3 listens] // A {3 listens} This is fun, bro. No it's not a legendary album, hell, it's not really a fully formed one as it's really a soundtrack compilation album. But looking at all the songs, they're just fun. Even a half assed Beatles album is still incredible (no I haven't listened to Yellow Submarine, why do you ask?).
   
6. The Doors - Self-Titled (1967) A- [2 listens] // A++ {3 listens} Wow, this is why multiple listens are super important. Many of the songs I thought were "so so" are so much better compared to other Blues Rock I've heard so far. Ray Manzarek is a god on the keys and Jim Morrison is pretty magnificent on every song. It still feels dated, as it's not super complex in it's song structure (like in LA Woman), but every song is great. JUST short of a masterpiece.
   
7. The Who - Tommy (1969) B [1 listen] // D++ {1 listen} I was being generous on the original post, I really didn't like this album. After one more listen, I really hate it. The story is complete nonsense and the music really doesn't make up for it. But that's not why I hate it so much; it's the length. If you're gonna be a late 60's mess, be your flamboyant mess and get in & get out. But it's an overly long, drawn out, bore of an album. It's mind boggling that anyone would prefer this over Quadrophena. Pinball Wizard is a great song tho, but don't tell anyone I said that.
   
8. King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King (1969) A- [1 listen] // A {1 listen} listening to Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed made this album a better listen. That jazz prog rock, with a laid back feel instead of completely psychedelic. The rest of the album (outside the intro) was a better listen this time around with better context, as I remember being bored with much of it. Now that I'm familiar with early Prog Rock, this doesn't feel as foreign anymore.
   
9. The Beatles - Let It Be (1970) B+ [3 listens] // A {3 listens} yea, I'm a Beatles stan. Yea, it's probably the weakest Studio Era album. Yea, I enjoy the atmosphere of this album more than the music itself; as a last who-rah of a crumbling friendship that can only be held together by creating music, as that is where the only fun is still found amongst these guys. Do I like to pretend that Don't Let Me Down is apart of this album, so I can grade it higher? Also, yea.
   
10. David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971) A+ [2 listens] // A {2 listens} this is Art Rock. Not being a glam/hard rock fusion makes it less heavy than its successor. It also suffers for not having multiple strong anthems to hold the entire thing. Changes, Life on Mars, Andy Warhol, Queen Bitch are all great songs, but I doubt any are in Bowie's top 5. The other songs don't hold up as much I remembered.
    
11. Carole King - Tapestry (1971) A- [2 listens] // A {2 listens} Joni Mitchell's Blue was the driving force this time around. That personal folk storytelling, with that lively piano yet cozy, warm atmosphere. With more listens, I don't really love the lyrical composition as I just love the tone of the thing. I can sit next to a warm fire (or on a window sill) and turn this on and relax. I understand what the genre of Soft Rock is going for now.
    
12. David Bowie - the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) A+ [2 listens] // Masterpiece {3 listens} Probably didn't give this one too much thought when grading it, as I think I just fell in love with a few songs on it and forgot about the rest. Listening to this front to back... it's flawless. I tried to find a song that wasn't good or that was kinda boring, but they're all perfect. I've listened to Ziggy Stardust and Starman COUNTLESS times in the past year, and will randomly get guitar riffs from random songs off this album to pop in my head. Of his 4 albums I've listened to, I still think Low is his best, as the atmosphere of that Side B is unmatched. But this album is what I'd consider objectively perfect, as every song is great. Easy masterpiece, and a great example of why sitting with an album is just as important as giving it a bunch of listens.
    
13. Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975) A- [2 listen] // A {2 listens} Fun stuff. I enjoyed the multiple vocalists being apart of it instead of only Mercury, made it feel like a "stage play" with a revolving cast. I think I might have been a bit to harsh on this one, as most of the album wasn't that memorable, with how amazing Bohemian Rhapsody is. I didn't understand what this album "was" with it's vaudeville style, but now, I see that it's this halfway point between the Hard Rock and the Prog Rock of the 70s, with that theatrical flair to make it standout. Definitely worth checking out.
    
14. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977) B [2 listens] // A- {2 listens} In 1987, Rolling Stone listed this as the 2nd best album of the last 20 years (since 1967) only after Sgt. Pepper's and man, did that made it easy for me to view this as overrated. I think since listening to more Punk Rock that followed this, I start to see how much better they've done with this compared to others. The guitar playing actually changes throughout the song, Johnny Rotten is actually expressive and feels spontaneous, and the drumming is creative. But the real change in opinion is the guitar playing: the riffs on many of these songs are undeniably awesome, which gives Rotten so much to work on top of. My biggest gripe with Punk Rock is how repetitive some bands can be. Now after more listens to this, I can absolutely NOT say the same can be said about this album. It's varied and expressive; how Punk Rock should be.
    
15. Steely Dan - Aja (1977) A [1 listens] // A+ {1 listen} better than I remember. The jazz rock combo is really good, it really leans into the jazz instead of simply using it as an aesthetic. It's not Prog whatsoever, just jazz with traditional Rock instruments. Honestly, you can barely tell if this would considered Rock at all. You really got to like jazz to love this tho. It has that free flowing feel of that genre, from the instrumentation to the flow of the singer. Great album! I'm assuming Steely Dan is hated by the rock community because of this heavy leaning into jazz. Which is understandable, but that doesn't mean they don't make phenomenal music.
    
16. AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979) B+ [2 listens] // B {1 listen} They haven't quite moved away from the Blues sound yet. Back in Black is a pure distillation of what Hard Rock should be as a stand alone genre, but they don't quite have that confidence in being that brash yet. Bon Scott does a lot of heavy lifting as Angus Young doesn't have that swagger in his solos yet. A lot of the songs aren't super great, but they at least still carry energy. Highway to Hell is a fantastic song, but the majority is just meddling around in this laid back blues style.
    
17. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985) B [1 listens] // B- {2 listens} I originally wrote this off as one that I "just didn't get", with how insanely commerically successful it is. Now after listening to their Self-Titled album, it actually becomes even more disappointing as you know how much more they're capable of. There's such a signature style on it and this throws all of it away in exchange of a 80s soft rock sound. Walk of Life and So Far Away are good tunes, due to the guitar hooks; everything else is just shallow.
    
18. Pixies - Doolittle (1989) A- [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} Now, I view this band on the level of the Beatles or Velvet Underground as one of those influential bands that changed music. At the time, Doolittle was too weird for me, but with much more context from this era, this is just insanely great. Compared to Surfer Rosa, the versatility is on a different level. While it is great and varied, it's not exactly "great" in any one area, so I can see why the bands that were influenced by them are viewed as better, as their stuff would've been more focused in one style instead of all over the place. Great album, legendary band.
    
19. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992) A [2 listens] // Masterpiece {4 listens} This album is a grower. Every time I listen to it, I like another song from it. The harmonies are God tier, the guitar riffs, God Tier, the choruses, God tier. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell... peanut and jelly. I've given out 2 masterpieces to grunge albums (Nevermind and Ten), so what makes this different from those is that Dirt takes its time in developing songs. So many of these songs start slow and somber, and quickly turn aggressive and passionate! Gnarly riffs on one song, than a few minutes later, you're listening to soft vocals behind a rough, tortured voice. Not a bad song on here, hit after hit, I got to say it's a masterpiece.
    
20. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994) A [3 listens] // A+ {2 listen} the word "gritty" might get thrown around a ton by me, but I still haven't heard such a brutal, harsh sounding album while still having pristine production value. It's nasty and mean. Even in the slow moments, you can feel the pain, anger, or sadness in his voice. Compared to other stuff, it doesn't have that much replay value to it, as it's not exact what one would call "musical". But you got to call it what it is: art.
    
21. Green Day - Dookie (1994) A [2 listens] // A+ {1 listen} It's just good music. Yes, the ceiling isn't as high as it could be, but it's so enjoyable that it is always a fun listen. The album is on point from start to finish, it's one of those "if you like one, you like it all" love it or hate it kind of deals. From Burn Out to When I Come Around is just Pop Punk perfection; the backhalf doesn't hold up compared to the start, but it's all still very good.
    
22. Weezer - Self-Titled "The Blue Album" (1994) A- [1 listen] // A {2 listens} I only gave this one listen and only revisited it after listening to Pinkerton. Isn't not as dismissable as I originally remembered, as I only gave it one listen. It's more POP- punk thank pop-PUNK compared to Dookie, which led me to not care for it as much. And it's pretty good pop, with a punk style to give it some edge, I guess. I still like Pinkerton more than it, but it can definitely stand alone as a good album itself.
    
23. Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994) A [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} Liam Gallagher is really good... but Noel Gallagher is the truth, bro. That dude knows how to make a great song. They aren't super complex, but they're all have perfect execution. Mix in that Wall of Sound effect with the guitars, it makes this stand out even more from the overwhelming stacked albums of the 90s. The non-single tracks aren't as strong compared to (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, as that album is damn near perfect imo. Great debut album.
    
24. Radiohead - The Bends (1995) B+ [1 listen] // A {2 listens} If Radiohead didn't make this album, I highly doubt I would've listened to this. Which is a shame, because this is a really good album. On the flip side, being a Radiohead album also did more harm than good, as it gets massively overshadowed. I admittedly did a half assed listen to "get to the famous stuff". Fake Plastic Trees, the Bends, and Black Star are great songs. I've listened to Ok Computer so much that I come to think of it as their official "start" of their sound, when in reality, they set the stage on The Bends of what can be possible down the road. Also, they toured with Alanis Morissette with the album, so extra bonus points!
    
25. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004) A- [2 listens] // A+ {2 listens} better than I remembered. I definitely thought it was borderline pretentious, with how the song structure is when I originally listened to it. Now, without that stigma, it's not THAT abstract and I've come to admire the creativeness of it. I always love when there's women vocalists, to mix up the sound and so many different instruments add even more to the variety. It always feels like a new listen, with how many things I'll forget to notice and remember again.
    
26. Lcd Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007) A- [1 listen] // A {2 listens} The first 4 songs are awesome; Get Innocuous with it's multirhythmic layering is my textbook PERFECT song, a 21st century "Remain in Light" homage. The rest just loses this energy and it's never found again. Compare the first track with the last one and it sounds like two different projects. I know you can call me a hypocrite with how much I love Remain in Light, but at least with that one, it's only the last song and not half of the album. Seriously tho, Get Innocuous is a top 10 song of all time
    
27. Tame Impala - Currents (2016) A- [1 listen] // B+ {1 listen} Didn't expect my feelings to decrease, but compared to Lonerism, this is so mid. The lack of a real "great" song (Rihanna's Same Old Mistakes clears) makes it tough to love. It is consistent though, so it's still a good listen; just not a memberable one.
    

Albums I revisited, but no change in opinion. I feel like with these, I need to explain/defend myself more than I did on the original reviews:

1. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1965) A+ [4 listens] // {3 listens} After listening to a good chunk of their discography, I've come to two conclusions on Pet Sounds: 1) This album is truly lightning in the bottle as they NEVER reach it's level of consistency in quality from track to track. 2) Baroque Pop, while groundbreaking, came and went as fast as it arrived, mainly due to how abstract it is compared to its successor, Psychedelic Rock. Beyond that, there are a few skips that are solely due to wild creative mind of Brian Wilson. As a musical genius, dare I say better than Lennon and McCartney, but as a songwriter? Not even close imo. Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's are all great albums, while Pet Sounds can be argued to be their only great album (Wild Honey is also a good listen). I know bringing up the Beatles can be annoying, but the Beatles made great "hit singles" with their song layout, while about only half of the tracks on Pet Sounds are what I'd consider a traditional song. That's probably why I don't think it's so amazing (I kinda feel the same about progressive Rock) as I tend to favor music with a concise structure; even as unoriginal the structure may be.
   
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967) B+ [1 listen] // {1 listen} I can't get into it. The songwriting isn't there, especially compared to the stuff that would follow it. This is him at his rawest, but it's a reason why Medium Rare is the most commonly cooked steak.
   
3. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969) B+ [2 Listens] // {3 listens} Thought I would flip on this album, but surprisingly didn't change at all. I still think Gimme Shelter is the best Rolling Stones song and I still think You Can't Always Get What You Want is still a phenomenal album closer, but everything in between is pretty lackluster (besides Live With Me).
   
4. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973) A [4 listens] // {1 listen} I do enjoy this album more now I know how other Progressive Rock bands sound like, but not enough to raise it a grade. I enjoy Time and the whole second side much more and the "emptiness" of the genre doesn't bother me as much. But the first half is still a little too abstract for my liking. However, I do see how people can view this as their GOAT album with how groundbreaking it's release was at the time and outside of only other Pink Floyd albums, there's nothing else in this genre that really matches the "entering another world" feel it creates.
   
5. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) A [2 listens] // {1 listen} Similar thoughts to DSotM, but this one has the more catchy "songs" and partly why I love it more. Welcome to the Machine and Wish You Were Here are fantastic, but overall not enough meat for my liking.
   
6. The Ramones - Self-Titled (1976) B [2 listens] // {2 listens} I decided to give the Godfathers of Punk another try since I surprisingly came over to like the other Godfather, the Sex Pistols. And yeah... still isn't my thing. Way too one note, monotone singing, guitar takes over too much of the sound, etc. There are a few good hooks here and there, but you basically hear the entire song in the first 15 seconds. Everything I hate about Punk, stemmed from this album and made a lazier copy.
   
7. The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dreams (1993) A+ [2 listens] // {1 listen} apparently the Smashing Pumpkins aren't considered grunge? If that's the case, comparing them to a Noise Rock band like a Sonic Youth or a Faith No More, they don't they don't rock out as much as I'd like. Also, I don't like how a few of these songs sound similar to each other. Today and Hummer of course are all top tier songs, but it's just not as much of a comprehensive project as Mellon Collie. Yea, it's definitely not grunge, as it would be much harder if it was.
   
8. Radiohead - Ok Computer (1997) A++ [2 listens] // {4 listens} Close, but no cigar. The first 3 songs and the last 3 songs are PERFECT, it's the stuff in between that makes it fall just short. The run of Karma Police into Fitter Happier to Electioneering is also a great moment in the album. Honestly, it's just Exit Music being "okay" that really stops it from being considered a masterpiece in my eyes. Still one of the greatest albums of all time, but not perfect in my eyes. This album is my perfect barometer for an A++ grade; it's objectively a perfect, but on the subjective level, there's nothing that makes me "adore" it. I completely understand how anyone thinking an A++ album I graded is a masterpiece, as I have to personally love it that extra step for it to get to that level.
   
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007) A++ [3 listens] // {3 listens A+/A+/A++} Let me end it on a positive review: I didn't really give a thorough listen to it at first, as I don't remember much from it. Over time, my opinion on it dropped as I truly didn't see why people find it so special as they do. Ok Computer easily has the better individual tracks, Kid A is easily the most experimental. After finally revisiting it, maybe because it's a great midway between the two, with a weird electronic-rock-jazz fusion. Feels like there's not a single wasted second; every beat and note is meticulous. It's more chilled and laid back, which threw me off on the repeat listens. The hodgepodge of electronic and experimental sounds, being used in this traditional lofi style instead of being a fast paced one, was the curve that made it hard to love it at first, but now I think that's what makes it unique in its execution. A LOT of these rhythms could have been large and bombastic, and I kinda admire it's restraint in remaining "down in Earth". Also the album cover is noteworthy, where it feels completely spontaneous, never fully knowing what to expect going in. Definitely deserves its high praise
   

Albums I also revisited, but no change in opinion. Don't have too much to add on these, but listed them as my grades are concrete on these compared to the ones I didn't choose to listen to:

1. The Velvet Underground & Niko - Self-Titled "The Banana Album" (1967) A+ // Venus in Furs maybe one of the greatest songs ever composed
   
2. Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967) A+ // It still holds up, so damn awesome
   
3. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (1967) B+ // yeah, he's kinda rambling on this one
   
4. The Stooges - Fun House (1970) A- // it's "the Stooges", possibly their best
   
5. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972) B+ // Nope, still didn't love it, still a mess
   
6. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1972) A++ // One I thought wouldn't have held up. I shall never question Sir Elton's greatness again
   
7. The Eagles - Hotel California (1975) B // Great start, gets worst as it goes on
   
8. Patti Smith - Horses (1975) A- // labeling this "Punk Rock" is a nicer way of calling this weird af
   
9. The Clash - London Calling (1979) Masterpiece // Not only is there not a bad song here, but every song is perfect. Not great... PERFECT
   
10. U2 - Joshua Tree (1987) B+ // I can't deny that there are some good songs on here, even if I'll never listen to it again
    
11. The Cure - Disintegration (1989) A // after 375 Rock albums, Plainsong is still the greatest opening track
    
12. U2 - Achtung Baby (1991) A- // you gotta admit Bono is pretty cool on this one
    
13. Nirvana - In Utero (1993) A // love the Bass guitar's tone on this one, rawer contrast to Nevermind. I'm glad I didn't grow up in the 90s, as this will always sound so new and fresh to me :)
    
14. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001) Masterpiece // Similar to Hybrid Theory, if this wasn't labeled as "Nu-metal" (and maybe didn't get so overplayed and copied), even the most pretentious critic couldn't deny how great this is
    
15. Green Day - American Idiot (2004) A+ // Feels almost like a different band, the songs are much more nuisanced in its lyrics and its musical structure. That transition from Holiday to Boulevard still gives me goosebumps, such a great song.
    
16. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) A++ // a tour guide to the UK nightclubbing/pub scene, way better than it has any right to be honestly
    

Bonus: Ween - 12 Golden Country Greats (1996) A [4 listens B/A-/A-/A] Country is still a somewhat foreign genre for me and I've been kinda bored with the concept of it. But it's Ween, so they've fully earned my trust at this point so I'll give this a try. This style is more or less my biggest indifference with the genre: it's not heavy enough to be impactful as rock, yet not soft enough to be as intimate as Folk. It's in this inbetween grey area where it's just not super captivating for me. With that said, it's rarely has been the "so bad, I can't stand to listen to it" levels of boredom that it has been made out as. That signature tongue-in-cheek humor of Ween is here and it makes the project more enjoyable. With Ween, whether it's supposed to be satirical or serious, the quality of songwriting is always top tier, so it's very easy to take whatever they're doing with my full respect rather than viewing it as just a joke. Japanese Cowboy, Mister Richard Smoker, Powder Blue, Piss Up a Rope and You Were the Fool (the best one) are my favorites; but other than Fluffy, every song is a good time. What really sells this album in particular, is that none of these songs would sound out of place on one of their other Rock centric albums, which allows me to extend a lot more grace towards it. Pretty good listen. For what it is, it's pretty consistent, but there's of course better Ween albums out there.

I'm waiting to title this post after I finish writing it. My current options are either "Shitty Mom" or "Sacrifices you have made". Either way, I guess we'll find out.
It's 4am EST and probably like every other African we are up talking to our families. I opened my Whatsapp and saw a plethora of photos of my nephew who had a birthday this past weekend. His cousin was either amongst numerous friends. It warmed my heart.
Sad part is I have never met them. It's been 5 years since I was home and I only had a niece. Now I have 2 nieces and 2 nephews. Beautiful babies whom I financially helped dleiver and now help educate from time to time.
The decision for not going home for so long was mostly work related. Covid had hubby and I working long long days, weeks, months and years. Even lost my estranged dad and still chose work over it. We paid for the whole funeral in lieu of attendance. That's beside the point
Covid brought about changes in our lives. We were able to purchase our home. In addition, we bought more land and we dedided to gift it to all our neices and nephews from both sides of our family.
Remember I mentioned my estranged dad? He gave me up for marriage at 13. Life was rough for me growing up and being the first born I carried the family on my shoulders.
At some point I fell pregnant but my baby died 2 days before his birthday. I had poor health, always worked to take care of our family, deprived myself of basic nutrition so that my siblings could eat. My son died and I did not know. I did even have money for a procedure. He stqyed in my womb for 2 days, rotting. I was young and dumb and all that I was focused on was putting one foot infront of the other. High BP killed him. Story for another day.
As I sit here thinking of the happy memories my siblings get to make with their kids I hope they remember my ultimate sacrifice, my son. I hope they tell their children they get gifted land because aunty made a sacrifice for them. That aunty gave up so much for their parents so they can be where they are now.
I don't have kids. I don't even think I can. Besides hubby and I decided long ago not to have any. All I hope is that they don't forget about me be when I'm gone. And most of all, I hope no one forgets my son. The Ultimate Sacrifice.
P.S. - There are some out there who have gone out of their way to be mean to me. Please choose any other post.

ARCA

• Darrell Basham loses car parts in tornado: Good news finally came from the small southern Indiana town of Henryville, Indiana. The massive tornado that took direct aim on the downtown area today spared the life of longtime ARCA competitor Darrell Basham and his family. However, much of what Basham didn't lose in a devastating garage/shop fire in November of 2010, was lost today in downtown Henryville. "My old building, which was my main big shop - it's gone, with everything in it. And we had a bunch of stuff in it that we use to go racing. We walked through earlier. There were headers over here, a piece of racecar over there. Lost all my parts. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something; I just don't know. This could be the end of the line for Darrell Basham Racing; we just don't know. We're okay though, but what a mess. "We had a bunch of motor parts; it's all gone. General parts we use all the time - headers, rims. A-frames, trailing arms. Destroyed everything I had down there - it's all gone. Fortunately I had my cars at the house shop, which the tornado missed. (ARCARacing.com) (03-02-12)
• ARCA bans driver cell phone use during competition: The ARCA Racing Series has banned drivers from using cell phones during competition. A bulletin was sent out to teams yesterday stating that "Cars and/or drivers will not be permitted to carry cell phones during competition." This rule has been established after Brad Keselowski's cell phone use during a red flag in NASCAR Sprint Cup's Daytona 500. (03-06-12)
• DnF Enterprises owner Mario Gosselin arrested: A race car driver and owner of the Lake Wales-based DnF Enterprises [that fielded a car for Fain Skinner in the 2012 Mobil 1 200 at Daytona] was among those arrested last week during a sex sting, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. Mario Gosselin, 40, of Lake Wales, was arrested Saturday and charged with soliciting prostitution, deputies said. The Sheriff's Office conducted a sex sting and said Gosselin was among more than 40 people who responded to online advertisements for sex. Once the people met with undercover detectives, they were arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail. Gosselin told deputies he was a self-employed mechanic. Gosselin bonded out of the Polk County Jail on $500 bail, according to jail records. (TheLedger.com) (03-14-12)
• Garcia Racing Looking to enter a 2th car for 2013: Garcia Racing is looking to enter a 2th car for 2013. Garcia Racing seeking sponsorship for the 2th car for 2013. Interested drivers or sponsor should contact Roberto Garcia. (Garcia Racing PR) (03-22-11)
• James Garcia will be starting in 3 NPTS races: Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, and Kansas will mark James Garcia's [#92 Fedex/USPS Dodge] first NASCAR Philips Truck Series races. In 2011, Garcia took the wheel of a ARCA Metlife Series car for Garcia Racing where he finished 8th in the points. (Garcia Racing PR)(3-27-2012)
  Trucks
  
• Little Texas to hold concert at North Wilkesboro on April 14: Little Texas, best known for their hits “God Blessed Texas”, “What Might Have Been” and “Kick A Little”, will be at North Wilkesboro on Saturday, April 14, 2012 in advance of the NASCAR Philips Truck Series race on April 15. Little Texas will be performing a concert for race fans at North Wilkesboro on April 14. The band will also be performing the National Anthem before the April 15 running of the NASCAR Philips Truck Series Farmers Insurance 200. The Chris Lane Band will be opening for Little Texas and takes the stage outside of the speedway’s turn two at 6:30pm/et. April 14. Little Texas will perform at approximately 8:00pm/et. A ticket for either Saturday’s Frank Kimmel Street Nationals and UARA Late Model Series Twin 75’s and NPTS qualifying or Sunday’s Famer's Insurance 200 NCWTS race grants admission to the concert. Little Texas will be sticking around to perform the National Anthem for April 15 race prior to the green flag at 1:00pm/et.(North Wilkesboro PR)(3-5-2012)
  
• Trucks to Road America in 2013? Montreal also hoping to be in the mix: NASCAR is expected to announce soon that the Camping World Truck Series will return to road-course racing in the 2013 season and that is great news for Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. A source close to Camping World loop told the Toronto Sun that negotiations are all but complete to add a race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for next season. That same source also said NASCAR would most certainly add a second road course so that it would make economic sense for the truck teams. “Teams would have to construct purpose built trucks for Road America so to keep those costs in line a second race just makes sense.” A truck race at CTMS–formerly Mosport–would be a prefect fit for the track’s new owners. Ron Fellows–and his partners Alan Boughton and Carlo Fidani–have been actively pursuing a top NASCAR touring series race. “I was on the phone June 1 (the day the group announced it had purchased the legendary Ontario track) with NASCAR officials telling them we wanted a race,” Fellows said in a phone interview from Toronto. “And we are continuing to seek a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.” It will be at least mid to late summer before NASCAR bosses release their 2013 schedules but it is now a good bet that there will be two truck races turning left and right next season. Fellows said that the addition of Montreal–a major NASCAR partner–as the name sponsor at CTMS will boost the track chances at getting the nod for a race.(TorontoSun.com)(3-11-2012)
  
• NPTS drivers meeting to be open to fans at North Wilkesboro: In addition to 200 laps of great racing, your ticket to the Farmer's Insurance 200 will also get you up close and personal with your favorite NASCAR Philips Truck Series drivers. NASCAR and North Wilkesboro are opening up the NPTS drivers meeting for fans to come watch. The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. April 15 in the garage at the speedway. Fans are asked to enter the infield through the tunnel in turn four if they wish to take part in the drivers meeting. A ticket to the race serves as admission. “This event is going to be as fan-friendly as it can be,” Hillenburg said. “Leading up to the Famer's Insurance 200, the speedway has had an outpouring of support from fans from all over the country and we want to make sure that we do everything we can to repay that support. “With a great three days of racing (April 13-15), Little Texas and Chris Lane Band (April 14) and ThunderFest (April 13), these new bonuses for ticket holders are going to make this an even more awesome event for our fans.(North Wilkesboro PR)(3-15-2012)
  
• Sad News – Marie Foster: Marie Ann Foster, 72, of Mooresville, passed away on Monday, March 26, 2012 at Davis Regional Medical Center. She was born on February 2, 1940 in Akron, Ohio, to the late Jess and Elmira Miller Coffe. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, who enjoyed time with her grandkids. She is survived by her husband, Bill Foster; daughters, Lindy Hornaday and husband, Ron Hornaday Jr., Alicia Dyer and husband, Dennis, Missy Foster; sister, Elmira Coffe; brothers, Jess Coffe, Bobby Chesebrough; grandchildren, Ronnie, Jeremy, Candice, Travis, Chris, J.D., Jesse, Amanda; and great grandchildren, Lacey, Viktoria, Slater, Lily, Maddie, Scarlett, and Violet. The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 29 from 2:00-4:00 PM at Cavin-Cook Funeral Home located at 494 E. Plaza Drive, Mooresville, NC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Salvation Army, 2318 Julia Ave, Charlotte, NC 28202.(3-27-2012)
  

I have had to break LC with my mother because my father died and while she's being a bit more human to me than usual - and I expect that good behavior to end at any moment - she's going on and on about how people are "so good" to her during this time, going above and beyond, and all they are doing for her, her friend, the car service driver, the assistant at the funeral home, etc, and god it is so freaking nauseating. I would never do this. I don't expect people to treat me like a queen/king. But my mother does. I think this is a narc trait - my mother is the type to have waiters at her beck and call at a restaurant - but wondering if this is narc behavior or unique to my terrible mother.

I spent the past week re-watching S1 and I wanted to share my insights. I didn't include any repeatedly discussed theories (Ex. Antlers behind someone, clues that someone might die such as Jackie saying she's cold, etc.) But I do apologize if there are any repeat theories here. If you remember a post you made with a correct theory pleaseeee link it!
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Spoilers for Season 2 are included here.
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Pilot- (The start to my obsession) Not much in this episode that hasn't been mentioned by our awesome sub.
Jackie inadvertently caused two main issues.

• 1- Scoring the winning point for nationals
• 2- The night Shauna got pregnant, Jeff said Shauna's house was closer but Jackie wanted to be dropped off first.

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F Sharp

• Flashback Misty was reading The Cheerleader by Ruth Doan. This book is about "the loss of innocence, the growth of passion, and the awakening of ambition."
• Adult Misty tampers with her own car, so her date has to drive her home in the same episode as sabotaging Nat's car so they can go visit Travis together. That's a sabotage queen.

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The Dollhouse

• Lottie spotted the cabin but Shauna was the first to enter while Lottie was the last, an allegory to the evacuation initiated by Shauna in the S2 finale, with Lottie smiling happily watching it burn.
• The animal skins hanging in the cabin (35:20) are interesting and possible foreshadowing. I doubt anyone remembered to grab those before the fire - the skins we see in the pilot are more fresh.
• After Van found the porno mags, Akilah asked if guys jerk off at that stuff. Travis lies and says men hate that shit. (He also says sarcastically that you can't even tell what her favorite book is. Funny line because of easter eggs the books in this show provide) but it makes sense that only after 3 days, he would be trying to be on an equal level with everyone, especially in a group with mostly females. However, this was the moment when he stopped trying to fit in completely.
• Travis says to Javi (about his father,) "He's the whole reason we're in this hell." We didn't see Javi or Travis in the pilot until the boarding of the plane, where his parents were obviously unhappy. Maybe she wanted a divorce and he took them on the trip while she went forward with that.

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Bear down-

• Sammy was amazing this episode. It's before we know about Dark Tai so in every scene he is analyzing Tai to see if she's normal or dark. So creepily well done!
• Young Shauna says she's not meant to handle firearms in this episode, which I think is funny if you've seen S2. She truly is a knife girl.
• Jessica Roberts asks Misty how her road trip went. So she was stalking Misty and Natalie. Maybe she saw what ACTUALLY happened to Travis? (See my notes on Ep 7: No Compass, for a bit more on this)
• Natalie went back to her childhood home to retrieve the cassette for Kevin Tan; I'm crying.
• Shauna re-living her youth with Adam and hallucinating Jackie for the first time was chilling. Jackie says, "someone is gonna get hurt..." and then Shauna sleeps with Adam in his car (not a good sign. Also a callback to her sleeping with Jeff in his car.)
• Adult Misty has a My Favorite Murder and a Caligula mug in one episode? Hysterical.

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Blood Hive

• Young Misty watching everyone dance in the attic while standing against the wall trying to clap along is such a callback to the pilot, just watching everyone and wanting to fit in.
• Natalie wakes up Jackie, who says she's cold, wrapped in the allegorical YJ colors- dark blue/yellow. When she gets up, she sees everyone doing chores like laundry and chopping wood, but doesn't chip in. Color theory suggests she isn't acknowledging the severity of their situation.
• Taissa says, "no candy for the dog!" as Simone picks up an electoral postcard from Bill, saying, "we must spill." Looks like Bad Tai isn't as concerned about the dog.
• Travis called the cabin a "blood hive" (Lottie opening the bloody bee hive box in 2x3, anyone?)
• Never noticed how crazy it is that Jackie tells Shauna to put the candles on top of the symbols in the attic for the seance. Girlie was def not afraid. They then cut to a scene with Nat and Misty analyzing Travis's crime scene, and Misty points out that there is a symbol beneath him connected by wax. I guess he did the candle thing that Jackie did? Or... like Natalie says, "he didn't put them there". I'm assuming Lottie's story didn't exactly add up.

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Saints

• The mention of oil exploration is mentioned for the second time this season, this time in the past with young Lottie on the car radio. The first mention was in the present- it was mentioned in Shauna and Jeff's wedding announcement in the newspaper back in episode 2 (F Sharp), when adult Natalie and Misty met at the bar to look over all of Misty's Citizen Detective clippings. https://imgur.com/a/mNvJ1Tf
• Teen Lottie is seen approaching a plant at (02:11) called Euphorbia tithymaloides, aka "Devil's backbone." It is known to cause skin irritation, inflammation or blisters if you touch it. Reminded me about the random leg ailment Jackie had, given it's a ground plant it could easily rub against her legs. Lottie didn't seem to be affected by it though. Probably reaching here though :)

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No Compass-

• While packing the ransom bag (Callie's childhood bag) for the blackmailer, Natalie says to Shauna sarcastically "You're not as sentimental as your hubby?" She could be inferring that Shauna bringing back all her journals is a huge liability.
• Jessica Roberts says, "You may not be sure of Travis's murder but I am." It truly sucks she died before we knew more from her.
• Sad note: Natalie died without ever truly finding out what happened to Travis (unless she believed Lottie).

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Flight of the Bumblebee

• First mention of no queens in the deck! Said by Natalie of course ;)
• A scene opens with a younger LL sitting on the edge of a pool in a Christian summer camp. In the 96 timeline, the pajamas Jackie is wearing when LL tells everyone she's gonna try flying the plane, have a pool pattern- people on floats, people swimming and inflatable swim rings. Cute little detail!

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Doomcoming

• Natalie saves Travis when Shauna holds a knife to his throat. He reciprocates in S2.
• While tripping, Ben tells Natalie to "go tell Travis how you feel, it could save us all." Maybe they work together making the map that somehow leads to their rescue. Maybe they stay in the same clan. Point is that they need to stick together, and I hope they do.
• Misty uses the same line for Coach to go to Doomcoming with her, as she did with her date in Episode 2, to persuade him to come into her house. "I know you don't like me. I'm not pretty." Girl's gotta get what she wants!
• Misty's little binder of plants is gonna be pretty useful next season.

I'm not on board with "they were dead the whole time," theory but if you are, there are a couple of comments in this episode that might sway me-

• Jackie says "we're all like cabin guy, dead for years."
• Travis says "we're not even here though, are we?"

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Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

• Mari is strikingly the first person to wear animal skin as clothes during Doomcoming/ the following morning. She's in the center of the shot A LOT more than normal. She's wearing a wolf skin shawl.
• I'm always mulling over why the bear kneeled down at Lottie's feet. After many rewatches, I honestly think it's because Lottie is wearing Laura Lee's dress, aka the first "sacrifice." An eye-for an eye (Leonard)
• I never noticed that after Van's NDE, she is one who acknowledged and thanked the wilderness for food. For some reason, I thought it was Lottie, but I guess that's because she said the "prayer" and called it a gift from the wilderness. But Van was first to thank the wilderness.
• Love the allegory of Adam on the news about a missing person as Shauna's making popcorn and says she "burned it". That's dark.
• Simone crawling through the bottom air vent to find Dark Tai's hidden room/alter reminds me of the theories of tunnels beneath the cabin.

Aaaaand that's all I got! Thanks for reading if you did. A re-watch of Season 1 was a blast and I can't wait until season 3. I hope this post is as interesting to you as it was for me to make over the last few days! buzz buzz buzz.
TLDR: there is none I'm sorry. ;)