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Hello. I know just from reading the title you are likely seething with rage and hate for Alexee. Likely you have already down voted this post. I am appalled by the number of people having already convicted Alexee and now want her lynched.
I am equally appalled by the amount of video the public has access too. This has tainted public opinion and makes it almost impossible she will be afforded a fair and unbiased trial based on actual evidence introduced in court. All of the surveillance video from inside the hospital should never have been released. This violates Hippa Laws and a patient's Right to Privacy. "When you use security cameras in a healthcare environment, the video footage that you record qualifies as PHI. As PHI, video surveillance footage must be protected according to HIPAA regulations.Jun 10, 2021"
Alexee was experiencing an acute medical and mental health emergency and the release / leak of hospital video violates her right to doctor patient confidentiality. For those whose blood is boiling what if this was inside an abortion clinic and a teenager was violated by the release of videos in a patient treatment area? Protesters would be enraged and demand action--where is the outrage here?
Based on the facts as currently known (no discovery yet just what is in public domain and can be verified) this is how I would defend Alexee during a trial. I ask you to consider all of the following:
--Innocence until proven guilty in a court of law--the cornerstone of our legal system and society.
I strenuously argue and expect the following be inadmissible and excluded from trial:
>All video of Alexee inside the patient treatment areas of the hospital--both security cameras and police body cameras excluded .
>Police bodycam footage from inside Alexee's treatment room should be Hippa protected. She has the expectation of doctor patient confidentiality. Police knew there was no crime actively happening inside the hospital room at the moment they entered. The question of IF a crime was committed already occurred in the toilet room previous to police arrival and there was no flight risk from Alexee in a hospital room with one way in and out.
Police violated her civil rights by entering her medical treatment room while Alexee was in a hospital bed. Further police by entering her hospital room delayed urgent medical care Alexee required and placed undue stressors on her during a critical moment when per the statements of the doctor she was hemorrhaging.
>At no point was she read her Miranda Rights. Any statements made during an acute medical and mental health crisis inside a treatment room without her being advised of her Miranda Rights cannot be used against her at trial.
--During all video of her in her treatment room and patient hallway areas--as has been so far illegally released to the public violating her Hippa rights-- Alexee was under the influence of pain medicine administered by the hospital.
Pain medicine alters how Alexee feels, her body's sensations, perception of said sensations, mental acuity, mental state, memory and cognitive ability--this is the whole purpose of pain medications. These are indisputable and known scientific facts for decades which have proven pain medications cause all of these reactions which is why every single pain med has strict warnings not to operate machinery, not to drive Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera........ (For those attacking Alexee as mentally deficient, "slow", retarded, "mentally off" and / or view her reactions as not appropriate the hospital had her hopped up on pain medications before she even went to the bathroom. I say shame on anyone convicting her in the court of public opinion under the influence of medication(s) and during an acute medical and mental health crisis.
>Purported pictures of Alexee with her cheer leading team in the grey shirt and holding the megaphone in her uniform. These pictures are all over the internet and have not been verified as authentic. I believe there is a high likelihood these particular pictures have been photo-shopped making them altered fakes. There are multiple indicators of the two most widely distributed photos showing they are not authentic.
The person who took said pictures, origin of the pictures, original metadata and chain of custody of these photos must be discovered and questioned. Once the absolute original files have been discovered, if they even exist, they need to be independently analyzed by a digital photography expert.
I ask everyone to please put the videos you have seen out of your mind as well as it should and will likely be for the jury during the trial. I ask you to consider the following facts as we understand them at this juncture. Use only the following facts to determine if there is any reasonable doubt concerning Alexee and what happened. Even a scintilla of doubt or uncertainty means Alexee should be adjudicated not guilty by a court.
During a trial I argue the following in defense of Alexee:
>Alexee is a teenager. She only recently turned 19. She is inexperienced in life, sex and relationships. Although technically an adult by a few weeks the law is contradictory. She is still in high school due to when she was born and started kindergarten. At 19 she cannot smoke cigarettes, vape or buy or drink alcohol. Society and the law has decided 19 is not old enough to make an informed decision on smoking and alcohol. Her mother treats her as a child.
>Alexee has been treated in such a way by her mother to be ashamed of teen sex and its possible consequences. Her mother despite good intentions created a relationship of shame regarding sex and loosing her virginity. Most teens and even young adults do not share intimate sexual details with theirs parents for many reasons. Consider the added stress the mother has created for years in a misguided attempt to protect her daughter.
People in general but especially children and teenagers deny they did something wrong when accused. A child is observed breaking an item and even though said child knows the parent saw her break the item often will deny they broke it when questioned. There are decades of child psychiatry and doctors to testify regarding this. Those young children grow up to be teenagers and if the parent(s) have not properly handled these learning opportunities at young ages the teenager will have--in this case 19 years--of improper responses of how to handle life.
>Alexee's mother was beaten and abused by her father so badly Alexee was born preterm with hip and spinal problems causing pain on and off her entire life. Imagine the unhealthy relationship regarding sex, men and pregnancy her mother--despite good intentions--during Alexee's life imprinted on a child and then a teen.
>Alexee was taking hormonal birth control pills. We do not know if these were prescribed for acne, menstrual problems or birth control reasons. If prescribed for acne or menstrual problems and Alexee's mom knew she was taking them this combined with her mom's many years worth of admonishment, forbidding and shaming of teen sex and her mother feeling confident her daughter was a virgin--this would create a mental assurance for her mother she could never possible be pregnant.
Likewise, regardless if Alexee was taking hormonal bc with or without her mom's knowledge she would be assured she was preventing any possibility of pregnancy and being safe. Hormonal bc is widely regarded as virtually 100% effective and the best non-surgical option for preventing an unwanted pregnancy. The Pill is the gold standard for being safe and responsible to the point it's common knowledge providing a false sense of security.
The pill is so ubiquitous as infallible even in pornographic videos it is commonplace for the teen or woman to state "pull out I'm not on the pill"--as if she was on the pill it would be 100% guaranteed safe. Teens and even adults are indoctrinated to commonly believe the pill is infallible--even in porn.
We know sex education is lacking in all public schools, her fundamentalist church certainly wasn't providing sex ed, her mom used fear, shame and abstinence as the only approach and her father was a scumbag abuser not even in her life in a meaningful way. Media targeted to teens promotes "safe sex" rarely making a point any bc can fail. It's promoted and considered as an absolute.
No matter how you consider the above facts both Alexee and her mom were very confident there was no way she could be pregnant. Taking the bc pill to Alexee was an assurance she could not become pregnant, she could not disappoint her mom--she was being safe with no risks and in a committed long term relationship. She wasn't "one of those girls" or the school slutt.
>Alexee gained some weight. Everyone knows the Pill can cause weight gain. Its the number one reason teenagers and young women state they don't want to take the pill. There is so much pressure on being thin--especially for a teenager and a high school student going to prom ect. When she noticed she gained some weight of course it was because of the bc pill. She can't be pregnant--of course not--because she's on the pill. How could she be? A quick Google search "can the pill make me gain weight" confirms its common.
If her mom knew about her being on BC this causes no alarms for her mom because not only does she believe her daughter is a virgin she's on the pill and the pill makes many women gain weight.
>Maybe--and we don't know--Alexee was on BC because of menstrual issues. If that was the case then any period irregularities would be explained by known period issues, the pill can make periods light or non-existent in many women so nothing to be worried about if she's irregular, besides irregular periods are common in teens--especially athletes, as a medical fact. It is well known many women bleed during pregnancy at the time when they expect to be having a period so think they are regularly menstruating.
There are even entire TV shows based on the woman not knowing she is pregnant--many are adults in their 30s, experienced in life and many even had previous children!! Plenty of incidents making this fairly common and plenty of respected medical doctors will testify in court to this phenomenon.
>Alexee was treated in the emergency room in December--one month prior--for back pain. The same back pain she experienced on and off her whole life--and the same back pain that would bring her to the ER the night she delivered. She would have been around 32 to 36 weeks pregnant (pregnancy full term is 40 weeks gestation even though everyone commonly thinks 9 months) and at the end of December when seen in the ER. No one, not a single medical professional noticed she was very pregnant while in the hospital four weeks prior to delivering a baby.
>Alexee tells her mom she is in pain in January and needs to go to the ER for treatment. This is significant. If Alexee knew she was pregnant and premeditated killing and hiding the baby from her mom, boyfriend and the world it makes absolutely no sense she would tell her mother she was in pain and needed to go to the hospital. If she premeditated murder and secrecy then she would not have presented herself to her mom in pain and needing medical help. Everyone has seen TV births--although not realistic--there is almost always pain and pushing and then a baby. So Alexee who has premeditated and purposely hidden 40 weeks or pregnancy fooling everyone--her mom, peers, boyfriend, coaches, teachers, nurses and doctors decides to tell her mom she needs to go to the hospital when IF she had realized she was pregnant and consciously hidden and schemed everything!?!?! This makes no sense.
We know for a fact she knew how to do things herself on the "down low". Afterall she wasn't having sex infront of her mom--she went somewhere private to do the deed. If her premeditated plan all along was to knowingly conceal........see where this is going?
>January ER visit considerations:
--Alexee's mom had three kids--makes her very experienced at pregnancy--and has no idea Alexee is pregnant.
>Alexee is seen by and triaged by a registered nurse. She does not notice she is full term and in active labor. The duty of and sole purpose of the triage nurse to identify acute medical conditions needing immediate and emergency treatment--like say heart attacks or active labor.
>Alexee is taken to a hospital exam room and seen by the intake nurse--another registered nurse-- who's duty is and is trained to takes vitals, acquire pertinent information, makes trained medical observations and prepares the patient for possible required exams for when the doctor arrives--all of this on behalf of the doctor.
This nurse does not notice she is full term pregnant and in active labor. Remember that part above "prepares the patient for possible required exams" if the nurse has any indications the issue was in anyway related to female reproductive organs or involved the vagina the nurse would have the patient--Alexee--change into a gown for a possible pelvic exam.
She does not do this--Alexee is not in a hospital gown so another registered nurse experienced in emergency medicine--nurse number two--is completely oblivious to a full term pregnancy and active labor.
>The doctor comes into the exam room. This is a licensed and trained medical doctor specializing in emergency medicine. She speaks with and presumably examines Alexee for her back pain--to do anything less is malpractice. This medical doctor, certified and practicing emergency medicine orders pain medicine administered to Alexee.
We have a trained and experienced MEDICAL DOCTOR that does not realize Alexee is full term pregnant and in active labor. Remember those photos on the internet I discussed earlier and believe them to be faked and photo-shopped? If they were real and she was that visibly pregnant tell me two registered nurses and a licensed medical doctor given the symptoms displayed, age of the patient and the obvious dynamic between mom and daughter about keeping her virginity and you still don't this she is full term pregnant and in active labor.
The dynamic observed between Alexee and her mom the doctor had the DUTY as a standard of car to ask the mother to leave the exam room so she could privately discuss things with Alexee.
>We have all been in the hospital and ER so we all know how this goes. We know another nurse came to administer the pain meds and to administer test(s) order by the doctor. (we also know this by the police interviews of all medical personal involved)
This is nurse number three not noticing a teenage girl is full term and in active labor!!! Not just any registered nurse but the Emergency Room CHARGE NURSE--the head of the nurses in the ER at that time. (he's the male nurse in the videos wearing a skull cap).
>We know one of the tests ordered by the doctor and administered was a pregnancy test. A pregnancy test that results POSITIVE. We have a teen girl patient in extreme pain who is sure she isn't pregnant and is adamant she is not pregnant because I don't believe she thought she was. This patient is in an exam room and you the medical staff and especially the doctor DO NOT immediately return to the exam room to conduct a simple and quick pelvic exam (which doesn't even require a doctor a nurse can do and routinely do pelvic exams).
>Instead the doctor orders an ultrasound. So time passes when a quick pelvic could have been done but wasn't and in comes the ultrasound tech. She DOES NOT HAVE THE PROPER WAND ATTACHMENT TO CONDUCT A PREGNANCY ULTRASOUND. On top of this she is an Ultrasound tech--certified and trained--and even after attempting an unsuccessful ultrasound doesn't realize Alexee is full term pregnant with a baby literally in the birth canal in active labor.
Keep in mind the certified and trained ultrasound tech who has done presumably dozens, if not hundreds, if not thousands of ultrasounds on pregnant women in labor--because ultrasounds are common in virtually every pregnancy--this tech doesn't realize Alexee is full term and in active labor.
We KNOW the ultrasound tech had to pull up Alexee's shirt to expose the skin on her stomach to attempt the ultrasound (because you can't do an ultrasound without skin to wand contact via some snot-like medical grade jelly).
IF the tech thought Alexee was in active labor, full term and close to delivering does anyone not think she wouldn't tell a nurse or the doctor?? "Hey you better check on this girl right now?"
>None of the medical staff even tells Alexee her pregnancy test was positive. Alexee and her mom still have no idea Alexee is pregnant.
>Alexee feels like she needs to use the bathroom--to have a bowel movement. The nurses and doctor allow her to get up, unaccompanied and waddle / run holding her bottom all the way down the hall. Alexee has NO IDEA she is pregnant--has never been told by any medical staff and didn't see the baby on the ultrasound because the tech botched the procedure not having the correct wand.
>Common knowledge to most people--lay people--as a baby enters the birth canal and crowns the woman feels an overwhelming urge to have a bowel movement. We expect even at the lowest and most minimal level of care by registered nurses and licensed doctors to know a woman in labor experiences a sensation of needing to have a BM before the baby is born. Medical facts and training teaches nurses and doctors to instruct the woman to push the baby out as if she was pushing to have a BM. We know virtually every woman has a BM at some point while pushing.
Alexee and her mom still have no idea she is pregnant at this point despite being seen by three registered nurses, an ultrasound tech and a licensed MEDICAL DOCTOR.
The medical staff KNOWS 100% Alexee is pregnant-and has known long enough to send in an ultrasound tech perform a botched ultrasound--and yet the medical staff knowing all of this allows Alexee to waddle-run down a hall holding her bottom, ALONE and be in a bathroom over 20 minutes.
We are so far past medical malpractice on so many levels to the point of gross negligence and blatant disregard for Alexee-the patient. I've seen a lot of cases of malpractice at busy hospitals but nothing has ever come close to the malpractice and willful disregard for patient care and safety as I have learned in this case.
>Alexee, doesn't know shes pregnant, feels like she needs to have an urgent BM. She's on the toilet, shes in pain, pushing feels good because that is what her body is telling her and everyone knows if you feel super constipated with a huge and heavy poop that's stuck as soon as you get it out you will feel better.
At some point Alexee's body takes over--humans are animals--and like animals a body will birth a baby as an automatic process regardless if the mom is ready or not. Regardless if the mom is even conscious or not--after all comatose patients have delivered babies spontaneously.
This is that time.
I know everyone is going to shout but she should have called for help ect ect.
Really think about this and consider:
>Alexee is a teenager, young and inexperienced with her body and womanhood. She only just barely meets the legal definition as an adult buy mere weeks and can't even buy vape or a pack of smokes and she's still in high school. An adult by technicality only she is in high school, acts very immature and has not had any life experiences as an adult.
>Alexee has been to the ER twice in 30 days time and is in the ER at this very moment sitting on a toilet with an incredible urge to poop, she's seen by half a dozen trained medical professionals even just moments ago and she knows they gave her a pregnancy test "just in case" and no one has told her she's pregnant, she's scared to death but in her mind she's on the birth control pill and not a single person at the hospital during two visits has told her she's pregnant. She has NO idea a baby is about to come out. It's not possible to her and based on all we know she has confirmation in her mind time and time and time again she is NOT PREGNANT. In fact, she is on her period she thinks, she sees blood--yes confirmation of period, cramps, pain, nausea--all valid, legitimate and known period indicators. She can't be pregnant as we have established and since she is at the hospital they would have told her if she was. She has back problems, thinks she is on or starting her period and is constipated worse than she has ever been--of course combined these are the cramps and pain from the pitts of hell.
>Experts will testify at some point in that toilet room she disassociates with her body. Now she is in fear, overwhelming pain, anxiety, young with limited life experience. She has been drugged by the doctors with pain medicine which affects her sensations and cognitive abilities and decision making. She wants to yell for help but she can't. There is no voice, no words and no actual realization as to what is happening to her.
>This is NOT unheard of. Fear is a power controller. Every person responds differently. Many people do nothing and totally freeze and are oblivious to external stimuli. History is full of people--aged and experienced adults who are trained professionals in life and death situations who freeze and cannot function or function in a totally illogical way.
--The airline pilot who despite thousands of hours of flight experience suddenly forgets how to fly or simply does nothing. Or does something so incredibly stupid and so contradictory to every bit of training and flying instinct makes the wrong response causing the plane to crash. (Atlas Air B767 / Continental Express Q400 / UPS A300)
--Trained soldiers in battle firing on their own fellow soldiers wearing the same uniform right in front of them but in that moment they kill their friends.
--A veteran police officer responding to a school shooting in Florida so overcome with fear he cannot enter the building to do the job he has trained, practiced and done for 25 plus years of his career resulting in dozens of children dying or injured.
--A respected gray-haired "old salt" ship captain who has crossed the Atlantic hundreds of times in his 50 year career--actually the admiral of the fleet-- who becomes impotent when his ship hits an iceberg and after giving the orders to evacuate disappears from leadership. (Titanic)
The recent Idaho murders the downstairs roommate, who has experienced actual adult experiences living on her own in college, comes FACE-TO-FACE with the killer while her four friends and roommates are bleeding out locks herself into her room, goes to bed and does NOTHING for hours until the net day. This is despite her admitting she heard a pained / muffled scream, moaning, an unknown voice and came face-to-face with the killer POTENTIALLY while the victims could have been saved with immediate medical care. She is defended by society as bearing no burden or negligence because she was young, scared and had been partying so was under the influence of substances.
Wait a minute........so was Alexee. Ironically some of the same people in this very forum who defended the Idaho roommate for being completely without burden by ignoring and going back to bed want to lynch Alexee or lock her up for her entire life.
Can we under all of these circumstances expect a teenage girl who has every legitimate reason to be sure she is NOT pregnant and not in labor expect her to be rational in this moment?
If Alexee herself didn't know she was pregnant, had no reason to expect she was pregnant, was on birth control, her mom who has had three pregnancies doesn't notice, her peers don't notice, her teachers don't notice, her coaches, her church, her boyfriend AND....
TWO VISITS TO THE ER / HOSPITAL 30 DAYS APART
the visit where the birth occurred:
THREE REGISTERED NURSES
ULTRASOUND TECH
EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR / LICENSED MD
If ALL of the people in Alexee's life and ESPECIALLY TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS did not notice or realize she was not only pregnant but in active labor HOW CAN WE EXPECT ALEXEE--a teenager--TO REALIZE THIS WHEN SHE TOOK HERSELF TO A HOSPITAL WANTING HELP?
The hospital and its staff disgust me. They acted with total disregard to Alexee and human life. Not a single nurse or doctor even bothered to try and resuscitate the baby when it was found. Most likely the baby was beyond resuscitation but for medical professionals in a hospital to not even attempt to save the baby after totally botching the standard of care for Alexee up to this point shows how criminally negligent everyone who treated Alexee that night is culpable for the death of a child.
The state has WAY overcharged Alexee. At most she should be facing abuse of a corpse. She needs mental help not jail. She is not likely to ever re-offend.
The ER doctor should be charged with manslaughter and negligence resulting in a death as her level of care was grossly negligent.
My heart goes out to the little boy who is not live--stillborn or otherwise. All life is precious.
So is Alexee and her life. This is beyond horrible for all involved. Every single person in Alexee's life failed her time and time again.
Do not as a jury pr society fail her again and sentence her to life in prison. There is so much reasonable double of premeditation and medical negligence / indifference in this case it would be criminal for a jury to convict her of Premeditated Murder in the 1sr degree.
I pray for everyone involved on so many levels. This case has no winners--only losers . Every single person in contact at any point with Alexee--but especially on the night in question-- and Alexee herself has a heavy cross to bear for the rest of their lives.
The nurses and ultrasound tech should be retrained, put on probation to be monitored making sure they have the skills and judgements needed to care for patients and the medical doctor should lose her license.
Alexee especially as well as her mother and boyfriend need education and counseling.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
​

Jenna sighed as she lay on her bed, feeling restless and unsatisfied. She had just come back from another failed date with yet another man who couldn't satisfy her needs in the bedroom. As much as she tried to be patient and understanding, it was getting harder and harder for her to hide her frustration.
She needed something more than what these men were offering her. Something intense, something that would push her to her limits and leave her begging for more. But where could she find such an experience? And who could provide it for her?
As she lay there, lost in thought, her eyes landed on a photo of her best friend Reese. They had been friends since childhood, but over the years their relationship had evolved into something deeper and more intimate. Although they had never crossed the line into a sexual relationship, Jenna often found herself fantasizing about what it would be like to be with Reese.
Reese was everything Jenna wasn't - pale-skinned, red-haired, and adventurous. She was always up for trying new things and pushing boundaries, which is why Jenna knew that if anyone could give her the experience she craved, it would be Reese.
But how could she ask her best friend for something so intimate and potentially destructive to their friendship? What if Reese rejected her or worse, laughed at her? The thought of being vulnerable and exposed like that was terrifying, but Jenna knew she had to take the risk.
Steeling her nerves, Jenna picked up her phone and texted Reese. "Hey, can we talk?"
Reese responded almost immediately. "Sure! Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just need to talk to you about something important."
A few minutes later, Reese arrived at Jenna's apartment, looking concerned. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"
Jenna took a deep breath before speaking. "I...I have something to tell you. Or rather, something to ask you."
Reese nodded encouragingly. "You can tell me anything, you know that."
Jenna swallowed hard. "I want you to torture me."
There was a moment of stunned silence before Reese burst out laughing. "Wait, what? You're joking, right?"
Jenna shook her head. "No, I'm serious. I need this, Reese. I need someone who can push me beyond my limits and give me the intensity I've been missing."
Reese looked skeptical. "And you think I can do that?"
"Yes," said Jenna firmly. "I trust you, and I know you won't hurt me. Please, just hear me out."
Reese hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing. "Okay, go on."
Jenna explained her desires in detail, describing the kinds of sensations she wanted to experience and the ways in which she hoped Reese could help her achieve them. As she spoke, she felt a sense of relief washing over her, knowing that she was finally able to express her true self to someone.
Reese listened carefully, taking in every word. When Jenna finished talking, she paused for a moment before responding. "Wow, I didn't realize you were feeling this way. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to share this with me."
Jenna let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It means a lot to me that you're willing to listen."
Reese smiled. "Of course. So, what exactly are you looking for here? Do you have any specific requests or preferences?"
Jenna thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I'd really like to explore some foot worship and domination. I've always been fascinated by feet, and I'd love to feel your hands on mine, worshipping them like they're gods."
Reese chuckled. "Gods, huh? Well, I can definitely make that happen. Anything else?"
Jenna bit her lip nervously. "I'd also like to try some bondage and spanking. I've always been curious about those things, but I've never had the courage to try them until now."
Reese nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Those can be great tools for building anticipation and control. Anything else?"
Jenna shook her head. "Not really. Just whatever you think will work best to get me to that next level of pleasure."
Reese grinned mischievously. "Alright then, consider it done. I'll bring everything we need tomorrow night. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime."
The next day passed slowly for Jenna, who spent most of it anxiously waiting for Reese to arrive. Finally, when the clock struck 8 pm, there was a knock on her door. Her heart racing, Jenna opened it to see Reese standing there, holding a large bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
"Hi," said Reese, giving her a coy smile. "Ready for our little session?"
Jenna swallowed hard. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Reese stepped inside and set down the bag, pulling out several items including rope, nipple clamps, and a paddle. Jenna couldn't help but gulp at the sight of them, her excitement mixed with a touch of trepidation.
"First things first," said Reese, pouring two glasses of wine. "Let's start with a toast."
They clinked glasses and took a sip, letting the sweet liquid calm their nerves. Then, without further ado, Reese began the process of binding Jenna's wrists and ankles with intricate knots, leaving her lying face down on the bed.
Once Jenna was securely tied, Reese moved behind her and started massaging her shoulders and back, working out the tension from a long day at work. Jenna closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of Reese's strong fingers digging into her muscles, relaxing her body and mind.
After a few minutes, Reese moved down to Jenna's legs, tracing circles around her calves and thighs before moving up to her inner thighs. Jenna squirmed involuntarily as Reese teased her sensitive skin, lightly brushing her fingers against her folds.
Then, without warning, Reese grabbed the paddle and smacked it hard against Jenna's bottom, making her yelp in surprise. Before she could fully process what was happening, Reese continued raining blows down on her ass, each strike eliciting a sharp gasp followed by a low moan.
Despite the initial shock, Jenna found herself enjoying the sensation of pain mixed with pleasure, her body reacting instinctively to the stimulation. She arched her back, begging for more, and Reese happily obliged, increasing the pace and force of the spanks until Jenna's entire body was throbbing with desire.
When Reese finally stopped, Jenna was left panting and drenched with sweat, her skin flushed and tingling. Reese leaned down and kissed her neck, whispering hotly in her ear. "How does that feel, baby? Are you ready for more?"
Jenna could barely speak through her heavy breathing, but she managed a weak "Yes" before collapsing back onto the bed.
Reese chuckled softly. "Good girl. Now, let's move on to the main event."
She reached for the nipple clamps and expertly attached them to Jenna's tender buds, causing her to writhe in ecstasy. Next came the foot worship, with Reese kneeling at the end of the bed and reverently kissing and caressing Jenna's feet, praising them as if they were divine artifacts.
Jenna reveled in the attention, closing her eyes and savoring the sensation of Reese's lips and tongue dancing across her skin. She wriggled her toes, delighting in the way they seemed to come alive under Reese's ministrations.
Before long, however, Reese switched gears again, removing the nipple clamps and replacing them with clothespins, sending waves of agony and arousal coursing through Jenna's body. She bit her lip to stop from crying out, loving the way the pain heightened her sensitivity to every touch.
Reese continued to play with Jenna's breasts, alternating between gentle caresses and brutal pinches, driving her wild with lust. By the time she moved on to sucking and biting Jenna's neck, Jenna was a quivering mess of raw emotion, desperate for release.
Finally, Reese climbed on top of Jenna and positioned herself above her mouth, rubbing her wetness against Jenna's lips. "Lick me," she commanded, thrusting her hips forward.
Jenna eagerly complied, diving into Reese's folds with abandon, tasting her sweet nectar and reveling in the sounds of her pleasure. Reese bucked and thrashed beneath her, riding the wave of bliss, until finally she exploded in a frenzy of gasps and moans.
Jenna lay back, exhausted but satisfied, as Reese untied her bindings and pulled her into her arms. They lay together in contented silence for a while, basking in the afterglow of their shared passion.
Eventually, Reese broke the stillness. "So, did you enjoy your experience?"
Jenna smiled. "More than I could have imagined. Thank you for giving me this."
Reese pressed a kiss to her forehead. "My pleasure, sweetheart. Anytime you need it, just let me know."
Jenna snuggled closer, already dreaming of their next encounter.

My mum has three sisters. We were invited to a wedding. I (20f at the time) really wanted to wear a dress but I was extremely hesitant because I hadn't wore one for years. I hated my body back then and I thought every dress looked bad. I found a beautiful red dress and gave it a chance. The saleswomen gave me all sorts of compliments but I was hesitant. But given the enthusiasm and the affordable price I bought it. My aunts were the first to see it and found it nice. I was ecstatic until I tried it in front of mum who said it didn't fit me. I didn't believe her at first. She put me in front of the mirror and shown me where it looked bad. She also took a picture of me wearing it and zoomed on the photo to emphasize her points. By the end I realized the dress was not flattering at all. When my aunts payed a visit she made me wear the dress again and told them how bad it looked. She shown them the photo as well. They said it really wasn't good and they wondered how they didn't notice it at first.
To say I was disappointed will be an understatement. On top of it my mum kept bringing it up. Every time a photo of a dress would pop up on Facebook she would comment things like "Look how good that dress fits her, not like the one you bought", "Your dress should have been like this in order to look good on you", "That dress was made to only fit thin people" etc. She would also show my the photo she took to point out its flaws.
One day I had enough and demanded to not talk about it again. Every time she would bring it up I would stop her. Every time she complained because I wasn't letting her express herself and give me advice. One day of me refusing to speak about it again she snapped and ranted about me not being hostile with my aunts for it. She asked why I didn't believe her but immediately believed them when they said the same. She accused me of favouriting them over her because I always listen to them without complaining.
I ended up going shopping with my mum to find a new dres. We eventually found the perfect dress for the wedding. My mum told the saleswoman about the dress situation too. I got annoyed but didn't say anything. Until the day of the wedding she kept accusing me of favouritism. My mum might be a pain in the ass sometimes but I think I was the asshole for forbidding her to express her opinion. She didn't have ill intentions and she was right. I think I made a big deal out of it especially since the dress truly looked bad on me. So, once again, AITA?

This subreddit has been an amazing resource for my solo trip prep over the last few months so now it's my turn to give back. I did not have a set budget in mind since I save diligently for my trips. I am fairly well-traveled, a late 30s, solo traveler. This was my first time in Japan and my goals were a mixture of eating, exploring history, enjoying some theme parks, and enjoying experiences that only Japan could offer.
Total USD Spend: 17 days (2 travel days) came out to about $4200 USD total: * Flight: $1050 * Accommodations: $1400 * Food and Snacks: $1000 * Transportation (IC card, buses, trains): $250 * Theme Park & Novelty Experiences: $400 * Misc (souvenirs, shopping): $200 I typically budget out about $5K USD for my trips and Japan was definitely on the higher side of the budget, but again, I splurged on some fantastic restaurants, premiere entry at Universal Studios Osaka, along with numerous day trips. As others have mentioned here, I also averaged between 25K-30K steps a day. I’m in decent shape but walking 10-15 miles everyday definitely took its toll and my body shut down for a day.
Day 0: Landed in Osaka in the late afternoon and ended up wandering Dotonbori for a few hours since my hotel was located a block away. Ended up eating some very mediocre ramen at a stand in Dotonbori which was pretty disappointing, but the carbs were enough to knock me out. Day 1: Woke up early to walk around Dontobori at 5am and then headed out to few unique temples, including Namba Yasaka Jinja. Hopped onto the subway to enter Ueno Sky Tower, and overall, it was meh, I didn’t stay long just taking a few pictures and walked around Ueno for a few hours before heading to the Pokemon Cafe in Shinsaibashi. As others have noted, the food was very mediocre, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. Spent the rest of the evening getting drinks in Dotonbori before calling it a night.
Day 2: A full day at Universal Studios Japan to experience Super Nintendo World. I splurged on the express passes that gave me full access to a bunch of rides. SNW is pretty fucking awesome and I had a blast riding the Yoshi and Mario Kart rides, all the while taking taking in the atmosphere. The premiere pass also gave me access to a few additional rides including Harry Potter, Doraemon VR, and Jurassic Park. Had a late dinner at Kyushu Ramen getting their famous chashu ramen and it did not disappoint.
Day 3: Spent most of the day exploring Kuromon Ichiba Market, the local malls, and Dotonbori trying some street food. Went back to my hotel room and just relaxed for the rest of the day since jet lag was still bothering me. Watched some sumo matches on random Japanese tv before calling it a night.
Day 4: Took a day trip to Himeji to see the Himeji Castle. What a fantastic piece of history! I spent hours just taking in the sites and the nearby garden also highly recommended. Afterward, I had my first taste of Kobe beef in the form of a beef bowl at Kushiyaki Kobe Beef. Fantastic little hole-in-the-wall place with some really nice people working the counter. Took the train from Himeji directly to Nara where I was planning to stay the night. Day 5: Spent the entire day playing with the thousands of deer and checking out some local temples, including Todai-ji. I didn't do anything in Nara that hadn't been mentioned enough times here, but as others have said, a day trip or one day is more than enough time in the area. Took a late train to Kyoto. Day 6: Woke up in the early morning to beat the crowds to enjoy Fushimi Inari. Hiked the entire loop (about 2-3 hours) with only a fraction of the crowds, enjoyed some macha soft serve at the peak of the hill, and took my time going back down right rwhen the army of tourists and tour groups arrived. Grabbed an overly expensive Kobe beef stick from one of the food stalls by the temple gates and then spent an hour at a cute coffee shop called Rickshaw Cafe just people watching before grabbing an early dinner at Ramen Sen-no-Kaze. The food was solid, but it took 90 minutes to get a table. Not worth it and in hindsight I would have left.
Day 7: Woke up early again to check out the highly overrated Arashimyama bamboo forest. It was pretty underwhelming, but I did get a few nice photos before the crowds arrived. Strolled through the park and really enjoyed walking along the Katsura River seeing the catfish waiting to be fed and seeing the fishing boats tied up. A very tranquil place. After the nice long stroll, I walked back-and-forth the Togetsukyo Bridge and Kimono Forest (meh). The highlight of the morning was really Tenryu-Ji and the amazing zen garden. After a few hours taking in the peacefulness and silence, took the city bus to Kinkaku-ji, and the crowds were in full swing. Still totally worth seeing in person although it didn’t last very long. Day 8: A full day experiencing the Philosopher’s Path on a gorgeous sunny day. Too sunny since I got some pretty bad sunburns! I visited too many amazing temples, including Kiyomizo-dera, along with old Gion, although I thought the area was bit overhyped. I preferred the smaller, more peaceful temples away from the mass of tourists. Some of my favorites during my day exploring old Kyoto included Eikan-do, a more secluded temple up in the hills, Nanzen-Ji, with its beautiful aqueduct, and just walking the streets aimlessly for a few hours. Went to Nishiki Market and ate some amazing oysters at Daiyasu. If you love oysters, this is the spot to try it! Spent too much money on oysters and decided to go cheap and ate at Kura Sushi. The food was mediocre by Japanese standards, but blows away the quality and cost of the Kura Sushi restaurants in my hometown of Los Angeles.
Day 9: Took an early morning train to Kanazawa. Enjoyed my first ekiben while taking in the sights from the comfort of the Thunderbird Limited Express. Spent the rest of the day visiting the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (meh) and Kenrou-ken, probably the most beautiful garden in the Kanda province. Wrapped up the day by visiting the D.T Suzuki Museum and wow, the tranquil pool area was amazing. Do yourself a favor and stand on the corner and just stare at the water. You’ll feel like the entire world is moving along on a plane and you’re the one that is frozen in place. It was pretty trippy. Ate well at Mori More Sushi Omicho and stopped by the Pokemon Center to pick up the exclusive Pikachu Kimono figure only available in the Kanazawa store.
Day 10: Torrential rain the entire day but I powered throughit with my trusty umbrella. Enjoyed breakfast and snacks at the Omicho Market, enjoying a tuna-don at one of the stalls, fresh uni, and more oysters. Not cheap but fresh! Walked around the Higashi Chaya District, doing a bit of window shopping and ate some gold leaf macha soft serve at Kaikaro, spending more time people watching. Walked around the Kanazawa Castle Park in all its empty glory as well as the Oyama Shrine. The castle was pretty underwhelming esp. after seeing Himeji so I probably would have skipped it in hindsight. Wrapped up the day visiting the Naga-machi District, probably my favorite part of Kanazawa. Had more sushi at Sushi Rekireki Omicho, an enjoyable omakase.
Day 11: Took the Shinkansen to Tokyo eating the most expensive ekiban I could find, and spent the rest of the entire day in Asakusa in Tokyo. Walked around Senso-ji, had a few beers in Hoppy Street, and finally tried Ichiran. Called it an early day since I would be doing DisneySea in the early morning.
Day 12: Took the express bus from Tokyo Skytree to DisneySea. Thanks to the early forecast of rain, the park was barely 50% full? The longest wait for most rides was under 20 minutes so I was lucky enough to ride everything at least once. My meals consisted of a bunch of unique Dsney parki food: gyoza hot dogs, alien mochi, Mike watermelon bread, etc. Stayed until the fireworks and went straight back to the hotel and crashed. That was a 40K step day!
Day 13: Visited Akihabara, spending way too much money on crane games, browsing retro games, and looking at figures. Headed to Shibuya to eat breakfast for lunch at A Happy Pancake (meh). Went to the Nintendo Store in the PARCO mall, only to be disappointed to find out that all of the Nintendo World store t-shirts were sold out. Actually everything semi-interesting was sold out. Went up to Shibuya Sky to watch the sunset, spending a few hours just watching the day slowly turn into night. Did the Scramble a few times and then headed to Shinjuku where I’d be located for the last few days.
Day 14: Another torrential rainstorm sadly ruined my plans of visiting Shinjuku Gyoen, Meiji Jingo, and Harajuku. Maybe next time. I was hoping to buy Tokyo Giants tickets but they were all sold out so I ended up going to the Tokyo National Museum. I won’t lie, I was pretty bored, and in hindsight I wish I went to the neighboring National Museum of Nature and Science instead. After strolling Ueno Park in the rain, I was craving tonkatsu and googled Tonkatsu Yamabe. Good decision as it was the best tonkatsu I had in Tokyo. Went to a nearby Taito Game Station wasting more money on crane games before heading back to Shinjuku. The area is insane and in hindsight, I would probably pick somewhere like Shibuya or Ueno, somewhere slightly more chill. Day 15: One of my favorite days in Tokyo! Teamlabs Planets lives up to the hype but ONLY if you can get first admission at 9am. It was glorious to be among the first people in the exhibits as I could take in experience the way it was intended. There were only a few people in each room giving each space such a great, peaceful, and chill vibe. Headed to Ginza to the Michelin-rated Sushi Toyama, where I had a chance to finally experience bluefin toro (worth it!). Probably the most expensive lunch ever but it was quite the experience. A sunny and beautiful day, I bought a bunch of souvenirs and clothes (a 12-story Uniqlo with its own coffee shop, Muji Ginza, Ginza Six), checked out my favorite Toy Story in Japan, Hakuhinkan Toy Park, intricate stationary stores like Itoya, and went to a very popular Ginza Starbucks to people watch. Spent the evening in Shinjuku exploring Golden Gai getting swarmed by Nigerian dudes. Wanted to try a hole-in-wall ramen spot in the area but the line was stupid long so I ended up just going to Kyushu Ramen and was satisfied enough. A good day.
Day 16: With the break in clouds the day before, I decided to call an audible and set up a last minute day trip to Mount Fuji. Took an express bus from Shinjuku to Fushiyoshida and got dropped off in front of Chureito Pagoda. It was cloudy for most of the day, but for the last several hours I saw Mount Fuji in all its glory. It was a gray day but no complaints — it was nice to cross another bucket list item from the list.
Wow, this was much longer than I anticipated. Well if you got this far, feel free to ask any questions! In the meantime, I'll be planning my next trip to Japan soon!

I posted this stuffed pig a little while ago, but I realize my wording on that post wasn't clear about my intent. I want to find out the year this plush was made and how much it's worth (although I'm not interested in selling it). The tag says "Key Kollectables by Brass Key, Inc." and "made in Korea." It may possibly have been listed on ebay as a red razorback hog plush, but the listing has been removed so I can't see if the photo matches. Any information would be appreciated. 💛

Hello, fellow LEGO enthusiasts!
Lego will be going offline from June 12 until June 14 as part of the ongoing protest against Reddit's recent API changes. We understand that this may be inconvenient for some, but we believe it's essential to stand with those who will be most impacted by this change. For more details, read our announcement here
During this downtime, we want to keep your creativity flowing. That's why we're excited to announce a LEGO building contest! We invite you to put your creative skills to the test and build something extraordinary that represents either the theme "Offline" or the theme "Solidarity."

Contest Details:

Theme: Choose one of the two themes: "Offline" or "Solidarity."
Submission Period: Submissions will be accepted for 3 days starting from when the subreddit returns.
Judging: The subreddit moderators will review and judge the entries.
Prizes: Winners will receive kudos from your fellow builders and Reddit Gold from the Mod Team.
We encourage you to let your imagination run free and explore unique ways to bring the themes to life through LEGO. Whether that's a scene representing what you did while offline, a system going offline, a group of minifigs protesting, a build symbolizing unity and solidarity, or however you interpret the themes. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

How to Participate:

1. Build a LEGO creation that embodies the theme "Offline" or "Solidarity."
   
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Again, we'd like to express our gratitude for your continued support of our fellow redditors, and your understanding during this brief downtime. This contest is a way for us to come together as a community and showcase the incredible talent within Lego. If you have any questions or need further clarification, ask in the comments below, or reach out to the mod team via modmail.
Happy building, The Lego Mod Team

It’s nothing against the way he’s written or looks- he’s designed well and the writers wrote him in a believable way. The only problem I have is he both looks and talks exactly like one of my exes, even the voice is similar. The pushiness, the texts, the stalking is just all very reminiscent of how this Ex of mine behaved before I cut him off. I’m loving this game so far but every time I see Eric or interact with him I get ill and I need to step away. Even his whole pretentious monologue about how weapon people are lesser than real weapons is similar to how this guy I dated talks, the expressions too (I swear it’s like the artist used my ex as a reference photo).
I’m on my second attempt trying to play BD, I tried months ago and had to stop once I got through the failed date with the barista at the cat cafe. That stalking scene just rocked me and it wasn’t until now I felt good enough to try again. So I started a new save (because I forgot literally everything) and I just got to where I had left off before.
I could easily get used to Eric and I’d be okay if he didn’t visually look identical to my ex. How prominent is he in the game? Would I still be able to enjoy the full experience if I don’t interact with him or read his messages? If there are specific scenes I need him for, could anyone tell me what they are so I can brace myself? Or where I could find that list
I know it’s just a game and Eric is just a character- but I just want to avoid him as much as I can so I can actually play and have fun with it without feeling sick

#25
Mike Manzi

• Only predator on this list who didn’t say anything overtly sexual, so the Fairfield police were unable to charge him with a sexual crime. But, he had bad intentions, and his overall story is pretty good
• Math tutor
• “I really can’t afford to do this! No, I can’t! I won’t!”
• “This is harrible (horrible)!”
• “How’s your downward dog?” (Chatlog)
• “Did you blaze?” (Chatlog)
• Hansen: Come on. You’re 32! You had nothing better to do on a Sunday? Manzi: I was gonna watch football. Hansen: Yeah, here with a 13-year-old girl after you blazed.

#24
Gilbert Sutherland

• “She’s … 18. You’re telling me she’s not 18?!” (Pretends to look shocked)
• “I like girls. What can I say?”
• Ran out the door immediately after the cameras showed up at the end of Hansen’s interview

#23
Mohamed Abdallah

• “I was just passing by there.”
• Hansen: Wow, you’re a lucky guy! You’re just driving along, and this good-looking young blonde girl waves you in!
• “I’m an Egyptian. I’m Muslim. I don’t do this (zissa) stuff.”
• “I would never say it like that. Never! Never, ever!”

#22
John Elliott

• Screen Name: BaldBeaverHunter
• “I can tell you’re a therapist!”
• Laughed multiple times during his interview with Hansen
• “I don’t know why you’re asking me this stuff!”

#21
Nick Cocos

• The dopey predator
• “I’m Chris.”
• “Things lead to bad things sometimes.”
• (When Hansen asked him what the lesson was) “Just don’t try it. Someone could be lying to you.”
• Hansen: How about not trying to hook up with a 12-year-old girl? Cocos: Or that, too.

#20
David Kaye

• The rabbi
• (To the decoy) “We’ll see!” (chuckles)
• “You know I’m in trouble, and I know I’m in trouble, and I’m not interested in getting further into trouble.”
• “You don’t have any right!”

#19
Donald Morrison

• Arguably the biggest loser in the history of the show
• “Nup North”
• “I’ve met about a dozen of them.”
• (When Hansen asked what his family will think of his behavior) “I know my mom is going to take my computer and completely throw it away.”
• Hansen: You’re 48 years old, Donald! Why should you rely on your mommy to do discipline?

#18
Jeff Stacy

• Mickey Mouse voice predator
• “What’s wrong with that?”
• “It’s a question!”
• “The internet and real life are two different things.”

#17
Joshua Colon

• (To the decoy) “You look hotter than your picture.”
• (To the decoy, referring to the cupcakes) “Those are red velvet?”
• Recognized Chris Hansen immediately and said, “Oh … shit.”
• Admitted to Hansen what his intentions were
• Made the trip from Queens, NY to Fairfield, CT
• Hansen: Queens? You said Brooklyn!

#16
Ernest Timmons

• The sweaty predator
• “A friend told me to come here.”
• “A guy named Kevin.”
• “We just met on the base. He told me to come here and take- uh, bring the camera.”
• “I’m not telling you a lie, sir!”
• “No, please, sir!”

#15
Dustin McPhetridge

• Cerebral palsy predator
• (To the decoy) “Ah thought you was wantin’ to be shaved … down there.”
• “Wayll, Ah wasn’t gon’ do nothin’!”
• “Ah brought her a razor.”
• Detective: Was it in case you had sex with her? McPhetridge: Yeah, but Ah was gonna try not to.
• (When asked if he had child pornography) “There’s probably a few photos and a few videos.”

#14
Rolando Restocruz

• “Sir, PLEASE!”
• “Sir, can I go?”
• “Sir, I promise you … with my life.”
• “Please don’t put this on TV!”
• “I swear I will never do this again!”

#13
Stephen Coates

• The musician
• “I beg of you.”
• Hansen: How old are you? Coates: I’m stupid. Hansen: How old are you? Coates: 56.
• Maintains to this day that it was roleplay. Hmm.
• “So if this is a setup, I’ll never forgive you.” (Chatlog)
• “I just want you to know how serious it could be if anything goes wrong.” (Chatlog)
• “Promise me something. Ten years from now, you won’t think bad of me.” (Chatlog)
• Wrote an email to a TCAP content creator trying to guilt-trip him into removing a reaction video to his bust
• Wrote a song called “Thought Crime,” which was reflective of his arrest

#12
Jerry Kosis

• The alien predator
• “Wayyyyyyyy, way, way.”
• “Well, outside of maybe wanting to be, I guess, a mentor or something like that.”
• “Wellllllllllllllllll.”

#11
Jerry Griffitt

• Apple Pie predator
• “She was 22, and I don’t remember what her name was.”
• “She said her name was 22. No, she said she was 22.”
• “She said her name was Adrianna.”
• “I thought I was talking to Adrianna.”
• “I don’t know what to tell ya.”

#10
Marvin Lakhan

• Stripped naked in the stinghouse after the decoy asked him to
• Hansen: What are you doing?! Lakhan: Making a mistake. Hansen: Making a mistake? What is going on in your mind?!

#9
John Kennelly

• Stripped naked in the stinghouse after the decoy asked him to (day 1 of 2)
• Showed up at McDonald’s to meet another fake boy (day 2 of 2)
• Kennelly: I’m sorry. Hansen: Sorry doesn’t cut it!
• Hansen: Chatting?! You’re sitting in this kitchen naked, John!
• “Sir, I just came to get something to eat!”

#8
John Dupee

• “Steelers and the Ravens!”
• “I had no intentions with nothin’!”
• “Who’s Brittany?” [puzzled expression]
• “Me and a group of friends snuck into a mansion and partied for days.” (Chatlog)
• “I would love to be the first guy to make you [blank].” (Chatlog)

#7
Jesse Velez

• Prompted the iconic “Meeee, my mommy, and my daddy” line from the infamous decoy
• “Nothing sexual to that nature.”
• “I actually parked at that park right there.”
• “Something told me, ‘Do not walk through that door.’”
• “The lesson here is … don’t walk into no one’s house that you don’t know who even lives there. Don’t do the same thing to other people that you wouldn’t want done to you.”
• “This is not what it seems to be. This is not what it was going to be.”
• “I’m not walking into no one’s house ever again.”
• “Even in my profile, it said, ‘Hey, let’s chat.’”
• “Thank you for this extra experience, actually.”

#6
Michael (Jean Pierre) Wehry

• Probably the most creative fake story out of any predator in the history of the show
• “I thought I was looking for somebody.”
• “John Pedderson.”
• “I was gonna talk about some business.”
• “I heard there was a guy named John Pedderson in this area.”
• “A young man on the phone.”
• “No, I think he had my number.”
• “My problem is I was walking.”
• “I was gonna leave a note.”

#5
Anthony Palumbo

• “You can put that in the frigerata!”
• “You give good directions!”
• “Don’t get drunk with that!”
• “My brotha is home, my otha brotha. So I said I got to go to Atlantic City!”
• “I stopped by … to go there.”
• “I’m not a driver at night.”
• “No, not at all. You can smell my breath.”
• “I’m not gay or anything!”
• (When Hansen asked his age) “39 … 35 … 39.” (He was 46 at the time.)
• “No, you’re right! I did a stupid thing!”

#4
Dan Allen

• “I’m just CURIOUS.” [wildly gestures]
• “I didn’t bring any booze with me. Didn’t bring any condoms, no!”
• “My car’s outside. I can prove that to ya!”
• “It’s all cyberspace.”
• “A couple past experiences show that they’re never 13.”
• “I’ll shove that camera down his throat.”
• “Cut!”

#3
Maurice Wolin

• The doctor
• Spilled the drink, left before Chris Hansen had the chance for an interview after finding the camera crew’s hiding spot
• “Aw, man, I wasn’t doin’ anything!”
• “I didn’t do anything, but I did something stupid.”
• “I don’t remember.” (21 times to Detective Nelson)

#2
Lorne Armstrong

• 407-page chatlog
• Drove from Nashville, TN to Bowling Green, KY.
• Wanted to bring 13-year-old “Kayla” back with him to Nashville.
• “Hey, girrrrl!”
• “Wayll, yell at me why doncha!”
• “This is what I was afraid of. Stupid move!”
• “Oh, CAWD!”
• “I never even meant to do it!” (To Detective Gillingham)
• “Is Ms. Vagina thinking about Mr. Penis? What is she thinking?” (Chatlog)

#1
Jeff Sokol

• Went to Planet Pizza right before going to the stinghouse
• “The small pizza is almost as big as the big one.” (To decoy)
• “Why’d you let me come if you’re so nervous?” (To decoy)
• “Who’s this?”
• “I … I wanna know who you are.”
• “Who are you?”
• “Are you her dad?”
• “Do you also see that I was pretty apprehensive about the whole sex thing?”
• “Do I seem like a dishonest, dirty person?”
• “If you thought I came down here to have sex, why didn’t you wait to see if that happened?” (To Detective Kelley)
• “I didn’t think it was against the law to meet a girl.” (To Detective Kelley)
• “I thought it was against the law to have sex. To actually have sex.” (To Detective Kelley)
• “You better watch out. You’re a girl. Girls get fat easier haha. Don’t get fat. It’s not pretty.” (Chatlog)
• “Ballet is for girls.” (Chatlog)

I am a console player. I really enjoy the painting skill. Not sure how to word what I'm looking for property. I see the images and expressions on Sims that I want to paint but by the time I get the shot I want the expression is over. A few examples. If someone has a flirty face, if someone is very angry, sad, I even tried getting a image of someone falling on the treadmill, getting hit by the punching bag. Their are a bunch of examples. I have learned that I can use my camera for poses and then paint the photo. If I try to take a photo of any of the examples I listed it's usually too late and I miss the shot. Does anyones have any tips or tricks to getting unique paintings?

Have you ever made a ridiculous facial expression for a photo and now it's forever captured on film?

Good Day!
TLDR. ADVICE NEEDED; NEIGHBOUR THREATENED TO HIT MY LEGALLY PARKED CAR IF I DO NOT MOVE IT AS SOON AS SHE DEMANDS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS ONLY PARKED THERE IF NO OTHER SPACES, OTHERS PARK THERE TOO INCLUDING GENERAL PUBLIC AS IN A WALKING AREA. I WROTE TO HER, NOT MY PROPERTY, PARTNERS. DOES SHE HAVE TO DECLARE LETTEDISPUTE WHEN COMING TO SELL? CAN I PARK THERE/ANYONE IF THEY CANT GET THEIR HUGE MOTORHOME OFF DRIVE EASILY WITHOUT LEGALLY PARKED CARS BEING MOVED OR DO THEY HAVE NO RIGHTS? DO I GO TO COUNCIL/POLICE TO REPORT, DO THEY HAVE TO ADAPT THEIR DRIVE SO AS NOT TO WAKE PEOPLE UP TO MOVE THEIR CARS SO THEY CAN GET THEIR VEHICLE OFF THEIR MASSIVE GATED DEIVEWAY WHICH HAS SPACE TO EASILY ENSURE THEY CAN FREELY GET OFF THEIR DRIVE? TIA
Got some spare time and like context version 😀
We were awoken the other day by a neighbour (2 doors down, next 2 are BIG detached properties) at 8AM, who asked my partner rudely to move our car as their massive touring motor home couldn't get out of their gated driveway, as it is set up onto a thin street where cars have to park on the opposite side of the road.....always have always will, only place for legal on street parking. They do not own land opposite, the land they do own runs alongside and opposite their garage, which is adapted correctly would mean they could get out onto the road without having to even block the road. But....As the vehicle is 7-9M long I guess, and their gate posts are right on their property border and only just allow the vehicle to get through (one out of the gates, they are still on the pavement and then almost touching the other kerb, again narrow street and people always park opposite out of necessity) they have to edge out, block the road, so a 20 point turn and pray a queue doesn't ensue nor other people park up in the meantime. They asked once before and told me not to park opposite their house Friday night/Saturday mornings as that is when they use the motor home. As a new neighbour I was shocked at her air of superiority and bluntness, but obliged. A warning sign for what was to follow. Other people (funnily enough, less than an hour after the commotion, someone that doesn't live on the street parked in the space in front and left their vehicle, so I had been mindful anyway to park as far away from their drive as possible without making it difficult for the person behind me to get out, you know, common curtosy/sense! I was getting up for an appointment anyway, so seen as no urgency was applied, I got showered and dressed after taking my meds and limbering up, usual morning routine minus the coffee.
Whilst in the shower I hear her bitching to the neighbour next door loudly (doesn't like her as blocked her light when they changed a bungalow into a monstrosity of a 5 bed, completely out of character for the area, but that's another story!) then bangs on the door and is shouting for me to move it with immediate effect. (Context; no cars park on heour side of the road, rest is onstreet parking, work vehicles blocked our usual spot, we don't have a drive, parked opposite their driveway but not directly. They have huge gates and driveway, big enough for their 3 vehicles inc. their motorhome, then a waster space next to garage where there's a gate; this space could easily be adapted so they could exit their property without needing people's cars to be moved.)
I got out of the shower, threw clothes on and as I got to the door the vehicle had managed to get out, he beeped his horn and through the window saw him giving the house (couldn't see me) the finger. I still went out as heard her shouting about it, wanted to check my car wasn't damaged. She screamed at me about how he had an appointment to get to and was now late, next time they wouldn't wait and would hit my car, repeating this when I said that would be criminal damage with intent etc. Reminded her she hadn't said it was implied it needed moving there and then and also she had asked for us to be mindful before but only at the weekend (this was not the weekend).
Argument/shouting/waking neighbours, worst nightmare as hate airing laundry in public and don't like confillict nor being told what do you!
Went back to sort situation and she was walking her son to school, told her prior planning prevents PPP, manners go a long way and not to threaten again but she just talked over me. Told her it is public parking and if it was someone walking and was gone for the day (next to nice rural area) then what would they do, hit their car intentionally too? Was polite and asked the boy how he was, trying to disarm her as hate commotion.
Wrote to them asking for an apology for partner as she had clearly just woken up (works long hours, Friday WFH) and didn't deserve being awoken to a verbal assault. Nor did the neighbours deserve to be awoken by the 5 second Hymer Horn blast, which was needlessly aggressive. Told her my partner doesn't know how to drive my car, I have bad back and legs so wait for meds to kick in and needed to leave soon anyway, no appointment was mentioned and reminded her her driveway is the issue (to make it took as grand as possible and astheticly pleasing, not practical) and that the public have the right to park there so common decency would be to ask politely, preferably like everyone else does with big vehicles (neighbours opposite) days in advance. Expressed how I would be making police aware that she threatened to hit my car next time without asking me to move it therefore if future damage is found it would possibly be them out of spite....she seems that way out sadly as I did speak to other neighbours and they confirmed she is rude and self entitled. (what happened to just being nice!) Apologised for raising my voice and told her I don't hold grudges, but in the future would prefer respect and calm.
SO... Now aware there may be as issue for my partner..she was not responsible for the car, the letter....it is not my house, I am here quite a bit, not on mortgage. Would she have to declare it when coming to sell?
. What about the driveway, is it their responsibility or can they expect people to be happy to be awoken unexpectedly at whatever time they decide they need to move the vehicle?
.I have not yet gone to the police...should I? She/they seem vindictive, venom in her voice, didn't seem like an idle threat to hit vehicles next time, more money than sense and more cash than common decency.
.As they do not own the road and parking spots ( no white/yellow lines, everyone, including randoms park there, as is their right) but do own the driveway, is it their legal responsibility to be able to get out without causing nuisance/damage/hold ups etc for the public. Their gates are so small, even just wider gates could solve the issue I believe, but they could open up their drive to utilise the entirety of the land they own, so it would be no stress and wouldn't mean people have to move vehicles on their command.
A bit of a quandary. I've not heard back from them since, not a knock on the door nor note. Any advice as to sort this would be appreciated. I checked online for the big vehicle not being able to get out situation but couldn't see anything. Do I go to the council, police, let sleeping dogs (cows) lie? I don't want to cause partner more upset and in an ideal world they would realise they shouldn't have their set up as such that they can't get out without causing issues for others...but I don't think they're that way out unfortunately. Certainly don't want confrontation not my partner worrying about more conflict, nor do I ever want to be abruptly awoken then bitched about outside my own window! All the best.

I've been a photographer for years and I've always loved it and it's one of my favourite things to do.
I shot a wedding for the first time last week and I'm editing the pictures now and what I've really noticed is how quickly photos alive when you apply a certain look to them. I gave my pictures a nostalgic, film-esque look to them and I absolutely love the way they look. In my opinion, it really captures the emotion of the event and it's so heartwarming.
Without the edits, the photos are fine, pretty standard wedding celebration shots you know but once the edits are applied, they truly come alive and I cannot express how amazing it feels, both to see the couple and their family really enjoying themselves, but as a professional seeing my work slowly improve is gratifying. The edits really encapsulate the feeling of being at their wedding and how I hope they remember it, one of warmth, fun, happiness.
I'm really proud of the photos I've got and I just hope the couple and their family like them too. Honestly, editing the images has made me feel rather emotional because of how the photos really express that feeling

Coming to reddit to vent and get this off my chest since it's anonymous, my wife doesn't have reddit, and I truly have nobody I can talk to about this stuff irl. Sorry for the long post, and if you read to the end, thank you.
My wife and I have been together for 8 years and have a 2yo son. For reference, his birthday is in March. The December before his first birthday my wife confessed to me she was having doubts about our marriage and feared we had settled down too young. (I know some people will ask, so getting ahead of it stating no I had not and still not have ever cheated, I go to the gym and stay in shape so no I haven't gotten fat over the years, and I have always told her daily I love her unless I'm away somewhere with no method to reach her) She was suffering from post partum depression and it didn't help matters that my job at the time often had me working insane hours, some days from 4am to 8pm or later so I'd be at work before she'd wake up and coming home to eat a re-heated dinner, put our son to bed and go to sleep with the wife. We had lost all intimacy, only having sex about once or twice a month, if at all some months. Every time I'd try to initiate I'd be shot down until eventually I just stopped trying altogether because it felt like what was the point in trying when I already knew what the answer would be. We both work, we were both still enrolled in college courses at the time, I also serve in the Marine reserve causing me to be gone for some durations of time, and we rarely had a day off together that wasn't filled with visiting family or friends in need of assistance for various projects or whatnot. The day she told me she was having doubts, I messaged a family friend and asked if he'd watch our son that night so we could discuss our marriage. The conversation actually went well, we both expressed our feelings of loneliness, lack of intimacy, and established a plan to be able to give eachother more of our time to work on our marriage, then had a night of crazy fun sex.
We began having a sitter watch our son once a week so we could go on date nights, we began being more sexually active again, flirting with eachother, and overall just started dating eachother again while raising our child. I was beyond happy, I thought things were going great, I truly thought we had resolved our issues and I cannot remember a single other period of time in my life during which I truly so happy in life. I come from a really fucked up past and so things like security, comfort, and having someone who gives a shit were all new to me when I met her and I think it often affects my ability to accurately portray or communicate emotions because all my life prior to her it was a psychological defense mechanism to "man up, don't bitch about anything, and stay strong". I truly love her with every fiber of my being. I thought she was happy too, every time we would discuss where our headspaces were at, she always reaffirmed to me that things were better and she was happy. Most of our friend group is older than us, some being an entire generation or 2 ahead of us. I had turned to one of these friends, S, who had been married to his wife, T, longer than any of our other friends because I figured he would be a good source of personal experience and have advice.
We began hanging out with S and T more, nights at the bar, card game nights, etc all the stuff married couples do. Well my wife approached me one day and mentioned she wanted to open our relationship up to non-monogamy. I told her there are alot of things I'm willing to do, but that was a line I could not cross and still be able to look her in the eye with the same love. After a few more discussions she dropped it. I had a violent childhood and as a result learned early to subconsciously always be reading body language from people and while I may get extremely angry I always refrain from turning violent as I seek to break the cycle but there have been times i have lost control and turned violent (only with other men, and never as the instigator as i would rather defuse) and in those moments I tend to completely lose control of my rage and have seriously hurt guys in the past from a fight going too far. Well I began noticing body language changes between my wife and S whenever we all get together. One night after my wife had gone to bed, I got on her computer and checked her Facebook. My fears were confirmed, S had been using everything I said to him in confidence against me and was carrying on an affair with my wife. In their messages S had talked about other affairs he had that T didn't know about, and my wife had admitted to cheating on me early on in our relationship (approximately 2 months in) and had recently been having steamy conversations with some random guy on snapchat.
I was furious, I was beyond pissed. I recorded everything, saved copies for myself for court and then woke her up to confront her. This resulted in a yelling match that ultimately woke the baby and then she told me to fuck off and went to get the baby. I put my fist through both sides of a wall, grabbed her phone and my car keys. At first I drove to a nearby church parking lot and attempted to call my brother who's a few hours away because I knew if anyone could talk me down from what I knew I was about to do it was him. Unfortunately it was about 2am and my call didn't wake him. I chambered a round in the 9mm I keep in the car and drove to S's house. I was prepared. I was prepared to kick his door in, end his life regardless of the fact his wife and kids would be in the house also and then either turn the gun on myself or go out from suicide by cop.
I often question if there is a God, and if so if he truly cares for us humans but then there are times where I cannot explain things that happen. I have a picture of my son hanging from my rear view mirror amd as I was getting out of the car for some unknown reason that picture caught my eye. I drive that car all the time and often I'll make an entire drive without even glancing at that picture. In the state of mind I was in, there should have been nothing from stopping me from what I knew in my heart I was about to do. But God made me notice that photo and it was like a wave washed over me with a brief moment of clarity that I did not want my son growing up only knowing his father as a murderer. Instead I dragged S outside and made him get in the car before taking him on a drive for a conversation and to put true fear into him. Afterwards I drove him home, made him bring T outside and confess to her what had been going on. When he tried to lie or hide facts, I eventually handed T my wife's phone and let her read it all for herself.
When I went home, my wife was bawling and begging for forgiveness. I hated her for what she'd done but after a few days apart i felt I owed it to our son to try making things work and gave her another chance. Things started to get better and again started to feel joy with her once again. Then about a year ago, I was supposed to be going to California with my Marine unit but had to miss the event due to having Covid. My wife was staying at her mom's with our son while I was on quarantine. Something felt off about her behavior so again I checked her Facebook. This time I discovered she'd been sexting and made out with a guy from her work who's company was being subcontracted to do a bunch of IT work at her work. I again confronted her, this time via text. Additionally reached out to his wife who denied what I told her and blocked me. I also tried messaging him to get him to face me but he immediately blocked me so instead I downed a 5th of whiskey and filed a complaint with his boss that ultimately led to his termination after an internal investigation found that he was carrying on affairs with numerous married women on company time. I hardly spoke to my wife for 2 weeks after that and finally agreed to give her a final chance only on the condition that she agree to therapy.
The therapy has helped tremendously. The therapist has helped us tackle issues within our marriage and from both of our pasts. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my rant, I just needed to vent this. It's been roughly a year since the last incident and a year and a half from the first. My wife had made tremendous efforts to attempt rebuilding trust and be a better person, but I still find myself being suspicious alot of the time and having a hard time feeling true trust with her again even though I want to. I guess my question is this: will this doubt, anxiety, and feelings of self-fault ever fade away and disappear or am I doomed to feel this way forever? I honestly believe if we do divorce then I will likely stay single until I die as the whole ordeal has really made it hard to trust women altogether (didn't help I had buddies going through their own issues with spouse infedility at the same time and just furthered the "image" that women are the enemy who cannot be trusted). Despite everything, I still truly love her and I think that's the hardest thing about it all because if I can't learn to truly trust her again fully then is there even hope for us?

(Content warning: Horror)
The curator loved old things, not old evil. The two converged at Clayburn Offshore Treasury.
Museum jobs are hard to get, even with all the right degrees. Getting hired to run the Clayburn Offshore Treasury? That’s winning the museum employment lottery. It’s the Clayburn family’s very elite, very private museum. Anyone serious about preserving our past would be honored to be hired there.
I was over the moon. According to Clayburn – Mr Clayburn Jr, my new boss – I was the first new hire since he took over from his late father in 2006. Judging by his appearance, I guessed Clayburn was no more than 18 when his dad died. The previous curator died less than two weeks before I was hired. I’m ashamed to admit this but at the time, I blamed him for neglecting the building since Clayburn probably hadn’t learned much from his dad.
Clayburn had a few rules for me, not many. The big rule was, I had to summarize intentions and get his permission before going beyond the stuff on the list of daily routines left by the last curator.
My first priority was to modernize security. To me, that was more important than any daily routine. I felt it was critical, given the number of priceless artifacts and how simple it would have been for anyone to walk in and out with whatever they could carry. Plus, the Treasury is attached to what Clayburn calls “the main building”, a large brick house for him and the current museum curator.
The only other man-made objects on the small island were the boathouse and the massive shed for cut wood and three months of food and supplies for two, in case winter weather prevented the monthly deliveries by boat. There was nothing else on the island, I was sure of it. I’d walked every sandy inch of it to make sure I hadn’t missed a fence that needed mending or a sign or window that needed replacing. Once I got my thoughts in order, I texted my ‘outline of intent’ for security, stressing how this would help all buildings on the island. Clayburn approved it all. Cameras and locks took a couple of weeks to arrive, but installations all went smoothly.
The bigger challenge was environmental modification, to better preserve exhibits and the items held in storage. That upgrade was only for the Treasury proper. Of course, to provide proper environmental upgrades for the items, I needed a full list of everything in the Treasury’s care. Clayburn was quick to provide that to me after security was beefed up.
The list detailed the name of each item, current location, how and when it was obtained by the Treasury, and any special instructions. Several magnificent items stood out, a couple of which the outside world considered “lost to history”.
One of those caused me to gasp with joy: Aeyotin the Constant. The entry for him read:
On June 2, 1931, one Mr. Graviston Davis III entrusted Clayburn’s father, Jed Senior, with the legendary automaton Aeyotin the Constant. Mr. Clayburn Sr or his descendents or next of kin must be present before Aeyotin’s secure holding box is opened, and the box must never leave the Treasury property under any circumstances. Abandon rather than relocate.
Automatons aren’t widely known and that’s a shame. They’re like early androids, machines designed to look and act like humans. There are some like animals, of course, but the human ones interest me the most. The best are programmed to perform activities that appear to be random or in response to external stimuli rather than on a regular cycle.
I’d assisted with several vintage automatons before this job, and even got behind the scenes at the Smithsonian to see the Praying Monk up close. The Monk was wonderful, automatons in general are wonderful and I love them
I desperately wanted to examine Aeyotin. He’d been in the building for more than 90 years. Who knew what sort of deterioration had occurred since his arrival? I had to document his condition and take all necessary measures to restore him as far as possible.
I texted Clayburn to get permission to view Aeyotin.
Clayburn’s reply text was quick and unexpected. He told me to stand still until he was present and that he would be with me in less than 10 minutes.
Aeyotin was an automaton, not a mass murderer, and I was well trained in handling antiquities. Being asked to remain motionless seemed excessive, even insulting. Still, I’d just landed a great job and didn’t want to get fired so I stood there, motionless..
On arrival, Clayburn asked me to keep my phone handy and to stand at the doorway until he opened Aeyotin’s box.
“If anything goes wrong, call Ron Lundholm. If it goes really wrong, get the motorboat. Call Ron once you’re a mile out.”
Clayburn was clearly concerned. Fair enough, I thought, he hadn’t known me long enough to trust me thoroughly and he might not have a lot of faith in himself. I accepted I would have to prove my worth to Clayburn so I stood and watched him carefully open what looked like a metal broom closet.
He then backed up, bringing with him a smaller wooden container large enough to hold a child. He stopped arms length from me and laid the container gently on the floor. Without taking his eyes off it, he handed me a small ring of keys. “Never lose these.”“No sir, I won’t.”
“This container must never leave this property.” He unlatched the container as gently as I would expect when dealing with locks almost 100 years old. And with that, he pried open the top to reveal Aeyotin the Constant. Maybe it’s scientifically possible for air from an old wooden container to smell differently than the air around the container. I’m not sure how that small amount of air could instantly change the smell of the air in a three story building, but it did. Then again, if the air had smelled like wood and old oil, I doubt I’d have given it a second thought.Clayburn opened the container and I was overcome by the smell of old books, seaweed and formaldehyde, most unpleasant. Along with the odor came an odd feeling, oppressive, almost dread. A sense of something, for lack of a better term, unholy. It was so strong, I wanted to ask Clayburn about it. But before I could speak, he started reciting facts like he was a robot reading from a too-fast teleprompter.
“He’s three feet tall, made of delicately carved and painted wood with metal inner workings. He would walk, pause, close his eyes and raise his prayer beads. He prayed in a melodious voice. He raised his eyes to Heaven and resumed walking. For hours.”
He paused for a breath. “He was created no later than 1529.”I took a half step forward, thinking he was having a medical issue. If I got him to put the lid back, maybe I could convince him to go to the main building where our living quarters were. He could get a glass of water, and lie down. Again, before I could speak, he motioned me back by sweeping his arm towards me. “No closer!”
He resumed his too-fast recitation. “Some say he was created by the genius who later created the Praying Monk for Charles the Fifth.“
He paused again and I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. “Thank you, yes, there’s talk that Aeyotin became conscious, and–”
Clayburn looked at me, barely breathing. The hairs on my arms rose and my stomach tightened. Something was beyond not right.
“Sir, if you’d like, I can take over from here. I’ll be most careful.”Clayburn’s demeanor softened. “Yes! Yes, that pleases him. I’m going for lunch now.”
When I heard a door close, I figured it was Clayburn returning to the main part of the building. Only then did I feel safe enough to approach Aeyotin.
“Hello there,” I said, hoping to make the silence less creepy. By speaking to a creepy, child-sized, 500 year old wooden doll. No wonder my stomach tightened further. It was smarter than me that day.
It’s good practice and part of my work routine to wear gloves before touching artifacts. Out of habit I carry a few pairs with me all day, every day. As I put on a pair to examine Aeyotin, I noticed how badly my hands were shaking. That changed my course of action. I wouldn’t risk damaging Aeyotin by trying to pick him up. It would be enough to do a quick check of his physical condition then make sure the door was locked when I left. Everything else could wait until the next day.
Starting at his head, I pressed gently into the surrounding material to ensure there weren’t any wood or paint chips or any other signs of deterioration. Given the estimated age, I wasn’t surprised to feel something pliable behind him. It didn’t take long to see the object was paper, which I was able to remove by raising Aeyotin’s head ever so slightly.
I followed standard museum measures to retrieve and open the papers folded behind Aeyotin’s body. There was what looks like ancient paper, stuff that I would only open in a fully controlled environment. I felt it was safe to open the newer parchment and yes, the parchment seemed newer than the paper even though it was delicate and appeared to be over 50 years old.
The parchment started with a message written by Mr. Jed Clayburn Sr and his then attorney, Wilson Hughes Baine III. It was dated July 2, 1931 and it made me work some math before I could go any further.
I, Jed Clayburn, being of sound mind and body at age 57, do hereby make this declaration on July 2, 1931 in the presence of my attorney, Wilson Hughes Baine III, both of us from Flagmaker Country, (state name isn’t legible). Hereunder is true to the paper as humanly possible.
That means Mr. Clayburn Sr was born in 1874. He was 132 years old when he died in 2006. That’s significantly older than the oldest verified person, ever.
Under any other circumstances, I would have written this off as unreliable, verging on a hoax. Problem was, there was a birth certificate and a baptismal certificate included in the paperwork. Both of them were in very good condition, having been protected by several layers of cloth.
No death certificate, though. And no birth or baptismal certificate for Mr. Clayburn Jr. It could have been a well orchestrated hoax and I didn’t see how it could affect me at all so I moved on.
Then I read the rest of the document and wished I hadn’t.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who on Friday, November 4, 1530 was at the site of the St Felix Flood. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. The Flood on the day of Saturday, November 5, 1530, sent 100,000 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
Curators benefit from a strong artistic nature. My imagination has always been helpful. I’d never have described it as vivid prior to reading that paragraph. As I read it, I felt my blood grow colder as humidity increased and breezes unsettled my footing. There was no explanation for the wind but it got stronger and stronger until I had to grip the sides of the display table close to Aeyotin’s container to stay upright. The winds were fierce yet neither the parchment in my hand nor Aeyotin’s container moved. I took a deep breath to clear my head and choked, unable to breathe Seawater forced its way into my nose, throat and ears. Without thinking I released the parchment and staggered backwards, away from Aeyotin who remained desert dry.
Another wave hit me. Water pressed down on my head and into my eyes. Seaweed wrapped around my nose and throat. I scrabbled at it, pulled at it and it broke in my hand. I couldn’t breathe air anymore. My lungs felt heavy, filled with water.
I knew I was drowning.
My body bent backwards.
I couldn’t scream.
I exhaled.
Falling.
Dark.
I grabbed the sides of the display table and gasped. A piece of seaweed clung to my left hand.
But there was no water. There was no flood.
I wasn’t close to drowning but my mind thought I was.
That flood is recorded history. Aeyotin’s appearance is not part of the history as I learned it, and it’s rather creepy that he would be reported there shortly after he was allegedly built. To think people actually mistook the automaton’s programmed behavior for preaching was more than creepy. It was horrifying.
The parchment was lying on the table as if I’d only just set it there.
My heart rate slowed a bit as I tried to calm down. My muscles, however, remained tense and I couldn’t stop staring at the seaweed. Logically, I wanted to run. Yet I felt compelled to read the next event listed.
“I refuse to feel what they felt.” I stared at Aeyotin feeling both foolish and scared to bits. “I, I don’t need to. I understand the words.“
Aeyotin winked. Obviously that couldn’t have happened. I wrote it off as a trick of the mind, something I imagined to reassure myself about continuing my work.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who was at the village in England that aided Alexander Leighton in 1630. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. When the prayers were completed he instructed the adults therein to drown all of the children in the Cavernous Bog.
I took a short break to remember I was not going to feel what any of the victims felt. Other than terror, of course, something I was going to feel no matter what I did or didn’t read.
Back to the parchment.
He then instructed the adults therein to enter the Cavernous Bog praising the Lord lest their children’s souls remain in peril. This sent 103 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
A list of 103 victims, allegedly authorized by Charles II the King, was included.
Alexander Leighton, a Scottish Presbyterian who upset English royalty and was made to suffer for it. How could 103 people, many of whom were adults, confuse the automaton’s activities with a call to murder children before commiting mass suicide in a very terrible way? Who was traveling around with Aeyotin 100 years after his creation, and why? That gave me a new rush of cold fear down my spine.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who was at the village on the east coast of Acadia that failed to act on behalf of King George II, prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1730. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the false priest and the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. When the prayers were completed he instructed the adults therein to tie all of the children in the false cathedral.
Time to prepare for another horrible event. No good can come of adults tying children in a church, false cathedral or otherwise. After a few deep breaths, I went back to the parchment.
He then instructed the adults therein to remain in the false cathedral, praising the Lord lest their children’s souls remain in peril. Lastly he instructed the false priest to set fire to the cathedral from the inside while praising the Lord, lest any soul remain in peril. This action, sent 47 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
A list of 47 victims, including their ages showing most were children, was included. It, too, was allegedly authorized.
While this is the lowest number of murders on the page, it was the one that cut me to the core.
Who brought Aeyotin to North America in 1730 and allowed adults to burn children to death? How could the adults do it?
The ice in my spine put pressure on my heart. I felt emotionally broken and deeply afraid and it all related to Aeyotin. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was in the presence of evil.
Further to the words from the parchment, I assert and affirm, Mr. Graviston Davis III of Flagmaker Country entrusted me with Aeyotin the Constant one month ago. Prior to that date, Aeyotin the Constant had been held captive in the Davis family mausoleum since being discovered at the edge of the village limits in 1732 when new colonizers arrived, expecting to find a pre-existing village. They instead found the burnt-out remains and no survivors save the automaton who told Mr. Davis’ ancestor each of the three events outlined here.
I or my descendents or next of kin must be present before Aeyotin’s secure holding box is opened, and the box must never leave the Treasury property under any circumstances. Do not activate him. Do not engage in dialog. Block your ears if he should speak. Shield your eyes if he should beckon. Above all, abandon rather than relocate.
That was enough Aeyotin for one day. I took photos of the parchment and the other forms before folding the documents together and replacing them under Aeyotin’s head. As I laid his head back, one eye winked. It definitely winked this time, eyelid raised and lowered.
I have no memory of screaming.But someone in that room screamed.
The scream was loud enough to rouse Clayburn who rushed back from the main building. I was still bent over Aeyotin in his wooden container when Clayburn arrived.“Back up two steps,” he said. “Don’t stand up until then.” His tone was calm, too calm, as if he’d been through this before.
I did as directed.
Clayburn moved closer to the wooden container and stared at Aeyotin for a few seconds before speaking again. “What did he say?”
I shook my head slightly. “Nothing. But thanks for confirming Aeyotin can talk.”
Clayburn put the lid over Aeyotin but didn’t latch it. He turned, his face still flushed from running. His gaze went from me to Aeyotin and back to me. “Mostly gives orders.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a half step back, “I read that.”
Clayburn took a step towards me. I should have taken another step back, or possibly left the room. Instead, every muscle in my body tensed as I stared at his face.
Until the time he left me alone with Aeyotin, Clayburn had looked every inch a man in his mid-thirties.
He looked twice that age.
“It’s been the experience of a lifetime working here, sir.” I extended my hand. Clayburn stared at it without moving a muscle. He was still for so long, I looked at my hand to see what was wrong.
It wasn’t just my hand. All of my visible skin looked like well aged wood. I tried to scream but my jaw creaked open very slightly then snapped shut. My right hand grabbed and squeezed my throat, not enough to choke me but enough to prove I was not in control.
With my hand still on my throat, I said, “This is mine, anytime I want it.” It wasn’t my voice. Then my hand released my throat and smacked the lid off Aeyotin’s container.
I wanted to cry, to scream, to go back a few weeks in time and not apply for this job but it was too late. Unsure how to proceed, I looked at Clayburn. His expression was one of sympathy and sadness, like he was at a friend’s funeral.
My heart froze.
This is what evil feels like, and I am it.
“We shall meet again,” Clayburn said, turning to bend again towards the wooden container. “Take the motorboat and call Ron when you reach shore. He’ll tow it back for me.”
******
More at LG Writes, Odd Directions and Write_Right

The curator loved old things, not old evil. The two converged at Clayburn Offshore Treasury.
Museum jobs are hard to get, even with all the right degrees. Getting hired to run the Clayburn Offshore Treasury? That’s winning the museum employment lottery. It’s the Clayburn family’s very elite, very private museum. Anyone serious about preserving our past would be honored to be hired there.
I was over the moon. According to Clayburn – Mr Clayburn Jr, my new boss – I was the first new hire since he took over from his late father in 2006. Judging by his appearance, I guessed Clayburn was no more than 18 when his dad died. The previous curator died less than two weeks before I was hired. I’m ashamed to admit this but at the time, I blamed him for neglecting the building since Clayburn probably hadn’t learned much from his dad.
Clayburn had a few rules for me, not many. The big rule was, I had to summarize intentions and get his permission before going beyond the stuff on the list of daily routines left by the last curator.
My first priority was to modernize security. To me, that was more important than any daily routine. I felt it was critical, given the number of priceless artifacts and how simple it would have been for anyone to walk in and out with whatever they could carry. Plus, the Treasury is attached to what Clayburn calls “the main building”, a large brick house for him and the current museum curator.
The only other man-made objects on the small island were the boathouse and the massive shed for cut wood and three months of food and supplies for two, in case winter weather prevented the monthly deliveries by boat. There was nothing else on the island, I was sure of it. I’d walked every sandy inch of it to make sure I hadn’t missed a fence that needed mending or a sign or window that needed replacing. Once I got my thoughts in order, I texted my ‘outline of intent’ for security, stressing how this would help all buildings on the island. Clayburn approved it all. Cameras and locks took a couple of weeks to arrive, but installations all went smoothly.
The bigger challenge was environmental modification, to better preserve exhibits and the items held in storage. That upgrade was only for the Treasury proper. Of course, to provide proper environmental upgrades for the items, I needed a full list of everything in the Treasury’s care. Clayburn was quick to provide that to me after security was beefed up.
The list detailed the name of each item, current location, how and when it was obtained by the Treasury, and any special instructions. Several magnificent items stood out, a couple of which the outside world considered “lost to history”.
One of those caused me to gasp with joy: Aeyotin the Constant. The entry for him read:
On June 2, 1931, one Mr. Graviston Davis III entrusted Clayburn’s father, Jed Senior, with the legendary automaton Aeyotin the Constant. Mr. Clayburn Sr or his descendents or next of kin must be present before Aeyotin’s secure holding box is opened, and the box must never leave the Treasury property under any circumstances. Abandon rather than relocate.
Automatons aren’t widely known and that’s a shame. They’re like early androids, machines designed to look and act like humans. There are some like animals, of course, but the human ones interest me the most. The best are programmed to perform activities that appear to be random or in response to external stimuli rather than on a regular cycle.
I’d assisted with several vintage automatons before this job, and even got behind the scenes at the Smithsonian to see the Praying Monk up close. The Monk was wonderful, automatons in general are wonderful and I love them
I desperately wanted to examine Aeyotin. He’d been in the building for more than 90 years. Who knew what sort of deterioration had occurred since his arrival? I had to document his condition and take all necessary measures to restore him as far as possible.
I texted Clayburn to get permission to view Aeyotin.
Clayburn’s reply text was quick and unexpected. He told me to stand still until he was present and that he would be with me in less than 10 minutes.
Aeyotin was an automaton, not a mass murderer, and I was well trained in handling antiquities. Being asked to remain motionless seemed excessive, even insulting. Still, I’d just landed a great job and didn’t want to get fired so I stood there, motionless..
On arrival, Clayburn asked me to keep my phone handy and to stand at the doorway until he opened Aeyotin’s box.
“If anything goes wrong, call Ron Lundholm. If it goes really wrong, get the motorboat. Call Ron once you’re a mile out.”
Clayburn was clearly concerned. Fair enough, I thought, he hadn’t known me long enough to trust me thoroughly and he might not have a lot of faith in himself. I accepted I would have to prove my worth to Clayburn so I stood and watched him carefully open what looked like a metal broom closet.
He then backed up, bringing with him a smaller wooden container large enough to hold a child. He stopped arms length from me and laid the container gently on the floor. Without taking his eyes off it, he handed me a small ring of keys. “Never lose these.”“No sir, I won’t.”
“This container must never leave this property.” He unlatched the container as gently as I would expect when dealing with locks almost 100 years old. And with that, he pried open the top to reveal Aeyotin the Constant. Maybe it’s scientifically possible for air from an old wooden container to smell differently than the air around the container. I’m not sure how that small amount of air could instantly change the smell of the air in a three story building, but it did. Then again, if the air had smelled like wood and old oil, I doubt I’d have given it a second thought.Clayburn opened the container and I was overcome by the smell of old books, seaweed and formaldehyde, most unpleasant. Along with the odor came an odd feeling, oppressive, almost dread. A sense of something, for lack of a better term, unholy. It was so strong, I wanted to ask Clayburn about it. But before I could speak, he started reciting facts like he was a robot reading from a too-fast teleprompter.
“He’s three feet tall, made of delicately carved and painted wood with metal inner workings. He would walk, pause, close his eyes and raise his prayer beads. He prayed in a melodious voice. He raised his eyes to Heaven and resumed walking. For hours.”
He paused for a breath. “He was created no later than 1529.”I took a half step forward, thinking he was having a medical issue. If I got him to put the lid back, maybe I could convince him to go to the main building where our living quarters were. He could get a glass of water, and lie down. Again, before I could speak, he motioned me back by sweeping his arm towards me. “No closer!”
He resumed his too-fast recitation. “Some say he was created by the genius who later created the Praying Monk for Charles the Fifth.“
He paused again and I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. “Thank you, yes, there’s talk that Aeyotin became conscious, and–”
Clayburn looked at me, barely breathing. The hairs on my arms rose and my stomach tightened. Something was beyond not right.
“Sir, if you’d like, I can take over from here. I’ll be most careful.”Clayburn’s demeanor softened. “Yes! Yes, that pleases him. I’m going for lunch now.”
When I heard a door close, I figured it was Clayburn returning to the main part of the building. Only then did I feel safe enough to approach Aeyotin.
“Hello there,” I said, hoping to make the silence less creepy. By speaking to a creepy, child-sized, 500 year old wooden doll. No wonder my stomach tightened further. It was smarter than me that day.
It’s good practice and part of my work routine to wear gloves before touching artifacts. Out of habit I carry a few pairs with me all day, every day. As I put on a pair to examine Aeyotin, I noticed how badly my hands were shaking. That changed my course of action. I wouldn’t risk damaging Aeyotin by trying to pick him up. It would be enough to do a quick check of his physical condition then make sure the door was locked when I left. Everything else could wait until the next day.
Starting at his head, I pressed gently into the surrounding material to ensure there weren’t any wood or paint chips or any other signs of deterioration. Given the estimated age, I wasn’t surprised to feel something pliable behind him. It didn’t take long to see the object was paper, which I was able to remove by raising Aeyotin’s head ever so slightly.
I followed standard museum measures to retrieve and open the papers folded behind Aeyotin’s body. There was what looks like ancient paper, stuff that I would only open in a fully controlled environment. I felt it was safe to open the newer parchment and yes, the parchment seemed newer than the paper even though it was delicate and appeared to be over 50 years old.
The parchment started with a message written by Mr. Jed Clayburn Sr and his then attorney, Wilson Hughes Baine III. It was dated July 2, 1931 and it made me work some math before I could go any further.
I, Jed Clayburn, being of sound mind and body at age 57, do hereby make this declaration on July 2, 1931 in the presence of my attorney, Wilson Hughes Baine III, both of us from Flagmaker Country, (state name isn’t legible). Hereunder is true to the paper as humanly possible.
That means Mr. Clayburn Sr was born in 1874. He was 132 years old when he died in 2006. That’s significantly older than the oldest verified person, ever.
Under any other circumstances, I would have written this off as unreliable, verging on a hoax. Problem was, there was a birth certificate and a baptismal certificate included in the paperwork. Both of them were in very good condition, having been protected by several layers of cloth.
No death certificate, though. And no birth or baptismal certificate for Mr. Clayburn Jr. It could have been a well orchestrated hoax and I didn’t see how it could affect me at all so I moved on.
Then I read the rest of the document and wished I hadn’t.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who on Friday, November 4, 1530 was at the site of the St Felix Flood. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. The Flood on the day of Saturday, November 5, 1530, sent 100,000 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
Curators benefit from a strong artistic nature. My imagination has always been helpful. I’d never have described it as vivid prior to reading that paragraph. As I read it, I felt my blood grow colder as humidity increased and breezes unsettled my footing. There was no explanation for the wind but it got stronger and stronger until I had to grip the sides of the display table close to Aeyotin’s container to stay upright. The winds were fierce yet neither the parchment in my hand nor Aeyotin’s container moved. I took a deep breath to clear my head and choked, unable to breathe Seawater forced its way into my nose, throat and ears. Without thinking I released the parchment and staggered backwards, away from Aeyotin who remained desert dry.
Another wave hit me. Water pressed down on my head and into my eyes. Seaweed wrapped around my nose and throat. I scrabbled at it, pulled at it and it broke in my hand. I couldn’t breathe air anymore. My lungs felt heavy, filled with water.
I knew I was drowning.
My body bent backwards.
I couldn’t scream.
I exhaled.
Falling.
Dark.
I grabbed the sides of the display table and gasped. A piece of seaweed clung to my left hand.
But there was no water. There was no flood.
I wasn’t close to drowning but my mind thought I was.
That flood is recorded history. Aeyotin’s appearance is not part of the history as I learned it, and it’s rather creepy that he would be reported there shortly after he was allegedly built. To think people actually mistook the automaton’s programmed behavior for preaching was more than creepy. It was horrifying.
The parchment was lying on the table as if I’d only just set it there.
My heart rate slowed a bit as I tried to calm down. My muscles, however, remained tense and I couldn’t stop staring at the seaweed. Logically, I wanted to run. Yet I felt compelled to read the next event listed.
“I refuse to feel what they felt.” I stared at Aeyotin feeling both foolish and scared to bits. “I, I don’t need to. I understand the words.“
Aeyotin winked. Obviously that couldn’t have happened. I wrote it off as a trick of the mind, something I imagined to reassure myself about continuing my work.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who was at the village in England that aided Alexander Leighton in 1630. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. When the prayers were completed he instructed the adults therein to drown all of the children in the Cavernous Bog.
I took a short break to remember I was not going to feel what any of the victims felt. Other than terror, of course, something I was going to feel no matter what I did or didn’t read.
Back to the parchment.
He then instructed the adults therein to enter the Cavernous Bog praising the Lord lest their children’s souls remain in peril. This sent 103 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
A list of 103 victims, allegedly authorized by Charles II the King, was included.
Alexander Leighton, a Scottish Presbyterian who upset English royalty and was made to suffer for it. How could 103 people, many of whom were adults, confuse the automaton’s activities with a call to murder children before commiting mass suicide in a very terrible way? Who was traveling around with Aeyotin 100 years after his creation, and why? That gave me a new rush of cold fear down my spine.
This is Aeyotin the Constant who was at the village on the east coast of Acadia that failed to act on behalf of King George II, prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1730. Aeyotin the Constant instructed the false priest and the adults therein to pray to the Lord who created this planet lest they die and leave their souls in peril. When the prayers were completed he instructed the adults therein to tie all of the children in the false cathedral.
Time to prepare for another horrible event. No good can come of adults tying children in a church, false cathedral or otherwise. After a few deep breaths, I went back to the parchment.
He then instructed the adults therein to remain in the false cathedral, praising the Lord lest their children’s souls remain in peril. Lastly he instructed the false priest to set fire to the cathedral from the inside while praising the Lord, lest any soul remain in peril. This action, sent 47 souls to their well-deserved location be that Heaven, Hell or Neither.
A list of 47 victims, including their ages showing most were children, was included. It, too, was allegedly authorized.
While this is the lowest number of murders on the page, it was the one that cut me to the core.
Who brought Aeyotin to North America in 1730 and allowed adults to burn children to death? How could the adults do it?
The ice in my spine put pressure on my heart. I felt emotionally broken and deeply afraid and it all related to Aeyotin. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was in the presence of evil.
Further to the words from the parchment, I assert and affirm, Mr. Graviston Davis III of Flagmaker Country entrusted me with Aeyotin the Constant one month ago. Prior to that date, Aeyotin the Constant had been held captive in the Davis family mausoleum since being discovered at the edge of the village limits in 1732 when new colonizers arrived, expecting to find a pre-existing village. They instead found the burnt-out remains and no survivors save the automaton who told Mr. Davis’ ancestor each of the three events outlined here.
I or my descendents or next of kin must be present before Aeyotin’s secure holding box is opened, and the box must never leave the Treasury property under any circumstances. Do not activate him. Do not engage in dialog. Block your ears if he should speak. Shield your eyes if he should beckon. Above all, abandon rather than relocate.
That was enough Aeyotin for one day. I took photos of the parchment and the other forms before folding the documents together and replacing them under Aeyotin’s head. As I laid his head back, one eye winked. It definitely winked this time, eyelid raised and lowered.
I have no memory of screaming.But someone in that room screamed.
The scream was loud enough to rouse Clayburn who rushed back from the main building. I was still bent over Aeyotin in his wooden container when Clayburn arrived.“Back up two steps,” he said. “Don’t stand up until then.” His tone was calm, too calm, as if he’d been through this before.
I did as directed.
Clayburn moved closer to the wooden container and stared at Aeyotin for a few seconds before speaking again. “What did he say?”
I shook my head slightly. “Nothing. But thanks for confirming Aeyotin can talk.”
Clayburn put the lid over Aeyotin but didn’t latch it. He turned, his face still flushed from running. His gaze went from me to Aeyotin and back to me. “Mostly gives orders.”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a half step back, “I read that.”
Clayburn took a step towards me. I should have taken another step back, or possibly left the room. Instead, every muscle in my body tensed as I stared at his face.
Until the time he left me alone with Aeyotin, Clayburn had looked every inch a man in his mid-thirties.
He looked twice that age.
“It’s been the experience of a lifetime working here, sir.” I extended my hand. Clayburn stared at it without moving a muscle. He was still for so long, I looked at my hand to see what was wrong.
It wasn’t just my hand. All of my visible skin looked like well aged wood. I tried to scream but my jaw creaked open very slightly then snapped shut. My right hand grabbed and squeezed my throat, not enough to choke me but enough to prove I was not in control.
With my hand still on my throat, I said, “This is mine, anytime I want it.” It wasn’t my voice. Then my hand released my throat and smacked the lid off Aeyotin’s container.
I wanted to cry, to scream, to go back a few weeks in time and not apply for this job but it was too late. Unsure how to proceed, I looked at Clayburn. His expression was one of sympathy and sadness, like he was at a friend’s funeral.
My heart froze.
This is what evil feels like, and I am it.
“We shall meet again,” Clayburn said, turning to bend again towards the wooden container. “Take the motorboat and call Ron when you reach shore. He’ll tow it back for me.”
******
More at LG Writes, Odd Directions and Write_Right

My hatred for the new age started in Sedona, the capital for New Age bullshit. I was young and willing to venture.
I spent over a thousand dollars to have a trip to Sedona, after reading about the supposed spiritual vortex there capable of aligning your chakras and forcing spiritual wholeness onto whoever experienced the vortex.
Once I got there, i immediately started having deep spiritual intuitions that the New Age was hooey. I was staring at all of the Crystal's, testing each one for their energy and getting nothing. I took an aura photo, only to learn nothing. I had a dozen tarot readings that said shit any Jackass amateur therapist could have told me.
I called shenanigans on the whole place, went home and sighed. That's when I dove deep on what spirituality actually was.
Turns out I didn't need any crystal, vortex, rune, reading or chakra alignment.
What I NEEDED was exercise, yoga, healthy diet, hydration, meditation, education, contemplation, worldly experiences, enrichment, a degree of transcendence, healthy expression of sexuality and an emotional/spiritual/mental liberation.
Energetic realignment happened naturally after getting into shape and staying hydrated. Contentment with the universe happened afteduring meditation and yoga. Enlightenment happens after learning.
The Woo died.
Law of Attraction became the Law of Action, "do X, get Y".
Looking for spirit guides and readings, became reading guiding material.
Spiritual work slowly started to consist of A. Therapy B. Exercise, Diet and Yoga C. Healthy sexual interactions D. Transcendental Meditation E. Genuine self expression F. Real world experience
The pieces fell into place. You do enough real work, you'll see real results.
And that's where my hatred for the New Age gets it's fuel, I see people peddling bullshit solutions to real world problems.
The millions of dollars spent each year on new age bullshit have been absolutely wasted in terms of confronting the real issues at hand.
You have no energy, because you don't exercise, hydrate and eat right.
Your body is sore because it's muscles are weak and there has been a loss of mobility due to lack of stretching/yoga.
Your life is in disarray because you keep doing the same X and getting the same old Y.
Your emotional wellbeing remains the same, because there is no therapy being done to help address the root causes of emotional problems.
You don't feel at one with the universe, because you're not gaining the mental clarity via meditation/yoga/contemplation to perceive unity.
The real jist of all of this, is that no one can sell you spirituality and no one outside of yourself can do your spiritual work.
You're doing the spiritual thing every second of the day, unconsciously. The brain is eating up all of it's experiences and consciousness expands accordingly.
If you do the Hero's Journey, you always return with spiritual attainment.