East verde river fishing report
Michigan Fly Fishing
2015.02.25 19:30 weatherwar Michigan Fly Fishing
Whether you swing for steelhead in the Pere Marquette, cast dries for brookies on the Upper Manistee, or hunt for smallmouth on the Huron, /MichiganFlyFishing is the place to share. Post fishing reports, questions, pictures, or anything else related to fly fishing in Michigan.
2009.03.13 06:23 bris /r/brisbane
All things Brisbane, Australia!
2013.10.19 04:23 ps4601 Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Welcome to the Official subreddit for BHA - Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the voice for our public lands, waters, and wildlife.
2023.05.30 00:52 AdAshamed2445 Fly fishing the Eleven Point River in MO in July, what flies should I use?
As the title says what are your recommendations for fly fishing. I currently have a 5 wt but am looking into getting a second rod & reel. I plan on fishing for trout pan fish and bass and anything else that’ll bite lol. We’ll be doing 3 days on the river going through the trophy zone so any of your recommendations for trout + rod and reels is appreciated
submitted by AdAshamed2445 to flyfishing [link] [comments]
2023.05.30 00:46 derwolfgaming88 The Trials of Solaria - Shadow Over Sunspire (Homebrew campaign) Pathfinder 1e [20$ Per Session] Description in comments! [Saturdays at 2:00PM EST][Players Guide In Description]
Link To Adventure: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cli8bqvav000g08kv75kaewf4
Check out the player's guide here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISX-QRYRijTGHEit59fu8Gywby5YhBYm/view
About the adventure:
Solaria is a young kingdom but one that grew rapidly over the course of a decade. In the area previously known as the Stolen Lands a band of adventurers fought for, forged and helped build the most powerful kingdom in the River Kingdoms.
King Frederick, a gun wielding man with a heart of gold accepted the crown and led his friends and the eventual council in defending the kingdom from monsters, invading armies, and all manner of would-be destruction. During their last trial to defend the kingdom the king and his most trusted council headed West past the annexed Pitax and into the Thousand Voice Forest to stop the Fey incursion from the first world that was threatening to destroy the entire kingdom
This time however after the fey gates were closed and the threat ended the king and his company did not return as they had countless times before. Instead over the course of two months strange blue lanterns began to appear on the buildings in the capital, Sunspire. Rumors about what these lanterns meant began to circle around, some said it was the king and council trying to communicate with the people, others said it was perhaps the fey, and still some others said it was the same group who had committed all those murders years prior. The answers to who the lanterns belonged to came exactly three months to the day of the King and council's disappearance.
On that day the blue lanterns began to glow as portals opened and from them marched hundreds of masked men and women. They stormed the palace quickly overpowering its garrison and killed and captured many. Rumors about the children of the king and his council managing to escape abound but no one is certain of their fates.
The leader of these masked men and women was none other than the wizard known as Godfrey, former ally to the king, who was banished during the Kingdom's sixth year. He now claims the throne and proclaims he is on the path to replace the god Nethys as the true god of magic and of Humanity.
In the month following the attack the palace was rebuilt and the Solarian guard replaced with the masked men and women who call themselves the Apostles of the Arcanum.
You are a citizen of Solaria; Perhaps you are a recent arrival from Brevoy or one of the River Kingdoms or you might be an immigrant from one of the annexed lands to the east or west, or maybe you've been here since the first brick was set in the construction of the capital. Regardless of when you came to these lands you consider Solaria your home and now must make a choice on how you will continue to help it prosper. Will you support the wizard Godfrey and his apostles, or does your allegiance sill belong to Frederick and his council? Many of your friends and family are starting to pick a side, what side will you choose and what future do you envision for the Kingdom you call home?
If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me on discord! DerWolf#0001
submitted by derwolfgaming88 to roll20LFG [link] [comments]
Check out the player's guide here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISX-QRYRijTGHEit59fu8Gywby5YhBYm/view
About the adventure:
Solaria is a young kingdom but one that grew rapidly over the course of a decade. In the area previously known as the Stolen Lands a band of adventurers fought for, forged and helped build the most powerful kingdom in the River Kingdoms.
King Frederick, a gun wielding man with a heart of gold accepted the crown and led his friends and the eventual council in defending the kingdom from monsters, invading armies, and all manner of would-be destruction. During their last trial to defend the kingdom the king and his most trusted council headed West past the annexed Pitax and into the Thousand Voice Forest to stop the Fey incursion from the first world that was threatening to destroy the entire kingdom
This time however after the fey gates were closed and the threat ended the king and his company did not return as they had countless times before. Instead over the course of two months strange blue lanterns began to appear on the buildings in the capital, Sunspire. Rumors about what these lanterns meant began to circle around, some said it was the king and council trying to communicate with the people, others said it was perhaps the fey, and still some others said it was the same group who had committed all those murders years prior. The answers to who the lanterns belonged to came exactly three months to the day of the King and council's disappearance.
On that day the blue lanterns began to glow as portals opened and from them marched hundreds of masked men and women. They stormed the palace quickly overpowering its garrison and killed and captured many. Rumors about the children of the king and his council managing to escape abound but no one is certain of their fates.
The leader of these masked men and women was none other than the wizard known as Godfrey, former ally to the king, who was banished during the Kingdom's sixth year. He now claims the throne and proclaims he is on the path to replace the god Nethys as the true god of magic and of Humanity.
In the month following the attack the palace was rebuilt and the Solarian guard replaced with the masked men and women who call themselves the Apostles of the Arcanum.
You are a citizen of Solaria; Perhaps you are a recent arrival from Brevoy or one of the River Kingdoms or you might be an immigrant from one of the annexed lands to the east or west, or maybe you've been here since the first brick was set in the construction of the capital. Regardless of when you came to these lands you consider Solaria your home and now must make a choice on how you will continue to help it prosper. Will you support the wizard Godfrey and his apostles, or does your allegiance sill belong to Frederick and his council? Many of your friends and family are starting to pick a side, what side will you choose and what future do you envision for the Kingdom you call home?
If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me on discord! DerWolf#0001
2023.05.30 00:45 elm3s ITAP of a gull fishing in the river
 | submitted by elm3s to itookapicture [link] [comments] |
2023.05.30 00:45 evanescentbean A Polish case that might interest you: The Skin Suite Sase of Cracow (the murder of Katarzyna Zowada)
I have not seen this case on this sub or really any English-speaking forum and it's a very interesting and macabre story.
It's the beginning of the year 1999, south of Poland. A towboat on the Vistula River stops because something got caught in the propeller. When the crew investigates the incident, they discover that what got caught was a large piece of skin.
While it was initially thought the body got destroyed in the accident, after closer examination it was clear that the skin was purposefully removed from the body and prepared in a way to form a bodysuit, that the murderer had probably worn.
The DNA test - one of the first ever in Poland - discovered it was the body of Katarzyna Zawada, a 23-year-old university student that was reported missing a few months before. The police found biological material not belonging to the victim on the skin but to the lack of further clues, the investigation was dismissed by the prosecutor's office. However, it was forwarded to a special police group called Archive X which specializes in solving cold cases.
(In the meantime, near Cracow a Russian student has killed his father and turned his skin into a hat/mask to act as his father in front of his old grandfather. The cases were deemed to not be connected).
For the whole 12 years, the country has lived the story. Every few years it has been covered in the media again and the pressure to solve it was not decreasing. In 2012, new vegetation remains and organic fibers were found on the skin. The remains were exhumated and the biologists were able to narrow down the murder place to a few specific locations. Sadly, the scientists also discovered that Katarzyna was tortured before death.
In 2014 the FBI got involved in the case and they profiled the murderer to be a "harmless weirdo". Other specialists claimed the murderer was inspired by the Silence of the Lambs and that the murder was of sexual nature and fetishistic.
In 2017, finally, an arrest occurred.
Robert J., a 52-year-old man described by neighbors as "weird". He was known to mistreat animals, harass women, knew the victim personally, and had experience with skinning animals and working in a dissecting room. Psychologists claimed he was a sadist and had tendencies to torment women. After the murder, he went through a religious discovery and visited the victim's grave. Luckily for the police, he had described the murder in his diary.
In 2022 he was sentenced to life in prison. The hearings and reasoning behind the sentence were not disclosed. The ruling is not final and the defense announced future appeals.
submitted by evanescentbean to TrueCrime [link] [comments]
It's the beginning of the year 1999, south of Poland. A towboat on the Vistula River stops because something got caught in the propeller. When the crew investigates the incident, they discover that what got caught was a large piece of skin.
While it was initially thought the body got destroyed in the accident, after closer examination it was clear that the skin was purposefully removed from the body and prepared in a way to form a bodysuit, that the murderer had probably worn.
The DNA test - one of the first ever in Poland - discovered it was the body of Katarzyna Zawada, a 23-year-old university student that was reported missing a few months before. The police found biological material not belonging to the victim on the skin but to the lack of further clues, the investigation was dismissed by the prosecutor's office. However, it was forwarded to a special police group called Archive X which specializes in solving cold cases.
(In the meantime, near Cracow a Russian student has killed his father and turned his skin into a hat/mask to act as his father in front of his old grandfather. The cases were deemed to not be connected).
For the whole 12 years, the country has lived the story. Every few years it has been covered in the media again and the pressure to solve it was not decreasing. In 2012, new vegetation remains and organic fibers were found on the skin. The remains were exhumated and the biologists were able to narrow down the murder place to a few specific locations. Sadly, the scientists also discovered that Katarzyna was tortured before death.
In 2014 the FBI got involved in the case and they profiled the murderer to be a "harmless weirdo". Other specialists claimed the murderer was inspired by the Silence of the Lambs and that the murder was of sexual nature and fetishistic.
In 2017, finally, an arrest occurred.
Robert J., a 52-year-old man described by neighbors as "weird". He was known to mistreat animals, harass women, knew the victim personally, and had experience with skinning animals and working in a dissecting room. Psychologists claimed he was a sadist and had tendencies to torment women. After the murder, he went through a religious discovery and visited the victim's grave. Luckily for the police, he had described the murder in his diary.
In 2022 he was sentenced to life in prison. The hearings and reasoning behind the sentence were not disclosed. The ruling is not final and the defense announced future appeals.
2023.05.30 00:44 derwolfgaming88 The Trials of Solaria - Shadow Over Sunspire (Homebrew campaign) Pathfinder 1e [20$ Per Session] Description in comments! [Saturdays at 2:00PM EST][Players Guide In Description]
Link To Adventure: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cli8bqvav000g08kv75kaewf4
Check out the player's guide here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISX-QRYRijTGHEit59fu8Gywby5YhBYm/view
About the adventure:
Solaria is a young kingdom but one that grew rapidly over the course of a decade. In the area previously known as the Stolen Lands a band of adventurers fought for, forged and helped build the most powerful kingdom in the River Kingdoms.
King Frederick, a gun wielding man with a heart of gold accepted the crown and led his friends and the eventual council in defending the kingdom from monsters, invading armies, and all manner of would-be destruction. During their last trial to defend the kingdom the king and his most trusted council headed West past the annexed Pitax and into the Thousand Voice Forest to stop the Fey incursion from the first world that was threatening to destroy the entire kingdom
This time however after the fey gates were closed and the threat ended the king and his company did not return as they had countless times before. Instead over the course of two months strange blue lanterns began to appear on the buildings in the capital, Sunspire. Rumors about what these lanterns meant began to circle around, some said it was the king and council trying to communicate with the people, others said it was perhaps the fey, and still some others said it was the same group who had committed all those murders years prior. The answers to who the lanterns belonged to came exactly three months to the day of the King and council's disappearance.
On that day the blue lanterns began to glow as portals opened and from them marched hundreds of masked men and women. They stormed the palace quickly overpowering its garrison and killed and captured many. Rumors about the children of the king and his council managing to escape abound but no one is certain of their fates.
The leader of these masked men and women was none other than the wizard known as Godfrey, former ally to the king, who was banished during the Kingdom's sixth year. He now claims the throne and proclaims he is on the path to replace the god Nethys as the true god of magic and of Humanity.
In the month following the attack the palace was rebuilt and the Solarian guard replaced with the masked men and women who call themselves the Apostles of the Arcanum.
You are a citizen of Solaria; Perhaps you are a recent arrival from Brevoy or one of the River Kingdoms or you might be an immigrant from one of the annexed lands to the east or west, or maybe you've been here since the first brick was set in the construction of the capital. Regardless of when you came to these lands you consider Solaria your home and now must make a choice on how you will continue to help it prosper. Will you support the wizard Godfrey and his apostles, or does your allegiance sill belong to Frederick and his council? Many of your friends and family are starting to pick a side, what side will you choose and what future do you envision for the Kingdom you call home?
If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me on discord! DerWolf#0001
submitted by derwolfgaming88 to lfgpremium [link] [comments]
Check out the player's guide here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISX-QRYRijTGHEit59fu8Gywby5YhBYm/view
About the adventure:
Solaria is a young kingdom but one that grew rapidly over the course of a decade. In the area previously known as the Stolen Lands a band of adventurers fought for, forged and helped build the most powerful kingdom in the River Kingdoms.
King Frederick, a gun wielding man with a heart of gold accepted the crown and led his friends and the eventual council in defending the kingdom from monsters, invading armies, and all manner of would-be destruction. During their last trial to defend the kingdom the king and his most trusted council headed West past the annexed Pitax and into the Thousand Voice Forest to stop the Fey incursion from the first world that was threatening to destroy the entire kingdom
This time however after the fey gates were closed and the threat ended the king and his company did not return as they had countless times before. Instead over the course of two months strange blue lanterns began to appear on the buildings in the capital, Sunspire. Rumors about what these lanterns meant began to circle around, some said it was the king and council trying to communicate with the people, others said it was perhaps the fey, and still some others said it was the same group who had committed all those murders years prior. The answers to who the lanterns belonged to came exactly three months to the day of the King and council's disappearance.
On that day the blue lanterns began to glow as portals opened and from them marched hundreds of masked men and women. They stormed the palace quickly overpowering its garrison and killed and captured many. Rumors about the children of the king and his council managing to escape abound but no one is certain of their fates.
The leader of these masked men and women was none other than the wizard known as Godfrey, former ally to the king, who was banished during the Kingdom's sixth year. He now claims the throne and proclaims he is on the path to replace the god Nethys as the true god of magic and of Humanity.
In the month following the attack the palace was rebuilt and the Solarian guard replaced with the masked men and women who call themselves the Apostles of the Arcanum.
You are a citizen of Solaria; Perhaps you are a recent arrival from Brevoy or one of the River Kingdoms or you might be an immigrant from one of the annexed lands to the east or west, or maybe you've been here since the first brick was set in the construction of the capital. Regardless of when you came to these lands you consider Solaria your home and now must make a choice on how you will continue to help it prosper. Will you support the wizard Godfrey and his apostles, or does your allegiance sill belong to Frederick and his council? Many of your friends and family are starting to pick a side, what side will you choose and what future do you envision for the Kingdom you call home?
If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me on discord! DerWolf#0001
2023.05.30 00:42 RLsNoble Uneasy Times at Willow Wood
Willow Wood
11th moon, 200 ACThe flow of people did not cease. Since the invasion of the Riverlands, the smallfolk of Pinkmakden and other keeps close to the Westerlands were forced east in order to escape the increasing wrath of Lannister forces. At first they were a few couple - families here and there carrying what possessions they had on their backs, or should they be lucky enough, on the backs of donkeys and the like. However that little trickle had long ago transformed into a cascade - a cascade of people that were increasingly frightened and horrified.
"Everything! They destroyed everything…" one of the smallfolk gathered at the walls of Willow Wood would proclaim to any willing to listen. Another would quickly follow him up - in turn this woman brought her tale. "Raiders came forth to my village as well - any who did not escape…gods…they killed everyone who stayed behind."
"Everything is gone. The houses. The people. Even the little critters. All of it. All of it…"
These words were present with Lady Shireen Ryger as she stared out from the battlements at the growing field of tents around the walls of Willow Wood. The keep itself was formidable - built into the hill, the battlements worked together with the earth to form a hard climb to any army wishing to take the walls. Unfortunately for Shireen - all the men she had were sent off to march, left with refugees; old men, women, children and the sickly. Hardly an army capable of repulsing the Lannisters.
The Ironborn…what of them…
The woman felt drained and exhausted - the past few days filled with worry had drained her energies. On one hand, she held the Lannister's letter - one which demanded their neutrality or submission to the lion. Then there was the worry of the Ironborn - who were eerily silent.
Willow Wood has been changed to repulse the Ironborn…but to repulse Lannister men!? Would it be wiser to simply accept the conditions of the letter…
Stupid honor…
Still, there was honor to consider. Shireen would also lie to herself if she didn't admit that she was a woman with a weak heart. She had a duty to her family to remain in place while the lot of them went off to fight - but she was left with only the most vulnerable of the masses. What did they expect her to do!?
Time and time again she'd considered simply accepting the conditions of the parchment - of sending for her family's armies to return home. Of informing Joss - likely to be met with furious anger. In the end though, her weak heart held.
Shireen did not respond to the message from the Lannister. Willow Wood would fall silent.
The woman could only hope that her choice was the right one.
The masses didn't stop coming - throughout the entire morning alone, hundreds would come from the Whispering Wood - having crossed over through the river or fleeing from that place itself. Their faces were drained and exhausted - eyes baggy, stomachs rumbling and a few even had marks from the smoke and smog after fleeing burning villages.
They've come for refuge. I can only hope that this refuge will last…
Yet the sight of them didn't make her just uneasy. It made her angry. Who were these Lannisters to come and pillage everything they'd worked for!? Nothing but monsters. Monsters.
Monsters which needed to be destroyed.
If only I had the men, I'd ride across the Whispering Wood and give them a piece of their own medicine! Bastards!
We did nothing to them! Nothing!
The woman would eventually turn away from the battlements - vanishing back into the keep. Still, with trembling hands, she kept the Lannister letter in her firm hold. A reminder of the enemy. A reminder of the bastards who had turned the world upside down. She could only pray the gods were good…and that they'd get their punishment.
Preferably with fire. One day they'll get the same treatment they've dealt us…
Still, the pit in her stomach continued to twist - she wasn't a strong woman. She, like the people huddled against and within the keep, was a woman filled with fear that given enough pressure - would also crack in the end. But for today they'd endure the fear - and pray for a better tomorrow.
2023.05.30 00:24 WOLFiLEE LOL! Correction, I didn't realize I said FACES.... Women projects her own... different "F" word... at the police. 😬
Grants Pass people are so classy sometimes.
submitted by WOLFiLEE to grantspass [link] [comments]
2023.05.30 00:16 ViridianFairy Long River/Store Dream
This was actually pretty mellow for one of my dreams since I have frequent nightmares. I was napping mid day when it happened.
I got a job at a general store near a river. It mostly sold unique drinks and snacks. I had only been working there for about a week, but I enjoyed it. One day the owner (an old man) comes up to me. He mentions that the place isn’t making enough sales. He said he was likely going to shut it down and to start looking for a new job. This was distressing to me, because I was broke and liked the new job I had. Once my shift was over I went down to the river, and for some reason I wished to save the store. Suddenly there was a flash and I was in the same spot, but different. Some things around were missing or not there before. I went to the store, and the whole strip of stores were different now.
The store I had been working at was now a diner. For some reason, the diner was in a house rather than a business building. I saw people I don’t know as well as my mother, working to serve a few tables. For some reason I went into the garage to discover it was converted into a kitchen. My mother didn’t recognize me, and everything looked retro, like I’d gone into the past. I got asked why I walked into the kitchen, and in a panic, claimed I thought it was an office, and that I was looking for a job. The women in the kitchen looked sad before responding, then told me the diner would shut down soon. They said their most popular dish was one with a local fish that was hard to catch. I was told if I could catch any to sell they would pay me well and be very grateful.
Not knowing what else to do now that I was suddenly in the past, I went to the river. I tried to wish to go home and I heard the river say “You can’t go home until you save the store”. At this point I figured yeah that river is probably evil and this is dumb. Still I asked to join some people on a large boat to fish. They accepted and even had fishing supplies they’d allow me to use. We went down the river for a long time as I tried to catch some fish. I could see the fish following us, but every time I tried to catch one they’d eat the bait, hook and all. A few kids aboard the boat told me if I wanted to catch that type of fish I was doing it wrong. They told me I had to go into the water and use my arm as bait. I didn’t want to do that. Soon though the boat began to sink. I tried to escape but got sucked down with the boat. I passed out and when I came to the kids from the boat were telling me we had to catch a train.
The rest of the dream I was trying to catch up to the kids as they rushed to a rural train stop in the woods near the river. I never caught up and saw them get on the train without me. No clue where the train was for but it left and I was left lost in the woods. Then I woke up.
submitted by ViridianFairy to Dreams [link] [comments]
I got a job at a general store near a river. It mostly sold unique drinks and snacks. I had only been working there for about a week, but I enjoyed it. One day the owner (an old man) comes up to me. He mentions that the place isn’t making enough sales. He said he was likely going to shut it down and to start looking for a new job. This was distressing to me, because I was broke and liked the new job I had. Once my shift was over I went down to the river, and for some reason I wished to save the store. Suddenly there was a flash and I was in the same spot, but different. Some things around were missing or not there before. I went to the store, and the whole strip of stores were different now.
The store I had been working at was now a diner. For some reason, the diner was in a house rather than a business building. I saw people I don’t know as well as my mother, working to serve a few tables. For some reason I went into the garage to discover it was converted into a kitchen. My mother didn’t recognize me, and everything looked retro, like I’d gone into the past. I got asked why I walked into the kitchen, and in a panic, claimed I thought it was an office, and that I was looking for a job. The women in the kitchen looked sad before responding, then told me the diner would shut down soon. They said their most popular dish was one with a local fish that was hard to catch. I was told if I could catch any to sell they would pay me well and be very grateful.
Not knowing what else to do now that I was suddenly in the past, I went to the river. I tried to wish to go home and I heard the river say “You can’t go home until you save the store”. At this point I figured yeah that river is probably evil and this is dumb. Still I asked to join some people on a large boat to fish. They accepted and even had fishing supplies they’d allow me to use. We went down the river for a long time as I tried to catch some fish. I could see the fish following us, but every time I tried to catch one they’d eat the bait, hook and all. A few kids aboard the boat told me if I wanted to catch that type of fish I was doing it wrong. They told me I had to go into the water and use my arm as bait. I didn’t want to do that. Soon though the boat began to sink. I tried to escape but got sucked down with the boat. I passed out and when I came to the kids from the boat were telling me we had to catch a train.
The rest of the dream I was trying to catch up to the kids as they rushed to a rural train stop in the woods near the river. I never caught up and saw them get on the train without me. No clue where the train was for but it left and I was left lost in the woods. Then I woke up.
2023.05.30 00:07 ActualEmu1251 First time camping/fishing with a newborn was a success!
Has anyone else been crazy enough to tent camp with a newborn?
My husband and I just got back from camping and fishing with our 7 week old boy and it was so much better than I thought it would be! Sitting by the river all day fishing and whipping my boobs out whenever he was hungry was so relaxing.
submitted by ActualEmu1251 to beyondthebump [link] [comments]
My husband and I just got back from camping and fishing with our 7 week old boy and it was so much better than I thought it would be! Sitting by the river all day fishing and whipping my boobs out whenever he was hungry was so relaxing.
2023.05.30 00:07 Ill_Razzmatazz_8653 Deer by @caue.gottardi. Done at East River Tattoo in Brooklyn, NYC
 | The idea came from a video seen on the instagram page nature is metal 🥵 submitted by Ill_Razzmatazz_8653 to tattoo [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 23:55 SabbyOfSableWine An alien + human adventure with such shenanigans as poison drinking, befriending dangerous wildlife, and fighting a space pirate. Oh, and they have a huge crush on each other.
I've been having so much fun with this little story. Here's part one if you'd like to read it in its entirety! But to summarize:
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick were sent on a survey mission together. Things went south, Aldrick made sure they were safe, and then Vr'ocria learned what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decided she would protect Aldrick while he slept. And she also developed a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Vr’ocria ran the engine diagnostic again, and again it came back inconclusive. She slammed her fist on the dusty controls. “Blasted thing.” Of course she got stuck with the rusty, crusty old shuttle pod that no one else wanted. Why did these things always happen to her? She just wanted to do her job!
Not for the first time, she wished she had Human Aldrick for company.
It had been two moon cycles since Vr’ocria had last seen Aldrick. They’d only served on the one away mission together, and once they returned to the ship, they’d been sent their separate ways. They worked in separate departments, after all.
But that didn’t stop her from missing him. She’d only spent a few solar cycles with him, but somehow was already totally enamored by the human–the human who was supposed to be a terrifying, dangerous, nearly indestructible monster.
Vr'ocria had met a handful of humans during her service, and they were all polite enough. But Aldrick was the first human she'd ever spent any extended alone time with. It was on that away mission that Vr’ocria learned what “sleep” was: The human form of rest in which the human becomes completely unconscious, and thus, totally defenseless. Something about learning humans were even able of being defenseless at all, much less in such a complete way, had changed her entire perspective on them. She’d grown up always being told to fear the humans, the wild, indestructible humans.
She had been nervous enough to quake in her scales, but he was nothing but kind to her. And when she saw him sleep for the first time–planets, what a blasted cutie. During their few cycles together, she always stood by him when he slept and she went into stasis. Her people were still slightly aware of their surroundings while in stasis, so she would be able to protect him if there was danger.
She couldn’t help but worry about him ever since they separated. Who was going to keep watch while he slept? What if something happened, what if there was an ambush or a ship malfunction and he couldn’t wake up fast enough? She wanted to be there for him…
Vr’ocria cringed at the memory of when she asked her nestmate, Galek, about human mating rituals.
“You want to mate him? Are you insane?”
"No! I mean–well…" Vr'ocria reminded herself to keep her voice down; Aldrick was still sleeping in the next room. "I…Galek, listen–"
"He's a human!" Even through the communicator, she could hear his scales snap. "He's dangerous!"
"He's nice! When the away mission went wrong he made sure we were safe and–" her voice caught when she remembered the way Aldrick strolled fearlessly through a thunderstorm, one warm hand gripping her wrist, unflinching at every thunderclap and lightning strike in the sky that rattled her to her core, as he led them to a cave for shelter.
Galek sighed. "Vr'ocria, let it go. We are not compatible with humans, they do things differently anyway. They don't mate."
Vr'ocria stilled. "They don't?"
"No. Well, kind of? Ugh, why am I even telling you this…"
"Because I'm your favorite nestmate," Vr'ocria grinned.
"Shut up." There was no bite to his words. "Anyway, what I mean is that humans usually court each other first, and then mate. I think they call it 'marriage.' But that's all I know."
She hummed in thought. "This is good to know."
"Vr'ocria, I mean it." Galek was back in protective-nestmate-mode. "Drop it, it's a terrible idea. Humans are…it's just a bad idea, okay?"
"I'm not gonna do anything," she mumbled.
And what if he doesn't even like me anyway?
Her scales faded to a faint red and her shoulders slumped at the thought. Back in the present, she absent-mindedly flicked through the controls on the cracked panel in front of her. Maybe Galek was right, and she should just stay away from Aldrick altogether.
“Agent Vr’ocria, report.”
Vr’ocria jumped at the tinny voice that suddenly filled the cabin. She pressed the comm button. “Commander, this pod is–” she stopped herself from using a few choice words– “in a state of engine malfunction. I can’t even diagnose a problem. I’m not going anywhere in this thing.”
”Stand by.”
Vr’ocria drummed her fingers on the consol.
”Agent Vr’ocria, you’ve been reassigned to shuttle pod Delta. You will join a crewmate there.”
That’s right, Delta was a two-person pod. She groaned inwardly at the prospect of working with someone else in such a cramped space.
Vr’ocria tried not to drag her feet as she approached the Delta pod. The loading door was already open, and she climbed inside. “Hello? I’ve been re–”
“Vr’ocria!”
She turned towards the cockpit, and her scales flashed to purple in record time. “Aldrick?”
The human was beaming as he maneuvered through the tight space to approach her. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, silently urging her scales to go back to green. “Aren’t you in engineering?”
He shrugged, suddenly looking everywhere except her face. “I uh..I asked to be transferred to the survey department.”
“Why?”
His cheeks turned pink. They seemed to do that a lot. Vr’ocria really needed to ask the ship’s doctor if that was normal for humans or if he was getting sick. “Engineering just wasn’t doing it for me, y’know? Needed a change of pace. I volunteered for that one survey mission and it turns out I liked it, so why not try it full time?" He turned back towards the cockpit. “We should get going! I think this mission is gonna be more fun than the last one. The planet we've been assigned has a more stable atmosphere, so fewer storms."
So she and Aldrick would be working together, alone, again. Vr'ocria swallowed hard before following him to the cockpit. Oh, planets, why did these things always happen to her?
—
The trip to planet Theta-7 was quiet. Aldrick occasionally tried to engage her in conversation, but Vr'ocria pretended to be engrossed in her file pad. Guilt prodded her spine with every one-word answer and noncommittal grunt, but she was determined to keep her distance. Aldrick eventually fell quiet, and her scales nearly curled in on themselves in shame.
She avoided looking in his direction, but she still heard the sound of his canteen unscrewing and the slosh of liquid as he took a sip. Her nostrils flared at the odd, bitter-sable scent.
When she realized she recognized the smell, her eyes blew wide and she whirled to face him, dropping her pad. "What are you doing?" She nearly shrieked.
Aldrick lowered the canteen from his lips, looking startled. "Uh…drinking my coffee?"
"Coffee?" Another foreign word. "That's remfrylie! It's a deadly poison!" Her blood was rushing through her veins so fast she feared her scales would start to swell.
Aldrick laughed.
Laughed?
Her scales turned yellow and stood on end. "What is this?" She asked indignantly.
"I'm so sorry, Vr'ocria," he rubbed his eyes, still chortling. "I forgot, I should've warned you–humans call remfrylie 'coffee.' It's a beverage, we drink it. The caffeine in it gives us a boost of energy."
She stared at him.
As if making a point, he took another big gulp from the canteen, and smiled at her. "See? Totally fine."
Slowly, her blood slowed and her scales laid back down. But there was still a thrill of fear deep inside her–she'd become so enamored with him that she'd forgotten how dangerous he was. Drinking pure poison? Just for a boost of energy?
She turned away, embarrassed, a little afraid, and a little angry at him for scaring her like that. She bent over to pick up her pad from where it fell at her feet and went back to mindlessly flicking through her files.
Fabric rustled as Aldrick shifted in the seat next to her. "Hey," he said softly, "I really am sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay." Her voice was clipped and short.
Aldrick was quiet for a moment. "Is everything okay?" He asked slowly. "Have I…I mean, have I done something to offend you? I'm really sorry if–"
Guilt washed over her again. "No, no you haven't done anything." She finally looked over and tried for a weak smile. Now that she was actually looking at him, she could see the way he'd turned his whole body to face her, his fingers fidgeting at the edge of his seat and his warm brown eyes filled with worry.
Oh, that's right, humans had color in their eyes. Her people only had large black pupils, but humans had pupils with–what's the word–an "iris." She'd seen humans with brightly colored irises before, and while she found them beautiful, they also freaked her out. It was just so very strange.
But Aldrick's eyes…
The brown was a little closer to her own black, making them feel more familiar. In the tiny, cramped cabin, she realized that this was the first time she'd ever gotten a chance to really study his eyes up close. The brown seemed to swirl, and she noticed that there were layers of shades and colors floating around his pupils. And when natural light from a sun shining through the window hit them just right–
Aldrick cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to face forwards again. "Looks like we're here."
Vr'ocria looked forward and saw Theta-7's solar system quickly approaching. Oh, right. They had a mission to do.
—
Theta-7 was warm, just how she liked it. The sand, not so much. She tightened her boot laces twice to keep sand from finding its way inside.
The mission, thankfully, went smoothly. Walk, scan, record. Walk, scan, record. Being out in the field was different from working aboard the ship like she usually did, but she found she enjoyed it. With the agreeable weather, she quite liked the peaceful repetitiveness of the work.
Although, things were still awkward between her and Aldrick. She fought the urge to make excuses to drift away from him–since it was just the two of them, they needed to remain within eyesight of each other in case anything happened. As a result, she had a front row seat to Aldrick’s human antics. He climbed trees like it was nothing, crossed a stream by easily hopping from boulder to boulder, nibbled on plants he claimed were edible but that still made Vr’ocria’s scales ripple with unease, and even insisted on approaching a ferocious, furry creature with his hand outstretched and cooing “Hi kitty! Hi baby! Come here, let me give you scritchies, come on–”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what a “kitty” was, but a baby it definitely wasn’t. “Aldrick, please,” she called weakly.
“But she’s so cute!”
“It’s got claws! And look at its big teeth!”
Aldrick grinned as the creature crept closer. Its head came to Aldrick’s hip from where he knelt, still reaching out with his fingers and making a scratching motion in the air. “Naw, she’s just a little baby, aren’t you sweetie? Come ‘ere!”
Vr’ocria trembled on the spot as the creature was finally within arm’s reach of Aldrick. He began scratching its sandy-colored head, and to her disbelief, the creature closed its big eyes and leaned into his touch. “Oh, yes,” Aldrick positively giggled, “you’re such a sweet little baby, aren’t you?”
Vr’ocria could only stare, stunned, as he continued scratching the creature’s head, then its cheek and chin–extremely close to its massive fangs.
“All kitties like scritchies, huh?” he cooed at the…kitty.
Okay, they were kind of cute.
It, she corrected herself. The ”kitty” was cute. Not him. Definitely not.
She didn’t notice her scales flushing a soft pink as she watched him nearly pull the “kitty” into his lap, beaming and petting it. A gentle smile crossed her lips.
Aldrick glanced over at her and tilted his head. “You’re pink. That’s new, I haven’t seen that color on you before.”
Vr’ocria’s blood froze and her scales immediately flashed to purple. Blast. Shit. Fuck. Great, now she was picking up human curse words.
He blinked at the sudden change in color.
"Oh it’s–” she coughed, “it’s nothing. Just the heat, I think.”
“Are you okay?” He eased away from the creature as he stood, and it darted off into a hole in the rocks. “Do we need to take a break?”
Stop being so NICE, she growled inwardly. “No no,” she squeaked instead. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” She buried her head in her scanner and walked briskly towards the next scanning zone.
When night fell, the two of them made their way back to the shuttle pod. They still had scanning to do, but it wasn’t safe to work through the night, so they agreed it was best for them to take rest inside the pod.
Once they were safely inside, Aldrick laid out what he called a “bedroll” on the floor of the cockpit, between the two pilot seats. Still dressed in his uniform, he laid down and shifted until he appeared as comfortable as he could get. Tugging a blanket over himself, he glanced toward Vr’ocria. “Well...good night.”
“Sleep well,” she murmured. She stood in the short aisle in front of him, facing the door, and began to enter stasis. Despite how much she’d come to struggle with her feelings for him, she was still determined to protect him while he slept.
It was in the middle of the night when Vr’ocria snapped back to full awareness.
Thud.
There it was again.
Shuffle shuffle.
She whirled around and threw herself on top of Aldrick, clapping a hand over his mouth as he jerked awake with a muffled shout.
“Shh!” she hissed. “Something’s out there.”
He stared up at her with wide eyes as she slowly removed her hand. She didn’t move from her position on top of him as she looked up and around the cabin, trying to discern where the sound was coming from.
Thud.
“The door,” Aldrick whispered, looking over her shoulder.
There was one last thud, then a beeping sound.
”Shit!”
Without warning, Aldrick was grabbing her shoulders and flipping them so that he was on top, and before she could even react, there was a core-rattling BOOM.
She couldn’t hear herself scream as a shockwave blew fire and debris over them, and then everything went dark.
Vr’ocria groaned as she came to, her head pounding. She found herself sprawled in the sand, looking up at the night sky. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her limbs heavy. “What…” when her eyes focused, she gasped in horror.
The side of the shuttle pod where the door used to be now had a big hole blasted through it. Debris and supplies were strewn out across the ground, and judging by the drag marks, it looked like someone had dragged her body out and thrown her haphazardly into the sand.
She leapt to her feet, stumbled, fell, and jumped up again. Forcing her legs to steady under her, she stormed into the pod, and came face-to-face with a Norvidian pirate.
“Fucking pirate,” she roared, drawing her fist back and punching him right in the face. He yelped and dropped the thing he was dragging, and with horror, she realized it was Aldrick.
Something deep and primal flooded through her veins, and she grabbed the Norvidian's head. She slammed it against the wall, once, twice, three times, before dropping him to the ground, where he oozed yellow blood.
“Well that was fucking scary.”
Vr’ocria snapped out of her haze.
Aldrick was struggling to climb to his feet, and she darted forward to catch him before his face hit the floor. “Oh planets, oh my–Aldrick, are you alright?”
He rubbed a hand over his face, still looking dazed. “Yeah, I think–I think I’m okay.” He laughed, and it sounded a little hysterical. “Did you kill that guy?”
She looked over at the pirate, and somehow, she felt no remorse. “I hope so,” she growled. Logically, she knew the pirate was probably just tossing the two of them outside so he could raid their supplies. But the sight of him dragging a limp and pale Aldrick was burned into her memory, and her bright yellow scales rippled with rage.
“Jesus, you’re fucking scary when you’re angry.” He laughed again. “It’s kinda hot.” He turned pink and his face twisted in an expression she didn’t recognize. “Uh, pretend I didn’t say that.”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what it meant for something to be “hot,” so she played along and pretended she didn’t hear that. “We need to get you cleaned up,” she said instead. “Can you stand?”
Aldrick started to shift his legs, then went tense and dropped his head to her shoulder with a groan. It was then that Vr’ocria was able to lean forward enough to see his back, and she gasped.
The back of his shirt was in tatters, stained red with blood. Cuts and burns raced across his skin, and Vr’ocria knew that if she had taken the blast like that, she would be dead.
“Aldrick–” her throat felt thick, “Your back…shit–”
His breathing was ragged against her shoulder. “Hurts like a bitch,” he ground out, “but it won’t kill me. Just need to disinfect and bandage it.”
She laid him down on his stomach as gently as possible and rushed to the cockpit, praying that the first aid kit was undamaged. “Thank the planets,” she breathed as her fingers closed around the handle of an intact box.
She tried to steady her shaking fingers as she gingerly cut his shirt away and began dressing the wounds according to the kit’s instructions for treating humans. She also dressed the few injuries that ran down the back of his legs. Luckily–or unluckily–the damage was concentrated on his back. While she worked, she could see his muscles tense tight enough to crack, his teeth grinding and his hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white. She knew there had to be painkillers in the first aid kit, but she wanted to get his wounds dressed as fast as possible to prevent him from bleeding anymore. All she could do in the meantime was whisper quiet apologies.
Once she’d gotten him bandaged up, she finally dug through the kit. “Here,” she said as she fumbled with a bottle, “I found some pain killers, they’re supposed to be fast acting. You just let them dissolve in your mouth.”
She could tell he was in too much pain to move, so she held two of the pills up to his lips. He let her feed them to him, and after a few moments, he visibly began to relax. “Oh, that’s good shit,” he slurred into the floor.
“Feel better?” Vr’ocria asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” His voice was still crackly and weak. “Still aches a bit, but I don’t wanna scream about it anymore.”
“Good.” She stood and draped a blanket over him. “Now, stay put and don’t try to move. I need to figure out how to get us out of here.”
The shuttle pod wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. When she investigated the control panel, she found that the blast had knocked out communications, and their personal communicators were wrecked as well. “Great,” she mumbled.
Making her way back outside, she glanced around until she saw the pirate’s tiny craft a distance away. He must’ve landed out there so we wouldn’t hear him, she mused. She was reluctant to leave Aldrick alone, but she jogged the distance and pried the door open. The thing was a rust bucket, stinky and creaky, and she quickly decided she didn’t want to risk loading Aldrick up in that thing.
What to do, what to do…
Then she remembered: There was a survey outpost a few kilometers from here. She could take him there for professional treatment, rest, and to contact their ship.
When she got back to the pod, Aldrick was standing, leaning against the wall.
"How are you feeling?" She asked as she approached.
His eyes seemed clearer now as he looked up at her. "I've been worse," he said with a crooked smile.
Vr'ocria thanked the planets for human durability.
She let out a breath. "There's a survey outpost near here, due east. It's a few hours' walk. Do you think you can make it?"
Rather than answering, he stooped to pick up a blanket from the floor, shook out the dirt and debris, and threw it around his shoulders to cover his naked torso. "Let's go." He hopped easily out of the pod, and Vr'ocria could only shake her head in disbelief as she followed him. Humans truly were unbreakable.
It was still nighttime, but the clouds in the sky had cleared to reveal two big, bright moons that illuminated their way. Vr'ocria kept a close eye on Aldrick as they walked. While at first he seemed totally unaffected by his wounds now that they'd been dressed, she was beginning to notice the tight lines around his eyes, his white knuckles where he fisted the blanket, and the way each step he took was just a little shaky.
After walking in silence for nearly an hour, she finally found her voice. "Thank you," she said quietly, "for saving me back there."
He looked at her with those warm brown eyes and she thought she would melt. "Anytime."
Stupid purple scales.
They were halfway to the outpost when Aldrick collapsed. His knees hit the ground and Vr'ocria darted forward with a yelp to catch him before he went all the way down.
"Aldrick!" She shook him. "Look at me! Hey, hey…"
But all he could do was groan as his head lolled in her hands, slumping forward so that he sagged against her. Vr'ocria tried not to panic, but her scales stood on end anyway. "Aldrick!" This time her voice cracked.
Okay, okay, calm down, he's gonna be fine, he's human, it's gonna be okay… But doubt still twinged in her spine.
She ruffled her scales. Snap out of it.
"Okay. Aldrick," she took his face in her hands, "I need to put you on my back, but you'll have to help me."
He didn't respond.
She slapped him.
"Ow!" His eyes shot open. "Jesus, woman–"
"Look at me. I need to put you on my back, and you have to help me."
He blinked, eyes still cloudy, but finally nodded. It took some maneuvering, but Vr'ocria finally got him situated on her back–"piggy back style," he called it. She held his legs around her waist, and used the blanket to tie him to her. She could feel his warmth and heartbeat from where he was pressed against her back. His breath ghosted across the nape of her neck, sending tingles over her scales.
She tightened her grip around his knees as she walked. My human.
"You're pink again," Aldrick mumbled behind her ear.
Vr'ocria pressed on.
—
By the time they reached the outpost, her back was aching and her feet were sore, but she didn't care. She waved down the watchmen, and within minutes they were being swarmed by a med team. Aldrick was now fully unconscious and much too pale, and the medics wasted no time loading him up on a stretcher and carrying him to the med bay. When they tried to insist that Vr'ocria go to a separate room for evaluation, she snarled and snapped her yellow scales until they backed off.
She wasn't leaving Aldrick's side for a minute.
By the next morning, the med team had worked their magic and Aldrick was sleeping peacefully. He was curled on his side like he usually did, his face free of lines, lips parted, softly sighing with each breath.
Stupid human and his stupid cute sleeping.
She brushed his hair from his face, gently trailing her fingers across his cheek. Human skin was much softer compared to her scales, and warmer too. Aldrick had once explained that humans are "mammals," creatures that were "warm blooded." Her people were "cold blooded." Maybe that explained why she always wanted to touch him, hold him, feel his warmth…
Aldrick shifted and sighed, and her breath caught as he leaned into her hand. His eyes cracked open and he gazed blearily up at her. "Hi," he croaked.
She smiled. "Hi."
"You're still pink," he observed. "Are you okay? Did you get checked out?"
Blast all the planets. "I'm okay," she assured him. "My people turn pink when…when, um…I-I'll tell you another time," she stuttered. Galek was going to kill her.
Aldrick reached up to take her hand from where it still rested on his cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me."
She squeezed his hand. "Anytime."
This got so much longer than I thought it would 😂 How do we feel about one more part where these two idiots finally admit their feelings for one another?
submitted by SabbyOfSableWine to humansarespaceorcs [link] [comments]
Vr'ocria and Human Aldrick were sent on a survey mission together. Things went south, Aldrick made sure they were safe, and then Vr'ocria learned what human sleep is and how vulnerable humans are when they sleep. Vr'ocria's people don't sleep, but enter stasis, a form of rest in which they typically stand, and they are still slightly aware of their surroundings. Vr'ocria finds human sleep utterly adorable, and also decided she would protect Aldrick while he slept. And she also developed a massive crush on him. (Her scales turning purple is her version of blushing)
Vr’ocria ran the engine diagnostic again, and again it came back inconclusive. She slammed her fist on the dusty controls. “Blasted thing.” Of course she got stuck with the rusty, crusty old shuttle pod that no one else wanted. Why did these things always happen to her? She just wanted to do her job!
Not for the first time, she wished she had Human Aldrick for company.
It had been two moon cycles since Vr’ocria had last seen Aldrick. They’d only served on the one away mission together, and once they returned to the ship, they’d been sent their separate ways. They worked in separate departments, after all.
But that didn’t stop her from missing him. She’d only spent a few solar cycles with him, but somehow was already totally enamored by the human–the human who was supposed to be a terrifying, dangerous, nearly indestructible monster.
Vr'ocria had met a handful of humans during her service, and they were all polite enough. But Aldrick was the first human she'd ever spent any extended alone time with. It was on that away mission that Vr’ocria learned what “sleep” was: The human form of rest in which the human becomes completely unconscious, and thus, totally defenseless. Something about learning humans were even able of being defenseless at all, much less in such a complete way, had changed her entire perspective on them. She’d grown up always being told to fear the humans, the wild, indestructible humans.
She had been nervous enough to quake in her scales, but he was nothing but kind to her. And when she saw him sleep for the first time–planets, what a blasted cutie. During their few cycles together, she always stood by him when he slept and she went into stasis. Her people were still slightly aware of their surroundings while in stasis, so she would be able to protect him if there was danger.
She couldn’t help but worry about him ever since they separated. Who was going to keep watch while he slept? What if something happened, what if there was an ambush or a ship malfunction and he couldn’t wake up fast enough? She wanted to be there for him…
Vr’ocria cringed at the memory of when she asked her nestmate, Galek, about human mating rituals.
“You want to mate him? Are you insane?”
"No! I mean–well…" Vr'ocria reminded herself to keep her voice down; Aldrick was still sleeping in the next room. "I…Galek, listen–"
"He's a human!" Even through the communicator, she could hear his scales snap. "He's dangerous!"
"He's nice! When the away mission went wrong he made sure we were safe and–" her voice caught when she remembered the way Aldrick strolled fearlessly through a thunderstorm, one warm hand gripping her wrist, unflinching at every thunderclap and lightning strike in the sky that rattled her to her core, as he led them to a cave for shelter.
Galek sighed. "Vr'ocria, let it go. We are not compatible with humans, they do things differently anyway. They don't mate."
Vr'ocria stilled. "They don't?"
"No. Well, kind of? Ugh, why am I even telling you this…"
"Because I'm your favorite nestmate," Vr'ocria grinned.
"Shut up." There was no bite to his words. "Anyway, what I mean is that humans usually court each other first, and then mate. I think they call it 'marriage.' But that's all I know."
She hummed in thought. "This is good to know."
"Vr'ocria, I mean it." Galek was back in protective-nestmate-mode. "Drop it, it's a terrible idea. Humans are…it's just a bad idea, okay?"
"I'm not gonna do anything," she mumbled.
And what if he doesn't even like me anyway?
Her scales faded to a faint red and her shoulders slumped at the thought. Back in the present, she absent-mindedly flicked through the controls on the cracked panel in front of her. Maybe Galek was right, and she should just stay away from Aldrick altogether.
“Agent Vr’ocria, report.”
Vr’ocria jumped at the tinny voice that suddenly filled the cabin. She pressed the comm button. “Commander, this pod is–” she stopped herself from using a few choice words– “in a state of engine malfunction. I can’t even diagnose a problem. I’m not going anywhere in this thing.”
”Stand by.”
Vr’ocria drummed her fingers on the consol.
”Agent Vr’ocria, you’ve been reassigned to shuttle pod Delta. You will join a crewmate there.”
That’s right, Delta was a two-person pod. She groaned inwardly at the prospect of working with someone else in such a cramped space.
Vr’ocria tried not to drag her feet as she approached the Delta pod. The loading door was already open, and she climbed inside. “Hello? I’ve been re–”
“Vr’ocria!”
She turned towards the cockpit, and her scales flashed to purple in record time. “Aldrick?”
The human was beaming as he maneuvered through the tight space to approach her. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, silently urging her scales to go back to green. “Aren’t you in engineering?”
He shrugged, suddenly looking everywhere except her face. “I uh..I asked to be transferred to the survey department.”
“Why?”
His cheeks turned pink. They seemed to do that a lot. Vr’ocria really needed to ask the ship’s doctor if that was normal for humans or if he was getting sick. “Engineering just wasn’t doing it for me, y’know? Needed a change of pace. I volunteered for that one survey mission and it turns out I liked it, so why not try it full time?" He turned back towards the cockpit. “We should get going! I think this mission is gonna be more fun than the last one. The planet we've been assigned has a more stable atmosphere, so fewer storms."
So she and Aldrick would be working together, alone, again. Vr'ocria swallowed hard before following him to the cockpit. Oh, planets, why did these things always happen to her?
—
The trip to planet Theta-7 was quiet. Aldrick occasionally tried to engage her in conversation, but Vr'ocria pretended to be engrossed in her file pad. Guilt prodded her spine with every one-word answer and noncommittal grunt, but she was determined to keep her distance. Aldrick eventually fell quiet, and her scales nearly curled in on themselves in shame.
She avoided looking in his direction, but she still heard the sound of his canteen unscrewing and the slosh of liquid as he took a sip. Her nostrils flared at the odd, bitter-sable scent.
When she realized she recognized the smell, her eyes blew wide and she whirled to face him, dropping her pad. "What are you doing?" She nearly shrieked.
Aldrick lowered the canteen from his lips, looking startled. "Uh…drinking my coffee?"
"Coffee?" Another foreign word. "That's remfrylie! It's a deadly poison!" Her blood was rushing through her veins so fast she feared her scales would start to swell.
Aldrick laughed.
Laughed?
Her scales turned yellow and stood on end. "What is this?" She asked indignantly.
"I'm so sorry, Vr'ocria," he rubbed his eyes, still chortling. "I forgot, I should've warned you–humans call remfrylie 'coffee.' It's a beverage, we drink it. The caffeine in it gives us a boost of energy."
She stared at him.
As if making a point, he took another big gulp from the canteen, and smiled at her. "See? Totally fine."
Slowly, her blood slowed and her scales laid back down. But there was still a thrill of fear deep inside her–she'd become so enamored with him that she'd forgotten how dangerous he was. Drinking pure poison? Just for a boost of energy?
She turned away, embarrassed, a little afraid, and a little angry at him for scaring her like that. She bent over to pick up her pad from where it fell at her feet and went back to mindlessly flicking through her files.
Fabric rustled as Aldrick shifted in the seat next to her. "Hey," he said softly, "I really am sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay." Her voice was clipped and short.
Aldrick was quiet for a moment. "Is everything okay?" He asked slowly. "Have I…I mean, have I done something to offend you? I'm really sorry if–"
Guilt washed over her again. "No, no you haven't done anything." She finally looked over and tried for a weak smile. Now that she was actually looking at him, she could see the way he'd turned his whole body to face her, his fingers fidgeting at the edge of his seat and his warm brown eyes filled with worry.
Oh, that's right, humans had color in their eyes. Her people only had large black pupils, but humans had pupils with–what's the word–an "iris." She'd seen humans with brightly colored irises before, and while she found them beautiful, they also freaked her out. It was just so very strange.
But Aldrick's eyes…
The brown was a little closer to her own black, making them feel more familiar. In the tiny, cramped cabin, she realized that this was the first time she'd ever gotten a chance to really study his eyes up close. The brown seemed to swirl, and she noticed that there were layers of shades and colors floating around his pupils. And when natural light from a sun shining through the window hit them just right–
Aldrick cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to face forwards again. "Looks like we're here."
Vr'ocria looked forward and saw Theta-7's solar system quickly approaching. Oh, right. They had a mission to do.
—
Theta-7 was warm, just how she liked it. The sand, not so much. She tightened her boot laces twice to keep sand from finding its way inside.
The mission, thankfully, went smoothly. Walk, scan, record. Walk, scan, record. Being out in the field was different from working aboard the ship like she usually did, but she found she enjoyed it. With the agreeable weather, she quite liked the peaceful repetitiveness of the work.
Although, things were still awkward between her and Aldrick. She fought the urge to make excuses to drift away from him–since it was just the two of them, they needed to remain within eyesight of each other in case anything happened. As a result, she had a front row seat to Aldrick’s human antics. He climbed trees like it was nothing, crossed a stream by easily hopping from boulder to boulder, nibbled on plants he claimed were edible but that still made Vr’ocria’s scales ripple with unease, and even insisted on approaching a ferocious, furry creature with his hand outstretched and cooing “Hi kitty! Hi baby! Come here, let me give you scritchies, come on–”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what a “kitty” was, but a baby it definitely wasn’t. “Aldrick, please,” she called weakly.
“But she’s so cute!”
“It’s got claws! And look at its big teeth!”
Aldrick grinned as the creature crept closer. Its head came to Aldrick’s hip from where he knelt, still reaching out with his fingers and making a scratching motion in the air. “Naw, she’s just a little baby, aren’t you sweetie? Come ‘ere!”
Vr’ocria trembled on the spot as the creature was finally within arm’s reach of Aldrick. He began scratching its sandy-colored head, and to her disbelief, the creature closed its big eyes and leaned into his touch. “Oh, yes,” Aldrick positively giggled, “you’re such a sweet little baby, aren’t you?”
Vr’ocria could only stare, stunned, as he continued scratching the creature’s head, then its cheek and chin–extremely close to its massive fangs.
“All kitties like scritchies, huh?” he cooed at the…kitty.
Okay, they were kind of cute.
It, she corrected herself. The ”kitty” was cute. Not him. Definitely not.
She didn’t notice her scales flushing a soft pink as she watched him nearly pull the “kitty” into his lap, beaming and petting it. A gentle smile crossed her lips.
Aldrick glanced over at her and tilted his head. “You’re pink. That’s new, I haven’t seen that color on you before.”
Vr’ocria’s blood froze and her scales immediately flashed to purple. Blast. Shit. Fuck. Great, now she was picking up human curse words.
He blinked at the sudden change in color.
"Oh it’s–” she coughed, “it’s nothing. Just the heat, I think.”
“Are you okay?” He eased away from the creature as he stood, and it darted off into a hole in the rocks. “Do we need to take a break?”
Stop being so NICE, she growled inwardly. “No no,” she squeaked instead. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.” She buried her head in her scanner and walked briskly towards the next scanning zone.
When night fell, the two of them made their way back to the shuttle pod. They still had scanning to do, but it wasn’t safe to work through the night, so they agreed it was best for them to take rest inside the pod.
Once they were safely inside, Aldrick laid out what he called a “bedroll” on the floor of the cockpit, between the two pilot seats. Still dressed in his uniform, he laid down and shifted until he appeared as comfortable as he could get. Tugging a blanket over himself, he glanced toward Vr’ocria. “Well...good night.”
“Sleep well,” she murmured. She stood in the short aisle in front of him, facing the door, and began to enter stasis. Despite how much she’d come to struggle with her feelings for him, she was still determined to protect him while he slept.
It was in the middle of the night when Vr’ocria snapped back to full awareness.
Thud.
There it was again.
Shuffle shuffle.
She whirled around and threw herself on top of Aldrick, clapping a hand over his mouth as he jerked awake with a muffled shout.
“Shh!” she hissed. “Something’s out there.”
He stared up at her with wide eyes as she slowly removed her hand. She didn’t move from her position on top of him as she looked up and around the cabin, trying to discern where the sound was coming from.
Thud.
“The door,” Aldrick whispered, looking over her shoulder.
There was one last thud, then a beeping sound.
”Shit!”
Without warning, Aldrick was grabbing her shoulders and flipping them so that he was on top, and before she could even react, there was a core-rattling BOOM.
She couldn’t hear herself scream as a shockwave blew fire and debris over them, and then everything went dark.
Vr’ocria groaned as she came to, her head pounding. She found herself sprawled in the sand, looking up at the night sky. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her limbs heavy. “What…” when her eyes focused, she gasped in horror.
The side of the shuttle pod where the door used to be now had a big hole blasted through it. Debris and supplies were strewn out across the ground, and judging by the drag marks, it looked like someone had dragged her body out and thrown her haphazardly into the sand.
She leapt to her feet, stumbled, fell, and jumped up again. Forcing her legs to steady under her, she stormed into the pod, and came face-to-face with a Norvidian pirate.
“Fucking pirate,” she roared, drawing her fist back and punching him right in the face. He yelped and dropped the thing he was dragging, and with horror, she realized it was Aldrick.
Something deep and primal flooded through her veins, and she grabbed the Norvidian's head. She slammed it against the wall, once, twice, three times, before dropping him to the ground, where he oozed yellow blood.
“Well that was fucking scary.”
Vr’ocria snapped out of her haze.
Aldrick was struggling to climb to his feet, and she darted forward to catch him before his face hit the floor. “Oh planets, oh my–Aldrick, are you alright?”
He rubbed a hand over his face, still looking dazed. “Yeah, I think–I think I’m okay.” He laughed, and it sounded a little hysterical. “Did you kill that guy?”
She looked over at the pirate, and somehow, she felt no remorse. “I hope so,” she growled. Logically, she knew the pirate was probably just tossing the two of them outside so he could raid their supplies. But the sight of him dragging a limp and pale Aldrick was burned into her memory, and her bright yellow scales rippled with rage.
“Jesus, you’re fucking scary when you’re angry.” He laughed again. “It’s kinda hot.” He turned pink and his face twisted in an expression she didn’t recognize. “Uh, pretend I didn’t say that.”
Vr’ocria didn’t know what it meant for something to be “hot,” so she played along and pretended she didn’t hear that. “We need to get you cleaned up,” she said instead. “Can you stand?”
Aldrick started to shift his legs, then went tense and dropped his head to her shoulder with a groan. It was then that Vr’ocria was able to lean forward enough to see his back, and she gasped.
The back of his shirt was in tatters, stained red with blood. Cuts and burns raced across his skin, and Vr’ocria knew that if she had taken the blast like that, she would be dead.
“Aldrick–” her throat felt thick, “Your back…shit–”
His breathing was ragged against her shoulder. “Hurts like a bitch,” he ground out, “but it won’t kill me. Just need to disinfect and bandage it.”
She laid him down on his stomach as gently as possible and rushed to the cockpit, praying that the first aid kit was undamaged. “Thank the planets,” she breathed as her fingers closed around the handle of an intact box.
She tried to steady her shaking fingers as she gingerly cut his shirt away and began dressing the wounds according to the kit’s instructions for treating humans. She also dressed the few injuries that ran down the back of his legs. Luckily–or unluckily–the damage was concentrated on his back. While she worked, she could see his muscles tense tight enough to crack, his teeth grinding and his hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white. She knew there had to be painkillers in the first aid kit, but she wanted to get his wounds dressed as fast as possible to prevent him from bleeding anymore. All she could do in the meantime was whisper quiet apologies.
Once she’d gotten him bandaged up, she finally dug through the kit. “Here,” she said as she fumbled with a bottle, “I found some pain killers, they’re supposed to be fast acting. You just let them dissolve in your mouth.”
She could tell he was in too much pain to move, so she held two of the pills up to his lips. He let her feed them to him, and after a few moments, he visibly began to relax. “Oh, that’s good shit,” he slurred into the floor.
“Feel better?” Vr’ocria asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” His voice was still crackly and weak. “Still aches a bit, but I don’t wanna scream about it anymore.”
“Good.” She stood and draped a blanket over him. “Now, stay put and don’t try to move. I need to figure out how to get us out of here.”
The shuttle pod wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. When she investigated the control panel, she found that the blast had knocked out communications, and their personal communicators were wrecked as well. “Great,” she mumbled.
Making her way back outside, she glanced around until she saw the pirate’s tiny craft a distance away. He must’ve landed out there so we wouldn’t hear him, she mused. She was reluctant to leave Aldrick alone, but she jogged the distance and pried the door open. The thing was a rust bucket, stinky and creaky, and she quickly decided she didn’t want to risk loading Aldrick up in that thing.
What to do, what to do…
Then she remembered: There was a survey outpost a few kilometers from here. She could take him there for professional treatment, rest, and to contact their ship.
When she got back to the pod, Aldrick was standing, leaning against the wall.
"How are you feeling?" She asked as she approached.
His eyes seemed clearer now as he looked up at her. "I've been worse," he said with a crooked smile.
Vr'ocria thanked the planets for human durability.
She let out a breath. "There's a survey outpost near here, due east. It's a few hours' walk. Do you think you can make it?"
Rather than answering, he stooped to pick up a blanket from the floor, shook out the dirt and debris, and threw it around his shoulders to cover his naked torso. "Let's go." He hopped easily out of the pod, and Vr'ocria could only shake her head in disbelief as she followed him. Humans truly were unbreakable.
It was still nighttime, but the clouds in the sky had cleared to reveal two big, bright moons that illuminated their way. Vr'ocria kept a close eye on Aldrick as they walked. While at first he seemed totally unaffected by his wounds now that they'd been dressed, she was beginning to notice the tight lines around his eyes, his white knuckles where he fisted the blanket, and the way each step he took was just a little shaky.
After walking in silence for nearly an hour, she finally found her voice. "Thank you," she said quietly, "for saving me back there."
He looked at her with those warm brown eyes and she thought she would melt. "Anytime."
Stupid purple scales.
They were halfway to the outpost when Aldrick collapsed. His knees hit the ground and Vr'ocria darted forward with a yelp to catch him before he went all the way down.
"Aldrick!" She shook him. "Look at me! Hey, hey…"
But all he could do was groan as his head lolled in her hands, slumping forward so that he sagged against her. Vr'ocria tried not to panic, but her scales stood on end anyway. "Aldrick!" This time her voice cracked.
Okay, okay, calm down, he's gonna be fine, he's human, it's gonna be okay… But doubt still twinged in her spine.
She ruffled her scales. Snap out of it.
"Okay. Aldrick," she took his face in her hands, "I need to put you on my back, but you'll have to help me."
He didn't respond.
She slapped him.
"Ow!" His eyes shot open. "Jesus, woman–"
"Look at me. I need to put you on my back, and you have to help me."
He blinked, eyes still cloudy, but finally nodded. It took some maneuvering, but Vr'ocria finally got him situated on her back–"piggy back style," he called it. She held his legs around her waist, and used the blanket to tie him to her. She could feel his warmth and heartbeat from where he was pressed against her back. His breath ghosted across the nape of her neck, sending tingles over her scales.
She tightened her grip around his knees as she walked. My human.
"You're pink again," Aldrick mumbled behind her ear.
Vr'ocria pressed on.
—
By the time they reached the outpost, her back was aching and her feet were sore, but she didn't care. She waved down the watchmen, and within minutes they were being swarmed by a med team. Aldrick was now fully unconscious and much too pale, and the medics wasted no time loading him up on a stretcher and carrying him to the med bay. When they tried to insist that Vr'ocria go to a separate room for evaluation, she snarled and snapped her yellow scales until they backed off.
She wasn't leaving Aldrick's side for a minute.
By the next morning, the med team had worked their magic and Aldrick was sleeping peacefully. He was curled on his side like he usually did, his face free of lines, lips parted, softly sighing with each breath.
Stupid human and his stupid cute sleeping.
She brushed his hair from his face, gently trailing her fingers across his cheek. Human skin was much softer compared to her scales, and warmer too. Aldrick had once explained that humans are "mammals," creatures that were "warm blooded." Her people were "cold blooded." Maybe that explained why she always wanted to touch him, hold him, feel his warmth…
Aldrick shifted and sighed, and her breath caught as he leaned into her hand. His eyes cracked open and he gazed blearily up at her. "Hi," he croaked.
She smiled. "Hi."
"You're still pink," he observed. "Are you okay? Did you get checked out?"
Blast all the planets. "I'm okay," she assured him. "My people turn pink when…when, um…I-I'll tell you another time," she stuttered. Galek was going to kill her.
Aldrick reached up to take her hand from where it still rested on his cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me."
She squeezed his hand. "Anytime."
This got so much longer than I thought it would 😂 How do we feel about one more part where these two idiots finally admit their feelings for one another?
2023.05.29 23:41 JoshAsdvgi The Call of the Owl
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] The Call of the Owl [Cherokee] Long ago in the Red Indian tribe of the Cherokees there was a widow who had a very beautiful daughter. When the girl was old enough to marry, her mother took her aside. "It's time, my child, to find yourself a husband," she said. "Your father was a famous hunter. Only another man like him is good enough for you." Her daughter agreed, but she was a difficult, temperamental girl, and none of the young men of the tribe pleased her. One was too small, another too ugly, a third too poor and a fourth too simple. But one day a very handsome young man appeared at the widow's wigwam. She had never seen him before." "I am U-gu-ku," he said. "I would like to marry your daughter. I've always wanted a wife as beautiful as her." "My daughter," replied the woman, "must marry a good hunter, so she never goes hungry. My husband was a famous hunter, and we always had plenty of meat." "I'm a very good hunter," answered U-gu-ku." He was a pleasant young man, and so the widow called her daughter. "This is U-gu-ku," she told her. "He wants to marry you." The girl liked the look of the young man, and so the marriage took place. Next day the widow went to her new son-in-law. "There's no more meat in the house," she said. "Don't, worry, mother of my wife," replied U-gu-ku. "I'll go hunting." And off he went. But when he came back, all he had were three paltry little fish. "I'm sorry," said U-gu-ku. "I had no luck hunting today, so I decided to go fishing. I've brought you three fish. No doubt I'll have better luck tomorrow." Their supper that evening was not very lavish. But worse was to come, for the next day all that U-gu-ku brought back from the hunt were three lizards. "It's as if there's a curse on me," said U-gu-ku sadly. "But don't worry. Tomorrow you'll have meat." On the third day U-gu-ku returned very tired from the hunt, and handed the widow three scrawny little bits of meat that the other hunters had left behind. His wife and mother-in-law could not understand it. They began to wonder if U-gu-ku could be trusted. "He told me he was a good hunter," said the widow, "but he has hardly killed a thing. Don't you think you should follow him secretly and see what he's doing?" The girl agreed, and on the fourth day of her marriage she followed her husband into the forest, hiding behind the trees. WHen they came to the river, to her surprise and horror, U-gu-ku turned into an owl. "U-gu-ku - oooooooo - ooooooo," he cried, flying up into the air and out over the river. Then suddenly, he swooped down to the water and seized a little crayfish. The young woman was horrified to think she had an owl as a husband. She ran back home as fast as she could, weeping as if her heart would break. That evening, when U-gu-ku returned, the crayfish was all he had. "Is that all you caught?" asked the wife. "An owl stole the rest from me," he replied. "But you're the owl!" cried the young woman furiously. "You've lied to me, you've tricked me, and what's more you're a dreadfully bad hunter!" "No, I'm not," protested U-gu-ku. "I may be a bad hunter for a man, but for an owl I'm a very good one." "Get out of my sight!" shouted his wife. "I never want to see you again." So the owl flew away into the forest, cryihng and hooting dolefully. He was terribly unhappy, for he loved his wife with all his heart. "U-gu-ku - oooooo - oooooo - oooooo," went the sorrowful voice, as U-gu-ku mourned his loss. And every night since then, the owl's lament has been heard, as he sings of his lost love. |
2023.05.29 23:40 fleshsnort18 Wild/native vs stock trout differences?
I’ve trout fished my whole life but only recently got into doing it a little more seriously. I live in Michigan and fish tributary’s to from the grand river leading off Lake Michigan.i know some of the streams and rivers around me the trout just simply don’t reproduce naturally or with the help of stocking. Lately I’ve been fishing the rogue in Rockford and have been wondering just how many of the fish I’ve been catching are wild and what are stocked. I mainly want to know so I can make sure I always release the wild ones.
submitted by fleshsnort18 to troutfishing [link] [comments]
2023.05.29 23:39 nettdata Zoe learning to fly fish on the Bow River, near Canmore
 | submitted by nettdata to germanshepherds [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 23:35 JoshAsdvgi THE BUFFALO GO
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] THE BUFFALO GO A Kiowa Legend Everything the Kiowas had come from the buffalo. Their tipi's were made of buffalo hides; so were their clothes and moccasins. They ate buffalo meat. Their containers were made of hide, bladders, or stomachs. The buffalo were the life of the Kiowas. Most of all, the buffalo was part of the Kiowa religion. A white buffalo calf must be sacrificed in the sun dance. The priests used parts of the buffalo to make their prayers when they healed people or when they sang to the powers above. So when the white men wanted to build railroads, or when they wanted to farm and raise cattle, the buffalo still protected the Kiowas. They tore up the railroad tracks and the gardens. They chased the cattle off the ranges. The buffalo loved their people as much as the Kiowas loved them. There was war between the buffalo and the white men. The white men built forts in the Kiowa country, and the woolly-headed buffalo soldiers (the Tenth Cavalry, made up of Negro troops) shot the buffalo as fast as they could, but the buffalo still kept coming on, coming on, even into the post cemetery at Fort Sill. Soldiers were not enough to hold them back. Then the white men hired hunters to do nothing but kill the buffalo. Up and down the plains those men ranged, shooting sometimes as many as a hundred buffalo a day. Behind them came the skinners with their wagons. They piled the hides and bones into the wagons until they were full, and then took their loads to the new railroad stations that were being built, to be shipped east to the market. Sometimes there would be a pile of bones as high as a man, stretching a mile along the railroad track. The buffalo saw that their day was over. They could protect their people no longer. Sadly, the last remnant of the great herd gathered in council, and decided what they would do. The Kiowas were camped on the north side of Mount Scott, those of them who were still free to camp. One young woman got up very early in the morning. The dawn mist was still rising from Medicine Creek, and as she looked across the water, peering through the haze, she saw the last buffalo herd appear like a spirit dream. Straight to Mount Scott the leader of the herd walked. Behind him came the cows and their calves, and the few young males who had survived. As the woman watched, the face of the mountain opened. Inside Mount Scott the world was green and fresh, as it had been when she was a small girl. The rivers ran clear, not red. The wild plains were in blossom, chasing the red buds up the inside slopes. Into this world of beauty the buffalo walked, never to be seen again. |
2023.05.29 23:20 NeedleworkerHot2102 6 KC pet
 | First pet ever, was just learning guardians of the rift. submitted by NeedleworkerHot2102 to OSRSProTips [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 23:15 JoshAsdvgi The Brother and Sister
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] The Brother and Sister The Native American Story of the Brother and Sister (( This story of the Brother and Sister is featured in the book entitled the Red Indian Fairy Book by Frances Jenkins Olcott published in Boston, New York by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1917 )) An Arapaho Story The Story of the Brother and Sister There were three streams all flowing east, and near them a tribe of Indians was camping. A brother and sister were playing at a distance from the camp, and a Chief passed by them. The children called him saucy names and he was very angry. Going to the camp he bade all the people pack up, and move to another camping-ground. Before moving away, the people took the two children who had been saucy to the Chief, and tied them each to a pole. They leaned the poles against some trees, and leaving the children to die, they took their goods, and went to another place. Well, the poor children suffered hunger and thirst, and wept bitterly. At last an old Wolf, the Chief of all the Wolves, saw them, and he said to himself, "How pitiful these children are!" Then he cried out to the pack, "Come, all ye Wolves, from all directions!" In a minute Wolves and Coyotes came running from every part of the Earth, and the old Wolf said to them:— "I pity these children. Seize the poles and lower them slowly. Then chew off the ropes and free the children." The Wolves and the Coyotes did as he told them to do, and loosed the children. But when the boy and girl saw all the wild animals running about them, they were terribly frightened, for they thought that they would surely be eaten. But the old Wolf said:— "Do not be afraid! Stay with us, and we will care for you." After that he called four big Wolves from the pack, and said: "You, Clouded Wolf, who are above all others in daring deeds, provide food for this boy and girl. White Wolf, I want you also to look for food for them. Black Coyote, go out and find meat. And you also, Black Wolf, who are brave and cunning, provide meat for them." Immediately the four big Wolves ran away, and soon came back laden with the best parts of a Buffalo; and piled all the meat in front of the children. The brother and sister ate, and were made strong again. Then the old Wolf told them to go into the timber near by, and live there; and he said that he would stay with them. It was now Winter. The boy got together some poles and made a frame for a brush house; while his sister gathered long reeds, and with them thatched the house. She made a door of brush and sticks, and inside she put brush for two beds. They then made a nice comfortable bed near the door where the old Wolf might sleep. When the house was finished, it began to snow. They all went in, and the old Wolf said, "I am feeble, and suffer much from cold. I have no strength, no swiftness, no warmth. If it were not for your kindness I should be out in the snow. Therefore I thank you for letting me live with you in this comfortable house." So that night the Wolf slept by the door, the girl slept on the north side of the house, and the boy at the back. Well, in the morning the boy was the first to get up to make the fire; and he looked out, and the snow was over all the land. And what was his surprise to see great herds of Elk near by. The whole snow was yellow with them as far as he could see. In the timber, on the banks of the rivers, and everywhere, the Elk were standing, walking, or lying down. The boy shut the door quickly, and said to his sister, "Get up! There are herds of Elk close by." "Why should I get up?" said she; "I can't do anything." But the boy answered, "Just get up and look at them anyway." "I can't do anything by looking at them," said she. "My Grandchild," called the old Wolf, "get up and look at the Elk." So she rose, and opened the door; and as soon as she looked at an Elk, it fell down dead. Then she gave her brother a flint knife with a bone handle, and he ran out into the snow, and skinned the Elk as easily as if he had always known how to do it. As soon as he had skinned the animal, he threw its hide into the house, and the girl folded it three times, and sat on it. Immediately the hide became a soft and beautiful skin, all dressed ready for use. Then the girl looked at more Elk, and they fell down dead; and the boy skinned them; and so she did until they had thirty-six skins. They next sliced the meat, and hung it to dry on the trees near the three streams. After that the girl took some of the thirty-six skins, and piling them one on the other, she sat on them, saying, "I wish that all these skins may be sewed together for a tent." And when she got up, and spread them out, they had become a tent with a bird ornament on top, and four round ornaments on the sides, and rattles over the door. Then the girl said, "I wish for twenty-nine straight tent poles." And when she went outside, there were the tent poles made of otter-weeds. Soon the tent stood covered, and was very handsome. Then the girl folded three skins, and sat on them, saying, "I wish for a wall-hanging embroidered with Porcupine quills of every colour." And it was so, for when she got up the Elk skins were changed into a beautiful hanging, which she fastened behind her brother's bed. Then she folded three more skins, and sat on them, and wished for an embroidered hanging for her bed, and she got it. After that she did the same to more skins, and wished for an embroidered and ornamented blanket, and she gave that to the old Wolf. Well, after seven days it snowed again, and when the boy got up to make the fire, he looked out and saw the snow over all the land. And what was his surprise to see great herds of Buffalo near by. The whole snow was black with them. He waked his sister, and bade her get up, but she said: "What can I do? You have broken my sleep. Let me sleep longer." "My Grandchild," called the old Wolf, "get up and look at the Buffalo." So she rose, and opened the door, and as soon as she looked at some of the Buffalo, they fell down dead. The boy skinned the animals, and brought in their hides. The girl took one, and folded it three times, saying, "I wish this to become a robe with bird ornaments." Then it became an embroidered robe, and she gave it to her brother. Then she took another skin and did the same, saying, "I wish this to be a painted robe for myself." And it turned into a robe; and when she spread it out the painting was seen bright and beautiful. Then she took another skin, and, in the same manner, made it a robe with red and yellow embroidery at the four corners, and eight lines of embroidery across it, and between them black lines painted with charcoal. This she gave to the old Wolf. After that she made three pillows for the beds. On the one for her brother was the picture of an animal embroidered in yellow quills. The eye was dark with yellow quills around it. On the throat were a hundred bars of yellow quills. The ear was a yellow cross of quill-work. The head was round, and the tail and nose were bars of yellow quills. All around the edge of the pillow were fifty bars of yellow quills. The pillow for the girl was white, embroidered with an animal made of black and white bars of quill-work; while the pillow for the old Wolf was very beautiful, embroidered with red and yellow quills. Well, after seven days it snowed again, and when the boy got up in the morning to make the fire, he looked out and saw the snow covering the land. And what was his surprise to see more herds of Elk near by. The snow was yellow with them. He called his sister, and the old Wolf bade her rise and look at the animals, and she did. Immediately some of them fell down dead. Then as before, the girl folded, and sat on their skins, and wished for a fine hunting-shirt for her brother, embroidered in circles of red and yellow quills, with fringes along the edge, and tufts of long hair hanging between the fringes. Then she wished for leggings for him, and a pair of moccasins embroidered with birds. For herself she wished for a woman's dress handsomely embroidered, and with four rows of fringes, also for leggings and moccasins. As the old Wolf could not wear clothes, she of course did not wish for any garment for him. Then the boy said, "I wish I could have for a Dog a Panther of yellow colour with white sides." His sister went outside the tent, and called, "Come, Panther of yellow colour with white sides!" And immediately the Panther came walking through the timber, slowly twisting his tail. He entered the tent, and lay down by the boy, and put his head on the boy's knee. Then the boy said, "I wish you could have for a Dog a Bear with white streaks down his fore legs, and whose claws are white with black streaks." So his sister went outside the tent, and called, "Come, Bear with white streaks down your fore legs, and with claws white with black streaks." And immediately the Bear came pacing through the timber, and sat down at the foot of the girl's bed. After that the brother and sister lived very happily with the old Wolf, the Panther, and the Bear. They had plenty to eat, for the dried meat was piled up before the door of the tent, and there was meat still hanging from the trees. One day two Indians from the tribe that had deserted the children, happened to be hunting by the streams, and they saw the handsome tent in the timber. They went toward it, and, lo, there were the boy and girl beautifully dressed; while on one side of the tent sat the Panther, and on the other side the Bear, and the old Wolf was lying just in front of the door. Well, when the animals saw the men, the old Wolf rose up growling, the Panther crouched to spring, and the Bear stiffened his hair. The men were very much frightened, but the boy told the animals to lie down, and he invited the men into the tent. The girl bade them be seated, and gave them pemmican in wooden bowls. Now the men saw the wonderful tent and all its fine furnishings, and they looked at the great pile of dried meat before the door, and said to the children that they would return at once to the tribe, and tell the people to come and see them. But the girl said that if they came, they must camp down by the streams, and not approach the tent, or the animals would kill them. So the men went back to the people, and the tribe came to the streams, and made their camp. And though they could see the beautiful tent in the distance, they dared not approach it for fear of the animals. But the brother and sister gave some of their meat to the people, and after that the two continued to live happily in their tent, guarded by the faithful old Wolf, the Panther, and the Bear. |
2023.05.29 23:14 kevien12 Alathra: New Frontiers 1.19+ [semi-vanilla] {Worldbuilding} {Geopolitical} {Light Roleplay}
Alathra: New Frontiers
A Worldbuilding, Geopolitical, Light Roleplay Server.
IP: play.alathramc.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/wfdNAYQv
Website: https://alathramc.com/index.htm
Alathra is one of the top searched and played world building server in the world! Maybe you are looking to join one of the grand towns and nations across Alathra. Maybe you want to start your own in undeveloped land. Perhaps your goal is to master trade and become a wealthy merchant. What about starting your own player-run guild, or starting a new religion? Maybe you just want to be a hermit and live alone on a mountain.
All of this is possible on Alathra because here players tell the story. Alathra is full of characters, nations, cultures, and organizations. Many battles and wars have been fought. There are heroes, there are villains, and plenty that fall somewhere in between. Will you make your mark on the history of Alathra? Start your journey today!
Key Features
Towny
Create towns and cities with your friends or join an existing one. With Towny you can claim areas to build safely and store your items. Start a large nation with sprawling cities or create a small farming village. The sky is the limit!
Lore, RP & Worldbuilding
One of the key gameplay aspects of Alathra is its lore, roleplay (RP) and geopolitics. The community is constantly creating captivating lore and RP including player-run organizations, events, and religions, as well as conflicts and wars. In Alathra you can create your own unique story, which is bound to intertwine with the stories of others.
Custom World
The map of Alathra is completely custom, designed from scratch using a combination of tools to encourage exploration trade and geopolitics. The world consists of continents separated by oceans and is divided into four temperature zones. Along with enhancements to vanilla biomes, the map also includes many new biomes such as red sand deserts, tropical beaches, calcite mountains, giant spruce forests, mangrove islands, prairies, steppes and more! There are also landmarks that can be found throughout the map including volcanoes, salt flats and underground rivers.
Custom Plugins
Alathra has its own dedicated team of developers who are consistently develop new plugins and features that give Alathra a unique feel that we guarantee you won't find on other servers. Some examples include lockpicking, a custom war system, character cards, medieval weapons, a fast travel port system, regional resources and so much more!
Movecraft
Movecraft is a plugin that allows you to create moveable ships, from small fishing boats to large Man o' Wars! Fill your ships with chests for trade or line them with cannons for war. The version of Movecraft Alathra uses is also specifically written and configured to allow for naval combat.
Brewing
The Brewery plugin allows you to create many different interesting brews as well as the many custom brews that have been made by players. Become your town's barkeeper! Experiment to see how many of hundreds of custom brews you can discover.
submitted by kevien12 to mcservers [link] [comments]
A Worldbuilding, Geopolitical, Light Roleplay Server.
IP: play.alathramc.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/wfdNAYQv
Website: https://alathramc.com/index.htm
Alathra is one of the top searched and played world building server in the world! Maybe you are looking to join one of the grand towns and nations across Alathra. Maybe you want to start your own in undeveloped land. Perhaps your goal is to master trade and become a wealthy merchant. What about starting your own player-run guild, or starting a new religion? Maybe you just want to be a hermit and live alone on a mountain.
All of this is possible on Alathra because here players tell the story. Alathra is full of characters, nations, cultures, and organizations. Many battles and wars have been fought. There are heroes, there are villains, and plenty that fall somewhere in between. Will you make your mark on the history of Alathra? Start your journey today!
Key Features
Towny
Create towns and cities with your friends or join an existing one. With Towny you can claim areas to build safely and store your items. Start a large nation with sprawling cities or create a small farming village. The sky is the limit!
Lore, RP & Worldbuilding
One of the key gameplay aspects of Alathra is its lore, roleplay (RP) and geopolitics. The community is constantly creating captivating lore and RP including player-run organizations, events, and religions, as well as conflicts and wars. In Alathra you can create your own unique story, which is bound to intertwine with the stories of others.
Custom World
The map of Alathra is completely custom, designed from scratch using a combination of tools to encourage exploration trade and geopolitics. The world consists of continents separated by oceans and is divided into four temperature zones. Along with enhancements to vanilla biomes, the map also includes many new biomes such as red sand deserts, tropical beaches, calcite mountains, giant spruce forests, mangrove islands, prairies, steppes and more! There are also landmarks that can be found throughout the map including volcanoes, salt flats and underground rivers.
Custom Plugins
Alathra has its own dedicated team of developers who are consistently develop new plugins and features that give Alathra a unique feel that we guarantee you won't find on other servers. Some examples include lockpicking, a custom war system, character cards, medieval weapons, a fast travel port system, regional resources and so much more!
Movecraft
Movecraft is a plugin that allows you to create moveable ships, from small fishing boats to large Man o' Wars! Fill your ships with chests for trade or line them with cannons for war. The version of Movecraft Alathra uses is also specifically written and configured to allow for naval combat.
Brewing
The Brewery plugin allows you to create many different interesting brews as well as the many custom brews that have been made by players. Become your town's barkeeper! Experiment to see how many of hundreds of custom brews you can discover.
2023.05.29 23:08 Dragonfly_312 Mini Desert house. And yeah I know I put a lot of torches but whatever :p
 | submitted by Dragonfly_312 to Terraria [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 23:02 RemoteWilling sky ui coverage fix
 | submitted by RemoteWilling to skyrim [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 23:02 jaiferper 1930 Star Map by Elizabeth Shurtleff
 | submitted by jaiferper to MapPorn [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 22:50 London-Roma-1980 NON CONFERENCE MATCHDAY 10 RESULTS
Strap in, everyone, because we have a long road ahead of us. In addition to the NINE games between Top 25 teams, FOUR upsets happened. That's right, the Top 25 was below .500 in its entirety today. So let's see how they did it.
*****
#1 UCLA 90, #9 Syracuse 79. The key to beating a 2-3 zone is to shoot over it. Fortunately for the Bruins, they can.
Reggie Miller had 25 points and led an onslaught that included 13 three-pointers as the Bruins (10-0) took out the Orange (8-2) to maintain their winning streak, now at 47 games and counting.
"The shots were falling tonight," Miller said after the game. "We got what we wanted in terms of looks, and we got them to go in."
In addition to Miller's 5 three-pointers, Russell Westbrook had 3, Kiki Vandeweghe had 2, and Gail Goodrich, Kevin Love, and Jrue Holiday each had one. Syracuse, for their part, shot well, with Carmelo Anthony hitting six threes on his own to get to 22 total points, but it wasn't enough.
"They're #1 for a reason," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said.
#8 Michigan 68, #4 Duke 61. The Power Five have been cracked.
Michigan's defense held Duke to 29% shooting and Juwan Howard led the way with 16 points as the Wolverines (9-1) stunned the Blue Devils (8-2) before a court-storming crowd at Michigan Court.
"This is why you play the game," Howard said amidst a crowd of fans. "We shook up the world tonight. We wanted this one. You beat Duke, you've done good!"
Grant Hill led the Devils with 13 points, but the entire team struggled.
"We were cold tonight," Hill said. "Props to Michigan; their defense smothered us. Not much you can do."
#3 Kentucky 67, #2 North Carolina 64. Who do you call on when you have everyone? Someone's bound to be open, and such was the case here.
Louie Dampier found Devin Booker in the corner as time expired, and the Wildcats (9-1) stunned the Tar Heels (8-2) to send them to their second last-second defeat of the non-conference season.
"We ran a pick and roll off the ball to get [Michael] Jordan off of me and get me open," Booker said, recounting the final play. "Louie knew where I was, he got the pass off after driving for the double... everything just fell into place."
Both teams turned up the defense in this one. Dan Issel led Kentucky with 15 points, while Jordan led North Carolina with 13. Outside shooting was particularly hard to go by, as Booker's winner was only the fifth three-pointer of the game combined.
"We did almost everything right," Tar Heels coach Dean Smith said after the game. "Almost."
#5 Kansas 75, #14 Arizona 59. The top teams have shown anyone can step up at any time. Kansas proved it tonight.
Kirk Hinrich caught fire, getting 20 points with five three-pointers, as the Jayhawks (9-1) knocked off the Wildcats (7-3) to produce a potential future matchup with Kentucky.
"We've been seeing how other teams have done," Hinrich said. "It's important we keep winning. We want that last one seed when the dust settles."
Mike Bibby had 15 points, but also committed 8 turnovers as JoJo White's defense proved to be too much for him.
"I had a bad day," Bibby admitted. "This loss is on me."
Arkansas 90, #23 Iowa 83. Are they going to be ranked now? It's not certain what else has to be done.
Joe Johnson went off for 24 points and the full-court pressure held Fred Brown to 5 points as the Razorbacks (8-2) pulled off their second straight top-25 upset, this time knocking off the Hawkeyes (7-3).
"We're just going to keep playing the way we're capable of and we'll be in good shape," Johnson said. "We got off to a slow start, but now we're showing the world what we're capable of."
Don Nelson led the Hawkeyes with 18 points.
#12 Connecticut 92, #21 Alabama 80. A quick rise to the top by the Tide made people wonder if the SEC would have a wild race. Now, it looks like this Tide is receding.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Huskies (8-2) to a big road win over the Tide (7-3) that may solidify them as favorites in the Big East.
"We had an advantage inside, and we knew we could use it," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. "We needed this win, you know? A chance to show the Big East still goes through us."
Alabama attempted to turn up the pace against the big men of Connecticut, but Kemba Walker and Ray Allen were able to break the press on offense. On defense, super sub Richard Hamilton helped slow down the opposition, getting 4 steals in the second half.
Latrell Sprewell led the Tide with 18 points.
#9 Notre Dame 67, #17 DePaul 65, OT. Most of the game was a battle inside. But it was outside shooting from a very unlikely source that won the game.
John Paxson hit two three-pointers late in overtime to lead the Fighting Irish (8-2) to an overtime victory over the Blue Demons (7-3).
"All of our players can contribute," coach Digger Phelps told reporters after the game. "We hear a lot about Adrian Dantley and Bill Laimbeer, but we're a team of stars. We feel we can beat anyone."
With the game tied at 58 nearing the end of regulation, George Mikan looked to have won the game with a hook shot. However, before he could shoot, he was whistled for a three-second violation. Paxson's heroics in overtime then meant the difference.
"I lost track of time," a dejected Mikan said in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Blue Demon fans."
#25 Illinois 66, #19 Georgetown 56. Illinois coach Lou Henson wanted to focus on defense as much as offense. It's safe to say his team was ready to respond.
A focused effort held Allen Iverson scoreless on the day as the Illini (8-2) stunned the Hoyas (7-3) in a defensive struggle with neither team able to get open shots most of the day.
"That's what I was hoping for," Henson said after the game. "We wanted to get our defensive strength before we faced teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota... I think today we showed we can win ugly as well as win beautifully."
Derek Harper, who led all scorers with 17 points, was the primary responsibility, but Iverson found himself constantly double-teamed with Donnie Freeman and Deron Williams. While Iverson did wind up with 9 assists, the shutout clearly bothered him, as he picked up a late technical foul arguing a no-call.
"We need to work on getting Allen involved more," Hoyas coach John Thompson admitted. "You can't just win inside in this game."
Cincinnati 81, #18 LSU 60. Maybe the adjustment from the AAC to the Big XII will be easier than we were led to believe.
Oscar Robertson had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Jack Twyman had 21 points as the Bearcats (8-2) stunned everyone by trouncing the Tigers (7-3) in front of the Cats' home fans.
"That was an incredible win," Bearcats coach Ed Jucker said after the game. "They kept talking about their starting five, but today we showed you need a lot of depth to get anywhere. We got that depth and we got a chance to win it all. I hope Kansas is paying attention -- they're not sweeping us this season."
Defense also proved to be a big deal. Robertson and Nick Van Exel constantly switched off on Pete Maravich, holding the scoring machine to only 8 points on the day. Bob Pettit was able to take some advantage to score 17 points, but the Tigers had no help from the bench, as the Cats' bench outscored the Tigers' reserves 21-3.
"Gotta be more than the first five," center Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "We can only do so much and if one of us is in trouble, we gotta get stepping up."
#15 Southern Cal 78, #16 Maryland 55. Don't sleep on the Trojans now. When they're going against teams in the second and third tier, they are deadly.
Bill Sharman led all scorers with 24 points as the Trojans (8-2) steamrolled the Terrapins (7-3) to make a statement about their goals for this season.
"We think we can steal a Final Four spot," coach Sam Barry said after the game. "Today proved we have the talent to do it. If the shots fall, we can beat anyone."
Gene Shue led the Terrapins with 13 points.
#6 Michigan State 61, #13 Texas 60. The Longhorns seem to be willing to live and die by Kevin Durant. The Spartans knew it when it mattered.
Draymond Green knocked away a pass intended for Durant on the final play of the game to preserve a victory for the Spartans (8-2) over the Longhorns (7-3) on the road in a critical matchup.
"We saw where they were going, we knew they had one big star and if we denied him, we didn't think anyone else could step up," Green said after the game. "I know how to beat Durant, we know how to win the game, and we're just that good."
Magic Johnson had 14 points and 7 assists to lead the Spartans. Durant, for his part, led all scorers with 21 points, but couldn't get the last two, as Avery Bradley's inbound was knocked away.
"Close isn't good enough in crunch time," Durant said to reporters.
NC State 74, #20 Minnesota 65. Last year, the Wolfpack were controversially sent to the NIT despite going 18-14 in the toughest schedule in the country. If they keep winning, they may take it out of the committee's hands when all is said and done.
JJ Hickson had 5 blocks of Kevin McHale on the day and David Thompson scored 20 as the Wolfpack (8-2) stunned the Golden Gophers (7-3) to pick up a road win.
"We deserve to be ranked, and we deserve to be in the [NIBL] tournament," Thompson said after the game. "We've said all year our goal is to be undeniable. If we qualify for selection, we're going to make sure they have to take us. That means winning a lot in non-con, and that's what we're doing."
With Thompson driving and causing collapses of the defense, the outside shooters also had their chances. Spud Webb and Tom Gugliotta hit three three-pointers each over the Gopher defense.
"This was a bad day," said McHale, who despite being blocked led the Gophers with 14 points.
Villanova 79, #24 UNLV 78. Villanova likes to play slower, while UNLV likes to speed it up. Villanova, it turned out, did just enough to keep the Rebels from getting the win.
Randy Foye had 20 points and Kyle Lowry blocked Ricky Sobers' last second putback attempt as the Wildcats (8-2) held off the Runnin' Rebels (6-4) to most likely knock the last mid-major out of the Top 25.
"Our backcourt carried this one," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game. "We wanted to show that Paul [Arizin] had backup, and that's what we were able to get. Everyone played their role, and we kept this team -- a very good offensive team -- to just enough to take the win.
On the final play, Sobers inbounded to leading scorer Shawn Marion (18 points). His three pointer was off the mark, and in the scramble, Sobers got the loose ball. He tried a quick shot to beat the horn, but Lowry was ready.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED
submitted by London-Roma-1980 to BestOfDivI [link] [comments]
*****
#1 UCLA 90, #9 Syracuse 79. The key to beating a 2-3 zone is to shoot over it. Fortunately for the Bruins, they can.
Reggie Miller had 25 points and led an onslaught that included 13 three-pointers as the Bruins (10-0) took out the Orange (8-2) to maintain their winning streak, now at 47 games and counting.
"The shots were falling tonight," Miller said after the game. "We got what we wanted in terms of looks, and we got them to go in."
In addition to Miller's 5 three-pointers, Russell Westbrook had 3, Kiki Vandeweghe had 2, and Gail Goodrich, Kevin Love, and Jrue Holiday each had one. Syracuse, for their part, shot well, with Carmelo Anthony hitting six threes on his own to get to 22 total points, but it wasn't enough.
"They're #1 for a reason," Orange coach Jim Boeheim said.
#8 Michigan 68, #4 Duke 61. The Power Five have been cracked.
Michigan's defense held Duke to 29% shooting and Juwan Howard led the way with 16 points as the Wolverines (9-1) stunned the Blue Devils (8-2) before a court-storming crowd at Michigan Court.
"This is why you play the game," Howard said amidst a crowd of fans. "We shook up the world tonight. We wanted this one. You beat Duke, you've done good!"
Grant Hill led the Devils with 13 points, but the entire team struggled.
"We were cold tonight," Hill said. "Props to Michigan; their defense smothered us. Not much you can do."
#3 Kentucky 67, #2 North Carolina 64. Who do you call on when you have everyone? Someone's bound to be open, and such was the case here.
Louie Dampier found Devin Booker in the corner as time expired, and the Wildcats (9-1) stunned the Tar Heels (8-2) to send them to their second last-second defeat of the non-conference season.
"We ran a pick and roll off the ball to get [Michael] Jordan off of me and get me open," Booker said, recounting the final play. "Louie knew where I was, he got the pass off after driving for the double... everything just fell into place."
Both teams turned up the defense in this one. Dan Issel led Kentucky with 15 points, while Jordan led North Carolina with 13. Outside shooting was particularly hard to go by, as Booker's winner was only the fifth three-pointer of the game combined.
"We did almost everything right," Tar Heels coach Dean Smith said after the game. "Almost."
#5 Kansas 75, #14 Arizona 59. The top teams have shown anyone can step up at any time. Kansas proved it tonight.
Kirk Hinrich caught fire, getting 20 points with five three-pointers, as the Jayhawks (9-1) knocked off the Wildcats (7-3) to produce a potential future matchup with Kentucky.
"We've been seeing how other teams have done," Hinrich said. "It's important we keep winning. We want that last one seed when the dust settles."
Mike Bibby had 15 points, but also committed 8 turnovers as JoJo White's defense proved to be too much for him.
"I had a bad day," Bibby admitted. "This loss is on me."
Arkansas 90, #23 Iowa 83. Are they going to be ranked now? It's not certain what else has to be done.
Joe Johnson went off for 24 points and the full-court pressure held Fred Brown to 5 points as the Razorbacks (8-2) pulled off their second straight top-25 upset, this time knocking off the Hawkeyes (7-3).
"We're just going to keep playing the way we're capable of and we'll be in good shape," Johnson said. "We got off to a slow start, but now we're showing the world what we're capable of."
Don Nelson led the Hawkeyes with 18 points.
#12 Connecticut 92, #21 Alabama 80. A quick rise to the top by the Tide made people wonder if the SEC would have a wild race. Now, it looks like this Tide is receding.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Huskies (8-2) to a big road win over the Tide (7-3) that may solidify them as favorites in the Big East.
"We had an advantage inside, and we knew we could use it," Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. "We needed this win, you know? A chance to show the Big East still goes through us."
Alabama attempted to turn up the pace against the big men of Connecticut, but Kemba Walker and Ray Allen were able to break the press on offense. On defense, super sub Richard Hamilton helped slow down the opposition, getting 4 steals in the second half.
Latrell Sprewell led the Tide with 18 points.
#9 Notre Dame 67, #17 DePaul 65, OT. Most of the game was a battle inside. But it was outside shooting from a very unlikely source that won the game.
John Paxson hit two three-pointers late in overtime to lead the Fighting Irish (8-2) to an overtime victory over the Blue Demons (7-3).
"All of our players can contribute," coach Digger Phelps told reporters after the game. "We hear a lot about Adrian Dantley and Bill Laimbeer, but we're a team of stars. We feel we can beat anyone."
With the game tied at 58 nearing the end of regulation, George Mikan looked to have won the game with a hook shot. However, before he could shoot, he was whistled for a three-second violation. Paxson's heroics in overtime then meant the difference.
"I lost track of time," a dejected Mikan said in the locker room. "I'm sorry, Blue Demon fans."
#25 Illinois 66, #19 Georgetown 56. Illinois coach Lou Henson wanted to focus on defense as much as offense. It's safe to say his team was ready to respond.
A focused effort held Allen Iverson scoreless on the day as the Illini (8-2) stunned the Hoyas (7-3) in a defensive struggle with neither team able to get open shots most of the day.
"That's what I was hoping for," Henson said after the game. "We wanted to get our defensive strength before we faced teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota... I think today we showed we can win ugly as well as win beautifully."
Derek Harper, who led all scorers with 17 points, was the primary responsibility, but Iverson found himself constantly double-teamed with Donnie Freeman and Deron Williams. While Iverson did wind up with 9 assists, the shutout clearly bothered him, as he picked up a late technical foul arguing a no-call.
"We need to work on getting Allen involved more," Hoyas coach John Thompson admitted. "You can't just win inside in this game."
Cincinnati 81, #18 LSU 60. Maybe the adjustment from the AAC to the Big XII will be easier than we were led to believe.
Oscar Robertson had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Jack Twyman had 21 points as the Bearcats (8-2) stunned everyone by trouncing the Tigers (7-3) in front of the Cats' home fans.
"That was an incredible win," Bearcats coach Ed Jucker said after the game. "They kept talking about their starting five, but today we showed you need a lot of depth to get anywhere. We got that depth and we got a chance to win it all. I hope Kansas is paying attention -- they're not sweeping us this season."
Defense also proved to be a big deal. Robertson and Nick Van Exel constantly switched off on Pete Maravich, holding the scoring machine to only 8 points on the day. Bob Pettit was able to take some advantage to score 17 points, but the Tigers had no help from the bench, as the Cats' bench outscored the Tigers' reserves 21-3.
"Gotta be more than the first five," center Shaquille O'Neal said after the game. "We can only do so much and if one of us is in trouble, we gotta get stepping up."
#15 Southern Cal 78, #16 Maryland 55. Don't sleep on the Trojans now. When they're going against teams in the second and third tier, they are deadly.
Bill Sharman led all scorers with 24 points as the Trojans (8-2) steamrolled the Terrapins (7-3) to make a statement about their goals for this season.
"We think we can steal a Final Four spot," coach Sam Barry said after the game. "Today proved we have the talent to do it. If the shots fall, we can beat anyone."
Gene Shue led the Terrapins with 13 points.
#6 Michigan State 61, #13 Texas 60. The Longhorns seem to be willing to live and die by Kevin Durant. The Spartans knew it when it mattered.
Draymond Green knocked away a pass intended for Durant on the final play of the game to preserve a victory for the Spartans (8-2) over the Longhorns (7-3) on the road in a critical matchup.
"We saw where they were going, we knew they had one big star and if we denied him, we didn't think anyone else could step up," Green said after the game. "I know how to beat Durant, we know how to win the game, and we're just that good."
Magic Johnson had 14 points and 7 assists to lead the Spartans. Durant, for his part, led all scorers with 21 points, but couldn't get the last two, as Avery Bradley's inbound was knocked away.
"Close isn't good enough in crunch time," Durant said to reporters.
NC State 74, #20 Minnesota 65. Last year, the Wolfpack were controversially sent to the NIT despite going 18-14 in the toughest schedule in the country. If they keep winning, they may take it out of the committee's hands when all is said and done.
JJ Hickson had 5 blocks of Kevin McHale on the day and David Thompson scored 20 as the Wolfpack (8-2) stunned the Golden Gophers (7-3) to pick up a road win.
"We deserve to be ranked, and we deserve to be in the [NIBL] tournament," Thompson said after the game. "We've said all year our goal is to be undeniable. If we qualify for selection, we're going to make sure they have to take us. That means winning a lot in non-con, and that's what we're doing."
With Thompson driving and causing collapses of the defense, the outside shooters also had their chances. Spud Webb and Tom Gugliotta hit three three-pointers each over the Gopher defense.
"This was a bad day," said McHale, who despite being blocked led the Gophers with 14 points.
Villanova 79, #24 UNLV 78. Villanova likes to play slower, while UNLV likes to speed it up. Villanova, it turned out, did just enough to keep the Rebels from getting the win.
Randy Foye had 20 points and Kyle Lowry blocked Ricky Sobers' last second putback attempt as the Wildcats (8-2) held off the Runnin' Rebels (6-4) to most likely knock the last mid-major out of the Top 25.
"Our backcourt carried this one," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game. "We wanted to show that Paul [Arizin] had backup, and that's what we were able to get. Everyone played their role, and we kept this team -- a very good offensive team -- to just enough to take the win.
On the final play, Sobers inbounded to leading scorer Shawn Marion (18 points). His three pointer was off the mark, and in the scramble, Sobers got the loose ball. He tried a quick shot to beat the horn, but Lowry was ready.
*****
HOW THE TOP 25 FARED
- UCLA 90, 7. Syracuse 79
- North Carolina 64, 3. Kentucky 67
- Kentucky 67, 2. North Carolina 64
- Duke 61, 8. Michigan 68
- Kansas 75, 14. Arizona 59
- Michigan State 61, 13. Texas 60
- Syracuse 79, 1. UCLA 90
- Michigan 68, 4. Duke 61
- Notre Dame 67, 17. DePaul 65, OT
- Indiana 83, Louisiana Tech 57
- Ohio State 87, Saint John's 59
- Connecticut 92, 21. Alabama 80
- Texas 60, 6. Michigan State 61
- Arizona 59, 5. Kansas 75
- Southern Cal 78, 16. Maryland 55
- Maryland 55, 15. Southern Cal 78
- DePaul 65, 9. Notre Dame 67, OT
- LSU 60, Cincinnati 81
- Georgetown 56, 25. Illinois 66
- Minnesota 65, NC State 74
- Alabama 80, 12. Connecticut 92
- Florida 63, California 60
- Iowa 83, Arkansas 90
- UNLV 78, Villanova 79
- Illinois 66, 19. Georgetown 56