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rainbowchewynuggets · 2 years ago

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TMA Encore - Epilogue

Georgie: The Wilkinson House–also known as the Floating House or Trespasser House–was built in 1896 in Rodell, Kentucky, USA. Two brothers, Joseph and Mathias Wilkinson, inherited their late father’s coveted plot of land. Unwilling to reach an agreement over the use of the land, the brothers descended into an increasingly ugly feud. Joseph built a house “overnight” to stake his claim, using materials bought at short-sale auctions in a nearby town. Said town was suffering from air and water pollution from newly built factories surrounding the steps of the Appalachian Mountains where it lay. The town as it was slowly dismantled and moved out, and the area has since been named Smog, Kentucky. Fun fact: three of these factories belonged to Wilkinson Sr. It is unclear whether they were included in the will.

Georgie: Joseph contracted tetanus while finishing the house and died soon after. Mathias tried to have the house torn down, but apparently had a change of heart and moved it to the same lot as his own home. His body was found with a broken neck in the attic by a neighbor a few days later.

Georgie: The house was made into a tourist attraction the following year, on account of the shocking tale behind it as well as its eerie creeks and slamming doors–most likely due to the rushed craftsmanship. The story went that Joseph’s ghost had possessed his brother and made him move the house, then killed him in revenge. The attraction was moderately popular up until the Great Depression. It never officially closed, despite additional unexplained deaths on the property and a growing negative reputation. The body count only drew in a steady stream of onlookers, according to tour records.

Georgie: It wasn’t until the spring of 2017 that things began to change. On April 18th, the house was observed to have disappeared from the lot without a trace.

Georgie: Five months later, a house of identical description allegedly appeared on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. A retired entrepreneur reported to local police that it had been placed illegally, as she had bought the island privately several weeks before. Police were ready to dismiss the complaint when they arrived and found nothing. She was adamant that the intrusion had occurred and went on record with a vivid argument she had had with one of the two occupants, who she says had been reading a book written in Spanish on the porch. The other was repairing part of the railing and shot her dirty looks. The complaint was sustained after fresh scratches and paint chips were found in the soil, but the case was otherwise shelved.

Georgie: Surprisingly, the pair of men don’t appear to be the Wilkinsons. The brothers were both Kentucky-born and -bred, white, average height, muscular, and almost hairless. The house’s new occupants were “British-sounding”. One was very thin and short and appeared to be of Indian or Middle-Eastern descent, with silver hair. The other was tall, heavy-set, and white with brown hair.

Georgie: Similar reports would crop up in North, Central, and South America over the next few years and get passed around on Tumblr, Twitter, and Reddit. The house would almost always appear in secluded areas that were off-limits to the public and disappear itself shortly after being found. It was always inhabited by the same two men, with the added consensus that they were married.

Georgie: They were rarely spotted in nearby towns and never spoke with anyone enough for their names to become known. When they were interacted with, they were generally polite--if a little tired or distracted. Otherwise, they were found to be wandering the area around their house together, mending the exterior, reading, or reciting aloud. Even the most invasive person couldn’t attempt to film or approach the house without suffering a migraine or severe paranoia before losing consciousness. The house would be gone when they woke up, and their recording device rendered unusable. But written descriptions match a file photo of the original Wilkinson house. Debate sprung up over whether the two were ghosts, aliens, witches, a made up meme that keeps coming into fashion, or two eccentric recluses who happened to be living in a haunted house and deserved to be left alone.

Georgie: Sightings became more sparse toward 2023. When the couple were encountered, they never responded when spoken to. A reddit user in Mongolia supposedly used their home telescope to take photos through the house’s windows where it sat in a glen behind their apartment. The two men sat still or paced in separate rooms for a few hours. They stopped and came together to talk once. The redditor recorded the conversation through lip reading and concluded that they were arguing in English about “where it was going” or “what we are being”. Their accuracy is disputed. The occupants then began pulling books and papers off of the shelves in every room. The user stepped away for a few minutes and came back to find that all the windows were greyed out. They were unsure if they were covered in smoke or paper. The house stayed for a week in that state before disappearing. This account used to be widely discredited, as it didn’t fit the behavior profile at the time and the photos taken are unreadable. More radical accounts are believed to exist going backward, but have suffered from link decay and regional internet suppression.

Georgie: On May 8th of 2024, an elderly woman living next to a military base in New Mexico told her connected family that there had been a security threat that morning, complete with sirens and troops rushing out with rifles and buggies. Her husband–who works as a janitor there–only alluded to “some kind of prank with an old empty house”. Their grandchildren relayed the story to their mutuals on tumblr, stirring attention in the States again.

Georgie: Following reports of the Floating House usually included some description of a visit by a pair of American “secret service” agents or men in military garb with weapons. The usual couple either answer the door or refuse to come out, and the house is gone within minutes. Similar accounts were made by users in China, Chile, Australia, and Turkiye, but were discounted as the agents were always said to be American. The circumstances of each encounter continued to escalate until it was claimed by a cyclist in Mayak, Russia that there was some kind of standoff between the two sides, followed by a “nuclear” explosion that left nothing behind but the house. The area appeared untouched the next day, but had apparently become irradiated due to previously unaccounted-for material in the soil that had been agitated by construction efforts. A few people were found dead in the area. The cyclist himself had to be treated for burns.

Georgie: From here, it gets a little muddy. Despite a renewed surge in popularity for the Floating House, agreed-upon sightings are very rare for the next two years. It only appears in very sparsely populated areas along the north and south poles and is even faster to disappear. A researcher in Antarctica thought she saw the outline of a roof on the horizon as the sun rose after six months of night, but it was gone a few seconds later. She managed to get a quick drawing of the shape, which will be included in the image links in the description. There are often claims of similar encounters to the American secret agent incident. Sometimes it’s cultists. Sometimes it’s businessmen. Or “werewolves”. Sometimes it’s members of a particular subgroup that also follows the sightings. It all ends the same, with the house as the only thing standing when the dust has cleared. The house’s legend has become so routine, that many accounts are ignored out of hand and highly disputed. Though, it is notable that the inhabitants haven’t been a visible part of the story in several months.

Georgie: Phew. Now, to wrap up our deep-dive on the Floating House, we’re going to hear a first-hand account from just last year.

Napâttuk: Okay. Um, hello. My name is Napâttuk Waska. I saw the house in the woods near my hometown–south of Salluit, Quebec, basically. Almost at the tip. I’m not sure exactly how long it had been there by the time I found it. I practically lived in those woods from birth, but I’d been away at university in Montreal with my partner, Tootega.

Napâttuk: I kind of have to tell you about all that for this to make sense. She had some friends there who were willing to let us stay with them. And it was… it was really bad. Not the friends. I’d just never lived in a big city before, and I wasn’t expecting all the trash and noise and giant ugly buildings. And then, there was a really big forest fire nearby a little while after we got there. We didn’t end up having to evacuate, but smoke came in on the wind for two weeks. I was covered in ash and my eyes hurt by the time I got to class every day. The way the sun came through the smoke made everything look orange and menacing. I tried my best to stick it out because Tega was handling it alright. But I just found myself sitting inside all the time, watching people talk on the news about the new giant ugly buildings they were going to put in the place where the trees were burning down. I had to make myself not freak out every time there was a little change in how the air smelled for the rest of the semester.

Napâttuk: Anyway. By the time we finally went back home after finals, I was desperate to feel normal again. This was December, and it hadn’t really snowed yet–which is very odd. But the weather said snow was coming, so I tried not to let it bother me. I decided to go hiking in a spot I knew about ten miles from town. It’s a bowl surrounded by hills, so it’s hard to get lost. I didn’t make Tega go with me. She hates hiking. But it was fine. It was just like I remembered. I felt great.

Napâttuk: And that’s when I saw it. Just–this house sitting in the middle of the forest. First of all, this is the Low Arctic. We don’t even have a ton of forests. It could have been put anywhere else. Second, this is my forest. I mean, it’s not. But. It was like someone had just dumped the house there and knocked over a bunch of trees, and then left. There were skid marks on the ground, like it had been dragged. It even looked like trash. It’s exactly the same as the picture you showed me, but the windows and roof had been covered up with metal. Most of the wood I could see had bullet holes in it. The paint was almost gone, and the slats were discolored and caked in brown and yellow stuff. Like some kind of glue. The weirdest thing was that it looked… bloated. Have you ever seen wood that’s been left in the water too long, and it gets swollen and bent? It was like that, but something had been pushing at it from the inside at the same time. I could hear it creaking and groaning under its own weight. The whole thing was slanted away from the ruts in the ground, which was also strange. I was too mad to really think about that at the time.

Napâttuk: It reminded me of some of the scary neighborhoods around the university, so I was nervous about getting the attention of anyone inside. But I made myself get over it and marched up to the door. I heard rustling when I knocked, so I knew someone was in there. I–I don’t know what was wrong with me. I tried opening the door. It barely moved, like there was something heavy barricading the other side. I kept pushing on it, and it suddenly swung inward.

Napâttuk: …

Napâttuk: The… the inside was so dark, I didn’t see anything. But I knew that I was staring down into a chasm. I swear. The vertigo almost made me collapse. I jerked backward to avoid losing my balance and took a tumble down the steps of the porch. I was okay, but I still felt myself slipping. I had to cling to the ground to keep from falling into the house. There was nothing to grab onto, and I kept sliding back on the pine needles and loose soil. I slowly crawled my way back into the trees until I could stand. Then, I ran until I was back at my car.

Napâttuk: I told Tega about it, and she said it sounded like the Floating House stuff she’d read about. I had no idea. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, though. She’s much more online than I am. She really likes SCP and things like that. I’m not sure she fully believed me about the falling part, but she and some friends agreed to go back with me. I didn’t want to go too near it again. I just wanted it… reported, I guess.

Napâttuk: The thing is, we couldn’t even find the place where it was. It’s not a huge area. It made Tega more excited, but our friends were pretty annoyed to be dragged into the freezing woods for nothing. I was mortified. I knew where it was, we must have just been circling around it. I cut through another way, and when I turned around, Tega and the others were gone. I kept looking, until I saw that the sun was going down. They weren’t picking up their phones, they didn’t hear me calling them. I decided to just leave and see if they were waiting for me by the car. But then, I couldn’t find the treeline. The trees just went on and on and on. It got hot. I was hot even after I took off my parka. And then, I smelled smoke. It hung in the air all around me and got thicker until I couldn’t see. Ash came off of me in sheets as I waded through it like gritty snow. I couldn’t tell which way the bowl went anymore. I eventually felt something through the ash, but it was hard and flat like concrete. It hurt to walk on. I don’t know, it sounds crazy. I was tired and deprived of oxygen. I don’t remember getting to the road, but I woke up in the medical center in town. One of my neighbors had found me on their way home.

Napâttuk: Tega and the others had gone home without me, apparently? I asked them about what happened, but they wouldn’t talk about it. They keep saying they didn’t find the house, but I think they’re lying. They did say they saw the fire–there really was one. Nobody knows why. Heavy snowfall put it out before it did any real damage. It wasn’t where the house was, and there hasn’t been any word about people finding it. Nothing’s really happened since then, but I had to move to Alberta to get away from the smell of smoke.

Georgie: I see. Do Tega and your friends still live there?

Napâttuk: I’m not sure. They’re mostly her friends, and she and I don’t really talk anymore. The last couple times that we did, she was really agitated about something. I got the sense that we were losing touch because she was busy trying to deal with it. A few months ago, my mom told me she had gotten in trouble for stalking this guy who lived out by the water and had his lights off all the time. Only came out at night. Never had a flashlight. Walked with a cane. I just assumed he was a little blind and sunburned easily. He was always super friendly and chill. But I asked Tega about it, and she said he’d been accused of kidnapping when he lived in Sweden?? Like, kidnapped a whole lot of people??? What????? It’s messed up if it’s true, but then Tega got arrested trying to break into his house with an axe. I just–I can’t believe any of this is happening.

Napâttuk: A while ago, I dove into the Floating House forums to try to make sense of it. I made a bunch of posts about what happened, and people asked all kinds of questions. I was so relieved. I felt like I could actually talk to someone about it. I even put up the coordinates of where I’d seen the house. But lately, my mom says there’s been a lot more tourism at home, and I can’t help wondering if that has something to do with me. I don’t think you can even get to the bowl anymore. The road was closed after some kind of accident. She says people still park up there, though. I… I haven’t thought about going back there before, but… do you think I should?

Georgie: Wh–I–why do you ask?

Napâttuk: You’re the professional. I’m the one who opened it, so maybe I should close it.

Georgie: … I don’t know.

Napâttuk: That’s okay. Sorry… For all I know, it’s not even there anymore. Did you have any other questions?

Georgie: I did see that you took down the locations you’d posted.

Napâttuk: Yeah, it just. It made me nervous. But somebody else probably has them saved and put up somewhere.

Georgie: Hmm. You know, This kind of thing happens all the time. It blows over when something else interesting comes along. And honestly, a lot of these “sightings” are on pretty shaky ground. I wouldn’t worry.

Napâttuk: Right. You’re right.

Georgie: Okay, well, I think that’s about it. Thank you very much for coming on.

Napâttuk: Uh, yeah. No problem. Bye.

————

First

Whoa. Wow. I can’t believe it. That’s it. That’s the end.

I’ve had this fic slowly taking up more and more space in my head since 2020. And now, it’s fully out there! Spiraling off into the internet like the big crazy snake that it is.

I know the process was rocky, but I’m really glad I stuck it out all the way. I learned a whole lot, and I actually feel more sure that making comics is what I want to do than ever (while working out a more sustainable way to do it, of course).

And I’m really grateful to you, if you’ve read the entire thing or just a page. All the comments and reblogs and kind words have been really nice to hear and helped me keep going. Seriously, thank you.

Maybe have a look at my other stuff, if you’re so inclined.

Hoo... anyway.

I need a nap.

Bye. <3

Index

#the magnus archives #mag200 spoilers #magnus pod #tma fancomic #tma encore 17 #tma encore epilogue #georgie barker #melanie king #nappatuk waska #the floating house #trespasser house #not jon #not!jon #not-jon #not martin #not-martin #not!martin #tma encore was a tma fancomic

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ausetkmt · 1 year ago

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https://x.com/Joe__Bassey/status/1701860296493547847?t=z8gLfv41GiIWPQq83c58Ng&s=09

Image: a Moor on sale after the beginning of their fall in Spain. The last expelled Moor was in 1492 CE

THE 'CHURCH' WAS THE DRIVING FORCE OF TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AS MUCH AS ISLAM WAS AT THE HEART OF ARAB SLAVE TRADE

IN 1455 CE, Pope Nicholas V. wrote a Roman bull(romanus pontifex) declaring that all Moors, Saracens and all non-christian blacks were to be sentenced to perpetual slavery and Charged as heretics during the early stages of the 'Inquisitions'. By 1492 CE, the Moors (African Maghrebs and some Arabs) surrendered their castles in Iberian peninsula with Spain claiming most of the Moorish territories and persons of black-skin became the 'property' of Spain. Some escaped back to Africa.

In 1493 CE, another declaration was made by Pope Alexander VI(inter caetera), known as 'doctrine of discovery' which gave rise to the idea of 'discovery' as a concept in Europe. What followed this was noted by Karl Marx thus; "what was good for the europeans was obtained on the expense of untold suffering by the Africans and American Indians... the discovery of gold in the America, the extra patient enslavement and the entombment of the minds of the aboriginal population... the turning of Africa into a commercial warrant for the hunting of black skins, signaled the rosy dawn of the capitalist production". Little wonder, Rev. Richard Furman, President of the S. Carolina Baptist convention in 1823 CE, stated that, " the right of holding slaves is clearly established in the holy scriptures, both by precepts and by example ". He was a slave owner. "I draw my warrant from the Scripture of the old and new testaments to hold slaves in bondage" -Rev. Thomas Witherspoon of the Presbyterian church of Alabama, in a letter to 'the emancipator' in 1839 CE. These 'justifications' were stated by many churchmen and women, drawing from the Judeo-Christian Bible.

The revered book of the Mohammedans, the Qur'an, which was written in the 8th/9th century CE, by those who took over from the Nabataean, also indicated in many verses that slavery was 'just'. But in this case, it was often Stated that the followers of the Islamic ideology were to by loving and gentle among themselves but to "fight them[non-followers of the ideology] and allah will punish him by your hands" (Quran 9:14, 15) and that "allah will strike terror unto the unbelievers(Q. 8:60)... and until they pay gizya(Q. 9:29). 'Gizya' was supposed to be an Islamic tax, targeted at the non-followers of the ideology, even if they are not enslaved but if their lands are taken over by followers of the Islamic ideology.

Following several injunctions in the Arabian Quran, the Mohammedans in Iberia had sought to control the situation: "anyone who is known to be from those lands which are known to be lands of Islam should be let go and should be adjudged free. This is the ruling of the jurist of Andalusia "-( Al Umari, 14th cen. Arab historian. But for all else, slavery was allowed.

This was the ugly web that Africa was caught in, in the 7th cen. CE and the 15th cen. CE. And in this way, many Africans became Mohammedans for convenience, especially the Garamantes(an ancient black skinned people with kinky hair), of north Africa, who joined forces with the Islamizing Arabs, whom together went in and took over Iberia in 711CE.

According to Dr. Josef Ben Jochannan, " Africa took-in both the hook, the line and sinker" and that had stretched to this very day. Africans born into this just 'follow the followers', sometimes, even somewhat blindfolded.

#THE 'CHURCH' WAS THE DRIVING FORCE OF TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE AS MUCH AS ISLAM WAS AT THE HEART OF ARAB SLAVE TRADE

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jodilin65 · 22 years ago

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SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2002 I’m so psyched over the fact that April’s less than 24 hours away! Finally!!! April’s gonna be a fun month. We’re going to a department store for the first time in ages, I’m ordering another doll, and of course, the best part will be sending Teddy Bear her letter. He’s supposedly going to get paneling for the sheds, ceiling fans for the den and living room, shades for the bath and retreat, but I’ll believe it when I see it. As for the fences, plants, garage, porches, pool - I’ve given up. I don’t see any of that happening this year. God’s not gonna let me lock the cheeks out anyway, or else he wouldn’t have bothered to sic the freeloaders and their pig pal on me in the first place. I’m sure we won’t get fences till right around the end of the probation.

Those cheeks could come this week. I have another theory as to why he came twice in January. Maybe a lot of people on probation feel that a new year should bring about a new address as well. And all without telling their POs. Maybe it’s a New Year’s resolution thing for a lot of probationers.

The mice drive me absolutely crazy with their drinking. It’s non-stop! The things drink 4 times as much as the rats do and it makes no sense. How can such tiny creatures need so much water?

For about a week or two, I’ve noticed that my metabolism has been faster. I don’t know what’s speeded it up, though. I’m not really doing anything different than I have been over the last few months, though I have been eating more vegetables. There have been days when I’ve had 2000 calories and woke up a pound lighter the next day. I haven’t done that as often as I have lately since I smoked.

Later…

Another pound bites the dust. I’m now 117 and I’m sure this means I have to be stuck today. I’ve decided to get down to 110 and leave it at that. Just 7 more pounds! Maintaining is so much easier than losing! However, I must admit that trying to maintain 124 pounds would be easier than trying to maintain 110 pounds at my age.

I wonder what’s speeded up my metabolism all of a sudden, and why it took so long?

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2002 And now it’s the weekend when my life belongs to me. Actually, I got it back temporarily today, since Scot was in Casa Grande all day. Anyway, I get to keep my life till I have to give it back to the piggies and the bummies on Monday at around 10 AM.

I’ve been doing the major cleaning I do every 3 months where I do extra things like blinds, tops of doorways, etc., but I think I’ll take a day off from both cleaning and working out to just veg out in front of the TV, do some reading and writing, and maybe a little proofreading and singing.

Some of the babies are beginning to open their eyes.

Paradise Galleries just got a slew of new dolls. They get new dolls more often than Ashton-Drake did. Anyway, there’s a $40 Indian doll with floor-length hair that I like and a $40 Arabian doll with a colorful outfit. I think I’ll get her at some point. Her name’s Murganah. They’re both 20” dolls.

I’d say they’re probably getting ready to haul something in across the street. I slept all day today, so if anything went on over there, I don’t know. Yesterday, though, just as the sun was setting, I saw a white pickup over there, which fortunately wasn’t George’s, and someone appeared to be raking something. I couldn’t see them from the waist down, so neither Tom nor myself could say for sure what they were doing. But they weren’t anywhere near the for-sale sign. The sign is on the north side of the lot. They were working on the south side. So, it could be, depending on how the lot is split, that they were working on a section that wasn’t even for sale. Only time will tell. I just hope to hell that whatever gets hauled in is something that’s new and something that’s owned. Rented garbage won’t get us anywhere.

In just a few hours there’ll be just 30 days left till I can mail the letter. Oh, how I wish Teddy Bear would call between now and then, joking about it already being a year, just like she used to play with me by deliberately guessing wrong how many days I had left in jail! I don’t expect it’ll happen, though, and when I do see her, I don’t expect it’ll be till the first or second week in May.

Nor do I expect a response from Pérez, but oh, how I so do wish I could get something! Email would be nice, but I’d prefer something a bit more tangible than that like a card or a letter. Even just a postcard would do. If she hasn’t been on vacation or had the last two days off, she should’ve gotten my letter by now.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2002 The babies are two weeks old today. Now that I can see their colors/markings quite clearly, I freed the 4 dullest ones. Tom wasn’t happy to learn I did this, saying he was developing a rapport with the pet store, etc. I reminded him that I don’t want to keep Lady, who’s just too timid, so he can bring her to them, along with those of Little Buddy’s babies that we don’t keep.

If he still thinks we’re going to do business with any pet store, he’s dreaming. No one wants a private breeder breeding from their homes. They use businesses geared towards breeding animals.

He’s still sick and I’m still ok. I’m virtually positive I won’t catch what he’s got.

The shorts now fit, though I don’t know why. I’m still 119 pounds. They don’t fit comfortably enough, though. I’d still like to get down to 115, then I’ll quit and just maintain that.

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2002 Tom has a cold right now. Now that I’m home, sleeping well, taking vitamins and not around hundreds of sick people, I shouldn’t get it myself. If I can just stay home, I should be alright. I still get so paranoid about that. First there were camps, then came the funny farms and other places, then the shitty apartments, then the Phoenix house, then jail. Well, mark my words - I am not going to be stuck anyplace I don’t want to be ever again!

They’re going to be ordering Tom a pager at work, and the cool thing about it will be that we’ll be able to send each other emails with it.

The babies are walking a little now, but their eyes still aren’t open.

One of the mice got beat up and looks about ready to drop. I hope not cuz it’s one of the best-looking ones, and I’d like to keep my mouse count up till the bear makes her selections.

I began the serious, top-to-bottom cleaning I do every 3 months. Today I did his bath and the utility. Tomorrow, I’ll do the den and his room, then the kitchen, then my office, then the dining and living area, then my room and retreat, then my bath. I’ll work down from one end of the house to the other over the next week.

No cheeks yet this week, though it’s only Monday. I expect him more like next week or the week after that, anyway, but you never know. I decided that anytime I’m up, even though it’s completely asinine to see someone so often over a letter, I’ll just play form with him. That way, I don’t end up ignoring him twice in a row if I’m asleep the next time he comes. I don’t want him getting paranoid and doing anything stupid about it that’ll cause trouble for the both of us. Especially with Tom’s car present. The whole ordeal takes less than two minutes, anyway.

When I came across an old pair of denim shorts the other day, I decided once again to lose weight so I can wear them, cuz denim goes with everything. It’s only 10 pounds. I can barely squeeze into them right now. I have so many tops that I don’t wear too often cuz I don’t have any shorts to go with them. Maybe I’ll find something at the department store we plan to go to next month. I look forward to that. Unlike most places, a dollar goes a long way in a department store. I hope to get new shoes, socks for next winter, a sundress or two, an outfit for Jade and whatever else.

I also decided that it may be nice to go tropical someday, even if we don’t end up on a boat. That way I’ll have lived in a variety of climates, from 4 seasons to the desert, to a tropical place.

I received a letter from Mary two days ago saying that she’s leaving soon. The trial’s set for April 8th. I don’t know where she’ll go from there or for how long. I assume she’ll go to prison in Florida for a number of years, after standing trial in the Gretchen case. Right now she’s testifying in the James case.

I was shocked when she said that Hope’s still her celly. I’ve never known anyone to cell together for 4 months in jail. Not that one, anyway.

I was also a bit surprised to learn Pérez still hasn’t shown up in M Dorm, so I decided to write to her directly. Tom will be mailing the letter tonight (I hope). There’s always the chance that he could be too paranoid about it and not mail it. Maybe he never even mailed Rule’s letter or intends to mail Teddy Bear’s letter, though I’d think he’d tell me so if he were really that adamant against it. Even then, he’d still mail it if I insisted he do so.

I thanked Pérez in my letter to her, explained the real reason I was there, now that I know all the facts, and asked that she send me a note in return as a keepsake to either the PO box address or email address, though I won’t count on it. It sure would be funny if that dream came true, though she wrote the note in person for me and enclosed a picture. I sent her a sheet of a dozen or so pictures from about a decade ago on up till now.

In my letter to Mary, I asked her if she wanted me to make this my final letter to her till she got to wherever she’s going and could tell me how the trial unfolded.

Yesterday Tom put up another ceiling fan at Mary’s place, but you know, I really don’t like how they load him up with crap. He eats enough crap on his own. That’s the one thing I don’t like about people like them. They live like filthy pigs, they eat like filthy pigs, and they expect others to do the same when they’re around them, not that they’d force the food down Tom’s throat if he said no. But it’s hard for even the strongest person to say no to pizza, candy, cookies and all the junk they have. I know I should be happy if he’s happy, but I worry about his health. We’re talking about a guy who doesn’t work out, doesn’t eat things like fish, fruits or vegetables. He lives on turkey hotdogs with cheese, cupcakes and soda.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2002 All 12 babies are doing well. We’re both looking forward to going to all rats once the mice die off in about a year and a half. By then, given the fact that he’s making more money and I found this cheap doll site, I should have a lot more dolls by then and will set up a display in their place. This is along the wall dividing the living room and my office. The rats are in the large corner on the other side of the room.

Though a lot of the babies seem like they’re gonna be pretty cool looking and it looks like there’s a good variety, I doubt we’ll keep them all. I’m not even sure I want to keep Lady with the way she’s so damn timid. At least she doesn’t bite. Any biters are automatically out the door. I’m not putting up with any vicious animals.

I spotted a for-sale sign out the bedroom window this afternoon. Due to the way the front property line angles inward from south to north, I thought it was on the corner of the property to the right of us, but we took a walk out to it and saw that it’s actually 5 acres in front. The question is, what part of the lot is for sale? The part running alongside the front towards the side? In my vision, when we first moved here, I saw a house over there. One I knew would arrive by ‘05. At least it’s a newer one I saw, and we don’t have to worry about George buying it for shit rentals.

Anyway, it’s a lousy piece of property cuz of the way everyone drives over it. Our street is a wash, technically, and due to its soft beach-like sand, people are afraid to drive on it, figuring they’ll get stuck, so they drive up on the property where the dirt’s harder packed. Fortunately, they can’t drive on ours cuz of the bushes bordering the road.

As much as I love our house and living here, it really bothers me that we’re not rich enough to take off now, but God wouldn’t have had this shit happen in the first place with the freeloaders if he knew we could run from it. It’s just that not being able to run makes it so we’re forced into being their victims. It’s like having people hold you down while another beats the shit out of you. If we could run, though, then we wouldn’t be giving the freeloaders or the system the satisfaction of victimizing us. Then we could say “no” to them. No, you’re not going to victimize us anymore, no we’re not going to stick around and take your shit. No, you cannot control our lives, our money, our time.

But this way, we’re forced to kiss up to them all. They’ve won, just like always, and God will go on protecting these people for as long as it takes.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2002 Sugar Plum came today and she’s super nice. Not as realistic as Patrice and Colette, but still, to think she cost just $25 is mind-boggling! Ashton-Drake would want $80 for her and the stores would charge $100 or more. Her purple dress with its pink accents is beautiful and her face is more realistic than Patrice and Colette’s. Unlike them, she has inset lashes and eyes, rather than painted ones. Even so, of all the ballerina dolls I’ve seen, I have yet to see one that compares to Patrice.

They also sent a gift certificate for free shipping and handling, which is nice of them considering the fact that she was supposed to be here nearly 3 months ago. So I’ll be getting a $25 black doll next month. Well, I’ll be ordering it then, but I doubt I’ll get it then. She’s called Christmas Glow. Her dress is boring, but she’s got a nice face. She’s a 14”. I may put her in another dress.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2002 It just cost us over $200 for all new tires. I tell you, we need to paint ourselves black, cry racism, and sue someone. Then we’d have all kinds of money.

I often wonder - where would we be financially if it weren’t for Steven, Dan, and the freeloaders? Would we have a lot more money? I doubt it. God would just send someone else to rip us off. We go through one form of legal victimization after another. It never ends.

He’s out changing the oil in the car now.

They officially made him the boss of the 2nd and 3rd shifts last night, which he wasn’t expecting till the 1st. So now he’ll be making more money. I just hope we’ll be allowed to keep it, excluding bills, of course. It’s just that I fear the state’s gonna try to milk more money out of us by demanding more than $40 a month or something like that. Well, they can demand, but they can’t have. They said $40 and $40 it stays.

He also claims his hours will stabilize, but that I have to see to believe.

For the third time in the last few days, there was a trapped mouse waiting for me this morning. Figuring we might not have gone far enough when dumping the last ones and that this may be the same one that came back, I killed it. After all, there are thousands of them, so it’s not like I’m hurting the mouse population. Besides, what difference does it make whether or not I kill it or a snake does? So, I filled a bucket with water and drowned it in the trap, which isn’t airtight, then dumped it in the brush by the wash.

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2002 Still hanging around 119-121 pounds. I think this is it. I mean, I really doubt I’ll lose anymore. At least I can maintain the weight, though. So, Miss Teddy Bear, you’ll just have to want me as I am, fat face and all.

Down to 42 days to go. Two days and one year ago was the day she moved me for the last time and we both began to suspect we liked each other.

Yesterday, at my suggestion, he and I got together. I wanted to see if he’d blow me off again, but nope. I gave him a hard-on by hand and he gave me an orgasm by tongue. I was out of practice, though, as he admitted. My arms didn’t cramp up or tire out cuz of all the exercise I did, but my hand did.

Fortunately, he isn’t interested in screwing any more than I am. Not that I think God will have me get pregnant cuz I don’t want to, but I’d hate to think of how that’d feel after this long. I’m sure it wouldn’t tickle.

Although the silver van still resides in back, a navy Bronco has taken the place of the silver car. I still don’t see how these people can afford to stay home, and I know there are at least two or three of them. Could they be on Section 8? I doubt it. They’re much too civilized for that. In fact, I cannot believe how quiet they’ve been! I do see them enough, though. Every two to three times I pass by the kitchen window, I see anywhere from one to three people sitting out front smoking.

I wonder why I haven’t heard from Mary in a while. It’d be great to hear from Mary today saying that she saw Pérez, but I’d settle on just a letter from her. Either way, I’ll write her a letter today.

I still don’t understand how the cheeks went from seeing me 4 times in 7 months to seeing me 4 times in 2½ months. God, I wish we had fences with locked gates! Or a windowless garage, so I could say we were out on days I didn’t want to get out of bed for him when Tom was home. Then again, I’ll just tell him the truth - that I just wasn’t in the mood for company - and if he’s got a problem with it - tough shit! It’s my life, my house, and no one comes in here unless I ok it.

SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2002 Just when it started to warm up to the point where we needed to run the AC in the late afternoon, it’s cold again. Is winter ever gonna end? I’m sick of the cold, yet I know I should enjoy it cuz I’ll be bitching about the heat, which lasts three times as long, in no time at all.

It was a quick run to the cheeks a couple of days ago. There were three guys and one woman sitting in the little jury box awaiting court, along with an armed female and male DO.

I know it’s a waste of time, but I could still kick myself for not giving the black pig the silent treatment! As Tom said, never admit to anything, even if you’re guilty. I guess it’s just that I truly thought he’d throw me in jail if I didn’t talk, but so what if he had? I was only destined to end up there anyway. I should’ve put my foot down up front and said, “Either arrest me or let me go, cuz I ain’t saying a word.”

Once we got to Tempe, he ate at Jack-n-the-Box and I ate at Long John Silvers which wasn’t all that great. It’s like their fish is all batter and no fish. And of course, had we gone just one more block down the road, there would have been two Chinese places. Always when you’re not looking for things is when you find them!

Got 10 more books at the bookstore, then hit Walgreens. The cashier had this really cool glitter eyeliner on, but they didn’t sell it there. Instead, I got 4 new chrome nail polishes, and now with a total of 11, I think I have enough. I got black pearl which isn’t that nice. It’s dark silver, almost gray colored. I got topaz, which is peach-colored and also not very impressive. Then I got royal purple and sapphire which are really nice.

I also got a few puzzles and a cheap Barbie in a boring dress which I changed into a nicer dress that had come with one of the Kelsey dolls.

We had two more wild mice, though I caught them quickly this time, without them ever getting up into the house.

I spoke to Paula yesterday. Not much up with her. Just the usual.

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2002 The cheeks popped in yesterday at 11:30. I knew he’d come this week since he didn’t last week. Good. Gets him out of my hair for at least two weeks, as far as home visits go, but truthfully, I’d rather he come here than me go there. That way, I could just ignore him if I wanted to. It gives me a little more control for a change instead of the other party always being the one in control. After seeing him today, like I have to, I might not let him in if he returns before the month is out like I believe he will during that long 3-week stretch, even if I’m up. This is simply because he just doesn’t need to see me 4 times in one month over a letter. He doesn’t need to see me as much as he has already.

He came in during one of the rap songs I was playing. That must’ve surprised him.

His visit left me with strange vibes that were even sort of creepy. He seemed all wired up like he was nervous or something. He’s been that way before when we were alone together, though I don’t know why. What does he think I’m gonna do? Attack him?

He then asked what we usually do with our garbage and I told him he takes it into the city, forgetting to mention that we take some of it to Gina at the recycling center, but it’s none of his business anyway.

He asked if Tom was at work and I told him that he was mainly on days this week.

Then he weirded out on me on his way out, saying that the small wooden bull that sits by the rat’s graves looked like a little dog, asking me why it was there. Or maybe he’s just plain stupid, something he’s already proven to be. This guy’s like most of society; room temp IQ.

Not even the smallest dog in the world is as small as that thing! How could he possibly think that was a dog? If he just wanted to know what was there, all he had to do was ask. For a minute there, he had me wondering if he wasn’t just itching to find something wrong, but I know that if he decided to fuck with me, he wouldn’t have to find anything wrong in a place that has nothing wrong in it to begin with. All he’d have to do is plant shit, and the idea of the possibility really worries me, too. He could plant a rifle under the house, for all I know. Take a bag of coke out of his pocket when I’m not looking and say, “Well, well, well. Look what I found.”

I’m not saying he’s out to get me since he hasn’t pulled any shit on me yet, but knowing the possibility’s always there is unnerving. Trusting anyone in law enforcement, except for Teddy Bear, has become virtually impossible for me. In light of all I’ve been through, I’m always paranoid and suspicious of their intentions.

I don’t know what good it’d do me, but maybe telling Scot about Teddy Bear would be a good thing. He has his law connections and I’ve got mine, and if he knows that, maybe he’d be less hesitant to mess with me if he ever decided to.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2002 They were right on with saying that 12 is the average rat batch, cuz Lady had 12 babies this morning. They look just like baby mice, only bigger. They also squeak just like baby mice.

I hope to get a letter from Mary saying she saw Pérez and gave her my note.

I’ve been stuck between 119-121 pounds. I’ve been having one of those weeks where I’m always hungry and nothing fills me up. I wish I looked like someone who works out, and not this flabby chunk ball! Tom says I look fit, but I don’t see it. I feel it, but I don’t see it.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2002 Just like most of what the media says is bullshit, so’s what you read online. Tom read a while back that female rats don’t kill mice like male rats do and that they often tend to them as if they were babies.

Wrong! I separated Lady, then stuck one of my duller-looking mice in with her as a test and she killed the mouse right away.

Now I wonder - are rats really pregnant for 3 weeks like mice? Are rats sexually active at 6 weeks like mice?

They’re out shooting this morning. I’m surprised by how often they shoot during the week.

Haven’t heard any booms lately. Ever since the first January, February, and March that we lived in this house, I haven’t heard them nearly as much. Perhaps that’s because my presence has brought in more people and it’s built up since then.

I’m shocked but pleased not to have had the cheeks disrupt my sleep yet, though he could come today or tomorrow. He wouldn’t wake me up, though, cuz I’d be crashing at the latest time he could be here. Or the latest he’s come as of yet, I should say. His earliest appearance has been at 10:00 and the latest has been at 2:45. I still think he’ll pop in during the long 3-week stretch in between reporting.

It really bums me out to have worked so hard, so consistently, and for so little. I’ve been working out nearly every day for months now, yet am the same weight/measurements I was the day I left jail. I think I deserve to see the results of all my hard work and that it’s high time I did.

MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2002 Last night I put Lady Bud in the tank that sits by the big cage, since she’s about a week away from having the babies, only to find her back in with Little Buddy and Sneezy a little while later. She had jumped out and returned home. She could’ve explored while she was out, but nope, she just wanted to go home. I’ll wait and move her once the babies are born, which she won’t want to leave.

I washed all the curtains tonight which was a bitch. I had to steam some of them, but that’s way easier than using an iron.

Within the next couple of weeks, using the $120 Tom got from Mary for installing two ceiling fans and leveling out her cooler, we should be getting our own ceiling fans and shades. We want to put fans in the living room and den, translucent shades in the master bath, and room-darkening shades in the retreat, which faces west.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2002 Just 13 more hours and then I officially belong to the blacks and the state once again. Or Maricopa County, I should say, despite the fact that this is Pinal County.

For now, I’ll just enjoy the night till I crash, which will be around sunup, till the cheeks wake me up. Who knows, though? Maybe Tom was right when he said that someone new was in the area and now that they’ve been on probation for a couple of months, he’ll back off for a while.

Paula said no one ever came to her place when she was on probation, but she had to report weekly. I’d rather the cheeks come here than for me to go there cuz that way I can just ignore him when I’m sleeping. Or trying to. One thing’s for sure and that’s that I’m not getting out of bed over a letter ever again, whether or not I’m the author of it.

Today we needed the AC for the first time this year, though only for a little while.

Yesterday I freed the remaining male mouse, leaving it to fate that he got anyone pregnant. If he didn’t, I’ll just get a new male and add new genes to the scene, the next time I feel like breeding again. Right now, though, I have 14 mice.

I question whether or not my male rats are really jumbos and not large rats. I think that different places use different terms for their biggest rats. I don’t think Lady Bud’s gonna get as big as the guys, and I think they’re all the same, be it jumbo or large rats.

Rats can have anywhere from 2-22 babies, averaging in at 12. It’s hard to believe this little girl could be carrying a dozen babies, but we should find out in about a week. Then they need to nurse for about 4 weeks, then when they’re 6 weeks old, I’ll need to separate them.

Teddy Bear, I can’t wait to see you! Just 50 days till it’s off with the letter.

It’s a lot easier fine-tuning old journals, which I’ve already begun doing even though I’m not yet done with the final proofreading of my condensed biography than it is to proofread biographies/stories! I even enjoy the work and watching something that’s special and meaningful to me become better written, even if it covers some not-so-nice times of my life. It’s like taking an old photograph and enhancing it on the computer. It’s a good thing this project will take a long time or else I’d be so bored.

I get a kick out of how I’d say, back in ‘91, that I’d come so far in life, and I’m like - come so far? Honey, you ain’t nowhere yet!

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2002 Mei Lin came today, but they really had us confused yesterday. First, Mei Lin looks great. She sure is slender for being as tall as she is. I decided to leave her hair in ponytails, too. I just polished her nails aquamarine.

Anyway, in yesterday’s mail, we received a letter saying Mei Lin wouldn’t be in till May 20th and I was like - fuck! No wonder these people are so cheap. Yet she came today. I asked Tom if maybe they meant the Sugar Plum Fairy wouldn’t be here till then, but accidentally typed Mei Lin’s name. He said he doubted it and that they probably thought they wouldn’t have enough Mei Lin’s to give me one this time around, but mailed the letter out before realizing that they did. So there are other people still waiting on another shipment. They probably dish out each batch in the order that they were ordered.

Paula, whom I spoke to last night, said she and Justin would email me, but I haven’t gotten anything. I guess Justin’s the one that mainly uses the computer.

I don’t know why Paula didn’t leave me a message when I asked her to let me know they didn’t haul her off to jail on the 28th, but she didn’t. Sometimes I think she likes to keep me wondering about her. I think she likes playing with my head, too. She says she sent another letter and pictures, but I haven’t gotten anything.

She has to go back to court on April 30th and May 30th, her birthday.

To my surprise, the cheeks never came this week. So he’ll come next week and wake me up for sure, cuz I’ll be asleep between 10:00-2:45, the hours he’s been known to make his appearances.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2002 Still 118 pounds. I’m going to have to step up the action. Perhaps I’ll run to one whole song every two hours on top of my 10-minute run/10-minute workout session.

Out of the 4 babies I kept, I have 1 definite male and 3 ladies. One looks pregnant. After using the male to knock up the adults with markings (I have enough solids) I’ll turn the male loose.

Lady Bud is still a bit timid, but very mellow. Definitely not a biter. Not even a play-biter. I just wish I wasn’t allergic to the rats! I get these itchy red dots, but a bit of hydrocortisone takes it away.

I swear those fucking freeloaders interfere with my sleep more here than back there! No, no cheeks yet. It’s just that I keep waking up in anticipation of him. I didn’t crash till 5 AM, but by 11 AM, I was up. I’m going to be a bit tired today, but I’ll sleep better over the weekend, my only time free of the freeloaders, aside from holidays and the Fridays the cheeks is in Casa Grande having people report to him there.

I had vivid dreams of Teddy Bear. Dreams that to me were signs. Signs that said that yes, she is in my near future! Of all the women I’ve had crushes on, I’ve never dreamt of one like I’ve dreamt of her. Although I don’t remember much about the dreams, I could hear her voice so clearly. So clearly. More so than in my memory itself. She even woke me up, in a sense. It was as if she was there in the room, speaking right into my ear. I remember waking up instantly at the clarity of it, though I don’t remember a word she said.

Is this a sign? I asked myself before falling back asleep, hoping to dream of her some more to verify that yes, they truly were signs, though I figured as much, judging by the “feelings” the dream left me, telling me it wasn’t just a dream.

Nonetheless, I did dream more about her. We were co-workers someplace and she was touching me both playfully and affectionately, saying she was going to drive me home that day. Then I thought to myself - I should call Dad and tell him not to bother picking me up.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002 Tom’s going to be even more of a boss on nights and is going to be getting even more money. His hours should be more predictable anyway, which would be nice, cuz then I can plan my Teddy Bear activities around his schedule easier.

I emailed the doll company to ask about Mei Lin. They say she was shipped on the 27th and that I should receive her in 7-10 business days. That’d be between the 7th and 13th.

I’m doing well on the diet. Still running, still working out, still watching my calories. I’m 118 pounds. I doubt I’ll be the 115 I thought I’d be come Friday, but I should be 116-117 by then for sure.

After reporting on the 15th of this month, I won’t have to report for a whole 3 weeks. Amazing, huh?! However, I know Scot isn’t going to bless me with not having to see his fat face for 3 whole weeks, so I’m sure he’ll stop by during that time. He hasn’t come yet this week, but that’s probably because I didn’t go to bed as late as sunrise. God will have him come when he knows he can wake me up after I haven’t had any more than 5 hours of sleep.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2002 There’s this thing out now called D-Snore. It’s supposed to work well with snorers like Tom, but I don’t know. That doesn’t mean his movements still won’t wake me up, or his talking in his sleep, not to mention the fact that I hate the male scent. My nose is way too strong for someone who stinks, not that he’s unclean or anything. He showers just as regularly as anyone else, but you know, it’s a guy thing. I also don’t appreciate it when he’s facing me, exhaling his sour sleep breath on me, either. I kind of like the privacy too, to go into my own little fantasy world. Ever since I’ve been home, I’ve been pretending Teddy Bear’s there sleeping with me before we have a little fun. Something that I know wouldn’t be anywhere near as good in real life as it is in my imagination because in my imagination I can’t feel her movements or smell her breath. And if she talks in her sleep, I can’t hear it! You know how it is, fantasy’s usually better than reality.

Once again, I know some people would call me selfish, weird, abnormal, etc., but I just don’t want to sleep with him or have sex with him as much as I love him. Living with him is wonderful, but I just can’t see us bedmates or sexmates ever again.

The thought of getting it on with Teddy Bear both excites me and makes me wonder. Will I be too self-conscious being with someone who I’ve never been attracted to before to this degree? What if I don’t please her? What if she finds me boring and predictable like I was getting to find sex with Tom to be?

I know these are silly worries and that I shouldn’t assume much since I don’t even know for sure that we will end up in bed together.

Then again, I do. I just do. I don’t know how I do, but I do. It was meant to be and somehow I know this. We go like hand in glove personality-wise, and I think the lust end of it will be the same.

How long will I know her, I wonder. What will it really be like for sure? There’s so much that could go well, so much that could go not so well.

How will Tom react to it all? Not anything like he did when Kim, Phil and Alex were here, I hope! I don’t need that shit. I don’t need no guilt trips put on me. Especially after I told him up front about Teddy Bear.

Teddy Bear, what will you think of me? Will you want me even more? Or will you be indifferent as to whether or not I’m in your life? Are you hoping I’ll write in a couple of months? Or do you not care either way?

So many questions! Is she still single? My vibes say she is. I think she’s waiting for me, in a sense. Especially if we really are meant to be. We were connected the way we were for a reason and I look forward to finding out exactly what those reasons entail. Especially if they’re good ones.

Will she really mind how far out we live? Will she move closer to me? Will she like the sex we have? Still be attracted to me? Will she still like me as a person, or will she decide I’m too different or something? Is she really the independent, non-possessive type she seems to be? Or will she fall so deeply in love with me, wanting me to move in with her?

Been having lots of fun playing with that hair twister. Yesterday I just played around with it for practice, but now that I’m pretty good at it and find that it’s really not that hard to use - it’s just a matter of judging how thick to make the strands of hairs for the beads to clamp around comfortably - I styled it nicely on and off today. It’d take a couple of hours to do it all at once, so I worked on it on and off throughout the day. I gathered it into two ponytails, then twisted about a dozen strands on each side, putting a couple of beads on each strand. One at the end, one in the middle. They’re plastic beads that open and clip right on. There are 6 colors - red, pink, green, yellow, orange and purple.

The cheeks asked Tom again if he was still working graves. I know he’s coming this week. He’s been on a 2 to 3-week streak lately. I’d still love to report with Teddy Bear or have him pop in here when she’s here. In uniform, too. I’d love to see the look on his face. Once I see her, maybe I should say ‘yes’ when he asks if I’ve had any police contact, since that’s one of the questions he pops when I see him. He asks about that, drugs, alcohol, or if there have been any changes (meds, address, work, phone).

Also, there was obviously a big case going on cuz there were two prisoners there who were cuffed and shackled. They were in orange, and with this being Maricopa, they probably came from Florence.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2002 Just 59 days till I can send Teddy Bear’s letter! Oh, Teddy Bear, please get it! And please call me!

Anyway, today was a busy, yet fun day. After reporting, we zipped across the street to Circle K. After one solid week of miraculously having no more than 1000 cals a day, and weighing in at 118 pounds, I grabbed a pack of gum and a candy bar towards my weekly day off from dieting. The lady at the register liked my shiny blue nails and asked where we were heading, informing us of a cheaper place to gas up.

So we took our snacks and headed for Chandler. There we went to Walgreens where I got some goodies. He only got a dozen or so packets of seeds for the prairie dogs. When is he ever going to plant these things? I wonder. Guess it’s been too cold, though it is warming up little by little.

For $20, I got this hair twister that we’ve seen advertised on TV. It doesn’t braid the hair, but it twists it. You take 3 tiny strands and clip them in the twister. Then the twister twists each individual strand before it twists all 3 of them together. It comes with little clear rubber bands and 60 glow-in-the-dark beads. It’s really cool, but takes some getting used to. I’m learning, though. It sure beats that Hairdini thing Ma got me for Christmas. That thing was impossible!

I also got 3 more chrome nail polish colors - gold, lavender, and carnelian (cranberry).

Got a package of 3 lip glosses - Rocky Moon Candy, Red Licorice, and Berry Heavenly.

Lastly, for just $10 total, I got these really cool flower vases. A small bushel of flowers in a clear vase in clear epoxy, making it look like they’re in water. I got a bundle of lavender daisies and a bundle of reddish-orange flowers with yellow.

At the office supply store, I got colorful paper, as well as a bundle of paper with colorful balloons.

Got a packet of pens for scribbling notes. The kind that was my favorite when I used to do journals by hand.

Got a packet of two small pairs of scissors too, then we spent another nickel on the freeloaders to get the money order photocopied.

After grabbing some pork fried rice at a Chinese take-out, and after he grabbed something from McDonald’s, we went to Petco. There I saw a female jumbo rat that looks a lot like Houdini, only with more white on her belly. Well, I’ve been curious to see what a female rat’s behavior’s like (I hear they’re supposed to be more mellow) and I’ve wanted a jumbo size one, too. To top it off, I’m going to get breeding experience with rats because she’s pregnant! I’ve been calling her Lady Bud so far. She’s a bit timid but hasn’t shown any signs of aggression.

She’s about ¾ the size of the guys right now. Not nearly full grown. I doubt she’ll have many babies. According to our research, rats have an average of 12 babies per litter! Surprisingly, they only carry for 3 weeks just like mice do. Just 36 hours after giving birth, they’re in heat again. The babies need to stay with their mother for 3 weeks, then separated at 6 weeks. At just 3 weeks the balls are down on the males, so it sounds like sexing rats will be easier than mice.

I guess we’re gonna have to get or make another cage so they don’t keep breeding continuously.

Anyway, because I had my appointment, we didn’t get her right away. Instead, I nearly stole a water bottle. I walked out with it without even thinking about it. He went back in and paid for it, saying he knows all too well how we get so severely punished for the pettiest things, that it makes no sense to go and tempt fate.

We got the rat after seeing the doctor in Mesa, and as usual, a two-minute procedure had to take an hour. We waited 40 minutes out in the loud, crowded waiting room and then 20 more in the exam room.

I see that parents are still on the opposite end of the pole which they were on when I was a kid as far as discipline goes. The screaming kids were totally out of control, throwing and banging things while their mothers acted deaf, dumb and blind.

After leaving the doctor’s, we went to the grocery store, but we only grabbed a few things. Tom will do the regular run tomorrow.

There was a balloon sitting outside the doctor’s office when we left so I took it. Being the super windy day that it was, I let it go in the middle of our land. It gained altitude rather quickly and was miles away in seconds, becoming just a spec in the sky that was completely invisible in just two minutes.

I just tried calling Paula twice and got her machine. She was supposed to be sentenced yesterday. Is she in jail? If so, for how long? Hopefully, I’ll find out soon. She probably is in jail, though, for there to be no answer at this time, unless she turned her ringer off.

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sagunthalajewellers123 · 1 year ago

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ANDAL KONDAI HIGHLIGHTS

The "Andal Kondai" hairstyle, which is traditional in South India, often features a variety of adornments, especially during religious and cultural events. These adornments are used to enhance the beauty and elegance of the hairstyle. The "Andal Kondai" hairstyle and its adornments have various uses in South Indian culture for different occasions, including dance performances, weddings, and deity decoration.

Dance Performances: Bharatanatyam and Other Classical Dances: In classical Indian dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniyattam, the "Andal Kondai" hairstyle with its traditional adornments is often worn by female dancers. It helps in achieving an authentic and elegant look that complements the classical dance attire.

Bride's Hairstyle: The "Andal Kondai" hairstyle is a popular choice for South Indian brides. It is a symbol of traditional beauty and is often adorned with flowers, jewelry, and other ornaments. It is considered an auspicious hairstyle for the wedding ceremony.

Deity Decoration: Temple Worship: The "Andal Kondai" hairstyle with its adornments is commonly used for decorating goddess deities in South Indian temples. It is an essential part of the deity's attire and adds to the divine beauty and grace of the idol.

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alliedcreation · 1 year ago

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Global Essential Oil Soap Market Expected to Reach $458.6 Million by 2026

“Essential Oil Soap Market by Product Type, and Distribution Channel: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019–2026,” The global essential oil soap market size was valued at $261.2 million in 2018 and is anticipated to reach $458.6 million by 2026, with a CAGR of 8.3% North America dominated the market in 2018, accounting for 37.4% of the total essential oil soap market share. The global market exhibits an incremental revenue opportunity of $ 210.9 million from 2018 to 2026.

Essential oils are complex mixtures of organic chemicals, which are extracted from plants using the distillation process. Apart from distillation, other processes, such as expression, solvent extraction, absolute oil extraction, cold pressing, and resin tapping, are used for the production of essential oils. Natural essential oil based soaps are popular in the personal care industry due to their distinct benefits over synthetic products. The artisanal nature of the products and higher cost of ingredients have positioned essential oil soap in premium persona care product categories. The products manufactured by private label brands have premium pricing owing to higher cost associated with soap preparation and lack of economies of scale for manufacturers. The rise in cost of raw materials such as oil/fats, essential oils, and other ingredients along with rise in overhead expenses and distribution margins are anticipated to further increase the overall cost of product during the essential oil soap market forecast period.

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Sedentary lifestyle and work stress have increased the need for relaxation and stress buster therapies among individuals. Massages have been an integral part of the Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Japanese, and Indian traditions. Spas and rejuvenating centers use essential oils to enhance the experience of massage therapies. These relaxation therapies include holistic treatment methods that use plants essential oils to balance mind, body, and soul. The increase in adoption of essential oil based products such as body wash, soap, powder, and other personal care products is expected to propel the market growth in near future.

The demand for natural ingredients has increased for manufacturing cosmetics, and personal care industries. Synthetic ingredients used in personal care product often lead to lung diseases, skin allergy, respiratory problems, and brain disorders. To overcome such hurdles, the manufacturers are now opting for more natural and user friendly ingredients such as essential oils. Essential oils are widely used in the production of daily use cosmetics and personal care products and are expected to gain momentum due to increased spending on cosmetics and toiletries. The increased spending on user friendly cosmetic ingredients such as essential oil is expected to drive the overall essential oil soap market growth.

The essential oil soap market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel, and region. By product type, it is categorized into lavender essential oil, rose essential oil, tea tree essential oil, rosemary essential oil, peppermint essential oil, and others. The lavender essential oil segment is expected to remain dominant with a revenue share of 20.0-21.0% due to multiple benefits such as improving hair health, skin health, and digestion. By distribution channel, it is categorized into supermarket/hypermarket, e-commerce, retail stores, and pharmaceutical stores. E-commerce segment would be the fastest growing segment due to increased penetration of private label brands in online sales channels. The rise in spending on branded personal care products through online sales platforms and lucrative price discount offered by vendors are anticipated to be the prime factors responsible for the growth of the essential oil soap market.

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Region-wise, it is analyzed across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa).

Key Findings of the Study:

The lavender essential oil soap segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. North America is anticipated to dominate the market growth, registering a CAGR of 6.9%. Asia-Pacific is projected to exhibit exponential growth throughout 2026, registering the highest of CAGR 11.8%. The supermarket/hypermarket distribution segment is anticipated to dominate the global essential oil soap market analysis, with a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. The E-commerce segment is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period. The key players operating in the global essential oil soap industry include kama Ayurveda, forest essentials, Edens Garden, Lush, Sunleaf Naturals, LLC, Virginia Aromatics, Wipro Unza Holdings Ltd., Olay, Dove, and Enchanteur.

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foodandbeverages · 2 years ago

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Rice Bran Oil Market Rising Trends, Huge Demand, Business Strategies, High Growth Rate By 2033

The rice bran oil market is likely to be valued at US$ 7.94 billion in 2023 and is expected to be worth US$ 18.95 billion by 2033. The sales of rice bran oil are expected to register a CAGR of 9.09% during the forecast period.

The consumption of rice bran oil has increased as a result of its numerous health advantages. This is accelerating the market’s expansion in tandem with the growing demand for foods and beverages that are high in nutrients and low in fat.

Since rice bran oil contains more monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats compared to other vegetable oils, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association have recommended its use.

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This oil has become a crucial ingredient in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors because it includes oryzanol, which promotes hair development, shields the skin from UV radiation, and delays the signs of aging.

Rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes, shifting lifestyles, active marketing campaigns by manufacturers, and expanding penetration in both established and emerging economies are further important drivers driving the market’s expansion.

Key Takeaways

Due to several emerging rice-producing nations including Japan, India, and China, the Asia Pacific region is predicted to hold a significant share of the global rice bran oil market. In 2020, the market in Asia Pacific was valued at US$ 4.68 billion, and in the years to come, it is anticipated to take a commanding share of the market.

North America is anticipated to experience rapid growth during the forecast period. Key manufacturers are also increasing their investments in expanding areas like Europe and North America by releasing new products, which may fuel the industry’s expansion.

Over the projection period, the online segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 5.59%. The expansion of this market is being driven by the popularity of e-commerce websites and surging manufacturers creating their websites. Additionally, higher consumer disposable income and higher living standards, particularly in developing regions, are likely to increase product sales via online channels.

Market growth is anticipated to be aided by the increased demand for nutrient-dense food components and changing dietary habits, driving the market share of the food and beverage segment.

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Competitive Landscape

The market for rice bran oil has a highly fragmented competitive environment, with numerous regional and local competitors vying to gain market share. The top producers in the international market are Adani Wilmar and Cargill, Inc. To expand their market position, top corporations are forming joint ventures. For instance, to expand their footprint in other nations like Singapore and promote their products to a wider client base, Adani Group formed a 50-50 joint venture with Wilmar International. As a result, the market share of these oil producers has grown recently in both developed and emerging nations.

Latest Developments

N.K. Proteins Pvt Ltd., an Indian business, announced in June 2021 to introduce the brand ‘Tirupati’ to the market to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

August 2019 – The United States-based corporation Cargill, Incorporated announced the expansion of Gemini’s current rice bran oil product line. Gamma oryzanol is claimed to be 40% more abundant in the product than in other standard oils.

Key Players

Adani Wilmar

Modi Naturals

Marico

Conagra Foods

BCL Industries Limited

King Rice Oil Group

California Rice Oil Company

Given Below are the Rice Bran Oil Market Segments

By Type:

Organic

Non-organic

End User:

Food and Beverages

Industrial Application

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)

Japan

The Middle East & Africa (MEA)

Information Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/rice-bran-oil-market

#Rice Bran Oil Market

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marketing123456789 · 2 years ago

Text

Rice Bran Oil Market Trends, Size, Share, Business Innovations, Growth Outlook, Solution, Services and Future Prospects by 2033

Request for Sample Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16708

Key Takeaways

Market growth is anticipated to be aided by the increased demand for nutrient-dense food components and changing dietary habits, driving the market share of the food and beverage segment.

View Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/rice-bran-oil-market

Competitive Landscape

Latest Developments

N.K. Proteins Pvt Ltd., an Indian business, announced in June 2021 to introduce the brand ‘Tirupati’ to the market to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

Key Players

Adani Wilmar

Modi Naturals

Marico

Conagra Foods

BCL Industries Limited

King Rice Oil Group

California Rice Oil Company

Given Below are the Rice Bran Oil Market Segments

By Type:

Organic

Non-organic

End User:

Food and Beverages

Industrial Application

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ)

Japan

The Middle East & Africa (MEA)

About FMI Future Market Insights (ESOMAR certified market research organization and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favor the market growth in various segments on the basis of Source, Application, Sales Channel and End Use over the next 10-years.

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matadorgrooming · 2 years ago

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The well-groomed man does well in both job and recreation.

If the country's driving male images, Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham, embrace skin creams, can the run of the mill Indian male be a long ways behind? Buying moisturizers, engaging kinks, going for common facials - Indian men today are incredibly careful that extraordinary preparing can win the day with partners, directors and potential darlings the equivalent.

In an edifying investigation of Indian men across four metropolitan networks, 8 out of 10 of the men concentrated totally communicated that a very ready man appears wealthy and skillfully successful. Such a man would typically have a higher conviction level, overhauled financial prosperity, and, basically, more unmistakable charm

The survey analyzed contemporary points of view and examples in readiness among Indian guys. the focus on covered 500 men in regal SEC A families, going in age from 18 years to 50 years.

North of 34 of them agreed that how long, effort, and money they had placed into preparing had extended throughout the span of the last year.

It's a finding market watchers will vouch for: the Indian male is evidently wrapped up with getting his sister's or, on the other hand, mother's treatments and creams. With receptiveness to worldwide examples and style images, he isn't firmly established to put the best version of himself forward and demands things tailor-made for his specific necessities. Moreover, with a thing range past the regular shaving things and colognes, the male planning market has emerged as one of the most smoking advancement segments, in India, yet in the overall client items universe as well. Worth US$ 2 billion yearly today, the market is creating at an energetic 20% consistently.

Clearly then, the hours of being looked at lamentably expecting you examined sunscreens and lotions have a spot decidedly beforehand - only 17% of the men outlined acknowledged that a man using skincare things and organizations is female. Going against the standard, 2/3 of the men considered such a man brave and productive.

Most men, in any case, are terribly uninformed about skincare things; nonetheless, basically all would should be normal clients. Possibly in light of the fact that most correspondence on preparing — skin examination, direction, styling, and greatness tips — is focused on women, men are in many cases at a loss to comprehend what things would work for them. No enormous astonishment a mind blowing 81% of the respondents outlined, favor buying from where they get strong advice.

Furthermore, when they end up in a great environment, they won't humble about ask. 8 out of 10 of the men in the survey said they were really open to talking about skincare issues, basically with colleagues, salon staff, and their own mates.

They are also open to going past the standard preparing helps of shaving things antiperspirant cologne, and researching more unambiguous, result-arranged commitments like conventionality creams and against developing things. In getting ready organizations too, mutiple/3 of the men covered in the outline had a facial in the main year, almost 12 had a head rub, and almost 14 had clean-ups, a body rub, and a hair assortment treatment.

Among the men sharp about their skincare needs, a standard skincare routine has turned into the norm. Sales reps and salon chiefs the country over agree that for a rising number of men, skin support is anyway common as it is by all accounts for women. 39% of the men in the outline, for instance, were standard with their skincare and prep; 43% kept a common everyday practice and besides visited a salon for remarkable occasions. A lacking 17% of the men disregarded skincare totally, genuinely attempting simply on exceptional occasions.

With mindsets changing, and focused things and organizations on recommendation to meet the emerging requirements of the Indian male, it's clearly goodbye to the stone age man, and a warm hello to his bleeding edge, especially prepared image!

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north-shore-pawn-shop · 2 years ago

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chandrahair · 4 years ago

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bestkeptsecretreferences · 3 years ago

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BEST KEPT SECRET References

Digital reproduction of Melanasian children. "The Fascinating History Of Black People With Naturally Blonde Hair" by Yewande, 12 Feb. https://historyofyesterday.com/the-fascinating-history-of-black-people-with-naturally-blonde-hair-c36b0b58d99e

Map of both intercontinental and transatlantic slave trade in Africa. "Map 1 from Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (New Haven 2010)" by KuroNekoNiyah, 15 Feb. 2021. https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:African_Slave_Trade.png

Digital copy of a 1769 advertisement of the sale of 94 African-Americans in Charleston, SC. "South Carolina Slavery - Buying And Selling Human Beings" by SCIWAY. https://www.sciway.net/afam/slavery/flesh.html

Digital copy of An Intriguing Narragansett & Wampanoag Image from 1925 by Laurie Coleman (HISTORIC PICRURES), 14 March. 2015. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312085449155397027/

Digital reproduction of the Ohlone Indians of California. "Legends of America" by Kathy Weiser-Alexander, 12 Nov. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ohlone-indians/

Digital reproduction of Indigenous South Americans. "history" by Anael Raawban. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/501307002273388237/

Ivan Van Sertima, The African Presence in Early Europe, 1985.

Digital reproduction of Jan Mostaert's Portrait of a Moor (1520-1530). "Jan Mostaert's Portrait of a Moor (1520-1530)" by John K. Brackett (BLACKPAST), 23 Aug. 2011 https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/perspectives-global-african-history/jan-mostaert-s-portrait-moor-1520-1530/

Digital reproduction of the Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors) Sintra. "HD wallpaper: Castle, View, Air, Architecture, Moors, holiday, sintra, mountain"

Ivan Van Sertima, They Came Before Columbus, 1976.

Frank Joseph, The Evidence of Africans in America before Columbus, 25 Mar. 2003.

Alex Abad-Santos (vox.com), Hollywood likes to pretend that Ancient Egypt was full of white people, 4 Aug. 2014. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/2014/8/4/5955253/Hollywood-egypt-white-people-exodus-gods-and-kings

James O'Byrne (nola.com), Egypt whitewashed by European history, 15 Aug. 1993. https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_3c188202-3a5c-5d8d-926b-c6f259179c32.html

Digital picture of the head of the sphinx. "Head of the Sphinx" by Vincent Brown, 15 Apr. 2006. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pyramidtexts/39741616383/in/photostream

Digital image of the Gizah Pyramids. "File: All Gizah Pyramids.jpg" by Ricardo Liberato, 19 Jun. 2006. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:All_Gizah_Pyramids.jpg

Digitally reproducted image of Heru. "Tasting Life Twice" by Joan Lansberry, 30 Jul. 2015. Heru

Digital image of a painting representing Jesus. "Healing of the Paralytic, Dura Europos (c.235 AD) by Fr Silouan Thompson, 26 Nov. 2008. https://silouanthompson.net/2008/11/healing-of-the-paralytic-dura-europos/

Digital image of a Ramesses III statue. "Ramesses III" by Ancient Egypt Wiki (Fandom), https://ancientegypt.fandom.com/wiki/Ramesses_III

Acts 1:9, English Standard Version. (2004-2021). Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/acts/1-9.htm

2 Kings 2:11, New International Version. (2004-2021). Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/2_kings/2-11.htm

A digital picture of wheels used in Mesopotamia. "Digging into Mesopotamia" by https://pmsancientmesopotamia.weebly.com/the-wheel.html

Digital reproduction of the asteroid belt. "The asteroid belt: Wreckage of a destroyed planet or something else?" by Joshua Rapp Learn, 9 Mar. 2021. https://astronomy.com/news/2021/03/the-asteroid-belt-wreckage-of-a-destroyed-planet-or-something-else

Reed Business Information. "Comets tell of planet that exploded into asteroids." NewScientist (Vol. 81 No. 1135) 4 Jan. 1979. p.22 New Scientist

Tom Van Flandern (1993). Dark Matter Missing Planets and New Comets. Berkeley California: North Atlantic books, pp 155-236.

Digital reproduction of an Anunnaki tablet. "File:Anunnaki-gods-on-Earth.jpg" by Wikimedia Commons, 21 Oct. 2019. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anunnaki-gods-on-Earth.jpg

Digital reproduction of a picture of Osiris. "Atlantis and Osiris" by Cihangir Gener (thewisemag), 2012. https://www.thewisemag.com/mystery/atlantis-and-osiris/

Digital image of native woman from India. "Original woman of India (Dravidian)" by Curtis Huggins (Pinterest)https://www.pinterest.com/pin/631137335258276098/

Digital image of Khoudia Diop. "This model is taking the world by storm with her incredibly dark skin." by indiatoday.in https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/lifestyle/photo/melanin-goddess-khoudia-diop-senegal-darkest-fashion-model-unique-beauty-lifest-20401-2016-10-03

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mishinashen · 3 years ago

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The Tale by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, ca. 1878-1880

Henry James commented that his two favorite words in the English language were ‘summer afternoon.’ This delightful picture of Tissot’s partner and muse, Kathleen Newton, reading in the garden of their house in Grove End Road, St. John’s Wood, exemplifies the quiet happiness he found with her there, and celebrates the joy of childhood and family life. It exudes the contentment and ease found on a summer afternoon in the garden, surrounded by loved ones. A noted anglophile, Tissot had come to London from his native France in 1871 following the fall of the Paris Commune after the Franco Prussian war. An astute businessman, he had established a reputation on both sides of the Channel prior to the calamity, and was encouraged in his move by Thomas Gibson Bowles, founder of Vanity Fair magazine, for whom he supplied political cartoons. London offered Tissot a safe haven from the horrors of Paris at the time and better immediate prospects for art sales. He soon found a ready market for historical dress and modern-life pictures and earned enough in a year to buy a villa in the north-London suburb popular with artists, St. John’s Wood, at 17 (now 44) Grove End Road. According to the diarist de Goncourt, Tissot’s home was both elegant and welcoming – champagne was always on ice for visitors, and he joked that a footman was employed to polish leaves in the shrubbery. The villa had large gardens, with trees and ponds at front and back. Tissot had the pond in the back garden extended and formalized. Its stone coving can be glimpsed in the distance of The Tale, with surrounding plants including ‘giant rhubarb’ (gunnera) on the left. The pool’s colonnade, familiar from many other of Tissot’s London paintings, is hidden here by the chestnut leaves framing his sitters. Over the course of his time in London, Tissot’s art changed direction from the genre scenes with which he had gained fame, both as a result of having his work rejected from the Royal Academy in 1875 and through his meeting the beguiling Kathleen Newton, one of the two subjects of the present work, in 1876. Born Kathleen Kelly in Agra, where her father was a clerk in the Honourable East India Company’s Civil Service, Kathleen would lead a remarkable life notable for its brevity, modernity and defiance of convention. After the Indian Rebellion she was sent to England for safety and schooling. At the age of 16 she travelled back to India for an arranged marriage to Dr. Isaac Newton, a distinguished army surgeon. On the voyage she met and fell in love with a Captain Palliser, whom Dr. Newton cited in divorce proceedings after Kathleen ran away to join Palliser and became pregnant. She returned to England for the birth of her daughter, and a son, probably also fathered by Palliser, was born before Kathleen met Tissot. The artist’s first certain portrayal of her is the etched Portrait of Mrs. N., made in autumn/winter 1876. Though his Catholicism prevented him from marrying a divorcée, sometime in 1877 she came to live with Tissot, the pair cohabiting as man and wife until her death from tuberculosis in November 1882.

Captured sitting beneath the chestnut tree, in an intimate ‘snapshot’ image, Kathleen reads to her sister’s daughter Lilian Hervey, known as Lily, who lived only a few minutes’ walk from Tissot’s home. Kathleen is reading a story aloud, her lips slightly parted and fingers about to turn a page, and Lily is listening intently. Kathleen’s two children lived with the Herveys, sharing a nanny, and all the children visited Tissot’s house from time to time for walks, musical interludes, play, and picnics in the garden. Tissot made sketches and photographs of Kathleen and the children, which served as source material for paintings and etchings from 1878 to 1882. Lily was especially attached to her aunt and seems to have been a willing sitter too, as she appears on the same fur-covered bench in two pictures both entitled Quiet (c. 1881), the larger of which was exhibited by Tissot at the Royal Academy in 1882. The other is an upright version of the present composition measuring 12 ½ x 8 ½ in., sold at Christie’s on 5 November 1993, lot 159 (now in The Lloyd Webber Collection), but it instead depicts Lily cheekily turned towards the artist, distracted from her story, and peering over the garden bench. The present picture is a more tranquil and satisfying composition, with the sun-filled lawn, distant pond and dappled light filtering through the leaves of the chestnut tree.

Since the rejection of some of Tissot’s submissions to the Royal Academy in 1875, he had changed marketing tactics and showed more paintings outside London, where there was considerable demand from provincial dealers and new municipal galleries. Small paintings and prints were more easily accommodated and sold, as well as being more transportable. Such was the case with The Tale, exhibited in Birmingham and Liverpool in 1880 and 1882 respectively. When it was exhibited in Birmingham, The Tale was described by the Birmingham Daily Post’s art critic as ‘a work of very high merit. It is a tiny canvas, but there is breadth of treatment in it.’ In fact, the painting is on a thin mahogany panel, a support that Tissot favored for his small London-made pictures. Onto a lead-white ground that gave luminosity (and was used for this reason by both Impressionist and Pre-Raphaelite painters), Tissot laid broad diagonal brushstrokes of warm brown to create mid-tones and to animate the surface. This under-layer can be seen in places, especially beneath the lawn. Tissot’s use of vivid colors for the grass and leaves is radically modern: he mixed brilliant Emerald and Viridian Green with dazzling Barium Chromate and Strontium Yellow, poisonous paints that Vincent van Gogh also liked for their striking freshness. They certainly helped Tissot’s pictures stand out from the dense crowd of other works on gallery walls. Alongside this modernism, Tissot’s technique was grounded in tradition. His stunning fluency with the brush enabled him to capture glints of sunlight on hair and clothes, details of ribbons and folds, Kathleen Newton’s earring, and the delicate profiles of young woman and child. It is such eloquent and beautiful detail that made, and continues to make, Tissot’s work so attractive to viewers and collectors.

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sophiajns · 4 years ago

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India Hair Color Market 2026

Market Reports on India Provides the Trending Market Research Report “India Hair Color Market, By Product Type (Permanent, Semi-Permanent, Temporary Hair Color and Highlights & Bleach), By Product Formulation (TDS/TD Formulation, PPD Formulation and Others), By Gender (Men, Women and Unisex), By Application (Total Grey Coverage, Roots Touch-Up, Highlighting, All Over Color and Others), By Region (North, South, East, West) By Company, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026” under Retail Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports.

India Hair Color Market was valued at $ 477 million in FY 2020 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of over 17% until FY 2026 due to various growth factors such as increasing urbanization and evolving lifestyles, growing hair-highlight trend, rising market for salon services and innovative tools used in salons to strengthen the ease of use of hair care products, which in turn would boost the sales value of hair colors and other related products. Another major factor is the increase in consumer hair related issues, which has led to several product innovations that accommodate the prevalent and changing tastes and preferences of consumers, thus facilitating the demand for hair care products. Also, fashion trends around the country are changing, which in turn, is encouraging hair color producers to introduce innovative new products to meet consumer demand.

Request a free sample copy of India Hair Color Market Report http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2139822

India hair color market is segmented based on Product Type, Product Formulation, Gender, Application, Region and Company. Based on Application, market is segmented into Total Grey Coverage, Roots Touch-Up, Highlighting and Others. Total Grey Coverage segment is expected to lead the country’s hair color market in FY 2020 and is also expected to lead in future due to increasingly ageing population. Based on product type, the market is split into Temporary, Permanent, Semi-Permanent and Highlights and Bleach. Semi-Permanent hair color segment accounts for the largest market share mainly due to its ammonia free presence. Based on Product Formulation, the market is segmented into PPD Formulation and TDS/TD Formulation. The PPD Formulation segment accounts for the majority market share in India hair color market and the segment is likely to maintain its position during the forecast period. Most of the hair color companies use PPD formulation as it offers long-lasting hair color with a natural look and it can be used in both salon and at-home colors because it is such an effective ingredient in dark hair coloring.

Based on Gender, women segment held the largest market share in India hair color market. Men in India color their hair majorly for gray coverage, while women consumers are much more familiar of their hair texture and looks than men. Also, men do not require as much product variants as a women with longer hair, and thus, hair color products for men are not usually offered in as many product variants as for women.

Major players operating in India hair color market are L’Oréal India Pvt Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Hygienic Research Institute Pvt Ltd, Revlon, Lolane India, AVON Beauty Products India Pvt Ltd, COTY INC, Procter & Gamble, Conair India, Johnson & Johnson Private Limited and others.

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: FY2016 - FY2019

Base Year: FY2020

Estimated Year: FY2021

Forecast Period: FY2022 - FY2026

Objective of the Study:

• To analyze and forecast the market size of India Hair Color market.

• To classify and forecast India Hair Color market based on Product Type, Product Formulation, Gender, Application, Region and Company

• To identify drivers and challenges for India Hair Color market.

• To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in India Hair Color market.

• To conduct pricing analysis for India Hair Color market.

• To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in India Hair Color market.

Our Research performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study. Our Research conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies. While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors. Through this technique, Our Research could include the manufacturers which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research.

Our Research calculated the market size of India Mask market using a Top-Down approach and Bottom-Up, wherein data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. Our Research sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size. Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by Our Research.

Key Target Audience:

• Hair Color manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders

• Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers

• Organizations, forums, and alliances related to hair color

• Market research and consulting firms

The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders such as manufacturers, suppliers and partners, end users, etc., besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on market opportunities.

Report Scope:

In this report, India hair color market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Market, By Product Type:

- Permanent

- Semi-Permanent

- Temporary Hair Color

- Highlights and Bleach

• Market, By Product Formulation:

- TDS/TD Formulation

- PPD Formulation

- Others

• Market, Gender:

- Men

- Women

- Unisex

• Market, By Application:

- Total Grey Coverage

- Roots Touch-Up

- Highlighting

- All Over Color

- Others

• Market, By Region:

- North

- South

- East

- West

• Market, By Company:

- L’Oréal India Pvt Ltd (Loreal)

- Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (Godrej)

- Hygienic Research Institute Pvt Ltd (Streax)

- REVLON (Revlon)

- COTY INC (Wella)

- Others

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in India hair color market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, Our Research offers customizations according to a company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the reports:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

Browse our full report with Table of Content:

http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/india-hair-color-market-by-product-type-permanent-semi-permanent-temporary-hair-color-and-highlights-bleach-by-p/2139822 About Market Reports on India:

Market Reports on India is an excellent source to obtain top quality market research reports that helps you to understand the business in the Indian market. We cover various industries, identifying and understanding key macro and micro-economic trends, insights and futuristic growth opportunities. To help achieve all this and more, Market Reports on India is the answer to all your business needs.

Contact us at: Market Reports on India Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: [email protected] Website: www.marketreportsonindia.com Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

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katlynlennie-blog · 4 years ago

Text

The ruffle detail on the top of the sleeve

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long-bodyswap · 6 years ago

Text

A long day’s journey

This is also one of my favorites too. Found it in an old yahoo bodyswap forum. Enjoy.

Mike woke with a start when the tires hit the rumble strip. It was a long day, he was headed home after a few days on the road. He had made a few good contacts and wrote up some decent sales, but he really just wanted to get home and into bed. The road wasn’t the place for a 45-year-old guy, and Mike knew it. “Better left to the young punks,” he thought. He really wanted a comfortable desk job, there was one opening up in a few weeks when Murray retired, then all he’d have to do was send those young jerk offs to meet with customers, God -it couldn’t happen soon enough.

He flipped though the radio stations, sure wasn’t much on the air out this way, middle of nowhere. If he was going to stay on the road he’d pop for XM or Sirius but his road days were coming to an end. 40 miles to Medford, 6:30 PM and it was already getting dark. Medford was a college town, decent food, he could stop there grab something to eat and make it home by midnight if he pushed it. Mike always hated this stretch of the trip home, just vast open spaces nothing around for miles, the road cut through part of an Indian Reservation, he never bothered to find out which one. But he did always stop to pick up some cigarettes for Murray at the gas station where he crossed into the reservation. He never could understand how people could pay so much just to watch it go up in smoke. At least without taxes the prices were better, but still… Oh well, Murray was a friend and had put in a good word for him with the bosses so he didn’t mind.

The sun had set, the sky went from orange to deep purple. 35 miles to Medford… Mike glanced down at the radio as he flipped through a few more stations, something caught his eye and as he looked up it was too late --- there was a brief sound as metal hit metal at 60 miles an hour then darkness as everything slipped away…

“Doctor! He’s coming around”

Mike heard that at some level, everything sounded weird. He was in that in-between state not quite asleep - and not yet quite awake. He felt like hell. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids felt strange, heavy. It wasn’t just his eyelids, he felt heavy and it was very difficult to move. He managed to get his eyes open, the room was dimly lit, he could sense a presence next to him, a middle aged woman stuck her head in front of his face, “OK. Doctor! His eyes are open.”

“Don’t try to move, you been through a lot.” Somehow Mike knew that was directed at him. He was more than willing to cooperate, it would take all his will power just to lift his hand up, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t. He was ready to drift back to sleep, but the doctor came over, at least Mike assumed he was the doctor, he was 28 maybe 30 holding Mike’s chart.

“I’m Dr. Thompson, do you know where you are?”

Mike struggled to get “hoshpital” out, a little slurred but understandable.

“Great! That’s right” the Dr. replied, “Do you know what happened?”

Mike closed his eyes for a second, “Accident?” he managed to whisper.

“That’s right”, the Dr. responded. “Do you know where you were headed?”

“Sleep…”

“No, don’t sleep, where were you going?”

“Home”, Mike was still in one word response mode, the Doctor wanted more.

“OK, can you tell us your name?”

“Mike Watson”

“How old are you?” “45” Mike croaked, “Water?”

“Nurse, just a sip..” “Is that better?” the doctor inquired.,

“Yeah, think so”, Mike replied.

“Ok, I think you’re awake enough for me to fill you in on some of the details.” Dr. Thompson said. “As you know you were in an accident, you were heading north to Medford, when a car crossed into your lane and hit you almost head on. Your car was totaled, it was the airbags and seatbelt that saved you life, plus the fact that it happened in a wide open area, you were pushed into a field.”

Mike grunted ”Ummf.”

“We had to make some quick decisions.” the doctor went on, “The collision knocked your ID a ways out, we didn’t know who you were, we had no way of contacting your family, the police only found it this morning after dawn.”

“Yeah….” Mike said waiting for the rest of the story.

Dr. Thompson hesitated, not sure how he should begin, after all he had never done this before… “I don’t know if you are aware but Highway 40 cuts through an Indian Reservation, and that Reservation runs almost into town, the College actually borders it. But anyway, the accident took place on the Reservation, so their local laws are enforced.” Mike looked a little puzzled, why was the doctor telling him all this? “Well, the driver that hit you was a local college student, with a bit of a history. Josh had done this before, got drunk and killed another driver, but since he was underage and his family is well connected he was given probation and rehab and allowed to return to campus the next year. There was quite a bit of outrage locally, but being on the football team and with his connections it was all down played.” The doctor looked away, Mike could tell there was something he wasn’t telling him. Dr. Thompson felt stupid, here he was giving a back-story, but how could he come right out and tell Mike what had happened to him? The Dr. took a deep breath, “As I said, we had to make some tough decisions when you were brought in. Josh had some minor injuries, and you were near death. I guess you could say it was a function of where you were as much as anything, but… we transferred your consciousness to Josh’s body.” There, he said it.

Mike looked at him dumbfounded, “Huh?”

The doctor went on “The University has been doing a lot of research in the area of consciousness and it’s link to who we are, and with the influx of money from the casinos the Indians, or I should say Native Americans, own, our funding has gone up quite a bit and allowed us to progress rapidly. Some of the expansion here at the university is onto the Reservation so their laws apply. They have a very strict ‘eye for an eye’ philosophy that they live by. When they found you and brought you in along with Josh and his buddy Tuck, the tribal leader was very upset that Josh was allowed to do this again.” Dr. Thompson went on “ They insisted we rectify this situation, and while we had done human testing, it was always voluntary and reversible. We were getting into a very ethically gray area, but the decision was made to go ahead. Josh was given the facts, he knew that tribal law dictated his execution if you died, and there was nothing anyone could do, it did happen on tribal land, their laws apply. He knew he had a small chance of survival in your body, no chance if he didn’t do this and you died.” The Dr. took a drink of water before he continued on, “By this point you were near death and we had to move quickly. Normally the process takes hours, which we didn’t have. So we had to make another hard decision. We transferred the core of Josh out and transferred as much of you in as we could. But this is a new area for us, we don’t know how this will all play out, you have Josh’s body, and his physicality. You may have his knowledge and even some or all of his memories, we really don’t know. You might end up as Josh with some of Mike mixed in, or Mike with some of Josh. The two aspects may blend and you might decide you’re neither and decide to be ‘Jake’. We just don’t know at this point.”

Mike laid there slack jawed, did he really hear what he thought he heard? “But, but --I’m Mike Watson!” was all he could say.

“Yes, I know that.” The doctor said, “But at this point you really haven’t integrated with the part that was Josh, that won’t happen for awhile. At this point you talk, and when you can, you’ll move like Josh, but you’re Mike. Gradually you will become more aware of Josh and you will have to deal with that.”

Mike stared at the doctor for a minute taking it all in. “Wha, what do I look like?” Mike asked. “Well you’re about the same height, 6’3’’, you weigh a bit more, about 240 lbs, Blonde hair, Blue eyes. We’ll let you up in a few minutes and you can see who you’ve become, we just have to make sure you’re strong enough.”

“My body?” Mike asked, looking like he didn’t want to hear the answer.

“It’s still alive, on a respirator. Josh might survive in it, but he will be a paraplegic, plus there is a good chance of brain damage. A blood clot broke loose after we did the transfer and he suffered a stroke, we’re surprised he lasted this long. I should tell you this, if somehow your body survives and if you want you can be returned to it, it will be your choice.”

Mike lay there staring, was he dreaming? This had to be a joke. And a bad joke at that.

“Can you move your legs?” Dr. Thompson asked, Mike wiggled his legs, “Great, how about your arms?”

Mike lifted his arms, he took a look at his hands and had a shock, “The-the- these aren’t my hands!” Mike stuttered and he examined his hands. They were big and beefy with long fingers, not at all like his average sized hands with short stubby fingers. He looked dumbfounded as he twisted and turned, open and closed his hands. He looked at his arms, golden tan, very well muscled. “This is real?” was all Mike could say.

“Yes, it’s very real.” Dr. Thompson replied.

Now Mike knew why he felt so odd. He was seeing with another man’s eyes and hearing with another man’s ears. Everything looked a little odd, colors where somehow strange. It seemed he could hear a bit more, softer sounds were clearer. He ventured a look down and saw a well muscled chest and he could feel his heart thumping rapidly.

The nurse came over and took his pulse, “Doctor, it’s quite high..”

“Mike, take a few deep breaths, try and relax a little”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re not…” Mike stopped in mid sentence, was that really his voice? It hadn’t connected before, he was talking with a soft southern accent!

“Mike, what is it?”

“My voice, why am I talking like this?”

The doctor took a long look at Mike before he went on, “As I mentioned before, it was a tough decision, but with the disparity in your bodies and ages, plus the time constrains we were dealing with, we opted to leave the physical side of Josh in place, so you have Josh’s characteristics, you talk like he does and you will find you move as he did. Odds are you wont’ really be aware of it, since your physical aspects aren’t part of you any longer, your body is sort of on Josh’s auto pilot, it’s part of you now.”

“Can I get up now?” Mike said, “God, I’m really talking like this?” The words sounded foreign to him.

“Lets try sitting on the edge of the bed first.”

Mike didn’t give it too much thought, as he quickly swung his legs over the side of the bed.

The doctor look a bit surprised, but pleased “Great, looks like you are integrating well.”

The doctor pointed over to a large mirror on the other side of the room, “Think you can make it over there?” “Nurse can you open the shades a little so Mr. Watson can get a good look at himself?” The nurse pulled the shade halfway up; the light caused Mike to squint. Mike took a few small steps, felt stable and proceeded over to the mirror. He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the light. Mike took a deep breath and steeled him self for what he was going to see. “Ok, guy you can do this…” Mike thought to himself. He did a quick headshake as if to clear his thoughts and faced his future staring back at him from the mirror. “Shit” was all he uttered, his mouth hanging open. “Th-th-that’s me?” he asked incredulously. The doctor walked up and put his hand on Mike shoulder, “Yes, that’s you…” and just left the statement hanging in the air.

“I-I-I’m a kid!” was all Mike could say.

“Well, technically you’re not, Josh is, was, 19, an adult.”

Mike just stood there staring. He blinked once, twice, three times. The image in the mirror did the same. Mike took his hands and brushed his cheek, rubbed his jaw. The skin was soft and firm. He looked at himself. He had a strong jaw line and a crease in his chin. His golden blonde hair was cut short, kind of buzzed off the way kids wear it now. His bright blue eyes had a fire to them. His nose was slightly upturned and positioned between two high cheekbones. He turned his head a little and noticed his ears. They were moderate size and close to his head, the earlobes seemed to connect to his jaw line, “Damn” he uttered. Everyone had something about themselves that they disliked, for Mike one of these things were his ears. They stuck out a bit and as a kid he was always teased about it, not any more he thought. With all that’s going on he had no idea why that thought crossed his mind.

He took a step back in order to get a better look at himself. He looked at the image staring back at him, young, tan, muscular, naked. Naked! Mike didn’t even realize he wasn’t wearing anything. He looked down at himself and over to the doctor.

“ Hey man, it all right, you’ve been naked through out the whole process.” The doctor said.

Somehow it didn’t bother Mike as much as it used to- shit, he was a hunk! He had a thick neck that flowed into broad shoulders that had caps of muscle on the shoulders. “Damn, I look like one of those models in the magazines.” He said as he looked down the body that was now his home. Well-developed pec’s sprouted two small dark brown nipples, he reached up to rub them, they had decent sized bumps and the action was very pleasurable. He had never given any thought to his nipples before, he was much more interested in women’s nipples, that could change… As he looked down, that broad chest tapered down to a small waist that displayed abs that must have taken years to get that hard. Mike noticed he now had an innie, a small disk recessed into those massive abs. As his gaze continued, “Fuck” came out of his mouth. Mike stood there looking at the piece of manhood nestled in a golden blonde bush of hair. Mike was always comfortable with his 5 incher, but he was now big, and uncut, and he had a mushroom head to boot. His new cock hung there, and there was no hiding it. It was very prominent, Mike didn’t know if it was the muscles, or just this guy’s anatomy, but he knew that from this point on his dick would always be one of his prominent features, there was no way to hide this. As he looked he noticed his nice smooth balls. Not a bad size and hairless, damn I guess this kid shaves his balls Mike thought. He finally pried his eyes off his dick and balls and looked at the legs that supported him now. He could tell this kid spent a lot of time working on them, big hard ass, massive thighs and calves. The thick ankles lead down to wide, big feet, had to be a size 13 or better.

“So, what do you think?” inquired the doctor,

“Shit, I don’t know what to think, I’m a fucking 19 year old jock, I cain’t say I’d ever dreamed this was possible.” Mike shook his head did he really say ‘cain’t’? Mike had always prided him self on his diction, he always felt it was the sign of an educated businessman to be able to converse with others and sound intelligent, now he not only had a 19 year olds body, he was talking like one. Damn…

“Do you feel strong enough to get cleaned up and dressed? There’s a walk in shower in the bath, and I sent one of the techs to Josh’s dorm room to pick up some clothes, I don’t think anything you own would fit that body…” the doctor said as he looked over toward the nurse when he heard her pager go off.

As it beeped Mike looked over toward her too, “ Damn, she ain’t bad looking for an older chic,” Mike thought to himself as he gave her the once over. “ Nice firm tit’s” he thought. He blinked and quickly looked away, this didn’t go unnoticed by either the doctor or the nurse, Mike blushed, though it was kind of hard to tell with that dark tan, but his dick at half mast was a give away. Not only was he 19, Mike discovered he was horny as hell.

“That was the tech, he’s dropped off a bag with some of Josh’s clothes at the front desk, I’ll go bring them in” The nurse said as she waited for the Ok from the Doctor. He nodded, and she left with a little smile for Mike.

“Doctor..Uh..Thompson is it?”

“Call me Jim, were going to be seeing a lot of each other for quite some time” the Doctor replied.

“OK, Dr. .. Jim, I’m sorry about that.”

“Tell me, what were you thinking? ---No, I don’t mean it like that” Jim added quickly when he saw the look on Mikes face. “I really need to know what was going through your mind just now. It will help in figuring out what is going on with you.”

“OK, Jim,” Mike said as he sat on the edge of the bed, “ I was thinking she was pretty hot for an older woman, her tit’s looked nice and firm --. Dr., ..Jim, that’s not me, hell she’s a lot younger than me, no way would I think of her as older. Women her age don’t give me a second look.”

“Mike, you have to remember your body is operating with a 19 year old’s libido, physically you are Josh now.”

Mike sat there, he looked down at his hands and at his cock still at half mast.

“Listen, how about if I give you some time to get to know yourself.” Jim said with a little smile. “A nice hot shower and some clean clothes will make you feel like a new man.” He chuckled. Mike didn’t know if he was ready for levity about his situation, but he did get the drift of Jim’s other comment.

“Yeah, sounds good” Mike replied.

“Tell you what, I’ll leave my cell number here, either give me a call or ask one of the staff to get me when your feeling up to a talk. Take your time, I know it’s a lot to get used to.” Jim said as he started out the door.

“You have no idea” Mike muttered under his breath.

“Sure I do” Jim replied, Mike looked a little sheepish; he didn’t think Jim could hear him.

“ Everyone involved in the program has had to go through the procedure. Granted, it was only for a few weeks, and we all returned to our bodies after the trial run was over, but yes, I do know what it’s like.” Jim said matter-of-factly. “ Listen, we’ll have lots of time to talk later about the program and our goals, but right now you have more pressing matters.” Jim chuckled as he walked out.

One of the ‘more pressing’ matters Mike had to deal with has the fact he needed to pee, bad. As Jim left, Mike moved quickly to the bathroom and the toilet. He quickly flipped the seat up and pulled back his foreskin and let a heavy stream flow. “Damn.” That felt good Mike thought as he looked down and the stream was lessening. “Fuck, I didn’t even think about rolling my cock cover back” Mike thought to himself as he shook the last drops of pee off his cock. ‘Cock cover’ Mike thought ‘where the hell did that come from.’ ‘Shit, why does every sentence start with an expletive’ Mike wondered. He flushed, and flipped the shower on. The warm steamy mist quickly filled the room. Mike stepped into the shower and the warm stream of water felt great on his back. His hand instinctively found it’s way to his cock and was massaging it before he realized it. He was hard in seconds. Mike looked down and was surprised to see the large dark purple head of his cock. It was so sensitive he could barley touch it. It was much smother than his cock, the years of being exposed to his clothes had taken its toll on it, it was rough and desensitized. The feeling was exquisite as he rolled the foreskin back and forth. It hit him right then what a crime it was to circumcise boys, the pleasure he was feeling was so much greater than he had ever felt before. He closed his eyes and went with the pleasure. Images of big-breasted redheads filled his mind, he was playing with their breasts, he was eating them out, the pleasure grew. Before he knew it he was spurting his load, it came and came. “Fuck, that was some load, I wonder when the last time this kid came” Mike wondered. Still feeling the glow Mike washed down the wall where his cum hit and proceeded to wash his massive body. He thought about the redhead in his fantasy, he was always a sucker for blondes but that redhead really turned him on. It felt good rubbing the cloth over his body. He could feel the muscles that rippled just below his skin. As he stood there and let the warm water rinse the soap off his body he realized something, he didn’t have any tan lines! “Fuck, this dude must tan in the nude, I wonder if that’s why it didn’t feel strange walking around naked” he thought to himself. That was a new feeling for Mike, he was never comfortable walking around in the locker room naked as some of the guys were, he was always ashamed of his pudgy gut. “No more” he thought. He toweled off, and stepped up to the mirror., looked at his face and decided he liked the little bit of stubble that Josh had cultivated. The dark stubble matched his eyebrows and contrasted nicely with his golden blonde hair. Mike tousled his hair and it fell into place, “I guess that is one advantage to short hair” he thought. Mike looked at what toiletries were available, he found a disposable razor he wasn’t going to need at the moment, a tooth brush and paste, some deodorant and a comb, all typical hospital issue. Mike slid his tongue over his teeth, they felt gummy, he was glad to be able to brush them. As he bent over to spit out the foam he noticed his lips – full, red, sexy. He spit and looked at his large white teeth, they weren’t quite perfect, a couple of the lower ones were crooked, but the overall effect made his face look more masculine. He stood there and took a long hard look at himself. He was one good-looking dude. A knock at the outer door stirred him out of his reverie,

“I’ll put the bag with your clothes on the bed” he heard the nurse say from the other room.

‘Great, thanks ma’am ” he replied. He reached for the stick of antiperspirant, opened it and was about to apply it when it hit him, he had some of the ‘fuckinest hairy pits he’d ever seen’. Wow, where did that come from Mike wondered? The hair was golden blonde as was the rest of his pubes, but damn there as a lot of it! He applied the goo, and then he noticed the bush of hair visible even when his arms were down, though the muscles held them a bit way from his sides. He gave himself one last look and left the room.

There was a black duffel bag with the school logo sitting on the bed, Mike walked over and opened it up. There was an assortment of clothes there, but all were athletic gear, sweats, cross trainers, Ts. Mike found some boxers in the bottom, they all had funky prints, he chose the ones with a smiley face with its tongue hanging out. As he slid them up over his legs, he noticed his legs were pretty hairy too, but since it was blonde he didn’t notice it before that. With the amount of hair in his pits and on his legs he wondered if the kid waxed his chest, he decided he’d find out soon enough. Mike found a pair of socks and he picked up a grey muscle T, it had a logo of course, and he slid on a pair of breakaway warm up pants, and he pulled out a pair of cross trainers. After he tied his shoes he walked over to the mirror. Mike stood there for a long look. The T was tight and his prominent nipples showed through along with his pecs and lats. These were defiantly his clothes, they fit him well. He looked down at his hands, he flipped them over and looked at his palms, he saw a few small scars he wondered how Josh got them. He looked over to the clock, it’s had been over 2 hours since the doctor left, Mike was curious about what to expect, and to find out just how this had happened to him. He picked up the phone and punched Jim’s number in…

Mike thought it was strange, his whole world had changed in the past few hours, he was walking around in some strange kids body, but he felt fine. His reality shifted and Mike felt he should be terrified of what had happened to him, but somehow he didn’t, why? That was the first thing he wanted to ask Jim when he got there. Mike went and looked out the window, he could see the rolling foothills in the distance. He saw all the students going about their business, laughing, running, goofing off. Mike rubbed his eyes, “Shit I can see a hell of a lot better.” he thought to himself. He heard something behind him and turned to see Dr. Thompson come in.

“Looks like you’re doing OK”,

“Yeah, I guess” Jim looked at Mike for a moment, not sure what to say, Mike turned to him,” This is so fuck’n weird -- how come I’ve never heard of even the possibility of doing this?”

Jim looked at him, “Come on man, you’re a smart guy, how would the world react if it discovered that there was a possibility that someone was not who they appeared to be – what if this fell into the wrong hands?”

It hit Mike, all the possibilities, “Shit.”

“Odds are you are getting hungry, want to go grab something to eat and talk?”

“Fuck, Yeah, ...” Mike responded.

As they walked down the hallway to the cafeteria, Mike asked, “How come it’s so easy for me to function in here, I’m walkin’ and talkin’ like nothin’ happened?”

“We’ve found that the consciousness is pretty resilient, it adapts pretty easily. I was a woman for a few weeks when I did the exchange and that’s a lot bigger change than you’ve gone through. At first it was weird but after an hour or so I was functioning pretty much as my self.”

Mike looked at him,” You’re shittin’ me”

“No- in some ways it a little like what you’re going through, Karen and I agreed that we would try leaving the physical in place and adding our ‘identity’ to the body. I was me, but without the male side, it was --- interesting…”

Jim kind of trailed off in thought. They rounded the corner and entered the cafeteria, picked up a couple of trays and proceeded down the line. Mike and Jim continued to talk, and halfway through the line Mike looked down and noticed his tray, it was loaded with protein and no carbs, he blinked. Just then the girl behind the counter asked him what kind of entrée he’d like, he looked up and smiled at her and immediately started flirting with her, she turned around to get him a plate and Mike undressed her in his mind. He could just see her there, firm tight breasts bouncing around as she served and a great ass, he could feel himself getting more aroused by the second.

“Down boy!” he heard Jim whisper in his ear, he looked down and saw what Jim had noticed. Blushing, he looked away. They picked up the rest of their food and found a table in the corner, away from the rest of the late afternoon crowd.

“We can talk here.” Jim said as he set down his tray.

“Yeah, I do have a few questions.” Mike said with the emphasis on few…

“I know it’s a lot to take in, plus your dealing with a teenagers sex drive.” Jim stirred his coffee. “I’ve got to warn you, you’re in the eye of the hurricane right now. You’re Mike and you only have a bit of Josh to deal with. Over the next few days you’re going to be exposed to more and more of Josh, some you may like and some you may not.” Mike looked at him with a bit of apprehension.

“One thing we’re going to have to deal with sooner than later is the fact that Josh has an addictive personality. We’d like to go in and see if we can remove that portion of Josh, before it blends with you.”

Mike looked at him, “Huh?”

“Now that you’re stabilized, we’d like to ‘explore’ that part of Josh that made him drink too much and use drugs. It’s in there with you, you just haven’t connected with it yet. We’re hoping we can prevent that since our best guess is it will infect you, sooner than later.” Jim let that statement hang there for emphasis.

“Hey man, I’ve had the occasion drink, now and then even a bit too much at times, but I’m in control of it. Hell it’s been years since I even touched weed. I should be able to handle this.” Mike said a little indignantly.

“Like you handle the pocket rocket down there?

Mike blushed. Jim went on,” You have to realize that you are dealing with a whole new set of needs, wants and abilities. You’re 19 again, your in sexual overdrive, and that is just the beginning. We don’t know too much about Josh, but what we do know raises some serious questions about what we may have done to you in our efforts to save you. We have a small window to do this, we’d like to try and ‘correct’ this after we finish here… I’m serious.” He could sense Mike’s incredulity.

“What the HELL have you done to me! I didn’t ask for ANY of this! Now you want to fuck with what’s left of my mind! SHIT do you hear yourself! Did I get any say in any of this? You ASKED Josh, he had a say, but me, I don’t get any input and it’s MY FUCKING LIFE!” Mike hit his fist on the table. The whole room was watching him. He was staring at Jim and Jim just sat there looking like he was run over by a truck.

Jim sat there for a moment collecting his thoughts. “Listen, this wasn’t my idea. I’m a researcher, and I just happened to be working when this happened. I’m the lead on this project, that’s why I’m here. I never said I agreed with it, but the decision wasn’t mine. I seriously thought about walking away, but I have had the most experience, if you can call a 3 week transfer experience, so I agreed to oversee it. You are unique. You may be the first to experience a change in the way we look at life and death, you may be the last if we fail. I don’t know if we just jumped off a cliff ethically.” He sipped his coffee as he let that sink in.

“You are an intelligent man, you’ve lived 45 years, and you have to know what the implications of this are, if you only stop and think about it. When I first got involved with this process I was intrigued, hell I still am, but you have to know that I wrestle with the ethical implications daily. Am I doing the right thing? I don’t know. I do know if I wasn’t here someone else would be, and that person my not have the ethical qualms I have. I don’t need you to point out what I have done, I’m well aware of it. I know it’s been done TO you, and I can only begin to fathom your anxiety, but Mike, you have to work with the cards you were dealt. You could be dead now.”

Mike sat there for a long minute staring at his hands. “Maybe that would be better. Maybe it was my time… Sure, this kid screwed up, we all did when we were younger, maybe not as bad as Josh, but we all were stupid and think we’re invincible at 19 or 20. Hell, my own 22-year-old son still does stupid things. What right to I have to take another persons shot at life, no matter how bad he fucked it up? He might have learned something sitting in jail for years, I don’t know.”

Jim thought it was incongruous hearing this coming out of a 19 hunks mouth. This was going to be interesting… “Listen, we have your whole life to argue the ethics of this, but we really need to address the issue at hand. You are at risk if we don’t do something. Face it, this kid is an addict, do you want to live the rest of your long life doing AA and NA meetings, that’s where this kid was headed, he just didn’t’ hit bottom yet –well he might have now… Anyway, I really feel we need to do this now, You don’t know me but your going to have to trust me on this. Please.” Jim sat there and looked deep into Mike’s eyes. Mike had to understand the risks he faced.

Mike sat there. What difference did it make if part of the kid he didn’t even know was removed? Why was he fighting it? Was it the part of him that was Josh? Did he trust this guy sitting across from him? Hell, he just met him a few hours ago. He mulled it over, what was that? He really wanted something, but what? Damn, it was a cigarette! He looked at his chest, how could anyone who worked this hard to build a body like this ever think of smoking? It wasn’t an overwhelming urge, so he wasn’t a hard-core smoker, but the itch was there. “Dude, I really need a smoke.” Mike said. More and more he was talking like Josh. “If we do this can you get rid of that too?”

“I think so, but you’ll still have the carvings for awhile. Does that mean you’ll agree?”

Mike took a long breath,” I guess.”

Jim blinked, thank god, he thought, somehow he was beginning to really care about this guy. He knew he’d be driven by his addictions for the rest of his life if he didn’t agree to this now, before they took root. Still, there was no guarantee it would work, but he had had to try…

They picked up their trays, and dropped them at the pickup window and Jim led Mike toward the transfer facility. Jim greeted some of his friends as they entered, “This is the team that oversaw your transfer” Jim said as he directed Mike to a chair that looked like it was appropriated from a dentist’s office. Mike rested his heavy frame into the chair and tried to get comfortable. Jim and a couple of his associates came over.

“This is Rick and Karen,” he said.

Mike took a quick look at Karen then at Jim, Jim gave his head a slight nod, otherwise nothing was said. Now Mike knew what Jim was talking about. She was hot, Mike felt his ‘friend’ stirring, and quickly looked away.

“We’re going to wire you up now’” Jim said. Rick and Karen attached leads to various parts of his head. Jim brought over some heavy, dark, funky looking glasses.

“Here, put these on.”

Mike slid the glasses over his eyes, he couldn’t see through them.

“OK, we’re ready to start. Mike, watch the image in front of you.”

Mike heard a click and some swirling colors appeared on the built-in screens of the glasses.

“The colors are keyed to your mind, and soon you’ll find yourself drifting off, just go with it.” Jim said.

The colors looked so great soon Mike couldn’t help himself and he was out. Jim, Karen, and Rick worked hard exploring “Josh” and modifying aspects of his personality. It was a long, time-consuming process, but at the end Jim felt confident he had been successful. He also felt he knew Josh better. Mike would have an interesting life ahead of him, if Jim wasn’t mistaken. Mike noticed a change in the swirling colors and slowly woke up.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah.” Jim said as he wiped his brow.

“Damn, I still want that butt.” Mike said,

“You will, it’s your body craving the nicotine, it’ll pass. Rick, toss me one of your patches.” Rick threw a patch at Jim,

“Hope they work better for him.” Rick had been trying to quit for almost a year now, but the long hours doing research always did him in. The University was smoke free, but luckily for Rick their wing was on the reservation, so again their laws took precedence. Jim handed the patch to Mike; he opened it, lifted his shirt, and attached it to his side.

“How long does it take to kick in?”

“Not long, 10, 15 minutes tops.” Rick replied.

Jim motioned Mike to get up and head back to his room,

“Hey, man – Good luck!” Rick said as they left.

“So that’s Karen” Mike said after they were out of earshot.

“Yeah, like I said, it was interesting.”

“Did you do it?” Mike asked with a little smile.

“Wouldn’t you?” Jim replied. He let the conversation drop, he really wasn’t comfortable discussing his sexual experiences, especially as a woman, with anyone. They got back to Mike’s room, quickly, the complex wasn’t’ too large.

“Listen,“ Jim said, “ You are in for a rough night. I’m going to stay in the room next to you in case you need me.”

“What do you mean, ‘rough’ night?” Mike asked.

‘Well, like I said, you’re in the eye of the hurricane, you are going to start to get to know Josh, I guess is the best way to put it. The first thing is going to be your dreams, if it gets too bad, let me know and I’ll get you a sedative.”

Mike was tired; the experience in the chair did him in. “OK, I guess, I am a beat.” He put his hand out, “ I’m sorry if I tore you a new one earlier, it’s not you, it’s this whole fuckin’ situation. Maybe it’ll be better in the morning.”

Jim took his hand and shook it, but he knew tomorrow would be worse not better. “Get some sleep man, you’ve been through it today.” he said as he walked out the door.

Mike closed it, went to the bathroom pulled out his dick and let a thick stream flow. He shook his dick before he let the foreskin roll back down, washed his hands and gave himself the once over. “What the hell is going to happen to me?” he thought as he turned out the light. It was dark already, he really lost track of time, glancing at the clock he saw it was after 11 PM. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on a chair. He walked over to the mirror and twitched his pecks, it seemed natural, but Mike had never done it before. “Must be part of Josh’s nightly routine,” Mike thought. He pulled his pants off, dropped his boxers, and rubbed his balls, -it felt good. He flopped into bed, pulled the covers up, and flicked out the light. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, “What a long fuckin’ day it’s been” he thought. Before long he drifted off to sleep.

Oh God, it felt so good, Mike just kept pumping, in and out in and out. He buried his head in those beautiful breasts, he wanted this to go on for hours, with every thrust his pleasure increased. There was a tangle of legs, arms, fingers. As he thrust from the front he could feel Tuck thrust from behind. It was such a turn on to feel another cock finding pleasure separated only by a thin layer of membranes. Tuck was ready to cum, he could feel him pressing on Kat’s back, Mike increased his thrusts as Kat moaned louder, no holding back now, he went deeper and deeper, OOOHHHH, GGOOODDD! YES! He felt Kat’s spasms as she came, one more thrust and….AAAAHHHHHHH!!! He collapsed on top of Kat, he could feel Tuck trying to roll out from under her. He looked at Kat, her body glistened with sweat, god she was beautiful! He looked over at Tuck, his dark hair was all messed up, he chuckled, he knew how Tuck hates having is hair messed up, He’d tease him like hell about it tomorrow. Kat slid over and kissed him, long deep and wet. “Thank you, that was incredible!” She turned and did the same to Tuck, he was lost in the afterglow. They lay there in a tangle for a while longer then Mike felt he really had to pee. As he untangled himself Tuck was feeling the same need. Kat rolled over and drifted back to sleep. Mike and Tuck headed to the john. Mike rolled back his foreskin and let the stream pour out, Tuck just let the stream flow. They both arched their backs as the warm flow of piss gave them relief. “Shit, bro’ that was fuckin’ incredible.” Tuck said as he slapped Mike on the back. “Didn’t I tell you so.” Mike replied. He headed over to the sink and splashed his face with water as Tuck made his way back to the bed. When Mike got there Tuck was curled up on one side of Kat, he took a position on the other side, he was glad Tuck was an ass man, he had those breasts all to himself…

Mike woke cold and wet. He rolled over, “What the fuck ---!” He pulled the covers back and saw the cum covering the ripped abs. For a moment he didn’t recognize the cock and abs he saw, then the previous day came rushing back to him. He was in Josh’s body, “Shit”, was that a dream, or did that happen?? He wondered aloud. Jim had heard him stirring and stuck his head in to ask if Mike was all right. Mike quickly covered up, looking a little embarrassed.

“Hey man, it’s cool” Jim said, “ Go get cleaned up, I’m going to take a quick shower and change too, see you in 15…” and he was gone.

Mike flipped back the bedding, he and it was covered in cum. “The hell with it” he thought and headed to the bathroom to pee and to get cleaned up. After a quick 10-minute shower and a shave, the stubble was turning into a beard, he was dressed and hungry as hell. “I wonder what’s taking Jim so long,” he thought as he reached for the phone. Just then Jim knocked on the door.

“Damn, you really do look like a kid today” Jim said referring to Mike clean-shaven face.

“Yeah, I guess I know why he grew that stubble, I could pass for a fuckin’ 15 year old..” Mike said taking a quick look in the mirror. “Shit man, I’m starving.”

“ Me too” Jim said, “Lets grab something before we hit it today.” They were feeling more comfortable with each other, but Mike skirted around what had happened last night. Mike loaded up on protein again, and they found the same isolated table they had yesterday. “So, you want to tell me about it?” Jim asked.

Mike got red, “Do I have to?”

The simple reply was “Yes.”

Mike proceeded to give him the highlights, getting hard in the process.

“Was it a dream? Did it happen? Who’s Tuck?”

“Tuck’s Josh’s best friend. As to whether it happened, I don’t know. But after rooting around in Josh’s subconscious yesterday, and reading up on his background, I’d say it most likely happened. “

Mike just stared at Jim.

“ I warned you. There’s a lot more to come. Josh was out there. Sex, booze, drugs, it’s amazing he kept a 3.6 average and performed well on the field. And, before you ask- yes he did do the work, the kid has, or had brains, and talent. It’s too bad he was so fucked up.”

Somehow that bothered Mike. Taking the body of a dumb jock was bad enough, but this kid had potential. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Do what? Live?” Would you rather be in that room over there on a respirator? “ Jim said as he glanced to the west side of the room.

“He… I... Josh’s there?”

“Yes”

“Alive?”

“At the moment.”

“Can I…”

“No. At least not yet.”

Mike let it drop.

They loaded up the trays and dropped them off on their way out.

Jim wasn’t looking forward to what was going to happen next, but he couldn’t stop it.

As Mike was strutting down the hall in his new, muscular body he stopped short, “Shit! What day is it?” Mike blurted out with a Southern drawl, “How long have I been here? Fuck, they’re probably wondering where the hell I am at work! My neighbor is wondering when I’m going to get back, I’ll bet she is running out of food for my dog!” Mike turned and grabbed Jim’s arm –“Why am I only realizing this now, did you fuck with my mind too?”

Jim pulled Mike’s hand off his arm and got a strong hold of his shoulder and forcibly directed him to an empty office down the hall from where they were. Jim was glad that Mike didn’t realize he could easily take him with this new strength. He kicked a chair over to Mike and sternly said “Sit!’

“What the hell do you think you were doing out there? That was a common area, there are people who don’t know a thing about this Department and what we do. It’s partly my fault, I should have warned you after your outburst yesterday in the cafeteria, but I had bigger issues on my mind. You have got to keep this among us. Feel free to talk all you want when you’re in our section of the facility but SHUT THE HELL UP in the common areas! Understand?”

Jim looked at Mike, Mike looked at Jim Finally Mike said “Sorry, I’ll try and be more careful, but what the fuck is wrong with my mind? I didn’t give a thought to any of this shit yesterday. Why?”

Jim looked at him, looked at his watch, then back up. He pulled a chair over to where Mike was sitting. “I don’t have all the answers, I can postulate why, but I can’t claim to know. I guess the best way to put it is that your personality is starting to ‘coalesce’. Yesterday you were the bare essentials of Mike, hung on Josh. You were lucky to function at all. We were really surprised that everything went as well as it did. You have to remember outside of our group of six, you are the only other conscious person to experience this. You know, in a lot of ways we’re finding our way just as you are, I’ll never claim to have all the answers, feel free to punch me out if I ever claim to.” Jim said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “So, what do you want to do? Do you want to go somewhere and talk, you look apprehensive.” Jim said as he got up.

“Dude, I’ve got so many fuckin’ questions my head hurts! I don’t know what I want, sumpthin’ is buggin’ me -don’t know what it is.” Mike said with a perplexed look on his face, finally getting up too. He stretched and wriggled his upper body like he had a kink, “I want sumthin’, need sumthin’ but I don’t’ fuckin’ know what.” As he walked over to the window he reached in and scratched his balls, “Look, what about my life, it’s like I fuckin’ disappeared! My job, my house, hell what about my son? Shit, I‘m what two- three- years younger than him now? What about my ex? How do I explain this to her? Shit!”

“Ok, if it helps, you’ve been here a little over two days, they brought you in late Tuesday night. You were out of it Wednesday, yesterday you woke up, today is Friday. We think we covered for you at work, someone called and told them you got food poisoning and you were sick in bed. That bought us some time. It’s the weekend, so hopefully with you awake now we can come up with something that’s plausible by Monday. OK?”

“Shit.” Mike looked over at Jim, “How am I ever gonna’ get my life back? I cain’t go back to my job looking like this – I’m a fuckin kid! Nobody would believe me if I tried!” Mike was turning toward Jim as he jerked and quickly flopped into a chair as images raced through his mind. People he didn’t know - but then did, places that he’d never been that seemed familiar, things he had done but never done. He was getting high, he was running, he was suited up on the football field, he was fucking his brains out, he was driving a convertible, he was lifting weights, he was talking of an older man who was his father but wasn’t, he was kissing a girl, he was waving to his mom, he was skydiving, he was taking an exam, he was with his brother, he was on a jet, he was skiing, he was in Europe, he was scuba diving, he was in his dorm room, he was drinking with his buddies, he was petting his dog. All these images and more rushed through his mind, they were there then they were gone. Mike stared blankly at his hands. “Fuck….” He said under his breath as he slumped into a chair.

Jim grabbed his head and lifted it up and looked in Mike’s blank eyes –“Man, you OK?” He was impatiently waiting for some sort of response, a blink, a grunt, anything. After what seemed like hours Mike pulled Jim’s hands off his face, “Yeah, I’m still here. Damn, what was that?”

“Wha, what happened?” Jim stuttered still unsure if Mike was OK.

“There were all these fuckin’ images, but not really images. It’s like I was doing stuff, stuff I’ve never done. There were all these people I knew them but I never met them –does that make any sense? Mike asked with a tone of uncertainty.

“You connected with Josh.” Jim said matter-of-factly - relaxing a bit. “They were his memories, odds are just a brief flash, but I was afraid we might have lost you for a minute.” Jim pulled a small note pad out of his pocket and noted the time and what they were doing. “Maybe we’d better get you back to your room.”

“How come I still know so much about myself? Did you transfer all of me on top of Josh? How am I going to sort all the crap out? Back there when --whatever happened -- happened it was so fuckin’ real, I knew those people and places like it was me, but it wasn’t. How the hell am I supposed to deal with being 2 people?”

Jim could see the terror creeping into Mike’s eyes, hell it was scary enough at first when he swapped with Karen, but it was only for a few weeks and he knew he would be back to himself then, this was so much more. ‘It’s going to take some time to sort it, you, out. This is all new to us too.”

“So… so who am I?” Mike asked, “ I mean really.”

Jim stood there and looked at him. ‘I don’t know if there is one answer. If we tested your DNA it would say you are Josh, if I asked you, you would say Mike Watson. My hunch is if one of Josh’s friends came up to you he’d think you were Josh, if your son came up to you I have no idea if he’d know you. These are things we need to find out. As I told you when we first met I really have no idea who you will turn out to be. I have to believe it scares the shit out of you, it would me, but you got to know we’ll do what we can to help.”

Mike got up, that brief experience had him wiped, instead of his now usual strut he shuffled back to his room. Sitting on the bed he was afraid to sleep, what if he had another dream like last night – that was the last thing he needed now. Jim looked at him not sure what to do. “You want something to help you sleep?”

“Fuck, I don’t know what the hell I want. I need somethin’ but shit, I don’t know what it is. It’s like a fuckin’ itch you can’t reach.” Mike looked at Jim, pulled his shirt off and tossed it across the room. Scratching his pits he looked up at Jim, “What the fuck is gonna happen next – am I gonna wake up as Josh? Hell- will I even remember being me –uh Mike? FUCK!”

“Hey man, chill. You are NOT going to wake up as Josh. But I do think you do need some sleep, let me give you a light sedative, it’ll let you drop out for a few hours, there are a few things we need to talk about this afternoon – OK?” Jim looked at Mike with a questioning look on his face. Mike nodded and Jim went to get the meds.

“Shit!”

Jim came running back in “ –What?”

“I was thinking about what a fucked up mess my life has turned into, and I remembered something you said when we first met – you said Josh, I, we, were in an accident and Josh’s friend Tuck was in the car – what happened to him? Is he walking around in someone else’s body too? Is he dead? When I get out of this place am I going to be charged with killing myself and this guy Tuck too?”

“Calm down, first off no one is dead. Josh is still alive in your body and Tuck is in a light coma, but all indications are he’ll be fine. Second, it was the reservation’s Police force that handled it. The Chief assured us that once we rectified the situation that would be the end of it. OK? But, that does lead me to what I wanted to talk with you about later, the University does have a responsibility to notify the families of students of any accident, and Josh’s father is flying in this afternoon. Tuck’s folks are already here. In fact they’ve been asking about you.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck FUCK! “ Mike exploded as he beat the pillow. “Can this Goddamned day get any worse?”

“Listen, we have time-“

“What to Fuck this up even more! Shit! We’ll just fuckin’ have to come clean, tell the tru-“

“Are you some kind of friggin’ idiot?” Jim cut him off, “First, you KNOW this is top secret, second who would believe you? Hell, you didn’t believe it at first and it happened to YOU!” All this was getting to Jim he was loosing his objectivity along with his cool.

“I was hoping we’d have a little more time, that you might be able to access more of Josh’ memories so we could come up with some story that Mr. Hunter would buy.”

“Hunter?”

“Huh?”

Mike replied, ”You said Hunter, you never mentioned my- Josh’s last name before.”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t.” Jim let it drop.

“Shit, what am I supposed to say to him- ‘Hey dad, I don’t know who the fuck you are!’?” Mike just stated at Jim.

“Well, it’s an over used cliché but you could fake amnesia- that would buy us some time- you were pretty shook up in the accident and Tuck isin a coma...” God, Jim though, this was sounding more like a Soap Opera as each moment went by. Jim stood there for a long moment, looked out the window at the rolling green hills that formed a backdrop for the University. Deep in thought, he tried various scenarios, finally it hit him - “Just wing it-“

“Huh?’ was all Mike could say.

“You’re a father, you made the comment your son has screwed up, more than once I bet, right?” Mike nodded. Jim went on “did he ever really fuck up?” “Yeah, there was the time-” Jim cut him off “ I don’t need the details, how did you react? If you are like my father I bet you did all the talking didn’t you? After all you totaled another car, injured your best friend, and this isn’t the first time. No doubt he’ll go through the roof, all you have to do is react and mumble accordingly. I’ll sedate you lightly, so you look a little out of it, Damn this might just work!” Jim was pleased with himself. Looking at his watch, “the plane gets in at 2:30, half an hour to grab a cab and get here, it’s 11 now, that gives us about 4 hours… Did you ever figure out what was bothering you?”

“Not really, I kinda’ feel like I need to do somethin’ I ain’t sure what.” Mike said as he kneaded his hands. “Maybe it’s all this energy I got, hell a few days ago I was 45, now I’m 19-“ it hit him “ Fuck, I need a good workout-“ his body was telling him things it’s mind used to know. Looking down at himself, the large muscles waiting to be put to work, Mike had an urge to go for a nice long, hard, run, he needed to burn off some energy. “Listen, I, we’ve, got time -can I go out and run a few miles? It shouldn’t take too fuckin’ long-“

“No. Damn man, you’re supposed to be recovering from an auto crash, supposed to be a little out of it, it isn’t going to do much to convince Mr. Hunter to leave after he reaming you out if someone sees you doing wind sprints is it?” Jim just stared at him.

Looking sheepish, Mike hung his head “No…”

“Here, take these. They’ll knock you out for a few hours and leave you a just groggy enough to deal with your ”Father”. OK?” Jim set the pills on the table. “I’ve got a few things that are demanding my attention to deal with right now, will you be alright if I leave? Karen’s in her office around the corner if you need something, but I doubt you’ll be awake long enough to need anything after you pop those. All right?”

Mike nodded. Jim closed the door on his way out. Mike decided to take a piss plus he needed some water for the pills. As he walked into the bathroom he glanced at himself in the large mirror over the sink. “Who the fuck are you dude” he said to himself. Washing up after peeing he stated deeply into his blue eyes, wondering what they had seen, what the kid behind them though of the world, of himself. Walking out of the bathroom he looked around the room and out the window. He could see some girls lounging in the grass a few hundred feet away, and before he knew it he was hard. He looked at the time 11:20, he wondered how long it would take to get this guy off, “shit, why not?” he thought. He looked around for something to use as lube, didn’t find anything, and decided to play with his foreskin, he never really did get to examine it before… Before he knew it he was deep into a fantasy about another red head, this one was a little on the thin side but damn she could move. Too soon it was over, his chest was covered in cum, almost as much as yesterday in the shower, and this morning. He chuckled to himself, “damn, high output balls, cool!” He cleaned himself up and decided to pop the pills, soon he was in a deep dreamless sleep.

Jim flopped into his well-worn desk chair, “Problems, chief?” he turned, Karen was standing in the doorway. There was a time when he thought it was cute to be called “Chief”, after all they were on Indian land and he was their team leader, but not today. “God, I don’t know what we’ve gotten into, and hell if I know how we’re going to get out of it. We’re all academic’s, not “Covert OP’s or even fucking Soap writers.”

“Huh?”

“Josh’s father is on the way in, and I have no idea how we’re supposed to cover this up, I even suggested Mike feign amnesia, but he wouldn’t buy it. I really don’t think I’m ready to go public, even with Josh’s father, there is just too much we don’t know yet.” Karen pulled over another well-worn chair that was pretty much molded to her form; all the hours they had spent over the years in the small office space took their toll on the furniture.

“How’s the subject doing?”

Jim glared are her, “The ‘Subject’ has a name, it’s Mike.” He said curtly. He looked at her and realized he was loosing his scientific objectivity and he needed to take a step away from Mike, whom he felt was becoming a friend. “He had a memory flash a while ago, I was afraid we lost him. It was a little like what we went through, but a hell of a lot more intense.” Karen nodded thinking back to when she flashed on being a man. She had a little smile as she ‘recalled’ Jim’s first fumbling attempt at pleasing a women when he was 15. Having shared memories was something they had learned not to bring up, for some reason it was painful for Jim. It was interesting for her, she was the only woman on earth who had experienced sex from both perspectives, she thought it made her a better lover, though with the long hours they all put in she had little chance to put her theory to the test.

“I take it he came through it ok? What was his pulse rate?”

Jim looked at her “I was more interested in his mental state, I didn’t check it.” Karen was always a better clinician than he would ever be. “It was weird, for a little while the cocky kid was gone, Mike kind of shuffled back to his room, he almost had an air of defeat about him. It didn’t last long, I stepped out to get him a sedative and he almost exploded. He’s still having a lot of feelings of guilt over surviving and when you couple that to all the changes he’s going through we are going to have to be very careful in how we handle him and the whole situation, this whole thing could blow up in our fuckin’ faces. I don’t think we were ready for this, it was just too soon.”

Karen agreed, at least internally, she knew better than voice it at this point. “So, what’s next – how do you plan to proceed?”

“We, I just need to get him through the next few hours, then we can take a breath and try to deal with next week and creating a cover story for Mike’s family and employers.”

“So, have you checked in on Josh? Some of the swelling has gone down and he is looking more human, but he’s still out of it, he may never regain consciousness. I hate to say it but that may be a blessing for him and us.” Jim knew she was right, but the scientist in him would love to see how Josh functioned and adapted in his new form. “What if we just tell his family and co-workers he was in a serious accident? It’s the truth… “

Jim thought about it for a moment “Yeah, but we already told them he had food poisoning how do we switch stories now?”

Karen looked out the window, it was on trait they both shared when they were deep in thought, “Well… How about after he left the hospital he had a relapse while driving, and was nearly killed in the resulting crash?” Jim chuckled, before this was over they could both be fiction writers.

“That might work, Josh is definitely too messed up to be moved, if he survives we could somehow insist on doing long term care at this facility, though I don’t know how we’d pull that off. But shit, it’s the best option we have at this point. That just leaves one side of the equation to work with which is a hell of a lot easier.” Making that decision lighted Jim’s mood, he glanced over at the clock and noted the time. “Damn, just a little over an hour to show time… I gotta’ grab something to eat.”

“…up.. can you hear me… Wake up! Mike, come on man you gotta wake up!” Jim was shaking Mikes beefy shoulder.

“Mmff? Huh? Shit! What time is it?” Mike sat up with a jerk. He rubbed his eyes looked over a Jim, “How fuckin’ long was I sleepin’ he drawled. His southern accent seemed even deeper now.

“A couple of hours, it’s a little after 2. We got about 45 minutes before Josh’ father gets here, do you think your up for this?”

“Shit, no.”

“Well you- we don’t have a choice. We just need to get thorough the next few hours and then we can regroup and formulate a longer-term plan. Karen and I have some ideas we’d like to discuss with you later, but now we need to get you ready for Mr. Hunter. Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

”I’ve got a room set up in the medical wing of the hospital. I got lucky and got you a room on the floor above the one Tuck is on, I sure as hell didn’t want you running into his folks while we’re there. We’re going to have to put that off as long as possible. Luckily Tuck has a record too so his folk might go a little easier on you when you do meet up. But in the mean time Mr. Hunter is on his way in.”

“Damn, what the hell is his first name, I should at least know that.”

“Ok, thumbnail sketch of what we’ve been able to put together. Josh’s father’s name is Jacob, his – your - older brother is Jacob III, but he goes by J.J., his mother’s name is Marie, they are an old southern family from Georgia. OK man, get your ass in gear, we don’t have a lot of time.”

Mike had his swagger back as they walked to the main section of the University Hospital. It was hard to keep focused, there were so many great looking women, Mike’s body seemed to have a mind of it’s own, Jim had to keep him on track for his first outing. Before long they were on the 8th floor in a private room overlooking the main portion of the campus. Jim tossed Mike a standard hospital gown and Mike changed into is and was getting into bed when they heard the commotion out in the hall.

“Listen little lady, I want to see my son NOW! Where is he?!” Shortly the young nurse showed the older man in to Mike/Josh’s room, “Right here Sir..” “Thank you, you’re excused I want to see my boy in private!”

“OK BOY, WHAT THE HELL IN ALL THAT IS GOOD IS WRONG WITH YOU! HOW MANY MORE TIMES ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS CRAP!” At point Jim cleared his throat, “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!” the older man said.

“Jim Thompson sir, I’m in charge of your son’s care” Jim said as he stepped forward offering the older man his hand. The senior Mr. Hunter ignored it. “Leave! I need to have a talk with my boy here.” “Sir I can’t do that, he’s been through quite a bit and his condition is improving but it’s far from stable.”

“I DON’T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT HIS CONDITION, NOW GIT!”

Jim stifled a gulp, he didn’t want to show any weakness to the older man, “OK sir, just for a few minutes, but I have to ask you to keep your voice down, your son isn’t the only patient here.” With that Jim turned on his heel and left closing the door behind him.

Mike’s eyes were wide throughout this whole scene. He didn’t know what to make of it. There was something familiar about his “father” but he couldn’t place it. His mind was racing, but Jim was right, Mike would do little talking during this visit. He tried to take a deep breath while his “dad” focused on the young doctor, but the older man could sense the terror in his eyes when he turned to talk to him.

“My God Boy! You’re a Hunter! You Damn Well Know Better! Is Your Only Focus In Life to Embarrass This Family! Your Brother Fucked Up Enough When He Was Your Age, But He Doesn’t Hold A Candle To You Boy!” The Senior Mr. Hunter had lowered his voice, but there was no mistake who was in charge.

Mike was searching his confused mind there was something so familiar about the older man. Was it a memory from Josh?, he didn’t think so, the older man was just so familiar. As the older man railed on, getting red in the face, Mike’s mind was working. “Shit” he thought to himself the synapses finally connecting; the older man was Senator Hunter! Damn, Mike thought Josh came from old money, really old money. The Senator had been a fixture in the senate for over a decade, as had his father before him. Think man, what do you recall? They did a piece on the Hunters on 60 Minutes a while back, a story about political dynasties, what were some of the details?

“BOY, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!”

That stirred Mike out of his reverie. “Yes sir.” Mike gulped.

“Good! If your grandfather hadn’t set up those trust funds I’d cut you all off, your brother, your uncle and you, but the old man tied my hands. I’ll be Goddamned if you will fuck up my political career. We’ll do what we can to down play this in the media, but after this you’re on your own! DO YOU UNDERSTAND BOY!!!”

Mike started to reply but the Senator cut him off ”Shut the Fuck Up, there is NOTHING you can say to me to explain you doing this again, we went through hell last time and you fuckin’ promised your Grandfather this would never happen again. He’s barely in the grave 6 months and here we are agin’! I don’t want to hear a fuckin’ word from you! From now on, you will show up for photo op’s and what ever function I deem you to be needed at, but that will the extent of your involvement with this family! UNDERSTAND?!?”

“Sir –“

“Don’t’ fuckin’ Sir me, a simple yes or no will do!”

Mike said a quiet “Yes” under his breath. The older man glared at him, and turned an left, making Mike feel as if he took all the air in the room with him.

“Shit” Mike said to no one.

The senator saw Jim in the corridor. Grabbing the lapel of Jim’s lab coat, Senator Hunter glanced around for an empty room, found one and pulled Jim in. “I want you to keep a lid on this! Understand? Do what you need to fix the boy up; I doubt there is much you can do to fix his attitude. Is there anything I should know?”

“N-no Sir. He should make a complete recovery in a few days. I really think this experience changed him.”

“How the hell would you know what can change my son? Fuck, some of the best doctors in the world tried to straighten him out and failed, how the hell do you think you can make a difference? Now, what about the man he hit? Is he dead? ”

“No sir..”

“At least that’s one fuckin piece of good news. Is he talking about pressing charges?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why the hell not!”

“He, he’s in a coma- his family isn’t here yet.”

“Listen, you seem like a reasonable man, if you can prevent the man from pressing charges there is something in it for you. Understand?”

“Senator, are you trying to bribe me to cover up a crime?” Jim’s mind kicked into gear.

“Hell no. I’m just saying it would be in the best interest of all involved, the man, the University and your career if this thing went away, and I have the connections on the University board to make your life hell if it doesn’t” With that he turned and walked out.

Jim smiled to himself, “This could work out better than I ever thought.” He mused to himself. Hell, he might even end up with a bigger departmental budget after this all blew over. “Shit- Mike!’ he said as he trotted down the hall to the hospital room.

As he rounded the corner in to the room “ Dude, where the fuck you been?!?!”

“The Senator button holed me, what do you think happened? I’ve got my marching orders where you are concerned.”

“Shit, you too?”

They shared a knowing look between each other briefly. “Let’s get the hell out of here before someone sees you. I sure as hell don’t want to deal with Tuck’s folks now, the Senator was more than enough for one day, hell he was more than enough for one lifetime!”

Mike changed out of his hospital gown, and they went out through the back corridors. When they were safely out of the medical wing they both seemed a little more relaxed, “So dude, you said you had some ideas on how to handle my situation?” Mike inquired.

Jim looked around, the halls were empty, “Yeah. Karen and I brainstormed. We called your office Wednesday and told them you had food poisoning and that you should be able to travel by the week’s end. What we came up with is that you insisted on leaving, something about getting back to your job, or what ever you think would work, and you were still too ill to drive and you drove your car into a tree or embankment or something. That would explain your, or should I say Josh’s current condition, and if “Mike” dies then that issue is settled – not that I want that to happen.”

Mike looked at him, “Shit, what a fuckin’ way to go out. Weeks away from getting off the road and “I” buy it due to food poisoning. I dunno…”

“Listen that would get your ”Father” off our backs too. Hell, he all but guaranteed me a payoff if I made this go away. If we go this route, then the only wild card is Tuck and his family. We’ve got no idea how that will play out. Maybe we’ll have more to work with when Tuck regains consciousness; I’ll go in then and see how much he remembers.”

Mike stopped short “Who all know about what happened?” he drawled.

“You, me, my staff, the deputy that found you and the Tribal Chief – why?”

“Dude, was Josh driving?”

“Yeah.”

“But what if he wasn’t?”

“Shit, what are you getting at?”

Mike’s eyes lit up “What if Tuck was driving?”

Jim took a hard look at him “I don’t know if I like what you’re getting at, Josh was driving”

“Yeah but if we are goin’ to fuck with what happened to me, Mike I mean, what if we fuck with what happened to Tuck? Would the Tribal dudes go along with it?

Jim looked a little incredulous “The chief is a great guy but I’m not sure he would go along with this.”

“Even to keep the project secret?”

“Well, perhaps… if he was approached in the right way he might go along..”

“You’re a fuckin’ doctor --how much is Tuck gonna’ remember? I recall reading some shit about people in trauma never remembering what happened just before the shit came down. If he is told he was driving who the hell is gonna’ tell him different? You said he has a record too, if we’re both OK, and no one else was involved there’s no harm no foul.”

Jim looked at Mike, “I’m glad I never had to deal with you before this happened if that’s how your mind works.”

“Hey dude I ain’t no angel, I did my share of fuckin’ up when I was young, and I learned how to deal with people. 20 fuckin’ years of doing sales on the road you learn how to work the angles, I ain’t proud of it, but that’ just how it is.”

They walked the rest of the way to Mike’s room in the wing of the facility that housed Jim’s research department with out saying a word. Jim deep in thought, Mike tired and excited about clearing up some of this potential mess he found himself in. If this all came together he’d be a free man, at least he’d be able to sort out who he was. After the past day or so that was a lot more than he thought he could expect.

“Dude, can you score me a couple more of those pills? They fuckin did the job and after the day we’ve just had I could use some z’s.” ‘Shit’ Mike thought to himself, after things settled down a bit he was gonna have to work on this kid’s vocabulary.

Jim hesitated, he didn’t want to overmedicate Josh’s body after all the trauma it had been through, but hell he needed some down time too and if he had to keep an eye on Mike again tonight that wasn’t going to happen. ‘Yeah I guess so, but this isn’t going to become a pattern --we worked our asses off to get rid of Josh’s addictive personality yesterday, there is no way I’m going to let you get used to using these things. Understand?!?”

“Doc, I’m cool – it’s just for tonight. Cool?”

Jim reluctantly nodded and when over to the locked med room and punched in his code. Mike stood there waiting, pretty much wiped out from the day’s activities and it was only early evening. “OK, this is the last time. Tomorrow you deal with what ever comes when you sleep, cool?”

“Yeah, cool.”

Jim pressed the green pills into Mike’s big hand. “With the dose you had earlier, that should easily put you out for the rest of the night and well into the morning. If you’re not up by 10, I’ll come in and wake you – OK?” Mike nodded, “OK man get some rest…” Mike went into his room and Jim went and collapsed into the chair in his office, it wouldn’t be the first night he slept there. “Hey chief, how’d it go?”

“Huh? Sorry I didn’t see you come in.”

“So how’d it go down, did it play out as you wanted? Karen asked.

“Yeah, pretty much, but I had no idea how much of a devious mind Mike had.”

‘What do you mean?”

“Not tonight, I just want to do a quick bit of dictation and go hit the cot in the on-call room. We can talk in the morning, but I think this all may just work out. Wake me at 9 if I’m not up, OK?”

Karen nodded “ No problem. ‘Night.”

“Night”

Jim turned back toward his desk and pulled out his recorder. He spent the next 30 minutes dictating the events of the day and his observations. Satisfied he didn’t leave anything out he was ready for a decent night’s sleep, he didn’t even mind missing dinner.

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