Spider Love Song

I don't know why the constitution isn't on the Whitehouse site anymore... other than he fact that it looks like Trump masturbated all over the website.

But if he doesn't want it on the Whitehouse website then that's enough reason for me to share it.

National Archives

The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription

[get-content name="print-page-left" include-tag="false" /] Note: The following text is a transcription of the Constitution as it was inscrib

Here's the Bill of Rights for good measure

National Archives

The Bill of Rights: A Transcription

[get-content name="print-page-left" include-tag="false" /] Note: The following text is a transcription of the enrolled original of the Joint

-fae

it solos - Submitted by: fastman27

#0A090B #13121C #1C1733 #43245F #662A7E

Another short featuring young Rane meeting her team for the first time.

A new friend, a fellow outcast.

I never understood the need for so many people for these things. Birthdays, graduations, promotions, even something as simple as the weekend drew humans together. I don't even know what the occasion was. The music is too loud, the smells overwhelmingly numerous musks and perfumes, my head is starting to ache from the combination, and worse yet, I am the only Whisper here so far.

Yet I couldn't leave. This was an intentional choice by my Dant, another test to see how I'd react, to see if I caved. It was stupid, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me run away like a kicked dog. I stand in one o the corners, watching the room with a quietly as I study the people in it.

Eventually I notice someone approaching me, and I have to look him over twice just to be sure I'm not seeing things. He's huge, easily towering over everyone else in the room, with broad shoulders and a build that looks like it was sculpted by artists. His pale blue eyes stood out against his dark skin, kindness sparkling in them despite his face being neutral.

He stops a short distance from me, and waves lightly. Confused, i simply stare before giving a half wave back, but he just smiles softly before starting to sign, "It's loud, isn't it?"

I nod, considering how to respond before signing back, "Very. I'm getting a headache form the sounds and smells."

He nods, and gestures for me to follow him, which I do more out of curiosity than anything. He leads me to a balcony looking over the Dex, and the reprieve from the party is an instant relief. I breathe in the fresh air, leaning over the balcony as I listen to the wind blowing over the base.

The man waves again to get my attention, signing once I look over. "Better?" He smiles at my nod, continuing, "That's good. I never really liked these, either. I'm Niko, the mule for your unit, should Sergei's request get approved."

I nod, looking out towards the lake before answering. "I'm Rane."

That's when I heard the oddest thing. A whispered voice, as deep as the rumble of a quake but as warm as the heat from a fire, "He did say you don't talk much…"

I look over, curious about what I heard. "Who did?"

Niko looks surprised, a mix of awe and confusion filling his yes before he finally whispers in that deep, rich voice, "You understand me…?"

An encounter that's anything but chance.

"Why are you hiding over here?"

I don't look over as the voice interrupts my thoughts, my gaze remaining on the lake as it glitters gold under the rising sun. The man's question had been innocent enough, but it was the exact reason why I was separate form the others. There's too many questions, too many attempts to get to know me. I don't want to be known. I'd much rather stick to my own, as I always have. It was safer that way. Less… incidents.

He seems curious enough to stay, and sits down next to me, continuing to speak while he lights a cigar. "You're the silent type, huh? That's alright." We sit in silence for a while, the scent of hickory filling the air as the smoke curled and twisted upwards. He takes a long pull, and slowly exhales. "Listen, kid. I'll be honest with you. I know who you are, and what happened with your last Dant."

I glance over at him, unable to hide the fact that he surprised me. I still don't speak, I don't trust himself or myself enough to, but I tilt my head a bit to the side, letting him know that I'm listening.

He smiles at the gesture, his steel gray eyes lighting up. "Ah, that got your attention. I bet you're curious. 'Who is this man, and why is he talking to me if he knows what I've done', or along those lines, right?"

I nod slowly, considering many things before hesitantly speaking, "… Yes."

My speaking only seems to make him smile wider, and he looks out over the lake, breathing deeply as a crack of thunder echoes across the clear sky. "Well, those questions are easily answered. My name is Sergei Repin, and I want to ask you to join my unit."

"Sergei…" I repeat the name, considering it as I consider the man it belongs to. "Rane. My name is Rane."

An interlude in the short series I've been doing, instead focusing on when Rane first started realising her feelings for Sophia.

An important first

Very few occasions call for anything beside our uniforms, since they've become the main outfit everyone wears at the base, so the first time I saw Sophia in a dress was a couple years after her release from the hospital, the pale flowers dotted across the billowy fabric, her light brown hair blonde in the sunlight. I thought I had caught an illness when she smiled at me, that laugh bubbling out of her like the prettiest bell. I didn't understand what I was feeling, the way she made my heart flutter in my chest and the air catch in my throat, until much later.

When she tried to ask what was wrong, I couldn't answer, any words dying in my throat with a strangled whimper. My face burned as I looked anywhere but at her, though I couldn't tell her that it wasn't from embarrassment, or why I didn't want her to see it. I didn't know how to tell her that she was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen, how I wanted to see her like this more often.

My reaction upset her, but I grabbed her arm before she could leave, my touch as gentle as a butterfly's wings. I didn't know how to explain the sensations she was calling, so I apologized instead and asked her to stay.

I spent that entire night trying to figure out my feelings, sleepless in pursuit of what ailed me. I spoke with the guys about it the next morning, only to end up flustered when Don decided to start teasing me. Sergei chuckled before scolding him, and took me aside, giving me a moment to calm down before asking me more questions about my ailment.

I answered honestly, that my mind was still picturing the way the wind blew her dress in such a way to hug her body, that my face catches fire at the memory of her smile and that my breath is stolen by the memory of her laugh. He asked if I've felt these things before, and it gave me pause. I went to say that I hadn't, but then I realized that I had over the past couple years, just never this strong before.

When I admitted this, my voice a soft whisper into the light of the rising sun, he gave me a warm, knowing smile. He ruffled my hair, chuckling as he told me that I wasn't sick. I asked him what the problem was, why I felt such odd things about my friend, and he just smiled, telling me that while I might see it as a problem now, I won't always feel that way.

After getting to almost 20k words, I've realized something rather fundamental about my story.

I don't even know what genre it is.

A promise broken

The two of us had been walking through the Dex, Sophia's hand warm in mine, our fingers intertwined beneath our over-sized sleeves. It was a cold day, so we were wearing sweaters over our uniforms to keep the chill out. I didn't need one, but Sophia insisted, and I just couldn't say no to her when she brings up my health.

We'd been talking about the weather, and whether it'll snow or not when a shoulder slams into mine. I growl and go to say something, but the words die in my throat when I see who it was, memories dulling my tongue at the sight of her. I mumble an apology, and pull Sophia along, trying to put as much distance behind us as possible.

“Who was that? You two know each other?”

Sophia's question, innocent as it was, brings a torrent of memories from behind the walls I've carefully built. Memories of late nights training, movies we were supposed to watch, secrets shared beneath the moonlight, promises of forever made and sealed with kisses. I shake my head, and glance over, my voice soft, as if afraid of being heard.

“Not anymore.”

I've recently passed 10,000 words in my original story. I honestly wasn't expecting to ever actually reach that number, and I still have so many chapters to go.

I'm currently working on a story, but my motivation to write has been pretty low lately. I think the general lack of interest from my friends and family (only my mom is willing to read it currently) is part of the reason why. I'm new to writing as a hobby, and not having anyone to get unbiased feedback from leaves me feeling like my work isn't that great, I think.

I got in an argument with my mother this morning. The context isn't really important, just know it was over it was over politics. But there is one important part that told me what kind of person she is.

I brought up how ICE is targeting schools, and how there's a very good chance that they're taking anyone who looks "foreign". I mentioned that a boy we know could be taken, because he's mixed but looks mexican.

She asked me why I cared so much. She asked me why I cared so much about a boy who's been part of the family since he was a few months old being taken away.

We're not even a month in, and I'm already so tired.