The female lie
It it my suspicious belief that women are more prone to oft lie when compared to men. Not in such a malicious way, you must understand.
Women will often lie, in their own minds, to please others. Never quite stating their true idea, in a way I find quite frustratingly evasive. I'd like not to press blame for this however, for I understand this may be their nature. Due to their lack of phallus and in turn, the lack of phallic rising such as men are subject to when in a state of arousal (both hard to ignore and difficult to hide) they are given opportunity to conceal their arousal and in turn, conceal their intent with a prospective partner. However, this mechanism may also disguise thier intent from themselves , possibly causing a self inflicted confusion.
In contrast to this; some women (most of all those with plenty 'experience') tend to lack grace and subtlety when faced with handsome opportunity, fawning and prostrating, giggling and tickling. Perhaps it is the presence of these natures that offer them experience or, perhaps it is the experience that births this nature. In the case of the latter; their delight in sex, and the desire to experience it once, then twice and over again, has chance to awaken within them a sence of honest and flirtatious play freeing them from any would be confusion imposed upon them.
[TANGENTIAL INCEL RANT]
[Doesnt say anything about why this might cause them to lie. Please keep on topic!]
Keeping with this divergent topic at hand I should say; many women are not like this and the women that are, are considered whores for attention and lust. I feel this is unfair to claim it to be negative trarit because it should be l that those with a lack of choice in this dance should should be harshly judged and not those who are tactful. It should be stated that it can be difficult to make difference between the intentional and the inveterate.
[FUCK!!! ON TOPIC PLEASE!!!!!]
[Why women lie and the way in which they lie] [women lie as if you would have no way of knowing(maybe just the ones I've encountered, but still a very female lie) a seeming lack Theory of mind)

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Fair warning, this is a fuckton of gushing and I know it’s corny, but I’m happy for so many reasons, want this to be out in the ether, and this is the one place I can shout it from the rooftops.
​
I found him out of sheer luck in probably the worst place to find people (i.e., this very cesspool of the internet). He started as an acquaintance who I knew would like to fuck me, and I 100% tried to friendzone him because I didn’t want something long distance, and spectacularly failed. He found the perfect balance of making his continued interest clear while being respectful of boundaries I set, and proved to be a very helpful friend of good character. I never felt like he’d be pissy about just being my friend, he simply proved to me over time that he was worth the distance. He always had this underlying vibe of confidence that if he just kept being his awesome self, I’d figure it out. I fell for him way more than I was ever planning to.
One year ago today, we met for the first time, and it just fit. His hand just fit on the small of my back, I just fit between him and the wall, his presence just fit in my life. All the logistical reasons it wouldn’t work out or would be inconvenient felt small. Now he’s the one non-family person I’m sure will always be in my life. He removes the noise. When I’m with him, I’m home and I know everything will be okay.
He met me at a time in my life when I wasn’t showing myself the love or respect I deserved, and he’s made it his mission to get me to realize how I should be treated, especially by myself.
​
This has been the best year of my life. Not measured in wild stories my friend wants me to turn into an HBO series or in material achievements – though there have been both of those. But in realizing my sense of self, in feeling safe and secure, and becoming a stronger person. Ultimately, that’s my doing. But if nothing else, having him in my life has been an amazing catalyst, guide, and incentive. (Frankly, I knew if I wanted him to remain in my life, I needed to get with it.) For the first time in a long time, I am living my life in a way that I am happy to take 100% ownership of.
For a while at the beginning, I definitely put him on a bit of a pedestal, and in a very real way he has saved me. He saw past the “together” façade, past the annoying and amusing ways my hurt and emotional unavailability expressed itself, and saw the resilient and kind woman underneath. I got extremely lucky he’s as good a man as he is to not take advantage of that. Definitely cashed in all my built-up good karma on that one. But in the second half of this year, we’ve dug a lot deeper, and I feel like I truly see him now, including his faults, as much as you can ever truly see another person. I’m with him because I wake up every day excited to choose him again. Though we have different life experiences and perspectives, I think we have a very similar soul.
He’s my friend, confidant, mentor, lover, sponsor, partner, and protector. All in a deeper way than he’s my boyfriend.
And he’s all those things with actions, not just lip service. When I need him, he’s there. He cares about my inner world, and has let me entirely into his. When I have questions about random life shit I haven’t come across yet, he knows the answer. This relationship is far from the only reason I’m sober, but his support is a big ass part of the reason I achieved that. I know I can always count on him telling me the truth, instead of telling me things that might be easier to hear. He makes it a priority that I’m cared for, happy, strong, and safe. If someone hurt me, he’d make sure they felt a world of pain.
He’s had experiences he could have easily used as excuses to become jaded, bitter, unmotivated, or selfish, but instead he worked hard, took risks, has been honest and introspective with himself, and remains a romantic at heart. He is intelligent, insightful, responsible, vulnerable, and empathetic. He genuinely cares for and supports those around him, from me, to his family, to his friends, to his community. Beyond all that, he has humility and honor. He is tired and stressed 99% of the time so that he can be sure those he cares for are secure and can count on him, and still finds time to be an amazing and involved father, son, brother, uncle, and friend, and the most caring and supportive partner.
He taught me that I can feel safe with a man, that I don’t need to feel bad about myself after sex, that fights don’t need to exist, that I can bring up concerns and needs without fear of being turned into the bad guy and ending up sleep deprived from arguing until 4am. He’s given me the positive reinforcement needed so that I actually look forward to having and resolving serious conversations, I no longer freeze and hyperventilate. I can be vulnerable and open with him because when he’s seen me at my worst he pulls me up, instead of standing over me screaming. He’s happy when I make social connections, instead of rewarding that behavior with abuse. He encourages me to have high expectations of him and, in return, has high expectations for me.
All of his actions over the last year have shown that he wants to make my life better, that he respects me, that he’ll keep me safe, and that he’ll give me an authentic version of himself. He’s the only man I’ve met who I 100% trust, respect, and admire.
And oddly, being with him has helped me realize that I can be happy alone. I know if the romantic aspect of this relationship ever ended, I wouldn’t feel a need to date again just to not be single. I feel secure that I deserve things, not that I have to earn the most minimal treatment by suffering for it. I know that if he ever broke my trust or I felt disrespected, I would stand up for myself. This is the first relationship where I feel like I’m choosing him because he deserves it instead of debasing myself to prove I should be chosen, and I’m never going back from the secure attachment that comes with that.
It might be better if I didn’t have to relearn those things, but I also wouldn’t appreciate where I am today as much. Not just with him, but appreciating my own capabilities, strength, resilience, and capacity for kindness and love.
​
Yesterday I officially accepted a job offer that will let me move to his city, and will be moving when my lease is up in a couple months. Not only is it a job I’m really excited about, but it’s a city where I’ve grown to feel at home over the last year, can fix up a cute old house, build a secret sex hideaway with him, be in one place long enough to cultivate fulfilling hobbies, have a yard and a dog, and actually see Orion in the night sky.
I know he feels a little guilty that I’m shifting my life around and he was the impetus for it, and wants to make sure I don’t make any decisions I’d regret if we stopped dating, which I appreciate. But aside from the fact that I’m very excited for the life I see building for myself there over the next decade or so, and being rid of the logistics of a long distance relationship, I’d regret not going after something that fills me with so much peace and joy.
I’ve always had what I would call an optimistically cynical view of life. But I have believed in the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It had always eluded me. But today, it is a fine morning, and the current and I are finally headed in the same direction.
The next year, or two, or ten are going to be…interesting. But there’s not a scenario I can picture where he isn’t there somehow, or an issue I’m afraid we can’t navigate, or a person I’d be more happy to belong to.
​
I wrote this and realized nowhere in it do I say I love him. I guess that just seemed like an unnecessary word given everything else I had to say.
I can’t remember off the top of my head the last time I told him I do, even though I first wanted to say it 11 months ago, and first did say it 10 months ago. The last couple of years have really changed my perspective on that word.
Everything else I’ve said here means more than that, and every action I’ve shown him and he’s shown me, as a consistent “body of work” over the last year, means infinitely more. It’s also just different than love, or at least different than any other time I thought I felt it. I think the other times were, in various ways, based in fear. With him, I just want him to be happy, in the most selfless and pure way. Maybe it’s the fact that I actually trust, respect, and admire him in addition to it. But very simply, more than I love him, I’m his.
He’s always been the one telling me he can’t really articulate how he feels about me, but I can’t really articulate it either. It took a long time to write this, because even that one word doesn’t say all that’s necessary, and all these words still say far too little.

My novel Colony Collapse is available today in ebook and paperback!
It's the first book in a space opera series inspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation but crewed by the cast of Firefly.
I'm giving away 10 ebook copies of Colony Collapse. To enter, just comment here.
My cowriter also wrote a post about the series for those looking for more information.

The Shattered Stars

The Galactic Federation exists only as a memory.
But in a distant corner of the galaxy, the Burning Apollo carries out its impossible mission:
to reunite the scattered fragments of humanity,
to seek out forgotten stars,
to bravely rediscover what was lost long ago.

Episode One: Colony Collapse

The boy from the ice planet distrusts the woman from the sky. For four hundred years his people have struggled to survive, even as they fight over the destroyed vessel that remains their ancestral home. When disaster strikes, the boy must call for help from the woman’s friends beyond the clouds. But the voice that answers will change the future of this planet forever—and not necessarily for the better.
Subsequent episodes are coming out quarterly for the rest of the year.

About the Author

KE Wolfe is a collaborative project between Kyle Muntz, author of The Pain Eater, and e rathke, author of Glossolalia, Howl, and the Wolf Newsletter.

Praise for The Shattered Stars

“A fun, punchy space opera with heart and tenderness. I recommend this to anyone who loves Star Trek and Doctor Who. I had a lot of fun with the crew on their expedition and look forward to more of their adventures!”
—Rios de la Luz, author of Itza
Stay up to date by signing up for my newsletter (you'll receive a free copy of my novel Howl) or join the Review Team by filling out this form.

Knew a guy in the service that was a serial one upper. You could tell him anything and he would have to come up with a story of his own that was better. You killed a deer with a rifle while hunting, well he used a Bowie knife and jumped from trees. Had a friend in the FBI, well he was actually a contractor for the CIA who was asked to do random tasks from time to time. We all thought it was fun to go around him and see exactly what we could get him to say. The sky was the limit.
In my studies of the history of the church, before I knew it was all BS, I came across a passage in the church history topics under “masonry” that was a rare bit of truth:
“Others note that the ideas and institutions in the culture that surrounded Joseph Smith frequently contributed to the process by which he obtained revelation.”
When I saw this it was like a light went on. The man was a one upper. Whenever he heard or saw something, he had to add or incorporate that into his life and religion. Heard rumors of plates, well his were gold plates. Saw the Campbellites with an Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood, well his were given by divine authority directly from angels. Saw a mason ceremony, well low and behold they were actually an ancient priesthood that just happened to stumble across the secret handshakes (they’re mostly the same) to get you past the sentinels to the celestial kingdom. Heard that there might be men on the moon, we’ll there are and they’re dressed like quakers and live a thousand years.
I wonder if that poor bastard that wrote that passage is still a member of the church. Similar statements are scattered throughout church history. The pattern is easy to see, especially if you’ve known someone like that.

Recently started with crypt of the necrodancer and really want to try it with a dance pad! But on amazon it costs like ~8k and keepa shows me it used to cost like 2k.
Where can I buy a dance pad in India at a reasonable price? Also, can we use the dance pad as a usb controller?
Thanks for reading!

Nikol Apatini Mooning Around
KBK featuring Haya Save Me
York presents Taucher Infinity (Patrik Humann Remix)
Philippe El Sisi & Smaz Better Off As Lovers
HALIENE Reach Across The Sky (Ben Gold Remix)
Markus Schulz presents Dakota Manray (Sam Wolfe Remix)
Daxson Who We Are
Sean Tyas presents abSTrakt In the Dark
Eddie Bitar & Talpa Salvation
Mark van Rijswijk Edge + Fragmented
FREEWILL Obsessed
Red Anna Save Me
The Elite 5 Seconds To Terminate (ADM Remix)
Adam Stark & EMATA After The End
Lo Fi Jack Road to Delhi
Sunflare Golden Hour
Dirkie Coetzee presents Deeper Calling Into Orbit
Christina Novelli Heavy
Claas Inc. The World's Monster
Maratone & Lyd14 Heart By Heart
Prism Alchemy (+ Focus FL Remix)
Obie Fernandez Gliding
Solarstone Leap of Faith (Allan Morrow Remix)
David Elston & Elle Mariachi Higher State
Cory Goldsmith Niagara EP
Dan Miles Away
Adam Taylor & Tara Louise Life
Cat Mode X Qulinez featuring CeCe Mix Late Night Minute
Bapti Day Dreamer
Ice X Diaz Tek
East Dawn & Nathan Rux Bring It Back
HALIENE Heavenly [Divine Edition]

What's the most ridiculous excuse you've ever heard for being late?

I (26F) have always worked in restaurants to keep myself afloat while I am in school. I recently went back to school for a postgraduate and so I had a serving job at a bar since July. I got laid off because of "shortage of work" (and saw them hiring 3 weeks later SIDE EYE). So I've been on the job hunt since beginning of Feb.
Here is the thing.... I have over 5 years of serving experience, and I always go in person to give my resume. Before the pandemic I have gotten at least an interview at every single place I applied to, not to toot my own horn but I had experience, I was friendly and I think coming in person really made me stand out from other applicants.
That being said, Ive been applying to jobs for the past 1.5 months and NOTHING. I have not gotten one interview. Ive been using the same resume if anything it has even more experience now. I am applying to bars, restaurants, breakfast places, everywhere.
I recently applied to a breakfast place on College and the manager took my resume as said they would contact me... but they didn't and I saw their job posting on indeed again... which now I cant apply for because I already did, even though the employer reposted.
So amid sky rocketing rent and grocery prices, is anyone having an increasingly difficult time finding a service job?

It was only Ganga's imagination. There was no 30 feet snake. First of all it's not a supernatural ghost movie, but a thriller. There isn't going to be a big ass snake coiled up in some locked up room for more than a century. Ganga was imagining herself as Chandramukhi and with it she also created the images of Rajini as Vettayan, dance master Vishwanathan as her lover, and in her world she doesn't have a husband so she tried to get rid of Senthil, and in regards to the snake from the mythology of Vettayapuram aranmanai, well she just created it herself.
We never see the snake interacting with anyone, even the one time we see it chase Ganga, she was rushing to meet Thurga but not running away from the snake. In that moment Ganga was just imagining there to be a giant snake in that room. In the climax after Chandramukhi personality of Ganga leaves her mind, so did the snake leave the house.

It was only Ganga's imagination. There was no 30 feet snake. First of all it's not a supernatural ghost movie, but a thriller. There isn't going to be a big ass snake coiled up in some locked up room for more than a century. Ganga was imagining herself as Chandramukhi and with it she also created the images of Rajini as Vettayan, dance master Vishwanathan as her lover, and in her world she doesn't have a husband so she tried to get rid of Senthil, and in regards to the snake from the mythology of Vettayapuram aranmanai, well she just created it herself.
We never see the snake interacting with anyone, even the one time we see it chase Ganga, she was rushing to meet Thurga but not running away from the snake. In that moment Ganga was just imagining there to be a giant snake in that room. In the climax after Chandramukhi personality of Ganga leaves her mind, so did the snake leave the house.

Fernando Alonso has become just the sixth driver to reach 100 Formula 1 podiums, but the Spaniard has almost undoubtedly taken the most unconventional route to the milestone.
After the best part of a decade in the wilderness of F1's midfield, Alonso's stunning start to the 2023 season suggests he is finally back in the battle at the front of the grid.
A self-proclaimed "anti-hero" from the "dark side", embracing his character role as the villain, Alonso brought up his landmark podium in fittingly controversial style at Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, .
Having shown that Aston Martin mean business with a series of stunning overtakes on George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz to finish third at the season opener in Bahrain, Alonso appeared to be cruising to a far more straightforward podium in Jeddah. However, confusion over the rules saw Alonso celebrate on the podium before being demoted by a 10-second penalty, after which he was finally reinstated following an Aston Martin appeal.
Along with Red Bull's domination, the 41-year-old's unexpected speed has been the story of the opening two rounds of the 2023 season. Alonso's performances have provided inspiration to just about every non-Red Bull driver on the grid, with Aston Martin's remarkable improvement after finishing seventh in last year's constructors' standings showing how quickly progress can be made.
Alonso won back-to-back world championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006, but a series of questionable moves around the paddock since then have limited his opportunities to compete for wins, let alone further titles - leaving him to assume a role of underdog while the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton and Verstappen have dominated.
Given the last of Alonso's 32 race wins came in 2013, the penultimate campaign of his five-year stint with Ferrari, most thought his hopes of adding to that tally were all but over, but now a fairy-tale ending to a decorated career appears possible.
We take a look back at the highs and lows of his career.
Alonso's career remarkably started before McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri was born, back in 2001 at Minardi.
The Italian-based team, which still exists now as AlphaTauri having been bought by Red Bull and brought under their umbrella as a junior outfit to the current constructors' champions, certainly could have done with that sort of investment when Alonso was around.
There was very little money available to spend on development, and Alonso apparently helped to bolt pieces of the car together to make sure it was ready in time for the first race in Australia, where he would finish 12th.
At a time when points were only available to the top six finishers, Minardi and Alonso went the entire season without scoring, with a 10th place finish at Hockenheim his best effort.
There were also eight retirements for the Spaniard, highlighting the deficiencies of the model he was attempting to compete with.
Alonso's first taste of Formula 1 was undoubtedly with a genuine backmarker, and came at a time when the lack of a budget cap meant little teams had next to no chance of competing with the big players.
Race wins - 0
Podiums - 0
It was only a one-season stay - not for the last time in his career - for Alonso, as he departed Minardi to become test driver at Renault, whose team boss Flavio Briatore was also Alonso's manager, and had been the one to spot his talent as a go-karter.
At a time when drivers were generally not given their breakthroughs into F1 at the young ages we see today, the 22-year-old Alonso was generating plenty of attention for both his youth and the fact he was Spain's first driver in the sport.
This meant that when he took a maiden pole position before going on to claim his first podium at just the second race of the season in Malaysia, the excitement increased. Next time he claimed a pole position, in August at the Hungaroring, he would convert it to a victory, making him at the time youngest driver to win a Grand Prix.
Not only was there a new star in the sport, but he was delivering for a team in Renault that weren't part of the establishment, and were looking to break up the domination of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, which they would finally do in 2005.
Alonso took advantage of a poor Ferrari season to quite comfortably beat McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen to the championship, but the race that epitomised his first title-winning season was in Imola, where the Spaniard held back a charging Schumacher in a nail-biting climax where the Ferrari was the quicker car.
Under pressure from the seven-time world champion and driver widely considered to be the sport's greatest of all time, Alonso held strong, setting down a marker for the remainder of the season.
It's fair to say that 2006 was the more impressive of Alonso's back-to-back title-winning campaigns, as this time he went toe-to-toe with Schumacher, who had won five successive titles going into the 2005 season.
Schumacher had announced that he would retire at the end of the season, and came into the campaign with huge motivation to end his career in fairy-tale fashion.
Alonso looked to have put that dream to bed as he won six of the first nine races - and finished second in the other three - to establish a huge advantage in the standings, but Schumacher would fight back with five wins in the next seven races to set up a tense finale.
However, Alonso would keep his cool under huge pressure once more, winning the penultimate race of the season in Japan before finishing second in Brazil to seal the title.
Race wins - 15
Podiums - 37
On paper, it wouldn't seem the most logical decision to leave a team with which you'd just won two successive titles, but that's exactly what Alonso did as he moved to McLaren to drive alongside a rookie named Lewis Hamilton.
The decision did turn out to be a mistake, but not in the way that anyone expected.
In one sense, the move to McLaren was on the money - the Woking-based team competed for the title with Ferrari while Renault were only the fourth-quickest team.
In every other sense, it was a disastrous chapter in Alonso's career that saw tensions flare between him and his team, not least with McLaren boss Ron Dennis and Hamilton.
Arguably, this was the first time in Alonso's career where he was the establishment and not the young outsider - that role fell to Hamilton, with whom he fought for the 2007 world championship.
The pair squabbled and lost each other points, before eventually finishing the season tied, just one point behind the title winner Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari.
"I think that the fallout with Lewis in 2007, where they fell out so spectacularly, basically gifted Kimi that title and it took him away from McLaren," Sky Sports F1's Karun Chandhok said.
"Then Lewis won the championship in 2008, so that's two years there where Fernando should've, would've, could've."
Alonso would leave under a cloud after one year, returning to Renault and giving up the chance to compete for titles.
Race wins - 4
Podiums - 12
The second time around with Renault felt like a bit of a placeholder, with the French team fairly uncompetitive.
Back in his favoured position as the underdog, Alonso took two victories in 2008 against the odds, albeit with one of them coming under controversial circumstances at the Singapore Grand Prix, with his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr crashing at a convenient time,
The 2009 season would see no wins for Alonso, and just the one podium in Singapore, before he moved onto a new team - this time, it was for a prancing horse.
Race wins - 2
Podiums - 4
Ferrari, the team that all F1 drivers want to race for, was the team that Fernando Alonso remained with for the longest period of time.
Alonso battled with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel for the title between 2010 and 2012, missing out on glory in the final races in both 2010 and 2012 despite some scintillating drives.
A famous statistic about Fernando Alonso is that If he had scored 11 more points across his F1 career, he could be a five-time world champion, missing out by fine margins in 2007, 2010 and 2012.
In essence, his time at Ferrari was one of 'what ifs' as he competed against the metronomic Vettel, with a Ferrari that was generally weaker than the Red Bull.
In 2014, at the beginning of the hybrid engine era, Ferrari's car was not up to scratch and Alonso began to look elsewhere and would move on a 2015, a decision that Chandhok believes was premature.
"Okay, at the time, Ferrari were pretty miserable in 2014 - but it came good."
Ferrari would win three races in 2015 with Sebastian Vettel, who replaced Alonso in the scarlet car before taking the fight to Mercedes in 2017 and 2018.
"I still believe Fernando would've won the championship in 2018 at Ferrari that year," Chandhok added.
Race wins - 11
Podiums - 44
While Ferrari were returning to contention, Alonso had opted for a surprise reunion with McLaren, with Hamilton having moved on to Mercedes.
2015 was a reunion for McLaren in two respects - Honda, with which it had had fantastic success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and Alonso, with whom they'd had a falling out.
While it was a reunion and world champion driver line-up of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, which had lots of promise, it delivered a horror show of slow cars, engine failures and frustrated radio messages that led to a messy divorce with Honda and a move to Renault power in 2018.
The engine performance had clearly been a big problem for McLaren, with Alonso making no secret of where he thought the blame lay as he used his team radio messages to make public statements.
"Driving with this, looking like amateurs", "this is embarrassing" and "GP2 engines" all come to mind.
While Honda's engine was not up to standard, it became clear that underlying poor car performance was also a factor as McLaren still languished in the midfield in 2018.
Though being the underdog is his style, this was a step too far at this stage of his career for a frustrated, helpless Alonso, and so he left McLaren and retired from Formula 1.
Race wins - 0
Podiums - 0
As one of the greatest and most adaptable drivers in motorsport history, Fernando Alonso took the time away from Formula 1 to compete in other series, including the Indy 500, the Dakar Rally and Le Mans 24h.
He was an outsider, a rookie again, and with Toyota, he won the World Endurance Championship.
Alonso still had what it took to compete at the top of motorsport, so when in 2020 Sebastian Vettel left Ferrari, creating a domino effect in the driver market, it was no shock to see Alonso interested in returning to Formula 1.
Having already raced for the team in its Renault guise on two occasions, Alpine was the natural team for Alonso to return to when he came out of retirement in 2021.
The team had been hovering at the front of the midfield, but were unable to push on from that position even with Alonso's expertise.
While he did return to the podium at the 2021 Qatar GP, Alonso couldn't compete for victory - and his career looked to be winding down in mediocre fashion.
But Vettel announcing his retirement midway through the 2022 season would trigger an explosion in the driver market, leaving Alonso with one more opportunity.
Alpine weren't willing to give Alonso a two-year contract, so he went to a team that would. Alonso left describing Alpine "like family" but admitted that the lack of faith from the team was a reason he left.
"It seems that I have to be evaluated every year because of my date of birth," Alonso said, having just turned 41. "It was a bit strange to me and other teams think differently and they trust in my abilities."
It was clear the spirit of the young Spaniard trying to prove his worth at Minardi 19 years earlier was still very much present.
Race wins - 0
Podiums - 1
Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin had faith in Alonso, and gave him the two-year contract that he wanted.
Given their well-known desires to things on their own terms, many had concerns about Alonso and his new boss Lawrence Stroll's relationship.
However, two races and two podiums in, it appears as though this could be Alonso's type of team - they're an enigma and an unexpected force to be reckoned with that are disturbing the establishment.
Aston Martin are beating Mercedes, the team who supply them with an engine and other hugely significant parts of their car, while the Spaniard has also overcome the might of Ferrari.
While they are well-funded now, Aston Martin carry an underdog mentality with staff still around from their their previous guises as Jordan, Force India and Racing Point, who competed as less wealthy outfits that could occasional steal a race beneath the noses of giants.
As Sky Sports F1's Simon Lazenby put it: "Fernando is always effective, whatever he does he will drag the best out of that car.
"I think if you put everyone in equal machinery, I can't see him being far off Lewis or far off Max Verstappen.
"But Fernando has been operating at that level for 20 years. Fernando relishes being the underdog."
In a season where Red Bull's pace looks scary for the opposition, Alonso has just the car and team to play the role he loves best in the high-speed theatre of Formula 1.
If you didn't know who he was, now you do. After brining up a 100th podium, Alonso's next challenge is to find an elusive 33rd race victory. Can he do it in 2023? Find out live on Sky Sports F1.
Race wins - 0
Podiums - 2
Source: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12832080/fernando-alonso-how-aston-martin-driver-reached-100-podiums-as-formula-1s-ultimate-underdog

Synopsis:

Ten years ago, Amelia woke up alone and lost in a broken world where she had to fight for her survival.
Now, after reaching the pinnacle of power, defeating the Void itself, and escaping the abyss, she has finally found her way back into the real world. But instead of finding herself on Earth, she is in the land of Vacuos. A fantasy world with magic, monsters, Classes, and Levels. A world that is governed by a System like it were a video game.
And when rewarded with a Class befitting her accomplishments— to become a powerful [Hero] that will forever dedicate her life to protecting this world that is not her own— she only has one response.
“Absolutely not. I’m going to live a normal life now, thank you very much.”
After all, who needs a Class when you're already the strongest anyways?

Read Chapter 1 Here
“Is this it?” Noele asked as she eyed the small cave.
The trail ended here. There was no mistaking it— the large hoofprints continued further into the darkness, so this had to be it. The Noble Spellsword glanced back and nodded at her companion.
“Get ready, Garron,” she warned him.
“Right.”
The burly man nodded, readying his large shield. He strode forward as drew her blade. The two adventurers approached the cave entrance, but a voice called out to them from the trees. They glanced back towards a nearby thicket. A purple man stood there, two arms crossed as he spoke loudly for them to hear.
“Do not damage its legs!” Xakor gestured at his thighs with his free hands. “The kretus boar’s meat is mostly inedible apart from its legs! You want to target its neck or underbelly!”
Noele blinked back at the [Chef]. “Xakor! What are you doing here? It’s dangerous— get back!”
“Xrr, I’ll be fine,” he said simply. He tapped a finger on the rings around his fingers. “I have my own artifacts to protect me. I would even be able to survive an encounter with an A-rank threat for up to five minutes, so there is no reason to worry for my safety.”
“But it’s still dangerous…” she trailed off.
“It’ll be fine.” Garron spoke up, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Xakor is the one who led us here. He survived an encounter with this kretus boar once before. I am sure he can handle himself.”
“Right.” Even knowing that, Noele still pursed her lips.
Certainly, it was true that Xakor was the one who sent them on this mission. He had stumbled into the kretus boar on the way to Wolfwater, and it had attacked him. Apparently, the [Chef] had actually hurt the monster with his artifacts before he escaped, but he knew it was going to pose a threat to the nearby villages considering its vindictive nature.
So he had hired both Noele and Garron to hunt down the kretus boar before it could fully recover. After all, it was a B-ranked threat, and its home was likely destroyed a few weeks back during the wildfire spurred by the Miststorm Riders.
Of course, Xakor had ulterior motives too. He wanted to stock up on meat for his brand new restaurant run by Amelia. Noele was still processing that fact— she couldn’t believe that the Patron of the Culinary Sciences was opening a restaurant here in Wolfwater of all places. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that he would ever visit her backwater village, let alone do that.
Noele had entertained the idea that maybe Xakor would open up one of his many restaurant chains in Whiteridge, considering that it was actually a city. But Wolfwater was a farming village. It only had a single inn for passing [Merchants] or [Traders] to stay. It made no sense for a restaurant to ever be opened up in some place like this.
However, it was actually happening. This was reality. And yet, this wasn’t even the most surprising part. Because he wans’t just opening a restaurant in Wolfwater, he was partnering with Amelia— a literal non-[Chef]— out of all people.
Sure, the blonde girl thought that her mentor’s cooking was pretty good— each time she had tried those so-called ‘Earth foods’, she had been impressed— but she didn’t think that it was anywhere comparable to Xakor’s cooking. Apparently, the Patron of the Culinary Sciences disagreed because he was letting Amelia handle most of the cooking for the restaurant.
Noele knew better than to question the cooking knowledge of a [Chef] who was above Level 50. But she still found it quite perplexing, even knowing that they were both otherworlders, so there was evidently some bias involved. The blonde girl wondered if this restaurant would actually take off, considering Amelia’s past track record with the food stand. Maybe having Xakor’s name attached would actually bring in customers.
However, nothing was certain. And while Noele hoped for the best, she was expecting the worst.
She shook her head as she strode forward alongside Garron. She had to focus right now. The kretus boar was close. And while it was weak compared to her, it was still a threat to the Steel Tank. It had to have been at least Level 40. Usually, only low-leveled monsters were harvested for food, while high-leveled monster parts were used for alchemy, herbalism, or even smithing.
However, the kretus boar was special because their legs were actually quite soft and tender, so they could be cooked and served as food. They weren’t a delicacy by any means, but considering their size, the meat from even a single leg could feed a family of four for months.
So the two adventurers didn’t want to damage the kretus boar’s legs. And not only that… well, Noele wasn’t going to be joining the fight either.
She came to a halt right at the mouth of the cave as Garron drew closer. He raised his short sword, edging forward with his shield raised, entering the darkness.
“Remember,” she called out. “No Skills.”
The Steel Tank glanced back at her, his lips twisted into a frown. And while he always wore a slight frown on his face even when he was in a jovial mood, she knew he was actually upset this time around. A little bit nervous too— very nervous, probably.
And he had every right to feel that way. After all, he wasn’t allowed to use his Skills. Noele wouldn’t let him. If he drew power from the World System, that would defeat the purpose of all this. He was the one who asked her to grow stronger like she did, and this was exactly what she had to do under Amelia’s tutelage.
Under normal circumstances, Garron could probably dispose of a kretus boar without risking his life. But since he couldn’t use his Skills, there was a very real chance that he could die to the monster. He drew forward warily as Noele just watched.
She said she wouldn’t intervene unless it really looked like he couldn’t handle this on his own. So she looked on as a figure emerged from the shadows. A looming creature, standing over twenty feet tall. It was the kretus boar, and it was already mad.
It beat its front hooves on the ground before charging. Garron yelped, bracing himself for the monster’s attack. It crashed into him as he raised his shield, sending him flying into the air. The Steel Tank landed with a groan as the kretus boar continued barreling towards him with a terrible roar.
Could boars even roar? Noele was pretty sure regular boars didn’t make that kind of a sound. But the kretus boar did. The Steel Tank scrambled to his feet as the monster’s footfalls caused the ground to quake. It rammed into him once more, but this time, he held his ground.
Garron grunted as he was pushed against the rock wall of the cavern. He clung onto his shield with both his hands, gritting his teeth as the Noble Spellsword pursed her lips.
“You have to surpass your limits!” she called out. “Do not use your Skills— overcome it with your own strength!”
“I… am… trying!” Garron shouted as he stepped to the side.
The monster stumbled forward, crashing into the rock wall, and he swung out with his short sword. He slashed the monster’s underbelly open as it reeled. But right as he circled around the kretus boar, it kicked out with its hind legs, knocking the Steel Tank’s shield out of his hand.
His eyes went wide, and it whirled around to face him. He tried to back away but the kretus boar was faster. All Garron could do was thrust forward with his short sword. The attack dug deep into the monster’s neck, but it wasn’t enough to take it down. Its eyes flashed, and it headbutted him, sending him crashing into the other side of the cavern.
Noele’s eyes flickered. She saw the way Garron struggled to get back to his feet. His chestplate was dented, and blood trickled down his forehead. The kretus boar charged his way once more. And the Noble Spellsword finally intervened.
With a single slash, she sliced the kretus boar in half. Her blade shone with a bright gold light, illuminating the dark cave chamber for a brief moment. The cavern was far larger and went deeper than she thought, but it didn’t matter. Her Elegant Noble Slash got the job done.
The monster collapsed, dead in an instant. Noele drew back and sheathed her sword in a single swift motion. She turned to Garron as he staggered to his feet.
“Are you alright?” she asked, running up to help him.
“I’m… fine.” The Steel Tank rubbed his forehead, wiping away the blood. He had a small cut just above his right eye, but he was otherwise fine. “Fighting without Skills is harder than I thought…” he murmured.
“Tell me about it,” Noele said as she offered him a shoulder. “It took me a while to get the hang of it, and it was only thanks to your help. So don’t let it get you down.”
He shook his head and snorted. “I’m not upset that I lost to a B-ranked monster— I’m more upset that I’ll have to get a new chestplate.”
The blonde girl chuckled. “Well, you still have plenty of time to learn.”
“I knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Garron continued. “I saw how hard you trained to get to where you are now, Noele. Honestly, I’m more impressed by you now than ever. You are quite amazing.”
She smiled, nudging him as she helped him limp out of the cave. “Thanks— but we can talk about this later. Let’s just treat your injuries and let Xakor know it’s over.”
“Of course.” Garron nodded back at her.
The two adventurers slowly stepped back out into the clearing, and Xakor approached them curiously. The [Chef] had a bag slung around his shoulders— presumably to carry the kretus boar’s meat back to Wolfwater. They told him that it was over, and he quickly got to work.
Noele watched from the side as Garron took a sip from a healing potion while Xakor dismantled the kretus boar of edible parts. When they were finished, the sun was still hanging high in the sky, and it was time to get back.
It would be about sundown by the time they arrived in Wolfwater. It wasn’t a long trip, and they would reach the village a lot sooner if it were just the two adventurers. However, they weren’t really in a rush, so they took their time, leaving the empty cave behind them.
—--
But the cave wasn’t actually empty. What Noele neglected to notice was that further down the tunnel was a second kretus boar. A smaller one— about three-quarters the size of its partner. It had been injured. Burned during the forest fire. But its partner provided for it, hunting for food for the both of them.
And when its partner didn’t return that night, it forced itself up. But all it found was a corpse.
It flew into a rage. Its thunderous roar sent the nearby fauna scattering in terror. It curled up into a ball, grieving over the death of its partner.
And as it lay there overnight, something found it. Something… sinister.
A depravity that had tried to crawl its way into the world, but was cut short before it could fully manifest. The trace remains of a twisted magic that carried the will of the Void. It had roamed around the village after the Cloying Witch was prematurely killed, searching for a new host. And now, it preyed on the lone kretus boar’s anger. It fed on the suffering of the world, overwhelming the World System’s control.
The monster mindlessly accepted this power, and its body began to change.
​

Author's Notes:
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