Lately, I've been really obsessed with the production on Young Thug's 2015 and 2016 mixtapes. I've specifically been enjoying 'Slime Season 3' and the production that is featured on that project. I've been listening to songs such as Memo, Digits, Tattoos, and Problem I'm curious how producers such as London On Da Track achieve that sort of unorthodox, spooky, eerie, sort of feel that is apparent on these tracks. If you've listened to London On Da Track, you'd know he has a very distinct style. From what I can tell, it seems to me like it's all in the chord progressions that he uses. l'd like to know what kind of chords he uses and what the chord codes for them are. Hopefully l've made my question clear. I think London has a really dope signature style. His beats aren't necessarily super dark either, like those of a Metro or Tay Keith. They're more sad but kind of like a spooky sort of sad. Think of beats like 'Digits' for example. I wanna know how to make melodies like that

Lately, I've been really obsessed with the production on Young Thug's 2015 and 2016 mixtapes. I've specifically been enjoying 'Slime Season 3' and the production that is featured on that project. I've been listening to songs such as Memo, Digits, Tattoos, and Problem I'm curious how producers such as London On Da Track achieve that sort of unorthodox, spooky, eerie, sort of feel that is apparent on these tracks. If you've listened to London On Da Track, you'd know he has a very distinct style. From what I can tell, it seems to me like it's all in the chord progressions that he uses. l'd like to know what kind of chords he uses and what the chord codes for them are. Hopefully l've made my question clear. I think London has a really dope signature style. His beats aren't necessarily super dark either, like those of a Metro or Tay Keith. They're more sad but kind of like a spooky sort of sad. Think of beats like 'Digits' for example. I wanna know how to make melodies like that

Lately, I’ve been really obsessed with the production on Young Thug’s 2015 and 2016 mixtapes. I’ve specifically been enjoying ‘Slime Season 3’ and the production that is featured on that project.
I’ve been listening to songs such as Memo, Digits, Tattoos, and Problem
I’m curious how producers such as London On Da Track achieve that sort of unorthodox, spooky, eerie, sort of feel that is apparent on these tracks. If you’ve listened to London On Da Track, you’d know he has a very distinct style. From what I can tell, it seems to me like it’s all in the chord progressions that he uses. I’d like to know what kind of chords he uses and what the chord codes for them are.
Hopefully I’ve made my question clear. I think London has a really dope signature style. His beats aren’t necessarily super dark either, like those of a Metro or Tay Keith. They’re more sad but kind of like a spooky sort of sad. Think of beats like ‘Digits’ for example. I wanna know how to make melodies like that

***Lily*** “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run off when I did. I should’ve known you would have my best interests at heart,” I whisper.
“I… I don’t have a heart…” He chuckles meekly.
I chuckle too and respond, “Still, you’re as generous as you are funny. Strong as you are quick. And clever as you are funny. As annoying as it can be sometimes.”
I laugh again. After a moment, I can feel the awkwardness lift as he chuckled then started to move his arms. Suddenly he hugs me back, tightly. Something wet ran down my cheek and I hear him murmur something and ask, “Did you say something?”
“What? No.” He says. He then pushes me back as he says, “Oh crap! We forgot to get you leather armor!”
“Now, now dearie. Believe it or not, we actually took care of it while you were running around looking for her.” Silkie says coming up towards us down the stairs.
“Oh. How did you…” he starts to say as he looks towards me. He then stops and stares at me for a minute. “What happened to your hair?” He asks.
“Oh! This? Believe it or not, this is my original hair color. Do you… do you like it?” I ask back.
“I do. It really is captivating.” He says, putting his hat back on.
I smile. Afterwards, we turn towards the voice that yells, “Yargh! All done. Let’s see how it fits now, yargh.”
It’s Mr. Doe holding the leather armor from before. “That was fast.” Silkie says.
“Yargh. I’ve done me fair share of tanning. This be nothing to a mighty man of the sea, yargh.” He says.
I get up and go over to try them on again.
“Hey John. You got here fast. Did you lock up shop already?” Wabbajack asks him.
“Lock? Why would I lock up me shop, yargh.” He answers.
There is a moment of silence at that statement.
“You’re joking. Right?” Wabbajack asks.
After I am done putting on the leather gloves, shin-guards, and breastplate, I notice that the gloves and shin-guards fit better, and the breastplate conforms a lot better to my shape than before too. “Wow, this is a lot better!” I announce.
“Wow, that is an impressive refit.” Silkie adds.
“Refit? From who?” Wabbajack asks.
“That was Iris’s old assassin armor.” Silkie answers.
Wabbajack looks back at the armor for a minute. Afterwards, he just says, “Impressive refit.”
I then to puff my face in annoyance.
Silkie looks back at Mr. John Doe and asks, “I gotta say, your skills with leather is astonishing but, I don’t think that you quite have what it takes to run your Own business. What do you say you come work for us? Open up your shop here? That way, you can focus on your leatherworks and we can handle your business side of things.”
He takes a puff of his corn-cob pipe and says, “Yargh, well. That would be a lot more fun for me too, yargh. Mayhaps…” He then shakes his head as he says, “Yargh, I can’t. I already have a shop. I can’t abandon it, yargh.”
At that point, a ball of eyeballs with a funny hat float towards him. It then says, “Observer 2-5-6-9 reporting. You are Mr. John Doe, correct?”
“Yargh, that be I. Who’s asking?” Mr. Doe responds.
“Observer 2-5-6-9. I regret to inform you that your store, “The Blubbering Walrus”, has been ransacked and looted. All items, including the boards that made the structure, were taken. We apologize for your loss. Would you like to make a report?” it answers in an almost robotic tone.
“Yargh! What! Me entire store is gone!” Mr. Doe exclaims.
What did you expect? You left the store unsupervised and unlocked. Still, it Is kinda surprising to hear that they took the Structure as well.
“Yes. Unfortunately, none of your items, or building, were insured by the Dimensional Union of Multiplying Basic Opportunities, so you will not be compensated for the loss of any of your stock. We wish you luck in your future endeavors.” It says as it floats towards me.
“Observer 2-5-6-9, reporting. Are you Lily Extravagund?” it then asks me.
“Um, yes?” I answer.
“I regret to inform you that your picnic basket was stolen in the recent raid on the “Blubbering Walrus”. Unfortunately, none of your items were insured by the Dimensional Union of Multiplying Basic Opportunities, so you will not be compensated for the loss. We apologize and wish you luck in your future endeavers.” It then floats away.
“Okay… that was interesting.” I say.
“You might want to reconsider her offer.” Wabbajack says.
“Yargh, business is hard. Very well madame. If you really think me works are worthy, I’ll reopen the Blubbering Walrus here. Although, I will need me own tools, yargh.” He says, offering his hand.
“That’s all well and good but, unfortunately, I am not the person to decide that. That would be up to Iris.” Silkie says, crossing two of her arms and putting one against her cheek and the other on her hip.
“Who? Yargh.” He asks.
“My sis.” Wabbajack says.
“Yargh! That be a surprise. Any advice?” Mr. Doe asks Wabbajack.
As helpful as ever, Wabbajack just shrugs. He then goes, “OH! Buffalo wings! She loves those.”
Silence.
“Don’t worry dear, I’ll put in a good word for you.” Silkie says. “Go ahead and wait down here while I go talk to her.” She says as she goes back up the stairs.
“Looks like you’re on the fast track to being part of the family John.” Wabbajack mentions, offering his hand.
Mr. Doe takes a puff and takes it. They then perform a vigorous shake. He then takes another puff and goes back to the cafeteria.
Wabbajack looks back towards me and asks, “Well. Take two, are you ready to try getting a familiar?”
I adjust all my new gear. From my mask and emblem to my still-empty quiver, all the way to my new shin-guards. Making sure that it’s comfortable. I then let out a chuckle. Wabbajack asks, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I’m just starting to feel like a Real adventurer.” I answer.
He laughs. I then let out a laugh as well.
I then skip towards the door. As I am skipping, I look over my shoulder and say, “Come on! We still got to head to Mogsten’s!”
He adjusts his hat and says, “Coming!” He then starts walking behind me and says, “Hey! Shouldn’t You be following Me?”
I chuckle as I say, “Well then, move faster!”
I hear him chuckle as he immediately catches up to me.
We open the door and head on out back to Mogsten’s. I stay close to Wabbajack so not to get lost again. I eventually look back up to the sky, between the clouds and the flying creatures with and without cities on their back. It’s all so crazy. I feel more alive than I have felt in, well, ever. A month ago, I would have laughed someone out of town if they had told me a place like this existed. Now, I can’t help but imagine what else is out there. There must be So much if Wabbajack, with how much he has seen and done, if he still gets surprised every now and again. Magic is real, and it is Improved with science. A thought occurs however so I ask, “Hey, is there more than what’s here or is there other countries or whatever they might be called?”
He puts a finger to his chin and answers, “Well, it goes on forever. It’s all Spiritopia but there are different cultures depending how far out you go. Up is typically for the people who enjoy flying as opposed to walking and down is for the people who prefer something overhead at all times, like molemen, certain kinds of vampires, and some reptile people. The list goes on.” He then points to the right and says, “If I’m not turned around again, that should be towards the oceanic district, for the ones who enjoy or need to be moisturized at all times. The other way is the forest district where people who enjoy that kind of place. Personally, I have thought about a treehouse myself. Each kind of district offers unique kinds of goods but, the city district, the place that we are at now, offers goods from all of them but it’s more generalized. The forest district offers some unique fruits and poisons that aren’t sold here for example. But, unless you are looking for something incredibly specific, you should be able to find it here.”
“Wow… this place goes on forever huh?” I say amazed. I then ask, “What about sandy areas? Are there species who need that kind of environment?”
He shrugs and says, “Well, before you get to the oceanic district, there is quite a bit of sand. Not to mention, sand bathing is surprisingly popular so there are businesses here that offer that service. But, not exactly popular material to build on. Some people like to go camping there however.”
It’s like a veritable playground. I ask another question, “Now that I think about it, was this place always like this or were there people who cultivated it like this?”
He tilts his head as he answers, “Well, that’s the thing with certain dimensions. Some just are. This is a perfect example of that kind of place. There is no history, no records, or no previous involvement. This place was just paved and ready for the first group of people who came by. Although, what was weird, even by my standards, was that there were Detailed instructions on how to cultivate All this. That is the only time that had Ever happened AND people following it.”
“Wait. Instructions? So… Someone left it?” I ask.
“Well, yes. Someone had to. The problem is, there was no traces on it whatsoever. It’s like it came with the dimension.” He answers, pointing a finger in the air.
“And that doesn’t happen often?” I ask as well.
“Well, the instructions part is actually pretty common. But it was discovered by a group of people with the diversity and skill that were willing to follow it. That. That takes planning of an extraordinary scale. Most people, even with the instructions, just ignore it and start doing their own thing. Which usually causes problems down the road. Hubs like this are rare admittedly. Especially as free as it is.” He answers again, this time scratching his head.
“So, is Spiritopia one of a kind?” I ask.
“As far as I know but, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another similar to it however.” He says, as he walks normally again.
I look forward to try and process all this stuff but, as I do, I see Mogsten’s sign over his tent.
Before we walk in, I stop Wabbajack.
“Hmm? Don’t tell me your having doubts now, are you?” he asks.
I shake my head and say, “I Have to know something.”
“What’s up?” he asks.
“Is chewed gum really an ingredient in certain things?” I ask.
He lets out a laugh as he answers, “Surprisingly. The fact that they are pre-chewed make it easier to get samples from certain creatures. For example, would you rather get venom directly from a snake or trick it with some gum and extract it that way?”
“I guess that is a possibility…” I say.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s Definitely not as concentrated as pure extract but, it’s usually good enough for moderate level stuff.” He explains.
We stand there for a minute. He then asks, “Was that all?”
I snap out of it and say, “Oh! Yes. Let’s do this!” I then march right through the flap towards the surprisingly large inside.
As we enter, we see Mogsten, in full on bit mode, with a customer. Looks like a fishman.
“Yes. It is quite a rare piece. I don’t see how I could sell it for anything less than, say, a thousand currency?” I hear him say.
“A thousand! Forget that! I would buy it for twenty currency.” The fishman says.
“But sir, giant’s horns are indeed rare. Not to mention to find one willing to give it up is even More difficult. I don’t know when I would ever get another one! Nine hundred fifty.” Mogsten states.
“Ha! Nine hundred fifty? Dude, this shop is terrible! If you don’t want me to spread the word around that you rip off your customers with absurd prices Gnome!” He pauses and grabs the horn. He then says, “Then I guess the price on this is free. Ha!”
“Actually, nine hundred fifty is a pretty fair price for a giant’s horn.” Wabbajack points out.
“And who asked…” he starts to say as he turns around. He then sees Wabbajack and panics “A-a-a-a. You! Crap! Look, don’t kill me man! Look, I’ll give you the horn! Just, don’t hurt me!”
“Umm, that horn isn’t yours though. You haven’t paid Mr. Mogsten for it yet.” I point out.
“Shut up you brat! I ain’t talking to you! Besides, he’s a Gnome. What’s he gonna do? Throw rocks at me?” the fishman says.
Wabbajack steps towards him and he just falls backwards. Before the fishman can even mouth whatever he wants to say, Wabbajack says, “One, this “brat” is a very good friend of mine. Two, gnome or not, you don’t just take whatever products you want just because you feel like it. Three, that gnome could easily kill you in any number of ways. And four, you won’t make any friends if you continue being as rude as you have been.”
I see a puddle appear on the floor and some gasping. He then just falls flat. He looks like he is still breathing.
[First] [Previous]

https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/edinburgh-fringe-review-baby-reindeer-richard-gadd/
Excerpt: "So Baby Reindeer is genuinely exposing – personally revealing about events that some part of Gadd wants to keep – has until now kept – private. But here’s the thing that is doubly interesting: it’s not just the embarrassment of being stalked and Gadd’s feelings of humiliation, his lack of control. Or even the violation entailed in being stalked, the intrusion into Gadd’s private life by ‘Martha’ – although Gadd explores all of these. It’s also that he chooses to tell a version of events that looks sharply away from Kennard’s ‘best possible light’, and instead headlong into a light so exposing that it can be hard to look at.
Don’t get me wrong, there is no doubt in the narrative that Gadd is a victim, nothing to excuse – or to ‘even the odds’ with – ‘Martha’. But there are actions, thoughts, moments that are nonetheless hideously unflattering: his own obsession with ‘Martha’; his own complicity in their initial relationship; his own willingness to pull on all the wrong emotional levers, despite recognising Martha’s mental instability from the beginning; his own manipulation of her fantasies; his own – recurring – aggressive behaviour towards her. Gadd depicts an autobiographical ‘I’ who is often irresponsible, sometimes actively cruel.
Gadd’s exposure is obscene, a word of contested but pertinent etymology for what Gadd is doing. Some linguists claim ‘obscene’ comes from Ancient Greek theatre, meaning ‘out-of-scene’ or ‘off-stage’: some things are too taboo, too troubling to show. Ironically, though, it is their ‘off-stage’-ness that perpetuates this taboo; once on-stage, they lose their potency, no longer, the argument goes, technically ‘obscene’. Lawrence Scott, for example, makes such a case in his recent book Picnic Comma Lightning, using it to help map the changing norms of conduct and acceptability in, among other things, the Trump presidency. But the obscene nature of Baby Reindeer would seem to disagree with Scott’s claim. In exposing his own worst behaviour, Gadd does not neutralise it. Not a bit. The opposite is true: it felt to me off-the-scale acidic, all the more obscene where we could see it."

some of their answers are wrong for example.
An IS auditor notes that the previous year's disaster recovery test was not completed within the scheduled time frame due to insufficient hardware allocated by a third-party vendor. Which of the following provides the BEST evidence that adequate resources are now allocated to successfully recover the systems?

• A. Hardware change management policy
• B. An up-to-date RACI chart
• C. Vendor memo indicating problem correction
• D. Service level agreement (SLA)

Answer : C
I said B and I very confused on how its C. However, I check somewhere else, and they have the same question, but the answer is D like I thought. Because how is a vendor memo the correct answer??
also, for the emergency button question, ITExams said the button should be illuminated and that doesn't make any sense! the button should be covered

My ex and I are officially divorced after a state imposed year-long waiting period. We have two kids , 4 and 6. Our divorce is high-conflict he enjoys hurting me by using the kids to exert control, and makes my life hell by making everything having to do with the kids that requires communication extremely difficult. He insists he is informed about everything, but does not participate in any important conversations (ignores me, doesn’t answer the actual question, tells me to just do what I want) I offer regarding our children and scheduling sports/camps, schooling or medical appointments/care.
He causes scenes bailing on sporting events early or showing up late… why come at all? The kids get upset. Never misses an opportunity to make a scene and make everything about him.
Recently our son was expelled from pre-k mid semester and one month from graduation, 4 mos out from him starting kindergarten. He definitely has some ADHD, but honestly it was a bad match When he got a new teacher in late winter. Have had problems since. His mother and stepdad are the only family that live in the state. He doesn’t even reach out to his mom for care, he doesn’t make a single phone call to other programs, he doesn’t want to participate in taking him to the doctor for assessment or to look into behavioral therapy. Everything was on me. I reached out for help, I reached out about what he wanted to do about treating him if anything, he just left me totally alone to do everything. By some miracle I get a spot in a nice program like 3 weeks into him being at pretty low scoring schools with no routine and shit care. Ex argues doesn’t want to switch him bc he’ll have to serve breakfast and send him with food on his days, as this particular place does not have a kitchen. I ask to speak about why this was the best decision for our son and how I can maybe help with breakfast and lunches before work, I’m ignored. I enroll him anyway.
Just some of the most recent examples and these are tame. He’s always like this when he has a new flavor of the month.
Last Mother’s Day he took the kids to the beach and returned them to me at noon on Sunday. As they are walking in the door, my son projectile vomits on the door mat. I ask, he’s been sick all day, didn’t bother to tell me he was puking all day so I could at least prepare with Gatorade and BRAT foods. I decide next year if it’s his weekend I’m not doing it.
I discuss this with him a week in advance to let him know this year I would not be taking the kids since it is not my weekend. I figure I can get a little peace from his chaos. He lets me know he thinks I’m “mother of the year material,” and that “he hopes I enjoy the dick I’m choosing over my children.” I don’t date because he’s a psychopath AND because I just don’t want to. I’m happy alone right now.
I see the kids Saturday morning at my son’s game, and then late Saturday afternoon at my daughter’s game. I coach her team because they were desperate for a volunteer and it’s a sport I played my whole life. I’ve enjoyed it. I carry my son on my back while I move around the field positioning the players and helping them play by the rules. Afterwards, they give me their school Mother’s Day crafts at the picnic area after the game we have cupcakes and juice I brought. Everyone has been notified that I will not see them Sunday.
Sunday, I do my normal fitness routine on weekends which is long and enjoyable, I go to lay at the pool with a girlfriend. I get a call from ex, assume it’s the kids wanting to say happy Mother’s Day, so I pick up. He informs me they want to see me and asks when he can drop them off. I reference previous discussions and tell him no. I offer to meet them with him for a meal, he declines because he “has no interest in celebrating me,” and “it’s not his job.” I say OK, he states, “mommy doesn’t want to see you,” to the kids so I can hear it and hangs up on me.
I feel like even if I wasn’t just trying to protect myself from him, that I deserve to have one day completely off this week, and he could have supported that. I have no family here. I don’t want to orchestrate my own mother’s days with two small children on my weekend off after attending sports all day Saturday. If he wanted to do it for the kids he would have accepted meeting for a meal and not talked badly about me to the kids.
He said I’m selfish and he can’t believe I wouldn’t want to celebrate with my children, among other much meaner things.
This morning I find out through his message to my son’s teacher that my son again had a stomach virus and was up all night puking.
AITA?

I (F) have a best friend (F), basically wayyyy before me and my female girl best friend met I had a guy best friend.
When I met my gbsf (we’re gonna call her Lana and we’re gonna call her ex Alex) when I met Lana I was already best friends with Alex eventually Lana and Alex liked each other and ofc they told me they liked the other.
Lana told me she liked Alex and Alex told me he liked Lana so without selling the other out to them I got them together everything was perfect for 8 months until they started arguing, they would ask for my opinion and I opted to stay out of it. (Cause they’re both my bsfs tf I supposed to help you w?)
When they broke up it was so messy, tears, fighting,screaming, petty remarks , rumors, Lana threw milk on Alex at one point (just acting like children)
Anyways, recently it was Alex’s birthday I posted on my Snapchat “Happy birthday ”Alex” you’re a good friend and I’m grateful for you “ I said happy birthday because for my birthday he got me presents and said happy birthday to me I’m obviously gonna have fucking manners and be cordial?
Whatever whatever said happy birthday he said thank you, later in the day Lana swipes up Saying “crazy.” I said “I’m sorry, are you upset ?” She said “Ian even mad ts js weird you told me he was flirting with you and now you’re writing paragraphs about him?”
FIRSTLY, after they broke up he would try to flirt with me but I told him to shut it down and it makes me uncomfortable and he stopped and ofc I told her (that’s my bsf fuck?) but I’m sorry paragraphs about him? Baby I wrote 3 SENTENCE WORTH I WROTE 12 WORDS. And one of those words was tagging him.
Anyways she called me weird and said she wasn’t mad she was js finding it weird, but then Lana’s little sister texted me saying “why are you fucking writing paragraphs about him when yk how badly he hurt Lana” first of all it was 12 fucking words..I told her “it was a couple words he got me stuff and said happy birthday on my birthday all I said was happy birthday I don’t get the issue with this ?”
Lana’s little sister proceeded to ridicule me (she’s in 5th grade I’m not finna argue w a child 😂😂😂) and I js said okay, when this all started and Lana texted me she told me I sajd “I love you “ to him but I never did that was another girl so, what? Anyways our texts went like this
Me - “ Then I don’t remember saying I love you to him but on some real shit I’m sorry if I upset you n shit I would be mad too ik you deserve better n I rlly don’t wanna fight w you abt smth like this n I get where you’re coming from 100% you’re absolutely right n shi n honestly I’m sorry about making you feel like that I’m glad you told me and I’ll work to fix it At the end of the day you’re my bsf n I consider you a sister to me n you have every right to be mad I’ll give you space n shit to js think n be alone “
Lana - “okay well that’s still fucking weird”
Now here’s we’re I’m upset about, Lana is BEST FRIENDS WITH MY FUCKING EX.
My ex cheated on me, abused me, played w my feelings, barely committed to me, spread rumors about me etc. but Everytime he tries talking to her or play fighting her she play fights back or gets all giggly and laughs.
You’re mad at me for saying happy birthday but you wanna be friendly to someone who genuinely hurt me, I’m not saying he didn’t hurt her but I know everything that happened and I’m not finna put my homegirls business out there cause she still my day 1 idgaf but the beef was miscommunication over him play fighting girls.
I get you could be going through it but you not finna sit in my face and say I’m fucked up when you over here having Kumbaya moments.
Anyways sorry this js long but I genuinely love this girl I’ll take any advice or opinions you guys can give me I don’t wanna loose this girl I just can’t loose her she was with me when a loved one committed suicide she was with me when my dog died she’s been through it all with me
AITAH?
Edit 1 - I took someone’s advice and I told her she can’t control who I’m talking to but I understand why she wouldn’t like it I told her I’m uncomfortable with her being friends with my ex she proceeded to say im flipping the situation to make me look like the victim and lately she thinks I’m acting shady, weird and stuff I do is starting tk annoy her
For example she told me that when they broke up she thought I would have taken her side and completely cut him off she said she felt betrayed and that I was flirting with him because he doesn’t bring lunches to school (we’re juniors in high school) so I always offer some of my food (I always bring an extra yogurt or sandwhich or whatever I made that day because I know he’s gonna be hungry) and when I gave him my food she thought it was my “excuse to talk to him” I told her that’s ridiculous and I’d never let someone to hungry especially if I have extra food
I’ve been looking at her reposts on TikTok (yes I’m a stalker I js missssss my girlllll ) and she’s been reposting a bunch of stuff saying “these females doing me wrong” or js shit that says she got betrayed, when I made this post I was angry and needed to vent I worked out took my dog for a walk and now that I’m calm I’m not angry with her I’m just anxious she’s gonna end our friendship and I still don’t see the issue with me wishing someone a happy birthday I told her I was truly just trying to be cordial with him and that if nothing was going on between me and him before they dated nothings going to happen now ESPECIALLY if that’s her ex.
Plus Me and “Alex’s” friend (we’ll call him Leo) have been going on dates lately (dinners, picnics, watching movies at the others house, our families throwing like pool backyard stuff and inviting the other, etc ) so there’s quite literally nothing there between me and “Alex” “Leo”is a sweetheart and exactly my type “Alex” is the bipolar opposite of Leo but the two are best friends I told lana this and she said she wanted time and she didn’t know if she wanted to end the friendship with me because she quote on quote “Doesn’t know if she can trust me” and “doesn’t wanna interact with a potential snake”
She called me a potential snake..
I have no hard feelings towards Lana I’ve never been one to get hurt by words I just wanna let her get all her anger out she started getting disrespectful and I put my foot down and told her
“I know you’re angry but you have no fucking right to disrespect me when I’ve been nothing but logical and understanding with you I’ve tried getting your point and I’m sorry I caused you to hurt I really am but you can’t seem to calm down and be reasonable so please stop blowing my phone up and please only talk to me when you’re open to a logical unbiased conversation”
And I left it with that (I’ll fs give more updates)

I used to play this on flash game websites, you were in park (if I remember correctly the bunny was wearing a skirt and it was a humanish type of bunny?) and u could walk either to left or right with arrow keys. Each time u come to the very end of screen u get to another part of the park. Each place has different bunnies from rabbits having a picnic to a circus type of place. You could come close and interact with these bunnies and help them? For example I remember a bunny feeding ducks so u helped them do so. The game play feels like a fever dream and this is the only context I have would love help.

So I’ve been rewatching the 11th doctor and am about to go onto the 12th and love the doctor and rivers relationship so much so I looked online and realised that a lot of people disagree. I saw that most people were saying that the doctor didn’t love river and that he wasn’t really into their whole relationship but I disagree.
when the doctor first saw river as 11 it was after she died in Forest of the dead so it makes sense that he would wary of her and want to get away from her as soon as possible in the time of angels and flesh & stone as he already knows her fate. As the episode goes on though you see the doctor and river interact more and more throughout the episode even showing an interest into how she’s engaged to Octavian because he knows in the future she is married to him and at the end of the episode they even go as far to even have a laugh with each other!
It’s also quite obvious he loves her by the time we get to the angels take manhattan episode as before we even realise river is melody malone the doctors already swooning over her on a book cover. Of course you can’t forget when the doctor goes to help river after her hand gets stuck in the angels wrist and he’s fixing his hair in the TARDIS beforehand to look good for her. You can also tell that he cares for her deeply as when she says “are you gonna break her wrist or mine?” He gets annoyed at Amy because yes he is actually going to break her wrist and he doesn’t get angry at Amy often. An important part of this scene that I feel a lot of people forget is that the doctor is actually the one that kisses river and he’s not been forced into it. After this though he gets angry at her for something she writes in the book (killing off Amy) and shouts at her to get her own hand out without breaking it.River appears later showing she made her own way out b of the angels grasp without breaking her wrist. The doctor is of course overjoyed by this and speaks to Amy about how amazing and brilliant she is. Things change fast though as the doctor grabs her hand to bring her outside but river screeches in pain revealing she had actually broken her wrist. A lot of people seemed to interpret the doctors reaction to this as him being scared for Amy’s sake but I think it was more he was worried for River. Think about it when has the doctor ever seen river truly upset or in pain till this point? He was more concerned I’d say about her heavy breathing and the pain she must be in that he’s never seen before now. The next scene after this is showing the doctor giving Amy the machine river was using which he clearly took off her then goes over to sit next to her. Instead of being angry at her for lying he simply just asks “why did you lie to me?” With river then responding something along the lines of “when you fall in love with ageless god one does best to hide the damage” the doctor then goes on to say she must hurt, river replying with yes “the wrist is pretty bad too” implying she is very hurt emotionally aswell most likely because every time she meets the doctor he seems further and furthers away from her.The doctor then looks at river sympathetically almost as if realising how much she has to go through when he doesn’t remember her. He then goes on to use his OWN regeneration power to heal her hand then kisses it better. There are multiple more scenes in this episode where the doctor grabs her hand and they support each other while Amy and Rory are running away. One of my personal favourite scenes from this episode is when the paradox is happening and the doctor holds on to rivers hand despite the paradox making them stumble all about the place.
Something else that bothers me about what people say about river and the doctor is when they say stuff about how they don't ever spend time together which is also very untrue. Some people may not know about these but there is a series of mini episodes called night and the doctor with five episodes called bad night, good night, first night, last night and up all night. First night and last night are literally just date episodes and funny banter with the doctor and river(rain gods is also included). These episodes are great because they give us insight more into the doctor and rivers relationship showing that its actually the doctor that picks river up often to take her on fun dates all across time and space (its also shown he does this in good man goes to war showing that he took river out for her birthday). This unfortunately mostly happens off camera but clearly it does happen as i'm sure river didn't fill her diary based off just what we've seen. For example in silence in the library river mentions the picnic at Asgard that happened with the doctor but we just didn't see it.
How could you also not love their flirtatious banter and care for one another. One example of this is the double barrel episode the impossible astronaut and day of the moon. The doctor and river were so flirty in this episode it was so fun! the doctors caring seeps through in this episode when river goes down into the sewer looking area to look for the missing little girl. He tells river to be careful but then still worries about her so sends rory to accompany her. In lets kill Hitler this was the perfect episode to show how the doctor protects river when the teselecta tries to kill her and how river saves his life right back through a passionate kiss giving up the rest of her regenerations for him. It also shows that the doctor would rather sacrifice himself than let river use up all her regenerations as shown at the end of the episode when river says that the doctor told her she couldn't save him which wasn't true (even the doctor said the doctor lies). In the day of the moon at the end of the episode they also have more flirtatious banter that goes like this:
DOCTOR:"she could easily kill the first 3 of you"
RIVER:"oh 7 easily"
DOCTOR:"7 really?"
RIVER:"8 for you honey"
DOCTOR:"stop it"
RIVER:"make me"
DOCTOR:"well maybe i will"
this to the annoyance of Amy who is just wanting to escape the silence unharmed.
It should be clear by now that the doctor does love river and even though their wedding in the wedding of river song technically didn't happen its obviously real to them considering that river mentions that she's his wife in almost every episode we see her the doctor also mentions he's married and has a wife in the prequel to asylum of the daleks, the name of the doctor. I feel like its also important to note that even after losing river as 11 and regenerating into 12 river is never forgotten by the doctor and 12 keeps two pictures on his desk of the most important people in his life his granddaughter susan and river! I also feel like although there are many ships people wish to happen like with clara and rose they could never really work out because they're human. River is a weird mix and the only real equal that the doctor has that he travelled with because even though technically river is human she's also part timelord (i think???) so the only real relationship that would work out out of all of them would probably have to be river.
I feel like i should probably mention the last two times we see river one being in the episode name of the doctor. At this point river is dead and the doctor knows it but she still appears as a ghost after a dream meeting type thing with clara and the gang. After this ends we the audience can still see her but nowhone else can. That is until near the end of the episode where the doctor is going to go into his own time stream and river tries to talk sense into him but obviously he cant hear her (or so we think) river goes to slap him but the doctor grabs her arm revealing that he in fact has always been able to see her and hear her and she is always there to him. River of course is confused and asked why he didn't speak to her. The doctor says that he thought it would hurt too much, river thinks he means it would hurt her but the doctor explains he means he would hurt and he was right. The doctor then kisses river for the last time before explaining to her that he doesn't know how to say goodbye to her river then says if he ever loved her to say it like he's coming back, so he does and river also says it like she's coming back. The final time we see river and the doctor is in the husbands of river song. This switching up the roles so that now its river that doesn't recognise him as she hasn't seen his new face as 12. Of course the doctor being the doctor goes along with it to try and mess with her but along the way finds out what she's like when he's not there especially during rivers big speech at the end where she talks about not expecting the stars to admire you back and her big speech about how the doctor doesn't love her and he would never stand danger with her because he isn't in love enough. The doctor hears this and he clearly realises how hurt she is but she also proves everything she's saying is wrong because he is there for her and he does love her. Its also the 12th doctor that saves river from sacrificing herself pretty much near the end of the episode saying that she was more important than any one on the ship, any living thing. The doctor even cares for her so much that he builds an ENTIRE restauraunt for her for one night on Darillium. The one night that he can spent 24 years with the woman he loves also entrusting her with his biggest secret ever his name and his beloved screwdriver.
I've clearly wrote WAY more than I thought and so im just curious to see what do you all think about the doctor and rivers relationship?

I'm a graduate student in the humanities in the US.
TL:DR Do I simply have unrealistic expectations for communication response times from profs in this post-covid world?
I'm taking one class this summer term (hybrid online synch/async model) and our prof opened the course on our LMS on 5/4. I sent a brief introduction through the LMS messaging system that afternoon (syllabus did not express a preference between LMS message or uni email) with a copy of my accommodation memo from last semester (the summer term memos had still not been released) and two questions about the course content and potential accommodations needed for one of the projects. I also noted that I'd email a copy of my memo as soon as disability resources releases them.
Our first set of discussion posts were due on 5/8, and I had not received a response from the professor prior to class.
I sent a follow up email the morning of 5/9 with a copy of this semester's accommodation memo, and referenced the message I had sent via our LMS.
I have no expectations that professors respond to emails outside of typical bankers work hours, and never expect a response between 4p Friday and 10a Monday unless they specifically say they plan to be available for questions that weekend (for example, if an assignment or exam is due on Saturday or Sunday).
Granted I've been working in my field for quite some time now, where the expected email response time is 2 working days at most, but no response to an email from a current student in a week seems less than ideal. Especially when the prof is only teaching grad level students for summer semester and is carrying a light course load.
Are my expectations off-base?

I'm a graduate student in the humanities in the US.
TL:DR Do I simply have unrealistic expectations for communication response times from profs in this post-covid world?
I'm taking one class this summer term (hybrid online synch/async model) and our prof opened the course on our LMS on 5/4. I sent a brief introduction through the LMS messaging system that afternoon (syllabus did not express a preference between LMS message or uni email) with a copy of my accommodation memo from last semester (the summer term memos had still not been released) and two questions about the course content and potential accommodations needed for one of the projects. I also noted that I'd email a copy of my memo as soon as disability resources releases them.
Our first set of discussion posts were due on 5/8, and I had not received a response from the professor prior to class.
I sent a follow up email the morning of 5/9 with a copy of this semester's accommodation memo, and referenced the message I had sent via our LMS.
I have no expectations that professors respond to emails outside of typical bankers work hours, and never expect a response between 4p Friday and 10a Monday unless they specifically say they plan to be available for questions that weekend (for example, if an assignment or exam is due on Saturday or Sunday).
Granted I've been working in my field for quite some time now, where the expected email response time is 2 working days at most, but no response to an email from a current student in a week seems less than ideal. Especially when the prof is only teaching grad level students for summer semester and is carrying a light course load.
Are my expectations off-base?

I've added the request via the form in the YNAB site. Just want to share it with you as well for visibility and to know your opinion.
I would love to see a "Project Label" feature in YNAB.
The idea is to be able to create a new property called (for example) "project label" and which I can andd to any of my transactions.
The only purpose of the feature is reporting and filtering.
It should be optional and could be added as simple as "Payee" property.
Why?
Because sometimes we have expenses that relates to a regular category, but also could be associated with a specific project.
Examples from my personal experience:

• I have a category called "Vacations" where I put all my transactions related to expenses during vacationing (tickets, hotels, foot, etc.). But some of those expenses related ALSO to a specific project (aka trip) like "Poland 2024" or "Belgium 2023", etc.
  
• I have a category called "Home Stuff" to put all expenses related to furniture, home repair, etc. But some of them relates ALSO to a "project" like "Moving to a new apartment 2024" or "Building a child room 2025", etc.
  

While I want to keep this expenses to impact on dedicated categories (so I have insights category-wise), I want to be able to easily distinguish all transactions that relates to a specific project (maybe even across different categories).
Using #hashtags in the memo (as many people recommended) doesn't fit me well because I want more freedom in naming and also having an autosuggestion like for the "Payee" field. And it still doesn't give you reports out of the box even with the "Tools for YNAB" extension.

On October 31, 2020, former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon—who had left Trump’s administration in 2017—explained to a group of people that, knowing that votes for Biden would accumulate throughout the evening as mail-in ballots were counted, Trump planned simply to declare victory on election night, seizing the presidency and claiming that any results to the contrary were an attempt to steal the election from him. “[A]t 10 or 11 o’clock Trump’s gonna walk in the Oval, tweet out, ‘I’m the winner. Game over. Suck on that,’” Bannon was recorded as saying.
That prediction was pretty much what happened, but Trump did not succeed in seizing the presidency. Next came plans to overturn the election results, and Bannon was also involved in those. Then, famously, on January 5, 2021, he predicted on his podcast that the next day, “all hell is going to break loose.”
Not surprisingly, the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol wanted to talk to Bannon. It subpoenaed him in September 2021 for testimony and documents. When he refused to comply, a jury found him guilty of contempt of Congress in October 2022. A judge sentenced him to four months in jail but allowed him to stay out of jail while he appealed.
Today a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld his conviction. He will not be jailed immediately; he can still appeal to a higher court.
Another White House advisor, Peter Navarro, appealed all the way to the Supreme Court to overturn his own conviction for contempt of Congress after he, too, refused to answer a House subpoena for testimony and documents. The Supreme Court denied his appeal, and Navarro reported to prison on March 19, 2024. He has asked a federal judge to let him serve the remainder of his sentence on supervised release, so far without luck.
Former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Joyce White Vance wrote: “Bannon is effectively out of appeals. He can delay a little bit longer, asking for the full court to review the decision en banc & asking SCOTUS to hear his case on cert, but neither one of those things will happen. Bannon is going to prison.”
Lack of information was at the heart of Bannon and Navarro’s cases; it was also at the heart of the State Department’s report to Congress about whether Israel’s strikes on Gaza have complied with international and U.S. law. National Security Memorandum (NSM)-20, which Biden signed on February 8, 2024, was designed to make sure that there are adequate safeguards and accountability when countries who have access to U.S. weapons use them. The memo required the secretary of state “to obtain certain credible and reliable written assurances from foreign governments receiving defense articles” and transmit that information to Congress.
Issued today, the report covered seven countries in “active conflict”—Colombia, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine—and explored whether they were using U.S. government-funded defense articles in accordance with international humanitarian law, and whether they were not “arbitrarily” denying, restricting, or otherwise impeding U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance in any areas where the country was using those U.S. defense articles.
The report noted that it’s hard to collect accurate information in a war zone. Often, the information has to come from participants or third parties, and sometimes that information comes only from the country the U.S. is supplying with weapons. It also noted that the human-rights-based Leahy Laws prohibit the U.S. from supplying weapons to a foreign military unit if the departments of state or defense have credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights, including torture, rape, extrajudicial killing, or enforced disappearance.
The report concluded that Colombia appears to be in compliance. Iraqi security forces have been credibly alleged to be violating international law, but the U.S. does not supply those units. Those it does supply have received U.S. training on compliance with international humanitarian law, and Iraqi leadership is working closely with the U.S. to professionalize. It has not restricted humanitarian aid.
Kenya has repeatedly violated international human rights law, but it is working to come into compliance and has not misused U.S. weapons. Nigerian forces routinely use excessive force and torture. They are expanding the legal advice in the professionalizing army, and there are no credible reports of U.S. matériel used in ways that are inconsistent with international law.
Somalia has violated humanitarian law and human rights law, arbitrarily killing and torturing people and committing sexual violence. The U.S. supplies the counterterrorism Danab Brigade of the Somali National Army and works closely with it. The State Department assesses that the brigade has not used U.S. weapons in any violations of humanitarian or human rights law.
That leaves Israel and Ukraine.
The report begins by noting that in the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists killed an estimated 1,200 individuals, wounded more than 5,400, and took 253 hostages, including U.S. citizens. Hamas, it notes, “does not follow any portion of and consistently violates” international humanitarian law.
Then it takes on the numbers of Palestinians killed and injured, saying that the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, “which international organizations generally deem credible,” estimates that 34,700 Palestinians have been killed. Another 78,200 have been wounded, “a significant percentage of whom are reported to be women and children.” The Gaza Ministry of Health does not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians, but Israel says that about half the 34,700 killed were Hamas fighters. The State Department says that “we do not have the ability to verify this estimate.” It also notes that “[t]he conflict has displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza and resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis.”
The State Department notes that the U.S. government has emphasized Israeli compliance with international humanitarian law and that Israel has “institutions and processes charged with upholding” those laws. Israel has been conducting assessments, including criminal investigations, into alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
The next paragraph, though, says that when asked, Israel shared some information that gave insight into Israel’s procedures and rules, but that information was incomplete. Among other things, “Israel has not shared complete information to verify whether U.S. defense articles covered under NSM-20 were specifically used in actions that have been alleged as violations of [international humanitarian law or international human rights law] in Gaza, or in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the period of the report.” However, the authors concluded, because “certain Israeli-operated systems are entirely U.S.-origin (e.g., crewed attack aircraft),” they “are likely to have been involved in incidents that raise concerns about Israel’s [international humanitarian law] compliance.”
The report goes on to say that while it is difficult to determine whether specific U.S. weapons have been used improperly, “there have been sufficient reported incidents to raise serious concerns…. Given the nature of the conflict in Gaza, with Hamas seeking to hide behind civilian populations and infrastructure and expose them to Israeli military action, as well as the lack of [U.S. government] personnel on the ground in Gaza, it is difficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents. Nevertheless, given Israel’s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under NSM-20 have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its [international humanitarian law] obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm.”
The State Department says it is “not aware” of U.S. weaponry being misused. It also said that it “has had deep concerns…about action and inaction by Israel” that hampered humanitarian aid efforts and that, while that aid still is insufficient, “we do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance.”
The report also assessed that Ukraine had occasionally violated international humanitarian law and international human rights law, torturing those suspected of collaborating with Russia, for example. The Ukraine government has committed to adhere to the rule of law. It has apparently not used U.S. weapons in those violations and has facilitated U.S. humanitarian assistance.
—
Notes:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pstephen-k-bannon-sentenced-four-months-prison-two-counts-contempt-congress
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250504958/steve-bannon-contempt-upheld
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.39203/gov.uscourts.cadc.39203.1208621523.0.pdf
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/leaked-audio-steve-bannon-trump-2020-election-declare-victory/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/19/politics/peter-navarro-jail-contempt-of-congress/index.html
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/too-notorious-pointing-to-a-free-steve-bannon-imprisoned-peter-navarro-asks-court-for-supervised-release/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/02/08/national-security-memorandum-on-safeguards-and-accountability-with-respect-to-transferred-defense-articles-and-defense-services/
https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Report-to-Congress-under-Section-2-of-the-National-Security-Memorandum-on-Safeguards-and-Accountability-with-Respect-to-Transferred-Defense.pdf
Twitter (X):
JoyceWhiteVance/status/1788946765355348418
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-10-2024

I've always been bound to death.
On my eighth birthday, a shadow strode into my house and shot me and my family dead. I remember it vividly, every detail, every angle, etched and stained and carved into my memory.
I sat very still with my knees to my chest, my gaze glued to my siblings.
Lily and PJ looked like they were sleeping, and I could almost believe it.
I didn't look at the shadow.
From the comfort of my knees, I waited for my brother to lift his head.
But his body was so limp, so still, every part of him faltering. My sister’s head was nestled in his shoulder, thick beads of red running down her face.
They're just sleeping.
I could tell myself they were— as long as I didn't look at the splatter of scarlet staining the back of the couch and pooling at their feet.
BANG.
Mom’s body dropped onto the ground.
I lunged forwards, slamming my hands over my ears.
BANG.
PJ’s head slumped forwards, a teasing smile still frozen on his lips.
BANG.
Lily gently tipped into PJ, like she was going to sleep.
Before she closed her eyes, Mom told me to run.
I can't remember how long I stayed under the shattered remnants of Mom’s favorite table. The shadow was waiting for me to move, to make a noise.
I watched booted feet crunch through glass, getting closer and closer, and slowly, fight or flight began to take over.
Making it halfway across the living room, my palms slick with my mother’s blood, I thought I was going to live.
Cruel fingers wound their way through my hair and shoved me to my knees. I remember the phantom legs of a spider creeping down the back of my neck when the shadow with no face dragged the barrel of his gun down my spine.
“Turn around.”
The shadow had a voice.
When I didn't move, the protruding metal stabbed into my neck.
“Turn around, kid!”
I did, very slowly.
Behind him, my siblings still weren't moving.
They were asleep.
Lily was still smiling, strawberry blonde ringlets stained red.
I couldn't see PJ’S face anymore.
BANG.
I didn't feel the gunshot.
I didn't feel anything.
Looking down, I glimpsed slowly spreading red blossoming like a flower.
It felt like being cut from strings.
I hit the ground, just like my mother, my body felt heavy and wrong.
Paralysed.
I remember being unable to scream, unable to cry, the salty taste of metal filling my mouth. It was like being winded. Rolling onto my side, all I could see was flickering candlelight.
The air was thick, so hard to breathe.
I rolled onto my back trying to suck in air.
The shadow took a step back, opened the front door, and bled into the night.
I don't remember the pain, and I don't remember dying. I couldn't breathe, couldn't conjure words in my mouth.
I felt warm and sticky, lying in my own blood.
I think I tried to move.
But I was so tired.
I’m not sure what death feels like, because it's like going to sleep.
I remember my last shuddering breaths, a lulling darkness beginning to swallow me up. I don't know why I wasn't afraid.
Oblivion almost felt like I was sinking into lukewarm depths on a Summer’s day.
Oblivion wasn't pain, and there was a peaceful inevitability to it.
It was endless nothing, a nothing I found myself gravitating towards. But before I could envelope myself in that darkness, it was spitting me back out.
The next thing I knew, I was in a white room, a slow beeping sound tearing me from slumber. I had a vague memory of slow spreading roses blossoming across my shirt, like summer flowers blooming.
Everything was white.
The walls, the ceiling, and my clothes.
Sensation hit me in slow waves.
Exhaustion.
I felt it tightening its grip around my brain, dragging me back onto a mountain of pillows when I tried to jump up. My Aunt May was sitting next to me on a plastic chair, her warm fingers entangled in mine. Aunt May and Mom were practically twins, with the same thick red hair and pale skin.
Mom wore her hair in a casual ponytail, while May preferred a strict bun.
I had to bite back the urge to yank my hand away.
Aunt May was asleep, used tissues filling her lap.
There was a nurse pottering around, checking my vitals and prodding my arms. My eyes felt heavy. I had to blink several times to keep myself awake.
“Charlie?”
The nurse’s voice was like wind-chimes.
I pretended not to notice her forced lipstick smile, the way she stood with her arms folded, staring at me like I was one of my cousin’s experiments. “You were in an accident, sweetie,” the nurse spoke up. I could see her trembling hands. “Just, um, try and rest, okay?”
I wanted to ask where my family was, but I already knew the answer.
I think she knew that too.
“You died, Charlie.” The nurse’s voice was eerily cold. “You were dead for thirteen minutes.”
She took slow steps towards me, her eyes growing frenzied, like she couldn't understand me, like I was a puzzle she could not solve– and it was driving her crazy. I could see it in her twitching hands, her wobbling lips that were trying and failing to appear stoic.
“In fact, I just pulled you out of the morgue, honey. I opened up your body bag that I had just zipped up, and told your aunt that you were a miracle I just… can’t understand.” The nurse sounded like she was trying to choke down a laugh, or maybe a sob.
“Charlotte, you were pronounced dead at 3:02am from a gunshot wound to the chest.” Taking a slow, sobering breath, the nurse tried to smile. “The bullet went through the right ventricle of your heart and severely damaged your left lung, rendering you unable to breathe. Your heart stopped, and after four attempts to resuscitate, we called it.”
Something slimy wound its way up my throat when she began to pace the room. “I… did all the paperwork. It took me two minutes. Your death certificate was signed, and your body was taken to the morgue to be prepped for transportation. Then I had my lunch. Tuna salad with a protein milkshake. I’m not a fan of the chocolate flavor.”
She shook her head. “Anyway, when I came back to you, you were awake inside your body bag.” Her voice was starting to break. “You were…um, alive, and asked me for apple soda.”
The nurse moved closer, and yet kept her distance.
I could feel myself moving back, panic writhing through me.
“So.” The nurse spoke calmly. “How the fuck are you still alive, Charlie?”
I think I passed out after that.
When I woke up again, my head a lot less heavier, the nurse was gone.
Slowly, my foggy brain began to find itself and connect dots.
My mouth was dry, full of cotton.
There was a sudden tightness, a sharp and cruel sting in my wrists.
Something sharp was protruding into my flesh, and no matter how many times I violently wrenched my arm, it was stuck. It didn't feel right to be able to breathe so easily.
I knew the second I woke that my Mom was dead.
Lily and PJ were dead, and it was like losing them all over again.
As clarity came over me, I found my voice, a strangled cry escaping my lips.
“Get it out.” I whispered in a shrill cry.
Tugging at the IV in my wrist, I tried to yank the needle from my skin.
“Get it out!” I shrieked, my gaze glued to the tiny spots of blood staining the insertion point.
I could see it again.
So much blood.
Mom was curled up on the floor, lying in slow spreading red that wouldn't stop, seeping across her beaded rug.
She was all over me, slick on my skin and caked in my fingernails.
I couldn't wash her off of me.
“You're okay, Charlotte.”
Aunt May’s voice came from my right, stabling me to reality.
The world started to move again, started to make sense again, when she cupped my cheeks and told me to breathe. When I opened my mouth to ask where my family were, she lightly shook her head and I swallowed my words. Aunt May handed me a glass of water, and I drained it in one gulp.
She told me I was a miracle.
Aunt May didn't say much, and when she did, she broke into sobs.
Her eyes were raw from crying, clinging onto me, her shuddery voice reassuring me that I was going to be okay.
She told me I would be living with her from now on, before wrapping me into a hug and leaving to get coffee.
Once my aunt was gone, another nurse came to prod my IV.
I tried to sleep, but the uncomfortable tightness of the needle sticking into my skin and the sterile white lights in my eyes made it impossible. I waited for grief to catch up with me, drowning me in a hollow oblivion I wouldn't be able to claw myself out of. But I didn't feel sad. I didn't feel angry.
I wanted to know why my family were dead.
I wanted to know why I was breathing, and their skin was ice cold.
Rotting.
The sudden image of maggots crawling up my brother’s nose sent me lurching into a sitting position, my stomach heaving. Reaching for my glass of water, it was empty. The sensation of throwing up felt familiar, almost comforting.
Mom was always with me when I was sick, holding my hair back and lulling my hysteria with reassuring murmurs.
I was frowning at the trash can by the door, my cotton candy brain trying to figure out if I would be able to make it in time, when a small voice drifted from the doorway, startling me.
“I don't want you to come live with us.”
My cousin was peeking through the door, hiding behind a shock of dark brown curls. Jude was the only brunette in our family. The rest of us were redheads.
I wasn't sure why he was dressed up like a ghost, draped in a white cloak that was way too big for him. Jude was a weird kid. His mother, and my auntie, had inherited the family house, so in his mind, that made him superior.
Jude made it clear he didn't like his cousins, refusing to let us play with him and banning us from family gatherings.
When the adults were drinking cocktails and losing their awareness, Jude ordered us around. The times we did play with him, our cousin showed us his spider collection, or the raccoon brain he kept in a jar. PJ was convinced our younger cousin was a serial killer. Several months earlier, he'd happily showed us the roadkill he'd been growing bacteria on under his bed.
Jude’s ‘experiments’ were worrying.
He stuffed mushrooms down my brother’s ears while he was sleeping, to, and I quote, “Recreate The Last Of Us.”
When Lily had a nosebleed during Thanksgiving dinner, Jude collected all her bloody tissues and refused to tell us where he'd put them, and what he had done with them. Fast-forward two months, and I found them under a nest of spiders. Jude was trying to adapt the spiders to be able to feed on human blood. I was surprised my cousin hadn't immediately demanded to see my siblings’ dead bodies for autopsy.
Jude stepped into the room, shuffling his feet.
“I'm sorry about Lily, PJ, and Aunt Ivy.” He mumbled, glaring at the floor tiles.
My cousin made no move to offer real sympathy, instead speaking to the floor.
“But I don't want you to come live with us.” Jude lifted his head, looking me dead in the eye. “I don't like you, Charlie. I want you to stay away.”
Before I could reply, he stepped back like I was diseased.
“You should be dead.” Jude grumbled.
He scowled at me, getting my age purposely wrong as usual before running off.
“Happy 68th birthday.”
I was six months older than him.
In Jude’s eyes, I was ready for retirement.
Still, though, my cousin was right.
I was stone cold dead, and then I was somehow alive.
Which was wrong.
Growing up, I realized Death was not so subtly attempting to fix his mistake.
It started small. I'd choke on things I wasn't supposed to choke on.
Chips.
Candy.
Ice cream.
Aunt May had to perform the heimlich manoeuvre when I choked on a piece of chicken. I thought I was just really unlucky, but then I locked myself in a freezer that didn't have a lock, and almost drowned in the local swimming pool, catching my foot in stray netting.
At the summer fair, Jude convinced me to try apple bobbing, only for my head to conveniently get stuck underwater.
It started to make sense.
I was supposed to die with my family that night, and death was out to get me.
Death started to get clever, changing his tactic. Instead of using everyday things to try to kill me, he sent reinforcements.
I turned twelve years old, and my aunt threw me a huge party, inviting all my classmates. Aunt May was rich, rich.
Mom never explained it, but our grandparents left everything to May.
The house was like a palace, a labyrinth of floors I was yet to explore, and two swimming pools.
I was in the kitchen cutting myself a slice of cake, when, out of nowhere, a dead boy came rushing at me with one of my aunt’s favorite kitchen knives.
A dead boy who I immediately recognised.
Wren Oliver.
Several years prior, he'd gone missing from his parents' yard. The town launched a full investigation, only to find his body in a ditch a week later.
So, Death had sent a footsoldier.
Hiding under a hooded sweatshirt, Wren appeared older, like he had grown up with me. But there was a startling vacancy in his expression that drew the breath from my lungs, freezing me in place. Wren’s death was announced as an accident, though his wounds suggested the opposite, dried blood smearing his right temple and a cavernous hole in his chest, his clothes painted, stained, in bright red, glued in sticky mounds clinging to him.
The boy’s eyes were wild, feral, like an animal.
His hair was longer, a mess of reddish curls matted to his forehead.
Lip split into a demented giggle.
I remember taking a slow step back, my gaze glued to the knife.
Wren’s fingers were wrapped around the handle like he knew exactly how to use it, how to plunge it into my heart and kill me for good. He moved like a predator, zero self awareness or recognition, only driven to kill me.
The dead boy prided himself in slow, intimidating steps, shoving me against the wall and dragging the blade of the knife down the curve of my throat.
His eyes confused me, writhing with hatred that was artificial, programmed into him as Death’s official soldier.
He didn't speak, only smiled, revelling in my fear. I could tell it thrilled him, my trembling hands, my sharp, heavy breaths I couldn't control. Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited to finally die.
I waited for the pain, and to lose my breath once again.
But death was playing with me.
When I opened my eyes, the dead boy was gone, and I was on my knees, screaming.
“Wren Oliver is trying to kill me!" I managed to hiss.
My aunt knelt in front of me, her expression crumpling.
*Sweetie,” She spoke softly, squeezing my hands. Aunt May was trying to appear calm for my sake, but I could tell she was scared, her frantic eyes searching mine. “Wren Oliver is dead.”
The kids surrounding me started to giggle, whispering among themselves.
In the corner of my eye, my cousin was leaning against the door, mid eye roll.
When my aunt was ushering kids back to the pool, Jude came to crouch in front of me. Ever since I started living with him, he'd made sure to keep his distance.
This time, though, Jude leaned uncomfortably close, a sparkle in his eyes I had never seen before. Inclining his head, he rocked back and forth on his heels, prodding me in the forehead.
“If you see the dead boy again, can you tell me?” His lips curved into a smile.
“I did see him.” I gritted out. “I’m not lying.”
Jude shrugged. “I never said you didn't,” he lowered his voice into a whisper, “I wanna know when you see him again.”
“Why?”
His lips curved into a smirk.
“So, I can catch him.”
My cousin got closer, his breath tickling my cheek.
“I seeeeeeee dead people.”
After that incident, death left me alone for a while.
I was fifteen, walking through the forest with a friend, catching fireflies in bell jars. Aunt May was lucky to live so close to the forest, the entrance just outside her back door. When we were littles, PJ would drag Lily and I down the trail to escape Jude’s weird experiments.
I decided to invite Jem Littlewood on a summer walk.
Jem was cute, but in a dorky way. He was chronically clumsy, and dressed like he'd been spat out of a John Hughes movie. We hiked all the way to the end of the river and had a picnic, watching the sun set over the horizon. I was having conflicting feelings for this guy.
Jem was obsessed with fireflies.
Though he seemed more interested in photographing them than me.
The guy couldn't seem to sit still, jumping to his feet to marvel at tiny specks of light dancing in the air.
“I'm just going to take photos!” Jem beamed, holding up his camera.
I had to bite back the urge to say, “Don't you have enough photos?”
I nodded, and he turned and sprinted back down the trail.
Before his footsteps ground to a sudden halt.
At first, I thought he was snapping polaroids.
When I got closer, though, blinking in the eerie dark, I caught something.
Bending down, I picked up a bell jar still spilling fireflies.
Further down the trail, Jem was lying crumpled in the dirt, his camera smashed to pieces next to him, blood running in thick rivulets down his temple. There he was. Leaning against a tree, his arms folded, was the ghost boy. Wren Oliver was growing up with me. Now, a teenager, and yet his face was carved into something else entirely, more of a monster, slight points to his ears and too-sharp teeth, eyes ignited.
Wren didn't look like a ghost boy anymore.
Death had dressed him in shackles of ivy, a crown of glass and bone forced onto his head, entangled in his curls. Death was torturing him.
Wren’s body was its canvas, and every time I got away, he was punished, painting his failures across scarred skin.
I should have been running for my life, but I was mesmerised by each symbol cruelly carved into his neck.
The boy did a slow head incline, like he couldn't believe I was standing in front of him.
His slow spreading smile caught me off guard.
I remembered how to run, stumbling over my feet.
But I couldn't move.
The burning hatred that death had filled him with, was stronger, hollowing him out completely. I managed two shaky steps, before I felt him, an unearthly force winding its way around my spine. This time, he didn't hesitate.
I watched his mouth move, a single curve of his upper lip that wrenched my body from my control, slamming me against a tree. There was something around my throat, choking the breath from my lungs, a thick fog spreading over my eyes.
Following his mouth curving into silent letters, I could feel my feet slowly leaving the ground, my legs dangling.
I was floating.
Hovering off of the ground, suspended by his words.
Through half lidded eyes, I caught the glint of a blade between his fist, but I couldn't move, couldn't scream.
He was drowning me, bleeding into my blood, spider webbing and expanding in my brain without moving a muscle.
Instead, the ghost boy stood silently, running his thumb down the teeth of his knife while he ripped my lungs apart.
It was like suffocating, sinking into that peaceful oblivion I met at eight years old.
This time, though, the darkness was starving.
“Charlie?”
My eyes found daylight, a scream clawing out of my mouth.
“Charlie, it's past curfew!”
Wren flinched, his stoic expression crumpling.
The dead boy’s lips moved again, this time in a curse.
Fuck.
“Charlotte!”
Staggering back, Wren’s eyes widened and the suffocating hold on me severed.
His head snapped in the direction my aunt was coming from.
“Charlie, answer me right now.”
He hesitated, his bare feet pivoting in the dirt, like he was considering finishing me off. Wren studied me with lazy eyes, sucking on his bottom lip. When my aunt's footsteps got louder, branches snapping under her shoes, something contorted in the boy’s face.
Fear.
I guessed the boy wasn't expecting other humans to intrude.
Wren fell over himself, shuffling on his hands and knees, before diving to his feet. When he turned and ran, I was released, slipping to the ground, trying and failing to draw in breath. I barely felt the impact, only a dull thudding pain. I could hear the ghost boy’s footsteps, his uneven, shuddery breaths as he catapulted into a run.
Under a late setting sun, I watched his dancing shadow disappear into the trees.
Mission unsuccessful, I guessed.
When I was fully conscious, Aunt May was checking over Jem, helping him sit up.
“Where did he go?” I managed to get out, scanning the darkness for Wren.
“He's okay, just concussed.” May whispered, dialling 911.
My aunt applied a dressing to Jem’s wound, ignoring the boy’s hisses.
“Keep still.” she murmured, smoothing his bandaid. “What happened, Charlotte?”
“She pushed me over.” Jem groaned, shuffling away from me. When my aunt told him to stay calm, he straightened up, leaning against the tree. “The psycho bitch tried to fucking kill me!”
When my aunt's gaze flicked to me, I shook my head.
“It was Wren Oliver.” I gritted, teetering on hysteria. I could tell she didn't believe me, but I couldn't stop myself.
I prodded at my throat, clawing for the indentations where his phantom fingers snaked around my neck, squeezing the breath from my lungs.
But there was nothing.
I could feel my mind starting to unravel. I nodded to my disgruntled classmate trying to dodge my aunt’s prodding.
“Ow, ow, ow! That stings!
“He knocked Jem out.” I managed. “Then he tried to kill me.”
Jem surprised me with a scoff. “You're seriously blaming your psychotic break on a dead kid?”
Aunt May pursed her lips, motioning for Jem to be quiet. Judging from her face, however, she agreed with the boy.
May forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. “Okay. Can you, uh, describe the boy to me, Charlotte?”
“He was wearing a crown,” I said, “And he looked my age.”
Aunt May cocked her head, and I saw real worry, like she was trying not to freak out. Jem made a snorting noise.
“I'm sorry, he was wearing a crown?”
“Yes!” I insisted, getting progressively more frustrated.
I tried to jump up, only for my aunt to gently lower me back down. “I know it sounds crazy, but death has sent Wren Oliver to kill me, just like my family. He tried to kill me when I was twelve, too!”
Jem let out a bitter laugh. “Your niece is a fucking wackadoodle.”
Aunt May’s eyes darkened. She grabbed my shoulders, her nails stabbing into my skin. “Charlie, I want you to listen to me, okay?” When my eyes found the rapidly darkening sky, my aunt forced me to look at her.
“Charlotte!”
She was as scared as me, her voice shuddering.
“Wren Oliver is dead.” My aunt said firmly, shaking me. Even then, though, I wasn't even looking at her. I was trying to find his ignited eyes lighting up the dark. “Wren died at eight years old in a terrible accident, and you can't keep using him as an excuse for your mental trauma.” There was something twitching in her expression I was trying to make sense of. When I risked a look at Jem, the boy was staring at me dazedly– like I really was crazy.
Aunt May pressed her face into my shoulder, and I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt. She was trying to hold it together, trying to understand.
“Charlie, I know you lost your family,” she whispered. “But you and Wren Oliver are not the same. You survived, and he didn't.” Her voice splintered.
“You need to come to terms with that, okay?”
When I didn't respond, she pinched my chin, forcing me to look at her.
“Charlotte.”
Aunt May’s voice turned cold. “I ignored this when you were a kid, but if you continue to use this poor boy as a coping mechanism, I will have no choice but to send you to a specialist.”
When Jem was taken away by paramedics, Aunt May held my hand, squeezing my fingers for dear life.
I caught her gaze scanning the tree's around us, delving into twisting oblivion. Every little noise sent her twisting around. She was looking for something.
“I'm going to get you help.” Aunt May said in a low murmur when we were back at the house. Jude was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs swinging. I could feel his penetrating gaze burning into the back of my head.
Aunt May set a cup of cocoa on the table.
“No more fairytales.”
By the time I was eighteen, I had bitten three therapists.
They refused to believe that death was coming to reclaim my soul, and was using a dead boy to do his dirty work.
For my 16th birthday, I braced myself to come face to face with Wren Oliver’s ghost.
I wasn't even in town, staying at a friend's house.
But dead boys, and especially dead boys moulded into Death’s personal soldiers, could materialise anywhere.
I locked every door in the house, and taped up my friend’s window.
Nothing happened.
On my seventeenth birthday, I was sick in bed with gastritis.
Still no ghost boy.
Death seemed to have finally left me alone.
On my eighteenth birthday, I was stuffing books in my locker when my cousin popped up out of nowhere, scowling as usual. After an unexpected growth spurt and losing a tonne of baby fat, my cousin had scaled the high school hierarchy, swapping his weird experiments for a varsity jacket and experimenting with his sexuality.
The two of us had come to an unspoken truce.
I kept quiet about his spider collection to his popular friends, and he tolerated my existence until I left for college.
“Your surprise party is cancelled.”
Jude leaned against my locker, running a hand through thick dark hair tucked under a baseball cap. Jude never admitted it, but he was definitely embarrassed of being the odd one out.
My siblings may be dead, but they were still redheads.
I pulled off his cap with a smile, throwing it in his face. “Sure it is.”
My cousin’s eyes widened. He lost his slick bravado, grabbing for his cap.
“Hey!”
According to my cousin, my party was unexpectedly cancelled every year.
I wasn't sure if it was his weird superiority complex, or just plain jealousy, but it was getting exhausting.
Jude followed me down the hallway, matching my stride.
“Can you just not come home tonight?”
I quickened my pace. “It's only a party. I'm having some friends over, and no, we won't go anywhere near your room.”
“No, I mean.” Jude stepped in front of me, and for the first time in a while, he wasn't trying to hide disdain for me.
His dark eyes pinned me in place for a moment, the world around us coming to a halt. Sound bled away, and all I heard were his slow breaths. There was something there, an unexplainable twitch in his eyes and lips, that twisted my gut.
Jude stepped closer, his lip curling. He shoved me back, losing his facade.
“Stay the fuck away from the house tonight.” He said, and his voice, his tone, was enough to send shivers creeping down my spine. Jude had always hid behind a ten foot wall in his mind. It was jarring to see something in him finally start to splinter. Fuck. I thought.
This kid had serious Mommy issues.
I blinked, and the world resumed, kids pushing past us.
Jude seemed to catch himself, slipping back under his mask.
“I'm having friends over,” he rolled his eyes, “Your presence will ruin the vibe.”
“It's my birthday?”
He groaned, tipping his head back. “Yes, I know. But–”
“I think you can deal with the attention off of you for one night, Jude.”
“Will Wren Oliver be there too?” Jem Littlewood hollered.
Jude didn't respond for a moment, his lip curling.
“Shut the fuck up.” He spat at Jem, who immediately backed down. With an audience this time, Jude forced an award winning smile. “Fine.” His lips split into a grin I knew he hated. My cousin clamped his hand on my shoulder, hard enough to hurt. I could feel his fingers pinching the material of my jacket. “Have it your way, dude.”
Jude backed away with a two fingered salute.
“Happy 78th birthday!”
In a sense, I wish I listened to my cousin.
My party was a success, sort of.
Four of us, a crate of beers, and no sign of my cousin.
I was mildly tipsy, sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling my legs in the water when my friend demanded more beers.
I was also hungry for cake, so I stumbled inside in search of the goods.
The house was dark, lit up in dazzling blue from the pool's lights reflecting through the windows. Aunt May was in her office on the ground floor, and Jude was getting high in his room. In my drunken state, I found myself marvelling my aunt's house, and how much of it was left unexplored.
For example, in the foyer, past the spiral staircase she’d had custom made, was an elevator I had never questioned.
There was a girl my age standing on the staircase.
She was frozen, mid run, dressed in ragged jeans and t-shirt.
Everything about her stuck out to me, bringing me to a sobering halt.
The girl reminded me of my sister– or at least, if my sister had ever grown up.
I wasn't sure if I was drunk or hallucinating.
Her flower crown was pretty…
Lily had grown wings.
I was slowly moving towards her, a sudden bang sounding from the kitchen.
The bang of something shattering on the floor.
Twisting around, I found myself gravitating towards warm golden light.
The first thing I saw was the refrigerator door hanging open, and someone, no, something, rooting around inside it.
Glued to the spot, I dazedly watched them grab milk, guzzling it down, and then soda, cracking open each can and sucking them dry, before carving their fingers into my birthday cake.
But I wasn't looking at the spillage of food seeping across the floor. Instead, my gaze found a crown of antlers, both human and animal bone entangled with dead flowers and human remains glued to a head of familiar matted brown curls. There was something sticking from battered and bruised flesh, twin gaping slits sliced through a torn shirt resembling glass wings that were not yet formed, reminding me of a butterfly.
Wings.
But not the wings I dreamed of as a kid. These things were unnatural mounds that both did and didn't make sense on a human boy. I could see the trauma of them slicing through his flesh, monstrous, looming things protruding from what was left of a human spine.
Human, and yet I couldn't call his beautifully grotesque face human.
Wren Oliver had grown up with me, now an adult.
Eighteen years old.
His clothes confused me, a single white shirt and shorts.
Wren’s feet were bare, battered and bruised, blood smearing my aunt's tiles.
Angel.
Death had turned his footsoldier, and my future killer, into an angel.
But there was nothing angelic about the dead boy, his body and mind sculpted and moulded into Death’s own.
The boy no longer resembled a human, feral eyes and a manic smile, choking down pieces of cake. His face had been contorted into a monster, gnashing teeth and sharp points in his ears, a sickly tinge to malnourished skin.
And that's when it hit me, watching him stuff himself with food.
Something slimy inched its way up my throat.
The boy didn't move. I don't even think he'd noticed me, gorging himself on anything he could get his hands on.
Chicken, raw bacon, leftover salad.
When he moved onto cupcakes, licking frosting from his fingers, I glimpsed markings on his arms, a language I didn't understand, carved into him.
His wrists were shackled, bound, in entangled iron and vine, iron that was ingrained into his skin, vines and flowers and ivy entangling his bones, that were part of him, polluting his blood. Slowly, my eyes found stab wounds splitting open his torso.
Raw flesh, where his skin had been torched, melting, and then merging, ripped apart and put back together over and over again.
I found his heart, the gaping cavern in his chest where it should be.
And it was.
Marked, carved, and branded with a symbol resembling an X.
Wren Oliver was not dead.
But, just like me, he should have been.
I remember saying his name, my voice slurred slightly.
I didn't drink that much, but I could barely coerce words, my head spinning.
Wren’s neck snapped towards me, his eyes narrowing with resentment I couldn't understand, hatred that seemed to puppeteer him. Slowly tilting his head, the boy’s lips split into a grin, eyes filled, polluted, with mania.
I could see where his lips had been stitched shut, and then ripped open.
“Hi.”
He held up his hand in an awkward wave.
When one of my friends stumbled into the kitchen, Wren reacted on impulse.
He picked up a knife from the counter, throwing it like a dart, straight through the guy’s throat.
Something shattered inside my mind.
Ignoring my friend bleeding out, Wren stumbled over himself, abandoning his feast. He took a single step towards me, backing me against the wall, coming so close, close enough for me to feel his very real breath grazing my cheeks. Just like when he was a kid, he traced the teeth of his blade down my throat. I wasn't expecting him to burst out laughing, trembling with hysteria.
His eyes were wild, feral and wrong, almost euphoric.
With what all I could only recognise as relief.
BANG.
I was barely aware of the gunshot.
The bullet went straight through his head, the winged boy hitting the ground.
Dead.
I saw the blood stemming around him in a halo before the bleeding pool faltered, seeping back inside his head.
Like rewinding a VCR.
Wren was dead, and then he was alive.
Wren’s body contorted, his chest inflating.
His gasp for air was painful, strangled, eyes opening wide.
Terrified.
“You fucking idiot.”
Jude’s voice sent me twisting around.
My cousin stood in the exact same robes he wore as a child.
The world tipped off kilter, and I was on my knees, then my stomach.
I sunk to the floor, my thoughts swimming.
Jude’s murmur followed me, creeping into the dark.
“I told you not to come home.”
I can't remember how long I was unconscious for.
When I woke, I was dressed in an evening gown, a dress that used to be my mother’s.
My vision cleared, and I found myself sitting in an unfamiliar room resembling an abandoned swimming hall.
The pool itself was empty, the bottom stained revealing scarlet.
There were symbols carved into each tile.
Like a game.
“Sit up straight, Charlotte.”
I was sitting at a banquet.
Jude was in front of me, sipping on wine.
He caught my eye for half a second before averting his gaze.
At the far end of the table sat my aunt May.
Kissing the rim of her glass, her smile was twisted.
“I've been waiting so long to give you your birthday presents, Charlotte. Your memories should be returning soon.”
“Mom.” Jude muttered, hiding behind his glass. “Calm down. You're embarrassing yourself.”
Ignoring my cousin, May tapped her glass with a fork, and in walked my birthday presents.
No, dragged.
By their hair.
Wren Oliver, the dead boy, was in fact my aunt's prisoner.
Behind him, was the girl who looked so much like Lily.
I think that's why my aunt chose her.
Aunt May cleared her throat.
“For a long time, our family has lived among creatures who live in the forest you played inside. In exchange for keeping this town safe, they only ask for small favors. Wayward children who disappear into the woods are good enough payment. Charlie, you and your siblings do not share our inheritance. Your mother never wanted fae children. She wanted you to be human.”
Aunt May’s smile faded.
“After losing my sister, and my niece and nephew, I made a deal to give my last surviving niece 100 years of life.”
Her words were white noise, my gaze glued to my birthday presents. I couldn't call them human anymore.
I couldn't call Wren human, when his face was so beautifully grotesque, painfully hypnotising.
The monstrous things sticking from twin slits in his back were supposed to be wings, except they looked wrong, cruelly protruding from his exposed spine. Under the influence of alcohol earlier, the girl made me smile.
Her wings, to me, looked like one of a real fairy.
In reality, they were torn and shredded apart, bigger than the girl herself.
When she dropped onto her stomach, she was dragged back to her feet, her knees buckling under the weight. Her tiara of flowers and bone looked pretty to me when I saw her on the stairs.
Now, though, I could see the pearly white of a human child's skull forced onto her head, dead flowers threaded through cavernous, gaping eye sockets.
The two of them were violently shoved into the empty pool.
“Jude. Please demonstrate, sweetheart.”
Jude stood, pulling out a gun, and aiming it at the winged girl.
BANG.
The girl’s body hit the tiles, her blood seeping across stained white.
“Now, of course, our king did not give you life for free.” May continued.
“The King demanded a debt, as well as two heirs to join him in his court once your hundred years were complete.”
Her lips quirked into a smile.
“The king is smart. If a child cannot be stolen from the human world, they can, however, be made, moulded and shaped from their human forms, skinned of their humanity through their suffering, leaving a hollowed out shell in the child's place.” She was speaking so casually, ignoring Wren’s whimpers.
“The conversion takes a while. 100 years to birth a fully blooded fae heir, who will lose their human memories, in preparation to join their new family.”
Jude shot Wren in the chest, his eyes empty.
This time, he dropped his weapon, using finger-guns instead.
“Bang.” He deadpanned.
Then the neck.
I watched Wren come back to life, and then die.
Over and over again.
I think at one point, he screamed and cried.
But not now.
He was their puppet on display, dancing for their entertainment.
Half lidded eyes drowned in oblivion found mine, and I understood his hatred.
Before he was shot again.
Stabbed.
Branded and burned, and ripped apart.
At some point, I screamed at them to stop. I couldn't breathe, slamming my hands over my ears and begging them.
Aunt May didn't listen, ordering for my hands to be tied down.
“The King required two human sacrifices to suffer in your place.” She concluded. “For one hundred years.”
Aunt May’s smile was suddenly sad, and she lifted her glass in a toast.
I was watching their blood trickle down each tile in the pool, like every death, every time they suffered, my body became progressively less human.
I felt disgusting. I wasn't supposed to be alive. Every single year of my life, every breath I had taken, was stolen.
Aunt May nodded at me, her lips forming a proud smile. She stood up, and was handed a sacrificial knife.
Climbing into the swimming pool herself, she strode over to Wren.
The boy slumped to the floor, trembling, his knees against his chest.
Aunt May grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head up, and sliced the blade across his throat.
His eyes flicked to me, and I swore he smiled.
Spots of red dotted yellowing tiles, a river trickling under my aunt's heels.
“Happy 78th birthday, Charlotte.”
Last night ended with me being locked in my room.
It's been almost 15 hours, and the door is still locked. Please help me. I'm fucking terrified of what my aunt is planning.
I can't stop shgajing. FycjbfucibFUCK
If she is telling the truth, I shouldn't be here, right??
And I can't stop thinking.
Is Wren Oliver trying to kill me, or himself?

I (29,f) moved in with my boyfriend (26,m) last year. We have been together for almost 5 years. And since we moved in, we don't seem to agree on many things. We decided to have a regular meeting where we discuss different house topics, for example: how we split the chores, how we split the bills, when we spend time together etc. This conversation normally feels good, but then things are very different in reality. I tend to do most of the cleaning in the house, and he says that he normally doesn't have the time for it, or he got too busy, or too tired. I told him, that if he can't clean, we will hire cleaning services. But whenever this is brought up, he says immediately, he is going to clean. (But then, he doesn't)
I was away for more than 2 weeks, until Thursday. And when I came back home, the house was messy.
I came back in the evening, to a bed that didn't have bedsheets. Even thought I texted him in the morning "can you please make the bed?", because I know he normally doesn't do it. But having a bed without bedsheets, this was something new, that I had only seen, in the times he did live by himself. The living room was messy without any space in the table to even sit and eat.
Before I left for my +2 weeks break, I left my boyfriend a list of things that we had missing at home, and he said he would buy these, such as dishwasher pods, Landry detergent, olive oil, and other things.
When I arrived I noticed these things weren't bought, and I got so mad, that he didn't make any time at all, to make the house presentable or to buy things we needed at home. Especially, when he was bragging in front of a friend, that came over on Thursday for dinner, that he went clubbing 2 Wednesdays in a row, and as well on the weekends.
On Thursday, after dinner, when I asked him to make the bed, so I could sleep in it, he asked me if I could do it, so he could go out with that friend. I said immediately no, that this wasn't a fair request at all.
The next morning, I did clean the living room, because it was really bugging me, how unorganized and messy it was, especially because my boyfriend was going to have a friend over. Immediately, I started crying while I was cleaning. I feel so mad, used and neglected, for cleaning on my own, especially after coming from such a long trip. I feel disrespected by my boyfriend... he came to the living room, and asked me if I was crying and I said to him "let's please not talk right now, whatever will come out of my mouth, won't be nice". I was there so mad and in tears, just cleaning. And he left for work, without even saying goodbye.
In the evening we spoke again, and he told me "but I did clean... I didn't know you felt that way, I won't do it again". But I feel that my trust has now been broken.
Today, he asked me if I wanted to join him and his friend, that is staying over, for lunch, in town, as it was sunny I did. I reminded him as well that today is Sunday, and stores around here close at 5PM. He said that he would get the things from the list on his way back home. And all of the sudden him and his friend started talking about a picnic happening in the other side of town. I wasn't joining for the picnic, and followed them to the store, that was on the way back home. My boyfriend was finally buying the things from the list, and he asked me if I could carry them home. I felt bad because all of the sudden, it felt like he invited me there, to carry things back home by myself, so he could go and enjoy a picnic with his friends. I immediately said "if I take this bag home, it completely defeats the whole purpose, of us splitting the chores...". He kept telling me "but I bought this for you!". And I replied "No, this is for us! This is for the house, we share these things! And I bought it last time, and carried it all by myself home last time as well"
He ended up carrying the bag very angrily home, walking very fast, in front of me and his friend, without saying a word to anyone.
I am so angry at him these days, I keep calling him all the names in my head, and I feel the trust, and chemistry in the relationship has been broken.
I'm always so caring and sweet to him. He called me one time, while I was away on my holiday, saying how depressed and sad he was, and I immediately ordered him a meal, and asked a friend to invite him to hangout.
I feel that this caring is not mutual. And I feel so neglected and used in this relationship. I have no idea what to do!
TL;DR: My boyfriend doesn't help with the house chores, and I feel so resentful and unhappy for cleaning by myself most of the time.

The Short Version can be found here.

Part 1 can be found here.

Example 5 - There's more to a BBC YouTube title

Returning to this dastardly subreddit, for my next example, points 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are relevant. OP provided a screenshot of a BBC YouTube title, stating: "Israeli hit squad dressed as doctors kill Palestinians in hospital." Per point 2, by failing to immediately link to the video, or immediately mention what the video contains, folk could come away with the conclusion that the BBC never reports that these were militants. In other words, some might believe that the misreporting here extends past the video title, when it does not, and this could be avoided by providing salient details sooner rather than later. This submission was made during the temporary ban, and I thought it was interesting enough as a case study to come back to.

Example 6 - Oxfam's full position

For this submission/meme, points 1, 2, and 6 are relevant. I saw that we weren’t going to get good-faith engagement with the entirety of Oxfam’s position here on why they initially opposed airdrops, and I attempted to outline the full extent of their views so that it can be critiqued appropriately. This meme is not too dissimilar from some Twitter leftist fixating on one short clip of Destiny during one of his heated gamer moments; his actual positions aren’t being engaged with, and it’s intellectually dull. There’s more to Destiny’s positions than a twenty-second clip; there’s more to Oxfam’s position than the one tweet. The fact of the matter is that there’s a long series of tweets here, and while the tweet OP chose to highlight is risible, is dumb, and is insufferable, we are more than capable on this subreddit in being more nuanced and fair when it comes to our criticism.
As I highlight, there were some concerns here that were not entirely unreasonable. At the time of my comment, there weren’t yet any reports on injuries due to airdrops. These reports appeared in the following days and weeks, where Gazans were killed when a parachute in an airdrop failed to deploy, and some drowned in their attempts to retrieve parcels that landed in the sea. Retrospectively, I wouldn't say that aid should not have been airdropped merely because it would result in these deaths, but a fair assessment of Oxfam here at the time should have taken these concerns into account.
Oxfam’s associate director also endorses a Twitter thread where some prescriptions are given on how ought this aid delivery be facilitated. He recommends that the Gaza port be reopened, and to open more crossings. The Biden administration recognized that airdrops would not sufficiently alleviate the problem of being unable to get sufficient quantities of aid distributed, and while the port was not reopened, Biden did announce that a temporary port would be built. Further, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing.
The misinformation in OP’s post stems from the fact that folk will be disinterested in reading the twitter thread or any additional threads where they might have elaborated on views. Out of the thousands that interact with the post, a significant chunk will come away with the incorrect belief that Oxfam’s opposition to airdrops was merely due to what was stated in the meme. That is misinformation being propagated — not the most egregious, Hamas-esqe level of misinformation in the world, but misinformation nonetheless.

Example 7 - NYT: Bananas, or Cool as a Cucumber?

For our final example points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are relevant; it’s the whole shebang. To give a quick recounting here, Hobbitfollower isn’t the only masochist that might, occasionally, choose to exclusively sort by new. When I saw the submission, I read the article, and I was a bit annoyed that the Jerusalem Post article doesn’t even link to the mission report that I was interested in reading. I searched for it, posted a link to the report in the very first comment of the thread as surely my fellow dggas would also like to read the report, and then I, well, read the report.
When I returned back to the thread, I quoted favourably from the mission report to support another individual's comment. (I would again quote from it in another thread the next day to highlight why Israel struggled to acquire forensic evidence.)
But as I scrolled down the thread I came across the subject of our example; 50 upvotes, no article linked, and clearly a charged comment. Consider the steps involved to truly engage with this comment; one would need to:

• Click and read the article.
• Search for the mission report.
• Read the mission report (as some folk probably won’t wanna read 20 pages right off the bat).
• Search for the NYT article; bypass the paywall (which is trivially easy nowadays but is still a barrier, and people are lazy); and read the article.

This is a very charged thread: there are going to be a large group of pro-Israel folk browsing this thread, frustrated and irate as bad memories are invoked of all the times they’ve had to deal with or seen pro-Hamas folk engaging in rape denialism. In much the same way a leftist sub is not going to be interested in a dispassionate analysis of an Israeli strike with high civilian collateral damage, this sub — at times — will struggle to calmly assess the subject matter. An expected behaviour isn’t necessarily the correct behaviour — the actions we believe one ought to take.
When a misleading tweet goes viral, the damage has already been done, as a considerable amount of people won’t see the subsequent Community Notes that might be slapped on it. Likewise, some of the thousands who see OP’s highly upvoted comment will think, “Oh, this has a lot of upvotes, I guess it must be true. How horrible of the NYT to frame this as a both sides issue”, and thus misinformation has spread. This incorrect belief will mold their perceptions of the NYT. When they encounter more reporting by the NYT on I-P in the future, they might even think back to this moment: “Ah, I remember when these bozos tried to say that the Israeli accusations were the same as the Palestinian accusations.”
I also referred to OP’s comment as disinformation. In every example discussed so far, I don't assume malicious intent. I just begin with the foundation that a mistake was made, and I don’t enmesh myself by throwing out accusations of lying. In this case, however, OP has indirectly acknowledged that I was correct, but they still haven’t bothered to edit their original comment. Once again, this comment is a really good example of point 1. I obviously also disagree with their conclusion, and the process by which they’re arriving at their conclusion is still very flawed — and other people are simply going to adopt their conclusion while not even attempting to reach there by their own independent assessment. If you see someone quote from an article, and they don’t even link it, and the comment is very charged, I would encourage y’all to seek out the article yourself; you may come away with a different interpretation.
I'm sure you've seen this meme before: "I'm just waiting for Destiny to comment on this so that I know what to think 😎." We meme about it, but there is, of course, an undercurrent of truth here, as we have confidence in Destiny's ability to research, and thus we feel comfortable adopting his beliefs and opinions. It's nice not having to do the research ourselves. Lazy fucks.
This applies to Reddit comments you see as well. Don't just adopt the conclusion of someone else because their beliefs align with yours and they're speaking with authority. Do the legwork yourself; be mindful of The Six Points; and you might find that someone on your own side is actually spreading misinformation, or is espousing an opinion that you disagree with.

Purgatory

I was perma-banned some time after my previous comment for a comment I made in a different thread. Before I get to that in the next fuck-me-who-knows-how-I'm-gonna-write-that-I'm-so-fucked section, I did want to bring up two final examples.

Example A - Haaretz and Amputations

For Example A, points 1, 3, 4, and 5 are relevant. Obviously, I can’t attempt point 6 because I was banned. Now, I actually agree with OP as I share their skepticism towards the notion that these amputations are “routine”, but referring to the article as a "fake story" is too strong, and, as always, their process here is flawed. The claims they make here about the Haaretz article and CNN article are misleading, but it is immediately upvoted because it feels right, particularly because the first reply just poisons the well. Haaretz did not speak to an anonymous person, they are reporting on a letter they have seen written by a doctor and sent to senior Israeli officials; the doctor did not justify the claim that the event is routine based on having seen only two amputations, that's merely the amputations they saw in the week they wrote the letter (but the phrasing here is ambiguous, as the doctor could be referring to the handcuff injuries as being the "routine" event); and the IDF did not confirm or deny all the claims, but gave a fairly standard, boilerplate response instead. The misleading claims in this comment was eventually addressed — and, as I’m sure you’re irritated by the repetition by now, the goal of this post is to turn this “eventually” into an “immediately.”

Example B - Wikipedia and Devious Editing

For Example B, points 1 and 5 are relevant. I want to be very careful with this one as I don't want to be misconstrued. Similar to the previous example, I mostly agree with their conclusion that these Wikipedia pages can be very flawed, and partisan editors can tarnish the objectivity that we wish could be maintained across all articles. However, you know the drill by now, point 1. There’s much to be said about the infamous “24-hour window” debacle, and I made a submission a while ago on this. I think there are parts of this story that both the pro-Palestine and pro-Israel crowd get wrong — but the latter is generally more correct, and I would agree with OP here that the information here is, at the very least, incomplete.
However, per point 5, the articles they are critiquing are not linked. How many people here actually sought out the two articles referenced here? As I’ve already demonstrated, we know how many misleading or false claims you can get away with before they’re finally addressed. A user in that thread made some edits to the contentious lines in question in the Wikipedia article. This was the Wikipedia article at the time OP’s comment was made. OP quotes this section:

Prior to the raids, Israel had called for the more than a million people living in the north half of the Gaza Strip to evacuate during a 24-hour window, while Hamas instructed those residents to stay put.

The two citations here are a Reuters article and a Politico article. The Politico article is arguably redundant, but it’s not being cited because it’s supposed to make a statement about a 24-hour window; it’s being cited to support the statement about Hamas:

Hamas is complicating the situation, urging residents to stay in their homes.

The Reuters article also mentions this:

“We tell the people of northern Gaza and from Gaza City, stay put in your homes, and your places," Eyad Al-Bozom, spokesman for the Hamas Interior Ministry, told a news conference.

Contrary to what OP said, both articles use the word “evacuation” at some point. The first part of the quote from the Wikipedia page is supported by this statement in the Reuters article:

On Friday Israel gave more than a million residents of the northern half of Gaza 24 hours to flee to the south to avoid an onslaught.

In a follow-up comment OP claims that the archived link, which pulled the earliest version of the Reuters article available, does not support the line. This seems to have been an error on the part of whoever chose this hyperlink. When the Wikipedia article first mentions calls for evacuation, this was how the Reuters article cited looked like at the time; regardless of the veracity of the claim, the article did support what the Wikipedia page mentions.
To reiterate, OP is completely correct about this pernicious problem with Wikipedia. It’s just that in this example, I don’t think it qualifies as a case of those darn pro-Palestine editors back at it again. The nuanced position here is pretty difficult to get to, and I don’t think the editors wrote this line in the interest of distorting the truth to serve their own side.

Example B.5: A better yet slightly flawed post on Wikipedia and Euro-Med Monitor

This post about how Hamas supporters are influencing Wikipedia does better in terms of substantiating their claims — but there are issues here that I would have loved to address, and there is a good critique on OP’s prescriptions that was buried at the bottom. Unfortunately, OP has been suspended from Reddit. If you’re reading this mate, call me 🥺.
There are a lot of hyperlinks in OP’s post (lol, sez fucking me), and it’s completely reasonable that someone won’t feel inclined to click every single one; that’s not an expectation I would ever demand. From going through the post, there are several small critiques I would have made (e.g., while I don’t believe the Mondo article should have been cited, OP claims that in the article, “The only people criticizing Wiesel here is the author of the opinion piece.” FWIW, the article does reference and cite a Haaretz article, and a Foreign policy article, both of which levy criticism against Wiesel), but I’m just going to focus on this line:

In fact, it is owned by a man named Ramy Abdu, who is a literal Hamas lobbyist.

If you’re going to call someone a literal Hamas lobbyist, that is definitely a link I’m clicking. What I know about Abdu is simply what I can assume about his beliefs from various tweets I’ve seen by him over the past several months; but I’ve never looked into their background other than being aware of their position at EMM. Upon opening the link I see… a 2013 article about Clare Short. From reading the article, it looks like OP missed some steps in outlining how they arrived at their conclusion, and I saw only a few people inquiring about this. To fill in the steps on what I presume OP wanted to say, from the article they linked:

Moshe Ya’alon, former IDF chief of staff, outlawed the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR) – a Belgian non-profit organisation that lobbies on behalf of the Hamas-led Gaza Government – using emergency defence regulations.

I haven’t looked into CEPR, and they obviously disputed the lobbying charge; I’m just going to take the claim at face-value. In 2011, Abdu was assistant director of the CEPR, and still held a position there for several years. They've since left the organization, but per point 1, if this is how OP arrived at the conclusion that Abdu is a “literal Hamas lobbyist”, I think it could use a bit more work, with additional clarification on what they mean by lobbyist here. I’m sure they can do it, it just happened to not be in this post.
I'm not going to harp on about point 5 here as I only apply that to incidents where a claim is made; one or two articles are linked; and then no one reads them, assuming the claim must be true as long as articles are provided. I would literally never make the prescription that if someone writes an effort-post, we must click every hyperlink to fact-check. I mean, it's not like I would have any other motivation for saying that... sweats profusely 🙄
Just to make one final point on EMM, it is a rubbish outlet, and any time I encounter one of their articles, I roll my eyes knowing I’m going to get some outlandish claim where I can find fuck-all for corroboration from other outlets. However, sometimes there is corroboration, where EMM was the first to notice that the IDF labelled a bicycle as an RPG in the drone footage they published, and then the NYT confirmed the finding (except for the other stupid claim made in the tweet.) But anyways, these moments are astronomically rare.

Example C - A Mysterious Royal Website (What a weaselly little --)

Okay, I lied, one final example as it’s interesting to see how people here parse articles and headlines, but before I address the example, let me talk about Reuters headlines.

Reuters headlines

They’re not always consistent on this front, but I generally like how Reuters writes their headlines. A Reuters headline will often contain the phrase “US says”. [30] [31] [32] What I’m expecting in the article when I see a headline containing this phrase is some official representing the Biden administration outlining what their particular policy, position, belief, etc., is on whatever the subject matter may be, or some action they took which makes it clear what their position is. In the given examples, we have statements from Biden, Blinken, the US military, and so on. Sometimes the US officials remain anonymous, sharing information in private briefings.
If there isn’t an official statement by the US available on a matter, the headline might use the phrase “source says” to talk about ongoing developments. [33] [34] “Reuters will use unnamed sources where necessary when they provide information of market or public interest that is not available on the record. We alone are responsible for the accuracy of such information.” [35]
Relevant to Example C, Reuters uses the same guidelines for “Saudi Arabia says” [36] [37] and “sources say” for information relevant to Saudi Arabia. [38]

Israeli outlets, A royal family website, and Saudi sources: An amusing chain of events

Keeping the previous section in mind, when I came across this version of a Jerusalem Post article posted to this subreddit, you can imagine what I’m expecting here — particularly because this would be momentous news to see Saudi Arabia make a public statement that they helped defend Israel. Instead, we get reporting on what Saudi Arabia’s royal family said on their website, and what a source connected to the Saudi royal family told KAN, another Israeli outlet — and we don’t get links to either of them. If there was no statement on the royal family’s website, this would have been a bad headline to write based on what this source said. Unfortunately for the JP, there is no official website for Saudi Arabia’s royal family. You’ll see in the current version, they remove the reference to that website, and also add the following line:

The Al Arabiya news site said sources had informed it that Saudi Arabia had not participated in the interception of Iranian drones and missiles.

Here’s the article by the Saudi state-owned outlet, which is essentially their mouthpiece to deny the ongoing report. I24news, however, didn’t get the memo:

Saudi Arabia publicly acknowledges role in defending Israel against Iranian attack
While Jordan had openly disclosed its role in the defensive maneuver, Saudi Arabia's acknowledgment came in the form of a summary on its official website

When I first saw the JP submission on this subreddit, I bookmarked it for later to come back to and find the sources, as it’s not the first time I’ve seen dubious reporting from KAN news. I was also curious if anyone in the thread was going to highlight some of the discrepancies in the article, and, well, shoutout to this keen reader! Fact-checking the JP article slipped my mind, but thanks to a comment I saw on another subreddit, they correctly pointed out that the website referenced was not affiliated with the Saudi royal family, and thus the article the JP and other Israeli outlets had presumably read should not have been taken as an official statement. Christ, this is obvious from the very first line:

A source from the Saudi royal family, who prefers anonymity, converses with the Kan public broadcaster. The individual subtly acknowledges Saudi Arabia’s supposed involvement in thwarting Iranian attack drones bound for Israel the previous evening, citing that Saudi Arabian airspace automatically intercepts “any suspicious entity”.
The same figure takes a swing at Iran, accusing them of instigating a conflict in Gaza. This, they suggest, is a deliberate attempt to unravel the progress established towards normalizing relations with Israel, as per Kan’s report.
In the words of the official, as put forth by Kan, “Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier.”

Why would the official Saudi royal website use an anonymous source within the royal family to make their public announcement, and why would they quote what the official said to an Israeli outlet?!
It’s fascinating to see this play out: the supposed source spoke to Kan News; Houseofsaud presumably sees this and makes an article on the Kan segment; the JP sees this article and the segment, poorly reads it, and then cites it and the original Kan segment; outlets like the Daily Wire pick up on the story from the JP; and then on it goes, spreading like wildefire, before the Saudis take note (“oh fuck, oh fuck, where are these reports coming from?”) and disseminate a message denying that any “official” website publicly confirmed their involvement. The Saudis are involved, and they’re keeping tight-lipped about the extent of their involvement.
Just to quote one more line from the i24news article because it’s shockingly poor:

The post subtly hinted at Saudi Arabia's involvement in intercepting suspicious entities in its airspace, highlighting the kingdom's proactive stance in safeguarding regional stability.

This is written based on this line from the HouseofSaud article:

A source from the Saudi royal family, who prefers anonymity, converses with the Kan public broadcaster. The individual subtly acknowledges Saudi Arabia’s supposed involvement in thwarting Iranian attack drones bound for Israel the previous evening, citing that Saudi Arabian airspace automatically intercepts “any suspicious entity”.

It’s the individual/source who is being subtle, not the post itself as i24 news mentions.
Anyways, this is not a case of misinformation by the subreddit. There's nothing wrong with posting a JP article, and this is easily the least offensive Example, but point 5 is nicely relevant here. I thought y'all might find this to be interesting, particularly because some people probably still believe that Saudi Arabia has publicly acknowledged their involvement, and maybe that could be someone reading this section. It's also another example where, because I’m banned, I can’t offer a bit of nuance. stares intently at 4THOT
It’s a shame Destiny didn’t finish reading the article, I’m curious what he would have said. He speculates that the report was from intelligence or monitoring, but moves on before finishing the article; it’s also the updated version of the article, without the tidbit about the Saudi royal family website.

Finito

I'm going to close out this section here. There's always more to include, more examples that demonstrate the aforementioned points, but I'd rather focus on my own comments instead of threads where I was unable to contribute my thoughts. There's been a plethora of discourse here surrounding the campus protests, and maybe those are still ongoing if I manage to post this at a sooner date. For completely legitimate and fair justifications, all of these threads are going to be very charged; and maybe upon reading this post some of y'all might feel more inclined to analyze these situations dispassionately, mindful of cases where the reporting might not be the greatest.

Example D - A Late Fact-check (Still lying, dude!)

I fucking lied again, there’s more. Literally the day after I finished writing the above paragraph, a new example popped up that I can’t resist the temptation to include. Stop giving me material! As I spoke of above, the campus protests have resulted in a charged atmosphere on the subreddit, which means that this post stating that a “Jewish-Israeli family’s restaurant was targeted in a hate crime” is immediately catapulted to the front page. The biggest problem here is that, per point 2, the presentation of the post led folk to believe that this was a recent event because OP had omitted the date this took place, and this led to one user to thoughtfully suggest that it might be worth setting up a GoFundMe to help the owners with the repairs.
To reemphasize the point I’ve made throughout this post, I’m looking to incentivise better behaviour to occur sooner. It took nearly 10 hours before one jolly chap came along to do the fact-check. Naturally, had I seen this post while browsing arnew, I would have done the same, and so would a couple other users here as well who are good for this sort of thing — and that's unfortunate that I’m saying a “couple” instead of “many.” There is no curiosity amongst everyone who interacted with this post to inquire into the event; not even something simple as requesting OP for an article. So folks, always ask for a source if OP doesn’t provide one just so you have a bit more context. (Also, I am fascinated with the anecdote OP attached to this post. Did they just make up their credentials?)

Example E - Hebrew Sources and False Confidence

This is a wonderful example to close out this section because it exemplifies so many of the problematic behaviours that I have demonstrated in this post. I was only made aware of this thread because a user here DM'd me a link to the thread. I will refer to the individual posting misinformation in the comments as "OP", and I'll refer to the submitter of the post by their username, Sylmd. The rebuttals to OP are excellent, and I will focus more on the behaviour here.
Sylmd posted a submission doing a quick lil' fact-check on a Destiny tweet, noting the fact that he seemed to have misread or misremembered a particular report. I say "seemed" here in case Destiny was referring to some other report or article he had read, but that seems unlikely as he has referenced this report in several of his debates, and the report was the subject of his previous tweets. Regardless, it was a small mistake, and apart from failing to immediately link the tweet and the report (link your sources you silly goose), Sylmd's post is civil, calm, and makes no accusations of malicious intent.
According to OP, Destiny was actually right, and 300+ IDF soldiers were in fact injured. Now, there's so much that is astonishingly problematic with OP's comment, and I gotta... mention it all! Sorry!
Naturally, they don't ever quote from their sources, which means it's on us to try and find the relevant sections. OP claims that the articles linked will demonstrate that 380 Israelis were injured -- despite the fact that Sylmd is obviously doing a fact-check on how many Israeli soldiers were injured, and that's literally the subject of Destiny's tweet.
Whatever, I'm sure the articles at least "discusses around 380 injuries"? Fuck no they don't! There's no mention of this figure anywhere, and OP somehow racks up 50 upvotes when they accuse Sylmd of lying after they correctly point this out. Did these people actually read the articles, find this magical 380 figure, and think, "Grrr, Sylmd you mendacious scumbag, I see through your Hamas propaganda." Sylmd was sitting at -31, one hour after the thread was made. (If you refer back to Example 2, you'll see that I felt compelled to make a submission when I saw a user was being downvoted for correctly pointing out that an article did not prove a particular claim.)
It gets worse. Apparently, you have to "click through all the links in these articles buddy." Well, okay, that's pretty elaborate, how silly of us not to realize this. OP wants us to open up nine Hebrew articles, translate them, and then tally up the number of casualties. Problem? Surely we get to the 380 figure if we click through all the hyperlinks in the article? Fuck no we don't! And even if we did, this is the most blisteringly cumbersome way to prove a claim. The sheer condescension in OP's comment is equivalent to that of a Twitter leftist: "It's not my job to educate you honey, you must read the literature."
So where does this mysterious figure come from? Well, as Sylmd correctly pointed out (before OP mentioned it), they are grabbing this figure from Hebrew Wikipedia. Sylmd doesn't provide a link to the article in question, so I will provide it here, and as you can see, the two articles that OP linked came from this Wikipedia page. I'm not convinced OP actually read either of these articles.
That's not all. They then linked a report in Hebrew in their edit. Where did they get this report from? It's not on the Wikipedia page, maybe this is something they have bookmarked? Nope, they got it from another user in the thread! After all is said and done, they still somehow racked up 270 upvotes for this awful rebuttal, and they were, "Proud to take a blast for defending the truth."
Do I even need to mention the points here? It's an authoritative comment; the linked articles give an "aura" of being correct; and there's confidence in all their comments.
To quote from Example 1:

Anyways, since I began this post it looks like the upvotes and downvotes on the original comment have since shifted. Mashallah. It's the behaviour I was describing before: all the low-effort garbage gets upvoted first, and then other people break the circlejerk and try to add nuance. But it would be nice if the nuance was added first and foremost without the need for tedious fact-checks.

That still holds true today.

Consistency and Principles

Do I only address misinformation from the pro-Israel side? Not that it should matter, but no, I will address misinformation from the pro-Palestine on this subreddit if I see it and I feel like addressing it. I was irritated to see muppets like Rob Rousseau spread conspiracies about a "suspicious link" between ISIS and Mossad, and I encountered a user here who was sprouting similar conspiratorial nonsense. You’ll notice that (1) I was blessed to be called a “Reddit pseudo intellectual libtard” (not wrong, not false, this hurts bro); and (2) I apply the exact same methodology here as I do for the examples of misinformation I've addressed elsewhere — which isn’t to say I’m doing anything commendable here. I just read the articles, trying to find the primary sources where relevant, and then see if the “reporting” accurately conveys what was said or written.
However, digging up the original source can be a time-consuming endeavour, and compounded by the fact that I might not speak the relevant language — which means that there was a case where I inadvertently made a comment containing misinformation. A couple months ago someone requested a steelman of the argument that Israel is conducting a genocide against Gazans; I offered one, and to support the case I used a misquote taken from a Bloomberg video which omitted a crucial part of Yoev Gallant’s statement: the reference to Hamas, and thus radically changing the context of the statement. I hold myself to the same principle when it comes to curbing misinformation, and I was more than content to edit my comment to ensure it did not propagate further than it already had.
Some of you eagle-eyed readers might recognize this Gallant quote, as it made a very marked appearance within… South Africa's genocide case against Israel. Here, that salient reference to Hamas is also omitted, and the accompanying footnote cites the same Bloomberg video that I did. As I wished in another reply, Bloomberg did indeed take the video down eventually. Now, I can be excused for my mistake as I’m not making the positive case outside of my steelman. For South Africa, this is unbelievably shoddy work when you're officially bringing a genocide case against another state.
Anyways, I've gone through many examples in this schizo-post, and it's entirely possible that I've made an error at some point; the irony is not lost on me. Feel free to point these errors out. I might not agree with your assessment, but I'm always willing to hear the arguments.

Prescriptions: The Six Points (Déjà vu)

I'm going to end with The Six Points because that's the focus of Part 1 and Part 2. As previously mentioned, this post is not intended to demonstrate that the misinformation the pro-Israel crowd spreads is as egregious as the misinformation the pro-Palestine spreads, whether in general or on this subreddit. While misinformation from the pro-Palestine crowd slips by every now and then on the subreddit, I would make the case that, generally speaking, it is quickly addressed. In my experience, however, I was finding quite a few cases of misinformation from the pro-Israel crowd were taking a concerning amount of time to be addressed; and in the interest of ensuring that it does get addressed in a more timely manner, I believe the following prescriptions would be helpful to keep in mind when browsing the subreddit:

1. Value the process just as much — if not, more — than the conclusion.
2. Be wary of how the presentation of information or the omission of pertinent information can lead to the inadvertent spread of misinformation.
3. Be aware of how “charged” topics/threads lead to poor reasoning that lacks dispassionate analysis.
4. Be aware of how pre-existing beliefs about an individual or organization alongside the usual biases leads to a reluctance to fact-check, where claims are taken at face-value because they feel right.
5. Link the article. Read the article. (Thoroughly.)
6. Redirect criticism to areas where it will be the strongest.

Click here for Part 3. Warning: you might get stung by a bee 🐝

"The nature of the soul is not knowable." ---Souls, Black and White

I initially wrote much of this as a response to a post yesterday by the inimitable, inestimable, incomparable, and approx. 45 degree tilted u/Crooked_Cock, but it became ridiculously long for a mere comment. "Long", as in, covering basically as much ground as the lore permits.
The purpose of this post is to interrogate (NOT answer) the following question: how the fuck do souls and soul gems work? Forgive my vulgarity, but I cannot think of another aspect of the setting's lore that is as muddled and confused as souls (also known as "anima", singular "animus"). For the purposes of this post, I am trying not to rely on unofficial lore when it comes to various anachronisms, though I will reference official material developed as a direct consequence of (and in the context of) pre-existing UOL.
TL;DR of the TL:DR - The lore around souls/soul gems is almost completely incoherent, and is saturated with fundamentally unresolvable contradictions.
TL;DR - There are two main theories the lore community often uses to explain the distinction between white and black souls, and neither really works. This is mostly due to conflicting information from the lore itself rather than a lack of skill on part of the community. While we can try and suspend disbelief for many of the things that are portrayed in-game despite what the lore says (e.g., Whiterun's population of ~70 people), there comes a point where you just have to acknowledge the lore itself inherits and is inherited by the games' contradictions.

What the games show us

As regards the division between white and black souls, we should assemble a glossary of facts that the games present us (some of which you may wish to discard later as poorly conceived or simply errors on part of the devs). Firstly, the soul-trap effect used by certain spells and items.
In Daggerfall, soul-trap is a % success spell that traps the soul of an enemy when they die. There is no distinction (that I can recall) between Petty-Lesser-Common-Greater-Grand white souls, nor Black souls. However, there was the absolutely fucking rad mechanic that I can't believe they abandoned where, depending on the being the soul was harvested from, your weapon/armoitem would gain a creature-specific effect. For example, binding an item with an Earth Atronach's soul gives you extra defense, but makes the item weigh more. Additionally, when the item breaks, the creature is released and then attacks you. (ES fans really sleep on how cool Daggerfall was.)
In Morrowind, things change to resemble what most of us are familiar with: the (white) Soul Gems you get in-game are capable of only capturing the souls of (most) creatures. NPC souls (excluding most NPCs designated by the game as creatures) cannot be captured, with the batshit insane exceptions of Vivec and Almalexia, who can be trapped in Azura's Star. (Keep in mind that the Black Star, the version of Azura's Star that can hold Black Souls, was theorized by Malyn Varen in the 4th era. This implies the False Gods of the Tribunal have white souls, which is... bonkers.)
In Oblivion, we get Black Soul Gems that can trap NPCs, which (unlike Morrowind) includes Dremora for some reason. (Skyrim would not repeat this mistake.) Skyrim's implementation is mostly identical to Oblivion's, and introduces the existence of the Black Star, conclusively proving that Azura's Star is not capable of holding Black Souls (for whatever reason).
ESO has expanded on animancy (soul magic) a bit by giving us more information on Daedric vestiges and anima, but nothing that fundamentally answers this question definitively. Of specific note is the fact that there are not divisions of soul gems in ESO, there is only Soul Gem (and the ever-elusive and never-again-seen Crown Soul Gem, whose alleged existence puzzles Tamrielic historians).
With these basic facts laid out, I now want to point out that there are a bunch of particular theories I've often seen presented in this sub (and in the lore community as a whole) as an answer to this post's central question that is very, VERY commonly asked. The answers I have seen can basically be collapsed into two main central ideas.

Theory #1 - The division between "white" and "black" souls is artificial, almost certainly invented by the Mages Guild.

"Furthermore, I propose that for the purposes of soul-trapping we categorize all souls into two classes: the legal, or 'White' souls, those smaller essences that are captured from beasts and animals, and illegal, or 'Black' souls, which are derived from sentient mortals. And we will teach only those spells that can capture White souls, forbidding our students to use the larger soul gems on sentients." ---Vanus Galerion, Guild Memo on Soul-Trapping

This is the theory that at first seems to make the most sense, but then the breadth of the available lore pretty quickly makes it an overly simplistic (and in my personal opinion, extremely poor) explanation.
There are two big pieces of evidence commonly brought to support this theory: Guildmaster Emeritus Vanus Galerion's Guild Memo on Soul-Trapping (read here) and the indistinct soul gems of ESO.
In ESO (c. 2E 582), there are no gradients of soul gems nor black soul gems; there are only soul gems. This seems to make sense, but we know that soul-trapping spells date far earlier, and the Mages Guild had been using their version of the spell in the early 2nd era at least (shortly after its founding), centuries before ESO's time. Their version(s) evidently refused to allow for sentient souls to be captured, at least according to Vanus Galerion. We also know that black soul gems exist by this time, and that soul gems aren't in fact uniform as they are in the game, but we can suspend our disbelief for this minor sin.
(Edit: u/Misticsan has reminded me of the long-lost lore of the year of our lord 2016 (the One Tamriel update), in which there were different variations of (white?) soul gems corresponding to level ranges within levels 1-50. Mortal souls were trappable in these soul gems as well, as I recall.)

"Centuries of experimentation has demonstrated that there are black souls and white souls. Only the rare black soul gem can hold the soul of a higher creature, such as a man or an elf." ---Souls, Black and White

At issue with this theory fundamentally is that it isn't clear in the lore whether black and white souls are truly qualitatively distinct (meaning the difference isn't actually artificial), if soul gems are qualitatively distinct (meaning it's the soul gem itself that can only capture a white/black soul), if soul-trap spells vary so widely as to trap what other spells cannot, or all three together somehow. Each of these ideas has limited support in the lore, which makes the prognosis for this theory grim, in my opinion.
It's rumored that Sotha Sil was the first to actually create Black Soul Gems through reverse engineering regular soul gems, which would seem to imply the distinction isn't truly artificial since the average anima geode fragment is unable to reliably contain the qualitatively distinct mortal soul. Yet, why does, for example, the Mace of Molag Bal obey the Guild's soul-trapping rules and trap black souls only if you have black soul gems? This would seem to imply that it's the soul gems themselves that are distinct rather than the souls, for I doubt that the Lord of Domination would deliberately enchant his own mace with the Guild's version of soultrap. (Morrowind's version does not cast soultrap on hit, interestingly enough.)
To complicate things further, black soul gems are stated to be the only gems capable of trapping "the most willful souls" thereby bypassing the restrictions of the standard Mages Guild's version(s) of soultrap. This implies both souls and soul gems are not artificially distinct. Add to this Mannimarco's first retrieval and use of this unique kind of soul gem (capable of the then-impossible/difficult task of trapping willful souls) predates Galerion's Guild Memo on Soul Trapping, since the memo mentions Mannimarco and his Worm Cult explicitly. The Memo states this despite black soul gems from Coldharbour being retrieved prior to Mannimarco's expulsion from the Psijics.
In other words, Mannimarco (through his then-ally Vastarie) retrieved Black Soul Gems, which were notable only because they were much betteexclusively capable (it's not really clear) of capturing mortal souls. This happened prior to Galerion's Guild Memo, which proposed the division between White and Black souls in the first place. Viz., mortal souls are more "willful" than white souls, which necessitates a Black Soul Gem in order to capture mortal (black) souls. Yet, the Guild Memo wants to change the soul-trap spell so that one cannot trap a mortal soul, despite the fact that Black Soul Gems bypass the restriction anyway. Why would Galerion propose a division between white and black souls (to design a new soultrap spell) if black soul gems (1) bypass the spell's restrictions anyway and (2) are the only gems capable of holding black souls?
And if black soul gems aren't the only gems that can hold mortal souls, then the existence of black soul gems prior to the Guild Memo implies that there actually is a difference between white and black souls, and the difference isn't artificial at all. Under no possible combination can it be said without serious contradiction that the difference between white and black souls was invented by Vanus Galerion.
Returning to direct game evidence, Soultrap in Morrowind is incapable of capturing mortal souls (in support of the theory) yet the inverse is true in Skyrim, and Oblivion (against the theory). In ESO, you don't even require a black soul gem. For Skyrim, maybe the dissolution of the Guild swiftly brought necromancy-friendly soultrap spells back? But, again, why can they only be trapped in black soul gems? Why does Azura's Star restrict itself to white souls if the difference is completely artificial? Maybe a Daedric Prince genuinely cares strongly about preventing the trapping of mortal play-things' souls, but this still implies a difference in both white/black souls and white/black soul gems.
I am loathe to completely ignore the differences in every games' mechanics to make this theory begin to work, because that requires editing/ignoring an awful lot of content/lore. There are some differences we have to suspend disbelief to make sense of, but we can't very well suspend all of the disbelief possible. Making this theory work also requires flatly ignoring large portions of the available lore-text, or placing them anachronistically after the publication of the Guild Memo.

^{TL;DR - Galerion's Guild Memo implies that the very categorization of souls into white and black originates with the Guild's creation of the soul-trap spell, yet there is very mixed evidence as to whether sentient souls and soul gems are qualitatively distinct from non-sentient souls and black soul gems respectively. Black Soul Gems, uniquely capable of reliably trapping mortal souls, predate the Guild Memo. After all, in Skyrim, the degenerated Falmer give white souls while the surviving Falmer Gelebor and Vyrthur give black souls, and in Morrowind, you can't trap NPCs' souls at all. Did Galerion anticipate surviving Snow Elves that hadn't degenerated into the Betrayed?}

Theory #2 - Arkay, the Lord of the Wheel of Life, makes some mortal souls impossible to soultrap without Black Soul Gems.

"...Arkay has given us his Three Consecrations:
• Arkay's Grace, which we bestow upon birth, to protect the souls of the innocent until they are old enough to exercise their own volition.
• Arkay's Blessing, which we bestow upon the dying, to prevent their souls from being used without consent.
• Arkay's Law, which we bestow upon the deceased, that their corporeal forms may not be raised to unlawful servitude." ---Punctilius Tyrus, The Consecrations of Arkay

This theory is perhaps less convoluted, if for no other reason than because we lack a huge amount of contradicting details. It might also be able to coexist with the idea that both souls and soul gems are qualitatively distinct, though it does make the Guild Memo even more out of place if we assume so. After all, what need would Galerion have to distinguish white from black souls if the only way to bypass Arkay's protection was through Black Soul Gems? And if a big enough normal soul gem can capture a mortal soul with Arkay's protection... of what value is that protection really? But I digress.
Firstly, (and please point out if I am missing exceptions), a living, not-undead mortal will have Arkay's protection, which can only be bypassed by Black Soul Gems. For this purpose, vampires are not real true and honest 100% undead. This has its problems (as we'll see in a moment), but the logic of this theory demands we stick with it for now. (Also, don't forget we can soultrap Vivec and Almalexia. Arkay must be fucking pissed.)
The Corpse Preparation volumes tie widespread worship of Arkay (as is the case in Hammerfell) to the strength of "Arkay's Law"; the sanctification of dead bodies by Priests of Arkay prevents their resurrection as undead. Or, at least, that's what some people believe... despite a dearth of in-game evidence to the contrary.
Maybe the sanctification rites need to be repeated, and the Halls of the Dead we see in Skyrim are just constantly understaffed, and even so are staffed by incompetents who leave their damn amulet behind. Or maybe by quantity of worship, it is meant as the amount of priests (and thereby the sanctification rituals). Or maybe, as concerns Hammerful, it's just because the Ansei are (and this is true) super fucking cool.
Even so, there yet remains a very obnoxious thorn in this theory's side: draugr.
Draugr (maybe?) do not have Arkay's protection, because for most of them their burial was prior to the worship of Arkay and the Eight Divines generally. I say "maybe" because under the Nords' totemic religion, Orkey was a Testing God to guard against, and only seems to have become associated with sanctification against undeath as imperial religion was slowly imported into Skyrim (or perhaps ancient Nords wanted to guard against his protection??). I say "for most of them" because there are draugr in Solitude's Catacombs (who can speak dovahzul, no less) who were possibly buried when Potema was. And, if not, they would have been buried contemporaneous to (allegedly) a pre-Harald Temple of the Divines in Solitude, if you take Ysogar's journal very literally. Though perhaps more likely is that Potema was sealed in the Catacombs which had not been sanctified ever, if it indeed does date back to the early centuries of the First Era. This, in my opinion, makes no goddamn sense. "Hey guys, you know this necromancer Wolf Queen that nearly brought the Septim Empire to its knees in a brutal civil war? Let's throw her in the Catacombs which we specifically don't sanctify with Arkay's Consecrations. That won't come up later, I'm sure."
None of the aforementioned religious distinctions between the totemic religion, the late-1st and early-2nd era Nord-imperial hybrid, and the Imperial Pantheon existed in the official lore at the time of Skyrim's release, but it mostly conforms to what we see in later developments regardless: the draugr evidently did not have Arkay's protection, and decayed into the rotting knock-knee'd dragon-talking ambulators that we see in old Nordic ruins because of that.
The beings which we can safely presume don't have Arkay's protection either didn't worship him and use his sanctification practices (e.g., Nords of the Dragon Cult, Ayleids) or are so degenerated from the average mortal as to be little more than a beast in Arkay's eyes (e.g., giants and Falmer (not Snow Elves)). It's still odd that vampires have his protection (perhaps because it can be cured) but extremely more odd that Vivec and Almalexia can get soul trapped. Ignore that for now hopefully forever.
With even all of that aside, the single biggest issue (aside from all the evidence for the previous theory) in my opinion is that, as one example, Olaf One-Eye is present in Sovngarde, as well as on Mundus. The soul that animates his corpse is a white soul, despite Olaf very clearly being present in Aetherius. With what we've gone over in the previous paragraphs, draugr have white souls likely because they are simply the unsanctified mortal souls of the very bodies we are looking at (that's what this whole Arkay's Law is about, after all). Perhaps, in this one instance, Olaf's unsanctified white soul went to Sovngarde (Orkey plays favorites, I guess) and his body became a receptacle for some other, powerful white soul? After all, we can capture the soul animating his undead body and he's still hanging out in the Hall of Valor. Or maybe, when the remnant of his mortal body is roused from its slumber, his soul temporarily returns to his body? Probably not, since trapping it doesn't stop him from scarfing down endless food and mead in Aetherius' local beer hall.
Or maybe his presence in Sovngarde is completely unrelated to his soul somehow, in contrast to basically everything we know about how Aetherius and the afterlife seem to work? You can trap Ulfric, Galmar, and Rikke's souls and they'll still be in Sovngarde#:~:text=Depends%20on%20how%20far%20you%20have%20advanced%20through%20the%20Skyrim%20civil%20war%2C%20and%20the%20side%20that%20you%20have%20chosen) when you go there during Alduin's Bane. I can't even begin to reconcile that fact with most of what I've put to text already. Perhaps there are specific aspects of the soul (neither white nor black) that go to Aetherius, and some degenerated animus remains behind? How would we square that possibility with the souls in the Soul Cairn? And if what Valerica theorized is true (that trapping black souls in black soul gems sends them to the Soul Cairn), why does trapping Ulfric/GalmaRikke in a Black Soul Gem still allow them to go to Sovngarde? Maybe Shor prevents the Ideal Masters from snatching the soul (even if you used it to power an enchantment)? Or maybe they only go to the Soul Cairn specifically in deals with the Ideal Masters? (If so, poor, poor Jiub.)

^{TL;DR - If it is indeed Arkay's Consecrations which protects only some mortal souls from being trapped, then there is no difference absent those protections that distinguish white from black souls. If it is mortality itself that Arkay protects, then he seemingly arbitrarily and without good reason defines mortality in such a way as to exclude great portions of Tamriel's mortal population, alive, dead, or undead. The Falmer are an even greater mystery: why would Arkay change their souls to that of beasts? And are the draugr animated by the souls of the mortals who once lived within, or have those souls passed to Aetherius? Is some ambient aetherial creatia possessing the draugr?}

Final notes

We could independently conceive of a theoretical framework (with basically no real evidence) capable of distinguishing between certain aspects of a soul, since we know that souls are a little bit more complicated than just a person's spirit. Perhaps the capability of soul-trapping a daedroth (thereby preventing their reformation in Oblivion) indicates that some anuic aspect (which Daedra lack) transcends the capabilities of soul-trapping? This might help explain the Olaf/Ulfric/GalmeRikke issue, but still makes it difficult to explain the souls trapped in the Soul Cairn. Perhaps they are mere vestiges, and their "true" AE is somewhere else? Is it this anuic aspect that transcends even Arkay's Law, perhaps more simply being a function of the setting's underlying metaphysics?
And how would we square this with the Vestige's soul, which is probably (after the events of the MQ) now housed within a Daedric vestige?
Perhaps as a dissertation for a PhD in Tamrielic Studies, I'll reconcile all of this with an unprecedented level of textual and historical analysis. I'd... rather not, though, for reasons that have now hopefully become clear.

(P.S. - The Falmer)

I couldn't fit this organically elsewhere, but I wanted to make note of an idea I see somewhat commonly throughout threads regarding this question.
Supporters of theory #1 often suggest that the Betrayed (degenerated Falmer) have white souls because Galerion's soultrap spell did not consider them sentient (basically like that of animals). Yet, Arch-Curate Vyrthur yields a black soul when you kill him. Did Galerion anticipate potential survivors of the Snow-Elf genocide? Is this an oversight we're intended to just ignore?
Others suggest a theory I am more partial to, if only because it fits the Dwemer's history of manipulating souls, strings tones, and divinity. Perhaps the Falmer (not the Snow Elves) have white souls because the Dwemer degenerated the Falmer metaphysically to better serve as a slave race. I doubt the Glowing Mushrooms were the only thing the Dwemer used to subjugate the Falmer, and I also doubt a fungus's ability to downgrade one's own soul. This theory resolves the aforementioned problems under theory #1, and (if one believes theory #2) shows the Dwemer's capability of defying Arkay. It also serves as the thematic precursor to their (possible) ambitions of achieving a higher gradient of existence (divinity through the Brass God). Not that this resolves any of the problems with theory #2, but I wanted to put it here to mention how much I like the idea.

Been watching Survivor from the start for the first time. Here are some thoughts on Ssn 26. Would love to hear your thoughts, too! (But no spoilers past this season, please.)
There's been a string of really good episodes. I read that this ssn is unpopular, but I thought it was great! (I didn't care for the end, though. I was bothered to hear that Dawn got hate tweets. Who does that?? It's a friggin game on TV. Jeez.)
Francesca. Ohhh, I was so bummed that she got voted out first again!! I liked her on her first season (with Philip) and was bummed when her (and also Kristina on that season) got voted out. They were both smart and strong and interesting. And now she got saddled with Philip again, and her honesty about him got her booted.
Philip. I love Philip. I'd have felt the same way Francesca did if I was on a tribe with him, but he's so fun to watch. I love the little spin "ow" he does. And Stealth R Us was great. Very entertaining. Even though he seems to have loved the fact that he got to play so closely with BR, I think he had a much better tribe this season. He came across as (more) crazy his first season because BR had those two young, naive women "in his pocket" who did nothing and lazed around the cabana all day, braiding each other's hair. A guy like Philip isn't going to not say anything about that (which is another thing I liked about him.)
Speaking of BR, I gotta give the guy credit for capitalizing on Survivor and writing a book and plugging it on the show.
Cochran. On his first season, I liked him at first, but he wore on me, and by the end of his 1st season he was too annoying. He overdid the weak nerdiness, and it got to the point where it felt like he'd made a character of himself. But I thought he was really good in this season. He'd toned down the annoying bits, and embraced the good in himself. He didn't cry. He toughed it out. It must have really hurt to be sunburned like that.
When I started watching Survivor, and saw people being really annoying, I often wondered what they thought when they watched themselves on TV. Did they see how annoying they were. Did they change for the better. So, it's been great seeing people return and seeing that the DID better themselves. Coach is a great example.
Brenda is another example of this. When I saw the "favorites" come out I was excited because I saw Francesca, Philip, Andrea, Brandon ... I liked everybody except for Brenda. In her 1st season, I found her and that big blond guy who had a hard-on for her both annoying. She said, "I don't even have to do anything, and guys will do what I want. This always happens. They always do." I believe this is true, but who enjoys watching that? Barf.
But this season, almost immediately, she wasn't as arrogant and entitled. Mind you, there really wasn't anybody available for her to flirt with, but ... still ... she definitely seemed nicer. Way more humble.
And then on the loved ones episode, when her dad came out, Brenda gushed about how he was the one who told her to be humble, and she worked so hard every day at being humble. LOL. Yeah, that was all nice, but now it made sense. Because when she got blindsided, all that effort she made at being humble shattered off of her like a cloak of glass. And she was back to being the old Brenda. Entitled. Self-absorbed. Egotistical.
She got voted off because she was seen as a threat, and that was her fault. I know she was trying to be nice, trying to curry favor for jury votes, when she opted to give the four losing survivors and their loved ones the reward. But that was a stupid decision. First of all, she'd already been allowed to pick one other person (Dawn) and then Jeff told her she could pick one more (out of the four) OR let all of the four other losers have a picnic with their loved ones. If she'd have picked one more person, that would make it three going to reward, three staying back. Three-three is more fair than four-two. Mostly, though, it was just a bad decision strategy-wise, especially when you're getting near the end of a season and you're with all smart people who have played before. They're going to immediately shift their focus to you as a jury-vote threat. Especially because she was also good in challenges. (And she should have downplayed that a couple of times, too, and brought it at the end.)
So, it wasn't Dawn's fault Brenda got voted out, it was Brenda's own fault combined with the nature of the game. But Brenda, it seemed, was so used to things going her way, and so high on herself, that she was shocked when she got voted out. I understand that she was hurt by Dawn, but her reaction was spoiled and uncalled for. I was surprised that Brenda was the runner-up for most popular player. I would have thought Philip would be most popular ... but I'm guessing he's more popular these days than he was back then.
Speaking of Dawn ... I liked Dawn in her prior season. This season there was too much crying. I give her credit, though, for toughing it out. At least she didn't quit. She was clearly suffering, but stuck it out because of her family. Shamar, a big, tough marine, was ready to quit a few days in. Eric collapsed. But Dawn, the oldest woman out there, stayed in and fought every day. She did remarkably well in challenges, too, in both of her seasons.
I knew she wouldn't win, though, because she cried too much. It would have been really annoying. I hate hearing babies crying, let alone adults. And it sounds like it was an almost every day occurrence.
But what Brenda did to her at FTC was cringy. I mean, I'd have understood if Brenda was still reeling from it all, and not feeling herself. But in the reunion episode it just seemed like she was back to her old, spoiled, entitled self, while Dawn was getting hate tweets. That left me feeling so sick about reality TV and online trolls that I almost wanted to stop watching.
But that feeling didn't last long - lol - I'm on Blood and Water now ... Rupert!!!
Brandon ... Jeez. Clearly did a 180 probably at least partly due to the bullying he got from his own family after his previous season aired. I'll leave it at that. I actually liked him in his 1st season. It was interesting having him paired with Coach, because Coach's whole schtick was to play the game honorably, and Coach fell prey to the nature of the game, and looked like a schmo in the end because all his big talk was shown to be hot air when push came to shove, whereas Brandon actually walked the walk. But this season .... yikes. It was good Brandon left when he did. (OTOH, I will say that Brandon had a right to get upset about Philip's patronization, and Philip was taking control of the game, and it was smart to stand up to that. But Brandon going berzerker was just ... er, ... good TV?)
Sherri. I thought she didn't get enough credit at the end. She took a bunch of shit sitting there at FTC, and I was glad that she stood up to Eric and told him to sit down. Sheri did a ton more strategic work than Eric ever did. The problem was that she did all her (critical) strategizing early on. It benefitted her, and kept her in the game to the merge. She wasn't going to win, though, because post-merge, she kept on the down-low, so everybody assumed she'd coasted along, which wasn't a fair assessment, but I can understand how it would seem that way.
Cochran deserved to win. But a lot of them played a great game. I like Eddy and "Reynolds" even though at first I didn't like their "cool kids table" thing. But once they wizened up (by force) they were both quite likable in their own ways.
Oh yeah ... Andrea. I love Andrea! Next Philip, she was my favorite. I was glad to see her back because I thought she got unfairly shadowed by that blond guy who got sent to Redemption Island early in her 1st season. In that season, she immediately struck up an alliance with the blond guy (I forget his name, he was Christian, and he kept winning and winning on Redemption Island, finally got back in his tribe and got voted out right away again - LOL. Was his name Matt? I'll call him Matt.) Matt threw Andrea under the bus without realizing it because he didn't even think about her being an equal part in their alliance, or a strong competitor. She was just an appendage to him, it seemed like. And they were both attractive and young and shared an interest in Christianity. So he went and talked to other people about how she would vote without consulting with her. Then she was screwed when he got voted out, and she had to keep trying to appear loyal. It was a no-win situation for her. But she still liked Matt, and she was looking forward to seeing him at the redemption show-down. But then he was oogling it up with some other blonde Christian girl and Andrea realized she was dispensible to him, and he didn't think about her the same way she'd been thinking about him. Instead of getting butt-hurt and pissy, she pulled up her big-girl pants and kicked some ass in the game, changing up her strategies and trying to adapt in ways that Cochran would emulate later.
She was doomed that season. And sometimes that's just how it goes on Survivor. She took it like a champ, and I was really glad to see her back.
She played a great game. Smart, good at challenges, ... and her exit was one of the best I've seen. She was blindsided, but she had a great attitude, understanding the game she was in. She laughed and said, "Ah, ya got me!"
I hope she comes back again. I'm always happy to see Andrea, Philip, ... oh yeah, and Malcolm! I love Malcolm. Another class act. Similar syle to Andrea. And he looks like Rupert Friend from Homeland.

First off, I just wanted to say good day to all of you descenders on a wonderful Saturday. I know you’ve been patient and waiting for this review to come so I won’t stall any longer, so let’s get to it.
Main Story
Opening with Wonderland, it starts off with a party, well the opposite actually. There in Wonderland, it’s called an un-party which is one of the things that runs in the big land. The Queen of Hearts takes dictatorship to a whole new level in an un-fun way, as in basically she made fun, any colors that isn’t red, black, white and gray and sugars and sweets illegal. You can’t even listen to any type of music except the national anthem “Hail the Queen of All Our Hearts” and a few military hymns. Speaking of hymns, that’s one of the new words I’m learning in this book, you’ll be seeing some words you’ve never heard of before and you’ll think, “huh, interesting”. To make sure that Queen’s laws were enforced, she demonstrated by taking way a boy who was taking some of the strawberry tarts from the dessert table. Why are there even desserts if they’re illegal you ask? To show how corruptible they are along with the presents that no one ever opens. She was so against desserts that she even lost her mind when she saw cupcakes. I honestly think those might be the biggest trigger from the looks of it. We might even learn why from the movie, who knows. Imagine that, you can’t even celebrate Birthdays since they’re illegal. All anyone can really do is standing around doing nothing and sleeping until someone wakes you up when it comes to un-parties, even the games are all about standing around the longest. And Red witnessed it all since she’s a guest of honor, being the princess and all that.
Red knew from the start that did not want to be like her mother who wanted her to be just like her, tyrannical and cold-hearted, unlike Mal who wanted to prove herself to her mother by doing what she tells her to do and to be the evilest of them all. She has heard about the Isle of the Lost and hear about where no rules are applied. Unfortunately for Red, she never knew what it’s like to run around wild and doing whatever she wants since by law, everything has to be perfect, including her. She’s never been outside of Wonderland since the Rabbit Hole was sealed after the War of the Roses , which happened when The Queen refused for Wonderland to conjoined with Auradon and there’s a holiday in honor of it. The Tea Ceremony commemorates that event in history. Every year, the Queen of Hearts uses those Tea Ceremonies to decree new laws like for example, locking away puppies and kittens until they’re properly trained, introducing red-card beheadings in the National Croquet league and banning dancing. This year will be a special one cause this time, The Queen will have Red make a decree, something she’s not found of.
In her school, it was just like any other day. But there’s one teacher she likes and that would be Maddox, the son of the Mad Hatter, whom surprisingly, The Queen has a soft spot for. Shocked? I know, me too. So during class, that’s when a new student comes in named Chester with the biggest smile ever. Anyone know who else had a smile that big? 😏. In case you haven’t figured it out already, he comes from a long line of Cheshires. Doesn’t say if a certain cat is his father, grandfather or even uncle, but he definitely has that family trait. Anyways, at first, Red was intrigued of him as he was different than the other Wonderland Kids. He was homeschooled until his family moved to the capital. They talked for a bit and was even assigned as partners for a project. Then at the end, they went through a whole DRINK ME this and EAT ME that, y’all know what I’m talking about if you’d seen Alice in Wonderland. That was when they became friends, which was also discouraged. I personally liked how despite everything, Red would know what it’s like to finally have someone she can talk to instead of feeling alone. That’s the start of her character growth. I know it was like that for me when I started having friends I can talk to about anything.
Now fast forward, she see The Queen doing royal training for Red, even teaching her “The Look”. Late at night, Red snuck out when Chester and his friend Ace, came to get see her. One of the things I know about Ace is that he has an uncle who is a solider card and don’t he him that often. And another is that his hair is jet-black and curly and that his hazel eyes sparkle in the soft light, at least in Red’s point of view😏. They went into the woods and eventually their conversation landed them to playing a party. While planning, The Queen wanted Red to do training after leaving early from school the next two weeks. She even brought to female graduates, Twee and Dora, who is the daughter of Dormouse. After all that, it came Friday when the Wonderland Party Commission (that’s what Red, Chester and Ace called themselves) host their party. Kids came, but all the party had was pizzas which was the only thing they got going for them. Then Solider Cards came and crash the party. The 3 teens were captured and the boys were brought to their homes. Red wasn’t even grounded cause her mother was too focused on the party. That’s telling Red that she needs to up her game. She then plans to go to Bramble Bay, where Chester’s family lived at since he told her that things were different.
Red cooked up a ruse to convince her mom that she’s going to the headmistress’ place for royal training, which wasn’t that hard to do. She and her friends then took a car Chester’s cousin provided for them, which happened to be the Headmistress’s car and drove off to Bramble Bay. They had disguise to look like the Duchess (Headmistress of Wonderland High) and her butlers to be let in Bramble Bay (travel must be approved). Once there, they explored the town square and found a restaurant that serves different food, even serves root beer. Then a girl was a bit hostile to Red as she knows who she is.
Next day, they drove off from the inn they stayed to find some kids to get ideas for their second party attempt until they collided with a cart full of barnacled gray shells someone was pushing. No one was hurt, but the car took a hit and it shows. Red and the boys still helped clean up the mess for the guy and he was on his way, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the girl they had an encounter with. She then knew Res wasn’t as bad as she thought. She introduced her self as Dee, sister of Twee, one of the two girl that were mentioned that was coaching Red during her training. She was nicer than Twee, even mentioned when she was leaving the capital after she couldn’t take it over there anymore, she couldn’t get her sister to come with. Then she mentioned of a place where the 3 teenagers can get their car fixed up. Once there, they mentioned to the two guys that own the place that Dee sent them, which makes them more friendly to them. You’re never going to guess who they are. It’s the reason why this certain chapter is probably one of my favorites, if not my top favorite. It’s Harry and Jace, the sons of Horace and Jasper, the henchmen of Cruella DeVil! If yall ever read the past books, you’ll know who I’m talking about. Harry and Jace were Carlos’ henchman as his mother commanded it. They even were a part of the Anti-Heroes Club until Dr. Facilier discovered the true purpose of the club and disbanded it. Now somehow, they ended up in Wonderland after the barrier was taken down by Mal and her friends, which raises more questions than answers, like how’d they got here if the Rabbit Hole was sealed after the War of the Roses. They then mentioned there’s another way out and that would be the Pool of Tears. As soon as they got an opportunity, they’ll leave and never come back to Wonderland ever, I mean why would anyone want to come back?
After the car was fixed, the crew went to meet with Dee to a shindig that’s happening at night. After a couple of weird knocks, they went in a things were quiet, but after the ok, the event got started and it was nothing that Red and the others ever experienced. This was giving her ideas, even after talking with Dee before Solider Cards do their monthly or so routine checkups that same night. The 3 friends flee discreetly and made their way out of town, but not before Chester dropped off a note to his aunt at the inn and getting their disguises while leaving the rest of their things behind.
Fast forward again, Red does her training with Twee and Dora then does something that was unacceptable like sitting on the floor and she commands them to do so. She basically asks them what do they really want in life, which probably got them second guessing their careers of being ladies of the court. She then discreetly without actually saying it, invites them to their second party by looking for the opportunity. The invitations were passed out once again, Red made a memo to the staff of the castle to clear out since Red decided that’s where the party is happening, I mean, why wouldn’t the staff clear out for a few hours by order of the princess herself. Why at the castle you wonder? Cause her mom wanted some good quality tea sets for the Tea Ceremony at the Looking Glass Mountain and she’s making the trip and won’t come back until Friday morning, which was the chance that cannot be looked away. Chester even found someone with a boom box. Red took the day off to set up lights, mirrors and decorations. Katy, granddaughter of the Caterpillar, yes the one smoking the Hookah lol, is the one with the boom box which she found in her grandpa’s storage and is ready to play the tapes that Red had gotten from Dee, who got those and other things that washed up from the sea near at Bramble Bay, the place that scared The Queen cause she can’t control it. Another person that is helping with the party is Bill, who was in Chester’s homeschooling group and was even taught how to cook by his aunt as she used to cook for the Duchess, so he was gonna cook for the party.
Before and during the party, you’ll notice some tensions between Red and Ace. That was happening before that night but now, it was more obvious. Like when Ace saw Red in her pale pink dress she put on. He was really captivated at her beauty, just as Red was when she notices his eyes. As the party was happening with every kid coming in colorful clothes that weren’t red, black, white or gray, Red gave a speech, though it didn’t seem to have an impact. Then Katy started playing one of the tapes and the song that first played, you guessed it, ‘Be Our Guest’ sunged by a young Ben and his glee club. Even though that wasn’t my favorite song from the album, I couldn’t help but play the song from my phone and listened to it as I read how Red and Ace danced with never having to dance before. At first, it was a lil challenge but they figured how to move to the beat with some snaps, some claps and some body movements and they were becoming decent dancers. More kids followed suit as some started off robotic like and others were moving smoothly. Katy then switches to a faster song. Honestly, I thought about it and played ‘Set it Off’ since that’s the first one that came to my head when she said a faster beat. Everyone was enjoying themselves to the song, even Red and Ace. They inched closer and closer to each other with one of Ace’s hands on top of Red’s. He said her name and he leaned even closer to her and when I stopped at when the guy on the song said “Three, Two, One, ugh!” The lights switched on, the music cut off and then a loud voice belonging to the Queen of Hearts herself boomed, “WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?!”
That’s when everyone run and panics when Solider Cards came from all sides. Red and the other two went to one of the secret passageways that was hidden underneath the castle. They escaped but then they camped for the night and planned on going to the Pool of Tears to hopefully able to swim their way out of Wonderland. As they went on to Vorpal Mountain to try to get to the Pool of Tears to leave Wonderland, the Armored Guard came out of nowhere hunting them down. While Red was looking on, Chester and Ace whispered something to each other then told Red they should split up and race to the Pool of Tears that way if one get caught, the others go for help. Red was climbing up but then that’s when she heard noises and saw that the Armored Guard got both Ace and Chester. They were more formidable than the regular solider cards. As she saw Ace got a cut from one of the arrows that was shot, she feared for their safety and realized that they planned all along to get caught so that way Red could escape. Now she wasn’t about to let her only friends that she’d known for two weeks get taken away. After running into a group of guys on her way back home and taking, well commanded, a horse from them, she made it back to the castle.
As she was infiltrating her own home, she discovers a general solider card at the entrance and he was alone. Red subdued him from the back and threw him to the ground. She couldn’t get the helmet off and used a bobby pin to unlock it in the keyhole on the back of his helmet. I could believe my eyes when I read that the person under the helmet was the same little boy, maybe 12 or 13, I’m not sure, but he’s younger than Red, that was taken away after he stole and probably eaten those tarts he and everyone was forbidden to eat. The boy was confused, like he doesn’t remember anything. Realizing what happens to people who don’t follow the rules faces punishments that she didn’t think were possible(neither did I), Red told the boy to run as fast as he can.
She puts on the armor that was taken off and the helmet to pass off as one of the guards. She walks in and her mother came asking if Red has been found, she shook her head and was talking about the Tea Ceremony tomorrow which is still happening, shocking Red. When the Queen left, Red went to the dungeons and see her friends behind bars. Sure, she was mad that they planned on being captured, but she was happy to see them again in the inside. Man, why do I like that people are mad but happy to see their loved ones? Lol. So anyways, she planned to have them in chains but not locked to pass off as her transferring them someplace else, but then solider cards came and blocked their way and moved over so that the Queen of Hearts can walk down and looked at Red’s face to tell her that she disappointed her. It was a trap to see if Red would really comes for Chester and Ace to see for herself if they are really her friends. To her, Red is weak for caring for them. She then had all three of them locked in the dungeon together.
Wondering what’s going to happen to them, the next morning solider cards came and lead them to upper floor. Eventually, they separated them, with Red wailing that she wanted to go with them. She was met with other noblewomen who forcibly gave her a makeover. She was dolled up and met with her mother on the terrace on the second floor, overlooking the gardens. As the Queen of Hearts stared hard and icy at her, Red immediately wanted to know what happened to Chester and Ace. The two boys mentioned were chained to a red platform by arms and legs on wheels. The Queen made her speech, mentioning Auradon and Alice and then moves onto Red’s two friends. Just like what happened with that boy, The Queen of Hearts demonstrated the power she has over Wonderland. And when I mean power, I mean POWER! When Ace looked up at Red and gave her what was his last smile to her, she was panicking with a fast heartbeat in her throat.
The Queen of Hearst raised her hands and basically change a spell in a different language. Light came from her palms and that’s when it happened. Red saw a general solider card that was in Ace’s place and he was in red armor, staff in hand and a silver helmet with a badge on his chest that has a scarlet A over a big, terrible heart. Red knew it was Ace and ran to him and touch him. He didn’t even look at her before he went to the Queen, pressed his fist to his chest and knelt before her. He joined with the other solider card and Red can’t tell the difference. Then she noticed a cat with chestnut fur, the same color as Chester’s floppy hair. Knowing it was Chester made her choke and it was then he gave a toothy grin which wasn’t the same as his usual smile and disappeared leaving a floating smile before it rode the breezy wind. Angry at her mother, who promised she wouldn’t hurt them, she did say she didn’t take their heads off.
Tears came out of my eyes when I read that part and everytime I think about it😢. Those poor boys! Their lives were just taken like that, not in death, but it might as well be. Red doesn’t even recognized them and vice versa. She knew that her two male companions, the first and only friends she made over the course of two weeks, are gone. Just like that in a blink of an eye. As much as Red wanted to leave, she knows right now she couldn’t, not after what her mom did. She blames herself for the predicament. She thought that if she never met them, they would still be here. While she was going through the dilemma, The Queen give her the laws she written down for Red to read out. From this point out, she would be indifferent, will have no more friends, was gonna learn more about being a ruler of Wonderland. As she was reading her first royal decree that Every gathering that has more than 2 Wonderlandians must have a pre approved purpose, Red swore that with the flame she has within her, she would light up, burn it down and paint the town red!❤️
And now, for the moment you’re all waiting for, the Special Bonus Exclusive Content!!!!
It starts off with the King and Queen of Auradon, Ben and Mal, as they rode off in a carriage on a rickety road to Camelot Heights as part of their tour around the United States of Auradon. There they met up with Jay, Evie and Doug and gave each other hugs! I know it’s not the same with “him” and it makes me sad to think about it, but he’ll always be in our hearts and we’ll remember for the great person he turned out to be. King Arthur greeted Mal and Ben soon after and mentions his son Artie will join with them later in the evening. Evie and Doug talks about next season’s styles as they found some great fabrics at the markets of Camelot Heights while Jay helped them carried the rugs from those said markets. Then Archimedes came into the scene and let me tell ya, he’s probably my favorite character in the part cause as King Arthur mentions, he tells it like it is 😂! The group began to walk down the hall until they made it to the legendary Round Table! That’s when King Charming and Queen Ella made their appearance and greeted Mal and Ben. And yes, they are Formerly named Prince Chaming and Cinderella! As Ben shushed Mal about how rocky the trip was and instead said it’s been smooth, the couple before them introduces their daughter, Chloe! Doug mentions she’s going to Auradon Prep next year and wants to know what she can expect. Archimedes tells them that the school used to be Merlin Academy and in a petty way, talks about how trouble it was when Merlin was headmaster. With at least Evie curious about what kind of trouble, Archimedes talks of cursed vines, stolen books, dragons and a mysterious disappearance. He was then going to talk about his parents as he knows the tea, Ella(or Cinderella if you prefer, honestly me too) gave him a regal stare that tells him to shut up while King Charming was enjoying himself as he watches his wife😂😂😂. But he did say something about unauthorized use of magic, trespassing in the dungeons, and an epic battle. When Mal, Evie, Jay and Doug talked about their experiences at Auradon Prep, Chloe tells them that she’s really into sport and wants to join tourney as a forward, exciting Jay more than he thought it did and Mal was a lil estatic when Chloe also says that she’s really into history. But that after when she mentioned that she was homeschooled all her life and had only a tutor and governess. And also, this part answers the question that many of you probably have been wondering and asking yourselves when they casted Chloe, Cinderella and King Charming. Yes, Chad is her brother. There is no alternate reality or none of that, just like I always thought and knew. I know Chad is white, but come on. Adoption is a thing and that’s really likely the case. It’s mentioned that he’s her brother after Chloe says that Chad never really talks to her about Auradon Prep to her, making Jay thinking it’s not really that hard to guess but when Chloe’s and Chad’s parents looked at him, he says he’s a busy young man. A quick save by the ex-thief as the couple smiled at him. But Chloe already knew how Jay really felt about her brother and she doesn’t blame him since he lived with him lol😂. As the last statement of the bonus content, Chloe mentioned of how there aren’t any more VKs at the school with Evie saying that they’re a dying breed now that the Villains and the VKs are free from the Isle. But then, Ben and Mal looked at each other knowing that there’s still more not in Auradon Prep, but in Wonderland!
And there you have it! That’s my full review on Beyond the Isle of the Lost Wonderland! It was a rollercoaster I tell ya. Watching Red developing into more of an independent character and learning about all the things she’s missing out on while being forced to be the perfect princess by her mother, The Queen of Hearts. She threw a party after the first failed attempt only to have her friends taken away from her, maybe forever. What’s worse is that she was falling for one of them. That probably hurts more than ever. But from the sounds of it, she’s going to do whatever it takes until she can take down her mother and take down Wonderland along with her. Can’t wait to see how this will play out in the movie! So remember, Descendants The Rise of Red will premiere on Disney+ July 12th! Don’t miss it!