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The Front Bottoms
2013.06.15 10:00 FutureAlcoholic The Front Bottoms
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2011.10.04 12:15 Crystal Castles
/C/RY/S/TA/L/ //C/AS/T/LE/S /////////////////////////////
2011.06.07 08:13 chibijennifer Sailor Moon - 美少女戦士セーラームーン
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2024.06.07 21:19 Samantha-Davis Anyone else come from a family with demonic possession paranoia? Does it still affect you?
My family had HUGE paranoia surrounding demonic possession. Couldn't watch anything realistic with ghosts or demons, couldn't go anywhere considered "haunted", couldn't practice yoga, heck, I couldn't even same the names of stages in Luxor because they might be the names of demons! Ouiji board and crystal balls were also obviously out of the question. I had severe anxiety when it came to going to church, so my parents had me exorcised in case a demon was possessing me. I had frequent nightmares and scary hypnogogic hallucinations while I was falling asleep that my parents would attribute to demons attacking me because they knew how holy I was, and they'd pray the Saint Michael prayer in my room every night so they would leave me alone. Being around people who practiced witchcraft would also lead to you potentially getting possessed. Any pagan artifacts could lead to possession. Playing games that mentioned "occult" in the lore could lead to possession... The list goes on.
Hearing about this as a little kid constantly made me panic that the devil (another word I couldn't say or I'd be inviting him into my home) would show himself to me and I'd die on the spot from how scared I'd be. To this day, I struggle to tell myself that demonic possession isn't real. I can't bring myself to watch Harry Potter or go to a fortune teller. Anyone else struggle with this?
submitted by Samantha-Davis to excatholic [link] [comments]
Hearing about this as a little kid constantly made me panic that the devil (another word I couldn't say or I'd be inviting him into my home) would show himself to me and I'd die on the spot from how scared I'd be. To this day, I struggle to tell myself that demonic possession isn't real. I can't bring myself to watch Harry Potter or go to a fortune teller. Anyone else struggle with this?
2024.06.07 21:17 rowawaythrowawaystay “And I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free…”
I need some perspective here please. Feel free to be brutal if need be. I apologize in advance for the wall of text. I added a TL;DR at the bottom.
In early to mid-May, I informed my husband that he has 3 months to “get therapy for his bullshit insecurities or I want to separate.”
Backstory: we’ve been together for almost 24 years, 19 of them married. There have been a lot of ups and downs, as with any long term relationship. When we first met, he was well over 300+ lbs. In the past couple of years, he’s lost a ridiculous amount of weight (I think he’s around 210 now?) and he’s looking and feeling great (just to add, he’s never tried to lose weight - it just started happening. I’ve encouraged & pushed him to see a doctor just to make sure everything’s okay). Anyway. I’ve now “caught” him talking to other women and the conversations/photos are borderline inappropriate. I always try to reverse the situation in my head. If I was talking to another guy that way, would he be uncomfortable with it? The answer is always yes, he would be. It’s crossing a line and it’s not acceptable. Period. He attempted to “help a (female) coworker move” a few months ago. I told him that I was not comfortable with it and he said he’d cancel. Morning of, he’s getting dressed early in the morning so I ask him where he’s going and he says “to help X move.” I told him that I thought he had canceled that. He swore he never said that (gaslighting is definitely a problem in our relationship). For the record, I have discovered inappropriate messages between her & him. I told him that he’s free to go but that when he gets back, we would need to talk and reevaluate our relationship and it was disrespectful to me to go after I told him I was uncomfortable with it. So he called me a “fucking cunt” in front of our 3 year old and stormed off to the backyard. He didn’t go but he did tell her that he couldn’t make it because his wife is a crazy bitch. Last month, I caught the following text conversation that he was in the middle of WITH MY BEST FRIEND:
Him: nevermind. She’s going back to bed. I have to feed the dogs and get them to bed. Yay!
Her: im sorry
Him: sweetest dreams. See you Monday! Hit me up anytime. Don’t apologize. You’re perfect.
Her: yup. See u Monday. The weekend flies by.
I don’t really want to discuss the best friend part. I’ve never asked but I’m 99% sure she’s neurodivergent and she really doesn’t understand context & social cues very well. The husband on the other hand? He fucking knows better. I sent him a screenshot of that conversation and told him that he needs to seek therapy for his bullshit insecurities within 3 months or we’re separating. His response? “I don't see anything wrong here. I said sweetest dreams....?” I didn’t even respond to his message (I was out running errands with the three year old at the time). It’s just another attempt to gaslight me and make me feel like I’m making a big deal out of nothing (i.e: I’m crazy). He is very good at making me feel like I’m insane. Except it doesn’t work anymore. I truly feel like I am being reasonable here. Hell, I think I’m being generous with 3 months. I wanted to say 3 weeks. Anyway, it’s been about a month now and as far as I’m aware, he has made zero effort to seek therapy (also, his employer offers 5 free therapy sessions with a licensed therapist). I brought it up a few weeks ago and he said something along the lines of how he doesn’t have any time at all to make a therapy appointment. Yet somehow I work full time in a much more demanding position than him and I manage to make appointments for 3 kids (dentist, pediatrician, psychologist, optometrist, etc.) as well as take them to all of their appointments and make sure that they don’t run out of their medication and blahblahblah. Emotional/mental labor is seriously no joke.
I’m going to have to call it aren’t I? You can’t just issue an ultimatum like that and let it slide, right? If he doesn’t seek therapy (and believe me, he genuinely needs it), I’m going to have to inform him that we need to separate. And I don’t want to. And right now, I’m REALLY angry about it. Like extremely pissed off. To him, our 20+ year relationship is not worth fighting over. I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised but yet here are.
I’ve also been asking him to plan/schedule a date night for THE LAST THREE YEARS. We desperately need alone time. Except I’m freaking exhausted and literally don’t have the mental bandwidth to work out all of the logistics (sitter, place, time). He hasn’t done it. I brought it up to him in an argument several months back and his response was that we don’t have anyone to watch the 3 year old. I can list 6 people off the top of my head that would be happy to watch the booger for a night. He just doesn’t want to put in the effort. I’m not worth the effort to him.
Tl;dr: issued an ultimatum to my husband last month to seek therapy within 3 months with the explicit instruction that if he does not, we will need to separate. I am 99.9% certain that he’s not going to do it (with every single excuse as to why he possibly can’t). I’m going to have to follow through aren’t I?
submitted by rowawaythrowawaystay to breakingmom [link] [comments]
In early to mid-May, I informed my husband that he has 3 months to “get therapy for his bullshit insecurities or I want to separate.”
Backstory: we’ve been together for almost 24 years, 19 of them married. There have been a lot of ups and downs, as with any long term relationship. When we first met, he was well over 300+ lbs. In the past couple of years, he’s lost a ridiculous amount of weight (I think he’s around 210 now?) and he’s looking and feeling great (just to add, he’s never tried to lose weight - it just started happening. I’ve encouraged & pushed him to see a doctor just to make sure everything’s okay). Anyway. I’ve now “caught” him talking to other women and the conversations/photos are borderline inappropriate. I always try to reverse the situation in my head. If I was talking to another guy that way, would he be uncomfortable with it? The answer is always yes, he would be. It’s crossing a line and it’s not acceptable. Period. He attempted to “help a (female) coworker move” a few months ago. I told him that I was not comfortable with it and he said he’d cancel. Morning of, he’s getting dressed early in the morning so I ask him where he’s going and he says “to help X move.” I told him that I thought he had canceled that. He swore he never said that (gaslighting is definitely a problem in our relationship). For the record, I have discovered inappropriate messages between her & him. I told him that he’s free to go but that when he gets back, we would need to talk and reevaluate our relationship and it was disrespectful to me to go after I told him I was uncomfortable with it. So he called me a “fucking cunt” in front of our 3 year old and stormed off to the backyard. He didn’t go but he did tell her that he couldn’t make it because his wife is a crazy bitch. Last month, I caught the following text conversation that he was in the middle of WITH MY BEST FRIEND:
Him: nevermind. She’s going back to bed. I have to feed the dogs and get them to bed. Yay!
Her: im sorry
Him: sweetest dreams. See you Monday! Hit me up anytime. Don’t apologize. You’re perfect.
Her: yup. See u Monday. The weekend flies by.
I don’t really want to discuss the best friend part. I’ve never asked but I’m 99% sure she’s neurodivergent and she really doesn’t understand context & social cues very well. The husband on the other hand? He fucking knows better. I sent him a screenshot of that conversation and told him that he needs to seek therapy for his bullshit insecurities within 3 months or we’re separating. His response? “I don't see anything wrong here. I said sweetest dreams....?” I didn’t even respond to his message (I was out running errands with the three year old at the time). It’s just another attempt to gaslight me and make me feel like I’m making a big deal out of nothing (i.e: I’m crazy). He is very good at making me feel like I’m insane. Except it doesn’t work anymore. I truly feel like I am being reasonable here. Hell, I think I’m being generous with 3 months. I wanted to say 3 weeks. Anyway, it’s been about a month now and as far as I’m aware, he has made zero effort to seek therapy (also, his employer offers 5 free therapy sessions with a licensed therapist). I brought it up a few weeks ago and he said something along the lines of how he doesn’t have any time at all to make a therapy appointment. Yet somehow I work full time in a much more demanding position than him and I manage to make appointments for 3 kids (dentist, pediatrician, psychologist, optometrist, etc.) as well as take them to all of their appointments and make sure that they don’t run out of their medication and blahblahblah. Emotional/mental labor is seriously no joke.
I’m going to have to call it aren’t I? You can’t just issue an ultimatum like that and let it slide, right? If he doesn’t seek therapy (and believe me, he genuinely needs it), I’m going to have to inform him that we need to separate. And I don’t want to. And right now, I’m REALLY angry about it. Like extremely pissed off. To him, our 20+ year relationship is not worth fighting over. I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised but yet here are.
I’ve also been asking him to plan/schedule a date night for THE LAST THREE YEARS. We desperately need alone time. Except I’m freaking exhausted and literally don’t have the mental bandwidth to work out all of the logistics (sitter, place, time). He hasn’t done it. I brought it up to him in an argument several months back and his response was that we don’t have anyone to watch the 3 year old. I can list 6 people off the top of my head that would be happy to watch the booger for a night. He just doesn’t want to put in the effort. I’m not worth the effort to him.
Tl;dr: issued an ultimatum to my husband last month to seek therapy within 3 months with the explicit instruction that if he does not, we will need to separate. I am 99.9% certain that he’s not going to do it (with every single excuse as to why he possibly can’t). I’m going to have to follow through aren’t I?
2024.06.07 21:13 Sola_Sista_94 Little Junko: Parts Nine and Ten (Fanfic)
Kiki made her way to the beauty salon that Kyoko had given her the address to. When she arrived, she didn't see Junko or Kimiko inside. Kiki looked around, so sure that they'd be there. Just as she thought about leaving, she saw two girls, one tall, one really short, in matching outfits leaving the bathroom. Kiki's eyes nearly jumped out of her skull, realizing that the little girl was Kimiko. They were both wearing black boleros with leopard cuffs over white tank tops, very short denim shorts, and massive, black, fluffy legwarmers over some black, heeled ankle boots. Kimiko's piled-up hair hair was crimped and dyed light brown. On her fingernails were red, long fake nails. She even wore light makeup with long, fake lashes. Kiki walked over to them in disbelief.
"Kimiko?! " she exclaimed in horror and disbelief. Kimiko curled her lip in disgust at Kiki, as if Kiki were a mold stain on the wall.
"Yeah, so?" she scoffed. "You got a problem?"
"Well, considering I'm not the one who's dressed like a floozy, no!" Kiki cried. Kimiko rolled her eyes.
"Nyeh...joke's on you. I don't have the flu," she replied, misinterpreting Kiki's words. "Now, move it. There's something me and Big Sis Junko have to take care of."
"That's riiight," Junko sang in a low voice, eyeing Kiki with an ominous grin. She placed her hands on Kimiko's shoulders. "Let's go, Kimiko." Kimiko reached into her backpack and pulled out a small, silver wand with a light green crystal at the end. Kiki gasped. She didn't know much about magic, but she figured that it must have been Kimiko's wand. With one last evil grin at Kiki, Kimiko followed Junko out of the hair salon. It was too late! Kimiko had undoubtedly informed Junko about her magic, about Himiko's magic! Kiki was aware that the situation was now out of her control. She needed to fight magic with magic, and she knew just where to go.
***
"Nyeeeh...Kimiko, wake up already!" Himiko growled, nudging Kimiko's doppelganger. "I don't care if you're ignoring me! Stop ignoring me and get out of bed!"
"Maybe she's sick," Tomiko suggested.
"Or maybe she's just being stubborn, like a bratty teenager!" Himiko huffed, throwing her hands on her hips. "Nyeh...how can you be seven years old and a teenager at the same time?!"
"Nee-heehee...just ask Kaito," Kokichi said, walking into the living room. "He may be a teenager, but he sure as heck has the brain of a seven-year-old!" He gave Himiko a kiss on her cheek. "What's the matter, Monkey Buns?"
"Kimiko is acting up again!" Himiko answered. "Nyeh...Kokichi, if we ever end up having kids, remind me not to get a teenager!"
"Yeah...they're not a very good breed of children," Kokichi joked with a cheeky grin. "They're super moody, socially awkward, and difficult to keep on a leash."
"I don't know whether to laugh, or be offended," Tomiko said.
"Nee-heehee...I usually have that effect on people," Kokichi said proudly.
"Hey!" Himiko cried, turning Kimiko's doppelganger over. "Th-This isn't Kimiko!"
"What do you mean?" Kokichi asked, raising a brow. He looked closer at the doppelganger. "It looks like her to me." Tomiko smacked Kimiko's copy. It didn't move.
"It's a doppelganger," she breathed in disbelief. "She created a doppelganger of herself! It'll only do what Kimiko tells it to do." Himiko's eyes widened.
"Oh, no!" she cried. "That means she's not here!"
"She must have sneaked away to...'go to the park,' as she so eloquently put it yesterday," Kokichi said. Himiko looked worriedly at him.
"Do you think that was a lie?" she asked in a small voice.
"No," Kokichi replied, shaking his head. "I know that was a lie."
"W-Why didn't you say anything?!" Himiko cried.
"Chibi-Kichi said she wanted to handle it," Kokichi replied.
"And you just let her do that?!" Himiko cried.
"Well, I mean...you didn't do anything about it, either, Himiko," Kokichi pointed out. "You could have just asked Chibi-Kichi yourself what was going on."
"Well, you're the brains in our relationship!" Himiko exclaimed. "You can't expect me to figure that out!"
"As the oldest of Kimiko and me...yeah, we kinda have to expect you to figure that out," Tomiko interjected. Himiko shot a glare at Tomiko, who shrank back under the covers.
"Tomiko does have a point, Himiko," Kokichi said firmly. "You need to take responsibility as the oldest sister when your mom and grandma aren't around. You're their leader, so whatever happens to them, you're mostly to blame." Himiko looked at him in disbelief. Kokichi held up his hands. "I'm only speaking from experience. As the Supreme Leader, I had to learn that, too. But, it's true. As the oldest, you can't expect your sisters to lead themselves. You have to be the example. As the one in charge, you're responsible for their well-being. If you don't know what Kimiko is doing while she's out of the house, it's not her fault if she gets into trouble, it's yours. You have to be more involved with her." Himiko listened silently and nodded her head grimly when he finished speaking.
"Nyeh...you're right," she mumbled. "So...what do we do, now? Should we go over to Kiki's house?" Before Kokichi could answer, they heard the doorbell ringing repeatedly. Kokichi ran over to the door and answered it. Kiki was on the other side, panting her little lungs out as if she just ran a marathon.
"Kiki!" Kokichi exclaimed. Himiko and Tomiko joined Kokichi at his sides. Kokichi knelt down and held Kiki's shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"W-Where's Kimiko?!" Himiko demanded.
"No...time...to talk," Kiki panted. "F-Follow...me!" She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling light-headed and fell forward into Kokichi's arms. Kokichi picked her up.
"Kiki...where's Kimiko?" he asked, gently nudging her. Kiki cracked her eyes open.
"With...Junko..." she said. Kokichi and Himiko's eyes widened with horror.
"JUNKO?! " they cried simultaneously.
Part Ten
Kokichi and Himiko stepped outside with Kiki still in Kokichi's arms. The once sunny, blue sky had taken a dark, foreboding green turn. The clouds became charcoal black. The air became eerily silent. No wind. No warmth. The temperature around them dropped to the point where they could see their breath.
"Welp, either the forecast for today was wrong, or Junko suddenly knew how to control the weather," Kokichi joked wryly. They looked over in the distance towards the city. Right above the tallest building, the clouds were swirling like inky snakes curling around their prey. Flashes of green lightning streaked upwards towards the sky.
"And Kimiko's with her," Himiko whispered in horror, shuddering as she rubbed her arms with her hands to generate heat. "What is Junko doing to her? How is Junko doing all of this?"
"She's using Kimiko's magic," Kiki replied grimly. Kokichi and Himiko gasped.
"W-What...are you talking about?" Himiko stammered nervously. "Kimiko doesn't have mag-"
"I know about your guys' magic," Kiki interrupted. "Kimiko told me about it. But, that's not important right now." Kiki explained everything, even the reason why Kimiko started acting up in the first place. She told them how manipulative Junko was. She told them about meeting up with Kyoko and figuring out Junko's plot for revenge. Kokichi couldn't help but smile proudly at her as he listened. Kiki turned to Himiko. "Right now, Junko's using Kimiko to lure you over to her, so she can get rid of you, especially since she doesn't think you'll fight Kimiko." Himiko shuddered, turning to Kokichi with wide eyes.
"We have to go, Himiko," Kokichi said firmly. "Junko already knows about your magic. Who knows what else she'll use Kimiko for? We have to stop her. For Kimiko's sake." Himiko put on a brave face and nodded.
"Right!" she said. "Let's go!"
"We can take the Mischief Maker," Kokichi said, referring to the moped that Miu had invented for them. Kokichi put Kiki down. "Stay here, Chibi-Kichi, alright? I don't want you getting hurt."
"Okay, Kokichi," Kiki nodded. "Be careful." Kokichi kissed her forehead and hopped up onto the Mischief Maker with Himiko right behind him. Then, they drove off towards the tallest skyscraper in the city. Kiki watched as they rode away. She didn't want to disobey Kokichi, but she couldn't sit there and do nothing. Her gut was telling her to follow them, and so she decided to do just that.
***
Once Kokichi and Himiko arrived at the skyscraper, they hurriedly entered it, and took the elevator to the roof. The elevator doors opened to a horrific sight: Kimiko with an evil grin with Junko standing behind her with an equally menacing grin. Himiko gaped at her sister's overall appearance that matched Junko's
"Glad you could make it," Junko said. "We've been expecting you, haven't we, Kimiko?"
"Nyeh...that's right, Big Sis Junko," Kimiko answered. Himiko slowly approached Kimiko.
"Kimiko...don't do this," she said, pleading with her sister. "Please, come with me."
Why? So you two can break Kimiko's heart again?" Junko asked. She grabbed Kimiko's shoulders and crouched down to her level, murmuring in her ear. "Remember how you felt when you saw them kissing, Kimiko? How they totally left you out, and didn't even care about you? They don't care about you. Kokichi only tries to be nice because he thinks you're annoying." Kimiko glared at Kokichi, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Kimiko, that's not true," Kokichi said firmly. "Don't believe her."
"Why should Himiko, the ugly sister, get Kokichi all to herself?" Junko continued. "Don't you think you deserve better, Kimiko?"
"Leave her alone!! Get away from her!!" Himiko yelled furiously. She ran towards Junko and Kimiko. Kimiko aimed her wand at Himiko, causing Himiko to stop dead in her tracks.
"Ah-ah-ah..." Junko said, wagging her finger at Himiko. "One more step, and your sister here will end you." Kimiko grinned evilly at Himiko. Tears formed in Himiko's eyes.
"K-Kimiko..." she whispered.
"You never loved me," Kimiko growled, her indignant voice stinging Himiko. "You wanted everything for yourself. You wanted Kokichi for yourself. I loved him and you took him away from me!"
"Kimiko, no!" Himiko cried. "I do love you! I really do! I just want what's best for you!"
"Kokichi's what's best for me," Kimiko said.
"Kimiko, if you think I'm what's best for you, will you listen to me?" Kokichi said. Kimiko turned to Kokichi, now aiming her wand at him. Kokichi held up his hands. "Listen to me, Kimiko. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to."
"He's lying," Junko hissed in Kimiko's ear.
"Don't listen to Junko, Kimiko," Kokichi said firmly.
"He's just trying to be nice again," Junko continued. "He doesn't care about you at all!" Tears fell from Kimiko's eyes.
"Y-You...you're lying!" she cried.
"No, Kimiko, I'm not," Kokichi said. "Junko is the one who's lying to you. You're nicer than this, Kimiko! Remember when we played beauty salon, and you did my hair and nails? Remember when I took you next door to see the puppet show? Remember that? It was fun, right?" Kimiko lowered her wand a bit.
"Those were all lies," Junko said quickly. "He was actually annoyed that he had to deal with you. He'd rather spend time with Himiko instead of you." Kimiko became blinded with rage all over again.
"I HATE YOU!!" she screeched at Kokichi. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Green, magical energy formed around her wand, and she shot it straight at Kokichi. He held up his arms, blocking his face, then slowly opened his eyes, realizing that he hadn't been hit. Instead, Himiko stood in front of him, holding up her Guardian Mage staff. She had blocked Kimiko's attack.
"That's enough!" Himiko demanded.
"Oooh...so you're going to fight your sister after all?" Junko said with an evil grin. "I must admit, I didn't expect that." Himiko's lip quivered, but she forced herself to lift her chin and remain calm.
"I'm not going to fight her," Himiko said. "I'm going to make you give her over to me, if it's the last thing I ever do!"
"I don't think you have a choice," Junko sneered. "If you're not willing to fight your sister, I guess you've already lost. She is my protector, after all. She'd do anything to protect me, won't you, Kimiko?"
"Yes, Big Sis Junko," Kimiko replied obediently, glaring at Himiko. Junko narrowed her eyes at Himiko, her grin menacing and deadly.
"Destroy her," she murmured in Kimiko's ear.
submitted by Sola_Sista_94 to danganronpa [link] [comments]
"Kimiko?! " she exclaimed in horror and disbelief. Kimiko curled her lip in disgust at Kiki, as if Kiki were a mold stain on the wall.
"Yeah, so?" she scoffed. "You got a problem?"
"Well, considering I'm not the one who's dressed like a floozy, no!" Kiki cried. Kimiko rolled her eyes.
"Nyeh...joke's on you. I don't have the flu," she replied, misinterpreting Kiki's words. "Now, move it. There's something me and Big Sis Junko have to take care of."
"That's riiight," Junko sang in a low voice, eyeing Kiki with an ominous grin. She placed her hands on Kimiko's shoulders. "Let's go, Kimiko." Kimiko reached into her backpack and pulled out a small, silver wand with a light green crystal at the end. Kiki gasped. She didn't know much about magic, but she figured that it must have been Kimiko's wand. With one last evil grin at Kiki, Kimiko followed Junko out of the hair salon. It was too late! Kimiko had undoubtedly informed Junko about her magic, about Himiko's magic! Kiki was aware that the situation was now out of her control. She needed to fight magic with magic, and she knew just where to go.
***
"Nyeeeh...Kimiko, wake up already!" Himiko growled, nudging Kimiko's doppelganger. "I don't care if you're ignoring me! Stop ignoring me and get out of bed!"
"Maybe she's sick," Tomiko suggested.
"Or maybe she's just being stubborn, like a bratty teenager!" Himiko huffed, throwing her hands on her hips. "Nyeh...how can you be seven years old and a teenager at the same time?!"
"Nee-heehee...just ask Kaito," Kokichi said, walking into the living room. "He may be a teenager, but he sure as heck has the brain of a seven-year-old!" He gave Himiko a kiss on her cheek. "What's the matter, Monkey Buns?"
"Kimiko is acting up again!" Himiko answered. "Nyeh...Kokichi, if we ever end up having kids, remind me not to get a teenager!"
"Yeah...they're not a very good breed of children," Kokichi joked with a cheeky grin. "They're super moody, socially awkward, and difficult to keep on a leash."
"I don't know whether to laugh, or be offended," Tomiko said.
"Nee-heehee...I usually have that effect on people," Kokichi said proudly.
"Hey!" Himiko cried, turning Kimiko's doppelganger over. "Th-This isn't Kimiko!"
"What do you mean?" Kokichi asked, raising a brow. He looked closer at the doppelganger. "It looks like her to me." Tomiko smacked Kimiko's copy. It didn't move.
"It's a doppelganger," she breathed in disbelief. "She created a doppelganger of herself! It'll only do what Kimiko tells it to do." Himiko's eyes widened.
"Oh, no!" she cried. "That means she's not here!"
"She must have sneaked away to...'go to the park,' as she so eloquently put it yesterday," Kokichi said. Himiko looked worriedly at him.
"Do you think that was a lie?" she asked in a small voice.
"No," Kokichi replied, shaking his head. "I know that was a lie."
"W-Why didn't you say anything?!" Himiko cried.
"Chibi-Kichi said she wanted to handle it," Kokichi replied.
"And you just let her do that?!" Himiko cried.
"Well, I mean...you didn't do anything about it, either, Himiko," Kokichi pointed out. "You could have just asked Chibi-Kichi yourself what was going on."
"Well, you're the brains in our relationship!" Himiko exclaimed. "You can't expect me to figure that out!"
"As the oldest of Kimiko and me...yeah, we kinda have to expect you to figure that out," Tomiko interjected. Himiko shot a glare at Tomiko, who shrank back under the covers.
"Tomiko does have a point, Himiko," Kokichi said firmly. "You need to take responsibility as the oldest sister when your mom and grandma aren't around. You're their leader, so whatever happens to them, you're mostly to blame." Himiko looked at him in disbelief. Kokichi held up his hands. "I'm only speaking from experience. As the Supreme Leader, I had to learn that, too. But, it's true. As the oldest, you can't expect your sisters to lead themselves. You have to be the example. As the one in charge, you're responsible for their well-being. If you don't know what Kimiko is doing while she's out of the house, it's not her fault if she gets into trouble, it's yours. You have to be more involved with her." Himiko listened silently and nodded her head grimly when he finished speaking.
"Nyeh...you're right," she mumbled. "So...what do we do, now? Should we go over to Kiki's house?" Before Kokichi could answer, they heard the doorbell ringing repeatedly. Kokichi ran over to the door and answered it. Kiki was on the other side, panting her little lungs out as if she just ran a marathon.
"Kiki!" Kokichi exclaimed. Himiko and Tomiko joined Kokichi at his sides. Kokichi knelt down and held Kiki's shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"W-Where's Kimiko?!" Himiko demanded.
"No...time...to talk," Kiki panted. "F-Follow...me!" She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling light-headed and fell forward into Kokichi's arms. Kokichi picked her up.
"Kiki...where's Kimiko?" he asked, gently nudging her. Kiki cracked her eyes open.
"With...Junko..." she said. Kokichi and Himiko's eyes widened with horror.
"JUNKO?! " they cried simultaneously.
Part Ten
Kokichi and Himiko stepped outside with Kiki still in Kokichi's arms. The once sunny, blue sky had taken a dark, foreboding green turn. The clouds became charcoal black. The air became eerily silent. No wind. No warmth. The temperature around them dropped to the point where they could see their breath.
"Welp, either the forecast for today was wrong, or Junko suddenly knew how to control the weather," Kokichi joked wryly. They looked over in the distance towards the city. Right above the tallest building, the clouds were swirling like inky snakes curling around their prey. Flashes of green lightning streaked upwards towards the sky.
"And Kimiko's with her," Himiko whispered in horror, shuddering as she rubbed her arms with her hands to generate heat. "What is Junko doing to her? How is Junko doing all of this?"
"She's using Kimiko's magic," Kiki replied grimly. Kokichi and Himiko gasped.
"W-What...are you talking about?" Himiko stammered nervously. "Kimiko doesn't have mag-"
"I know about your guys' magic," Kiki interrupted. "Kimiko told me about it. But, that's not important right now." Kiki explained everything, even the reason why Kimiko started acting up in the first place. She told them how manipulative Junko was. She told them about meeting up with Kyoko and figuring out Junko's plot for revenge. Kokichi couldn't help but smile proudly at her as he listened. Kiki turned to Himiko. "Right now, Junko's using Kimiko to lure you over to her, so she can get rid of you, especially since she doesn't think you'll fight Kimiko." Himiko shuddered, turning to Kokichi with wide eyes.
"We have to go, Himiko," Kokichi said firmly. "Junko already knows about your magic. Who knows what else she'll use Kimiko for? We have to stop her. For Kimiko's sake." Himiko put on a brave face and nodded.
"Right!" she said. "Let's go!"
"We can take the Mischief Maker," Kokichi said, referring to the moped that Miu had invented for them. Kokichi put Kiki down. "Stay here, Chibi-Kichi, alright? I don't want you getting hurt."
"Okay, Kokichi," Kiki nodded. "Be careful." Kokichi kissed her forehead and hopped up onto the Mischief Maker with Himiko right behind him. Then, they drove off towards the tallest skyscraper in the city. Kiki watched as they rode away. She didn't want to disobey Kokichi, but she couldn't sit there and do nothing. Her gut was telling her to follow them, and so she decided to do just that.
***
Once Kokichi and Himiko arrived at the skyscraper, they hurriedly entered it, and took the elevator to the roof. The elevator doors opened to a horrific sight: Kimiko with an evil grin with Junko standing behind her with an equally menacing grin. Himiko gaped at her sister's overall appearance that matched Junko's
"Glad you could make it," Junko said. "We've been expecting you, haven't we, Kimiko?"
"Nyeh...that's right, Big Sis Junko," Kimiko answered. Himiko slowly approached Kimiko.
"Kimiko...don't do this," she said, pleading with her sister. "Please, come with me."
Why? So you two can break Kimiko's heart again?" Junko asked. She grabbed Kimiko's shoulders and crouched down to her level, murmuring in her ear. "Remember how you felt when you saw them kissing, Kimiko? How they totally left you out, and didn't even care about you? They don't care about you. Kokichi only tries to be nice because he thinks you're annoying." Kimiko glared at Kokichi, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Kimiko, that's not true," Kokichi said firmly. "Don't believe her."
"Why should Himiko, the ugly sister, get Kokichi all to herself?" Junko continued. "Don't you think you deserve better, Kimiko?"
"Leave her alone!! Get away from her!!" Himiko yelled furiously. She ran towards Junko and Kimiko. Kimiko aimed her wand at Himiko, causing Himiko to stop dead in her tracks.
"Ah-ah-ah..." Junko said, wagging her finger at Himiko. "One more step, and your sister here will end you." Kimiko grinned evilly at Himiko. Tears formed in Himiko's eyes.
"K-Kimiko..." she whispered.
"You never loved me," Kimiko growled, her indignant voice stinging Himiko. "You wanted everything for yourself. You wanted Kokichi for yourself. I loved him and you took him away from me!"
"Kimiko, no!" Himiko cried. "I do love you! I really do! I just want what's best for you!"
"Kokichi's what's best for me," Kimiko said.
"Kimiko, if you think I'm what's best for you, will you listen to me?" Kokichi said. Kimiko turned to Kokichi, now aiming her wand at him. Kokichi held up his hands. "Listen to me, Kimiko. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to."
"He's lying," Junko hissed in Kimiko's ear.
"Don't listen to Junko, Kimiko," Kokichi said firmly.
"He's just trying to be nice again," Junko continued. "He doesn't care about you at all!" Tears fell from Kimiko's eyes.
"Y-You...you're lying!" she cried.
"No, Kimiko, I'm not," Kokichi said. "Junko is the one who's lying to you. You're nicer than this, Kimiko! Remember when we played beauty salon, and you did my hair and nails? Remember when I took you next door to see the puppet show? Remember that? It was fun, right?" Kimiko lowered her wand a bit.
"Those were all lies," Junko said quickly. "He was actually annoyed that he had to deal with you. He'd rather spend time with Himiko instead of you." Kimiko became blinded with rage all over again.
"I HATE YOU!!" she screeched at Kokichi. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Green, magical energy formed around her wand, and she shot it straight at Kokichi. He held up his arms, blocking his face, then slowly opened his eyes, realizing that he hadn't been hit. Instead, Himiko stood in front of him, holding up her Guardian Mage staff. She had blocked Kimiko's attack.
"That's enough!" Himiko demanded.
"Oooh...so you're going to fight your sister after all?" Junko said with an evil grin. "I must admit, I didn't expect that." Himiko's lip quivered, but she forced herself to lift her chin and remain calm.
"I'm not going to fight her," Himiko said. "I'm going to make you give her over to me, if it's the last thing I ever do!"
"I don't think you have a choice," Junko sneered. "If you're not willing to fight your sister, I guess you've already lost. She is my protector, after all. She'd do anything to protect me, won't you, Kimiko?"
"Yes, Big Sis Junko," Kimiko replied obediently, glaring at Himiko. Junko narrowed her eyes at Himiko, her grin menacing and deadly.
"Destroy her," she murmured in Kimiko's ear.
2024.06.07 21:12 edwards706 [WTS] G-Shock GW-6900
Timestamp
Photos and video
Excellent condition G-Shock GW-6900. Watch has been worn, but is in excellent condition. No scratches to the crystal or case, and the resin strap only shows light evidence of being worn. Watch was manufactured November 11th 2022 according to the serial number and this decoder. Love the 6900 series, but this is a duplicate to my collection. Would consider trades on a GW-5000u or other 6900 series, but am picky about condition.
No box/papers, just the watch. I pack well and ship within 24 hours. I have 200+ confirmed trades on . Prefer chats to messages.
SV: $65 shipped - Prefer Zelle, PP F&F, Venmo feeless.
submitted by edwards706 to Gshockexchange [link] [comments]
Photos and video
Excellent condition G-Shock GW-6900. Watch has been worn, but is in excellent condition. No scratches to the crystal or case, and the resin strap only shows light evidence of being worn. Watch was manufactured November 11th 2022 according to the serial number and this decoder. Love the 6900 series, but this is a duplicate to my collection. Would consider trades on a GW-5000u or other 6900 series, but am picky about condition.
No box/papers, just the watch. I pack well and ship within 24 hours. I have 200+ confirmed trades on . Prefer chats to messages.
SV: $65 shipped - Prefer Zelle, PP F&F, Venmo feeless.
2024.06.07 21:12 Sweet-Count2557 Maldives Island Google Map
 | Maldives Island Google Map We've all heard about the amazing wonders of the Maldives, that dreamy destination with its crystal-clear waters and pristine beaches.And now, there's a tool that allows us to navigate this paradise with ease - the Maldives Island Google Map. But it's not just any ordinary map; it's a virtual guide that unveils the secrets of this enchanting archipelago.From hidden lagoons to bustling towns, this map holds the key to unlocking the treasures of the Maldives.So, if you're ready to embark on a journey of discovery, join us as we explore the wonders that await on the Maldives Island Google Map.Key TakeawaysThe Maldives is a chain of coral islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, known for its stunning beaches and rich marine life.Google Maps can be used to explore the Maldives, locate different islands and atolls, and even experience virtual street view of local neighborhoods and attractions.Pros of using Google Maps for the Maldives include its user-friendly interface, satellite view for stunning visuals, and real-time traffic information.However, there are also limitations such as the need for an internet connection, limited street view coverage, and potential inaccuracies in directions.Overview of the Maldives IslandLet's take a closer look at the beautiful Maldives Island chain and discover its captivating charm and natural wonders.The Maldives is a chain of coral islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 1190 coral islands grouped into about 26 atolls. With its clear, green waters and stunning views, the Maldives is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers.One of the main attractions of the Maldives is its rich marine life. The Indian Ocean surrounding the islands is teeming with a diverse range of marine species. Snorkeling and diving enthusiasts will be delighted to explore the vibrant coral reefs and encounter colorful fish, sea turtles, and even dolphins. The Maldives is home to over 2000 species of fish, making it a perfect destination for underwater exploration.The Maldives is also known for its stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters. The white sandy beaches stretch for miles, providing the perfect backdrop for relaxation and sunbathing. The warm tropical climate and gentle sea breeze create an idyllic setting for a beach vacation.In addition to its natural beauty, the Maldives offers a unique cultural experience. The local population of about 300,000 inhabitants adds to the charm of the islands. The Maldivian people are friendly and welcoming, and visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local culture through traditional music, dance, and cuisine.How to Access Google Maps for the Maldives IslandAfter exploring the captivating charm and natural wonders of the Maldives Island chain, it's time to discover how to access Google Maps for this stunning destination. Google Maps provides a convenient and user-friendly way to navigate the Maldives Islands, whether you're seeking the best spots for underwater photography, trying to find your way around the local neighborhoods, or planning to attend cultural festivals and events.To access Google Maps for the Maldives, simply open the Google Maps website or app. Once you're there, type 'Maldives' in the search bar to locate the country on the map. From there, you can zoom in and explore the different islands, atolls, and cities that make up the Maldives.One of the most fascinating features of Google Maps is the satellite view. By using this feature, you can see the stunning natural beauty of the Maldives Islands from above. The unique arrangement of the islands and the crystal-clear turquoise waters are truly a sight to behold.Another useful tool on Google Maps is the street view function. This allows you to virtually explore the local neighborhoods, resorts, and attractions on the islands. Whether you're looking for the best place to stay or want to get a sense of the local atmosphere, street view can provide valuable insights.In addition to navigation, Google Maps also offers real-time traffic information and directions. This can be particularly helpful when exploring the Maldives Islands and trying to find the best local transportation options.So, whether you're planning an underwater photography expedition, looking to immerse yourself in the local culture at festivals and events, or simply want to navigate the islands with ease, Google Maps is an invaluable tool for your Maldives adventure. Start exploring and let Google Maps be your guide to this paradise on Earth.ProsConsUser-friendly interfaceRequires internet connectionSatellite view for stunning visualsLimited street view coverageReal-time traffic informationPossible inaccuracies in directionsExploring the Main Attractions on the Maldives IslandAs we explore the main attractions on the Maldives Island, we're greeted with a breathtaking display of natural beauty and a myriad of exciting activities to indulge in. One of the main attractions that draw visitors to this paradise is its stunning beaches. The Maldives boasts picture-perfect stretches of white sand, fringed by crystal-clear turquoise waters. The beaches here are simply unparalleled, providing the perfect setting for relaxation and tranquility.But the beauty of the Maldives doesn't stop at its shores. The underwater world surrounding the islands is equally captivating. With its vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life, the Maldives offers some of the best snorkeling and diving opportunities in the world. Exploring the underwater world is like entering a whole new realm, where colorful fish dance among the coral gardens and graceful manta rays glide effortlessly through the water. It truly is a sight to behold.Aside from the stunning beaches and the underwater world, the Maldives also offers a range of other main attractions to explore. Luxury resorts dot the islands, offering world-class amenities and the ultimate in relaxation. Indulge in spa treatments, savor delectable Indian cuisine, or simply lounge by the infinity pool, soaking up the sun and the breathtaking views.As we venture further into the Maldives Island, we discover hidden gems such as local markets, where we can immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture and pick up unique souvenirs. We can also embark on island-hopping adventures, visiting different atolls and experiencing the distinct charm and beauty of each.Navigating the Beaches and Lagoons on the Maldives IslandNavigating the beaches and lagoons on the Maldives Island is like embarking on a captivating journey through a chain of coral islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives' 26 atolls and 1190 coral islands are spread across a vast area, offering diverse beach and lagoon experiences. Here are some ways to explore these stunning landscapes:Beach Activities: The Maldives is a paradise for beach lovers. With its crystal-clear, turquoise waters and soft, white sands, you can enjoy a range of activities such as sunbathing, beach volleyball, and building sandcastles. Take a leisurely stroll along the shoreline and soak in the breathtaking views.Coral Reefs: Explore the vibrant coral reefs that surround the Maldives Islands. Go snorkeling or diving to discover an underwater world teeming with colorful fish, turtles, and other marine life. The coral reefs offer a unique opportunity to witness the beauty and diversity of the ocean firsthand.Boat Tours: Since most transportation in the Maldives is done by boat, taking a boat tour is a must-do activity. Hop on a traditional dhoni or a speedboat and cruise along the coastline, hopping from one island to another. Enjoy the cool ocean breeze and marvel at the picturesque scenery as you navigate the beaches and lagoons.Spotting Marine Life: The Maldives is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity. Keep an eye out for dolphins, manta rays, and even whale sharks. Embark on a dolphin-watching excursion or join a guided tour to witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.Exploring the beaches and lagoons on the Maldives Island is a truly unforgettable experience. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the coral islands, indulge in beach activities, and embark on boat tours to discover the wonders of this tropical paradise.Discovering the Underwater World of the Maldives IslandEmbarking on a journey beneath the surface, we venture into the captivating underwater world of the Maldives Island. With its 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, the Maldives offers a diverse array of underwater landscapes waiting to be explored. The country's capital city, Male, serves as a convenient hub for underwater excursions, with its map showcasing the intricate layout of atolls, cities, and towns, aiding in planning our underwater adventures.As we delve into the turquoise waters of the Maldives, we're greeted by an abundance of marine biodiversity. The stunning coral reefs that surround the islands provide a habitat for a wide variety of fish, turtles, and other marine creatures. Snorkeling adventures here are truly unforgettable, as we immerse ourselves in a world teeming with vibrant colors and fascinating underwater life.For those looking to capture the beauty of the underwater world, the Maldives also offers excellent opportunities for underwater photography. As we explore the coral gardens and swim alongside schools of fish, we can use these underwater photography tips to capture stunning shots: make sure to use a waterproof camera or housing, get close to your subjects to capture their details, and take advantage of natural light for vibrant and clear images.In the Maldives, the underwater world is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. With its breathtaking marine biodiversity and opportunities for snorkeling adventures and underwater photography, it's a paradise for those seeking to explore the mysteries beneath the surface. So, grab your snorkel gear and dive into the enchanting waters of the Maldives Island.Finding the Best Resorts and Accommodations on the Maldives IslandWhen it comes to finding the best resorts and accommodations on the Maldives Island, there are a few top-rated options that stand out. These resorts offer luxurious over-water villas with stunning ocean views and direct access to the water.If you're on a budget, don't worry, as there are also some great budget accommodations available that still provide a comfortable and enjoyable stay.Top-Rated Maldives ResortsTo find the best resorts and accommodations on the Maldives Island, we can explore the top-rated options that offer luxurious experiences and breathtaking views. Here are the top-rated Maldives resorts:Luxury accommodations: The Maldives is renowned for its opulent resorts that offer world-class amenities and services. From private pools to personal butlers, these resorts provide a truly indulgent experience.Beachfront villas: Imagine waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and stepping out onto your own private beach. Many of the top-rated resorts in the Maldives offer beachfront villas, allowing guests to enjoy direct access to the pristine white sands and turquoise waters.All-inclusive packages: For a hassle-free vacation, consider opting for an all-inclusive package. These packages often include meals, drinks, activities, and even spa treatments, ensuring that guests can relax and enjoy their stay without worrying about additional expenses.Breathtaking views: Whether it's a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean or a stunning sunset over the horizon, the top-rated resorts in the Maldives offer unforgettable vistas. Guests can indulge in the natural beauty of the islands from the comfort of their own luxurious accommodations.Best Budget AccommodationsAs we delve into the search for the best budget accommodations on the Maldives Island, let's uncover the hidden gems that offer affordable stays amidst the breathtaking coral islands and atolls of the Indian Ocean.The Maldives may be known for its luxury resorts, but there are also budget accommodations that provide a unique and cost-effective experience. Some of these accommodations are located on man-made islands specifically designed for tourism, offering a range of island activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and spotting marine life.However, it's important to consider the cultural experiences that come with staying in budget accommodations. Islamic cultural rules, such as restrictions on alcohol and attire, may impact the experience.Nonetheless, budget accommodations in the Maldives offer a fantastic opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the islands without breaking the bank.Exploring Local Cuisine and Dining Options on the Maldives IslandLocal cuisine on the Maldives Island offers a tantalizing fusion of Indian, Sri Lankan, and Arabian flavors, reflecting a rich culinary heritage that's sure to delight food enthusiasts. From mouthwatering Maldivian delicacies to popular seafood dishes, exploring the local cuisine provides an authentic dining experience.Here are some highlights:Maldivian Delicacies: Immerse yourself in the local culture by trying traditional Maldivian dishes. Garudhiya, a fragrant fish soup made with fresh tuna, is a must-try. The flavors of the fish, combined with aromatic spices, create a comforting and flavorful broth. Another delicacy is mas huni, a refreshing tuna and coconut salad. This dish combines flaked tuna, grated coconut, onions, chili, and lime juice, resulting in a delicious and satisfying meal.Popular Seafood Dishes: Being surrounded by the Indian Ocean, it's no surprise that seafood plays a significant role in Maldivian cuisine. Indulge in mouthwatering grilled fish, prawns, and lobster, expertly prepared by local chefs. The seafood is often seasoned with a blend of spices, giving it a unique and flavorful taste.Authentic Dining Experience: To truly experience the local cuisine, venture beyond the resorts and hotels and visit local cafes and family-run restaurants. Here, you can savor traditional Maldivian meals cooked with love and passion, providing an authentic dining experience. Interacting with the locals and witnessing their culinary traditions adds an extra layer of authenticity to your dining experience.International Dining Options: If you prefer a wider variety of culinary options, upscale resorts and hotels on the Maldives Island offer a range of international dining options. From Asian fusion to Mediterranean cuisine, you can explore different flavors and satisfy your taste buds.Whether you choose to indulge in Maldivian delicacies or explore international cuisines, the diverse dining options on the Maldives Island are sure to satisfy every palate. So, go ahead and embark on a culinary adventure that will leave you craving for more.Shopping and Souvenir Hunting on the Maldives IslandShopping on the Maldives Island is a delightful experience, offering a wide variety of handcrafted treasures and unique souvenirs waiting to be discovered. The island is home to vibrant local markets where visitors can immerse themselves in the rich culture and find authentic items that reflect the Maldivian heritage.Exploring these markets allows travelers to appreciate the traditional crafts that have been passed down through generations. One can find intricately designed wooden carvings, showcasing the skill and artistry of local artisans. These carvings often depict marine life, such as dolphins, turtles, and coral reefs, capturing the essence of the Maldives' natural beauty.For those looking to bring home a piece of Maldivian fashion, colorful sarongs are a popular choice. These garments, known as 'feyli,' are made from lightweight fabrics and feature vibrant patterns inspired by the island's flora and fauna. They're perfect for lounging on the beach or adding a touch of tropical flair to any wardrobe.Handwoven baskets made from locally sourced materials are also sought-after souvenirs. These baskets come in various sizes and shapes, making them versatile and practical for everyday use. They're a testament to the island's commitment to sustainable craftsmanship.A visit to the local markets wouldn't be complete without exploring the exquisite jewelry made from seashells and coral. These pieces are intricately designed, showcasing the natural beauty of the ocean. From necklaces and earrings to bracelets and rings, each jewelry item tells a unique story and serves as a reminder of the Maldives' breathtaking underwater world.Shopping for souvenirs in the Maldives Island isn't just about acquiring material possessions; it's an opportunity to support local craftsmanship and take home a piece of the island's soul. These authentic souvenirs serve as cherished keepsakes, reminding us of the beauty and cultural significance of the Maldives.Uncovering the Cultural and Historical Sites on the Maldives IslandNestled among the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives Island is a treasure trove of cultural and historical sites waiting to be uncovered. From ancient monuments to vibrant festivals, here are some of the highlights that showcase the rich cultural heritage of this island paradise:Cultural Preservation: The Maldives takes great pride in preserving its cultural traditions. Explore the local villages to witness traditional craftsmanship, such as intricate woodcarvings and exquisite lacquerwork. Visit the National Museum in Malé to delve into the country's history and discover artifacts that date back centuries.Historical Monuments: The Maldives is home to a number of historical monuments that offer a glimpse into its past. One such landmark is the Hukuru Miskiy, also known as the Old Friday Mosque, which is adorned with beautiful coral stone carvings. Another must-visit is the Malé Friday Mosque, an architectural marvel with its intricate coral patterns and ornate minaret.Traditional Festivals: Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of the Maldives by attending traditional festivals. The most prominent celebration is Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. Witness the joyous festivities, which include feasts, music, dance, and traditional performances. Don't miss out on the Bodu Beru, a lively drumming performance that's a hallmark of Maldivian culture.Island Excursions: While the Maldives is known for its stunning beaches and luxury resorts, the islands also offer a chance to explore the local way of life. Take a trip to a local island and experience the warmth and hospitality of the Maldivian people. Engage in activities like cooking classes, fishing trips, and cultural tours to gain a deeper understanding of the island's heritage.Uncovering the cultural and historical sites on the Maldives Island is a journey that will leave you enriched and inspired. Embark on this exploration and let the Maldives weave its captivating tales of the past.Planning a Dreamy Honeymoon on the Maldives IslandIf you're dreaming of a romantic and unforgettable honeymoon, the Maldives Island offers the perfect destination to create cherished memories that will last a lifetime. With its 1190 coral islands grouped into about 26 atolls, the Maldives provides diverse landscapes and experiences for couples seeking a dreamy getaway.When it comes to honeymoon accommodations, the Maldives boasts an array of luxury resorts and water villas that allow you to immerse yourself in the island's natural beauty. Imagine waking up to stunning views of clear green waters and experiencing the rich marine biodiversity right at your doorstep.To make your honeymoon even more special, the Maldives offers a range of romantic activities. From private beach dinners under the starlit sky to couples' spa treatments that will relax and rejuvenate you, there are plenty of options to ignite the spark of romance. Snorkeling and diving enthusiasts will be delighted by the opportunity to explore the Devata Coral Reef, known for its vibrant colors and abundant marine life.To make planning your dreamy honeymoon a breeze, many resorts in the Maldives offer honeymoon packages. These packages often include special perks such as candlelit dinners, couples' massages, and even sunset cruises. Whether you prefer a secluded and intimate experience or a more adventurous and active honeymoon, the Maldives has something for every couple.In addition to its breathtaking beauty and romantic offerings, the Maldives also provides a chance to immerse yourself in the local lifestyle. With most transportation done by boat, you'll have the opportunity to explore different islands and experience the authentic, non-touristy side of the Maldives.Tips for a Relaxing Spa and Wellness Experience on the Maldives IslandWhen it comes to finding the best spa treatments and serene wellness retreats on the Maldives Island, we've got you covered.From traditional Maldivian treatments to outdoor spa sessions with breathtaking ocean views, there are plenty of options to ensure a truly relaxing experience.Don't forget to take advantage of unique activities like underwater spa treatments or beachside massages for an extra dose of tranquility.Best Spa TreatmentsImmerse yourself in the ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation on the Maldives Island with the best spa treatments that will leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized. Here are some popular wellness activities and the benefits of holistic therapies to elevate your spa experience:Traditional Maldivian Massage: Experience a deeply relaxing treatment using coconut oil, known for its nourishing properties. This massage technique will help relieve tension and promote a sense of calm.Rejuvenating Seaweed Body Wrap: After a day of exploring the beautiful islands, indulge in a detoxifying and nourishing seaweed body wrap. This treatment will leave your skin feeling hydrated and revitalized.Luxurious Overwater Bungalow Spa: Treat yourself to a luxurious spa experience in an overwater bungalow, where you can enjoy stunning views and the soothing sounds of the ocean. Let the tranquil surroundings enhance your relaxation.Maldivian Sand Massage: Exfoliate and revitalize your skin with a Maldivian sand massage. This unique treatment promotes relaxation while leaving your skin smooth and radiant.Try these incredible spa treatments on the Maldives Island for a truly relaxing and rejuvenating experience.Serene Wellness RetreatsAre you looking for a truly relaxing and rejuvenating spa and wellness experience on the Maldives Island? Look no further than the serene wellness retreats scattered across the stunning coral islands and atolls of the Indian Ocean.These retreats offer a peaceful and tranquil environment, perfect for unwinding and finding inner peace. Immerse yourself in a range of spa treatments, from soothing massages to rejuvenating facials.Indulge in yoga retreats, where you can stretch and strengthen your body while surrounded by the beauty of nature. Practice meditation to calm your mind and find inner balance.These retreats also offer holistic healing practices, allowing you to connect with your mind, body, and spirit.Experience the ultimate relaxation and wellness getaway in the Maldives.Trying Exciting Water Sports and Activities on the Maldives IslandGet ready for an unforgettable adventure as we dive into the exhilarating world of water sports and activities on the beautiful Maldives Island. With its crystal-clear waters and stunning coral reefs, the Maldives offers a plethora of options for those seeking adrenaline pumping water sports and unforgettable experiences.Here are four exciting activities to try on the Maldives Island:Snorkeling Adventures: Immerse yourself in the vibrant underwater world of the Maldives through snorkeling. Swim alongside colorful fish, explore mesmerizing coral reefs, and witness the diverse marine life that calls these waters home. The Maldives offers numerous snorkeling spots where you can discover the beauty and tranquility of the underwater realm.Adrenaline Pumping Water Sports: If you crave excitement and thrill, the Maldives has you covered. Try your hand at jet skiing, where you can zoom across the clear blue waters, feeling the rush of the wind against your face. Or, take on the challenge of paddleboarding, parasailing, or kayaking, and experience the thrill of maneuvering through the picturesque island scenery.Romantic Sunset Cruises: For a more relaxed and romantic experience, embark on a sunset cruise. Sail into the golden hues of the setting sun, while sipping on a refreshing drink and enjoying the breathtaking views. Watch as the sky transforms into a canvas of vivid colors, creating a magical moment that will stay with you forever.Dolphin Watching and Fishing Trips: The Maldives is home to an abundance of marine life, including playful dolphins. Join a dolphin watching excursion and witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat, leaping and gliding through the waves. Alternatively, go on a fishing trip and try your luck at catching some of the local fish, adding a thrilling element to your island adventure.Whether you're seeking adrenaline or romance, the Maldives offers an array of water sports and activities to suit every preference. Dive into the clear waters and create memories that will last a lifetime.Exploring the Local Wildlife and Nature Reserves on the Maldives IslandWhat hidden treasures of wildlife and nature can be discovered on the Maldives Island? The Maldives Islands aren't only known for their stunning beaches and crystal-clear waters but also for their rich biodiversity and commitment to wildlife conservation. With several nature reserves and a strong focus on eco-tourism, exploring the local wildlife on the Maldives Island is an experience like no other.One of the must-visit places for nature enthusiasts is the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve. This UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve is home to an incredible array of marine life, including manta rays, whale sharks, and vibrant coral reefs. Snorkeling or diving in these waters allows you to witness the beauty of the underwater world while contributing to its preservation.For those interested in birdwatching, the Maldives is a paradise. The islands are a vital stopover point for many migratory birds, offering a unique opportunity to observe rare species up close. The Hulhumale Wetland, located near the capital city of Male, is a popular spot for birdwatching, with over 70 bird species calling it home.To learn more about the local flora and fauna, a visit to the Maldives Wildlife Rescue Center is a must. This center focuses on rehabilitating and releasing injured or orphaned wildlife, such as sea turtles and birds. Visitors can participate in educational programs and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of wildlife conservation.Eco-tourism is a key focus on the Maldives Island, with many resorts implementing sustainable practices and offering guided nature walks and wildlife safaris. These activities allow visitors to explore the islands' unique ecosystems while minimizing their impact on the environment.Taking a Virtual Tour of the Maldives Island's Private Islands and RetreatsEmbark on a captivating virtual journey through the private islands and retreats of the Maldives, where breathtaking natural beauty and luxurious architecture await. With the advancement of technology, accessing virtual tours of these exclusive destinations has become easier than ever before. Let's dive in and explore the wonders that await you in the Maldives:Experience luxury resorts: Through virtual tours, you can step into the world of opulence and indulgence that the Maldives is known for. Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of the private island resorts, where houses seem to float on the crystal-clear waters. Marvel at the elegant villas, complete with private pools, outdoor showers, and panoramic views of the Indian Ocean.Explore the vibrant marine life: The Maldives is renowned for its vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life. Take a virtual dive and witness the wonders of the underwater world. Swim alongside colorful fish, graceful manta rays, and even spot a majestic whale shark. These virtual tours provide an up-close encounter with the incredible marine biodiversity that surrounds the Maldives.Understand local customs: As you explore the virtual tours, you'll also gain insights into the rich cultural experiences offered by the Maldives' resorts. Learn about the Islamic customs and traditions that are an integral part of the Maldivian way of life. Discover the influence of these customs on the resorts' offerings, from traditional Maldivian cuisine to unique activities and experiences.Plan your future visit: While virtual tours provide a glimpse into the wonders of the Maldives, they also serve as a guide for planning your future visit. Take note of the resorts and retreats that capture your interest and start envisioning your dream vacation in paradise.Through accessing virtual tours, you can now indulge in the luxury, natural beauty, and local customs of the Maldives from the comfort of your own home. Start your virtual journey today and get ready to be enchanted by the wonders of this tropical paradise.Capturing Insta-Worthy Moments on the Maldives IslandAs we explore the enchanting Maldives Island, we're captivated by the countless opportunities to capture insta-worthy moments amidst its stunning natural beauty and unique experiences. From the moment we arrived, we knew that this tropical paradise was a photographer's dream.The Maldives Island offers a plethora of picturesque settings that are perfect for capturing sunset photography. Imagine standing on the soft white sand, feeling the gentle breeze on your skin, as the sky transforms into a vibrant canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples. It's a sight that will leave you in awe and your followers longing to be there with you.But the beauty of the Maldives doesn't end with its mesmerizing sunsets. Underwater photography is another must-do activity here. The crystal-clear, green waters provide the perfect backdrop for capturing vibrant coral reefs, tropical fish, and even majestic manta rays and whale sharks. Whether you're a professional photographer or just a hobbyist, the underwater world of the Maldives will leave you breathless and your camera roll full of stunning shots.In addition to its natural beauty, the Maldives Island is also known for its vibrant local festivals and events. Throughout the year, the island comes alive with celebrations of Maldivian culture, music, and dance. From the Bodu Beru festival, where locals showcase their traditional drumming skills, to the Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, there's always something happening that's worth capturing and sharing with the world.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhich Country Is Maldives Located In?Maldives is located in South Asia, in the Indian Ocean. It's a stunning country consisting of 1190 coral islands grouped into about 26 atolls.We, as travelers, are captivated by its natural beauty and isolation. The Maldives offers a unique living experience, with its beautiful coral reefs and luxury resorts.The official language spoken is Dhivehi (Mahl), and the capital city is Male. Maldives truly is a paradise on Earth.Where Is Maldives in Google Earth?When exploring the stunning beaches of Maldives, we were amazed by the crystal-clear waters and powdery white sand.Snorkeling and diving allowed us to uncover the underwater wonders of Maldives, with vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful fish and other marine life.And let's not forget about the luxury resorts in Maldives, where we indulged in world-class amenities, breathtaking views, and impeccable service.It's no wonder that Maldives is a dream destination for travelers seeking a tropical paradise.Where Is the Maldives Close To?The Maldives is close to India and Sri Lanka, making it an ideal destination for travelers looking to explore the Indian Ocean. With its stunning coral reefs, luxury resorts, and abundant marine life, the Maldives offers popular tourist attractions like swimming, snorkeling, and spotting unique sea creatures.The best time to visit is during the dry season from November to April, when the weather is sunny and the waters are calm, perfect for enjoying activities and water sports.How Many Islands Are in the Maldives?There are approximately 1,190 islands in the Maldives, making it a paradise for anyone seeking a tropical getaway.These islands offer a diverse range of tourist attractions, from stunning coral reefs to luxurious resorts.In addition to the natural beauty, the Maldives is also rich in local culture, with a 100% Islamic population.Underwater activities like swimming and snorkeling are a must-do here, as the marine life is abundant and breathtaking.ConclusionAs we explore the stunning Maldives Island on Google Maps, we're reminded of the extraordinary beauty that exists in the world.The captivating beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and diverse wildlife create a paradise that's truly awe-inspiring.Whether you're a local or a tourist, this interactive map allows you to immerse yourself in the wonders of the Maldives and discover its hidden treasures.So, grab your virtual snorkel and get ready for a journey of exploration and wonder on the Maldives Island. submitted by Sweet-Count2557 to worldkidstravel [link] [comments] |
2024.06.07 21:00 DoctorRandomman My idea of All UAF Era's Aliens fusion.
*I apologize for not providing a sketch or drawing, unfortunately my ability to draw the Omnitrix aliens and their fusions would not be sufficient for this task. However, I promise that the following description is as clear as possible:
*note while the fusion project below is entirely mine, the text itself has been revised with the help of GPT chat to improve its clarity:
Skin:
submitted by DoctorRandomman to Ben10 [link] [comments]
*note while the fusion project below is entirely mine, the text itself has been revised with the help of GPT chat to improve its clarity:
Skin:
- Red-brown mix of Fourarms and Humungousaur's color scheme.
- Fusion of Humungousaur and Fourarms' anatomy and musculature.
- Back of Head: Fusion of Big Chill's antennas and Amphibian's body structure, folding open to reveal Brainstorm's brain.
- top Front Head: Fourarms' head shape with Ultimate Waybig's fin.
- Bottom Jaw:Fusion of Ultimate Spidermonkey and Wildmutt's anatomy with orange fur and chin quills. -Left Top Half of Face:Chamalien's skin color scheme .
- -Left eyes: Chamalien's three eyes arranged like Fourarms's.
- -Right eye: Jetray's eye with Ultimate Big Chill's crest.
- Mouth: Echo Echo's mouth with Ripjaw's teeth and Upchuck's tongues.
- Fusion of Humungousaur's shape, Swampfire's vine structure, and Amphibian's body structure replacing black parts of Swampfire's body.
- Brainstorm's exoskeleton plates made of Nanomech's robotic body covering its back and sides.
- right breast: Fourarms's breast with few plates of Brainstorm's exoskeleton, ribjaws gills on the rib, and three terraspin's holes.
- Left breast :Fusion of Humungousaur's shape, Swampfire's vine structure, and Amphibian's body structure replacing black parts of Swampfire's body with few plates of cannonbolt's armorplate, ribjaws gills on the rib, and three terraspin's holes. -
- Collarbones: Armodrillo's collarbones made of Upgrade's body.
- Armor made of Clockwork's middle torso armor with collar similar to NRG's helmet, and sides similar to Nanomech's collarbone are covering a part of the breast
- Left Side: Goop's slime covered in pieces of Heatblast's volcanic rock made of Alien X's galaxy-like structure.
- Right Side:tangled Amphibian tentacles armored in Water Hazard's exoskeleton.
- Shoulder blades: fusion of Brainstorm's skull plates and Nanomech's robotic body, containing two Ultimate Echo Echo's disks.
- Lower back: Ultimate Cannonbolt's back armor made of Upgrade's body.
- Fusion of Fourarms's shape and mass with Swampfire's vines with Chromastone crystals protruding between vines.
- Diamondhead's forearms with NRG's energy form inside. It has also Eatle's horn, Rath's wrist claw, and Swampfire's vines that grew from upper part tangling whole forearm.
- Diamondhead's hand with Chromastone's fingers and NRG's energy form inside.
- Humungousaur's shoulder with Brainstorm's exoskeleton plates and Lodestar's shoulder spike.
- Armodrillo's arms made of Swampfire's vines, and covered in Cannonbolt's armor plates. It has also Way Big's forearm blade, Armodillo's piston made of Upgrade's body, and Ultimate Humungousaur's barrel,
- Swampfire's hand with Water Hazard's fingers and porthole.
- Ultimate swampfire's made of goop's slime, and covered with heatblast's volcanic rocks made of Alien X's galaxy-like body. It also has ultimate swampfire's methane bombs.
- Right Bottom Arm:
- Fusion of Water Hazard's exoskeleton and shape, Amphibian's body structure, and Lodestar's color scheme.
- Lodestar claw made of Amphibian's body covered with Water Hazard's exoskeleton with Lodestar's color scheme. It also have Shockquash's circuit bolt.
- Right Thigh: fusion of rarh musculature and Amphibian's structure with few Brainstorm's exoskeleton plates.
- Right Calf:fusion of Ultimate Wildmutt's back leg shape, andrath's musculature with cannonbolt's plates and FastTrack's spikes.
- Right Foot: Fourarms' feet with Jury Rigg's claws.
- Left Leg: Fusion of Spidermonkey's fur color, Rath's fur pattern and leg's musculature, Cannonbolt's plates, and FastTrack's spikes.
- Left Foot: Fusion of Spidermonkey's and Rath's feet with Wildmutt's claws.
- First Half: Fusion of Humungousaur's mass and musculature with Jetray's shape.
- Second Half: Fusion of Spidermonkey's color pattern and fur with Jetray's shape with Chamalien's sting.
- Left Pair: Big Chill's wings in Jetray's color scheme.
- Right Pair: Big Chill's wings frame with membrane in colors and pattern of Nanomech's wings.
- Upchuck's stomach.
- Foldable Water Hazard's hood with Upgrade's body pattern.
- four brainstorm's legs made of Nanomech's robotic body that grow from his back.
2024.06.07 20:58 Inner-Lab-123 The Piedmont
There is a strange old energy throughout the Georgia Piedmont in the foothills of the Appalachians.
The geography of the area—that which has not yet been consumed by Atlanta’s limitless growth—can be characterized by dense forests, rolling hills, and shallow red-clay valleys, punctuated by small grassy meadows. Silty rivers and small streams crisscross the landscape, often filling up the valleys to form lakes and marshes.
You are never alone in these forests, which are densely populated with wildlife of all strata. The region also hosts a large human presence, with booming sunbelt suburbs sprawling endlessly into the ancient hills.
As there are so many people in a relatively small region, it can feel difficult to escape the hustle and bustle of it all. Well-known trails close to population centers are often crowded, especially on fall weekends when the plentiful trees bloom with autumn color. I’ve been around long enough to know what hikes to avoid at certain times of year, as solitude is one of the most enticing benefits of wilderness to me. Plenty of state and natural forests, as well as expansive county nature preserves, go relatively unnoticed if they’re not among the top search results on AllTrails.
My Labrador puppy loves to accompany me on any hike. After work one day, I loaded him into the cab of my tired old pickup and drove us out to a close-by nature preserve that we frequent. The small gravel parking lot was totally empty when we arrived. The trail that we took led straight from the parking lot and was one of the most popular.
It was midsummer and I knew that there would be at least 90 minutes before sunset, but under the tree cover the landscape was already beginning to darken. As we got on our way, the roar of cicadas immediately drowned out the soft percussion of our footsteps. After crossing a whitewater creek and proceeding through a thicket of tall pines for not more than two miles, the view suddenly opens up to an expansive untamed meadow. Markings on trees along the right hand side clearly indicate where the trail resumes on the opposite corner, several hundred yards away. The majority of the meadow slopes down gradually to the left, dotted with occasional dogwoods and is sliced off sharply by another wall of old-growth pines before the bottom of the hill. Although I was familiar with the trail, I suddenly found us cutting swiftly leftward through the tall grass and down the hill toward the grove at the bottom of the meadow. Both my pup and I were drawn with urgency to this off-trail area of the preserve, and soon enough we were at the trees and taking our first steps into the dim woods.
Through the branches ahead I could see a crumbling red brick chimney, standing alone in the brush. It did not appear to be far away, but as we continued to advance toward it for several minutes, it seemed that we weren’t getting any closer.
Suddenly, a large black snake stopped us in our tracks, positioning itself as if to block us, and staring with a raised head. This is highly unusual behavior for black snakes, which are normally furtive and keep away from people. This slight shock snapped me out of my almost trancelike state, and suddenly everything felt very wrong. I took it as a sign that we were not welcome in that part of the forest and no longer wanted to investigate the chimney.
It took much longer than I expected to get back into the meadow. At this point I was drenched in sweat and my pup was panting hard, whereas not long ago we were enjoying the relatively cool summer evening. The meadow too was now dark, and when I checked my watch, I saw that we had been off trail for nearly an hour. Everything was silent—no more cicada chirping.
I’ve had similar encounters throughout the region, where the laws of space and time seem to be somehow suspended in certain areas of the backwoods. I’ve considered looking for the chimney again when I’m sure to have more daylight, but then I think about the snake’s warning and the feeling of existential dread that I felt that evening. Perhaps some things are not meant to be investigated.
submitted by Inner-Lab-123 to BackwoodsCreepy [link] [comments]
The geography of the area—that which has not yet been consumed by Atlanta’s limitless growth—can be characterized by dense forests, rolling hills, and shallow red-clay valleys, punctuated by small grassy meadows. Silty rivers and small streams crisscross the landscape, often filling up the valleys to form lakes and marshes.
You are never alone in these forests, which are densely populated with wildlife of all strata. The region also hosts a large human presence, with booming sunbelt suburbs sprawling endlessly into the ancient hills.
As there are so many people in a relatively small region, it can feel difficult to escape the hustle and bustle of it all. Well-known trails close to population centers are often crowded, especially on fall weekends when the plentiful trees bloom with autumn color. I’ve been around long enough to know what hikes to avoid at certain times of year, as solitude is one of the most enticing benefits of wilderness to me. Plenty of state and natural forests, as well as expansive county nature preserves, go relatively unnoticed if they’re not among the top search results on AllTrails.
My Labrador puppy loves to accompany me on any hike. After work one day, I loaded him into the cab of my tired old pickup and drove us out to a close-by nature preserve that we frequent. The small gravel parking lot was totally empty when we arrived. The trail that we took led straight from the parking lot and was one of the most popular.
It was midsummer and I knew that there would be at least 90 minutes before sunset, but under the tree cover the landscape was already beginning to darken. As we got on our way, the roar of cicadas immediately drowned out the soft percussion of our footsteps. After crossing a whitewater creek and proceeding through a thicket of tall pines for not more than two miles, the view suddenly opens up to an expansive untamed meadow. Markings on trees along the right hand side clearly indicate where the trail resumes on the opposite corner, several hundred yards away. The majority of the meadow slopes down gradually to the left, dotted with occasional dogwoods and is sliced off sharply by another wall of old-growth pines before the bottom of the hill. Although I was familiar with the trail, I suddenly found us cutting swiftly leftward through the tall grass and down the hill toward the grove at the bottom of the meadow. Both my pup and I were drawn with urgency to this off-trail area of the preserve, and soon enough we were at the trees and taking our first steps into the dim woods.
Through the branches ahead I could see a crumbling red brick chimney, standing alone in the brush. It did not appear to be far away, but as we continued to advance toward it for several minutes, it seemed that we weren’t getting any closer.
Suddenly, a large black snake stopped us in our tracks, positioning itself as if to block us, and staring with a raised head. This is highly unusual behavior for black snakes, which are normally furtive and keep away from people. This slight shock snapped me out of my almost trancelike state, and suddenly everything felt very wrong. I took it as a sign that we were not welcome in that part of the forest and no longer wanted to investigate the chimney.
It took much longer than I expected to get back into the meadow. At this point I was drenched in sweat and my pup was panting hard, whereas not long ago we were enjoying the relatively cool summer evening. The meadow too was now dark, and when I checked my watch, I saw that we had been off trail for nearly an hour. Everything was silent—no more cicada chirping.
I’ve had similar encounters throughout the region, where the laws of space and time seem to be somehow suspended in certain areas of the backwoods. I’ve considered looking for the chimney again when I’m sure to have more daylight, but then I think about the snake’s warning and the feeling of existential dread that I felt that evening. Perhaps some things are not meant to be investigated.
2024.06.07 20:57 notRadar_ bikini bottom rule
 | submitted by notRadar_ to 196 [link] [comments] |
2024.06.07 20:57 lukexsc [AA4A] Heir & Assassin [Part 5] - From Dying in a Ditch to Saving the Day [Assassin Listener] [Royal Speaker] [Fantasy] [Slow Burn] [Enemies to Lovers] [Political Intrigue] [Secret Identity]
Part 1 — link Part 2 — link Part 3 — link Part 4 — link
The penultimate script! And the climax of the story. We'll conclude next time with the heartfelt dénouement. Only one editing phase left. I can't wait to be done with this series, haha.
Remember that this script has two speakers, the Heir and the Contact. The Contact will show up in the last script, but only briefly.
Feel free to record, monetize, and/or modify as long as you give credit.
And any sort of constructive critique or feedback is welcome!
Wordcount: 2000
Setting: The first half is spent with the listener laying in a ditch in the streets outside the summit. Then the Contact drags them to a nearby stable. Finally, the heir's public execution in an inappropriately well-appointed garden within the summit.
Summary: There you are, bleeding in a ditch. The heir is gone. Off on a fool's errand to save the King and Queen. The Republic has outplayed you all. But someone is getting closer. And they're cursing your name in a familiar voice. Maybe there is a chance to set things right. You did not come without contingencies.
(Listener's contact rushes from the summit through the streets, getting closer)
[Contact]
[Sarcastic] Sure. Just leave me behind. That's fine. Don't worry about your fellow agent or anything. The summit fucking implodes and you up and vanish. Fantastic timing. Just—
(Sees the listener) Oh shit!
(Rushes over) Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Are you alive?
...
Heartbeat. You lucky bastard. Left bleeding in a gutter and you pull through. Eh. Mostly.
That's a lot of bloody bandages. I guess someone took pity on you. Didn't stick around though. Whoever it was, you owe them your miserable life. But I can't afford to be nice.
Come on, wake up! Don't pull this with me. I can see your eyes are open. I know you can hear me.
Rise and fucking shine!
...
Finally. Yep, yep, can we speed up the whole delirious act? We need to move. Soldiers are looking for us.
...
Uh, no. I don't know what happened to you. Mainly because you abandoned me. Remember that? But I'm generous: water, bridge, you get it. Want to repay me? Then get over your flesh wound, stand up, and get moving. It's just a scratch. If you can't handle that, I will bail on you.
...
An arrow? Fine. That would explain all the blood. But it doesn't matter. Last I checked you were a Dominion assassin. With that injury you could march ten miles through a blizzard. Barefoot. Try harder.
But this isn't about pain, is it? This is about morale. You're at rock bottom. Not to mention exhausted. But you had your little nap. Take your second wind and get on your feet.
Grab my hand. Up you go. There. Steady. I got your arm. Here, lean on my shoulder.
You should be thankful I came back for you.
...
Why?! I'm saving your life, and you ask why? Wow. Do you not trust me? Talk about ungrateful.
Didn't I tell you before? My job is to get us—both of us—out of here alive. 'Cause when shit like this happens, we can't survive on our own. We're a team, like it or not.
Come on, there's a stable up ahead. Saw a couple horses we can steal. Just one step at a time.
...
Those bandages, that wasn't you. Remember who it was? If someone knows where we are—
...
The royal heir?! You didn't kill them?!
...
You—ugh, no. You're right, it doesn't matter now. I didn't think the Republic could pull off a real coup. Nobody else did either, apparently. Doesn't make me feel less stupid.
There's some good news though. It's obvious we aren't to blame. When we get back home, our superiors probably won't have us killed. If we get home.
Wait... where's the heir then?
...
Ah... I get it. Found out our plan, huh? Considering the circumstances, you really are a lucky bastard. By all rights, you should have a lot more bloody holes. Looks like your unprofessional fondness for the target was returned.
Shame about the whole thing. The assassination plot, I mean. A job's a job. And aristocrats certainly don't deserve an exception. But this one was different. Your little royal might be the only noble I can believe is, you know, noble. 'Specially riding off to go die.
...
No, I didn't see anything. Don't think I need to. Soldiers have been searching for any loose nobles. But there aren't any around here. If I were putting down money, I'd say the Republic finished their collection.
...
I didn't say dead.
Actually, things calmed down after the initial attack. They're being all... "Republic-y" about the whole thing. Acting like they're doing the Kingdom a favor. I slipped away when their newly wed was blathering on and on about the "tragic necessity of their actions". Blegh.
All that to say, they got the King and Queen chained up. The execution won't be for a while. Not until they're good and ready. But they have the heir now. The Republic may be full of windbags, but this is an opportunity they won't waste. The royal family has about a day left to live.
(Arrive at a small stable with a couple horses)
Speaking of living, we're here. Our four-hoofed tickets to freedom.
Huh. Someone must have been in a hurry; they're saddled and ready. Doesn't bode well for their owner, but good for us. Let's go. I'll help you up.
...
Quit stalling. The Republic is still hunting us.
...
I'm sorry? Save who?
...
No! Absolutely fucking not! We are the ones who need to be saved. And we have our exit right here. You have no obligation to rescue the heir. Your job was the exact opposite. Did you forget?
...
I saved your life. You shouldn't throw it away over some bandages. Especially for someone who hates your guts now.
...
You know what? I gave you three chances. I'm not staying here to die. Listen to me. We don't need to make it all the way home. Our forces are stationed nearby. All we have to do is ride 'till we reach them and then—
—What?
...
Yes, Dominion troops are still in the area. You should know that. What does it matter?
...
The plan's already gone sideways. Calling them in won't do any good. Remember, they were supposed to be the backup coup in case the Kingdom figured out the plan. But the Republic struck first. I don't see how bloodshed helps us here.
...
Wait. Are you serious? You want our military to save the Kingdom.
This is... making a disturbing amount of sense. Let me talk through this.
I call in the cavalry to free the Kingdom from the Republic. That unifies Dominion and Kingdom against the Republic despite what our leaders think. The Dominion gets the war they want, and the Kingdom gets to make peace with one of their neighbors. And the powers will balance out...
Still sounds crazy. But it's better than the Republic controlling the Kingdom.
...
There's one problem: we can only ride so fast. If the royal family dies before we return, this will all be for nothing. Even worse, we'll have a war on two fronts.
...
You're staying? The blood on your chest is still wet. What are you going to do?
...
(Long sigh) Fine. Save the heir. I knew you were too sentimental for this job. We need you to go all-out. If this is what it takes, do it. Cut them to ribbons.
If I run this horse ragged, I'll be back before dawn. Hopefully, with a small army in tow. That's your timeline.
...
Good luck you lunatic. You better be alive when I get back, both of you. This better be love. If I did all just for you to die tragically, I swear I'll—
I'm going, I'm going!
Do your job this time!
(Contact rides off)
... ... ...
(The heir gives a speech to the Republic forces before their execution)
[Heir]
(Indignant) Very well. If my spouse says that these are my last words, I will heed the threat.
I know my voice will fall on deaf ears. A court of Republic sycophants and Kingdom traitors is hardly worthy to witness the death of a lineage. But they will serve their purpose. As will I. Willing or not.
But know this: the Kingdom will not bow to your tricks. My people will never surrender. Take the crown and they will rip it from your head. Take the throne and they will topple it. You may think you've won but rebellion will smolder under our ashes.
You posture yourselves as "liberators", yet you would kill me in front of my parents? Your cruelty betrays your fecklessness!
(The heir's spouse hits them)
...
(Deep breaths) What's the matter, my love? Was execution insufficient? You needed to strike me yourself. Are you so thin-skinned, even in triumph? I can't believe I married someone so pathetic.
...
Your words would sting if I had heart left to break. Let's finish this. I have nothing more to say to you all.
Mother, Father... I'm sorry.
...
You needn't be shy, executioner. My neck is there for the—
(The listener swoops in, subduing the heir's spouse and the executioner)
It... it's you. What are... Did you just stab my partner?
...
Not a complaint, just a question.
...
You didn't kill them, did you?
...
Good, a hostage will make this easier. However, we are surrounded by Republic soldiers. Did you have a scheme to survive the stalemate? An escape plan?
...
The Dominion?! I... that's right! The papers said a company of soldiers were stationed nearby. It slipped my mind. You called them to aid us?
...
How can I trust you? I will admit, you saved my life. But what's to say you aren't manipulating me again? I'm sick of being a pawn.
...
I see. The Republic hardly needs to be framed now. And coming to our aid will require your leaders to ally with us. That... I think that would work!
One moment.
(The heir addresses the crowd)
Agents of the Republic. The execution of my family will be indefinitely postponed. Before you seek to retaliate my... my guardian has my darling spouse at the point of a knife. Furthermore, you have fallen into our trap. The unified forces of the Kingdom and Dominion will soon arrive to liberate us.
I would advise you all to surrender now.
...
(Back to the listener)
What? It was only a slight exaggeration. A little fib to make this go more smoothly. See, they're cowering already. We've won. Now, keep your eye on the Republic's soon-to-be divorcée.
(Heir rushes over to their parents)
Mother, Father, are you alright? Please forgive me for returning. I know you'd prefer my escape, but I couldn't let you die. I was overwhelmed and felt like I had no one I could trust and—
...
Yes, I'm fine. Shaken, but fine. I am much better now that we are all safe. Thanks to my guardian here.
...
Correct, from the caravan. The one who escorted me home after my "escapade" in the capital.
...
F-fond of them?! I—ahem—I must have given the wrong impression if you recall them as "the one I'm fond of". We don't have time for teasing. We must secure ourselves for when the Dominion forces arrive.
...
How did I know? Oh... uh... well. It's a bit complicated.
(Deep breath) My guardian discovered a plot by the Dominion to kill me. It was to pit us against the Republic, but it turns out they did not need the help. The Dominion posted a reserve force nearby as a precautionary measure. Now they are being called to aid us instead. Is that sufficient?
...
Right, we'll speak afterwards. Please, take command. I'm quite spent. If you don't mind, I'll rest over here.
(The king and queen leave)
...
You have not yet assuaged all my fears of betrayal, still... thank you. I believe I treated you worse than I ought. But, to learn that you—above all others—betrayed me... and the idea of losing my parents... it was too much to bear.
...
Yes, above all others. You heard what the King and Queen said. There was a reason I was so open with you on the road. And why I lied to them about your plot.
My feelings are confused and stormy. But when all of this is over, I would speak with you. I may have shielded you for now, but there is much to discuss regarding the future of our three nations.
...
Good. Now... be honest. How unbecoming would it be if I kicked my traitorous spouse?
...
(Sigh) You are correct. Why must it be so hard to win with grace?
I will let justice take its course. Nothing left to do now but wait. Please, keep watch over me. I am too tired to sit patiently.
submitted by lukexsc to ASMRScriptHaven [link] [comments]
The penultimate script! And the climax of the story. We'll conclude next time with the heartfelt dénouement. Only one editing phase left. I can't wait to be done with this series, haha.
Remember that this script has two speakers, the Heir and the Contact. The Contact will show up in the last script, but only briefly.
Feel free to record, monetize, and/or modify as long as you give credit.
And any sort of constructive critique or feedback is welcome!
Wordcount: 2000
Setting: The first half is spent with the listener laying in a ditch in the streets outside the summit. Then the Contact drags them to a nearby stable. Finally, the heir's public execution in an inappropriately well-appointed garden within the summit.
Summary: There you are, bleeding in a ditch. The heir is gone. Off on a fool's errand to save the King and Queen. The Republic has outplayed you all. But someone is getting closer. And they're cursing your name in a familiar voice. Maybe there is a chance to set things right. You did not come without contingencies.
[Contact]
[Sarcastic] Sure. Just leave me behind. That's fine. Don't worry about your fellow agent or anything. The summit fucking implodes and you up and vanish. Fantastic timing. Just—
(Sees the listener) Oh shit!
(Rushes over) Hey. Hey! Can you hear me? Are you alive?
...
Heartbeat. You lucky bastard. Left bleeding in a gutter and you pull through. Eh. Mostly.
That's a lot of bloody bandages. I guess someone took pity on you. Didn't stick around though. Whoever it was, you owe them your miserable life. But I can't afford to be nice.
Come on, wake up! Don't pull this with me. I can see your eyes are open. I know you can hear me.
Rise and fucking shine!
...
Finally. Yep, yep, can we speed up the whole delirious act? We need to move. Soldiers are looking for us.
...
Uh, no. I don't know what happened to you. Mainly because you abandoned me. Remember that? But I'm generous: water, bridge, you get it. Want to repay me? Then get over your flesh wound, stand up, and get moving. It's just a scratch. If you can't handle that, I will bail on you.
...
An arrow? Fine. That would explain all the blood. But it doesn't matter. Last I checked you were a Dominion assassin. With that injury you could march ten miles through a blizzard. Barefoot. Try harder.
But this isn't about pain, is it? This is about morale. You're at rock bottom. Not to mention exhausted. But you had your little nap. Take your second wind and get on your feet.
Grab my hand. Up you go. There. Steady. I got your arm. Here, lean on my shoulder.
You should be thankful I came back for you.
...
Why?! I'm saving your life, and you ask why? Wow. Do you not trust me? Talk about ungrateful.
Didn't I tell you before? My job is to get us—both of us—out of here alive. 'Cause when shit like this happens, we can't survive on our own. We're a team, like it or not.
Come on, there's a stable up ahead. Saw a couple horses we can steal. Just one step at a time.
...
Those bandages, that wasn't you. Remember who it was? If someone knows where we are—
...
The royal heir?! You didn't kill them?!
...
You—ugh, no. You're right, it doesn't matter now. I didn't think the Republic could pull off a real coup. Nobody else did either, apparently. Doesn't make me feel less stupid.
There's some good news though. It's obvious we aren't to blame. When we get back home, our superiors probably won't have us killed. If we get home.
Wait... where's the heir then?
...
Ah... I get it. Found out our plan, huh? Considering the circumstances, you really are a lucky bastard. By all rights, you should have a lot more bloody holes. Looks like your unprofessional fondness for the target was returned.
Shame about the whole thing. The assassination plot, I mean. A job's a job. And aristocrats certainly don't deserve an exception. But this one was different. Your little royal might be the only noble I can believe is, you know, noble. 'Specially riding off to go die.
...
No, I didn't see anything. Don't think I need to. Soldiers have been searching for any loose nobles. But there aren't any around here. If I were putting down money, I'd say the Republic finished their collection.
...
I didn't say dead.
Actually, things calmed down after the initial attack. They're being all... "Republic-y" about the whole thing. Acting like they're doing the Kingdom a favor. I slipped away when their newly wed was blathering on and on about the "tragic necessity of their actions". Blegh.
All that to say, they got the King and Queen chained up. The execution won't be for a while. Not until they're good and ready. But they have the heir now. The Republic may be full of windbags, but this is an opportunity they won't waste. The royal family has about a day left to live.
(Arrive at a small stable with a couple horses)
Speaking of living, we're here. Our four-hoofed tickets to freedom.
Huh. Someone must have been in a hurry; they're saddled and ready. Doesn't bode well for their owner, but good for us. Let's go. I'll help you up.
...
Quit stalling. The Republic is still hunting us.
...
I'm sorry? Save who?
...
No! Absolutely fucking not! We are the ones who need to be saved. And we have our exit right here. You have no obligation to rescue the heir. Your job was the exact opposite. Did you forget?
...
I saved your life. You shouldn't throw it away over some bandages. Especially for someone who hates your guts now.
...
You know what? I gave you three chances. I'm not staying here to die. Listen to me. We don't need to make it all the way home. Our forces are stationed nearby. All we have to do is ride 'till we reach them and then—
—What?
...
Yes, Dominion troops are still in the area. You should know that. What does it matter?
...
The plan's already gone sideways. Calling them in won't do any good. Remember, they were supposed to be the backup coup in case the Kingdom figured out the plan. But the Republic struck first. I don't see how bloodshed helps us here.
...
Wait. Are you serious? You want our military to save the Kingdom.
This is... making a disturbing amount of sense. Let me talk through this.
I call in the cavalry to free the Kingdom from the Republic. That unifies Dominion and Kingdom against the Republic despite what our leaders think. The Dominion gets the war they want, and the Kingdom gets to make peace with one of their neighbors. And the powers will balance out...
Still sounds crazy. But it's better than the Republic controlling the Kingdom.
...
There's one problem: we can only ride so fast. If the royal family dies before we return, this will all be for nothing. Even worse, we'll have a war on two fronts.
...
You're staying? The blood on your chest is still wet. What are you going to do?
...
(Long sigh) Fine. Save the heir. I knew you were too sentimental for this job. We need you to go all-out. If this is what it takes, do it. Cut them to ribbons.
If I run this horse ragged, I'll be back before dawn. Hopefully, with a small army in tow. That's your timeline.
...
Good luck you lunatic. You better be alive when I get back, both of you. This better be love. If I did all just for you to die tragically, I swear I'll—
I'm going, I'm going!
Do your job this time!
(Contact rides off)
... ... ...
(The heir gives a speech to the Republic forces before their execution)
[Heir]
(Indignant) Very well. If my spouse says that these are my last words, I will heed the threat.
I know my voice will fall on deaf ears. A court of Republic sycophants and Kingdom traitors is hardly worthy to witness the death of a lineage. But they will serve their purpose. As will I. Willing or not.
But know this: the Kingdom will not bow to your tricks. My people will never surrender. Take the crown and they will rip it from your head. Take the throne and they will topple it. You may think you've won but rebellion will smolder under our ashes.
You posture yourselves as "liberators", yet you would kill me in front of my parents? Your cruelty betrays your fecklessness!
(The heir's spouse hits them)
...
(Deep breaths) What's the matter, my love? Was execution insufficient? You needed to strike me yourself. Are you so thin-skinned, even in triumph? I can't believe I married someone so pathetic.
...
Your words would sting if I had heart left to break. Let's finish this. I have nothing more to say to you all.
Mother, Father... I'm sorry.
...
You needn't be shy, executioner. My neck is there for the—
(The listener swoops in, subduing the heir's spouse and the executioner)
It... it's you. What are... Did you just stab my partner?
...
Not a complaint, just a question.
...
You didn't kill them, did you?
...
Good, a hostage will make this easier. However, we are surrounded by Republic soldiers. Did you have a scheme to survive the stalemate? An escape plan?
...
The Dominion?! I... that's right! The papers said a company of soldiers were stationed nearby. It slipped my mind. You called them to aid us?
...
How can I trust you? I will admit, you saved my life. But what's to say you aren't manipulating me again? I'm sick of being a pawn.
...
I see. The Republic hardly needs to be framed now. And coming to our aid will require your leaders to ally with us. That... I think that would work!
One moment.
(The heir addresses the crowd)
Agents of the Republic. The execution of my family will be indefinitely postponed. Before you seek to retaliate my... my guardian has my darling spouse at the point of a knife. Furthermore, you have fallen into our trap. The unified forces of the Kingdom and Dominion will soon arrive to liberate us.
I would advise you all to surrender now.
...
(Back to the listener)
What? It was only a slight exaggeration. A little fib to make this go more smoothly. See, they're cowering already. We've won. Now, keep your eye on the Republic's soon-to-be divorcée.
(Heir rushes over to their parents)
Mother, Father, are you alright? Please forgive me for returning. I know you'd prefer my escape, but I couldn't let you die. I was overwhelmed and felt like I had no one I could trust and—
...
Yes, I'm fine. Shaken, but fine. I am much better now that we are all safe. Thanks to my guardian here.
...
Correct, from the caravan. The one who escorted me home after my "escapade" in the capital.
...
F-fond of them?! I—ahem—I must have given the wrong impression if you recall them as "the one I'm fond of". We don't have time for teasing. We must secure ourselves for when the Dominion forces arrive.
...
How did I know? Oh... uh... well. It's a bit complicated.
(Deep breath) My guardian discovered a plot by the Dominion to kill me. It was to pit us against the Republic, but it turns out they did not need the help. The Dominion posted a reserve force nearby as a precautionary measure. Now they are being called to aid us instead. Is that sufficient?
...
Right, we'll speak afterwards. Please, take command. I'm quite spent. If you don't mind, I'll rest over here.
(The king and queen leave)
...
You have not yet assuaged all my fears of betrayal, still... thank you. I believe I treated you worse than I ought. But, to learn that you—above all others—betrayed me... and the idea of losing my parents... it was too much to bear.
...
Yes, above all others. You heard what the King and Queen said. There was a reason I was so open with you on the road. And why I lied to them about your plot.
My feelings are confused and stormy. But when all of this is over, I would speak with you. I may have shielded you for now, but there is much to discuss regarding the future of our three nations.
...
Good. Now... be honest. How unbecoming would it be if I kicked my traitorous spouse?
...
(Sigh) You are correct. Why must it be so hard to win with grace?
I will let justice take its course. Nothing left to do now but wait. Please, keep watch over me. I am too tired to sit patiently.
2024.06.07 20:56 edwards706 [WTS] G-Shock GW-6900 Solar/Multiband 6 (Atomic)
Timestamp
Photos and video
Excellent condition G-Shock GW-6900. Popular 6900 series with the GW indicating solar charging (essentially never need to change the battery) and Multiband 6 which syncs the time to the atomic clock every night. Watch has been worn, but is in excellent condition. No scratches to the crystal or case, and only the lightest evidence of being worn on the resin strap. I love the 6900 series with it's 3 eyes, particularly the GW models, but this is a duplicate to my collection and I'd rather move it on in search of something else. Watch was manufactured November 11th 2022 according to the serial number. Would consider trades on a GW-5000u or other 6900 series, but am picky about condition.
No box/papers, just the watch. I pack well and ship within 24 hours. I have 200+ confirmed trades on Knife_Swap . Prefer chats to messages.
SV: $65 shipped - Prefer Zelle, PP F&F, Venmo feeless.
submitted by edwards706 to EDCexchange [link] [comments]
Photos and video
Excellent condition G-Shock GW-6900. Popular 6900 series with the GW indicating solar charging (essentially never need to change the battery) and Multiband 6 which syncs the time to the atomic clock every night. Watch has been worn, but is in excellent condition. No scratches to the crystal or case, and only the lightest evidence of being worn on the resin strap. I love the 6900 series with it's 3 eyes, particularly the GW models, but this is a duplicate to my collection and I'd rather move it on in search of something else. Watch was manufactured November 11th 2022 according to the serial number. Would consider trades on a GW-5000u or other 6900 series, but am picky about condition.
No box/papers, just the watch. I pack well and ship within 24 hours. I have 200+ confirmed trades on Knife_Swap . Prefer chats to messages.
SV: $65 shipped - Prefer Zelle, PP F&F, Venmo feeless.
2024.06.07 20:55 _thisisntmyrealname Waiting for the Crystal Version
After months of drooling over the A6X2, I finally bought the crystal version earlier this month. I know the website says that it will ship sometime in June, but I'm wondering if there are any SN folks here who could give me a better idea. Will it be a few weeks, or is this all entirely dependent on manufacturing? I'm in US, for what it's worth.
I can only watch so many YouTube videos about it, I'm so excited to get my hands on it! I know it'll be worth the wait :)
submitted by _thisisntmyrealname to Supernote [link] [comments]
I can only watch so many YouTube videos about it, I'm so excited to get my hands on it! I know it'll be worth the wait :)
2024.06.07 20:54 best_testimonials Case Study Video: How It Can Boost Your Marketing Strategy
In today's world, consumers are more conscious of where they spend their money.
They conduct extensive research before making a purchase, with 53% of buyers saying they always do research before buying to ensure they are making the best possible choice.
This is where case study video production comes in. According to a study by Google, case study videos help increase trust and can ultimately result in more sales for businesses.
In this article, we will explore how to create a case study video in just 10 simple steps. We will take a look at what a case study video is, its benefits, and six top examples of case study videos. By following these steps, businesses can create effective case study videos that can help increase consumer trust and ultimately lead to more sales.
Creating a case study video adds authenticity and credibility to your brand, which can increase trust among leads and help convert them into new customers.
Creating relatable case study videos that aren't overly salesy can help businesses build a stronger bond with their customers. This can encourage customers to spend more, stay loyal, and give positive word-of-mouth marketing.
When viewers see someone they can identify with in a case study video, it makes them think, "huh, if that happened for them then maybe it can happen for me." The more confident people feel in a brand, the more likely they are to buy from that brand.
Creating case study videos on video apps like TikTok is also a possibility. The better a video looks, the more credibility it will have, but even simple case study videos can be effective.
In conclusion, case study videos offer many benefits to businesses. They can increase trust and credibility, relate to customers, boost sales, be easy and inexpensive to make, and strengthen relationships with existing customers. By incorporating case study videos into their marketing strategy, businesses can create authentic and relatable evergreen content that is customer-centric and emotionally connects with their target audience.
By following these 10 steps, you can create a compelling case study video that engages your target audience, showcases your product or service, and drives sales.
These top examples of case study videos showcase the different approaches to creating a compelling and effective case study video. From using animation to emphasizing the role of the customer, these videos demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a great case study video.
submitted by best_testimonials to videoproductionguides [link] [comments]
They conduct extensive research before making a purchase, with 53% of buyers saying they always do research before buying to ensure they are making the best possible choice.
This is where case study video production comes in. According to a study by Google, case study videos help increase trust and can ultimately result in more sales for businesses.
In this article, we will explore how to create a case study video in just 10 simple steps. We will take a look at what a case study video is, its benefits, and six top examples of case study videos. By following these steps, businesses can create effective case study videos that can help increase consumer trust and ultimately lead to more sales.
Key Takeaways
- Case study videos can help increase consumer trust and lead to more sales.
- Creating a case study video involves 10 simple steps.
- By following these steps, businesses can create effective case study videos that can help increase consumer trust and ultimately lead to more sales.
What is a Case Study Video?
A case study video is a type of video that showcases real customer success stories to demonstrate the value of a company's products or services. It is a powerful marketing tool that can be used to sell to potential customers and retain current ones. Unlike written case studies, video case studies allow viewers to see and hear firsthand how a company's products or services have helped a customer achieve their goals. Creating case study videos requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the final product effectively communicates the customer's story and the value of the company's offerings.Case study video benefits
Case study videos are an excellent tool for businesses to showcase their customer success stories. These videos can be used in various marketing campaigns to attract new customers, strengthen relationships with existing ones, and increase brand awareness. Here are five benefits of creating case study videos:1. Increase trust & credibility
Trust and credibility are essential for any business to succeed, and case study videos can help increase both. According to a study by Accenture, trust is as important as growth and profitability when it comes to the financial health of a company. This is especially important for younger generations, as 42% of Gen Z and 30% of millennials do not trust the average American company, according to a study by Morning Consult.Creating a case study video adds authenticity and credibility to your brand, which can increase trust among leads and help convert them into new customers.
2. Relate to your customers
Customers want to feel connected to the brands they use, and case study videos can help businesses achieve this. A survey of 1,000 consumers by Sprout Social found that 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them. When asked to rank which channels brands should use to create the best opportunity to connect with customers, video came in 2nd place (beaten only by social media).Creating relatable case study videos that aren't overly salesy can help businesses build a stronger bond with their customers. This can encourage customers to spend more, stay loyal, and give positive word-of-mouth marketing.
3. Boost sales
Case study videos showcase the benefits that a business has given to one of its happiest customers, which can help boost sales. According to Video Marketing Statistics 2022, 2 out of 3 people say they'd be more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product, or service had helped another person like them.When viewers see someone they can identify with in a case study video, it makes them think, "huh, if that happened for them then maybe it can happen for me." The more confident people feel in a brand, the more likely they are to buy from that brand.
4. They're easy & inexpensive to make
Case study videos don't have to be expensive or complicated to make. They can be created with just a smartphone and some simple editing software. Even with B-roll footage added, case study videos are still much quicker, easier, and cost-effective than most other types of videos.Creating case study videos on video apps like TikTok is also a possibility. The better a video looks, the more credibility it will have, but even simple case study videos can be effective.
5. Strengthen your relationship with existing customers
Creating case study videos can also help businesses strengthen their relationships with existing customers. When a happy customer agrees to take part in a case study video, it shows belief and loyalty for the brand. The process of creating a video together can strengthen the relationship even more and could result in the customer becoming an even bigger fan of the company.In conclusion, case study videos offer many benefits to businesses. They can increase trust and credibility, relate to customers, boost sales, be easy and inexpensive to make, and strengthen relationships with existing customers. By incorporating case study videos into their marketing strategy, businesses can create authentic and relatable evergreen content that is customer-centric and emotionally connects with their target audience.
How to Create a Case Study Video in 10 Steps
Creating a case study video can be an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service. By highlighting a customer's success story, you can demonstrate how your business can help others overcome similar challenges. Here are 10 steps to creating a successful case study video:1. Decide on a Goal
Before creating a case study video, it's essential to establish a clear goal. While the ultimate objective may be to increase sales, it's important to drill down deeper and identify specific hurdles you're trying to overcome. Consider what the biggest barrier to purchase is for your product or service and use the case study video to eliminate those doubts.2. Identify Your Target Audience
In addition to defining a goal, it's crucial to identify your target audience and keep them in mind throughout the development process. Consider what motivates your target audience, what's important to them, and what they want to know. By keeping these factors in mind, you can craft your video to speak directly to your target audience and increase your chances of success.3. Choose the Right Customer
Selecting the right customer for your case study video is critical. Rather than choosing your happiest, most complimentary customer, select a customer whose journey best fits the narrative you're trying to create. Approach your customer politely with an email or a friendly chat and ask if they'd like to be in your video. Make it easy for them to say yes by letting them choose a convenient time and offering to cover travel expenses if required.4. Write a Script
Crafting a script is essential to creating a roadmap for your video. While it's not necessary to write everything down word-for-word, having a script will help you guide the day of shooting and create the bare bones of a narrative for your video. Outline the customer's problem, explain how your company helped them, and round off with key benefits.5. Add Stats Where Possible
When discussing the benefits that your company has brought to the case study customer, stats and figures can help. Solid figures that show a clear benefit will make it easier for buyers to present your case study video to their employer and say "we need this." Invest in research to find tangible figures that prove the benefit of your product or service to improve your credibility with viewers.6. Find the Perfect Location
The setting of your video can make a significant difference to the viewer experience. Choose a location that matches the look and feel you want to portray in your video and is convenient for everyone to get to. Most great testimonial videos will have a couple of establishing shots to set the scene, so don't underestimate the power of a great setting.7. Create a Shot List
A shot list is a document that maps out each scene you want to see in your video. Creating a shot list will help your day of shooting go more efficiently. It's especially important if you're handing over the responsibility to an external film crew. A shot list will ensure you get all of the shots you need for your video without forgetting anything.8. Shoot Your Video!
Set up your cameras, grab your script and your shot list, and make sure you get everything you need. Make sure your customer feels comfortable, and take the time to break the ice and calm their nerves. Patience is key here – if you give your customer the time they need to feel comfortable, your case study video will look much better.9. Edit Your Video
Editing can make a significant difference to your video. A great edit that cuts between different camera angles and shots, includes a fitting soundtrack, and maybe even some title slides or animations that help to emphasize certain points will really elevate your video. Edit your video in a way that will increase viewer engagement.10. Share Your Video
Once you're happy with your video, it's time to share it with the world. Create a specific landing page on your site for your case study videos, and post your video on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The more places you post, the more views you're likely to get.By following these 10 steps, you can create a compelling case study video that engages your target audience, showcases your product or service, and drives sales.
6 Top examples of case study videos(UPDATED)
1. Wolt – Get Camera Crew
Wolt's case study video demonstrates that authenticity is key to creating an engaging and effective video.2. Google Ads – Chuckling Goat
Chuckling Goat's case study video is a perfect example of how to create a captivating video. It has all the ingredients needed to make an amazing video, from gorgeous establishing shots to a light-hearted joke at the end. The video allows Chuckling Goat to tell its story before weaving Google Ads into the narrative naturally. The animated graphic that accompanies the growth facilitated by Google Ads is a great touch.3. Zoom – Customer Stories
Zoom's case study video showcases that you don't need to focus on just one customer to create a great video. Instead, Zoom decided to feature multiple customers, resulting in a cool and varied collection of benefits that Zoom has brought to different customers. What's more, all the customers appear to have recorded their portion of the video using Zoom, which is a nice touch.4. Samsung – Superdry
Samsung's case study video for Superdry Norway is visually stunning. The opening timelapse of Norway is crystal clear and sets the scene perfectly. As we get into the meat of the video, it's great to hear what the Superdry staff have to say about the Samsung screens while we (as the viewers) get to see them in action.5. Hubspot – Avison Young
Avison Young's case study video demonstrates the impressive results of its partnership with HubSpot. The video does an excellent job of laying out the customer's initial problem before introducing HubSpot as the perfect solution. The title of the video includes the impressive results of Avison Young's partnership with HubSpot, which encourages viewers to keep watching to find out how that happened.6. Claranet – Pets at Home
Claranet's case study video for Pets at Home is heartwarming and engaging. The video manages to keep viewer attention with help from a heartwarming soundtrack and clips of various cute animals. The video also uses animation to emphasize the role that Claranet has played in helping Pets at Home to grow.These top examples of case study videos showcase the different approaches to creating a compelling and effective case study video. From using animation to emphasizing the role of the customer, these videos demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating a great case study video.
Final Thoughts
Creating a case study or testimonial video can greatly enhance a brand's credibility. Companies can use these videos to showcase their success stories and how their products or services have helped their customers. Whether it's for iOS, Android, PC, or Slack users, a well-crafted video can be a valuable marketing tool.2024.06.07 20:47 GoAheadMMDay Warnings of 911 in Back To The Future
 | Marty brings his hands to his mouth and shouts out loud, “I have to tell you about the future!” submitted by GoAheadMMDay to conspiracy_posts [link] [comments] The creators of Back To The Future said the same thing. \"I have to tell you about the future!\" It was known The destruction of New York's Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 was not a surprise attack. The plan for 911 was known two decades before, as far back as the early 1980's. Details of 911 appear in the blockbuster trilogy “Back To The Future”, the first of which was released in 1985. I first learned that Back To The Future contained warnings of 911 from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJQ-1Y8jfY. In this post, I expand on the examples presented in that video, providing additional supporting arguments of my own. I include a few more 911 warnings I spotted myself. So come along and enjoy this ride, as we rupture the space-time continuum and create a paradox of our own. Terrorist attack at Twin Pines Mall Pics 1 & 2 In the first Back To The Future movie, a terrorist attack (pic 1) takes place at the Twin Pines Mall (pic 2). This is a warning of a future terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on 911. “Pines” represent the towers. “Twin” is… well… just plain obvious. A terrorist attack at Twin Pines Mall - filmed 1985. A terrorist attack at Twin Towers - happened 2001. The numbers Pics 3 & 4 When Marty first arrives at the mall, the clock reads 1:16, which is 911 upside down (pic 3). When Doc shows Marty two synchronized watches, the time is 1:19, which is 911 backwards (pic 4). 911 once; 911 twice. If you don’t like having to turn the mall clock upside down or flip the watches backwards, don’t worry. There is an even clearer reference to the numbers 911 later on - in their proper order. Lone Pine Mall Pics 5 & 6 When Marty returns to the mall at the end of the first movie, Twin Pines Mall (pic 5) becomes Lone Pine Mall (pic 6). You probably already see how this foretells 911. Let’s break it down. Pics 7 & 8 The site where the mall stands used to be owned by Old Man Peabody, who had two cherished pine trees (pic 7). When the mall was built, both pine trees were still on the property, and so the mall was named Twin Pines Mall. When Marty travels back in time, he travels from the mall directly to Peabody’s land. Same spot, just different time period. While trying to escape, Marty knocks down one of Peabody’s two pine trees (pic 8). Thus, two pines become a lone pine after they were crashed into. Pics 9 & 10 This foreshadows the aftermath of 911, when the Twin Towers (pic 9) were replaced by a lone tower (pic 10) after they were crashed into. What is more, the replacement tower is named One World Trade Center. “Lone” vs “One” – even the name is a near-perfect match. Even the name! Looks like an airplane Pics 11 & 12 When Peabody and his family first see the car (pic 11), Peabody describes it as “an airplane without wings”. Later, the car was modified to fly (pic 12). Add these details together and what do we have? A car described as a plane, which later flies, that crashes into a tree symbolizing one of New York’s Twin Towers – precisely what happened years later on 911 (pics 13-14). Pics 13 & 14 Towers on fire After the Twin Towers were struck on 911, they began burning. The makers of Back To The Future anticipated this and depicted it. Pics 15 & 16 Near the end of the first movie, as the DeLorean takes Marty back to his time, the car’s tires leave two twin tracks on the road (pic 15). The twin tracks are on fire, an unmistakable depiction of the Twin Towers burning. Doc then runs between the burning twin tracks, shrieking loudly (pic 16). As he runs from the top of the tracks to the bottom, he looks and sounds like people falling off a building - a haunting foreshadowing of 911. Pic 17 Yet the burning twin tracks represent more than just the Twin Towers on fire. As the camera pulls out, a store sign in the shape of the number 9 comes into view on the left (pic 17). The sign and burning twin tracks together form an undeniable 911. Notice that the placement of this store sign is perfect for indicating 911. It is not at the end of the street at the top of the twin tracks, nor is it to the right, but is perfectly placed to the left of the burning 11. Notice too that the sign could have been a 3, or a 7, or a J, or an S, and would still have served its function of pointing to the store. But it was none of those shapes. It was a 9. And the camera pulls out enough to capture the whole 9 perfectly. Where the earlier examples of the mall sign and watches might be too much of a stretch to suggest 911, this 911 at the plaza leaves no room for denial. The falling towers On 911, after the Twin Towers had burned for a time, they ultimately fell. So too in the Back To The Future movies. The first movie ended with the Twin Towers on fire. In the second movie, we see the Twin Towers falling. Pics 18 & 19 Jennifer is on the sofa in her future home (pic 18). She looks up in astonishment. Through her look, the movie is telling us… “Pay attention to this. This is shocking.” What is Jennifer looking at that shocks her so? She is looking at the TV. She then exclaims, “I’m in the future!” (Pic 19). With this, they have taken us to the future - to 911. And this is what we see… Pics 20 - 23 A moment later in this scene, we see two pine trees projected on the TV screen (pic 20). When Lorraine clicks the remote, the pine trees are replaced by New York’s Twin Towers (pic 21). This confirms our understanding that the pine trees really do represent New York’s Twin Towers. The TV then glitches and scrolls upward (pic 22). As the frames scroll up, the towers appear to be rising. But notice that one of the characters is upside down. Since he is the closest character to the audience, the movie is telling us to look at the TV from his perspective. And what does he see? As the TV frames scroll up, he sees the towers falling down (pic 23). He sees New York’s Twin Towers falling down. Pic 24 All three characters are looking at the Twin Towers on TV (pic 24), just like millions of people were viewing the actual towers on their TV’s on 911. Lorraine points directly at the towers. But notice the torch of the Statue of Liberty at the bottom of the shot. Why is the torch of the Statue of Liberty in this shot? To create the impression of being in New York City; that the characters in this scene are people in New York looking at and pointing to the Twin Towers on 911. Talk about pointing something out! This is as pointed as it can get. 911 was staged Yet the creators of Back To The Future might be telling us one thing more about this future terrorist attack. They might be telling us it is not a real terrorist attack at all. It might be a staged, agency operation. Pics 25 - 27 In all three movies, as the DeLorean passes through the time barrier, it is racing toward things related to cinema... ie: the stage. The first time the car breaks the time barrier, it is racing toward a film booth (pic 25). The second time, it is racing toward a movie theater (pic 26). In the third movie, the DeLorean breaks the time barrier while racing toward a drive-in movie screen (pic 27). Though the Twin Towers really were tragically brought down, the creators of Back To The Future may have been telling us that the circumstances behind the disaster were - like in cinema - not what they appear to be. (For more on the possibility that 911 was a staged pretext for war, see my other post: https://www.reddit.com/conspiracy/comments/1aghwh3/we\_are\_being\_led\_into\_world\_war\_3/). Whether 911 was staged or not, the big question here is… Where did the creators of Back To The Future get this information? How did they know about 911 twenty years in advance? Fortunately for us, they put that in the movie too. Message received Pics 28 & 29 Marty received knowledge of a specific event (pic 28). What event? A tower being struck (pic 29). The message came with an urgent plea… save the tower. In the real world, a group of people learned that New York’s Twin Towers would be struck. They wanted to save the towers. Message delivered Pics 30 - 33 Marty asked Doc for his help getting back home, and delivered the message of a tower being struck (pic 30). In the real world, the people who learned about 911 delivered their message of the Twin Towers being struck to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (pic 31), asking for their help in getting the warning out. Rob and Bob suggested making a movie about it (pic 32), to get their message out through cinema – which was worked into the movies by Doc instructing Marty to go through the movie screen (pic 33). The message The warning of 911 is woven throughout the movies, along with an urgent plea to avoid the disaster. Pic 34 Marty writes in a letter to Doc: “Please take whatever precautions are necessary to prevent this terrible disaster.” (Pic 34) Notice the letter was made fully visible in the movie. This is the message the creators of Back To The Future wanted to announce. Notice too they used the word “disaster”. While the shooting of a man (Doc) is indeed terrible, referring to it as a disaster is a little on the strong side. In using the word “disaster”, the creators were really referring to 911, which could truly be called a disaster. The even spelled the word "Disaster" with a capital "D", even though it isn't at the beginning of a sentence. Also note the word “please” is underlined. The creators were imploring. The source of the message But where did the people behind Back To The Future get their knowledge of 911? The people who contacted Rob and Bob with knowledge that the Twin Towers would be struck... Where did they get that information? As with everything else, this too was worked into the movie… The woman in the plaza (pic 35). Pics 35 & 36 She is the one who gave Marty the flyer about the tower (pic 36). She is the source of that knowledge. She knows every detail about the tower, including how and when it was struck. She also gives Marty the urgent instruction to save the tower. Pics 37 - 39 The woman is positioned directly beneath a store sign that reads “The Third Eye” (pic 37). An eye inside a pyramid is used instead of the word “eye”. This symbol is called the “all seeing eye”, and it lines-up perfectly with the woman’s forehead. This shot replicates mysticism iconography (pic 38), where the third eye is depicted on the forehead as a symbol of enlightenment. The all-seeing-eye symbol is also used in Freemason iconography (pic 39). Add these details together and what do we have? Marty learned of the destruction of the clock tower from a woman depicted with her forehead directly beneath the all-seeing-eye of the Freemasons. With this shot, the creators of Back To The Future are telling us they learned about the destruction of the Twin Towers from Freemasons. 911 was approved Pics 40 & 41 Another link to the Freemasons is shown on the clock at Lone Pine Mall (pic 40). When Marty returns to the mall at the end of the first movie, the clock reads 1:33. 33 is a special number in Freemasonry (pic 41). The number 3 represents completeness, such as the 3 dimensions of the physical universe. It also denotes stability, since 3 is the minimum number of legs a table needs to remain upright. Doubling the number 3 as in 33 signifies achieving a complete and stable degree of enlightenment, which is why 33 is the highest level of membership in Freemasonry. By placing the number 33 together with Lone Pine Mall, the creators of Back To The Future are telling us that 911 has Freemasons behind it, approved by those at the highest level. Why so cryptic? But why present this information about 911 in such a cryptic way, with so much symbolism? If they wanted to warn us about 911, why not just come out and tell us plainly and clearly? To be frank, I don’t know why. All we can do is speculate. Perhaps they were under oath. The people trying to sound the warning about 911 were likely Masons who did not agree with other Masons concerning 911. Coming out and publicly denouncing the plans of their own fraternity would have landed them in serious trouble. Another possibility is that while the date of 911 was known so long in advance, the year was not. Consider what came immediately after 911. 911 opened the door to US invasions overseas. 911 could not be launched until the US was ready for such operations in foreign lands. The country needed to be prepared politically, economically, and militarily. Only then would the year for 911 be chosen. So even though the plan for 911 was known as far back as the early 1980’s, not knowing the year was problematic. What could anyone do about it? Ground all flights on September 11 of every single year for decades? No one would take such a warning seriously, nor would authorities take such precautions. Yet another possibility is to prepare people and society for planned changes, guiding people into becoming more accepting of them. "Predictive Programming", as it has come to be called, is the "theory that the government or other higher-ups are using fictional movies or books as a ... tool to make the population more accepting of planned future events." - https://u.osu.edu/vanzandt/2018/04/18/predictive-programming Still another possibility is simply to clear their conscience. If the ones planning the disaster make their plans known ahead of time, they believe they will escape its moral and spiritual consequences, leaving them free of guilt. This is similar to a country announcing a planned attack on a city or facility through television, radio, and dropping leaflets from planes. They warn people of their planned attack, indicating its precise location, date and time, in order to escape culpability for any loss of life that may result. The idea is: "We warned you. If you are injured or killed, it is your fault, not ours." As unbelievable as it sounds, such twisted reasoning is used by governments and militaries to this day. One final possibility I can think of is that the creators of the Back To The Future movies realized they would not be able to stop the 911 disaster, and produced the movies for posterity’s sake. They wanted people to know the truth - that it was not a surprise attack, but was a planned operation approved long in advance by people connected to powerful organizations. They wanted people to know… it was known. As Marty often said, “That’s heavy.” Joseph Cafariello ___________________________________________ conspiracy_posts is my own subreddit for posting original content I have created which is too controversial for other subreddits to accept. This subreddit is not open for posting by others, and its posts are not open for commenting. However, you are more than welcome to discuss my posts in other subreddits and other forums. This post is the 1st of 4 posts I will be posting at conspiracy_posts. The other 3 will be posted over the next several days. Please return to my subreddit and have a read. If you have an open mind and are a logical thinker, you will not be disappointed. I highly encourage people to share and discuss my posts with others. Remember, logic and reason are more effective than slander and heckling. |
2024.06.07 20:38 MatchThreadder Match Thread: Germany vs Greece International Friendly
39': Germany 0-1 Greece
Auto-refreshing reddit comments link
Germany
Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rüdiger, Jonathan Tah, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gündogan, Robert Andrich, Toni Kroos, Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz.
Subs: Marc-André ter Stegen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, Robin Koch, Deniz Undav, David Raum, Thomas Müller, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Chris Führich, Oliver Baumann, Maximilian Beier, Niclas Füllkrug, Pascal Groß, Benjamin Henrichs, Leroy Sané.
____________________________
Greece
Odisseas Vlachodimos, Pantelis Hatzidiakos, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Dimitris Giannoulis, Lazaros Rota, Anastasios Bakasetas, Petros Mantalos, Manolis Siopis, Fotis Ioannidis (Vangelis Pavlidis), Christos Tzolis, Georgios Masouras.
Subs: Theocharis Tsiggaras, Konstantinos Tzolakis, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Panagiotis Retsos, Georgios Kyriakopoulos, Dimitrios Kourbelis, Christos Mandas, Andreas Bouchalakis, Manolis Saliakas, Andreas-Richardos Ntoi, Giannis Kotsiras, Georgios Athanasiadis, Dimitrios Limnios, Anastasios Douvikas.
10' Substitution, Greece. Vangelis Pavlidis replaces Fotis Ioannidis because of an injury.
33' Goal! Germany 0, Greece 1. Giorgos Masouras (Greece) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner.
2024.06.07 20:30 GrimaIsBestWaifu The Story of Book IV, According to FEH's Second Illustrations Book (JP Translated)
Hello everyone, GrimaIsBestWaifu here. As you might know, I am a massive fan of Book IV and its characters. Today marks around four years since I officially came around to Book IV after initially being a hater. Needless to say, as a Book IV nerd and enthusiast, I secured a copy of FEH's second art book at the first opportunity in order to further immerse myself in my passion. While it's an illustrations book first and foremost, I found the most value in the sections that went into detail about the lore, story, and characters of Books IV and V (but mostly IV, heh).
As of today, there is no official English version of this book, so non-Japanese readers are limited in how much information they can glean from it. This is a tragedy I can't abide, being heavily invested in FEH's story and wanting others to be able to appreciate it too, despite its flaws. There is also a decent chance that some information contained in this book will be changed or omitted in the official English version, so in that event I hope this might serve as an attestation to the "original" version. In this post, I intend to go over the section that describes the events that take place in Book IV's story. To see my translation of the section of the art book that expounds on Book IV's lore and characters, go here.
Disclaimer: I am not a native Japanese speaker, nor am I fluent in the language. English and Japanese are very different languages, so I will do my best to make things flow nicely in English while retaining as much of the original meaning as possible. Italicized text indicates my own speech, words that do not come from the book. The book's story recap is also told in past tense, but I use present tense in my translation here because I think it flows better and is easier to understand.
Chapter 1: The Dream One day, Alfonse and the others are summoned by Queen Henriette. According to her, an inexplicable incident has occurred in one of Askr's border villages in the wheat country where all its residents have fallen asleep. All efforts have been exhausted in attempting to save the sleeping villagers, who appear to be having nightmares, but none awaken. Henriette tasks them with investigating the sleep sickness there. The Order of Heroes complies, and after entrusting them with the Redolent Censer, she sends them off to the village with a smile. On the way to the village, Loki appears before the party and speaks in a way suggesting she may know something about the sleep sickness. It's possible she is planning something yet again...Alfonse and the others cautiously forge ahead.
As the Redolent Censer continuously burns with poison-nullifying incense, they arrive near the village. Sharena feels at ease and expresses gratitude towards her mother, who gave them the treasure in order to protect them. But in that moment of relaxation, she lets out a big yawn. Anna scolds her before stifling a yawn herself. Upon noticing this, Alfonse and Kiran are also beset by a fierce drowsiness, rendering them incapable of standing. By the time they realize the censer is ineffectual, it's already too late, and they are unable to resist closing their eyes...
Alfonse is with Henriette, along with Zacharias and Veronica. He is confused due to only having vague memories about why they are on a mission together. Suddenly, Zacharias attacks Henriette and corners Alfonse alongside Veronica.
Then, a girl abruptly appears and envelops the surrounding area in a dazzling light by reciting an incantation and prayer, causing Zacharias and Veronica to disappear. As Alfonse is yet again confused by the situation, the girl smiles brightly and says, "I'm Peony! I'm a ljósálfr—or light elf, you might say. I'm from the land of dreams, Ljósálfheimr." (This quote is transcribed from the official ENG script and is not a direct translation of the book's text, which uses the JP quote)
Chapter 2: Missing You (JP: One Person, Missing) The dream realm, álfar... Peony puffs out her cheeks when Alfonse cannot believe his ears. They regroup with Sharena and Anna, but Kiran is nowhere to be found. Even after following Peony's advice and trying to bend the dream world to their wishes, Kiran remains missing. Peony guides the party in their search for Kiran, claiming that the Dream-King Freyr could help.
While on the move, they fight off soldiers of nightmares, who are born from the fears of mortals and take on the forms of Heroes. Sharena also speaks with Peony about possibly having met before somewhere in the distant past. Peony responds that it might have been in a dream, and the two smile at one another, since they are quite similar and it appears they will get along well.
There a girl appears with black wings fluttering. She turns out to be Triandra, the Nightmare. As a dökkálfr from the realm of dark dreams, she is giving mortals nightmares under her liege's orders. Alfonse and the others confront Triandra when she tries to erase (In JP, the word for "erase"/"extinguish" is frequently used in place of "kill" when pertaining to the álfar) Peony. Triandra withdraws after being put at a disadvantage, stating that she won't give up.
Peony leads the group to a location with a large bed(s). Sleeping in a dream is the way to gain an audience with the Dream-King, so Sharena and Anna fall asleep. Before following their lead, Alfonse notices that he can't remember his childhood very well. Though that disquiets him, he nevertheless trusts Peony and closes his eyes. Peony is overjoyed at their faith in her as she watches them.
(In the ENG version, Sharena mentions that there are "many" beds, but the JP version doesn't make any indication of their number. Due to the fact that this art book previously mentions THREE adults being able to fit on one, it's possible that Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna all slept on it at the same time and that there is only one. However, the possibility that there are multiple of them remains open)
Chapter 3: Gullinkambi (JP: Horn of Gullinkambi) Alfonse and the others arrive in the realm of fantasy, the dream within the dream, by Peony's invitation. There stands Dream-King Freyr, who gives Alfonse the horn Gullinkambi. By remembering one's self from before falling asleep, wishing to return to the waking world, and blowing the horn, Alfonse and his party, along with the wheat country village's residents, can awaken. However, Freyr continues, stating that they must first drive back the two dökkálfar who have invaded Ljósálfheimr and are showing mortals nightmares. While offering his thanks, Alfonse asks about Kiran's whereabouts. However, even though he should know everything about the dream world, Freyr does not know where Kiran is, them being one who exists outside of the world's reason. He advises them that should they blow the horn, Kiran will also awaken. Thus, the party wakes up from the dream within the dream in order to begin their march and fight the dökkálfar.
The group traverses the dream realm following Peony's lead. Suddenly, Kiran appears before them. Though Alfonse and the others are relieved to see them, they halt in their tracks upon spotting who was next to them. "I am Plumeria, the dökkálfr of lewd dreams." (Again from ENG script)
Plumeria attacks the group along with nightmare soldiers that take the forms of Heroes from "Genealogy of the Holy War". Alfonse and the others fight them off, but Kiran also withdraws as if accompanying Plumeria. Peony states that this is because Kiran has been trapped by the dökkálfar's nightmares. Alfonse clenches his fist tightly, swearing to get Kiran back.
Chapter 4: On Dark Wings (JP: The Fluttering of Black Wings) The two dökkálfar show nightmares to mortals in Ljósálfheimr under their liege Freyja's orders. While Plumeria makes her disdain towards humans known, Triandra shows signs of concern towards Peony, who is her opposite in role.
The party continues traveling across Ljósálfheimr by following Peony's slightly dubious directions in pursuit of the dökkálfar. Anna and Alfonse can't wrap their heads around the actions they take in the dream world that would be illogical in reality. Suddenly, Sharena's gaze falls on a certain field of flowers. She says she remembers playing with girls her age in a flower field in a dream. She also remembers there being a girl similar to Peony, but Peony herself doesn't seem to recall this.
The party arrives at the Dream Gate, where the dökkálfar along with soldiers of nightmares lie in wait. They take up their weapons and repel the dökkálfar, after which Peony prompts Alfonse to blow the horn. Then, a crestfallen Peony bids them farewell, stating that they will forget about álfar like her, but that she will always watch over them, and she gives them a smile. Alfonse and the others close their eyes, trusting that they will meet again in a dream someday.
As the sound of the horn reaches Freyr's ears, his sister Freyja appears before him. Her true objective is to take her brother to Dökkálfheimr, over which she rules, while he is defenseless after handing off the horn. Were the Dream-King to leave Ljósálfheimr, order would be disrupted and nightmares would begin to flow into the mortal world and become reality. Freyja burns with jealousy upon witnessing her brother worry over the humans. Thinking to recompense them for stealing her brother's heart, her smile widens.
Chapter 5: Twisted Reality (JP: Distorting World) Alfonse wakes up to the smell of incense. Apparently, contrary to how much time they'd perceived, only a moment has passed in reality. While the other members of the Order confirm that everyone is fine, Alfonse notices that Kiran is missing. But strangely, Sharena and Anna cock their heads when he says Kiran's name. "The summoner of legend was called Kiran, right?" (ENG)
Alfonse is shocked when it doesn't appear to be in jest, based on Anna's tone of voice. Just then, an earth-splitting laugh rings out. The party prepares for combat, only to find that there stood Surtr, the king of Múspell who should've in the past been defeated. Though shocked, Alfonse faces off against Surtr, who ends up vanishing like the Zacharias and Veronica from in the dream. As the villagers awaken, unidentified troops are reported to have appeared in various places. Alfonse heightens his vigilance, suspecting that nightmares are manifesting in reality, as the group moves to eliminate those forces.
Though Sharena really can't remember Kiran, her gaze wavers from a profound sadness welling up inside. Alfonse cheers up his sister by swearing to do something about the situation. If nightmares can be defeated in the dream, they can be defeated in reality... Under this presumption, the Order marches on and discovers Peony being attacked. After rescuing her, she successfully uses her power to make Sharena and the others recall their lost memories. Then, Peony informs them that nightmares have been able to flood into the real world because Freyr has been taken to Dökkálfheimr, the nightmare realm.
Chapter 6: Dreaming Reality (JP: Dreams in Reality, Reality in Dreams) According to Peony, Freyr's sister Freyja is in Dökkálfheimr, and because they are in the same place simultaneously, the "Waking Dream" is allowing nightmares to spill into reality. In order to put a stop to the Waking Dream, the group searches for a ljósálfr who lives in a misty forest...Mirabilis, the Daydream. On their way to the forest, they encounter the real Veronica. After finding out about the situation and what the Order's objective is, Veronica states that she will come along. She says this is because she heard that her brother, Bruno (Zacharias), and Xander have returned from their travels and are now in the misty forest.
After the party arrives at the forest, they split up in search for Zacharias, Xander, and Mirabilis. Parting ways with Sharena and the others, Alfonse and Veronica venture deep into the forest and find the former two. Veronica smiles upon being reunited with her brother after such a long time apart, but her shoulders slump when she hears that he and Xander must soon leave again. She faintly smiles again when Zacharias invites her to join them, stating that he doesn't want to make her feel lonely anymore. Seeing this, Alfonse asks Zacharias if they could work together to fend off the nightmares. Apprehensively, he agrees, to which Alfonse continues. "...Thank you. As I thought, you aren't really Zacharias. [...] You said something you shouldn't already know." (This quote is a translation of the JP, since I feel the ENG line doesn't fit as nicely in this context)
At this, Zacharias and Xander's attitudes change. After repelling their assault, Veronica declares her cooperation with the Order. She then urges Alfonse to tell her about his memories of being with Zacharias. However, he realizes that he cannot remember anything from long ago for some reason.
Chapter 7: Steeped in Twilight The Order of Heroes realizes the severity of the situation that has befallen them after hearing that nightmares have reportedly been appearing unceasingly across Askr. They head deeper into the forest in search of Mirabilis so they can go to Dökkálfheimr, save Freyr, and eliminate his captors. After the scenery becomes blurry for a moment, Peony searches the surrounding area and happens upon Mirabilis. She rubs her eyes, appearing to be sound asleep. Peony pleads with her, wanting to get to Dökkálfheimr by way of Mirabilis' daydream powers. Just then, Triandra appears, the dökkálfar having also invaded the real world. She creates a nightmare embodiment of Hel, ruler of death. After defeating it, with Mirabilis in tow, the group departs in the direction of the point of twilight, which is close to Dökkálfheimr. Along the way, Sharena is bothered by a feeling that she has also met Mirabilis in a dream in the past. She believes that she, Peony, Mirabilis, and two other girls did something important together.
Eventually, they arrive at the point of twilight. It seems that here, they can cross into the nightmare realm by being given a "particularly scary daydream" by Mirabilis when day gives way to night. However, Triandra attacks them once more. Soldiers of nightmares come at them without end as they are surrounded by the sea with nowhere to run. Veronica calms the others down as they panic, stating that she will handle their pursuers on her own while they go on ahead. The last time they were in the dream world, only a moment passed in reality. Because of this, Alfonse and the others believe they will make it in time, so they close their eyes and make their way to the nightmare realm.
Chapter 8: Wallowing in Love (JP: Drowning in a Dream of Love) The group ventures into Dökkálfheimr. They are quickly met with Plumeria, who mystifies them with a bewitching sweet scent, but they somehow manage to fend off her attack. While in pursuit of a retreating Plumeria, Alfonse hears the voice of a sad young girl. However, he doesn't know whose voice it is, and the group marches on.
After catching the gentle scent of flowers whose fragrance is different from that of Plumeria's nectar smell, Sharena mentions that she remembers it. She claims it's the smell of the flower field in which she played with the other girls in her dreams. She then recalls swapping hairstyles and clothes with one of the girls who greatly resembled her, and even going to each other's homes. Anna is startled, thinking this sounds like a "changeling". As Anna explains how changelings are álfar who switch places with human children, Sharena listens with an absentminded countenance.
Plumeria again stands in the party's way, accompanied by nightmare soldiers modelled after Heroes from the "Awakening Outrealms", as they hurry to Freyr's side. However, the Order emerges victorious once again and goes on ahead. While wounded in her defeat, Plumeria hears the voice of a young girl crying for her mother, which she remembers. There, Freyja appears and grants her strength, healing her. After rising to her feet, Plumeria asks if she was a mortal before Freyja gave her life as an álfr. Freyja's expression clouds over, and she tells Plumeria that her father didn't love her or her mother, so he abandoned them. And because her daughter interfered with her desire to be with another man she loved, Plumeria's mother threw her into the bottom of a well and left her there.
By Freyja's words, Plumeria was a child nobody loved. But now, after drinking the nectar and becoming an álfr, she should just forget about that past. Her voice filled with compassion as she speaks, Freyja gives Plumeria a smile.
Chapter 9: Violent Fantasies (JP: Dream of Killing Someone) (Curiously, the recap begins with the events of Chapter 9 - 3, skipping over the first confrontation with Triandra in this chapter)
The queen of nightmares, Freyja, has abducted her beloved brother Freyr to her realm. With an ecstatic expression, Freyja declares that they shall fill the mortal world with their dreams. Freyr is dismayed, lamenting that Freyja originally didn't wish for the destruction of humans and that the two of them have already succumbed to ruin. He regrets turning human girls into álfar in order to drive back the disaster that befell the dream world in the past, when mortals gave up their dreams. Burning with jealousy over his constant concern for mortals, Freyja clenches a certain necklace.
Alfonse and the others rush to rescue Freyr, defeating Triandra, who stands in their way. As she stands up, saying that she can't yet afford to disappear (In a similar vein to what was mentioned above, the word for "disappear" is often used instead of "die" when pertaining to the álfar in JP), memories of her mortal past also pile up in her mind. Freyja appears before her, telling her that she and her younger sister were viciously abused by their non-blood related father. To protect her sister, who was in danger of losing her life, Triandra killed their father. Freyja assures her that she is not to fret over this, since she only did what she could. To this, Triandra quietly responds that she is alright.
Alfonse and the others finally reach Freyr. However, he has come under the curse of the necklace Brísingamen, and all of his dream powers have become Freyja's. With both of their powers in her grasp, Freyja has become the ruler over all dreams and is now able to freely control the dream world and bend reality itself to her whim. None are able to oppose her... Helpless against the unrelenting onslaught of Freyja's replicas and nightmare soldiers from all directions, the group falls back. However, the path leading back to Veronica has entirely vanished. "There is no way for you to survive. Taste despair in your attempts to escape." The nightmare queen sneers at them, exceedingly beautiful, (This line was very awkward to translate, I am sorry)
(To my knowledge, the quote used above doesn't actually appear anywhere in the Japanese script. It seems to just be a concise rephrasing of Freyja's dialogue at the end of the chapter)
Chapter 10: Lack (JP: Loss) The Order takes Freyr with them as they continue to flee. According to him, so long as Freyja is the ruler over all dreams, they can neither escape nor subjugate her. Even so, not wanting to give up, the group thinks of a plan. Just then, Freyr begins to tell of his and Freyja's past piece by piece. As a child, Freyja was always crying from being mocked by everyone over having a mark on her face. Freyr would steadfastly comfort his sister, who came to only smile for him. Then, she stated that she wanted to join herself to someone compassionate like Freyr when she grew older. She eventually matured to become beautiful, but didn't accept anyone's affections.
Sharena reassures Freyr along the way, to which Freyr confesses that the dream world once teetered at the brink of ruin. The only ones who could prevent the destruction of the dream world and save the hearts of mortals were children from the real world. But children who partake of dream nectar can no longer return to their world... Because of this, Freyr thought that perhaps if the children were in unfortunate circumstances, they would be happy to become special versions of themselves. He sacrificed innocent children in order to save the world even knowing it was sinful. After this, Freyr falls silent.
Their withdrawal fruitless, Freyja once again corners the Order of Heroes. Though she mocks them over their futile efforts, Freyr states that there is one way for them to escape.
"Freyja's power is the sum of our combined strengths... Therefore, one of us must be shed..." (ENG)
Freyr petitions the Order and offers himself up to them. Discerning his meaning, as Freyr can no longer manage to end his own life due to Freyja's control, Alfonse and the others cut him down.
Freyja cries out as she asks Freyr if mortals really are so precious to him that he would throw his life away for their sake. However, Freyr responds that nothing is more important to him than she is. It is because he loves her that he doesn't want to see her destroy the mortals, which is why he should disappear. Leaving her with those words, Freyr bids his sister farewell.
Freyja wails in sorrow and despair at the loss of her most beloved brother, after which she vanishes to some other location, bringing the dökkálfar with her. Due to Freyr's demise, dreams stop distorting reality. Now, they must wake up and return to their world. To grant Freyr's final wish, and to reunite with the missing Kiran...Alfonse and the others press onward.
Chapter 11: Plumeria's Dream (JP: Plumeria the Lewd Dream) The Order wakes up the the sound of Veronica's voice calling out to them. Just when they begin to relax, thinking everything is back to normal, Freyja appears before them. Chaos unfolds as everyone wonders how that can be, when nightmares shouldn't be able to encroach on reality anymore... The group is once again forced to engage in combat as they retreat. Freyja then tells them about the álfar's past as if to mock them. The álfar were originally human children who played together, who were called to the dream world in order to save it. She also describes how Mirabilis was a child who was abandoned by her mother after she was born. Finally, she tells of how among those children, the only one who didn't become an álfr was Sharena. Enveloped in Freyja's light, Sharena suddenly clutches her head in pain and faints.
After regaining consciousness at a boulder to which the group retreated, Sharena tells Alfonse that she now vividly recalls what happened in the world of dreams. "We wanted to save the world... Only...I stayed behind..." (ENG, but for curiosity's sake, the JP line goes "Only I wasn't able to become a hero...even though we said we'd save the world together...", which I think hits harder)
Sharena profusely apologizes with tears spilling from her eyes, saying that she might not really be Alfonse's sister. That she would play changelings with a girl who looked just like her, and that they would genuinely trade places upon waking. That she has memories of the small, run-down house in which the girl she'd exchange places with lived. That she might just be an ordinary child who swapped places with Princess Sharena in the dream world. And that as a consequence, the real Princess Sharena wasn't able to return home... Sharena appears discomposed as she suddenly recalls so many memories. Alfonse soothes her, saying that her memories of that house must have come from when she'd wake up as the other child.
Desiring to have them suffer like her after losing her brother, Freyja sends Plumeria after the group so the álfar will be made to kill each other. Plumeria follows her commands without saying a word and stands in the way of Alfonse and the others. She attacks them while looking like she is in tears...saying that she doesn't need reality, and that she wants to be in a dream forever. The party cannot hope to survive without fighting back so long as she continues to target them. Thus Alfonse and the others deal the final blow against Plumeria through their heartbreak. She grasps at the air and cries out for her mother over and over again like a small child as her body disintegrates. (I already felt really bad playing this story chapter in-game, but having this description makes it even worse...ow, my heart)
Even with Plumeria's defeat, the nightmares' assault does not relent. How can this be, when the Waking Dream shouldn't be able to occur with King Freyr dead? After assessing and reflecting on the situation one more time, Alfonse finally formulates an answer. "This has all been a dream... From the very beginning... Everything. All of it." (ENG)
They have been in a dream since the time they heard about the sleep sickness from Queen Henriette. If this is a dream, they should be able to return to reality this time if they blow the horn Gullinkambi in front of the Dream Gate. Alfonse marches on determinedly.
The Order takes a rest on the way to the Dream Gate. At their base, Anna reports to Alfonse about Sharena's condition after having stayed with her for a while. Afterwards, she begins to make small talk about a dream she had a little while ago about being a squirrel. She comments on how strange it is that she was convinced she was a squirrel in the dream, even though she isn't one... At this, Alfonse feels as though he is catching onto something.
Chapter 12: Triandra's Dream (JP: Triandra the Nightmare) Alfonse witnesses a daydream during the group's respite. A dream of the World of Steel, with towers stretching up high enough to pierce the skies. Peony calls it a grey world where people have forgotten how to dream. To make the álfar kill each other, Freyja sends out Triandra again. However, Freyja ponders why Plumeria and Triandra obey her orders without regard for how they are effectively being used and discarded. She asks Triandra why they would go so far as to throw their lives away in service to her. Triandra responds that she and Plumeria adore her, and that perhaps it is because mortals want to help those they care about even if they get nothing in return. Freyja shakes her head at this, being a god who doesn't understand this sentiment. She watches with a conflicted look in her eyes as Triandra departs.
Alfonse and the others fend off the advancing nightmares on their way to the Dream Gate. They are met with Triandra standing in their path, and upon seeing her, Peony's expression changes. Triandra speaks of how she could not forgive herself for being powerless to protect her younger sister as a mortal. Her dream was to obtain the power she desired in order to strike down those who would do evil. After she loses against the Order and collapses to the ground, having lost her power, she gazes at Peony and apologizes to her.
"Forgive me... I wanted to keep you safe just...a while longer..." (ENG) "...S-sister..." (ENG)
As Peony's words sorrowfully fall from her lips, Triandra's body disintegrates.
Led by Mirabilis, the group arrives before the Dream Gate at last. Following Freyr's instructions to "[p]icture the world outside the dream, and wish to return," (ENG) Alfonse sounds the horn, but for some reason, nothing happens. Alfonse goes over his thoughts once more, trying to figure out if there is something wrong with his thought process. Then, he remembers what Anna said a little while earlier. "If what I suspect is true...then the life I remember before the dream...is not my life at all..." (ENG)
Just then, Kiran appears before the Order. Alfonse is elated upon their reunion, but Kiran appears to be under the control of nightmares. With the help of Veronica and the others, he manages to render Kiran unconscious without killing them. By Peony's suggestion, they remove the hood that conceals their face. Under the hood of the collapsed Kiran...was unmistakably Alfonse's face.
Alfonse's suspicion is then confirmed. The reason why he couldn't recall his memories with Zacharias, and why he dreamed about the World of Steel, is because his past with Zacharias doesn't exist and the World of Steel is where he truly hails from.
"I am not Alfonse. [...] My name...is Kiran!" (ENG)
When they remember their true self, Freyja appears and tells them that they are having this dream because they wished for it. That Alfaðör, creator of all things, decided that Alfonse should no longer exist after he defeated Hel, sovereign of death. The Creator's will always comes to pass, and thus the real Alfonse is dead, so Freyja says.
Chapter 13: Reality Freyja continues, saying that Kiran gave form to this world and took on Alfonse's role out of grief over his loss. She claims that because Kiran is one who exists outside of the world's reason, if they combine efforts with Freyja, they could make the dream persist forever and have all their wishes come true. However, she declares that should Kiran choose reality, they will wake up in a world without Alfonse, and that she will use her power to take the lives of all of the álfar. With that, she disappears.
Peony states that because Freyja's nightmare powers still cover the area, they will be unable to use the horn. Even the álfar do not know if Freyja's pronouncement of Alfonse's death is the truth or a lie. A painful reality may await them... Holding onto that sense of unease, Kiran and the others head in Freyja's direction.
"Peony... My best friend, who I played with in the flower garden... That was you, wasn't it?" (ENG)
Sharena speaks with Peony, positing that Peony had switched places with her and drank her share of nectar because she knew there would be no going back to being human. Even so, Peony smiles, saying that making people happy was her own happiness. That neither of them know who was who originally, and that they are both each other, like two halves of a whole. If they defeat Freyja and return to reality, Peony and the other álfar will in turn be erased and the Order will forget about the dream. Sharena sobs over not wanting to lose a friend again. At this, Peony gives her a ring made of flowers. (It's a "chain" in ENG, but in JP it's described as a "指輪", as in a ring you put on your finger)
"[Even] if we do forget, that does not undo everything that's happened. [...] But if...if there's some way you can remember me, then maybe we can meet again someday, somehow..." (ENG)
Sharena and Peony join hands and nestle up close to one another as if in prayer.
On the other hand, Freyja's heart is swayed by emotions she cannot comprehend. Unconsciously, she begins to speak to Triandra and Plumeria, but both of them have disappeared in carrying out her orders. Though she insists that only her brother matters to her, as though trying to convince herself of it, her expression gradually clouds over. Kiran and the others eventually reach Freyja, and after defeating nightmare soldiers that appear one after another, Freyja herself finally falls as well. She disappears, leaving them with the proclamation that she will use all of her remaining power to erase everything about the álfar from existence.
The end of the dream draws near. The sound of the horn reverberates through the dream world. As she expresses her gratitude, Peony's form grows faint.
Kiran awakens to a voice calling their name, which turns out to be Alfonse's. He tells them that they, along with everyone else, had fallen asleep for three days and nights. Sharena seems to not remember anything and smiles as though nothing had happened. However, during their mission, Sharena discovers that she is wearing a flower ring on her hand. She is perplexed by this and clutches her chest, suddenly feeling like her heart is being torn apart. Then, someone claiming to be Sharena's childhood friend comes for a visit. Upon laying eyes on the person in question, her eyes tear up.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Peony! I'm a ljósálfr—or light elf, you might say. I'm from the land of dreams, Ljósálfheimr." (ENG)
In Dökkálfheimr, Triandra and Plumeria, who should have disappeared, open their eyes. Before them stands Freyja, who tells them that they have no need to obey her any longer. Freyja's life fades away, having lost most of her power in reviving Triandra and Plumeria instead of erasing the álfar. She herself doesn't know why she did so even though she doesn't love anyone except her brother. In spite of this, she gave up her life for the sake of others, just like her brother had laid down his life for the mortals he so loved. Triandra and Plumeria vow to find a way to revive Freyja. The children weep as they grasp Freyja's hands, to which Freyja says that she truly cannot understand. Even so, she responds that she is happy and smiles gently.
And thus concludes the story of Book IV, neatly summarized as presented in the art book. I apologize for any inaccuracies in my translations and any confusion they might cause. This was an intensive passion project born from my love for Book IV, and I hope those who took the time to read this very long post found some enjoyment out of it. I would love to hear your thoughts, so please do share them if you so wish! I very much enjoy discussion about everything Book IV. Also let me know if there is any other material you'd like for me to translate, and I might make an attempt in the future. Thank you for reading!
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As of today, there is no official English version of this book, so non-Japanese readers are limited in how much information they can glean from it. This is a tragedy I can't abide, being heavily invested in FEH's story and wanting others to be able to appreciate it too, despite its flaws. There is also a decent chance that some information contained in this book will be changed or omitted in the official English version, so in that event I hope this might serve as an attestation to the "original" version. In this post, I intend to go over the section that describes the events that take place in Book IV's story. To see my translation of the section of the art book that expounds on Book IV's lore and characters, go here.
Disclaimer: I am not a native Japanese speaker, nor am I fluent in the language. English and Japanese are very different languages, so I will do my best to make things flow nicely in English while retaining as much of the original meaning as possible. Italicized text indicates my own speech, words that do not come from the book. The book's story recap is also told in past tense, but I use present tense in my translation here because I think it flows better and is easier to understand.
Chapter 1: The Dream One day, Alfonse and the others are summoned by Queen Henriette. According to her, an inexplicable incident has occurred in one of Askr's border villages in the wheat country where all its residents have fallen asleep. All efforts have been exhausted in attempting to save the sleeping villagers, who appear to be having nightmares, but none awaken. Henriette tasks them with investigating the sleep sickness there. The Order of Heroes complies, and after entrusting them with the Redolent Censer, she sends them off to the village with a smile. On the way to the village, Loki appears before the party and speaks in a way suggesting she may know something about the sleep sickness. It's possible she is planning something yet again...Alfonse and the others cautiously forge ahead.
As the Redolent Censer continuously burns with poison-nullifying incense, they arrive near the village. Sharena feels at ease and expresses gratitude towards her mother, who gave them the treasure in order to protect them. But in that moment of relaxation, she lets out a big yawn. Anna scolds her before stifling a yawn herself. Upon noticing this, Alfonse and Kiran are also beset by a fierce drowsiness, rendering them incapable of standing. By the time they realize the censer is ineffectual, it's already too late, and they are unable to resist closing their eyes...
Alfonse is with Henriette, along with Zacharias and Veronica. He is confused due to only having vague memories about why they are on a mission together. Suddenly, Zacharias attacks Henriette and corners Alfonse alongside Veronica.
Then, a girl abruptly appears and envelops the surrounding area in a dazzling light by reciting an incantation and prayer, causing Zacharias and Veronica to disappear. As Alfonse is yet again confused by the situation, the girl smiles brightly and says, "I'm Peony! I'm a ljósálfr—or light elf, you might say. I'm from the land of dreams, Ljósálfheimr." (This quote is transcribed from the official ENG script and is not a direct translation of the book's text, which uses the JP quote)
Chapter 2: Missing You (JP: One Person, Missing) The dream realm, álfar... Peony puffs out her cheeks when Alfonse cannot believe his ears. They regroup with Sharena and Anna, but Kiran is nowhere to be found. Even after following Peony's advice and trying to bend the dream world to their wishes, Kiran remains missing. Peony guides the party in their search for Kiran, claiming that the Dream-King Freyr could help.
While on the move, they fight off soldiers of nightmares, who are born from the fears of mortals and take on the forms of Heroes. Sharena also speaks with Peony about possibly having met before somewhere in the distant past. Peony responds that it might have been in a dream, and the two smile at one another, since they are quite similar and it appears they will get along well.
There a girl appears with black wings fluttering. She turns out to be Triandra, the Nightmare. As a dökkálfr from the realm of dark dreams, she is giving mortals nightmares under her liege's orders. Alfonse and the others confront Triandra when she tries to erase (In JP, the word for "erase"/"extinguish" is frequently used in place of "kill" when pertaining to the álfar) Peony. Triandra withdraws after being put at a disadvantage, stating that she won't give up.
Peony leads the group to a location with a large bed(s). Sleeping in a dream is the way to gain an audience with the Dream-King, so Sharena and Anna fall asleep. Before following their lead, Alfonse notices that he can't remember his childhood very well. Though that disquiets him, he nevertheless trusts Peony and closes his eyes. Peony is overjoyed at their faith in her as she watches them.
(In the ENG version, Sharena mentions that there are "many" beds, but the JP version doesn't make any indication of their number. Due to the fact that this art book previously mentions THREE adults being able to fit on one, it's possible that Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna all slept on it at the same time and that there is only one. However, the possibility that there are multiple of them remains open)
Chapter 3: Gullinkambi (JP: Horn of Gullinkambi) Alfonse and the others arrive in the realm of fantasy, the dream within the dream, by Peony's invitation. There stands Dream-King Freyr, who gives Alfonse the horn Gullinkambi. By remembering one's self from before falling asleep, wishing to return to the waking world, and blowing the horn, Alfonse and his party, along with the wheat country village's residents, can awaken. However, Freyr continues, stating that they must first drive back the two dökkálfar who have invaded Ljósálfheimr and are showing mortals nightmares. While offering his thanks, Alfonse asks about Kiran's whereabouts. However, even though he should know everything about the dream world, Freyr does not know where Kiran is, them being one who exists outside of the world's reason. He advises them that should they blow the horn, Kiran will also awaken. Thus, the party wakes up from the dream within the dream in order to begin their march and fight the dökkálfar.
The group traverses the dream realm following Peony's lead. Suddenly, Kiran appears before them. Though Alfonse and the others are relieved to see them, they halt in their tracks upon spotting who was next to them. "I am Plumeria, the dökkálfr of lewd dreams." (Again from ENG script)
Plumeria attacks the group along with nightmare soldiers that take the forms of Heroes from "Genealogy of the Holy War". Alfonse and the others fight them off, but Kiran also withdraws as if accompanying Plumeria. Peony states that this is because Kiran has been trapped by the dökkálfar's nightmares. Alfonse clenches his fist tightly, swearing to get Kiran back.
Chapter 4: On Dark Wings (JP: The Fluttering of Black Wings) The two dökkálfar show nightmares to mortals in Ljósálfheimr under their liege Freyja's orders. While Plumeria makes her disdain towards humans known, Triandra shows signs of concern towards Peony, who is her opposite in role.
The party continues traveling across Ljósálfheimr by following Peony's slightly dubious directions in pursuit of the dökkálfar. Anna and Alfonse can't wrap their heads around the actions they take in the dream world that would be illogical in reality. Suddenly, Sharena's gaze falls on a certain field of flowers. She says she remembers playing with girls her age in a flower field in a dream. She also remembers there being a girl similar to Peony, but Peony herself doesn't seem to recall this.
The party arrives at the Dream Gate, where the dökkálfar along with soldiers of nightmares lie in wait. They take up their weapons and repel the dökkálfar, after which Peony prompts Alfonse to blow the horn. Then, a crestfallen Peony bids them farewell, stating that they will forget about álfar like her, but that she will always watch over them, and she gives them a smile. Alfonse and the others close their eyes, trusting that they will meet again in a dream someday.
As the sound of the horn reaches Freyr's ears, his sister Freyja appears before him. Her true objective is to take her brother to Dökkálfheimr, over which she rules, while he is defenseless after handing off the horn. Were the Dream-King to leave Ljósálfheimr, order would be disrupted and nightmares would begin to flow into the mortal world and become reality. Freyja burns with jealousy upon witnessing her brother worry over the humans. Thinking to recompense them for stealing her brother's heart, her smile widens.
Chapter 5: Twisted Reality (JP: Distorting World) Alfonse wakes up to the smell of incense. Apparently, contrary to how much time they'd perceived, only a moment has passed in reality. While the other members of the Order confirm that everyone is fine, Alfonse notices that Kiran is missing. But strangely, Sharena and Anna cock their heads when he says Kiran's name. "The summoner of legend was called Kiran, right?" (ENG)
Alfonse is shocked when it doesn't appear to be in jest, based on Anna's tone of voice. Just then, an earth-splitting laugh rings out. The party prepares for combat, only to find that there stood Surtr, the king of Múspell who should've in the past been defeated. Though shocked, Alfonse faces off against Surtr, who ends up vanishing like the Zacharias and Veronica from in the dream. As the villagers awaken, unidentified troops are reported to have appeared in various places. Alfonse heightens his vigilance, suspecting that nightmares are manifesting in reality, as the group moves to eliminate those forces.
Though Sharena really can't remember Kiran, her gaze wavers from a profound sadness welling up inside. Alfonse cheers up his sister by swearing to do something about the situation. If nightmares can be defeated in the dream, they can be defeated in reality... Under this presumption, the Order marches on and discovers Peony being attacked. After rescuing her, she successfully uses her power to make Sharena and the others recall their lost memories. Then, Peony informs them that nightmares have been able to flood into the real world because Freyr has been taken to Dökkálfheimr, the nightmare realm.
Chapter 6: Dreaming Reality (JP: Dreams in Reality, Reality in Dreams) According to Peony, Freyr's sister Freyja is in Dökkálfheimr, and because they are in the same place simultaneously, the "Waking Dream" is allowing nightmares to spill into reality. In order to put a stop to the Waking Dream, the group searches for a ljósálfr who lives in a misty forest...Mirabilis, the Daydream. On their way to the forest, they encounter the real Veronica. After finding out about the situation and what the Order's objective is, Veronica states that she will come along. She says this is because she heard that her brother, Bruno (Zacharias), and Xander have returned from their travels and are now in the misty forest.
After the party arrives at the forest, they split up in search for Zacharias, Xander, and Mirabilis. Parting ways with Sharena and the others, Alfonse and Veronica venture deep into the forest and find the former two. Veronica smiles upon being reunited with her brother after such a long time apart, but her shoulders slump when she hears that he and Xander must soon leave again. She faintly smiles again when Zacharias invites her to join them, stating that he doesn't want to make her feel lonely anymore. Seeing this, Alfonse asks Zacharias if they could work together to fend off the nightmares. Apprehensively, he agrees, to which Alfonse continues. "...Thank you. As I thought, you aren't really Zacharias. [...] You said something you shouldn't already know." (This quote is a translation of the JP, since I feel the ENG line doesn't fit as nicely in this context)
At this, Zacharias and Xander's attitudes change. After repelling their assault, Veronica declares her cooperation with the Order. She then urges Alfonse to tell her about his memories of being with Zacharias. However, he realizes that he cannot remember anything from long ago for some reason.
Chapter 7: Steeped in Twilight The Order of Heroes realizes the severity of the situation that has befallen them after hearing that nightmares have reportedly been appearing unceasingly across Askr. They head deeper into the forest in search of Mirabilis so they can go to Dökkálfheimr, save Freyr, and eliminate his captors. After the scenery becomes blurry for a moment, Peony searches the surrounding area and happens upon Mirabilis. She rubs her eyes, appearing to be sound asleep. Peony pleads with her, wanting to get to Dökkálfheimr by way of Mirabilis' daydream powers. Just then, Triandra appears, the dökkálfar having also invaded the real world. She creates a nightmare embodiment of Hel, ruler of death. After defeating it, with Mirabilis in tow, the group departs in the direction of the point of twilight, which is close to Dökkálfheimr. Along the way, Sharena is bothered by a feeling that she has also met Mirabilis in a dream in the past. She believes that she, Peony, Mirabilis, and two other girls did something important together.
Eventually, they arrive at the point of twilight. It seems that here, they can cross into the nightmare realm by being given a "particularly scary daydream" by Mirabilis when day gives way to night. However, Triandra attacks them once more. Soldiers of nightmares come at them without end as they are surrounded by the sea with nowhere to run. Veronica calms the others down as they panic, stating that she will handle their pursuers on her own while they go on ahead. The last time they were in the dream world, only a moment passed in reality. Because of this, Alfonse and the others believe they will make it in time, so they close their eyes and make their way to the nightmare realm.
Chapter 8: Wallowing in Love (JP: Drowning in a Dream of Love) The group ventures into Dökkálfheimr. They are quickly met with Plumeria, who mystifies them with a bewitching sweet scent, but they somehow manage to fend off her attack. While in pursuit of a retreating Plumeria, Alfonse hears the voice of a sad young girl. However, he doesn't know whose voice it is, and the group marches on.
After catching the gentle scent of flowers whose fragrance is different from that of Plumeria's nectar smell, Sharena mentions that she remembers it. She claims it's the smell of the flower field in which she played with the other girls in her dreams. She then recalls swapping hairstyles and clothes with one of the girls who greatly resembled her, and even going to each other's homes. Anna is startled, thinking this sounds like a "changeling". As Anna explains how changelings are álfar who switch places with human children, Sharena listens with an absentminded countenance.
Plumeria again stands in the party's way, accompanied by nightmare soldiers modelled after Heroes from the "Awakening Outrealms", as they hurry to Freyr's side. However, the Order emerges victorious once again and goes on ahead. While wounded in her defeat, Plumeria hears the voice of a young girl crying for her mother, which she remembers. There, Freyja appears and grants her strength, healing her. After rising to her feet, Plumeria asks if she was a mortal before Freyja gave her life as an álfr. Freyja's expression clouds over, and she tells Plumeria that her father didn't love her or her mother, so he abandoned them. And because her daughter interfered with her desire to be with another man she loved, Plumeria's mother threw her into the bottom of a well and left her there.
By Freyja's words, Plumeria was a child nobody loved. But now, after drinking the nectar and becoming an álfr, she should just forget about that past. Her voice filled with compassion as she speaks, Freyja gives Plumeria a smile.
Chapter 9: Violent Fantasies (JP: Dream of Killing Someone) (Curiously, the recap begins with the events of Chapter 9 - 3, skipping over the first confrontation with Triandra in this chapter)
The queen of nightmares, Freyja, has abducted her beloved brother Freyr to her realm. With an ecstatic expression, Freyja declares that they shall fill the mortal world with their dreams. Freyr is dismayed, lamenting that Freyja originally didn't wish for the destruction of humans and that the two of them have already succumbed to ruin. He regrets turning human girls into álfar in order to drive back the disaster that befell the dream world in the past, when mortals gave up their dreams. Burning with jealousy over his constant concern for mortals, Freyja clenches a certain necklace.
Alfonse and the others rush to rescue Freyr, defeating Triandra, who stands in their way. As she stands up, saying that she can't yet afford to disappear (In a similar vein to what was mentioned above, the word for "disappear" is often used instead of "die" when pertaining to the álfar in JP), memories of her mortal past also pile up in her mind. Freyja appears before her, telling her that she and her younger sister were viciously abused by their non-blood related father. To protect her sister, who was in danger of losing her life, Triandra killed their father. Freyja assures her that she is not to fret over this, since she only did what she could. To this, Triandra quietly responds that she is alright.
Alfonse and the others finally reach Freyr. However, he has come under the curse of the necklace Brísingamen, and all of his dream powers have become Freyja's. With both of their powers in her grasp, Freyja has become the ruler over all dreams and is now able to freely control the dream world and bend reality itself to her whim. None are able to oppose her... Helpless against the unrelenting onslaught of Freyja's replicas and nightmare soldiers from all directions, the group falls back. However, the path leading back to Veronica has entirely vanished. "There is no way for you to survive. Taste despair in your attempts to escape." The nightmare queen sneers at them, exceedingly beautiful, (This line was very awkward to translate, I am sorry)
(To my knowledge, the quote used above doesn't actually appear anywhere in the Japanese script. It seems to just be a concise rephrasing of Freyja's dialogue at the end of the chapter)
Chapter 10: Lack (JP: Loss) The Order takes Freyr with them as they continue to flee. According to him, so long as Freyja is the ruler over all dreams, they can neither escape nor subjugate her. Even so, not wanting to give up, the group thinks of a plan. Just then, Freyr begins to tell of his and Freyja's past piece by piece. As a child, Freyja was always crying from being mocked by everyone over having a mark on her face. Freyr would steadfastly comfort his sister, who came to only smile for him. Then, she stated that she wanted to join herself to someone compassionate like Freyr when she grew older. She eventually matured to become beautiful, but didn't accept anyone's affections.
Sharena reassures Freyr along the way, to which Freyr confesses that the dream world once teetered at the brink of ruin. The only ones who could prevent the destruction of the dream world and save the hearts of mortals were children from the real world. But children who partake of dream nectar can no longer return to their world... Because of this, Freyr thought that perhaps if the children were in unfortunate circumstances, they would be happy to become special versions of themselves. He sacrificed innocent children in order to save the world even knowing it was sinful. After this, Freyr falls silent.
Their withdrawal fruitless, Freyja once again corners the Order of Heroes. Though she mocks them over their futile efforts, Freyr states that there is one way for them to escape.
"Freyja's power is the sum of our combined strengths... Therefore, one of us must be shed..." (ENG)
Freyr petitions the Order and offers himself up to them. Discerning his meaning, as Freyr can no longer manage to end his own life due to Freyja's control, Alfonse and the others cut him down.
Freyja cries out as she asks Freyr if mortals really are so precious to him that he would throw his life away for their sake. However, Freyr responds that nothing is more important to him than she is. It is because he loves her that he doesn't want to see her destroy the mortals, which is why he should disappear. Leaving her with those words, Freyr bids his sister farewell.
Freyja wails in sorrow and despair at the loss of her most beloved brother, after which she vanishes to some other location, bringing the dökkálfar with her. Due to Freyr's demise, dreams stop distorting reality. Now, they must wake up and return to their world. To grant Freyr's final wish, and to reunite with the missing Kiran...Alfonse and the others press onward.
Chapter 11: Plumeria's Dream (JP: Plumeria the Lewd Dream) The Order wakes up the the sound of Veronica's voice calling out to them. Just when they begin to relax, thinking everything is back to normal, Freyja appears before them. Chaos unfolds as everyone wonders how that can be, when nightmares shouldn't be able to encroach on reality anymore... The group is once again forced to engage in combat as they retreat. Freyja then tells them about the álfar's past as if to mock them. The álfar were originally human children who played together, who were called to the dream world in order to save it. She also describes how Mirabilis was a child who was abandoned by her mother after she was born. Finally, she tells of how among those children, the only one who didn't become an álfr was Sharena. Enveloped in Freyja's light, Sharena suddenly clutches her head in pain and faints.
After regaining consciousness at a boulder to which the group retreated, Sharena tells Alfonse that she now vividly recalls what happened in the world of dreams. "We wanted to save the world... Only...I stayed behind..." (ENG, but for curiosity's sake, the JP line goes "Only I wasn't able to become a hero...even though we said we'd save the world together...", which I think hits harder)
Sharena profusely apologizes with tears spilling from her eyes, saying that she might not really be Alfonse's sister. That she would play changelings with a girl who looked just like her, and that they would genuinely trade places upon waking. That she has memories of the small, run-down house in which the girl she'd exchange places with lived. That she might just be an ordinary child who swapped places with Princess Sharena in the dream world. And that as a consequence, the real Princess Sharena wasn't able to return home... Sharena appears discomposed as she suddenly recalls so many memories. Alfonse soothes her, saying that her memories of that house must have come from when she'd wake up as the other child.
Desiring to have them suffer like her after losing her brother, Freyja sends Plumeria after the group so the álfar will be made to kill each other. Plumeria follows her commands without saying a word and stands in the way of Alfonse and the others. She attacks them while looking like she is in tears...saying that she doesn't need reality, and that she wants to be in a dream forever. The party cannot hope to survive without fighting back so long as she continues to target them. Thus Alfonse and the others deal the final blow against Plumeria through their heartbreak. She grasps at the air and cries out for her mother over and over again like a small child as her body disintegrates. (I already felt really bad playing this story chapter in-game, but having this description makes it even worse...ow, my heart)
Even with Plumeria's defeat, the nightmares' assault does not relent. How can this be, when the Waking Dream shouldn't be able to occur with King Freyr dead? After assessing and reflecting on the situation one more time, Alfonse finally formulates an answer. "This has all been a dream... From the very beginning... Everything. All of it." (ENG)
They have been in a dream since the time they heard about the sleep sickness from Queen Henriette. If this is a dream, they should be able to return to reality this time if they blow the horn Gullinkambi in front of the Dream Gate. Alfonse marches on determinedly.
The Order takes a rest on the way to the Dream Gate. At their base, Anna reports to Alfonse about Sharena's condition after having stayed with her for a while. Afterwards, she begins to make small talk about a dream she had a little while ago about being a squirrel. She comments on how strange it is that she was convinced she was a squirrel in the dream, even though she isn't one... At this, Alfonse feels as though he is catching onto something.
Chapter 12: Triandra's Dream (JP: Triandra the Nightmare) Alfonse witnesses a daydream during the group's respite. A dream of the World of Steel, with towers stretching up high enough to pierce the skies. Peony calls it a grey world where people have forgotten how to dream. To make the álfar kill each other, Freyja sends out Triandra again. However, Freyja ponders why Plumeria and Triandra obey her orders without regard for how they are effectively being used and discarded. She asks Triandra why they would go so far as to throw their lives away in service to her. Triandra responds that she and Plumeria adore her, and that perhaps it is because mortals want to help those they care about even if they get nothing in return. Freyja shakes her head at this, being a god who doesn't understand this sentiment. She watches with a conflicted look in her eyes as Triandra departs.
Alfonse and the others fend off the advancing nightmares on their way to the Dream Gate. They are met with Triandra standing in their path, and upon seeing her, Peony's expression changes. Triandra speaks of how she could not forgive herself for being powerless to protect her younger sister as a mortal. Her dream was to obtain the power she desired in order to strike down those who would do evil. After she loses against the Order and collapses to the ground, having lost her power, she gazes at Peony and apologizes to her.
"Forgive me... I wanted to keep you safe just...a while longer..." (ENG) "...S-sister..." (ENG)
As Peony's words sorrowfully fall from her lips, Triandra's body disintegrates.
Led by Mirabilis, the group arrives before the Dream Gate at last. Following Freyr's instructions to "[p]icture the world outside the dream, and wish to return," (ENG) Alfonse sounds the horn, but for some reason, nothing happens. Alfonse goes over his thoughts once more, trying to figure out if there is something wrong with his thought process. Then, he remembers what Anna said a little while earlier. "If what I suspect is true...then the life I remember before the dream...is not my life at all..." (ENG)
Just then, Kiran appears before the Order. Alfonse is elated upon their reunion, but Kiran appears to be under the control of nightmares. With the help of Veronica and the others, he manages to render Kiran unconscious without killing them. By Peony's suggestion, they remove the hood that conceals their face. Under the hood of the collapsed Kiran...was unmistakably Alfonse's face.
Alfonse's suspicion is then confirmed. The reason why he couldn't recall his memories with Zacharias, and why he dreamed about the World of Steel, is because his past with Zacharias doesn't exist and the World of Steel is where he truly hails from.
"I am not Alfonse. [...] My name...is Kiran!" (ENG)
When they remember their true self, Freyja appears and tells them that they are having this dream because they wished for it. That Alfaðör, creator of all things, decided that Alfonse should no longer exist after he defeated Hel, sovereign of death. The Creator's will always comes to pass, and thus the real Alfonse is dead, so Freyja says.
Chapter 13: Reality Freyja continues, saying that Kiran gave form to this world and took on Alfonse's role out of grief over his loss. She claims that because Kiran is one who exists outside of the world's reason, if they combine efforts with Freyja, they could make the dream persist forever and have all their wishes come true. However, she declares that should Kiran choose reality, they will wake up in a world without Alfonse, and that she will use her power to take the lives of all of the álfar. With that, she disappears.
Peony states that because Freyja's nightmare powers still cover the area, they will be unable to use the horn. Even the álfar do not know if Freyja's pronouncement of Alfonse's death is the truth or a lie. A painful reality may await them... Holding onto that sense of unease, Kiran and the others head in Freyja's direction.
"Peony... My best friend, who I played with in the flower garden... That was you, wasn't it?" (ENG)
Sharena speaks with Peony, positing that Peony had switched places with her and drank her share of nectar because she knew there would be no going back to being human. Even so, Peony smiles, saying that making people happy was her own happiness. That neither of them know who was who originally, and that they are both each other, like two halves of a whole. If they defeat Freyja and return to reality, Peony and the other álfar will in turn be erased and the Order will forget about the dream. Sharena sobs over not wanting to lose a friend again. At this, Peony gives her a ring made of flowers. (It's a "chain" in ENG, but in JP it's described as a "指輪", as in a ring you put on your finger)
"[Even] if we do forget, that does not undo everything that's happened. [...] But if...if there's some way you can remember me, then maybe we can meet again someday, somehow..." (ENG)
Sharena and Peony join hands and nestle up close to one another as if in prayer.
On the other hand, Freyja's heart is swayed by emotions she cannot comprehend. Unconsciously, she begins to speak to Triandra and Plumeria, but both of them have disappeared in carrying out her orders. Though she insists that only her brother matters to her, as though trying to convince herself of it, her expression gradually clouds over. Kiran and the others eventually reach Freyja, and after defeating nightmare soldiers that appear one after another, Freyja herself finally falls as well. She disappears, leaving them with the proclamation that she will use all of her remaining power to erase everything about the álfar from existence.
The end of the dream draws near. The sound of the horn reverberates through the dream world. As she expresses her gratitude, Peony's form grows faint.
Kiran awakens to a voice calling their name, which turns out to be Alfonse's. He tells them that they, along with everyone else, had fallen asleep for three days and nights. Sharena seems to not remember anything and smiles as though nothing had happened. However, during their mission, Sharena discovers that she is wearing a flower ring on her hand. She is perplexed by this and clutches her chest, suddenly feeling like her heart is being torn apart. Then, someone claiming to be Sharena's childhood friend comes for a visit. Upon laying eyes on the person in question, her eyes tear up.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Peony! I'm a ljósálfr—or light elf, you might say. I'm from the land of dreams, Ljósálfheimr." (ENG)
In Dökkálfheimr, Triandra and Plumeria, who should have disappeared, open their eyes. Before them stands Freyja, who tells them that they have no need to obey her any longer. Freyja's life fades away, having lost most of her power in reviving Triandra and Plumeria instead of erasing the álfar. She herself doesn't know why she did so even though she doesn't love anyone except her brother. In spite of this, she gave up her life for the sake of others, just like her brother had laid down his life for the mortals he so loved. Triandra and Plumeria vow to find a way to revive Freyja. The children weep as they grasp Freyja's hands, to which Freyja says that she truly cannot understand. Even so, she responds that she is happy and smiles gently.
2024.06.07 20:29 rehandigital Creamy Chocolate Pudding: A Heavenly Treat
Not many sweets are as popular with everyone as chocolate custard. This delicious chocolate flavour and smooth, creamy texture can easily take everyone to the actual lap of ecstasy. This mouthwatering recipe for creamy Cadbury custard is divine and will entice this state and sense even this strongest Cadbury desires.
The Decadent Allure of Chocolate
Delicious custard is loved and cherished by people all around the world. Its distinct flavour profile, which comes from the cacao bean, is an intricate fusion of nutty, sweet, and bitter overtones. Beyond its taste, chocolate has a reassuring aspect that can improve moods and provide a moment of enjoyment.
The Enchantment of Handmade Pudding
While store-bought custard cups are convenient, nothing beats the taste of handmade custard. You can make sure that the ingredients in this chocolate custard recipe are of the greatest quality and have an unmatched silky smooth texture. In addition to being soothing, whisking and churning the custard while it thickens guarantees a soft texture.
Components and Methodology
A few basic items are needed to prepare this delicious Chocolate Pudding:
The Perfect Texture
Texture is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a truly good chocolate custard. This recipe produces a custard that is creamy, silky and thick enough to maintain its shape. Pure chocolate delight coating the tongue in a velvety mouthfeel created by the mix of milk, cornflour, and moderate heating.
Variations in Flavour
Although this recipe highlights the deep, pure flavour of chocolate, there are countless ways to tweak it. You could mix espresso powder into the custard to give it a mocha twist. As an alternative, for a little warmth and spice, you may add a small pinch of cinnamon or chilli powder. Your inventiveness is the only thing limiting the other options.
Serving Ideas
It's possible to enjoy this chocolate custard in a variety of ways due to its versatility. For a traditional presentation, serve it cooled and garnish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Alternately, top it with broken candy bars or crumbled cookies for a rich parfait. It's also a great filling for pies, cakes, and even crepes.
The Pleasure of Distribution
Though it's a treat best eaten on its own, this chocolate custard is also one that's meant to be shared. Invite your loved ones over for a nice gathering and allow the rich aroma of chocolate to fill the air. Watch the looks on people's faces when they try this delectable dessert for the first time.
Conclusion
Creamy chocolate custard is a divine treat that fulfils the soul, not just a dessert. This recipe transforms basic ingredients into a rich treat that will swiftly become a cherished favourite, capturing the allure of chocolate in the best possible way. Grab your loved ones, don an apron, and embark on a trip to experience chocolate pleasure that will leave you wanting more.
submitted by rehandigital to u/rehandigital [link] [comments]
The Decadent Allure of Chocolate
Delicious custard is loved and cherished by people all around the world. Its distinct flavour profile, which comes from the cacao bean, is an intricate fusion of nutty, sweet, and bitter overtones. Beyond its taste, chocolate has a reassuring aspect that can improve moods and provide a moment of enjoyment.
The Enchantment of Handmade Pudding
While store-bought custard cups are convenient, nothing beats the taste of handmade custard. You can make sure that the ingredients in this chocolate custard recipe are of the greatest quality and have an unmatched silky smooth texture. In addition to being soothing, whisking and churning the custard while it thickens guarantees a soft texture.
Components and Methodology
A few basic items are needed to prepare this delicious Chocolate Pudding:
- Whole milk - Sugar crystals
- Cornflour - Cocoa powder without added sugar
- Vanilla essence - A small amount of salt
The Perfect Texture
Texture is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a truly good chocolate custard. This recipe produces a custard that is creamy, silky and thick enough to maintain its shape. Pure chocolate delight coating the tongue in a velvety mouthfeel created by the mix of milk, cornflour, and moderate heating.
Variations in Flavour
Although this recipe highlights the deep, pure flavour of chocolate, there are countless ways to tweak it. You could mix espresso powder into the custard to give it a mocha twist. As an alternative, for a little warmth and spice, you may add a small pinch of cinnamon or chilli powder. Your inventiveness is the only thing limiting the other options.
Serving Ideas
It's possible to enjoy this chocolate custard in a variety of ways due to its versatility. For a traditional presentation, serve it cooled and garnish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Alternately, top it with broken candy bars or crumbled cookies for a rich parfait. It's also a great filling for pies, cakes, and even crepes.
The Pleasure of Distribution
Though it's a treat best eaten on its own, this chocolate custard is also one that's meant to be shared. Invite your loved ones over for a nice gathering and allow the rich aroma of chocolate to fill the air. Watch the looks on people's faces when they try this delectable dessert for the first time.
Conclusion
Creamy chocolate custard is a divine treat that fulfils the soul, not just a dessert. This recipe transforms basic ingredients into a rich treat that will swiftly become a cherished favourite, capturing the allure of chocolate in the best possible way. Grab your loved ones, don an apron, and embark on a trip to experience chocolate pleasure that will leave you wanting more.
2024.06.07 20:19 CrownoZero Some thoughts/theories/mechanics/tips/comments/insanities I've noticed
(long freaking text incoming, brace yourselves)
After spending some unhealthy amount of time grinding my brain off at the most popular easy money spots (emerald, glades, croix) I've noticed some things about the game and overall stuff
Maybe it is all some tinfoil hat theories, maybe they are true, I didn't have any actual research going on but I'll share some of my thoughts and hopefully discuss it with you guys:
Peak times, they work on a rather odd way: during a peak most species but not all will be more active. The time period is Independent to the peak values and are more important, because while out of the peak you can still have a lot of activity for one specific fish at a certain period and very bad activity for it during the peak. Peaks don't affect all species at the same time and the same way
My theory is that the peak indicates at what time MOST OF the species at that region will be more active, and not that all species are guaranteed to be active at that time. It works as a guideline and not as a condition
As an example, I've noticed that the pikes/muskies around croix are more active during the dawn/midday/dusk only and not that much during in-between hours, even if during a peak. Searching for them at the right spot/hour affects more than going only for peak hours. If the best hours and the peak aligns then you'll probably find more of them and with bigger sizes.
Fish attacks and hook mechanics: when using a bait setup I've never had a "fake" or missed bite. If they bite, they will get hooked. Changing my hook size to an incorrect one didn't affect my success on setting the hook but it did reduce my "bites per hour" by A LOT. If I stay with my match setup at hands for a lot of time when I know that they should be biting but with no results, I'd go down by one size. If I start hitting a lot of wrong species or smaller sizes I may go up by one size until I find my sweet spot.
I can get pikes at croix with anything between 2/0 and 8/0, but depending of the current lake conditions usually I stay at 5/0 or 6/0 for the best rates and sizes. That being said, I actually do get one or another trophy perch with the 6/0 by accident, feisty little things
Now for the lures, the hook size you should use are not the same compared to baits. Bites on a lure can and will fail a lot of times if you're using the wrong lure. The bites will be very weak on the gauges and IMPOSSIBLE to set the hook no matter what you do. "Soft setting", waiting before pulling up, retrieving before pulling up, anything, nothing will make it set.
The actual trick behind it doesn't seem to be hook size, but actually LURE SIZE... I can easily hit the pikes using the 2/0~4/0 lures where I would be using 6/0 for baits. If the lure is too small or too big it will be harder for the fish to hit and chomp it, making it impossible to set the hook.
When using the lures for them I got for those with a size of 10~14cm, like the 3/0 2m crankbait 11cm, 3/0 major popper 10cm, 8/0 golem lure 14cm, 6/0 slimy crank 14cm
The size rule is true for soft plastics but seems to affect it in a different way depending of the shape used. I have a lot of misses using the 10cm shads compared to the 7cm ones. Both using 3/0 or 4/0 hooks
Spinner tails also share this logic. Adding a tail will make the total size of it bigger, while not changing the hook size and overall weight. A simple 6/0 spinner will hit a trophy pike, but it will miss if it has a tail, where it will also miss with a 3/0 but hit it if with a tail (I still need to test this one a bit more to be 100% sure)
How the fish attack is also a thing on itself: there are two ways, on the first one the fish will actually spawn out of thin air next to the hook, will watch it for a bit and strike. During this one you NEED to keep the bait still, and keep doing the same action for the lures (except for the twitch, because you may accidently pull up before it chomping, switch for the stop and go). On surface lures you can see they coming for the attack, you can either stop at the spot and wait or keep retrieving, but if you retrieve it too fast it will miss the bite (3 speed sometimes is too fast, reel dependent)
The second one the fish will spawn from around the edges of your screen and swim like a freaking bullet to your hook. It will not stare and give it a test bite, it will immediately hit it full force. If it is a wrong size it will result in a failure and it will swim just as fast to outside your screen. Overall everything happens so fast that you won't be able to react at all
As for the depths where you will be searching for them, trying to juggle your lure at a certain depth will drive you crazy soon enough. A lot of things can affect how fast it will sink or float. Instead try to cast at a certain spot to control the depth. If the pikes are at shallow level, I try casting at the edges near the vegetation and not at the middle of the lake and trying to convince the lure to stay at the top of the meter
The meter is also dynamic, meaning that being at the the middle or bottom will be correspondent to 50% or 100% the max depth at that point. On deep spots you may see your lure going up almost nothing at the meter when you retrieve, but the same setup will be going almost to the top when used at a shallow spot while both are actually going up the same distance. Going up 10cm at 1m is a lot more in the meter than 10cm at 5m
Pick your jigs and sinkers weight based on how fast you need it to sink, and not deep you want it to stay. A 3 gram jighead will take an eternity to go to the bottom and find an walleye at emerald, but a 21g will Speedrun it's way to the bottom, while using the 3 gram at the edges of croix will easily let it keep floating around the water collum while retrieving it very slowly, where the 21g will make it always go fast to the bottom, usually staying there unless you retrieve it VERY fast
Next, there seems to be a HUGE penalty to keep fishing the same way: If you don't change spots after a certain condition it will make the rates get bad very quickly.
Changing your lure color helps a bit, changing lure types better, changing spots a lot, skipping time is the best.
I don't know yet if the penalty happens by total weight caught, amount of actions (like trying to bite, failing or not) or total fish caught at that spot. But usually it feels like anything around 5 fish caught at that spot will make it go stale or 5 missed bites
submitted by CrownoZero to FishingPlanet [link] [comments]
After spending some unhealthy amount of time grinding my brain off at the most popular easy money spots (emerald, glades, croix) I've noticed some things about the game and overall stuff
Maybe it is all some tinfoil hat theories, maybe they are true, I didn't have any actual research going on but I'll share some of my thoughts and hopefully discuss it with you guys:
Peak times, they work on a rather odd way: during a peak most species but not all will be more active. The time period is Independent to the peak values and are more important, because while out of the peak you can still have a lot of activity for one specific fish at a certain period and very bad activity for it during the peak. Peaks don't affect all species at the same time and the same way
My theory is that the peak indicates at what time MOST OF the species at that region will be more active, and not that all species are guaranteed to be active at that time. It works as a guideline and not as a condition
As an example, I've noticed that the pikes/muskies around croix are more active during the dawn/midday/dusk only and not that much during in-between hours, even if during a peak. Searching for them at the right spot/hour affects more than going only for peak hours. If the best hours and the peak aligns then you'll probably find more of them and with bigger sizes.
Fish attacks and hook mechanics: when using a bait setup I've never had a "fake" or missed bite. If they bite, they will get hooked. Changing my hook size to an incorrect one didn't affect my success on setting the hook but it did reduce my "bites per hour" by A LOT. If I stay with my match setup at hands for a lot of time when I know that they should be biting but with no results, I'd go down by one size. If I start hitting a lot of wrong species or smaller sizes I may go up by one size until I find my sweet spot.
I can get pikes at croix with anything between 2/0 and 8/0, but depending of the current lake conditions usually I stay at 5/0 or 6/0 for the best rates and sizes. That being said, I actually do get one or another trophy perch with the 6/0 by accident, feisty little things
Now for the lures, the hook size you should use are not the same compared to baits. Bites on a lure can and will fail a lot of times if you're using the wrong lure. The bites will be very weak on the gauges and IMPOSSIBLE to set the hook no matter what you do. "Soft setting", waiting before pulling up, retrieving before pulling up, anything, nothing will make it set.
The actual trick behind it doesn't seem to be hook size, but actually LURE SIZE... I can easily hit the pikes using the 2/0~4/0 lures where I would be using 6/0 for baits. If the lure is too small or too big it will be harder for the fish to hit and chomp it, making it impossible to set the hook.
When using the lures for them I got for those with a size of 10~14cm, like the 3/0 2m crankbait 11cm, 3/0 major popper 10cm, 8/0 golem lure 14cm, 6/0 slimy crank 14cm
The size rule is true for soft plastics but seems to affect it in a different way depending of the shape used. I have a lot of misses using the 10cm shads compared to the 7cm ones. Both using 3/0 or 4/0 hooks
Spinner tails also share this logic. Adding a tail will make the total size of it bigger, while not changing the hook size and overall weight. A simple 6/0 spinner will hit a trophy pike, but it will miss if it has a tail, where it will also miss with a 3/0 but hit it if with a tail (I still need to test this one a bit more to be 100% sure)
How the fish attack is also a thing on itself: there are two ways, on the first one the fish will actually spawn out of thin air next to the hook, will watch it for a bit and strike. During this one you NEED to keep the bait still, and keep doing the same action for the lures (except for the twitch, because you may accidently pull up before it chomping, switch for the stop and go). On surface lures you can see they coming for the attack, you can either stop at the spot and wait or keep retrieving, but if you retrieve it too fast it will miss the bite (3 speed sometimes is too fast, reel dependent)
The second one the fish will spawn from around the edges of your screen and swim like a freaking bullet to your hook. It will not stare and give it a test bite, it will immediately hit it full force. If it is a wrong size it will result in a failure and it will swim just as fast to outside your screen. Overall everything happens so fast that you won't be able to react at all
As for the depths where you will be searching for them, trying to juggle your lure at a certain depth will drive you crazy soon enough. A lot of things can affect how fast it will sink or float. Instead try to cast at a certain spot to control the depth. If the pikes are at shallow level, I try casting at the edges near the vegetation and not at the middle of the lake and trying to convince the lure to stay at the top of the meter
The meter is also dynamic, meaning that being at the the middle or bottom will be correspondent to 50% or 100% the max depth at that point. On deep spots you may see your lure going up almost nothing at the meter when you retrieve, but the same setup will be going almost to the top when used at a shallow spot while both are actually going up the same distance. Going up 10cm at 1m is a lot more in the meter than 10cm at 5m
Pick your jigs and sinkers weight based on how fast you need it to sink, and not deep you want it to stay. A 3 gram jighead will take an eternity to go to the bottom and find an walleye at emerald, but a 21g will Speedrun it's way to the bottom, while using the 3 gram at the edges of croix will easily let it keep floating around the water collum while retrieving it very slowly, where the 21g will make it always go fast to the bottom, usually staying there unless you retrieve it VERY fast
Next, there seems to be a HUGE penalty to keep fishing the same way: If you don't change spots after a certain condition it will make the rates get bad very quickly.
Changing your lure color helps a bit, changing lure types better, changing spots a lot, skipping time is the best.
I don't know yet if the penalty happens by total weight caught, amount of actions (like trying to bite, failing or not) or total fish caught at that spot. But usually it feels like anything around 5 fish caught at that spot will make it go stale or 5 missed bites
2024.06.07 20:17 UnderstandingNo856 Need help coding in special text alignment
I do coding on toyhouse, and currently I'm trying to make it so that header text on my code aligns to two different sides, yet on the same line. The "updated by" piece should be on the left, while the song information should be on the right.
I tried to use spaces, but it ended up looking weird on mobile and smaller laptops. Any way to fix this??
submitted by UnderstandingNo856 to HTML [link] [comments]
I tried to use spaces, but it ended up looking weird on mobile and smaller laptops. Any way to fix this??
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2024.06.07 20:14 packmanwiscy r/NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season - #100-91
Welcome to The 100-91 Reveal for the NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season!
Players whose average rank landed them in places 100-91 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for at the end of the 2023 seasonBelow you will see some write-ups from the community summarizing the players’ 2023 season and why they were among the best in 2023. Stats for each player are included below. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see
METHODOLOGY
Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology- Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Conference Championship games
- Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 11 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2023
- Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2023 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.
- Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
- Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud, and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes
- Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!
#100 - Stefon Diggs - Buffalo Bills - Wide Receiver
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 38 | 10 | 74 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Following yet another offseason of cryptic tweets and drama, Stefon Diggs showed up from the onset of the 2023 season as red hot as the lasers he was catching off the arm of Josh Allen - making it clear he came to play and leave everything out on the field. However, 2023 was a tale of two Diggs’ - and that's not a reference to Stefon's brother, Trevon, who unfortunately was out for the season prior to their two teams facing off in week 15.
Through the first 6 games of the year, Stefon Diggs was averaging 8 catches, 104 Yards, and nearly a touchdown per game. During that time, the Bills passing offense funneled the ball through Diggs and relied on his ability to make plays all over the field to remain productive. Diggs answered the call and delivered the type of results we've come to expect of him, however just like the team itself, Diggs’ season would fall off pretty harshly following the team's week 6 match up against the Giants. In the 11 remaining games of the season, he failed to produce a single 100-yard outing and would only catch 3 more total touchdowns on the year. It's important to acknowledge that the Bills as a whole struggled offensively between weeks 5 and 10, directly leading to Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey's firing after Buffalo’s week 10, 24-22, loss to Denver - a game in which Diggs only caught 3 passes for a total of 34 yards.
Once Joe Brady stepped in as Interim Coordinator, the Bills offense began healing as a result of changes made to their strategy, changes which resulted in a more balanced attack that trusted the run game and prioritized spreading passes around to a wider selection of targets in the air. This shift meant Diggs was on the field less, in addition to receiving less targets when he was out there running routes. The impact of this change is most plainly obvious when comparing Diggs’ stats from weeks 1-8 to 9-16. While this adjustment ultimately worked out in Buffalo's favor (they would close out the last 7 games of the year with a 6-1 record), it did drive an unfortunate statistical drop for Diggs. Diggs would still flash his elite hands and skills often enough to finish the season respectively though, earning a spot in the pro-bowl as well as finishing #13 in total receiving yards and #7 in total receptions. Tragically, what he will probably be remembered most for this past year (at least in the minds of Bills Mafia) will be the ugly, game-altering drop he had late in the Divisional round matchup against Kansas City.
Throughout 2023 there were all manner of rumors on whether Diggs was playing through an undisclosed injury or experiencing a falling out with the organization, true or not, it would be foolish to claim that Diggs isn't still a premier pass catcher in the NFL. Now a Houston Texan, Stefon Diggs will serve as another weapon for C.J. Stroud to take advantage of in 2024. Assuming he doesn't destroy the culture in Houston by manifesting into some sort of target-hoovering diva-demon like all the tired sports media personalities predict, expect the former Bills Captain to be a key contributor for the Texans next year.
#99 - Lavonte David - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Off-Ball Linebacker
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 95 | 43 | 76 | N/A | 35 | N/A | 99 | 27 | 11 | N/A |
After flirting with retirement and leaving Tampa Bay last offseason, Lavonte David stuck around for another year as a Buccaneer - year 12 (and soon to be year 13). And it paid off, yet again, as David stayed the impactful, complete LB he has been for over a decade.
Playing 956 (98%) defensive snaps, David was impactful across the board, recording 99 tackles (134 combined per pfr) with a 5.7% missed tackle rate, 4.5 sacks with 19 total pressures on only 76 pass rush opportunities, 5 forced incompletions and 1.1 yards per cover snap, and a ridiculous 61 run stops and 17 TFLs. His coverage stats took a bit of a dip from the past, but he was still solid while being incredibly impactful against the run. He's smart - see here how he diagnoses quickly, and beats the blocker to the spot before sticking the TE for a loss. He's exceptional at slithering through OLs - see here and here how he uses his speed and awareness to split through holes in the line and finish the play before it can start. Despite being 33, he's still really fast - if you're late on rotating in pass protection, he's already past you and sacking the QB. And he's always had a nose for the football.
David has been one of my favorite players of the 2010s and it will be sad to see him go. Few LBs are as complete as Lavonte has been for his career - he can do everything you want from an offball LB. Given that he's likely to retire pretty soon, this might be the last time he appears on this list, so I'm gonna break the rules a bit. Lavonte has always stood out statistically in two ways, by forcing fumbles and TFLs. As for FFs, the only LB with more is Cornelius Bennett, who was somewhat of a hybrid rushbacke4-3 OLB. Which means that among true off ball LBs, nobody has forced more fumbles than Lavonte David (tbf only tracked reliably since 1993). Similarly, I've never seen a player as adept at slicing through blockers to make a TFL. He has 160 career TFLs, 9th all time. No other offball LB is in the top 20, and only 4 other LBs have even 100. We might as well start giving out the "Lavonte David award" to whoever leads LBs in TFLs.
Put him in the HOF, cowards.
#98 - Bradley Chubb - Miami Dolphins - EDGE Rusher
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
One word has followed Chubb throughout his career: Dynamic. Coming into his second year in a Dolphins jersey off a five-year, $110 million contract extension (recently restructured in the wake of injury)—Chubb managed to arguably elevate to higher levels of said dynamic play than even in previous seasons that saw him earn Pro Bowl recognition.
In 16 games this season, Chubb managed to thrive in a defense that utilized its front 7 in unconventional manners. Of the 837 snaps Chubb played: 36% of snaps against the rush, 57% against the pass, and 7% in pass coverage (top 20 in EDGE coverage snaps…over a dozen in the slot). Amongst his position, Chubb posted a top 10 pass rush win rate per ESPN along with top 15 pass rush and top 5 coverage grades per PFF respectively. This showed with 11 sacks, 73 total tackles, 44 hurries, and 6 forced fumbles (t-1st in NFL) over the season.
Chubb has an uphill battle going into the next season with a torn ACL acquired in Week 17 against the Ravens. Still in the prime of his career and a leader within the locker room, Chubb certainly seeks to return to this level of form as soon as possible. There's a lot of money on the table for him.
#97 - Kolton Miller - Las Vegas Raiders - Offensive Tackle
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Offensive tackles have always been highly sought after for one important reason; to keep their franchise quarterback healthy. Miller had a slightly different objective; keep Jimmy Garoppolo handsome, it's fine if he misses the season since he was far from a franchise quarterback; but Miller excelled, allowing the least pressures (only 16 pressures per PFF, compared to 18 for Tyron Smith and Trent Williams) out of any premier tackle. While he missed a few games due to a shoulder injury, Miller put in enough work to prove he's a top 100 player in the league.
Always one of the more underappreciated OTs in the league, Miller's impact was best felt by his absence; in the first missed game of his career, Jets defenders got to Aidan O'Connell several times, and the rest of the offensive line just looked flimsy.
Combining agile, quick footwork with enough armpower to seal off some of the biggest men in the NFL, Miller quietly dominated opposing pass rushers, and #74 could even scale multiple levels on the run to help his team generate big plays. Even when it didn't seem like there was much worth fighting for, Miller never gave up hope.
#96 - Dion Dawkins - Buffalo Bills - Offensive Tackle
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
The shnowman cracks the top 100 this year after a dominating performance in the trenches all season long. While offensive line play can be hard to parse and judge, Dawkins ranked 4th in the league among OTs in pass rush win rate at 93% and only allowed 1 sack. The 30-year-old from New Jersey (famously the home of the Giants and Jets) also provided numerous rare O-line highlights, such as the absolute shnowplow of a block he delivered against the Cowboys’ Damone Clark. His arguably career-best season also saw him named to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.
The Bills shook up their skill positions on offense this off-season, but the core of the offensive line remains largely the same, and Dawkins will certainly be a leader of the unit. This off-season he signed a 3-year, $60.5 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league. He has played in at least 15 games each season of his career so far, and Buffalo is clearly banking on his production to continue as the rest of the offense takes a new shape.
This year, Dawkins was also Buffalo's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, due in large part to his foundation Dion's Dreamers, which provides mentoring services to troubled youth. Dawkins has become highly involved in the Buffalo community since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2017.
#95 - James Cook - Buffalo Bills - Running Back
Previous Ranks| 2022 |
|---|
| N/A |
Being a running back in Josh Allen’s offense is a bit tricky. Allen is virtually a one-man offense, willing to not only sling the rock deep but also bruise out some yards on the ground for himself. For most of Allen’s tenure in Buffalo, Bills running backs haven’t been the most productive, failing to produce a single season with more than 1,100 scrimmage yards. When Buffalo selected James Cook in the 2nd round of the draft last year, they sought to give Allen a workhorse back that could efficiently eat touches and take the load off of Allen just a bit. After a timeshare in the first year, the Bills let Devin Singletary walk and gave Cook the lead back role, and he did not disappoint.
James Cook is a true modern running back. His lightning quick acceleration allows him to hit holes hard and bounce outside if they’re plugged. He’s not the biggest or strongest back, but he can still shrug off arm tackles and churn for extra yards. Pass catching out of the backfield is a key part of his game as well, for a running back he’s very proficient at route running, catching the ball in stride, and running after the catch. He does everything you want out of a running back in the 2020’s NFL, and he rewarded the Bills with the 6th most scrimmage yards in the league. He’ll have to do quite a bit to pass his brother in career stats, but this season was a great start.
#94 - Elgton Jenkins - Green Bay Packers - Offensive Guard
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | 77 | N/A |
One of the most powerful and positionally versatile offensive linemen in the NFL, Elgton Jenkins’ value to, and dominance on, the Packers OL has more than earned him his place on this list. Elgton is the engine that makes the Packers' run game go. Whether it be trapping, wrapping, or pulling to lead, Elgton is the Packers’ most-pulled lineman and their best (and one of THE best in the league) elevator to the second level on inside zone and duo run plays. Finally able to hunker down and stay, more or less, in the same position for a full season, Elgton was the driving influence on the Packers finishing top 10 in yards per attempt and top half in overall rushing offense, even while being near the bottom of the NFL in called run plays. It has yet to be mentioned how great he was in pass protection this year, as well. With a younger QB who at times held the ball a bit too long, Elgton allowed 0 sacks and had one of the lowest pressure rates allowed in football.
As mentioned before, Elgton is a dominant player in the run game because of the power he executes his blocks. His main weakness throughout his career has been his feet and ability to play in space, but this year he was tasked with reaching, trapping, and pulling to lead more than ever before. And as demonstrated here, he excelled in that role. The Packers were at their best when Jenkins was tasked with doubling and elevating or climbing to the second level immediately. Here, he displaces the LOS, comes off the 3T, and gets to the backer to create a lane for the back to follow into the endzone. In this example, the player engaged with the LT does not cross the LT’s face, so he quickly climbs to backer and creates a cut back lane for the back to gain 6-7 yards. As you can see, much of what the Packers did in the run game centered around 74, and he delivered time and time again.
In the pass game, Elgton used his strong anchor and well-timed striking to shut down every interior defensive lineman he faced. 0 sacks allowed, an absurdly low 4.4% pressure rate allowed, and the sheer dominance he displayed on tape has led many experts to call him a top 3 pass protecting guard in all of football. This is probably his biggest area of growth once making it to the NFL, as he always had the power in his lower half, but has improved his base and hand placement to truly stonewall any bull rushes he faces. And if you try and get cute by swimming or, god forbid, knowing your beat and jumping to swat the ball. Well, you will probably end up on your ass. He rose to the highest levels of competition, repeatedly shutting down (three examples there) the likes of Aaron Donald on a game-by-game basis.
Overall, Elgton Jenkins continues to push the established elite at the guard position, and with continued technical improvement, he looks to rise even higher on this list next season.
#93 - Will Anderson Jr - Houston Texans - EDGE Rusher
Previous RanksN/A
Will Anderson. What a full grown manderson. Only a rookie, but already the most electric pass rusher we've had since JJ Watt. His early season stats didn't quite show it, but since week 1 he's performed at a high rate already producing one of the top pressure rates in the league and opening up opportunities for the rest of the banderson. In four months, people went from criticizing Demeco and Caserio for trading a supposedly massive draft haul to Arizona for Anderson to realizing the incredible positive impact that the trade had. All according to planderson.
In his first season, Anderson showcased great pass rush ability, always working his way into the pocket, stuffed the run effectively, and even blocked a field goal; WAJ Swat, amirite? In fact, Lil Jon is rumored to be working on a song called "Turn Down for Wanderson", Daniels music video and all. JJ Watt is one of the all-time greats, but are the Terminator-Megawatt comparisons valid? Can Area 51 stand on the same ground as the Milkman?
(Yes, those are all real nicknames.)
Anderson's rookie year compares nicely with JJ’s , both on stat sheets and the eye test, and both got even better as the year went on; WAJ also walked away with the DROY award (though he didn't have to compete with Von Miller and... Aldon Smith?) Will he follow the same trajectory as JJ? In fact, he doesn't need to. It's fine if he doesn't. We don't need the greatest defensive end of the century, because Will Anderson is already damn good, does his job, and is certain to improve even further. Maybe he'll end with a gold jacket in Canton, maybe he won't, but we don't need that. What expectations we do have of him, he's easily exceeding, and on his current trajectory -- whether JJ-like or not -- he'll continue to exceed them for a long, long, time.
#92 - Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers - Wide Receiver
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 10 | N/A | N/A |
Deebo Samuel's 2023 season saw him compile 1117 total yards and 12 total touchdowns in 15 games (though that 15 includes a weird injured decoy game with 0 targets, a game with 9 snaps, and a quarter in a meaningless week 18). The best metric to summarize the impact that he has on the team: the 49ers were 11-1 when Deebo played more than 33% of snaps in a game and 1-4 when he did not.
8.8 yards after the catch per reception ranked first among receivers, making this the fourth consecutive season that Deebo holds that distinction (and he was 2nd as a rookie). The ascension of Brandon Aiyuk and full season from offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey shrunk the role of one of the league's most exciting players, but he made the most of the opportunities he got, ranking 8th in yards per target among players with 1000 yards.
The most memorable game of the year for him is undeniably his hat trick against the Eagles amidst a tense race for the 1 seed, capped off by a 46 yard all-YAC touchdown. Contrary to popular belief, this is actually not how he gets all of his touches. His longest touchdown of the season, a 54 yarder against Seattle, and one of his back shoulder TDs (a new feature off the offense this year!) put the wide in wide back to remind fans (and a couple loud players) that Deebo is more than capable of killing you on traditional routes.
This was the final season for #19 in the Bay Area (because he's changing his jersey number to 1) and he once again left it all out there, putting together enough production to clinch a spot on this list despite a diminished role.
#91 - Justin Simmons - Denver Broncos - Safety
Previous Ranks| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 59 | 55 | 24 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Winners are remembered. The glory of sports comes from hoisting a trophy at the end, and everyone who touches it becomes immortal. To those who never touch it, they can still create a legacy through winning in other ways: big regular season games to get into the playoffs, and perhaps even winning a couple games in the tournament.
In this lens — losers have no space. Those who come up short get nothing. Sports are zero-sum. There are always winners and losers. Every immortality comes with a death.
Justin Simmons played 118 games with the Denver Broncos since 2016. In his rookie year, the team went 9-7 but missed the playoffs. In every subsequent season, the Broncos had a losing record. Despite his All-Pro play, Simmons never played in a meaningful football game in late December or January. In a team with a history of winning — Justin Simmons was a loser.
A ball on a memorial in 2021. Spending a weekend at charity events in the city months after getting cut. Maybe the problem is the binary. Pursuit of immortality driving everyone mad to the point of blindness. There is the trophy and that matters, but there are more things in life too. There are the connections. There are the emotions.
Justin Simmons never won a big game in Denver. He never played in one. But in 2023 — as he had done throughout his career — he proved himself worthy of immortality in the Ring high above.
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2024.06.07 20:12 Lost-Beach3122 It looks Disney's creativity is going to dead for a long time...
Let me tell you why there will never be another Disney Renaissance or Disney Revival or Pixar Golden Age at The Disney Corporation ever again.
First off, let’s talk about the Disney Renaissance & the Disney Revival. That was the eras of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. You got Tangled and Moana These movies were magic, right? They were fresh, innovative, and took risks. You had artists and storytellers at the helm who were passionate about the craft, not just the bottom line.
Then we had the Pixar Golden Age, from Toy Story to Toy Story 3 where every movie was a hit, a tearjerker, and a masterpiece all rolled into one. They were pioneering new technology and storytelling methods, and they weren’t afraid to push the boundaries.
But now? Now we’re in the era of "Live-Action Remakes: The Cash Grab Chronicles." The creative department at Disney has been replaced by a boardroom full of old guys whose only exposure to storytelling is the PowerPoint presentations at shareholder meetings. They’re more focused on squeezing every last dollar out of existing IP than creating anything new. I mean, how many times can you remake The Lion King or make sequels out of Toy Story?
These executives, they’re all about playing it safe. They remember a time when the only competition was Saturday morning cartoons and they didn’t have to worry about streaming services and viral TikToks. And the stockholders? They’re even worse. They care more about their dividends than the creative direction of the company. As long as the profits are rolling in, they don’t care if every movie is just a rehash of something from the 90s.
So, until every single one of these executives retire or, let’s be honest, die, we’re not going to see another Disney Renaissance or Pixar Golden Age. It’s going to be sequels, remakes, and safe bets all the way down. Because why take a risk when you can just make another Frozen sequel for the fifteenth time and watch the money pour in? Maybe one day, a new generation will take over, some new people will take over, regardless of age race or gender, that knows the value of a good story and also creative risks, but it would not happen, at least not until the last boomer executive and stockholder goes to his grave. Until then, I’ll be over here, probably seeing the trailer of Frozen 20 when I turn 65 or something.
submitted by Lost-Beach3122 to Saberspark [link] [comments]
First off, let’s talk about the Disney Renaissance & the Disney Revival. That was the eras of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. You got Tangled and Moana These movies were magic, right? They were fresh, innovative, and took risks. You had artists and storytellers at the helm who were passionate about the craft, not just the bottom line.
Then we had the Pixar Golden Age, from Toy Story to Toy Story 3 where every movie was a hit, a tearjerker, and a masterpiece all rolled into one. They were pioneering new technology and storytelling methods, and they weren’t afraid to push the boundaries.
But now? Now we’re in the era of "Live-Action Remakes: The Cash Grab Chronicles." The creative department at Disney has been replaced by a boardroom full of old guys whose only exposure to storytelling is the PowerPoint presentations at shareholder meetings. They’re more focused on squeezing every last dollar out of existing IP than creating anything new. I mean, how many times can you remake The Lion King or make sequels out of Toy Story?
These executives, they’re all about playing it safe. They remember a time when the only competition was Saturday morning cartoons and they didn’t have to worry about streaming services and viral TikToks. And the stockholders? They’re even worse. They care more about their dividends than the creative direction of the company. As long as the profits are rolling in, they don’t care if every movie is just a rehash of something from the 90s.
So, until every single one of these executives retire or, let’s be honest, die, we’re not going to see another Disney Renaissance or Pixar Golden Age. It’s going to be sequels, remakes, and safe bets all the way down. Because why take a risk when you can just make another Frozen sequel for the fifteenth time and watch the money pour in? Maybe one day, a new generation will take over, some new people will take over, regardless of age race or gender, that knows the value of a good story and also creative risks, but it would not happen, at least not until the last boomer executive and stockholder goes to his grave. Until then, I’ll be over here, probably seeing the trailer of Frozen 20 when I turn 65 or something.
2024.06.07 20:08 Miukiyn Feedback on the new YouTube layout
 | So, I just wanted to give some feedback to YouTube here on Reddit about this new layout which is TERRIBLE. As a user, I enter a video and feel uncomfortable, especially since I'm the type of person who usually watches videos in a small screen, with comments on the right and videos below, which creates a lot of visual clutter. I end up being forced to watch the video in full screen to be able to ignore this. submitted by Miukiyn to youtube [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/q0xrz6cbu65d1.png?width=1919&format=png&auto=webp&s=1d5fe52062a22a757dcee40f9f0fb9dc777a00d4 Another point is the way the comments are displayed on the right. If I watch the video in Theater Mode and want to comment, I have to click on a box to open another box to be able to comment. I lose the desire to comment because I know there will be visual clutter on my screen, with unnecessary popups opening up. I hope the YouTube team reverts this change, creates a less cluttered layout, or gives users the option to choose between the current layout and the previous one. https://preview.redd.it/0ygowdq4v65d1.png?width=1914&format=png&auto=webp&s=33f5de78c946de70c162e71cf94dc65a4f1574c3 https://preview.redd.it/z3n83ah6v65d1.png?width=1909&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f89764c324bc1365af9ea80dca5e7a4000da85b Negative points from my perspective:
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2024.06.07 20:02 BreakNecessary6940 It’s ok for men to stay inside
I think that being able to play games and watch p hub is what the reality is for most men now and I don’t think we should continue shaming men that don’t do anything. Many have tried and 9/10 they come out with the short end of the stick. The only reason you go to work is so you can have gas to go to work tomorrow. While the majority of men are working and making the few up top rich. The men with the resources can have families and have multiple kids while the men at the bottom working will be able to come and nut in his pillow. We should at least give some le way to the men who are stuck watching p hub and isolating. The more men out of society the more women are safe. They are safe because now the only choices for a boyfriend will be everything they want. The only compromise is to share that man with other women. It’s a win win. Of course men shut in will probably get very depressed but they can still be depressed and go to work. They will be less likely to commit crimes and hate acts because they will have the virtual women they want in any flavor. They don’t have to feel like shit because now society doesn’t put these requirements on him. No more having to prove yourself. You can finally live freely as a man. Thanks to p hub and steam games
submitted by BreakNecessary6940 to unpopularopinion [link] [comments]