Cat made with symbols

This is my first time fostering. I was given a beautiful long haired black and white kitty. She has been a sweetheart but the rescue has been very…weird.
First, they gave her to me with poop all over her underside/stomach, her butt, her tail and some on her back. She was matted in random places. I didn’t notice this until I got home because they handed her to me in a crate and then gave me very basic info. I have a resident cat; the information was useless.
So I called, texted, and emailed them to let them know the circumstances. Why was she allowed to leave the rescue like this? They said she got straight off a 14 hour drive to the rescue a couple hours before I picked her up..
Poor thing was so uncomfortable it was depressing. They told me to take her back to the rescue on Friday… mind you it was Saturday when they told me this. So they wanted me to wait almost a week to get her clean and made sure to mention that if I got her groomed myself, they would not reimburse me.
At this point I felt so bad I just bit the bullet and got her cleaned. It was NOT cheap..
Anyways fast forward to today. She had jelly like diarrhea with a concerning amount of blood all over my kitchen floor. And the first couple days I had her, she pooped all over the bathroom floor multiple times. I believe she has severe inflammation. I let them know this; they directed me to their vet — who is overseas at the moment :/
So I texted the vet who told me to give her canned pumpkin and stop giving her wet food. Cool. But then I proceeded to tell her that the kitty is incredibly underweight and is eating anything she lays eyes on (I’m feeding her lots of food every meal). She has even jumped on my counter to rip through her dry food.
I mentioned that I don’t want to free feed her..The vet responded “Definitely free feed adult cats”
Huh??? Every vet I’ve been to with my resident kitty has advised against this. I don’t know if I want to foster with this place anymore.
Yes, I am new to fostering but I am almost 99% percent sure that this is not how this was supposed to go. Very confused.
What do you think?

I cannot remember the whole dream but i woke up twice during the dream and the dream continued, which is weird.
There was an old man that seemed evil, smiling perversely. He talked some wisdom which i cannot remember now, then he showed me a sort of sceptre made of wood.
There was something about that sceptre, he said it had some magical element to it.
I got distracted by a black cat with murderous eyes on my right. It was friendly but the eyes were...as in said, murderous and full or rage and hate.
The cat told me to accept the sceptre, as it would grant me things beyong imagination. The old man advised me not to do so. But he told me that in any case i would still end up in the same place.
I ended up accepting the old man's advice while still taking the sceptre from him hand... Quite nonsensical i know but it's a dream and maybe i don't remember it properly (probably).
Anyways, it granted me the power of illusion or the illusion of power. I could wish anything and it would come true. It went from lifting heavy things to impress, to being of service, to orgies, to saving lives... but it was all illusion. People perceived those things as real, but i knew they were false. I recognized that and the black cat with the vengeful, hateful, murderous eyes started showing teeth...
I then realized that the cat was the devil and the old man was god.
I had accepted the gift that the devil gave God to test me with ( hedonism, egotism, lust, sloth ) yet god still protected me from the cat, from the devil. So the cat got really angry and growled "don't you worry, you will still join me".
This is where it gets weird...
My power, from the sceptre, suddenly disappeared. And a giant took its place. A literal giant. Then 5 people (who i saw as old friends) all with their own powers came and started fighting the thing. But they couldn't hurt it...
My interpretation was that: since I've got a history or drugs, whoring and alcoholism i accepted a seemingly all powerful sceptre from the devil. But that sceptre (the power...the illusion) got out of hand and went on a rampage, my good characteristics, my good traits, my good habits as an ex disciplined person went on to defend my soul. But they couldn't do much.
Idk... it seems so profound for a dream...i woke up as i said 2 times, so i dreamt the same thing (or the continuation) 3 times... the 3rd time i woke up sweating and thinking "fuck....it makes sense... i must change...i must do something...i must !"

Hello. Ten days ago I lost my sweet cat Luigi. He was almost 6 years old. We adopted him from a rescue 3 years ago. The 3 years we had him were absolutely amazing! He was the sweetest and most affectionate cat I have ever met. Before he was surrendered to the rescue and adopted, he was hit by a car. He was left with a deformed paw, and a pelvic injury that made it difficult for him to defecate. Due to his pelvic injury, we took him to the vet often. He needed several enemas and a deobstipation surgery. He did well for a year, but then developed severe diarrhea. We tried everything - changing food multiple times, medications, an arthritis shot to hopefully make it easier for him to use the litter box, etc. We took him to the vet several times the last 6 months. At the last appointment we talked to the vet and asked if this could be constipation instead of diarrhea, which the vet stated no. Fast forward a few weeks and Luigi gets very sick. We take him back to the emergency vet (which is also his regular vet). They stabilize him, take X-rays, and tell us the constipation has returned. They schedule him for a deobstipation surgery. Once they start the surgery, they realize the constipation is much worse than they thought, and given his pelvic injury they were unable to remove it. The feces was hard as a rock, and his pelvic opening was too small to pull it through.
The vet contacted us while he was still under anathesia from the deobstipation they attempted. We rushed to the vet, hysterical. We are relatively new cat parents. We adopted our first cat 5 years ago. We have never experienced an emergency like this. When we arrived the vet told us the options were to put him through surgery to remove the fecal matter (but he stated it would be hard on Luigi, it would be a tough recovery, and by this point he had been in the hospital 3 days due to a bladder obstruction caused by the constipation), or we could euthanize him. The vet stated he would not put his cat through the surgery, and he felt it was not in Luigi's best interest. Per the vet the surgery is not a guarantee to fix Luigi's issues. If we were going to put him down, it would be best to do it while he was under anesthesia.
We asked tons of questions and cried. But, we were very much pressured to make a quick decision due to the anathesia. I was in shock. I wanted to give him a chance, but my fiance felt it was best to let Luigi go in peace as he has a history of multiple surgeries due to being hit by the car, and the concern of him being weak from the bladder obstruction, and the vet's report that the surgery would be hard on Luigi and he would not recommend it. We decided to let him go peacefully while under anathesia.
I have so many questions and am really feeling a lot of guilt. I think most of the guilt stems from having to make the decision so quickly that we could not research or get a second opinion.
We have an appointment on 5/21 to speak to the vet and the medical director of the facility. I want to know how the constipation had gotten so bad without the vet knowing, or telling us. I want to know why we were pressured to make such a quick decision about euthanasia. This is so difficult because we trusted the vet, and I will now live with the guilt of not taking Luigi to a specialist. I don't know why he was not referred to a specialist if the vet could not help him.
My questions for you all are: 1. Do you think we did the right thing? I cannot tell you how much guilt I have that the vet who missed the constipation is the one who recommended euthanasia.

1. Should we have awakened him from the anesthesia, waited for him to get out of the ER, take him to a specialist for a second opinion? Is it common practice for vet's to recommend euthanasia while the cat is under anesthesia - even if that rushes everything?
   
2. I feel this vet is responsible for my cats death due to missing the constipation. What would you recommend in that case? We have scheduled the meeting to discuss our concerns. We are working on finding another vet. Any other suggestions?
   

Thank you

1. The Early Days of the Waffle: The story of waffles begins with their humble ancestors: unleavened flatbreads. These simple flatbreads, made from flour and water, have existed for thousands of years. They were popular in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East, providing an easy-to-make and transportable source of nutrition. The Ancient Greeks contributed to waffle evolution by creating obleios, basic flat cakes cooked between two heated metal plates. However, these early waffle predecessors didn’t yet feature the iconic grid design we associate with modern waffles. In medieval Europe, flatbreads gained their characteristic honeycomb pattern. While the exact inventor remains a mystery, legend has it that a medieval knight accidentally sat on an oatcake while still clad in armor, leaving behind a grid pattern. Most likely, it was a medieval blacksmith who perfected the grid design we recognize today. The French word “gaufre” and the Dutch word “wafel” both derive from terms meaning “honeycomb.”
2. The Rise of the Waffle: During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, waffles gained popularity as street food across Europe. Records show that waffles with their honeycomb pattern were sold in the streets of England as early as 1603. Christianity also played a role in waffle history. Flatbread became an essential part of Christian tradition, symbolizing the body of Jesus Christ during the Eucharist. Street vendors sold French “oublies” (a type of waffle) outside churches, often incorporating religious symbols into their designs. Beyond Europe, flatbreads continue to be popular in Middle Eastern countries, India, and the Mediterranean, although their composition varies across cuisines.
3. Waffles Across the Atlantic: Waffles made their way to the New World with the pilgrims. The trademark honeycomb design became a staple in America, blurring the line between breakfast and dessert. Interestingly, American waffles took a different path from their traditional Belgian counterparts. The industrialization of waffle production led to frozen waffles, which contrasted starkly with the artisanal Belgian varieties.

Took in a stray cat about 3-4 months ago and the other cat in the household was okay about it, since the stray has had her kittens she's been going out of her way to attack him. I've read it could be since she has had kittens, but will it go away?? She's so attached to me that I don't even want to think about not being able to keep her.
For more info: Other cat- 6 years old, has always played rough and would always stalk as his way of playing..which made our previous elder cats never want anything to do with him.
New cat- 5-6 months, was very skittish of other cat since he kept trying to sneak up on her and sniff her..but never ran away or tried to attack him.
Since before bringing her inside they'd sit next to the glass door with eachother, when bringing her inside I had her set up in my bedroom with all of her things in there including food and litter box. She's been kept in my room since but will follow me to the family room or essentially any room that I go into, at that point he'd be in a separate room. That was fine, until she now seeks him out and chases him.
His stuff is kept all the way on the other side of the house and I do not allow her anywhere near his things, he also only mainly has 2 places he likes to be and I won't allow her to be near there either..including a certain window sills and his owners bedroom.
Now I dont know what to do or even if I did introducing correct as I was a kid when we got all of our other cats and they instantly were fine with eachother. I do snap my fingers when she gets in that head space or play a kitten meowing and it will snap her out of it, but that's all I can think of doing. I've already had to keep her almost completely separated for so long she cannot stand being cooped up 24/7 with her babies.
I will say though when she's not like that they will lay in the same room together and sleep, sometimes hours at a time..Even eating next to eachother. Until that mindset clicks in again. Could it be maternal aggression? Or is it just too much pent up playfulness?

A random cat has gotten into the reception of the building I live in. I know she's there, but as of yet haven't made an attempt to make her go back outside (I don't know if anyone else has since I was last down there). Unless someone lets her through, there's no way for her to get into the main part of the building. It's private student accommodation with a "no pets" rule, but I don't think that applies to random animals that have managed to get in. Plus if the building manager finds out about her and finds out I know she's here, I can just claim I didn't feel comfortable picking up a random cat to take her back outside. It is currently quarter past eleven at night where I am, so that wouldn't be an issue until the morning anyway.
If you were in my situation, would you make the cat go back outside? Or would you just leave her be, and wait till she goes back outside on her own/someone else makes her go back outside?

Chapter CC
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Trout's Landing.
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Ruby stretched with a contented sigh. She turned her head over to where Jeb slept beside her. Or where he was when she fell asleep. She sat up and looked around the dark underground room but he wasn't here either.
"Wonder where he went."
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Oh well, she thought as she stretched a few stiff muscles before hopping up and collecting their eggs. As nice as it was to sleep with them, they needed more consistent warmth. So she sat them to the side, bundled up in the still warm blanket, and departed to secure a source of fire for their eggs.
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Which wasn't all that hard, she realized as her dark vision faded as the blue glow from the torches up ahead illuminated the main gathering area for the burrows. She smiled as she saw the tribe return to something familiar that she missed seeing for a while.
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Several tunnels branched off towards the other cabins and already kobolds came and went from them as they began to migrate away from the chill air above for the, still cool but more comfortable, air below. As they did she could see the collections they brought back and forth. Animals, alive and dressed, were being moved down here and out of the elements for better care. As well as an easier time keeping the ever gluttonous salamanders from sneaking another meal. Scraps and salvage collected from around the lodge or while out exploring being brought down and being traded or even used to furnish the space.
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Bits of wood with simple carvings were lodged into the dirt along side scraps of metal or rock with soot, mud, or crushed flower pigment to paint symbols or words on them for decoration or directions. While it wasn't the bustling forum that they once had, it gladdened her to see her tribe returning to normalcy once again.
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She shook away the distracting thoughts and set her sights on some scrap of wood nearby. She darted over to the vendor, deftly avoiding a section of the ground being dug up as the kobolds dug ever deeper as they sought to expand their burrows ever more. It was in their nature to dig and burrow. While they no longer had a draconic master to excavate massive caverns and tunnels for, she wouldn't be surprised if kobold tunnels ended up expanding far past the border of the lodge itself and going far into the wild where they knew nothing about save for what little Jeb has told them.
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Eventually, even this gathering area will be abandoned as the tribe moved deeper down, putting as much dirt and rock between them and whatever threats laid above. The only thing that would remain would be an assortment of traps to keep any invaders wary of going deeper than the kobolds wanted. Even then, many of the tunnels that would lead deeper would be dead-ends meant to slow or hinder any invader. Some would even be traps in and of themselves, collapsing the "tunnel" on top of even the most cautious of invader or even just blocking their escape and leaving them to die before the kobolds eventually dug out their remains and collected their gear with no trouble.
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She stood before the assortment of wood and looked over the scrap. Some of it was processed lumber that looked to be from the buildings above, most was collected bits of wood from the forest though. Which was fine, she didn't need anything too big. No bartering took place. She was a leader of the tribe and it was assumed whatever she wanted was for the good of the tribe.
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Even starting a warming fire for her eggs was good enough for the tribe to skip bartering and simply give her what she needed. So she collected enough wood for a nice fire and returned to her home. She sorted it into the indent in the ground that Jeb had placed their eggs in before. It would be a good place to start a heating fire for them, she thought as she finished arranging them.
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She left and collected some tinder made of dried moss and grass before looking around for some stone or flint to start the fire with. But no such luck. All the stone was deeply imbedded in the dirt or was too large. She once more returned to the gathering area in search of fire. Which she quickly found in the form of the glowing blue fire that Jeb had created for the kobolds.
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She shuffled a little as she stared at the dancing flame. She knew Jeb didn't like the idea of the kobolds using the blue fire. He probably wouldn't like the idea of heating their eggs with it either. She should be worried as well, she thought. But she wasn't. Staring at the flame reminded her of the vision that The Crone showed her. Of her and Jeb within a ring of flaming blue orbs. They were happy. The tribe was happy.
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"He'll understand." She said as she darted and collected a piece of wood to transfer a spark from a nearby torch.
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Ember in hand, she rushed back to her home. She gently eased the flame towards the bundle of wood. She yipped in shock when the flame leapt from her temporary torch and engulfed the pile! Their room burst into dancing shadows as the flames danced from their new home. So pretty, she thought as she stared at the fire. She had seen it when she would come out of their room in the old building for a break. But it seemed so mesmerizing now that it was right in front of her.
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She widened the indent in the ground a little so that the eggs could receive the warmth from the fire without being too close. They might be mildly resistant to fire, but not enough to throw their eggs in a fire! Then again, she thought with worry as she held her claw out at the fire. The warmth from it isn't as strong as a normal fire it seemed. Like it was contained.
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She clicked her claws in worry. She didn't want to push them too close, but they wouldn't get enough heat if they remained where they were. It would only get worse as it got colder and the cold seeped into the ground. Maybe just a little closer, she thought as she nudged the eggs closer to the fire.
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The flames sputtered at the movement of air, but nothing more. She held out her claw to gauge the temperature once again. But it still wasn't enough, she thought as she clicked her claws against a nearby stone in thought. She cast a glance towards the tunnel. She could maybe see if one of the others have something to make a proper fire, she thought.
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She put a claw on the eggs.
"No. That'll take too long."
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She looked worryingly at the tunnel as if Jeb would appear and lambast her for even thinking what she was. She held her breath and pushed the eggs forwards. Then more. Then even more. The flames sputtered and danced as the eggs were pushed closer and closer. She could only just feel the heat as she did so. Why did the fire seem so weak, she thought as she pushed the eggs right up beside the bundle of burning wood.
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Yet the fire seemed to move around the eggs, like they were doing their best to avoid touching them. Even the heat from the fire seemed to be avoiding them! Ruby growled in frustration and pushed the eggs right into the fire!
"Can you just keep them warm?!"
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The fire stilled and froze as the eggs were pushed into it. As if it didn't know what to do. Then the flame roared to life once again. The balefire caressed the onyx shells as it seemed to dance across the smooth black surface of the shells. As if a barrier broke, the heat from the flame radiated outwards now. Ruby could now feel the warmth from the fire where seconds ago she felt nothing.
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Ruby blinked at the eldritch flame and moved her claw to touch her eggs. She instinctively pulled back as a tongue of balefire arced in her direction. She whined in worry at possibly making a terrible mistake. She held her breath and once more reached out to caress her eggs. She bit her tongue and shut her eyes when the fire arced towards her once more.
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But she didn't feel pain. No burning sensation one would get when normally sticking an appendage into a roaring fire. Instead she felt a comforting warmth. Like she felt when close to Jeb as they slept together. She cracked open an eye and found the baleful flame caressing her claw. She experimented a little by pulling her claw back, feeling as the flame seemed to latch on like it didn't want her to leave, before snapping back to its "body". She pushed her claw into the fire, further this time, all the way up to her elbow. The fire latched onto her once again and flooded her with a comforting warmth that shot straight to her core!
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She turned her claw upwards and pulled back once more. She watched as the flame held on as she did so, once more refusing to leave her scales. She watched as the flame snapped once again, but this time, it broke! Instead of snapping back towards its body, she now held a burning ball of balefire in her claw!
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She couldn't do magic. There were few of the tribe that could before they fled to this world. The Chief was the last among them that had any ability to harness it. Yet here she was, holding a magical fire within her claw! She watched as the flame danced and twisted in her grasp. She sucked in a breath when she watched it start to diffuse INTO her scales! The flame lessened and lessened as if it were dying, but instead the fire seeped between the cracks of her scales. She could feel it racing through her body, flooding it once more with a wave of comforting warmth.
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"Den Mother?" A voice asked from the tunnel nearby.
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Ruby yelped in surprise and turned towards the voice. She saw the Chief standing there watching her with a curious and amazed expression on his snout.
"Having fun?"
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"Chief!? I was-"
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"Playing with fire?" The Chief asked playfully as he stared at the blue fire.
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She shuffled nervously as he did so. Eventually he chuckled and she began to relax.
"It's alright Den Mother. You're not the only one that Master Jeb's flame as entranced among the tribe."
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"Why do you think it acts so different from normal fire?" She asked.
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The Chief shrugged.
"Who knows. Perhaps it is how magic works in this world. Perhaps it is something on Master Jeb's part. Perhaps it is because our former- Kortaza, was the Keeper of Flame."
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"But we never had much protection from fire before. And not any way to manipulate it." Ruby said.
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The Chief sighed.
"True. I truly do not know why it is so different than normal fire. Fire is alive, yes. But this one seems almost..."
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"Living?" Ruby suggested.
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"Yes. Like it has a mind of its own. Though I doubt that much, perhaps it merely follows the will of Master Jeb, knowingly or not on his part." The Chief continued as he walked closer and sat down beside Ruby and watched the eggs glimmer and shine within the fire where they remained quiet for some peaceful moments.
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The Chief then perked up.
"Oh! Master Jeb returned!"
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"He did?! Where is he?" Ruby asked and looked around expecting to see him coming down the tunnel.
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"Well, he did return. Rushed around and collected an assortment of food, and then he vanished away again. Something about a trade?" The Chief explained a little unsure.
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She frowned, wonder what he was trading, she thought. Though, with the eggs now taken care of, and Jeb away for a moment. Perhaps now was the time she could see about doing something special for him. She turned to the Chief, he was more knowledgeable when it came to humans and their customs.
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"Chief?" She asked.
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"Yes? What is it?" He asked at the tone of her voice.
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"What do you know of this world's humans?"
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"Oh? What would you like to know?" He asked a little excited in being able to use his collected knowledge.
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"What do humans do with those they care about?" She asked a little uncertainly.
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The Chief hummed in thought and tapped his claws.
"It depends. Humans are as diverse in this world as ours. Many customs I've read about belong to different groups."
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"What about the tribe that Jeb belongs to?"
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The Chief hummed once more in thought and got up before darting away while calling back.
"I will check! I'm sure I have something!"
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While she waited, she continued to play with fire and tend to her eggs. Since they were in the flame, they didn't need quite so studious attention as they did before. She could probably just leave them and go tend to her normal duties and not have to worry about them anymore.
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Who was she fooling, she thought. Even if there was a way to hatch and tend to the eggs completely without her, she'd still want to look after them. She thought she heard Jeb mentioning something about an "electrical egg incubator" once upon a time. Whatever that was.
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The Chief returned, huffing from being out of breath and holding a thickly bound tome with pages of different sizes and colors poking out of the patched bindings. He placed the heavy tome on the ground with a huff.
"This is my collection of this world's customs and knowledge. If there is something that will assist you it will be in here somewhere!"
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Ruby oohed and awed as the Chief flipped open the tome and leafed through page after page of information. Some were pages from magazines, others were snippets and clippings from books, there was a few pages that contained pressed cuttings of local flora as well as a collection of small animal bones among the bindings.
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They stopped on a page that read MODERN COURTING FOR THE MODERN WOMAN in bold letters on a page that felt smooth to the touch. On the cover was a gorgeous human woman wearing a sleek beautiful dress and jewelry. Ruby pointed towards the page.
"Oh this one!"
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They thumbed through the pages looking for information. Most neither one of them got as it talked about stuff like make-up, libido, popular fashion, and other things that they didn't either understand or see the appeal of. Then they found a page that described how a modern woman should act. Though this seemed to confuse the both of them even more.
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"Be 'dem-or' and assertive? What does 'dem-or' mean?" Ruby asked the Chief.
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"I'm not sure. There are many words within that don't seem to fit." He explained.
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A pattern they soon found to be common among the pages of information, much of the words would make sense but spread out among them were these spots of words that seemed just out of place. What they COULD understand still didn't make any sense either.
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"Be soft yet firm? How does that work?" The Chief asked.
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"If you like a potential mate why make him keep trying to win your heart?" Ruby asked equally confused.
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"Modern" humans were just as confusing to them it seemed. However, among the pages of contradictory information, they were able to get SOMETHING of value! Humans like gifts. Though they both knew that and didn't really feel like these pages of "modern courting" did anything more than confuse them.
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"What kind of gifts?" The Chief asked as he and Ruby tried to decipher the mess of flowery wording and nonsense.
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"Jewelry, clothes, food." Ruby read off as they got the general gist of the overly convoluted wording. The pictures helped more though.
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"Well! At least we found something... I think?" The Chief declared at least with a little uncertainty.
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"Why did you collect all this?" Ruby asked.
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"It was in a book, so I thought it was important. But it would seem that not everything in this world's books are worth keeping." The Chief stated before retrieving the tome and departing.
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"Where are you going?"
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"To go through my collection. It would seem that some of it is not as important as I first thought." He called out as he left.
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She could hear him mumbling to himself and heard the occasional tearing as he did. Well, at least they found something, she thought as she turned towards the eggs once more. She placed a claw on the onyx shells and felt the comforting warmth of the fire as well as the warmth of the eggs. They'll be fine for now, she thought as she got up and left.
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"Jewelry, clothes, and food." Ruby murmured as she went down the tunnel once again.
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He was getting low on clothes, she thought. But there wasn't much around here to make some with. Though perhaps some animal hides would work? But much of what they've collected was too small for clothes of Jeb's size. Getting him food seemed redundant too. He could make his own food whenever he wished. Which left jewelry.
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It was the better of the options, but they didn't have much in the way of jewelry either. No raids means no loot and the piles of treasure back in their former home wasn't exactly a priority at the time of their exodus. But then she spied the copper wire the kobolds had collected while scavenging. A copper band would be nice, she thought as she was given the piece of wiring from the scavenger.
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But what else, she thought as she looked around some more. The pictures in the magazine showed jewelry that glittered with gold and diamonds and so much more that they no longer had. Nothing around here could compare, she thought dejectedly. But then she saw a group of kobolds coming down a tunnel with a collection of shells and waterlogged timber.
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"What is this?" She asked them.
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"Salvage from the camps up river." The kobold replied as he and the others began to sift and sort the mess.
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She watched as they distributed everything they collected to the tribe that came over. Some took the waterlogged wood, others took polished stones, and others took the collection of shells. She eyed the shells. Back home, alot of the fishfolk in the rivers and around the sea collected pearls from the water. Perhaps the ones upriver also had some?
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She followed after the group of kobolds that had collected the shells and assisted them in opening a few. Mussels were what was mainly here, no surprise though since it seemed they were far from this world's ocean. What was a surprise was how many pearls they actually managed to find among the mussels!
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It was rare for the kobolds to find one during their fishing trips by the sea. Even among the rivers pearls were not much more common. So it surprised them that several mussels had multiple pearls within them! She was going to actually barter for potentially the single one they found, but with there being so many the shuckers didn't mind at all and gave Ruby a small handful for her project.
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They weren't all that big, but that was fine by her. They'd do for what she had in mind. She borrowed a small thin metal needle from a scavenger and retreated back to her room. Copper wire and freshwater pearls in claw.
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-----
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Well, that's taken care of, Jeb thought as he appeared in the open air of the lodge. He flicked the gold and garnet band into the air and got it with a spring in his step and a tune on his lips as he made his way over to the Trap Master who stood near the river where he received reports from the salvagers.
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"How's things?" He asked when he got close.
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"Good. Strange. But good." The Trap Master stated as he dismissed the salvagers.
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"How so?"
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"The 'murlocs' you called them? Haven't returned to their former homes." He explained.
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"And? Wasn't that kinda the point?"
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"It was. But there isn't any sign of anything else other than birds flocking to the area."
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"Again, wasn't that the point?"
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"Only if something worse didn't move in." The Trap Master explained further.
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Jeb groaned.
"What moved in?"
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"Nothing."
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"Nothin'?"
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"That we can see. No new tracks, no scents, nothing."
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"So what's the problem?"
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"The problem is that much carrion should've drawn every scavenger and hungry animal for miles."
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"But it hasn't." Jeb finished.
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"No. The birds infest the area but largely leave us alone. Though some get a little territorial over their spots of carrion. But nothing else has moved into the area."
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Jeb groaned again.
"So what do you wanna do?"
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"Nothing."
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"Really?" Jeb asked in surprise.
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"Yes. If the other animals and creatures nearby are giving the place a wide berth then we'll exploit it as long as we can. We'll send some scouts to keep an eye on the place though."
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"Perhaps the smell of death is what's doin' it?" Jeb suggested.
​
"Maybe. Would explain the large number of birds. But nothing else?"
​
"Yeah, you're right. Well let me know if you need help with it." Jeb said.
​
"Will do."
​
"Oh! Before I forget, I made a trade agreement with the dwarves."
​
The Trap Master cocked a scaled brow.
"Oh?"
​
"Yeah. Food for tools. We'll need to set aside five crates twice a week, but we'll get some decent tools to help speed up excavation." Jeb explained.
​
The Trap Master tapped his claws against his scales in thought.
"That's doable."
​
"You sure? Cuz I'm more than happy to do it all myself." Jeb said and conjured an apple to make his point.
​
"No. The tools are for us, we should assist. Besides, we gathered more for our former master. Five crates twice a week will be easy enough to do." The Trap Master stated in a relaxed tone.
​
"Alright, if you're certain." Jeb said.
​
"I am. We'll let you know if anything changes." The Trap Master replied.
​
"Alright, have it your way." Jeb returned and departed while tossing the conjured apple towards the lazing salamanders nearby.
​
Jeb ported down to the main gathering area. The place was just as busy as when he left as the kobolds went about their duties and tasks with vigor and joy that he's only really seen when they were staying in his basement. Guess he was the one living in their basement now, he thought with a chuckle.
​
He played with the gold and garnet band as he shuffled nervously. Wasn't sure why he was so nervous, he thought. She already had his kids, kinda, sorta. They were already living together. This would just be the natural progression of things. Kinda, sorta. He heaved in a big gulp of air to steady his nerves.
​
"Alright. Quite procrastinatin' Jeb." He muttered to himself and started down the tunnel towards his home.
​
He stopped when his boot stepped on something different. He looked down and picked up a magazine page.
"Modern courtin' for the modern woman? Where the hell did this come from?"
​
Probably Sammy's, Jeb thought as he tossed aside the girly garbage. Not sure what it was doing out here though. Maybe she brought it for Thanksgiving and forgot it? Or maybe the kobolds swiped it when they raided her hairspray? Or maybe she just left it among his other articles one of the times she and his pa would go over to his place.
​
"Oh well." He said as he continued on.
​
He could hear humming as he got closer, and saw a familiar pale blue light. He walked into his room and saw Ruby humming as she tinkered with something. Nearby was their eggs, sitting in the balefire. He should've panicked. He should've dropped everything and ran over trying to save his kids. That's what a father would do right?
​
But he didn't have that gut wrenching feeling of seeing your kids in danger he thought he would. Still, he walked over beside Ruby. She yelped in surprise and fumbled with what she was working on as Jeb reached out a hand and touched their onyx colored eggs.
​
"Jeb?! I was- They were-" Ruby tried to explain while also trying to gather her things.
​
"It's alright." Jeb said.
​
"It is?" She asked with concern.
​
"Yeah. They're not hot." He said as he stroked the shells through the fire that did nothing to him.
​
"Are you sure?" She asked with worry and concern.
​
"Yeah. Doubt it'll do anythin' more to 'em." Jeb said with a bit more bitterness in his voice than he wanted there to be.
​
He saw Ruby's face fall at his words. Nice job dickhead, Jeb thought to himself. He sighed and turned towards Ruby.
"I'm sorry. I'm just nervous 'bout everythin' happenin'."
​
"I'm nervous too." She stated and leaned into him for a hug, which he eagerly returned.
​
They held each other for a long moment before Ruby perked up and scrambled away.
"Hold on! Don't look!"
​
"Look at what?" Jeb asked with a cocked brow as he did his best to hide his own gift.
​
"I said don't look!" She chided.
​
"Alright!" He said with a laugh.
​
He turned away as he heard her grumbling and fumbling with whatever she was working on when he walked in on her. While he waited, he stretched out his hand and caressed their eggs. Please don't get any weirder, he pleaded mentally while he waited.
​
"Ok! You can look now!" Ruby called at last.
​
Jeb turned back around and saw Ruby holding a ring towards him. It was some braided copper wire with a couple of small pearls threaded on. She held it up to him.
"What do you think?"
​
Wait, was this a gift or was she asking him to marry her, Jeb thought. He had to say something though, the look of confusion on his face was making Ruby sad.
"I love it! What's it for exactly?"
​
"Well, I'm courting you!" She said as Jeb accepted the copper and pearl braided band.
​
"Courtin' me? What does that-" Jeb started when he noticed a rustle from his left boot.
​
He looked down and pulled off a piece of paper that had stuck to it. MODERN COURTING FOR THE MODERN WOMAN, it said in bold on the paper. He turned it around towards Ruby.
"Did you read this?"
​
She shuffled.
"Yes? I wasn't sure how you court a human in this world! But the words were confusing and didn't make any sense and- why are you laughing?"
​
"I'm laughin' because this is trash! None of the stuff in here is how you should court someone!" Jeb said with a laugh.
​
"But it says-" Ruby started when Jeb tossed the magazine paper into the nearby fire, which ate it instantly.
​
"It's just somethin' that girls read to pass the time. Nothin' in there is worth the paper it's printed on." Jeb declared.
​
"Oh. So?" Ruby asked dejectedly as she gestured to the ring she made for Jeb.
​
"This is just fine. Though do you know what it means to get a ring for someone?" Jeb asked.
​
"That they love one another?" Ruby said a little unsure now.
​
"Yeah. I guess it does. But the act of givin' someone you love a ring is a symbol that you want to be together." Jeb explained and produced his own gift for Ruby.
​
Her eyes went wide as she grasped the gold and garnet band.
"But we're already together."
​
"Yeah. We are."
​
"So what does the rings mean?" Ruby asked as she examined the band.
​
"Well, it's more religious really."
​
"Oh?"
​
"Yeah. It's supposed to mean... somethin'." Jeb started as he realized he didn't entirely recall what the meaning of the ring was supposed to mean.
​
"Mean what?" Ruby pressed as she tried to fit the band on her arm and then her tail.
​
"Well. It generally means being together forever."
​
"But why the ring?"
​
"It means a sort of exclusivity for folk." Jeb explained.
​
"Why? What about the rest of the tribe? Does that mean you won't help them?" She asked.
​
"No! I can, or will, or... this is harder than I thought it'd be." Jeb said with a sigh.
​
Ruby cocked a brow as well.
"So what happens?"
​
"Well, we exchange rings and promise to love one another forever. In sickness and health and yada yada. Then we're husband and wife." Jeb explained.
​
"Why? We're already mates and we love one another. What does our health have to do with it? And what is a 'husband and wife'?"
​
"Well... You know what? Forget it. Do you promise to love me?"
​
"Yes! Do you?"
​
"Yup!"
​
"Yay!" Ruby cried and hugged Jeb.
​
"And I now pronounce you man and wife." Jeb muttered as he kissed Ruby.
​
Ruby giggled and pulled away.
"So what happens now?"
​
"Now... I don't know. Usually there would also be paper work, but given... us, it prob'bly wouldn't matter."
​
"So what changes?" Ruby asked as she affixed the gold and garnet band to one of her horns with a smile.
​
"Uhm... nothin'? We're already together, we already live together, we already have kids... kinda." Jeb listed off.
​
"So what's the rings supposed to mean?"
​
"It means... I love you." Jeb replied at last, giving up on trying to explain something he himself wasn't entirely informed of.
​
"I love you too!" Ruby cried and kissed him.
​
He returned the kiss. Not like this would've been an official wedding anyway, Jeb thought. They don't exactly have a licensed priest to officiate it. Or witnesses. He doubt their still shelled eggs would count. He could ask the Chief to oversee it. But he already got a headache trying to explain marriage to Ruby, he didn't really want to explain it to the Chief, or any other kobolds that might be interested.
​
Not like it made anything different, Jeb thought. Ruby was right. They loved one another. They lived together. They had kids together. For all intense and purpose, they were mates. Sure if he was particularly religious he could insist on going to a church and doing things official. But given how things have turned out for them lately, he wouldn't be surprised if he burst into flames stepping inside a church.
​
Well, there was ONE tradition that they could still do, Jeb thought with a smirk as he picked up Ruby bridal style.
"Wanna consummate our marriage?"
​
"What does that mean?" She asked.
​
"Don't worry. You'll like it." Jeb said as he led her over to their moss bed.
​
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Apologies in advance, I’m newish to Reddit and on mobile. (I also posted this in catadvice)
We have 2 six year old tabby cats, one orange and one brown. They are both neutered and are littermates. We adopted them 5 years ago from a local shelter.
About a year after adopting them, the orange boy started peeing on my husband’s stuff/side of the bed. He even once peed on my husband (was kinda funny at the time, but still not good). Took them to the vet, cleared of having a UTI, and prescribed mood stabilizers as well as given some feliaway diffusers to use. They have been on them for about 4 1/2 years now.
About a month ago, myself, hubs and our kiddo went out of town for the eclipse. Our normal pet sitter was also going on the trip so we had other family members stop by the house to check on the cats. When we got home, 5 days later, we smelled cat pee as soon as we got to the main area of the house. After a bit of searching, we discovered one of the cats peed in a cardboard box scratcher. We threw the box away, cleaned the floors, and moved on. A few days later, we could still faintly smell pee and after a bit more searching, discovered someone had peed outside their second litter box and on the hardwood floor. Bought some urine enzyme cleaner after the previous incident so we used that to clean the floor and put the litter mat in the washer to clean that up.
Now it’s nearly an everyday occurrence for the past month. At first we weren’t sure which cat was doing it till I witnessed the orange boy marking a hung towel in our master bathroom. So we’re sure it’s just him marking. I have bought 2 different enzyme cleaners, we changed the litter in both of their boxes (after adding a second one back after not needing it for nearly 3 years), and we try not to leave them unattended anymore.
So far he has marked: a cardboard cat scratching box, the second litter mat, our front door, the corner of my kiddo’s room, our guest bathtub (twice), my dresser (3 times), hung towels (3 times), my grandmother’s china cabinet (twice), 2 different bath mats, and our big trash can in our garage.
I am nearly in tears every night having to spend every night scouting the house for puddles/urine smell. We have an in home appointment with a pet behaviorist next week, but in the meantime, does anyone have any advice on how to curb or discourage this behavior? How can you “discipline” a cat for this? I absolutely REFUSE to give up on my cats. I made a commitment to them when I adopted them and rehoming them is an ABSOLUTE last resort, please do not advise that as I will not be doing that unless absolutely necessary.
TL/DR: 6yr old cat is marking on furniture and I have no idea how to discourage this behavior.
Thank you in advance.

So my son whom I love dearly has somewhat recently developed the habit of peeing in the couch lately and, as I’m sure many of you know, cat pee is hard to clean.
He’s already been to the vet. It initially came with some kind of urinary tract issue in which he was peeing a little bit of blood. That has since been addressed, but now I’m worried he’s made a habit of it. It’s gotten to where we have to shut him up in the laundry room with his food and litter box and we both hate doing that.
I’m at a loss for what to do at this point. Any advice? He is neutered and is the only cat in the house.

I wasn't planning on watching Thrice Upon A Time. I had not liked the previous films and they seemed like a very inferior product compared to the original anime. However, the good reviews and opinions I saw about it encouraged me to do so. I did it with as open and tolerant a mind as possible, knowing that there was a good chance I wouldn't like the film. "What's the worst that could happen? That I don't like it and continue to prefer the original series? At least I'll be entertained for two and a half hours," I thought. What I did not expect at all is the deep feeling of disgust and repulsion that this film provoked in me, in a way that no other film has provoked in years.
I hated the movie from start to finish. I could spend hours talking about the boring action sequences, about its ugly, excessive CGI that ruins the already ugly mecha, about its disgusting hypersexualization of fucking 14-year-old girls, about how Misato's plans don't make sense, about how Last Kiss almost made me tear my ears off, or its plot full of Deus Ex Machinas with concepts conveniently taken by Hideaki Anno from the place that his last name suggests; but the real reason I'm writing this is because I feel like these movies spit on everything the excellent original work represents.
Not only because as adaptations they fail miserably, but also because they retroactively damage the original work (we'll talk about that later).
Before I begin to explain why the rebuilds are bad adaptations, I want to warn that I am going to do a relatively exhaustive review of the 4 films, so this rant is going to be very long, like staying up late on a winter night with chronic insomnia. That said, let's start to see the reasons:
WHAT IS NEON GENESIS EVANGELION?:
To understand why rebuilds fail as remakes, I must first ask you, dear reader: What does Neon Genesis Evangelion mean to you? (it should at least be familiar to you, unless you've spent your life under a bridge) What do you think about when you read that title, apart from Shinji fucking in front of a comatose Asuka? What comes to mind when you hear the most famous opening in anime history, apart from Shinji strangling the otter against Happy Thursday's throat? (in more ways than one). If your answer is: "It's a mecha anime for emos with a coomer protagonist", that's fine, I respect that; but please press the red "X" in the top right corner of your screen, you can now leave.
Now, I'm going to get serious and explain my definition: Evangelion is a work about the hedgehog's dilemma and the difficulties of forming emotional bonds that human beings have, as well as the consequences of trying to separate from them for fear of rejection. It is not a story about heroes. It's not a story about saving the world. In Evangelion there are neither heroes nor villains, but rather a group of emotionally broken characters trying to be happy in a world just as broken as them. The real enemy of Evangelion is not the angels. It is the lack of communication and empathy.
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilema_del_erizo
It is that same lack of communication and empathy that progressively causes everything to go to hell to conclude with a cathartic and bleak ending, but consistent with the themes of the work. It is therefore an existentialist work about human relationships disguised as a mecha anime. This, added to a unique visual style, daring direction, and mechas like never before seen on television, made Evangelion one of the most influential anime in all of history, as well as a true commercial success for Gainax Studio. Success that encouraged other studios to carry out projects such as Cowboy Bebop or Serial Experiment Lain, taking anime towards a new golden age.
Even today you can hear the echoes of that Third Impact of End of Evangelion in 1997. The list of works influenced by Evangelion both inside and outside of Japan is endless. Of course, it is not a perfect work, nor extensive in errors: its target audience is ambiguous, many of the biblical references are more for decoration than anything else, and several aspects of the ending(s) could have been explained better. However, many of these errors can be attributed to a lack of time and budget during the production of the original anime (which was quite chaotic and improvised); therefore, they are understandable and forgivable.
In summary, we can conclude that Evangelion is a dark, introspective, provocative and unique work (at least at its time). This is also combined with a unique visual identity and complex characters whose relationships intertwine and interconnect throughout the work. The sum of all these factors is what led Evangelion to be such a critically acclaimed work that it transcended its own genre and became an icon of popular culture. And this in turn constitutes the biggest mistake of rebuilds; because they commit the biggest sin that an adaptation can commit: denying everything that made the original work great.
ADAPTING WITHOUT A CLEAR PURPOSE:
One of the biggest problems with these remakes (as well as a clear example of what I'm saying) is their total narrative inconsistency. Let me explain: the first rebuilds movie (1.11) is a literal copy-paste of the first 6 chapters of the original anime, with practically the same scenes, dialogues and even music. This makes the film completely redundant and unnecessary (and makes one wonder why it exists); But in any case, the message is being conveyed that the purpose of these remakes is to adapt the original series as faithfully as possible to the cinema with a current animation style.
However, the second movie (2.22) is a... something. A pastiche of new and old things where the plot broadly follows that of the original anime, but with many things changed (of course, for the worse) and a different ending. All this compressing no less than 14 chapters of the original anime into two and a half hours. Here the message that one can infer is that it seeks to adapt the original story (very briefly) by changing and rearranging certain elements, now more in line with what an adaptation is.
However, then we get to 3.33 and... well, after a 14-year because reasons timeskip, we're now in a post-post-apocalyptic world (repetition intended) where ex-Nerv members fight against Nerv itself. Nerv in giant spaceships, there are mechas everywhere, Misato is a sociopath, and Shinji and Asuka still look exactly the same because "DAMN JEBA." Here we can infer that what is sought is to create a totally new story and take it in different directions than the original. The following movie (3.0+1.01) is the only one that is consistent with this purpose.
Whether all these narrative pirouettes were planned in advance or not (clearly not), we can see that there is a clear incongruity between what is intended to be done and what is finally done. All of this generates a strong narrative chaos where the elements and themes of the original anime are mixed with the new ones, creating a total inconsistency. Since also in 3.0+1.01 it is revealed (unfortunately to me) that everything is part of the same universe and this is not really a remake, the excuse of "they are different universes, they don't have to be the same" doesn't work either.
In fact, one thing that you will see me comment a lot throughout this article is the lack of narrative consistency of these remakes, especially in comparison to the original work.
A HEDGEHOG WITHOUT TICKS:
No character in Evangelion better embodies the central theme of the work than Shinji Ikari, its own protagonist. Shinji is not a hero: he is not brave. He is not a genius. He is not charismatic. He is not selfless. He doesn't want to save the world. His reason for piloting the Eva is to gain recognition and appreciation from others; especially from his father, whom he hates, but at the same time admires; He feels that she despises him, but he also wants (and needs) that she loves him. Shinji spends the entire series in the dilemma between escaping from what hurts him (classic avoidance behavior) or accepting it and moving on, even at the risk of being hurt again.
This theme is rock solid throughout the entire original series: from the first to the last chapter of the anime, and from minute one to the very end of End of Evangelion. Even the opening itself makes several visual references to Shinji's hedgehog dilemma. This can make Shinji an infuriating character for audiences accustomed to typical anime protagonists; but it's those same things that make Shinji such a unique and special character. He deconstructs and subverts the hero's journey. And it's not as if this hinders the plot: Shinji is not proactive, but he also does not spend the series crying, as many often claim.
https://files.catbox.moe/eolho0.mp4
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomito
And as you may already be imagining, the Shinji of the rebuilds does not have a hedgehog's dilemma. Or rather, he has it, but only during the first movie (copy-paste of the original anime) and part of the second. This is a problem, because it creates a strong narrative inconsistency (again) where it seems that two Shinjis exist at the same time or that this one is bipolar. As of 3.33, Shinji's entire character arc is based on trying to redeem himself for his past mistakes first by unleashing "Almost Third Impact" (what a stupid name) and subsequently preventing Kaworu's death while trying to right said mistake.
Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. The problem is that I have already seen the arc of the hero who fails to eventually rise up and succeed in 100 trillion works, while the hedgehog's dilemma in none more than in Evangelion (at least in my case). Which makes Shinji a much less interesting character. Some might argue that in 3.0 + 1.01 Shinji does have such a dilemma because he spends half the movie crawling on the ground; but there is not a hedgehog's dilemma, but rather depression for having seen Kaworu's head go KAWOOM (I know, the joke was very bad, but if he didn't do it, I would explode too).
End of Evangelion's Shinji did have such a dilemma because the reason for his depression was having been manipulated and used by someone he had previously opened up to and then forced to kill him, not for failing in his mission (in fact, he was very efficient in her mission to separate Kaworu's head from her body), which in turn brings sexual (and later, deadly) results for Asuka. I insist: narrative consistency. But this is not the worst: the worst thing is that at certain moments in these films, Shinji becomes the typical shonen savior hero, betraying the central point of his character in the original series.
https://youtu.be/E-x-f2OrWeA
A perfect example of this is the ending of 2.22, where the fight in chapter 19 (COINCENTLY from where the original anime starts to get more introspective) is transformed into a ridiculous shipping attempt, with Rei turned into a damsel in distress and Shinji into a savior hero while spouting all the typical cliché lines, topped off with a disgustingly cheesy ending. But of course, how could it end otherwise? With Shinji's Eva practicing cannibalism on Zeruel's corpse (the original scene)? Too disturbing for current times. Shinji and Rei fighting as a team to defeat him? Yes of course. Rei has enough not being in the kitchen. Besides, Asuka already takes care of that, hoping to receive her alpha male's cock as a reward.
https://youtu.be/TPS0Uk0TkP0
Because, like any good modern anime protagonist, Shinji now has a harem.
FETISHING WITHOUT CONTROL:
Of all the characters who are now part of Shinji's harem, the one who is most harmed by this is Rei (Asuka's case is different, and the other character is an infernal creation from Anno's sick mind). Not only because acting like a bitch in heat goes totally against her personality and because of the murky situation, considering that she is a clone of Shinji's mother, but also because her character is reduced to a mere fetish object that does things cute to produce tenderness in the viewer and make coomers buy their figurines.
Rei is an interesting character because he raises numerous existential questions based on the ship of Theseus paradox: the concept of identity, to what extent we can consider ourselves still ourselves, the construction and definition of a "self", etc. But here, her screen time piloting her Unit 00 is minimal (COINCENTLY most of it in 1.11) and her exploits are practically irrelevant or non-existent, also being reduced to a mere damsel in distress at the end of 2.22, as I said before.
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradoja_de_Teseo
In 3.0+1.01 he doesn't even get to pilot an Eva. Her role in the film is to cause pity and produce tenderness with her total ignorance (I see that the idiot Anno forgot that all the Reis are born with basic knowledge) while she is seen with different hairstyles, different outfits, working as a farmer, taking care of a baby, etc. In short, a fetish object where she wants the public to value her for how "moe" she is instead of for her abilities or as a character. In Anno's mind, feminism advances in reverse. Ironic, considering that it was precisely Rei who unintentionally started the moe culture.
Of course, it goes without saying that Rei is not the only one who suffers from this extreme fetishization of her character in these films. Under the excuse of paying homage to End of Evangelion, Asuka now always wears an eye patch (needless to say it has nothing to do with having been injured there), a cap with cat ears, in addition to having a very convenient trend for the coomer public of walking naked and semi-naked through other people's houses. She sometimes puts on the plugsuit, but near the end of the movie, it is conveniently torn off, lest we forget that this is made by the Japanese.
One of the best examples of how this hareminication has destroyed the main female characters is in the elevator scene. In the original anime, Rei tries to advise Asuka in a time of particular vulnerability and depression. Rei's limited social skills, coupled with Asuka being Asuka, cause her to misinterpret the attempt to help as mockery and an act of condescension, triggering a slap from her towards Rei and a worsening of her already strained relationship and Asuka's mental state. Rei doesn't fight back because she knows that doing so would only make things even worse.
It is an excellent dramatic scene because it once again brings to the foreground the hedgehog's dilemma and the difficulties between human relationships, very much in line with what Evangelion is. In 2.22, this scene is gratuitously introduced and turned into two horny bitches fighting over which of the two will let their alpha male penetrate first, with a highly OC Rei stopping the assault attempt in a 100% gangsta way to make her see more "cool." The scene doesn't even make plot sense, because Asuka at that moment is not even depressed, and in the original anime this occurs at a much later time under a very different context.
and speaking of asuka...
SOMEONE CALLED ASUKA:
When I started watching these movies, I was afraid that Asuka's character had undergone modifications to make her more "palatable" to new audiences. What took me completely by surprise was how radically different this Asuka is from the original. So different that they can't even be considered the same character. To show it very clearly, we are going to review the personality of both:
Asuka from the original anime: An energetic and outgoing half-German, half-Japanese girl (actually it's 1/4, but who cares) who loves to be the center of attention and have everyone praise her due to the lack of parental love received during her childhood having been abandoned by her father and supplanted by her mother, who suffered from severe mental disorders. She is extremely proud and competitive because she feels that being Eva's pilot is the only thing that gives her an identity and purpose, which makes her tend to become quickly frustrated when things don't go her way and become defensive when she feels like she is being outmaneuvered. . He loves to make fun of others (especially Shinji), to the point of being cruel at times, but he does not do it out of malice, but rather to compensate for his enormous inferiority complex due to the rejection suffered by his mother and having witnessed her. committed suicide (and possibly even tried to kill her) the day she was chosen as Eva's pilot and came running to wish her a Happy Thursday. She admires Kaji and wants to fuck him because she hates her own adolescence, she needs to feel adult and independent due to suffering from a certain Electra complex for having lacked a true father figure during her childhood. She has a sweet and vulnerable nature, but she rarely expresses it to anyone except her best friend Hikari and I better stop this now because too much text.
Rebuild Asuka (hereinafter "Asuka"): A girl soldier created by Nerv as part of a series of clones who has always been alone and thinks she doesn't need anyone, although she secretly wishes to have a family. She hits and insults others for no reason, she yells a lot, never smiles or makes jokes, and hates socializing with others, which doesn't stop her from looking for Shinji's dick within 2 days of meeting him. She always plays video games while someone is talking to her and at night she talks to herself with a doll like an autistic person.
As we can see, these two characters not only look nothing alike: several of their traits directly contradict each other. Because they look alike, they are not even alike in aesthetics: the original Asuka had red hair and dressed in the traditional feminine way, while "Asuka" is light brown and dresses in a tomboy style (which I'm not saying is wrong, I'm just commenting to show the radical difference). It's not that they have changed Asuka: it's that they have directly murdered her to supplant her by someone with whom she only shares her first name (not even her last name). And needless to say, the change has been VERY for the worse.
To describe the first character, I had to spend 15 damn lines, and even then I had to leave out many important facets of his personality, his development in the original series and his entire character arc in EoE, because if I didn't have one endless bible For the second, 6 lines were enough for me, and I could have had more left over if I had been more concise. The first character is a complex and three-dimensional character, with multiple facets, edges and layers. She feels like a real person. The second character is a generic tsundere that you can find in any mecha anime of the week. She is not even comparable to the first; She's not even a good character.
We cannot speak of Flanderization because not even the most basic traits of the character have been respected. Nor can we speak of a deconstruction because that same absence of basic traits means that there is no character construction on which to stand in the first place. Obviously, this change greatly resents the interactions between characters: the original Asuka was a charismatic and fun character with the ability to drive the plot on her own (as soon as she appears in chapter 8 of the original anime she is already changing the entire dynamic between characters) , while "Asuka" is mostly only in the background or to fight; He doesn't even have a character arc as such. In fact, in 2.22 he has even less screen time than several supporting characters.
His chemistry with Shinji is also non-existent (and I'm not just referring to the romantic level) and they barely have any development together. They like each other here because... ehhhh... she likes how he cooks and he thinks she's hot? It's not that the AsuShinji (or ShinSuka, or whatever the hell it's called) here is forced: it's just that it doesn't even make sense. The only reason people still ship them together is because they did it in the 90s. Yūko Miyamura's performance also feels very lackadaisical and lacks passion, which is quite unlike her. Although perhaps this is intentional, since her character always talks as if she has the spear of Longinus permanently stuck up her rectum. In fact, the few times she says her iconic "Anta baka?" This one feels very forced, in addition to not having her characteristic high-pitched tone.
In short, the character has suffered the same fetishization as Rei (gamer girl, tomboy, one-eyed, etc.), but also with the aggravating factor that not even her basic characteristics have been respected here. This is especially disconcerting when we take into account that the rest of the characters have their original personalities more or less intact (albeit simplified). Even more disconcerting if we take into account that Asuka is possibly the most popular character in all of Evangelion, and even more so if we consider that she is Anno's favorite character (in fact, the initial idea was for Asuka to be the protagonist).
https://evaresources.wordpress.com/der-mond/
Given this, the inevitable question arises: "Why?" What was the point of turning Asuka into an inferior and tsundere copy of Rei, even more so when there are already three clones? It has always been rumored that Asuka is not popular in Japan, but that is completely false. The only semi-rational explanation I can think of is that they did it to please the haters. It's no secret that a portion within the Evangelion fandom (and outside of it) hates Asuka with a passion. They see her as someone toxic and cruel who dedicates herself to screwing others for no reason, without understanding that you don't have to like a well-written character.
https://imgur.com/a/KznXE1x
What these people fail to understand is that Asuka's verbal abuse is a defense mechanism to avoid opening up to others, since Asuka constantly says things that do not fit with what she really feels or thinks (clear proof is chapter 16 from the original series). It's not like it matters much, considering they were never more than an extremely vocal minority. That the character is so popular is proof of this. The great irony of all this is that the new "Asuka" is a much more unpleasant and detestable character than the original, since she lacks the redeemable qualities of the original and her moments of comic relief.
And if until now I have been more or less benevolent with this remake, this is something I cannot forgive: because changing a character just because a group of people doesn't like it is one of the most cowardly and pathetic acts in the world. that a writer can fall. The fact that this was also at the expense of one of the best female characters in the history of anime and with a wonderful story arc makes it even more bloody. Any other halfway competent writer would have responded with this.
https://youtu.be/5Js0ea6yPKM
...although if we go by Ockham's razor, the most likely explanation is simply that Hideaki Anno is mentally retarded.
A CHARACTER TO DESTROY A FRANCHISE AND BIND IT TO DARKNESS:
Mari Makinami Illustrious A.K.A María Iskariote (what an appropriate last name) is one of the worst creations ever made by humans. Not since the atomic bombs has humanity created something so horrible. Worse than the holocaust. Worse than fascism. Worse than Facebook memes. Worse than stepping on a lego. I would even dare to say that it is worse than pizza with pineapple. No character better reflects Anno's mental decline or better embodies all the problems of the current anime industry than this trash.
This character contributes absolutely nothing to the plot, he does not contribute at any time to its advancement, he lacks his own development or story, he does absolutely nothing relevant in the 3 films in which he appears, and he does not even have a defined personality. So much so, that all of her scenes could be eliminated or replaced by any other character and she would barely affect the plot, or not affect it at all.
The character is so frighteningly one-dimensional that she doesn't even show different emotions or moods during the three films in which she appears, always being perpetually happy and carefree even in tense situations for literally no reason. This leads to moments as surreal as her starting to sing and hum in scenes that are intended to be serious or dramatic (or so I think; perhaps what they wanted was to turn this into an unintentional comedy), again generating a gigantic narrative dissonance. The last third of 3.33 is the best example of this.
But that's not the worst: this character is clearly made for otaku coomers to masturbate to. She has almost every fetish possible: glasses/lenses (whatever they call it in your country), pigtails, miniskirt, schoolgirl, saying "nya", big tits, obsession with smell and tight outfits, etc. To make matters worse in 3.0 + 1.01 we discover that she is 48 years old, so we can also add the milf fetish. Evidently, her tits always bounce in her plugsuit (she would swear that never happened in the original series) and there are many close-ups of her ass. In addition to constantly making sexual advances towards Shinji, which also turns this piece of shit into a potential pedophile.
If the thing simply ended there, we could say that this character remains a mere annoying and unnecessary secondary character. Unfortunately, the character is also disruptive to the plot, occupying long filler scenes that do nothing more than waste time that is already scarce in a film, and that could have been used on something else more interesting; like Pen Pen watching TV, Pen Pen eating a sardine, etc. Without going any further, both 2.22, 3.33 and 3.0+1.01 begin with a long filler scene of her hitting on her. Well, to be honest, the 3.33 one is more Asuka, but this abortion is still out there fucking and singing.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that discussing why this character exists is much more interesting than any other debate that can be created about these films. I still think about it. However, the ending of 3.0+1.01 gives a good clue: the character was created solely and exclusively to stay with Shinji. I can only imagine that Anno made this tired of the fandom shipping and the arguments over who Shinji should stay with, so he decided to end the matter by creating his own ideal waifu with all the fetishes he likes in a woman to end it. with this. It's disgusting, but considering we're talking about a Japanese, totally possible.
It's surreal coming from the man who harshly criticized the use of anime as escapism and the excessive female objectification and sexualization in it, but it's the only semi-decent explanation I can think of. Basically, he is what is called a mascot character in literature. That would explain why this character never shows doubts, nor any kind of internal conflict, or why he is a better Eva pilot than Asuka and Rei themselves. It is also very revealing about the quality of the Rebuilds: creating a self-insert OC just to be the partner of the protagonist or another main character is the quintessential trait of all bad fanfiction.
However, among all this tsunami of disqualifications, I also have to say something positive: spending three movies giving hope to the shippers only to have Shinji be cuckolded simultaneously by Rei and Asuka in the last one and end up with a character with which had zero development (before 3.0+1.01 I didn't even know its name) is a true trolling masterclass, worthy of the best of ball pumpers. Only a true emperor of evil would have come up with such a twisted and at the same time perfect way to screw over a large part of the fandom. I give you my tens, Anno.
THE ANTI-UNIVERSE OF ANTI-NARRATIVE:
Of all the new concepts that Anno brings up at the last minute from the place named after his last name, none stands out more than the "anti-universe." Or, as I like to call it, the "anti-good writing." Basically because it perfectly represents all the problems of the rebuilds and their script. In the final stretch of 3.0+1.01 we have the last-minute revelation of a quantum plane of existence capable of turning imagined worlds into reality and changing this through Lilith, which cannot be understood by the human mind (wow, WHAT CONVENIENT!) and whose existence has never been mentioned or even hinted at in the entire franchise until CONCIDENTLY the aforementioned last third of the film.
In other words, a gigantic Deus Ex Machina created in an improvised way to avoid repeating End of Evangelion and forcing a happy ending where Shinji creates an ideal universe for each character (although that is questionable, as we will see later). And it is far from being the only one: the spear of Cassius, the Eva of Infinity, the key of Nebuchadnezzar, the Book of Life, and so on. None of these concepts are integrated into the plot in an organic and natural way, but rather they arise spontaneously at its convenience when it needs it. Except for the new "Super Berserker Mode" of the Evas, which is simply a power-up to sell figurines.
As I said before, if at least this were an alternate universe separate from the original anime, all this bombardment of concepts pulled out of the ass would be a little better justified. But the revelation that everything is a cycle and we are in the same universe as the original work only makes it even worse, generating countless inconsistencies about why they never mentioned this or never used that (what's the point of the seeds of life If you can create universes simply by imagining them?). Although without a doubt, the worst of all these new concepts is "the curse of Eve."
Here we have a new concept with very strong repercussions completely launched, which is not even an explanation in itself, it does not answer anything and to make matters worse, the same films contradict each other several times. Needless to say, this is a cheap excuse for the three main characters not to grow up and continue sexualizing 14-year-old girls after the most gratuitous timeskip ever seen. And speaking of timeskip, putting such a long one in the middle of the story is a first-time writing error. If you are writers, never do that: the bigger the time jump, the more things you will be forced to explain, since the less you do it, the more plot holes will form as a result.
And of course, here it explains little to nothing of what happened these 14 years. Like where Nerv got such a tremendous base from, if in 3.33 it seemed that together with Rei and Kaworu it was made up of four people. Or how they have gotten such an army of pseudo-Evas, especially when these are supposed to be extremely expensive (wow, and SEELE with all her unlimited resources was barely 9 in EoE). Or worse yet, how Kaji managed to stop Almost Third Impact (seriously, the name couldn't be stupider). None of these questions are answered at any time. Obviously because they can't do it.
Evangelion has always been characterized by leaving things up to the public's interpretation, but here I feel that they are vilely taking advantage of it so as not to have to give any kind of explanations. And in the case at hand, do not even pay attention to contradictions. Like Touji and Kensuke got on Unit 01 and that doesn't stop them from being 28 after the timeskip. Or that Mari appears to be 14 despite looking like an adult in Gendo's photos and flashbacks, plus the fact that Evas, by simple logic, could not exist back then.
The height of absurdity is when near the end of 3.0+1.01 the "unexpected" revelation occurs (actually we all saw it coming) that everything is a cycle and we are facing a reboot of the original timeline, of which only Kaworu seems to be conscious. He let them guess without giving them any clues how many times Kaworu mentioned or even hinted at such a thing in the original series. Needless to say, nothing is ever explained about it: Who created that cycle? (Adam? Lilith? The First Ancestral Race? Hideaki Anno's last name?) For what purpose? How does it work? How long does it last? Why is Kaworu the only one who remembers him? Do these remakes make sense?
THE DEATH OF A STYLE:
Fortress-cities folding in on themselves. Designs and constructions oscillating between the nineties, the utopian and the cyberpunk. Meshes of flesh and blood animated with the souls of the dead fighting with classical music in the background. A mysterious and ambiguous lore where aliens, technology and conspiracies mix with gnostic, cabalistic elements and the most esoteric aspects of Christianity (did the History Channel predict Evangelion?). Minimalist posters moving quickly between frames. Monochrome backgrounds flashing aggressively (bad luck if you were epileptic). So consistent with its themes that the A.T. fields themselves. They were an allegory of the hedgehog's dilemma (I'm not making this up, Kaworu himself says it in chapter 23).
https://imgur.com/a/2M0eDVK
The sum of all these factors is what allowed Evangelion to build an absolutely unique identity, the one that allowed people to say "hey, that's an Eva!". Starting in 3.33, all that is lost to disappear in 3.0+1.01 in favor of giant spaceships, mechanical mechas made of pure CGI, battles full of colored lights, multiverses and time loops. I'm not saying these elements are bad in and of themselves, but I've already seen a thousand mecha stories with these. For that, I start watching any of the versions of Gundam or Macross. I could also complain about the boring shots without audiovisual language and always using the same color palette, but to be fair, that is an endemic evil of current anime.
And like any bad remake, 3.0+1.01 can't help but pay homage to several scenes from the original work, completely failing to understand the point of said scenes. As an example, we have Ritsuko shooting Gendo for no reason other than to pay homage to End of Evangelion, ignoring that the context between both scenes is very different. Furthermore, here they never explain the relationship that exists between the two, so the scene makes no sense; especially for those who never saw the original series, who will also find mentions of facts that these films have never shown or bothered to explain.
Even worse is when they try to pay homage to the iconic battle between Asuka and the Eva Series. Not only because of the total absence of the graphic violence and choreography of the original, but because what makes that fight so remembered is its emotional component, since it is preceded by a narrative catharsis in which Asuka discovers that the Her mother's soul was always in Unit 02, in addition to being marked by the constant tension of knowing if she will be able to finish the fight before the Eva's energy supply runs out. Here the Evas never run out of energy (why do they need the power supply, then?), so there is no such tension.
In the original fight Asuka may not be shooting 1387945 Evas with a super cannon larger than her as she falls through an... interdimensional hole?; But there you feel every blow, you can appreciate every movement in detail, and the dramatic tension in crescendo only improves the result. If this were a shonen, the logical thing is that Asuka would win. After all, her character arc has been wrapped up in a climactic way. Unfortunately, this is Evangelion. When the Evas Series manage to cause a mortal wound with the pseudo-spear of Longinus and the energy counter reads zero, the outcome is already decided. What happens next is horrific (Asuka's enemies are cruel to her even after she is dead), and just as horrifying are Yūko Miyamura's screams and Miki Nagasawa's performance as Maya announcing that Asuka is dead. In the Rebuilds there are no performances anywhere near that level.
End of Evangelion will be as dark and uncomfortable to watch as you want, but it is a film where all those responsible put their souls into achieving the best possible result, both on a technical and artistic level.
and well, I think that for today I have already downloaded too much, an apology for the large amount of text, I will make a second part at another time because I have so many things to comment on... anyway, I hope you have a good day/afternoon/night or when you read this .

to start lets call this guy Joshua. We are in a snowboarding club together, and met this past december. The club goes on trips ski/boarding 5 times in a semester, and people get pretty close from this. We both are 2nd year college students. The club is also very very much degens. He's a huge stoner who lives with his childhood best friends. They're all really close.
I am new to the club this year, and we had met a few times but we were not really close or spoke much. He lives in the same complex as me at college, and i started seeing Joshua on the bus line.
Josh is a pretty friendly guy, but always really surface level. He seems on the shyer side, close with his friends but he doesnt talk much to girls. He's known for being pretty closed off.
Our ski season ends around the end of February. Him and his roommates put it out in the neighborhood club group chat to come hangout and play some drinking games. My roommate went with me, she's also in club. After the night playing games, she turned to me and was like "josh def is interested in you" and I had also started to notice how cute he was that night. So the combination resulted in a little more interest than just noticing how cute he was
I'm in a sorority, so i asked him to a date party a week later. he seemed hesitant to go, but I reassured him it wasn't a big deal, and I could ask someone else, if it didnt work out. He went with me to the party, and was a really fun date. We both were drinking, and when we got home, he asked me straight up "do you like me?" I told him that prior to this week no. and that it hadn't been more than a friendly date, and i was a little interested but he could turn me down right then. He agreed that he hadn't been interested in more than friends but that night had sparked an interest. He told me he liked me, somehow that night spiraled into games at his apartment with our friends, and we were walking around the neighborhood aimlessly, chatting away til 3 am. He told me his fear of relationships, and taking things further than friends. That he'd never been ina serious relationship. maybe just friends with benefits at the furthest, with a girl he'd been friends with since childhood.
He asked what I was looking for, and I told him, the idea of friends with benefits scared me, because you have one foot in, one foot out, and someone is always going to walk away hurt. "So you're looking for a boyfriend." again he always seemed to catch me off guard. I told him eventually, but we don't know each other well enough to pursue anything serious, so let's just get to know each other.
We made plans, and the next two weeks were filled with group hangouts that had serious eye contact, and being inseperable. Our friends caught on. But it seemed pretty friendly. til our big camping event. I wanted to ask him to formals, he had DDed me while he was sick, and studied with me when he didn't have any work to do, we'd spent a lot of time together, and he seemed really interested. we were both drinking yet again, and I asked him to formals and he told me "IDK if i want a relationship yet, but I really like you. "
he voiced to me his big fear was FOMO from his close friend group.
that night we were cuddled up by the fire, wandering around together, things were really good. He came back to my tent and we kissed a while too, stayed up all night, and watched the sunrise. I told him if it was a one time/hookup situation he was looking for, to leave me alone. Instead he offered to come over and hangout with me and the cat that night, he kissed me again, and we had two more days of hanging out with friends, and him coming over after to spend time with me and watch our show.
It felt like he was really opening up to me a few days before formals, but as he would open up more, he would also start to pull away physically. No more kissing, just cuddling, and he seemed very nervous. He voiced his fear of FOMO again, saying that we'd spent a lot of time together and he still wanted to see his friends
Formals came around and the night before he noted that he didnt know the time/date until just then. he still wanted to go, but the actual formal rolled around and his roommates had friends over and when he showed up at my door he wasnt in the best of moods.
We had a really great night after that though, pregame was a lot of fun, he held my hand throughout the night and we even danced a little.
He was attentive, and when i had been in the bathroom too long he was looking for me instead of just sitting with our mutual friends.
That night though, once we got home, the plan had been to change, and then head over to our friends but we sat down and realized we were pretty drunk
I was tired, and he wanted to leave to see our friends. I started to hammer him with questions, which in retrospective might be what scared him away. I asked if he saw a future with me, if he liked me enough to date me, if he wanted more from me, if he saw anything next semester.
I saw him get nervous and shifty, and he started to blurt out answers, NO, I dont see this, I dont like you enough, and then he took his sweatshirt back, and was like
I guess i shouldnt come over anymore...
I still like you though, im sorry. Im sorry. im sorry.
and when he left left he hugged me apologized again, and then said he really enjoyed my friendship outside of whatever this was as well.
The next night we had a ski club event. ( i know it sounds like all we do is party and drink but my grades were fine).
The original plan was a pregame with my friends and a walk over, but his Josh's roommate had another pregame in the same neighborhood.
So we met up there. But we weren't really speaking. once i had enough liquid courage and he had already approached my little group I soloed him out later and told him... I feel like I was really just blurting things out last night. Im sorry, I don't really know what I want. do you?
He couldnt meet my eyes and he just said Nothing I want nothing lets just have a good summer apart.
30 minutes later, in public, about 15/20 feet away from him I got my ass grabbed by a once trusted friend, who had been way too friendly all day. Josh didn't see anything he says because it was hard to watch me talk to this person.
Another 30 minutes later after a few more drinks in an attempt to erase what had happened and I was sobbing my eyes out, unable to tell anyone what had happened. My friends were all trying to check in, but i just sat on the couch with tears streaming down my cheeks. Fireworks were going off outside, and the cops were called by the neighbors.
Josh ran in, grabbed me and pulled me outside, he gave me his jacket and he my roommate, and our friend walked to another street to find a ride home. I wanted to lay down and cry, and he propped me up instead, and tried to comfort me.
Once he got home he basically ran to another friends house, and said hed come over after to talk, (i fell asleep before he made it back but he did try).
Sunday he came over to help clean, and we cleaned in silence. The situation at the event where I got SAed, has been something Josh has a really hard time talking about, he just gets really quiet, says oh im sorry, its just such an awkward situation and never comments more on it. I really wish he'd be more angry for me. His best friends are?
For the next two weeks, he would invite me over to hangout with his friends, never just alone, but there were a few instances where we were alone. One night I was out with some girls in his friend group walking from my house back to his, and he started to text me asking where I was going, and what was I up to. the girls boyfriends came out too, but he brought me an umbrella and pulled me in and just laughed at us having our pow wow in the rain.
Finals week we both had almost no work and were floating about, I ended up going over there a ton. Some was by invite, and some was a little bit of inviting myself, but that's how the friendgroup is usually??
He offered to let me keep boxes in his room for the summer because I don't have a renewed lease, and when I came over a few times he played two songs on the guitar for me; that briefly in passing, I had mentioned I'd loved the songs. (i wouldnt consider them easy songs)
Before he left for the summer he came over to my house helped carry a few things out to the car, and a hug goodbye *note my roommate also a good friend of his did not get the same treatment*.
He told me that he hoped we'd see each other over the summer....
His girl friends have told me, he was really really hurt last year by a girl who he'd been really into, and dated for a week before she broke things off. They said they hadn't seen him bring girls over since, and all his other friends felt like he was fumbling me.
My question is it worth pursuing further? I know i'll just push him away by continuing this chase, but do we think that things will spark up ever again?
I really think Josh does care about me, and we had a great time, but he isn't texting me much anymore, if at all... I'm going to be in his hometown this weekend but I dont plan on letting him know/ seeing him.
What can i do at this point. I feel like he's said everything he needs to, he knows that I want more than what he's offering and I feel like I'm driving myself crazy. I really do think that we could be just friends, but I also feel like he has a soft spot for me and I don't want to miss out on something great just because I didnt give him time to get over his fears.

Like most of the people who are die hard YJ fans I have analyzed ( in a a geeky excited way ) the whole Pit Girl hunt . I believe that this scene provides a lot of really crucial foreshadowing. Unfortunately the more you consider the scene , it just leads to more questions .
The whole stranded and starving with no help in the horizon. In a desperate act of survival , we seen many times instead of starving , cannibalism happens . Widely considered one of the most taboo acts a human can do.
The interesting things about YJ is the ritual. They are deep in it when the PIt GIrl hunt occurs. We see them clearly dressed for a freezing winter. It will be interesting to see if those are the things they wear all time or if those outfits were Regalia for the hunt. We see the adults dawning masks. This leads me to believe those furs and other items are specifically for that particular ritual . There is a power in that. I would have imagine by putting those items on it would have taken their true selves and replaced with THe Wilderness’s creature. To survive it must be given subsistence. The wilderness will reward them. Death for life in a way.
I also think judging by how elaborate the woods have been made. Where once the only occult looking thing was the symbol. Now the trees have eyes carved into them and little figurines made of twigs hang from the trees. Then of course the pit that the girl falls in. Of course that could be for hunting big game . Or it could be part of a course the one chosen by the cards must survive.
All in all this is way passed just killing and eating each other to survive. This looks like they have fully succumbed to the pull of the Wilderness(thanks Lottie) they even screech and howl as they chase pit girl. They are clearly in this. This is something they fully embrace. So my question is this: in that opening scene we see a huge difference in the girls. So if we are seeing this and how extreme they become , what do you think we aren’t seeing, and how much worse can it get?

I pulled oracle cards telling me to expect miracles and trust a higher power; while I have managed to do this, like bringing yourself back to your breath, I struggle to blindly reprogram myself to believe in it. So, I decided to combine those cards, as well as the symbols I pulled -- the stag and the shaolin master -- into a singular energy with AI. The intent is to create a divine funnel for myself to bypass going outside of myself.
I may even create a servitor or an egregore from him. For me, it is a symbol of standing in my own light and glory with grace and majesty, knowing all is provided for. There is no forcing myself to believe and expect, Wen is more of a passive reminder of those things.
"He knows miracles will come, because all around and within him is a divine marvel. The fact he opens his eyes every morning; that the sun gives him warmth and light and doesn't burn our planet to a crisp in the process; that every incarnation and moment is unique and will never occur again in the same way. Even when he is lost or grieving, it is a miracle to grow through the pain and find his way. Miracles will come. "
May Wen be a reminder to us all that trusting in a higher power is trusting in ourselves. Expecting miracles is inevitable because life is made from endless miracles.

Haha, hi, I’m really shy
I’ve been kind of sick of life
But when you walk by
I see you’re lovely eyes
Hazel like the two moons in the sky
So close, yet so far away
I wish I could be with you
For all these blurry nights and blue days
I wanted to call you babydoll
Wanted to love you with my all
But you said no, she said no
And now I’m having migraines, all alone
I thought we could share our bad things, our trauma
Our nightmares and dreams
But no, so I stand and watch as you leave
I’m homesick without you, I’ve lost my way
I feel the bad blood running through my veins
I was falling for you
But now I’m tired of wanting you, tired of missing you
Now I’m lovesick, like Romeo to Rosaline
I just wanted to be contigo, for you to be mine
But now you’ve faded, just like a ghost
I stare out my window towards the coast
Eating animal crackers, small fries, and bok choy
Wearing my sweater made of corduroy
I’m the king of nothing, terrified inside
I cried but wore camouflage to hide
I wanted to be a rockstar but you crushed me down
But now I think I’m glad you’re out of town
You were so cold, had a heart of ice
How did I think you were ever nice?
You were toxic and a psycho
I’m not mad for all the shit that I sat through, though
But I still don’t think we can be friends
Yeah, I don’t think there can be amends
Cause I can’t do these long drives sitting in the backseat
Hoping one day you’d understand me
You let me down and now you’re out of my reach
But I don’t give a fuck anymore
I’m sick of you and your lies I had to ignore
I had nosedived straight into love
But now I’ve grown above
It was a all problematic mistake
I found a new girl that isn’t such a snake
I hope you forget me just I like I forgot you
No more lucid dreams of wanting you to come through
Now you’re a stranger, you gave me toxic affection
I’m heading in an easier, happy direction
I’m no longer scared, I had to runaway
Yeah I’m glad I didn’t stay
Now I’ve moved on to the next best thing
Yeah, I might just give her my ring
We can be a family, her and my cats
Don’t worry, I give them lots of pats
You sucked and I see it now
Can you feel it, aren’t I supposed to feel it meow

I recently adopted a cat and its been the best decision Ive ever made! Theyre low maintenance, independent, and always provide great company. Have you had any experiences with cats or dogs? Which do you prefer and why?

A reporter drives along a dark twisting road, to a secluded town called Halls Landing tucked away in the Appalachian mountains. He had heard rumors of a local legend about a man who lived in a cabin tucked away deep in the woods. Supposedly, those who visit the cabin come back "twisted", "broken", or "changed" a different word is used for every retelling. Sometimes those who visit are said to never come back at all.
The reporters first stop would be the Due Drop Diner for a quick breakfast. He takes his seat and quickly decides on a cup of black coffee and the classic bacon and eggs. The waitress brings his meal to him. "We don't get many visitors here, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" The waitress, who's name tag read Stacy, asks in a very prominent Appalachian accent. "Well, I'm a reporter." The man answers. "I'm actually here to report on a local legend if you're not to busy." Stacy's face and demineaner suddenly shift. She goes pale and her warm smile and cheary personality fade for a moment to a look of anxiety, before quickly switching back. "I'm sorry but I can't talk right now, I have other tables to get to." She hurries off to one of the two other patrons in the Diner, who were here before he had arrived.
Dispite his strange encounter with the waitress he was determined to find out more about the local legend who driven so far to learn about. Yet, everyone in town seemed to react the same way, either dismissing the topic, changing the subject, or finding some reason to leave. It's as if no one wants talk about it, as if it's a secret.
After deciding that it might be a waste of time, he stops into an old country store, run by an older man he hadn't seen around town much, if at all. After purchasing a few items and turning to leave, the man speaks up. "You're that reporter right? The one the folks are so antsy about?" He turns back to old man, he has long grey hair and a thick beard to match. A pot belly coverd by a white tank top and overalls, and a voice that sounded like he smoked a pack a day sense the age of 6. The reporter replied "Yeah, I just wanted to know about the man who lived in the cabin, tucked back in the woods somewhere. Everyone always acts so dismissive and dodgy." Almost on instinct, the only man replies. "There's an old sawmill at the edge of town, behind it you'll find a walking trail. Head up that trail for about two hours. At the end you'll come to clearing, with what your looking for right there." The reporter, had been writing down what he could and hoped he could remember the rest. "Man, your a life saver thank you so much, you probably just saved my entire trip!" The reporter turns back to leave excitedly, before he can make it to the door, the old man says one more thing. "Just remember son, legends exist for a reason. " The reporter hastely made his way to his car, quickly turning the key and heading to the saw mill.
Something strange he noticed, however, was that everyone he could see, was watching him drive. Stopping any and all activity, just to stare him down as he made his way up the winding road. Men, women, even children. As if trying to force the car off the road.
He parked his car and made his way around the abandoned saw mill, until he found a break in the fence, with a trail leading up the mountain. After a grueling two hour walk up the trail in silence, he found it. A small clearing with an old cabin. The cabin was dark and decrepit compared to surrounding greenery. It looked as if it had been their first centuries, almost completely untouched. Feeling as if his hopes might've been dashed, he slowly makes his way to the front door, still panting from his hike up the mountain. He Knocks on the door, and to his surprise, after a few minutes, the door opens. Standing in the door way looks to be a man in his early 20s. Short, Dark brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a blue flannel, a pair of jeans, and heavy black boots. All of which look relatively new. The reporter, camcorder in hand, was expecting someone much older than the man that stood before him, and before he could get a word in edgewise. The man flashes a smug grin and speaks. "Let me guess, you want to hear about the man on the mountain." The reporter, having his plans laid bare before him, answers still tired from his hike. "uh yes, I had heard of the legends and thought I'd come see for myself. The towns folk seem pretty reluctant about giving me directions though." The man leans on the doorway, crossing his arms. "Yeah well, you know how it is. Superstition can cause people to act strange and weary, especially around new faces." His grin turned into a more friendly smile. "But where are my manners. The names Dean, and this old cabin was built by my great great great grandfather. He was the man on the mountain you've heard about."
The reporter, as excited as a city boy can be after hiking up hill for two hours straight. Smiles back at the man, excited to learn what this man might know. "Well, what happened? Why are the towns folk so weary of this place?" The reporter asks eagerly, his legs shaking from exhaustion. "The man on the mountain was cruel to say the least. He'd lore people up here, he'd carve weird symbols into their skin, mutilate them, dismember them. Some say he could even twist up someone's soul, change them in ways no one, not even god can fix." There was a moment of silence between them, before the man speaks up again. "Well, you're probably tired from your hike all the way up here. Come inside I'll get you a drink and we can talk more about it." The man steps aside to let the reporter in. The doorway was dark, as if swallowed by some impenetrable void. Regardless, the reporter enters the cabin, the door closes behind them. The lock clicks. The reporter never comes back.

So I caught three feral kittens, with the intent to socialize and give away. and we were making decent progress with them being comfortable, it since then, the one boy cat had found a way out of tha cage twice, and I’ve had to grab him with my hands and put him back into the cage forcefully. He clearly doesn’t trust me at all.
As a result of this, the other cats seem to be losing on the progress they made. Like they trust me less because he doesn’t trust me.
Should I get rid of him? I know that seems inhumane but if I can’t make him socialized what’s the point of all of it.
Idk what’s the likelihood of me being able to keep him in a seperate kennel without him going crazy for being in there for too long alone.

a review by Evan Landon

It is always easy to make a horror movie out of religious practices. By that, I mean, the things in most organized religions, there is a case of how a person's soul is much more fragile than the corporeal body. You can see it in such movies as Rosemary's Baby, the entire The Conjuring or Exorcist franchises, probably 40-50% of horror movies, probably more, etc. But what is the link between religion and horror? Instead of writing an essay that some prick from University of Phoenix (apologies UoP students) will rip off to pass their final essay, I will just focus on 2023's Consecration. You can request a well made essay later in the dm's though. 

Our interest in the occult of religions begs the question of what it is to be a human being; I mean, I am sure my beautiful cat, Sasha, couldn't give a fuck less about metaphysics. What we do, as human beings, is ask the question of what happened before, &/or what will happen after. Thus, our want/need to explore such topics of what we understand, or what we have been bred over time to understand. I might be taking this too deep.

This 2023 supernatural horror-thriller is set in the Scotland, on the Isle of Skye, which does give a lot to the setting and the overall mystique of the atmosphere; even though you are not there on the Moors, you know that it is right outside the doors (hehe) which also plays into the plot itself. It opens with a nun holding a gun to a random woman named “Grace” to which she starts to have weird flashbacks of nuns falling off of a cliff. What is strange is that her brother was found dead from the same kind of jump in her dreams and she goes to investigate. Upon going to investigate, she finds more and more about her estranged brother and the convent itself. I won't give up anymore of the ghost, but it unravels very quickly & thus lets itself become nothing more than a quick “nun horror” movie that seems to be plaguing our mainstream horror movies. It's strange how very little of plot can send little or nothing as far as a story just to make a film that is easily forgettable. It does have some good qualities though; it is definitely not under budget with the production, as it spent most of its $2 million budget on wandering around, trying to figure out a mystery that makes little to no sense. Jena Malone is always amazing to me, so I will always buy a ticket and Danny Huston is compelling as an actor in everything he does. It doesn't really even pick up steam until the last 20 minutes, so I would suggest to just start there and skip a snoozefest. It is extremely well shot, but not very well-paced, which kind of makes you think about what else you could be doing whilst watching it. Like I stated before, this trope is very tired, yet I do not think they will abandon themes such as these any time soon. 

2 out of 5

Recently, my cat did something that made my heart melt. I remembered all the adorable moments I had spent with her. It made me want to share those moments with everyone. What about you? What are your cutest pet moments? Lets share some joy and brighten up everyones day!