Freak the mighty poems
Poems that freak, freeze, torment and terrify, for the scary creators and fear lovers among us
2017.09.15 20:10 sleeplessfromdreams Poems that freak, freeze, torment and terrify, for the scary creators and fear lovers among us
Have you ever wondered why few people in the modern age tell their stories through the medium of poetry? Have you ever read Dickens or Poe and felt a yearning to craft a terrifying poem of your own. Do you enjoy reading poems but wish that they could take a darker turn? Well, this Petrifyingpoetry is for you!
2024.05.15 13:20 Critical_Wave_2742 I'm missing the Navy a bit what's your most interesting story???
I'll go first...
Oh man, let me get into this one. Yall should sit back get a drink and a snack this is going to be fun.
So back in 2010 on a mighty little FFG we were on our 3rd Med Cruise in the last 2 years and our female XO just kinda went off the deep end.
We were in Oman during Ramadan so that means no drinking out in town, so 3 days of beer on the pier. On the first night the XO got blitzed by like 7pm and she got in the mood if you know what I mean. By 9pm she had sexually assaulted 3 of our more fit junior Sailors. The tamest was just ass grabbing and the worst was full on down the shirt into the shorts grabbing. (STG2 later was crying in his rack saying it was like his grandma molesting him). XO was in her 50s at that time as she was a prior enlisted. Anyways our 3MC later that night was feeling what she was putting down and they proceed to make their way back onboard grab something from the chiefs mess, make out in that little alcove outside the chiefs mess and the galley, and get caught and video taped by the bread cooks, cause guess what only one door in and out of the galley. (Later found out that the bread cook sent the video home to his wife). XO and 3MC make their way up to the XO cabin and a glorious night together.
That is till the CO wakes them up the next morning. Both of them get 30 days restriction to the ship. XO also gets the start of an NCIS investigation at this time as well. (Remember that video that got sent back stateside well that thing turned to fire and spread faster than dry trees going up in Cali. It all accumulated during an FRG meeting when the 3MCs wife finally learned what happened. Let just say 3MC spent the next 5 years on a ship cause he was beyond broke after she was done with him.)
So anyways 30 days pass and we pull into Gaeta Italy, and NCIS show up to do their stuff which bad for the XO but good for us as our 3 day visit turns into 2 weeks. XO somehow talks her way into getting to go out into town, but she has to be escorted. Good ol JORG is about to have his world f@×ked, an hour into being escorted the XO has to use the restroom and is just gone. This dude waited an hour in the restaurant for her to come back before freaking out and spending the next 6 hours roaming the streets for her. JORG comes back onboard about 9 pm sobbing about how he can't find the XO and the CO is going to kill him. When some guys come back onboard and ask the OOD why the XO was on a German Oiler? So the CDO, MA1, and the JORG head up the pier to the Oiler to retrieve the XO. They get on the Oiler and head to the O-mess where the XO is yet again smashed. CDO tries to get her up and drag her out when she loses her shit, cussed them out, and told them to get the fuck off she is the XO and she is staying the night on the Oiler. She STAYED THE NIGHT.
NCIS meets her the next morning on the ship, and they are done with her shit. She is confined to the ship again and is going to be escorted off the ship by them tomorrow morning straight to the airport and back stateside. I get off the OOD watch at 0400 and head up to the shop on the 02 level leaving the door open so I can get cell service. So at 0500 here comes NCIS pass the door and bang on the XOs door. They try to open it and she has it locked from the other side. She is yelling at them that she just got out of the shower and she isn't quite ready yet and to give her 30 min. NCIS is yelling back to get out now. They leave to go smoke about 20 min they come back start banging on the door and the XO still won't open the door. Now NCIS is screaming at her that if she doesn't get the door open now they will cut it off the hinges. A bit after 0600 here comes HT1 walking past the shop door with a shit eating grin on his face and tells me this is about to be the best day of his life. Gets to the XOs door plugs in the torch, puts his gear on and proceeds to cut the hinges off the door. With a pull and a crash there goes the door. What was susposed to have been a quiet walk off is now gone and NCIS is now pulling and dragging a kicking XO off the ship as she is screaming she is the XO and she isn't leaving.
Icing on the cake they missed their flight. Anyways she got back stateside and got forced retired out.
submitted by Critical_Wave_2742 to navy [link] [comments]
Oh man, let me get into this one. Yall should sit back get a drink and a snack this is going to be fun.
So back in 2010 on a mighty little FFG we were on our 3rd Med Cruise in the last 2 years and our female XO just kinda went off the deep end.
We were in Oman during Ramadan so that means no drinking out in town, so 3 days of beer on the pier. On the first night the XO got blitzed by like 7pm and she got in the mood if you know what I mean. By 9pm she had sexually assaulted 3 of our more fit junior Sailors. The tamest was just ass grabbing and the worst was full on down the shirt into the shorts grabbing. (STG2 later was crying in his rack saying it was like his grandma molesting him). XO was in her 50s at that time as she was a prior enlisted. Anyways our 3MC later that night was feeling what she was putting down and they proceed to make their way back onboard grab something from the chiefs mess, make out in that little alcove outside the chiefs mess and the galley, and get caught and video taped by the bread cooks, cause guess what only one door in and out of the galley. (Later found out that the bread cook sent the video home to his wife). XO and 3MC make their way up to the XO cabin and a glorious night together.
That is till the CO wakes them up the next morning. Both of them get 30 days restriction to the ship. XO also gets the start of an NCIS investigation at this time as well. (Remember that video that got sent back stateside well that thing turned to fire and spread faster than dry trees going up in Cali. It all accumulated during an FRG meeting when the 3MCs wife finally learned what happened. Let just say 3MC spent the next 5 years on a ship cause he was beyond broke after she was done with him.)
So anyways 30 days pass and we pull into Gaeta Italy, and NCIS show up to do their stuff which bad for the XO but good for us as our 3 day visit turns into 2 weeks. XO somehow talks her way into getting to go out into town, but she has to be escorted. Good ol JORG is about to have his world f@×ked, an hour into being escorted the XO has to use the restroom and is just gone. This dude waited an hour in the restaurant for her to come back before freaking out and spending the next 6 hours roaming the streets for her. JORG comes back onboard about 9 pm sobbing about how he can't find the XO and the CO is going to kill him. When some guys come back onboard and ask the OOD why the XO was on a German Oiler? So the CDO, MA1, and the JORG head up the pier to the Oiler to retrieve the XO. They get on the Oiler and head to the O-mess where the XO is yet again smashed. CDO tries to get her up and drag her out when she loses her shit, cussed them out, and told them to get the fuck off she is the XO and she is staying the night on the Oiler. She STAYED THE NIGHT.
NCIS meets her the next morning on the ship, and they are done with her shit. She is confined to the ship again and is going to be escorted off the ship by them tomorrow morning straight to the airport and back stateside. I get off the OOD watch at 0400 and head up to the shop on the 02 level leaving the door open so I can get cell service. So at 0500 here comes NCIS pass the door and bang on the XOs door. They try to open it and she has it locked from the other side. She is yelling at them that she just got out of the shower and she isn't quite ready yet and to give her 30 min. NCIS is yelling back to get out now. They leave to go smoke about 20 min they come back start banging on the door and the XO still won't open the door. Now NCIS is screaming at her that if she doesn't get the door open now they will cut it off the hinges. A bit after 0600 here comes HT1 walking past the shop door with a shit eating grin on his face and tells me this is about to be the best day of his life. Gets to the XOs door plugs in the torch, puts his gear on and proceeds to cut the hinges off the door. With a pull and a crash there goes the door. What was susposed to have been a quiet walk off is now gone and NCIS is now pulling and dragging a kicking XO off the ship as she is screaming she is the XO and she isn't leaving.
Icing on the cake they missed their flight. Anyways she got back stateside and got forced retired out.
2024.05.15 08:37 Blue-valentine- Microtrope request for babbling/ rambling FMC and MMC snaps her out of it.
So I recently read {A life less broken} and it happened when the Fmc is freaking out she would just talk and ramble on and on. The MMC would try get her attention by repeatedly calling her name until he has to yell it just to snap her out of it. I realised I also enjoyed this in other books where fmc mighty keep talking or moving as she's panicking over something and the MMC has to like grab her or just do something to make her snap out of it
Usually the fmc is going through something, or has ptsd or is overworking herself and MMC just makes her stop to get a breather.
I'm open to all suggestions. You guys have never dissapointed me before.
submitted by Blue-valentine- to RomanceBooks [link] [comments]
Usually the fmc is going through something, or has ptsd or is overworking herself and MMC just makes her stop to get a breather.
I'm open to all suggestions. You guys have never dissapointed me before.
2024.05.14 19:00 Big-Guidance8151 Everything that rises must be analyzed
Disclaimer:
This post has heavy spoilers to the story of the version 2.2 and maybe to something else. Good luck to read all of this. I yap for Ena and maybe repeat myself little too much. Mentioned characters:
Sunday
Robin
Aventurine
Dreammaster
Bronya
Seele
Cocolia
Mentioned Aeons:
Ena
Xipe
Hooh
Long
Oroboros
Qlipoth
Mentioned organisations:
Beyond the Sky Choir
Astral Express
Family
In loving memory: Ena the Order “The one who transcends the many”
In loving memory of Tazzyrronth the Propagation “The Sand king”
In loving memory of the Great Tatalov “The Garbage King”
So, the original intent behind this post was to create a lot of puns about Order and Sunday (for example something like Golden Order Radagon Sunday, “I will have order” with Sunday and a falling train instead, Sunday working in a delivery and saying that someone’s order was cancelled).
But then I started remembering all parts of Penacony storyline that have fascinated me. And one particular part master stroked me. When Sunday used his “tell the truth or die in 24 hours voice magic” he used not the power of Order, but Harmony – the Path he supposedly deliberately left behind and betrayed.
How can I be so sure, that he didn’t use the power of Order, making it look like the power of Harmony? Well, nor Dr. Ratio, nor Aventurine, nor Welt, nor (most importantly) Robin didn’t notice any sign that the Order was used and that the power on display did in fact belong to Harmony. And mind you, all of them are quite clever, experienced and hard to deceive. And in Aventurine’s conversation with Acheron in the Horizon of existence, Acheron (who as Self-Annihilator isn’t affected by the illusions of Order and can see through them) referred to the brand, used on Aventurine as the “brand of Harmony”. And the last proof is that when Sunday uses this power, he makes a call (or if you are a pun enjoyer like me, “an order”) to Xipe, referring to THEM as “Triple-faced soul”.
So, this was a really long and a roundabout way to prove that even with his supposed devotion to Order, Sunday still remains the Pathstrider of Harmony (and the laws of the HSR universe dictate, that you become a Pathstrider by following a philosophy of a particular Path). While being a Pathstrider of two Paths is not called impossible in the game, and Harmony and Order mostly overlap, there are some key differences between them. It means, that Sunday to some extant still believes in a philosophy of Harmony and is not a complete devotee of Order, how some people could have believed.
So, the goal of this post is to delve on the philosophy of Ena and Harmony through Sunday’s story, words, thoughts and actions. And to make some obnoxious theories, but that’s later.
So, let’s begin!
Ⅰ
In his childhood, Sunday alongside Robin, was called by the Dreammaster “two best interpreters of the Great One”. That means, that as a child, Sunday was extremely close to the philosophy of Harmony.
Let’s remember what Harmony embodies as a philosophy:
“Then, they say, O you who have reached the end, enter into the paradise that envelops all! Join this great choir and feast, listen to the beating of billions upon billions of hearts, holding you in THEIR embrace...”
“To battle the brutality of the laws of the universe, intelligent lifeforms must discard their cowardly selfishness and the differences between individuals, fusing into one singular melody — to have the strong help the weak, and to protect life with death.”
That is what Harmony preaches and Sunday was a follower of this ideology. Harmony preaches selfless people not only helping and uplifting each other to build “the paradise” (a prominent theme in Sunday’s thoughts) bit also welcoming every other willing person. Harmony philosophy is about acceptance, forgiveness, cooperation, that no person is beyond redemption, that in every person has inside of them the force that genuinely cares for others and strives for good. Harmony preaches something like this: “Because if it is possible for every person to become a member of Family’s shared paradise, then we should at lest try to welcome them in it.” That’s why Harmonic Strings (Emanators of Xipe) are not people and are actually manifestations materialized as the responses to the Hive Mind’s demands. It is a seemingly naïve and romantic ideal for the sometimes and indifferent brutal universe of HSR that requires great kindness, compassion, understanding, belief in other people, ability to see the better in other people and uplift them. And Sunday-follower of Order reflects on that:
"When I appeared as a child, my speech, mindset, and soul reflected immaturity and innocence."
"As I grew into adulthood, I left behind my childlike side."
Sunday (as shown in the quest) was a person of great understanding, compassion, and love for other living beings, full of desire to protect them (bird, Robin, other people). He was able to embrace even the worst people if they would show even the slightest glimpse of desire to redeem themselves and change for the better, like people who allegedly sold their own children. It is notable that he both acts as a follower of Harmony and an enforcer of Order conspiracy because of these very character traits. The motivation is the same, just the choice how to act based on this motivation is different between him and Robin because of different experiences.
As the ardent believer of Harmony, the seed of doubt in his mind was planted ironically by the very followers of the Harmony -the Family. And the disillusionment about Harmony also began, when his belief in other people was tested. When asking Xipe to clear his doubts, Sunday asks three questions:
“Who can judge the strong when their power hides their crimes?”
“Who can vouch for the weak when they will pay any price to survive?”
“If "the strong defending the weak" is truly the foundation of paradise, then who is responsible for the suffering and anguish in this wretched world?”
The questions display that the preached Harmony doesn’t work as intended. The extremely hard ideal to follow was exactly too demanding for numerous people who couldn’t stand up to the responsibility that came with upholding it. Also, as displayed both in the main quest of Penacony and in numerous events and side quests, flaws and imperfections of Family(note: of the Family on Penacony) are numerous. We have an entire “Ode to Fool” in the Grand Theatre about internal bloodthirsty war between the Family, where two of the seven families of Penacony ceased to exist. When even Family: those who preach the Odes of Harmony don’t act as they preach, are not harmonious, don’t show compassion and forgiveness, it is extremely hard to still believe in its teachings. And from that, the belief in people starts to slowly crumble as the very belief in a possibility of a paradise preached by the Xipe, is tested.
That is what turns him to Order. The feeling that while the paradise of Harmony is theoretically possible, how much suffering must people experience before it actually arrives. And when will it arrive? And IF it will arrive? These doubts in human inherent desire to change for the better leads to the idea: “And what if they don’t change? Then why take the risks? Why not to create something that guarantees their safety, happiness and protection?” His desire for Order is still born from his love for humanity.
Ⅱ
And while the shift in beliefs did in fact happen, it wasn’t completed and some beliefs in Harmony remain, alongside doubts about the philosophy of Order.
To prove that, let’s remember the Grand Theatre part of the quest (“Everything that Rises Must Converge”).
Before that Dreammaster has a particularly interesting conversation with Sunday. Sunday not only changes their plan, taking Robin’s place in the plan and then he asks Dreammaster why Penacony was the chosen planet to bring “paradise” of the Order. If he was completely convinced, why would he pose these questions?
Sunday several times brings the part of 107,336 souls of the Oak Family in his monologues. Why? Because he uses them to give self-validation to his beliefs. It comes not only from his desire to grant “paradise” to everyone (and this guys as stated dreamed about the paradise of Order), but also from his self-perceived responsibility as the Head of the Oak Family to stand up to wishes and desires of his subordinates, to protect them, and as the man with greatest position among them, to fulfil the hardest task. Because if people he is in charge of follow and support his views, not only it gives him more belief in his set of beliefs(ha), but also gives him even greater responsibility to prove that their faith in him, in Order is not misplaced.
In first two acts he displays before us shortcomings of the Harmony, trying to display himself as the ardent believer of the Order:
In the first act “Ode to Prisoner” he says that the freedom was not really achieved in Penacony’s great Independence War, posing a doubt that the ideal of Harmony even existed in Penacony since the very beginning.
In the second act “Ode to Fool” the theme of not so harmonic Harmony remains. Sunday talks about internal civil war between the Family, that eradicated two of the seven families on Penacony. How “harmonic” it is!
But in the last and most important act “Ode to Order” has a surprisingly different theme, hidden in it.
It is supposedly talking about the future of Penacony, but there is something more if you listen to its content once again:
General: “Without a ruler who would protect the weak and fight back against the tyrants?”
Chansellor: “We must assist each other in protecting the weak, just as we must assist each other in opposing the tyrannical.”
This dialogue argues that the very measures Sunday preaches, are not required for the coexistence and unification are also an option. Case of how differently Order and Harmony solve one problem.
Jester: “Without a ruler, who will make the stars follow their paths, the tides rise and fall, and allow life to grow?”
C: “These things did as they will long before the ruler appeared, just as they will continue to do with rulers gone.”
Where the Order requires an all-mighty divine king, controlling the world (like God-Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer), Harmony simply says that actually such beings are not needed.
Minister: “However, now that we have bid farewell to our ruler. Who shall take their place?”
C: “We no longer require a ruler, for we were originally all rulers who stand above all things.”
Once again, order preaches about the ruler on the top of everything, the one who has all of the rights and makes all of decisions. But harmony doesn’t work that way. Harmony preaches that if every person has equal rights to enter its paradise, then they are essentially equal. Where Order differentiates people and treats them differently according to THEIR criteria, harmony does not as THEY are all-embracing.
The choice of the position of Chansellor as the one giving answers is deliberate. It is another innuendo on differences between Harmony and Order. In Order king takes the power and pushes everyone under his control. Chancellor, as the representation of Harmony in this argument, is a position not a person. He is subject to change, unlike king. Unlike king, Chancellor is chosen among the people, by the people. He serves as one man being the voice of many people, for they have chosen him as a Chancellor because their ideals are the same and thus, they have entrusted him to fulfil their ideals in reality in their stead.
Some people were not satisfied that the arguments were not posed against Sunday by the Astral Express. Well, this entire act serves as a counter to his arguments, showing the point of view of Harmony arguing against the necessity of ideals of Order. Most importantly, they don’t disprove hid arguments completely, but rather pose a possible alternative take on things.
The Clockwork doesn’t work on puppets because they are “satisfied”. But what gives satisfaction: Order or Harmony? In my opinion, Harmony. Remember: in THEIR paradise there is “peace bestowed, sorrows and strife released.”
The “king” in the text obviously refers to Ena the Order, and the last talk from the “Future” in the act is about “final rites” to the king, that there is no need to seek THEIR existence, nor remember THEM. It illustrates the final confusion of Sunday: if Ena didn’t fight back while being consumed, if the philosophy of Harmony prevailed in the confrontation among the Paths, why try to restore the Order?
And after that particular act he chose to reveal to us the finale of Ena’s story. That THEY were banished to oblivion by the united will of the people who defied Order. And THEIR death was praised alongside praises for the appearance of Harmony – the ideal that prevailed on Penacony in the end.
And that is what actually 3 is actually about. Puppets(Members of the Beyond the Sky Choir) ask what they and everyone else should do after the “king(Ena)” disappeared.
They feel no safety and out of their comfort zone when the one that controlled everything about their lives suddenly disappeared. And Chancellor’s answers are the representation of the ideology of Harmony, that you don’t need to be controlled to strive in life, for that there is more to universe and that the “king” is not actually required for betterment of society, that society can harmonize and evolve on their own, that the unity of people can replace the “king”. Ironically, “the Ode to Order” doesn’t glorify Order but rather disproves it from being the one and only universal truth.
In this act Sunday actually reveals, intended or not, that he doesn’t disprove Harmony’s ideal, that he subconsciously feels that it can stand on par with the ideal of Order.
Then, Sunday poses between us three questions, each one has different answers depending on your set of believes: order or Harmony. Notice, that Sunday doesn’t give his own answers to the questions.
“Is darkness equal to daylight?”
This question is very metaphorical. Radiance and light, eradicating darkness and giving protection to those under the light are a repeated theme in the ideology of the Order (“I shall ascend to the heavens, becoming the scorching sun. Bathed in my light, my people shall flourish, while all evil shall be eradicated” / “Those who live in the shadows do not bear the right to tread the illuminated stage.” / “I now permit you to gaze into the sun [hardest line in the game btw]”) But radiance is also a term sometimes used to describe Xipe. The greatest difference lies in the fact that what Order will not tolerate (“darkness”), harmony will be able to co-exist with and eventually embrace. So for Order they are different, but for Harmony not at all.
“Are sinners equal to the righteous?”
Order punishes the unjust and uplifts the righteous. For it, they are not equal. But for Harmony they are, mostly because before Xipe the very concept of sinners doesn’t exist. Harmony is all-embracing, for everyone can change for the better and be redeemed.
It is a discourse in philosophy: first question was about whether are you able to tolerate something that goes against you. While Harmony can, Order cannot (Sunday can as literally shown in the quest so he leans more to Harmony in that part). Second question was about whether people can change for the better and be redeemed. Order doesn’t believe in it, Harmony does.
“If you are born weak, which god should you turn for solace?”
It is another question to choose between philosophies because Sunday struggles to choose himself. If you are weak and you bow before someone(“king”) for the protection then this is a choice befitting Order, but if you choose to cooperate with others, uplift one another and “listen beating of billions of hearts holding you on their embrace” then this is the choice of Harmony.
Notice, that Sunday doesn’t consider us as enemies at all. As he says: “I genuinely wish to avoid a violent clash with my esteemed guests from afar.” When Astral Express team asks Sunday why did he invite us to the duel, he responds: “Because our shared goals give equal weight to the beliefs we strive for.” He regards everything happening more like a debate of two equally valid philosophies. Even in the fight with him (second one) he still invites us to join his chorus of Order. And he says “our final talk is concluded” only when he turns into his Embryo of Philosophy form, when literally everyone who could has risen against him. And then he reveals his true emotions:
“If your ‘paradise’ can save more people, sever my path with your hands”
He knows he is not infallible, that his plan can be wrong, that there is a possibility of making better choices, better decisions. And he asks us to prove, that Harmony after all is a stronger concept then that of Order. And his quote before that really makes everything extremely ironic:
“If we had never experienced solitude, how could we embark on different paths?”
Once again, this solitude refers to the times when he still completely followed Harmony. Yet he was the only person on the entire Penacony because of his great compassion, who actually followed what Xipe preached. Yet, in this he was alone. How can you be in Harmony with anyone, if you are alone. The irony is in the fact, that if Robin didn’t leave Penacony, of if he met another genuine believer, he wouldn’t have turn to Order and he would remain under Xipe. With many similarities of Order and Harmony: the epitome of Order is loneliness, being a sole ruler of everything, the epitome of Harmony is a unity of numerous people.
“And thus, my talk about Sunday has concluded. Next part is about Ena.”
Ⅲ
While his monologue about history of Ena can also be interpreted as parts above, it is much more interesting to discuss it when talking about Ena THEMSELVES.
“Let us commence with the dawning of the world… After the Dusk Wars, darkness veiled the sky, and chaos consumed the earth. Ena the Order emerged, destined to restore all existence. That marked the first day.”
The Dusk Wars are one of the most ancient (if not the most) periods of history we know about. Ena emerging at that time, makes THEM one of the oldest Aeons alongside Long, Hooh, Qlipoth and Oroboros.
” THEY gathered nebulae and forged them into picks, thus creating a grand lyre with black and white keys. Strike the white keys, and the sun rose. Strike the black keys moon and the rose. And so the cycle of day and night arose. That marked the second day. “
“THEY transmuted streams of stars into inked nibs, creating symbols to be pronounced and counted. THEY molded stardust into flowing rivers, assigning the righteous upstream and the unjust downstream. Thus, all things were marked and the world learned to discern between good and evil. That marked the third and fourth days. “
“THEY used the planetary rings to establish the law, forging a code of conduct among the masses. A grand lyre with black and white symbols of articulation and numerical notation took the form of musical notes. The downward-flowing river became a melody, and the cannon of law dictated the form. Thus, all mortals found their unique place within this symphony. That marked the fifth and sixth days. “
Ena, as we know was a control freak, at much bigger scale and extent, then Sunday could have ever hoped to become. We know that «Ena's harmonic songs seems to align within a three-dimensional framework, akin to an emperor maintaining hierarchical order among all creatures» Not only people, but the movement of celestial bodies were under THEIR control. THEY wanted to and almost controlled everything in the known cosmos. So, THEY were the only person responsible for everything. And when THEY were consumed, the manager of everything disappeared and the scales of order and discord lost their balance. That is why Hooh intervened and took THEIR responsibilities.
“THEY imbued world with meaning, perfecting all things in the heavens and earth. Then, THEY rested from the labors of creation. Yet, all beings cried to Ena – ‘Under the banner of the Order, you have defined all things in the Cosmos… but this made us realize that we are but puppets in your hands!’ – Thus, on that day, all beings united and cast the Aeon into the abyss of oblivion. That marked the seventh day. “
And this is the most interesting part. We know that Ena was consumed by Xipe, so why does Sunday refer to THEIR death as an action, made by humans?
As we know, Xipe “hails from multiple harmonious celestial words”, “a plural Aeon” and “THEY are the amalgamation of thousands of entities”. Thus, I pose that Xipe ascension was not a process of accension of a one person who somehow become an Aeon, but rather that several beings in a moment of unity (of “harmony”) were ascending as one. Next bit is purely theoretical:
But who could provide such unity before the existence of Harmony? Only the Beyond the Sky Choir – followers of Ena could understand the true extent of Ena’s control over everything and unify to create a change. Thus, mortals ascended into Aeon, befitting their shared beliefs, and from the Beyond the Sky Choir, Xipe arose with a new symphony of Harmony.
ⅠⅤ
Also, some other interesting bits from 2.2. storyline:
The most overlooked part of 2.2 quest for me is that part before boss battle when Sunday says that he doesn’t intend to either resurrect Ena or become a new Aeon of Order. While the actual possibility of such actions remains “enigmatic, we can now speculate that it could be possible to take control of a masterless Path or revive its master. I speculate that when we finally reach strongest Emanators level of poweallies/etc. the enemies we will be facing before actual Aeons will be unique beings like that: fallen Aeons in the process of resurrection or people in the process of becoming a new Aeon of a Path without one.
Another interesting bit of lore about Ena is that while she was “consumed” by Xipe, her Path still lingers in the cosmos masterless. While it was known about Paths of other fallen Aeons it is interesting that even assimilation by a broader concept Aeon isn’t enough to completely eradicate the Path from the face of the cosmos.
Some other connections that I noticed about Sunday while rewatching 2.2 quest were surprising even for me. Name a planet where the ruler intentionally left their subordinates in ignorance about the truth about the events for the sole reason of protecting them? It’s Belobog with Bronya and Seele (I could talk about similarities and differences of Bronya and Sunday but that would make already long post even longer). And this is why Ena was able to persuade Qlipoth. Because Qlipoth shares with THEM that general theme of protection. Because their Paths partly overlap. Because Preservation is about keeping everything dangerous behind the walls (in this case dangerous information about Cocolia), and everything inside the walls is safe, protected, or you could say “in Order”.
Ⅴ
P.S. I feel like in this quest there is still so much more to discuss(and I could write EVEN MORE), but this long wall of text is already too out of character from me as a humble follower of Enigmata.
submitted by Big-Guidance8151 to HonkaiStarRail [link] [comments]
This post has heavy spoilers to the story of the version 2.2 and maybe to something else. Good luck to read all of this. I yap for Ena and maybe repeat myself little too much. Mentioned characters:
Sunday
Robin
Aventurine
Dreammaster
Bronya
Seele
Cocolia
Mentioned Aeons:
Ena
Xipe
Hooh
Long
Oroboros
Qlipoth
Mentioned organisations:
Beyond the Sky Choir
Astral Express
Family
In loving memory: Ena the Order “The one who transcends the many”
In loving memory of Tazzyrronth the Propagation “The Sand king”
In loving memory of the Great Tatalov “The Garbage King”
So, the original intent behind this post was to create a lot of puns about Order and Sunday (for example something like Golden Order Radagon Sunday, “I will have order” with Sunday and a falling train instead, Sunday working in a delivery and saying that someone’s order was cancelled).
But then I started remembering all parts of Penacony storyline that have fascinated me. And one particular part master stroked me. When Sunday used his “tell the truth or die in 24 hours voice magic” he used not the power of Order, but Harmony – the Path he supposedly deliberately left behind and betrayed.
How can I be so sure, that he didn’t use the power of Order, making it look like the power of Harmony? Well, nor Dr. Ratio, nor Aventurine, nor Welt, nor (most importantly) Robin didn’t notice any sign that the Order was used and that the power on display did in fact belong to Harmony. And mind you, all of them are quite clever, experienced and hard to deceive. And in Aventurine’s conversation with Acheron in the Horizon of existence, Acheron (who as Self-Annihilator isn’t affected by the illusions of Order and can see through them) referred to the brand, used on Aventurine as the “brand of Harmony”. And the last proof is that when Sunday uses this power, he makes a call (or if you are a pun enjoyer like me, “an order”) to Xipe, referring to THEM as “Triple-faced soul”.
So, this was a really long and a roundabout way to prove that even with his supposed devotion to Order, Sunday still remains the Pathstrider of Harmony (and the laws of the HSR universe dictate, that you become a Pathstrider by following a philosophy of a particular Path). While being a Pathstrider of two Paths is not called impossible in the game, and Harmony and Order mostly overlap, there are some key differences between them. It means, that Sunday to some extant still believes in a philosophy of Harmony and is not a complete devotee of Order, how some people could have believed.
So, the goal of this post is to delve on the philosophy of Ena and Harmony through Sunday’s story, words, thoughts and actions. And to make some obnoxious theories, but that’s later.
So, let’s begin!
Ⅰ
In his childhood, Sunday alongside Robin, was called by the Dreammaster “two best interpreters of the Great One”. That means, that as a child, Sunday was extremely close to the philosophy of Harmony.
Let’s remember what Harmony embodies as a philosophy:
“Then, they say, O you who have reached the end, enter into the paradise that envelops all! Join this great choir and feast, listen to the beating of billions upon billions of hearts, holding you in THEIR embrace...”
“To battle the brutality of the laws of the universe, intelligent lifeforms must discard their cowardly selfishness and the differences between individuals, fusing into one singular melody — to have the strong help the weak, and to protect life with death.”
That is what Harmony preaches and Sunday was a follower of this ideology. Harmony preaches selfless people not only helping and uplifting each other to build “the paradise” (a prominent theme in Sunday’s thoughts) bit also welcoming every other willing person. Harmony philosophy is about acceptance, forgiveness, cooperation, that no person is beyond redemption, that in every person has inside of them the force that genuinely cares for others and strives for good. Harmony preaches something like this: “Because if it is possible for every person to become a member of Family’s shared paradise, then we should at lest try to welcome them in it.” That’s why Harmonic Strings (Emanators of Xipe) are not people and are actually manifestations materialized as the responses to the Hive Mind’s demands. It is a seemingly naïve and romantic ideal for the sometimes and indifferent brutal universe of HSR that requires great kindness, compassion, understanding, belief in other people, ability to see the better in other people and uplift them. And Sunday-follower of Order reflects on that:
"When I appeared as a child, my speech, mindset, and soul reflected immaturity and innocence."
"As I grew into adulthood, I left behind my childlike side."
Sunday (as shown in the quest) was a person of great understanding, compassion, and love for other living beings, full of desire to protect them (bird, Robin, other people). He was able to embrace even the worst people if they would show even the slightest glimpse of desire to redeem themselves and change for the better, like people who allegedly sold their own children. It is notable that he both acts as a follower of Harmony and an enforcer of Order conspiracy because of these very character traits. The motivation is the same, just the choice how to act based on this motivation is different between him and Robin because of different experiences.
As the ardent believer of Harmony, the seed of doubt in his mind was planted ironically by the very followers of the Harmony -the Family. And the disillusionment about Harmony also began, when his belief in other people was tested. When asking Xipe to clear his doubts, Sunday asks three questions:
“Who can judge the strong when their power hides their crimes?”
“Who can vouch for the weak when they will pay any price to survive?”
“If "the strong defending the weak" is truly the foundation of paradise, then who is responsible for the suffering and anguish in this wretched world?”
The questions display that the preached Harmony doesn’t work as intended. The extremely hard ideal to follow was exactly too demanding for numerous people who couldn’t stand up to the responsibility that came with upholding it. Also, as displayed both in the main quest of Penacony and in numerous events and side quests, flaws and imperfections of Family(note: of the Family on Penacony) are numerous. We have an entire “Ode to Fool” in the Grand Theatre about internal bloodthirsty war between the Family, where two of the seven families of Penacony ceased to exist. When even Family: those who preach the Odes of Harmony don’t act as they preach, are not harmonious, don’t show compassion and forgiveness, it is extremely hard to still believe in its teachings. And from that, the belief in people starts to slowly crumble as the very belief in a possibility of a paradise preached by the Xipe, is tested.
That is what turns him to Order. The feeling that while the paradise of Harmony is theoretically possible, how much suffering must people experience before it actually arrives. And when will it arrive? And IF it will arrive? These doubts in human inherent desire to change for the better leads to the idea: “And what if they don’t change? Then why take the risks? Why not to create something that guarantees their safety, happiness and protection?” His desire for Order is still born from his love for humanity.
Ⅱ
And while the shift in beliefs did in fact happen, it wasn’t completed and some beliefs in Harmony remain, alongside doubts about the philosophy of Order.
To prove that, let’s remember the Grand Theatre part of the quest (“Everything that Rises Must Converge”).
Before that Dreammaster has a particularly interesting conversation with Sunday. Sunday not only changes their plan, taking Robin’s place in the plan and then he asks Dreammaster why Penacony was the chosen planet to bring “paradise” of the Order. If he was completely convinced, why would he pose these questions?
Sunday several times brings the part of 107,336 souls of the Oak Family in his monologues. Why? Because he uses them to give self-validation to his beliefs. It comes not only from his desire to grant “paradise” to everyone (and this guys as stated dreamed about the paradise of Order), but also from his self-perceived responsibility as the Head of the Oak Family to stand up to wishes and desires of his subordinates, to protect them, and as the man with greatest position among them, to fulfil the hardest task. Because if people he is in charge of follow and support his views, not only it gives him more belief in his set of beliefs(ha), but also gives him even greater responsibility to prove that their faith in him, in Order is not misplaced.
In first two acts he displays before us shortcomings of the Harmony, trying to display himself as the ardent believer of the Order:
In the first act “Ode to Prisoner” he says that the freedom was not really achieved in Penacony’s great Independence War, posing a doubt that the ideal of Harmony even existed in Penacony since the very beginning.
In the second act “Ode to Fool” the theme of not so harmonic Harmony remains. Sunday talks about internal civil war between the Family, that eradicated two of the seven families on Penacony. How “harmonic” it is!
But in the last and most important act “Ode to Order” has a surprisingly different theme, hidden in it.
It is supposedly talking about the future of Penacony, but there is something more if you listen to its content once again:
General: “Without a ruler who would protect the weak and fight back against the tyrants?”
Chansellor: “We must assist each other in protecting the weak, just as we must assist each other in opposing the tyrannical.”
This dialogue argues that the very measures Sunday preaches, are not required for the coexistence and unification are also an option. Case of how differently Order and Harmony solve one problem.
Jester: “Without a ruler, who will make the stars follow their paths, the tides rise and fall, and allow life to grow?”
C: “These things did as they will long before the ruler appeared, just as they will continue to do with rulers gone.”
Where the Order requires an all-mighty divine king, controlling the world (like God-Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer), Harmony simply says that actually such beings are not needed.
Minister: “However, now that we have bid farewell to our ruler. Who shall take their place?”
C: “We no longer require a ruler, for we were originally all rulers who stand above all things.”
Once again, order preaches about the ruler on the top of everything, the one who has all of the rights and makes all of decisions. But harmony doesn’t work that way. Harmony preaches that if every person has equal rights to enter its paradise, then they are essentially equal. Where Order differentiates people and treats them differently according to THEIR criteria, harmony does not as THEY are all-embracing.
The choice of the position of Chansellor as the one giving answers is deliberate. It is another innuendo on differences between Harmony and Order. In Order king takes the power and pushes everyone under his control. Chancellor, as the representation of Harmony in this argument, is a position not a person. He is subject to change, unlike king. Unlike king, Chancellor is chosen among the people, by the people. He serves as one man being the voice of many people, for they have chosen him as a Chancellor because their ideals are the same and thus, they have entrusted him to fulfil their ideals in reality in their stead.
Some people were not satisfied that the arguments were not posed against Sunday by the Astral Express. Well, this entire act serves as a counter to his arguments, showing the point of view of Harmony arguing against the necessity of ideals of Order. Most importantly, they don’t disprove hid arguments completely, but rather pose a possible alternative take on things.
The Clockwork doesn’t work on puppets because they are “satisfied”. But what gives satisfaction: Order or Harmony? In my opinion, Harmony. Remember: in THEIR paradise there is “peace bestowed, sorrows and strife released.”
The “king” in the text obviously refers to Ena the Order, and the last talk from the “Future” in the act is about “final rites” to the king, that there is no need to seek THEIR existence, nor remember THEM. It illustrates the final confusion of Sunday: if Ena didn’t fight back while being consumed, if the philosophy of Harmony prevailed in the confrontation among the Paths, why try to restore the Order?
And after that particular act he chose to reveal to us the finale of Ena’s story. That THEY were banished to oblivion by the united will of the people who defied Order. And THEIR death was praised alongside praises for the appearance of Harmony – the ideal that prevailed on Penacony in the end.
And that is what actually 3 is actually about. Puppets(Members of the Beyond the Sky Choir) ask what they and everyone else should do after the “king(Ena)” disappeared.
They feel no safety and out of their comfort zone when the one that controlled everything about their lives suddenly disappeared. And Chancellor’s answers are the representation of the ideology of Harmony, that you don’t need to be controlled to strive in life, for that there is more to universe and that the “king” is not actually required for betterment of society, that society can harmonize and evolve on their own, that the unity of people can replace the “king”. Ironically, “the Ode to Order” doesn’t glorify Order but rather disproves it from being the one and only universal truth.
In this act Sunday actually reveals, intended or not, that he doesn’t disprove Harmony’s ideal, that he subconsciously feels that it can stand on par with the ideal of Order.
Then, Sunday poses between us three questions, each one has different answers depending on your set of believes: order or Harmony. Notice, that Sunday doesn’t give his own answers to the questions.
“Is darkness equal to daylight?”
This question is very metaphorical. Radiance and light, eradicating darkness and giving protection to those under the light are a repeated theme in the ideology of the Order (“I shall ascend to the heavens, becoming the scorching sun. Bathed in my light, my people shall flourish, while all evil shall be eradicated” / “Those who live in the shadows do not bear the right to tread the illuminated stage.” / “I now permit you to gaze into the sun [hardest line in the game btw]”) But radiance is also a term sometimes used to describe Xipe. The greatest difference lies in the fact that what Order will not tolerate (“darkness”), harmony will be able to co-exist with and eventually embrace. So for Order they are different, but for Harmony not at all.
“Are sinners equal to the righteous?”
Order punishes the unjust and uplifts the righteous. For it, they are not equal. But for Harmony they are, mostly because before Xipe the very concept of sinners doesn’t exist. Harmony is all-embracing, for everyone can change for the better and be redeemed.
It is a discourse in philosophy: first question was about whether are you able to tolerate something that goes against you. While Harmony can, Order cannot (Sunday can as literally shown in the quest so he leans more to Harmony in that part). Second question was about whether people can change for the better and be redeemed. Order doesn’t believe in it, Harmony does.
“If you are born weak, which god should you turn for solace?”
It is another question to choose between philosophies because Sunday struggles to choose himself. If you are weak and you bow before someone(“king”) for the protection then this is a choice befitting Order, but if you choose to cooperate with others, uplift one another and “listen beating of billions of hearts holding you on their embrace” then this is the choice of Harmony.
Notice, that Sunday doesn’t consider us as enemies at all. As he says: “I genuinely wish to avoid a violent clash with my esteemed guests from afar.” When Astral Express team asks Sunday why did he invite us to the duel, he responds: “Because our shared goals give equal weight to the beliefs we strive for.” He regards everything happening more like a debate of two equally valid philosophies. Even in the fight with him (second one) he still invites us to join his chorus of Order. And he says “our final talk is concluded” only when he turns into his Embryo of Philosophy form, when literally everyone who could has risen against him. And then he reveals his true emotions:
“If your ‘paradise’ can save more people, sever my path with your hands”
He knows he is not infallible, that his plan can be wrong, that there is a possibility of making better choices, better decisions. And he asks us to prove, that Harmony after all is a stronger concept then that of Order. And his quote before that really makes everything extremely ironic:
“If we had never experienced solitude, how could we embark on different paths?”
Once again, this solitude refers to the times when he still completely followed Harmony. Yet he was the only person on the entire Penacony because of his great compassion, who actually followed what Xipe preached. Yet, in this he was alone. How can you be in Harmony with anyone, if you are alone. The irony is in the fact, that if Robin didn’t leave Penacony, of if he met another genuine believer, he wouldn’t have turn to Order and he would remain under Xipe. With many similarities of Order and Harmony: the epitome of Order is loneliness, being a sole ruler of everything, the epitome of Harmony is a unity of numerous people.
“And thus, my talk about Sunday has concluded. Next part is about Ena.”
Ⅲ
While his monologue about history of Ena can also be interpreted as parts above, it is much more interesting to discuss it when talking about Ena THEMSELVES.
“Let us commence with the dawning of the world… After the Dusk Wars, darkness veiled the sky, and chaos consumed the earth. Ena the Order emerged, destined to restore all existence. That marked the first day.”
The Dusk Wars are one of the most ancient (if not the most) periods of history we know about. Ena emerging at that time, makes THEM one of the oldest Aeons alongside Long, Hooh, Qlipoth and Oroboros.
” THEY gathered nebulae and forged them into picks, thus creating a grand lyre with black and white keys. Strike the white keys, and the sun rose. Strike the black keys moon and the rose. And so the cycle of day and night arose. That marked the second day. “
“THEY transmuted streams of stars into inked nibs, creating symbols to be pronounced and counted. THEY molded stardust into flowing rivers, assigning the righteous upstream and the unjust downstream. Thus, all things were marked and the world learned to discern between good and evil. That marked the third and fourth days. “
“THEY used the planetary rings to establish the law, forging a code of conduct among the masses. A grand lyre with black and white symbols of articulation and numerical notation took the form of musical notes. The downward-flowing river became a melody, and the cannon of law dictated the form. Thus, all mortals found their unique place within this symphony. That marked the fifth and sixth days. “
Ena, as we know was a control freak, at much bigger scale and extent, then Sunday could have ever hoped to become. We know that «Ena's harmonic songs seems to align within a three-dimensional framework, akin to an emperor maintaining hierarchical order among all creatures» Not only people, but the movement of celestial bodies were under THEIR control. THEY wanted to and almost controlled everything in the known cosmos. So, THEY were the only person responsible for everything. And when THEY were consumed, the manager of everything disappeared and the scales of order and discord lost their balance. That is why Hooh intervened and took THEIR responsibilities.
“THEY imbued world with meaning, perfecting all things in the heavens and earth. Then, THEY rested from the labors of creation. Yet, all beings cried to Ena – ‘Under the banner of the Order, you have defined all things in the Cosmos… but this made us realize that we are but puppets in your hands!’ – Thus, on that day, all beings united and cast the Aeon into the abyss of oblivion. That marked the seventh day. “
And this is the most interesting part. We know that Ena was consumed by Xipe, so why does Sunday refer to THEIR death as an action, made by humans?
As we know, Xipe “hails from multiple harmonious celestial words”, “a plural Aeon” and “THEY are the amalgamation of thousands of entities”. Thus, I pose that Xipe ascension was not a process of accension of a one person who somehow become an Aeon, but rather that several beings in a moment of unity (of “harmony”) were ascending as one. Next bit is purely theoretical:
But who could provide such unity before the existence of Harmony? Only the Beyond the Sky Choir – followers of Ena could understand the true extent of Ena’s control over everything and unify to create a change. Thus, mortals ascended into Aeon, befitting their shared beliefs, and from the Beyond the Sky Choir, Xipe arose with a new symphony of Harmony.
ⅠⅤ
Also, some other interesting bits from 2.2. storyline:
The most overlooked part of 2.2 quest for me is that part before boss battle when Sunday says that he doesn’t intend to either resurrect Ena or become a new Aeon of Order. While the actual possibility of such actions remains “enigmatic, we can now speculate that it could be possible to take control of a masterless Path or revive its master. I speculate that when we finally reach strongest Emanators level of poweallies/etc. the enemies we will be facing before actual Aeons will be unique beings like that: fallen Aeons in the process of resurrection or people in the process of becoming a new Aeon of a Path without one.
Another interesting bit of lore about Ena is that while she was “consumed” by Xipe, her Path still lingers in the cosmos masterless. While it was known about Paths of other fallen Aeons it is interesting that even assimilation by a broader concept Aeon isn’t enough to completely eradicate the Path from the face of the cosmos.
Some other connections that I noticed about Sunday while rewatching 2.2 quest were surprising even for me. Name a planet where the ruler intentionally left their subordinates in ignorance about the truth about the events for the sole reason of protecting them? It’s Belobog with Bronya and Seele (I could talk about similarities and differences of Bronya and Sunday but that would make already long post even longer). And this is why Ena was able to persuade Qlipoth. Because Qlipoth shares with THEM that general theme of protection. Because their Paths partly overlap. Because Preservation is about keeping everything dangerous behind the walls (in this case dangerous information about Cocolia), and everything inside the walls is safe, protected, or you could say “in Order”.
Ⅴ
P.S. I feel like in this quest there is still so much more to discuss(and I could write EVEN MORE), but this long wall of text is already too out of character from me as a humble follower of Enigmata.
2024.05.14 15:25 OrganizationGreat248 Unlucky Isekai Life (Part 2 of 6)
Ruby groaned as the alarm went off signaling that one of her charges had arrived back from their mission. While troublesome in its own right, what really got under her skin was that she only had one charge at the moment, and that edge lord piece of shit wasn’t supposed to complete his task for AT LEAST another 4 deca-cycles according to the prediction algorithm. Grumbling to herself, she rolled out of bed and poured herself a glass of water to offset the hangover she was trying to recover from.
A few moments later she was gliding down the hall to the meeting room. She knew Jason was going to pitch a fit that she had left him waiting, the self-entitled brat always did think the world revolved around him; but perhaps he should have thought about that before freaking dying so early. If he wanted her to be there to meet him upon death, he could at least have the decency to not die the morning after one of her binges.
Other staff members gave her a wide berth, even if it was a hollow title, she was still technically far above basically anyone else in the pecking order, at least those who had a physical presence within the Agency. She knew they all mocked her behind her back, even divine beings were sadly prone towards gossip. She put the anger at her subordinates/coworkers out of her mind for now; even if she didn’t particularly LIKE Jason, he still didn’t deserve her coming in with baggage.
Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed that she’d arrived in front of the conference room door. She had been mulling over her thoughts, just staring into nothingness, for several minutes before she finally snapped back to the present. With a soft rap on the door, she opened it and floated inside. Jason was lounging, sprawled out on the regally padded chair throne he so fancied.
They exchanged pleasantries before she sat down to go over the mission summary. Upon seeing the cause of death, she had regrettably lost her composure and started to laugh uncontrollably. Her mighty subordinate had been felled by a goblin?! The mighty Jason Alexander Coyle, “mercenary extraordinaire”, had gotten his shit kicked in by a lowly goblin using what looked like a shiny butter knife. Oh, it was just too rich to not laugh at the absurdity.
It took her much longer than she would like to admit, to stop laughing. Jason of course wore a sour look through the entire endeavor. She shrugged it off, she had little doubt that if the same thing had happened to someone else, he would have been right beside her doubled over in laughter. Hell, once he was in a less pissy mood, she might even be able to get him to laugh about it later.
As luck would have it, it appeared that Jason’s actions had been enough to alter the tides of the war. The kingdom, and its divinity, would still lose many to the battles ahead, but Jason had done enough that the Agency could still bill the client for services rendered. As she spoke, she could see the disdain the man had for her, he always complained that she was drunk and reeked of liquor. Sure, that was often true, but he didn’t need to be such a stick in the mud about it all.
She went ahead and authorized the transfer of credits to Jason’s account. As soon as she did so, he opened up the store page and tuned her out. She watched him open up the back-channel site and purchase something, a small part of her wondered who was going to get roasted over the coals this time for allowing their admin privileges to be hacked. She toyed with the idea of bringing up his illegal actions, but truth be told she didn’t really give a shit. The other divinities were far too lax with their security, it had been child's play for one of her previous wards to hack into the Agency’s system and build the black site.
She’d ask him once about the whole thing, didn’t really grasp as much as she would have liked, but basically it functioned by spoofing a handler's credentials. This allowed the user to gain access to encrypted parts of the network, specifically access to certain privileged services that handlers enjoyed and most importantly, access to the mission assignment database. Users could buy and sell restricted or banned goods, and a part of the profits would be siphoned off to her ward’s personal account.
With Jason’s attention otherwise occupied, Ruby went ahead and reviewed the logs for his previous mission. Something about it was nagging at her. She couldn’t put it into words; however, the whole series of events just didn’t feel like ‘bad luck’. Using her divine authority, she rewound events, watching Jason’s lungs unfill with blood and refill with air.
The goblin skulked back to its den of corpses, resheathing the dagger at its hips, and reburied itself underneath the bodies. She let it rewind another few moments before stopping the feed and letting it run at normal time. She watched the goblin, slowly shifting the bodies out of the way, making sure they made no noise when it moved them. Slowly, carefully, it began to creep towards Jason’s exposed back. It drew the blade, again slowly and quietly. It closed the distance making sure to never let Jason see it or to give him any reason to think someone was behind him. Then in a flash of movement it leapt, burying the dagger right into a joint in Jason’s armor. The placement was perfect, no resistance, so the blade sank to the hilt. Allowing it to puncture Jason’s right lung.
Ruby rewound the log once more. This was wrong, very wrong. The goblin was way too good to just be some random grunt. Its movements were too smooth, its aim too precise. No, she was sure of it now, this was not a normal goblin. She focused her attention on the thing, aiming to scan the goblin for abnormalities, the dust covering it offering a surprising level of resistance to her scan. Not enough to stop her from doing what she wanted, but more resistance than she felt was reasonable for the anti-magic powder.
When she finally gained access to the monster’s stat block, her suspicions were proven correct. That was no normal goblin, that was a Redcap, a Redcap assassin no less. What in the dozen hells was a Redcap assassin doing in the middle of a freaking battlefield?! Such a valuable unit wouldn’t be used on the front lines, their skill set was terribly suited for the chaos that was an active battle. No, something was very wrong here and Ruby was going to figure out what.
As her mind raced trying to puzzle out what the actual fuck was going on, something else about the goblin flagged in her mind. It had come out of the corpse pile with the dagger already in its possession. She highlighted the various bodies that had made up the goblin's hidey hole, and then rewound the scene back. Every time one of the highlighted bodies met their fate, she froze the moment and pulled the scene into a separate window. It took a few minutes, but she eventually had all of the corpses frozen in the heartbeat before their deaths. She went through and scanned every single individual. Not a single one had been equipped with a magic disruptor blade. “So, where the fuck did the Redcap get a kingdom issued disruptor?”
Looking up, she saw that Jason was still fiddling with whatever it was that he bought. She tried to make idle conversation with the man, but he had gone full auto pilot, giving curt one-to-two word answers when asked a question or having to respond to a comment. She rolled her eyes, as much as she and him butted heads, she did have to admit that she did kind of like the guy. He had been going a little too hard into the whole dark and brooding edge lord thing recently, but that was hardly his fault. The human soul was ill suited to withstand the trauma of death, much less multiple deaths. The Agency usually did a memory scrub every couple missions, to prevent that kind of issue, but Jason had been dodging the screenings. For a moment she considered just letting sleeping dogs lie. Jason was dead and the mission was over regardless of what she might find, but the whole thing just rubbed her the wrong way.
Taking a little nip from her pocket flask, she once more focuses her attention on the Redcap. After scrubbing through the last several months of the creature’s life, she finally finds what she was looking for. The blade had come from one of Jason’s personal guards.
Ruby did a deep dive on the guard, and what came back made her blood run cold. The man had recently lost his lover. Jason had ordered a company to mop up a fleeing enemy force, before it could regroup and cause more issues. The entire thing had been a ruse and the company had been slaughtered to the last. The guard's lover had been part of that company. The loss had hit the man hard, driving him to the only rock left in his life. His deep belief in the kingdom’s divinity.
And wouldn’t you know it, apparently the kingdom’s divinity had some issues with Jason that it couldn’t be bothered to address through the proper channels. So instead of letting Ruby handle the trainwreck that was Jason’s social skills, this little scum lord of a God, had taken upon themself to deal with the issue. Several months of holy visions were enough to convince the grieving widow to betray everyone and everything he had ever known.
Once the guard had been properly brainwashed into turning his coat, it had been a simple matter to worm his way on to all of Jason’s post-fight surveys of the battlefield. The magic scanners that were exclusive to Jason’s retinue, had allowed him to see that Jason’s inhuman ability to avoid taking damage was really just a creative use of high-level magic. High-level magic that could have easily been used to save many of the kingdom’s soldiers. But of course, Jason believed himself too good to give the common man a means to protect themselves and those they loved. All this knowledge was of course worthless to the guard, he was nowhere near skilled enough to actually challenge Jason. But wouldn’t you know it, the divinity had thought of that too.
The podunk worm had brokered a secret deal with the enemy he’d contracted the Agency to deal with. In exchange for getting rid of a thorn in the God’s side, it would use its powers to scale back the war. Instead of facing a war of eradication, the enemy would be allowed to keep some of the land it had conquered.
At the urging of his God, the guard held a series of clandestine meetings with the Redcap. Imparting all the information he had learned in the months of shadowing Jason. He also gave the beast two gifts, the first was a Disruptor blade the guard had swiped from a fellow honor guard; when Jason’s corpse was found the blade would be traced back to the unfortunate guard instead of the traitor. The second was a satchel of Grarothian powder that had been blessed by the divinity, to ensure that Jason wouldn’t see the attack coming. It had worked of course; Jason hadn’t even known he was in danger till the blade was already buried in his lung. Oh, she was going to have the wannabe God’s head on a pike after this.
It pained her to admit it, but Jason deserved the final say in how this was all going to go down. She attempted to grab his attention, but the man was lost in his own little world. She tried waving her hands, ignored. She tried snapping her fingers in his ears, ignored. She even went so far as to beat her wings, blasting his face with the wind force of just under a category 1 hurricane; again ignored. Her rage was starting to reach fever pitch. So, she defaulted to the most tried and true method of stress reduction she had in her arsenal. She decided the only way for herself and Jason, once he knew the truth, to calm down would be to relax with a drink of the finest Earth treats.
With a heavy heart she opened up her most beloved extra planer storage space. This place was used for the only two things Ruby really cared about anymore. It was where she kept her most prized and coveted liquor, and where she kept the last few mementos, she possessed of her fallen wards. Her eyes scanned the room, she needed to pick the right apology gift. As she carefully made her way towards the back, she saw it. Tucked in about two thirds of the way to the back wall, stood a single hogshead of ancient scotch whiskey. The second to last gift she had received from one of her dearest friends, all those years ago.
Yes, this was the correct one. She felt it deep within her chest, a proper atonement requires a proper level of sacrifice. With a heavy heart she lifted the barrel over her head and began to stride out of the extra dimensional space. As she neared the opening, the soft clink of something falling and a flash of gold caught her eye. Sitting on a tiny end table was a small pouch of coins, one of which had somehow gotten loose and tumbled face up onto the polished table face.
For a moment she hesitated, she knew exactly what those coins were; and knew how much trouble she would get into if upper management found out she had them. That said, she also knew a sign when she saw one. The artifacts that she held within this place were the last remnants of those she had failed most of all. She pondered the meaning behind the fact that two of her previous charges seemed to have taken a shine to Jason, offering up to him their most precious of gifts. With a heavy heart and a plea to those long lost, she grabbed the coin before closing the pocket dimension.
With a loud *CLUNK* She set the hogshead down. Apparently, the sound of the barrel had finally made enough noise to draw Jason’s attention away from his screen. From a much smaller storage pocket she produced two crystal glasses. Pouring a hefty serving into each glass, she set one down in front of herself and the other in front of Jason. Locking eyes with the man, she said a single word.
“Drink”
The man twisted his face up in disgust at the sight of the liquor.
“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not inclined to degr...”
“I said, DRINK!” Ruby growl bellows, casting the Command spell on the last word. Jason, despite his best efforts to ignore the compulsion, is forced to do as he is told, and takes a hearty swig of his hundred-year-old Scotch. With a smile on her lips, Ruby takes the opportunity to sip the illustrious gift. The hours melt away as they both sip and savor the deep complex flavors of this legendary brew.
As the drink flows her recollection of events becomes just a tad bit hazy. She can’t really remember how long it takes, but she does eventually come clean about the reason for this impromptu bout of drinking. It comes as little shock that Jason is... less than pleased to learn about the events that led to his death. He downs the rest of his drink in a single gulp, a waste of grand booze in Ruby’s opinion, and demands she fill his next one to the brim. For the first time in FAR too long, Ruby gets to see the Jason she had known all those years ago was still in there.
As the festivities carried on, she would occasionally catch him fiddling with the token he had bought. Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she decided to ask him about it, deciding to NOT mention that she knew it was illicitly purchased. He was cagey about it at first, but eventually loosened up and told her the truth.
He had grown bored with the usual missions that he had been assigned. He was sick of always having to play support, always cleaning up someone else’s messes, always laying the groundwork for someone else’s story. So, he had decided to cash in his points, and finally make use of the vacation time he had accrued. He had picked out what looked to be a pretty basic Isekai mission. Ruby suggested not mentioning his luck to anyone else, even she was aware how rare and coveted those missions were.
As the night wound to a close, they said their goodbyes. Before taking her leave, Ruby remembered the other present she had for Jason. A sharp whistle was the only warning she gave him before flicking the coin at his head. Even drunk, the man’s senses were still a thing to marvel at as he caught it in midair .
“The fuck is this?”
“Think of it as a gift.” She snorts.
“Oh, how generous of you. A whole gold coin, whatever will I spend it on.” Jason responds as he jangles the large coin pouch at his hip.
“Oh, fuck off. I’ll take it back if you’re going to be a brat about it.”
Jason drops the coin into his wallet and shakes it again for good measure. “Oops, too late now. Guess you’ll just have to let me keep it.” He gives her a smug grin.
She scoffed before turning around and making for the door. She could hear him activate the token as she closed the door behind her. As she wandered down the hallways back to her room, she pondered the events of the day. The rogue client would need to be dealt with, but she still wasn’t sure if burying him in legal paperwork for the next millennia or two, or just giving him a good old fashion human curb stomping, was the better punishment for his actions.
The choices bounced around in her head till she finally reached her residence. Having made no real progress in deciding her actions, she elected to just table the decision till she woke up next. The God was small time, so it wasn’t like it was going anywhere.
She took her time getting ready to sleep. Being a divine being herself, she didn’t actually NEED to sleep, but she did so enjoy the human customs surrounding the whole process. She took a long hot bath to unwind, before summoning a pair of adorable pajamas. Her body clean, and her mind at peace she laid down in her oversized excessively fluffy bed.
She had barely closed her eyes and began to drift off to blissful sleep, before she was awoken once again by the sound of her alarm going off.
“You have got to be shitting me. HOW?!?!”
submitted by OrganizationGreat248 to HFY [link] [comments]
A few moments later she was gliding down the hall to the meeting room. She knew Jason was going to pitch a fit that she had left him waiting, the self-entitled brat always did think the world revolved around him; but perhaps he should have thought about that before freaking dying so early. If he wanted her to be there to meet him upon death, he could at least have the decency to not die the morning after one of her binges.
Other staff members gave her a wide berth, even if it was a hollow title, she was still technically far above basically anyone else in the pecking order, at least those who had a physical presence within the Agency. She knew they all mocked her behind her back, even divine beings were sadly prone towards gossip. She put the anger at her subordinates/coworkers out of her mind for now; even if she didn’t particularly LIKE Jason, he still didn’t deserve her coming in with baggage.
Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed that she’d arrived in front of the conference room door. She had been mulling over her thoughts, just staring into nothingness, for several minutes before she finally snapped back to the present. With a soft rap on the door, she opened it and floated inside. Jason was lounging, sprawled out on the regally padded chair throne he so fancied.
They exchanged pleasantries before she sat down to go over the mission summary. Upon seeing the cause of death, she had regrettably lost her composure and started to laugh uncontrollably. Her mighty subordinate had been felled by a goblin?! The mighty Jason Alexander Coyle, “mercenary extraordinaire”, had gotten his shit kicked in by a lowly goblin using what looked like a shiny butter knife. Oh, it was just too rich to not laugh at the absurdity.
It took her much longer than she would like to admit, to stop laughing. Jason of course wore a sour look through the entire endeavor. She shrugged it off, she had little doubt that if the same thing had happened to someone else, he would have been right beside her doubled over in laughter. Hell, once he was in a less pissy mood, she might even be able to get him to laugh about it later.
As luck would have it, it appeared that Jason’s actions had been enough to alter the tides of the war. The kingdom, and its divinity, would still lose many to the battles ahead, but Jason had done enough that the Agency could still bill the client for services rendered. As she spoke, she could see the disdain the man had for her, he always complained that she was drunk and reeked of liquor. Sure, that was often true, but he didn’t need to be such a stick in the mud about it all.
She went ahead and authorized the transfer of credits to Jason’s account. As soon as she did so, he opened up the store page and tuned her out. She watched him open up the back-channel site and purchase something, a small part of her wondered who was going to get roasted over the coals this time for allowing their admin privileges to be hacked. She toyed with the idea of bringing up his illegal actions, but truth be told she didn’t really give a shit. The other divinities were far too lax with their security, it had been child's play for one of her previous wards to hack into the Agency’s system and build the black site.
She’d ask him once about the whole thing, didn’t really grasp as much as she would have liked, but basically it functioned by spoofing a handler's credentials. This allowed the user to gain access to encrypted parts of the network, specifically access to certain privileged services that handlers enjoyed and most importantly, access to the mission assignment database. Users could buy and sell restricted or banned goods, and a part of the profits would be siphoned off to her ward’s personal account.
With Jason’s attention otherwise occupied, Ruby went ahead and reviewed the logs for his previous mission. Something about it was nagging at her. She couldn’t put it into words; however, the whole series of events just didn’t feel like ‘bad luck’. Using her divine authority, she rewound events, watching Jason’s lungs unfill with blood and refill with air.
The goblin skulked back to its den of corpses, resheathing the dagger at its hips, and reburied itself underneath the bodies. She let it rewind another few moments before stopping the feed and letting it run at normal time. She watched the goblin, slowly shifting the bodies out of the way, making sure they made no noise when it moved them. Slowly, carefully, it began to creep towards Jason’s exposed back. It drew the blade, again slowly and quietly. It closed the distance making sure to never let Jason see it or to give him any reason to think someone was behind him. Then in a flash of movement it leapt, burying the dagger right into a joint in Jason’s armor. The placement was perfect, no resistance, so the blade sank to the hilt. Allowing it to puncture Jason’s right lung.
Ruby rewound the log once more. This was wrong, very wrong. The goblin was way too good to just be some random grunt. Its movements were too smooth, its aim too precise. No, she was sure of it now, this was not a normal goblin. She focused her attention on the thing, aiming to scan the goblin for abnormalities, the dust covering it offering a surprising level of resistance to her scan. Not enough to stop her from doing what she wanted, but more resistance than she felt was reasonable for the anti-magic powder.
When she finally gained access to the monster’s stat block, her suspicions were proven correct. That was no normal goblin, that was a Redcap, a Redcap assassin no less. What in the dozen hells was a Redcap assassin doing in the middle of a freaking battlefield?! Such a valuable unit wouldn’t be used on the front lines, their skill set was terribly suited for the chaos that was an active battle. No, something was very wrong here and Ruby was going to figure out what.
As her mind raced trying to puzzle out what the actual fuck was going on, something else about the goblin flagged in her mind. It had come out of the corpse pile with the dagger already in its possession. She highlighted the various bodies that had made up the goblin's hidey hole, and then rewound the scene back. Every time one of the highlighted bodies met their fate, she froze the moment and pulled the scene into a separate window. It took a few minutes, but she eventually had all of the corpses frozen in the heartbeat before their deaths. She went through and scanned every single individual. Not a single one had been equipped with a magic disruptor blade. “So, where the fuck did the Redcap get a kingdom issued disruptor?”
Looking up, she saw that Jason was still fiddling with whatever it was that he bought. She tried to make idle conversation with the man, but he had gone full auto pilot, giving curt one-to-two word answers when asked a question or having to respond to a comment. She rolled her eyes, as much as she and him butted heads, she did have to admit that she did kind of like the guy. He had been going a little too hard into the whole dark and brooding edge lord thing recently, but that was hardly his fault. The human soul was ill suited to withstand the trauma of death, much less multiple deaths. The Agency usually did a memory scrub every couple missions, to prevent that kind of issue, but Jason had been dodging the screenings. For a moment she considered just letting sleeping dogs lie. Jason was dead and the mission was over regardless of what she might find, but the whole thing just rubbed her the wrong way.
Taking a little nip from her pocket flask, she once more focuses her attention on the Redcap. After scrubbing through the last several months of the creature’s life, she finally finds what she was looking for. The blade had come from one of Jason’s personal guards.
Ruby did a deep dive on the guard, and what came back made her blood run cold. The man had recently lost his lover. Jason had ordered a company to mop up a fleeing enemy force, before it could regroup and cause more issues. The entire thing had been a ruse and the company had been slaughtered to the last. The guard's lover had been part of that company. The loss had hit the man hard, driving him to the only rock left in his life. His deep belief in the kingdom’s divinity.
And wouldn’t you know it, apparently the kingdom’s divinity had some issues with Jason that it couldn’t be bothered to address through the proper channels. So instead of letting Ruby handle the trainwreck that was Jason’s social skills, this little scum lord of a God, had taken upon themself to deal with the issue. Several months of holy visions were enough to convince the grieving widow to betray everyone and everything he had ever known.
Once the guard had been properly brainwashed into turning his coat, it had been a simple matter to worm his way on to all of Jason’s post-fight surveys of the battlefield. The magic scanners that were exclusive to Jason’s retinue, had allowed him to see that Jason’s inhuman ability to avoid taking damage was really just a creative use of high-level magic. High-level magic that could have easily been used to save many of the kingdom’s soldiers. But of course, Jason believed himself too good to give the common man a means to protect themselves and those they loved. All this knowledge was of course worthless to the guard, he was nowhere near skilled enough to actually challenge Jason. But wouldn’t you know it, the divinity had thought of that too.
The podunk worm had brokered a secret deal with the enemy he’d contracted the Agency to deal with. In exchange for getting rid of a thorn in the God’s side, it would use its powers to scale back the war. Instead of facing a war of eradication, the enemy would be allowed to keep some of the land it had conquered.
At the urging of his God, the guard held a series of clandestine meetings with the Redcap. Imparting all the information he had learned in the months of shadowing Jason. He also gave the beast two gifts, the first was a Disruptor blade the guard had swiped from a fellow honor guard; when Jason’s corpse was found the blade would be traced back to the unfortunate guard instead of the traitor. The second was a satchel of Grarothian powder that had been blessed by the divinity, to ensure that Jason wouldn’t see the attack coming. It had worked of course; Jason hadn’t even known he was in danger till the blade was already buried in his lung. Oh, she was going to have the wannabe God’s head on a pike after this.
It pained her to admit it, but Jason deserved the final say in how this was all going to go down. She attempted to grab his attention, but the man was lost in his own little world. She tried waving her hands, ignored. She tried snapping her fingers in his ears, ignored. She even went so far as to beat her wings, blasting his face with the wind force of just under a category 1 hurricane; again ignored. Her rage was starting to reach fever pitch. So, she defaulted to the most tried and true method of stress reduction she had in her arsenal. She decided the only way for herself and Jason, once he knew the truth, to calm down would be to relax with a drink of the finest Earth treats.
With a heavy heart she opened up her most beloved extra planer storage space. This place was used for the only two things Ruby really cared about anymore. It was where she kept her most prized and coveted liquor, and where she kept the last few mementos, she possessed of her fallen wards. Her eyes scanned the room, she needed to pick the right apology gift. As she carefully made her way towards the back, she saw it. Tucked in about two thirds of the way to the back wall, stood a single hogshead of ancient scotch whiskey. The second to last gift she had received from one of her dearest friends, all those years ago.
Yes, this was the correct one. She felt it deep within her chest, a proper atonement requires a proper level of sacrifice. With a heavy heart she lifted the barrel over her head and began to stride out of the extra dimensional space. As she neared the opening, the soft clink of something falling and a flash of gold caught her eye. Sitting on a tiny end table was a small pouch of coins, one of which had somehow gotten loose and tumbled face up onto the polished table face.
For a moment she hesitated, she knew exactly what those coins were; and knew how much trouble she would get into if upper management found out she had them. That said, she also knew a sign when she saw one. The artifacts that she held within this place were the last remnants of those she had failed most of all. She pondered the meaning behind the fact that two of her previous charges seemed to have taken a shine to Jason, offering up to him their most precious of gifts. With a heavy heart and a plea to those long lost, she grabbed the coin before closing the pocket dimension.
With a loud *CLUNK* She set the hogshead down. Apparently, the sound of the barrel had finally made enough noise to draw Jason’s attention away from his screen. From a much smaller storage pocket she produced two crystal glasses. Pouring a hefty serving into each glass, she set one down in front of herself and the other in front of Jason. Locking eyes with the man, she said a single word.
“Drink”
The man twisted his face up in disgust at the sight of the liquor.
“Thanks, but no thanks, I’m not inclined to degr...”
“I said, DRINK!” Ruby growl bellows, casting the Command spell on the last word. Jason, despite his best efforts to ignore the compulsion, is forced to do as he is told, and takes a hearty swig of his hundred-year-old Scotch. With a smile on her lips, Ruby takes the opportunity to sip the illustrious gift. The hours melt away as they both sip and savor the deep complex flavors of this legendary brew.
As the drink flows her recollection of events becomes just a tad bit hazy. She can’t really remember how long it takes, but she does eventually come clean about the reason for this impromptu bout of drinking. It comes as little shock that Jason is... less than pleased to learn about the events that led to his death. He downs the rest of his drink in a single gulp, a waste of grand booze in Ruby’s opinion, and demands she fill his next one to the brim. For the first time in FAR too long, Ruby gets to see the Jason she had known all those years ago was still in there.
As the festivities carried on, she would occasionally catch him fiddling with the token he had bought. Curiosity finally getting the better of her, she decided to ask him about it, deciding to NOT mention that she knew it was illicitly purchased. He was cagey about it at first, but eventually loosened up and told her the truth.
He had grown bored with the usual missions that he had been assigned. He was sick of always having to play support, always cleaning up someone else’s messes, always laying the groundwork for someone else’s story. So, he had decided to cash in his points, and finally make use of the vacation time he had accrued. He had picked out what looked to be a pretty basic Isekai mission. Ruby suggested not mentioning his luck to anyone else, even she was aware how rare and coveted those missions were.
As the night wound to a close, they said their goodbyes. Before taking her leave, Ruby remembered the other present she had for Jason. A sharp whistle was the only warning she gave him before flicking the coin at his head. Even drunk, the man’s senses were still a thing to marvel at as he caught it in midair .
“The fuck is this?”
“Think of it as a gift.” She snorts.
“Oh, how generous of you. A whole gold coin, whatever will I spend it on.” Jason responds as he jangles the large coin pouch at his hip.
“Oh, fuck off. I’ll take it back if you’re going to be a brat about it.”
Jason drops the coin into his wallet and shakes it again for good measure. “Oops, too late now. Guess you’ll just have to let me keep it.” He gives her a smug grin.
She scoffed before turning around and making for the door. She could hear him activate the token as she closed the door behind her. As she wandered down the hallways back to her room, she pondered the events of the day. The rogue client would need to be dealt with, but she still wasn’t sure if burying him in legal paperwork for the next millennia or two, or just giving him a good old fashion human curb stomping, was the better punishment for his actions.
The choices bounced around in her head till she finally reached her residence. Having made no real progress in deciding her actions, she elected to just table the decision till she woke up next. The God was small time, so it wasn’t like it was going anywhere.
She took her time getting ready to sleep. Being a divine being herself, she didn’t actually NEED to sleep, but she did so enjoy the human customs surrounding the whole process. She took a long hot bath to unwind, before summoning a pair of adorable pajamas. Her body clean, and her mind at peace she laid down in her oversized excessively fluffy bed.
She had barely closed her eyes and began to drift off to blissful sleep, before she was awoken once again by the sound of her alarm going off.
“You have got to be shitting me. HOW?!?!”
2024.05.14 14:13 MarkedMatt Clear Sky. Sarcasm in the dialogues
This post will provide dialogues of NPCs who used sarcasm at least once.
"You head over to pay the barman a visit. Have a good drink and come back then. No use talking to you now - you look like a controller has rearranged your brain." - Lebedev (That dialogue, like few other dialogues can be unlocked if you won't complete "Talk to the barman" mission and will start talking to other NPCs before talking to Cold)
"Hello, O, Wonder of the Zone! I heard Lebedev wanted to get a piece of your invincible aura! Go see him." -Gray/Novikov (Can be unlocked if you'll start talking to Gray/Novikov before "Ask Lebedev about what happened" mission)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/4v9wgN.jpg
"You look pretty good...for someone who survived the Emission anyhow. What you really want is to sit by the fireplace at Lebedev's..." - Suslov (Can be unlocked if you'll start talking to him before talking to Lebedev and completing "Talk to Lebedev" mission)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/dqfXS6.jpg
"O welcome, guest from foreign lands! What come you with? A bursting purse or prized exotic wonders?" - Suslov
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/tyRGo6.jpg
"We can do away with blindfolds this time. If you step into some quicksand, dying is ever so much more fun with your eyes open...I'm just kidding! Keep your eyes peeled and remember the way across the Swamps - next time you'll have to make it on your own." - Dialogue of Clear Sky Guide that can lead you to Cordon (Name of that guide is randomly generated)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/TQ19dK.jpg
"What's it to you, huh? One look at you tells me you've got your own problems. Around these parts knowing too much can help you kick the bucket long before you're due. By the way, your bucket looks mighty nice - wanna trade before you walk upon an anomaly? Ah c'mon, get your panties out of the bunch - I'm just putting you on." - Dialogue of Random Bandit
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/zCQJZw.jpg
"What are you, some kind of journalist? Gonna write about me in tomorrow's newspaper? Ha-ha-ha! All right, listen here, boyo. We're the knights of the road and we rule the Garbage. You cut us some juice and we mind our own business. You don't pay up - you're in deep shit. This is a gold rush of sorts. That's 'cause these Soviet trinkets buried in this dump are now worth their weight in gold. So if you get into debt with us or try to be a hero, we'll send your ass straight to the camp. Working down there is about as much fun as mining uranium, what with all the anomalies and radiation. But hey, the good news is that at least your troubles would soon be over... along with your life." - Another Bandit dialogue
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/tCTxZm.jpg
"Well, this here is the flea market, so I guess that makes us flea marketers. He-he, we're traders, buddy - we sell small stuff here and there...I'll be straight with you: our goods are crap, but hey, at least we're still in business, right? So, you come to trade or just to chat?" - Dialogue of Flea Market Trader
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/uiNAIa.jpg
"Well, it's a difficult concept for you to grasp but...I live here! I also work here as a stalker. And we have a base here. Maybe you've heard of a clan called Freedom? Well, the Dark Valley is our territory. What do you think a Freedom member is doing on Freedom territory?" - Dialogue of Random Dark Valley Freedomer
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/CANPuV.jpg
"Well, I do my best work in the kitchen with a fork! Hah! Kidding, buddy. I'm a sniper expert. I can shoot pretty good myself and I help others too. I can work your assault rifle real nice - it'll fire like a Spetsnaz SVD when I'm finished with it. And if you get a real sniper rifle, oh baby - your enemies are gonna be taking real long detours to stay out of your way, that's a promise. I can also patch up your armor if need be." - Dialogue of Yar
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/f8SkNG.jpg
"Trying to decide which beast to bring the Inquisitor. He runs a zoo at our base where he holds specimens of the local fauna. I'd love to stick a controller in there, but he'd probably make us all into zombies even if we could get our hands on one." - Dialogue of Random Agroprom Dutyer
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/aSg8jG.jpg
"Agroprom is a former research institute. Obviously, after the Zone appeared there ain't much research going on here no more. Ha-ha. Instead, we're using the building as our base to fight off the Zone's spawns. We're holding the line against the monsters that come out from underground. We fight to save the lives of other stalkers, sometimes at the cost of our own." - Another Dialogue of Random Duty NPC
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/ONEwh2.jpg
"Don't mind him, that's our local dumbass Mitay. As one professor would put it, he's "nothing but a vulgar swine!" No garden is without its weeds, and Mitay is the designated weed in ours. He'd be a perfect fit for the Inquisitor's zoo - would complete the collection as the top show freak. Sometimes I wish a pseudodog would adopt him... But really he's much better off as a trader. If he spent his days in the bar he'd spent more time getting his ass beat than actually drinking - or worse. Even considering that manhandling is a sure way to wind up in the cooler, that wouldn't stop most." - Dialogue of Major Zvyagintsev
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/RowziG.jpg
"I'm loving our scientists, man! They're funny guys, that's for damn sure! Usually they don't stick their nerdy little noses out of the bunker, but when they do, like the other day... all hell breaks loose! Troops everywhere, choppers, APCs! Next time, they might as well haul a battleship here, or at least an armored train..." - Dialogue of Random Yantar Stalker
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/51spyn.jpg
"We got a job for you. You see, we didn't exactly come to this forest to pick mushrooms. There's an anomalous zone nearby, with whole mountains of artifacts. I know how to get there, but the road goes through the forest - and you've heard all about the forest, I'm sure. It's a friggin' deathtrap. So, you escort us there, keep guard for a short while, and we'll reward you with a nice and juicy artifact for your troubles. Deal?" - Dialogue of Red Forest Stalker
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/haGgsJ.jpg
"We've arranged a little deal with the military. They take our bullets and we take their base. Sounds fair to me. Me and the boys are "negotiating" as best we can." - Dialogue of Army Warehouses Freedomers
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/0PgNJU.jpg
Not really a dialogue, but nonetheless it also should be mentioned. Description of Eye artifact:
"This artifact, which resembles the human eye, considerably increases the body's metabolism, helping wounds heal quicker. Experienced stalkers say that the Eye also brings luck. Right or wrong, it sure brings in money. Emits radiation."
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/vVJh3c.jpg
submitted by MarkedMatt to stalker [link] [comments]
"You head over to pay the barman a visit. Have a good drink and come back then. No use talking to you now - you look like a controller has rearranged your brain." - Lebedev (That dialogue, like few other dialogues can be unlocked if you won't complete "Talk to the barman" mission and will start talking to other NPCs before talking to Cold)
"Hello, O, Wonder of the Zone! I heard Lebedev wanted to get a piece of your invincible aura! Go see him." -Gray/Novikov (Can be unlocked if you'll start talking to Gray/Novikov before "Ask Lebedev about what happened" mission)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/4v9wgN.jpg
"You look pretty good...for someone who survived the Emission anyhow. What you really want is to sit by the fireplace at Lebedev's..." - Suslov (Can be unlocked if you'll start talking to him before talking to Lebedev and completing "Talk to Lebedev" mission)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/dqfXS6.jpg
"O welcome, guest from foreign lands! What come you with? A bursting purse or prized exotic wonders?" - Suslov
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/tyRGo6.jpg
"We can do away with blindfolds this time. If you step into some quicksand, dying is ever so much more fun with your eyes open...I'm just kidding! Keep your eyes peeled and remember the way across the Swamps - next time you'll have to make it on your own." - Dialogue of Clear Sky Guide that can lead you to Cordon (Name of that guide is randomly generated)
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/TQ19dK.jpg
"What's it to you, huh? One look at you tells me you've got your own problems. Around these parts knowing too much can help you kick the bucket long before you're due. By the way, your bucket looks mighty nice - wanna trade before you walk upon an anomaly? Ah c'mon, get your panties out of the bunch - I'm just putting you on." - Dialogue of Random Bandit
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/zCQJZw.jpg
"What are you, some kind of journalist? Gonna write about me in tomorrow's newspaper? Ha-ha-ha! All right, listen here, boyo. We're the knights of the road and we rule the Garbage. You cut us some juice and we mind our own business. You don't pay up - you're in deep shit. This is a gold rush of sorts. That's 'cause these Soviet trinkets buried in this dump are now worth their weight in gold. So if you get into debt with us or try to be a hero, we'll send your ass straight to the camp. Working down there is about as much fun as mining uranium, what with all the anomalies and radiation. But hey, the good news is that at least your troubles would soon be over... along with your life." - Another Bandit dialogue
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/tCTxZm.jpg
"Well, this here is the flea market, so I guess that makes us flea marketers. He-he, we're traders, buddy - we sell small stuff here and there...I'll be straight with you: our goods are crap, but hey, at least we're still in business, right? So, you come to trade or just to chat?" - Dialogue of Flea Market Trader
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/uiNAIa.jpg
"Well, it's a difficult concept for you to grasp but...I live here! I also work here as a stalker. And we have a base here. Maybe you've heard of a clan called Freedom? Well, the Dark Valley is our territory. What do you think a Freedom member is doing on Freedom territory?" - Dialogue of Random Dark Valley Freedomer
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/CANPuV.jpg
"Well, I do my best work in the kitchen with a fork! Hah! Kidding, buddy. I'm a sniper expert. I can shoot pretty good myself and I help others too. I can work your assault rifle real nice - it'll fire like a Spetsnaz SVD when I'm finished with it. And if you get a real sniper rifle, oh baby - your enemies are gonna be taking real long detours to stay out of your way, that's a promise. I can also patch up your armor if need be." - Dialogue of Yar
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/f8SkNG.jpg
"Trying to decide which beast to bring the Inquisitor. He runs a zoo at our base where he holds specimens of the local fauna. I'd love to stick a controller in there, but he'd probably make us all into zombies even if we could get our hands on one." - Dialogue of Random Agroprom Dutyer
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/aSg8jG.jpg
"Agroprom is a former research institute. Obviously, after the Zone appeared there ain't much research going on here no more. Ha-ha. Instead, we're using the building as our base to fight off the Zone's spawns. We're holding the line against the monsters that come out from underground. We fight to save the lives of other stalkers, sometimes at the cost of our own." - Another Dialogue of Random Duty NPC
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/ONEwh2.jpg
"Don't mind him, that's our local dumbass Mitay. As one professor would put it, he's "nothing but a vulgar swine!" No garden is without its weeds, and Mitay is the designated weed in ours. He'd be a perfect fit for the Inquisitor's zoo - would complete the collection as the top show freak. Sometimes I wish a pseudodog would adopt him... But really he's much better off as a trader. If he spent his days in the bar he'd spent more time getting his ass beat than actually drinking - or worse. Even considering that manhandling is a sure way to wind up in the cooler, that wouldn't stop most." - Dialogue of Major Zvyagintsev
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/RowziG.jpg
"I'm loving our scientists, man! They're funny guys, that's for damn sure! Usually they don't stick their nerdy little noses out of the bunker, but when they do, like the other day... all hell breaks loose! Troops everywhere, choppers, APCs! Next time, they might as well haul a battleship here, or at least an armored train..." - Dialogue of Random Yantar Stalker
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/51spyn.jpg
"We got a job for you. You see, we didn't exactly come to this forest to pick mushrooms. There's an anomalous zone nearby, with whole mountains of artifacts. I know how to get there, but the road goes through the forest - and you've heard all about the forest, I'm sure. It's a friggin' deathtrap. So, you escort us there, keep guard for a short while, and we'll reward you with a nice and juicy artifact for your troubles. Deal?" - Dialogue of Red Forest Stalker
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/haGgsJ.jpg
"We've arranged a little deal with the military. They take our bullets and we take their base. Sounds fair to me. Me and the boys are "negotiating" as best we can." - Dialogue of Army Warehouses Freedomers
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/0PgNJU.jpg
Not really a dialogue, but nonetheless it also should be mentioned. Description of Eye artifact:
"This artifact, which resembles the human eye, considerably increases the body's metabolism, helping wounds heal quicker. Experienced stalkers say that the Eye also brings luck. Right or wrong, it sure brings in money. Emits radiation."
Additional proof: https://snipboard.io/vVJh3c.jpg
2024.05.14 03:14 alyssaoftheeast A Poem I Wrote
Hey girls!
I wrote this poem last year about my experience as a trans girl and didn't really have anywhere to share it. I thought this might resonate with somebody. TW: References to Transphobia
Her
Didn't you know she's a freak?
A twisted pervert in disguise
Insatiable in libido and debauchery
She carries more than meets the eyes
Didn't you know when she cums,
even the angels shriek?
Demons summoned with every kiss
Her cunning pillow talk so sweet
Didn't you know she's snipped and botched
Always drinking crack and snorting wine
This is how she stomachs herself
A chimera worse than Frankenstein
Didn't you know she peels the girls?
Wears them like an ill-fitting suit
Mockingly she parades around
Their birthright, her loot
Didn't you know she dabbles the children?
Stealing their innocence, their youth
They say she smells of rotting flesh
Who cares if it's the truth
Don't you know to be wary of her?
Depravity and deception in every breath
She's disgusting and worthless
A danger only acceptable in death
Horrid, putrid, sordid, lurid,
the lies we weave to excuse our hate
For cruelty cannot be worn with pride
Nor unfairness, a namesake
It's easy to burn the witch,
Stake the vamp, mock the shrew
Their guilt so clear you'll never question
If they're more innocent than you
Who is she? Who am I?
I am her, she is me.
A woman, a daughter, a soul
Trapped in psychosocial duality
The me that haunts their minds
The me that haunts my own
Both enemy and protagonist
Two narratives that can't atone
Everyone's story needs a villian
Someone to battle and defeat
I seem to play the role well
They say my performance can't be beat
So I will play the role,
Reluctantly accept the acclaim
As their showering roses
Turn to stones bringing bloodied pain
Maybe when the act is over
And curtain is finally drawn
They'll see the error of their belief
They'll see that they were wrong
submitted by alyssaoftheeast to StraightTransGirls [link] [comments]
I wrote this poem last year about my experience as a trans girl and didn't really have anywhere to share it. I thought this might resonate with somebody. TW: References to Transphobia
Her
Didn't you know she's a freak?
A twisted pervert in disguise
Insatiable in libido and debauchery
She carries more than meets the eyes
Didn't you know when she cums,
even the angels shriek?
Demons summoned with every kiss
Her cunning pillow talk so sweet
Didn't you know she's snipped and botched
Always drinking crack and snorting wine
This is how she stomachs herself
A chimera worse than Frankenstein
Didn't you know she peels the girls?
Wears them like an ill-fitting suit
Mockingly she parades around
Their birthright, her loot
Didn't you know she dabbles the children?
Stealing their innocence, their youth
They say she smells of rotting flesh
Who cares if it's the truth
Don't you know to be wary of her?
Depravity and deception in every breath
She's disgusting and worthless
A danger only acceptable in death
Horrid, putrid, sordid, lurid,
the lies we weave to excuse our hate
For cruelty cannot be worn with pride
Nor unfairness, a namesake
It's easy to burn the witch,
Stake the vamp, mock the shrew
Their guilt so clear you'll never question
If they're more innocent than you
Who is she? Who am I?
I am her, she is me.
A woman, a daughter, a soul
Trapped in psychosocial duality
The me that haunts their minds
The me that haunts my own
Both enemy and protagonist
Two narratives that can't atone
Everyone's story needs a villian
Someone to battle and defeat
I seem to play the role well
They say my performance can't be beat
So I will play the role,
Reluctantly accept the acclaim
As their showering roses
Turn to stones bringing bloodied pain
Maybe when the act is over
And curtain is finally drawn
They'll see the error of their belief
They'll see that they were wrong
2024.05.14 03:10 Uuuuuii Kids are gray walling
Hey guys. Just wondering if there’s any resonance with my situation. Would love to hear some advice.
I have three kids and one is special needs. My STBXW and I are still in the same house, and I’m preparing to move out, looking for a home near them so that I can be the father I want to be.
Sadly my other two kids have claimed I’m playing favorites because of the extra attention that the special needs child gets. They are gray walling me, responding at most with one word answers. Come to think of it I don’t think they’ve ever responded to my “I love you”s in about 8 years. Just “yeah” or “OK”.
They’re 14 and 12 so I know it’s that time. But they’ve been doing this for years and it’s freaking killing me. Their mother gets I love you’s all the time.
I’m not perfect, but I’m trying my best to be a good father. I’ve been alternately more stern than my STBXW, simply to set the expectations for their future and social health. I’ve tried lowering my expectations as well, for an extended time to no avail.
One of them has already lost good friends due to perceived poor intentions. I don’t think it’s just me, but I feel like I’ve failed 100% as a father.
I’m afraid I’ll become even more estranged after the divorce and there’s nothing I can do.
I wrote them a poem today telling them I love them all the same. Not confident in the outcome.
submitted by Uuuuuii to DivorcedDads [link] [comments]
I have three kids and one is special needs. My STBXW and I are still in the same house, and I’m preparing to move out, looking for a home near them so that I can be the father I want to be.
Sadly my other two kids have claimed I’m playing favorites because of the extra attention that the special needs child gets. They are gray walling me, responding at most with one word answers. Come to think of it I don’t think they’ve ever responded to my “I love you”s in about 8 years. Just “yeah” or “OK”.
They’re 14 and 12 so I know it’s that time. But they’ve been doing this for years and it’s freaking killing me. Their mother gets I love you’s all the time.
I’m not perfect, but I’m trying my best to be a good father. I’ve been alternately more stern than my STBXW, simply to set the expectations for their future and social health. I’ve tried lowering my expectations as well, for an extended time to no avail.
One of them has already lost good friends due to perceived poor intentions. I don’t think it’s just me, but I feel like I’ve failed 100% as a father.
I’m afraid I’ll become even more estranged after the divorce and there’s nothing I can do.
I wrote them a poem today telling them I love them all the same. Not confident in the outcome.
2024.05.13 22:43 kasutori_Jack 2024 r/baseball Power Rankings -- Week 7: Royals Enter Top 10 and AL Central Represents, Snakes and San Francisco Sneak Up as NL West Makes Moves, Reds Dulled and Rangers' Star Loses Shine, a New #30
Hey Sportsfans — it's time for Week 7 of baseball Power Rankings: These baseball numbers have been forwarded directly from Manfred's office. They are accurate and caanot be questioned.
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:
TRANSPARENCY: This link will show you who voted each team where and has added neat statistics!
Check out the Auxilliary Post for added statistics and fun!
If something is a little messed up, feel free to pester me let me know.
Total Votes: 30 of 30. Another Perfect Vote!.
submitted by kasutori_Jack to baseball [link] [comments]
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:
"To an extent determined individually, you must take into account how strong a team is right now and likely to be going forward. You must, to some degree, give weight to the events and games of the previous week."
Total Votes: 30 of 30. Another Perfect Vote!.
| # | Team | Δ | Comment | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers | 0 | The Dodgers started off a mediocre road trip by sweeping the Marlins in dominant fashion, followed by a sleepy series against the padres. My early season prediction of the Dodgers's infield defense being the biggest issue was completely wrong. Mookie looks natural at short, and Muncy has been playing pretty darn well at 3rd. We will be using our prayers this week to pray that Shohei is going to be okay | 27-15 | |
| 2 | Phillies | +1 | It's tough to end the week on a walkoff loss to the Marlins and feel good, but it's hard to complain about a 4-2 stretch. Nick Castellanos might finally not be the worst hitter in baseball after he says he started treating hitting like glorified batting practice again. Ranger Suarez has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball, pitching to a 1.5 ERA and an astounding 0.72 WHIP with team wins in each of his starts. Somehow this performance isn't even all that surprising for a guy with a 4.18 ERA last year. He was this dominant in a half season between the bullpen and rotation in 2021 and has a career 1.62 ERA in 7 postseason starts and 2 relief appearances. This week: another weird scheduling quirk as they play a 4 game set against the Mets with the first two at Citi Field and the next two in Philly before the Nats come to town for a 3 game series. | 28-13 | |
| 3 | Orioles | -1 | I was hoping the Orioles would go 5-1 this week but they went 4-2. Still nothing to be super upset about. I think the main concerns right now are Mullins is hitting under .200 and Santander still not hitting the way he can. Yesterdays game was just not great so hopefully it was just a one-off and can be flushed and they move on. Blue Jays and Mariners are in town this week so it doesn't get any easier. | 26-13 | |
| 4 | Yankees | 0 | Our pitching is so good right now. Anyone in the rotation could pull a Glasnow and write their number on a ball for a cute girl, and she’d call. Doesn’t even have to have their name. She doesn’t care if its’s Nestor Cortes or Clarke Schmidt. Yankees starter? She’s calling, and she’s shaving her legs beforehand. If we signed Pete Davidson for some spot starts there'd be a second baby boom. By the way, my nickname for Clarke Schmidt used to be Farte Schidt. He has very much made me eat my aforementioned schidt this year, and officially has the second-best starter ERA behind Luis Gil, as we all predicted. In other news, Judge and Stanton both have their pop at once, Soto is doing what Soto does, and Verdugo is playing sneaky good right now. We also officially took the season series against Houston 6-1, which feels GREAT. If only they were a playoff team so we could finally bounce them this year. Oh well. A Yankees-A’s ALCS it is. | 27-15 | |
| 5 | Braves | 0 | The walk off loss hurts, but can't be too upset with a 4-1 bounce back week! Big time perfromance from our SP. Giving up only 4 ERs in 23.2 IP (1.52 ERA) in these 5 games. Our bats are not what we have come to expect, but that can't last much longer. Signs of life from Acuña and Olson and continued performance by Ozuna. If by the end of May we don't see massive improvement to our offensive numbers, I will be surprised. Until then, buckle up because the offense is coming. | 24-13 | |
| 6 | Twins | +3 | Another great week, Sausage be praised! We took series from the Blue Jays and Mariners with both blowouts and well-pitched close games. I think it's safe to say that the team has found its groove, and this is how the Twins can be expected to perform moving forward. The only blip has been that the bullpen is having a slight slump, but that will even out shortly. | 24-16 | |
| 7 | Brewers | 0 | Paul Who? The only starting pitcher debut I care about is BOBBY GAS who threw 6 innings of 2 hit, 0 run ball in a win against the Cardinals. He fills a much needed spot in the Brewers rotation, and likely would have been up sooner if not for an injury of his own. Rhys Hoskins also had a monster week, racking up 3 HR and 9 RBI in hist last 5 games. I had my doubts this young lineup and shaky rotation actually could be a contending ballclub over 162 games, but I'm not going to argue with the results. | 24-16 | |
| 8 | Guardians | -2 | Another bad week. The Guardians had rough series against the Tigers and the mighty World Champion favorite White Sox. This coming week, we play the reigning World Series champs and the hottest team in our division. I'm not worried. Not at all. | 25-16 | |
| 9 | Cubs | -1 | The Cubs went 3-3 this week in what felt like a complete microcosm of their season. While they did get Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki back from injury, they lost Dansby Swanson and Yency Almonte, who had been a rare reliable bullpen arm. Christopher Morel also had a scare after tweaking his knee sliding into sexond, but fortunately is alright. Otherwise, the offense remained inconsistent, the starting pitching was outstanding, and the bullpen was abysmal at worst and heart-stopping at best. While he didn't continue his usual dominance against them, Ian Happ extended his streak of 62 consecutive games reaching base vs the Pirates. This week, the Cubs travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves before hosting the Pirates for 4 games. | 24-17 | |
| 10 | Royals | +2 | The Royals have a chance to be in first place by themselves this late in the season for the first time since 2016. It feels like a lifetime ago. Yes, it is just seven weeks into the season but hopes are usually gone by this point. Maybe this year can be different. | 25-17 | |
| 11 | Mariners | 0 | Apologies for any typos, doing this from mobile is miserable. Not the best week, but given the pitching hiccups I can't complain too much. Woo is back (and hopefully staying back, him getting pulled was a bit of a scare.) The next few series are another gauntlet, and if the M's can make it through playing relatively well they'll be in a good positon to take advantage of their schedule for the end of the month and early June. Up next: 3 vs. Roy L's, 3 @ Oreo L's | 22-19 | |
| 12 | Padres | +2 | The San Diego Madres beat LA on both día de las Madres (friday) as well as Mother’s Day, wherein both we got great pitching performances from King and Darvish respectively. Arraez capped off the walk-off win on friday, and it was nice to see Bogaerts get one deep on Sunday. So far in ‘24 the Padres haven’t lost a series to the Dodgers, whether in LA, San Diego, or South Korea. It’s a bit cathartic, though I do wish there was less blue in the stands this weekend though. Really interested to see how they come out against the rocks, as SD was only able to split the 4-game series earlier in the season. This one lines up between the series’s vs LA and ATL, it could be a bit of a trap, hoping the Pads continue their series winning streak (which is now at 4) and just take care of business. | 22-21 | |
| 13 | Rangers | -3 | The baseball gods are unforgiving. Sacrfices have to be made and will continue to be made to the baseball gods. Oh dear baseball gods please forgive our hubris for thinking the baseball suffering was over. It was not but also, flags fly forever. | 22-20 | |
| 14 | Red Sox | -1 | The Sox have not been having a good May. Losing Casas has been brutal, and the expected bump in performance from Vaughn Grissom at 2nd hasn't happened (well, at least not yet). As a team we have a decent looking triple slash, but situationally they've been horrible. In high leverage PAs, the Sox are hitting .195/.264/.272 in 247 PAs. We have loads of talent, but there's always some issue whether it be defense or clutch hitting that holds us back from being truly competitive. | 21-19 | |
| 15 | Tigers | 0 | The City Connects... phew phew phew. Looks like we got tire tracks laid on us after a truck ran us over. No thanks. I hate it... and that's not even mentioning the dumb hat. In terms of actual baseball, though, Tarik Skubal is still Skuballing. This week: 3 vs. MIA, 3 at ARI. | 20-20 | |
| 16 | Rays | 0 | It was a .500 week for the Rays, and the good news is things are looking better, but only like maybe? Randy and Yandy seem to be coming back a bit; glancing at the lineup's batting avg in the game threads isn't painful anymore. Ben Rortvedt is over .300 in the catcher position which is unheard of for this team. The bad news is pitching is only bouncing back from abysmal to below average. A week against division opponents on the road will test if that improvement is here to stay or if it was just a new uniform bounce. | 20-21 | |
| 17 | D-Backs | +3 | The Diamondbacks have been winning more games of late but are still underperforming their Pythagorean record and are 3 games below .500 despite a +17 run differential. Reinforcements should be coming back from injury soon which should help. | 19-22 | |
| 18 | Mets | -1 | I prewrote a big and extremely negative blurb about the Mets getting swept by the Braves. That did not happen, Brandon Nimmo hit a walk off homer on Sunday Night Baseball immediately as I was about to close my computer. Never been so glad to be wrong. Bring on the Phillies and Marlins. | 19-20 | |
| 19 | Nationals | 0 | Two large accomplishments for the Nats in the last week - 1) For the first time since 2021, the Nats climbed over .500 with an opening win over the Orioles in a 2-game series. 2) Patrick Corbin recorded a win this week vs the Red Sox (his first since 9/11/23 vs the Pirates). The Nationals quickly slid back under .500 losing the 2nd game vs the Orioles and then 2 of 3 against the Red Sox. James Wood is hitting everything in AAA (over 1.000 OPS) so there are lots of calls for HRCHU. | 19-20 | |
| 20 | Blue Jays | +1 | Very up and down week for the Cyrulean Winged Creatures of Ontario. A 1-1 split with Philly and a 1-2 tilt vs Minnesota extended a too-long stretch of not winning series. Turns out, the combination of bad offense and a bad bullpen is bad. But there have been some glimpses of hope, at least. Alek Manoah threw a gem on Sunday, giving up 0 ER and 1 BB over 7 IP with 6 Ks. Also, Vladdy is hot as shit right now; since the last week of March, he's been hitting over .400 with a nearly 1.000 OPS. Still, the Jays in general continue to underperform and hover just below .500. Mid-May is not the time to freak out and this team is in too deep to consider a full tear-down even in a lost year, but things will be getting worrisome if they can't pull out of this middling stretch that has defined the first quarter of the season. | 18-22 | |
| 21 | Giants | +4 | Believe it or not, the Giants had a winning week. They continue their flirtation with being a decent team. However, we would like the world to know about several issues | 19-23 | |
| 22 | Athletics | 0 | Happy Mother's Day, say hi or I'll drop by. Rough week, our bullpen had some awful games esp w/ Kotsay's choices. Will possibly fall below the Astros this week as we play them along with the Royals, and unlike last year I don't think we're a better team than KC. Toro and Harris have been playing well with Soderstrom getting some reps in (A+ defense from them), but Gelof will likely return and change something there. | 19-23 | |
| 23 | Reds | -5 | What is the meaning of suffering? This question has stumped philosophers throughout the ages, but nobody has come up with an answer. On the opposite side of this, we have also been in search of evidence of the divine, and we’ve searched for it in things like the miracle of our world. But again, we haven’t found anything. What if we’re looking in the wrong place? What if suffering is the greatest proof of a divine presence? Suffering is an art. Perhaps the greatest art ever devised. Devised by who or what though? Some greater power looming over us all? Some great cosmic being who looks upon us the same way as we do ants? Some primordial consciousness created trillions of years ago in the Big Bang that’s been merely existing all this time and only gets enjoyment out of the suffering of others? How do we figure this out? Who do we ask? I have a suggestion, we can ask baseball fans. We are connoisseurs of suffering. Ask an A’s fan about the meaning of suffering and you’ll get your answer just by looking into their eyes. Ask a Rockies fan, or a White Sox fan, or even a long dead Expos fan. It’s weeks like this that make me ask why do people even like baseball. Why do I even like baseball? Well, I remember my grandfather, since I live in the midwest we always called him Papaw, and he was the biggest baseball nut I know. He got me into baseball at a young age, and I remember one day asking why he loved it so much. When I say he was a baseball nut, I mean he was a season ticket holder, bought all the merchandise, had books about baseball and biographies written by baseball players, he had all of it. He could tell you everything about the sport with ease. So I asked him why did he love baseball so much because at that time I found it boring, and you know I still to this day remember his response. He told me baseball is 3 hours of nothing happening, but when something did happen, it was the most beautiful sport god ever created. I loved that man. Anyway this is all a long way to say the Reds suck ass right now. | 17-23 | |
| 24 | Astros | 0 | Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially yours. I'll visit her later, don't worry. The Astros continue to take 1 step forward and 3 steps back. Kyle Tucker is the man and we should extend him immediately. Our pitching is still mostly trash and no one deserves an extension. | 15-25 | |
| 25 | Pirates | -2 | Paul Skenes made his highly-anticipated debut on Saturday, and it was one of two games the Pirates won last week. And they only won that game after first blowing a 6-1 lead thanks to 6 (SIX!) walks with the bases loaded. At one point. Kyle Nicolas threw 12 straight balls with the bases loaded. The bullpen was so depleted that Nicolas had to pitch the next day after Aroldis Chapman gave up 2 runs and 2 walks in the 10th inning, only for Nicolas to give up another run on a wild pitch. The Pirates then hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning and lost 5-4. So yeah, that's how things are going in Pittsburgh right now. | 18-23 | |
| 26 | Cardinals | 0 | Bro, I'm straight up not having a good time. | 16-24 | |
| 27 | Angels | 0 | Hot and then cold and then hot again, Jo Adell hit three homers this past week. With a wRC+ on the season now standing at 134 and a wOBA of .363, the next step for him is now maintaining a level of consistency. With a bottom-ranking farm system, his future may not ultimately be in Anaheim. The looming rebuild is going to be a long and slow process and at the age of 25, it is hard to see much point in keeping him if someone else starts looking his way. | 15-26 | |
| 28 | Rockies | +2 | We have the longest winning streak in baseball. We just swept the defending champs. I'm pretty sure that means Rocktober is coming. In all seriousness, the Rockies finally gelled for the first time this season. The Rangers didn't play poorly, the Rockies just played well. The concern now is what kind of "Coors Hangover" we'll see. | 12-28 | |
| 29 | White Sox | 0 | The White Sox had a shockingly good week while clinching the season series against the Rays and winning 3 of 4 from the Guardians over the weekend. They have been playing objectively better baseball lately (which means that their 72 wRC+ season stat was at 84 last week, and their pitching has been middle of the league since the start of May). It's not much, but it's something. Myself, I'm excited to attend my first ball game of the year tonight. Of course, I'll be going to the Schaumburg Boomers home opener. | 12-29 | |
| 30 | Marlins | -2 | So the fish still cant produce runs but at least we got burger back. Luzardo looks much better in his return to the bigs but oof braxton garrett. Somehow miami managed to squeeze out a win this week against two top teams but well see how they do against the tigers and mets this upcoming season. | 11-31 |
2024.05.13 03:50 Shpet_onkumen Translation question
This is probably a stupid question but I don’t know how Serbian handles the gender of borrowed or foreign nouns. I am trying to translate a phrase into Serbian for a friend—there is a line in a poem about “the tent of the mighty khatun”—khatun is the female counterpart to the khan. I am not sure what to do about the gender of the word “khatun,” since it is not really a proper name but it is also not a Serbian word—it has an ending that would make it seem like a masculine noun although it describes a female person. How should I translate this phrase? Treat it as a masculine noun (шатор моћног хатуна) or like a foreign feminine proper name (шатор моћне Хатуне)? Or something different? Thanks in advance for your help.
submitted by Shpet_onkumen to Serbian [link] [comments]
2024.05.13 02:39 callmev-00 Deathcore & Death Metal 2024 album releases (+non-Deathcore albums)
- 476 AD - "Kings Of Nothing"
- Aaryan - "Cloudscape"
- Aborted - "Vault Of Horrors"
- Aborted Bong Rip - "The Lunar Harvest"
- ABYSSIUS - "Abyssius"
- ACRID DEATH - "Abominable Presence Of Light"
- Ancst - "Culture Of Brutality"
- Apogean - "Cyberstrictive"
- Apparition - "Disgraced Emanations From A Tranquil State"
- Atoll - "Inhuman Implants"
- Axiomatic Dematerialization - "Absolute Elimination Of Existence"
- Benighted - "Ekbom"
- Black Pegasus - "Black Grass Smoker"
- Bloodcrusher - "Self Titled"
- Blood Red Throne - "Nonagon"
- Breath Of Sindragosa - "Shadowflame"
- Chains Of Agony - "Imperium"
- Cincinatti Bowtie - "Chronicles Of The Damned"
- Civerouz - "Maze Envy"
- Cogitations - "Relinquished"
- Cognizance - "Phantazein"
- Contaminated - "Celebratory Beheading"
- Dååth - "The Decievers"
- DeadVectors - "Mauled"
- Deicide - "Banished By Sin"
- Depths Of Baciu - "Concealed In Shadow"
- Disfiguring The Goddess - "Blood Era"
- DIVINITIST - "Blood Dripping From The Knife On The Chest Reflect Your Truth"
- Drown In Sulphur - "Dark Secrets Of The Soul"
- Dwarrowdelf - "The Fallen Leaves"
- ENEMY 906 - "Through The Hell"
- Engulf - "The Dying Planet Weeps"
- Enterprise Earth - "Death: An Anthology"
- Eternal Bloom - "Ov, Misery"
- Eternal Storm - "A Giant Bound To Fall"
- Exocrine - "Legend"
- Filth - "Southern Hostility"
- Fire Keeper - "Firekeeper"
- Fractal Gates - "One With Dawn"
- Galactic Devourer - "Nebula Torture Chamber"
- Greybush - "A Never Ending Search For Justice"
- Griefgod - "Deterioration"
- Hideous Divinity - "Unextinct"
- Hour Of Penance - "Devotion"
- Ingested - "The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams"
- In Vain - "Solemn"
- Job For A Cowboy - "Moon Healer"
- Klysma - "Death"
- Knocked Loose - "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To"
- Laccolith - "Death Incarnate"
- Made In Taiwan - "Sui Genesis"
- Memento Mori US - "S/T"
- MILLHAVEN - "Dualism"
- Necrot - "Lifeless Birth"
- Necrowretch - "Swords Of Dajjal"
- Nogothula - "Telluric Septis"
- Obsidian - "Fathomless"
- Oracle Spectre - "Decievers"
- Orbital Gate - "Astral Scavenger"
- Pestilength - "Solar Clorex"
- Petrification - "Sever Sacred Light"
- Raised By Owls - "Vol.3: (The Satirical Verses)"
- Red Bath - "Endless Drowning Under These Skies"
- Revisal - "Curtain Call"
- Scarlet Rot - "Scarlet Rot"
- See You Next Tuesday - "Relapses"
- Skeletal Remains - "Fragments Of The Ageless"
- Spectral Voice - "Sparagmos"
- Stages Of Decomposition - "Raptures Of Psychopathy"
- Steven Hufalar - "Eternal Realm Of Agony"
- SUGGESTIONS - "Thorns Of Pagan Embryo"
- Terminal Nation - "Echoes Of The Devil's Den"
- Terranoven - "Valley Of Pariahs"
- Thanatophobia - "Kaleidoscope Of Fears"
- The Last Ten Seconds Of Life - "No Name Graves"
- The Stygian Complex - "Suffer With Me"
- Underneath - "From The Gut Of Gaia"
- Unhallowed Deliverance - "Of Spectres And Strife"
- Uwu - "Uwu"
- Vaticinal Rites - "Cascading Memories Of Immortality"
- VICTIMOFDECEPTION - "Mighty Rulers"
- Vitriol - "Suffer & Become"
- Waste - "In Bloom"
- Witch Vomit - "Funeral Sanctum"
- Wounds - "Ruin"
- ZOMBIESHARK - "Die Laughing."
- Not DM or DxC:
- Aaru - "SWNPL"
- Abysmal Growls Of Despair - "Inearthed"
- Acid Ghost - "It's Just Music"
- Alkaline Trio - "Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs"
- Alpha Wolf - "Half Living Things"
- Alluce - "Deathbloom I"
- Ammanas - "Somewhere Far Beyond"
- Andracca - "To Bare The Weight Of Death"
- Antichrist Siege Machine - "Vengeance Of Eternal Fire"
- Arrow Minds - "S.A.D."
- A Scent Like Wolves - "Distant Dystopia"
- Ashley Nieve - "Purple Hyacinth.exe"
- Austere - "Beneath The Threshold"
- AVRALIZE - "Freaks"
- Banshee - "Sirencore"
- Before I Turn - "The Devil Exists"
- Benjamin Croft - "We Are Here To Help"
- Beyond Melancholy - "A Lifelover..."
- Black Tusk - "The Way Forward"
- Blade And Bath - "Rotten In Loneliness"
- Blaze Of Perdition - "Upharsin"
- Bongripper - "Empty"
- Bottom Surgery - "Please Follow Closely"
- Boundaries - "Death Is Little More"
- Breath Of Wind - "Journey Through The Galaxy"
- Caligula's Horse - "Charcoal Grace"
- Casey - "How To Disappear"
- Corbian - "Butterfly Effect"
- Cottontail - "Murderous Melodies I"
- CthulhuSeeker - "Age Of The Synth: Elden Ring (Synthwave Arragement)"
- Darkthone - "It Beckons Us All"
- Dayseeker - "Replica (Acoustic)"
- Dead By April - "The Affliction"
- DEAFENING - "Have Courage, My Love"
- Defocus - "There Is A Place For Me On Earth"
- Desolate Thoughts - "Desolate Thoughts"
- Diamond Construct - "Anger Killer Zero"
- Dødsrit - "Nocturnal Will"
- DONT SMILE AT ME - "Suicide On Top Of The Altar"
- Doom Beach & Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop - "Doom Beach / Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop Chop (Split)"
- Dream State - "Still Dreaming"
- Drifts In Autumn - "Ethers"
- Dua Lipa - "Radical Optimism"
- Ego Depths - "Prognimous Ekk Solthi"
- Eidola - "Eviscerate"
- Enki (I.L.Y) - "The Unknown"
- Ephilexia - "Car Crash Lullabies"
- ERRA - "Cure"
- Escaping Aghartha"
- Evergloam - "Nocturnal No More"
- Extortion - "Threats"
- Extra Terra - "Accelerate Or Die"
- Farsot - "Life Promised Death"
- Fawning - "All Around Me"
- Flesh Tape - "Flesh Tape"
- Fragments Of Lost Memories - "Yakusoku"
- From Another Life - "Daydreaming"
- Fugit - "Bury Me Here"
- Full Of Hell - "Coagulated Bliss"
- Galleons - "Violent Delights"
- Genital Shame - "Chronic Illness Wish"
- Grayscale Season - "Feel Something New"
- Green Day - "Saviours"
- handkerchief code - "A Story Untold"
- Have a nice life... - "Drowned By Suicidal Thoughts"
- Heedless Elegance - "The Dream Within"
- Hemlokk - "In The Shade Of Irminsul"
- High On Fire - "Cometh The Storm"
- If I Were You - "Withe/Without"
- Imminence - "The Black"
- inertia. - "In Limbo"
- Infant Island - "Obsidian Wreath"
- Infestus - "Entzweiung"
- In Tears - "Pale Under My Crown Of Flowers"
- Intig - "Vilsen"
- Iron Curtain (1) - "Savage Dawn"
- Iron Curtain (2) - "West Coast Lover"
- ISTOKTOCRY - "Hesh"
- Kali Uchis - "Orquídeas"
- Kill Ebola - "Ghost In A Drone"
- Knoll - "As Spoken"
- Krvna - "The Rhythmus Of Death Eternal"
- Kyros - "Mannequin"
- Lackmagic - "Naiad Doggerland"
- Lair - "The Hidden Shiv"
- Lamantra - "Be Happy, Life Is Beautiful"
- LEACH - "New Model Of Disbelief"
- Lightseeds - "Mirage"
- Like Moths To Flames - "The Cycles Of Trying To Cope"
- lil t4t - "Heaven707"
- Local Natives - "But I'll Wait For You"
- Lord Dying - "Clandestine Transcence"
- Loss Of Hope - "One Step Closer To Lifelessness"
- Lost In Seperation - "Sabertooth"
- Made Of Pain - "Untitled"
- Maggie Lindemann - "Headsplit"
- Makari - "Wave Machine"
- Malist - "Of Schorched Earth"
- Massa Nera & Quiet Fear - "Quatro Vientos Cinco Soles"
- May Leitz - "Season Of Slumber"
- Merrimack - "Of Grace And Gravity"
- Morphine - "Dysphoria II"
- my head is empty - "Nothing Is Real, Part XX"
- Nailah Hunter - "Lovegaze"
- Nänmëë & Departing - "Memory Association"
- Newmoon - "Temporary Light"
- NOAHFINNCE - "Growing Up On The Internet"
- Peter Ries - "Stratus"
- Pulchritude - "Impending Beauty"
- Ray Noir - "Scorpio"
- Red Keep - "Ruminate"
- Renesans - "Born From The End"
- Rise Of Asura - "Dysphoria"
- Rough Justice - "Faith In Vain"
- Rupture Of The Gastrointestinal Tract - "Rupture Of The Gastrointestinal Tract"
- SAFEHXEN - "Lighthouse"
- Sår - "Burning Bridges"
- Sea Of Consciousness - "Sea Of Consciousness"
- SeeYouSpaceCowboy... - "Coup De Grâce"
- Selbst - "Despondency Chord Progressions"
- SETYØURSAILS - "Bad Blood"
- Shallow Existence - "Killing Myself On Valentines Day"
- Shamael - "Il Suono Di Mille Orchestre (Part 2)"
- Shrimp Money - "Coffinated"
- Shroud Of Blight - "Years Of Failure"
- SISSY XO - "Public Humiliation"
- Skuggor - "Whispers Of Ancient Spells"
- Sorcerer - "Devotion"
- Soulmass - "Principality Of Mechanical Violence"
- Soulvapor - "Inner Soul"
- SPACED - "This Is All We Ever Get"
- Status Expunged - "Sorry I'm Not From Winnipeg"
- Stygian Crown - "Funeral For A King"
- Sunspear - "Sunspear"
- Sympathy Pain - "Swan Dive"
- The Dog - "Somewhere, Anywhere"
- The Ghost Inside - "Searching For Solace"
- The Wise Man's Fear - "What Slept Beneath Tarvos"
- Thistle Sifter - "Circles"
- Too Close To Touch - "For Keeps"
- undercurrent - "Blue"
- Valadier - "Carmina Belli Apocalypsis"
- Various Artists - "Echoes Of Memories"
- Velvet - "Romance"
- VENUES - "Transcience"
- Violin Sky - "Silent Echoes"
- Vrøde - "Ostracised"
- Wandering Oak - "Resilience"
- Waveshaper - "A Void Hope"
- Weeping Moon - "Beneath The Weeping Moon"
- While She Sleeps - "Self Hell"
- Whitelands - "Night-Bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day"
- Whiteweek - "When Everything Breaks"
- Wristmeetrazor - "Degeneration"
- Xansei - "Xami"
- YEAHRS - "Spiritual Sickness"
- ZOZ - "Whendolia"
- Deathcore EP's:
- And Hell Followed With - "Untoward Perpuity"
- Arbitrator US - "Nephilim"
- Chaldea - "The Edge Of Perdition"
- Curse The Idols - "Gemory"
- Despite Exile - "Fading Trace"
- Divine Destruction - "Products Of Abomination"
- Girl Of Glass - "Girl Of Glass"
- Godhand - "Tachykinin"
- Lilith's Demise - "Lilth In Aries"
- Mana Tomb - "Damage Over Time"
- Mark Of The Altar - "A Dramatic Display"
- Nyctophile - "A Progression In Regression"
- Slamwich - "Bloodthirst Commands This Hellscape"
- Synestia & Disembodied Tyrant - "The Poetic Edda"
- Vile Revelation - "Cast From Eden"
2024.05.12 20:14 Zeddblidd The Raven (1963)
2024-180 / Zedd MAP: 79.42 / MLZ MAP: 83.40 / Score Gap: 3.98
Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection
My - what a terrible way to start a Sunday morning. I suppose it’d be a terrible way to start any morning but I’ll be first to admit, all things in time, does encompass all things - it doesn’t discriminate between good or bad. Roger Corman directed this spooktacular spooktacular during his tenure with AIP, it’s easily one of my little treasures in a collection thick with Corman-attached pictures. Just last night I was thinking “…at least we still have Roger Corman…” -well, I was right (I suppose), if only just.
From IMDb: A magician, who has been turned into a raven, turns to a former sorcerer for help.
I’m not sure there’s a better pick for Mrs. Lady Zedd and I to say good bye - MLZ has enjoyed many of his movies but admits to not quite being the fan that I am (er, was). B-Movie Horror is definitely my cup of tea, followed by B-Movie anything… MLZ is a bit more, discerning. To each their own, naturally - enjoy what you enjoy starts at home.
The movie - a darkly comedic take on Edgar Allan Poe’s seminal poem, “The Raven”, brings together three of horror’s finest thespians: Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and the master of the macabre, Vincent Price. Jack Nicholson plays a pivotal part as Rexford Bedlo - the handsome, heroic son of a coward in this early role.
MLZ says she was particularly impressed by the costumes - first class, beautiful, and simply perfect. For an early 60s fantasy produced with limited means, she was quick to enjoy the special effects and visual tricks employed to produce spectacle and excitement during the wizards’ duel. Karloff and Price, maybe a bit past their prime but 100% in their element.
The English poet John Donne said, “Death be not Proud…” which I’d count as good advice - with a filmography such as his, Roger Corman’s legacy will continue far into the future. Truth is, I’ll just have to get used to the idea of a world absent the man but his films are always calling out “shotgun!” to ride along with MLZ and I.
If that makes any sort of sense (ha!) movie on doesn’t need to make sense, it just needs to roll.
Movie on.
++
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe, Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie. Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better than thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
-John Donne (1572-1631)
submitted by Zeddblidd to 500moviesorbust [link] [comments]
Wikipedia?wprov=sfti1#) / IMDb / Official Trailer / Our Collection
My - what a terrible way to start a Sunday morning. I suppose it’d be a terrible way to start any morning but I’ll be first to admit, all things in time, does encompass all things - it doesn’t discriminate between good or bad. Roger Corman directed this spooktacular spooktacular during his tenure with AIP, it’s easily one of my little treasures in a collection thick with Corman-attached pictures. Just last night I was thinking “…at least we still have Roger Corman…” -well, I was right (I suppose), if only just.
From IMDb: A magician, who has been turned into a raven, turns to a former sorcerer for help.
I’m not sure there’s a better pick for Mrs. Lady Zedd and I to say good bye - MLZ has enjoyed many of his movies but admits to not quite being the fan that I am (er, was). B-Movie Horror is definitely my cup of tea, followed by B-Movie anything… MLZ is a bit more, discerning. To each their own, naturally - enjoy what you enjoy starts at home.
The movie - a darkly comedic take on Edgar Allan Poe’s seminal poem, “The Raven”, brings together three of horror’s finest thespians: Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and the master of the macabre, Vincent Price. Jack Nicholson plays a pivotal part as Rexford Bedlo - the handsome, heroic son of a coward in this early role.
MLZ says she was particularly impressed by the costumes - first class, beautiful, and simply perfect. For an early 60s fantasy produced with limited means, she was quick to enjoy the special effects and visual tricks employed to produce spectacle and excitement during the wizards’ duel. Karloff and Price, maybe a bit past their prime but 100% in their element.
The English poet John Donne said, “Death be not Proud…” which I’d count as good advice - with a filmography such as his, Roger Corman’s legacy will continue far into the future. Truth is, I’ll just have to get used to the idea of a world absent the man but his films are always calling out “shotgun!” to ride along with MLZ and I.
If that makes any sort of sense (ha!) movie on doesn’t need to make sense, it just needs to roll.
Movie on.
++
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe, For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe, Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie. Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better than thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
-John Donne (1572-1631)
2024.05.12 05:58 External-Barber-3221 Mines primal snake
 | submitted by External-Barber-3221 to BrandonDE [link] [comments] |
2024.05.11 19:15 TresExplores Undiagnosed and still not sure if I have it.
Hey there amigos! For starters, I will tell you some background. [KINDA LONG READ]
Do you know that activity during high school wherein each of the students will pass around a paper with name on it and the whole class will write what they thought about you? Guess what? I got the following:
"Binigay ko na nga lahat ng sagot pero bagsak ka pa rin." "You exceeded my expectation, I'll show your work to other sections." "Sa simula ka lang magaling, I expected more from you." "Dati nakikipagsabayan ka ah, what happened?" "Buti kinorrect mo yung solution sa equation, congrats you got the 3rd place merit." "Eyes on the board, wala ka matututunan if diyan ka sa bintana titingin."
I'm just an average person and I recognize that, I am not a natural genius. I have to work hard for the merits. I got an average grade which gave me the eligibility to enter university during SHS. New environment, new me. This time I owned my life and started joining orgs and clubs. Laging pinagaagawan sa mga groupings but I always choose to be with those na walang pumipili. I wake up at 3am and sleep at 11pm. My days became hectic. My years as SHS went so fast, I ended with just honorable mention and some medals I accumulated as I compete.
Personal Development. Same activity, different results. Kung before, I got an overall comment stating na I'm an Alien. This time, I got the following:
I know myself and this is me:
Just sharing this. I'm not really sure what am I looking for, maybe validation, dunno hehe.
Oh, and our baby bro show signs of ADHD as told by their teacher and my brother's girlfriend's relative who happens to be a psych grad.
submitted by TresExplores to ADHDPH [link] [comments]
Do you know that activity during high school wherein each of the students will pass around a paper with name on it and the whole class will write what they thought about you? Guess what? I got the following:
- weird
- lutang
- may sariling Mundo
- Alien
- outcast
- warfreak
"Binigay ko na nga lahat ng sagot pero bagsak ka pa rin." "You exceeded my expectation, I'll show your work to other sections." "Sa simula ka lang magaling, I expected more from you." "Dati nakikipagsabayan ka ah, what happened?" "Buti kinorrect mo yung solution sa equation, congrats you got the 3rd place merit." "Eyes on the board, wala ka matututunan if diyan ka sa bintana titingin."
I'm just an average person and I recognize that, I am not a natural genius. I have to work hard for the merits. I got an average grade which gave me the eligibility to enter university during SHS. New environment, new me. This time I owned my life and started joining orgs and clubs. Laging pinagaagawan sa mga groupings but I always choose to be with those na walang pumipili. I wake up at 3am and sleep at 11pm. My days became hectic. My years as SHS went so fast, I ended with just honorable mention and some medals I accumulated as I compete.
Personal Development. Same activity, different results. Kung before, I got an overall comment stating na I'm an Alien. This time, I got the following:
- haggard pero cute
- laging pagod
- responsible and leader-like
- mapanglait pero Masaya kasama
I know myself and this is me:
- I love nature and the tranquility it gives. Pero you'll see my wild side when you bring me to the dance floor.
- I hyperfixate at times for an instance during the entrance examination back then, I studied 4months straight, day and night.
- I have my extreme highs when it comes to my emotions na kung saan nakakasira ako ng gamit, like yung pader sa classroom namin na sinipa ko pero ang instruction lang ay putukin ang lobo gamit kahit ano wag lang kamay. I also have my extreme lows na kung saan nakakasira ako ng relationships like cutting ties to the point na dinelete ko fb account ko and made a new one.
- I have this urge back then na in every argument, I must share my two cents. In every seminar, I have to raise my hand kahit nonsense ang tanong.
- I jump from one hobby to another. Right now, my thing is making peyote bracelets. The former ones are karate, dragon boating, drawing/ painting, song/poem writing, biking, etc. Heck, I have my room filled with different stuffs that "I might use in future"
- I can finish a book in one sitting back then, they even call me a walking encyclopedia back then kasi lagi akong may banat na "According sa nabasa ko..." kaso ngayon hirap na ako makatapos ng libro, sobrang effort na makapagsimula at makatapos ng isang chapter.
Just sharing this. I'm not really sure what am I looking for, maybe validation, dunno hehe.
Oh, and our baby bro show signs of ADHD as told by their teacher and my brother's girlfriend's relative who happens to be a psych grad.
2024.05.11 13:15 newmusicrls In The Remix 2024 UK Garage / Bassline
https://minimalfreaks.co/2024/05/in-the-remix-2024-uk-garage-bassline/
submitted by newmusicrls to HypeTracks [link] [comments]
- Coldpast – MIC Drop (Main Phase Remix) 05:09 134bpm 3B
- JACKARD – Down N Out’ (PARKER. Remix) 06:40 132bpm 5A
- Patrick Kane – 4 Shots (Para Remix) 05:19 133bpm 7A
- Riko Dan, Rudimental, Skepsis, Charlotte Plank – Green & Gold (Champion Remix) 03:07 136bpm 9A
- SICARIA – Freak 2 Freak (Introspekt Remix) 04:10 140bpm 3A
- Cal Cuttr – In Tha House (MARSWALKZ Remix) 04:06 140bpm 10A
- Paperback Trash – Drifter Sleeps (Blakk Habit Vocal Remix) (Original Mix) 04:29 132bpm 8A
- NOTD, Riley Biederer, Stresshead – Under My Breath (Stresshead Remix) 03:21 135bpm 5B
- Dampe – Clay (K-Lone Remix) 05:28 130bpm 4A
- ENiGMA Dubz – Twilight (ATYYA Remix) 03:32 130bpm 9A
- Toucanplay – Ghost Mode (Funkytino Remix) 06:32 128bpm 10A
- Noir Glacé – Crazy – UK GARAGE (tripperbeats Remix) 02:48 132bpm 5A
- Tommie Cotton, OskiDJ – Make you want it (U2R Remix (2024 Remaster)) 06:20 123bpm 6A
- Sean Roman – GANJAMAN (Mister Subwoofer Remix) 05:09 135bpm 12A
- Shermanology – Hijos De La Noche (WZA Remix) 05:28 130bpm 12A
- Ev – Blinding Lights (efan Remix) 04:37 140bpm 3A
- Uncle Knows – The Remedy (DreamKiller remix) 05:33 140bpm 5A
- MC Vapour, Local, Skamma, ZeroFG – Ready 4 The Floor feat. Local feat. Mc Vapour (Remix) 03:13 132bpm 3B
- Terri Walker – Fearless (Zed Bias Remix) 03:55 123bpm 6A
- Dany BS – Believe (Guau Remix) 03:42 67bpm 4A
- Hey Jack – Savage Poem (France To UK Remix) 03:49 130bpm 4A
- Tuff Trax, Jay Ward – Rinse Out (Gemi Remix) 04:20 135bpm 9A
- Ziggy – Without U (Ziggy Remix) (Original Mix) 04:52 139bpm 2A
- Hamdi – Counting (Sammy Virji Remix) 03:34 134bpm 9A
- Callum George – Be Mine (Wilfy D Remix) 03:30 132bpm 9A
- Devstar – Gorgeous George (Lucas Alexander Extended Remix) 05:58 130bpm 5A
- Romey – Move Your Feet Like Dis (Jay Ward Remix) 05:00 132bpm 6A
- noneohone – Hold Tight (IsGwan Remix) 05:50 134bpm 5A
- Zed Bias, Shumba Youth – London Town (Jeftuz UKG Remix) 03:19 135bpm 10A
- Razor, Lutsu – Certy (Groove Chronicles 2-step Refix) 04:17 136bpm 6A
- Guv. T – Satisfy (Tuff Trax Dub) 03:33 135bpm 11A
- Spa Street Sounds – Haul & Pull Up (Osmosis Jones Remix) 04:42 138bpm 10A
- BVNQUET, prettyboyface – Bringing Me Joy (Hutcher Extended Remix) 03:44 130bpm 7A
- The Cut Up Boys, Dj Pencil – Grooverider 2023 (Richard Wright Speed Garage Remix) 04:19 136bpm 8A
- Duchess, PVBLIC XCESS – Breathe (Alfredo Romero Remix) 04:48 67bpm 6A
- DRIIA – Anyone I Want (Flava D Remix) 03:54 135bpm 11B
- Chrissy – You Don’t Have To Worry (Big Ang Garage Remix) 05:14 135bpm 12A
- Retrogroove – Waiting Forever (Chico’s Acid Reflux Dub) 06:13 125bpm 12A
- DJ Haus, Interplanetary Criminal – Machine Learning (Interplanetary Criminal Remix) 05:02 130bpm 8A
- Terri Walker, T. Williams – Heartbeat (feat. Terri Walker) (DJ Q Remix) 04:00 130bpm 10A
2024.05.11 01:20 -343-Guilty-Spark- HCS Open Series: Road to London – Qualifiers this Weekend!
https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/openseries2024
Header Image [Imgur]
The road to the HCS London Major has begun!
The HCS Open Series returns as players in all regions fight for their chance to compete live in London on May 31 to June 2.
Have what it takes to claim glory? Register for free and compete for Cash & HCS Points!
Tournament Registration
Note: NA's Open Series' will take place over 2 Days. (Day 1 ends at Top 12 and will continue on Day 2.)
Heads up, competitors - Be sure to check out the Player Handbook and Code of Conduct!
STEP 2: Sign up for the next tournament. Assemble your squad and register for FREE in your region. Your teammates will also need FACEIT accounts to join your team!
Tournament Registration
STEP 3: Climb the HCS Points Leaderboard. Compete for Cash Prizes as you climb the HCS Points Leaderboards ahead of the Major Qualifiers.
HCS Player Leaderboards
STEP 4: Qualify for the HCS Majors. Place well in the Major Qualifiers or stack up enough HCS Points to secure Travel Coverage to compete live at the next HCS Major! (Click below for more details on how to qualify for the HCS London Major.)
HCS London Major 2024
NOTE: Due to the open nature of our tournaments, some rosters may not be up-to-date. Unless a roster change has been announced, rosters shown are taken from the last official HCS tournament they played in.
HCS Points Leaderboards
HCS Open Series: Road to London - Week 3 Leaderboard North America [Imgur]
Check out the full HCS Player Leaderboards below!
HCS Player Leaderboards
Congratulations to your NA Week 3 Champions - OpTic Gaming!
NA Champions
North America HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Optic Gaming. [Imgur]
NA Final Results
North America HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
EU Champions
Europe HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Quadrant. [Imgur]
EU Final Results
Europe HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
MX Champions
Mexico HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, SWAT Esports. [Imgur]
MX Final Results
Mexico HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
Congratulations to your Week 3 ANZ Champions!
ANZ Champions
Australia and New Zealand HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Mind Freak. [Imgur]
ANZ Final Results
Australia and New Zealand HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
This post was made by a script written and maintained by the Halo mod team to automatically post blogs from Halo Waypoint. If you notice any issues with the text output or think this was posted by mistake, please message the mods.
submitted by -343-Guilty-Spark- to halo [link] [comments]
The road to the HCS London Major has begun!
The HCS Open Series returns as players in all regions fight for their chance to compete live in London on May 31 to June 2.
Have what it takes to claim glory? Register for free and compete for Cash & HCS Points!
Tournament Registration
CONTENTS
- Tournament Dates
- How To Compete
- Team Leaderboards
- NA Results
- EU Results
- MX Results
- ANZ Results
HCS OPEN SERIES DATES
| NA : Starts @ 12p ET | EU : Starts @ 12p BST | MX : Starts @ 12p CT | ANZ : Starts @ 12p AEST |
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HOW TO COMPETE
Want to see how you stack up against players in your region? Follow the steps below and prove you have what it takes to claim glory!Heads up, competitors - Be sure to check out the Player Handbook and Code of Conduct!
- 2024 HCS Player HandBook
- 2024 HCS Code of Conduct
STEP 1: Create FACEIT Account Official HCS tournaments take place over at FACEIT. You will need to create an account and link it with your Halo GamerTag.
STEP 2: Sign up for the next tournament. Assemble your squad and register for FREE in your region. Your teammates will also need FACEIT accounts to join your team!
Tournament Registration
STEP 3: Climb the HCS Points Leaderboard. Compete for Cash Prizes as you climb the HCS Points Leaderboards ahead of the Major Qualifiers.
HCS Player Leaderboards
STEP 4: Qualify for the HCS Majors. Place well in the Major Qualifiers or stack up enough HCS Points to secure Travel Coverage to compete live at the next HCS Major! (Click below for more details on how to qualify for the HCS London Major.)
HCS London Major 2024
HCS LEADERBOARDS
Here's a look at the HCS Leaderboards following Week 3 of the HCS Open Series: Road to London!NOTE: Due to the open nature of our tournaments, some rosters may not be up-to-date. Unless a roster change has been announced, rosters shown are taken from the last official HCS tournament they played in.
HCS Points Leaderboards
HCS Open Series: Road to London - Week 3 Leaderboard North America [Imgur]
Check out the full HCS Player Leaderboards below!
HCS Player Leaderboards
NA Results
The GreenWall returns to form.Congratulations to your NA Week 3 Champions - OpTic Gaming!
NA Champions
North America HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Optic Gaming. [Imgur]
| Open #3: Champions Team: OpTic Gaming - DeadZone - FormaL - Lucid - Trippy | Open #2: Champions Team: Spacestation - Bound - Eco - Lqgend - Stellur | Open #1: Champions Team: Rebellion - Cykul - MentaL - Soul Snipe - Suppressed |
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North America HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
| Open #3: Results Full Bracket Tournament VOD by LVT Halo - LVTHalo (Day 1) - LVTHalo (Day 2) | Open #2: Results Full Bracket Tournament VOD by LVT Halo - LVTHalo (Day 1) - LVTHalo (Day 2) | Open #1: Results Full Bracket Tournament VOD by LVT Halo - LVTHalo (Day 1) - LVTHalo (Day 2) |
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EU Results
P1 for Quadrant as they go back-to-back in the EU HCS Open Series - congratulations!EU Champions
Europe HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Quadrant. [Imgur]
| Open #3: Champions Team: Quadrant - Glory - Sica - SLG - Snipedrone | Open #2: Champions Team: Quadrant - Glory - Sica - SLG - Snipedrone | Open #1: Champions Team: Foe - Jimbo - Mighty - Tchik - Wutum |
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Europe HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
| Open #3: Results Full Bracket Tournament VOD by Euro Halo League - EU Open #3 | Open #2: Results Full Bracket Tournament VOD by Euro Halo League - EU Open #2 | ** Open #1: Results** Full Bracket Tournament VOD by Euro Halo League - EU Open #1 |
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MX RESULTS
Team SWAT Esports claw back from the lower bracket to keep the streak alive in MX - congratluations!MX Champions
Mexico HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, SWAT Esports. [Imgur]
| Open #3: Champions Team: SWAT Esports - Acid - Drift - Noblc - Tapping Buttons | Open #2: Champions Team: SWAT Esports - Acid - Drift - Noblc - Tapping Buttons | Open #1: Champions Team: SWAT Esports - Acid - Drift - Noblc - Tapping Buttons |
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Mexico HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
| Open #3: Results Full Bracket | Open #2: Results Full Bracket | ** Open #1: Results** Full Bracket |
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ANZ RESULTS
Team MindFreak is primed for London.Congratulations to your Week 3 ANZ Champions!
ANZ Champions
Australia and New Zealand HCS Open Series Week 3 Champions, Mind Freak. [Imgur]
| Open #3: Champions Team: MindFreak - Plasma - Scoobmeistr - Swayz - Wryce | Open #2: Champions Team: MindFreak - Plasma - Scoobmeistr - Swayz - Wryce | Open #1: Champions Team: MindFreak - Plasma - Scoobmeistr - Swayz - Wryce |
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Australia and New Zealand HCS Open Series Week 3 Final Results [Imgur]
| Open #3: Results Full Bracket | Open #2: Results Full Bracket | ** Open #1: Results** Full Bracket |
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2024.05.10 22:54 Lootlizard GO FOR BROKE
 | What’s up Dawgs. Everyone seemed to like the write up I did last week about the 1st Minnesota so I wanted to follow up with a write up about another one of my favorite military units, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. submitted by Lootlizard to MSsEcReTPoDcAsT [link] [comments] The 442nd perfectly encapsulated the Dan Carlin quote “The Japanese were just like everyone else, only more so.” In the short period that the unit was active they won more awards for valor than any other unit of their size and length of service in the history of the United States military. Their unit won over 14,000 awards including 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, more than 4,000 Bronze Stars, more than 4000 Purple Hearts, and 7 Presidential Unit Citations The unit was created in February of 1943 and was composed almost entirely of Japanese American citizens, mostly “Nisei” which were 2nd generation Americans. These men were primarily recruited from Hawaii but many were also recruited from the mainland internment camps. The common goodbye that the Japanese American parents gave to their sons as they left for basic training was Shikkari Shinasai which roughly translates to “Do it Right” in English. Appropriately the unit chose the phrase “Go For Broke” as their motto. https://preview.redd.it/0ijbsbzbvnzc1.png?width=294&format=png&auto=webp&s=7182f6995f0fb8f20ea33bf42551d3d6e7e311c6 The 442nd completed their training and was deployed to Italy in May of 1944 where they would link up with the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate), another all-Japanese unit that had already won a ton of awards. The 100th would then become the 1st Battalion of the 442nd. They would help push the German’s north from the Anzio beaches out of Rome and all the way up to the Arno river in Tuscany. https://preview.redd.it/6e923mekvnzc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28039aef1670f8974deb429e475245b46bd3d5a6 They would then be pulled off the line and redeployed for the invasion of Southern France. Where they would battle their way up through France before leading the rescue of the “Lost Battalion”. Against orders Major General John Dahlquist committed the 141st Infantries 1st battalion known as the "Texas Battalion" to chasing a German unit that was ostensibly retreating through the Vosges mountains of Northern France. This was only a feint though and the Germans promptly turned around and surrounded the out of place battalion of about 270 men with a force of over 6000 Germans. The other 2 battalions of the 141st made rescue attempts but they were beaten back by the Germans. At this point, with the Texas Battalion desperately low on food and ammunition the 442nd was called in to lead the rescue. Reportedly Adolf Hitler himself was told of the trapped Texan unit and issued orders stating that they should not be rescued no matter the cost to the Germans. Unfortunately for him, for the next 6 days the 442nd would fight continuously at times outnumbered 4 to 1 by the Germans in a desperate attempt to save their countrymen. They continuously advanced, smashing through prepared German defenses one after the other at the cost of massive casualties to themselves. After 6 days the 211 remaining men of the lost battalion would finally be rescued, at the cost of 800 casualties for the 442nd. I Company started the assault with 185 men by the end of the 6 days only 8 men remained unwounded. K Company engaged the enemy with 186 men, of which 169 would be killed or wounded. The men of 442nd truly lived up to their monicker of Go For Broke. In 1962 Texas Governor John Connally would proclaim the veterans of the 442nd honorary Texans for their sacrifice in the rescue of the lost battalion. https://preview.redd.it/lwnrwbtsvnzc1.jpg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63b1224797dc72030e87965404a8079ae5c7b9d7 The 442nd would then take part in several other actions in Northern France and Southern Germany before being moved back to Italy to assist in breaking through the Gothic Line held by the last stubborn remnants of the Wehrmacht in Italy, until the Germans surrendered on May 5th 1945. I would love to sit and write of all the great charges and deeds done by the 442nd but this is already getting long and this is a sub reddit for a bunch of borderline autistic guys to express their parasocial feelings for 2 funny guys from Philly not a military history forum so I’ll just talk about 1 guy. Sadao Munemori was the first Japanese American to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He was recruited from the Manzanar internment camp by the Military Intelligence Service to work as a translator but as soon as he found out a combat unit was being formed, he accepted a voluntary demotion from Technical Sergeant to Private in exchange for being able to transfer to the newly formed combat unit. He would be sent to Italy and serve in the 100th battalion for the remainder of the war fighting in Italy and France. Munemori won his medal and subsequently lost his life on a mountain ridge near Seravezza Italy on April 5th 1945. https://preview.redd.it/a4vm9y48vnzc1.jpg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=569f48bfa0366e247b7b1f19711c4929bda40ed0 Sadao’s squad was pinned down by flanking fire coming from 2 machine gun positions dug in on top of nearby ridge. His squad leader was killed in the initial burst and him and all of his friends were trapped by continuous fire from the machine guns. Seeing the desperation in the eyes of his friends and knowing something had to be done Sadao threw himself out of his cover and charged up the ridge by himself. Dodging from shell hole to shell hole while taking continuous fire from multiple machine guns and dozens of German soldiers, Sadao miraculously made his way within throwing distance of one of the machine guns which he promptly destroyed with a few well thrown grenades. He then dodged across more open ground to another shell hole where he promptly destroyed another machine gun with grenades. Now that the machine guns were destroyed all he had to do was make it back down to his men, while dodging the massive amount of grenades and small arms fire from the remaining Germans. In his 2nd miracle of the day Sadao made it back to a shell hole containing 2 of his men but, just as he was about to dive into the relative safety of the shell hole with his men, Sadao felt something heavy bounce off the top of his helmet. A well thrown German grenade has bounced directly off his helmet and landed at the feet of his men. Without hesitation or a word spoken Sadao jumped on top of the grenade and smothered the blast with his own body. The blast killed him instantly but saved the lives of his men. A statue Sadao Munemori stands in Pietrasanta Italy a short way from where he died as a memorial to all those who died liberating the area. On March 13th of 1946 Sadao’s mother would be presented the Medal of Honor in his stead. He was the first Japanese American to ever receive the medal and the only member of the 442nd to receive it directly after the war. Well Dawgs sorry this one wasn’t as exciting as the charge of the 1st Minnesota. I would love to sit and write paragraph after paragraph about all the awesome stuff the 442nd did but this is a comedy sub reddit and I’m trying to keep these relatively short. I leave you with an excerpt from the poem “Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes. I believe it encapsulates in some small way the feelings of these great Americans. Though their unit was outcast and segregated, their families torn from their homes and detained, themselves demoted and treated like second class citizens they never stopped believing in America. In the promise of this great land and the potential of what it could become. In the belief that the wretched refuse of a thousand foreign shores could come together to build the greatest country the world has ever seen. O, let America be America again— The land that never has been yet— And yet must be—the land where every man is free. The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME— Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again. Sure, call me any ugly name you choose— The steel of freedom does not stain. From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives, We must take back our land again, America! O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath— America will be! http://www.the442.org/battlehistory.html |
2024.05.10 15:55 TypeAtryingtoB Season 1 Vent
Alright. So, I just watched the two year reunion and these are my thoughts.
The NEGATIVES
DAMIAN IS A FUCKNG INSECURE WEAK SELFISH GASLIGHTING WANNABE ASSHOLE. GG obviously exposed his selfishness and insecurities during the experiment and yes, she was not in a great place herself, but she was ALWAYS strong and confident, maybe a bit too much, but she was WAY TOO GOOD for him then and then he wasted two years of her life. He obviously is trying to be something he is not and be expensive. It's not natural for him. He is an empty fake. He has no substance to him or true character, except for being a monotone jerk. He brought Francesca there "for me" he said, "I did it for me."
He is a weak man and tries to bolster himself up by manipulating and gaslighting females because he is such a submissive pansy that he only knows how to feel in control by making them feel bad about themselves. Even Francesca didn't understand the fulk exten of the party. She clearly throught him and GG wern't exactly together, or that she would be there. I LOVE how respectful she is to GG, sort of...eventhough she is dumb and says she would date Damian if he were single, but in the end she said the she deserves better and that she was disrespected by being invited there. I love that she leaves and he doesn't even apologize!
He gaslights GG and says "I did nothing wrong." And she is acting crazy. Good for her for calling him out on his shit.
I'm so glad it seems like GG is happy now wit a good guy, she just had a baby. Yay!
JESSICA:
I genuinely feel bad for her. I love that she admitted she was in a bad place and she was wrong for what happened and she genuinely feels sorry
I think it was dumb AF for her to give Barnett the gift. That was awkward and in itself made it seem like she is trying to sneak her way to talk with him without Amber present, which GIRL! That's the whole freaking reason she hates you. She should have approached Amber first and apologized and cleared the air, not that Amber would have allowed that, but maybe a phone call or something before the party. Sigh. She honestly should have just stayed away from them completely, but I understand wanting to make amends, but she never has to interact with them again! So, who cares about forgiveness and amends.
I would have taken that damn gift home and not given it to them.
I'm so happy for her too. She seems to have cleaned duo, stopped tanning and taking better care of her skin and she is in a stable relationship with a baby. In a MUCH better place.
LC: She annoys me. She keeps going after fuckbois and is a bit vapid to me. She is STILL single. She is young and has time, but she is immature and just a bit lost. I think she really needs to do some soul searching and focus more in who she really is, deserves, and wants. She definitely should not date anyone in DMs. She isn't experienced enough to weed out the bad.
Why can't Kelly find a boyfriend!!! Stills ingle to date, unless she is dating someone and not solid enough in the relationship to post on social media or just not about sharing her love life there. But ironically, she is all about women Empowerment, but is so empowered that she can't find the right guy? I don't know what she is looking for, but she seems nice! I don't know what the cache is with her.
AMBER! UGH! I love to hate her. I think she is weirdly misogynistic. Like, she expects to just be a house wife and let the husbands call the shots. That conversation with her MIL was cringe when the MIL brought Jesus and the husband getting their way first. Like what!? It made me sad that she said she thinks Barnett is putting his needs above hers, but I don't truly think that's the case. She is impulsive and I don't exactly think the most reasonable and practical. She is lucky to have Barnett that is level headed.
She is was wrong and rude to LC about mark. She is so high and mighty about being married and has no straws to grasp to defend half of what she says. She is a bit arrogant and entitled and it's annoying AF.
AND wtf is up with her face tuning herself in IG. She is a pretty girl and it must mean she is insecure to be doing that. Like wtf. For such an apparently strong confident woman that says "I know I ain't ugly" she is clearly insecure, which makes me sad. We all have our insecurities, but damn, it sucks to see beautiful girls being fake. But I love that she learned how to do her eyebrows, changes her whole face for the better.
Barnett: I honestly respect him for respecting his wife. Those two are ride or dies. I know Amber is annoying and a bit controlling about the Jessica situation, but that's how his wife feels and he doesn't want to disrespect her.
The fact that he let her go to bed after having a seizure freaks me out. Like what the FUCK. That was odd to me. Maybe he freaked out and didn't know what to do, but if that happens to your child...you better bring them to the ER. That was concerning.
Positives
GOOD FOR KENNY! So happy he found someone. It broke my heart in the pods when he said he was lonely and got emotional. Heart wrenching.
Kelly: Damn she looked fine AF!
Barnett: I think it's so sweet how he is with Amber. He is too good for her, but she supports and defends the shit out of him, she isn't bad looking, and is exactly what he needed to feel safe, secure, and loved. I don't think he minds being the "breadwinner" and I do think she must have some small job to help out financially.
Lauren and Cameron are so sweet. I just cannot. I love that they are interracial, I love their sweet and spicy dynamic. Just love them so much.
Diamond is cool AF. It makes me sad that she is still single 4 years later.
submitted by TypeAtryingtoB to LoveIsBlindOnNetflix [link] [comments]
The NEGATIVES
DAMIAN IS A FUCKNG INSECURE WEAK SELFISH GASLIGHTING WANNABE ASSHOLE. GG obviously exposed his selfishness and insecurities during the experiment and yes, she was not in a great place herself, but she was ALWAYS strong and confident, maybe a bit too much, but she was WAY TOO GOOD for him then and then he wasted two years of her life. He obviously is trying to be something he is not and be expensive. It's not natural for him. He is an empty fake. He has no substance to him or true character, except for being a monotone jerk. He brought Francesca there "for me" he said, "I did it for me."
He is a weak man and tries to bolster himself up by manipulating and gaslighting females because he is such a submissive pansy that he only knows how to feel in control by making them feel bad about themselves. Even Francesca didn't understand the fulk exten of the party. She clearly throught him and GG wern't exactly together, or that she would be there. I LOVE how respectful she is to GG, sort of...eventhough she is dumb and says she would date Damian if he were single, but in the end she said the she deserves better and that she was disrespected by being invited there. I love that she leaves and he doesn't even apologize!
He gaslights GG and says "I did nothing wrong." And she is acting crazy. Good for her for calling him out on his shit.
I'm so glad it seems like GG is happy now wit a good guy, she just had a baby. Yay!
JESSICA:
I genuinely feel bad for her. I love that she admitted she was in a bad place and she was wrong for what happened and she genuinely feels sorry
I think it was dumb AF for her to give Barnett the gift. That was awkward and in itself made it seem like she is trying to sneak her way to talk with him without Amber present, which GIRL! That's the whole freaking reason she hates you. She should have approached Amber first and apologized and cleared the air, not that Amber would have allowed that, but maybe a phone call or something before the party. Sigh. She honestly should have just stayed away from them completely, but I understand wanting to make amends, but she never has to interact with them again! So, who cares about forgiveness and amends.
I would have taken that damn gift home and not given it to them.
I'm so happy for her too. She seems to have cleaned duo, stopped tanning and taking better care of her skin and she is in a stable relationship with a baby. In a MUCH better place.
LC: She annoys me. She keeps going after fuckbois and is a bit vapid to me. She is STILL single. She is young and has time, but she is immature and just a bit lost. I think she really needs to do some soul searching and focus more in who she really is, deserves, and wants. She definitely should not date anyone in DMs. She isn't experienced enough to weed out the bad.
Why can't Kelly find a boyfriend!!! Stills ingle to date, unless she is dating someone and not solid enough in the relationship to post on social media or just not about sharing her love life there. But ironically, she is all about women Empowerment, but is so empowered that she can't find the right guy? I don't know what she is looking for, but she seems nice! I don't know what the cache is with her.
AMBER! UGH! I love to hate her. I think she is weirdly misogynistic. Like, she expects to just be a house wife and let the husbands call the shots. That conversation with her MIL was cringe when the MIL brought Jesus and the husband getting their way first. Like what!? It made me sad that she said she thinks Barnett is putting his needs above hers, but I don't truly think that's the case. She is impulsive and I don't exactly think the most reasonable and practical. She is lucky to have Barnett that is level headed.
She is was wrong and rude to LC about mark. She is so high and mighty about being married and has no straws to grasp to defend half of what she says. She is a bit arrogant and entitled and it's annoying AF.
AND wtf is up with her face tuning herself in IG. She is a pretty girl and it must mean she is insecure to be doing that. Like wtf. For such an apparently strong confident woman that says "I know I ain't ugly" she is clearly insecure, which makes me sad. We all have our insecurities, but damn, it sucks to see beautiful girls being fake. But I love that she learned how to do her eyebrows, changes her whole face for the better.
Barnett: I honestly respect him for respecting his wife. Those two are ride or dies. I know Amber is annoying and a bit controlling about the Jessica situation, but that's how his wife feels and he doesn't want to disrespect her.
The fact that he let her go to bed after having a seizure freaks me out. Like what the FUCK. That was odd to me. Maybe he freaked out and didn't know what to do, but if that happens to your child...you better bring them to the ER. That was concerning.
Positives
GOOD FOR KENNY! So happy he found someone. It broke my heart in the pods when he said he was lonely and got emotional. Heart wrenching.
Kelly: Damn she looked fine AF!
Barnett: I think it's so sweet how he is with Amber. He is too good for her, but she supports and defends the shit out of him, she isn't bad looking, and is exactly what he needed to feel safe, secure, and loved. I don't think he minds being the "breadwinner" and I do think she must have some small job to help out financially.
Lauren and Cameron are so sweet. I just cannot. I love that they are interracial, I love their sweet and spicy dynamic. Just love them so much.
Diamond is cool AF. It makes me sad that she is still single 4 years later.
2024.05.10 06:54 nya01 The Act II Live from Seattle WA on Spotify
I am an absolute gooner for this album and this release has me SCREAMING. tdh has once again jelked my heart. gonna spend the night just listening to Casey rub out these one handed poems of fucking PERFECTION. making me a damn FREAK for this music. I can't play it loud enough I need it Inside Me.
sheesh
submitted by nya01 to TheDearHunter [link] [comments]
sheesh
2024.05.10 06:51 chintokkong Zen teacher Rujing on Sitting Meditation (坐禅 zazen)
Zen teacher Rujing is said to be the one who awakened/enlightened Dogen and then gave Dogen dharma transmission.
This is Rujing's poem on zazen:
.
(my crude translation)
.
.
.
submitted by chintokkong to zenbuddhism [link] [comments]
This is Rujing's poem on zazen:
.
(my crude translation)
.
今朝九月初一。打板普请坐禅。
- This morning, first day of September
- Hitting the board for a mass gathering of sitting meditation
第一切忌瞎睡。直下猛烈为先。
- The number one taboo is blindly falling asleep
- [So] first and foremost proceed directly with fiery vigour
忽然爆破漆桶。豁如云散秋天。
- [Until] suddenly, a bursting explosion of the painted barrel
- A vast clearing/clarity, like the cloudless autumn sky
劈脊棒迸胸拳。昼夜方才不可眠。
- [It’s with] back-splitting staff [strikes] and chest-breaking fist [punches]
- That through day-and-night [one] doesn't sleep
虚空消殒更消殒。透过威音未朕前。
- As empty space, perishing, and further perishing
- Penetrate through before Mighty-Sound emperoBuddha
咦栗棘金圈恣交襻。凯歌高贺彻风颠。
- Spiky chestnuts and vajra rings freely hand over their ins-and-outs
- Victory songs resound high across the top of the wind
2024.05.10 05:46 kookedoeshistory I ran into something weird today in game, alien event spoilers
It was one of the men in black
It was nighttime and I was at the base of some tower near Stuckey pond
He was wandering around, wearing a suit and tie. When I approached he told me that swamp gas was playing tricks on people's eyes, and that I should keep quiet about anything I may see. He recited it like a poem
Then he multiplied into three copies, vaporized away, and the screen when blue white. Freaked me out
submitted by kookedoeshistory to fo76 [link] [comments]
It was nighttime and I was at the base of some tower near Stuckey pond
He was wandering around, wearing a suit and tie. When I approached he told me that swamp gas was playing tricks on people's eyes, and that I should keep quiet about anything I may see. He recited it like a poem
Then he multiplied into three copies, vaporized away, and the screen when blue white. Freaked me out
2024.05.10 04:53 edgiscript [FFFFFF4M] Coma [Yandere Victim's Dream] [Adventure] [Fantasy] [Sci-Fi] [Deciding To Accept Or Reject Yandere's Love] [Sword Play]
TITLE: COMA
Characters
Knight: Formal. Caring, like a bodyguard. Never speaks in contractions.
Bunny: Timid, cute, dependent.
Cheerleader: Full of happiness and glee.
Scientist: Logical. Matter-of-fact.
Fear Initially a grotesque hybrid of fear, anger, and depression. Her voice will sound more warped at first when she's in that amalgam state. When she becomes just plain old Fear, the voice changes to a less grotesque version.
Lilly: Person in love with the listener
Note: I'll be honest, I never expected and still don't expect this one to ever be performed. (If it ever does get performed, I'll erase this line and add "I knew it would be" later.) It has 6 distinct voices, is the longest single ASMR script I've written, is sfx heavy, and gets a little rowdy for ASMR. But I wrote it for me. It's a companion piece to Lilly's Saga. After I was finished writing that series, I was wondering what a yandere victim's dreams would be like. That spawned this. Hope you enjoy reading it, because you'll probably never enjoy hearing it.
And, of course the typical, check this out: An Introduction To The Book That Is Me :
And this: Masterlist for edgiscript :
Although this isn't directly a chapter of Lilly's Saga, here's Part 4 that shows the listener being knocked out which leads to this dream. [F4M] Lilly's Saga - Part 4 of 7 [Concerned Speaker] [Suicidal Listener] [Not Eating] [Kidnap With Intent To Rescue] :
(Soft whooshing of wind as a light breeze floats by seeming to indicate a mysterious transition of some kind. Sound of a horse approaching speedily, then stopping quickly.)
Knight: Whoa, whoa, girl. Whoa.
(Quickly climbing off horse and kneeling beside listener.) There you are, my love. I was informed you had entered this land unprepared for the dangers ahead. I see now that my informants were correct. It has been a while since you’ve visited these lands. What has happened to you? You seem very shaken. Are you injured?
(Pause.)
No? Good. Very good. Then you should be able to assist me on my quest. Come, we must ride quickly if we are to…
(A sudden gust of wind. Horse whinnies as if frightened and speeds off.)
Wait! No, don’t.... Ohhhh, damn! Something has spooked her. There will be no way for me to get her back now myself, and you do not seem to be capable at the moment.
Well, there is nothing else for it. It appears that we are walking. Are you up to it, my love? Fortunately, where I need to be is not too far. I would like to offer you a chance to rest and get your bearings, but I am afraid that time is of the essence.
(Pause.)
You can walk. Good. Good. Then let us hurry.
(Sound of feet moving quickly and a sword being unsheathed.)
We must move quickly. I am afraid that the danger is already upon you. We must move quickly if we are to stand a chance to rescue you.
(Pause speaking but running doesn’t stop.)
That is correct. I believe that you are being attacked as we speak just over that hill. Do you have your sword with you?
(Pause.)
You do. Then draw it. I can see now that you are being taken. We must defend you.
(Knight rushes forward. There is the brief sound of sword-on-sword combat.)
Remove your hands from the prisoners, foul creature. You have no place here.
(A few more quick sounds of combat. Knight sheathes her sword.)
Good riddance, filth.
(To the listener.) Those trolls disgust me every time they decide to show their horrid faces.
You fought well, my love. I was concerned that in your current state you would not possess your typical adroitness in combat, but you leapt forward and removed the heads of four of those fiends before I could dispatch even one. Your skill with a blade has never ceased to amaze me. Now, let us see to the prisoners. Lilly, are you harmed?
Cheerleader: (Laughs.) Not at all, Lilly. That was exciting. Can we do it again?
Knight: (Smirks.) Heh, not now, Lilly. Maybe some other time. Lilly, how about you?
Bunny: No, Lilly, I don’t think so.
(To the listener.) Oh, my love, thank you for saving me.
Cheerleader: And me too. You were so dashing and brave, my love. And your sword was just, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. You were so freaking cool. I haven’t been part of an adventure like that in a while.
Bunny: I was so scared without you here. Please, hold me.
(Pause.)
Thank you, my love. How I always long for your embrace. I only feel safe when you’re with me. I’d wrap my arms around you and hold you too if it weren’t for these ropes tying my arms down.
(Pause.)
Undo the ropes? Of course not, silly. I’m always tied up like this. You know that. Why would I not be tied up?
My love, are you all right? You don’t look like you usually do.
Cheerleader: Yeah, my love, that was so much fun. Why aren’t you smiling like you usually are after one of your glorious victories?
Knight: My love, Lilly is right. You appear confused and shaken similar to when I first found you in the nearby enchanted woods. Are you certain there is no injury that I may assist with?
(Pause.)
You are confused? About what? If you have questions, please ask them.
(Pause.)
Whoa, whoa, slow down, my love. You are incoherent when you speak that quickly. Please, calm down.
Bunny: Lilly, what’s going on? Why is he like this? I’m scared.
Knight: Calm down, Lilly. You’re always scared.
Cheerleader: That’s true, Lilly, but I’m a little scared too. Something is off here. The confusion of a mystery is fun. An adventure awaits. But the confusion that we appear to be having now is different somehow. It’s not fun, it’s disturbing. Do you understand?
Knight: Yes, I do understand, Lilly. Now, my love, please repeat your questions slowly and I will do my best to answer them.
(Pause.)
Where are we? I… I do not understand the question. We are… here, where we always are, with you.
Cheerleader: Why are we sometimes referring to ourselves as if we are you? Because we are you, you nut. We always have been.
Knight: I am concerned. This has never been a source of confusion before. Something does indeed give the impression of being seriously wrong.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love. We act like you have been here before because you have. We have fought many heroic battles together. Do you not recall?
Bunny: (Frightened.) Lilly, I’m scaring me.
Knight: Not now, Lilly.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love, go on. That right there, you say. We each call each other Lilly. Yes, that is our name, at least for the time being.
(Pause.) But how could it be our name when we claim to be you because that is not your name?
And you are obviously a man. If we are you as we say, then how could we all look like the same beautiful woman?
And why do we keep referring to you as “my love?” Well… to be certain, my love, we were hoping that you could explain that to us.
Bunny: How we appear to you is… well, it’s up to you.
Cheerleader: (Joyfully.) I’ve usually looked like one of your friends: Billy, Janey, even your cousin Mikey for a time. Everybody that I look like is soooooooo much fun. I have to say, I like this cheerleader outfit. It’s also fun. But I can’t tell you why I look like this particular girl. Is she a friend of yours? Friends are so much fun.
Knight: (Gallantly.) I have looked like many people before, but I always come to you as a knight in shining armor. I have appeared as your father and your mother. For a while I looked like Captain Nautilus from that book series you loved as a child. Every visage of mine has been one of nobility, courage, and honor in your eyes.
Bunny: (Sweetly.) And I’ve been a few things too, but I’ve usually been a cute little bunny, not the even cuter little bunny-girl that I am now. (Giggles.) When I was a bunny, I had a collar on. I wasn’t tied like I am now. But whatever I am, I’m always soft and adorable and something that makes you want to just pick me up and take care of me. And hold me. (Sighs.) I love being held.
Knight: The reason why we are all the same image of a beautiful lady of whom we have no memory eludes us. There… is a recent… I guess emptiness would be the best word for it, for I know of no other way to explain it. We have always known who we represent, but this appearance is new to us. We have no frame of reference.
Bunny: Lilly, what about Lilly.
Cheerleader: YES! Yes, yes, yes. LILLY!!! YAY! Let’s go see Lilly. She’ll know what’s happening.
Knight: I concur. Lilly should be a great help. Let us all be off at once.
Bunny: Uh, Lilly.
Knight: Oh, right. You remain tied. My love, could you do us a favor and call my steed back to us? Our journey would be much simpler if my horse could carry Lilly instead of one of us.
(Pause._
Cheerleader: Why, yes, you can bring Lilly’s horse back. You can bring whatever you want. If you imagine it, it will be here.
That is such a fun ability to have. Remember that time you and I fought alien invaders in spaceships? You gave us each the coolest starfighters to…
Knight: Lilly. I am sorry to interrupt, but please save that story for our trip. Right now, my love needs to concentrate on bringing back my steed. Please, my love, can you bring my horse back to where we are now?
(Pause.)
Yes, Lilly was correct. Whatever you imagine, we can use. So it should be no trouble for you to just call my horse back to my side.
(Pause.)
What do you mean? What were you thinking we should do instead?
Cheerleader: (Squeals in glee.) Look, look, look. My love has brought us a hovercar. I call shotgun!
Knight: I had better drive. I know the way.
Bunny: That means I get to cuddle in the back with my love. (Sighs longingly.) You wouldn’t mind holding me close in the back seat while we drive, would you?
(Brief pause.)
Wonderful. I’ll just rest my head on your chest while you hold me.
Cheerleader: Great! This will give me time to tell you all about the time we saved the Pachoran race from the evil invading Gloxnil horde.
Knight: Lilly, there is no need. We were all there.
Cheerleader: Oh, let me tell my story. It’ll be fun. There we were, a handful of defenders against a thousand. No, ten thousand. No, a hundred thousand.
Knight: (Annoyed.) Lilly.
Cheerleader: (Sound of a hovercraft ship racing off. Cheerleader voice begins to fade as she gets farther and farther away.) Their armies cloaked in shadowy evil. Our armor glistening in the sun. The anticipation of a mighty battle hung heavy overhead, but we were ready for whatever may come….
(Sound of a hovercar getting closer. Once here, it shuts down.)
Cheerleader: (Voice is faint at first, but gets louder as she gets closer.) And then you kicked in the door to the cell, rescued the princess, and carried her off to your castle where you lived happily ever after. The end.
Knight: I fail to remember the existence of catapults when we attempted to cross the moat.
Cheerleader: I know, but the catapults made the story more fun, so I added them.
Knight: Well, regardless, we have arrived. Lilly has a laboratory just inside those doors. My love, would you kindly carry Lilly there inside.
Bunny: Oh, yes. Please. That way I can continue to snuggle my head into your shoulder as you hold me with your big, strong arms.
Cheerleader: Oh, this is so exciting. Lilly always has another fun adventure for us to go on. (Squeals gleefully.)
(Crisp whooshing sound of a sliding door opening. Various sci-fi sound effects can be heard as ambiance.)
Knight: Lilly.
Scientist: Good, you’ve all arrived. I assumed that you’d be along shortly. Ah, you’ve brought my love. I wasn’t sure we’d be here in this way.
Knight: Yes, it has been a while since we have been here and ready for battle. I discovered my love in the enchanted woods.
Scientist: The enchanted woods? Interesting. But first, I’ve been getting some very odd readings as of late that have me extremely concerned and I need to know what you’ve all been experiencing. My love, what’s been happening out there?
Knight: Uh, Lilly, perhaps I should be the one to explain. You see, my love has not been himself lately. Something appears to be wrong with us.
Cheerleader: She’s right, Lil. It’s like we don’t understand what’s going on.
Bunny: Or who we even are. It’s scaring me.
Scientist: I see. Please elaborate to the extent that you’re able.
Knight: As I informed you, I discovered my love lying in the enchanted woods instead of our castle where he usually appears. He seemed dazed and bewildered at first. We then rescued Lilly and Lilly from some doubt ogres and loathing trolls. My love was as brave and as skilled as he has always been in battle, but as soon as the threat was over, he expressed… uncertainty.
Scientist: Uncertainty? About what?
Bunny: About everything. My poor baby.
Cheerleader: Lilly’s right, Lil. We’re lost right now. There’s something missing in our mind that we can’t quite explain. My love has questions that we can’t answer, as do we.
Knight: Lilly speaks truth. He did not know where he was or who we were, which we did our best to convey. However, he also had questions about things for which none of us could answer, such as why all of us look like variations on the same woman. You, in fact, also now appear this way as opposed to your previous form of an elderly, bearded gentleman.
Cheerleader: It hasn’t been very fun. Do you have any answers for us, Lil?
Scientist: I see. Well, I may be able to shed some light on our situation and get us headed in the right direction.
Cheerleader: Oh, good. A direction and hopefully a goal. That sounds more fun.
Scientist: A short while ago, several of my screens went blank and I lost several gigabytes worth of memory which I’m attempting to recover now. I’m concerned that a traumatic experience may have occurred in the real world which may be affecting our memory to a point.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love, the real world. Have you not been able to put it together from what Lilly, Lilly, and Lilly have shared with you? This is your mind. Lilly, the knight, is your bravery, courage, and honor. She is your sense of nobility and justice. The bunny-girl you’re carrying…
Bunny: And doing so wonderfully, I might add.
Scientist: She is your timidity, your introverted nature, your shyness. She is the desire within you for others to reach out and care for you. Meanwhile, the Lilly that you see in the cheerleader outfit over here…
Cheerleader: That would be me. Yay!
Scientist: …she is the part of you that seeks adventure, that thrills at excitement, and that craves a mystery. In short, she is the part of you that wants to have fun.
While I, in my lab-coat and glasses surrounded by futuristic equipment and paraphernalia of all types, am your logic, your reason, and your ability to correctly process information from all other aspects of your temperament as well as your ability to intelligently interact with the world around you.
(Pause.)
Yes, you’re right. We all take the form of what you most closely associate with that aspect of your personality. Right now we’re all the same person, and you’re wondering how that could be. When I informed me earlier that…
(Pause.)
What’s that, my love? Ah, yes. Of course. I can see how the fact that we are all referring to you in the first person as well as the third is confusing to you in your present circumstances. Please understand that, as we are all constructs in your own mind and therefore a part of you, referring to you as “I” or “we” at times just makes sense to us. And, in the past, you’ve always understood. But now, with the memory problems that we are all facing, that can make this more difficult for you.
Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, I suggest, for the time being, that we all refer to our primary individual as a separate entity for the sake of clarity. Do you concur?
Knight: Of course, my love. I understand how that would help me… I mean, how it would help you in this situation.
Cheerleader: Fine by me. It’s more fun to think of myself as somebody else anyway. I’m really good at that.
Bunny: And I’ll just keep calling you “my love.”
Scientist: Ah, yes, that. “My love.” Why do we keep calling you that? I may have at least a partial answer to that. Please allow me to continue my previous attempt at an explanation.
Our forms are created by someone or something of great importance to you. At present, we are asleep, or unconscious. I can’t be certain.
(Pause.)
This may be a dream, yes, but it’s also possible that we… apologies, that you are in a coma. As I said, several memories suddenly disappeared so I lack what I fear is vital information to answering that question.
However, I have two pieces of good news. One is that you still receive information while asleep, or at least while you’re not conscious. I have been monitoring your environment for several hours since whatever trauma wiped out my… I mean your, God, that’s a difficult habit to break, memories. Here, let me pull it up on the screen and show you what I mean.
(Other Lillies gasp.)
Cheerleader: It’s me.
Bunny: It’s all of us.
Knight: Lilly, who are we seeing?
Scientist: I’m not certain. I have only been able to surmise that she is someone of high importance to us, and that her name most certainly is Lilly.
Knight: Do we have sound? She seems to be speaking.
Scientist: Yes, of course. Let me get that.
Lilly: (Crying softly.) Please, my love, please wake up. I can’t do this without you. Please, please come back to me. I love you. I love you so much. Don’t leave me, my love.
Scientist: As you heard, she is expressing a deep love for you and refers to you as “my love.” She is clearly the source of our appearances and the reason why we refer to you as “my love” constantly.
Cheerleader: That poor girl.
Bunny: I’m frightened for her. I want to hold her.
Knight: Lil, is there any other information we have on her?
Scientist: Only one memory. That’s the second piece of good news. Initially, it vanished like the others but then reappeared shortly afterwards. I believe its reappearance may have something to do with your successful skirmish with the ogres. Here, take a look.
Lilly: No. Stop. Please.
Bunny: Oh, no. She’s being attacked by other kids. Those big meanies. What are they doing?
Knight: (Unsheathes her sword.) I have to help.
Scientist: Put your sword away, Lilly. This is a memory. We can’t do anything. But keep watching.
(Sound of Knight putting her sword away.)
Cheerleader: Hey, you saved her. You fought those bullies off… and now you’re threatening them if they come near her again. Wow, why didn’t you remember that? That was so much fun. A real life adventure.
Lilly: You, you saved me. Thank you. I didn’t think anybody cared.
Scientist: Watch what happens next.
Knight: Oh my.
Bunny: She, she kissed me. I mean you. She kissed you, my love.
Cheerleader: How did you forget this? This has got to be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you. WOW!!! What a cutie. I’ll bet you blushed sooooooo badly.
Knight: And you say this memory just reappeared.
Scientist: Yes, as I said before, shortly after your skirmish.
Knight: So he may need to re-experience some things in order to regain these memories and find out who this Lilly is?
Scientist: A sound hypothesis but I’m not certain that the experience itself was what caused the memory to resurface. It’s possible that the ogres and trolls may have had something to do with it and therefore destroying them freed the memory.
In addition, other stimulus may be effective as well. My love, would you mind setting Lilly… um, I mean, bunny-girl down for a moment. There’s something I want you to see.
Bunny: Well, I’d rather he didn’t, but go ahead, my love. Only because this might help you.
Scientist: Thank you. Now, please take a look at these.
Cheerleader: This picture that you’re showing him. It’s his parents. They’re smiling. They loved him so much.
Knight: Lil, this memory, this was right before…
Scientist: Yes, right before they died in that car accident.
Bunny: Oh, put it away. I don’t want to see this.
Scientist: Now, my love, please look at this image.
Knight: I remember this building. This is the orphanage where he stayed for a short time afterwards.
Scientist: That is correct. My love, you were brought here while the authorities tried to locate any family or friends that might be willing to take you in.
You were sixteen, almost seventeen. The authorities couldn’t find anybody else that wanted you, and so this became your home for a little over a year.
Bunny: (Sad.) You were sad. You missed your parents so much, and nobody else would help. Nobody else wanted you. Nobody else would comfort you or hold you.
Cheerleader: (Melancholy.) I’m afraid I wasn’t much help at that time. Losing your parents,… well, that just sucks the fun out of anything. And, and you missed mom and dad so much.
Knight: (Sorrowfully.) And I am afraid that I failed you as well. I am truly sorry. I just wanted to hide for a while. I lacked the strength for bravery. I lacked the will to defend you as I should have.
Scientist: I, however, was very active. While most of you shut down for a time, I was constantly recording and analyzing the situation seeking possibilities and a way out. Here are some images I’ve saved. Take a look.
Knight: Yes. I remember that lamp. Those curtains. The bookcase. The way the wood floors creaked when you would walk.
Cheerleader: That picture over there. The dinner table. I remember that. It was your only source of joy for a while. The meals reminded you… of mom.
Bunny: The last picture, the bed, it was your hiding place. You spent a lot of time snuggled into those blankets. So many tears.
Scientist: But have you noticed something strange about each image?
Knight: Yeah, you are right. There is something blurred out of each one.
Bunny: Something you can’t quite remember?
Scientist: Now, let me go back to the end of the first memory.
Cheerleader: You picked Lilly up after the attack and you carried her home.
Bunny: I like that memory. It’s snuggly.
Scientist: Now, my love, pay close attention to her house as we drop her off.
Knight: (Gasps.) It is the same house. That is the orphanage where you were brought after your parents died. Which means Lilly must have lived there too.
Cheerleader: Lil, is she the blurry one in the images?
Scientist: That would be my guess. My love, examine those images again. What do you see now?
Bunny: Look, Lilly is appearing on the bed. She’s trying to comfort you.
Cheerleader: And she’s sitting next to you at dinner. Oh, I love solving a mystery.
Knight: And the room with the lamp and the curtains. She is there offering you flowers. How could it be that she was blurred out of these images until now?
Scientist: I’m not certain, but I suspect…
Fear: You suspect the truth.
(Sound of a sword unsheathed as Knight draws her weapon in response to the sudden threat.)
Fear: We are not sleeping peacefully. We have been attacked. We have been assaulted. We… have… been… VIOLATED!!!
Knight: Stay back, foul creature. I do not know what you are, but I will not allow you to hurt my love.
Fear: Don’t give me your self-righteous rhetoric, HYPOCRITE! If you truly wanted to protect my love, you would be standing with me. I am the one protecting him now.
Knight: My love, draw your weapon. We can take on this threat together.
Fear: He cannot. You see how he stands immobilized right now. I have been working to prepare him for this threat for some time now. He knows my voice. He knows of what I speak. He is in my control.
Bunny: What are you?
Cheerleader: Seriously. You’re kind of like us, but a grotesque, misshapen, three-headed version of us. Ewwww.
Fear: Come now. Do you truly not know who I am? The science girl understands.
Knight: Lil?
Scientist: Remember when I said most of you shut down for a time? This one remained active. Well, I say this one. It’s actually an amalgamation of three different aspects of my love’s personality; fear, anger, and depression.
Cheerleader: And one hundred percent nauseating.
Knight: Fear? You are in there? What are you doing? You should be by my side. You were always a part of our adventures, a voice of wisdom in dangerous situations helping to protect my love against foolishness or potential harm.
Fear: Which is what I’m doing now, fool. It is you who stand opposed to my love, not by his side. You claim to protect him, yet you take the face of his BETRAYOR!!
Knight: What? Lilly? The girl from the memories? She was trying to help, to comfort.
Fear: ALL LIES!!! She seeks us to destroy us.
Knight: I have had enough of this. Enough of you. You will cease your bitter assault on my love now. I will make you stop.
(Knight lunges at Fear, but a blast fires from Fear slamming Knight to the ground and pinning her there. The sword that was in her hand clanks on the ground nearby.)
Bunny: What the…? Where did this pulsating blast from your chest come from? How are you pinning Lilly to the ground like that? I’m scared. My love, hold me.
Fear: No! Stay away from my love, timid creature.
(A second blast radiates out from Fear pinning Bunny to the ground.)
Fear: I will not allow you to infect my love with your desire for compassion and approval. They are bait to lure him into the hunter’s snare. Your desire for the love of others leaves you weak and open to their vicious lies and it will be my love’s undoing.
Knight: (Struggling.) How… are you… doing… this?
Fear: I am so much more powerful than you can handle. When I understood the threat, I began merging with anger and depression in order to properly deal with the threat. I have been building my strength, focusing my power, and now that my enemy has revealed herself, I will deal with her my way.
Knight: Lilly… is not… an… enemy.
Scientist: To be certain, it appears that she may very well be.
Knight: Lil? What… are you saying?
Scientist: It is apparent that my love is in the unconscious situation that he is now facing due to a trauma of some sort. Exactly what that trauma is or what caused it has been unknown, however, I have surmised that it has something to do with Lilly.
For whatever reason, we have all taken her likeness. And, as I said before, after you took action and rescued Lilly and Lilly, a memory of Lilly surfaced. All seems to be centered around her, and so it seems likely that the traumatic experience may as well. You there, Lilly.
Fear: Do not call be by the name of the hated one.
Scientist: Very well, fear creature, the ogres and trolls sent to capture Lilly and Lilly, they were your minions, were they not?
Fear: Indeed, they were.
Scientist: It was a preventative attack to keep them from foiling your plans. You have information that we do not. You have the missing memories, don’t you?
Fear: Indeed, I do.
Scientist: Well then, by all means, show us. Show the rest of us, and my love, why you have decided to take this course of action.
Fear: By all means. See for yourselves the force of our undoing, the source of my hatred.
Knight: That’s… my love.
Scientist: Yes, I recognize our apartment. This memory takes place shortly after we turned eighteen and left the orphanage. In fact, if my calculations are correct by the existence and placement of certain objects in the room I know we recently purchased, this memory took place yesterday.
Fear: Very clever, and very correct. You were all in hiding, wallowing in pity when you should have been defending my love. I took action. Depression, anger, they helped me drive him. They helped me prepare him. But I didn’t have enough control yet to prevent… this.
Bunny: Hey, it’s Lilly. She’s in his room. What’s she doing there?
Lilly: Shh, shh, shhhhh. My love, it’s ok. It’s ok.
Knight: What… what did she… do?
Lilly: It’s ok, my love. I know the needle hurt, but it’ll just put you to sleep, ok. Don’t worry. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re going to be ok. I’ll make sure of that. I promise. I love you. It’s ok. I promise I’ll make everything ok.
Bunny: Lilly. It was Lilly that did this to us.
Fear: Now do you see? I knew an attack was coming. I knew we were truly on our own. When our mother and our father died, there was nobody left. Nobody wanted us. We were loathed, despised, HATED!!! Only I knew. Only I could see. Someone would take advantage of our isolation. It was Lilly. Lilly harmed us. Lilly stole us. I will be the one to save us. I will… OUCH!
Cheerleader: Ha, ha. Didn’t see that coming, did ya, ya stupid dink.
Fear: What are you doing?
Cheerleader: What I always do. I’m on an adventure, but this time, you’re the bad guy. Hyah!
Fear: AARRRGH!!! Stop it. You’re hurting me.
Cheerleader: Uh, duh. That’s kind of the point.
You were so focused on little miss bunny ears and the big bad knight over there, that you totally weren’t watching when I picked up her sword. You may be more powerful as three in one, but you’re already spending two thirds of your power holding down two of us. The makes the odds one to one the way I see it.
And, I’ve got a sword. So, you know what. I’m going to place the odds back on our side. Let’s cut depression out of the picture, shall we. Hyah!
Fear: Nooooooooooo!
Cheerleader: And now to behead anger. Hyah!
Fear: Stop! What have you done? (Voice fades back to regular Fear here.) You’ve ruined everything.
Cheerleader: Ruined, saved, to-may-to, to-mah-to. Hear you go, Lilly. You can have your sword back. And let me help you up.
Knight: Thanks, Lilly. Good work, there.
Bunny: Isn’t someone going to help me up too.
Cheerleader: Sorry, Lilly. Here you go.
Bunny: Thanks.
Fear: You fools. You’ve doomed us all. I needed control. I needed to save us. You were too weak to understand the threat. You’re too weak to handle this.
Scientist: That is a possibility. But it is also possible that your actions have only harmed us further.
Fear: How can you say that. You saw the evidence. She attacked us.
Scientist: We only saw the evidence you wished to present. But I suspected that there was more that you didn’t want us to see.
You took all of the footage of Lilly away from our love and from the rest of us because you didn’t want us forming our own conclusions. When your minions were stopped, some of what you hid was released. And when Lilly stopped you now…
Cheerleader: (Brightly.) You’re welcome.
Scientist: …your hold on the rest of my love’s memories have also been released. Let’s go back to that dinner scene, shall we?
Lilly: Thank you for sitting with me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.
Scientist: Not exactly the words of an enemy.
Fear: She’s a liar. She’s manipulating us.
Scientist: And this one.
Lilly: I got these flowers for you. I know they were your mom’s favorites. I hope they cheer you up.
Fear: Stop it. Stop playing this back.
Scientist: And sitting by us on the bed.
Lilly: I know what you’re going through. I went through the same thing when my parents died. I wish you would let me in. I want to help you. I… I love you.
Fear: LIES!! Can’t you all see it! She was setting us up!
Scientist: And you may be correct, but you are examining the evidence only through the eyes of fear. A good scientist examines all of the evidence in its proper context, not just isolated bits and pieces.
Remember how I told you all that even while asleep we record what’s around us. Watch this.
Cheerleader: Hey, this is his room. This is his bedroom before his parents died.
Bunny: He’s sleeping, but Lilly is there. How is Lilly there?
Knight: This is after we rescued her from those bullies, but before the death of our parents.
Scientist: That is correct. Now listen.
Lilly: (Softly. Lovingly, but mournfully.) I wish you could hear me now. I wish I was brave enough to tell you to your face just how much… I love you. When my parents died, I was so alone. I was so afraid. I thought I had nobody.
Bunny: That sounds like how my love felt.
Knight: Shh, I want to hear this.
Lilly: And then you came along. You rescued me. You saved me. But more than that, you held me. You made me feel something again. You made me feel love again.
I know that I kissed you unexpectedly. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t mean to. It just happened.
But you didn’t flinch. You didn’t pull away. You kissed me back… and then smiled at me. You carried me home and made sure I was safe before you left.
I want you to know how grateful I am and how wonderful I think you are. I see you at school all of the time. I know you’ve seen me too, because you’ve smiled at me several times. You even walked towards me once. I think you wanted to talk with me… but I ran away.
I’m so sorry. I guess I’m still fighting on the inside with the fear that nobody can really love me.
Cheerleader: Preaching to the choir, sister.
Bunny: Amen.
Knight: Would you both shut up!
Lilly: Anyway, you keep smiling at me whenever you see me. Thank you for that. It makes my day.
You don’t walk up to me anymore, but I know that even that is because you care. You don’t want to frighten me.
But I’m getting stronger, I promise. Your love is helping me grow. And when I’m strong enough, I’ll tell you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to love you back. You deserve all of my love. I’ll protect you the way you protected me. I’ll always love you, I promise.
(Pause.)
Scientist: There’s more. Much more, actually, but it all generally follows along those lines. A blush when you smile at her. A few more late night visits to your bedroom, one where she leaves with your sweater so she could wrap herself up in it and imagine it was you.
And then, after your parents passed away, there are countless times where she was doing her best to love you in any way she could at the orphanage, but you were already listening to fear at that point and couldn’t hear her speak.
Fear: As you should be listening now.
Knight: Oh, would you stop.
Fear: She broke into my love’s room. She violated his privacy. And now she has taken away his very freedom. She has knocked him out and tied him up.
Knight: Tied him up? Lil?
Scientist: That would appear to be the case. The first memory I showed you, the one where Lilly is pleading with us to wake up and professing her love, it seems that she has you tied up at that point.
Cheerleader: Whoa. She’s gone full yandere on us.
Bunny: I realize that I’m speaking as the one who’s always tied up here, but I’m honestly wondering, is that bad?
Fear: Yes, it’s bad. Of course it’s bad. What’s wrong with all of you. She’s taken him captive, and she plans to harm him.
Knight: Or love him. She is hurt and broken like he is. She may be somewhat misguided, but I think she is honestly trying to protect him.
Fear: Somewhat misguided? SOMEWHAT MISGUIDED!?! She poisons him, ties him up, and carries him off to who knows where and you say she’s trying to protect him? How can you say that?
Knight: Because she kept trying long after I had given up hope. And I think that part of the reason why I am back and fighting again, is because of her.
Scientist: So, my love, you have all of the evidence. You will return shortly, and only you can decide how you act. You’ve heard all of the opinions.
Bunny: Hold her, my love. She needs you.
Cheerleader: Hey, whatever happens, enjoy it, ok? This looks like it’s going to keep getting wilder.
Knight: I think she wants to protect you if you will let her. But I promise that I will not hide any longer. I’ll be here.
Scientist: Fear? Any last words?
Fear: Just… just be careful. Ok?
Scientist: Always remember that we’re a part of you. Goodbye, my love. My love.
(Scientist fades out. Lilly fades in.)
Lilly: My love? My love? My love!
(Speaking very fast and emotional.) Oh, my love, you’re back. You’re back. Thank God, you’re finally awake.
Oh, I was so afraid that I’d messed up and you weren’t coming back. I’m so sorry if I got the dose wrong. I wanted to make sure it was enough to allow me to bring you here, but then you wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t wake up, and I was so scared. And I…
(Pause.)
Ok, ok, I’ll calm down.
(Crying.) I just couldn’t bear to lose you. I’m so sorry.
I love you. I love you so much. When you left the orphanage, I was so lost without you.
I’m so sorry for kidnapping you. I just… I love you. I couldn’t lose you. I can’t lose you. I can’t be without you. You are the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me and I’ve had to watch you fall into despair for so long, and I wanted to rescue you from that. That’s all. Really. I would never hurt you. I swear.
Are you ok? Are you feeling ok now?
(Pause.)
Yes, I know you’re tied up. And I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to, but I just can’t let you go. Please understand that I just can’t. I’m too afraid.
(Pause.)
No, I can’t untie you. Not yet anyway. I’m sorry. I just can’t. You’ll leave me. I’m so afraid that you’ll leave me, and I just… I just can’t let that happen.
(Pause. As she speaks, she’s not crying, but she continues to sniffle and wipe away her tears.)
Only untie your arms? You’re wanting me to keep everything else tied down so I can feel certain that you can’t get away?
(Pause.)
Well,… ok. I guess you couldn’t get away. There’s a chain on your leg right now, so I guess it’s safe for me to release your arms,… at least for a little while, so, yeah.
Here. I’ll just untie your arms like that, and… whoa. You’re hugging me. You’re hugging me. It's so wonderful. It’s just like I remember you holding me. Please don’t let go.
(Pause.)
Thank you? You’re… thanking me for kidnapping you?
No, for rescuing you? Rescuing you from depression and fear?
Oh, my love. I don’t know what to say.
(Pause.)
Yes. Yes, that’s my name. Lilly. I wasn’t sure you’d remember. At the orphanage, you were so…
(Kiss.)
You kissed me.
(Laughter through tears.) That’s right, my love, I didn’t flinch. I wouldn’t flinch from you. I love you.
(Pause.)
You love me too.
(Tears of joy.) Oh, my love. How I have longed to hear you say that. How I have waited for you to come back to me. The joy that I have now, I thought I would never experience.
(Pause.)
No, I’m sorry. I’m still so afraid. What if you’re just telling me what I want to hear so I untie you and you can run away from me?
(Pause.)
You understand? You know how fear can make us feel? You’re ok if I leave you chained her for now, as long as I stay here and hold you?
I will, my love. I’ll stay. I’ll never leave you. I promise. I’ll always be here for you. Thank you for wanting to be here for me.
Part 5: [F4M] Lilly's Saga - Part 5 of 7 [Yandere Speaker] [Appreciative Listener] [Listener Wakes After Being Kidnapped] : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
submitted by edgiscript to ASMRScriptHaven [link] [comments]
Characters
Knight: Formal. Caring, like a bodyguard. Never speaks in contractions.
Bunny: Timid, cute, dependent.
Cheerleader: Full of happiness and glee.
Scientist: Logical. Matter-of-fact.
Fear Initially a grotesque hybrid of fear, anger, and depression. Her voice will sound more warped at first when she's in that amalgam state. When she becomes just plain old Fear, the voice changes to a less grotesque version.
Lilly: Person in love with the listener
Note: I'll be honest, I never expected and still don't expect this one to ever be performed. (If it ever does get performed, I'll erase this line and add "I knew it would be" later.) It has 6 distinct voices, is the longest single ASMR script I've written, is sfx heavy, and gets a little rowdy for ASMR. But I wrote it for me. It's a companion piece to Lilly's Saga. After I was finished writing that series, I was wondering what a yandere victim's dreams would be like. That spawned this. Hope you enjoy reading it, because you'll probably never enjoy hearing it.
And, of course the typical, check this out: An Introduction To The Book That Is Me :
And this: Masterlist for edgiscript :
Although this isn't directly a chapter of Lilly's Saga, here's Part 4 that shows the listener being knocked out which leads to this dream. [F4M] Lilly's Saga - Part 4 of 7 [Concerned Speaker] [Suicidal Listener] [Not Eating] [Kidnap With Intent To Rescue] :
Knight: Whoa, whoa, girl. Whoa.
(Quickly climbing off horse and kneeling beside listener.) There you are, my love. I was informed you had entered this land unprepared for the dangers ahead. I see now that my informants were correct. It has been a while since you’ve visited these lands. What has happened to you? You seem very shaken. Are you injured?
(Pause.)
No? Good. Very good. Then you should be able to assist me on my quest. Come, we must ride quickly if we are to…
(A sudden gust of wind. Horse whinnies as if frightened and speeds off.)
Wait! No, don’t.... Ohhhh, damn! Something has spooked her. There will be no way for me to get her back now myself, and you do not seem to be capable at the moment.
Well, there is nothing else for it. It appears that we are walking. Are you up to it, my love? Fortunately, where I need to be is not too far. I would like to offer you a chance to rest and get your bearings, but I am afraid that time is of the essence.
(Pause.)
You can walk. Good. Good. Then let us hurry.
(Sound of feet moving quickly and a sword being unsheathed.)
We must move quickly. I am afraid that the danger is already upon you. We must move quickly if we are to stand a chance to rescue you.
(Pause speaking but running doesn’t stop.)
That is correct. I believe that you are being attacked as we speak just over that hill. Do you have your sword with you?
(Pause.)
You do. Then draw it. I can see now that you are being taken. We must defend you.
(Knight rushes forward. There is the brief sound of sword-on-sword combat.)
Remove your hands from the prisoners, foul creature. You have no place here.
(A few more quick sounds of combat. Knight sheathes her sword.)
Good riddance, filth.
(To the listener.) Those trolls disgust me every time they decide to show their horrid faces.
You fought well, my love. I was concerned that in your current state you would not possess your typical adroitness in combat, but you leapt forward and removed the heads of four of those fiends before I could dispatch even one. Your skill with a blade has never ceased to amaze me. Now, let us see to the prisoners. Lilly, are you harmed?
Cheerleader: (Laughs.) Not at all, Lilly. That was exciting. Can we do it again?
Knight: (Smirks.) Heh, not now, Lilly. Maybe some other time. Lilly, how about you?
Bunny: No, Lilly, I don’t think so.
(To the listener.) Oh, my love, thank you for saving me.
Cheerleader: And me too. You were so dashing and brave, my love. And your sword was just, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. You were so freaking cool. I haven’t been part of an adventure like that in a while.
Bunny: I was so scared without you here. Please, hold me.
(Pause.)
Thank you, my love. How I always long for your embrace. I only feel safe when you’re with me. I’d wrap my arms around you and hold you too if it weren’t for these ropes tying my arms down.
(Pause.)
Undo the ropes? Of course not, silly. I’m always tied up like this. You know that. Why would I not be tied up?
My love, are you all right? You don’t look like you usually do.
Cheerleader: Yeah, my love, that was so much fun. Why aren’t you smiling like you usually are after one of your glorious victories?
Knight: My love, Lilly is right. You appear confused and shaken similar to when I first found you in the nearby enchanted woods. Are you certain there is no injury that I may assist with?
(Pause.)
You are confused? About what? If you have questions, please ask them.
(Pause.)
Whoa, whoa, slow down, my love. You are incoherent when you speak that quickly. Please, calm down.
Bunny: Lilly, what’s going on? Why is he like this? I’m scared.
Knight: Calm down, Lilly. You’re always scared.
Cheerleader: That’s true, Lilly, but I’m a little scared too. Something is off here. The confusion of a mystery is fun. An adventure awaits. But the confusion that we appear to be having now is different somehow. It’s not fun, it’s disturbing. Do you understand?
Knight: Yes, I do understand, Lilly. Now, my love, please repeat your questions slowly and I will do my best to answer them.
(Pause.)
Where are we? I… I do not understand the question. We are… here, where we always are, with you.
Cheerleader: Why are we sometimes referring to ourselves as if we are you? Because we are you, you nut. We always have been.
Knight: I am concerned. This has never been a source of confusion before. Something does indeed give the impression of being seriously wrong.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love. We act like you have been here before because you have. We have fought many heroic battles together. Do you not recall?
Bunny: (Frightened.) Lilly, I’m scaring me.
Knight: Not now, Lilly.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love, go on. That right there, you say. We each call each other Lilly. Yes, that is our name, at least for the time being.
(Pause.) But how could it be our name when we claim to be you because that is not your name?
And you are obviously a man. If we are you as we say, then how could we all look like the same beautiful woman?
And why do we keep referring to you as “my love?” Well… to be certain, my love, we were hoping that you could explain that to us.
Bunny: How we appear to you is… well, it’s up to you.
Cheerleader: (Joyfully.) I’ve usually looked like one of your friends: Billy, Janey, even your cousin Mikey for a time. Everybody that I look like is soooooooo much fun. I have to say, I like this cheerleader outfit. It’s also fun. But I can’t tell you why I look like this particular girl. Is she a friend of yours? Friends are so much fun.
Knight: (Gallantly.) I have looked like many people before, but I always come to you as a knight in shining armor. I have appeared as your father and your mother. For a while I looked like Captain Nautilus from that book series you loved as a child. Every visage of mine has been one of nobility, courage, and honor in your eyes.
Bunny: (Sweetly.) And I’ve been a few things too, but I’ve usually been a cute little bunny, not the even cuter little bunny-girl that I am now. (Giggles.) When I was a bunny, I had a collar on. I wasn’t tied like I am now. But whatever I am, I’m always soft and adorable and something that makes you want to just pick me up and take care of me. And hold me. (Sighs.) I love being held.
Knight: The reason why we are all the same image of a beautiful lady of whom we have no memory eludes us. There… is a recent… I guess emptiness would be the best word for it, for I know of no other way to explain it. We have always known who we represent, but this appearance is new to us. We have no frame of reference.
Bunny: Lilly, what about Lilly.
Cheerleader: YES! Yes, yes, yes. LILLY!!! YAY! Let’s go see Lilly. She’ll know what’s happening.
Knight: I concur. Lilly should be a great help. Let us all be off at once.
Bunny: Uh, Lilly.
Knight: Oh, right. You remain tied. My love, could you do us a favor and call my steed back to us? Our journey would be much simpler if my horse could carry Lilly instead of one of us.
(Pause._
Cheerleader: Why, yes, you can bring Lilly’s horse back. You can bring whatever you want. If you imagine it, it will be here.
That is such a fun ability to have. Remember that time you and I fought alien invaders in spaceships? You gave us each the coolest starfighters to…
Knight: Lilly. I am sorry to interrupt, but please save that story for our trip. Right now, my love needs to concentrate on bringing back my steed. Please, my love, can you bring my horse back to where we are now?
(Pause.)
Yes, Lilly was correct. Whatever you imagine, we can use. So it should be no trouble for you to just call my horse back to my side.
(Pause.)
What do you mean? What were you thinking we should do instead?
Cheerleader: (Squeals in glee.) Look, look, look. My love has brought us a hovercar. I call shotgun!
Knight: I had better drive. I know the way.
Bunny: That means I get to cuddle in the back with my love. (Sighs longingly.) You wouldn’t mind holding me close in the back seat while we drive, would you?
(Brief pause.)
Wonderful. I’ll just rest my head on your chest while you hold me.
Cheerleader: Great! This will give me time to tell you all about the time we saved the Pachoran race from the evil invading Gloxnil horde.
Knight: Lilly, there is no need. We were all there.
Cheerleader: Oh, let me tell my story. It’ll be fun. There we were, a handful of defenders against a thousand. No, ten thousand. No, a hundred thousand.
Knight: (Annoyed.) Lilly.
Cheerleader: (Sound of a hovercraft ship racing off. Cheerleader voice begins to fade as she gets farther and farther away.) Their armies cloaked in shadowy evil. Our armor glistening in the sun. The anticipation of a mighty battle hung heavy overhead, but we were ready for whatever may come….
(Sound of a hovercar getting closer. Once here, it shuts down.)
Cheerleader: (Voice is faint at first, but gets louder as she gets closer.) And then you kicked in the door to the cell, rescued the princess, and carried her off to your castle where you lived happily ever after. The end.
Knight: I fail to remember the existence of catapults when we attempted to cross the moat.
Cheerleader: I know, but the catapults made the story more fun, so I added them.
Knight: Well, regardless, we have arrived. Lilly has a laboratory just inside those doors. My love, would you kindly carry Lilly there inside.
Bunny: Oh, yes. Please. That way I can continue to snuggle my head into your shoulder as you hold me with your big, strong arms.
Cheerleader: Oh, this is so exciting. Lilly always has another fun adventure for us to go on. (Squeals gleefully.)
(Crisp whooshing sound of a sliding door opening. Various sci-fi sound effects can be heard as ambiance.)
Knight: Lilly.
Scientist: Good, you’ve all arrived. I assumed that you’d be along shortly. Ah, you’ve brought my love. I wasn’t sure we’d be here in this way.
Knight: Yes, it has been a while since we have been here and ready for battle. I discovered my love in the enchanted woods.
Scientist: The enchanted woods? Interesting. But first, I’ve been getting some very odd readings as of late that have me extremely concerned and I need to know what you’ve all been experiencing. My love, what’s been happening out there?
Knight: Uh, Lilly, perhaps I should be the one to explain. You see, my love has not been himself lately. Something appears to be wrong with us.
Cheerleader: She’s right, Lil. It’s like we don’t understand what’s going on.
Bunny: Or who we even are. It’s scaring me.
Scientist: I see. Please elaborate to the extent that you’re able.
Knight: As I informed you, I discovered my love lying in the enchanted woods instead of our castle where he usually appears. He seemed dazed and bewildered at first. We then rescued Lilly and Lilly from some doubt ogres and loathing trolls. My love was as brave and as skilled as he has always been in battle, but as soon as the threat was over, he expressed… uncertainty.
Scientist: Uncertainty? About what?
Bunny: About everything. My poor baby.
Cheerleader: Lilly’s right, Lil. We’re lost right now. There’s something missing in our mind that we can’t quite explain. My love has questions that we can’t answer, as do we.
Knight: Lilly speaks truth. He did not know where he was or who we were, which we did our best to convey. However, he also had questions about things for which none of us could answer, such as why all of us look like variations on the same woman. You, in fact, also now appear this way as opposed to your previous form of an elderly, bearded gentleman.
Cheerleader: It hasn’t been very fun. Do you have any answers for us, Lil?
Scientist: I see. Well, I may be able to shed some light on our situation and get us headed in the right direction.
Cheerleader: Oh, good. A direction and hopefully a goal. That sounds more fun.
Scientist: A short while ago, several of my screens went blank and I lost several gigabytes worth of memory which I’m attempting to recover now. I’m concerned that a traumatic experience may have occurred in the real world which may be affecting our memory to a point.
(Pause.)
Yes, my love, the real world. Have you not been able to put it together from what Lilly, Lilly, and Lilly have shared with you? This is your mind. Lilly, the knight, is your bravery, courage, and honor. She is your sense of nobility and justice. The bunny-girl you’re carrying…
Bunny: And doing so wonderfully, I might add.
Scientist: She is your timidity, your introverted nature, your shyness. She is the desire within you for others to reach out and care for you. Meanwhile, the Lilly that you see in the cheerleader outfit over here…
Cheerleader: That would be me. Yay!
Scientist: …she is the part of you that seeks adventure, that thrills at excitement, and that craves a mystery. In short, she is the part of you that wants to have fun.
While I, in my lab-coat and glasses surrounded by futuristic equipment and paraphernalia of all types, am your logic, your reason, and your ability to correctly process information from all other aspects of your temperament as well as your ability to intelligently interact with the world around you.
(Pause.)
Yes, you’re right. We all take the form of what you most closely associate with that aspect of your personality. Right now we’re all the same person, and you’re wondering how that could be. When I informed me earlier that…
(Pause.)
What’s that, my love? Ah, yes. Of course. I can see how the fact that we are all referring to you in the first person as well as the third is confusing to you in your present circumstances. Please understand that, as we are all constructs in your own mind and therefore a part of you, referring to you as “I” or “we” at times just makes sense to us. And, in the past, you’ve always understood. But now, with the memory problems that we are all facing, that can make this more difficult for you.
Lilly, Lilly, Lilly, I suggest, for the time being, that we all refer to our primary individual as a separate entity for the sake of clarity. Do you concur?
Knight: Of course, my love. I understand how that would help me… I mean, how it would help you in this situation.
Cheerleader: Fine by me. It’s more fun to think of myself as somebody else anyway. I’m really good at that.
Bunny: And I’ll just keep calling you “my love.”
Scientist: Ah, yes, that. “My love.” Why do we keep calling you that? I may have at least a partial answer to that. Please allow me to continue my previous attempt at an explanation.
Our forms are created by someone or something of great importance to you. At present, we are asleep, or unconscious. I can’t be certain.
(Pause.)
This may be a dream, yes, but it’s also possible that we… apologies, that you are in a coma. As I said, several memories suddenly disappeared so I lack what I fear is vital information to answering that question.
However, I have two pieces of good news. One is that you still receive information while asleep, or at least while you’re not conscious. I have been monitoring your environment for several hours since whatever trauma wiped out my… I mean your, God, that’s a difficult habit to break, memories. Here, let me pull it up on the screen and show you what I mean.
(Other Lillies gasp.)
Cheerleader: It’s me.
Bunny: It’s all of us.
Knight: Lilly, who are we seeing?
Scientist: I’m not certain. I have only been able to surmise that she is someone of high importance to us, and that her name most certainly is Lilly.
Knight: Do we have sound? She seems to be speaking.
Scientist: Yes, of course. Let me get that.
Lilly: (Crying softly.) Please, my love, please wake up. I can’t do this without you. Please, please come back to me. I love you. I love you so much. Don’t leave me, my love.
Scientist: As you heard, she is expressing a deep love for you and refers to you as “my love.” She is clearly the source of our appearances and the reason why we refer to you as “my love” constantly.
Cheerleader: That poor girl.
Bunny: I’m frightened for her. I want to hold her.
Knight: Lil, is there any other information we have on her?
Scientist: Only one memory. That’s the second piece of good news. Initially, it vanished like the others but then reappeared shortly afterwards. I believe its reappearance may have something to do with your successful skirmish with the ogres. Here, take a look.
Lilly: No. Stop. Please.
Bunny: Oh, no. She’s being attacked by other kids. Those big meanies. What are they doing?
Knight: (Unsheathes her sword.) I have to help.
Scientist: Put your sword away, Lilly. This is a memory. We can’t do anything. But keep watching.
(Sound of Knight putting her sword away.)
Cheerleader: Hey, you saved her. You fought those bullies off… and now you’re threatening them if they come near her again. Wow, why didn’t you remember that? That was so much fun. A real life adventure.
Lilly: You, you saved me. Thank you. I didn’t think anybody cared.
Scientist: Watch what happens next.
Knight: Oh my.
Bunny: She, she kissed me. I mean you. She kissed you, my love.
Cheerleader: How did you forget this? This has got to be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you. WOW!!! What a cutie. I’ll bet you blushed sooooooo badly.
Knight: And you say this memory just reappeared.
Scientist: Yes, as I said before, shortly after your skirmish.
Knight: So he may need to re-experience some things in order to regain these memories and find out who this Lilly is?
Scientist: A sound hypothesis but I’m not certain that the experience itself was what caused the memory to resurface. It’s possible that the ogres and trolls may have had something to do with it and therefore destroying them freed the memory.
In addition, other stimulus may be effective as well. My love, would you mind setting Lilly… um, I mean, bunny-girl down for a moment. There’s something I want you to see.
Bunny: Well, I’d rather he didn’t, but go ahead, my love. Only because this might help you.
Scientist: Thank you. Now, please take a look at these.
Cheerleader: This picture that you’re showing him. It’s his parents. They’re smiling. They loved him so much.
Knight: Lil, this memory, this was right before…
Scientist: Yes, right before they died in that car accident.
Bunny: Oh, put it away. I don’t want to see this.
Scientist: Now, my love, please look at this image.
Knight: I remember this building. This is the orphanage where he stayed for a short time afterwards.
Scientist: That is correct. My love, you were brought here while the authorities tried to locate any family or friends that might be willing to take you in.
You were sixteen, almost seventeen. The authorities couldn’t find anybody else that wanted you, and so this became your home for a little over a year.
Bunny: (Sad.) You were sad. You missed your parents so much, and nobody else would help. Nobody else wanted you. Nobody else would comfort you or hold you.
Cheerleader: (Melancholy.) I’m afraid I wasn’t much help at that time. Losing your parents,… well, that just sucks the fun out of anything. And, and you missed mom and dad so much.
Knight: (Sorrowfully.) And I am afraid that I failed you as well. I am truly sorry. I just wanted to hide for a while. I lacked the strength for bravery. I lacked the will to defend you as I should have.
Scientist: I, however, was very active. While most of you shut down for a time, I was constantly recording and analyzing the situation seeking possibilities and a way out. Here are some images I’ve saved. Take a look.
Knight: Yes. I remember that lamp. Those curtains. The bookcase. The way the wood floors creaked when you would walk.
Cheerleader: That picture over there. The dinner table. I remember that. It was your only source of joy for a while. The meals reminded you… of mom.
Bunny: The last picture, the bed, it was your hiding place. You spent a lot of time snuggled into those blankets. So many tears.
Scientist: But have you noticed something strange about each image?
Knight: Yeah, you are right. There is something blurred out of each one.
Bunny: Something you can’t quite remember?
Scientist: Now, let me go back to the end of the first memory.
Cheerleader: You picked Lilly up after the attack and you carried her home.
Bunny: I like that memory. It’s snuggly.
Scientist: Now, my love, pay close attention to her house as we drop her off.
Knight: (Gasps.) It is the same house. That is the orphanage where you were brought after your parents died. Which means Lilly must have lived there too.
Cheerleader: Lil, is she the blurry one in the images?
Scientist: That would be my guess. My love, examine those images again. What do you see now?
Bunny: Look, Lilly is appearing on the bed. She’s trying to comfort you.
Cheerleader: And she’s sitting next to you at dinner. Oh, I love solving a mystery.
Knight: And the room with the lamp and the curtains. She is there offering you flowers. How could it be that she was blurred out of these images until now?
Scientist: I’m not certain, but I suspect…
Fear: You suspect the truth.
(Sound of a sword unsheathed as Knight draws her weapon in response to the sudden threat.)
Fear: We are not sleeping peacefully. We have been attacked. We have been assaulted. We… have… been… VIOLATED!!!
Knight: Stay back, foul creature. I do not know what you are, but I will not allow you to hurt my love.
Fear: Don’t give me your self-righteous rhetoric, HYPOCRITE! If you truly wanted to protect my love, you would be standing with me. I am the one protecting him now.
Knight: My love, draw your weapon. We can take on this threat together.
Fear: He cannot. You see how he stands immobilized right now. I have been working to prepare him for this threat for some time now. He knows my voice. He knows of what I speak. He is in my control.
Bunny: What are you?
Cheerleader: Seriously. You’re kind of like us, but a grotesque, misshapen, three-headed version of us. Ewwww.
Fear: Come now. Do you truly not know who I am? The science girl understands.
Knight: Lil?
Scientist: Remember when I said most of you shut down for a time? This one remained active. Well, I say this one. It’s actually an amalgamation of three different aspects of my love’s personality; fear, anger, and depression.
Cheerleader: And one hundred percent nauseating.
Knight: Fear? You are in there? What are you doing? You should be by my side. You were always a part of our adventures, a voice of wisdom in dangerous situations helping to protect my love against foolishness or potential harm.
Fear: Which is what I’m doing now, fool. It is you who stand opposed to my love, not by his side. You claim to protect him, yet you take the face of his BETRAYOR!!
Knight: What? Lilly? The girl from the memories? She was trying to help, to comfort.
Fear: ALL LIES!!! She seeks us to destroy us.
Knight: I have had enough of this. Enough of you. You will cease your bitter assault on my love now. I will make you stop.
(Knight lunges at Fear, but a blast fires from Fear slamming Knight to the ground and pinning her there. The sword that was in her hand clanks on the ground nearby.)
Bunny: What the…? Where did this pulsating blast from your chest come from? How are you pinning Lilly to the ground like that? I’m scared. My love, hold me.
Fear: No! Stay away from my love, timid creature.
(A second blast radiates out from Fear pinning Bunny to the ground.)
Fear: I will not allow you to infect my love with your desire for compassion and approval. They are bait to lure him into the hunter’s snare. Your desire for the love of others leaves you weak and open to their vicious lies and it will be my love’s undoing.
Knight: (Struggling.) How… are you… doing… this?
Fear: I am so much more powerful than you can handle. When I understood the threat, I began merging with anger and depression in order to properly deal with the threat. I have been building my strength, focusing my power, and now that my enemy has revealed herself, I will deal with her my way.
Knight: Lilly… is not… an… enemy.
Scientist: To be certain, it appears that she may very well be.
Knight: Lil? What… are you saying?
Scientist: It is apparent that my love is in the unconscious situation that he is now facing due to a trauma of some sort. Exactly what that trauma is or what caused it has been unknown, however, I have surmised that it has something to do with Lilly.
For whatever reason, we have all taken her likeness. And, as I said before, after you took action and rescued Lilly and Lilly, a memory of Lilly surfaced. All seems to be centered around her, and so it seems likely that the traumatic experience may as well. You there, Lilly.
Fear: Do not call be by the name of the hated one.
Scientist: Very well, fear creature, the ogres and trolls sent to capture Lilly and Lilly, they were your minions, were they not?
Fear: Indeed, they were.
Scientist: It was a preventative attack to keep them from foiling your plans. You have information that we do not. You have the missing memories, don’t you?
Fear: Indeed, I do.
Scientist: Well then, by all means, show us. Show the rest of us, and my love, why you have decided to take this course of action.
Fear: By all means. See for yourselves the force of our undoing, the source of my hatred.
Knight: That’s… my love.
Scientist: Yes, I recognize our apartment. This memory takes place shortly after we turned eighteen and left the orphanage. In fact, if my calculations are correct by the existence and placement of certain objects in the room I know we recently purchased, this memory took place yesterday.
Fear: Very clever, and very correct. You were all in hiding, wallowing in pity when you should have been defending my love. I took action. Depression, anger, they helped me drive him. They helped me prepare him. But I didn’t have enough control yet to prevent… this.
Bunny: Hey, it’s Lilly. She’s in his room. What’s she doing there?
Lilly: Shh, shh, shhhhh. My love, it’s ok. It’s ok.
Knight: What… what did she… do?
Lilly: It’s ok, my love. I know the needle hurt, but it’ll just put you to sleep, ok. Don’t worry. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re going to be ok. I’ll make sure of that. I promise. I love you. It’s ok. I promise I’ll make everything ok.
Bunny: Lilly. It was Lilly that did this to us.
Fear: Now do you see? I knew an attack was coming. I knew we were truly on our own. When our mother and our father died, there was nobody left. Nobody wanted us. We were loathed, despised, HATED!!! Only I knew. Only I could see. Someone would take advantage of our isolation. It was Lilly. Lilly harmed us. Lilly stole us. I will be the one to save us. I will… OUCH!
Cheerleader: Ha, ha. Didn’t see that coming, did ya, ya stupid dink.
Fear: What are you doing?
Cheerleader: What I always do. I’m on an adventure, but this time, you’re the bad guy. Hyah!
Fear: AARRRGH!!! Stop it. You’re hurting me.
Cheerleader: Uh, duh. That’s kind of the point.
You were so focused on little miss bunny ears and the big bad knight over there, that you totally weren’t watching when I picked up her sword. You may be more powerful as three in one, but you’re already spending two thirds of your power holding down two of us. The makes the odds one to one the way I see it.
And, I’ve got a sword. So, you know what. I’m going to place the odds back on our side. Let’s cut depression out of the picture, shall we. Hyah!
Fear: Nooooooooooo!
Cheerleader: And now to behead anger. Hyah!
Fear: Stop! What have you done? (Voice fades back to regular Fear here.) You’ve ruined everything.
Cheerleader: Ruined, saved, to-may-to, to-mah-to. Hear you go, Lilly. You can have your sword back. And let me help you up.
Knight: Thanks, Lilly. Good work, there.
Bunny: Isn’t someone going to help me up too.
Cheerleader: Sorry, Lilly. Here you go.
Bunny: Thanks.
Fear: You fools. You’ve doomed us all. I needed control. I needed to save us. You were too weak to understand the threat. You’re too weak to handle this.
Scientist: That is a possibility. But it is also possible that your actions have only harmed us further.
Fear: How can you say that. You saw the evidence. She attacked us.
Scientist: We only saw the evidence you wished to present. But I suspected that there was more that you didn’t want us to see.
You took all of the footage of Lilly away from our love and from the rest of us because you didn’t want us forming our own conclusions. When your minions were stopped, some of what you hid was released. And when Lilly stopped you now…
Cheerleader: (Brightly.) You’re welcome.
Scientist: …your hold on the rest of my love’s memories have also been released. Let’s go back to that dinner scene, shall we?
Lilly: Thank you for sitting with me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.
Scientist: Not exactly the words of an enemy.
Fear: She’s a liar. She’s manipulating us.
Scientist: And this one.
Lilly: I got these flowers for you. I know they were your mom’s favorites. I hope they cheer you up.
Fear: Stop it. Stop playing this back.
Scientist: And sitting by us on the bed.
Lilly: I know what you’re going through. I went through the same thing when my parents died. I wish you would let me in. I want to help you. I… I love you.
Fear: LIES!! Can’t you all see it! She was setting us up!
Scientist: And you may be correct, but you are examining the evidence only through the eyes of fear. A good scientist examines all of the evidence in its proper context, not just isolated bits and pieces.
Remember how I told you all that even while asleep we record what’s around us. Watch this.
Cheerleader: Hey, this is his room. This is his bedroom before his parents died.
Bunny: He’s sleeping, but Lilly is there. How is Lilly there?
Knight: This is after we rescued her from those bullies, but before the death of our parents.
Scientist: That is correct. Now listen.
Lilly: (Softly. Lovingly, but mournfully.) I wish you could hear me now. I wish I was brave enough to tell you to your face just how much… I love you. When my parents died, I was so alone. I was so afraid. I thought I had nobody.
Bunny: That sounds like how my love felt.
Knight: Shh, I want to hear this.
Lilly: And then you came along. You rescued me. You saved me. But more than that, you held me. You made me feel something again. You made me feel love again.
I know that I kissed you unexpectedly. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t mean to. It just happened.
But you didn’t flinch. You didn’t pull away. You kissed me back… and then smiled at me. You carried me home and made sure I was safe before you left.
I want you to know how grateful I am and how wonderful I think you are. I see you at school all of the time. I know you’ve seen me too, because you’ve smiled at me several times. You even walked towards me once. I think you wanted to talk with me… but I ran away.
I’m so sorry. I guess I’m still fighting on the inside with the fear that nobody can really love me.
Cheerleader: Preaching to the choir, sister.
Bunny: Amen.
Knight: Would you both shut up!
Lilly: Anyway, you keep smiling at me whenever you see me. Thank you for that. It makes my day.
You don’t walk up to me anymore, but I know that even that is because you care. You don’t want to frighten me.
But I’m getting stronger, I promise. Your love is helping me grow. And when I’m strong enough, I’ll tell you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to love you back. You deserve all of my love. I’ll protect you the way you protected me. I’ll always love you, I promise.
(Pause.)
Scientist: There’s more. Much more, actually, but it all generally follows along those lines. A blush when you smile at her. A few more late night visits to your bedroom, one where she leaves with your sweater so she could wrap herself up in it and imagine it was you.
And then, after your parents passed away, there are countless times where she was doing her best to love you in any way she could at the orphanage, but you were already listening to fear at that point and couldn’t hear her speak.
Fear: As you should be listening now.
Knight: Oh, would you stop.
Fear: She broke into my love’s room. She violated his privacy. And now she has taken away his very freedom. She has knocked him out and tied him up.
Knight: Tied him up? Lil?
Scientist: That would appear to be the case. The first memory I showed you, the one where Lilly is pleading with us to wake up and professing her love, it seems that she has you tied up at that point.
Cheerleader: Whoa. She’s gone full yandere on us.
Bunny: I realize that I’m speaking as the one who’s always tied up here, but I’m honestly wondering, is that bad?
Fear: Yes, it’s bad. Of course it’s bad. What’s wrong with all of you. She’s taken him captive, and she plans to harm him.
Knight: Or love him. She is hurt and broken like he is. She may be somewhat misguided, but I think she is honestly trying to protect him.
Fear: Somewhat misguided? SOMEWHAT MISGUIDED!?! She poisons him, ties him up, and carries him off to who knows where and you say she’s trying to protect him? How can you say that?
Knight: Because she kept trying long after I had given up hope. And I think that part of the reason why I am back and fighting again, is because of her.
Scientist: So, my love, you have all of the evidence. You will return shortly, and only you can decide how you act. You’ve heard all of the opinions.
Bunny: Hold her, my love. She needs you.
Cheerleader: Hey, whatever happens, enjoy it, ok? This looks like it’s going to keep getting wilder.
Knight: I think she wants to protect you if you will let her. But I promise that I will not hide any longer. I’ll be here.
Scientist: Fear? Any last words?
Fear: Just… just be careful. Ok?
Scientist: Always remember that we’re a part of you. Goodbye, my love. My love.
(Scientist fades out. Lilly fades in.)
Lilly: My love? My love? My love!
(Speaking very fast and emotional.) Oh, my love, you’re back. You’re back. Thank God, you’re finally awake.
Oh, I was so afraid that I’d messed up and you weren’t coming back. I’m so sorry if I got the dose wrong. I wanted to make sure it was enough to allow me to bring you here, but then you wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t wake up, and I was so scared. And I…
(Pause.)
Ok, ok, I’ll calm down.
(Crying.) I just couldn’t bear to lose you. I’m so sorry.
I love you. I love you so much. When you left the orphanage, I was so lost without you.
I’m so sorry for kidnapping you. I just… I love you. I couldn’t lose you. I can’t lose you. I can’t be without you. You are the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me and I’ve had to watch you fall into despair for so long, and I wanted to rescue you from that. That’s all. Really. I would never hurt you. I swear.
Are you ok? Are you feeling ok now?
(Pause.)
Yes, I know you’re tied up. And I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to, but I just can’t let you go. Please understand that I just can’t. I’m too afraid.
(Pause.)
No, I can’t untie you. Not yet anyway. I’m sorry. I just can’t. You’ll leave me. I’m so afraid that you’ll leave me, and I just… I just can’t let that happen.
(Pause. As she speaks, she’s not crying, but she continues to sniffle and wipe away her tears.)
Only untie your arms? You’re wanting me to keep everything else tied down so I can feel certain that you can’t get away?
(Pause.)
Well,… ok. I guess you couldn’t get away. There’s a chain on your leg right now, so I guess it’s safe for me to release your arms,… at least for a little while, so, yeah.
Here. I’ll just untie your arms like that, and… whoa. You’re hugging me. You’re hugging me. It's so wonderful. It’s just like I remember you holding me. Please don’t let go.
(Pause.)
Thank you? You’re… thanking me for kidnapping you?
No, for rescuing you? Rescuing you from depression and fear?
Oh, my love. I don’t know what to say.
(Pause.)
Yes. Yes, that’s my name. Lilly. I wasn’t sure you’d remember. At the orphanage, you were so…
(Kiss.)
You kissed me.
(Laughter through tears.) That’s right, my love, I didn’t flinch. I wouldn’t flinch from you. I love you.
(Pause.)
You love me too.
(Tears of joy.) Oh, my love. How I have longed to hear you say that. How I have waited for you to come back to me. The joy that I have now, I thought I would never experience.
(Pause.)
No, I’m sorry. I’m still so afraid. What if you’re just telling me what I want to hear so I untie you and you can run away from me?
(Pause.)
You understand? You know how fear can make us feel? You’re ok if I leave you chained her for now, as long as I stay here and hold you?
I will, my love. I’ll stay. I’ll never leave you. I promise. I’ll always be here for you. Thank you for wanting to be here for me.
Part 5: [F4M] Lilly's Saga - Part 5 of 7 [Yandere Speaker] [Appreciative Listener] [Listener Wakes After Being Kidnapped] : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
2024.05.10 04:08 bb172792 POEM made symptoms worse
Hey all,
Sorry you're living with this yucky disease. A few months ago I was diagnosed with Type II Achalasia. I had the POEM surgery last month and.... the symptoms are getting worse. My surgeon and I both think it is something else and not just general inflammation/ post surgery healing. Pre- surgery I'd have pain from swallowing once or twice a day, now its probably 4-5 times per meal and regurgitation is happening multiple times a day now. Sometimes I can literally feel my esophagus squeezing content UP. The esophagram I had the day after surgery also revealed the barium not going down.
Anyway, it's super frustrating. I've got a barium swallow scheduled to hopefully see what's going on. But since I've already had the surgery, is there any hope of getting relief? Maybe CCB's or nitrates or botox? Any luck with any of these alternative treatments? Has anyone been diagnosed with achlasia and something else (jackhammer, nutcracker etc) I've got a 6 month old and I am freaking TIRED. 🙃
submitted by bb172792 to achalasia [link] [comments]
Sorry you're living with this yucky disease. A few months ago I was diagnosed with Type II Achalasia. I had the POEM surgery last month and.... the symptoms are getting worse. My surgeon and I both think it is something else and not just general inflammation/ post surgery healing. Pre- surgery I'd have pain from swallowing once or twice a day, now its probably 4-5 times per meal and regurgitation is happening multiple times a day now. Sometimes I can literally feel my esophagus squeezing content UP. The esophagram I had the day after surgery also revealed the barium not going down.
Anyway, it's super frustrating. I've got a barium swallow scheduled to hopefully see what's going on. But since I've already had the surgery, is there any hope of getting relief? Maybe CCB's or nitrates or botox? Any luck with any of these alternative treatments? Has anyone been diagnosed with achlasia and something else (jackhammer, nutcracker etc) I've got a 6 month old and I am freaking TIRED. 🙃