Fatigue swollen glands cold hands and feet
The Cryopod to Hell 566: Test of Unity
2024.06.07 21:29 Klokinator The Cryopod to Hell 566: Test of Unity
Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 2,204,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
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(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
A few days after Neil and Hope's meeting.
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.
submitted by Klokinator to HFY [link] [comments]
What is the Cryopod to Hell?
Join the Cryoverse Discord server!
Here's a list of all Cryopod's chapters, along with an ePub/Mobi/PDF version!
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...................................
(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
A few days after Neil and Hope's meeting.
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.
2024.06.07 21:29 Klokinator Cryopod Refresh 566: Test of Unity
A few days after Neil and Hope's meeting.
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.
submitted by Klokinator to TheCryopodToHell [link] [comments]
Henry Cliff walks alone down the hallways of the Labyrinth. He wears a purple-colored T-REX, a status symbol put in place by the higher-ups as a sign of his newfound prestige and military ranking. Its color, as well as the other new colors among the army allow for a quick idea of the ranking of any human soldier at a glance, especially among those who don't know the humans well, such as their allies for today.
Henry's feet quietly plod against the Labyrinth's compacted dirt floor. His breathing remains even despite having walked for over thirty minutes. Thanks to his newly enhanced body, he could run for a thousand kilometers without breaking a sweat. Even he isn't entirely certain just how strong he is. Perhaps, if he were to come to blows with a Demon Emperor, he might roll them out like a sleeping bag.
As he walks, Henry's newfound clarity of purpose mixes with the voices and thoughts of ten thousand other members of Jepthath's Legion. No, more accurately, they are Henry's Legion, now. While their power might be derived from Jepthath, it was the Hero-King's decision to give Henry command of them and become his Voice.
Each person who joined on that day possessed their own thoughts, feelings, and talents. Their combined cumulative experience, which could now be tapped into at will, easily amounted to more than 350,000 years. If the age of every person who merged had been 10, that would have given them 100,000 years, but the fact the average turned out to be 35 elevated their cumulative total dramatically.
And that was to say nothing of the people who had once been a part of Jepthath's Legion in the past. When Henry first became inducted into the Legion, he was shocked by just how much wisdom Jepthath possessed. While he did not have the truly unfathomable and vast breadth of knowledge Solomon possessed, Jepthath was amazing in his own way. What he lacked in raw information, he made up in with mastery of combat.
If Solomon possessed the combined cumulative knowledge of humanity, Jepthath possessed its raw hand-to-hand fighting prowess. And that served to bolster Henry's state of mind significantly.
Just by integrating into the Legion, Henry's ability to peer into the essence of combat increased ten thousand-fold. Over the last few days, he had happened to pass by several different training grounds for humanity's soldiers on Maiura, most of them having been erected at some point by Neil Adams in the past six years. Henry was not impressed by what he saw. If anything, he was disgusted.
[Their movements are so crude. So lacking in refinement.] He would often think, while conversing with the ancient Hero-King. [I want to train them. I can't stand to imagine them using their sloppy combat skills against old demon monsters.]
[A waste of time.] Jepthath would chide gently, whenever he and Henry had this conversation. [The knowledge you have obtained effortlessly cannot be communicated through words or demonstrations. The only way one can become as proficient as the members of Our Legion is by directly transferring Our combined knowledge through Our souls and minds.]
[Then we have to convince more to join Us!] Henry would exclaim. [These fools are wasting their time flailing about, trying to reinvent the wheel. If they joined Us, they would gain all of Our power in the art of war and become capable of adding to Our collective consciousness!]
Jepthath shakes his head. [I made a deal with the Wordsmith. We will not forcibly recruit anyone. If you wish to convince more to join Us, you must demonstrate Our power. Not only do you possess knowledge of countless schools of fighting, but you also possess intimate knowledge of battlefield tactics and guerrilla warfare. By demonstrating that Knowledge is Power, you can enlighten the foolish masses as to what they are missing out on.]
Henry nodded sincerely at that time. He looked up at the night sky and clenched his fist with determination.
Humanity was wasting its capabilities! If other humans only knew how small and frail they were, they would jump at the chance to join the Legion!
Less than a week before, Henry had been a disgraced soldier, a mere civilian, a person who might never even get the opportunity to shine the boots of those he had once trained with.
But now he was an officer, an elite warrior many would come to fear and respect.
This realization made his heart leap and his throat dry. In many ways, he sometimes felt he didn't deserve this position. He certainly hadn't earned it.
Not yet. Someday he would. Someday soon.
His thoughts come back to the present. He continues walking, ultimately falling into step beside an ordinary human commando also donning a T-REX. A small artistic flourish on the side of her armor, a pink rose, hints to him the other soldier might be a woman.
The grey-armored soldier turns her head to look at him as she walks. "Oh! You startled me. And you are?"
Unable to see her face, Henry looks at her helmet instead, and her name and other information pop up in his HUD, allowing him to see her identity.
"I'm Lieutenant Henry Cliff." He says. "You're Private Ashley McCarthy? Aren't you the lady who can transform into an orc?"
Immediately, her previously formal tone turns cold. Ashley snaps her head forward, no longer looking at him.
"Every time. Every time! Is that all I am anymore? Just the ugly bitch who turns into an orc?!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Henry exclaims, taken aback by her response. "I'm sorry, uh, Miss McCarthy. I didn't mean to apologize- I mean, I didn't apologize- mean to offend you! I- I uh, sorry!"
He stumbles over his words, feeling suddenly ashamed that he spoke so bluntly without considering the other person's feelings. Then again, how could he have known it was such a sore subject for her? That thought also makes him feel unfairly slighted, as he committed a blunder without meaning to.
"No, no I'm sorry." Ashley quickly says, suddenly realizing how rudely she just spoke to a superior officer. "It's not your fault, Lieutenant. I, I just... it's a long story. I never asked for this ability. I hate it."
"You hate it?" Henry asks, as they round a corner, passing a dozen goblins who carefully press against the side-wall to avoid the giant humans. "Pardon my bluntness, but why? In this time of war, possessing an orc form must make you pretty strong. Valuable. You could be on the fast-track to a higher rank if you have any ambition."
"Higher rank." Ashley mutters under her breath. "As if that's something I'd want. I'm not some big brained Terran from Old Earth. I'm just a normal girl from one of the Wild Worlds. I only want to be pointed at an enemy so I can hurt them."
That sounds an awful lot like something an orc would say, Henry thinks, but wisely keeps to himself.
"Does turning into an orc make you stronger?" Henry asks, choosing to turn the discussion down a more positive path.
"Oh, sure. A bit stronger." Ashley concedes. "You know how the Body Booster improves a human's baseline physique, putting some of us on par with certain low-ranking Demon Lords? Well, my Orc transformation stacks on that, sort of. I can pick up and throw boulders pretty far."
She pauses, before adding, "I mean, it is really fun being that strong."
Henry reaches up to rub his chin, only for his hand to clank against his T-REX's helmet. He gives up on the idea and lowers his arm again.
"I recently got a, uh, a pretty substantial boost to my strength. You remember how Commander Hope offered for people to merge with the Hero Jepthath? I did that, and it made me a lot stronger."
He turns to look at the woman beside him, but she simply gazes forward, her helmet offering no insight into her current expression.
Her words, however, definitely give away what she's thinking.
"Oh. You're one of the cultists."
Her disappointed tone makes Henry's heart skip a beat.
"No, no, no!" Henry exclaims. "Not a cultist. Who told you that?? Jepthath's Legion have simply unified Our minds and bolstered Our bodies, making Us a lot stronger."
She remains quiet for a few moments.
"Yeah... that's... what a cultist would say."
"We're not a cult..." Henry protests feebly, but his words fall on deaf ears.
This isn't the first time someone has directed a look of disgust his way, or visibly cringed when he proudly declared himself one of Jepthath's Chosen.
Jason's words during the Great Debate made a lot of people immediately strike becoming a Parahuman off their list. They'd rather be ordinary soldiers in body armor rather than part of a weird, unified hive-mind.
Dismayed, the young man falls silent. He doesn't say anything for a full minute, and perhaps feeling bad about dismissing him so easily, Ashley decides to reignite the conversation as they draw closer to their destination.
"So what's it like. Being inside a, uh... hive mind? Is it weird?"
"We're not a hive-mind." Henry says, his mood deflating even further. "We're... we're like brothers and sisters. We understand one another. We share thoughts, insights, wisdom."
This time, Ashley tries to exercise a little tact. "It just doesn't sound right for me. I guess everyone has their own preferences. Me, I think I'd die of shame if everyone around me could hear my every thought. The embarrassment alone..."
She trails off and shakes her head.
But this time, Henry doesn't just back down.
"It's not what you think at all." Henry says. "Do you know why you feel fear at the thought of sharing your thoughts? It's because you're self-absorbed."
"What?!" Ashley exclaims, pausing her walk to look at him. No doubt, her helmet hides an expression of disbelief. "What do you mean by that... sir?"
Henry also pauses. He turns to face her, resting his hands on his hips. "You have friends, right? Maybe even a best friend?"
"O-of course!" Ashley says, her tone defensive. "What, you think I'm friendless just because I'm not a part of some bee-hive?"
"That's not what I'm getting at." Henry says patiently, holding out his hand and modulating his tone so he'll come off less aggressive. "Think about your friend, or your best friend. Really think about it. What's the most embarrassing thing you remember about him or her? What's the worst social gaffe they've made that you can't get out of your head?"
Ashley pauses. She lowers her head and falls into thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I can't think of anything. Why?"
"What about other people?" Henry asks. "Has anyone else you know made any serious social fuck-ups recently?"
"Social ones? No. There have been a few generally bad events recently, like finding out Baron Mara killed a bunch of people. But she's not my friend anyway, so..."
"THAT is my point." Henry states emphatically. "You don't think about the weird and embarrassing things your friends do. So why do you believe they're so fixated on yours?"
Ashley lifts her head to look at him. She remains silent, digesting his words, so he continues to press the issue.
"Do you know why you find things about yourself embarrassing? It's not your fault. Most people are extremely self-conscious about their own insecurities. Now that I've become a part of the Legion, I experience everyone else's insecurities all at the same time as I experience mine. In doing so, I realize that mine never amounted to anything at all. When you have ten thousand other people worrying about what they're wearing, or if they look fashionable, or some other tedious bullshit, you quickly realize that all of them amount to white noise. They don't matter."
He throws his hand up dramatically.
"I'm not picking on you. It's just a fact of human consciousness. All people are held back by their fear of social pressure, but much of that is because we don't know what goes on in the heads of our fellow men and women. If you could see their deranged sexual fantasies all at once, you would realize you're not weird at all. Everyone has a kink. If you enjoy looking at gross bugs, guess what? Someone else is unbothered by bodily fluids. We're all weird, and joining the Legion just made that clearer to me."
He pauses, unable to see the look on her face. "Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as condescending. Does any of this make sense to you?"
Ashley slowly nods. "Mmm. Yeah, it does."
Henry heaves a sigh of relief. "Well, great! Great. I was worried I was starting to sound a little long-winded."
Ashley turns away and resumes walking. "You're definitely in a cult."
"Goddammit." Henry grumbles.
...
Before long, the two of them make it to the meeting location, where they arrive inside a massive, hollowed-out area inside the Labyrinth. There, they find, of all things, a new Volgrim Warpgate installed, its destination some unknown desert on a planet Henry can't immediately identify.
As they enter the massive arena-like staging area, Hope becomes momentarily disoriented. His newly enhanced senses pick up surges of spiritual energy, all spread out across the humans, demons, monsters, and other creatures inside. The powerful Demon Emperors, only a few of whom have yet to Ascend to Demon Deity, stand near the portal, using their strength as a show of force. Despite their proud expressions, Henry's keen senses detect a hint of fear in their eyes, as they seem to be unable to properly stand as strong as they always have. It's as if they are being suppressed by something...
"Whoa!" Ashley gasps. "I can't believe it. Why are the Volgrim here?"
"The Volgrim?" Henry asks, following her gaze based on the direction her helmet is pointed.
Somewhere in the mass of the crowd, a handful of decidedly alien-looking creatures with tentacles writing under their mouths and heavily-armored bodies stand at attention, looking like proud leaders and commanders. Their postures indicate a level of arrogance bred into their bones by millions of years of dominance over the Milky Way. Compared to the slightly fearful Demon Emperors, these Technopaths truly stand out as cream of the crop, with unknown augmentations that likely elevate their combat prowess to the peak.
"Those are Volgrim?" Henry asks. "Huh. The only one I've ever seen was that one female, the one who didn't have a mouth. She was presiding over my, uh, my tribunal..."
"Your tribunal?" Ashley asks.
She pauses, then turns to look at him strangely.
"Cliff... Henry Cliff? What the- you're that traitor! What- how even...?? You're a Lieutenant now? I didn't even recognize your name- no, forget that. Why are you in uniform? Weren't you banned basically forever from rejoining the military?"
"I was banned from rejoining the main military." Henry says, lowering his head in shame. "But, uhm, Hope's Parahumans are... different. It's a different jurisdiction."
Ashley takes a step to the side, pulling away from him. He can't see her expression, but based on her voice, she suddenly seems disgusted by him.
"All this time, I was talking to him." She mutters to herself, as she turns and walks away without another word.
Henry stands there, silently. He watches her depart, a feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. He could pull rank on her, write her up for insubordination. Given his new status as a high-ranker, it would be easy to do.
But he doesn't.
In truth, he doesn't blame Ashley for her feelings. Because of his actions, Neil Adams was captured and humanity likely lost far more people during Stormbringer as a result. He indirectly caused the deaths of hundreds, perhaps even thousands.
How can he demand respect from her when he feels he doesn't deserve it?
As that thought wells up in Henry's mind, the thoughts of the Legion feed back into him, suppressing his negative emotions. All of them comment on his feelings and insecurities, offering kind words to help him feel better.
[You cannot and should not demand respect, no, but you can earn it back through your actions.] A 52-year-old Legionnaire says. [People like her will come around in due time. Perform admirably and make the Legion proud.]
[That woman is a mere Private.] Jepthath chimes in. [Do not allow your emotions to be tangled up by the feelings of a random soldier. You will need to bolster your Willpower if you seek to reach the peak of what you can achieve.]
[Right. My willpower.] Henry says, as his mood drastically swings back up. He hardens his heart, casting aside Ashley's comment and instead meditating for a moment to clear his mind. [Thank you, everyone, for the support.]
With his thoughts clear, Henry strides toward the front, keeping his gaze fixed on the Volgrim Technopaths. Having never seen these creatures before, he finds their horrid-looking tentacle mouths fascinating and yet creepy to look at. While all of them appear to be gender-ambiguous, certainly at first glance, as he comes closer, he does manage to make out one or two female-sounding voices among them. Or perhaps they might be higher-pitched males. He isn't entirely sure, and it seems a taboo subject to breach.
"-the Task Force will be working alongside these Technopath Envoys." Demon Emperor Yardrat says, his tone even and unbothered by the Technopaths to his left. "Naturally, full command of this operation will still go to the Archdemon, as the ranking Cosmic. However, because he will be busy dealing with the highest level threats, control of the ground forces will go to one member of each species, chosen via several votes of consensus. Today's operation is a test, and its purpose is to ensure we all work together properly. NO friendly fire. Our enemy is the Plague and nobody else. Save your personal grievances, vendettas, and petty squabbles for after we take our galaxy back from the Kolvaxians."
He gestures to the ten Technopaths. "The Volgrim have dispatched an army of 100,000 Technopath soldiers, and they will be commanded by this High Technopath named Loputo Jidelor, a high ranking commander of Clan Symmetra's ground forces."
Each of the Technopaths possesses their own combination of flesh and blood bodily parts mixed with metal limb replacements, armor-addons, and other such things. In Jidelor's case, he stands on two flesh and blood legs. However, in place of his right arm is a long, metallic limb with dozens of razor-thin threads waving to and fro where his 'wrist' ends. Each one moves independently, much like the tentacles on his left arm, but their movements appear far more precise. Dozens of metallic pieces are attached seemingly at random to his skin and skull.
Jidelor nods. "I am an experienced battlefield commander, but I am not a frontline soldier. I will be controlling our siege weaponry and directing our soldiers from the back."
Yardrat nods, then continues. "For the Demons, it goes without saying that just like with the last ten operations, Emperor Serena will be commanding our forces. Her ability to link souls together has proven instrumental in rapid battlefield communications, and her ability to sense souls allows her to keep up with the emergence of new Plagueborn until the point Diablo steals the world core back."
A beautiful demoness with sightless eyes nearby waves her hand delicately. "I will be in your care, everyone. Let us make it to the end without losing any demons this time."
"For the monsters, Fairy Princess Melia will take point." Yardrat says, nodding to another beautiful woman with green hair, fairy wings, and a look of boredom permanently etched onto her face.
Unlike the previous two commanders, Melia doesn't give a speech. In fact, she only rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, and looks away.
"Alright, and for the humans, General Chadwick will be taking charge." Yardrat concludes. He gestures to a massive Norwegian man who has now donned a Rhino T-REX variant and rests his hands around the shaft of a massive battleaxe. Its head rests on the ground, and he supports his massive armored frame by resting on the weapon's handle.
"Everyone." Chadwich says. "It is my honor to lead this mission. Naturally, Commander Neil is not happy about having to work with the demons, and I cannot imagine all of our soldiers are either. However, I pledge on Hope Hiro's honor that we will not commit any cowardly deeds of treachery, any backstabbing, or anything else of that sort! It was Hope Hiro who pushed for this arrangement because he wants humanity's soldiers to get real battle experience against the Plague. Let's be sure to make good use of this time to bury as many hatchets as we can!"
The crowd nods along to Chadwick's words. Some of the humans vocalize their approval, but many more remain silent.
The humans here are not normal civilians. They are military personnel, countless many of whom have not forgiven the demons. They may never forgive them, if their leaders are being honest.
Perhaps sensing the tenseness in the air, Yardrat briskly moves the pace along.
"In thirty minutes, we will begin. Transfer your forces to my world so that I can begin preparation to open the Intragalactic Portals. The Swarm has begun adapting to my tactics of late, so the moment those portals open, we'll need boots on the ground. No delays! If the Plague has its way, it might flood through the portals back to us, and that would be a whole bloody devil-damned mess."
The other leaders nod solemnly. They spread apart to talk to their forces, and Henry heaves a sigh.
In thirty minutes, we'll find out just how stable this alliance truly is.
2024.06.07 21:16 zeebotanicals Hormone levels are normal NOW WHAT?!
I have been experiencing PCOS symptoms for the last 18 years no matter what dietary, fitness change I make, no matter what vitamin supplement I take (I try to eat healthy whole foods, limit: processed sugadairy/gluten etc etc), and everytime I speak with my healthcare provider they tell me I do not have PCOS. I am just curious as to why I have these symptoms? Hirsutism, stubborn belly fat, fatigue, heavy/painful periods that last 4 days (I do get a period every month), scalp hair sheds, oily skin sometimes, extreme thirst, brain fogginess, night sweats, moodiness/irritability, swelling of face/hands/feet at times, constant weight fluctuations, and mild/severe acne on my back.
I just had my hormones tested and they were all in the normal range: free/total testosterone, TSH, prolactin, dhea, estradiol, insulin, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, lipid, lsh/fsh/, A1C--ALL CAME BACK NORMAL. with the exception of my CMP, and CBC: said my creatinine levels are slightly high and my WBC was slightly low. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week for cysts and my follow up with my Gyno as well.
Is there something else I need to test for? Has anyone experienced this before?
submitted by zeebotanicals to PCOS [link] [comments]
I just had my hormones tested and they were all in the normal range: free/total testosterone, TSH, prolactin, dhea, estradiol, insulin, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, lipid, lsh/fsh/, A1C--ALL CAME BACK NORMAL. with the exception of my CMP, and CBC: said my creatinine levels are slightly high and my WBC was slightly low. I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week for cysts and my follow up with my Gyno as well.
Is there something else I need to test for? Has anyone experienced this before?
2024.06.07 21:07 LeeCloud27 The Life of Hakurei - False Madness on Brightest Night - Part 2
Five Minutes of Recovery Later…
“Okay…Let me understand this again.” Reimu began. “Each of you noticed something was off with the moon so you decided to go investigate. And it so happened we all followed the same trail to the bamboo forest, and noticing how the night had remained stagnant the moment we laid eyes on one another we assumed we were behind the incident. Am I right?”
“Correct” Sakuya said, standing alongside Remilia. To her left and right were Marisa and Youmu, who respectively stood by Alice and Yuyuko while Yukari was by Reimu.
“Okay good, and considering we came all the way here to the bamboo forest of the lost means we can clarify none of us here has anything to do with the moon’s replacement. So, does anyone know where we might find our true culprits?”
No one spoke up, save for Youmu who timidly raised her hand.
“Um…Yuyuko-sama and I, when we entered the forest we noticed some lights east of here, but we were too caught up fighting to go check it out. It’s possible that may be where the culprit is hiding.”
“Oh, I noticed something too while making my way here, but it was a building; a mansion more specifically. I think the lights you’re referring to might be the mansion.” Alice said.
“A mansion?” Yukari wondered. “Strange, I never heard of a mansion existing in this part of Gensokyo.”
“Don’t tell me it’s another foreign noble who came from the outside.” Reimu said, making a small glance over at Sakuya and Remilia. “But now I know where to look next, so if you excuse me...”
Reimu moved past the group over the direction Youmu stated earlier, but Marisa rushed over and halted her path.
“Woah, hold on! What makes you think you can go over there alone, huh?” Marisa asked.
Reimu looked at her friend for a moment before replying, “I never said you couldn’t come, did I?”
Her statement made Marisa pause for a second, showing an expression that was enough to make Reimu laugh a little.
“C’mon, let’s go beat up whoever stole the moon.” Reimu patted Marisa’s shoulder and walked past her, as did Yukari. Marisa turned around, not going to let the misconception get the best of her, so she wrapped her arm around Alice’s waist and pulled her over while hopping on her broom.
“Marisa? What are you doing?” Alice asked with confusion.
“Hey, Reimu!” Marisa got Reimu’s attention, along with everyone else’s, “Last one there’s a Nuppeppo!” She declared before blasting forward, with Alice clinging on tight so as to not fall. Reimu saw Marisa fly past her, and instantly she knew the proper response.
“It’s on.” She said, running and soon flying as fast as she could to catch up with the blazing magician. The others did the same, not wanting to be left behind.
—
Somewhere in the Bamboo Forest, Rumia remained astray. She passed by the same boulder three times, and couldn’t tell which way was north. To make matters worse, she encountered a series of booby traps everywhere she tried to go. From constant pitfalls to makeshift ballistas that shot sharpened bamboo sticks; even coming across an anvil that hung high in the air above a plate of cheese for some reason. Nonetheless she managed to get through the traps, though much more fatigued.
“Ugh, I don’t know where I am, I nearly got punctured several times, and I can’t seem to find Reimu or the others.” Rumia complained as she continued flying across the stalks. “No wonder this place has the word ‘lost’ in its name. Hopefully I’ll find everyone soon.”
Despite her complaint, she kept moving forward, getting more lost as a result.
—
In an open area there laid a large old-fashioned mansion, surrounded by walls of bamboo at least ten feet tall. It looked like it was constructed the day before, despite its antique design. There was no wear or tear on the interior, no moss growing, no sign of decay anywhere. This mansion was known as Eientei, a home of rabbits and prominent figures, but mostly rabbits.
Standing by the mansion’s gate stood two figures in pink dresses with rabbit ears on their heads holding large wooden mallets. Though they looked human, they’re a species of youkai, commonly referred to as earth rabbits, or just rabbits. They lived in the mansion, spending their days relaxing and having fun, while also ensuring no one came to disturb their home. Their positions were that of gate guards, tasked to keep intruders out; however, unlike most guards they were inattentive. Their eyes drooped from the desire to sleep and thoughts of going in eating mochi with the rest of their peers further kept away their attention.
“When will we switch with the others?” The first rabbit guard said with a yawn.
“When when?” The second rabbit guard spoke. “I don’t like standing guard on night-shift, it’s boring.”
“Boring boring boring. Why can’t we have fun fun? I like to have fun fun with friends friends.” The first rabbit hopped a little.
“Friends. Friends.” The second rabbit tilted her head back and forth. “I want mochi. Mochi. Mochi.”
“I also want mochi mochi mochi. How how long must we wait wait? I don’t think any intruders will show up.” The first rabbit hopped and nodded her head.
“No no. No intruders, no intruders.” The second rabbit shook her head.
“Yes. No intruders-”
Suddenly zipping past the rabbit guards were a black-white and red-white, along with several figures donning different colored clothing of various degrees entering past the gate and breaking through the doors of the entrance hall into the mansion. Both rabbits gazed at the broken doors with stunned faces.
“Oh no.” The first rabbit said.
“No no no.” The second rabbit said.
The group consisting of humans, youkai, vampires and ghosts; whether partial or not, barged their way through the mansion. The rabbits who were casually roaming the place were caught off-guard by the speeding force of a three-quarter dozen. Many quickly fled out to safety, while those not as cowardly stood their guard with wooden mallets and bullets to spare. Yet despite their best defenses, they remained no match against what seemed to be an unstoppable force.
Further down the hallway, a couple rabbits, faster than others, ran to a particular rabbit that wore the same outfit as them, but had black wavy shoulder-length hair and wore a carrot-shaped necklace. Her name is Tewi Inaba, the White Hare.
“Tewi-sama! Tewi-sama! Bad bad news!” One of the rabbits hastily said.
“Very bad, very bad!” The other rabbit spoke as hastily as her peer. “Intruders intruders!”
“Intruders? Here?” The Earth Rabbit named Tewi looked at her subordinates with some disbelief.
“Yes yes yes! There are so many!”
“Very many very many!”
Based on their faces filled with anxiety and how often they looked back down the hall Tewi could tell they weren’t lying. Furthermore, her ears detected sounds of bullets being shot out, growing closer and louder. As was part of the deal she made long ago with the owner of the mansion, she knew there would come a time when she would have to defend the place, even if it meant giving herself so others would be safe.
“Okay, go warn Reisen and Eirin, and make sure the princess is safe too. I’ll try to hinder the threats.” Tewi said.The rabbits were concerned if their leader could handle so many people on her own, but at the same time they also saw her as commendable. They thanked her before making their way further down the hall.
“Okay Tewi…Stay calm and count on your luck.” She gave herself a little pep talk, taking a deep breath as she saw the figures coming over now. A few rabbits were trying to flee, but fell victim to their bullets. After a quick analysis of what she’s up against, she confirmed she was screwed.
Much further down the hall, another rabbit quickly and hurriedly went to every door she could find, placing seals left and right to ensure none could be opened. Though unlike most of the rabbits in Eientei, hers were longer and thinner, and she had long purple hair and red eyes. She also wore different clothes consisting of a black blazer, white buttoned shirt, a pinkish skirt and red shoes. Her name is Reisen Udongein Inaba, a Moon Rabbit.
“Okay, all the doors should be locked. Princess should now be safe.” She said with a hurried tone. “Master should have the preparations ready to send the intruders out. Just a little more time and-”
Her left ear twitched. She looked down the hall with further worry. Something drew near. She formed her hand into the shape of a gun, and her eyes glowed dimly. Then coming into her sight weren't the intruders, rather Tewi as she flew towards Reisen before falling face-first into the ground, sliding further till coming to a stop by her feet.
“Ow…” She let out a long cry of ache.
“Tewi! Are you okay!?” Reisen looked down at the other rabbit, her eyes wider than ever.
“I’m good, terrific. How about you, Reisen?” Tewi said with slight sarcasm. Reisen picked up her tone and got a bit angry.
“This is no time for jokes, what happened to the intruders? Are they coming this way?”
“Oh yeah, they’ll be here any second. Also, I think I broke a rib.”
“Eh? You broke a-”
She stopped speaking for a moment when she saw a butterfly-shaped bullet flying right at her. She quickly dodged and counterattacked by shooting a bullet out of her hand. The bullet flew right over where Yuyuko was, only to be cut in half by Youmu’s blade. Both Youmu and Reisen held their stances, staring at the other with an odd sense of respect for the other’s quick reaction. Soon after the rest of the incident resolving group arrived at the scene.
“Oh crap.” Tewi looked back and made an immediate decision. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Reisen!” She got back up and fled.
“T-Tewi!” Reisen called for her to come back, but it was no use.
“Is that the culprit, Yukari?” Reimu asked, to which Yukari shook her head no.
“No, she looks different from the other rabbits, but I don’t believe she’s who we’re looking for.” Yukari said.
“Maybe she’ll tell us if we incapacitate her.” Alice said, readying more dolls with strings.
“Let’s not knock her out then, we need her awake for interrogation.” Marisa stated.
“And if she doesn’t talk, we’ll make her by any means.” Sakuya said with a threatening voice.
“And when we’re finished, she’ll make for a wonderful stew later.” Remilia spoke.
“Mmmm, rabbit stew. Youmu, be sure to gather the necessary ingredients by the end of the week.” Yuyuko said with hunger. “Oh, and don’t forget to acquire some sparrows for tomorrow’s dinner.” Her request made Youmu look at her with bewilderment.
Reisen’s heart raced hearing what they had planned for her. She had to fight back now and give her master more time, so she did what only she could. She opened her eyes wide, causing a bright red glow which caught the group off-guard as they were blinded.
“Augh!!!” Some of them yelled, covering their eyes with their hands and arms. A few seconds later the light ceased, and when they uncovered their faces they were met with a dozen of the same person, all raising their hands as they let out bullets. The group, momentarily confused by the sudden number of copies, defended from the oncoming barrage, raising barriers while retaliating with bullets of their own. Soon it was like any other danmaku fight, with everyone zipping around trying to analyze the patterns of the bullets. A few of the Reisens were taken down, but most remained, still keeping the group on their toes.
While Remilia fought, she discerned something odd about her opponent. Her eyes, more keen than others, saw the differences in the copies, such as the length of the hair being a couple centimeters short, or the color of the skirt being less saturated. Making quick glances at the others, she pinpointed which was the real one, and immediately called her out.
“Sakuya! Attack that one!” She said, Sakuya looked over where Remilia pointed and saw the Reisen which Reimu and Yukari were up against. Reisen caught Remilia and Sakuya rushing at her with knives and bats. She knew she couldn’t hold her own against four people at once, so she had to retreat. She ran down the hall, as did her copies, all going separate directions. Reimu, Yukari, Sakuya and Remilia followed the original Reisen while Marisa, Alice, Youmu and Yuyuko followed a copy down a different part of the hallway, separating the group.
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“Okay…Let me understand this again.” Reimu began. “Each of you noticed something was off with the moon so you decided to go investigate. And it so happened we all followed the same trail to the bamboo forest, and noticing how the night had remained stagnant the moment we laid eyes on one another we assumed we were behind the incident. Am I right?”
“Correct” Sakuya said, standing alongside Remilia. To her left and right were Marisa and Youmu, who respectively stood by Alice and Yuyuko while Yukari was by Reimu.
“Okay good, and considering we came all the way here to the bamboo forest of the lost means we can clarify none of us here has anything to do with the moon’s replacement. So, does anyone know where we might find our true culprits?”
No one spoke up, save for Youmu who timidly raised her hand.
“Um…Yuyuko-sama and I, when we entered the forest we noticed some lights east of here, but we were too caught up fighting to go check it out. It’s possible that may be where the culprit is hiding.”
“Oh, I noticed something too while making my way here, but it was a building; a mansion more specifically. I think the lights you’re referring to might be the mansion.” Alice said.
“A mansion?” Yukari wondered. “Strange, I never heard of a mansion existing in this part of Gensokyo.”
“Don’t tell me it’s another foreign noble who came from the outside.” Reimu said, making a small glance over at Sakuya and Remilia. “But now I know where to look next, so if you excuse me...”
Reimu moved past the group over the direction Youmu stated earlier, but Marisa rushed over and halted her path.
“Woah, hold on! What makes you think you can go over there alone, huh?” Marisa asked.
Reimu looked at her friend for a moment before replying, “I never said you couldn’t come, did I?”
Her statement made Marisa pause for a second, showing an expression that was enough to make Reimu laugh a little.
“C’mon, let’s go beat up whoever stole the moon.” Reimu patted Marisa’s shoulder and walked past her, as did Yukari. Marisa turned around, not going to let the misconception get the best of her, so she wrapped her arm around Alice’s waist and pulled her over while hopping on her broom.
“Marisa? What are you doing?” Alice asked with confusion.
“Hey, Reimu!” Marisa got Reimu’s attention, along with everyone else’s, “Last one there’s a Nuppeppo!” She declared before blasting forward, with Alice clinging on tight so as to not fall. Reimu saw Marisa fly past her, and instantly she knew the proper response.
“It’s on.” She said, running and soon flying as fast as she could to catch up with the blazing magician. The others did the same, not wanting to be left behind.
—
Somewhere in the Bamboo Forest, Rumia remained astray. She passed by the same boulder three times, and couldn’t tell which way was north. To make matters worse, she encountered a series of booby traps everywhere she tried to go. From constant pitfalls to makeshift ballistas that shot sharpened bamboo sticks; even coming across an anvil that hung high in the air above a plate of cheese for some reason. Nonetheless she managed to get through the traps, though much more fatigued.
“Ugh, I don’t know where I am, I nearly got punctured several times, and I can’t seem to find Reimu or the others.” Rumia complained as she continued flying across the stalks. “No wonder this place has the word ‘lost’ in its name. Hopefully I’ll find everyone soon.”
Despite her complaint, she kept moving forward, getting more lost as a result.
—
In an open area there laid a large old-fashioned mansion, surrounded by walls of bamboo at least ten feet tall. It looked like it was constructed the day before, despite its antique design. There was no wear or tear on the interior, no moss growing, no sign of decay anywhere. This mansion was known as Eientei, a home of rabbits and prominent figures, but mostly rabbits.
Standing by the mansion’s gate stood two figures in pink dresses with rabbit ears on their heads holding large wooden mallets. Though they looked human, they’re a species of youkai, commonly referred to as earth rabbits, or just rabbits. They lived in the mansion, spending their days relaxing and having fun, while also ensuring no one came to disturb their home. Their positions were that of gate guards, tasked to keep intruders out; however, unlike most guards they were inattentive. Their eyes drooped from the desire to sleep and thoughts of going in eating mochi with the rest of their peers further kept away their attention.
“When will we switch with the others?” The first rabbit guard said with a yawn.
“When when?” The second rabbit guard spoke. “I don’t like standing guard on night-shift, it’s boring.”
“Boring boring boring. Why can’t we have fun fun? I like to have fun fun with friends friends.” The first rabbit hopped a little.
“Friends. Friends.” The second rabbit tilted her head back and forth. “I want mochi. Mochi. Mochi.”
“I also want mochi mochi mochi. How how long must we wait wait? I don’t think any intruders will show up.” The first rabbit hopped and nodded her head.
“No no. No intruders, no intruders.” The second rabbit shook her head.
“Yes. No intruders-”
Suddenly zipping past the rabbit guards were a black-white and red-white, along with several figures donning different colored clothing of various degrees entering past the gate and breaking through the doors of the entrance hall into the mansion. Both rabbits gazed at the broken doors with stunned faces.
“Oh no.” The first rabbit said.
“No no no.” The second rabbit said.
The group consisting of humans, youkai, vampires and ghosts; whether partial or not, barged their way through the mansion. The rabbits who were casually roaming the place were caught off-guard by the speeding force of a three-quarter dozen. Many quickly fled out to safety, while those not as cowardly stood their guard with wooden mallets and bullets to spare. Yet despite their best defenses, they remained no match against what seemed to be an unstoppable force.
Further down the hallway, a couple rabbits, faster than others, ran to a particular rabbit that wore the same outfit as them, but had black wavy shoulder-length hair and wore a carrot-shaped necklace. Her name is Tewi Inaba, the White Hare.
“Tewi-sama! Tewi-sama! Bad bad news!” One of the rabbits hastily said.
“Very bad, very bad!” The other rabbit spoke as hastily as her peer. “Intruders intruders!”
“Intruders? Here?” The Earth Rabbit named Tewi looked at her subordinates with some disbelief.
“Yes yes yes! There are so many!”
“Very many very many!”
Based on their faces filled with anxiety and how often they looked back down the hall Tewi could tell they weren’t lying. Furthermore, her ears detected sounds of bullets being shot out, growing closer and louder. As was part of the deal she made long ago with the owner of the mansion, she knew there would come a time when she would have to defend the place, even if it meant giving herself so others would be safe.
“Okay, go warn Reisen and Eirin, and make sure the princess is safe too. I’ll try to hinder the threats.” Tewi said.The rabbits were concerned if their leader could handle so many people on her own, but at the same time they also saw her as commendable. They thanked her before making their way further down the hall.
“Okay Tewi…Stay calm and count on your luck.” She gave herself a little pep talk, taking a deep breath as she saw the figures coming over now. A few rabbits were trying to flee, but fell victim to their bullets. After a quick analysis of what she’s up against, she confirmed she was screwed.
Much further down the hall, another rabbit quickly and hurriedly went to every door she could find, placing seals left and right to ensure none could be opened. Though unlike most of the rabbits in Eientei, hers were longer and thinner, and she had long purple hair and red eyes. She also wore different clothes consisting of a black blazer, white buttoned shirt, a pinkish skirt and red shoes. Her name is Reisen Udongein Inaba, a Moon Rabbit.
“Okay, all the doors should be locked. Princess should now be safe.” She said with a hurried tone. “Master should have the preparations ready to send the intruders out. Just a little more time and-”
Her left ear twitched. She looked down the hall with further worry. Something drew near. She formed her hand into the shape of a gun, and her eyes glowed dimly. Then coming into her sight weren't the intruders, rather Tewi as she flew towards Reisen before falling face-first into the ground, sliding further till coming to a stop by her feet.
“Ow…” She let out a long cry of ache.
“Tewi! Are you okay!?” Reisen looked down at the other rabbit, her eyes wider than ever.
“I’m good, terrific. How about you, Reisen?” Tewi said with slight sarcasm. Reisen picked up her tone and got a bit angry.
“This is no time for jokes, what happened to the intruders? Are they coming this way?”
“Oh yeah, they’ll be here any second. Also, I think I broke a rib.”
“Eh? You broke a-”
She stopped speaking for a moment when she saw a butterfly-shaped bullet flying right at her. She quickly dodged and counterattacked by shooting a bullet out of her hand. The bullet flew right over where Yuyuko was, only to be cut in half by Youmu’s blade. Both Youmu and Reisen held their stances, staring at the other with an odd sense of respect for the other’s quick reaction. Soon after the rest of the incident resolving group arrived at the scene.
“Oh crap.” Tewi looked back and made an immediate decision. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Reisen!” She got back up and fled.
“T-Tewi!” Reisen called for her to come back, but it was no use.
“Is that the culprit, Yukari?” Reimu asked, to which Yukari shook her head no.
“No, she looks different from the other rabbits, but I don’t believe she’s who we’re looking for.” Yukari said.
“Maybe she’ll tell us if we incapacitate her.” Alice said, readying more dolls with strings.
“Let’s not knock her out then, we need her awake for interrogation.” Marisa stated.
“And if she doesn’t talk, we’ll make her by any means.” Sakuya said with a threatening voice.
“And when we’re finished, she’ll make for a wonderful stew later.” Remilia spoke.
“Mmmm, rabbit stew. Youmu, be sure to gather the necessary ingredients by the end of the week.” Yuyuko said with hunger. “Oh, and don’t forget to acquire some sparrows for tomorrow’s dinner.” Her request made Youmu look at her with bewilderment.
Reisen’s heart raced hearing what they had planned for her. She had to fight back now and give her master more time, so she did what only she could. She opened her eyes wide, causing a bright red glow which caught the group off-guard as they were blinded.
“Augh!!!” Some of them yelled, covering their eyes with their hands and arms. A few seconds later the light ceased, and when they uncovered their faces they were met with a dozen of the same person, all raising their hands as they let out bullets. The group, momentarily confused by the sudden number of copies, defended from the oncoming barrage, raising barriers while retaliating with bullets of their own. Soon it was like any other danmaku fight, with everyone zipping around trying to analyze the patterns of the bullets. A few of the Reisens were taken down, but most remained, still keeping the group on their toes.
While Remilia fought, she discerned something odd about her opponent. Her eyes, more keen than others, saw the differences in the copies, such as the length of the hair being a couple centimeters short, or the color of the skirt being less saturated. Making quick glances at the others, she pinpointed which was the real one, and immediately called her out.
“Sakuya! Attack that one!” She said, Sakuya looked over where Remilia pointed and saw the Reisen which Reimu and Yukari were up against. Reisen caught Remilia and Sakuya rushing at her with knives and bats. She knew she couldn’t hold her own against four people at once, so she had to retreat. She ran down the hall, as did her copies, all going separate directions. Reimu, Yukari, Sakuya and Remilia followed the original Reisen while Marisa, Alice, Youmu and Yuyuko followed a copy down a different part of the hallway, separating the group.
2024.06.07 20:29 Wide_Entrepreneur928 Health & Happiness - My Journey With A Glioblastoma Diagnosis
Hi Everyone, later this month I will be 7 years out of my Glioblastoma diagnosis. I was 30 years old when I was diagnosed and am 37 years old now. Over the last 6+ years, I have been put in contact with many people battling the same diagnosis and decided to create a Word document titled "Health & Happiness", which details all of the things I have incorporated into my healing journey. Everyone is different and I am simply sharing what has worked for me. Neither me or my wife are in the medical field however we have spent a lot of time researching things to integrate into my day-to-day life which we believe are keeping me healthy. For the first 5 years of my journey I received MRI's every 8 weeks; now that I am more than 5 years out I get MRI's every 12 weeks. Below is a copy and paste of the document:
*Below there are some discount codes that I have not affiliation with and found them through IG or marketing emails and they might be outdated*
My Neurosurgeon:
Dr. Mitchel Berger - UCSF
My Neuro Oncologist:
Dr. Timothy Cloughesy - UCLA
My Naturopathic Doctor:
· Christian Gonzalez, ND
o Check out his podcast, “Heal Thy Self” – This podcast has been life-changing for my wife and I. It has provided us with assurance about the path that we have been on to keep me healthy and has opened our eyes to so many things that we thought were “good” and “healthy” when in fact we were grossly misled to a technique called “Green Washing” that a lot of companies and products use in their marketing efforts.
· Below are two links where you can find a ND in your area.
o Naturopath Oncologist Database - https://oncanp.org/directory/
o General Naturopath Doctor Database - https://www.naturopathic.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=2
CBD/THC Extracts - Cancer Protocols:
· I went through CT's full 90 day protocol back in 2017 in conjunction with radiation and chemo (Temodar). I am on CT's "maintenance" program and have been since I finished the 90 day protocol.
o https://www.constancetherapeutics.com/
o https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosne2019/01/24/constance-finleys-midlife-detour-to-cannabis-extraction-connoisseu#456c41bc35c6
§ The article above is from Forbes magazine on Constance and how she got started.
Books and Documentaries:
· Radical Remission. This book was the first book I read when I was diagnosed and gave me knowledge and motivation to not look at my diagnosis as a death sentence. One of the most powerful cancer books I have read and I highly recommend it for anyone that has cancer or knows someone that has cancer. 😊
· What the Health: Netflix
· Heal: Netflix
o Here are a couple ‘extras’ from “Heal” that we found very powerful and inspiring.
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sxmK8A-Kco&list=PLmcZvnvGDkToo9nYIX3ugcgyLCll0NLLc&utm_content=b080891cf2ccb1c272c432873d52f9cd&utm_campaign=Don%27t+believe+you+can+change+your+destiny%3F+This+video+could+help+you+change+your+mind.&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeQjNRahxrw&feature=youtu.be&utm_content=eadbd6e0e0dff2d44d28e6515fa4c2a1&utm_campaign=Rob+Wergin+use+his+incredible+and+unique+gifts&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email
o The Documentary “Heal”, did so well they wrote a book as well.
· The Game Changers – A documentary on Netflix.
· Forks Over Knives - Netflix
· Cowspiracy – Netflix
· The China Study – Book outlining the most comprehensive study done on nutrition, and the links the standard American diet has to all types of diseases including cancer.
· Being In Balance - Book
· You The Healer – Book
· The Power of Now – Book
· The Celestine Prophecy – Book
· How Not To Die – Book
· The Truth About Cancer – Documentary
Supplements I am taking:
· Maca Root
· Vitamin B12
· Gaia – “Liver Health”
· Bladderwrack & Sea Moss
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Mushroom Supplements: Chaga, Turkey Tail, Maitake, Reishi, Cordyceps & Lion’s Mane (Real Mushrooms is the company we use.) See video and article below about the health benefits of mushrooms.
o https://www.realmushrooms.com/
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuL_faveAnw
o https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/canceturkey-tail-mushrooms-for-cancer-treatment/
o Paul Stamets is the CEO of Host Defense and his mother was diagnosed with Stage Four Breast Cancer. He gives a lot of credit to her remission from the mushroom supplements. https://hostdefense.com/also has a 10% off first time order. We order from Vitacost.com though due to their sales and free shipping.
· Agaricus Mushroom – I take it at night with my Essiac Tea (See Below)
· Kelp
· Vitamin D3
· Graviola/Soursop – (can be taken as a supplement or in Tea form)
· Ashwagandha –Benefits and study links below. In the first link below, each number found in the article is a hyper link showcasing different studies that have been conducted proving the benefits listed.
o https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-ashwagandha-benefits#section3
o https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26650066
· Vitamin B2
· Boswellia (Frankincense)
· Melatonin
· CoQ10
[· X-R Shield by LifeExtension – My ND prescribed me to take these 5 days prior to air travel, during travel and 5 days after air travel. When flying, you’re exposed to high amounts of radiation and this supplement helps to protect cell DNA damage]()
· Chaparral
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Liposomal Glutathione – Quicksilver Scientific
· NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Free-Form)
· Co-E1 NADH
· Probiotic – Klaire Labs, Ther-Biotic Complete
· Life Cykel Mushroom Tinctures
o https://us.lifecykel.com/?rfsn=3953957.f0c203&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=3953957.f0c203
o Discount code: 0DCB4626
o Chaga, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Lions Maine, Cordyceps, Shitake
o All of the above mushrooms are harnessed in Kakadu Plum juice which is the most Vitamin C dense fruit in the world.
· We get most of our supplements from http://www.vitacost.com . They have sales all the time and free 2-day shipping.
Teas:
· Senna Tea - I drank this on the nights I took Temodar (Chemo) to prevent constipation, it's a lot easier on your body than any OTC medication.
· Essiac Tea - I drink 4 oz. of this every night before bed. People who have defeated cancer give a lot of credit to Essiac Tea.
o We purchase it in loose leaf form from https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/
· Moringa
· Dandelion
· Teas with Turmeric
[· Pique Tea – Organic, ceremonial grade, triple screened for heavy metals, mold toxins and pesticides. This is the only tea that we have been able to find that has a triple screening process for heavy metals. “Organic” does not mean free of heavy metals.]()
o Discount Code: GREENFIELD 15% off!
Other things I do:
· Meditation – Every day for 20 minute – I started off with the app called “Headspace” other people use “Calm”. Its personal preference.
o I am looking into taking a TM class (Transcendental Meditation) and will let you know once I do.
[· Minimizing EMF exposure as much as possible]()
o Sleeping with our phones in airplane mode and away from us, ideally in another room
o Turning off Wi-Fi at night, and even when not in use
o Covering Wi-Fi router and Digital Electricity Meter (outside of house) with EMF guards
§ These can be found here: https://smartmeterguard.com/
o Keeping cell phones away from our bodies as much as possible
o Not using anything wireless near our heads. This includes cell phones (always talk on speaker phone or a wired ear pod connection), air pods or any type of Bluetooth headphones, this includes Bluetooth in the car.
o Hardwiring my office so there is no need for Wi-Fi.
· When we fly, we have these blankets that we wrap around our body. This company has a lot of great products that protect you from EMF exposure.
o https://www.defendershield.com/emf-radiation-protection-blanket
· We also wear these when we fly, they are a company out of Australia
o https://radiasmart.com/emf-hat-hood/
o This is what we have: RS EMF radiation protection hood, blocking RF, EMF- Brian Coat
· Here is another company that is popular, we were not aware of it at the time of buying the other products above.
o https://getlambs.com/products/emf-proof-beanie
· Positive attitude and mindset in everything I do- link below to article explaining how thoughts can benefit or hinder your body
o https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-your-thoughts-change-your-brain-cells-and-genes_b_9516176
· Eliminate as much stress as I possibly can from my everyday life
· Be present in my mind
· Yoga
· Spin
· Writing down 3 things that I am grateful for each night before bed
· Using Frankincense oil on my feet and pillow, every night, before bed
· Morning Routine: Body Scan Meditation, Drink a liter of water when you wake up (Your body is most dehydrated after a full night’s sleep), stretch or some type of quick 10 minute workout to get your body moving in the morning, “I Am” affirmations (I will usually do this right after I finish my morning stretching, I will typically say 5-10 things out loud to myself, for example (I am healthy, I am a loving husband, I am kind, etc…), statements of gratitude (I will mix this in with my “I Am” affirmations, for example, I am grateful for my bed, I am grateful for my home, I am grateful to have access to organic produce, etc…) I try to focus on this that I have in my life instead of things that I want, rubbing a 1-2 drops of any organic essential oil that you like in your hands in the morning and taking 4-5 deep breaths with your hands over your mouth and nose (this is very helpful in awakening your sensory functions), lastly, I listen to music when getting ready for work in the morning. Soft music in the morning taps into the creative side of your brain and research has shown that individuals that listen to soft music in the morning are more creative and productive throughout the day than those who don’t.
· Taking a walk every day to get fresh air and disconnect, normally with the dogs J
· Circuit Training
· Acupuncture / Energy Healing
· Energy Healer – Steve Montoya – Let me know if you would like his contact info. He travels all over the world healing people. He is in the LA/OC area once a quarter or so.
o https://ramonashealingjourney.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/you-shall-know-them-by-their-love/
· Keeping my body warm at all times. We learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine, that keeping the body warm protects the kidneys, which means all of the other organs can do their job and the body can heal. Also, just for example, when you have a fever, it’s your body’s way of protecting all of your vital organs so that they can do their job, as well as preventing any proliferation of bacteria and viruses.
o http://aprilcrowell.com/asian-medicine/warm-to-the-core/
· John of God – Brazil. Lauren’s cousin went down to visit him during the 4th quarter of 2018 and took a head shot of myself as well as a two-page letter sharing my story. He is a spiritual healer that helped a young man get to a state of meditation where his brain tumor shrunk to nothing. He sent back two bottles of Herbs (Ground Up Passion Flower Leaves – Actual Name: Passiflora) for me to take. There is a large portion about him in the book “Radical Remission” and he is featured in “Heal” as well.
· I brush my teeth with my less dominant hand once a day and then with my dominant hand the other two times.
o This helps stimulate parts of the brain that are not in use often. You can do this with many things, brushing your hair, using your less dominant foot in sports, washing your body with soap while showering.
· Drinking and eating out of glass vs. plastic. It’s having an effect on both men and women’s endocrine systems (hormones, fertility, etc…)
o https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2017/7/26/new-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-are-undermining-male-fertility
· This may sound like something so simple but it’s quite challenging: When moving/changing physical positions I am always present. For example, every time I sit, I tell myself I am sitting, every time I stand to walk, I tell myself I am standing. This helps me to bring my mind into a present state and focus less on the future or past.
o This was a recommendation during one of my guided meditations.
· Laughing, loving and hugging every day. This was a big take away for Lauren and I from reading the book Radical Remission. It’s important to laugh every day, love every day and receive and give hugs to people every day. I know, I know, it sounds crazy but it has worked on other folks, we practice it every day. We try to watch more comedies if we are going to watch a movie on the weekend, an easy way to incorporate laughter into your life.
· We recently added air purifiers into our home. I also have one in my office. We purchased the Molekule, but through research we found that the Air Doctor is another good option (and I believe also a little less expensive). Here is a discount code for $100 off a Molekule: MetroMD100
· IR Sauna (Infrared Saunas)
o These are great for detoxifying the body, especially after air travel. I go to Perspire (https://perspiresaunastudio.com/) here in Orange County.
· Epsom Salt Baths – Especially after air or any long car travel as well.
· Grounding/Earthing – Walk around barefoot on your backyard grass or anywhere there is a plot of “Earth”. Feel the grass between your toes or if you are at the beach, be aware of the sand between your toes. We are all energy and Earth contains energy, manifest the energy from the Earth into your body for increased healing, awareness, presence and mindfulness. I do this for about 10-15 minutes.
· Cold Showers (as cold as the shower can get) every morning and Ice Plunges. Look up the “Wim Hof Method”
o https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
Diet:
· For the past 6+ years we have followed a whole food plant-based diet (vegan without the junk food). Cancer cells feed off of Glucose (Sugar) firstly, but can also utilize glutamate as a second source of fuel (which is in all animal protein, land and sea). I have also cut out all artificial sugars from my diet. Dairy is also extremely inflammatory for your body and has been linked to cancer in many research studies.
· White Carbs and Gluten - We have eliminated these from our diet as much as we possibly can. Even for people who do not have a ‘gluten intolerance,’ gluten is very hard on the body’s digestive system. Excessive consumption can lead to a leaky gut, which causes toxins to seep out of the digestive tract into the body/blood making it hard for your immune system to work at its peak. Also, most gluten products have high levels of glyphosate, which they’ve linked to cancer. Glyphosate acts like an antibiotic to your gut (not in a good way), wiping out all of the beneficial gut flora which are there to keep your immune system working efficiently.
· Alkaline Foods and Water - Cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline environment; we drink water with a PH level of 9.5. We recently invested in a Kangen water machine for our home. A level of 7 PH is balanced and anything below 7 is acidic. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. Things that make your body acidic are alcohol, dairy, meat, processed and artificial sugars and gluten.
· I drink warm lemon water with apple cider vinegar every morning, which also helps alkalize the body and keep stomach acid levels at a great pH for food absorption.
· We practice intermittent fasting, which allows the body to not worry about processing food for a large portion of the day but rather allow its immune system to be working at its peak ability. We started out by only eating from 12 PM - 8 PM and are working toward 12 PM - 6 PM. Intermittent fasting is really important when taking Temodar (or any chemotherapy). It allows the body to protect the healthy cells while targeting cancer cells. There is so much research showing the benefits of intermittent fasting for cancer patients.
· This is a really interesting article citing a lot of different sources regarding a plant-based diet and fighting/preventing cancer:
o https://www.vivahealth.org.uk/veganhealth/dont-feed-cancer
Other Things to Research:
· Dr. Sebi – He is the doctor who put a full-page ad in the NY Post and was sued to take it down. When he went to his court hearing the judge asked him if he could prove that he healed anyone, and he furnished 70 patients of his that were healed by his treatment and the Judge declared “not guilty” on all the charges that were brought against him by the State of New York.
o The link below is a quick rundown of his life. I believe the pharmaceutical companies were heavily involved with his death in while he was imprisoned in Honduras.
o https://wakeup-world.com/2015/08/28/dr-sebi-the-man-who-cures-aids-cancer-diabetes-and-more/
· Radiation Stickers for your cell phone and laptop:
o https://www.amazon.com/Radiation-Protection-Labobbon-Household-Appliances/dp/B078SSD6QC
· We also try to use the ‘cleanest’ hygiene products we can find. There are many harmful chemicals in our everyday toothpastes, shampoos, deodorants, etc. Chemicals to avoid in hygiene products below:
o Shampoo – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate,’ Parabens, Sodium Benzoate. Brands that we like are: 100% Pure, Acure, Alaffia
o Toothpaste – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate’, fluoride, triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol, Microbeads. One of the worst toothpaste brands out there is Colgate. We use Himalaya Botanique & Nature’s Gate as well as Dr. Bronner’s All-In-One toothpaste.
o Deodorant – Aluminum, Parabens, Triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol. We have been testing out natural deodorants for years and our favorite (although not vegan) is from a company called Primally Pure. We’ve also started to use a brand called Joyous Organics with clean (and minimal) ingredients.
o A great website to reference for beauty product ingredients and their safety is https://www.ewg.org/
§ Skin Deep Database – This is where you will find clean products to put on your body.
· https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
· The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen
o The EWG, each year, comes out with an updated list of produce that we should be buying organic 100% of the time (Dirty Dozen), especially people like you and I who have had cancer. The Clean fifteen can be purchased conventionally if you can’t find them in an organic form and conventional is the only option
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
· The link below is a good read on Monsanto’s Glyphosate and the timeline for removal in home use:
o https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2021/07/bayer-end-residential-sales-cancer-causing-weedkiller-glyphosate?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=202108News&utm_medium=email&emci=9a939839-bef6-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=4d3bfe91-dbf7-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=2210188
These are things that we have done and have found to be successful so far with my body, and hopefully, they are helpful for you as well. I have also included some images below that show how damaging the effects of Wi-Fi radiation (and all of the radiation coming from electronics) can be.
submitted by Wide_Entrepreneur928 to glioblastoma [link] [comments]
*Below there are some discount codes that I have not affiliation with and found them through IG or marketing emails and they might be outdated*
My Neurosurgeon:
Dr. Mitchel Berger - UCSF
My Neuro Oncologist:
Dr. Timothy Cloughesy - UCLA
My Naturopathic Doctor:
· Christian Gonzalez, ND
o Check out his podcast, “Heal Thy Self” – This podcast has been life-changing for my wife and I. It has provided us with assurance about the path that we have been on to keep me healthy and has opened our eyes to so many things that we thought were “good” and “healthy” when in fact we were grossly misled to a technique called “Green Washing” that a lot of companies and products use in their marketing efforts.
· Below are two links where you can find a ND in your area.
o Naturopath Oncologist Database - https://oncanp.org/directory/
o General Naturopath Doctor Database - https://www.naturopathic.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=2
CBD/THC Extracts - Cancer Protocols:
· I went through CT's full 90 day protocol back in 2017 in conjunction with radiation and chemo (Temodar). I am on CT's "maintenance" program and have been since I finished the 90 day protocol.
o https://www.constancetherapeutics.com/
o https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosne2019/01/24/constance-finleys-midlife-detour-to-cannabis-extraction-connoisseu#456c41bc35c6
§ The article above is from Forbes magazine on Constance and how she got started.
Books and Documentaries:
· Radical Remission. This book was the first book I read when I was diagnosed and gave me knowledge and motivation to not look at my diagnosis as a death sentence. One of the most powerful cancer books I have read and I highly recommend it for anyone that has cancer or knows someone that has cancer. 😊
· What the Health: Netflix
· Heal: Netflix
o Here are a couple ‘extras’ from “Heal” that we found very powerful and inspiring.
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sxmK8A-Kco&list=PLmcZvnvGDkToo9nYIX3ugcgyLCll0NLLc&utm_content=b080891cf2ccb1c272c432873d52f9cd&utm_campaign=Don%27t+believe+you+can+change+your+destiny%3F+This+video+could+help+you+change+your+mind.&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeQjNRahxrw&feature=youtu.be&utm_content=eadbd6e0e0dff2d44d28e6515fa4c2a1&utm_campaign=Rob+Wergin+use+his+incredible+and+unique+gifts&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email
o The Documentary “Heal”, did so well they wrote a book as well.
· The Game Changers – A documentary on Netflix.
· Forks Over Knives - Netflix
· Cowspiracy – Netflix
· The China Study – Book outlining the most comprehensive study done on nutrition, and the links the standard American diet has to all types of diseases including cancer.
· Being In Balance - Book
· You The Healer – Book
· The Power of Now – Book
· The Celestine Prophecy – Book
· How Not To Die – Book
· The Truth About Cancer – Documentary
Supplements I am taking:
· Maca Root
· Vitamin B12
· Gaia – “Liver Health”
· Bladderwrack & Sea Moss
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Mushroom Supplements: Chaga, Turkey Tail, Maitake, Reishi, Cordyceps & Lion’s Mane (Real Mushrooms is the company we use.) See video and article below about the health benefits of mushrooms.
o https://www.realmushrooms.com/
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuL_faveAnw
o https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/canceturkey-tail-mushrooms-for-cancer-treatment/
o Paul Stamets is the CEO of Host Defense and his mother was diagnosed with Stage Four Breast Cancer. He gives a lot of credit to her remission from the mushroom supplements. https://hostdefense.com/also has a 10% off first time order. We order from Vitacost.com though due to their sales and free shipping.
· Agaricus Mushroom – I take it at night with my Essiac Tea (See Below)
· Kelp
· Vitamin D3
· Graviola/Soursop – (can be taken as a supplement or in Tea form)
· Ashwagandha –Benefits and study links below. In the first link below, each number found in the article is a hyper link showcasing different studies that have been conducted proving the benefits listed.
o https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-ashwagandha-benefits#section3
o https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26650066
· Vitamin B2
· Boswellia (Frankincense)
· Melatonin
· CoQ10
[· X-R Shield by LifeExtension – My ND prescribed me to take these 5 days prior to air travel, during travel and 5 days after air travel. When flying, you’re exposed to high amounts of radiation and this supplement helps to protect cell DNA damage]()
· Chaparral
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Liposomal Glutathione – Quicksilver Scientific
· NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Free-Form)
· Co-E1 NADH
· Probiotic – Klaire Labs, Ther-Biotic Complete
· Life Cykel Mushroom Tinctures
o https://us.lifecykel.com/?rfsn=3953957.f0c203&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=3953957.f0c203
o Discount code: 0DCB4626
o Chaga, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Lions Maine, Cordyceps, Shitake
o All of the above mushrooms are harnessed in Kakadu Plum juice which is the most Vitamin C dense fruit in the world.
· We get most of our supplements from http://www.vitacost.com . They have sales all the time and free 2-day shipping.
Teas:
· Senna Tea - I drank this on the nights I took Temodar (Chemo) to prevent constipation, it's a lot easier on your body than any OTC medication.
· Essiac Tea - I drink 4 oz. of this every night before bed. People who have defeated cancer give a lot of credit to Essiac Tea.
o We purchase it in loose leaf form from https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/
· Moringa
· Dandelion
· Teas with Turmeric
[· Pique Tea – Organic, ceremonial grade, triple screened for heavy metals, mold toxins and pesticides. This is the only tea that we have been able to find that has a triple screening process for heavy metals. “Organic” does not mean free of heavy metals.]()
o Discount Code: GREENFIELD 15% off!
Other things I do:
· Meditation – Every day for 20 minute – I started off with the app called “Headspace” other people use “Calm”. Its personal preference.
o I am looking into taking a TM class (Transcendental Meditation) and will let you know once I do.
[· Minimizing EMF exposure as much as possible]()
o Sleeping with our phones in airplane mode and away from us, ideally in another room
o Turning off Wi-Fi at night, and even when not in use
o Covering Wi-Fi router and Digital Electricity Meter (outside of house) with EMF guards
§ These can be found here: https://smartmeterguard.com/
o Keeping cell phones away from our bodies as much as possible
o Not using anything wireless near our heads. This includes cell phones (always talk on speaker phone or a wired ear pod connection), air pods or any type of Bluetooth headphones, this includes Bluetooth in the car.
o Hardwiring my office so there is no need for Wi-Fi.
· When we fly, we have these blankets that we wrap around our body. This company has a lot of great products that protect you from EMF exposure.
o https://www.defendershield.com/emf-radiation-protection-blanket
· We also wear these when we fly, they are a company out of Australia
o https://radiasmart.com/emf-hat-hood/
o This is what we have: RS EMF radiation protection hood, blocking RF, EMF- Brian Coat
· Here is another company that is popular, we were not aware of it at the time of buying the other products above.
o https://getlambs.com/products/emf-proof-beanie
· Positive attitude and mindset in everything I do- link below to article explaining how thoughts can benefit or hinder your body
o https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-your-thoughts-change-your-brain-cells-and-genes_b_9516176
· Eliminate as much stress as I possibly can from my everyday life
· Be present in my mind
· Yoga
· Spin
· Writing down 3 things that I am grateful for each night before bed
· Using Frankincense oil on my feet and pillow, every night, before bed
· Morning Routine: Body Scan Meditation, Drink a liter of water when you wake up (Your body is most dehydrated after a full night’s sleep), stretch or some type of quick 10 minute workout to get your body moving in the morning, “I Am” affirmations (I will usually do this right after I finish my morning stretching, I will typically say 5-10 things out loud to myself, for example (I am healthy, I am a loving husband, I am kind, etc…), statements of gratitude (I will mix this in with my “I Am” affirmations, for example, I am grateful for my bed, I am grateful for my home, I am grateful to have access to organic produce, etc…) I try to focus on this that I have in my life instead of things that I want, rubbing a 1-2 drops of any organic essential oil that you like in your hands in the morning and taking 4-5 deep breaths with your hands over your mouth and nose (this is very helpful in awakening your sensory functions), lastly, I listen to music when getting ready for work in the morning. Soft music in the morning taps into the creative side of your brain and research has shown that individuals that listen to soft music in the morning are more creative and productive throughout the day than those who don’t.
· Taking a walk every day to get fresh air and disconnect, normally with the dogs J
· Circuit Training
· Acupuncture / Energy Healing
· Energy Healer – Steve Montoya – Let me know if you would like his contact info. He travels all over the world healing people. He is in the LA/OC area once a quarter or so.
o https://ramonashealingjourney.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/you-shall-know-them-by-their-love/
· Keeping my body warm at all times. We learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine, that keeping the body warm protects the kidneys, which means all of the other organs can do their job and the body can heal. Also, just for example, when you have a fever, it’s your body’s way of protecting all of your vital organs so that they can do their job, as well as preventing any proliferation of bacteria and viruses.
o http://aprilcrowell.com/asian-medicine/warm-to-the-core/
· John of God – Brazil. Lauren’s cousin went down to visit him during the 4th quarter of 2018 and took a head shot of myself as well as a two-page letter sharing my story. He is a spiritual healer that helped a young man get to a state of meditation where his brain tumor shrunk to nothing. He sent back two bottles of Herbs (Ground Up Passion Flower Leaves – Actual Name: Passiflora) for me to take. There is a large portion about him in the book “Radical Remission” and he is featured in “Heal” as well.
· I brush my teeth with my less dominant hand once a day and then with my dominant hand the other two times.
o This helps stimulate parts of the brain that are not in use often. You can do this with many things, brushing your hair, using your less dominant foot in sports, washing your body with soap while showering.
· Drinking and eating out of glass vs. plastic. It’s having an effect on both men and women’s endocrine systems (hormones, fertility, etc…)
o https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2017/7/26/new-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-are-undermining-male-fertility
· This may sound like something so simple but it’s quite challenging: When moving/changing physical positions I am always present. For example, every time I sit, I tell myself I am sitting, every time I stand to walk, I tell myself I am standing. This helps me to bring my mind into a present state and focus less on the future or past.
o This was a recommendation during one of my guided meditations.
· Laughing, loving and hugging every day. This was a big take away for Lauren and I from reading the book Radical Remission. It’s important to laugh every day, love every day and receive and give hugs to people every day. I know, I know, it sounds crazy but it has worked on other folks, we practice it every day. We try to watch more comedies if we are going to watch a movie on the weekend, an easy way to incorporate laughter into your life.
· We recently added air purifiers into our home. I also have one in my office. We purchased the Molekule, but through research we found that the Air Doctor is another good option (and I believe also a little less expensive). Here is a discount code for $100 off a Molekule: MetroMD100
· IR Sauna (Infrared Saunas)
o These are great for detoxifying the body, especially after air travel. I go to Perspire (https://perspiresaunastudio.com/) here in Orange County.
· Epsom Salt Baths – Especially after air or any long car travel as well.
· Grounding/Earthing – Walk around barefoot on your backyard grass or anywhere there is a plot of “Earth”. Feel the grass between your toes or if you are at the beach, be aware of the sand between your toes. We are all energy and Earth contains energy, manifest the energy from the Earth into your body for increased healing, awareness, presence and mindfulness. I do this for about 10-15 minutes.
· Cold Showers (as cold as the shower can get) every morning and Ice Plunges. Look up the “Wim Hof Method”
o https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
Diet:
· For the past 6+ years we have followed a whole food plant-based diet (vegan without the junk food). Cancer cells feed off of Glucose (Sugar) firstly, but can also utilize glutamate as a second source of fuel (which is in all animal protein, land and sea). I have also cut out all artificial sugars from my diet. Dairy is also extremely inflammatory for your body and has been linked to cancer in many research studies.
· White Carbs and Gluten - We have eliminated these from our diet as much as we possibly can. Even for people who do not have a ‘gluten intolerance,’ gluten is very hard on the body’s digestive system. Excessive consumption can lead to a leaky gut, which causes toxins to seep out of the digestive tract into the body/blood making it hard for your immune system to work at its peak. Also, most gluten products have high levels of glyphosate, which they’ve linked to cancer. Glyphosate acts like an antibiotic to your gut (not in a good way), wiping out all of the beneficial gut flora which are there to keep your immune system working efficiently.
· Alkaline Foods and Water - Cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline environment; we drink water with a PH level of 9.5. We recently invested in a Kangen water machine for our home. A level of 7 PH is balanced and anything below 7 is acidic. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. Things that make your body acidic are alcohol, dairy, meat, processed and artificial sugars and gluten.
· I drink warm lemon water with apple cider vinegar every morning, which also helps alkalize the body and keep stomach acid levels at a great pH for food absorption.
· We practice intermittent fasting, which allows the body to not worry about processing food for a large portion of the day but rather allow its immune system to be working at its peak ability. We started out by only eating from 12 PM - 8 PM and are working toward 12 PM - 6 PM. Intermittent fasting is really important when taking Temodar (or any chemotherapy). It allows the body to protect the healthy cells while targeting cancer cells. There is so much research showing the benefits of intermittent fasting for cancer patients.
· This is a really interesting article citing a lot of different sources regarding a plant-based diet and fighting/preventing cancer:
o https://www.vivahealth.org.uk/veganhealth/dont-feed-cancer
Other Things to Research:
· Dr. Sebi – He is the doctor who put a full-page ad in the NY Post and was sued to take it down. When he went to his court hearing the judge asked him if he could prove that he healed anyone, and he furnished 70 patients of his that were healed by his treatment and the Judge declared “not guilty” on all the charges that were brought against him by the State of New York.
o The link below is a quick rundown of his life. I believe the pharmaceutical companies were heavily involved with his death in while he was imprisoned in Honduras.
o https://wakeup-world.com/2015/08/28/dr-sebi-the-man-who-cures-aids-cancer-diabetes-and-more/
· Radiation Stickers for your cell phone and laptop:
o https://www.amazon.com/Radiation-Protection-Labobbon-Household-Appliances/dp/B078SSD6QC
· We also try to use the ‘cleanest’ hygiene products we can find. There are many harmful chemicals in our everyday toothpastes, shampoos, deodorants, etc. Chemicals to avoid in hygiene products below:
o Shampoo – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate,’ Parabens, Sodium Benzoate. Brands that we like are: 100% Pure, Acure, Alaffia
o Toothpaste – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate’, fluoride, triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol, Microbeads. One of the worst toothpaste brands out there is Colgate. We use Himalaya Botanique & Nature’s Gate as well as Dr. Bronner’s All-In-One toothpaste.
o Deodorant – Aluminum, Parabens, Triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol. We have been testing out natural deodorants for years and our favorite (although not vegan) is from a company called Primally Pure. We’ve also started to use a brand called Joyous Organics with clean (and minimal) ingredients.
o A great website to reference for beauty product ingredients and their safety is https://www.ewg.org/
§ Skin Deep Database – This is where you will find clean products to put on your body.
· https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
· The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen
o The EWG, each year, comes out with an updated list of produce that we should be buying organic 100% of the time (Dirty Dozen), especially people like you and I who have had cancer. The Clean fifteen can be purchased conventionally if you can’t find them in an organic form and conventional is the only option
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
· The link below is a good read on Monsanto’s Glyphosate and the timeline for removal in home use:
o https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2021/07/bayer-end-residential-sales-cancer-causing-weedkiller-glyphosate?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=202108News&utm_medium=email&emci=9a939839-bef6-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=4d3bfe91-dbf7-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=2210188
These are things that we have done and have found to be successful so far with my body, and hopefully, they are helpful for you as well. I have also included some images below that show how damaging the effects of Wi-Fi radiation (and all of the radiation coming from electronics) can be.
2024.06.07 20:05 fifi_edits What Is Metabolic Syndrome? Everything You Need to Know
It’s estimated that a third of U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome. This widespread health issue is characterized by a combination of high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at risk of developing severe health issues such as type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, metabolic syndrome occurs when a person simultaneously has at least three metabolic disorders.
These conditions include:
Here are common symptoms linked to metabolic syndrome.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute published data outlining the value ranges of health markers used to assess metabolic health and diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome.
These values are considered normal and not indicative of metabolic syndrome:
“The advanced lipid profile offers a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's cholesterol status by measuring both the small, dense LDL particles, which are considered dangerous, and the large, buoyant LDL particles, which are less harmful,” says Dr. Berg.
Causes of metabolic syndrome
While the precise causes are complex and not entirely defined, many experts agree that dietary and lifestyle choices play a significant role in the development of metabolic syndrome.
Research published in Current Vascular Pharmacology emphasizes this point, encouraging that when addressing metabolic disorders, “preventive healthcare should focus on changing lifestyle in order to reduce obesity and increase physical activity.”
Here are two of the primary causes associated with metabolic syndrome.
1. Poor dietary habits
A diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars significantly affects metabolic health by increasing the body's demand for insulin.
Insulin is an essential hormone that stimulates various metabolic pathways and regulates energy storage.
Released in response to carbohydrate intake, insulin signals cells to absorb glucose. This enables cellular energy production, helps maintain blood sugar balance, and signals the liver to convert excess blood sugar into fatty acids for storage.
However, regularly consuming carbs and sugars can cause persistently high insulin levels. This can desensitize cells to insulin’s signaling and lead to elevated blood glucose levels, a core component of metabolic syndrome.
Over time, this insulin resistance can contribute to other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, including high triglycerides, hypertension, and obesity.
2. Lack of physical activity
A sedentary lifestyle substantially raises the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Evidence published in Frontiers in Physiology shows that physical inactivity promotes the accumulation of visceral fat. This type of fat is associated with systemic inflammation, which is linked to insulin resistance and explains why overweight or obese individuals are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
This highlights the importance of engaging in regular physical activity as a powerful tool for preventing and managing metabolic disorders.
Research published in Frontiers in Endocrinology underscores this point and summarizes, "Physical activity represents a potent, non-pharmacological intervention delaying the onset of over 40 chronic metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.”
Risk factors for metabolic syndrome
Insulin resistance is believed to be the leading cause of all conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.
In addition to a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices, various other factors can contribute to insulin resistance. Risk factors linked to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome include:
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased from about 10 percent among 18 to 29-year-olds in all race and ethnic groups to almost 70 percent among 70+-year-old adult females.”
5 ways to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome
The majority of risk factors linked to metabolic syndrome can be mitigated by implementing beneficial dietary and lifestyle changes.
1. Limit carbohydrates and sugars
The common denominator of all conditions related to metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance, which is primarily influenced by diet. Adopting a diet optimized to support steady blood sugar and insulin levels, such as Healthy Keto®, can help prevent and potentially reverse insulin resistance and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
2. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an excellent strategy to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and promote overall health. Research published in Nutrients investigated the effects of intermittent fasting and found that it improved several metabolic markers, including body weight, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and blood pressure.
4. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol use is a well-known trigger of inflammation and has various harmful metabolic consequences.
A study published in Scientific Reports found that a significant proportion of individuals with alcohol use disorder display one or more of the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Alcohol is linked to weight gain, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Research published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology states, "Stress can affect features of metabolic dysfunction, such as insulin resistance, glucose, and lipid homeostasis."
How to start Healthy Keto® and intermittent fasting
One of the best ways to restore metabolic health and prevent metabolic syndrome is to adopt a low-carb diet and practice intermittent fasting. The Healthy Keto diet prioritizes eating whole foods, focusing on organic and non-GMO options whenever possible, while limiting carbohydrate intake.
By avoiding processed foods with harmful additives, refined carbs, and sugar, Healthy Keto promotes balanced blood sugar levels, which is crucial to preventing and managing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Here’s how you can get started with Healthy Keto and intermittent fasting.
To maintain balanced blood sugar levels, it’s vital to limit your daily carbohydrate intake to no more than 50 grams of net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the fiber content of a food from its total carb count.
Aim for 7 to 10 cups of vegetables daily, choose organic produce, and opt for nutrient-dense vegetables such as dark leafy greens. Avoid sugar, grains, fruit, and starchy vegetables to prevent blood sugar spikes and insulin imbalances, which cause perpetual food cravings, hunger, and fatigue.
In addition, starting your meals with vegetables or salad promotes digestive functions and helps buffer potential insulin spikes after eating. Those new to keto may benefit from planning a week of keto-friendly meals to avoid uncertainty or temptation that could derail your diet goals.
It's recommended to follow the 18:6 fasting pattern, characterized by abstaining from food for 18 hours and eating during a six-hour window.
”During periods of caloric restriction, the body is forced to burn stored body fat to generate energy. This explains why fasting is a highly effective weight-loss strategy,” says Dr. Berg.
How to start 18:6 intermittent fasting
To get started with 18:6 fasting, choose a six-hour eating window. Most people skip breakfast and start their fast after an early dinner, which helps achieve an 18-hour fast. During the fast, consume zero-calorie beverages such as water, herbal tea, and black coffee. In addition, using a zero-sugar electrolyte powder can help boost energy levels and keep you hydrated.
Experiment with adding grass-fed butter or MCT oil to your coffee to keep you satiated until your fast is over. Combining intermittent fasting with Healthy Keto can maximize the metabolic health benefits of caloric restriction by promoting fat-burning during your eating window.
It’s also crucial to avoid snacking in between meals. If you're still hungry after eating, add more healthy fats your meals to promote satiety and curb cravings.
Fasting is generally considered safe for most adults. However, consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice before starting any new fasting regimen, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications.
submitted by fifi_edits to DrEricBergDC [link] [comments]
Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at risk of developing severe health issues such as type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, metabolic syndrome occurs when a person simultaneously has at least three metabolic disorders.
These conditions include:
- Obesity
- Elevated blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Abnormal cholesterol levels
- Increased blood triglyceride levels
Symptoms of metabolic syndrome
In its early stages, there may not be noticeable symptoms that could indicate the underlying health conditions associated with metabolic syndrome. However, as metabolic imbalances worsen, increasingly more physiological functions can be disrupted. This explains why metabolic syndrome can present a wide range of signs and symptoms.Here are common symptoms linked to metabolic syndrome.
- Persistent fatigue
- Energy crashes, especially after eating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Brain fog
- Bloating
- Water retention
- Rapid weight gain
- Belly fat
- Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Chronic inflammation
- Shortness of breath
- Sleep apnea and snoring
Diagnostic Criteria for Metabolic Syndrome
Unfortunately, symptoms related to metabolic disorders often remain undetected until these imbalances reach a critical stage. This highlights the importance of regular health screenings to evaluate metabolic health, which is crucial for the early detection and diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute published data outlining the value ranges of health markers used to assess metabolic health and diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome.
These values are considered normal and not indicative of metabolic syndrome:
- Blood pressure less than 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury)
- Fasting blood glucose between 70 and 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)
- Triglyceride levels less than 150 mg/dL
- HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol at or above 60 mg/dL
- Blood pressure consistently at or above 130/85 mmHg
- Fasting blood glucose higher than 100 mg/dL
- Triglyceride levels consistently above 150 mg/dL
- HDL cholesterol lower than 50 mg/dL for women and 40 mg/dL for men.
“The advanced lipid profile offers a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's cholesterol status by measuring both the small, dense LDL particles, which are considered dangerous, and the large, buoyant LDL particles, which are less harmful,” says Dr. Berg.
Causes of metabolic syndrome
While the precise causes are complex and not entirely defined, many experts agree that dietary and lifestyle choices play a significant role in the development of metabolic syndrome.
Research published in Current Vascular Pharmacology emphasizes this point, encouraging that when addressing metabolic disorders, “preventive healthcare should focus on changing lifestyle in order to reduce obesity and increase physical activity.”
Here are two of the primary causes associated with metabolic syndrome.
1. Poor dietary habits
A diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars significantly affects metabolic health by increasing the body's demand for insulin.
Insulin is an essential hormone that stimulates various metabolic pathways and regulates energy storage.
Released in response to carbohydrate intake, insulin signals cells to absorb glucose. This enables cellular energy production, helps maintain blood sugar balance, and signals the liver to convert excess blood sugar into fatty acids for storage.
However, regularly consuming carbs and sugars can cause persistently high insulin levels. This can desensitize cells to insulin’s signaling and lead to elevated blood glucose levels, a core component of metabolic syndrome.
Over time, this insulin resistance can contribute to other conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, including high triglycerides, hypertension, and obesity.
2. Lack of physical activity
A sedentary lifestyle substantially raises the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Evidence published in Frontiers in Physiology shows that physical inactivity promotes the accumulation of visceral fat. This type of fat is associated with systemic inflammation, which is linked to insulin resistance and explains why overweight or obese individuals are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
This highlights the importance of engaging in regular physical activity as a powerful tool for preventing and managing metabolic disorders.
Research published in Frontiers in Endocrinology underscores this point and summarizes, "Physical activity represents a potent, non-pharmacological intervention delaying the onset of over 40 chronic metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.”
Risk factors for metabolic syndrome
Insulin resistance is believed to be the leading cause of all conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.
In addition to a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices, various other factors can contribute to insulin resistance. Risk factors linked to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome include:
- Obesity
- Alcohol consumption
- Ethnicity
- Chronic stress
- Poor sleep
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased from about 10 percent among 18 to 29-year-olds in all race and ethnic groups to almost 70 percent among 70+-year-old adult females.”
5 ways to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome
The majority of risk factors linked to metabolic syndrome can be mitigated by implementing beneficial dietary and lifestyle changes.
1. Limit carbohydrates and sugars
The common denominator of all conditions related to metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance, which is primarily influenced by diet. Adopting a diet optimized to support steady blood sugar and insulin levels, such as Healthy Keto®, can help prevent and potentially reverse insulin resistance and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
2. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an excellent strategy to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and promote overall health. Research published in Nutrients investigated the effects of intermittent fasting and found that it improved several metabolic markers, including body weight, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and blood pressure.
3. Regular physical activity
Evidence published in Diabetologia emphasizes the powerful impact of exercise, stating, "Regular exercise and physical activity has a pronounced protective effect against metabolic disease." Their research found that just 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity decreases the risk of metabolic disorders by an impressive 30 percent. The benefits of consistent physical activity include improved insulin sensitivity and reduced storage of visceral and ectopic fat, critical factors in preventing and managing metabolic syndrome.4. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol use is a well-known trigger of inflammation and has various harmful metabolic consequences.
A study published in Scientific Reports found that a significant proportion of individuals with alcohol use disorder display one or more of the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Alcohol is linked to weight gain, insulin resistance, and elevated blood pressure, all of which increase the risk of metabolic syndrome.
5. Stress reduction
Engaging in practices such as stretching or deep breathing exercises can be an effective way to manage stress levels. Reducing chronic stress is critical as stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that can exacerbate metabolic syndrome. Cortisol can contribute to elevated blood pressure, abdominal fat storage, poor blood sugar control, and insulin resistance.Research published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology states, "Stress can affect features of metabolic dysfunction, such as insulin resistance, glucose, and lipid homeostasis."
How to start Healthy Keto® and intermittent fasting
One of the best ways to restore metabolic health and prevent metabolic syndrome is to adopt a low-carb diet and practice intermittent fasting. The Healthy Keto diet prioritizes eating whole foods, focusing on organic and non-GMO options whenever possible, while limiting carbohydrate intake.
By avoiding processed foods with harmful additives, refined carbs, and sugar, Healthy Keto promotes balanced blood sugar levels, which is crucial to preventing and managing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Here’s how you can get started with Healthy Keto and intermittent fasting.
Calculate macronutrient needs
You can use this online keto calculator to determine your macronutrient needs. It’s recommended to obtain around 70 to 80 percent of your calories from healthy fats, 15 to 25 percent from high-quality protein, and 5 to 10 percent from fibrous carbohydrates such as low-glycemic vegetables and berries.To maintain balanced blood sugar levels, it’s vital to limit your daily carbohydrate intake to no more than 50 grams of net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the fiber content of a food from its total carb count.
Focus on nutrient-rich meals
Choose healthy fat sources, including avocado, unrefined coconut, and extra virgin olive oil, and avoid inflammatory fats such as vegetable oil, peanut oil, and seed oils. Focus on high-quality protein options such as grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild-caught meats, oily fish, and full-fat dairy.Aim for 7 to 10 cups of vegetables daily, choose organic produce, and opt for nutrient-dense vegetables such as dark leafy greens. Avoid sugar, grains, fruit, and starchy vegetables to prevent blood sugar spikes and insulin imbalances, which cause perpetual food cravings, hunger, and fatigue.
In addition, starting your meals with vegetables or salad promotes digestive functions and helps buffer potential insulin spikes after eating. Those new to keto may benefit from planning a week of keto-friendly meals to avoid uncertainty or temptation that could derail your diet goals.
The best type of intermittent fasting for beginners
There are many types of intermittent fasting, such as OMAD (one meal a day), alternate-day fasting, and time-restrictive eating. Time-restrictive eating involves cycling between fasting periods and eating windows and is the ideal fast for beginners.It's recommended to follow the 18:6 fasting pattern, characterized by abstaining from food for 18 hours and eating during a six-hour window.
”During periods of caloric restriction, the body is forced to burn stored body fat to generate energy. This explains why fasting is a highly effective weight-loss strategy,” says Dr. Berg.
How to start 18:6 intermittent fasting
To get started with 18:6 fasting, choose a six-hour eating window. Most people skip breakfast and start their fast after an early dinner, which helps achieve an 18-hour fast. During the fast, consume zero-calorie beverages such as water, herbal tea, and black coffee. In addition, using a zero-sugar electrolyte powder can help boost energy levels and keep you hydrated.
Experiment with adding grass-fed butter or MCT oil to your coffee to keep you satiated until your fast is over. Combining intermittent fasting with Healthy Keto can maximize the metabolic health benefits of caloric restriction by promoting fat-burning during your eating window.
It’s also crucial to avoid snacking in between meals. If you're still hungry after eating, add more healthy fats your meals to promote satiety and curb cravings.
Fasting is generally considered safe for most adults. However, consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice before starting any new fasting regimen, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications.
2024.06.07 19:55 healthusefulinfo Is viral sore throat worth worrying issue ?
Sore Throat Viral-Various aspects-
A sore throat viral can cause pain, scratchiness, or irritation in the throat, all of which are typically made worse by swallowing. Pharyngitis, which produces a sore throat, is most frequently caused by a viral infection like the flu or a cold. A painful throat brought on by a virus fades on its own.
[caption id="attachment_6872" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sore Throat Viral[/caption]
In order to prevent problems, streptococcal infection, a less common bacterial cause of sore throat, must be treated with antibiotics. Other, less common causes of sore throats can require more comprehensive treatment.
The signs of a sore throat viral can vary depending on the source. Among the warning indicators and symptoms are:
a sore or uncomfortable feeling in the throat pain that worsens when swallowing or speaking Having difficulty in eating aching, swollen glands in the neck or mandible enlarged, crimson lips .If you are suffering from sore throat and require appointment from ENT specialist doctor then you masy click on the link given below http://www.entspecialistinnashik.com/
For further information in great detail on sore throat pl click on the link given below- https://healthuseful.com/sore-throat-viral/ #sore throat ,
Pl like,share follow our page !
submitted by healthusefulinfo to u/healthusefulinfo [link] [comments]
A sore throat viral can cause pain, scratchiness, or irritation in the throat, all of which are typically made worse by swallowing. Pharyngitis, which produces a sore throat, is most frequently caused by a viral infection like the flu or a cold. A painful throat brought on by a virus fades on its own.
[caption id="attachment_6872" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sore Throat Viral[/caption]
In order to prevent problems, streptococcal infection, a less common bacterial cause of sore throat, must be treated with antibiotics. Other, less common causes of sore throats can require more comprehensive treatment.
The signs of a sore throat viral can vary depending on the source. Among the warning indicators and symptoms are:
a sore or uncomfortable feeling in the throat pain that worsens when swallowing or speaking Having difficulty in eating aching, swollen glands in the neck or mandible enlarged, crimson lips .If you are suffering from sore throat and require appointment from ENT specialist doctor then you masy click on the link given below http://www.entspecialistinnashik.com/
For further information in great detail on sore throat pl click on the link given below- https://healthuseful.com/sore-throat-viral/ #sore throat ,
upper respiratory tract infection,
#throat painPl like,share follow our page !
2024.06.07 19:42 Key-Competition-7489 (Record of Ragnarok RS) Chapter 24: Burning Bright
 | As Arthur concluded his speech, there was a silence across the battlefield. As Nezha blinked a few times whilst properly processing the king's words, slowly he lifted his spear closer to his face. The constant clashes between him and Arthur had gradually chipped away at certain spots of the top most layer of metal, revealing all the spear's original colorations that were hidden away. submitted by Key-Competition-7489 to ShuumatsuNoValkyrie [link] [comments] Under the newer golden layer, lay the silver and aqua blue metal that the spear still had, the red dye that was painted over the spear's handle has also gradually chipped off, revealing parts of its original oak color underneath. All of them, reminders of his past friendship with Ao Bing, and all had been hidden away and covered up. To ensure that he would not be reminded of the good times they once shared, and could go back to cursing the Dragon Prince's memory undisturbed. For a moment, Nezha felt a wave of nostalgia, and even a small twinge of sadness as he continued to gaze at the spear in his hand, all those old memories he shared with Ao Bing slowly flooding back into his mind. But shaking his head, he ignored those thoughts once again as he got back into a fighting stance. He currently had a fight to win right now, there would be time for reflection and regret after he was victorious. Taking the Qiankun Ring that hung from his side, Nezha willed it to shrink in size and diameter as he lifted it over the stump that used to be his left arm, allowing the ring to shrink till it fit snugly around it before letting go. "Odd, what is Nezha doing?" Heimdall questioned as the rest of the audience murmured in agreement, sharing his curiosity. In the sea of confusion, only Nezha's family, the Jade Emperor and Erlang Shen knew what was happening. " OH HO!" Erlang said with a grin, "Could it be? Nezha's really gonna use THAT here and now?" "H-huh?" Jinzha exclaimed by his side, "You aren't referring to what I THINK you are referring to are you? To attempt that with the damage he sustained… That would be suicide on Nezha's part!" The Jade Emperor's eyebrows knitted in concern as well, "Quite correct Jinzha, With the amount of blood he had lost and his severed limb? Doing such a risky move would be MOST unwise… But if there is anyone with the sheer will and determination to pull it off… It is without a doubt your brother, the Third Lotus Prince!" While the rest of the godly audience yelled their support for Nezha, it was still Li Jing whose eyes shone with worry and uncertainty for his son. Noticing this, Lady Yi gently squeezed her husband's arm, trying to help soothe his nerves. "Do not fret my love," She said, "Our son will make it out of this and return to us, he always has. No matter how strong or dangerous his foe is, he will always find a way to come out on top." Li Jing nodded, seemingly calmed by his wife's words as his face morphed back to a stern expression, "Y-yes, quite correct my love, forgive me for dampening the mood. Nezha will show that human the true extent of his strength!" With that, the two joined the rest of their friends and family to show their support for Nezha. But even though he seemed to have calmed his nerves, on the inside of his mind, the Pagoda-Bearing King's mind was still plagued with uneasiness and shame. "I am so sorry, my son," Li Jing silently thought to himself, "I never imagined that my actions would have impacted you so negatively. I beg, in the name of all of Heaven itself, that you emerge victorious so that I may have a chance to right my wrongs." "Haven't done this in a while," Nezha grunted in the battlefield below, as he felt a small twinge in his arm due to the pressure being applied on his wound from the ring , "And there's the fact I don't have my left arm anymore, but let's see if I still got it in me." Re-adjusting his spear to proper positioning, Nezha gazed back at Arthur with a confident grin, his eyes glowing with an eerie red light, "That's the second big heroic speech you gave during our battle, do you take classes for them or something? Don't worry though, I'll give your words some more thought once I WIN THIS FIGHT!" Finishing his sentence, the Fire and Wind wheels roared to life as Nezha ignited the tip of his spear and charged, preparing for another assault upon the King of camelot. Arthur merely smirked in response, despite Nezha's facade of indifference and cockiness, the momentary pause from before was all the king needed to know that his words had their intended effect on the Third Lotus Prince. "Never doubted you for a minute, Third Lotus Prince!" He roared, as he swung his sword to meet his foe, "Now don't you dare disappoint! WALLS OF CAMELOT, ACTIVATE!" As he said this, the embossed design on the Shield of Avalon glowed with bright blue light, and once again, two tall and wide forcefields of the same color materialized, stretching across the length of the battlefield. "And we are back to the cagefighting!" Heimdall yelled, "Arthur has activated the forcefield capabilities of his shield, quite the smart play if you ask me! Right now, with the loss of his left arm, Nezha is at a HUGE disadvantage, as it means that he can no longer use his Qiankun Ring to its fullest potential! Pair with the fact that Arthur STILL has one last healing charge remaining in Excalibur's scabbard, the outcome of this match doesn't seem favorable for the Third Lotus Prince!" Inside the forcefield created by the Shield of Avalon, the two fighter's traded blow for blow as they constantly tried to outdo their opponent. Arthur had chosen to re-use the same strategy as he had done before whilst using the Shield's ability, the King of Camelot placed himself behind his shield whilst jabbing blow after blow towards Nezha with Excalibur, trying to force his foe back against the walls where he could deliver the decisive blow. This still proved to be a challenge, as with the loss of his left arm, Nezha had completely abandoned any of his previous fancy spins, instead beginning to focus on delivering quick consecutive jabs at Arthur. Nezha also started employing the use of large arching sweeps with his spear to help generate more power for his attacks, helping to make up for the amount he'd lost due to his severed arm. And with the speartip still ablaze, Arthur found himself having to lean back or shield his face everytime Nezha made these swipes to prevent himself from getting burnt. The King of Camelot gritted his teeth as he felt himself get pushed backwards by Nezha's constant strikes, while the loss of his arm had hindered the Third Lotus Prince's fighting style to a some degree, it most certainly had not dampened his battle spirit or drive in the slightest… Yet in spite of all of this, Arthur could not help but smile, for this was exactly how he liked it! "Urgh… That human really did a number on Nezha!" A few of the young gods in the audience that had previously been at the Lotus Prince's party groaned as they watched the fight continue, "He looks so unsightly now that he's missing an arm! And his technique is all sloppy and uncivilized now without those cool spins and turns!" The Jade Emperor snorted loudly as he heard this, turning to face the young gods with a disapproving look, "It seems you youngsters have no clue about even the simplest things these days, I see. The art of combat isn't just about fancy moves and pretty kicks, it also requires careful thought and strategising. With the loss of his left arm, Nezha's center of balance had been altered dramatically, so if he were to continue with his previous attacking style. The Third Lotus Prince would most likely find himself toppling to the ground due to his left side being lighter than his right. " All of the younger gods blushed in embarrassment whilst silently nodding their heads, after all being lectured by the Chief God of the Chinese Pantheon himself would be a very humiliating ordeal for most people. The Jade Emperor meanwhile, merely shook his head as he turned back to watch the battle, "Do not think the fight already over young ones, the Third Lotus Prince still has one final trick up his sleeves, or should I say sleeve." As he said this, out of the corner of his eyes, a small flicker of flames seemed to briefly flash around the Qiankun Ring that was fitted around Nezha's left shoulder, before just as quickly disappearing from view. Seeing this caused the Jade Emperor to give a light smirk. "Quite the impressive man and fighter you are, King of Camelot," The Jade Emperor said to himself, "But let's see how all your resolve fares against the fires that burnt even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!" As Nezha lifted his spear overhead to deliver a heavy downward swing, Arthur flung his right hand, along with the Shield of Avalon which he still held within that hand, to meet that swing. "CLANG!" As Nezha's spear clashed with Arthur's shield, the King of Camelot felt his teeth chatter from the recoil experienced from the blow, and it took all his willpower and strength to stand his ground. Even though the sheer force Nezha was applying on the Shield of Avalon with his spear made retreating seem like a much more favorable option, Arthur grunted with effort as he persevered and held his own against the weight of the attack. Arthur's choice to tank Nezha's attack was not without reason, as with them locked in a standstill, and the loss of the Third Lotus Prince's left arm. Nezha virtually had nothing to protect his unguarded left from Excalibur's mighty blade, which the king gripped tightly in his own left hand, waiting for this exact moment. With a triumphant roar, Arthur swung Excalibur forward, hoping to cut straight through Nezha's midriff with a single strike and end the fight right then and now. But as he did, with his blade drawing closer to Nezha's flesh. Time seemed to go into slow-motion, and just barely out of his line of vision, did Arthur, like the Jade Emperor before him, also glimpse a small flicker of flames gathering around the Qiankun Ring that looped around the stump that used to be Nezha's left arm. But as he continued watching it, to Arthur's amazement and horror, the entire Qiankun Ring around Nezha's shoulder suddenly burst into flames, engulfing the entirety of it before spreading down the length of his arm, if he still had one of course. And these flames were not the same regular orange ones that blazed around the Fire-tip Spear's head from before, rather these flames were a vibrant light blue, with a slightly orange tip around the ends that burnt bright and strong. In a blink of an eye, the strange blue fire had grown and shifted into a fully functioning and capable prosthetic arm, one made of fire and flames, constantly flickering and crackling as it radiated pure power and divine energy. It was from this that Arthur knew just from seeing it, that this strange new power Nezha had unleashed was incredibly dangerous. https://preview.redd.it/xfld7kw7s65d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad4da6152902468b49dd5af31f183c6ae529ae17 Right as Excalibur was about to make contact with its target, Nezha's new flaming left hand shot forth, skillfully catching hold of Arthur's blade right within his fiery grasp and holding it fast. Instantly a loud sizzling noise was heard, as the sheer hot temperature from Nezha's arm had placed the divine metal of Excalibur under immense pressure. Arthur's eyes could only widened in shock as Nezha, hand still firmly holding onto Excalibur, forcibly pushed his sword out of the way, and with his right arm still locked in it's prior position, under heavy strain holding the Shield of Avalon against Nezha's Fire-tip Spear. The King of Camelot realized with a start, that his own strategy had been turned against him! Out of nowhere and as quick as a bullet, Nezha's knee flew straight into Arthur's gut from below, causing the king's face to grimace in pain as the blow connected and sent him stumbling backwards and doubling over as a result of the low blow. However, the Third Lotus Prince would not give Arthur the luxury of recovering again, immediately following up from the previous move, Nezha rushed forward with how new left arm reared back. The disorientated Arthur barely had time to look up before he realized that a flaming blue fist was speeding straight towards his face, it was only thanks to his instinct and quick reaction time was he able to lift the Shield of Avalon in an attempt to block the attack. "BANG!" A heavy metallic sound exploded across the arena, as the entire arena could only watch in shock as Nezha's fiery first tore straight through the Divine Weapon as though it were paper. As luck would have it though, the shield still had managed to do its job of protecting Arthur from the main brunt of the attack. However, the King of Camelot was still sent flying further backwards,crashing heavily into the arena wall, much to the distress of the human audience members, and especially his Knight of the Round Table. "No, no, no!" Galahad groaned loudly, while simultaneously cowering at the sight of Nezha's new arm, "what the hell was that! How the hell did that god manage to tear through a Divine Weapon with just fire alone while his spear and rings failed to do the same?" "No… That fire… E-even with all my years mastering the art of sorcery and magic, I have never seen anything like it before.." Those words had come from Merlin, whose face had become just as pale as it was when he and Arthur realized that the Scabbard of Excalibur had gone missing all those years ago, "S-such regal and divine power… Yet… I can't help but feel… INTIMIDATED by the obvious danger it exudes!" The Knights of the Round Table all shuddered at Merlin's words, all except for Lancelot, who was focused solely on his friend, slumped slightly against the wall he had been roughly thrown against, with eyes full of concern and faith. "Come on, Arthur, you can't give up now… Get up… GET UP!" "W-WHAT?" Pandora exclaimed in shock from their balcony, "SINCE WHEN COULD NEZHA DO THAT?" The girl turned towards her companions who looked equally worried, "A substitute hand made out from the fires of his own Qiankun Ring?" Göll said as she nervously chewed her thumb, "The Third Lotus Prince is even more resourceful than we thought!" "No….." Prometheus replied through gritted teeth, "It's even worse than that, if I'm not mistaken, those flames that Nezha has right now in place of his arm aren't just ANY regular fire… Rather, they are ones of incredible power! "THE TRUE FLAMES OF SAMADHI!" "T-true flames of Samadhi?" The two girls said simultaneously, "W-what's that?" "Only the most powerful form of fire-magic that a select few can master," Prometheus answered gravelly, "The Samadhi flames spread at an incredible speed , capable of burning down nearly anything unfortunate enough to stand in its way! But unlike normal flames, it cannot be so simply extinguished by water , in fact its flames are only intensified when exposed to rain! One would need an entire ocean's worth of water to even hope to dampen its strength!" Göll and Pandora paled at the Titan's words as they looked back down at the arena, the both of them having only one thought running through both of their minds as they continued to watch the fight. "This is BAD!" "This round just keeps getting better and BETTER folks!" Heimdall yelled as the God's audience cheered seeing their fighter's comeback, "Nezha has pulled out his ultimate trump card in the form of the Samadhi Flames! And it's done some SERIOUS damage to Arthur's shield! Also for anyone who doesn't know what the Samadhu Flame is, think fire! But HOT, HOT, HOTTER!" Whilst Heimdall was busy commentating, Nezha who stood in the middle of the arena, rotated his left shoulder, slowly willing the fires on his left arm to die down just a little bit at the moment. Most of the time when he did make use of the awesome power of the Samadhi Flames, it would usually be on one of his many weapons to help boost its prowess in battle. But never before had he tried to use it directly on himself, much less as a substitute for a severed limb. Regardless, he still seemed able to keep the power of the flames under control, preventing it from spreading across the entire arena uncontrollably. Though, it definitely would be in his best interest not to use it more than he had to. Suddenly, coughing from the arena walls made everyone's head turn to the other side of the arena, just as Arthur stumbled away from the mess of cobwebs that were the cracks on the arena wall, resulting from his heavy impact against them. "Heh, heh…" Foolish of me to assume that you would be any weaker after my previous stunt, Third Lotus Prince." Arthur complimented as he staggered back upright on his two feet. "Who'd you think you're fighting, King of Camelot? Some rank amateur god?" Nezha responded with a grin, "Even if you cut off both my arms, you better BELIEVE that I'm still gonna give you the fight of your life!" "Oh definitely," Arthur chuckled, holding up the Shield of Avalon to reveal the sizeable hole that was punched straight through the metal, around it were blackened char marks that still had smoke sizzling and burning off it, "That is some serious firepower you have there, pun not intended." "Yep, definitely was a risk putting myself out there once again after you severed my left arm," Nezha replied, "But I needed the fuel for the fire that was my fighting spirit to be able to use the Samadhi Flame, fuel provided from a epic battle against a foe such as yourself, King of Camelot." "Your words flatter me, Third Lotus Prince," Arthur said, as he raised Excalibur in a light taunt, "Now, won't you be a gentleman and so kindly show me more of what this Samadhi Flame of yours has in store?" Nezha's smirk widened, "You asked for it.." In a blink of the eye, Nezha was suddenly in front of Arthur, his flaming fist flung far behind his head as he prepared to unleash a devastating strike straight towards the king's face. Arthur just barely managed to move out of harm's way once again, by quickly rolling across the arena floor. And as he Lifted his head, he was just in time to see the Lotus Prince's fist slam straight through the solid marble and concrete that made up the arena's walls, the sheer force caused the entire section of the arena to quiver slightly, which in turn caused various audience members seated there to scream in fear, as the subsequent crater that was left behind from the impact was a mess of cracks and burnt rubble, blackened with soot. "H-hey be careful with that fist of yours, Prince Nezha!" Heimdall called out nervously, "We don't want to end up hurting the audience members now, do we?" "Sorry Heimdall!" Nezha replied as he proceeded to use his left arm as a shield to block a counterattack from Arthur, as soon as Excalibur's blade came into contact with the Samadhi Flames, loud sizzling noises could be heard once again, as the sheer heat from the fire began turning the divine metal used to craft the king's sword red-hot. Prompting Arthur to quickly disengage from their clash, as well as quickly lifting his shield to block a follow up attack from Nezha's spear. Realizing that a close quarter fight against Nezha now, would be extremely disadvantageous for himself. Arthur frantically began racking his brains to come up with a suitable plan to counter this new threat, as he continuously dodged and ducked incoming blows from the Third Lotus Prince, but all of them just didn't seem to cut it! Direct combat against the Third Lotus Prince was an obvious no go, although Excalibur had served him well through many a battle, constant contact with the Samadhi Flames might end badly for his faithful sword if he continued on. As for his other Divine Weapon, the Shield of Avalon may be damaged, but it would still fare well against Nezha's spear. However, one more punch from his left hand, and that could be all it takes for his shield to shatter into pieces. Speaking of the Shield of Avalon, perhaps the Walls of Camelot might have some use? But if his intention was to avoid fighting face to face, then using the shield's ability would defeat the entire purpose! If only he could find a way to have the Walls of Camelot separate him and his opponent, rather than trapping them both in an enclosed area… Hmm… Wait a minute… Suddenly, inspiration struck Arthur, quick as a wink he raised Excalibur, managing to directly parry another blow from Nezha's fist, a heavy, "BOOM!" reverberated across the arena, as the heavy recoil that ensued sent both fighters flying apart from one another, with Nezha landing on the right side, whilst Arthur landed on the left. As he did, Arthur quickly got to his feet, but strangely instead of positioning himself with his shield and sword facing towards his opponent, the King of Camelot had instead chosen to go with perhaps the strangest possible option he could by having his side facing Nezha, whilst the front of his body stood facing the arena walls, much to the confusion of everyone in the audience. "Fufu, Looks like the heatwaves from the Third Lotus Prince's fire has finally driven that foolish human mad, or perhaps he has just realized that victory is impossible," Amaterasu snickered as she and the other two Sun Gods observed the match. "No… I don't think so, Amy," Huitzilopochtli replied as he began chewing the food in his mouth faster in anticipation, as Nezha began moving forward, once again towards Arthur, "I think that guy still has some kind of trick in store for Nezha." As the Aztec Chief God said this, the Shield of Avalon glowed bright blue once again, as Arthur activated the Walls of Camelot, materializing the two force fields back into the arena. Except that this time, due to the direction Arthur now stood in, instead of the forcefields keeping the two fighters trapped in a small lane, they now stood perpendicular to the Third Lotus Prince. With Arthur safely behind them for the time being, while his opponent was kept out! Nezha skidded to a halt as he saw this, his eyebrows cocked in surprise at what the king had done. Meanwhile, Arthur turned his head to face his opponent as he raised Excalibur with his left arm. With the sword not being made of flesh nor bones, it could still pass through the forcefield to strike Nezha, while the Third Lotus Prince could not! Seeing this, Nezha could help but smirk at Arthur's quick thinking and ability to adapt, "What's the matter, King Arthur?" He said with a light taunt, "You aren't flaking out on me now, are you?" Arthur responded with a smirk of his own through heavy pants, "Well… i'll admit this is rather underhanded, but it was the best thing I could think of to assist me now after seeing just how dangerous that Samadhi Flame of yours is!" Nezha chuckled as he flexed his left arm, "Ah, true I guess, this stuff is pretty dangerous…" As he said this, he casually tossed his spear from his right hand to his left, "So I totally get why even a brave warrior like yourself would cower at the sight of it…But that shield isn't gonna be able to protect you for much longer." As he said this, Nezha left hand tilted the Fire-tip spear at an extreme level, with the handle being almost perpendicular to the ground below as it rested on the back of his arm. RIght after this, The fires that made up Nezha's left hand slowly began to morph, the fingers fusing together to form a singular tip, much like a snake's tail. The positioning of his new hand also began to change, with his grip slowly moving downwards till it curled around the base of the spearhead, as his fiery hand began to grow in length till it was nearly the same as the length of his spear. Once this was done, Nezha's entire left arm slowly began to curl around and around the handle of his spear like a snake, slowly covering the entire polearm in blue fire, till it seemed that the Fire-Tip spear itself had fused together with Nezha's arm and become one with the Third Lotus Prince. https://preview.redd.it/gn123dfyr65d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=a3cbe4333acffec695a6f92a87bfef8a684b0e38 As Arthur and the audience members watched in disbelief, Nezha slowly raised his new and improved left arm, elbow bent, and level with the ground. Slowly the flames that covered his spear began to spin and spin, getting faster and faster with each second, till the Lotus Prince's arm now resembled a flaming vortex with a sharp speartip at the center. Nezha's eyes glowed with an even more intense red, as the ground beneath his legs began to crumble whilst he crouched. "BOOM!" Without warning, a sonic explosion boomed across the arena, as Nezha flew forward from whence he stood. Left arm now outstretched, flames spinning faster than ever before, and with them the sharp point of the Fire-tip Spear as well, whirling around and around like a spinning drill head. Later on when interviewed, spectators of the round even swore up and down that as Nezha rushed towards the forcefield, they could perfectly visualize in front of them the gaping maw of nine roaring dragons. All made purely from the blue fires of the Samadhi flame that too formed Nezha's left arm, charging straight towards Arthur and his forcefield, jaws opened wide, whilst following the Lotus Prince's lead. Regardless of what they saw, that moment would soon go down in the books as the day Heaven first bore witness to Nezha's ultimate technique, originally born from the childhood memories shared between the son of a military general and the heir to the Dragon King. It had now become a incredible force of pure firepower that was to be reckoned with, it was called: "THE NINE DRAGONS HOLY FIRE SPEAR!" Arthur's eyes widened in horror as he flung his arms upwards, crossing his shield and sword in front of his body to shield himself from the impending attack, but it was useless. The moment the tip of the spear touched the forcefield, a cobweb of cracks splintered across the entire structure, expanding faster than the eye could see before with a resounding, "CRACK!" the entire structure shattered into pieces, dissolving into nothingness as Nezha shot forth aiming directly for the King of Camelot himself. "FWOOSH!" Humanity could only scream in horror, as they watched their fighter getting engulfed entirely in the fires of the Samadhi Flame. Before seeing through the flickering flames, the outline of Nezha's spear pierced straight through Arthur's chest, as the Lotus Prince blew straight past the King of Camelot, and landed heavily on the ground behind him. As the flames finally settled, mankind was horrified to see what remained of their fighter, standing in the middle of the battlefield, was a blackened and charred figure riddled with third degree burns, that used to be King Arthur Pendragon, with a large hole in the middle of it's chest as it stood upright. In it's hands was the hilt of the sword that used to be Excalibur, it's crystal blue blade almost completely shattered from the grievous blow, with a short jagged length still remaining. On the ground in front of the figure, was pieces of the round disc that was the Shield of Avalon, already damaged from Nezha's previous attack, and now reduced to bits and pieces on the floor. Silence in the arena, besides the crackling of flames spread across the battlefield that had resulted from Nezha's attack. As everyone stared open-mouthed at what had become of Arthur, some of the Knights of the Round Table even began breaking down into tears, believing it to be the end of their king. "A-arthur…M-my boy…" Merlin whimpered sorrowfully as he slumped in his chair. "No… It's not over yet, it CAN'T BE!" Lancelot yelled hysterically as he got up from his seat and rushed over to the edge of the stand, cupping his hands around his mouth as he yelled out to the statue that was his friend, "ARTHUUUUR! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ALL OF US NOW! WAKE UP! WAKE UPPPPPP!" "I-is it over?" Heimdall whimpered after a moment or two, "Did Nezha finally clinch the third victory in the row for the gods with his incredible firepower?" "No…" Nezha breathed heavily to himself, "Not just yet…" Right on que, answering both the desperate pleas of Lancelot, and the confidence Nezha had in his foe. Two slits on the figure's grievously burnt face suddenly burst open, revealing Arthur's eyes as his scorched d lips split apart, allowing him to let out a strangled gasp as he fell to his knees. Slowly, in a rather morbid display that made quite a few spectators pale, the King of Camelot's burnt skin began flaking off his body as new flesh, tissue and skin began to replace his old ones. From his face, a brown stubble began to sprout from his scalp, beard and upper lip as new hair follicles grew in to substitute the ones that were singed off. In a matter of minutes, the Scabbard of Excalibur's final healing charge of the day proved once again the incredible miracles it could perform, as what was once an unrecognizable and scorched statue, now stood Arthur Pendragon as he once was, slightly dazed and disorganized. But nevertheless, in near perfect condition as before, though his clothing was all but burnt away, save for his trousers, which gave the King of Camelot some dignity. "Y-you…You…You ABSOLUTE DICKHEAD!" Arthur burst out laughing as he finally managed to catch his breath, shocking the audience once more, "You KNEW my scabbard still had one last charge left! Why the bloody hell would you go and waste your ultimate technique on that then? That really HURT you know!" Nezha grinned, his face riddled with fatigue from pulling off such a powerful move, "I'm gonna be 100% honest with you right now… I kinda got way too caught up in the heat of the moment, and it just completely slipped my mind…" Arthur guffawed at the Third Lotus Prince's response, "Never change, Prince Nezha, never change… Well, what are you waiting for? Come and end the fight right now, I'm unarmed and undefended, and more importantly, I've no more tricks to play." Nezha shook his head, as a fiery glare appeared on his face, "Nah… There's no honor in striking down a fallen foe… If I am to be truly victorious, I want it to be with the both of us standing tall and proud, after having given it our all! SO COME ONE, KING OF CAMELOT! You haven't been one to give up when our match first began! SO WHY THE HELL START NOW? I know you've still got SO MUCH MORE to give!" Arthur smiled as he slowly got up to his feet, turning to face his opponent with a look of respect, "Then I thank you, Third Lotus Prince, Nezha. For giving me this chance to redeem myself, in a final clash against you for the sake of my people." "T-this is SUCH AN AMAZING SCENE!" Heimdall yelled with tears in his eyes, "The miraculous power of the Scabbard of Excalibur has once again saved King Arthur from certain doom! And the incredible display of sportsmanship and respect from the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha is truly heartwarming! But one cannot deny the truth, with no more healing charges from his scabbard, and his two Divine Weapons shattered. How in all of HEAVEN can Arthur possibly make a comeback from this and achieve victory for mankind?" The Watchman of the Apocalypse soon got his answer, as Arthur removed the Scabbard of Excalibur on the right side of his belt, and gently sheathed and covered the broken blade of his faithful sword. Before standing in his fighting stance, readying himself for battle. "Well then Third Lotus Prince," The king said as he now held up his makeshift blade with both hands, "If this truly be the finale of our battle, then let us both make sure that we end it with everything we got, and our hearts burning strong! So READY WHEN YOU ARE! LET'S FINISH THIS!" Nezha wore a smile of pure delight, as he leveled his flaming spear and prepared to charge, "LIKEWISE! My only regret is not meeting a worthy foe like you sooner!" With a loud battlecry, both fights rushed towards each other with their weapons drawn, as some spectators leaned forwards in anticipation to witness what many assumed to be their final clash. Meanwhile others, mostly humans, covered their eyes, unable to bear to watch their fighter get annihilated for real this time. "EXCALIBUR'S JUDGMENT!" "THE NINE DRAGONS HOLY FIRE SPEAR!" As the two weapon's met, a brilliant surge of bright blue light exploded from within the Scabbard of Excalibur, engulfing the entirety of the arena and forcing everyone to shut their eyes from the sheer intensity of the light. But as the audience opened their eyes, to see what now lay in front of them, they were left speechless… |
2024.06.07 19:20 ConversationJolly543 Unexplained Polyneuropathy Symptoms Triggered by Physical Exertion and Temperature Changes
Hello Reddit!
I have been struggling with the following symptoms since I was about 14 years old:
The only relief came from the medication Pregabalin, which stopped the tingling/burning in my hands and feet and the nightly attacks. Only the issues with exertion remained.
I have already undergone all sorts of examinations such as:
Maybe someone with similar symptoms and experiences can be found for an exchange too.
Thank you!
submitted by ConversationJolly543 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
I have been struggling with the following symptoms since I was about 14 years old:
- Sudden pricking/stabbing sensations all over my body without any discernible pattern. It’s not itching but rather a stabbing/pain sensation, which my doctor has referred to as polyneuropathy.
- Physical exertion such as climbing stairs, sports, etc.
- The transition from cold to warm, although it doesn’t have to be very cold. For example, I might be standing on a platform at 15°C and then board a train that’s +20°C, and I get the symptoms within 2-3 minutes.
The only relief came from the medication Pregabalin, which stopped the tingling/burning in my hands and feet and the nightly attacks. Only the issues with exertion remained.
I have already undergone all sorts of examinations such as:
- MRI of the head
- MRI of the cervical spine
- Lumbar puncture
- Blood tests
- Vitamin tests
- Examination of the heart by a cardiologist
- Lung function test
- Simple allergy test
Maybe someone with similar symptoms and experiences can be found for an exchange too.
Thank you!
2024.06.07 17:57 BeensbEaNsBeAnSbEaNs Fall of Terra (3/3)
[Part 1] [Part 2]
Admiral Pyraxis drummed his talons on his desk. A rhythmic sound, which he found quite comforting. Arranged on his desk stood various fine wines he had procured by means of ordering mass confiscation of alcohol from the Humans.
“Sir, are you sure the local drink isn’t affecting your judgement?”
And that was the sound of Pyraxis’s greatest headache - his incessant subordinate, Krystak, who was only one rank lower than him and undoubtedly waiting for the perfect opportunity to usurp Pyraxis.
“No, Krystak, I am quite unaffected by these beverages,” he lied, “also - you’re out of line speaking to me like that.”
Krystak bowed his head in apology. Taking a glug from a bottle gripped in his right hand, he gestured for Krystak to begin his debrief.
“Well, we have seen a 6.2% increase in attacks since last month. Of those, most have been unsuccessful, but we took approximately 17,800 fatalities this month, which is an 8% increase from last month. Efforts to locate major concentrations of exiled army units have failed, however, we succeeded in raiding weapons caches on all settled continents. Counter intelligence is working diligently to root out urban resistance, but rural resistance is unfortunately going to take a lot longer than predicted to eradicate.”
“We also managed to get some industrial and mining operations going without them being immediately blown up, which is good progress.”
Pyraxis took another long gulp of wine, before standing up, “I need you to get this damned planet under control! Is that clear? Because in five local cycles, the colonisation fleet will arrive. If they get here and it’s still a warzone, we will both be replaced. I don’t care how many people you have to kill to do it. Exterminate even more if you have to. Understood?”
Krystak opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it and nodded.
“Dismissed.”
He saluted, then marched out of Pyraxis’s office.
“Fucking Humans,” he muttered to himself. At least they had some decent swear words. Staring out the window at Earth, he downed the rest of his bottle, and passed out.
“I feel I have to tell you that what you are about to embark on is a suicide mission. Not one of you is expected to come back alive. If that isn’t your cup of tea, there is no shame in backing out now.” A few people in the back surreptitiously left the hall everyone had gathered in.
After a moment, the speaker - one general Mathews - resumed his briefing.
“This attack is one of many coordinated strikes which will - if successful - cripple the enemy’s ability to fight, and may just win us the war. Of those of you gathered here, most will partake in the main attack. The target is located on the Isle of Man - specifically, the old RAF base Jurby. It has been converted into a base of operations. All you need to know is that another, smaller force, will infiltrate the base. In order to complete their objective, you will need to divert as many troops away from the north of the base as possible.”
“Jurby has been turned into a fortress - our intel says there are at least five thousand Salvad troops on the island, and of those, one thousand are located within or near Jurby. Your goal is not to beat them, but distract them. You will be granted heavy weapons - in fact, everything we have at our disposal is going into this attack.”
Robert stood in the back, leaning against the wall, observing the reactions of the men around him.
“You will have the aid of local resistance forces, but they are not to be relied upon for anything other than intel - they are not combat troops. You will deploy under the cover of night. Our numbers should double when we reach the rendezvous point at Kidsdale prior to departure - we’re calling in everyone for this. The Salvads don’t have a seaborne navy, which is important for us, since you will be landing by boat.”
This had an interesting reception - mostly of shock, a bit of scorn. Once the chatter had died down, the general continued.
“We have commandeered numerous small civilian boats. There should be enough to carry everyone over to the Island. You will land on the west coast, south of Jurby. From there, Alpha team under Johnson will advance north to Jurby, where you will attack with everything you’ve got. Use the element of surprise, draw the enemy out. Beta team under Simmons will advance to St. Judes to cut off enemy land reinforcements. Charlie team under Smith will protect your rear from attack. There can be no radio chatter on the way over - we really need the element of surprise. Once they know you’re there, try to limit comms since we have no idea if they can decrypt our signals.”
“Hold out for as long as possible. The attack is scheduled to begin at 2400 hours two days from now. Gather your equipment, and prepare for a long march to the rendezvous. I will follow you up to that point. Questions?”
Robert lost interest at that point. He shook the ache out of his legs and walked through to the gathering spot for the infiltration team. He knew a few faces. A couple of Royal Marines were present, and some exiles from mainland europe. There were eight of them total, although apparently their team was thirty strong.
Where the rest of this little suicide squad was, he had no idea.
Robert decided he really didn’t like whoever had come up with this part of the plan. They were not going with the main force, but were instead going to a different rendezvous to board a submarine. They would then ride this submarine to the Isle of Man. It would be 2 AM when they disembarked three kilometres north of Jurby. This would give the main attackers two hours to draw away the majority of the guards.
Robert did not like submarines. They would be boarding HMS Anson at HMNB Clyde. The reason this base hadn’t been destroyed by the Salvads was because out of sheer luck it was empty during the landings. They would have to be there at exactly the right time, as the sub would only wait for twenty minutes maximum, before leaving to do the mission without them.
The journey would be about eleven hours. That meant eleven hours cramped inside a submarine, underwater. Because of course they would be submerged for the whole journey. It only made sense, after all.
This was going to suck.
Admiral Pyraxis was in an irritable mood. He’d had to learn the meaning of another Earth word: drunk. Then he had to learn the meaning of hangover. Then he spent more time than necessary examining the capacities of his own liver.
He knew he was letting the drink get to him. But he was too stressed, and needed a way to relax. He was still somewhat sure that it wasn’t affecting his decision making that much.
Picking up his communicator from the floor, he punched in a code, then held it up to his head.
“Report on the project.”
“Understood. I’m coming down to inspect it.”
Putting in a different code, he once again spoke into the device, “Prepare my shuttle for departure. Destination is Immunisation Facility 3.”
Robert decided if he survived this, he would never ride a submarine again. The boarding had gone like clockwork. He now had half a day to become acquainted with the rest of the team.
One guy stood out - he was wearing a gas mask and spoke with a muffled accent. Perhaps German?
“Guten Tag, Gentlemen. My name is Corporal Müller, but you may call me Tobias - I am in charge of this operation. We will split into three teams. In the hold are three backpacks - these have the bioweapon. I would be very careful not to drop them. The strongest guy in each squad will carry one. There are three main silos. Deploy the weapon, then get out. Any questions?”
Robert raised his hand, “Yeah, what's with the mask?”
“I wear this because I am hideously deformed! Ja, I was in France, and received a large dose of radiation from the…erm…fireworks. I have about five days until I suffer critical organ failure, so I figured I would go out on my own terms - in glorious combat!”
“Oh. Right.”
“I nearly forgot! Here, you all need to take a cyanide pill with you. We cannot risk anyone being captured,” he said, taking out a tray from behind him and enthusiastically offering the pills up to everyone.
Well, that's just wonderful. Robert took one and put it in his jacket pocket.
Robert acquainted himself with the rest of the team, and found somewhere to lie down. He knew it was going to be an arduous journey.
General Mathews stood dramatically at the head of his force. The wind was strong, but the surf was calm enough to board the boats. It was dark as well. He had requested a red cape for his speech, which was billowing behind him. It would have been a more potent image if it wasn’t so dark. As it was, he could barely see to the end of the crowd gathered before him.
There was no moonlight either - the strike had been carefully planned to take place under heavy cloud coverage. And so far, their luck had held. Standing on top of some crates, with a microphone connected to a meagre sound system, he puffed up his chest.
Tapping the mic, he winced as it squealed. Slapping it a couple more times, he began to speak.
“Before me, I do not see an army. I do not see the best of the best. I do not see heroes; for the heroes died in the first attack. They died on the front lines, charging into certain death. We are the ones who remain. And you ask yourself, what can a couple of thousand men do?”
“Fighting an enemy we cannot beat, with weapons we can’t match and resources we can’t equal, not for a thousand years. What is the point? Madness!”
“We are martyrs. The heroes have fallen long ago. It falls to us to do the dirty work. We are the ones who ask for no thanks and will go forgotten by all; but do not fear! Our actions stand in place of our identities, and they will echo through the annals of history, for today we take the fight to them! Today, we charge into the jaws of death, just like our countrymen, only this time we can win!”
“You heard me right! We can win this war. Our job is simple. Fight, and die. And God willing, our comrades will complete their mission, and sentence the invader to eternity whichever hell they belong in. Today, we die. This is not a battle we can possibly survive, but we will sure as hell fight. Remember those words of Churchill, spoken so many years ago.”
“Feel the defiance of humanity coarse through your veins! Cast your thoughts to the Greeks at Thermopylae, or our forefathers at Rorke’s Drift! Pavlov’s house! Invoke the spirit of Saragarhi! Remember the Guards’ last stand at Westminster, where the road ran slick with Salvad blood!”
“For today, we cast our die for a future we will never see, and children we will never meet! We will not go quietly into that good night! Rage! Rage against the dying of the light!” The men cheered, overpowering the scream of the air and the rage of sea.
“To arms!”
Adrenaline swells in tensed muscles.
“Blood will be spilled!”
The clatter of weapons ringing in ears.
“On this day, our blood will stain the streets!”
They don’t cheer now; they roar.
“The blood of Terra will flow!”
They surge forward to the boats, a force of nature, with the defiance of a cornered beast.
“Rise, defenders of Earth! From every corner of our planet you came, and to the seas you will return! Fear no death, for death is on your side! If this is to be the dying gasp of Humanity, then let it be the greatest last stand in history!”
And as the warriors boarded their craft, general Mathews tossed away the key to his jeep, and slipped into the crowd. Which was impressive, given his rather pompous appearance.
Jacob, an absolute unit of a man - who never seemed far from getting his huge frame stuck in the doorways - yelled down the length of the compartment we were staying in.
“Captain says fifteen minutes to drop site!”
Tobias stood and said, “All right gentlemen, gather your equipment and prepare yourselves - the sea is cold this time of year.” Robert froze. “We’re not landing?” Tobias laughed, then suffered a bout of wet coughs. Recovering, he looked up, “No. The submarine will drop us off as close as possible, and we will have to wade the rest of the way. Maybe swim a little.”
This day just kept getting worse and worse.
Admiral Pyraxis was having yet another argument with Krystak when an aide came with alarming news.
“I’m sorry?”
“It's immunisation site three, sir! They’re reporting an attack on the island!”
Krystak, ever the opportunist, spoke up. “Correct me if I'm wrong, admiral, but is that not the location of project-”
Pyraxis snapped.
“I KNOW, SHUT UP!”
Taking some time to gather his thoughts, he spoke in a more reasonable tone.
“Summon the Zirrack, get them on my shuttle.” The aide looked shocked, “Y-you’re going down there?”
“Yes, now hurry up.”
Pyraxis dismissed Krystak and marched to his shuttle, seething with rage. Obviously, there was no way the Humans could know about what was hidden under the facility. It was probably just a few militants trying to sabotage operations in Europe. However, it pays to be cautious - hence Pyraxis bringing the Zirrack Crimson Brigade, his personal bodyguard.
An elite unit made up of the best Salvad troops, subjected to genetic enhancement and wearing crimson ceremonial armour - which was very much not for show.
Robert waded through the breakers, soaked all up his back with ice-cold water. The whole group panned out, advancing slowly up the beach, rifles at the ready. Robert was using a British army L85A1, along with a Glock 19 as a sidearm. They all had NVGs, although they wouldn’t be massively effective considering advanced Salvad thermal-concealing clothing.
The surf was calm, and distant rumbling of the clouds could be heard. He wished he’d worn thicker socks to protect against the biting cold of the sea. Dead quiet, they ran up the sand and into the grass. The crackling of gunfire could be heard fairly close by.
Jacob glared at a sign. “You can’t seriously expect me to believe that this place is called Cronky Bing,” he whispered. Robert squinted at the sign, and sure enough, it read: Cronk y Bing Nature Reserve.
"At least we're where we need to be," Tobias said. "Now let's get moving."
The team began a careful march through the fields, towards their target at Jurby. Deploying his night vision, Robert could see the silhouette of the Silos to be targeted, a large building that must have been the factory, and some squat structures which were most likely barracks.
The gunfire became louder the closer they got, with erratic explosions keeping Robert on edge. The flash of muzzles and bright light of Salvad plasma weapons became visible, reflecting on the clouds. Advancing to the last hedgerow before the base itself, the team’s sniper and spotter set up, easily disappearing into the bushes thanks to their ghillie suits.
“Okay, everyone split up into your teams. One target for each team. Get in, deploy it, and get out,” Tobias said. “Do not destroy the silos. Best of luck.”
Splitting up, the teams sprinted towards the border fence of the complex. No Salvads were spotted until they were halfway there, but the moment weapons were raised, the sniper took them out in quick succession. Tobias led Robert’s team up the fence, where they cut a hole with bolt cutters and crawled through. Tobias motioned to spread out, while Jacob and a couple of others moved towards their designated silo. They would have to climb the ladder to the access port at the top in order to deploy the payload.
It was just as they reached the ladder that they all heard the hum of engines approaching.
“Where the fuck is the rest of Beta team?” Johnson yelled at Simmons.
“They must have been blown off course-”
Johnson cut him off, “How do you lose half your team? You're needed at full strength!”
“Calm down! They probably just landed further south than intended. I’ll take what men I have and we’ll just have to wait for the rest to catch up.”
Johnson seethed. But eventually, he just growled and ordered his men to move out. They had gathered in the centre of a little town called The Cronk, which lay about three kilometres south of the enemy compound. Alpha team set off at a brisk pace north, while the weakened Beta team moved northeast to cut off the Salvad route of reinforcements at St. Judes - reinforcing Salvad troops would most likely come along the main road from Ramsey on the east coast, where they would meet a nasty surprise.
And Charlie team were ordered to stay right where they were, and protect from an attack in the rear.
Johnson’s force lined the hedgerows facing Jurby. He had dispatched a portion of his force to secure the church sitting on a slight incline, which used to overlook the prison before it was demolished by the Salvads. Johnson checked his watch, then gave the order. Three rocket launchers fired into the base - two hitting guard towers, and the third hitting a barracks and caving in the roof.
Alarms blared, and Salvads rushed out - many without any of their armour - and frantically tried to find out where the attack was coming from. They were met with machine gun fire from the Humans. Johnson grinned as he watched swathes of enemies get mowed down. Hefting a grenade launcher, he began to help blow them to pieces. Gunfire at the church suggested that the squad sent there had encountered resistance.
His eyes bulged when a Salvad in the complex levelled the church with an anti-tank weapon.
That guy didn’t stay alive for long, as the marksmen among Alpha team exacted revenge. Once the shock of their attack began to wear off, deadly accurate return fire began to rain on them, plasma tearing through their superficial cover.
The real battle had started.
Meanwhile, Beta team managed to sneak unnoticed all the way to St Judes, where they laid their trap - landmines, hidden gun emplacements, the whole deal. Kicking in doors, they took up positions in windows and on roofs. Snipers spread out outside the village in the fields, ready to pick off any reinforcements.
It didn't take long for the call for help to reach Ramsey. It took even less time for the armoured response to come driving up the road.
Admiral Pyraxis gazed out his shuttle window at the storm clouds they were headed into. The power of nature on this planet was truly staggering to him. Of course he had seen storms back home, but those were gusts of wind compared to the thunderstorms here on Earth.
He felt the turbulence as his shuttle descended into the clouds, and part of him became nervous, just for a moment. He soon chastised himself; there was nothing to fear down there. So why did his gut tell him otherwise?
The shuttle smoothly landed at the Immunisation facility, where Pyraxis and his guard disembarked, only to be greeted with deafening gunfire far too close for comfort. As they walked away from the ship, it suddenly got hit with several successive blasts, tearing it apart. Pyraxis dove to the ground, shell shocked. Gathering himself, he screamed at the Zirrack, “Half of you, deal with those humans! Kill them all! The rest of you, with me.”
They silently obeyed, moving towards the sound of fighting. Pyraxis stormed into the facility's command centre, enraged. Barging into the control room, he searched for the base commander. Seeing him, the commander saluted, then - rather pointlessly - said “Sir! The base is under attack!”
Pyraxis glared at him. “I know. All the explosions gave it away.”“What should we do?” the commander stammered.
“What should- what are you, stupid? Deploy the garrison!”
The trembling commander blabbered his apology and scurried away.
Turning to the nearest worker, he ordered them to call in all the troops on the island. It was at this point that Pyraxis may have completely snapped. This is because a private burst into the room, and said, “Hostiles have breached the northern border!”
Suffice it to say, Pyraxis was not happy. Once he was done screaming at his subordinates, he ordered the inoculations extracted immediately to prevent their destruction.
Brandishing his pistol, he stormed out of the command centre with his guards. “Find the saboteurs. Prevent them from damaging anything.”
Robert never thought he would see a man physically tear a Salvad apart with his bare hands, but that is precisely what Jacob did. The victim was running towards the sounds of fighting, when Jacob jumped him from the side and went berserk. Robert stared with morbid fascination.
Moving through the compound, they easily overcame the few guards who stumbled upon them in quick fashion. Reaching the silo, Jacob and two other men began the climb up the ladder while the others secured the area.
“Contact, front! Multiple-”
A scream cut through the air as the speaker was blasted apart by plasma fire. Robert dove for cover, catching a glimpse of some red-clothed figures.
“Who the fuck are these clowns?” he yelled to Tobias, who shrugged from behind the crate he was using as cover.
Peaking around the corner of a wall, Robert saw who they were dealing with.
At least five. More?
He fired a burst at one, and swore upon seeing the rounds deflect harmlessly off of their armour. He motioned to Tobias to provide covering fire. Counting down with his fingers, he nodded at Tobias, and sprinted back through the facility. A couple of stray rounds flew near him as he ran. Finally, he saw what he needed.
A dead guard. And importantly, his weapon. It was worth seeing if it would have an effect. Running back to the fight with his newly liberated weapon, he hid at the edge of one of the barracks. From there, Robert saw Tobais loading an RPG. Quickly and efficiently, Tobias readied the weapon, and peaked round the corner.
Firing, he hit one of the red bastards point blank. It was not pretty - burning flesh and scraps of armour flew in all directions. The others did not like that, and began advancing, spraying fire at anything that moved, resulting in another guy’s head getting blown apart. Robert anxiously watched the group climbing the silo - they were about to be spotted. Pressing every button on the Salvad rifle until it seemed to work, he took a deep breath, and fired at the fancy dress fucks (as he had decided to name them). The first few hits did not penetrate their armour, but with several successive hits parts of the plate began to melt. So, it worked. They immediately returned fire, forcing Robert to duck back behind his corner.
He eyed the wall with fear as it began to melt under the pressure of enemy weaponry, and took a few steps back. He could still see the guys scaling the silo. They were just about to reach the top. Just a little further…
One of the Salvads saw them. It aimed its weapon up, and shot the man behind Jacob. He went tumbling down to the ground, the sickening splat of the impact echoing throughout the facility.
Gritting his teeth, Robert once again peeked from his cover to provide covering fire and distract the Salvads. As he ducked once more, a Salvad shot missed his head by a hair’s width, melting through the wall behind him.
He held his breath, watching Jacob pull himself and the payload up the last few rungs of the ladder. Enemy fire began to rain on them.
Come on…come on!
Just as it looked like Jacob would be hit, he pulled himself over the side and out of the enemy line of sight.
“Fuck! We need support over here!”
Johnson’s men had been repelled and were being forced back in the centre, with their hard-won position at the church’s ruins under threat of encirclement. Casualties were unknown, but high.
“It always sounds better in a speech.” Johnson muttered, “Oh, glory, saving humanity. I don’t see the general out here dying with us-”
Just then, he glanced over at the smouldering church, and saw a ridiculous looking figure, who appeared to be wearing some sort of cape...
“Oh, fuck me.”
He watched, dumbfounded, as general Mathews engaged Salvad troops in hand to hand combat with his bayonet. The fight was obscured by smoke as the general dramatically executed a downed Salvad. If a middle aged man with a bad back and a tendency to favour tea and biscuits over any kind of physical exertion could do that... what was Johnson waiting for?
Beta team was initially successful, destroying or disabling several armoured vehicles as they entered St. Judes in a single file convoy. However, the convoy recovered quickly, deploying their troops and demolishing every building in the town. The vehicles fanned out into the fields, where several more fell to landmines, but the rest were able to provide deadly fire support.
The members of Beta team who had landed too far south caught up only as the fighting began, and found themselves out of position and disorganised, with many fleeing in all directions and any semblance of order evaporating. Having levelled St. Judes, the armoured convoy resumed the drive to Jurby, albeit with significantly more caution.
Beta team radioed all other teams, alerting them of the breakthrough.
Charlie team was effectively holding back Salvad reinforcements in the south, having dug in at the Cronk and Ballaugh. Smith ordered guerrillas further inland to sabotage the Salvad communication array, and succeeded before anyone was the wiser. Salvad armoured columns from Peel lay burning, dotted across the landscape.
This favourable state of affairs only lasted until enemy air support arrived.
It was a slaughter.
“Can we get more men from Charlie team?” Johnson radioed, only to have his spirits sunk as the news came through.
Charlie team had been destroyed by enemy air strikes. Soon after, Simmons radioed to say that Beta team had been smashed, and were retreating.
Johnson’s heart sank. He probably had less than half his own men left, and enemies were closing in on all sides. He sincerely hoped that the mission had been successful.
Jacob yanked open the hatch to the silo, and deployed the payload without further thought, holding his breath as he did so. Tying a rope from his pack to a rail, he repelled down the side of the silo as quickly as possible, immediately taking cover. His comrade was not so lucky, getting shot on his way down. Jacob sprinted to find the others, cursing as a shot grazed his side, sending him sprawling on the ground.
Vice admiral Krystak had a solemn look on his face. Before him were the rest of the Salvad high command, all recalled for an emergency meeting.
“It seems our leader has gotten himself in quite some trouble. We have no communications, and satellite imaging is obscured by the storm. We have no idea the scale of the attack on Immunisation site three, or the status of Admiral Pyraxis. We must consider him compromised. Would you agree?”
Carefully neutral expressions and subtle nods all around.
Perfect.
“In these exceptional circumstances, we must take precautions. It is stipulated that the Vice Admiral must assume the position of Admiral in such circumstances. Agreed?”Careful nods all around. Nobody spoke up.
“As such, does the council agree to grant me the title of Admiral and the powers that come with it, in order to rectify the situation?”
They all looked at each other. Then, one by one, nodded in agreement.
“Then let us make haste. I presume you are all aware of Pyraxis’s little project buried under the facility. The research there must not be discovered by the Humans. As such, I move to allow the retrieval of all usable material from the facility, and to order the subsequent destruction of the facility to prevent a security breach. All in favour?”
The Salvad’s gathered looked weary, but soon crumbled under peer pressure.
All agreed. A rational decision, given the information available. They all knew it was a thinly veiled coup, and none wanted to put a target on themselves.
Krystak, now the Admiral and commander of all Salvad operations in Sol, growled softly as he revelled in his victory.
The foresight of the ambitious is often lacking.
Robert watched as the cargo haulers flew in, barely stopping as they lifted the entire silos, and then flying away at top speed. A few half-hearted pot shots were taken at them to reinforce the notion that the Salvads had foiled the dastardly human plan.
It had been a close thing. They hadn’t expected the Salvads to order an accelerated extraction. Robert now hid inside one of the barracks with a couple of others, including Tobias - who was methodically taping a claymore to his chest.
He stopped what he was doing when he heard a clatter somewhere far off, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Robert held his breath. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he tensed, ready to run.
He could hear their chatter. By the sound of their movements, they had panned out and were searching every nook and cranny.
Gripping his rifle with white knuckles, he waited for the nearest footsteps to near even more, before charging out of cover. Firing his stolen weapon in a continuous burst into the Salvad’s face, forcing him back. The plasma melted the faceplate, and boiled the Salvad inside - evidenced by its' screaming.
Hunched over to avoid the fire of the other Salvads, Robert sprinted to the body and extracted a knife from one of its pockets. The knife had an ornate design, and a thin glowing red rim along the edge. The balance felt completely off.
Diving behind a toppled bunk, Robert tried to make himself as small as possible. A stray enemy shot scorched the side of his abdomen, the intense heat instantly cauterising the wound. A few centimetres to the right, and he would be trying to stop his organs from falling out.
“Fuck!”
A small chunk of flesh had been carved away by the shot, and he screamed as his fried nerve endings made their displeasure known.
“Bitch!”
He half ran, half stumbled through the barracks, crashing through the first doorway he saw. On the other side was a slope, heading down into a lower level. With the sound of fighting, he saw no choice but to go further down. It looked like a laboratory of some sort, with pristine white walls and ceilings. Robert wandered into a vast chamber, where human bodies lay on operating tables in various states of dissection, with more suspended in vats filled with a sickly green liquid. Pausing to take this all in, Robert promptly vomited, and ran in another direction.He was determined to get out of that awful place as soon as possible. Hearing footsteps behind him, he threw himself onto the floor behind a cabinet to hide. Stolen gun at the ready, he strained his ears for any sign of the enemy.He didn’t have to wait long. Striding into the room, three of the red-clothed-pricks fanned out. Sneaking a look, he saw one of them wasn’t wearing a helmet - sign of a comically arrogant superior officer. They were speaking.
The officer sounded angry.
Taking his chance, he peaked his weapon around the cabinet, and nailed one of the soldiers in the head. He crumpled to the floor instantly. The other one, not missing a beat, spun and fired at Robert, forcing him to cower behind the rapidly melting cabinet.
Crawling to the other end, he peaked again, and was able to shoot the soldier’s weapon, disabling it. Unfortunately for Robert, his bad luck once more reared it’s ugly head, and the Salvad rifle stopped working.
Out of charge?
Casting the spent weapon aside, he charged the Red Salvad. *Where's the officer?*All too late, he realised his mistake. As he body-slammed the Salvad, the officer appeared from behind a wall, pistol raised. Robert’s “borrowed” Salvad knife found its way into his grip, and the glowing edge of the blade burrowed through the Salvad’s armour. Robert twisted it into the Salvad’s neck, severing the spine, and shoving the now-deceased body to the ground.
This left him facing off with the officer. Perhaps Robert had seen too many films, as he expected some kind of evil speech. Instead, the officer shot him, and he fell down.
He entered a world of pain, body convulsing on the floor. The once-pristine tiles were rapidly changing colour around him. It felt like some of him was missing. Taking a look at the damage, he wished he hadn’t. His brain sort of stopped working at this point, overwhelmed and high on adrenaline.
Robert fumbled for his Cyanide pill as the Salvad strolled over.
In the corner of his eye, he saw a shape appear at the door in the back. A human, covered with burns and scorched flesh underneath torn uniform. A distinctive gas mask adorned his face. The individual raised a pistol with shaking arms, and fired.
A single bullet hit the Salvad in the neck, spewing a fountain of blood in front of him. The Slavad cried out, and fell flat on his face.
Tobias limped over and kneeled beside Robert.
“Hey, I got you. Look at me. I got you.” he said, panting.
“And here I was, thinking… you were dead, Toby.”
“Heh, I very nearly was. Those freaks had a flamethrower! Here, let me help you up.”
Grunting, Tobias lifted Robert by the arm, supporting his weight. After a bit of rearranging themselves, the two limped their way back into the barracks. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, and the building was on fire and filling with smoke.
Kicking down the door to the outside, they stumbled out into the fresh sea air. The sound of battle could still be heard far off, though they paid it no heed. Stumbling away from the base, the pair made the short journey to the beach.
Robert lay down, and Tobias kneeled beside him. “What time do you think it is?” asked Robert. The Sun was just beginning to rise, with a few rays penetrating the morning sky. The storm had cleared, replaced wth a hesitant blue.
“Not a clue,” Tobias wheezed. The waves were breaking mere metres away from their feet, lapping at the shore and blissfully uncaring of the violence occurring inland.
“Just hold on a little longer. I think we’ll get to see a sunrise, of a sort.” said Robert. His gaze was fixed at a point just above the horizon. From that little point, a speck of light was rapidly growing, heading right for them.
They joined hands, clasping each other in a tight grip.
Here, the man who fought out of spite lay. Next to him, the man who fought out of habit. Both were terrified of dying. Both were now too tired to care. Bleeding and hurting, they finally rested. Their war, at least, was over.
Jacob had died just a few minutes earlier, in the fight in the barracks.
Pyraxis did not die when he was shot in the neck, as the bullet missed his airpipe. He stumbled out a different exit, only to see the sky brighten. Ironically, the killing blow was dealt by his own people. This irony was not lost on him.
The entire island was destroyed, every living thing perishing under orbital bombardment, leaving a crater and no evidence of the deeds done there, heroic or cowardly.
Save for its legacy, in the form of plague the likes of which the Salvad’s had never witnessed.
Author’s note:
I think this may be some of my best work yet. I put a lot of effort into the concepts and -especially- detailing the attack, which I’m quite proud of. It was a bit slower than I wanted getting this one done due to external factors, but I managed it in the end. Given how long it’s ended up, perhaps I should have split it up more, but oh well. I’d like to say thank you to anyone and everyone who took an interest in this little series - the support means a lot to me. If you read this far, thank you.
submitted by BeensbEaNsBeAnSbEaNs to HFY [link] [comments]
Admiral Pyraxis drummed his talons on his desk. A rhythmic sound, which he found quite comforting. Arranged on his desk stood various fine wines he had procured by means of ordering mass confiscation of alcohol from the Humans.
“Sir, are you sure the local drink isn’t affecting your judgement?”
And that was the sound of Pyraxis’s greatest headache - his incessant subordinate, Krystak, who was only one rank lower than him and undoubtedly waiting for the perfect opportunity to usurp Pyraxis.
“No, Krystak, I am quite unaffected by these beverages,” he lied, “also - you’re out of line speaking to me like that.”
Krystak bowed his head in apology. Taking a glug from a bottle gripped in his right hand, he gestured for Krystak to begin his debrief.
“Well, we have seen a 6.2% increase in attacks since last month. Of those, most have been unsuccessful, but we took approximately 17,800 fatalities this month, which is an 8% increase from last month. Efforts to locate major concentrations of exiled army units have failed, however, we succeeded in raiding weapons caches on all settled continents. Counter intelligence is working diligently to root out urban resistance, but rural resistance is unfortunately going to take a lot longer than predicted to eradicate.”
“We also managed to get some industrial and mining operations going without them being immediately blown up, which is good progress.”
Pyraxis took another long gulp of wine, before standing up, “I need you to get this damned planet under control! Is that clear? Because in five local cycles, the colonisation fleet will arrive. If they get here and it’s still a warzone, we will both be replaced. I don’t care how many people you have to kill to do it. Exterminate even more if you have to. Understood?”
Krystak opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it and nodded.
“Dismissed.”
He saluted, then marched out of Pyraxis’s office.
“Fucking Humans,” he muttered to himself. At least they had some decent swear words. Staring out the window at Earth, he downed the rest of his bottle, and passed out.
“I feel I have to tell you that what you are about to embark on is a suicide mission. Not one of you is expected to come back alive. If that isn’t your cup of tea, there is no shame in backing out now.” A few people in the back surreptitiously left the hall everyone had gathered in.
After a moment, the speaker - one general Mathews - resumed his briefing.
“This attack is one of many coordinated strikes which will - if successful - cripple the enemy’s ability to fight, and may just win us the war. Of those of you gathered here, most will partake in the main attack. The target is located on the Isle of Man - specifically, the old RAF base Jurby. It has been converted into a base of operations. All you need to know is that another, smaller force, will infiltrate the base. In order to complete their objective, you will need to divert as many troops away from the north of the base as possible.”
“Jurby has been turned into a fortress - our intel says there are at least five thousand Salvad troops on the island, and of those, one thousand are located within or near Jurby. Your goal is not to beat them, but distract them. You will be granted heavy weapons - in fact, everything we have at our disposal is going into this attack.”
Robert stood in the back, leaning against the wall, observing the reactions of the men around him.
“You will have the aid of local resistance forces, but they are not to be relied upon for anything other than intel - they are not combat troops. You will deploy under the cover of night. Our numbers should double when we reach the rendezvous point at Kidsdale prior to departure - we’re calling in everyone for this. The Salvads don’t have a seaborne navy, which is important for us, since you will be landing by boat.”
This had an interesting reception - mostly of shock, a bit of scorn. Once the chatter had died down, the general continued.
“We have commandeered numerous small civilian boats. There should be enough to carry everyone over to the Island. You will land on the west coast, south of Jurby. From there, Alpha team under Johnson will advance north to Jurby, where you will attack with everything you’ve got. Use the element of surprise, draw the enemy out. Beta team under Simmons will advance to St. Judes to cut off enemy land reinforcements. Charlie team under Smith will protect your rear from attack. There can be no radio chatter on the way over - we really need the element of surprise. Once they know you’re there, try to limit comms since we have no idea if they can decrypt our signals.”
“Hold out for as long as possible. The attack is scheduled to begin at 2400 hours two days from now. Gather your equipment, and prepare for a long march to the rendezvous. I will follow you up to that point. Questions?”
Robert lost interest at that point. He shook the ache out of his legs and walked through to the gathering spot for the infiltration team. He knew a few faces. A couple of Royal Marines were present, and some exiles from mainland europe. There were eight of them total, although apparently their team was thirty strong.
Where the rest of this little suicide squad was, he had no idea.
Robert decided he really didn’t like whoever had come up with this part of the plan. They were not going with the main force, but were instead going to a different rendezvous to board a submarine. They would then ride this submarine to the Isle of Man. It would be 2 AM when they disembarked three kilometres north of Jurby. This would give the main attackers two hours to draw away the majority of the guards.
Robert did not like submarines. They would be boarding HMS Anson at HMNB Clyde. The reason this base hadn’t been destroyed by the Salvads was because out of sheer luck it was empty during the landings. They would have to be there at exactly the right time, as the sub would only wait for twenty minutes maximum, before leaving to do the mission without them.
The journey would be about eleven hours. That meant eleven hours cramped inside a submarine, underwater. Because of course they would be submerged for the whole journey. It only made sense, after all.
This was going to suck.
Admiral Pyraxis was in an irritable mood. He’d had to learn the meaning of another Earth word: drunk. Then he had to learn the meaning of hangover. Then he spent more time than necessary examining the capacities of his own liver.
He knew he was letting the drink get to him. But he was too stressed, and needed a way to relax. He was still somewhat sure that it wasn’t affecting his decision making that much.
Picking up his communicator from the floor, he punched in a code, then held it up to his head.
“Report on the project.”
“Understood. I’m coming down to inspect it.”
Putting in a different code, he once again spoke into the device, “Prepare my shuttle for departure. Destination is Immunisation Facility 3.”
Robert decided if he survived this, he would never ride a submarine again. The boarding had gone like clockwork. He now had half a day to become acquainted with the rest of the team.
One guy stood out - he was wearing a gas mask and spoke with a muffled accent. Perhaps German?
“Guten Tag, Gentlemen. My name is Corporal Müller, but you may call me Tobias - I am in charge of this operation. We will split into three teams. In the hold are three backpacks - these have the bioweapon. I would be very careful not to drop them. The strongest guy in each squad will carry one. There are three main silos. Deploy the weapon, then get out. Any questions?”
Robert raised his hand, “Yeah, what's with the mask?”
“I wear this because I am hideously deformed! Ja, I was in France, and received a large dose of radiation from the…erm…fireworks. I have about five days until I suffer critical organ failure, so I figured I would go out on my own terms - in glorious combat!”
“Oh. Right.”
“I nearly forgot! Here, you all need to take a cyanide pill with you. We cannot risk anyone being captured,” he said, taking out a tray from behind him and enthusiastically offering the pills up to everyone.
Well, that's just wonderful. Robert took one and put it in his jacket pocket.
Robert acquainted himself with the rest of the team, and found somewhere to lie down. He knew it was going to be an arduous journey.
General Mathews stood dramatically at the head of his force. The wind was strong, but the surf was calm enough to board the boats. It was dark as well. He had requested a red cape for his speech, which was billowing behind him. It would have been a more potent image if it wasn’t so dark. As it was, he could barely see to the end of the crowd gathered before him.
There was no moonlight either - the strike had been carefully planned to take place under heavy cloud coverage. And so far, their luck had held. Standing on top of some crates, with a microphone connected to a meagre sound system, he puffed up his chest.
Tapping the mic, he winced as it squealed. Slapping it a couple more times, he began to speak.
“Before me, I do not see an army. I do not see the best of the best. I do not see heroes; for the heroes died in the first attack. They died on the front lines, charging into certain death. We are the ones who remain. And you ask yourself, what can a couple of thousand men do?”
“Fighting an enemy we cannot beat, with weapons we can’t match and resources we can’t equal, not for a thousand years. What is the point? Madness!”
“We are martyrs. The heroes have fallen long ago. It falls to us to do the dirty work. We are the ones who ask for no thanks and will go forgotten by all; but do not fear! Our actions stand in place of our identities, and they will echo through the annals of history, for today we take the fight to them! Today, we charge into the jaws of death, just like our countrymen, only this time we can win!”
“You heard me right! We can win this war. Our job is simple. Fight, and die. And God willing, our comrades will complete their mission, and sentence the invader to eternity whichever hell they belong in. Today, we die. This is not a battle we can possibly survive, but we will sure as hell fight. Remember those words of Churchill, spoken so many years ago.”
“Feel the defiance of humanity coarse through your veins! Cast your thoughts to the Greeks at Thermopylae, or our forefathers at Rorke’s Drift! Pavlov’s house! Invoke the spirit of Saragarhi! Remember the Guards’ last stand at Westminster, where the road ran slick with Salvad blood!”
“For today, we cast our die for a future we will never see, and children we will never meet! We will not go quietly into that good night! Rage! Rage against the dying of the light!” The men cheered, overpowering the scream of the air and the rage of sea.
“To arms!”
Adrenaline swells in tensed muscles.
“Blood will be spilled!”
The clatter of weapons ringing in ears.
“On this day, our blood will stain the streets!”
They don’t cheer now; they roar.
“The blood of Terra will flow!”
They surge forward to the boats, a force of nature, with the defiance of a cornered beast.
“Rise, defenders of Earth! From every corner of our planet you came, and to the seas you will return! Fear no death, for death is on your side! If this is to be the dying gasp of Humanity, then let it be the greatest last stand in history!”
And as the warriors boarded their craft, general Mathews tossed away the key to his jeep, and slipped into the crowd. Which was impressive, given his rather pompous appearance.
Jacob, an absolute unit of a man - who never seemed far from getting his huge frame stuck in the doorways - yelled down the length of the compartment we were staying in.
“Captain says fifteen minutes to drop site!”
Tobias stood and said, “All right gentlemen, gather your equipment and prepare yourselves - the sea is cold this time of year.” Robert froze. “We’re not landing?” Tobias laughed, then suffered a bout of wet coughs. Recovering, he looked up, “No. The submarine will drop us off as close as possible, and we will have to wade the rest of the way. Maybe swim a little.”
This day just kept getting worse and worse.
Admiral Pyraxis was having yet another argument with Krystak when an aide came with alarming news.
“I’m sorry?”
“It's immunisation site three, sir! They’re reporting an attack on the island!”
Krystak, ever the opportunist, spoke up. “Correct me if I'm wrong, admiral, but is that not the location of project-”
Pyraxis snapped.
“I KNOW, SHUT UP!”
Taking some time to gather his thoughts, he spoke in a more reasonable tone.
“Summon the Zirrack, get them on my shuttle.” The aide looked shocked, “Y-you’re going down there?”
“Yes, now hurry up.”
Pyraxis dismissed Krystak and marched to his shuttle, seething with rage. Obviously, there was no way the Humans could know about what was hidden under the facility. It was probably just a few militants trying to sabotage operations in Europe. However, it pays to be cautious - hence Pyraxis bringing the Zirrack Crimson Brigade, his personal bodyguard.
An elite unit made up of the best Salvad troops, subjected to genetic enhancement and wearing crimson ceremonial armour - which was very much not for show.
Robert waded through the breakers, soaked all up his back with ice-cold water. The whole group panned out, advancing slowly up the beach, rifles at the ready. Robert was using a British army L85A1, along with a Glock 19 as a sidearm. They all had NVGs, although they wouldn’t be massively effective considering advanced Salvad thermal-concealing clothing.
The surf was calm, and distant rumbling of the clouds could be heard. He wished he’d worn thicker socks to protect against the biting cold of the sea. Dead quiet, they ran up the sand and into the grass. The crackling of gunfire could be heard fairly close by.
Jacob glared at a sign. “You can’t seriously expect me to believe that this place is called Cronky Bing,” he whispered. Robert squinted at the sign, and sure enough, it read: Cronk y Bing Nature Reserve.
"At least we're where we need to be," Tobias said. "Now let's get moving."
The team began a careful march through the fields, towards their target at Jurby. Deploying his night vision, Robert could see the silhouette of the Silos to be targeted, a large building that must have been the factory, and some squat structures which were most likely barracks.
The gunfire became louder the closer they got, with erratic explosions keeping Robert on edge. The flash of muzzles and bright light of Salvad plasma weapons became visible, reflecting on the clouds. Advancing to the last hedgerow before the base itself, the team’s sniper and spotter set up, easily disappearing into the bushes thanks to their ghillie suits.
“Okay, everyone split up into your teams. One target for each team. Get in, deploy it, and get out,” Tobias said. “Do not destroy the silos. Best of luck.”
Splitting up, the teams sprinted towards the border fence of the complex. No Salvads were spotted until they were halfway there, but the moment weapons were raised, the sniper took them out in quick succession. Tobias led Robert’s team up the fence, where they cut a hole with bolt cutters and crawled through. Tobias motioned to spread out, while Jacob and a couple of others moved towards their designated silo. They would have to climb the ladder to the access port at the top in order to deploy the payload.
It was just as they reached the ladder that they all heard the hum of engines approaching.
“Where the fuck is the rest of Beta team?” Johnson yelled at Simmons.
“They must have been blown off course-”
Johnson cut him off, “How do you lose half your team? You're needed at full strength!”
“Calm down! They probably just landed further south than intended. I’ll take what men I have and we’ll just have to wait for the rest to catch up.”
Johnson seethed. But eventually, he just growled and ordered his men to move out. They had gathered in the centre of a little town called The Cronk, which lay about three kilometres south of the enemy compound. Alpha team set off at a brisk pace north, while the weakened Beta team moved northeast to cut off the Salvad route of reinforcements at St. Judes - reinforcing Salvad troops would most likely come along the main road from Ramsey on the east coast, where they would meet a nasty surprise.
And Charlie team were ordered to stay right where they were, and protect from an attack in the rear.
Johnson’s force lined the hedgerows facing Jurby. He had dispatched a portion of his force to secure the church sitting on a slight incline, which used to overlook the prison before it was demolished by the Salvads. Johnson checked his watch, then gave the order. Three rocket launchers fired into the base - two hitting guard towers, and the third hitting a barracks and caving in the roof.
Alarms blared, and Salvads rushed out - many without any of their armour - and frantically tried to find out where the attack was coming from. They were met with machine gun fire from the Humans. Johnson grinned as he watched swathes of enemies get mowed down. Hefting a grenade launcher, he began to help blow them to pieces. Gunfire at the church suggested that the squad sent there had encountered resistance.
His eyes bulged when a Salvad in the complex levelled the church with an anti-tank weapon.
That guy didn’t stay alive for long, as the marksmen among Alpha team exacted revenge. Once the shock of their attack began to wear off, deadly accurate return fire began to rain on them, plasma tearing through their superficial cover.
The real battle had started.
Meanwhile, Beta team managed to sneak unnoticed all the way to St Judes, where they laid their trap - landmines, hidden gun emplacements, the whole deal. Kicking in doors, they took up positions in windows and on roofs. Snipers spread out outside the village in the fields, ready to pick off any reinforcements.
It didn't take long for the call for help to reach Ramsey. It took even less time for the armoured response to come driving up the road.
Admiral Pyraxis gazed out his shuttle window at the storm clouds they were headed into. The power of nature on this planet was truly staggering to him. Of course he had seen storms back home, but those were gusts of wind compared to the thunderstorms here on Earth.
He felt the turbulence as his shuttle descended into the clouds, and part of him became nervous, just for a moment. He soon chastised himself; there was nothing to fear down there. So why did his gut tell him otherwise?
The shuttle smoothly landed at the Immunisation facility, where Pyraxis and his guard disembarked, only to be greeted with deafening gunfire far too close for comfort. As they walked away from the ship, it suddenly got hit with several successive blasts, tearing it apart. Pyraxis dove to the ground, shell shocked. Gathering himself, he screamed at the Zirrack, “Half of you, deal with those humans! Kill them all! The rest of you, with me.”
They silently obeyed, moving towards the sound of fighting. Pyraxis stormed into the facility's command centre, enraged. Barging into the control room, he searched for the base commander. Seeing him, the commander saluted, then - rather pointlessly - said “Sir! The base is under attack!”
Pyraxis glared at him. “I know. All the explosions gave it away.”“What should we do?” the commander stammered.
“What should- what are you, stupid? Deploy the garrison!”
The trembling commander blabbered his apology and scurried away.
Turning to the nearest worker, he ordered them to call in all the troops on the island. It was at this point that Pyraxis may have completely snapped. This is because a private burst into the room, and said, “Hostiles have breached the northern border!”
Suffice it to say, Pyraxis was not happy. Once he was done screaming at his subordinates, he ordered the inoculations extracted immediately to prevent their destruction.
Brandishing his pistol, he stormed out of the command centre with his guards. “Find the saboteurs. Prevent them from damaging anything.”
Robert never thought he would see a man physically tear a Salvad apart with his bare hands, but that is precisely what Jacob did. The victim was running towards the sounds of fighting, when Jacob jumped him from the side and went berserk. Robert stared with morbid fascination.
Moving through the compound, they easily overcame the few guards who stumbled upon them in quick fashion. Reaching the silo, Jacob and two other men began the climb up the ladder while the others secured the area.
“Contact, front! Multiple-”
A scream cut through the air as the speaker was blasted apart by plasma fire. Robert dove for cover, catching a glimpse of some red-clothed figures.
“Who the fuck are these clowns?” he yelled to Tobias, who shrugged from behind the crate he was using as cover.
Peaking around the corner of a wall, Robert saw who they were dealing with.
At least five. More?
He fired a burst at one, and swore upon seeing the rounds deflect harmlessly off of their armour. He motioned to Tobias to provide covering fire. Counting down with his fingers, he nodded at Tobias, and sprinted back through the facility. A couple of stray rounds flew near him as he ran. Finally, he saw what he needed.
A dead guard. And importantly, his weapon. It was worth seeing if it would have an effect. Running back to the fight with his newly liberated weapon, he hid at the edge of one of the barracks. From there, Robert saw Tobais loading an RPG. Quickly and efficiently, Tobias readied the weapon, and peaked round the corner.
Firing, he hit one of the red bastards point blank. It was not pretty - burning flesh and scraps of armour flew in all directions. The others did not like that, and began advancing, spraying fire at anything that moved, resulting in another guy’s head getting blown apart. Robert anxiously watched the group climbing the silo - they were about to be spotted. Pressing every button on the Salvad rifle until it seemed to work, he took a deep breath, and fired at the fancy dress fucks (as he had decided to name them). The first few hits did not penetrate their armour, but with several successive hits parts of the plate began to melt. So, it worked. They immediately returned fire, forcing Robert to duck back behind his corner.
He eyed the wall with fear as it began to melt under the pressure of enemy weaponry, and took a few steps back. He could still see the guys scaling the silo. They were just about to reach the top. Just a little further…
One of the Salvads saw them. It aimed its weapon up, and shot the man behind Jacob. He went tumbling down to the ground, the sickening splat of the impact echoing throughout the facility.
Gritting his teeth, Robert once again peeked from his cover to provide covering fire and distract the Salvads. As he ducked once more, a Salvad shot missed his head by a hair’s width, melting through the wall behind him.
He held his breath, watching Jacob pull himself and the payload up the last few rungs of the ladder. Enemy fire began to rain on them.
Come on…come on!
Just as it looked like Jacob would be hit, he pulled himself over the side and out of the enemy line of sight.
“Fuck! We need support over here!”
Johnson’s men had been repelled and were being forced back in the centre, with their hard-won position at the church’s ruins under threat of encirclement. Casualties were unknown, but high.
“It always sounds better in a speech.” Johnson muttered, “Oh, glory, saving humanity. I don’t see the general out here dying with us-”
Just then, he glanced over at the smouldering church, and saw a ridiculous looking figure, who appeared to be wearing some sort of cape...
“Oh, fuck me.”
He watched, dumbfounded, as general Mathews engaged Salvad troops in hand to hand combat with his bayonet. The fight was obscured by smoke as the general dramatically executed a downed Salvad. If a middle aged man with a bad back and a tendency to favour tea and biscuits over any kind of physical exertion could do that... what was Johnson waiting for?
Beta team was initially successful, destroying or disabling several armoured vehicles as they entered St. Judes in a single file convoy. However, the convoy recovered quickly, deploying their troops and demolishing every building in the town. The vehicles fanned out into the fields, where several more fell to landmines, but the rest were able to provide deadly fire support.
The members of Beta team who had landed too far south caught up only as the fighting began, and found themselves out of position and disorganised, with many fleeing in all directions and any semblance of order evaporating. Having levelled St. Judes, the armoured convoy resumed the drive to Jurby, albeit with significantly more caution.
Beta team radioed all other teams, alerting them of the breakthrough.
Charlie team was effectively holding back Salvad reinforcements in the south, having dug in at the Cronk and Ballaugh. Smith ordered guerrillas further inland to sabotage the Salvad communication array, and succeeded before anyone was the wiser. Salvad armoured columns from Peel lay burning, dotted across the landscape.
This favourable state of affairs only lasted until enemy air support arrived.
It was a slaughter.
“Can we get more men from Charlie team?” Johnson radioed, only to have his spirits sunk as the news came through.
Charlie team had been destroyed by enemy air strikes. Soon after, Simmons radioed to say that Beta team had been smashed, and were retreating.
Johnson’s heart sank. He probably had less than half his own men left, and enemies were closing in on all sides. He sincerely hoped that the mission had been successful.
Jacob yanked open the hatch to the silo, and deployed the payload without further thought, holding his breath as he did so. Tying a rope from his pack to a rail, he repelled down the side of the silo as quickly as possible, immediately taking cover. His comrade was not so lucky, getting shot on his way down. Jacob sprinted to find the others, cursing as a shot grazed his side, sending him sprawling on the ground.
Vice admiral Krystak had a solemn look on his face. Before him were the rest of the Salvad high command, all recalled for an emergency meeting.
“It seems our leader has gotten himself in quite some trouble. We have no communications, and satellite imaging is obscured by the storm. We have no idea the scale of the attack on Immunisation site three, or the status of Admiral Pyraxis. We must consider him compromised. Would you agree?”
Carefully neutral expressions and subtle nods all around.
Perfect.
“In these exceptional circumstances, we must take precautions. It is stipulated that the Vice Admiral must assume the position of Admiral in such circumstances. Agreed?”Careful nods all around. Nobody spoke up.
“As such, does the council agree to grant me the title of Admiral and the powers that come with it, in order to rectify the situation?”
They all looked at each other. Then, one by one, nodded in agreement.
“Then let us make haste. I presume you are all aware of Pyraxis’s little project buried under the facility. The research there must not be discovered by the Humans. As such, I move to allow the retrieval of all usable material from the facility, and to order the subsequent destruction of the facility to prevent a security breach. All in favour?”
The Salvad’s gathered looked weary, but soon crumbled under peer pressure.
All agreed. A rational decision, given the information available. They all knew it was a thinly veiled coup, and none wanted to put a target on themselves.
Krystak, now the Admiral and commander of all Salvad operations in Sol, growled softly as he revelled in his victory.
The foresight of the ambitious is often lacking.
Robert watched as the cargo haulers flew in, barely stopping as they lifted the entire silos, and then flying away at top speed. A few half-hearted pot shots were taken at them to reinforce the notion that the Salvads had foiled the dastardly human plan.
It had been a close thing. They hadn’t expected the Salvads to order an accelerated extraction. Robert now hid inside one of the barracks with a couple of others, including Tobias - who was methodically taping a claymore to his chest.
He stopped what he was doing when he heard a clatter somewhere far off, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Robert held his breath. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he tensed, ready to run.
He could hear their chatter. By the sound of their movements, they had panned out and were searching every nook and cranny.
Gripping his rifle with white knuckles, he waited for the nearest footsteps to near even more, before charging out of cover. Firing his stolen weapon in a continuous burst into the Salvad’s face, forcing him back. The plasma melted the faceplate, and boiled the Salvad inside - evidenced by its' screaming.
Hunched over to avoid the fire of the other Salvads, Robert sprinted to the body and extracted a knife from one of its pockets. The knife had an ornate design, and a thin glowing red rim along the edge. The balance felt completely off.
Diving behind a toppled bunk, Robert tried to make himself as small as possible. A stray enemy shot scorched the side of his abdomen, the intense heat instantly cauterising the wound. A few centimetres to the right, and he would be trying to stop his organs from falling out.
“Fuck!”
A small chunk of flesh had been carved away by the shot, and he screamed as his fried nerve endings made their displeasure known.
“Bitch!”
He half ran, half stumbled through the barracks, crashing through the first doorway he saw. On the other side was a slope, heading down into a lower level. With the sound of fighting, he saw no choice but to go further down. It looked like a laboratory of some sort, with pristine white walls and ceilings. Robert wandered into a vast chamber, where human bodies lay on operating tables in various states of dissection, with more suspended in vats filled with a sickly green liquid. Pausing to take this all in, Robert promptly vomited, and ran in another direction.He was determined to get out of that awful place as soon as possible. Hearing footsteps behind him, he threw himself onto the floor behind a cabinet to hide. Stolen gun at the ready, he strained his ears for any sign of the enemy.He didn’t have to wait long. Striding into the room, three of the red-clothed-pricks fanned out. Sneaking a look, he saw one of them wasn’t wearing a helmet - sign of a comically arrogant superior officer. They were speaking.
The officer sounded angry.
Taking his chance, he peaked his weapon around the cabinet, and nailed one of the soldiers in the head. He crumpled to the floor instantly. The other one, not missing a beat, spun and fired at Robert, forcing him to cower behind the rapidly melting cabinet.
Crawling to the other end, he peaked again, and was able to shoot the soldier’s weapon, disabling it. Unfortunately for Robert, his bad luck once more reared it’s ugly head, and the Salvad rifle stopped working.
Out of charge?
Casting the spent weapon aside, he charged the Red Salvad. *Where's the officer?*All too late, he realised his mistake. As he body-slammed the Salvad, the officer appeared from behind a wall, pistol raised. Robert’s “borrowed” Salvad knife found its way into his grip, and the glowing edge of the blade burrowed through the Salvad’s armour. Robert twisted it into the Salvad’s neck, severing the spine, and shoving the now-deceased body to the ground.
This left him facing off with the officer. Perhaps Robert had seen too many films, as he expected some kind of evil speech. Instead, the officer shot him, and he fell down.
He entered a world of pain, body convulsing on the floor. The once-pristine tiles were rapidly changing colour around him. It felt like some of him was missing. Taking a look at the damage, he wished he hadn’t. His brain sort of stopped working at this point, overwhelmed and high on adrenaline.
Robert fumbled for his Cyanide pill as the Salvad strolled over.
In the corner of his eye, he saw a shape appear at the door in the back. A human, covered with burns and scorched flesh underneath torn uniform. A distinctive gas mask adorned his face. The individual raised a pistol with shaking arms, and fired.
A single bullet hit the Salvad in the neck, spewing a fountain of blood in front of him. The Slavad cried out, and fell flat on his face.
Tobias limped over and kneeled beside Robert.
“Hey, I got you. Look at me. I got you.” he said, panting.
“And here I was, thinking… you were dead, Toby.”
“Heh, I very nearly was. Those freaks had a flamethrower! Here, let me help you up.”
Grunting, Tobias lifted Robert by the arm, supporting his weight. After a bit of rearranging themselves, the two limped their way back into the barracks. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, and the building was on fire and filling with smoke.
Kicking down the door to the outside, they stumbled out into the fresh sea air. The sound of battle could still be heard far off, though they paid it no heed. Stumbling away from the base, the pair made the short journey to the beach.
Robert lay down, and Tobias kneeled beside him. “What time do you think it is?” asked Robert. The Sun was just beginning to rise, with a few rays penetrating the morning sky. The storm had cleared, replaced wth a hesitant blue.
“Not a clue,” Tobias wheezed. The waves were breaking mere metres away from their feet, lapping at the shore and blissfully uncaring of the violence occurring inland.
“Just hold on a little longer. I think we’ll get to see a sunrise, of a sort.” said Robert. His gaze was fixed at a point just above the horizon. From that little point, a speck of light was rapidly growing, heading right for them.
They joined hands, clasping each other in a tight grip.
Here, the man who fought out of spite lay. Next to him, the man who fought out of habit. Both were terrified of dying. Both were now too tired to care. Bleeding and hurting, they finally rested. Their war, at least, was over.
Jacob had died just a few minutes earlier, in the fight in the barracks.
Pyraxis did not die when he was shot in the neck, as the bullet missed his airpipe. He stumbled out a different exit, only to see the sky brighten. Ironically, the killing blow was dealt by his own people. This irony was not lost on him.
The entire island was destroyed, every living thing perishing under orbital bombardment, leaving a crater and no evidence of the deeds done there, heroic or cowardly.
Save for its legacy, in the form of plague the likes of which the Salvad’s had never witnessed.
Author’s note:
I think this may be some of my best work yet. I put a lot of effort into the concepts and -especially- detailing the attack, which I’m quite proud of. It was a bit slower than I wanted getting this one done due to external factors, but I managed it in the end. Given how long it’s ended up, perhaps I should have split it up more, but oh well. I’d like to say thank you to anyone and everyone who took an interest in this little series - the support means a lot to me. If you read this far, thank you.
2024.06.07 17:57 Solupotsongana Sunny Smiles Daycare (pt. 1)
I never thought I would find myself needing to recount the events that transpired during my childhood.When the idea of typing this came about, I didn’t think I would even be able to find the words to describe them. However, maybe due to recent contact with the government, the memories I had long buried in the dusty recesses of my memory have dug themselves up and crawled back into the light of my mind’s eye in vivid detail. Now that I am free to speak, and now that I have summoned the courage to, my message to you, especially the parents among you is this, do not leave your children at Sunny Smiles Daycare.
I was about 4 when my parents divorced. It was a long, arduous process, full of broken promises and uncomfortable truths. My mother had left a year prior, off to Vegas to be with her lover who would fly over on weekends and destroy my parent’s of holy matrimony. It took quite a toll on my father. He was never very present in the going on of my life, and while he tried, an awkwardness had formed between us, a chasm that made it difficult to do much of anything. It was ever present, both of us trying to cope with the tender void left in the wake of my mother.
We tried to fill it with each other, but our relationship wasn’t strong enough to bear the weight of my mom’s departure. Adding on to this was that most of the day he was gone, working to keep the roof we had over our heads. He hired a slew of nannies to fill the empty days his job made, but I always complained about them. I felt like a stranger in my own life, with people I didn’t know making themselves at home in the house that felt foreign to me now. I really just wanted my mom and dad back, for them to come together, forgive each other in a heartfelt bout of passion, and make time for me in their lives again. But as a child, I quickly learned to stifle my hopes and stopped believing in such silly fairy tales.
My father felt guilty about the whole thing, I could see it in his eyes. Even back then I knew the look of someone trying their best and failing. It was the look my mother gave me every time she came home late on a Saturday night, a crestfallen look of disappointment in not me or my father, but herself. She had promised me that everything would be okay, that the fighting wasn’t anything but grown-up talk. “A family,” she said, “always stays together”. But soon, all I got was promises that didn’t lead anywhere. The two of them made so many promises that if they were worth anything, I’d have been the richest kid in the world.
But all I got was a trip to a daycare, a way for my father to remedy this guilt, to distance himself from the reminder of all the promises he had failed to keep.
According to his searches from the time, he stumbled upon Sunny Smiles Daycare in his search, seeing it was new, very close by. It had only been open for a month and had nothing but five star reviews, with no justification as to the rating under any of the comments. When looking at their website, it is described as a “government owned amenity here to serve families in need. We are expanding everyday, and with the help of certain patrons we have expanded to the national level”. According to the FBI, whom which I have spoken to at length about my experiences, no federal or state funds from any agency were allocated to construct a national daycare system. However, there is documentation from congressional records of a meeting of the Committee of Education and the Workforce passing an anonymous bill into Congress to be voted on. When interviewed, none of the members of the committee recalled voting on such a bill, and no record of whether the bill was ratified or not was found.
One night, my father called for me from the ground floor. I cautiously maneuvered down the long, spiral stairs, gripping tightly onto the railing so as not to tumble down the treacherous staircase, my fear of heights taking hold even at such a young age. As I rounded the stairs, I saw my father standing in the living room, hands on his hips, tapping his foot rapidly. He had come home in a gray suit, tailored to his filled out build, with neat, dark hair combed over to hide his large, reflective forehead. As I completed my descent, my father turned to me, a smile so wide that the strain was practically audible on his face. I didn’t think much of it then, if anything I was happy that my father finally showed me something other than his inner struggles.
“Hey buddy, guess what we are gonna do tomorrow?” he said, his smile practically bursting out of his face.
“What?” I asked, his excited expression acting as a pathogen of enthusiasm.
“Tomorrow, you're going to go to a new place. It’s called Sunny Smiles Daycare. It’s a place where you can make tons of new friends. Isn’t that exciting?” he led me on in the way that parents do. I was confused.
“Sunny Smiles Daycare,” I repeated hollowly, spitting the words out due to their funny taste in my mouth.
“Will you come with me?” I asked tentatively, bracing for disappointment.
“No buddy, they don’t let grown-ups like me in. It’s just for you kids. But hey, I bet you're gonna have so much fun that you’ll forget all about me. I bet you won’t even want to leave,” he promised, trying to redirect the impact of his answer. I had heard the same speech often. Every time he laid down some shiny new thing at my feet, hoping to placate me with sacrifices like I was some bloodthirsty deity, he tried to convince me that this time, the hole bored into my heart would finally be filled with this cheap, flashy toy. And for the most part, I went along with it, both to find salvation in something frivolous and to ease my father’s own guilty demons. And this was no different. In as excited a voice I could muster I replied “I can’t wait!” The smile he wore shrunk a bit, but in turn, it looked much less plastic, and more real, a warmth returning to his features.
“I’m glad little man. You hungry?” I nodded vigorously.
“Great, what do ya want?”
“Dino nuggets,” my favorite.
My father nodded, before rushing off to the kitchen in order to prepare a gourmet serving of dino nuggets. I followed, clumsily running to catch up to him, desperate for the warmth of his smile once more.
“How your day go?” I asked rather clumsily. I had learned the basic abcs and enough words to speak, but the construction of sentences was something I had struggled with. I rarely talked at all and didn’t get many chances to do so.
“It was great, bud! I talked to a lady at the daycare we are gonna go to tomorrow, and she said they have over 50 kids there! They’ve got coloring books and dollies and even a playground inside! They’ve got books and paint an-” I started to tune out. He was still trying to sell me on the whole daycare thing. That was all he talked about the rest of the night, describing every detail of the place to me. Looking back, even then, I felt a deep sense of restlessness each time he mentioned the name of the place. The feeling only grew more exacerbated the longer the night went on, chasing away sweet thoughts of sleep. Some of it was nerves, going from 1 stranger a day to 50 was certainly a big leap. But part of it was something I can’t explain in any other way than a premonition, a warning from a natural instinct that laid long dormant in me came screaming to the surface. I did not sleep well that night. The morning of, my father woke me up early, saying that he needed to get to work, but would drop me off at the daycare on the way. I obliged, changing out of my Lightning McQueen onesie into tiny jeans and a brown and white striped shirt with a large smiling monkey face on the front. Monkeys were my favorite animal, mainly because they liked bananas just as much as I did. I did my daily duties of brushing my teeth, and messing around with my hair until I was happy with the ratty mess I had made. I once again fearfully journeyed down the stairs. My dad was tapping his foot at the bottom of the stairs, annoyance instead of excitement being the cause.
“Come on bud, we gotta get going or I’m gonna be late,”. he says, as if his meaningless deadline would incentivize me to overcome my fear and move faster.
I reach the bottom step, where my dad promptly scoops me up in his arms, and with his briefcase and a backpack in hand, we speed out of the house. We fly down the stairs leading down from the large wooden porch, my father gripping onto the black metal railing so as not to slip on the cliff-like stairs. He snaked through the cobblestone pathway that led from our stairs to the driveway. Both were in rough condition. Crabgrass riddled the grooves in the path, and the asphalt had long, outstretched cracks that had formed due to the roots of a nearby sycamore tree undermining the pavement. The lawn was an unkempt jungle of overgrown grass, weeds, dandelions, and mushrooms. Dad used to mow it once a week in the summer, but the habit had fallen off in the past year.
Dad threw open the back door of the red minivan, and quickly strapped me into the ragged, stained car seat. He clumsily struggled with the seatbelt, his inexperience with morning procedures on full display. He finally resigned himself, tying the belt straps together into a tight knot that compressed harshly on my chest. I remember my breathing being shallow during the majority of the ride. With me secured, he threw the backpack over next to me, closed the door, and got in the front seat.
“Dad, I don’t go,” I said. “I don’t like,”
“Why buddy? We haven’t even gotten there yet,” Dad asked, his voice rising in pitch, as he started the ignition.
“I don’t like,” I repeated, louder and firmer this time.
“Why don’t you just give it a few days, just two or three days, and if you truly hate it, then we’ll find a different place okay sweetie?” He asked, forcing his voice to smooth out, as we turned out of our bumpy driveway and started off. There wasn’t much I could do after that. He did not respond well to temper tantrums, and I knew that it would not end well for either of us if I started yelling. He was too jumpy, and didn’t have the long fuse constructed over many long nights of staying awake with your kid.
Once, I dropped a glass of orange juice. The glass shattered in a loud crackle, like thunder mixed with pop rocks, and they scattered away from the initial blast, in fear of the storm that was barreling down the stairs.
“What happened?!” my father yelled as he stomped through the house. I realize now that his shouting was out of concern more than anger, but as a child, it’s hard to tell the difference when someone is screaming at you. I looked up at him, fat watery tears streaming down my face as I bawled loudly, practically shouting myself.
My dad grabbed a handful of paper towels, and started roughly padding my fuzzy blue shirt.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled again, voice wavering. This only made my cries louder, bordering on hysterical now as I continued to blubber.
My dad grunted in strained frustration. He combed his hair frantically, eyes darting around wildly, completely overwhelmed by the scene before him. Unable to take my wailing any longer he leaned down, grabbed me by the arm, and shook me violently.
“Are you hurt!” He screamed, shocking me into silence.
I stood stunned. My dad quickly removed his hands from me, purple bruises welding up along my arms like bad tattoos.
“I’m sorry bud, I thought you were hurt and you wouldn’t answer me and I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”. It was all he could say. I made sure not to scream or cry around him from then on.
We drove for about 10 minutes, before a large, pastel building of soft blues, yellows, and greens came into view. I knew about 5 minutes before it came into view where it was, my face retracting further into the car seat, as if bracing for a bomb to fall.
It was a massive building. The front looked normal enough, a box almost entirely made of windows aside from the wiry wooden frame separating them, and the large fluorescent red door surrounded by a black wooden outline. This was partially obscured by large red brick pillars that held up a concrete awning. Behind that, stood a massive dome, like an igloo made out of yellow snow. Sun patterns covered the dome-like orange polka dots.
The building unnerved me. Something about it wasn’t quite right, like my father’s own strained smile. It looked like it was trying too hard, trying to look like what all parents wanted to see when they dropped their kids off.
“See?” My father said from the front seat, fake excitement dripping from his voice.
“It looks so fun!” he said. He was fishing for an enthusiastic response, but all I could muster was quiet indifference.
We turned into the lot, navigating through the crowded rows of cars, parked haphazardly. Every spot was filled. A long line of cars slowly advanced next to the concrete curve, advancing toward the dropping-off points. Other cars, though, stopped where they were, and removed their kid from the car seat. Some didn’t even have them in car seats, and simply stopped while the kids got out themselves. The kids looked scared, sad, and hurt, the latter of which I could identify with. It was the look I often felt myself giving when I was being forgotten or I was alone. The former two, I would soon come to know quite well.
As soon as the door closed, the car would speed out from the line and out of the lot. Even strangers were kids who walked from the parking lot. These kids all had filth-splotched faces, torn-up rags for clothes, thin hair, and hollow eyes. They walked slowly, without regard for the honking cars and disapproving looks from parents who had almost hit them. They didn’t even look up as they filed into the daycare. My dad chimed in.
“Oh poor kids. How can a parent watch their child go out into the world like that? Is no one feeding them?” He muttered under his breath in an angry tone. He hated seeing the cries of those who were suffering go unanswered, especially children. It was why he became a doctor.
The cars slowly moved, dropping their kids off one by one, some making more of a ceremony of it than others. Stifled tears, verklempt looks, and the all too familiar fake smiles were all congregated at the entrance to the daycare. Guardian to said entrance stood two women, garbed in an all-white dress, apron, and gloves with silver hair and peculiar white hats. It looked like one of those paper hats kids made, but it was made of cloth and like her, stood at stiff attention and bore an opaque smiling face. They were surrounded by a flock of frantic parents, each desperately commanding their attention with little facts about their special angle. Allergies, snack preferences, and in the case of some, medication were all conveyed with deathly urgency. Dad stopped the car, turning to me and smiling. Not an insincere one, but one of sympathy and comfort.
“It’s gonna be okay sweetie. I know this has all been so much for you, so thank you for being so brave with me,” he promised. I smiled back in turn, meaning it this time.
He then exited the car, came around to the backseat, and untied me from the car seat. He grabbed the backpack and carried me over to the cement awning that shaded the walkway.
He carried me over to the two ladies, past the line of fellow downtrodden children, and dropped me a few feet away from the crowd of squawking parents.
“Hold on just a second now sweetie, I’ll be right back,” he said. I stood awkwardly, trying as much as I possibly could to fold into myself as the limp bodies of my peers stumbled past me, all light-looking to have long left their eyes. One was different though. A young girl in a pink and red polka-dotted dress with an accompanying bow in her soft ginger hair to match. She was holding a small, beaten-up brown patchwork teddy bear with its left eye missing. The back of it was torn open, stuffing flopping out of it. Around her neck was a collar of raspy, raw skin, like some wild animal had tried to tear out her jugular with its claws. She had pretty green eyes which continued to glance at me as she passed. Right before she went through the red door, she hesitated, turned around, and quickly waddled over to me. She placed her face incredibly close to me, and I recoiled out of shock. I could still make out her whispers though, “When they ask, don’t tell,”.She quickly turned away, glancing back at me with worried eyes. I looked after her, confused and more scared than before. As my eyes wandered, I looked up to one of the women answering parental questions, and she continued to do so. However, her eyes were transfixed to the polka-dot girl, and once she entered the daycare, they shifted to me. It was what I could only describe as a friendly stare, or at least, one that appeared to be. She looked like she was sizing me up. I held her gaze for only a second, and wished I hadn’t even done that. I commanded my eyes to look anywhere, anywhere but the woman’s shriveled, pit-like eyes that begged for my attention. My eyes traced out the outline of the red door, slowly taking in each groove and scratch that thick coats of paint weren’t able to cover. As I looked above the red gate, I was greeted with words scrawled at the top in shaky black letters. I didn’t know what I said then, but looking back I do now. They read “Welcome to Home”.
“Calvin, come here!” my dad said, snapping me out of my awkward stare. I shuffled over to my dad, reaching out and clinging to his arm. Both of the silver-haired women turned to look at me, moving through the crowd of parents with polite “excuse me’s” and “let us pass for a moment’s”, all while not taking their eyes off of me. They strode over to my dad, one addressing my dad and the other bending down to my level, still staring at me. She bent perfectly straight at the hips, but went down no further, her face mere millimeters from mine. I shrunk closer to my father, who was seemingly too preoccupied talking about my peanut allergy to notice the creepy woman staring at his kid.
“What is your name?” She asked. I pressed even further away from her due to her voice, which scratched at my ears like sandpaper. I remembered what the polka-dot girl said, and did everything in my power to not give her an answer, instead tugging on Dad’s pant leg, pleading for his attention.
“What is your name?” She probed again, this time her voice only a supple whisper. I almost couldn’t stop myself as my name rushed up my throat like hot vomit I needed to choke back. It was like she had reached her hand into my brain and was massaging it, hoping to coax out an answer. I knew she knew already, she had heard my dad call it only a few moments ago. But she wanted me to say it, to hear the word escape my lips. I was afraid to speak at all because if I did, I knew my name would come out. I didn’t even know what would happen, but the visceral fear I had of what might happen kept my lips sewn shut.
I tugged more and more desperately on my father’s leg, but he didn’t even look at me. He was still talking to the silver woman about who knows what. Who knows what he was telling her?
“What is your name?” the lady asked again, this time grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I tried to yank my hand away, but her grip was vice-like. She clamped down hard, I was sure a bruise would form. Looking back now, she likely knew that out of what she could do then, that would hurt the most. My eyes darted around, my brain overwhelmed by a gut-wrenching fear that poured into me from the woman’s touch. It was so cold I couldn’t feel my arm anymore, and the numbing sensation was spreading quickly. I looked for anyone, any adult who could see what was happening and put a stop to it, but everyone seemed to be conveniently occupied with something else. Time seemed to slow down and warp, leaving just me and the woman in our pocket of isolation. Voices faded out into warped chirping. I couldn’t tell you what they were saying, but with every passing moment, they got louder and louder. Numbing fear spread all throughout my body, reaching up and crawling into my mouth and swelling my tongue, pushing back the scream that was clawing its way up my throat. My eyes began to go numb, and the tears that welled up froze over my eyes blocking my vision. They were being squeezed like oranges being juiced. My arms and legs froze and turned weak, brittle enough that a gust of wind would shatter them. Slowly, I could sense my heartbeat getting slower and slower.
“You ready buddy?” My father’s coarse hand tapped my shoulder, and the glass bubble of nightmares that surrounded me and that woman shattered. Time came roaring back and all the pressure inflicted on my feeble body vanished, and the woman hastily stood up. Tears sprung free from their icy barrier as I turned to my father and looked up.
“Hey, woah, buddy what’s wrong? What’s going on?” he bent down to me, clumsily wiping away my tears. All I could do was shake my head vigorously, lips still quivering. I tried to speak but I knew the woman was still staring at me. I could feel her gaze honed in on the back of my head like a laser. As long as her eyes were fixed on me, I didn’t dare speak. Even now, I feel dizzy, my name on the tip of my tongue.
“We see this type of display daily. Children and caretakers alike are so rarely prepared to be separate. It’s an emotional moment, but we have found that adversity only ends in growth and prosperity for the pair” one of the women says, a sugary sweetness now oozing from her demeanor.
“Don’t worry buddy, your guardian will be back, and while he is attending to his duties, you will have the honor of being a part of our family,” the other silver-haired woman says, turning to me with a toothy grin. Most of her words were too big for me to understand. Though, I doubt I would need to hear her speak to understand. The stares they would give us were all we needed to know what they were saying, and yet they still put us through the torture of their scratchy speech.
“We are extremely excited to meet you!” the pair said in unison.
“You sure you're okay, bud?” Dad asked again, still not convinced. With both of them looking at me now, there was no way I was saying anything. I sent a pleading look to my dad, hoping that my covert correspondence wouldn’t go unnoticed. But apparently, my own father didn’t know me well enough to see how shaken I really was. He gave me a final look of sorry, before he bent down, gave me a tight hug, stood up, and handed me the backpack. Then he began to depart
“Listen buddy I’ll see you tonight. I put all your favorite stuff in that bag okay? I love you so much.” His voice wavered a bit, coughing a bit to try and regain composure. He looked at me, torn, between what he wanted to believe and what he could see. All I could do was stand there and watch my father throw his only son to the wolves. He walked back to the car, buckled in, and gave me a final look of a wide smile with conflicting, tear-soaked eyes, before exiting the line of cars and driving off.
An overwhelming wave of dread washed over me as I watched my lifeline drift away. Questions raced through my head, “When would he come back? Would he forget to come? How long can I not say my name for?”
I could feel them loom over me, like unwanted shadows creeping through the night.
“Come, it is time for you to enter,” the lady said, the sweetness now draining from her voice and face. A reproachful look now adorned her face. She stiffly pointed to the door, likely knowing that the meaning of her words was lost on me. I turned and made my way into the line of children still marching towards the gateway, dragging my feet. The gate itself seemed to pull me closer like death reaching its hand out from a coffin. The two ladies returned to their posts beside the door, dutifully tending to the needs of apprehensive parents. They made a last call, saying “All parents must deposit their offspring to the daycare. Activities are about to begin”.
2024.06.07 17:51 Wandavisionxx Do you guys get these somantic bodily sensations? I’m scared it’s self disorder?
 | submitted by Wandavisionxx to derealization [link] [comments] |
2024.06.07 16:50 MK_Matrix I lost my dog a few years ago. He suddenly showed up on our porch a few weeks back.
A few years ago, I had a dog named Bear. A bit on the nose for a Newfoundland, I know, but the day I found him wandering around the street, I was more concerned with helping him than coming up with something clever. As such, the name started out as a joke, but when I was sure that I was gonna officially adopt him and the time came to actually give him a name, I had been using it so consistently that he responded to it. So, Bear it was.
He was a good dog. I never figured out how old he actually was - he didn’t look very big when I found him, but I’m not privy to dogs, especially ones this big, so I never could pin down an age. He was certainly a character - he barely ever barked, would sleep on my floor instead of the expensive bed that I bought him (just my luck), and would randomly get explosive bursts of energy that transformed him from a dog into a battering ram. He alternated between being afraid of his own shadow and being willing to die for me, all over a squirrel that scurried in front of us while we were out on a walk. I bought him a red collar that just barely fit him, and he made it his mission to try and discard it in the funniest ways possible, like rubbing his neck against walls and scratching at it with his hind legs. Despite his quirks, I loved him, and he certainly loved me.
If you really gave it some thought, he was odd in other ways than just his personality. I mean, on the day I found him, what was a Newfie doing in the middle of a toll road in the forests of California? I’d just assumed he was a puppy from a mill that got out, but it was cooler to imagine some crazy backstory for him. Bear, the vampire dog, who prowled the Six Rivers National Forest as its apex predator, was tamed one day by half a ham sandwich. It gave me a good laugh, if nothing else.
It was a couple of years after I got Bear that I started dating a girl I’d met at a coffee shop a few miles away. We’d hit it off to the point that we were staying at each other’s houses, and life was good. Bear seemed to like her, and since she had his seal of approval, she had mine. That’s just how it worked.
One day, I left her in charge of watching Bear while I ran errands. Given that he’d chewed through the bottom of a door the day prior (we were working on it), I couldn’t leave him by himself, and since the grocery store was a few miles away from my house, I thought she shouldn’t have any trouble with him. She was a vet tech, after all, and had given me plenty of pointers on how to deal with him.
I got back an hour later and found my date on the couch where I left her, watching the next episode of the show we were binging. I was a bit pissed that she went on without me, but was more concerned with where Bear was. When I’d left, he was at her feet, sound asleep. Now, though, he was absent. I searched the upstairs first, in hopes that he was actually using the dog bed for once, but to no avail. I walked back downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping that he was lying on the air vent that he liked. He wasn’t there, but I did find something that no pet owner wants to see. The chain on the back door was dangling, ripped out of the wall, and the door was pushed open. My stomach sank as I realized what happened, and I just sat there for a moment before my date walked into the kitchen and covered her mouth.
She profusely apologized, and I wasn’t really angry at her - sure, she should have been paying more attention, but I was sure that he didn’t get very far. I’d assumed that he had seen a squirrel through the backdoor and broke out to try to get after it, and hoped he’d tired himself out and was lying in the shade under one of the trees in the backyard. Still, I wanted to do more than just hope, so I grabbed the flashlights I kept in the utility drawer, and we walked out into the backyard, hoping to find him.
I lived on the edge of the aforementioned national forest, and Bear and I often went on walks through there, so if he wasn’t out back, he was certainly in the woods. I knew the area well, but it was still a lot of ground to cover, and we didn’t have a lot of time before it was pitch black. We searched for a few hours, and while I wanted to keep going, she was tired, and regrettably, I was too. We decided that he’d probably be fine for the night, and went back inside, intent on starting a new search bright and early.
We spent all of the next day searching. We spent all of the next week searching. Hell, it almost came up on a month, and I was starting to recognize the lichen patterns on specific trees before I had to face it. Bear was gone. I had put up flyers with reward money and scoured every area of the woods from top to bottom. I was heartbroken, to say the least.
I kind of shut myself off from the world a little bit after that. I stopped talking to the girl I was seeing - I didn’t really blame her, but I couldn’t build a relationship on a complete disaster like that. I started working from home instead of making the commute to the office, as even driving down the forested roads that I had spent hot afternoons frantically searching made me a bit queasy. I was a mess, and I didn’t get over it for a long time.
This all happened a little over three years ago, and I was mostly over it by this point. I’d since met and married my wife, and we were expecting our first child in a few months. We were still living in the same house - even if it had some sad memories attached to it, it was still a nice place, and I wasn’t willing to give up on it. I had hope that my new life with my family would help drown out some of the sadness that still stained the place. Part of me still wished that Bear was there to see it with me.
Ideally, that would’ve been the end of the story, or better yet, I wouldn’t even be writing this right now, but three weeks ago, everything changed. I woke up earlier than I usually would to get breakfast started, as it was a bit of a tradition between my wife and I to make pancakes every Saturday, and it was my turn that week. I was finishing up when I heard it, loud as day - a bark from the backyard. This scared the shit out of me, as it wasn’t something I’d heard from the backyard in years. I moved the pancakes to a plate, shut the stove off, and peeked out the window as I was transporting them to the dining table.
It sounds cliché, but I nearly dropped the plate onto the floor when I saw where the bark came from. It was Bear, standing in the middle of the yard. He looked remarkably clean, and it looked like he had finally managed to get the collar off. I started freaking out instantly, and yanked the back door open before running outside in just my bathrobe and slippers. I expected some fairy tale-esque reunion, with him jumping into my arms and knocking me down because of how heavy he was. I was ecstatic to see him, and I was expecting him to feel that same way.
Instead of running towards me, he turned and ran towards the tree line, growling. He turned around and got into an aggressive stance, his tail still and his eyes narrowed. I was stunned, but I figured that he had been in the woods for so long that he was probably scared to death by seeing me again. Regrettably, he might have also felt that I’d abandoned him, but that was a possibility I didn’t want to consider at that moment. He just needed some TLC, and he’d be my dog again just like that. I ran inside and grabbed the half-empty package of bacon from inside the fridge. I threw it on the stove and went back to the window, watching as Bear laid down in the yard. Oddly enough, he didn’t lie in the shade under the trees, like he usually would have, but right in the sun. Three years was a long time to be lost, so maybe his habits had been turned upside down by learning to survive.
I put the bacon in a paper bowl and walked outside. I shook the bowl, calling his name from the concrete porch. He didn’t budge, still lying in the middle of the yard. I figured I’d leave it sitting out, and he’d come get it when he felt more comfortable. My wife was up by this point, justifiably confused by me calling my lost dog’s name from the back of the house. I excitedly showed her that he’d returned, but she seemed less enthusiastic than me. She smiled upon seeing him, but she didn’t have the same connection to him that I did, so I couldn’t blame her for her diluted reaction.
I went to the store right away to grab new dog food, water and food bowls, and most importantly, parts for a doggy door. We lived in a safe enough area that I could install one without fear of a break in, and I wanted to ease Bear back into our house by letting him come in at his own pace. I spent the whole day installing it, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble. He just laid in the sun, presumably napping.
The next morning, I walked into the kitchen to see if there were any signs that Bear had been in the house. Sure enough, there was a clump of black fur stuck in the corner of the doggy door, and the dry food I’d put in the bowl looked to be partially eaten. I told my wife as such when she got up, and she wasn’t fazed by it, instead grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs back into our bedroom. I hadn’t noticed when I got up, but one of the dog bones I’d left on the back patio was on our bedroom carpet, implying that he’d been in there last night, probably guarding us while we slept. My wife seemed a bit disturbed by this, but I was thrilled. To me, this just served as proof that part of my old Bear was still in him - he used to do that all the time, after all.
I sat down with my wife that night and started to discuss how we could make Bear feel more comfortable in our home, but she stopped me. She tried to reason that he had spent years presumably lost in the woods, and had probably become feral and unpredictable. As much as I wanted to cast those doubts aside and override her, she had a valid point; you don’t just spend years stranded and come back the same, human, dog, or otherwise. We met in the middle; if Bear was still hanging around the house in a month and showed signs of improved friendliness, we could try and reincorporate him into our lives. I would do anything to have him back, but I did have a pregnant wife to worry about, so I agreed. In the meantime, we agreed that I’d install a lock on the doggy door so that he or anything else couldn’t get inside. I made a mental note to go to the hardware store sometime next week, as the next day was a national holiday and it was closed.
I abruptly woke up at around 2 in the morning, and wasn’t sure what woke me at first. I thought that I might need water, so I started to head downstairs to get some from the tap. When I got into the kitchen, I started to retrieve a glass when I heard what sounded like scratching on the siding of the house. It was loud and rapid, as if something was trying to claw its way through the wall. Puzzled, I turned to look out the window, and almost choked on my water when I saw Bear’s head looking through the kitchen window. As soon as I saw him, the scratching immediately stopped. He wasn’t panting or anything, despite the fact that it sounded like he was trying to dig through the wall moments prior. He was just sitting at the window, staring at me. Admittedly, in the moonlight, he looked kind of creepy - just looking at me, motionless.
Before I could say his name to see if he would respond with a bark or any other noise, his head quickly sank below the window, in one fluid motion. Usually, when dogs dismount from a surface they’re looking over while standing on their hind legs, there’s a moment where they remove their first front paw and sort of stumble under their weight before moving the other one. That didn’t happen here, though - he just vanished without a sound. I was really creeped out by this point, but figured that he was just surveying the house to see if he felt more comfortable inside. I chalked his weird disappearance up to me being exhausted and it being too dark to fully see him moving.
The next morning, I told my wife that I thought Bear was getting more comfortable around us, and recounted the events of last night. She seemed a bit unsettled, and switched the subject to the doggy door, but I was too excited to take that into account. I told her I was going for a walk in the preserve, put on my running shoes, and left the house.
I was about two miles into the woods when I came across an open area that I hadn’t seen before. Odd, because I knew these woods like the back of my hand, but maybe some campers had come and illegally set up for the night. Several small trees in the area were snapped at the base, possibly in an attempt to free up space for a tent. Maybe this had been here and I just hadn’t noticed it?
That was the theory I was operating on at first, until I looked down at my feet and noticed what was going on. There were white objects poking out of the dirt, which I thought were just pebbles when I arrived. Now that I had actually stopped to look around, though, I noticed that they weren’t rocks at all, but little animal bones. I wasn’t really fazed upon seeing this - animals die in the woods all the time, and I’d probably just stumbled across a mountain lion’s work. That would have made sense, except for a few things.
For one, the bones seemed to be arranged in some sort of pattern. It didn’t look like any symbol in particular, just a set of interlocking circles. There was no way that an animal would arrange the bones of their prey like this, so I was already weirded out, but then I noticed that as the circles grew larger, so did the bones, to the point that some of them were bigger than my arm. I was sufficiently freaked out now, so I turned and went back the way I came, calling the park services helpline on my way home. They told me that I’d probably come across an area frequented by deer, and subsequently predators looking for a quick meal, and that it probably wasn’t anything to be concerned about. After I badgered them for a bit and explained the whole pattern thing, they agreed to send someone out to take a look at it, just in case. I was satisfied with that, so I continued home and tried not to think about it.
I caught glimpses of Bear in the backyard for a few weeks, but didn’t see him for a prolonged period of time until yesterday. I was sitting outside by our fire pit, reading, when I noticed his head poke out from behind one of the trees lining the path of the preserve. I couldn’t see the rest of his body, and that confused me, considering that his head was six feet above the ground. Given that my kitchen window was about the same height, I figured that he was once again standing on his hind legs, probably after some critter in the tree, and I couldn’t see his body because of the angle. That explanation made sense to me, so I didn’t really pay him any mind - if I chose to ignore him, maybe he’d feel like I wasn’t a threat, and would be more comfortable around me. At this point, I’d try anything.
I looked up again two minutes later, and he wasn’t at the tree anymore. I figured that whatever he was after jumped out of the tree and he’d hightailed it after them, so I went back to reading. The snap of a twig moments later grabbed my attention again, and I looked up to see his head poking out from behind another tree fifty feet away. He was at a different angle now, but I still couldn’t see his body, which should’ve been impossible considering how fluffy he was. I couldn’t tell from the newly increased distance, but I swore I saw a single one of his paws wrapped around the tree, almost like how a person would put their hand around a door frame for stability. I wasn’t sure if I was just seeing things, but I wasn’t in the mood to read anymore, so I went inside.
It hurt me to admit this, but at this point, I think I was accepting that Bear was too far gone, and I couldn’t really blame him for that. He was an animal who had been thrust into the cold, dark wilderness, and to expect him to be unchanged by that would be unfair. Still, I was building a family, and it was my duty to protect them. The next day, I got my opportunity to do just that when I spotted Bear once again lying in the center of the back lawn. I grabbed two baking sheets and walked outside, slapping them together and yelling. This loud display apparently worked, as he shot up and darted towards the tree line. I felt like absolute shit after doing this, but it was what needed to be done.
I thought that would be the end of it. I spooked him away, and now I could focus on getting our lives back to normal. Today was a Saturday morning, and instead of making pancakes, I intended on surprising my wife with breakfast from her favorite local donut shop, as she told me that she’d been craving them the night prior. I’m no dummy when it comes to hints, so I hopped into the car and peeled out onto the road, hoping I’d get there before all her favorite flavors sold out.
As I was speeding down the road, I saw it. Or, at least, I thought I did. Under one of the trees on the side of the road, I saw Bear. He was standing on his hind legs, with no support. He didn’t move his head to look at the car, or even show any kind of reaction to me passing him. He just sat there, doing nothing. I slammed on the brakes, and thank god there weren’t any other cars on the road at this time of day, because I would’ve caused an accident. I looked into the rearview mirror, and saw nothing under the tree. I jumped out of the car, looking around like a madman, and saw nothing. The woods were silent, save for the sound of wind and twigs snapping in the distance.
I got back into the car and took a moment before driving again. What I’d just seen, I wasn’t sure, and I was having a full-blown panic attack as a result. After I took some deep breaths, reason returned to me, and I figured that I was seeing things that weren’t there, in dark places in the light of dawn. I resumed driving, albeit at a much slower pace than before. I couldn’t exactly focus my full attention on the road.
When I got to the donut shop, I was met with a pleasant surprise - in line in front of me was the vet tech that I’d been seeing years ago. Even though we’d stopped seeing each other, we ended on fine terms, and didn’t harbor any bad feelings toward each other, as evidenced by the smile and hug we greeted each other with. She asked to grab a couple of coffees and donuts to catch up for a little bit before I returned home, and I agreed, wanting to get my mind off of things. She had done well for herself - she was a full blown vet now, and had been for some time. She was married and had a son, and gave me a bunch of jokey warnings about parenthood. The subject turned to pets, and even though I didn’t want to sour feelings between us, I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut about Bear.
I told her everything that happened, save for what I’d just seen fifteen minutes ago - I wasn’t even sure if I’d actually seen it. She looked concerned while I talked, and tried to interject a few times, but I just kept spilling my feelings. When the floor was finally hers, she hesitated for a second, and then spoke.
“That’s… impossible.”
“What?”
“I really didn’t wanna tell you this, because I didn’t wanna hurt you more, but a few months after we stopped talking, someone brought Bear into our office. He was hit by a car, and we did everything we could… but there was nothing we could do. I didn’t call you about it, because I didn’t think you wanted to hear that your dog was dead.”
I asked her how she was so sure. It couldn’t be. I’d seen my dog alive.
“His collar. He had his collar on when he came into the office. The red one with his name tag on it.”
I left the shop after that. I didn’t leave the parking lot, though. Not because I was afraid to go home, even if I was.
But because I was ashamed. I’m a bad husband. I forgot to get a lock for the doggy door.
submitted by MK_Matrix to nosleep [link] [comments]
He was a good dog. I never figured out how old he actually was - he didn’t look very big when I found him, but I’m not privy to dogs, especially ones this big, so I never could pin down an age. He was certainly a character - he barely ever barked, would sleep on my floor instead of the expensive bed that I bought him (just my luck), and would randomly get explosive bursts of energy that transformed him from a dog into a battering ram. He alternated between being afraid of his own shadow and being willing to die for me, all over a squirrel that scurried in front of us while we were out on a walk. I bought him a red collar that just barely fit him, and he made it his mission to try and discard it in the funniest ways possible, like rubbing his neck against walls and scratching at it with his hind legs. Despite his quirks, I loved him, and he certainly loved me.
If you really gave it some thought, he was odd in other ways than just his personality. I mean, on the day I found him, what was a Newfie doing in the middle of a toll road in the forests of California? I’d just assumed he was a puppy from a mill that got out, but it was cooler to imagine some crazy backstory for him. Bear, the vampire dog, who prowled the Six Rivers National Forest as its apex predator, was tamed one day by half a ham sandwich. It gave me a good laugh, if nothing else.
It was a couple of years after I got Bear that I started dating a girl I’d met at a coffee shop a few miles away. We’d hit it off to the point that we were staying at each other’s houses, and life was good. Bear seemed to like her, and since she had his seal of approval, she had mine. That’s just how it worked.
One day, I left her in charge of watching Bear while I ran errands. Given that he’d chewed through the bottom of a door the day prior (we were working on it), I couldn’t leave him by himself, and since the grocery store was a few miles away from my house, I thought she shouldn’t have any trouble with him. She was a vet tech, after all, and had given me plenty of pointers on how to deal with him.
I got back an hour later and found my date on the couch where I left her, watching the next episode of the show we were binging. I was a bit pissed that she went on without me, but was more concerned with where Bear was. When I’d left, he was at her feet, sound asleep. Now, though, he was absent. I searched the upstairs first, in hopes that he was actually using the dog bed for once, but to no avail. I walked back downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping that he was lying on the air vent that he liked. He wasn’t there, but I did find something that no pet owner wants to see. The chain on the back door was dangling, ripped out of the wall, and the door was pushed open. My stomach sank as I realized what happened, and I just sat there for a moment before my date walked into the kitchen and covered her mouth.
She profusely apologized, and I wasn’t really angry at her - sure, she should have been paying more attention, but I was sure that he didn’t get very far. I’d assumed that he had seen a squirrel through the backdoor and broke out to try to get after it, and hoped he’d tired himself out and was lying in the shade under one of the trees in the backyard. Still, I wanted to do more than just hope, so I grabbed the flashlights I kept in the utility drawer, and we walked out into the backyard, hoping to find him.
I lived on the edge of the aforementioned national forest, and Bear and I often went on walks through there, so if he wasn’t out back, he was certainly in the woods. I knew the area well, but it was still a lot of ground to cover, and we didn’t have a lot of time before it was pitch black. We searched for a few hours, and while I wanted to keep going, she was tired, and regrettably, I was too. We decided that he’d probably be fine for the night, and went back inside, intent on starting a new search bright and early.
We spent all of the next day searching. We spent all of the next week searching. Hell, it almost came up on a month, and I was starting to recognize the lichen patterns on specific trees before I had to face it. Bear was gone. I had put up flyers with reward money and scoured every area of the woods from top to bottom. I was heartbroken, to say the least.
I kind of shut myself off from the world a little bit after that. I stopped talking to the girl I was seeing - I didn’t really blame her, but I couldn’t build a relationship on a complete disaster like that. I started working from home instead of making the commute to the office, as even driving down the forested roads that I had spent hot afternoons frantically searching made me a bit queasy. I was a mess, and I didn’t get over it for a long time.
This all happened a little over three years ago, and I was mostly over it by this point. I’d since met and married my wife, and we were expecting our first child in a few months. We were still living in the same house - even if it had some sad memories attached to it, it was still a nice place, and I wasn’t willing to give up on it. I had hope that my new life with my family would help drown out some of the sadness that still stained the place. Part of me still wished that Bear was there to see it with me.
Ideally, that would’ve been the end of the story, or better yet, I wouldn’t even be writing this right now, but three weeks ago, everything changed. I woke up earlier than I usually would to get breakfast started, as it was a bit of a tradition between my wife and I to make pancakes every Saturday, and it was my turn that week. I was finishing up when I heard it, loud as day - a bark from the backyard. This scared the shit out of me, as it wasn’t something I’d heard from the backyard in years. I moved the pancakes to a plate, shut the stove off, and peeked out the window as I was transporting them to the dining table.
It sounds cliché, but I nearly dropped the plate onto the floor when I saw where the bark came from. It was Bear, standing in the middle of the yard. He looked remarkably clean, and it looked like he had finally managed to get the collar off. I started freaking out instantly, and yanked the back door open before running outside in just my bathrobe and slippers. I expected some fairy tale-esque reunion, with him jumping into my arms and knocking me down because of how heavy he was. I was ecstatic to see him, and I was expecting him to feel that same way.
Instead of running towards me, he turned and ran towards the tree line, growling. He turned around and got into an aggressive stance, his tail still and his eyes narrowed. I was stunned, but I figured that he had been in the woods for so long that he was probably scared to death by seeing me again. Regrettably, he might have also felt that I’d abandoned him, but that was a possibility I didn’t want to consider at that moment. He just needed some TLC, and he’d be my dog again just like that. I ran inside and grabbed the half-empty package of bacon from inside the fridge. I threw it on the stove and went back to the window, watching as Bear laid down in the yard. Oddly enough, he didn’t lie in the shade under the trees, like he usually would have, but right in the sun. Three years was a long time to be lost, so maybe his habits had been turned upside down by learning to survive.
I put the bacon in a paper bowl and walked outside. I shook the bowl, calling his name from the concrete porch. He didn’t budge, still lying in the middle of the yard. I figured I’d leave it sitting out, and he’d come get it when he felt more comfortable. My wife was up by this point, justifiably confused by me calling my lost dog’s name from the back of the house. I excitedly showed her that he’d returned, but she seemed less enthusiastic than me. She smiled upon seeing him, but she didn’t have the same connection to him that I did, so I couldn’t blame her for her diluted reaction.
I went to the store right away to grab new dog food, water and food bowls, and most importantly, parts for a doggy door. We lived in a safe enough area that I could install one without fear of a break in, and I wanted to ease Bear back into our house by letting him come in at his own pace. I spent the whole day installing it, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble. He just laid in the sun, presumably napping.
The next morning, I walked into the kitchen to see if there were any signs that Bear had been in the house. Sure enough, there was a clump of black fur stuck in the corner of the doggy door, and the dry food I’d put in the bowl looked to be partially eaten. I told my wife as such when she got up, and she wasn’t fazed by it, instead grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs back into our bedroom. I hadn’t noticed when I got up, but one of the dog bones I’d left on the back patio was on our bedroom carpet, implying that he’d been in there last night, probably guarding us while we slept. My wife seemed a bit disturbed by this, but I was thrilled. To me, this just served as proof that part of my old Bear was still in him - he used to do that all the time, after all.
I sat down with my wife that night and started to discuss how we could make Bear feel more comfortable in our home, but she stopped me. She tried to reason that he had spent years presumably lost in the woods, and had probably become feral and unpredictable. As much as I wanted to cast those doubts aside and override her, she had a valid point; you don’t just spend years stranded and come back the same, human, dog, or otherwise. We met in the middle; if Bear was still hanging around the house in a month and showed signs of improved friendliness, we could try and reincorporate him into our lives. I would do anything to have him back, but I did have a pregnant wife to worry about, so I agreed. In the meantime, we agreed that I’d install a lock on the doggy door so that he or anything else couldn’t get inside. I made a mental note to go to the hardware store sometime next week, as the next day was a national holiday and it was closed.
I abruptly woke up at around 2 in the morning, and wasn’t sure what woke me at first. I thought that I might need water, so I started to head downstairs to get some from the tap. When I got into the kitchen, I started to retrieve a glass when I heard what sounded like scratching on the siding of the house. It was loud and rapid, as if something was trying to claw its way through the wall. Puzzled, I turned to look out the window, and almost choked on my water when I saw Bear’s head looking through the kitchen window. As soon as I saw him, the scratching immediately stopped. He wasn’t panting or anything, despite the fact that it sounded like he was trying to dig through the wall moments prior. He was just sitting at the window, staring at me. Admittedly, in the moonlight, he looked kind of creepy - just looking at me, motionless.
Before I could say his name to see if he would respond with a bark or any other noise, his head quickly sank below the window, in one fluid motion. Usually, when dogs dismount from a surface they’re looking over while standing on their hind legs, there’s a moment where they remove their first front paw and sort of stumble under their weight before moving the other one. That didn’t happen here, though - he just vanished without a sound. I was really creeped out by this point, but figured that he was just surveying the house to see if he felt more comfortable inside. I chalked his weird disappearance up to me being exhausted and it being too dark to fully see him moving.
The next morning, I told my wife that I thought Bear was getting more comfortable around us, and recounted the events of last night. She seemed a bit unsettled, and switched the subject to the doggy door, but I was too excited to take that into account. I told her I was going for a walk in the preserve, put on my running shoes, and left the house.
I was about two miles into the woods when I came across an open area that I hadn’t seen before. Odd, because I knew these woods like the back of my hand, but maybe some campers had come and illegally set up for the night. Several small trees in the area were snapped at the base, possibly in an attempt to free up space for a tent. Maybe this had been here and I just hadn’t noticed it?
That was the theory I was operating on at first, until I looked down at my feet and noticed what was going on. There were white objects poking out of the dirt, which I thought were just pebbles when I arrived. Now that I had actually stopped to look around, though, I noticed that they weren’t rocks at all, but little animal bones. I wasn’t really fazed upon seeing this - animals die in the woods all the time, and I’d probably just stumbled across a mountain lion’s work. That would have made sense, except for a few things.
For one, the bones seemed to be arranged in some sort of pattern. It didn’t look like any symbol in particular, just a set of interlocking circles. There was no way that an animal would arrange the bones of their prey like this, so I was already weirded out, but then I noticed that as the circles grew larger, so did the bones, to the point that some of them were bigger than my arm. I was sufficiently freaked out now, so I turned and went back the way I came, calling the park services helpline on my way home. They told me that I’d probably come across an area frequented by deer, and subsequently predators looking for a quick meal, and that it probably wasn’t anything to be concerned about. After I badgered them for a bit and explained the whole pattern thing, they agreed to send someone out to take a look at it, just in case. I was satisfied with that, so I continued home and tried not to think about it.
I caught glimpses of Bear in the backyard for a few weeks, but didn’t see him for a prolonged period of time until yesterday. I was sitting outside by our fire pit, reading, when I noticed his head poke out from behind one of the trees lining the path of the preserve. I couldn’t see the rest of his body, and that confused me, considering that his head was six feet above the ground. Given that my kitchen window was about the same height, I figured that he was once again standing on his hind legs, probably after some critter in the tree, and I couldn’t see his body because of the angle. That explanation made sense to me, so I didn’t really pay him any mind - if I chose to ignore him, maybe he’d feel like I wasn’t a threat, and would be more comfortable around me. At this point, I’d try anything.
I looked up again two minutes later, and he wasn’t at the tree anymore. I figured that whatever he was after jumped out of the tree and he’d hightailed it after them, so I went back to reading. The snap of a twig moments later grabbed my attention again, and I looked up to see his head poking out from behind another tree fifty feet away. He was at a different angle now, but I still couldn’t see his body, which should’ve been impossible considering how fluffy he was. I couldn’t tell from the newly increased distance, but I swore I saw a single one of his paws wrapped around the tree, almost like how a person would put their hand around a door frame for stability. I wasn’t sure if I was just seeing things, but I wasn’t in the mood to read anymore, so I went inside.
It hurt me to admit this, but at this point, I think I was accepting that Bear was too far gone, and I couldn’t really blame him for that. He was an animal who had been thrust into the cold, dark wilderness, and to expect him to be unchanged by that would be unfair. Still, I was building a family, and it was my duty to protect them. The next day, I got my opportunity to do just that when I spotted Bear once again lying in the center of the back lawn. I grabbed two baking sheets and walked outside, slapping them together and yelling. This loud display apparently worked, as he shot up and darted towards the tree line. I felt like absolute shit after doing this, but it was what needed to be done.
I thought that would be the end of it. I spooked him away, and now I could focus on getting our lives back to normal. Today was a Saturday morning, and instead of making pancakes, I intended on surprising my wife with breakfast from her favorite local donut shop, as she told me that she’d been craving them the night prior. I’m no dummy when it comes to hints, so I hopped into the car and peeled out onto the road, hoping I’d get there before all her favorite flavors sold out.
As I was speeding down the road, I saw it. Or, at least, I thought I did. Under one of the trees on the side of the road, I saw Bear. He was standing on his hind legs, with no support. He didn’t move his head to look at the car, or even show any kind of reaction to me passing him. He just sat there, doing nothing. I slammed on the brakes, and thank god there weren’t any other cars on the road at this time of day, because I would’ve caused an accident. I looked into the rearview mirror, and saw nothing under the tree. I jumped out of the car, looking around like a madman, and saw nothing. The woods were silent, save for the sound of wind and twigs snapping in the distance.
I got back into the car and took a moment before driving again. What I’d just seen, I wasn’t sure, and I was having a full-blown panic attack as a result. After I took some deep breaths, reason returned to me, and I figured that I was seeing things that weren’t there, in dark places in the light of dawn. I resumed driving, albeit at a much slower pace than before. I couldn’t exactly focus my full attention on the road.
When I got to the donut shop, I was met with a pleasant surprise - in line in front of me was the vet tech that I’d been seeing years ago. Even though we’d stopped seeing each other, we ended on fine terms, and didn’t harbor any bad feelings toward each other, as evidenced by the smile and hug we greeted each other with. She asked to grab a couple of coffees and donuts to catch up for a little bit before I returned home, and I agreed, wanting to get my mind off of things. She had done well for herself - she was a full blown vet now, and had been for some time. She was married and had a son, and gave me a bunch of jokey warnings about parenthood. The subject turned to pets, and even though I didn’t want to sour feelings between us, I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut about Bear.
I told her everything that happened, save for what I’d just seen fifteen minutes ago - I wasn’t even sure if I’d actually seen it. She looked concerned while I talked, and tried to interject a few times, but I just kept spilling my feelings. When the floor was finally hers, she hesitated for a second, and then spoke.
“That’s… impossible.”
“What?”
“I really didn’t wanna tell you this, because I didn’t wanna hurt you more, but a few months after we stopped talking, someone brought Bear into our office. He was hit by a car, and we did everything we could… but there was nothing we could do. I didn’t call you about it, because I didn’t think you wanted to hear that your dog was dead.”
I asked her how she was so sure. It couldn’t be. I’d seen my dog alive.
“His collar. He had his collar on when he came into the office. The red one with his name tag on it.”
I left the shop after that. I didn’t leave the parking lot, though. Not because I was afraid to go home, even if I was.
But because I was ashamed. I’m a bad husband. I forgot to get a lock for the doggy door.
2024.06.07 16:43 xxxthrowitawayxxx56 Tinea Versicolor(?) keeps spreading
 | I live in a cold climate (upper Midwest) and I don’t exercise or get sweaty that often. I was told years ago that this fungal thing around my short collar was tinea versicolor. It has been spreading recently on my neck, groin and arms. I have also had other symptoms like parasthesia, muscle twitching, swollen feet, occasional chest pain and increased folliculitis on thighs (which is abnormal for me). submitted by xxxthrowitawayxxx56 to DermatologyQuestions [link] [comments] Does this look like tinea versicolor? Could this be some sort of systemic fungal infection, or maybe the fungus is getting worse due to low immune system? |
2024.06.07 16:33 Future_Ad_3485 Cold Case Inc. Part Four: The Annoyance of Time Worms and Their Masters!
Rolling onto Marcus’ bare chest, the sight of our clothes scattered everywhere had my cheeks burning a bright scarlet. Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, the door swinging open had me tugging on one of my oversized t-shirts over my head. Tarot floated into the space, his boots touching the floor. A pocket watch shaped envelope fluttered in his palm, my shaking fingers curling around it. The time council had a task set for me and there was no way out of it. Ripping it open, the image of a time worm had me chewing on my lips. The odd thought of Tarot delivering this to me had alarm bells going off, his pensive expression far from his usual one. Fishing around his pocket, his quaking hand pressed a photo of a demon witch with wild neon waves and matching neon green eyes. Noting her tall but flawless hourglass figure, a matching smile had me putting two and two together. Packing a bag with supplies, the image of her neon green flaming motorcycle flashing in my head. A pale hand reached for me, her inky lips mouthing the word help.
“One can assume that is your daughter.” I pointed out simply, his eyes averting to the floor. “Consider your daughter found, Tarot. If my friend needs me, then my assistance will come swiftly.” Fighting tears in his eyes, my brow cocked in disbelief. An abrupt embrace had my eyes rounding with surprise, my fingers peeling my pendant off my neck. As snarky as I was, the desire to save people is what kept me going. Stepping back while scratching the back of his neck, a flurry of tarot cards whisked him away. Rolling my eyes, his lack of information wasn’t unusual. Creating a line with my pendant as I tugged my socks and boots, the underbelly of time hummed to life. Crossing into the swirling colors, the simple ivory path met the heel of my boots. Shutting the opening behind me, Marcus could exchange harsh words with me later. Besides, the rules strictly banned his presence. Dropping my pendant over my neck, the scent of the worm had to be somewhere. Draping my bag over my shoulder, the time thread weighed a ton. Walking along the path, the plan went through my mind. First thing first, find the worm and kill it. Second, the culprit had to be hunted down and executed. Thirdly, his daughter needed to be brought back home. A quiet voice had me spinning on my heels with a twitching smirk, Saby bouncing up to me with a big smile on her face. Stifling my initial frustration, the hole she fell through had the shimmering worm I was looking for. Ordering her to stay, my dagger expanded from its charm form. Floating over my head, my dagger flipped over my fingers. Aiming for its heart, violet energy built around my palm. Flicking it in the direction of a vital organ, another blast of magic had the dagger sinking into the heart. Shriveling while screaming out in pain, a sea of holes greeted my irritated grimace. Drying into a sparkling powder, problem number one was solved. Catching my fallen dagger, the damage had to be repaired. Putting Saby on my back, a quick warning had her arms hugging my neck. Building energy around my boot, a big ball hummed to life. Pushing off the ground, her real smile never left her face the whole ride back to where she fell. Setting her on her bed, I had work to do. Summoning my slumber powder, a quick blow had violet dust glistening around her face. Collapsing back onto her pillow, cool air lashed at my cheeks the moment I jumped back into my original destination. Whistling sharply, a clear bubble caught my feet. Shifting through my bag, my fingers curled around the glowing needle and thread. Threading it with ease, these attacks were becoming more common. Moving the five foot needle with ease, a secure knot granted me permission to move on to the next one. Cutting off the end with my dagger, the bubble carried me to the next one. Working for several hours, the mistakes had been corrected and the holes were sealed shut with the finest of thread. Lowering me to the pathway, my empty footfalls echoed in the big space of time bubbles. Coming into the city, one person would be able to help me out. Marble homes lined the street, a scarlet Victorian home sang out boisterous swing music. This guy had given me issues before, a low growl rumbling in my throat. Marching up to the door, a swift kick had the door flying across the room. His guests scurried out, my dagger spinning in my palm. A golden haired man with golden hourglass eyes approached me, his arms folded across his shimmering emerald suit. His waves floated around his shoulders, my own fingers running through my snarled waves. Fixing my bangs, his hourglass irises flipped several times. What an asshole!
“You have looked better.” He teased cruelly, a haughty fit of laughter exploding from his lips. “I can feel your mental health decaying. Did you have to see your filthy past? I could erase it for y-” Pressing the sharp edge of my dagger into his neck, my patience was wearing thin. Hissing a few curse words, he had no right to bring up such a thing.
“I may not be able to kill you but I can hurt you real well.” I promised with a sarcastic smirk, punching him in the gut with a ball of built up energy. Doubling over, golden blood painted my boots. The Warden wasn’t my nickname for no reason, the council sending me to clean up their messes all the time. Kicking him in the stomach, the sickening crack of his spine snapping in half had him crumbling to the floor into a heap. Crouching down to his level, his rounded eyes met my tired expression.
“Where is the culprit and where is this woman?” I demanded hotly, pulling out the picture of the green haired woman. Noting his body quivering in fear, something was off about the situation. Shaking his head, his fingers clawed at the worn wooden floor. Mumbling something about the slave trade, the hilt of my dagger creaked in protest at my increasing grip. Dropping a healing potion by his hand, the bastard would be okay by tomorrow. Sprinting onto the pathway, the doorway to the lower realm of time creaked open. Sprinting down the ancient stone stairs, screams and groans had me cursing under my breath. Darting around the cages of trapped monsters, a cloaked figure a few inches shorter than me floated by. Sniffing the air, I began to chew my lip out of a nervous habit. Sensing Glanda’s energy, the pieces all came together. That wicked witch had sent a worm into the realm of time. The poor monsters crying out for help, my heart shattering into pieces. Too tired to fight her, her death was on the chopping block anyway. Sneaking through the shadows, a crumbled up version of the woman in the picture had my heart breaking. Most of her hair had been cut off, no life remaining in her eyes. Hitting the walls of keys, Marcus sure would create a fantastic distraction right about now. The colors drained from my cheeks, Glanda snapping her head in my direction. Sucking in a deep breath, her neon green eyes followed me throwing all the keys into her rusty cage. Getting down inches from her face, her numb gaze frightened me. Sliding my hand through the bar, my hand cupped her cheek. Please don't be so broken that I can't get you out of here.
“I need you to let yourself out and then help the other monsters out. I have a problem to deal with.” I begged with my genuine smile, her shaking hands grabbing mine. Glanda snapped her fingers, several masked demons gathering behind her. Dropping her hands, my dagger spun in my palms. Violet flames flickered to life around me, Glanda commanding them to kill me. My hair floated up, hers doing the same. When was she going to go head to head with me?
“Quit being a bitch and fight me yourself.” I challenged her with a wicked bout of laughter, my eager dagger ready to cut her into pieces. “Oh, I forgot. You aren’t heathen.” Charging at me, flames devoured my dagger. Dodging their attacks, a swift cut had three them screaming in crackling flames. Placing my feet out, two of them met the floor. A flick of my wrists sending the sharp edge of my dagger through their necks. Heads decayed to ash before they could hit my boot, horror rounding my eyes at the monster of a demon picking me up by my hair. Summoning my dagger, the hilt met my slick palm. Cutting my hair, my body smashed onto the marble floor. Too shocked to move, the beast of a demon tossed my hair to the side. A motor revving had me turning my head slowly, his daughter grinning sadistically. Neon flames covered the motorcycle, her shouting move had me rolling out of the way. The monsters ran back into their own dimensions, Glanda joining them. Popping to my feet, she wasn’t going to get away without a bruise. Switching the plant part of my powers, a thick vine shot from my palm, the thinner tip whipping her back towards me. A triumphant grin lingered on my defiant expression, a fit of cruel laughter bursting from my lips. Tossing her about, it was her turn to feel the other side of what she did. Pausing for a moment, our jaws dropped at the bike flying into his head. Tapping her neon green pendant three times, a flaming ball of fire shoved its way down the demon’s throat. A cloud of smoke obscured her landing, her arm scooping me up. Driving up the stairs, the wheels squealed in protest as a jet of flames cut off my connection to Glanda. Hugging her waist, she had to have a couple of inches on me. Smiling back at me, the freedom in her eyes was infectious. Light returned to her neon green eyes, the glow reminding me of fireflies on a cool summer night.
“Get us out of here!” She shouted over the rumbling of her engine, a confident smile illuminating her features. “Glanda will retaliate at any moment.” She wasn’t wrong, an army of demons were heading our way. Plucking my pendant off of my neck, curiosity twinkled in her eyes at me spinning it around clockwise. The pendant spun around faster, a blast of energy knocking us back into the day my mother was murdered. Panicking at the light dying down in my pendant, my powers had been drained. Dragging into the alleyway near my home, a snap of her fingers had the bike going invisible. My three year old self watched out the window in her bright overalls and striped t-shirt with her hands pressed against the window, the color draining from my cheeks for the millionth time today. A clammy sweat drenched my skin, every breath growing shorter. My piggish father dragged my mother out by her dark brown hair, her face facing in the opposite direction of us. My younger self banged on the window, my father slamming her fist into her head until her desperate pleas quieted down. Ruby pooled around her body, my father snapping his furious gaze in her direction. Ripping the door open, his daughter buried me in a hug. Listening to her screams had me trembling in her arms, her chin resting on my head. The wet sound of blood splattering the window had her emotions soaking the top of my head.
“No wonder you are so strong.” She whispered in a deflated tone, her finger lifting into the air. “How about I treat you to a wonderful meal several states away from her. Snapping her fingers, both of us had bell bottoms and white flowing shirts on. Lifting up my chin with her finger, a pair of scissors glistened in her hands. Spinning me around, the scissors moved a mile a minute. Pieces of my hair floated to my feet, her other hand holding my head straight. Seconds from snapping at her, she moved onto her own. Pouting in a rebellious manner, her snarky words had me liking her instantly.
“Don’t kill me but you cut your hair like a blind person. So I gave you an inverted bob with layers.” She teased sarcastically, a stifled laugh tumbling from my lips as she shaved the left side of the head. “Nice to see you laugh. So I heard you have a coven. May I join? Witchcraft has always interested me. I know the basics but I am a bit stuck.” Hesitation had me stepping back as I played with the hem of my shirt, her puppy dog eyes winning me over. Cutting my palm with my dagger, she slid the sharp edge of her scissors along her palm. Cupsing our hands together, an inky pocket watch tattoo poked out of the collar of her shirt. Fishing around my bag, tears welled up in my eyes at my mother’s silky handkerchief grazing the tips of my fingers. Standing on my toes, her kind smile never left her face at me tying the blue and orange handkerchief around her head.
“Take good care of it. That is the last thing I have of my mother.” I spoke with a mixture of sincerity and sternness, her head nodding once. “Keep being funny. Your sense of humor is refreshing. Now take me away.” Climbing onto her bike with her, my arms snaked around her waist. Revving the engine, adventure glowed in my eyes at the bike standing on one wheel. Several states passed by us, the hands on the neares clock moving a mere five minutes. Parking in front of a worn restaurant in Maine, the ocean waves crashed nearby. Turning a couple of knobs, the flames died down to reveal a normal black motorcycle. A vacancy sign blinked at a colorful motel across the way. Fishing round my bag, a wad of seventies dollar bills felt heavy in my palms. The witch who helped me grabbed my wrist the moment I hopped off, fright haunting her eyes. Cupping her hand, she had nothing to worry about.
“Get us a seat while I get a room. I can’t travel for a few hours at the least.” I comforted her, her mind fighting between being tough or vulnerable, a silver necklace catching my eyes. Reading the name Lightz, it didn’t take much for me to put it all together. Lightz was her name and a beautiful one at that. Spinning her towards me, my hands cupped her face. Abrupt tears told me that I shouldn’t leave her alone.
“Bring your bike over while I get us a room.” I caved, a lovely smile met mine. The right corner of her lips hanging over the left slightly, dirt crunching underneath her wheels as we crossed the road. Waiting outside, the bell announced my presence. A young blonde haired woman looked up from her magazine, her hand sliding over a ledger while smacking gum in her mouth. Fishing out the amount of money plus a bit extra to ensure our rest, a key hitting the tip of my finger. Wonderful personality, I thought sarcastically to myself. Taking a second look at her, her ice blue eyes met mine in a chilling stare.
“Watch your mouth in my motel or a punishment will be served.” She spoke coldly, running her hands through her perfect waves. Leaning onto the desk, a souvenir box caught my eyes behind her. Pretending that it didn’t affect me, a case had fallen right on my lap. Guiding her to the room, the key slid in with ease as she parked her bike outside. Locking it behind us, my pensive expression had her asking if I was okay. What made that woman tick? Thinking back to her nametag, Loretta flashed in my head. Lorretta had to be caught, an idea coming to mind. Maybe the locals knew about any disappearances, my brow cocking at a bottle of water hitting my face.
“Maybe you could be Sherlock Holmes after we eat. I am starving.” She joked with a biting tone, her hand resting on her hip. A long sigh drew from my lips. Huffing out a quick fine, that would give me the opportunity I desired. Locking the door behind us, her cold gaze met my defiant grin on my determined features. Bars would soon keep her in her new home, the orange sure to look lovely on her. Crossing the street, another bell announced our presence. Taking a seat at the worn wooden bar, the walls were lined with pictures of missing persons. Asking for a napkin, the similar brown hair and brown eyes spoke of a type. Borrowing a pen from the friendly but rather hairy bartender, eyes tracked me walking up to the missing people. Scribbling away, certain jewelry underneath their names would help me identify who was who. Plopping down at the bar, Lightz had ordered for me. The bell rang once more, Loretta finding her way in. A lovely summer ivory summer dress floated over her hourglass figure, the stool groaning as she took a seat next to me. Refusing to look her in the eyes, her next word sent a shiver up my spine.
“Mice like you get devoured by the cat.” She chuckled heartily as if it was a normal thing to say. “The mouse doesn’t find her way out on her own. Such lovely hair and eyes.” Playing with my hair, Lightz slapped her hand away. Rising from her stool, she towered over Loretta. Leaning down by her ear, my ears didn’t pick what she said. Loretta rose with a huff, the door slamming behind her. What the hell did she say? Crashing down next to me, a couple of hot burgers got placed in front of us. We didn’t order anything, something feeling fishy. Bringing it to my nose, a rancid smell had me whacking it out of her hands. Slamming my money on the counter, a sedative had been blended with the meat. The cook had to be an associate of hers, my hand snatching her wrists. Dragging her out, two black bags were dropped over our heads. Tossing us into the back of a van. Leaning onto the side of the van, a darkness swallowed us. Turning my head towards her, we would need her magic.
“Pretend to be knocked out when they open the door. She should bring us to the bodies.” I whispered loud enough for her to hear and her alone. “Punch your way out and find a neighbor. Call the cops and bring them to me. Am I understood?” Shaking her head, she didn’t want to leave my side. Whatever would come my way could be dealt with by one of my many healing potions. Driving through the hours, my powers began to return slowly. The brakes squealed in protest, another scream giving hope of me not being found out. Pale moonlight flickered through the holes of the bag over my head, chaos erupting next to me as Lightz smashed her way out. Ordering them to let her go, her gloved hands ripped me out of the van. A trail of neon energy had me sighing in relief, grunts pouring from her lips as she hooked me up to a meat hook via chains. The years of execution trained me for this moment, no pain starting yet. Ripping the bag off of my head, a tarot card floated by her head. Floating upside down behind her head, a temporary time pass hung around his neck. Knocking her out with a kick, a dull thud announced her landing. Lowering me down, his steady hands went to work chaining her up in my former position. Helping the other woman down, cuts covered her face. Tearing at the hem of my shirt, my steady hands tied the material around the deep cut on her arm. Wet eyes met my gentle smile, her lips parting to speak several times.
“Who are you? I want to send you a thank you note.” She inquired in a hoarse voice, red and blue lights bathing the area. Too concerned with messing with time, forget me powder appeared in my palm. Blowing the iridescent powder into her face, her body collapsed into a heap. Snatching Tarot, his protests fell on deaf ears as I dragged him out the back door. Freezing at the sight of Lightz on her motorcycle, silent tears stained his cheeks. Yanking us onto her bike, I was more than happy to be on the very back. Riding away from the scene, enough power had been restored for us to go home. Pulling off my pendant, my pleas for them to hold on had me. Spinning my pendant counter clockwise, the energy built in the air.
“I call upon the sands of time to whisk me back home and to set this timeline in place. “ I chanted tiredly, the pendant spun faster. A blast of energy shot us into the grand hall of his castle. Flying off the back of the bike, a fuming Marcus caught me. Seconds from berating me, the motorcycle engine died down to reveal Tarot and Lightz hugging each other with uncontrollable sobs. Saby skidded downstairs, only to stop in awe at the witch taking off my mother’s handkerchief. A bond formed between them, inky tattoos of phoenix's appeared around their necks, her father noticing as well. Approaching each other cautiously, Saby’s ears pinned back with her rich blush. Lightz bowed in front of her, her genuine smile enchanting Saby. That smile could enchant anyone if I was being honest.
“I am your mate, Lightz. Let me make you a meal to steal your heart.” She flirted shamelessly, placing her on her back while passing me my scarf. Marcus let it go the moment Tarot bowed in my direction. Pressing his palms together, his fraying nerves had been eased. Thank goodness. Today may have been hard but it sure was worth it.
“Many thanks for your bravery. If it weren’t for you, my daughter would still be trapped.” He choked out oddly, his nature not leading to him having such an air. Waving around my hand to calm his down further, exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids. Bobbing my head up and down, sweet slumber stole me away.
submitted by Future_Ad_3485 to DrCreepensVault [link] [comments]
“One can assume that is your daughter.” I pointed out simply, his eyes averting to the floor. “Consider your daughter found, Tarot. If my friend needs me, then my assistance will come swiftly.” Fighting tears in his eyes, my brow cocked in disbelief. An abrupt embrace had my eyes rounding with surprise, my fingers peeling my pendant off my neck. As snarky as I was, the desire to save people is what kept me going. Stepping back while scratching the back of his neck, a flurry of tarot cards whisked him away. Rolling my eyes, his lack of information wasn’t unusual. Creating a line with my pendant as I tugged my socks and boots, the underbelly of time hummed to life. Crossing into the swirling colors, the simple ivory path met the heel of my boots. Shutting the opening behind me, Marcus could exchange harsh words with me later. Besides, the rules strictly banned his presence. Dropping my pendant over my neck, the scent of the worm had to be somewhere. Draping my bag over my shoulder, the time thread weighed a ton. Walking along the path, the plan went through my mind. First thing first, find the worm and kill it. Second, the culprit had to be hunted down and executed. Thirdly, his daughter needed to be brought back home. A quiet voice had me spinning on my heels with a twitching smirk, Saby bouncing up to me with a big smile on her face. Stifling my initial frustration, the hole she fell through had the shimmering worm I was looking for. Ordering her to stay, my dagger expanded from its charm form. Floating over my head, my dagger flipped over my fingers. Aiming for its heart, violet energy built around my palm. Flicking it in the direction of a vital organ, another blast of magic had the dagger sinking into the heart. Shriveling while screaming out in pain, a sea of holes greeted my irritated grimace. Drying into a sparkling powder, problem number one was solved. Catching my fallen dagger, the damage had to be repaired. Putting Saby on my back, a quick warning had her arms hugging my neck. Building energy around my boot, a big ball hummed to life. Pushing off the ground, her real smile never left her face the whole ride back to where she fell. Setting her on her bed, I had work to do. Summoning my slumber powder, a quick blow had violet dust glistening around her face. Collapsing back onto her pillow, cool air lashed at my cheeks the moment I jumped back into my original destination. Whistling sharply, a clear bubble caught my feet. Shifting through my bag, my fingers curled around the glowing needle and thread. Threading it with ease, these attacks were becoming more common. Moving the five foot needle with ease, a secure knot granted me permission to move on to the next one. Cutting off the end with my dagger, the bubble carried me to the next one. Working for several hours, the mistakes had been corrected and the holes were sealed shut with the finest of thread. Lowering me to the pathway, my empty footfalls echoed in the big space of time bubbles. Coming into the city, one person would be able to help me out. Marble homes lined the street, a scarlet Victorian home sang out boisterous swing music. This guy had given me issues before, a low growl rumbling in my throat. Marching up to the door, a swift kick had the door flying across the room. His guests scurried out, my dagger spinning in my palm. A golden haired man with golden hourglass eyes approached me, his arms folded across his shimmering emerald suit. His waves floated around his shoulders, my own fingers running through my snarled waves. Fixing my bangs, his hourglass irises flipped several times. What an asshole!
“You have looked better.” He teased cruelly, a haughty fit of laughter exploding from his lips. “I can feel your mental health decaying. Did you have to see your filthy past? I could erase it for y-” Pressing the sharp edge of my dagger into his neck, my patience was wearing thin. Hissing a few curse words, he had no right to bring up such a thing.
“I may not be able to kill you but I can hurt you real well.” I promised with a sarcastic smirk, punching him in the gut with a ball of built up energy. Doubling over, golden blood painted my boots. The Warden wasn’t my nickname for no reason, the council sending me to clean up their messes all the time. Kicking him in the stomach, the sickening crack of his spine snapping in half had him crumbling to the floor into a heap. Crouching down to his level, his rounded eyes met my tired expression.
“Where is the culprit and where is this woman?” I demanded hotly, pulling out the picture of the green haired woman. Noting his body quivering in fear, something was off about the situation. Shaking his head, his fingers clawed at the worn wooden floor. Mumbling something about the slave trade, the hilt of my dagger creaked in protest at my increasing grip. Dropping a healing potion by his hand, the bastard would be okay by tomorrow. Sprinting onto the pathway, the doorway to the lower realm of time creaked open. Sprinting down the ancient stone stairs, screams and groans had me cursing under my breath. Darting around the cages of trapped monsters, a cloaked figure a few inches shorter than me floated by. Sniffing the air, I began to chew my lip out of a nervous habit. Sensing Glanda’s energy, the pieces all came together. That wicked witch had sent a worm into the realm of time. The poor monsters crying out for help, my heart shattering into pieces. Too tired to fight her, her death was on the chopping block anyway. Sneaking through the shadows, a crumbled up version of the woman in the picture had my heart breaking. Most of her hair had been cut off, no life remaining in her eyes. Hitting the walls of keys, Marcus sure would create a fantastic distraction right about now. The colors drained from my cheeks, Glanda snapping her head in my direction. Sucking in a deep breath, her neon green eyes followed me throwing all the keys into her rusty cage. Getting down inches from her face, her numb gaze frightened me. Sliding my hand through the bar, my hand cupped her cheek. Please don't be so broken that I can't get you out of here.
“I need you to let yourself out and then help the other monsters out. I have a problem to deal with.” I begged with my genuine smile, her shaking hands grabbing mine. Glanda snapped her fingers, several masked demons gathering behind her. Dropping her hands, my dagger spun in my palms. Violet flames flickered to life around me, Glanda commanding them to kill me. My hair floated up, hers doing the same. When was she going to go head to head with me?
“Quit being a bitch and fight me yourself.” I challenged her with a wicked bout of laughter, my eager dagger ready to cut her into pieces. “Oh, I forgot. You aren’t heathen.” Charging at me, flames devoured my dagger. Dodging their attacks, a swift cut had three them screaming in crackling flames. Placing my feet out, two of them met the floor. A flick of my wrists sending the sharp edge of my dagger through their necks. Heads decayed to ash before they could hit my boot, horror rounding my eyes at the monster of a demon picking me up by my hair. Summoning my dagger, the hilt met my slick palm. Cutting my hair, my body smashed onto the marble floor. Too shocked to move, the beast of a demon tossed my hair to the side. A motor revving had me turning my head slowly, his daughter grinning sadistically. Neon flames covered the motorcycle, her shouting move had me rolling out of the way. The monsters ran back into their own dimensions, Glanda joining them. Popping to my feet, she wasn’t going to get away without a bruise. Switching the plant part of my powers, a thick vine shot from my palm, the thinner tip whipping her back towards me. A triumphant grin lingered on my defiant expression, a fit of cruel laughter bursting from my lips. Tossing her about, it was her turn to feel the other side of what she did. Pausing for a moment, our jaws dropped at the bike flying into his head. Tapping her neon green pendant three times, a flaming ball of fire shoved its way down the demon’s throat. A cloud of smoke obscured her landing, her arm scooping me up. Driving up the stairs, the wheels squealed in protest as a jet of flames cut off my connection to Glanda. Hugging her waist, she had to have a couple of inches on me. Smiling back at me, the freedom in her eyes was infectious. Light returned to her neon green eyes, the glow reminding me of fireflies on a cool summer night.
“Get us out of here!” She shouted over the rumbling of her engine, a confident smile illuminating her features. “Glanda will retaliate at any moment.” She wasn’t wrong, an army of demons were heading our way. Plucking my pendant off of my neck, curiosity twinkled in her eyes at me spinning it around clockwise. The pendant spun around faster, a blast of energy knocking us back into the day my mother was murdered. Panicking at the light dying down in my pendant, my powers had been drained. Dragging into the alleyway near my home, a snap of her fingers had the bike going invisible. My three year old self watched out the window in her bright overalls and striped t-shirt with her hands pressed against the window, the color draining from my cheeks for the millionth time today. A clammy sweat drenched my skin, every breath growing shorter. My piggish father dragged my mother out by her dark brown hair, her face facing in the opposite direction of us. My younger self banged on the window, my father slamming her fist into her head until her desperate pleas quieted down. Ruby pooled around her body, my father snapping his furious gaze in her direction. Ripping the door open, his daughter buried me in a hug. Listening to her screams had me trembling in her arms, her chin resting on my head. The wet sound of blood splattering the window had her emotions soaking the top of my head.
“No wonder you are so strong.” She whispered in a deflated tone, her finger lifting into the air. “How about I treat you to a wonderful meal several states away from her. Snapping her fingers, both of us had bell bottoms and white flowing shirts on. Lifting up my chin with her finger, a pair of scissors glistened in her hands. Spinning me around, the scissors moved a mile a minute. Pieces of my hair floated to my feet, her other hand holding my head straight. Seconds from snapping at her, she moved onto her own. Pouting in a rebellious manner, her snarky words had me liking her instantly.
“Don’t kill me but you cut your hair like a blind person. So I gave you an inverted bob with layers.” She teased sarcastically, a stifled laugh tumbling from my lips as she shaved the left side of the head. “Nice to see you laugh. So I heard you have a coven. May I join? Witchcraft has always interested me. I know the basics but I am a bit stuck.” Hesitation had me stepping back as I played with the hem of my shirt, her puppy dog eyes winning me over. Cutting my palm with my dagger, she slid the sharp edge of her scissors along her palm. Cupsing our hands together, an inky pocket watch tattoo poked out of the collar of her shirt. Fishing around my bag, tears welled up in my eyes at my mother’s silky handkerchief grazing the tips of my fingers. Standing on my toes, her kind smile never left her face at me tying the blue and orange handkerchief around her head.
“Take good care of it. That is the last thing I have of my mother.” I spoke with a mixture of sincerity and sternness, her head nodding once. “Keep being funny. Your sense of humor is refreshing. Now take me away.” Climbing onto her bike with her, my arms snaked around her waist. Revving the engine, adventure glowed in my eyes at the bike standing on one wheel. Several states passed by us, the hands on the neares clock moving a mere five minutes. Parking in front of a worn restaurant in Maine, the ocean waves crashed nearby. Turning a couple of knobs, the flames died down to reveal a normal black motorcycle. A vacancy sign blinked at a colorful motel across the way. Fishing round my bag, a wad of seventies dollar bills felt heavy in my palms. The witch who helped me grabbed my wrist the moment I hopped off, fright haunting her eyes. Cupping her hand, she had nothing to worry about.
“Get us a seat while I get a room. I can’t travel for a few hours at the least.” I comforted her, her mind fighting between being tough or vulnerable, a silver necklace catching my eyes. Reading the name Lightz, it didn’t take much for me to put it all together. Lightz was her name and a beautiful one at that. Spinning her towards me, my hands cupped her face. Abrupt tears told me that I shouldn’t leave her alone.
“Bring your bike over while I get us a room.” I caved, a lovely smile met mine. The right corner of her lips hanging over the left slightly, dirt crunching underneath her wheels as we crossed the road. Waiting outside, the bell announced my presence. A young blonde haired woman looked up from her magazine, her hand sliding over a ledger while smacking gum in her mouth. Fishing out the amount of money plus a bit extra to ensure our rest, a key hitting the tip of my finger. Wonderful personality, I thought sarcastically to myself. Taking a second look at her, her ice blue eyes met mine in a chilling stare.
“Watch your mouth in my motel or a punishment will be served.” She spoke coldly, running her hands through her perfect waves. Leaning onto the desk, a souvenir box caught my eyes behind her. Pretending that it didn’t affect me, a case had fallen right on my lap. Guiding her to the room, the key slid in with ease as she parked her bike outside. Locking it behind us, my pensive expression had her asking if I was okay. What made that woman tick? Thinking back to her nametag, Loretta flashed in my head. Lorretta had to be caught, an idea coming to mind. Maybe the locals knew about any disappearances, my brow cocking at a bottle of water hitting my face.
“Maybe you could be Sherlock Holmes after we eat. I am starving.” She joked with a biting tone, her hand resting on her hip. A long sigh drew from my lips. Huffing out a quick fine, that would give me the opportunity I desired. Locking the door behind us, her cold gaze met my defiant grin on my determined features. Bars would soon keep her in her new home, the orange sure to look lovely on her. Crossing the street, another bell announced our presence. Taking a seat at the worn wooden bar, the walls were lined with pictures of missing persons. Asking for a napkin, the similar brown hair and brown eyes spoke of a type. Borrowing a pen from the friendly but rather hairy bartender, eyes tracked me walking up to the missing people. Scribbling away, certain jewelry underneath their names would help me identify who was who. Plopping down at the bar, Lightz had ordered for me. The bell rang once more, Loretta finding her way in. A lovely summer ivory summer dress floated over her hourglass figure, the stool groaning as she took a seat next to me. Refusing to look her in the eyes, her next word sent a shiver up my spine.
“Mice like you get devoured by the cat.” She chuckled heartily as if it was a normal thing to say. “The mouse doesn’t find her way out on her own. Such lovely hair and eyes.” Playing with my hair, Lightz slapped her hand away. Rising from her stool, she towered over Loretta. Leaning down by her ear, my ears didn’t pick what she said. Loretta rose with a huff, the door slamming behind her. What the hell did she say? Crashing down next to me, a couple of hot burgers got placed in front of us. We didn’t order anything, something feeling fishy. Bringing it to my nose, a rancid smell had me whacking it out of her hands. Slamming my money on the counter, a sedative had been blended with the meat. The cook had to be an associate of hers, my hand snatching her wrists. Dragging her out, two black bags were dropped over our heads. Tossing us into the back of a van. Leaning onto the side of the van, a darkness swallowed us. Turning my head towards her, we would need her magic.
“Pretend to be knocked out when they open the door. She should bring us to the bodies.” I whispered loud enough for her to hear and her alone. “Punch your way out and find a neighbor. Call the cops and bring them to me. Am I understood?” Shaking her head, she didn’t want to leave my side. Whatever would come my way could be dealt with by one of my many healing potions. Driving through the hours, my powers began to return slowly. The brakes squealed in protest, another scream giving hope of me not being found out. Pale moonlight flickered through the holes of the bag over my head, chaos erupting next to me as Lightz smashed her way out. Ordering them to let her go, her gloved hands ripped me out of the van. A trail of neon energy had me sighing in relief, grunts pouring from her lips as she hooked me up to a meat hook via chains. The years of execution trained me for this moment, no pain starting yet. Ripping the bag off of my head, a tarot card floated by her head. Floating upside down behind her head, a temporary time pass hung around his neck. Knocking her out with a kick, a dull thud announced her landing. Lowering me down, his steady hands went to work chaining her up in my former position. Helping the other woman down, cuts covered her face. Tearing at the hem of my shirt, my steady hands tied the material around the deep cut on her arm. Wet eyes met my gentle smile, her lips parting to speak several times.
“Who are you? I want to send you a thank you note.” She inquired in a hoarse voice, red and blue lights bathing the area. Too concerned with messing with time, forget me powder appeared in my palm. Blowing the iridescent powder into her face, her body collapsed into a heap. Snatching Tarot, his protests fell on deaf ears as I dragged him out the back door. Freezing at the sight of Lightz on her motorcycle, silent tears stained his cheeks. Yanking us onto her bike, I was more than happy to be on the very back. Riding away from the scene, enough power had been restored for us to go home. Pulling off my pendant, my pleas for them to hold on had me. Spinning my pendant counter clockwise, the energy built in the air.
“I call upon the sands of time to whisk me back home and to set this timeline in place. “ I chanted tiredly, the pendant spun faster. A blast of energy shot us into the grand hall of his castle. Flying off the back of the bike, a fuming Marcus caught me. Seconds from berating me, the motorcycle engine died down to reveal Tarot and Lightz hugging each other with uncontrollable sobs. Saby skidded downstairs, only to stop in awe at the witch taking off my mother’s handkerchief. A bond formed between them, inky tattoos of phoenix's appeared around their necks, her father noticing as well. Approaching each other cautiously, Saby’s ears pinned back with her rich blush. Lightz bowed in front of her, her genuine smile enchanting Saby. That smile could enchant anyone if I was being honest.
“I am your mate, Lightz. Let me make you a meal to steal your heart.” She flirted shamelessly, placing her on her back while passing me my scarf. Marcus let it go the moment Tarot bowed in my direction. Pressing his palms together, his fraying nerves had been eased. Thank goodness. Today may have been hard but it sure was worth it.
“Many thanks for your bravery. If it weren’t for you, my daughter would still be trapped.” He choked out oddly, his nature not leading to him having such an air. Waving around my hand to calm his down further, exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids. Bobbing my head up and down, sweet slumber stole me away.
2024.06.07 16:33 dantesparadisio Mystical Visions in the Shower
I am witnessing the melting of an ice sculpture. Imagine if you will the beads of cold sweat running down its form, the growing transparency, maybe just at the extremities in the beginning, the feet, the hands, the side of the head, then seemingly apropos of nothing a limb cracks off and crashes on the floor, the sound even startles you. The ice sculpture is my ego, unevenly melted as I write this. It feels so strange, so interesting.
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
submitted by dantesparadisio to primordialtruths [link] [comments]
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
2024.06.07 16:27 dantesparadisio Mystical Visions in the Shower
I am witnessing the melting of an ice sculpture. Imagine if you will the beads of cold sweat running down its form, the growing transparency, maybe just at the extremities in the beginning, the feet, the hands, the side of the head, then seemingly apropos of nothing a limb cracks off and crashes on the floor, the sound even startles you. The ice sculpture is my ego, unevenly melted as I write this. It feels so strange, so interesting.
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
submitted by dantesparadisio to spirituality [link] [comments]
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
2024.06.07 16:25 dantesparadisio Mystical Visions in the Shower
I am witnessing the melting of an ice sculpture. Imagine if you will the beads of cold sweat running down its form, the growing transparency, maybe just at the extremities in the beginning, the feet, the hands, the side of the head, then seemingly apropos of nothing a limb cracks off and crashes on the floor, the sound even startles you. The ice sculpture is my ego, unevenly melted as I write this. It feels so strange, so interesting.
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
submitted by dantesparadisio to Sakuras_Paradisio [link] [comments]
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
2024.06.07 16:25 dantesparadisio Mystical Visions in the Shower
I am witnessing the melting of an ice sculpture. Imagine if you will the beads of cold sweat running down its form, the growing transparency, maybe just at the extremities in the beginning, the feet, the hands, the side of the head, then seemingly apropos of nothing a limb cracks off and crashes on the floor, the sound even startles you. The ice sculpture is my ego, unevenly melted as I write this. It feels so strange, so interesting.
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
submitted by dantesparadisio to u/dantesparadisio [link] [comments]
It was two days ago when one of the "limbs" cracked off. A mystical experience is like falling in love: you know it when you're in it, and woe to you if nobody ever prepared you for it. "The psychotic drowns in the same waters the mystic swims in." Are you ready to see everything, including your entire past, present, and future? You sure you won't freak out (this time)?
You can't force an ice sculpture to melt, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy. Just put it out in the sun and wait. In the same way we must put our egos out in the light of God, take our hands off, wait. The waiting will teach you to have faith.
It was a pretty good shower.
2024.06.07 16:24 Smakka87 Stress, Anxiety & The Physical Output
Stress, Anxiety & The Physical Output
Hi All,
My life has been a whirlwind these last six months, I work in a highly stressful job as a manufacturing floor manager in biopharmaceuticas, I just moved into my first house (which me and my partner bought), I got engaged in December and unfortunately my partners mother passed away unexpectedly the next week and I was juggling all this with a part time masters degree.
One Tuesday in February I came home from work and I had this burning sensation in my left hand, which I became obsessed with. I kept googling and running to my local doctor, as the weeks progressed this burning happened in my right hand and both feet. I became obessed with this, constantly worrying. I kept doing tests on my feet and hands, then a cold sensation started in my left leg and I started feeling dizzy, which made me worse. Eventually, one night as I was going to sleep, I checked my body again and the twitching started. It was like an explosion went off, every part of my body twitched.
That was 2-3 months ago, and my body has not stopped since. On a daily basis I experience body wide twitching / fasciculations (especially in my calves, under my right eye, above my left eye and my left hand), I experience water running down my leg sensation, burning hands, burning feet, being off balance as I walk or stand, sensation as if I am swaying, buzzing in my legs, lights/dark spots and floaters in my eyes, pain in my back and legs, tingling in my hands and my feet.
I went to 9 doctors and all have assessed me. I went to a neurologist and neurophysiologist and both have said I had a perfect clinical examination. I have had a clean body wide EMG, clean nerve conduction study on my arms, hands, feet and legs, I got bloods taken for general purposes, creatine kinase activity and for rare diseases and I had an MRI of my spine and brain done. All my tests came back perfectly normal.
The diagnosis: Stress & Anxiety induced Functional neurological disorder. The treatment: to see a psychotherapist and undergo Cognitive behavioural therapy (which starts next week).
My symptoms continue and will until I change my thinking and behaviours. I have to take what the doctors have said as gospel and move on and take my life back.
My neurologist told me that these stress and anxiety can allow you to develop a myriad of REAL symptoms without any disease presence.
If you have had a tests and they have come back clean or the doctor tells you not worry, please do not continue to worry. These people conducting these tests are experts and have dedicated huge portions of their lives to looking at particular diseases and their etiologies. The more we worry the worse it gets ☺️
Thank you.
submitted by Smakka87 to Anxiety [link] [comments]
Hi All,
My life has been a whirlwind these last six months, I work in a highly stressful job as a manufacturing floor manager in biopharmaceuticas, I just moved into my first house (which me and my partner bought), I got engaged in December and unfortunately my partners mother passed away unexpectedly the next week and I was juggling all this with a part time masters degree.
One Tuesday in February I came home from work and I had this burning sensation in my left hand, which I became obsessed with. I kept googling and running to my local doctor, as the weeks progressed this burning happened in my right hand and both feet. I became obessed with this, constantly worrying. I kept doing tests on my feet and hands, then a cold sensation started in my left leg and I started feeling dizzy, which made me worse. Eventually, one night as I was going to sleep, I checked my body again and the twitching started. It was like an explosion went off, every part of my body twitched.
That was 2-3 months ago, and my body has not stopped since. On a daily basis I experience body wide twitching / fasciculations (especially in my calves, under my right eye, above my left eye and my left hand), I experience water running down my leg sensation, burning hands, burning feet, being off balance as I walk or stand, sensation as if I am swaying, buzzing in my legs, lights/dark spots and floaters in my eyes, pain in my back and legs, tingling in my hands and my feet.
I went to 9 doctors and all have assessed me. I went to a neurologist and neurophysiologist and both have said I had a perfect clinical examination. I have had a clean body wide EMG, clean nerve conduction study on my arms, hands, feet and legs, I got bloods taken for general purposes, creatine kinase activity and for rare diseases and I had an MRI of my spine and brain done. All my tests came back perfectly normal.
The diagnosis: Stress & Anxiety induced Functional neurological disorder. The treatment: to see a psychotherapist and undergo Cognitive behavioural therapy (which starts next week).
My symptoms continue and will until I change my thinking and behaviours. I have to take what the doctors have said as gospel and move on and take my life back.
My neurologist told me that these stress and anxiety can allow you to develop a myriad of REAL symptoms without any disease presence.
If you have had a tests and they have come back clean or the doctor tells you not worry, please do not continue to worry. These people conducting these tests are experts and have dedicated huge portions of their lives to looking at particular diseases and their etiologies. The more we worry the worse it gets ☺️
Thank you.
2024.06.07 16:20 RandomPasserby57 (Male 19) unexplained periodic swelling throughout body
I've been to the doctors several times, and to this day, after countless tests, they still have no idea what causes it.
Every few months, my body starts swelling, and it'll usually last around 3 days, but can last longer if it's severe. It starts with one body part, and then spreads to others, but ultimately it's hands, arms, feet, legs, hips, and sometimes I'll wake up with a swollen lip. One time I woke up with my entire face swollen. It ranges in severity, so I'll put it this way:
Least severe: swollen lip. Lasts half a day.
Most severe: arms and legs swollen, feet hurt to stand on - can barely walk. Swollen uvula - hurts to swallow. Swollen scrotum. Lasts about a week.
Basically the longer it goes on, the more severe it gets. The swollen part feels warm, and itches depending on where it is.
Additional information:
Weight: 90kg Height: 184cm Have NO allergies. All blood/urine tests came back normal. Started maybe 2 years ago. Usually happens when I'm sick, but has happened out of nowhere as well.
submitted by RandomPasserby57 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
Every few months, my body starts swelling, and it'll usually last around 3 days, but can last longer if it's severe. It starts with one body part, and then spreads to others, but ultimately it's hands, arms, feet, legs, hips, and sometimes I'll wake up with a swollen lip. One time I woke up with my entire face swollen. It ranges in severity, so I'll put it this way:
Least severe: swollen lip. Lasts half a day.
Most severe: arms and legs swollen, feet hurt to stand on - can barely walk. Swollen uvula - hurts to swallow. Swollen scrotum. Lasts about a week.
Basically the longer it goes on, the more severe it gets. The swollen part feels warm, and itches depending on where it is.
Additional information:
Weight: 90kg Height: 184cm Have NO allergies. All blood/urine tests came back normal. Started maybe 2 years ago. Usually happens when I'm sick, but has happened out of nowhere as well.
2024.06.07 16:14 Smakka87 Stress, Anxiety & The Physical Output
Hi All,
Straight up, I have not been diagnosed with BFS. But please read this.
My life has been a whirlwind these last six months, I work in a highly stressful job as a manufacturing floor manager in biopharmaceuticas, I just moved into my first house (which me and my partner bought), I got engaged in December and unfortunately my partners mother passed away unexpectedly the next week and I was juggling all this with a part time masters degree.
One Tuesday in February I came home from work and I had this burning sensation in my left hand, which I became obsessed with. I kept googling and running to my local doctor, as the weeks progressed this burning happened in my right hand and both feet. I became obessed with this, constantly worrying. I kept doing tests on my feet and hands, then a cold sensation started in my left leg and I started feeling dizzy, which made me worse. Eventually, one night as I was going to sleep, I checked my body again and the twitching started. It was like an explosion went off, every part of my body twitched.
That was 2-3 months ago, and my body has not stopped since. On a daily basis I experience body wide twitching / fasciculations (especially in my calves, under my right eye, above my left eye and my left hand), I experience water running down my leg sensation, burning hands, burning feet, being off balance as I walk or stand, sensation as if I am swaying, buzzing in my legs, lights/dark spots and floaters in my eyes, pain in my back and legs, tingling in my hands and my feet.
I went to 9 doctors and all have assessed me. I went to a neurologist and neurophysiologist and both have said I had a perfect clinical examination. I have had a clean body wide EMG, clean nerve conduction study on my arms, hands, feet and legs, I got bloods taken for general purposes, creatine kinase activity and for rare diseases and I had an MRI of my spine and brain done. All my tests came back perfectly normal.
The diagnosis: Stress & Anxiety induced Functional neurological disorder. The treatment: to see a psychotherapist and undergo Cognitive behavioural therapy (which starts next week).
My symptoms continue and will until I change my thinking and behaviours. I have to take what the doctors have said as gospel and move on and take my life back.
My neurologist told me that these stress and anxiety can allow you to develop a myriad of REAL symptoms without any disease presence.
If you have had a tests and they have come back clean or the doctor tells you not worry, please do not continue to worry. These people conducting these tests are experts and have dedicated huge portions of their lives to looking at particular diseases and their etiologies. The more we worry the worse it gets ☺️
Thank you.
submitted by Smakka87 to BFS [link] [comments]
Straight up, I have not been diagnosed with BFS. But please read this.
My life has been a whirlwind these last six months, I work in a highly stressful job as a manufacturing floor manager in biopharmaceuticas, I just moved into my first house (which me and my partner bought), I got engaged in December and unfortunately my partners mother passed away unexpectedly the next week and I was juggling all this with a part time masters degree.
One Tuesday in February I came home from work and I had this burning sensation in my left hand, which I became obsessed with. I kept googling and running to my local doctor, as the weeks progressed this burning happened in my right hand and both feet. I became obessed with this, constantly worrying. I kept doing tests on my feet and hands, then a cold sensation started in my left leg and I started feeling dizzy, which made me worse. Eventually, one night as I was going to sleep, I checked my body again and the twitching started. It was like an explosion went off, every part of my body twitched.
That was 2-3 months ago, and my body has not stopped since. On a daily basis I experience body wide twitching / fasciculations (especially in my calves, under my right eye, above my left eye and my left hand), I experience water running down my leg sensation, burning hands, burning feet, being off balance as I walk or stand, sensation as if I am swaying, buzzing in my legs, lights/dark spots and floaters in my eyes, pain in my back and legs, tingling in my hands and my feet.
I went to 9 doctors and all have assessed me. I went to a neurologist and neurophysiologist and both have said I had a perfect clinical examination. I have had a clean body wide EMG, clean nerve conduction study on my arms, hands, feet and legs, I got bloods taken for general purposes, creatine kinase activity and for rare diseases and I had an MRI of my spine and brain done. All my tests came back perfectly normal.
The diagnosis: Stress & Anxiety induced Functional neurological disorder. The treatment: to see a psychotherapist and undergo Cognitive behavioural therapy (which starts next week).
My symptoms continue and will until I change my thinking and behaviours. I have to take what the doctors have said as gospel and move on and take my life back.
My neurologist told me that these stress and anxiety can allow you to develop a myriad of REAL symptoms without any disease presence.
If you have had a tests and they have come back clean or the doctor tells you not worry, please do not continue to worry. These people conducting these tests are experts and have dedicated huge portions of their lives to looking at particular diseases and their etiologies. The more we worry the worse it gets ☺️
Thank you.