Camp counsellor costume
Hanna in the HCP
2024.05.14 00:58 IamThe2ndBR Hanna in the HCP
The following is an original work of fan fiction. It will only make sense if you’ve read Corpies and SP4
“Fucking bullshit cock-garglers!”, Hannah, formerly known as Hexcellent, uttered louder than she intended.
Luckily, she was sitting by herself in a third floor private room in the brand new wing of the Sizemore undergraduate library. On the main floor, any sound louder than a fart would’ve earned a collective, “shhhhh,” and annoyed stares from half the people studying. And frankly, as difficult as these Gen Chem practice exams were, the former PEERS would be spitting out a few more expletives before she was done.
Hannah glanced at her watch and sighed heavily. It was 4:43 PM. She still had two and a half hours before she’d need to head to the lift to meet Devon and Kacey, two other first year HCP students, for some evening training. Okay, you got this girl. You just fucked up some amped criminal supers, you can handle goddamn mass to mole composition formula and stoichiom-whatever-the-fuck, she thought to herself. With resigned determination, the HCP student began swiping through class presentation slides on her tablet, reviewing problems she had trouble with. For a solid 2 hours her eyes never left the material and she honestly started to feel more comfortable with what she needed to know. Hannah was in the zone. That was until she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“What. The actual. Fuck?“, Hannah said slowly as she looked up towards the door and the adjacent window.
The summoner saw two boys standing outside , one of whom was a short muscular guy with dark brown hair that she recognized. She was fairly certain his name Lucas, and that he was another HCP first year. He was in the alternative class though, while Hannah was in combat, so they hadn’t been around each other a whole hell of a lot. The other seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger or on where she’d seen him before. They were each moving their mouths, and pointing a finger at themselves and into the room clearly asking if they could come in. Hannah got up and opened the door.
“Hey, Helen, right? You think that we can study in here with you? All the good tables downstairs are full. I just met Tristan here and he’s in the same predicament as me,” said Lucas before he lowered his voice to a whisper, leaned his head in, and pointed to the boy he referred to as Tristan. “He’s in the same ummm…special program as us. In his 2nd year.”
With that information, Helen realized where she’d seen that guy. He was at the freshman party hosted by the second years. She remembered thinking that he came off as kind of a douchebag by the way he was standing around, nursing the same drink with a smug look on his face the whole time.
“Yeah, sure, whatever. As long as you guys dont act like complete assholes and make a bunch of noise. I gotta focus for about another 30 minutes then the room is yours. Cool?”
“Cool,” the boys said in unison.
“And it’s Hannah by the way. Not Helen. You’re Lucas, right?” She held out her hand towards him.
Lucas politely shook her hand. “Sorry about that Hannah. I’m terrible at remembering names,” he said with a slight shrug. “Just gonna grab a seat on this side so I can stay outta your way.” He held out his arm towards the opposite side of the table from where Hannah had been sitting and started walking over there.
Tristan walked in and closed the door behind himself. He gave Hannah a simple head nod and smirk but never formerly introduced himself. Very similar to his demeanor at the party; as though he couldn’t be bothered.
Yep, arrogant douche, she thought. Then she pictured the look of surprise on the 2nd year’s face if she were to manifest her big furry friend to accidentally-on-purpose kick him in the balls.
Hannah had often wondered if anyone in the HCP realized her summon was the same giant bunny that helped save Brewster almost a year ago. Titan had told her the DVA would hide any association between the tower-sized rabbit and her PEERS persona but she figured that once classmates saw her summon for the first time they’d make the connection. That didn’t seem to be the case though, at least as far as she knew. It helped that when she summoned Hopcules these days, he was about the same height and stature as Titan. None of her combat training took place outside yet, so no one in HCP got to see her manifestation at his full potential size. He’d also taken on more humanistic facial expressions lately and had been appearing in a variety of different clothes and accessories. Hell, the last time she trained with Kacey, the hulking rabbit materialized in a denim vest, a blue bandanna on his head, metal spiked leather bracelets around his wrists, brass knuckles, and with gold chains around his neck. Kacey couldn’t stop laughing during their sparring session until Hopcules had her bound and hog tied. Even with her enhanced strength, she couldn’t break free of what evidently weren’t just plain gold necklaces. It hadn’t dawned on Hannah until later that, the night before, she’d fallen asleep to an old 80s action flick about a renegade cop taking on a vicious street gang. She wondered if tonight her childhood protector would show up in a lab coat, holding a periodic table. The Sizemore freshman briefly shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts and sat down to resume her work. She’d gotten fully back into her study mode until…
“Yo, does sound carry out of this room?” Tristan asked.
“Seriously?! You do remember that whole bit about NOT being obnoxious assholes, right?”Hannah asked incredulously.
“Damn girl chill. I just wanted to ask my guy here a question and didn’t want to risk being overheard. You should smile more girl. You know what I mean?“
Relax. Breathe. You don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker. It would not be a good idea to kick this fucker’s ass while inside of the school library. Or would it be? No. No. Definitely not a good idea, she thought to herself.
“Well unless you two were standing outside of here practicing at being mimes as a back up in case you don’t make it to graduation, I’m pretty sure this room is well insulated to sound.”
Tristan grunted in indignation and sarcastically replied, “you’re hilarious.”
“I’m definitely going all the way through. No way I won’t graduate,” Lucas chimed in, seemingly oblivious to the tension that’d just arisen between the other two people in the room. I’ve known I wanted to be a hero ever since I was little. My parents have spent a fortune sending me to an elite training camp for the last seven summers to make sure I’d be prepared as possible for the HCP. Plus I’ve had personal coaches work with me for years on new ways to use my power.”
“Bro! That’s what I was wanting to ask you about. I saw the logo on on your bag. Holy shit, did you do the SETA training camps?” asked Tristan.
“Yeah, I take it you’ve heard of it.”
“Hell yeah I have. The Super Elite Training Academy. Who hasn’t? I hear those workouts are so intense. No wonder you’re so jacked. You must’ve been in great shape for your first day here. Mad props bro. Is it true you get to fight against human looking robot…”
“Hey! Tweedledum and tweedle-dickless, I honestly didn’t know there was such a thing as a two-man circle jerk, so I really appreciate the show but is there any chance I can get back to work without any more distractions?“
Lucas had mixture surprise and guilt run across his face. He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but then glanced over at Tristan and stayed silent.
“What? You mad because you’re realizing you can’t stack up against the competition. Guess what. My guy here isn’t the only one who’s been preparing for this program long before he was admitted. I’ve been getting ready for years too. Trained in jiu-jitsu and boxing on top of honing my super abilities. Have you even done anything? Or did you just apply and cross your fingers?”
Hannah could see where this was going in. She decided in that moment to just let it play out. Fuck it, she thought. She was basically done studying. Even if she failed the final, which she was confident that she wouldn’t, she’d still pass the class. She stood up, pressed an icon on her tablet touchscreen and began putting other things away in her bag while she spoke. “Actually, I never had any special training as a kid. To tell you the truth, I shouldn’t even be here. I got into some trouble years ago. The kind of trouble that normally prevents one from getting admitted into an HCP. But, I was on a PEERs team for years and I got to do a lot of…
“Ha! You’re telling us you’re fucking a Corpie. Can you believe this, dude?“ Tristan nudged Lucas, looking for his agreement. To his credit, Lucas appeared visibly uncomfortable and leaned away from the other boy.
“Don’t know what it says about your class if they’re letting Corpies in,” continued Tristan with a sneer. “I guess you really do need to study. Obviously you’re the one that needs a back up plan. And here’s another thing little girl. It’s not just about how much you’ve trained beforehand, it’s also about who you know. And I know people. My mom‘s best friend is related to the Hero, Unseelie. So I’ve actually met a few Heroes who I’m sure will vouch for me when the time comes. Pity you can’t say the same. We all know Heroes don’t give two shits about Corpies.”
For a moment Hannah’s face expressed a flat affect. Then suddenly she burst into laughter. And not just some derisive laugh as though she was trying to convey to Tristan that she didn’t take his comments seriously. But an eye watering, oxygen depriving, honest to the Gods belly laugh. The kind of laugh that would’ve been contagious had she been around friends. She carried on for a minute until her amusement died down to a just a mild chortle. Hannah wiped her eyes. “You know people?“ She started laughing again, even louder than the first time. “Oh my Gods. Stop. Stop. I can’t breathe. Is this your fucking power?” Hannah was bent over at the waist still laughing hysterically, holding out one finger as to communicate, “give me a second.” After another minute, she wiped her eyes again, took a big gulp of air, and collected herself. “Woooh. Now that was some funny fucking shit.”
“Who in the hell do you think…“ Tristan started to say through gritted teeth.
“No no no. Please don’t get me started again. I don’t think my ribs can take it,“ said Hannah still chuckling some. “Let’s see what have I done and who do I know? You know I always knew that eventually I’d tell people about this, I just didn’t think it would go down like this.” The summoner raised her hand, then slowly curled it into a fist. Standing 3ft tall and leaning into the corner so as not to be visible to anyone who happened to be looking into the room at that moment, was Hopcules, adorned in the same armor he’d worn on the day he helped to save Brewster. “Look familiar to anyone?”
“That looks like the giant rabbit that fought robots with Titan. Hare-a-clees or something like that. My little sister has like 5 of its t-shirts ,” Lucas responded.
“Wow kid, you really are shit with remembering names. Hop-cu-les is the name I gave him when I was just a kid. Surprised the shit outta me that he came out the size of a skyscraper when those robots nearly killed me and my team, ” Hannah stated nonchalantly as she waved her hand and made Hopcules fade away.
With a grudging realization, Tristan began to ask, “wait, you’re not actually saying…”
“Oh look, captain mc-douche-nozzle is catching on. Somebody give the kid a prize. Yes, dumbass, I’m actually saying I fought with Titan, yes, thee fucking Titan, with every other Hero team in Brewster to stop those mechs from destroying the entire city. I’m saying the strongest hero alive is my personal mentor and it was his recommendation that got me into this program.”
Lucas looked back and forth between Hannah and Tristan having already realized that the sophomore might be one of those guys who’d lash out over his perceived inferiority. Lucas was so curious though he had to ask, “but… But, that rabbit is everywhere these days. Not just T-shirts. Toys, a cartoon, and I just read there’s going to be a next-gen console video game based on his character. If you own the rights to that image, you’d be loaded.“
“Eh,” Hannah said with shrug. “Youre leaving out the movie deal Lenny just got for me, but not something I talk about too much . It leaves me enough to be comfortable and to be able to donate a library wing to the university thats giving me a shot at being a hero.” Hannah responded. She gave Tristan a quick wink and glanced over her shoulder towards the door.
Tristan looked in the same direction and noticed something he hadn’t bothered paying attention to before, a small engraving on the center of the door of a bipedal rabbit. This would’ve been the most surprising thing that he’d seen since he set foot in the room if it wasn’t for the photo that appeared on Hannah’s tablet now facing him. It was an image of five people: Graham De Soto, the new head of the DVA, Titan in his iconic Hero costume, Dean Jackson, a large muscular young man with a shit eating grin who Tristan didn’t recognize, and another person in a generic gray mask, presumably female, and wearing a smile of malicious enjoyment, the same as the women standing before him.
Hannah saw what caught his attention and picked up her tablet. “Oh, did you notice this? I love this picture. Titan called me in for back up as a Temporary Emergency Hero Asset. We beat the shit out of a literal army of enhanced criminal supers and took this picture after everything calmed down. All the other HCP deans were there too. Mr. Desoto actually told me if I ever needed a favor, he owed me one.” Hannah wore a wistful expression as she thought back on that day with fondness.
“Anyway, I gotta get outta here. S’posed to meet up with my training partners. Cause no matter what your background is or who you know, no one is a shoe-in for the final 10. Lucas, feel free to meet us in the combat cells tonight if you want to get a work out in and get tired of hanging out with this fuckwad. Later losers!” Hannah said this last part as she turned around and headed towards door while holding up her middle finger for all to see.
Tristan was obviously livid. His hands had been visibly shaking as he stood and listened to all the ways this 1st year had accomplished more than he’d even thought possible for student. Who does this little bitch think she is? She’s full of shit. She has to be. I’ll show her. From his elbows down, Tristan‘s arms began to darken. In seconds the two appendages looked like small tree trunks, with his fingers elongating into barbed tendril-liked branches rapidly moving towards Hannah.
Although Lucas had worked for years to improve his ability to cast his energy based illusionary environments-referred to by one quirky coach in the past as a “holodeck”- speed was an element that he continued to struggle with. He began to cast a simple illusion of darkness, so as to blind Tristan, but he knew almost immediately that it wouldn’t reach him in time. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw furry white movement. The miniature Hopcules had reappeared and was running towards the back of the chair Tristan had been sitting in. With a parkour maneuver that would make Jackie Chan jealous, Hopcules leapt from the floor to the chair, then from the chair to the rear wall. He torpedoed off of the wall with the force of both hind paws and made contact Tristan’s head, knocking the arrogant second year to the floor. He laid there dazed and confused about what had just struck him as his branches retracted and his arms returned to normal. The summon vanished before he even touched the ground.
Hannah smiled as she exited the room. Thanks be to the Gods. I was hoping that piece of shit would try something so I could have self-defense as an excuse. Kacey and Devon better be ready. I’m already warmed up.
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“Fucking bullshit cock-garglers!”, Hannah, formerly known as Hexcellent, uttered louder than she intended.
Luckily, she was sitting by herself in a third floor private room in the brand new wing of the Sizemore undergraduate library. On the main floor, any sound louder than a fart would’ve earned a collective, “shhhhh,” and annoyed stares from half the people studying. And frankly, as difficult as these Gen Chem practice exams were, the former PEERS would be spitting out a few more expletives before she was done.
Hannah glanced at her watch and sighed heavily. It was 4:43 PM. She still had two and a half hours before she’d need to head to the lift to meet Devon and Kacey, two other first year HCP students, for some evening training. Okay, you got this girl. You just fucked up some amped criminal supers, you can handle goddamn mass to mole composition formula and stoichiom-whatever-the-fuck, she thought to herself. With resigned determination, the HCP student began swiping through class presentation slides on her tablet, reviewing problems she had trouble with. For a solid 2 hours her eyes never left the material and she honestly started to feel more comfortable with what she needed to know. Hannah was in the zone. That was until she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“What. The actual. Fuck?“, Hannah said slowly as she looked up towards the door and the adjacent window.
The summoner saw two boys standing outside , one of whom was a short muscular guy with dark brown hair that she recognized. She was fairly certain his name Lucas, and that he was another HCP first year. He was in the alternative class though, while Hannah was in combat, so they hadn’t been around each other a whole hell of a lot. The other seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger or on where she’d seen him before. They were each moving their mouths, and pointing a finger at themselves and into the room clearly asking if they could come in. Hannah got up and opened the door.
“Hey, Helen, right? You think that we can study in here with you? All the good tables downstairs are full. I just met Tristan here and he’s in the same predicament as me,” said Lucas before he lowered his voice to a whisper, leaned his head in, and pointed to the boy he referred to as Tristan. “He’s in the same ummm…special program as us. In his 2nd year.”
With that information, Helen realized where she’d seen that guy. He was at the freshman party hosted by the second years. She remembered thinking that he came off as kind of a douchebag by the way he was standing around, nursing the same drink with a smug look on his face the whole time.
“Yeah, sure, whatever. As long as you guys dont act like complete assholes and make a bunch of noise. I gotta focus for about another 30 minutes then the room is yours. Cool?”
“Cool,” the boys said in unison.
“And it’s Hannah by the way. Not Helen. You’re Lucas, right?” She held out her hand towards him.
Lucas politely shook her hand. “Sorry about that Hannah. I’m terrible at remembering names,” he said with a slight shrug. “Just gonna grab a seat on this side so I can stay outta your way.” He held out his arm towards the opposite side of the table from where Hannah had been sitting and started walking over there.
Tristan walked in and closed the door behind himself. He gave Hannah a simple head nod and smirk but never formerly introduced himself. Very similar to his demeanor at the party; as though he couldn’t be bothered.
Yep, arrogant douche, she thought. Then she pictured the look of surprise on the 2nd year’s face if she were to manifest her big furry friend to accidentally-on-purpose kick him in the balls.
Hannah had often wondered if anyone in the HCP realized her summon was the same giant bunny that helped save Brewster almost a year ago. Titan had told her the DVA would hide any association between the tower-sized rabbit and her PEERS persona but she figured that once classmates saw her summon for the first time they’d make the connection. That didn’t seem to be the case though, at least as far as she knew. It helped that when she summoned Hopcules these days, he was about the same height and stature as Titan. None of her combat training took place outside yet, so no one in HCP got to see her manifestation at his full potential size. He’d also taken on more humanistic facial expressions lately and had been appearing in a variety of different clothes and accessories. Hell, the last time she trained with Kacey, the hulking rabbit materialized in a denim vest, a blue bandanna on his head, metal spiked leather bracelets around his wrists, brass knuckles, and with gold chains around his neck. Kacey couldn’t stop laughing during their sparring session until Hopcules had her bound and hog tied. Even with her enhanced strength, she couldn’t break free of what evidently weren’t just plain gold necklaces. It hadn’t dawned on Hannah until later that, the night before, she’d fallen asleep to an old 80s action flick about a renegade cop taking on a vicious street gang. She wondered if tonight her childhood protector would show up in a lab coat, holding a periodic table. The Sizemore freshman briefly shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts and sat down to resume her work. She’d gotten fully back into her study mode until…
“Yo, does sound carry out of this room?” Tristan asked.
“Seriously?! You do remember that whole bit about NOT being obnoxious assholes, right?”Hannah asked incredulously.
“Damn girl chill. I just wanted to ask my guy here a question and didn’t want to risk being overheard. You should smile more girl. You know what I mean?“
Relax. Breathe. You don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker. It would not be a good idea to kick this fucker’s ass while inside of the school library. Or would it be? No. No. Definitely not a good idea, she thought to herself.
“Well unless you two were standing outside of here practicing at being mimes as a back up in case you don’t make it to graduation, I’m pretty sure this room is well insulated to sound.”
Tristan grunted in indignation and sarcastically replied, “you’re hilarious.”
“I’m definitely going all the way through. No way I won’t graduate,” Lucas chimed in, seemingly oblivious to the tension that’d just arisen between the other two people in the room. I’ve known I wanted to be a hero ever since I was little. My parents have spent a fortune sending me to an elite training camp for the last seven summers to make sure I’d be prepared as possible for the HCP. Plus I’ve had personal coaches work with me for years on new ways to use my power.”
“Bro! That’s what I was wanting to ask you about. I saw the logo on on your bag. Holy shit, did you do the SETA training camps?” asked Tristan.
“Yeah, I take it you’ve heard of it.”
“Hell yeah I have. The Super Elite Training Academy. Who hasn’t? I hear those workouts are so intense. No wonder you’re so jacked. You must’ve been in great shape for your first day here. Mad props bro. Is it true you get to fight against human looking robot…”
“Hey! Tweedledum and tweedle-dickless, I honestly didn’t know there was such a thing as a two-man circle jerk, so I really appreciate the show but is there any chance I can get back to work without any more distractions?“
Lucas had mixture surprise and guilt run across his face. He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but then glanced over at Tristan and stayed silent.
“What? You mad because you’re realizing you can’t stack up against the competition. Guess what. My guy here isn’t the only one who’s been preparing for this program long before he was admitted. I’ve been getting ready for years too. Trained in jiu-jitsu and boxing on top of honing my super abilities. Have you even done anything? Or did you just apply and cross your fingers?”
Hannah could see where this was going in. She decided in that moment to just let it play out. Fuck it, she thought. She was basically done studying. Even if she failed the final, which she was confident that she wouldn’t, she’d still pass the class. She stood up, pressed an icon on her tablet touchscreen and began putting other things away in her bag while she spoke. “Actually, I never had any special training as a kid. To tell you the truth, I shouldn’t even be here. I got into some trouble years ago. The kind of trouble that normally prevents one from getting admitted into an HCP. But, I was on a PEERs team for years and I got to do a lot of…
“Ha! You’re telling us you’re fucking a Corpie. Can you believe this, dude?“ Tristan nudged Lucas, looking for his agreement. To his credit, Lucas appeared visibly uncomfortable and leaned away from the other boy.
“Don’t know what it says about your class if they’re letting Corpies in,” continued Tristan with a sneer. “I guess you really do need to study. Obviously you’re the one that needs a back up plan. And here’s another thing little girl. It’s not just about how much you’ve trained beforehand, it’s also about who you know. And I know people. My mom‘s best friend is related to the Hero, Unseelie. So I’ve actually met a few Heroes who I’m sure will vouch for me when the time comes. Pity you can’t say the same. We all know Heroes don’t give two shits about Corpies.”
For a moment Hannah’s face expressed a flat affect. Then suddenly she burst into laughter. And not just some derisive laugh as though she was trying to convey to Tristan that she didn’t take his comments seriously. But an eye watering, oxygen depriving, honest to the Gods belly laugh. The kind of laugh that would’ve been contagious had she been around friends. She carried on for a minute until her amusement died down to a just a mild chortle. Hannah wiped her eyes. “You know people?“ She started laughing again, even louder than the first time. “Oh my Gods. Stop. Stop. I can’t breathe. Is this your fucking power?” Hannah was bent over at the waist still laughing hysterically, holding out one finger as to communicate, “give me a second.” After another minute, she wiped her eyes again, took a big gulp of air, and collected herself. “Woooh. Now that was some funny fucking shit.”
“Who in the hell do you think…“ Tristan started to say through gritted teeth.
“No no no. Please don’t get me started again. I don’t think my ribs can take it,“ said Hannah still chuckling some. “Let’s see what have I done and who do I know? You know I always knew that eventually I’d tell people about this, I just didn’t think it would go down like this.” The summoner raised her hand, then slowly curled it into a fist. Standing 3ft tall and leaning into the corner so as not to be visible to anyone who happened to be looking into the room at that moment, was Hopcules, adorned in the same armor he’d worn on the day he helped to save Brewster. “Look familiar to anyone?”
“That looks like the giant rabbit that fought robots with Titan. Hare-a-clees or something like that. My little sister has like 5 of its t-shirts ,” Lucas responded.
“Wow kid, you really are shit with remembering names. Hop-cu-les is the name I gave him when I was just a kid. Surprised the shit outta me that he came out the size of a skyscraper when those robots nearly killed me and my team, ” Hannah stated nonchalantly as she waved her hand and made Hopcules fade away.
With a grudging realization, Tristan began to ask, “wait, you’re not actually saying…”
“Oh look, captain mc-douche-nozzle is catching on. Somebody give the kid a prize. Yes, dumbass, I’m actually saying I fought with Titan, yes, thee fucking Titan, with every other Hero team in Brewster to stop those mechs from destroying the entire city. I’m saying the strongest hero alive is my personal mentor and it was his recommendation that got me into this program.”
Lucas looked back and forth between Hannah and Tristan having already realized that the sophomore might be one of those guys who’d lash out over his perceived inferiority. Lucas was so curious though he had to ask, “but… But, that rabbit is everywhere these days. Not just T-shirts. Toys, a cartoon, and I just read there’s going to be a next-gen console video game based on his character. If you own the rights to that image, you’d be loaded.“
“Eh,” Hannah said with shrug. “Youre leaving out the movie deal Lenny just got for me, but not something I talk about too much . It leaves me enough to be comfortable and to be able to donate a library wing to the university thats giving me a shot at being a hero.” Hannah responded. She gave Tristan a quick wink and glanced over her shoulder towards the door.
Tristan looked in the same direction and noticed something he hadn’t bothered paying attention to before, a small engraving on the center of the door of a bipedal rabbit. This would’ve been the most surprising thing that he’d seen since he set foot in the room if it wasn’t for the photo that appeared on Hannah’s tablet now facing him. It was an image of five people: Graham De Soto, the new head of the DVA, Titan in his iconic Hero costume, Dean Jackson, a large muscular young man with a shit eating grin who Tristan didn’t recognize, and another person in a generic gray mask, presumably female, and wearing a smile of malicious enjoyment, the same as the women standing before him.
Hannah saw what caught his attention and picked up her tablet. “Oh, did you notice this? I love this picture. Titan called me in for back up as a Temporary Emergency Hero Asset. We beat the shit out of a literal army of enhanced criminal supers and took this picture after everything calmed down. All the other HCP deans were there too. Mr. Desoto actually told me if I ever needed a favor, he owed me one.” Hannah wore a wistful expression as she thought back on that day with fondness.
“Anyway, I gotta get outta here. S’posed to meet up with my training partners. Cause no matter what your background is or who you know, no one is a shoe-in for the final 10. Lucas, feel free to meet us in the combat cells tonight if you want to get a work out in and get tired of hanging out with this fuckwad. Later losers!” Hannah said this last part as she turned around and headed towards door while holding up her middle finger for all to see.
Tristan was obviously livid. His hands had been visibly shaking as he stood and listened to all the ways this 1st year had accomplished more than he’d even thought possible for student. Who does this little bitch think she is? She’s full of shit. She has to be. I’ll show her. From his elbows down, Tristan‘s arms began to darken. In seconds the two appendages looked like small tree trunks, with his fingers elongating into barbed tendril-liked branches rapidly moving towards Hannah.
Although Lucas had worked for years to improve his ability to cast his energy based illusionary environments-referred to by one quirky coach in the past as a “holodeck”- speed was an element that he continued to struggle with. He began to cast a simple illusion of darkness, so as to blind Tristan, but he knew almost immediately that it wouldn’t reach him in time. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw furry white movement. The miniature Hopcules had reappeared and was running towards the back of the chair Tristan had been sitting in. With a parkour maneuver that would make Jackie Chan jealous, Hopcules leapt from the floor to the chair, then from the chair to the rear wall. He torpedoed off of the wall with the force of both hind paws and made contact Tristan’s head, knocking the arrogant second year to the floor. He laid there dazed and confused about what had just struck him as his branches retracted and his arms returned to normal. The summon vanished before he even touched the ground.
Hannah smiled as she exited the room. Thanks be to the Gods. I was hoping that piece of shit would try something so I could have self-defense as an excuse. Kacey and Devon better be ready. I’m already warmed up.
2024.05.13 18:42 StrawberriiTuta Getting a job at a masjid summer camp
Assalamualaikum wa’rahmatullahi wa barakatuh sisters 🫶🏽
I’m applying for a kids summer camp counsellor position at a local masjid this would be my first job ever and interview and I really want this to go well. How can I impress them so I get the Job? I’m looking for advice from sisters who went thru something similar☺️
submitted by StrawberriiTuta to Hijabis [link] [comments]
I’m applying for a kids summer camp counsellor position at a local masjid this would be my first job ever and interview and I really want this to go well. How can I impress them so I get the Job? I’m looking for advice from sisters who went thru something similar☺️
2024.05.13 17:51 Miles_Archviz The best part of my life is over.
I'm a m22 and last Summer I worked at a summer camp in the US. It had really been one of the best experiences of my life. I made, friends, worked outdoors, this experience really stood out to me compared to the rest of my life because I've been an outcast I've never had any friends, never been good at school, never good at any sport, a loner (I'm also slightly autistic). I was bullied in university and had almost no friends throughout most of my school life. This job was finally my chance to prove to myself that I wasn't as stupid or weal as people say but just a normal person like everybody else. Now when I arrived I did notice that the other concealers who worked there where all the things that most other people in my life had been ( outgoing, good at making friends, smart, charismatic ) even the ones who where younger than me by quite few years seemed so much more adult and had so many more life experiences to work with. They were better at making friends and had girlfriends ect. this ofc gave me some insecurity while I was there and I was made fun of a bit for being different but I did make a few friends and had a great time. I did have a little mental breakdown towards the end because anxiety that I wasn't doing a very good job I was consoled by a friend telling me that 'i'm better than I think I am and that i'm just as good as other people' and it soon passed. In the end I had almost convinced myself that I was in fact just like other people and overall had the best experience of my life.
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
submitted by Miles_Archviz to lonely [link] [comments]
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
2024.05.13 17:25 Miles_Archviz The best part of my life is over.
I'm a m22 and last Summer I worked at a summer camp in the US. It had really been one of the best experiences of my life. I made, friends, worked outdoors, this experience really stood out to me compared to the rest of my life because I've been an outcast I've never had any friends, never been good at school, never good at any sport, a loner (I'm also slightly autistic). I was bullied in university and had almost no friends throughout most of my school life. This job was finally my chance to prove to myself that I wasn't as stupid or weal as people say but just a normal person like everybody else. Now when I arrived I did notice that the other concealers who worked there where all the things that most other people in my life had been ( outgoing, good at making friends, smart, charismatic ) even the ones who where younger than me by quite few years seemed so much more adult and had so many more life experiences to work with. They were better at making friends and had girlfriends ect. this ofc gave me some insecurity while I was there and I was made fun of a bit for being different but I did make a few friends and had a great time. I did have a little mental breakdown towards the end because anxiety that I wasn't doing a very good job I was consoled by a friend telling me that 'i'm better than I think I am and that i'm just as good as other people' and it soon passed. In the end I had almost convinced myself that I was in fact just like other people and overall had the best experience of my life.
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
submitted by Miles_Archviz to depression [link] [comments]
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
2024.05.13 17:20 Miles_Archviz The best part of my life is over.
I'm a m22 and last Summer I worked at a summer camp in the US. It had really been one of the best experiences of my life. I made, friends, worked outdoors, this experience really stood out to me compared to the rest of my life because I've been an outcast I've never had any friends, never been good at school, never good at any sport, a loner (I'm also slightly autistic). I was bullied in university and had almost no friends throughout most of my school life. This job was finally my chance to prove to myself that I wasn't as stupid or weal as people say but just a normal person like everybody else. Now when I arrived I did notice that the other concealers who worked there where all the things that most other people in my life had been ( outgoing, good at making friends, smart, charismatic ) even the ones who where younger than me by quite few years seemed so much more adult and had so many more life experiences to work with. They were better at making friends and had girlfriends ect. this ofc gave me some insecurity while I was there and I was made fun of a bit for being different but I did make a few friends and had a great time. I did have a little mental breakdown towards the end because anxiety that I wasn't doing a very good job I was consoled by a friend telling me that 'i'm better than I think I am and that i'm just as good as other people' and it soon passed. In the end I had almost convinced myself that I was in fact just like other people and overall had the best experience of my life.
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
submitted by Miles_Archviz to internetparents [link] [comments]
Well you may ask why this would cause me to fall into such a depression why it started a few weeks ago. I decided to apply to work as a counsellor there again this year, I had been fantasizing about it since September. I was told by the other councellers ''you have to be a really bad case not be be rehired''. Well of course just last month I get an email saying that they ''didn't want me to come back'' confirming all my worst fears about myself beyond any doubt. Confirming that I am in fact worse than other people. I have had depression in the past but this feels very different this feels like something ill be carrying for the rest of my life. Not only this but if I didn't have all these shortcomings I would be able to experience another great life experience. I can't stop thinking about this. Of course I cant feel angry with them. They have the right to hire who they want and they're not running a charity. I don't even really have the right to be sad. It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it, not all the riches of the world could change a thing. I tried to reach out to a friend who also worked there about how i feel but I didn't get any sympathy for theses reasons which is very reasonable but it just rips my guts out regardless.
So all this has been stewing for the past month and a bit and I just feel awful i've been thinking very dark thoughts and my self esteem has reached an all time low. I also feel like the best time of my life is now somewhat stained by this in my mind. This has been my only hope for so many months. The best point of my life has ended and now there's nothing but the endless identical days. I just feel so incredibly empty and alone. Interestingly enough my father worked at the same summer camp when he was my age and he does often mention it as the high point of his life. It now seems as though I have nothing to look forward to. I've tried making friends, traveling, going to therapy since but I still feel this way. Life feels very lonely and pointless now.
2024.05.13 11:43 RagnarokBegining Just why?
So we know game companies can better their game by listening to their communities. Sometimes it doesn't work but most the time I'd say it does.
So why does Nintendo just not give a f*ck about smash? They've removed good features, added characters no one asked for, and do nothing to fix their characters.
One thing I absolutely loved about sm4sh was being able to rematch the opponent and being able to swap characters. They removed that for elite smash apparently.
I know alot of people hate that they removed casual and for glory but at the same time I understand because there is not point when the same people who will cheese, camp, or just play poorly the entire can just go into for glory and do the same thing.
Smash ultimate dlc... the biggest problem with ultimates roster is the dlc characters. They're a mix of characters that people didn't ask for or wanted. Min min is the biggest example of this. She wasn't asked for, no one wanted her, and she isn't even the main character of ARMS. I'm sure that if they added characters were asking for the game would be loved more.
Every dlc character has a big fan base or a small one. I understand that there was talk about wanting the dlc characters we have, in the game. Anyways I don't ever remember asking for minmin, banjo, plant, Kaz, pythra, and byleth. And... what did they do to characters we actually wanted? F*cringe mii costumes. Biggest disrespect and F U to the smash community. Characters like shantae(I think that's her name) genos, doom guy, dante, knuckles, and bomberman.
I genuinely hope they listen to the community more. I wish they added more characters for other characters that only has one rep. Like sonic, cpt falcon, snake, Megaman, little Mac, and bayo but instead we got more characters from game series that didn't need anymore like daisy, bowser Jr, chrom, lucina, Dr Mario, Rosalina, young link, toon link, dark pit, pichu, and dark Samus.
What major change do you guys think the next game should have?
submitted by RagnarokBegining to SmashBrosUltimate [link] [comments]
So why does Nintendo just not give a f*ck about smash? They've removed good features, added characters no one asked for, and do nothing to fix their characters.
One thing I absolutely loved about sm4sh was being able to rematch the opponent and being able to swap characters. They removed that for elite smash apparently.
I know alot of people hate that they removed casual and for glory but at the same time I understand because there is not point when the same people who will cheese, camp, or just play poorly the entire can just go into for glory and do the same thing.
Smash ultimate dlc... the biggest problem with ultimates roster is the dlc characters. They're a mix of characters that people didn't ask for or wanted. Min min is the biggest example of this. She wasn't asked for, no one wanted her, and she isn't even the main character of ARMS. I'm sure that if they added characters were asking for the game would be loved more.
Every dlc character has a big fan base or a small one. I understand that there was talk about wanting the dlc characters we have, in the game. Anyways I don't ever remember asking for minmin, banjo, plant, Kaz, pythra, and byleth. And... what did they do to characters we actually wanted? F*cringe mii costumes. Biggest disrespect and F U to the smash community. Characters like shantae(I think that's her name) genos, doom guy, dante, knuckles, and bomberman.
I genuinely hope they listen to the community more. I wish they added more characters for other characters that only has one rep. Like sonic, cpt falcon, snake, Megaman, little Mac, and bayo but instead we got more characters from game series that didn't need anymore like daisy, bowser Jr, chrom, lucina, Dr Mario, Rosalina, young link, toon link, dark pit, pichu, and dark Samus.
What major change do you guys think the next game should have?
2024.05.13 04:13 Sunny0302 Special needs in summer camp
Hi everyone! I am not a parent of a child with special needs (remove this post if not allowed) but I am a camp counsellor. I am an inclusion counsellor so I have a 1:1 ratio and work with children with disabilities. Last summer was my first time in this position, and prior to this I did not have much experience working with children with special needs. I’ve learned so much and am so excited to return to the role this summer. We do receive 1 day of specialized inclusion training but it really isn’t too helpful. I really enjoy this job and making connections with the kiddos but it can get overwhelming, especially when trying to help children exhibiting self harming behaviours and figuring out what they are trying to communicate to me. I do meet with the child and their parents prior to camp to get some info but I was hoping to get some tips, tricks, advice, suggestions or any additional questions to ask parents about their children that might be helpful. Resources are somewhat limited but I’m really open to any feedback. Thanks!!!! :))
submitted by Sunny0302 to specialneedsparenting [link] [comments]
2024.05.13 02:13 courtingdisaster Paris N4 recap - 12 May 2024
 | I've been doing recaps in the megathread for the last couple of days and the Mods have suggested I make a post so let's dive into what you've missed during the submitted by courtingdisaster to GaylorSwift [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/igbe0yepy20d1.jpg?width=519&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d19ecca2eddf2db19f270a4f000858dd2adfab73 Outfits
Speak Now Reputation 1989 TTPD TTPD Acoustic Set Midnights Surprise Songs
Speeches
Confirmed guests in the VIP suite
Stunting Campery Call It What You Want
For the Gaylors
Official Social Media
In Summation
|
2024.05.12 13:27 ThisOneUKGuy Weekly Schedule 13/05-19/05
Format
Name Activity Day Activity Day
You can only reserve up to two slots per character. If you have multiple characters, make one comment for all of them instead of one each.
There can only be one Meal per day, at any time! Any camper can host them.
Campfires happen twice a week. Campers coordinate these with the camp directors, so anyone can host them!
Open Slots happen every day and can include Lessons, QOTDs, Cabin Inspections, Cabin Meetings, Games, movie nights, social gatherings, etc. Lessons, Cabin Inspections and Meetings can only be hosted by a Camp Leader.
Counsellor Meetings are hosted once a month by a moderator and can only be joined by a Camp Leader.
Once a week, a camp-wide activity such as a party, Trip to the City, Beach Day, etc. Each week the event will be different. While they're normally hosted by the mods, a regular camper can host them.
Comment below what you'd like to host!
NOTE: Failure to meet your own slot three times in a row will lock you out of commenting on the Schedule for a month. (You can still post activities outside of the schedule, just not meals or campfires.)
Monday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Tuesday
Campfire -
Open Slot -
Wednesday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Thursday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Friday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Saturday
Campfire -
Meal -
Open Slot - Teagan Castillo
Sunday
Meal -
Open Slot -
_______________________________________________
Leave your name below in the shown format to sign up for an activity!
View the rest of the month in our Character Log in the Calendar sheet.
You can reserve slots in advance!
If you are new welcome! You can check out this post to get started. If you aren't new, please answer this form to be featured on the character log and visit the Link Hub.
submitted by ThisOneUKGuy to CampHalfBloodRP [link] [comments]
Name Activity Day Activity Day
You can only reserve up to two slots per character. If you have multiple characters, make one comment for all of them instead of one each.
There can only be one Meal per day, at any time! Any camper can host them.
Campfires happen twice a week. Campers coordinate these with the camp directors, so anyone can host them!
Open Slots happen every day and can include Lessons, QOTDs, Cabin Inspections, Cabin Meetings, Games, movie nights, social gatherings, etc. Lessons, Cabin Inspections and Meetings can only be hosted by a Camp Leader.
Counsellor Meetings are hosted once a month by a moderator and can only be joined by a Camp Leader.
Once a week, a camp-wide activity such as a party, Trip to the City, Beach Day, etc. Each week the event will be different. While they're normally hosted by the mods, a regular camper can host them.
Comment below what you'd like to host!
NOTE: Failure to meet your own slot three times in a row will lock you out of commenting on the Schedule for a month. (You can still post activities outside of the schedule, just not meals or campfires.)
Monday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Tuesday
Campfire -
Open Slot -
Wednesday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Thursday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Friday
Meal -
Open Slot -
Saturday
Campfire -
Meal -
Open Slot - Teagan Castillo
Sunday
Meal -
Open Slot -
_______________________________________________
Leave your name below in the shown format to sign up for an activity!
View the rest of the month in our Character Log in the Calendar sheet.
You can reserve slots in advance!
If you are new welcome! You can check out this post to get started. If you aren't new, please answer this form to be featured on the character log and visit the Link Hub.
2024.05.12 06:34 Global-Beat2157 EDC AWARDS 🎉
 | Finishing some awards to pass out. Have about 24 for the weekend. This is gonna be fun. 🙌🏽 see you guys under the electric sky. submitted by Global-Beat2157 to electricdaisycarnival [link] [comments] |
2024.05.12 05:13 Mathisnt_My_Thing Some Things We All Might Like in the Stellar Blade Sequel
I've been looking through various posts and seeing what some people had to say about the game. I had some of my own ideas about how to either make this current game better or improve a possible sequel. My ideas are as follows. Have a look and see if you'd like to see any of these, or if you have any to add!
submitted by Mathisnt_My_Thing to stellarblade [link] [comments]
CharactePublic Relations
First and foremost, what I think is in most desperate need of a revamp is how we interact with the world of Stellar Blade and its inhabitants. I think a future game would benefit from the following:- More time with Lily and the new main male teammate (or whoever the third member of the team ends up being, but I’d prefer a male). I felt like I barely knew Lily and Adam by the end of the game and I’d like as the player to be able to interact with them more. I don’t fully understand how Lily grew to love Eve so much or how Adam came to trust Eve so fully with as little time as they had with each other.
- To the above point, I'd also like to be able to bring our friends with us and have them fight alongside us, if we want them to come along. Bringing them with us could be tied to our Affinity score with the character and/or unlock certain perks or side quests.
- It should be a little harder to level up Affinity than it was in this game (I made three purchases from Roxanne before we were “good friends,” for instance) and to have more in-depth quest lines for the citizens of Xion. I'd really like to get attached to the place and the people.
- Perhaps a real romance element to the game. “Adam and Eve…” Now, I’m not exactly committed to the idea, Eve doesn’t need a love interest… but it’d be nice to have the option to engage in that sort of thing, if we want to.
- For choices to matter! We have maybe two or three dialogue options in the game and only one of them is of any consequence. I’d like to have an affect on the larger world and have a sort of “reputation” system. People see us as an angel or a devil based on what we say and do… especially with how the Bad Ending and True Ending go.
Story
- For Mother Sphere to be more fleshed out. Yes, she’s the standard, run-of-the-mill rogue AI who took over the world and wiped out her creators. But, there can always be more to it. Nothing intelligent does something for no reason. I’d like to know more about her and her personality, not just about whether people are devoted to her or scornful of her based on whether or not they see her as their god.
- Perhaps a redemption arc or a coming-to-terms with her place in the world for Raven, or turning her into a true Big Bad. Her profile seems to indicate she’s in a living hell at the moment and Eve intends to forget about her and leave her in that broken state… but perhaps there’s something to be said for an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” or for Mother Sphere superimposing her will over Raven despite the Naytiba corruption.
- Eve came a long way and the way the True Ending plays out leads me to believe that we will see fewer Naytibas and more of Mother Sphere’s forces. The Naytiba don’t have to totally disappear as an enemy type, but the sequel should definitely focus on all knew enemy types.
- There should be a bit more lore about why Adam was so angelic and about how he came to be that way, because I don’t recall seeing anything about why Adam is quite literally an angel in his true form when everything else is a corrupted, vile, bodily-horrific monster. He seems to be fully integrated into Eve and has had a death pf personality with that… but perhaps in the sequel he doesn’t have to be quite gone and can continue to communicate with her on the Psychic/Astral Plane.
- How does Eve view herself and how does she feel about massacring the Angels who attacked in the True Ending? How does she feel about the citizens of Xion now that she’s no longer an Andro-Eidos? How has becoming a “real Human” affected her psyche? Lily was worried that Eve would become someone she didn’t know… maybe a sequel would be the perfect place to address that.
- More obvious lore told by completing the story events and quests, rather than digging through the documents and whatnot.
- Respectfully, ShiftUp could work on the story and think how they want events to playout all the way through, as there were a few glaring inconsistencies with regard to who (Adam/Raven, for instance) was doing what and why, as well as some other things that just didn’t make sense in the narrative or felt rushed.
- As a way to bring Eve down from being over-powered, Mother Sphere could create a sort of poison to suppress Eve’s powers that could be cured as we go, for standard gameplay progression.
Revamped Save System
Next up is no more important than any other thought, it’s just what I came up with next due to the reality being somewhat vexing.- More than one save file. This would be useful for if multiple people want to play the game on the same console without their own dedicated account.
- Saving at camps can stay, but if it’s going to be a narrative-driven game with no option to explore the world afterward, a Chapter Select is essential so we can re-visit our favorite parts of the game without having to slog through the parts we don’t like (Space Center turrets, anyone?)
Costumes
We all like costumes… except those of you who played the entire game in Eve’s birthday suit and didn’t realize it took away your shields until after the game was over. But while the reward of clothes is enough for some people, here are some thoughts about how accessorization could be improved in the future:- Being able to Favorite the outfit(s) we like the most so we don’t have to scroll through a long list to find them. At the same time, being able to Archive outfits we don’t like or never will use.
- A transmog system that we can have stats from one costume but wear another along with the accessories we chose.
- If certain kinds of costumes had dedicated special moves! Now, I’m not saying that there needs to be a unique special move for 74+ costumes… but I am saying it would be cool if each costume type did something cool in addition to the usual Beta or Burst moves. If we didn’t have the Tachy Mode, this feature would be in place of that. For instance: the normal Airborne Squad suits would have the standard Stellar Blade attacks, but the Biker suits could call a motorcycle out of nowhere and do damage to enemies, the Motivation suit could boost stats, the Ocean Maid suit could reel in a huge shark from out of nowhere to damage enemies… the list goes on. How cool would that be?!
Combat
The combat in this game is intricate and very enjoyable. It’s very Souls-like. However, there are some things that could possible make it better (to each their own):- Different types of combat could be cool. We currently have sword and gunplay… but what about unarmed combat, too? Not necessarily extensive, but Eve and her counterparts seems pretty strong. I wouldn’t mind seeing her make use of those great legs and kick the crap out of enemies as more than just a cool finisher. Could be “equipped” or set, just like the Drone gun.
- Sections where Eve fights with someone of equal skill, but longer than she did with Tachy or Raven. Tachy’s boss fight didn’t live up to the potential it had, and it could have been just as challenging as what we wound up facing with Raven, even if she were corrupted into a Naytiba. If we’re going to be encountering more Angels in the sequel, they shouldn’t be easy to mow down, like in the Good/True Ending. They should be a real challenge.
- I would love combo finishers a QTE’s like in Spider Man/Force Unleashed. One simple button push doesn’t quite scratch that itch, does it?
- Better dodging or combat that can deal with mobs and ganks better than a Beta move that you might not have. The Perfect Dodge is fine, but the half-step dodge isn’t really useful when you’re being mobbed. Beta and Burst deal AOE damage, but the game’s primary fighting mechanic is 1v1. When they toss in mobs of spiders, walking turrets, and the like, it really shows how inefficient it is.
Enemies
- The enemies of the next game can't be just Naytiba. We’re taking the fight to Mother Sphere. She’s had hundreds if not thousands of years to work on her weapons of war, and they can be just as diverse as the array of Naytibas we dealt with in the first game.
- The majority of the enemy types should be Mother Sphere creations designed specifically to take down the new variant of species that Eve now is.
- If we do stay on Earth, I’d love to see new variations of the mutants and possible some more sentient Naytiba-human hybrid bosses.
- Some male Andro-Eidos bosses would be nice. I know that's a bit of a stretch to hope for, given the whole "Amazon Brigade" thing she's got going on, and how all of the people from the colony seem to be one gender only, but if Mother Sphere created the Andro-Eidos, she’s got a few templates for male warriors, I’m sure. It couldn’t hurt. I’d love to see what ShiftUp does with male fanservice characters, since there weren’t many good-looking men in Stellar Blade aside from Adam.
Gameplay/Quality of Life
- More mini games aside from chest puzzles and energy output puzzles. Things you might find in something like Final Fantasy. They don’t have to be extensive or anything, but something aside from fishing would be nice.
- More optional bosses. The world is vast, and the array of bosses could be equally large… but I understand for their first game why they didn’t. Not everything can be Dark Souls or Elden Ring.
- Better, more thought-out side quests. Something other than fetch quests or “go kill this” quests. Maybe quests that enhance your Affinity/relationship with a charactecharacters, or that give you a variety of rewards. Possibly even based on how well you do.
- When fishing, we actually see what kind of fish we’ve hooked before it pops out of the water. More fishing locations would be good… maybe somewhere that we could actually see fish if we go underwater.
- More biome variety other than Wasteland and Desert. I know why we were only seeing dystopian environments and badlands… but it’s about time the world started healing, isn’t it? I mean the space elevator region was more verdant.
- Additional traversal options, like flight or maybe some type of vehicle/mount, like Adam’s bike. A crotch-rocket sort of vehicle wouldn’t be out of place for Eve to use, would it (if she can’t use her wing). It would certainly help if we play as another Angel who can’t fly in the first place.
- Being able to play as more than one character would be nice, so long as their sections are interesting and make sense to play as. Lily could be attacked by Naytiba/Mother Sphere forces and need to hide, like Joker in Mass Effect 2, but could also make use of her skills. A character like Adam could make use of scavenging skills, etc.
- Post-game exploration is a must. Sometimes we don’t want to do all the tedious tasks before we complete the more exciting elements of the game.
- Maps in dungeons so you don’t get turned around or can at least find what it is you’re trying to get to.
- A jukebox feature! The soundtrack for this game is great, and I’m sure the one for the sequel will be, as well. Rather than listening to the calm, quite music at camp, maybe we could listen to our favorite songs from the game there. Or maybe Lily could create a mod for us that would enable us to listen to music on the go and there could be a little idle animation where Eve bobs/jiggles/wiggles as appropriate to the music.
Misc. Things
- A new protagonist would be acceptable to me. ShiftUp specializes in female characters, but I wouldn’t be opposed to a male protagonist.
- More customization over our player character and our friends could be cool. It’s absolutely not necessary, but I wouldn’t mind having the option to model the new male Adam-like character’s face after my own or after characters I think would look great next to Eve. Conversely, I’m sure that female players would love to make the new Lily or Eve character (should either not appear) however they wanted. Race, facial structure, hair, eyes, all of that; a character creator similar to that of Mass Effect Andromeda, or whatever other game does that well.
- A prequel starring Tachy or Raven. Tachy was taken from us too soon, and we need our girl back. Conversely, Raven’s descent into madness could be quite the tale, and we’d see the Naytibas we’re used to seeing.
- We could find a new Arisa model while exploring the world and we could recruit her. If we do, she’d take care of us and our Safehouse as our maid, and quite possibly get into arguments with Lily about keeping things tidy.
- For Raven to be our token evil, comic relief teammate. We must be allowed to fix her!
2024.05.11 13:44 Screen_hider Rewatching the series again - And I have some thoughts...(Spoilers in this, if you've not seen it)
I really like the series, and am re-watching it again and I've noticed a few bits/questions.
As much as the Addams love the macabre and death, Why were Gomez and Morticia so shocked when they 'killed' Garrett? There are a few theories online, coming down to Netflix tweaking it to be more of a 'Teen Movie' or that interest doesn't always equal intent. On the other hand (unintended Thing ref.), They all seem kindof proud of Uncle Fester with his stories of being arrested for attempted murder and stuff.
Why does the Jericho police not have any Outcast officers or liaisons? In this world, it's not like the outcasts are hidden/unknown. Through the series, it's kindof implied that Nevermore is kinda like Hogwarts, i.e the only school of that type - I can see this... a bit. The wizard world has their Statute of Secrecy, keeps hidden and largely dislike/disassociate themselves with the regular world - it makes sense that there'd be no wizard cops, or if they were, they'd be there to... handle magical situations and keep them hidden. In this world, there are summer camps (plural) for werewolves, and the Hiker in episode 1 mentioned that his camp counsellor was a werewolf. Assuming he wasn't an outcast, and his acceptance of them even if others don't. Seems like having an Outcast or two in a police force would be hugely beneficial for an insight into outcast societies, Especially next to a town that has the only (or one of the few) outcast schools, and has a history of having a local outcast community, aswell as the bigots.
It also grated on me when the only two black kids formed an 'unlikely' bond. I get that the characters could have been played by anyone, and the story still would have made sense so It might have just been circumstance.. but eh.. I dunno, still seems like it panders to the 'Cartmans' of the world. Honestly, I was so happy to see that Joy Sunday was returning - She does a cracking performance in the series, especially when Bianca is interacting with her mother and the whole 'Mean Girl' side was just right - Mean enough to fill the role, but still relatable enough that the nice stuff, and the reluctant respect for Wednesdays talents she does isn't all that surprising.
Is it just me, or did Garreth Gates portrait look suspiciously like Xavier Thorpe? The only 2 guys with that type of hair. It's a shame the actor isn't returning, as that would be an awesome twist - Xavier mentions his famous psychic father, but I'm sure the writers would figure out some twist - Garretts child with an outcast being brought up in their society or something because of the 'shame' of a teen pregnancy in the 90's or whatever.
Tylers father KNEW that his wife was a Hyde - According to the final episode, his father was 'living in dread, not sure if she passed it on to Tyler'. If your wife was a Hyde, it would be reasonable for him to research as much about them as he could. Fester recognised the Hyde pic immediately from an encounter in... Romania? (Might not be the exact country), so that shows that they generally end up looking more-or-less the same. From the outset, he knew it wasn't Bear attacks. Wednesday, straight accuses him of this, but he brushes it off. It's one thing to be loyal to your son/family, but he seems genuinely concerned about the safety of the people in Jericho. He likely would have recognised it immediately when Wednesday showed him the photo. It's not like he can't believe his son is a petty thief or something and just doesn't think he'd do it, This is a very specific creature which is not common even in the outcast world - part of the story arc during the middle of the season was figuring out what the creature was.
I'm probably overthinking all of this, but hey! That's what the internet is for!
submitted by Screen_hider to Wednesday [link] [comments]
As much as the Addams love the macabre and death, Why were Gomez and Morticia so shocked when they 'killed' Garrett? There are a few theories online, coming down to Netflix tweaking it to be more of a 'Teen Movie' or that interest doesn't always equal intent. On the other hand (unintended Thing ref.), They all seem kindof proud of Uncle Fester with his stories of being arrested for attempted murder and stuff.
Why does the Jericho police not have any Outcast officers or liaisons? In this world, it's not like the outcasts are hidden/unknown. Through the series, it's kindof implied that Nevermore is kinda like Hogwarts, i.e the only school of that type - I can see this... a bit. The wizard world has their Statute of Secrecy, keeps hidden and largely dislike/disassociate themselves with the regular world - it makes sense that there'd be no wizard cops, or if they were, they'd be there to... handle magical situations and keep them hidden. In this world, there are summer camps (plural) for werewolves, and the Hiker in episode 1 mentioned that his camp counsellor was a werewolf. Assuming he wasn't an outcast, and his acceptance of them even if others don't. Seems like having an Outcast or two in a police force would be hugely beneficial for an insight into outcast societies, Especially next to a town that has the only (or one of the few) outcast schools, and has a history of having a local outcast community, aswell as the bigots.
It also grated on me when the only two black kids formed an 'unlikely' bond. I get that the characters could have been played by anyone, and the story still would have made sense so It might have just been circumstance.. but eh.. I dunno, still seems like it panders to the 'Cartmans' of the world. Honestly, I was so happy to see that Joy Sunday was returning - She does a cracking performance in the series, especially when Bianca is interacting with her mother and the whole 'Mean Girl' side was just right - Mean enough to fill the role, but still relatable enough that the nice stuff, and the reluctant respect for Wednesdays talents she does isn't all that surprising.
Is it just me, or did Garreth Gates portrait look suspiciously like Xavier Thorpe? The only 2 guys with that type of hair. It's a shame the actor isn't returning, as that would be an awesome twist - Xavier mentions his famous psychic father, but I'm sure the writers would figure out some twist - Garretts child with an outcast being brought up in their society or something because of the 'shame' of a teen pregnancy in the 90's or whatever.
Tylers father KNEW that his wife was a Hyde - According to the final episode, his father was 'living in dread, not sure if she passed it on to Tyler'. If your wife was a Hyde, it would be reasonable for him to research as much about them as he could. Fester recognised the Hyde pic immediately from an encounter in... Romania? (Might not be the exact country), so that shows that they generally end up looking more-or-less the same. From the outset, he knew it wasn't Bear attacks. Wednesday, straight accuses him of this, but he brushes it off. It's one thing to be loyal to your son/family, but he seems genuinely concerned about the safety of the people in Jericho. He likely would have recognised it immediately when Wednesday showed him the photo. It's not like he can't believe his son is a petty thief or something and just doesn't think he'd do it, This is a very specific creature which is not common even in the outcast world - part of the story arc during the middle of the season was figuring out what the creature was.
I'm probably overthinking all of this, but hey! That's what the internet is for!
2024.05.11 03:30 cet4mine [PC/steam][2016-2019] religious horror click game
hey! trying to find this game i’ve not been able to find for a good few years now. never personally played it but i’ve seen many gameplays of it and even cosplayed it years ago (new phone so can’t find evidence of this sadly) really wanna find it again. it’s a religious horror type game. i’ve included all details i can remember about this game using the subreddits template below!
platform(s): i believe this game was only released on steam
genre: religious, arg, psychological horror. it was a click type game. it’s a story based horror game, not much of a real strategy as far as i can remember.
estimated year of release: really unsure. i think roughly between 2016-2019
graphics/art style: it’s a kind of very specific art style i can’t describe obviously drawn by the creator, but most of the background that isn’t the characters is real life images (such as images of forests, cabins, abandoned structures etc)
notable characters: i can’t remember the names of the characters but i remember the descriptions very well. one had longish brown hair and is a girl she wears a white shirt and black skirt i believe, she’s on her iphone a lot and keeps her iphone in her shirt pocket, the second one is a girl with blonde hair same outfit but i think she also wears a green jacket, third one i think is a boy with grey hair and that’s all i remember same outfit as well but with black jeans instead (at the end of the game he turns into god(either that or it turns out he was god some sort of god all along)
notable gameplay mechanics: never played the game myself, didn’t have a computer when it came out but through gameplay i watched im pretty sure it was basic WASD keys and space bar tapping to tap through dialogue
other details: in this im gonna include a full description of what i remember of the game that i sent to my friend: set in some sort of religious camp, and there’s three i believe main characters. one had longish brown hair and is a girl she wears a white shirt and black skirt i believe, she’s on her iphone a lot and keeps her iphone in her shirt pocket, the second one is a girl with blonde hair same outfit but i think she also wears a green jacket, third one i think is a boy with grey hair and that’s all i remember same outfit as well but with black jeans instead. they’re looking through the forest either for fun or to find some sort of urban legend in the camp. they get stuck in a cabin together and the rest of the game is that. they’re like freaking out trying to get out and a bunch of freaky religious shit happens. boy with grey hair at the end is like in a cupboard and basically turns into(or it turns out he always was) god and that’s the ending, i think there’s also and ending scene of the camp counsellors finding them all dead except for the boy. (give or take some details it’s been a good 6 years since i’ve seen gameplay of this)
submitted by cet4mine to tipofmyjoystick [link] [comments]
platform(s): i believe this game was only released on steam
genre: religious, arg, psychological horror. it was a click type game. it’s a story based horror game, not much of a real strategy as far as i can remember.
estimated year of release: really unsure. i think roughly between 2016-2019
graphics/art style: it’s a kind of very specific art style i can’t describe obviously drawn by the creator, but most of the background that isn’t the characters is real life images (such as images of forests, cabins, abandoned structures etc)
notable characters: i can’t remember the names of the characters but i remember the descriptions very well. one had longish brown hair and is a girl she wears a white shirt and black skirt i believe, she’s on her iphone a lot and keeps her iphone in her shirt pocket, the second one is a girl with blonde hair same outfit but i think she also wears a green jacket, third one i think is a boy with grey hair and that’s all i remember same outfit as well but with black jeans instead (at the end of the game he turns into god(either that or it turns out he was god some sort of god all along)
notable gameplay mechanics: never played the game myself, didn’t have a computer when it came out but through gameplay i watched im pretty sure it was basic WASD keys and space bar tapping to tap through dialogue
other details: in this im gonna include a full description of what i remember of the game that i sent to my friend: set in some sort of religious camp, and there’s three i believe main characters. one had longish brown hair and is a girl she wears a white shirt and black skirt i believe, she’s on her iphone a lot and keeps her iphone in her shirt pocket, the second one is a girl with blonde hair same outfit but i think she also wears a green jacket, third one i think is a boy with grey hair and that’s all i remember same outfit as well but with black jeans instead. they’re looking through the forest either for fun or to find some sort of urban legend in the camp. they get stuck in a cabin together and the rest of the game is that. they’re like freaking out trying to get out and a bunch of freaky religious shit happens. boy with grey hair at the end is like in a cupboard and basically turns into(or it turns out he always was) god and that’s the ending, i think there’s also and ending scene of the camp counsellors finding them all dead except for the boy. (give or take some details it’s been a good 6 years since i’ve seen gameplay of this)
2024.05.11 00:30 Paul_MM19 Halloween costume ideas
Hi everyone, long time lurker here, this is my first post, I Just want some suggestions.
The thing is im planning my costume for halloween and the theme me and my husband want for this year is doing a celebrity famous/recognizable outfit.
One of my first thoughts for myself was something with feathers on my shouldrs like Brandon Flowers in their music videos.... But then I Just Google him and his looks are not as good as I remembered. Very simple jackets. Not camp or recognizable enough.
Im not a flomboyant dude, but its halloween, I want to be seen lol, also not the macho type either, im not skinny, more in the chuby side, somewhat tall... Light skined latino with long dark hair.
Freddy mercury its a no no... complete drag is also a no, but androgynous its ok.... I dont want to be a joke, more like a fashionable character, what are your thoughts?? If you could privide a picture, will be thanked.
submitted by Paul_MM19 to gaybros [link] [comments]
The thing is im planning my costume for halloween and the theme me and my husband want for this year is doing a celebrity famous/recognizable outfit.
One of my first thoughts for myself was something with feathers on my shouldrs like Brandon Flowers in their music videos.... But then I Just Google him and his looks are not as good as I remembered. Very simple jackets. Not camp or recognizable enough.
Im not a flomboyant dude, but its halloween, I want to be seen lol, also not the macho type either, im not skinny, more in the chuby side, somewhat tall... Light skined latino with long dark hair.
Freddy mercury its a no no... complete drag is also a no, but androgynous its ok.... I dont want to be a joke, more like a fashionable character, what are your thoughts?? If you could privide a picture, will be thanked.
2024.05.10 21:24 LaVipari Lorepost: Homebrew Cities
 | This is a followup post to my previous writeup on a few homebrew cities I've created. https://www.reddit.com/citiesofsigmacomments/1co45r3/which_of_these_city_ideas_would_people_most_like/ submitted by LaVipari to citiesofsigmar [link] [comments] Ishkegrad: A bear centric city in the frozen north of the realm of Ghur. Founded by a combination of Azyrite and reclaimed tribesmen known as the Vango within the Ursungorod mountains. Ruled by both a council of Gospodar, and the mysterious court of the ice witches, an all female order of mages who wield a unique ice magic that is strongest in the heart of the city. The city is also known to have the protection of Ursus, a great frosty bear spirit. Very heavy slavic flavor, with touches of Japanese Ainu, dwelling in a cold and dry region. Olva of Ishkegrad, a famed ice witch, led the war against the Dreivlaan tribe of chaos worshippers who slew her husband Eygor. She would ultimately achieve victory by crushing their camp beneath an avalanche of ice. Patriarch Rastalkyn of the Ursine orthodoxy engaged in a twelve day long debate with high priest Gendun Pelsam of the Gelan school of the great wheel, which ended in a massive city-wide fist-fight between the followers of the two religions. Bears are so respected amongst the people of Ishkegrad that they are permitted to walk the streets freely. Any bear that enters an establishment is treated as a well loved patron, and many bears use this as an opportunity to receive free food and drinks from local taverns and inns. The reclaimed majority of the city do not hold Sigmar in high esteem, viewing him as too distant to offer them any real assistance. They much prefer their local deities, the great bear Ursus, the sun-fire Svahn, the maiden Zvallya, and the ancient crone witch Baba Ostankya. The de-facto leader of the city is the Khanum Nataliya, headmistress of the Ice Court. https://preview.redd.it/pg5pz96vgnzc1.png?width=718&format=png&auto=webp&s=1de5e4b1ea37fe35f34f07bbfb4f104b772c22a2 Nu Gashnagia: A city founded in Ulgu by the mysterious black prince Gashnag, a secret former ghoul regent who broke free of Ushoran’s delusion and now safeguards his city with dark magics. Gashnag keeps himself under an illusion that makes him appear as a deformed but darkly heroic figure, and is well loved by his people for his genuine care for them. Very heavy balkan flavor, with bits of Northern Italy and Hungary. Dwell in a relatively temperate and fertile part of Ulgu. Gashnag led a campaign of dogged defense against the encroaching armies of Malerion, slaying countless Umbraneth in the dead of night. This campaign would come to be known as “The War in the Dark” The inhabitants of Nu Gashnagia are known to be remarkably upbeat and cheerful for residents of Ulgu, with many seemingly unaware of the shadowy and dreary nature of their homeland. Some suspect that Gashnag’s kindness has led him to cloud the minds of his own subjects for the sake of their happiness. Taxes in Nu Gashnagia are remarkably low for an agrarian city state. Instead, citizens are asked to take part in medical efforts throughout the city and its surroundings, especially efforts in the new science of blood transfusion. A large portion of Nu Gashnagia’s population hails from Shyish, and have brought their native faiths nad superstitions to the realm of shadow. The most common religion beneath Sigmar worship is the veneration of the ancient death god Morrath. Prince Gashnag leads his armies in person, mounted upon a black horse and draped in a black cloak to hide his features. https://preview.redd.it/vfl2ju7wgnzc1.png?width=848&format=png&auto=webp&s=ac5b32394f0d8a585f4825daa631a35a19471aaf Caledion: A clannish federation that dwells in the deep misty woodlands of Ghyran. The clans are ruled by a council of truthspeakers, Ghyranite mages who commune with Alarielle and their native nature spirits. The clanlands are kept safe by magic standing stones, and the people paint themselves in enchanted woad. They hold Alarielle and the gods of Ghyran above sigmar. Very heavy celtic flavor. Dwell in deep misty forests and fens. The truthspeaker Raven-Queen Moghaidin battled the forces of Nurgle at the base of the stone of prophecy in Hardith-Fen. Those who wish to become truthspeakers must enter an ancient cavern known as the Tuatha-Dain, where they face a trial that no surviving truthspeaker has ever dared explain. Some believe that a terrible daemon of the distant past is trapped within the caves, and those who survive it are granted access to the winds of magic. There exists a caste of woad-brewers who dwell in the peat bogs and fens, using the strange bubbling saps and liquids of the local trees as the base of their pigments. The resulting woad grants its wearer a ward against danger. The people of Caledion are known to dye their mustaches and hair a bleached blonde. They do this to signify the approach of war, and allow their hair to return to its usual reds and browns after they have secured victory. Those who lose great battles shave their heads and faces in shame. The clans are united under the elusive and enigmatic figure of Moghaidin, the Raven-Queen. https://preview.redd.it/246gk3zwgnzc1.png?width=846&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab089d05af75b08613746a4158435a914887c3b1 Glintgard: A wealthy city of refined craftsmanship and art in the realm of Chamon. Run by a council of guild representatives who control the economy and city at large. Maintains a large freeguild to safeguard caravans of goods going to and from the city, as well as to safeguard the mints in which many coins malleus are crafted. A combination of Dutch, Venetian, and silk road flavor. Dwell in a closed bay surrounded by cliffs. Guildmaster Mirenz Van Alltor waged a nine day long battle against a clan of marauding darkoath in the giltvein foothills as he escorted a procession on its way to the gateswold. So wealthy and prosperous is the city of Glintgard, that gold was considered too common to serve as currency. Indeed, most purchase goods with offers of contracts for service, essentially functioning as multi-purpose IOUs. The sea on which Glintgard ships sail is composed of liquid silver and mercury, and those within the city found to have committed great acts of evil are often executed by being submerged in the shimmering metallic waters for long periods of time. Armies always travel with their support teams, including cobblers, smiths, tailors, and tanners. This ensures that, even on long marches, Glintgard armies remain superbly equipped. The leader of the city’s freeguild, and commander of the Chroma-Guard is Mirenz Van Alltor. https://preview.redd.it/hpwez3oygnzc1.png?width=1262&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ac83f2d765ca43ed3ea9dba57ce38f99f92727c Morning’s Harbor: One of the largest seaports in the realms, and a massive melting pot of peoples in Aqshy. Governed by an assembly of merchants, government officials, artisans, military officials, athletes and ships crews. The city operates under maritime law, with officials only able to give absolute orders during times of war, and all other matters being decided by a vote. Heavy Cadiz/Manilla Spanish flavour, with bits of Venice and Arabia. Dwell in an enormous lagoon, with buildings on the outer islands and inner coast, as well as on artificial islands within the water. Morning’s Harbor was once invaded by the Khorne sworn warband known as the Skullbinders, who wound up fighting a pitched battle through the city streets, as every single citizen armed himself and descended in a fury on the marauders, who quickly fled. The anniversary is celebrated with a day of costumed revelry each year, with one team dressing in mockery of the Khorne worshippers, and being ceremonially driven out to sea at the day’s end. Every five years, the people of Morning’s Harbor host a grand tournament in the warm waters of the lagoon’s shallows. Hundreds of participants strip to the waist, doff their boots, and wade into the water, where they engage in an immense battle royale, where the victor is granted a seat of primacy on the city council, and rights to their own ships charter. There exist several small fleets of ships in Morning’s Harbor which are outfitted with immense nets used to catch the fire breathing sea serpents that swim their waters. These serpents are then brought back to the city to fuel furnaces and other steam powered devices. Morning’s Harbor’s strategic placement makes it a valuable target for both friendly and unfriendly neighbors, which has led to the development of the city’s famous schools of swordsmanship. The leader of the city’s notorious standing army, the Fireblades, is Khaleen Al Cinna Del Monde. https://preview.redd.it/cp23f0czgnzc1.png?width=840&format=png&auto=webp&s=598f42e3d7bbc82a47950c67d1eb55838fd40b9c |
2024.05.10 20:04 Vukobasa An observer in the Near East: MONTENEGRO (1907)
 | ΜΟΝΤΕΝEGRO submitted by Vukobasa to Crnogorstvo [link] [comments] CHAPTER I THE CITY IN THE SKY Why I went to the Balkans―The road to Montenegro―Cettinje and its petroleum tins―About the blood-feud―England and Montenegro―Warned not to attempt to go to Albania―My guide a marked man-The story of Tef―A woman's fickleness, and its sequel. CHAPTER II AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS The Palace at Cettinje―A cigarette with the Prince―The policy of Montenegro―A confidential chat―His Royal Highness's admiration for England―His views upon Macedonia―He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania. but I persuade him to help me―His Highness's kindness―Souvenirs. ** CHAPTER I THE CITY IN THE SKY Why I went to the Balkans— The road to Montenegro — Cettinje and its petroleum tins — About the blood-feud — England and Montenegro — Warned not to attempt to go to Albania — My guide a marked man — The story of Tef — A woman's fickleness, and its sequel. I ENTERED the Balkans by the back door. The luxuries of the Orient Express had no attraction for me. I wanted to see the Balkans as they really are, those great, wild, mountainous countries, so full of race hatreds, of political bickerings, of fierce blood-feuds, of feverish propa- gandas those nations with their interesting monarchs and their many mysteries. The "Orient" runs direct from Paris to the Balkan capitals, it is true, but if one goes to study a people the capital is not the only place in which to discover the truth. One must go into the country, move among the peasantry, hear their grievances and investigate their wrongs. Therefore I decided to enter the East by Montenegro, and also visit the wild and little-known regions of Northern Albania. The comfortable voyage by the Austrian-Lloyd mail steamer Graf Wurmbrand from Trieste down the Adriatic, touching at Pola, the Austrian naval station, Lussinpiccolo, Zara- famed for its maraschino-Sebenico, Spalato, and Gravosa to Cattaro, has been already described by many writers. Suffice it to say that it is perhaps one of the most picturesque of pleasure-trips in the world, for every moment one has a fresh panorama of mountain and blue sea, of green, fertile islands with subtropical vegetation, and tiny white villages nestling at the sea's edge, as the steamer threads her way through the narrow and often difficult channels. At times the wild scenery, especially in the Bocche di Cattaro, reminds the traveller of the Norwegian fiords, and at others the coast is an almost exact reproduction of the French Riviera. The object of my journey was, however, not in order to write a mere description of men and places. There have been other travellers in the Balkans who have related their story, therefore my mission was to make careful inquiry into the present unsettled state of affairs, try and discover the grievances of both sides, and endeavour to obtain from the rulers and statesmen of the various nations their aspirations for the future. This I succeeded in doing, for the various monarchs of the Balkans graciously gave me audience; and from their Ministers, from the middle classes, and from the peasants, I was enabled at last to form some conclusion as to the real situation-political, economical, social, and financial. The writer who attempts to place the various Balkan questions impartially and clearly before the public will at once find himself utterly confused, and wallowing wildly in a morass of misstatement and misrepresentation. The Balkans are torn by race hatreds, party strife, and the intrigues of the Powers. The Turk hates the Bulgar, the Serb hates the Austrian, the Roumanian hates the Greek, the Albanian hates the Montenegrin, the Bosnian hates the Turk, while the Macedonian hates everybody all round. What is told to one authoritatively one hour, is flatly contradicted the next; therefore it is not in the least surprising that in the European Press there have been so many misstatements about the various Balkan questions, the real truth being so very difficult to obtain. I have, however, endeavoured to obtain it, and at risk of being injudicious, to place before the reader the facts as they are, without any political bias, or any seeking to gloss over the many glaring defects of administration of which I have myself been witness. To describe the beauties of the Bocche di Cattaro, that series of winding channels where the high grey mountains rise sheer from the water, would be only to traverse old ground. Suffice it to say that I landed at Cattaro on a bright, sunny noon, and found upon the quay a tall, lean mountaineer who had been sent to meet me. To the traveller fresh from the West the Montenegrin costume of both women and men is very attractive, but a few days in the Balkans soon accustoms the eye to a perfect phantasmagoria of colour and of costume. Pero was my driver's name, and I noticed that around his waist was a revolver belt, but minus the weapon. I inquired where it was, and with a grin he informed me that Cattaro, being in Dalmatia, the Austrians would not allow Montenegrins to bring arms into their country; so they were compelled to leave them on the other side of the frontier, ten kilometres distant. My bags packed upon the three-horse travelling carriage and secured with many strings, and Pero equipped with a plentiful stock of cigarettes, he mounted upon the box, whipped up his long-tailed ponies, and we started on our eight-hour ascent of that great wall of mountain that hides Montenegro from the sea. As we ascended through the little village of Skaljari we entered upon a magnificent road, said to be one of the greatest engineering feats of modern times, and steadily ascended, until at the striped black-and-yellow Austrian boundary post we crossed the frontier, and were in the "Land of the Black Mountain"-Montenegro. Across the road, at an acute angle, a row of paving-stones marks the frontier, and soon after- wards we found ourselves in the wildest and most desolate mountain region. At a lonely roadside hut Pero obtained his big, serviceable-looking revolver, and I, of course, wore mine in my belt; for in Montenegro or Albania arms make the man. A man unarmed is looked upon as an effeminate coward. Indeed, by order of Prince Nicholas every Monte- negrin must wear the national dress, both men and women, and every man must carry his revolver when out of doors. Four hours from Cattaro we were in a lonely mountain fastness, a wild, desolate, treeless region of huge limestone rocks of peculiar volcanic formation, which gave them the appearance of a boiling sea. The views over the Adriatic as we turned back were so superb that, despite photographing being strictly forbidden on account of the fortresses in the vicinity, I could not resist the temptation to take one or two surreptitiously. On, through a bleak, uninhabited country, we at last reached the guard-house of Kerstac, and then half an hour later found ourselves upon a plateau where, in the centre, stood the small clean village of Nyegush, the ancestral home of the reigning family, and the scene of most of the Montenegrin wars of independence. Here we halted for half an hour at the post-house, and before we left, the big, lumbering post-diligence, with its armed guard, came up behind us. Before we moved off again it had grown dark, the moon shone, and for four hours longer we alternately climbed and descended through that wild region of silence and desolation, until at last we saw, deep below, the lights of Cettinje, the little capital, and an hour later brought us to the unpre- tending "Grand" Hotel. Hardly had I entered my room when there came a loud knock at my door, and a tall, scarlet-coated Montenegrin warrior, armed to the teeth, entered and saluted. For a moment I looked up at him aghast, but the mystery was solved when, next second, he handed me with great ceremony a telegram from a dear friend in England wishing me God- speed. I had taken him to be, at least, one of the Prince's bodyguard, and he was only a plain telegraph messenger! This was but one of many surprises in store for me in Montenegro. Next morning I went out to look round the clean little capital, when, on passing the Prince's palace, I saw a number of soldiers drawn up, and as I went by, the band suddenly struck up the British National Anthem! I raised my hat, halted, and stood puzzled. Surely they were not honouring me! Another moment, however, and I recognised the reason. In a carriage, accompanied by the Grand Marechal of the Court, there drove up my friend Mr. Charles des Graz, the newly-appointed British Chargé d'Affaires to Montenegro, who was about to present his creden- tials to His Royal Highness the Prince. Montenegro is perhaps the most interesting country in all the Balkans. Cettinje, a small, clean town of broad streets and one-storeyed, whitewashed houses, is a little city in the sky, lying as it does in a cup-shaped depression at the summit of a high, bare mountain. Its long, straight, main street reminds one very much of a small country town in England, if it were not that everyone is, by law, compelled to wear the national dress, and every man has in his belt his big, long- barrelled revolver, without which he must never go out of doors. The men, sturdy mountaineers, are of fine physique- handsome fellows, all of them. Their dress consists of dark blue baggy trousers, white woollen gaiters, raw-hide shoes, a scarlet jacket heavily braided with gold, and a small round cap, with black silk around the edge and the crown of the same colour as the jacket, bearing the Prince's initials in Servian letters, "H.I." The women, who are particularly good-looking, wear dark skirts, beautifully hand-embroidered blouses, and a kind of long coat, with open sleeves of soft, dove-grey cloth. Forbidden to wear European hats, they are compelled to adopt an exactly similar cap to the men, except that the crown is embroidered instead of bearing the royal initials. Nowhere have I seen such glorification of the male as in Montenegro. To the men, born fighters as they are, work is undignified; therefore the women toil while the opposite sex look on. I saw women employed in building operations and performing work which, in other countries, is left to day- labourers. Cettinje is quaint in the extreme. The only houses of foreigners are the various Legations, and the only foreigners are diplomats with their wives and families. The first thing that strikes the stranger is the number of petroleum tins. Opposite the hotel I saw a great ring of empty tins, numbering some hundreds, ranged around a fountain. A few women were squatting gossiping, and an armed policeman lounged against the water-source. On inquiry, I found that there was a water famine, and the tins had been placed there at dawn to await the moment when the authorities thought fit to allow the people to get their daily supply. The women had gone away to work, and would return later. The Monte- negrins a short time ago constructed a reservoir, but there was a crack in it, so the water ran away. Hence the famine. The petroleum tin is never out of sight for a single moment in Cettinje. At any hour, and in any street, you see women and children carrying them. They are used for everything, from milk-pails to flower-pots. In Cettinje one comes for the first time up against the dark-faced, scowling Albanian in his tightly fitting trousers of white wool striped with black, his dirty white fez, and the swagger of superiority in his gait. He is well armed, and for a good reason. The Montenegrin hates the Albanian, because of the constant border feuds over at Podgoritza, where blood is constantly spilt, and where I have seen a Montenegrin in the market squatting over a basket of apples with a loaded rifle. That morning I was chatting to a man in Montenegrin dress, of whom I had bought some excellent cigarettes, manufactured by the Montenegro Tobacco Monopoly-an Italian syndicate, by the way and happened to mention that I was on my way to Albania. "Ah, gospodin!" he exclaimed, holding up both his hands, and glancing at the revolver in my belt. "Take my advice. Don't go into Albania or Macedonia. You are not safe there from one moment to the other. For half a word they'll shoot you dead as easily as they drink a glass of wine. No man's life is worth a moment's purchase there. I'm Albanian myself from Kroja-and I know." This was scarcely reassuring. I looked about me on every hand as I strolled through Cettinje. All was so quiet, so orderly, so very peaceful there, even though the big, burly mountaineers in the gold-laced jackets eyed me with askance as I passed. Not without some trepidation I took a number of photographs, for I had heard that, like the Turk, the Monte- negrin was averse to having his counterfeit presentment put upon paper. Nevertheless, the first feeling of insecurity having passed, I very soon found myself quite at home in Cettinje, and in the midst of very good and kind friends. A good many foreigners come up from Cattaro to pry about Cettinje for a day or two, buy picture-postcards and antique arms, sneer at the honest Montenegrin, and return into Dalmatia. Towards such, the Montenegrin is not par- ticularly polite. But those who go to Cettinje to seriously and thoroughly study the people and their future will find a great deal of genuine and charming hospitality. My first day in Cettinje was lonely. Afterwards, until I left, I was always with friends and officials, who took the greatest trouble to answer my questions and explain matters. Montenegro is entirely unlike any other country in the world. Its air of antiquity is particularly pleasing, while on every hand the beneficent rule of Prince Nicholas is apparent. Every man in Montenegro swears by his Prince, whom he almost worships. They call him their "father," and if His Royal Highness raised the standard of war to- morrow, every man would rise and fight to the death. The Prince is accessible to all his people-more so to them, indeed, than to the diplomats. Sometimes, early in the morning, he will sit in an arm-chair on the steps leading to the entrance of his palace, and there hear the complaints or petitions of his people. In this patriarchal way he often ministers justice. Last year he granted Montenegro a Constitution, and there is now a Skupshtina similar to that of Servia; but the people have not yet quite understood that in future they must go to the Ministers, and not to their Prince. They will see him, and nobody else. In no country is loyalty and patriotism so strong as in Montenegro. The army is well trained, and the whole country being one huge natural fortress, a foreign enemy would experience enormous difficulty in gaining entrance. In Cettinje, even a constant traveller like myself meets with continual surprises. One day, while walking at the rear of the Bigliardo, or old palace-so called because when built the first billiard table was introduced-I heard the sound of clanking chains behind me. At first I took no notice, but as it continued with regular rhythm I glanced behind, when, to my amaze- ment, I saw a convict in leg-fetters with difficulty taking his afternoon stroll beneath the trees! There were several others on the grass plot before the prison, idling in the shadow or gossiping with their friends, who had come to keep them company! Inquiriesshowed that most of these prisoners were murderers, not for robbery but for vendetta. In Montenegro the blood- feud is constant, and life is held very cheap. It invariably commences by jealousy, and is of everyday occurrence. Two lovers quarrel, and one is shot. Then the blood-feud commences, and unlike in Italy or other Southern countries, the vendetta is not only upon the murderer, but upon his next-of-kin. Therefore, if the assassin escapes into Servia, Bosnia, or Turkey, as he so often does, the brother of the dead man takes up the feud and kills the assassin's brother without parley when next he meets him. I myself saw a man shot dead one night in Ryeka, at the head of the Lake of Scutari, and the murderer walked coolly away undeterred. It was the blood-feud, and no one took much notice. "S'bogom!" (God be with you!) It is the expression you hear on every hand in the Balkans. In the streets the peasants touch their round caps in salute and exclaim, "S'bogom!" When you leave for a journey and when you return, when you rise and when you go to rest; even if you go for a short walk-it is the same. Life is so uncertain in those wild regions that the protection of the Almighty is invoked upon you always, and your revolver is ever ready in your belt. In Cettinje I had a faithful guide and servant, a black-eyed, somewhat sinister-looking Albanian, named Palok. He travelled with me through Montenegro and Albania, and was most faithful and devoted. Besides Albanian and Serb he spoke a little Italian, and possessed a keen sense of humour. One day, while we were travelling through the wild, bare mountain, a perfect wilderness of huge boulders without a single tree or even blade of grass, we halted for our midday meal, and while eating he told me of a great friend of his who had recently been killed at Spuz for vendetta, and he added, fondling the butt of his revolver, "I too, gospodin, shall die before long." I looked at him in surprise. His usually humorous face had changed. It was dark and thoughtful, and his black eyes were fixed upon me. "Is there a blood-feud upon you, then?" I asked, in surprise. "Yes," he replied briefly; and though I endeavoured to persuade him to tell the story, it was not until the following day that with some reluctance he explained. "A year ago my brother Tef, away in Scutari, fell in love with a beautiful girl. He had a rival-a young Albanian, a coppersmith in the bazaar. They quarrelled, but the girl-ah! she was very beautiful-preferred Tef. Where- upon the rival one night took his rifle and laid in wait for my brother in the main street of Scutari. Early in the evening he left the house of the girl's father, and as he passed the fellow shot poor Tef dead." And he paused as his brow knit deeply, and his teeth were set tightly. "Well?" I asked. "Well, gospodin. What would you have done had your own brother died a dog's death? I took a rifle, and within a week the murderer was in his grave. I shot him through the heart and then I left Scutari." "And you are safe here, in Montenegro ?" "Safe! Oh dear, no," he answered. "One day-it may be to-day-the fellow's brother will kill me. He must kill me. It is Fate-why worry about it? It does one no good." And the marked man, the man doomed to die at a moment when he least expects it, rolled a cigarette and lit it with perfect resignment. "And are you not afraid to go with me back to Scutari?" I asked, amazed at his fearlessness. "Afraid, gospodin!" he exclaimed, looking at me in reproach as his hand instinctively wandered to his weapon. "Afraid! No Albanian is afraid of the blood-feud. I have killed the murderer, and his brother must kill me. It is our law." And the doomed man smiled gravely. "And the girl?" I asked. "Ah! They are all the same," he answered, with a quick shrug of the shoulders. "A month ago she married a tobacco- seller a man old enough to be her father. Poor Tef! If he could but know!" "And the blood-feud still continues?" "Of course-until I am dead." Then Palok smoked on in silence, entirely resigned to the fate that awaits him. He knows that one day, as he walks along the road, the sharp crack of a hidden rifle will sound, and he will fall to earth, another victim of a woman's fickleness. S'bogom! God be with you! CHAPTER II AN AUDIENCE OF PRINCE NICHOLAS The Palace at Cettinje-A cigarette with the Prince-The policy of Monte- negro-A confidential chat-His Royal Highness's admiration for England-His views upon Macedonia-He urges me not to attempt to go to Albania, but I persuade him to help me-His Highness's kindness -Souvenirs. HIS Royal Highness the Prince will be pleased to grant you private audience at four o'clock this after- noon, gospodin." The tall, burly aide-de-camp in the little round cap, high boots, pale blue overcoat, and pistols in his belt, saluted, and we shook hands. It was then three o'clock, and I was just about to go out to visit Madame Constantinovitch, the mother of Princess Mirko. So I had to return at once to my room and dress for the audience. The kings and princes of the Balkans have a habit of summoning one at a moment's notice, and paying visits at unearthly hours. Here, in Cettinje, in the heart of these wild, desolate fast- nesses, one seems so far removed from European influence, yet how great a part has this rocky, impregnable country, with its fierce soldier-inhabitants, played in the politics of Eastern Europe, and how great a part it is still destined to play in the near future! The fact that everybody is armed gives the stranger an uncanny feeling. The man who brings one's coffee wears a perfect arsenal of weapons in his sash, and one quickly acquires the habit of carrying a revolver one's self. Indeed, if you are wise, you will carry a good serviceable weapon from the moment you enter the Balkans to the moment you quit them. But if you approach the Albanian frontier, you will be at once warned not to fire without just cause. A few shots is sufficient to alarm the whole neighbourhood for many miles, and on hearing the alarm every man seizes his rifle and flies to the rendezvous, fully equipped and eager for the fight with those Albanian border tribes, of whom I afterwards had the good fortune to be the guest. I had already had a long chat with Prince Danilo, the Crown Prince of Montenegro, whom I found a very smart and highly educated man, fully alive to the political difficulties of the neighbouring states and the necessity of Montenegro preserving her independence. He held very strong views upon the terrible state of affairs in Macedonia, and gave me many interesting details about his own country. Having met him, and also his younger brother, Prince Mirko, I was particularly anxious to make the acquaintance of their father, Prince Nicholas, the ruler of the sturdy, warlike dwellers of the "Land of the Black Mountain "-the principal and most striking figure in this remarkable country, where peace and war walk ever hand-in-hand. Since 1860, when his uncle, Prince Danilo, was assassinated, he has ruled justly, if somewhat sternly, and has succeeded in raising his nation from a state of semi-civilisation to the high place it now occupies in the Eastern world. In 1888 he gave the country a Civil and Criminal Code, and last year he granted a Constitution. Indeed, he has done all in his power to induce his warriors to follow the arts of peace without forgetting those of war. At the hour appointed, the royal aide-de-camp called in a carriage and drove me to the Palace, a long, dark brown building of somewhat plain exterior, as befits the home of a fighting race, where I was received in the great hall by half a dozen bowing servants in scarlet and gold. Here I was met by the chamberlain, who conducted me up the grand staircase and into the great audience-chamber, with its many fine paintings and highly polished floor. Then, after a moment, the Prince-a brilliant figure-entered, shook me by the hand, and welcomed me to Montenegro. These formalities ended, His Royal Highness said in Italian, "Come, let us go into yonder room. We shall be able to talk there more comfortably." And he led me into a smaller chamber, where he gave me a seat at the table where he sat. The afternoon was gloomy, and dusk was creeping on, therefore upon the table a great antique silver candelabra had been set, and by its light I was enabled to obtain a good view of the ruler of Crnagora, the "Land of the Black Mountain." Of magnificent physique, tall, muscular, with hair slightly grey, he bore his sixty-five years lightly. Attired in the splendid national costume of scarlet, blue, and gold, with high boots, he wore a single decoration at his throat, the Cross of Danilo, of which Order he is Master. Upon his hand- some, well-cut features the candles shed a soft light, causing the gold upon his dress to glitter, and I noticed, as I asked him questions, how his dark, keen eyes shot quick, inquiring glances of alertness. After the first few minutes of regal formality His Highness's manner entirely changed. Putting ceremony aside, he pro- duced his cigarette case of crocodile skin, with the royal crown and cipher in gold in the corner-offered me a Montenegrin cigarette, took one himself, lit mine with his own hand, and then we fell to chatting. In the delightful hour and a half we smoked together I asked the prince-poet many questions, and learnt many things. He explained several difficult points in Balkan politics, which to me, an Englishman, had always been puzzling. We spoke in Italian of Macedonia and of a certain well-known foreign diplomat in London who was our mutual friend, the Prince giving me a very kind message to deliver to him. Presently I referred to the splendid result of his rule, and related to him a little incident which had occurred to me in Nyegush a few days before, as showing how deeply he was beloved by his nation. A smile crossed his fine open countenance as he replied simply, "I have done my best for my people-my very best; and I shall do so as long as God gives me life. I am happy to believe that my people appreciate my efforts." "And now, Monseigneur," I asked, "will you tell me what is the present position of Montenegro?" "The present position is peace," was his prompt answer. "I have granted a Constitution, and the first meeting of the new Skupshtina has been held successfully. Though the Albanian question is always with us, I am thankful to say we are on the most excellent terms with Turkey, while towards Russia we are pursuing our traditional policy. For the Emperor Francis Josef of Austria I have nothing but the most profound admiration, and I owe very much to him." "And towards England, Monseigneur ?" "England has been, as you know, Montenegro's very best friend," replied the Prince. "I, personally, have the greatest respect and admiration for your great country. We Montenegrins always remember that it was Mr. Gladstone who gave us the strip of seaboard on the Adriatic with Dulcigno. He was our greatest friend, and his memory is respected by admirer by every man in Montenegro. Of Tennyson, too, I am a great I am very fond of his poems." "You are a poet yourself, Monseigneur," I remarked, remembering that more than one poetical drama from his pen had been successfully produced on the stage. His Royal Highness smiled, and puffed slowly at his cigarette. "I have written one or two little things, it is true; but nothing of late." "I wonder if I dare ask your Royal Highness to write a few lines for me as a souvenir of my visit?" I asked, not without some trepidation. "Ah!-well-I won't promise," he laughed. "All depends whether I'm in the mood for it." "But you will try, won't you? And the Prince nodded assent. Then we spoke of Servia and of recent events there; but he was not inclined to discuss the question, and naturally so, when it is remembered that his daughter was the late wife of King Peter. Returning to the burning question of Macedonia, I saw that he was well informed of all that was transpiring around lakes Presba and Ochrida and down in Serres. "It is a monstrous state of affairs," he declared. "Something must be done at once, for as soon as spring comes again the massacres will increase." "But there are outrages, tortures, and massacres every day," I remarked. "Ah yes," he sighed, "I know. Most terrible details have reached me lately. But you are going to Macedonia yourself, and you will see with your own eyes." "And what, in your opinion, would be the best settlement of the question?" I inquired. "There is but one way, namely, for the Powers to call a conference and place Macedonia under a governor - general, who must be a European prince. The reforms would then be carried out, and the Greek bands expelled from the country. How long will Europe tolerate the present frightful state of affairs?" "The fact is, Monseigneur, that we, in England, are very ignorant of the true state of things, or even of the facts of the Macedonian question," I said. "Ah, there you are quite correct. If your English public knew what was really happening-how an innocent Christian population is being slaughtered and exterminated because of international rivalry-they would cry shame upon those responsible for this wholesale murder and outrage. But" -he smiled-" I almost forget myself. My position as a ruler forbids me to talk politics, you know!" And we laughed together. "So you are going to Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania, and to Constantinople-eh?" he remarked a little later, when we had lit fresh cigarettes. "In Bulgaria, and also in Roumania, you will see many things that will interest you. The Bul- garians are very strongly armed, and so are the Roumanians." "Her Majesty the Queen of Roumania has also promised me audience," I said. "When you see her, will you please present to Her Majesty my most cordial respects. She is so very charming." "I want, Monseigneur, to visit Northern Albania, leaving Montenegro by Ryeka and Scutari. Would that be the best route, do you think?" "What!" he exclaimed, in surprise. "Do you actually contemplate visiting the tribes up in the Accursed Mountains?" "Certainly. Why not?" "Well, my advice is, don't think of going there. If you do, you will never return. You'll be shot at sight, like a dog. You have no idea what those uncivilised tribes are like. The whole country is utterly lawless." "So I understand. But I've also heard that the Albanian possesses a deep sense of honour. And I thought that I might possibly obtain permission from one or other of the chiefs." The Prince was silent for a moment. Then, looking at me across the table, said- "Do not go. It is far too great a risk." His advice was the same that my, friends in London had given me; the same that I had received there, in the market-place of Cettinje. But I was determined, and pressed His Royal Highness to assist me, at last receiving his promise of help. By his kind permission, the Albanian named Palok acted as my guide, and what eventually happened to me in that wild region will be seen in the following pages. "Well," exclaimed the Prince at last, "if you go up there, it must be at your own risk. I've warned you of the danger. No one has been up there for many years. It has been at- tempted, of course, but travellers have either been held to ransom, and the Turks have been compelled to pay for their release, or else they have simply been shot by the first Albanian meeting them. The country beyond Scutari is the most unsafe in the whole Balkan Peninsula." I replied that I intended to make the attempt. "Well, then, I wish you buon viaggio," he laughed. "May every good luck attend you, and as we say in Montenegro - S'bogom! (God be with you!) When you return for I suppose you will pass this way down to the sea-come and see me, and tell me all about the Skreli and Kastrati country -for of course I am highly interested. They are always at war with our people on the frontier." "I will let your Royal Highness know the moment I am back in Cettinje," I promised. Then rising, he gripped my hand warmly, saying- "Then I will help you if I can. Be careful of yourself, for I shall be anxious about you. Again, S'bogom!" And the Prince accompanied me to the head of the grand staircase, where I made my obeisance, turned and descended through the rows of armed and bowing servants ranged in the hall, charmed by His Royal Highness's graciousness towards me and by the pleasant chat I had enjoyed. When, after my journey through Northern Albania, I one afternoon re-entered that audience-chamber, and he came forward with outstretched hand to greet me, he exclaimed- "Well, well! I am so glad to see you back safe and sound. You look a little thinner in the face a little travel-worn- eh? Life in the Albanian mountains is not like your life in London or Paris, is it? But never mind as long as you are safe," he laughed, placing his hand kindly upon my shoulder. "Come along to this room. It is more cosy," and he led me to the smaller apartment, his own private cabinet. For nearly two hours I sat relating to him what occurred on my journey, and describing the wild country which had, until then, been practically a sealed book. Even though Cettinje is so near, hardly anything was known of the Skreli, the Hoti, the Klementi, or the Kastrati tribes, save that they were brigandish bands who constantly raided the Montenegrin frontier. The Prince listened to me with great attention, and put many questions to me as we smoked together. Then rising, he took from a drawer in his great writing- table a small scarlet box, and as he opened it he bestowed upon me a compliment undeserved, for he said - "There are few men who would have risked what you have done. Therefore I wish to invest you with our Order of Danilo, as a mark of my appreciation and esteem." And he displayed to me the beautiful dark blue and white enamelled cross of the Order, the same that he was wearing at his throat, surmounted by the royal crown and suspended upon the white ribbon edged with cerise. After he had invested me with the Order, saying many kind things to me, which I really don't think I deserved, he added- "The chef du chancellerie will send you the diploma in due course, and I trust, when you petition your own gracious Sovereign King Edward, that His Majesty will allow you to wear this insignia." I thanked His Royal Highness, gripped his hand, and a few minutes later passed through the line of bowing servants out of the Palace. And that same evening I received from His Royal Highness the signed photograph which appears in these pages. Before I left Cettinje I received the following expressive lines, written especially for me by a Montenegrin poet who is a great personage, but whose name he would not permit me to give. They are in Servian as follows, and I have placed their English translation below :- S' veledušnog Albiona Pružiše se dvije ruke Crnoj Gori da pomogu U junačke njene muke S' vrućom rječu na ustima Gladston diže Crnogorce A Tenison za najprve U svijet ih broi borce Na glas svoih Velikana Britanski se narod trže Da pomože da zaštiti Crnu Goru iz najbrže Posla svoje bojne ladje Sto na tečnost gospostvuju Veledušno da zaštite Domovinu milu Moju O fala ti po sto puta Blagorodni lyudi Soju Dok je svjeta dok je greda Nad Ulcinjem koje stoju Hraniće ti blagodarnost Ova šaka sokolova Koima si u pomoci Stiga putem od valova. The literal translation in English is as follows:- From the great-souled Albion, Two arms were stretched To help Montenegro In her heroic sufferings. With fiery word on his lips Gladstone lifts up Montenegrins, Whilst Tennyson declared them The very first fighters in the world. On the call of their great men, British people rose up In quickest manner, to help And to protect Montenegro. They despatched their war-ships, Which rule over the seas, Generously to protect My Fatherland so dear to me. Oh! thanks to thee, hundredfold thanks, Noble race of men. As long as the world lasts, As long as the mountains above Dulcigno stand, Will remain grateful to thee, This handful of falcons, To whose help thou didst come By the road of the waves. - An Observer in the Near East - William Le Queux. Publisher, E. Nash, 1907. \** https://preview.redd.it/jg36zlvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eacb8abc6368963f81177eefecbd44642c09cd97 https://preview.redd.it/7lh8gmvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=225f2bc1649240bfe5c57e72dfdaf93f28938bb7 https://preview.redd.it/2lvn8hwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6677bcd6e7d76a5f229b5ea7e61c9f0a5596ea47 https://preview.redd.it/pgqltmvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e4acf257abe5f0223c62635ecd9ac2a4f5e9614e https://preview.redd.it/xktn0ovu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14d6087bbc6b3028c40e6e978674d470e23fab35 https://preview.redd.it/4zps2mvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51e5049c7cbbc1fc455754e40e04c9b2c9a124e0 https://preview.redd.it/9qr2xrwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48f98198cad524a0157100b60325e72d6b2f1770 https://preview.redd.it/ywzpenvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7118b6072a634d6ccce1b96eaab6bebbf987e194 https://preview.redd.it/9h2y0mvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=966897fbdcca422eee9ff410852bcd8cbe89d1ae https://preview.redd.it/07po9ovu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8a078de6ef8ffc1808160270e46329f3a097d21 https://preview.redd.it/n89tenvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea8a9fee167bb25b07ec3137bd235d600cb9dbe4 https://preview.redd.it/vv7knswu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa295c8644a75b5f5a5050bf0795875f9925c3b5 https://preview.redd.it/q1jxpnvu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d7431b419b1f5c1a33dba099465285fc5ed5297 https://preview.redd.it/w44qbfwu1nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e18314ac2a333efe0b2d9301f7fba3c6d40b12f4 https://preview.redd.it/mclcb6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90e4b7fedc3b3d63ee33c7c2cbd1b990a60203f3 https://preview.redd.it/qf6829tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97e01c85545926178ccddbaee3ef4d96f2052201 https://preview.redd.it/5rqaz5tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b90176f3da386c7875f33301b02806cbfd8ec2c1 https://preview.redd.it/702o47tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f3fe6bbf9e492105e72f1a551d902ec74218d03 https://preview.redd.it/bloxg8ug2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b3d48034feb0a9f8f192e91df103a0308991c8b https://preview.redd.it/a2jhb8tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb9a7fbfbce7700a06aa50574a786668dd321727 https://preview.redd.it/jgiqu6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec2b5af58c8e25428d0c39550ed54d71e6c9188c https://preview.redd.it/ud3kc5tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73dd2e0d96ef1cae5d9d934234db8f886b543e83 https://preview.redd.it/59uib9tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b319597ac2f654c036eddec48c29e9ad539bebb https://preview.redd.it/8ahdu6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ccad4eec7cb2a6ec943633f09df5e4c6368e21a https://preview.redd.it/iat3u8ug2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd80620268744a4d40a5d90aa291c5c56a5f64a9 https://preview.redd.it/ix1wp7tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0167cb5340b66f879442cdee00459649a31d8400 https://preview.redd.it/6p3tr6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff95f8f74a7a65050a8abd518f321a186425ff92 https://preview.redd.it/iqvfy6tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0216c5b990fc3f44ac5b266cd3838b2830b295b https://preview.redd.it/d94is8tg2nzc1.jpg?width=465&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74c14118e9431762a63800f3f25ed864ea637e52 |
2024.05.10 17:01 Smolesworthy Angels II
From The Bird man’s Wife, by Melissa Ashley.
submitted by Smolesworthy to Extraordinary_Tales [link] [comments]
He spent the last evening of the trip marvelling about the composition of angel’s wings. Did they resemble bird’s wings? Were they feathered, or made of some unearthly substance?Jack Handey's take:
It's true that every time you hear a bell, an angel gets its wings. But what they don't tell you is that every time you hear a mouse trap snap, an angel gets set on fire.This piece by Robin Marsden, titled The Party’s Over.
The man dressed as an angel left us, quietly. I can remember Sara looking at me across the crowded room, making a gesture of flapping wings and then shrugging her shoulders. I glanced around then looked back to where she’d been, shaking my head, although I knew that he had already left. We had been fighting all night, ever since she told me that my cowboy costume was more camp than it was macho. Rather than retaliate by insulting her disguise (she was, after all, dressed as a nun), I had decided to vent my anger on the angel. Whenever he approached somebody to introduce himself, I would appear by his side and drunkenly insist upon the fact that angels have no genitals. The following week, the newspaper informed us that he had thrown himself under a train, still in disguise. Sara never got over the guilt and by the New Year we had split up. When I moved out, I took everything from my half of the wardrobe, but I decided to leave our costumes there together, hanging side by side, like ghosts.The Marsden passage about meeting an angel was originally a comment on one about meeting a ghost. Handey's lines connect directly to the Russell Edson poem Angels in this post.
2024.05.09 23:08 zuuzuu The Windsor Centre for Film, Digital Media & the Creative Arts is seeking donations to support this summer's Film Camp for Kids and Youth
Film Camp for Kids and Youth is where youth work together to create movies and art, while learning transferrable life skills!
Working on a filmmaking crew teaches multidisciplinary life skills that benefit every participant, in any stage of life, while in school and for future career choices in any field.
Coupled with having fun at summer camp, filmmaking teams (crews) learn:
The following is from their website:
submitted by zuuzuu to windsorontario [link] [comments]
Working on a filmmaking crew teaches multidisciplinary life skills that benefit every participant, in any stage of life, while in school and for future career choices in any field.
Coupled with having fun at summer camp, filmmaking teams (crews) learn:
- Communication Skills (writing and verbal)
- Discipline and Patience
- Listening Skills
- Team Building Skills
- Time Management (Meeting Deadlines) Skills
- Public Presentation Skills
- Creative Writing
- How to Accept the Opinions and Ideas of Others
- And more ...
The following is from their website:
Film Camp for Kids & Youth programming includes all aspects of filmmaking as well as photography, animation, and visual art instruction. We host classes in English and French, and one week of every summer, we offer an overnight filmmaking camp. We also offer special group classes as requested, e.g., on-site birthday parties, charity client sessions, and more.Click here to contribute.
Film Camp for Kids & Youth enrolls more than children and teens age 8-17 in in-person and virtual programs each summer. More than 450 different participants have attended our classes, some multiple times in one season.
Following high school, participants move into our adult classes.
While most participants are local, we do receive registrations from youth visiting families in Windsor-Essex County. Also, parents who visit the area to enjoy the regional wineries find Film Camp for Kids & Youth to be an excellent option for their kids. Our About Us page has more information for visitors.
We appreciate the support we receive from Downtown Windsor business owners who open their doors to our filmmakers, photographers, and artists. Today, we employ about 15-20 staff each summer through Canada Summer Jobs who lead walking tours and supervise real-life “on set” experiences. Our filmmaking participants make approximately 25-40 short films over the summer (pre-covid – 4 per week), and the array of “sets” in the neighbourhood makes downtown Windsor a perfect location for our program.
- Animation
- Acting for Film
- Cinematography
- Costume Design
- Directing
- Editing
- Graphic Design
- Photography
- Miniature Model Making
- Scoring Music to Film
- Screenplay Writing
- Set Building
- Set Design
- Stop Motion
- Storytelling and Creative Writing
- Visual Art
- And more …
2024.05.09 18:59 Blueberry-Butterfly7 Possible to pass upcoming NPLQ (in 2 weeks) if not a strong swimmer?
Hi, I was wondering if someone might be able to help.
I have a job lined up at a Canadian Summer Camp as a general counsellor (not a lifeguard) however I've just been asked if I could get an NPLQ before coming as they want all staff to have one for 'just in case' emergencies. I've told them I haven't properly swam in a while (I can swim and swam casually in a lake last year but wouldn't call my self a strong swimmer). The only course I can find before I head out is in ~2 weeks. I know I can tread water for the 30seconds, and swim 100m continuously (as long as there's no time limit) but I'm not entirely sure if 50m in 60seconds is something I can still do. From Sunday I'll be able to access a pool to practice and I like to think I'd be able to achieve the 50m in 60seconds. Would passing the NPLQ seem feasible or am I completely nuts for thinking that?
(Want to clarify again that the position is not a lifeguard and there will always be an actual lifeguard at the camp but it's just a safety precaution they've introduced for this year._
Thanks in advance :)
submitted by Blueberry-Butterfly7 to Lifeguards [link] [comments]
I have a job lined up at a Canadian Summer Camp as a general counsellor (not a lifeguard) however I've just been asked if I could get an NPLQ before coming as they want all staff to have one for 'just in case' emergencies. I've told them I haven't properly swam in a while (I can swim and swam casually in a lake last year but wouldn't call my self a strong swimmer). The only course I can find before I head out is in ~2 weeks. I know I can tread water for the 30seconds, and swim 100m continuously (as long as there's no time limit) but I'm not entirely sure if 50m in 60seconds is something I can still do. From Sunday I'll be able to access a pool to practice and I like to think I'd be able to achieve the 50m in 60seconds. Would passing the NPLQ seem feasible or am I completely nuts for thinking that?
(Want to clarify again that the position is not a lifeguard and there will always be an actual lifeguard at the camp but it's just a safety precaution they've introduced for this year._
Thanks in advance :)
2024.05.09 10:10 waninoko1 At wits end on cat constipation issue (long post)
Species: Cat - Siamese, Age: unknown, at least 10, spayed female, 11 lbs, Texas area
My cat has been having an ongoing problem that has significantly increased in frequency and intensity this year. To preface: She has always had small and hard stools but never showed issues with passing her bowel movements so I didn't think to pay attention to it (and I had a second cat until recently, so it was sometimes hard to tell whose was whose). She gets wet food in the mornings and night and has a dry food bowl to graze on since overeating isn't an issue. She's also had at least 2 litters of kittens before we adopted her, so I've concluded she was at least 2 when we adopted her, and we've had her since March 2016. She's fully indoors, only pet (now), with only elevated balcony outdoor access. Currently only eats Royal Canin PD wet and dry (see more below).
On and off for the past two-three years, she will sometimes go into the litter box constantly scratching around, trying to go and nothing coming out, and would go in and out for a while. Usually she'd do this about 4 times, then vomit once or twice (from straining), and quit. This would occur maybe once every couple months. Then she's start to keep going into the box after vomiting, scratching around, in and out, for almost an hour (usually vomiting between 'rounds'). Since it only happened once in a while, we just through she was being quirky, or it was an issue with the litter box not being clean enough, the second cat's poop in the box, etc, so we tried to keep it cleaner for her. At the time we didn't make the connection between the pooping and vomit alternating.
But towards the second half of last year, the frequency had started to become every other month, then once a month, and she would do it for over an hour, and then began to poop on things outside the litterbox (the rug, paper, boxes, fabric/clothes on the floor etc). At one point it was going on for over an hour and she had vomited three times and showed no signs of stopping, so I took her to a vet right away (where she of course stopped doing anything). (This was also a different vet than her usual, it was the only way to get her seen that day). The vet said her colon felt empty so it wasn't a blockage so we couldn't imagine why she was continuing to strain herself to go when nothing was in there. When I brought her back it was like nothing had every happened. I would try to keep an eye on her movements and other than these episodes, she seemed to have no problem passing stool or urinating.
However, by the time the frequency had increased to monthly, she had started to do the pooping outside the litterbox issue more often. My other cat passed away around this time (october), and since the start of the year, this behavior has increased to every two weeks or less. I looked into all the foods I had fed her in the past before this started happening and couldn't find any ingredients in particular that could be a potential trigger to this. The other cat also had the opposite issue (really loose stool to diarrhea, but he was also hyper thyroid). I also tried to address her hard stools by increasing the water availability since she was adverse to drinking (previously it was only in the kitchen, but since she mostly hangs out in my bedroom, I put a bowl in there and another next to her food on her cat tower and now she has increased her water intake a lot and pees accordingly, but her stools are still small and hard). The only time I got her stool to soften up was when I gave her miralax by my vet's recommendation to address constipation. And then it kinda went more in the opposite direction, I can't think of why I completely discontinued use though (maybe to start from a control point with the stuff below).
Since this has become almost weekly, she strains so hard to go she looks like she's going to prolapse, and nothing is there. She strains until she is passing liquids, which she then drips around on everything and leaks onto stuff while sitting around, and keeps doing it until it's almost odorless, colorless liquid coming from her bum. When she does manage to get something out, it's plaps of diarrhea at that point, and now she is starting to poop on the carpet in my bedroom if I'm not home when it happens (this MOSTLY happens around 6-8 AM when I'm trying to sleep, but she does it during the day too. Curiously, it's never happened at night.)
The worst was when we went out of the house for the eclipse on the 8th and came back to two piles of diarrhea on the carpet, two piles of vomit on the tile, and poop essence on the couch, the rug, all my blankets where she had sat, her blanket, the newspaper in several decoy boxes I have set up in the apartment...I had to wash everything. She did this again while I was out of town most of the day last friday and I came back to more vomit and two much more difficult piles of diarrhea on the carpet, and I've since found out she also pooped on my camp chair that I didn't realize was on the floor, and my under bed storage which leaked onto several unwashable costumes, as well as vomit all under the bed that I somehow never noticed. I'm at the point where I don't feel like I can allow her to have bedroom access (her favorite spot) if I leave the house because she's slowly destroying my things. I'm so worried it's going to escalate to jumping onto book shelves and counters and pooping on books or my rock collection (my place is really small so there's stuff just everywhere, which is how I keep finding more and more soiled things long after the fact. As mentioned before, I have several decoy shoe boxes with newspaper for the times she gives up using the litter box and removed most everything else she'd be likely to poop on since then.)
I've been working with my regular vet since the beginning of the year on this. She also doesn't find any blockage or fullness when the behavior is happening, so she's concluded it seems to be constipation at the root which is then turning to a 'false alarm' to go which causes her to keep straining to go when nothing is really there anymore, and then vomiting from the strain. We switched her to royal canin prescription PD (hydrolyzed protein) wet and dry food, in hopes that it would normalize her poops and maybe she'd have a normal bowel movement for once, and that if it was a sensitivity, that the limited ingredients and simple protein will reduce this irritation she's experiencing in her bowels. She was on it since march 1st and didn't have an episode until the april 8th disaster, and since then she has had an episode on the 23rd, then the 3rd and again today (9th). Today she specifically did not vomit though, but did strain a lot and leaked a little onto the couch.
The vet has also given me a steroid (prednisolone) to give her to reduce the inflammation in the colon caused from her straining, but i found it impossible to give to her (the first time she spit the whole .4 ml dose up, and any time I tried after that I could barely give her .1 ml before she'd spit it up and run away and then start avoiding me. I can't mask any medicine in her food, she just refuses it and then won't eat, and I don't want to traumatize her trying to force the medicine on her.) Despite this problem, she has not lost any weight through this whole time. And though the situation has gotten worse and she now seems tired and upset while it's occurring, once it's over, she acts like nothing bad has ever happened in her life and demands wet food.
I'm just at my wits end, I don't know what to do anymore to help her feel better and put an end to this, and not be jolted awake every time she gets in the litter box while I'm asleep, and not have to worry about her pooping on all my things if i dare to step out. I don't think it's an anxiety thing since it's been happening for a while and usually occurs while me and my husband are both home asleep, but I wouldn't doubt that maybe it's making it worse? The vet says it'll take up to 3 months for the food to fully take effect, but if she keeps doing this every week as is I'm getting skeptical it'll get better. We haven't done any imaging or stool testing but I think that's the next step if nothing changes.
She pretty much just sits on her pillow all day sleeping besides play time and getting up to eat and go outside on the balcony for a bit, then tokyo drifting at night after using the litter box. I can't think of anything she could get into, and she's never been a wire muncher (or anything, really, she doesn't tend to mess with stuff). My previous cat was a major trash and plant muncher, so while my place is unkempt I always make sure there's never plastic or strings on the ground they could get a hold of. I make sure to not use anything with essential oils or teatree (including my own shampoo and detergent), I have no plants she has access to besides two cactus on the balcony, and she disliked the other cat so I'm not sure that his disappearance is affecting her (in fact she got pretty jealous when I played a video of him). Is there ANYTHING I should be looking out for or we're not considering? Has anyone else experienced this?? I just don't know what to do...it's getting hard to live this way.
submitted by waninoko1 to AskVet [link] [comments]
My cat has been having an ongoing problem that has significantly increased in frequency and intensity this year. To preface: She has always had small and hard stools but never showed issues with passing her bowel movements so I didn't think to pay attention to it (and I had a second cat until recently, so it was sometimes hard to tell whose was whose). She gets wet food in the mornings and night and has a dry food bowl to graze on since overeating isn't an issue. She's also had at least 2 litters of kittens before we adopted her, so I've concluded she was at least 2 when we adopted her, and we've had her since March 2016. She's fully indoors, only pet (now), with only elevated balcony outdoor access. Currently only eats Royal Canin PD wet and dry (see more below).
On and off for the past two-three years, she will sometimes go into the litter box constantly scratching around, trying to go and nothing coming out, and would go in and out for a while. Usually she'd do this about 4 times, then vomit once or twice (from straining), and quit. This would occur maybe once every couple months. Then she's start to keep going into the box after vomiting, scratching around, in and out, for almost an hour (usually vomiting between 'rounds'). Since it only happened once in a while, we just through she was being quirky, or it was an issue with the litter box not being clean enough, the second cat's poop in the box, etc, so we tried to keep it cleaner for her. At the time we didn't make the connection between the pooping and vomit alternating.
But towards the second half of last year, the frequency had started to become every other month, then once a month, and she would do it for over an hour, and then began to poop on things outside the litterbox (the rug, paper, boxes, fabric/clothes on the floor etc). At one point it was going on for over an hour and she had vomited three times and showed no signs of stopping, so I took her to a vet right away (where she of course stopped doing anything). (This was also a different vet than her usual, it was the only way to get her seen that day). The vet said her colon felt empty so it wasn't a blockage so we couldn't imagine why she was continuing to strain herself to go when nothing was in there. When I brought her back it was like nothing had every happened. I would try to keep an eye on her movements and other than these episodes, she seemed to have no problem passing stool or urinating.
However, by the time the frequency had increased to monthly, she had started to do the pooping outside the litterbox issue more often. My other cat passed away around this time (october), and since the start of the year, this behavior has increased to every two weeks or less. I looked into all the foods I had fed her in the past before this started happening and couldn't find any ingredients in particular that could be a potential trigger to this. The other cat also had the opposite issue (really loose stool to diarrhea, but he was also hyper thyroid). I also tried to address her hard stools by increasing the water availability since she was adverse to drinking (previously it was only in the kitchen, but since she mostly hangs out in my bedroom, I put a bowl in there and another next to her food on her cat tower and now she has increased her water intake a lot and pees accordingly, but her stools are still small and hard). The only time I got her stool to soften up was when I gave her miralax by my vet's recommendation to address constipation. And then it kinda went more in the opposite direction, I can't think of why I completely discontinued use though (maybe to start from a control point with the stuff below).
Since this has become almost weekly, she strains so hard to go she looks like she's going to prolapse, and nothing is there. She strains until she is passing liquids, which she then drips around on everything and leaks onto stuff while sitting around, and keeps doing it until it's almost odorless, colorless liquid coming from her bum. When she does manage to get something out, it's plaps of diarrhea at that point, and now she is starting to poop on the carpet in my bedroom if I'm not home when it happens (this MOSTLY happens around 6-8 AM when I'm trying to sleep, but she does it during the day too. Curiously, it's never happened at night.)
The worst was when we went out of the house for the eclipse on the 8th and came back to two piles of diarrhea on the carpet, two piles of vomit on the tile, and poop essence on the couch, the rug, all my blankets where she had sat, her blanket, the newspaper in several decoy boxes I have set up in the apartment...I had to wash everything. She did this again while I was out of town most of the day last friday and I came back to more vomit and two much more difficult piles of diarrhea on the carpet, and I've since found out she also pooped on my camp chair that I didn't realize was on the floor, and my under bed storage which leaked onto several unwashable costumes, as well as vomit all under the bed that I somehow never noticed. I'm at the point where I don't feel like I can allow her to have bedroom access (her favorite spot) if I leave the house because she's slowly destroying my things. I'm so worried it's going to escalate to jumping onto book shelves and counters and pooping on books or my rock collection (my place is really small so there's stuff just everywhere, which is how I keep finding more and more soiled things long after the fact. As mentioned before, I have several decoy shoe boxes with newspaper for the times she gives up using the litter box and removed most everything else she'd be likely to poop on since then.)
I've been working with my regular vet since the beginning of the year on this. She also doesn't find any blockage or fullness when the behavior is happening, so she's concluded it seems to be constipation at the root which is then turning to a 'false alarm' to go which causes her to keep straining to go when nothing is really there anymore, and then vomiting from the strain. We switched her to royal canin prescription PD (hydrolyzed protein) wet and dry food, in hopes that it would normalize her poops and maybe she'd have a normal bowel movement for once, and that if it was a sensitivity, that the limited ingredients and simple protein will reduce this irritation she's experiencing in her bowels. She was on it since march 1st and didn't have an episode until the april 8th disaster, and since then she has had an episode on the 23rd, then the 3rd and again today (9th). Today she specifically did not vomit though, but did strain a lot and leaked a little onto the couch.
The vet has also given me a steroid (prednisolone) to give her to reduce the inflammation in the colon caused from her straining, but i found it impossible to give to her (the first time she spit the whole .4 ml dose up, and any time I tried after that I could barely give her .1 ml before she'd spit it up and run away and then start avoiding me. I can't mask any medicine in her food, she just refuses it and then won't eat, and I don't want to traumatize her trying to force the medicine on her.) Despite this problem, she has not lost any weight through this whole time. And though the situation has gotten worse and she now seems tired and upset while it's occurring, once it's over, she acts like nothing bad has ever happened in her life and demands wet food.
I'm just at my wits end, I don't know what to do anymore to help her feel better and put an end to this, and not be jolted awake every time she gets in the litter box while I'm asleep, and not have to worry about her pooping on all my things if i dare to step out. I don't think it's an anxiety thing since it's been happening for a while and usually occurs while me and my husband are both home asleep, but I wouldn't doubt that maybe it's making it worse? The vet says it'll take up to 3 months for the food to fully take effect, but if she keeps doing this every week as is I'm getting skeptical it'll get better. We haven't done any imaging or stool testing but I think that's the next step if nothing changes.
She pretty much just sits on her pillow all day sleeping besides play time and getting up to eat and go outside on the balcony for a bit, then tokyo drifting at night after using the litter box. I can't think of anything she could get into, and she's never been a wire muncher (or anything, really, she doesn't tend to mess with stuff). My previous cat was a major trash and plant muncher, so while my place is unkempt I always make sure there's never plastic or strings on the ground they could get a hold of. I make sure to not use anything with essential oils or teatree (including my own shampoo and detergent), I have no plants she has access to besides two cactus on the balcony, and she disliked the other cat so I'm not sure that his disappearance is affecting her (in fact she got pretty jealous when I played a video of him). Is there ANYTHING I should be looking out for or we're not considering? Has anyone else experienced this?? I just don't know what to do...it's getting hard to live this way.
2024.05.09 02:17 Colek2000 Full Time Jobs Without Degree
Hello I am 24 Years Old And Have ten years camper experience and a few years on and off Volunteer consular experience for sick children. I have always wanted a career in camp. However I have academic barriers that would make getting an associate degree or a bachelor degree virtually impossible. However I want a job in can't so badly working with kids especially those with chronic illnesses Like I'm accustomed to.
I love doing this more than I have anything else in my life And truly gives my life true purpose. I've had this bus aide job That completely contradicts my personality as a non screamer non yeller and I feel like a complete jerk most days. I grew up at Organ transplant camp growing up for 9 years and went to a teen camp for 1 year. And I was A volunteer counselor for a camp in Michigan. That serves children with chronic illnesses. Where I grew up going to transplant camp . That camp went on a long hiatus Due to the pandemic and the financial constraints that it put on the camp therefore we moved down to Central Ohio where I have been hapilly a volunteer counsellor there and this is my second year there.
They serve a variety of chronic Illnesses as well as mental illnesses. And I love it I miss it and crave it wildly what I'm not there. Camp has been downloaded deep in my blood since I was a little Kid. I have the heart to do anything for these kids I have sensory issues you see and I've let campers cover me from head to Tow in paint. Have had a little girls dress me up. Normally stuff I would never do if someone even paid me too but I do it for them in a heartbeat! So the question is what does a motivated driven guy like me have to do in order to get a full-time camp job My dad as much as I love him doesn't believe that there's an opportunity for me out there but I have sincerely believe there anything out there for me is there any hope?
submitted by Colek2000 to summercamp [link] [comments]
I love doing this more than I have anything else in my life And truly gives my life true purpose. I've had this bus aide job That completely contradicts my personality as a non screamer non yeller and I feel like a complete jerk most days. I grew up at Organ transplant camp growing up for 9 years and went to a teen camp for 1 year. And I was A volunteer counselor for a camp in Michigan. That serves children with chronic illnesses. Where I grew up going to transplant camp . That camp went on a long hiatus Due to the pandemic and the financial constraints that it put on the camp therefore we moved down to Central Ohio where I have been hapilly a volunteer counsellor there and this is my second year there.
They serve a variety of chronic Illnesses as well as mental illnesses. And I love it I miss it and crave it wildly what I'm not there. Camp has been downloaded deep in my blood since I was a little Kid. I have the heart to do anything for these kids I have sensory issues you see and I've let campers cover me from head to Tow in paint. Have had a little girls dress me up. Normally stuff I would never do if someone even paid me too but I do it for them in a heartbeat! So the question is what does a motivated driven guy like me have to do in order to get a full-time camp job My dad as much as I love him doesn't believe that there's an opportunity for me out there but I have sincerely believe there anything out there for me is there any hope?
2024.05.08 06:34 JananSW Costume Ideas/Help
Hello everyone! My partner and I will be attending the Texas Renaissance Faire for the first time this year and will be camping for the weekend. Kicker is I'm a masc presenting intersex male who is pregnant and due in December, so l'll be large and in charge by then.
Does anyone have any fun or neat costume ideas for my situation? I'm pretty slender and didn't gain much weight with my first spawnling except for the belly if that's any indication on how this one will go, but we’ll see how this one goes. I'm not very creative so will probably piece it together through Etsy or Amazon. The goal is to be extra comfy. Especially looking for ideas regarding shoe options.
My partner is saying he won't bother dressing up (lame!) but I want to put a little effort into something, even if it's something simple.
As an aside, any suggestions on which clan spots are a must for first timers to visit? Thanks in advance and hope to see you there! 🧙🏼♂️
submitted by JananSW to renfaire [link] [comments]
Does anyone have any fun or neat costume ideas for my situation? I'm pretty slender and didn't gain much weight with my first spawnling except for the belly if that's any indication on how this one will go, but we’ll see how this one goes. I'm not very creative so will probably piece it together through Etsy or Amazon. The goal is to be extra comfy. Especially looking for ideas regarding shoe options.
My partner is saying he won't bother dressing up (lame!) but I want to put a little effort into something, even if it's something simple.
As an aside, any suggestions on which clan spots are a must for first timers to visit? Thanks in advance and hope to see you there! 🧙🏼♂️