The story of Eiyuden is OK for me, it's tempered because of the E10+ rating and was only kind of good when Kenan betrayed us (but then it ended up being anticlimactic). During the whole story, it felt like nothing was at stakes (we could freely go around occupied towns, Seign despite being a traitor could walk around Ardinale like it was nothing. Meanwhile, in Suikoden III, we had Chris Lightfellow changing her appearance because it would not make sense if she could walk freely around the Grasslands after burning the Karaya Village to the ground. In Suikoden V, the Prince, Lyon, Sialeeds had to disguise himself from time to time, otherwise the enemy would recognise him).
So here's how I would change some of the story:

1. Make Lian less annoying
2. Put more interactions with the Watch. Maybe do 1 small mission (which also functions as a kind of tutorial) before meeting Seign. In this mission we should see more bonding between the members.
3. After discovering the Primal Lens, maybe do 1 more mission with Seign that can further strengthen the friendship between Nowa and Seign. Maybe bringing the Primal Lens to the Dux in Ardinale, and then we start seeing that he's an unsettling character (like when we first met Marscal and Gizel in Stormfist)
4. After the six months jump, do a mission where Nowa saves Garr's life or smthg (maybe Garr being held hostage by Hurstwine or something so that he can take the blame for the purported attacks on Galdean border), so that it makes sense that he then becomes the captain of the Watch.
5. In Kyshiri, start by having a feast between Nowa and the villagers and Aunt Martha to see how nice people they are. And then when the attack came, burn the village to the ground, have some villagers being slaughtered and Aunt Martha killed. We need to see more rage from Nowa, and maybe Nowa crying after. Seign rescuing the villagers so that none of them died is really out of place here, it's better to have more drama and make us feel bad that these good people were slaughtered. This also gives us more tension with Leene, we don't really know where she is (instead of Aunt Martha saying she is on adventure), and we can have cutscenes of Nowa worrying and Mio and Lian trying to console him.
6. Eltisweiss war: explain how the Galdeans suddenly appeared out of the mountains and occupied Werne.
7. Sneaking into Werne: have Nowa meet Seign to have a dramatic cutscene, and then Hildi seeing them and sounding the alarm. Maybe one of the members of the Watch can stay to hold the enemies and be arrested to add more drama.
8. I didn't really get how there's suddenly an abandoned castle connected to the abandoned mines. Maybe when we sneaked there and saw Kogen etc, we could have more scenes exploring how they found the castle, how they have been living there, etc.
9. Siege of Eltisweiss: Perrielle being let go is not so outlandish, but it really removes the tension and it felt like nothing was at stakes. It would be better if she was under house arrest in her manor, and later we have to rescue her.
10. I don't like how we can freely walk around Eltisweiss to play Beigoma with Reid and Dr. Corque. Also didn't Seign destroy the gate in the war, but suddenly the gate was left intact?
11. Seign's defection was too fast, the infiltration to the laboratory should have been before the defection. It will make more sense that way. Also it may be a good Pahn moment to have one of them (maybe Hildi) not defecting immediately, but only later after some convincing. Also Seign's defection should have led him to being forced to fight his father in battle, that would have been really interesting + Teo moment.
12. The chimaeras in the laboratory could have been made of the corpses of the people of Grum County being deformed by the Primal Lens, so not just those adept in lens magic. That could also explain the Dux's war: to get human sacrifices. This will really raise the stakes of losing, and makes Perrielle's confrontational approach more questionable: she indirectly brought her people's demise by being so oppositional to the Dux. This can also be used to explain Valmaurice's betrayal: the Dux promised him League lands that can be resettled by dragonewts.
13. Invasion of Hishahn: explain how the imperial army can cross mountains without logistic problems.
14. The attack on Yarnaan was kind of random also, why?
15. I will end here because it's getting too long, but I would certainly not make things anticlimatic right after we were in such a desperate situation after Athrabalt. I also wonder how those sharks could bring those ships through the mountains to reach the great seas...

It's such a shame that the story could have been amazing, but it has been tempered to have a more lighthearted feeling + be more accessible for more people. I guess we'll see if this decision is more justified from a financial perspective.

By the dus-gunshot
Filthy Cascadian...
By the love of God do I love this fucking mission. I fucking love the fact over fifty thousand soldiers have been annihilated under legal international law. The Federation had been on the Backfoot of the Magadan invasion since mission 11 and this is where the tides truly turn to drown Cascadia whole.
The mission briefing already starts saying that there will be no more fuckery in Magadan. The bulk of federation military power has arrived to put an end to the filthy spawns of dust. The PACFED Warmachine is a slumbering titan that has been poked too much and the result is very damn clear by now.
Cascadia will be pacified.
<< Several Peacekeeper IFFs has started vectoring towards our position now! We need to move! >>
Steel, Onyx, Tanager, Ivory, Black, Jade.
6 GODDAMN PEACEKEEPER SQUADRONS PLUS THE MAD DOGS OF MAGADAN, K9 SQUADRON.
And the soundtrack... Oh, the soundtrack. Jose Pavli you are a King. World on Fire is so thematically fitting, since the world was set ablaze by the very thing that ultimately started this mess: Cordium. It's even in the air.
<< Fire the Willy-Pete! It'll mix with the Cordium! >>
But here? You can feel the anger of every Federation soldier.
<< Look at me you piece of shit! Tell me what you did to this country! >>
Every gun, every tank, every available aircraft. We will fire upon the retreating Cascadians until they all return to the dust they worship.
Driver and K9 fucked over Faust's invasion so hard she went the Torres route. Faust had an entire invasion force, a fleet, air superiority and mercenary support. It all came apart thanks to a bunch of weekend warriors and a silly little rally driver.
Seriously, who the fuck expected a jet to fly under an the entirety of highway 1? Who could be so mad?
Then it all comes to a breaking point here, Magadan Front. Cascadia is just scorching the earth and trying their best to retreat with their lives while the Federation chases right behind with a vengeance. I'm fully convinced that if there were children anywhere around the area, K9 squad would transform into pitbulls to exterminate Cascadian scum more efficiently.
Chad Woodward, the only Cascadian worthy of life, tries to keep the house of cards from combusting in the wake of Faust's caramelldansen rave, even asking for a ceasefire to get everyone home.
<< Crystal Kingdom denies the request. >>
Being ultimately forced leave almost the entire invasion force stranded on the beach with no way home and death breathing down their neck.
<< Proceed with hostilities. >>
The Cascadians fight to the last, but the Federation Warmachine is fueled by blood.
<< K9, do what needs to be done. >>
The mercenaries decided to jump ship at this point. There's no victory or payment to be had when the people you are fighting for have their backs against the wall and are resorting to suicide tactics.
<< Get away from him, he's holding a grenade! >>
It's not a battle, it's a massacre.
<< Engage until the enemy is no factor. No one invades the Federation. >>
It's at this point where the soundtrack really puts the mindset of the feds into perspective for this battle:
Pure bloodlust.
The comms make it very clear that the Cascadians are desperate and panicking. They have nowhere to run to and are facing the fury of the entire Pacific Federation armed forces, entirely without support or escape.
Some say a cornered animal fights the hardest, but the Federation brought a shotgun.
Cascadia will burn.
Pax Federation.

Hi all, I started to play chess last year, now I'm rated 1300 rapid on chess.com tho these last couple of months I've started playing OTB with unexpectedly good results against strong opposition.
Yesterday I've had this game OTB against an almost 1800 rated player (I was black):
https://www.chess.com/analysis/library/4WfgGj2QkN?tab=review
I had a good advantage out of the middle game and I was overall happy with my game, I think I had some good ideas and such. Thing is OTB is very different than online playing since online such a game would be easily won after the middle game, while OTB you fight for 2 and a half hours only to reach a position where things are unclear.
I think from a practical standpoint 35...Bf6 allowing the rook to get in by Rc7+ was a strategical mistake, but at that point I didn't know what to do and was overwhelmed by the complications
I eventually blundered my advantage and a drawn endgame after 3 hours of playing, and it was the most crushing feeling.
Is there a way to actually get better at this kind of stuff?

Devouring Cancer

________________________________________________________________________________
Meat. /mi:t/
Me it. /mi/ /:t/
It me. /:t/ /mi/
It’s me…
We are eating ones of ourselves…
________________________________________________________________________________
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
/C̶̢͈̈̂͒̀̋̾̓͌Ô̶̻͉̠̱͈̳̮N̸̫̹̱̯̣̣̻̐̽͒̎̃̆̕͜Ǹ̴̛̛͙̫̇E̴͕̮̻͇̒͐̀C̶̳̤̠͔̺̚T̴̘̑̈́̂͛̂̏E̶̡̩̝̮͇̤̣̋̏͗D.
/Mellator Matrix Mind: Inner Core.
/Unit: great [AVALON] the first
/G.R. Era.
/Memory File transmission: Generalized perspective
/Gender: N/A[Neutral]
/Age: {Human equivalent: 2001 years}
/Race: Grrrr’atrrr
/Species: N/A[Hive Mind]
/ Additional verification: Class>>> [Cancer Cells]
/Cradle planet: Ci-3301
/Home planet origin: Mupan
/First person POV not applicable. Generalized Spectator mode.
/Sequence Code: 5-18-5-8 19-1-23 20-8-7-9-14-11-5-12-2-13-21-8
/Memory transmission in 3…2…1…
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Hunger…
It’s all that drives us. It’s all that unites, connects us… All that pulls us, all that defines and binds us…
Our story began long ago. It all started with a single parasite cell. Not the greatest primordial ancestor indeed, but every Apex Predator started somewhere. But back to our history… That very first cell was our first grandmother, as well as the beginning of our entire civilization. Hard to tell what was the trigger for it’s evolutionary change, as time wipes all. Perhaps it was desire to become something better? Awakening? Or maybe just spontaneous mutation in one of the genome chains, occurring by changes in environment? It really doesn’t matter. All what matters is that that cell evolved…
It didn’t happened quickly of course. Our first grandmother was no different than an average cancer cell that is present in nearly every life form, even us. It just growed into one small neoplasm, or simply, a cancer tumor. But that tumor slowly made it’s way to the brain. We know that because that’s how we, as well as our ancestors, assimilated everything for millennia…
It is impossible to determine which one of the prey species was honored to become the meal of our first ancestor, but it was clear that that feast was something that never happened before. That tumor did not just sucked the nutrients dry till the brain dies from the protein starvation, taking the tumor along the way with it. No, that tumor assimilated it. And that tumor learned. Learned from it. And it saw the world for the first time.
Assimilation is not as easy as other inferior beings think. First, your cell needs to find the prey cell. Then it needs to envelop the cytoplasm of that cell to properly assimilate it. However, after assimilating the “Host”, your cells need to take properties of assimilated cells and even function for the prey organism for the time being so it won’t suspect anything. It is a long, tedious and fatiguing process. That’s why we just ambush other prey organisms, tear them apart, and devour them for protein supplies, to avoid all that bustling.
And say what, the prey doesn’t make it easier for us either. As our first ancestors quickly learned, prey can be sentient too. It is inferior, weak, pathetic… And yet it can create great weapons to stop us. For [decades] these beings create astonishing amount of that pesky, venomous and disgusting antibiotics and chemicals to kill our minds. For thousands of [years] they set our flesh on fire, making us scream as we die in agony cell by cell.
And yet we prevail. When they make those chemistry compounds they call “Cure”, we gain immunity to it. When they set our bodies ablaze, we spray them with our blood and teeth, making their bodies to slowly blister as we eat them inside out. When they close their doors on us, we use ventilations, slithering right above their heads or below their {feet}. When they use special protection suits, we just tear them apart. And when they completely quarantine themselves, thinking that they are safe, we pretend to be one of them, striking from behind…
What is the most amazing thing about this prey? Well, aside that their flesh is delicious… They are clever. And they know how to build stuff. Weapons, tools, technology… Everything to increase the odds of survivability and comfort of their pathetic kind. And by devouring their minds, we gain all this knowledge as well! We learned how to grow cattle to saturate our hunger, we learned how to create faster means of transportation that even the fastest members of our swarm can’t out-crawl with their appendages. And most importantly; we learned how to reach the skies…
Among the prey species that we feast upon, there was a special class, or caste, of highly educated specimens, who called themselves “scientists”. These specimens learned how to use metal, fuel, radiation, and other inedible and in some cases straight up harmful components of nature, and turned them into what they called “Spacecraft”. A special vehicle, capable of leaving the atmosphere of our planet. Something that sounded like fantasy, even for the boldest ones of us, who sometimes managed to grow wings and flew high in the sky. It was a fantasy until we consumed their heads and the knowledge they possessed along the way. From them we gained knowledge of the schematics of these space vessels, and most importantly; the schematics of FTL drives. Devices capable of traveling among the stars with “superluminal” speed. And so, after conquering and discovering each and every corner of our planet, we soared to the great unknown, right into the void…

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
/Transmission mode: Spectator. Centralized perspective.
/Subject: Verrruur. Grrrr’atrrr. Lead hive mind of the Hunter Fleets.
/Transmission in 3…2…1…
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
We flew among the stars in our glorious ships made out of strongest titanium fusions and covered in our eternal flesh. Yes, what wasn’t made out of the metal hulls and electronics, was made out of sheer muscles and flesh tissue. So many cells… So much nutrition… We could withstand decades without the food and still hunt like our greatest hunters back on Mupan(Apparently, that’s how prior sentient prey species happened to call our planet, and we didn’t really bother to rename it, as for us it was widely known as just plain“Ground, floor, or land”). Our strongest weapons, combined with our most dissolving acid spitters, made us the strongest and most feared hunters, “cementing” our history as the strongest Apex Predators in the galaxy! We defeated, devoured, and assimilated everything… It did not matter if our enemy was a leviathan, an enemy prey fleet, or even an entire planet. If it could be eaten, it was eaten…
Until it wasn’t…
On yet another great crusade in search of delicacy for our insatiable fleets, our sensors captured a strange, but nonetheless familiar signal. The impulse of FTL drive. We made a serious double, and even triple checking of our radars to avoid a major nutritional loss due to false readings. After our intels captured, properly verified, and confirmed the signal, our intercoms just exploded with thousands of jaws:
“Food?”
“Food…”
“ Food! FOOD!!! Food! Food! Delicious prey! Food! We shall… FEAST! Food! Yes!!! Food! FOOD!!! We haven’t ate for [Month]! At last… Some good food… Food! Juicy food… Flesh of prey…
Food! The succulent meat…”
Yes, we felt joy. And anticipation of hunting down these unknown but likely very delicious organisms. It was like opening the present. You don’t know what was inside these flying metal cans, but you sure know that it was likely to be something edible.
Oh, we never were so wrong in our glorious history.
We did not saw them at first, that’s how black and cloaked they were. When we finally identified our “prey” we saw it was a small cluster of black ellipsoids, just hovering there. They did not tried to contact us, like other naive prey organisms did. They were completely silent...
“We will smash you like the eggs you are!” we foolishly thought back then...
They slowly turned frontwards when we approached them. Their range was astonishing, picking our smallest drones instantly before they could even scream, like if they were the candles that these black horrors just blew out.
When we finally reached the required distance and fired our acid sacks and laser guns however, they were still there, not blowing up, retreating, or even moving an [inch]. Then we opened all the airlocks(if we weren’t already outside) and enveloped their ships in our mighty grip, not stopping to pour their shields with our acids and plasma. Usually, after a few unpleasant zaps of enemy shields, they just popped and the ships just were crack open like the [nuts].
But not them...
They did not crumble and exposed their hulls with screaming prey just getting sucked out in the vacuum as usual, no, instead they started to grow bright red. Redder than our flesh and blood…
And burned. Burned stronger and more painful than any flame. Our drones roared in pain but we couldn’t hear any of their songs of torture in this vacuum of silent space. Hundreds of megatons of our flesh clusters was just turned in ashes or were torn off and become drifted dead lumps of burnt meat. Our intercoms filled with screams of fear and agony, our minds losing their mass and density, turning into undeveloped children.
"Father? It hurts…” could be heard from countless drones. And any of them that tried to escape, were sniped with red beams of such accuracy, that our best spitters could only dream of. It didn’t last long when we were the only operating guide ship of entire Armada that was so ingloriously butchered. And then we felt the warmth…
No… NO!
All weapons of this black "eggs" were pointed at us, our last mind. The last memories flashed as we slowly were burned to death. The last though of our last tumor was the realization that there was someone stronger than us. Someone who cannot be eaten. The bigger Predator…
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
/Memory transmission File disconnected.
/Reason: Biological death of the Subject.
/Cause of death: Sterilization.
/End of data log.
/D̵̛̤̂͜I̵̢͎̬̍̄̂͌͋S̴̢̛̙͇̯̽̔̾́͝C̸̭͓̰̤͋͆́ͅÓ̴͖̜̯̻͂̃̉N̵̨̧̦͙̳̍̾̕N̴͙̬͓̽̃̂̇͂͝E̵̠̬̠͉͒C̵̢̛͚̪̭̭̼̿̎T̶̝̈́͋͘͜Ì̸̢̱̙̤̽͑̽̈́̍ͅŌ̵̗̬̑̍̽̒N̷͖͖̗̗͚͈͗͛...
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.
Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten
Critics Consensus: Back to Black's sympathetic approach to its subject's story is an overdue antidote to the tabloid treatment she often received in life, even if the end results are disappointingly pedestrian.

	Score	Number of Reviews	Average Rating
All Critics	36%	69	4.50/10
Top Critics	38%	24	4.50/10

Metacritic: 49 (18 Reviews)
Sample Reviews:
The film’s snaky on-and-off power begins with the British actor Marisa Abela, whose lead performance nails Amy Winehouse in every look, mood, utterance, and musical expression. - Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Back to Black is, like its heroine, flawed and fallible but frequently very affecting. - Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter
Tells the story of Amy Winehouse but shows no passion in telling it and has nothing to say about the events that transpire. It’s the utter minimum of what a biopic can be. - William Bibbiani, TheWrap
There are other, tougher, bleaker ways to put Winehouse’s life on screen – but Abela conveys her tenderness, and perhaps most poignantly of all her youth, so tellingly at odds with that tough image and eerily mature voice. 4/5 - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
There are moments when Abela disappears and Winehouse bursts on to the screen, like a magic eye picture blinked fleetingly into focus. But the film is wildly uneven and prone to catastrophic misjudgments. 2/5 - Wendy Ide, Observer (UK)
Because of the cautious gloss, the film is perhaps less enlightening or truly tragic than it might have been. 3/5 - Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph (UK)
The final scene, in particular, with its completely and utterly baseless, sensationalist implications, made me physically gasp in horror. 1/5 - Hamish Macbain, London Evening Standard
The ending, of course, is sad... Yet, for all its faults, the film is more celebratory than tragic. 3/5 - Ed Potton, Times (UK)
Back to Black is a fitfully enjoyable little package that will do wonders for the careers of Abela and O’Connell. But unlike Winehouse’s oeuvre, it’s not worth taking seriously. It’s just too afraid of the dark. 2/5 - Charlotte O'Sullivan, Independent (UK)
The film seems too tame, too tasteful, too frightened of alienating the fans: everything that Winehouse was not. 2/5 - Tom Shone, Times (UK)
[Amy Winehouse's] music remains in a different creative galaxy to this dispiriting film, which is at once twee and ghoulish. 2/5 - Danny Leigh, Financial Times
Sure, you will learn more – and hear more of the original recordings – in Asif Kapadia’s great documentary Amy, but Taylor-Johnson does a decent job of making a tight drama from the same tragic yarn. 3/5 - Donald Clarke, Irish Times
This is a middle-of-the road biopic about a musician who was anything but. It’s not great and it’s not terrible. 3/5 - Stephen Romei, The Australian
It has such reverence for Winehouse that it lacks the honesty the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary Amy was able to present. 2.5/5 - Wenlei Ma, The Nightly (AU)
A solid performance let down by a script that cherry-picks the facts and ultimately tells us less than we already know. Watch Asif Kapadia’s Amy instead. 2/5 - Hayley Campbell, Empire Magazine
Offers a pallid account of Winehouse’s story, ironing out some thornier issues, and bringing little that’s new, either in fresh revelations or distinctive angles on the familiar. - Jonathan Romney, Screen International
This is better than I expected (although my expectations were low). It does seem softened at the edges, and one can never forgive a falling-in-love montage set at London Zoo -- ever -- but I (mostly) didn’t cringe and it is respectful, if painful. - Deborah Ross, The Spectator
In her attempt to put the woman back at the centre of her own life, Taylor-Johnson has at least captured an addictive personality and achieved a powerful portrait of doomed love. - Kate Mossman, New Statesman
It is as salacious and cruel as any tabloid cutting from the noughties – only invested in the bloody ballet pump left in the street, not the complexities of living a very public life with addiction. 1/5 - Rogan Graham, Little White Lies
Everyone involved in the film approaches the late artist with love and respect, but its tawdry instincts and misguided sense of responsibility let her memory down. C- - Vikram Murthi, indieWire
Bizarrely, the one thematic thread that Back to Black does seek to tie its tale together with is the singer’s desire to have a child. 1.5/4 - Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine
Like Winehouse herself, the film teeters on the edge, hovering restlessly between genre-subversive brilliance that complicates celebratory narratives about artistic genius, and well-worn, re-hashed tropes about tragic women. - Rebecca Harrison, Sight & Sound
A strong cast, in particular a stirring performance from Marisa Abela, is not enough to effectively convey the chaos and the tragedy central to the story of such a beloved artist. 2/5 - Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
Its punchlines lack punch, [but] what it does have is a frankly dynamite central turn from Marisa Abela. - Mark Kermode, Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)
SYNOPSIS:
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.
CAST:

• Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse
• Jack O'Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil
• Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse
• Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse

DIRECTED BY: Sam Taylor-Johnson
SCREENPLAY BY: Matt Greenhalgh
PRODUCED BY: Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, Nicky Kentish-Barnes
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Taylor-Johnson, Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Joe Naftalin
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Polly Morgan
EDITED BY: Martin Walsh
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Sarah Greenwood
COSTUME DESIGNER: PC Williams
MUSIC BY: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
MUSIC PRODUCTION BY: Giles Martin
MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Iain Cooke
CASTING BY: Nina Gold
RUNTIME: 122 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2024

https://minimalfreaks.co/2024/05/progressive-house-top-100-may-2024/

1. Estiva – Fine Day (Extended Mix) 07:00 124bpm 2B
2. Gorge – Intensity (Original Mix) 06:56 125bpm 5B
3. Kaskade, deadmau5 – I Remember (John Summit Remix) (Extended Mix) 05:29 126bpm 10A
4. Paul Thomas – Emotional Landscapes (Ezequiel Arias Extended Mix) 06:48 124bpm 2B
5. Quivver – Dovetail (Original Mix) 06:56 125bpm 9B
6. Marc Lenz – People Are People (Original Mix) 07:05 123bpm 1B
7. Selderv – Igray (Steve Bug Remix) 06:25 125bpm 5A
8. Oak and Hammer – Nacht (Dowden Extended Remix) 07:28 123bpm 11B
9. RIKO & GUGGA – Voyage Voyage (Extended Mix) 06:08 125bpm 1A
10. Spencer Brown – San te Crüs (Original Mix) 06:16 125bpm 4A
11. Bondarev – Meteora (Cosmonaut Remix) 07:30 122bpm 2B
12. Eric Prydz, Empire Of The Sun – We Are Mirage (Original Mix) 06:19 128bpm 9A
13. CamelPhat, Cristoph, Max Milner – Hope (Cristoph Remix) (Original Mix) 06:52 122bpm 4B
14. Eran Hersh, Kasango – Ascension (Original Mix) 05:32 122bpm 4B
15. Spencer Brown – Barcelona Surprise (Original Mix) 05:15 125bpm 2B
16. Aerofeel5, Vakabular – Under Your Skin (Extended Mix) 06:13 124bpm 3A
17. Yotto, Something Good – Rhythm (Of The Night) (Extended Mix) 06:35 122bpm 4A
18. Tonaco – Disurbia (Original Mix) 08:19 121bpm 7B
19. Nicolas Rada – The Wind Phone (Original Mix) 08:24 123bpm 9B
20. Ruben Karapetyan, Maze 28 – Cosmic Dot (Original Mix) 07:26 123bpm 12B
21. Fedo, Alexander Popov, Going Deeper – Lost In Space (Going Deeper Extended Remix) 05:10 123bpm 10A
22. Darin Epsilon – Janissaries (Extended Mix) 06:09 125bpm 7A
23. Kamilo Sanclemente – Theia (Original Mix) 07:05 122bpm 5A
24. Acrobat, Vakabular – Space Between (Extended Mix) 05:59 123bpm 9B
25. Braxton, Steven Weston – Splendor (Original Mix) 05:44 124bpm 8A
26. Quivver, Dave Seaman – Mushroom Embargo (Original Mix) 07:03 123bpm 10B
27. Subandrio – St. Kilda (Original Mix) 08:47 122bpm 8B
28. Tonaco – Avalon (Original Mix) 07:52 122bpm 3B
29. Dmitry Molosh – Modul (Original Mix) 06:25 122bpm 8B
30. ISMAIL.M, Redspace – Avenue (Original Mix) 07:12 122bpm 7B
31. Forty Cats – Nocturne (Kyotto Remix) 09:37 122bpm 9B
32. Felix E – Paradox Twin (Gai Barone Remix) 07:36 122bpm 9B
33. Darren Tate, Sxcha – Flashing Lights feat. Sxcha (Extended Mix) 07:31 126bpm 5A
34. Ruben Karapetyan, Maze 28 – Cosmic Dot (Cid Inc. Remix) 06:56 123bpm 12B
35. Marc Lenz – Black Rock (Original Mix) 06:44 123bpm 10B
36. Talemates – Quala (Original Mix) 07:30 121bpm 2A
37. Enzo Paradiso, JUAN BUITRAGO – First Time (Fran Garay Remix) 07:32 121bpm 11B
38. Ian O’Donovan – Frontier (Original Mix) 09:25 124bpm 11A
39. Matter, Eric Lune – Starlight (Original Mix) 06:56 121bpm 11B
40. Durante – Reaching (Extended Mix) 06:27 120bpm 10B
41. Gai Barone, Micah Paul Lukasewich – Pleiades (Original Mix) 08:32 123bpm 5A
42. Mayro – Gede (Original Mix) 06:40 123bpm 9B
43. Kebin Van Reeken – Liminal (Original Mix) 08:16 121bpm 9A
44. Chaum, Hobin Rude – Cressida (Tonaco Remix) 07:17 122bpm 7A
45. Volaris – Close To You (3am In Tulum Extended Mix) 07:14 126bpm 5A
46. Andrewboy, SHAZZE – Longlife (Extended Mix) 06:25 124bpm 12B
47. Alex Breitling – Wasted Youth (Original Mix) 06:25 126bpm 5B
48. Kamilo Sanclemente, Mauro Aguirre – Essence (Original Mix) 08:25 122bpm 9B
49. OceanLab, Above & Beyond – Sirens Of The Sea (Marsh Extended Mix) 08:24 126bpm 7A
50. Jou Nielsen – Spectral Twist (Dimi Mechero Remix) 06:25 126bpm 11B
51. Kasper Koman – Sinking Sky (Original Mix) 08:08 122bpm 12B
52. Taylan – Nebula (Original Mix) 07:36 122bpm 2B
53. Bruno Andrada – Hexagon Sun (Extended Mix) 09:04 122bpm 10B
54. Durante – Ancora (Extended Mix) 06:10 126bpm 7B
55. Spencer Brown – Fellas (Original Mix) 04:40 123bpm 6A
56. Pryda – Allein (Original Mix) 05:36 126bpm 6B
57. Tonaco – Crackdown (Original Mix) 07:48 121bpm 4B
58. Jesabel – Control (Extended Mix) 06:45 126bpm 11B
59. Jerome Isma-Ae, Sandeep Pai – Nightfall (Original Mix) 06:08 125bpm 5A
60. Guy J – Metal Dreams (Original Mix) 07:48 124bpm 3B
61. Maxim Lany, Cartouche, Matt Fax – Why Do I feat. Cartouche (Extended Mix) 06:58 125bpm 8A
62. Roman (AR) – Easy to Love (Extended Mix) 08:00 123bpm 10A
63. Lonya – Forever Young (Original Mix) 06:34 124bpm 7A
64. Kebin Van Reeken – Sound Particles (Original Mix) 08:43 121bpm 11B
65. TEELCO, Maze 28 – Sense (Original Mix) 08:12 122bpm 9A
66. Joris Voorn, Nathan Nicholson – You & I (Original Mix) 06:25 126bpm 7A
67. Gai Barone, Micah Paul Lukasewich – Pleiades (Echomen Remix) 07:54 123bpm 5A
68. Maze 28 – Aer8 (Original Mix) 07:24 122bpm 10B
69. Mike Isai – Exit (Original Mix) 07:01 120bpm 6A
70. Volaris – Close To You (Extended Mix) 05:51 127bpm 6A
71. Simon Doty – Lady Danger (Extended Mix) 07:37 128bpm 3A
72. Subandrio – Nights in Twilo (Original Mix) 07:36 122bpm 11A
73. Enzo Paradiso, JUAN BUITRAGO – First Time (Original Mix) 07:59 121bpm 11B
74. Eelke Kleijn – Regenerator (Extended Mix) 06:50 128bpm 5A
75. STEREO MUNK, Dublew, Eichenbaum – Flores (Original Mix) 07:32 122bpm 7A
76. Luciano Scheffer – J’s Odyssey (Weird Sounding Dude Remix) 07:30 121bpm 12B
77. Agustin Pietrocola, Andrés Moris – New Beginning (Original Mix) 07:28 122bpm 10B
78. Jiminy Hop – Nawaro (Original Mix) 08:43 122bpm 4B
79. Forty Cats – Nocturne (Original Mix) 07:39 122bpm 9B
80. Cristoph – Come With Me (Extended Mix) 06:49 123bpm 2A
81. Guy J – Illusions (Original Mix) 08:25 122bpm 8A
82. CamelPhat, Jem Cooke, Cristoph – Breathe (Original Mix) 07:13 125bpm 8A
83. Andrewboy, SHAZZE – Longlife (Ryven Remix) 06:15 124bpm 12B
84. Jou Nielsen – Spectral Twist (Extended Mix) 05:36 126bpm 11B
85. Dmitry Molosh – Sail (Original Mix) 06:57 122bpm 8A
86. Beckers, D-Nox – Astral (Original Mix) 07:17 94bpm 10A
87. Luke Chable, Danny Bonnici – Colours (Alex O’Rion Remix) 07:24 120bpm 10A
88. Juan Deminicis, EANP – The Other Side (Original Mix) 08:03 123bpm 9B
89. Marsh, Nox Vahn – Come Together (Scorz Extended Mix) 06:24 124bpm 12A
90. Eddy Tango – Unjust World (Alex Swank Remix) 06:57 122bpm 5A
91. Joseph Disco, Daniel Jaeger – Heavybottle (Original Mix) 07:27 125bpm 7B
92. Simos Tagias – Vortex (Original Mix) 07:33 122bpm 10B
93. Durante – Portal Six (Extended Mix) 06:02 124bpm 3A
94. Serious Dancers – In The Beginning (Hernan Cattaneo & Simply City Remix) 08:57 122bpm 10A
95. Agustin Pietrocola – Endeavor (Original Mix) 07:55 122bpm 3B
96. Eddy Tango – Unjust World (Original Mix) 07:09 122bpm 5A
97. Matter, Eric Lune – Memory Burn (Original Mix) 07:14 121bpm 9A
98. Whoriskey – Torn (NOIYSE PROJECT Extended Remix) 08:13 123bpm 9B
99. UnbrokenOne – Miragem (Peak Mix) 07:31 121bpm 1A
100. ANUQRAM, Ash Nova – On My Knees (Extended Mix) 07:32 125bpm 9B

•~Neptori~•
Chapter fifteen
Neptori
A wooden woman, whose hair was a mass of apple blossoms, stood in the center of the clearing, overseeing a bear ahead in the river as it caught fish.
The bear would sense magic and run off, so that didn’t concern her, but she had no fucking clue how to deal with a damn wooden woman! “Say lady, if I chop you up into little bits and pieces are you just gonna regrow and turn into a bunch more wooden women?” Tori’s voice echoed in the clearing twice before the woman snapped her head towards her and suddenly gained skin. It was weird, messed up and warped, skin though. Unsettling to the stomach. Neptori realized that A: dryads are friendly.
The thing lept at her with long keratin nails, opening its mouth to reveal rotted shark-like teeth and two front buck teeth. She swung with the ax but the creature only landed and lunged at her again. It now had a long bleeding gash running across its chest.
And B: whatever the fuck she was fighting, was not a fucking dryad!
Uneven seams ran spiderwebs along the creature's exposed skin. Its body was eerily similar to an Elves and she hated how it moved; like a spider approaching its next meal… caught in a web… She really hoped this thing was alone. Some primal part of her began to cool into a terrified calm. A sense that only fear could drive you to achieve. She held onto it as she deflected the creature again and swiped with the blade she had. She couldn’t use her magic, it was too unstable when she consciously used it… She couldn’t risk getting knocked out though because she had never measured how long that she’s passed out for, before her subconscious uses her magic.
“Fuck!” She screamed. This fucking thing! Its blood reeked like period sex and she was nauseated into blindness for a second too long. Her arm felt tingly and when she looked down at it, there was a bleeding bite mark and a stolen sleeve. That sleeve hung in the creature's maw like a trophy as it began to circle her, palms up and nails angled. She didn’t let it see her back, she turned in circles with it.
The long handle on the Ax let her rest it on the ground for a reprieve of its weight. The metal made a terrible sound in the dirt and rocks, scraping over roots as she turned. “What are you?” She whispered. “What are you?” It whispered back, mimicking the exact way she said it. She nearly cried out in terror but refrained from doing so in case that's what it fed on— words.
It leaped for her again and she jumped with it, meeting it midair and slicing up with the Ax. The slice only got through half of the many oily layers of skin bound and rotting beneath the top layer. Neptori nearly wretched at the sight and the smell and a dark gluey substance leaked from its half severed neck. She swung again before it could get up, its head rolling to the base of the oak tree beside a mass of grass and wildflowers. “Thank fucking gods!” She sighed, she rubbed her face and found it covered in sweat. Her arm was still bleeding, her nose and mouth as well since they had been hit at some point she didn’t recall.
“Fuck!” She cried out, as if that would change where she was and what she was doing. Why did she have to do this? She didn’t trust the queen even a little, no matter how much she really wanted to.
She rolled her neck, shoulders, ankles, took a breath and then started walking after the head. It had rolled into a perfectly circular ditch at the base of that tall tuft of grass and flowers. Wait… She crouched down and reached to pick it up, just grabbing the disgusting, soggy-noodle hair when a hand reached from the grass and pulled her in. Long, jagged nails sliced at her face and chest as she held its head away with her hands. Its skin felt like it was covered in worms and egg whites. But her hands came back stained as if by ink. When they slipped and lost her grip on its neck. She rolled to avoid the teeth but this creature seemed to be smarter, it rolled too, and its buck teeth grazed Neptoris neck before she was able to wrap grass and stems around its neck and hold it there. Its hands dug into her thighs and squeezed, leaching a shrieking scream from Neptori.
The thing laughed at her, even choked and scrambled as if it was from the grass… it sounded so familiar to a laugh that a Faerie would make…
A wash of fear so cold it numbed her, came crashing into the front of her mind. She felt the plants grow around the creature, engulfing it completely and tugging its root-covered shape into the earth. She held up a hand though and its struggling, screaming form stopped being buried.
A water droplet was sucked from the air and formed in the palm of her hand. A thought and it had become ice, sharp and jagged like the creature's nails; and flying right for the creature's neck. The ice struck true, severing the head in mostly one blow. It fell and dangled from but a seam in its skinsuit. A thought and the ice blade flew back towards her waiting hand, severing the last seam before melting back into water and floating around her head.
The water didn’t feel right to her magic as it held the water in the air. But then it splashed down onto her and she felt that disgusting black good residue!
“Shit! No! Nooo…” she couldn’t quite process what had happened, not as the FairyQueen suddenly appeared before her with both heads in her hands. The mass of grass and flowers and two headless bodies, they began to burn. “Why?”
“Because my enemies will be burned for crossing me, that is the price for it.” The queen was so utterly unphased. It made Neptoris stomach blanch and she erupted with vomit. Chunks of dried meat and hard cheese. It hurt to throw it up, and the thick mucus that came with it wasnt a better pleasure. “What next?”
“Well a party dear hero! You have earned it!”

Really reaching way back to a part of my brain I haven't used in a while. Hoping for some help/advice on what to look up:
I'm trying to analyze data for a medical study. Among many demographic factors, I have data on who received treatments A-E. One thing I want to do is determine if there was any bias (race, socioeconomic status, etc) that resulted in some people getting one treatment over another. I started by doing Chi-Square Tests but noticed that for race for example, 50% of my expected values are less than 5 (eg. 3.2 Asians expected to get treatment D). From what I've been refreshing myself on, it seems like this reduces the accuracy of my Chi² value.
Moreover, if I were able to "trust" my Chi² value, can I go variable by variable similar to doing t-tests after an ANOVA test to determine which is statistically significant (eg. race and treatment do not follow random distribution, later find that black people get treatment A at a statistically higher rate than white people)?
Am I missing something? Trying to do something I can't really do? Looking up the wrong thing? Any and all advice greatly appreciated!

I remember this comment on a video where it mentioned during the black crusade that blew up Cadia St Celestine had been burning up demons and buffing imperials so much that Abaddon had to retreat with the black Templars going mad for his blood. Yes he throws a tantrum after but that moment was so cathartic for me. Are there any similar excerpts which show warpfuckers/traitors/xenos getting their shit kicked in?

The Argentine mushroom market demonstrates steady growth due to increasing demand for healthy food options. With a focus on sustainability and health consciousness, consumers are embracing mushrooms for their nutritional value and versatility. Ongoing advancements in cultivation techniques ensure year-round supply, while favorable climatic conditions facilitate production. Key players in the market prioritize innovation to meet evolving consumer preferences, driving competitiveness. Despite challenges such as fluctuating raw material costs and regulatory constraints, the market is poised for expansion, supported by rising consumer awareness and demand for organic and exotic mushroom varieties.
Argentina Mushroom Market Size and Growth
In 2023, the Argentina mushroom market reached a size of approximately 9.51 thousand metric tons (KMT). This indicates a solid foundation for the industry, reflecting a growing demand for mushrooms within the country. Looking ahead, the market is forecasted to experience significant expansion, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% between 2024 and 2032. This growth trajectory suggests a steady increase in both production and consumption of mushrooms over the forecast period.
By 2032, the Argentina mushroom market is expected to reach a value of around 14.14 KMT. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including rising consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms, increased focus on healthy eating habits, and advancements in cultivation techniques enhancing production efficiency. Additionally, the market's expansion may be fueled by innovations in packaging, distribution, and marketing strategies to meet evolving consumer preferences. Overall, the projected growth underscores the market's potential for further development and signifies opportunities for stakeholders to capitalize on the growing demand for mushrooms in Argentina.
Argentina Mushroom Market Trends
In the Argentina mushroom market, several trends are shaping its trajectory:
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1. Increasing Health Consciousness: Growing awareness of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms, such as being low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals, is driving consumer preference towards healthier food choices. Mushrooms are seen as a natural and nutritious option, aligning with the rising trend of health-conscious eating habits.
   
2. Demand for Exotic Varieties: Consumers are showing a growing interest in exotic mushroom varieties beyond the traditional button mushrooms. Varieties like shiitake, oyster, and portobello are gaining popularity due to their unique flavors and textures, leading to increased diversification within the market.
   
3. Sustainable and Organic Production: There's a rising preference for sustainably produced and organic mushrooms among consumers concerned about environmental impact and pesticide residues. Producers are responding by adopting eco-friendly cultivation methods and obtaining organic certifications to meet this demand.
   
4. Innovation in Product Development: Market players are innovating in product development to cater to changing consumer preferences. This includes introducing value-added mushroom products like mushroom-based snacks, powders, and extracts, as well as convenient pre-packaged mushroom meal solutions.
   
5. Expansion of Distribution Channels: Mushroom producers are exploring new distribution channels, including online platforms and specialty stores, to reach a wider consumer base. This diversification in distribution channels allows for greater accessibility and convenience for consumers seeking mushrooms.
   

Market Opportunities and Challenges
The Argentina mushroom market presents several opportunities and challenges:
Opportunities:

1. Growing Health Consciousness: With an increasing focus on healthy eating, there's a rising demand for nutritious food options like mushrooms, presenting an opportunity for market expansion.
   
2. Diversification of Varieties: Consumer interest in exotic mushroom varieties beyond the traditional button mushrooms creates opportunities for producers to diversify their offerings and cater to varied tastes.
   
3. Sustainable Production Practices: The trend towards sustainability opens avenues for mushroom producers to adopt eco-friendly cultivation methods and promote their products as environmentally friendly options.
   
4. Innovation in Product Development: There's room for innovation in creating value-added mushroom products such as snacks, powders, and extracts to meet evolving consumer preferences and lifestyles.
   
5. Export Potential: Argentina's mushroom industry has the potential to tap into international markets, leveraging its production capabilities and quality standards to meet the demand for mushrooms globally.
   

Challenges:

1. Production Challenges: Mushroom cultivation is sensitive to environmental factors and requires specific conditions for optimal growth, posing challenges related to climate variability and production consistency.
   
2. Market Competition: The mushroom market faces competition from other food products, both domestically and internationally, requiring market players to differentiate their offerings and maintain competitiveness.
   
3. Supply Chain Management: Ensuring efficient supply chain management, including logistics and distribution, is essential to meet market demands and maintain product freshness and quality.
   
4. Regulatory Constraints: Compliance with regulatory standards and certifications, especially regarding food safety and organic labeling, adds complexity and cost to mushroom production and distribution.
   
5. Price Volatility: Fluctuations in raw material costs, such as substrate materials used in mushroom cultivation, can impact profit margins and overall market stability, requiring careful financial planning and risk management.
   

Market Dynamics
The Argentina mushroom market dynamics are influenced by various factors, including supply and demand forces, consumer preferences, technological advancements, and regulatory frameworks. These dynamics shape the behavior and growth of the market over time.

1. Demand-Supply Balance: Fluctuations in supply, often influenced by factors like weather conditions and production efficiency, can impact market dynamics. Meeting the growing demand for mushrooms while maintaining supply consistency is crucial for market stability.
   
2. Consumer Trends: Changing consumer preferences, such as increased interest in healthy eating and sustainability, drive shifts in demand for mushrooms and their varieties. Market players must adapt to these trends to remain competitive.
   
3. Price Fluctuations: Factors like input costs, seasonal variations, and market competition can lead to price fluctuations in the mushroom market. Understanding and managing these fluctuations are essential for both producers and consumers.
   
4. Technological Advancements: Innovations in cultivation techniques, packaging, and distribution methods play a significant role in shaping market dynamics. Adopting advanced technologies can enhance production efficiency, product quality, and market competitiveness.
   
5. Trade and Export Dynamics: International trade policies, market access agreements, and export regulations influence Argentina's mushroom market dynamics. Exploring export opportunities and complying with trade requirements are essential for market expansion.
   
6. Regulatory Environment: Compliance with food safety standards, organic certifications, and labeling regulations affects market dynamics. Adapting to evolving regulatory frameworks is crucial for market participants to maintain consumer trust and market access.
   
7. Competitive Landscape: The presence of local and international competitors influences market dynamics, driving innovation, price competition, and market differentiation strategies.
   

Competitive Landscape
The key players in the industry includes:

• Micelio Bio (Mu Mushroom)
• Establecimiento Micel SRL
• Hongos Del Pilar S.A.
• La Cuña Sureña
• Porto (Abrantes S.A)
• Blanc Hongos Frescos
• Others

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Are the calories burnt shown on top of the ones that I burn anyways or are my base rate calories included in the numbers shown in the app for the activitiy?

Just as the title implies I've gathered all the possible ideas I've heard regarding Sukuna's latest CT and what I think about them. Also, I would like to acknowledge that most of these ideas are not my own and are taken from the members of the subreddit. All ideas and theories belong to their respective creator.
Cooking: Sukuna's CT is cooking where his slashes represent knife skills and his fuga represents cooking with indirect heat.

• This seems to be the prevalent theory in this sub, there lot of evidence to support this(sukuna using food references, him being a cannibal etc...)
  
• I think it's certain plausible but doesn't seem to be fitting for Sukuna. For me it doesn't seem to have the type of grandeur that being dubbed "the king of curses" has, it sounds like some quirky ability a shounen MC would have not something a being considered a natural disaster would have.
  
• Opens the possibility of his other abilities. Possible steam(steaming), the ability to raise the temperature of the environment(baking), some oild ability(deep fry), some ability related to sauces(maybe he can create liquid substance in which he can add effects to it e.g make it heal, corroded, weaken, or strengthen), flavor related attacks(salt, spice, sweet, sour, bitter, unami???)
  

Sacrifice: Sukuna sacrifices people to his shrine gaining their abilities.

• My favorite idea so far. The black box being the wooden box that japanese people traditionally put their offering in being the black box Sukuna pulls his CT out is a really nice reference. The concept of the CT indicating how Sukuna views himself as a god really ties into his personality and concept
  
• I don't think there's a decided mechanism for how he receives the sacrifice. It could be he has to kill someone/someone offers themselves to him. My favorite theory is that Sukuna much like Hakari started with his domain except his domain didn't have a sure hit effect yet and instead whoever he killed within his domain would become his sacrifice.
  

Destruction: Sukuna is the god of destruction and his power is different forms of destruction. His slashes are physical destruction which means we could see blunt force trauma or torque as abilities. His fuga is destroyed with heat. He would also have acid-based abilities(melting by acid and heat are different in science), lightning-based abilities(lightning burns are different chemically to fire and heat burns), and nuclear destruction by breaking the bond/atoms of things to release energy in the form of heat and light.

• I think its cool, a really neat reference to Hindu mythology and ties in with kenjaku being Brahma, Tengen being Vishnu, and sukuna being shiva. Definite fits in with sukuna having 4 arms and wielding a trishula(his trident)

Shrine: Sukuna can call on the power of various shinto gods. His slashes are from the god of war Hachiman, his fire is from Kagutsuchi. He would have storm abilities(susanoo), sun abilities(amaterasu), moon(tsukyomi), lightning and wind(raijin and fuijin), and maybe creation(izanagi and izanami)

• I think the least plausible. Sounds cool but doesn't seem to have any explicit evidence to support it

hi all, i just picked up a fitbit today! i’ve never had any kind of fitness tracker before
i weigh around 222lbs and am 5’6
i went to the gym today and did my usual program on the exercise bike. i was at a level of 5-6 and cycled about 10 miles in 45 minutes. my heart rate was reportedly an average of 135-140bpm. the bike said i burnt 200 calories.
after finishing the program, i noticed my fitbit recorded an energy burn of 550 calories? is this accurate? would i be burning more calories than what is on the bike due to fitbit taking into account my weight, height and heart rate?

I got to thinking about the powers of a Meruem who survived the Rose poison and went on to rule the world. This also assumes he is aware of the Dark Continent and that there are creatures there who could pose a threat to him. These Hatsu will be seperated into categories, since there's a lot of them.
Mostly, this was a chance to go absolutely wild with the pinnacle of Nen. I hope you enjoy reading busted abilities.
Foundational:
Aura Synthesis (Emission): By consuming the aura of another individual, Meruem permanently adds their aura to his reserves. This also allows him to reverse engineer any Hatsu they possessed perfectly, and improve them using his own Nen skill.
En Photons (Emission): By emitting individual particles of Nen, Meruem can gain the effects of En with effectively zero effort or aura investiture. More importantly, En Photons in contact with an individual with aura can become laden in the targets aura, returning to Meruem and activating Aura Synthesis. This means that, just by being in the same area as someone, Meruem can copy their Hatsu, and take as much of their aura reserves for himself as he pleases, though this is obviously massively faster the closer Meruem is to the target.
Specialization Access: By absorbing Aura from many specialists, Meruem gained the ability to use Specialization as if it were a normal Nen type, with 60% efficiency.
Combat:
Unshackle (Specialization): Meruem can only use this ability in a situation where he feels harm could come upon him from a source other than himself. To activate it, he must cut himself, and he cannot use Nen (including Enhancement healing) to heal it, or allow another to heal it for him. Once activated, Meruem gains 100% efficiency in all Nen categories while Unshackled. When Meruem ends this ability, 99% of his Aura pool is sealed away from him for ten times as long as he maintained Unshackle.
Transformation (Transmutation): A mix of Youpi's shapeshifting and Beelzebub, this ability allows Meruem to freely alter his form for mobility, combat, healing, and more. This is so potent that, as long as Meruem can maintain a a core the size of an ant, he can reform from nearly anything that doesn't destroy him on a cellular level. Unshackled, this ability allows Meruem to manipulate his body at the molecular level, though reconstituting large numbers of destroyed cells requires immense focus.
Spiritual Message (Emission, Manipulation): Meruem can read the mental, emotional, and aura makeup of anyone in contact with his En photons. This is so detailed that he can read minds and determine the Hatsu of targets instantly. This works on Dark Continent entities, though their complexity and uniqueness means that Meruem needs a few moments to derive useful conclusions, which is greatly reduced when Unshackled.
Mirror Clone (Emission, Manipulation): An emitted copy of himself, mirror clones do not have real substance and can be destroyed if their physical form is disrupted. They can use most of his Hatsu, and any aura granted to them is returned to Meruem if they are destroyed or are dismissed, as well as memories of everything they experienced. Although Mirror clones can move independently, they lack their own consciousness, and generally act on the last order given to them by Meruem.
Perfect Clone (Conjuration, Manipulation): Can only be activated when Unshackled. A true flesh and blood copy of Meruem. Instead of being granted a sum of Aura on creation, a Perfect Clone is instead granted a percentage of Meruem's pool, which it can recover on its own if expended, potentially even growing with Aura Synthesis. Perfect Clone is fully independent, and acts as an exact copy of Meruem's consciousness, meaning that personality drift is a real danger. Meruem considers this ability undignified, but holds it in reserve for creatures like Ai that can instantly kill anything at any range. If either the copy or original dies, the remainder receives the full Aura pool.
False Form (Conjuration): By using replacement-type conjuration to create a copy of his own body, Meruem can sustain bodily harm without it affecting his actual body. This ability normally has a latency of half a second to re-create a destroyed body part, but this is removed when Unshackled.
Executioner's Sword (Conjuration): Only usable Unshackled. Anything living pierced by this blade dies. Only one can be conjured at a time, even between clones.
Domain:
Heart of the Emperor (Conjuration): Meruem conjures an onyx shard. Any creature with this shard embedded in their heart is protected against the majority of the negative effects of Meruem's domains. Anyone else with a shard is treated as Meruem for the purpose of the domains effects.
Domain Activation (Emission): Can only be used Unshackled. Meruem emits a Nen space and teleports himself and any number of other targets into it. Each domain can only be activated if all previous domains were unsucessful in defeating one or more targets inside, and were active for at least 30 seconds on that target. Although each domain has a unique ability, all of them teleport En Photons directly between Meruem and the target, causing Aura drain to happen at a ludicrous rate.
Dimensional Anchor (Emission): Anything struck by the ray fired by this ability finds themselves unable to teleport by any means. This also foils any attempts to escape emitted spaces.
Domain I - Fields of Mourning (Manipulation): A seemingly infinite, listless field, this domain exploits the emotional vulnerabilities of the target, forcing victims to relive trauma, become overwhelmed with regret, or simply have all motivation drained away from them. Meruem can skip this domain against opponents that do not have emotions.
Domain 2 - Chains of Tartarus (Manipulation, Conjuration, Specialization): Worked stone and metal chains fill this domain. Targets inside of this domain have their body, mind, and aura seperated, unable to interact with each other. The body is paralyzed, the mind filled with pain and chaotic thoughts, and the aura rendered inert. Chans and manacles are conjured onto the target that interfere their ability to act in any way.
Domain 3 - Pits of Asphodel (Emission, Transmutation, Manipulation, Conjuration, Enhancement, Specialization): Pools of magma and gouts of flames fill this domain. This domain attempts to physically destroy the target by as many means as possible simultaneously. Heat, cold, vibration, ionization, entropy, and many more methods are used to destroy the target at an atomic, or sometimes subatomic level.
Domain 4 - Weight of Chronos (Specialization): A massive clock as the floor, with an endless abyss in every direction. This domain stops time, freezes space, and calcifies reality. Even Meruem is able to only observe and think, though he has near omniescense in this state within the domain. The purpose of this domain is to give Meruem the chance to observe, calculate, and formulate against a target that was able to resist the first three domains.
Domain 5 - Personalized Tapestry of Fate (Specialization + More?); The exact parameters of this domain are created while Weight of Chronos is active. Its purpose is to exploit weaknesses of the target in a way that allows them to be destroyed in ways that were not possible with the previous domains. If this is not possible with something standard, this serves simply to delay the target until the sixth domain unlocks.
Domain 6 - Unraveling (Specialization, Manipulation): Reality itself begins to unravel as this domain activates. This domain does not attack the target's body, mind, or aura. Instead, it attacks them as a concept, unraveling their very being at such a foundational level that there is little opportunity to resist.
Domain 7 - Colosseum (Enhancement): A large, roman colosseum. If all else fails, wearing the target down may be the only choice. When this domain activates, Meruem may take the opportunity to create a Perfect Clone outside the domain. While the domain is active, Meruem becomes five times more potent in every regard, and targets become five times weaker. Meruem also has his Aura efficiency massively increased, with expended aura mostly trickling back into his Aura pool, making him limitlessly enduring, while targets become massively inefficient, expending many times what they would even in a non weakened state. Note that this applies to unusual abilities like Ai's wishes as well.
Utility:
Teleportation (Emission): Meruem or something he targets teleports. This is instantaneous up to 100 meters (1 kilometer Unshackled), but requires concentration proportional to distance for longer teleports. In his Emitted spaces, Meruem can freely teleport anywhere within or between them. Can be used to escape Conjured or Emitted spaces.
Reactive Instincts (Manipulation, Specialization): Meruem is constantly self-manipulated with this ability, which reacts to danger or unusual situations. It can intuit danger that Meruem would have no way of percieving, and can activate any of his Hatsu autonomously. If someone wished for Alluka to kill Meruem, Reactive Instincts would Unshackle and create a Perfect Clone immediately before he died, allowing him to escape unscathed.
Hideaway (Emission, Conjuration): Meruem creates a new space, 'layered' slightly off from regular reality, and tucks himself or something else there. Although he can still percieve his surroundings with En Photons, very few methods can locate or target something that doesn't exist within regular spacetime.
Sacrificial Exorcism (Emission, Specialization): If Meruem is affected with a Nen curse or similar affliction, he may transfer it to a willing target in the form of a disease. Although powerful curses may result in afflictions on the same level as what Gon suffered, they will never be fatal (though survival may become nearly impossible with something on that level). If the target retains the curse for at leas ten years, and is still loyal to Meruem, their death causes the curse to die with them.
Exotic Matter Manipulation (Transmutation, Manipulation): Although technically many hatsu, I decided to group these together. Using his knowledge of physics, Meruem can create unusual states of matter to perform incredible feats, like creating black holes to form stable wormholes, to using transmuted antimatter to convert matter into energy. Physicists could probably suggest more weird stuff. Many of these must be Unshackled to come into effect properly.
Identity Safeguard (Specialization, Emission): Tucked away in an emitted space is a copy of the concept that makes Meruem what he is. If this is damaged somehow, he can use his backup.
Matter Reconstruction (Manipulation, Transmutation, Emission): Meruem can manipulate matter he infuses his aura into, reconfiguring it into any form he desires. Unshackled, this can manipulate atoms, changing the elements of the matter he is working with.
Timestream Shift (Specialization): If multiple streams of time are occurring simultaneously, he can enter whichever he pleases. Against Netero, he could use this ability to match Netero's time compression.

H: Tradelist W: Offers
H: Tradelist W: Description
Im Especially after UNY AP FDC Trapper LL LA and RA or Apparel!
AA/e/90, Gatling gun, Lmg
AA/50C/25 Fixer(2x), Handmade, Tesla Riffle, Dragon, Combat shotgun, Pipe Revolver, BP Pistol, BP Plunder, Em, EPR perfect mods, AD
AA/25A/Dur EPF
AA/25/Dur .50, Minigun, epr
AA/E/15R Pipe Pistol,
aa/25/90 Gamma gun, epp, flamer
AA/25/Dur NU Laser Riffle, Fixer, Hm, Gamma gun, Holy fire
AA/50C/15c epp
AA/Ap/25 Holy fire
AA/25a/Dur AGL,
AA/Pa/1s Grognaks Axe
AA/50C/90 Grognaks Axe, NU Laser Riffle, epp
AA/50L/25 Tommy gun
AA/50C/15r Hm
AA/e/15c RR (2x), Em
AA/25/25 lmg(2x) EPR, Rail, Fixer
Aa/25a/90rw AGL
Aa/e/25 Pipe Bolt Pistol, Radium, Fixer
AA/40/40 Ski sword
AA/50c/50bs Compound Bow
AA/40pa/50bs chainsaw
AA/40pa/1S Blue ridge Iron
AA/E/25 Fixer(3x), .44 Pistol
AA/40/40 Chainsaw (2x)
AA/25a/25 epr 2x
AA/50h/15c EPP
AA/50h/50bs EPP
Aristocrat:
Ari/Pa/40 Chainsaw
Ari/50/25 Cryo
Ari/E/15r Minigun
Ari/50C/Dur CR
Ari/25/25 Epr
Ari/25/50bs epp
Assassins:
A/50c/25 Hm, Single Action Revolver
a/e/Dur Gatling gun
Aa25a90rw AGL
A/25/50bs Plasma Pistol
A/25/15r Laser Pistol
Berserk:
Be40/40 Drill
Be25/25 epp
Berz/e/25 10mm sub
Bloodied:
B40Pa/1a Bear arm
B/50C/15C Hm ( 2x ), Pumpgun, .44 Pistol, Rwr, Epr perfect mods, Bow
B/50C/25 Chainsaw, Auto Pipe, BP Plunderbuss, Handmade, Em
B/E/25 lmg, combat riffle , AR, 10mm, Pipe riffle, Single Action Revolver, Radium
B/25/Stealth 10mm
B/E Black powder Riffle
B/Ap/25 Ul Laser Riffle, Gamma gun
B/50L/25 Hm
B/25/Dur RR ( 2x), Agl, Ugl, Flamer
B/e/50bs Combat riffle, BP Pistol
B/25/15r Gauss, 10mm, EPF, Cryo,
B/25/25 combat riffle, b2525 gatling plasma, Radium, gp, gl, EPR, Handmade
B/Bash/50bs Minigun'
B/50h/25 Fixer
B/25/90 epp with alligned flamer, lmg, Gatling laser, Cryo
B/e/15c Radium
B/40pa/40 chainsaw
B/e/90 AR
B/50l/50bs Peppershaker
B/25/50bs Plasma Thrower, Laser Pistol
B/e/90 lmg, Gatling
B/50c/90 EPP
B/25a/50bs epp
B/50c/15r Em
B/25a/90 lmg, gl
Be15r fixer
Executioners:
Exe/50C/25 Hm (2x), Minigun, 10mm Smg, em
Exe/E/25 Lever, Combat Shotgun, 10mm Pistol
Exe/25/25 EPR, Gauss, Lever,
Exe/50C/15C EM
Exe/25/Dur Fixer
Exe/25/15r GP
Exe/50L/25 GAuss
Exe/E/15r Pipe Bolt Pistol
Exe/25/90 Radium, 10mm Smg, Hm (2x)
Exe/50h/25 Gamma gun, epp
Exe/e/15r Pipe Revolver
Exe/25/50bs epp
Furious:
F/50C/25 NU Laser Riffle, Radium, CR,
F/Pa/25 Chinese Sword
F/25/Dur Minigun
F/Bash/Dur Minigun
F/25/25 UGatling Laser, EPR, Radium
F/Ap/25 GP
Gourmands:
G/50h/25 epp
G/E/15R Radium
G/PA/25 DC Gauntlet,
G/50c/25 Flamethrower, Em
G/e/25 Hm
G/25/25 rwr
Instigating:
I/50c/25 bow
Inst/Ap/25 epp
Juggernaut:
Jugg/50h/25 EPP
Jugg/e/90 Fixer, hm
Jugg/e/25 Fixer, RR
Jugg/25/25 Fixer, Gamma Gun, hm , Cryo
Jugg/Pa/40Pa Chainsaw
Jugg/e/15r .50
Jugg/e/dur .50
Jugg/50c/25 hm,
Junkie:
J/E/25 Hm, RR, Em
J/25/15r EPR Perfect mods Alligned Auto, AGL, tommy gun
J/SS/1s Bowieknife, Powerfist,
J/25/15r RR(2x),
J/50c/15c RR, Single Action Revolver
J/25/90 .50,
J/25/25 Western Revolver, Kabloom
J/50l/25 epp
Medic:
Med/25/25 Fixer
Med/25/15r Holy Fire
Med/50c/25 Minigun, AR,
Mutant:
M/25/15r AGL
M/Bash/Dur Minigun
M/50H/25 EPP Perfect Mods(alligned Auto)
M/25/25 10mm
Nocturnal:
N/E/25 .50
N/50c/25 Em
N/25/15r 10mm
Quad:
Q/E 10mm, Lever, Gatling gun
Q/E/25 Lever, Combat Riffle.50, Sniper riffle, Fixer
Q/25/15r Fixer
Q/25/90 Hm, Em, Fixer, epp
Q/E/15C Pipe Bolt Pistol(2x), 10mm Pistol,
Q/25A/25 Fixer
Q/50L/25 Fixer, Tesla
Q/50C/15r .50, Tommy gun Gatling gun, Auto Pipe,
Q/25/50bs Fixer, Holy fire, DB, Hm, Auto Pipe, Cryo
Q/50C/Dur Fixer (2x), hm, EPP ,Railway
Q/E/90 railway, .50 cal, Minigun
Q/25/25 Pipe Revolver, Ab, EPR perfect mods,
Q/50C 10mm, Em
Q/Ap/15r Fixer
Q/25A/Dur Holy Fire, Gamma gun
Q/25A/15r Holy Fire,
Q/E Pipe Pistol, Hunter Riffle, Pumpgun, Combat Riffle, DB
Q/50C/25 Minigun,Tommy, Plasma Riffle, Gatling gun, Western Revolver, Epr, Radium, Handmade
Q/50b/25 Tesla, Hm
Q/50l/15r tesla
Q/25 Tesla
Q/50H/25 Radium, EPR, Western Revolver,
Q/e/15r hm(2x), Gatling gun, Em, Railway, DB, Pipe riffle
Q/ls/25 Ab
Q/25/15c epp
Q/50h/15r EPP
Q/e/50bs Rwr
Q/25/15c Railway (2x) , EPP
Supressor:
S/e/25 Fixer
S/25/15r Fixer
S/50c/25 Hunting riffle
Two Shot:
TS/50C/25 Fixer (2x), Hm (2x), Tesla, Dragon
Ts/25/25 AR, Fixer, epp, Ultracite laser riffle
Ts/E/Dur Minigun
Ts/50H/25 Fixer, Radium
Ts/25/dur Fixer, hm
Ts/e/25 Pipe Revolver, RWR, Em, 10mm Pistol,
Ts/Ls/25 Assaultron Head
Ts/e/15c Lever (2x)
Ts/25/15r Flamethrower, EPR,
TS/50c/15c RR, Ab
TS/50L/25 Em Ts/e/15r lmg
Ts/25/90, Lmg
Ts/50c/15c Plunderbuss
Ts/e/90 Pumpgun, lmg
Vampire:
V/50C/15r GP, Gatling Gun
V/50C/15r Railway
V/e/dur Hm, Em
V/e/25, Hm, Em
V/Ap/25 Fixer
V/50L/25 Fixer, RR, 10mm, Hm
V/50C/25 Gauss, Chainsaw, DB(2x), Fixer, 10mm Pistol, handmade
V/e Lever
V/25/15c Hm(2x), Gatling laser, epp
V/25/25 Gatling laser, Pipe Bolt Pistol, Epr
V/25/50Damage resist EPR
V/e/15r Western Revolver, Single Action Revolver,
V/25/15r Plasma Thrower, Gatling Plasma
V/25a/15r Plasma Thrower
V/25/90 Gamma Gun, Flamer
V/50h/25 epp
Armor Pieces:
Uny/AP/HTD H Leaver Set
Uny/Mix/Sent bos Combat armor set
As/Mix/Cav Usa Set
Uny/7Explo/Cav FSA La
OE/AP/Sent Usa LL
Oe/7Exp/Cryo Fsa LL
As/7E/AWR Raider PA LA
Aristo/AP/WWR Trapper RL
Aristo/AP/Stealth FSA Chest
As/7Exp/Sent FSA RL
Oe/7Exp/WWR X01 LA
Bolst/S/WWR T60 LL
Uny/Ap/Stealth Trapper RA
Uny/S/WWR light Metal armor LA
Uny/I/Cav Wood Rl
Uny/1S/Wwr Heavy Raider Armor Ra
Van/P/WWR FSA LL
Uny/S/Limb Usa LL
Uny/I/JWR FSA LL
Uny/Ap/Sent Fsa la (level 40)'
uny/ap/sneak trapper chest, trapper ra
Oe/Ap/wwr Raider PA rl ( level 30)
Uny/1P/Cav fsa Ra
Uny/S/WWR light Metal La
Uny/HungeWWR Usa Rl
OE/1e/FDC Usa ll
Bolst/I/sentt Trapper LA
Bolst/S/Sent Wood RL
Uny/L/WWR Heavy raider LA
Uny/S/WWR Sturdy leather RA
Uny/I/Sent Wood LL
Uny/Cryo/Cav FSA Cp
Uny/Cryo/Awr Fsa LL
Uny/I/AWR USA RL
Ari/Ap/Wwr Heavy metal CP'
Van/Cryo/WWR Leather CP
Van/AP/AWR Raider RA
Bolst/led/Cav Metal CP
Oe/1s/WWR Metal LA
Uny/Int/Sent Usa RL

Hey everyone, I’m typing this on my phone so I apologize if there is weird formatting. Anyways, to get to the point, there’s something really off with some people on my campus. I have come seeking answers.I noticed it first walking home from my 7pm class last Wednesday.
To set the scene, most of the campus is tucked back into the woods a little, and my 7pm class is in the farthest building from the parking lot (further into the woods). I get out from that 7pm class around 9pm, so on cloudy nights like last Wednesday, the only lights on that long sidewalk are the lights radiating from the other buildings. Usually, there’s roughly 30 feet where it’s pitch black because the foliage is pretty dense. I usually walk back to my apartment with some classmates that live in the same complex as me, but I told them to go ahead of me while I finished the rest of the project.
After packing my laptop away, I started heading back home. It was roughly 9:30 at this point, and my brain was slowly shutting down preparing for the deep sleep that has yet to come.Walking down the sidewalk, I heard somebody not too far into the woods laughing like they’ve just heard the funniest joke ever. I immediately thought, “probably some Freshman walking the trails with their friends smoking weed”. Chuckling to myself, I put in my AirPods and picked a playlist for my journey back home.
When I looked up from my phone, there was the silhouette of somebody walking towards me. I have no idea how I missed them before, but honestly, it’s very possible they were just in a spot where the light wasn’t quite reaching them. A little unnerved, I shifted over to the left side of the sidewalk.
(Now I’m usually fine walking alone at night; I’m a 6’2 man who’s dabbled in the world of MMA. But something about this person gave me a primal feeling of unrest.)
When they shifted over to the left mirroring me, I felt my blood run cold. But alas, I had to keep walking because this was my only way back home. As I neared closer to the figure, I almost laughed at myself when I realized it was just some harmless girl walking towards the Murphy building. If anything, I’m the intimidating one to her.
This is where it really gets weird. She stopped as I was passing her and turned to me. Thinking she needed to ask me something, I took an AirPod out and asked “what’s up?”. After staring at me for an uncomfortable amount of time, she opened her mouth, and I kid you not, mimicked the laugh I heard moments before perfectly. Before I could chalk it up to it just being her in the trails earlier, I noticed something. Her mouth wasn’t moving at all. If I had left my AirPods in, it would just look like she was just opening her mouth and staring at me. She then shifted into a deep raspy laugh. She did all of this without moving her mouth at all; I couldn’t even see her throat moving as you would expect if someone was laughing. It was almost like she was some fucked up human-shaped gramophone. The feeling of absolute horror that came over me is something I’ve only experienced in my imagination. Before I could think to do anything next, My body began to run off some sort of primal instinct. With my legs burning, it took me about 10 minutes to get all the way back to my apartment and lock myself in relative safety.
I’m coming on here now to ask if anybody knows what I experienced? I have been hearing that same laughter outside my window every night since that night, I am too terrified to sleep well and have refused to go to any of my classes. Please I just want answers, I don’t want to keep living in fear.
Part 2:
Hey everyone, I’ve gotten some DMs telling me what it may be. I’ve heard everything from banshee to skinwalker. After further research I pray to god it was neither of them. I’m praying it was just some girl with a speaker playing some sort of cruel joke. I mean yes there are people who don’t like me on campus, I’ve made some enemies over the past 4 years. But, I just don’t understand what could’ve brought it to this point. I had to stop hiding in fear and go to my classes before my grades plummet, I’m almost done with my degree and only have a few more weeks. If I let some sort of stupid prank ruin my career, It would be everything I swore against to my parents.
A lot of you guys in the DMs were also asking what college I go to and what my name is. First I want to say sorry for not providing that information in the first post, I’m sure you can understand where my head was at typing that. So let me introduce myself, my name is Nick and In order to keep my privacy, I will only provide that I go to a midwest university.
I’m sure you may be wondering, “so did it just stop?”. I would love to say yes, but really things have just gotten weirder. Though, I am pleased to say that there is no longer laughing out my window every night.
Ever since that night, I’ve been noticing more things off with the people on campus. Now you may just think it’s paranoia, but just be patient and listen.
Yesterday, I decided to muster up all of my courage and go to class. Luckily my first class is at 10AM, when the sun is well in the sky, so walking across campus seemed much less threatening. When I sat down in my first class, I noticed something off with the girl that sits in front of me. Usually she’s chatty and excited to be in class, but today she just stared blankly ahead. I tried to say good morning and ask about her weekend, as we do every Monday, but she continued to have that blank stare. She did turn her head towards be, but her eyes read “lights on, but nobody is home”.
Thinking to myself, she may just be hungover, or going through the bout of college student depression. I decided to shrug it off and turn to the front of the class and get my notes ready. But the moment I turned around, I could feel it. Her eyes burrowing deep into the back of my head. When I flipped around to see if I was just being irrational, I quickly learned I wasn’t. Her eyes went from the blank glare, to the most enthusiastic face I’ve seen on her. It was horrible, it almost seemed like she was trying so hard to pretend she was thrilled to be in class and to speak to me. It was inhuman.
I’ve been on the internet long enough to catch on to the term “Uncanny valley”, and what I witnessed In my first hour gives me that same gut feeling I got when I saw that girl last Wednesday.
I was right to be uncomfortable though, I texted her after class to make sure she was doing alright. But her response only reignited the flames of deep fear burning in my soul.
I’ll copy and paste the messages here:
Me: Hey Is everything good? You seemed off in class today.
Steph SCI 101: Uh yeah, I’m fine. but I was not in class today, I’m severely hungover from Tanner’s party last night.
Me: Haha, good one.
Steph SCI 101: No I’m so Fr, are you okay?
Steph SCI 101: Are you trying to fuck with me or something?
Me: Nevermind, I’m sorry to bother you.
(End Of Texts)
Okay so I’m sure that this gives you all the same feeling of dread that it gave me but I’m sure scaled down a bit. This is where I have started to doubt that it’s a prank, because me and Stephanie are cool. There’s no level of hate for either of us, and even if it was some joke, we don’t know each other on that type of level.
Not only did this seem to happen in my first class, but in between classes while I was walking across campus as well. I walk past hundreds of faces in my many treks across campus, and I swear to you, at least 1/4th of the people I walked past had that same dead stare look. And the way they walked, god I hate even thinking of it. It was like they were an alien trying out their new body suits for the first time. The steps and the bends of their legs just seem so meticulous, dramaticized, and puppeteered.
I’m going to try to investigate further, because at this point my fear for my life is more of a reason to try and figure out what it is so I can try to stop it.
I’m no hero, and I’m sure as hell nothing special, but If I can know what to expect for another encounter, maybe I can avoid meeting the demise I have imagined.
Part 3

First off I would like to apologize for my 20-day hiatus. For those who were worried that curiosity killed the cat so to speak, I appreciate your concern. On top of my investigation, I have also had to go through finals and work for a boss who didn't believe in life outside of work. So let's start where we left off. I had a feeling that this task was left for me to solve. it may sound stupid, but let me explain why. That night, after my last post, I had a dream that further solidified my need to solve the mystery. I tried to write all that I remembered down the morning after so here is what I wrote. 

April 4th, 2024
I had a strange dream last night, stranger than usual at least. I awoke in the woods, laying face down in the grass with someone looming over me. I heard their footsteps flee rapidly before I flipped over. I found myself just off the trail where the “incident” happened, on the trail laid a girl, bloodied and motionless. When I got up to approach her, she was quickly dragged into the parallel section of the woods. Seeing this I turned and ran into the section of woods I was in. When my legs gave out I found myself near an old supply shed, worn and long abandoned. Searching for cover, I tried the door, which luckily gave after a quick pull. There I found a trapdoor which emanated a blue hue through the cracks. The only thought on my mind, survival brought me to throw it open and climb down. I clattered down the ladder and right before my feet touched the ground, I was pulled backwards by my shirt. That’s where I woke up.
I have always trusted my gut and having a dream that vivid gave me a sense of courage I did not previously have. I know where to start my search now. I have decided my best course of action will be to record my findings on a tape recorder app. After I finish each entry it will be uploaded to a cloud that will ensure if anything happens to me, the story will get out. I am packing my backpack now with a flashlight, glow sticks to mark my trail, and a machete I was gifted by a local in Mexico. All of my recordings will be uploaded below and auto posted after 10 days. Wish me luck everyone, I’m going to need it.
Entry 1: I have started at the only place that makes sense, the trail. It is currently 1:45 PM and I have plenty of sun left in the sky. I just needed to find exactly where to start my journey into the woods. Strangely it was very easy to find. I recall one of the trees having a funky twist near the middle of the trunk. Probably just some two lovebirds trying to carve their name into the tree and realizing there were softer trees to carve into. Anyways hiking further into the woods I believe I can see the shape of the shed through the branches. I wish you guys could see how dense these trees are so you can understand my struggle.
Entry 2: I made it to the shed, but unfortunately the floor in here is concrete. This really sucks for me because I have absolutely no idea where to go from here. It’s identical on the outside but I just don’t understand. Maybe I’m just delusional, which in that case what a waste of time and energy. I’m going to head back home and just start packing for summer. Maybe it’ll be best if I just forget about all of this and leave it behind me. I am graduating after all. Wait hold on what is this?? there’s a button behind one of these shelves. I am going to press it, but idk how it would work because this floor is seamless. I’m just going to leave this recording so if anything does happen I don’t have to worry about holding the phone the whole time. Holy shit, the entire floor is lowering. It’s a fucking elevator.
Entry 3: Okay so I’ve been going down this elevator for like 30 seconds, how far down am I going?.. Oh wait hold on, Im stopped… There’s a metal door with a padlock. Ig since I have the machete there’s only one thing to do, break it. Im going to use the blunt side so I don’t ruin this thing, I like it too much. the lock clatters to the ground after 3 solid hits. Well ig there’s only one way to go now, there’s no button to get back up so I pray there’s another way up. The metal door creaks loudly. Fuck I regret this, It’s dark and I can tell it’s a big area because it’s so echoey in here. I’m currently praising my past self for thinking about the flashlight and glow sticks. I need to find out what in the hell this place is and most importantly, if there’s a damn light switch.
Entry 4: God this place is terrifying I’ve been walking around the sterile white halls of this place for like 10 minutes and have found nothing, no doors, no light switch. I feel like a rat in a maze. Also scratch what I said about being glad I packed glow sticks, because my stupid ass only brought like 20 of these things and I’m already down to 5. Also I feel like I’m not alone, every now and then I’ll turn a corner and the glow from the previous glow stick quickly vanishes. I feel like it might just be because the darkness seems to envelop everything like a blanket. But I have that feeling that I’m being followed. You know the one, where you know somethings wrong you just can’t pin point what it is. Oh shit no way, there’s light, I think there’s a door or something up ahead.
Entry 5: Holy shit… It’s a lab, and worse, there’s people strapped too tables, completely naked and unconscious. I know they are alive because each of them are hooked up with a million different cords, and one of those are plugged into a heart monitor. This place is huge, there has to be at least 50 people on these tables.
“Hey you, you’re not supposed to be in here” yelled a man adorned in a lab coat.
“What are you doing to these kids you sick fucks.” I yelled back at the man across the lab.
In a haste the scientist rushes towards a red button, setting off a loud alarm, turning the lights to a flashing red. With no exit behind me, I could only do one thing... Rush towards him. My training kicked in as I launched into a flurry of calculated strikes. My first hit connected, a right overhand clean under his eye. The doctor stumbled back, but I didn't give him a chance to recover. I pressed the attack, keeping him off balance with a relentless barrage of punches and kicks. He fought back ferociously, but I was one step ahead, anticipating his moves and countering with swift, efficient strikes. We wrestled, the room around us becoming a blur of pain and adrenaline. I used the environment to my advantage, improvising weapons from the scattered medical equipment and turning the empty tables on my opponent. Pinning him to the ground, I laid down a harsh barrage of final blows. His face was a bloody pulp, unrecognizable. But I didn’t walk away unscathed, somewhere in the tussle, the scientist buried a scalpel deep into my stomach. With my adrenaline wearing off, the pain overtook me, sending me into darkness as I fainted from the blood loss and adrenaline dump. I awoke with my arms and legs strapped to the cold metal operating table. Before I could try to struggle, a face overtook my field of vision.
“Quite a fight you put up, you turned poor Dr.Samson into a soup” the looming face said with a chuckle. “You are the first person to put the pieces together and for that I am thoroughly impressed Mr. Hayes”
“Who are you?!” I said fighting at my binds. “Let me go!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that Mr.Hayes. You have seen far too much, and I definitely can’t have you running around telling the world what you saw here. Although nobody would believe you.” “And to answer your other question, I’m surprised you don’t recognize me… really take a moment and look at me” He said pulling down his face mask.
“Dr.Blackwood?” I said as I looked back on my freshman year biology class.
“Ding ding ding ding. We have a winner!” He said in a maniac joy.
“What are you going to do to me?” I asked.
“Well Mr.Hayes, first I’m going to sew you up from your little tussle you had with my late assistant and then I will put you under and cut into that skull of yours and take out a small piece of what we call in the science world your hippocampus. Then I will draw from that all of the necessary memories to create the perfect clone of you.” He responded.
“Why? Why would you need a clone of any of us. Why can’t you just clone someone willing to be apart of this?” I asked
“Because that’s no fun Mr.Hayes, the hunt excites me. Actually you’re lucky I didn’t get you the first night. Unfortunately my creation had a little bit of a malfunction and formed a wee bit of an attachment to you. I’m sure you remember the ruckus outside your window? Anyways I digress, I do this because everyone of you lowly students will go onto do mediocre jobs where you waste away at a desk. I must also add that with having a clone of you under my control, I can do anything and get away with clean hands. My plan with you originally was to have you go into the admissions office and steal every last cent all for me. On top of that I like the power, because one day I will have a clone of every student on this campus and eventually I will cause a revolt against our comedy of a government. Who will stop me, when I won’t even be on the front lines?” Dr.Blackwood explained.
“I will” I said freeing my last hand from the binds.
What he didn’t realize is that with all of this monologue and the questions I had been feeding him, I was slowly loosening my binds with each wiggle and movement in retaliation.
Lurching forward I grab onto his collar, pulling him into a vicious headbutt. The impact sent Dr. Blackwood reeling backward, his grip on consciousness loosening as he staggered. Seizing the moment, I lunged off the table, adrenaline coursing through my veins despite the searing pain in my abdomen. With a swift motion, I grabbed a nearby surgical instrument, holding it in a defensive stance as I faced my adversary. Dr. Blackwood, recovering from the blow, snarled with rage, his once calm demeanor now replaced by a feral intensity. The room seemed to shrink around us, the tension thickening with each passing second. This was my chance to stop Blackwood's twisted plans. As he lunged forward, I met his attack head-on, the clang of metal reverberating through the room. Blow after blow, we fought with an intensity born of desperation and determination. Despite my injuries, I refused to yield, driven by a fire burnt under me to protect myself and others from Blackwood's actions . In a final, swift move, I delivered a powerful front kick, sending Blackwood crashing to the ground. The room fell silent, the echoes of our struggle fading into the darkness. Coughing he sat in the corner laughing with blood spilling down his face. “You know that it’s too late to save any of these one lying on the tables. I would’ve released you, you know that right? I would’ve simply taken your memory from today out of your brain and leaving you in your bed to wake up thinking you had a fun night” he said with final resolve as he watched me grab the scalpel from the ground taking slow steps near him.
Looking down over him, It was my turn to laugh. Kneeling down to eye level with him I grabbed him by his hair and delivered a final message to him “Fuck you and your little science experiment” as I sliced deep into his throat watching the life fade from his eyes.
I eventually found an exit door, which lead me to a storm drain deep in the woods far from my campus. It took me 2 hours to limp my way onto a main road and flag down a passing car. Pulling over I was rushed to the hospital and later interrogated by some men in suits, my guess is CIA. Here I am now, writing my final entrance. I think I heard them say something about trying a new medical process on me to help me heal quicker.

In various cultures, specific accessories hold profound symbolic value for brides. In the rich tapestry of Indian traditions, a bride’s ensemble is laden with meaning and portrays her newfound status as a married woman.
India, with its diverse traditions and customs, boasts an array of unique wedding attires, each uniquely representing the bride’s special day. Here’s a link from Youtube that explains the 9 rituals of the Hindu wedding, and what they mean.
So, what can you expect as a Marathi bride on your wedding day? Lets take a look at various ornaments that make a Maharashtrian bride’s look complete!
Bridal Saaḏee - Also called the “Saree” around the world, the Saaḏee (in Marathi) is the classic OOTD for a Maharashtrian bride. It can be a nine yards one, called Naoo-vaari (Naoo – Nine, Vaari – Yards) or a Six Yards one. The ceremonial Saaḏee is generally yellow in colour, however, it may differ as per family traditions.Illustration of a Maharashtrian bride with a labelled description of the following wedding ornaments: Naoo-vaari Saadee, Tiklee, Nath, Mundavalya, Kanatley, and Mangalsutra
Koonku/Ticklee - The Tiklee, also known as “Bindi” in other parts of India, is a red coloured dot applied on the forehead. It is applied along with vermilion powder (Koonku), and turmeric powder (Haldi) on the forehead serves as an auspicious sign of marriage. As the bride steps over the threshold of her new home, her red ticklee is believed to usher in prosperity and grant her a place as the family’s newest guardian.
In today’s world, the Ticklee has evolved into a fashion accessory and is available in various shapes, sizes, and colours.
Mangalsutra - Made of black beads and gold, the Mangalsutra is a sacred necklace that symbolises the new bond of matrimony. Just as a western groom puts the ring on his bride, in the same way the Maharashtrian groom ties the Mangalsutra around the bride’s neck.
The significance of this ornament can be seen in the meaning of the word Mangalsutra – “Mangal” meaning auspicious, and “Sutra” meaning thread or cord.
Mundavalya - A “Mundavali” (plural: Mundavalyaa) is a traditional headpiece or headband worn by Marathi brides as part of their wedding attire. Made of pearls and gold, and adorned with intricate designs such as including motifs, gemstones, and other decorative elements it symbolizes the bride’s auspicious and sacred journey into married life. The Mundavali enhances the bride’s beauty and adds an elegant and regal touch to her bridal look.
Nath - The Nath is a traditional Marathi nose ring, usually studded with pearls and gemstones, worn on the bride’s left nostril. The Maharashtrian Nath is very distinctive in appearance and is easily recognisable as a quintessential Maharashtrian ornament.
Kanatley (Earrings) - Made of gold and encrusted with precious stones, Kanatley or earrings are often paired with a matching necklace. The literal meaning of the word Kanatley is – the ones on the ear.
Mehendi - A few days before the wedding day, intricate henna designs are applied to the bride’s hands and feet during the Haldi ceremony. Applying henna on weddings is an age-old tradition, without which the wedding look remains incomplete. It is traditionally an all female event, where other women and girls attending the Haldi ceremony often choose to apply Mehendi on their hands as well.
Bangdya - Bangdee (Plural: Bangdyaa) refers to bangles worn on the hand. Brides wear green glass bangles in odd numbers along with thin gold bangles called paaṯlyaa, and thick gold bangles called toḏey.
Painjan (Anklets) - Painjan(Payal) or anklets are traditionally made of metals such as silver and gold, and are adorned with small bells and charms. They jingle with each step, creating a musical and rhythmic sound often associated with grace and femininity.
Jodavee (Toe rings) - “Jodavee” are Toe rings, traditionally made of silver, and worn in pairs, on the second toe of each foot. The ornate designs, have evolved over the years into more contemporary designs that cater to the modern bride.
A Marathi bride’s ensemble serves a cultural and aesthetic purpose. It symbolises her transition to married life, enhances her beauty and grace, and protects her from negative forces. These traditional accessories, cherished in Marathi culture for generations continue to play a significant role in Marathi weddings.
We hope this short outline has helped you better understand what you need as a Marathi bride on your big day! If you would like to practice what you have learnt, we have designed a fun crossword activity sheet to help you remember the vocabulary.