Q: Does New Jersey have a safe storage law? What are the New Jersey Laws around firearm storage in the home?
A: NO, New Jersey has no law that requires unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way. They can be loaded or unloaded when stored.
Additional Info:
CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION
New Jersey provides that “[a] person who knows or reasonably should know that a minor [under 16 years of age] is likely to gain access to a loaded firearm at a premises under the person’s control” is criminally liable for a misdemeanor if a minor gains access to a firearm, unless the person:

• Stores the firearm in a securely locked box or container;
• Stores the firearm in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure; or
• Secures the firearm with a trigger lock.

This section does not apply to activities concerning the lawful use of a firearm by a minor (see the section entitled Minimum Age to Purchase & Possess in New Jersey), or where a minor obtained a firearm as a result of an unlawful entry by any person.
New Jersey requires firearm dealers to give all firearm transferees the following written warning, printed in block letters not less than one-fourth of an inch in height: “IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, PUNISHABLE BY A FINE AND IMPRISONMENT, FOR AN ADULT TO LEAVE A LOADED FIREARM WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF A MINOR.” Dealers also must post a truncated version of this warning “conspicuously” at each purchase counter, printed in block letters not less than one inch in height.
New Jersey imposes harsh penalties, including a mandatory minimum prison term of three years without parole, on any person who knowingly sells, gives, transfers, assigns or otherwise disposes of a firearm to a person under age 18.
TRIGGER LOCKS
In New Jersey, retail firearms dealers must include a trigger lock or a locked case, gun box, container or other secure facility with every handgun sold.
SEE:

1. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-15c.
2. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-15a.
3. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-15b.
4. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-16a.
5. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-16b.
6. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:39-10e.
7. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-2a(5)(d), (e).
8. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:58-17a, 17b.

NOTE:
In the past the legislature has tried to pass Safe Storage Laws in New Jersey.
Murphy's "Safe Storage" Law in New Jersey Gun Lawyer Evan Nappen
Same Law: NJ Legislature (state.nj.us)

I live less than 2 blocks from an anti-choice organization. They are always putting up "Pro Life" stuff. There are usually 2 or more vans there covered in Christian / homophobic / MAGA bumper stickers. Well guess what...because it's pride month, they decided it is now "Traditional Family" month. They are using space and effort they usually put into being pro-life (paid for by donations from people who think their money is going to save the lives of babies) to be anti-gay. Very odd since lesbian and gay couples are famously never getting abortions. Never mind trans or any additional letters, never mind the false claims about pedophiles etc; these people are still openly anti-lesbian/anti-gay and using resources they collected to platform this hate. Suddenly those 'babies' they are trying to force women to give birth to take a back-seat because it's gay bashing time...and it's all openly and proudly Christian. To be fair, there are still anti-choice/"You are going to hell for getting an abortion" type things up, they just took down some to make way for the new anti-gay stuff.
Wondering if this is going on in other areas or if it's just this particular location?

Please tell me I'm expecting too much from something that never really started, before I talk to him about it. Sorry, in advance for the long post.
I (32 f) met him (28 m) online in the middle of April. We instantly clicked. Problem was/is that I'm in a long term (9 year) relationship. We have a lot of issues from anger, finances, (suspected) infidelity, spending very little time together, household responsibilities, ideas for the future, etc. But I was so jaded, I was just kind of... okay with going day by day dealing with all that shit and never really confronting it.
Then I meet this guy. And all of a sudden I remember "Wait... guys can be.. nice?" I never hid from him that I was in a relationship, how long it was, or what was going on in it. He asked me about it and I said I was okay if he wanted to stop talking - I genuinely was, after all, it had only been an hour or two by the time we got to this part if the conversation. He said no and that he wanted keep talking. That he "can wait." We talked more and more and I realized I can't stay in my relationship. However, it's not easy to leave a 9 year relationship when we are on the same lease, have shared bank accounts and when - even if we have our problems - there is still genuine love&care there, bacause it's nearly a decade of our lives together.
But I've already started quietly making moves. I set up my own bank account to save up more of my paycheck before depositing it into our joint account. I started looking up apartment options for him to check out (the apartment we rent out is the 2nd floor of my parents house) once things are over so he's not left with no clue where to start looking, (though I suspect he'll be to angry/upset to read the listings). I also realize I've been standing up for myself a bit more during our arguments and I didn't even mean to be doing that.
This guy I met online, I told him how I'm realizing I need to leave and I want to. We spoke about him being worried he'd make me leave such a long relationship, and I wouldn't like him when we met and regret leaving. I told him the truth, that even if he and I didn't make it, I still realize I need to end things in my current relationship. That even if he is the catalyst to my process of breaking up, I'm not necessarily breaking up with my boyfriend "for" him - and I really do mean this.
But I'd be lying if I said I don't hope he's in my future. I'm not the kind of person who goes online and tries to dm people and start private conversations. I don't go out and flirt with people. When people have flirted with me, it's always been easy to turn them away, ignore the messages, or block them when they got weird. He is different though. During 2nd conversation on the 2nd day since meeting, he said he could see himself developing real strong feelings for me. He asked that I simply promise him that if there are ever problems between him and I or if I am overwhelmed with my relationship and talking to him at the same time, that I please not ghost him, and that instead we just talk about it like adults. He said he had a terrible experience with someone ghosting him and he never wants to feel that again or do that to someone.
There's a 6 hour difference. We messaged every day for a couple weeks for maybe 3 hours. Then it became mostly in the evenings for about an hour. Now it's become a single 'How are you, hope you had a great day, sweetie <3' from him at his 11 pm - 1 am hour time zone, right before he falls asleep. I could message him 3 minutes later and not hear from him til the next day, where again, it would just be a similar "how are you" kind of message right before he falls asleep. Lately, there have been days I don't hear from him at all, even if I've messaged him.
I want to talk to him about it. Is that weird? Am I expecting too much from a guy who is 6 hours ahead of me and who I'm not even in a relationship with? Sometimes I feel like I am expecting too much. He has pretty stressful job and friends he hangs out with. Other times I feel like it really shouldn't be that hard to send a single message during his waking hours if he actually wanted to see how I was. I don't know. Someone please tell me I'm expecting too much. I have a whole message/letter written out, but haven't sent it because I don't know if I should. Sorry, again, for the long post.

Hi Everyone, later this month I will be 7 years out of my Glioblastoma diagnosis. I was 30 years old when I was diagnosed and am 37 years old now. Over the last 6+ years, I have been put in contact with many people battling the same diagnosis and decided to create a Word document titled "Health & Happiness", which details all of the things I have incorporated into my healing journey. Everyone is different and I am simply sharing what has worked for me. Neither me or my wife are in the medical field however we have spent a lot of time researching things to integrate into my day-to-day life which we believe are keeping me healthy. For the first 5 years of my journey I received MRI's every 8 weeks; now that I am more than 5 years out I get MRI's every 12 weeks. Below is a copy and paste of the document:
*Below there are some discount codes that I have not affiliation with and found them through IG or marketing emails and they might be outdated*
My Neurosurgeon:
Dr. Mitchel Berger - UCSF
My Neuro Oncologist:
Dr. Timothy Cloughesy - UCLA
My Naturopathic Doctor:
· Christian Gonzalez, ND
o Check out his podcast, “Heal Thy Self” – This podcast has been life-changing for my wife and I. It has provided us with assurance about the path that we have been on to keep me healthy and has opened our eyes to so many things that we thought were “good” and “healthy” when in fact we were grossly misled to a technique called “Green Washing” that a lot of companies and products use in their marketing efforts.
· Below are two links where you can find a ND in your area.
o Naturopath Oncologist Database - https://oncanp.org/directory/
o General Naturopath Doctor Database - https://www.naturopathic.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=2
CBD/THC Extracts - Cancer Protocols:
· I went through CT's full 90 day protocol back in 2017 in conjunction with radiation and chemo (Temodar). I am on CT's "maintenance" program and have been since I finished the 90 day protocol.
o https://www.constancetherapeutics.com/
o https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosne2019/01/24/constance-finleys-midlife-detour-to-cannabis-extraction-connoisseu#456c41bc35c6
§ The article above is from Forbes magazine on Constance and how she got started.
Books and Documentaries:
· Radical Remission. This book was the first book I read when I was diagnosed and gave me knowledge and motivation to not look at my diagnosis as a death sentence. One of the most powerful cancer books I have read and I highly recommend it for anyone that has cancer or knows someone that has cancer. 😊
· What the Health: Netflix
· Heal: Netflix
o Here are a couple ‘extras’ from “Heal” that we found very powerful and inspiring.
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sxmK8A-Kco&list=PLmcZvnvGDkToo9nYIX3ugcgyLCll0NLLc&utm_content=b080891cf2ccb1c272c432873d52f9cd&utm_campaign=Don%27t+believe+you+can+change+your+destiny%3F+This+video+could+help+you+change+your+mind.&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email

§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeQjNRahxrw&feature=youtu.be&utm_content=eadbd6e0e0dff2d44d28e6515fa4c2a1&utm_campaign=Rob+Wergin+use+his+incredible+and+unique+gifts&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email

o The Documentary “Heal”, did so well they wrote a book as well.
· The Game Changers – A documentary on Netflix.
· Forks Over Knives - Netflix
· Cowspiracy – Netflix
· The China Study – Book outlining the most comprehensive study done on nutrition, and the links the standard American diet has to all types of diseases including cancer.
· Being In Balance - Book
· You The Healer – Book
· The Power of Now – Book
· The Celestine Prophecy – Book
· How Not To Die – Book
· The Truth About Cancer – Documentary


Supplements I am taking:
· Maca Root
· Vitamin B12
· Gaia – “Liver Health”
· Bladderwrack & Sea Moss
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Mushroom Supplements: Chaga, Turkey Tail, Maitake, Reishi, Cordyceps & Lion’s Mane (Real Mushrooms is the company we use.) See video and article below about the health benefits of mushrooms.
o https://www.realmushrooms.com/
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuL_faveAnw
o https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/canceturkey-tail-mushrooms-for-cancer-treatment/
o Paul Stamets is the CEO of Host Defense and his mother was diagnosed with Stage Four Breast Cancer. He gives a lot of credit to her remission from the mushroom supplements. https://hostdefense.com/also has a 10% off first time order. We order from Vitacost.com though due to their sales and free shipping.
· Agaricus Mushroom – I take it at night with my Essiac Tea (See Below)
· Kelp
· Vitamin D3
· Graviola/Soursop – (can be taken as a supplement or in Tea form)
· Ashwagandha –Benefits and study links below. In the first link below, each number found in the article is a hyper link showcasing different studies that have been conducted proving the benefits listed.
o https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-ashwagandha-benefits#section3
o https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26650066
· Vitamin B2
· Boswellia (Frankincense)
· Melatonin
· CoQ10
[· X-R Shield by LifeExtension – My ND prescribed me to take these 5 days prior to air travel, during travel and 5 days after air travel. When flying, you’re exposed to high amounts of radiation and this supplement helps to protect cell DNA damage]()
· Chaparral
o We purchase these from- https://alkalineveganshop.com/
· Liposomal Glutathione – Quicksilver Scientific
· NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Free-Form)
· Co-E1 NADH
· Probiotic – Klaire Labs, Ther-Biotic Complete
· Life Cykel Mushroom Tinctures
o https://us.lifecykel.com/?rfsn=3953957.f0c203&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=3953957.f0c203
o Discount code: 0DCB4626
o Chaga, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Lions Maine, Cordyceps, Shitake
o All of the above mushrooms are harnessed in Kakadu Plum juice which is the most Vitamin C dense fruit in the world.
· We get most of our supplements from http://www.vitacost.com . They have sales all the time and free 2-day shipping.

Teas:
· Senna Tea - I drank this on the nights I took Temodar (Chemo) to prevent constipation, it's a lot easier on your body than any OTC medication.
· Essiac Tea - I drink 4 oz. of this every night before bed. People who have defeated cancer give a lot of credit to Essiac Tea.
o We purchase it in loose leaf form from https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/
· Moringa
· Dandelion
· Teas with Turmeric
[· Pique Tea – Organic, ceremonial grade, triple screened for heavy metals, mold toxins and pesticides. This is the only tea that we have been able to find that has a triple screening process for heavy metals. “Organic” does not mean free of heavy metals.]()
o Discount Code: GREENFIELD 15% off!

Other things I do:
· Meditation – Every day for 20 minute – I started off with the app called “Headspace” other people use “Calm”. Its personal preference.
o I am looking into taking a TM class (Transcendental Meditation) and will let you know once I do.
[· Minimizing EMF exposure as much as possible]()
o Sleeping with our phones in airplane mode and away from us, ideally in another room
o Turning off Wi-Fi at night, and even when not in use
o Covering Wi-Fi router and Digital Electricity Meter (outside of house) with EMF guards
§ These can be found here: https://smartmeterguard.com/
o Keeping cell phones away from our bodies as much as possible
o Not using anything wireless near our heads. This includes cell phones (always talk on speaker phone or a wired ear pod connection), air pods or any type of Bluetooth headphones, this includes Bluetooth in the car.
o Hardwiring my office so there is no need for Wi-Fi.
· When we fly, we have these blankets that we wrap around our body. This company has a lot of great products that protect you from EMF exposure.
o https://www.defendershield.com/emf-radiation-protection-blanket
· We also wear these when we fly, they are a company out of Australia
o https://radiasmart.com/emf-hat-hood/
o This is what we have: RS EMF radiation protection hood, blocking RF, EMF- Brian Coat
· Here is another company that is popular, we were not aware of it at the time of buying the other products above.
o https://getlambs.com/products/emf-proof-beanie
· Positive attitude and mindset in everything I do- link below to article explaining how thoughts can benefit or hinder your body
o https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-your-thoughts-change-your-brain-cells-and-genes_b_9516176
· Eliminate as much stress as I possibly can from my everyday life
· Be present in my mind
· Yoga
· Spin
· Writing down 3 things that I am grateful for each night before bed
· Using Frankincense oil on my feet and pillow, every night, before bed
· Morning Routine: Body Scan Meditation, Drink a liter of water when you wake up (Your body is most dehydrated after a full night’s sleep), stretch or some type of quick 10 minute workout to get your body moving in the morning, “I Am” affirmations (I will usually do this right after I finish my morning stretching, I will typically say 5-10 things out loud to myself, for example (I am healthy, I am a loving husband, I am kind, etc…), statements of gratitude (I will mix this in with my “I Am” affirmations, for example, I am grateful for my bed, I am grateful for my home, I am grateful to have access to organic produce, etc…) I try to focus on this that I have in my life instead of things that I want, rubbing a 1-2 drops of any organic essential oil that you like in your hands in the morning and taking 4-5 deep breaths with your hands over your mouth and nose (this is very helpful in awakening your sensory functions), lastly, I listen to music when getting ready for work in the morning. Soft music in the morning taps into the creative side of your brain and research has shown that individuals that listen to soft music in the morning are more creative and productive throughout the day than those who don’t.
· Taking a walk every day to get fresh air and disconnect, normally with the dogs J
· Circuit Training
· Acupuncture / Energy Healing
· Energy Healer – Steve Montoya – Let me know if you would like his contact info. He travels all over the world healing people. He is in the LA/OC area once a quarter or so.
o https://ramonashealingjourney.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/you-shall-know-them-by-their-love/
· Keeping my body warm at all times. We learned from Traditional Chinese Medicine, that keeping the body warm protects the kidneys, which means all of the other organs can do their job and the body can heal. Also, just for example, when you have a fever, it’s your body’s way of protecting all of your vital organs so that they can do their job, as well as preventing any proliferation of bacteria and viruses.
o http://aprilcrowell.com/asian-medicine/warm-to-the-core/
· John of God – Brazil. Lauren’s cousin went down to visit him during the 4th quarter of 2018 and took a head shot of myself as well as a two-page letter sharing my story. He is a spiritual healer that helped a young man get to a state of meditation where his brain tumor shrunk to nothing. He sent back two bottles of Herbs (Ground Up Passion Flower Leaves – Actual Name: Passiflora) for me to take. There is a large portion about him in the book “Radical Remission” and he is featured in “Heal” as well.
· I brush my teeth with my less dominant hand once a day and then with my dominant hand the other two times.
o This helps stimulate parts of the brain that are not in use often. You can do this with many things, brushing your hair, using your less dominant foot in sports, washing your body with soap while showering.
· Drinking and eating out of glass vs. plastic. It’s having an effect on both men and women’s endocrine systems (hormones, fertility, etc…)
o https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2017/7/26/new-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-are-undermining-male-fertility
· This may sound like something so simple but it’s quite challenging: When moving/changing physical positions I am always present. For example, every time I sit, I tell myself I am sitting, every time I stand to walk, I tell myself I am standing. This helps me to bring my mind into a present state and focus less on the future or past.
o This was a recommendation during one of my guided meditations.
· Laughing, loving and hugging every day. This was a big take away for Lauren and I from reading the book Radical Remission. It’s important to laugh every day, love every day and receive and give hugs to people every day. I know, I know, it sounds crazy but it has worked on other folks, we practice it every day. We try to watch more comedies if we are going to watch a movie on the weekend, an easy way to incorporate laughter into your life.
· We recently added air purifiers into our home. I also have one in my office. We purchased the Molekule, but through research we found that the Air Doctor is another good option (and I believe also a little less expensive). Here is a discount code for $100 off a Molekule: MetroMD100
· IR Sauna (Infrared Saunas)
o These are great for detoxifying the body, especially after air travel. I go to Perspire (https://perspiresaunastudio.com/) here in Orange County.
· Epsom Salt Baths – Especially after air or any long car travel as well.
· Grounding/Earthing – Walk around barefoot on your backyard grass or anywhere there is a plot of “Earth”. Feel the grass between your toes or if you are at the beach, be aware of the sand between your toes. We are all energy and Earth contains energy, manifest the energy from the Earth into your body for increased healing, awareness, presence and mindfulness. I do this for about 10-15 minutes.
· Cold Showers (as cold as the shower can get) every morning and Ice Plunges. Look up the “Wim Hof Method”
o https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

Diet:
· For the past 6+ years we have followed a whole food plant-based diet (vegan without the junk food). Cancer cells feed off of Glucose (Sugar) firstly, but can also utilize glutamate as a second source of fuel (which is in all animal protein, land and sea). I have also cut out all artificial sugars from my diet. Dairy is also extremely inflammatory for your body and has been linked to cancer in many research studies.
· White Carbs and Gluten - We have eliminated these from our diet as much as we possibly can. Even for people who do not have a ‘gluten intolerance,’ gluten is very hard on the body’s digestive system. Excessive consumption can lead to a leaky gut, which causes toxins to seep out of the digestive tract into the body/blood making it hard for your immune system to work at its peak. Also, most gluten products have high levels of glyphosate, which they’ve linked to cancer. Glyphosate acts like an antibiotic to your gut (not in a good way), wiping out all of the beneficial gut flora which are there to keep your immune system working efficiently.
· Alkaline Foods and Water - Cancer cells cannot grow in an alkaline environment; we drink water with a PH level of 9.5. We recently invested in a Kangen water machine for our home. A level of 7 PH is balanced and anything below 7 is acidic. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. Things that make your body acidic are alcohol, dairy, meat, processed and artificial sugars and gluten.
· I drink warm lemon water with apple cider vinegar every morning, which also helps alkalize the body and keep stomach acid levels at a great pH for food absorption.
· We practice intermittent fasting, which allows the body to not worry about processing food for a large portion of the day but rather allow its immune system to be working at its peak ability. We started out by only eating from 12 PM - 8 PM and are working toward 12 PM - 6 PM. Intermittent fasting is really important when taking Temodar (or any chemotherapy). It allows the body to protect the healthy cells while targeting cancer cells. There is so much research showing the benefits of intermittent fasting for cancer patients.
· This is a really interesting article citing a lot of different sources regarding a plant-based diet and fighting/preventing cancer:
o https://www.vivahealth.org.uk/veganhealth/dont-feed-cancer

Other Things to Research:
· Dr. Sebi – He is the doctor who put a full-page ad in the NY Post and was sued to take it down. When he went to his court hearing the judge asked him if he could prove that he healed anyone, and he furnished 70 patients of his that were healed by his treatment and the Judge declared “not guilty” on all the charges that were brought against him by the State of New York.
o The link below is a quick rundown of his life. I believe the pharmaceutical companies were heavily involved with his death in while he was imprisoned in Honduras.
o https://wakeup-world.com/2015/08/28/dr-sebi-the-man-who-cures-aids-cancer-diabetes-and-more/
· Radiation Stickers for your cell phone and laptop:
o https://www.amazon.com/Radiation-Protection-Labobbon-Household-Appliances/dp/B078SSD6QC
· We also try to use the ‘cleanest’ hygiene products we can find. There are many harmful chemicals in our everyday toothpastes, shampoos, deodorants, etc. Chemicals to avoid in hygiene products below:
o Shampoo – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate,’ Parabens, Sodium Benzoate. Brands that we like are: 100% Pure, Acure, Alaffia
o Toothpaste – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, basically any ‘sulfate’, fluoride, triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol, Microbeads. One of the worst toothpaste brands out there is Colgate. We use Himalaya Botanique & Nature’s Gate as well as Dr. Bronner’s All-In-One toothpaste.
o Deodorant – Aluminum, Parabens, Triclosan, DEA, Propylene Glycol. We have been testing out natural deodorants for years and our favorite (although not vegan) is from a company called Primally Pure. We’ve also started to use a brand called Joyous Organics with clean (and minimal) ingredients.
o A great website to reference for beauty product ingredients and their safety is https://www.ewg.org/
§ Skin Deep Database – This is where you will find clean products to put on your body.
· https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

· The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen
o The EWG, each year, comes out with an updated list of produce that we should be buying organic 100% of the time (Dirty Dozen), especially people like you and I who have had cancer. The Clean fifteen can be purchased conventionally if you can’t find them in an organic form and conventional is the only option
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php
o https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

· The link below is a good read on Monsanto’s Glyphosate and the timeline for removal in home use:
o https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2021/07/bayer-end-residential-sales-cancer-causing-weedkiller-glyphosate?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=202108News&utm_medium=email&emci=9a939839-bef6-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=4d3bfe91-dbf7-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=2210188
These are things that we have done and have found to be successful so far with my body, and hopefully, they are helpful for you as well. I have also included some images below that show how damaging the effects of Wi-Fi radiation (and all of the radiation coming from electronics) can be.

I do coding on toyhouse, and currently I'm trying to make it so that header text on my code aligns to two different sides, yet on the same line. The "updated by" piece should be on the left, while the song information should be on the right.
I tried to use spaces, but it ended up looking weird on mobile and smaller laptops. Any way to fix this??

 tiny mf (CC) by acodingperson@toyhou.se HANDY WEBSITES: > Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/ > W3 Schools Bootstrap: https://www.w3schools.com/bootstrap/ > W3 Schools HTML: https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp > Bootstrap Docs: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.1/getting-started/introduction/ > Toyhou.se Help Thread: https://toyhou.se/~forums/16.htmlcss-graphics/48845.-help-thread-ask-your-questions-here- ============================== accent ------- #686273 ============================== reminder to read my tos :3 -> https://toyhou.se/~bulletins/491483.global-tos leave a comment!! <33 -> https://toyhou.se/~forums/16.htmlcss-graphics/245374.the-codes-of-a-person-acp-s-coding-thread THANK YOU FOR USING <3 -------------------------- 
 
 
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 last updated: 5/25/2024 over & over -- rio romeo 
 
 ============= / ============= -------------------------- ==================== HEADER ==================== ---------------------------- 
 MUSIC >> ------------------------------ 
 
 
  change [ z6F7TTkgg5w ] to the numbers after https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=  
 
 
 << ------------------------- 
 ============= / ============= -------------------------- ==================== CONTENT ==================== ---------------------------- 
 --- ICON AND BASIC INFO >> ------------------------------ 
 
 IMAGE CREDIT  AVATAR 
 
 
 @/finntoonz 
 
 17  he / him  artist + coder 
 
 
 << ------------------------- --- INFORMATION >> ------------------------------ 
 
 
  INFO!!  . . . occasional updates , more artwork on tiktok , re7 + 8 enjoyer 
 QUOTE 
  eat GUN you WENCH !! 
 LINKS 
 carrd tiktok my bro pluto code 
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 #losernerdextreme #ethan_winters_is_my_wife 
 
 
 << ------------------------- --- PAGEDOLL (ADJUST AS NEEDED) >> ------------------------------  << ------------------------- 
 
 
 
 

Welcome to The 100-91 Reveal for the NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season!

Players whose average rank landed them in places 100-91 are on this portion of the list revealed today. Players are associated with the team they finished playing for at the end of the 2023 season
Below you will see some write-ups from the community summarizing the players’ 2023 season and why they were among the best in 2023. Stats for each player are included below. Additionally, their ranks from previous years are available for y’all to see

METHODOLOGY

Link to more detailed writeup on our methodology

• Step 1: A Call to Rankers right after the Conference Championship games
  
• Step 2: Rankers from each team nominated players to rank, with a 11 game minimum threshold. Players are associated with the team they played for in 2023
  
• Step 3: The Grind. We instructed users to tier positions groups into T25, T50, etc based on 2023 regular season play only. This took several weeks as the rankers tiered each position group and discussed them. There were no individual player threads and no arbitrary position caps. Just questions and rankings.
  
• Step 4: Users submitted their own personal Top 125 lists.
  
• Step 5: User lists were reviewed by myself, u/mattkud, and u/MikeTysonChicken . The rankers were expected to answer questions about their lists. They were allowed to make any changes to their list, and were not forced to make any changes
  
• Step 6: The Reveal… where we are now!
  

And without further ado, here are the players ranked 100-91 in the NFL Top 100 Players of the 2023 Season!

#100 - Stefon Diggs - Buffalo Bills - Wide Receiver

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
22	38	10	74	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/BlackTieClip
Following yet another offseason of cryptic tweets and drama, Stefon Diggs showed up from the onset of the 2023 season as red hot as the lasers he was catching off the arm of Josh Allen - making it clear he came to play and leave everything out on the field. However, 2023 was a tale of two Diggs’ - and that's not a reference to Stefon's brother, Trevon, who unfortunately was out for the season prior to their two teams facing off in week 15.
Through the first 6 games of the year, Stefon Diggs was averaging 8 catches, 104 Yards, and nearly a touchdown per game. During that time, the Bills passing offense funneled the ball through Diggs and relied on his ability to make plays all over the field to remain productive. Diggs answered the call and delivered the type of results we've come to expect of him, however just like the team itself, Diggs’ season would fall off pretty harshly following the team's week 6 match up against the Giants. In the 11 remaining games of the season, he failed to produce a single 100-yard outing and would only catch 3 more total touchdowns on the year. It's important to acknowledge that the Bills as a whole struggled offensively between weeks 5 and 10, directly leading to Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey's firing after Buffalo’s week 10, 24-22, loss to Denver - a game in which Diggs only caught 3 passes for a total of 34 yards.
Once Joe Brady stepped in as Interim Coordinator, the Bills offense began healing as a result of changes made to their strategy, changes which resulted in a more balanced attack that trusted the run game and prioritized spreading passes around to a wider selection of targets in the air. This shift meant Diggs was on the field less, in addition to receiving less targets when he was out there running routes. The impact of this change is most plainly obvious when comparing Diggs’ stats from weeks 1-8 to 9-16. While this adjustment ultimately worked out in Buffalo's favor (they would close out the last 7 games of the year with a 6-1 record), it did drive an unfortunate statistical drop for Diggs. Diggs would still flash his elite hands and skills often enough to finish the season respectively though, earning a spot in the pro-bowl as well as finishing #13 in total receiving yards and #7 in total receptions. Tragically, what he will probably be remembered most for this past year (at least in the minds of Bills Mafia) will be the ugly, game-altering drop he had late in the Divisional round matchup against Kansas City.
Throughout 2023 there were all manner of rumors on whether Diggs was playing through an undisclosed injury or experiencing a falling out with the organization, true or not, it would be foolish to claim that Diggs isn't still a premier pass catcher in the NFL. Now a Houston Texan, Stefon Diggs will serve as another weapon for C.J. Stroud to take advantage of in 2024. Assuming he doesn't destroy the culture in Houston by manifesting into some sort of target-hoovering diva-demon like all the tired sports media personalities predict, expect the former Bills Captain to be a key contributor for the Texans next year.

#99 - Lavonte David - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Off-Ball Linebacker

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012
60	95	43	76	N/A	35	N/A	99	27	11	N/A​

Written by: u/Ronon_Dex
After flirting with retirement and leaving Tampa Bay last offseason, Lavonte David stuck around for another year as a Buccaneer - year 12 (and soon to be year 13). And it paid off, yet again, as David stayed the impactful, complete LB he has been for over a decade.
Playing 956 (98%) defensive snaps, David was impactful across the board, recording 99 tackles (134 combined per pfr) with a 5.7% missed tackle rate, 4.5 sacks with 19 total pressures on only 76 pass rush opportunities, 5 forced incompletions and 1.1 yards per cover snap, and a ridiculous 61 run stops and 17 TFLs. His coverage stats took a bit of a dip from the past, but he was still solid while being incredibly impactful against the run. He's smart - see here how he diagnoses quickly, and beats the blocker to the spot before sticking the TE for a loss. He's exceptional at slithering through OLs - see here and here how he uses his speed and awareness to split through holes in the line and finish the play before it can start. Despite being 33, he's still really fast - if you're late on rotating in pass protection, he's already past you and sacking the QB. And he's always had a nose for the football.
David has been one of my favorite players of the 2010s and it will be sad to see him go. Few LBs are as complete as Lavonte has been for his career - he can do everything you want from an offball LB. Given that he's likely to retire pretty soon, this might be the last time he appears on this list, so I'm gonna break the rules a bit. Lavonte has always stood out statistically in two ways, by forcing fumbles and TFLs. As for FFs, the only LB with more is Cornelius Bennett, who was somewhat of a hybrid rushbacke4-3 OLB. Which means that among true off ball LBs, nobody has forced more fumbles than Lavonte David (tbf only tracked reliably since 1993). Similarly, I've never seen a player as adept at slicing through blockers to make a TFL. He has 160 career TFLs, 9th all time. No other offball LB is in the top 20, and only 4 other LBs have even 100. We might as well start giving out the "Lavonte David award" to whoever leads LBs in TFLs.
Put him in the HOF, cowards.

#98 - Bradley Chubb - Miami Dolphins - EDGE Rusher

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/cnvas_home
One word has followed Chubb throughout his career: Dynamic. Coming into his second year in a Dolphins jersey off a five-year, $110 million contract extension (recently restructured in the wake of injury)—Chubb managed to arguably elevate to higher levels of said dynamic play than even in previous seasons that saw him earn Pro Bowl recognition.
In 16 games this season, Chubb managed to thrive in a defense that utilized its front 7 in unconventional manners. Of the 837 snaps Chubb played: 36% of snaps against the rush, 57% against the pass, and 7% in pass coverage (top 20 in EDGE coverage snaps…over a dozen in the slot). Amongst his position, Chubb posted a top 10 pass rush win rate per ESPN along with top 15 pass rush and top 5 coverage grades per PFF respectively. This showed with 11 sacks, 73 total tackles, 44 hurries, and 6 forced fumbles (t-1^st in NFL) over the season.
Chubb has an uphill battle going into the next season with a torn ACL acquired in Week 17 against the Ravens. Still in the prime of his career and a leader within the locker room, Chubb certainly seeks to return to this level of form as soon as possible. There's a lot of money on the table for him.

#97 - Kolton Miller - Las Vegas Raiders - Offensive Tackle

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/ExpirjTec
Offensive tackles have always been highly sought after for one important reason; to keep their franchise quarterback healthy. Miller had a slightly different objective; keep Jimmy Garoppolo handsome, it's fine if he misses the season since he was far from a franchise quarterback; but Miller excelled, allowing the least pressures (only 16 pressures per PFF, compared to 18 for Tyron Smith and Trent Williams) out of any premier tackle. While he missed a few games due to a shoulder injury, Miller put in enough work to prove he's a top 100 player in the league.
Always one of the more underappreciated OTs in the league, Miller's impact was best felt by his absence; in the first missed game of his career, Jets defenders got to Aidan O'Connell several times, and the rest of the offensive line just looked flimsy.
Combining agile, quick footwork with enough armpower to seal off some of the biggest men in the NFL, Miller quietly dominated opposing pass rushers, and #74 could even scale multiple levels on the run to help his team generate big plays. Even when it didn't seem like there was much worth fighting for, Miller never gave up hope.

#96 - Dion Dawkins - Buffalo Bills - Offensive Tackle

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/Man_0n_F1re
The shnowman cracks the top 100 this year after a dominating performance in the trenches all season long. While offensive line play can be hard to parse and judge, Dawkins ranked 4th in the league among OTs in pass rush win rate at 93% and only allowed 1 sack. The 30-year-old from New Jersey (famously the home of the Giants and Jets) also provided numerous rare O-line highlights, such as the absolute shnowplow of a block he delivered against the Cowboys’ Damone Clark. His arguably career-best season also saw him named to the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.
The Bills shook up their skill positions on offense this off-season, but the core of the offensive line remains largely the same, and Dawkins will certainly be a leader of the unit. This off-season he signed a 3-year, $60.5 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league. He has played in at least 15 games each season of his career so far, and Buffalo is clearly banking on his production to continue as the rest of the offense takes a new shape.
This year, Dawkins was also Buffalo's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, due in large part to his foundation Dion's Dreamers, which provides mentoring services to troubled youth. Dawkins has become highly involved in the Buffalo community since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2017.

#95 - James Cook - Buffalo Bills - Running Back

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2022
N/A​

Written by: u/packmanwiscy
Being a running back in Josh Allen’s offense is a bit tricky. Allen is virtually a one-man offense, willing to not only sling the rock deep but also bruise out some yards on the ground for himself. For most of Allen’s tenure in Buffalo, Bills running backs haven’t been the most productive, failing to produce a single season with more than 1,100 scrimmage yards. When Buffalo selected James Cook in the 2nd round of the draft last year, they sought to give Allen a workhorse back that could efficiently eat touches and take the load off of Allen just a bit. After a timeshare in the first year, the Bills let Devin Singletary walk and gave Cook the lead back role, and he did not disappoint.
James Cook is a true modern running back. His lightning quick acceleration allows him to hit holes hard and bounce outside if they’re plugged. He’s not the biggest or strongest back, but he can still shrug off arm tackles and churn for extra yards. Pass catching out of the backfield is a key part of his game as well, for a running back he’s very proficient at route running, catching the ball in stride, and running after the catch. He does everything you want out of a running back in the 2020’s NFL, and he rewarded the Bills with the 6th most scrimmage yards in the league. He’ll have to do quite a bit to pass his brother in career stats, but this season was a great start.

#94 - Elgton Jenkins - Green Bay Packers - Offensive Guard

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2022	2021	2020	2019
N/A	N/A	77	N/A​

Key Stat:
Written by: u/Letsgomountaineers5
One of the most powerful and positionally versatile offensive linemen in the NFL, Elgton Jenkins’ value to, and dominance on, the Packers OL has more than earned him his place on this list. Elgton is the engine that makes the Packers' run game go. Whether it be trapping, wrapping, or pulling to lead, Elgton is the Packers’ most-pulled lineman and their best (and one of THE best in the league) elevator to the second level on inside zone and duo run plays. Finally able to hunker down and stay, more or less, in the same position for a full season, Elgton was the driving influence on the Packers finishing top 10 in yards per attempt and top half in overall rushing offense, even while being near the bottom of the NFL in called run plays. It has yet to be mentioned how great he was in pass protection this year, as well. With a younger QB who at times held the ball a bit too long, Elgton allowed 0 sacks and had one of the lowest pressure rates allowed in football.
As mentioned before, Elgton is a dominant player in the run game because of the power he executes his blocks. His main weakness throughout his career has been his feet and ability to play in space, but this year he was tasked with reaching, trapping, and pulling to lead more than ever before. And as demonstrated here, he excelled in that role. The Packers were at their best when Jenkins was tasked with doubling and elevating or climbing to the second level immediately. Here, he displaces the LOS, comes off the 3T, and gets to the backer to create a lane for the back to follow into the endzone. In this example, the player engaged with the LT does not cross the LT’s face, so he quickly climbs to backer and creates a cut back lane for the back to gain 6-7 yards. As you can see, much of what the Packers did in the run game centered around 74, and he delivered time and time again.
In the pass game, Elgton used his strong anchor and well-timed striking to shut down every interior defensive lineman he faced. 0 sacks allowed, an absurdly low 4.4% pressure rate allowed, and the sheer dominance he displayed on tape has led many experts to call him a top 3 pass protecting guard in all of football. This is probably his biggest area of growth once making it to the NFL, as he always had the power in his lower half, but has improved his base and hand placement to truly stonewall any bull rushes he faces. And if you try and get cute by swimming or, god forbid, knowing your beat and jumping to swat the ball. Well, you will probably end up on your ass. He rose to the highest levels of competition, repeatedly shutting down (three examples there) the likes of Aaron Donald on a game-by-game basis.
Overall, Elgton Jenkins continues to push the established elite at the guard position, and with continued technical improvement, he looks to rise even higher on this list next season.

#93 - Will Anderson Jr - Houston Texans - EDGE Rusher

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N/A
Written by:u/ExpirjTec
Will Anderson. What a full grown manderson. Only a rookie, but already the most electric pass rusher we've had since JJ Watt. His early season stats didn't quite show it, but since week 1 he's performed at a high rate already producing one of the top pressure rates in the league and opening up opportunities for the rest of the banderson. In four months, people went from criticizing Demeco and Caserio for trading a supposedly massive draft haul to Arizona for Anderson to realizing the incredible positive impact that the trade had. All according to planderson.
In his first season, Anderson showcased great pass rush ability, always working his way into the pocket, stuffed the run effectively, and even blocked a field goal; WAJ Swat, amirite? In fact, Lil Jon is rumored to be working on a song called "Turn Down for Wanderson", Daniels music video and all. JJ Watt is one of the all-time greats, but are the Terminator-Megawatt comparisons valid? Can Area 51 stand on the same ground as the Milkman?
(Yes, those are all real nicknames.)
Anderson's rookie year compares nicely with JJ’s , both on stat sheets and the eye test, and both got even better as the year went on; WAJ also walked away with the DROY award (though he didn't have to compete with Von Miller and... Aldon Smith?) Will he follow the same trajectory as JJ? In fact, he doesn't need to. It's fine if he doesn't. We don't need the greatest defensive end of the century, because Will Anderson is already damn good, does his job, and is certain to improve even further. Maybe he'll end with a gold jacket in Canton, maybe he won't, but we don't need that. What expectations we do have of him, he's easily exceeding, and on his current trajectory -- whether JJ-like or not -- he'll continue to exceed them for a long, long, time.

#92 - Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers - Wide Receiver

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2022	2021	2020	2019
N/A	10	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/scmsf49
Deebo Samuel's 2023 season saw him compile 1117 total yards and 12 total touchdowns in 15 games (though that 15 includes a weird injured decoy game with 0 targets, a game with 9 snaps, and a quarter in a meaningless week 18). The best metric to summarize the impact that he has on the team: the 49ers were 11-1 when Deebo played more than 33% of snaps in a game and 1-4 when he did not.
8.8 yards after the catch per reception ranked first among receivers, making this the fourth consecutive season that Deebo holds that distinction (and he was 2nd as a rookie). The ascension of Brandon Aiyuk and full season from offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey shrunk the role of one of the league's most exciting players, but he made the most of the opportunities he got, ranking 8th in yards per target among players with 1000 yards.
The most memorable game of the year for him is undeniably his hat trick against the Eagles amidst a tense race for the 1 seed, capped off by a 46 yard all-YAC touchdown. Contrary to popular belief, this is actually not how he gets all of his touches. His longest touchdown of the season, a 54 yarder against Seattle, and one of his back shoulder TDs (a new feature off the offense this year!) put the wide in wide back to remind fans (and a couple loud players) that Deebo is more than capable of killing you on traditional routes.
This was the final season for #19 in the Bay Area (because he's changing his jersey number to 1) and he once again left it all out there, putting together enough production to clinch a spot on this list despite a diminished role.

#91 - Justin Simmons - Denver Broncos - Safety

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2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
69	59	55	24	N/A	N/A	N/A​

Written by: u/BlindManBaldwin
Winners are remembered. The glory of sports comes from hoisting a trophy at the end, and everyone who touches it becomes immortal. To those who never touch it, they can still create a legacy through winning in other ways: big regular season games to get into the playoffs, and perhaps even winning a couple games in the tournament.
In this lens — losers have no space. Those who come up short get nothing. Sports are zero-sum. There are always winners and losers. Every immortality comes with a death.
Justin Simmons played 118 games with the Denver Broncos since 2016. In his rookie year, the team went 9-7 but missed the playoffs. In every subsequent season, the Broncos had a losing record. Despite his All-Pro play, Simmons never played in a meaningful football game in late December or January. In a team with a history of winning — Justin Simmons was a loser.
A ball on a memorial in 2021. Spending a weekend at charity events in the city months after getting cut. Maybe the problem is the binary. Pursuit of immortality driving everyone mad to the point of blindness. There is the trophy and that matters, but there are more things in life too. There are the connections. There are the emotions.
Justin Simmons never won a big game in Denver. He never played in one. But in 2023 — as he had done throughout his career — he proved himself worthy of immortality in the Ring high above.

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This forum is very active and helpful so I want to ask it here if you don't mind. My_qualifications:
-GPA:3.4/4
-20 ECTS in theoretical computer science
-I think I can get good letters from my professors
-No work experience except voluntary internship
-No money for tuition fees
-Still have another year before graduation, thus open to recommendations
-4 year education, so more than enough credits in maths and cs-related fields
I am also worried about blocked account requirement. I have many backlogs since I failed 5 courses to retake and pass with better grades.Thus,I don't think I will have chance in any country other than Germany.What do you think about my chances? Thanks in advance

A summation of the major lore from Gold Road. Mostly main quest related.
Major Spoilers for ESO Gold Road
Ithelia has been set free and "her presence threatens both our world and the realms beyond". Leramil theorizes that the very act of "restoring her memory was enough for her to set herself free" as Mora claimed in the prologue quest that "this spire was never Ithelia's prison-being forgotten was."
It is noted stopping Ithelia will be difficult as "Ithelia is a Daedric Prince. No mortal can match her power without assistance." and Hermaeus Mora can't "move against her while she walks our world. He is bound by the Coldharbour Compact while Ithelia is not."
The Compact is said to "prevent many of the most powerful Daedric Princes from directly manifesting on Nirn." Ithelia and "the Daedra that serve her" are "not party to it's restrictions" since they were imprisoned "long before the deal was struck"
Ithelia and the Many Paths
Is first encountered at Elenglynn. In the vicinity of Elenglynn Leramil claims that "the threads of fate simply vanish" a phenomenon she's never encountered before.
Ithelia's memories are fragmentary, she has trouble recalling concepts as basic as what a Daedric Prince. Nonetheless she senses the Echonir, demanding it be used to reveal what she experienced.
Here we see that Mora confronted Ithelia and tried to get her to abandon "the Many Paths" as he foresaw that otherwise "all existence/reality" would end:
Quote:"You risk everything Ithelia. You must forsake the Many Paths.
You seek to diminish my Prince. Why should she agree to such a demand ?
To preserve reality. Her willfulness threatens all existence.
You let your fear control you and foresee an apocalypse that will never be. Depart Mora!
Ithelia disappears and won't be encountered for a while.

Leramil observes that she's confused . She believes this is "the moment Hermaeus Mora first confronted Ithelia about the danger she posed to reality" but "refused to heed him". Leramil notes that it is "a hard thing for any creature to change it's nature, especially a Daedric Prince".
You view a memory of Ithelia in Hoperoot:
Quote: Where am I ? What draws me to this place ? Yes, I believe they call it a tavern. I see the Many Paths converging there.
This tavern is the second major appearance. Approaching, it is surrounded by a shimmering field of light. Leramil says:
I am glad you are here Proxy. Threads of fate tangle around the Outcast Inn in an ever expanding knot, fraying the bonds of cause and effect with each bend and twist. Should they snap, the results would be catastrophic
What's causing the tangles Leramil ?
I cannot discern the origins. Hermaeus Mora gifted me an ability to perceive the threads of fate. This tangle painfully overwhelms that very gift whenever I try to approach the inn.
Someone without such sight must act as my agent. Namely, you.
Pass through this tangle and enter the inn. Find the source of this disturbance. Stop it however you can.
I cannot assist you in this. You shall stand alone against a force that tangles fate and unravels reality. Succeed and you shall be rewarded.
I'll enter then inn and find the cause of the disturbance.
If we allow this tangle in fate to persist. Our localized reality could collapse. In short, we would all cease to exist.

Inside is the confused Ithelia who says the following:
I don't know if you can understand me. My mind is a storm of images and voices and memories. I can see every reality at once-the Many Paths. But my grip on this realm keeps slipping.
But you. I see that you are real.
You mentioned The Many Paths. What are those ?
Possibilities, probabilities, places where fate takes a different course. Some lead to here, others to there. And a few they lead to..elsewhere. But this place. It has something I need.

You look for a way to make something called Sage's Brew. Outside the sky has morphed into one resembling Fargrave and Daedra are appearing.
Ithelia calls forth an artifact she senses, the Lamp of Clarity. She claims she can't focus through all the "overlapping paths" and urges you to shine the lamp on a "path that yearns to be explored". Opening the first portal to the Many Paths we see.
Inside Ithelia glows gold and claims "my power abandons me here"
In the shrine you meet another Ithelia and Torvesard.
Torvesard claims that he can't understand why his Prince would allow you and "that other Ithelia" to remain while "other Daedric Princes lead by Hermaus Mora approach".
When asked for help in restoring the Ithelia following you Path Ithelia explains that the Sage's Dream is the mortal name for their connection to the Many Paths, manifested as a drink brewed from ingredients made of her own essence, each path's ingredient being unique.
All Ithelias across the Many Paths are connected, extended separation weakens the bond causing distress, but Sage's Dream melds the essence of many Ithelias and allows the imbiber to take in power and understanding from said Ithelias, reintegrating her with the others.
She clarifies that your path's Ithelia was stripped of her powers when she suffered Mora's punishment. The chaos around her is the result of her power seeking to return to her.
Quote:A mortal pathwalker ? Such a creature is quite rare. And I see you are accompanied by one of my reflections. An Ithelia from a different path.
You carry something else with you it feels like..hatred. Tell me why have you come to my reality ?
The other Ithelia can't control her power. She's a threat to my reality. The lamp led us here.
Ah. Sage's Dream is the mortal name for our connection to the Many Paths. It manifests as a drink but is brewed from ingredients infused with my very own essence.
Drinking it will recollect my reflection to the Many Paths and stabilize her power.
Where do I get the ingredients ?
They bloom in my shadow. Or the shadows of other Ithelias. Each path's ingredient is unique. You can find Tirum Weed here, but the rest grows in other realities.
Take what you need pathwalker. Than you must leave before my fellow Princes arrive.
Can you explain more about Sage's Dream ?
The Many Paths connect all Ithelias across all realities. This bond can weaken over time, causing distress to an Ithelia. We developed a means to reintegrate calls Sage's Dream. It manifests as a drink to consume, but it's only an illusion.
What do you mean ?
The ingredients grow in an Ithelia's shadow. They form from our own essence. we each produce only one ingredient.
Mixing these ingredients melds the essence from many Ithelias. When imbibed, we take in the power from our reflections.
How will this help the Ithelia from my reality ?
When she drinks Sage's Dream, she takes in the combined essence of her reflections. She gains their understanding of her power. Your Ithelia will reconnect to the Many Paths and regain control of her power.
Why would an Ithelia lose control of her powers ?
An extended separation from the Many Paths, perhaps. Or yes. I see it now. Your Ithelia has already suffered Mora's punishment. Her power was stripped from her when she was locked away.
She needs to calm the storm as her power seeks to restore her.
The other Ithelia explains the Many Paths as follows: "Possibilities scatter across Aurbis, each defined by distinct choices with unique outcomes that lead to new realities. The Many Paths are the web that binds them" and these "connections" some can "traverse" as you did to get there.
Fine. But how do they work?
Ithelia: Possibilities scatter across the Aurbis, each defined by distinct choices with unique outcomes that lead to new realities. The Many Paths are the web that binds them. Some can traverse these connections, as you have done here.
And you control the Many Paths?
Ithelia: Control? No. But I have the power to see them, to follow their threads, and alter their fates. It is one of the things that Hermaeus Mora respects about me. And one of the things he fears most.
What’s strange about a mortal entering the Many Paths?
Ithelia: The mortal mind is limited. Intentionally so. Comprehending the Many Paths should overwhelm you, and actually traversing them should be impossible. I can barely do that. You are unique among your kind. Thus the title I give you — pathwalker.
What do you mean intentionally so?
Ithelia: Mortals are servants performing tasks to maintain reality. Every field plowed, child born, or war fought keeps the Aurbis stable by design. This fact is kept from them. The slave should not understand the master’s plan, lest they seek to undo them.
Why did you call the Ithelia from my path a reflection ?
Each reality bound by the Many Paths contains a version of an entity, mortal or Daedra. They each differe in some way, but each springs from the same seed.
I am no different, she and I are the same but distorted, like an image in a cracked mirror.

Ithelia explains that Mora hunts her because he "foresees a cataclysm approaching", she used her ability to "manipulate the Many Paths" to "prevent one disaster" but in that Mora saw a prelude to something "even more terrible" and sought to imprison her. She explains her plan for freedom is already in motion though she'll accept imprisonment now.
You go to a Path where the same scene is playing out a bit further along. Difference being this path's Ithelia is bitter and angry unlike the acceptance of the one before. She exclaims upon the revelation of your Ithelia's condition "of course, all Ithelias are fragile creatures. They break under the slightest pressure. Just like glass."
She laments that all she is will soon "vanish from reality" and how she is faced with "annihilation". She supposes her followers will be "locked away or scattered across Oblivion".
In the third path the shrine is being consumed by crystal and tides of ink tentacles. Ithelia notes that *"Reality in this path is extremely fragile. It might shatter. Hurry." and that Hermaeus Mora is "trying to consume the shrine. His response to the savagery of Ithelia's defense."
This Path's Torvesard he says you must "not bring that reflection any closer", he explains that in her attempts to defend herself this Path's Ithelia has "lost herself" becoming the "monster that Mora feared" and that "if she cannot regain control this reality is finished".
Quote:Your Ithelia. Does she not sense it ? The Ithelia of this Path, my Prince, has lost herself. She has become the monster that Hermaeus Mora foresaw. If she cannot regain control this reality is finished.
You explain what's going on and he theorizes the Lamp of Clarity is helping you reveal the portals because "Azura's lamp wants to preserve your reality. By helping your Ithelia regain control, she can be safely imprisoned again.
Torvesard yells to flee as he believes the end has come.
Flee while you can mortal. Save your own life. Just spare a thought for this doomed path if you survive. I suspect we will not last much longer.
I suggest you take the berries and run. Good luck.
What did you mean that Ithelia has become the monster that Hermaeus Mora foresaw ?
Torvesard: Ithelia is the Fate-Changer, the Unweaver. She has power unlike any other Daedric Prince — the power to shift existence itself. Mora long suspected that Ithelia was dangerous. But full of uncontrollable rage? Reality itself unravels around her.
What happens than ?
Torvesard: The unimaginable. Can you contemplate what happens when reality shreds like parchment beneath a sabre cat’s claws? Nothing remains when existence ceases to be.

In the background Ithelia rises up exclaiming "Behold the Last Tomorrow. Behold the Destroyer of Reality."
Your Ithelia notes that:
Quote:This Ithelia chose uncontrolled rage. It will consume every piece of this reality.
We must leave this path before my reflection destroys it.

In the background you see reality cracks forming. With the brew Ithelia regains control. She sends the echoes of beings from other paths unintentionally dragged to the Inn to their realities and leaves.
Quote:Finally the storm abates and I can clearly see the Many Paths. I can discern one reality from the next and my mind is clear.
I am myself again. I am Ithelia, Prince of Paths, Mistress of the Untravelled Road.
Ithelia: I shall set things right. The echoes I dragged from disparate paths are free to return to their own realms. And allow me to untangle the threads of fate and restore balance to this reality. I thank you, pathwalker. And I am jealous of you.
You're jealous of me ?
Ithelia: We learned that Ithelia is dangerous, a broken creature that ends up hunted. We cannot change what we are. But mortals? You choose your paths. You don’t need the powers of a Daedric Prince to alter your fate. I envy this. Goodbye, pathwalker.

Encountering Leramil she notes that:
I sense the knot in the threads of fate has untangled Proxy. This threat to our reality has passed. Should I assume you're responsible for what occured within the Outcast Inn ?
Ithelia was here and her power was out of control. I used the Lamp of Clarity to set things right.
If helping Ithelia saved reality than you made the right choice. But the Lamp of Clarity is a powerful relic, I am glad you found it.

Here the rest of the Recollection stuff takes place. During the siege on the Keep, we see another memory where Mora tries to get Ithelia to stop, warning that the "Many Paths splinter" from her manipulations. Interestingly Torvesard addresses Mora as "Ur-Daedra".
Quote:Why do you trouble my Prince ? Ur-Daedra ?
The Many Paths splinter. You manipulate fate in ways that were not meant to be!
What I do I do for the good of all. Why can you not see that Mora ?
I am not alone in my concerns. Constrain yourself Ithelia, or we will constrain you.
And you will fail. Now begone!
A memory of the past battle also appears in Miscarcand ,the place where Ithelia ultimately lost:
Why continue this struggle Ithelia ? Every fate before me says you cannot win.
But you do not see everything Mora in the Many Paths all things are possible. I will write my own fate.
Go my Prince! You must escape!
Ithelia, wait!
Ayleids of the West Weald
Something catastrophic has happened to Ostumir "the ground rumbled like an angry timber mammoth" and "whole buildings collapsed" as strange beasts appeared.
When questioned on whether Bosmer magic could be responsible for the new forest Beragon says that while it "can speed and direct growth" the results of Bosmer magic are "not to this scale" and "not so wild and untamed it can destroy whole villages".
Greenspeakers are "the finest practicioners of nature magic" who can "wiggle their fingers and a tree bends it's shape into a home". The Greenspeaker claims it involves "merging my voice with the song of nature and guiding how things grow", but no regular Greenspeaking could sprout something as large as a "new forest" and not "as fast as this appeared".
Sorilen, claims that "all Bosmer can trace their roots back to the ancient Ayleids. Well, almost all".
What happened to Ostumir is tied to the initial forest's emergence.
The forest, was grown through a ritual carried out by the Recollection. And around the epicenter of said ritual things called "Wildburn Seeds" naturally sprout, which the cult is gathering for their plans.
Sorilen describes the Wildburn Seed as similar to seeds the Greenspeakers use but "different, filled with unique potential". She also explains that the Ayleid ruins dotted throughout the West Weald date to the "late Merethic Era" and that these Ayleids were "particularly fond of someone they called the Prince of Paths".
She is a Recollection member, and the Recollection are Ayleid revivalists focused on the legacy of the West Weald Ayleids. They believe what was Ayleid land "rightfully belongs to the Wood Elves" and "wish to make it reality".
The Recollection is said to not have existed "a year ago", it's like "hundreds of people woke one day and decided to join a cult" as they're "convinced something's been taken from them and will do anything to reclaim it". They're implied to have been influenced by the restoration of the memory of Ithelia, essentially. They're recruiting people "who feel lost" mostly wood elves but "not exclusively" and are working with the Mirrormoor Daedra.
The Wildburn Seeds were Greenspring Seeds, "sacred seeds of the Green" which Greenspeakers use to "grow new sections of forest and shape them into enclosures and settlements". They became Wildburn Seeds after being infused with Daedric magic, causing an "unprecedented explosion of energy" and the Wildburn.
The Vashabar Bosmer are split into two factions: Green Pact Bosmer and Dawnway Bosmer.
The latter faction are those who adhere to the ideas of King Nantharion, a descendant from House Rayn of Silvenar, an ancient house of Ayleid origins, who claims this new forest is the "Dawnwood", a "gift" from Valenwood which they're meant to follow to reclaim their "heritage".
Dawnwood Bosmer harvest crops, eat plants, and follow the "roots of the Dawnway", the idea that the legacy of the Ayleids, the Saliache, flows through the veins of the Bosmer and the land itself thus they must follow these "roots" and reclaim their heritage.
Investigating more you travel to Hoperoot, this practically mountainous living fortress of colossal twining trees and rock grown through Bosmer magic, interspersed with ruins which the trees raised into the sky when they grew.
You discover that Nantharion leads the Recollection and wishes to create a new Ayleid domain in the West Weald. He is the one creating the Wildburn Seeds through infusing Greenspring Seeds with energy from the Staff of Many Paths, a relic of Ithelia that's "filled with her power".
You interrupt a ritual to create an especially potent Wildburn Seed, causing the seed to release it's energies uncontrollably and Hoperoot is destroyed in the process.
It's revealed that the Wildburn Seeds are meant to awaken the magic sleeping in the Ayleid ruins in the West Weald and use it to "restore the ancient realm".
There's one especially potent font of power that's the goal, the Well of Miscarcand, a kingdom whose kings Nantharion descends from. The Well is something Ithelia remembers:
Quote:The Wildburn is but a tool my Prince. A way to awaken the ancient magic sleeping beneath this land.
Yes, the Well of Miscarcand, I remember it now.
Miscarcand was the ancient realm of my ancestors, my Prince. But the well lies hidden.

He says Ayleid Wells collect magicka, "starlight, the pure power of Aetherius". Miscarcand was "the capital city of a powerful kingdom", one of "the more powerful city-states on the western part of the empire", so it's Well must be "huge". Enough to "restore the Ayleid Empire, restore Ithelia to her ancient might, do anything they can imagine".
Miscarcand survived Alessia's Rebellion and joined the Empire. It also survived the Alessian Order as their forces couldn't breach it's defenses. It fell when it's populace left in bands on their own to travel to Valenwood, with only the last king, Morimath, staying behind
Miscarcand is where Ithelia lost her battle with Mora and the Three Good Daedra. In the memory seen Torvesard urges to "guard the door, they must not reach the Well", hinting at it's importance.
Vargas intervenes to somehow trap you within the memory with Alea noting you "vanished" in the real world. But you escape using Abolisher. Ithelia awakens the well though the Seeds are destroyed.
Nantharion intends to use the energy of the Well to both create a Wildburn Seed so potent it will cover the West Weald and restore Ithelia's might.
Your foes destroyed your seeds. But do not fear, my very presence has awakened the well.
Than draw power from the well my Prince. You will be restored, and I will create a Wildburn that will transform the Weald
He is fought wielding the Staff of Many Paths and killed. But he manages to absorb the Well's energy into the Staff before that. Ithelia's minions retrieve the Staff and channel the energy into Ithelia, restoring her.
Mirrormoor
When leaving Vargas asks Ithelia to "free us from the chains of fate", Ithelia affirms that "with the Loom I'll restore all that was lost."
Leramil exclaims the threads of fate are "fraying at an alarming rate". She says that reality is endangered by Ithelia's choices rather than he travels. Whatever she chooses to do "reality must accomodate her" but it will "shatter in the attempt".
Quote:I do not think this reality is endangered by Ithelia's travels but by her choices. Whatever she decides to do, reality must accomodate her. It will shatter in the attempt.
The threat of her next decision causes fate to now fray.

You use the Skein to track Ithelia's last portal and reopen it with Abolisher to reach..Fargrave.
Leramil notes that this quarter of Fargrave she's never been to before. She speculates that Fargrave, whose origins are lost, might have been Mirrormoor before Ithelia was forgotten and is reshaping in response to it's Prince's return.
Alternatively, if this "lost quarter" was "part of Ithelia's realm" it may have "fallen into ruin during her long absence".
Ithelia's crystals are seen growing through the quarter, it is said "Mirrormoor follows in it's Prince's wake".
You encounter Vargas who says "you dare trespass into Mirrormoor. In the very heart of our power ? I banish you to the Many Paths". She banishes Alea and Beragon but Leramil manages to shield you and her. Leramil notes this was possible because Vargas is "much more powerful" now.
Leramil explains:
Yes. Beragon and Alea ceased to be real to us and became real somewhere else. That is the nature of the Many Paths, and a terrifying example of how the ability to navigate them can be misused.
When asked if they can be retrieved Leramil says:
Perhaps, but only if we can find a point of connection in this place. Shardmaster Vargas must have hurtled our allies through physical distance as well as beyond this reality.
They are..someplace else. The Many Paths lead to different possibilities. different realities. There is no way to know where Vargas sent them.

She notes the "threads of fate surrounding Fargrave are in turmoil, something significant will soon occur"
Crossing a portal to the Loom (speculated by Leramil as a pocket dimenion within the demiplane of Fargrave), the loading screen reveals the cause of the whole conflict:
This is a gift. The gift of unconstrained choice. The Loom will weave a new story for every being. What they choose to be true.
And than from the memory:
Quote: My Loom of the Unravelled Road fills this place. From it's core I can break the shackles of fate. Undo mistakes. Unlock possibilities. Create new histories.
It's magnificent. But won't the other Princes see it as a threat ?
A threat ? This is a gift. The gift of unconstrained choice.
The Loom will weave a new story for every being. What they choose to be. All shall benefit!

Not content with her normal forays into the Paths. Ithelia created a great fate altering engine, the Loom, with which she intended to give every being the story they desired for themselves, believing all would benefit.
As Leramil notes this is not actually possible "we must reach them before they destroy the reality we know". Fate would just snap and reality would be destroyed. Mora tried to warn Ithelia, but she wouldn't listen.
Unrolling the Skein triggers a "paroxysm" in the Vestige and Leramil is surprised they survived, a defense.
Quote:Something blocked me from using the Skein of Secrets ?
I cannot say. Daedric Princes are supreme within their own realms. The longer we are delayed, the stronger Ithelia grows. In fact the next defense we trigger may be more dangerous-I do not think it wise to use Abolisher here.

You see one of the Bearers of Fargrave transforming. Leramil says:
The great skeleton above is one of the Bearers of Fargrave. Ithelia is changing it to it's Mirrormoor reflection.

Vargas diverts Leramil's portal to Ithelia's Prison. We see a memory where Ithelia claims she'll be free but Mora argues he doesn't see such a path. Leramil notes Mora was wrong as he "could not predict what he could not perceive-Ithelia's scions, the Unseen"
In the mirrors you see Beragon. Leramil realizes that "these ruined mirrors look into different realities. They may be doors to the Many Paths". You use the Lamp to open the doors and retrieve them.
You reach the Loom with Abolisher. Here Ithelia says:
Quote:Now I can undo my long imprisonment! Make it so I was never forgotten.
The Loom awaits my Prince. Reshape the fates and restore the glory of Mirrormoor.
Mirrormoor stands ready my Prince. Weave a better reality with your Loom!

You beat Vargas and destroy the Loom using Abolisher. However Ithelia has absorbed an immense amount of power, "filled with the power of the Many Paths" and become "something else", the "Last Tomorrow, the Unweaver"
While fighting she questions why you're attempting to stop her and says she's "doing this for you".
Ending
Scruut appears warning that Mora "senses fates and futures, winking in and out of existence. Potentials he predicted that will never be! I feel these instabilities rippling across reality."
Scruut says these are "places where the threads of fate fray and shred. And it's getting worse!" one is forming in the Weald and, though Scruut's duty is to repair fate anomalies, these "scare even me".
Scruut realizes that "what started as instabilities in the threads of fate has become tears in the fabric of reality itself. This is the realization of Mora's fears.
The relics have been depleted, so you need to restore them. You are confronted by Torvesard. He claims that fears about reality are due to Mora having "blinded you" and when Mirrormoor is resurrected and history altered, you might "have a different opinion".
Leramil exlpains that Torvesard's: "faith to his Prince has made him blind to the danger she poses to existence itself.These tears are spreading. Soon the fabric of reality may be too damaged to repair. We need to find Ithelia before that happens.
A memory from the Loom reveals Ithelia's plan now the Loom is gone, to take Apocrypha and turn it into a new Mirrormoor from where she may rewrite history.
Leramil notes the power Ithelia absorbed from the Loom "turned her into the very monster Hermaeus Mora foresaw".
The Vestige asks why everyone keeps saying Daedra can't change if that's what you just saw happen. Leramil says that this is different, "Changes does not come naturally to Daedric Princes, not like it does for mortals." what happened was the "result of untold power, not conscious effort". The other Path Ithelias were different because of the "different way events played out in those other realities" but Daedric Princes have no experience with "the constant evolution and transformation of mortals. They are eternal, and have no point of reference for the transient."
The Vestige notes that Ithelia was different when first met, she was confused and "as powerful as a mortal". Leramil says that that's not the same as truly being mortal.
Still she realizes that getting her to reflect on other possibilities might be a way to changer her perspective.
Scruut notes that "more tears in reality keep appearing" and scoffs at the idea of Ithelia changing:
Quote:Daedra don't change! Daedric Princes especially. It's their nature! We're not like you mortals, constantly reflecting on possibilities and remaking yourselves over and over.
She's a monster, and will always be a monster."

Vestige points out how Ithelia wasn't like that at first, and what they saw on the other Paths. Scruut concedes it might work and comes up with a plan.
There was once a relic created by a wizard, a mirror that "revealed the innermost thoughts and dreams of the viewer".
You are told to seek a Primordial Shattered Titan, one of the first Daedra Ithelia ever created and get one of it's shards.
Torvesard appears and attempts to manipulate one of the cracks in reality to erase you, moving it on top of you. Curate Gadayn is erased instead.
Scruut claims "we all face nonexistence" if something isn't done about Ithelia and the cracks. You make the Mirror of Truth to make Ithelia reflect on her innermost self, and depart for Apocrypha as "with each passing minutre reality breaks down a little more".
Vestige asks how you'll find them. and Leramil answers:
Quote:Apocrypha, like all Oblivion realms, is infinite. But we have the Skein of Secrets. I shall open a portal. Use the Skein once we cross into the realm and see if it can pinpoint Ithelia's location.

Apocrypha is physically transforming to reflect Mirrormoor. In the Mythos the skies are becoming like those of Fargrave. Mora is trapped by Ithelia and Torvesard and is being drained of his power by Torvesard via the Staff of Many Paths,and Ithelia.
Mora says Ithelia has become "the monster he foresaw" and that "reality collapses" around her as "fate's threads unravel".
Ithelia descends, bidding Torvesard to keep draining Mora.
You fight her for a bit, than use the Mirror of Truth on her. Ithelia explains that Mora was right and she saw the truth before being imprisoned, but it was too late as she'd already set her escape in motion.
Now it's too late. The power she took from the Loom and from Mora is too much, a "madness" is upon her that will not abate. She needs to shed the excess power for it to be quelled.
Quote: That mirror... it showed me the truth. I have become the monster that Mora predicted. And I remember. I saw it, too. As Mora sealed my prison all those eons ago, I realized at the end... he was right. I am the Last Tomorrow.
Vestige: What does that mean, the Last Tomorrow ?
Ithelia: It was what Mora saw when he examined my threads of fate. That I would become the Unweaver, the Destroyer of Reality. In that last moment, as the door to my prison slammed shut and my memories frayed, I saw it, too. But it was too late.
Vestige: Why was it too late ?
Ithelia: Because I had already set the compulsion in Torvesard's mind. I had already unspooled the thread to freedom. Now your actions have brought me a moment of clarity, but it will not last. Already I feel the power, the madness, reassrting itself.
Vestige: But you saw the truth. You know what happened. You can change.
Ithelia: A nice though, but I am Daedra. I cannot change. And once the madness comes upon me, I doubt you will be able to contain me again. Forgotten memories and near-limitless power blinded me. It led us exactly to the moment in time Mora feared.
Vestige: Can't you simply surrender ?
Ithelia: Not while the power of Loom and the energy I took from Hermaeus Mora flows through me. I must shed this power once and for all. Only then can the growing madness be quelled.
All right. If you can shed the power, do it now. Hermaeus Mora. You were right, i am a danger to fate and reality, let me return what is rightfully yours.

She attempts to return Mora's power and shed the excess from the Loom. But Torvesard intervenes, he imprisons Ithelia and absorbs the power of both Princes into himself using the Staff of Many Paths. claiming he'll finish this himself.
You defeat Torvesard (Vestige notes in the quest logs this is possible because it's too soon and he doesn't control the power yet, but will become "unstoppable" if given time to gain control).
Ithelia is freed and reaffirms both that she created her Scions and that she planted this compulsion in Torvesard's mind to avert a fate she now sees had to pass.
Torvesard's Vestige appears and claims he will never relent, he is eternal and will return as many times as it takes to complete his mission. Ithelia laments the inability of Daedra to change, returns Mora's power and disperses hers (the excess that is) into the Void and assigns Torvesard's "essence to nothingness, never to return" urging him to at last "be at peace".
Quote:I created my Scions to save me from a fate I finally accepted though I forgotten until you reminded me.
Torvesaad: No, my Prince. I am Dremora. I am eternal. I will reform and complete the task you set before me.
Ithelia: Such is the nature of daedra, never changing, never growing. I return your power to you Mora and I disperse mine into the void. Then she look Torvesaad and says: And you Torvesaad, my most faithful, I can assign your essence to nothingness, never to return. Be at peace. At last. Poor Torvesaad, blinded by a compulsion I never should have bestowed.

Mora says it's time to imprison Ithelia but Ithelia notes that this means nothing, it's temporary by nature. Even if she's imprisoned, forgotten and stripped of her power, she is a Prince. Her power will always find a way to return to her and release her, and the madness will eventually resume once all this energy grips her again. Such is the true nature of their "Princely Dispositions".
Mora claims there's nothing else to do, Princes are "forever". So Ithelia asks Vestige for another solution.
Quote: Fate's chosen accomplished the tasks I set before them. Now Ithelia, it is time to resume your imprisonment.
To what end ? As long as I remain in this reality, the threat I pose persists. My power will always find a way to return to me, such is the nature of our..Princely Dispositions.
The threads of fate agree with you, but what choice do we have ? You are Deadra, immortal forever, I see no other path before us.
Our natures confound us. We need different perspective, one you so elegantly provide.

Vestige asks whether the Paths only lead to alternate realities. Ithelia explains they lead "everywhere, other places, other possibilities, parallel realities". So it's suggested she go to a place where there "is no power. Ithelia says it's possible, a path with "no magic or Daedra" where her power "doesn't exist" and "can't gain a foothold". Mora can find the path, Ithelia will show him how to open it, and Vestige will sever the link with Abolisher.
Quote:My very nature makes returning me to prison a temporary reprieve at best. My power will always find a way back to me. And with it, the threat of the madness that overcomes me and can unravel reality. Mortal, talk with me more about change.
Mortals change all the time. And we saw different versions of you on the Many Paths.
Yes, my reflectons. When we walked the Many Paths at the Outcast Inn, we visited realities where things had gone another way. I am different in those realities, but that is not choice. That is consequence. The aftermath of alternative events.
Do the Many Paths only lead to alternate realities ?
The Many Paths lead everywhere. Other places, other possibilities, parallel realities. You can go anywhere, if you can just find the path.
If the threat to reality comes from you power, what about someplace where there is no power ?
No power ? A path where Daedra and magicka do not exist ? Hmm. It would need to be a place where my Daedric power held no sway and could gain no foothold. I feel the tendrils of my discarded power searching, reaching toward me. We must hurry, mortal.
Is such a path possible ? What would we need to do to make that happen ?
Indeed. Hermaeus Mora find an acceptable path and I can show him how to open the way. And then we would need you to use the Abolisher. To destroy the path so that I could never return to this reality. Ask Mora if this will suffice.

Mora is skeptical but concedes. He and Ithelia open the gate together, and Ithelia walks through after bestowing some knowledge onto Leramil's mind to comfort her, as she crosses she transforms from her divine/winged form into the smaller hooded form she first had when you saw her (when she was still stripped of her powers due to Mora's punishment).
Abolisher is used to sever the link.
Quote:Speak, fate's chosen. You were deep in conversation with the Prince of Paths. What do your mortal eyes see that elude my Daedric senses ?
Since prison is temporary solution at best, why don't you send Ithelia down a different path ?
A path that is better that the solution I devised so long ago ? Inconceivable! Do not overstep your bounds, mortal.
Isn't that why you chose a mortal to help you ? Because we see things differently from you ?
Do not use my own words against me! Still, you are correct in that regard. Very well, chosen of fate. What do you suggest we do with Ithelia to preserve our reality ?
Ithelia can find a distant reality without magicka. Where she would have no power and pose no harm.
Leave this reality for a realm where she would have no access to her Daedric power ? I had not considered that. I would need to confirm that the reality guarantess our safety, but how will we make certain that she would indeed be exiled forever ?
Wait, we lost good friend to one of the reality tears. Is there anything-
The tears were not my creation, only an effect of my passing. All I can offer this wisdom to ease your mind.

The issue of the cracks in reality remains however. The cracks will grow and "fully unravel" the "fabric of fate" and end "all of existence". Reality cracks allowed to persist grow until all is gone, and altering fate too much can cause them, this is the manner in which Ithelia's power endangers reality.
Quote:Even though Ithelia has been exiled and Torvesard defeated, the threat to all of existence posed by the tears in reality remains. I need to find a way to repair them before the fabric of fate fully unravels.

You use the relics of the Three and a spell by Mora to restore reality, the relics are undone, they're just "a map, a lamp, and a sword" now.
Beragon notes that once Torvesard first "forced us all to remember, history changed".
When you meet Mora Leramil is there and asks to be given understanding of what Ithelia showed her, the Many Paths (as Mora's exclamation reveals). Mora provides no explanation, but claims he'll restore Gadayn as long as she promises to pay a price he will ask one day.
Mora says Ithelia has been "exiled from this reality" and must be "once more removed from memory, for the sake of existence". Everyone will remember the mortal realm was threatened and the Vestige saved them, but not Ithelia, Mirrormoor, or the Paths (Vaermina, Peryite and the Recollection are seen as responsible). Mora and the Vestige will remember everything.
The Vestige asks whether Ithelia is really gone forever. Mora says that, though he is Ur-Daedra and sees infinite possibilities he can't necessarily see the final path. This unpredictability is the gift of those like the Vestige.
Quote:A hint of insolence lurks in that quary. You convinced two Daedric Princes to change course. Do you doubt your own convictions ?
No matter. Ithelia has gone to a reality where she has no power, and you destroyed the only path between here and there.
You're all knowing. Why did this outcome surprise you ?
I am Ur-Daedra. The One Who Knows. I see infinite possibilities arrayed before me, but not necessarily the final path.
In you I saw potential, but I could not determine how that potential would be realized. That is your power mortal. Use it wisely.

He erases Ithelia's memory again.
"Now let my word go forth! Purge Ithelia from every mind in our shared reality. Now and for eternity!
Other
The threads of fate are described by Leramil as the "lines of possibility which weave through reality and hold everything together."
Per the Threads of Mirrormoor body art the "threads of fate live within us all, weaving all reality together in a terrible, beautiful tapestry"
The Face art claims that "all destinies may be changed, as the children of Mirrormoor know all too well".

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Hello again, fellow ingrates. Sorry I am a couple of days late.
I am pleased to return for the 7th year of "DABR Writes a Ton of Words About the New York Giants" and I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Season Recap

The Giants were flying high, coming off not just a playoff appearance, but a playoff VICTORY in the 2022 season. They chose to keep the band together, tagging Saquon Barkley and paying Daniel Jones, hoping to take yet another step forward under Coach of the Year Brian Daboll. Fans were feeling the positivity, projecting 10+ win seasons.
With the Giants' success, the NFL decided to give the Giants 4 prime time games through the first 6 weeks of the season, starting with a SNF showdown with the Giants' most common week 1 opponent: their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys.
Things got off to an okay start: The Giants got the ball to start the game and methodically moved it down the field, setting up a 3rd and 2 from the Cowboys' 8 yard line.
Then: disaster struck.
First you had a false start by Andrew Thomas to make it 3rd and 7. Then rookie center John Michael Schmitz botched a snap low, which made it 4th and 21. Okay fine, let's get 3 points and regroup.
But the field goal gets blocked and returned for a touchdown. A three and out on the ensuing possession followed by a Dallas field goal makes it 9-0. And on the Giants' next possession, Jones checks it down to Saquon Barkley, who gets hit, pops the ball into the air...and it's intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Now with 2:30 left in the first quarter, the Giants are in a 16-0 hole, where 13 of those points were scored by Dallas' defense and special teams. And everything crumbled from there; the Cowboys defense took it to the Giants offense, the Giants OL had no answers for anything Dallas did, and by the end of the game it was a 40-0 embarrassment. All of the hype the Giants had coming into the year, instantaneously vanished.
Things got worse before they got better: Come to find out, Andrew Thomas injured his hamstring chasing down the blocked field goal. He was going to miss time. And now, headed for a 2 game west coast trip, the Giants confidence was shot and they were without their best offensive player, the one offensive lineman they could rely on.
And the Giants showed up for week 2 and immediately got bitchsmacked again, taking a 20-0 deficit into halftime against the Cardinals, a team almost everyone expected to be one of the worst in the league. But somehow, the Giants managed to mount a comeback and win that game 31-28. It didn't feel good to go down like that to one of the worst teams in the league, but the comeback roused some optimism, headed into a TNF matchup against SF.
But the optimism was short-lived, with a loss to SF kicking off a 4 game losing streak that included: being completely outclassed by SF, another disaster prime time game at home against Seattle in which the Giants mustered just 3 points, a bad loss to Miami on the road that included Daniel Jones sustaining a major neck injury that would sideline him for a few weeks, and a tough SNF loss to Buffalo where the Giants defense finally came alive, but Tyrod Taylor and the offense couldn't top 10 points.
Through that first 6 weeks, the Giants had scored 31 points in the 2nd half against Arizona, and 40 points in the other 22 quarters of play. And 7 of those 40 points came from a pick 6 against Miami.
The Giants managed to win against the Commanders the next week before blowing a late lead into an overtime loss against the Jets in one of the worst football games I've ever seen. And oh by the way, Tyrod Taylor got hurt in that game against the Jets, leading to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito finishing that game.
There was some light at the end of that tunnel though, hopefully. Headed into their next game against the Raiders, Daniel Jones would be returning. Andrew Thomas had played every snap against the Jets, so maybe now that they could have the QB and LT back together, there was some hope to right the ship after a 2-6 start.
But it wasn't meant to be that way. The Raiders fired Josh McDaniels and replaced him with someone Giants fans are very familiar with: Antonio Pierce. That gave the Raiders some life. Jones looked atrocious, missing throws that should have been routine even just to the flats. And on the Giants' 3rd drive, at the beginning of the second quarter, Jones tore his ACL, ending his season, and putting Tommy DeVito back in as the Giants' QB.
DeVito would remain the starter the next week against the Cowboys, where the Giants got destroyed. But since Jones' season was over and Taylor wasn't healthy yet, DeVito would remain the starter for the next two games, a rematch against the Commanders, and the Patriots. And somehow, DeVito won both, spawning Tommy Cutlets-Mania.
That mania would last through the bye week, and DeVito would somehow pull out a win against the Green Bay Packers, dragging the Giants back to a 5-8 record.
Things would really hit the fan from there, with the Giants losing their next 3 games, where DeVito would get sent back to the bench for Tyrod Taylor. The Giants almost managed to beat the Rams, but missed a long field goal as time expired. Then finished off their season with a (let's face it) meaningless, but also satisfying win against the Eagles, to finish at 6-11.
Wink Martindale decided he wanted out, embattled ST Coordinator Thomas McGaughey was given the axe, and the Giants parted ways with Brian Daboll's longtime lieutenant, OL coach Bobby Johnson.

Free Agency Recap

The Giants were very targeted in their free agency approach this year.
For the second year in a row, the Giants' biggest "free agency" addition might actually have been a player acquired via trade: a 2nd round pick and some late round picks/swaps for EDGE Brian Burns, and giving him a 5 year, 141m contract to team up with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence to hopefully create a fearsome pass rush.
The Giants targeted their offensive line pretty aggressively next. It started with bringing in a new OL coach: Carmen Bricillo, who had been the OL coach for the Raiders. Then they brought Jermaine Eluemunor over, a player Bricillo is very familiar with having worked together the last couple of years with the Raiders. Eluemunor provides a stable vet option for the RT spot in case Evan Neal continues to struggle like he has the first two years of his career. And if Neal can finally put it together with a new OL coach at the helm, the Giants have a solid swing tackle who can also play guard. They also added OL Jon Runyan to hopefully solidify one of the guard spots. That gives the Giants the week 1 starting OL of Andrew Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, John Michael Schmitz, Jon Runyan, and Evan Neal.
The Giants would lose Saquon Barkley in free agency, to their bitter rivals, the Eagles, but would replace him with another guy this coaching staff is familiar with: Devin Singletary. Singletary is not Saquon, but the Giants finally understood that Saquon cannot be the answer to all of their problems, and they're seemingly more willing to operate a more committee-based rushing attack. Paying Saquon a lot of money didn't really make sense for the Giants anyways, and Singletary is a cheaper option that should provide a comparable amount of production.
The Giants then replaced Tyrod Taylor with Drew Lock, to help protected them if Daniel Jones wouldn't be healthy for 2024 (and they couldn't draft a QB; more on this later), and invested in other vet minimum type depth.

Draft Needs

A roster that they hoped would compete fell way short, and it opened up a lot more warts than they had expected:

1. QB. Just one year after giving Daniel Jones a 4 year, 160m contract, the Giants were sitting with the 6th overall pick in a draft class that had potentially 6 first round QBs. And now that Jones had suffered both the torn ACL, and a second serious neck injury (the first costing him the last 7 games of the 2021 season), the Giants had to get serious about potentially moving on from Jones.
2. CB. The Giants had invested top 110 picks in CBs in the previous 4 drafts: Darnay Holmes in 2020, Aaron Robinson in 2021, Cor'Dale Flott in 2022, and Deonte Banks in 2023. To this point, the returns on those picks hasn't been all that great. Flott flashes at times but also consistently messes up his assignment. Banks had a very up and down rookie year, tasked with going up against WR1s man to man. Adoree' Jackson had left in free agency. And the Giants really didn't address this position in free agency at all. Heading into the draft, the room was basically the same as it was in 2023, but without Adoree' Jackson.
3. WR. The Giants have had a WR1 problem since Dave Gettleman traded away Odell Beckham Jr. They were hoping to kind of replace it in the aggregate in 2023 by having potentially 5 WRs that could contribute, and having Darren Waller serve as the focal point of their passing attack. But between the OL's struggles, the lack of health and performance at QB, Waller missing time with a hamstring injury, and the WRs maybe not being what the team hoped for (Parris Campbell was a total zero, Jalin Hyatt was essentially a deep threat only), that plan fell apart. After attacking the OL mostly in free agency, finding a consistent focal point for the passing attack felt like the logical next step to fixing this offense.
4. Safety. The Giants let Xavier McKinney walk in free agency, leaving them with Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton. New Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen found his most success when he had some strong safety play with Kevin Byard in Tennessee, and there are definitely snaps to be found in that room.
5. OL. The Giants attacked the OL aggressively in free agency, but there were still places for investments to succeed. Eluemunor is a more natural fit at tackle, that's where he has played the last couple of years, but the Giants want Evan Neal to stick at RT. Eluemunor can play guard, but the Giants are one injury away from seeing Josh Ezeudu or Aaron Stinnie come into the starting 5, and that is a bit dangerous. Drafting a starting guard and letting Eluemunor focus on being the swing tackle/primary backup could definitely be a benefit.
6. TE. Daniel Bellinger has proven to be a solid piece, but Darren Waller has been considering retirement recently. Heading into the draft, Waller insisted he wanted to give the team an answer sooner rather than later, but there was still no clarity on his situation. To me, if you're not sure, you're not committed, and the team needs to plan like you're gone.
7. Depth. The OL/TE depth has mostly been addressed above, but the Giants also were in need of solid depth at other spots. Singletary is a good start to a committee based RB room, but the group behind him isn't inspiring, with 2nd year RB Eric Gray and primarily ST player Gary Brightwell leading the mix. Another head to that backfield could go a long way. Dexter Lawrence is a dominant force on the DL, but the Giants traded Leonard Williams at the trade deadline and could use more bodies in that room to eat snaps.

Basically, at this point, the only spots the Giants probably felt really good about were their ST spots, and off ball LB, where they returned basically the whole unit from 2023, which was very good. And with just 6 picks to work with, not everything could be addressed.
Now, without further ado, let's get into the picks:

1.6: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Before we dive in on Nabers, we first have to talk about the whole picture.
The Giants did a TON of work on the QB class headed into the draft. They had sent people to USC and UNC especially a ton during the season. It's been reported/rumoured that the Giants were aggressive in trying to move up the board. Before the Bears traded Justin Fields and made it clear Caleb Williams was their guy, the Giants tried to move up to 1. And up until the very last minute on Draft Night, the Giants were pushing to trade up to 3 to pick Drake Maye, with their final offer believed to be their 1st, 2nd, and 4th this year, plus their 2025 1st round pick. Depending on who you believe, the Patriots were actually interested in this offer, but Robert Kraft vetoed the deal. Which sucks for Giants fans, but is probably correct for the Patriots.
That left the Giants sitting at pick 6, watching Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye fly off the board. Then MHJ and Alt went, and the Giants had a decision to make.
They had done a lot of work on JJ McCarthy. Were they comfortable enough with him to pick him at 6, or were they going to go with the best player on their board? In the end, they went with Nabers.
I've already written about the Giants' need for a WR1, so let's focus on Nabers, and why the Giants picked him over Odunze. A lot of Giants fans believed Odunze would be the correct choice because of his size, his contested catch ability, and how that skillset fits into the Giants' current WR room with Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and Wan'Dale Robinson.
But to me, Nabers is just a much more complete and versatile player. We've seen a lot of LSU receivers over the last decade, and people love to compare them to Odell, but Nabers is legitimately the closest I've seen to Odell's burst and explosiveness. He gets from 0-60 almost instantly, he's a great threat after the catch. The Giants have had an explosive pass play problem over the last few years, and Nabers gives them a huge threat in that way with his ability to turn any play into a an explosive play whether it's his ability to separate deep or taking a quick throw and turning into a big gain after the catch.
He attacks all three levels of the defense effectively, and he is a natural separator. That will be extremely important for a team that doesn't feel like they have a consistent QB at this time and will need a "best friend" for any future QB they draft.
Daboll and Schoen have talked publicly about how the ability to separate and to play any position they need, boundary or slot, are keys to their WR evaluation, and those are areas are areas where Nabers excels.
It will not be easy for Nabers to make this offense great, but if you can get a year or two out of him like Drake London and Garrett Wilson have had with their respective QB situations, you can feel really really good about the impact he'll have if/when the Giants solve their QB problem.

2.47: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota

The Giants kept up their "BPA" approach with their second round pick of Tyler Nubin. We know they could use a safety to bolster that room, but Nubin was also legitimately one of the best players available at this pick.
Nubin is a very well-rounded player. He's got the size and strength to play in the box, and he has the coverage instincts to be an impact player there. He had great ball production at Minnesota, and a lot of it was thanks to his ability to read the QB's eyes and anticipate throwing windows, break on the ball, and make a play. The Giants also loved him off the field, they view him as a future leader in the locker room, which something this regime values highly.
His athletic traits don't necessarily pop off the screen, but he more than makes up for it with his instincts. And even though he's not really a nickel defender or man-to-man defender, you just wouldn't put him in those positions.
Nubin has a really good shot to start and play as many snaps as he can for the Giants this year. Xavier McKinney played every single snap for the Giants last year, in a variety of different roles, and if Nubin can step into that role and contribute, this pick will be a huge success. But even if he has more rotation with Belton and Pinnock, Nubin will still have a lot of opportunity to make a difference in the Giants' new defensive scheme.

3.70: Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky

Surprisingly, this has become one of the most contentious picks in the Giants' draft. People (including me) were happy the Giants passed on the QBs for Nabers, as we didn't want the Giants to take a QB they didn't believe in just to "save their jobs" or whatever. But this pick confused a lot of people.
A lot of that had to do with a) the board b) Giants fans' collective PTSD and obsession with the offensive line. And believe me, I am as obsessed with the offensive line as anyone on the planet.
We've already discussed how the Giants OL could still use an infusion of talent, and there was no shortage of OL talent available. Isaiah Adams went with the very next pick, and a few "fan favorites" of various content creators in the Giants' orbit went in the 16 picks after; Coober Beebe went 73, Christian Haynes 81, Zak Zinter 85, Dominick Puni 86.
That said, it still makes a lot of sense that the Giants maybe prioritized CB over the OL. Like I said earlier, the Giants CB room at this point was just the 2023 CB room minus either the best or second best player (depending whether you rate Deonte Banks better or worse) in Adoree' Jackson.
I personally didn't like Phillips as a prospect, and I have my questions about him coming to the Giants in particular. But let's put that aside and focus on the positives in his game first.
Phillips is a physical player who does not hesitate to fire downhill and get involved in the run game, which is something Giants' slot corners have been lacking over the last few years. He brings the same physicality to coverage as well; despite being a little on the small side (part of why he's moving inside), he's not afraid to attack receivers, even if they outweigh him significantly. The functional strength is pretty impressive at his size.
I do think there are some pretty lacking traits here, which contribute to why he went this late at all (though I had him rated much lower). The ball skills are really disappointing to me, he had very little ball production at Kentucky. For me, the difference between his ability in zone far exceeds his ability in man; this can be worked around since Shane Bowen is not the man coverage fiend that Wink Martindale was, but is still a problem.
What I'm really interested to see is how his athleticism translates; I didn't find it that impressive on film, and the 40 and agilities were just fine, while the jumps were really good. I wonder if he'll come to the league as a really talented athlete, or if it'll continue to limit him.
For what it's worth, I really do not trust CB coach Jerome Henderson anymore. The Giants have drafted a CB in the top 110 every year since he's been here, dating back to 2020, and Deonte Banks is by far the best one, maybe the only one who is a starter level NFL player. And all 3 of the other guys (Darnay Holmes, Aaron Robinson who also has been a walking injury, and Cor'Dale Flott) were supposed to be nickel corners.
Phillips will be the day 1 starter in the slot, and it'll be hard for him to avoid criticism even though he's a rookie making a hard transition, since the Giants have struggled so much to develop talent at this position recently.

4.107: Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State

With Darren Waller's status in limbo, the Giants decide to get aggressive and deepen their TE room.
It feels like every year there are a couple of guys like Theo Johnson: The size and athleticism are off the charts, great testing numbers, but somehow a complete dearth of production. Johnson turned 23 in February, spent 4 seasons at Penn State, but amassed a total of 77 catches, 938 yards, and 12 TDs in his collegiate career, with highes of 34 catches, 341 yards, and 7 TDs in 2023.
It's honestly a little reminiscent of the Giants selecting Daniel Bellinger in the 2022 draft, another guy who tested really well but had similar or worse production than Johnson in every category.
I'm of the opinion that if Johnson was more productive over his collegiate career, he would have gone earlier. He's got great size, he's a good athlete, he's an active and willing blocker with high end flashes in that department. The one major thing that's lacking is that evidence of being an impact player in the passing game. He's not really a threat after the catch, and the film doesn't always back up the testing in terms of separating and being explosive through routes.
If Waller does return to the Giants for 2024, then Johnson gets to be one of the best TE3s in the NFL and really work on his craft, getting ready to compete for the starting gig once Waller presumably retires after the 2024 season. But if Waller retires, as the Giants are currently expecting, then Johnson will be a solid TE2 working with Daniel Bellinger while trying to develop into something a bit more.

5.166: Tyrone Tracy, RB, Purdue

The Giants decide to help out their RB committee by adding Tyrone Tracy to the mix.
Tracy has only been playing RB full time for one season, and you can definitely see that. He has a little trouble with processing moving fronts and picking rush lanes, and he still has to learn when to just lower his shoulder and get a few yards, rather than seeking the big play.
What Tracy does provide is a bursty, one-cut type of runner who also provides a significant receiving threat, having played WR before transitioning to RB. He can run routes out of the backfield and make himself available to QBs and has soft hands. His contact balance is pretty solid as well, since he's pretty solidly built. He'll be a good compliment to Singletary.
In addition, Tracy both has kick return experience and has the type of skillset that teams think will be effective with the new kick return rules.
Tracy's easiest path to playing time will be to lean into being a 3rd down back. He has the receiving skills already, and if he can prove he's a reliable pass protector, he'll definitely earn playing time on offense. At worst, we'll see him on special teams this year while he hones his craft and tries to compete for more significant playing time moving forward.

6.183: Darius Muasau, LB, UCLA

The Giants stick with some special teams focus here. Muasau and new Giants STC Michael Ghobrial have history, with Ghobrial being Muasau's ST coordinator in 2019 at Hawai'i.
Muasau has a relentless motor and reads plays really well. He has a really good feel for rushing lanes and how to fill in, and he plays physical, he doesn't shy away and seems to love getting in the mix even against pulling OL.
He's not a super impressive athlete and can be a little too aggressive at times. He also needs to learn some new tricks to evade OL rather than trying to go through them. When it comes to earning snaps on defense, it'll be hard for him to shake a "two-down" label due to his lack of coverage ability.
With Okereke and McFadden pretty much locked in as the starters and Isaiah Simmons as the "sub package" LB, Muasau's roster spot will be mostly based on his ability to earn Ghobrial's trust on special teams. Over the last few years, Carter Coughlin and Cam Brown earned 53 man roster spots the same way, so the avenue for Muasau is pretty clear.

UDFAs:

As usual, I'll highlight the UDFAs and kind of organize them by guarantees. The guarantees are usually the best way to tell who has the best shot at making the roster. Remember that a practice squad salary for the full year is $225k

1. NDSU OL Jake Kubas ($270k): Kubas is a super experienced player, having played over 2400 snaps at RG at NDSU. He's on the smaller side. He plays pretty balanced, has solid technique, and understands how to position his body. That's how he wins for the most part, since he's not really a freakish athlete and his power profile is pretty underwhelming. He'll be kind of a "stash and develop" type of player who will compete for a bottom of the roster spot with guys like Marcus McKethan, Jimmy Morrissey, and Jalen Mayfield.
2. Oregon DL Casey Rogers ($220k): Rogers posted some really impressive testing numbers, but we need to see it transfer to the field more consistently. He might be a better fit for what Shane Bowen likes to do than what Wink Martindale liked to do; Wink prefers stronger two-gapping IDL with knockback power, while Bowen is looking for DL to penetrate upfield and create chaos. As it stands right now, he'd be a liability in the run game, and doesn't really provide you that much in the pass game to justify it. But maybe he can hang out and develop his craft and get his pad level down under one of the best position coaches in the NFL in Andre Patterson.
3. Missouri OT Marcellus Johnson ($170k): Johnson is an interesting guy to give a lot of money to. He played at Eastern Michigan for 5 seasons, with almost 2300 snaps played, before transferring to Missouri...to be a backup, playing just 84 snaps in 2023. He's another guy that is pretty lacking in power profile. I'm not really sure I see the avenue to a 53 man roster spot for him, as it'll be tough for him to compete with Kubas and the guys I listed in his section, and if he's playing OT, he has to get through not just Thomas/Neal/Eluemunor, but also Matt Nelson, Yodny Cajuste, and Josh Ezeudu (who has been the 2nd team LT in OTAs I believe).
4. UCLA CB Alex Johnson ($115k): Johnson is another player that tested better than I think his film showed; the film made me think maybe he'll be better converting to safety. He mostly played in the slot at UCLA, but struggled a lot in the run game. I was underwhelmed with his ability in coverage. I don't really see it with him, but the Giants CB room is so bad that I guess he does have a shot.
5. West Florida WR John Jiles ($100k): Jiles' highlights are insane. He looks like he's playing against middle schoolers at times the way he just leaps over guys and makes highlight reel catches. That's pretty much all it was to me though. He's a stiff mover and wasn't quite as consistently dominant as you'd like to see in my opinion. If I'm looking for a guy to make a couple of sick catches in the preseason and never be heard from again, it's Jiles, but if I'm looking for a guy who can become a player on Sundays, I'm not looking here.
6. South Carolina RB Dante Miller: Miller wasn't really a UDFA, because he was signed well before the draft, but I want to mix him in here. South Carolina and the NCAA kind of botched his eligibility, so he barely played in 2022, was not part of the 2023 draft, then was ruled ineligible for the 2023 season and 2024 draft. Had a really sick pro day, and his nickname "Lil Turbo" is very apt. He's just really explosive and fast, that's most of his game. Most of his opportunity to make the team will be to maybe compete as a kick returner.

Final Takeaways

The Giants had a good, solid, like B level draft. I didn't think they got exceptional value at any pick, and I thought they kind of played it safer than they had the last couple of years in the draft. In 2022, the story was really about investing in young, athletic players and trying to develop them. In 2023, they mostly continued that, sticking with their tenants of sticking to younger, more athletic players.
This year, they didn't completely shift away from that, but the average age definitely feels like it went up. Malik Nabers is the only player who won't be 23 by Thanksgiving. And while I don't hate any of the Giants' picks, it feels like they were trying to hit singles/doubles after Nabers. None of those players to me feel like swinging for upside, thinking you have a superstar in the making, they feel like players the team thinks will just be good solid pros. I'm not sure how I feel about it, since the swings on upside haven't been the most successful, but I also don't feel like this draft changes the outlook of the team moving forward either. Most importantly, it does feel like a departure from their previous tendencies, so it'll be interesting to see whether it was more conscious and if it works out.
I'm not sure this is a draft we'll be looking back on and thinking about how great an impact it had on the future of the team. But I'm also not sure how likely that was once the trade up for Drake Maye was off the table.

I really hope I have that backlog of "Letters I would write you" To build off of As one of the several items In the quantum letter.
(He says, As he’s been neurotically picking up his phone Every time he wanted to talk to her)
Don’t mind the weird capitalization by the way. Transcribing
Today’s letter Would still be the lamp; albeit presented As a story. Zee falls, Branching paths, Loses part of himself (the acc), But den Appears To give him hope.
"Which part?" ~ He loses time, Their dance, But also part of himself that was weak.
(Ik. Ehh. I could still write it, But I really like the idea of the quantum letter, And I want to keep it relatively tight.)
Plus, I don’t like using nightfall characters Outside of nightfall. This is the first time I’ve Seriously, contemplated it I don’t think I would.
Man, this transcription 😅 sorry, showering. I’ll figure out some way To effectively thought transcribe And shower Simultaneously. (Or give up my grandiosity, and accept that I’m allowed to forget things)
——
Those first and second times I reached out to you with no knowledge of whether or not I would hear back…
The first time I was in the right headspace. "This woman can do a lot better than me, I’ll be lucky if she even acknowledges me, I have to put my forwardbest foot forward." (I’ll be honest, I was also a little panicked. Knowing how my life goes, I figured if I didn’t reach out, if I took my time… you’d find someone else in the meantime.) so I only slowed down long enough to answer your request as best as I could.
That Second time… I was even more panicked. (I mean, you know! The time machine! That whole beautiful wonderful fiasco!)
The fact that the stars answered me that night… Bee, I could almost believe in something. (The philosopher; I choose to believe in myself. But… What did we do? How did we do that? 😂)
This time though… There’s no guard rails. I have to be the one to give you the tools to feel safe. Whatever I send you, It has to include the keyword.
I have to Acknowledge and accept This as always your option. (Maybe I’ll give you a keyword to remove the shackles… If you ever wish to use it; In case you don’t consent to having the degree of control over me That you can control when I do and don’t speak…)
Yeah, I needed to be prepared To go into a state of Noncommunication. (I knew that On logical level, But not an emotional one… Because it hadn’t registered how precarious a position we were in. Without covering boundaries, Triggers, And some sort of rule to enable me to listen better…)
I still want to invoke the word as soon as possible. I know my side of things, but…
I need to stop inflicting my views on your own. I need to simmer down, and hear what you think. or, if you’re not comfortable with that…
I need to let you know what I think. I need to apologize, for everything I have figured out, the things I did that may have made you feel unsafe, hurt, or betrayed…
Bee, I needed to stop saying and doing things until I understood the full implications of my actions. I simply believed that being genuine to my feelings would see me through, but I’m blind, and I hurt you.
so as I draft these letters in my mind, I’ll still hold off.
Until the day I feel that same nervous energy, same sense of acceptance of whatever happens, either way.
And I’ll reach out to you again. Because bee, it’s impossible for me to know you exist and not want to talk to you. :buzzes with holding-self-back-energy:
(Kidding about "holding myself back". it becomes easier to restrain myself when I recognize you don’t wanna talk to me, and that you not wanting to talk to me doesn’t mean you don’t like me. It’s why I feel I can hold myself back given a rule, a boundary keyword)
if I knew you wanted to talk to me as well… that would be a different story. I’d still want the keyword, to balance out my talkativeness; but Bee… for as long as you would want to listen, I’d want to talk to you. as long as you’d want to talk to me, I’d want to quiet down and listen.
(And until then I might as well work on myself. The moving plan is coming along nicely; I essentially will live out Lifetimes whether or not you care to join me 😅 it’ll be fun; and also will timebox my other efforts in a specific tangible way. I’ve also unified it with my life blocks approach; easy to store in my head and map to paper. Feels good!)

 I never thought I would find myself needing to recount the events that transpired during my childhood. 

When the idea of typing this came about, I didn’t think I would even be able to find the words to describe them. However, maybe due to recent contact with the government, the memories I had long buried in the dusty recesses of my memory have dug themselves up and crawled back into the light of my mind’s eye in vivid detail. Now that I am free to speak, and now that I have summoned the courage to, my message to you, especially the parents among you is this, do not leave your children at Sunny Smiles Daycare.
I was about 4 when my parents divorced. It was a long, arduous process, full of broken promises and uncomfortable truths. My mother had left a year prior, off to Vegas to be with her lover who would fly over on weekends and destroy my parent’s of holy matrimony. It took quite a toll on my father. He was never very present in the going on of my life, and while he tried, an awkwardness had formed between us, a chasm that made it difficult to do much of anything. It was ever present, both of us trying to cope with the tender void left in the wake of my mother.
We tried to fill it with each other, but our relationship wasn’t strong enough to bear the weight of my mom’s departure. Adding on to this was that most of the day he was gone, working to keep the roof we had over our heads. He hired a slew of nannies to fill the empty days his job made, but I always complained about them. I felt like a stranger in my own life, with people I didn’t know making themselves at home in the house that felt foreign to me now. I really just wanted my mom and dad back, for them to come together, forgive each other in a heartfelt bout of passion, and make time for me in their lives again. But as a child, I quickly learned to stifle my hopes and stopped believing in such silly fairy tales.
My father felt guilty about the whole thing, I could see it in his eyes. Even back then I knew the look of someone trying their best and failing. It was the look my mother gave me every time she came home late on a Saturday night, a crestfallen look of disappointment in not me or my father, but herself. She had promised me that everything would be okay, that the fighting wasn’t anything but grown-up talk. “A family,” she said, “always stays together”. But soon, all I got was promises that didn’t lead anywhere. The two of them made so many promises that if they were worth anything, I’d have been the richest kid in the world.
But all I got was a trip to a daycare, a way for my father to remedy this guilt, to distance himself from the reminder of all the promises he had failed to keep.
According to his searches from the time, he stumbled upon Sunny Smiles Daycare in his search, seeing it was new, very close by. It had only been open for a month and had nothing but five star reviews, with no justification as to the rating under any of the comments. When looking at their website, it is described as a “government owned amenity here to serve families in need. We are expanding everyday, and with the help of certain patrons we have expanded to the national level”. According to the FBI, whom which I have spoken to at length about my experiences, no federal or state funds from any agency were allocated to construct a national daycare system. However, there is documentation from congressional records of a meeting of the Committee of Education and the Workforce passing an anonymous bill into Congress to be voted on. When interviewed, none of the members of the committee recalled voting on such a bill, and no record of whether the bill was ratified or not was found.
One night, my father called for me from the ground floor. I cautiously maneuvered down the long, spiral stairs, gripping tightly onto the railing so as not to tumble down the treacherous staircase, my fear of heights taking hold even at such a young age. As I rounded the stairs, I saw my father standing in the living room, hands on his hips, tapping his foot rapidly. He had come home in a gray suit, tailored to his filled out build, with neat, dark hair combed over to hide his large, reflective forehead. As I completed my descent, my father turned to me, a smile so wide that the strain was practically audible on his face. I didn’t think much of it then, if anything I was happy that my father finally showed me something other than his inner struggles.
“Hey buddy, guess what we are gonna do tomorrow?” he said, his smile practically bursting out of his face.
“What?” I asked, his excited expression acting as a pathogen of enthusiasm.
“Tomorrow, you're going to go to a new place. It’s called Sunny Smiles Daycare. It’s a place where you can make tons of new friends. Isn’t that exciting?” he led me on in the way that parents do. I was confused.
“Sunny Smiles Daycare,” I repeated hollowly, spitting the words out due to their funny taste in my mouth.
“Will you come with me?” I asked tentatively, bracing for disappointment.
“No buddy, they don’t let grown-ups like me in. It’s just for you kids. But hey, I bet you're gonna have so much fun that you’ll forget all about me. I bet you won’t even want to leave,” he promised, trying to redirect the impact of his answer. I had heard the same speech often. Every time he laid down some shiny new thing at my feet, hoping to placate me with sacrifices like I was some bloodthirsty deity, he tried to convince me that this time, the hole bored into my heart would finally be filled with this cheap, flashy toy. And for the most part, I went along with it, both to find salvation in something frivolous and to ease my father’s own guilty demons. And this was no different. In as excited a voice I could muster I replied “I can’t wait!” The smile he wore shrunk a bit, but in turn, it looked much less plastic, and more real, a warmth returning to his features.
“I’m glad little man. You hungry?” I nodded vigorously.
“Great, what do ya want?”
“Dino nuggets,” my favorite.
My father nodded, before rushing off to the kitchen in order to prepare a gourmet serving of dino nuggets. I followed, clumsily running to catch up to him, desperate for the warmth of his smile once more.
“How your day go?” I asked rather clumsily. I had learned the basic abcs and enough words to speak, but the construction of sentences was something I had struggled with. I rarely talked at all and didn’t get many chances to do so.
“It was great, bud! I talked to a lady at the daycare we are gonna go to tomorrow, and she said they have over 50 kids there! They’ve got coloring books and dollies and even a playground inside! They’ve got books and paint an-” I started to tune out. He was still trying to sell me on the whole daycare thing. That was all he talked about the rest of the night, describing every detail of the place to me. Looking back, even then, I felt a deep sense of restlessness each time he mentioned the name of the place. The feeling only grew more exacerbated the longer the night went on, chasing away sweet thoughts of sleep. Some of it was nerves, going from 1 stranger a day to 50 was certainly a big leap. But part of it was something I can’t explain in any other way than a premonition, a warning from a natural instinct that laid long dormant in me came screaming to the surface. I did not sleep well that night. The morning of, my father woke me up early, saying that he needed to get to work, but would drop me off at the daycare on the way. I obliged, changing out of my Lightning McQueen onesie into tiny jeans and a brown and white striped shirt with a large smiling monkey face on the front. Monkeys were my favorite animal, mainly because they liked bananas just as much as I did. I did my daily duties of brushing my teeth, and messing around with my hair until I was happy with the ratty mess I had made. I once again fearfully journeyed down the stairs. My dad was tapping his foot at the bottom of the stairs, annoyance instead of excitement being the cause.
“Come on bud, we gotta get going or I’m gonna be late,”. he says, as if his meaningless deadline would incentivize me to overcome my fear and move faster.
I reach the bottom step, where my dad promptly scoops me up in his arms, and with his briefcase and a backpack in hand, we speed out of the house. We fly down the stairs leading down from the large wooden porch, my father gripping onto the black metal railing so as not to slip on the cliff-like stairs. He snaked through the cobblestone pathway that led from our stairs to the driveway. Both were in rough condition. Crabgrass riddled the grooves in the path, and the asphalt had long, outstretched cracks that had formed due to the roots of a nearby sycamore tree undermining the pavement. The lawn was an unkempt jungle of overgrown grass, weeds, dandelions, and mushrooms. Dad used to mow it once a week in the summer, but the habit had fallen off in the past year.
Dad threw open the back door of the red minivan, and quickly strapped me into the ragged, stained car seat. He clumsily struggled with the seatbelt, his inexperience with morning procedures on full display. He finally resigned himself, tying the belt straps together into a tight knot that compressed harshly on my chest. I remember my breathing being shallow during the majority of the ride. With me secured, he threw the backpack over next to me, closed the door, and got in the front seat.
“Dad, I don’t go,” I said. “I don’t like,”
“Why buddy? We haven’t even gotten there yet,” Dad asked, his voice rising in pitch, as he started the ignition.
“I don’t like,” I repeated, louder and firmer this time.
“Why don’t you just give it a few days, just two or three days, and if you truly hate it, then we’ll find a different place okay sweetie?” He asked, forcing his voice to smooth out, as we turned out of our bumpy driveway and started off. There wasn’t much I could do after that. He did not respond well to temper tantrums, and I knew that it would not end well for either of us if I started yelling. He was too jumpy, and didn’t have the long fuse constructed over many long nights of staying awake with your kid.
Once, I dropped a glass of orange juice. The glass shattered in a loud crackle, like thunder mixed with pop rocks, and they scattered away from the initial blast, in fear of the storm that was barreling down the stairs.
“What happened?!” my father yelled as he stomped through the house. I realize now that his shouting was out of concern more than anger, but as a child, it’s hard to tell the difference when someone is screaming at you. I looked up at him, fat watery tears streaming down my face as I bawled loudly, practically shouting myself.
My dad grabbed a handful of paper towels, and started roughly padding my fuzzy blue shirt.
“Are you hurt?” he yelled again, voice wavering. This only made my cries louder, bordering on hysterical now as I continued to blubber.
My dad grunted in strained frustration. He combed his hair frantically, eyes darting around wildly, completely overwhelmed by the scene before him. Unable to take my wailing any longer he leaned down, grabbed me by the arm, and shook me violently.
“Are you hurt!” He screamed, shocking me into silence.
I stood stunned. My dad quickly removed his hands from me, purple bruises welding up along my arms like bad tattoos.
“I’m sorry bud, I thought you were hurt and you wouldn’t answer me and I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”. It was all he could say. I made sure not to scream or cry around him from then on.
We drove for about 10 minutes, before a large, pastel building of soft blues, yellows, and greens came into view. I knew about 5 minutes before it came into view where it was, my face retracting further into the car seat, as if bracing for a bomb to fall.
It was a massive building. The front looked normal enough, a box almost entirely made of windows aside from the wiry wooden frame separating them, and the large fluorescent red door surrounded by a black wooden outline. This was partially obscured by large red brick pillars that held up a concrete awning. Behind that, stood a massive dome, like an igloo made out of yellow snow. Sun patterns covered the dome-like orange polka dots.
The building unnerved me. Something about it wasn’t quite right, like my father’s own strained smile. It looked like it was trying too hard, trying to look like what all parents wanted to see when they dropped their kids off.
“See?” My father said from the front seat, fake excitement dripping from his voice.
“It looks so fun!” he said. He was fishing for an enthusiastic response, but all I could muster was quiet indifference.
We turned into the lot, navigating through the crowded rows of cars, parked haphazardly. Every spot was filled. A long line of cars slowly advanced next to the concrete curve, advancing toward the dropping-off points. Other cars, though, stopped where they were, and removed their kid from the car seat. Some didn’t even have them in car seats, and simply stopped while the kids got out themselves. The kids looked scared, sad, and hurt, the latter of which I could identify with. It was the look I often felt myself giving when I was being forgotten or I was alone. The former two, I would soon come to know quite well.
As soon as the door closed, the car would speed out from the line and out of the lot. Even strangers were kids who walked from the parking lot. These kids all had filth-splotched faces, torn-up rags for clothes, thin hair, and hollow eyes. They walked slowly, without regard for the honking cars and disapproving looks from parents who had almost hit them. They didn’t even look up as they filed into the daycare. My dad chimed in.
“Oh poor kids. How can a parent watch their child go out into the world like that? Is no one feeding them?” He muttered under his breath in an angry tone. He hated seeing the cries of those who were suffering go unanswered, especially children. It was why he became a doctor.
The cars slowly moved, dropping their kids off one by one, some making more of a ceremony of it than others. Stifled tears, verklempt looks, and the all too familiar fake smiles were all congregated at the entrance to the daycare. Guardian to said entrance stood two women, garbed in an all-white dress, apron, and gloves with silver hair and peculiar white hats. It looked like one of those paper hats kids made, but it was made of cloth and like her, stood at stiff attention and bore an opaque smiling face. They were surrounded by a flock of frantic parents, each desperately commanding their attention with little facts about their special angle. Allergies, snack preferences, and in the case of some, medication were all conveyed with deathly urgency. Dad stopped the car, turning to me and smiling. Not an insincere one, but one of sympathy and comfort.
“It’s gonna be okay sweetie. I know this has all been so much for you, so thank you for being so brave with me,” he promised. I smiled back in turn, meaning it this time.
He then exited the car, came around to the backseat, and untied me from the car seat. He grabbed the backpack and carried me over to the cement awning that shaded the walkway.
He carried me over to the two ladies, past the line of fellow downtrodden children, and dropped me a few feet away from the crowd of squawking parents.
“Hold on just a second now sweetie, I’ll be right back,” he said. I stood awkwardly, trying as much as I possibly could to fold into myself as the limp bodies of my peers stumbled past me, all light-looking to have long left their eyes. One was different though. A young girl in a pink and red polka-dotted dress with an accompanying bow in her soft ginger hair to match. She was holding a small, beaten-up brown patchwork teddy bear with its left eye missing. The back of it was torn open, stuffing flopping out of it. Around her neck was a collar of raspy, raw skin, like some wild animal had tried to tear out her jugular with its claws. She had pretty green eyes which continued to glance at me as she passed. Right before she went through the red door, she hesitated, turned around, and quickly waddled over to me. She placed her face incredibly close to me, and I recoiled out of shock. I could still make out her whispers though, “When they ask, don’t tell,”.She quickly turned away, glancing back at me with worried eyes. I looked after her, confused and more scared than before. As my eyes wandered, I looked up to one of the women answering parental questions, and she continued to do so. However, her eyes were transfixed to the polka-dot girl, and once she entered the daycare, they shifted to me. It was what I could only describe as a friendly stare, or at least, one that appeared to be. She looked like she was sizing me up. I held her gaze for only a second, and wished I hadn’t even done that. I commanded my eyes to look anywhere, anywhere but the woman’s shriveled, pit-like eyes that begged for my attention. My eyes traced out the outline of the red door, slowly taking in each groove and scratch that thick coats of paint weren’t able to cover. As I looked above the red gate, I was greeted with words scrawled at the top in shaky black letters. I didn’t know what I said then, but looking back I do now. They read “Welcome to Home”.
“Calvin, come here!” my dad said, snapping me out of my awkward stare. I shuffled over to my dad, reaching out and clinging to his arm. Both of the silver-haired women turned to look at me, moving through the crowd of parents with polite “excuse me’s” and “let us pass for a moment’s”, all while not taking their eyes off of me. They strode over to my dad, one addressing my dad and the other bending down to my level, still staring at me. She bent perfectly straight at the hips, but went down no further, her face mere millimeters from mine. I shrunk closer to my father, who was seemingly too preoccupied talking about my peanut allergy to notice the creepy woman staring at his kid.
“What is your name?” She asked. I pressed even further away from her due to her voice, which scratched at my ears like sandpaper. I remembered what the polka-dot girl said, and did everything in my power to not give her an answer, instead tugging on Dad’s pant leg, pleading for his attention.
“What is your name?” She probed again, this time her voice only a supple whisper. I almost couldn’t stop myself as my name rushed up my throat like hot vomit I needed to choke back. It was like she had reached her hand into my brain and was massaging it, hoping to coax out an answer. I knew she knew already, she had heard my dad call it only a few moments ago. But she wanted me to say it, to hear the word escape my lips. I was afraid to speak at all because if I did, I knew my name would come out. I didn’t even know what would happen, but the visceral fear I had of what might happen kept my lips sewn shut.
I tugged more and more desperately on my father’s leg, but he didn’t even look at me. He was still talking to the silver woman about who knows what. Who knows what he was telling her?
“What is your name?” the lady asked again, this time grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I tried to yank my hand away, but her grip was vice-like. She clamped down hard, I was sure a bruise would form. Looking back now, she likely knew that out of what she could do then, that would hurt the most. My eyes darted around, my brain overwhelmed by a gut-wrenching fear that poured into me from the woman’s touch. It was so cold I couldn’t feel my arm anymore, and the numbing sensation was spreading quickly. I looked for anyone, any adult who could see what was happening and put a stop to it, but everyone seemed to be conveniently occupied with something else. Time seemed to slow down and warp, leaving just me and the woman in our pocket of isolation. Voices faded out into warped chirping. I couldn’t tell you what they were saying, but with every passing moment, they got louder and louder. Numbing fear spread all throughout my body, reaching up and crawling into my mouth and swelling my tongue, pushing back the scream that was clawing its way up my throat. My eyes began to go numb, and the tears that welled up froze over my eyes blocking my vision. They were being squeezed like oranges being juiced. My arms and legs froze and turned weak, brittle enough that a gust of wind would shatter them. Slowly, I could sense my heartbeat getting slower and slower.
“You ready buddy?” My father’s coarse hand tapped my shoulder, and the glass bubble of nightmares that surrounded me and that woman shattered. Time came roaring back and all the pressure inflicted on my feeble body vanished, and the woman hastily stood up. Tears sprung free from their icy barrier as I turned to my father and looked up.
“Hey, woah, buddy what’s wrong? What’s going on?” he bent down to me, clumsily wiping away my tears. All I could do was shake my head vigorously, lips still quivering. I tried to speak but I knew the woman was still staring at me. I could feel her gaze honed in on the back of my head like a laser. As long as her eyes were fixed on me, I didn’t dare speak. Even now, I feel dizzy, my name on the tip of my tongue.
“We see this type of display daily. Children and caretakers alike are so rarely prepared to be separate. It’s an emotional moment, but we have found that adversity only ends in growth and prosperity for the pair” one of the women says, a sugary sweetness now oozing from her demeanor.
“Don’t worry buddy, your guardian will be back, and while he is attending to his duties, you will have the honor of being a part of our family,” the other silver-haired woman says, turning to me with a toothy grin. Most of her words were too big for me to understand. Though, I doubt I would need to hear her speak to understand. The stares they would give us were all we needed to know what they were saying, and yet they still put us through the torture of their scratchy speech.
“We are extremely excited to meet you!” the pair said in unison.
“You sure you're okay, bud?” Dad asked again, still not convinced. With both of them looking at me now, there was no way I was saying anything. I sent a pleading look to my dad, hoping that my covert correspondence wouldn’t go unnoticed. But apparently, my own father didn’t know me well enough to see how shaken I really was. He gave me a final look of sorry, before he bent down, gave me a tight hug, stood up, and handed me the backpack. Then he began to depart
“Listen buddy I’ll see you tonight. I put all your favorite stuff in that bag okay? I love you so much.” His voice wavered a bit, coughing a bit to try and regain composure. He looked at me, torn, between what he wanted to believe and what he could see. All I could do was stand there and watch my father throw his only son to the wolves. He walked back to the car, buckled in, and gave me a final look of a wide smile with conflicting, tear-soaked eyes, before exiting the line of cars and driving off.
An overwhelming wave of dread washed over me as I watched my lifeline drift away. Questions raced through my head, “When would he come back? Would he forget to come? How long can I not say my name for?”
I could feel them loom over me, like unwanted shadows creeping through the night.
“Come, it is time for you to enter,” the lady said, the sweetness now draining from her voice and face. A reproachful look now adorned her face. She stiffly pointed to the door, likely knowing that the meaning of her words was lost on me. I turned and made my way into the line of children still marching towards the gateway, dragging my feet. The gate itself seemed to pull me closer like death reaching its hand out from a coffin. The two ladies returned to their posts beside the door, dutifully tending to the needs of apprehensive parents. They made a last call, saying “All parents must deposit their offspring to the daycare. Activities are about to begin”.

Me (22m) and my ex (21f) of 2 years broke up over a week ago now. I am distraught and can’t stop thinking about her and how much I love her.
We always communicated and made sure we were both heard in our relationship and everything was just great. After about the year mark I was getting more stressed because of school and she could tell too and I didn’t want it affecting our relationship and she didn’t either. She suggested I get help and so I got pills. Those didn’t quite work for me so after a few months I stopped taking them and decided I was going to get therapy. I did everything I could to get into therapy being a broke college student and finally I had gotten therapy for free through insurance my parents let me know I could use. After already being in therapy, she wanted to have a big talk where she would tell me some things she was concerned about and I would tell her some things to and we’d work on it. During this she said she felt sad she hadn’t got a letter yet even though she’s wrote to me. I told her that she will get one and that I already had a plan (which was sending her a real letter through mail to where she was going to be for summer). I was so excited for her to open a letter from me in the mail. She also mentioned the songs I told her I was working on for her and how she wanted to hear them. I told her that I’m working really hard on them and that since we spend a lot of time together, I don’t get that time to work on it as much + it’s hard to produce multiple songs as 1 person taking 20 credit hours. I reassured her that she would get those things and to be patient because I always try to do the best for her. I let her know one of the songs was rock and that for me even as a musician, it’s hard to make that song because I’ve never done that before. But it did sound freaking awesome.
A little over a week ago now she broke up with me and out of no where. Complete blindside. My chest hurts everyday and I can’t stop thinking about her and how amazing she is (besides the blindsiding part). I really gave it my all at showing her that I love her and that I care about her. She didn’t tell me we were breaking up or anything and just blocked me on everything. Since she had just left for the summer, she sent me a birthday text telling me how much she loves me and can’t wait for so many more years. And then she does this. Her family contacted me instead and they all still love me and even her mom said “I’m trying to get her to talk to you instead of cutting you off out of the blue!”.
My ex eventually sent me an explanation text after 2 days. She told me she wants to work on herself which I support 100% and want the best for her always. She said that the past year was unfair to her and gave me some reasons. She had told me she felt like her 21st wasn’t special enough but I did everything I could for her. I’m a broke college student taking more than maximum credit hours and I was able to get 50+ balloons, a happy birthday banner, a basket filled with all the things she likes, cake, drinks, and friends. I don’t know what else I could’ve done. She mentioned a nice dinner but I couldn’t have afforded that at the time or even now. Another reason was that I didn’t write her a letter or give her a song yet. I didn’t know that I was on a timer for those but by now she would’ve already had the letter I was gonna send to her address for the summer, but she won’t ever get it now I guess. I told her I was working on the songs too and for me to send her them unfinished was not how I wanted her to hear the songs for the first time. One of the last reasons is that I “didn’t get help” in time. I can’t stress how this hurt me. I was doing everything I could to be the best man I could for her and at this point have been in therapy for 8 weeks +. She even admitted to me when we were still together that she could see the improvements and that she was happy and I was happy too. Apparently I was too late.
Her text also included her saying how much she loves me and knows how much she’s hurting me by breaking up with me, but says she needs to do it to focus on herself. I had also decided to send her the unfinished songs (she thought they were amazing) We remained in contact for a few days after her explanation and I let her know the truth about the things she said without being disrespectful.
Here’s a few things she said during that time that I don’t know how to feel about.
“if it stays this shitty all summer we have to get back together because i’m fucking miserable name and i miss you”
“did I fuck everything up forever”
“i want you to be happy with someone whether that’s me or not” (always included herself with me finding someone in the future, i never brought up being with abiogenesis else though)
I don’t know what this means but after reading it I feel like I know what I need to do and just continue no contact even though I so badly wish we were still together. It seems disrespectful to completely remove your best friend from your life and break your heart just for them to say that and try to give me hope again. She also said that she needed to stop talking to me and for me to stop texting her but she had reached out to me because she was sad over this whole thing. I’m just lost and don’t know what to do. At this point we’re not texting but we might call at some point.
Should I just keep moving on and do no contact. I feel like she’s shown what she’s capable of doing to do a loving relationship and I don’t want it to happen again despite the love I still have for her. I really hope she gets the help she needs and the love she deserves. ❤️

Another day another problem I can't figure out oTL
Playing my game with a gamepad is yielding some weird problems. At first I thought this was a sensitivity issue with a specific controller but this also happens when using the keyboard arrow keys to navigate. Everything works as expected when using the mouse.

• navigating through the main menu options (Start, Load, Options, Extras, Quit etc), toggling through the selectable options skips some, as in the hovered state doesn't trigger on Options or Quit and just skips it. again, i thought this was a D-pad sensitivity thing but it happens with the keyboard arrow keys and on different machines.
• in the extras menu the options are Credits, Gallery, Achievements, Music Room and it constantly skips over every other option (gallery and music room)
• i'm only having menu options skipped in the main menu and in the "extras" menu, toggling through the quickmenu in game works as expected
• here's a gif of me toggling through the options at a steady pace with the down arrow key in case I'm not making sense: https://imgur.com/a/63hIkE6
• the textbuttons are all coded the same/pretty simply? i can't see anything in code that would be doing this but here's what's going on in the main menu if you need more context:

​

image mm_movie = Movie(play="images/mainmenuvid.ogv", image=Null()) init python: ## Make it so the movie doesn't play on mobile if renpy.mobile: renpy.run(Preference("video sprites", "hide")) else: renpy.run(Preference("video sprites", "show")) screen main_menu(): ## This ensures that any other menu screen is replaced. tag menu add "mm_backgrounds" add "gui/main_menu/menu_mask.webp" alpha 0.5 add "images/title_bg.png" add "images/title_logo.png" at zoomglow, drift if not renpy.mobile: add AlphaMask('mm_movie', "gui/main_menu/menu_mask.webp") alpha 0.2 $ R = renpy.random.randint(1,5) if R == 1: add "mainmenubg1" elif R == 2: add "mainmenubg2" elif R == 3: add "mainmenubg3" elif R == 4: add "mainmenubg4" else: add "mainmenubg5" style_prefix 'mm' vbox: textbutton _("START") action Start(): at mm_interaction(), buttonDrift1 textbutton _("CHAPTERS") action None: at mm_interaction(), buttonDrift2 textbutton _("LOAD") action ShowMenu("load"): at mm_interaction(), buttonDrift3 textbutton _("OPTIONS") action ShowMenu("preferences"): at mm_interaction(), buttonDrift4 textbutton _("EXTRAS") action ShowMenu("extras"): at mm_interaction(), buttonDrift5 if renpy.variant("pc"): ## The quit button is banned on iOS and unnecessary on Android and Web. textbutton _("QUIT") action Quit(confirm=not main_menu): align (1.0, 1.0) offset (-20, -40) xysize (None, None) hover_background None text_size 40 add "gui/title_logo.png" align (0.7, 0.25): at transform: zoom 1.1 alpha 0.0 yoffset 15 linear 0.3 alpha 1.0 zoom 1.0 yoffset 0 style mm_vbox: xpos 1220 ycenter 0.72 spacing -20 style mm_button: background None hover_background "gui/button/menu_hover_bg.png" xysize (680, 109) padding (50, 0) hover_sound "audio/click_002.ogg" activate_sound "audio/click_004.ogg" style mm_button_text: color "#EAC526FF" text_align 0.0 size_group None xalign 0.0 outlines [(4, "#000")] hover_color "#FFF" hover_italic True font GLORY_R size 60 insensitive_color "#666" 

For extra clarification: the renpy.random block is for a series of slideshows that shouldn't effect this as are the ButtonDrift transforms (neither are present on the extras page where i'm having the same problem).
I am stumped and any help would be massively appreciated.

A relentless drumbeat filled the silence of the night as rain pelted the windshield of a dark Toyota Tocama truck. The vehicle sat idling in the shadows of a deserted alley in the heart of New Orleans, and its occupants huddled inside, seeking shelter from the storm that raged outside.
In the driver's seat, a bald, dark-skinned African American man with a baseball hat pulled low over his eyes, DeAndre, also known as just D, stared out into the darkness. His hands rested on the lower part of the steering wheel while he leaned back in his chair with a bored look. He was dressed in a hoodie, the fabric damp from the rain that had lightly dampened it during his brief time outside.
"More of those damn monsters popped up just outside the city near Lexington," D suddenly spoke up, trying to dispel the awkward silence. "They're all over the place now."
His partner, a pale-skinned man named Mason with dark brown hair, shifted in his seat beside him. He was wearing a North Face jacket, the material glistening with raindrops in the dim light of the street lamps. He tapped his hand against the car door, one of the few nervous tics he indulged in before getting into a big operation.
"Yeah, I know," Mason replied in an equally derisive voice. "DHS thinks they're reproducing like crazy because they don't got any natural predators on the East Coast."
D let out a humorless sound that echoed in the confines of the truck. "No shit," he said, shaking his head. "All the nasty shit that'll kill you is either down south or on the West Coast. What do we got up here? Fuckin' black bears?"
A chuckle left Mason’s mouth as he adjusted the ballistic vest that spelled the words U.S. MARSHALL in big, bold yellow letters. "Maybe we should import some of those West Coast mountain lions," he suggested, only half-joking. "Let them loose in the countryside and see how long these monsters last."
“I actually remember hearing a story about some crazy fucker down in Texas using a mountain lion to hunt hogs,” D said as the rain continued to patter against the windshield. “Dude would just let it loose, and it’d just drag a full-grown hog back for him.”
Mason raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Damn, that's wild," he said, shaking his head. "But I guess when you're dealing with a hog infestation, you gotta get creative."
"Creative is one word for it. Insane is another." D snorted as his eyes remained fixed on the road ahead
They lapsed into silence once more, the gravity of their situation settling over them like a heavy blanket. They were waiting for their mark, a nondescript white van belonging to the local mob and a solitary dark gray luxury sedan carrying a lieutenant. Other units were on standby, ready to swoop in at a moment's notice, but for now, it was just the two of them sitting in a truck on a rainy night, watching and waiting.
"You know what really gets me, though?" Mason said, breaking the silence. "It's not just these monsters we gotta worry about. It's all the other shit that's been popping up lately. Elves, goblins, orcs... even magic humans or whatever."
D sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Tell me about it. It's like something out of that one movie with Will Smith in it. Except all the magic can level an entire block, and it isn’t rare."
"You talking about bright?" Mason asked, huffed in amusement when D snapped his finger and pointed at him in affirmation. "But ya, you right. They're popping up all over the place. Every agency and their mom from Fed to county are trying to round ‘em up. But it's like playing whack-a-mole. You snag one and find out there’s five more bolting around the corner."
D nodded, his expression grim. "Doesn't help that the organized crime and fuck, even gangs are in on it.” He growled in annoyance. “Absolutely hilarious that we might have to start worrying about fireball-slinging gangbangers and mobsters.”
Neither of them, in fact, found it humorous in any way as Mason facepalmed and dragged his hand down his face. The idea of magic-infused crime was a nightmare scenario that law enforcement organizations across the country were scrambling to contain. Intelligence reports revealed a disturbing trend: magical beings from the other side of the rift were harbored by criminal elements in exchange for their services and knowledge. These otherworldly entities would work for the criminal underworld, using their arcane abilities to further illegal activities or, even worse, teach their arts to Earth-native criminals.
It was a development that sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community. The prospect of facing off against criminals wielding supernatural powers was alarming, to say the least. Fireball-slinging gangbangers and mobsters with the ability to level city blocks were no longer the stuff of fantasy - they were becoming a terrifying reality.
The president didn’t even have to issue an executive order, or was one resisted by any level of government when one came. Every agency, from the federal level down to the smallest county sheriff's office, had mobilized to get a lid on the situation. Task forces were formed, special units were trained, and new protocols were implemented to deal with the unique challenges of magical crime.
But it was proving to be a far more difficult task than anyone had anticipated. The magical beings were elusive, able to blend in with human society in ways that made them nearly impossible to detect. They could alter their appearance, change into animals, and in rare cases, some were even able to simply vanish when cornered.
Even more concerning was the fact that these beings were sharing their knowledge with human criminals. The idea of street gangs and organized crime syndicates having access to arcane abilities was a chilling prospect. It threatened to tip the balance of power in the criminal underworld, giving rise to a new breed of superpowered outlaws.
D and Mason sat in their truck, the weight of back-to-back raids, shootouts, and arrests over the past 6 months were taking its toll. They had seen firsthand the devastation that could be wrought by just one rogue magic user from a few weeks ago. A bolt of strange energies ripped through a police cruiser, killing both officers in the blink of an eye. The thought of facing an entire criminal network infused with such powers was almost too much to bear.
"You know, I signed up to take down gangbangers, drug dealers, and mafiosos," Mike started in a low voice that said he didn’t quite believe what he was about to say next. "I never thought I'd be going up against fucking… wizards and shit."
A dark and depreciating laugh left D’s mouth as his hand rubbed his smooth head under his hat. The world had truly made a deranged turn somewhere. He was already under the impression they were living in an unhinged clown world after 2020, but it appeared the universe decided to drive the clown car off the cliff entirely.
"I don’t anyone expected some knife-eared shitter straight out of Lord of the Rings to walk up and point his finger at something and zap it." D continued, rubbing his eyes trying to dispel the headache that was forming. “But we gotta deal with, because if we don't…”
He trailed off, the implication clear. If they failed, the consequences would be catastrophic if the criminal underworld gained a foothold in the arcane arts. The very fabric of society could unravel, plunging the world into a chaos the likes of which had never been seen.
The radio suddenly crackled to life, the helicopter that has been trailing the target vehicles gave situation report. "All units, target vehicles spotted at the intersection of Jefferson and 5th. White utility van and gray luxury sedan, matching the BOLO. They're heading southbound on Jefferson, moving fast. Over."
D and Mason immediately snapped to attention, their postures shifting from relaxed to high alert in a split second. This was the moment they had been waiting for, the culmination of months of hard work and sleepless nights.
"This is Unit 3, roger that on the target vehicles. We're moving to tail. Over." D's voice was calm and controlled as he relayed the information, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed his heightened state of readiness.
Mason was already in motion, reaching into the back of the truck to retrieve their tactical gear. He grabbed two short-barreled AR-15s, specially modified for close-quarters engagements, and began the process of prepping them for action.
As he worked, Mason couldn't help but shake his head at the surreal nature of their situation. "This is some bullshit…" he said, his voice tinged with irritation. "I never imagined I'd be gearing up to take down a bunch of literal sorcerers aided and abetted by fuckin’ mobsters."
A snort left D’s mouth as his eyes fixed on the road ahead as the engine roared to life. "Welcome to New Orleans, brother. Weird shit always happens in New Orleans."
Mason barked out a laugh, the sound harsh and bitter in the confines of the truck. "Yeah, what are they gonna have me saving next? A princess in a castle? What other goddamn fairy tale fucks is gonna pop up in this hell hole and turn it into their own personal magic kingdom?"
The radio crackled again, the voice of dispatch filtering through the static. "Unit 3, be advised. ICE teams and SWAT are in position at the target warehouse. They're ready to breach when you initiate the arrest."
D keyed the mic and responded immediately. "Roger that. We're tailing the target vehicles now, about two blocks behind. Looks like they're heading towards the warehouse. We'll box them in on your signal. Over."
As they navigated the rain-slicked streets, Mason couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the situation. Here they were, U.S. Marshals, the nation's oldest federal law enforcement agency, teaming up with ICE, an organization tasked with border security and immigration control, to take down a bunch of magical illegals and mobsters. It was like a bad joke with a punchline that nobody wanted to hear.
But there was no time for philosophical musings. The target vehicles were in sight, the white utility van and gray luxury sedan moving through traffic rather quickly.
Maintaining a discreet distance, D’s eyes never leave the vehicles ahead. Mason, meanwhile, finished prepping the rifles before the helicopter orchestrating the entire operation came back over the radio. "All units, target vehicles are approaching the warehouse. It looks like they're slowing down and preparing to pull in. Get ready to intercept. Over."
Mason sucked in a deep breath to ready himself while D's grip tightened on the steering wheel as he watched the target vehicles slow down, their turn signals blinking in the rain-soaked night. "This is Unit 3, copy that. We're moving into position for the intercept. Over." D responded in a calm voice that betrayed the tension he felt.
The radio crackled again, the voice of the helicopter operator filling the truck. "All units, SWAT, and the ICE teams are ready to breach. Box those vehicles in and give the signal. Over."
As if orchestrated by a brilliant conductor, multiple unmarked trucks and SUVs converged on two vehicles in different directions. When the target vehicles made the turn into the warehouse compound, D and the other Marshals seemingly made eye contact and gunned their engines. All of the vehicles surged forward with a roar.
"All units, this is Unit 3. We're initiating the stop. ICE teams, breach now! Over." D's voice was loud and clear over the radio, the signal for the carefully orchestrated danc to begin.
Tires squealed as D angled the truck directly at the luxury sedan and slammed into its front. Simultaneously, 4 other Marshals' units converged from the sides, their vehicles screeching to a halt mere inches from the target vehicles or slamming into them directly.
Then, chaos erupted.
"U.S. Marshal Service!! Exit the vehicles with your hands up!" D's voice boomed across the compound as he and Mason leaped from the truck, rifles pointing at the figures in the sedan as they rushed it.
As soon as D's voice echoed across the compound, the luxury sedan's engine roared to life, its tires screeching against the wet pavement as it suddenly threw itself into reverse. The driver was clearly not ready to surrender as he slammed on the gas and sent the vehicle careening backwards, smashing into the white van behind it with a deafening crunch.
The impact caused the white van to rock on its suspension as its occupants were thrown about inside. The side door of the van flew open, and a group of disoriented people tumbled out, their bodies hitting the ground hard as they scrambled to regain their footing.
"Hands!! Show me your fuckin’ hands!!" Another marshal from a different unit rushed forward. His rifle raised as he sprinted towards the driver's side of the sedan, and in an act of pure aggression, the marshal smashed the barrel of his weapon against the window, causing the glass to shatter.
But the sedan's occupants were not going down without a fight. The driver and passenger quickly drew their weapons, but D and Mason were faster. A staccato of harsh cracks left their short-barreled rifles and split the night. Giant fireballs from the muzzle flashes illuminated the rain-soaked darkness as the marshals and the suspects exchanged a furious volley of lead.
Suddenly, the rear door on the sedan's driver's side flew open. A figure then flew out, moving with a speed and grace that seemed almost inhuman. In a blur of motion, the individual closed the distance between himself and another marshal as his hand flashed out to reveal the glint of a long, wicked-looking blade.
But before anyone could react, the blade found its mark, piercing through the marshal's ballistic vest as if it were nothing more than tissue. The marshal screamed in agony, his voice rising above the cacophony of gunfire and shouting as the blade sank deep into his flesh.
A multitude of weapon-mounted flashlights snapped to the two wrestling on the ground, illuminated by harsh, strobing glares. It was then that the marshals found the one wielding the blade was no ordinary person but one of those pointy-eared Elves from Ohio.
The marshals were not about to let this act of brutality go unanswered. As the elf tried to withdraw his blade from the skewered marshal, he was met with a hail of gunfire. Bullets tore through his flesh, sending him stumbling backward and thrashing about as his blood mingled with the rain.
The scene was one of utter pandemonium, the air filled with the sounds of yelling and gunfire from both the vehicles and the warehouses. Using the mayhem that erupted around the sedan and the wounded marshal, the group that had tumbled out of the white van took the opportunity to make their getaway. Desperate to escape the clutches of the law, they scrambled to their feet and made a frantic dash away from the scene.
"STOP!! U.S. MARSHALS!" Mason’s voice boomed over the cacophony of gunfire and the pounding of the rain. But his words were lost in the wind as the suspects fled, their feet pounding against the wet pavement.
Other marshals and D were already in motion as they all took off into a dead sprint with their rifles tucked tight. "STOP, YOU STUPID BITCH!!" D yelled.
Mason joined the pursuit and passed a marshal who had caught one of the slower suspects and started wrestling with them on the ground. Taking a quick look over his shoulder, Mason couldn’t help but still be shocked to see something straight out of a video game: a small 4-foot-tall Goblin wriggling around and trashing as the larger marshal tried to control it.
While 5 marshals broke off from the main assault group to chase the desperately fleeing suspects behind them, the rest of the marshals descended upon them quickly and violently. Commands were yelled out, and weapons were pointed as the doors of both the Sedan and van yanked open the doors. The remaining occupants, who hadn't been riddled by bullets by the initial volley of gunfire, were dragged out and forced to the ground with their faces pressing into the cold, wet asphalt.
D, Mason, and the other marshals continued to chase the fleeing suspects. With the sound of their steady and trained breathing techniques and the clinking of their equipment, they pushed their bodies to the limit as they jumped fences and turned sharp corners.
In the background, the sound of police sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with each passing second as backup forces swarmed the area. It was the sign that the operation had gone to hell in a handbasket. The carefully orchestrated plan unraveled in the face of otherworldly abilities and magic. It became increasingly clear that they needed to transition to Plan B and use overwhelming force.
As the chasing marshals sprinted through the maze of warehouses and buildings, D caught a glimpse of the suspects darting into an alley. "There!" he shouted, adjusting his course to follow.
The narrow alley was poorly lit, the shadows seeming to reach out and grab at them as they ran. The suspects were just ahead, their forms barely visible in the gloom as they wove between the buildings with desperate speed.
Suddenly, D saw the suspects they were chasing burst through the door of a single-story office building. The sound of splintering wood and shattering glass echoed through the alley as they piled through the small opening.
D and another marshal slowed to a jog, and their weapons snapped up to take aim at the empty doorway in case any dipshit thought to be cute and shove a gun through it or… fling a spell. While the marshals moved cautiously, they couldn’t help but think that notion to be completely absurd, but here they were. With their hearts pounding in their chests, they moved quickly to make entry.
The first marshal took point, his rifle leading the way as he crossed the threshold. But as soon as his weapon breached the entrance, a massive hand belonging to some big fuckin’ dude shot out from the darkness, gripping the barrel with inhuman strength.
Before the marshal could react, a startled cry was let out as the Marshal was yanked violently inside.
***
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Like the title says, I'm a healthy male and I had an EKG recently that gave me that diagnosis. I know its normal in athletic adults but I'm trying to figure out what exactly it is. Is it an intraventricular or atrioventricular conduction disturbance? Does this mean I have a bundle block? If so what type?

Unleash your creativity and step into the dynamic world of graphic design. Whether you're a mature student looking to reignite your creative spark or a young enthusiast aiming to carve out a successful career, graphic design courses could be your perfect springboard.
From the basics of design to advanced concepts, these courses are designed to equip you with the skills and confidence to produce work that prompts the ultimate reaction - WOW! With a range of courses from foundational to degree level, you're sure to find a programme that fits your aspirations and paves the way for an exciting and creative career within the field of graphic design.
So, are you ready to shape your future and potentially influence the design landscape? Let's delve deeper into the world of graphic design courses and discover how they can transform your passion into a profession.

Key Takeaways

• Graphic design courses cover a broad scope, from basic drawing techniques to employing graphic design theories and creating impactful visuals for various mediums like advertising campaigns, ensuring learners acquire a holistic understanding of the field.
• Besides technical skills, these courses foster creative thinking, critical analysis and a strong comprehension of principles of design, making individuals market ready in the graphic design sector.
• With the ever-evolving digital world, opportunities abound for graphic design professionals, with a mounting demand not just in South Africa but worldwide.
• Studying graphic design need not restrict your course of learning. Programmes offer flexibility, allow you to opt for a full-time course or one that aligns with your daily routine.
• On a practical level, these course programmes incorporate real-world projects, industry interaction through studio visits and work placements, providing learners with a valuable industry perspective and exposure.
• Successful completion of these courses opens up numerous career avenues, in sectors varying from branding, typography, freelance design consultancy and brand strategy, and even further study at postgraduate level.

Why Choose Graphic Design?

Choosing a career path isn't a casual process - it’s a critical life decision that shapes your future journey. As an individual craving creativity and innovation, graphic design courses might be your ideal choice.
Graphic design courses offer complete flexibility, allowing you to mould your learning environment according to your convenience. Opt for a full-time course that serves as a comprehensive learning experience, or a work-week compatible option, allowing you to continue with your daily regular activities.
Acquiring a proper education in graphic design boosts your employability, regardless of the industry or sector. Companies constantly seek talented and trained graphic designers to elevate their brand's visual presence. Furthermore, by undertaking a graphic design course, you open doors to a versatile career portfolio - from animation and typography to advertising and game design, the choice is yours. You're not just acquiring a skill but investing in the silver bullet that future-proofs your career.
Take note, graphic design courses are not merely about mastering technical skills. They're about understanding the principles of design and the ability to apply them practically. It's a learning journey that matures your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
With the digital world evolving rapidly, there's an increasing demand for graphic design professionals in South Africa and beyond. This demand offers you a unique opportunity to turn your creativity into a purposeful and rewarding profession.
Remember, it's not solely about where your graphic design journey begins. It's about who guides you through that path. With expert tutors at your side, you're not just learning - you're growing.
So why wait? Accelerate your creative journey, enrol in a graphic design course, and set sail towards a bright, inventive future.

What You Will Learn in Our Graphic Design Courses

In our diversified range of graphic design courses, you can expect to gain a holistic understanding of this dynamic field. Let's delve into detailing the learning outcomes of undertaking graphic design studies.

1. Gain Proficiency in Basic Drawing Techniques Start your journey with an in-depth focus on fundamental drawing practices. Grasp the nitty-gritty of sketches, shapes, shading, and perspectives, serving as a primordial step in your design evolution.
2. Master Composition and Layout Skills Composition, a significant aspect of design, guides the visual flow of your work. You'll uncover principles that enhance the organised allocation of elements, creating a harmonious layout in your designs.
3. Dive into Graphic Design Theories and Specialisms Beyond being an artistic pursuit, graphic design sees entwined complex theories and specialisms. Understanding these fundamental facets provides a deeper comprehension of their underlying influence on design aesthetics.
4. Unearth the Art of Lettering and Typography Fonts speak louder than words; indeed, even the minutest shift in typography can significantly alter the message's tone. Learn to choreograph the type, whirling it into a dance of meaningful resonance.
5. Concieve Engaging Logos and Packaging Designs Steering towards the commercial universe, logo and packaging design hold a paramount place. You'll learn the art of translating a brand's identity into captivating visual embodiments.
6. Experiment with Cartooning and Illustration Unleash your creativity and characterisation skills with the extra joyous domain of cartooning. Simultaneously, hone your illustration skills, transposing imagination onto paper, or digital platforms.
7. Create Impactful Poster, Book Jacket, and CD Designs Get hands-on experience crafting various media types, ranging from posters to book jackets and CD designs. Each brings its unique challenges and opportunities to flaunt your skills.
8. Formulate Effective Advertising Campaigns Marrying artistry with commercial insight, ad creation forms an integral part of our curriculum. It's here where your designs act as silent salespersons, driving business growth.
9. Secure Industry-Ready Skills Finally, remember this – You're not just learning, but preparing for an exciting career in design. The full-time course offerings arm you with industry-specific skills, setting you up for a successful career in South Africa and beyond.

Course Structure and Duration

Graphic design courses tend to be comprehensive, focusing intently on fostering creativity and technical skills. It's a journey marked by significant emphasis on generating a broad variety of ideas. Then, these ideas, through careful nurturing, are refined into successful design solutions. You'll find a deep focus on creating concepts using traditional drawing materials such as pencil, pen, ink, paint, and collage. And yes, experimentation is not just welcomed but encouraged!
This full-time course, structured sensibly, guides you towards progressing your ideas on paper. However, if you're leaning more towards illustrating your finished designs digitally, you have the freedom to submit your work completed on a computer. Contrary to common belief, these courses lean more towards teaching the artistic side of graphic design rather than merely focusing on the utilisation of computer software.
The graphic design courses in South Africa could be the path for you if you are looking for a well-structured, guided learning experience. The course work entails sending in your designs at seven distinct points in the course duration, with each submission requiring between 2 and 5 pieces. Throughout this journey, you'll receive insightful feedback from adept tutors, further enhancing your learning and practical skills.
Remember, studying graphic design isn't just about mastering the tools. It's about opening your perception to a world of ideas, refining them, and ultimately transforming your abstract sketches into successful design solutions. By doing so, you are equipped to contribute valuable, visually appealing designs to a digital world in perpetual need of skilled graphic designers.

Benefits of Studying at Oakfields College

Expanding your horizons in the field of graphic design involves engaging with realistic design briefs at Oakfields College. This full-time graphic design course emphasises broad idea generation, where you are tasked with transforming abstract concepts into tangible design solutions. A strong focus is laid on familiarising students with traditional drawing materials like pencil, pen, ink, paint, and artistic collages, all standard components of professional Graphic design courses in South Africa.
One noteworthy aspect of studying at Oakfields College is the encouragement to experiment across media types, thereby fostering your creativity. This process taps into the artistic side of graphic design, rather taking a software-driven approach. However, that doesn't rule out the role of technology in your learning journey. You have the liberty to infuse your design work with digital elements, enhancing your output while gaining a grip on modern design tools.
Aligned with the course’s structure, a tutor-guided submission protocol is in place. You submit work at seven specific stages throughout the course tenure, contributing between two to five pieces per submission. Not only does this test your ability to work within deadlines but also helps in gauging your evolving artistic prowess. A dedicated tutor facilitates constructive feedback for each submission, conducive to enhancing your expertise and moulding you into a versatile designer.
A distinctive unit integrated into this Graphic design course is dedicated to honing crucial virtues of critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills. Tasked to work with large chunks of text, the unit instils expertise required for the intricate task of typographic presentation, a vital skill in the growing universe of editorial design.
The full-time Graphic design course at Oakfields College are not just about building technical prowess. It's about broadening your perspective, improvising your creative skills, opening your mind to a universe of interpretive possibilities, and preparing you for the challenges of becoming an internationally recognised designer.
So, if you are pondering, why should I study graphic design – consider Oakfields College, where we blend creativity with technology to shape your design journey. Let's transform simple texts into engaging designs and make your talent stand out on the global map.
‍
You've delved into the world of graphic design education at Oakfields College and seen the emphasis on creativity, technical prowess, and critical thinking. You've learned about successful alumni who've made their mark in companies like Apple and Lego, and the potential of postgraduate study for career advancement. You've also got an insight into the application process, portfolio submissions, and payment options. It's clear that studying graphic design at Oakfields College isn't just about academic learning. It's a gateway to global creative opportunities. So, are you ready to take the plunge and explore your creativity? The world of graphic design awaits you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the graphic design education like at Oakfields College?

The graphic design education at Oakfields College emphasises on creativity, technical skills, and critical thinking. The institution equips its students with practical skills and knowledge of the industry, boasting alumni in illustrious companies like Apple and Lego.

Does the article promote postgraduate study in graphic design?

Yes, the article suggests that postgraduate study can enhance career prospects in graphic design. It underscores the significance of advanced learning and specialisation within the field.

How is the application process for graphic design courses outlined in the article?

The article details the process of applying for full-time graphic design courses at Oakfields College. It mentions the requirements of portfolio submission, payment options, along with highlighting the solid industry network prospective students can gain.

Can studying graphic design lead to global opportunities?

Absolutely. The article portrays studying graphic design not just as academic learning but a direct pathway to expansive creative opportunities worldwide.

Is there industry exposure provided in the graphic design courses at Oakfields College?

The article underscores that Oakfields College provides significant industry exposure. Noteworthy is the mention of its impressive industry network that students can leverage upon for their career advancement.

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Nanami Yasuri is the sister of Katanagatari's protagonist, Shichika Yasuri. She was born incredibly sick, saddled with a billion maladies, each fatal on its own, that made her life excruciating, yet her genius rejected this death from illness. By the age of 7 she was already the strongest in Japan, too strong to be trained by her father. She was barred from training her whole life, but being confined to watching trained her eyes to an impeccable degree.
This thread uses all material written by Nisio Isin for Katanagatari, notably excluding the anime adaptation. The full thread can be found here.

Physicals

Durability

• Completely no-sold Kokken Sabi's attack, not acknowledging it as a threat or even an act of combat. She then went on to engage in a battle with Kokken for 6 months where Kokken did not, and could not, hold back. Kokken previously, with a simple sword swing created a gale almost like a typhoon, cleaving the earth and parting the heavens, leaving not a single blade of grass, only a bare crater the size of a lake. She's also said to have such overwhelming power that she was capable of destroying Japan.
• Was injured twice by caltrops flicked by an enemy.
• Shichika isn't capable of hurting Nanami outside of the hole left in her chest by Akuto the Eel. Shichika comes nowhere close to her. Three months prior to this, Shichika's fight with Hakuhei Sabi reduced Ganryu Island to less than half its size. Ganryu Island is a real place, spanning 103,000 square meters.
• Has a weak constitution, not strong enough to last outside the island where she grew up, fearing that the air on the mainland would be too rich for her.
• Togame quips about Nanami's earlier statement that the mainland air would be too rich for her, being amazed that Nanami survived going through areas where Shichika almost died of frostbite.

Strength

• Exploded a wooden shrine, about the size of a person, by merely grazing the outside with her fingers.
• Her sickly body lacks the muscle to throw someone.
• Copying the abilities of others, even copying a clan's Monstrous Strength, only made her weaker. A weak child in this clan could have killed Shichika with a direct hit, and held Soto the Twin as if that clan member was holding a stick. Soto the Twin was made out of the heaviest matter in existence, with Shichika believing it to be heavier than the Katana Buddha, a statue forged out of at least 100,000 melted down katanas.
• She was only capable of piercing a man's heart by copying an ability to sharpen and grow her nails; no-one could do anything more than break skin otherwise.
• The full force of her strength was too much for her body to take a single step; as soon as she did, her skin tore from her body, her veins ruptured, her muscles went to tatters, and her bones snapped.

Speed

• Struck down the shockwave of Kokken Sabi's attack shortly after it was created. This attack was being launched from the edge of Inaba Desert to its dead centre, a place that took days of travel to reach, in a timeframe that wouldn't have given Mutsue Yasuri a chance to block. Inaba Desert is the name Katanagatari uses for the Tottori Sand Dunes, which stretches 2.4 km north to south, 16 km east to west.
• Is so slow there's no way she could overtake Shichika, or even catch up to a tortoise.
• Struck Shichika 272 times; so quickly that he didn't understand what had happened. By this point in the series, Shichika was charging experienced athletes as if teleporting, before they even realised what had happened and reacting faster than sound could travel
• Moves at an unusually slow pace; as slow as a snail.
• By pure reflex, managed to break each of an attacker's nails, plunge them into his abdomen, and slam him into a tree, all so quickly that neither of them knew what had happened.

Resilience

• From her youth, she was saddled with diseases, liable to die at any time, from a billion maladies, each fatal on their own. Yet her innate genius rejected the poison and illness, refusing to die. So being injected with another poison just worked as a painkiller, and a poison that couldn't kill would be nothing for her.
• Her body possesses an outsize capacity to heal, causing wounds such as gouges in her belly to soon be gone without a trace.
• Despite having her skin torn from her body, her veins ruptured, her muscles in tatters, and her bones snapped, she was still able to laugh. When having those injuries, as well as having the vessels of her brain burst, she was still able to dodge and block Shichika's attacks.
• At the age of seven, she had a battle with Kokken Sabi that lasted roughly half a year.
• While she demolished forty-six people in a single fight, she claims she would've lost if she'd fought them one by one.

Genius

Watch and Learn

• After seeing any move once, she'll be able to learn it, and after seeing it twice, she'll have mastered it; sometimes beyond the extent of the original user. This even applies to abilities which involve physical conditioning, although she sometimes needs to make adjustments to her insides to do this, and some extremely different physiologies would be uncopyable.
• This observation also lets her identify weaknesses, although this sometimes requires her to try the move herself first. This also lets her see through feints.
• Similarly, she gains the combat expertise of those she fights, once she sees someone move, their strength becomes her strength. Using this, she's learned from the Bug Unit Maniwa, the entire Itezora Clan, the Sacred Guardians of Mt. Shirei, and the warrior monks of Gokenji Temple. Even if someone who surpassed her skills were to challenge her, she'd make her opponent's every strength her own; her enemy would automatically meet their match.

Copied Abilities

• Copied Chocho Maniwa's Harlequin Butterfly, an ability which makes one's movements ignore the laws of gravity. One can carry anything no matter how heavy, a branch no matter how tiny can serve as a foothold, and an enemy's attacks won't land, as the draft made by them will send one's body through the air. Still, if they're grabbed so slowly that a draft isn't created, they can still be attacked. Shealso used this to help her move more quickly.
• Copied Kamakiri's Mantis Talons. The original user can grow his fingernails to be two feet long, fat, and as thick and sharp as knives, plus he can shoot these out and regrow them a few times. Since she only briefly saw this once, hers can't grow as long, but she thinks she'll improve with practice.
• Copied the Itezora Clan's Monstrous Strength after wiping them out, although she only ended up using this to throw Shichika once.
• She can't use some of her copied abilities, such as Harlequin Butterfly or Monstrous Strength, for long stretches.

Kyotoryu

• Made Kyotoryu hers without moving a muscle, just from watching her family practice. Even without training, she was the school personified. She knew every move it had ever had, and knew them better than anybody else in the history of the school. Because of this, I'll include techniques pulled off by other Kyotoryu practitioners.
• Demonstrated a medley of the Kyotoryu strike moves, totalling 272 blows. Shichika later imitated this to kill Uron 272 times, overwhelming the immortality provided by Akuto the Eel.
• Side Splitter, Kyotoryu Kiku involves catching a sword against one's back, harnessing leverage to snap the blade in half. While this initially failed against Zetto the Leveller, as it was built to be unbreakable, Shichika later performed the same move in the same way, successfully snapping it, with narration saying that the move was created to break that sword, and only failed due to Shichika's lack of experience.
• Fatal Orchid Four: Ryuryoku Kako is a strike that works through shields and armour to damage the insides without affecting the outside. The damage can be stopped wherever the user likes, at the skin, muscle, organs, bones, or going through to the other side. Narration says, on two occasions, that this move could theoretically blast someone on the other side of the planet.
• Fatal Orchid Five: Hika Rakuyo is the antithesis of Ryuroku Kako; harming the exterior without affecting the interior, spreading a shockwave across a person's skin. This can be dialled back to rattle an opponent, rendering them unfit for battle. Faced with an opponent who possessed people by transferring tattoos onto them, Shichika used this move to only damage the tattoos, leaving the possessee unharmed, with later narration clarifying that this wouldn't work on other types of possession.

Akuto the Eel

• This sword is plugged into Nanami's heart, zapping away her sickness, healing the billion maladies in her body, eliminating her weakness of having low stamina at the price of making her weaker and slower and giving her a weak spot when removed.
• When plugged into someone, it keeps them alive indefinitely, although Shichika was still able to kill someone wielding this by landing 272 fatal blows, expending all of its lightning.
• While these mutant blades typically compel their owners to use them even when it's a bad tactical option and turn people into insane assassins obsessed with murder, Nanami's genius gobbles up this poison, leaving her unaffected.

How to Use on WhoWouldWin

Nanami makes a few factors of battle selection less relevant. Her resilience and potential to copy many abilities and moves makes distinguishing on that basis less relevant, and her being capable of copying combat skill makes that differentiator a lot less relevant. If you want to make a fight that hinges on those, pick a character that's ruthless. One that has dealt with that sort of copying before, or who can take her out before it becomes relevant.
Other than that, she's an inconsistent stat stick, with a few abilities that let her deal with niche situations. Whether you believe she busts buildings, lakes, countries, or could barely kill a house cat, put her up against someone with slightly better raw stats, and you'll end up with an interesting game of cat and mouse, pitting her unique tools and skill-stealing against their physical advantage.

Dear precious stone, You know who I mean. You're left-handed, you don't like fish or eggs, chocolate makes you sick, you are a great cook, picadillo is something you make along with delicious looking soup bread bowls and nachos. You don't need to close your eyes to visualize something like an apple. You are also the most egotistical person I've ever encountered. You wouldn't let me shout my feelings into the void on an account you were never supposed to see. "Stop posting about me." I'm sorry, my healing time wasn't quick enough for you. Yes, it was a dumb reddit relationship, but we spoke all day every day for months. We watched several shows together like Brooklyn 99, Loudermilk, and Avatar. It was just a silly internet relationship, though. I woke up thinking about you. I went to bed thinking about you. I dreamed about you, and if you actually actually paid attention to our conversations, you'd know that I never dream. If you did actually care for me, you would have known that those posts were about me. Yes, they were about me getting over you, but they were about me. You are just so into yourself that you couldn't see past that it was partially about you. The worst part is that you and I had each other blocked. There was nobody else who knew that account, so you made a stalker account just to see what I was posting because you knew the account. You interpreted my love for you as needing a "drippy 5-page love letter every 5 minutes" that just wasn't the case. Communication is what I was after. You know communication? The imparting of exchanging of information or news? You never shared anything important with me while I was an open book. I opened up to you, and you said I was exhausting. That's an incredibly hurtful thing to say to someone. I didn't enjoy hurting you. You just couldn't keep your nose out of my posts. You were ready to be done with the whole reddit thing. You used me as a scapegoat. I think you saw how amazing I was and couldn't handle the fact that I treated you so Damn well, and started comparing me to whatever you have going on in your life that you needed to "escape" to reddit every single day, but that's just a theory because you never talked to me about anything with substance. It was real for me. I actually loved you, which is ridiculous to think about now after you showed me how unreasonable and petty you actually are. Using my both of my usernames in your "victim" post was so classless and trashy that it made me wake up and realize what a troubled person you actually are. I honestly believe that the time I told you that I had fraud on my card was you. The charges were in Jupiter, pretty close to you, isn't it? The people I discussed everything that happened are convinced you are a bad person, and I'm starting to agree. This is me writing about me and my feelings, so if you see this letter on one of your multiple accounts, just get over it the way you callously told me to "get over you already." I have to say, being the person tricked into loving someone who just needed a confidence boost feels terrible. You may want to let the next guy you end up doing this to know that you aren't serious. You had a problem with me sharing a picture I took for someone else. It is comical, by the way. Especially considering everything you ever sent me was for your fans. I especially love the fact that one of the only posts left on your Twitter account is one of the ones that was in the sub I made for us. I'm basically just spewing everything thing out at this point so you can finally get out of my head, but come on, it's reddit. Nobody takes anything seriously here.